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amphibious-entity · 3 years

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TMBS Book 1 Brain Dump

~An Embarrassingly Long Post~

I don’t know why I’m writing this or why I’m so determined to do it. Maybe to finally assume my true form and become a mega dork on main, or maybe just for fun!

This is basically a compilation of all the main points running through my head after reading The Mysterious Benedict Society (2007) for the first time. Rather than posting a ton and spamming the tag, everything’s here in one neat package! (hopefully this gets it all out of my system rip)

Contents:

The Book Itself

The Book Itself, for real this time

The Characters

A Funny Parallel

The S.Q. Section

Lines & Scenes I Liked

Spoilers abound!

The Book Itself

Upon acquiring the first three books (don’t judge me pls), I was surprised at just how long they are. Like, they’re still pretty light being paperbacks and all, but these books are hefty lads.

The first book has this Disney+ Original Series circle thing printed on it, which is kind of unfortunate. Regardless, I love the cover illustration and yellow is actually my favorite color :D It made me weirdly quite happy whenever I saw the book lying around in my room

Also, it’s really cute how there’s a letter from Mr. Benedict at the end! (It only reveals that you can find out his first name if you “know the code”, meaning the bit of Morse printed below the summary on the back.) Shock and horror, though, as I realized I’m starting to recognize some of the letters

The Book Itself, for real this time

It’s wonderful how the tone of the book really shone through to the show adaptation. Something about the deliberateness of the aesthetic, from the set designs to the fashion to scene compositions, that really sells that particular style— like it’s very clear that this story is being told to us, rather than one we’re seeing unfold, if that makes sense.

Where that narration style stood out to me the most was the first chapter. We are told (rather than shown) how Reynie gets himself to the point of the second test, and there’s this whole twisty time maneuver for that whole sequence of events that’s really interesting

A super secret fun fact about me is that I wanted to be a writer when I was younger! So this particular balance of show vs. tell is really neat, since it runs counter to my own tendencies. The sheer amount of commas in every sentence is also kind of comforting, since Ahah, I Do That in those few serious-ish attempts at writing lol

Overall this book’s style reminds me a lot of Roald Dahl’s books, which are very nostalgic for me :D The whole “kids are more competent than adults” angle helps a lot too haha

The Characters

Oh boy here’s where I get a little bit critical! Overall I did really like this book!! it’s just that that expresses itself in all this weird “”analysis”” lol

Reynie - much better in the books than in the show

It’s sort of a lukewarm take but I feel like show!Reynie is kind of boring? He doesn’t have a lot going on flaw-wise, and obviously since he’s the protagonist he can’t have too many weird traits or else the kids watching can’t project themselves onto him as easily

(I call it the difference between an aspirational protagonist and a vessel protagonist. Going off of the Roald Dahl vibes, think Matilda vs Charlie. show!Reynie is more of a Charlie)

Thus when we get to see him really struggle with the Whisperer and doubt himself it gives him a lot more dimension, at least in my opinion

It is a federal crime that the white knight scenes were not adapted into the show

Sticky - my son

I’ve long held to no one besides myself and my long suffering sister that Sticky is The Best Member of the Society

He happened to hit a lot of the Bingo squares of Stuff I Like In Characters: glasses, anxious, nice :), kind of a coward but ultimately is there for his friends, etc

For some reason I don’t talk about him nearly as much as you-know-who, but I love him just as dearly

Kate & Constance - I don’t have much to say

Kate is really interesting in this book! I like how we get to see more of her depths, in particular that one passage about her belief that she is invincible being the only thing that keeps her from falling apart? :c

Also her constant fidgeting is relatable lol

Constance is somehow a lot more tolerable in the book. I think I’m just one of those people with no patience for small children, unfortunately lol

(Some of) The Adults

It’s interesting that they had such an offscreen presence for most of the book. Giving them more time was probably one of the stronger changes of the show

However if that decision was made at the expense of the white knight scenes I think the choice should have been clear

I like the way Rhonda and Number Two are written

Milligan always on sad boy hours 😔✊

The “mill again” passage is touching but kind of messes up the pacing of the getaway, at least for me. Maybe I should read it again to make sure I didn’t miss something

Miss Perumal is much better in the show. We see so little of her in the book she doesn’t function well as an emotional anchor for Reynie, imo

The Institute Gang

Jackson and Jillson serve their purpose well, and Martina was surprising to say the least. I like the direction they took her in the show! I can’t imagine how funny it must have been to watch the tetherball subplot come out of nowhere lolol

These sections were written out of sequence, so random tidbit I couldn’t fit in The S.Q. Section: I like how he stumbles over his words. relatable

Mr. Curtain

While I think I know why they decided to not give Curtain the wheelchair in the show, we were totally robbed of Actor Tony Hale’s performance for the reveal during the final confrontation

Speaking of the wheelchair, it’s such a powerful symbol of his need for control or rather, his fear of losing it

The Contrast between him and Mr. Benedict. This point is expanded on in A Funny Parallel

Mr. Benedict

Oh boy, Mr. Benedict… How do I say this

I find it hard to trust Mr. Benedict, unfortunately

I mean to say, I do in the sense that I know he would never hurt the kids, thanks to knowing that a) this is a children’s book series and b) the meta (tumblr) states that he is really nice and lovable and stuff, but seriously. Why do the kids trust him at first?? I probably missed something somewhere

I like to think I’m an optimistic person, but unfortunately I’m also super paranoid. The premise of “a bunch of vulnerable orphans team up with a strange old man” is just so odd to me I don’t know how to explain it

I don’t know!!! I really want to trust Mr. Benedict

One of the strengths of the show is that we get to see him more often, and thus he gets to acknowledge more often that the plan is weird and that he feels really badly for putting the kids in danger and that he’s trustworthy and genuine

But his lack of presence for most of the book just makes him into something of a specter, invisible and unknowable, speaking only in riddles from across the bay

Which is why the white knight scene is so important!! I loved that scene ;-;

Because here’s an actual emotional connection! We can actually see it happening, rather than only being told that it exists

Reynie asking for advice and receiving encouragement, in words that demonstrate that Mr. Benedict actually cares about him and worries about him and agghh

It is a federal crime that the white knight scenes were not adapted into the show

But overall this whole issue didn’t ruin my enjoyment of the book at all! It’s just ->

A Funny Parallel

Okay, ready for my biggest brain, hottest take ever??

Mr. Benedict and Mr. Curtain…. are… the same

I mean obviously not entirely, given that one is benevolent and kind and the other is… Mr. Curtain

But seriously. Genius old man seeks out children (mainly orphans) to enact a plan. Said children often end up incredibly devoted to his cause and deeply admire him this is a little flimsy

Undoubtedly that’s intentional and is supposed to show the difference between them, like some kind of cautionary tale? “Let yourself be vulnerable and let others help you, lest you turn eeeeviiillll”

I guess that’s where the aforementioned epic contrast comes in. You get Mr. Curtain, strapped into his wheelchair and hiding behind those mirrored sunglasses, terrified (but unwilling to admit it) of ever showing the tiniest hint of vulnerability, vs. Mr. Benedict, who can let himself fall knowing that someone will catch him :’)

Anyhow I have nothing against the parallels, I just think it’s funny

The S.Q. Section

The S.Q. Quarantine Thread so it doesn’t leak out everywhere else <3

I’d like to meet the emo angstlord genius who read this book and decided to make SQ into Dr. Curtain’s son. What in the world

Okay I should probably preface this by saying that I absolutely adore both book!S.Q. and show!SQ with all my heart. Somehow, despite being a completely different character in both mediums, he has managed to be one of the best characters in either and certainly one of my favorites (besides Sticky of course) in the entire franchise, despite the fact that I’ve only read the first book/watched the show so far. I am confident in this statement.

But seriously! How?? Why?? I could probably write a whole other essay about why show!SQ is such an interesting character, and the change works so incredibly well. I’m just. Baffled

Okay, focus. book!S.Q. is such a sweetheart, oh my goodness. Like, 100% one of the most endearing characters in the book. Poor guy. I don’t even know where to start!!

He just seems to be a genuinely good guy at heart, despite being technically one of the bad guys. He’s genuinely happy for Reynie and Sticky when they became Messengers and helped Kate when she “fell” and was concerned about Constance when she looked sick and how he was in that meeting with Mr. Curtain and Martina?!!? aaahhhhghgh ;-; he just wants people to be happy TT-TT

Comparing him against literally every character at the Institute is probably what makes him so endearing tbh. When everyone else is so awful to the kids, it really makes him stand out. Like a cheerful little nightlight in the worst, most humid and rank bathroom you’ve ever been in

It’s kind of pointless to theorize about a book series that’s already concluded (I think?) but. Is the implication of S.Q.’s forgetfulness supposed to be that Mr. Curtain used him in brainsweeping experiments somehow? The timeline probably definitely absolutely doesn’t line up but like. How did he get to being a Messenger being the way he is now, given how cutthroat the process is? And then of course Mr. Curtain keeps him around as an Executive because he’s fun to mess with and presumably his loyalty. I’m very curious as to how their relationship develops in the other books, if at all. Those are probably where the seeds of the “let’s make them family” logic were planted

But wouldn’t it be hilarious if the reason we don’t know what “S.Q.” stands for in the books is that he just. Forgot

Another thing that occurred to me. Given that he and the other Executives were Messengers at some point, what were their worst fears? What is S.Q.’s worst fear?? Inquiring minds need to know

One last horrible little anecdote: I was thinking about book!S.Q. while eating breakfast, as one does, and suddenly it hit me.

I want to believe The Author Trenton Lee Stewart had the name for a character, S.Q. Pedalian, and was like, “Hm! What sort of quirky trait should this young fellow have?” Because, of course, in this style of fiction every character has to have at least one cartoonish or otherwise distinguishing trait to stand out in the minds of children. (For instance, Kate has her bucket, Sticky has his glasses, Constance is angry, and Reynie is Emmett from the Lego Movie)

Anyhow, he looks around the room, searching for inspiration. Suddenly he comes across a jumbo box of plastic wrap. Completely innocuous in design, save for one line of text. 300 SQ FT.

“…large… S.Q. …feet? THAT’S IT!” i’m sorry

Lines & Scenes I Liked

In no particular order!

Sticky quotes Sun Tzu, The Art of War

Evil combination aerobics/square dancing in the gym with the Executives

Everyone being happy at the end :’)

Everyone partying after Sticky reunites with his parents, and later finding Mr. Benedict asleep at his desk from the moment they shook hands :’’)

Literally any scene with Sticky in it

Any time Kate says “you boys” or “gosh”

[“Um, sir?” S.Q. said timidly, raising his hand. “A thought just occurred to me.” / Mr. Curtain raised his eyebrows. “That’s remarkable, S.Q. What is it?”] clown prince of my heart </3

S.Q.’s determined monologue about searching for clues after he bungled up the first time

Literally any scene with S.Q. in it (please refer to The S.Q. Section)

Reynie trying to resist the Whisperer.

[Let us begin. / First let me polish my spectacles, Reynie thought. / Let us begin. / Not without my bucket, Reynie insisted. He heard Mr. Curtain muttering behind him. / Let us begin, let us begin, let us begin. / Rules and schools are tools for fools, Reynie thought.]

NO MORE HURTIN’ WITH CURTAIN

Milligan showing up on the island!!

Remember the white knight hhhhhh

“controle”

A Super Secret Bonus Section

I would be extremely surprised if anyone read through all the way down here lol. Regardless, here’s a little acknowledgements section :D not tagging anyone since I don’t want to bother all of these people

Special shoutout to tumblr blog stonetowns for unknowingly yet singlehandedly demolishing my reluctance to read the books by posting a ton of cute quotes. Thank you for your service o7

Thanks to the two OGs that liked the post I made right before this one, for being my unwitting enablers and for sticking around despite being a) technically an internet stranger (hello!) and b) someone I haven’t spoken to irl in literal years (hey!!)

Last but not least thankz 2 my sister for putting up with me ranting about the book when I first got it and for asking about “CQ” sometimes lol. (i desperately hope you’re not reading this orz)

#the mysterious benedict society #this took me like three days to finish rip #it’s worked though! i feel less of a Mighty Need to think about this stuff constantly now #however!!! today through some conniving i have gotten the Second Book #now I’m at 3 out of 4 infinity stones. muahahaha #was going to include my villain origin story about why i like show!SQ so much but cut it for being too long and irrelevant. however #if the words jeff naomi and Sweet Dreams are Made of These mean anything to you please hit me up. it’s kind of a funny story

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misterbitches · 3 years

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some thots. having a bad time so this is rougher than usual. oh well

....

i guess he really does know hiim best cos if that was my mans (man specifically cos if anyone else did that id take it more srsly) i would be like oh my god ur singing me a love song? i would love it but i woudl SCREAM in embarrassment. UNLESS it was a really deep love song that's about us dying together.

like i want to eat ur skin type of thing (drain u nirvana) lmaoa but i really like this song it reminds me of that velvet underground song (the only one i know cos of juno lmao) and nico or whatever 'i'm sticking with you)

my adhd would be out of fucking control i had to spend my time listening to this looking around i kept getting distracted by a tissue and thinking "wow this song is nice but i wish it would end bc i am getting distracted" and lo and behold i paused it and i have to pee and i know it's gonna take forever to undo this

ok about 12m later i turned it back on and they kissed and then he bit the corn then that night li chen also lost his virgin teas after watching gay porn and being like "hm interesting" and he'll be like "i see, ur dick is not medium sized"

i'm honestly gagging i cannot at this 12 year old marrying his mom

beautiful theyre beautiful

ayea you fucking psycho we do too because he was 17 and we had to witness it (or well, other people did cos i didnt watch the show even tho wayne song is [BEEEEEEEEEEEEEP BEEEEEP BEEEEP] and i want him to [BEEEEEEEP] and ppl even liked it which is fine like i get it in theory but they put this in my eyeballs so i'm gonna make fun of it bc it's fuckin DUMB lmao like i can't I CANNOT and he said "u were so persistent" BITCH UR 30??!?!???!?!?!?)capi hve it on mute and i tried to get a screencap of li chen and mu ren like together and not just his face but i cant find the timestamp and seeing their faces as they get married is literalyl traumattizing i'm like scremaing at my screen going "HE'S 5 HE'S 5 HE'S 5" and every time theyre like "we acn live forever together" like no bitch ur bones rae creaking

also is the officiator white? if anyone knows why or if that's common i'd love to know more. EDIT: HE ISN'T I JUST THOUGHT HE LOOKED LIKE MOBY FROM THAT ANGLE

anyway here

i'm almost done with this fucking bullshit and i am in a really ould mood and usu they make it a bit better but imo it's kind of....annoying i guess balancing all these story elements and introducin gother couples (even in the periphery) since the story in itself can't focus. i feel like all in all the time spent with these two is a lot more limited and we get the feel for the rship because of their chemistry as actors, irl chemistry as friends and colleagues, and hopefully being happy and working on a good set. so it isn't the strength of the writing or production.

for some reason they get like less dynamic ways of being together which i think is part of their charm, they do things their own way, but the writers really should have substantiated this more. it's really just the way everyone in the show has managed to deliver these AWFUL story lines and production decisions (like seriously who the fuck was on costume? lighting?)

like maybe hot take but all the moments that are cringe and insane in the show are not pleasant, per se, because they aren't thought out clearly. so they're not a joy to watch in the normal sense but the actors are good enough to pull it off. i didn't cringe at the talks they had because it felt like actors like acting these lines out instead of us being embarrassed for it and you CAN TELL theyre embarrassed.

this is a huge kudos to the casting director and the actors and whatever crew that actually did a good job. i don't particularly like watching bo xiang and his grandfather husband not because of the content but because i feel like, to me, they're so awkward even though they have chemistry. i don't have that issue with xing si and his rapist brother boyfriend because watching them is actually really pleasant, it's intimate. this isn't to do with the story though because when it hits you how devoid this other person is and how stupid the situation is it changes (for me, for me, for me, this is all my opinion think whateverrrr u want im not telling u 2 ok!)

so truly kudos to this cast. idk if i'm misremembering here but imo the most cast appropriate series in this was crossing the line and close to you. one is a decent atmosphere and execution (yes even with that brother story line, notice the major key differences though because that's a sincere false equivalence. they try to execute power imbalances soooo badly and then fail every time but here's one meant to shock too and it was just likelmao ok girl?)

it may not make sense to say either in a writing way or for the character to do it but i believe that whoever the characters these people are supposed to be especially those super not well written on the page still get that message aacross (yong jie's actor is a good ex. not sure if i should ccongratulate him for having the worst job on earth and the worst character and his character is flat but. ostensibly they should let their actions speak for themselevs but what they do is they back themselves into a ccorner with unsuretyabout their characters or a dilemma that pops up they just want to excuse it. well guess hwat u couldnt do enough legwork. but to some extent the disposable side couple works here on a um "our eyes see them and get it" way

also to me it seems like they chose this story just to have this specific wedding. like it's a timely topic and i'm pretty sure like another provision? (correction? idk) was made WRT taiwanese same-sex marriage so it's topical but it isn't like a "papa and daddy" situation where they're interacting in it and there (for ex: the pride parade) and there being like real life terms and consequences. here it seems like they were like ah yes wedding ah yes dumb couple from modc bc we kiled off the other one sooooo (then outsource them to life love on the line u__u) then hamfisting in some fucking message which is funny bc

- despite the hints peppered in and the clear attraction they both acknowledge ur like ~not gay just him~ even tho...i mean i just. again they dont read over what they write i don't think considering. but wahtever.

- the only gay dude (verbally said) is with his rapist brother with an awful power dynamic oh or IS a rapist (gao) (or his brother but i think it was just a "im a psycho so it's him" thing unless they said it. in which case idc cos i wasnt paying attn but that's also not great) or i guess the wedding but like....that's also a ridiculously inappropriate and dumb relationship taht it's built on. i mean i don't really see much respect her so i dont particularly want to hear abt gay weddings being important when they didn't even utilize it in the story beforehand and have we ever. this is a huge indication to me that it was a reverse engineered chosen story beforehand (if it was one) or thought of

soooooo

so reversal of that....it didnt give us enough time to breathe with these two at all but for both of the actors they can capitalize what's on the page and the writers didn't. like their dynamic is very i give/you give like taking car eof each other etc that's why

again, no artist worth their salt will ever say their work meant nothing. that's a cover up. i'm sick of lazy production and then getting away with it claiming being subversive or attacking an issue by not doing anything. we show crazy shit all the time but it has a POINT and ur point is "i like the gays" then girl.....i mean it's not great

but the acting really carried it. i have a feeling if this series continues it might continue to use more experienced actors cos maybe the budget goes up but they also have less inhibitions now when it comes to acting. i like the way li chen expresss himself and teng teng too. i like anson a lot and there's some angles that did not do any favors and i think eh has to get more control of his body movements (bc he's SO LARGE and thin) but he wasn't bad at all and there were real human tears. of course i, personally, favor charles tu. he has more control over his body because he has...less to work with and he's a bit bigger and he was really great in this role. he's a himbo a bit of a meathead but you like him. you like them. there's some things i think they had them say and do that they wouldn't let happen if they stuck to the characters and the story (mainly liking that dumb idiot rapist)

what i notice is that the reprehensible actions people criticize others for in the show and in real human life lalways gets turned around. teng teng being surprised that this boy's grandfather boyfriend met him when he was a junior in high school and he's 12 years older and him apologizing for being shocked and then whatshisface going "ur better at it than most people" and then the convo about gao with whatshisface and then rapist brother comes to pick him up. they are admonishing gao but thinking that rapist brother is noble for doin gwhat he did (and oh rapist brother shows up) like the hypocrisy and the decisions are immense. so now it's like "guys see he's a great guy" like girl STICK TO SOMETHING but whatever so i live in this universe where muren and li chen do everything right and have lots of different interesting fun seex with all their friends. i would write this but i cannot i am dying

#history 4: close to you #history 4 #li chen x mu ren #a thot

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alwaysalreadyangry · 3 years

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Poetry anon again: you are my favorite!!! Your brain!!!! I would read you talking about poetry & TOG forever.

I'm not into the whole sole genius artist thing and I definitely think they would reject it. I mean, I'm sure they do their own thing sometimes and are drawn to different aspects of artistic endeavors, but even if Joe was, say, painting a lot while Nicky was in a stretch where he was making a lot of pottery and textiles, they would still talk about their work & influence each other. (When it comes to visual art I tend to see Joe as being drawn to 2D mediums and Nicky being drawn to 3D things that also have practical uses, but that's based on nothing but gut feeling.) I always find the communities that artists/writers create within fascinating for that reason. It's rare that art comes from a vacuum, even now. And I LOVE the idea that sometimes writing becomes a game between them because the best writing & art IMO retains a sense of play & experimentation, even if the subject is serious.

And I'm obsessed with oral traditions & how things change over the years and thinking about that wrt Joe and Nicky is just *chef's kiss* How would their versions shift over the years in their memories? Are their memories more or less accurate than the versions that have been passed down elsewhere? How much do they write down and save? Do they ever forget they wrote something down, rewrite it down years later and then find both copies and realize they are different? And that's before even getting into them as translators, of their work or others'

Anyway, I mean, yes, I love Joe and Nicky as immortal husbands who invented love, but, honestly, I am even more down for them as immortal artists & writers & performers who perfected collaboration, esp when they are doing it to make each other smile & inspire each other, rather than for any grand artistic vision or goal.

Anon, these messages have made my year, you have no idea 🥰.

Yeah, I love thinking about them influencing each other and also just talking about everything they’re doing, and how that shapes the choices and art they make. I love the idea of Joe gravitating towards painting while Nicky likes to work with clay - I like thinking of Nicky even now walking around with like, blu-tac or a little pot of plasticine in his pocket and idly making frogs and sheep out of it when he’s stuck somewhere without a book or Joe and has time to kill.

The oral tradition question is so so rich with them (and incredibly so for Andy)! If you think of Joe as a former merchant, how much would he have picked up with all of his travelling? How many songs and poems and stories would he have heard that never got written down, or where the manuscripts just didn’t survive? And so yeah the idea that over the years he’d pass these on to Nicky and then even now he might find himself writing a line or two down like, wait, is that me or is that the song I was trying to remember that i used to hear the women sing in Cordoba when they were washing sheets? And Nicky wouldn’t be sure and then a year later they’d be going through old, old notebooks (you know they have a stash in a small house in Malta) and find the whole song written out with two contrasting origin stories for it, even then.

Collaboration is love is collaboration!! Yes I love the idea so much of them creating with and for each other, not for any other grand reason, because that’s enough. And sometimes they publish and sometimes they keep copies for themselves only, and sometimes they just share them among friends, and if their work finds a wider audience through friends sharing and sharing and sharing — that’s OK, but it’s not what they do it for.

It’s about the conversation between them, which is always happening, always stretching on. Whether it’s joke arguing about half-forgotten lyrics at 2am while Nicky makes pasta or whether it’s Joe painting a place they haven’t been for three hundred years using only blue and yellow paint because that’s all they’ve got left in this tiny flat, and neither of them wants to brave the weather outside to go in search of more, and it looks good anyway, maybe the buildings really did look like that when the sun hit just right, with all those strange beautiful shadows that only he knows how to paint like that. And Nicky is watching him paint while he rereads an old notebook filled with both of their writing, which he’d forgotten existed and found wedged under a wonky leg of the dining table. And they’re both eating stale toast with apricot jam. And Nicky starts talking about someone they knew in this city, once while Joe carefully paints a bridge they slept under once, and more besides. And it’s a beautiful painting, but to Nicky it’s — the places they held each other, kissed, haggled for disappointing oranges. And the notebook he’s got on his lap, pages curled at the corners... when he starts to read out lord to Joe somehow it’s down there too, in his own words, slightly hazy hysterical journal poetry, about accidental duels at dawn, pulling each other from the river, and walking away, together, wet shirts plastered to their backs and nothing to their names but each other.

And Joe laughing and saying “What a lousy day,” like it happened just now and not in 1723, and Nicky looking at the painting again, and feeling it like a song, down to his fingernails and the tips of his hair. They’re talking about the same thing, so many years apart and also here together at the exact same time.

#answers #this slightly got away from me!#tog #old guard

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kinetic-elaboration · 3 years

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December 10: Endings

The posts that have been going around about all these bad, nonsensical, random tv endings we’ve been seeing recently (GOT, T100, SPN), have made me think about what makes a good television ending in my opinion.

I admit that concluding a series is probably quite tricky because most shows, if they’re not miniseries, are conceived without a known end point in mind. A show runner can build an idea around a 5-season arc, but he might not actually get 5 seasons. He might only get 1. Or he might get 10, if the show is popular. So unlike a movie or a novel, the first episodes need to set up a general premise, a universe, a theme, but not necessarily a specific plot with X number of specific plot points leading to a pre-ordained conclusion. There has to be a flexibility to the narrative. But when the whole thing is completed, it should feel, ideally, as if it WAS pre-ordained, as if the show was always meant to have as many seasons as it got and was working toward its conclusion the whole time.

So, roughly, I think shows that stick the landing do so because the showrunner knows what the show is, at its core, about, and crafts a finale that relates to the central theme(s) and brings the main narrative to a logical and emotionally resonant conclusion.

This is very rough and very general, and it’s a formula that applies more to some shows than others. TV is incredibly varied after all. I mean, first off, not all shows know their last season is their last season going in. You can’t judge the final episodes of, to use two examples of shows I liked that were unceremoniously axed recently, The Society or Altered Carbon as “finale episodes” because they were never meant to be finales. Then you have a show like My So-Called Life, which does have a Classic ending, despite ending all too soon--mostly because every episode of that show was classic, and it only had one season, so its season finale being a fitting ending to the season automatically means its series finale was a fitting ending to the series.

(It’s such an outlier that I can’t really compare it to anything but honestly--this is how to do an open-ended cliffhanger and still make it feel like a conclusion. But that’s a whole different post.)

My formula above also doesn’t apply well to sitcoms, because they aren’t really about anything, in terms of plot. Like the name says, they set up situations: a group of people who are family, co-workers, friends, and then lets those situations play out in a funny manner for as long as there are jokes to tell. Sitcoms to me end well if they don’t overstay their welcome, if they remain true to the characters (because it’s the characters, not the minimal narrative, that defines the show), and if they hit an appropriate ‘ending’ tone. But the biggest thing for me is if the sitcom went on for too many seasons. Even if the final episode isn’t the greatest, it’s fine. But if the last 2-4 seasons were lackluster, it tarnishes the whole legacy.

‘Procedural’ type shows are yet another category, and I’m not entirely sure how to characterize those, or what makes a strong ending for that sub-genre. I’m using ‘procedural’ broadly to include, like, Bad Guy of the Week type shows--for example, Charmed, which I thought should have ended after S7. Again, I think it’s about not letting the whole thing go on too long, and then staying true to characters and tone in the finale itself.

So looking just at dramas that have a season’s warning before their finale--which, really, are the type of shows that are most likely to make people ANGRY with shitty endings, because they lure the viewer in with the idea that a singular, coherent story is being told. Maybe it’s convoluted. Maybe it’s winding. Maybe it’s hard to tell where they’re going with this. But if it all comes together in the end, none of that matters--and if it doesn’t come together, what was the point of all the seasons that came before? It becomes, retroactively, a betrayal.

The more plot-driven the show (if it has a mystery, a conspiracy theory, a quest), the greater the betrayal if all fizzles out. But I think the same feeling can arise from shoddy conclusions in dramas more generally. The L Word is one of my comfort shows but that last season is a MESS all the way down, the finale especially. There definitely wasn’t a point to anything, and it wasn’t even entertaining as, like, a dramatic soap.

But then I think about shows whose endings I really liked. For example, Six Feet Under had a great final season and one of the best finale episodes/ending sequences ever. The show up to that point had been about death, and that theme had always been centered most particularly on Nate: his fears of the family business, his previous brushes with death because of his AVM, etc. So of course the show had to end by killing one of its mains, coming full circle with the pilot, showing real grief hitting home--and of course Nate’s personal journey as the main character had to end with his death. Everything about the conclusion was fitting, not even counting the final montage.

I also really liked the conclusion of Big Love, for similar reasons: it was thoughtful, and it successfully teased out the main strands, both of plot and theme, that had run through the show up to that point. The most important thing had always been depicting this family, their problems but also their strength and their love for each other--so, as the showrunners said, it had to conclude by showing you that the family survives. They are strong, and their bonds endure. But the ending was, and had to be, bittersweet too, because anything less would seem to sweep under the rug the real tragedies of the last seasons. Not everyone gets happy endings. And the unhappy endings relate specifically to the toxic patriarchy that’s haunted all of the characters from the pilot. Alby has a chance to turn away from his father and the compound life--but the forces arrayed against him were too strong, so there was no deus ex machina for him, and he ultimately just became fully the evil villain. And Bill is taken out not by the state or by the compound but by an aggrieved man who feels he’s been emasculated, forgotten, who is raging against being so Unseen. What a way to make clear what the common denominator in all of the threats of the past 5 seasons has been.

I also give major points to shows whose finales feel like they’re trying, even if they’re imperfect, especially if the imperfections are because of factors outside the showrunner’s control. For example, I saw someone list Dollhouse as one of their ‘worst endings’ but I have to disagree. I like the ending of Dollhouse. It wasn’t supposed to be 2 seasons. That’s well known. But that’s how many seasons it got, and I think honestly they turned that into a plus rather than a minus. Dollhouse was its best when it was rushing to a conclusion, when it was fast-paced and exciting. Did it always make complete sense? No. Were there some pretty big holes in the plot? Yeah--S2′s Big Bad was absolutely and transparently a retcon instituted between S1 and S2 and I get that, and I forgive the show for that. I thought bifurcating the epilogue as two extra episodes after each of the two seasons was genius, and I liked that it allowed the show to have its cake and eat it too: a happy ending, with the main, immediate, singular Big Bad eliminated, at the end of S2, and a more bittersweet, more complicated, post-apoc ending in the bonus episode. Yeah, I can see the seams; I know there were a lot of constructed work arounds in there because the show was intended to be longer. I think the ending was presented in good faith.

I also, perhaps controversially, liked the ending of Veronica Mars (the original 3-season show; I didn’t see the reboot). The way the season aired was weird and didn’t do it any favors: having a long break before the last couple of episodes, which existed outside of the two Big Case arcs of S3, makes those final stories feel tacked on and random. Basically impossible to have a strong finish with that kind of structure. But the very end of the last ep had the bitter, dark feel of a noir, which is what the show was, a mash up of a noir and a high school drama. I liked that they leaned on the noir rather than the high school aspect, because it was the more creative way to go imo. Also, I appreciated that S3, in general, learned from S2′s mistakes. Yes, the college years are always going to be lackluster compared to high school, in any series that starts with its characters in high school. But VM recognized that no overarching mystery was going to compare to the Lilly Kane murder, so it split the Big Mystery into two Medium Sized mysteries, and I thought that was smart. All of which makes me inclined to think fondly of the conclusion. As with Dollhouse, its weakest points seem to be compromises it had to make, not really its fault but just an inevitable imperfection of the form.

It’s pretty easy to list aspects of a bad ending: a sense that events are arbitrary, a disrespect of characters, a rushed construction, a jarring tone, and most importantly a disconnect between the finale and what came before. If the show appeared to be a narrative (as opposed to a situation), but it doesn’t feel like a complete and coherent whole at the end, then the conclusion was bad.

I didn’t watch GOT or SPN and I stopped watching T100 at the end of S4 (though I do feel confident from tumblr that the ending was Bad), so I have somewhat of a hard time thinking of shows that I thought had really bad endings. I can think of dissatisfying endings that came from shows being cancelled without warning. I can think of shows that lasted too long in general or otherwise had fallen from their greatest heights by the time they limped to a conclusion (unpopular opinion: Friends fits in this category--that show should have been 4 seasons, maybe 5 tops; Boy Meets World and Dawson’s Creek are comfort show favorites of mine but they both should have ended with high school, like, pretty objectively speaking; iZombie started a slow downturn after S2 and by the end of S4 was kinda unwatchable. I literally stopped halfway through the finale.). I can even think of shows that lost me by the end even though objectively they probably had good endings (for example, Crazy Ex-Girlfriend--I couldn’t get through S4 and the finale sounded... technically well-constructed but like it would have driven me nuts).

But then I guess most shows with shitty finales technically had shitty last seasons in general. Truly notorious crash-and-burns don’t come out of nowhere. I mean I’m sure there are counter-examples to this (what’s that one with the kid and the snow globe lol?) but unless you try for a weird last-minute twist, or unless you’ve got your audience hoping against hope that an impossibly twisty story is actually very smart instead of very ill-planned, it’s generally clear before the last episode if a narrative has lost its way. I don’t tend to watch a lot of ‘twisty-turny conspiracy’ shows, and when I do I am supremely skeptical all the way through, so it’s hard for me to think of examples I’ve personally watched of a last minute “what the fuck was that” conclusion.

#the year 2020 #2020: fandom thoughts #the entire purpose of this ramble is for me to avoid introspection rn because i'm in such a bad mood

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entamewitchlulu · 4 years

Text

Lulu’s Flash Reviews [Winter 2020]

Been a while since I posted one of these! I posted these to my twitter earlier but I figured I could put them here too. And if you will excuse the plug, consider checking out my side Twitter I use specifically for livetweeting anime, @/LulusLivetweets!

And w/o further ado, I have some thoughts about anime under the cut!

Keep Your Hands Off Eizouken!

Eizouken was an absolutely INCREDIBLE little show. I hadn't initially planned on watching it, but I'm so glad I did. The main cast is so strong and their personalities mesh and bounce into perfect, hilarious dynamics - and the core themes about creativity and how to make anime wrt all the work that REALLY goes into it were so much fun to watch play out. Everytime Kanamori went off on her own plans, I was hooked! Everytime Asakusa and Mizusaki started playing some imagination game, I got emotional, because that was me in high school!

And of course, the animation was spot on; the way you watched them physically build their "greatest world" through sketchy environments and voice acted sound effects, it was immersive and inspiring. An instant classic imo!

Overall: 10/10

Toilet-Bound Hanako-kun

Toilet-Bound Hanako-kun was one that was on my radar from the beginning due to the voice talent of Megumi Ogata playing the titular character. But her excellent va work wasn't the only awesome thing about it! the animation was absolutely gorgeous, using a very unique style visually and cinematically. i really loved the way they decided to design each episode's mood and tone and the creative framing techniques. the characters were all quite fun, complex, and endearing, and there was just enough mystery to really keep you hooked. and i'm a sucker for that rumors-create-reality plot! the only minus i can give this is that Nene's obsession with boys started to wear on me lol

Overall: 9/10

Asteroid in Love

A slow-paced slice of life, but still overall enjoyable! There was little substance and any time it edged on real conflict it hurriedly pulled back, but that was ok because we all knew we were here for cute girls being cute without any more depth. The relationship between Ao and Mira was sweet and lovely, and the quirks of the other characters never became so overwhelming that it got annoying, even the tsundere-types. And I learned a little bit about space! Bonus points! overall, it was a sweet and welcome escape to simply slip into a story without conflict, where you could simply sit back and smile as you watched these sweet girls pursue their deeply held dreams, no matter what might stand in their way.

Overall: 7/10

In/Spectre

For my thoughts on In/Spectre....well...I finished it? There are elements to this series that I found interesting enough to continue til the end. This one also taps into the Rumors-Become-Reality trope that I love, but unlike Hanako-kun it...leaves character to the wayside. The animation is pretty solid, sound design is good, character designs are pretty decent if a little unmemorable, but...for most of this show it's talking heads. They talk in circles and weave stories in a way that just...doesn't do the visual medium justice.

and the characters are just...boring. I never bought into what was meant to be the main romantic subplot. Iwanaga is extremely annoying when she's not devising Sherlock-esque concepts. rather than develop the characters and their relationships, they devoted 90% of screentime to watching Iwanaga come up with ridiculous fictions in Sherlock-esque fashions, as though just to show off how clever the show is rather than let me become invested in the characters. if there's ever a season 2, i don't think i have the emotional investment to look into it.

Overall: 6/10

Natsunagu

Natsunagu isn't really a traditional anime per say, it's a series of shorts developed for a revitalization effort after the Kumamoto earthquake, I believe. Each episode is only 3 minutes long, so the story isn't particularly fleshed out, but for what it was, it was rather sweet. The story of a girl trying to find her online friend after their usual message service is shut down and meeting the people of a place still in recovery was I think written with exactly as much sensitivity as it needed to for the story and the people it was telling it for.

Overall: 6/10

Puella Magi Madoka Magica Side Story: Magia Record

Magia Record blew every expectation I had out of the fucking water. It was absolutely fucking incredible. Building expertly off of the foundation laid by the original Madoka, in some respects it absolutely overshadowed it. The aesthetic and atmosphere hit every fucking note perfectly. Without having to worry about building up uncertainty the way the original did, MR was able to barrel straight into the uncanny valley, where you already know that something is wrong but you have no idea how MUCH.

yet another Rumor-Creates-Reality show (seriously this is a theme here), the Rumors on display here are markedly more hostile, and built with all of the eerie charm of Madoka's signature surreality. Characters are not left to the wayside, either. For the number of cast members they introduce and the old ones they bring back, it somehow manages to balance all of them, give most of them arcs and depth, and invest you into all of them in a very short span of time.

I'm still shivering with just how intense every bit of it was. I want to rewatch it already. I'm already pounding my fists on the table for season 2! The original Madoka was and still is a favorite of mine, but this spin off avoided every pitfall I could have thought of creating something that both wove intricately into its source material while creating something brand new at the same time. Even knowing that these events will retroactively be undone with the events of Madoka, I still care immensely, and that's a major feat. cannot wait for s2!

overall: 10/10

And before I sign off on this, I also wanted to share my own personal awards for Winter 2020′s season!

Best Girl

4. Iroha Tamaki (Magia Record)

3. Hinata Hiramitsu (Healin’ Good Precure)

2. Midori Asakusa (Eizouken)

1. Sayaka Kanamori (Eizouken)

For Best Girl, the ultimate award goes toooo.....Kanamori from Eizouken! An atypical character in both personality and design, she is always an immense amount of fun every time she's on screen. Honorable mentions go to Asakusa, Hinata, and Iroha!

Best Boy

2. Daruizen (Healin’ Good Precure)

1. Hanako-kun (Toilet-Bound Hanako-kun)

For Best Boy of Winter 2020, the award goes toooo.....Hanako-kun! Simultaneously a little shit AND in need of a hug, Hanako balances that shitlord side of himself with his moments of vulnerability in a super endearing way. Honorable mention to Daruizen because I'm me.

Best Couple

3. Iroha/Nanami (Magia Record)

2. Hanako/Nene (Toilet-Bound Hanako-kun)

1. Mira/Ao (Asteroid in Love)

the award for Best Couple goes tooo....Mira/Ao! This sweet pair not only have devoted their lives to their shared dream, but they've also moved in together, spent long nights stargazing, and chased each other across the country! Honorable mentions to Iroha/Yachiyo and Hanako/Nene

Best OP: Easy Breezy by Chelmico (Eizouken)

This OP is just so much fun to watch, and the song is fun to listen to on its own!

Best ED: Aletheia by ClariS (Magia Record)

Best ED goes tooo....Aletheia by ClariS! It's beautifully animated, and one of the few EDs I actually liked listening to all the way through the end. Plus, ClariS is always good!

Best Music: Magia Record

Best Music Award goes to Magia Record! Yuki Kajiura is ALWAYS a treat to listen to, as always. And a secondary mention to Healin Good! The theme that plays during the main attack is really good and reminds me of You Say Run a little.

Best Animation: Magia Record

Best Animation also goes to Magia Record! Madoka properties really know how to meld unique styles of animation, and to get the most out of every frame. A special shoutout to the design of Hanako-kun and the creativity of Eizouken, though!

Best Overall:

And finally, for Best Overall...I actually have to give it a tie;;;; Eizouken + Magia Record were both incredible , for extremely different reasons - but their combined unique animation styles, attention to aesthetic/theme, and overall stellar performance were a joy this season!

And that’s enough of me talking! Looking forward to Spring 2020′s season, lot of good stuff coming up! Did anyone watch anything this season that I didn’t talk about that you highly recommend?

#lulu's flash reviews #gif warning below cut

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snkpolls · 6 years

Text

SnK Season 3, Part 1 Poll Results (Manga Reader Version)

The poll closed with 240 responses. Thank you to everyone who participated!

Please note that this is the results of the manga reader poll. Anime only watchers are suggested not to read if you do not wish to be spoiled about certain events! Anime only viewers, click here to view your poll results!

RATE THE FIRST COUR 231 Responses

Overall, respondents had a positive experience with the anime’s retelling of the Uprising arc with a 4 being the most popular ranking. It seems most believe there was room for improvement, but that it was overall enjoyable!

Good shit man, good shit. Next arc is gonna wring my heart dry of every last feel in existence, but so far I am satisfied.

This season was poor. I hoped for better. The scenes I loved it the manga were removed. Lots of character development was gone. But my biggest pain is anime version of Kenny. I will be honest - I am disappointed.

I liked it but the manga version will always hold a special place in my heart

I thought it was amazing, despite all the new things and things taken out. I still love the series way too much to really criticize choices they or Isayama make. I know I'm still gonna watch it and love it.

FAVORITE ANIMATED COUR SO FAR? 235 Responses

Nearly half of voters favor the Clash of the Titans arc’s adaptation the most so far, but the Uprising arc came at a surprisingly strong second overall!

Well done, WIT Studio! Although some of my favorite chapters became my least favorite and vice versa (sadly), this was over all the best arc in my opinion.

It was a good story, but they cut out way too many scenes I loved making it not the best adaptation when it comes to comparing it with the manga. Season 3 is still my favorite season though.

FAVORITE EPISODE(S) FROM THIS COUR? 231 Responses

“Friends” was the most well-liked episode of the first half of the season, but overall the last four episodes performed the strongest. This is likely due to their more faithful adaptation of the manga material than than the earlier episodes. On that note, “Pain” did pretty well in regards to the earlier episodes.

First two episodes were meh (way too fast for my liking), then it got slightly better, but the last 4 episodes were amazing

that ending scene in ep 12, what the hell, that scared me so much but it was so well done! also that last scene before the ending song is great for hype lol, Erwin's (japanese) voice actor is a god, my god what a man, SUSUMEEE

RATE THE SOUNDTRACK 236 Responses

It is probably safe to assume that the majority of respondents agree with the sentiment, “OST when!?” The soundtrack was great this season according to voters. Hopefully Sawano treats us soon!

It was so good and I really want the soundtrack to come out, I have 6 months to mentally prepare myself for the return to Shiganshina arc and I still won’t be ready

RATE THE ANIMATION 235 Responses

Overall, reactions to the animation were positive. Although there were some scenes that had room for improvement, ultimately we can’t deny that the hard work done on the action sequences really paid off. Here’s hoping for even more glorious animation in the second half of the season!

HOW DID YOU FEEL ABOUT THE FOLLOWING KEY CHARACTERS BY THE END OF THE COUR?

We’ll let the results speak for themselves on this one. Levi, Historia, Erwin, Hange and Kenny drew the most positive feelings. Rod evoked the most negative feelings.

ARE YOU PLANNING TO WATCH THE NEXT COUR? 237 Responses

We’re happy to see that most of you guys will be around for more!

I feel like this section and onwards are not going to make for very entertaining episodes and are better in manga format, particularly if it's going to keep forcing major changes

HAVE YOU BEEN WATCHING THE DUB? 237 Responses

The majority of respondents have not watched the dub and have no desire to do so. 16% will get around to it eventually and 14% are keeping on up on it.

IF SO, WHAT ARE YOUR OPINIONS OF THE DUB THIS SEASON? 211 Responses

Aside from the 75% who haven’t been watching it, those who have are having an overall positive experience with it this season, regardless if the original Japanese is the preference or not!

This season has been an improvement both in voice acting and script, I've been pretty satisfied with it.

I'm not sure why people think animes need dubs tbh. They never sound good. Kenny's voice actor really butchered the cowboy voice.

I've only seen a few scenes but when Levi shouted ''Nifa!'' it sounded really weird in the dub xD

The very idea of watching dubbed anime is heresy

DO YOU THINK LINKED HORIZON WILL BE INVOLVED IN THE NEXT COUR? 233 Responses

The majority are feeling pretty confident that Linked Horizon will be back again for part 2 with an exciting new opening for us! 16% are sure they will stick around, but we may not see them retake their role as the artist of the opening. A small sliver of respondents think that they will be absent.

OVERALL, DID YOU THINK THE ADAPTATION OF THE UPRISING ARC WAS DONE WELL? 237 Responses

Just over half of respondents believed that the Uprising arc was adapted well overall. 28% felt it was a good story, but not a good adaptation - still enjoyable, but not close enough to the source material. Smaller percentages either preferred the anime’s retelling or, on the opposite end, believe that the adaptation wasn’t good in any way.

Í think a few parts would've been better if they had stuck to the source, but overall it was a good adaptation

It was horrible to be very honest, ehhhhh they ruined it

There were a few cuts and changes that didn't make sense or took away from the story but it wasn't too bad. I love Attack On Titan too much to be ungreatful lol.

At some points it was a better adaptation, with changes I liked, and at some points the attempts to fix some issues created some others. I'd say I find it about even with the manga, the pros and cons balance out.

I enjoyed it, and I loved the action animation in the first few episodes, but I'd still have preferred a more faithful adaptation.

First half was rushed, i like the manga version of it better, but the second half that went more like the manga was excellent

It could've been a teensy bit better, but glad they hit all the marks that were important (except for the hesitation of the 104th squad killing people)

It was a good story, but they cut out way too many scenes I loved making it not the best adaptation when it comes to comparing it with the manga. Season 3 is still my favorite season though.

Although the story was entertaining and was produced well, it missed a lot of key factors present in the manga that really brings it down. At the end you have a feeling of hollowness as opposed to satisfaction

OPINIONS OF THE ARC BEFORE THE ANIME? 238 Responses

Prior to the anime adaptation, the majority of respondents were fond of this arc of the story. A few were indifferent or didn’t enjoy it, however.

I thought this arc was boring when I read it in the manga and it honestly wasn’t any better when it was animated.

AND AFTER? 237 Responses

Opinions stayed about the same after the anime retelling, with just a small bump up in the “liked it” area.

I actually like the Uprising arc. So when the anime came up I expected it to be better. So for me this is a good adaptation. Plus I think half of the budget was spent on making Levi 100 time hotter... My only regret is that they didn't show Levi shirtless.

Uprising arc is my favorite in the manga. So many changes have driven me mad but in the end, I have rather enjoyed this cour. The chara design and the animation are insane. Feel robbed in many ways though, but never mind.

I felt like a lot of details that made the arc good in the manga was lost in the anime

HOW DID YOU FEEL ABOUT THE FOLLOWING MAJOR CHANGES?

While most stances were overall neutral on many of the changes, the most disliked change was taking away Levi forcing Historia to take the crown, thus unraveling subsequent events which eventually lead to the beloved punch/smile scene. The most well received change was including a proper Kenny vs. Levi fight scene in the cave.

I did disapprove of some removals and additions, because I felt that the way the manga structured it made the plot flow easily. For the anime, it felt a tad rushed with the fast stream of information given to the viewers.

Like many manga readers, my biggest and only really significant complaint was the removal of Levi's choking-and-speech moment. It was entirely crucial to both his and Historia's characterisation and future development.

I only liked two of the changes. Everything they did that stuck to the manga was really well done.

The fandom is happy because of the 2nd fight between them in the cave. That was the worst fight IMO: Kenny didn't learn anything from the first battle between them and decided to go against Levi again; he was babbling some nonsense, offended his nephew and as result - he almost got killed. So in other words - Kenny was shown as immature, dumb simpleton who despised his nephew and was pathetic fighter.

while different, i still think it was a good adaptation and none of the changes really bothered me too much.

An additional scene that I'm still upset they didn't include - the conversation between Nile and Erwin before Erwin's arrest, where they discuss their childhood together.

ADDITIONAL THOUGHTS ON THE FIRST COUR?

A shame a bunch of the political parts were ''rushed'', but it was to be expected. Otherwise a good adaptation!

Decent adaptation that skimmed over the boring stuff. Too bad some scenes were hacked away.

"Okay, this is epic." - Ben Shapiro

I don't care that Isayama approved the changes and that the majority of people seemed to have enjoyed this arc more in anime form with the changes. I'm not an idiot, I know how adaptations work and that they're a different medium and that it wouldn't be a 100% panel by panel adaptation nor was I expecting it to be. Neither of the previous seasons were. But they removed and changed SO MUCH of what made the arc great and my favorite personally that I'll never get over that.

After a few fast paced episodes that were slightly Concerning™️ things slowed down and made a lot of sense. I’m glad that isayama got a chance to see uprising play out in the way he would have liked. And as far as changes, some were great, some were not awesome, but we always have the manga. Overall it was amazing and what will I do with my Sundays for the next six months rip

It was pretty calm, right before the storm of the next cour

First sighting of god tier character Floch

I feel like a fair bit of changes were made just to give the main/loved characters far more screentime, and some other changes to be simply dumb and entirely unnecessary

I wish they had just stayed true to the manga. It seems like they wanted to remove some of Levi's darker parts which makes him a less interesting character.

While it could have been better (less CGI!), it was phenomenal overall, and I believe guarantees that the Shiganshina arc is in good hands!

Rod's Titan was so gross. YUCK!

EEEEEEKKKKKK

10/10 there was a brief flashback of Mina Carolina in the Cave.

I'm still salty about some cuts but overall I liked it. Who will say no to Anime SNK?

For Yams story and characters are the most important, for the anime team - it's fun for watchers. That's a bit sad but okay.

Historias new coronation outfit was better than in the manga

I see the anime as an extra, so nothing that happens in the anime will change how I see certain characters or the arc itself. So I really had a problem answering your poll. In my eyes, it a gimmick, a nice animated extra but nothing more.

Despite not being a 1:1 adaptation of the manga, the anime still manages to do a fantastic job of adapting Uprising as well as altering it. The story and characters were still executed very well, and this arc overall had a MUCH better reception than its original counterpart which, in my opinion, says something.

WHERE DO YOU PRIMARILY DISCUSS THE SERIES? 221 Responses

SHOULD THE POLLS CONTINUE/OVERALL POLL FEEDBACK? 226 Responses

We’re happy to see you guys are enjoying the polls! We appreciate all of you! <3

Thanks again to everyone who participated! We’ll see you again in April!

#snk poll #snk spoilers #snk s3 #poll results

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reganadler · 6 years

Note

Hi! Since you've tried the iSK Little Gem and Shure Beta 87A, could I trouble you to compare the two? I ask because you seem to like both and these are both mics. I'm mostly interested in which is better at rejecting reverb and how much detail is picked up. I presume the 87A picks more detail at the cost of more reverb due to the diaphragm size but I'd love to hear/read your thoughts.

Hi! Thanks for asking!

I currently don’t have either mic anymore to test out, and I had issues with the Little Gem picking up all kinds of weird electronic noise in every setup I tried at my house, making it hard to really hear any details. So unfortunately I can’t help you out much!

However, I can tell you that in my ridiculous number of mic tests, I was thoroughly impressed with the $29 Pearl mic from ISK—to my ear, it sounded extremely similar to the Shure Beta 87A (which makes sense, as I think they’re essentially the same idea) but possibly a little richer and with a little less self-noise. I would feel totally comfortable using it to record pro audio and voiceover! There also may be easy steps you can take in your recording environment to reduce reverb even more, e.g. grab a spare comforter or change your distance from the mic, but you’ll have to play around with it because it’s different for every room and voice, in my experience.It’s easy to get stressed and confused with so many mic options, but honestly, probably 99% of people’s ears won’t hear these minute differences, especially once you add in compression (and once you reduce the quality and upload it, in the case of podcasts and whatnot). There’s no point IMO in spending a ton on a mic unless you’re starting a professional studio for multiple people.Honestly, here’s my best advice: just try to find a mic you can afford that sounds good enough to you. Ideally there will be no harsh sibilance or whistling S noises, no excessively buzzy self noise, no weird electronic sounds, etc. Like I said, most people won’t be able to hear any difference whatsoever between something like the $29 Pearl and a Neumann. The two main things you MUST have in a mic are A) it doesn’t sound so bad it repels listeners and B) it’s fairly easy to hit whatever levels you need (e.g., ACX noise floor). OH, and if you have multiple actors who are supposed to sound like they’re all in the same room together, TRY TO GET THEM ALL THE SAME MIC AND HAVE THEM RECORD IN SIMILAR ENVIRONMENTS!!! I’ve found the small and medium diaphragm condenser mics (ISK Pearl, Scarlett CM25) to be the sweet spot, but when James and I record like we’re “in the same room” I will definitely be using my Zoom recorder with the XY Stereo mic, because that’s what he uses.tl;dr both mics will probably be fine but they weren’t the best for me, I really like the Pearl, and at the end of the day it doesn’t matter too much so get whatever you prefer/works best for you.

#podcasting #audio drama #how to podcast #microphones #mic comparison #Anonymous

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yeolkisses · 6 years

Note

All the evens

Wkbpwbjpe Maddy you’re trying to kill me I swear (but thank you this kept me busy lol and it was fun to do)

2 - do you like the feeling of cold air on your cheeks on a wintery day?

Yessss I love it. Cold air is a blessing.

4 - how do you take your coffee/tea?

For coffee, I put a ton of creamer in. Tea is just a no for me.

6- do you keep plants?

Yes! A bonsai, a couple cacti, and an aloe vera.

8 - what artistic medium do you use to express your feelings?

Does writing count??? I’m not very artistic 😅 but I consider myself a decent writer and poet. I feel like words are the easiest way to explain yourself so others can understand you better. It’s specific. Painting and drawing, etc. are also good too of course, I’m just not any good at them 😂 and I feel like they’re a bit more questionable. They have different meanings to people. But that’s what allows people to connect over them; seeing different viewpoints of the same thing. It kind of shows what type of person you are.

10 - do you sleep on your back, side, or stomach?

My side or my back. I can’t do stomach 😂 it’s just too uncomfortable for me.

12 - what’s your favorite planet?

Hm. I don’t really know. I guess Neptune or Uranus??? They’re pretty.

14 - if you were to live with your best friend in an old flat in a big city, what would it look like?

TBH I don’t even know who my best friend is anymore lately Well it would probably be a bit of a mess 😂 but messy in an organized way??? We’re pretty tidy people, at least when it comes to our rooms, but we (or I, at least) am still a little bit cluttery. I think it would look nice. Not necessarily modern, but just kind of homely.

16 - what’s your favorite pasta dish?

Spaghetti & meatballs OR chicken alfredo. Probably spaghetti and meatballs though.

18 - tell us about something dumb/funny you did that has since gone down in history between you and your friends and is always brought up.

God they just brought it up today. I swear I’m not as stupid as they make me seem though!!!!! So one time at lunch (like YEARS ago) they were talking about sports and I wasn’t really paying attention (because I’m not a sports person) and they asked me something and I think I said, “I’m not into baseball.” And of course with my luck they were talking about football. So :)))) There are always exaggerations about how I must think a homerun is in basketball, etc.

20 - what’s your favorite eye color?

I mean…it doesn’t really matter to me?? I don’t like thinking about eyes which you already know, so I’ve never really considered a favorite eye color. But I hateeeee the colored contacts people wear, especially when they wear two different colors (one of my friend’s ex-boyfriends used to wear one silver and one bright green one and it was hideous). Anyway, if I had to choose a color, I guess I’d say brown. It’s under-appreciated sometimes 🙂

22 - are you a morning person?

It fluctuates. Sometimes I am, sometimes I’m not. Especially if the reason I’m waking up is to go to something I don’t want to do, then I am NOT a morning person at all.

24 - is there someone out there you would trust with every single one of your secrets?

Honestly, probably not. I just really don’t trust people to keep their lips zipped or to not judge me.

26 - what are the shoes you’ve had for forever and wear with every single outfit?

My oldest pair of shoes rn are probably the ones I’m wearing (or at least they look the oldest since I wear them pretty much daily). They’re black and white cheetah print converse, with cheetah eyes on the side. They’re super comfortable.

28 - sunrise or sunset?

Both are nice, but I like sunsets better. It’s the end of the day, time to rest, and it just looks cooler imo. More fiery.

30 - think of it: have you ever been truly scared?

In all honesty, I don’t think so. I get scared easily, but I wouldn’t say I’ve been truly terrified.

32 - tell us a story of something that happened to you after 3AM when you were with friends.

Already done~

34 - tell us about the stuffed animal you kept as a kid. what is it called? what does it look like? do you still keep it?

Done~

36 - which band’s sound would fit your mood right now?

Oof I don’t know. American Authors maybe? I feel really happy and free rn.

38 - tell us about your pet peeves!

Oh boy. I could go on and on. One: the sound of people chewing. It’s awful but you can’t tell them it’s annoying because that’s rude but it makes me. Want. To. Hit. Someone. It is SO irritating. Another thing: my brother doesn’t flush the toilet :)))) and that drives me insane. Another one: people who spit on you when they talk. People in band who, rather than not playing on the parts they don’t know and working on them later, just play whatever they want and mess everyone up. People who don’t put things back where they found them. People who nitpick every little thing about something that someone else did. I could just keep going on.

40 - think of a piece of jewelry you own: what’s it’s story? does it have any meaning to you?

I’m just gonna choose the ring I wear all the time. I got it at the fair, it was only $12 😂 it doesn’t really hold much meaning, I just like having it so I can fidget with it when I’m nervous or something.

42 - do you have a favorite coffee shop? describe it!

I actually haven’t gotten to experience any coffee shops :/ just Starbucks lol. But once I’m on my own I think I’ll check more places out.

44 - when was the last time you remember feeling completely serene and at peace with everything?

I honestly don’t know. It’s been some time.

46 - tell us the worst pun you can think of.

I’m not good with punssss! I don’t know. I can’t think of anything.

48 - what was your biggest fear as a kid? is it the same today?

Hm I was afraid of a lot of things and I still am. I’d say pretty much the same things, more or less. Things that aren’t even closely real, things that my mind just comes up with. And now I’m actually scared of more things, I think. Realistic situations and whatnot.

50 - what’s an odd thing you collect?

I collect rocks, but I think that’s pretty normal, right?? I also collect piggy banks and hedgehog knick knacks.

52 - what are your favorite memes of the year so far?

God I don’t even know. I guess maybe the spongebob ones, the Patrick ones.

54 - who’s the last person you saw with a true look of sadness on their face?

Oh wow. Hm. I really don’t know. I really, truly, do not know.

56 - what are some things you find endearing in people?

Hmm…it differs from person to person I suppose. But I guess, like…the way people smile, the different ways people laugh when they’re truly laughing (even if they find it obnoxious it’s a part of them and it’s just kinda cute and funny), when a person who doesn’t usually dress up dresses up all fancy and gets all shy about it. I don’t know. Just little things I guess.

58 - who’s the wine mom and who’s the vodka aunt in your group of friends? why?

Oof I don’t really know. I think Morgan would be the vodka aunt. But wine mom…I don’t know.

60 - do you like poetry? what are some of your faves?

Yessss I do. Hm, favorites…it depends on the mood I’m in, I suppose. When I was little though I really liked Shel Silverstein’s poems.

62 - do you drink juice in the morning? which kind?

Nopeeee I don’t really like juice 😕

64 - what color is the sky where you are right now?

Kind of a soft baby blue? Idk but it’s quite nice.

66 - what would your ideal flower crown look like?

Baby blue eyes and daisies, I think. Just blue flowers in general would be good enough for me 👍

68 - what’s winter like where you live?

Not cold enough!!!!!!!! Although this year it snowed more than I expected it to. Still, it’s not very cold and we don’t get much rain 😕

70 - have you ever used a ouija board?

No, and despite my belief that it’s absolute bull crap, I would never use one because I’m a wuss.

72 - are you a person who needs to note everything down or else you’ll forget it?

It depends, some things I remember and some things I don’t.

74 - describe a good friend of yours without using their name or gendered pronouns.

Oof well I’ve pretty much mentioned all my IRL friends and they’re kinda predictable 😂 so I’ll choose an Internet friend. They’re extremely sweet, and do so, so much for other people, even when they’re already so busy with their own life. They’re always caring and genuine, and put others before themselves (even though I wish they wouldn’t sometimes). They’re super patient, which is good because sometimes I can be a bit slow 😂 and just so, so amazing and beautiful and talented and hardworking and they deserve to go far. I hope they’ll keep holding on strong and keep on fighting. And I hope they truly know how much I admire them. (Damn I kinda described all of my internet friends there?????? I had a specific one in mind though I swear)

76 - is there anything you should be doing right now but aren’t?

Yes 😂 homework

78 - are you in the minion hateclub or fanclub?

I’m on the fence actually 😕 it’s not like I hate them with a burning passion or anything but I think they’re kinda milking it for all it’s worth at this point, which usually happens with movies.

80 - what color are your bedroom walls? did you choose that color? if so, why?

3 white walls and a light bluish tealish wall (with a border of music notes in silver paint on the teal wall). I got to redecorate my room a couple years ago for my birthday and I love the color blue but I didn’t want something that would darken the room (although I keep my curtains mostly closed lol). The music notes were from a piece I played that year in the school band, it was my favorite.

82 - are/were you good in school?

I’m a procrastinator but I do get good grades 😁 I’ve never had an -A or lower. And I’m kind of a teacher’s pet 😂

84 - are you planning on getting tattoos? which ones?

Definitely not. I don’t see the point in basically paying someone to stab you with a needle over and over again. If I did get one, I think it would be a clef heart or 아리엘.

86 - do you like concept albums? which ones?

I can’t really think of any specific ones (???? maybe I’m just being dumb ????) but I do like the idea of them.

88 - are there any artistic movements you particularly enjoy?

Ehhh, I’m not exactly an art buff, so idk what to say. I think that as long as it carries emotion and makes the viewer feel something or think of something, then it must be pretty good. The style doesn’t define what story it tells, it just helps set the mood.

90 - talk about your one of you favorite cities.

I haven’t really traveled so I’m gonna have to skip this 😶

92 - are you a person who drowns their pasta in cheese or a person who barely sprinkles a pinch?

Honestly I prefer just butter on my pasta but if I’m putting on cheese then I’m going all the way.

94 - who was the last person you know to have a birthday?

Well I mean idk if it counts since I know her online so I’ll go with the closest one that I know irl. My aunt just had her birthday, it was a couple days ago.

96 - do you install your computer updates really quickly or do you procrastinate on them a lot?

I usually procrastinate them 😅 because it always asks me when I’m in the middle of doing something and I don’t wanna stop what I’m doing.

98 - when’s the last time you went hiking? did you enjoy it?

I don’t remember…but probably not 😂

100 - if you were presented with two buttons, one that allows you to go 5 years into the past, the other 5 years into the future, which one would you press? why?

The past. I’d like to do some things differently. Be a better person. Make myself become a better person and have better habits. The future can still be changed but my past is set in stone. Although, if I go 5 years back, I might not end up on this site, so overall I’d rather just stay in the present 😂

#next time you reblog a question thing I’m gonna make you do all of them #ask #sehuns-vivi #mutuals

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whimsymuse · 6 years

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🌻85 TRUTHS TAG🌻

— rules: answer these 85 statements about yourself, then tag 20 people.

Thank you @notsoguiltykpop for tagging me in this. I’m sorry this took my so long, I wanted to answer sooner, but I didn’t have time and then it completely slipped my mind and stayed as a draft.

I’ll tag @zigzagkyung, @jinsbangtan and @ibangtanthings if you guys want to do this. I wadded an 85th question because there wasn’t one and I wanted to know more stuff. :P

• Last:

1. Drink - Some creamsoda sodastream concoction

2. Phone call - My friend so that we could freaek out about something

3. Text message - My sister. We texting eachother after my mom yelled at her after someone else almost hit us with their car while my sister was backing out of a parking space.

4. Song you listened to - Don’t leave me ~ BTS

5. Time you cried - A few weeks ago I think, when I watched Coco with my sis

• Ever:

6. Dated someone twice - Nope (what is date???)

7. Kissed someone and regretted it - Yes. I kissed one person and I regret that being my first kiss.

8. Been cheated on - No, Ihaven’t dated sooo. People have cheated on my tests before. (If I wasn’t already nerdy enough)

9. Lost someone special - Yes

10. Been depressed - Yeah

11. Gotten drunk and thrown up - No

• Fave colours:

12. A deep cerulean

13. Maroon

14. Peachy pink

• In the last year have you…

15. Made new friends - Yes

16. Fallen out of love - Yes, I think? Not sure if what i felt was love but ://

17. Laughed until you cried - Definitely

18. Found out someone was talking about you - Yes

9. Met someone who changed you - For sure

20. Found out who your true friends are - Yes

21. Kissed someone on your facebook friends list - Nope

• General:

22. How many of your Facebook friends do you know irl - Almost all of them, they’re all my family and friends.

23. Do you have any pets - No , but I have many plants

24. Do you want to change your name - Yes! My parents did this thing where they gave me two names and called me by my second name and I din;t know I had a first first name until I was 8 and it started mesing up my school files. I live both of my names, but now that people are calling me by both, I feel so detached from both names.

25. What did you do for your last birthday - Went to a board game cafe with some freinds. Let’s just say I will not be eating cake again anytime soon and that I am just as clumsy as my bias.

26. What time did you wake up today - 7:40 and its a weekend =.=

27. What were you doing at midnight last night - Reading fics probably.

28. What is something you can’t wait for - For me to be done all of these exams!!

30. What are you listening to right now - Distant cars driving down the highway and my fingers type on my laptop.

31. Have you ever talked to a person named Tom - I spoke to a Tomas. I don’t think I met a Tom, but odds are I have.

32. Something that’s getting on your nerves - When people dragg metal across metal, or glass. Omlll I’m cringing just thinking about the sound.

33. Most visited website - Instagram or Tumblr I think

34. Hair colour - Dark brown with some lighter brown around the bottom

35. Long or short hair - Medium. I recently cut it myself for the first time beace I was bored.

36. Do you have a crush on someone - Nopee

37. What do you like about yourself - My ability to see the bright side of situations and people. It just makes life simpler and happier imo.

38. Want any piercings? - Yess! I want a couple small ones on my left earlobe and maybe a cartillage piecing.

39. Blood type - A+ (my parents asked why it doesn’t show in my math marks)

40. Nicknames - Bittah bittah, Caramel Macchiato, Brokoro, Half of the full moon (the better half)

41. Relationship status: Single

42. Zodiac - Aries

43. Pronouns - she/her

44. Fave tv shows - Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood, Avater the Last Airbender and Game of Thrones

45. Tattoos - No my parents would skin me alive

46. Right or left-handed - Right

47. Ever had surgery - No, though considering the amount of times i’ve hurt myself I should have by now.

48. Piercings - One in each ear, but I’m hoping to get more!

49. Sport - Yes! I used to by on my school’s volleyball team, until people got good and I couldn’t play at all in high school. I ADORE dodgeball (with the soft foam balls cause I refuse to whip the big rubber ones at people).

50. Vacation - I’m going to Europe for the first time this summer!

51. Trainers - No

• More general

52. Eating - Nothing, but now I’m hungry

53. Drinking - Nothing

54. I’m about to watch - My computer turn off casue I’m too lazy to get the charger

55. Waiting for- My exams to be over so that I can finally relax.

56. Want - To pass my exams and BTS tickets

57. Get married - Hopefully in the future. I want a family, but I also want to explore the world first, so we’ll see how things go.

58. Career - I want to work in something pertaining to international relations. I adore learning about and encountering different cultures and I reallyy want to help as many people as I can around the world.

• Which is better

59. Hugs or kisses - Hugs!

60. Lips or eyes - Eyes

61. Shorter or taller - I’ve fallen for both, so I don’t think that matters to me.

62. Older or younger - Older, but again, not a big deal to me. As long as you’re sweet and we’re both mentally on the same maturity level.

63. Nice arms or stomach - Arms. I see abs and the first thing I think is, ‘this person watches what they eat... Idk if we’ll do we’ll together’

64. Hookup or relationship - Relationship.

65. Troublemaker or hesitant - Troublemaker, but i keep falling for hesitant people.

• Have you ever

66. Kissed a stranger - No

67. Drank hard liquor - Yes?

68. Lost glasses - No

69. Turned someone down - Okay, so quick story time: A guy approached me in the store while I was listening to my music with both earbuds on. I only realized he was talking to me and managed to take out my earbuds when he was already half done what he was trying to say and all I caught was, “very beautiful, and I just wanted to know if you were single.” And me being the awkward egg that I stuttered out a ‘s-sorry no’ and I wanted to just casually say that I’m not interested, but immediately after he said ‘oh you’re not single’ and stupid me said “N-no, I’m not interested.” GODDD it’s been a week and I still feel so bad!!!

70. Sex on the first date - No

71. Broken someone’s heart - Doubt it

72. Had your heart broken - Yes

73. Been arrested - No

74. Cried when someone died - Yes, it was for my grandma when I was 4, but I barely knew her so I was only crying becasue my mom was.

75. Fallen for a friend - Everyone I fall for starts off as a close friend (With one exception)

• Do you believe in

76. Yourself - Most of the time

77. Miracles - Yes

78. Love at first sight - I believe in profound attraction, but I think love is only felt after seeing someone at the best and worst and then caring for them so deeply regardless.

79. Santa Claus - Of course! My presents are on the line

80. Kiss on a first date - If I really like the person, sure. But I’m so awkward so probably not.

81. Angels - Sometimes. I’d like tot hink someone is watching over me.

• Other

82. Best friend’s name - Abby, Sharon and Sharu

83. Eye colour - Dark rown

84. Fave movie - Princess and the Frog/Tangled (I’m a child, but a child with taste)

85. Anything you recommend to check out? So I’m a huge nerd and recently got into dnd. If you’re into that, I’d check out The Adventure Zone podcast. If you’re into crazy medical history I’d recommed the Sawbones podcast!

#about me #me #I apologise if there are any spelling errors #i'm typing in complete darkness and i'm too lazy to fix things

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indiegrudge-blog · 5 years

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Steps to Starting Your Own Profitable SEO, Social Media or Digital Marketing Agency

Steps to Starting Your Own Profitable SEO, Social Media or Digital Marketing AgencyOne of the most common searches for young entrepreneurs in 2018-2019 was "how to start a SEO, Digital Marketing or Social Media agency?". There's plenty of reasons for this spike in agency interest. More and more people are promoting the EASE of starting your agency via YouTube, blog posts, and more. But the truth is, it's not as easy as some make it seem. Sure, you can actually START the business with a few dollars (literally), but you don't have a business unless you have clients, and that's where things can get tricky for some young entrepreneurs starting their new digital marketing agency venture.

Let's dive into some essentials that you'll need in order to start, maintain, and grow your PROFITABLE SEO services, digital marketing or social media agency.Educating Yourself on the Services that You Plan to Sell Via Your AgencyEducation is key in all aspects of life. If you don't at least have general knowledge of the products and services you'll be selling, you're starting behind the 8-ball. Lots of industry "gurus" will preach that you don't need any knowledge of the products or services, you just need to know WHO to outsource them to. But get this, your clients will often ask you directly for updates, progress, why this, why that, and you need to be able to talk your way through these questions. More and more, small business owners are becoming educated in digital marketing since it's a valuable resource for their business. You need to be able to educate them as you move them through your process.

There's no shortage of educational resources for each sub-type of digital marketing, so plan to put in a good amount of time before jumping into the sales and fulfillment process. Also, keep an eye out for those that often suggest that the process is EASY. These individuals often have something to sell you, whether a course, book, or service.Be Clear About Your Agency Business ModelOftentimes, I see agencies started on the fly without a real plan or goal in mind for how they'll be modeling their agency.

Will you be outsourcing the work?

How are you going to find a reputable company to outsource the work to?

What happens if this company goes out of business? Do you have a backup plan?

Will you be managing the work in-house?

If so, how will you manage both sales AND fulfillment when both can easily be a full time job?

How will you price your services? Do you plan to have a handful of high value clients, lots of smaller budget clients or a mix of both?

If you're planning on High Value, if one leaves your company or cancels services how will that impact your bottom line and growth projections?

If you're planning on lots of smaller clients, you need to ensure you have great lead flow and sales funnel to plan for client turnover. Client WILL leave, it's just a matter of time. Whether that's in a few weeks, months, years, they will leave. And it's not always because of something you did wrong. Maybe they outgrew your company, maybe they SOLD their company. You never know, so you'll need to plan for turnover.Set the Right GoalsIn our world, the best goals are SMART goals. Specific, Measurable, Aspirational, Realistic, Time Bound.

Specific: Be clear about what you want to do. Replace vague terms like, "be the best in the industry" with "Generate $100,000 in sales from retail companies".

Measurable: This is answering the question, "How will I know when I’ve achieved it?".

Aspirational: This is normally Achievable, but as research from Locke and Latham found, having aspirational goals here is far more beneficial. Try adding 20-25% onto what you think you can achieve, and you’ll find you’re hitting goals faster than ever.

Realistic: By the same token, know what’s in your reach. Landing $1,000,000 worth of work probably won’t happen in your first year. But, over five years, why the heck not?

Time Bound: Set a clear, specific, time frame to achieve your goal in. This can be short, medium or long term, depending on the goal you’re setting.

By using this model for your SEO, social media, or digital marketing agency, your SMART goals might look something like this:

Get $100,000 worth of digital marketing contracts in the next 12 months

Build a team of 3 in-house account and project managers to be paid $30,000 by month 16

Build to 20 clients at an average of $5,000 per month by month 18Network and Build RelationshipsIn marketing, it's all about strategy. Strategy is just as important while building your business relationships. Not only can you leverage your relationships to improve your business acumen, but these key connections can be a viable sales force for your business. Start building your business relationships from day one. As you build your list, stay in touch with them with calls, texts, emails, and meetups so that you both know what each other has going on in their world. Not only will they be able to bring you value, but you can pass value along to them in some way too.Getting Your Digital Marketing Agency Off the GroundNow that the basics are covered, I hope you're still with me and still have interest in starting your agency. As mentioned in the first paragraph, starting an SEO, social media, or digital marketing agency is not easy, but if executed correctly, can be the best thing that ever happened to you.Let's get this business started, shall we?First, you'll need to figure out how you'll structure your business legally. You can start an LLC, Corporation, Sole Prop., or other entity types. Knowing which to start will be bases on many different factors, some including:

Are you starting your business by yourself?

How do you want your business taxed?

Is this just a side hustle as of today with plans to grow in the future?

It's always best to speak with an accountant or attorney before starting a business entity. You may have to pay a bit up front, but you may save yourself tons of headaches in the future.Your Web PresenceOnce you've got your legal entity settled, you need to get online. If you don't already have one, a website is your best bet to looking reputable. You won't need anything too flashy or big to start. In fact, I won lots of business when starting with a 5 page website.

Think about what services you'll be offering to start and write 1000 words of content on each. Dive into the strategy a bit on each without giving away all of your secrets - if you even have any at this point.Google My BusinessGoogle My Business is an ESSENTIAL starting point for any small business. It will literally put your business on the map within hours or days and you can leverage this valuable profile to generate leads and promote your business locally. While Google My Business setup is considered a quick and easy novice task, other SEO strategies and best practices are more long-term plays.Your PortfolioIf you don't have any clients or case studies yet, it's going to be hard to promote your portfolio. But you can begin to work on your own website and use it to get your feet wet and learn about the ins and outs of digital marketing. Optimize your website, promote through Google Ads, run Facebook Ads, and more.

You can even offer to help businesses for free. Yes, for free. This is a great way to build your business portfolio and build contacts. If though the business might accept your free offer, there's no saying that you can't charge them down the line. Why not say something like: "Mr Jones, how about I provide my SEO services free of charge until I rank your service in the top 5 Google results? Once you're there, then you can start paying me $X. How does that sound?"Pricing Your Services and YourselfYou'll need to figure out how you'll be pricing your services. Do you plan to offer a service at a set rate per month? Or will you offer your services at an hourly rate and charge accordingly. For digital marketing agencies just getting off the ground, it's best to price monthly, plus any ad spend from the client. This means that if you're managing their Google Ads or Facebook Ads, you'll charge a management fee, but any ad dollars that go directly to the publisher (Google and Facebook) are paid directly from your client to them. You'll need their credit card or billing info on file, but it's a lot easier than invoicing for ad spend from the previous 30 days. Plus, what if that client never pays you??Getting SalesThis, my friends, will be the hardest thing you do when starting your digital marketing agency. Don't let anyone tell you any different. Sure, there are gurus that will try and sell you a magic service (for hundreds or thousands of dollars), but will it even work in the end? Best to invest in yourself and your own knowledge first before investing in someone else's.Cold-Calling and Cold-EmailingWhile two of the worst aspects of starting a small business (IMO), cold-calling and cold-emailing do work, if executed properly.

When it comes to picking up the phone and dialing for dollars, you'll spend a lot of time listening to voicemail boxes and disconnected messages, but when you're finally connected to a human, your odds are good that they'll hear you out. As you perfect your sales pitch, speaking with total strangers over the phone while trying to sell them something will get easier, but it's definitely a right of passage and should be Step 1 for any new business owner. It allows you to hear prospect objections, learn how to curate your sales message, and more. 100% learning. 100% value.

Cold-emailing works, but you need to ensure it's done correctly so you're not blacklisted or totally come off as spam. There are services that will handle the sending of the email for you from their mail servers, taking the risk of your email address and domain. If you plan on sending cold emails or hiring a company to do it for you be sure to perfect your sales copy first. I would highly recommend NOT having an overseas company write your sales copy. It just won't work. Don't do it.NetworkingAs mentioned above, creating relationships is one of the best way to bring in new business. Do your best to network with industry professionals, other sales pros., and more.Paid AdsPaid ads through Google and Facebook is the quickest way to get eyes on your website and services. Be sure to setup conversion tracking on both to ensure you're tracking your ROI on your ad spend. In some cases, it may take hundreds of dollars of ad spend before you get a lead, but if you price your services correctly, you'll be able to make up that advertising spend in client revenue.Search Engine OptimizationIf you're offering SEO as a service, you better ensure that your own website is properly optimized. There's no shortage of resources that will teach you the basics of website optimization, but to actually rank a website using white-hat techniques, this can take time. Think of SEO as a marathon, not a sprint. Also, as mentioned above, getting your Google My Business listing up ASAP, as well as other SEO quick win tasks knocked off your plate, and building local SEO citations, can bring in leads almost immediately.ContentThere's plenty of channels to publish content, but the best bang for buck these days is blog content and YouTube content. Any content produces on your blog can easily be shared on social media, plus it will be indexed by Google, increasing your odds of being found through Google searches.

For YouTube, if you know what you're talking about, you can easily produce one video per week that can potentially get hundreds and sometimes thousands of views.Agency Product and Service FulfillmentAs mentioned above, once you make the sales, you'll need to deliver your service and results. To recap:Will you be outsourcing the work?

How are you going to find a reputable company to outsource the work to?

What happens if this company goes out of business? Do you have a backup plan?

Will you be managing the work in-house?

If so, how will you manage both sales AND fulfillment when both can easily be a full time job?

How will you price your services? Do you plan to have a handful of high value clients, lots of smaller budget clients or a mix of both?

If you're planning on High Value, if one leaves your company or cancels services how will that impact your bottom line and growth projections?In my opinion, if you're just starting out, do as much work as possible. Again, this is where EDUCATION comes into play. As someone with years of agency experience, I can pretty much handle ANY job that I sell if I need to. This helps in many ways, but most importantly, it provides a safety net in the event I lose an employee who was once responsible for the task.

Not only will handling all aspects of the business give you a crash course in running the business, you'll be able spot holes in the company, where it can be improved, what's best for you to handle in the future and what would be best for an employee or freelancer, and more.

On the topic of freelancers, it will take you some time to find reliable professionals that deliver EXACTLY what you're asking for. Keep in mind, 99% of freelancers have their way of doing things, so you may not be able to dictate how they handle their own process. If you can both agree on what the result or deliverable will be, that's the main goal.Booking Keeping and AccountingAs a new business, you'll want to save as much as possible when just starting out. Book keeping and accounting software can get expensive, so do your best to find free products and services that meet your needs.

For invoicing, PayPal typically works best. You can easily generate invoices and clients can pay via their PayPal account or credit card. You'll pay roughly 3% on what you invoice, but that's a business expense, so be sure to add up all of your PayPal fees at the end of the year during tax time.

You'll also want to monitor your profit and loss as a small digital marketing agency. I've spent lots of time looking for services that do this best on the cheap when I first started out, so below is my list for you to dig into a bit more:

WaveAnd.coZohoQuickbooksHarvestand more..

In my opinion, they all have their perks, but starting out, you'll want best bang for your buck. Since Wave is free, and plans to stay that way, this is a good first start.

And that's it. Those are my Steps to Starting Your Own Profitable SEO, Social Media or Digital Marketing Agency. I am 100% sure there are missing pieces, but finding these pieces are part of what will make your business YOUR OWN. If you should have specific questions, don't hesitate to reach out to me. I'm an open book when it comes to this kind of stuff. You can reach me on Twitter @visionisto

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