me hoarding all possible zb1 names in case the brainrot gets so bad i need to spill it all out

It came down to the wire, but NCIS: Hawai’i ultimately didn’t make the cut for next season at CBS. The news comes days before the network is set to announce its fall schedule on May 2 and before the Season 3 finale of Hawai’i is scheduled to air on May 6. According to sources, the episode was not meant to be a series finale and includes a tease for what was to come but fans won’t be left reeling by a major cliffhanger.

The cancellation is not a complete shocker since, as Deadline has been reporting, NCIS: Hawai’i was on the bubble. Still, the outcome is surprising since I hear an effort was made to extend the drama’s run for at least an abbreviated fourth and final season, with producers agreeing to a massive budget cut and open to other concessions in order to keep the show going.

Hawai’i, the first series in the NCIS franchise with a female lead, Vanessa Lachey, is now the first series in the franchise not to get a proper sendoff after a brief run compared to its predecessors NCIS, renewed for a 22nd season, NCIS: Los Angeles (14 seasons) and NCIS: New Orleans (7). It is unclear whether series producer CBS Studios would shop the drama but there are no obvious buyers, with Paramount+ already stocked up with two NCIS original series, Sydney and the Tony and Ziva spinoff.

Attracting sizable viewership on a linear network is quite a challenge, so it is not common these days for a network to let go of the #12 most watched non-sports program on broadcast that averages 7.8 million linear viewers (most current) and 10M in Live+35 multi-platform viewing.

That is what CBS is doing with the cancellation of NCIS: Hawai’i, which added some star power and NCIS continuity this season with NCIS: Los Angeles‘ LL Cool J who has been in every episode.

It comes on the heels of Top 25 series So Help Me Todd and CSI: Vegas getting the axe last Friday. As I noted in the CBS Renewal Status Report earlier this month, the network was going to have to make some painful cancellation decisions, getting rid of shows other networks would’ve been happy to renew.

The series, as well as So Help Me Todd and CSI: Vegas, ultimately became a casualty of a strong schedule, a cost-management drive and overall uncertainty at the parent company Paramount Global, which is in the process of being sold.

Even before CBS’ lineup, delayed by the strikes, launched with the Super Bowl, the network already had committed to five new scripted series for next season, dramas Matlock, Watson and NCIS: Origins and comedies Poppa’s House and a Young Sheldon spinoff, with renewal conversations on NCIS: Sydney also well underway.

Then CBS’ originals returned, exceeding expectations, with the network claiming the top 16 most watched shows of its premiere week and 14 of the top 20 non-sports programs overall this midseason in Nielsen most current linear viewership.

With no obvious weaklings, Blue Bloods getting a final run next season and S.W.A.T. surprisingly uncanceled, the network had to cut deep in purging its slate to make room for the additions.

Just a year ago, a renewal for Hawai’i would’ve been a no-brainer: it’s part of a storied franchise with solid rating and crossover potential with the mothership series that yielded big ratings in January 2023. But now, CBS already has three other NCIS series already locked for next season: the original series, renewed for Season 22, Sydney, returning for a second season, and the upcoming Young Gibbs prequel NCIS: Origins. There is also the Tony & Ziva NCIS spinoff series greenlighted by Paramount+, making for a crowded NCIS field.

With strong multi-platform performance, as NCIS: Hawai’i ranked above several CBS dramas that have been renewed, including FBI: Most Wanted, FBI: International and S.W.A.T., it probably came down to money.

Even with the proposed budget cuts, NCIS: Hawai’i was still going to be expensive. Its long-term prospects were unclear — whether it would become a big global hit and moneymaker like its franchise predecessors. With CBS’ parent company focused on its short-term balance sheet as it prepares to sell, a corporate decision was made not to take a chance and find out.

In NCIS: Hawai’i, Special Agent in Charge of NCIS Pearl Harbor Jane Tennant (Lachey) and her team balance duty to family and country, investigating high-stakes crimes involving military personnel, national security and the mysteries of the island itself.

Alex Tarrant, Noah Mills, Jason Antoon, Yasmine Al-Bustami, Tori Anderson and Kian Talan also star. Matt Bosack, Jan Nash, Christopher Silber and Larry Teng served as executive producers.

In a recent Deadline interview, CBS Studios President David Stapf spoke about how “wholly unique” Hawai’i is while also being part of the franchise as the first NCIS series with a female lead, Lachey, and with its Hawai’i locale. “We were just coming off Hawaii Five-0, a very successful show,” he said of the spinoff’s origins. “People love that setting, it plays well over the globe.”

ok so i got minimal feedback wanting an ol essay so heres the word vomit version

tl;dr version:

the Our Life series is unlike other VNs in multiple respects--primarily due to its customization, but also due to the goal it sets out to achieve. Most other visual novels are driven by stories and a story climax and resolution. The goal of those VNs is to tell a specific story. OL’s goal is to create a cozy and safe space for the player, and the only things that are not changeable are the MCs family, and the fact that they have one or more neighbors. This has benefits and restrictions in what GB Patch can do with the media.

OL’s goal is to offer a safe space where the player feels loved, supported and welcome, making it an excellent way to explore gender presentation and identity, especially in OLNF, which adds a complex pronoun system and more complex relationship charts. This is a huge benefit, as gender exploration is nigh impossible for some people, and this series makes it readily accessible and fun to experiment with. The writing is very applicable to any gender, with little inherent gendering, if any, making it an excellent playground for gender exploration.

OL does, through this safe-space, lose its ability to tell complex stories or address more complex social themes such as racism, homophobia, etc. The closest mention of it is when Baxter mentions his parents being sheltered. The writers want people to miss out on as little content as possible, regardless of the player’s choices. The only way youre losing significant playtime/content of the LIs is when playing on indifferent, which makes sense. There are few differences between fond and crush, and just as few between friends and lovers, and this is on purpose. the point of OL is to create a space where everyone feels at home, and boundaries are respected. Touchy MCs and touch averse MCs are meant to find a place in this world. This does restrict in terms of complexity, though. The lack of difference between romance and platonic interactions may make some players feel like there isnt a lot of romance, but the other point OL makes is that the only real difference between romance and friendship is the definition.

in OLBA, theres a DLC moment for Cove in step 3 called Happiness, where he takes MC on a few outings. If MC is dating Cove, theyre dates, but if theyre just friends, theyre outings. The content is overall the same, bc the point is that romance is just a friendship with a different label and some boundaries--whatever those may be.

OL isnt trying to be complex or thought provoking. It’s a place to experiment with gender, live the idyllic childhood friendship of your dreams, and simply feel loved. it doesnt need to be complex or especially dramatic (though characters like baxter do stand out in a lineup of non-dramatic characters). It does what it sets out to do, and any critique of the writing and choices should take into account what OL wants to achieve VS what the person critiquing it would have personally enjoyed.

how do you improve on capturing the essences of characters in fanart? like your twdg fanart looks SO good. but when i try to draw fanart of the characters i end up with something that looks nothing like them. any advice?

hmmmm ive never articulated this so hopefully i can answer this well enough

most importantly i did studies of them. and by studying i mean really paying attention to and breaking down the shapes AND proportions of their faces. both are equally important to capturing someones likeness. its why i did this lineup. just really breaking them down

ask yourself what features make this character identifiable. what makes them look like Them? aside from their shapes, its usually in the proportions of features relative to each other (size of chin/distance of eyes/width and height of nose/features relative to the size of the face/stuff like that). knowing proportion rules will help you here (distance between eyes=one eye length=width of nose. corners of mouth line up between inner and center of eyes. ear length between bottom of nose and center/tops of eyes (theres a lot of rules but these are the ones i consider most)). even if a character has close features they will still averagely be in proportion to each other and same goes for a character with wide features. let the rules guide your eye

when i draw a character i usually start by drawing the shape of the head First (i also do this when doing regular portrait studies). then add the features. it helps to keep things in proportion when you know your boundaries

when i break down the shape of the head i pay attention to these areas: forehead to cheekbones, cheekbones to jaw, jaw to chin. also cheekbones to upper lip if im drawing them from an angle. is their structure rounder and softer or harder and angular? a wide jaw or a small one? wide chin small chin? lower cheekbones higher cheekbones/general prominence? long head or short head?

then i worry about the features themselves. aside from using rules to plot them, this is where shape become important again in capturing their likeness. clem and aj both have larger eyes but weighted differently (clem rounder on the outside. aj rounder on the inside). louis' are more almond shaped. violets more hooded. are the eyebrows thinner or thicker? do they have shape? (clems have a triangulation to them (specifically S1-3) but violets are more simple lines. louis' are thicker and taper off. aj's are pretty small and not too thick). shape of the nose? shape of the mouth? the lips? are they fuller or thinner? wide? pout?

another thing for likeness when drawing characters like.. Actually Living is to consider what emotions drive their reactions/expressions. characters express feelings differently. how does this character express anger? sadness? happiness? are they more open with their feelings or reserved? are they unimpressed? do they get shy? what embarrasses them? what excites them? are they mischievous or more serious? its about the overall behavior of the character and the cumulative average of their emotional reactions to create a sort of baseline to work from (does this make sense? 😭)

UUHHH.. im sure theres more i could say but thats the gist of it. just takes time and practice. use references!! dont be afraid to trace them either if youre stumped itll help 💕

on my youth - wayv: a review

it's not often that i look forward to an album as much as i did with this one tbh, so it was a little hard to accept the song description SM dropped for on my youth before it was released. "low tempo emotional hip hop ballad" is definitely not what i look for in kpop/cpop (this term will be used interchangeably sorry to the way is cpop purists following me) and i immediately let my expectations drop to nearly zero when this came out. SM has had a very, and i mean VERY hit or miss year - probably a combination of the hybe/kakao takeover fiasco and industry-wide creative exhaustion - for all their idols, with long-awaited comebacks missing the mark abysmally or simply putting out subpar "fine at best" insipid music.

wayv's last (and only) full album was released in the midst of the 2020 lockdown - a time so different in every aspect but specifically in the kpop world it feels like it could have been a lifetime ago - and after their 9/11, lineup changes, months of delays and two mini albums with mixed results, it's safe to say this album was make or break for the group. with that lengthy foreword out of the way i am very happy to inform that wayv not only delivered - they surpassed all my expectations and managed to deftly execute what was in their case their most awaited comeback ever. here are my highlights from the album:

on my youth

like i said, i really didn't know what to expect for an emotional hip hop ballad but this song packs a punch like few other low tempo title tracks do. it seems to hit every mark for a minor key progression - the slow start, the build-up, the emotional first verse being delivered beautifully by xiaojun's superb ability to emote, along with a really nice, kinda muted instrumental that consists of piano, some synths and a restrained percussion.

it even manages to deliver on the required second verse slow rapping about how people say we're too young to know better - thanks to yangyang's personality shining through on these verses the shtick manages to go from cheesy to enjoyable, and even hendery allows himself a moment or two of true sincerity in his rap.

the chorus is a welcomed switch-up with a catchy hook that quickly becomes an ear-worm. it's the perfect balance to make this song go from b-side to title track material. the final chorus has an amazing instrumental climax that matches the grandiose, emotional vibe of the song's theme and it translates amazingly in the performance video's choreography.

overall this song might be top 3 wayv's title tracks depending on who you ask. for me it's definitely up there and i actually love the english version better because well, you can tell this was originally meant to be an english language song. i give it a 9/10 (and i famously hate slower songs)

poppin' love

a lot of people would say that this should've been the title track and they might be right. i'm not sure what the artistic direction for this comeback was built around, but the emotional title track was definitely picked for a reason over a more conventional, easy sell like this one. but this one is not only an easy sell, it's yet another hit that proves wayv is the best and most 90s boyband coded group in kpop right now - because they are perfect for it. they fit the vibes and the sound in a way that few, if none, other current groups can pull off without feeling gimmicky.

the chorus is sultry enough to keep it in the r&b territory but the added hip hop elements keep it super energizing. it's like if love talk and nectar had a baby. the selling point for me is the added harmonization they included in the refrain of "you're the only one" and it's so cool. it feels like the entire song is tightly built around the bassline and the high melody of the chorus - at 3:05 minutes it gives you the exact amount you need of everything. nothing lags behind and nothing fizzles out too quickly. it has enough grit to stick your hands into while reimagining the classic boyband elements enough to keep you on your toes. a HIGH 10/10 from me.

rodeo

this song is just bonkers. is it that groundbreaking or original? not really, but it manages to make it feel soooo exciting it's like i've never heard a dj snake beat drop in my life lmfaooo 😭 the vocals are crunchy enough to give me asmr when putting on my headphones. the instrumental while very basic edm still punches in with some cool drums - but of course the star of the show is the bass drop.

referencing lil jon in this should be enough to give them an award tbh. like this is giving nct 127 unserious club banger in the best of ways.... and they still hold it down with their own personalities. this is not markyong going crazy with himalayas, this is yangdery showing they can pull off subunit songs (and winwin is there too i guess) while doing whatever in the recording booth. rodeo is just a VERY enjoyable kpop rap line playground and trust that i will eat it up every time it comes on. 9/10

moonlight

there are songs that can be amazing when you play the album, and there are songs that you just instantly know will be superior if you hear them performed live. moonlight is the second kind, and the entire vocal structure is enough to make me want to see wayv at a concert at least once in my life.

the chorus is insane. the stacked vocals give it a depth that is almost cinematic and i do need to give kun, ten and xiaojun their tens for this accomplishment, but specially kun. sure - xiaojun might be the most technically gifted vocalist in the group and i am in love with his tone, but this song has kun all over the foundations. i dont have the stems for the track but i can bet my life that kun recorded at least five layers for that chorus. his tone is so distinctive i can almost only hear him during the high points of the song.

anyway, this song is super pretty. it's just gorgeously designed. i actually wish it was a vocal line only song because the compulsory rap additions do not fit with the rest of the atmosphere at all. still, this gets a 10/10.

lighthouse

when i heard this the first time i wrote "wayv outsold both exo AND shinee for ballad of the year at sm" and i stand by it. again, this style is just classic boyband slow tear jerker and they execute it perfectly. i'm a notorious hater of ballads in kpop and yet not only can i sit through this every time i put on the album, i actively seek it out. like holy shit, this only happens with exo for me.

the song is very straightforward - a heartbreak song about missing the girl they lost. but it's so well made it just works perfectly. another point where wayv need to be praised is their ability to emote. xiaojun specially is amazing at this - you can hear the yearning in his voice. i actually think ten has also learned from him because he comes across just as sincere in this. (kun does famously stiffen up which is not an issue here but still, xiaojun carries this ballad for sure). the instrumental is very cozy and i like how the whole track is designed to sound as if they're singing from just slightly behind you. 9/10

My thoughts on Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol. 3

Spoilers!!! I'm putting a cut right here so proceed at your own risk!!!

Ok so I am in an 80s phase right now, and this...this was just a movie that I loved. Fun, humorous, yet still having the ability to be emotional and, let's face it, dark.

Guardians has, for a long time, been my favorite series in the MCU. Not necessarily comics but definitely MCU. So even though this was only my second Marvel movie in the theater, I still had to go see it.

There were several parts where I actually thought every main character was about to die. If i were to liken it to any 80s movie, it would be Back To the Future 1,2,3. The way it ping ponged between victory and defeat kind of reminded me of that.

Also, I would have loved to hear Rocky Raccoon by the Beatles just once.

Oh well.

Adam warlock being this indestructible comedic relief who ends up having an inevitable character arc, taking to Blurp, and then saving Peter. The only thing that threw me off is, I'm a Narnia fan. HOW IS THAT THE SAME DUDE WHO PLAYED EUSTACE. CLARENCE. SCRUBB?

I know Floor and Teefs were supposed to be cute??, but idk I couldn't get into it.

There's some lovable villains, sure.

Holy $#!% I wanted to rip this mf's face off myself.

I think I hated him more than Thanos.

Which is saying a lot from me.

Anyways moving on I don't wanna talk about him anymore.

The uncensored F bomb was definitely surprising, but not unexpected. At some point it would either be Tony Stark or Peter Quill, and it ended up being the latter.

I liked the new lineup of the Guardians, and how retired guardians were able to be written out without getting killed off (I'm so friggin glad nobody died omg I was scared). I would like to see Mantis and Peter back together at some point, just so see more of their sibling dynamic, but go take care of yourself first, girl.

And I know everyone has their own opinion, but I'm actually kind of glad that Peter and Gamora weren't right back where they were before her death in IW. It kinda broke the mold of 'everyone gets a happy ending and everything is perfect'. We still got both closure and an open ending if they were to bring that relationship back, which I'm fine with either way.

It was refreshing to see a movie with a realistic, albeit bittersweet ending.

Overall, I loved this movie.

I also have a few things that could be linked to religion, but I'm not sure if this is the platform for that.

I would highly suggest going to YouTube and checking out New Rockstars' breakdown videos of the movie, cause Eric Voss made some really good points and predictions.

Little bits of the movie that I live for and cry about.

Baby rocket. Just, baby Rocket.

Baby Rocket's 'Hurts'.

Kid Rocket's wail after Lylla dies.

Peter and Gamora smiling at each other (whild holding Blurp) before their craft literally blows up and Adam Warlock still didn't die.

Yondu's Marvel force ghost.

Kraglin finally saying that Cosmo is a good dog. (He knew it all along.)

Rocket saving the kits and realizing that he is, in fact, a raccoon.

Mantis' cry for Peter as he's dying.

The fact that Peter just had to go back for the Zune to give it to Rocket. Like, baby you can't give it to him if you're dead.

Adam's awkward contribution to the group hug.

"I bet we were fun."

Nebula finally not being a vengeful outraged blue meanie.

Drax adopting like 200 children.

Jason immediately recognizing his grandson.

Come and get your love.

Space husband in a normal earth house eating cereal was something I didn't know I needed. But I live for it.

THE IRON FIST TOURNAMENT IS BACK

My thoughts on Tekken 8, as a lifelong Tekken player.

Tekken is a series of games that have been in my life for..... well, as long as I can remember playing games. We had Tekken 3 for the PS1, and the biggest moment in my life for gaming was getting a PlayStation 2 in 2002 at 5 years old, and one of the first 3 games we got for it was Tekken 4. To say I have been impatiently waiting for the newest installment, Tekken 8, would be an understatement. I even voted for it as my most anticipated new game in The Game Awards 2023, over other games I care about nearly as much. Does this new title hit the mark, or was it a disappointment?

I am happy to say it blew my expectations out of the water!

Installment after installment, it would be easy to think "It's a 2D fighting game, how far can you really take it in a new title this far in?" and, although I could easily point you to the absolutely insane story so far in Tekken, a game that at this point is as much about "The Iron Fist Tournament" as the Fast & Furious franchise is about illegal street racing(definitely stole that comparison from senpapigabe), where I feel Tekken 8 really shines is the way the game FEELS to play. Somehow, Bandai Namco has tweaked the combat to the point that everything, from every punch, every kick, every grab, and every combination has the PERFECT amount of weight to it. It is easily one of the most satisfying fighting games I have ever played in the way it feels. Add in the additions to the rage and heat systems, and the gameplay not only feels weighty, but also crazy fast paced, making for an incredibly satisfying flow of gameplay from one fight to the next. The cast of characters is pretty stacked, although at this point in the franchise, I am sure all the DLC characters will just be old characters not in the launch lineup(Todd Howard, this is your fault somehow).

Online gameplay feels great, connections in game are typically stable, and the new online Tekken Lounge is a fun way to see all the players who most definitely are about to demolish you. Unlike a lot of other fighting games nowadays, there are a lot of solid single player modes in this one too! The classic Arcade Mode / Character stories are there and are fun to blow through when you have a few minutes of downtime per run, and the new Arcade Quest, replacing the old ranked offline arcade mode, is so freaking fun, and although its cheesy in the way its written, its just cheesy enough and doesn't force you to have your hand held. Speaking of offline modes.....

Good LORD, the story mode of this game is peak.

I don't want to spoil anything about the story, but, it is a story that knows when to take itself seriously and when not to, explores the lasting effects on Jin's mind after games' worth of havoc, the beautiful father and son relationship he has with Kazuya(didn't see that coming, did you?) and doesn't overstay it's welcome.

Overall, Tekken 8 is marvelous, and one of my favorites in the franchise (and probably my favorite since the PS2).

If you are a fighting game fan, or ESPECIALLY if you are a Tekken fan, I definitely recommend picking it up when you can. I almost guarantee you will not be disappointed.

Thanks for reading my first game write up on the new blog! Feel free to follow me on Tumblr to keep up to date on when I post, or follow me on Twitch to hang out in a live stream with my loving degenerate community. — Finn

logo by mikalogo

good morning and happy pride month, my loves! this post is just to serve as a general interest check for what might turn into our first optional event: what are your thoughts on a 3 day weekend festival—think along the lines of new york's gov ball, chicago's lollapalooza, jersey's adjacent festival, boston's boston calling...so on and so forth? not as large scale and kind of remote as something like coachella, but something in a major city with multiple stages and a ton of good food and overall opportunity for shenanigans? since it would be optional, i'd give you guys the chance for your musician muses to be on the lineup if that's something you'd be into, or your more art-inclined muses to work the festival behind the scenes. drop some thoughts in the notes and i'll reach out to those who might wanna collaborate!

USA v Sweden

My heart hurts right now since Sweden won and I adore the players on the USA team but swedens goalie did really good

4-2-3-1 lineup was a good change for us it put less pressure on Sullivan and allowed us to get width, I’d like to see this in other games

Sonnet was a beast, I’ve seen some people doubt her but she was definitely needed in this game

With how our last games went the fact that we made it until the penalty shootout before Sweden scored I was very pleased

I’m not totally happy with subbing Kelley and Kristie with 2 minutes of extra time but it happened, probably should have happened sooner if we wanted an actual impact

Penalty shootout was intense

So proud of kristie’s penalty she finally got a touch and it went in

Thought it was really cool seeing Alyssa in the shootout and her scoring

Alyssa did really good in goal and if it wasn’t for the VAR the shootout probably would have continued

I’m sad for the players that never got to be on field and have even a minute of play time

This was rapinoe’s last World Cup and I think o’hara’s too if I remember correctly so definitely not the outcome I would hope for them

Overall game play was good just ended in penalties which is always a free for all and ended in favor for Sweden

A Bouquet, For Our Future

Obtainability: This is a personal memoria for Masara & Kokoro (Bridal ver.). It is obtainable through completing the third episode of her Magical Girl Story and through the Support Gacha.

Single Effect: MP Restore [12.5 MP] (Allies)

MLB Effect: MP Restore [15 MP] (Allies)

Effect Definitions:

MP Restore will instantly restore MP to the character upon activating the effect.

TLDR: “A Bouquet For Our Future” is a very good memoria that perfectly rounds up the unit’s supportive playstyle by giving them a way to generate MP for their team without needing to use discs, a connect, or a Magia/Doppel. It’s mostly best for Kimochi.

Review: “A Bouquet For Our Future” is a very good memoria, particularly for content such as the Kimochi and particularly for the units’ playstyle.

Before talking about the memoria itself, let’s quickly go over Masara & Kokoro (Bridal ver.) and how they function as a unit. They act as a light version of a fused Mikage and Kuroe, giving their team tons of delicious buffs alongside gaining MP very easily through their “MP Up When Attacked By Weak Element” effect found in their Spirit Enhancement.

This means that it’s very easy to hit Doppel with them, all without ever needing to spend a single disc. One merely needs to equip several “MP Up When Attacked By Weak Element” memoria on them, let them get taunted, and it’s possible to hit magia or doppel with them very quickly. They might have three accele discs, but with the right time, it’s hardly likely you’ll need to use them. They are essentially tailor-made for Kimochi. 

Many times, a unit like this will get accele draw. However, as noted, they do not need one. For one, in the right team, you’ll never actually need to use Accele Draw, because a proper whale will have constantly rolling Magia/Doppels. For two, the light element already has several accele draw memoria available for grab, including the recently added Toyo, the staple of Madoka, and the practically necessary Madoka & Iroha. And for three, accele draw on this unit would mean having a higher chance of getting their discs (as they have three accele discs), which, again, isn’t necessary when they have so much Weak MP effects to rely on.

That is where “A Bouquet For Our Future” comes in. It’s actually perfect for them: it helps them further their ability to support their team in providing both a back-up for bad RNG and also give them the ability to generate MP for their team when they otherwise can’t assist with it. Additionally, this memoria being an active means freeing up a passive for the unit so that you can choose to keep them as a support or equip more offensive memoria to boost up their attack capability... although you’ll probably want to equip Weak MP memoria. Speaking of which, some excellent passive memoria to consider equipping on the duo would include:

(Limited 4*) “Do Your Best, Little Savior” MP Up When Attacked By Weak Element [7 MP] & Damage Increase [15%]

(Limited 4*) “Happiness within the Connected Hands” MP Up When Attacked By Weak Element [6 MP] & Damage Increase [25%]    

(4*) “Black Tea of Victory” MP Up When Attacked By Weak Element [6 MP]

(Limited 3*) “Is It Such a Dramatic Taste” MP Up When Attacked By Weak Element [3 MP] & MP Gain Up [12.5%]

(Please note that the “Black Tea of Victory” memoria’s review is outdated). 

Notably, unlike Mikage or Kuroe to whom this unit was previously compared, MasaKoko can’t generate MP for their team through a connect or through a Magia/Doppel. “A Bouquet For Our Future” gives them that capability, and unlike Mikage or Kuroe, it allows you to choose when that MP will be gained more easily, without needing to build up discs for a connect or to use a Doppel at the right time. This completes the duo’s supportive lineup.

Overall an extremely good personal memoria, definitely worth investing three-star Over-Limiter cores into if you have them slotted.

ULTRAVIOLET VISIONS: Electronicon 4 and UVF Year 2

Hello everyone! Econ 4 is finally here this week and although I couldn't make it to NYC, I'm here to share and shed light on a couple new Vapor releases, as well as talk about some new changes to the ULTRAVIOLET-FUTURE label to come for Year 2!

Let's start off with...UVF Year 2 Roster Announcement!

With the start of our second year of UVF, the label is now an official label account on Bandcamp! This is an idea that I've thought about for a while now and I'm so happy to announce our starting roster with artists: portal.rwb, TRUMAN!, Two Circles, scarecrow_, and salt.bmu. Since starting the label, I've loved interacting with so many different artists and trying to represent their releases in a physical form the best I can. Over the first year there's been a lot of trial and error and now going into year 2 I feel like I know the overall sounds and aesthetics I want UVF to incorporate. Despite having a roster of artists, I am still 100% open to working with outside artists on a release just as I would before the transition. Nothing major has changed in the way of artists being able to submit music to the label, just that now I have a dedicated group of artists I feel best represents the sound of the label and who I want to spotlight their releases. Big thank you to the artists on the roster for entrusting me with their music. At the end of the day there are no strings attached and artists are still free to release solo and work with other labels, but I still appreciate them for allowing me to represent their music. I hope for the roster to grow over time and to continue working with other artists in the future!

Electronicon Weekend

In case you are living under a rock, this weekend there are a plethora of live shows happening in New York revolving around the huge Electronicon 4. I hope everyone out there in NY this weekend has an insanely good time and please stay safe <3. Although I couldn't make it this year, my heart is there in spirit with you all and I hope I can finally make it out next year!

Last night was the 2023 Summer Slushy Festival hosted with the help of Geometric Lullably, Pad Chennington, Dolphin Uppercut, and Vaperror of 100Plus Records. This is the first event they've put on together and has an insane lineup of artists jam packed into one night. The night was split into two stages so fans could jump back and forth to try and catch their favorite artist's sets throughout the night. There was also a live stream of both the indoor and outdoor stages so that people at home could tune in and catch some of the sets! I didn't get to tune in much but if I were there, I definitely would've tried to catch the Vaperror, TOWERS, desert sand feels warm at night, Discoholic, and Days of Blue sets just to name a couple favorites. Hope everyone had a great time last night and I wish the best for the future of Summer Slushy Fest!

Today and tomorrow are the days of the highly anticipated "Electronicon 4"! The event is being split into a 2 day festival for the first time and is still unknown as to the schedule for day 2. Some insane artists are new to this years lineup like Enraile, Datagirl, James Ferraro, and 18 Carat Affair! Obviously if I made it to Econ this year I would HAVE to catch the DDS and Giant Claw sets being a huge shroudie, as well as the George Clanton, Enraile, Esprit, and FM Skyline sets to name a few. This is usually the biggest show of the year for so many artists and thank you to George for continuing to put on these huge events!

The tape swap is a tradition to follow every Electronicon and this year is now a full on event with a huge lineup of artists and vendors. The event is being hosted by Utopia District and is happening on Sunday the 27th after the days of Electronicon. There are plenty of artists and vendors to choose from like Business Casual, Geolul, Pacific Plaza, First Class Collective, and our friends over at Pause and Reflect just to name a few. If you happen to stop by the Pause and Reflect booth, make sure to pick up a tape and snag a free sampler CD with a track from every one of their releases to really get a taste of what Pause and Reflect is all about (also the CDs were made by me!) and be sure to tell them UVF sent you ;). If I were there I would definitely need to catch the Eyeclick, ZeroRei, Cyber Surfer 3D, and Ahero x Vangoe sets. There is an insane amount of activity happening this weekend in the IRL Vaporwave space! Even just being at home and seeing all the videos and pics of everyone at the Slushy Fest so far already makes me super happy and proud to be a part of such an amazing community. Hope I can one day see you all in the future and share some amazine experiences together <3.

Now that the UVF and IRL stuff has been covered, let's cover a couple new releases!

"4D" by Blank Banshee is finally here after much anticipation from the fans. The tease of a new Blank Banshee album came with a tour announcement with a total of 32 shows! This is actually the first Blank Banshee album I've heard in full surprisingly and this release has definitely had me wanting to dive deeper into their discography. BB has been extremely influential in the uprising of the Vaportrap sub-genre since their beginning with their classic album, "Blank Banshee 0". Their most recent albums "Metamorphasis" and "Music for Menus" have definitely shown BB experimenting with their sound into more avant-garde electronic production. 4D still gives that Vaportrap feel while embracing a much heavier tone with more traditional tropes coming from EDM and House music. The album definitely feels like a cross between background music to hack into the mainframe and club music that would play in a dark underground club with millions of strobes flashing. I love the opener "Run" as it starts off with this heavy, distorted main synth/guitar lead. An incredible start to set the tone for the record as we come down to more mellow tracks like "Sundial" and "Good Times", which feature these infectiously groovy synths accompanied by some nice vocal chops. Overall, I like the heavier more atmospheric approach to the instrumentals BB has brought to the table with 4D. Most of the songs are short, sweet, and to the point, although some may find a few of the tracks to feel a bit samey after the midway point in the record. I feel like in the last couple years there is a rise in much heavier production in Vaporwave releases and 4D is a prime example of that. Favorite Tracks: Run, Good Times, Trojan Horse, Spirit Season, Trojan

George Clanton has finally returned with their latest release "Ooh Rap I Ya". Its been a couple years since their last release "Slide" in 2018, which really put the spotlight on George Clanton for newcomers to the scene like me. After cherishing Slide for the past 3 years since I first heard it, I wondered time and time again what a new George Clanton album would sound like. After an album like "100% Electronica", they've definitely seemed to go for a much cleaner polish to their production while still keeping a more hazy, hypnagogic, and atmospheric sound. Ooh Rap I Ya had a couple singles teased during the album rollout including tracks Justify Your Life, I Been Young, Vapor King/SubReal, and F.U.M.L. With the sound coming from these singles, George is definitely embracing sounds of the 90s, particularly in tracks like "I Been Young" with its very playful, head-bopping singing in the verses. The track comes in with one of the most infectious choruses in the whole record. With this song, as well as throughout the rest of the record, George is embracing the thought of growing older into a stage of maturity while still highlighting his past youth and learning from it rather than dwelling on the past. The track "Justify Your Life" is another smooth track with George singing in a much softer tone until the song starts to explode leading up to the chorus. George is talking about starting over and embracing a newer beginning and justifying your life. The rest of the album starts with the huge opener "Everything That I Want" that starts the record off with a bang. This is easily my favorite track from the record with an instrumental that feels larger than life and a chorus that makes you want to sing along at the top of your lungs. George is expressing feelings of having everything but not having "you" and how there is regret along the path of having it all. This track sets the tone of the record beautifully and leaves the listener feeling a longing/regret for a time that once was compared to the current day. Later in the track list we have the song "Punching You Down" which is an instant bop with its bouncy synths and "What does it feeeel like?" refrain throughout the song. I just know that when George plays this song live, the whole crowd is just gonna be screaming "What does it feel like" at the top of their lungs throughout the song. The track is definitely talking down on a particular somebody or group of people and talks about how "You're the only one that isn't laughing". "You Hold The Key and I Found It" is a more somber cut in the record that starts with this very airy, atmospheric instrumental with a lot of strings and woodwind instruments. The tracks come to fruition with George's classic laid back drum beats and cool hazy lead vocals. The track is much more of a vibe to the listener and much less about any main topic or idea and rather delivers an instrumental that keeps on trucking on and puts you in a trance. Later in the album, we get the closing track "For You, I Will". There aren't really lyrics to the song, but more of a vocal chant of "For You" throughout the track, accompanied by backing chants from the artist Hatchie. This puts the album to an end in typical George Clanton fashion by closing off with a bombastic ending just like we started off with. After waiting many years for a new release, George Clanton does not disappoint with Ooh Rap I Ya. Not sure if it takes the crown for favorite George album like Slide does but nevertheless still is an extremely enjoyable and consistent listen that I'm sure everyone would love. Favorite Tracks: Everything That I Want, Justify Your Life, Punching You Down, F.U.M.L, For You, I Will

Apologies for not getting to talk about too many releases this week. There are a couple other albums I wanted to touch on recently but have been preoccupied with other UVF things as well as finishing up my latest collab album with Truman. I'll be sure to cover a couple more releases in the next blog <3. Hope everyone is doing well out there! If you made it to any of the IRL events this weekend, be sure to share some pics around and I hope you all stay safe. I have had this last week off work and don't go back into work until the first week of September so I've been trying to use this time to catch up on some label work as well as some production on the music side of things. In case you forgot, I make music too! I'm soon to release "Perfect Dawn", the first Lunar Data Garden album with good friend of mine Truman sometime next month hopefully, and I have plans in the works to start releasing more music on the portal.rwb side of things in the form of EPs/Mixtapes in between my big mainline albums. Until then, thank you for reading my blog, be sure to follow UVF on all our socials and join our Discord server! I try to check in on everyone daily in there and share news sneak peaks to things from time to time. Love you all and see you next week! -portal from UVF

ranking the artist battle songs from my fav to least fav

disclaimer: i like all of the own songs in their own right and don’t think any of them were super bad. they were all underwhelming in terms of uniqueness imo and im sad we only had one cute concept, but i still enjoy listening to them, so :)

Supercharger yeah believe it or not i actually like this song i like the hard-hitting beats and i think everyone did a really good job on the song. only gripe is that ollie's rap sounds better live than in the recording which sucks

Say My Name its a little basic but it just makes me happy. also thank fuck they finally put yujin in something cute. i think he suits it better imo. here's to hoping seungeon makes it thru bc he's in my top 9. team was super strong overall

Switch i ended up really liking it after two listens, still think the beat change was hella weird tho. the styling, although garish, suited the concept and i would actually like to wear their fits (toned down, obviously). very cohesive and the choreo looks the most fun

En Garde i like the "en garde and pret" part but the rest of the song is forgettable to me LOL. also can someone get gyuvin out of dark concepts i need to see him in something cute for once i think he'd nail it. get hiroto out of there too poor guy was invisible

Over Me this is definitely just the sex-repulsed asexual in me talking but i do not like sexy songs, that's it lol. its a well-put song but just not my taste. i think the performance went well tho, jeonghyeon king of flying under the radar /pos

conclusion: songs mostly good, could be better, some people needed to be switched around, i would kill to see the original supercharger lineup pop off tho (we could've had park jihoo absolutely slaying but shame). think the biggest problem is that theres 3 dark concept songs and 1 cute song and then whatever switch was, should've been 2/2/1

so i have slept on it and have some final esc thoughts

overall, i think i enjoyed last year more bc of the fun shenanigans in between. this year it seemed, well, more serious for some reason?

fuck the jury

i actually wished they would give us MORE of the iconic ukrainian acts, like, fucking hell, Go_A and Verka being there for 30 seconds at the start? I expected more. More of Ukrainians and not more of prev winners

fuck the jury

i never really liked loreen lets be honest but how in the FUCK she won again with the most generic unoriginal pop song? Oh. The jury. She did not even look surprised. Or happy.

JSYK - fuck the jury

on that note how in the FUCK did isr get so many points? how?? is it because 'do you wanna see me daaaance', bc the song was... idk? (let's not get into the fact on how are they still allowed to participate bc you know.. the.. things going on in there)

fuck the jury

once again i will repeat that prev winners should not be allowed to participate

fuck the jury very much

all for returning artists if they have not won yet (hello Moldova, I love you)

fuck the fucking jury

You are my winner Käärijä, the public loved you, everyone loved you, we heard the cha-cha-chants and you deserved so much better our cha cha dancing pina colada drinking finnish king <3

fuck the boring ass jury and whoever wanted Sweden to host in 2024 coincidentally on Abba's 50year anniversary win (:

On the other hand I have learned how to make pina coladas this year, and next year Petra Mede might return (possibly with Mans since he's there every year anyway). I just don't know if I will enjoy watching it as much knowing we could have had Jerevision 2024, which would have been a goddamn TREAT.

That's about it. What a lousy end to otherwise a great lineup.

Fuck the jury, Sweden this year and everyone who voted for them.

now that i finished boys planet here are my thoughts!

overall: i’m pretty happy about the final lineup actually. turns out that even if it isn’t rigged people will vote for the ones who are talented :) anyways i am happy that zb1 ended up being only vocalists 😭 and they have some GOOD ones!!! like taerae, hao and hanbin all had main vocal positions throughout the program and i love to see it 😩🫶 they will probably make someone the rapper tho and it’s probably gonna be gyuvin… i do not remember hearing him sing a single line ever 😭😭😭 and lastly the level of slay and cunt among the members is astronomical! i can’t wait to see them perform as a group 🥹

anyways here’s my thoughts about each of the top 9

kim jiwoong: i’m obsessed w him as a person but i feel like i didn’t even get to see him shine on the stage during the program tho. he seems to be a good dancer and a decent vocalist tho and ofc he’s really charismatic :3

zhang hao: i am obsessed with him and he deserved that win so much!!! the industry is NOT ready for him 😩 also i love his speaking voice sm! the little vocal fry’s he does! i’m obsessed!!!!

sung hanbin: MOTHER!!! the reason he was on top during the whole program is bc he DESERVED it!!!! like he’s such a good performer and dancer and he can even sing! literally the perfect idol… like he’s NOT just a pretty dozen he actually has the talent 😩😩😩

seok matthew: again i don’t really remember his performances that much 😶 maybe it’s on me for not paying attention. but he’s obviously really cute and charming so i understand how he placed so high

kim taerae: lichrally perfect!!! idc he’s not the best dancer bc he makes up for it with vocals and musical talent!!! also he’s so adorable 😭😭😭 the prettiest smile ever

ricky: CHARISMA BOSS BABY RICKY!!!!!! and he lives up to his name!!! so young and yet such a slayer already! can’t wait to see more of him also

kim gyuvin: i am sorry but he’s really did not stick out to me AT ALL 😭 like i know the only reason he placed so high is bc he’s tall and pretty 😶

park gunwook: MY SON NR1! so young and already so talented!!! like he’s an actual all rounder i’m obsessed! and so cewt 🥹

han yujin: MY SON NR2! now… he’s so young… BUT he’s also really talented for his age and he hasn’t trained for very long so like natural talent ok slay!!!

and the people who were ROBBED in my opinion!!!

KEITA: literal all rounder! and he’s such an energetic performer 😭 and i’m really sad we didn’t get to hear more of his vocals bc i really loved his singing voice! i will definitely look into ciipher bc of him

yoo seungeon: all i can say is i hope he debuts at some point… as far as i remember he’s in the same company as gyuvin and yujin so they’ll probably debut later in a group!!! i am looking forward to it… AND i just found out he’s a former sm trainee… explains so much 😭

wumuti: he’s my villain origin story… IF HE DOESNT DEBUT AT OJE POINT 🔫 (also i’m pretty sure he’s the only 99’er on the whole show so i have to support my friend)

haruto: he also needs to debut soon… companies… i’m watching you 👹

Music Bank 2023 with Aly

Okay, here we go with my opinions on mubank23 in paris!

~

Let's start with the music - the most important thing.

I was a little disappointed, because even though Skz were headliners, Tbz got more Songs than them. Nonetheless I enjoyed it a ton!

Our boys started with Case 143, played Maniac (BESTIES POPPIN LIVE HAD ME ASCENDING), continued with God's Menu (nobody expected this?? It slayed so hard??? NE SONNIM LIKE OKAY SIR THAT GROWL) and we ended with the biggest surprise of all: MIROH! Hearing an entire Stadium going "Stray Kids Hoo!" was incredible!

I enjoyed the other groups, aswell, but as you know I am only a Stay (so far), so I can't give the best feedback on it. I am 100% sure I will start stanning AB6IX, though. They fucking SLAYED! I also did enjoy the other boygroups a lot. I'll absolutely get into them. (Besties Keeho was killing me)

BESTIES MAMAMOO LIVE?? HWASA??? THE SCREAMS I SCREAMT!!!!

IVE and NMIXX aren't for me personally, but they were great live! Enjoyable!

~

The Fanbase

Now I personally had a great experience with all kinds of fans! I made a lot of friends, we all adopted eachother! During the Concert I was sitting next to a ENGENE and we made a deal: I film enhypen if she films skz, so we could focus on dancing and singing along. She even gave me her lightstick when it was Skz turn!

In addition to that I met the sweetest girl the day before, who was giving out Freebies before the Concert. She saved me a Quokka keychain and gave it to me after mubank! You can find her shop on insta: @mavizia.eu

I also met a bunch of other fans, funny enough it was almost exclusively Chan Biases lmao. A nice group adopted us in the line and kept us around!

~

The Fanbase for partypit

Now I had seats, but from my view I could see a lot of what was happening in the pit. I also had a bunch of friends in there who told me the same exact thing: It was horribly dangerous. Obsessive fans kept pushing people, some people got punched. Multiple fans fainted due to a multitute of reasons. And we don't even need to talk about the fans during lineup - so many kept cutting in line, shouting at others. I was genuinely lucky to have made so many skz friends in line easily, so we were a pretty big group that nobody messed with!

~

The organisation

Okay I have to be honest here, guys. I am an eventmanager. This was absolute fucking shit. Security did not ban campers, nothing was done against fannumbering and when people started lining up at 4am nothing was done. This was actual absolute shit. I could go on about this for hours, but I'd rather focus on the positives. This was one of the worst concert organisations I have ever experienced. If I hadn't had seats I would have been stressed beyond the imaginable.

The end of the concert was also officially annunced half an hour later. They ended early, with skz only getting 4 songs, even though they were headlining. I have a lot of opinions on this, and am convinced I would have done a better job at organizing this. And no, guys, there is barely a difference planning 20.000 people or 40.000. They should have had an early queue set-up and 90% of everyones problems even before the concert would have ended.

~

Now all in all in enjoyed it, though. I will absolutely stan more than just skz now. Overall I was very happy with the concert! Especially thanks to the amazing trip through the city I had earlier that day. It was generally very enjoyable. <3

Cal Men’s Rowing Wins National Championship

Bears Varsity Eight Caps Undefeated Season With 18th IRA Title

WEST WINDSOR, N.J. – The varsity eight entered Sunday's Grand Final with an undefeated record this spring, and with 1,000 meters to go at the Intercollegiate Rowing Association (IRA) Championship, the Cal men's rowing team's hard work was showing signs of a hard-fought victory. With the win, the Bears secured the program's 18th national championship and 100th national title overall for Cal Athletics. The Varsity Challenge Cup was not the only hardware Cal took home. The Bears' second varsity eight won silver in the Kennedy Cup in a thrilling comeback.  "Really proud of how the guys raced today," said head coach Scott Frandsen. "A full team effort leading to the varsity being able to really have their best race of the year and represent the team and win. They executed their race perfectly, really happy for those nine guys and the full 60 guys on the team. This has been the goal all year and the guys did it." Like it did all season, the V8+ got off to a fast start. The top four boats of Cal, Yale, Washington, and Brown separated themselves from the remainder of the field in the first 100 meters. By the 500-meter mark, the Bears had a two-seat advantage on the Bulldogs. By the 1,000-meter mark, the Bears and Bulldogs pulled away from the rest of the field, with Cal extending its lead over Yale. The Bears' championship boat, led by Pac-12 Male Athlete of the Year Ollie Maclean, Newcomer of the Year Gennaro di Mauro as well as all-conference honorees Elliott Kemp, Angus Dawson, and Campbell Crouch, defeated a Yale boat that featured three Olympians by over two seconds, finishing with a time of 5:44.239. Cal took home their 18th Varsity Challenge Cup in a long and storied history stretching back nearly a century. The Golden Bears also won national championships in 1928, '32, '34, '35, '39, '49, '60, '61, '64, '76, '99, '00, '01, '02, '06,'10 and ‘16.  It is also believed to be the first undefeated season for the V8+ since 2001 when Frandsen was in the boat for the Bears. In the battle for the Stewards Cup, Yale, Harvard, and Washington took the early lead. The Bears began their move over the final 1,000 meters to try to chase down Dartmouth and Washington for a place on the podium but ran out of race track to take fifth with a time of 6:11.513. In the final for the Kennedy Cup, the 2V8+ was tremendous. The Bears opened the race in the lead pack but sat in fifth behind leaders Yale, Dartmouth, Brown, and Washington. At the 1,000-meter mark, Cal began its charge, moving into third and closing fast. Over the final 100 meters, the Bears took control of second and held off Dartmouth, capturing silver by over three seconds with a time of 5:54.052.

Sunday's Results V8+ Results 1. California - 5:44.239 2. Yale - 5:46.339 3. Brown - 5:49.133 4. Washington - 5:52.365 5. Syracuse - 5:53.007 6. Harvard - 5:56.147 JV8+ Results 1. Yale - 5:51.958 2. California - 5:54.052 3. Dartmouth - 5:57.286 4. Washington - 5:58.264 5. Brown - 6:01.430 6. Princeton - 6:04.758 Sunday's Lineups Varsity 8+ Luca Vieira (cox) Iwan Hadfield (stroke) Elliott Kemp Tim Roth Ollie Maclean Gennaro di Mauro Angus Dawson Frederik Breuer Campbell Crouch (bow) JV8+ James French (cox) Tommy Barrell (stroke) Fred Roper Olav Molenaar Christoph Seifriedsberger Balthasar Issa Daton Wolfaardt Michael Chandler Wilson Morton (bow)