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cruciomione · 5 months

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yin and yang: carmy and sydney's creative processes + menu planning

what i love about analyzing carmy and sydney is the way they mirror each other. their similarities and differences, and how they have the potential to complement each other well. truly make each other better at this.

this is most evident with the way they approach creating a dish.

sydney's creative process

evidenced by sheridan (s01e05) and sundae (s02e03), sydney is very imaginative when it comes to creating a dish. the editing in these episodes gives us an intimate view of her creative process. recipes often come to her in dreams/daydreams.

sydney gets inspired by her passion for cooking, her family history and her city/world around her (architecture, nature, other restaurants in Chicago). this really fits into sydney's motivations as a chef.

Sydney uses food to make people happy. She likes to take care of people. someone on here explained the significance of sydney wanting exactly one michelin star, which would signify affordable high quality food that normal everyday people have access to. in braciole she mentions to marcus that her dad and her didn't really go out to eat so when they did, they made it count and it was special. she wants to create an experience like that with her own spot (the Bear).

so naturally that is reflected in her food. its not simply a great meal, but a fabric/archive of her culture, history, worldview and entire character.

while sydney has a very imaginative creative process, she often just jots down her ideas in her little notebook(s), for later reflection.

carmy's creative process

carmy has a more tense relationship with cooking. while sydney and carmy are both amazing chefs, carmy seems to be more jaded and detached from his work.

for carmy he grew up in a household where food was a big part of his family. his mom, mikey, and nat can all cook well. he is naturally very great at it. he uses food to be closer to the people he loves. thats why in the face of rejection from his brother, he goes off and becomes one of the best chefs in the country out of spite. why he uses the beef to try and fix his relationship with mikey. why he was so devasted when syd quit and why he started his dream restaurant with her after she came back.

because we dont get an intimate look into carmys psyche when creating a dish, its harder to say but based off his monolouge in braciole (s01e8) and the way he uses food to connect with people he loves rather than having passion for it independently i can surmise that carmy isn't imaginative as sydney. food is more like a math equation (ironic)/a science.

“he’s the best bc he didn’t have any of the bullshit”, emotional ties/relationships of any kind. his career esp at EMP were isolating, rigid and cold. he was the best bc he was calculating, precise and competitive. which breeds excellence in his field while straying him further away from love and true passion.

i imagine carmy to be more pragmatic with creating a dish.

but carmy is a creative person at his core and while creating a dish might not be as colorful as when sydney does it. we do know that carmy can draw and visualize his ideas onto paper. "Sistine Chapel" level drawings according to syd.

sydney + carmy - potential true partnership

on my 3rd rewatch, i couldn't help but feel so dissatisfied with their partnership. granted this is on purpose since the show is only 2 seasons in and they are trying to do a slow burn in all aspects, not just romantic.

it really hit me that carmy and sydney have never - at least on screen - created a meal together. in s1, we never see the risotto come to fruition, we just get carmys input but never the finished product. in s2 finally, carmy and Sydney work together now that their dynamic has changed from boss and employee to partners. we get like what? 4 scenes of them creating the menu, and having this amazing professional chemistry but ultimately leads to two failed dishes, which would be ok if they worked together after that. but they dont...

instead for the rest of the season, we see them (mainly Syd) working on the menu separately. the menu is....alright. mainly has carmy written all over it (he has a the seven fishes + cannolis, weird homage to one of the worst nights of his life).

*putting on another pair of shipper goggles to say this makes the whole "you make me better at this" confession, even more mind-boggling bc better at what? you guys haven't even worked together all season. this = life , i rest my case*

in s3 and beyond, im excited for them to truly start working together as partners and actually see them create a dish together.

i want to see how their approaches to creating a dish can help the other.

how sydneys creative process can help carmy

besides the obvious romantic implications of the palette cleanser outing, the potential for them to understand each other on a deeper level in regards to food is something i mourn everyday.

after sydney goes on her trip solo, we see her ride the ferry and just take a look at her surroundings. shes thinking about the food she ate, shes looking at buildings, windows, looking at the snow. all inspiration for a dish.

imagine if carmy was there with her. he would be curious about what she's thinking about, get insight on how she creates and maybe want to learn to see food in a less practical way.

i mean he hadn't drawn in years it seems until he was inspired by sydney and the chaos menu to draw again....now imagine if he didn't ruin the moment by bringing up claire (LMFAO). the point is, sydney naturally sparks creativity and passion in him, even when they aren't together.

i know many people are theorizing that carmy will leave the culinary industry (and i agree most of the time) but i also think sydney is slowly but surely helping him discover/re-discover a passion for cooking. i think that carmy likes that sydney likes to take care of people because subconsciously he knows he does the same thing or has the potential for it (i.e making tiff sprite from scratch when she was experiencing morning sickness). evidenced by fishes (s02e6), care often feels like an obligation (he takes care of drunk donna when shes going through an episode) but it doesnt have to be this way. and now carmy wants to get a star for her....their interests are slowly aligning.

how carmys creative process can help sydney

this isn't as concrete as the one above but i found it interesting thinking about how carmys more pragmatic approach and sydneys idealistic approach can work in tandem.

first scene in pop (s02e5) shows sydney and tina late at night working on the tasting menu. later in the episode we find out that carmy has been pushing back menu planning leaving sydney on her own. she trying an elements concept which is extremly creative and impressive but even tina says, which sydney later agrees, that its a lot for a tasting menu.

im stretching maybe....but based on carmys comment on her risotto from the season before (needs acid) + his practical approach, it seems like he acts like a buffer when sydneys ideas get "a lot".

*in chemistry buffers are solutions added to resist pH changes when acidic and basic components are added*

so if carmy needs to be more creative and sometimes sydneys ambitions gets ahead of her....

sydney is the heart, while carmy is the brain (???)

one cannot work without the other. when they truly come together to create the menu, they both need to learn from one another to elevate the restaurant. not to mention with carmy's italian american roots and syd's Nigerian-Caribbean/southern roots, they have the potential for amazing fusion dishes and real partnership. i and others want the menu to physically reflect both of them.

conclusion

i literally dont know where im going with this. sorta kinda meta but its more like hopes and dreams for next season and me wanting to type my ideas down.

they complement each other well ok? and have potential for a great partnership once they communicate better. i like this part of the definition of yin and yang: Their interaction is thought to maintain the harmony of the universe and to influence everything within it.

carmy and Sydney are the leaders of the bear, their relationship is foundational to the success of their restauarnt and team, once they work together truly, play to their strengths and weaknesses, then will come true harmony in their universe.

bonus

more sydcarm parallels/similaries/differences/yin yang moments:

carmys gold chain, syds silver earrings

carmys white t-shirts, syds white button ups

carmy is bad at math, syds great with numbers

carmy wasn't really great at school, this is sorta fanon but i can imagine syd excelled in school

both wear birkenstocks (more a chef thing but i still think its cute)

sunshine x grumpy trope but like better...usually the sunshine (syd) is more emotionally vulnerable making a space for grumpy (Carm), but they switch positions. carmy allows sydney to be more emotionally vulnerable often initiating deep conversations, while syd is more closed up/guarded

overall tho i think its cute that they are both shy/emotionally stunted but i do think purely aesthetic wise, sydney has a softer exterior ( doe eyes, colourful scarves, awkward) while carmy is more intimidating (tats, smokes, looks angry all the time)

both fight dirty - i.e their individual fights with richie (review, the bear)

carmy tho is more prone to outbrusts of anger/violence while sydney lets that shit shimmer until she explodes on you

both their passcode being 11111

carmy having dark mode on his phone, syd having light mode in s2

their matching clothes moments earlier in the second season and in bolognese

if theres more, pls comment/reblog, bc i always think of this shit and need more to cry about

fin!

credits: gif 1&2 , gif 3 and gif 4

#the bear #sydcarmy #the bear fx #sydney adamu #carmen berzatto #sydcarmy meta #carmen x sydney #chefs kiss #its so late man i dont even care if this doesnt make sense im rambling #the bear meta

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tio-trile · 9 months

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can I ask, because I'm a GO book fan too and I decided ages ago I didn't care enough about the show to watch s2 - what made them so OOC? I always felt that their book personalities basically got swapped in S1 but it seems like people are even madder about this. ngl it is kind of inspiring me to write more fic with book canon dark-haired Crowley in it lol

Okay so SPOILERS FOR GOOD OMENS SEASON 2:

So first of all towards the end I couldn't take much of it anymore due to various reasons, including that somebody was kind enough to spoil the very ending (of them breaking up and that that's the ending of the show) on the 27th, so I didn't even feel like finishing the show, but I pushed myself to and therefore was half-watching it towards the end, so my memory may not be the most accurate but I can't bare to go back and rewatch it.

From the very beginning I hated that it was retconned that they knew each other as angels. The point, the THEME is that they're friends despite being on opposite sides. And it was said that Aziraphale DID remember Crowley as an angel. So did he only become friends with him because he remembered Crowley when they were friends as angels??? I hate how this changed the beautiful beginning of the book and their first meeting, and the THEME. (Oh BTW Aziraphale is also a landlord who takes rent from this poor lady although he doesn't need the money at all??? But that's beside the point)

In ep3 Aziraphale driving the Bentley was pretty cute and at one point A and C had the canon conversation in the book with where you start vs. upbringing so those are fine. But Crowley in Aziraphale's bookshop tossing all of Aziraphale's beloved books around carelessly......Crowley would never.

In ep4 it was said that Aziraphale owns a gun which I thought was very in-character XD. And that Crowley has never fired a gun.

EP6 was where all the shit went down......first of all I was making loud retching noises in my office @ the Gabriel x Beelzebub thing that came out of nowhere......and the plot goes that Gabriel and Beelzebub basically ran off together somewhere, so Metatron was like "the supreme archangel job position is open now and we want YOU, Aziraphale, to fill it. You can even make your friend Crowley an angel again" and Aziraphale accepted??????!?!?!???!?! Aziraphale's entire arc in the books and in season 1 and THE THEME is that they don't agree with their uppers anymore, he and Crowley are on the human's side, and on their own side. And suddenly, Aziraphale believes that working as a higher position in heaven is a good idea? And agreeing that turning Crowley back to an angel is better basically means that he thinks that angels are inherently better than demons, WHICH IS THE IDEA THAT THE BOOK AND SEASON 1 SPENT THE ENTIRE PLOT TO OVERTHROW???? And also I hate hate the idea that Aziraphale and Crowley must be somebody important. THE POINT is that they are nobodies, and that's what makes them great and relatable. They are NOT EVEN MAIN CHARACTERS in the book nor Season 1. In the show, Crowley also disagreed with Aziraphale's idea and they argued about it and then Crowley angrily kissed him (??) and then left and Aziraphale went to Superheaven to take the job ig. OH and Aziraphale said "I forgave you" to Crowley????? WHAT??? I've overlooked every little nitpicky thing I had about their characters in season 1, but these actions are irreversible and inexcusable. I'm done with the TV show. Nothing they do in season 3 can fix this. I'll just pretend this show never existed now.

#good omens season 2 #gos2 spoilers #good omens critical #ask #Sorry if some of this doesn't make sense I'm still feeling a lot

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moonlight-sonata99 · 10 months

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Walk the line

No.2

Carmy x reader

Summary: getting used to takes some time, nonetheless you try your best.

A/n: I'm still getting used to making realistic convos, literally rewatching S1 just to get the characters right lmao also when I say slow burn. I mean that☠️

One

'It's way to damn early for this..' you think sighing on the way to work

'who am I kidding it's always early when i go to work dumbass' you think again seeing the beef coming into the view,

Making your way inside your greeted by the empty kitchen, it was your first time in here since mikeys..Shaking the thoughts out of your head a sudden nervousness came in your chest,

'What if this carmy some fancy dude who thinks he's hot shit?'

'Or what if he judges you fo-'

"Morning chef" a voice interrupts your thoughts as a man walks into you vision, he seems to be preparing for the day it seems..?

"Oh uh- morning" you say walking to the locker and putting away your things looking at the guy taking out the meat and beginning to put it in the oven, he was...not what you were expecting. He was shorter (not that's its a problem) , blue eyes, and light hair with curls in them.

'Damn.'

"Carmy right?" You say closing your locker and walking over to him.

"Yeah" he nods replyingshortly, closing the oven and meeting your gaze as you walk to him.

"Nice to finally meet you," you say, extending your arm and he shakes it and you tell him your name, "mikey told me about you, uh..looking forward to working with a professional" you say letting your hand rest on the side of your lap.

"Right, I uh do baking with Marcus. But I can do more to" you say, explaining your position in the kitchen as he listens

After explaining that to him he begins to tell you of how he will be running things.

"Understand?" He ask as he looks at you with his blue eyes your nod.

"Yes chef." You nod. He follows suit.

"I'll go ahead and prepare then"

Was it a mistake coming back?

Was it??

Okay maybe not cause, these Fuckers lied to you about carmy not being your type.

Cause goddamn,that man was definitely your type. His arms alone could make your eyes wander from whatever task your doing and just gaze at them for however minutes. Also whatever protocol he had you guys on was chaotic as hell. Well not really, not to you at least. But to the others it seemed they needed a bit more time warming up to carmy...

"I don't know" Tina mumbled to you as she kept her eyes on her pan "he knows all of these fancy shit.." she says frying as you cut up vegetables next to her

"They are kinda..complicated. " you reply throwing the vegetables into the pan to fry and she nodded

"I'm sure we'll get used to it, right?" You say again looking at her as She only sighs and nods again.

"I fuckin hope so."

Getting used to this was... hard but you didn't give yourself a hard time since you were still new to this new setup. way different from how mikey operated. Continuing to cut more vegetables you looked up from the board to look at Carmy to see him running across the kitchen fixing whatever the crew fucked up on now.

You shook your head lightly feeling bad for him. Everyone was already giving him shit, and if this is day one god….you only wondered what time would bring.

Time passed indeed and carmy's screams become a constant in your day. you tried your best to keep up with his instructions and his screams numbed into the background as you would only focus on your work .

Topping a sandwich ritchie was running your ear and tinas as he spoke about some thing you didnt really care about, but it was starting to get to you.

"Ritchie if you don't shut the fuck up-" you sighed out as you get the stove on and rubbed your temple, as Ritchie went on about some dude who….

What did he do again?

"Okay, Okay fine!" he said raising both of his palms up and Stepping away,

"I'm sorry, I love you, but sometimes you talk to damn much, " you explained as you walked and he followed you.

"Look, I'm sorry but that's just how I am!"

"I know dumbass but I wanna be alone right now,Please?"

He sighed for a moment, his eyes darting away from you "Alright, i gotcha" he said patting your back as you went I to the walk in

Shutting the door you sigh to yourself the hum of the room your only companion, "What was I even looking for?" you think looking over the ingredients in here as you sighed.

"What the fuck is wrong with me today.." you mumbled into the silence of the walk in.

It was all building up maybe it was so different ?? you knew Carmy wasn't mikey. He wasn't. Hell they didn't even look alike.

Maybe i just miss him.

The thought echoes as you stood there just staring until the door opens,

"hey, you okay?" feeling a hand on your shoulder you turned back to see those same blue eyes, now out of your trance you nod your hand slowly

"y-yeah good. Sorry i uh…" you traill off looking back at the ingredients i need a break " you say quickly before walking out and sitting on the concrete, After a few minutes, the door opened and closed and you felt a presence next to you.

"You alright?"Carmy voice which was calm asked as you looked down at the concrete.

"Yea it just- still getting used to this… waving your hand up to the building. "Which no hate to you, its good. ... not a chef or a cook." you admit fiddling with your pants "Mikey had me helping marcus-so i guess it's all new to me."

"yea-yea no i get it." he responded looking at you. "you don't need to apologize though, " he says, taking out a cigarette and lighting it up. "you'll get it better the more you do it"

"you knew him?" he asked again as you met his gaze.

"I did, he helped me in a rough time. "You explained leaving it at that.

"Good dude but hella loud." you say chuckling and hearing a small scoff from him.

Leaning your head back on the wall as you looked at him.

"Ritchie said you went to Culinary schools? " you asked and he nodded

"i did"

"How were they?"

he only gave you a look that seemed kinda surprised,

"What no one asked you this yet?" you asked Putting your elbows to your Knees

"No one from here no,not yet" he replies letting the cigarette dangle from his two fingers.

Letting out a small 'hmm…' your gaze wandered off him and looked at the door,

"I know, they're assholes now but once yknow them, their… less assholes. " you say with a grin and he only chuckles looking down,

"Yea, I knew them sorta before coming here" he admits setting his gaze to the floor.

"But y'know Ritchie- he's still an asshole. " you add before standing up, as he chuckles finishes up his cigarette and follows suit.

"Yea, Ritchie's an asshole." He repeats shaking his head with a small smile.

Heading to the door, Carmy looks back at you as if to ask something but turns away before even mentioning something, and you head on the inside without noticing.

Hey,

Me again. How are you? I know we have text messaging but 1. I lost your number somewhere,somehow. 2. Sending letters is cool and makes me feel ancient. So, Compared to last time I

Im… doing kinda good. still working in that restaurant, but i kinda like it ? now with here it feels "professional " if that's what you can call it . ?? Hes making all these changes and everyone fucking hates him. Me? Maybe. Well at first yeah. now I know why Mikey would talk about him the way he did. Carmy's … different.in a way. I like it.

I like him.

A/N: making the reader simp over carmy cause...like who wouldnt? but it's just a attraction not love yet unfortunately :> alps o debated having reader being hired after carmy takes charge. But I really liked the idea of mikey having known the reader and not really mentioning her. Makes more...mysterious:]

#the bear #the bear x reader #the bear fanfiction #carmy berzatto x you #carmy berzatto x reader #carmen berzatto x you #carmen berzatto x reader #carmy x you #carmy x reader

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inklessletter · 1 year

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I don’t know if this makes any sense to you, but I’ve been having thoughts about Steve and Eddie, as characters, (I mean who am I kidding, they live rent free in my mind now) and I’ve noticed a conceptual parallel between both of them that I can’t unsee now.

I’ve read several analyses and opinions about how Eddie was created and inserted in the story as some sort of substitute for Steve because they needed his death for Dustin’s arch, but they didn’t really want to kill Steve because he’s one of the series’ icons now. This has been used in the show several times now, with Barb’s death, and Bob’s, and Billy’s, so I buy it (if I think that it’s a lazy resource to make your characters evolve or if it’s lacking originality when you do it four times now, is something I won’t approach here, ahem). It fucked me up because I rewatched the last season a couple times now and I see it. I can’t not see it anymore. I can see the conceptual similarities (the age, the fact that he’s some sort of outsider to the group, the reputation, Dustin’s undeniable affection and respect…) but there is a particular feature that I noticed recently that has broken me, because it’s so fucking meta.

Speaking in general terms of course, most people I know that have watched the show like Steve, but they didn’t like him in S1, which, understandable; the writing in S1 didn’t make it easy for the audience to stand by him. Steve’s got several characters against him (Barb is the sweet victim, Mike is a clear protagonist, Jonathan is the direct rival as a love interest for Nancy), and if those characters, that are written and shown to be reliable, you instantly believe them, that he’s King Steve, that he’s a jerk. He goes with Carol and Tommy that are straight up bullies, he makes questionable decisions about how to face certain situations (such as breaking Jonathan’s camera [that I know it’s controversial, but personally, I totally, totally get why he did it], the slut thing in the cinema board, the fist fight…) so yeah, it’s easy that you go along with the thinking that he’s sort of not worth it. But here’s the thing, Steve spends the whole season trying to make up for his mistakes, trying to fix what he broke. He buys Jonathan a brand new camera, he confronts and ditches his so-called friends and actually goes to apologize to Jonathan, and then to Nancy. So what we have here is what it is said about Steve vs. what Steve really does. Even at last, when he had the chance to run for his life, he came back to the house to do the right thing. Steve is a great guy, but he’s written for the audience not to think so.

They changed their minds in S2, apparently, when the writers made him more layered, more likable, and the audience lost their minds. He was absolutely loved now, a favorite. A sweetheart. A romantic tragedy. And they kept all those features in S3, but giving him tons of lines and screen time, and an iconic outfit, and making him the biggest ally in the whole show, and now you’re trapped because you love him.

But you see, loving him was a journey. The audience went from finding him kind of annoying, or straight not liking him to fall head over heels for Steve.

And the writers, bless their souls/fuck all of them, mimicked that affection journey in S4 with Eddie Munson, using Steve Harrington as a catalyst.

You see, Eddie has this very same dichotomy of what people think of him vs what he really does, the only difference here, the major one, is that the people who speak ill of him are not protected by the writing. So you, as a member of an audience, embrace the fact that what the whole town says about him is not true, and that he’s a good guy. They fast forward the whole process by setting Mike and Dustin by their side, that the whole Eddie tragedy is a simple wrong time, wrong place. I mean, there’s no way you can go wrong about judging Eddie’s character.

And here’s where it gets interesting.

Steve rejects the blind trust.

Steve doesn’t like him.

Steve listens to the rumors.

Steve calls him the freak.

But the season goes on and bless his soul he starts paying attention to what Eddie does, to who Eddie is, and ends up pretty easily rejecting what the whole town feels towards him. Because he sees him now.

Because he’s been there.

It is such a wholesome phenomenon when you realize that Steve, who at first was reluctant to find him, gets protective of him, out of mere empathy. He never gets angry at him, or mistreats him in any way; if so, he brings him beer and cigarettes, he worries about him leaving Skull Rock since all Hawkins is after his ass now.

He cares.

And god, he even thanks him at the Upside Down woods. He doesn’t thank Nancy, or Robin. He thanks Eddie, because he knew that back in the boat, Eddie didn’t have to jump into the water for him, the same way he didn’t have to go back to the Byers’ house once he saw the Christmas lights violently flickering, because in any way that was his business.

So he thanks Eddie, probably because Steve thinks that it would have been nice that someone actually thanked him to save Nancy and Jonathan’s asses instead of getting a relationship out of pity that ended up with him dumped a year later and a bunch of issues.

The season goes on and they talk it out, they both admit having believed what people said of them, but now that they know each other, they can actually see how wrong they were. They make a fresh start, and the story seems to get to the right point, the way it should have been between them if it weren’t for the absurd jealousy pretext.

Now they both align with how the audience is feeling.

So, you see the parallelism here. Steve’s behavior towards Eddie was a straight up reflection of the emotional journey the audience had towards Steve.

And this probably wasn’t intentional, since the writers didn’t know for sure how much love and admiration Eddie was gonna get before s4 was released, but the fun part here is that it is quite difficult to find someone who loves Eddie Munson that hasn’t loved Steve Harrington before. The process of falling for those two is exactly the same, and most fans probably are not aware that they have gone through the same emotional journey twice. And it makes sense, because it is familiar. But whether or not you are aware of this, after they enter the Upside Down, Eddie and Steve are linked together, and that you know, even if you really don’t know why. They are impossible to untangle.

So yeah, absolutely, beyond the screen time together and the undeniably flirty behaviors, their chemistry, their journey and their young history, steddie makes sense.

So, when they make Steve a vulnerable mess, expressing that his only wish as a character is to love and be loved in return, and have a future, they go and kill Eddie. And it’s heartbreaking, because he’s a character with orphan needs and desires, and he didn’t even get the chance to fight for himself, and no, I don’t mean the demobats.

And in a deep part of our brains we fear for Steve, because they’re in an unfinished war, and Eddie’s fate could easily be Steve’s in s5.

But you see, what is absolutely mindblowing about this fandom is the fact that here is where they picked up and made something incredible. For months we have been rewriting, consuming and creating thousands of universes in which Eddie gets what he deserves, that is, a happy ending, not only that he lives, but that he ends up being happy.

If this is too much of a projection about the fear of Steve getting killed in s5, that I don’t know; what I know is that I’m not at all worried.

I know we can make it better.

#stranger things #steddie #steve harrington #eddie munson #headcanon #st headcanons #steve harrington headcanon #steve x eddie #eddie x steve #the writing is great and bad and i don't know how i feel #headcanons #i'm sorry #steve harrinton analysis #eddie munson analysis

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lucianalight · 5 months

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Loki S2 Review

I rewatched S2 and I liked it even more on the second watch. I'm giving it a 6 out of 10 in average(8 for the finale). Since I didn't post a review week by week like for S1, I'm just going to talk about the main things I liked/disliked

The Improvements & Things I liked:

The pace and the narrative's tone and framing have changed. While the pace drops sometimes, these moments aren't as boring as S1. Meaning you don't want to constantly check when it's going to end(like you know, S1 and especially 1x06). The narrative is neutral and doesn't villain code Loki and hero code others. It doesn't turn Loki into a clown, a punching bag or someone who deserves humiliation(I guess they've done enough of that in S1). On the contrary the characters are shown as flawed people, with Loki being the most moral, considerate, logical and heroic amongst them.

They stated bluntly in episode 1, that what TVA used to do, were atrocities. That they were killing numerous innocent people who had a right to live their lives as they chose.

The characters were three dimensional, likable or tolerable despite their actions in S1. They showed remorse for the things they had done. Although the way the narrative chose to go about it in S1 still leaves a bad taste in my mouth. It shouldn't happen to you for you to realize sth is wrong. But at least it was shown that the characters weren't slaughtering people mindlessly and some of them deep down knew it was wrong. Although the fact that they still did it, because of the "greater good", and "woe is me! It's not a comfort it's a burden" attitude about it is repulsive.

OB, Casey and Timely being funny, cute nerds and fanboys :D

Loki using amazing magical stuff and DID YOU SEE THE GREEN MAGICAL GLOW IN HIS EYES?*incoherent screaming*

No Romance. It was unnecessary and rushed in S1. This time they focused more on Loki needing friends and that was definitely a better choice imo and what they should have gone for in S1 too.

Sylvie's actions and personality framed as what they were. She wasn't put on a pedestal as this amazing different FeMaLe version of Loki. She was framed as a flawed character with wrong and right actions and beliefs.

Loki and Sylvie's talk in the pie land, about change, hope, fixing what's broken and being gods. That sigh before Loki saying "We are gods" with all the weight of the world on his shoulders. Wonderful acting.

The ending and its epic soundtrack.

Topics & Things That Could Have Been Handled Better:

The Topic of New York Invasion

"Sometimes a rage builds up and you just gotta let it out. Do you remember that time I was so angry with my father and my brother, I went down to Earth and I held the whole of New York city hostage with an alien army? Tried to use the mind stone on Tony Stark? It didn't work so I threw him off the building. It wasn't tactical. I lost it"

On the surface it looks like Loki's saying that's why he attacked New York and probably most people accept this without a second thought.

But the context of the scene matters. We see during the interrogation Mobius loses his temper. He was worried about Loki getting angry, but he was the one who loses his temper and hits Brad. Loki tries to calm him down by sympathizing with him to try and see what caused his behavior. It's the same thing he did for Thor in the first movie, before coronation and after it, while Thor was nervous and angry. What he says about New York while isn't the whole truth, it also isn't untrue. He was angry with Thor and Odin but as we know his anger and thoughts were influenced by the scepter. We also know Loki doesn't like to talk about his time with Thanos or being tortured. Instead he uses a half-truth, sth that is in character for Loki.

So the scene can be rationalized by this analysis but it's still annoying that this analysis is even needed. They should have been clear about the scepter's influence especially when mcu confirmed it.

Loki thinking about Thor's change as being a weakness. While both Thor and Loki were groomed and taught to consider being soft as a weakness, that wasn't Loki's true feelings. At least I don't think someone who prefers words and magic-that are considered a weakness in Asgard-over brawn thinks like that. His goal in the first movie was to goad Thor into fighting him. So the line should have been sth like this: "Asgard taught us being soft is a weakness, so I used that against Thor to goad him into a fight. I said he's gone soft…"

Plotholes and things that weren't explained.

Why Loki and Sylvie weren't sent to their original timelines like others? And why neither of them showed any interest in seeking their family? You're telling me Loki wants to see these people he knows for 10 seconds more than Frigga or Thor? OOC.

Sylvie's sudden mastery of magic since 1x06 isn't explained. She didn't know much, but then suddenly could do everything Loki did. I mean I can headcanon that her and Loki linking their power taught her some things but these sudden developments without any explanations are annoying.

Loki's genderfluidity. No mention of it at all. Although I believe that no representation is better than bad representation. And you should leave a topic alone if you don't understand it, otherwise you're gonna mess it up. Because bad rep can be more harmful. And so maybe it was a good thing mcu let that one go. But they could still fix it with some shapeshifiting, explaining its difference with illusions and Loki confirming that he is comfortable in her female form.

Loki's clothes. It's probably not that important in comparison with other issues but I really hate that beige suit. Why Sylvie who doesn't even want to be Loki and wasn't in Asgard since childhood changes into an Asgardian outfit for a fight and not Loki? Yeah I get it. It was because of the last reveal and transformation and finding his identity blah blah blah but at least they could have gave him his old Asgardian clothes or he could change the suit's color ugh

Criticism & Things I didn't like:

The ooc moments for Loki in some comedic scenes. Especially in episode 5. While the character has a comedic potential, it's not based on clownery or clumsiness. The best humorous moments for Loki are the ones where he outwits others, use sarcastic language or he is being outwitted despite his careful plans.

Certain emotional stakes aren't clear from the start. The audience know that saving TVA is the right thing because it protects all the freed timelines but they don't know why they should care? Or more accurately why Loki is so emotionally invested in this goal. That gets answered in episode 5 and while Loki's talk with Sylvie is a good emotional scene, the fact that it's stated so late in the story, makes the first few episodes boring when it comes to saving TVA.

The main reason the emotional stakes aren't clear(at least for me), I believe is because most of the people Loki call them his "friends", haven't done anything to either deserve his friendship or aren't close enough to be considered a friend. Let alone someone Loki tries to move heaven and hell to be with them, instead of for example trying to find his brother and family. It is an issue which again is rooted in S1 and carried to S2. What happened in S1 wasn't therapy or a healthy friendship.

However, Loki being loyal to anyone who show him an ounce of affection or him being moral enough to try to save people are in character for him and that's sth good about it.

The torture scene.

The trick Mobius and Loki pulled was predictable as hell. I didn't even doubted Loki in TDW, let alone here. And even though I didn't believe for one second that Loki's actually going to hurt the guy, and he wasn't shown enjoying it, I still hated that he went along with the torture idea Mobius had come up with. Especially considering the fact that he was a victim of torture himself and never shown any sign in canon that he would torture someone. So yeah I hated that scene.

And why that scene was even necessary? Loki could get into X-5's mind when they weren't in TVA. We know he is capable of it. He did it both through mind stone in Avengers and in TR. how else they were going to delve into Mobius' problem though smh

But alright let's say they needed a scene like that. Still the whole Brad believing Mobius is against torture, and Loki's the one who would be in favor of it, is so fucking ridiculous. Any way you look at it, it has always been TVA and Mobius who did any torture we've seen during the two seasons. The tortures that Loki endured might I add. Even in the previous scene, it was Loki who didn't hit Brad and only tried to intimidate him non-physically by acting as a villain. It was Mobius who hit him, who was shown more affected by Brad's insults. So logically the scene they had planned to fool Brad, should have been played completely the opposite way. By having Mobius do the torture. At least it was recognized that the torture idea was from Mobius and both he and Loki gave the credits for it to Mobius.

Verity Willis. Hunter B15 unlike the Verity in comics, doesn't have a close friendship with Loki or truth detector powers. Not having a good friend like comics Verity for Loki, was such a wasted opportunity in the series.

Mobius saying to Loki "You're a man of action...". That was such a stupid, unnecessary line. As if the main difference between Loki and Thor wasn't Thor acting before thinking, and Loki thinking and planning before acting. While Loki is also a man of action, he is first and foremost a man of strategy. The only plausible explanation imo is that Mobius said it to not feel useless in comparison with Loki and his skills.

"Thor's not that tall". Yeah, no. I don't think Loki's reaction to seeing Thor and Odin's statues would be that. Knowing his brother and family were murdered by the very same people he's working with now. Remind me again why he's considering them "FrIeNdS"? Someone really needs to explain the concept of friendship to Loki. Or rather the writers of this show.

And while we are at it. Let's talk about how Loki's past and identity issues were completely swapped under the rug as if they were all magically fixed and didn't matter anymore. As if those weren't the most important part of his journey. Another issue rooted in S1.

Final Thoughts(for now :D)

Season 2 was definitely better than season 1. Not perfect, and not for those who care about OG Loki's issues. They set him on a completely different path in S1 and they messed up any chance to actually delve into his problems. So in S2 we're having a character that we're supposed to accept has moved on from certain issues, and now tries to find what he wants and where he belongs. Still, I think that they listened to the criticism for once as they tried to fix some of the problems of S1. After many years it didn't feel like that the creators hate the character, or using him as a prop, or a plot device. It was a story about Loki. A bittersweet story for the god of stories.

#me: i liked this season #also me: here's a list of all its issues :D #loki s2 review #long post #loki #loki series criticism #loki s2 positivity

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avelera · 9 months

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OK, so, I have now seen Good Omens Season 2 and had a moment to muster my thoughts after binging it.

SPOILERS below the cut, if that needed saying.

Let's start with the good.

Loved that Beelz/Gabriel became canon. What can I say? I love stories about immortals falling in love over the course of several meetings at a pub ;)

John Hamm in general was fabulous

I cackled at the fact we were getting an actual fem Aziraphale/Crowley, human coffee shop AU running parallel with the absolute fanficciest of justifications that Aziraphale and Crowley HAD to make them fall in love in order to *mumble mumble* something plot whatever, lol

I loved the bits of lore flashbacks we got about Aziraphale and Crowley first meeting when they were both angels and I found the whole Job encounter overall charming.

I was deeply fascinated by the fact that Crowley consistently performed selfless angelic acts while Aziraphale consistently needed to learn and grow around doing the right thing. Even to the end he remained, for the most part, a good little soldier. Aziraphale thinks the system can be fixed. Crowley "knows" that it can't. Presumably, Crowley is right. More on that later.

Muriel was adorable

Loved that we got the kiss. Also, huge shoutout to the fandom that I genuinely went in unspoiled on that front after the whole trailer debacle. I SUSPECTED based on the reactions that the spoiler was a kiss, but I was able to successfully forget all about it so I genuinely gasped when they kissed.

I'm not really all that bummed by the ending. It's so obviously a "temporary breakup so we come back together stronger" moment so I was largely unbothered. I actually want MORE angst, not less, in fic after that, please and thank you.

Unpopular opinion praise for S2, but I'm glad we didn't get more of The Them, or Madame Tracy (though the recasting of the actress in another role puzzled me?) or Anathema/Newt, or any of the non Aziraphale/Crowley, Heaven/Hell stuff. I found all those plotlines hugely boring and I'm glad the story moved on from them.

Did I mention I adored Gabriel/Beelz? Loved that plotline. Might rewatch that bit again just for that. I SORT of suspected it was happening but was still delighted by the confirmation. I couldn't BELIEVE this minor ship got made canon, but along the way I was sort of side-eying Beelz's reactions through the lens of, "Wait, what if Beelz is WORRIED for Gabriel?" and it worked very well so I was tentatively *glad* for the shippers who might view it that way and NEVER guessed they'd make it canon this season with more than a few tidbits for those shippers to cling to. Wow. Whole-ass parallel instead of what Aziraphale and Crowley COULD be if they actually 1) communicated and 2) understood each other's values and valued the same things.

Truly, it was a love letter to the fandom I found that to be very sweet as a choice made by Tumblr Girlie Neil Gaiman.

H'ok, now let's get into the negative. To be clear, I enjoyed the season! A lot of room is left to explore stuff in Season 3! And I'm not a deep Good Omens fandom person, I didn't read much fic after S1 dropped, I was more of a book fandom fic person for it. So my level of investment isn't such that I'm *crushed* by any of this, these are just more things I found a bit "meh"?

I really thought we were heading to a side-swap story about Aziraphale and Crowley and I was little bummed it didn't happen, though there's still room for the possibility in S3. The whole "maybe I did the good thing and you did the bad" taken to the max. I really wanted the angst of them finding each other only to end up on opposite sides again and opposite-OPPOSITE sides of where they'd been and been comfortable up to this point. I really wanted to see IMPACT and SUFFERING and DISCOMFORT and... idk, more drama? Than we got?

Like, there were SO MANY references to Crowley being selfless and doing the RIGHT angelic thing while Aziraphale did a lot of HORRIFYING things, including all the mind-fuckery stuff he did around the ball, totally insensitive to the needs and wants of the humans involved, only seeing them as tools, that REALLY made me wonder if we were getting a swap by the end.

The fact we saw SO MANY ominous references to Aziraphale FALLING because he was tempted by Crowley, over and over, because he questioned God, over and over? I thought something would come of that! I thought Crowley would get through to Aziraphale just in time to have Aziraphale fall and for Crowley to do something truly angelic, to have Aziraphale get through to HIM at the same time so they'd swap sides officially, against their will, the same way Crowley never meant to fall. It seemed like falling was something that COULD HAPPEN TO YOU AGAINST YOUR WILL and I wanted REDEMPTION to work the same way, AGAINST Crowley's will. I wanted them to get absolutely FUCKED by the moment they finally got through to each other and swapped philosophies.

So that was a bummer. Could still happen in S3 but...? I'd be a bit surprised at this point given I think it will instead focus on (*sigh*) averting the Apocalypse again.

I thought the pacing was fucking atrocious. There was so much dead time. So many scenes that were simply *not* needed and didn't add anything. So much meandering script with darlings that desperately needed to be killed for the sake of a snappier story. So much that felt like padding. With a better editor and 2 fewer episodes, I think it would have been a much tighter, better, fast paced show.

S2 recalled with a problem I have with Neil's writing in general - he's a short story writer/comic issue writer at heart. I, personally, am a long-form novel writer. Neil is not great at writing novels, he's a novella/anthology/short story person and it shows when he so often, so consistently, fails to pull a long-form story together in a satisfying way (to me, and this is just my subjective opinion).

It shows up in so many ways with how, in my opinion, S2 seemed to flounder with how to fill 6 episodes. The flashback to the Resurrectionist stuff could have been half as long and I found much of the writing pretty awful and cliche in it.

I liked Aziraphale learning that morality is complex, truly, but that was all I really liked of that bit of flashback and it could have been much shorter. I found everything around Elspeth exasperating and on the nose. It was a short story straight out of a random issue of "The Sandman" and sometimes it really feels like Neil has never managed to break out of the same stories, plots, and themes, with a dash of horror as he did from that era. He's always, always, still just writing either 1) fanfic of another person or mythology's work or 2) an original Sandman short stories/issues with no long-form plot. In his defense, they're always COOL and have an interesting VISUAL or IDEA but these stories aren't very... good? Writing? Or rather, he tends to just do the same things over and over again. Nifty idea that don't actually really *gel* into anything more complex than a single storyline?

I felt the same way about the Nazi Zombie plotline. I found that entire story beat EXCEEDINGLY tedious and pointless except to fill airtime, not to mention a bit gross to watch. I found the Magician Aziraphale plotline in general EXCEEDINGLY pointless and tedious to sit through. I thought it added absolutely nothing and was incredibly dull for 99% of the story.

Everything with Shax was exceedingly tedious and boring to me. The fight in the bookshop felt nonsensical and poorly choreographed. That needed to be a 2x speed to feel any sense of peril or urgency at all, and not knowing where it was going, or if anyone was actually really threatened at all just robbed it of any real sense of tension.

There was just... zero sense in general of important stakes in the Shax storyline or really in the season because there was no Apocalypse to build towards, no event that we knew about to worry about.

The world wasn't ending. Shax didn't seem empowered to actually do anything or hurt anyone. They were just a random action plot for... reasons? To make the climax in the bookshop come together so we could have a Jane Austen ball at the same time as 69 demons (heh) invading? There were so many logical leaps there to make that happen and the pacing/editing being garbage just... robbed it of any feeling of importance except as a time waster of a plotline. The actress is great and all but dear lord was that plotline dull.

A lot of the flashbacks in general just felt like... padding. Yes, we got a bit more Aziraphale and Crowley but they never quite... worked for me in those. It was always pointless STUFF they were doing rather than anything that contributed to the plot or even to my sense of them being in love or working towards becoming a couple! They were just... there, a lot of the time, sitting next to each other.

Some of the script pauses were SO BIZARRE. Like as if they'd just written the script and not realized how bloody often Crowley is given NOTHING TO DO in the background so he just... stands there, waiting for his next line, or taking a nap, or observing random stuff. David Tenant in the Resurrectionist bit with all his theatrics felt, again, pointless and tedious but also the best the poor guy could fucking do to fill out this incredibly boring story with any sort of entertainment. Bless them, the actors worked their ASSES off to get some fun and excitement into huge swathes of this script.

Maggie and Nina's relationship was cute but ENTIRELY pulled off by the actresses, the story was again, incredibly tedious and pointless otherwise, as many coffee shop AUs are in my opinion. Their personal charm elevated the material but it all felt like more stalling tactics with a wink-and-a-nod at fic writers, with this entire season was stretched out to justify, presumably, Aziraphale being in Heaven after being promoted to Archangel while Crowley is on Earth and they're fighting.

Quite frankly, if the "real" sequel, which Pratchett co-wrote, just opens with Aziraphale thinking Heaven's shown up to destroy him, only to promote him on the spot, basically the last scene of S2, you actually don't need 99% of this season at all to get there. In fact, it's a pretty fun comedy beat to do quickly. Basically, "Oh shit, the cops!" then "Actually, we're here to promote you!" and boom, we've reached the same spot as we got to after 6 episodes of S2.

Not that I didn't enjoy many of the character moments! But overall, it felt like stalling for time to make it a trilogy series, since only a few plot threads had any longer term importance to anyone who isn't a fanfic-writing super fan who knows what a coffee shop AU is and can giggle over there being one in the actual show.

Basically, it was very lacking in the strengths of the story that I attribute to Terry Pratchett - like the ability to pull a long-form story together, and certain clever turns of phrase.

There were so many lines where there was a pause where it was as IF they were going to say something clever, and then they just... didn't? And the line was just another cliche or a trail-off of someone mumbling "comedically"? That's where I very much felt Pratchett's absence. It indeed felt like half the writing duo was missing in many ways. And I'm not personally... all that convinced of Neil's chops when it comes to long-form stories or romance, two things that this season kinda relied on pulling off right that I was left feeling pretty tepid about after.

Look, overall, I did like it! I'm really excited for how the fandom will run with what happened and make their own stuff with it. I'm very excited for Season 3, whenever we get it, and the return of Terry Pratchett's fingerprints on the story. I think it's going to be great!

It's not that I think my time was wasted so much as I thought places where *I* would have done things differently, which is not a fair criticism of any work. From a technical perspective, really I just think it needed a tighter script or tighter editing, and they just might not have been able to do that if they were contracted for 6 episodes when they only really needed 3. Oh well. Onward and upward!

#good omens #spoilers #good omens spoilers #good omens season 2

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bluesyjean · 9 months

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It's the last one, so I might as well do this. Very big thanks to @c0ffeeb1ack for organizing a rewatch. I really enjoyed all the commentary and going through the series one episode at a time rather than binging the whole thing, and it made me appreciate it so much more. (Especially s3, which got infinitely more fun on a rewatch without my Big Nerves about what was going to happen. s1 is forever my girl, but there are some genuinely great moments in s3.)

Extra hot takes for Oblivion:

SO HAPPY LUTHER AND KLAUS GOT TO DO SCENES TOGETHER. The entire Void sequence was quality. Knowing these two are such good buddies irl it's about damn time they got to hang out more on screen. They must have had so much fun doing this.

It took me a long long time, but Sparrow!Ben grows on you. He's hilariously trying SO HARD to be an asshole every time he opens his mouth you just have to laugh. So extra.

I forever wish Lila wasn't pregnant. I'm sorry, it just doesn't do a great service to her or Diego because now everything has to be about this. My relief when Stan wasn't theirs was so short lived.

Five whispering conspiracy theories with Viktor is so good. I missed them being besties, so happy he's still the one Five trusts. (In a "I'll kill you myself" if you fuck up again kind of way, but that's just Five for you.) We love paranoia.

Also was so happy to have Five and Allison actually talk to each other, even if it's just to fight. I've waited so long.

This episode had a lot of interesting character combos. Sloane and Ben with Five, Luther and Klaus, I could have had more of this.

Didn't notice before that the sigil thing is on the back of the guardians. Which means...? Nothing, but I did notice.

Love that they always turn blue when life is being sucked out of them. Just a bunch of little blue aliens.

The first time I watched this I was convinced that Five would eventually lose that arm again when they fix the universe. I hope not, poor left-handed little guy. He loves to write. :( But that might also mean deaths happen again. Fully prepared for bummers in s4.

I was not as enthralled with the soundtrack of s3 as I was in past seasons, but I will say the closing song is the only one that made its way into rotation on my playlist. Great choice.

Desperate for Abigail to be a horrific villain in s4. Please give me this, it's all I ask.

Anyway I might end up watching the last season this way. (One episode a day.) Great idea! Taking time to enjoy something, what a concept. Thanks all!

#tua #the umbrella academy #tuamre #five hargreeves #allison hargreeves #viktor hargreeves #ben hargreeves #luther hargreeves #diego hargreeves #lila pitts #klaus hargreeves #tua hot takes #this was fun!#nobody does it like tua #tua s3 #tua s3 spoilers

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thefinalcinderella · 2 months

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Tsurune Book 3 Afterword

Full list of translations here

Time for my unsolicited book review!

Tsurune Book 3 is one of the books of all time.

I'm not trying to be funny, that is my true opinion about this book.

I've said before that it feels like the author was forced to write this book in a hurry, and after finishing it, I can only say that those feelings have only grown stronger. I think the author was going for an abstract and spiritual feeling but it didn't really work out. It only made the story hard to follow, and the tendency for the novel to jump from topic to topic seemingly at random didn't help. It's probably super obvious in the author's head, but that doesn't matter if the reader can't follow their thinking. I really do question what the editors are doing because I'm not sure if they're giving the author proper feedback.

The novel also suffers from trying to do a lot but not doing any of it satisfactorily. It introduced a lot of new characters and plot points but never really did anything with them?? The new first-years faded out of the story after the beginning and idek what's going on with Kuon. As for the new school Haneina...the author just gave them one """quirky""" trait each and called it a day. It kinda happened with Tsujimine too but it was more subtle with them, and I think the central relationship of Nikaidou and Fuwa was compelling and well-written. Asahina and Eddie, on the other hand, are just really weird?? I honestly don't understand what their narrative role is supposed to be??

This might be a controversial opinion but I feel like the anime tells a more coherent, polished version of the story. I was rewatching it the other day and I was kind of blown away by how the visual quality improved between the seasons. S1 was definitely not bad looking but S2 is just *chef's kiss*. Idk if there's going be an S3 but it will be interesting to see how (or if) they adapt book 3

Anyways i don't want to say that book 3 is kinda pointless since it did give us some reveals (perhaps unnecessarily) but on the other hand...i feel like book 2 had a nice ending for the series as a whole as well? idk. if there is going to be a book 4, i hope it will be all about Kazemai hunting down Masa-san's bio dad

Thanks for following along with me! I know I've been really slow with this so im glad people are still interested haha

Previous |

This happened when I was reading a certain foreign novel’s translated version. As I was reading through the point of view of a character whose first-person pronoun was “私” (watashi), I came across a surprising description. To my surprise, the character I thought was a woman suddenly started to shave their beard. Later, I learned that there was an unspoken rule that men used “watashi” written in kanji, and women used “watashi” written in katakana.

Minato’s personal pronoun is “ore” in hiragana. It encompasses the meaning of “undifferentiated,” someone of unknown gender who is neither male or female, although his physical body is that of a boy. Nanao’s pronoun is “ore” written in katakana, a person of unknown nationality who can’t be classified as either Japanese or foreign, a person who wavers between the two, a hybrid existence that crosses that line. Takigawa Masaki is also someone who hovers between “human” and “not human,” so his name is written as “Masa-san” (マサさん) in the text. Shuu is also a character who is in between.

I’m attracted to such “fluctuating” and “swaying” things. Things that can’t fixed or distinguished in form or state, as changeable as “water.” Kaleidoscopic freedom and loneliness are two sides of the same coin. People who fluctuate cannot stay in one place, and instability follows. Because they can’t be classified, they do not belong anywhere, nor can they be emphasized with. I wanted to somehow hold back those who can’t stop walking. I wrote this story because I wanted them by my side.

Changing the topic, I was on my way home from a domestic trip. After spending a relaxing time listening to the chirping of birds on an isolated island, I heard a large explosion sound when I got off at a certain station in Tokyo. The warning signal of a train entering the station continued to sound, and announcements reverberated from all over. I forgot to bring my earphones, so I was unable to plug my ears and ran all the way to the edge of the platform. Glowing neon lights reflected diffusely, and the words on billboards and other signs crowded in my field of vision like a herd of horses. I almost thought that I had time travelled back to wartime. We had become so accustomed to the flood of sound, light, and text that we don’t realize we’re on the verge of drowning.

Tsurune is the story of masters and disciples and bow friends with the theme of rebirth, and it began as the story of seven archers. The theme of Volume 3 is “Meigen, that is the sound of the dawn,” and I wrote about shari kenshou (seeing true nature through the shot).

I would like to express my sincere gratitude to everyone involved in the making of this book: Koyama Kyugu-sama, who I’ve interviewed, T-sama of the KA Esuma Bunko Editorial Department, Kyoto Animation-sama who was in charge of illustrations, the proofreaders, the novel’s official website, the printing company, and the distributors. The letters I’ve received are my treasures, and I have displayed them in my tokonoma alcove. I would like to thank my beloved kyudo teachers and bow friends, my precious friends, and my supportive family.

Last but not least, I would like to express my deepest gratitude to all the readers who have read this far.

I hope for the day when the beautiful tsurune of the archers will resound.

Ayano Kotoko

Spring 2022

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#tsurune #tsurune translation

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thousand-miless · 6 months

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I’ve seen the S1 episodes of The Newsroom many times. It continues to surprise me that each time I notice something new that I had missed before. That amazes me because I’ve never had that before. I’ve had many shows that I’ve loved and still love and episodes that I watched and over again. Yet never did it happen that after a few rewatches I continued to see new things. This is different with The Newsroom. Those first rewatches I notices words that I hadn’t notice before, or moments that I’d missed because I was focusing on something else. Then later I start to see the acting and how good it is. Not that I didn’t think it wasn’t good before. I mean the acting on this show is terrific. I started to see the subtleties in the acting, the decisions the actors apparently made. That is what has left me in awe of this show and these actors and I mean specifically Jeff Daniels, Emily Mortimer and Sam Waterston. Just this week on the rewatch of the pilot episode I thought, because of something Charlie said, did Charlie know Mackenzie was at Northwestern. Mostly with Charlie and the way Sam Waterston plays him, is that in everything that he does, Charlie takes care of his people and he loves them dearly.

I ship Will McAvoy and Mackenzie McHale which is why I pay a lot of attention to those scenes and those characters. Jeff Daniels and Emily Mortimer’s performances amaze me. Sure I’ve shipped many other ships and loved and still love them dearly. All hold a special place in my heart. The performances by these two actors just continues to amaze me.

Like this moment, the Rudy hug, the moment just before Will hugs Mackenzie (not my gif, and just borrowing it and you can only see him look at her briefly). All I see in his eyes is this incredibly deep love for Mackenzie, he is so deeply in love with her. I know that, but to see it in his eyes, that’s something so special and I just look at that and think, how do you do that. And yes you can say well that’s acting. That’s true, but from the many ships I ship, that look, to see that love, such deep love and to see it appear in his eyes in those seconds, that I haven’t seen before.

Because that’s also it, Will sometimes glances at Mackenzie even when the scene is about something else or the conversation is being carried by others, there’s suddenly the gift of a glance and in that look there’s still so much going on.

The same with Emily Mortimer and the way she portrays Mackenzie McHale. There’s always so much going on in the way she looks at him. There’s so much in her eyes. Even when she’s angry at Will and boy is she angry because of the non compete clause, and that scene is terrific, she loves him deeply. (Also just borrowing this gif).

And only now rewatching episode 4 again, the final scene which is a close up of Mackenzie I only now realize that the words of the Coldplay song, are for her. She’s trying to fix Will (from the path he’s taken), she’s trying to fix the show, she’s trying to fix the mistake she’s made, she’s trying to fix them. In this case it’s not just the acting (though the look she gives is one that says so much too), but it’s shows how there’s meaning in well everything and every choice they make. That continues to amaze me (yes I know I’ve said that before.

So this was just my sharing my admiration for The Newsroom and the terrific actors. And I don’t mean by this post that the other actors on this show aren’t great. They all are. In this case, my focus is on Jeff Daniels and Emily Mortimer especially and also on Sam Waterston because I enjoy him more and more with every rewatch. This is just me sharing my love for this show. I love this show so much and these characters so much.

#the newsroom #will mcavoy #mackenzie mchale #jeff daniels #emily mortimer #will x mac #will and mac newsroom #sam waterston

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thyandrawrites · 7 months

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link click s2 finale spoilers under the cut:

what wrecks me upon rewatching the scene of cheng xiaoshi taking a bullet for qiao ling is that the camera focuses on lu guang's expression as the gun is raised in cheng xiaoshi's direction, and you see the whole scene unfold with lu guang as the focus. His eyes widening, his rage, cheng xiaoshi falling with a bullet hole in his side.

And at the first watch you're like, yes, they're focusing on lu guang's reaction because CXS is his most important person. Qiao ling isn't the type to recklessly charge in with the punchies so it makes sense LG's pain is taking over even if QL was the original target of that bullet, and it would make sense for her to feel equally terrible at CXS's injury.

but on the second rewatch, you know LG already saw CXS die and time traveled to prevent it. And in his memories CXS dies with his s1 outfit on, so the circumstances were different than the present ones. CXS's original death must've happened some time before the events of the subway, which is likely an alternate timeline created by LG's meddling with the past. But CXS was alive in the subway timeline, and Lu guang instended to leave it that way.

but chen bin dying because he was pushed introduces the idea that even if meddling with a timeline can temporarily change fixed events, like someone's death, other factors (=the henchman coming back to push CB) might change as well and still converge in the same end result (=CB's death).

So the idea is that lu guang's time traveling changed the fixed event of cheng xiaoshi's original death, created this alternate timeline with the kidnapping where he's still alive, but none of that means he's really safe. CXS might still die by other factors, because his death is a fixed point. In this specific case, cheng xiaoshi himself was the other factor. Lu guang did everything he could to keep him safe, but CXS still jumped in front of a bullet, because time still seeks those fixed points and CXS's death is one of them.

So. how many times do we think lu guang saw him die again and again, powerless to change it for good?

because I think that's why he acts off at the welcome home party after CXS is discharged from the hospital. Yes, his best friend made it. He survived the gunshot, and is back home. But there is a timeline where he did not. And there's no telling how long this one will last—how much time LG has borrowed for him until it runs out again.

So what point is there in celebrating CXS's survival if lu guang can't make it a fixed point, too?

#link click #much to think about #damn that was one crazy good finale #the twins already had me by the throat and then the writers threw this curveball at me #unfair #I'm suing for emotional damage

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taurielofmirkwood77777 · 9 months

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After rewatching the season 2 more times, it just occurred to me. Aziraphale still believes he can fix everything. In his mind, he thinks Crowley is the one who doesn't see the real picture. Think about it, he already went though all of that in s1.

When Crowley offered to run away together, Aziraphale said that if he reached the "right people" he could ask them to stop Armageddon. And after he realised Heaven won't do anything, he took the matter into his own hands.

Now that he's been offered control of Heaven (which is definitely 100% a trick), he truly believes he can make a chamge because he was the only angel who ever went directly against God. He doesn't know why Gabriel was fired from his position (thanks for that, Crowley), and he probably assumes that it was his relationship with Beelzebub, given the whole confrontation literally 5 minutes before that.

Aziraphale most likely thought that Crowley would "come to his senses eventually" the same way Crowley believes Aziraphale would come to his senses eventually. He doesn't know how Heaven behaved towards him after he stopped Armageddon and how Heaven treated Gabriel for simply refusing a second Armageddon. (Again, who's fault is that?) Aziraphale knows that Heaven has been treating him with inferiority when he went against them, but he hasn't seen just how cruel and evil they can be.

Now that he's "calling the shots", he can't possibly go against Heaven, which would sound like a perfect solution to all his problems. Even if that coffee had poison in it (which it probably did), even if the Metatron is manipulating Aziraphale (which he absolutely is), Aziraphale still made the best choice from his perspective. He and Crowley had fought before, even about this. I mean, in that scene in season 1, Aziraphale said "I forgive you" and Crowley ran away promising to never think of him again. The difference is that 1. This is at the end of the season, not in the middle and 2. It just so happened to coincide with Crowley's confession.

In conclusion, please stop blaming Aziraphale, it's not out of character, it's not the first time and we all know it's going to be fine in the end because this is Neil Gaiman we're talking about and he promised he will finish the story.

Thank you for coming to my TedTalk.

#good omens #good omens 2 #good omens s2 #good omens season 2 #good omens season two #good omens spoilers #aziraphale #crowley #aziracrow #ineffable husbands

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adhd-merlin · 3 months

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merlin S1 rewatch: episode 9

let’s move on to ep 1x09 because I need to get on. with my life. I already re-watched this ep months ago and I can’t be arsed to do it again so I’m going to use screencaps and perhaps the transcript to refresh my memory.

kilgharrah warning merlin that excalibur MUST NOT be wielded by anyone but arthur, and merlin handing the sword to uther literally the next morning is so funny to me. it's kind of the same thing that happens with the cup of life, when iseldir tells merlin “hey this is important so don’t lose it okay?” and five minutes later we see the cup rolling down a hill. I love consistent characterisation. please don’t give this boy anything important for safekeeping he has enough on his plate already!!

I think Arthur’s coronet looks a bit dumb but still it’s nothing compared to the horrendous Burger King crown he'll wear as king. why did uther get such a prettier crown. why couldn't arthur just wear his father's crown. so many questions

why did they name the undead knight tristan, was he supposed to be the tristan? I think he was. I think their take on tristan and isolde in S4 was so disappointing btw. anyway moving on

Merlin: Gaius have you seen that knight’s crest before? Gaius: No, I don’t think so. I didn’t see it clearly. Actually I’m not even sure I saw a knight. Perhaps it was a trick of the light or a collective hallucination

Sir Owain: I don’t need luck Arthur: oh fuck he’s going to die

Arthur’s face after Uther holds him back and someone else picks up the undead knight’s gauntlet. so much self-sacrificing acts of bravery and NONE of them done by him. wrong and upsetting

S1 Arthur I'm not sure how to tell you this so I'll just say it. your haircut looks dangerously close to a mullet

Merlin: maybe arson can fix this

Nimueh telling Uther she was his friend!!! fuck season 6 I want a Merlin prequel

he’s a precious baby. he’s shmol. only tiny

gwen doing her whole “you know I'd grant you anything merlin… I mean, not anything! haha” meanwhile merlin is too worried about keeping arthur alive to notice. GIRL HE'S BUSY

WHY. who stands like this

he holds this stupid pose the entire time morgana is talking to him. imagine begging someone not to commit suicide while they brood and look out of the window like a sullen byronic hero. I would have pushed him out of the window. drama ass bitch

this is the second nighttime encounter between uther and gaius in this episode. uther saying goodbye to gaius before going to fight in arthur’s place. toxic yaoi. is this anything

YOU KNOW NOTHING YOU STUPID CHILD. I love that Kilgharrah is a hater and a bitch. to be fair to him he spent 20 years in solitary confinement so he's earned it

gaius drugging arthur then gently helping him into his bed is hilarious. he’s so good at lying and drugging people. big fan of gaius using his evil talents for the greater good, or just to have a laugh sometimes which is equally valid

what a fine blade you have there… it would be a shame if something were to happen to it

he’s wearing silver bracelets!! plural!!

[Enter Arthur, visibly furious]

Gaius [gathering his things]: I've just remembered I've left something on the stove. I must go right now immediately

Arthur [while Gaius scurries away]: YOU HAD GAIUS DRUG ME??

arthur and uther little father and son moment was cute ngl

there are a few more scenes until the end but I don't have much to say about them except that I love gaius and merlin's relationship

Gaius: [stares loudly] Merlin: [pretends not to notice]

#a very serious commentary of ep 1x09 #rewatch1.jls #merlin's body count: still 4 #I'm sorry about the horrible wide spacing it is tumblr's fault

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dragontamerno3 · 8 days

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Watched S1 E5

If this was filmed today I think I would have been actually afraid for Miles's life. He was one of the only crew from a previous show, he is a beloved character, it would be some good drama there. That said, it wasn't, so my focus wasn't on who was dying but rather how it would get fixed.

There were a ton of fun character moment though.

Up until this point Jadzia has just been "the Trill" and we got some talk about how she knew Sisko in a previous life or how she lived several lives, but nothing about *her*. It was fun to actually see her more mischievous side that I know she has here, even if it was just a small glimpse.

I adore Odo and Kira's strange respect and I live for Quark and Odo's rivalry.

The Ferengi are my least favorite "bad guy" as of this very moment (the Romulans being my favorite, those dramatic bitches), but Quark being on board the station was a very good choice, IMO.

It makes up for all the awful things the Ferengi did and how cheesy they were portrayed as in TNG. He's not going to be my favorite by far but Quark is def a joy to be around.

Kira was more Kira in this episode and this made me happy. I mean, literally locking on to someones signature, calling to make sure they're home and then beaming them up without hesitation is just the kinda chaos Kira brings.

All in all, this was one of the upswing episodes.

6/10, wouldn't skip it if I saw it on TV or was doing a rewatch but probably not going to be one I seek out.

#star trek ds9 #star trek #ds9 #watchalong

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bronx-bomber87 · 11 months

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Happy Saturday everyone :) The next stop in our S1 rewatch is episode 12.

1x12 Heartbreak

Oooh man is the name accurate on this one. The final chapter in the Tim/Isabel saga for s1 and it’s a doozy. Stab right to the heart emotionally. We had a Lucy forward ep earlier with the Capt. This is our Tim centered one. A very important one at that. I’m excited to delve into this one. This review will mainly focus on him. Love me some Tim Bradford.

Right off the bat this man is killing me. He seems so damn hopeful when he arrives. Hesitant still but a hopeful look in his eyes. Telling Isabel she looks like herself again. He seems so thrilled she actually went through with rehab. To see her look like his wife. Something I'm sure he was worried he would never see again. Its written all over his face. Eric CRUSHES this ep. Always in awe of his performance. He's a treasure.

Isabel tells him she wanted to leave every day, but something made her stay. Tim asks what? She tells him she wanted to make sure Tim got to see her sober. *heart clutch* Then we get to see that gorgeous smile of his. He makes a joke saying his job here is done and pretends to leave. Isabel laughs at him being a goober. This the least stressed/broken he’s looked around her the entire season. It’s wonderful to witness after all the hurt.

Isabel starts off by trying to make amends with Tim. Because of all the people in her life she cut him the deepest. She wants to be honest with him so he can start to trust her again someday. Classic S1 Tim just wants to put it in a box and never open that box ever again. The opposite of what Isabel is trying to achieve. Just wants it to be black and white. That Isabel only did the things she did cause she was an addict. Poor Tim is denying the fact that it’s so much deeper than that. He’s dreading/avoiding the outcome of it not being neatly tied up.

What that’ll mean for them and their marriage. Saying addicts have it hard wired in their DNA to lie, steal and cheat. That he knows she couldn't have helped all that. The way he lays it out for her makes it sound like he can never trust her again. Isabel addresses this right away.

She stops Tim tells him she’ll always be an addict. Tim once again is trying to put it into a box he can comprehend. Which is it wasn’t Isabel that hurt him it was the drugs. To him now that she’s clean she won’t do that again. You can see how her replies are in massive conflict with his. He doesn't want to re-live it all again where she is trying to do so in order to heal. Tim just wants to put to behind him and forget. Where as she wants to confront it and have him face what she did to him. Driving her crazy that he wont do so.

She is wanting atonement for her sins and he’s saying it wasn’t her. Oh Tim. He loves her so much he refuses to let her fault herself for what she did. Much easier for him to have something to blame it on. She gets mad and tells him his black and white outlook is maddening. Where as to Tim he sees comfort in his logic, his ability to just strip something down and put it away. You can see how its frustrating her. His avoidance is because he knows if he faces this what the outcome will be...Its why he's trying to downplay this whole visit.

Kills me the way she tells him she couldn’t live up to his standards. That she only felt like she failed him. This I feel was more on Isabel than it ever was on Tim IMO. If she had just told him he could’ve listened to her. Worked on it together. Tim couldn't fix what he didn't know about. He loved her so much he would’ve done anything for her. All she had to do was communicate how she was feeling. Instead she let it fester and become such a problem that she turned to drugs for a release. That to me seemed to be the root of her addiction. In her mind she couldn’t live up so she had to numb herself. Find a escape from that constant feeling of failure.

What sucks is while she is unburdening her soul she’s adding to Tim's. The look on his face above shows me he had no idea she thought this. Not a damn clue. By off loading her demons she's given him an insecurity. One about himself that he will carry for years to come. It rears its ugly head in 5x21 with Lucy. (Where she shuts it down. Refuses to let him live in those fears and makes him confront them. Forces that communication he never had with Isabel. Or with anyone before her really. More proof why she’s his person ❤️) But that is MUCH further down the road . What this shows though is what an impact Isabel's words had on him even years later. It just laid dormant. Like an emotional time bomb.

Isabel is telling him it’s ok to be mad at her. That he’s supposed to be. This is the way it works. Except he can’t....Tim is having this internal battle. Fighting against his loyal nature about being mad. I relate to this so very much. I too am a deeply loyal person. When you’re as loyal as Tim is it’s so hard to see fault in those you love. Almost like you’re betraying them by doing so. He’s struggling so hard with the idea that she hurt him and it wasn’t all the drugs.

He’s so tired from this whole ordeal. Even though he should be angry all he wants is his wife back. That has to be the saddest part of this whole situation. It’s why he’s dismissing everything. He thinks if he does he will get his life with her back. He wants to erase the past year and a half. To just have it go back to the way it was before. As they near end the of their convo the tragic look in his eyes destroys me. He knows it’s over. Tim's hope for recovery/reconciliation is gone.

His body is defeated and he’s started to retreat emotionally. Tim tells her as his final piece, how everyone told him to give up on her. That she was lost. His reply breaks my heart. ‘What kind of husband would I be if I left you while you were lost?’ That deep love and loyalty coming into play strong. Killing me softly sir. Telling her she wasn't lost anymore, his role in her life was now over.

This portion what makes me the saddest. Tim being Tim is going to take the entire blame. If it’s going to lessen Isabel's pain/guilt he will burden himself with it. Take on the extra load emotionally. If him removing himself from her life makes her recovery better that’s what he will do. Because that’s Tim Bradford. He will always do what’s best for those he loves even if it destroys him. Makes him feel less than and second place to those people.

Absolutely kills me how he thinks he’s the problem. The reason she’ll never move on. When he’s the reason she’s even alive right now. But being the noble good man he is, Tim removes himself from the situation. Realizes there is nothing left to save. He’s the one who makes the call that it’s the end for them. That is growth for him that he can see this. Something Tim had been chasing for a year. Trying to get her to get clean and then back to the way they were. A dream now gone.

He came into his visit so hopeful and happy. Everything about him Is crushed when he leaves her side. That hug is the most depressing hug. Because it’s goodbye. They both know it. It’s goodbye to their marriage, to who they were before this and to what Tim had hoped would happen when he came to visit her. Sadly life can't be tied up neatly with a bow. There is an unrecoverable loss to this and its harsh reality for them both. More so for Tim IMO.

They both crush this scene. The way she fidgets before he leaves. Then makes sure to tell him thank you. They’re both on the verge of tears. Tim asks her what she’s thanking him for? Her reply is ‘Never giving up on me.’ He can't even muster up a small smile after. That is a sad and broken man that walks away from Isabel. I am crushed. Someday you’ll be loved properly Tim I promise. ❤️

Tim is so damn defeated in every way when we see him back at the station. Nell catches him and can see he isn’t ok. He tries to brush it off and go bury himself in paperwork. She takes him at his word and starts to leave. Then he does something he probably wouldn’t have done in his pre-Lucy days. He asks Nell if he could have a friend tonight. This is such a huge step towards who he becomes later. Finally just asking for some comfort and help.

Instead of being alone drowning in sadness and probably some self loathing, he chose to ask for help from someone he knew he could trust. To have someone to be there for him. I’m so proud of Tim. The growth he’s had already in this season been immense. His character arc along with Lucy’s is just so damn satisfying to watch. It’s slow but steady af. Love this man.

~~~~~

Side Notes- Non Chenford/Tim. Not really much TBH this ep all consuming for Tim for me. Got some good Wopez in the ep their first break and all before getting back together.

Jackson and the Nurse super cute to watch. His first romance of the series.

Thank you all for reading per usual. Your likes/comments (which i LOVE) and reblogs mean the world to me. Shall see you all in 1x13!

#Caitlin rewatches The Rookie #chenford #chenford hiatus #waiting on s6 #summer rewatch #s1 #1x12 Heartbreak #the rookie #tim x lucy #tim bradford #lucy chen #eric winter #melissa o'neil #lucy x tim #otp: doing my job #tim bradford x lucy chen

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