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physalian · 2 months

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What No One Tells You About Writing #5

Part 4

Part 3

Part 2

Shorter list this time, but longer points. I expect this one to be more divisive, but it is what it is, and this is what ‘no one tells you’ about writing, after all. This one’s all about feedback and how to take it, and give it.

1. Not everyone will like your book, no matter how good it is

I’ve said this before, granted, but sometimes you can have very arbitrary reasons for not liking an otherwise great story. For example: I refuse to watch Hamilton. Why? Because everyone I knew and their dog was trying to cram it down my throat when it came out and I still don’t really like musicals, and didn’t appreciate the bombardment of insisting I’ll like it simply because everyone else does. I’m sure it’s great! I’m just not watching it until I want to watch it.

It can be other reasons, too. I won’t read fanfic that’s written in first person, doesn’t matter how good it is. Someone might not watch a TV show because the primary cast is white or not-white. Someone might not watch a movie because an actor they despise is in it, even if the role is fantastic. Someone might not watch or read a story that’s too heavy on the romance, or not enough, or too explicit. I went looking for beta readers and came across one who wouldn’t touch a book where the romance came secondary in a sci-fi or fantasy novel. Kept on scrolling.

Someone can just think your side character is unfunny and doesn’t hear the same music as everyone else. Someone can just not like your writing style with either too much or not enough fluff, or too much personality in the main narrator. Or they have triggers that prevent them from enjoying it the way you intend.

How someone expresses that refusal is not your job to manage. You cannot force someone to like your work and pushing too hard will just make it worse. Some people just won’t like it, end of story.

2. Criticism takes a very long time to take well

Some people are just naturally better at taking constructive criticism, some have a thick skin, some just have a natural confidence that beats back whatever jabs the average reader or professional editor can give. If you’re like me, you might’ve physically struggled at first to actually read the feedback and insisted that your beta readers color-coded the positive from the negative.

It can be a very steep climb up the mountain until you reach a point where you know you’re good enough, and fully appreciate that it is actually “constructive” and anything that isn’t, isn’t worth your time.

The biggest hurdle I had to climb was this: A criticism of my work is not a criticism of me as a person.

Yes, my characters are built with pieces of my personality and worldview and dreams and ideals, but the people giving you feedback should be people who either already know you as a person and are just trying to help, or are people you pay to be unbiased and only focus on what’s on the page.

Some decisions, like a concerning moral of your story, is inadvertently a criticism of your own beliefs—like when I left feedback that anxiety can’t just be loved away and believing so is a flawed philosophy. I did that with intent to help, not because I thought the writer incompetent or that they wrote it in bad faith.

I’m sure it wasn’t a fun experience reading what I had to say, either. It’s not fun when I get told a character I love and lost sleep over getting right isn’t getting the same reception with my betas. But they’re all doing it (or at least they all should be doing it) from a place of just wanting to help, not to insult your writing ability. Even if your writing objectively sucks, you’re still doing a lot more just by putting words on paper than so many people who can’t bring themselves to even try.

As with all mediums subjects to critique, one need not be an author to still give valuable feedback. I’m not a screenwriter, but from an audience’s standpoint, I can tell you what I think works. Non-authors giving you pointers on the writing process? You can probably ignore that. Non-authors giving you pointers on how your character lands? Then, yeah, they might have an opinion worth considering.

3. Parsing out the “constructive” from the criticism isn’t easy

This goes for people giving it as well. Saying things like “this book sucks” is an obviously useless one. Saying “I didn’t like this story because it was confusing and uncompelling” is better. “I think this story was confusing and uncompelling because of X, and I have some suggestions here that I think can make it better.”

Now we’re talking.

Everyone’s writing style is different. Some writers like a lot of fluff and poetic prose to immerse you in the details and the setting, well beyond what you need to understand the scene or the plot. Their goal is to make this world come alive and help you picture the scene exactly the way they see it in their minds.

There’s writers who are very light on the sensory fluff and poetry, trying to give you the impression of what the scene should look and feel like and letting you fill in the missing pieces with your own vision.

Or there’s stories that take a long time to get anywhere, spending many pages on the small otherwise insignificant slice-of-life details as opposed to laser-precision on the plot, and those who trim off all the fat for a fast-paced rollercoaster.

None of these are inherently bad or wrong, but audiences do have their preferences.

The keyword in “constructive criticism” is “construct”. As in, your advice is useless if you can’t explain why you think an element needs work. “It’s just bad” isn’t helpful to anyone.

When trying to decide if feedback has merit, try to look at whatever the critic gives you and explain what they said to yourself in your own words. If you think changing the piece in question will enhance your story or better convey what you’re trying to say, it’s probably solid advice.

Sometimes you just have to throw the whole character out, or the whole scene, whole plot line and side quest. Figuring out what you can salvage just takes time, and practice.

4. Just when you think you’re done, there’s more

There’s a quote out there that may or may not belong to Da Vinci that goes “art is never finished, only abandoned.” Even when you think your book is as good as it can be, you can still sleep on it and second-guess yourself and wonder if something about it could have been done better or differently.

There is such a thing as too much editing.

But it also takes a long time to get there. Only 10-15% of writing is actually penning the story. The rest is editing, agonizing over editing, re-editing, and staring at the same few lines of dialogue that just aren't working to the point that you dream about your characters.

It can get demoralizing fast when you think you’ve fixed a scene, get the stamp of approval from one reader, only for the next one to come back with valid feedback neither of you considered before. So you fix it again. And then there’s another problem you didn’t consider. And then you’re juggling all these scene bits and moments you thought were perfect, only for it to keep collapsing.

It will get there. You will have a manuscript you’re proud of, even if it’s not the one you thought you were going to write. My newest book isn’t what I set out to write, but if I stuck to that original idea, I never would have let it become the work that it is.

5. “[Writing advice] is more like guidelines than actual rules.”

Personally, I think there’s very few universal, blanket pieces of writing advice that fit every book, no exceptions, no conditions, no questions asked. Aside from: Don’t sacrifice a clear story for what you think is cool, but horribly confusing.

For example, I’m American, but I like watching foreign films from time to time. The pacing and story structure of European films can break so many American rules it’s astonishing. Pacing? What pacing? It’s ~fancy~. It wants to hang on a shot of a random wall for fifteen seconds with no music and no point because it’s ~artsy~. Or there is no actual plot, or arc, it’s just following these characters around for 90 minutes while they do a thing. The entire movie is basically filler. Or the ending is deeply unsatisfying because the hoity-toity filmmaker believes in suffering for art or… something.

That doesn’t fly with mainstream American audiences. We live, breathe, and die on the Hero’s Journey and expect a three-act-structure with few novel exceptions.

That does not mean your totally unique or subversive plot structure is wrong. So much writing advice I’ve found is solid advice, sure, but it doesn’t often help me with the story I’m writing. I don’t write romance like the typical romance you’d expect (especially when it comes to monster allegories). There’s some character archetypes I just can’t write and refuse to include–like the sad, abusive, angsty, 8-pack abs love interest, or the comedic relief.

Beyond making sure your audience can actually understand what you’re trying to say, both because you want your message to be received, and you don’t want your readers to quit reading, there is an audience for everything, and exceptions to nearly every rule, even when it comes to writing foundations like grammar and syntax.

You don’t even have to put dialogue in quotes. (Be advised, though, that the more ~unique~ your story is, the more likely you are to only find success in a niche audience).

Lots of writing advice is useful. Lots of it is contradictory. Lots of it is outdated because audience expectations are changing constantly. There is a balance between what you *should* do as said by other writers, and what you think is right for your story, regardless of what anyone else says.

Just don’t make it confusing.

—

I just dropped my cover art and summary for my debut novel. Go check it out and let me know what you think!

#writing advice #writing resources #writing tips #writing tools #writing a book #writing #writeblr #editing #constructive criticism #what no one tells you about writing

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pinkhorsepro123 · 4 months

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So, I just recently watched the 4 episodes of Hazbin Hotel, and MAN IVE GOT SO MUCH TO SAY

Spoilers underneath the read more!

I will be critical of some things, as a writer it's kind of in my blood to be lol.

But I want to first say, it was WELL WORTH THE WAIT. I usually don't like these type of adult shows, yet I still loved watching it, and am having trouble not rewatching it already lol.

I'm going to go over my few criticisms first before I go over the, many positives. (Not all of them, I'll be here writing this all night lol

My main problem is the fact that those who watch it without knowledge of the Pilot will be quite confused. I feel like, they should've either remade it or even put it on there as the first episode.

Also, at first I found the musical bits to be embarrassing, but at the same time they're perfect. If it didn't have them, I don't think it would be Hazbin Hotel.

Katie Killjoy, her voice is not, right- I understand though if that's the only time we'll hear from her. If not though, definitely needs a new one. The only other voice I despise is Val's, it might be because I love how ParanoidDJ does him. It just, doesn't scream the pimp to me. The rest, even if at first I found it meh, as time went on I grew to love them. (Nothing against the voice actors of course! Just doesn't fit the characters)

For EP 4, my only complaint is that there should've been a content warning before it. Even just saying that there's triggering topics ahead would've sufficed. Although those who know Hazbin Hotel knew what Angel was going through, there will be a few that join without knowing that, only to stumble upon a real fucked up situation they weren't prepared for.

On the situation, I didn't know of the leak I've seen people mention, but istg if I see one more saying it was abuse being sexualized-

It was the purest form of abuse, rape, addiction and sex trafficking, uncensored forcefulness. Angel Dust is a bdsm porn actress who is owned by his pimp. Obviously he's going to have shit done to him, and a lot of it is stuff he's high as a kite while doing.

How the fuck is that sexy? It's one, a song about being fed "poison", shows just enough that you know what's happening but doesn't show more, and in the end he's having a meltdown wishing for help. If it had full sex scenes I could understand that line of thinking, but it doesn't. So yeah, I don't understand it.

Ok tangent is done-

That's pretty much all of my complaints, now for the positives!

The 1st episode finally fixed the major plot point in the pilot, being the angels themselves. It wasn't explained why the angels themselves kill sinners, and the whole just why it's considered overcrowded despite not seeming bursting at the seams (especially considering all the dead bodies around-). The story makes a lot more sense too, the background of why Lucifer and Lilith are the way they are.

Adam, is fucking hilarious. Like seriously, if you can make that kind of character funny you're doing something right. Charlie is perfect, they did a really good job at making her not too innocent. Vaggie and Charlie's relationship is amazing, the fact that they're equals and all.

Angel Dust, they did a pretty good job on showing how good his mask is, yet showing the small cracks every episode. Husker's voice, I was unsure about it at first but by the 2nd episode I loved it. Alastor, perfect. The fact he's so powerful yet still wants recognition is great in showing he is human.

The three V's time!

Vox, well disregarding personal hc's for him, he is GREAT. His personality is funny, and makes so much sense, his voice actor is great, his design mwah, what else can I say?

Velvette, I fucking LOVE HER. Her accent, new design, personality, amazing! There was so little content for her I always wondered what was going to happen. Now, I can say with confidence they did her well.

Other than his voice, Val is done really well. His act in front of Charlie is perfect, and the fact that he seems to love pushing others buttons for entertainment (as shown by Vox) makes so much sense. His narcissism and abusive nature is on point.

The Overlord meeting was really cool. The characters, the way they interact, their designs and voices, love them. Alastor just being on the side is hilarious too.

As a multi shipper, I love both RadioDust and HuskerDust(and many more, basically if the ship is healthy and cute I'll probably like it) ... So I can safely say THAT DUET WAS FUCKING AMAZING-

It's so them too, the fact Husker is horrible at comforting others but still manages to, Angel at first being suspicious, only to slowly let down his walls and join in.

Charlie at Angel's place, I never expected honestly. I didn't know how I expected it to happen, but not in the studio-

Their relationship is really pure considering everything, and it's nice to see.

I think that's, about all I have for my critiques and compliments, well as much as I can give before I explode-

There's only a few things I'm gonna be disappointed if they don't talk about in the series, the main thing is how Charlie is trying to "redeem" Angel Dust by getting him off drugs, completely incorrectly-

I hope it'll be talked about- and finally, I hope Vark is going to be a thing still, the little guy was so coot.

Even if he looks completely different I'm just fine with that. He's a shark pet! What more could you want lol

Ok My head hurts I've stared at this screen for much too long.

Thanks for coming to my Ted talk

#not dsaf’s #hazbin hotel #hazbin hotel spoilers #ramble #critique #omg I'm so happy I watched it #there's flaws but that's what makes me love it all the more

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well-dressedwords · 8 months

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I can't recall where I saw the recommendation for The Legendary Life of Queen Lau, but as soon as I saw Li Hongyi was a lead, I was willing to give it a try.

Queen Lau is *such* a fun show. Do not expect historical accuracy. AT ALL. But I'm fine with that - they know they're being silly and they're all enjoying it.

This happens anytime I actually enjoy a cdrama, even a bit. I end up finding a new actor (or more than one) that wins me over. It took me a hot second to realize Bai Shu also played the second Lord Langya in The Blood of Youth; I still love him in this, too. BUT!

Li Jiaqi. She is a queen (literally in the show). I love her. I adore her. She wins over (nearly) everyone with how she takes on life and challenges. Seeing the way her maid quickly warmed to her and then ended up on her side ~ just chef's kiss. Figuring out that the sister needs love & attention and giving them ~ so heart-warming!

Maybe Li Jiaqi's not exactly like Jinfeng in real life (I wouldn't know), but how can I not enjoy her performance?! What other show can I watch with her, that's halfway decent?

Anyway, this might be my first cdrama where the female lead doesn't have a slim, tiny face. She actually reminds me more of Chinese tapestries and paintings of court ladies than most modern actresses. That plus her wonderful personality just makes the queen/empress a gem.

Excitement about actors playing wonderful comedic characters aside, I like that they make the emperor essentially an immature teenager trying to be an adult in a really hard situation. Does he wrongly think that his new queen is a spy for her father? Yes, but his stance is understandable. His arrogance has logical reasons, and he does come to love and care for her. I'm wiling to wait to see if he will mature, so long as Jinfeng wants to give him that chance.

The one character I just CANNOT stand is her father.

*spoilers*

Just because he's not actually "evil" doesn't mean he should be able to handwave the way he treats everyone, save our female lead's mom.

The way he's written, he's just a jerk, on many different levels. If you wanted to train up a good emperor, there are better ways than setting his back up, making him look bad, humiliating him, and putting him so at odds with you that he's willing to believe anyone else. If you hate your job, then make him a good leader faster so you can retire.

There are ways to write this role so we (the audience) symphathize with him enough to get through their power clashes. But the writers didn't do that. I just despise him, to the point that I skip over what are (probably) important scenes, to avoid having to watch him be condescending.

Despite this one gripe I am thoroughly enjoying it.

Next comedy on my list is Dear Diary (My Babylonian Lover).

#the legendary life of queen lau #我叫刘金凤 #li hongyi #shows i'm watching #cdrama #li jiaqi #jinfeng #yunzhang #bai shu

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thecarnivorousmuffinmeta · 1 year

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i am willing to sit through whatever criticism or opinions you have on shining, its adaptation or King in general, please, Muffin!

... I earned this, didn't I?

That's a lot of topics so I think I'll just talk about The Shining.

Personally, I like Kubrick's film adaptation better.

Some Background

King infamously initially despised Stanley Kubrick's film adaptation of The Shining. He really didn't pay too much attention to film adaptations of his work before that point (even the really shitty ones) but hated The Shining. (To this day, while he's calmed down, he still doesn't really like it all that much.)

This was, in part, because it's an extremely loose adaptation. It takes the setting, the premise, characters with the same name but the characters only share the same name.

In King's version, Jack is a good man, albeit with a predilection towards alcoholism, who is driven irrevocably mad by the hotel and has this tragic descent into becoming the hotel's pawn. Wendy has a much stronger personality, is less dependent on Jack who never saw Jack's madness coming (because it wasn't). Then we have the ending changing where Hallorann, Danny, and Wendy all escape and survive and the boiler explodes because Jack has been too busy going insane to remember his basic duties.

In Kubrick's version, Jack is a man very fragilely gripping sanity when he enters the hotel, who is enabled and driven on by the hotel and descends back into alcoholism and domestic abuse. Wendy is a mild-mannered woman who at first starts as an apologist for her husband, and then has to somehow find the will to fight back against him when he loses his mind. Then, of course, we have the ending where Hallorann dies and Jack freezes to death in the outdoor hedge maze.

Add into this that Jack is an SI for King himself (who struggled with alcoholism that has informed a lot of his books), and Jack starting out as this thinly veiled horrendous madman versus being an every man who is driven beyond the bend by the hotel, and you basically get something that isn't King's novel.

It's an adaptation that didn't actually care about adapting the core values of The Shining. Just the setting and the premise.

And I'm alright with that.

Why Kubrick Over King?

The Shining is one of the most visually stunning films to ever be made. It is infamous for a reason and has lasted so many decades in popular imagination for that same reason. Even though it was despised at the time it made an impression.

Everyone remembers the tricycle, the blood elevator, the lady in the bath, the hedge maze, the typewriter, "Here's Johnny", the bathroom, the barman, and pretty much every damn scene in this movie.

Beyond that though, I enjoy the ending more as we don't get what, to me, felt like a bit of deus ex machina as the boiler explodes right at that moment. I enjoy that Wendy is someone you can easily picture as being trapped in this abusive relationship, why she's stayed in it for so long, and truly feeling her terror when it goes over the edge. I enjoy that we don't get as much of the investigation by Jack into the hotel as, frankly for me, that just ate up time and wasn't that interesting.

I enjoy that we don't see much of Danny's imaginary friend "Tony" or "Redrum" for that matter. We see enough to get the idea, but not enough to make it repetitive (as it gets a uh little repetitive in the book).

I also just really like Nichelson as an actor, especially when he's allowed to go full scary or crazy. The man does an excellent job of being fucking terrifying.

This isn't to say the novel is bad, and I am colored by having seen the film first, but if you're making me choose a more memorable iconic version I'd pick the film.

Why Muffin Mentioned It Last Time

The reason I nearly ranted here, was that I was about to launch into a whole rant that what people remember most about The Shining is not the novel but the film. They remember the scenes from the film, and part of this isn't the writing, it's the cinematography and the directing by Kubrick.

So, the idea of "what scenes would be most remembered in the Twilight horror novel" translated in my brain to "You mean the film adaptation, who's directing? Are they actually adapting the novel or doing whatever the fuck they want?" And then I realized I wasn't actually answering anon's question and no one wanted to hear me gushing over The Shining.

#the shining #stephen king #stanley kubrick #meta #opinion

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eemoo1o · 2 years

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The Servant Problem

Edit: outdated opinion

Otherwise known as "The Baldroy, Finnian, and Mey-Rin Problem", because fuck them.

I get that because they're only human, and Sebastian's a demon/demonic entity, Sebastian is going to be better at them at doing their jobs and in every other way (looks, intelligence, etc), but pushing their competence down so that Sebastian's can go up is certainly not the way to do things.

It's a problem in a few shows, actually, where it's a common denominator (or should I say 'demoninator'?.. No I should not), and trope where one aspect in several characters is minimalised to almost goofy or painful levels for either comic relief or to allow the main character/deuteragonist to shine.

In Black Butler, it is unfortunately both.

How do I know? Well, from the second they walked on screen, I knew that they would annoy me.

Well, no, allow me to rephrase: I thought I was going to like them, mainly Baldroy, until Mey-Rin opened her mouth, Finnian said his first word and their first 'blunder' happened. Yeah... there's a lot of blunders.

Not only are their accents over the top - especially when sided with Sebastian's or Ciel's - but all three of them are so whiny and childish and incompetent that one must wonder how they had even scored these jobs to begin with.

As for the animation and character designs, as far as I'm concerned, their designs work. The symbolism with their hair colour works. It's one of the few things that do work with them, so lets put a pin in that for a moment.

What is also one of the very few things that I like about them is that (because they're the comic relief, and the recurring cast's own little blunders) they, unlike Sebastian and Ciel and whoever else apart from that old butler guy that's also just... there for some reason, are always drawn in a cartoonish manner. Seldom are they drawn seriously, with depth and shading and everything else. Heck, where the hell even are Mey-Rin's eyes, anymore? Does she even have them, still?

Let's start with the least ruined character, in my opinion: Finnian.

I don't like his voice. Like, really, I don't.

When he was first introduced, I took him for the same age as Ciel, and even if he is or isn't (I'm vouching for is), why make him sound like that? Let's presume he is the same age as Ciel: why is he voiced by a grown man and not a woman, like Ciel (whose voice I also have problems with, but that's another post for another day), or - at the very least - a child actor?

Let's presume he isn't. Why the fuck does he look like that, then?

Let's go back to the child thing. That could work in a way that it currently does not. Make him the blunder because of his age and naivety. Make him the anti-Ciel. His blunders because of his age could have contrasted against Ciel's stoicism and dreariness in a manner that could highlight Ciel's maturity and alienate his and Sebastian's bond/characters more than what it naturally does to itself.

Mey-Rin's next. As much as I despise her voice, it's a good casting choice for the sole ('soul') reason that they got what they were going for and it works for her character.

I don't like her or Baldroy's incompetence, though. They're meant to be long-serving, grown-up servants, and yet they're idiots. Complete and utter idiots.

Mey-Rin's fix is easier than what you'd expect: Keep the voice but quit the whining, and make her a character who's a bit more reserved and hard working, and who keeps her head down and does her job.

Oh, and get rid of the immediate crush on Sebastian, too. All it is is something that's awkwardly thrust into the plot for what I can only assume to be a barrel of laughs (I'm being being sarcastic - not only does it make me uncomfortable, just as the aunt touching up a visibly unnerved Sebastian in episode two did, but it's also a bit creepy).

Mey-Rin and Baldroy could work as guardians for Finnian, too, as a child working can't be too good, but as far as I'm aware stuff like this did, and still does, happen. But it was more common back-when.

They could be his guardians, respectively, in a sense that derives from but also contrasts Sebastian's relationship with Ciel, only in a more wholesome and perhaps natural way that we see progress as the series goes on.

Mey-Rin, acting as the second servant to Sebastian (third, if we're including the Old Guy, who for the life of me I can't remember the name of), could be silently bitter towards Sebastian for serving Ciel for less than what half of her time at Phantomhive Manor has been, and she can be privately seething, passively venting to Baldroy or maybe even the unresponsive Old Guy as she cleans or prepares trays of meals/beverages. But mostly Baldroy.

Now for Baldroy.

Firstly, let's take the pin out of the hair symbolism thing. Given how Ciel and Sebastian's black hair (and accents) alienate them from the rest of the staff/cast, I genuinely thought that Finnian and Baldroy - who are both blond - would be the ones to contrast the deuteragonists' relationship. Genuinely. Like, I'm not even shitting you.

When Baldroy was first introduced, I thought he'd be my favourite, but I was wrong. Unfortunately.

For one, he needs a better voice. It's too generic. Like, why didn't you get Jeffrey Combs? He would have been perfect. He nailed Ratchet, so he could have nailed this character. This character would have suited Ratchet. I mean, Jeffrey Combs. Jeffrey Combs would have served Baldroy well. Especially if you're gonna keep that chewing-cigarette in his mouth.

Secondly, I thought Baldroy was meant to be the cook? He's certainly dressed the part for you (and me) to assume so. So, his little 'blunder' in episode one with the meat really doesn't make any sense. Neither does him trying to catch rats in episode two out in the hallway, instead of chasing them out of His Kitchen as Finnian is the one to try and trap them and then Baldroy loans him some rat-traps.

Baldroy could have been fixed by being a competent cook. A grumpy one at that. Perhaps a father figure to Finnian (like begrudgingly, and calling him 'kid' and all that jazz). Definitely some sort of shoulder/ear to Mey-Rin as she vents about Sebastian, and how she envies/hates him.

Bonus: while Mey-Rin's venting, the camera angle could pan behind her where Baldroy's just forced to listen at this point, as he tries to seem disinterested, arms crossed, and there's that thing where Mey-Rin unintentionally shows jealousness/begrudging interest in Sebastian's attractiveness, inevitably and briefly catching Baldroy's attention.

Maybe there's this little plot point where Baldroy has a small crush on Mey-Rin, but she's too ravelled up in her one-sided hatred/rivalry with Sebastian. But I'm not so fussed about any romance stuff, as long as it keeps Mey-Rin (or anyone, for that matter) from being all creepy around Sebastian.

Personally, I just think these three guys deserved better characters and plot points. They could have had so much more.

#black butler #swear warning #sebastian michaelis #baldroy #mey rin #finny #finnian #character arcs #tropes #character improving #kuroshitsuji

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auldcowboysoul · 1 year

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In Old Amarillo, 1951

Thoughts while watching through In Old Amarillo (1951) starring Roy Rogers, Trigger, Penny Edwards, and a few others.

Folks, I witnessed something terrible today. I wish I'd never seen it. The first fight sequence between Roy Barcroft's character and Roy is all chopped up. It's a genuine crime to cut a Bill Whitney fight sequence, especially one with the top 'heavy' actor of this era of Roy's films. Very disheartening start to the Happy Trails Theater version of this film, which was the only one I could find available online.

My first time watching Pinky Lee. He made me accidentally snort very loudly with laughter in his first sequence with the character of Phillip Hill.

Speaking of Phillip, the actor does a great job making you despise him haha.

Watching the cowboys riding the range, I miss Trucolor. *crying baby noises* I've been watching through these later Roy Rogers Films, and the Trucolor ones are stunning. I wonder why this one wasn't made in color.

Peppy is wild, definitely the most crazy character I've watched Estellita Rodriguez play.

The missing scenes physically hurt the viewer. You feel the loss keenly. Another missing scene in the bar while Peppy holds Phil accountable and Roy and co. watch in amusement.

Missing scenes everywhereeeee. *More crying*

During the water tank chase sequence, Roy wears a checkered shirt that reminds me soooo much of his TV series outfit.

Dang, stunt doubles had to work triple time during that fight sequence on the runaway water tank. It's a pretty cool fight, and I'm newly appreciative since it doesn't seem chopped.

Pinky Lee is no longer appreciated. The opposite in fact. A Roy Rogers song was cut so that Pinky Lee could waste two minutes not even being funny.

A few people die terribly (fire, plane crash) in this one, and we see their shrouded bodies. That's pretty graphic for someone with my vivid imagination.

Okay, good news, the prayer meeting scene finally gives Roy a chance to sing with the Sons of the Pioneers. I love the prayer meeting idea and how Roy comes up with it with Granny. So true to the cultural ideals of the time and also Roy Rogers' personal ideals. Beautiful little addition to the plot.

Pinky Lee is partly forgiven, but it's Roy's line that makes me really laugh -- "Give me your hand, boy!" As he's exasperatedly going to turn Pinky Lee upside down again, so Pinky can give over accurate information, per his own request.

I like the action/background music in this one! From the very first opening sequence, it's alternately soulful and engaging!

Watching Roy ride Trigger across the range at high speed = alllll the reasons why he was king of the cowboys. He could really ride and even someone like me who's never really ridden a horse could see the beauty in the way man and horse moved together. Both of them, just pure muscle and harmony.

Phil gets some guts and some morals, and apparently an iron hide. What point blank gunshot? Lol

Finally we get a real fistfight between Roy Rogers and Roy Barcroft! In the rain for bonus points. It's over pretty quickly.

Roy looks positively gleeful chucking handfuls of rice at the newlywed Phil's head at the end. He's definitely aiming for Phil, and Pepita is spared.

Roy seems oblivious to Penny Edwards sweet little flirty smiles at the end. They don't seem romantically engaged at that point, maybe just ranch neighbors/friends. Kind of a weird vibe compared to the usual "cowboy hero saves the day AND gets the girl" but it fits this movie somehow.

Notes: Bullet is in this one! And Penny Edwards actually rides Buttermilk, the horse Dale rode in the Roy Rogers TV series!

More notes: Penny Edwards' character is cool af. I can totally see a fictional future for her and Roy, since he will be around now as foreman of the H ranch. And Granny already loves Roy. So it's pretty much settled.

There's some fun science-y stuff about rainmakers... I don't know how real it is/was, but it's interesting! I guess they wanted to give a modern twist to the old west.

Can we admire Roy's fancy fringe shirt in the end scene, please!! How does he make it look so good? Also, the way he runs across the horses to jump on Trigger and then ride off into the sage brush... so iconic!

Definitely one Roy Rogers you will enjoy, and wish you could enjoy more of. This is one that makes me pray to all the film gods that someone someday will magically find the full film, restore and digitize it, and then make it available online. Pleeeeeease. How do I start a petition??

#Roy Rogers

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adventseven · 2 years

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Obi-Wan Kenobi Premiere Review

(Review Contains Spoilers)

The Jedi Code is like an itch, and Obi-Wan Kenobi is here to scratch it.

Obi-Wan Kenobi stars Ewan McGregor, returning as the titular hero. Also returning are Hayden Christensen as Darth Vader as well as Joel Edgerton and Bonnie Piesse as Uncle Owen and Aunt Beru. New to Star Wars are Moses Ingram as Inquisitor Reva, Rupert Friend as the Grand Inquisitor, and Sung Kang as the Fifth Brother. Also part of the new episodes are Kumail Nanjiani as Haja Estree, Ben Safdie as Nari, Flea as Vect Nokru, Simone Kessell and Jimmy Smits and Breha and Bail Organa, and Vivien Lyra Blair as Leia Organa.

Before I get into the fun Obi-Wan action/prequel redemption stuff, I have to talk about Inquisitor Reva. Inquisitor Reva is the essence of the dark side. She is a Sith through and through. She is conniving, impulsive, and aggressive. She is a danger to herself and others, and will stop at nothing until she can deliver Obi-Wan to Darth Vader. She wants power and glory just like every Sith before her. If Count Dooku was alive I bet he’d be proud.

This show is intense, heavier than the previous Star Wars live action shows. Obi-Wan is dealing with a mountain of trauma while the galaxy falls apart around him. It would take an actor of Ewan McGregor’s caliber to make this performance work. He’s a man isolated, despised by Uncle Owen and hunted by the Empire. Even after ten years of hiding, a Jedi never ever stops being a Jedi.

Seeing McGregor play Obi-Wan again makes me so happy. He shows no rust at all, seamlessly returning to a role that set itself apart from others in the Star Wars prequels. He does such a good job being both a badass and a man wracked with impossible depression. He’s reluctant to use his lightsaber, opting to use a blaster instead. It doesn’t seem like he feels too bad about obliterating General Grievous, but then again who would?

I’m excited to see what will happen when Obi-Wan faces off with Darth Vader. It’s been 10 years since his climactic battle with Anakin, and Obi-Wan will once again see the apprentice he failed and left to die on the beach on Mustafar. I know Hayden Christensen has a Darth Vader performance in store for us that will knock our socks off.

Now, a show this dark needs to have one character that brings levity. That character is Leia Organa, an adventurous 10 year old who is wise beyond her years. Her kidnapping is what draws Obi-Wan out of his exile. Bail needs his old Jedi friend to save the day. She and Obi-Wan bounce off of each other very well. He’s Mr. Serious and she thinks she knows everything. She doesn’t feel like a burdensome character either.

The other side characters in the show are good as well. Nanjiani’s character is a silly con artist with a heart of gold. The other Inquisitors, especially the Grand Inquisitor, all have a calm but menacing presence. The other Inquisitors all have had enough of Inquisitor Reve’s antagonistic behavior too. They should know by now that a Sith will never behave themselves. Episode II featured an important cameo from Temura Morrison as a homeless Clone Trooper. Seeing Obi-Wan wrestle with his emotions was another moment of great McGregor acting.

Order 66, Anakin’s fall to the Dark Side, Obi-Wan and Anakin’s friendship, and Anakin’s relationship with Padme were recapped and respected. Obi-Wan remembers everything, and that means all the serious events of the Prequels are touched upon. It’s really refreshing to see the events of the Prequels taken seriously. Criticizing the Prequels has kind of gone out of style by now. We all know what’s wrong with them. They aren’t perfect, but they are George Lucas’s stories. Plus, it’s way easier to appreciate them now that fans like myself have been disappointed (enraged) by more recent Star Wars movies. Ya know, the trilogy that’s just full of bad fan service and complete tonal shifts? I digress, we all know what’s bad about the sequel trilogy.

One last thing I want to cover is the exploration of the different worlds within the show. Tatooine is still the crisp, beautifully detailed, modern Tatooine we’ve gotten to see in The Mandalorian. What we do get to see in great detail are the planets Alderaan and Daiyu. I want to go take a nice vacation to Aldraan. It’s cool to see Leia explore the planet’s beautiful forests. The mountain ranges we see from her home look majestic as well. It makes me even more sad now that a planet as sunny and lovely as Alderaan gets destroyed. Daiyu is like something out of Blade Runner: 2049. Like a more overpopulated and seedy Coruscant. I love it, I think it’s a great new city planet.

The more I think about Obi-Wan Kenobi, the more excited I get. It respects the character, it respects the mythos, and gives us an exciting story I can’t wait to keep watching. Deborah Chow and the screen writers have done a great job so far, I commend them. I look forward to Obi-Wan’s fights with Vader and to see how Inquisitor Reva’s story unfolds.

Part I: 9/10

Part II: 9/10

By Julian Hayden

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#Obi-Wan Kenobi #star wars #disney+#Darth Vader #Obi-wan #ewan mcgregor #review

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theonewiththefanfics · 3 years

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Shield (one-shot)

Synopsis: To the new Captain America she might just be a human shield. But Bucky can see there’s more to it. What he can’t understand is why she stays.

Pairing: Bucky Barnes x fem!Reader

Genre: angst, lil bit of fluff

Warnings: mentions of blood and guns, swearing, torture, low mental state etc.

Word count: 3591

I am going absolutely feral about the fact that a portion of the series takes place in Latvia as I am Latvian :D Just seeing the signs and streets (which are not really ours cause they filmed in Prague, but are similar enough I can envision it), especially because we’re such a small country is amazeballs, so to be in such a huge show with my MCU faves is insane. Had the same kind of reaction to Brooklyn Nine-Nine with Nikolaj and the Captain Latvia episode. Riga hammer for the win :D

P.S. John Walker is not Captain America cause he does not posses America’s ass. Also Zemo is one hundred percent Bucky’s and Sam’s sugar daddy. I won’t accept any dispute over this.

P.S.S. please also remember - John Walker is a character not a real person. John Walker is played by an actor who is doing his job the same way the actor who played Joffrey did. Do not harass him etc. but rather appreciate the insane talent he has. This place is a Wyatt Russell stan place.

P.S.S.S. Kinda spoilers for the show so if you haven’t seen it, don’t read this.

He hated him. Bucky genuinely hates him. He never thought he had despised something or someone so much, not even HYDRA, as much as he hated John Walker – the new Captain America. He wanted to scream at that, at the fact that this arrogant asshole was carrying Steve’s shield, the symbol of freedom and everything good, while in reality, he embodied none of what it stood for.

Walker and what he’d learned his sidekick was Battlestar, had swooped in from a helicopter while Sam and he had been following the Flag-Smasher vehicles, and, well, they hadn’t been a lot of help, which he shouldn’t be too surprised about. But what he had been surprised about was when they’d all been thrown off of the semi-trucks and scattered all around a field, someone else had been in the mix as well.

A young woman with Y/H/C hair and determined Y/E/C eyes was rushing towards them, screaming for them to stay on the ground. When Bucky looked behind, he could see why given how one of the radicalised people had jumped from the trucks and was barreling at them with an automatic cocked at them

But it wasn’t Walker who jumped up running past her, shield at the ready to take on the fire. No. He just remained sitting as the stranger kept her pace. She leapt at the two with a grace of a cat, pushing him and Sam back to the ground and immediately got blown back by the received ammunition, gasps leaving her mouth as the bullets entered her body.

Sam’s wings extended and created a body length shield as Bucky snatched one of the knives strapped to the man’s side and flung it with deadly accuracy into the Flag-Smasher’s neck, dropping him to the ground.

There was blood when he looked back. There was so much blood, and once again it was all over Bucky’s hands, and he couldn’t breathe properly, pressing down on her abdomen and shoulder and side, and. oh god, there were too many bullet wounds...

Two wide Y/E/C eyes stared back up at him, mouth gasping down shallow breaths as he held down on her wounds trying to stop the blood from pouring out. God, there was so much of it.

“Don’t close your eyes,” he gritted, his body trembling. “Well get you help. You’ll be alright.”

But then Walker spoke up, and Bucky saw read because of a different reason. “She’s fine, just leave it.”

His head snapped to see that arrogant bastard cross his arms as he hissed. “Leave it? She’s fucking bleeding out! She took those bullets for you, and you just want to leave it?!”

Walker just smirked, nudging his chin towards her body. “You’ll see.”

“You let her use herself as a shield while you did nothing!”

“Yeah,” he scoffed. “Because that’s her whole point.”

And that’s when Bucky felt her skin shift underneath his hands. Slowly the blood stopped pouring out, Y/N’s breathing evened, and her eyes closed not because death was calling, but because of relief as the regenerative cells kicked into high gear.

Bucky gazed in wonder as the wounds closed up, and when only scar tissue remained he snapped his blue eyes to her, Y/E/C ones already staring back at him.

“Who are you?” he whispered

“A human shield that’s what,” Walker answered in her stead, but Bucky just sneered.

“I asked who, not a what. She’s a fucking person.”

Once more he looked back down and saw a strange look in her eyes. It was as if she was trying to decipher what those words meant, but once the shock from such a huge assault had ended, she gulped down a breath and gave him a crooked smile. “I’m Y/N Y/L/N.”

A lopsided one came to grace his own face. “I’m James Buchanan Barnes, but you can call me Bucky.”

“Bucky.” Her eyebrow rose. “Well, it’s very nice to finally meet you.”

He smiled at her, and not the painful smile he’d given the senator before her arrest, but a real genuine smile, one that made the skin around his eyes crinkle.

“And it’s very nice you didn’t decide to die on us.”

“Yeah, yeah, can we cut this meet and greet shorter?” Walker interrupted them, and if Bucky hadn’t been holding onto Y/N’s shoulder as she tried to rise from the ground, he would’ve punched the guy.

“I told you she was going to be fine.”

Bucky threw him his best murder glare but stopped when he felt Y/N squeeze his hand as if saying ‘don’t bother.' His brows furrowed in confusion. She just shook her head.

“We should still find you a hospital.” He talked to Y/N directly, ignoring what the new Captain was saying. “It doesn’t matter that you can survive something like that, I’d rather make sure you’re checked out by professionals.

“It won’t be necessary.” Walker slipped the shield on his arm and nudged his partner to start walking with him, pretty much expecting the rest to follow. “It was her choice anyway to take the hits.”

“It doesn’t mean she should!” Bucky pretty much hollered, startling even Sam.

At that, he saw Y/N’s eyes widen and her head snap up to look at him. All the breath got knocked out from Bucky at the emotion in her face. It was like she didn’t believe what he was saying like she didn’t know it was a possibility to not put her own life before someone else’s, that maybe someone is supposed to do it for her, someone could protect her.

“She absorbs fucking bullets and infuses them in her body.” John mocked. “I’d say it’s a win-win on both sides. Everyone else stays safe, and she gets stronger, right? The whole bleeding thing is a hitch in the system, but our guys say with enough scuffles that should stop as well.”

Walker looked at her. Y/N just gulped, staring back down at the ground between her knees.

When he looked back at everything the moment he’d seen Zemo in the cell and the asshole had said something still remained in him from the Winter Soldier, came back to connect with the scene. He’d hated that sentence because Bucky knew it was true. The Soldier would always be a part of him, but that was what therapy was for – to accept it and let go. But in that minute, he wouldn’t have cared one bit if the ruthless assassin came to the surface if it meant snapping Walker’s neck like a stick.

He treated the woman as if she was below him, as if Steve’s shield somehow made him better than her, better than anyone, and yet, even when he’d been given the privilege to carry it, he’d rather use a human person, no matter if they had powers, as a shield.

A soft hand touched his side, and Bucky looked at Y/N, his breathing heavy at Walker’s words.

“I’m alright.” Her voice was softer than he thought it would be. Maybe it was because she was trying to stay out of John’s earshot, but even the gentle whisper made something in Bucky’s chest stir. “Thank you,” she said. “For checking up on me.”

Bucky stiffly nodded, standing up and offering both his hands for her to take, but even with that, it took Sam holding her by the waist to be able to stand. The Falcon had to catch her, in fact, when she took her first steps, an awkward chuckle escaping her mouth.

“It’s been a while since a hit like this.”

Sam quirked a brow and smirked. “You always have a tendency to do stupid shit like that?”

Y/N’s whole body relaxed as he said so, and a sting went through Bucky’s own. How bad were they treating her if basic kindness and a little bit of joking made her feel so safe?

Just as he was about to ask her more, to offer to take her with them, Walker spoke up again. That conversation was an absolute disaster, and the fact that Walker thought Sam and him would actually ever consider working with him on this mission was idiotic.

It ended with the two Avengers watching how Walker threw an arm around Y/N’s shoulders, making her knees buckle with the weight, her from still regaining strength, but he didn’t care, just dragged her along with him and Battlestar.

“Are we just gonna let ‘em do that to her?” Bucky sneered, arms crossed watching their retreating forms over the field.

He felt Sam glower next to him. “There’s not much we can do.”

He hated that he was right.

Bucky couldn’t stop thinking about Y/N. One meeting had left him shaken to the core not just about her, but about how there was something deeply off with the new Captain America, that if they didn’t take action something horrible would happen, not just because of his arrogance, but because of some seed he could feel had rooted itself in the other man’s heart.

But by that point they’d been in Madripoor, had met Sharon who’d been on the run from the US government ever since the dismantlement of the Avengers, and had now followed a lead to where the Flag-Smashers had settled in Latvia.

Zemo seemed to not only have a billion cars, but a billion apartments scattered around the world, this one being in the heart of the Old Town.

Bucky was on the roof looking over the twinkling lights of the city. His bed had been too soft as it always was, and even the floor wasn’t it for him, not a wink of sleep coming his way as his thoughts were flooded by Y/N.

Well, the sleep part wasn’t true. He had been able to drift off, only to dream of how the woman didn’t get better, didn’t absorb those bullets and had died right in his arms. That’s when he decided he needed a breath of fresh air.

The sound of shuffling feet made him whip around from the scenic view only to be greeted by a form he’d now recognise in a full-on ski-suit in pitch-black darkness.

“What are you doing here?” Bucky stood up wanting to stride over and check her for any wounds she might’ve gotten while around Walker. Any new scar on her body would mean the same number of teeth he’d knock from that Walmart-version-Captain-America’s mouth.

“Came to warn you.” She shrugged, soft winds making her coat flutter. “John and Lemar are resting, but come morning they’ll be on your ass, so you might wanna make a move now.”

Bucky shook his head. “I don’t get you. You’re nothing like them, I can see that you know how wrong it is, for him to be carrying that shield, that he’s making a mockery out of the name and legacy Steve built, and yet…”

Y/N hung her head lifting her shoulders, hands in her pockets. “I gotta do what I gotta do.”

“He’s an asshole,” Bucky hissed.

Y/N gave him a painful look. “I know. But I don’t have anywhere to go. Besides… you have your own way of making amends. Well, this is mine.”

Dark brows furrowed. “What do you mean?”

She let out a painful chuckle, not because of the memories now plaguing her waking thoughts, but because her wounds were still healing, and instantly Bucky came closer and took her hand, running a soothing thumb over her palm. Wounds he was sure were new.

Y/N froze at his touch, and Bucky was about to pull away when she put her own thumb over his. He had to bite back tears at how tenderly she was looking down at his palm. Like no one had ever comforted her when it hurt.

“When the Blip happened,” she started, voice low and quiet. “I watched how my sister and mom disappeared right in front of my eyes. We were driving over the Golden Gate Bridge, and there was a truck before us. It was carrying loads of metal scraps. The driver of the truck got blipped as well.” She swallowed harshly. “I can still feel how the beam went through my shoulder, how it broke the bone and skin, and how I just wanted to disappear like they had just to make the pain stop. But I didn’t. It hurt so bad.” Y/N looked at Bucky, tears running down her face. “It was burning and tearing, and so much pain… and all I could do was scream, but no one heard me because everyone else was screaming, and I was just one of the thousands doing it.”

Y/N shook her head, and when Bucky leaned closer to wipe away the tears, she sighed at the feeling. “I passed out sometime later. From the pain the… well, everything. And when I woke up, I heard people outside the door, trying to rip it open, I could see red lights flashing, but where I expected that beam to be was nothing. When I looked down at myself there was a hole in my shirt, but instead of a hole in my shoulder, a round scar was the only thing left from that moment.”

“They took me to the hospital, and when they tried to put an IV in, my body just swallowed up the needle.” She took a shaky breath, and Bucky squeezed her side. ‘Go on’ he tried to convey with the touch. ‘I’m here.’

“That’s when the tests started. They were fine at first. Blood samples when they managed to get any, saliva and all that good jazz… but then they started poking. And poking turned into slicing which turned into stabbing until I was their personal pincushion, as they tried to see what my body would and wouldn’t take.”

Y/N was shaking by that point, but not because of the wind that had picked up, but because of anger, of the horror, she’d had to go through. It took everything in Bucky to remain calm and let her continue.

“Two years they did that. And then one time they went a bit too far. Someone had stolen a vibranium spear from the Dora Milaje.”

Bucky’s breath got caught in his throat. He wasn’t moving a muscle.

“They wanted to know if I could absorb the strongest metal on Earth, so slowly…” Her hands went to her front, to the white blouse she was wearing and started popping open the buttons. Bucky was just about to protest when he understood.

“They pushed the spear too far.” Her finger ran over a rhomb shaped scar right in the centre of her chest. Right over her heart. “Pushed it right through.”

“How did you survive?” Bucky was appalled, but in awe at the same time.

Y/N shook her head. “I didn’t. I died then and there on the table. They took my body and dumped it in some ditch. From my own calculations, it took me about a day to heal. They’d sown in a scalpel in my stomach a few hours before, so I’m assuming it used that as the binding material for the cells.”

“I was so angry.” She looked at him. “At everyone, at myself, that I couldn’t help my family, that I allowed them to just use me like that, I just went off the deep end. I did so many bad things…” A tear slipped down her cheek. “I read about the Winter Soldier, y’know. His whole thing was efficiency, quickness. I – “ She choked on her words. “I wasn’t. I wanted to drag it out. Wanted to find each and every one of the bastards who laid their hands on me and make them suffer as I did.”

Bucky’s hand settled on her waist as he pulled her closer, feeling her body keen at the motion as she looked for reassurance. “I’m not a good person, Bucky. This.” She motioned with her head to her body. “This is my repentance for what I did.”

“What he’s doing is not right. What they’re making you do is not right.” Bucky shook his head. “Just because it might not kill you, doesn’t mean it doesn’t hurt. No one had any right to touch you.”

“It’s the price I pay for what I did.”

“Pain?”

Y/N nodded. “Eye for an eye. Pain for the pain I caused.”

Bucky shook his head. “That’s not right.”

“How else am I supposed to do this?”

“By getting help yourself first.”

Y/N’s eyes widened, and Bucky sighed. He understood how impossible that thought seemed, that someone who’s done so much bad could deserve help from others, but he understood her situation better than anyone. “Being here,” he said, “being able to say these things… I can only do that because I got help. It was mandated by the state, but nevertheless…” Both chuckled at that, and Bucky’s heart lightened at the sound, at the genuine sound of joy from her. “But the therapy… I hate to say this, but it helped. It’s not easy. I sometimes detest going to the sessions, and I might be failing them quite miserably right now, especially with rule number two –“

“What’s rule number two?”

“Don’t hurt anyone,” Bucky mumbled. “And I’ve broken it quite a lot recently, I know that which will either make me end up behind bars or will add more therapy sessions to the list, but I’m not afraid anymore.”

Y/N gulped, gazing just as intensely at Bucky as he was at her. “Of what?”

“Of reaching out.” He tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. “Of asking for help. Of understanding that I deserve help, and I deserve to receive it.”

“Yeah, but the thing is I’m not like you.” Y/N looked away from him. “No one forced me to do this, no one brainwashed me. I did everything out of my own volition. Me. No one else. You deserve that help because HYDRA did all those things to you. You are a victim of war. I’m not. All those horrible things I did… I did them. Not some alias of mine.”

Bucky’s heart hurt at the fact that Y/N couldn’t see she was a victim of her own circumstance, and how now the government was punishing her for it. And that’s when another brick hit him – it was exactly like Isaiah’s situation. Both came from marginalised groups, parts of society where the ones in power have been trying to oppress and control them for as long as he could remember, he just couldn’t see it. He could see Sam’s point of view now. Maybe not as clearly as he should, but he was starting to wipe away the fog.

“They used you just as much as HYDRA used me.” He asserted, and Y/N’s eyes widened at his sure statement. “Just because a pile of shit has a bowtie on now, doesn’t mean it’s no longer a pile of shit… Come with us.” Bucky’s forehead pressed to hers. “Let’s do this the right way.”

“It’s mandated by the US government that I stay by John’s side and help him.”

Bucky smirked at that, nudging his nose against Y/N’s. “Well, it’s a good thing we’re in Latvia then. Besides Captain America has no pull here.”

She laughed, warm breath slipping over Bucky’s skin, and he had to close his eyes as the thought of her breathless and underneath him invaded his mind. “Unfortunately, this deal stands whether I’m inside the borders of USA or outside.”

Y/N looked over the skyline to where the country’s national monument stood. A woman, hands up in the air outstretched with three stars in her palms, with words she couldn’t understand when she'd arrived etched on the granite at the bottom. Some local had translated them for her. For the Fatherland and Freedom.

After the blip and the experiments, she didn’t feel like she had a home. She’d been imprisoned and prodded like some lab bunny to see what her body could do. What her body could be used for.

Bucky followed her gaze as she kept looking at the statue. Different stars, different saying, but still with the same meaning of what he saw when he looked at the Captain America shield. Freedom. Justice. For the love of their home.

Something deep started to burn in her chest, and even Bucky could feel the shift.

A ferocious look appeared in her eyes as she looked at him. “Let’s get that shield.” She wasn’t going to let Walker taint that star, she knew would happen if he had it for much longer.

They’d had a single meeting beforehand, and during that half-hour, he’d been terrified for more than two-thirds of the time about how Y/N might die in his arms, die because she’d taken bullets meant for him.

He was so glad she hadn’t, not because it would be another life lost because of him, but because he felt like he’d found a twin flame – someone who’d understand him and his troubles. Someone he could help.

Maybe that could be the true way he could make amends – help someone in the same situation.

Bucky smiled.

Y/N did so too, and his heart skipped a beat looking at the woman.

Her body might be able to absorb the metals piercing it, Walker might call her a human shield, but he knew she was so much more than that. And he’d spend however long it took him to prove so to her. Maybe even in more ways than one.

_________________________________________________________________

Please reblog if you like this. For whatever reason my Bucky fics aren’t appearing in the tags :(

Tags:

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Marvel tags: @nerissa98 @happyseagrill @asguardiansoftheavengers @crazybutconfidentaf @wishingforahome @pizzarollpatrol @desir-ae

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thealmightyemprex · 2 years

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Star Trektrospective:Star Trek IV the Voyage Home

Next on our look at the Star Trek movies ,one of the most sucessful Trek films until the 2009 reboot

Plot : James Kirk (William Shatner ) and his crew are in trouble but when Earth is threatened by a probe,using a Klingon Bird of Prey ,Kirk and co go back in time to retrieve the only species that can communicate with the probe :Humpback whales

So I have grown to really enjoy this film ,I honestly think it is a very enjoyable romp,and is one of the best films in the series .....Which is weird for me ,cause by all accounts, I should despise this film ,cause on paper it sound unappealing to me:A time travel heist comedy and well 1.I am not a heist film guy 2.Humor in Trek has always been a mixed bag 3.I watch Star Trek to see people in the future doing future stuff 4. I find fish out of water humor grating ....Which just shows how good this movie is ,and really that most premises can work if executed well

However before I praise the movie,I nedd to point out the one thing that doesnt work .....And also preface it by saying this :I am a big beliver in "Suspension of disbelief " ,I dont really need explinations for every little thing ......That said I think the probe,which is the main antagonist of the movie is kind of too absurd even for me . Its a big tube that will destroy the eath unless it hears some whales .Now it intentionally mysterious ,and I get the practical angle :The movie isnt about the probe,its about saving the whales,and the probe is just a way to get the plot moving ,give a sense of danger......But on the other hand it is so vague ,I cant help but ask question that I know dont really matter.Also it makes the moral kind of odd when you think about it : Save the whales or a tube will kill us all .However the probe doesnt matter that much ,and the rest of the film is so good it doesnt bother me

But lets get into stuff I like ,which includes the message of svaing the whales.Director Leonard Nimoy clearly cared about this topic and used the film to spotlight the issue in an entertaining way

Now Leonard Nimoys strength as a director is really his sense of fun and character which is to say this film works because the characters work . Somethiung my good friend @metropolitan-mutant-of-ark pointed out is our heroes are super confident,so ya never feel embarassed watching them even when they are the fool .I also like that they are trying to blend in enough ,but its not that much of a priority ,so they arent over the top wacky but the right amount of odd to be funny .Also like that the film doesnt go for the cheap joke :Checkov iscaught by American military during the cold war.....But they dont dismiss him as a Soviet spy and instead think he is just a crazy guy(Well actually they use another term that hasnt aged well ).Also no worrying about "Changing the timeline" ,when they give the formula for a groundbreaking invention to a guy in exchange for some help ,they just dismiss their worries as "Eh maybe this guy invented it " ,that is so refreshing .Also the film is just funny,from Spock and Kirk meeting a punk to Bones balking at 20th century medicine

LEts get into the cast :Veteren actor Robert Ellenstein is pretty excellent as the Federation Council president .WE also have the always great Brock Peters lending a sense of authority to the character of Admiral Cartwright ,though sadly he is mostly an expositionary character here, though in Star Trek 6 his role is a bit meatier .Our main guest character of the movie is Gillian Taylor played by the very talented Catharine Hicks ,a whale biologist who looks after two whales ,George and Gracie ,who becomes an allie to Kirk,and has a cute semi romance with him though it doesnt go anywhere and honestly thats kind of refreshing .I think Hicks does an excellent job,I like that she realizes something is off about Kirk and Spock....And when Kirk tells her he is from the future.....She isnt pissed off or calling him crazy,,,,,She is more just amused ,like she still doesnt believe him but she is like"OK now I am just intrigued wherte this is gonna go ".My favorite character however is the Klingon Ambassador played by John Shuck ....Oh god I LOVE this lunatic ,John Shuck is giving it his all as this ranting and raving ambassador who wants Ki9rks head.When I first saw this and the way Shuck performed it ,I thought he was the villain .....But no he is just some guy ,and I love that .The Klingon Ambassador is so over the top I love him ,hes in his own movie and I am so glad he came back in Star Trek 6

We also have Robin Curtis returning as Saavik ....Only to leave the franchise forever.Jane Wyatt returns as Spocks mother Amanda from the original series in a solid scene,but of the returning guest stars the best is Mark Lenard as Sarek,Spocks father,who gets a strong opening scene standing up to the Klingon ambassador ,and a sweet scene with Spock

What really makes the film work is the main cast .Nimoy has worked with these guys for years ,knows their strengths and uses them to their best abilities .The one who gets the short end sadly is George Tekai ,but that was due more to bad luck of his sub plot falling apart .Nichelle Nichols and Deforest Kelley are good as always ,but I think the scene stealers are Waler Koning (Who gets the funniest scene where he is asking random people on the street where the Nuclear Vessels are ) and James Doohan ( Who pretends to be a brilliant professor in order to get free plexi glass and ya get to see him hanging out with Bones which is fun ).Spock gets a good ark as he isnt all himself due to his resurrection and gets back in touch with his human side .I also think this might be William Shatners best performance in the Trek movies,not his boldest or most dramtic ,but he has such a gift for comedy and the dinner scene between him in Catharine Hicks is so excellent

One minor thing I like about the film is the federation scenes ,I like seeing the various aliens and creatures that are apart of the federation,it really gives the feeling of multiple worlds joined together

I also think this is the Trek film with the most impressive special effect:The whales! The film does NOT use real whale,they are mechanical ,and I had no clue they were till last year

OVerall this is a cozy film,the Trek film to watch when you just wanna have fun

@ariel-seagull-wings @metropolitan-mutant-of-ark

#star trek

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anxiouspotatorants · 3 years

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Whoopsy daisy I made a Shadow and Bone random thoughts post:

The costumes in this show are impeccable. I was drooling over all the keftas and the ball gowns in 1.05 and the crow outfits. Hell, even the winter-camo outfits that Mal, Mikhael and Dubrov wore in 1.04 were amazing.

Am I the only one who isn’t surprised by the kruge pronounciation? Because I thought it would sound like how English people say Scandinavian words and I wasn’t wrong.

Coming in to this show as someone who had only read the Six of Crows duology, I expected to at least tolerate Malina based on the trailer clips. I kid you not: less than five minutes into the very first episode they owned my ass. That might be a new record for me.

Seriously the friendship? The pining? The finding home in each other and being able to acknowledge their faults and apologize to each other? Both of them having massive “fight me” energy and protecting each other? Hugs?? Why am I surprised that I ship this?

Some of those scene transitions/flashback edits were so good! Like I know they repeated that meadow scene a lot throughout the season, but the cuts from kid-Mal looking at the rabbit to grown up Mal psyching himself up for the fist fight? Poetic cinema.

The Darkling was horrible and I love it. He wasn’t a carbon copy villain, nor did his complexity redeem him. He was a perfectly complex and understandable monster and I am living for it. I have not been so happy to despise a character in ages and I genuinely bow in gratitude to both the writers and Ben Barnes, because I finally got to enjoy watching a character I did not for one second root for ( #writevillainswellagain)

Look I already loved Jesper in the book but his on-screen translation elevated him from a fave to the fave. I was worried that they would push him into a comedic relief-role, but he got to keep both his heart, his depth, and his humour. Kit Young did an amazing job bringing what was already a great character on page to an even greater character on screen and I once again applaud.

Am I a bit bitter that the casting had some interesting choices for certain roles (aka hiring light skin and mid-size actors for explicitly darker skin and plus-size roles)? Kind of. Do I think there are important discussions worth having about this? Yup. Do I also think that every actor hired for Shadow and Bone did an amazing job and deserve zero hate and massive amounts of love? Also yes.

I had Alexei for one episode and one episode only, and I still miss that poor sucker. This show did a surprisingly good job with making me care about a massive amount of characters considering the screen time they had and the amount of episodes this season had. Good job.

For some reason I expected Inej to be a lot more brooding based on how I perceived her in the books but I love what Amita Suman did with her. Her translation completely recontextualised everything I remember from the books and just brought this truly fresh character to life. Assassin with a conscience indeed.

Also I did love the Kaz we got in this season but I can barely contain myself as I wait for season 2 to be made and for a certain flashback to take place because that moment in the book was visceral and it stayed with me for a long time and I knew before the show announcement that this flashback could become a television moment.

Speaking of Kaz the crows were so chaotic and messy and I’m here for it. Their interactions with each other and their improvised back-up plans were everything. I somehow didn’t expect the crows to become the comedic relief of the season but it honestly makes so much sense.

A couple episodes in I still didn’t get the Zoya hype (remember I haven’t read the books) but was a massive Genya fan. By the end of the season I was like “oh both of these girls are getting redemption arcs and I am here for it”.

Speaking of redemption I still don’t like Matthias. I’m sorry but I just don’t. I get that he is important to many and that they like his relationship with Nina, but I just don’t have the patience for him and feel like Nina can do better. I still want him to get a redemption... but maybe not through a romance with the grisha woman he repeatedly slutshames, is bigoted towards and chokes at least once (twice if that SoC scene from book 1 happens). That being said this is just how I see him, so feel what ever you feel about him and ship to your heart’s content!

Alina’s journey through this season made complete sense to me. It hurt to see certain things, but they were necessary in my eyes. Seeing her go from this essentially insecure but brave girl to a manipulated pawn to an even stronger and more self reliant girl in spite of everything was amazing. It did feel like a well-written hero’s journey and I’m looking forward to seeing where she goes next.

Apparently a lot of book-readers don’t like Mal (and I am not here to change anyone’s mind about that) but the Mal I saw on the show was amazing. I actually kind of wish we had seen more of who he was outside of his relationship to Alina (f.ex. other flashbacks than the meadow, maybe something about any of his missions while separated from Alina pre-show), but I also loved what we got of him with Alina. We still got to see a guy who was brave, stubborn, flirtatious, a bit judgemental but with a strong sense of humour, and a lot of loyalty (to Alina but also to his friends). I can hardly wait to see what’s next for him.

Milo the goat. Where do I even begin. Not only did we get that Jesper-scene, but their farewell actually became a Chekhov’s gun for Mal in 1.07? Milo is the true hero of the season.

Speaking of 1.07 I loved the tent scene between Alina and the Darkling. She both got to be realistic about her feelings for the Darkling and stand up for herself and for others and call him out. The way I interpret the Darkling, he is the kind of villain who creates a saviour narrative around himself but cares more about power than anything else. He’ll say he’s doing everything to protect his people but is the first to kill the very people he claims to love. And Alina’s tent-speech really hammered that in for me.

I adore Baghra. Is she morally dubious? Yes. Was she incredibly mean to Alina during training to the point where it might have been excessive? Yes. Did she not take any of the Darkling’s bullshit and act as the proper mentor for Alina when the Darkling had said that he was going to train her? Yes. Am I kind of a Baghra stan now? I mean maybe.

The antler-collar was so evil and gross but from a visually narrative stand point it was perfect.

Also I still have no idea who David is but I want redemption for him too. Honestly I feel like half the supporting cast is gearing up for redemption arcs next season and I am excited for most of them.

Nina’s reaction when she hears Kaz on the boat? Priceless. Actually the whole boat scene from when she goes up on deck again to the cut back to the fold was priceless.

That being said the final scene had me even more ready for season 2.

Jesper kind of gave me messy period-fantasy James Bond? Does that make sense?

And Mal kind of gave me Lois Lane energy? As in he’s the mortal love interest that many assume is the hero/heroine’s weakness but actually functions as their emotional strength and inspiration? Am I reaching here or am I getting somewhere?

Mikhael and Dubrov. What a duo. Absolute madlads.

Also I’d like to see more Nadia if that is possible? Because the few scenes we had of her had me intrigued but then she sort of disappeared? Is she going to be important or was she just more of a temporary supporting character?

I entered this show a casual Six of Crows fan with mild interest in Kanej and I finished this season a mess. A mess who ships Kanej and Malina and Genya with that David guy even though they had about 30 seconds of screentime together and Zoya with redemption and Jesper with main-character status (hey we’re not getting Wylan until season 2 at least) and kind of those two Ravkan army guys and Nina with anyone else and Matthias with a better redemption storyline and the Darkling with karma! Also, a mess with a whole new set of comfort characters!

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ingravinoveritas · 3 years

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Okay I'm going to say it.

DT's answer to the on screen chemistry question has always irked me a little.

Don't get me wrong, I really like Georgia and I adore them as a couple, because you can really tell (and could tell from the very beginning) how much love they have for each other. There's no doubting that.

I'm also not saying that it's a lie that he feels like he had the most chemistry with his wife. That's obvious. She's his favourite person. Again, in their case, I'm not doubting that.

But... look, as someone who's seen almost all of the bigger things he was in (not even on purpose, it just so happened haha) I just can't agree with that answer at all, because, yes, it's true that he feels that way, sure, but from an outsider's perspective: No!

And that really doesn't mean that he married the wrong person! 😂 But off screen and on screen can make such a huge difference. Not always (see: him and Michael), but in some cases it's just not the same thing. At the end of the day, at their level, acting is a craft. That needs to be considered. I think DT&MS said it themselves, didn't they? You can't really know if it works just as well and as naturally and as clearly on screen as it does off screen, not until you actually do the scenes. Just because you have a natural off screen chemistry with a person doesn't mean that it's going to be just as noticable (from the audience's perspective) when each of you portray characters on screen. I mean, there are also enough pairs who worked really well on screen, but actually despised each other irl.

So, all jokes aside: I think if you were to see it from an objective POV (and I'm aware that that's only halfway possible, because the whole matter is obviously quite subjective in itself, but oh well - call it my subjective objective lmao) the answer would ACTUALLY be Michael. And if it wouldn't be Michael then it would be either Billie Piper or Olivia Colman, imo. Three absolutely outstanding examples for on screen chemistry, that have two actors playing with each other, making each other shine and just doing their craft (with three completely different dynamics for each pair, too) in a way that is or was almost too good to be true.

His chemistry with Georgia was far from off, obviously, but really no match. Just my opinion. But... it's still cute that he said that and feels that way. :) And quite telling that he then immediately had to think of Michael. :P

I am totally with you here, Anon. You’re right and you should say it: On screen chemistry is not the same as off-screen. I was actually once asked who I thought David and Michael had the best on-screen chemistry with (other than each other), and Olivia Colman was one of my picks, too. Interestingly enough, Georgia has actually said in interviews that she’s been told that she “wasn’t convincing” as David’s wife on-screen. And that’s coming from a casting director, whose job it is to look for and read the chemistry between actors, so that is certainly saying something.

Again, like you said, that doesn’t necessarily mean David married the wrong person. But having chemistry off-screen is no guarantee of having it on-screen (though I would argue that actors who are supposed to be a couple having no chemistry either off- or on-screen is demonstrably more awkward than just one or the other). On-screen chemistry, though, is about the characters as much as the actors--what each person brings to the role, and how well they are able to “click” with their on-screen partner. The examples you gave (Billie Piper, Olivia Colman) speak to this, but Michael and David do far and away outshine all the rest on screen, including David and Georgia.

What was interesting to me about David answering this was that there was no discernible reason for him to bring Michael up. He could have never mentioned him, and no one would have blinked an eye. So it seems telling that he first gave what would be the more obligatory response (albeit with a question mark on the end, with the way his voices goes up an octave), followed by what could be characterized as the more “honest” response (again, like you said, he wasn’t lying by saying Georgia, but he also might not have been thinking of on-screen chemistry, because the question wasn’t specific).

It also shows us that David thought of Michael right away all on his own, without prompting or any sort of lead-in. And while it could certainly be argued that he said it as fan service, I’ve noticed a tendency on David’s part to hide a kernel of truth behind fan service. He could have simply said, “Michael Sheen and I also have really amazing chemistry,” but maybe saying it outright like that would’ve felt too...revealing, somehow...so he said something much more outlandish (”Maybe I should’ve married Michael Sheen”) instead. By doing that, he could then use the safety of a joke/fan service to share something much deeper.

That’s wild speculation on my end, at any rate, but the whole thing definitely does give one lots to think about. So yes, I agree with everything you’ve said about chemistry, Anon, and I’m glad you took the same to share it with me. Thanks for writing in! x

#anonymous #reply post #david tennant #soft scottish hipster gigolo #michael sheen #welsh seduction machine #georgia tennant #dragon con #this man is a bi disaster and i love him #david is definitely more subtle than michael #but he knows how to speak volumes without saying a word #i've never seen David be so blatant #at least before this #their chemistry is and always will be amazing #ineffable lovers #good omens rpf #discourse

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iron--spider · 4 years

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I woke up at 3am yesterday to watch The Devil All the Time and I’ve been thinking about it since. I’m gonna put my thoughts and feelings and a review of sorts behind the cut, because I am gonna talk about it freely, so there will be spoilers! So don’t click if you don’t wanna see. I’ll also be discussing the content of the film and I know that might bother people, so that stuff is in here, too! And it’ll be really long because you know I can’t shut up.

So, I loved it. I loved it loved it loved it. I read the book a long time ago when I first found out Tom was gonna be in it, and the only problem I had with the book was that the POVs would change in the middle of a paragraph lmao, but other than that I thought it was pretty perfect. I knew the movie was gonna be pretty brutal, because the book is brutal, so I was prepared.

-BUT I think the critics HIGHLY HIGHLY exaggerated how bad the content was. Like, seriously, they acted as if this was gonna be a Saw movie. I was preparing for blatant, horrific gore, but it didn’t live up to their dramatics at all. There’s blood and nasty situations, but every single episode of Game of Thrones is worse than this movie, as are most episodes of any crime drama on a paid network. I actually thought they were super, super tactful of all their horrific shit. The dog death was off screen and the shot of the body (described by the critics as literally traumatic) was so quick (enough to shut your eyes) and in the dark. I also argue that particular moment is extremely important for Arvin’s journey, because it’s the moment he truly turns on his father and turns on religion entirely, and he carries it with him his whole life (it’s what he flashes back to when he says “I know what my daddy did” because it’s the marker of all Willard’s mistakes) and it winds up being one of the last things he does before he leaves everything behind. Burying Jack’s bones. So, like, I despise dog death or any animal death in my entertainment, but it’s important here and handled well. And all the worst death scenes are either extremely fast (Helen’s and Gary Matthew’s) or shown in negative (all the photos). I think Bodecker’s headshot with Bobo is probably the worst and is also pretty quick. I don’t know if this means I’m a jaded bitch, but God the way they were all whining and crying, I thought it’d be a million times worse. It could have been, with the book’s descriptions, so it was actually pretty tame. Lenora’s death affected me the most and they cut away from that, too. I guess it’ll still bother some people, but there are many, many mainstream things that are far more violent and gory than this was.

-I thought it was a beautiful movie. I never mind films that are slightly slower but I love ones that use their time to lay things out and really show us what’s going on, build the ambiance and the relationships. I loved the narration (which I was worried about), and it really made me feel like we were visiting a moment in time that was important. Like something that was written and should be learned about. Rumors in a town you’re passing through. The ghosts of past trauma and transgressions looming over everyone that’s left.

-I liked the changes they made with Roy and Theodore because I thought that storyline kinda meandered in the book and I’m glad that Roy was actually gone the whole time and not just neglecting to come back to Lenora.

-The only real complaints I can make, I’ll get out of the way here: I wanted a little bit more time with Carl and Sandy. Carl was really creepy, but he could have been much creepier. In the book he was the one looking at the pictures constantly, Not Sandy, and that really showed that he was the one with the sickness, the one pushing them forward and orchestrating it all. I thought they did well with showing how Sandy deteriorated in her efforts with him through the years, but I would have liked to see a bit more of their personal lives together and her fear of him and her genuine feelings about what they’re doing, because the book goes into that a lot more. I also wasn’t a fan of Lee finding the picture early and knowing some about what they were doing, because I liked how it was a surprise to him in the book and yet he still did all he could to cover it up. And lastly, in the book there’s a scene with Arvin after he kills Sandy and Carl where he’s in a motel and he takes like 18 showers because he can’t get the grime of what he’s done off of him, and he looks at the picture and has a nightmare about killing Sandy, and I really would have loved if they’d kept it in. It would have been another ‘acting’ moment for Tom, and it would have been nice for us to see his direct trauma and reaction to everything that’s piling on top of him.

-BUT that’s it. I loved pretty much every single other thing and decision that they made. The cinematography was TOP NOTCH. You could tell they filmed on 35mm film, you could see the grain, and it really, really added to it. Antonio Campos is a very skilled director and I trusted him at the helm of this story. Everything looked so authentic, all the sets and the costumes. The soundtrack and score were AMAZING and enhanced the film. Technically it was just perfect in every regard to me.

-Acting! Acting! God this was like...a massive testament to the casting department and the talent of these people. Everyone was on their A game. Bill Skarsgård has been on my radar since Castle Rock (which I recommend to everybody, both seasons) and he was so natural and great in this role. Haley Bennet was absolutely adorable as Charlotte, I loved her cute face and her sweet relationship with little Arvin. Riley Keough was so great as Sandy with the limited amount of time she had, and Jason Clarke is one of my favorites but he was unrecognizable in this as creepy ass Carl. Harry Melling was a far cry from Dudley Dursley and he did a great job with his screen time, too. Same with Mia Wasikowska, who didn’t have much to do (same as poor Helen in the book) but she was able to garner our sympathy anyway. Seb Stan was slimy and gross but he pulled it off so well. Eliza Scanlen has been one of my favorites since Sharp Objects (another one that’s brutal as hell but I recommend it, she’s so scary) and she was so, so great here. Robert Pattinson was ALRIGHT, everybody talks him up over this but he felt a little hammy to me and a little too over the top, but there’s no denying his talent.

-Now, the reason we’re all here. Tom. My God. As soon as it was over I just didn’t know what the hell to do, I didn’t even know how to....go on, lmfao. We all know he’s talented, that’s why we’re here, that’s why we love him, but his performance in this is just BEYOND all that. Beyond comprehension. The man is only 24 years old and he’s out here outacting people who have been in the industry for longer than he’s been alive. He is SHOCKINGLY good. I knew he’d be perfect for Arvin as soon as I read the book, but he just completely embodied this role in a way that I couldn’t have imagined. He doesn’t show up in the movie until about 45 minutes in (which doesn’t hurt it because of the strength of the leadup, Bill’s performance and the performance of little Arvin’s actor) but God, as soon as he’s there the whole thing comes to life in a way that it hadn’t before. Tom is literally just a shining light, and he draws your eye in every single scene he’s in, and when he’s not there you’re wondering when he’s gonna come back. Arvin, to me, is a very complex character—he has been inherently changed by how his father twisted religion in his childhood, how deeply he betrayed him by his behavior, but he still has a kind heart and a protective streak and the need to be strong despite the pain nearly breaking him apart from moment to moment. Tom is just outrageously good at portraying all Arvin’s little nuances, how he clenches his jaw, how his voice breaks when he’s afraid or trying to convince someone of something or get his point across, how his hands tremble after he’s done something he wishes he didn’t have to do, how his whole body wilts when he realizes he’s emulating his father. And his eyes. Tom can do so, so much with his eyes that it’s unbelievable. He tells you so much with just a simple look, a glance, a wince, a long blink. I’m not exaggerating when I say he’s just an absolute revelation in this, he cements his place in Hollywood with a firm hand and a tender look, and I will not be forgetting what he did here anytime soon. There’s a reason that everyone called him out for being so stunning in this. He is magnificent. He has a gift.

-I wanna say, in particular, how much I love Arvin’s relationship with Lenora. Their lives were both marked by such tragedy and pain and Arvin just took up the torch of protecting her from the moment he said hello as a child. He wants so badly to be tough, and he IS, but there’s just miles and miles of love in this boy’s heart, and it manifests itself for his family—for his uncle, for his grandma, but for Lenora in particular. I loved how he just showed up when she was being harassed and just ran in there without thinking, and it’s purely devastating that he was out taking care of her bullies while a worse predator was cornering her. The scene where she was sick wasn’t in the book but it was a beautiful addition. Tom sometimes wears this very open, unguarded, honest expression, and this is the only scene in which he shows it, and it really expresses the love between them and how much she means to him. Arvin didn’t find Lenora’s body in the book, but it was the right change for them to make. Tom was devastating here, and that pain and that moment truly fuel every second of his journey through the rest of the film. “My Lenora”. The saddest siblings. Both Eliza and Tom did so beautifully with this relationship and I hope they work together again.

-Favorite acting moments for Tom: when he’s in the car in the rain after beating up the bullies, when he’s in the church crowd and realizes Preston is insulting his Grandma (the way his face changes oh my GOD), when he finds Lenora, when the cop comes to tell him Lenora was pregnant (this is just....so damn good), when he was telling his uncle to look after his Grandma, THE ENTIRE CHURCH CONFRONTATION (the way he trembles when he’s trying to get his attention, how he speaks the whole time, how he slowly gathers his strength), when he thinks Sandy has shot him, the moment where he’s over Lee’s body and just....pleading with his eyes for him to listen and realize what he’s done. And the last scene, in the car, all the emphasis on his face....once again, he can do so, so much with a look, with his eyes. Someone called out the beautiful last shot in the film, and of course, it’s Arvin’s sleeping face. And it was so beautiful (and devastating, to think of him enlisting. Tom draws so much sympathy that you just want Arvin to have a normal life so badly. He deserves it, he does, but will he get it?)

-Last thing I’ll say, I really loved how, despite turning his back on religion, that God seems to be protecting Arvin the whole time. He’s terribly afraid confronting the preacher and that could have easily gone badly, especially when he tosses the book, but Arvin was somehow able to get a shot off and get the upper hand. And with Carl and Sandy, he senses something is off immediately once they pull off the road, and he would have absolutely been killed had Carl not switched out Sandy’s bullets for blanks. And in the confrontation with Lee, he once again shoots at the same time as him, shoots without looking, and manages to come out unscathed and on top. A few spoiler reviews pointed out that the last person that picks Arvin up is supposed to be a Jesus-like figure, almost like he’s finally been saved. It hurts that everyone around him that he loved is almost forsaken by God, but he himself is protected. It’s such a complicated commentary on religion throughout the entire piece, but it’s so interesting and engrossing.

So I’d recommend this movie to anyone that loves movies, loves Tom, can deal with a gritty story that takes its time laying out all the chess pieces. It is definitely heavy subject matter but it doesn’t go overboard with the horror as it easily could have. Yes, there are triggers to look for, but the critics hugely over exaggerated how awful it was. I can probably go get time stamps for certain things if people wanna ask me after reading this, but if you can get through a Tarantino film or any HBO drama, you can do this. And Tom’s performance is one for the ages and not one that deserves to be passed over or downplayed. It is beautiful and heart-wrenching—a magnificent turn that displays his monumental ability to reach out and guide you into any world he decides to make his own.

I loved The Devil All the Time.

#tom holland #arvin russell #the devil all the time #text post #LONG #I’M SORRY

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alyblacklist · 3 years

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New interview from Vanity Fair (Italy) with James Spader (in Italian). Translation via Google translate below (corrections welcome):

Eight years after its debut, the TV series with Megan Boone and James Spader is back on FoxCrime. Already renewed for a ninth season, the show won't provide any representation of the Coronavirus or American politics. "We are an escape from reality and we want to remain so."

"In eight years, not a single episode has gone far and wide." The voice of James Spader, on the last Friday in the red zone, peeps out from a distant space, from an America in rebirth, whose present enthusiasm has not found any representation in the television series of which he is the protagonist. Spader, The Blacklist's Raymond Reddington, has strenuously opposed the possibility of contaminating one's fictional universe with the dross of the present. "Our show has always existed within a parallel world. Over the years, we have never bothered to plot a plot that had to do with real life, with newspaper headlines and news stories ». The Blacklist, whose eighth season is set to debut on FoxCrime on prime time on February 12, "has defined a universe of its own, to which it has remained faithful." Therefore, no Joe Biden, in the twenty-two new episodes of the television series. No pandemic.

The Blacklist, on air since 2013, will only find the characters who have made it a cult. Raymond Reddington, a repentant criminal whose decision to cooperate with the police is not the daughter, alone, of a sudden goodness of heart; Elizabeth Keen, special agent responsible for following his confessions; Donald Ressler, Harold Cooper, the set of FBI agents and gangsters whose "Red" is determined to secure a future behind bars.

Many television series usually set in fictional universes have, however, decided to make an exception and give their own representation of the pandemic. Why this categorical "no"?

“For a few, but effective reasons. I think one of the strengths of our show has always been its verisimilitude. The Blacklist is a parallel universe, in which credible characters live. This allowed the audience to find an escape from reality in the series. I think many viewers watch The Blacklist because it allows them to detach themselves from the problems related to everyday life, and this has led us to exclude the pandemic over everything ».

However, you will have had to face the restrictions that the Coronavirus has brought with it.

"Absolutely. We had to deal with many restrictions, we had to limit the number of people present in a given location. But, net of the difficulties and the productive effort that required us, I think I can say that a magnificent job has been done ».

Work that will continue: The Blacklist has already been confirmed for a ninth season. What still remains to be told?

"Much. It may seem absurd, but in eight years we have never found ourselves beating around the bush. No episode, in the eight seasons, was thought of as a filler. I remember one day talking to Jon Bokenkamp, the director. He had a twenty-minute longer bet on his hands. We tried to figure out how to cut it, which unnecessary scenes to eliminate. In the end, it was twenty minutes longer than it should have ”.

Aren't you bored playing the same character for eight years?

"No. On the set of The Blacklist, I've never had a mediocre or mundane day. The series has always been very exciting and the very idea of moving forward excites me. There are many surprises in this new season. There are more for the public than for me. The writers and I talked for a long time about what we were going to do, so nothing could surprise me once shooting started ».

And this would lead us to think of a certain repetitiveness ...

“It would induce, though. When I play the part of Red I'm not surprised by the story we're telling, but by the world we're making it in. '

Explain.

"One of the great entertainments of being an actor is being able to be surprised by your reactions: there is amazement in the physical and emotional responses that are given in certain situations. There is some wonder in seeing a location for the first time. There is growth in looking at a problem or a fact from a new perspective. The surprise, when you are an actor, is not about where you get to on the show, it's about the little things, the details, even personal, that we discover as we go on ».

So what has Raymond Reddington left you over these eight seasons?

"From the beginning, what I loved most about Red was his irreverence, his sense of humor. I discovered and learned to love his pervasive and profound longing for life ». His character is highly ambivalent.

Has he really never despised him?

“I don't usually make judgments about my characters. I have a deep understanding of everything Raymond stands for. Rather, I'd say there are things about Red that Red doesn't like: his brutality and the danger he poses to others, for example. But I think Red is aware of the qualities that make him strong and able to survive the worst circumstances in life. He saw the tremendous price of loss and witnessed it. He feels how bad death does. This led him to strongly desire sweetness, calm, love. He is a dichotomous character, and it is this ambivalence of him that has made him so interesting ».

He often talks about his collaboration with the writers. What exactly does it consist of?

«In a real collaboration. Let's talk about everything that has to do with the show. We talk before the writing of the scripts, during the shoot. Let's talk about the new entries and the possible suppression of some characters. We are talking about subplots that can last years, months or days. Let's talk about the tone of the show, the dialogues. We talk during the holidays. This series keeps me awake at night ».

And do you think it's a good thing?

“Let's just say I've always had trouble sleeping. When I wake up, my mind begins to travel fast. I tend to be an obsessive compulsive person, so I often stay up at night shaping ideas about The Blacklist. It happens that I waste hours trying to remember them, so as to put them on paper the following morning ».

Elizabeth Keen, the special agent played by Megan Boone, is one of the strongest female characters on television. How do you judge the change that Hollywood is aiming for, the progressive abandonment of gender roles?

«I find it fundamental. For me, as a man and actor, it always has been. I have always felt more comfortable in the company of women. I grew up with a female majority in the house, a terrific mother and two older sisters. I've always been attracted to strong female characters and the ones I've met in my films have been. I've always looked at the world from a female perspective, and I can't imagine doing otherwise. I understand, however, that it took the industry some time to get here. Today, I feel like saying that it is only a matter of time for the real and definitive change to be achieved ».

Digital has imposed a decidedly sustained production rate, even on linear television. Do you find such trouble to be good?

«I state that I, on the other hand, have never felt in competition with digital or Netflix. Netflix aired The Blacklist, creating added value for all of us. Streaming brought us audiences, and it was great. In general, I'm happy to have the huge amount of programs we have now. Competition is a good thing, it leads to excellence, it spurs commitment ".

Cinema, television, theater. In his career he has done everything. Which medium did you prefer?

“On television, I found a greater opportunity for further study. The Blacklist is the second TV show I work on, and has been running for over 150 episodes. My first character I played in The Practice, then in Boston Legal. Either way, I found it fascinating to see how it evolved, not in history, but over time. My TV characters have aged with me, and I with them. I think it's the best thing about working on television ».

Nothing bad then?

“You wake you up in the morning.When I started acting, I found myself working on the stage.It was a night job, and I've always been a night person, not a morning person.So when I found myself making films, I always tried to play characters who lived at night. What, this, that I managed, if you notice. It was television that forced me to turn. TV is a day job, which starts very early in the morning. It was a shock.I haven't gotten used to the sound of the alarm yet. '

#the blacklist #james spader #interview #raymond reddington

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shinahbee · 2 years

Text

April favorites 2022!

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GREETINGS

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May 27 / 2022

Hello,

Finally updating the monthly favorites, not much has changed except I delved into some GL series this time around and let me just tell you that the drama is minimal compared to BL manhwas. Lol. Maybe it’s because I can sympathize in a situation rather than a portrayal of how female writers perceive boy’s love. In which I’m always angry at the dumb choices that were made....boys be boys I guess

I would say that I liked how minimal the drama is in some of these stories in GL, even if there are characters that are considered “villains” you can’t really hate them, where as I can list a bunch of men in BL that I despise, mainly because of their attitude and decisions they make leading up to a more complicated situation than it really needs to be, also their inability to understand when to quit or leave a situation and just continue to make excuses for themselves.

Sigh...I need a break from all that as you can tell, so enjoy some of the titles of this month which will include some GL/ adult shoujou.

Anyways, I also have some fan art coming so look out for that, I’m just in training for a summer job at the moment so whenever I have a moments rest I don’t want to do anything...lol.

Happy reading!

Sheena

Semantic error k-drama:

Not going to talk about this in detail since I have done a manhwa review on this earlier, but here’s the actual live action and I have to say it wasn’t as bad as I thought, I honestly don’t know if I would enjoy an adaptation of manhwa into live action, especially BL since I’m sure they would cut out all the intimate scenes. To my surprise I think they did a good job, I just wished it was longer than 12 episodes.

I liked the actors too I think they chose a good actor for jaeyoung, he wasn’t like I imagined visually but his attitude was hands down like the character, which is more than I can ask for.

I heard a few more BL titles are in the works for a k-drama adaptation, so i’m excited to see some of them.

Recap:

I’m just going to put up the ongoing list only. I also eliminated some titles because they are now completed or I dropped them for now

Ongoing

Liveta

Pearl boy (hiatus)

Turn off the camera

Semantic error (hiatus)

The third ending

Secret relationships

Kings Maker (S2) (hiatus)

Love tractor

Dear door

One night mate

Night fragments

Updates on ongoing titles:

Just looking at the list getting smaller...aww, most of them are completed now, it makes me happy that I have talked about them for so long and seeing how their stories come to an end is really nice.

Secret relationships:

I really wanted to avoid discussing topics about this series because I’ve seen some people on twitter get really heated about these characters and it honestly is sad, especially if you would fight people over a fictional character that does not exist, I honestly don’t get it. For instance I like Dooshik from pearl boy, if some person were to come up to me and tell me why he sucks that's fine, it's your opinion, but come up to me and tell me pilwon is better then....go put on your clown suit... clearly you didn’t read the story lol.

I’m joking.

I will mention this again; these are my opinions only and have nothing to do with what the creator does with the story. This means they don’t matter, so take it with a grain of salt.

People are taking “your opinion matters” to a whole new level. No it doesn’t, cause no one cares.

Anyways back to this monstrosity, I have talked about how I was taking a break from this series because right now they are in the middle of explaining flashbacks of the past of the doan-jaemin-soohyun triangle and I don’t give a sh*t about it, some people read this and change their opinions on these characters as if it justifies what they are doing now. I have said this before and I’ll say it again here, I don’t care if they were a good person in the past...it doesn’t change the person they are now, they made those decisions and this is where it got them. Anyone who does that does not get any sympathy from me.

The posts that I hate seeing the most are the ones that see these chapters and panels and just say “oh they used to be so good together” why can’t they just go back to being like that?

Good question...why? think about your own break ups, you broke up for a reason, your ex is your ex for a reason...you didn’t work out before what makes you think getting back together with the same person is going to be better the second time?

I know that some people defend soohyun by saying that he liked doan for 10 years...and I’m sorry that means nothing...

This screen shots are from the third ending, where yoonseul asked his sister if the people in the drama should get back together and her response is basically this and all I can say is WORD! this is exactly how I feel...

One person having an unreciprocated love for 10 years is their decision, I have close friends that have dated their partners for 10 years and end up breaking up in the end, the duration of someone’s love is just a time frame, it does not mean anything...

So I’m just going to wait until these characters are ready to sort out their problems before continuing because I feel like this whole scenario is getting ridiculous and it just seems like the author is just trying to advance in fan service rather than getting on with the story.

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Welcome to some spicy reads (21+)

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Okay..onto the actual good reads ...lol.

I have one BL, 1 adult shojou..I don’t know if it actually is, and 1 GL series...so an actual good range lol.

The pizza delivery man and the gold palace:

So there is no official English translation that I know of so I’ll try to summarize what it is about

“ Woowon works several jobs in order to pay off debt that this father had left him and his mother, one day during his pizza delivery shift he went to deliver the pizza to someone living in the gold palace, which is an expensive apartment complex in which wealthy families move into. The most important part of the place was that the tips were hefty, but as woowon went to deliver the pizza, the customer was not very happy at first but later on finds out that woowon was the person that helped him out with a kind gesture the day he was feeling unwell. Knowing this, the customer Seo an attempts to meet with woowon again by ordering pizza every meal in hopes to see him again. Little does he realize that they would have many encounters from then on and begin to form a sort of bond.”

That summary is horrendous, please excuse me. Like I said this one does not officially have an English translation, I do know that there is a English fan-translated version floating around ‘cause I have seen it. It is up to you whether you want to read that or not, but I do ask that you support the author when the English translations officially come out. I’ve just been reading it through my crappy Korean reading skills and summaries from another person who have summarized the story, so I have a gist of what’s going on. I’m only suggesting this if you know Korean and want to just read it then go ahead.

As the summary goes, woowon is a regular 28 year old guy that is working part time through several jobs to pay off his father’s debt, his mother is living separately from him and is also working to pay off the same debt, he would call her sometimes to check on her but would not complain about his struggles since he does not want to worry her. It is apparent that woowon is over working himself but doesn’t complain because thinks this is what deserves...you know that saying “well...such as life” is basically how to describe his living situation. The pizza place that he works part time for is notorious for having really good looking delivery people and of course the manager had his sights on woowon when he applied. Despite being “casted” for his looks in most of his jobs, he was a really hard worker, spending only when necessary in terms of living expenses and rental fees, the rest of the money is to pay off the debt. One day he was going out for a delivery and the pizza was to the gold palace, which as a well off apartment complex in which his co workers described as a gold mine, mainly because of the tip-ing culture that had been seen by the people who delivered to those apartments. It was a good amount and of course the best way to get more tips is to let them see your beautiful face right?

Woowon had not experienced delivering there so it was like a golden opportunity for him to make some extra money. The person who had the pizza delivered to his place was named seo an, it turns out his friend was coming over so he just ordered food to his place without telling him.lol.

Of course anyone would be annoyed and Seo an was not the best when dealing with people,

Other than his small group of friends he does not interact with other people, which made one of his friends worry. As the pizza was here he was woken up abruptly and was a little cranky, as he took the pizza from woowon he didn’t say much and just left him, woown was not expecting that and just brushed it off as the customer having a bad day.

Later the same friend came over and ordered pizza again...omg seriously dude? And seo an went to answer the door, this time woowon took off his mask and Seo an was able to see his face. It turns out they had met before, when seo an was feeling down he went to a nearby convenient store and as h left it started raining hard and he didn’t bring an umbrella. Luckly, woowon was nearby and offered him an umbrella to get home with since it was really bad weather, seo an was thankful for the small gesture and wanted to thank him if he ever saw him again...well voi-la!

He took the pizza from him and thanked him, his friend was teasing him that woowon was his type and that’s why he took his sweet time at the door.lol. As soon as he knew woowon worked at the pizza place he had ordered pizza during every single meal in order to meet with woowon again since he wanted to give him back the umbrella. In the very last attempt, he finally got to see woowon again; he explained that he gave him an umbrella that day it was raining, and woo won seemed to remember him finally. He just wanted to say thanks, which made woowon happy that he was able to make some ones day by just a simple gesture, since he feel like he is less than nothing, he has really low self esteem you guys...I was literally like is this me right now? Because this is honestly how I see myself.

Seo an had previously talked about woowon to his therapist and was suggested to see him more since he didn’t feel uncomfortable around him. I turns out that seo an had previously had social anxiety and decided to seek help through therapy...which, is the smartest thing I’ve seen anyone in BL do...I’m like thank god you aren’t like the others, he is a person that realizes he needed help and actually seeks it out, finally! Literally majority of the problems can be solved in bl manhwa if the protagonist actually goes to a therapist. Seo an you have my full respect. After wards he had ran into woowon because he had found him in a motorcycle accident, in which woowon injured his arm and could not drive to make his deliveries, it seemed like losing this job would mean the end for him and seo an made a suggestion to drive to do his deliveries until his arm is better. Of course woowon didn’t want to involve him in all of this but he really needed to continue his work or else money is going to be an issue for the month, so he took seo an up on his offer. The two became quite the partnership and they were able to get a lot done together, wowoon was really grateful and wanted to treat seo an to lunch on their last day of working together, this was when he had witnessed see an’s panic attack in an open area. Seo an was waiting for woowon to finish delivering his pizza at the university and so he stopped at a coffee shop to buy them both coffee and as he realized that it was more crowded than he thought and it made him nauseous, if you ever have had claustrophobia, its literally the feeling of being in a tight space and you can’t get out, but instead of a tight space it’s a space surrounded by many people crowding around you. Seo an was able to get out as soon as he got his coffee but apparently he forgot his card and the cashier chased after him and seo an started having a break down outside of the cafe. Woowon had noticed people gathering in a circle panicking and asking people to call an ambulance. It turned out it was seo an and woowon quickly noticed what was happening and told people to leave the area and give him space, he held onto seo an while he was having an episode, after a few minutes seo an started to calm down. After seo an was better woowon explained that he knew someone that was in the same situation so that is why he knew what to do. This probably means that his mother had had the same panic disorder since he thought of her after seo an had his episode, he decided to call his mother to check up on her.

Woowon was grateful to seo an for helping him and they began regularly texting each other, woo won had lost some money and felt discouraged and shameful at himself, and seo an wanted to cheer him up so he drove to his work place after woowon finished and asked if he wanted to go for a night drive...hmm...so romantic, yes?

There were a few panels where it was just them on a bike and the view they were seeing, there were no words exchanged but you can feel the atmosphere from how the creator portrayed those scenes in those panels, it made it look more like you are watching an anime or drama instead of reading a web comic. I really liked those scenes which is why i brought it up. They talked about what has been bothering them and why woowon is working really hard. There were several more exchanges in which seo an ran into woowon and they share a heartfelt moment, my favorite was the scene where wowoon was sick and seo an went o visit his apartment, you finally get to see their thoughts about each other, it was really cute the way they look at one another when the other is asleep.

Which leads me to stop here, this is a fairly new series and so more will be revealed later on in the updates. You can read this series in Korean on ridibooks or whatever source you choose...I’m bad at reading Korean characters so i will definitely purchase the English version when that comes out. Can I also say that they have an uncanny resemblance to soohyun and jaemin in secret relationships, which in contrast I dislike those characters and I really like these two.lol. personality matters people...

Love is a fantasy/ Love is an illusion- The queen:

“Park Do-gyeom, who is crazy about sex, decided she wanted to get married. She asks her secretary and long time friend, Seung-ah to search for her future partner, but would doing so complicate their relationship?”

Okay, so if you have seen my trash segment, you would know that i dropped love is an illusion as soon I read the first chapter, so you may be wondering...why this? It’s from the same series, so it is technically a spin off. Yes, you are right I know nothing of the characters in this series but I guess it does not matter, there is something about a dominant alpha female being the leading lady of the story that makes it intriguing, unlike the opposing alpha male which turns me away from series...

Do gyeom is the literal definition “sigma female” she is pretty, rich and open minded, not repressed in terms of her sexuality and preferences, she is what other females in manga wish they were.lol. and I’ve never seen a character like that. So I was intrigued right away, I honestly don’t like omega verse stories cause most are really hierarchical and rapey...

But there’s something about a woman with power and money that is very attractive.

It starts off with do gyeom doing her thing and while witnessing how her other family members are happily married with children, she makes a statement that she wants to be married too and so began searching for a partner that is compatible in wealth and status, her secretary was a boy she had been friends with since high school named seung ah, but of course it wasn’t easy for do gyeom because all she wanted from her potential partners was to see how good they were in bed...lol. I mean....shouldn’t you if you are going to marry them?

And because of her luring many partners into intercourse, seung ah had to clean up after her mess by silencing them when do gyeom was not interested after. This whole situation made seungha uncomfortable mainly because of all the headaches he gets cleaning up after her but more importantly he seems to have romantic feelings towards her.

After several attempts to find a potential partner, she was feeling down and claims that may be she will end up alone in the end, but seung ah made an effort to consol her saying that even though people in her family are happily married does not mean that she achieve happiness on her own. this exchange i found really cute since it’s true that you can be happy on your own even without marriage and children. Do gyeom thought blind dates were the wrong way to meet people so she took the old fashion route and just went to drinking parties. LMAO.

There was a weird exchange where seung ah was being hit on by a guy and do gyeom misunderstood that he was trying to rape seung ah and beat the sh*t out of him. After wards they seem to have fights off and on which lead to do gyeom thinking that because of her tardiness, seung ah is suffering the most so she made an attempt to clean up her act. In the next few days she was seeing another woman, one of which she had sex with early on and decided to date her seriously, to which seung ah didn’t like, he thinks do gyeom may be settling with someone less than her social status, but do gyeom just wanted to try dating her seriously since it could lead to something good.

I’ll stop there, the general plot is not anything ground breaking since you all probably know what happens next, but it was an interesting read considering it is about a woman with social power and a male with less social status. So far so good, we shall see what happens next. I believe you can read this on lezhin only; the story is new so there are only a few chapters to read so far.

Moonlight garden:

“The enchanting flower maidens of Moonlight Garden are coveted by all, as they are known to provide sexual pleasures beyond the imagination. But Dohwa, a young flower maiden who has not yet ?bloomed,? concocts potions in the hopes of escaping her destined fate at the brothel. One night, she is caught stealing ingredients for her potions by Lady Hyewon, the new mistress of the Garden. But it turns out Dohwa isn?t the only one with an agenda. Lady Hyewon harbors a few terrible secrets of her own”

If you recognize the art then you would have known that it is a story from the same creator of “turn off the camera” but less messy.lol.

So basically flower maidens are a part of the brothel in which they serve ministers of the court (who are all women) and provide entertainment and selling their talents and sometimes their bodies. Being born a flower maiden is looked down upon in royal households because they would end up dead by a certain age as the flower curse will take over their bodies and end the person’s life. But of course the lady of the house of seo, haewon ended up being awakened as one and to prevent others from finding out, her aunt, the former mistress of the seo household found a girl in slave trade that looked liked haewon and adopted her to be haewon’s replacement during the period when she is blooming.

The period in which she blooms is kind of like when an alpha goes into a rut...for all you omegaverse readers out there to understand. At that time she will need a partner to satisfy her sexual desires or it becomes painful and the curse will end up causing death. That girl who was adopted was named yoosun and she would be the one to help haewon during the blooming cycle, this went on for a couple years, despite being in a weird situation with each other, they treated one another like family.

The seo household was going through a transitional period in which haewon is now the mistress in charge of the moonlight garden brothel, and so she was introduced to all the ministers when she moved into the brothel with yoosun. So our main protagonist is named dohwa who was the plum blossom maiden and she has a hobby of selling apothecary fragrances to other women in the brothel to enhance their scent. But in reality she is working with another lady to test out the blooming periods of some of the flower maidens, in order to make an antidote to get rid of the curse for good. She wanted to get out of the brothel and go back to her home town in which she lived before she was sent away her because of her “ condition”. One day when she snuck into the flower garden to gather ingredients for her potions, she ran into haewon and they both show animosity towards each other, dohwa even tried to drown haewon and herself and was ultimately saved by yoosun. Yoosun became interested in dohwa and found her pendant lying on the floor after rescuing her. That pendant was given by her mother after in order for them to reunite when she leaves the brothel, dohwa was in a panic when she found out she had lost it.

She tried to retrace her steps and ended up seeing haewon at the garden again, so she tried to sneak in unnoticed. In the end yoosun found her and asked her to leave quietly before haewon finds her and gave her back the pendent. Haewon found the two of them and noticed dohwa was the same girl who tried to kill her.lol. and in a panic dohwa grabbed onto yoosun and knocked her mask off revealing that haewon and yoosun looked exactly alike. Now that thier secret is discovered by this girl, they thought of a plan to keep her silent and theat is to keep her close by and keep her pendant as hostage in order to have her cooperate.

The next day dohwa realized that haewon was the new mistress of the brothel and thought she had been in trouble for everything that she has done to her. Haewon proposed that dohwa be disciplined by her in order to improve her studies of being a gaesang “geisha” since once she becomes of age she would need to start seeing clients. Despite hating haewon she liked yoosun and wanted to spend more time with her so being around the twins was not as bad as she imagined. Haewon eventually warmed up to dohwa and started to have feelings for her the same time as yoosun was. It wasn’t as messy as it seems, since dohwa eventually started to like haewon more towards the end of the series. I have thought that even though she initially liked yoosun she would eventually like haewon since opposites attract and they have things in common that only one another can understand.

Lol. It gives me hope that yohan from turn off the camera might end up with jihoon, though I’m sure it’s not likely...haewon and yohan both have the same personality so maybe...anyways, this series is completed so you can read it in all its entirety on lezhin.

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Trash segment (21+)

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a.k.a the part of the series where I shit on your favorite manhwa/manga/webtoon etc. Joking but not really, you have been warned.

This is the new section where you’re going to find titles that I dropped and the reasons why I discontinued the series all together, fair warning if you triggered by people criticizing your favorite series then you may want to skip this section all together. Everyone is entitled to their own opinion and not every series that is “popular” or well liked by others will be like by all...therefore if there is content that makes a person uncomfortable enough to stop the series, that is on them and please don’t judge them for their morals.

So to recap, the series that I mentioned dropping so far are

Love or Hate

Yours to claim

Wistful summer

Anti-p.t.

The sound of fire

Kiss damnation

Cherry blossoms after the winter

Chasing Mr. CEO

Who’s a sweet cheater?

I’m sure I have one...I just can’t think of them right now. Remember the trash list does not mean the series is Bad...it’s just ones that I dropped, but let’s be honest some of them are pretty bad...lol.

I’m slowly trying to cycle back into listening to k-pop, but only the really old songs, I have no idea what is going on with k-pop for a while now since I’ve been out of it

If not this it’s pas’edoble music.lmao.

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Ending note:

Okay thanks again for reading this month, I have selected a few titles that stood out in my reads this month and I hope you enjoyed it, I should actually try incorporating more genres, but that would mean reading a whole lot more than I want to.lol.

I will try to incorporate more titles as they come, so please look out for now. I hope you enjoyed and I will be back with more new art soon, please look out for that soon! I’m slowly getting back into the groove of things after months of just school and even with a bit of time, I still don’t want to do much lol.

Please follow me on social media below for more updates. If you have an questions please leave it in the comments below.

Alright, take care!

sheena

#manga review #shounen ai #yaoi manga #bl manhwa #manga recommendation #boys love #girls love #manhwa recommendation #monthly favorites

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