#you would be well-suited to play a role in a historical drama. | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

weizhiyuan · 10 months

Text

Thai BL Favorites List Tag Game

thank youuu mel @justafriend-ql for tagging me!!! And to @thatgirl4815 for creating it!

I’m so bad at picking favorites so please excuse the fact that I have like two answers per question.. since this is a Thai bl list I’m not listing gls or non Thai series or else I’d probably list like 3+ per question fnskfjfj

Favorite bl: bad buddy or not me (PLEASE DONT MAKE ME CHOOSE). They’re both very different but very important in their own ways. The bad buddy experience is incomparable and the beauty of not me and its basis in reality is historical

Favorite pairing: following suit, patpran & seanwhite. Both series weren’t just plot driven, they were character driven as well (possibly more so). Each are fantastic, though wildly different, romances.

Most underrated actor: my boy chimon! I think generally people know he can act but I wouldn’t be surprised if he gained more recognition after dangerous romance aired. (Also bonus, stealing Mel’s answer cuz sing always needs more attention he can do any and everything!! I’ll eat up any role he plays. I always do)

Favorite character: really hard to choose. maybe Sean (from not me again). I’m ngl I blocked someone once bc they talked a bit of shit abt him. He’s never done anything wrong in his life <3

Favorite side character: yok from not me. I’m gonna keep putting not me here srry but NO ONE will ever be as slutty as yok was. Not even First in only friends. He encapsulated Slut energy in such an immaculate way. (OR heartliming. They stole the show in moonlight chicken for me!)

Favorite scene: the pride flag scene from not me. It’s one of the most impactful scenes I’ve seen in any ql and I love the reason why it exists in the first place!

Favorite line: the build up to patpran’s rooftop kiss. Got me holding my breath screaming crying heart racing you know it. We’ve all been through it. I have it copied into my notes in case I ever need it (or just to. Cry idk)

Most anticipated bl and why: hmmm probably cooking crush literally just cuz of offgun in a romcom bl lmao I luv them. The pics they’ve uploaded lately have had a different vibe from the mock trailer and I’m liking it! Maybe cherry magic too as I’m curious to see how it’ll be adapted to Thailand as a remake

Healthiest relationship in a bl: patpran. Do I even need to say more? They might’ve had a little drama before they got together but you HAVE to have a healthy mf relationship to maintain it while “lying” saying you’ve broken up to your parents & some of ur friends

Most toxic relationship in a bl: vegaspete. See they’re lowkey more toxic in my head than they are on screen. Like yes vegas electrocuted Pete’s balls but he could’ve done worse and I think he should’ve! The toxic aspect was what made it fun (also who would I be if they didn’t make it on a fav Thai bl list at least Once)

Guilty pleasure series: idk what I’d consider a guilty pleasure BUT I thought the first episode of tharntype (which I actually only watched recently lmao) was kinda camp. Like it literally OPENS with Type saying he loves college except for one problem… GAY PEOPLE EXIST 😡🤬 that’s comedy. I burst out laughing. Can’t say I love the show as a whole tho

Most underrated series (mel I love that u added this bc I kno exactly what to say): SECRET CRUSH ON YOU. I NEED TO PROMOTE IT. I think people who dropped it did so bc it was so over the top but that’s exactly why you should keep going??? It’s SO saturated and the emotions are ALWAYS at 100 it’s hilarious but in the moments it gets emotional (episode 13…) it GOES ALL IN!!! The constant secondhand embarrassment made me literally start sweating but in a good way?? Ppl who reduce it to just cringe have missed all the beauty it offers. I regret not watching it live and I feel like I don’t see enough people talking about it… also I am literally toh <3

Surprisingly some of my beloved Thai bls didn’t make it onto this list but it seems that’s cuz I still have bad buddy/not me brain worms forever 🙃 I stand by what I said either way hehe

I’ll tag @joyladagang @loserlesbianongsa @jyuubin @petrichoraline @iliketodecompose <33333

#I’m too lazy 2 put gifs/pics qhdkjds but half of these r just. the same two shows so fjjsdn #this was so fun to think abt tho I love an excuse to talk abt my favs!!!#tag game #b.txt #(there were also a lot of actors I could’ve said for who I think is underrated lol)

12 notes · View notes

vethbrenatto · 2 years

Note

I'm so excited for EXU Calamity all the lore that will be revealed is amazing! The only thing that would make it even more amazing (for me) is if at the end of this miniseries is it revealed that one of the PCs is helping the Big Bad and if the party is indirectly helping them

I would LOVE to see something like that. It's not essential, but I think it would be awesome. Like I said with my post on predetermined tragedy, it opens up so many avenues that I think you don't always have in a "regular" campaign setting, and that's one of them.

In a group of adventurers, it's a lot harder to pull off "there's a traitor in our midst" in something in the present day. Not impossible, but with the concept of large-scale doom already hanging, the traitor idea just fits in very nicely conceptually. And it's something I love to watch in D&D, it's why The Screw Job is one of my favorite CR oneshots. Give me players having lil secret plots. Particularly, I think Lou or Aabria would be really well suited for playing that sort of role, leaning toward Aabria because I think her steady demeanor and just general vibe of trustworthiness would make her one of the hardest ones to clock if she was a traitor.

There's just so much you can do with this idea and setting! I'm not even a lore person but I'm obsessed with what we're going to learn: how people are going to act in that time period, what exactly the general tech and advancement of society will be like for the average person. It's insane because with this world Matt's built, EXU: Calamity will be like a... fantasy-scifi-period drama? (side note: you KNOW i fucking live for period dramas) It's historical, we're going to see this new party literally writing history and also... living through history, which there's just so many options for. They could be everyday citizens pre-Calamity or they could be major players in the imminent doom. They could be heroes, but I think the setting really detracts from them needing to be heroes, which I'm just obsessed with.

#ask #exu: calamity #anonymous

41 notes · View notes

faintingheroine · 2 years

Note

uff I really would like to watch and understand the 1975 adaptation lmao. It's a pity that it has never been dubbed or even subtitled in others languages.

It is not exactly an artistic triumph, though it is by an important Turkish director, Halit Refiğ who clearly loved and understood the book. It is clearly a labor of love and has great casting. But it is very much a 1970s BBC style adaptation of a classic novel. It doesn’t technically add much to one’s understanding of the book, it is pretty much the book line by line. But it is a good visualization of the book.

Some of its virtues: It introduced Müjde Ar who plays Bihter to the Turkish cinema and her making her debut with such a (by Turkish standards) daring role defined her career and lead to her playing many iconic and important female characters of Turkish cinema. Itır Esen as Nihal is the most inspired casting decision in anything ever, and she clearly loved and understood the character. All other actors are giving great performances as well. It was the first Turkish TV drama ever made so it has historical importance. And it is never as stale as the similar BBC adaptations because the story is well-suited to this style of adaptation and the dubbing is honestly great and gives much animation to the characters. Classic music choices are great and poignant, as are the original music.

I would definitely urge you to watch it if you understood Turkish. But it is also not something that you have to be sad that you are missing out on. It is basically a pale reflection of the novel for all its virtues, and doesn’t add much to it. It is visually of a very poor quality as well. I still love it for what it is.

#aşk ı memnu #aşk-ı memnu #aşk ı memnu 1975 #asks

5 notes · View notes

ear-worthy · 2 months

Text

Verbal Diorama: A Superb Film History Podcast

There are several reasons why podcasts about movies and TV proliferate. First, listeners of podcasts are also consumers of movies and TV. Second, movie and TV podcasts require no degree or academic certification. In effect, anyone with a sense for artistic excellence can do such shows.

However, just because there are a lot of these podcasts doesn't mean they're easy to do and easy to do well.

The U.K. podcast, Verbal Diorama is an example of a superb film history podcast that is sadly lost in the spacious landscape of podcasting. If you're a fan of film and film history (a TCM junkie) this podcast should be playing in your ears regularly.

Just to be clear, the podcast is more of a film history show than reviewing old films. It's not the Rewatchables with Bill Simmons where bros rap about older movies like they're sitting in Applebee's having an IPA.

Here's the host introducing herself and podcast on her website: "Hi! I'm Em. I created Verbal Diorama in 2018, and launched the podcast in February 2019 to rapturous applause and acclaim.... from my cat Jess." "The modus operandi of Verbal Diorama is simple: movies are tough to make! The coming together of a team of people from all walks of life to make something to entertain, delight and educate us for 90+ mins is not an easy task, and yet so many succeed at it. That must be something to celebrate. I'm here to do just that - to celebrate movies. Their history and legacy, and why they remain so special to so many of us."

Although you may not have heard of this independent podcast, the show has been around for five years. Kudos to any indie podcaster who has the grit to podcast that consistently for that long.

Let me offer an example of the show. On the December 17, 2023, episode, Em, the host, reviews the history of Die Hard, probably one of the most iconic action movies in the history of film. The movie birthed hundreds of action movies with the elevator pitch, Die Hard on a plane; Die Hard on the beach; Die Hard in a phone booth. You get the idea.

The journey from conception to completed film in Die Hard's case is unexpected, unwieldy, and unfathomable.

Did you know that the story of Die Hard starts in the mid-sixties, and the film adaptation of a dark film noir detective drama novel, The Detective, starring Frank Sinatra? What would that sound like with Sinatra as John McClane? "Yippee-Ki-Yay, I did it my way!"

Anyway, the sequel novel Nothing Lasts Forever would take eleven years to be written, and its film adaptation would take a further nine years to make it to the big screen, with some major changes.

Gone was Frank Sinatra reprising his role, and the death of the character's on-screen daughter. The dark, depressing story was revitalized, with a new lead character, on-screen marital issues, explosive action, and one of the most charismatic and interesting villains ever put to screen.

Em details how Alan Rickman who played Hans Gruber, one of the most iconic villains in film history, offered director John McTiernan several key ideas that improved the film. First, Rickman suggested that Gruber not be dressed like the rest of his crew, but in an expensive European suit to distinguish him and his personality from the others.

Then, in a famous scene where Willis as McClane comes upon Gruber, Rickman suggested that Gruber imitate an American accent to try and fool Willis / McClane.

Em also explains how the film's producers wanted John McTiernan to direct Die Hard, but the director hated the idea of terrorists, which was the original concept of the film. The movie was then changed to make Gruber's crew robbers masquerading as terrorists, a key plot point.

What's great about this podcast is that Em's critical and historical eye has a wide angle lens. She covers films in numerous genres, from romantic comedies to superhero flicks, and horror films to sci-fi movies.

Some of her best episodes include Aliens, Hidden Figures, The Wizard of Oz, and Raiders Of The Lost Ark.

"I started the podcast in 2019 after a pretty turbulent couple of years, marred by a marriage breakdown and a family bereavement," shares Em. "So Verbal Diorama was basically born from grief and trauma, which I find tends to be one of the best forms of therapy (I jest, everyone should go to actual therapy!)"

Em continues with the origin story of the show: "I've always been fascinated by film history, and I'm an overwhelmingly positive person for the most part - I can find things to love about most movies, and I still find it miraculous that any movie actually exists. And that's why Verbal Diorama exists - to celebrate everything about filmmaking, and highlight the incredible stories behind the scenes."

Interestingly, Verbal Diorama changed its intro and outro music in 2019, its second season. With the July 21, 2019, episode about Charlie's Angels, which Em notes is really the first women kick butt action movie. The song, written by talented singer / songwriter Chloe Enticott (with a few cheesy lyrics by Em) is a kick-ass rocker in the Joan Jett category. It's high energy, high volume, and sets the podcast apart from thousands of others with generic, free music.

As a host, Em excels with a strong narrative voice and fervent desire to share with her listeners. She's not above sly humor, as in the Charlie's Angels episode, where she waits patiently by the phone for Charlie to call her. When the phone rings, she answers and then responds with mock anger at the sound of a marketing call instead of Charlie.

Em also tosses in social media feedback on the film she's covering that week, with some fun, unexpected responses.

Em also smartly places a teaser for the episode before the intro music to give listeners a taste of the episode. That's strong marketing and narrative wisdom because it entices new listeners and reassures loyal listeners about what's to come in the show.

On her website, Em confesses: "I love podcasts, and listen to many, but never my own. I unashamedly love The Mummy (1999) and Grease 2. I'm still looking for a cool rider."

Em also discloses her feline co-host: "Episodes are audibly book ended by Jess. She sadly passed away in March 2022, aged almost 18. She featured in many episodes of the podcast, and that's why you can hear her at the end of every episode. The role of official feline producer is now held by the comparatively quieter Evie."

Em explains how starting Verbal Diorama has opened up incredible opportunities for her.

"I started writing for Film Stories shortly after starting Verbal Diorama, and I now have a regular print magazine column all about independent podcasting, which has been running for four years. I also write articles highlighting and promoting fellow UK indie film podcasts on the Film Stories website for several years. I have a very dedicated group of paying subscribers on Patreon who help me pay for things like hosting, domains, software subscriptions and new equipment. Verbal Diorama has appeared on Podcast Radio, an online radio station, several times over the years, and it's been featured in podcasting publications like PodBible and Podnews, as well as being a recommended podcast on apps like Goodpods. Em is dedicated to independent podcasting. "Last year I co-created the Independent Podcast Awards (https://independentpodcastawards.com) and worked on the inaugural event with whynow, a media company based in London. It was a hugely personal achievement for me to be able to help create that event to support national independent podcasting, I believe wholeheartedly in the power of podcasting, and of supporting fellow creators. Independent podcasters are the cornerstone of podcasting, and the people doing from their garages or spare bedrooms are doing it for one reason and one reason only - passion. Having passion for podcasting sets indie podcasters apart from the big name celebrities and corporates who are only doing it for monetary gain and because it's the current 'in' thing to do." It's worth adding that The Independent podcast Awards are returning for 2024 - https://podnews.net/press-release/ipa-24-launch

"My thoughts on independent podcasting can be summed up by the honest fact that podcasting changed my life," Em shares. "It gave me purpose, it healed my heart, it's given me opportunities and genuine friendships from a worldwide community that is welcoming to all and supportive of all. That's why they deserve celebrating. That's why independent podcasting deserves celebrating."

Check out Verbal Diorama. It is truly one of the best film history podcasts in the audio verse, and one of the best all-around independent podcasts.

************************************

This review is part of an ongoing series of reviews, recommendations, and essays about Indie podcasters -- their craft, their challenges, and the critical role they play in podcasting. These entrepreneurs display skills as disparate as hosting, sound production, graphic design, scriptwriting, interviewing, marketing genius, and financial watchdog. They are the heart and soul of podcasting.

#podcast #podcasting #movies #film history

0 notes

sadviper · 3 years

Text

Kim Jin Won: Interview with Kankoku TV Drama vol. 97 (Aug 2020)

Director Kim Jin Won

A transformative drama about the birth and founding of the Joseon nation. Spinning a tale of the common people.

Director Kim Jin Won has been recognized for his delicate and heartwarming productions such as "The Innocent Man" (2012 KBS) and "Wonderful Days" (2014 KBS). From the time he first dreamed of directing dramas, he thought of telling stories from the point of view of ordinary people rather than from the viewpoint of the rich and blessed. It was the same for “My Country” (2019 JTBC), which was the director’s first time managing a full-scale historical drama. Although the theme was the founding of Korea, the starring roles were not famous figures such as Yi Seong-gye and Yi Bang-won, but the common folk at the lowest rungs of history. A human drama performed by fresh young stars and historical facts are exquisitely entwined to create a dynamic historical production.

The contrast of Se-jong and Do-hwan as they unveil expectation-shattering performances

--What is the story behind how you became the director for “My Country”?

KJW: Can I speak frankly? To tell you the truth, I don’t really like historical dramas. But when I read the synopsis, it seemed very interesting. It was refreshing to have well-known figures such as Yi Seong-gye and Yi Bang-won play supporting roles in a story about the early days of Joseon. Instead, it pulls the story from the point of view of the commoners. While reading the script, I understood what regular people were thinking during the founding of the nation. That was interesting to me and I agreed to take on the production.

--When talking about the closing years of Goryeo to the early days of Joseon, aren't there essential people or events that have to appear?

KJW: We also thought it would be more interesting for Jeong Mong-ju (🔺1) and Jeong Do-jeon (🔺2) to make appearances, for they are indispensable to this era. The scale of the story would become larger and more dramatic. However, if we did that, it would be too similar to other works, so I abandoned the idea. First, the scriptwriter and I promised to not distort historical facts, and following this guiding principle, we developed the story.

(🔺1) Jeong Mong-ju (鄭夢周): A Confucian scholar and literary vassal who made a name for himself in the late Goryeo period. Yi Seong-gye and Jeong Do-jeon, who aim to establish a new country, oppose him. While planning their assassinations, Mong-ju himself is assassinated by Yi Bang-won's aides.

(🔺2) Jeong Do-jeon (鄭道伝): A politician who exercised his talents as an aide to Yi Seong-gye. He plays a major role in the founding of Joseon and the early national administration. He comes into conflict with Yi Bang-won, who was trying to succeed his father and become the king, and is subsequently killed.

--On the other hand, there are also fictional characters such as Seo Hwi (played by Yang Se-jong), Nam Seon-ho (played by Woo Do-hwan), and Han Hui-jae (played by Seol-hyun <AOA>).

KJW: Yes. Hwi and Hui-jae are characters we created from scratch. We researched how the common people lived during the founding of Joseon and the civil war that is known as the “Strife of the Princes”, and came up with these fictional characters. Nam Jeon, the antagonist and Seon-ho’s father (played by Ahn Nae-sang), was created by mixing together the real historical figures of Jeong Do-jeon and Nam Eun (🔺3). If anything, there are more elements of Nam Eun than Jeong Do-jeon. Nam Eun had several sons, but we made a single motif out of them and created Seon-ho. However, all his rebellious opposition to his father was our invention.

(🔺3) Nam Eun: A politician who was active from late Goryeo to the beginning of the Joseon era. He supports Yi Seong-gye with Jeong Do-jeon and contributes to the founding of Korea. However, Yi Bang-won launches the civil war that is called the "First Strife of Princes" and there Nam Eun loses his life.

--At the drama’s press conference, you told us about your dream casting.

KJW: Previously I produced “Just Between Lovers” (2017 JTBC) and wanted to cast Yang Se-jong as one of the main characters, however, during the preparation stage, that character was removed and I wasn’t able to make him an offer. Ever since, I’ve kept a close watch. Looking at Se-jong, he has a soft image and seems suited for melodramas, but in reality, he’s very manly and even handles his own action scenes. The character Hwi is adept at martial arts and is intelligent, but behind the scenes, he was a difficult character who carried an extraordinary amount of loneliness and heartache. When I met Se-jong, just as he was, I could see Hwi’s painful silhouette, and on the spot, I proposed that we work together.

--And what about Woo Do-hwan?

KJW: A long time ago, I asked my industry peers if there were any actors that were attracting attention recently, and that’s how I learned about Woo Do-hwan. At that time, he was a real newcomer with only two works in his filmography. To tell you the truth, Seon-ho’s casting was nerve-wracking. If the other actor can’t match Se-jong’s presence, then it’s difficult for a story that is spearheaded by dual male leads. After worrying over it, Do-hwan came out as the top contender and I made him an offer.

--How were the two on set?

KJW: They are the same age, but they are completely different types. Se-jong is the type of actor who acts after his emotions boil out of him. His emotions won’t emerge if he isn’t convinced, so he needs time to immerse himself in the role and empathize with the character. Do-hwan is the opposite; he is the type who enters the character instantly. Their styles differ but that difference created a transformative, synergistic effect. Se-jong said that one of his few friends was Do-hwan; they went as far as becoming best friends. They often came to me and talked about how they learned a lot from each other.

--During filming, at what point did you feel their charisma?

KJW: First of all, the scene where Se-jong was dragged off to jail was a performance that truly exceeded my expectations. He struck his head against the wall and was suffering, but his eyes! They were eyes that you can’t take a second time. Afterwards, I saw that his forehead was red and swollen. For Do-hwan, it was when we filmed the scene where his haggard figure was seated after Hwi’s sister, Yeon (played by Cho I-hyeon), experienced a traumatic episode. During rehearsal, tears spilled out of Do-hwan’s eyes. I didn’t expect him to cry; I immediately stopped the rehearsal and switched to filming. I thought that the actors properly captured the emotions; I told them to play those two scenes as they wanted to. Their performances were realistic and absolutely heart-wrenching.

Regrets for the limited romantic kiss scene

-- At what point did you feel Seol-hyun’s appeal and pick her for the role?

KJW: Casting the role of Hui-jae was a bit difficult. The drama was male-centric, and there was no clear romance. Be that as it may, even though the role is to become Hwi and Seon-ho’s emotional support, I thought that it had to be an actor that everyone understood. If it were Seol-hyun, she would give a skillful performance.

-- Seol-hyun’s performance received particularly good reviews.

KJW: I’m the most glad about that. During the middle of the broadcast, we held a press conference and from the very beginning, the reporters paid her many compliments. Without a doubt, her popularity increased with this work. She had a strong desire to do well, and together we discussed it and made it happen. In particular, Seol-hyun’s charms shone especially bright in the scenes with Seo Seol (played by Jang Young-nam), who manages the brothel.

-- There is one more main character: what is the story behind casting Jang Hyuk for the role of Yi Bang-won?

KJW: This casting was also very stressful. This drama was so nerve-wracking that you could say casting took up more than half the effort. In particular, Yi Bang-won is a figure that symbolizes this era, so I want an actor with a powerful presence to play the role. Otherwise, the scale will shrink and Yi Bang Won’s charisma as he faces the main characters will disappear in the second half. If you watch the drama, you’ll know that Yi Bang-won is involved in everything: he is in conflict with Seon-ho; he develops a close rapport with Hwi; and he fights for power with Yi Seong-gye and Nam Jeon. It requires an actor with profound emotions. The first person who came to mind was Jang Hyuk.

-- While filming, when was the moment that you thought ‘as expected’?

KJW: Jang Hyuk can dominate the screen with just the look in his eyes, without having to say a word. Also, he is as erudite as a historian, so I had an easy time as the director. The most memorable scene is the one with his father, Yi Seong-gye (played by Kim Yeong-cheol). In the scene where the two of them argued over the throne, initially I thought they would show a top-down hierarchy between a father and son. However, after rehearsal, Jang Hyuk and Kim Yeong-cheol were able to portray their relationship on equal footing. Man versus man. There was no discussion, it was a spontaneous expression. I could clearly see that Yi Bang-won was facing his father as a man. I thought it was excellent.

-- From the young to the veteran, the appeal of the actors was outstanding, and I enjoyed the male friendships.

KJW: First of all, what’s wonderful about Kim Yeong-cheol and An Nae-sang is that anyone who performs alongside those two ends up looking better. They only have to stand on the side, and it makes the other person look cool. Even Jang Hyuk, who is already strong enough, doubled in appeal when he was with them. After that, Jang Hyuk gave a lot of advice to his juniors. In the drama he was taciturn, but in reality he is quite talkative (laugh). Whenever he thought he didn’t have to be on set, he was always talking to his juniors by the side of the car that was used as the make-up room. Male friendships are good, but it’s just that I wanted to show more romance.

-- You mean Hwi and Hui-jae’s romance?

KJW: Yes. It wasn’t easy to incorporate the romance because the scale of each episode was so large. The only thing I was particular about was when Hwi was first taken to the battlefield--instead of remembering his sister, Yeon, he remembers Hui-jae. When I went to military service and woke up in the morning at the training center, the first thing that came to my mind wasn’t my family but my girlfriend (laugh). In the end, I changed it so that Hwi remembers both Yeon and Hui-jae. This was because Hwi is in a unique situation where he doesn’t know how Yeon is doing.

-- What about Hwi and Hui-jae’s first kiss scene?

KJW: I also have a lot of regrets concerning that scene. It was the first important kiss scene, but it took place in such a crappy little room! Hwi being beaten up, his lumpy face, and the shabby location are what I remember when I think about that scene. The art director and I did our best to film it as beautifully as possible. Otherwise, Hwi and Hui-jae’s feelings won’t be conveyed properly to the audience.

-- The early scene of paper lanterns soaring into the sky was also beautiful.

KJW: I put a lot of effort into that. It was the only happy time I could give Hwi before he heads out for the battle called the Liaodong Conquest. The script only called for flying kites, but I thought it would be unnatural to fly kites from day until night. After worrying about it, I ultimately decided to fly paper lanterns at night. The atmosphere was romantic, which was very nice.

Putting your heart and soul into the battlefield scenes

The trouble with bows and arrows in acting and film

-- You put in a remarkable amount of effort, not just for the romance scenes but also for the war scenes?

KJW: I poured the most effort into this part. There are a total of three battle scenes, but I filmed them all over six days. Of those, I focused the most on the scene for the Liaodong conquest. Hwi is suddenly taken to the battlefield, he’s bewildered and confused as to why he’s there, and he has to survive. I decided to film in one continuous take in order to highlight the figure of Hwi fighting without knowing the situation he’s in, but an entire day was gone just from checking the flow lines of the cameras and actors…It was an enormous challenge for me. It was very difficult.

-- It was also impressive that bow and arrows were used as the main weapons instead of swords.

KJW: When I first spoke to the screenwriter, I wanted to take a different approach from other historical dramas, so I chose bow and arrow. However, that was the start of my troubles. Swords look cool and film well when you swing them around, but you can’t do that with bows and arrows. This time, I realized this while shooting. The actors also had a lot of trouble. Drawing the bow requires considerable power, so when they spoke their lines, their hands would quiver. Luckily they were all skilled at action and did a great job carrying it out.

-- One month after the start of filming, you regretfully asked yourself, “Why did I decide to do a historical drama?” (laugh) Was this because of the battle scene from before?

KJW: No. I didn’t have regrets during that time. It was during the appearance of the children. Two child actors played the queen’s (played by Park Ye-jin) sons. They only appear a few times in the drama, but for the sake of that scene, those two suffered a lot. I’m a father with a child their age, so it was really heart-breaking. When I was an assistant director, I shot a historical drama and I realized that it didn’t suit me, but unfortunately, over time I forgot. Hahaha.

--Seems like you really value the actors. When viewing the making video, the actors are often heard voicing their opinions.

KJW: That’s not always the case (embarrassed laugh). “My County” had many large-scale scenes, so I communicated the way I would with a contemporary drama. In particular, I had all kinds of discussions with the protagonists Se-jong, Do-hwan, and Seol-hyun. Thanks to this, the burden on each other was lightened, and we were able to save time during filming. After listening to the opinions of all the actors, I have an image of the scene before I film. However, for important scenes, I felt that I should capture the emotions the actors are trying to express rather than just capturing beautiful images.

--This is your second drama since transferring to JTBC. What is the story behind your transfer?

KJW: I wanted to continue directing. KBS is also a very good company and I learned many things there. But as any organization gets older, the time comes when you have to move to the next step on the ladder. It goes from director to producer, then from producer to a desk. I transferred because I still had a strong desire to be in the field instead of in a managerial position.

--What are your plans now?

KJW: I don’t have any plans yet, but I’m joking with the staff that my next project will be set in Seoul, so they don’t have to go to the countryside and practically live there (like for “My Country”), hahaha. There is a project that I want to create for myself. A bright and healing work. After I transferred companies, I was told I could do what I want, so the first thing I filmed was the drama “Just Between Lovers”. After that, someday at least once, I want to try making a drama about the story of the Sewol issue. Nothing exciting, but the kind of story that heals the trauma.

#kim jin won #my country the new age #mctna #woo do hwan #yang se jong #seol hyun #nam seon ho #seo hwi #han hui jae #japanese translation #interview #韓国TVドラマ #yi bang won #jang hyuk

38 notes · View notes

dramarants · 3 years

Text

KDrama Actresses Who Caught My Eye

Won Jin Ah

On the surface, she looks just like a porcelain doll with the sweetest, purest smile - but her performance in Just Between Lovers showed she’s capable of so much more. Ha Moon Soo is soft yet brave and while it looks like She Would Never Know might be a bust script-wise, I’m still holding my breath for Won Jin Ah’s next hit!

Dramas watched: 2

Greatest Hits:

Just Between Lovers/Rain or Shine (2017) - between slice of life and melo, a personal favorite

Life (2018) - medical drama, haven’t seen it but looking forward to it!*

Latest:

She Would Never Know (2021, still airing)

Hellbound (2021, coming soon!)

Gong Hyo Jin

Her characters and dramas are super offbeat (usually less glamorous). Gong Hyo Jin is a total dramedy queen, and the great news is that she’s got tons of movies and shows to choose from!

Dramas watched: 2.5

Greatest Hits:

Thank You (2007) - breakout role as a single mom with an HIV+ child*

Master’s Sun (2013) - fantasy romcom

It’s Okay, That’s Love (2014) - explores mental health and social stigma*

Jealousy Incarnate/Don’t Dare To Dream (2015) - workplace romcom*

Latest:

When the Camellia Blooms (2019)

Ha Ji Won

Can you say versatile? I watched Secret Garden and didn’t love it but appreciated Ha Ji Won’s performance but then came Chocolate and Empress Ki. I started both at once and the way she pulled off a quiet, pining chef and a badass, broken power lady fighting to survive - oof, the range 👌

Dramas watched: 2

Greatest Hits:

She’s got so many dramas so this is a hard one! Listing recent cross genre works but check her filmography to see what suits your taste

Empress Ki (2013) - historical political drama, it’s a heavy one

Hospital Ship (2014) - medical drama*

Latest:

Chocolate (2019)

Shin Hye Sun

I cannot believe I forgot to put her on this list! Total powerhouse and loved seeing her move from secondary characters into lead roles in multiple genres! I’ve hated her guts and worshipped her guts, Shin Hye Sun is, as they say, a true acting chameleon.

Dramas watched: 4

Greatest Hits:

My Golden Life (2017) - family drama, break through role!*

Still 17/Thirty But Seventeen (2018) - romcom*

Angel’s Last Mission: Love (2019) - fantasy melo, blind ballerina meets cheerful angel

Latest:

Hymn of Death (2018)*

Mr. Queen/Queen Cheorin (2020, currently airing)

Seo Ye Ji

Okay, so this one’s is kinda literal - Seo Ye Ji is stunning. I didn’t love It’s Okay to Not Be Okay as much as others did but I enjoyed it mainly for her fantastic performance as Ko Moon Young (plus her chemistry with the male lead!) and cuz I'm a sucker for found family. Really looking forward to seeing more of her work moving forward!

Dramas watched: 2

Greatest Hits:

Save Me (2017) - thriller mystery drama*

Lawless Lawyer (2018) - legal thriller drama, insane chemistry with ML*

Hwarang (2016) - historical hot ppl fest, watch for costumes + eye candy

Latest:

It’s Okay to Not Be Okay (2020)

Honorable Mentions:

Park Min Young - loooved her in Healer and heard great things about Her Private Life and Sungkyunkwan Scandal!

IU - I feel like this one is kind of obvious, she did so well in dramas like Scarlet Heart Ryeo: Moon Lovers and My Ahjussi; Hotel Del Luna is on my watchlist!

Go Ara - she plays sweet but defiant and strong willed really well. Loved her performance in Miss Hammurabi and looking forward to watching Black soon.

I’m guilty of following kdrama men more than the women so if there are any actresses you really like or dramas featuring great female performances, let me know!

*starred dramas are blind recs

95 notes · View notes

welcome-to-afterlife · 3 years

Text

Wannabe Challenge Kpop AU Headcanons

I know that no one requested this, but I had this idea stuck in my head for a while now. It took quite some time to get down, but I'm finally done!

Role: Leader, Main Vocalist, Center

Taehee was the first member of the group to be recruited by ST Entertainment. He had a charismatic yet soft aura that drew all the girls on audition day. Immediately, the entertainment company knew that Taehee would become part of their label.

However, it took him a good 5 years before the company decided that he was ready for debut. It was within this time that he learned how to avoid the entertainment industry's sleazy business practices, develop a strong image, and maintain constant motivation for debut. You could say he subconsciously preparing to he a leader by trying to himself afloat for 5 years.

Once he finally got to debut, Taehee was chosen to be the leader of the group. Although Hansol seemed like the more obvious choice, Hansol thought that Taehee would be a better fit since Taehee already knew a lot about the entertainment industry due to his experience. Besides, he was the only one who was mature and emotionally-equipped to lead a group.

As for Taehee's abilities, his strongest suit is his singing. While he wasn't the strongest singer at the start of his training, he ended up become one of the best vocalists in the company. His voice has a unique color that radiates smoothness with a hint of attitude. He's able to hit high notes, but he's a lot better at belting -- especially when he's feeling emotional.

Perhaps this is the reason that Taehee excels in elegant concepts. His graceful movements along with his princely facial expressions make him the star on the stage. Think of songs such as "I'm in Trouble" by NU'EST, "Blue Flame" by ASTRO, and "Not By the Moon" by GOT7. It's like he belongs on an icy throne in a golden palace.

Surprise, surprise: he gets the most lines in their songs. Usually it's not by a lot, but sometimes ST gives some of Biho's lines to Taehee (much to the everyone's dismay). He's never comfortable singing those lines and tries to negotiate to give Biho more lines, but it doesn't always work. He gets quite the backlash for it, but unfortunately it's out of his control.

When interacting with fans, Taehee is usually very warm and kind. He's constantly asking about everyone's health and well-being, nagging fans to keep themselves at top priority. He doesn't want fans to ruin their lives because of their love for him and his group. He's also very earnest and mature, almost like a guardian angel to his fans. Wherever they go, his heart is always with them.

In the group, he's basically the dad. He's always looking out for the other members (yes, even Yooha). Just like his fans, his members' well-being is top priority. In lives, you'll probably see him in the background cooking food, cleaning dorms, and or scolding the other members for doing dumb things (that last reason is why he's also very likely to appear in crack videos).

However, he appears most often in "sassy moment compilations" because of his reactions. Taehee has even gone viral because he just straight up rolled his eyes at a variety show when they asked him uncomfortable questions and threw not-so-subtle shade. From then on, he's been dubbed as the "sassy king".

For side projects, his main path is acting. Taehee is a really good actor who played the main male lead in a critically acclaimed K-Drama. He played the sly but sweet love interest in a historical drama. The audience are always amazed at his ability to adapt to the time period so accurately.... it's almost as if he's lived there himself?

Role: Main Rapper, Lead Dancer, Vocalist

Originally, Yooha has started off as a model. However, staff from ST Entertainment saw Yooha and thought that his visuals would be perfect for the kpop business. They offered their business card to him and he decided to try out for fun. Fortunately, he nailed his audition and was admitted as a trainee immediately.

Yooha was the last person to join the company and had the shortest training time (1 year). His sudden arrival and decision to debut with the group created a rift between him and the other members. Taehee thought it was unfair that Yooha could debut with minimal training while Hansol was worried that Yooha's addition would affect the group's dynamic (in areas like line distribution, dance formation, etc).

However, he and the other members were forced to resolve their issues when he became Taehee's roommate at their dorm. Since it was Taehee's job to lead the group (including Yooha), the two had no choice but to bond.

Now before y'all yell at me that Yooha isn't main rapper material, just know that I had to give the position to someone. Secondly, Yooha has an alluring and deep voice voice that was perfect for rap. Also, he is really good at rapping in various beats and experiments with different flows. While he can do fast raps, he prefers to make ones that have a distinct rhythm and leave a lasting impact on the audience.

However, Yooha hadn't planned to debut as the group's rapper. His original role being the main dancer, but he jokingly rapped in an pre-debut interview and everyone fell in love with his voice. From that, ST Entertainment thought it would be best to make Yooha the rapper instead.

In fan interactions, Yooha is very slick and flirty. Whether it's in fanmeet, lives, or concerts, Yooha knows exactly how to steal the hearts of his fans. Just one wink is enough to make the entire stadium swoon over him.

However, he's also the crackhead of the group. If you search for the group's "crackhead moment compilations", 80% of the video will involve Yooha somehow. In fact, it's these moments that really boost his popularity within the group and skyrocket him to the 2nd most popular member in the group.

Sometimes, he manages to pull one over Taehee and becomes the most popular member. How does this happen? Well, whenever the group has a "bad boy"/sexy concept comeback, Yooha absolutely dominates the stage. Think of songs such as "Want" by Taemin, "7th Sense" by NCT U, and "Love Killa" by Monsta X. The sexy concept was made for him, so it's no surprise when everyone in the comments section thirsts over him. It's just enough to put him over the edge against Taehee in fan voting.

He also has the most risque outfits. Yooha has an amazing body and he knows it, so why keep it hidden? His wardrobe is filled with experimental pieces that show of his abs, forearms, and everything in between. It's the reason why he's voted "Best Dressed" on every voting app.

Yooha is also a smooth dancer. His fluidity and confidence amplifies his sex appeal on stage, which often causes fans to confuse him as the group's main dancer. He's also has killer facial expressions that maintain his striking stage presence, making it impossible to keep your eyes off of him.

When Yooha isn't rocking the stage, you'll probably see him on magazines and commercial shoots. Photographers just can't get enough of his visuals, so they constantly bring him back for more modeling. He'll even dabble his feet in web dramas, but it doesn't last for long due to the scheduling conflicts between the web dramas and his music career.

Position: Main Dancer, Main Vocalist, Producer, Face of the Group

Hansol started his music journey long before ST Entertainment. He had been creating music as early as elementary school (mainly him bashing wooden sticks on the table and strumming rubber bands). However, he really got to develop his passion on high school-- where he dedicated his time towards music production and music theory.

Thus, Hansol had his own YouTube channel where he created covers of different artists and snippets of songs that he created on his own. From that, he amassed a small following of 25K subscribers. This audience attracted ST Entertainment, who took a liking to his videos and asked him whether he wanted to be a trainee. Hansol gladly took the offer.

Hansol was the 2nd member to join ST and trained for 3 years. Although the company had given him the opportunity to debut immediately, Hansol wanted to wait until he reached his full potential.

While Hansol originally was the leader of the group (since he already had a fairly stable music presence), he had to product all their music. This ate up leadership time, which Hansol was having difficulty in managing. Besides, he thought that Taehee was more mature than him and thought Taehee would do a better job as a leader. Hansol ended up handing the leader role to Taehee before debut.

Hansol's production has been praised by critics, fans, and other producers. His vision for the song helps the group distinguish themselves from the other acts in the entertainment industry and create their own identities as a group. Sometimes he writes songs with Biho (or by himself) to better convey his emotions onto their group's album.

Hansol is the group's ace: he can sing, dance, and even rap. He's equally talented at singing and dancing, so he decided to take main positions for both skills. In his singing, Hansol has a high-pitched voice that makes it easy for him to hit high notes and belt to his heart's content. In fact, many of his lines in the songs are his adlibs (which give the song that extra spice).

Hansol's dancing style is sharp and energetic. There's a lot of power in his movements with playful facial expressions (in contrast to Yooha's powerful, sexy style). This allows him to steal the spotlight when the group has a playful and upbeat comback (think "Energetic" by Wanna One, "Sha La La" by Pentagon, and "BBUSYEO" by ONEUS). His bright grin is enough to light up the entire stadium while keeping fans engaged throughout the performance.

The group's debut turned out pretty successful thanks the Hansol's YouTube fanbase. With his enlarged presence, Hansol is the "Face of the Group"-- the most recognizable member to the general public. While he isn't the most popular within his group's fans, Hansol is the most liked across the general public.

Hansol's personality around fans is very bubbly. He loves playing up his cute, boyish charms to win over the fans (especially when they drool over Yooha). There's a lot of winking, heart signs, pouting, and hugs whenever Hansol interacts with his fans.

Within the group, Hansol is the baby. Although he isn't the youngest, he acts the most immature. He's always nagging the other members and trying to prove his manliness, but it's more like a puppy trying to intimidate a pack of wolves.

For side projects, Hansol would have a solo debut. He'd produce all the music on his album while collaborating with Biho for songwriting. Since it's his solo career, Hansol would have much more creative control-- allowing him to fully explore every corner of his artistry. He plans to continues his solo career long after the group disbands too.

Position: Lead Vocalist, Rapper, Songwriter, Visual, Maknae

Biho was the 3rd member to join ST Entertainment. Out of the 4, he was the only one who submitted a formal audition tape to ST Entertainment and got accepted through the traditional audtion process. What made his audtion special was that he performed his own song-- a love song to his future lover. The judges absolutely loved his vibe and voice, so they couldn't pass this opportunity.

When Biho became a trainee, he always felt insecure about his skills. Even though he was talented, Biho was training with the likes of Taehee and Hansol, who were already experienced and seasoned professionals. Biho thought he'd be holding his group back, but the other members assured him that his presence made a significant impact on the group.

And honestly, it really did because Biho wrote most of their songs. His lyrics were both thought-provoking and poetic. He was never afraid of writing music about the things on his mind (whether it was love, fear, anger, or sadness). However, editing the lyrics took a lot of time as Biho only wanted to make the best content for his fans. Sometimes he lets Hansol write music with him.

Biho's strength lies in his singing (like most of the other members). His voice is soft and breathy, almost like a lullaby wrapping you in a soft blanket. No matter how you're feeling, Biho's voice is guaranteed to calm your nerves and take to your safe place.

Biho is also known for his looks. Although Yooha is the group's top model, Biho's face is the perfect canvas for all types of makeup styles. Although he doesn't realize it, fans love the duality between his soft persona and his darker one. Many are surprised that Biho is able to make the switch for sexier concepts and absolutely die when he does.

However, Biho shines the most with soft boy concepts. It's the image that he's had for the longest and is most comfortable with. Besides, the more thoughtful and heartfelt songs are where his lyrics get to shine through-- making him extra happy. For reference, the best examples of soft boy songs that suits Biho would be "Spring Day" by BTS, "Don't Wanna Cry" by SEVENTEEN, "Blue Hour" by TXT.

In fan interactions, Biho is extremely warm and a tad bit shy. He's always blushing when fans compliment him and showers his fans with a bunch of love in return. He likes to take his fans' hands and sincerely thank them for their support because his group would be nothing without them.

In fact, Biho is the most likely to get emotional while performing. The fact that there are so many people who are willing to listen to his music and his message is something that he could barely dream of. He will be forever indebted to their kindness, which is why he tries go provide his fans with all a lot of content (lives, Q+As, pop-up fansigns).

In the group, Biho isn't much different. In fact, he's the member whose idol persona matches his real personality the most. He's always cheering hisnother members from the side and gushing about how amazing they are. Sometimes he likes to throw an occasional jab at Yooha though (especially when Yooha is feeling himself too much).

For side projects, Biho is working on a book! He already has a collect of poems that was published, which has recieved high praise from critics and other poets. He also spends time writing songs for other groups, especially ones that come from small, poor companies.

#wannabe challenge #kim taehee #yoo hansol #kang biho #wannabe challenge yooha #yooha #wannabe challenge headcanons

91 notes · View notes

kdramaxoxo · 3 years

Note

I've decided to go back in time to like 2019-2018 and I want your trusted list of the best dramas from these years

Can we all please go back to 2019????

I’ll list all of the dramas I gave a 9/10 or higher to (there are a lot of solid 8/10 rated k-dramas but my list would be a mile long if I included them)

My Favorite K-Dramas from 2018-2019

(9/10 rating or higher)

Just Between Lovers: A melodrama romance featuring my bias. But listen, I swear I’m not biased cause I didn’t even know who Lee Junho was when the show aired. The leads are trauma babies from the devastating effects of a building collapse from their childhood. Their love story is all about comfort and healing, and loving people regardless of their flaws. It’s a bit over the top melodrama wise but this OTP is one of my faves.

Be Melodramatic: Everyone knows I love this slice-of-life, found family, workplace drama centered around a group of four friends.

Extraordinary You: My favorite fantasy k-drama takes a High School Boys Over Flowers AU and gets real crazy with it. It’s funny, heartbreaking, romantic and magical.

He Is Pyschometric: Sci-fi crime k-drama featuring rookie actors in their first leading roles (Park Jin-Young and Shin Ye-Eun). Featuring a bunch of Trauma babies.

One Spring Night: A slice-o- life k-drama with a real unique slow burn vibe. A single dad pharmacist falls for a girl already in a relationship. The taboo of her dating a single dad is a thing in this drama, and the couple is “Us Against the World.” Soft couple alert.

Her Private Life: Sassy and sweet romcom that’s all fluff and very little melodrama. A super easy watch --- Oooooh the chemistry!

Terius Behind Me: A secret agent in hiding becomes a nanny to the next door neighbors. This drama really has almost no flaws. It’s got found family, characters who change and grow and it’s also hilarious because of the neighborhood community.

The Smile Has Left Your Eyes: Creepy psychological thriller with romance. I was captivated by the characters and the style of this k-drama - it’s really not like any others out there while also having that k-drama feel? Seo in Guk and Jung So Min are one of my favorite weirdo couples.

Search: WWW: Workplace k-drama with not one but two noona romances! If you’re looking for strong competent ladies in power suits and their soft boy love interests you’ll love this drama. Also the soundtrack. Also SCARLETT <3

Come and Hug Me: A girl’s family is murdered by her friend’s dad leaving both traumatized by their past. It’s intense and very melodramatic. You will cry multiple times but the OTP is everything. The strength of the female lead played by my girl Jin Ki Joo is just *chef’s kiss*

Drunk In Good Taste: An adorable web drama about a girl who loves eating sweets and the boy who crushes on her. It’s on youtube right now, and you can’t beat 10 minute episodes!

Kingdom Season 1: A historical k-drama with a zombie outbreak! The acting is amazing and the story is so well written. Skip this if you do not like horror or gore. But...Bae Doona <3

Psychopath Diary: Psychological crime thriller with a killer cast. (get it? killer? yes i hate myself ;-) This underrated drama is a black comedy in between genres where the most ridiculous misunderstanding begs the question: What makes a person a murderer?”

My Strange Hero: Bok Soo is an adult now but for k-drama reasons has to go back to high school to get his degree. His best friend and first love both work there, and honestly I was so surprised at how great this drama turned out to be. It’s a great high school drama, but also features the adults so it’s really fun but also wholesome.

What’s Wrong With Secretary Kim?: A super fluffy and funny rom com with very little melodrama. If you want to watch a beautiful couple fall in love at work and you don’t want to think too hard about anything at all, watch this drama. You know I hate boss/underling relationships but this one worked for me. Secretary Kim’s ponytail is the start actress!

Your House Helper: A quiet and sweet drama about a group of girlfriends who all live in the same house. Each person has their own demons and the show highlights healing and soft boys.

Thirty But Seventeen: A found family romcom with so much heart!! A girl wakes up from a coma and realizes she’s 13 years older and her family is gone. She ends up living in the same house as a total introvert. The premise sounds creepy, I know but listen...it’s SO NOT. Watch this for a super soft couple, wholesome family and friends, and healing.

Bonus Korean Movie:

Two Lights: Relumino aired in December 2017, but I’m including it because it’s a piece of art and it’s only an hour long (and on youtube!) A piano repairman who is losing his eyesight joins a photography club for the seeing impaired. He meets a girl who helps him feel comfortable with his new situation. It’s super beautiful and wholesome and I loved it so so much.

#kdrama #kdrama recommendations #i love a list #ask #answer #i'll bet my 2020 list would be super short #this year was sooooo meh for me #though the world is a dumpster fire so that tracks

48 notes · View notes

lastsonlost · 4 years

Text

All this over the Japanese liking a game they don't like...

Ghost of Tsushima opens with a grand wide shot of samurai, adorned with impressively detailed suits of armor, sitting atop their horses. There we find Jin, the protagonist, ruminating on how he will die for his country. As he traverses Tsushima, our hero fights back the invading Mongolian army to protect his people, and wrestles with the tenets of the Bushido code. Standoffs take advantage of perspective and a wide field of view to frame both the samurai and his opponent in something that, more often than not, feels truly cinematic. The artists behind the game have an equally impeccable reference point for the visuals: the works of legendary filmmaker Akira Kurosawa

“We really wanted to pay respect to the fact that this game is so totally inspired by the work of this master,” director Nate Fox said in a recent interview with IndieWire. At Entertainment Weekly, Fox explained how his team at Sucker Punch Productions suggested that the influence ran broadly, including the playable black-and-white “Kurosawa Mode” and even in picking a title. More specifically, he noted that Seven Samurai, one of Kurosawa’s most well-known works, defined Fox’s “concept of what a samurai is.” All of this work went toward the hope that players would “experience the game in a way as close to the source material as possible.”

But in embracing “Kurosawa” as an eponymous style for samurai adventures, the creatives behind Ghost of Tsushima enter into an arena of identity and cultural understanding that they never grapple with. The conversation surrounding samurai did not begin or end with Kurosawa’s films, as Japan’s current political forces continue to reinterpret history for their own benefit.

Kurosawa earned a reputation for samurai films as he worked steadily from 1943 to 1993. Opinions of the director in Japan are largely mixed; criticism ranges from the discussion of his family background coming from generations of samurai to accusations of pandering to Western audiences. Whether intentional or not, Kurosawa became the face of Japanese film in the critical circles of the 1950s. But he wasn’t just a samurai stylist: Many of the director’s films frame themselves around a central conflict of personal ideology in the face of violence that often goes without answer — and not always through the lives of samurai. In works like Drunken Angel, The Quiet Duel, or his 1944 propaganda film The Most Beautiful, Kurosawa tackles the interpersonal struggles of characters dealing with sickness, alcoholism, and other challenges.

His films endure today, and not just through critical preservation; since breaking through to the West, his visual ideas and themes have become fodder for reinterpretation. You can see this keenly in Western cinema through films like The Magnificent Seven, whose narrative was largely inspired by Seven Samurai. Or even A Fistful of Dollars, a Western epic that cleaved so closely to Kurosawa’s Yojimbo that director Sergio Leone ended up in a lawsuit with Toho Productions over rights issues. George Lucas turned to Kurosawa’s The Hidden Fortress in preparation for Star Wars; he’d eventually repay Kurosawa by helping to produce his surreal drama Dreams.

Ghost of Tsushima is part of that lineage, packing in action and drama to echo Kurosawa’s legacy. “We will face death and defend our home,” Shimura, the Lord of Tsushima, says within the first few minutes of the game. “Tradition. Courage. Honor. These are what make us.” He rallies his men with this reminder of what comprises the belief of the samurai: They will die for their country, they will die for their people, but doing so will bring them honor. And honor, tradition, and courage, above all else, are what make the samurai.

Except that wasn’t always the belief, it wasn’t what Kurosawa bought whole cloth, and none of the message can be untangled from how center- and alt-right politicians in modern Japan talk about “the code” today.

The “modern” Bushido code — or rather, the interpretation of the Bushido code coined in the 1900s by Inazō Nitobe — was utilized in, and thus deeply ingrained into, Japanese military culture. An easy example of how the code influenced Imperial Japan’s military would be the kamikaze pilots, officially known as the Tokubetsu Kōgekitai. While these extremes (loyalty and honor until death, or capture) aren’t as present in the myth of the samurai that has ingrained itself into modern ultranationalist circles, they manifest in different yet still insidious ways.

In 2019, to celebrate the ushering in of the Reiwa Era, the conservative Liberal Democratic Party commissioned Final Fantasy artist Yoshitaka Amano to depict Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe as a samurai. Though described as being center-right, various members of the LDP have engaged in or have been in full support of historical revisionism, including the editing of textbooks to either soften or completely omit the language surrounding war crimes committed by Imperial Japan. Abe himself has been linked to supporting xenophobic curriculums, with his wife donating $9,000 to set up an ultranationalist school that pushed anti-Korean and anti-Chinese rhetoric. The prime minister is also a member of Japan’s ultraconservative Nippon Kaigi, which a U.S. congressional report on Japan-U.S. relations cited as one of several organizations that believe that “Japan should be applauded for liberating much of East Asia from Western colonial powers, that the 1946-1948 Tokyo War Crimes tribunals were illegitimate, and that the killings by Imperial Japanese troops during the 1937 ‘Nanjing massacre’ were exaggerated or fabricated.” The Nippon Kaigi, like Abe, have also pushed for the revision of Japan’s constitution — specifically, Article 9 — to allow Japan to reinstate its standing military.

This has been a major goal for Abe as his time as prime minister comes to a definite close in 2021. And from 2013 onward, the politician has made yearly trips to the Yasukuni shrine to honor the memory of war criminals, a status of which his own grandfather was accused, that died with the ethos of the modern Bushido code. Abe’s exoneration of these ideals has continued to spark reactionary nationalist sentiment, as illustrated with the Nippon Kaigi and their ultranationalist ideology. These traditionalist values have encouraged xenophobic sentiment in Japan, which was seen in the 2020 Tokyo elections with 178,784 votes going to Makoto Sakurai, leader of the Japan First Party, another ultranationalist group. Sakurai has participated in numerous hate speech demonstrations in Tokyo, often targeting Korean diaspora groups.

The preservation of the Bushido code that was highly popularized and utilized by Imperial Japan lives on through promotion by history revisionists, who elevate samurai to a status similar to that of the chivalric knight seen in Western media. They are portrayed as an honor-bound and noble group of people that cared deeply for the peasantry, when that was often not the case.

The samurai as a concept, versus who the samurai actually were, has become so deeply intertwined with Japanese imperialist beliefs that it has become difficult to separate the two. This is where cultural and historical understanding are important when approaching the mythology of the samurai as replicated in the West. Kurosawa’s later body of work — like the color-saturated Ran, which was a Japanese adaptation of King Lear, and Kagemusha, the story of a lower-class criminal impersonating a feudal lord — deeply criticized the samurai and the class system they enforced. While some films were inspired by Western plays, specifically Shakespeare, these works were critical of the samurai and their role in the Sengoku Period. They dismantled the notion of samurai by showing that they were a group of people capable of the same failings as the lower class, and were not bound to arbitrary notions of honor and chivalry.

Unlike Kurosawa’s blockbusters, his late-career critical message didn’t cross over with as much ease. In Western films like 2003’s The Last Samurai, the audience is presented with the picture of a venerable and noble samurai lord who cares only for his people and wants to preserve traditionalist values and ways of living. The portrait was, again, a highly romanticized and incorrect image of who these people were in feudal Japanese society. Other such works inspired by Kurosawa’s samurai in modern pop culture include Adult Swim’s animated production Samurai Jack and reinterpretations of his work like Seven Samurai 20XX developed by Dimps and Polygon Magic, which had also received the Kurosawa Estate’s blessing but resulted in a massive failure. The narratives of the lone ronin and the sharpshooter in American Westerns, for example, almost run in parallel.

Then there’s Ghost of Tsushima. Kurosawa’s work is littered with close-ups focused on capturing the emotionality of every individual actor’s performance, and panoramic shots showcasing sprawling environments or small feudal villages. Fox and his team recreate that. But after playing through the story of Jin, Ghost of Tsushima is as much of an homage to an Akira Kurosawa film as any general black-and-white film could be. The Kurosawa Mode in the game doesn’t necessarily reflect the director’s signatures, as the narrative hook and tropes found in Kurosawa’s work — and through much of the samurai film genre — are equally as important as the framing of specific shots.

“I don’t think a lot of white Western academics have the context to talk about Japanese national identity,” Tori Huynh, a Vietnamese woman and art director in Los Angeles, said about the Western discussion of Kurosawa’s aesthetic. “Their context for Japanese nationalism will be very different from Japanese and other Asian people. My experience with Orientalism in film itself is, that there is a really weird fascination with Japanese suffering and guilt, which is focused on in academic circles … I don’t think there is anything wrong with referencing his aesthetic. But that’s a very different conversation when referencing his ideology.”

Ghost of Tsushima features beautifully framed shots before duels that illustrate the tension between Jin and whomever he’s about to face off against, usually in areas populated by floating lanterns or vibrant and colorful flowers. The shots clearly draw inspiration from Kurosawa films, but these moments are usually preceded by a misunderstanding on Jin’s part — stumbling into a situation he’d otherwise have no business participating in if it weren’t for laid-out side quests to get mythical sword techniques or armor. Issues like this undermine the visual flair; the duels are repeated over and over in tedium as more of a set-piece than something that should have a component of storytelling and add tension to the narrative.

Fox and Sucker Punch’s game lacks a script that can see the samurai as Japanese society’s violent landlords. Instead of examining the samurai’s role, Ghost of Tsushima lionizes their existence as the true protectors of feudal Japan. Jin must protect and reclaim Tsushima from the foreign invaders. He must defend the peasantry from errant bandits taking advantage of the turmoil currently engulfing the island. Even if that means that the samurai in question must discard his sense of honor, or moral righteousness, to stoop to the level of the invading forces he must defeat.

Jin’s honor and the cost of the lives he must protect are in constant battle, until this struggle no longer becomes important to the story, and his tale whittles down to an inevitable and morally murky end. To what lengths will he go to preserve his own honor, as well as that of those around him? Ghost of Tsushima asks these questions without a truly introspective look at what that entails in relation to the very concept of the samurai and their Bushido code. This manifests in flashbacks to Jin’s uncle, Shimura, reprimanding him for taking the coward’s path when doing his first assassination outside of forced stealth segments. Or in story beats where the Khan of the opposing Mongol force informs Shimura that Jin has been stabbing enemies in the back. Even if you could avoid participating in these systems, the narrative is fixated on Jin’s struggle with maintaining his honor while ultimately trying to serve his people.

I do not believe Ghost of Tsushima was designed to empower a nationalist fantasy. At a glance, and through my time playing the game, however, it feels like it was made by outsiders looking into an otherwise complex culture through the flattening lens of an old black-and-white film. The gameplay is slick and the hero moments are grand, but the game lacks the nuance and understanding of what it ultimately tries to reference. As it stands, being a cool pseudo-historical drama is, indeed, what Ghost of Tsushima’s creators seemingly aimed to accomplish. In an interview with Famitsu, Chris Zimmerman of Sucker Punch said that “if Japanese players think the game is cool, or like a historical drama, then that’s a compliment.” And if there is one thing Ghost of Tsushima did succeed in, it was creating a “cool” aesthetic — encompassed by one-on-one showdowns with a lot of cinematic framing.

In an interview with The Verge, Fox said that “our game is inspired by history, but we’re not strictly historically accurate.” That’s keenly felt throughout the story and in its portrayal of the samurai. The imagery and iconography of the samurai carry a burden that Sucker Punch perhaps did not reckon with during the creation of Ghost of Tsushima. While the game doesn’t have to remain true to the events that transpired in Tsushima, the symbol of the samurai propagates a nationalist message by presenting a glossed-over retelling of that same history. Were, at any point, Ghost of Tsushima to wrestle with the internal conflict between the various class systems that existed in Japan at the time, it might have been truer to the films that it draws deep inspiration from. However, Ghost of Tsushima is what it set out to be: a “cool” period piece that doesn’t dwell on the reasonings or intricacies of the existing period pieces it references.

A game that so heavily carries itself on the laurels of one of the most prolific Japanese filmmakers should investigate and reflect on his work in the same way that the audience engages with other pieces of media like film and literature. What is the intent of the creator versus the work’s broader meaning in relation to current events, or the history of the culture that is ultimately serving as a backdrop to yet another open-world romp? And how do these things intertwine and create something that can flirt on an edge of misunderstanding? Ghost of Tsushima is a surface-level reflection of these questions and quandaries, sporting a lens through which to experience Kurosawa, but not to understand his work. It ultimately doesn’t deal with the politics of the country it uses as a backdrop. For the makers of the game, recreating Kurosawa is just black and white.

172 notes · View notes

jacepens · 3 years

Note

1: HamilTurn(you can differentiate if needed) or MCU, 2: Washette, 3: Anna Strong

And generally a fandom list would be nice to know what to pick from ;) (Love you♡)

You said HamilTurn or MCU and I say both, I'm going to try my best haha. But anyway, thank you!:) Apologies in advance if this gets rambly, but that's the point of this right? Anyway, for ease of scrolling sake, I'll probably put a cut if this gets long but don't worry, it's just me talking a whole bunch lol. Ok, thank you again!! <3 (love you too!)

1. Hamilton/Turn (fandom)

Favorite character: I have to say Lafayette for both. Oh and Mary

Least favorite character: I have no real reason behind this so sorry but Burr, and Simcoe for many reasons

5 favorite ships: washette, lams, hamliza, benwash, whamilton

Character I find most attractive: ...all. But I have to say overall Brian Wiles as Lafayette. That face just…🥺

Character I would marry: Mary Woodhull or Eliza

Character I would be best friends with: you know I'm not sure, but in an ideal world Lafayette (both versions) or Ben but I feel like we wouldn't be best friends. But also everyone, is that an option? Even some of the "villains" would have good stories to tell

A random thought: I feel like most people in the fandom now are so new (they joined in with the movie release!) and unaware of the uh atrocities of back in the day. And y'all are lucky, but those of us who know. Know. (yes, I was unbearable but that's ok because I was having fun, and despite what I just said: have fun in your fandoms even if you're "unbearable", just keep it welcome to all and enjoy the enthusiasm you have for it:))

An unpopular opinion: Oh boy. Maybe stop making quick judgments about people based on what they write/who they ship? There is a line, but I've genuinely never seen it crossed by anyone at least openly sooo just let people have fun? And don't say anything about something? Unless it's actually harmful but even then, keep it to a dm or something and have an open discussion. Just let people vibe, please? Especially younger fans. Just, I’ve seen a weird amount of negativity towards them. They’re kids having fun, we all used to be like that so please, be kind and patient. They’ll learn if they make a mistake. Ok? Ok cool:) (maybe not unpopular but still I wanted to say it)

My canon OTP: Am I allowed to say lams?

My non-canon OTP: washette, wow, who would've guessed? xD

Most badass character: Mary my beloved

Most epic villain: Robert Rogers hands down

Pairing I am not a fan of: no one murder me, but in general I'm just not a fan of jamilton. also whatever was the deal with Anna and Abe

Characters I feel the writers screwed up (in one way or another): um. Where to begin? Honestly I think every woman in Turn at one point or another, except perhaps Peggy in my opinion. Oh but especially Anna. Also Simcoe. With Hamilton, probably again everyone at some point, but the way Angelica was written just feels so overwhelmingly fictional it bugs me. (But at least Hamilton had some genuine relationships between women, not great but still)

Favorite friendship(s): Ben and Caleb, Washington and Lafayette (what?? yes, you fools. lol). It may sound a tad ~cringey~ but I generally like Hamilton's vibe with the boys, maybe it's just the gender envy, but it's kinda cute and fun.

Character I most identify with: well jeez, I won't lie but Washington. In both versions, except god knows I could never be that chill. Also a dash of Laurens.

Character I wish I could be: wow what a loaded question ummm. I don't want to be like him, but I want to be like in his position so Hamilton lol. Playing an active role but I know personally I am not cut out for a battlefield, so a desk suits me well.

2. MCU (fandom-that I am so out of date from, please take all of this with a grain of salt)

Favorite character: so when I was younger it was Tony Stark but now it’s definitely Wanda and T’challa

Least favorite character: ummm. I genuinely couldn’t tell you, I’m very out of date

5 favorite ships (canon or non-canon): wandavision, …ngl I can’t think of anymore, I honestly never shipped many and wandavision was like the only couple I remember really liking. Oh, I don’t know them but Loki/Mobius and/or Sylvie

Character I find most attractive: embarrassing confession time, Loki was my first bad celebrity crush. Wanda now and Shuri is cute. Also Sylvie

Character I would marry: if I could, Wanda

Character I would be best friends with: Vision and Peter Parker

A random thought: y’all it’s been so long since I’ve touched MCU I should catch up/refresh shouldn’t I?

An unpopular opinion: I don’t know if this is an unpopular opinion but I’m going to say it anyway. Personally, I really don’t like the movie Civil War, I think it’s what sorta made me disinterested in mcu. It’s been years since I’ve watched it so maybe I would have a completely different opinion if I saw it today, but at the time it just felt so...wrong? And childish? I literally don’t even remember why they were fighting or how that movie even ended (I feel like it just wasn’t satisfying??) but I think also, as a kid or teen watching that, it reminded me sooo much of the dumb drama that, you know, kids get into. I mean, getting your friends on someone’s side like that?? Like, I know they were mad but- but there are other ways of dealing with emotions??? And involving everyone's friends too? So yeah, it just felt off to me at the time, and looking back now, from what I remember, it just frustrated me. Especially as a kid who deals with dumb drama like that all the time, kids would want to see a better example especially from adult superheroes or at least not be reminded of the bs they have to go through sometimes. But, rant over, that’s all just my opinion:)

My canon OTP: wandavision

My non-canon OTP: ummm. I guess just Loki/Mobius and/or Sylvie lol

Most badass character: I have to say Natasha but actually there are many

Most epic villain: when I was younger I liked that Ultron was voiced by Robert California from the Office lol

Pairing I am not a fan of: I don’t know if it’s popular but I never liked Tony and Pepper. What happened with her?

Characters I feel the writers screwed up: I guess I’ll say Thor because I just felt such a weird difference in his personality that did not make sense to me

Favorite friendship: Wanda and Pietro!! Honestly I think a lot, there were a lot of good friendships but I can’t think of which ones are my favorite

Character I most identify with: ummmmmm.

Character I wish I could be: My gut says Thor

3. Washette (ship-bless you<3 get ready for rambles oh no)

When I started shipping them: So I first had the thought in 7th grade while my history teacher was talking about them and my little brain went: haha that’s pretty gay. (teacher keeps talking about them) wait a fucking minute, that is pretty gay! But it wasn’t until I got sucked into Hamilton that I really started actively shipping them by reading fics and what not, but something about them became an instant favorite. And later (little personal story time) I pretty much completely stopped reading fic and being active in fandom for years and actually, when I got my first panic attack that - no joke - lasted for 5 hours, for some reason my brain (as it’s decaying lol) said I want to go and reread all my favorite washette fics and also do what I was I always too scared to do. Write!! So that night I binged the fics and found myself falling in love again, feeling all the old passion I had for them again, and the next night (still very shaken) I wrote an outline of a good ol washette confession + kiss that was extremely thoughtful and good, and honestly, I have not actually used that outline yet! Maybe I’m saving it. But yeah, this is a long answer, but I have a weird amount of attachment to them and this ship, I wish I knew why too. <3

My thoughts: so many. Too many. First of all, I love that I have so many versions of them in my mind, right? When I started writing, I had never watched Turn but then I did and then it was like: hell yeah, another washette set. At this point, my brain has created it’s own unique version of them but it’s like, they’re so versatile! That’s one neat thing about this fandom as a whole, we get more than one character and personality and that’s just fun right?! More specifically on washette I mean, they��re just so sweet. Historically, their relationship is unique and cute, and you’d have to be a fool to think that to Washington Lafayette was just another friend. Even strictly platonically, it was something special and it’s so obvious I just love them. Ok. Enough thoughts for now <3

What makes me happy about them: the loooove, the comfort they found in each other, the fact that like every person at the time documenting them knew and understood they were special to each other like, they were just that in love.

What makes me sad about them: oh so much that I try to ignore lol. There is the one year when Lafayette went to France and all his letters to Wash are like: “I have not received one letter from you, but it’s ok, I love you and I know you love me too :)” WHO WAS NOT DELIVERING THESE LETTERS, I HAVE NAMES, NOW I WANT ANSWERS. Anyway, also just most things that happened when Laf went back to France. And then when he visited America in 1824 and visited Washington’s grave. Yeah. ow. (also, you know what, I have done too much research on this event. lmk if you would like a post)

Things done in fanfic that annoy me: Generally, I’m not annoyed by much in fanfic at least with them and what I’ve seen. I’m still nostalgic for the old school nonbinary Laf fics, so it ain’t those. Literally maybe it’s because I’m starved for content but I can’t really think of anything, I love it all.

Things I look for in fanfic: back to the whole starved for content thing, I am a library of washette fics but I think if I was to pick a certain thing that I would love it’s just um fluff? And honesty, if that makes sense. Love confessions are very good as well. Canon era, please :) pining but not too much that it hurts me lol

My wishlist: literally all my wips. If I could whisk them into existence I could die happy and knowing I have put a variety of washette content in the world. Something else though, more fics :’) I love writing but sometimes I want to curl up with a cozy, new washette fic like a cup of hot chocolate and be surprised and learn something new and just..yeah:)

Who I’d be comfortable them ending up with, if not each other: what. Ok but actually, Martha and Adrienne because they are both honestly perfect for them and I love them too (I’m going to be biased, especially Adrienne)

My happily ever after for them: Can Lafayette just move the family to America? But also, it’s sad, but like I know Laf would be sad in America while France suffers. So...maybe a world where things in France go better and Lafayette gets to visit Washington more often and bring the family!! (Washington visit France too??)

4. Anna Strong (character)

How I feel about this character: I like her! She’s fun and…strong (oops lol) and she’s made some mistakes sure, but I feel like she did her best to learn from them and move on

Any/all the people I ship romantically with this character: Honestly, I know they didn’t have a lot of interaction in the show but Anna/Mary has potential. And Anna/Edmund

My favorite non-romantic relationship for this character: her and Ben and Caleb

My unpopular opinion about this character: I really can’t think of anything unpopular

One thing I wish would happen / had happened with this character in canon: in general, her having more screen time with less men you know? I mean like one-on-one kind of scenes. Also I would’ve liked to see at least her and Selah talk. Like, really talk. They never really did that, right? I just have so many questions about them

Favorite friendship for this character: Anna and Ben

My crossover ship: I have no idea

And well, I know it’s been a few days but for a fandom list, I’m just a weeb lol but here

Octopath Traveler (my beloved)

Fire Emblem: Three Houses

Star Wars

Natasha, Pierre and the Great Comet of 1812

Persona 4

Zelda (to a point)

Pokémon

What We Do in the Shadows

Sailor Moon

Literally anything historical

Ok!! I tried to add a lot because I’m not sure what you might know or not haha. But thank you again!! I had fun <3

#ask game

7 notes · View notes

emutempo · 3 years

Text

Strike A Pose (domestic SuperCorp one-shot)

Summary: Everyone has the day off but Supergirl. And even though it means leaving Lena home alone for much of the day, Kara's determined to make the best of it.

Posted to my Ao3 here.

Notes: It's 4:40AM and I just couldn't sleep without getting this out of my head. And since I'm still anxious about posting any of my fics, I figured once again it'd be better to hit that post button before I get too nervous and hit delete instead. Anyway, I hope this brightens at least one person’s day.

----------

Rays from the sun pour in from the windows of Lena’s bedroom and her eyes flutter open as she feels the heat on her face. She forces her eyes open and stretches into a yawn.

She looked across the bed and first saw a mess of golden hair splayed across a pillow. Kara was still fast asleep after a long week working at the DEO. It had been a long week for both them and Lena was looking for to a relaxing Friday with no work.

She was happy the 4th of July landed on a Friday this year. It usually meant she had a three day weekend with Kara all to herself. No L Corp, no CatCo. Except, today, Kara was on call. Even though the DEO was operating with the minimal crew, Kara had volunteered to cover for J’onn, Winn, James and Alex. They had been so accommodating of Kara’s requests for days off to spend with Lena that Lena didn’t mind.

Today would be like any other busy weekend day for them. They’d lounge around the house, playing board games, watching their favorite movies and cuddling on the couch. And when Kara was called away for her Supergirl duties, she’d give Lena a quick goodbye and take off to deal with the problem before eventually coming back to Lena and resuming their activities like nothing had interrupted at all.

For now, it was still early and the city itself was still waking up so Lena turned over and cuddled against Kara. Her head, barely hit the pillow before she fell back into slumber.

—

Later, Kara and Lena were sat up, cuddling on the living room couch, each with a cup of coffee in hand. On the TV, an episode of QI playing. Kara took a sip of her coffee before

Kara and Lena had taken to watching QI on their lazy mornings. Kara was fascinated with the random knowledge and discussion on the show and more-so with Lena’s endless intelligence. This morning, they were talking about the history of astronomy.

Kara cleared her throat, “so when did people start thinking the Earth was flat again? It’s like they’re afraid the Earth is round. They’re lucky it is or they’d be off floating somewhere in space!”

Lena loved these little conversations with Kara. No matter how long she’d spent on Earth, still so much surprised her. Lena shrugged. “You know, the only thing flatearthers fear is sphere itself.”

It took Kara a moment to realize Lena’s joke before a giggle escaped her throat, still a tinge of morning gruffness in her voice. Lena stared into her eyes, trying to memorize the beautiful sound of Kara’s laughter. But it was short-lived as Kara suddenly tilted her head, listening.

Lena smiles, knowing in that moment that duty was calling to Supergirl. National City needed its savior. Kara looked up apologetically to Lena. “Small kitchen fire. No extinguisher. Should be quick.”

And a moment later, a whoosh fills the Lena’s living room as Kara disappears for a moment before another whoosh brings Kara back, clad in her blue suit and red cape. Lena blows her a kiss. “I’ll be waiting for you, Supergirl.”

Kara mimes catching her kiss in the air and puts it to her lips before stepping out onto the balcony. Even though Lena’s a little disappointed, she can’t help but smile as she watches her go.

Kara has the goofiest grin on her face she holds Lena’s eye contact. Lena smiles, shaking her head. She knows what’s coming and she waits for it…

Lena watches as Supergirl turns around and takes a big step away from the balcony door. She turns around in place and mimes pressing an elevator button before taking a patient stance with her arms crossed in front of her, as if waiting. A moment later, still ‘standing’ with her arms crossed, Kara slowly floats up into the air as if riding an invisible elevator until she’s out of Lena’s view. But not before giving the Luthor a playful wink.

Lena can’t hold back the laugh caught in her throat. It’s loud and she knows Kara hears it.

—

Later, they’re sitting on opposite sides of the coffee table, a chess board between them. It’s Kara’s turn but she’s gone on a rant and Lena doesn’t have the heart to interrupt her.

“I just don’t understand. Why are ALL of them so sad? Isn’t there a single period drama about two women falling in love where they get to be together? The endings are always so tragic. Unrequited love… pre-arranged marriage… and that’s only if we’re lucky enough one of them doesn’t die! Doesn’t anyone run away together? Or say ‘screw you’ to all the cranky old men?”

Lena can’t stop herself. She leans over the chess board and kisses Kara. It’s soft and sweet. When she pulls back, she gestures to the chess board and Kara finally realizes it’s her move. She hastily moves one of her pieces and by the look on Lena’s face, it’s not… the best move. But Lena ignores it.

“I think they’re just trying to be historically accurate, love. Times were a lot harder for us not too long ago.”

Kara doesn’t seem satisfied with that answer. “Well, I still don’t like it. No more sad movies like that one we watched last night. Here Comes the World… or was it… A World to Come?”

“The World to Come,” Lena reaches forward to brush a hair out of Kara’s face. “We could watch Gentleman Jack.”

Kara pouts. “That doesn’t sound promising.” Lena chuckles, about to launch into an explanation of the history behind the titular character of Anne Lister when she sees that signature head tilt again and Kara’s eyes focus into the distance. Lena’s puts her hand up over the chess board about to say, “Kara, mind the chess board—“ but it’s too late. Two back to back WHOOSHES and Supergirl is again standing before Lena, who’s eyebrow’s cocked in ITS signature position. Kara notices the chess pieces all over the floor and looks at Lena apologetically, “you were winning anyway?”

Kara leans in and gives Lena a quick peck on the cheek. “Drunken brawl. I’ll get everyone settled down and be right back.” She keeps her eyes on Lena’s as she backs her way toward the balcony door. The look in their eyes and the suppressed smiles on their faces tell us that, again, they both know what’s coming. Lena watches as Kara steps outside, her cape flapping in the breeze, and takes her superhero stance. She double taps the emblem on her chest and then puts her hands out behind her and takes off in flight… Is she serious?

Lena guffaws and yells after Kara. “Iron Man? Are you kidding me?” But Lena giggles. Kara knows she’s gonna give her a hard time for that one later. As if to dig in even more, Kara loop-de-loops and flies by the window on her way to the drunken brawl.

Yeah she definitely heard that.

—

Back at home with Lena and Kara relaxing in front of the TV. Kara channel surfs while Lena plays with her hair. She lands on a movie that’s just started.

“Oh, I love Megamind! Have you ever seen it?”

Lena shakes her head, “I think most of the animated films I’ve watched in my entire lifetime on Earth I’ve seen first with you. And we haven’t watched this one yet.”

Kara scoots up closer to Lena. “Can we? Can we watch it together? It’s one of my favorites.”

Lena puts her arm around Kara and pulls her in. “How many times have I ever said no to your movie picks?” Kara turned around, wearing a hurt look on her face even though Lena knows it’s put-on. “You keep saying no to Hocus Pocus!”

“That’s because it’s a Halloween movie and we should watch it on Halloween.”

Before Kara can protest… another head tilt and yep, a WHOOSH away and back.

“Car wreck on the bridge. Firefighters’ jaws of life aren’t working. Back in a jiffy. We’re not finished discussing this.”

Kara went straight for the balcony and Lena thought she wasn’t going to get a special send off. But, of course, Kara had something else in mind. She turns around and grabs her cape, pulling it up over her head in a somewhat childish maneuver.

What the hell is she doing this time? Then Lena gets her answer when the cape puffs up revealing Kara blowing air into it to resemble a parachute before she floats up, up, and away.

“Ok, that was a good one.”

She can picture the shit-eating grin on Kara’s face and shakes her head, turning back to the TV and hitting play.

—

Kara and Lena in the kitchen, making an early dinner. Kara’s arguing a point and waving a spatula around like a judge waves a gavel.

“You agree that Bette Midler’s amazing and this is one of her favorite roles she’s ever played. She said so herself. I know because she follows me on Twitter.”

Lena flicks a gravy-covered whisk at Kara, flinging the brown sauce onto her shirt and face. Kara mouth drops open and she freezes in place, shocked at Lena’s gravy betrayal.

“That’s what you get for showing off.”

Kara, hands and face still frozen, pivots to face Lena, “oooh, you’re going to be sorry for that.” With a burst of speed, Kara reaches out and tickle Lena’s sides. Lena squeals as she tries to escape but she knows it’s futile. There’s no way she’s escaping Kara’s grip so she does the next best thing and flicks more gravy at her. And now it’s Kara’s turn to squeal. “You are gonna HATE gravy by the time I’m through with you!” Kara dives for Lena but before she can catch her up in her arms again… you know what it is. The head tilt. Kara listens for a moment as she wipes gravy from her face and licks it from her finger. Lena takes a swipe for herself too.

Kara quickly glances at Lena before a smirk takes over her face. But Lena can’t stop her before…

“Kara don’t—“

… Kara WHOOSHES away, spinning the gravy off her body and flinging it EVERYWHERE, including Lena.

“—Do the whoosh thing.”

Lena stands there for a beat. Now SHE’s the one frozen with gravy-face. Kara whooshes back into the kitchen and licks a spot of gravy off Lena’s face.

“Break in at the pawn shop. Don’t try to sneak any kale into the fagioli ‘cause I’ll know.”

Kara makes her way to the balcony but Lena doesn’t turn around. She waits a beat for the tell-tale whoosh but doesn’t hear one. She knows Kara’s waiting for her to turn around and although part of Lena doesn’t want to give her the satisfaction of turning around, she does. Supergirl has places to be and she doesn’t want to keep Kara waiting.

Kara smiles as Lena turns around before jumping onto an invisible broomstick and doing her best interpretation of a witch cackle as she ‘flies’ off.

Lena rolls her eyes as she wipes the gravy off her face with a towel. “Ok, ok! We can watch Hocus Pocus when you get back.”

Lena goes to the fridge and grabs the bunch of kale she’s hidden in one of the fridge drawers.

—

The evening. Lena and Kara lay on the couch, the remnants of their dinner on the coffee table in front of them. Kara swipes a remnant of gravy from one of the plates and quickly dabs it on Lena’s nose. Lena’s nose scrunches at the cold liquid as Kara fights to keep a straight face. So does Lena.

“I’m starting to understand why these witches want to eat these children.”

Kara playfully smacks Lena’s arm. She knows Lena isn’t mad in the slightest. Kara giggles as Lena tries to lick the gravy from her nose with her tongue. But her tongue can’t reach. Kara leans forward and licks it off for her.

“I could eat you.”

Lena blushes and leans in for a kiss. It’s tender and sweet. Lena pulls away to look Kara in the eyes. “Well, you have put a spell on me so I’d probably let you.”

Kara’s eyebrows perk up and she bites her lip, “is that a request, Ms. Luthor?”

But of course… Lena doesn’t get the chance to answer before Kara’s head tilts once again. A beat before… WHOOSH.

“Run of the mill creep following a woman home. Give me five minutes to set this guy straight.”

Kara plops a kiss on Lena’s nose where the gravy was before she turns and runs straight out for the balcony. She doesn’t wait for Lena to turn around but Lena watches anyway as Kara takes a running leap toward the balcony bannister and lands on top of it. She takes a few more jumps like she’s on a diving board before leaping and tucking into a somersault as she “dives” off the bannister and disappears below the balcony.

“Go get him, love.”

Lena hits pause on the movie and sits back, staring off through the balcony windows at the city, her eyes filled with a dreamy haze. She’ll wait for Kara to come back and watch with her.

—

Later that night, Kara and Lena are finally lying in bed cuddling and listening to the last of the fireworks going off.

Kara flips through Twitter on her phone while Lena reads a book in one hand and uses the other to stroke Kara’s hair. She hears a small yawn escape from the blonde’s mouth and looks at the clock.

“It’s getting late. Are you ready to go to sleep, love? Should I turn off the light?”

Kara drops her phone dramatically and tucks her head into Lena. Her arm lands with a thud across Lena’s stomach, collapsing as if exhausted.

“I’m not tired if you’re not.”

Lena strokes her head a few more times before she dogs ears the book she’s reading and places it on her night stand. She leans over to turn off the light when she feels Kara sit up. She turns and sees Kara’s head tilted, listening. Lena picks her book back up, ready to continue reading while she waited for Kara to come back from another rescue.

“What is it this time? Wild assassin penguin on the loose? Three crazy witch sisters kidnapping innocent children?”

Kara stiffens up and tilts her head the other way. “No, it’s a woman…”

Lena sets her book to the side, noticing the serious tone in Kara’s voice. “Kara, what’s wrong?”

Kara looks at Lena, seemingly concentrating on a sound in the distance, a look of concern across her face. “She’s dying… of patience.”

Lena’s eyebrows scrunch together and she squints at Kara, confused. “What?”

Kara turns to face Lena, still as serious as ever.

“She has this girlfriend who keeps rushing off all over the city, leaving her alone at home and she’s just… been so patient.”

Lena’s face relaxes and falls into a lazy grin as she catches on to Kara. Kara can tell Lena’s savvy to her playfulness but she doesn’t drop the series tone.

“See, she’s a very important and very busy lady who doesn’t get a lot of time off to spend with her girlfriend and when she does, her girlfriend always has to fly off. So, if it’s ok with you, I’ve gotta go fix that.”

Lena pulled Kara in close. She didn’t try to feign shock or surprise or play along. She was too consumed with earnest love and she didn’t want to waste any more of their time today, “so how long will it be this time?”

Kara leans in close, kissing Lena with soft lips and tenderness, “forever.”

#supercorp #karaxlena #kara x lena #ao3 #supergirl #fluff #domestic fluff

15 notes · View notes

aion-rsa · 3 years

Text

There Are No Secrets of Dumbledore Worth Adding to the World of Harry Potter

https://ift.tt/eA8V8J

The sunk cost fallacy is a powerful thing. Despite the fact that the current pandemic has audiences more desperate than ever for tentpole films, no one has exactly been clamoring for the continuation of the Fantastic Beasts series, slated to have five movies in total. So it was with muted fanfare that Warner Bros. announced the upcoming release of the third Fantastic Beasts film, set to premiere in April 2022 under the title Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore. Those who watched The Crimes of Grindelwald will remember the prominent role of a young Dumbledore played by Jude Law—clearly the series isn’t quite finished exploring the famously eccentric wizard’s backstory. But given J.K. Rowling’s history of not knowing when to stop opening up the vault, unloading new factoids that simultaneously demystify the wizarding universe and cast its characters in a poor light, you have to wonder: Might everyone be better off if the secrets of Dumbledore were left untold?

The Fantastic Beasts series has never exactly set the world aflame with its brilliance. The initial film, Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, approached the success of the original Harry Potter film series, earning $814 million on a $200 million budget. (Notably, it was the eighth highest grossing film in 2016, when each of the other Harry Potter films were in the top three highest grossing for their respective years.)

The final bait-and-switch reveal of Johnny Depp as the notorious Hitler-esque villain of the series did little to whet the appetites of moviegoers, and the second film fared considerably worse at the box office. The Crimes of Grindelwald made $150 million less than its predecessor, the worst showing of any Harry Potter film by far.

It was roundly criticized for its less than inspired plot and borderline offensive imagery surrounding some of the non-white characters. More than anything, audiences were turned off by the perceived pointlessness of the series: this was not an expansion of the Harry Potter universe that anyone was really asking for. And yet, the franchise soldiers on, kept alive more out of sheer bloody-mindedness than anything else. At this point, surely the kindest thing to do would be to put the poor dear out of its misery, releasing Eddie Redmayne from the shackles of a multi-million dollar contract and letting him go back to making inspirational period dramas. But as long as Rowling has life left in her body, she’s committed to tearing down her own legacy. So here we are: The Secrets of Dumbledore.

It’s no, well, secret that name-dropping Dumbledore in the title is a Hail Mary borne out of the desperate hope that evoking one of the most popular characters in the series will drive audiences back to the theaters. But realistically, it seems like Dumbledore’s backstory (and any hidden revelations contained within) has already been fairly well-mined. We’ve seen him as an old man, the wizened mentor of Harry Potter as headmaster of Hogwarts. We’ve seen him in flashbacks at various points in what we have to assume is an unusually extended middle age, thanks to Harry’s exploration of the Pensieve in an effort to learn more about Voldemort’s shadowy past. We’ve gotten first hand accounts of his early life from his brother Aberforth, and we’ve even read excerpts from an (admittedly potentially libelous) biography published posthumously by Bathilda Bagshot.

And now with The Crimes of Grindelwald, we’ve seen him as a roguishly handsome young Transfiguration professor at Hogwarts in the 1920s, thanks to Law in an impeccably tailored three-piece suit. Does Dumbledore even have any secrets left?

Setting aside all of the substantial on-screen exploration of Dumbledore’s past, we haven’t even begun to take into account one of the most powerful vessels of canonical Harry Potter intel: the famous Rowling info dump. Ever since Harry Potter put J.K. Rowling on the map, it’s been clear that she has veritable notebooks full of background information that didn’t make it into the books and films, and nothing delights her more than sharing some of these details. Some of them are puzzling but harmless, like the time she posted on Pottermore (apropos of nothing) that Hogwarts didn’t used to have indoor plumbing, and that witches and wizards simply relieved themselves wherever they stood and magically vanished the evidence.

Others add nuance to beloved characters: the revelation she shared shortly after the release of the final Harry Potter book, for example, which told us Dumbledore was gay. Learning all of this shapes our understanding of the series, but it also feels a little bit like a cheat. If it was important to Rowling that we know Dumbledore’s sexuality, why did she wait until after the ink was dry to tell us, and not simply include it in the text? In many ways, it’s a half measure; an opportunity to pay lip service to progressive values but without any inherent risk. (And the more that we learn about Rowling’s views on gender politics, the more it comes across as disingenuous.)

To be frank, audiences have reason to distrust Rowling’s attempts to elaborate on characters from the original series. Historically, this has not always improved said characters. Nagini, for instance, began as an intriguingly intelligent snake, one able to maintain a powerful bond to Voldemort when he was unable to connect with any of his own species in the same way. Everyone just sort of accepted that character as read, and no one asked for more of an explanation. The universe did not need a Nagini prequel.

But in The Crimes of Grindelwald, Rowling couldn’t resist the opportunity to tinker, and then we end up with a Nagini that is an incredibly problematic depiction of an Asian woman. She is enslaved by a circus owner and burdened with a blood curse that initially gave her the power to transform into a snake but, by the events of the original Harry Potter series, she is permanently fixed in snake form. Who in the world thought adding that to Nagini would make her a more compelling character? Proof that there is creative danger in becoming so rich and powerful as an artist that no one is willing to tell you, “No. That’s a bad idea.”

So while there are diehard fans out there, presumably thrilled by the news that the Fantastic Beasts franchise lives another day, there is a notable sense of dwindling enthusiasm amongst audiences at large. The Secrets of Dumbledore does little to inspire hope that this installment will prove itself worthy of existence, feeling more akin to a cynical attempt to capitalize on his popularity. Instead of making fans excited to learn more about the enigmatic Albus Dumbledore, it can’t help but evoke a feeling of dread. People still like Dumbledore, even with his questionable beliefs and actions in his early life, but what will happen when Rowling takes another swing at him?

No matter how much she intends to add to the character, there’s the very real risk she’ll take something away. Indeed, it seems obvious to everyone but the production team that she’s long since reached the point where the best thing for her own legacy would be for Rowling to put down the pen and walk away. Stop it before she does irreparable damage to the characters that a generation of children grew up with.

cnx.cmd.push(function() { cnx({ playerId: "106e33c0-3911-473c-b599-b1426db57530", }).render("0270c398a82f44f49c23c16122516796"); });

The post There Are No Secrets of Dumbledore Worth Adding to the World of Harry Potter appeared first on Den of Geek.

from Den of Geek https://ift.tt/3EMU9qg

#aion-rsa #Den of Geek

2 notes · View notes

drivingsideways · 3 years

Text

The Rebel Princess review/ spoilers upto ep 12

Under the cut

At the end of 12 episodes I have to say I’m..underwhelmed. I mean, I knew going into a 68 episode drama that it was going to be really slow for most parts, but it’s still hard going even with low expectations.

I think the first thing that threw me was Zhang Ziyi playing a 15 year old. Don’t get me wrong- I don’t think it’s her looks per se that make it unbelievable-she’s incredibly youthful and beautiful, of course. And I’m well aware of the sexist double standards re: casting, and I’ve generally always hated it when older actors are cast in roles of teenagers or people about two decades younger than they are! It’s just that I don’t think she’s suited to the cutesy/naive A’wu that we meet in the initial episodes. You can see the effort she’s putting into it and that makes it all the more apparent that she isn’t that character. I just didn’t buy into the performance, I think. It’s only in episode 12, in the scene where she learns about her father’s and aunt’s lies re: Xiao Qi that I felt that spark you feel when an actor is totally in sync with their character in a scene. (Her earlier “big scene” after the wedding felt more ho-hum to me, though heaps more engaging than anything that had gone on before then.)

But Zhang Ziyi’s strained performance is not the only problem I’ve had with this part; it’s that fundamentally I just can’t buy into the idea that A’wu is the person she is when we meet her- seemingly utterly unaware of how the society around her works, or her position in it? She’s reached marriageable age- though not by modern standards of course- i.e. she’s entered into adulthood, and is presumably not unintelligent or entirely blind, but she seems downright surprised by the fact that she should be expected to marry for reasons other than love, or that other people around her, in her family even, have done so. I can buy that she thought she would be the exception to the rule, because she has been pampered all her life, but she seems actually astonished that the rule exists! Or that other people may be ok with not marrying for love, but have other considerations (See early conversation with Xie Wanru regarding Xiao Qi). It speaks to a laziness of characterization/ world building for me. We are meant to accept A’wu’s incredible naivete re: marriage as plausible for a woman of her age and societal position, in the same breath that we have to accept the multiple rape/ threatened rape storylines as historically accurate/ plausible because women were tightly controlled as a class. Watch me roll my eyes so hard that they’re falling off my face.

But I’m hoping to god that now that we’ve put the “woman-child” part of the story behind us, things will improve!

The other thing I feel that keeps me..whelmed..is the general pov choices. The story is ostensibly being told by A’wu- she is literally narrating it to the audience. Yet for extended periods we have to leave her pov to get all the plot machinations in place. There’s also a time skip of approximately 6-8 months after her marriage to when we meet her next; in that time, she seems to have made peace with the fact that the great love of her life whom she sacrificed her life for turned out to be a wuss, and also somehow magically “grown up”. The naive A’wu we saw has disappeared and instead we have grown up A’wu who’s quite capable of manipulation and running a household (and from spoilers I’ve seen, become adept at military strategy etc). I mean, it’s GREAT, for the character, but the transition feels sudden, presented like a fait accompli. I wish we’d gotten to see those 6-8 months in Huizhou is what I’m saying, or even earlier hints of her talents and interests. But we were stuck in “I’m a young, pampered princess in love, I have no thoughts beyond getting married” mode for like ten episodes. If they’d laid a little more ground then, and also given us some more of those 6-8 months, I would have enjoyed it. But then, I suppose that requires an entire different kind of story telling focus. This show, despite being titled “The Rebel Princess” doesn’t seem to really be about *her *. That’s probably an expectation mismatch between me and the show (I haven’t read the novel or any of the press/ previews etc), so I’m having to swallow my disappointment a bit!

As usual, and this is specifically a me thing, I admit, I’m more interested in the “supporting” characters than in the leads. And again, specifically me-thing, I love the awful ones the MOSTEST.

I LOVE Wang Lin. I love the actor, I love the scheming, and I honestly think he’s literally the only character that makes any kind of sense in this story so far. Am I supposed to be horrified that he’s willing to barter his daughter for retaining the family’s power? On the contrary, I think A’wu needed a solid dose of reality and maybe a little time living her maid’s life so that she could understand just how right her dad is. *shrug hands emoji * . I’m 50 x more interested in Wang Lin and Jin Ruo’s Terrible and Complicated Marriage than in Xiao Qi and A’wu making doe-eyes at each other, sorry, not sorry.

I also love Xie Wanru; I know she’s probably going to come to a terrible end, after getting her shot at being Supporting Villainess until the Real Main (Male) Villain can fully take over etc. Still, she has done nothing wrong in her life and I fully support her in her quest for revenge.

Su Jin Er’s story in Ep 11/12 was incredibly poignant and heartbreaking for me; even though I objectively understand that what she did to Zidan was rape. I know she’s also being set up as plot point for Xie Wanru’s villainy to bloom, and idk, will probably die in the next few episodes. Alas. I shall have to write the fic where Su Jin Er survives her punishment and goes on to live happily ever after with a beautiful boy of her choice and lots of money from idk black market trading of grain or something, I accept this and I will do it.

Surprise entrant for GIRL I AM ROOTING WITH ALL MY HEART FOR is A’wu’s sister in law, who’s fucking the second prince and refusing to produce a Wang clan heir right under the nose of that Incredibly Smart Villain Daddy Wang Lin; honestly that reveal was the best second best thing the show has done so far.

The best thing the show has done so far was when a giant bat swooped down and kidnapped A’wu from the marketplace in ep 11...I was HOLLERING.

Anyways, I am going to keep watching mostly for my queen Zhang Ziyi, spoilers I’ve seen in the tag indicate that the next set of episodes will be actually good? *cross fingers *

#the rebel princess #monarch industry #unpopular opinions cw

9 notes · View notes

fyrapartnersearch · 3 years

Text

Star-Crossed Lovers! (~Romeo and Juliet~ M/M fandom/original search! )

Hey all! My name is Liz! I’m 31 and located in CST! I’ve got a rather interesting plot in mind involving either a classic pair of Shakespearean lovers OR OC’s based on them!

(NOTE: All pairings will be M/M!)

I’m looking for a partner who is: * Literate (decent grasp of the English language, few typos) * Descriptive (at least 2-3 paragraphs per reply) * Active/Enthusiastic (at least once every week; ideally more!) * Friendly/Loves to chat OOC! (I love plotting with my partners and just chilling! Let’s be friends!)

I do have a few rules (linked below), and I’m sorry if they’re a tad repetitive, but I’m just trying to make sure we’re all on the same page!

If you’re interested, please check out my plot/pairings, rules and reach out!

**Legend** Bold Italics = role I’m interested in playing Italics = undecided/either one/flexible Stars = an area of particular interest/craving

~~~~~~ FANDOM/ORIGINAL Star-Crossed Lovers m!OC/m!OC Romeo/m!Juliet’***** I’d love to do an AU “Romeo and Juliet” scenario (set in either a historical period or modern day - whichever you think would suit better! I’m cool with anything from the original 1500’s, the 1700’s, 1800’s or even mid-20th century for historical periods!), with plenty of fluff and drama and angst and “lovers bound by fate” but separated by their family’s animosity and hate. (And other circumstances based on the time period, perhaps!) (For example, we could set this in modern day, with the two rival families being two giant corporations, or mob families? I’m down to toss ideas around, even if they’re a bit cliche!)

But, I’ve also got a twist! The lovers meet, they fall in love, their families keep them apart… but the lovers do die…only to be reincarnated over and over again for centuries, with each cycle ending in the same (or a similar) fashion, until they come to the current cycle (of [insert time period here]), where they meet and fall in love….and actually remember each other after a time - and that they’ve died and been separated so many times before. But this time, the lovers are determined to stay together- even if fate (or someone else~) has other plans. As well, perhaps their rival families are even more vitriolic than they were originally, among other things, thus raising the stakes and making things even more difficult?

*Or, to add a supernatural angle to things, perhaps our Romeo is a hunter, and our m!Juliet is a vampire?

~~~~

Rules! (PLEASE READ BEFORE CONTACTING ME! I know it’s a lot, but it’s all I ask.)

Being 31, I am perfectly willing to write smut. As such, I will only write with you if you’re 20+. I’m sorry, it has nothing to do with talent or ability; it’s simply a matter of comfort on my end. I’m also not into PWP/smut for smut’s sake. I like my sexy times to come up naturally in the narrative and help to move a story along. However! I am just as happy getting an R+ scene going and letting it fade naturally, if it’s something we’re both rather more comfortable with. I find that smut is not always necessary to make a good story.

Style: I am looking for a partner that’s mostly-literate (few spelling errors outside of typos, decent comprehension of the English language, some fair amount of detail in replies; something to work with). I myself have been writing and role-playing for 15+ years. My style is third-person paragraph-format (with a preference for past-tense, as I feel it personally flows better, imo), and fairly detailed at that - especially when my inspiration is up. I like to explore my characters and their thoughts just as much as the scene around them and the actions that they are responding to.

I can write multiple paragraphs per post, but will happily match you, as well, depending on how the flow goes. However, I would ask that, at minimum, you write 2-3 paragraphs per post. (More is always welcome!) Though, I know that dialogue-heavy scenes can be sporadic and choppy, and that muses don’t always cooperate. That’s perfectly fine! I just need something to reply to, and in return will give you the same!

Availability: I try to reply at least once a day (if not more!), but this can shift to several times a week, and my availability can fluctuate depending on how busy I am and how fickle my muse is. I freely admit this, and let you know that there is absolutely NO pressure to stick to a “schedule”. I am a very chill person! If we can only get several posts per week on both ends and end up chatting/plotting OOC for the rest of that week, that’s completely cool! We all have lives. More often than not, it will be at least once a day, even if it’s just checking in and chatting through OOC just to work on plot.

I am looking for someone who enjoys plotting and chatting and who’s not afraid to toss ideas back and forth - but, as well, who understands if one of us won’t be around for a day or so. I’m looking for someone who, likewise, doesn’t mind tossing ideas out at odd hours of the day/night and chattering just to chat because the rush of ideas is too much. Flexibility is great! Most of all, I just want to have fun! (I’m also looking for something that’ll turn into long-term! I really hate getting into plotting, and excited, only to have things just fizzle out…I know things happen, but it’s always a little frustrating…)

Anyway, I’m very open and friendly, and will listen to everything you say. If there is something that bothers you, or you have a limit that we haven’t gone over, please let me know! I’d like things to work out for both of us! As well, if you’ve reached out to me in the past and would like to try again, I happily welcome you to send me a message! I don’t bite!

Limits: Vore, toiletplay/bathroom, underage, mpreg, bestiality.

**Also please note that I WILL NOT reply to a message that’s simply “hey wanna rp?”. I don’t mean to sound uptight but, sorry, no. I would appreciate a bit more effort than that. As well, being pushy or equally unenthusiastic will get you nowhere. I love being excited and having fun as much as the next person, but this is a collaborative thing! I don’t want to be driving things by my lonesome! As proof that you have read this, please tell me the title of your favorite book.

If you’ve made it through that huge thing, then thank you so very much for reading! Before you go, I have one more request to ask of you. When you contact me, please, please, PLEASE include: any ideas/plots you might want to work out, which character(s) you would like to play, your age and timezone, and any limits you may have. And, most importantly, tell me a little bit about yourself! I’d like to get to know you!

Contact: [email protected]

(I have a Discord, as well, and would be more than happy to give it out, if you decide you’d like to use it as a chat platform! But only after initial contact! I would like to state that I’m primarily looking for partners who use email, simply because I’m more fond of the organization there. But, if you can make a case for Discord, fire away! I’m always willing to make a consideration!)

If any of this interests you, I’d love to hear from you!

#oc rp #multiple paragraph #long term #literate #au #drama angst #fandom #fantasy #historical #modern #romance #supernatural #submission #long post

3 notes · View notes