the fight is over

Xena season 4 finale(ish) post, warning for spoilers for certain mutuals who are currently watching the show, or anyone else.

FANTASTIC climax to Gabrielle's arc this season, good god. When she throws that fucking spear... chills. This is another contender for favourite Xena scene of all, it's so incredibly effective. The way these last few episodes have really hammered down Gabrielle's pacifism with her arguments with Amarice, her choice to let Brutus go instead of having him executed, her stupid powder and non-lethal fight shenanigans, the return of Eli in this episode - and it's all there just to make the moment where she picks up that spear as impactful as possible, and it works. Even her first kill and that fallout all the way back in season 3 now feels like it exists just to set up the emotional impact of this scene, it's that good.

And god the scene itself is amazing to watch. The way she mows down soldier after soldier as brutally and efficiently as possible, the way she visibly shifts from fighting to protect Xena to lashing out in frustrated rage as she realizes that escape is impossible, her lack of regret afterwards. The cheffest of kisses.

This episode was fantastic in other ways as well. I love that the show makes it clear that Xena only lost here because Callisto is a fucking cheater lmao. She would've killed Caesar when she intended to if Callisto hadn't intercepted her chakram, and she would've escaped the prison if Callisto hadn't broken her back. Caesar didn't defeat Xena, Callisto did, and only because Callisto has ghost magic going on. And that's very fitting too, because if it was just Xena vs Caesar it might've felt a little thin for an epic conclusion - but with true fan-beloved archnemesis Callisto involved, it feels appropriately impactful. Also love that Xena intended to just quietly assassinate Caesar lol. Circumstances are a little different than The Debt, since Caesar did declare his murderous intentions first, but the vibes are similar and I love them.

Also Caesar's sexualized vulnerability in this ep sure was a choice, but a good one imo - the sex nightmare (including a prolonged shot where they're positioned to mimic gender-reversed missionary) as well as Callisto getting handsy with him. And again like, idk exactly what the intent was here, but the vibes do feel like a call-back to his dubconny sexual encounter with Xena, and the fact (? taking their exchange in When Fates Collide into account, when Xena says she must've been his worst nightmare) that he was/is afraid of her. Idk, it adds a nicely complex layer to their interactions and mutual enmity, not quite undermining Xena's resentful hatred, but suggesting it's a two-way street, and for a good reason, especially with v traumatized Callisto drawing a parallel between the two of them in how Xena fucked them up. And given that they both simultaneously die by each others' hands-by-proxy in a pair of intercut scenes at the end, it does fit this story nicely. Both achieve a cathartic, and arguably deserved, vengeance.

Idk if I can say that was the intent definitively, I mean, the show also just has a hard-on for dominant women lol, it doesn't frame Xena as an actual rapist at any point, and it certainly hasn't made an impression on fans either based on the fact that I've like, never seen this dynamic between them discussed before. But Caesar waking up in terror after dreaming about Xena fucking and then stabbing him - in a context that suggests this is a recurring nightmare, given Caesar saying "dreams" plural and the fact that he hasn't even seen her recently - sure is a striking image to start us off with and contextualize Caesar's obsessive hatred, yk?

Oh man and finally I adore Callisto in this ep, and not just because she looks good with short hair lol. Also like, that shot when Xena and Gabrielle are being brought out to the crosses and she catches a snowflake on her tongue like a delighted child might be my favourite Callisto moment of all <333 And speaking of that moment, the direction and editing of this episode was also just amazing. Beautiful, many striking images, excellently paced.

Basically this was a nearly perfect episode, extremely satisfying and poignant and engaging and intriguing, and if it had actually been the end of the series it would've been a very fitting end. In some ways seasons 5 and 6 almost feel like bonus seasons lol, take them or leave them, with this as the true thematically resonant and emotionally satisfying ending.

hi! just wondering if u have any mp100 fic recs particularly nonromantic ones? i read “A Breach of Trust” already and that one went straight to the Fics of All Time for me!!

hello! here's some stuff from my bookmarks that is non-romantic, or where if there is any romance, it's not the main focus:

Issho by @toastytoaster22: a canon divergence AU where teru meets shigeo and ritsu when he's 8 years old, and things go from there. this is THE go-to fic if you liked A Breach of Trust imo - not for the genre and tone, those are different (though admittedly it's been years since I reread Abot so my memory of it is a bit fuzzy - will need to reread it soon!), but the key aspects are the same: it's a very well-written, long fic, with a gripping plot, excellent characterisation and introspection (the pov is absolutely fantastic), and heart-warming familial bonds that will make you cry. this fic will break your heart and then lovingly put it back together.

Butterfly Effect by Frecklefrog: similar concept to the above, also a fantastic execution. reigen and mob meet teru while out on a job, when the kids are around 11, and the plot evolves from there. again this has great characterisation and the relationships are very well-written, especially teru and reigen's.

Hiding His Horns (an orphaned work): this one is listed in ao3 as terumob but in my opinion this fic is plot-heavy more than anything else, and gives equal weight to reigen and mob's and mob and ritsu's relationship (in addition to teru and mob's), so i wouldn't say it's about romance. but it IS written in teru's pov, and his feelings for mob are not exactly subtle, so if that's not your cup of tea, i'd skip this one. but if that doesn't bother you, then i really recommend it. it's a witches and demons AU where teru, a promising young witch/exorcist, really really wants reigen, an incredibly famous exorcist, to take him on as an apprentice. he's less than pleased when he discovers reigen in fact already has a student, and that student is a demon of all things.

The Joy of Cooking (for a Family You Didn't Know You Had) by pepperfield: a 5 + 1 collection about reigen treating the people in his life to meals. this one is just great if you're looking for something about reigen and the gaggle of kids he ended up pretty much adopting. very very heartwarming, and the crazy conversations the kids have always make me laugh. each of their voices is spot-on. this fic does have some serirei, especially one of the later chapters, but it's not the overall focus of the fic at all.

The Destiny of Those Around You by @fightmemogami: this one is a series containing two fics, both equally great. both are missing moments from s1, after the seventh division arc. one is about shigeo visiting kamuro, the student council president (as he mentions to ritsu in the last ep of s1), and the other is about a conversation that may have happened between mob and onigawara (based on that comment he gave ritsu about how "your brother was worried about you"). both these fics are very good, i especially enjoy the way shigeo is written.

Color in a Monochrome World by Sifl: i have to be honest, i haven't reread this collection yet since i first did back in 2016, but it's in my bookmarks and i remember really enjoying it. it's a collection of gen fics, about different characters and different relationships, and while they can be read as stand-alones, they are subtly interconnected. the details are a bit fuzzy in my memory but it's very well-written, so i do recommend it. i will be rereading it soon myself.

Port in a Storm by W3LTERW8: this is a short character study set right after the separation arc. contains some good angst, as well as a great conversation between reigen and mob in the aftermath of what was a turning point for both of them.

Signed Up For It by @turning-the-kaleidoscope: heart-warming fic that takes place both before and after canon, focused on reigen's pov of the sort of world shigeo, as a born esper, lives in, and how different that world is from reigen's own. and how despite all that, reigen still wants to stay. has some great dialogue that really stuck with me, and the hurt/comfort is fantastic.

tomorrow isn't always another day by suitablyskippy (tumblr won't let me @ them, but they're also on here with the same username, I believe): hilarious fic, made me laugh out loud multiple times with how clever and quick-witted the writing is. reigen is caught in a time loop, is apparently the only person to be aware of it, and can't seem to find the cause, no matter how many times he asks mob to check if he's got a curse on him. excellent writing that casually drops some of the best-written, funniest lines like it's nothing.

Pull Up The Weeds to Grow Back Stronger by @spiritusrex: we are now entering what I'm calling the Mogami section of this post. this one is a great fic about minori in mogamiland, and how she slowly but surely manages to rebel against the role she is being made to play. great depiction of the start of a redemption arc.

I know who I am when I'm alone by RedWritingHood: mogami arc fic where reigen is also stuck in mogamiland as another random inhabitant of this world. really really great fic about how your thoughts and feelings don't determine the sort of person you are, your actions do. you can still do good by someone no matter how many intrusive thoughts try to get you to be a horrible person.

Come Morning Light by NotHereForIt: this one deals with the fallout of the mogami arc. reigen finds himself in a dream that isn't his, where mob is being haunted by the six months that never happened. some darker themes, as expected from anything dealing with the mogami arc, but great hurt/comfort.

since you asked for non-romantic stuff particularly, I will put the following two recs on their own. they're both terumob, and the romance is pretty central in both (especially in the second one), so they may not be your cup of tea, but they both have some of the best redemption arcs i've ever read, both in this fandom and outside of it. if you don't mind the romance, i wholeheartedly recommend them, i've read both multiple times:

Tunnel Vision (orphaned): a canon divergence AU (set before the two of them meet) where mob's school is undergoing some renovations and he and his friends are temporarily relocated to teru's school. teru senses there's another esper at his school and does NOT take it well. he makes a lot of mistakes. roughly follows the events of season 1. written in teru's pov so his feelings for mob are always prominent as they slowly shift from animosity to something else, but i don't know if i would even call this a love story. it's about teru's redemption first and foremost. excellent writing and characterisation, and i have to give a special shoutout to tsubomi, i really loved the way she was written in this fic.

Sword of Damocles (also orphaned): cannot describe in words the impact this fic has had on me. it's a no powers AU set when the kids are 16. teru is, to put it bluntly, a complete asshole, and so are his friends. when he brags to them that he'd be able to charm anyone and get them to kiss him (without being the one to make the first move), they dare him to prove it, and point to a random guy walking by (shigeo) as his target. now teru just needs to charm him and get his kiss so he can go back to his life, but it may not be as easy as it seems. obviously this fic has a lot of romance in it since teru is trying to charm mob into going out with him since the start, but the slow burn is one of the best i've ever read. teru starts off as highly unlikable, and he's not very charitable (in his head) towards mob at all, but slowly, very slowly, he starts to change. it's incredibly well-written, and as the title implies, you spend the whole time reading it with a sense of anticipation and dread, wondering when things are gonna come crashing down and how bad the fallout will be. a really, really great fic, i wish i could reread it as if it was the first time.

that's all i've got for you! i hope at least some of these can pique your interest, and that you enjoy them. would love to hear your thoughts on the ones you do read, if you like! i'm always open to talk about great fics.

I’m sorry, I just keep thinking about the Jeoff Bed & Breakfast ep we lost out on.

I’m still really satisfied w/ how the show ended, don’t get me wrong. We still got plenty of great episodes plus a fantastic ending and that’s way more than some shows get… but MAN I would have loved to see this specific lost ep.

I already wrote a whole essay on why I love the Jeoffs so much both as individuals and as a pair, but while we got plenty of great Jeoff moments in the show, seeing them open a business together would have been a great spotlight for their relationship.

Like most couples who go into business together (especially when it’s in the hospitality/customer service field), I do feel like there’d end up being some tension between them that they’d have to work through. After all, Geoff can be a bit too forgiving as well as a bit ditzy while Jeff has a bit of a temper and isn’t afraid to speak his mind, either of these traits could make for some tricky situations.

Beyond the stuff with potentially shitty customers/guests though, keeping a bed & breakfast running smoothly (especially if it serves both the living and ghosts) isn’t easy, given all the cooking and cleaning that needs to be done. As such, I feel like this would be the ep where we eventually see the Jeoff’s first real argument/fight. If you’ll forgive me for being an SU/Rupphire fan, it would essentially be their Keystone Motel (except they’d be the ones running the ‘motel’ of sorts, haha), being a true pressure test for their relationship.

But, for as much as they would likely struggle at the start, I feel like this sort of ep would also spotlight WHY they work so well as a couple and why they’ve lasted for over 100 years - this being their willingness to openly communicate with each other as well as the fact that, with a bit of restructuring, they could easily help cover each other’s weaknesses.

Seeing them come together and talk through their issues and worries before making up (in an incredibly cute and wholesome way, of course), rising to the challenge and eventually being able to say they had a successful opening weekend would be a FANTASTIC ending to what would be a really great ep imo - and throwing the McGees into the mix would no doubt make for plenty of fun jokes and scenes as well, which would help keep the ep light despite all the conflict.

So, yeah. I don’t write fanfics anymore since I’m trying to focus on my original work but- if anyone DOES want to write a fic based on this lost ep, you can bet I’ll give it a read and a kudos/comment. The show may be done, but I’m still probably gonna be looking for fun and wholesome Jeoff content for a while.

i just finished Infinite Darkness and have a lot of Thoughts™️. please indulge me if you'd like.

spoiler + long post warning

i went into it with pretty low expectations because everyone kept on calling it a shitshow. it's not bad per se, but it wasn't good either. it was.. meh. 2.5/5.

afaik ID takes place in 2006, and RE4 in '04. so why tf does Leon look like he's at least 40??

that honestly fucked it up timeline-wise for me. was the show purposely designed not to fit into the timeline in any way whatsoever a la "welcome to raccoon city"?

if that's the case, Leon and Claire still somehow are able to remember the events of Raccoon City in this timeline.

my brain can't come to a logical conclusion over the timeline, so i'll leave it at that.

i wish they gave Claire more screen time. they did her so dirty imo.

what were they trying to set up with Claire and Leon's interactions? a loveteam? if this was so, what even was their last conversation in ep 4?

the Claire on top of Leon scene. tf? what the hell were they trying to set up? were they going to fuck and continue the redfield bloodline right then and there? kiss? hug? maybe punch each other's lights out?? i'm seriously so fucking confused.

Shen Mei and Leon too. Leon asks her out and she declines. what was the point of that conversation? i'm just going to assume it's to show the locket with Jun See's picture in it.

(were they trying to show how bitchless Leon is at least in this series?)

why the hell did Jason kill Shen Mei? what was the point? why didn't Leon give a shit when she died? it was like he just forgot about her.

i love how President Graham believes anything as long as Leon is involved. in ep 1 when Leon's late: "it's fine bc you saved my daughter." in the last ep when Patrick tells him that Wilson was behind everything and cites Leon as source, Mr. POTUS decides to wing his speech ON THE SPOT just because of that fact. what if Patrick was making it up? that really would have fucked up international relations and all that. i don't know. Graham really loves Leon i guess.

going off of that, i wish we got to see more of Patrick. i would have loved to see him interact more with Leon.

what is gonna happen to that chip!?

i have no idea if a Season 2 would be able to salvage/explain the plot, but honestly i don't think the series deserves a Season 2. it might be a waste of time and money plus an even bigger disappointment to fans.

alright, onto performances.

Nick Apostolides to me sounds like someone who's breaking in a new pair of shoes. it sounds like he's still getting used to walking in them and therefore tries different things (which i find ironic since he'd already voiced baby faced rookie cop Leon S. Kennedy atp, but also understandable as Leon sounded young in that game). he's all over the place imo. he sounded like RE2R Leon, RE4R Leon, and someone else entirely throughout the four episodes. but as you said in another ask, he really made up for it in RE4R. solid voice acting all around imo.

Ray Chase. before i saw him here i knew him as Neuvillette (aka "according to the judgment of the Oratrice Mecanique d'Analyse Cardinale") in Genshin Impact. his line delivery is stellar. i hope that's also him voicing mutated/infected Jason because he sounds fantastic there. but there's a line that he says there that sounds so awkward because the delivery is so sped up that the emotion is gone.

Stephanie Panisello also voices Claire in RE2R, but i haven't seen too much of her there to compare it to her performance here. i will say, however, that i honestly enjoyed her performance here, but there are times when she sounds like she's holding back a bit. it would have been perfect if she let go a little bit more.

Jona Xiao as Shen Mei was also great, but i think she also suffers the sams problem as Stephanje in that she sounds like she'a holding back.

Doug Stone as Wilson was perhaps the most enjoyable for me, as well as Billy Kametz who voiced Patrick.

this (https://youtu.be/HN2OkCu6FbE?si=jl7K8tILCYoheGCX) was pretty badass tho

https://youtu.be/7lnFgfhVW-E?si=RZ-EF-WN2vVDY8PS holy shit.

the unfortunate thing is

most of my responses to your reactions boil down to "welcome to the RE CGI-verse." like:

why tf does Leon look like he's at least 40??

i wish they gave Claire more screen time

why the hell did Jason kill Shen Mei? what was the point? why didn't Leon give a shit when she died?

all fall under that category LMAO

now, in terms of things i can respond to:

was the show purposely designed not to fit into the timeline in any way whatsoever a la "welcome to raccoon city"?

no. just because leon's character model looks bad doesn't mean that the story exists out of universe. it takes place in 06 and is part of the regular OG canon timeline. period.

what were they trying to set up with Claire and Leon's interactions?

nothing.

the CGI-verse is the reason why a few true cleon diehards still hold onto hope that cleon will still somehow be endgame, but the fact of the matter is that leon and claire just have That Kind of Friendship. it goes nowhere; it's just how they are.

Shen Mei and Leon too. Leon asks her out and she declines. what was the point of that conversation? i'm just going to assume it's to show the locket with Jun See's picture in it. (were they trying to show how bitchless Leon is at least in this series?)

both explanations are correct. ID adds a new dimension to the running "OG Leon is a Fucking Slut Who Can't Actually Score" gag by making him an actual homewrecker this time around. but ultimately yes it was to show the locket.

what is gonna happen to that chip!?

nothing and you know it lmao

this (https://youtu.be/HN2OkCu6FbE?si=jl7K8tILCYoheGCX) was pretty badass tho

this is the best moment that OG leon has in the entire series and i'm not joking. it's not the best in the sense of "this is when he, as a person, is at his best." it's the best in the sense of "this is the only moment in the entire series where we get to see leon do his Actual Job and know what he Actually Does outside of outbreak incidents, and it serves to add more context and perspective to so many other facets of his character." i could write an entire fucking essay about this scene/moment. god.

goD

American Born Chinese: the show is good af. I've read the book in middle school and it blew me away bc idk I felt seen as an oddball immigrant kid. Although my household language was Russian.

Anyways, the show really updates it from the y2k era bc yeahhhh, we kinda did need to address social media. And the update of Jin's main companion to Wei-Chen, not a "cousin" who's basically reflecting his insecurities and internalized stereotyping back, is pretty interesting. Because imo, Jin is still treating him as this "cousin" (not saying much bc spoilers). He's still very insecure about someone who's been dumped onto him and is much more secure in himself, basically.

Also, the principal sucks. How difficult is it to learn Wang, a one-syllable last name? Like, I'd eyeroll in relatability if it was a four-syllable situation like mine, but at least my teachers always made sure to ask for a pronunciation guide after day 1 rollcall. But here, it's just this maddening lack of effort.

And it's obnoxious to just dump the student guide role onto someone who never volunteered for it! Ughhhhh that scene made my blood boil.

Anyways, it's a pretty fantastic adaptation so far. Only just finished ep 2 but it feels like it's capturing the book's charm while expanding upon it. I appreciate that the parents got a storyline.

hiiiii if i wanted to get into hozier music. where should i start :3

oscar i’ve been staring at this ask freaking out for like the last twenty minutes (positive) i have no idea where to even begin!!!

ok so it’s helpful to know that every hozier song is like

pick all that apply: horny, feral, deeply tender, deeply sad, existential crisis, remembrance of things past, women pretty, politics, religion, poetry, new and unhinged emotions. i can rec for any and all of these categories

on the whole, hozier does a lot of fingerstyle guitar; he’s influenced most deeply by blues, r&b and other Black music. his music is very emotions so crying. literally he will speak in extended metaphors and literary allusions…ough…

the first album (2014) is eponymous, it’s just called hozier. very acoustic, indie sound, he literally recorded it in his parents’ attic. everyone knows it for Take Me To Church. make sure to listen to the expanded version! big themes of religion.

his second album (2019) is called Wasteland, Baby!, and it is definitely the horniest album of the three- but it has some of the most poetic songs as well! this one sounds really dreamy. the album art is fantastic. underwater photoshoot WHOMST. also definitely don’t forget the E.P for this one, it has two amazing songs that aren’t on the album.

his most recent album (2023) is called Unreal Unearth and it’s based loosely on Dante’s Inferno/ the nine circles of hell. it’s definitely his most produced-sounding album, but imo it stays in line with his unique sound, and his lyric-writing skills have only gotten better. he’s also begun collaborating a lot more with this album! note that Through Me (The Flood) isn’t on the album, just the EP, but so worth listening to.

oh lord, this has gotten long. i’m willing to do a more in-depth breakdown of each album if you want!

for now, i’ll give you some quick faves from each one:

(god i can’t choose rjakgksfksjgjsy)

Hozier (2014): Jackie and Wilson, It Will Come Back, From Eden, and In The Woods Somewhere.

Wasteland, Baby! (2019): Shrike, NFWMB, Almost (Sweet Music), As It Was, and Sunlight.

Unreal Unearth (2023): Abstract (Psychopomp), Unknown/Nth, First Time, and Son Of Nyx. Special shout-out to the All Things End music video.

OKAY THIS HAS GOTTEN LONG, SORRY, PLEASE ASK ME IF YOU HAVE MORE QUESTIONS

p.s if there is a hozier, then - the existence of a hoziest is implied ….somewhere out there….

Tag Nine People You'd Like To Get To Know Better

FAVOURITE COLOUR(s): Rusty red-orange, deep cool spruce green, bright cobalt blue, wine red, the various shades of slate green/grey/blue.

FAVOURITE FLAVOUR(s): Weirdly difficult question, in that what I think I most enjoy about food is the way that different flavors and textures complement each other to become more than the sum of their parts. But I am a huge fan of deep rich fruity-savory umami (sundried tomatoes, a great red chile sauce, things braised in red wine) as well as absolutely any kind of citrus or fresh herbs.

Also, while this isn't exactly one thing and it might be simpler just to say that I like strong flavors, I fall firmly into the These Are A Few Of My Favorite Things camp on a lot of polarizingly funky/briny things (smoked salmon, goat cheese, blue cheese, olives, anchovies, preserved lemons, etc).

Also the taste+aroma of both fresh bread and corn tortillas hot off the comal is imo the human equivalent of catnip, ie "provokes immoderate feral delight on some bizarrely primal level."

FAVOURITE MUSIC: The very sexy Bermuda Triangle where blues/rock/folk bleed into and/or influence one another. Anything else that takes my fancy, including but not limited to a lot of soul, post-punk, and highly danceable salsa or big band swing stuff. Sad jazz. Gratuitously melancholy strings. Great lyrics, great harmonies, deep rich vocals.

FAVOURITE MOVIE(s): I have never in my life been able to pick one favorite book, but Pan's Labyrinth is easily my favorite movie.

FAVOURITE BOOK(s): This is the impossible question to me but The Periodic Table, Signs Preceding The End of The World, The Things They Carried, The Little Drummer Girl, and everything Arundhati Roy has ever written are all on the list somewhere.

FAVOURITE SERIES(es): The Same Sky is exquisitely good and The Night Manager is my id-stroking comfort rewatch. I also loved Andor and the first season of Hannibal.

LAST SONG: I was just going through this tag earlier.

LAST SERIES: Thanks to holiday craft fair season I have had zero ability to do longform TV anytime within the last few months. (Also, frankly, multi-season TV series are the one of the most difficult media formats for my brain to engage with; it's a fantastic storytelling medium when done well, but I personally have a much harder time sitting down for two hours of TV than for two hours of reading and thus getting started often feels like a huge commitment. I am really a 3-6 eps and done miniseries person at heart.)

That said I am a big podcasts-while-working person and I've been listening to a lot of Friends At The Table and Bad Gays recently.

LAST MOVIE: The Wind That Shakes The Barley, which has been on the Somehow I've Never Seen This And I Really Should list for a while. It has promptly been moved to the OFC It's Possible To Make A War Movie That Doesn't Glorify War, Y'all Are Just Fools And Cowards list.

CURRENTLY READING: ...I have to admit that I'm re-reading Kissinger's Shadow (to Mark The Occasion).

CURRENTLY WATCHING: Nothing (see above), though I have ambitions of giving Black Sails a shot.

CURRENTLY WORKING ON: The sketching stage of some linocuts, some experimental worldbuild-y map-drawing (important as Cartography And Its Imperial Misuses are kinda thematically and plottily relevant to the story, at least in its nebulous conceptual form).

TAGGED BY @silkenred (thanks!), and TAGGING (only if you want ofc) @sassysnowperson, @tobermoriansass, @cosmonauthill, @essayofthoughts, and anybody else who feels like doing this. (No really, I'm shy about tagging but please do the thing if you're interested.)

final thoughts · fall 2022

since i know there're people who like to read my opinions on the different seasons, here you have my thoughts on this (HOLY SHIT OMG WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON???????????) season.

akiba meido sensou (7.5/10)

so, i never meant to watch this show. i thought it would be just another CGDCT slice of life where maids do their maid stuff, and they have fun... I WASN'T EXPECTING THIS THO. this series is crazy, like, the first ep starts with a maid being shot in the head like ??????? and then ranko (best girl imo) starts shooting this rival maid group along with a cutsie song like ??????????????? i was both confused and charmed. this anime is such a blast, it's filled with twists and turns, random shit that it's bizarre but it also makes so much sense. i can't fully explain it, you need to watch it.

akuyaku reijou nano de last boss wo kattemimashita (4/10)

dear lord the toxicity here is astronomical. the way i was looking for a hamefura replacement and i ended up getting this... i feel scammed. this was meant to be a fantasy romance story, but it ended up being a contest to see who's the most toxic person in the relationship. between throwing someone out of a flying carriage just to see them cry and almost stabbing someone on the crotch because they want to break off their engagement with you... i don't know who's worse. they totally deserve each other.

blue lock (8.5-8/10)

i cannot decide myself on what rating i should give to it. while i do love bllk and think is one of the best sports series i've ever read, 8-bit's adaptation is... interesting. while i did think the first episode was amazing, the visual level just started dropping. some of the hand-drawn animation looks weird, and the cgi sometimes looks like it has been taken from a mobile game. i have mixed feelings with these series; while it's still fun and interesting, it just doesn't kick me as much in the chest as the manga does. if you wanna start bllk, please read the manga first.

bocchi the rock! (6.5/10)

as i said before, i'm not a big fan of CGDCT, and this series is just that. i was into the music part of the series and bocchi's social phobia (which, as someone who went through it, i think it's a pretty good representation), but it's still not my cup of tea. it bores me at times, and i'm the one to blame. it's not bad, it's just not my thing. if you're into this kinda stuff, i fully recommend it.

boku no hero academia 6 (8/10)

NOW THAT IS A GOOD SEASON. this one's adapting one of (if not the) best arcs in the series and hell yeah i'm hyped. in case someone hasn't started it, i won't spoil anything. i'll just tell you to please not worry about the quality: the art, animation and everything in general is being tretaed with so much thought and love. i'm just so happy to see all of them back!

boku no roboco (4/10)

(at this point, i've only watched two eps. my opinion on the series may change) i know the manga is popular, i know it makes a lot of anime references. i wanted to try giving it a chance and oh lord. first, it's difficult to find. second, it isn't even funny. if i'm not dropping it is because the episodes are short and fuck it. but not because you make a shit tone of anime references means that you're gonna be funny.

c danchi (1/10)

chainsaw man (9/10)

i'll just leave this here and go on with my life.

GUYS. GUYS. IT'S FINALLY HERE. BABE'S FINALLY HERE. AND OH LORD SHE'S LOOKING AMAZING. i've been waiting for this series for so long, (since it first got announced like holy fuck the feels). i have the entire part one on my bookshelf and it brings me so much joy (and tears and trauma and—) to finally see it animated. the animation, the art, the music, the voices— everything is just fantastic, perfect even. the op is a banger and each and every ed is just so good (some better than others imo). i'm so happy mappa were the ones that took the project like omg thanks mappa but fr fr. if i'm not giving it a higher note is because i'm afraid that would be my inner fangirl speaking so yeah. my children look perfect, that's enough for me. and fuck those who complain about the cgi istg—

cool doji danshi (7/10)

just a pretty chill slice of life short series about a bunch of dorks trying to survive in the wild. they're all so relatable and idk what to think about it. babe's also pretty absent-minded, so this is pretty comfy to me... is this how #representation feels like? besides that, there's not much to say about it since it's just... that. they exist, and i'm happy they do.

do it yourself!! (5/10)

how many times have i said i don't like CGDCT series? many times, but i still go and watch them. why? because i'm dumb ig. it's just a series about a bunch of girls doing bricolage, that's pretty much it.

fumetsu no anata e 2 (8/10)

second season of "don't get attached to the cast because they're all going to die". at this rate, i think i'm made of stone because i haven't shead a tear in the entire series. i'm also getting use to the show's formula (introduce new character → make you feel attached to them → kill them), so ig that's also why i don't feel that sad anymore? idk, i do feel sad but not that sad yk. anyway, is as good as the first season so you should give it a try.

fuufu ijou, koibito miman. (6.5/10)

i started not liking the series (the male mc was annoying to me and i felt like he would only see the girls by their "personality"), but i ended up getting attached in some sort of way? it's an easy to watch, funny romcom that, even if it's nothing special, will entertain you for the time being.

kage no jitsuryokusha ni naritakute! (5.5/10)

i like the idea, but not the execution. i mean, kinda. it started being a parody of isekai series, but i feel like isekai is slowly but surely eating the show alive. i'm not that interested on the plot and the ecchi scenes and comments are... something. to give you some example: there was this scene where these girls would pose in ways others could check their breasts better and perceive them as bigger than their opponent's. or maybe the many comments they do about the protagonist's dick being a fricking sword????? umm not thank you.

koukyuu no karasu (7/10)

a historical fantasy shoujo series with interesting plot points and a cute romance?? hell yeah, count me in! each and every character is lovable af and trust me when i tell you you'll never get bored. the art is so cute and comfortable (idk how to explain it), and the romance is just... i just want them to date already, am i asking too much? definitely give it a chance.

mairimashita! iruma-kun 3 (8/10)

new iruma season and the first one i'm watching as it's coming out. the children are back and more chaotic than ever in this new arc (the best one yet, from what i heard). i just can't stress enough how this series makes me feel, how comfy it makes me feel. i've connected with the characters in such a way it just makes me smile every time each and every single one of them just appears on the screen. i'm so excited to see who'll win! (no spoilers please)

mob psycho 100 III (8.5/10)

this isn't the last season. no, i refuse to accept it. even though many characters are getting their closures and all this chaos is going on and every wish of them to have a happy life has turned to ash. this is not the end. and that never happened. no. just. leave me alone.

mushikaburi-hime (6/10)

so, they're trying to bring historical shoujos back and while we did get some interesting results (koukuuu no karasu), we also got series like mushikaburi-hime. the series is about a girl who is obssesed with books and a dude that isn't, but because he likes her he's up to deal with that little trait of hers. and... that's pretty much it. the series revolves around their relationship (which sometimes turns a bit toxic due to the male mc). the female mc hasn't progressed in over ten episodes, she won't progress now. if you're interested, there it is. but it's not a series i would recommend.

renai flops (7/10)

i said it before: i love shitshows. this one seemed to be a parody on ecchi, harem series which caught my eye. i mean, the first ep involves the dog scene which is one of the most bizarre scenes i've seen on any romcom. at first, i was gonna watch it for the laughs from how bad it all was, but then the second half happened and it changed my view on the series. from a parody that makes things absurd on purpose to something else. i would recommend anyone who's interested to watch it and please, do not spoil yourself.

shinobi no itokki (4/10)

this show is about a dude who goes to high school and he gets confessed to by a girl he doesn't know. only that it wasn't a confession but a trap, because that girl was a ninja and was trying to kidnap him. but he's able to runaway because he has all these ninja abilities that his mother forced him to learn and never questioned why. and then his mum tell him they're actually ninjas and now he has to go to this ninja school that's literally a high school building in the middle of nowhere like ????? i thought ninjas were discreet???? except no one cares about the school because then someone (don't ask, don't remember) gets betrayed and blames the dude's clan and shit happens and wth is going on????

spy x family part 2 (8.5/10)

part two of this very wholesome but also very fake family! their shenanigans are as crazy as they were in part one, and we got introduced to our queen, fiona. also, the main fake couple are growing closer due to the mission and i think that's pretty cool now get married for real this time.

tensei shitara ken deshita (6/10)

just your average isekai with better than average animation and a wholesome bond between both leads. besides that, i have no much to say about it. i absolutely adore fran and amanda, but the whole idea of fran being op almost from the start is frustrating. i wanna see her grow, but this left me kinda cold.

urusei yatsura (6.5/10)

many people were hyping this show, and i do understand why. after all, it's pretty rough fighting against nostalgia. still, even though the visuals are so cute and the op and ed are pretty good, it just shows the series it's an old one. the comedy falls flat at times along with some characters, although it's still enjoyable. i don't know if i'll keep on watching the second season, but for now i don't feel like dropping it.

uzaki-chan wa asobitai! ω (6/10)

so, uzaki is back. the first season has never been one of my favorites, but i decided to give the second season a try and watch it as it was coming out and... well, it's uzaki. for some of y'all it may be hilarious, but to me it's just fine. it's boring most of the time, although i do like the idea of the mcs dating (please do so for fuck's sake). if you're into this kind of comedy, you should give it a try.

hi hi vanessa! what anime have u been watching recently? looking for recs to kill some time (may or may not also be for fetish purposes ehehe)

Hi anon!!! This is such a fun question, and I'm sad to say you caught me at a time where I have a very boring answer to it T.T It's already late April, but I've finished a total of two (😭) animes this year. (So few, I know! I wish I had more to recommend you 💔)

Between work and everything else, it's just been a hectic time... (I also have a couple I have to get around to finishing 😭😭 I've been putting off watching the last few eps of J//JK s2, because the friends that I've watched the rest of s2 with have been busy. I also started Fri//eren back in January; I just haven't found time to get back to it 😵‍💫)

I did finish Cher//y Magic! 🍒 (Though if you're sending me this message, I feel like you probably have already seen it around?). It's such a cute, fluffy romance/slice of life, that—despite its fantastical premise—is actually quite grounded, imo... a very cozy watch overall <3

I've also been wanting to watch Shi//guang Dai//liren (Link Click) at some point! I was also talking about watching Sa//saki to Mi//yano with a friend (if you're reading this, hi!)

Anime-wise, I have nothing to offer you on the snz front 🙇‍♀️ I have been very bad about setting aside time for myself to watch things. BUT if you ever watch any of the aforementioned shows, and want to talk abt them with someone... or if you want to watch/read something with me book-club-style... please feel free to hit me up :D

Well, I can't promise this will be the most coherent recap of Casualty thoughts, because I've got a headache today. But I thought it was mostly very, very good!

The Stevie storyline has got so much better over these past couple of weeks. I hated it for a while, tbh. I'm still not entirely sure what to think of it now narratively, but I think it's being handled a lot better. And of course, brilliantly acted as anything to do with Stevie is.

The introductory sequence was upsetting but very well done, I thought. And the show seems to have remembered a one-off scene from the flashbacks in Stevie's first ep: Emma saying that Stevie was once going out with three guys named Dan at the same time (whether this means Stevie is polyam or she was cheating on three different boyfriends is unclear), and Stevie pointing out "one of them was a Danny". Perhaps the very same Danny from tonight. That would be fantastic continuity. Or if it's a coincidence, then what a coincidence it is.

This backstory for Stevie is one that, if it were for any other character, I'd say was a blatant retcon and had never been implied before. But Stevie is so incredibly emotionally repressed, that I can believe her having trauma like this in her past the whole time and it never coming up.

As for the current situation... well, Stevie was definitely out of line, but Harry clearly doesn't have innocent intentions in any of this. I think he just wants her out of the way because she figured out that he's very blatantly controlling Mel.

I appreciate how that story has been handled, as well. Because of Holby's dreadful "Madge is in an abusive marriage! No wait, her husband's a nice guy, it's her horrible burdensome disabled daughter that's causing problems!" storyline back in the day, I feared this Harry and Mel story was just going to be a repetition of that - but no, it's clearly a subversion. I'm not totally forgiving Casualty's recent handling of disability issues, but this is an improvement narratively over what I thought it was.

Also, it's interesting that we now have Faith literally taking the side of an abuser while trying to gaslight Stevie into thinking she's being ridiculous and doesn't know what she's doing. (Very, very far from the first time Faith has gaslit Stevie.) I don't think we'll ever get followup on that because that would mean the show acknowledging what a monster Faith is and I don't think that will ever happen, but... that scene spoke a thousand words.

Meanwhile, Stevie of course knows what she's looking for - because of her experiences with Marcus' coercive control of her. Jacob was one of the first characters to express scepticism of Harry's presence, too. Considering his relationship with Tina and where Harry's story is going now, I wonder if that was intentional?

The Rash storyline is still very, very well done IMO. It almost made me cry again. Neet Mohan is such a fantastic actor.

And I'm very intrigued by Tariq! So far, he seems quite likeable, and I think his dynamic with Rash is interesting. They're cousins, but their dynamic seems almost sibling-like, which is neat. Tariq seems to be something of a "cool older brother" type of character, and I like that.

I like Siobhan a lot so far, too. Not to bring up Madge again, but Siobhan does feel a lot like her, but that's not necessarily something I mind. I didn't much like Cathy (I think that was her name) from Corrie, so I was worried about what I'd think of Siobhan. Thankfully, my problem with Cathy seems to have just been the character, as I consider Siobhan quite enjoyably watchable.

Unfortunately, I didn't like the Paige and Jodie stuff. Both characters deserve much more interesting stories than this.

I hope beyond hope that Paige doesn't leave. I wouldn't want her to have such a lackluster last story, for one thing. And she has so much potential.

As for Jodie, again, why is the Max story falling to the wayside? It's ridiculous.

It was nice to get some more Jan and Teddy scenes tonight. I appreciated that a lot.

I don't know for sure, but I think next week is Max's last ep. I'm not expecting it to be satisfactory, but I hope it will be good.

2. What’s a role in a different show you’ve heard one of your cast members in and just been absolutely blown away by?

I know I wrote this but hhhh it will kill me if I pick just one cast member AND one role, so here's everyone I've heard in multiple roles bc I LOVE them.

David is in everything and he's amazing in everything but I was so absolutely WOWED by his Silt Verses episode. It's such a deep, tragic, dramatic, versatile portrayal of unhinged theatre kid gone too far, the whole episode is just fantastic to listen to.

Equally, Gryph as Adjudicator Shrue is just, ah, blorbo of all time. I think what really gets me is that they as a character are so different to Gryph as a person, so hearing them in the role is just a fascinating transformation. The love saints ep and the confrontations with Carson last ep are especially good to me.

Evan is fantastic in so many things! I've seen some of their lines for s2 of Chain of Being and I'm really, really excited for that. But if you want a lesser known Evan gem, she has made a very political Macbeth adaptation that you can hear on the FN Showoffs and it's absolutely stellar!

Rhys' Monstrous Agonies episode, my beloved. After he recorded it he was like 'I think that, maybe, possibly, I might have done a pretty good job? And I'm proud? A Little bit?' He then immediately was embarrassed that he'd said that and took it back, but he SHOULDN'T HAVE. Because it's AMAZING. (It's like 15 mins long, if you listen to it right now and tell Hero and/or Rhys how much you love it I will literally do anything for you)

Every show that doesn't have LM Clohessy in it is underutilising her imo. But I specifically love the work she does on The Attic Monologues. The directing, and her performance as Agatha. It's just one episode, but I think TAM is a show that you can tell a lot of love goes into, and I love when you can hear that in podcasts.

And this isn't quite in the same vein, but I have to mention it because it's truly amazing: you can hear Delilah reading some of her poetry live on Black Lives Natter. I can't remember the exact episode, but if you google it it should come right up!

(Also Subhi and I were in a stage production of The Nightmare Before Christmas in our first year of high school lollll)

FRIGAY - now this is what I’m talking about!

Ohoho! There were so many series, that I have to make a list of what I watched. Just as I was about to go to bed at midnight, after a long day of work and an evening BL marathon, I discovered there was a new series, My School President. I was barely awake by then, but I decided to watch it and if it's boring / stupid - pause and continue on Saturday. I WATCHED THE WHOLE EP, SUDDENLY STOPPED FEELING TIRED, IT WAS LIKE AN ENERGY SHOT. What a way to end a day! 💯💯

My School President Very nice characters, MLs are both likeable, sweet and handsome, actors are good and natural, despite being very young. All the old, overused tropes are here, but they don’t “ruin” the show, quite the opposite! (I don’t even mind the singing, it was actually well done for a change, especially the folk song.) The series is genuinely funny, the general vibe also reminded me of Gokusen, which is nice :) I LOVE it, when what the characters feel is shown in little gestures, touches, glances, sometimes in a "random" sentence. Tinn is the KING of the above. Like when he combines his last name with Gun's name and when he takes the incense from his hand not missing the opportunity to gently stroke his fingers 🥰 I also like that Gun is equally affected, luckily it's not that only one side is very interested, Gun is also interested, although he may not be identifying his feelings correctly yet (their first scene together, when they look at each other is just 10/10, how Gun is suddenly shy, and Tinn not-so subtely checks him out 🥺). The actor playing Tinn reminds me a lot of Lee Dong Wook which only makes me like this show even more lol

Eternal Yesterday This show. THIS SHOW. THEM. Japan can make a series that is sad, but so... good-sad, if you know what I mean. I can’t explain that. It's such a special feeling, that touches your soul in a certain way... The kind that only the best ART can evoke. I love them so much.

My Tooth, Your Love What a sudden change of mood on this show! What can be better than both MLs so obvioulsy in love, seducing each other? With food?? Fantastic episode, it's great that they start their relationship and have a first kiss at the dentist's office, where it all began. It's nice that Bai Ling still has his issues and it's nice that Xun An doesn't dismiss them, he just says that he will just be there for him. Xun An deserves to be happy and cherished, period.

Oh My Assistant! A cute little series, also very funny. Another stoic seme that is secretly all smiles and smitten with the a clueless, adorable, a bit crazy uke (MSP, however, handles it better imo). What I like, is that one of the characters clearly identifies as gay and the only thing stopping him from pursuing his crush is the belief that he’s straight. Super funny scene of waking up your love interest XDD

I Will Knock You What happened? The series got rid of everything that I liked it at the beginning, in the first episode (even the clothes). I feel so SORRY for Thi, it's not a Semantic Error territory anymore with “annoyer” and “annoyed”, I feel like Thi is simply bullied and not only by Noey but by his friends and family as well. Also Thi's friends completely ignore his words and are kind of bunch of dicks?? Boooo (but they danced at the end again, I'll never stop loving it)

SO GLAD YOUR ASKS ARE OPEN! I have a lot of thoughts lol and this is going to be super long and all over the place but I definitely need to just get it all out! Sorry in advance!! Firstly, I excitedly hopped onto the jiara tags after finishing and was surprised that so many people had problems with jiara?? Is that the majority or am I just seeing it randomly? Also I keep seeing people say they aren’t together in the end? But I don’t see why people are assuming that? They sat next to each other and kie looked down and smiled lovingly at j… also I’m hearing people complain about how jiara felt rushed but I definitely don’t see it that way. I think over all it was amazingly portrayed and angsty and represented their relationship so well! Keep in mind that they have known each other for yearsss, they have both deep down had feelings for each other and have spent weeks on an island being around each other 24/7 and bonding. I think for a friends to lovers trope, it was perfect because for them to decide to take the next step in their relationship and make the choice that it’s worth pursuing they obviously have to be in love! I will admit that I slightly missed their married couple banter but for people to be saying that they ruined jiara bc of the lack of banter is odd to me. Kie has always been soft with jj whenever they’ve been alone and away from everyone else… it’s definitely not a new behavior. Also, kie knows jj, she knows how he’s struggling and her being soft with him was her way of showing him that she cares and loves him which I think JJ really needed this season and she def knew that. He definitely didn’t need people banging on him like they usually do. He needed to be shown that he is worthy and that he’s understood, appreciated and loved. I absolutely loved the kiss and leading up to it! It felt like jiara! I just wish they had better lighting! (What’s up with shows always doing this with our fav ships?) also, it definitely ended a bit early but that’s my bad for assuming we’d get a full make out lol. (I might be slightly bitter that cleope got a good lighting and zoomed in kiss lol even tho I love them) JB’s dad’s storyline was really dragged and boring! It took up way too much screen time for sure! I actually ended up skipping a few parts after ep 5, and I didn’t care for him in general! He was a selfish ass I think. As far as the time jump, I definitely hated it! It felt like a rushed/lazy way to tie up loose ends which was unnecessary since we’re getting a s4. Like I get wanting to bypass some stuff and show us that the pogues won but by doing so you skip over the real rewards of seeing how they react/handle the next steps in their lives! We want to see all of jiara’s firsts! That’s the most rewarding part! And I hate when shows do this bc it just feels like a disconnect! They better serve us some good content to make up for it next season!

I agree with pretty much everything you said!!

From what I’ve seen, I think most people seem to have generally liked the Jiara. But I also think the finale petering off the way it did left a lot of bad taste in everyone’s mouth, and it was the last thing everyone watched. I think it’s going to settle with everyone a lot better after a few days have passed and we can better appreciate all the stuff we got.

I don’t think Jiara felt rushed. I had my concerns for a split second that they were acknowledging their feelings too fast, but the angle they were going for really settling in to Kie knowing in 2x10 and being so happy on the island worked. And the emphasis on JJ’s struggles of accepting that kind of love rather than a journey to those feelings really worked imo! I also missed Jiara banter, not gonna lie, but the angst was fantastic, and in the happy moments like the fishing scene we did get that more classic Jiara dynamic. So it’s still there. I think part of the reason this also felt lacking was because of the lack of good fun group scenes in general; that’s almost always when their banter shines because it’s more relaxed and not directly about them and their relationship.

And of course, a lot of people have had this ship getting together playing out in extremely specific ways in their heads for three years. The show is never going to hit all of those on the head exactly, and that’s also an adjustment period when a slow burn gets together I think.

I just finished Staged 1!! My reactionz (apologies for wall-of-text; I cannae “read more” on mobile);

(tl;dr at the end)

Props for getting me to not despise a Zoom show on sight. Uses the medium really well despite it being, you know, a remnant of the world fuckin ending

Very Rosencranz and Guildenstern are Dead, like the patter/volley, lotta chemistry (goes without saying)

David Tennant using Frost/Nixon as an example to explain who Michael Sheen is to Samuel L. Jackson makes me feel so seen. Maybe it’s an American thing idk

Nina, my beloved… serving cunt as the day is long. Rip to her beleaguered assistant lmao

The celeb cameos weren’t annoying !

Bordered on naval gaze-y but self aware enough (meta!) to skirt the line well

Simon’s sister rules lmao

The exterior shots showing empty Englandland were beautiful and captured a (shitty) moment in time very effectively. And sheep! Pastoral VS city, good stuff

Who the fuck is Michael Sheen?!

I wish David writing the play came up earlier, structurally it felt kinda thrown in the last two episodes, but they’re short so it’s a lot to put in

Michael crying over the old lady possibly dying 🥺 Best unseen character uwu

Welsh is a horrifically ugly language but I appreciate their commitment to the bit

Best ep by far was the 3rd (I think?) one revolving around lying. Fantastically written and all around a tight episode

He is in the naughty corner!!

I’m ignorant af whooooooo is the black actory guy in the 5th (I think?) episode who goes on a run to deal with stress and reads Ulysses twice? Love him. I will follow him into the dark

The Ulysses bit is very haha Bri’ish

Do Not Go Gentle Into That Good Night Reference !!!!

The credits gag is *chef’s kiss*

I… don’t like the music. It feels very Kevin Macleod student film stock piano sorry

Also could be my hearing issues but I just couldn’t hear sometimes, at least with the wide shots. Maybe there are subtitles but I wouldn’t know since I watched it completely legally uwu

Editing with fade-to-black annoyed me at first since that’s not how Zoom works but it won me over, very effective theater-y choice. Elevates it a lot along with the way the Brady Bunch boxes move

David and Georgia’s dynamic is adorable and they play well off each other. Not sure if I’ve seen Georgia in anything before (statistically speaking she was prob in Doctor Who lmao) but I really like her as an actress! Very charming

Anna’s not in it as much so can’t say for her acting ability but she was fine idk. She has zero chemistry with David and Georgia but her and Michael seem to have a little bit, just not nearly on the same level as the Tennants. It’s “meta” so not quite sure what that implies irl but her awkwardly leaving Georgia on read was very funny

Idk who Simon is but he’s a good actor! More of a writer? Self effacing and fun

D̵̨̜̓̽͆͘Ḁ̴̪̻̘̗̮̀͛̈̊̅͆ͅM̷̭̒͛̓̔̐͛̉̂̈́̔͘Ë̷̲́̿̅̀̐̆̇̅͋̓̋͂̉ ̴̟̖͉̳͖͕̫̑̌́͂̀͑͐̽̈́̃̃J̶̨̤̞̰̙̻̯͍͖̯̠̝̥̤̿͐̄̂̈̅̎̃̌͊͊̓͠Û̶̢͍͔̱̦̩̬̦͙͖̓̿͘D̶͇̭́̋̓̆͆̋̋͘I̶̞̳͕͖͗̓̓͑̐͆͊͋̂̚͠͝ ̴̧̨͎͖̲̳̼̎̈́̋̐͘Ḑ̸̲̖̟̲͓̝̠͍̤͛͆͐͘E̷̛̻̥͙̯͂͌̌̈͂̒Ņ̷̛̭̦̗͔̝͙̖̆̀̆̌̚ͅC̴̢̬͉͈̉͐̃̀̋̓̓̓̀̚H̵̡̠͕͚̹͑͂̃̉̐̈̾̍̕͠

In the same vein, the button of the cookie jar acting game— yes. All yes

Once again hammering the meta theme but it is interesting to see how David & Michael’s chemistry really does get stronger as the episodes go on. I’m assuming it was filmed in order so a lot of it is the awkwardness of acting on Zoom I think since they had better chemistry in Good Omens 1 imo. They said they became closer friends through it and it shows

Also feels less ‘actor-y’/more comfortable between them as it goes on, which I get is scripted but you can tell the difference, like when a sitcom cast for many years either starts hating each other at the end or becomes inseparable

tl;dr Overall it’s quite cute! Well written, easy watch, lotta subtle funny moments and back and forths. Interesting to see something that feels like a play as a Zoom TV show, it’s unique. Everyone is having a good time and likes each other and it shows. Not sure I’d come back for a rewatch if not for it (apparently) becoming a lot more meta as it goes on and then whiplashing from funnier in season 2 to major bummer in season 3.

It’s fascinating to see a friendship develop in real time, and even aside from that, it’s written and edited concisely. Based on .gifs I’ve seen it looks like season 2 has a lot more of the iconic/memorable moments. Don’t really see the “love story” aspect yet but I guess that comes in time. (And arguing! I’m excited for arguing. Actors love that shit.)

Started season 2 with episode 1 and already like it more with how meta (this no longer sounds like a word) it’s getting. Cool concept and I’m glad it exists

Confession Time

I am about to do the unthinkable. I never thought it would come down to this...I had lost all hope for Disney and thus I created an ultra elaborate alternate script for Kenobi

The script included Obi-Wan Kenobi foolishly using his old alias from his “bounty hunting” days: Rako Hardeen. This would prevent him from being connected to Ben, and thus to Owen. It would get Vader’s attention, thus why the Inquisitors would be after him. It would make sense given how he would be going to a world full of bounty hunters, where Hardeen (the REAL Hardeen) would have been a relatively unknown bounty hunter with enough of a reputation. He manages to get Leia to Alderaan, where Vader is waiting for them, but Reva interferes, defending Obi-Wan as she finds the courage to finally put her life on the line for the greater good. Obi-Wan tries to save her, but is forced to watch someone else under his care be slain, taken by the Dark Side. With her dying breaths, Reva tells Obi-Wan to protect Leia, to save her the way he was unable to save Vader 

This is all summary, ofc. It’s vague and I left out major plotpoints for one simple reason: I was wrong

SHOCKING, I know lol. And some of this would’ve benefited the show regardless, I think. Rako Hardeen would be a way to show the audience how broken Obi-Wan is; the last time he used that identity, he had to pretend to be Anakin’s enemy, and now he IS Anakin’s enemy, and it also conceals Ben’s alias. That’s the biggest thing imo

However a majority of my script is actually undermined by Episode 5 of Kenobi. They turned Reva from a horribly written character to one of my favorites in the series, Tala’s sacrifice- despite being heartbreaking- feels super impactful and oddly necessary. And I don’t think the flashbacks or Vader’s rage were bad, either, it all added a lot of tension to the Kenobi versus Vader dynamic. All in one brilliant and insane episode

I love it. I love Kenobi Episode 5. It’s everything I’ve wanted from this show from Day 1

THAT BEING SAID. I have two major gripes with the series, still

1. A fantastic third act does NOT justify a sloppy first and second act. However good the show is now, I can’t justify recommending it to anyone simply because of how slow it was to really start and often it seemingly broke canon and had us wait a MONTH for answers. It frustrates me that we had to wait THIS long for ACTUALLY GOOD Kenobi content, especially since the writers were clearly capable of it. I know that if they tried actually making the earlier hooks make sense they would have spoiled it, but here’s the thing: it’s okay for the fans to be right sometimes! It’s okay for fans to predict what’s going to happen! Don’t waste your entire show trying to be unpredictable and epic if you’re just going to sacrifice most of it anyways

2. This kinda mirrors my first point, but...they’re still copying stuff??? Tala’s sacrifice was very, very similar to Hevy’s sacrifice in The Clone Wars, while also having Rogue One vibes. That was the big one for me. Vader’s grip on the shuttle was also similar to Rey’s grip on the First Order Transport and Starkiller bringing down the star destroyer, which I think most people noticed. This episode has been a lot better about being original, but it’s still not original

Kenobi Ep.5 Rating: 8/10

Kenobi Show Rating (not final): 6/10