Looping Songs Count as Bots?????

 

Okay, so this has been bugging me after seeing the Butter fiasco with the filtered streams being far more than any song while the western musicians got far fewer cuts. Look at the difference between Olivia Rodrigo and BTS’s filtered and unfiltered streams.

I loop the fuck out of songs. It's too habit for me to not loop songs I like on repeat. I don't think I can break the habit so for my sake, I pull streams by doing what is needed. Because if it was up to me, you would see me repeat songs for days on end. 

For example, the songs I've been looping were Japanese songs and I just kept doing it. I just can't stop looping. 

Isn't it human behavior to loop songs? It's what I've been doing forever. I'm pretty sure I can call up one of my cousins and ask if she loops songs and she'll say yes. 

It makes it so much worse since I do want to help BTS get those streams so I’ve been streaming. On low volume, not on mute. Streaming is just listening to music so it’s fine it’s on low volume. I haven’t seen ARMYs argue about the song volume so it should be okay. Seriously, I have seen more arguments about streaming as just listening to them on playlists. I have seen this one ARMY said that it's just fine to just press play on your iPad and stuff it in your drawers. I leave my playlists to go in the background when I go do chores or take a bath or all day long really. 

Just to be clear, just stream and use playlists. As long as there are fillers (2-3 are the max but make sure to not be too on the nose with it since I got loads of fillers for me since I’m a listener who prefers lots of different songs before heading back to that song.), then it’s fine. I don't think my playlists are optimized for streaming but playlists on themselves are already a vague thing that I'm only going along with what is needed. I just play lots and lots of tracks between what is required. Because for my sake, I must play lots of different songs before hearing the same song again lest I loop the song. Because I'm looping the heck out of those songs right now. 

What we're doing is just fine. Heck, we're doing better than last time too. There is no need to change strategies when we see the streams are doing just fine, better than fine. 

When the problem is the streaming sites and whoever controlling it is deciding how much is filtered and how much is unfiltered, then it’s not on our shoulders when streaming BTS is doing just fine since the songs are still on Global Spotify. It’s not on our shoulders the blame should be laid on but the corrupt music streaming sites that are profiting off artists and fans. Even the western artists that are so-called popular, keyword so-called, are still victims in this payola mess. I really pity Olivia Rodrigo since the crew behind her are just willing to put her photo up in all countries on Spotify. 

And I'm talking about the western artists backed by the industry here. I'm not talking about the indie artists who suffered far worse unless they built up a dedicated fanbase. 

Japan sticks to their guns so you see their Spotify and Apple Music as what they prefer to listen to, not even caring what the western industry is putting out. Barely since I see some English singers on the Hot 100 from time to time. Please, even Kpop groups have a better time cracking there than English singers. And I check the Japan Hot 100 infrequently since it's a dedicated playlist on my Spotify. Similarly, Korea sticks to their guns though, for their charts, it depends on unique listeners on streams. At least, we know they listen kind of since I know BTS listens to their peers in the western industry. Come on, Namjoon listened to WAP during the high point of the rivalry between WAP and Dynamite. Hobi listened to that Astronaut song last I checked. 

You know as well as I do is that western artists, unless you are really genuinely popular like BTS and subjected to good playlists - not payola - with what ARMYs do, are paid nil. It's pretty obvious Olivia Rodrigo is really going to earn nada when she has been staying up top for weeks when everyone else was getting lowered. 

Like, it's pretty obvious they were shaving off the majority of it off of the US streams. As a US ARMY, that gotta hurt when US ARMYs have to just continue streaming and just hope that the needless cuts that were made by Spotify would just lessen as long as they continue to stream. 

Especially when we did see a rise in percentages all over the world but not the US, the place where BTS promoted Dynamite the most. Yeah, fuck off. The rest of the world showed the western music industry in the US is barking up the wrong tree trying to pretend BTS is on the downfall or stagnating. 

Seriously, US ARMYs are facing the brunt of the US music industry's wrath when US ARMYs have to go up against corruption. The general blockage of POC artists and all those systematic shit is par for the course. Seriously, it's pretty obvious at this rate. 

My routine is soundtrack aka no lyrics music during the morning until I’m ready for a pick-me-up in some energetic music or lyrics basically. Again, only when I’m ready for that. I really can’t listen to any lyrics in the morning because those will wake me up. 

Typically, my choice is orchestra but not too bombastic like say the 1812 Overture. It's perhaps because my parents used classical music to lull me and my brother to sleep that I'm so used to and maybe even preferred to it. 

Then I head to upbeat music. Then it's all for whatever song I'm in the mood for. It might lead to looping as I will loop. 

I'm keeping Spotify up for streaming purposes. 

My Fave Characters and Dynamics/Ships

 

This was mainly for fun. I was glancing through an ARMYweeb account when the ARMYweeb noticed herself a pattern of what she likes. So that makes me curious and want to see that pattern myself by going through my fave characters and interests in certain character dynamics and favoring certain ships. 

So, I'm obsessed with Zhongchi/Tartali/Chili. From what I have seen, they are morally ambiguous characters - Zhongli is morally gray for sure. Nice guy but he was chess mastering (not manipulative - all he did was just fake dead and not inform anybody outside of dragging another nation into his scheme and planned to release Osial. That plan to release the water octopus was all his idea. - since he's not even trying to ease these guys into a direction except keeping an eye on Childe. Maybe Signora was the one who planted the Sigil of Permission, who knows since Signora is the contact and likely knows more of the supernatural world than a human, and y'know Tsaritsa definitely knows despite being younger. It was still a ridiculous retirement scheme that involved another nation) even his friends and was willing to unleash Osial onto his town. For a test but he didn't have to go that far - who somehow fit together. They aren't total opposites but can make their relationship work through hard work for the relationship that they want to keep. I latched onto these two characters of the entire Liyue arc. Even now, I can't let them go. 

It's the same way I favor SatoSugu. The breakup in front of a KFC is still funny though even though this ship is complex as heck and I love that. Just give me the hilarity too as icing because that just makes it better. 

Having a side of humor amidst complications should do the trick. Hey, I like levity. 

If there's a humor aspect even if just a tad like Shizaya daily fights - too bad in the light novel, they avoid the shit out of each other and never go crazy fighting unless it's an important plot thing but the anime continued those instantaneous fighting because fans and watchers love that - or old married arguments, then it's great. Give me that comical edge alongside the complications. 

I like complicated pairings with just as many complicated dynamics. Just a glance in my AO3 bookmarks can show you, Soukoku, Suzalulu, and Shizaya are in there. From my history, you will see DabiHawks for example. That doesn't mean I don't like wholesome ships like KageHina and MiyuSawa which are also in my AO3 bookmarks. 

Honestly, it seemed most of my fave pairs at least have to have either one or both try to kill each other many times. Not even ShirLulu is exempted from this with what happened with Shirley and Mao. 

...Now that I see it with all my fave pairs, it really did seem that's almost a requisite at this point. 

That's the extreme point but the middling things would be hurting each other yet their love will survive that. I don't know I like pairings in which they hurt each other where it truly hurts yet when it comes down to it only they can see each other's true selves. Any kind of pain from betrayal to hurting each other to horrifying heights is just the thing for me. 

...Why are people so against DabiHawks anyway when we see popular ships that are abundant with betrayals of their own in the past? Suzalulu is a thing, you know? Akeshu also got the betrayal thing going on too even though Joker and PTs saw it coming, it was still a betrayal all the same. 

I like angst but I like the feels in there too. The mixed emotions of it yet the love remains strong throughout. 

I like it when they are assholes to each other. If you've seen my AO3 bookmarks, it's all there with the pain and hurting them where it hurts. It's not traditionally healthy but it works for them. 

Rivals to lovers are similar in that they respect each other and don’t kill each other. Contest shipping is a rivals ship I love because of the push to be better. Still, my preference is as long as they’re argumentative to the point they could and will kill each other remains. I prefer couples with arguments and with the relatively sweet ones, I still want these characters to challenge them for the better. That was just one of my main reasons for loving MiyuSawa. 

It’s not my fault I’m drawn to pairs that have that dynamic. The challenge to become better is just so good. Attempting to kill each other is just another bonus. 

Narrative foils are something I really like. DabiHawks isn't that unique when it comes to my shipping. There's Shizaya, Akeshu, and Suzalulu. 

You cannot get me to ship ChrisSawa (even if some of what I like is there, it’s just too vanilla to my taste) when MiyuSawa hits everything I prefer. RumiHawks are BFFs preferably when DabiHawks is just so intoxicating in what they offer on the menu. EndHawks is something I don't see the appeal of and have grown an ever-increasing loathing for it when DabiHawks hits everything that I like in a ship. 

Though with my softer pairings, I still have some sort of complexity or maturity there. KageHina has that benefit due to growth in their current occupations. 

Does ShirLulu even part of the wholesome when it really is wholesome yet complicated? I love ShirLulu. 

Honestly on the topic of Shirlulu, with Shirley’s final words, yeah, I definitely have a soft spot for couples falling in love no matter what the world. While undoubtedly introduced to me by CLAMP, I see my fave ships - like OTP, not the level of okay like Superbat which is fine but I can read BatCat just the same - like Dabihawks and Timkon are this for me. Falling for each other through dimensions and time shenanigans is just a drop but nonetheless overpowering as this has more providence over an aspect I don’t think I put too much thought into as I easily imagine my OTPs falling in love regardless of the world because they will love each other that much. This is for OTPs only so yeah, this also counts for ShirLuzaku. 

Heck, my very first ship that isn't Pokeshipping was from Tokyo Babylon so that might understand why I favor the complicated ships. It was Seishirou and Subaru. Yeap… That one with the former killing the latter’s sister and what happened after and just that another incarnation of the couple was one of them being hunted by the other. Seriously, this couple is seriously the major start in my preferred couples and has all the hallmarks of what I love and prefer. 

Maybe throw in enemies-to-lovers dynamics or at the least what I prefer to call complicated. Kaeluckae is definitely complicated and the pairing is something I do enjoy. DabiHawks is certainly enemies-to-lovers dynamics I like with all the complications. 

Even from an original character standpoint, Jogan is far up my alley than Sebastian x Julian any day. The latter doesn't interest me in the least; maybe it's because I understand the parameters of that ship, but it just doesn't interest me. While it does have complications just a tad, it's just not enough to convince me when I see Jogan. 

Could add age gaps in there too, I guess, but I'm not certain. Spamano is one of my OTPs in Hetalia and I still love it. Does Zhongchi count? Snarry counts even though I only got into that ship via fanfics. Yes, I like Snarry even though for the sake of Godoka, I have no idea how that happened outside of just reading fanfiction. Snarry fits more of my type of ship which involves lots of baggage. Drarry has baggage sure but not my kind of baggage. Drarry is vanilla in comparison to Snarry which is like dark chocolate. Look, Spamano looks like it's vanilla too but it has that history of the world for the lack of a better term. History is gruesome. 

I prefer dynamics over age gaps because dynamics are far too interesting and a definite way to get me invested. If I'm not invested, then why am I here? An age gap is one aspect but I'm not sure if it's enough to get invested that much. Couples who try to kill each other are definitely something I will get invested in. 

Now those are just MxM ships. 

FxF ships are rare at least for me. 

The couple I remember having an interest in reading would be Nami and Vivi. Katarina and her female harem are definitely there as I enjoy those ships over the boys despite the fact it's one of the few harems I don't mind where Katarina can just marry them all. Maybe Ristelle and Aerti but I'm not too sure since while I do like some Fluri then and there, it's not a top thing. It's the same thing with Euphie and Nina.

I don’t mind Zoey x Dawn too. I don’t mind reading it. 

I have no clue why FxF couples are so rare for me. My sexuality or because my shipping tendencies are far stricter when it comes to that. 

When it comes to OT3 and harems, I'm very strict. There's a difference between this and multi-shipping where ya know, shipping multiple people. I do multishipping in series like MHA. I like BakuOcha alongside IzuOcha and Tododeku whereas I'm a definite DabiHawks and refused anyone else for Dabi and Hawks. 

For example, I'm not a fan of C.C x Lelouch but I do enjoy C.C. x Shirley only if Suzalulu is added to the mix as a foursome. I don't mind the Unholy Trinity as a threesome or a foursome if you add Shirley but I just don't personally enjoy C.C. and Lelouch. 

I definitely enjoy the Katarina harem. 

Perhaps I have been burned far too many times about harems that I ignore prospective harems like in the case of Lelouch's harem, which I only consider Shirley out of all of them. I don't enjoy much of Kallen with Lelouch unless it's friendship nor does Milly which I see as more sisterly. Heck, I don't enjoy Euphie with Lelouch much either as I see it as more sisterly, especially when Lelouch is all about the people he cares about and Euphie he definitely cares so much about. 

But it's a whole different story when it comes to liking all the harem members. I do like the members of Lelouch's harem individually albeit liking them in different relationships from the main person. I absolutely love the romances of the girls and gals with Katarina, mostly the gals, but the point remained that I actually like the romances instead of preferring other kinds of relationships. 

I don't mind chick/dude/love interest magnet when it's played well. We must have sufficient reason why these people even like that person in the first place and must make it make sense. I usually enjoy the magnet types if they do it well. Say, if you don't do it well like SAO's Kirito, then it sticks out like a sore thumb. I could withstand a tsundere magnet like Kotetsu because I can see why Tomoe, Barnaby, and Karina like him. 

There is a difference between liking Katarina's harem and Kirito's harem and that is a legit reason to believe it can happen. I can believe people falling for Lelouch because Lelouch is this great character who does deserve love. I cannot see why Kirito was able to gather a harem when he's just so bland, not that he is unlovable, just why does this happen?! 

I definitely like morally ambiguous/grey characters. The Straw Hats are morally gray and I wholly love them. I definitely love BSD. I definitely love Hibari. I love Sasuke. I love MDZS. I love Childe and Zhongli. I love Lelouch. 

Maybe blood knights are a thing too for me. From liking Childe now, it's not a surprise since I love 
Hibari and Zoro beforehand. Make that love for violence attractive for me, you pretty dangerous people! 

Pretty people are definitely for me. Hunks are a halfway point so unless you make hunks attractive for me - I'm a Zoro girl so Oda did good work there -, then good job. I'm not a fan of musclebound freaks because they just aren't that attractive to me. I won't like a big muscle guy unless you somehow make that attractive and even then I will be harsh because big muscles aren't attractive to me. Muscle ladies are a different manner since I do like them just as much as I like my women hot and pretty. Big bodybuilders just aren't that attractive to me unless you have that muscle build from a workout which is relatively okay in my book, but the too much-bulging muscle and I won't like it. 

I can read gen fics that have teases of ships I don't even like. I will never favor TodoMomo, Tashigi x Zoro, and Kohza x Vivi in my life and I never will. I can stand them as long as they can be isolated, short, and interpreted as good friends or in Tashigi and Zoro's case, rivals. 

This is what I am with This Bites and DTESH. 

These are gen fics with authors who don't know how to write romances. Besides, it's not like it's important to the plot in any way. Just Ship Teases. 

My preferred ships are those with so many complications and tensions that it's no wonder I don't favor the bland ones. TodoMomo is just so bland, the same goes with Aizawa x Ms. Joke. Kohza x Vivi got some dynamic with the Alabasta arc but I never favored it much unlike Vivi x Nami. While Tashigi and Zoro do have complications, I never favored it much because why would I ship Zoro with a lady who looks exactly like his rival to whom I know he's not attracted. He respects Kuina too much to be with her look-alike and I don't think either of them thought they would date in the future or at all. 

TodoMomo is no DabiHawks, the latter of which is just something I prefer when it comes to my ships. Godoka, the enemy-to-lovers, tensions, and everything is just so good. Besides, I see TodoMomo as more sibling-like friends or simply close friends in DTESH than anything else. 

I'm sorry, just to get that out of the way, but as long as the pairings I don't like shared isolated moments of Ship Tease, then it's fine because it's just isolated and I can handle that. 

Just don't expect me to ship them or even like them. 

When it comes to ships I'm neutral to, I can be inclined to ship it if I read fics about it. While LawLu isn't a fave ship of mine, I still prefer it over Tashigi x Zoro any time of the day. At least, their dynamic makes sense and is funny as all get out. 

You cannot pay me to read a TodoMomo-central ship fic. While I will happily read DabiHawks fics, you simply cannot pay me to read even a word of a TodoMomo fic. 

I can read a LawLu fic because at the end of the day, I'm neutral to it and it isn't as bland as TodoMomo. 

CLAMP is influential on me. The soulmate pairings of their universe are largely influential on how I see my fave pairs. 

For example, in the original world, they might live very differently. 

Godoka, just imagining the Todofam's faces when they learn Touya and Hawks are destiny. They are meant to be hence their different versions that are living in different worlds are like living together, working together, doing anything together, etc Touya Kinomoto x Yukito Tsukishiro style. Though I think they would be happy that Touya was granted that bit of bliss of true love. And they are granted a brother-in-law. 

Though admittedly people like Tokoyami and Hawks' sidekicks would feel ambivalent. On one hand, Hawks found true love. On the other hand, it's true love with the enemy. 

Same with MiyuSawa. My fave MiyuSawa fic, The Trajectory of Laughter, showcased this with the two timelines, always seeing the match of MiyuSawa. I always love that detail that the two are always meant to be together, in life and in death. Heck, the final scene of the original fic was the two reuniting in the afterlife. When I'm influenced too much by CLAMP, that detail shot me in the heart. 

I always have a fondness for that they are always meant to be together even if some incarnations will always end tragically. 

Mini-Review: Genshin Impact 2.1

 

I'm glad I'm not the only one disappointed in this. 

I'm disappointed that Baal is not completely responsible for the Vision Hunt. Can they make it just like the sword hunt in our world where the shogun is completely responsible? In their effort to make Baal sympathetic, she still turned out to be a completely unsympathetic dictator with the status quo intact. Like she doesn't care she's killing people. 

However, she still isn’t fully realized as in the end, it’s just moe than real development. It’s just feel wasted since there is no true development of complexity hinted at in the trailer. It’s just not developed enough. Baal is a waifu first than a character who wasn't able to fulfill their potential. Then again, it's what said about the female characters in Genshin that are basically waifus first then characters second. Their so-called complexity barely played a part in their quests. We got a hint of the Qixing but those are mostly flavor text and afterthought than actual development where the player is watching their development. 

That can be said about Inazuma really. Poorly developed plot and characters despite having great ideas and visuals. Great gameplay too. The Sakura Cleansing Ritual quest seemed to be the most better written of the whole of Inazuma. 

Seriously, the only saving grace so far of Izanuma is Yae and Kazuha to some extent. While Izanuma has great visuals but poor execution when it comes to the story, there are a few things that make me excited for the next land we're gonna be seeing. Very few of the leaks about Scaramouche and Childe to be true when the latter's death is far too early just like Signora, I'm gonna quit the story so fast that not even Zhongli can entice me. 

Speaking of Kazuha, while I am glad he survived via true love through gay powers, his story has not been expanded upon that much. It felt like he fulfilled his purpose on this arc even if it wasn’t depicted much and at least this one felt nice even if everything else is heavily weighted by its cons. Out of all the character designs thus far in Inazuma, the best character designs came from Kazuha, Tomo, and Itto. The rest, especially Baal, was just okay, nothing particularly interesting. 

Mainly because it's through info dumps just like Signora and Scaramouche. That's Mihoyo's weakness with dropping lore into info dumps when they should've made cutscenes that are invaluable to the story at hand. Make this lore into cutscenes and put it into quests or the main story while you're at it, not info dumps. Even Childe's lore about the Abyss is left in the basement! Like, seeing the Qixing more in the main story. Just so many things are left in the basement that it isn't utilized to any extent in the main story or even the quests. 

Scaramouche could've been used to his potential or some of his potential due to his connection to Inazuma. Instead of letting his story be told in info dumps, tell it in the main story where we see Scaramouche take his revenge against Baal. 

Say, he and the rest of the Fatui team up with the resistance there. They defeat Baal, take the gnosis, and the status quo is upended. We see Ayato shaking hands with the Fatui and the resistance while Baal is taken into prison for her crimes against Inazuma, mobs gathering outside her prison. Scaramouche revealed himself to the public and Fatui has a better diplomatic relationship there at Inazuma. Ayato is the new Shogun this time, no Archon because Inazuma has enough with their own Archon and wants to rule with their own power and open up the borders again. 

As for his confrontation with Baal, we can witness Scaramouche and Baal have that backstory-laden thing drama while the traveler acts as a third wheel to the drama and probably want no place in this drama. They're just here for the resistance and while a grudging alliance with the Fatui, they do not want all this clone mess when they're here for their twin. They'll help fight Baal with Scaramouche while Scaramouche relished in his revenge. 

And that's just one idea! 

In fact, what about Baal's army's side with Kujou Sara where we actually see her question her loyalty to someone who doesn't even care that much about her? You could do so much with Kujou Sara and Yae and ugh, I can't list anyone else on Baal's side right now but their development is nonexistent just like the resistance's side. Instead, we got telling through voice-lines and the bulletin boards conversations to even make sense of their story when they don't impact the story in any meaningful way. I haven't seen the changed opinions that Keqing did regarding Rex Lapis and Kujou Sara had all that potential about Baal that she made her question her loyalty, the foil to Keqing! 

As for the resistance, only we got one death, characters who were introduced only to have several lines, and not much done with them. It’s just there with the status quo still in place. I feel no connection when Teppei died. He just looks so much like Jun Kun that I'm just disgruntled that his death feels pointless just like Signora. How about adding Kokomi and her strategies into the mix? We could've seen Kokomi go all Lelouch on the Kujou army and destroy them! 

If I want to feel more for Teppei's death, then I must learn more rather than having a Mauve Shirt because of Traveler's reaction to it. I certainly don't feel something about Teppei's death unlike how I would Kazuha or even Tomo because at least we got something about Tomo we can actually empathize with instead of a Mauve Shirt. Tomo got that bishounen design that he has going for him alongside what little we know about him. Tomo got that but not Teppei! Teppei is a Mauve Shirt, not a Red Shirt because of his impact on Traveler but no way his death has an impact on me, not when his design is not that unique! Tomo is dead but elicits more emotion out of me because of what we know and saw about him. Not to mention, he's hot as fuck. 

Signora. Her death is utterly wasted and has no emotional payoff of any kind. Personally, I thought Signora would survive until Celestia at best, given her backstory revealed in info dumps. Personally, killing her or even her committing suicide in front of Venti - just any Venti interactions since it seems she has a personal grudge that showcases it more - would do better for her own story than what we got. All her lore is utterly wasted for a death that is for shock value. From a narrative and a moneymaking point of view, Signora's death is pointless and for shock value. Isn't it better if she's playable and has an important part in the main story in later arcs? Because it seemed that way the story was going with Act 1 and 2. 

I do not mind her backstory as long as Signora fulfills her potential and Signora didn't fulfill her potential at all. Heck, I don't mind she isn't as evil as I wanted her to be - she's still evil just with a sympathetic backstory -, not when her story potential is wasted. I'm prioritizing story potential so much because it's better to fulfill a story than to leave it wasted. 

On top of that, Signora didn't even fit into Inazuma at all. Yes, she played a part in the other two areas but in the end course. Come on, Childe was able to fit in the entirety of Liyue. Why not Scaramouche can handle Inazuma himself without Signora breathing down his neck? Signora could just be watching the events from a safe distance, amused by Scaramouche. It's what Signora did while she was watching Liyue. 

The entire act feels like it's happening all at once but at the same time, everything is irrelevant. It's messy and fumbled that I'm pretty sure we're gonna see rewrites of this arc in fanfics and fan ideas thrown around. 

Maybe I have high expectations which is why this update just left me disappointed. Regardless, if the next area has enough writing issues just like Inazuma, then I wonder why I would even be here if Childe is going to get killed off early?

Listen, Childe has death flags. His name, his weapons, etc are indications he's not long for this world. It's similar to Euphie's death flags in R1. These two pick up death flags like a kid at a candy store. 

However, I wish for Childe to fulfill his potential first before getting killed off. For example, Princess Euphemia from Code Geass has her potential fulfilled before getting killed off because her death was foreshadowed. CG R1 is better written and stitched together than R2. Because we see Euphie grow and definitely have the potential to be a great queen had it not been for her flaws as a ruler which is why we see her get Geassed and have to be killed. 

Right now, Childe's potential is still there with his connections to the Tsaritsa, Zhongli, Skirk, and the Abyss. If he gets killed off before Snezhnaya at least and Celestia at best, then I will go read fix-its to ease my pain of seeing wasted potential. Like I would like to meet his family before he gets killed. 

Ruin the direction of Childe's character and you will see spite reading fix-its and rewrites. I'm already reading Chili fics so it's the more the merrier. If you try to harm Childe in any way before Snezhnaya to the point of death, I will not be happy.

Seriously, he's one of the three well-realized characters in the dang game. Killing him now is not good for the story and the money. If you can pander with pairing Childe and Zhongli together in merch and promo, then you cannot kill Childe now. 

If this is the rate the main story for Genshin is going, then you can count on me reading fanfiction because that's what I've been doing to VLD where I prefer to see the fix-its and rewrites over canon compliance fics. 

It's a good thing Kazuha's death was only a rumor since he survived so far. Turned out the canon death was Signora and boy what a pointless death that was. Kazuha's death seems like a treasure and more important than Signora would ever be now. I mean we got to see the gay powers of Kazuha and his best friend and at least we got to understand Kazuha and what his friend means to him. That seems more gravitating than what Signora's death ended up being. 

Admittedly, I'm still stuck on 1.1 Liyue. If that is where their writing peaked, then I am wary about future acts. If Childe is gonna get killed early without fulfilling his potential, then you can count me out. 

Genshin Impact is gonna end up on the pile VLD, Miraculous Ladybug, and RWBY are in right now about wasted potential with so, so bad resolutions or execution. Good ideas but bad execution or didn't make it work or fail to fulfill the potential that it has. 

The only things Genshin hasn't failed were the visuals and the music. While writing is on its ups and downs, the only thing keeping me on board are Childe and Zhongli. With the writing on the female characters having been left to gather dust when it comes to the main story, the stories from their more compelling characters are there. Even if those stories are being left in the basement because we won't be seeing Zhongli and Childe for a long-ass time from now. 

The problems with Inazuma might be the new censorship issues MHY has to deal with. Even if we do have to deal with new writers due to previous ones leaving for one thing or another, the last act is just so disastrous as if they were forced to complete it. I still think making waifu Baal was still a thing set in stone since every single female character in Genshin is a waifu first. However, the writing for everything else must have been forced and have to move onto Sumeru when it hopefully won't be blocked by the CCP. I can understand the writing issues due to switching to new writers who haven't left me with much hope but when the fundamental problems became more prominent because of the new writers... I know censorship will be an uphill battle regarding Inazauma's storyline but they could have at least done something. Anything about the political atmosphere or character development or anything at all because it just seems like waifu Baal was forgiven for all her atrocities when her Vision Decree killed her own citizens that she has already shown disdain for. I don't think Kazuha would ever forgive her for killing Tomo at all. 

Regardless of what we got with Inazuma is what we have to deal with. Knowing the censorship issues and behind-the-scenes mess during Inazuma's writing, still won't fix Inazuma's writing issues. Again, waifu Baal was gonna be a thing whether people like it or not. 

If every female archon including Tsaritsa - all my nightmares about waifu Tsaritsa are frightening - gonna become waifus, that's unfortunate. Really unfortunate. 

Waifu writing for the female characters and lore splashing on a background including artifacts - probably the worst kind of lore writing since that's flavor, not actual textual meaning to the main story - was gonna be a thing from the start so I have to pick my battles with it. I would prefer to have the quests for the female characters the same way we have Venti, Zhongli, and Childe's quests where we actually see the lore that was stated beforehand get into the mix and actually impact them as characters moving forward, developing them and all that. That is what I want, not to have every female character fawn at the Traveler who they just met. Inazuma was just the worst offender. 

Listen, if there's a malewife Thoma and waifu Tsaritsa as a choice, I will choose malewife Thoma any day. 

To wipe away the sour taste Inazuma leaves me and likely Sumeru - this one being the skin tones which doesn't bode well at all - too, I'm gonna go read Chili fanfics and fanart. On an aside note, could we have a dendro vision user as a playable character since Baizhu isn't going to be one? Is our dendro vision user being the archon the one we're gonna use as our very first playable dendro user?

From what I heard, the new world quest Tsurumi Island is better received than the Inazama archon quest. Even Kokomi's quest and Thoma's hangout were better written than the Inazuma archon quest apparently. I don't know about the new labyrinth quest overall story and details yet but I heard tentative good things about the start. I haven't heard much about the new Dragonspine quest but it's tentative good things when people are complaining it should've been the main story exclusive quest, not an event quest. 

I would like to imagine a Chili wedding with a combo of Chinese and Russian traditions. It does help that some traditions are similar like the Chinese door games and the Russian buy-out games. The only recent wedding I've been to was my oldest cousin's so I'm imagining the trajectory of the wedding day similar to theirs with the tea ceremony in the morning with an afternoon official ceremony with a night reception. The Chinese traditions are far easier to know which goes where on the timeline of the one-day-only wedding day. It's just where do these two would have their tea ceremony, official ceremony, and reception. I know Xiangling would be the head chef of the catering since Zhongli strongly recommended her cooking in his video. I'm sure Childe's mom and sisters want him to throw the bouquet for the single people while Venti would be either in the groom's party or even the live musician who would definitely play something during the bouquet throwing. It seems to be his type while Childe gets ready to throw the bouquet into the crowds of people. I'm sure Childe's family delights in the wedding door games that are basically the Russian buy-out games for the groom. Combining them should be easy for them since they could add the Chinese door games that are applicable to the couple like making Zhongli eat octopus and composing a poem. I know for sure my cousins found it fun making up the games for the door games since they were in charge of it. 

On a side note, I have seen some Pokemon AUs for Genshin. Often, I see Water and sometimes Electric types for Childe and Rock types for Zhongli with the occasional Ground types. While those are fitting especially when these guys would be trainers, well Zhongli trainer-turned-professor kind of like how he mellowed out over time. I mean I see Gokudera going into the Pokemon Research field. I always see a Wailmer/lord with Childe and it's unsurprising considering Childe is both a whale and a narwhal. I want to see Dragon types for Zhongli since Drampa fits his old man vibes if you want to go there and it's a Chinese dragon too and a Shiny Drampa is right there! I have seen Rock and even Ground types for Zhongli but never Dragon types even though Dragon types fit him just as well. He seems like a burgeoning Pokemon researcher when a Trainer but gets his license as a Professor studying Pokemon archaeology while Childe will become a Pokemon Champion. He could be like Steven from Champion but still a Steel enthusiastic and we do see Steven go about studying so... Zhongli could be the Steven counterpart in terms of like that. We know the Gym Leaders, Elite Four, and Champions do have hobbies such as Cynthia and Steven going on looking at archaeological dig sites. Because Champions have a lot of influence, they could do loads of stuff and have money to spare. 

Love at First/True Sight

 

He got one detail wrong. There is evidence Cinderella from the original didn't know that he was the prince and only got the confirmation when her stepfamily heard the proclamation about the slipper. There's a scene explicitly confirming this.

Love at first sight has been scathed at a lot. Many people thought there is no chance of getting that love just because you saw this person once and decided you would pursue this person. 

The only person I know that has this was my English teacher in sophomore year high school, telling us her story about her and her husband, saying that this happened to her. They met on a cruise I think it was some kind of boat or was it a party and according to her, her husband fell for her, and shortly after that they began dating. 

I do think this is rare and not impossible. Just because it didn't happen to many people doesn't make it stupid. There are crazy love stories after all. 

What I do want to point out is to see the red flags. If you see these red flags as flags, then well that's bad obviously. 

Understandably, even when people like to say love at first sight is not realistic, they do certainly like the romance of it. Even dating for some time after knowing them for a bit is still romantic in some cases. This is why I found it hilarious for all of Frozen's decrying of tropes - lampshading is not the same as actively examining and Frozen failed at self-reflection a lot - Kristoff and Anna still got married after not too long, given they looked like they barely aged. 

Okay, so I'm just gonna give ya a scenario that has no names so you can see this either coupling you want. This is all fiction. 

A person relished on being single and worked in an industry known for falsity, jading them to actually meet someone true. In fact, the person and their friends knew just how much they liked their freedom. 

One day, they met someone serendipitously on what was a normal day out of work. Yet this person doesn't seem to be like the other people you met on the job daily. Instead, they are natural and the most beautiful person you ever met. On that day, you helped them win a game that your friends on the scene took a brief note with. You couldn't keep glancing at them and when they made a gesture, it made an impact on how you perceived flirting. 

However, the meeting was too short and you barely interact and the person only has a number given to them by a friend of theirs, amused by your questions about getting their number. Meeting them again in the same industry would be slim.  

However, a year later, you met again and this time, you won't let this chance escape. You swooped in and finally took the opportunity.

And it's all worth it. You found the most caring and wonderful person you ever met, the love of your life, someone willing to supports and trust you, someone who admires you just as you admires, trusts, and supports them. Someone who shares the same humor as you do, someone who is willing to learn from you just as you are willing to learn from them. 

And it was it. You knew this was love. You knew now you never recovered from the lightning strike when you met them the first time and now they're here, loving you as much as you love them. You knew this was love at first sight. 

I took liberties with this since I'm trying not to give too many details. It may or may not happen. It could be an entertainment or wedding industry because I mention an industry being stale and lack trueness while being somewhat big. 

This is partly an example of good love at first sight and that it could happen. 

As I said in other posts before this, you

• must know who you are as a person 
• what you want in a person
• sheer connection, be it humor, ideals, philosophy, etc. 

You might even have all the inner similarities despite outside appearances and no overlapping hobbies. 

This is the point of love. The realness of the person, their flaws, and beauties are what you like about them. 

Just liking the same thing does not make it love. All you have in common is something you like say weird tastes in music. Seriously, join a club and if somehow you met the person you truly love there, then that's all the better. The point of clubs is to bring together people with similar interests so to say that's a start for any romantic relationship is dumb. It's just one commonality that could start a friendship at first. 

Do you know this person? Do you try to know this person? 

There are many different love stories in this world. Some people met by going to parties or bars, some by their friends introducing each other, some by happenstance. There are so many different stories with their own experiences together. 

Hell, in one compelling love story in Galavant, the two most murderous villains actually fall in love. They actually fell for each other because they actually got to know each other. The guy saw her in her most vulnerable state and heard her story of Jenny yet he saw her do stuff like ordering executions and willing to begin a war for him, even planning to go vaca together, ziplining. He sees her as simply Madalena while she herself learned how to grapple with her emotions she never tried to grasp. It's seriously romantic when he bought her a pair of earrings with her tormentors' ears still attached. That fits them well since Madalena absolutely loves the Bonnie and Clyde angle and the extra helpings of murder and torture. 

That would not be romantic elsewhere but since this is the murderous couple. Many fans actually liked this couple out of the entire canon couples simply for just how compelling it is. 

Then there are the crazier love stories. People find love in reality tv, a genre people trashed as unrealistic and producer-driven drama. 

The more successful couples from Bachelor Nation met during the filming and have to explicitly tell skeptics their love is real. Successful couples have to deal with a lot of flack just because they fell in love in a reality show, a reality show that doesn't have the best results for long-lasting relationships. Just because Trista Rehn managed to find love on her second shot in the Bachelor as the first Bachelorette does not mean the next Bachelorette managed to find it. Just because Sean Lowe managed to find love does not mean his other Bachelors did. Really, I think a cast full of people looking for love and mature in what kind of partner they want is the way to go for the best Bachelor combination. This is why Sean Lowe and Rachel Lindsay's seasons are hailed as one of the best as the audience does get to see the real love story from real people who get on the show for love and did find it. 

The only thing I have against Bachelor Nation is that as a reality TV, they have to have producer-driven things and they will edit people into archetypes that aren't them. Right now, the editing is making Clare out to be a villain and Dale doesn't get many edits beyond being the Spouse Material; I don't even think Clare was in charge of the strip dodgeball when in other dates we see in Bachelorette, we do see the men play sports in jerseys. Bachelor Nation is known for the lust and sex but for the love of Godoka, not even the editing and the production team makes the people show differently from how they are in real life except when their actions kept pointing in a bad direction like Juan Pablo's lack of reaction to women who point out rightly he doesn't seem to know them, promise the moon the day before and break it the day after. While I do find the alpha men fighting hilarious since it does seem so silly, true love stories like Rachel and Bryan, Sean and Catherine, Desiree and Chris, Trista and Ryan fall to the wayside. It's fascinating to see couples fall in love in relatively real-time. Even when their more private stuff was offscreen, we can see their love growing. 

Lauren and Cameron from LiB show that the experiment does work but only if they are willing to make it work as a couple. Like Bachelor couples, it is possible to find love in the weirdest of circumstances. Especially when people really chose to do reality shows just to find love. And usually, that does bring good romance especially on reality tv where two real people fall in love, connect, and chose to make it work. That's the reason why Bachelor Nation success stories captivate so much and often referred to as the best seasons. While reality tv is frequently trashed and viewed as guilty pleasures, the true love stories in reality tv can really stave off the reality tv tropes. 

Love at first sight is rare but doesn't make it impossible. Tom Daley and Dustin Lance Black's story was this apparently, not that I don't believe them, but because it's their testimony. 

Then there are how long a relationship had been and age gaps. Again, Tom Daley and Dustin Lance Black have a twenty or so year difference. I actually think Sehun and his lover have a similar age gap. Compared to something like Wang Yibo and Xiao Zhan, they only have a basic six-year difference. Okay, I'm a clown on that last one but the point still stands, there is an age difference. 

But how power dynamics will depend on them and how they will seek it out. Power deferential is still a thing but one must realize not all relationships can be generalized into this category. Anyone would want a relationship of equals and the treatment of such. 

Besides, I worry more about the flags. Seeing red flags as just flags is obviously a bad thing. So one must not be rose-colored about love when things like jealousy that can be a breaking point for a lot of people - I know people who broke up precisely because of jealousy. So really things must be taken into consideration and how it could be resolved. 

Short relationships with sudden marriage proposals can happen. Ned Fulmer and his wife Ariel had dated for a mere nine months before proposing and everyone knows how well this couple turned out, considering Ned is still in his 'my wife and kids' phase even if he doesn't mention it often as he used to. Even to his friends, he's known as the married one and they couldn't see him as anything else other than a husband. Fans joked he came out of the womb as a husband. 

Ned insists it's a love at first sight story when his wife argues the opposite that he went talking to her friend instead for several hours and only chatted her up a little while after. She thought he was a weird guy at first, coming to a party with a half bottle of tequila. It's pretty funny, actually, for all of how sweet and relationship goals Ned and Ariel are, their first meeting and impression don't quite match up as what Ned kept on saying it is. Because life isn't a romcom. By the way, I am certain that he already planned grand things for her on special days. 

But not every whirlwind romance will end up happily like Ned and Ariel from many factors. 

And everybody knows what a failed relationship looks like from its various incarnations from its benevolent to the malevolent. Again, seeing red flags as simply flags is bad. 

Love is something beautiful and I like hearing real love stories. There aren't epics or have drawn-out miscommunications but real stories with people not knowing if their crush likes them or not, trying to interpret signs, testing each other, getting to know each other. 

And really that makes things like seeing the more CQL BTS released, the more we get the picture of how BJYXSZD and their love story occurred. 

I do think fate pushed them together but CQL auditions were the last straw for Web to finally establish a romantic connection. 

I don't hate romcoms or romance stories. I love Pride and Prejudice and the better seasons of Bachelor and Bachelorette that ended in a happy ending. Why else do you think I cheered mentally when I see the couples are still together till this day, fighting the odds? 

I like the idea of fate. BJYX kept me up at night because it has to be fate and lots of things coincides for them. 

In the same manner, BTS is basically lightning in a bottle. If my hunch about Taekook is correct, then it’s even more fateful. There are odd coincidences with the number 7, either intentionally invoked or eerie. Considering BTS had the DNA song, they must really believe in fate at least to some extent. Suga is prone to making predictions that even jokes would come true. 

I’m sure there are other fateful encounters in the world like the Japanese line of Twice becoming best friends and in the same group after Momo was eliminated but bought back because JYP and the board knew she’s best for the group. Besides, it’s JYP making the final decisions so if Momo is going, she’s going. 

I’m not going all philosophical since I’m not quite read on the topic. It could just be coincidences but at the same time too eerie. But still maybe fate does exist, just know where to look for it. 

Mini-Review: Cinderella

 

Because of my fairytale-loving heart, I will be watching this movie. 

Admittedly, I'm only watching it because it's a Cinderella movie. I have no interest in Camilla Cabello primarily due to her behavior; every time I see her, I feel like someone should pay for my damages. 

I'm not anticipating a masterpiece and I have a feeling the movie will land on the mediocre piles of Cinderella movies I would only recommend having as background noise. Please, I have seen a better Cinderella movie than this. 

Even the movie trailer alone is just so cynical. Instead of playing into the magic of the setting, it lampshaded things like 'going to the ball of rich people to make yourself happy' is not going to make me a happy camper at all. I have a feeling the writers for this movie do not understand what Cinderella and its morals are as well as just how universal the story of Cinderella is since I read the Chinese, Egyptian, and Vietnamese versions and that's just one of the few at the top of my head. 

There is a difference between lampshading and actually examining it. I have a feeling that this movie won't examine shit, only lampshading because lampshade is the only way self-aware writing apparently be. I prefer Snow White and the Red Shoes' self-aware writing over Frozen and this Cinderella's self-aware writing. Like they hit you over the head with it repeatedly, but at least Red Shoes is not trying that hard, considering the names and general air of fun around it while Frozen is mediocre and glorified for past films had done better and sure as hell not the Disney Princess equivalent of the Lion King. Frozen was trying too hard with all those self-awareness but no examining or trying to make characters important beyond the archetype that fulfills either the fairy tale or Disney one. 

Compared to the obvious colorblind casting of Toni Braxton's Cinderella though I do like the energy the actors gave in there, this one doesn't feel particularly happy on the outset the trailer is trying way too hard on the current political climate instead of just having fun. Although Cinderella 2015 has its own set of problems with colorblind casting but at least having fun, this one is trying way too hard. I'm willing to excuse the Disney live-action only if the cast and crew are having fun. Aladdin 2019 is excused while the BATB is not excused. While Lion King 2019 is not excused, Beyonce's project Black is King is too great and therefore better than TLK 2019. I will praise Black is King over Lion King 2019 any time. 

It's trying too hard because I can see its problems immediately from what the trailer is trying to push instead of pushing the magic of Cinderella. Even one of my fave retellings, Ella Enchanted (book, not movie) has a better thing because it's not trying too hard.  

Why not let me have my fun? The lampshading meant nothing in the grand scale of things since this Cinderella is just so bland on the outset based on the trailer alone. Not even the costumes are grand enough for me to get my attention because at least costuming is a saving grace in dull fairy tale series but this is just...too modern instead of leaning into the fantastical setting. Glitter is nothing to me if it's not used wisely when it comes to costuming. Look, I'm all about PRESENTATION if you could do something that is unique; why else am I so harsh when it comes to performances? I'm not impressed with people standing still in one place unless they have the dynamo charisma to back it up like they are meant to be on that stage and pulling it off. 

You can do the realistic thing but if you're adapting a fairytale into a modern-ish setting, please make sure the fairytale aspect of it is still there. It's a fairytale; just give the airiness floating feeling that it's a mythical world. You got a fucking fairy god-whatever in there, you can get that airy feeling of romance and adventure. 

Like Belle's dress in the BATB Disney live-action is just too bland and it's not as grand as it should've been. From what I have seen from the ball, Cindy's dress is not spectacular when it should be because Cinderella is supposed to be the belle of the ball. Again too modern unlike the fairytale-ness of Danielle's winged dress or Ella's glamorous blue ballgown or how about Ella Enchanted's three gowns or Toni Braxton's pretty blue gown. Make it magical, not make it too modern unless that modernity plays a part because Giselle certainly looks beautiful standing out among the fairytale design of the ball in Enchanted. If there is still a fairy god whatever that is not Leonardo DaVinci or someone who is definitely modern like Rhonda in modern times, then it's pointless if the dress isn't spectacular. 

From what I gather, it's trying to be a musical with Cinderella and the Stepmother getting solo numbers because this is Idina Menzel for Godoka's sake. I like musicals but something tells me that this won't be Roger and Hammerstein's Cinderella or Disney Cinderella. It probably would be homages to these guys at best since these are well-known musicals. 

Trying to make Cinderella proactive with her love for fashion or seamstressing business is not going to make me happy the same way Danielle and Ella did with their own brains. Maybe it's the fact the movie seemed to push its cynicism into my face with those lines that don't understand shit about Cinderella is getting in my way. I don't care if Cinderella is a feminine tomboy or even she is a resourceful young woman. All I want out of this Cinderella is to not be cynical to even lash out against hope or even realistic hope. I don't know, the feeling I'm getting from this Cindy is trying too hard. 

I have no faith in this film. The entire thing I got from the trailer alone is trying too hard and not fun. 

And my feelings are right. It was a film that tried too hard to be progressive only to end up being just sad because of its attempts. 

It's just trying too hard. The ending with the sister going to become queen with Prince and Cindy going off to travel the world with Cindy's business in mind is just trying way too hard. 

There's not a speck of fun, even in the costuming. It's not going ham on anything though they certainly try like Idina and the one playing the fairy god-whatever. It's just so plain. 

Instead of running away and leaving the shoe, this Cindy threw it to run away. It's definitely not Into the Woods where we see Cindy's cleverness to lead the prince to her. I don't see cleverness or resourcefulness. All I see is trying too hard. Camilla Cabello does not have the breathy loveliness of Lily James or the wisdom of Drew Barrymore or the teenage of Hilary Duff or the quiet dignity of Disney Cinderella. 

This Cindy is not clever. This Cindy is stupid as a doorknob. This Cindy is terribly written with all her I'm-not-like-other-girls mentality and so-called progressive when she isn't. She's horribly entitled and condescending to others including strangers when one of Cindy's strengths is her kindness and gentleness. If they just realize that seamstressing in the past is a suitable job for a gal, then Cindy as a (terrible) dressmaker should just be there. And she has terrible fashion sense. I'm not letting the fact that this Cindy has terrible fashion sense go because she is supposed to be a dressmaker and her designs are not innovative at all! 

The fairy godmother's costume is great yet they're just the 'gay best friend' instead of actual development on said queer character though just like past movies had been the narrator. Not helped they're the only queer character in the entire movie. Just wow. Could make the Princess gay or something. Definitely a sign of thinking about what diversity means aka tokenism instead of actual change and actual diversity. 

The writing is just bad. All telling but not showing. The only semblance of showing it even has is the prince and the queen. Everyone else is just talking up whatever prejudice they're dealing with or making worse aka modern issues ongoing from the past. 

Except it failed from every single angle of meshing past and present. Even Ella Enchanted the movie does better on this end even though it's inferior to the book. I'm just crying because it's a failure in everything you can think of. If you think the movie can save anything, the costuming is nothing even though that usually saves a mediocre fairy tale adaptation. And this one is awful as shit. 

And it can't save anything outside of some semblance of characterization of the prince and queen. And the Fairy Godmother's costume. Everything else is just terrible. It's terrible, but not campy. 

And that's not enough for me to get through this movie. Whereas other Cinderella adaptations have anything that could make it through, this Cinderella adaptation only has it in pieces. It's not even campy; where's the camp? At least have fun or something since campy can save something if done just well enough. Hey, I can enjoy Code Geass R2 just based on that alone when the writing became terrible. 

And the writing should've all the potential in there. Even the camp. 

Just look at this, okay: Cindy wants to be a dressmaker, okay? However, because of her class status, she doesn't have any material except buying but when her stepfamily squandering her parents' fortune and not having a dress shop or it could be the dress shop her parents own. However, Cindy has innovative fashion-forward ideas - not the terrible fashion sense because even I can see it's terrible - but can only implement them on paper. However, since her stepfamily put them in debt, she worked day in and day out in the dress shop trying to make due yet can't make her own dresses due to time constraints. As a result, she was overworked on top of chores and just want her dresses to be made and sold. She doesn't care if the general public dislikes them, she just wants them to be sold and make people happy because designing those dresses makes her happy and she remembered showing these designs to little girls and her peers who clearly appreciate them but are disappointed she doesn't sell them.

While casually designing a dress waiting for customers, a disguised Princess - no Prince except maybe a very young one who was set to inherit the throne when that boy doesn't want the throne, being forced to learn whatever at a young age when all he wants is to explore and have fun or even a Prince twin or something. Like you could add the Prince as a bait-and-switch and make them the Godmother himself - came to her dress shop and just looked around. She escaped from the palace for a breather and want to see the whole city as she had been taking trips then and there. Noticing the dress design on the sketchpad, she asked to see it.

From there, Friends to Lovers. Maybe Cindy was slowly clued in that this is the Princess as she helped the princess tour around. Allowing the princess to know what changes to make, the true systematic change this country needs and the princess' desire to become queen even more as she's becoming of age. Examine the patriarchy, systematic racism, systematic -isms that had been perpetuated through the ruler's belief that what ain't broken and unwillingness to admit fault, and all that sort. 

The princess felt she was hiding too many secrets and plan to tell them at the ball she invited Cindy. However, Cindy figured her out and found her time with the princess as one of the precious freedom and have no desire to meet the prince as the ball was supposed to be the prince's ball to find someone to marry. Or even the princess or even the prince's birthday party or something! 

Cindy couldn't go to the ball since she had nothing on hand yet she did update her mom's gown. However, the stepmother ripped it up when she found it. Now she couldn't meet her friend or even just have fun in her overworked abusive environment.  

Until her fairy godmother figure be it the prince or someone else like a friend or even an actual fairy godmother arrived and let her everything, using her designs.

Then Cindy was the belle of the ball. However, just when the other guests thought she'll go up to the prince, she walked up to the princess and they left the ballroom to the gardens outside, leaving everyone speechless. 

There, the princess and Cinderella asked each other for dance and shared a dance and talk till midnight. Cindy left the glass slipper as she knows the princess is clever and would go up to her hopefully. 

The princess is clever. She didn't make the proclamation of marriage but she did make the proclamation of whoever fits the slipper is to be her dressmaker. That was all Cindy needed when she heard the proclamation, especially when the princess arrived at the dress shop in full regalia.

The two married and worked together as queens to rework this country's systematic issues. 

That wasn't even in-depth to be honest, just the bare bones but even that's more interesting than whatever we got. And it's just one idea you can get. There are so many paths you could take this story but yeah, here we got, a mediocre terribad Cinderella adaptation. 

If this is the acting debut of Camilla Cabello, then she isn't really doing it, not when she just feels dull - like not Troy Megaforce wooden robot - and not enough emotion and heart. It's just okay. She's an okay Cinderella, nothing spectacular. Heck, even Max is a better Cinderella than she is and that's because he puts energy with Keke Palmer. Then again, the terrible writing overall and its telling over show is what makes it terrible coupled with its lack of understanding of true changes the people actually want. 

The music is just okay. Nothing too spectacular. At least, Schmigadoon has some great numbers as it accomplished the task of bringing the talent of the Broadway actors while still having fun. Despite lampshading the musical world and all that stuff, it still has the heart of a musical and shows the love of one. The camerawork is especially evident of this as they showcase the ensemble's dance work so well when modern musicals go in and out that in the end just showjumping around instead of showing the entire routine from the bird's eye. The point of a theatre means sitting in one place and if it's a musical with a dance routine, we see it. 

It's a jukebox musical but it's not good at all. It's just so bland that it wouldn't stick out among the Cinderella musicals we got. Perhaps it was because the songs are typical picks (Somebody to Love and Material Girl, yeah, I seen better and Rhythm Nation, was it? Again, I seen better) and the stage was built around them instead of constructing a story with these songs in mind. Even Cinderella 2015 has a better turnout on music than this. There's just no love in that music from either the actors or even the staging. Schmigadoon plays up so much Broadway and musical stuff that it's evident that regardless of negative reviews about the story, they can't put down the way the TV show homage and give tribute to the musicals that gave it life. 

This one doesn't show the love of either musicals and fairytales. It's just mediocre. It doesn't look like that much effort is put into it to showcase a fairytale. It looks just so plain that it belongs to a community theater but at least a community theater has fun with its small budget. 

Not even the costuming department took advantage of the fairytale aspect at all. The clothes are just too damn modern especially the ball scene. They tried with the somewhat pseudo-historical but it's just too bland. The prince's outfits showcase this magnificently as less fabulous than the ball outfit was the biggest offender. Just black, decor, and white and that's it. 

The ball was the biggest offender in failing to deliver the magical ball aspect. The dress Cindy wore was just white and looked less like it belonged on the most beautiful gal in the ball and looked more like a prom dress at worst. It looks like a prom dress! Not a magnificent wedding dress-esque or something magical about it. It's just sad. 

I'm not getting over the sad state of the ball. It just looks so sad and not as grand as it is supposed to be. At least, the BATB live-action, for all Belle's ballgown isn't as fantastic as it should've been, at least has good costuming for some parts of it. The only ones that do stick out were the ones who performed that number but even then, the entire ballgown designs lack cohesion. Then again, the entire movie lack cohesion. 

The ball should have good costuming the most, the one where you can spend the money outside of the stepfamily. However, when the costumes just mesh together that you can't tell which from which instead of showcasing stylistic dresses that will be upstaged by Cindy's dress. Cindy's dress is not being upstaged here, in fact, it's being out-staged. I fear I will cry every time I see that dress because it's awful and does not stand out. Even with my limited knowledge of fashion, I can see that Cindy is not the belle of the ball. 

I'm not getting over the costuming because it's horrendous. Outside of Fairy Godmother's dress which I do admit is great, everyone else's especially Cindy's own creations are horrendous. Cindy's dresses are awful and even I can see that because it just looks hideous. I would not buy her dresses, no way, I have better fashion sense than her. The only dress I remotely like from her was that pink dress she intended to wear to the ball. 

I'm sorry if the complaints about the costuming seem more plentiful. I wasn't expecting much from this movie and even then this movie was disappointing from all angles. The costuming should've been the saving grace at the very least and that's so horrendous that I took note of it. I'm never ever getting over Cindy being a terrible dressmaker and designer with her terrible fashion sense. I would wear Edna Mode's fashion line than hers. 

The entire movie is just sad overall. Trying too hard but at the same time, it's not even trying because of all the problems I listed before. It didn't even try to make do with the story they want to tell except bluntly spell out fairy tale tropes because lampshading works but not actually examining it. Frozen thinks it's examining when it's not, really not. 

Usually, fairy tales and their retellings are my go-to comfort movies and books. This Cinderella is not going on that list. It does not hold a finger to my worn copy of Ella Enchanted book. 

First Impressions: My Next Life as a Villainess S2

 

This is mainly just a fun thing. 

Harems usually don't interest me since either it's too ecchi for my tastes and I read hentai with a stone face or it's just too boring for me. My brother used to be quite a harem anime fan. 

I can read hentai, to be clear on that front. I'm just stone-faced reading it that seeing real-life sex/porn is just so off-putting. That's why I don't watch porn that often. Ecchi definitely isn't my favorite genre as despite knowing there are sex scenes that pushed the story forward as I experienced that before, it's just not my kinda thing. I'm not looking to get off usually unless I am looking forward to it. I won't mind since I read sex not that often but a decent amount. 

Seriously, for a harem to interest me, do me good with a good story like in the case of Re:Zero or just plain going down to a love triangle like Ouran. You must do really good on the writing to even interest me on a slim case of a harem. 

So imagine my surprise when I came across this bi harem animanga. As a bi gal, this hits everything I would love in a harem. 

Now, this is what I kind of know about the series from the second season. 

The trailer got the kidnapping plot down as well as the confessions from Keith and Geordo. I haven't read too far since I was a bit distracted in another fandom but that's all I know so far relating to the light novel. I read a little tad of the manga too so I know just what is to come, just a little nugget though. 

My trailer reading for how the story would play out has been based on what I have seen of this Bachelor Fantake guy did. I began applying that to trailers I watch, especially if I know just a tad of the story. If you know the story of Hamefura, then you could guess what the story is gonna handle like the kiss Keith was obviously going to plant on Katarina right on the opening and I know for sure that Keith professed his love. 

I do have a question about the whole Sirius Dieke/Raphael Walt angle of the harem. I don't know much about the light novel but I read the manga. From what I have seen, the SD/RW side was never explored beyond being a secret route and Catarina seemingly helping the guy by being a confidante. Yet that didn't translate to romantic scenes at all. If anything, the guy bore witness and even help Maria in the festival. Like, even in the official anime stuff, the guy wasn't even seen in the harem or barely in harem official art or even would be part of the harem as we see one of the older princes try to kiss Catarina. Yes, I see him on the official part but the way everything is written seems like Sirius isn't even taken seriously as a love interest. I don't know if he even backed off or not since he seemed willing to help and perhaps entertained the suitors are trying so hard for Catarina's hand that it's better for his sanity that he doesn't pursue. 

Like, I know Nicol didn't bother to pursue as Sophia is on the main offensive. If Nicol did pursue, we would see more of his ends but mostly what Sophia did is to leave them alone or make wild things just so they could have more romantic moments. The recent play is all about pushing Nicol and Katarina. 

Hey, compared to Geordo and Keith, Nicol has romantic moments via Sophia while Alan got those romantic moments because he's on the same dense idiot wavelength as her. 

Keith got moments via using his brotherly connection while Geordo tried his best to use his fiance card for her and even then he imagined romantic stuff than having romantic stuff. From what I remembered, I know he confessed because the kidnapping incident combined with the hickey thing made him want to take her as his wife now before anyone can take her. 

Again, I know Geordo and Keith confessed to Katarina but Katarina didn't know how to take it and just ignored it willfully or it made a break into the dense brain but she didn't quite take it well. I know Alan discovered his feelings during the kidnapping incident. 

On a brief note, I can instantly recognize Yuki Kajiura and Yuki Hayashi anywhere now. It was pretty easy to identify their styles. I can recognize Shoji Meguro just as much as I can recognize Ryuichi Sakamoto. It's the same with John Powell since I can recognize his style since HTTYD. 

Like, I'm neutral about Demon Slayer since it's isn't a fave shounen of mine but I know Yuki Kajiura anywhere. 

I didn't exactly know Yuki Hayashi was behind the music of My Hero Aca but due to my previous exposure to Haikyuu, the style was too familiar for me to not say this sounds familiar. 

I skimmed info about the upcoming anime adaptation of Vanitas no Carte and saw Yuki Kajiura. I would have to be dumb to not recognize Yuki Kajiura's musical touch. I adore the Tsubasa track so much I have those songs in one of my BTS playlists. Seriously, you would see me giving streams to Japanese songs because I'm going to raise those streams. Thankfully, I don't have to worry about competition or even giving streams to competition in the USA. I would really like to pick my own songs rather than see artists I don't want to listen to when I hear them on the radio. If it was up to me, I would call radio stations to play Japanese songs but I know they really won't not when BTS is the clear example of this, only playing the English songs and even then they don't play it as frequently as the others do. That's why requesting playing the English songs is still crucial. 

Did you know I was quite surprised to see a meme referencing the Magiranger scene? Because while I am out of the loop regarding memes but I got through osmosis considering I do keep up with fandoms, I was surprised to see that. I saw it through an ARMYweeb account I was following so imagine my surprise to see that popped up. I recognized that scene so I was shocked how this meme even happened. 

It was funny the first time I saw Magiranger so it's not a surprise people do find it funny too. 

Still to see it at all after so many years was something I never thought I'll see. I don't know how long this meme will last since memes rarely ever last for a long time. It's just wild to see and I know these guys memeing it haven't even watched Magiranger unlike myself who watched way back in 2009.

Tastes In Music and It's All Fine

 

Just to get this out of the way, you know what music preferences are. 

I'm a rock and jazz - might as well throw in soul too but rock and jazz are resolute faves of mine - gal. Electric guitar and sax are like mermaid sirens for me to instantly get attached. I like experimental music too such as adding classical instruments to other genres of music. I'm really attached to Sound Horizon. More often than not, Jpop is more to my tastes than the pop here in the US. I can listen to them just fine, it's just eh. 

I can listen to music that isn't at the top of my list like ballads and rap. I can listen to them just fine better than say music that isn't my tastes. Rap still has a better chance to get me to listen since ballads are almost a constant skip for me. 

For the life of me, ballads just aren't my thing. The soft and slow ballads I like tend to be on the slight upbeat end or have something that set them apart. For example, Shoji Meguro's My Testimony and Memories of You are far more my alley than One Hand, One Heartbeat. 

Typically, my taste leans towards OST, particularly video game and anime OST, and wild experimental music. Indie music isn't music I would usually listen to since nowadays here in the US, it just sounds the same when I just want experimental and new. 

I just want experimental, something wild and out there. 

And that's based on sound. In terms of lyrics, I'm drawn a lot to dark lyrics or at the very least complex lyrics. Now, it doesn't have to be that complex with all those symbolism and themes anime theme music is known to be doing for the most part. I can still have fun lyrics. 

I don't give a fuck about your music preferences regarding PTD. PTD is on the same level as MIR for me, a cute and lovely song but not to my tastes. I preferred the Lauv remix because the original is just so Ed Sheeran-y - the touch of BTS is the only thing that could make me listen to it on repeat - and Ed Sheeran songs except a few aren't my thing. There are some parts of the songs I do like though and the songs may or may not have been growing on me. Jamais Vu did grow on me after all and that's not my fave track for MOTS. I understand the sentimentality behind them and what they are for. 

Now that's out of the way, go buy and stream Butter and PTD!

First Impressions: Why Women Kill Season 2

I have a minor interest in crime stories though true crime stories would keep up at night. Seriously, I lost more sleep over that alongside horror stories. You won't catch me watching a horror movie or series alone. 

This is an anthology series since that's been very popular, especially in the wake of the pandemic. 

Each season has stories of women committing crimes, mostly murder. Whether they get away or not is up to their plan. 

In this story, Alma Filcott dreamed of being part of the local rich ladies' garden club, motivated by her lust for the finer things in life and desire for friends. 

Another story told the story of Rita Castillo, a former prostitute who became rich due to her marriage to an elderly millionaire. She wants his riches so she wants to get rid of him and now his daughter too. 

While I don't think she will commit murder despite her love for crime stories, Dee was having an affair with Scooter, the guy who is also having an affair with Rita. Dee's story seemed to revolve around not settling for scraps no more and deciding to pursue someone who treats her well, the private detective Vern. 

This is a fun series. I enjoyed the first series. Despite its flaws, it has things going for it such as the ending scene with the husbands' murders. 

So far, the series is fun. For my first impressions mini review, I’m settling up to the last Thursday episode in June. 

There are POC cast members such as Lucy Liu and Jordane Christie but not much is focus on their color. I really don't want racism to be part of their stories either but the color of the skin and the history attached to it could be part of their backstories such as Simone Grove building herself up as an affluent businesswoman or Jordane Christie being part of America's WW2 black troops or a black policeman who build up himself up from the floor after he left the force. Or we could've left it as blind casting which is a no-go in this society anymore. As much as we do want to see the true histories and see how BIPOC were and are treated, their stories don't end only in racism. The recent Underground Railroad is a different story since it's not through a white guilt lens but through a black lens so it's a much different story. 

Going by what I have seen in the trailer and what happened so far in the new releases, things are going to go crazy. In the trailer, though it tried to pass off the entry into the garden club as murder when scandal is the last thing the club wants, shows a lady with all those jewels holding a gun. We don't know who will shoot and who is the perp. 

In the third ep, Rita broke up with Scooter but given the trailer, it shows she got back with him. Probably as soon as she saw him seducing Catherine. Dee is shown slapping someone later on in the trailer and given the white door, it can only be Rita. 

From what I can imagine, Rita is gonna kill Carlo and succeed with it. Probably recruit the help of local serial killer Bertram Filcott. There was a scene where we see Bertram pull out the euthanasia syringe in a dark room and we know he promised his wife he wouldn't kill any more people. When I went to see that scene and compare it to what little we saw of Carlo's bedroom, the window is pretty similar though that window has a blue pattern on the side so I don't know. 

We are shown policemen at the door. Now, given the rims of the doors, it's blackish. The light was pouring in so it's hard to discern who would be it be when both Rita and Filcott's doors are dark. So I have to see its gated way and the person's long hair so I think it's the Castillo's mansion. We don't know what but many police are at her door for who knows why. 

From what little sex scenes there are in the trailer, we see Bertram and Alma, Vern and Dee, and Scooter and Rita. 

With Vern and Dee, that's a no-brainer where the story is going. We do see Dee confronting a lady in red. Dee is very likely to pull Scooter behind her and go pursue Vern and might even bring him to her parents. Her parents are covering up a crime and are likely to get caught.

However, the itch by Vern's side, his last client is aiming to kill him. So...very likely to be arrested for attempted murder. Either way, his story is not going to end well or even his attempts of murder will be as important as the two main leads while Vern and Dee's story will end well albeit bittersweetly as Dee will be forced to learn her parents are psychos. 

Vern has a friend on the force who is now on the Mrs. Yost case so Vern with his more in-depth knowledge of 

With the mistakes the Filcott couple made such as meeting and choosing to have lunch with Tom in a crowded room full of witnesses and digging such a shallow grave - what about decomposition? Though we later see Bertram dumping one bagful of fresh soil on the spot the body would be and Rocko behind him... We do see a closeup of Rocko barking though in that context it was Rocko barking up at Bertram trying to cover up the body when Rocko dug up the arm and Bertram trying to leash Rocko and Rocko fighting back. We do see the transformation of the garden with roses and all with Alma gloating over Mrs. Yost's burial. Yeah, that garden will be destroyed when Alma and Bertram are caught red-handed. 

The garden that was clearly the product of the garden club Alma is now a part of and a perfect symbolism all considering. The plain simple garden full of daisies and poppies transformed into a garden full of roses and ornamental hedges. I even saw white pots there too. Then it will be destroyed when all the lies will come crumbling down due to Alma's own mistakes and fatal flaws. 

No, cut that thought. This is the new Alma after Rita destroyed her precious garden. Seeing the new garden full of roses and ornamental hedges show the new Alma that might fall after defeating Rita who likely tattled on them for Bertram being a serial killer. It would likely be destroyed again when the Mrs. Yost case will turn that trail back to them because Tom was at the scene! Or close to because he’s a witness!

It’s unlikely Alma will join the club at this rate but she is now full of vindictive vengeance to make Rita’s life a living hell just like Rita want to make the Filcotts. 

I think Alma and Bertram will get caught due to those sloppy mistakes. We know the car got pulled up from the river and policemen were at Rita's door. We know they went to the damn restaurant and have lunch with a roomful of witnesses and the most important of all are Tom and that waitress who will undoubtedly know that isn't an old lady but a middle-aged woman wearing a blue dress. Tom is the most important as he will identify the woman, not as Mrs. Yost but as an old flame Mrs. Alma Filcott. There might be a possibility that a phone call the trailer puts in and the way it was shot that might be important; could be a friend or a relative who could be a potential witness. 

Having lunch with Tom is probably the worst mistake Alma has ever done as she could've bought the sandwiches quickly and leave. There were plenty of sloppy mistakes but that's the one that will get her caught especially if detectives cross-referenced the witness testimonies with Mrs. Wong and Tom. 

Will Alma commit murders? There is a scene where we know Alma is the one who pulled out that butcher knife (earlier in the first scene where we see after she came home and began to chop up the steak, she pulled it out), and then there's the meat pie scene where we see a vicious stabbing in the center rather than y'know making a slice to cut and share. The ominous scene of the butcher knife with minimal lights gotta be bad since it's a freaking scene with a knife in a crime story. Do you think there'll be a murder and then a dismemberment by Alma later? Murder dismemberment cases are horrific and gruesome. 

If there are more murders Alma could commit, it could be Tom. Going to the shop and tracking down every customer and the waitress just to kill them isn't going to be worth the blood. 

Or even Rita. Rita seems like a target now and both women are now full of bloodlust. 

There's also a split second of a euthanasia needle into someone's wrist. We know it can't be Maisie - and that's already spoiled in the trailer itself - since the blankets around them are green and have a beady pattern to them. There's a possibility that's Bertram's first murder. And yeah, it was Bertram’s first assisted suicide of his mom. And it turned out the only person he told was a personal family friend and continue to tell the murders after too since the poor guy is essentially his therapist now. Would Bertram kill Martha now that he let out everything that happened since then? 

We did see Alma with a needle or a rod of sorts that she was analyzing. I don't know what it is since she was wearing black. Then again when the garden club visited, Bertram learned of an auntie's suffering so... 

Themes such as selfishness and insecurities are rampant. 

Alma is deeply insecure and desired to have things Rita has, all those riches. Yet she is loved. Her family loves her to the point her husband is willing to do anything like putting away all the happy memories they have. 

Rita is the opposite. She's miserable in her rich life, indulging in it yet she longed to be loved. Her insecurities that a stout woman can actually catch a handsome guy she was seeing on the side can push her to make regretful decisions. Given she finally knew the name of the woman who humiliated her, Rita is going to try to do something to Dee, probably make her lose her job. 

However, since that guy who was aiming to kill Vern is still on the loose, maybe Rita will strike up a conversation and a partnership. Maybe, kill Vern to make Dee miserable or kill them both. 

From what I gleaned about future spoilers from the showrunner, Rita and Alma will become enemies. Probably because of Dee with the way that's going. Though it might be teeth-clenched teamwork when committing crimes though. Seriously, Rita might complain about her suffering husband who can't speak to Bertram within the vicinity and he would want to get into the case ASAP. 

Though the way that’s going, Rita and Alma as enemies and likely want to kill each other or blackmail at the slightest possibility. Since Rita doesn’t know of Dee’s wedlock baby yet, we know Rita want to ruin Dee further. This might be why the police is at Rita’s door because she might really lost everything due to her own nasty nature.

Both will be committing crimes. Since kill is in the title of the series, murder will be involved somehow, or at least some form of killing from the ladies somehow. The last series has one murder, one self-defense killing, and euthanasia that is from a victim's request. Given that it's a whole series instead of ending in murder as it did last time, we might actually get to see murders and other forms of kills throughout the season. 

And I'm not talking about Bertram's murders since Alex's kills didn't count last time too. I'm talking about Alma and Rita's kills. I don't know if Dee would kill but it's pretty unlikely. Dee is unaware of Mrs. Yost's death and her parents' involvement. Things point to a happier life for her after all things go down. As happy as her parents going down in infamy. 

After all, we saw a handgun with a clearly bejeweled hand ready to shoot and Alma getting out that butcher knife and examining something. We already knew Mrs. Yost will die in the beginning due to the trailer so more killings to come I guess. Carlo is a definitely confirmed kill. 

Alma is committing the crimes of covering up a death, obstructing justice, and theft. Seriously, if there's a red flag for police officers, the theft of items from a missing person the day after she went missing and nobody knows at the time she was going to go missing is one damn red blaring flag. At least Bertram is only going along with it to make her happy when evidence to the contrary is gonna send them in the sus zone. Again, I don't know if she's gonna commit murder in the future but she's committing a lot of crimes now. 

Rita is gonna commit the crime of killing her husband indirectly and steal all the money from Catherine's hands. Given how Scooter is actually going his way out to seduce her, he might actually go back to Rita's arms. In that trailer, we saw Scooter's apartment and it has to be since I recognize that doorway. And it was. 

As we see Catherine kissing a half-naked Scooter on the love seat and what have to be Catherine pulling Scooter into the mansion in the dead of night, I don't know enough of the plan to see if it will fall through. We know Scooter got back Rita and that apartment. But if Scooter is not going to play it right, he will lose everything again unless Rita makes Catherine a murder target rather than a blackmail target. Unless Scooter would actually choose Catherine over Rita lest Rita got caught or something. Definitely, Alma got caught due to those many mistakes. 

Though since Scooter quickly got back together with Rita who expects her plan to go breezily, Carlo, a confirmed kill target, recognizes the plan in an instant because he saw Scooter when he was by the window which Rita forgot about. Unless he got out of his situation by sheer will at this point, he will die or he just refused to give Rita anything in that will thereon as he knows the plan. 

From the way Rita wants to make Dee suffer for the humiliation, I don't know if she can take it if Scooter actually falls for Catherine. 

Actually, notice the difference we actually witness Scooter's interactions with Dee, Rita, and Catherine. With Rita, most of their talks consist of evil plans and sex which is not helpful if she truly wants love. As for Dee and Catherine, we actually see some kind of connection that could indicate friendship at the very least. Dee only sees Scooter as a friend, especially in need when he was left in the streets until Rita came back. 

And Rita did make damn sure Dee suffers humiliation alongside her mother.

As for Alma getting caught, well the first episode said she'll go from inconsequential to infamous so... We only know about Alma but Rita’s fate? None whatsoever except the police at the door even though she isn’t suspected of relating to Mrs. Yost. Why is the police is at the door?

To contrast, all of this is Dee and Vern. Dee is perhaps one of the kindest people in the show and confident in herself. 

Okay, so, Dee is pregnant out of wedlock. It has to be Scooter’s since she just has sex with Vern the night before, the same night her mom went to confront Rita. Yeah, we know Dee is never getting back together with Scooter so she'll marry Vern.

Because her pregnancy is now a ticking clock to the end of the story perhaps since she’s going to know the case really well as well as getting insider knowledge on how her mom work. While she doesn’t know the truth why her mom is suddenly this calculating and vindictive in her own right, she will know likely soon. 

Then again, it was a kinda one pregnancy story too for April last season but in the makeup cancer story for Beth Ann from last season too. Instead, Beth Ann decided to get rid of him quickly within a day of her planning, refusing to let things wait out. But it's still a time frame in which the events will take place. I doubt the baby will be born during the show when everything is happening and Dee is going to be horrified to know what is going on. April didn't give birth during the show either, only we see the little girl in the finale when we see Beth Ann hand the keys to Simone. 

The series might be a dark comedy but when it's dark, it knows to be dark. The last season shows the final scenes of the husbands' deaths nicely as dark and emotional nights. 

On a brief note, that Castillo mansion is definitely the last season's mansion set which had gone through 3 changes alone. I'm not surprised they did it again this time for a forties setting.