I can explain it but I can't understand it for you

In my 20s. Working on finishing my thesis in the next few months. Blog for all my interests, mainly Star Wars and The Remarried Empress. I'm not a native speaker and I think that shows

[lilyfrey]

The only crossover I want

[zephyrine-gale]

saja boys

[slimeysodaa]

i may have started something by accident

[unluckycryptid]

‘What It Sounds Like’ is never actually officially released. only the fans that were there at Namsan Tower remember Huntrix performing it but it isnt ever recorded and, for a while, is rarer media than ‘Takedown’.

To Huntrix ‘What it Sounds Like’ is personal. Yes they used it to defeat Gwi-Ma, save everyone’s souls and construct the new Honmoon, but it was a confession of their imperfections, a reminder of a sacrifice, and a promise for a new tomorrow.

(It’s not like they sat down and wrote it before they performed it anyway. And going back to reconstruct their emotions behind the performance and the musical backing that had been gifted to them by their new Honmoon—it felt artificial. Not genuine to everything that happened that night.)

It’s not until a particular night on tour when, for some reason, Huntrix hits a high, a peak. Maybe it’s from the crowd, maybe they discovered something more about themselves. Emotions become so raw and vulnerable and overwhelming that their final song isn’t enough. So. They start singing from their hearts.

(The fans hear the fabled song from Namsan Tower, which had never been recorded. The tech crew is trying to figure out where the music is coming from. And the Honmoon, shimmers just enough that it becomes briefly visible to everyone in attendance.)

From then on performances of ‘What It Sounds Like’ by Huntrix are still exceedingly rare. But on those nights when the energy is just right between the girls and their fans, when Rumi starts singing acapella for those few seconds, everyone knows that that night in particular has been deemed special. Unforgettable to all who got to witness it.

[grungenova]

Those part of me ~ .. 💜

[rat-rambles]

With Vox and Alastor's dynamic, it really is so fascinating and kind of sad, how absolutely unbalanced it is on Vox's side.

Alastor worked really hard to get where he is in life, out of genuine love for the craft of what goes into creating a radio broadcast; The murder part appears to be more or less secondary to that. Whereas Vox simply murdered his way to the top, in order to have a shortcut to power. Vox thinks that simply eliminating the competition puts him on equal footing with Alastor, but that's not how Alastor works.

Alastor values skill and earned respect, and I don't think Vox will ever really understand that, no matter how much he tries to brute force Alastor to love him the way he wants. If you want to have any kind of relationship with someone, you need to meet them where they're at, and Vox doesn't see that Alastor will never view them as being on the same level at all. It's such an interesting study in how ego clouds judgement, and I'll be interested to see if Vox has learned anything from being forced to face that reality...

Also Vox still despite being a TV dosn't really make TV. Like he talks to a camra but that isn't makeing TV in the way Val make flims and Velvette makes social media. To the point Vox is haveing Velvette film them at the hotel. Why couldn't he do it? We get to the limo and Velvette is like here are all the ways I Broadway that. Meanwhile Vox didn't even green light katties story personaly because he didn't even see it till it was printed. Like any CEO what the fuck even is your job Vox.

Alastor spends his free time in a radio tower where he can actually create radio. Vox doesn't spend his time in a TV studio anymore becuase that was never his real passion.

[biggest-gaudiest-poltergeist]

let's put Scooby and the gang in a genuine horror movie situation, i wanna see what these freaks are truly capable of

[biggest-gaudiest-poltergeist]

"didn't they already do this with—" no. put them in a slasher film. put them in a BLOODBATH. put this van full of weirdoes in a Texas Chainsaw Massacre scenario i have FAITH in them

[biggest-gaudiest-poltergeist]

THEY'D DO WELL IN SAW

[batneko]

okay I'm thinking about this

not Saw specifically but a slasher with a legit body count. Summer camp slashers are overplayed but I think it really works because it's the type of thing the Scooby gang WOULD get caught up in.

like some of the counselors didn't show up (got got) so the head counselor calls his younger cousin to see if him and his friends can fill in last minute. They show up and they're a bunch of nerds, one of them even has an anxiety dog, and they don't have a big role at first. It seems like the movie is setting them up as cannon fodder.

and then the deaths start and suddenly the nerds are locked the fuck in. The little one with the glasses actually fixed the phone line and is taking stock of all their supplies in case the vehicles go out. The counselor's cousin who seemed like a himbo has set up a perimeter and made makeshift alarms for all the doors and windows, knows all the entry points. The anxious one and his dog are keeping the mood up with the snacks and activities that were supposed to be for the kids, making sure nobody panics and starts making dumb decisions. Somebody tried to grab the redhead and she flipped him over and had him zip-tied before anybody noticed. Weren't they a D&D group or something? What is happening???

[starcut-sand]

tiny thing but it's so off-topic from everything else that it gets its own post:

I suspect that Gwi-Ma only found out about Rumi's scars when Jinu himself did, because he was watching the scene through Jinu's eyes.

The conversation they have afterwards, this is how I interpret it:

Gwi-Ma: "My little soda pop." It's catchy. Surprisingly, your plan is working. [mocking tone when he sings Soda Pop, backhanded "surprisingly--" this feels like a power play to sort of subtly knock Jinu down a peg and remind him that even though Jinu's plan is working, Gwi-Ma is still the one in charge]

Jinu: I know. And that soul is just a starter. So let me get back to work, and you'll be feasting in no time. [lowkey fawn response/appeasement--Jinu's trying to get what he wants (which is to leave and not have this conversation, as we can tell by his expression when Gwi-Ma starts talking) by appealing to what Gwi-Ma wants (to feast). Also obviously brushing off the insult entirely, avoiding acknowledging it. You get the vibe that Jinu is used to navigating Gwi-Ma like a landmine in conversation.]

Gwi-Ma: One of the hunters bears my mark, but I have no control over her. [implied subtext: you can't keep things from me. I saw what happened back there. keep in mind Gwi-Ma would've seen Jinu help Rumi, so this has a tone of sort of testing Jinu's loyalty, seeing how Jinu's going to justify/explain away that action. A warning, a threat, a testing the waters.]

Jinu: This is good. This means she has shame. I'll find out what it is, and we can use it to destroy her and the hunters for good. [same as above. appeasement. appealing to what Gwi-Ma wants, justifying himself through the lens of what Gwi-Ma wants. also it's noteworthy to me how much his expression seems like a mask at this point. like:

idk man to me that is the face of a man who is acting pleasant bc he has to, not because he wants to. that is the face of a man whose brain is whirring overtime to choose the right words and present the right face (esp that middle expression).]

Gwi-Ma: I've taught you well, Jinu. [a kind of "okay, you're off the hook for now," but also a subtle power thing. Jinu's good ideas are not Jinu's, they're the result of Gwi-Ma's teaching. you get it? constant reminders of you aren't the one with power here, I am.]

Jinu: Heh... [most neutral, non-commital response Jinu can give, by the way. if he was being honest about his feelings in this scene (if he really felt chill and friendly with Gwi-Ma like he's acting), I feel like he'd respond with another bit of appeasement, something like "you're a good teacher." but it seems like he doesn't really have the heart to say anything like that, because he dislikes this entire topic so much that he can't bring himself to lie about enjoying it.]

[Also there's a very fun thing where in the last bit of this scene, Jinu's face falls, and we see behind the mask, but it's kind of like... only halfway, like, the left side of his face (in shadow) looks upset and the right side is still cocky and confident. I've split it up for you below so you can see. Insane detailing from the creators. Yes, I do think it was on purpose.]

[zuzuthelord]

Wait hold up let me cook

So, we all know Jinu's backstory of him leaving his family behind. It's interesting to me that the main focus of this scene is Jinu pulling his hand away from his sister.

And when Jinu thinks back to this moment, he always looks at his hands, where the patterns that signify his shame always creep up.

And whenever Gwi-Ma controls Jinu, like literally dragging him back to the demon realm physically, we see the patterns emerge on his hands, signifying how Gwi-Ma takes advantage of Jinu's deepest shame to do so.

But when he's with Rumi, she reaches out to him and holds his hand, showing how she accepts his patterns. She accepts his shame, accepts him unconditionally, despite his mistakes.

And not only that, but she also shows him her own patterns, and puts her hands in his. She sees the hands that left his family behind, and chooses to put her entire trust in them, to trust him with her deepest secrets, her own shame. Because she sees Jinu and understands him, and she accepts him completely.

Peak symbolism. 11/10 movie

[rat-rambles]

A subtle but important distinction for Vox's character is that he thinks he is already perfect, already God and that he simply needs to make people see that reality.

This is especially true with Alastor. He thinks he already is everything Alastor would ever want, Alastor just needs to except that as true. Except it's not true and Alastor wont except it and that litterly drives Vox crazy.

[treasurecryland]

I think ppl are discounting the budgeting issues too much. Obviously this doesn’t excuse the racism, but it can definitely explain some of the loose threads, and the lack of scenes establishing motivation etc. It seems like scenes kept getting cut for budget reasons. And filming on a bus set you’ve already made is going to be much cheaper than say a scene where Armand destroys a carriage.

[arcadianambivalence]

Running list of scenes sacrificed (or curtailed) due to budget restrictions and their impacts:

The wolf killing scene -> shortened to the tense moments leading up to the first attack so more attention is given to the emotional effects of anticipating the wolves, then living with the scars, shifted from winter to spring due to the shooting schedule

Lestat and Gabriella abandon Armand and he tries to stop them -> omitted entirely, consequently removing the book scene where he admits his fear of reverting to his old ways, which he does in Lestat’s absence in the 19th century and Louis’s absence for 2-3 years (which would have been nice foreshadowing for the next change)

THE concert that wakes Akasha in the modern day -> pushed to next season due to budget cuts announced halfway through production, necessitating the creation of a brand new climax for Lestat’s character arc this season and leaving Akasha’s relevance shrouded in mystery. It’s unclear if that means the choices for Louis, Armand, Daniel, Fareed, and Claudia/Regina were also changed late in production, but it would go a long way in explaining why the plots of the last two episodes were—forbid me—Frankensteined from Merrick and TVA without the relevant context or character work to justify these character beats

[rat-rambles]

I wonder if in the past Alastor under sold how stong he is to Vox. Like Vox wasn't around when he killed the most powerful overlords and after 20 years of being in hell Alastor wouldn't feel the need to prove him self. Vox genuinely thought he had a chance of beating Alastor in a fight which maybe that's just hubris but I wonder if Alastor miss lead him on perpous. I also wonder if Alastor wanted Vox to think he was weaker than he is so avoid Voxs jelliouly and ambitious.

Which Vox seems under the impression he has something to offer Alastor when it comes to his ability to "rule hell". As much as a sinner can and as much as he cared to Alastor already did.

Vox was way out of his depth and seemed to have no idea.

[lilietsblog]

Im always a fan of characters who can and will back up their pride. Like Vox in the s2 finale is fully willing to blow up everyone including himself and everyone he loves, and doesn't back down from this position until the situation is well and truly over. Velvette staring down Vaggi's angelic spear until Vox bundles her away because he's more scared of it than she is. Alastor's everything. Lucifer taunting Vox from the box.

Something I really like about hazbin hotel is that they write EVERYONE like this. Everyone always keeps their dignity through every situation. Nobody's ever really bluffing, or if they are, they don't happen to be called on it. Even in the situations most like one's bluff being called, like Husk leaving in Scream Rain, backing down if anything affords him MORE dignity.

Alastor is the most extreme example of this, which is just one reason why I'm as obsessed with him as I am. Even after he's shown to be genuinely terrified of Vox's cannon in the shot before Vox nearly gets him with it (incidentally, how the FUCK did shok.wav survive that????) Alastor's not willing to drop the grin when Vox threatens him over it. Is it the smart course of action? Decidedly the fuck not. But that's the fun part of hazbin's writing: when characters make very stupid very bad decisions, it's alwways in stubborness of holding on to themselves; if they ever back down, it's always when they are right to.

And you just know that the reason why Alastor is afforded Emily's rescue against his will is because he would NOT have asked for it or reached out if that were what it took. And thing is, Charlie most definitely knows this, and if she told Emily anything at all about Alastor, Emily knows this too. They're not leaving it up to Alastor to ask for help because they know that in that scenario he'll just die.

And that's respect, tbh. They're letting him Not Ask. Anyone, I think, who respects Alastor and is his actual friend, leaves him the space to be recalcitrant and stubborn. Mimzy refrains from explicitly calling him a friend, and while she calls him soft and nice behind his back, to his face it's "heartless son of a bitch". Husk makes sure to get Alastor alone before trying to talk him out of a bad decision. Niffty does not expect to be called to help Alastor in a fight, she just runs off on her own initiative.

(It's pleasing to me, too, that all of the above except Emily's rescue are terrible decisions that are bad. Characters acting like themselves is clearer and sharper edged when they are not really correct to act that way)

(Rosie, of course, absolutely wants Alastor to prostrate himself and accept humiliation. She, ah, gets nowhere near the backfire she deserves for that, tbh. Because Alastor is way too nice for his own good and you know that's canon.)

I just really really like it when a character goes "well the consequences of my decisions are mine to deal with and I'll see this through". For some of them it means putting themselves in danger and for some of them it means an attempt at omnicide, and it's like, I'm not necessarily sympathetic towards that decision, right? But boy do I love to watch it.

(Lute in Gravity. The hotel's cast in Hear My Hope. Angel going back to Val. You know what I meannnnnn)

[rat-rambles]

It is genuines to make Don't you Forget Reprised from the point of viwe of Valentino.

Valentino is not only himself but also the audience at the same time. We see him just befor the backflash listening to Alastor air out Vox's dirty Landry then agin at the very end of DYFR. The implications being he was watching it all intently.

Him going from indifferent to invested is so good. Like look at the end he is haveing a good time. I say the whole song is from his POV because we get these long frankly sexualizeing shots that you don't see anywhere else in the show. This makes scence when you consider this is the only time we sit in Val's POV.

Moments befor Vox and Alastor are framed in this funflaterly light. It is very overt how werid and creepy Vox is being.

Then were in Val's POV and it's well hot. Like this sceen is so effective that Val can say at the end "you two should just fuck all ready" and have people agree. HE LITTERLY TRUNS TO THE AUDIENCE AND BREAKS THE 4TH WALL.

"What? Am I wrong?" Not looking at them at us. Which is litterly nudging the audience to be like "Hey Val is usually wrong maybe question that."

Agin them without Val goggles.

Them with Val goggles.

Val might be more frustrated than Vox at this point.

Him and his 💫vision💫.

[mskrysta-art]

i wish we got to see how the saja boys got together

[mskrysta-art]

Romance next!

[mskrysta-art]

[starcut-sand]

Gwi-Ma's line of "For a moment, I thought you actually believed you could be free." is such a chewy line to me. It does so many things in a single line.

From an audience perspective, it serves to cast doubt on Jinu himself. I've seen so many reactors take Gwi-Ma's words at face value and believe that Jinu faked not hearing him, and then not catch how Gwi-Ma's framing of Jinu's memories is misleading (which is admittedly reinforced by Jinu himself later on during the Idol Awards crashout).

In-universe, he's mocking Jinu for having hope. He's praising Jinu for being such a good manipulator he almost fooled Gwi-Ma (even though Jinu knows he can't, right? Gwi-Ma is the one that taught him everything. Gwi-Ma saw the duet. There's nothing Jinu can do that he won't know about). Jinu's 'out' here is to double down on his 'selfish' actions, to admit he plans to betray a person who trusts him (again), which gives him even more shame/guilt for Gwi-Ma to control him with.

Also, (I don't think it's the intended implication but), the way Gwi-Ma mocks Jinu casts doubt within Jinu on whether their duet actually did block Gwi-Ma's voice. What if Gwi-Ma had just been intentionally staying quiet? It gave Jinu that little bit of extra hope that Gwi-Ma got to squash once he yoinked Jinu down, and reinforces that Gwi-Ma's way is the only way Jinu can take.

hey this is a banging meta. everyone come look at this meta

the only thing I would maybe push back on is the idea that Gwi-Ma making Jinu doubt whether their duet actually blocked Gwi-Ma's voice wasn't the intended implication. I do think Gwi-Ma intended to do that and I think the writers intended that implication. but I digress

[starcut-sand]

I really like the idea that demons believe hunters don't feel negative emotions like shame or doubt or fear, just like hunters believe demons don't feel anything. Because of the whole "faults and fears" thing, all demons have ever seen hunters be is these untouchable holy warriors. Superhuman. Maybe it's something about hunter magic, where hunters burn away their ability to feel negativity, and just become beings of pure light and inspiration. They don't know.

[starcut-sand]

It's always easier to fight someone who's dehumanized. Although it might be an act, most of the demons Rumi and the others fight in the movie seem glad to fight the hunters. For instance, the demon Rumi tried to interrogate didn't seem to show any remorse or conflicted feelings when she asked him if he was a prisoner--he just grinned at her and leaned forward as if to attack.

You know how when someone is better than you (or you think someone is better than you), it can lead to resenting them? For beings of pure shame, like demons, I'd imagine it would be hard to feel comfortable with the idea of these... beings of pure light, beauty, hope, goodness. These people who are so purely good that they've dedicated their existence to hunting you down and killing you, you-who-are-wrong. I don't think the hunters even need to try to play on demons' insecurities--I think it just sort of happens naturally. It's easy for darkness to flinch away from the light.

And without vulnerability, without weaknesses, there's something cruelly unapproachable about the hunters, isn't there? You know you can never expect mercy or compassion from them, because you're a demon and they'll burn away anything that's not pure, and you know you're not pure. But, like, still, dude. Around other demons, you can at least sort of commiserate in your existence. But around hunters, your existence is too awful for them to ever even have pity on.

It's cold, and cruel, and painfully perfect in all the ways you cannot be, and you know you can't be like them, but it still hurts--to see the contrast.

I'd imagine Gwi-Ma encourages this line of thinking. The hunters aren't human insomuch as they are the holy wrath of the heavens. And they're not human, so it's okay to hate them. There is absolutely zero overlap between you and them, no point of connection. They have never felt shame, or guilt, or self-hatred, or if they have they don't remember it. Only a patronistic love and grace and inspiration remains, something that you can't touch without it burning away at what you are.