I’ve never been able to. That’s what my life is. Not because I don’t want to, because I might. But if I do fix myself to somebody I know, sooner or later, it’ll hurt.
Doctor Who | Legend of the Sea Devils
amphibia really said “you may not always be physically present in someone’s life, but you will always be there in their heart. love cannot be forced or coerced, but it is worth working for and worth having. every heart you change and love you create is worth it along the journey of life”
I do not know which is worse: that [Anne] perish fighting for Jack, or that she survive without him. If it is even truly surviving, losing half of herself this way.
Speaking of which, how long do balloons last? Those balloons… I hope they last for a while.
~ Kotarou wa Hitorigurashi, Episode 3
I started watching Kotaro Lives Alone on a whim and damn, what a good decision that was.
SPOILERS below. Beware.
I had thought it was a fun, slice of life, family anime - and there were moments of that - but as Kotaro’s story is revealed, you are slowly presented with the grim underbelly of it all.
This anime was a masterclass in showing vs telling. Ultimately, it is a heartwarming story and ends on an optimistic note but as a viewer, the emotional rollercoaster is quite something. One moment you are amused at the quirky detail of Kotaro knowing that expensive tissue tastes sweet and then the next moment, you are slapped with the realization that this child had to eat tissues because he had been neglected by his parents and starved.
The storytelling is amazing. The big reveal to Karino in Episode 10, my god! At that point, the viewer already knows that Kotaro’s mom is dead but the way things were set up for Karino to discover that was so damn good that the viewer already knowing the truth did not take away from the weight of the reveal.
From Kotaro checking newspapers daily for news about his parents (which tells you that he at least knows how to read/write his parents names), to Karino saying that he would never lie to Kotaro (which foreshadows the lie he will tell later about Kotaro’s mom). Heck, even Kotaro saying that he believes Karino because it’s Karino - which mirrors Kotaro’s response in an earlier episode to his lying Host friend, implying that Kotaro at least perceives that Karino is not being entirely truthful to him but accepts it anyway because it’s Karino and just, ugh this anime is so so so good.
Writing advice from my uni teachers:
- If your dialog feels flat, rewrite the scene pretending the characters cannot at any cost say exactly what they mean. No one says “I’m mad” but they can say it in 100 other ways.
- Wrote a chapter but you dislike it? Rewrite it again from memory. That way you’re only remembering the main parts and can fill in extra details. My teacher who was a playwright literally writes every single script twice because of this.
- Don’t overuse metaphors, or they lose their potency. Limit yourself.
- Before you write your novel, write a page of anything from your characters POV so you can get their voice right. Do this for every main character introduced.
This is legit good writing advice, especially the first bullet point! In playwriting class we did a bit where every bit of dialogue had to be an accusatory question and it was glorious.
GET TO KNOW ME MEME: 1/5 ACTRESSES — SIMONE ASHLEY
I’m not a spokesperson for Indian people, I’m an actress. For me, my responsibility is to read the script, do the work, turn up on set and do a great job. That’s it. I guess everyone deals with it in their own way, but I am an actress at the end of the day. Opportunities should be open for any individual, and I just think us being there is enough.
actually you know what current covid policy reminds me of?
i remember when restaurants had smoking and non-smoking sections in the same room.
