May the 10 of Pentacles bless your account with more money than you can spend. 💵✨
10 of Pentz came thruuu
Omg this actually works!!! Thank you 10 of Pentacles!!!
I could seriously use this money right now….
Please give me my refund of 400$ soon…
I feel obligated to reblog this every time it shows up in my dash
No bragging, just 100% floored and grateful. Work hard, maintain a positive attitude, and believe that anything can happen.
So I reblogged this exactly a week ago because I thought it was funny and uh lo and behold, a family friend wrote me a big ol’ check just to help me out of a tough financial spot AND my bank refunded me $32 for fees they’d originally taken out. SO UH YEAH. Reblogging this again in hopes that it brings equally good fortune to my followers.
As a fan of both romance and the yuri genre in particular, Bloom into You was another show I was highly anticipating this year. Several yuri anime have aired recently, but the bar has been set very low, with recent shows leaning more towards the trashy and dysfunctional side. Bloom Into You looked to be a change of pace, a more thoughtful and less voyeuristic exploration of the genre and happily it was exactly that.
One strength of Bloom Into You is that in many ways it feels less like a romance anime and more like a thoughtful character drama that happens to be centred around queer ladies. The characters have their own problems and feelings outside of the person they want to kiss, and those problems are treated with care and delicacy. Main character Yuu is struggling with her lack of understanding of romance- and while given that this is a yuri anime she eventually falls in love it’s easy to read her as being on the aro/ace spectrum which is rare and appealing in fiction. Her love interest Touko initially comes across as secure and confident but quickly reveals herself to be a ball of issues and insecurities which become the primary focus of the narrative. The side characters are appealing too- I particularly liked romantic rival Sayaka who struggles with validating her feelings for other girls and is in the sad position of liking a girl who is also a lesbian- but who doesn’t return Sayaka’s feelings.
One of the things that Bloom into You does best is its presentation of LGBT+ issues that fall outside its yuri genre trappings. There’s little in the way of overt homophobia here, but stereotypes and problematic beliefs are presented carefully. For example, there is Yuu’s dad’s subtle negative commentary on the possibility of her dating a girl and Sayaka struggling with the idea that young lesbians will eventually grow out of it and find the right man. The presentation of two adult women in a relationship is a particularly strong aspect of this- it’s rare for adult queer women to be seen in anime and it’s one of the ways that Bloom into You rises above potentially harmful genre trappings.
And finally, it doesn’t hurt either that the show is very well presented. Bloom into you is exceptionally gorgeous, making good use of colour and lighting to set the scene for the most critical moments. The show uses muted and dull framing for more serious or uncomfortable scenes and more vibrant and bright framing for romantic or emotional ones in inventive ways. The backgrounds are also stunning making the show a constant treat to look at. Additionally, the music is also excellent and used masterfully, with swelling chords during romantic scenes or a more playful melody when characters banter with one another. Bloom into You has excellent visual and musical presentation, which can only add to its strong content.
This show is definitely a highlight, not just of the yuri genre but of character dramas in general. I have my fingers crossed for a second season in the future, and if one doesn’t come along, I might pick up the manga at some point instead
5. Shoujo☆Kageki Revue Starlight
Unlike many of the other shows on this list, Shoujo☆Kageki Revue Starlight was actually not at all on my radar before it aired and I didn’t know very much about it going in. I’m glad I tried it out though because the first episode of it was honestly one of the best things I’d watched all year and the rest of the show thoroughly captured my attention too.
Revue Starlight has a lot going for it- outside of its top class team of animators, it’s directed by Tomohiro Furukawa, a collaborator of Kunihiko Ikuhara who served as the assistant director on the excellent Yuri Kuma Arashi. Given that it’s not surprising that Revue Starlight has some of the most beautiful and inventive animation and direction I’ve ever seen, continually enthralling through the use of its evocative colour and lighting. The show is a constant treat to watch with its compelling Takarazuka-inspired aesthetic, as well with it’s beautifully animated musical battles. Revue Starlight’s rich animation alone would make it a masterpiece even if it had nothing else going for it.
Of course Revue Starlight has a lot of interesting things to say thematically too. The plot is something of a blend of Utena and Love Live with some possible influence from Madoka Magica as well. Revue Starlight is all about the world of musical theatre, with the characters, fully aware of the fact that despite being classmates, they are rivals as well. The thrust of the plot is focused around that characters fighting for the glory of being the top star, the performer who stands out above all others. Along the way the show comments on the vicious competition in the theatre world, the demands and expectations of the audience, the fragile nature of success and the desire to relive or remain in the past. Revue Starlight is a treat for anyone interested in the world of musical theatre.
Revue Starlight has a lot to work with regarding its characters too. While the main focus of the show is on the cheerful heroine Karen and her mysterious, estranged childhood best friend Hikari, in some ways many of the side characters are much more interesting. I could talk extensively about Revue Starlight’s cast, from the struggling underdog Junna to more-than-she-seems Nana. But in particular, my personal favourites were Maya and Claudine, who spend the show constantly struggling between their status as rivals and their personal feelings for each other, with Claudine desperate to take over Maya’s spot as the number one ranked actress, while simultaneously loving her the most.
Overall I wouldn’t call Revue Starlight a perfect show. The lead characters are not as exciting as the side ones, and at times the narrative is a little muddled. But few things this year so consistently captured my attention and seemed so perfectly designed to appeal to me. From the theatrical animation to the depth of its thematic ambitions it was a truly enjoyable spectacle, and I’ll be keeping an eye on its creative team in the future.
4. My Hero Academia Season 3
The third season of My Hero Academia is another show I was looking forward to before it’s airing. I’ve written extensively about MHA in the past as both the first and second seasons of the show made it to my top anime of 2016 and 2017 lists. It should be no surprise, therefore that the third season was one of my most anticipated shows of the year.
Unfortunately, this third season does feel like a step down from the material of the second. The second season was MHA at it’s best featuring highlights of the series such as the tournament and hero killer arc, and by comparison, some parts of the third season feel much more low-stakes. However even B grade My Hero Academia is enough to outclass most other shows out there and even the anime-only filler episodes that aired this season are thoroughly enjoyable.
Though the third season doesn’t quite live up to the highs of the second, that isn’t to say that there isn’t some solid material here. The main highlights of the third season occur in the first half with the forest training camp arc and the Bakugou retrieval arc. While the forest training arc doesn’t start strong, it quickly devolves into some of MHA’s best and most frightening material as our heroes find themselves ambushed in a dark forest by the series villains. The arcs conclusion is one of MHA’s most fearful as Bakugou is captured by the series villains and leads into some of MHA’s most exhilarating moments as the other characters attempt to rescue him.
Speaking of Bakugou one area this season really shines is in regards to him. Bakugou is one of My Hero Academia’s best characters - he’s a long way from being likeable, but he is undoubtedly one of the most interesting. This season throws a lot of his issues into the spotlight, addressing the elephant in the room that in spite of his goal to become a hero, in many ways he seems more like a villain. In fact, the villains of the piece kidnap him partially because they have noticed his lousy temperament and believe they can turn him to their side. Ironically, however, despite his lousy temperament Bakugou is fundamentally opposed to the beliefs and goals of the villains. Bakugou wants to be a hero- not because of any lofty ideals but because he wants to win and he sees villains as the complete opposite of that. Not a heroic motivation but one that interestingly makes him extremely impervious to being swayed. His conflict with Deku also comes to a head this season, exposing Bakugou more thoroughly than before, and revealing the insecurities that drive him.
Overall while the third season isn’t My Hero Academia’s strongest, there’s still plenty of material to dig your teeth into here. I’m eager to see what the show has in store for me in the future.
Attention non-artists who commission artists: don’t fuckin do this???
Actually had someone do this to me too. Was doing a art stream, it took me over 2 hours to do his inked commission, he got a refund cause ‘it took too long’ that he figured I wasn’t going to do it after I gave him the file.
Don’t do this. Do not.
I’ve had this happen to me with a $350 comic :/ I had already finished it, it was full color, 6 panels and had a full bg in every panel. I was lucky in that I didn’t spend him money yet, but it left me without funds. I’ve also had the above happen to me as well.
Don’t do this shit to artists. We’re people too. Drawing for you is more than a hobby. It’s a job.
Use Paypal Invoices.
I cannot stress this enough. That shit helps A LOT when it comes down to Paypal refunds/disputes.
There’s a description box that let’s you put in what the product is/how long it’ll take/yadda yadda, and then there’s another little memo box that only you and paypal can see where you can say it’s a digital commission and doesn’t require shipping (So Donald Mcfuck can’t say that they never got their commission).
And there’s also a box for your Terms & Conditions where you can say, if you have any conflicts/want a refund - email me, or you can actually tell the user that this is a digital commission and they won’t be getting a hard copy of it.
ARTISTS. PLEASE USE PAYPAL INVOICES. it will SAVE you. And to: the people who do this to artists – Fuck you. It’s okay if you change your mind and want a refund. But freaking TALK to us and let us know what’s going on. Let us WORK with you.
ALSO A HUGE TIP: Invoices paid will automatically set up a shipping notice which, if not fulfilled, can land you in SERIOUS hot water with PayPal. Since a lot of artists don’t print and ship the commissions, this is a huge problem.
However! Totally manageable. Just go to your PayPal, scroll down to find Seller Preferences
>> Shipping Preferences
>> Display Ship Button. Make sure all the boxes are unchecked. Then you’re all set!
As a big supporter of artists, don’t you ever fucking dare fuck over an artist like that. Like don’t. And if they take their time to do a good job, don’t shit all over them for it! Don’t be a fucking ass hole. Just don’t. These people put a LOT of work and time and effort into their artwork. Just don’t be that guy. Often times these artists aren’t even getting what they deserve in compensation.
I am very grateful my customers have been good to me, but I’m spreading the word.
Very important!
As a new artist, I’m very grateful for this post. Never knew this. Thank you.
Also even if the artist gives you an idea of when to expect to hear from them or get it, give them a little leeway. Contact them and talk to them about it if it seems something is taking longer than it should! Because life happens, and they may have had something come up that’s delaying them working on it or finishing it. Or maybe they sent it to you but it got lost in spam. Or sometimes things just flat-out don’t make it. Or maybe they drafted it instead of sending it by mistake. There’s honestly any number of reasons something you commission might be taking longer than expected so just TALK to them about it instead.
