Fandom Promo
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Fandom Promo
One of the really fun things about a multifandom exchange is seeing what everyone else is into and maybe picking up a new fandom or two or three! This post is a place to let everyone know why your fandom(s) are great, how to get into your fandom(s), and so on.
(PS, say hello to our new mod helper account!)
Promo Spreadsheet
This year,we're taking a page out of yuletide's book and will be putting all fandom promos in a sheet for easy browsing, including browsing by roughly the length of time needed to consume the fandom. If you really think about it, it's crazy that we haven't already done up a spreadsheet for this in years past.
What to put in your promo
Necessary for the spreadsheet:
- Fandom name: Also make this the title of your comment below. If you're promoing a certain ship or section of your fandom, include it after your fandom name.
- Tagset fandom: Please copy/paste from the tagset. This will help if you go out for pinch hit.
- Media type: What kind of thing is it?
- Length: How long does it take to consume the canon? We want this to be useful for people looking to pick up new fandoms! You can put an exact time if you know it, or you can sort into these categories:
- For fandoms under 2 hours long: Very short
- For fandoms 2-5 hours long: Short
- For fandoms 5-10 hours long: Short-ish
- For fandoms 10-20 hours long: Medium
- For fandoms longer than 20 hours: Long
- For fandoms longer than 40 hours: Very long
Suggested other info:
- Where can it be found? (Only legal links for this, please.)
- What is it/what is it about?
- What do you love about it? Also, what are you planning to request for it?
- If it's a big/complex/long/scattered fandom, where should people start? Also, are there sections of canon (rather than the whole canon) that can be consumed by themselves to fulfill your requests, or that showcase particular characters and relationships?
- Do you have any content warnings? These are at your discretion and don't need to be comprehensive. Some content "warnings" might also help attract people who deliberately look for that kind of thing!
How to post your promo
Comment on this post by clicking "reply" in the bottom right corner. You do not need a Dreamwidth account to post.
Put your fandom's name as the comment's title.
Copy the code in the text box below and fill it out. Necessary-for-the-spreadsheet fields are marked with a * so you won't forget. Other fields can be removed if you don't need them.
past tense sorrows - Tavina
Date: 2024-08-28 12:51 am (UTC)*Tagset fandom: past tense sorrows - Tavina (DFE)
*Media type: Recursive (It's Original Work, but was posted for an exchange!)
*Length: Very short (11k words)
Where can it be found?
Here on AO3
What is it/what is it about?
This is a short story written for the Original Work tag Woman Obligated To Marry Her Sister's Widower/Her Sister's Abused Husband and is full of delicious hurt/comfort with some light politics and historical setting. Summary:
Qiao Wan is recalled from her post in the border provinces to marry her older sister’s widower.
For Gongye Ci, the idea of being married to a general hailed as the “Goddess of War” is worse than the idea of being married to his now dead wife.
What do you love about it?
The story is built with such delicious tension — Gongye Ci has had a terrible time with his previous wife, obviously, but Qiao Wan brings her own problems into the marriage as well because she never expected to marry at all. Not that I wouldn't enjoy a story where the woman in this relationship was confident and assured in how to help her new husband, but I super enjoy the extra complication of Qiao Wan being 100% willng to do her best by him...if only she can figure out what that is. I also extremely admire the politics and worldbuilding — the society seems to lack sexism, which means the straight power dynamics of the situation can really shine through!
I will be requesting Qiao Wan/Gongye Ci/Jiang Paifeng. Paifeng is Qiao Wan's subordinate, a strong and silent guard who comes with her back from the border to serve under her as she takes up her new duties as a Duke. He's a supporting character in this story who's saved Qiao Wan's life several times, who feels he owes her his life, who "knows what it is like to be at someone's mercy" and who gives Qiao Wan some really good advice about half way through. I love him so much, though his role is pretty small, and I'll have lots of prompts about how strong and kind of scary and also kind he is.
Do you have any content warnings?
Domestic abuse, marital rape (not between main ship, referenced as backstory)
Oathsworn (Actual Play Podcast)
Date: 2024-08-28 01:07 am (UTC)*Tagset fandom: Oathsworn (Podcast)
*Media type: Actual Play TTRPG Podcast
*Length: Long: Currently 52 episodes each averaging like an hour (ongoing weekly podcast; it'll keep getting longer)
Where can it be found?
Anywhere you get podcasts! Transcripts are linked in every episode description.
info carrd
What is it/what is it about?
The gods are silent.
The Chosen have been broken.
The armies of the realm lie in ruin.
The Consonant Legion is all that remains.
A band of mercenaries, thrown together by circumstance and desperate to survive, are on the run across the continent of Tzel Sh’el. Ahead of them lies the far-off capital of Novara, where a last defense can be mustered.
At their heels are the forces of the Never: people transformed into dark, haunting creatures by the infernal power of the Voice of the Dead God. A vast assembly of armies, intent on crushing the Consonant Legion.
So goes the official description.
Oathsworn is an actual play podcast running (mostly) Band of Blades, a game about running from the encroaching armies of darkness which threaten to consume the world. It is about hard choices, communities under threat, and defiant attempts to save everyone you can.
It is also explicitly influenced by Judaism, has a lot to say about what "grimdark" means, and includes a lot of explicitly queer and trans characters (though very little on-screen romance, since everyone's a bit busy with survival).
If you like Weird Horror (the sky is a dead god, for starters!), watching the apocalypse occur, and listening to a very good roleplayers communally create a group of soldiers and politicians who don't always get along, this is a fantastic podcast.
What do you love about it?
I love how the players share ownership of their characters. I love how the game explores weird magic and religion. I love the sense of community desperately fighting against the encroaching apocalypse. I love watching characters care about each other despite themselves, make hard choices, and support people and actions they wish they didn't need to support simply because any other option is worse.
I love the core cast's slow expansion. I love the relationships between characters. I love the interplay between the commanders/staff and the soldiers/specialists. I love how thoughtful all the players are about what various characters would be like. I love that the players are having a great time and get to joke around, and that their characters are also looking for joy and connection in tough times.
I love watching the world expand and learning more about it. I love the mysteries. I love the intentionality of the world and how much care the players put into making it.
It's just a really good example of what actual play as a medium can be.
(Also, I love the music that plays during dramatic moments, and how mostly it doesn't play under speech but instead is given time to breathe and be a rest.)
Where should people start?
At the start! It's sort of hard to begin anywhere else, though I suppose you could skip the worldbulding episodes (eps -1 and 0) if you want to get to the main cast of characters right away.
Do you have any content warnings?
War, violent death, body horror, drug use, alcohol use, dismemberment... Each episode does have a list of relevant content warnings, too!
Hazbin Hotel
Date: 2024-08-28 01:07 am (UTC)*Tagset fandom: Hazbin Hotel (Cartoon)
*Media type: Animated Musical
*Length: A little less than 4hrs
Where can it be found? Amazon, but you can watch the first half of the second episode on Youtube first, to see if you'd like it.
What is it/what is it about? In an attempt to find a non-violent alternative for reducing Hell's overpopulation, the daughter of Lucifer opens a rehabilitation hotel that offers a group of misfit demons a chance at redemption.
What do you love about it? I'll be the first to admit HH is really rushed. A typical problem with animated musicals. But there is so much potential to write about with the characters and the worldbuilding has so much there and to build upon! The fact that there are no 100% "right" characters really calls out to me. Even Charlie, who is probably the most "good" character in the show, has opinions I don't agree with and the show doesn't tell you you have to agree with her either.
The music is great too. I don't think I hate any of the tracks. Voice acting? Top notch. The animation is astounding, because the animators are allowed to do whatever they want as long as the characters still look like the characters.
But again, it's the potential of the characters that the show doesn't have time to get into that calls to me. This is the first time I've actually felt the need to create for characters before they become focused on in a season that's not even out yet. I'll get to learn the excitement/disappointment of how canon will definitely be nothing like my imagination and I can't wait for it.
Where should people start? Episode 1! If you want, you can also watch the Pilot episode which went up a few years before, but it's not necessary. It is, however, also lots of fun and can be watched for free on Youtube!
Do you have any content warnings? Sexual Themes (including abuse), Violence & Gore (part of the premise is about Heaven committing genocide on Sinners,so...), Profanity, Alcohol, Drugs & Smoking
Winx Club
Date: 2024-08-28 01:08 am (UTC)*Tagset fandom: Cartoons & Comics & Graphic Novels -> Winx Club
*Media type: Cartoon
*Length: Optional depending on how far you choose to go in it. One season is short-ish length (26 23-minute episodes) and each season wraps up nicely so you don't have to watch the next one. There are a total of 8 seasons, three movies, and spin off series that makes it Very long if you choose to go that route. (The original was meant to be Seasons 1-3, most fans agree to watch Season 4, many say to watch Seasons 5 and 6, Seasons 7 is hit-or-miss, and not as many recommend Season 8).
Where can it be found? (Only legal links for this, please.) https://www.youtube.com/@winxclub
What is it/what is it about? A girl discovers that she has magical fairy powers and joins her new friends in a school for fairies to learn how to use her magic. Along the way a lot happens, and their bond as friends deepens.
What do you love about it? Okay so first the girls aren't helpless. While everyone has a love interest at least at some point or another, they tend to be more independent of the guys, or the guy's help is more supportive and not like essential to their work. Each season wraps up nicely, so that if you decide you don't want to continue with the next one you don't feel like you got taken advantage of or left on a cliffhanger. The seasons build off of each other, though, so it does need to be watched chronologically. They also constantly have ways to grow and change and build so the characters are so dynamic throughout the whole series and never stop growing. I also love that it's officially free to watch on youtube with little to no ads (sometimes there's a five-second ad at the beginning but most times there isn't in my experience watching) so that you aren't paying for something, too, which is rare these days. And of course the friendship is the most important part, so even if the girls all have boyfriends the friendship (even with their boyfriends) is shown as the most important thing.
Where should people start? Season One. The movies you can watch if you want (I haven't seen them- they come into reference once and it gives you a recap when that happens so they aren't essential). Just make sure to watch the seasons in order, but again they end as if that's the end of the series at each season so you're not left waiting for something.
Do you have any content warnings? It's a kids show so keep in mind these are light in regards to content warnings (ie not very detailed). Some kidnapping happens, television magical violence, interpersonal drama (that's always resolved within a few episodes), adoption, references to losing family members. The major content warning you'll see is the critique among the fandom that there isn't much in the way of body positive representation (in theory to be changed with future iterations of the series but as it stands they're all very much stylized to be thin).
no subject
Date: 2024-08-28 01:12 am (UTC)*Tagset fandom: 飞狐外传 | Side Story of Fox Volant (TV 2022)
*Media type: Live Action TV
*Length: Long (About 30 hours)
Where can it be found? (Only legal links for this, please.) Viki, YouTube, AppleTV, WeTV
What is it/what is it about? Side Story of the Fox Volant (2022) is a 40 episode wuxia tv series adapted from one of Jin Yong’s lesser known novels — The Young Flying Fox/Young Fox — and follows the story of Hu Fei as he struggles to piece together the mystery of his parents’ murder. This is a Qing Dynasty novel set during the later Qianlong Era (1700s) so it also has GUNS and POLITICAL CORRUPTION and some of the coolest characters known to man.
What do you love about it? God I love everyone in this bar and I adore the world they live in with all its grief, violence, societal upheaval, and political corruption. This is a really modern looking wuxia with very classical genre roots, which is very very atypical and the fight scene choreography here are amazing. There's a LOT of use of environment and physical force. Injuries actually look like they hurt here! They really gave this their budget all, so if you come from MDZS/CQL or xianxia where fight scenes are mostly a light show, let it be known that these fights are cool but they’re definitely martial arts focused. (I also probably have an essay in me somewhere about how Jin Yong writes about power and heroism and his commentary on social systems bc that's something he does really deftly but it's a bit difficult to do without writing tons of spoilers!)
I also adore the characters. Yes all of them. Even trash son. Also the characters are really cool. Did I mention the fashion sense aesthetics are stunning and the production quality is wonderful?
Where should people start? This is not an episodic show so I think that it should be viewed from start to finish.
Do you have any content warnings? torture, rape, a child being disemboweled by their own parent(not shown on screen), and references to child prostitution, general wuxia brand violence, murder, poisoning, adultery, violence towards children, amputation, and character death. (This is not meant to be a completely comprehensive list, I feel like I might be forgetting other things.)
A League of Extraordinary Women - Evie Dunmore
Date: 2024-08-28 01:16 am (UTC)*Tagset fandom: A League of Extraordinary Women - Evie Dunmore
*Media type: Book series
*Length: the series is long I guess, by nature of being a four-book series, but the only tags in the set are for the second book, which I would call short-ish (448 pages; I finished in about six hours)
Where can it be found? (Only legal links for this, please.) on Bookshop.org though I'm sure it's available at libraries and as ebooks.
What is it/what is it about? It's a romance novel series about a group of British suffragists at Oxford in the late 19th century (1870s-1880s). Lady Lucie Tedbury is the leader of the Oxford chapter of her feminist/suffragist group, around which all of the other women bond. The series follows four women who become close friends as they fall in love and navigate what it means to love a man when you lose your legal personhood and all other personal rights the second you marry him.
What do you love about it? In short, everything. I love the characters, the historical research, the hopeful tone they take. I'm admittedly not as big a fan of the fourth book, but the second book (which is about the characters in the tagset) is one of my all-time faves. Tristan is definitely one of my top male romance leads. He's a bisexual rake with daddy issues who PINES! What's not to love? And Lucie is an amazing character, too - she takes absolutely no shit and will do whatever it takes to get what she wants (which is equal rights). Also Oscar Wilde makes an appearance, which is fun.
Where should people start? You can start right with A Rogue of One's Own (though Bringing Down the Duke is great fun, too; Tristan only appears in one scene, but Lucie is a major character). Romance novels are generally pretty standalone, and this series is no exception - you'll definitely get more of the characters if you read the whole series, but you won't have any trouble following if you just pick up the one book.
Do you have any content warnings? colonialism, misogyny, homophobia, domestic violence/abuse
Dimension 20: The Ravening War
Date: 2024-08-28 01:17 am (UTC)Tagset fandom: Dimension 20 (Web Series)
Media type: Actual Play
Length: Medium (about 15 hours, consisting of six 2.5 hour long episodes)
Where can it be found? On the Dropout TV website: https://www.dropout.tv/ (requires a $5.99 USD monthly subscription)
What is it/what is it about? Have you ever wanted to see a charming world of Candyland and various other people with food items for heads get into deadly conspiracies? Watch a radish, a chili pepper, a mango, a ham sandwich, and string cheese get into politics way over their heads and then struggle and manipulate their way through .
What do you love about it? It's a lot of fun if you're into violence and conspiracies with a touch of whimsy. Despite all the characters being made out of food, it's all played very seriously, but they are still food, and personally I love the juxtaposition of serious and silly. And for the specific ship I'm requesting, Delissandro Katzon/Colin Provolone: the highs and lows of loyalty and divorce, characters who will do anything for each other until they reach the point where they can't, yet can't stop caring for each other.
Where should people start? If you are a completionist, this is technically a prequel to another (much longer) campaign they did on D20, Crown of Candy. However, while there are references to the other campaign, I do think The Ravening War can stand alone. It's set about 20 years earlier, and all player characters are completely new characters.
Do you have any content warnings? Violence/murder/death, mold, corrupt religious institutions. Matt Mercer is there? Maybe not a content warning but something to be aware of?
no subject
Date: 2024-08-28 01:18 am (UTC)*Tagset fandom: Cat King & Monty & Jenny Green & Tragic Mick (Dead Boy Detectives)Cat King/Monty & Jenny Green (Dead Boy Detectives)Cat King/Tragic Mick (Dead Boy Detectives)Crystal Palace/Niko Sasaki (Dead Boy Detectives)Edwin Payne & Niko Sasaki (Dead Boy Detectives)Edwin Payne/Charles Rowland (Dead Boy Detectives)Monty/Tragic Mick (Dead Boy Detectives)WB: Any (Dead Boy Detectives (TV))Cat King/Monty (Dead Boy Detectives)
*Media type: TV show
*Length: Short-ish about 8 hours
Where can it be found? Netflix
What is it/what is it about? It's about the 2 dead boy detectives (Edwin and Charles) who, after getting a case, decide to follow a psychic (Crystal) to America to find and help a little girl. They are then stuck in the town and have to escape, but not before 8 whole episodes pass with more colorful characters and intriguing villains.
What do you love about it? the show is very gay and has a lot of awesome characters, including women who are just as complex as Charles and Edwin. its an amazing show and a recommend it to anyone who will listen! It also has wonderful character arcs to go along with its colorful cast of characters that has at least one character a person can enjoy.
Where should people start? The show only started and ended a few months ago, so there has not been a lot of drift, but I would start on ao3/tumblr, as that seems to be where most of the community is.
Do you have any content warnings? Semi-Nudity, Blood, Swearing, Implied Abuse, Death, Suicide (mentioned), Violence
no subject
Date: 2024-08-28 09:19 am (UTC)Just to add to the content warnings: homophobia (past and referenced in the present), parental neglect, parental child abuse (shown on screen in flashback/s when character is a teenager and also discussed), abuse of spouse (discussed, involving a character's parents) and multiple past deaths of young children killed by villain character, not shown happening on screen. Stalking, on screen murder attempts and on screen death of a minor villain character
For the suicide warning, discussed onscreen about strangers as part of a case and one person shown being compelled to commit suicide by falling from a height, although iirc screen cuts away after the fall
Also a debatable amount of dubcon to the extent of one character openly making sexual propositions to a younger character when it's portrayed as unwanted/uncomfortable at least initially (the teenage character is technically over age of consent/older than seems due to being dead for years). Difficult to say more without spoilers, but mileage may vary on this and situation is resolved between those involved
no subject
Date: 2024-08-28 01:40 am (UTC)*Tagset fandom: Hotguy Comics Zine - Various (DFE)
*Media type: Multimedia (Comics, Written, Art)
*Length: Medium; it's 410 pages, but a lot of those pages are comics or art and therefore read fast. Most people I know could finish it in around 4 hours at the slowest.
Where can it be found? (Only legal links for this, please.) Always free on itch.io: https://hotguycomicszine.itch.io/hotguy-comics-zinethology
What is it/what is it about? In the city of Hermitopia, a mysterious water contamination causes the citizens to gain superpowers. Our main character, Scar, therefore becomes the vigilante Hotguy alongside his sidekick Cuteguy, also known as Grian. As told through a combination of comics, written works, social media, and art, we follow their adventure from the chaotic beginning, to meeting their worst enemies, to discovering what they're fighting for.
What do you love about it? A 410-page multimedia comic book: what's not to love? Consistent characterizations across pieces, a compelling plot, and most importantly a compelling relationship between the two leads. Also, the art and writing in it is all really, really good. If you're a fan of superhero tropes, this is a great place to find them; there's everything from identity porn to the brainwashing trope to being forced to team up with your enemy to a big grand finale moment. Also, the social media segments are so good, if you're an in-universe social media fan. There's in-universe discourse and everything!
Where should people start? From the beginning! You also don't need any background Hermitcraft knowledge, people read this fandom-blind perfectly fine and it's entirely AU.
Do you have any content warnings? Character death, guns, unreality, mind control, body modification, violence.
Drawtectives
Date: 2024-08-28 01:59 am (UTC)*Tagset fandom: Drawtectives (Web Series)
*Media type: Web video series
*Length: Medium (about 12 hours)
Where can it be found? In this YouTube playlist
What is it/what is it about? An improv comedy-scripted mystery hybrid! A ragtag group of amateur detectives wake up on a supernatural train with no idea how they got there. Together with a mysterious amnesiac stranger, they have to unravel questions about the train, find their boss... and earn clues by completing comedy drawings along the way.
What do you love about it? I'm a huge fan of Drawfee, the comedy-art channel that produces Drawtectives. Their sense of humor is exactly mine (there's an extended bit about how it's more respectful to kill your prey by cutting it in half "hot-dog style") and the art is gorgeous and well-rendered. What really sets this show apart is the character work. An unambitious dog-walker, an orc warrior turned male model, and a thief with a checkered past working on going legit, all coming together with a surprising amount of emotional vulnerability. It's sweet, and twisty, and funny, all in good turns.
Where should people start? Season 2 is self-contained, and begins with an introduction to the characters and a recap of the first season. (S1 is also fun, if you're so inclined! But all my requests are centered on S2.)
Do you have any content warnings? Death and cartoony violence (moderate) and memory manipulation (major)
edit b/c i forgot a comment title
Durarara!! (Anime)
Date: 2024-08-28 02:01 am (UTC)*Tagset fandom: Durarara!! (Anime and Manga)
*Media type: Anime
*Length: Long (65 Episodes)
Where can it be found? (Only legal links for this, please.)
Hulu
What is it/what is it about?
It's an anime about a teen from a rural area moving to Ikebukuro, Tokyo because he wants an exciting life. There, he finds a large cast of strange characters that include kind street-gang members, a motorcycle-riding dullahan, sexy yakuza, a man with super strength, and an information broker who sees the city and its inhabitants as his playthings.
A lot of the episodes are told in a nonlinear fashion that builds up to an amazing moment where you finally understand everything!
What do you love about it?
It has a large cast of incredibly well fleshed-out characters. The focus jumps from character to character and that keeps it feeling fresh and exciting. It's full of mystery and thrills that make you want to keep watching!
Another thing I really love about it has to do with the fandom. The fandom puts a lot of focus on two characters(Heiwajima Shizuo and Orihara Izaya) who have amazing enemies to lovers potential. But because they are always fighting, people somehow collectively agreed on alternate versions of them that would get along. The alts are based on official art of the characters but have their own names and personalities. Getting to know them, and learning about the history of their creation and integration into the series, has been one of the coolest things I’ve ever experienced in a fandom.
Where should people start?
Episode One!
Do you have any content warnings?
Suicide Attempts, Violence, Blood, Sexual Harrasment, Incest, Smoking
G Gundam!
Date: 2024-08-28 02:02 am (UTC)*Tagset fandom: G Gundam
*Media type: Anime
*Length: Long; 49 half-hour episodes
Where can it be found? (Only legal links for this, please.) Crunchyroll for the sub, Internet Archive for the dub
What is it/what is it about? Setting: Earth has been ravaged by war, so all the nations created space colonies, and everyone who could afford it fled to them. In order to try and 'fix' the problem of war, they have decided to settle their differences by way of the Gundam Fight. The Fight happens every four years, and calls for every country to send a Gundam and a fighter to control it, and they spend a year battling it out, and the last one standing gives his nation the right to rule all the others for the next four years.
Earth is the ring.
The other thing to know is the presence of a secret quasi-mystical society called the Shuffle Alliance, which has existed throughout time for the purpose of overseeing wars and making sure humanity survives. There are five at any given time, mapped to card ranks, and they are magically 'chosen' rather than deciding to join.
What do you love about it? I have a post summarizing the characters, who are so dang charming, you guys. This show celebrated its 30th anniversary this year. It's very hot-blooded power-of-friendship/love stuff, and even at its most logically ridiculous really lands the emotional beats. Also it's chock full of hot dudes in latex fight suits.
Where should people start? I'd love you to start at the top, but I do have some episode guides for some of the requested tags! Episodes 2, 18, 31, and 35 are highlights for Chibodee and the gals (Shirley, Bunny, Cath and Janet are Chibodee's support crew), with all of those but 31 also being go-tos for the Chibodee/Domon dynamic. (Not that 31 doesn't have moments, but it's very much a spotlight episode.) The episodes for Argo/Nastasha would be 5, 8, 19, 38, and 46. The other tags I didn't nominate, but I believe for Domon/Master you want 12-16, 23-24, 39 and 45, Domon/Allenby would be 30, 34, and 38, and for both Kyoji/Schwarz and Kyoji/Devil Gundam I'd say 6, 17, 23-24, and 40-44.
Do you have any content warnings? Death, animated violence, PTSD, brainwashing, a nanotech-virus, occasional zombies, some dystopian elements
Interstitial: Our Hearts Intertwined (Actual Play Podcast)
Date: 2024-08-28 02:02 am (UTC)*Tagset fandom: RHATAF: Interstitial (Podcast)
*Media type: Podcast
*Length: Medium to very long depending on how much/which season you listen to!
Where can it be found? (Only legal links for this, please.)
The first 3 seasons are on the Interstitial: Our Hearts Intertwined feed literally anywhere you can get podcasts, Season 4 is on the Riley Hopkins And Their Amazing Friends feed in the same places!
What is it/what is it about?
Interstitial AP is a crossover fanfiction inspired podcast designed to playtest the Interstitial: Our Hearts Intertwined tabletop game system. Every season is standalone, and features a party of characters from different IPs navigating a new situation and setting(s) together.
Season 1 (Identity), is highly Kingdom Hearts inspired and the original recorded playtest of the first edition of the game.
Season 2 (Authority) features a party of characters from destroyed worlds navigating against forces that want to both wipe them out and rebuild them.
Season 3 (Proximity) focuses on fast-paced heists and a crew of thieves outrunning unstoppable forces.
Season 4 (Infinity) is a playtest of the game’s second edition, about a group of troubled teens meeting aboard the Infinity Train.
What do you love about it?
Full disclosure I’m on one of the seasons but I also am obsessed with Interstitial’s general ethos of casting cringe aside and making interesting, fun, and indulgent crossover fanfiction. I love seeing the ways characters from different IPs find common ground with each other and what their tension points are, and how they react to being yanked out of their own settings/genres. And also? The show is funny.
Where should people start?
I recommend glancing at the TVTropes page (https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Podcast/InterstitialActualPlay) list of what properties show up in each season and finding one that has a bumch of guys you like in it, or just pick the season with a premise that piques your interest most.
Do you have any content warnings?
I THINK Infinity is the only season that gets very violent for long periods of time/has actual PvP but that violence is usually pretty well telegraphed. Also spoilers for a lotttt of tv shows/video games/comics/etc.
The Long Walk - Richard Bachman (Stephen King)
Date: 2024-08-28 02:34 am (UTC)*Tagset fandom: The Long Walk - Richard Bachman
*Media type: Standalone novel
*Length: Short-ish (~380 pages)
Where can it be found? (Only legal links for this, please.) Anywhere you can find print and e-books; it’s frequently on used book sites. The audiobook is also on Audible. You can read the first chapter on Amazon.
What is it/what is it about? In Stephen King’s retro-futurist dystopian vision of the U.S., 100 teenage boys participate in the annual Long Walk, a competition to see who can walk the farthest from the Canadian-American border through New England, with deadly consequences for the 99 who fall short and a prize of “whatever he wants for the rest of his life” for the winner. Required to maintain a steady pace of four mph, the boys face the elements, physical and mental exhaustion, an ever-growing crowd of ghoulish onlookers, and the looming threat of their own mortality. For fans of “The Lottery,” Battle Royale, and The Hunger Games.
What do you love about it? For me, the beating heart of the novel is the unexpectedly tender and human relationships that form between the Walkers. It’s a coming-of-age story cut horrifically short by the circumstances, which makes the introspection and sense of connection that much more poignant and painful. The protagonist, Garraty, and his friend McVries have this beautifully fraught relationship with all kinds of intriguing ambiguity; it’s not quite canon but you sure can see it from there. And their love and loyalty for each other shines through right up until the very end.
(For King fans, if you love Richie Tozier from It, I'd say McVries will probably be another favorite.)
Regarding world-building, I’m fascinated by the Walkers’ motivations for joining the Walk, as well as the society which has embraced such a brutal pastime. Because Garraty's young and the story is set entirely during the Walk, we get a fairly circumscribed view of the world, with allusions to the broader reality, but that means there’s so much to explore and imagine.
And honestly, this is King at his best. The prose is often lovely, the story is character-driven and achingly vivid, and the horror is as much tragic and haunting as it is frightening. And it is surprisingly funny and warm at turns.
Where should people start? N/A -- it’s just one very sad book!
Do you have any content warnings? Major character death, graphic depictions of violence, death of underage characters (and a dog on p. 309), homophobia (internalized and otherwise), misogyny, racism/racist slurs (infrequent but present), and discussions/expressions of teen sexuality.
no subject
Date: 2024-08-28 02:34 am (UTC)Girl Genius (Webcomic)
*Length: Very long, but the reading can really fly by.
Where can it be found? https://www.girlgeniusonline.com/
What is it/what is it about? Adventure! Romance! Mad Science! More Loyalty Than You Can Shake a Wrench At!
What do you love about it? Love and joy and laughter, gaslamp style. There's just so much sense of /fun/ as well as fealty. It sometimes gets a little violent and collateral-damagey for me, but the way it's handled takes the collateral-damage issue seriously without being grimdarky. The Foglios' art style has such clear contrast that even I can enjoy it, and my favorite characters are even color-coded (Maxim, my darling purple-skinned boy)
Where should people start?Top button of the entry screen to take it from the top.
Do you have any content warnings? Aforementioned sometimes violence and collateral damage. There are some character deaths, just ... not always as often as it seems.
no subject
Date: 2024-08-28 04:48 pm (UTC)Not Another D&D Podcast (NADDPod)
Date: 2024-08-28 02:39 am (UTC)*Tagset fandom: Not Another D&D Podcast (Podcast)
*Media type: D&D Actual Play Podcast
*Length: Very long, and ongoing; 60+ 2-hour long episodes
Where can it be found? On your podcatcher of choice, or at NADDPod.com
What is it/what is it about? In an industrial fantasy city, three low-level security officers discover that the company they're working for is trying to take over the world. Together they go on a grand quest, getting entangled in grand politics and personal conflicts.
What do you love about it? First of all, it's the only straight D&D podcast that I find enjoyable. I have plenty of criticisms of D&D, but this show never tries to reskin it or make it something it's not; it's played straight, and crunchy and rules-heavy, in a way that has given me a genuine appreciation for D&D for the first time in a long time.
That aside, I love NADDPod because they do everything with their whole chests, at all times. They are not afraid to kill off PCs, to make prolonged jokes about dragon genitals, to fuck around, to find out. The atmosphere is barely-contained chaos at all times, but with a strong beating heart.
Where should people start? All of my requests are on Campaign 3, which is an indirect sequel to C1 but largely self-contained.
Do you have any content warnings? D&D-typical violence, death, etc.; supernatural isolation, gaslighting, toxic relationship
Eerie, Indiana (TV)
Date: 2024-08-28 03:01 am (UTC)*Tagset fandom: Eerie Indiana
*Media type: Live Action TV Show
*Length: Short-ish (19 30minute episodes)
Where can it be found? (Only legal links for this, please.) Free with ads on Tubi and free through the CW, apparently.
What is it/what is it about? A 90s kids show focused on Marshall Teller, a thirteen year old who has just moved from New Jersey to Eerie, Indiana. He and his new neighbor and friend, nine year old Simon Holmes, are convinced Eerie is the center of weirdness for the entire planet. The show follows them as they investigate and document the strange things that happen in their town, collecting evidence in the hopes of proving that Eerie truly is the center of weirdness.
What do you love about it? The fact that it holds up so well on revisiting it as an adult is fantastic. But also I just love everything. The premise, exploring the weirdness of this town, watching Marshall and Simon gather evidence and try to figure out what's going on. I also love the side characters, even the ones we only see once. There's also a lot of shipping potential, particularly for Marshall.
Where should people start? I'd say starting with the first episode - Foreverware is a good place to start. It sets up the show really well. It's also pretty iconic.
Do you have any content warnings? implied/referenced child neglect, implied/referenced human sacrifice, corrupt politicians
Valkryie Profile: Lenneth (Video Game)
Date: 2024-08-28 04:00 am (UTC)*Tagset fandom: Valkyrie Profile: Lenneth
*Media type: Video Game
*Length: Long
Where can it be found? (Only legal links for this, please.)
The game was first released on PSX, then PSP; copies for either are fairly rare. But it is currently available on PS4/PS5 as a digital download on the Playstation Store here.
For videos, I've found these Longplay links:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QtUP_Bf0aw8
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cbd43pqv8J8
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mFLhSqRKdNM
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gLNpEktIgWQ
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pYVCoPEsiZQ
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0sUK9PHLgFc
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cCIu8pDuW3k
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jSY4QTNpBFM
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bx2BlptNATQ
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cCYSr6q5Ylg
What is it/what is it about?
The game is (somewhat loosely) inspired by Norse Mythology. You are a Valkyrie, and the Lord of the Gods has awoken you to collect human souls from Midgard to send to Asgard as warriors, to help stave off the end of all the worlds. But the Valkyrie has secrets trapped behind a seal in her mind, and as she witnesses the suffering of the mortal world, that seal can begin to break, and bring all of those secrets to the fore.
What do you love about it?
Graphics and Sound - This is from the PSX era (spritework over pre-rendered backgrounds.) Yes, it's somewhat dated, but in my opinion both aspects of the graphics are quite well-done. And the music is very grand and fantastic.
Characterization and Worldbuilding - This game is very much character-driven. All of the Einherjar have their own storylines and cutscenes, many of which intertwine, and the way that it gives little details through their recruitment and their actions when sent to Valhalla is so much fun. The game mixes in a lot of worldbuilding details, right down to the items that you can find (many of which are not specifically useful unless you can transform them into something useful, but almost all of them have interesting item descriptions.)
Gameplay - Something of a combination of a button-mashing combat system and a 2D platformer for the dungeon portions. It's surprisingly addictive and has a lot of fun puzzles, especially in harder difficulty modes.
Where should people start?
This game is the first in a series, where some of the components can be somewhat hard to find. So this is the best starting point.
Do you have any content warnings?
A few trigger warnings: Child abuse, body horror/forced transformation, violence/death, suicide, slavery, imprisonment, torture. CSA is mentioned but never explicitly seen. Stalking is heavily implied.
Other notes:
- The only version that is available is the one that was released on PSP - there were a few things added for the PSP version that weren't in the original (PSX) version. If you're wondering why some of the videos have FMV cutscenes and some don't, that's why.
- The game has multiple endings - one that is basically a Game Over screen and is easy to find in videos, one normal ending that most people would see first, and a golden ending that can be difficult to find without knowing exactly what needs to be done for it. The things that need to be done to unlock that ending are worth watching/doing in their own right, but know that it is very difficult to know them all and do them all within the right timeframe.
Merrily We Roll Along
Date: 2024-08-28 12:31 pm (UTC)*Tagset fandom: Merrily We Roll Along - Sondheim/Furth
*Media type: Musical
*Length: Short (full show runs about 2:45, 2023 cast album runs 1:19)
Where can it be found? (Only legal links for this, please.) The 2023 cast album can be found on your music streaming website of choice!
What is it/what is it about? Merrily We Roll Along is the story of three friends (Frank, Mary, and Charley), told in reverse order from the end of their friendship to the start, 20 years prior. It’s about dreams, regret, change, art, but most of all, friendship.
What do you love about it? Merrily is SAD!!! I mean there’s a lot about it that’s uplifting and hopeful (and really really funny), but yeah Merrily is heartbreaking. It scratches a major tragedy enjoyer itch for me - if you like thinking about missed chances, this show is right up your alley.
Really, though, I love just about everything about it. The songs are great, the structure is super cool and well-executed, and it tells a story that I find super resonant. I also really love how it centers friendship. The show tackles some pretty big themes, but it’s all grounded through the central three friends’ relationship. That’s hard to come by, and I really can’t think of anything that does it better. If you like media about friends, I think you need Merrily in your life!
I also want to shout out how great the most recent Broadway revival was. I was aware of this show before, but the new cast album was what really made it click for me. It has Jonathan Groff, Lindsey Mendez, and Daniel Radcliffe as the three leads, two of whom won Tonys for it this year.
Where should people start? The 2023 Groff/Mendez/Radcliffe cast album!
Do you have any content warnings? Alcoholism and infidelity.
Port Saga (Podcast)
Date: 2024-08-28 12:47 pm (UTC)*Tagset fandom: Vampire: The Masquerade Port Saga (Podcast)
*Media type: Podcast/audio drama
*Length: Short-ish (8 hours)
Where can it be found? Spotify, Youtube, various podcasting sites
What is it/what is it about?
A murder mystery in the world of Vampire: The Masquerade (no previous knowledge of the setting required). Titus Reed, a young-ish vampire with some anger issues, returns to his home town after the murder of his estranged, but still beloved sire and ex-lover. An old friend of his has confessed, but Titus is convinced that there's more to it and starts investigating, which sees him pulled into the vampire politics of the city and forces him to deal with his own issues with his sire and his past and his existence as a vampire.
What do you love about it?
- great voice actors, tight plotting and writing (it's a scripted audio drama, not an improvised actual play)
- Titus is a great character: he's a Malkavian, but his "insanity" is both convincing and heartbreaking rather than quirky and silly; he has believable moral quandaries he deals with; he's tough in a fight, but hilariously bad at politics and scheming; he's also a musician and the podcast does really cool things with his psychic ability to "hear music" in certain situations that tells him something about what's going on
- a big, varied cast of side characters who all have their own agenda and moral complexities, whether you love them or love to hate them
- lots of shipping potential: several characters (including the main character) are canonically bi or gay, and while there's no central romance going on, there are some background relationships and some flirting and many characters have shippy interactions you could build on in fic
Where should people start?
It's very straightforward, two seasons with ten ~20-minute-episodes each.
Do you have any content warnings?
In addition to the usual vampire stuff (murder, blood drinking, violence), Titus' background story involves (non-sexual) child abuse (he was abducted and locked in a basement for years as a kid) and he has some harrowing mental breakdowns.
no subject
Date: 2024-08-28 12:57 pm (UTC)*Tagset fandom: Vampire: The Masquerade (Choice of Games Visual Novels)
*Media type: visual novel
*Length: Short-ish (~5-8 hours)
Note: That's for one playthrough, but the game has many different paths and great replayability.
Where can it be found? Steam, Android/iOS, Choice of Games website
The first three (out of ten) chapters are available for free.
What is it/what is it about?
A "choose your own adventure" type of story set in the world of Vampire: The Masquerade (no previous knowledge of the setting required; the game explains things well and has an in-game glossary).
The vampire ruler/Prince of Ottawa has mysteriously disappeared and in his absence, every vampire in the city is plotting how to take advantage of this, at the same time as a group of Anarch vampires comes to the city and causes trouble. You play the childe and assistant of the Prince's extremely ambitious second-in-command. Your character has the option to ally with and betray various people, to be loyal to your sire or not, to investigate what happened to the Prince, to help or fight the Anarchs, and to romance different characters if you want (m/m, f/f and m/f options; the romances aren't genderlocked).
What do you love about it?
- the complex plot with intrigues and scheming, which makes for great replayability because it's impossible to find out about every character's goals in one playthrough
- the background story of the Ventrue Prince and the Brujah leader of the Anarchs, who used to be lovers, broke up because of political disagreements, but are not even remotely over each other - part of the plot turns out to be driven by their relationship and other characters' reactions to it; they say things to each other like "you asked me to be your lifeline so you wouldn't lose yourself"
- so many fascinating NPCs you can get to know, and the amount of freedom you have in who you choose to interact with; the m/m romance I played through (with Qui) is wonderful - there's a reason Steam reviews call this the "Nosferatu dating sim" and it's because Qui is just that great
- playing a vampire with cool supernatural abilities (depending on which clan you pick) is a ton of fun and gives you many different options to solve problems
- vampires hot
I will request (and offer!) a couple of m/m ships: Arundel/Ward (the canonical Prince/Anarch "opposites attract" ship), Arundel/Qui (pure loyalty kink of the king/knight variety), Ward/Qui (they hate each other and it'd be hot), and Arundel/Ward/Qui.
Where should people start?
Like I said above, the beginning of the game is free so you can check it out before deciding if you want to buy it. If you play on Steam, you can manually save the game for easier replaying.
Do you have any content warnings?
It's about vampires, so murder, violence, blood drinking, torture, betrayal, mindfucking, manipulation ... IIRC there's no sexual violence, though.
A Spell for a Smith (Webcomic)
Date: 2024-08-28 03:38 pm (UTC)*Tagset fandom: A Spell for a Smith (Webcomic)
*Media type: Webcomic
*Length: Short. There are 29 episodes currently available for free, with 5 more if you pay for webtoons fast passes (I don't, but I'm assuming they're of similar length to what is available now). A new episode drops every Saturday.
Where can it be found? Webtoons: https://www.webtoons.com/en/fantasy/a-spell-for-a-smith/list?title_no=6078
What is it/what is it about? Ivy (a witch) lives in the forest alone with her cat. Brahm (a dwarf) in a smith. They meet, and begin to fall in love, but both are doubtful about a lot of things and have secrets they're keeping from each other about their pasts, but they're also so sweet to each other.
What do you love about it? I am weak for characters who need comfort and doubt themselves, and this gives me so much of that! I also love that it seems to be going in a hopeful direction, we see Brahm and Ivy growing closer.
Where should people start? Episode 1, it would probably be confusing to jump in anywhere else.
Do you have any content warnings? Themes of anxiety, mental health, and self-harm are listed as warnings on the summary on Webtoons. I would add that there is a scene where one character is unconscious and injured, but it is not graphic.
Parks and Recreation
Date: 2024-08-28 06:01 pm (UTC)*Tagset fandom: Parks and Recreation (TV)
*Media type: TV Show
*Length: Very long (Approximately 125 episodes that are 21 minutes long - roughly 43.75 hours)
Where can it be found? (Only legal links for this, please.)
It can be found streaming on Peacock.
This website should provide info about additional places to watch it: https://www.tvguide.com/tvshows/parks-and-recreation/1030230437/
What is it/what is it about?
Parks and Recreation is a sitcom set in the fictional town of Pawnee, Indiana. It follows the day-to-day lives of the employees of the Pawnee Government’s Department of Parks and Recreation.
What do you love about it?
The show has a great ensemble of characters. They all have very quirky and colorful personalities, which makes them very funny and entertaining. But the show also handles the serious emotional moments very well, which manages to make these goofy characters feel like real people who you want to root for rather than caricatures. It is a very positive and uplifting show. The bonds between the characters are very well developed, and they really feel like a family by the end of the show. It’s the type of show that really makes you care about the characters, and by the time you finish watching, you feel like the characters are your friends as well.
I specifically want to call out my favorite part of the show, which is the relationship between April Ludgate and Andy Dwyer (this is the relationship that I am requesting for my exchange). Their relationship follows the classic black cat and golden retriever dynamic. April is a cynical and apathetic loner who hates everybody, while Andy is a cheerful goofball who loves everything. But their personalities complement each other very well. April is usually gloomy and negative, but Andy is the one person who is able to consistently make her laugh and smile. She usually hates spending time with people, but she loves every minute that she gets to spend with Andy. April is usually very apathetic, but Andy’s enthusiasm wears off on her and motivates her to want to actually care about things. Andy is not very intelligent and is often prone to making basic mistakes. While other characters sometimes get annoyed by Andy’s screw-ups, April views them as endearing. April sees that there is more to Andy than his intelligence and sees that he has a lot of positive qualities that others seem to overlook. She helps him to take his enthusiasm and big ideas and direct them towards goals that are actually realistic and attainable.
While half of their personalities are very different, the other half of their personalities are very similar. Andy and April are both immature goofballs who don’t like to take anything too seriously and have a ton of fun goofing around together. They understand each other’s quirkiness in a way that nobody else does, and they are able to be as weird and silly as they want around each other. They feel like genuine best friends who fell in love with each other, and this chemistry never fades away even after they have been together for years. And even though they have a lot of funny and goofy moments together, the emotional moments between them are very sweet as well. You can tell that they are both deeply and madly in love with each other. They both have very unique personalities that would make it hard for most people to understand and love them. But with each other, they both found that one person who was the perfect match for them. They have a very special and unique relationship that is unlike any other fictional romance I have ever seen before.
Where should people start?
In general, I would recommend that you start with the first episode and watch the full show so that you can see the whole storyline. However, I did want to note that the first season of Parks and Rec is known to be a slow start, so fans sometimes recommend new viewers skip Season 1 if they are having trouble getting into the show (some fans even suggest skipping Season 2 as well and starting with Season 3 if you are really having trouble getting into the show). If you wanted to focus specifically on the April/Andy relationship, you can start with Season 2 Episode 10 "Hunting Trip", which is the episode that kicks off their relationship storyline. If you want to write about Andy and April's relationship, I would recommend at least watching the second half of Season 2 (from "Hunting Trip" onwards) and all of Season 3. I think if you at least watched those episodes, you would have a pretty good idea of their relationship and the dynamic between them. But there are a lot of great moments for them throughout the show, so I would recommend watching the whole show if you have the chance.
If you want to get a taste of Andy and April’s dynamic, here is a YouTube video with some of their key moments (note that this will contain spoilers about their relationship arc, so don’t watch if you want to avoid that):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BNZz96AKJJY
Do you have any content warnings?
I don’t think there are any major content warnings that would apply. There shouldn't be any content beyond what you would expect in a typical sitcom.
Star Ocean: The Second Story | Second Evolution
Date: 2024-08-29 02:18 am (UTC)Tagset fandom: Star Ocean: The Second Story | Second Evolution
Media type: Video Game (and Anime, and Manga)
Length: Very long (but you can speed run the story in 20h?)
Where can it be found?: A remake of the game was done in November 2023. It's on the Playstation, Steam and Switch. But if you're old school, it originated on the PS1 (in 1998), and there was a PSP and Vita. There's also a partial anime that was made (should be able to find it on youtube), and there are a few mangas. But there's no need to check them out.
What is it/what is it about? It's a JRPG with a Star Trek vibe and High Fantasy. It's a game series and the games are loosely connected. But it's fun to see the thread. Second Story is the most well known.
What do you love about it? : It is seemingly light, but then you start thinking about the events, and you get sad :(. There are plot holes that are just fun to fill. SUPER FUN CHARACTERS!
There's a fun replay value, because when you star the game, you select which character to start (Claude or Rena). And you live the story differently through their POV. You can also recruit different characters.
Where should people start?: Star Ocean: The Second Story R. The remake is accessible with multiple qualities of life features that made progress maddening in the older versions.
Here's a link to a long play: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7WyPWCfWH5g
Also, are there sections of canon (rather than the whole canon) that can be consumed by themselves to fulfil your requests, or that showcase particular characters and relationships?
--> You can get a quick summary of the main story, then watch a few key events (they are called 'PA' for Private Actions) of the characters to get an idea of who they are.
Do you have any content warnings? Hm...sci-fi war? There's no bloodshed on screen (and they are sprites) but death occurs.
Metropolis (1927)
Date: 2024-08-29 02:33 am (UTC)*Tagset fandom: Metropolis (1927)
*Media type: Silent Movie
*Length: Short
Where can it be found? (Only legal links for this, please.)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W_4no842TX8
free on Youtube, probably free for all countries there. Also available to buy or rent as a DVD, and on Archive.org.
The pitch:
Metropolis is one of the most influential movies of the first half of the 20th century. The visuals are absolutely stunning, especially considering they are nearly a century old. The plot is a timeless fairy tale of workers' rights and class warfare. It's one of the first (if not THE first) android/robot movies, and this robot is both terrifying and fuckable. You will recognize so so many scenes, just from everything referencing them for the past century. Also, the current 2.5 hour version is nearly complete after the original cut was lost after the premiere and reassembled as more and more footage has been found in disparate locales.
The most important thing, though, is that Freder Fredersen is nearly the most beautiful man to ever grace the screen. He's a rich kid who discovers there are poor people in terrible working conditions and immediately breaks the system to fix things. He close talks with everyone and seems as though he may kiss any of his scene partners at any time. He's a great action hero, saving the day and giving hope for the future.
Also, in no particular order there are:
Freder's love Maria who leads the worker's revolt with soft power, an evil hot robot with Maria's face, a mad scientist in love with Freder's dead mom, Freder's cold capitalist dad, Freder's dad's secretary who seems like he maybe has a thing with Freder, the worker Freder first met who has such a good time living it up as Freder that he almost dies, and Freder's dad's fixer who provides sinister comic relief
This movie is a classic for a thousand good reasons, and if you like any sci-fi or robots, or love stories, or slashy UST, you should definitely check out this movie!