Yay For Week 3! Winner of week 2 was !!!!!

January Week 3

Week 3 Prize:

Week 3 Contest: Gotta See TV & Film: Tuesday 1/17 to Monday 1/23

A common theme I have been seeing with everyone is your guy's love on fandoms. Anime, books, adventures, etc. So I'll play devils advocate and ask everyone to share with me please at least 1 of your favorite tv shows or movies. Let me know a little blurb about it and why you like it.

My Example:

The Owl House (2 Full seasons and 3 mini movies) Set in a parallel dimension where humans don't roam but witches, demons, and titans do. A fun inclusive TV show about a human named Luz who stumbles into a world where she can live out her dream of becoming an actual witch. She meets her teacher Eda and her newest demon terror bestie King. Wacky adventures ensue with plot twists, character turns, intriguing baddies, and a whole lot of fun I feel this show is worth a watch. If you have Disney Plus I recommend it.

I know everyone on the planet knows this book and either loves it or hates it! I have loved all of it since the beginning. Sitting in the dental office and listening to patients rave about this local author, I had to read it. Vampires? Werewolves? A plain human girl? So fun to imagine and picture it all in my head ❤

Battlestar Galactica (4 seasons)

Humans are cast out into space, looking for a new home after their robotic creations, the Cylons, decimate the human population of the Twelve Colonies of Kobol. This is an amazing space drama and one of my favorite shows of all time. The casting is incredible and the story is fantastic. It can be seen on Peacock (NBC's streaming service).

Nezha (2019)

Nezha (2019) is a movie based on Chinese mythology. this is a retelling of the origin of Nezha, a famous deity. in this movie, he's a kid who was destined to be a demon and be destroyed by Heaven (Chinese heaven, not the heaven in Western religion). his parents tried to protect him but the people around Nezha feared and ostracized him due to his powers. he finds out the truth and after accepting his fate, figures out what he wants to do.

i love this movie because i love Nezha and it's a touching, emotional, funny, action packed movie. there's a sequel coming out but i don't know when.

So, I literally CANNOT break down and name my favorite franchise. So, I'm going to go with shonen manga/anime. I watch several, and I have seen MANY more. But I can tell you exactly why I watch them, even why I re-watch and write fanfics and look at fan art for them... They're about dealing with impossible situations while learning to lean on your friends. That journeys aren't about the pain and suffering you might have felt, but as silly as it may seem, it's about who your friends really are. Maybe you know your friends, and maybe you're gonna meet some new ones. Maybe you have to learn how to cut toxic people out of your life. Maybe you learn that you're the toxic one. To me, this is the reason I watch anime in general. They make me laugh, cry, and yes, even at my age, learn. Oh, and the art styles are beautiful to me. I've included gifs from a couple of my favorites, but I can't choose my favorite baby!

GRIMM

I just like the idea of fairytale characters living together with us!

A police detective discovers that he is a Grimm, a protector of the balance between humans and mythical beings.

Where to start? So many shows I have enjoyed 🤔 I'll mention Heartstopper! The show is amazing, the acting, the way the portray the emotions, the music, the little effects and the characters! Prepare tissues though, I cried so much 😭💕 I'm reading the comic at the moment and also recommend! ❤️

I have to say I am totally hooked on The Mandalorian! I love baby yoda and the issues he sometimes causes for The Mandalorian, yet he looks after and assists him when really needed.

Chuck is one of my fav shows: it's a comedy/spy show about being an average person & bumbling around, in way over your head, in the spy world! ^^ one of my favorite things is their take on the store Best Buy & its geek squad: they have the Buy More, and the nerd herd lmao. they also had v funny bloopers!

Nezha was a good one!!

anime ftw!!

one of my fave anime is Fullmetal Alchemist Brotherhood (the original FMA was good too but I just prefer FMAB). the plot is good, the characters are good, has action/comedy/tragedy/mystery/suspense. i've watched it three times lol.

another one of my fave is Gintama, it is absolutely hilarious but it also has a serious plot with action too. i love the characters in it as well.

I'm absolutely terrible at summarizing things (and the more I love them the harder it is), I'm also terrible at explaining why I love things. But here we go anyways ;)

Constantine

Constantine 2014 Based on Vertigo's Hellblazer comics, the series follows exorcist, demonologist and master of the dark arts, John Constantine as he battles dark supernatural forces along with the help of his old friend Chas and psychic Zed. It has a monster of the week format with a looming larger dark force on the horizon. This version of John Constantine (played by the brilliant Matt Ryan) is one of my all time favorite fictional characters. Chas is a wonderful papa bear of a character. And Zed, oh my beloved Zed, all strength and compassion, my queen. This show was just pitch perfect and Matt Ryan (and the rest of the cast) were perfection. I love it so much I don't even know how to explain it. I can't believe we only got 13 episodes! How are we not almost a decade into this show!?!? High crime, HIGH CRIME!

Supernatural

Supernatural 2005-2020 Supernatural follows two brothers Dean and Sam Winchester as they travel around America fighting dark supernatural forces, everything from vampires, ghosts, the devil and even God himself. But "family don't end in blood" so over the years they built a found family around them (frequently also loosing them too) their longest and most important ally and more than just friend is the angel Castiel. Dean, Sam and Cas - team free will, fighting to keep the world safe. I started watching Supernatural live back in 2005 from the very first episode, I never would've guessed it would last 15 years, but sometimes you get lucky. I showed up for the dark supernatural story and monster of the week format and stayed for the characters, Dean and Cas being my favorites. I will forever be grateful to Jensen Ackles and Misha Collins for staying through all those years and breathing such life into their characters.

Now Starr I know you already know those two so I'm gonna pick another so I can give you something new

nbc's hannibal

Hannibal 2013-2015 Based on Thomas Harris' Red Dragon, Hannibal and Hannibal Rising Book, it follows the relationship between FBI agent Will Graham and forensic psychiatrist Hannibal Lecter, as they work together to solve multiple murders. As I'm sure most people are aware Hannibal is a cannibalistic serial killer so eventually the relationship turns a bit sour to put it mildly and becomes a cat and mouse game between Graham and Lecter. Or is it just a twisted love story, IDK it's a bit of a rorschach test. Bryan Fuller, the showrunner/writer, is an absolute master of his craft (Wonderfalls, Dead Like Me, Pushing Daisies, Hannibal, American Gods). Hannibal is an absolute masterpiece, but not for the squeamish or faint of heart, it pulls no punches on gore but always in the most beautiful of ways. I loved the show so much that I read the books and I know this is heresy but the show's better than the books. This show is gorgeous and complex and edge of your seat from beginning to end. Oh Starr what I wouldn't do to have Fuller adapt and be showrunner on a Hellblazer series starring Matt Ryan as John Constantine, so help me, if I could make one wish that would be it (ten seasons at least). If you've seen Hannibal tell me Fuller wouldn't be perfect for a Hellblazer series!

I have a few shows I could pick, and I want to give some shout outs to two horror shows, Midnight Mass (which I almost picked but decided it was maybe to niche to be a 'everyone should watch' show) and The Autopsy episode of the Cabinet of Curiosities (which is also niche and I would have to know someone's interests and stuff before recommending). SO, I went with ...

Guillermo Del Toro's Pinocchio

It's way, way different than the Pinocchio I'm familiar with, AKA Disney's. It takes more inspiration from the book, but it also makes it somewhat more modern. It's set in the 1930's and WWII is a big theme throughout, and so is grief, so it's definitely got some heavier themes. At the core of it, it's about being human and belonging and about love. It's also a stop-motion film and a musical, which is 100% up my alley. I've been putting it on in the background constantly because I love it and it's become my comfort movie.

My biggest reason for suggesting it is just how beautiful it is and all the work that went into animating it. I mean, look at this gif of them animating one of the scenes:

If you need some more reasons, it has some awesome voice acting by people like Ewan McGregor, David Bradley (Walden Frey in GOT), and Ron Perlman. Patrick McHale, of Over the Garden Wall (another favorite of mine) and Adventure Time fame, also helped with the script. It also has won plenty of awards, including a Golden Globe for Best Animated Feature Film. It was the first animated film of a streaming service to win the award AND del Toro was the first Latino to win an award in the Animation category. In his accetance speech, he says, "Animation is cinema. Animation is not a genre for kids. It's a medium." (You can watch his acceptance speech here) I think far too many times, animation is looked down on because of it being "for kids" and I think people like del Toro speaking up and supporting animation and winning such an important award will be so beneficial for the genre, too.

A few fun facts! [ul]

Awesome choice with Queen's Gambit! My partner & I just watched it recently and loved it.

Yay For Week 4! Winner of week 3 was !!!!! I'm so excited to see who is also going to win the January monthly prize!!!!

January Week 4

Week 4 Prize:

Week 4 Contest: Sweet, Sour or Salty: Tuesday 1/24 to Monday 1/30

I have worn many hats in my lifetime, one of which was a toque as a baker. I also happen to have a sweet tooth! For this week I would like you to please share your favorite sweet(s)! Now there are those out there that do not have a sweet tooth and if you are among them you can let me know your favorite snack!

My Example:

Pastries and Cake I will always have a different answer if you asked me to pick a specific one depending on my mood. BUT! It will always be either a pastry or a form of cake. If I am craving something different or on the "fancier" side I want something along the lines of a great Baklava (Filo dough that is light and very crisp in many layers with nuts and honey) (or Cannoli (Pastry fried shell filled with softly sweet cheese cream. Sometimes with chocolate and/or orange zest). If I'm just craving sweet (and payday is a little too far away) I will take a great cake of course topped with frosting and hopefully some form of filling (I prefer fruit in my fillings).

I also want to wish everyone a happy lunar new year <3. I am grateful to share it with all of you and to see what awaits us!

Chocolate!! any way shape or form. I will eat it on a train. , I will eat it in the rain. I will eat it in a box, I will eat it in a box.. I will eat it here or there I will eat it anywhere!!!

Creamy, dreamy, crunchy, munchy, smooth and munchy!!

My fav in-between snack is a mix of sweet and salty: salted honey-coated almonds! Yummy!

I like cookies! From standards like snickerdoodle and chocolate chip to whoopies and freezer cookies, it's tough to even think of a cookie I won't nosh. Every year during Thanksgiving or Christmas right here on this site, there will be at least one contest where I might have to submit a recipe. I either choose Napoleon cookies (they're freaking good) or my cranberries (which is also very good). Unfortunately I cannot bake! I can make everything but dessert! LOL

My go to snack would be chocolate! I recently bought a bag of chocolates to enjoy the different flavors that is in there. I hide any chocolates that I get, so I can enjoy them longer.