#winter25

Custom edits, 5 slots, by @deadgayturtles

Historical romance fic, 1 slot, by @badassindistress

Color sketch commissions, 2 slots, by @genderfeel

Striped Beastie stuffed animal, 1 slot, by @mysunfreckle / @laurasimondaughter

Ungovernable Creature stuffed animal, 1 slot, by @mysunfreckle / @laurasimondaughter

Custom crochet scarf, 1 slot, by @lemurious

Custom embroidered bookmark, 1 slot by @needsmoreresearch

Watercolor illustration of your OC, 2 slots, by @graduatedpillowmonster

Profile pictures/icons/"blob Amis," 3 slots, by @combeferres-mothematics

Hand-printed bookmarks and postcards, 3 slots, by @deboracabral

Les Mis fic, 2 slots, if bidding exceeds $40 can be a book/movie/miniseries fandom of your choice, by @breadvidence

Custom casebound book, 1 slot, by @pandamomentum

Art of up to 3 characters, 2 slots, by @syrupsyche / @erosyrup

The Hobbit comic zines, 1 set of all volumes, by @secretmellowblog

Custom bracelet inspired by a musical, 1 slot, by @muchadoaboutm

Dragon vase, 1 slot, by @thearrogantemu

I'm obviously going to be very critical of the anime because of how much I love the manga, but the manga is obviously superior here. It's not even close.

Watching the first two episodes, I appreciated some of the early writing choices. The first episode of the anime could never have adapted the structure of the first chapter of the manga verbatim without coming off as very oddly paced. The character art is also good on a frame-to-frame level which is a backhanded way of pointing out how the anime's character designs don't animate well.

Most of the problems Medalist anime exhibits, though, are obviously directorial issues. Maybe it's the episode directors falling short rather than the series director but regardless there are a few things that stick out that are best explained by inadequate direction.

1) Maybe least obvious is the voice acting. I wouldn't be surprised if this was Inori's VA's first main role, but it's really not their fault. I ended up appreciating the unique voice she gave to the character. The problem is that the voice performance is inconsistent with the tone of the scenes a lot of the time, and it's the director's job to make sure that gets across when the VAs are in a booth with nothing but the script and storyboard panels for reference. The other VAs exhibited this issue as well.

2) The episodes don't really keep their dramatic pacing and at times totally undercut dramatic moments. I was almost moved to tears during some moments, likely because they did a good good calling back to tearjerking moments in the manga, but the episode never held you in that mood for long.

The first few chapters are a challenge to adapt because they do rocket back and forth between different moods and there is a lot to cover, but that doesn't mean it can't be done. Transitioning between frames in a way that feels natural or tying together a scene with a soundtrack are two ways I can think I've seen even some relatively weak anime stitch over tgese issues. Even if the task of adapting the manga verbatim is impossible, that's not an excuse. I've spent 8 years, since watching and loving K-On, being frustrated at anime directors who just don't adapt the source material hard enough.

3) Finally, and maybe most disappointingly, the anime has already failed to deliver on capitalizing on several impactful panels from the manga. This would have been such an easy way for the adaptation to earn its bona fides. The art quality is there, you wouldn't even have to animate it that much. When a manga gives you a full-page or half-page spread, that's like a professor putting the same question that was in the study guide on the exam. Just copy it, add color, maybe a few effects. Boom. People will be posting side-by-sides on twitter and instagram all week.

For real, this is a panel from the manga:

And this is how it's presented in the anime:

Howwwwwwww do you read the manga with the intent of adapting it, see this panel, and not pick up on how important it is to have it in your anime?

Anyway, the skating has looked mostly boring so far, a big indictment on its own, but the op and ed are fun. Read Medalist.

Rules: Shuffle your 'on repeat' playlist and post the 10 first tracks, then tag 10 friends to do the same.

I use Apple Music instead of Spotify so here’s the music I’ve had on heavy rotation while writing this winter.

I was tagged by: @qwordavoider @eliotwaughdeservesbetter

--as Victor Hugo didn't actually say.

The Winter 2025 Bishop Myriel Fundraiser is now open. This year will be dedicated to immigrants, many of whom are languishing in private prisons whose stock just went way, way up.

Our goal this year is at least 25 auction items and over $1000 in funds raised. If you've never participated before, this is your year. DM if you would like to participate but need advice!

Get your fic, art, books, crafts, costumes, and other offers ready. You can submit them according to the rules under the cut, and bidding on each item will start as soon as it is posted. Bidding in REPLIES, NOT REBLOGS, will continue through the end of December 21st, the darkest night of the year.

The recommended places to donate this year are: 1) RAICES Texas, an immigration-focused group which freed more than 2,000 people from immigration detention over the years. They fought to reunify families when children were ripped from their parents' arms during the first Trump administration, and have now pivoted to using funds to provide legal support for the detained, while continuing to pay bonds for those clients.

2) Annunciation House, a shelter serving immigrants. Run by Catholics in Texas who open their doors to the stranger without asking to see their papers, this year they faced down a vicious attempt by the Texas government to shut them down as a "stash house." The attorney general claimed in court that they followed "a more Bohemian set of ‘seven commandments,’ including commandments to ‘visit’ people when ‘incarcerated’ and ‘care (for them) when they’re sick.'” What could be more in the spirit of this fundraiser's namesake, Bishop Myriel? If you are not in the US and/or find it difficult to donate via those pages and/or want to support a particular organization doing good work to assist immigrants that's not listed above, please feel free to select another organization. From groups funding rescue ships in the Mediterranean to those supporting refugees stuck in camps around the world, there is a lot of good work to be done.

Rules for submitting your offers and bidding on them under the cut