tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-78350742221259297572024-03-08T13:37:24.387-06:00From Kristen's Brain...Kristen Brighthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16947782400794390038noreply@blogger.comBlogger334125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7835074222125929757.post-75889009897386550512022-01-07T10:00:00.030-06:002022-01-07T10:00:00.225-06:00Drag Race Season 14: Predictions & First Impressions<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEheq5WRVrGowB4pHDiuI8_4_j6f-2MU2dZkab7eSHTayfMz-MS7q2f7efRvc4CsT9NFBP7bDWl7XiBDx0G8wyhwl7PVLePXoEVu2goc1eHnm8_lHOxnw5Qm-va6ww2Bd0cJIpwvLz1u-1vBpVwn6nPBzoa5CaFQ_64KGDtIIM-CyHVQSk4riP1BLOY=s2000" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1125" data-original-width="2000" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEheq5WRVrGowB4pHDiuI8_4_j6f-2MU2dZkab7eSHTayfMz-MS7q2f7efRvc4CsT9NFBP7bDWl7XiBDx0G8wyhwl7PVLePXoEVu2goc1eHnm8_lHOxnw5Qm-va6ww2Bd0cJIpwvLz1u-1vBpVwn6nPBzoa5CaFQ_64KGDtIIM-CyHVQSk4riP1BLOY=w640-h360" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">It's once again that time of year, where there's a brand new Drag Race season on the horizon and a whole new batch of queens for me to analyze. I've done a few of these throughout the years, and although I don't have a perfect track record, I'm usually fairly decent at sussing out <b>generally</b> how well the girls will do.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">As always, I'm writing this without any knowledge of spoilers. I know they're out there, I know exactly where to find them, and I will probably go look them up immediately after completing this post. But for now, I'm unspoiled and will be giving my genuine first impressions based on the Meet the Queens videos and the E1 preview posted on YouTube earlier this week.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">The cast overall is... interesting... for me. There are a couple queens I see as cannon fodder, but apart from them, I feel like the rest of the cast is on a pretty even playing field. Usually I find it fairly easy to slot queens into roughly the general vicinity of where I believe they'll place, and I usually don't do TOO bad of a job. But this cast... girl who knows. I could be even more wrong than the time I predicted Monique Heart would be my least favorite & out early. For the record, she's now one of my top 5 favorite queens to ever be on the show. SO.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">I'm going to be going through the list of queens in alphabetical order, talking about first impressions, how I think they'll do, and predicting their placement. Kinda. I have a definitive top half and bottom half, and I'll give additional commentary on top of that. I'll also be giving my personal fave ranking, AKA how much I personally like them, regardless of how well I think they'll do on the show.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: x-large;">Alyssa Hunter</span></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEipMZ-oSASC7NlN-hEOpouovbBD1QjshnUi6vKK2o076TuIPjLq5HdiySEFVd209yyrOj62Ym4Gp9BXQFA8Gf2sIgmP5gYbR2cn6rh425htVtygsnvOSjcgM4a2IHGfuZDVs2sn1YIWx2t4nYmS5H_iDxdylDWmZKhLts06a2weeaNzRcu4TreBOJ8=s1000" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="666" data-original-width="1000" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEipMZ-oSASC7NlN-hEOpouovbBD1QjshnUi6vKK2o076TuIPjLq5HdiySEFVd209yyrOj62Ym4Gp9BXQFA8Gf2sIgmP5gYbR2cn6rh425htVtygsnvOSjcgM4a2IHGfuZDVs2sn1YIWx2t4nYmS5H_iDxdylDWmZKhLts06a2weeaNzRcu4TreBOJ8=w400-h266" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b style="text-align: left;"><br /></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b style="text-align: left;">personal fave ranking: 11/14</b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b style="text-align: left;"><br /></b></div></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div>Of all the queens, I have the least notes on Alyssa. She said a lot without <b>actually </b>telling us much about herself. Like when you're trying to throw fluff sentences into an essay to get to the required word limit lol. She didn't say if she's got acting chops, if she's a dancer, a fashion queen, a comedy queen, etc. and that's a bit of a red flag to me. Instead she threw out words and phrases like: fierce, versatile, known for being an amazing artist, etc. it's all just very... generic. Maybe the language barrier is just holding her back from fully expressing herself, idk. But the weirdest thing about you is that you eat a lot? <b>SUS. That is SUS.</b> Her actual entrance into the workroom gives me some hope, because she says she's won a lot of pageants and is multitalented. But idk, there's just nothing about her that makes her stand out as unique to me upon first impression. </div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b>Predicted placement: </b>I have her in my bottom half,</div><div style="text-align: center;">and roughly somewhere in the middle of that. So...4th or 5th boot?</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div><br /></div></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: x-large;">Angeria Paris VanMicheals</span></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjy6nRgKyo88QFoF9_-PbTW4AobleCJ4JVvKpUjSMPlC6tS2BSi0TjKM-PUyxwrX7AU5JAtLWTAj2j42PLXsx0tysp5NITkI1QYFjupM8QBhVXlDGctoNC5KQZPzDi8pMu19teyhaNUgoGCgNtOAwMyOxHIGO8IAjNkkj5ynDMc01eMCRCnL1p-HfA=s999" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="750" data-original-width="999" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjy6nRgKyo88QFoF9_-PbTW4AobleCJ4JVvKpUjSMPlC6tS2BSi0TjKM-PUyxwrX7AU5JAtLWTAj2j42PLXsx0tysp5NITkI1QYFjupM8QBhVXlDGctoNC5KQZPzDi8pMu19teyhaNUgoGCgNtOAwMyOxHIGO8IAjNkkj5ynDMc01eMCRCnL1p-HfA=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b style="text-align: left;"><br /></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b style="text-align: left;">personal fave ranking: 6/14</b></div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><div><span style="text-align: left;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div>If there's one aspect of Drag Race that Angie has down pat, it's the charisma. She has such a good energy, and that jumped off the screen at me immediately. The makeup is stunning, and that seems to be her main gig-- she's all about the beat. I like that she seems a little quirky, a little weird, but looks very polished and put together. However, I do have the same concern as with Alyssa-- zero mention of her skills. Can she sew? Can she do comedy? Will she be a lip sync assassin? Who knows, because she said <b>nothing</b> about it. That concerns me. Being endearing will keep her around for a while, but she'll need the talent to match.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b>Predicted placement: </b>I have her in my top half.</div><div style="text-align: center;">She gives me fan-fave-cut-in-5th-place vibes.</div><div style="text-align: center;">If she has the talent to match this remains to be seen.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: x-large;">Bosco</span></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiRuN1S_oNDtXEeSI6QjH7MhtlJT5Gpsisfq2AqyghK1JXgH6Tct75s7tmjOssuZBJpVgHpZgwBc1_Nm8nAQktl1mMYSnkzif55pgpri57g8I6TspvfEnD6HPueUG3YzNTonk6MYQUYQb3phBzbAA_q5hssbVeXL_qb1FFKyPNHn_aTgcwwXtAeql0=s1000" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="667" data-original-width="1000" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiRuN1S_oNDtXEeSI6QjH7MhtlJT5Gpsisfq2AqyghK1JXgH6Tct75s7tmjOssuZBJpVgHpZgwBc1_Nm8nAQktl1mMYSnkzif55pgpri57g8I6TspvfEnD6HPueUG3YzNTonk6MYQUYQb3phBzbAA_q5hssbVeXL_qb1FFKyPNHn_aTgcwwXtAeql0=w400-h266" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b style="text-align: left;"><br /></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b style="text-align: left;">personal fave ranking: 3/14</b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b style="text-align: left;"><br /></b></div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: left;"><div>I left Bosco's meet the queens video feeling very good about her. She definitely immediately has that energy and confidence of someone who's going to do well in Drag Race. I got very strong Aquaria vibes from her personality. She says she's been dancing for years, she got several good quips in, she seems to have a clear aesthetic. She just seems like she is <b>ready, </b>and she seems like the total package. I really like her and I can see her being really successful on this season. </div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b>Predicted placement: </b>I have her in my top half.</div><div style="text-align: center;">I see her making the finale, tbh.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div></div></div></div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: x-large;">Daya Betty</span></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><div><span style="text-align: left;"><b><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiCsJmGizqLQX6Sl7CRlJVgpySr0LOsncCrrHwQwhhhiAyYK8dtqg2dPLHqRLPhFaqfiylO8crwdBjkWfIyRCNe9Ex_JvDV9xQashZogeWWgJ3pMMbXKLTUtutX0Xu6fHxx-4EmzT5KZO_55xgFUGq7ZTMHEwQYJqJKyiJTr-qJlfqLEa7Cfg8gko8=s998" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="666" data-original-width="998" height="268" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiCsJmGizqLQX6Sl7CRlJVgpySr0LOsncCrrHwQwhhhiAyYK8dtqg2dPLHqRLPhFaqfiylO8crwdBjkWfIyRCNe9Ex_JvDV9xQashZogeWWgJ3pMMbXKLTUtutX0Xu6fHxx-4EmzT5KZO_55xgFUGq7ZTMHEwQYJqJKyiJTr-qJlfqLEa7Cfg8gko8=w400-h268" width="400" /></a></div><br />personal fave ranking: 14/14</b></span></div><div><span style="text-align: left;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div>I... don't have high hopes for Betty. Maybe I just don't get her-- I never had strong opinions on Crystal either and everyone else seemed to be obsessed with her. I don't like making the immediate comparison, but a lot of the way she describes her drag reminds me of Crystal-- fun and playful, but can also be a bit dark, comedy doesn't especially seem to be her thing, seems a bit quirky, etc. However, she says she doesn't like being perfect, and her aesthetic does not seem to be as on-point as Crystal's. And that works in the real world, but on Drag Race, if that's your biggest strength... someone else striving for perfection is going to beat you.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b>Predicted placement: </b>I have her in my bottom half,</div><div style="text-align: center;">and I believe she'll be an early boot.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div></div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><b>Deja Skye</b> </span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><div><span style="text-align: left;"><b><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEifmSMJ2bX08z0VyXHCZAeFmbwLRagTy7RQzg1teV2K8hGApHu8o09S20DOhVsHZ31w78ScnNoD4DLWVk6gx1BROnAzdOnONsY6yi08OwMlfjmuQ2ET4Wg5sm5_xHZ8MQeyUwimf5qdhVi5rgWmUTBhJRhKzm_vtmnqU-_A9VNR1s8T792Vsr5QwS0=s1000" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="750" data-original-width="1000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEifmSMJ2bX08z0VyXHCZAeFmbwLRagTy7RQzg1teV2K8hGApHu8o09S20DOhVsHZ31w78ScnNoD4DLWVk6gx1BROnAzdOnONsY6yi08OwMlfjmuQ2ET4Wg5sm5_xHZ8MQeyUwimf5qdhVi5rgWmUTBhJRhKzm_vtmnqU-_A9VNR1s8T792Vsr5QwS0=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></div><br />personal fave ranking: 1/14</b></span></div><div><span style="text-align: left;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div>During last year's promos, Olivia Lux came out of nowhere with this amazing energy that I immediately vibed with. And this year, Deja Skye did the same thing. I knew nothing about these queens before these videos, but Deja instantly clicked for me. A lot of queens claim they're versatile, even though they aren't-- but I believe it wholeheartedly about her-- something I also said about Asia O'Hara in Season 10. And the fact that Olivia and Asia are the first two queens who came to mind is an <b>amazing</b> place to be. She's also the only queen who gave a strange fact about themself that wasn't stupid. So there's that. Her fellow queens also listed her several times as the sweetest and class clown in the superlatives video, which I think both bode well for her chances, as well as how much I will like her.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b>Predicted placement: </b>I have her in my top half.</div><div style="text-align: center;">I'm leaning toward finale, but that might be my bias talking...</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div></div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: x-large;">Jasmine Kennedie</span></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><div><span style="text-align: left;"><b><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEghkLocWYKHVAKP37VdgJC_0xW1qSN1y-ImhOFAnUXU-BytbmH5YP0PPyYaoAF8rYXvsEz3ypIKWlqT-f-jzO7S7CgeMGoOHWhyPUPYpyJ_8y8IRp__xy9yBlSZ5MPkuDBpDFTM2nNLFtHTScmmyd8cw7J-mq6nuwCq7fl8kDG7ueFu85XDyNEpv7c=s999" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="750" data-original-width="999" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEghkLocWYKHVAKP37VdgJC_0xW1qSN1y-ImhOFAnUXU-BytbmH5YP0PPyYaoAF8rYXvsEz3ypIKWlqT-f-jzO7S7CgeMGoOHWhyPUPYpyJ_8y8IRp__xy9yBlSZ5MPkuDBpDFTM2nNLFtHTScmmyd8cw7J-mq6nuwCq7fl8kDG7ueFu85XDyNEpv7c=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></div><br />personal fave ranking: 7/14</b></span></div><div><span style="text-align: left;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div>Full-confession, this was the first queen I looked up on social media bc I desperately <b>needed</b> to know which queen was the glasses-manbun twink lol. So that clearly resonated with me. I also discovered through Insta that she's friends with Lemon, so... maybe I'll fall in love with her too! However, they're literally <b>already</b> shading her in the Meet the Queens video with her long-winded edit. C'mon, Gia Metric! (top 4 tho...) The other queens also said she was the drama queen and villain in the superlatives video, which was a bit of a surprise to me. She seems to be mostly a performer, she says she can sew, which are both great things. She also served up some over-used descriptors when describing her drag (old school meets new school, etc.). By virtue of her not making my top half, she's in my bottom half by default, but I think she's a pretty clear middle-of-the-pack candidate.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b>Predicted placement: </b>I have her in my bottom half.</div><div style="text-align: center;">I think she'll make it about halfway.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div></div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: x-large;">Jorgeous</span></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><div><span style="text-align: left;"><b><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhDZRpIxl3SOB3DXbr_FwufHvyPa4MSseSEyVkQ6w9VmILtQbPPd7OWTsBUjDAC0r-UMI8ELOJONhm5UGqtXEg8AR7hgVQLLRGm08jppJimsO91sDgZSz1DtNzf517hleV6wWcljYQbDBqniYm3rbprpRK-e_ZPpikhggBmQPHtD2pg1_Kfo2mK2OE=s998" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="799" data-original-width="998" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhDZRpIxl3SOB3DXbr_FwufHvyPa4MSseSEyVkQ6w9VmILtQbPPd7OWTsBUjDAC0r-UMI8ELOJONhm5UGqtXEg8AR7hgVQLLRGm08jppJimsO91sDgZSz1DtNzf517hleV6wWcljYQbDBqniYm3rbprpRK-e_ZPpikhggBmQPHtD2pg1_Kfo2mK2OE=w400-h320" width="400" /></a></div><br />personal fave ranking: 13/14 </b></span></div><div><span style="text-align: left;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div>I feel like I saw a lot of buzz about Jorgeous before I watched her intro, but I feel like I got very little from her?? She's a showgirl-- great. She talked about her look <b>a lot.</b> The only thing I really got from her personality is that she might be the one queen who's actually here to start drama? Is that why people like her? If she's a villain, she'll stick around at least a little while purely on that fact, however, I feel like I don't have a great feel for how well or poorly she will actually perform on the show. </div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b>Predicted placement: </b>I have her in my bottom half.</div><div style="text-align: center;">I see her as a middle-of-the-pack queen until proven otherwise.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div></div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: x-large;">June Jambalaya</span></b> </div><div style="text-align: center;"><div><span style="text-align: left;"><b><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjfUFZoh9G6qu3jrUyyqxkx_sItSihUzIp2t9q25rzAhRXHyIY29-zdXY0ev8DX8wn442E_DQz2IyrNjz43VQ3OqZzp4lOMkD2oNtVumUJgXlyGBecAz_QULEyk5eIQtlWw4W9zO_iDyPCJHwkonhL9Y4eKoeH8R65gS2ukQn0FAJ1lx1D2OApTzbs=s998" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="666" data-original-width="998" height="268" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjfUFZoh9G6qu3jrUyyqxkx_sItSihUzIp2t9q25rzAhRXHyIY29-zdXY0ev8DX8wn442E_DQz2IyrNjz43VQ3OqZzp4lOMkD2oNtVumUJgXlyGBecAz_QULEyk5eIQtlWw4W9zO_iDyPCJHwkonhL9Y4eKoeH8R65gS2ukQn0FAJ1lx1D2OApTzbs=w400-h268" width="400" /></a></div><br />personal fave ranking: 9/14</b></span></div><div><span style="text-align: left;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div>June has a very interesting combination of qualities, and when she says she can't really be put in a box, I definitely feel that. She describes herself as looking bougey, acting ratchet. Says she went to performing arts school and has a great work ethic, both of which are fantastic to have for this show. My biggest concern for her is that she says people think she can't take criticism because she gets defensive. That is not a good thing on Drag Race. You talk back to the judges, you go home. Otherwise, I feel pretty good about her.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b>Predicted placement: </b>I have her in my top half.</div><div style="text-align: center;">Not sure I see her all the way at the finale, but definitely going far. </div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div></div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: x-large;">Kerri Colby</span></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><div><span style="text-align: left;"><b><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjNFkk4vE74fA_rOUAYUSCoCDjIfx_BsM-zdUykuex3MssksXAClNOk4ym-tEDNue3fHjVAgN76OW5iMf2QOset6G4s7midOPiYLXA3-xM911Ui0lJioQGIXGRyD5b4fO9nDizd7oeLJuB4PcTeWX41P_o8Npu1sPwmx-6KCw4u0qFz--ZGKAyhsj4=s1000" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="667" data-original-width="1000" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjNFkk4vE74fA_rOUAYUSCoCDjIfx_BsM-zdUykuex3MssksXAClNOk4ym-tEDNue3fHjVAgN76OW5iMf2QOset6G4s7midOPiYLXA3-xM911Ui0lJioQGIXGRyD5b4fO9nDizd7oeLJuB4PcTeWX41P_o8Npu1sPwmx-6KCw4u0qFz--ZGKAyhsj4=w400-h266" width="400" /></a></div><br />personal fave ranking: 8/14</b></span></div><div><span style="text-align: left;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div>I think Kerri's the queen I've seen the most positive buzz about, and this time, I definitely see why. She seems so on-point, put together, and articulate. She's stuuunning, and just seems so polished and <b>ready</b> for this. That said, she is one of the queens who didn't say much in way of her performing ability, which is certainly concerning. But she just seems so confident and polished that I can't help but put her in my top half. Prove me right, queen!</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b>Predicted placement: </b>I have her in my top half.</div><div style="text-align: center;">Need more info for further analysis.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div></div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><b>Kornbread The Snack Jet</b></span><span style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><b>é</b></span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><div><span style="text-align: left;"><b><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgL26-0csygF_TyhA0wssMp5D8fsomi5EMUKSSd3HTsTCxGEfiKfvzE4xpqlc-O3YYT--G2gY3Ss5iBAFMpzkGwMVnO-c2vMBBUZ8Drz4yTStZzJwcjz6J-eefKNkz1N4h9Gpah82T8GuIgxYsQVPAL7JCQ_tcMVqov2xjjYiC3xhxhcafP-__3N4M=s1000" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="1000" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgL26-0csygF_TyhA0wssMp5D8fsomi5EMUKSSd3HTsTCxGEfiKfvzE4xpqlc-O3YYT--G2gY3Ss5iBAFMpzkGwMVnO-c2vMBBUZ8Drz4yTStZzJwcjz6J-eefKNkz1N4h9Gpah82T8GuIgxYsQVPAL7JCQ_tcMVqov2xjjYiC3xhxhcafP-__3N4M=w400-h320" width="400" /></a></div><br />personal fave ranking: 2/14</b></span></div><div><span style="text-align: left;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div>A huge chunk of the challenges on Drag Race center around making Ru laugh. And a lot of these queens didn't come off as inherently funny. Kornbread, however-- the funniest one of the bunch. She's giving funny, she's giving authenticity, and she's giving confidence. That's a very powerful combo on drag race. Often that's our lovable underdog (Adore, Heidi, etc.) but if she has the skill and confidence to back her up, I feel very good about her winner chances. Her entrance package only solidified this for me-- I think she is a clear front-runner, and I think I'll really enjoy watching her succeed. Also, like Deja, the other queens listed her several times as the sweetest and class clown, which I think both bode well for her chances, as well as how much I will like her. (Seriously tho, I watched the superlatives video while finishing this post up & it made me feel real good about my choices here)</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b>Predicted placement: </b>I have her in my top half.</div><div style="text-align: center;">I see her making the finale, tbh.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div></div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: x-large;">Lady Camden</span></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><div><span style="text-align: left;"><b><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjmDGcEubbh0wfcastuj79oPubfn-cKEO6OnpOVsagGr5L4ahO0oeZPs_Wn3tIvNO6o-dJ8NANiN_x1dD_HM9u42v8_8i2rVBZMJyoKm1F9dCF_fSA2JBiIHP3zFnP_0-m3GUomxlLsfixuaWeViEqDi2FrNXs-wSLTDIPQn1HRCw9OhYTTxK3Ib0U=s998" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="799" data-original-width="998" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjmDGcEubbh0wfcastuj79oPubfn-cKEO6OnpOVsagGr5L4ahO0oeZPs_Wn3tIvNO6o-dJ8NANiN_x1dD_HM9u42v8_8i2rVBZMJyoKm1F9dCF_fSA2JBiIHP3zFnP_0-m3GUomxlLsfixuaWeViEqDi2FrNXs-wSLTDIPQn1HRCw9OhYTTxK3Ib0U=w400-h320" width="400" /></a></div><br />personal fave ranking: 5/14</b></span></div><div><span style="text-align: left;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div>I feel really good about Lady Camden's chances. She came off as clever, polished, and competitive without taking herself too seriously. She just seems to be polished and a bit goofy, and that's a combo I think does well on Drag Race if you have the skills to back you up. However, she's worried about comedic challenges, which is concerning. That said, I think she seems like a naturally funny person, which I think will help balance that out for her.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b>Predicted placement: </b>I have her in my top half.</div><div style="text-align: center;">I could see her making the finale, tbh.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div></div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><b>Maddy Morphosis</b> </span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><div><span style="text-align: left;"><b><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiuvYUJy13SNv9cQZjJWKjtpRQZCp_KreuPc7xvDS-2CkCUqtWT2v2MO4EoNXz_LiYNxqEDv9KXoWTtbEEVNJeafs_D0-3Pfl0UlpdBG6U-EInla4krmYlOg5ixp8T_v8mOzUdnrO92PEwMIASddUtLsvHXn_iIQrsZTLBxX2Gy7oSJ-azECPgzQS8=s998" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="749" data-original-width="998" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiuvYUJy13SNv9cQZjJWKjtpRQZCp_KreuPc7xvDS-2CkCUqtWT2v2MO4EoNXz_LiYNxqEDv9KXoWTtbEEVNJeafs_D0-3Pfl0UlpdBG6U-EInla4krmYlOg5ixp8T_v8mOzUdnrO92PEwMIASddUtLsvHXn_iIQrsZTLBxX2Gy7oSJ-azECPgzQS8=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></div><br />personal fave ranking: 10/14</b></span></div><div><span style="text-align: left;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div>Honestly, my main point of contention with Maddy is simply that I got absolutely <b>nothing</b> about her because her entire Meet the Queens video was about her being a straight man! I'm fine with her being cast on the season, but I feel like we've talked about nothing but her sexuality the entire pre-season, and because of that, I don't really know anything about her personality, aesthetic, performance ability... nothing. I just know she's straight. </div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b>Predicted placement: </b>I have her in my bottom half by default.</div><div style="text-align: center;">I need more info...</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div></div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: x-large;">Orion Story</span></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><div><span style="text-align: left;"><b><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhQyW839-WW5a_LLWLQ7mpalNJjaNjiC57YwUcLI9kDCpu6gwIeCxNQGh-Z5z4kyxK1fQYx3V3HXMSxVqaCtDor8PDo0_sq4zkvxtSkINLhmObx9hEKn3Q5RtsTAk5l3Z5VvgHPmTYkQclrta2uTuaUIx-jJtqGCJN-WUoSXfUV1T4ge1PGyeP3F1c=s998" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="749" data-original-width="998" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhQyW839-WW5a_LLWLQ7mpalNJjaNjiC57YwUcLI9kDCpu6gwIeCxNQGh-Z5z4kyxK1fQYx3V3HXMSxVqaCtDor8PDo0_sq4zkvxtSkINLhmObx9hEKn3Q5RtsTAk5l3Z5VvgHPmTYkQclrta2uTuaUIx-jJtqGCJN-WUoSXfUV1T4ge1PGyeP3F1c=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></div><br />personal fave ranking: 12/14</b></span></div><div><span style="text-align: left;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div>Girl... did you willingly choose to be here? Did your mom put you up to this? Or are you just like... suuuuper medicated in the Meet the Queens video? Because the energy is just... not there. At all. After watching her entrance, I wonder if she's playing a character in the Meet the Queens video? Because she calls herself a fembot in her entrance package and calls herself campy, and she's just so weird that I wonder if she's just lowkey a super meta campy queen who's actually brilliant...? That said, if she is... will the judges get it? Because I usually get things long before the judges, so if I'm confused, they're hopeless. Anyway, I'm interested to see what she's actually like on the show, but I don't have high hopes for her. </div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b>Predicted placement: </b>I have her in my bottom half.</div><div style="text-align: center;">If Meet the Queens is her real personality-- first boot potential.</div><div style="text-align: center;">If she's actually very campy... who knows. Still probs an early boot.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div></div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: x-large;">Willow Pill</span></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><div><span style="text-align: left;"><b><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgyR1URN0j1CBRvIeoPK2q4rBNlm3YODLEa5eSKpcSskrY4-ae7bIx3Dwi-gSuNqqD-58Alo1JDpEbSwooE53MJKFFlyqbVOC8xcgyyU6aK-4fUaiIKjcQwYlRSlp936quq5cFWZ0CVSdedYRa4hoT9CHasVWMSJZcbZPN649UCF7Y50VElkFZ1QIw=s1000" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="1000" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgyR1URN0j1CBRvIeoPK2q4rBNlm3YODLEa5eSKpcSskrY4-ae7bIx3Dwi-gSuNqqD-58Alo1JDpEbSwooE53MJKFFlyqbVOC8xcgyyU6aK-4fUaiIKjcQwYlRSlp936quq5cFWZ0CVSdedYRa4hoT9CHasVWMSJZcbZPN649UCF7Y50VElkFZ1QIw=w400-h320" width="400" /></a></div><br />personal fave ranking: 4/14</b></span></div><div><span style="text-align: left;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: left;">I think Willow is my Dusty Ray Bottoms/Rock M Sakura of the season-- one that speaks directly to my heart and soul and that I want to do well... but won't. I love the Yvie connection, she's one of my faves. Willow seems to take after some of Yvie's darkness, but mostly just her quirkiness and strong sense of fashion. Which I love. <b>However.</b> She doesn't really... pop for me. Her Meet the Queens look? Definitely. But her entrance look is something <b>totally</b> different, so it's hard to really get any idea of what she's like as a queen. When asked if her entrance look was her signature style, she gave a seemingly sarcastic <b>absolutely </b>(the look is clearly tongue in cheek as well tho, soooo...?). So like... what is your signature style? Do you have one, girl? And the shady edit her entrance got... IDK. She seems quirky and likable, but probably a bit too all over the place to get really far in the competition.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b>Predicted placement: </b>I have her in my bottom half.</div><div style="text-align: center;">I like her and would like her to make it at least halfway,</div><div style="text-align: center;">but I worry she will be a fairly early boot.</div></div></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">So those are my thoughts on each of the queens. Obviously, I haven't named a winner pick yet, but I do have one. BUT-- there's a bit of a discussion to be had first, and it's a bit of a serious topic. And it will inform my winner pick.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Drag Race has garnered a lot of criticism over the years both for its treatment of queens of color and the fact that a big girl has yet to win either of the American versions of the show. And, of course, Ru's comments about trans queens appearing on the show.</div><div style="text-align: left;">Given the... <b>questionable</b>... way Ru responds to such criticism...</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><i>(see: All Stars 4's double-win. Kylie winning All Stars 6 after Ru's comments on trans queens being on the show. Also the fact that he changed the format of the finale starting in S4 to take fan opinion into account in his decision.)</i></div><div style="text-align: left;"><i><br /></i></div><div style="text-align: left;">...I can't ignore the fact that there are three POC big girls on this cast. This show likes to stick to its casting boxes, and this is certainly a deviation. A <b>very good one</b>, but also one that seems incredibly purposeful. To me, it comes off less as casting trying to be more inclusive and more like Ru trying to stack the deck in favor of a winner to appease the fans... or at least not piss us off more.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b>You can't convince me this is the first season multiple amazing POC big girls have auditioned for this show.</b> </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Don't be surprised when one of them wins this season. I absolutely <b>hate</b> using this logic, but I feel that it's something to be considered given Ru's history with trying to appease the fans in the most blatant, <b>CLUMSY </b>way possible. And that's a shame, because as you'll have seen above, all 3 of them are in my top half. I think they're real contenders for the crown, and I worry that if one wins, it might be seen as a political move. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Keeping that in mind, my winner pick is <b>Kornbread</b>.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">She would be my winner pick regardless of what I just discussed, but I felt like it was an important conversation to have, especially since Kornbread brought it up herself in her Meet the Queens video. I think Kornbread ticks all the talent boxes, as well as all the boxes Ru will be wanting to tick to appease the fans. Producers tried to do something similar with Silky in S11 and we all know how that turned out, but I think Kornbread can be the one to <b>actually</b> succeed, and do so without making everyone dislike her. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">To be explicitly clear-- <b>Kornbread is my winner pick because I believe she can win this season purely based on merit. </b>However, this is a reality show, and merit doesn't always win the day over narrative, diplomacy, and audience favorites. And I can't ignore that she also is the perfect candidate for Ru to appease the fans.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Past that point, I think my official choices for the other three finalists are: <b>Deja Skye, Bosco, and Lady Camden. </b>I feel most confident about Bosco. Solely due to my personal bias, I'm not as sure about Deja (I don't trust my judgement bc I'm so biased toward her lol). Lady Camden is kinda just the obligatory fourth, so there are some other queens I could potentially see in that spot as well-- namely Kerri!</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div>So, those are my first impressions of the queens of season 14 of Drag Race! I can't wait to see how correct and horribly incorrect I end up being lol. Thanks for checking out my blog, and you can see my <b><a href="https://fromkristensbrain.blogspot.com/2017/04/quick-dirty-rupauls-drag-race-season-9.html" target="_blank">Season 9</a>, </b><b><a href="https://fromkristensbrain.blogspot.com/2018/03/rupauls-drag-race-season-10-pre-season.html">Season 10</a>, </b>and <b><a href="https://fromkristensbrain.blogspot.com/2021/01/rupauls-drag-race-season-13-pre-season.html" target="_blank">Season 13</a></b> posts respectively if you'd like to see more of my incorrect predictions about past seasons of Drag Race.</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><a href="https://twitter.com/KristenBOOKS" target="_blank"><span style="font-size: medium;">Twitter</span></a></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><a href="https://www.instagram.com/kristenmcfly/?hl=en" target="_blank"><span style="font-size: medium;">Instagram</span></a></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/28643825-kris" target="_blank"><span style="font-size: medium;">Goodreads</span></a></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><a href="https://www.youtube.com/user/kristennbright" target="_blank"><span style="font-size: medium;">YouTube</span></a></b></div></div></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div></div>Kristen Brighthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16947782400794390038noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7835074222125929757.post-27019399683413932682021-04-29T15:00:00.001-05:002021-04-29T15:00:00.234-05:00Definitive Ranking of Jelly Belly's 50 Official Flavors<div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSBuZ8wq8N3YJhrvNd29xUA12nBGRvV98eqm6MeXasNp7GbsDgRAiIJU_yYQ4z1D-Bt8kWiiAlTFep6Nq7FrcMOpybnAhPtd-fi04vovIgk276GYBxcNG5TwAdxyNOzzYedh8CVu_Kwco/s1200/jelly+belly+50+flavor.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1200" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSBuZ8wq8N3YJhrvNd29xUA12nBGRvV98eqm6MeXasNp7GbsDgRAiIJU_yYQ4z1D-Bt8kWiiAlTFep6Nq7FrcMOpybnAhPtd-fi04vovIgk276GYBxcNG5TwAdxyNOzzYedh8CVu_Kwco/w400-h400/jelly+belly+50+flavor.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">A couple of years ago, after showing my parents the Try Guys' Rank King series, we got hooked on doing rankings of completely arbitrary, random things. We did a couple of the same ones as Eugene (fruit, girl scout cookies), followed by candy bars. When planning my parents' trip to see me this past weekend, we realized that Jelly Belly had already done us the favor of packaging their 50 Official Flavors into one gift box, and within 24 hours of that discovery, a box was purchased, and our plan was made. </span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Today, in the spirit of <b>I'm right, you're wrong, shut up,</b> I'm going to be presenting only my personal ranking of the 50 flavors. However, for once, instead of being the outlier among the 3 of us, I think my ranking was the least divisive (apart from their top 2). </span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Of course, since this is a ranking of flavors, this list is entirely subjective. Popularity plays no part in this list-- it's entirely my personal taste. There are some very polarizing beans, and I have opinions on them. <b>I'm right, you're wrong, shut up</b> might be the official Rank King motto, but these are literally just jelly beans. If I hate your fave, it's not that serious. I'm not here to take them away from you. Keep eating your gross snot beans in peace-- I don't need you berating me because I didn't like the flavor of a jelly candy. </span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Alright, enough rambling-- on to the list.</span></div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">50. Juicy Pear</span></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6v3CctWwk7Hmgh-G8MRWauvbPHb-J2_GCCt9MtuPkzYNX3NnLn51LfkBDuZnT0gg9k1h3DhF0eNEdeFtWQCU020Bkl6I8ZNKuI0HLSOTtl8rWYa75HUSC_5cO_X0bXzV1d61UqCTZAms/s1200/juicy+pear+jelly+belly.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="675" data-original-width="1200" height="113" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6v3CctWwk7Hmgh-G8MRWauvbPHb-J2_GCCt9MtuPkzYNX3NnLn51LfkBDuZnT0gg9k1h3DhF0eNEdeFtWQCU020Bkl6I8ZNKuI0HLSOTtl8rWYa75HUSC_5cO_X0bXzV1d61UqCTZAms/w200-h113/juicy+pear+jelly+belly.jpg" width="200" /></a></div></b></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;">I wasn't expecting much, thanks to its snot-like appearance, but it somehow managed to disappoint. There are a handful of flavors I disliked, but this is the only one I actually spit out. </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">49. Plum</span></b></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXNYNC3LFIJnfIpq7Xw4Hpb72p2gWKxlE9XN8VQq7PG4-YrRtv3Sua0jMttmVmn1EXJDHelM4DAE2QZGp8ZXHndreqP40q-o7htiDHThc0gHA_ih6VMpsUcBSc9TwdtYuv0JUG3TT5Stk/s1200/plum+jelly+belly.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="675" data-original-width="1200" height="113" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXNYNC3LFIJnfIpq7Xw4Hpb72p2gWKxlE9XN8VQq7PG4-YrRtv3Sua0jMttmVmn1EXJDHelM4DAE2QZGp8ZXHndreqP40q-o7htiDHThc0gHA_ih6VMpsUcBSc9TwdtYuv0JUG3TT5Stk/w200-h113/plum+jelly+belly.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Me: "This tastes like paint smells." My mom: "weirdly, that makes sense."</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><h3 style="text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">48. Buttered Popcorn</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgV-41OXvFjdQLRDrklaa-a4fZZsIdpEMoqzXVKWMi1cwKh-2f3HCzmu-73v0jLl6Zj8NRrHn_vlhBXeN87aqSrdLDFuGRgj4j1WoEoIN0ulTlFuipJn0QyoAMGvy2MjP5vIGahvAeB9D0/s1200/buttered+popcorn+jelly+belly.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="675" data-original-width="1200" height="113" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgV-41OXvFjdQLRDrklaa-a4fZZsIdpEMoqzXVKWMi1cwKh-2f3HCzmu-73v0jLl6Zj8NRrHn_vlhBXeN87aqSrdLDFuGRgj4j1WoEoIN0ulTlFuipJn0QyoAMGvy2MjP5vIGahvAeB9D0/w200-h113/buttered+popcorn+jelly+belly.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><div style="font-size: medium; font-weight: 400; text-align: left;">This is a divisive flavor, and I've always fallen on the side of dislike. Some flavors should not be recreated as jelly candy, and this is one of them.</div><div style="font-size: medium; font-weight: 400; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">47. Licorice</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8kbKvEAaSCjUHh8BnVCYZjDrFn-WznfcjKFEYp1zGsUIdF9HwT-PaDry5CR74DWbuxwdCOLxvz2vxxUbNzt83g74R5ArxB90BBqZaaBR9O7wX-7_xAm8IwzVQsAt7VTp1NZfFdzQcbIU/s1200/jelly+belly+licorice.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="675" data-original-width="1200" height="113" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8kbKvEAaSCjUHh8BnVCYZjDrFn-WznfcjKFEYp1zGsUIdF9HwT-PaDry5CR74DWbuxwdCOLxvz2vxxUbNzt83g74R5ArxB90BBqZaaBR9O7wX-7_xAm8IwzVQsAt7VTp1NZfFdzQcbIU/w200-h113/jelly+belly+licorice.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><div style="font-size: medium; font-weight: 400; text-align: left;">In my experience, it seems like disliking licorice is a mostly universal opinion, and yet this flavor is still around and seems to be one of their most popular flavors. It's not offensively bad, but I'm not going back for seconds.</div></div></h3><h3><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">46. Kiwi</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTAzVHGlDwjVFg5rxQKXV3HnjaD7-C9DrJ-6T_SRnlAY1XMusz6CwDE3PGoo6ceouGI_-zhlUk6j4ppTvWT__SEKBjqv66oXV9_8aW2bAXDyNUuzCZHYrnxLvo9JcinS6KQaDsnXY2MNg/s1200/jelly+belly+kiwi.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="675" data-original-width="1200" height="113" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTAzVHGlDwjVFg5rxQKXV3HnjaD7-C9DrJ-6T_SRnlAY1XMusz6CwDE3PGoo6ceouGI_-zhlUk6j4ppTvWT__SEKBjqv66oXV9_8aW2bAXDyNUuzCZHYrnxLvo9JcinS6KQaDsnXY2MNg/w200-h113/jelly+belly+kiwi.jpeg" width="200" /></a></div></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium; font-weight: 400;">It's been probably 2 decades since I ate my last kiwi, so I can't say how accurately this imitates its flavor. But I guess I now know why I haven't had a kiwi in the past 20 years!</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium; font-weight: 400;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">45. Mango</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: small;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicMHnhoSCnG7c6o8JbCzQk3WknkOesEV0PVVO7ajOulQKG_5e9YF0vUP6qgHk9c69nLfSj0opMcVHg50P50ZEaEQyqCifeIl0CMvE3wMtRYnONbeRJqRuThMFhZh2YKVZKHRMieJz0pGM/s1200/jelly+belly+mango.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="675" data-original-width="1200" height="113" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicMHnhoSCnG7c6o8JbCzQk3WknkOesEV0PVVO7ajOulQKG_5e9YF0vUP6qgHk9c69nLfSj0opMcVHg50P50ZEaEQyqCifeIl0CMvE3wMtRYnONbeRJqRuThMFhZh2YKVZKHRMieJz0pGM/w200-h113/jelly+belly+mango.jpg" width="200" /></a></div></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-size: medium;">I'm not a fan of mango in the first place, so this didn't really stand a chance. However, my dad, who does like mango, still put it in his bottom 10. So even mango fans might not enjoy this one.</span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium; font-weight: 400;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">44. Cantaloupe</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiJ0q1GBb6RtsNsSxX6Kj4fbyf07VDk7cBFODxGpe9k-022EESZ5CnnAYGxFXCzEoaXkFN8IIyPuvWp5NGugPhYvSz56eEf4eRAuLSXe-EGv5i5ScS3xLg2u0z-LKCDUqrqPOevvXwBvo/s650/jelly+belly+cantaloupe.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="365" data-original-width="650" height="113" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiJ0q1GBb6RtsNsSxX6Kj4fbyf07VDk7cBFODxGpe9k-022EESZ5CnnAYGxFXCzEoaXkFN8IIyPuvWp5NGugPhYvSz56eEf4eRAuLSXe-EGv5i5ScS3xLg2u0z-LKCDUqrqPOevvXwBvo/w200-h113/jelly+belly+cantaloupe.jpg" width="200" /></a></div></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium; font-weight: 400;">Once again, I'm not a fan of cantaloupe already, and although my mom </span><span style="font-size: medium;">does<span style="font-weight: normal;"> like cantaloupe, she ranked it even lower than I did, and didn't want more than one. However, it tastes like a pretty accurate cantaloupe reproduction to me, so maybe my taste buds are just off.</span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">43. Strawberry Jam</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-size: medium; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWNEmnEvA-x04LBw4R7yEtyEVRdOJPb1lN8_C1vxgt-lyZDDY79LGd2PgbxO9JEwEUkBCVy_DlG3l3iGM9o6eJ6ml6EBocFgGFW-uxeQ-ursbz9TVKISbT60Y0JQyXhx6ub4HK1wjD75I/s650/jelly+belly+strawberry+jam.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="365" data-original-width="650" height="113" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWNEmnEvA-x04LBw4R7yEtyEVRdOJPb1lN8_C1vxgt-lyZDDY79LGd2PgbxO9JEwEUkBCVy_DlG3l3iGM9o6eJ6ml6EBocFgGFW-uxeQ-ursbz9TVKISbT60Y0JQyXhx6ub4HK1wjD75I/w200-h113/jelly+belly+strawberry+jam.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Strawberry is generally the quintessential totally inoffensive, everyone likes it flavor. But I found that every variety of strawberry in these beans just tasted a bit off/funky. They nail a lot of flavors, but strawberry is definitely not one of them.</span></span></div><div style="font-size: medium;"><br style="text-align: center;" /></div></div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">42. Chocolate Pudding</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMw5NvfUC0qjNBbBVxMz-ne50fjb5s9F3kVUMXkXv9LFJk2ZnlewBofTd8oo4COvMYlMXlXGxM2mg2Oqf6p6wBaSzS_OqPxBuXe6CuCIS8KdIPK0Q4Zm4gTxX4bvum9Gul8Zqe5JSfYV0/s650/jelly+belly+chocolate+pudding.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="366" data-original-width="650" height="113" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMw5NvfUC0qjNBbBVxMz-ne50fjb5s9F3kVUMXkXv9LFJk2ZnlewBofTd8oo4COvMYlMXlXGxM2mg2Oqf6p6wBaSzS_OqPxBuXe6CuCIS8KdIPK0Q4Zm4gTxX4bvum9Gul8Zqe5JSfYV0/w200-h113/jelly+belly+chocolate+pudding.jpg" width="200" /></a></div></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium; font-weight: 400;">This is another case of a flavor that I think simply doesn't work for me in a jelly form. The chocolate flavor is so artificial and really at odds with the texture. I used to like this when I was younger, but my advice now is that if you want chocolate or chocolate pudding, get it in its real form, not like this.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium; font-weight: 400;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">41. Caramel Corn</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhV41KzfZoYgtra4xwk55xpYuZzgc88KEVTltfHhlBQghcvyx_ya_Wj_F7jSMaBq5kykgcqBA8Fn24E9prQ25Ynv6hzy9ARBd2YhyphenhyphenZHV5xdLQsfXKSuahoKN01tm9rDaWc42USklE99F5o/s650/jelly+belly+caramel+corn.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="365" data-original-width="650" height="113" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhV41KzfZoYgtra4xwk55xpYuZzgc88KEVTltfHhlBQghcvyx_ya_Wj_F7jSMaBq5kykgcqBA8Fn24E9prQ25Ynv6hzy9ARBd2YhyphenhyphenZHV5xdLQsfXKSuahoKN01tm9rDaWc42USklE99F5o/w200-h113/jelly+belly+caramel+corn.jpg" width="200" /></a></div></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium; font-weight: 400;">Some flavors taste very different, depending on what you eat before or after. Eating this after having buttered popcorn was GREAT, because the caramel flavor was at the forefront. Any other time, however, the popcorn flavor just still doesn't work for me in this format. Give me just a straight caramel bean and I'd be interested. </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium; font-weight: 400;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">40. Chili Mango</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhW_F9wrrsM2J8jIflYOgp5adJd7DN8XDOmY8ZE-t8cXb2gDcctcTFQyEZ4QgiJVtG0-NiOlh4XXBr3HBBfn_euu2v28ZiR3s2DGD4egy1uSeg8qdBU0Bz-R5-Scm4uFhBvQQkIqPJCQRM/s1200/jelly+belly+chili+mango.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="675" data-original-width="1200" height="113" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhW_F9wrrsM2J8jIflYOgp5adJd7DN8XDOmY8ZE-t8cXb2gDcctcTFQyEZ4QgiJVtG0-NiOlh4XXBr3HBBfn_euu2v28ZiR3s2DGD4egy1uSeg8qdBU0Bz-R5-Scm4uFhBvQQkIqPJCQRM/w200-h113/jelly+belly+chili+mango.jpg" width="200" /></a></div></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium; font-weight: 400;">I was so excited for this one. I love spicy/sweet mixes (like those spicy Starbursts from a few years back!), but the mango flavor really held it back for me. If they made a chili version of another flavor, however, I think I'd really like it. Just... maybe not strawberry.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium; font-weight: 400;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">39. Strawberry Daiquiri</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVVOq9IlEivOpqPAhsPqGUIgSBhHo11_QMxrvaDYww59SHDZELe6m4Zl-_iqm_sZHvFIC0_DgvgPUc_O13qQUpmxSlxYPsefG5qdlSiOOJyBxf4Y0LAkjAYSzIkQ_iajHZ4gE0XOczUbg/s650/jelly+belly+strawberry+daiquiri.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="366" data-original-width="650" height="113" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVVOq9IlEivOpqPAhsPqGUIgSBhHo11_QMxrvaDYww59SHDZELe6m4Zl-_iqm_sZHvFIC0_DgvgPUc_O13qQUpmxSlxYPsefG5qdlSiOOJyBxf4Y0LAkjAYSzIkQ_iajHZ4gE0XOczUbg/w200-h113/jelly+belly+strawberry+daiquiri.jpg" width="200" /></a></div></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium; font-weight: 400;">This is a bit better than the strawberry jam, but not by a lot. There's just some weird funkiness to their strawberry flavor that I just can't get past. </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium; font-weight: 400;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">38. Pink Grapefruit</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimPguFuS96J-ceHA3CMyllbMS4EbkQ2V7xnTsCEFFhU4xo5ZKE7ZKGnSj-jbow0vy3kKWh1tKiZsqaqZRS7EwbdcmWgMbJtup8IU2o3H-cONdpv-ZdurFb3NBcLr6EKF4EiHys0u_npg0/s650/jelly+belly+sunkist+pink+grapefruit.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="365" data-original-width="650" height="113" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimPguFuS96J-ceHA3CMyllbMS4EbkQ2V7xnTsCEFFhU4xo5ZKE7ZKGnSj-jbow0vy3kKWh1tKiZsqaqZRS7EwbdcmWgMbJtup8IU2o3H-cONdpv-ZdurFb3NBcLr6EKF4EiHys0u_npg0/w200-h113/jelly+belly+sunkist+pink+grapefruit.jpg" width="200" /></a></div></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium; font-weight: 400;">We're moving into the "it was fine" territory with this one. It doesn't have a very strong flavor (a common theme in this middle section), but the flavor that is there has a decent tang. </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium; font-weight: 400;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">37. Tangerine</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbAWCvBkYk7srnT3Wcp_gx13Q-_afJcOyQuK-pAH_okH_5iXosLJSRI-gC6gVkFBR1IgQJmbXAYlmM4Ht3TEkWz2f8HetKKKWpLMKH9pa0Q9zkQHS4hzTbcR4q4Vhy2RO-R3BuCieaLb0/s650/jelly+belly+sunkist+tangerine.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="366" data-original-width="650" height="113" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbAWCvBkYk7srnT3Wcp_gx13Q-_afJcOyQuK-pAH_okH_5iXosLJSRI-gC6gVkFBR1IgQJmbXAYlmM4Ht3TEkWz2f8HetKKKWpLMKH9pa0Q9zkQHS4hzTbcR4q4Vhy2RO-R3BuCieaLb0/w200-h113/jelly+belly+sunkist+tangerine.jpg" width="200" /></a></div></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium; font-weight: 400;">Once again, not a super strong flavor. I'm pretty <i>meh</i> on orangey flavors overall, and I think this is the least successful version of that in this collection. </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium; font-weight: 400;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">36. Crushed Pineapple</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiN3c0DFTjOpSAqUzPI2B7a6gpj9XSewFg6pdYf9XfOXascaL4ORwPBUbAor2582NsU0Fh3sVSVZQ_pACXK8hoAw6TVVh6OOExMDeH2LsaoobyDohFcYQ76BkxtozcQyU86yTSYVbeEuUA/s650/jelly+belly+crushed+pineapple.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="365" data-original-width="650" height="113" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiN3c0DFTjOpSAqUzPI2B7a6gpj9XSewFg6pdYf9XfOXascaL4ORwPBUbAor2582NsU0Fh3sVSVZQ_pACXK8hoAw6TVVh6OOExMDeH2LsaoobyDohFcYQ76BkxtozcQyU86yTSYVbeEuUA/w200-h113/jelly+belly+crushed+pineapple.jpg" width="200" /></a></div></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium; font-weight: 400;">This was an absolutely crushing placement for me. My parents and I </span><span style="font-size: medium;">love<span style="font-weight: normal;"> pineapple, but this just didn't have much flavor. They might taste stronger if you were just eating these for a while, but trying several flavors back to back, this barely tasted like pineapple. </span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium; font-weight: 400;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">35. Blueberry</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimTHItNteajRUKIJSK8Ank8GxAXE1sRw7cbVVFT5gV2SOHoXt3D0VrdJVXgNDamGlKI_ZSIvAr9p7hJ7PKBy1Ii-H94Ndwq610qdsusFOt3G3lg2hmvpr4AZv82u2S73qDprp-bVytZWo/s650/jelly+belly+blueberry.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="365" data-original-width="650" height="113" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimTHItNteajRUKIJSK8Ank8GxAXE1sRw7cbVVFT5gV2SOHoXt3D0VrdJVXgNDamGlKI_ZSIvAr9p7hJ7PKBy1Ii-H94Ndwq610qdsusFOt3G3lg2hmvpr4AZv82u2S73qDprp-bVytZWo/w200-h113/jelly+belly+blueberry.jpg" width="200" /></a></div></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium; font-weight: 400;">Definitely a bit more of a sour flavor than some of the other fruity flavors on this list. I don't have too much to say about this one-- it's fine. </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium; font-weight: 400;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">34. Peach</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-Li_A10d0V2o25SKRG-Jyrzy_rB3OiNzQ8t6xk8xiTizPwMEO3mXETXK7VRBvGNix7k-xU0cwB-hy0tTI-oi6z1KN1nm-n3VadNQXrEZi3nFCrjRAGFn09IBLNTgnBSOdzEQ1MX1F_6U/s650/jelly+belly+peach.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="365" data-original-width="650" height="113" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-Li_A10d0V2o25SKRG-Jyrzy_rB3OiNzQ8t6xk8xiTizPwMEO3mXETXK7VRBvGNix7k-xU0cwB-hy0tTI-oi6z1KN1nm-n3VadNQXrEZi3nFCrjRAGFn09IBLNTgnBSOdzEQ1MX1F_6U/w200-h113/jelly+belly+peach.jpg" width="200" /></a></div></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium; font-weight: 400;">Another unfortunate victim of very little flavor. My dad </span><span style="font-size: medium;">loves<span style="font-weight: normal;"> peach, and I quite like it too, but we both had it in our bottom half, entirely due to its weak flavor. </span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">33. Berry Blue</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-HddhzvIcMDpC9cxJaMIJMqxqkiLVbnEKgk3_lx4jH2gidWDzSQkRWNVNndeebZ5wu7ScoAXUjXZ_3eD4PEy0PhrGheQqH0joz12QU7wAwmthp1PYpxrG4xnrNtEl3ZD1je-8f9Oa4oU/s650/jelly+belly+berry+blue.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="365" data-original-width="650" height="113" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-HddhzvIcMDpC9cxJaMIJMqxqkiLVbnEKgk3_lx4jH2gidWDzSQkRWNVNndeebZ5wu7ScoAXUjXZ_3eD4PEy0PhrGheQqH0joz12QU7wAwmthp1PYpxrG4xnrNtEl3ZD1je-8f9Oa4oU/w200-h113/jelly+belly+berry+blue.jpg" width="200" /></a></div></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium; font-weight: 400;">With its bright, bold color, I was expecting a big punch of blue raspberry or something, and that was kinda there a </span><span style="font-size: medium;">little<span style="font-weight: normal;">, but this is another one that just had a bit of a funky flavor to it. Something just tasted a bit off.</span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">32. Watermelon</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYOpKHhuX1GUpgE4gc2MO2gNRp_g_l67PpIJJsHhATvC1cLgiWjY9ar7qqbeWDeer4Gnx3CCc912ZMUxLywV3AiKVZS4AiLgyxUHt3r2RY-3RwHFn_wx3MDuc_EOupr8jLvqhYCWqhUcg/s650/jelly+belly+watermelon.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="365" data-original-width="650" height="113" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYOpKHhuX1GUpgE4gc2MO2gNRp_g_l67PpIJJsHhATvC1cLgiWjY9ar7qqbeWDeer4Gnx3CCc912ZMUxLywV3AiKVZS4AiLgyxUHt3r2RY-3RwHFn_wx3MDuc_EOupr8jLvqhYCWqhUcg/w200-h113/jelly+belly+watermelon.jpg" width="200" /></a></div></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium; font-weight: 400;">It's a pretty standard watermelon flavor. It's fine. Not a super strong flavor, and it does have a bit of a funky aftertaste, but overall, it's decent.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium; font-weight: 400;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">31. Sunkist Orange</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjOgyqneKgRA73ByIDc7ehMEI7s3c5YYN-BptKVcelcGcdjUgnuyKD2PDHUr9xScpUC8JUgneGUh2Ws_IX_UrQvElAbh7z3hjpLnXnPZuBaNs81hw6u4iCoY5x0nUBvLjAUVWXyH5nc-w/s650/jelly+belly+sunkist+orange.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="366" data-original-width="650" height="113" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjOgyqneKgRA73ByIDc7ehMEI7s3c5YYN-BptKVcelcGcdjUgnuyKD2PDHUr9xScpUC8JUgneGUh2Ws_IX_UrQvElAbh7z3hjpLnXnPZuBaNs81hw6u4iCoY5x0nUBvLjAUVWXyH5nc-w/w200-h113/jelly+belly+sunkist+orange.jpg" width="200" /></a></div></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium; font-weight: 400;">It's orange! lol. It's essentially just a basic, pretty sweet orange flavor. It's fine, but orange isn't one of those flavors I'm clambering to grab for. </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium; font-weight: 400;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">30. Orange Sherbet</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPti8K1T9QfXnabszGfmCNBDVVtA2kxl15kgZpYY0lki1qb34I1WGZ454omm0qSIWFRibqdfylrDiRjl_ZIGkaRsawEOLccNVMfH3lCK3KjLUgfGGpsQbCx7fa5haDNIPBKnZ0-VSmBWk/s650/jelly+belly+orange+sherbet.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="365" data-original-width="650" height="113" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPti8K1T9QfXnabszGfmCNBDVVtA2kxl15kgZpYY0lki1qb34I1WGZ454omm0qSIWFRibqdfylrDiRjl_ZIGkaRsawEOLccNVMfH3lCK3KjLUgfGGpsQbCx7fa5haDNIPBKnZ0-VSmBWk/w200-h113/jelly+belly+orange+sherbet.jpg" width="200" /></a></div></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium; font-weight: 400;">Originally, I had this and the Sunkist orange swapped, but I decided I liked the creaminess of this one enough to place it higher. If you like orange dreamsicles, you're in luck-- that's what this tastes like! That's a flavor I could take or leave, but I do think they nailed it. </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium; font-weight: 400;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">29. Strawberry Cheesecake</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgO518dmNVXtp6Rb2O1vmIHmAcsvPD3lwU2SfqUioSIG4EPnAeKq7fmxyXhESbcKHf76-bK_w-wSE8K3N4qJEBOeY5OU9KTF9y3M1en3O0RdKYVv_Udi1csqRQcf9xFIwdxKv2bCRVo9Eg/s650/jelly+belly+strawberry+cheesecake.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="365" data-original-width="650" height="113" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgO518dmNVXtp6Rb2O1vmIHmAcsvPD3lwU2SfqUioSIG4EPnAeKq7fmxyXhESbcKHf76-bK_w-wSE8K3N4qJEBOeY5OU9KTF9y3M1en3O0RdKYVv_Udi1csqRQcf9xFIwdxKv2bCRVo9Eg/w200-h113/jelly+belly+strawberry+cheesecake.jpg" width="200" /></a></div></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium; font-weight: 400;">I was hoping to love this, because I always love cheesecake flavors. This is definitely the best of the versions of strawberry that they have, and it is largely thanks to the cheesecake flavor minimizing some of the strawberry funk. </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium; font-weight: 400;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">28. Raspberry</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaLq-M8AC5OKCJ0763u79UqnPm8ZKd78DLZ_qDoyb7lXN9i7Szu-XJs11MKhK9a2bu8pNV6kQszb81mYHBx8bd_Desr43TPEjCfERztp-xhBFGcszhDjBih_9YIRB8v9tXs4GMryogxiE/s650/jelly+belly+raspberry.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="365" data-original-width="650" height="113" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaLq-M8AC5OKCJ0763u79UqnPm8ZKd78DLZ_qDoyb7lXN9i7Szu-XJs11MKhK9a2bu8pNV6kQszb81mYHBx8bd_Desr43TPEjCfERztp-xhBFGcszhDjBih_9YIRB8v9tXs4GMryogxiE/w200-h113/jelly+belly+raspberry.jpg" width="200" /></a></div></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium; font-weight: 400;">Raspberries are one of my favorite fruits, but this one doesn't quite do it for me. It almost tastes like this was supposed to also be a jam flavor, but doesn't quite nail the raspberry flavor for me. It seems like they're going the "real fruit" flavor route, instead of the "fruit candy" flavor route, and I'd definitely prefer the latter.</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">26. Bubble Gum</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAsxJDpU8V_6zm7w_QlO0KzZgX-MnAhFZEEUHsWAhlZm6ew-qlSGis9eRff4bgOm81oyjHmRtKRQx8BPUxbpLUcUsg27T0_yiv3v_jB5D3HmcdwVufOwIdzcY_g_Fi8HwlT5-cxME54eU/s650/jelly+belly+bubble+gum.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="365" data-original-width="650" height="113" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAsxJDpU8V_6zm7w_QlO0KzZgX-MnAhFZEEUHsWAhlZm6ew-qlSGis9eRff4bgOm81oyjHmRtKRQx8BPUxbpLUcUsg27T0_yiv3v_jB5D3HmcdwVufOwIdzcY_g_Fi8HwlT5-cxME54eU/w200-h113/jelly+belly+bubble+gum.jpg" width="200" /></a></div></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium; font-weight: 400;">Despite being called bubble gum and having a really good, strong bubble gum flavor, this bean manages to somehow </span><span style="font-size: medium;">not </span><span style="font-size: medium; font-weight: 400;">be the jelly belly with the strongest, best, or most accurate bubble gum flavor (which you'll see in a minute...).</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium; font-weight: 400;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">26. Cinnamon</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgq1iSoK6Xl_hlDCBgWa-kbblSytv08ZrES70IfKI77FeG6iIbG8EpN0MHAiqB2oTolkfU1ha9yyVUD036l-iN9mzd0OznDa1nIF6DcFIyIqFjKEb97lGcwyKdeTAebXSnVPs1s7Exqxbg/s650/jelly+belly+cinnamon.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="365" data-original-width="650" height="113" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgq1iSoK6Xl_hlDCBgWa-kbblSytv08ZrES70IfKI77FeG6iIbG8EpN0MHAiqB2oTolkfU1ha9yyVUD036l-iN9mzd0OznDa1nIF6DcFIyIqFjKEb97lGcwyKdeTAebXSnVPs1s7Exqxbg/w200-h113/jelly+belly+cinnamon.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><span style="font-size: medium; font-weight: 400;">This is a perfectly good cinnamon flavor. It's classic. It's iconic. It tastes like a red hot. It's just not a flavor I'm personally ever going to actively reach for.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium; font-weight: 400;"> </span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">25. Sizzling Cinnamon</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheM829XmNlRaVWrrC1CcsJFicIm4oiMx_sHj70KrqjP_KvUOruv5onaHwwZP8ynwPQEAWwMU9YpRhf20Up6Jlm4keGCTwu8z7sTe2AWWsnVXU7rqmd197zLZmxJxZFvQtLaWv0kcS8bA8/s650/jelly+belly+sizzling+cinnamon.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="366" data-original-width="650" height="113" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheM829XmNlRaVWrrC1CcsJFicIm4oiMx_sHj70KrqjP_KvUOruv5onaHwwZP8ynwPQEAWwMU9YpRhf20Up6Jlm4keGCTwu8z7sTe2AWWsnVXU7rqmd197zLZmxJxZFvQtLaWv0kcS8bA8/w200-h113/jelly+belly+sizzling+cinnamon.jpg" width="200" /></a></div></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium; font-weight: 400;">Literally just a more intense (read:better) version of the standard cinnamon flavor. Not much else to say. (This & cinnamon are my parents' favorites, so they were not thrilled with my placement)</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">24. Green Apple</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhe9Lxiafd7hBxMZv_5L9PrWQEn18uc5cpWKpvY7XowiV7znRvK3OVh1IdGw8gtWtLIquvk55l74vS0dXGJ9pbtSd7qo2aSyGxPGj2HHZ3HPTsRQWfRC6sU8zcaDRFt87KQvXgXwvqUr2s/s650/jelly+belly+green+apple.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="365" data-original-width="650" height="113" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhe9Lxiafd7hBxMZv_5L9PrWQEn18uc5cpWKpvY7XowiV7znRvK3OVh1IdGw8gtWtLIquvk55l74vS0dXGJ9pbtSd7qo2aSyGxPGj2HHZ3HPTsRQWfRC6sU8zcaDRFt87KQvXgXwvqUr2s/w200-h113/jelly+belly+green+apple.jpg" width="200" /></a></div></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium; font-weight: 400;">It's got a really nice sweetness and tang. Definitely not the really bold green apple you might get from other candies, but it's got a nice flavor.</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">23. Red Apple</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieY9_nfgVs5ya8GAzm6RZWMMBw9T_5JCaQ59rrGWjRar9h-JOFXyAVbilzYTFY57CP3Ag8Jd8Kaa6hev_43n3w-RmaUmpVuDcURj7f8xSr8_2WcrtufhhWsU55AlTzyhkfaBJBwA4d55Y/s650/jelly+belly+red+apple.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="365" data-original-width="650" height="113" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieY9_nfgVs5ya8GAzm6RZWMMBw9T_5JCaQ59rrGWjRar9h-JOFXyAVbilzYTFY57CP3Ag8Jd8Kaa6hev_43n3w-RmaUmpVuDcURj7f8xSr8_2WcrtufhhWsU55AlTzyhkfaBJBwA4d55Y/w200-h113/jelly+belly+red+apple.jpg" width="200" /></a></div></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium; font-weight: 400;">I wasn't expecting to put red higher than green, because green apple is a much more established candy flavor, but this had a bold, tangy, sourness that I quite enjoyed. </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium; font-weight: 400;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">22. Cream Soda</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTCyqMkJP95ogSJbF9pHRFMVe-YPbaAqYwoUsVvZY3Fr-T0xNHNZf-S-R-qeKUM5PGk8vjDiu8Gdux2RNkLUCreduJPv2lHn8qXP8j5HsCdDEn-aASwrQRDMAYkbPByp8YmNqNvKITOQw/s650/jelly+belly+cream+soda.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="365" data-original-width="650" height="113" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTCyqMkJP95ogSJbF9pHRFMVe-YPbaAqYwoUsVvZY3Fr-T0xNHNZf-S-R-qeKUM5PGk8vjDiu8Gdux2RNkLUCreduJPv2lHn8qXP8j5HsCdDEn-aASwrQRDMAYkbPByp8YmNqNvKITOQw/w200-h113/jelly+belly+cream+soda.jpg" width="200" /></a></div></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium; font-weight: 400;">I associate jelly beans pretty heavily with fruity flavors, so at first, I felt like some of the creamy flavors were along the popcorn/chocolate lines-- not something that should be made in jelly form. But as you're going to see, a lot of creamy flavors ended up pretty high on my list. Something about them just works for me! </span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">21. Coconut</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTIfLtc8iq7qFIIImyAETBvZaD5e_cvePvp2GcE1cOFvRLnUFRKYsq8T1X733KjvbycSSdB1nRPbOi-jNDphXh-ViljY0n64CbBClutkg0Re1n0Bvi2B1QS4q00KEkjsQ5997gKKc13Uc/s650/jelly+belly+coconut.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="366" data-original-width="650" height="113" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTIfLtc8iq7qFIIImyAETBvZaD5e_cvePvp2GcE1cOFvRLnUFRKYsq8T1X733KjvbycSSdB1nRPbOi-jNDphXh-ViljY0n64CbBClutkg0Re1n0Bvi2B1QS4q00KEkjsQ5997gKKc13Uc/w200-h113/jelly+belly+coconut.jpg" width="200" /></a></div></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium; font-weight: 400;">Although it's in the top half, this is another that suffered from a weaker flavor overall. I love coconut, so I expected it to be really high, but this doesn't have the </span><span style="font-size: medium;">best<span style="font-weight: normal;"> coconut flavor, and the flavor isn't very strong either. </span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">20. Top Banana</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEie24nnHofpinptSOqS98MH4WZkBYV5lRREw67UaQ8gC6YMmFhRau83-aFIBybqgd6QGyzfp90qC6b5k04TtAutqjshVS-ajGWDAPyFHohgSrxlv2MPCfREoflENTVy0CntvDSLXcLG8B0/s650/jelly+belly+top+banana.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="365" data-original-width="650" height="113" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEie24nnHofpinptSOqS98MH4WZkBYV5lRREw67UaQ8gC6YMmFhRau83-aFIBybqgd6QGyzfp90qC6b5k04TtAutqjshVS-ajGWDAPyFHohgSrxlv2MPCfREoflENTVy0CntvDSLXcLG8B0/w200-h113/jelly+belly+top+banana.jpg" width="200" /></a></div></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium; font-weight: 400;">This is definitely reminiscent of banana laffy taffy, so if you're one of those weirdos that doesn't like that, you won't like this either. My dad hates banana in every form and fashion, so this was really low for him. But I'll take all the banana that I can get. </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium; font-weight: 400;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">19. Tutti Fruitti</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXKnBVC6Cu4_283byGXcT3dMVEraOGfBuGB2Gbh86zZhOWScFt5Bkh2h35p-_qPpQAo4mtLBgsmCcb0Sv7lyOM5GH-hin10DgwOnhoOqFGG01XjyLFG7NjRYiA0cYELQL4A5TerrcKX9Q/s650/jelly+belly+tutti+fruitti.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="366" data-original-width="650" height="113" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXKnBVC6Cu4_283byGXcT3dMVEraOGfBuGB2Gbh86zZhOWScFt5Bkh2h35p-_qPpQAo4mtLBgsmCcb0Sv7lyOM5GH-hin10DgwOnhoOqFGG01XjyLFG7NjRYiA0cYELQL4A5TerrcKX9Q/w200-h113/jelly+belly+tutti+fruitti.jpg" width="200" /></a></div></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium; font-weight: 400;">I mentioned this one earlier when talking about bubble gum-- this literally tastes like you took a classic bubble gum brand and injected its flavor directly into the bean. It's been too long since I've had any of those, so I'm not sure if it's Double Bubble or Super Bubble, but it's one of those, and this tastes </span><span style="font-size: medium;">exactly<span style="font-weight: normal;"> like that. </span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">18. Margarita</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4XNl04wmK1HrZ0UAtpvUf-zYBvsUq2ZU9r9TOPgaSkrhzKyAh_kttiuojw40FDmvJVG0zsmhUEYR2r-7jPWwnA5TgmdRsQZ04jsdBwV8o29CSt4FejFn-17fzaixKPrHYAfx505vTMB0/s650/jelly+belly+margarita.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="365" data-original-width="650" height="113" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4XNl04wmK1HrZ0UAtpvUf-zYBvsUq2ZU9r9TOPgaSkrhzKyAh_kttiuojw40FDmvJVG0zsmhUEYR2r-7jPWwnA5TgmdRsQZ04jsdBwV8o29CSt4FejFn-17fzaixKPrHYAfx505vTMB0/w200-h113/jelly+belly+margarita.jpg" width="200" /></a></div></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium; font-weight: 400;">We've now reached the lemon and lime pit stop on this list. This one's fine, but there are much better citrus flavors to come, and a much better version of lime. </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium; font-weight: 400;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">17. Sunkist Lemon</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifM8TCmfTuMyOWDj1JdxNBSM82j_hNSWy-HZhcx5B6Z66gnp8RqT4Mns9vuX770W_NlX3qKCiQN_u4m3TS5ZM2teAi40hU4OfD5rzOHQ5_qpykgFmY8RX5fWUrBLQdh6XUsk4TtU-kjuQ/s650/jelly+belly+sunkist+lemon.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="366" data-original-width="650" height="113" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifM8TCmfTuMyOWDj1JdxNBSM82j_hNSWy-HZhcx5B6Z66gnp8RqT4Mns9vuX770W_NlX3qKCiQN_u4m3TS5ZM2teAi40hU4OfD5rzOHQ5_qpykgFmY8RX5fWUrBLQdh6XUsk4TtU-kjuQ/w200-h113/jelly+belly+sunkist+lemon.jpg" width="200" /></a></div></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium; font-weight: 400;">This is your classic super, super, super sweet lemon flavor. My whole family loves lemon, to the point that lemon-flavored things rarely have enough lemon for us. So, I really enjoyed this one, but I don't think it's the best lemon option available. </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium; font-weight: 400;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">16. Lemon Lime</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLasaFIJpPvOfEMqBGLmLoJLDgD8TX56VFMnbtpRGmyUtv-fzSSuVOVgCMyCWoV63d9CgV0f4zrUAJ_Bz59gYAaAKTHvy8EVaCTB9-QoGmxBoGnP31y6ioPu3njnNvFA4tahxO8TQugTk/s650/jelly+belly+lemon+lime.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="365" data-original-width="650" height="113" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLasaFIJpPvOfEMqBGLmLoJLDgD8TX56VFMnbtpRGmyUtv-fzSSuVOVgCMyCWoV63d9CgV0f4zrUAJ_Bz59gYAaAKTHvy8EVaCTB9-QoGmxBoGnP31y6ioPu3njnNvFA4tahxO8TQugTk/w200-h113/jelly+belly+lemon+lime.jpg" width="200" /></a></div></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium; font-weight: 400;">Aptly, this is essentially the color of Mountain Dew, and I think it leans more Mountain Dew than Sprite in terms of flavor, too. I haven't had the 7Up bean, so I can't compare it, but this has a good lemon lime flavor. </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium; font-weight: 400;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">15. Piña Colada</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguTn6Lo7hYBvwheMDKfD25OpfAPtqhKxRMof2SfVllWDuvCASKB8p3VxXWd2Pf3Z3HR83CCI-waJMI3xySgYuzOaV2PTNvsjFrDoFE5zCpq54biSy75V3l1rI6Dklfo5L1__kf8YlZ-GA/s650/jelly+belly+pina+colada.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="365" data-original-width="650" height="113" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguTn6Lo7hYBvwheMDKfD25OpfAPtqhKxRMof2SfVllWDuvCASKB8p3VxXWd2Pf3Z3HR83CCI-waJMI3xySgYuzOaV2PTNvsjFrDoFE5zCpq54biSy75V3l1rI6Dklfo5L1__kf8YlZ-GA/w200-h113/jelly+belly+pina+colada.jpg" width="200" /></a></div></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Strangely, although both pineapple and coconut placed lower than this, when I tried them together, it was better than the p</span><span style="font-weight: 400;">iña colada bean itself. Nonetheless, pineapple and coconut are two of my favorite flavors in general, and I think the combination of them is nailed better than either bean on their own. </span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">14. Island Punch</span></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPgtzOwpIJJ4OczJR7Zi6_C73EOOPps2c68KjvQCPqfSLYenN7-ZkJTobqXwREQsdo6D55YdFkxCUrvUJ6ezPrHGOZwPet_ph5ounfQGuhJBkZ4nZuy3E3bB5nhyphenhyphenDBBsNRxWvZ10dJGQ8/s650/jelly+belly+island+punch.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="365" data-original-width="650" height="113" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPgtzOwpIJJ4OczJR7Zi6_C73EOOPps2c68KjvQCPqfSLYenN7-ZkJTobqXwREQsdo6D55YdFkxCUrvUJ6ezPrHGOZwPet_ph5ounfQGuhJBkZ4nZuy3E3bB5nhyphenhyphenDBBsNRxWvZ10dJGQ8/w200-h113/jelly+belly+island+punch.jpg" width="200" /></a></div></div><div><span style="font-size: medium; font-weight: 400;">This is another that suffered from a really subtle flavor, but I absolutely love the flavor that's there, and depending on what you eat before it, you can taste the flavor better. If the flavor were cranked up a few notches, this could be in the top 10. </span></div></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">13. French Vanilla</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgY-DoUrfWVaa7Rmy4r7vp-XpbTUK8OB0XQYIktogRzNy8szY4Ihyphenhyphen1nuX3eu2ETWpYwCgGEIXsLMaK2-LYcgCGxB7iJ0K6VICXW939j6DjiRQ_dYZfnUT2SDX6d20Z6bJlaylF_PbJEWDY/s650/jelly+belly+french+vanilla.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="365" data-original-width="650" height="113" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgY-DoUrfWVaa7Rmy4r7vp-XpbTUK8OB0XQYIktogRzNy8szY4Ihyphenhyphen1nuX3eu2ETWpYwCgGEIXsLMaK2-LYcgCGxB7iJ0K6VICXW939j6DjiRQ_dYZfnUT2SDX6d20Z6bJlaylF_PbJEWDY/w200-h113/jelly+belly+french+vanilla.jpg" width="200" /></a></div></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium; font-weight: 400;">Originally, this was in my top 6, but I was forced to drop it because it's another that just doesn't have a strong flavor. I </span><span style="font-size: medium;">love<span style="font-weight: normal;"> vanilla. Vanilla > chocolate every single day. And I love the flavor of this bean. But it's not very strong at all, and if you eat it after a really flavorful bean, you might not even taste it. So I couldn't, in good conscience, put it all the way up in my top tier. </span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">12. Cotton Candy</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjm5gAhHRJgtnBTVcLiQDiZdOLr8OqGMHqPlRlk2r1FQKa-gzhZcCrCpm7Xk3AZF52bvZWIDPb8ygkZ4VN1BkfS3xQ0ITQ13BoqXFaBBHYq4veORXjlRIN_aoJlU7QisaYCW9uGl_Ayzu4/s650/jelly+belly+cotton+candy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="365" data-original-width="650" height="113" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjm5gAhHRJgtnBTVcLiQDiZdOLr8OqGMHqPlRlk2r1FQKa-gzhZcCrCpm7Xk3AZF52bvZWIDPb8ygkZ4VN1BkfS3xQ0ITQ13BoqXFaBBHYq4veORXjlRIN_aoJlU7QisaYCW9uGl_Ayzu4/w200-h113/jelly+belly+cotton+candy.jpg" width="200" /></a></div></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium; font-weight: 400;">This was a pure hit of nostalgia. As a kid, there were a handful of flavors I always got, and this was one of them. It's probably the most strong, aggressively sweet bean in the pack, but it tastes like childhood, and I love it. </span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">11. Lime</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheSaiou-Z5Nx3V3CNbsRXb5vy0ToUv0EHnXbnUEu2hjehOf7rC1Y3PP2BcC8vQ0Gk026bk-p6TNL3iWO1jI8arw7oMc8OPiPw7U_Kf_PjbN5cNJk-xKCHUhHqjIa5wuJnufLh-ZA4BWqE/s650/jelly+belly+sunkist+lime.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="366" data-original-width="650" height="113" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheSaiou-Z5Nx3V3CNbsRXb5vy0ToUv0EHnXbnUEu2hjehOf7rC1Y3PP2BcC8vQ0Gk026bk-p6TNL3iWO1jI8arw7oMc8OPiPw7U_Kf_PjbN5cNJk-xKCHUhHqjIa5wuJnufLh-ZA4BWqE/w200-h113/jelly+belly+sunkist+lime.jpg" width="200" /></a></div></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium; font-weight: 400;">This is the very last bean in the 50 flavor pack, and what a way to end the taste test. This has a super strong, bold lime flavor that left most of the other citrus in the dust. Really, really, really great. </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium; font-weight: 400;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">10. Pomegranate</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivsS2LTiPoHEzVtvWIiPHv6AH7xBVPxupfQBW3RcONnsX1OmfKohq-TayXF-i_GZeIVCksJ4mOAucZ8GXTYH1N_c9Q5dzBrjg46suBLNQkGRjX__tz6vaXT0Hh5WIs05zbaobS60T3G2c/s650/jelly+belly+pomegranate.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="365" data-original-width="650" height="113" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivsS2LTiPoHEzVtvWIiPHv6AH7xBVPxupfQBW3RcONnsX1OmfKohq-TayXF-i_GZeIVCksJ4mOAucZ8GXTYH1N_c9Q5dzBrjg46suBLNQkGRjX__tz6vaXT0Hh5WIs05zbaobS60T3G2c/w200-h113/jelly+belly+pomegranate.jpg" width="200" /></a></div></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium; font-weight: 400;">I could probably count the number of times I've had pomegranate in my life on one hand, but if this is what they taste like, I need to change that STAT. Really good flavor, really nice tang, and a total pleasant surprise. This one came out of nowhere for me. </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium; font-weight: 400;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">9. Wild Blackberry</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWx4XlV3thtUBe5KL-Rzh2vgC29m-kQ-FYNz03u2ILHLXrbfIm1ZlmpCuuDthJ1YZfZwNe6Nr_Sr8S6SYXg6BEboK6yFnKAen8N8mAsKHhxBwZLL0PCRJxOMAfi0cvCWvBf-RDVzpidHM/s650/jelly+belly+wild+blackberry.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="365" data-original-width="650" height="113" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWx4XlV3thtUBe5KL-Rzh2vgC29m-kQ-FYNz03u2ILHLXrbfIm1ZlmpCuuDthJ1YZfZwNe6Nr_Sr8S6SYXg6BEboK6yFnKAen8N8mAsKHhxBwZLL0PCRJxOMAfi0cvCWvBf-RDVzpidHM/w200-h113/jelly+belly+wild+blackberry.jpg" width="200" /></a></div></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium; font-weight: 400;">This & pomegranate are the first 2 flavors in the box, so I spent quite a while wondering if they were so high just because they were first. But when I circled back, they were still excellent. They definitely went for a "blackberry candy" flavor here instead of trying to mimic "real blackberry," but I think I've proven that I prefer it that way! Like pomegranate, this was a pleasant surprise, and one I'd pick up if I were getting individual flavors at a candy shop.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium; font-weight: 400;"> </span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">8. Mixed Berry Smoothie</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: small;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEireq3ZTMw-ryqoqC1KjxtVk6ry43HMsg1W1B5DT2GNBDJDMmg1JpS14ch25oFPBSl9iX19It-_QPOJ-t3WPsZd-ji_m-23pHRcs_Hx4CMuXOzZHhu9ZcdwdsjvTmGi7dI6QaphNRQJomw/s650/jelly+belly+mixed+berry+smoothie.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="365" data-original-width="650" height="113" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEireq3ZTMw-ryqoqC1KjxtVk6ry43HMsg1W1B5DT2GNBDJDMmg1JpS14ch25oFPBSl9iX19It-_QPOJ-t3WPsZd-ji_m-23pHRcs_Hx4CMuXOzZHhu9ZcdwdsjvTmGi7dI6QaphNRQJomw/w200-h113/jelly+belly+mixed+berry+smoothie.jpg" width="200" /></a></div></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">When I was a kid, there was a brand of yogurt that came with sprinkles in the lid to mix in, and it was one of my favorite sweet snacks. This tastes </span>exactly<span style="font-weight: normal;"> like that yogurt. No one else in my family ranked this one very high, but I absolutely love it. </span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">7. Sour Cherry</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg26-gctOYCR2kYRnxfgWwHs_YjsuufeC2ysZYAFdXrI8SPOTp_IA_kqBGgxaohsy5_b17h4NegG6VJLW3IxvY4PovDrUsCk29e5HjzbCGuxjPhHfAMw1KwCxdZ8w6EknJECzq7Bb6zlbI/s650/jelly+belly+sour+cherry.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="366" data-original-width="650" height="113" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg26-gctOYCR2kYRnxfgWwHs_YjsuufeC2ysZYAFdXrI8SPOTp_IA_kqBGgxaohsy5_b17h4NegG6VJLW3IxvY4PovDrUsCk29e5HjzbCGuxjPhHfAMw1KwCxdZ8w6EknJECzq7Bb6zlbI/w200-h113/jelly+belly+sour+cherry.jpg" width="200" /></a></div></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium; font-weight: 400;">Although it's certainly more sour than the classic Very Cherry, it's not an overwhelming sour flavor, and I briefly considered placing it higher than its non-sour counterpart. It has a really strong flavor, and I didn't expect to love it almost as much as Very Cherry. Nostalgia ended up winning the day, but if you're a fan of sour candy, this might be the cherry you prefer.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium; font-weight: 400;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">6. Root Beer</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBjwKq3OT68gWrAtCGWayfPgfPK6fK_ckusfiiaj1TkhLCXBZ2x-xKGnI6-6-WZeTjzfcG4QSBZs297bvMxxqpFdQIcbECnY-Pzrg_uAavyS5T0z4Kt-pDYRNgVbSrOHwan2KsQ4qwhas/s650/jelly+belly+root+beer.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="365" data-original-width="650" height="113" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBjwKq3OT68gWrAtCGWayfPgfPK6fK_ckusfiiaj1TkhLCXBZ2x-xKGnI6-6-WZeTjzfcG4QSBZs297bvMxxqpFdQIcbECnY-Pzrg_uAavyS5T0z4Kt-pDYRNgVbSrOHwan2KsQ4qwhas/w200-h113/jelly+belly+root+beer.jpg" width="200" /></a></div></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium; font-weight: 400;">This tastes exactly like those little root beer barrel candies. I wasn't aware until adulthood that root beer is a kinda polarizing drink/flavor in general, but we kept it around the house fairly frequently growing up, and I really like it. They really nailed the flavor of this one.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium; font-weight: 400;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">5. Lemon Drop</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiASYmMSBdGXdHkWvH0TwCUEpAkbkbYWrDFUJ7285m8yBoz2yVMs4sh90pQmX9WtEZIBNxYDO_Vr3rRP5bz0vWlRHF4y1GdRy6oYzjymWsS51jbmidyXA_-pgX8YdHGlC3hXPhI4ITaj2k/s650/jelly+belly+lemon+drop.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="365" data-original-width="650" height="113" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiASYmMSBdGXdHkWvH0TwCUEpAkbkbYWrDFUJ7285m8yBoz2yVMs4sh90pQmX9WtEZIBNxYDO_Vr3rRP5bz0vWlRHF4y1GdRy6oYzjymWsS51jbmidyXA_-pgX8YdHGlC3hXPhI4ITaj2k/w200-h113/jelly+belly+lemon+drop.jpg" width="200" /></a></div></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium; font-weight: 400;">Lemon is one of my absolute favorite flavors, and IMO this is the best lemon flavor in the box. It's got a strong lemon flavor, with more sourness than the super-sweet sunkist lemon. </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium; font-weight: 400;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">4. Cappuccino</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEkimwXHmE5aucCiYQ0kpIWYrSS3w29WNnXqrHImHck_hyefZfRmEefMMpRsVkvT90EtnZU5QA4HLBTsj9iR2L_zr-9TOj-8ALqifEEBWOjhZRtxS-Gsd9E3Nmgfo3rYqSATeVVpxcsAk/s650/jelly+belly+cappuccino.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="365" data-original-width="650" height="113" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEkimwXHmE5aucCiYQ0kpIWYrSS3w29WNnXqrHImHck_hyefZfRmEefMMpRsVkvT90EtnZU5QA4HLBTsj9iR2L_zr-9TOj-8ALqifEEBWOjhZRtxS-Gsd9E3Nmgfo3rYqSATeVVpxcsAk/w200-h113/jelly+belly+cappuccino.jpg" width="200" /></a></div></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium; font-weight: 400;">I drink... so much coffee. I used to be one of those people who drowned it in creamer & sugar, but I always drink it black now, and have several cups a day. Coffee flavored things can be kinda hit or miss for me in their quality, but they usually are among my favorite options, and this cappuccino flavor is no exception. </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium; font-weight: 400;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">3. Toasted Marshmallow</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwVZWpb2Jsp6lhDYQv6BMctQ0KFvabOICLRLsyv-rqfATJ_WkMu8yQfxZPf2iU3y96NSt14Skg8vZv8pMI9bIPPEsBfrFVsLHbQ2lIKOFT6qafCVpsXflvu_Lk4sjlFamGwHxuRGw6ANU/s650/jelly+belly+toasted+marshmallow.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="365" data-original-width="650" height="113" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwVZWpb2Jsp6lhDYQv6BMctQ0KFvabOICLRLsyv-rqfATJ_WkMu8yQfxZPf2iU3y96NSt14Skg8vZv8pMI9bIPPEsBfrFVsLHbQ2lIKOFT6qafCVpsXflvu_Lk4sjlFamGwHxuRGw6ANU/w200-h113/jelly+belly+toasted+marshmallow.jpg" width="200" /></a></div></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium; font-weight: 400;">I'm well aware that my pallette tends to veer toward sugar, sugar, and more sugar. It's rare that something is too sweet for me. So it's no surprise that this creamy, pure sugar flavor, is among my absolute faves. </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium; font-weight: 400;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">2. Very Cherry</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6wk_IYNifjTDbPOnDobQUEjoaGTNmch7aOMuH00RmbAqTtnozVGfeCyOD4pAfORBB0d0vZNqtGnGy4EVFHs28UHXksEQST_UzDL8tPxWGRhgSY9wVljGceadm_G3UWi1PGkV3ocqR6tU/s650/jelly+belly+very+cherry.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="365" data-original-width="650" height="113" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6wk_IYNifjTDbPOnDobQUEjoaGTNmch7aOMuH00RmbAqTtnozVGfeCyOD4pAfORBB0d0vZNqtGnGy4EVFHs28UHXksEQST_UzDL8tPxWGRhgSY9wVljGceadm_G3UWi1PGkV3ocqR6tU/w200-h113/jelly+belly+very+cherry.jpg" width="200" /></a></div></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium; font-weight: 400;">Growing up, cherry was my flavor. Not just of Jelly Belly candy, but of everything. I always chose cherry if it was an option, and it remains a favorite to this day. As a kid, these were always my favorites, until they introduced a new flavor in 2006... (I think this was when it was introduced, idk for sure).........</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium; font-weight: 400;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">1. Dr. Pepper</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhe5oy0WWdmJPmNDg1ppJdu5yg2f2Kjt0zgAS2U20oBcO6r-dQLscbyW6Qs9OlYAzkFj69ue_3bKyL3_wOWZskY2zFzCrVcEcLEe34nALZ_j_fe_j4GG67ivh0zLOQ45EF9lw3suMnPYi0/s650/jelly+belly+dr+pepper.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="365" data-original-width="650" height="113" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhe5oy0WWdmJPmNDg1ppJdu5yg2f2Kjt0zgAS2U20oBcO6r-dQLscbyW6Qs9OlYAzkFj69ue_3bKyL3_wOWZskY2zFzCrVcEcLEe34nALZ_j_fe_j4GG67ivh0zLOQ45EF9lw3suMnPYi0/w200-h113/jelly+belly+dr+pepper.jpg" width="200" /></a></div></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium; font-weight: 400;">This is the least surprising thing ever to anyone who knows me. This has always been my favorite soda-- I was obsessed with it as a kid, and drank way too much of it in college. Even though I've had a lot less of it thanks to cutting out most soda and pulling back my sugar intake (kinda blew that with this taste test, huh?), it always hits the spot any time I happen to drink one. And this Jelly Belly flavor is an excellent recreation of the soda's flavor. 10/10, knocks it out of the park. </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium; font-weight: 400;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium; font-weight: 400;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-size: medium;">So, those are my rankings of Jelly Belly's 50 Official Flavors. Thanks for checking out my blog! Let me know your own favorite Jelly Belly flavors below in the comments! I had a bit too much fun putting this together, so I hope you enjoyed this, but I'm sure I enjoyed it even more. I think I'll head out now before I make myself sick from a sugar overload. </span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div style="font-weight: 400; text-align: center;"><b><a href="https://twitter.com/KristenBOOKS" target="_blank"><span style="font-size: medium;">Twitter</span></a></b></div><div style="font-weight: 400; text-align: center;"><b><a href="https://www.instagram.com/kristenmcfly/?hl=en" target="_blank"><span style="font-size: medium;">Instagram</span></a></b></div><div style="font-weight: 400; text-align: center;"><b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/28643825-kris" target="_blank"><span style="font-size: medium;">Goodreads</span></a></b></div><div style="font-weight: 400; text-align: center;"><b><a href="https://www.youtube.com/user/kristennbright" target="_blank"><span style="font-size: medium;">YouTube</span></a></b></div></div></div></div></h3>Kristen Brighthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16947782400794390038noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7835074222125929757.post-9067784849473975412021-04-25T16:00:00.000-05:002021-04-25T16:00:00.184-05:00Survivor Samoa: Survivor Simps for Russell Hantz<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRRewDptlM25ajhkj9rERh78FWEauzEBTSH1TFeMul-OIpgntvsajaygjqIj7EZ0BmQrmSGKcxTxYfHT7AeRXWMkNoMfle_4_sG8VJP8JtUTIOPOIf8V1FPl36PWSgQbrVcawrVAogH1M/s2048/survivor+samoa+natalie+russell.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1493" data-original-width="2048" height="291" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRRewDptlM25ajhkj9rERh78FWEauzEBTSH1TFeMul-OIpgntvsajaygjqIj7EZ0BmQrmSGKcxTxYfHT7AeRXWMkNoMfle_4_sG8VJP8JtUTIOPOIf8V1FPl36PWSgQbrVcawrVAogH1M/w400-h291/survivor+samoa+natalie+russell.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div>I'm doing this series of Survivor discussions alongside Rob Has A Podcast's Survivor Season Rankings, so if you have no idea what that is, click <b><a href="https://fromkristensbrain.blogspot.com/2021/03/rhap-survivor-all-time-rankings-my-list.html" target="_blank">here</a> </b>for more info!</div></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Finally, having already watched 26 other Survivor seasons before this one, I've finally had my first exposure to the infamous Russell Hantz. And somehow, I've managed to do what I've heard is impossible-- be completely ambivalent to him. I don't love him. I don't hate him. There's a lot of good and a lot of bad, which has led to me having a lot of mixed feelings. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Thanks to those mixed feelings, I'm going to be breaking down the season a bit differently than I have before. Usually, I would discuss the cast, gameplay, etc. separately in a post like this. This time, however, it makes more sense to break down the season by what I did and didn't like. So that's what I'm doing today.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXMrmKbBnGkBMoK7hu8X_zk23oKG9Zu3C_ICu3O8jNUJ42He6LVF-U46PlEVyCVsVhsJ8j0HeeuF3QE8MhAkkm77kKziJv7k8Iyp2gO04hMO_SkXvVej0Dw6zC6udJOxPG9EK90kY1YXI/s450/ben+survivor+samoa.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="253" data-original-width="450" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXMrmKbBnGkBMoK7hu8X_zk23oKG9Zu3C_ICu3O8jNUJ42He6LVF-U46PlEVyCVsVhsJ8j0HeeuF3QE8MhAkkm77kKziJv7k8Iyp2gO04hMO_SkXvVej0Dw6zC6udJOxPG9EK90kY1YXI/w400-h225/ben+survivor+samoa.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b>The first major dislike: absolutely everything Ben and Mike did on-screen. </b></div><div style="text-align: left;">Ben is easily one of the worst people we've ever seen on Survivor. He treated the other players horribly and said a lot of disgusting things. Villains are only good characters when they're entertaining, and there's nothing entertaining about the vile things he said and did. Mike comes away from the season relatively unscathed in comparison, but in his short time in the game, he said some of the more offensive things of the season. Combine that with Russell calling all the young girls on his tribe dumb, and the first few episodes of this season became very difficult to get through. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPuMfjP1p-4-EHGQ1x86810Kdzguo48j6H6iN0qOUWLIwLL2pTFQ5k48si2YE1CfBRDkr9AxuRYyCVS_8wJ3mWqgfJLi7NAEp7a_Z_nHLTUOhKmgFFBvmi6vo9_AhpZ8P1QwdS2LnCUrI/s1024/russell+samoa.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="682" data-original-width="1024" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPuMfjP1p-4-EHGQ1x86810Kdzguo48j6H6iN0qOUWLIwLL2pTFQ5k48si2YE1CfBRDkr9AxuRYyCVS_8wJ3mWqgfJLi7NAEp7a_Z_nHLTUOhKmgFFBvmi6vo9_AhpZ8P1QwdS2LnCUrI/w400-h266/russell+samoa.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b>Like: *most* of Russell's gameplay.</b></div><div style="text-align: left;">As far as his strategic gameplay, I think it was pretty strong. He's obviously a flawed player, and he lost for a reason, but on a strategic level, I enjoy his gameplay. Unfortunately, I think some of the negative aspects of his game turned the jury into a bitter one, which ultimately led to his loss. He's a big factor in changing the game going forward. In the future, there will be fewer idol clues, and we'll see some players actually get rewarded for the kind of chaotic, manipulative gameplay that he couldn't quite completely pull off this season. I think he ended up paving the way for that kind of gameplay. If he'd played this game in a later season, I think we would've seen a Russell win. But at this point in Survivor history, it simply wasn't respected.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b>Dislike: Russell as a person. </b></div><div style="text-align: left;">There's a reason his social game is ultimately his downfall. He's an entertaining personality, but dealing with him 24/7 would be miserable. There are very few instances where I could see any strategic benefit to messing with your own tribemates' wellbeing, and throwing socks into the fire and pouring out canteens just to do it? Not one of those few instances. He starts off the season already over-confident, and the longer the season goes on, the bigger and bigger his head gets, and it's just not a good look. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnDP3PxTudMFn5cgXgg6UPFXZzvQxZ23HeXAVfknbQKUtTL9vl3XAPom_LQRYKZZvxnXAlaNdzFV3hxI_6YCTRLReTOtJtSJUSMizUBIu3zapPtdFQxniXuG43U4_eRKU7fhV0tcXLOiU/s1280/survivor+samoa+brett.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="1280" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnDP3PxTudMFn5cgXgg6UPFXZzvQxZ23HeXAVfknbQKUtTL9vl3XAPom_LQRYKZZvxnXAlaNdzFV3hxI_6YCTRLReTOtJtSJUSMizUBIu3zapPtdFQxniXuG43U4_eRKU7fhV0tcXLOiU/w400-h225/survivor+samoa+brett.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b>Dislike: a huge portion of the cast was under-edited to make room for Russell. </b></div><div style="text-align: left;">Somehow, Kelly this season is practically purple Kelly before purple Kelly even existed. Furthermore, we can easily forget Brett exists for the entire first 3/4 of the season. He's completely non-existent and then suddenly <b>boom</b>, he's besties with his prayer warrior BFF Natalie. It comes out of nowhere, and it's really jarring. I get why we would spend a <b>huge</b> amount of time with Russell, but we lose so many people's edits in the process.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPFh56SrLNxBvTA-q06Ih8c-xkUVjuhhuKbc0Ub6qWP35jI51zMjwsbZDe1mYdtAJcfU9auv5n-jgrqSUZzIJBmKYD7xBuY3XeyCpjw-HABiktoyHuwiMwOJA_eggCTjbJ3LCioYHOy_s/s1280/survivor+samoa+jaison.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="1280" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPFh56SrLNxBvTA-q06Ih8c-xkUVjuhhuKbc0Ub6qWP35jI51zMjwsbZDe1mYdtAJcfU9auv5n-jgrqSUZzIJBmKYD7xBuY3XeyCpjw-HABiktoyHuwiMwOJA_eggCTjbJ3LCioYHOy_s/w400-h225/survivor+samoa+jaison.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b>Like: several of the players we actually did get to watch throughout the season.</b></div><div style="text-align: left;">There were some interesting characters this season. Most of them are pretty replacement-level players, but I enjoyed watching them as people. Shambo is such a unique character-- being shunned by her tribe and ultimately picked up by the remainders of the other tribe. And that hair that everyone keeps harping on. Danger Dave is another interesting character this season, with some funny moments. Monica and Laura are both compelling players and characters as well, and I'm looking forward to seeing them on their returnee seasons. My personal rooting interest, however, was with Jaison. From the second he dragged Ben for his racism, Jaison became my favorite of the season, and nothing was going to change that, no matter how mediocre his gameplay.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfPSIat28walQXhGNbhvj9_xkFJbTawR0MwT6ZtTJnWUYJFGwu-Nv0PkcB6D-DvGi44jHrjYjGT2PDNCudO7KF9MvGN04PyzvK2qVSzwSfviDNpm-MrzQZP7-YqMu2EEnGehqgNbgtLf4/s450/survivor+samoa+foa+foa+tribe.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="225" data-original-width="450" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfPSIat28walQXhGNbhvj9_xkFJbTawR0MwT6ZtTJnWUYJFGwu-Nv0PkcB6D-DvGi44jHrjYjGT2PDNCudO7KF9MvGN04PyzvK2qVSzwSfviDNpm-MrzQZP7-YqMu2EEnGehqgNbgtLf4/w400-h200/survivor+samoa+foa+foa+tribe.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b>Dislike: the emphasis on tribe leaders. </b></div><div style="text-align: left;">I hate this. I hate this so much. Back to back, we've watched seasons where having tribe leaders is a major throughline and I <b>don't</b> want to hear about it anymore. I'm not sure when this obsession started, or when it ended, but I want to watch a bunch of people playing a social strategy game, not debating the merits of having a leader. You don't need one. You're playing a game. Plenty of other tribes have thrived with no leader, and it doesn't need to be brought up over and over and over. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFum8oS-NO5AOAeTxJ83I5wpDnSBPoEK0xx6aFRgO0OiQImmn5oDQ5X18JR-F4OUY8DZxRBhbKbhlFFRdhSuNuTlk828OU-OaHawfoyjzBC8z6zCjPEzt02OMZRBqywk0dOM4pagppdUc/s850/survivor+samoa+natalie+winner.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="560" data-original-width="850" height="264" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFum8oS-NO5AOAeTxJ83I5wpDnSBPoEK0xx6aFRgO0OiQImmn5oDQ5X18JR-F4OUY8DZxRBhbKbhlFFRdhSuNuTlk828OU-OaHawfoyjzBC8z6zCjPEzt02OMZRBqywk0dOM4pagppdUc/w400-h264/survivor+samoa+natalie+winner.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b>And, rounding this out with a thing I'm not mad about: Natalie's win. </b></div><div style="text-align: left;">Personally, I think that Russell played the stronger strategic game. But I'm not sure I'd want to give him a million dollars on a human level, the same way I wouldn't have voted for Jackson Michie in BB21 because on a human level, I don't want to give him large sums of money. However, I think Natalie played a stronger game than she's often given credit for. We see Natalie very early on describing her strategy, which she ultimately executes. She actively rode coattails as a strategy, and doing so ended up being the right move with this group of people. For the people on the jury, her social game, and liking her as a person, won out over Russell's strategy. Taking advantage of that isn't lack of gameplay, it's clever gameplay. She also is the one who orchestrated the Erik blindside, which ultimately helped turn the tide in her alliance's favor. It was also a move that Russell was completely oblivious about. Or, rather, refused to acknowledge because Natalie was too dumb to be able to pull off a move like that. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div>So, that's just about all I have for Survivor Samoa. If you want to see my full ranking of the seasons RHAP has covered so far & where this placed on that list, that's linked <b><a href="https://fromkristensbrain.blogspot.com/2021/03/rhap-survivor-all-time-rankings-my-list.html" target="_blank">here</a></b>. </div><div><br /></div><div>Thanks for checking out my blog! Come back weekly (hopefully) for updates to my Survivor season rankings, which will be <b><a href="https://fromkristensbrain.blogspot.com/2021/03/rhap-survivor-all-time-rankings-my-list.html" target="_blank">here</a>, </b>on the same page I've linked several times on this post already. If you'd like to follow me on social media, the links are below!</div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><a href="https://twitter.com/KristenBOOKS" target="_blank">Twitter</a></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><a href="https://www.instagram.com/kristenmcfly/?hl=en" target="_blank">Instagram</a></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/28643825-kris" target="_blank">Goodreads</a></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><a href="https://www.youtube.com/user/kristennbright" target="_blank">YouTube</a></b></div></div>Kristen Brighthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16947782400794390038noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7835074222125929757.post-35569283133927185622021-04-18T10:00:00.004-05:002021-04-18T10:00:00.417-05:00Survivor Gabon: Hot Mess Express, Destination- The Sugar Shack [Season 17 Discussion]<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLCrZrDtQE0Jy1RU4LoZvYg6CGSEY66zxQ0tI0HtBUbD_8EVbkj0BJhociZ2IvUO6vUlFNrAJX1Pgdb7E-mzsztnrQIE0Q3ctK1FvfAmZ8FHdmk_MY0igNQBII7slr2yxjqlZlHOFbc7k/s594/survivor+gabon+bob.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="432" data-original-width="594" height="291" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLCrZrDtQE0Jy1RU4LoZvYg6CGSEY66zxQ0tI0HtBUbD_8EVbkj0BJhociZ2IvUO6vUlFNrAJX1Pgdb7E-mzsztnrQIE0Q3ctK1FvfAmZ8FHdmk_MY0igNQBII7slr2yxjqlZlHOFbc7k/w400-h291/survivor+gabon+bob.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">I'm doing this series of Survivor discussions alongside Rob Has A Podcast's Survivor Season Rankings, so if you have no idea what that is, click <b><a href="https://fromkristensbrain.blogspot.com/2021/03/rhap-survivor-all-time-rankings-my-list.html" target="_blank">here</a> </b>for more info!</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">This season ranked #26 in RHAP's season rankings, which makes it the 15th season we've discussed so far, and the 8th full season of Survivor that I've watched this year (+2 partial rewatches). As I've continued through these rankings, some groupings/tiers of seasons have emerged. The bottom-tier-- largely defined by their problematic actions and players. The top tier-- not yet amazing seasons, but rather enjoyable. And then, there's the middle tier seasons-- the nothing burgers. Last week's season, Guatemala, was one of those for me. So is this one, and I find that there are several similarities between them. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">I'll go ahead and mildly spoil my ranking of this season-- I do prefer it over Guatemala. However, both seasons suffer from similar problems. The gameplay on both is completely forgettable, and the key players make moves based on personal vendettas and biases more than strategy. Both casts have a lot of unlikable players, a lot of forgettable players, and a handful in the middle. And although Gabon doesn't quite have Guatemala's pagonging, it does have one tribe that's completely inept at everything, all the time. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">However, Gabon does have one thing going for it-- the hot mess factor. People who want to watch a hot mess season will have a great time with Gabon. Gabon can be a messy, bumbling series of unfortunate events, and I'd be lying if I said that wasn't entertaining. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Enough preamble, let's jump into the specifics.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1nUdh4Xv9mYL-AknpZfxAgr2GQPehNcygX7pGGw66unXMkZlupLQ0plo-mKYkFA7UWj-t0gklHB7803-8BMd4yb3edST9UcnTaQd2e1jQRdyq5qj4NtScuhOXt0Q0a_J2S9wfUR1b5zw/s975/gabon+landscape.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="650" data-original-width="975" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1nUdh4Xv9mYL-AknpZfxAgr2GQPehNcygX7pGGw66unXMkZlupLQ0plo-mKYkFA7UWj-t0gklHB7803-8BMd4yb3edST9UcnTaQd2e1jQRdyq5qj4NtScuhOXt0Q0a_J2S9wfUR1b5zw/w400-h266/gabon+landscape.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;">Let's start with the location and general aesthetic of the season. Usually, this wouldn't even be a point of discussion, but this season is <b>beautiful</b>.<b> </b>The entire aesthetic of this season is stunning, from the shots of elephants, to the massive expanses of green, all the way to the soundtrack of the season. Of all the seasons of Survivor that I've seen, this would be the location I'd want to play in. It doesn't rain, rudimentary shelters are already built, and there aren't any water challenges for me to blunder. Plus, there's a chance at seeing elephants just feet from your camp, which was such a cool moment to watch. And, apparently, the temperatures stayed in the 80s most of the time. That's as smooth sailing as you can ask for on Survivor. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiItV69NpoP_qVjU7mhJ9r3qLxFmxHvK-gki2AvD1SVZkFXFuV1RSj3JJDyPsVqmAUe5vMxk-Vzk_wZwcKN0GB84yC5VeExuWChUsdxKI7PPZSLKQlBnvQEtjYgrmDzPLw-6CZ1sRT_BQs/s2048/survivor+gabon+cast.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="2048" height="501" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiItV69NpoP_qVjU7mhJ9r3qLxFmxHvK-gki2AvD1SVZkFXFuV1RSj3JJDyPsVqmAUe5vMxk-Vzk_wZwcKN0GB84yC5VeExuWChUsdxKI7PPZSLKQlBnvQEtjYgrmDzPLw-6CZ1sRT_BQs/w640-h501/survivor+gabon+cast.png" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;">Gabon suffers from a largely unlikable, non-strategic cast. Or, at the very least, a cast of anti-heros, villains, and purple players. I found myself rooting for the original onion alliance and the players who later got pulled into it, but by the endgame, only Corinne and Randy are left of that group, and they're both really negative individuals. Personally, I still liked them and was rooting for them (despite disliking their more problematic elements), but I imagine a lot of people didn't like them and were rooting against them. However, their enemies... aren't any better. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">On the other side, you have people like Crystal, who's been stripped of her Olympic titles due to doping, Kenny, who hits on every woman he meets and gets a major superiority complex about his messy gameplay, and Sugar, who's unlikable, vindictive, and a poor winner. From what I've heard from other people, it seems like this was the group most people were rooting for. As much as I can't really imagine rooting for them, when looking at the cast as a whole, I have to kind of shrug and remember I probably wouldn't be rooting for <b>any</b> of these people on a different season. People like Bob and Matty are thankfully more likable, but.... <b>where is the gameplay</b>? </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">That said, if this is a season you enjoy, it's likely because you enjoy the cast's messiness. Which I totally get. Sugar is a huge character, and she makes decisions largely based on her current emotions and vendettas, which leads to her backstabbing people seemingly on a whim. Randy and Corinne are also huge characters, and have no qualms about starting fights and being mean directly to people's faces. Crystal's confrontational as well, practically yelling as she voted Randy out. Ace is such a quirky douche. And Kenny is a messy "mastermind," whose gameplay is truly a game of two steps forward and one step back. Not to mention GC, who takes leadership of Fang one day, only to relinquish it the next, and later go totally MIA right before a challenge. Another bonus is Jillian, who's literally collecting elephant dung on <b>day 1 </b>and suggesting they harvest seeds from it and squeeze it for drinking water. Ma'am, you were fed normally until 6 hours ago, chill out. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhku4TuEGH_Uqz2LDHI790cdBuenJyp842acklPY0HUOZPL3btEmvrFCJODWZ0uu5sPcOvh1_9zeTnsQWSDa-z3kz17eG2GviFy3cHkMzgFJXx4kA0RkJljlryRLGYtr_KGeOYxtDb1xlA/s1280/survivor+auction+gabon.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="1280" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhku4TuEGH_Uqz2LDHI790cdBuenJyp842acklPY0HUOZPL3btEmvrFCJODWZ0uu5sPcOvh1_9zeTnsQWSDa-z3kz17eG2GviFy3cHkMzgFJXx4kA0RkJljlryRLGYtr_KGeOYxtDb1xlA/w640-h360/survivor+auction+gabon.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;">Another negative of the season, as mentioned earlier, is that the gameplay isn't strong. Often, any semblance of legitimate strategy is completely nonexistent. It's hard to pick a best player of the season. It's probably(?) Kenny, who considers himself the mastermind of the season. But Kenny's not some brilliant supergenius manipulator. He's a strategic, but <b>really</b> messy player, who makes a lot of mistakes as he goes along. A lot of the decisions made for votes this season are vindictive, personal, or the most obvious vote-out of the next person on the totem pole. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">I think RHAP said it best in the recap for this season-- Kenny is probably the best player on Gabon, and even <b>HE</b> probably isn't among the top 100 best Survivor players of all time, in a list of a bit less than 600 Survivor players. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Candidly, I don't remember a single thing that happened pre-merge in this season that wasn't a chaos/hot mess moment, and most of the stuff that's stuck in my memory from the second half is in a similar vein. Not strategy, not gameplay, just the messiness and drama. Which is extremely entertaining, but not necessarily what I watch Survivor for. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">We've also gotten to the point in Survivor history where immunity idols loom large over the season, but there's only truly one in play. Because the players threw the other into the ocean. When gameplay is lacking, sometimes it's nice to have idols in play, because they can force people to strategize, or at least just spice things up. Instead, Sugar holds onto it all season, so even idols can't save us. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">A quick note on the twists of the season, since we're on the topic of immunity idols-- there's not <b>much</b> to note here. There were a few minor twists, relating to the tribe swaps, but none of them were extremely notable. I personally wasn't fan of the twist of the fake merge, but I never really enjoy that, nor do I ever love a second tribe swap. But that's just a personal thing. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyjlvEXB-61GN_Jkj1HxSCFjg0_qzk77AlLSfwzfqlRzmfeGoGrFDVtnAGss7qlMpt8vKs_GzaXqXFozbp5QHQzI7wA0PpZpG36vPhisndpv6dCG4Bvq1kR1yWf4odIzmyNEMeO-FJNKA/s624/survivor+gabon+bob+costume.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="352" data-original-width="624" height="226" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyjlvEXB-61GN_Jkj1HxSCFjg0_qzk77AlLSfwzfqlRzmfeGoGrFDVtnAGss7qlMpt8vKs_GzaXqXFozbp5QHQzI7wA0PpZpG36vPhisndpv6dCG4Bvq1kR1yWf4odIzmyNEMeO-FJNKA/w400-h226/survivor+gabon+bob+costume.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;">So, the cast is generally unlikable, albeit entertaining thanks to their messiness, and the gameplay isn't all that spectacular. Are the challenges at least... interesting? Well, sure, some of the challenges are cool. But for at least the first half of the season, the outcomes of the challenges are essentially a foregone conclusion, because Fang is one of the most disastrous tribes Survivor's ever had. But, at least there's exile island and an immunity idol hunt, right? Except Sugar finds the idol in episode 2 and gets sent back to exile every subsequent time. Therefore, no idol hunting. Just a whole lot of Sugar just eating fruit. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Bob made a fake idol, and he did a really great job of it, but the idol didn't <b>really </b>have an impact when used and he was just a pawn used by other players all season. The second fake idol arguably made an impact, but again, <b>why</b> didn't you think of this explanation the first time, and also <b>why</b> did anyone believe him after the first fake idol?? He seems like an incredibly nice human, but he's one of the worst winners in the show's history. He lacked strategy 99% of the time, and wouldn't have won if not for Sugar essentially deciding to lay down and die for him, which was done independently, not of his own design.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">The Final Tribal Council this season was absolutely abysmal from everyone involved. Every single one of the final 3 had a horrible performance in the jury questioning. And somehow, the jury managed to one-up them. Marcus' entire question was all about the honor and integrity of donating the winnings to worthy causes. Contrast that with Corinne absolutely laying into Sugar in a very cruel and vindictive way. And, possibly worst of all, Kenny <b>continuing</b> to be butt-hurt over all of the strategic moves made by the final 3, despite being our "strategist" of the season. It was an absolute disaster, and honestly, I'm not sure who I would have voted for if I were there. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDQUKv8tDAEsG577YnBln7r3whb9B-oaxvuKoeZaboHo0ISOxhwI0NjHz9XBV1nxYoY3oUuQ8h8C2USh2SNauTiwNIfv0HrhN_L3tuEF6ZgI3AirKNbX4kvORS8oLHG_X6isTpCHFtm9A/s400/survivor+gabon+gif+corinne+matty+sugar.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="226" data-original-width="400" height="226" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDQUKv8tDAEsG577YnBln7r3whb9B-oaxvuKoeZaboHo0ISOxhwI0NjHz9XBV1nxYoY3oUuQ8h8C2USh2SNauTiwNIfv0HrhN_L3tuEF6ZgI3AirKNbX4kvORS8oLHG_X6isTpCHFtm9A/w400-h226/survivor+gabon+gif+corinne+matty+sugar.gif" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;">At this point, you might be wondering how I could call this season a "nothing burger," say it'll be higher than the current middle-ranked Guatemala, and then rail on it for the entire rest of the post. What gives? </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Truthfully, I think I enjoyed my time watching Gabon more than most other seasons this year. I was really in the mood for it, and wound up binging nearly the entire season while working over the course of only two evenings. And I think the hot mess factor is really what carried the day. The strategy was non-existent, most of the prominent players were unlikable, half the cast is irrelevant, we have one of the most disastrous tribes ever, and possibly the least strategic winner ever. But chaos reigned supreme and thoroughly entertained me, and although that's not going to earn it anywhere near a high ranking now or on the final list, it does certainly pull it out of the bottom tier.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">I'm going to forget a lot of things about Gabon and people who played on the season. And I have already forgotten a handful of those things. The minimal strategy. The purple pre-mergers. But the drama, the messiness, the train wreck-- that's going to stick with me.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div>So, that's just about all I have for Survivor Gabon. If you want to see my full ranking of the seasons RHAP has covered so far, that's linked <b><a href="https://fromkristensbrain.blogspot.com/2021/03/rhap-survivor-all-time-rankings-my-list.html" target="_blank">here</a></b>. I'll be interested to see where this season ends up placing in the long run, and how much I end up fiddling with its placement before the end of this long journey.</div><div><br /></div><div>Thanks for checking out my blog! Come back weekly (hopefully) for updates to my Survivor season rankings, which will be <b><a href="https://fromkristensbrain.blogspot.com/2021/03/rhap-survivor-all-time-rankings-my-list.html" target="_blank">here</a>, </b>on the same page I've linked several times on this post already. If you'd like to follow me on social media, the links are below!</div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><a href="https://twitter.com/KristenBOOKS" target="_blank">Twitter</a></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><a href="https://www.instagram.com/kristenmcfly/?hl=en" target="_blank">Instagram</a></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/28643825-kris" target="_blank">Goodreads</a></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><a href="https://www.youtube.com/user/kristennbright" target="_blank">YouTube</a></b></div></div>Kristen Brighthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16947782400794390038noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7835074222125929757.post-75661843102727173962021-04-04T12:00:00.007-05:002021-04-04T12:00:00.213-05:00Survivor Fiji: Big Dreamz, Bad Twists [Season 14 Discussion]<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzXjbKNyhk67VS5b26bnoA68nnSW0Z3HsNfQRDffXhIHJxOtr-5NzBMfT6Jw8_J2PIq4-ruFBaeVQqB9VU3dG0B9f6ywRe0t8p-SqHYwdaokFNTZhLsPDJXLZsWesFEBqEtE_UTmInnm8/s736/survivor+fiji+earl.webp" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="485" data-original-width="736" height="264" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzXjbKNyhk67VS5b26bnoA68nnSW0Z3HsNfQRDffXhIHJxOtr-5NzBMfT6Jw8_J2PIq4-ruFBaeVQqB9VU3dG0B9f6ywRe0t8p-SqHYwdaokFNTZhLsPDJXLZsWesFEBqEtE_UTmInnm8/w400-h264/survivor+fiji+earl.webp" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">I'm doing this series of Survivor discussions alongside Rob Has A Podcast's Survivor Season Rankings, so if you have no idea what that is, click <b><a href="https://fromkristensbrain.blogspot.com/2021/03/rhap-survivor-all-time-rankings-my-list.html" target="_blank">here</a> </b>for more info!</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">As we’ve made our way through the 13 lowest-ranked seasons, it’s been impossible to ignore the fact that only <b>one</b> of those seasons came from the first half of the show’s run. And it’s ranked that low largely due to nastiness from players on the season, not from the game or gameplay itself. But now, we have another early-season entry, with Survivor Fiji, season 14.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">I’m a fairly recent Survivor convert-- I only started watching back in 2017, and most of my season watches have been binges. When I started watching, I adopted the apparently ill-advised strategy of starting from the very beginning and going chronologically. So I’ve seen seasons 1-14, most of the 30s, and a smattering of other seasons here and there. And as we’ve gone through this ranking and I’ve thought about the early seasons in comparison to newer seasons at the bottom of the list, I’ve been theorizing that upon a 2021 rewatch… these older seasons might not hold up the way people expect them to. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">If Fiji is the first test of my theory… then I’m very incorrect.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">After watching several second-half Survivor seasons back to back, Fiji really felt like a breath of fresh air. And despite its flaws… I found myself really enjoying it. Perhaps more than any other season I’ve watched recently. But, is this due to it simply being a change of pace? Or is it genuinely just a better, more enjoyable season to watch? I'm not sure, and I'm not sure I'll figure that out in this post, but it's definitely something I've had on my mind all week.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgU4Ix3u8sNU4-elHd-1XQo6ibhYZryXuDpmP3DxwIOOuBTKFgXKfBIvU_hKvo129ypIgX-6wRZKvz7WFqT4lxJoH7CnRO-4p-i29VNGDq2L6B9oCBDzXLgnipEjsJEwnYMVkAubfTq8a0/s575/survivor+fiji+haves+moto.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="575" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgU4Ix3u8sNU4-elHd-1XQo6ibhYZryXuDpmP3DxwIOOuBTKFgXKfBIvU_hKvo129ypIgX-6wRZKvz7WFqT4lxJoH7CnRO-4p-i29VNGDq2L6B9oCBDzXLgnipEjsJEwnYMVkAubfTq8a0/s320/survivor+fiji+haves+moto.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Let's start with the season's twist-- unofficially dubbed the "haves" vs the "have-nots" twist. I'll come right out and say it-- this twist sucks. I appreciate that it's not one that completely changes the rules of the game, such as Edge of Extinction or Redemption Island. <b>But</b>, it essentially dictates which tribe will dominate the game, hinging entirely on winning the first challenge. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">That said, I do wonder how much this was truly the intended twist. We know someone quit right before the game started, and I'm of the belief that the tribe breakdown was going to be by race again a la Cook Islands. Yau said they saw a challenge set up with four mats instead of two. I feel like this is corroborated by the prominence of red and blue clothes among the cast's outfits. And, of course, the fact that the makeup of the cast is exactly 5 of each race as organized on Cook Islands. Minus the pre-season quit, of course.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">This is also our third season in a row featuring Exile Island, which I don't have a super strong opinion on. And, of course, this season introduces us to the current rules for playing idols, so it certainly feels like a strong step forward in terms of gameplay. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNqjUnIZpDTSwnvM2lj8opf5Yx2MFUyYoUK6E1TgFanI9JRCwqNh5g-LT3aoFUOycIQWjndNqoTHsNKW0-_XtHGc3hP7dBlUVQKwtOpkhE8JIOlA7SbPG43uElf6kTiroupCdF_5fhESM/s1306/survivor+fiji+cast+%25282%2529.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="792" data-original-width="1306" height="389" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNqjUnIZpDTSwnvM2lj8opf5Yx2MFUyYoUK6E1TgFanI9JRCwqNh5g-LT3aoFUOycIQWjndNqoTHsNKW0-_XtHGc3hP7dBlUVQKwtOpkhE8JIOlA7SbPG43uElf6kTiroupCdF_5fhESM/w640-h389/survivor+fiji+cast+%25282%2529.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: left;">Next up-- the cast. This, for me, is often the make-or-break point of the season. Barring truly <b>amazing</b> gameplay, I tend to weigh cast a bit more more than strategic gameplay when ranking my favorite seasons. Because yes, strong strategy is important to both the game itself and the entertainment of the season, but if I can't find myself rooting for anyone <b>making</b> those moves... who cares?</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Fiji's cast isn't necessarily a top-heavy cast for me, but it does certainly have a low floor. A month from now, I'll be hard-pressed to remember that people like Liliana, Jessica, Erica, or Rita were even on this season. Furthermore, you have characters like Rocky, Dreamz, and Lisi, who are incredibly polarizing characters. I still haven't worked out how I feel about any one of them, apart from the fact that I hate that I kinda enjoy watching Rocky despite being offended at his problematic statements.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">The Horsemen are another interesting factor in the season, because although they <b>tried</b> to do well, none of them were really great players. On top of that, arguably the best player & most rootable character of the bunch (Alex) also had some moments and comments that made him hard to like in 2021.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Pitting a tribe of haves vs have nots inherently makes the have nots tribe inherently rootable, which probably would've already been the case for me, because most of my faves from episode 1 got put on Ravu anyway. Earl, Yau, Anthony, and Michelle were all extremely likable, rootable players for me, and I even liked what little we saw of Sylvia. The only Moto member I found myself actually rooting for was Cassandra, and I still wish we could've seen more from her throughout the season. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwGoVb75_ImxBWDqL0fmyfFVqPBa_EWK8QpL3JKugIcOs3HlmYRDlXKsmMq7Az0mw8Y3lq2t4aco7kBJr0jduviokxi5voI2JDFpb846of4Xl1YOkJ9qLs69ctGErHww48wNqIEnr0vqo/s371/dreamz+yau+man.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="255" data-original-width="371" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwGoVb75_ImxBWDqL0fmyfFVqPBa_EWK8QpL3JKugIcOs3HlmYRDlXKsmMq7Az0mw8Y3lq2t4aco7kBJr0jduviokxi5voI2JDFpb846of4Xl1YOkJ9qLs69ctGErHww48wNqIEnr0vqo/s320/dreamz+yau+man.png" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">This season certainly has one specific moment that everyone remembers-- Dreamz "stealing" the car from Yau Man. Even as someone who's in favor of lying, manipulating, and backstabbing, I feel conflicted about this moment. Yes, lying and backstabbing are a part of the game. Yau trusted Dreamz's word and gave him a car, and in the end Dreamz broke the deal. This happens all the time in the game to little consequence, but usually there's not a massive gift of <b>a car</b> in the mix. Does that change things? Should it change things? I'm still not entirely sure how I feel about that. But it leaves me feeling a bit icky and definitely very sympathetic toward Yau. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">One key detail is that Dreamz was definitely lying when he claimed he always planned to go back on the deal. That much is very obvious to me. I feel like if he owned up to the fact that he was genuinely originally going to keep the deal, we'd be dealing with a different situation. Instead, we get Dreamz doubling down on an obvious lie, and it's really to his detriment. My opinion is this: lie to the other players. Lie to get yourself ahead in the game. But don't lie to the audience, and stop lying when the game's over. Dreamz... definitely broke my lying rules lol.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTDoLS3HULvVL_yYKUrvthS18_idZPxGQ_GZ2YYQSYKUWeBIluKO9bWk9wux9yK963mgNPd68CDZZ5Mt8SyGTXn1xBHMNMqAQrAeG6gQwi2dVNa74yOOM2a9xI-ygMMkRkbKQlclrRHeY/s384/survivor+horsemen.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="288" data-original-width="384" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTDoLS3HULvVL_yYKUrvthS18_idZPxGQ_GZ2YYQSYKUWeBIluKO9bWk9wux9yK963mgNPd68CDZZ5Mt8SyGTXn1xBHMNMqAQrAeG6gQwi2dVNa74yOOM2a9xI-ygMMkRkbKQlclrRHeY/s320/survivor+horsemen.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">In terms of gameplay, one moment this season really stood out to me, and that was the tribal council where Edgardo was voted off. That was the one moment this season that felt like it transcended the time period it took place in. The double-bluffing, Dreamz going back and forth, and the last minute change of target all feel like a huge step forward in strategy from what we've seen so far this season and in previous seasons. A lot of this season was pretty straight-forward, or the person eliminated just wasn't an interesting character, so it wasn't incredibly impactful. But this elimination kept everyone on their toes, eliminated a key player, and gave us some actual excitement. I very much enjoyed that. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">So, that's just about all I have for Survivor Fiji. On the whole, despite its flaws, I found myself really enjoying watching this season. In relation to the other seasons I've watched for RHAP's Survivor Rankings series, it's definitely going to rank highly. If you want to see that full list, that's linked <b><a href="https://fromkristensbrain.blogspot.com/2021/03/rhap-survivor-all-time-rankings-my-list.html" target="_blank">here</a></b>. However, in the grand scheme of Survivor, I'm not sure that Fiji is going to hold that high ranking for very long, and I expect it to probably end up placing somewhere within the bottom half, but not all the way at the bottom of the list. Probably somewhere in the 20s! As for our winner, Earl, I think he played a very solid, if unremarkable game. Great social game, very likable, good head for strategy, but no big, impressive moves that really stand out to me.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Thanks for checking out my blog! Come back weekly (hopefully) for updates to my Survivor season rankings, which will be <b><a href="https://fromkristensbrain.blogspot.com/2021/03/rhap-survivor-all-time-rankings-my-list.html" target="_blank">here</a>, </b>on the same page I've linked several times on this post already. If you'd like to follow me on social media, the links are below!</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><a href="https://twitter.com/KristenBOOKS" target="_blank">Twitter</a></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><a href="https://www.instagram.com/kristenmcfly/?hl=en" target="_blank">Instagram</a></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/28643825-kris" target="_blank">Goodreads</a></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><a href="https://www.youtube.com/user/kristennbright" target="_blank">YouTube</a></b></div>Kristen Brighthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16947782400794390038noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7835074222125929757.post-27096660507147712642021-03-29T10:00:00.044-05:002023-08-19T01:58:59.114-05:00RHAP Survivor All Time Rankings-- My List! [Updating]<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">As someone who consumes a lot of reality TV and then subsequently a lot of podcasts <b>about </b>reality tv, I have a tendency to over-analyze the content I watch and take things several layers deeper than they need to be taken. This is one of those posts. This is a blog post... about a podcast... about Survivor. </div><p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgn48rfQgTEJp7W551qg36oZW7LTlz1boGExscKw8uP4IFDs5sE_JRPzuEtq3xdplEk4w-IiCVe2EiY8_YSQCK1jA8LIuz5IaJIYRZG-to5PY3za0sDHNa3adNNVdoXKeyIq7p9fFZqMAE/s1052/rob+has+a+podcast+%25282%2529.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><span style="color: black;"><img border="0" data-original-height="315" data-original-width="1052" height="192" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgn48rfQgTEJp7W551qg36oZW7LTlz1boGExscKw8uP4IFDs5sE_JRPzuEtq3xdplEk4w-IiCVe2EiY8_YSQCK1jA8LIuz5IaJIYRZG-to5PY3za0sDHNa3adNNVdoXKeyIq7p9fFZqMAE/w640-h192/rob+has+a+podcast+%25282%2529.png" width="640" /></span></a></p><p style="text-align: center;">Updated: Aug. 18, 2023</p><p>In 2021, Rob Has A Podcast embarked on a massive project to rank all 40 Survivor seasons, leading up to the eventual premiere of Survivor's 41st season. As someone who <b>loves</b> rankings and has seen many, but nowhere near <b>all</b> Survivor seasons, I thought this would be a great opportunity to watch more seasons & create my own ranking alongside Rob. This post is the hub of that.</p><p>As someone who loves grand ideas and struggles with the follow-through, I gave a valiant effort, but fell off the wagon just past the halfway point of the ranking. As I write this now in August, 2023, this ranking has not been updated in over two years. I haven't even watched a new Survivor season since then, new or old. <b>But</b>, I'm getting back into that mood, and thought it would be fun to update this list -- add in seasons I'd already seen that ranked in the top half of RHAP's rankings (aka AFTER I stopped keeping up), and continue to update it whenever I do watch a season, regardless of how long in the future I watch it. </p><p>Below, you will find my rankings of <b>all </b>the seasons I have watched, with <b>brief </b>discussions of each one. Each time I finish a season, I will update this post and slot it into my rankings. And probably fiddle around with everything's placement, too. I'd like to also have slightly longer individual posts about each season, but I'm not sure I'll have enough to say about <b>every</b> season. So... we'll see. </p><p><b><a href="https://robhasawebsite.com/survivor-all-time-top-40-rankings-25-all-stars/" target="_blank">HERE</a></b>, you'll find RHAP's ranking (made by the RHAP listeners), if you'd like to compare it with my own. Rob also has his own personal ranking that he updated at the end of the podcast each week.</p><p><br /></p><div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>Still Currently Unwatched:</b></span></div><p style="text-align: center;"></p><div style="text-align: center;">- Season 15: China</div><div style="text-align: center;">- Season 16: Micronesia (Fans vs. Favorites)</div><div style="text-align: center;">- Season 18: Tocantins</div><div style="text-align: center;">- Season 20: Heroes vs. Villains</div><div style="text-align: center;">- Season 22: Redemption Island</div><div style="text-align: center;"><div>- Season 25: Philippines</div></div><div style="text-align: center;">- Season 26: Caramoan</div><div style="text-align: center;">- Season 27: Blood vs Water</div><div style="text-align: center;">- Season 28: Cagayan</div><div style="text-align: center;">- Season 29: San Juan del Sur (Blood vs. Water)</div><div style="text-align: center;">- Season 31: Cambodia (Second Chances)</div><div style="text-align: center;">- Season 32: Kaoh Rong</div><div style="text-align: center;">- Season 40: Winners at War</div><div style="text-align: center;">- Season 41</div><div style="text-align: center;">- Season 42</div><div style="text-align: center;">- Season 43</div><div style="text-align: center;">- Season 44</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>Plan to Rewatch:</b></span></div><div><span><div>-Season 1: Borneo</div><div>- Season 2: Australian Outback</div><div>-Season 3: Africa</div><div>-Season 4: Marquesas</div><div>-Season 6: Amazon</div><div>-Season 10: Palau</div><div>-Season 12: Panama</div><div>-Season 13: Cook Islands</div><div>-Season 36: Ghost Island</div><div>-Season 37: David vs. Goliath</div></span></div><p></p></div><p></p><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>27- Thailand (season 5)</b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDaGpNe9fWM6yQ4X8jb8kI6qDE5MjbHQu96gam8SJgntrSwMq-Io1VN-8MwrC-fH7IrRTcbuwd82j6v2HyrcDyk5f-mom0k9pHdecSWF568yUHVxM9rRMCmfsOmBPLEUQ4ti8OsRqVBk0/s2048/survivor+thailand.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1291" data-original-width="2048" height="126" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDaGpNe9fWM6yQ4X8jb8kI6qDE5MjbHQu96gam8SJgntrSwMq-Io1VN-8MwrC-fH7IrRTcbuwd82j6v2HyrcDyk5f-mom0k9pHdecSWF568yUHVxM9rRMCmfsOmBPLEUQ4ti8OsRqVBk0/w200-h126/survivor+thailand.png" width="200" /></a></div></span></div><p style="text-align: center;">watched previously, did not rewatch for this ranking</p><div style="text-align: left;">Unlikable cast of clueless players. The winner is literally a slimy used car salesman (but he did play a dominant game) and somehow he's STILL more likable than the icky runner-up. And that's even before we get to the fact that Ghandia's sexual assault was turned into a joke and completely disregarded and called a lie. This is going to stay in last place-- it's horrible. </div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>26- Island of the Idols (season 39)</b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzKAM4PVTJ08TME-4yoA6320Bp1odjm53_Fz1Dm3UjHw64CtofsgCplMb4UoNez3d0lW-Vit33qrl4dTbw1q08uI2z7H77EzttZg3LzIUgTme_JkiCkwDgOv89e1PdLajS_WATnQ3QuBM/s396/survivor+island+of+the+idols+logo.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="251" data-original-width="396" height="127" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzKAM4PVTJ08TME-4yoA6320Bp1odjm53_Fz1Dm3UjHw64CtofsgCplMb4UoNez3d0lW-Vit33qrl4dTbw1q08uI2z7H77EzttZg3LzIUgTme_JkiCkwDgOv89e1PdLajS_WATnQ3QuBM/w200-h127/survivor+island+of+the+idols+logo.png" width="200" /></a></div></span></div><p style="text-align: center;">watched previously, did not rewatch for this ranking</p><p style="text-align: left;">Similar to Thailand, this is at the bottom due to Dan's inappropriate touching throughout the season and the way the show mishandled him. Plus the way other contestants used Kellee's accusations to their own advantage strategically. It was not as egregious as in Thailand (aka not treated as a joke) but it still put a damper on a season that otherwise could have been decent thanks to interesting social commentary, players, and gameplay. But overlooking the way Kellee was treated simply is not acceptable to me.</p><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>25- One World (season 24)</b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjt752TfaDCrLmipCil_N9wD_GVcyzhmwTwZnrCxH1oU2fKrP4sdYVhQUwSVKbJyZ8J7y_dD3BNewk-Pq-chpocYlhSStdRWI56ClRq_UNbuTQPOGP4SWTD_PsbOkMLF9hB1ndJU7Fwd6c/s864/survivor+one+world+logo.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="562" data-original-width="864" height="130" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjt752TfaDCrLmipCil_N9wD_GVcyzhmwTwZnrCxH1oU2fKrP4sdYVhQUwSVKbJyZ8J7y_dD3BNewk-Pq-chpocYlhSStdRWI56ClRq_UNbuTQPOGP4SWTD_PsbOkMLF9hB1ndJU7Fwd6c/w200-h130/survivor+one+world+logo.png" width="200" /></a></div></span></div><p style="text-align: center;">this was my first watch!</p><p style="text-align: left;">The more seasons I watch, the more lackluster this season feels. Kim is an amazing winner who displayed massive control over the game and is one of the most strategically dominant winners ever. However, winners like that tend to play games that aren't as interesting to watch. In the end, the majority of the cast was made up of incompetent players, and the standout characters stood out thanks to being <b>utterly unlikable</b>. On the positive side, at least if we were going to have a battle of the sexes, the men were the bumbling idiots of the cast.</p><p style="text-align: center;"><br /></p><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>24- Worlds Apart (season 30)</b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUYBu5sO72BPUMWTpWK2R2HpQb9McUXN0KvYDsyzH2d9qeCfvkcXmw5YTDJLNBhJlRmncM303_WdR8b94jkpGFP5kU78JTQHBghB53LRygh63tYdTQrabdpuU0fzXbayuYws7U5jGN4Tw/s1222/worlds+apart+logo.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="780" data-original-width="1222" height="127" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUYBu5sO72BPUMWTpWK2R2HpQb9McUXN0KvYDsyzH2d9qeCfvkcXmw5YTDJLNBhJlRmncM303_WdR8b94jkpGFP5kU78JTQHBghB53LRygh63tYdTQrabdpuU0fzXbayuYws7U5jGN4Tw/w200-h127/worlds+apart+logo.png" width="200" /></a></div></span></div><p style="text-align: center;">this was my first watch!</p><p style="text-align: left;">Originally, I had this and One World swapped, but with a bit of distance from both, this one grew on me. Like other low-ranked seasons, this season had a good deal of nastiness. Rodney, Will, and Dan all had so many disgusting, sexist, cruel moments, and I cannot overlook that. I can't believe Rodney isn't more disliked. Even disregarding them, there aren't really many rootable/likable characters, and on top of that, this isn't a very strategy-heavy season. Mike is certainly the rootable, likable standout, but he's also not a very strategic winner, and I'll always rank strategy above challenge wins and idol plays.</p><div style="text-align: left;"><b style="font-size: large;"><br /></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b style="font-size: large;">23- Nicaragua (season 21)</b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWVEwVY1m894nHFBERcuhNHLsDKzcKeKJwtV0TXIYnz6wMhyphenhyphenPyZu4kbee8qtj3oqBHQyRk7tATjdcjb9B0UiJ5tC_7nUoWCGf9obFgrFeLS5TuV3jzNYWhDBSu2RoMv5ZO6qbhiGPrUbM/s1024/survivor+nicaragua+logo.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: black;"><img border="0" data-original-height="656" data-original-width="1024" height="128" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWVEwVY1m894nHFBERcuhNHLsDKzcKeKJwtV0TXIYnz6wMhyphenhyphenPyZu4kbee8qtj3oqBHQyRk7tATjdcjb9B0UiJ5tC_7nUoWCGf9obFgrFeLS5TuV3jzNYWhDBSu2RoMv5ZO6qbhiGPrUbM/w200-h128/survivor+nicaragua+logo.png" width="200" /></span></a></div></div><p style="text-align: center;">this was my first watch!</p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"></span></p><p style="text-align: left;">I think there are a lot of reasons that this was ranked near the bottom of the cumulative rankings. Fabio is one of the least-strategic Survivor winners ever, the cast is full of recruits, most of the players have little, no, or bad strategy, and finally-- the quits. On top of that, the old/young tribe division and the medallion of power are both pretty dumb twists. And I agree with all of those complaints. I think the quits bother me less than other people (if you don't want to be there, don't make me waste my time watching you), but they're certainly not a <b>good</b> thing for the season. That said, I think there's some entertainment to be had. Brenda and NaOnka are both compelling characters, even if NaOnka has her problematic moments. And I found myself rooting for people like Marty and Holly, even if they weren't great strategists. </p><p style="text-align: left;"><br /></p><div style="text-align: left;"><span><div style="font-size: medium; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>22- Guatemala (season 11)</b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-size: medium; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4E0EldZ3MvEzkHy4_hu4jhmHNZYyXGF3CAiQ2V1kCh4QdzDBxhGyUR1wlqEzvRAutA-hsqHrStqT7y2hTnTuPfaxNcAL2MesChM0A-1FFIvge-1yAzKPyCBUrQtPtGKi1Jx0mzyDUH-s/s350/survivor+guatemala+logo.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="220" data-original-width="350" height="126" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4E0EldZ3MvEzkHy4_hu4jhmHNZYyXGF3CAiQ2V1kCh4QdzDBxhGyUR1wlqEzvRAutA-hsqHrStqT7y2hTnTuPfaxNcAL2MesChM0A-1FFIvge-1yAzKPyCBUrQtPtGKi1Jx0mzyDUH-s/w200-h126/survivor+guatemala+logo.png" width="200" /></a></div><p><span style="font-family: inherit;">watched previously, did a partial rewatch for this ranking</span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;"></span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;"></span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;"></span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;"></span></p><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Guatemala is a season that I believe is so "underrated" that it has become overrated, at least within the superfan sphere. On my first watch, I didn't love Guatemala, but after years of endless hype for the season, I decided to rewatch it for this ranking, hoping to discover -- what was I missing? Turns out... not much. This season is a massive nothing burger for me. I think the biggest weakness for me is the cast, which is usually the most important aspect of a season for my enjoyment. There were some entertaining characters, but the entire cast was either forgettable or unlikable, with only a couple of exceptions. The gameplay was extremely straightforward, with a near pagonging post-merge. It's not a bad season, but it just does absolutely nothing for me. </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>21- Marquesas (season 4)</b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhe36lIjjlFftdboT0JWvexOYQCDGQbeJ572zRPxMsWHaOofQqunrahLDXnffy2Aeu9AWjTn1oPfDw45a2RBVnAsLbvSDbLuDEMaDT5-gACmdivv7l4d0dZziflCvPAnRIsM-5LX9RnySo/s1200/survivor+marquesas+logo.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="755" data-original-width="1200" height="126" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhe36lIjjlFftdboT0JWvexOYQCDGQbeJ572zRPxMsWHaOofQqunrahLDXnffy2Aeu9AWjTn1oPfDw45a2RBVnAsLbvSDbLuDEMaDT5-gACmdivv7l4d0dZziflCvPAnRIsM-5LX9RnySo/w200-h126/survivor+marquesas+logo.png" width="200" /></a></div><p><span style="font-family: inherit;">watched previously, did not rewatch for this ranking</span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;"></span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;"></span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;"></span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;"></span></p><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">This season, like others further along the list, is one I will need to rewatch before I feel comfortable with its placement, but it's where I currently feel it belongs. While it seems like Africa is the general least favorite "classic" season (read: pre All-Stars), mine has always been Marquesas. Like Guatemala, it's constantly referred to as an underrated season, hence my need to rewatch. However, I felt the same about Guatemala upon a (partial) rewatch, so make of that what you will. There are some great characters on this season, but the strategy still isn't fully developed, and some characters are better on later seasons. Like the seasons surrounding it on this list, my opinion on it boils down to a bit of a shrug.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>20- Australian Outback (season 2)</b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"></span></div></span></div><div></div></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgz6UiAyuQ-CYB92mF60psfYhjvMcv3RSRQ4MEtBMn2BQmWo6vZregdinEDtnjJ52IZSiOWyhIiVnrsalQnZtPQGMLZFdFNzoi8kDY_p8UqPPUGnos9L-XAnhRHGLSb4NWw8bUFRURkSYE/s2048/survivor+australia+logo.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1292" data-original-width="2048" height="126" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgz6UiAyuQ-CYB92mF60psfYhjvMcv3RSRQ4MEtBMn2BQmWo6vZregdinEDtnjJ52IZSiOWyhIiVnrsalQnZtPQGMLZFdFNzoi8kDY_p8UqPPUGnos9L-XAnhRHGLSb4NWw8bUFRURkSYE/w200-h126/survivor+australia+logo.png" width="200" /></a></div></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">watched previously, did not rewatch for this ranking</span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"></span></p><div><span style="font-family: inherit;">Going into this ranking, I figured my placement of the season would be blasphemous to most, so I was surprised to see it barely squeaking into the top 20. It's one that is pretty nostalgic for most, and many laud it as one of their favorites. I don't have the nostalgia, and despite some iconic characters, this was not a memorable season overall for me. But hey, at least Mike Skupin fell into a fire!</span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div></span></div></span></div></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>19- Gabon (season 17)</b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"></span></div></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9v7iwvUcr2lzUiA3Df4btbRGBeR4xmv3gvMj16HzKsnoSuIsn-fft1o0icvruxp0G5VHmRsAadTZDWcWkSlvQctHBRffSRGRUP9CLG4Ts15Km1EFgaWpA-EYJfeOGMPbV_SrHEg43R6A/s1054/survivor+gabon+logo.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="672" data-original-width="1054" height="127" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9v7iwvUcr2lzUiA3Df4btbRGBeR4xmv3gvMj16HzKsnoSuIsn-fft1o0icvruxp0G5VHmRsAadTZDWcWkSlvQctHBRffSRGRUP9CLG4Ts15Km1EFgaWpA-EYJfeOGMPbV_SrHEg43R6A/w200-h127/survivor+gabon+logo.png" width="200" /></a></div></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><p style="text-align: center;">this was my first watch!</p><p style="text-align: center;"></p><p style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: medium; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: center; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><a href="https://fromkristensbrain.blogspot.com/2021/04/survivor-fiji-big-dreamz-bad-twists.html" target="_blank"><span style="font-size: medium;"></span></a></p><p style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: medium; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: center; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><a href="https://fromkristensbrain.blogspot.com/2021/04/survivor-fiji-big-dreamz-bad-twists.html" target="_blank"><span style="font-size: medium;"></span></a></p><p style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: medium; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: center; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><a href="https://fromkristensbrain.blogspot.com/2021/04/survivor-fiji-big-dreamz-bad-twists.html" target="_blank"><span style="font-size: medium;"></span></a></p><p style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: medium; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: center; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><a href="https://fromkristensbrain.blogspot.com/2021/04/survivor-fiji-big-dreamz-bad-twists.html" target="_blank"><span style="font-size: medium;"></span></a></p><p></p><div style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: center; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><b><a href="https://fromkristensbrain.blogspot.com/2021/04/survivor-gabon-hot-mess-express.html" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: inherit;">link to full season discussion here!</span></a></b></div><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"></span></p><p>If you're just in the mood to watch an absolute train wreck, all aboard the Hot Mess Express, destination: Gabon! This season is a comedy of errors. If you're here for the strategy, you're out of luck in Gabon. The players are aggressively non-strategic and make moves based largely on personal vendettas. But if you're here for the chaos, drama, and absolute messiness, Gabon could be a top-tier season for you. Fang is one of the worst tribes in Survivor history. Bob is possibly the least strategic winner in Survivor history. The cast is largely unlikable, the gameplay is an absolute mess, but that messiness can be thoroughly entertaining for some people. That can only take it so high for me, as someone who's here for the strategy, but it did certainly keep me entertained. Also, Gabon is one of the most beautiful locations IMO, and definitely the location I'd want to play Survivor at!</p><p> </p></span></div></span></div></span></div><p style="text-align: left;"></p><div style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: medium; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: center; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-size: medium;"></span></div><p></p><div style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: center; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><b>18- Samoa (season 19)</b></span></div><div style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: center; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjz7RFRMlwSsUV7EwLCdsQpLfCXUzwXfpcmUZCRQt7WnwRJFgqO9QvMG9sYER0VpyLllow24x77CWT0odIUd0zamQ9ynl37o-PU0sSrJQFOD0_NwXj8wdtY69t-NwFNdRhxBj6RXQa-qDY/s1096/survivor+samoa+logo.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="700" data-original-width="1096" height="127" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjz7RFRMlwSsUV7EwLCdsQpLfCXUzwXfpcmUZCRQt7WnwRJFgqO9QvMG9sYER0VpyLllow24x77CWT0odIUd0zamQ9ynl37o-PU0sSrJQFOD0_NwXj8wdtY69t-NwFNdRhxBj6RXQa-qDY/w200-h127/survivor+samoa+logo.png" width="200" /></a></div></span></div><div style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: center; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span><div><span style="font-family: inherit;">this was my first watch!</span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div><div><b><a href="https://fromkristensbrain.blogspot.com/2021/04/survivor-samoa-survivor-simps-for.html" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: inherit;">link to full season discussion here!</span></a></b></div><p style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-size: medium;"></span></p><p style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-size: medium;"></span></p><p style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-size: medium;"></span></p><p style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-size: medium;"></span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">From top to bottom, this is the Russell show. This is his world, the other players just exist in it. Or they don't, because many of them are horribly under-edited to give Russell every millisecond of screen time they can squeeze in. Even the winner gets a pretty meager edit. The first few episodes of the season were hard to get through because of Ben's racism, and the pre-merge is a bit of a slog thanks to one tribe's total domination. Russell's idol finds and strategic gameplay make big waves in future seasons, but he was messy and ultimately turned most of the jury against him and lost himself the win. There are some decently high highs, but some lows that truly just scrape the bottom of the barrel with how terrible they are.</span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></p><p style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: medium; text-align: left;"></p><div style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: medium; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: center; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><div style="text-align: left;"></div></div><p></p><div style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><b>17- Borneo (season 1)</b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEwDTxL_y7zqCDbTQteGGCdqV_DLjcIaEdhtaJghABtIcOqgfA--ewuvwsSP_KN54nu5Md6Sjqz7yMI570EH-U1iSyTHd5ieo70-XqosXZWBDfVfh-i4N1YPDHA1Sd8vEMuLk59Yjrcm8GQbnqqqF7O75XfzFwYcNRhLYI-RE2JvhctsYheVndAGDXpA/s1200/survivor%201%20borneo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="768" data-original-width="1200" height="128" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEwDTxL_y7zqCDbTQteGGCdqV_DLjcIaEdhtaJghABtIcOqgfA--ewuvwsSP_KN54nu5Md6Sjqz7yMI570EH-U1iSyTHd5ieo70-XqosXZWBDfVfh-i4N1YPDHA1Sd8vEMuLk59Yjrcm8GQbnqqqF7O75XfzFwYcNRhLYI-RE2JvhctsYheVndAGDXpA/w200-h128/survivor%201%20borneo.jpg" width="200" /></a></div></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"></span></div></div></div></div><p>watched previously, did not rewatch for this ranking</p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"></span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"></span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"></span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"></span></p><div style="text-align: left;">This is was one of the hardest seasons to place for me. I have the same struggle with Big Brother 2, which was the first strategic season of Big Brother. Both seasons feature a cast of players who don't really know what they're doing, and therefore don't play particularly well, but also one iconic strategic player who has become a legend of the game. They also are still both finding their footing as an edited show and are much slower and therefore can often be a bit boring. I placed it here because it feels like the best middle ground, but I'm still not totally sure about this placement.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><b>16- South Pacific (season 23)</b></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiisJhyheaAncNEhTs-TINtqNeMpvIlf3rT63-5unjVJ1TjFgQVYK0CAyeKB1W5pg-5mpasZuX6LoGmPVxd-XRg8Ag5zHdWWvvG3P6YA08Y34GDppEBApgzgntHOPl6nnhUon7Dw7078hU/s1600/survivor+south+pacific+logo.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1013" data-original-width="1600" height="127" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiisJhyheaAncNEhTs-TINtqNeMpvIlf3rT63-5unjVJ1TjFgQVYK0CAyeKB1W5pg-5mpasZuX6LoGmPVxd-XRg8Ag5zHdWWvvG3P6YA08Y34GDppEBApgzgntHOPl6nnhUon7Dw7078hU/w200-h127/survivor+south+pacific+logo.png" width="200" /></a></div></span></div><p><span style="font-family: inherit;">this was my first watch!</span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;"></span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;"></span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;"></span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Before watching this season, I'd seen 2 Ozzy seasons (Cook Islands & Game Changers) and had a mildly positive opinion on him, while this was my first Coach season. I came out of this season disliking both of them. This is a case of high highs and low lows for me. There are few players I've disliked more than Brandon and few things I've disliked watching more than Coach & his tribe's cult-like environment he cultivated. While it's decent strategy and fascinating psychologically, it's never something I enjoy watching in my media. However-- Cochran. This was my first introduction to him and he's <b>just. so. relatable.</b> He's nerdy, but personable and charming, and although his strategy isn't perfect, he's a strategic player, which I always gravitate toward. I'm still not sure how I feel about him flipping at the merge but I <b>am</b> sure that I'm now very hype to watch Caramoan to finally watch his winning game. </span></p><p style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: medium; text-align: left;"><br /></p></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>15- Game Changers (season 34)</b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSXXjTVe23lUCvvIXP6EPDuYThDxsnGukveKDAwq9jIAg8QT7W5_w51KOxQ0bRiP2SDLVnpWH254s2Lrwcc5U0PhJ6QLkNDN09YS4alT1bAP8sMe-Mh86HS_a9wJ6TfUTd1WxyqLcAL0E/s2048/survivor+game+changers+logo.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1309" data-original-width="2048" height="128" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSXXjTVe23lUCvvIXP6EPDuYThDxsnGukveKDAwq9jIAg8QT7W5_w51KOxQ0bRiP2SDLVnpWH254s2Lrwcc5U0PhJ6QLkNDN09YS4alT1bAP8sMe-Mh86HS_a9wJ6TfUTd1WxyqLcAL0E/w200-h128/survivor+game+changers+logo.png" width="200" /></a></div></span></div><p style="text-align: center;">this was my first watch!</p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"></span></p><div style="text-align: left;">I want to be clear-- this is currently ranked relatively highly, but it's still nowhere near my favorite Survivor season I've ever watched. But it <b>was</b> a pleasant surprise. One down-side for me is that I never felt like I got quite enough of some characters I really like, like Cirie and Aubrey. I could also do with more Zeke, but that's more of a personal thing lol. Also, some of these returnees <b>really</b> aren't game changers (Hali? Sierra? Beast-Mode Cowboy?). However, I found Sarah to be a much better strategist than expected, and found myself genuinely rooting for her despite coming into the season with almost no opinion on her. It's also just nice, after watching several seasons of non-strategic recruits, to see a cast here <b>who came to play.</b> The worst part of the season, however, is obvious. The incident with Varner is horrible, and he handled it horribly even in the reunion. Advantage-geddon isn't great either, but pales in comparison. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>14- Ghost Island (season 36)</b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzosccrWXFXlErvQavz1RSl3Rf4UI1r4wg9ju7URghk936P9CEU2T0G49-4E0gQN7-gfR49bwG8Tf4_9zwiv64VXUSo8N8FCIf5Uu6dg4jQwx2xU3qNXRbZX39nbJZC8LKNVqZVsZxhgk/s1709/survivor+ghost+island+logo.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1104" data-original-width="1709" height="129" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzosccrWXFXlErvQavz1RSl3Rf4UI1r4wg9ju7URghk936P9CEU2T0G49-4E0gQN7-gfR49bwG8Tf4_9zwiv64VXUSo8N8FCIf5Uu6dg4jQwx2xU3qNXRbZX39nbJZC8LKNVqZVsZxhgk/w200-h129/survivor+ghost+island+logo.png" width="200" /></a></div></span></div><p style="text-align: center;">watched previously, did not rewatch for this ranking</p><p>Of all of my rankings, this is the one I feel least confident in. I watched this season as it aired, and I don't have super positive memories of it. However, Rob felt the same way and said it was much better than he remembered. So on an off week, I might return to this just in case! But this cast is very top-heavy, and there were several people who were under-edited or got a full-on purple edit. There are a lot of forgettable characters here for me, despite my love of Dom and Wendell. The twist also isn't my fave, nor do I like that sometimes people just go to Ghost Island and don't play a game at all. </p><div style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: medium; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: center; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><br /></div><div style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: medium; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: center; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>13- Edge of Extinction (season 38)</b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPeqGiAbGv9_KVkudlnWVuFfMJNSdYMVyXEeNL9z2byRsmvJgzhUl1AY0uadd2g33g6sL_8iY0oohYRioildFpQrkSFnBYtcMY5xJZgUOXGDtRRvNO3wUuoXsv3NXSWbaD0eypELkoiKw/s2000/survivor+edge+of+extinction+logo.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1333" data-original-width="2000" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPeqGiAbGv9_KVkudlnWVuFfMJNSdYMVyXEeNL9z2byRsmvJgzhUl1AY0uadd2g33g6sL_8iY0oohYRioildFpQrkSFnBYtcMY5xJZgUOXGDtRRvNO3wUuoXsv3NXSWbaD0eypELkoiKw/w200-h133/survivor+edge+of+extinction+logo.png" width="200" /></a></div></span></div><p style="text-align: center;">watched half previously, half for the first time</p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"></span></p><p style="text-align: left;">I gave up on this season as it was airing. It's not uncommon late in a season-- I start to get bored-- but I abandoned this one pretty quickly. None of the characters really compelled me, and I hated the twist. But I agree with Rob 100%- this season is <b>great</b> to binge. Although I don't <b>love</b> the Edge, it felt a lot less pervasive this time through. And also, I like Devens, and he's a large part of the reason this season is ranked so highly. So I'll forgive it a bit. I think the biggest stain on the season is Chris's win, given that he was on the Edge for most of the season. The jury might have been judging the player, not the twist, but I'm judging the whole thing and I really don't like that someone can waltz back in after being out of the game a <b>month</b> and then win the game. It doesn't make for a good game or a good viewing experience. But what this season does give us is entertainment. Strategy, blindsides... Devens. The gameplay this season is really compelling, in spite of the twists. </p><p style="text-align: left;"><br /></p><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>12- Africa (season 3)</b></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWwe6Tunu_bAHkGVu56gjloxbN2xvGwCqe7XBrID9P9m4nTx6dDG5HW3kTuDc-xdhABAdxvWz7t3F5z1UR_IEBpsGZ9A_N4BjwtCvA9eVmvOPa-MBBjynudPhiJi6EJn7cjzEr9Cpxco4/s2048/survivor+africa+logo.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1318" data-original-width="2048" height="129" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWwe6Tunu_bAHkGVu56gjloxbN2xvGwCqe7XBrID9P9m4nTx6dDG5HW3kTuDc-xdhABAdxvWz7t3F5z1UR_IEBpsGZ9A_N4BjwtCvA9eVmvOPa-MBBjynudPhiJi6EJn7cjzEr9Cpxco4/w200-h129/survivor+africa+logo.png" width="200" /></a></div><p style="text-align: center;">watched previously, did not rewatch for this ranking</p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"></span></p><p>While the pre-All-Stars era is one tight era of Survivor, I often see 1-5 as a subsection, before the universally adored seasons 6&7. The game had not yet evolved to be as strategic as it would become. And it seems like everyone has one season from this era that they love despite the minimal strategy. For most people, it seems to be Australia, Borneo, or Marquesas. For me, it's Africa. I'm not sure I could really tell you why, apart from the unique landscape and my love of Lex as a character. </p><p><br /></p><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>11- Fiji (season 14)</b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"></span></div><div style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgq410-SVSv1iQOXCM7ZOKK-Uop96CEVdzfEZvYoBFmndw_2m_ab0P2GvmhI55A3gyvmnOLVzAehNeCxjmiElqPIPGoHQpIfs_Whb0zN24APiAx33On-BwcAkiprJGqIbMVphM5CTp8Qdg/s800/survivor+fiji+logo.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: black;"><img border="0" data-original-height="523" data-original-width="800" height="131" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgq410-SVSv1iQOXCM7ZOKK-Uop96CEVdzfEZvYoBFmndw_2m_ab0P2GvmhI55A3gyvmnOLVzAehNeCxjmiElqPIPGoHQpIfs_Whb0zN24APiAx33On-BwcAkiprJGqIbMVphM5CTp8Qdg/w200-h131/survivor+fiji+logo.png" width="200" /></span></a></div><p style="text-align: center;">this was my first watch!</p><div style="text-align: center;"><b><a href="https://fromkristensbrain.blogspot.com/2021/04/survivor-fiji-big-dreamz-bad-twists.html" target="_blank">link to full season discussion here!</a> </b></div><p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://fromkristensbrain.blogspot.com/2021/04/survivor-fiji-big-dreamz-bad-twists.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: black; font-size: medium;"></span></a></p><p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://fromkristensbrain.blogspot.com/2021/04/survivor-fiji-big-dreamz-bad-twists.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: black; font-size: medium;"></span></a></p><p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://fromkristensbrain.blogspot.com/2021/04/survivor-fiji-big-dreamz-bad-twists.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: black; font-size: medium;"></span></a></p><p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://fromkristensbrain.blogspot.com/2021/04/survivor-fiji-big-dreamz-bad-twists.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: black; font-size: medium;"></span></a></p><p>I'm still not 100% certain of this placement, and toyed with placing this below EoE, because the much higher level of gameplay in EoE might outweigh my enjoyment of Fiji. The haves/have-nots twist is horrible. The have-not tribe doesn't stand a chance when going up against well-fed, well-rested competitors. Despite some forgettable people, I enjoy this cast, and think that there were several interesting characters and a handful of capable players. I really enjoyed both Earl and Yau, and think Earl is a very competent winner. The incident with Dreamz and the truck is certainly a bit of a stain on the season, but doesn't impact my personal enjoyment too much. Overall, it's not an <b>amazing</b> season of Survivor, but certainly a breath of fresh air after watching a bunch of modern seasons. </p><p><br /></p><p style="text-align: left;"></p><div style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: medium; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: center; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-size: medium;"></span></div><p></p><div style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: center; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><b>10- Vanuatu (season 9)</b></span></div><div style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: center; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-size: medium; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEQfNqECMeFcrpXOIl61-KKenipFkeNiwuskvi19iPoQhqyoZO3I93E-blYHHQIvAKoAlFIC2bzwcHhhSbOj89SET9lA9G_0pizCwKzH8EX95QBfLtLzYm6Ymp3QeDYfhPFQwmdaqe0Zw/s2032/survivor+vanuatu+logo.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1296" data-original-width="2032" height="127" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEQfNqECMeFcrpXOIl61-KKenipFkeNiwuskvi19iPoQhqyoZO3I93E-blYHHQIvAKoAlFIC2bzwcHhhSbOj89SET9lA9G_0pizCwKzH8EX95QBfLtLzYm6Ymp3QeDYfhPFQwmdaqe0Zw/w200-h127/survivor+vanuatu+logo.png" width="200" /></span></a></div><p><span style="font-family: arial;">watched previously, rewatched for this ranking</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"></span></p><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Before rewatching All-Stars, I would've placed Vanuatu higher, and after rewatching both, I'm still not 100% certain with this order. Vanuatu is one of the seasons I really enjoyed on my binge of the first 12 seasons within the first year I started watching the show. There are a lot of great characters on this season, and despite his reception at the time, I think Chris is a really strong winner. The women are the stars of the show throughout pretty much the entire season, and their gameplay (and how it ultimately leads to their downfall) is really compelling to watch.</span></div><div style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: medium; text-align: left;"><br /></div><b style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: medium;"><br /></b></span></div><div style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: medium; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: center; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>9- All-Stars (season 8)</b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwedC1U9-RdYUMpBbdrtU3I_K_0mfktR7uTbx1KUQLyAWfR52Z34742Phty2BtfGSAYiMSjAoyAmrgILr1Ule9wCac-VCpZwm4T7v_QKeIPGnboDy3RKg9DNa5rQo95kaSkqJ5djWd1TE/s1117/survivor+all+stars+logo.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="703" data-original-width="1117" height="126" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwedC1U9-RdYUMpBbdrtU3I_K_0mfktR7uTbx1KUQLyAWfR52Z34742Phty2BtfGSAYiMSjAoyAmrgILr1Ule9wCac-VCpZwm4T7v_QKeIPGnboDy3RKg9DNa5rQo95kaSkqJ5djWd1TE/w200-h126/survivor+all+stars+logo.png" width="200" /></a></div></span></div><p style="text-align: center;">watched previously, rewatched for this ranking</p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"></span></p><div>After completing my rewatch of All-Stars, the season held up much better than I remembered. All-Stars is probably the quintessential example of the fact that I highkey place more importance on characters than upon strategy, no matter how much I say otherwise. The first handful of episodes are absolutely flawless-- totally entertaining, tons of great moments, 10/10 television. But then Richard Hatch sexually assaults Sue & the nosedive begins. What starts as a really fun season quickly gets very negative, filled with hypocrisy from some of my favorite players and hurt feelings all around. And to top it all off, a bitter jury denies the win to one of the most dominant games the show has seen. If the season continued as it started, I think it'd be a universally loved season all around, but as it stands, I think I'll have it higher than most people.</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><div><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>8- Millennials vs Gen. X (season 33)</b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"></span></div></div></div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: left;"></div></div></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglL51-y0tolZs0plkke7BUOQcIVbP5FYorD1L6G0kjQ8WF0cGUdSjtZWvN1Pjtrh_V3OriUbDWuBpMYwNcjyoQy0L2udIdaTs2lXqOYz8hX_3PiYqsSW2KlVRujakMYC-g4t02vuCAcBGenurXKVbAInLteM8tskdp7bAGNKbeIeQ3w8_tHTJTuXuQmA/s1603/survivor%2033%20mill.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1034" data-original-width="1603" height="129" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglL51-y0tolZs0plkke7BUOQcIVbP5FYorD1L6G0kjQ8WF0cGUdSjtZWvN1Pjtrh_V3OriUbDWuBpMYwNcjyoQy0L2udIdaTs2lXqOYz8hX_3PiYqsSW2KlVRujakMYC-g4t02vuCAcBGenurXKVbAInLteM8tskdp7bAGNKbeIeQ3w8_tHTJTuXuQmA/w200-h129/survivor%2033%20mill.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><p style="text-align: center;">watched previously, did not rewatch for this ranking</p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"></span></p><div>This season is possibly victim to whatever the inverse of recency bias is. Forgetfulness? Either way, it's been quite a while since I watched this season, and I simply... don't remember a lot about it. But I do remember that I quite enjoyed it. So this feels like the correct placement.</div><div><br /></div></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>7- Palau (season 10)</b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"></span></div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdEQPmwchczAXy2kr_HoF_-hd8zZjm_2cjqU514I8pTOvXwzQi730tj7Lz6Ax1qDhP2GXFzlQcXYU2MbC6ZJBvm2CPS5Y-QECp3GBE4J1zm2o08FWz8HU8yxoX0TrzKC5Ka9qHk7FjHV0/s894/survivor+palau+logo.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="570" data-original-width="894" height="127" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdEQPmwchczAXy2kr_HoF_-hd8zZjm_2cjqU514I8pTOvXwzQi730tj7Lz6Ax1qDhP2GXFzlQcXYU2MbC6ZJBvm2CPS5Y-QECp3GBE4J1zm2o08FWz8HU8yxoX0TrzKC5Ka9qHk7FjHV0/w200-h127/survivor+palau+logo.png" width="200" /></a></div></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span><p>watched previously, did not rewatch for this ranking</p><p><span></span></p><p><span></span></p><p><span></span></p><p><span></span></p><div style="text-align: left;">The biggest reason this is on my "need to rewatch" list is that I'm not confident in the order of seasons 8-10 on this ranking. I currently have it 10-8-9, but have considered nearly every other possible order of them. Inexplicably, Panama & Palau tend to blend a bit in my mind, despite having a clear favorite between the two. But they were both ones I really enjoyed when I first watched them, and I'd like to believe they'll hold up upon a rewatch. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>6- Amazon (season 6)</b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"></span></div></div></div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: left;"></div></div></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-size: medium; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnaIH8YbDvI90f80j3Z36LNCa0RJ2Dzfkg5QNyVQx_jdNrYOTr14Pc5SUbLcLiVgItaBVJI9S15oysUFL4dfuRv4O97RxqikQSk5pIHMgG6r5w5SGi1oR5_9LegaYg9TkJvzkw_u4gOAuAsI0wGDeAX9meenaqGQAEAdyUjvQpecNEnZfty3t3y4L5hw/s1400/survivor%206%20amazon.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1400" height="129" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnaIH8YbDvI90f80j3Z36LNCa0RJ2Dzfkg5QNyVQx_jdNrYOTr14Pc5SUbLcLiVgItaBVJI9S15oysUFL4dfuRv4O97RxqikQSk5pIHMgG6r5w5SGi1oR5_9LegaYg9TkJvzkw_u4gOAuAsI0wGDeAX9meenaqGQAEAdyUjvQpecNEnZfty3t3y4L5hw/w200-h129/survivor%206%20amazon.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;">watched previously, did not rewatch for this ranking</span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"></span></p><div><span style="font-family: arial;">I watched the first 12ish seasons in order on a binge probably 6 years ago? So my memory on this one is a little foggy. It will need a rewatch sometime soon. The big obvious downside is the way the tribe divide defines the season and the ensuing misogyny. Strategically and gameplay-wise, this probably deserves to be higher. Especially since Rob's podcast is what inspired this ranking. You're probably appalled the next season beat it. But certain aspects of it just don't age well, and I can't ignore that. Once I rewatch, it might move around, but this is as high as I feel alright with placing it. </span></div><div style="font-size: medium;"><br /></div></div></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>5- Heroes, Healers, Hustlers (season 35)</b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEis0GHZXyniQNHlglIHmaol6WBhXLx7OTAR55z3caEs7dVIXwAptTwv4uXsUFIqIXyc0esbtCJAFUbMoMYJuugn9GQBaaaR45JKgIg1_p22aCK3KMHyEUB0-wLFXdMZ8ruxl7yPUEzCBYw/s2000/survivor+heroes+healers+hustlers+logo.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1333" data-original-width="2000" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEis0GHZXyniQNHlglIHmaol6WBhXLx7OTAR55z3caEs7dVIXwAptTwv4uXsUFIqIXyc0esbtCJAFUbMoMYJuugn9GQBaaaR45JKgIg1_p22aCK3KMHyEUB0-wLFXdMZ8ruxl7yPUEzCBYw/w200-h133/survivor+heroes+healers+hustlers+logo.png" width="200" /></a></div></span></div><p style="text-align: center;">watched previously, did a partial rewatch for this ranking</p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"></span></p><div style="text-align: left;">I have a soft spot for HHH. Given that I loved Devens, you might think that's because of Ben, but I actually <b>really</b> dislike Ben's win. Perhaps hypocritical, but oh well. Ironically, my love of this season is actually thanks to another person named Devon, which is also why I hate Ben's win. Because my dude Devon was screwed out of a win. The final four fire-making twist seems like such an obvious ploy to give Ben the money, and the players had no way to strategize for that until <b>the day it happened.</b> Which is the biggest stain on the season. But it's still so high because <b>I love this cast.</b> Chrissy, Ryan, and Devon are all compelling characters <b>and</b> good players. And the cast as a whole really came to play this season. Sure, there are a few strategic duds, but what they lacked in strategy, they made up for in entertainment. I just really enjoy this season, and I really don't care that that's an unpopular opinion.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>4- Panama (Exile Island) (season 12)</b></span></div></div></div></div><div style="text-align: left;"><p style="text-align: center;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCgCxXbwuGMCasmOV85HnNMQC8sHux7mlRpftt8L66f6E7htTm6v7DYPSaZ9hCtuiGKvrNfk6jpQVOeKZFA_S8caOZFaxEX6s9yfiz5BlXxdw9fG-jLN2erf9fmjtb9Tz2QsGXTOWetDIoT6VkRmgCl2cFxmMQTrGq4vx-me9B2Gf7sjBEhX7Dv_J3IQ/s1094/survivor%2012%20panama%20logo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="690" data-original-width="1094" height="126" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCgCxXbwuGMCasmOV85HnNMQC8sHux7mlRpftt8L66f6E7htTm6v7DYPSaZ9hCtuiGKvrNfk6jpQVOeKZFA_S8caOZFaxEX6s9yfiz5BlXxdw9fG-jLN2erf9fmjtb9Tz2QsGXTOWetDIoT6VkRmgCl2cFxmMQTrGq4vx-me9B2Gf7sjBEhX7Dv_J3IQ/w200-h126/survivor%2012%20panama%20logo.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;">watched previously, did not rewatch for this ranking</div><p></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"></span></p><div style="text-align: left;">Sure, this season has some good strategy. Cirie pioneering the 321 vote is iconic, even with everything else is ignored. But where it really shines are the characters and sheer chaos of the Casaya tribe. The fact that they manage to remain the dominant tribe while half the tribe is constantly on the verge of implosion is hilarious to watch. The apartment, the outhouse, the Shane of it all. It's just a delight. And somehow, also a hot mess that manages to bring it down to the end. </div><div><br /></div></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>3- Cook Islands (season 13)</b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"></span></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQ_83dgXvl-JORw31yJVo9pGa7PrcBWE_yH55xFB8vbe-YyPQ_fQ-nUeQJN1017R4aDLKcPiM-LTA1P8s6B_8DbZbHwiGq2qiiACv8FNkEjyAY3tu78tofdIPNbpstz3Yv3xHK3w_D_9Y/s2000/survivor+cook+islands+logo.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1269" data-original-width="2000" height="127" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQ_83dgXvl-JORw31yJVo9pGa7PrcBWE_yH55xFB8vbe-YyPQ_fQ-nUeQJN1017R4aDLKcPiM-LTA1P8s6B_8DbZbHwiGq2qiiACv8FNkEjyAY3tu78tofdIPNbpstz3Yv3xHK3w_D_9Y/w200-h127/survivor+cook+islands+logo.png" width="200" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><p style="text-align: center;">watched previously, did not rewatch for this ranking</p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"></span></p><div>I did not expect to love Cook Islands when I first watched it. In fact, I took a long break from my initial chronological viewing of Survivor after Panama because I knew the twist this season was infamously terrible-- dividing the tribes by race. However, I didn't realize that the season actually has a generally positive reputation in the fandom despite the twist. Sure, the twist isn't great, but it does lead to us getting a diverse cast, and tons of really great characters. The gameplay is also taken up a notch. And of all the seasons I've watched, Yul is not only my favorite winner, but also one of my favorite characters overall. Honestly, the only reason this is on my rewatch list is simply because I want to watch it again-- I'm totally confident in its current placement.</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>2- Pearl Islands (season 7)</b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span><p style="font-size: medium;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZXs4Hb5VbL0-muabHRP2Q4CdV8kmpJpuQWnhOy5MpPeEnP-rZuPJCj0ppKSUKqJjsnrfGnZMQuVF0q34oEAjt1MMSmrJuugVoQmyg-EHjVuMXcIGquiwc2xvcltVK_fh1kbreNOm6AcG1pwpB6QksHGJ3LQVyVSo-qqmVkzZhDGZhza83QhWwGPBzMg/s996/survivor%207%20pearl%20islands.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="629" data-original-width="996" height="126" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZXs4Hb5VbL0-muabHRP2Q4CdV8kmpJpuQWnhOy5MpPeEnP-rZuPJCj0ppKSUKqJjsnrfGnZMQuVF0q34oEAjt1MMSmrJuugVoQmyg-EHjVuMXcIGquiwc2xvcltVK_fh1kbreNOm6AcG1pwpB6QksHGJ3LQVyVSo-qqmVkzZhDGZhza83QhWwGPBzMg/w200-h126/survivor%207%20pearl%20islands.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><br />watched previously, did not rewatch for this ranking<p></p><p style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-size: medium;"></span></p><p style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-size: medium;"></span></p><p style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-size: medium;"></span></p><p style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-size: medium;"></span></p><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;">As mentioned a couple of times, a cast can make or break a season of reality TV for me. I need people, and especially one standout person, to root for. Those people were the Drake tribe, and that person was Jonny Fairplay. I love a charismatic villain, and I love it even more when they have some solid opposition. Although Amazon was the first season to really start ramping up the gameplay for me, Pearl Islands improved on it, in a big way. It brings the entertainment, it brings the strategy, it more than brings the characters. </span></div><div style="font-size: medium; text-align: left;"><br /></div></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"></span></div></div></div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>1- David vs. Goliath (season 37)</b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span><p style="font-size: medium;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDV4JmyZGkQj9M4jrr0ojtC2LrdxGaCroZmS_6chiRY3fJxt1GrwyHvs8-RSunNGk7Fq9hWxbdG1_oQPthTU2wFMfm_o1qCkKqi9EkhT_Th3MEAxfRH_wuRZkU8PNdC4V4Q7ZlUBAccAzFbailQ022ioSDK2uckVPbYerOVrzTCJyI8B-jI2nQiyhdGA/s1600/survivor%2037%20david.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1066" data-original-width="1600" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDV4JmyZGkQj9M4jrr0ojtC2LrdxGaCroZmS_6chiRY3fJxt1GrwyHvs8-RSunNGk7Fq9hWxbdG1_oQPthTU2wFMfm_o1qCkKqi9EkhT_Th3MEAxfRH_wuRZkU8PNdC4V4Q7ZlUBAccAzFbailQ022ioSDK2uckVPbYerOVrzTCJyI8B-jI2nQiyhdGA/w200-h133/survivor%2037%20david.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><br />watched previously, did not rewatch for this ranking<p></p><p style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-size: medium;"></span></p><p style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-size: medium;"></span></p><p style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-size: medium;"></span></p><p style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-size: medium;"></span></p><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;">I knew this season was well-received, but was pleasantly surprised that it ranked in 6th place overall in the RHAP ranking. It's one of the few seasons I watched live all the way through, and there's a reason for that-- it's SO GOOD. Fantastic characters, lots of great, entertaining gameplay, a rootable underdog alliance, and probably my singular favorite tribal council and move that I've ever watched. It's got absolutely everything, and there's never a dull moment.</span></div></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"></span></div></div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">Alright, so those are my rankings of the seasons that RHAP has covered so far in their ranking of all 40 seasons of Survivor! Check back weekly (probably each weekend?) to see where the most recent entry has placed on my own list! Also-- share your own ranking down in the comments!</div></div>Kristen Brighthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16947782400794390038noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7835074222125929757.post-85032547330986672772021-02-10T08:00:00.000-06:002021-02-10T08:00:04.319-06:00Top 15 Hit Songs of 2012 [Top Pop of the 2010s]<div>Many, many months ago, inspired by <b>Todd in the Shadows'</b> videos, I embarked on the task of ranking my favorite hit songs of each year of the 2010s. This is the 3rd post in this series, and I'd recommend checking out <b>the </b><a href="https://fromkristensbrain.blogspot.com/2020/07/my-top-15-hit-songs-of-2010-top-pop-of.html" style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">2010</a> <b>and </b><a href="https://fromkristensbrain.blogspot.com/2020/07/top-15-hit-songs-of-2011-top-pop-of.html" style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">2011</a><b> lists</b>, which is the first one. Because today, we're moving on to 2012.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/An3yI27XDUc" width="320" youtube-src-id="An3yI27XDUc"></iframe></div><div><br /></div><div><div>The same simple rule applies: all of these songs come from <b>Billboard's end-of-2012 hot 100 list </b><i>(like Todd did for his 2012 list, I'm also expanding to include any song that placed in the top 20 throughout the year, but it didn't impact this year's list)</i>. I'm not taking every single pop song of the year into consideration, because this is just a fun little hobby project. I'm not dedicated enough to this to parse through <b>every</b> pop song from <b>every </b>year of the 2010s. Way too much work. The only additional rule this time is that if it made an appearance on my list previously, I can't include it again.</div><div><br /></div><div><div>Obviously, these are just my personal choices, I'm not trying to say that these are the <b>best</b>, but rather that these are <b>my favorites</b>. I'm well aware that to many people, I have trash taste. I'm cool with that! </div><div><br /></div><div>Obligatory background on me and my taste for context:</div><div><ul><li>Currently I'm a sucker for anything with a catchy melody, my favorite genres are alternative (especially pop punk) and KPop (not relevant for this list lol), and I tend to really dig songs featuring real or simulated instruments-- guitar/brass/drum kit/etc.</li><li>Also, to date myself, in 2012, I was 17/18 & in 12th grade/my freshman year of college, depending on the time of year, and although I didn't dislike pop music, my one true love was pop punk/pop rock/alternative (favorite bands at the time: McFly, All Time Low, The Academy Is... & The Audition). </li></ul></div><div><br /></div><div>I've decided on 18 for this specific list, which is more than the previous lists because 2012 had <b>a ton</b> of great songs to choose from. By far the best year out of the 3 I've covered so far. And, at the end I'll also be discussing honorable mentions as well as some songs that would've made the list if I'd made it in 2012 instead of 2020. Because why not? </div><div><br /></div><div>Without further ado, onto the list! </div></div></div><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"></span></p><div><br /></div><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">18. Coldplay- Paradise</span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/1G4isv_Fylg" width="320" youtube-src-id="1G4isv_Fylg"></iframe></div><div><br /></div><div>This was a song I quite liked back in 2012 and still enjoy now. It's not one that I really listen to much (hence it being this low) but when I do hear it, it's still one I enjoy. Coldplay is one of those bands you'd think I'd like because they're an alternative band, but this and Viva la Vida are the only songs by them I really like. Otherwise, my opinion on them is basically nonexistent. Not much to say about this one, it's just one from this year that I like that's still memorable to me. </div><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">17. The Lumineers- Ho Hey</span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"></span></p><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/zvCBSSwgtg4" width="320" youtube-src-id="zvCBSSwgtg4"></iframe></div><br />This song would've been very high on my list if I made it in 2012, and it just barely made the cut in 2020. I grew up listening to country music, and spent most of my teen years trying to eschew the genre. But then this hipstery singer-songwriter folk music started becoming really popular and I found myself really enjoying it. This wasn't my favorite song on the album, but I did really enjoy it. Current day Kristen has a lot of nostalgia for this song, but I don't think I'd have strong feelings on it if I heard it for the first time today.</div><div><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">16. Phillip Phillips- Home</span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"></span></p><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/HoRkntoHkIE" width="320" youtube-src-id="HoRkntoHkIE"></iframe></div><br />Although it's definitely not in the folk realm like The Lumineers, this is definitely in the same vein-- this type of singer-songwriter music was something I really enjoyed at the time and therefore now I have a good deal of nostalgia for it. That said, my enjoyment of this song was almost exclusively due to me being a fan of PhilPhil (oof, that's really what we called him, huh?) on American Idol.</div></div><div><br /></div><div><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">15. Bruno Mars- It Will Rain</span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"></span></p><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/EPYCtNM2XII" width="320" youtube-src-id="EPYCtNM2XII"></iframe></div><br />It's never been my favorite song by him, or anywhere near my favorite. But it's a Bruno Mars song, and I'm stupidly biased and always going to prefer a lesser-fave Bruno song over the vast majority of other random songs that pop up in the Billboard Hot 100. *shrug*</div></div><div><br /></div><div><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">14. Jessie J- Domino</span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"></span></p><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/HsYRsJ_ThVA" width="320" youtube-src-id="HsYRsJ_ThVA"></iframe></div><br />And now we've got the exact opposite of the previous songs. I barely paid this song any mind back in 2012, but now I really like it. Honestly, name any of Jessie J's most popular songs and I probably really enjoy it. This one's not my absolute fave from her (that one's coming in a couple years) but this one's just one of those songs that's simply a really strong, well-written pop song, and I really like Jessie's voice. </div><div><br /></div><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">13. Demi Lovato- Give Your Heart a Break</span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"></span></p><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/1zfzka5VwRc" width="320" youtube-src-id="1zfzka5VwRc"></iframe></div><br />It's really unfortunate that Demi came up and out of Disney at the same time as powerhouses like Miley and Selena, because I feel like she kinda got lost in the shuffle. And then on top of that, she's dealt with a lot of mental health and drug problems that have led to her IMO being underrated compared to her peers. But IMO, she also has the strongest music of them all and this is just one example of that, and not even anywhere near my favorite of hers. </div><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">12. Kelly Clarkson- Stronger (What Doesn't Kill You)</span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"></span></p><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Xn676-fLq7I" width="320" youtube-src-id="Xn676-fLq7I"></iframe></div><br />Kelly Clarkson's Breakaway album was iconic in the early 00s, and although her brief comeback at the beginning of the '10s wasn't quite as fantastic, it gave us several really great singles. Stronger might be my favorite of those. I tend to think of Kelly Clarkson songs as being in the same realm as Pink songs-- they're really powerful, strong songs with a slight pop rock tinge, and that's pretty much my favorite brand of pop music. </div><div><br /></div><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">11. Maroon 5 feat. Wiz Khalifa- Payphone</span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"></span></p><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/TJ4ItMo6eEo" width="320" youtube-src-id="TJ4ItMo6eEo"></iframe></div><br />Listen... I just really like early '10s Maroon 5 songs. Kinda like Kelly Clarkson, I feel like they had some iconic songs in the early '00s with Songs About Jane & then had a bit of a resurgence in the early '10s. Payphone isn't currently near the top of my list in comparison to their other songs at the time, but it <b>was</b> one of my favorites at the time. </div><div><br /></div><div><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">10. Kesha- Die Young</span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"></span></p><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/NOubzHCUt48" width="320" youtube-src-id="NOubzHCUt48"></iframe></div><br />I mentioned in my first post that my best friend used to <b>LOVE</b> Kesha, and I also said that I like most of her songs, but that they blend together. And I somehow just totally forgot this one existed. But when I saw it on the list, I immediately was like <b>YES</b>. This was one of the Kesha songs that I really enjoyed more than the rest. Honestly, of her most popular songs, I think this one might be the best on a technical level. There are so many great, tight melodies that keep it fun and catchy. I really enjoy it. </div></div><div><br /></div><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">9. Gotye feat Kimbra- Somebody That I Used to Know</span></p><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/8UVNT4wvIGY" width="320" youtube-src-id="8UVNT4wvIGY"></iframe></div><br />The absolute biggest one-hit wonder of the 2010s! Honestly, I have no idea what Gotye or Kimbra have been up to since this was released, and I haven't really tried to figure it out, nor do I really care. Unsurprisingly, this is another song by an indie artist that got really popular, and that's a recipe for songs that I tend to really like. The minimalist track for this one is really iconic at this point-- it's instantly recognizable.</div><div><br /></div><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">8. Pink- Blow Me (One Last Kiss)</span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"></span></p><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/OQNpFzwhGfc" width="320" youtube-src-id="OQNpFzwhGfc"></iframe></div><br />Like I mentioned earlier in the post, I think of Pink and Kelly Clarkson songs in the same realm. Similarly, this is just a really solid pop song. It's not some groundbreaking, unique, fresh pop song, but it's got strong melodies, is well written, has a pop rock tinge and is just overall a really all-around solid song. And I really like songs like that. </div><div><br /></div><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">7. fun. feat. Janelle Monáe- We Are Young</span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"></span></p><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Sv6dMFF_yts" width="320" youtube-src-id="Sv6dMFF_yts"></iframe></div><br />One of the unfortunate things that has become a relic of the early '10s is fun. At the time, I was more of a casual pop listener and was more into alternative music, and although I usually enjoyed when alternative artists went mainstream, this was an exception. This was released in late 2011 and by the end of the year it was already so overplayed that I was already sick of it. I quickly turned around on it (for reasons we'll see later in this post) but I originally wasn't a huge fan. Now, although it's not my favorite song of the year, it's a definite standout. Nate's voice is instantly recognizable, and this is probably still to this day fun.'s most memorable song.</div><div><br /></div><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">6. Taylor Swift- We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together</span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"></span></p><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/WA4iX5D9Z64" width="320" youtube-src-id="WA4iX5D9Z64"></iframe></div><br />I hated this song. I hated this song so much. From the very first listen. Except... I didn't. This is one of those songs I <b>wanted</b> to hate so badly. It was cheesy and grating and childish, and yet I found myself really liking it. <b>I'M SORRY</b>. I'm just such a sucker for catchy melodies. And then my enjoyment of this song was just bolstered by the fact that it was released mere weeks before the end of my most significant relationship I'd had up to that point. So I found myself listening to this song <b>a lot</b>. Maybe it's stockholm syndrome, IDK. But this still holds a lot of nostalgia for me. </div><div><br /></div><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">5. Maroon 5- One More Night</span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"></span></p><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/fwK7ggA3-bU" width="320" youtube-src-id="fwK7ggA3-bU"></iframe></div><br />Although I don't keep up with Maroon 5 anymore, the early '10s were peak Maroon 5 for me. I liked their older stuff (Harder to Breathe remains my favorite Maroon 5 song of all time!), but every new single they released hit perfectly for me, and was on constant repeat until a new one was released. Or even past the next one, in this case, because this was one of my absolute faves. I'm always really weak for a song that's really rhythmically driven, while still having catchy hooks, and that's One More Night to a T. I'm not sure how much longer Maroon 5 will keep finding a place on this list, because this feels like we're about at their peak before their decline for me, but if this is the peak, at least it's a really great one. </div><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">4. Neon Trees- Everybody Talks</span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"></span></p><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/X5G9tIe84lE" width="320" youtube-src-id="X5G9tIe84lE"></iframe></div><br />Given that Animal was my #1 pick for the 2010 list, you had to know this would be making an appearance, right? While Everybody Talks was never quite able to live up to the standard set by Animal, it was a really great follow-up, even if it did sound like knockoff Animal. I loved it the first time, so I liked it the second time. Unfortunately, apart from Animal, its follow-up 1983, and Everybody Talks, none of their songs really stuck for me, and I never really kept up with their career past these releases.</div><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">3. Katy Perry- Wide Awake</span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"></span></p><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/fIiJ5l4GTU8" width="320" youtube-src-id="fIiJ5l4GTU8"></iframe></div><br />Wide Awake has always been one of Katy Perry's most perplexing singles for me. Among all of her mega-hits like Roar, Dark Horse, Teenage Dream, California Gurls, etc, Wide Awake has really faded into the background and seems like it was quickly forgotten about at the time, carrying forward to present day. But to me, it remains one of her best songs to date, and that's coming from someone who'll almost always take an up-tempo hype song over something more mid-tempo and vocally driven. It's just a really solid pop song, and one I wish had become one of her bigger hits in place of some of the other ones (although idk what I'm complaining about, it's hard to find a Katy Perry single I <b>dislike</b> from the early '10s)</div></div><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">2. Gavin DeGraw- Not Over You</span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"></span></p><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/jWJt05Arn4Y" width="320" youtube-src-id="jWJt05Arn4Y"></iframe></div><br />No matter how much my music horizons expand throughout the years, and how much my taste in music shifts wildly, I think I'll always have a soft spot for these singer-songwriter white-guy-with-guitar type songs. In a way, I hate that, but I can't deny that I love this song just as much now as I did back then. This, I Don't Want to Be, and In Love With a Girl are probably the only songs by him I've ever listened to, but I love all of them, and this is probably my favorite of the three.</div><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">1. fun.- Some Nights</span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"></span></p><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/kKDpnErSnOE" width="320" youtube-src-id="kKDpnErSnOE"></iframe></div><br />Based on the 2012 charts, I was falling in love with Some Nights at the same time that the rest of the country was falling in love with We Are Young (I remember WAY getting big in Dec. '11, but it apparently was charting high in spring '12? idk). Either way, I first heard Some Nights right before I took a trip over Spring Break, and it was practically the only thing I listened to the entire week. It was one of those songs where I heard it once, fell in love, and listened to it over and over and over on repeat. Not even until I was sick of it, because I truly never got sick of it. Some Nights is big. It's bold. It's powerful. And I love every single second of it. The harmonies, that pounding, stomping rhythm, everything. It's fantastic, and nearly 9 years later, I still love it just as much as I did the first time.</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>As always, let's jump into some of the songs that didn't make the list!</div><div><br /></div><div><b>Songs 2012 Kristen 100% would've included:</b></div><div><b>- Drive By by Train</b>- yeah... I liked Train. yikes. We all make mistakes.</div><div><b>- I Won't Give Up by Jason Mraz</b>- I prefer I'm Yours, but this one is still... fine. </div><div><b>- Wanted by Hunter Hayes</b>- I LOVED Hunter Hayes at the time, but this was one of my least favorite songs on his debut album. </div><div><b>- Drunk on You by Luke Bryan</b>- I hated how much I loved this song, but I <b>loved </b>it</div><div><b>- Good Girl & Blown Away by Carrie Underwood</b>-- I don't love her as much now, but Carrie Underwood was one of my favorite singers for a very long time.</div><div><b>- Pontoon by Little Big Town</b>- I hate how much I loved this song. Oof.</div><div><br /></div><div><b>And finally, the songs 2021 Kristen nearly included:</b></div><div>- <b>Starships by Nicki Minaj</b>-- tbh, the Pentatonix version is what made me first like it, but that's happened for a lot of songs now lol.</div><div><b>- What Makes You Beautiful and Live While We're Young by One Direction</b>- At the time, I was a whole alt music snob, but I lowkey liked One Direction, and I still kinda do. Although these aren't my favorite songs by them... we'll get there soon. </div><div><b>- It's Time by Imagine Dragons</b>- I have mixed feelings about Imagine Dragons, but I enjoyed this one. </div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><div>So, that's the list! As I mentioned, I hope to do one of these for each year of the 2010s. As seen already, it's been months since the last time I made one of these. So... we'll see when I make the next one. Although, the 2013 list looks really promising, so... you'll probably see me again soon.</div><div><br /></div><div>On the last one, I listed a few of my least favorite songs of the year here at the very end, and tbh there really aren't any that stand out to me as ones I really disliked in 2012, apart from Boyfriend. But we all hate Boyfriend. So... am I really saying much there? Thought not lol. </div><div><br /></div><div>Thanks for reading, and hopefully I'll be back soon with my 2013 list!</div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div>Kristen Brighthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16947782400794390038noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7835074222125929757.post-38092001319489538852021-01-01T12:00:00.028-06:002021-01-01T16:11:40.432-06:00RuPaul's Drag Race Season 13 Pre-Season Predictions<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguB6Gf40fUudPLw0c0GmfqY7cKFcfRKSGqMeLBRz5VXdDAnQv_uKMlvmBV_C6kvEjdqXC1JAKkqsgbs9habwuUq5jcrPbAzN3x1WV8l9pezHkRrM0uQ8lAY3syi-1g6K8GEzSlq62fizQ/s2000/drag+race+season+13+cast.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1125" data-original-width="2000" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguB6Gf40fUudPLw0c0GmfqY7cKFcfRKSGqMeLBRz5VXdDAnQv_uKMlvmBV_C6kvEjdqXC1JAKkqsgbs9habwuUq5jcrPbAzN3x1WV8l9pezHkRrM0uQ8lAY3syi-1g6K8GEzSlq62fizQ/w640-h360/drag+race+season+13+cast.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><span style="font-family: arial;"><p><br /></p><p>Long time, no see! </p></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">It's been a while since I've posted on this blog, let alone done a Drag Race-specific post, but here I am again, because I'm itching to talk about the 13 queens we'll be seeing on season 13. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">Admittedly, for quite a while after the announcement of the new season and cast, I paid the show absolutely <b>ZERO</b> mind, because I've got a bit of RPDR fatigue. I never finished the Canadian season (despite really enjoying it) and All-Stars 5, and I didn't go anywhere near that Las Vegas show they put out, or any of the recent international seasons. More and more, the show feels more rigged, overproduced, and stale. And because of that, the relentless barrage of new seasons no longer felt exciting and welcome, but rather... well... relentless lol. So, I fell off the bandwagon.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">But, finally, thanks to wanting to listen to an RHAP podcast about the cast, I dove into the Meet the Queens videos, and am finally hype for the new season and cast. And, because RHAP made a list ranking how they thought the queens would do, I did pre-season predictions again. And what fun are predictions without sharing them? </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">This will be formatted like my previous post predicting the placement of the Season 10 cast. I'll discuss the cast in alphabetical order & share how far I think they'll make it (going deep, middle of the pack, early boot, etc.). Additionally, because I always have to be extra, I also made a list simply ranking the queens from my favorite to least favorite, which I'll share alongside my discussion of each queen.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">I should also note that I'm well aware of the fact that there are spoilers out there. Usually, I'm all over the tea checker google doc, and I'm sure I'll find my way there before the end of the season. But, for now, I've got my blinders on!</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">Alright, enough rambling. Let's jump into the list so that I can make some more wildly inaccurate predictions, such as "I think I'm going to hate Monique Heart" and "Aquaria's an early-middle boot."</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-large;">Denali</span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMSOxqI53Q4MlCUAfEI4kbYyx3IOqaEpZx7c1015WhefBlwaTwtOVgTOLDn15WnrEP49kXnuqT2oNH_wwamgVbceqSfdJRaT2CT7dFYFvDcAIXLkcnQxHRx2-XcDsZ0kG1c3kFdClQ-6E/s2048/Denali.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1968" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMSOxqI53Q4MlCUAfEI4kbYyx3IOqaEpZx7c1015WhefBlwaTwtOVgTOLDn15WnrEP49kXnuqT2oNH_wwamgVbceqSfdJRaT2CT7dFYFvDcAIXLkcnQxHRx2-XcDsZ0kG1c3kFdClQ-6E/s320/Denali.jpg" /></a></div><p></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>Personal fave ranking: #12/13</b></span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: arial;">The meet the queens video I watched had them in alphabetical order, so Denali was the first queen I was introduced to, and she set the bar pretty high. She seems like a really polished queen and seasoned performer. However... she bored me. A lot of these queens either have a fantastic personality or an interesting, clear point of view, and Denali... didn't give me any of that. She feels like one of those so-polished-she's-boring queens. Think Brooke Lynn Hytes. Lights up on stage, but average otherwise. Denali also said she's concerned about Snatch Game, which fits right in with that idea. And if you're concerned about Snatch Game, <b>I'm</b> concerned with your ability to progress in this competition. Overall, she'll probably do really well, but won't be an audience fave.</span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>My Prediction: </b>Going Deep</span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-large; white-space: pre-wrap;">Elliott with 2 Ts</span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuUFvBKg7bzgBnG19yTEYWsnG2F1WkgeFHyH-N-CzrfLdP-tsuXUibOdcUzUxUWmfvsfca7tPAtA3ro_o6YAFXYj31P6iFAm9zPU_EgNmBJILA6kos7tt3_zCQa4LfrOaKrPZOtVi3yug/s2048/elliott+with+2+ts.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1919" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuUFvBKg7bzgBnG19yTEYWsnG2F1WkgeFHyH-N-CzrfLdP-tsuXUibOdcUzUxUWmfvsfca7tPAtA3ro_o6YAFXYj31P6iFAm9zPU_EgNmBJILA6kos7tt3_zCQa4LfrOaKrPZOtVi3yug/s320/elliott+with+2+ts.jpg" /></a></div><p></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>Personal fave ranking: #10/13</b></span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: arial;">I'm sorry if these first few discussions blend together, but that's how I felt about the first few queens while watching them. They all seemed polished, and I think they're going to do well, but they just did nothing for me. And although Elliott was more interesting to me than Denali, it wasn't by a lot. Being a trained dancer is always a plus, and like Denali, she also labeled herself as a performer. The RHAP team seemed to think she's going to be a villain, and I can see that now that they mentioned it, but it wasn't something I came out of her interview thinking. She seems a bit uppity, and a little introverted, so we'll see if that translates into a villain edit. Either way, I think her polish and performing ability is going to last her a long time, and if she's the villain, we might see her in that classic losing-finalist-villain spot. </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline;"></span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><b><br /></b></span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>My Prediction: </b>Going Deep</span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-large;">Gottmik</span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNFo8YaNYBC-3MmAW550U2DSlhrZSzhow4Is5iGfBFAM9WNw5rl6oJNrAhKG193Y2bUxijOsG5KcTcfexFokwVtLQoEdPZ-VWh0AcS3Daamny0yKpS09W4volU6ZL4grcOJo_oPHHcbAA/s2048/Gottmik.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1961" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNFo8YaNYBC-3MmAW550U2DSlhrZSzhow4Is5iGfBFAM9WNw5rl6oJNrAhKG193Y2bUxijOsG5KcTcfexFokwVtLQoEdPZ-VWh0AcS3Daamny0yKpS09W4volU6ZL4grcOJo_oPHHcbAA/s320/Gottmik.jpg" /></a></div><p></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>Personal fave ranking: #11/13</b></span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Again, apologies, but these first few really ran together for me. Which is a bit odd since Gottmik is kinda on the opposite end of the spectrum from the other 2-- trying to prove they're not just a look queen, but can also <b>perform</b>. I'm always skeptical when a queen says "I'm not JUST a ______ queen," because often, they are truly just what they're perceived to be</span><span style="font-family: arial;">. Will that be the case for Mik? We'll have to wait and see. Their paint is great, and the fashion seems on point as well. In the end, they're in the middle for me, simply because I just don't know what to do with them. They seem polished, but if they can't perform? That won't go well.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><b><br /></b></span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>My Prediction: </b>Middle of the pack</span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-large;">Joey Jay </span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: arial;"></span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNtrUa1fXSBIKwZgu4zx316Znj6xgzCGuHt9gdYW5nTKpV2hxWxZ3se2TODPvnP92cIcmoppu6tmjGmed6WNe3jQpIZcYan_o8UcmwsgrR-08pPPKFyg3sZzXxE506RX2fiLugifU6CrM/s2048/joey+jay.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="2007" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNtrUa1fXSBIKwZgu4zx316Znj6xgzCGuHt9gdYW5nTKpV2hxWxZ3se2TODPvnP92cIcmoppu6tmjGmed6WNe3jQpIZcYan_o8UcmwsgrR-08pPPKFyg3sZzXxE506RX2fiLugifU6CrM/s320/joey+jay.jpg" /></a></span></div><p></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: arial;"></span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>Personal fave ranking: #3/13</b></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><b><br /></b></span></div></div><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: arial;">When I first saw the cast, my eye immediately went to Joey, because I'm utterly predictable. Give me androgyny or give me death! And when I watched Joey's interview? LOVE. She's a bit ditzy and gives me a hint of Adore Delano vibes, which I love. <b>HOWEVER</b>, my hopes for her... are much lower. I feel like this is going to be my Dusty Ray Bottoms/Max/Milk. *<b>I*</b> love her, but she's probably an early boot, because Michelle hates when people have one signature feature, especially if it's weird. Michelle's going to bring up the lack of a wig until Joey goes home for it. I can already hear it. Add to that the fact that in the E1 preview, she didn't exactly get a favorable edit, and I'm really worried about her chances. </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><b><br /></b></span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>My Prediction: </b>Early boot</span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-large;">Kahmora hall</span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: arial;"></span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVcWiIcHYfprI0lsb9ptFUWXk5QOGJZ_2_DSw-nmlFHG3wszSg3CkusI76LpqE2ym2zzBekPDRaFtE2ClTvrNdZPeffZXr1-dBYWcF40hihEzPXW0AIaCIo9RHrL_OCYohZBN_dKPWyEo/s2048/Kahmora+Hall.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1912" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVcWiIcHYfprI0lsb9ptFUWXk5QOGJZ_2_DSw-nmlFHG3wszSg3CkusI76LpqE2ym2zzBekPDRaFtE2ClTvrNdZPeffZXr1-dBYWcF40hihEzPXW0AIaCIo9RHrL_OCYohZBN_dKPWyEo/s320/Kahmora+Hall.jpg" /></a></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>Personal fave ranking: #13/13</b></span></div><p></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: arial;">If Denali is boring, Kahmora is Nyquil. She's not a look queen, but she's also not a performance queen. She's a <b>glamour</b> queen. In the iconic words of Bianca Del Rio... What do you do successfully? We get basically 2 types of "seasoned," "legendary" queens on drag race-- 1- ones who make it to the end because they're multi-talented and good at everything, and 2- ones who fizzle out in a few weeks because they can't keep up with the competition. Given that I'm not sure how her drag translates into a competition like RPDR, I obviously think she'll be the latter. I'd love for her to prove me wrong, but so far I'm not impressed. While I don't think she's probably going to be the first boot, she's the queen I overall have the least faith in, and I feel fairly confident that she'll be gone by the 4th elimination, if not earlier.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><b><br /></b></span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>My Prediction: </b>Early boot</span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-large;">Kandy Muse</span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: arial;"></span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjonQNjcFgKsq8KAzQXSGrHuy7rVAVK8lZQwZ8-2nPTq9Aat0cQwBQcrH3NmKtiauEcXCcFuVoun7vfiMeNyoahA1leYWTvqeXpbo_7GJFAZ6H3Ca03MNg3BTUnw8_KYRN3V7zpTaUXkA4/s2048/Kandy+Muse.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1826" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjonQNjcFgKsq8KAzQXSGrHuy7rVAVK8lZQwZ8-2nPTq9Aat0cQwBQcrH3NmKtiauEcXCcFuVoun7vfiMeNyoahA1leYWTvqeXpbo_7GJFAZ6H3Ca03MNg3BTUnw8_KYRN3V7zpTaUXkA4/s320/Kandy+Muse.jpg" /></a></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b style="font-family: arial; text-align: left;">Personal fave ranking: #6/13</b></div><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: arial;">I have so many mixed thoughts on Kandy. Over the years, I feel like it's become pretty easy to peg the early boots/cannon fodder. I pegged Kalorie and Vanjie in my S10 post, and when last year's cast was released, Dahlia Sin stood out like a sore thumb. And maybe it's because they're from the same drag family, but I get that same vibe from Kandy. <b>HOWEVER</b>, my brain wants nothing to do with my gut reaction, and loved her in the interview & E1 preview, both as a competitor and as a person. She's funny and endearing, and although that definitely recalls Vanjie in my mind, Vanjie also made it to F5 in S11. I could see her being our endearing, rough-around-the-edges queen who makes it pretty far (ex: ChiChi, Adore, Heidi), but I can't completely ignore that immediate gut feeling that she could be cut early.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><b><br /></b></span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>My Prediction: </b></span></span><span style="font-family: arial;">Middle of the pack</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-large;">LaLa Ri</span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: arial;"></span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEixw71FK96GaYAHLCqKt3xrXJz1u1R2tGKLPbLdAY778fpdVKtoGsIwporQWNRIUuNdMZf8s6jQziuIm7pNnF31TFy8H4BvlsftuRzQdvQMmo9Cip0eit8NlYWfmzyYspAkMWtpnPy8s/s2048/LaLa+Ri.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="2005" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEixw71FK96GaYAHLCqKt3xrXJz1u1R2tGKLPbLdAY778fpdVKtoGsIwporQWNRIUuNdMZf8s6jQziuIm7pNnF31TFy8H4BvlsftuRzQdvQMmo9Cip0eit8NlYWfmzyYspAkMWtpnPy8s/s320/LaLa+Ri.jpg" /></a></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b style="font-family: arial; text-align: left;">Personal fave ranking: #5/13</b></div><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Why do I have the horrible feeling that all the people I love are going to completely tank?! I <b>LOVED</b> LaLa. She's so charismatic and warm, and I found myself smiling the entire time I watched her. But those red flags... GIRL. She's a baby queen, and unfortunately... you can tell. I felt like I could already hear Michelle's complaints in my head as I was watching the interview. I'm excited to see her perform, and I have a feeling I'll be seeing her lip sync sooner rather than later, unfortunately. </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><b><br /></b></span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>My Prediction: </b>Early boot</span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-large;">Olivia Lux</span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: arial;"></span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtQFBS2zcljW3V-cGcuJG5kZEpi2WdG2sAuQBXiHgCKs_KMeLa1iNdBugxD3BCQZCYtn5pzI4MXKvKckxOVpzY6Je5wTwmfl-nwQIBtplOtP7MAF-cx4TEGaxhapx6_ZuTedzchJOmQk8/s2048/Olivia+Lux.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1938" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtQFBS2zcljW3V-cGcuJG5kZEpi2WdG2sAuQBXiHgCKs_KMeLa1iNdBugxD3BCQZCYtn5pzI4MXKvKckxOVpzY6Je5wTwmfl-nwQIBtplOtP7MAF-cx4TEGaxhapx6_ZuTedzchJOmQk8/s320/Olivia+Lux.jpg" /></a></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b style="font-family: arial; text-align: left;">Personal fave ranking: #2/13</b></div><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Once again, a queen I loved. When she talked about getting her name from the Latin word for light, it completely made sense to me, because she completely lit up the room. She is the definition of charisma. However, when I was first ranking their potential placement, I put her near the bottom of the list, and I think that was me trying to combat my overwhelming love for her by being objective and taking that a few steps too far. Because she does have some potential negatives. She's a baby queen, even more than LaLa, which could definitely be a strike against her. But she doesn't <b>feel</b> like a baby queen. She could be a Valentina, for all we know! I know I'm going to love her, and I hope she turns it out and does well, but I'm erring on the side of caution for my prediction. Also... <b>she plays the piano!!!</b></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>My Prediction: </b></span></span><span style="font-family: arial;">Late Middle of the Pack</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"> </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-large;">Ros</span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #202124; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-large;">é</span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: arial;"></span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQeMTctdRtj3ZnN3RxHwESFV4bNnDibzhkj5NMF6UlkPZnVjozbmQahSLxsrFRvRY-tWTe0DB3AVwkby2IHZeBfH2fqAOCV6EjzUYXR4VUheF4E3NuAt_YwXYUEj5AoBMlzkGXKJeI6WA/s2048/Ros%25C3%25A9.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1978" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQeMTctdRtj3ZnN3RxHwESFV4bNnDibzhkj5NMF6UlkPZnVjozbmQahSLxsrFRvRY-tWTe0DB3AVwkby2IHZeBfH2fqAOCV6EjzUYXR4VUheF4E3NuAt_YwXYUEj5AoBMlzkGXKJeI6WA/s320/Ros%25C3%25A9.jpg" /></a></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b style="font-family: arial; text-align: left;">Personal fave ranking: #1/13</b></div><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Going into the Meet the Queens videos, I already had a couple of faves based solely on their aesthetic. Then, Rosé came in and busted through everyone, and I was pleasantly surprised, because I'd had pretty much zero impression of her before watching the video. And then, as I was listening to the RHAP podcast? The first thing they said: she is SMART. Oh. So I remain predictable. My favorite RPDR queens ever are Bob & Sasha, two incredibly intelligent NYC queens. Which is what Rosé is. So I guess I shouldn't be surprised. Brita was my pre-season fave last year. I have a type. She's also the <b>ONE</b> queen where my love of her matches how well I think she'll do. </span><span style="font-family: arial;">When she talks about being multi-faceted, I believe her. She's so self-assured and confident that I have full confidence in her too. </span><span style="font-family: arial;">I talk a lot about vibes, but she just gives off that vibe of someone who's here for the long-haul. </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>My Prediction: </b></span></span><span style="font-family: arial;">Going Deep</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-large;">Symone</span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: arial;"></span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2j_hPxIJy0yyZeJEdN6fpvTDEPau0Xfu2NzWNa3W5cx0SxxbjZ9jhDiylG-yjYPeb5knw6Nz02axhQADoQNiG39HyUMnSbST9-bkwD48OSNYAghu8dUIXhjWfY8BOW8W5PL4bizfKetU/s2048/Symone.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1605" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2j_hPxIJy0yyZeJEdN6fpvTDEPau0Xfu2NzWNa3W5cx0SxxbjZ9jhDiylG-yjYPeb5knw6Nz02axhQADoQNiG39HyUMnSbST9-bkwD48OSNYAghu8dUIXhjWfY8BOW8W5PL4bizfKetU/s320/Symone.jpg" /></a></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b style="font-family: arial; text-align: left;">Personal fave ranking: #7/13</b></div><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Although I have her at 7th on my personal faves, my "favorites" of the cast encompass literally 7/13 of the queens, so yes, Symone is one of my faves! Every time she speaks, she reminds me of the late, great ChiChi, both thanks to the accent and just how warm and endearing she is. But like... ChiChi once she got that coin, because Symone's looks... WOW. <b>THE HAIR</b> in the interview is fantastic. RHAP had her as their #1 pick, and while I'm sold on her, I don't think I'm quite as sold as them. We see the fashion, we see the personality, but I didn't get a great sense of how she's going to do at performing. She could be amazing, but I simply don't know based on the interview. </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>My Prediction: </b></span></span><span style="font-family: arial;">Late Middle of the Pack </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-large;">Tamisha Iman</span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: arial;"></span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEt4A7LPOpsNWMdqGykMeFA2dF-DM66YZ2d-dzGhTEO0Gu4q3EuRJkRZlX0tfQCCWY-GJAvsXow5JLQ4nCI08WYVuvBTkD3JsA8J-7UG9TFkpun1bKC0MI8BJ058rA7izyDhTAIgR9gSE/s2048/Tamisha+Iman.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1876" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEt4A7LPOpsNWMdqGykMeFA2dF-DM66YZ2d-dzGhTEO0Gu4q3EuRJkRZlX0tfQCCWY-GJAvsXow5JLQ4nCI08WYVuvBTkD3JsA8J-7UG9TFkpun1bKC0MI8BJ058rA7izyDhTAIgR9gSE/s320/Tamisha+Iman.jpg" /></a></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b style="font-family: arial; text-align: left;">Personal fave ranking: #8/13</b></div><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Once again, this is a queen that I have varied opinions on. On a personal level, although I liked her, nothing about her particularly stood out to me. This type of old school pageant queen is rarely one I gravitate toward. As I mentioned with Kahmora, we tend to get 2 types of seasoned queens, and I think Tamisha will be the opposite of Kahmora-- a queen whose vast skillset takes her far. She talks about designing and making all of her outfits, and she seems really polished and confident. However, there are little hints in there that give me pause and make me think she could be the other type of seasoned queen and a potential early boot. It probably doesn't help that the first RPDR queen she reminds me of is Jasmine Masters. However, I'm mostly sticking with my gut here. I was going to say she was going deep, but I'm realizing that there are many queens whose abilities I trust more than Tamisha's, so although I can envision her at the end, I've ended up hedging my bets just a bit.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>My Prediction: </b></span></span><span style="font-family: arial;">Late Middle of the Pack</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-large;">Tina Burner</span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: arial;"></span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJ_8Co30TCs2UCiEfqU2hxzo-nDqAMSo1bhL3DZCT7TsvHn7gRlN1iAE-0hs6qFwxl3KBRnhvngFEXfL_AOtQo3SQx8xZ41pev7JgDRkBAQz1HNwEeRr0ESfPQ1kIEpxP8iNNixijunoU/s2048/Tina+Burner.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1725" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJ_8Co30TCs2UCiEfqU2hxzo-nDqAMSo1bhL3DZCT7TsvHn7gRlN1iAE-0hs6qFwxl3KBRnhvngFEXfL_AOtQo3SQx8xZ41pev7JgDRkBAQz1HNwEeRr0ESfPQ1kIEpxP8iNNixijunoU/s320/Tina+Burner.jpg" /></a></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b style="font-family: arial; text-align: left;">Personal fave ranking: #9/13</b></div><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: arial;">I wanted to like Tina so much more than I did. When I first saw her, my immediate RPDR queen connection was Nina West, who remains one of my absolute favorites. But for me, as I continued watching her video, I felt like she was more of the watered-down version of Nina West and other campy queens we've seen, and a bit ho-hum in comparison to the rest of the cast. She's campy and funny, but not as much as some past campy queens. And Ru already doesn't tend to favor campy queens, especially their fashion. She seems to have a fun personality, but not as fun as some others on the cast. Usually, this type of queen is one I'd easily pencil in for the end game, but in Tina Burner's case, everything about her just screams average and middle of the pack, so that's where I'm placing her.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>My Prediction: </b></span></span><span style="font-family: arial;">Middle of the Pack</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-large;">Utica Queen</span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: arial;"></span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHFfZCcZaW2rlSym_Zq6iaM6R8mEHBtL7tG1a4CvzLjv-jD2s4kImTMdg5TOUdlC8__laL11h3jgqD78Et0Itt1DVOh0Cc0kq9D61IPsIq7U3lX0d4ES1tUAaSWw4NZwsgO6U8fra5Mws/s2048/Utica+Queen.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1781" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHFfZCcZaW2rlSym_Zq6iaM6R8mEHBtL7tG1a4CvzLjv-jD2s4kImTMdg5TOUdlC8__laL11h3jgqD78Et0Itt1DVOh0Cc0kq9D61IPsIq7U3lX0d4ES1tUAaSWw4NZwsgO6U8fra5Mws/s320/Utica+Queen.jpg" /></a></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b style="font-family: arial; text-align: left;">Personal fave ranking: #4/13</b></div><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: arial;">While watching Utica's interview, my opinion fluctuated wildly. At times, I found her endearingly quirky. At others, kinda annoying. Her quirkiness definitely felt very put on at first, and I think the more I felt she was genuinely an oddball, the more I warmed to her. As I've mentioned elsewhere, I always love the weird queens. I'm like a moth to light-- I just can't stay away. Add to that the fact that I looooved this look from Utica, and I'm sold on her. She talked about performing very briefly, and about how bizarre her performances are, so that gives me hope that she's not going to be a look queen who flounders in performances. Weird queens have a huge variety in placement, but often either win/go deep or are eliminated somewhere around the middle because they're simply too weird for the judges' taste. I hope Utica will be the former, and from what I've seen so far, I think she will be.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>My Prediction: </b></span></span><span style="font-family: arial;">Going Deep</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: arial;">So, those are my thoughts on the Season 13 cast! Usually, at this point, I'd make my winner pick and my pick for who I personally want to win, but I think I made it pretty clear that </span><span style="font-family: arial;">Rosé</span><span style="font-family: arial;"> is both lol. </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Looking at my predictions, I think this is the first time I hope I'm wrong, because my predicted "Going Deep" queens are looking rather milquetoast in comparison to the really fantastic queens of color that I'd prefer to watch all season. So, fingers crossed, I'm horribly incorrect!</span></p>Kristen Brighthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16947782400794390038noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7835074222125929757.post-26053862904367487902020-08-05T15:00:00.002-05:002020-08-05T15:00:05.424-05:00A Way-Too-Early Big Brother 22 Boot Order Prediction! <div style="text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="1280" height="288" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiBKXrHfhDX_dv7XiGmN2RGQ0cdzUTNkmEhQWk9H49JyBN_ZZrt8Gt6i2rVptzH9LN7THnk4pX2j1lVIfe7MrHsfog648jrQdf-FNwCvUegGUJtwiWBpaUmSLAW8qC6pZBLcCr2t7NJGU/w512-h288/bb22+cast+partial+best.jpg" width="512" /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Big Brother 22's premiere date is FINALLY upon us, so I thought it would be fun to create a way-too-early prediction for the boot order. And as I started doing that, I realized that in order to predict the boot order, I needed to first get some idea of how I think the alliances will shake out, at least in the early season. So that turned into this big, weird, conspiracy theory of a post that you're about to see here.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Obviously, we don't have the actual full cast list at this point. However, based on the current rumor mill on Twitter, I think the cast pictured below is our real cast, and my predictions will therefore be based on it. If even one person is different, that can shake up the dynamic, so hopefully this is accurate.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">I went through the cast, tried to make connections based on previous relationships, and have used that to create the predictions below. Pretty much all of my predictions on placement/ alliances are based on that prediction, so if I'm woefully wrong on that, I'm probably going to totally bomb on everything! But that'll make this post even more fun to look back on at the end of the season.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="554" data-original-width="1125" height="252" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjf8adNTzGP6WHG-DJwTkbRa0ugFe7wNO1myapNcF0Fi3g2OXEquaMKPojR33yl2YvV4bU4qgTuxzZEfMCiYVNVGwBw4RCd3EINzf_F7QuLNBsx6lcJChT-XQICyMHKVnTHBF2lvHjK13g/w512-h252/bb22+cast+evel+dick.png" width="512" /></div><div><br /></div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><font size="5"><b>General Alliance/House Structure Predictions</b></font></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div>Every year, we see a big majority alliance form in the first week of the competition, run things for a few weeks, and eventually break up. While trying to make connections between players, I ended up compiling just that-- an 8 person alliance built on what I believe to be some of the strongest pre-game friendships that will be <b>highly</b> combustible. Here's how I see it shaking out.</div><div><br /></div><div>I think that <b>Dani, Janelle, and Nicole F.</b> are the most well-connected people in the house, and they're also connected to each other. I could see <b>Keesha </b>joining up with them and the 4 of them pulling in <b>Kaysar, Cody, Da'vonne, and Memphis.</b> And here we see our immediate problem. Da'vonne & Nicole already played together, aligned with each other, and the alliance blew up. I think if they were proposed an alliance like this, they'd have trouble turning it down, but wouldn't trust each other and that would eventually be the end of the alliance. I'm not sure how the ensuing chaos would play out, but I'd love to see it happen. </div><div><br /></div><div><div>I say all this, but also based on his previous game, I know that <b>Tyler </b>tends to work with athletic players-- look at Level 6. They were the pretty people/ the popular kids/ the athletes. Which is essentially what my big majority alliance looks like-- the popular athletes and their previous allies. Tyler, and possibly <b>Christmas & Bayleigh</b> could definitely be somewhere in the mix with that group, and if the alliances shake out differently, they could be in there instead of people like Keesha and Memphis.</div></div><div><br /></div><div>I could also see an early all guys alliance forming between <b>Cody, Memphis, Tyler, and Enzo</b>. It'd probably be spearheaded by Enzo, who would likely be both the most expendable & the only one 100% committed to it, since everyone else has a pre-established friendship in the game.</div><div><br /></div><div>Another potential alliance I see are the moms/parents: <b>Dani, Janelle, D'avonne, Christmas, maybe Enzo?</b> I think this just further solidifies my thoughts on that majority alliance, tbh.</div><div><br /></div><div>And then there are the misfits: <b>Kevin, Nicole A, Ian, and David. </b>They were misfits on their original seasons & seem to be the same on this one as well. We always get some misfits going deep in the game and others getting cut because someone wants to not get blood on their hands, and I think this cast is no different. <b>Full disclosure: I have not seen Kevin's season. I'm basing my opinion on him on what I know/have heard about him from BB discourse!</b> There are very few seasons I haven't watched, and 11 is one of them. (Full list: 5, 7 (bc I haven't finished 5), 9, 11)</div><div><br /></div><div>So, those are my broad alliance predictions, now on to my actual prediction for the boot order! </div><div><b>Note</b>: they're divided into categories-- pre-jury, early jury, late jury, F2. The categorization is more important than where I've specifically placed them on the list, but I have tried to roughly order them too.</div><div><br /></div><div><div style="text-align: center;"><font size="6"><b>Boot Order Predictions</b></font></div></div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><font size="6">Pre-Jury</font></div><div style="text-align: center;"><font size="5"><br /></font></div><div style="text-align: center;"><font size="5">Ian</font></div><div style="text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2000" data-original-width="1333" height="328" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidjGgSEVG0YsGJSvnLeQ1AWxltSDoB91VW0I-xHDaKAWRC2-bhcisjrbcvQ0tL5oy2eGksZTcc432Lt3Afu83mRasgAJc8FZ8nx666_7dqL-J81oDks27Ztk3kpBAMNshodyKdm7i57NQ/w219-h328/ian.jpg" width="219" /></div></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">I really hate that I've had to put Ian in this spot, but it just makes the most sense. I think he's a really easy first boot. And if not him, then the person I have directly below him on here. First, he's one of the least well-connected members of the cast. He played with Janelle, but they weren't close, and I think she's actually more likely to target him than to work with him. He's also kinda been out of the BB community for a little while. And on top of that, he's a <b>winner</b>. And on top of <b>that</b>, he was nearly the first boot on his original season because of how awkward he was. Unfortunately, he's just not in a great spot going into this game.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b>Potential upside to get him further:</b> I think if he manages to survive the first few evictions (potentially by forming an underdogs alliance?), lock him in for the late game. Especially since there are a lot of strong underdog/misfit players-- they just have to be able to come together and form something quickly. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><font size="5">David</font></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="531" data-original-width="425" height="272" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuftflr1GLmuEisDeOl1L_Dnr-7Nej4hjoX-cG9o4ORIcvHMDZjzDp4Q3nzQH9HW5k_U6VFCT7mnhqj-eTujqe7OBJbq73WBEYfp3sXtDJ3Uki1HFavTyHnUE6TgB3K2qZ2sG_4q9bEKE/w218-h272/david.jpg" width="218" /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Unfortunately, David also isn't in a great position going into this game either. Sure, he's got Nicole A from his season as a potential ally, but she's also a bit of a misfit in this cast. He also was already the first boot last season, which I think makes him a really easy target if one of the first HOHs doesn't want to make a big move and get blood on their hands. That said, we've barely seen him play, and I do think he has the potential to be a capable player-- I just don't have any proof for that.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div><b>Potential upside to get him further:</b> If he can quickly get himself in a better spot than last time. He's really likable, personable, and perceptive. I think if he can bond with people quickly before someone tries to go for an easy first boot, he has the potential to go much further.</div><div><br /></div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><font size="5">Enzo</font></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="426" height="328" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjWUl2bOOKkjgHlnPmcteK1mnUAI0cAmfwUVdIMljmD_WALYbMqaHX9cBS07vG8MsnONV9GiG66CJ_ktwLF5bsHPMrnT8ohxL1MA9IF1GU2zVLC6z2adv-vfIgSwtQ8TrlDJkDN6zyvUs/w218-h328/enzo.jpg" width="218" /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">As much as I think Enzo had a really great social game in BB12, I'm not sure where he finds his footing in this cast (he's one of the least connected) and could easily see him going out early. I see him as someone whose best-case scenario is getting into an all-guys alliance like the Brigade & I'm not sure how strong of a game he can play outside of that. And pretty much ALL of the other guys (especially the ones he'd try to work with) have a pre-established stronger female ally. So any loyalty to a potential all guys alliance would be weak. I could see him trying to form something with Tyler, Cody, and Memphis, but I think Enzo would be the clear odd man out of that alliance & therefore the easiest to cut. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b>Potential upside to get him further:</b> If he could get in good with the old-school/parent players, I think he could find a decent footing. It just depends on if he can work with them.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="font-size: x-large;">Kaysar</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="357" data-original-width="300" height="286" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUkWUaudhZ8XUwJ14w9OSs6pS3hP2vTZeHQd10tRckWl1EA4U5cguNpJUJNzUv0EQY7yw5hNmaQ1YXZletDRzf5c0VQy4nb4O3lBnx3PJ7pdMKVylXDs8bhRsdmWOEErfVfHhkXVYJMHo/w240-h286/kaysar.jpg" width="240" /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">I mean... he's never made it to jury, so why predict anything different? I'm mostly kidding, but in all seriousness, he's one of the people I'm most excited to see back. TBH, I think his biggest strength and biggest weakness are both <b>Janelle</b>. Janelle is really well connected in this cast, which I think will help him to a good position early on. However, she's also one of the 3 biggest targets in this cast, and I think anyone not aligned with her will be gunning for her and her allies immediately. Kaysar could easily get caught in the crosshairs, especially if Janelle saves herself by winning a comp-- which is more likely than not.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div><b>Potential upside to get him further:</b> If Janelle makes it a few weeks and then gets cut pre-jury. That gives him enough time to get integrated into whatever alliance she brings him into, but also removes the player putting the biggest target on his back. Once she's gone, he could be seen as alone and weak, and his likability could bring him far. </div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div></div><div style="font-size: x-large;">Janelle</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="357" data-original-width="300" height="286" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgSFyFD8NglT0hHixPDBuDXOlZZ1AqwbSvZMcfZthiMhVTpR075kE-JT4S-bLzjWJiKXkLysxiBAIktCRKGJq99GV6yPd_at7BgFOeO7BK2llemoZJVFep5fBPJUQXuKNfxl2klWYFH_c/w240-h286/janelle.jpg" width="240" /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">I find it hard to see Janelle making jury in this season, even though I think she's one of the most well-connected players in the cast. I see her, Daniele, and Tyler as the most obvious threats on the board. I think she has a lot of potential allies, and could be the one to create the initial majority alliance, but that just makes her target bigger to the misfits. And a misfit <b>always</b> wins HOH early in the season. The way I see the house aligning in the pre-jury phase, Tyler is probably floating between the misfits and the majority alliance, so a misfit would be unlikely to target him, which makes Janelle #1 on the board. Regardless of if my majority alliance vs misfits thing happens, Janelle is going to be a huge target for anyone <b>not</b> aligned with her. Of the 3 biggest targets, I think she's the least strategically sound, and although she's a comp beast, if they block her from playing in the veto by backdooring her, she could easily be out pre-jury.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b>Potential upside to get her further:</b> If her allies are really loyal and she wins a bunch of comps. I'm not sure I see another way for her to get much further than this. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: center;"><font size="6">Early Jury</font></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">Daniele</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="894" data-original-width="596" height="328" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEik0jxDaGFfXP7TmS6UG5c7bms-8o8CSm1w6kJnsb65T9bkOUT0ppc9fQbwJBHsXHD8cHqCZFBS5x7W9HSNVPinm6k2jvAlIZDt1Ek0J4TKXldKIoTcC3uCKHfViCjka7U6Lk98SAGlyfc/w219-h328/daniele.jpg" width="219" /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Like Janelle, I see Daniele as one of the biggest targets and threats on this cast list. She's an iconic early-season player and she's known as a comp beast. Everyone loves Dani. Personally, I find her a bit overrated, because I don't think her strategic game is <b>that </b>great, and I place much more importance on that than on comp wins. Season 13, she abandoned her returnees alliance in favor of the much weaker newbies because she liked them more. She can definitely be too emotional of a player. Regardless, I think that Janelle will be a bigger threat than her, and I think they'll end up aligned or at least on the same side of the house, so I think Janelle will be out before her. And compare her to Tyler, the other big threat, I think he's a more capable, maneuverable player while also being good at comps. So I think he outlasts her.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div><b>Potential upside to get her further:</b> Ditto Janelle. If her allies are really loyal and she wins a bunch of comps. I'm not sure I see another way for her to get much further than this. </div></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div></div></div><div style="font-size: x-large;">Memphis</div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-size: x-large; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="700" height="328" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEtD3Ezq4n-t7EM3KZtU_LjgX5ZVW_TiclWsEUB7f_O9_xcm_EDz5tmIgEbeq9RbwARrhyphenhyphenx9wkkJIpkzMx_FzuOvJTZhAIgEh6xJxO8Y71ijzGxIgcbkVXrs1eE2Iqhe2nnfxnsAaa4ss/w229-h328/memphis.jpg" width="229" /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">For the early jury phase, I've chosen people I think will be seen as threats within their alliances, or the strongest of a pair, etc. Memphis and Keesha will be seen as a duo, and if one's going to get targeted first... it's gonna be Memphis. That said, I see Memphis as someone with a wide range of placements. He could be out early because he's a physical threat and not well connected, he could float through jury and make it almost to the end, or he could make it to the finale again. Memphis is a really hard one to peg down. But given the position I think he'll be in, I think this is a decent prediction.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><b>Potential variances:</b> honestly, literally anything could happen to shift his placement in a different direction. You could visit me from the future and tell me literally any placement claiming it's the one he got on BB22, and I'd be like "yeah, that checks out."</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-size: x-large; text-align: center;"><br /></div></div><div style="font-size: x-large;">Bayleigh</div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-size: x-large; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="531" data-original-width="425" height="272" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_zytN3bqo5bs3pLKZrQDW3S3h4SbG_tiJQu29dQhWegLg8x98yS4SOp7pUiXURXJ68lSXXKXovLZMVncfJz8TBuq6_g4HYI45vAWuOi9fnmmHcADyMCJ9AST5m5Z-7pPmKLrGcC4YDmk/w218-h272/bayleigh.jpg" width="218" /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">Bayleigh is like Memphis for me in the fact that I could see her placing absolutely anywhere on this list depending on how well she does in comps and how the alliances shake out. I think she showed a decent ability for the game in BB20 despite aligning with the weakest players in the house and making a few fatal blunders along the way. I think if she can position herself well and be non-threatening on the comps, she can make a pretty decent run. Otherwise, she might get cut in the first half of the season, whether due to not forming a strong enough alliance, playing too hard, or telling the opposing alliance about the secret power that she has. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><b>Potential variances: </b>again, ditto memphis. I kinda already laid this out in the previous paragraph.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div></div></div><div style="font-size: x-large;">Christmas</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="531" data-original-width="425" height="272" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoO1Vjp8UXs0yo7PgoK2xPPIwNp4lCDpWpjzTjDw87dP2nF4Q8nnupQu03yo4cf-4ZlwdDue8Cg52NGElwrToAJQtCaAQEc2CT05651kJTWICVuf7YDh_WrQinFmFrscMKryxftso13mU/w218-h272/christmas.jpg" width="218" /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Christmas. Why? I was a bit confused when I saw Amber was in the mix, but... CHRISTMAS? TBH, if Amber is in instead of Christmas, I think she's 100% in that majority group with Cody/Nicole, and that might change the structure of the group. But Christmas is the one who's more heavily rumored, so she's the one I'm talking about. I think she'll be just physically threatening enough and just on the outs enough that she'll make it to somewhere around mid-jury before getting cut because of her competition abilities. Then again, we haven't really ever <b>actually</b> seen her competition abilities, so... who knows. Maybe she's actually awful at them. Probably not, but it's possible.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div><b>Potential variances:</b> If she comes out of the gate swinging immediately and can't find strong allies, she might get picked off by the majority alliance pre-jury. On the flip side, if she's as much of a dud as she was on 19, she could end up making it all the way to the end as a goat. </div><div><br /></div></div><div style="font-size: x-large;"><br /></div><div><div><font size="6">Mid to Late Jury</font></div><div><span style="font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: x-large;">Kevin</span></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="531" data-original-width="425" height="272" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjm68gwZ-GdOCyenbwDo_jOK4hRpMB4b5-W6oPRWBlxdghp8Zm0SzRHe7Bze6C6vtOeIXc3anXNcV4SA4bGMN7fx6kz-IzTKb6pXUqpHW0Lvn1vkv-68dt1p6kC4XeFaG74Hytsyd2uuKY/w218-h272/kevin.jpg" width="218" /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">As I mentioned, I've never seen Kevin's season, so my opinions on him are based on BB discourse. I think that if/when my hypothetical majority alliance combusts, Kevin is someone Da'vonne might try to pick up. TBH, she might just do that regardless week 1. Despite that, though, I think he's someone who's already a bit of a misfit on top of the fact that he's not well connected to this cast. However, it's my understanding that that's also the position he was in for a good chunk of his own season, and he managed to survive all the way until final 3. And possibly would have been the winner had he made it to final 2. So he's used to being an underdog and being able to survive through the game as an underdog. Additionally, because of his underdog status, not many people remember him at all, let alone remember him for being a particularly strong player. So he's one of the players coming in with the absolute smallest target on his back, despite proving to be (according to podcasters whose opinions I trust) the best player on his season. It seems to me like he got a centimeter in season 11. If you give him an inch, he might be able to take the whole mile.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div></div></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b>Potential variances:</b> He could end up in the Ian/David spot if he gets unlucky. I think a lot of his danger will be early on when he's likely struggling to make allies and seen as an easy person to evict. However, I think a lot of the misfits on this cast are strong strategic players, so if they can form something early... that would be really great to watch.</div><div style="font-size: x-large;"><br /></div><div style="font-size: x-large;">Tyler</div><div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-size: medium; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYahhwTPB_sQngBLfYNHxUINSe5nErZ2_qwjUHgVonBeRcjkus6gzF7W4jEC1Lc-YHcPA2zj59XfAghrREXbkY2yBYrADdF8b-7Qpd6YbtjYPgkpa9PrRnazUmNnJATnX6n8xmu-QHfoc/s531/tyler.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="531" data-original-width="425" height="272" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYahhwTPB_sQngBLfYNHxUINSe5nErZ2_qwjUHgVonBeRcjkus6gzF7W4jEC1Lc-YHcPA2zj59XfAghrREXbkY2yBYrADdF8b-7Qpd6YbtjYPgkpa9PrRnazUmNnJATnX6n8xmu-QHfoc/w218-h272/tyler.jpg" width="218" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">As a self-proclaimed Tyler stan, it hurts a bit to be putting him anywhere except the finale. And if I'm honest with myself, my gut still says he could make a fantastic run at it and end up winning, because I have that much faith in his ability to play this game. But the biggest downside to his game is the same one I see, and the players will see. He's a huge threat. He's far and away the best player on this cast. Period. He ran circles around his BB20 houseguests, and although he bungled the ending a bit, he still played a great game. But everyone knows that now. Including the houseguests. People will be gunning to get him out, and he doesn't come in with many pre-established allies. TBH, I probably should be putting him in early jury, or even pre-jury. But my gut and my opinion on his BB20 game tell me that he has the chops to survive the target on his back. I think he's got a good enough social game that he will be able to maneuver between what I believe the alliances will be. It's the game he played last time, but if you've got someone who's seemingly on your side, you're probably going to think twice about trying to cut him. And that's why his game works so well. Will he be able to last this far? I think so, but I could be wrong.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><b>Potential variances: </b>Another high-variance player. He could be out early due to his threat level, or he could be a strong enough player to make it all the way to the end. I'm betting more on the latter, but I wouldn't be shocked at the former either.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div></div></div></div><div style="font-size: x-large;">Nicole A</div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-size: x-large; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMt3DFLSoXDBPcg6BopTs9Y3hcc_FZ_ic8E1quB_yzlxpdYAALQpS7cSwtBPKFYeFlmFkOXeTvRzElckh415Zth_tntcg9E28MnNgloPeHI_5VvoEtW0KtnW6XeKTUzXPXKVOn9Kt56fM/s531/nicole.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="531" data-original-width="425" height="272" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMt3DFLSoXDBPcg6BopTs9Y3hcc_FZ_ic8E1quB_yzlxpdYAALQpS7cSwtBPKFYeFlmFkOXeTvRzElckh415Zth_tntcg9E28MnNgloPeHI_5VvoEtW0KtnW6XeKTUzXPXKVOn9Kt56fM/w218-h272/nicole.jpg" width="218" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">Although she's positioned to potentially be a misfit on this cast again, we've already seen that she's able to maneuver her way to the end in a position like that. She also has stronger potential allies this time around. And she's not coming in with a huge strategic target on her back. She wasn't seen as a mastermind, she wasn't seen as a comp threat-- she's known for winning America's Favorite Houseguest because she was the bright spot in an otherwise problematic season. So sure, maybe that might make her a social threat to some people, but she also didn't have a ton of long-lasting allies in the game last time either, so people probably won't consider her a social threat either. All that said, however, she did definitely have a very sneaky game in BB21 before her spot was blown up. She's proven that she does have some decent strategic chops, and if they underestimate her, she could make it all the way to the end again.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><b>Potential variances:</b> She could be out early because she's a misfit who's seen as too likable. On the flipside, though, she could play a really lowkey game and make it all the way to the end. I think she's personable and likable enough to get in good with people and get far. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div></div></div><div style="font-size: x-large;">Keesha</div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-size: x-large; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="450" data-original-width="360" height="288" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyRi2rsME-8LYheHXHflfkcQamWoQ_OqD6iEMntVwZyQs3JF_qWc-krKw1RXD5qU0nIrZd_5DjvrZdGhtDjsKdtA7OUWJEedFit-HnY9uLTcE6wZO261xtgho2nUptF_4u7z5j9IHptZk/w230-h288/keesha.jpg" width="230" /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">Keesha's kinda got the whole package here. As a more old-school player, she's been a part of the community a long time and therefore is pretty well-connected. She and Da'vonne especially seemed to get along well in the interactions they've had, which is a major reason I've mentioned them as likely being aligned this season. Furthermore, she comes in without a reputation for being a gamer. If anything, people remember Keesha's birthday more than they remember any of her actual gameplay. She's also there with Memphis, who she worked with in her own season. She's likable, so she'll probably be able to bond with the players she doesn't know. And she's also a capable player who made it near the end on her first season. And I think she'll be able to do that again. She also befriended some of the misfit players in her original season, so if she could do that again while still being well-connected? That might be a deadly combination!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><b>Potential variances: </b>She got in some infamous fights in BB10, and although she aligned with women early on in the season, that alliance blew up, with tons of fights in the process. If she aligns with women again this season, like I think she's positioned to, history might repeat itself, and this time she could be on the opposing end of it. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div></div></div><div style="font-size: x-large;">Da'vonne</div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="531" data-original-width="425" height="272" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_GgE_h4qtew40wGY46T1K4WgudKQAeoL3qVyMAltlclH9VL85MoSo8eo78s0s4LQy6VhOyZzFVb4mXWblueQrzQKxF2e43UxjTZtrwvOzU9rrqdpy26Hpct9jiN31BrJhaVQczRXD8Lg/w218-h272/davonne.jpg" width="218" /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">I'm really surprising myself with how high I'm predicting Da'vonne will get. I'm not necessarily putting the jury members in order, but I do think she has the potential to go a lot further than she has before, which is why I've put her in this section of the list. I think that she's one of the most well-connected players in the game. She's positioned to be able to have allies immediately and form a majority. And she's a gamer. She's there to play, and she wants to win. And apparently, she's gotten really physically fit for The Challenge, which will be really helpful due to how physical recent competitions have become. The only problem is... Da'vonne. Both of her previous seasons, her mouth got her in trouble. And the highest she's gotten is the first jury member. But if there's a season where I think she's positioned to do better, I think it's this one. I think she comes in with more of a reputation as a character than as a good strategist, and I think that will be a benefit to her. Furthermore, I think the people she's going to align with early on will be much bigger targets than her, so once some of them are gone and her alliance falls apart again, if she's still there, she might be able to pick up some misfits or rally together any alliance members she still has.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><b>Potential variances: </b>She's in a good position within this cast, but that all depends on her ability to remain calm & level-headed and not get herself into hot water. If she can do that, she can go far.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: center;"><font size="6">Finale Night-- F2</font></div></div></div><div style="font-size: x-large;"><br /></div><div style="font-size: x-large;">Nicole F</div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-size: x-large; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="531" data-original-width="425" height="272" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdYhKMby1hjKU50mP179UXmeWREey0lb-z5pks60XDqsXkEN7hcpI-dWn_oBj0BhJ2tSxtFjiktqnDGomAHepviHNYE9A_EKAhkPCpkaQ3RRu6ds96fY2tA0hzXBb-5P8TJkCrtiptWSE/w218-h272/nicole+f.jpg" width="218" /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">All pre-season jokes aside, I think Nicole Franzel is in a really good spot going into this season. She's got a lot of friends on this cast, and they're from a variety of eras of the show. I mean, the two I see her most strongly aligned with are probably Dani and Cody, who on their own probably wouldn't end up working together. Despite being a winner, Nicole probably won't be seen as a threat. Sure, she won, but her game's not super respected by the community. She's that player who's better than you think she is, and will likely be underrated both by the fans and by her fellow houseguests. She's also really likable, at least to her fellow houseguests. So I see her as someone coming in with a really good chance at doing really well again.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><b>Potential variances:</b> She's a winner. If people in the house actually respect her game, she could definitely be targeted, and then it would come down to how well connected she truly is to the people around her. </div></div></div><div style="font-size: x-large;">Cody</div><div style="font-size: x-large;">(my winner pick!)</div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-size: x-large; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="531" data-original-width="425" height="272" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8fxG-_5kF7U_h7oDdz0FCdZ5ZXNfisXCqfEL5sBdwri3kmA7tMRvJXew6uqsCt_z6rxiVi01YPD6LLIoyE-LioF4Q_FJc1JmyZv33X01WtWhyxtbhjEE1KtzFm1RI3R9ziZhwFxocA9w/w218-h272/cody.jpg" width="218" /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">Before taking a good long look at this cast, I honestly kept forgetting Cody was on it. But as I compared them all to each other, he started really standing out. He's going to do well at competitions, he's got a great social game, and he's a solid strategist. He's basically the total package. And he has all of that wrapped in the nice bow of "the guy who made the worst move in Big Brother history." I think Cody's going to be massively underrated by the other houseguests. Because he's known for that one move, that massive blunder that cost him the game. But otherwise, he was actually a really solid, well-rounded BB player. If he took Victoria, he won 500K and today he'd be seen as a mid-tier winner. Period. I think the houseguests won't remember how strong of a game he played until that point, and therefore he'll be able to fly under the radar. Add to that his connection to Nicole F, who's connected to a huge portion of the cast? I think he's sitting pretty in this cast. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><b>Potential variances:</b> At some point, he'll probably be seen as a physical threat, which could get him into hot water. It also depends on how the alliances eventually shake out. I think women are going to be power players this season, and if he ends up on the wrong side of an all girls power alliance? Watch out, dude.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">So, with a few hours left to go before Big Brother 22: All Stars 2 premieres, this is my official prediction, and I'm locking in my winner pick as Cody Calafiore. My <b>heart</b> is not with Cody-- if I'm honest, my heart is right where it's always been alongside our superfans Tyler, Nicole A & Ian. But based on how I see the season playing out in my weird conspiracy theory, Cody's my pick. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">Thanks for reading! Let me know your own winner picks & predictions down in the comments!</div></div></div></div>Kristen Brighthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16947782400794390038noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7835074222125929757.post-8246713222429966792020-07-20T11:00:00.001-05:002020-07-20T11:00:02.352-05:00Ranking all of Danganronpa V3's Cases/TrialsHey everyone, it's time for another Danganronpa ranking!<br /><br />In my last 2 Danganronpa posts, I ranked the cases in <a href="https://fromkristensbrain.blogspot.com/2020/03/ranking-all-of-danganronpa-trigger.html" target="_blank">Trigger Happy Havoc</a> and <a href="https://fromkristensbrain.blogspot.com/2020/05/ranking-all-of-danganronpa-2s.html" target="_blank">SDR2</a>, so now it's time to rank the cases in Danganronpa V3! Although the ranking for this one wasn't quite as competitive as the ranking for SDR2, it was still pretty competitive and there were definitely a few placements I was tempted to change. V3 has some really unique and twisty trials.<br /><br />If you have no idea what Danganronpa is, don't go any further, because this post <b>will</b> contain spoilers for the entire trilogy!<br /><br />I mentioned this in the last posts, but I'll repeat it before jumping into the ranking:<br />I mostly see people talk about ranking the trials, which are definitely part of this, but in this ranking, I'm ranking the cases as a whole. So basically I'm focusing more on the mystery, how interesting it was to investigate and solve, how complicated it was, etc. Things like the trial being long/dragged out and the mechanics of the trial aren't things I have too much interest in discussing, so they're not things that will really come into play on this ranking.<br /><br />Without further ado, let's jump into the list!<br /><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span><font size="5"><b>6- Case #2- Ryoma's Murder</b></font></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhWQhLOsmIIZJdXy8UDy3JJBaT7zI8HKfIlaPrHGoEoqgygBJs59TmtkisOtU-b3Wnx4XS2ZSJiK855YLllpVF6JiITKVVKyLgKLEr6f0Onj1fl53ohBAr0saIVHI7HBwc_Rl3vaeXLsw/s1280/ryoma+death.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="1280" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhWQhLOsmIIZJdXy8UDy3JJBaT7zI8HKfIlaPrHGoEoqgygBJs59TmtkisOtU-b3Wnx4XS2ZSJiK855YLllpVF6JiITKVVKyLgKLEr6f0Onj1fl53ohBAr0saIVHI7HBwc_Rl3vaeXLsw/w400-h225/ryoma+death.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div>Honestly, when compared to the other two games, it was <b>much</b> easier to choose my least favorite trial for V3. Not because this case is <b>that</b> bad, but rather because all of the other cases of the game are just leaps and bounds better than this one, so it gets easily & very obviously left in the dust. Yes, even by case 3. I said what I said. <div><br /></div><div>Ryoma's murder is just really forgettable within the grand scheme of V3 for me. It gets lost in the shuffle among all of the other huge cases throughout the game. Kirumi is one of the least notable killers and has one of the most random-seeming motives, and while Ryoma has inspired tons of memes post-game, he's also not one of the most memorable characters within the game either. Furthermore, although the piranhas and the magic show are an interesting element for the case, the case is honestly pretty straightforward in comparison to the other cases in V3. If it were in... Trigger Happy Havoc, for example, it might have been ranked a lot higher, but the V3 list is really competitive, so it's at the very bottom. <br /><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span><font size="5"><b>5- Case #3- Angie & Tenko's Murders</b></font></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7fp2IAqO6zraJWXkjJ3RWngTcobmVUz_riSs6u9zQkNOXMCyH9xUPVcv8916xpMZDN2VZIK71ivxTmjit7UBe82FwVsA9cMaadK1QjGtkYCNtjU-ssQz4hvXzQGY93EQT5nx5O7R3hyphenhyphenQ/s500/2kokichi+it%2527s+a+lie.gif" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="281" data-original-width="500" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7fp2IAqO6zraJWXkjJ3RWngTcobmVUz_riSs6u9zQkNOXMCyH9xUPVcv8916xpMZDN2VZIK71ivxTmjit7UBe82FwVsA9cMaadK1QjGtkYCNtjU-ssQz4hvXzQGY93EQT5nx5O7R3hyphenhyphenQ/w400-h225/2kokichi+it%2527s+a+lie.gif" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div>Although it's in 5th place, I'm very firmly a V3 case 3 defender and wanted <b>so badly</b> to put this higher on the list. Because the investigation of case 3 is possibly my favorite part of V3 overall. The seance sequence, followed by Tenko's murder and Kokichi subsequently pretending to be dead is one of the most compelling sequences of events in the entire series for me. However, there's the obvious downside of the fact that this is also one of the most <b>stupid</b> cases, motives, and killing methods in the entire series. So that tips it in the other direction... much like a <b>SeEsAW.</b></div><div><b><br /></b></div><div>Ugh, the seesaw. And the fact that Tenko was murdered in general. It's all just so... dumb. Look, I get why Kiyo felt the need to kill as many people as possible for Sister, but that doesn't stop me from thinking it's a really stupid motive for the writers to create for his character. And on top of that, Kiyo is <b>so obviously</b> the killer, to the point that you almost want to write him off because he's <b>so</b> obvious. And on top of <b>all </b>of that, we also miss out on what could've been a really cool opportunity. The game presents us with the option of there being two killers... just for there to only be 1 killer. That's such a flagrant violation of the concept of Chekov's Gun. Don't dangle the idea of multiple killers right in front of us if you don't intend to actually give it to us!</div><div><br /></div><div>The final piece of this case, and the final thing that makes me want to move this up the list... the development it gives to Himiko. One of the reasons I love case 2-2 is because it gives my favorite character, Fuyuhiko, the start to his redemption/growth arc. Similarly, 3-3 gives Himiko her own growth arc. She finally begins to pull herself out of inaction and is inspired by Tenko's last words to her to show her emotions and express how she feels. The more times I experience this case, the more I grow to love Himiko, for this exact reason. <br /><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span><font size="5"><b>4- Case #6- Rantaro's Murder pt. 2</b></font></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYJLSSb8VqTP2Dn0yxglLYVhXKhyKotZRf2IHAYfy8R3MSmVIqAyFl9eRE5BcCnhEhMank588iHWVXmgF-ul7eq22ZHK_upqx2w_BXE3GXee17NP50ay5FO8baL2IZw8pa2tIGKABiAIg/s1920/6shuichi3.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1920" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYJLSSb8VqTP2Dn0yxglLYVhXKhyKotZRf2IHAYfy8R3MSmVIqAyFl9eRE5BcCnhEhMank588iHWVXmgF-ul7eq22ZHK_upqx2w_BXE3GXee17NP50ay5FO8baL2IZw8pa2tIGKABiAIg/w400-h225/6shuichi3.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div>Of the 3 final cases, this is the one I have the most mixed opinions on. Firstly, to get my interpretation of it out of the way, I firmly believe that Tsumugi was lying about several of the aspects of the trial. I don't believe that they were really these soulless, messed up potential killers before being given their in-game personalities. I think the prologue pretty handily proves that on its own. Past that, however, I think her lies are a bit harder to parse through. I view Trigger Happy Havoc & SDR2 as real things that happened to real people, but I'm not sure whether I view it in the lens of V3 being an alternate universe version of the Danganronpa world <b>or</b> if V3 is significantly in the future and inspired by the original real killing games. IDK. But that's generally my personal opinion on the matter.</div><div><br /></div><div>Anyway, the ending of V3 really reminds me of The Truman Show, which I think is why I was pretty quick to accept how meta it was. I'm not sure I personally totally love it, but I also didn't find it as controversial as the fandom at large seemed to find it. I liked the way the trial at first seemed to be returning to the original concept of hope vs. despair before finally returning to the game's true concept of truth vs lies. I thought it was a really clever way of wrapping up the themes of the game and emphasizing the idea that truth and lies aren't black and white morally, and lies can have positive impacts on people as well. </div><div><br /></div><div>Personally, my favorite aspect of the case was the actual retrial of the first case. The idea of Monokuma purposely manipulating trial outcomes certainly wasn't a new concept for this game (see: Trial 1-5), but it was a concept I thought was cool the first time around & thought was handled significantly better this time around. Going back over the case with new evidence was a really awesome idea, and seeing it all culminate in the mastermind being revealed was just the cherry on top. </div><div><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><div><span><font size="5"><b>3- Case #5- ???????'s Murder</b></font></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkS-8qbgW1_vzW6uAcQmQ1hUsmpBwCokU0PQCXhPWvsC00gQaM_EjHgwRNeI-7F8YUr4kbwleL7vDEpJi1Wj0RZRw_v-csZYNvgTI0DCuT6qXReD0jCN-gpkephsaLAZ0HLJzTIv6VamM/s600/kokichi+death.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="338" data-original-width="600" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkS-8qbgW1_vzW6uAcQmQ1hUsmpBwCokU0PQCXhPWvsC00gQaM_EjHgwRNeI-7F8YUr4kbwleL7vDEpJi1Wj0RZRw_v-csZYNvgTI0DCuT6qXReD0jCN-gpkephsaLAZ0HLJzTIv6VamM/w400-h225/kokichi+death.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div></div>Honestly, although I like this trial, I think I would have much more positive opinions about it if not for the people involved in it. This is the only case in the entire series where one of my favorite characters is both the victim and the culprit. Apart from Case 1-4, but including that feels like a cop-out. So this case really broke me in a way none other had done before. Because no matter what, I knew I was coming out of this trial losing both Kaito and Kokichi, aka <b>half</b> of my favorite characters. That <b>hurt.</b></div><div><br /></div><div>That said, though, the obvious most interesting aspect of this case is the fact that we don't know who the victim is, so we're forced to figure out not only the culprit, but the victim too. All while one of them is inside an exisal, changing personalities at the drop of a hat. And even more mind-bendingly, <b>Monokuma</b> also doesn't know who the killer is. The 5th cases in Danganronpa games tend to be the most mind-bending cases-- 1-5, a body inexplicably appears despite all the students being accounted for, 2-5, Nagito fake-suicides and uses his luck to get another student to accidentally kill him, and then <b>this one</b>. </div><div><br /></div><div>Overall, I think 2-5 is the most mind-bending of all of them, but the thing that makes me really appreciate 3-5 is, of course... Kokichi. He creates this entire plan to make a murder Monokuma can't solve and effectively ruin the killing game. In my opinion, this is when we finally see the closest thing to the real Kokichi we will ever see, and to me it speaks volumes about his intentions both in this trial and throughout the entire game. This case was the key piece to put Kokichi into perspective to me, and I think that's what I like most about the case, even if we had to lose him in the process. <br /><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span><font size="5"><b>2- Case #1- Rantaro's Murder</b></font></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_7JCMPqFGUU1Hm8az03mtbw1cw6rmATDL2RmLHlfhaUNRs8dP9V0YZNanu7uB-OgSmNkij5SluC_MYZ40KOCQ6RI87izC1o2q04yGkEVeTpBs4PiScFe2I0uVYtCNNZT67vP7KB1vTP8/s1280/rantaro+death.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="1280" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_7JCMPqFGUU1Hm8az03mtbw1cw6rmATDL2RmLHlfhaUNRs8dP9V0YZNanu7uB-OgSmNkij5SluC_MYZ40KOCQ6RI87izC1o2q04yGkEVeTpBs4PiScFe2I0uVYtCNNZT67vP7KB1vTP8/w400-h225/rantaro+death.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div>The previous two first cases haven't ranked very highly on my lists. 1-1 was my least favorite case from THH, and 2-1 got 2nd to last solely by the grace of me disliking 2-3 <b>that</b> much. But 3-1 changes <b>everything</b> for me. This case is not only one of my favorites in V3, but also across the entire series as a whole. The plot twist of "the protagonist is actually the villain" can still be done well, but is a bit overdone at this point. But the "protagonist isn't really the protagonist and dies in the first chapter" twist? Now <b>that's </b>interesting. </div><div><br /></div><div>Unfortunately, I mildly spoiled this for myself-- I liked to look up which gifts I should give characters and in doing so, saw something that alluded to Shuichi being the one giving the gift rather than Kaede. Probably because I was trying to do my free time with Shuichi lol. Which is another key point-- as much as I was excited to have a main-game female protagonist... I didn't really like Kaede very much. And I still don't. So switching to playing as Shuichi, who was immediately my favorite character? I was a fan.</div><div><br /></div><div>The build-up to the murder (especially all the hints to what she was doing) and the subsequent realization in the 6th trial that Kaede actually didn't end up killing Rantaro both add really interesting layers on top of what is already a really unique, interesting case within the series. This is truly the case that just keeps on giving, and subverting all of your expectations every single step of the way.<br /><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><div><span><font size="5"><b>1- Case #4- Miu's Murder</b></font></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqfo12eTzHmjvqjomT_ezW2r4KE9sq3T8FLhd7pQKnuNr2luhpZVkLbyTb0hOGej9SsHU-WKqPHYFmlv51FnIUaa-0qfl9sVLjZXdbF3WCBKkM43a6t-C6IO8PjDm2T2WfJHD73MR0SZA/s1280/miu+death.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="1280" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqfo12eTzHmjvqjomT_ezW2r4KE9sq3T8FLhd7pQKnuNr2luhpZVkLbyTb0hOGej9SsHU-WKqPHYFmlv51FnIUaa-0qfl9sVLjZXdbF3WCBKkM43a6t-C6IO8PjDm2T2WfJHD73MR0SZA/w400-h225/miu+death.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div></div>As I mentioned in my rankings for SDR2, I love when the characters are forced into a different environment and the way that the resulting case hinges around understanding the secret to that new environment. And although I think it was still done best in case 2-4, this is a really great spin on it. And that's even before we get to the fact that the culprit is someone that you'd never think would be a culprit, and that fact once again hinges on understanding the new world that they were forced into. </div><div><br /></div><div>Although I don't find the virtual world quite as compelling as the funhouse, I do really still enjoy the process of trying to understand the world, not only on its own but also as it relates to the case, to the real world, and to Miu's own murder plot, which is an extra twist that I found really compelling.</div><div><br /></div><div>The obvious downside for me of this case is, of course, Kokichi's involvement in it and the way that he manipulated Gonta into essentially doing his dirty work for him. It's Kokichi's lowest point morally in the game and the biggest thing that Kokichi detractors can point to when they want to say how evil he is. And I get it, it's definitely a side of him that I really didn't enjoy seeing. It shows the extent to which he is <b>truly</b> self-interested, even above his desire to end the killing game. That said, I do also believe that his tears for Gonta were real. Maybe I'm being naive or seeing him through rose-colored glasses because he's my favorite character in the game, but that's how I interpret that moment. If I'm wrong, I'm wrong. <br /><br /><br /><br />That's all for this post! I still haven't decided if I'm going to rank all of the cases together, or if I'm going to do a 5 favorite/least favorite, but that should be my last Danganronpa case/trial post. That might also be my last Danganronpa post for a while, because I've gotten to the point where I've done the posts/rankings that I most wanted to do. But if I have more that I want to do in the future, you'll definitely see more, because I love talking about Danganronpa any chance I get!<br /><br />Let me know which Danganronpa V3 case is your favorite down in the comments!<br />Thanks for reading!<br /></div>Kristen Brighthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16947782400794390038noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7835074222125929757.post-66598211347344628112020-07-18T10:00:00.002-05:002020-07-18T10:44:59.026-05:00Top 15 Hit Songs of 2011 [Top Pop of the 2010s]<div>A few days ago, inspired by <b>Todd in the Shadows</b> videos, I embarked on the task of ranking my favorite hit songs of each year of the 2010s. This is the 2nd post in this new series, and I'd recommend checking out <b>the 2010 list</b>, which is the first one. Because today, we're moving on to 2011.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/GqNTEdocMUQ" width="320" youtube-src-id="GqNTEdocMUQ"></iframe></div><div style="text-align: center;">Todd's 2011 Best Hits List</div><div><br /></div><div>The same simple rule applies: all of these songs come from <b>Billboard's end-of-2011 hot 100 list.</b> I'm not taking every single pop song of the year into consideration, because this is just a fun little hobby project. I'm not dedicated enough to this to parse through <b>every</b> pop song from <b>every </b>year of the 2010s. Way too much work. The only additional rule this time is that if it made an appearance on my list previously, I can't include it again. We don't need <b>even more </b>Just the Way You Are.</div><div><br /></div><div><div>Obviously, these are just my personal choices, I'm not trying to say that these are the <b>best</b>, but rather that these are <b>my favorites</b>. I'm well aware that to many people, I have trash taste. I'm cool with that! </div><div><br /></div><div>Obligatory background on me and my taste for context:</div><div><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>Currently I'm a sucker for anything with a catchy melody, my favorite genres are alternative (especially pop punk) and KPop (not relevant for this list lol), and I tend to really dig songs featuring real or simulated instruments-- guitar/brass/drum kit/etc.</li><li>Also, to date myself, in 2011, I was 16/17 & in 11th/12th grade, depending on the time of year, and although I didn't dislike pop music, my one true love was pop punk/pop rock/alternative (favorite bands at the time: McFly, All Time Low, The Academy Is... & The Audition). </li></ul></div><div><br /></div><div>I've decided on 15 for this specific list, because I didn't have the heart to cut it down to 10, and at the end I'll also be discussing honorable mentions as well as some songs that would've made the list if I'd made it in 2011 instead of 2020. Because why not? Also, as much as I enjoyed the songs on the 2010 list, this list is even stronger, with some of my absolute faves of the entire decade.</div><div><br /></div><div>Without further ado, onto the list! </div></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><font size="5">15- Katy Perry- Last Friday Night (T.G.I.F.)</font></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/aJwrP501Msw" width="320" youtube-src-id="aJwrP501Msw"></iframe></div><font size="5"><br /></font></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: left;">I think I mentioned in my previous ranking that my favorite Katy Perry songs were yet to come, and we still haven't gotten there yet, but Last Friday Night is definitely a solid entry in her discography. This is the only one of her songs that made it onto the list, but pretty much everything she released this year was in contention, because she's still in her golden years at this point. </div><div style="text-align: left;"> </div><div><br style="text-align: left;" /></div></div><div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><font size="5">14- Lady Gaga- The Edge of Glory</font></b></div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/pQkklRt_CUY" width="320" youtube-src-id="pQkklRt_CUY"></iframe></div><font size="5"><br /></font></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: left;">On the flip side of Katy Perry, all of Lady Gaga's songs that made the hot 100 for 2011 also made my own personal top 15. Admittedly, at the time I was not a Gaga fan. Lots of complex things going on there, but I've learned and grown a lot throughout the decade and now appreciate and respect Gaga, her music, and how much she pushed the boundaries at the time. Also a moment of silence for that sax solo that just intensified the late 80s/early 90s vibes of this song. BLESS. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div><br style="text-align: left;" /></div></div><div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><font size="5">13- OneRepublic- Good Life</font></b></div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/XpVEGG5xmK4" width="320" youtube-src-id="XpVEGG5xmK4"></iframe></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Ah yes, more of the boring white guy music. And honestly, true to that label, I've really never had very strong opinions on OneRepublic as a whole. Pretty much all of their songs are just... there. They're fine, but it's like they exist just to fill time. I know for a fact that I have some of their music on my iTunes and that I know many of their songs but I can't name a single one of them off the top of my head apart from this one. This placing here is honestly largely nostalgia, because it was one of the omnipresent songs that I actually liked around the time I got my first car, so I heard it <b>a lot</b> when I first had the freedom of having both a car and license.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div><br style="text-align: left;" /></div></div><div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><font size="5">12- Foster the People- Pumped Up Kicks</font></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/SDTZ7iX4vTQ" width="320" youtube-src-id="SDTZ7iX4vTQ"></iframe></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Honestly, any time a band or indie artist song becomes a hit, it's likely to be one of my favorites. Because it's already in my musical wheelhouse, which many of these songs can't say. This is definitely more of a mellow sound than I usually enjoy, but like with Paramore's The Only Exception, it was one of my favorite songs on mainstream pop stations at the time solely on the basis that it was an indie band. Or at least sounds like one-- I know nothing about Foster the People lol. I try to curb my impulses now, but in 2011 I was in peak hipster mode. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div><br style="text-align: left;" /></div></div><div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><font size="5">11- Selena Gomez & the Scene- Who Says</font></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/BzE1mX4Px0I" width="320" youtube-src-id="BzE1mX4Px0I"></iframe></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">I love that I say 2011 was peak hipster Kristen and then immediately put essentially a <b>Disney</b> song on this list. This is this list's obligatory "I hate that I like this song but sometimes my ears like a song without my brain's consent" song. I really hope that makes sense and other people have songs like this too lol. This song is so cheesy and so upfront with its message of positivity, and like I said, it feels very Disney. And I begrudgingly enjoyed it at the time and feel the same now. I think it really just has the perfect combination of catchy melodies and the exact type of instrumentation I enjoy (aka actual/simulated(?) instruments and even some strings). </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div><br style="text-align: left;" /></div></div><div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><font size="5">10- LMFAO feat. Lauren Bennett and GoonRock- Party Rock Anthem</font></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/zIh5AHxh-Ok" width="320" youtube-src-id="zIh5AHxh-Ok"></iframe></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">I love that this is only the second list and I already have archetypes of songs. This one is, of course, the song I <b>HATED </b>at the time, and by hated, I mean that I was lying to myself and everyone around me, because no, I wasn't listening to it <i>ironically</i>, I was listening to it and lowkey enjoying every second of it. I like to think I've grown in the years since 2011, but at the time I was very susceptible to hating the current hatable song of the moment, even if I lowkey liked it and didn't want to admit it. I think it was because it was electronic music? But that's ridiculous, because at the time I was also jamming to Cash Cash, who were... wait for it... also an electronic band. (side note: totally forgot about Cash Cash until writing this but apparently I still know every single word to Party in Your Bedroom lol)</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"> </div><div><br style="text-align: left;" /></div></div><div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><font size="5">9- Bruno Mars- Grenade</font></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/SR6iYWJxHqs" width="320" youtube-src-id="SR6iYWJxHqs"></iframe></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Of all of Bruno's singles/hit songs, this is one of my least favorites. And yet, here it still is. For the longest time, I kinda disregarded it, at least in terms of his songs specifically. But there's a very distinct and clear power behind his vocals in this song that just won't be denied, just like I couldn't deny it a spot on the list. I don't have a ton to say about it because I see it as a really good, solid song, that while not my favorite from him, has definitely stood the test of time.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div><br style="text-align: left;" /></div></div><div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><font size="5">8- Maroon 5 feat. Christina Aguilera- Moves Like Jagger</font></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/V996xi8rMiE" width="320" youtube-src-id="V996xi8rMiE"></iframe></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">I didn't go to parties in 2011 because I was a nerdy high schooler, but if I had, my party trick definitely would've been whistling the main hook of Moves Like Jagger. Apparently that's impressive, because every time I did it in front of my friends, they thought I was cool for once. Regardless, that hook is one of those earworms where you hear it once and it's stuck in your head for the rest of eternity. Which was probably really frustrating for people who hated this song. Thankfully, I liked it even more at the time (again, I <b>really</b> liked Adam Levine), so this was one earworm I gladly accepted. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div><br style="text-align: left;" /></div></div><div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><font size="5">7- Pink- F**kin' Perfect</font></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/I1-Yl50nCX4" width="320" youtube-src-id="I1-Yl50nCX4"></iframe></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Finally, some Pink! I love Pink's music. She's an extremely skilled vocalist, performer, and songwriter, and I honestly can't think of a song she's released that I didn't like. And, as seen here, she released one of the rare songs that I love more because of the lyrics than the music. You might have noticed (I generally don't lol) that when I talk about songs on here, it's mostly about the music because... that's what I care about, generally. The lyrics are secondary to me. But this song makes you stop and listen. It <b>means </b>something and makes you <b>feel</b> something. It takes a really powerful song to have that level of emotional impact for me, and this is that kind of powerful song.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div><br style="text-align: left;" /></div></div><div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><font size="5">6- Bruno Mars- The Lazy Song</font></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/fLexgOxsZu0" width="320" youtube-src-id="fLexgOxsZu0"></iframe></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">And now we go from one really meaningful, emotional song to just a really silly, relatable song. As someone who's a serial procrastinator and "lazy" person, this one hits me on a very different emotional level from the last one lol. Perhaps I'm even using this post and series as a whole to avoid doing my real work? Who can say?! (me, I can say that, because it's very true). Anyway, honestly there's really not much I can say about this one. It's silly, it's fun, I like that about it. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div><br style="text-align: left;" /></div></div><div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><font size="5">5- Lady Gaga- Born This Way</font></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/JLmMsQsp5ZM" width="320" youtube-src-id="JLmMsQsp5ZM"></iframe></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">I flip-flopped these next two on the list <b>so many times</b>. In the end, they're essentially tied, because I love them both and have trouble picking favorites when it comes to some of my favorite artists. Lady Gaga has released a lot of big hits throughout her career, but this one is less of a hit than it is an <b>anthem</b>. Of all of her songs, I truly believe this one will be the one that endures the longest and becomes the biggest iconic classic, because of the impact it's had on so many people. I can't imagine the number of lives Gaga has touched with this song alone. The number is probably staggering. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div><br style="text-align: left;" /></div></div><div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><font size="5">4- Lady Gaga - Yoü and I</font></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/oGEwc4xap0E" width="320" youtube-src-id="oGEwc4xap0E"></iframe></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">There's just something about You and I. Even back when I didn't like Gaga, there was just something about this song that was really compelling to me. And when I finally started liking her, it was the first one I downloaded. There's just something about it that my ear really loves, and if I'm honest, it's probably my favorite of her songs. I mean it's probably the guitars and the fact that it's largely real instruments, because I'm really predictable. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div><br style="text-align: left;" /></div></div><div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><font size="5">3- Gym Class Heroes feat. Adam Levine - Stereo Hearts</font></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/T3E9Wjbq44E" width="320" youtube-src-id="T3E9Wjbq44E"></iframe></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">On the 2010 list, I referenced Gym Class Heroes, and now here they are on the 2011 list! Back in 2011, I still rarely downloaded single songs from iTunes-- I tended to either get actual CDs or download a full album from iTunes. I was a pretty band-loyal person, so downloading a random one-off song by an artist I didn't listen to often was something I only did for really special songs. You get where I'm going with this. This was one of those songs, and I don't even want to know how many plays this had on my high school iTunes, because it's probably an obscene number. Per usual, the chorus is what made me really love it, but I think I'm also discovering now that I also just really like Travie McCoy. I guess I need to go back and listen to more Gym Class Heroes lol. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div><br style="text-align: left;" /></div></div><div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><font size="5">2- Hot Chelle Rae- Tonight Tonight</font></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/QzlNFcT2aOE" width="320" youtube-src-id="QzlNFcT2aOE"></iframe></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">I was <b>such</b> an obnoxious hipster about this song. <i>I was bumping their first album and single (I Like to Dance) back in 2010, and these mainstream losers are just now discovering them in 2011? Pshhh, I loved them <b>before </b>they were popular.</i> In hindsight, I really understand why I wasn't cool as a teen. It's because I was really, really annoying. Anyway, although my obnoxious hipsterness about this song is thankfully long gone (replaced somewhat by the feeling that the radio ruined this song by overplaying it), this song still makes me happy from the second it comes on. It's catchy and fun, and is still a bop to this day, even if Todd in the Shadows named it his worst song of the year lol.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div><br style="text-align: left;" /></div></div><div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><font size="5">1- Pink- Raise Your Glass</font></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/l2IkpeeIE4Y" width="320" youtube-src-id="l2IkpeeIE4Y"></iframe></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Yeah, no other songs realistically even stood a chance at getting this spot, because this is one of those songs I could listen to 10,000 times in a row and not get sick of. It's one of those songs that's the best of both worlds-- it conveys a meaningful message, while still being a fun, uptempo song to jam to. This, my friends, is an anthem. It's an anthem for anyone who's felt like the weirdo, outcast, underdog (aka most of us, honestly). And it's a message that can come across as cheesy, but coming from someone like Pink, who's been that rebellious weirdo of pop music for her entire career, it feels very authentic, from one weirdo to millions of others. It's a meaningful song wrapped up in a lighthearted and fun package, which is what makes it the total package for me.</div><div><br style="text-align: left;" /></div></div><div><br /></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div><div><br /></div><div><div>Alright, now that the list is complete, let's discuss some of the songs that didn't make the list.</div><div><br /></div></div><div><div><b>Firstly, the ones 2011 Kristen would've 100% included:</b></div></div><div>I grew up on country music & by 2011 I wasn't really listening to it anymore apart from when in the car with my parents, but I still heard & liked a lot of them this year (and don't like them anymore).</div><div><b>- </b><b>Barefoot Blue Jean Night by </b><b>Jake Owen-- </b>honestly might've been my #1 at the time. I had a weird obsession with it.<b> </b></div><div><div><b>- </b><b>Just a Kiss </b><b>by </b><b>Lady Antebellum-- </b>I liked most of their songs at the time.</div><div><div><b>- </b><b>Don't You Wanna Stay </b><b>by </b><b>Jason Aldean feat. Kelly Clarkson</b>-- Kelly Clarkson is the redeeming factor of this song.</div><div><div><b>- </b><b>Knee Deep </b><b>by </b><b>Zac Brown Band feat Jimmy Buffett-- </b>for some reason, I really liked this band.</div><div><div><div><b>- </b><b>Remind Me </b><b>by </b><b>Brad Paisley and Carrie Underwood</b>-- even in 2011, Carrie Underwood was still one of my favorite artists-- my family has loved her since American Idol.<b><span style="white-space: pre;"> </span></b></div><div><div><b>- </b><b>Take a Back Road </b><b>by </b><b>Rodney Atkins</b>-- another random song that I really liked for some reason.</div></div></div></div></div></div><div><div style="font-weight: bold;"><br /></div></div></div><div><b><br /></b></div><div><div><b>And finally, the ones 2020 Kristen nearly put on the list:</b></div><div><div><b>- </b><b>Forget You </b><b>by </b><b>CeeLo Green</b>-- it was thisclose to making the list, because it's <b>iconic.</b></div><div><b>- </b><b>Lighters </b><b>by </b><b>Bad Meets Evil feat. Bruno Mars-- </b>almost entirely due to my love of Bruno lol.</div><div><b>- </b><b>Super Bass </b><b>by </b><b>Nicki Minaj</b>-- I don't have strong opinions on Nicki in general-- her music isn't really my thing-- but I do like this one quite a bit.</div><div><b>- </b><b>Price Tag </b><b>by </b><b>Jessie J feat. B.o.B</b>-- There's only one Jessie J song I <b>love</b> but I like pretty much all of them.</div><div><div><b>- </b><b>We R Who We R & Blow </b><b>by </b><b>Kesha</b>-- like I said, her songs blend together a bit for me, but I like all of them.</div><div><b>- Teenage Dream </b><b>by </b><b>Katy Perry</b>-- yet another solid Katy Perry song. </div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><div>So, that's the list! As I mentioned, I hope to do one of these for each year of the 2010s. As seen by other series on my blog, I'm horribly inconsistent and incapable of completing a series, so we'll see how this goes.</div><div><br /></div><div>On the last one, I listed a few of my least favorite songs of the year here at the very end, and tbh there really aren't any that stand out to me as ones I really disliked in 2011. So I'll just say... anything with Pitbull. Lol I don't think I've ever liked a song by him, or one he was on. </div><div><br /></div><div>Thanks for reading, and hopefully I'll be back soon with my 2012 list!</div></div></div><div><b><span style="white-space: pre;"> </span></b></div></div><div></div></div>Kristen Brighthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16947782400794390038noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7835074222125929757.post-8737593675328878192020-07-16T10:00:00.006-05:002020-07-16T10:00:00.316-05:00My Top 15 Hit Songs of 2010 [Top Pop of the 2010s]As is pretty common for me, I recently fell down a YouTube spiral. This specific spiral, I found myself binge-watching <b>Todd in the Shadows</b> videos. I'll embed a relevant video of his below so you get a feel for what his content is like. <div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/5c-IzXfyfm8" width="320" youtube-src-id="5c-IzXfyfm8"></iframe></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>Namely, I found myself binging his lists of the best and worst hit songs from each year, going all the way back to 2009 (I think, lol). And, as someone who loves listing and ranking <b>everything</b>, I found myself wondering which songs I would include in my own personal ranking. And thus, this idea was born. My plan is to cover every decade of the 2010s, listing my favorite hit songs of the year. For simplicity, I'll be using essentially the same criteria as Todd-- <b>all of my songs come from Billboard's end-of-year hot 100 list</b>. So, I'm not taking every single pop song from the year into consideration, just the top 100. Because this is just for fun and I'm nowhere near devoted enough to this to parse through *every* pop song from *every* year of the decade. </div><div><br /></div><div>Obviously, these are just my personal choices, I'm not trying to say that these are the <b>best</b>, but rather that these are <b>my favorites</b>. I'm well aware that to many people, I have trash taste. I'm cool with that! </div><div><br /></div><div>For reference, currently I'm a sucker for anything with a catchy melody, my favorite genres are alternative (especially pop punk) and KPop (not relevant for this list lol), and I tend to really dig songs featuring real or simulated instruments-- guitar/brass/drum kit/etc. Also, to date myself, in 2010, I was 15/16 & in 10th/11th grade, depending on the time of year, and although I didn't dislike pop music, my one true love was pop punk/pop rock/alternative (favorite bands at the time: McFly, All Time Low, The Academy Is... & The Audition). </div><div><br /></div><div>I've decided on 15 for this specific list, because I didn't have the heart to cut it down to 10, and at the end I'll also be discussing honorable mentions as well as some songs that would've made the list if I'd made it in 2010 instead of 2020. Because why not?</div><div><br /></div><div>Without further ado, onto the list! </div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><font size="5">15. The Black Eyed Peas- I Gotta Feeling</font></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/CwdrtwZiQ9E" width="320" youtube-src-id="CwdrtwZiQ9E"></iframe></div><b><br /></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: left;">Possibly the most difficult part of this list was choosing which song would get the 15th spot. I had a list of ~10 songs that I liked pretty equally, and eventually, I just picked this one because I think it's one that has stood the test of time decently well. It's one of The Black Eyed Peas' most well-loved songs, and for a good reason. It's one of those universally appealing songs that pretty much anyone can enjoy. I'll list some of the other options at the end, but I'm really content with this one as my choice. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div><br style="text-align: left;" /></div></div><div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><font size="5">14. Kesha- Take It Off</font></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/RpFMuBHxGWs" width="320" youtube-src-id="RpFMuBHxGWs"></iframe></div><b><br /></b></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div>My best friend used to <b>LOVE</b> Kesha, and I think that love grew on me a bit as well. A lot of her songs end up blending together for me, but in the back of my mind, I always remembered that I <b>really</b> liked one of her songs-- I just couldn't remember which one. Surprise! It's Take It Off lol. This is due almost exclusively to the melody in the chorus. It's one of those melodies that gets stuck in my mind and refuses to leave, and that's why I first loved it in 2010, and why I still really enjoy it today. </div><div><br /></div></div><div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;"> </span></div><div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><font size="5">13. Travie McCoy feat. Bruno Mars- Billionaire</font></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/HyEMMGU_cHg" width="320" youtube-src-id="HyEMMGU_cHg"></iframe></div><b><br /></b></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div>I remember when I first heard this, my first thought was "oh, it's the guy from Gym Class Heros and...some other guy?" Little did I know that "some other guy" would become my favorite American pop artist of the decade and Gym Class Heroes would be all but forgotten in a few years' time lol. This is definitely one I thought was just alright back in 2010, but has definitely grown on me over the past decade. </div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div></div><div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><font size="5">12. Katy Perry feat. Snoop Dogg- California Gurls</font></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/k0553Z_09ZI" width="320" youtube-src-id="k0553Z_09ZI"></iframe></div><b><br /></b></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div>Although it's not my favorite Katy Perry song (nowhere near it, actually!) I'd be lying if I said this weren't one of the biggest, most defining songs of my teenage years and of the decade. When I hear this song, I'm instantly transported back to a very specific moment in time-- it's the summer of 2010, I'm in my friend's Beetle, and we're blasting the song while driving to go see a movie (Eclipse? Despicable Me? Inception? idk). It's such a stereotypical high school moment, but this song is just so evocative of that time in my life that I can't help but love it and have fond memories of it. </div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div></div><div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><font size="5">11. Miley Cyrus- Party in the U.S.A.</font></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/8rLTERuuxm4" width="320" youtube-src-id="8rLTERuuxm4"></iframe></div><b><br /></b></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div>I <b>HATED</b> this song in high school. And by that, I mean that I lied to myself and everyone around me and convinced myself that I hated it, even though I quite obviously begrudgingly loved it. And that sentiment has kinda stuck around for the entire decade. I hate to admit that I like it, but I still do. It's another that's just so evocative of that time in my life and despite "hating" it at the time, I find myself still really enjoying it whenever I hear it today. </div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><div><b><font size="5">10. Adam Lambert- Whataya Want from Me</font></b></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/X1Fqn9du7xo" width="320" youtube-src-id="X1Fqn9du7xo"></iframe></div><b><br /></b></div><div style="text-align: left;">It's been 11 years since Adam Lambert lost American Idol, and I'm still offended by the fact that he lost. I was rooting for him the entire time and was so angry when he lost. I haven't followed his music career very closely since then, but this first(?) song was definitely a great one. It was written by Pink, which makes a lot of sense, because it sounds like a Pink song, and I also love Pink. Adam's vocals really get a chance to shine, especially near the emotional climax of the song. It's the type of pop song I'm naturally inclined to love, because it has a bit of a rock flair, and that always gets bonus points from me. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div></div><div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><font size="5">9. Orianthi- According to You</font></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Pu1aQvm5MrU" width="320" youtube-src-id="Pu1aQvm5MrU"></iframe></div><b><br /></b></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div>Full disclosure, I 100% forgot this song existed. But while going through the hot 100 list, seeing this song there was like a huge nostalgic punch to the face. If I remember correctly, this was the iTunes free single one week, and that's why I downloaded it. And I quickly fell in love with it. It's very reminiscent of Avril, who I've always enjoyed, and as I already mentioned with the last song, I like rock-infused pop music. So, despite literally completely forgetting this song existed, I couldn't help but put it on here. </div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div></div><div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><font size="5">8. Maroon 5- Misery</font></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/cffui_Os9RE" width="320" youtube-src-id="cffui_Os9RE"></iframe></div><b><br /></b></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div>After watching all of those Todd in the Shadows videos, I feel almost obligated to dislike Maroon 5 songs because of how vehemently he complains about them, but at least for the first half of the decade, I still find myself really enjoying them. Maybe it's the nostalgia factor because of how much I liked the band/ Adam Levine at the time, maybe it's the songs themselves, maybe it's all of the above. Regardless, this is a song I still find myself really enjoying. It's one of those songs that really gets stuck in my head and refuses to leave, and somehow doesn't totally annoy me in the process, which is rare!</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div></div><div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><font size="5">7. The Script- Breakeven</font></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/MzCLLHscMOw" width="320" youtube-src-id="MzCLLHscMOw"></iframe></div><b><br /></b></div><div><div style="text-align: left;"><div>I know that I have/had a tendency (especially at the beginning of the decade) to enjoy what some might dub boring white-guy-with-guitar music, and there are certainly a few of those on this list. This might possibly be the epitome of that. Tbh, if I made this list in 2010, it might be entirely composed of those songs, especially a certain heavily overplayed song about a soul sister. Regardless, this is one of those songs that I still find myself enjoying all these years later. It's a song that I think aged really well-- although I don't listen to it that often anymore, when it comes on, it maintains a certain level of freshness instead of feeling old and overplayed (see: the aforementioned Train song lmao).</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><font size="5">6. B.o.B feat. Hayley Williams- Airplanes</font></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/kn6-c223DUU" width="320" youtube-src-id="kn6-c223DUU"></iframe></div><b><br /></b></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div>Some songs are way overplayed at the time and then eventually once the hype has died down, they end up in a way freeing themselves from that aspect. This is one of those songs for me. I liked it at first, and then got really, really sick of it, and then once it was no longer on the radio every 5 seconds, that initial enjoyment of it returned and has remained ever since. Plus, Hayley Williams is always a plus on any song!</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div></div><div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><font size="5">5. Paramore- The Only Exception</font></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/-J7J_IWUhls" width="320" youtube-src-id="-J7J_IWUhls"></iframe></div><b><br /></b></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div>Speaking of Hayley Williams, here she is again! I was tempted to put this even higher simply because it's Paramore and I've always loved them, but if I'm being honest with myself, this has never been one of my absolute favorite Paramore songs. Sure, I really, really enjoy it-- that's why it's on this list! But I could name a handful of Paramore songs- just from the same album!- that I prefer over this one. I tend to gravitate toward more uptempo songs, and this is certainly not that. Nonetheless, it's a really beautiful song with deep emotional lyrics, and it's Paramore, and I really enjoy it. (but also listen to Playing God from the same album, it's one of my favorite Paramore songs of all time)</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div></div><div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><font size="5">4. B.o.B feat. Rivers Cuomo- Magic</font></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/2Sk_Qg6dVj8" width="320" youtube-src-id="2Sk_Qg6dVj8"></iframe></div><b><br /></b></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div>If I'd made this list in 2010, this would be nowhere near the list because I'd literally never heard it. I listened to the radio quite a bit in 2010 so I'm not sure how I missed it, but I did. When did I finally hear it? When it was covered in a little movie called Pitch Perfect. ... yeah. Anyway, I liked the song in the movie, looked it up, and the rest is history. You know when you hear a song and you feel like it's from somewhere else? Like you're convinced it's a sample of an older song, but it's not? That's what this song is for me. The chorus of Magic is so perfectly constructed that it sounds like they must be sampling an older song, because there's no way this could be brand new-- it feels too familiar. And yet, it is brand new. Overall, this is just a really catchy, really fun song that demands that I enjoy it.</div><div><br /></div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><br /></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><font size="5">3. Bruno Mars- Just the Way You Are</font></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/LjhCEhWiKXk" width="320" youtube-src-id="LjhCEhWiKXk"></iframe></div><b><br /></b></div><div style="text-align: left;">When I discussed Airplanes, I talked about how some songs are able to shed the weight of how overplayed they were when they were popular. Unfortunately, this song has never been able to manage that for me. This song was ubiquitous in 2010. It wasn't even "that song" that got overplayed, it was "that song" x10. It was inescapable. And as much as I still enjoy it in spite of that, I can't bring myself to move it up the list for that reason alone. Fortunately for Bruno, though, he released many more hits throughout the 2010s, and at least a few of them will place higher than this, because as I mentioned-- he's my favorite American pop artist of the last decade. Full stop. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div><div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><font size="5">2. Kris Allen- Live Like We're Dying</font></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/YbfeSImDntw" width="320" youtube-src-id="YbfeSImDntw"></iframe></div><b><br /></b></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div>To the average person who's just stumbled across this post, much of this list probably feels random, because I've left off many songs that others would deem iconic. But this might be simultaneously my most random-seeming choice and my most "boring white guy" choice. Yes, despite believing Adam Lambert should've won American Idol, I've still placed Kris Allen's song higher. I really don't know how to explain myself here. This is just one of those songs that grabbed me on first listen and does so again and again any time I return to it. Sometimes, you just enjoy things without knowing why you do, and this is one of those times. But I will reiterate, #TeamAdam!</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><font size="5">1. Neon Trees- Animal</font></b></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/gM7Hlg75Mlo" width="320" youtube-src-id="gM7Hlg75Mlo"></iframe></div><b><br /></b></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div>When I sat down to make this list, I never would've thought this would be #1 solely for the fact that I forgot how much it broke through into the mainstream pop scene. I used to watch this music channel (fuse, maybe?) that did top 10 lists weekly for different genres, and I think the first time I heard this was on the alternative top 10, as it was growing in popularity. Unfortunately, I only have kinda vague memories of when I got into their music, but at some point I downloaded their album, and I actually preferred 1983 (the follow-up single, I think?) to Animal. Nonetheless, Animal is the song on the list, and a really fun one at that. When going through this list, this was an easy choice for #1 because this is still that song of all of these that makes my heart swell and gets me hyped up. And honestly, I think the song is even more in-line with my taste in music now than it was in 2010, so I appreciate it even more now 10 years later. </div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>Alright, now that the list is complete, let's discuss some of the songs that didn't make the list.</div><div><br /></div><div><b>Firstly, the ones 2010 Kristen would've 100% included:</b></div><div>- <b>Fireflies by Owl City-- </b>I unabashedly loved this, even when it was overplayed. Not so much now.</div><div>- <b>Hey Soul Sister by Train--</b> ditto the above, I'm ashamed to admit. I think we all regret stanning this song as much as we did lol</div><div>- <b>Use Somebody by Kings of Leon--</b> almost made the list regardless, I still like it.</div><div>- <b>Just Haven't Met You Yet by Michael Buble-- </b>yep, more boring white guy music. </div><div><br /></div><div><b>And finally, the ones 2020 Kristen nearly put on the list:</b></div><div><div>- <b>Teenage Dream by Katy Perry--</b> very solid song from Katy, but not an all-time fave</div><div>- <b>Your Love Is My Drug by Kesha--</b> I <b>like</b> most Kesha songs, but I don't <b>love</b> many of them.</div><div>- <b>Bad Romance by Lady Gaga--</b> again, <b>love</b> Gaga, but her best songs were in other years IMO</div><div>- <b>Tik Tok by Kesha--</b> didn't love my first introduction to Kesha, but it's become iconic</div><div>- <b>Not Afraid by Eminem--</b> definitely not one I would've enjoyed at the time, but has grown on me a lot.</div><div>- <b>Telephone by Lady Gaga feat. Beyoncé--</b> again, not my fave from either, but enjoyable nonetheless</div><div>- <b>Dynamite by Taio Cruz-- </b>maybe Stockholm Syndrome from how much this was played, but definitely one that stands out as enjoyable & memorable.</div><div>- <b>Nothin' on You by B.o.B feat. Bruno Mars--</b> I have 2 Bruno songs & 2 B.o.B songs on my list, but their collab didn't make it. This one suffered from overplay for me, but otherwise, I enjoyed it. </div></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>So, that's the list! As I mentioned, I hope to do one of these for each year of the 2010s. As seen by other series on my blog, I'm horribly inconsistent and incapable of completing a series, so we'll see how this goes.</div><div><br /></div><div>As much as part of me would like to do least favorite lists for each of these years too, I don't think I will, mostly because I don't really have a ton each year that I actively dislike. If anything, my opinions toward most of the songs on these lists, all these years later, is just a mere *shrug.* Looking through the 2010 list, the only 3 that jumped out as least favorites were Baby by Justin Bieber, Imma Be by The Black Eyed Peas, and Like a G6 by Far East Movement. So there's my list, I guess lol. </div><div><br /></div><div>Thanks for reading, and hopefully I'll be back soon with my 2011 list!</div></div>Kristen Brighthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16947782400794390038noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7835074222125929757.post-67718902280562917472020-07-02T10:00:00.004-05:002020-07-02T10:00:08.355-05:00My Ideal Cast for Big Brother 22Hey everyone, today I'm going to be returning to my blogging roots by talking about one of my favorite reality TV competitions-- Big Brother!<div><br /></div><div>Lately, the Big Brother fandom has been buzzing with the possibility of this summer's Big Brother season finally being the season of All-Stars that we've been begging for <b>every year</b> since BB7. Rumors like this spread pretty much every year, but this is the first time in a while that they've had any level of believability or credibility to them (especially with everything going on in the world right now). So, the hype is real, and it seems like BB All-Stars 2 might actually be in the cards.</div><div><br /></div><div>Since everyone is speculating on who might be cast or who they want to be cast, I figured it would be fun to throw my own hat into the ring and create my own ideal cast of returning players for this season of Big Brother. </div><div><br /></div><div>An important note-- this is my <b>ideal </b>cast. I don't think this is in any way a realistic cast, and I think we'll get <b>maybe</b> three of these players on the season if we're lucky. This post is solely for my hopes and dreams and best-case scenario, all of which will definitely be crushed into tiny pieces when the real cast is released. </div><div><br /></div><div>In line with how production usually casts, I've chosen 8 male returnees and 8 female returnees. There are probably people on this list that you personally don't consider "All Stars," but I couldn't care less about that label, and I'm not going to argue over whether or not these players are "All Stars." These are simply the 16 returnees I'd like to see play again in a season together. OK? OK. On to the list. </div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><font size="6">The Women</font></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><font size="5"><b>Danielle Reyes</b></font></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4OxC624aojMzZucbKNRed9y8Ow6AcKcIRfamZbsgVjaYR4UWjVJnYCVIGOPbLiK_eF5x5EZHGbsBhOGQN-DyvQ3j6ccBVoFbKMMl2D2rVfwn2eQY-Gc834sKZ0E3kDBuob2AWBs_uz24/s400/danielle+reyes.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="279" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4OxC624aojMzZucbKNRed9y8Ow6AcKcIRfamZbsgVjaYR4UWjVJnYCVIGOPbLiK_eF5x5EZHGbsBhOGQN-DyvQ3j6ccBVoFbKMMl2D2rVfwn2eQY-Gc834sKZ0E3kDBuob2AWBs_uz24/s320/danielle+reyes.jpg" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Danielle Reyes is not only one of my favorite BB players of all time, but I also believe that she is one of the best players to never win the game. Danielle for me is the <b>total package</b>. She's a great strategic player, an entertaining character to watch, and gives fantastic DRs. BB3 is one of my favorite seasons of the show almost entirely because of Danielle and her alliance & gameplay with Jason. She's strategy and TV gold, and just having her alone is enough for a fun season.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><font size="5"><b>Britney Godwin (Haynes)</b></font></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5cKc2xuwYCZOzyhqJ81mvLxJpdiUtofaq5EOoDbVlw6Zflalhc2aSkLA8-UFemHgFyD6gZSvIp8Zm-TrVKK_SEvA_b9nZpwwHyDUOHQChd5VhyXZX7rQMV3V9p_mNe6WWXAN0mTB2HVI/s531/britney+haynes.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="531" data-original-width="425" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5cKc2xuwYCZOzyhqJ81mvLxJpdiUtofaq5EOoDbVlw6Zflalhc2aSkLA8-UFemHgFyD6gZSvIp8Zm-TrVKK_SEvA_b9nZpwwHyDUOHQChd5VhyXZX7rQMV3V9p_mNe6WWXAN0mTB2HVI/s320/britney+haynes.jpg" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">While Britney isn't quite as great a strategist as Danielle, I also think that she's a very well rounded player and character for Big Brother to get back. Her DRs are possibly the best the show has ever seen, and she has a good head for strategy and especially for her social game. On top of all that, she went on the Amazing Race recently and has a really moving story about her daughter. She's in a totally different place in her life now than she was the previous times she played, and I think she'd be a great get for the season.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><font size="5"><b>Vanessa Rousso</b></font></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTrEkk7d5u5flmSXwEPdPRZAhsybxbxbM38TEjbHJU52QQLfj-ZshmmbbsW2Bb6ZsSaXtwu4Gmz-F7_qI1NSB2HL6-FzNbdZO6FcEMEX2mpiUwWZHdI3FoicWYGNHVt3LYeUVbeJ6mbAc/s531/vanessa.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="531" data-original-width="425" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTrEkk7d5u5flmSXwEPdPRZAhsybxbxbM38TEjbHJU52QQLfj-ZshmmbbsW2Bb6ZsSaXtwu4Gmz-F7_qI1NSB2HL6-FzNbdZO6FcEMEX2mpiUwWZHdI3FoicWYGNHVt3LYeUVbeJ6mbAc/s320/vanessa.jpg" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Obviously, she just had a baby and has 3 infants at home, so there's a 0% chance we get her back, but like I said, this is my little dream world here! Vanessa is one of the best strategists we've seen in recent seasons, and is a stock pick for <b>many </b>fans as someone they'd like to see back. She nearly won the game her first time, and she could definitely try again and possibly win this time. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><font size="5">Nicole Anthony</font></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHGuPbcXrgWvl1IEt-HR16Ug_fwX4JujALZIl9x8zyQpLfxK21US3Ry2etZrK2VMFgE3uZYsvHDkgEOJ489Q0Ut5c4BH9YTFtUFOtOUKYMgyV2vYUrauUUcaB7jju0zzmV-GWu3GzZPmo/s531/nicole.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="531" data-original-width="425" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHGuPbcXrgWvl1IEt-HR16Ug_fwX4JujALZIl9x8zyQpLfxK21US3Ry2etZrK2VMFgE3uZYsvHDkgEOJ489Q0Ut5c4BH9YTFtUFOtOUKYMgyV2vYUrauUUcaB7jju0zzmV-GWu3GzZPmo/s320/nicole.jpg" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">I love Nicole, my mom loves Nicole, everyone who watched season 21 and their neighbor's cousin's cat love Nicole. With all of the frankly <b>gross</b> behavior in the house last season, the fandom rallied around Nicole in a way I personally have never seen before, and I think I speak for a lot of people when I say I'd love to see her get a second chance. She's an extremely likable and rootable character, but on top of that, I think she's actually an underrated player who could do some serious damage, especially in a house this stacked with big, obvious threats. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><font size="5"><b>Da'Vonne Rogers</b></font></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxfnr-op0P1T_hVRlSgeNqrMO4tEZuOcfB93lqSNJ-KpQ-uEd6SmsDL32KespjTK0gKkvaHAq8ShxHj3ioGU1l8YyoJYnjwNZbcprSTX0h5PsT26thprR89YTc8kfgfFNMSplQCk8laWY/s531/davonne.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="531" data-original-width="425" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxfnr-op0P1T_hVRlSgeNqrMO4tEZuOcfB93lqSNJ-KpQ-uEd6SmsDL32KespjTK0gKkvaHAq8ShxHj3ioGU1l8YyoJYnjwNZbcprSTX0h5PsT26thprR89YTc8kfgfFNMSplQCk8laWY/s320/davonne.jpg" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Historically, I haven't always been the biggest fan of Da'Vonne, because despite all the hype she's gotten (after being evicted <b>second</b> on her first season), she's not a <b>great</b> Big Brother player. She wants <b>so badly</b> to be a great player, and she plays really hard, but even she will admit that her mouth gets her in trouble. But she's <b>great</b> TV. She gives great DRs, she's really fun to watch, and she calls out people when they need to be called out. I've picked some strategically sound, but not <b>interesting</b> players, so it only makes sense to balance that out with Da'Vonne, who will play a really messy, but entertaining game. It's a thousand times better than someone who's just there to exist inside a house. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><font size="5">Jun Song</font></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjA9ahEhzyruusIqzoBq42HwAn_u6wO4HkgmBym5E9f7jrsnsvKo_jJ7H6ZQ-UWh2NXNrA_ZbNTMRAsEZx5RK9pvv4B6t81rdyzEWJv9Bbcu-l3E2nlVv5YQecOc4-bb_aoOa5rQ9Md3vo/s404/jun+big+brother.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="404" data-original-width="264" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjA9ahEhzyruusIqzoBq42HwAn_u6wO4HkgmBym5E9f7jrsnsvKo_jJ7H6ZQ-UWh2NXNrA_ZbNTMRAsEZx5RK9pvv4B6t81rdyzEWJv9Bbcu-l3E2nlVv5YQecOc4-bb_aoOa5rQ9Md3vo/s320/jun+big+brother.jpg" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">I feel like a broken record at this point, but I think Jun is another that is good across the board. She gives great DRs, she's fun to watch, and she's a strong strategic player, no matter how much people want to complain about her floating strategy. I think it would be especially interesting to see her play now, 16 years after she won. I think she would be able to fly under the radar, especially in this cast, and I think that's when she'll be most dangerous.</div><div style="text-align: left;"> </div><div style="text-align: center;"><font size="5"><b>Helen Kim</b></font></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5OECW5JXa7fTL9nrKSETDi3gCfHM4gxq2trdv6EDVcOnRaQAQr5Se2w_OPAloeXHZvjWwsnJI874LqFAvL7cwYkvEUuaXq2twKeC50LnileXX4B3zWYBRgWs3RAE8RwKWW8TQXGzfkz8/s960/helen.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="640" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5OECW5JXa7fTL9nrKSETDi3gCfHM4gxq2trdv6EDVcOnRaQAQr5Se2w_OPAloeXHZvjWwsnJI874LqFAvL7cwYkvEUuaXq2twKeC50LnileXX4B3zWYBRgWs3RAE8RwKWW8TQXGzfkz8/s320/helen.jpg" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">As much as I love entertaining and messy players, I'm a sucker for players like Helen, who may seem boring to some people, but provide a calm, rational, strategic voice in all of the chaos. Once again, I think Helen is someone who could be easily overlooked and underestimated and get herself into a good position quickly just by seeming amiable and non-threatening. Then again, I have cast another person who would probably be on to her, and was one of the reasons for her downfall in her original season, but maybe she could get out ahead of him and slit his throat before he could take her out again. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><font size="5">Kemi Fakunle</font></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidy0l3H7VUQNbSuUEOOesggZ2qsL22LSi7aIgKQRK3WTWrzFm11cfbCRwXYtlxKEr-3ZXWJxq9DH86PwHKxzCR-8_t1ETkAuLGqH3Z4qm6YK_MyBn96OFbDbO6K5gI6pGWmVYcGMrViLw/s1600/kemi.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1600" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidy0l3H7VUQNbSuUEOOesggZ2qsL22LSi7aIgKQRK3WTWrzFm11cfbCRwXYtlxKEr-3ZXWJxq9DH86PwHKxzCR-8_t1ETkAuLGqH3Z4qm6YK_MyBn96OFbDbO6K5gI6pGWmVYcGMrViLw/s320/kemi.jpg" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Listen, CBS loved Da'Vonne and brought her back the following season despite being evicted second, and I <b>NEED </b>them to maintain that same energy for my girl Kemi. Kemi was my pre-season favorite. I loved her personality, I loved her mind for the game, and I was rooting so hard for her... and then she got screwed by Bella and stuck in a house with people who treated her <b>horribly</b> the entire time she was there. I truly believe that she didn't get a chance to thrive in the Big Brother house, and I think she could do some serious damage if given another chance and put into a less disgusting cast. I'd love to see her play again. <b>PLEASE.</b></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b><br /></b></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b><br /></b></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: center;"><b><font size="6">The Men</font></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: center;"><font size="5"><b>Dan Gheesling</b></font></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPeU8K8hEcbrLsaHpjquDbu2JMxlCLVVgWT8_vg7odw0up3AFuVZO3dgl_IOE_r1R0iECwM2At5MfC0CFx7ckum3PyDLmbT856as8GxXXcz87IXB5UnvIf444HUCs7Co-e7lCFrWFa5Sc/s870/dan.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="870" data-original-width="595" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPeU8K8hEcbrLsaHpjquDbu2JMxlCLVVgWT8_vg7odw0up3AFuVZO3dgl_IOE_r1R0iECwM2At5MfC0CFx7ckum3PyDLmbT856as8GxXXcz87IXB5UnvIf444HUCs7Co-e7lCFrWFa5Sc/s320/dan.jpg" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>Dan Gheesling is always #1 on my list for people I want back for any given all stars season. He's my favorite Big Brother player of all time, I think he's the <b>best</b> Big Brother player of all time, and he's already played 2 <b>fantastic</b> games, and in my opinion he should've won the game both times. He has nothing to prove, and he'll probably never return except for an all-winners or all-legends season, but I want him back at any chance I can get. </div><div> </div><div><div style="text-align: center;"><font size="5"><b>Matt Hoffman</b></font></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgECvxLkuMIHDNwCVAoxlUFXDzWAPhQQg3mGxYrVi9AH3QsSxAR1110spoVsvlmPB20I5bQvG1g1EL79t48AacA4I07eHJr3SsYs1jjG3OpOswPK84SYRQQhOWAydCo_jzlEIiBFH2PKiY/s639/matt.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="639" data-original-width="432" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgECvxLkuMIHDNwCVAoxlUFXDzWAPhQQg3mGxYrVi9AH3QsSxAR1110spoVsvlmPB20I5bQvG1g1EL79t48AacA4I07eHJr3SsYs1jjG3OpOswPK84SYRQQhOWAydCo_jzlEIiBFH2PKiY/s320/matt.jpg" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>I just re-watched BB12, so Matt was one of the first people I wrote down for this because he was at the forefront of my mind. I already knew quite a bit about Matt before watching his season due to podcasts, and when I finally watched BB12, he actually didn't live up to the hype for me the first time around. Re-watches, however, have cemented him as someone I'd love to see play again, and his recent Sequester game only further confirmed that. He made some really dopey moves in BB12 but he's genuinely a really great strategist, and is also a type of character I tend to gravitate toward, so I'd love to see him back.</div></div><div><br /></div><div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><font size="5">Johnny Mac</font></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSE1_Hk4hmWesPGvtuWVhlAvlNLwuW3hRM_78FoDF0ZoQgJvmMX776bPHaKFnCcV6HaEKGSDuCyfun495i3FPIh5CohpQc1FEsCAOE9c_pqVDGmwhDdw9NoHNpMm-kkvQknCNupXxn4og/s531/johnny+mac.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="531" data-original-width="425" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSE1_Hk4hmWesPGvtuWVhlAvlNLwuW3hRM_78FoDF0ZoQgJvmMX776bPHaKFnCcV6HaEKGSDuCyfun495i3FPIh5CohpQc1FEsCAOE9c_pqVDGmwhDdw9NoHNpMm-kkvQknCNupXxn4og/s320/johnny+mac.jpg" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>BB17 was the first season I watched live, and ever since then, Johnny Mac has been the #1 person I think deserves a second chance. He's known for being a character-- he gives really silly DRs, he's really funny, and he's entertaining to watch. But he's also an underrated gamer, and his strategic abilities have kinda been overshadowed and forgotten due to his personality. I think if we ever got him back, he could fly under the radar a bit due to that fact alone-- he's just the goofy DR guy! Forget that he's a superfan, snowed the entire house into believing he was a clueless recruit, and played a solid lowkey game that got him to F4! Nah, nah, nah, he's just goofy Johnny!</div></div><div><br /></div><div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><font size="5">Tyler Crispen</font></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfceHKUDttHdJpHl12c9qZ6veGsGYer-CnKHGPgsNaCnIAtp9h-88SRj1GguRDAkZUekHtx6pdzhXByn4PMRBhhwFL6xDwRc111Us5mHmFmfQwTKfNmIpYsn6ai4yLtTmTBMpWg7QIaOI/s531/tyler.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="531" data-original-width="425" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfceHKUDttHdJpHl12c9qZ6veGsGYer-CnKHGPgsNaCnIAtp9h-88SRj1GguRDAkZUekHtx6pdzhXByn4PMRBhhwFL6xDwRc111Us5mHmFmfQwTKfNmIpYsn6ai4yLtTmTBMpWg7QIaOI/s320/tyler.jpg" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>Tyler is definitely the guy on everyone's mind when it comes to an All-Stars season, to the point that some people have said it isn't All Stars if they don't get Tyler. While I'm not <b>that</b> aggressive about wanting him back, I do think he has to be one of the first asks for the season. He's fresh on everyone's mind because he played only 2 years ago, and he was the first person to make final 2 and win America's Favorite Player. Once again, I think the majority of the fandom believes he should've won that season, and I agree. I'd love to see him play again and see how he could do on a second try. </div></div><div><br /></div><div><div style="text-align: center;"><div><b><font size="5">Eric Stein</font></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRi5dD4NfxKpks1WJ3thGKKzJQAwOAkiHgQrBW_akzKdAdZvwI-iPFIl28ONN_cGJfPYSfHGZUqcWG_-DZ24bDpKnEMdqYUWW2UW-WBXZQL-XVIX6v3875VQoYu9hAWdDOmLbeQ8qSLbw/s360/eric.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="360" data-original-width="360" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRi5dD4NfxKpks1WJ3thGKKzJQAwOAkiHgQrBW_akzKdAdZvwI-iPFIl28ONN_cGJfPYSfHGZUqcWG_-DZ24bDpKnEMdqYUWW2UW-WBXZQL-XVIX6v3875VQoYu9hAWdDOmLbeQ8qSLbw/s320/eric.jpg" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">RHAP did a podcast a few years ago where they ranked the best players to never win the game, and they put Eric at #1 on that list. I haven't made my own list, so I'm not sure whether or not I'd put him in 1st place, but he'd be pretty high up there for me, especially when you consider that he had such a huge handicap of being forced to bend to America's every whim. And yet still he managed to play a great game and get himself to final 5 before getting cut. If for no other reason, I'd just love to see him come back and play his own game this time and see how well he fares. And hey, it's been long enough that maybe people won't know who he is or how dangerous he is!</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: center;"><b><font size="5">Andy Herren</font></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxeF1x8cXIkSXhdJpd0BTFf6x3XVDsUtMA7_R8sKSB0er9EXLHodUBemSDD_vL9rvoxpkPAixTChtowpxaBoYUBf31jw877FsREqz4gUBCRfboFDZYbIjzrj3glf3oDAPxoqpoBcy6y3E/s531/andy.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="531" data-original-width="425" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxeF1x8cXIkSXhdJpd0BTFf6x3XVDsUtMA7_R8sKSB0er9EXLHodUBemSDD_vL9rvoxpkPAixTChtowpxaBoYUBf31jw877FsREqz4gUBCRfboFDZYbIjzrj3glf3oDAPxoqpoBcy6y3E/s320/andy.jpg" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>I feel like there are two opinions and only two opinions when it comes to Andy Herren. 1- rat floater on a trash season, ew. & 2- a deserving winner who played one of the best games the show has seen. It seems like almost everyone falls into one of these two camps. Obviously, I think that he played an incredible game in BB15, and I'd love to see him play again, to see if he really is up to the level that I personally think that he is. I've said this for a few people now, but I think that since his game isn't extremely respected, they could see him as a non-threat and he could fly under the radar again.</div></div></div></div><div><br /></div><div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><font size="5">Ovi Kabir</font></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcXjSPvXDoRm7m5DgT-dtD28tfGdxyOpmxVxvVOjhhdO_p-WwAM1Y1MU1fAcWfMINnIpoRO_R2nW_yNuzdJTWgg0XX5iQ23-jm5SQDGzVa6xTRWXCjMw2Qg-KZ58WwgfUVBUDX8zDOCBU/s531/ovi.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="531" data-original-width="425" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcXjSPvXDoRm7m5DgT-dtD28tfGdxyOpmxVxvVOjhhdO_p-WwAM1Y1MU1fAcWfMINnIpoRO_R2nW_yNuzdJTWgg0XX5iQ23-jm5SQDGzVa6xTRWXCjMw2Qg-KZ58WwgfUVBUDX8zDOCBU/s320/ovi.jpg" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>Like with Kemi, I simply don't think Ovi got a very fair shake last season, and I really want to give him another chance because they were my top 2 pre-season and just got completely screwed over. For Ovi, I have even more reason to want him back, because he played Sequester recently and got himself all the way to Final 4 through a very back-stabby, villainous game, which is not at all how he's perceived by the BB fandom at large. I think bringing him back would give us a great opportunity to see him <b>actually</b> play <b>for real</b> this time, and maybe even see that more villainous side of him come out!</div></div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><div><b><font size="5">Paul Abrahamian</font></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5cdG77s3tXGJvM0UhWB_YyNYMpquhg6A7XmoEELe9MU3_DCkk0XrRANX3AE298E9xdMkue7tFSdLG8-0P2ksGni4Iwr7QrzMVmh4oWNcQOprYJhAtp3-fHjE1z0QAhyYOyc83KnAi3oU/s531/paul.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="531" data-original-width="425" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5cdG77s3tXGJvM0UhWB_YyNYMpquhg6A7XmoEELe9MU3_DCkk0XrRANX3AE298E9xdMkue7tFSdLG8-0P2ksGni4Iwr7QrzMVmh4oWNcQOprYJhAtp3-fHjE1z0QAhyYOyc83KnAi3oU/s320/paul.jpg" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">I know. I hear you groaning already, and I'm with you. If it's that painful, pretend I put BB21 David in this spot instead, because those were the two I was debating between, and I felt like I already had enough BB21 to go around. The only reason Paul ended up here is because I think if he was on a cast this stacked, he couldn't outshine everyone like he did in previous seasons. I really liked him in BB18, and I was still rooting for him in BB19, and I think it would be interesting to see him play in a house of all returnees that won't be stupid enough to bow to his every whim. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">So, that's my ideal cast of 16 returning players for Big Brother 22. Recent rumors claim that the season is officially ON and that a premiere date has been set, so hopefully we'll soon see who's returning for the season. I'm cautiously optimistic for the season, despite rumors circulating about Josh, Paul, and Christmas all being potentially contacted for/ on the season. And many other rumors that just make me sad. Regardless, I just hope that we get a few of these people for the season, or at least just an overall <b>decent</b> cast. Because that's about all we can ask for at this point.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Share some of the returnees you'd like to see back down in the comments! Thanks for reading!</div></div>Kristen Brighthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16947782400794390038noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7835074222125929757.post-78912562020750397082020-05-18T10:00:00.006-05:002020-06-25T12:38:09.245-05:00Ranking all of Danganronpa 2's Cases/TrialsHey everyone, time for another Danganronpa ranking!<br />
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In my last Danganronpa post, I ranked the cases in Trigger Happy Havoc, so now it's time to rank the cases in SDR2! I'm not sure I'd go so far as to say definitively that SDR2 has my favorite Danganronpa trials, but it <b>definitely</b> has the most competitive ranking. TBH I've considered putting at least half of these cases in first place.<br />
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If you have no idea what Danganronpa is, don't go any further, because this post <b>will</b> contain spoilers for the entire trilogy! (explicit spoilers for game #2, vague spoilers for the other 2)<br />
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I mentioned this in the last post, but I'll repeat it before jumping into the ranking:<br />
I mostly see people talk about ranking the trials, which are definitely part of this, but in this ranking, I'm ranking the cases as a whole. So basically I'm focusing more on the mystery, how interesting it was to investigate and solve, how complicated it was, etc. Things like the trial being long/dragged out and the mechanics of the trial aren't things I have too much interest in discussing, so they're not things that will really come into play on this ranking.<br />
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Lastly, just something interesting that I wanted to note-- this ranking for me has 3 pairings (5th & 6th place, 3rd & 4th, 1st & 2nd) and within each pairing, I could really flip flop my placement and still be pretty content with the list. Seriously, I wasn't kidding when I said this was the most competitive list.<br />
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Without further ado, let's jump into the list!<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><font size="4"><b>6- Case #3- Ibuki & Hiyoko's Murders</b></font></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjt1v_lv62Jsvdzp7XH2zDDRPQHfls4_9pS7u8IJYRmnm_Xnxw-cgJN4F7bW93i8UrQJ1pq-7IKDOqYV1FEck_v5yNi8nTm9q-xZCNUvO5Hm40yeWfqfssQTsL1h978ndWtLmDyRR-gC9U/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="1280" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjt1v_lv62Jsvdzp7XH2zDDRPQHfls4_9pS7u8IJYRmnm_Xnxw-cgJN4F7bW93i8UrQJ1pq-7IKDOqYV1FEck_v5yNi8nTm9q-xZCNUvO5Hm40yeWfqfssQTsL1h978ndWtLmDyRR-gC9U/w400-h225/sdr2+trial+3.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div>
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Before I even start discussing this, I feel like I need to make this clear-- I DO understand this case and its motive. I've seen several people name this as their least favorite because they didn't get it, and that's not the case for me. I get it. I promise. That said, even though I totally understand that the despair disease caused Mikan to remember her true identity and her true love (Junko), that doesn't change the fact that it feels like lazy writing in order to make a usually meek character capable of murder. It just feels too transparently convenient as a way to off 3 characters who didn't (seem to) have the capacity to murder someone. </div>
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The one positive that I'll give this case is the same thing I said for case 3 of game 1-- the aspect of the murderer confusing the timeline and forcing everyone to run around in confusion is always fun. The aspect of Hajime supposedly seeing the "suicide" occur so that he'll panic and run to discover the body is probably the most interesting part of the case. But logistically it's just such a mess, and even without Mikan being her bumbling self, it's hard to imagine that she'd be capable of pulling this whole thing off in the time we're presented with. Not to mention the fact that this murder removes any and all possibility of Hiyoko getting a redemption arc, which is just a really unsatisfying end to her story. </div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><font size="4"><b>5- Case #1- The Ultimate Impostor's Murder</b></font></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhN6ayOZmtANoNLBnTpfGN0YVw-V2BAa6iriuFtDtAcY0-U48e5XRQGHteprxVQwymX4v8imIj19d4sWvg7EtcnV_JDSp-WMKx0Ulbfd0oFSHbdSMOaSfGv8co1tew8oJhwLkw6SMPtEWY/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="1280" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhN6ayOZmtANoNLBnTpfGN0YVw-V2BAa6iriuFtDtAcY0-U48e5XRQGHteprxVQwymX4v8imIj19d4sWvg7EtcnV_JDSp-WMKx0Ulbfd0oFSHbdSMOaSfGv8co1tew8oJhwLkw6SMPtEWY/w400-h225/sdr2+trial+1.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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Something that may be surprising to others is that when I sat down to figure out my ranking, this was actually the one I assumed I would put in last place. However, the more I thought about it, the more I realized that it probably deserved to be placed above case 3. So here we are. </div>
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When I think of this case, I'm left with the memory of it just being a bit dull and boring in comparison to the other fantastic trials in the game. However, when I really think about it, I'm reminded of the interesting twists and developments throughout it. In truth, it's really more of just a <b>simpler, cleaner</b> case rather than a boring case. Nagito flipping the switch on his personality wasn't necessarily mind-blowing, because I didn't really trust him from the start due to something feeling... off... but it adds an extra layer of interest to a case that otherwise would've been boring. </div>
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<font size="4"><b><span style="font-size: large;">4- Case #6- HOPE HOPE HOPE HOPE</span><br /></b></font>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjEgaO8FBcX1tX-WeCCSwm86iTMEZRvYons5yPCChVs95tnSrHBrgAeerYJRv7f1IYgsRxk7t_-TkxU7qS5OGrtU3NZwOEWAqB2zjEtG2t4e3Cw91k9zurqRwRpWI0yHixkcuN2BpGrHU/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="544" data-original-width="960" height="226" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjEgaO8FBcX1tX-WeCCSwm86iTMEZRvYons5yPCChVs95tnSrHBrgAeerYJRv7f1IYgsRxk7t_-TkxU7qS5OGrtU3NZwOEWAqB2zjEtG2t4e3Cw91k9zurqRwRpWI0yHixkcuN2BpGrHU/w400-h226/sdr2+final+trial.jpg" width="400" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Like I mentioned in my previous trial ranking post, I tend to enjoy the final trials of each game, despite their flaws. I'd have to put more thought into this than I already have, but I think this is probably my favorite final trial. Which should say a lot about my opinion on both the trials in the last game and the trials in this game, since I vastly prefer this over my top-ranked case/trial from Trigger Happy Havoc. Like I said, I really, really like the cases and trials in this game. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Overall, I don't <b>love</b> the investigation portion of the case. It was alright, and it was cool being back in Hope's Peak, but it definitely felt clunkier than in previous games. That, however, is made up for by the trial itself, which I really enjoyed. Hajime secretly being one of the villains in the real world and the island being virtual reality were both hinted at during the game pretty cleverly, so I thought their eventual reveal was actually really satisfying, especially in the way it ties back in to the first game. </div>
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<font size="4"><b><span style="font-size: large;">3- Case #2- Mahiru's Murder</span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVIDucOpFUfaOq0d7na9I4Wac7ZpWHafHRm4BNy2ItpbCd-ZB4sj9LrgZrIt2re0YqN_LQi2odLMUyPt-dWCuot7MpzUHyEmWy9yxYEXAAHKh_x1-afbkul4zbUXrUBtFgFNXQ8m0xOfo/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="1280" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVIDucOpFUfaOq0d7na9I4Wac7ZpWHafHRm4BNy2ItpbCd-ZB4sj9LrgZrIt2re0YqN_LQi2odLMUyPt-dWCuot7MpzUHyEmWy9yxYEXAAHKh_x1-afbkul4zbUXrUBtFgFNXQ8m0xOfo/w400-h225/sdr2+2nd+trial.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Admittedly, this case gets up really high on this list largely on the strength of the character development it provides for my favorite Danganronpa character. Because although I enjoy the trial itself, the star of the show is the relationship between Fuyuhiko and Peko. I think some people don't really like how prominent the arcade game is in the trial, but I find it really interesting to see the way that their actual past comes into play after they've lost their memories. It adds a really cool extra layer to the story. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">On top of this, the trial is made really interesting and confusing due to Fuyuhiko and Peko simultaneously trying to constantly divert attention from each other and protect each other, with Peko trying to save her "young master" and Fuyuhiko trying desperately to keep the other students from discovering that she's the culprit so that she can survive. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">The end of this trial, as well as what is technically the post-trial, is by far the most emotional part of the entire trilogy for me. The way that Peko explains why she pretended to be Sparkling Justice, the moral dilemma this presents for Fuyuhiko, and the way that his hard exterior finally breaks when he realizes he can't save her. And don't even get me started on Peko's execution and how it emotionally <b>wrecks</b> me every single time I see it again. It's so well done.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div></div><br style="text-align: start;" />
<span style="font-size: large;"><font size="4"><b>2- Case #5- Nagito's... Murder?</b></font></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisz9yqlQtoy6nsSvh266FKhgXphuSHkmmrhWZPDJS4f5zVjgQMBL09xdf4Jxpop6jbD-7AAvibKTDnEkn-rq911uGw711-5yLpqGkPE_Iva5boCTJuplHpCyFbyguC2ydI0C8fsvLuVrI/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="1280" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisz9yqlQtoy6nsSvh266FKhgXphuSHkmmrhWZPDJS4f5zVjgQMBL09xdf4Jxpop6jbD-7AAvibKTDnEkn-rq911uGw711-5yLpqGkPE_Iva5boCTJuplHpCyFbyguC2ydI0C8fsvLuVrI/w400-h225/sdr2+trial+5.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div>OK, I know this is <b>everyone's</b> stock pick for their favorite trial-- not only in this game, but also across the entire trilogy. And I totally get that. Based just on technical aspects, it probably is the best case in the series. And as I mentioned at the beginning, these top 2 could easily be flipped and I wouldn't complain too much. But I put this one in 2nd place because although the mystery itself is really complex and the result is <b>so clever</b>, I didn't really enjoy its investigation or trial as much as I enjoyed solving the mystery of the trial that got first place. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">First off, my favorite aspect of this case is the eventual twist ending-- Nagito didn't just make the culprit <b>random</b>, he purposely trusted that with his luck, the person to throw the poisoned fire grenade would be the traitor, in the hopes that no one could figure out the traitor and thus only the traitor would survive. The way the game showed his <b>actual</b> lucky ability throughout the game, just for this eventual resolution-- brilliant. Regardless of the fact that it resulted in the death of one of my favorite characters, that's such a great twist. It's legitimately so brilliant. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">The rest of the case and trial is good, but it pales in comparison to that one singular moment. I mean, I kinda had it in the back of my mind the entire time that it was likely suicide. It seemed like something Nagito would do, and it was what made the most sense. I was only surprised once I realized that someone was legitimately the culprit and we needed to figure that out. That's the main problem with suicide cases for me-- if it's even mildly possible that the character might commit suicide, it's something I tend to take into consideration, so it's never a surprise to me when it ends up being the case.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div><br /></div>
<font size="4"><b><span style="font-size: large;">1- Case #4- Nekomaru's Murder</span><br />
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<span><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-size: large; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFEWzt0NIdzpJ6-IUuG4reOYAa9orAm-Q8zm14DMQVqVeR0QgTpb7UztT3JdsX6LN0BVSDmhiNkpBtvTsY9ZeuBYY6M6xui7q7CI5Diuj-cEwWhZTmTZvwKZlbAtdddpDjYA1hsw7EOWY/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="544" data-original-width="960" height="226" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFEWzt0NIdzpJ6-IUuG4reOYAa9orAm-Q8zm14DMQVqVeR0QgTpb7UztT3JdsX6LN0BVSDmhiNkpBtvTsY9ZeuBYY6M6xui7q7CI5Diuj-cEwWhZTmTZvwKZlbAtdddpDjYA1hsw7EOWY/w400-h226/sdr2+trial+4.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="font-size: medium; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><font face="arial">It's unfortunate that the trope that lasted throughout all 3 games was the double-murder third trial rather than this one-- the new...world... trope? Is that what we're gonna call it? Anyway, a bit of a spoiler for my V3 trial ranking, but I love the two 4th cases where you have to use the mechanics of a new world to solve the mystery. Oddly, I actually <b>really</b> disliked the fact that the 4th chapter took place totally in the confines of the funhouse, but once we got into the investigation and trial, I <b>loved</b> how much the funhouse played into solving the case. </font></div><div style="text-align: left;"><font face="arial"><br /></font></div><div style="text-align: left;"><font face="arial">Although playing as Nagito is kinda cool, it's actually not a huge factor for how much I liked the case. What was cooler is actually the element of time and how Nekomaru's internal clock plays into the case. TBH I think it's really just the element of something being tampered with (their location, time, etc) and the way that the culprit messes with everyone's perception of reality in order to control their understanding of the circumstances surrounding the murder. That aspect is really cool to me, and I love the way it's used in this case. </font></div><div style="text-align: left;"><font face="arial"><br /></font></div><div style="text-align: left;"><font face="arial">And I haven't even talked about how Nekomaru and Gundham both essentially sacrificed themselves to save their friends. I think this chapter turned around a lot of people's opinions on Gundham overall, and as someone who already quite liked him, it just made me appreciate him even more. And his execution at the end of everything was especially sad, because of the way he looked after his hamsters and tried his hardest to survive. And then all the little animals taking him up to heaven despite him talking about being evil? <b>Waterworks.</b></font></div><div style="text-align: left;"><font face="arial"><br /></font></div><div style="text-align: left;"><font face="arial">Even if I didn't love the free time living inside the funhouse, this entire chapter is just so unique, and from the investigation to the trial, to the eventual punishment time, every single aspect is really cool and really well done. </font></div><div style="text-align: left;"><font face="arial"><br /></font></div><div style="text-align: left;"><font face="arial"><br /></font></div><div style="text-align: left;"><font face="arial"><br /></font></div><div style="text-align: left;"><font face="arial"><br /></font></div><div style="text-align: left;"><font face="arial">So, those are my rankings for all 6 trials from Danganronpa 2! My plan is to do V3's rankings next. I still haven't decided if I'm going to rank all of the cases together after that, or if I'm going to do a 5 favorite/least favorite. idk. We'll see. V3's might be a bit of a wait again, because there are several great ones and I'm going to have a hard time choosing between them. We'll see.</font></div><div style="text-align: left;"><font face="arial"><br /></font></div><div style="text-align: left;"><font face="arial">Let me know which Trigger Happy Havoc case is your favorite down in the comments!<br />Thanks for reading!</font></div></div></span></div></div>
Kristen Brighthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16947782400794390038noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7835074222125929757.post-73298448832092534062020-05-13T09:00:00.008-05:002020-05-13T15:42:20.558-05:00Nancy Drew Games Tier Ranking [UPDATING]Hey everyone! Today we're going to be pivoting a bit to discuss my current obsession- the Nancy Drew computer games.<br />
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While we're all doing our part to be safe and stay home, I got a bit nostalgic and started working my way through Nancy Drew games old & new, which of course led to me wanting to <b>rank</b> the games. Because duh, that's kinda my MO.<br />
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I'm going to be doing several posts relating to these games, but <b>THIS ONE </b>is special. This post will serve as my updating ranking/tier list of the Nancy Drew games, which will be updated whenever I finish a new one. I'll also include a brief note (as brief as <b>I'm</b> capable of being) about <b>why</b> it's placed where it is. However, I'll also be posting reviews/discussions for each individual game as I play them, so that I can discuss my opinions in more detail without clogging up this post. When I post a review, I'll update <b>this</b> post so that <b>this</b> post is as up to date as possible. I also plan to slowly start posting reviews/discussions of the games that are already on this tier list, so that I can talk about them in more detail.<br />
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Lastly, a couple of things before jumping into the tiers. Firstly, some of these games are ones I played recently, and others are ones I haven't re-played since childhood, so there are some I remember <b>a lot</b> better than others. Secondly, I tend to think of these tiers as if they're grades and treat them as such, so keep that in mind!<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Unplayed Tier</span></div>
As should probably be obvious, these are the ND games I <b>haven't</b> played yet, so feel free to make recommendations based on your own favorites as well as which ones you think I'll like based on my current opinions!<br />
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#6- Secret of the Scarlet Hand<br />
#9- Danger on Deception Island<br />
#15- Creature of Kapu Cave<br />
#16- White Wolf of Icicle Creek<br />
#18- Phantom of Venice<br />
#20- Ransom of the Seven Ships<br />
#22- Trail of the Twister<br />
#25- Alibi in Ashes<br />
#27- Deadly Device<br />
#30- Shattered Medallion<br />
#31- Labyrinth of Lies<br />
#32- Sea of Darkness<br />
#33- Midnight in Salem<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">F Tier- No Thanks</span></div>
None of the Nancy Drew games are outright <b>bad</b>, but the ones in this tier are my least faves.<br />
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<b>Haunted Carousel</b>- I wanted so much more from this. More "Haunted," characters that were actually interesting, a compelling story, all of it. I honestly found it just kinda boring and didn't really love playing it. <br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">D Tier- Meh</span></div>
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The title says it all. Meh. I don't have strong opinions on them, but they're below average.<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7VSAB612SeqjrEDLRsrg4fB-jdw4DyoFyT38eo33fa7-k5lNJDDNWT2tZveD8q4yyJQyj8hTwC42lh0VtJiZ0IP3NZKld8BdrezAf5UF_kW_ucIrVmK3teBcQRkU5OtGijnDYCdAcUdM/s1600/nancy+drew+games+tier+list+updated+200408+%25284%2529.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="114" data-original-width="642" height="112" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7VSAB612SeqjrEDLRsrg4fB-jdw4DyoFyT38eo33fa7-k5lNJDDNWT2tZveD8q4yyJQyj8hTwC42lh0VtJiZ0IP3NZKld8BdrezAf5UF_kW_ucIrVmK3teBcQRkU5OtGijnDYCdAcUdM/s640/nancy+drew+games+tier+list+updated+200408+%25284%2529.png" width="640" /></a></div>
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<b>Secrets Can Kill</b>- Frankly, I never finished this one because I got to a point where it stopped working on my computer. But until that point, I had very little opinion on it and decided to go ahead and put it on the tier list just because.<br />
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<b>The Final Scene</b>- This is one I only played years ago, but this is the least memorable of all the ones I played in the past. I don't remember much of the overall plot and only remember vague details of the culprit, and some of the locations. That's it. It didn't leave a lasting impression.<br />
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<b>Danger by Design</b>- The first half felt like it was holding your hand, but the second half felt like it kicked you out and left you there to die. The plot never fully came together for me, and I don't think it made amazing use of the location. I mean it's in <b>PARIS</b>. I just didn't find this one super compelling across the board.<br />
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<b>Tomb of the Lost Queen</b>- I just didn't really enjoy this one. I wasn't super into the premise, and didn't really enjoy a lot of my time playing the game. Also-- worst overall group of characters in any game. All of them were boring. However, I liked the way the tomb expanded as puzzles were solved.<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">C Tier- Average</span></div>
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Much like a C grade, it's average, passable, aight, but nothing special. Like a 7/10ish</div>
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<b>Secret of the Old Clock</b>- This is one I played when I was younger, and I remember liking it, but I don't have super detailed memories of it.<br />
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<b>Ghost Dogs of Shadow Lake</b>- Similarly, one I played when I was younger. I think a replay could move this one up, but even though I remember liking it, I don't have super detailed memories.<br />
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<b>Shadow at Water's Edge</b>- I wanted to love this one because the Japanese setting is great and it's billed as the most difficult and scariest ND game, but I found it frustrating and non-intuitive instead of difficult. It gets major points for the setting and scares, and some for the characters too, but loses points for many of the puzzles and the excessive sudoku and nonograms.<br />
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<b>Legend of the Crystal Skull</b>- Much like SAW, I wanted to love this one because of the setting and premise, but despite generally liking the puzzles, I found them easier but equally frustrating. I also didn't love the back and forth between Bess and Nancy.<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">B Tier- Really Like</span></div>
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Much like my grades in school, a B is pretty good, but not amazing. I could make an argument for some of these going into A tier, but this is where they've landed.</div>
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<b>Ghost of Thornton Hall</b>- I first played this one a few years back, so I've forgotten a few things, and although it's not going to be an all-time fave, I really enjoyed it. The setting is great, and I liked the overall mystery. Don't have a huge memory of the puzzles, but overall it's one of the spookiest ND games and I really like it.<br />
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<b>Captive Curse</b>- This is the one I'm most likely to move up. The maps are confusing, but I enjoy the premise and setting, the mini-games are my <b>fave</b> and I quite like the characters. It has several flaws, namely all the loose threads in the story, but it's just one of those games I find myself drawn to.<br />
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<b>Stay Tuned for Danger-</b> Now <b>this</b> is a throwback. I haven't played it in probably 15 years, but I have such a vivid memory of this game, the locations, and even some of the puzzles. Perhaps it's the nostalgia, but I remember quite enjoying this one.<br />
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<b>Message in a Haunted Mansion</b>- TBH, ditto what I said about Stay Tuned for Danger. I remember the mansion like the back of my hand, that's how vivid my memory of this game is. Once again, could be nostalgia, but I really enjoyed this one too.<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">A Tier- Love</span></div>
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We have one more tier left, so think of these as an A as in like... a 93% lol. They're some of the best ND games but not quite faves enough to get to the untouchable tier.</div>
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<b>Secret at Shadow Ranch</b>- This one was so hard to rank, because I played it when I was younger and obsessed with horses, and this was my favorite ND game. I don't think I'd be quite as in love now, so I've moved it down a tier, but couldn't move it much further given all of my fond memories with it.<br />
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<b>Warnings at Waverly Academy</b>- This is <b>THE</b> premise. Want to get my attention? Give me a boarding school and sabotage (preferably murder, but we don't get that here). The setting, premise, characters, and even mini-games are all on point. I wish it were a <b>touch</b> less linear, but otherwise it's a slam dunk. <b>Justice for MEL.</b><br />
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<b>Secret Spy</b>- THE CHARACTERS. I enjoy spy stories, and this game has one of the strongest premises in the whole series, but Zoe and Alec (mostly Alec) really clench this. Alec's moral ambiguity is so fascinating, and I loved trying to figure him out. Furthermore, interesting puzzles and great mini-games round this one out really nicely.<br />
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<b>Haunting of Castle Malloy</b>- Despite a lackluster ending, I found this one largely really enjoyable for the sheer fact that every aspect of it was solid across the board. Great setting, interesting characters, fun mini-games, clever puzzles. I have some complaints but they're relatively minimal.<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">S Tier- the Untouchables</span></div>
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The best of the best, the creme de la creme. My favorite and IMO the best ND games.</div>
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<b>Treasure in the Royal Tower</b>- When I think of ND games, I think of TRT. I replayed this recently and although it's not as complex as some other high-tier games, <b>it. holds. up.</b> It deserves S tier on the power of the elevator shaft/library sneaking alone. That's the most iconic part of any ND game ever. Sure, there's some magic of nostalgia at work. But it's also very clever, enjoyable, and still incredibly memorable even today. ICONIC.<br />
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<b>Curse of Blackmoor Manor</b>- I haven't played it in many years, but I have fond memories of it, and it was probably my favorite as a kid. I love settings like this, and had a lot of fun playing it.<br />
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<b>Last Train to Blue Moon Canyon</b>- Brilliant. Rather than solving a series of unconnected puzzles, the whole train is one big puzzle that you're slowly piecing together. Everything fits together so logically and cleverly. This is truly the posterchild for how brilliant ND games are at their best.<div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeG_KOl2TuKPDxTiRaYQeHn1kfixOw-QLCcpCw0obdBjRgPvN6WcHfENYzr2VIol1osPjwt4fITq5wqaIpgvTbj9KW3r4oxaBK1wLQashnnk3Ua0ZLe2-RHqOcbqQTlMpSIrfqroRmmao/" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="927" data-original-width="1064" height="558" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeG_KOl2TuKPDxTiRaYQeHn1kfixOw-QLCcpCw0obdBjRgPvN6WcHfENYzr2VIol1osPjwt4fITq5wqaIpgvTbj9KW3r4oxaBK1wLQashnnk3Ua0ZLe2-RHqOcbqQTlMpSIrfqroRmmao/w640-h558/nancy+drew+games+tier+list+updated+200408.png" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>So that's my full tier list ranking of all of the Nancy Drew games I've played! Like I mentioned at the beginning, I plan to update this whenever I post a review/discussion of a newly-played game. Hopefully in the near-ish future, I'll begin posting reviews/discussions for the games I've already played and finished, so if there's one where you're really curious about my detailed opinion, let me know! I'll make it a priority. </div><div><br /></div><div>Thanks for reading!</div><div><br /></div>Kristen Brighthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16947782400794390038noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7835074222125929757.post-51743176602951574422020-03-21T10:00:00.000-05:002020-03-21T10:00:19.859-05:00Ranking all of Danganronpa Trigger Happy Havoc's Cases/TrialsHey everyone, time for another Danganronpa ranking!<br />
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After a bit of contemplation, I've decided that I'm going to rank Danganronpa cases within each game first, followed by a favorite and/or least favorite overall ranking. So, of course, we're starting with the cases of Trigger Happy Havoc.<br />
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If you have no idea what Danganronpa is, check out the video linked below, because this post <b>will</b> contain spoilers for the entire trilogy! (explicit spoilers for game #1, Trigger Happy Havoc, vague spoilers for the other 2)<br />
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Firstly, I mostly see people talk about ranking the trials, which are definitely part of this, but in this ranking, I'm ranking the cases as a whole. So basically I'm focusing more on the mystery, how interesting it was to investigate and solve, how complicated it was, etc. Things like the trial being long/dragged out and the mechanics of the trial aren't things I have too much interest in discussing, so they're not things that will really come into play on this ranking.<br />
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Without further ado, let's jump into the list!<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">6- Case #1- Sayaka's Murder</span></div>
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It only makes sense that this is last place-- its purpose is to be an introduction into the game, and therefore it's a pretty basic case. It's rare that I go into a class trial with a definite idea of who the culprit is, but with this one... well, the writing was literally on the wall.<br />
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Although it's in last place, I think it's actually a really good first case. It's easy to follow, easy to piece things together, and has an interesting twist in it to keep you from understanding everything. However, in the grand scheme of Danganronpa cases, it's pretty simple. The cases in Trigger Happy Havoc are the worst overall, and this is the least interesting of them all. Honestly, I think that the case might have been more interesting if Leon's name wasn't literally written on the wall behind Sayaka. We've solved cases based on much less definitive evidence, and I think there were plenty of other things that pointed toward him, such as the crystal ball. Literally anything other than his name being written on the wall would've been nice.<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">5- Case #2- Chihiro's Murder</span></div>
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This case might have placed higher on this list, if not for the fact that it always feels a little <b>off</b> to me. To jump right in the thick of it, I'm of course talking about the handling of Chihiro's gender. I'm still not quite sure what they were going for here. The game makes it clear that Chihiro is a boy who dressed as a girl. However, something about the way the game handles this piece of information always feels like they either A- don't have a great understanding of how to discuss gender as a complex topic or B- are hinting at it being more complex than just "he's a boy who dresses like a girl", without actually saying it. Basically, they handled the topic with the grace of a bull in a china shop. And Toko's "cross-dresser" comment is always a big yikes.<br />
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Setting that aside, however, I find this case to be one of the more clever cases within the first game, and one of the most interesting to piece together. We have the introduction of Genocide Jill and both Mondo and Byakuya messing with the crime scene to confuse the case. It adds several red herrings into the mix, and even though some of them are pretty obvious (AKA-- I never thought Toko did it, and thought it was clear the locker rooms had been swapped), others actually do complicate things further and confuse the player even more, and that's the complexity that I enjoy.<br />
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The actual murder itself has always felt a little half-baked to me. I mean, Mondo flies into a blind rage and kills Chihiro without even realizing it? It just seems kinda.... cheap. However, I do think Mondo is one of the more difficult killers to figure out, because the E-Handbook issue was my personal biggest hurdle in solving the case. How they were broken, how the killer could get into both locker rooms, etc. So IMO the E-Handbooks were the most clever aspect of the case. And as much as I enjoy the introduction of Genocide Jill, I definitely didn't enjoy the whole Byakuya/Jill red herring because I was already several steps ahead, trying to figure out what <b>actually</b> happened.<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">4- Case #3- Taka and Hifumi's Murders</span></div>
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I know that my placement of this case is pretty unpopular-- everyone tends to really dislike the third case in each game, especially this one. I tend to have a slightly more positive opinion of the third trials as a whole. Don't crucify me, though-- it's only slightly.<br />
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This case was one of the few I had almost completely solved before setting foot into the class trial. This one seemed very straightforward to me. Maybe I've read one too many mystery novels? But what I like about the third case in each game is that it adds some element of variety to the investigation, especially in Trigger Happy Havoc and V3. Rather than discovering a body and going into a straightforward investigation, there's always a little twist. In this one, it's the element of running all over the school, trying to figure out what's happening. Or, in reality, the murderers trying to obfuscate the events surrounding the deaths. There are so many odd twists and turns before you can even investigate, and then once you've started investigating, there are <b>still more twists</b>. That's always refreshing to me when it happens, and the main reason why I don't have a full-on distaste for the third chapters like many people do.<br />
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Even though I personally found it pretty easy to solve and I found the wild goose chase a bit frustrating, there's just something about the way that it all comes together that I actually quite like. I think my favorite aspect is the way they utilized the body discovery announcement to further conceal the deaths. I always think it's clever when a killer uses a rule of the game to confuse people further. Unfortunately, I think the biggest downside is that it <b>is </b>so easy to solve. Honestly, the trial could've been over with much more quickly. One of the first things they determine is that Hiro couldn't have committed the crime in the costume. This should immediately call into question the validity of the photo evidence & thus implicate both of the people involved in faking it-- Hifumi and Celeste. But that would be too easy. Then again, solving this case was... too easy.<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">3- Case #4- Sakura's Suicide</span><br />
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This is a case that I appreciate much more than I actually <b>like</b> it. Because something about this case has never really appealed to me. For some reason, I've never found it incredibly compelling or interesting, despite the fact that it's probably one of the more complex mysteries in the game. I think the real flaw is that I found it painfully obvious that Sakura committed suicide. It was a locked room mystery, people were talking about poison, it seemed like something she would do... it just all slid into place for me.<br />
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I didn't have the case solved, per se, and I think that the details surrounding the suicide do a decent job of obfuscating it, but I never found myself compelled enough by any evidence to sway my hunch that it was a suicide. I think that if I were to remove my hunch from the equation, this would actually be quite a complex case to piece together, especially given that Hina tampered with the crime scene.<br />
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However, I think that unless you're like Hiro, Toko, and Byakuya and haven't warmed to Sakura throughout the game, I think <b>most</b> players are likely to quickly either suspect that it's a suicide or at least consider it as an option. And honestly, even if you didn't know much about Sakura, if you've ever tried to figure out a locked room murder mystery, suicide is probably going to come to your mind as a consideration at <b>some</b> point. Personally, it's never a twist that I enjoy, because it's kinda gone from an unexpected twist to a twist that's been done enough that it's no longer unexpected, if that makes sense. And given that I already suspected it, the conclusion of this mystery is just never satisfying, especially given that Sakura is one of my favorite characters, and the last thing I wanted was to lose her by her own hand.<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">2- Case #5- Mukuro's Murder</span></div>
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This is one of the most polarizing cases in the series, and I've generally had a difficult time deciding whether or not I like it. In the end, as you can tell, I've ranked it pretty high. It won't rank as high in comparison to cases from other games (because the cases in this game are probably the weakest, IMO), but in terms of the cases within the first game, I think this is where it belongs.<br />
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I like the variety that this case adds to the mix. It's purposely cut short at every turn, because Monokuma knows he's cornered and is doing everything in his power to stop the students from getting enough information to suspect him. Everything about it is purposely rushed, and you don't really fully understand that until you near the end of the class trial.<br />
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I think the most frustrating aspect of the case for me is how the suspects are immediately narrowed down to Makoto and Kyoko, without any room for anyone else. I get why this was done, but it removes several layers of mystery that could have been there. It makes it a very simple back and forth, instead of what could have been a very complex game of finger-pointing at everyone. Given that none of them actually did it, it would have been really cool to see them all suspecting everyone, until it's ultimately narrowed down. But alas, what could have been.<br />
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And, of course, the most polarizing aspect of the case-- the ending. Pursue the lie, Kyoko dies, and you get a really weird, short ending. Let Kyoko's lie slide, and you get punished and get the full ending. I've seen people say that this was counter-intuitive and that's why they hated it, but tbh every time I've seen someone go through it, they trusted Kyoko enough to let the lie slide, thus leading to the correct ending. I'm honestly pretty neutral on it, although this would've fit much better into V3, where a lot of the point of the game hinges around whether or not to trust your friends.<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">1- Case #6- Mukuro's Murder... for real</span><br />
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Firstly, yes I realize I literally just ranked these in the order that they happened in the game, but I genuinely believe each trial got better throughout the game. I don't <b>love</b> that it's that straightforward of a ranking, but hey, I'm not gonna fake my ranking just to make it more interesting lol.<br />
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I don't really have a clear idea of the fandom's opinions on the trials, apart from one video I watched of someone ranking their 5 favorite and least favorite trials. In that video, he mentioned the fandom was pretty split on whether the final trials are great or awful. And as you can tell, I'm more in the former camp. I don't think they're perfect, but rather, I tend to love them despite their flaws.<br />
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I also talk about books on here and on YouTube, and one of my more unpopular opinions is that I don't mind info-dumping. If I find the subject interesting (for example... a mystery I've been trying to solve all game?), I really don't care if you throw <b>ALL OF THE INFORMATION</b> at me. So I kinda enjoy unraveling everything all at once during the final trial. That said, though, I do think that this is the weakest final trial, despite IMO also being the least info-dump-y final trial. I think a lot of the most important clues about the mystery surrounding the school were already there to be <b>somewhat</b> figured out before that final trial, so solving everything truly felt more like actually solving a puzzle than having a bunch of information dropped on you.<br />
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I also enjoy the complexity of the fact that the previous trial really backed Monokuma into a corner, so now they're doing the trial <b>for real</b> this time, with all of the information. Despite it being the same case, the trials feel completely separate because they finally have all the information now.<br />
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Overall, despite being my favorite case of the game, it's unlikely to get <b>super</b> high on any favorites list simply because the cases in other games are <b>that good.</b><br />
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That's all for this post! My plan is that the next few posts are devoted to ranking cases/trials, and next up is of course SDR2's cases, followed by V3. I still haven't decided if I'm going to rank all of the cases together after that, or if I'm going to do a 5 favorite/least favorite. idk. We'll see. I'm very excited about SDR2's case ranking, though, because that game <b>might</b> have my favorite cases overall. We'll see.<br />
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Let me know which Trigger Happy Havoc case is your favorite down in the comments!<br />
Thanks for reading!<br />
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<br />Kristen Brighthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16947782400794390038noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7835074222125929757.post-23712162337771248092020-03-10T10:00:00.000-05:002020-03-10T12:07:31.559-05:00Top 10 Least Favorite Danganronpa Characters [Main Trilogy]Three posts in a row! I'm on a roll!<br />
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In the past 2 weeks, I've done 2 Danganronpa rankings, which will be linked here:<br />
<b><a href="https://fromkristensbrain.blogspot.com/2020/02/my-favorite-danganronpa-characters-main.html" target="_blank">My 15 Favorite Danganronpa Characters (Main Trilogy)</a></b><br />
<b><a href="https://fromkristensbrain.blogspot.com/2020/03/top-15-favorite-danganronpa-character.html" target="_blank">My Favorite Danganronpa Character Designs (Main Trilogy)</a></b><br />
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If you have absolutely no clue what Danganronpa is, check out the video embedded below, or just click off the post because I will be discussing spoilers from all 3 Main Trilogy games!<br />
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So, now that I've done two rankings of some of my <b>favorite</b> things within Danganronpa, I think it's finally time to rank my <b>least favorite </b>things. Namely, my <b>least favorite characters.</b><br />
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Since this is a ranking of my least favorite characters, remember: <b>this is just my opinion</b>. I think most, if not all, characters within the Danganronpa universe are really interesting, unique, and well-crafted. However, that doesn't mean I have to like all of them, and I definitely don't like all of them. For some, I have a detailed, complex reason for disliking them, but for many, they simply got on my nerves and pissed me off while I was playing the game, and that's as deep as it goes. If we disagree, cool. Differing opinions are fine. I respect yours, so please respect mine in return.<br />
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Lastly, for the other rankings, I've done 15, but for this list, I'm sticking with the standard 10 because I really don't have strong enough opinions on the characters that would place 11-15th to warrant discussion on this list.<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">Honorable (er... Dis-Honorable) Mentions</span></b></div>
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<b>Tenko Chabashira- </b>Her "degenerate males" schtick would be funny if it didn't feel <b>a little </b>like it was trying to make fun of feminists & if it wasn't <b>so </b>smotheringly overbearing. Certain characters feel like they have only a single personality trait because of how much the game beats you over the head with it, and she's one of them. However, she's grown on me a bit over time and does have a factor of likability that keeps her out of my personal top 10. </div>
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<b>Hiyoko Saionji-</b> Again, her negative traits are obvious. She's a brat, and she's really mean for seemingly absolutely no reason. She dishes it, but she can't take it. Literally the only redeeming quality? At least she's entertaining. And she cares about Mahiru. </div>
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Alright, now on to the actual list!</div>
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<b style="font-size: x-large;">10- </b><b><span style="font-size: large;">Monokubs </span>(minus Monodam...probably)</b></div>
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I considered putting one of the students here, but I couldn't make this post without talking about the Monokubs. TBH, my biggest problem with them really isn't even their personalities. I actually (mostly) like Monodam, and the others each have a few funny moments here and there. My main issue with them is how much screen time they take away from Monokuma, who's one of my favorite characters. They've always been in varied tiers among my least favorite characters, but it wasn't until I watched a Let's Play that I realized that this is the biggest reason they're so frustrating.<br />
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Because... they're <b>fine</b>. But their fine-ness deprives us of the iconic, incomparable Monokuma. Throughout the game, we don't even really see him much outside of class trials. Meanwhile, we're being subjected to some weird incest plotline between Monotaro & Monophanie, and MonoKid screaming about his <b>Rock Hard Rager</b>. The entirety of their humor was already done better by Monokuma in previous games, so messing with perfection left a lot to be desired.<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>9- </b><b>Yasuhiro Hagakure</b></span></div>
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Ultimate <strike>Con Artist</strike> <strike>30% Success Rate</strike> Clairvoyant</div>
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I think that across the board, it's widely accepted that Hiro is, at the very least, one of the fandom's least favorite characters. If not the definitive least favorite. But I actually found myself debating whether or not to include him. Because at the end of the day, I still <b>somewhat</b> like him although he has practically <b>no</b> redeeming qualities.<br />
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The majority of my favorite characters tend to be the most logical, rational characters-- the ones who are helpful in class trials. AKA the absolute antithesis of Hiro, who forced us to argue about whether or not Kyoko was a ghost. <b>UM. SIR. COULD YOU NOT.</b> On top of this, his ultimate talent is basically absolute bs (70% of the time!) and he somehow manages to survive the killing game, taking a survivor spot that I really wish could have been Sakura's. I mean honestly... <b>what. was. his. point. </b>in the game? <b>Why was he there? Did he do anything useful ever?</b><br />
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The one redeeming quality-- the reason he's lower on this list than he should be... is the so-bad-it's-good factor. He's idiotic and useless to the point that it's funny. Perhaps not in the moment, but in hindsight, it's a little endearing. But only a little lol.<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>8- </b><b>Tsumugi Shirogane</b></span></div>
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Ultimate <strike>Plain Mastermind</strike> Cosplayer</div>
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Every time I re-experience Danganronpa V3, at some point, the same thought crosses my mind. "<i style="font-weight: bold;">Y'know... Tsumugi's not so bad."</i> And that thought stays in the back of my mind throughout most of the game. And then I re-experience the 6th class trial and am reminded why she's one of my least favorite characters. It's not necessarily the plot twist/reveal/etc itself, but rather the plot twist is just the last straw. Because at her best, even if she wasn't the villain, Tsumugi on her own is rather... wait for it... plain. Boring, unassuming, not extremely interesting. Also, she was one of the "devotees" to the Student Council, which is my least favorite thing from V3 (Given that she was the "mastermind," she was definitely faking, but still). More on that later. And then the 6th class trial comes and reminds me that there's really nothing <b>at all</b> to like about her. She's literally at her best when she was just plain Tsumugi. If you're at your best when you're boring... you're not a very interesting Danganronpa character. Add to that the fact that it's pretty certain many of her statements in that trial were lies, and I'm just done. Girlbye. No one wants you.<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>7- </b><b>Sayaka Maizono</b></span></div>
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Ultimate <strike>Fake Best Girl</strike> Pop Sensation</div>
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Honestly, I was kinda glad she was the first victim. I was annoyed by her role in the game, I was annoyed by her personality, and I really just wanted her off my back.<br />
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I mentioned in a previous post that I was quickly sketched out by Sayaka, and I think that's the largest reason why she was so grating to me. I hated the way that she was so immediately... submissive?... to Makoto. Like, <b>yes pls let me be your assistant, and also spend your first free time with me, and also let me follow you around everywhere.</b> I mean, I get it-- a lot of that was fake just to get close to Makoto & pin a crime on him. But in order to create the plot that they wanted to for the game, they made Sayaka such an irritating, clingy, grating character. Never mind that I wanted to get to know Kyoko or "Junko." Nah, gotta hang out with Sayaka more!<br />
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The game makes it clear, both in Sayaka's reaction to her DVD and in the conclusion to the first class trial, that Sayaka had a darker side to her, willing to do really terrible things to get ahead. And I think if we'd gotten more of that first-hand rather than second-hand (her mentioning it, unraveling the case, etc), I would've enjoyed her character more. Instead, we just got sprites of her freaking out and not much more.<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">6- Nekomaru Nidai</span></b></div>
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Ultimate <strike>Scat Humor</strike> Team Manager</div>
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On my favorite characters list, I mentioned that I was initially not a fan of both him and Sakura because I really disliked their character designs, but unfortunately, he didn't end up growing too much in my estimation. I'd be remiss to ignore the fact that Gundham is one of my favorite characters while Nekomaru is one of my least favorites, even though they both essentially sacrificed themselves for the betterment of the group. I'm fully aware of that, and that's the main thing keeping him from being any higher on this list.<br />
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With Nekomaru, it's not that deep... I just don't really like him. Like with Tenko, his "I need to poop" schtick was alright the first couple of times, but eventually, it just felt like it overtook most of his personality. He felt pretty one-note throughout the game when he was just himself, and then he became Mechomaru and just....? IDK, I didn't dig it. I don't have some elaborate reasoning for him, I just really didn't enjoy him as a character, found him kinda annoying, and didn't really miss him much once he was gone.<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">5- "Byakuya Togami"</span></b></div>
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Ultimate <strike>Fake Byakuya</strike> Imposter</div>
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I feel like this shouldn't be a surprise, since Byakuya is one of my favorite characters, and the Ultimate Imposter essentially changed his personality entirely, reduced him to a walking, talking, fat joke, and did it all under the guise that this was <b>definitely</b> still Byakuya Togami. I hated every second of it. In this case, I can <b>somewhat SOMEWHAT</b> understand that they wanted to emphasize that Byakuya had gained weight, so this guy's personalization of him was mostly about food. But I <b>really</b> don't like when bigger characters are reduced to a joke about how much they eat, and I dislike it even more when you do that to a character with a pre-established personality that I already liked.<br />
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Even more than that, another thing that I really dislike in Danganronpa is when someone tries to overbearingly and overtly control or lead everyone. Not in the way that Kaito tried to inspire & lead everyone, or Kokichi made people do what he wanted through more subtle manipulation, but rather the overt-- "I'm the leader, everyone is going to listen to what <b>I </b>have to say." Yeah, that's annoying. Which we'll see even more in a bit. Real Byakuya just wants to tell you to stop being an idiot and be left alone to his books.<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">4- Mikan Tsumiki</span></b></div>
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Ultimate <strike>Fan Service</strike> Nurse</div>
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I know Mikan has a lot of fans, but clearly I'm not one of them. I'm not sure how exactly to word this, but in many ways, she plays into very old-fashioned, gender-norm stereotypes of what a female "should" be, and I think that's the biggest reason I don't like her. She's meek, subservient, and overly apologetic, to the point of being unable to even speak sometimes. On top of this, she's also the most blatantly "fan-service" character in SDR2 IMO, due to her clumsiness putting her into compromising situations (possibly on purpose & for attention) and the despair disease causing her to get overtly sexual with Hajime. While I understand that her character comes from a history of abuse, that still doesn't change the fact that she was <b>written and created</b> to be this hyper-stereotyped, fan-servicey character that plays into a bunch of tropes that I really dislike. Sure, I feel bad for her, and if she were a real human, I wouldn't have any of these criticisms. But I can't ignore the fact that she was written and created to be this way, which I really dislike.<b style="text-align: center;"> </b><br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">3- Hifumi Yamada</span></b></div>
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Ultimate <strike>2D Fanboy</strike> Fanfic Creator</div>
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I feel like Hifumi is kinda a stock pick on lists like this, and here he is. I mean, the obvious thing is that he's creepy. The way he talks about women, his kinda incel-y complex, the constant sexual innuendos, just... <b>no one</b> wants that. It's creepy. Also, again, <b>must</b> we make every gross, creepy character also overweight? I see what you're doing here, and I don't like it. TBH I really just don't know what else to say about Hifumi. He's created to be the "pervert" of DR1's cast, and therefore, obviously, I dislike him. I know it's a super obvious choice, but there's a reason for that.<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">2- Angie Yonaga</span></b></div>
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Ultimate <strike>Cult Leader</strike> <strike>Brainwasher</strike> <strike>Con-</strike>Artist</div>
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<b>Angie is the most frustrating character across the entire trilogy. There, I said it.</b><br />
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Angie drives me nuts. First, I <b>will</b> acknowledge the fact that I believe she had good intentions with the student council. However, that doesn't save it from being literally the most infuriating plot point of the entire trilogy. Idr where I saw it, but I saw someone complaining that Angie & Kokichi are viewed so differently despite "doing the same thing." Sorry, but lolno. While there are <b>some </b>similarities (both have very misguided ways of trying to reach their end goal), there's a clear massive difference for me.<br />
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The biggest thing for me is the god complex/brainwashing/cult aspect. People like this IRL annoy me. Cults, hive-minds, they equally fascinate and horrify me. Y'know who Angie reminds me of? <b>HUNBOTS</b>. Y'know, people from MLM companies who send you copy-pasted sales pitches full of emojis, trying to convince you that you're <b>perfect</b> for their business opportunity, even though MLMs are predatory pyramid scams that target vulnerable people. Oof I went off on a rant there, but I hope you see my point. Also, I saw someone point out that she doesn't have any sprites that aren't happy/positive/etc. Like none with true complex emotions. Another thing that I cannot stand? People who are constantly upbeat, positive, never show other emotions. It seems so fake and creepy to me.<br />
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On top of this, Atua is absolutely a figment of Angie's imagination. She uses "Atua" to convey messages that she wants to say, and make them seem more important. Just... everything about her screams <b>SCAM! CULT! BRAINWASHED! FAKE! USED CAR SALESMAN!</b> and those are the people IRL that I cannot stand, so clearly that's the type of person who's going to be my absolute least favorite in any game ever.<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">1- Teruteru Hanamura</span></b></div>
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Ultimate <strike>Sexual Predator</strike> Cook</div>
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Honestly, after going on that whole rant about Angie, I'm almost conflicted about putting Teruteru in first place. Because IMO he's (again), the most obvious worst character in the trilogy. He's disgusting. He's a perv. He's predatory. He sexually harasses the girls in the cast. He's so gross that even Nagito is offended by him. And that's essentially his only personality trait. So, yeah. Duh. <b>Obviously</b> he's the worst character. Because he absolutely disgusts me. But he's also so obviously terrible that it almost feels like a cop-out to put him at number one. But that's where he belongs, so I guess this is where he goes. TBH, I don't really have anything else to say about him. I mean... what else needs to be said? He's predatory and I don't like him. He wasn't funny, he wasn't entertaining, he added absolutely nothing good to the game at all. I'm just glad he was the first killer & therefore I didn't have to put up with a whole game of him.<br />
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So, there you go! My 10 least favorite characters in Danganronpa. Like I said, these are just my personal opinions, and I think many of them still serve important purposes within the game, on top of giving us people to root against, which makes the cast overall more interesting. These are just the ones I personally dislike, and it's fine if we disagree!<br />
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These 3 rankings that I've done so far are the ones that I <b>really</b> wanted to do, but I do have a few extras that I'd also like to do. Next up will probably be something to do with Class Trials. Not sure how I want to do it-- I think it'd be cool to talk about each individual game and then combine everything into either a full ranking or a 5 favorite/least favorite, but that might be a bit much. IDK, we'll see.<br />
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Let me know some of your least favorite Danganronpa characters down in the comments!<br />
Thanks for reading!Kristen Brighthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16947782400794390038noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7835074222125929757.post-17164897771936244712020-03-04T11:00:00.000-06:002020-03-04T11:00:02.906-06:00Top 15 Favorite Danganronpa Character Designs [Main Trilogy]Whoa, two posts back to back?? Who even am I??<br />
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Yes, I'm back once again to do another Danganronpa ranking. If you didn't see my ranking of my favorite Danganronpa characters, you can click <b><a href="https://fromkristensbrain.blogspot.com/2020/02/my-favorite-danganronpa-characters-main.html" target="_blank">HERE</a>, </b>and if you have absolutely no clue what Danganronpa even is, check out the video embedded below for a description, because this blog post is going to contain <b>spoilers for all 3 main trilogy games. CONSIDER THIS YOUR WARNING</b>.<br />
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As you can see from the title, I decided to rank my favorite character designs. In playing Danganronpa, I found that character design was a major factor in my first impressions of characters, as well as my perceptions of them throughout the games-- in some instances heavily skewing my opinion of the character in question. So, I thought it would be fun to rank my favorites. As always, this is super biased-- I'm not saying these are the <b>best-</b>designed characters, just my favorites. Furthermore, I'm including my favorite sprites of each character in their respective sections.<br />
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Before jumping into the ranking, I want to mention that there are actually a couple factors at play here, making the ranking a bit more complex than it might seem at first glance. The first is the most obvious-- the basic character design. Plain & simple-- what do they look like? However, the second is their sprites. At first, I kinda considered this to be a totally separate entity, but when making this ranking, I found that I really couldn't talk rank them without taking the sprites into consideration, because some characters' designs change drastically in certain sprites. I'll discuss that in more detail when I get to it, though!<br />
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Lastly, because I've rambled enough-- Monokuma's character design is easily within my top 10 because it's so brilliantly simple, but for this list, I'm just going with students. <b>ON TO THE LIST!</b><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>15- Kaito Momota</b></span></div>
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The Luminary of the Stars! I feel like I can't begin a discussion about Kaito without saying that lol. You'll quickly realize that there are certain colors I gravitate toward, and fortunately for Kaito, purple is one of them. His design wasn't one I loved at first glance, but there are so many details that I've grown to love. It took me a little while before I noticed the galaxy print on the inside of his jacket. It's such a nice, subtle detail. One of his best features is all of his really unique sprites. Some characters have sprites where they look like an entirely different person altogether, and Kaito is one of them. His scared sprites are <b>hilarious</b>, even more so than the *determined* sprite I've included above.<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>14- Himiko Yumeno </b></span></div>
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Himiko is a really interesting character for me. Upon my own playthrough of the game, apart from being more than a bit annoying with her <b>MaGiC</b> schtick, she didn't really stand out to me-- she was V3's "literally how did this rando survive" survivor for me. However, in watching let's plays of the game, I've warmed to her and it's led to me also really enjoying her character design as well. Honestly, I'm surprised I didn't love it at first glance-- the color palette is one of my faves, and I love that she looks like she's ready for Hogwarts. One of my favorite things about her design is how <b>absolutely deadpan</b> her "basic" sprites are. Which fits her personality perfectly.<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>13- Junko Enoshima </b></span></div>
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Yes, I know one sprite is of Mukuro, not Junko, but she's here because I love her overall design, not just Junko-proper. TBH, I actually prefer Mukuro's version. The freckles were cute, and I won't hear anything to the contrary! Junko's character design is one of many reasons why I immediately liked her when I started DR1. Sure, she's the <b>fashionista</b>, but her sprites always portrayed her as laid-back & lighthearted, which I was immediately drawn to. Plus, throw in <b>actual</b> Junko's sprites and you've suddenly got <b>tons</b> of designs to appreciate.<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>12- Maki Harukawa</b></span></div>
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Maki probably has the most basic design on the list, but her design is one of many reasons she was one of my early favorite characters while playing V3. First-- the color palette. Spot on. I love dark reds and blacks. Also, red eyes are a guaranteed way for me to love a character's design. They're such a good, subtle way to show that a character has a more sinister side. And I especially like them for Maki, because I immediately didn't believe her talent. She seemed too sinister to be the ultimate child caregiver. <b>However</b>, I've also seen people play the game and not really second-guess it until later. Her design is just subtly dark enough that it fits who she really is, but just neutral enough that her fake persona isn't obvious to <b>everyone </b>at first glance. Plus, she has some really great sprites-- the crying one I included breaks my heart every time, and the one with her grabbing her pigtail is <b>just</b> cute enough to make you believe she <b>might</b> be the child caregiver.<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>11- Korekiyo Shinguji</b></span></div>
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When I started V3 and first saw Kiyo's design, my first thought was "ah, here's our Gundham," because he's V3's dark, eccentric character. And that type of character design always immediately intrigues me. Hello, my name is Kristen and my favorite color is black lol. Although my love of his character design didn't lead to me loving him as a character, his character did make his design even better. For the first 3 chapters, I had a theory that Kiyo was covering his face because he was either actually a woman or perhaps even a trans man. While that didn't end up <b>really</b> coming to fruition, the fact that he kinda combined (??) with Sister really fit his design and made the design come full circle for me.<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>10- Kirumi Tojo</b></span></div>
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I didn't realize I'd included so many V3 characters until I started writing each of these descriptions, but here we are I guess lol. Kirumi is one of the most frustrating characters in the trilogy for me because I <b>loved</b> her character design, and I even liked her quiet, stoic personality... but it was all squandered on a <b>super</b> bland & forgettable character arc. But regardless, it <b>was</b> the design that got my hopes up so high, because it's legitimately a really fantastic character design. The muted colors, the old-fashioned designs, even the cobweb on her dress-- they all create a really specific old-fashioned, even <b>motherly </b>mood, to the point that I forget she's supposed to be a high schooler. She always looks like an adult to me because of the old-fashioned design. Honestly, for the longest time, I found myself including her way too high on my favorite characters rankings solely due to my love of her design. Overall, it's just a really fantastic design and I'm still salty that she ended up being one of the most forgettable, bland characters because her design promises <b>so much more.</b><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>9- Ibuki Mioda </b></span></div>
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I'm not sure of the official development dates for SDR2 (it was released in summer 2012-- right after I graduated high school), but Ibuki is truly a product of its time because she's everything that teenage Kristen wanted to be. When I saw her hair and the fact that she was the ultimate musician, it took me right back to high school Kristen. And her personality is fitting as well, because she embodies the random=funny sense of humor from ~2010-ish as well. And although I've thankfully moved past that sense of humor (largely why she's not one of my <b>favorite</b> characters), I'm still a sucker for any sort of rocker/alternative sense of style, which is why I love Ibuki's character design so much. She also has lots of fun sprites-- I love the pointing sprite paired with the "pointing!" VA-- and is another character who has sprites that make her look like an entirely different human. Although she didn't end up being one of my favorite characters in the game, I <b>was </b>immediately interested in getting to know more about her simply because of how much I love her character design.<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>8- Shuichi Saihara </b></span></div>
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Shuichi has one of the most basic character designs on this list, but as someone who usually wears all black... well, I can't really help myself. I love it. The use of the hat was really clever because it put his insecurities fully on display throughout the first chapter while also hiding his obligatory protagonist ahoge. It was such a simple detail that also provided character development when we moved on to the next chapter. Idk, I just love how... clean?... his design is, I guess? The pinstripe, the monochromatic color scheme, it's just really nice and clean and fits an aesthetic that I personally really love. Plus I love that his hair is actually more of a blue color even though it fits in nicely with his all-black aesthetic. Overall, he has a fairly simple design, but I like how clean and monotone it is.<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>7- Celestia Ludenberg</b></span></div>
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I feel like Celeste is kinda an obligatory inclusion on a list like this because she's such a striking character. More than any other character for me, Celeste is the one I constantly rank way too high on "favorite character" lists solely because I love her design so much. Because as a character, I don't have strong opinions on her, but <b>that character design tho.</b> I'm not sure if it's technically Lolita fashion, but that's definitely what her style makes me think of. She also definitely reminds me of another character from <b>something</b> but for the life of me I've never been able to figure it out. Either way, her pigtails are so dramatic and she's got my "obligatory" red eyes lol. She just has a really striking design, and also kinda looks like a different person when she drops her French accent. And I love her angry sprite with the finger.<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>6- Peko Pekoyama </b></span></div>
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Another girl with red eyes on my list-- shocking! Peko was much like Kirumi for me, except that I liked Peko's design quite a bit more. Immediately upon seeing her design, I wanted to get to know her. The red eyes, the grey hair, the red and black uniform, she seemed like she was going to be such a cool character. But as much as I love the way that she played into Fuyuhiko's plot in the game, in the end, she didn't feel like an extremely fleshed out character on her own, separate from Fuyuhiko's story. And that was a huge disappointment given how much I loved both her design and the minimal personality development we <b>did</b> get in the game. Regardless, though, her design is still really cool, which is why she's this high up the list.<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>5- Kokichi Oma </b></span></div>
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Kokichi is the main reason I included that discussion about character appearance versus their sprites, because Kokichi's sprites are the biggest reason for him getting this high on the list. He would've been on the list regardless, but he was quite a bit lower down until I thought more about the sprites. Of all of the characters, Kokichi has some of the most interesting and varied sprites. He has several of his "evil face" sprites that make him look like an entirely different human, and those are a highlight of his character design IMO. And then for his normal sprites, I love how playful most of them are-- he's designed to look incredibly childlike in order to play into his personality. I think because of how complex and quirky his personality is, the artists creating his sprites got to create a lot of interesting, unique sprites and that's the main reason he's so high.<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>4- Kazuichi Soda </b></span></div>
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When I first saw Kazuichi, his design felt kinda familiar. There's probably a better comparison that I can't think of, but for some reason his design always makes me think of Gorillaz. His design is really bright and bold, and I assume that for some people it was a little offputting or maybe even creepy due to his pointy teeth. But as someone who loves edgy designs, I immediately loved his design and wanted to get to know him. He almost looks like he belongs inside of some sort of post-apocalyptic media. Or at least, My Chemical Romance's version of post-apocalyptic lol. I love his design in general, but his scared sprites are especially funny to me, as is the one where his eyes light up.<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>3- Kyoko Kirigiri </b></span></div>
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Of all of the times I've said how I loved a character design at first glance and wanted to know more about the character, Kyoko was the first. And her ultimate talent being unknown amplified that curiosity more. But even without that, She was one of the first characters I was drawn to. The first game probably collectively has my least favorite character designs, and that made her stand out even more among the crowd. Her silvery-purple hair, her overall purple hue, and how serious she appeared were all things I immediately loved. I really like that despite her color pallette being unique colors like silvers and purples, it's all very muted to reflect how serious she is. I also appreciate that although she had a "mystery" talent, her character design didn't make her talent immediately obvious, but still fits perfectly when we discover her talent.<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>2- Gundham Tanaka</b></span></div>
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<span style="text-align: center;">As a rule of thumb, if a character looks like they might be evil, I probably love their design. So, again, upon first sight of Gundham, his design was my favorite of SDR2. I didn't know anything about the characters when I started the game, and when he said he was the ultimate breeder... I was surprised, to say the least. It seemed so random when paired with his design. But now that we've seen his full arc, it makes a lot more sense. I love the sprites with his little hammies but even more, I just really think his design on its own is cool. The "scar" across his eye, the undercut, the swirl, the bandaged arm, the <b>totally natural </b>red eye, the <b>hell hound earring</b>, there are just so many cool individual details that come together to create a really unique and quirky design. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>1- Rantaro Amami</b></span> </div>
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Listen... yes, I know I've gone with Mr. Pretty Avocado Boi in first place. But I'd be lying if I said Rantaro wasn't the person I was most curious about going into their respective game. I don't remember how or why I'd seen his sprites, but I saw them before playing the game and really wanted to figure out who he was. At first, I actually thought he was a girl and was even more intrigued-- we love an androgynous queen. Regardless though, I was drawn in by the piercings and the messy hair.... mostly the piercings lol. And for me, his design really did what it was intended to, because I really wanted to know more about him and was immediately frustrated when I discovered that he was the mystery student, meaning I would have to wait until much later in the game to actually learn about him. His design is just basic enough that he doesn't have an obvious talent, but also interesting enough that (at least for me) he makes you want to know more about him. He's also another character where his character design tends to affect his placement on my favorite characters lists, because yeah, the mystery surrounding him is really interesting, but probably not enough to get him into my top 20 favorite characters on its own, and yet... there he is.<br />
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So, those are my favorite character designs in the main Danganronpa trilogy of games! I mentioned in the last post that I had a few more Danganronpa rankings I wanted to do, and this wasn't necessarily the next one I intended to do, but the more I thought about it this week, the more I wanted to do it. I think the next one I'll want to do is probably my least favorite characters... which is sure to get some people <b>heated.</b> But oh well lol. Stay tuned for that, probably sometime in a week or two.<br />
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Let me know some of your favorite Danganronpa character designs down in the comments!<br />
Thanks for reading!<br />
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Kristen Brighthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16947782400794390038noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7835074222125929757.post-60218598670467939242020-02-25T11:00:00.000-06:002020-02-25T13:12:04.784-06:00Top 15 Favorite Danganronpa Characters [Main Trilogy]Uh... hello? Is anyone out there?<br />
So, long time, no see. I don't want to give some long spiel about why I've been gone, so I'll just say that I've returned once again because-- you guessed it-- I wanted to rank some things.<br />
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Specifically, I wanted to rank my favorite Danganronpa characters from the main trilogy. If you're unfamiliar, I've embedded a video below that explains the concept. The rest of this post WILL contain spoilers for the entire main trilogy, so I'd recommend checking out this video to see if you're interested.<br />
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I discovered these games last summer and played through the entire main trilogy within the span of about a month because I got SO obsessed with it. Right now, I'm in the thick of my 2nd bout of Danganronpa obsession. I've re-watched Lucahjin's Let's Plays of games 1 & 2, am keeping up with her new Let's Play of V3, & just finished Weeby Newz's Let's Play of V3. And although I have definitive favorite and least favorite characters, I hadn't yet tried to do a formal ranking. So, I figured it was time.<br />
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Also, another important thing to note is that I have <b>just </b>played these games-- I haven't seen the anime (I know, I'm doing things out of order) & I haven't played UDG. I know some characters on this list are in the anime, but my opinions in this post are based <b>solely</b> on their in-game representation & nothing else. Furthermore, my list is extremely subjective. Character complexity and role within the game are things I take into account, but my own personal opinion on each of them is the most important factor in their placement on this list.<br />
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I feel like I've already rambled enough, but lastly, I just want to say that I feel like I have pretty... basic? opinions? I'm not sure if I feel that way because I tend to gravitate toward the same types of people and therefore it's really predictable, or if it's because I generally tend to like... likable characters. Either way, I'm generally not someone who has wildly unpopular opinions, so this could end up reading like a list of the most popular Danganronpa characters. Anyway, let's begin.<br />
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<b>Spoiler Warning-- Past this point, spoilers from all 3 main trilogy games are fair game!</b><br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">15- Junko Enoshima</span></b></div>
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Ultimate <strike>Fashionista</strike> <b>Despair</b></div>
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Full disclosure, I was really tempted to cut this list off at 13 because although there are many more characters I like, I couldn't make up my mind on these last two. Other options I considered were Sonia and Rantaro, but... Junko is more fun.<br />
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For all 3 games, I ranked all the characters from my favorite to least favorite after first meeting them, and I'm going to reference those lists several times when discussing my first impressions of each of these characters. Where was Junko on that list? <b>FIRST </b>lol. I wish I were kidding.<br />
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When I first started playing DR1, "Junko" (really Mukuro) was one of the characters I took an immediate liking to. She was the first one I chose for an FTE (partially bc my first choice was unavailable), and I was really upset when she died. Which made the reveal at the end of the game <b>that</b> much more mind-blowing. Regardless of which personality is speaking, she adds a really fun layer of chaos and <b>dEsPaIr</b> to any scene she's in. That said, though, my favorite personalities are probably finger-gun-face and rock&roll Junko. It would take way too long to analyze her character here (especially when many others have done it more articulately than I ever could), but I really enjoy how layered and how complex she is as a character.<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>14- Aoi Asahina</b></span></div>
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Ultimate <strike>Donut</strike> <b>Swimming Pro</b></div>
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I didn't have many strong opinions on Hina when I played the game myself. In most DR games, a few of the surviving characters always feel random-- like, how did <b>they</b> survive?!-- and Hina was one of those for me. She's not a character archetype I generally gravitate toward, and throughout the game I thought she seemed a bit bland and pretty unhelpful in class trials, which usually annoys me. Also, she tried to get all of us killed-- that wasn't cool.<br />
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However, Lucahjin's playthrough brought out a different side of her for me. I realized how warm and caring she was, and how she was really the only person to be kind and supportive of Sakura the entire game. Yeah, she could be a bit dumb, and had flaws (which... all of them do), but she was a loyal friend and a bright presence in the game, and those aspects eventually made me warm to her, moving her this far up my list.<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>13- Monomi/Usami</b></span></div>
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Monomi wasn't a character I loved on my first play-though. It really took a re-watch of Lucahjin's Let's Play for her to become one of my favorites. On my first playthrough, I really wasn't sure what to think of her. Throughout the vast majority of the game, it's not really clear whose side she's on. And because of that, I don't think I ever really took her at face value. So, my second time through, when I <b>was </b>able to take her at face value, I saw her in a different light and found that I really liked her. She speaks and acts a lot like a little kid, which is something I usually dislike, but I guess it's more palatable when it's a stuffed animal lol. Anyway, she often added a lot of extra humor as a counterbalance to Monokuma, so I ended up really enjoying the scenes she was in, and by extension, Monomi herself.<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">12- Sakura Ogami</span></b></div>
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Ultimate <b>Martial Artist</b></div>
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When I first played DR1, I thought it would be interesting to look back on my first impressions of each character, so I wrote everything down and ranked them from my favorite/most trusted to least favorite/trusted. Sakura was three from the bottom. My only note on her? "Seems fine, not my fave."<br />
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To decipher what I think I meant there-- I definitely didn't like her character design at first glance. She and Nekomaru have always jumped out to me as looking distinctly different from the others. Aesthetically, I've always thought they were drawn with an art style that looks a bit older, and I think my initial aversion to their character design affected my opinion of them as characters.<br />
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TBH, I'm not totally sure how much my opinion of her changed as I played the game. I think she grew on me a bit, but despite her strength in many other areas, she doesn't have an incredibly strong personality, and can often just be quietly strong and supportive, while many other people assert themselves more. I think by the end of the game, I liked her, but didn't have super strong feelings about her.<br />
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However, once again, Lucahjin's Let's Play brought out other sides of her personality for me. She's Lucah's favorite character, so seeing her through the lens that Lucah saw her through, my eyes were opened to how loyal and caring of a character she is. So many characters in the cast are rude to her or disregard her or are scared of her, but she remains unwaveringly <b>good.</b> Danganronpa characters are always so flawed even when they're good, but Sakura is one of the few I would say is just <b>good.</b> No qualifiers, no "but..." just <b>good.</b><br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">11- Kaito Momota</span></b></div>
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Ultimate <strike>Motivational Speaker</strike> <strike>LUMINARY OF THE STARS</strike> <b>Astronaut</b></div>
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The Luminary of the Stars! Like with others on this list, my first impression of Kaito was... meh. I had him all the way in 10th place on that initial list I made of favorite characters upon starting the game. However, he quickly became one of my favorites, leaping all the way up to third place by the end of chapter 1, which is actually higher than where I have him now.<br />
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As much as I like Kaito, he's outside of the top 10 because of some major drawbacks that always bug me with him. As much as I love his desire to believe in everyone, there were so many moments when he was a huge annoyance in class trials simply because he refused to listen to any and all logic. Shuichi and Kaito had an entire blowup in their friendship solely because Kaito didn't want to listen to reason. As much as he's a nice guy with good intentions, he can be <b>such</b> a hassle to deal with, and he can easily come off as a bit of a pompous douchebag.<br />
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But despite all of his flaws, despite how frustrating he can be, his intentions are pure. He wants to be a leader, and he wants to inspire everyone else to believe in themselves the way that he (often without reason) believes in them. It's not even that he wants everyone to co-exist-- he wants everyone to get along and be friends and to use that to end the killing game. And honestly, I'd count that a success because by the time he died, everyone remaining had rallied together as both allies and friends.<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">10- Monokuma</span></b></div>
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Even though Monokuma is piloted by Junko and is therefore technically just an extension of her, I don't think anyone really lumps them together as one person or character. Which is why Monokuma finds himself several spots higher than Junko herself.<br />
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TBH I'm sure there could be some sort of argument made here for Stockholm Syndrome. We're stuck with Monokuma through all three games, so at some point we're going to <b>have</b> to grow to like him, right? I'm totally not just saying this because my Monokuma plush is glaring threateningly at me from across the room, I promise!<br />
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Monokuma is just such a great mascot for the series. Even when he's being <b>literally deadly serious</b>, he still really doesn't take things too seriously. There's always a bit of a lighthearted, fun edge to him, and that makes him just a bit creepier. He's not infallible, and like Junko, he has multiple sides to him and is a really layered, complex character.<br />
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Alright, just a quick note here-- these top 9 were the easiest to choose for the list. There are spots where I could definitely swap around the placements, but these are very definitively my 9 favorites.<br />
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9- Kazuichi Soda</span></b></div>
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Ultimate <b>Mechanic</b></div>
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This might be my most controversial opinion on this list. Although I'm not super clued into the Danganronpa fandom as a whole, I saw the results of a favorite characters poll and Kazuichi was pretty low on that list despite being a survivor. It doesn't take a lot of deduction skills to figure out that this is likely largely due to his infatuation with Sonia.<br />
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Kinda the flip-side of Sakura, I loved Kazuichi's character design, and therefore I found myself immediately drawn to him within the game. And given that he was very quickly one of the most prominent characters, I found myself liking him more and more despite his obvious flaws. Although he certainly wasn't the brightest in class trials, he was <b>a lot</b> more helpful than several characters, and definitely functioned as comic relief for most of the story, which is another reason I enjoyed him. I think Fred & George Weasley being my favorite Harry Potter characters makes it pretty obvious how I feel about comic relief characters, especially when they're much more than just funny.<br />
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Above, I've embedded Weeby Newz's character analysis of Kazuichi because I think it explains a lot about his character that I really like & shows why he's a much more complex character than he seems at first glance.<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">8- Chiaki Nanami</span></b></div>
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Ultimate <strike>AI</strike> <b>Gamer</b></div>
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Chiaki was one of the characters I was immediately drawn to on my first time through the game. Obviously, I immediately liked her because of her talent. Which is probably done purposefully-- gamers playing the game will probably also want to befriend the in-game gamer.<br />
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As I've already mentioned, one of my first instincts in Danganronpa games is to generally prefer characters who are the most logical and helpful in class trials. Since Chiaki is kinda the "helper" character of SDR2, that quickly made her one of my favorite and most-trusted characters. My love of Chiaki is probably the clearest indicator of my "I like likable characters" thing, because she's basically created to be as likable as possible. And it worked for me. She might come off as bland to some, but I like her calm, rational personality and found her really smart and yes, very likable.<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">7- Maki Harukawa</span></b></div>
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Ultimate <strike>Tsundere</strike> <b>Assassin</b></div>
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Maki is another character I was immediately drawn to when I played V3. I put her at 4th on my initial favorite characters list. My only note?-- "child caregiver? totally not her skill." I remember being totally disappointed for the first two chapters when we barely saw her or talked to her. I could tell she was hiding something, and I wanted to figure out what it was and get to know her. So when chapter 3 rolled around and she joined our little friendship trio, I quickly fell in love with her, and that love continued throughout the rest of the game.<br />
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Originally, I had Maki in 6th place, but swapped her to 7th. I hadn't returned to V3 since my own playthrough and watching Weeby Newz's let's play of the game reminded me of some aspects of her personality that I don't like as much. Namely, although she's one of the smartest and most logical characters in the game, she's also very emotionally driven and has a tendency to act irrationally when she's emotionally distraught.<br />
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Despite that, however, her character arc is one of my favorites throughout the games. At the beginning of the game, she's really guarded and doesn't want to let anyone in. She tries to present herself as cold and unemotional, as a defense mechanism. But as the game continues on, those walls come down and we get to see who she truly is. This type of character arc is one that I really enjoy, as we'll see a bit later on the list. And apart from her great character arc, her character type-- the quiet, smart, calculated, mysterious girl-- is just one I'm going to enjoy regardless. Which, again, we'll see a bit later on the list.<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">6- Byakuya Togami</span></b></div>
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Ultimate <strike>Arrogant Douche</strike> <b>Affluent Progeny</b></div>
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Is he an awful person? Absolutely. Is this also the character archetype I always love in media? Also absolutely. The snarky, sarcastic, arrogant, obnoxious, pretentious dude is one I always enjoy. Is it over-done? Yeah, probably. But I'm always down to have one show up in a book, movie, tv show... video game, etc.<br />
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And this is the perfect medium for me to especially love a character like Byakuya. Because despite how obnoxious he is, he's <b>smart.</b> And <b>logical.</b> And while secluding himself from the other students isn't necessarily the best way to survive the killing game, it's also really not a bad approach. And, more than anything else, he was consistently one of the most useful characters when solving the mysteries and in the class trials. As much as I love someone like Aoi, there were investigations where she just sat around doing nothing, and then had no idea what to do in the class trial. Meanwhile, Byakuya was (usually) helpful.<br />
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Even more than that, he sassed everyone for being ridiculous and dumb throughout trials. My personal favorite will always be when Hiro made them debate about whether or not Kyoko was a ghost and Byakuya was having <b>none</b> of it. Overall, he might be a massive douche, but I always enjoyed having him around and he made DR1 a lot more interesting just through his presence.<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">5- Gundham Tanaka</span></b></div>
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Ultimate <strike>Hamster Boi</strike> <strike>Cinnamon Roll</strike> <b>Breeder</b></div>
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Upon first seeing the character designs for SDR2, Gundham was my favorite, because I love his dark, evil-looking, emo boi aesthetic. However, Gundham ended up being a unique case, because his "evil" schtick made me feel a bit iffier on my feelings about him. It was so heavy-handed, and he brought it into class trials, and while it was usually pretty funny, it was so heavy-handed that it felt fake... and in many ways, it was.<br />
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As I played through the game, I continued enjoying him, but he wasn't my absolute favorite. And then trial 2-4 happened, proving that he wasn't some pseudo-evil-dark-lord, but rather a sweet hamster boi who sacrificed himself to save his friends. That's a bit of a hyperbole, but the way his story ends definitely made me look at him in a different light. And then upon watching Lucahjin's playthrough (twice, bc I have a problem), seeing him in that different light really helped me warm to all of his eccentricities. And the more time I've spent with his character, the more I've grown to love him.<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">4- Shuichi Saihara</span></b></div>
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Ultimate <strike>Emo Boi</strike> <b>Detective</b></div>
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When I started playing V3, Shuichi was immediately my favorite character. And for once, although he has one of my favorite character designs, that wasn't why I was initially drawn to him. Generally, I don't trust the first "helper" character. I immediately got sketched out by both Sayaka and Nagito-- especially Sayaka. But I trusted Shuichi immediately. Maybe it was because he was a detective, maybe it was because he shared a talent with Kyoko, but either way, I trusted him and I liked him. And that remained true throughout the rest of the game.<br />
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Although I was glad that we had our first female protagonist, I was admittedly excited when Shuichi became the protagonist, because he was the first protagonist I <b>actually</b> had strong opinions about. TBH, in most media I don't have strong opinions about MCs, because they typically don't have strong personalities. The Danganronpa MCs are the same. Makoto was likable but not exactly the brightest. Hajime, IMO, is the most white bread of them all. I know that for a lot of people, he's their favorite protagonist, but I never really got a ton of personality from him.<br />
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While Shuichi certainly doesn't have the <b>strongest</b> personality ever, he's by far my favorite protagonist. He's the smartest, most logically sound protagonist. He formed multiple deep relationships that affected him so much that he manipulated class trials to believe in his friends. The only other time that happened was with Kyoko in Trial 1-5. And his performance in the final class trial was possibly the most impressive a character has ever been in a class trial-- and it wasn't even because of the player, it was his own doing. TBH, I initially had him a few spots lower, but moved him up after re-experiencing that final trial. Overall for me, he was the protagonist I most bonded with, and one of my favorite characters overall.<br />
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Another note before we move on-- my top 3 are head and shoulders above everyone else. Each of them is my favorite character from their respective game, and none of them have moved from that spot.<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">3- Kyoko Kirigiri</span></b></div>
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Ultimate <strike>Best Girl</strike> <b>Detective</b></div>
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I feel like a broken record at this point, but Kyoko was a character I was immediately drawn to. I loved her character design, and the fact that we didn't know her ultimate ability made me intrigued to find out about her. Even more than that, I was really drawn to her calm, cool, collected, clever personality. Even though she was meant to be a little mysterious because of her lack of a known talent, I found myself quickly trusting her. I'm not sure if it was a bit of the Rantaro effect (aka he's so suspicious that he's not suspicious at all) or if I just found her to be totally trustworthy, but even when she was still a bit cold, detached from the group, and hadn't really bonded with Makoto yet, I still trusted her.<br />
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I feel like I've already rambled way too much about the things I love in characters and the types of characters I love, so it should probably be pretty obvious that Kyoko is essentially the epitome of everything I love in characters. She's smart, logical, and analytical, and she figures out the cases and is constantly trying to figure out ways to outsmart Monokuma. DR1's cast on the whole is probably the... uh...slowest... cast, shall we say? And having someone like Kyoko around to talk some sense into them and sass Byakuya when he got too pretentious was really wonderful. Whenever there were moments when she was missing or off on her own doing things, her presence was sorely missed within the group and everything just felt off to me. In many ways, she really <b>made</b> DR1 for me and is probably one of the biggest factors as to why DR1 is right up there with the other two games in terms of my favorites, rather than easily in last place like it is for most people.<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">2- Kokichi Oma</span></b></div>
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Ultimate <strike>Liar</strike> <strike>Grape Fanta Boi</strike> <b>Supreme Leader</b></div>
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You had to assume our grape fanta boi would pop up on this list somewhere, right? Obviously, as you'll see if you scroll down one more spot, I haven't put Nagito on this list, even though they're the same archetype. However, for me, there's a pretty clear distinction. Although many people might find Kokichi to be an annoyance, IMO... he wasn't boring.<br />
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Sorry, couldn't help myself. But it's true-- he made the game more interesting. He was fun. He caused chaos in an entertaining way, and I think he was a much more intricate and complex character than Nagito. IMO Nagito's chaos, while unpredictable and ultimately interesting, got a bit old and frustrating, and honestly a bit suffocating. I think he's a well-crafted, interesting character, just not one I really <b>enjoyed</b> (side note-- I don't dislike him, he actually falls kinda in the middle on my ranking of all DR characters). On the flip-side, Kokichi was fun. I enjoyed watching him causing chaos, and in the end, I interpret his character as someone who's <b>incredibly</b> flawed, but was, in fact, trying to end the killing game. Even if it was in his own twisted way.<br />
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Like with Kazuichi, I'm going to embed Weeby Newz's character analysis for Kokichi here, because it's a pretty accurate depiction of how I perceive him as well. And he's such a fascinating character to analyze due to the way that he lies. When is he telling the truth? When is he lying? Does he always lie with a purpose in mind? Are his lies told to help the group? Hurt the group? Neither? Different depending on each specific lie? He's just such a complex character and on top of that, he was one who I really enjoyed watching the entire time.<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">1- Fuyuhiko Kuzuryu</span></b></div>
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Ultimate <strike>Baby Gangsta</strike> <strike>Best Boi</strike> <b>Yakuza</b></div>
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Here we are at number one. My favorite character in all three of the main trilogy games-- <b>Baby Gangsta</b>. When I played SDR2, I went on an entire journey with Fuyuhiko. Based on his talent and his character design, Fuyuhiko wasn't someone I was immediately drawn to. He fell directly in the middle of the pack for my first-impression rankings. Which surprises me in hindsight because I'm typically very drawn to snarky, sarcastic, sweary, characters. But, he didn't move from the middle of my list until the end of the 2nd trial. From that point forward, he had what is IMO the best character growth of the entire trilogy. To me, it was less that he changed and became a different person, but rather that he finally opened up and allowed everyone to see who he truly was. Which, in its own way is a huge change, but I mostly see it as him finally letting down his walls. And it's a really striking evolution to watch.<br />
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The ending of the second trial has always been the most heartbreaking moment in the entire series for me, because you see Fuyuhiko's entire guarded persona fall away to reveal his true personality. And from that point forward, he tries to be a better person to those around him-- to help the group, even if it means that he gets attached to them, despite that being what he was trying to avoid throughout the first two chapters. He goes from being someone whose true intentions are shrouded in mystery to IMO the most trustworthy character in the game-- the person whose loyalty to the group is never in question.<br />
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And apart from his strong character arc, I just really enjoy him as a character-- he's brash, snarky, and funny. He's a walking contradiction-- a yakuza who yells at someone for trying to drive without a license. Angry, loud, aggressive, intimidating... and also tiny and cute. He's truly all bark and no bite, and as the game continued on, he became the one character I wanted to survive no matter what. After playing through the entire trilogy for the first time, I had a definitive favorite character from each game, but couldn't really figure out where each fell compared to each other. But, after re-watching all 3, Fuyuhiko was my clear #1.<br />
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So, those are my favorite characters in the main Danganronpa trilogy! I kinda want to do more Danganronpa posts like this-- possibly my favorite trials, characters who grew on me the most, or even least favorite characters? Because I definitely have some of those. And they're also probably similarly basic/predictable lol. Anyway, let me know some of your favorite Danganronpa characters down in the comments! Thanks for reading!Kristen Brighthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16947782400794390038noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7835074222125929757.post-24507776679045747892018-03-22T11:00:00.000-05:002018-03-22T12:39:56.165-05:00RuPaul's Drag Race Season 10 Pre-Season Predictions<div style="text-align: left;">
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Somehow, a year has already passed since the last time RuPaul's Drag Race graced us with a fresh bunch of queens, so I'm back here again to give my pre-season thoughts on this new cast for Season 10! Last season, I predicted the boot order and listed the queens in the order I thought they would be eliminated, but I'm shaking things up this time around. For this list, I'm going to be listing them in alphabetical order, discussing my general thoughts and opinions on each. For each queen, I'm going to list whether I think they're an <b>early boot, middle of the pack, or going deep.</b> In some instances, I'll modify these slightly (aka an "early-middle boot" but I'll explain my reasoning each time). At the end, I'll conclude by listing both my favorite and my winner pick. Because I think they're going to slightly differ. I'll also do a quick lil list predicting the boot order bc <b>why not?</b> and I'll also rank them from least favorite to favorite. IDK, I guess I just want to have more things to be wrong about.</div>
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Also, a general note: if there are spoilers out about the season, I'm unaware of them. I glanced around reddit for about 5 seconds before deciding that I wanted to go into the season without being spoiled. So if the entire season has been spoiled a la All Stars 2, I have no idea. I'm going based off the Facebook live, the meet the queens videos, and any other random videos I've watched while putting this together.</div>
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Without any further ado, <b>ON TO THE QUEENS!</b></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Aquaria</b></span></div>
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Two past Drag Race queens immediately came to mind as I began watching more of Aquaria's meet the queens content, as I'm sure they did for you-- Violet and Aja. For me, Aquaria is the personality of Violet mashed up with the fashion sense and Insta following of Aja (on her first season). Personally, I'd be begging for the exact opposite-- a queen with Violet's fashion sense and Aja's personality. But that's just me, and now I'm off track. <b>Anyway</b>, Aquaria has a large following on social media, and I find her to be one of the two queens who is the most prevalent in the promos (probably due to said following). However, unlike that second queen <i>(we'll get there)</i>, I don't think Aquaria will live up to the hype. I think we're looking at an Aja S9 trajectory at best. Upon just seeing her looks, I was impressed, but when I watched the videos, I was super underwhelmed. Aquaria just seemed very unimpressive, and to me came off as a look queen that will last for a while... but not too long. </div>
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<b>Prediction: </b>Early-middle boot </div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Asia O'Hara</b></span></div>
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Whatever Drag Race employee made Asia wear that wig needs to be reprimanded immediately, because I <b>know</b> she did not choose that for herself. Anyway, Asia was the exact opposite of Aquaria for me. On first glance, I was not impressed. That hair is horrible, and the bodysuit didn't do much for me. But then, I watched her videos and I changed my tune real quickly. Asia has really impressed me. I'm not usually a huge pageant girl fan, but Asia seems to be able to do it all. She makes pretty much all of her outfits, which gives her major props in my book. She also came off as very well-spoken and she definitely is one of the more mature queens who knows who she is. Typically, when queens describe themselves as chameleons, I roll my eyes. But I believe Asia when she says it. I'm all-in on Asia, and I'm really excited to see what this pageant girl can bring to the show.</div>
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<b>Prediction: </b>Going Deep</div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Blair St. Clair</b></span></div>
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I went back and forth several times on Blair. At first, I wasn't a fan. The 50s/60s housewife aesthetic isn't my thing. But then, when listening to her, I found her endearing and was excited about a Broadway ingenue. But, once again, I did a 180 and have found myself a bit skeptical as to her ability to do well on the show. I like <b>her.</b> In the videos I saw, especially her confessionals, she was adorable. But I just don't think that she has the chops to make it far. I could easily see her skating by the first couple challenges being safe and/or because she can perform, and then promptly getting axed in the 4th or 5th week. A bit of me hopes that she ends up proving me wrong, but I would be surprised if she made it past episode 5.</div>
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<b>Prediction: </b>Early-middle boot</div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Dusty Ray Bottoms</b></span></div>
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I'm throwing any potential sense of objectivity to the wind with this prediction. I have no freakin' clue how well I think Dusty will do, but I <b>want</b> her to make it all the way to the finale and win because <b>a punk girl who's also very Broadway?!?! SIGN ME UP.</b> I've fallen head over heels for Dusty and I cannot wait to see her on this season. Ever since S8, my pre-season favorite has won, so... watch out for my girl Dusty <i>(I probably just Jinkxed myself. Yikes)</i>.I <b>love</b> her makeup and those splotches on her face, and I love her witchy aesthetic, and she seems like a lot of fun and just... ugh I love her. She's speaking right to my soul with punk, witchy, and Broadway. <b>Gimme gimme gimme.</b> She also said that she sews, so she definitely gets points there. Also, this look in the picture was made by Mondo Guerra, AKA one of my favorite people to ever be on Project Runway (the two of them seem to be friends, bc he's shouted her out more than once on his Insta). Also, Sasha said she was a big fan. I'm 100% sold on Dusty. I was listening to a cast assessment on my favorite Drag Race podcast (RHAP) and they didn't seem to like her, but I juuuuust don't get it. I love her. I'm all in.</div>
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<b>Prediction: </b>Going Deep</div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Eureka O'Hara</b></span></div>
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If you saw last year's predictions (you definitely didn't, but that's alright), I predicted a 5th place finish from Eureka. While she went out much earlier than that due to her injury, I think that she was on a trajectory to absolutely kill a large chunk of the season, and I think she definitely could've made it all the way to 5th. And I feel kinda the same way about her this season! I quickly fell in love with Eureka last season, and I'm so excited to see her on the new season. My one hope is that she doesn't do hair loaves all season long. Hopefully, she switches things up and tries different things. She's said that she thinks she's found herself and her true drag aesthetic in the year between seasons filming, so I'm hoping that means that she has improved beyond where she was in season 9. Either way, I think we'll be seeing quite a bit of Eureka this season. </div>
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<b>Prediction: </b> Going Deep</div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Kalorie Karbdashian-Williams</b></span></div>
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Do you want to know what my biggest drag name pet peeve is? Naming yourself after a celebrity or brand (I'm looking at you, Mariah Balenciaga). Honestly, the second I heard Kalorie's name, I knew that this was not my queen. Look, I don't want to sit here and bash her, but I really found myself getting sleepy while watching her videos. I didn't think she was very interesting or compelling, and I found myself getting pretty bored. To her credit, I love that she embraces everything that "a big girl shouldn't be," and she does know how to sew. I feel like the entire fandom is pretty underwhelmed by her so far and thinks she'll be out early, but it's always possible that she'll be solid enough to make it to the middle of the pack. Because at the end of the day, a boring personality doesn't always show through when walking on a runway or performing. That said, I definitely think that there's no way she wins, and more likely than not, she's not going to be around too long.</div>
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<b>Prediction: </b>Early boot. (First boot potential)</div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Kameron Michaels</b></span></div>
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Kameron is one who's really interesting to me. I immediately loved her vibe. In all of her videos and interviews, she came off as very chill and easygoing, and that's always something I enjoy. She has a really unique perspective that I've never seen on the show before-- she's super buff. Like... that's kinda her thing-- she has muscles and she embraces it. From what she said, it sounds like people criticize her for it, but I'm intrigued to see how the other S10 queens react. One of the words she threw out about her aesthetic was grunge, and that immediately piqued my interest, because I'm a big fan of grunge. All that said, I have a sinking suspicion that she's not going to kill it. I see her going out somewhere in the middle, probably right after those early-middle boots. IDK why I get that vibe, but that's just where I think I see her falling. Maybe it's because she comes off largely as a "look" queen above anything else, even if it is a different take on it that we haven't seen before on the show. I would be thrilled if she got further, because I really like her personality and aesthetic, but I'm not confident about that possibility.</div>
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<b>Prediction: </b>Middle of the pack</div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Mayhem Miller</b></span></div>
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This is one of those moments where my bias kicks in and I have to try really hard not to let it overpower everything else. From what I've seen of Mayhem, gurl is just not my type of queen. Everything I've seen so far from her screams old-school dancing pageant queen who lip syncs the house down. It's a casting type that I personally get sick of. I'm very strongly biased toward quirky, weird, artsy, and comedy queens, and pageant queens tend to bore me. Also, I know this is a comparison that has already been said many times and criticized many times, but <b>the girl looks like Kennedy from certain angles</b>. I'm not saying she's a Kennedy reboot, but it's hard to not see that immediate connection. Anyway, back on track, Mayhem does seem like a lot of fun. Her personality seems very upbeat and positive, and I do find myself enjoying what I've seen of her personality. Mayhem seems to be very well known by the other queens, and it seems like a lot of people are impressed by her, so despite my own biases, I can see her doing pretty well. I'm hesitant to say that she's going deep, but I could certainly see her still being around when the group is narrowed down to 7.</div>
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<b>Prediction: </b>Late-middle of the pack (6th/7th place)</div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Miz Cracker</b></span></div>
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I was extremely hesitant about Miz Cracker. Miz Cracker is the second queen I feel has been the most prominent in the promos. And when a queen is super prominent, I immediately get worried about how well they'll do. Plus, she knows a ton of NYC queens and is the drag daughter of one Bob the Drag Queen. I feel like she's coming in with all these accolades already, and that almost feels like a setup for a quick and surprising elimination. But, as I mentioned earlier, I think that of the two most prominent queens, Aquaria is the one who's more likely to get that story arc. Despite the fact that I went into Cracker's meet the queens videos knowing about her accolades and being worried that would somehow lead to an ironic twist of fate where she's out early, I found myself being charmed by her. Miz Cracker. is. smart. She's knowledgeable. Several queens mentioned being old school and new school, but Cracker made very specific references that I really appreciated. Also, in her interview with Sasha, she referenced the Feminine Mystique. <b>I mean.</b> Knowing all of her connections, I had high expectations of her, and I think that pre-season, she's meeting it. Like I said, I was very hesitant to love her, but I just really couldn't help but appreciate her. I can't wait to see what she brings. </div>
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<b>Prediction: </b>Going deep</div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Monet X Change</b></span></div>
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This is another queen where I've essentially thrown objectivity to the wind. I love Monet X Change. I love her personality, she's well-spoken, she's really funny, and not only is she friends with Bob the Drag Queen, but could also pass as his twin out of drag. Just throw a pair of Harry Potter glasses onto Bob and you might not be able to tell the difference. They have the same New York accent, seemingly similar senses of humor, and they're both bald. Bob comparisons aside, though, I just found myself really loving Monet. Apart from being funny, she doesn't really fall into typical "types" that I immediately gravitate toward, but I found myself gravitating toward her nonetheless. I'm not totally sure of the general fandom opinion on her, but the people on the RHAP Drag Race podcast really liked her, so that makes me feel like I'm not alone there. Hopefully, my lack of objectivity with Monet doesn't come back to bite me, but in general, I feel really optimistic about her potential on this season. (Also she's an operatically trained vocalist and <b>I AM GAGGING. SOLD. I LOVE HER)</b></div>
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<b>Prediction:</b> Going deep</div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Monique Heart</b></span></div>
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If you've been reading this post thinking "wow, she seems to think <b>everyone</b> is going to do well," prepare yourself. Because this post is about to go real downhill. Real fast. Starting here, with Monique Heart. I did not get good vibes from her <b>at all.</b> Not in the "she's going to be the villain" way, but in the "I think she's going to annoy me" way and the "I don't think she's going to last very long" way. I just reeeeeally don't have high hopes for Monique. Maybe she'll prove me wrong, but she screams early boot to me. I just really can't see a scenario where we've made it to the midpoint of the season and Monique is still around. She seems messy and she seems loud, so hopefully we get some laughs along the way, but I honestly wouldn't be surprised if she was a first boot. Also, maybe I'm reading into the edit a bit too much, but when I watched the first 15 minutes of the first episode, her entrance received that "shade" music that often accompanies someone doing something poorly and foreshadows their demise. The last person that happened to was Jaymes Mansfield, and we all know how that ended.</div>
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<b>Prediction: </b>Early boot (first boot potential)</div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Vanessa Mateo</b></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgU_NoApCB9_idSMbDOkwqZ-O9ToBsnRNtt8hH54uwsWwBMlTDMQlmgIa3-3biOvVFUuhwJRwQbvA_IpPREzkbAaRtVLkjD7zekx8VrrV6rxeO3NLkVGjcSo4PLZVrFSW7y6XO3aaImrk8/s1600/s10+vanessa.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1080" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgU_NoApCB9_idSMbDOkwqZ-O9ToBsnRNtt8hH54uwsWwBMlTDMQlmgIa3-3biOvVFUuhwJRwQbvA_IpPREzkbAaRtVLkjD7zekx8VrrV6rxeO3NLkVGjcSo4PLZVrFSW7y6XO3aaImrk8/s320/s10+vanessa.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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And here we have another instance in which I'm unable to be objective, but like... in the opposite way. Vanessa grated on my last nerve in everything I saw her in. This is another "type" of queen who just isn't my thing, but while I'm able to recognize that Mayhem has some strong potential, I can't see the same in Vanessa. Vanessa, to me, falls squarely in line with queens like Gia Gunn & Kimora Black before her. She gives great looks, gets shaded for asking dumb questions, and is promptly eliminated in the first few episodes. And, for good measure, she probably lands in the bottom 2 on the first challenge, wins the lip sync, and then gets eliminated episode 2. We've seen so many queens follow that same trajectory at the beginning of the season, and I think that's where Vanessa is going to fall this season. I really can't see a situation for her where she gets any further than episode 5, and that's being generous. </div>
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<b>Prediction: </b>Early boot</div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>The Vixen</b></span></div>
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I want so badly to believe in The Vixen, but I just don't. First of all, based on the pictures alone when they were first released, The Vixen was the one I kept forgetting existed. To me, she didn't stand out in the promo shots whatsoever. Then, when the video content started being released, I continued to be underwhelmed. I liked the look that she wore when talking to Sasha, but that was the extent of the impression she left. But then, I watched her upon her entrance in the beginning of the season premiere. She talked about protesting and making a statement with her drag and how artsy her drag is, and I wanted so badly to love her. And I might find myself really loving watching her. But after everything else I've seen, I don't have confidence that she'll make much of an impact on the season. Also, the show threw the shade music at her when she entered the workroom. Not a good sign. I've got her making it to about episode 5, but that might be me being a bit too optimistic.</div>
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<b>Prediction: </b>Early-middle boot</div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Yuhua Hamasaki</b></span></div>
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I feel like a broken record, but Yuhua was another queen that I wanted really badly to fall in love with, but I've gone back and forth on her so many times. Her interview with Sasha was <b>so. freaking. awkward.</b> She was completely tone-deaf. AKA, she didn't realize that her sense of humor was NOT coming off well. She kept trying to be funny, but it fell flat. There are a couple queens in this cast where I worry that they could say something that would potentially be off-putting and offensive, and Yuhua is right at the top of that list (the other queen is Cracker, BTW). She doesn't seem to have a great filter, and while that isn't necessarily something that impedes you from winning Drag Race, it <b>is </b>something that can turn RuPaul against you if you try to be funny and offend her instead. Some people said she seems like Gia Gunn mixed with Bianca Del Rio, and while the Gia comparison is lost on me apart from them both being Asian (please tell me that's not the reason for the comparison??), I can definitely see the Bianca comparison. Hopefully, Yuhua doesn't offend anyone, and hopefully she's actually funny, because she seems to be friendly with the other New York queens in the premiere, and I want to like her and want her to do well. Keeping my fingers crossed with this one, thus concluding the cast list!</div>
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<b>Prediction: </b>Middle of the pack</div>
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<b><span style="font-size: x-large;">Winner Picks & Rankings</span></b></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Winner Prediction: Asia O'Hara</b></span></div>
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(AKA the person I <b>think</b> has the best shot at winning)</div>
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Asia just seems to be incredibly well-rounded and good at everything. I'm not sure if I can peg one thing that I think she's going to be best at, but <b>never </b>underestimate the power of being versatile and being able to be decently good at everything, even if you aren't amazing in one certain field. Our S9 winner, Sasha Velour, didn't necessarily have one type of challenge that seemed tailor-made for her, but she was able to do well at all of them, even if she didn't win a ton of challenges. That said, I can see Asia absolutely killing this season, and I can't wait to see it happen. </div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Predicted boot order</b></span></div>
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(AKA the order I <b>think</b> they'll get eliminated in)</div>
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<i>(I moved this around about an hour after initially posting, so if you remember seeing something different, that's why. I started feeling less and less confident in Kalorie, so I moved her down to the bottom)</i></div>
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<b>14. </b><b>Kalorie Karbdashian-Williams</b></div>
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<b>13. Monique Heart</b></div>
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<b>12. Vanessa Mateo</b></div>
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<b>11. Blair St. Clair</b></div>
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<b>10. The Vixen</b></div>
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<b>9. Aquaria</b></div>
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<b>8. Kameron Michaels</b></div>
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<b>7. Yuhua Hamasaki</b></div>
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<b>6. Mayhem Miller</b></div>
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<b>5. Eureka O'Hara</b></div>
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<b>4. Miz Cracker</b></div>
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<b>3. Dusty Ray Bottoms</b></div>
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<b>2. Monet X Change</b></div>
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<b>1. Asia O'Hara</b></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Personal Winner: Dusty Ray Bottoms</b></span></div>
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(AKA the queen I would most like to see win)</div>
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To be fair, my heart is currently being torn in 4 directions right now, because while my thoughts are a little scattered on the cast overall, my top 4 are veeeeery definitive and are the same across my predicted boot order <b>and</b> my favorite queens. So there are 3 other queens begging me to pick them here, but Dusty's pulling at me just slightly harder. She hits so many of the bullet points of things I immediately gravitate toward in a queen, and that has just immediately completely endeared her to me. Plus, at this point, given how down my podcast was on her, I want to see her prove them wrong. I just hope she goes out there and kills it, because I have high hopes for her.</div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Favorite Ranking</b></span></div>
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(AKA least fave to most fave. Or, I guess, my ideal boot order.)</div>
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<b>14. </b><b>Kalorie Karbdashian-Williams</b></div>
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<b>13. Monique Heart</b></div>
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<b>12. Vanessa Mateo</b></div>
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<b>11. </b><b>Aquaria</b></div>
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<b>10. </b><b>Mayhem Miller</b></div>
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<b>9. Blair St. Clair</b></div>
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<b>8. The Vixen</b></div>
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<b>7. Kameron Michaels</b></div>
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<b>6. </b><b>Yuhua Hamasaki</b></div>
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<b>5. Eureka O'Hara</b></div>
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<b>4. </b><b> Asia O'Hara</b></div>
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<b>3. Miz Cracker</b></div>
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<b>2. Monet X Change</b></div>
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<b>1. </b><b>Dusty Ray Bottoms</b></div>
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So, that's it for my Pre-Season Drag Race Season 10 Predictions! For some reason, I'm feeling overly-confident with my predictions, so feel free to laugh at me if Dusty or Asia get eliminated tonight on the season premiere. I'm super, super excited to see these queens in action & I can't believe we've already made it to another new season of Drag Race!! Hopefully these predictions pan out well, but if not, oh well-- I'm excited either way. </div>
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Kristen Brighthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16947782400794390038noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7835074222125929757.post-44035083539151339742018-01-18T11:00:00.000-06:002018-01-18T11:00:10.277-06:00On Growing Up and Moving On (in the most petty way possible)The following is largely a stream-of-consciousness discussion/ramble of an overly-introspective, arbitrarily-analytical human. If you're looking for a definitive point, there's not much to be had here, so read at your own risk. You've been warned.<br />
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Also, I wrote pretty much all of this back in October, so some of the details are a little wonky. I want to leave the "essay" untouched, so I'll just add in a little editing note when a detail needs to be updated.<br />
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The other day, I found myself going about my usual life (I really don't even know what I was doing at the time), and out of the blue, I had a revelation so surprising that I ended up sitting in complete shock, contemplating the thought that had just crossed my mind. It probably shouldn't have been as ground-breaking and life-changing of a revelation as it was, and you'll probably laugh at me when you hear what it was, but it honestly gave me pause and really changed my perspective on a lot of things. Ready to hear it?<br />
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<b><i>"I don't think McFly is my favorite band anymore... and they haven't been for a while."</i></b></div>
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I know. <b>I know.</b> Trust me, I know. It's the most inconsequential, petty thought-- not even a definitive statement-- and yet... I legitimately felt dizzy when I came to that realization. </div>
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I feel like a bit of backstory is necessary here, before continuing. I've touted McFly as my favorite band since my sophomore year of high school (8 years ago). That's the entirety of my adult existence, and a pretty significant portion of my teenage years as well. And I'm not one of those people who casually has a favorite band. McFly was my baby. I was that person who was annoying about their favorite band, to the point that my high school boyfriend refused to listen to them, even in <b>my car</b>, which was a very contentious point to 16-year-old Kristen. Even when I got to college, I was known as the McFly girl. All the people I hung out with in the common room knew how much I loved McFly, and there was even a guy who <i style="font-weight: bold;">flat out hated me</i> because of how obsessed I was with the band. (In hindsight, I'm sure I was annoyingly vocal about McFly but I still can't understand the overt hatred)<br />
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Furthermore, I've also long-touted Tom Fletcher as my #1 celebrity crush. He checks all the boxes of things I love. He's smart. He's a total geek- super into things like Harry Potter, Star Wars, etc. He's a total sweetheart with a healthy dose of sarcasm. Plus, he's a fantastic musician. He's got a beautiful voice, he's a great songwriter, and he plays a couple handfuls of instruments. When he proposed to his now-wife, I was devastated. When his wedding speech went viral, I gave everyone I knew a big "I told you so" as they said how adorable it was. I don't even like kids and I found myself extremely excited for him both times he and Giovanna had a kid.<br />
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So, I say all of this to say that this was not just a band to me. In many ways, it's been a huge part of my identity for the past 7 years. My go-to username on websites is literally KristenMcFly (I learned early on that the username was <b>never</b> already taken, and it's just so short and simple that I ran with it). Their faces are all over my bedroom wall at my parents' house, and are staring at me right now from the wall next to my bed in my own apartment. They've left a huge stamp on my life.<br />
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Back to the realization, which like I said, was pretty mind-blowing to me. It wasn't even an "oh that can't be true" type thing. I had the thought and immediately realized that I'd practically been lying to myself for quite a while, trying to convince myself that they're still my favorite band. It's been so long since my metaphorical "favorite band" baton has been passed that I didn't recognize the signs staring me in the face.<br />
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And the signs have been there. For a long time. I don't quite know how long, and I can't peg for you exactly when things started to change, but I'd say that it's been at least 2 years since I could legitimately consider McFly my favorite band. And what exactly <i style="font-weight: bold;">are</i> these telltale signs? I think the first was that I started considering 2 bands my "favorite band." For the longest time, All Time Low was a solid #2. And then, eventually, I started referring to All Time Low as "my favorite band" and considering the pair a tie. Looking back, even then I knew that I listened to, obsessed over, and fangirled over All Time Low <i style="font-weight: bold;">much</i> more than I did McFly. I just didn't want to admit it to myself.<br />
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Another sign that should've been blatantly obvious? I don't keep up with any of the members. At all. I follow them on social media, but anymore I find myself just scrolling past their posts. Including Tom. He has an entire YouTube channel, which I'm probably still subscribed to, and I don't think I've watched a single one of his videos since like... 2014. Even though he still technically checks all the boxes and is a total sweetheart... I'm not even sure I'd call him one of my celebrity crushes anymore <i style="font-weight: bold;">at all</i>. He's certainly still a person/musician I thoroughly respect, but he definitely doesn't tug at my heartstrings in the same way anymore.<br />
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And the most obvious sign? I legitimately can't remember the last time I listened to one of their songs. For a while, I've been fully aware that I really haven't been listening to them much. If you're not up-to-date, I've really gotten into KPop over the past 5ish months <b>(note: now ~8/9 months)</b>, so pretty much all of my other music has been put on the back burner. But that's a conversation for another day. Either way, even before then, I usually didn't find myself really listening to McFly on a regular basis. I kept telling myself that I just wasn't in the mood for it, that I still loved it, and that if I were to turn it on again I'd still totally jam. And those are all probably true. But how long do I have to be "not in the mood" for a band before it's not considered a short-term thought anymore?<br />
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To be perfectly honest, I don't think McFly themselves have really done themselves any favors in this department either. Their last new full-CD release as McFly was in November 2010. AKA 7 years ago, not long after they became my favorite band. They released a Greatest Hits CD in 2012 and a CD as McBusted (McFly + Busted) in late 2014 (a very different sound from solo McFly), but no new studio album as McFly. They've been teasing McFly's 6th album for at least 3 or 4 years at this point, and I've pretty much given up that it'll happen. Most recently, they said they would be recording in January 2017. It's October now and I still haven't heard anything about it. Granted, I don't monitor their social media <b>that</b> closely, but I do still follow them so I would've seen something. But all that said, it doesn't change the fact that I'm still not listening to their older material either. Even when they released the McBusted CD, I didn't listen to that nearly as aggressively as I have with their other music. I'm not sure whether that can be chalked up to it being "McBusted" vs "McFly" but either way, the devotion still wasn't there.<br />
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So, I've reached the point where I feel like I have to admit that McFly isn't my favorite band anymore, and like I said, they haven't <i style="font-weight: bold;">really</i> been my favorite band for quite a while. But how exactly does this relate to growing up and moving on, as the title mentions? Allow me to enlighten you.</div>
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I tend to think of myself as pretty self aware, as I'm sure most of us do. I acknowledge the fact that I've changed a lot since high school, and I think I know myself pretty well as a person. I'm able to look back on the person I was in High School and (while I obviously can't recognize every single change) see <i style="font-weight: bold;">so many</i> ways in which I've changed-- I'm basically a totally different person than the 17 year old girl who walked across a stage and got handed her High School diploma. And yet, in the years since then, I've continued to stubbornly hold on to so many of the things I loved back then... just because? Essentially, I easily admit to my changes as a human, but I have difficulty recognizing and accepting my changes in taste, which just seems entirely backward. But here we are.<br />
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I'm this way with almost everything I love, though. I take a while to accept that a new show/movie I've watched is worthy of being an all-time favorite, and the same goes for everything else, from YouTubers I watch, to things I like to wear, and even to foods I eat. Seriously, as a kid I ordered chicken tenders at every American restaurant my family went to, and it took a solid <b>3 years</b> of ordering burgers at every American restaurant I went to before I realized that burgers were my new favorite food. Seriously, I recognize changes in even my <i style="font-weight: bold;">literal</i> taste slowly.<br />
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I once read a psychological study (might've been pseudo-psychology. I can't remember if it was a legit study or just some silly article online) that said that for most people, the musical taste they develop in their teens will last for the rest of their life. So, I always assumed that my shift in musical taste from the music my parents liked to pop punk/alternative music at age 13 to be the definitive shift in my musical taste that would probably last my entire life. It sounds weirdly definitive, but it's always made some kind of twisted sense to me. So, yet another thing re-enforcing my difficulty accepting my change in taste.<br />
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So, once again, we're back to the thought that somehow it's easy (at least, for me) to accept that I've grown up in the past 5 years. I've matured and changed as a human. And yet I take forever to admit to myself that the things I <i style="font-weight: bold;">love</i> change right alongside me. I think a large part of it is simply that it's easy to pretend that changes in taste are temporary. I've been telling myself for a really long time that I'm just simply not in the mood for McFly right now, thus convincing myself that they're still #1 despite the fact that I can't even remember the last time I sat down and listened to one of their songs all the way through.<br />
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I think another important factor is that I tend to define myself by the things that I love more than by who I am as a person. This might seem weird to some, but I think it makes a lot of sense. Think about the people you follow on Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, etc. Chances are, your personalities don't necessarily line up. But maybe you follow them because you have the same aesthetic, like the same books, or like the same music. Naturally, we group together with people with similar interests, so... it only makes sense to largely define yourself by what you like. It's like high school-- the goth kids aren't necessarily considered "weird" by popular kids because of their personalities, but because of the way they look an the music they're into.<br />
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Because of this, I could change significantly personality-wise and it'd have an incredibly small effect on my life in general, and yet some change in the things I like/dislike is enough to make huge waves.<br />
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Back to the topic of growing up and moving on, just as I've grown up and moved on from the person I was 7 years ago, I think it's finally time to admit to my change in likes and dislikes that has come alongside it. McFly... is not my favorite band. I'm honestly not even sure if I have a favorite band right now, given that I've recently gotten into KPop and have been listening to that almost exclusively instead of the music I listened to before getting into KPop. I'll keep All Time Low in that slot for the time being, but we'll see what happens <b>(I now have a definitive favorite band. Scroll through my posts and it'll become obvious pretty quickly. <span style="font-size: xx-small;">*hint: it's definitely NOT Day6. Nope. Definitely not. Not at all.*</span>)</b>.<b> </b>I still, of course, do still consider myself a McFly fan. Like I said, if I were to turn on their music right now, I would still really enjoy it. I just don't love them like I used to.<br />
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And for some sort of flimsy point to this rambly post? I guess my point is that if you truly want to know who you are as a person, you have to assess both your personality itself, as well as the things you truly love and care about. The personality is of course important to understanding who you are, but if you're like me and define yourself largely by the things you love, it's just as important to actually understand what those things are. But then again, I'm also just trying to make up some arbitrary point so that this post has some semblance of a purpose to it instead of just a stream-of-consciousness thought-dump of stuff that's been on my mind.<br />
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So, that's about all I had for this post. Like I said several times, I'm not really sure there's actually a point here, but it's something I've been thinking about quite a bit lately. Typically when I do one of these more thoughtful posts, I tend to try to at least have some sort of cohesive point, but I was fairly certain that wouldn't be happening with this one lol. Let me know if you'd like to see more of these rambly posts in the future. I can't guarantee that they'll happen, since it's kinda dictated by whatever random stuff pops up in my head, but I might end up sharing these thoughts more often. Who knows?<br />
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Check out my links below!</div>
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<b><a href="https://www.youtube.com/user/kristennbright" target="_blank">Main YouTube Channel</a> </b></div>
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<span style="text-align: center;">Thanks for reading! If you like my posts, I'd really appreciate if you'd subscribe/follow so that I know you're enjoying what I'm posting! See you soon!</span> </div>
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Kristen Brighthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16947782400794390038noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7835074222125929757.post-42178655864875764132018-01-02T13:00:00.000-06:002018-01-02T13:00:25.827-06:00Goals/Resolutions for 2018This is probably going to be pretty rambly, so... prepare yourselves? IDK. Work with me here. Anyway, I tend to make beginning of the year bookish resolutions, but this year I decided to make goals across the board. I plan to make a video sharing these as well, but I wanted to do a blog post explaining first, since I can't film for about another week.<br />
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So, a bit of explanation here: One major struggle that I've had this year is that I've accumulated a huge pile of hobbies and interests and things I want to do, and it's gotten big enough that I'm finding it difficult to split my focus on a regular basis. I'm finding myself working on one or two at a time, letting the others fall by the wayside, and I hate doing that. So, I wanted to make some year-long goals that I can work toward. Instead of making tons and tons, I've decided to make a single goal for each hobby. Something to reach for that is attainable, but still a little challenging. That way, I'm not pushing myself too hard in any one hobby.<br />
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Without any further ado, let's jump into the list.<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-large;"><b>READING</b></span></div>
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I figured this was the best one to start with, given that it's the hobby where I give myself yearly goals every year. Usually, I give myself a challenge to read 50 books and to read 7 books with 500+ pages. And I'm not giving myself either of those this year, even though they're in the back of my mind because I do legitimately want to accomplish those this year. Instead, I've given myself a single goal to work toward year-long.</div>
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<b>GET MY TBR DOWN TO 30% OF MY LIBRARY</b></div>
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My 2016 goal was to get my TBR down from 45ish% to 35%, and I accomplished that. My goal for 2017 was to get it from 35% to 30%. And now, at the beginning of 2018, it's sitting at.... 39%. Yeah, I kinda screwed that up. <b>BUT</b> I believe in myself, and given that it's my singular reading goal for 2018, I think I've got this. </div>
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I'm also doing a challenge based off of booksandlala's closet unhaul series, where I watch old hauls and have to read the books from them that are still on my TBR shelf. <b>Technically</b>, that's not a "goal" for the year, because either I read the books or I don't-- either way, books are probably getting unhauled. <b>BUT</b>, it does help me to accomplish this goal. So, win win. The first video in that series is embedded below!</div>
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<iframe width="320" height="266" class="YOUTUBE-iframe-video" data-thumbnail-src="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/qHLhW6gUQGc/0.jpg" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/qHLhW6gUQGc?feature=player_embedded" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe></div>
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One major change in 2017 is that I've started a second YouTube channel! My obsession with KPop that developed throughout the year led to the creation of a KPop-centric YouTube channel and many, many KPop videos. One of which got 100K+ views. Which is mind-blowing. My goal for the year is a pretty simple one..</div>
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<b>MAKE 100 VIDEOS</b></div>
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Yes, that's 2 videos a week. Approximately. Which sounds like a lot, and it is. But I <b>love</b> making videos, and that's only 1 video a week for each channel, and I've been doing 2 per channel for the past couple weeks with very little difficulty. This challenge allows me to split it up however I want, so if I'm at a point where I'm working on a particularly time-intensive KPop video, I could easily make up for that by having 2 bookish video in a week, which isn't difficult at all. Really, all this challenge forces me to do is to be consistent with each of the channels, since I'll probably get burnt out if I make 100 bookish videos or 100 KPop videos. </div>
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At the beginning of 2017, I was sitting on a freshly-written 96K word first draft of Flirting With Fame, my NaNo project. I worked on character development and outlining sporadically throughout the year, and then in October, I started a new fanfic project, which I worked on during NaNo. And then, right at the end of the year, I finished character development and outlining and prepared to start a second draft of Flirting With Fame. So... two projects. Both of which I like. Only one goal makes sense...</div>
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<b>FINISH A FULL DRAFT OF EITHER FLIRTING WITH FAME OR MY FANFIC</b></div>
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Across the board, I really just want to finish <b>A</b> draft this year, regardless of the project, but I've decided that I want to restrict it to these two projects because I really shouldn't jump into another one until I've finished a draft of each. In reality, I would like to finish a draft of both of these, since I really love both of them, but I'm not going to give myself that huge of a challenge for the year. So, one draft. Of one of them. I think I'm going to begin with Flirting With Fame, but IDK for sure. I've been working on it, but not consistently. So, we'll see where that goes. I might need to set up some sort of writing schedule for myself but IDK for sure. </div>
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<span style="font-size: x-large;"><b>KOREAN</b></span></div>
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Another new thing that happened this year is that I started learning Korean. TL;DR: I've been wanting to learn a second language for a long time, and I <b>was</b> working on Spanish because I took Spanish in high school and college and was pretty good at it. But, when I started getting into KPop, I switched to Korean instead and have been learning Korean on and off since May. Given that it's a language, it's hard to have a definitive goal, but the one I've decided on is...</div>
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<b>BE ABLE TO HOLD A BASIC CONVERSATION/ READ BASIC POSTS</b></div>
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I feel like I've simultaneously learned a lot and almost nothing at all with my Korean learning. It's incredibly frustrating. That said, I am able to understand some very basic phrases that I see popping up on posts, which I always love. But, I want to improve upon this. I'm less concerned about the conversing than with reading. Long-run, obviously I'd like to be fluent enough to be able to both speak and read the language, but obviously reading is going to be the easier one because conjugating is possibly the hardest thing about speaking a language. <b>Anyway, </b>my goal obviously isn't to be fluent by the end of the year, but I want to have a <b>basic</b> reading knowledge of the language by the end of the year. Maybe not to understand all of the conjugations or to be able to speak fluently, but I want to be able to understand enough that I don't have to tap the translate button on <b>all </b>of the things my favorite idols post.</div>
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<span style="font-size: x-large;"><b>MAIN BLOG</b></span></div>
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It's hard for me to come up with a goal for my blog, since I mostly just post whatever I want on here, but I decided to give myself a pretty simple one...</div>
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<b>DO A LARGE-SCALE RANKING</b></div>
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A couple years ago, I did a ranking of all of the designers who'd ever been on Project Runway. It was a huge series, and it took forever. And I loved doing it. And I want to do another one. I mentioned this several times throughout 2017, but have yet to do one, so I think I need to finally do it in 2018. I've been planning on ranking my favorite RuPaul's Drag Race queens for at least a year at this point, so I think that once we get season 10, I'm going to do that. But IDK. I gotta do some sort of a big ranking. </div>
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<span style="font-size: x-large;"><b>SPECIALIS REVELIO</b></span></div>
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This is my Harry Potter analysis blog, linked at the top of this blog, where I analyze the series chapter by chapter. I started it in 2016 and have been severely, <b>severely</b> slacking on it, and I want to get back to working on it. I don't want it to be my priority throughout the year, but I do want to work on it. So, I'm giving myself a pretty simple goal...</div>
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<b>FINISH ANALYZING SORCERER'S STONE</b></div>
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I honestly don't remember how many chapters I've analyzed and how many I have left, but I <b>think</b> that if I do one per month, I can finish by the end of the year. So this isn't a big challenge that I'm giving myself. I just want to work on this blog in some form or fashion and not totally neglect it.</div>
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And, I think for now... that's it. 6 hobbies. 6 goals. Hopefully all of them are achievable. There are other things I want to do throughout the year that I'm not making as specific goals (some TV shows/movies I want to watch, some other reading goals, etc), but these are the only firmly in-place goals. They seem pretty manageable, so here's to hoping that I can complete all 6 of them in 2018.</div>
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<span style="text-align: center;">Thanks for reading! If you like my posts, I'd really appreciate if you'd subscribe/follow so that I know you're enjoying what I'm posting! See you soon!</span> </div>
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Kristen Brighthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16947782400794390038noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7835074222125929757.post-44092756812755653892017-09-25T10:00:00.000-05:002017-09-26T11:35:18.428-05:0030 Day Got7 Challenge<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: small;">Over the past few months, I've fallen deeper and deeper into my obsession with KPop. If you follow me on Twitter, you've seen the spiral happening. A few months back, I posted a <b><a href="http://fromkristensbrain.blogspot.com/2017/06/30-day-infinite-challenge.html" target="_blank">30 Day INFINITE Challenge</a>, </b><i> </i>and at the time they were the only KPop group I was fully obsessed with. Fast forward a month to July, when I discovered Got7 and got completely obsessed with them. Since then, they've reached the same status of obsession and love as Infinite, so I figured it was about time to do the 30 Day Got7 Challenge as a chance to obsess over my babies and talk about why I love them so much. Without any further ado, let's jump in!</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>1) Your ultimate Got7 bias and why.</b></span></div>
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Starting out with the difficult ones right off the bat? Not cool. Per usual, I have difficulty choosing a single favorite. Of the 7 members, I tend to refer to myself as hyung-line biased (aka the 4 oldest members). But, <i style="font-weight: bold;">for once, </i>I do actually have one favorite among those 4: <i style="font-weight: bold;">Jinyoung.</i> </div>
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Like with my precious Woohyun before him, there was a very brief period when I first got into Got7 that I considered Jinyoung my least favorite member. The first things of theirs that I really watched were a lot of their dance practices, and he's often a bit understated in those. But, as I started to watch more of the compilations of moments for each member, I fell more and more in love with his personality. Like Mark, he tends to be one of the quieter members, which is something I really gravitated toward. But honestly my favorite thing about him is the fact that he's simultaneously a precious adorable sweetheart and a savage, manipulative, snark-master. I also love that he's one of the more "intellectual" members. And I don't mean this in a pretentious or snobby way or anything-- I just really love books and reading and learning and those are also things that Jinyoung also loves. </div>
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Just really quickly, the others are Mark, Jackson, and JB (probably in that order). Mark- because I always relate to and gravitate toward the shy, quiet members. With Jackson, it's a bit more complicated. When I first got into Got7, it was kinda a love-hate type thing. Jackson is <b>a lot. 24/7.</b> And for someone like me who likes the quieter people, I found him a bit obnoxious. As I got more familiar with the group, I began to really appreciate him more, though. His energy is consistently so positive and happy and he constantly brings a smile to my face. He may be super extra but he's also an absolute sweetheart. Finally, with JB- he's just a living meme. He's the leader and he does definitely take that seriously, but he's also rather silly. Also his hatred of aegyo is possibly more adorable than aegyo itself.</div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>2) Reason why you continued to follow Got7</b></span><br />
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This question seems a little oddly worded to me, but what I think they're getting at is: What was it about them that intrigued you or made you want to learn more about them/become a fan? (The alternative is that they're curious why I still follow them and the obvious answer is because I love them. So this is the more interesting route.)<br />
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Anyway, I think the thing that initially made me curious to learn more about them was their If You Do MV. Hard Carry was the first song I listened to by them that made me want to hear more, but If You Do was the one that <i style="font-weight: bold;">really</i> hooked me. It's still my favorite song by them, and I really fell in love with absolutely everything about it. Everything about it is just so satisfying-- the way the lyrics and the music combine in the verses and chorus is fantastic, the percussive footwork fits in perfectly as well, and I'm even obsessed with the MV's coloration. Just everything about that concept got me completely obsessed and that's what really hooked me with Got7.</div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>3) Which Real Got7 episode is your favorite? Why?</b></span><br />
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Ugh, there are so many to choose from! I'm personally slightly more partial to the Hard Carry series and Got7ing, but I think this tag was made before those were released. So very quickly-- 'sing'ing, 'holiday'ing, and 'game'ing are my favorites. And for Hard Carry, the hide and seek episode is my favorite by far. But, like I said, I'd probably rather watch any Hard Carry/ Got7ing episode over pretty much any RealGot7 episode. Except the ones listed below!<br />
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Anyway, my favorite Real Got7 episodes are usually the ones with some sort of game involved-- namely the Mafia episode (the S4 one, not the S2 one) and the Escape Room episode. Also, since when was Real Got7 on Netflix?! I was trying to find a master list of all of the episodes and ended up coming across S1-3 on Netflix. Wut?!</div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>4) Who was the first member to catch your eye? Why?</b></span><br />
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I think that for most people, it was Jackson. And he was definitely the first one that became easily recognizable to me. But in terms of the one who was my initial favorite, definitely Mark. Pretty unsurprising, as Mark and Jackson are definitely the two most recognizable to non-fans, and Mark is especially popular because he's American. And, like I said earlier, the sweet quiet ones tend to be my favorites. So he was definitely the first one I gravitated toward.</div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>5) What member would you want to be best friends with? Why?</b></span><br />
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Ugh, this is such a tough question, especially given that it's kinda paired with the next one about which one I would want to be related to. Funny enough, my best friend is the exact same personality type as Jackson, but they're also really different (she's borderline introvert/extrovert and he's about as extroverted as you can get). Anyway, I actually think I might have to go with JB on this one.<br />
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That might seem a little out of left field given that I didn't name him as one of my favorite members, but here's my explanation. And it's based a bit on MBTI (Myers Briggs personality types). The reason I'm using that so heavily is that it's about as close to actual accuracy that you can get, given that people often subconsciously act differently when on camera & in front of people than they do when just by themselves.<br />
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So: If you're unfamiliar, here's the TL;DR MBTI explanation. 16 personality types. Each one consists of 4 letters. For each letter, there are 2 different options (like being introverted vs extroverted). Got7 took the MBTI test and JB was an INFJ. He leaned really strongly toward IN, and the FJ was kinda borderline. What this means is that he's very introverted and leans strongly toward theorizing/ideas/abstract stuff vs the concrete stuff. I'm personally an INTP, so given that he's borderline on the last couple facets, we have very similar personalities. On top of that, I tend to lean toward friends with "N" traits because I'm very strongly "N" and find it much less interesting to talk about the boring facts of life than some interesting idea I have floating around in my head. So having a bestie with the "N" trait is important to me. IRL, that's the ONLY one my bestie and I have in common, but it works perfectly.<br />
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Sorry that got so technical, but I'm an INTP-- can't expect much more out of a robot. <b><i>*shrug*</i></b><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>6) What member would you want to be related to? Why?</b></span><br />
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I was throwing around several names in my mind, but for some reason, Yugyeom popped his lil head in, and the more I think about it, the more I think I would like to have Yuggie as a little brother. First off, he's absolutely precious. He certainly has his own annoying/obnoxious streak, but they all have that, and any time he does it, he does it in a silly way. His personality is basically the epitome of what you'd expect of a younger brother-- you kinda want to smack him for being annoying, but then he gives you a cute lil smile and you can't stay mad at him.</div>
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The other two I had floating around in my head were Jackson and Mark (a common theme here). With Jackson, I love him but I think I would get sick of him very quickly. I'd want a more chill brother... like Mark (or JB, honestly)! But I also want to save Mark for some of the relationship questions. So... we're at an impasse here. I've always wanted an older brother, but even Mark is barely older than me so none of the guys would really be like older brothers to me. I guess... gun to my head... I might go with Mark? IDK. This is difficult. I love them all.</div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>7) Your favorite OTP. </b></span></div>
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<b>(one true pairing, for those of you who've never been online before.)</b><br />
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OK, not gonna lie here, I ship pretty much every single popular Got7 ship. Even conflicting ones. They aren't all equal, but I do love all of them, for their own unique reasons. That being said, I have one that I tend to gravitate toward, which I'll talk about more detailed & then I'll briefly mention the others super quickly.</div>
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My favorite OTP? <i style="font-weight: bold;">MARKJIN!</i> I love Mark and Jinyoung's dynamic. Obviously, there's a lot of fan service, but they're precious together. Also, these two are surprisingly willing to kiss each other-- even more than most of the other members. There are so many compilations of Markjin kisses. Plus, even ignoring the overt flirting, it's just super obvious that they are basically each other's weakness. For example, brief explanation of one of my favorite Markjin moments: Jackson leaves his seat next to Jinyoung & Mark immediately slides into Jackson's chair without Jinyoung noticing. He then starts to poke Jinyoung with his hat brim. Jinyoung hasn't seen any of this, so he turns to get annoyed at Jackson, but when he sees that it's actually Mark, his entire face melts into a grin, he begins to cuddle with Mark, and feeds Mark part of his snack. It's not some overly touchy-feely physical moment or anything, but it just seems like such a pure representation of how much he loves Mark. I also absolutely love all of the compilations of "Jealous Mark" moments, because he clearly doesn't want anyone else flirting with Jinyoung haha. </div>
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So very quickly, some other ships I love:</div>
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JJParents- I'll get into this one on question 9, so I won't go into any more detail right now.</div>
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Yugbam- Not as a couple, but these two are legit best friends and their friendship is adorable.</div>
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Jinson- Sometimes I wonder if this is the real ship here vs Markjin, but honestly Jackson can usually be shipped with any member. But seriously Wang Gae Park Gae is super cute and I love them.</div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>8) Your favorite live performance.</b></span><br />
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I've got a few answers for this, and none of them are really normal/expected ones. So, ya know, bear with me. One of my all-time favorites is their Live Free Dance version of Confession Song. Sure, they're not really trying to "perform" and are just generally being silly but it's hilarious. I especially love Daydreamer's "TYDN" version of it because it makes it even funnier. </div>
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Another one that I love is their Cooking Live version of Never Ever. Once again, I'll link Daydreamer's "TYDN" version, which is honestly the optimal way to view it because it's the most accurate depiction of Got7 ever. </div>
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And finally, here's a single ACTUAL normal live performance: their performance of Q. They have lots of other great live performances, but my favorite Got7 is Got7 being silly, and that's what they do during Q. They literally make Mario sound effects during the live performance of Q. It's hilarious. Honestly, I'd really like to know how that came about. Because I could really see Mark and Youngjae going to JB and being like "Hey... so this song you wrote. It's really good, but do you know what would make it better? Mario." Lol that just really seems like such a hilarious conversation and I'm dying to know how/why they decided to do that.</div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>9) If Jinyoung is the mom, who's the dad? Explain.</b></span><br />
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I already mentioned this, but I feel like it's kinda obvious. It's clearly JB. Like... as much as I ship Markjin, the JJParents are literally the JJ<b><i>Parents</i></b>! So let's take a moment to talk about how much I love the JJParents! </div>
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First off, the dynamic between Jinyoung and JB is often that of actual parents. There are so many moments where everyone (except maybe Mark) is freaking out and being way too excited... meanwhile, the JJParents are off to the side, giving each other the "what have we created?" face. Or Jinyoung is trying to control their chaos while JB just laughs at his idiot kids. Plus, he's the leader and Jackson even jokingly calls him dad, so it seems pretty obvious. On top of that, Jinyoung and JB were the original duo, so it just seems obvious that they would be the parents. Honestly, it seems more obvious that JB is the dad than that Jinyoung is the mom, except for Jinyoung declaring himself "mom."</div>
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Now just to talk about JJP as a ship-- I love them. Jinyoung has openly said that JB is the member he's closest with, and it only makes sense. They've literally been a duo for <b><i>EIGHT </i></b><i style="font-weight: bold;">YEARS</i>. They've known the other members for quite a while as well, but certainly not as long as they've known each other. They've even said that they're kinda Yin/Yang. I don't see it quite as much (they're not really that opposite to me... idk, they have pretty similar personalities/personality types). However, if they think that they fit together almost perfectly like Yin/Yang, I'm not gonna argue. They clearly love each other, and even though I don't ship them as an actual couple, they clearly have a very close and special relationship.</div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>10) Your first thoughts on Got7.</b></span><br />
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It's weird-- every time I get into a new KPop group, I have trouble remembering my real first impression of them. I remember whether I generally liked or disliked them, but I have trouble remembering much else. I honestly don't even know for sure which song of theirs I listened to first. However, when I actively searched out Got7, the first MV that I clicked on was Never Ever. Before getting into Got7, the only KPop group that I fully stanned was INFINITE. About halfway through the MV, I think I actually turned it off and switched to Just Right, because I determined that "these guys aren't as good as INFINITE" lol. I liked Just Right more than Never Ever, but it was another 2-3 weeks before I looked them up again. I'd gotten into line distribution videos and someone said that Got7's Hard Carry has really good line distribution. Not sure I agree, but that's the comment that got me curious. When I listened to Hard Carry, I immediately liked it.</div>
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In terms of the members, I think my first impression of Jackson was that he was obnoxious (I mean, he is, but he's the lovable kind). For Mark, I think I just thought he was sweet and quiet (accurate). For Youngjae, I'm pretty sure my first thought was just "Yikes... his English tho..." (lol also accurate but lovable). For Jinyoung, like with everyone, I thought he was the normal/boring one (couldn't be further from the truth). JB: I couldn't get over the bucket hat lol. Yuggie: Honestly probably the member I constantly forgot about. BamBam: I liked his name and thought his dabbing was funny.</div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>11) Your favorite Got7 picture.</b></span><br />
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I couldn't pick just one, but I <i style="font-weight: bold;">was</i> able to get it down to just two. Which is pretty good for me. So I'll put them both below and explain why I love them.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCfpyzE1v13J8_RmzfzPDCyxfysM0tfmBmK1R1UE_hWhKJ_nIJ-9CvvTQpT3HU3GA_3Dp-2Xlp9ckVuis1dO_K33vjDS3UHySk3YZ2ijGS01Bz_B1IHWZcJzfozi0yDC0kq-g6JSYZf-4/s1600/got7+group+photo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1066" data-original-width="1600" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCfpyzE1v13J8_RmzfzPDCyxfysM0tfmBmK1R1UE_hWhKJ_nIJ-9CvvTQpT3HU3GA_3Dp-2Xlp9ckVuis1dO_K33vjDS3UHySk3YZ2ijGS01Bz_B1IHWZcJzfozi0yDC0kq-g6JSYZf-4/s400/got7+group+photo.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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I love this picture of all of them from the Just Right comeback. It's just the seven of them being their adorable, silly selves. Plus, it's got all of the fun colors. And it's for one of my favorite songs/comebacks. So I love it.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjutG-0tImi-E-1UI8IpPIJHwnl42A5-Q-LOhFDZVKZkFgSjdr4XS9cADaC42ij9xes3iGky2DzqWp3oH_cITnHUu4oQCquH_uxk9sp8m0epeSmzzBB06uxLb3bGAuls9leXlXJrd7l-ps/s1600/got7+mad+photo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="667" data-original-width="1000" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjutG-0tImi-E-1UI8IpPIJHwnl42A5-Q-LOhFDZVKZkFgSjdr4XS9cADaC42ij9xes3iGky2DzqWp3oH_cITnHUu4oQCquH_uxk9sp8m0epeSmzzBB06uxLb3bGAuls9leXlXJrd7l-ps/s400/got7+mad+photo.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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I might possibly love this one even more than the last one. I do have to say, I dislike when some members are less visible, but I love everything about the Mad/If You Do comeback, including the really beautiful coloration. It's so great.</div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>12) Your favorite Got7 photoshoot.</b></span><br />
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I hate to be redundant so quickly, but the Mad photoshoot is probably my favorite. The entire concept of the comeback is so awesome, and the photoshoot/ its coloration is really beautiful. I know it's weird to harp on the coloration, but the colors are legit beautiful. Here are another couple pictures from the photoshoot.</div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>13) A Got7 dance you'd like to learn.</b></span><br />
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I love the If You Do choreo, but for the sake of variety, I'll shout out the Just Right choreo, because it's by far the easiest. Or, at least, my favorite part of the choreo is...</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjj-bXR_TzQFVCXBYLNKqa41K6rFO8HAwa29dTZMz3B3vjoNR0kIIbTv2fHjuh8ROdB4mPk7wnEQj5h4QpRXGLmeAXJ8HqRKhNqQj9kHQmMz3BsDb8HvFsXlO_HvCYihUJQPv90AwN1GAo/s1600/just+right+choreo+got7.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="243" data-original-width="540" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjj-bXR_TzQFVCXBYLNKqa41K6rFO8HAwa29dTZMz3B3vjoNR0kIIbTv2fHjuh8ROdB4mPk7wnEQj5h4QpRXGLmeAXJ8HqRKhNqQj9kHQmMz3BsDb8HvFsXlO_HvCYihUJQPv90AwN1GAo/s400/just+right+choreo+got7.gif" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>14) A Got7 song you never get tired of.</b></span><br />
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I'm sorry to be such a broken record, but they put <i style="font-weight: bold;">so many</i> questions in a row where my immediate answer is "If You Do" (or the Mad comeback). I've already talked at length about how much I love that comeback and the song, so I won't bore you by re-hashing the details. It's just a fantastic song. </div>
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Since I've mentioned If You Do so many times, I'll shout out another few that never get old: Just Right, Hard Carry (obvs, they're the 2 most played for a reason), Girl Magnetic, Who's That, Home Run, Q, and Out.</div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>15) Your most played Got7 song.</b></span><br />
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According to my iTunes (which is about 2 months out of date, so take it with a grain of salt), my 2 most-played Got7 songs are Hard Carry (126) and Just Right (116). They're out ahead by a long-shot, but this info is from when I first started getting into Got7 so I'm sure that there are some other songs up there with them. And I really don't want to update it and potentially mess up my music on my phone (trust me, my iTunes is a mess), so we're just gonna go with Hard Carry for this one.</div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>16) Your favorite Got7 lyric and its meaning.</b></span><br />
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OK, I'm going to break the rules just slightly, but I loooooove the lyrics of Tomorrow, Today by JJ Project. If you're unaware, Jinyoung and JB debuted in 2012 as JJP before Got7 debuted in 2014, and they just recently had a comeback throughout August 2017. And their single, Tomorrow, Today, was co-written by them and the lyrics really get to me. It's all about being a 20-something and not knowing what you want to do with your life, but being at the point where you're being forced to make long-term decisions that you're not necessarily ready to make. It just hits home <i style="font-weight: bold;">so hard</i> with me (JB and Jinyoung are the same age as me, so it makes sense that they get where I'm at rn). I didn't pay attention to the lyrics the first time I listened to it, but when I re-listened with a translation, I legitimately teared up because of how hard the lyrics hit me. It's just a fantastic song and I can't say enough good things about it.</div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>17) Your favorite Got7 gif</b></span><br />
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It's not a gif of the whole group, but I can't go this entire post without sharing a few of my favorite gifs of Jinyoung being an absolute savage. So, here ya go: (there are about 10 more where these came from, because this boy is ruthless)</div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>18) Your favorite Got7 cover of a song.</b></span><br />
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I think I really have to go with the Mr. Chu cover here. It's too adorable and seeing JB forced to do a girl group dance and do aegyo just makes me laugh incessantly. Also, shout-out to BamBam "singing" Loser, which makes me cry-laugh every time.</div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>19) Your favorite Got7 interview.</b></span></div>
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Ooh, this one is kinda difficult. I think I might have to go with the DramaFever interview. The interviewers were kinda awkward, but I love their reactions to the questions. Plus, there are some really adorable Jinyoung moments, like him geeking out over superpowers and telling BamBam to stop talking.</div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>20) A Got7 song that reminds you of someone/something.</b></span><br />
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OK, this question popped up on the INFINITE 30 Day Challenge as well and I didn't have an answer for it... and I don't think I have an answer for this one either. I'll change this if I think of anything, but I think I just have a problem trying to make associations like this haha.</div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>21) Your favorite tweet by a Got7 member.</b></span><br />
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So, I'm actually going to go with my favorite <i style="font-weight: bold;">Instagram</i> by a Got7 member, because at this point I think Mark and BamBam are the only members who still have Twitter and neither of them update it regularly. However, all the members (except JB. Y U ruin me, boy?) have Instagram and update at least semi-regularly (except Jinyoung whyyyyyy). Anyway, I think my favorite Insta post by a member is this picture that Mark posted of them on a plane with the guys from Day6.</div>
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If you're not familiar with Day6, they're JYP's first band, and they've been close with Got7 since their trainee days. In fact, Jinyoung & Day6's synth/keyboardist, Wonpil, are still besties. They're almost as close as JB and Jinyoung, TBH. But yeah, you can tell from the picture that they're all just cute lil dorks and clearly enjoy each other's friendship.</div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>22) A member you'd like to become for a day and why.</b></span><br />
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I think I'd actually go for Yugyeom! This might sound counter-intuitive, but think about it-- I'd get to hang out with my favorite members. Also, Yuggie and Jinyoung have this really cute antagonistic friendship and I love that kind of silly banter with my friends, so I could be snarky back and forth with Jinyoung, which is just general life goals haha. Plus, Yuggie's really tall and it would be cool to be as tall as him. </div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>23) A member you think your parents would like and why.</b></span><br />
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This is going to sound like I'm just trying to be <i style="font-weight: bold;">biased</i> (ayyyy, bad pun), but I genuinely think my parents would most like Jinyoung or Mark. Maybe JB next, but I think Jinyoung would definitely be at the top of the list. I won't reveal who they'd dislike (that's the next question, but you could probably guess, tbh), but they would <i>definitely</i> lean toward the more well-mannered yet funny members. Hence Jinyoung and Mark as my top choices. Jinyoung, because he's the clean-cut member, and comes off as rather intelligent. And Mark because, honestly, he's American and speaks English. Not that my parents have anything against foreigners, they're just more likely to prefer someone they can relate to more than the others. And that would be Mark.</div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>24) A member you think your parents would hate and why.</b></span><br />
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Just like their favorite (er... only) child, my parents are pretty easily agitated. And the members that would agitate them? Jackson and BamBam. Possibly Youngjae as well. With my parents, it's really hit or miss with the "loudmouth" of any group. And it's usually miss (although my dad is less likely to hate it than my mom). And, to be fair, Jackson is the one who's most likely to be loud, dominant, and over-the-top. They would get annoyed quickly before recognizing his sweet side. And with BamBam, the constant meme-ing would annoy them. Not as much as Jackson, but they'd definitely be likely to get annoyed. With Youngjae, it's honestly more of him being overly-talkative and loud. He's an absolute fluffball... but he's a loooooud fluffball. My family is really low-key, so loud, overly-talkative people do not go over well with them. </div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>25) A member you'd kiss. </b></span><br />
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How is it possible to simultaneously love and hate these questions? This popped up on the Infinite one as well and I felt equally uncomfortable trying to answer that one too. That being said, I'm going to choose different answers for this one & the "member you'd date" question, so for this one, I guess I'm going with Mark. Sorry to be predictable, but he's cute and sweet and idk I feel like a 15 year old right now so I'm going to shut up.</div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>26) A member you'd go to a club with.</b></span><br />
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Like I said when this one came up on the Infinite challenge, clubs aren't my thing. If you couldn't tell from my love of Jinyoung & Mark, I like being chill and low-key. So a huge, loud crowd of drunken people <i>reeeeally</i> just isn't my scene. That being said, if I had to choose someone I think I'd have to go with Jackson. Jackson is the type of person who will be the life of the party, but will also care enough about the people that he's with that he'll make sure the other people are having fun too. And that would be necessary for me, as someone who would probably be miserable. That being said, in situations I'm uncomfortable in, I tend to latch on to my person and go around with them, so maybe someone like JB would be a better choice? Eh, IDK I'm sticking with Jacky.</div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>27) A member you'd date.</b></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2Kc3Gk8nRGn3xbhy_zXHnG4t5T_C2rQNIXPBCpu1Pn0W74rpG_mj8OVSSO3o6GG5YZT6u3VuvPCpdYdF4T2IkCW6K6IyQ5w-Q0jr7DozHgx7v3lMSMgUncJO2VgVJk6Q6jpEZ3jQhv5Y/s1600/jinyoung+glasses+innocent.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="336" data-original-width="250" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2Kc3Gk8nRGn3xbhy_zXHnG4t5T_C2rQNIXPBCpu1Pn0W74rpG_mj8OVSSO3o6GG5YZT6u3VuvPCpdYdF4T2IkCW6K6IyQ5w-Q0jr7DozHgx7v3lMSMgUncJO2VgVJk6Q6jpEZ3jQhv5Y/s320/jinyoung+glasses+innocent.gif" width="238" /></a></div>
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I think we've established already that I'm obviously choosing Jinyoung. I love so many things about him, most of which I've already mentioned in some form or fashion. Overall, I just love that he's so savage, but also such a sweetheart. He's such a well-rounded, talented human, and also one of the most intellectual members (he's in college!). I don't want to re-iterate these same points over and over again, but he just ticks all the boxes of things that I love, and he's just such a cute sweetheart and I'd absolutely date him. </div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>28) Your favorite body part of your bias.</b></span><br />
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This might be a little bit of a not-ok answer, but I have to say hair! This is honestly true with pretty much any bias in any group, because I tend to notice people's hair before noticing anything else about them. And the picture above is my favorite of his hair styles. I find it interesting that I love Jinyoung so much given that he's such a clean-cut member (no piercings, almost never dyes his hair), given that I tend to prefer the edgy/punk look... but here we are. </div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>29) A gift you'd give Got7 and why.</b></span><br />
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Uuuugh, I dunno. I don't really think about stuff like this. I don't even know what I'd <i style="font-weight: bold;">say</i> to them if I got to meet them (we'll get there on the next question), let alone <i style="font-weight: bold;">give</i> to them. I think that if I were to give them something, I'd rather give each of them a note/letter explaining what they mean to me. It would be so much more meaningful than some little trinket that they'd probably only keep for the fansigning and then have to get rid of (could you imagine how many Pokemon would be in their dorm if they kept them all??). So, yeah. A letter or something. </div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>30) Anything you want to say to Got7?</b></span><br />
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Like I said, I'm really not sure what I want to say to them. I guess I would just say that listening to their music and watching videos of them just brings so much happiness to my life. I dunno, it's cliche and cheesy, but I like to think that I can be really great with language when I try, so I hope I'd be able to say something in a meaningful way that would mean something to them in some form or fashion, no matter how small.<br />
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So, that's it for the 30 Day Got7 Challenge. Like I said at the beginning and throughout the challenge, these guys have completely stolen my heart and are now right up there as one of my ultimate bias groups alongside Infinite. There are a few other groups that I've started to get into as well, so sometime soon you may see more of these 30 day challenges about other groups! Let me know down in the comments who your Got7 bias is and which of their songs is your favorite!<br />
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Check out my links below!</div>
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<b><a href="https://www.youtube.com/user/kristennbright" target="_blank">YouTube Channel</a> </b></div>
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<b><a href="https://www.facebook.com/fromkristensbrain/timeline" target="_blank">Facebook</a></b></div>
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/28643825-kristen" target="_blank"><b>Goodreads</b></a></div>
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<span style="text-align: center;">Thanks for reading! If you like my posts, I'd really appreciate if you'd subscribe/follow so that I know you're enjoying what I'm posting! See you soon!</span> </div>
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Kristen Brighthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16947782400794390038noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7835074222125929757.post-54546271015825858562017-09-23T15:24:00.000-05:002017-09-23T15:24:02.878-05:00An Unhelpful Guide to Infinite!Hey everyone. Bit of a random lil update post bc I started a new project that I wanted to share. So, I accidentally published a post this morning about the kpop group Infinite (it was supposed to go live next week, I accidentally set it up for LAST week. OOPS) and even though it was live for literally 2 seconds, some people had already clicked on it (y'all are fast!). So, since I've left a void where that Infinite post should be, I figured that I'd go ahead and share this video with you that I made, An Unhelpful Guide to Infinite! Just as with similar videos in this format, it's less of a guide than it is a compilation of all of the Infinite inside jokes, so I hope y'all enjoy! (although I guess it could help you learn a bit about them, idk)<br />
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<iframe width="320" height="266" class="YOUTUBE-iframe-video" data-thumbnail-src="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/3UCxDIlwjoI/0.jpg" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/3UCxDIlwjoI?feature=player_embedded" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe></div>
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It's the first video on the new KPop related YouTube channel that I decided to start, and I'm going to be making a lot more KPop and Infinite-centric videos soon (including one that goes alongside the one accidentally posted this morning), so check it out if you want to. I'd really appreciate it! :)<br />
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Check out my links below!</div>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<b><a href="https://www.youtube.com/user/kristennbright" target="_blank">YouTube Channel</a> </b></div>
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<b><a href="https://www.facebook.com/fromkristensbrain/timeline" target="_blank">Facebook</a></b></div>
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/28643825-kristen" target="_blank"><b>Goodreads</b></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="text-align: center;">Thanks for reading! If you like my posts, I'd really appreciate if you'd subscribe/follow so that I know you're enjoying what I'm posting! See you soon!</span> </div>
Kristen Brighthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16947782400794390038noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7835074222125929757.post-50053306694547727532017-08-13T10:00:00.000-05:002017-08-13T10:00:03.500-05:00The Reading Quest TBR & UpdatesFYI, before jumping into the post, this post goes alongside my TBR in video form, which is embedded below. However, given that my TBR is subject to change (and I need a place to keep track of my point totals and how far I've gotten into my TBR), I'm making this post to keep track of everything in a single place.<br />
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<iframe width="320" height="266" class="YOUTUBE-iframe-video" data-thumbnail-src="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/P5sBnw1GzRA/0.jpg" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/P5sBnw1GzRA?feature=player_embedded" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe></div>
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If you haven't heard of The Reading Quest, here's the link to the original post over on Read at Midnight, with all of the challenges, rules, etc: <a href="https://readatmidnight.com/2017/07/29/thereadingquest-sign-up/" style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">Reading Quest Sign Up</a>.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjb3z4xgqRQ0-Mk-mBDdeOQpGuOh7HxOzhjrwSest4X8RhKXyKppCqzDaJ7f3nISsDWlWWMZU7l3gHpGPfiSQLn4GETHiICVcc2_mVOqm3CzH4LOo4F4IqXEIEVDFX1JOLQNLftneeueho/s1600/reading+quest+characters.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="384" data-original-width="768" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjb3z4xgqRQ0-Mk-mBDdeOQpGuOh7HxOzhjrwSest4X8RhKXyKppCqzDaJ7f3nISsDWlWWMZU7l3gHpGPfiSQLn4GETHiICVcc2_mVOqm3CzH4LOo4F4IqXEIEVDFX1JOLQNLftneeueho/s640/reading+quest+characters.png" width="640" /></a></div>
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Brief summary, for those of you who didn't read that post: Each person participating chooses a character (to start out as) between the 4 listed above. Each of those characters has specific challenges that take up one side of The Quest Board. Your goal is to travel around the outside of the board, completing the challenges for as many characters as possible, while also completing optional side quests. But, you have to fully complete a character's path before starting a different character's path. There are several more specific rules, but those are the basics. Like I said, check the original posts for more of the details.<br />
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Below is the quest board. Predictably, I'm going to be beginning as a Mage (and then moving clockwise from there). I'm sure that I'm not going to get around the entire board and complete all of the challenges, but I <b>AM</b> going to create a TBR with options for each and every challenge, which will be updated as I continue along. At the very least, I'm hoping to fully complete the Mage path before the end of the quest.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6iCt8Wz94M56HOkThvhkG5zLlSicPcYp8l2HeRFqf94cxeKlv0ljOaznHV8x0Rz6wu_f9E0NXIEmhISX5wbVbYZpCsfZkS91Uu5hfKVk2n3ThtV2_tUCPJ-nbH3-L8Vqj4TzwWaLpKgE/s1600/reading+quest+board.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="768" data-original-width="768" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6iCt8Wz94M56HOkThvhkG5zLlSicPcYp8l2HeRFqf94cxeKlv0ljOaznHV8x0Rz6wu_f9E0NXIEmhISX5wbVbYZpCsfZkS91Uu5hfKVk2n3ThtV2_tUCPJ-nbH3-L8Vqj4TzwWaLpKgE/s640/reading+quest+board.png" width="640" /></a></div>
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Now that all the explanatory stuff is out of the way, let's go through my TBR, challenge by challenge. </div>
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<span style="font-size: x-large;"><b>Mage</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>A Book With a One Word Title</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Elantris by Brandon Sanderson</span></div>
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Brandon Sanderson is one of my favorite authors (if not my favorite), and this is one of his adult novels that I have yet to read. It's also the one I'm most intrigued by, since the last standalone I read by him (Warbreaker) was my favorite book of last year. Super hyped for this one. </div>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">A Book That Contains Magic</span></b></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo</span></div>
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A few months back, I announced a series (called YA Bandwagoning) on my YouTube channel where I was planning on reading popular YA books and doing an "as I read" style of video for them. That was like... March/April, and I still haven't done a single video in that series or read a single book on that list. So I'm using these challenges to help me actually get to those books. This is the one I'm probably most excited about on that list, so I'll probably try to get to it pretty quickly. </div>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">A Book Based on Mythology</span></b></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVU_t5vYGp8sPWC2ATcgEtFOi-C23tQmJ3v052LU0TUNS5YuDcjw8XicfgVWGGoU0aX2BQMe_MbK2-mNz1ICX-8NjYORuKme883ububK2gucgOByChh2sRk2uZJ2WAeaD6wjvDEAlHq4Y/s1600/lightning+thief+cover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="824" data-original-width="550" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVU_t5vYGp8sPWC2ATcgEtFOi-C23tQmJ3v052LU0TUNS5YuDcjw8XicfgVWGGoU0aX2BQMe_MbK2-mNz1ICX-8NjYORuKme883ububK2gucgOByChh2sRk2uZJ2WAeaD6wjvDEAlHq4Y/s200/lightning+thief+cover.jpg" width="133" /></a></div>
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Look, I know re-reads aren't supposed to count (if I can't actually get points for this, so be it), but the last time I read this was 7th grade. I don't remember much about it at all. Plus, it's the only book I have based on mythology, <b>and</b> I never finished the series (and want to finish the series), so here we are. I've been meaning to get to Percy Jackson, so I'm guessing this is the best opportunity. </div>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">A Book Set in a Different World</span></b></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Throne of Glass by Sarah J Maas</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihWviBoTYCq1fEBYi1L1ZoOEJoqp7bCF7P2MgOWBxr5yl72P6BzQyCWrNNyMYrhfGNGxEGMEn_kj6SgCFAMRrNQ-xT18zMDqqf6NsSMZ64dNodj1ZkvIF28HOsTWxqW1MLSwNGNZRsBJM/s1600/throne+of+glass.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1409" data-original-width="940" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihWviBoTYCq1fEBYi1L1ZoOEJoqp7bCF7P2MgOWBxr5yl72P6BzQyCWrNNyMYrhfGNGxEGMEn_kj6SgCFAMRrNQ-xT18zMDqqf6NsSMZ64dNodj1ZkvIF28HOsTWxqW1MLSwNGNZRsBJM/s200/throne+of+glass.jpg" width="133" /></a></div>
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Like with Six of Crows, this is for my YA Bandwagoning series. I've been meaning to read this for literally 3 years. I've had the book for almost 2 years. And I still haven't read it. I'm super curious about it, given the really mixed opinions on the series overall, but I'm also kinda anxious about it because it's so loved by so many people and I have a sinking suspicion that I might be one of the people who doesn't like it. But we'll see. </div>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">The First Book of a Series</span></b></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Falling Kingdoms by Morgan Rhodes</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-3BpIkexedKSTdxWHrz4KWd4e9cuM4AjfBMpInFgzCIcpYgYajumSTUg0ESRtrB-GPCe_WvdL2RJrz_lW4oTLsh70nbzphhGoP0Zgv3PTrj-ziQKxfo6IpIbHLXXW3unBdaGTrA8a-IQ/s1600/falling+kingdoms.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="313" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-3BpIkexedKSTdxWHrz4KWd4e9cuM4AjfBMpInFgzCIcpYgYajumSTUg0ESRtrB-GPCe_WvdL2RJrz_lW4oTLsh70nbzphhGoP0Zgv3PTrj-ziQKxfo6IpIbHLXXW3unBdaGTrA8a-IQ/s200/falling+kingdoms.jpg" width="131" /></a></div>
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I feel like a broken record here. This is for my YA Bandwagoning series. It's the first in a popular YA series. I actually think I might like this more than Throne of Glass. I feel like reviews of this series have been pretty solid across the board (but not outstanding), while reviews for Throne of Glass are all over the place (but generally on the decline as the series goes along). Anyway, I'm intrigued by this one and love when there are multiple plot threads following multiple characters throughout a novel. </div>
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<span style="font-size: x-large;"><b>Knight</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-large;"><b><br /></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>A Book With a Verb in Its Title</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">The Song Rising by Samantha Shannon</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOZheqiIPOG7K29Q2rW4B6ZZZ6ZC6uLE4ThJKUfK3rDyNDDf4gqEhkYpynsg1qSy9aqLvvfOviayFUTCDdOpns2qnmCRUfaqO-XeeTAi4UfEsA7Yti5_6GLS2DeYBk1-Nzia-UxcNxdrA/s1600/song+rising+cover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="279" data-original-width="181" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOZheqiIPOG7K29Q2rW4B6ZZZ6ZC6uLE4ThJKUfK3rDyNDDf4gqEhkYpynsg1qSy9aqLvvfOviayFUTCDdOpns2qnmCRUfaqO-XeeTAi4UfEsA7Yti5_6GLS2DeYBk1-Nzia-UxcNxdrA/s200/song+rising+cover.jpg" width="129" /></a></div>
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The Bone Season series is my favorite ongoing series, and (per usual) I have yet to read the most recent release. It's partially because I feel the need to re-read The Mime Order before jumping into book 3, but there's also a summary up on Samantha Shannon's website for The Mime Order, so I might just be able to read that too. IDK, we'll see what I end up doing when the time comes. I'm honestly pretty skeptical about making it to this point, given that I plan to do a few of the side quests before moving on to the Knight path. </div>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">A Book With A Weapon On Its Cover</span></b></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Furies of Calderon by Jim Butcher</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTzdyl-ane6G2Qer4yrWlNhyMFU4AHL5izjD3ub9XDiBThU4R2KhFpSV2tH8mqYKpmZYTbfk8wxA6EZcDaMCjBYkVPgFcb0T0NMHtUwRaimw-z7nvi8lZQOuyy9lYPBy1z80q6i9xzMpM/s1600/furies+of+calderon.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="927" data-original-width="614" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTzdyl-ane6G2Qer4yrWlNhyMFU4AHL5izjD3ub9XDiBThU4R2KhFpSV2tH8mqYKpmZYTbfk8wxA6EZcDaMCjBYkVPgFcb0T0NMHtUwRaimw-z7nvi8lZQOuyy9lYPBy1z80q6i9xzMpM/s200/furies+of+calderon.jpg" width="131" /></a></div>
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I recently re-organized my bookshelves so that an entire bookcase is devoted to my TBR (well-- most of a bookcase. Fortunately, my TBR isn't as big as it once was). I have that bookcase organized by the year that I got it, and this is on the "2014 or earlier" shelf. AKA the ones I've had for way too long without reading them. So this is one that I at least need to try to read, even if it's one that I don't end up liking. </div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>A Book With A Red Cover</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">The Rook by Daniel O'Malley</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhN-Vg9OcnPs77ffkrWdg72QmXvGJ_eIUCIShtt9FouDtXAEzIrAUv8PklG1AZ-XB7kyLZELeLrMpsRQAp8Z_WLkpRztZpr4ZXnm0kokurJmEu9Hs0P-YOB2ep_VPK3cniOd86hX7HZLUk/s1600/rook+book+cover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="499" data-original-width="329" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhN-Vg9OcnPs77ffkrWdg72QmXvGJ_eIUCIShtt9FouDtXAEzIrAUv8PklG1AZ-XB7kyLZELeLrMpsRQAp8Z_WLkpRztZpr4ZXnm0kokurJmEu9Hs0P-YOB2ep_VPK3cniOd86hX7HZLUk/s200/rook+book+cover.jpg" width="131" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">This is another one that's on my "2014 or earlier" shelf. I discovered it on a book recommendation site after reading Ready Player One, and it's one that has a super intriguing premise, but I honestly just completely forget that I own it. It's been on my shelves so long that my eyes just glance over it when scanning for things to read. At the very least, this quest gives me a reminder that this book is still sticking around. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>A Book That Has a TV/Movie Adaptation</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">The Book Thief by Marcus Zusak</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBmw6LmV8cr9YREGn_paORLce4hCCFTdITQB_plMMc20z45gcnP5STKNQ5_yuI85_v11qYf3jafAfJfK0PGXoPm5SOZuN8C9NnZI6ryxXKg_jcJgpo4Sh1obU-ywku21FO3ubhAf18dH0/s1600/book+thief.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="932" data-original-width="600" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBmw6LmV8cr9YREGn_paORLce4hCCFTdITQB_plMMc20z45gcnP5STKNQ5_yuI85_v11qYf3jafAfJfK0PGXoPm5SOZuN8C9NnZI6ryxXKg_jcJgpo4Sh1obU-ywku21FO3ubhAf18dH0/s200/book+thief.jpg" width="128" /></a></div>
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I feel like a broken record again here. This is on my "2014 or earlier" shelf, and it's one I've been meaning to read for quite a while. And I also forget that it's there because of how long it's been sitting there. So... we'll see. I don't think I'm going to get this far. But... optimism! Yay!</div>
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Taking a quick step away from the main quest into the side quests, since I'm much more likely to get to these than I am to the other 2 characters' paths...</div>
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<span style="font-size: x-large;"><b>Side Quests</b></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">Potions: A Book by 2 Authors</span></b></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Illuminae by Amie Kaufman & Jay Kristoff</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSEe-1e6x1IuGG5MDMdW3RqJqFbV6gYYbvvWUTQ-VCJ5IGi6AmUDtznhaWCfBLm0MG5o-f9zgr1PSDubCCrQt2wX0BT-6iROeEaH-17WFWvN6_Ra1I4scdPdaGFlT4oBVfqTOMPfLzQys/s1600/illuminae.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1059" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSEe-1e6x1IuGG5MDMdW3RqJqFbV6gYYbvvWUTQ-VCJ5IGi6AmUDtznhaWCfBLm0MG5o-f9zgr1PSDubCCrQt2wX0BT-6iROeEaH-17WFWvN6_Ra1I4scdPdaGFlT4oBVfqTOMPfLzQys/s200/illuminae.jpg" width="131" /></a></div>
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I tried listening to this during the BookTubeAThon, and I thought it was just alright. I'm hoping to start over by reading the physical book (while listening to the audiobook?) to hopefully immerse myself more in the world and make it a bit more interesting. This is one of the ones I'm a bit less likely to get to. But, it is a YA Bandwagoning book, so... maybe?</div>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">Multiplayer: Buddy Read a Book</span></b></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Little Monsters by Kara Thomas</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGA36MSIs2J69uoNFRG2SMylB1oZ_T5DMJRgNWivIfBCPQpSCSsXrPL4OYdo4nGwI4QO96mRURjqrUk__eK2fDOPlS1T_7GffUQwtXqL9LKGAEFODg9TRGOyJWmJideMw1pp3gUv45Tbg/s1600/little+monsters.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="470" data-original-width="318" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGA36MSIs2J69uoNFRG2SMylB1oZ_T5DMJRgNWivIfBCPQpSCSsXrPL4OYdo4nGwI4QO96mRURjqrUk__eK2fDOPlS1T_7GffUQwtXqL9LKGAEFODg9TRGOyJWmJideMw1pp3gUv45Tbg/s200/little+monsters.jpg" width="135" /></a></div>
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I'm gonna be real honest here-- I really don't plan to read this. I'll only get to this if it's my last available spot and I'm desperate. Which is extremely unlikely. Anyway, this is the Booksplosion book of the month, and it did sound kinda interesting. That being said, it's not a book I own, which motivates me a lot less. There are only 2 books on this TBR that fall under that category and they're both ones I don't really think I'm going to get to. But I figured I might as well still chuck them on here anyway. </div>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">Time Warp: A Book Set in Either the Past or Future</span></b></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Rebel Angels by Libba Bray</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwfaguhPx8KF8v1XFQF8lBxSf8yAE03z2S8HkaQUVfF-iMojnvZngtgCb_7JU39-gO4W30Fh5cJt3FGWwtgmcOhfhswvhqsB-V1NUEHABmBJjvJufDlmJjOc1LyHHUpQFlulXSm1RuPZk/s1600/rebel+angels.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="450" data-original-width="305" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwfaguhPx8KF8v1XFQF8lBxSf8yAE03z2S8HkaQUVfF-iMojnvZngtgCb_7JU39-gO4W30Fh5cJt3FGWwtgmcOhfhswvhqsB-V1NUEHABmBJjvJufDlmJjOc1LyHHUpQFlulXSm1RuPZk/s200/rebel+angels.jpg" width="135" /></a></div>
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I started the Gemma Doyle trilogy during the BookTubeAThon, and I've been meaning to jump back into it ever since, so this might actually be the first thing I read instead of starting the Mage path. I'm really excited about continuing this series-- the first book was really awesome. </div>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">Grind: A Book With 500+ Pages</span></b></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">The Sweet Far Thing by Libba Bray</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6C5fGofPNA4_uWuMSURVaUnB9q3E8hfXBdELOKJQUC7XSNYhKVnDphCrfLA9tF4eB6Nrg9RCBiOQ8oVBKLuKHybw8ASPLhSd4pEl_mw6TC9F-mE7yztitYroJZpy_GnshAPQIqbxYr3I/s1600/sweet+far+thing.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="331" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6C5fGofPNA4_uWuMSURVaUnB9q3E8hfXBdELOKJQUC7XSNYhKVnDphCrfLA9tF4eB6Nrg9RCBiOQ8oVBKLuKHybw8ASPLhSd4pEl_mw6TC9F-mE7yztitYroJZpy_GnshAPQIqbxYr3I/s200/sweet+far+thing.jpg" width="131" /></a></div>
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Along the same lines, I'm also hoping to move on to The Sweet Far Thing. Rebel Angels also technically counts here (530ish pages, I think) but given that double-counting books doesn't count (ayyy, bad pun), I figured this was the better one to put here. It's real chunky-- 800+ pages. </div>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">Open World: Read Whatever You Want</span></b></div>
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I'll probably end up doing this one, but given that I'm a mood reader, I'm keeping this open for now just so that I don't feel like I'm obligated to read whatever I put in this spot. </div>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">Re-Spawn: A Book You Previously DNF'd</span></b></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Daughter of Smoke & Bone by Laini Taylor</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIXLIWt2Ux4r4UouQZ4O828GTx94Q-RwXYEPk9BprdRH93Z3mBWl3aRBDgkQdg9Gm_raKu9ZpYy5lVLwXO_y_AnDpg_3mpt4iSjVQrKl5I2TFcDIq3Z90AhKeWOU0zCYot73UC2zn2d9g/s1600/daughter+of+smoke+and+bone.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="311" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIXLIWt2Ux4r4UouQZ4O828GTx94Q-RwXYEPk9BprdRH93Z3mBWl3aRBDgkQdg9Gm_raKu9ZpYy5lVLwXO_y_AnDpg_3mpt4iSjVQrKl5I2TFcDIq3Z90AhKeWOU0zCYot73UC2zn2d9g/s200/daughter+of+smoke+and+bone.jpg" width="130" /></a></div>
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Honestly, I've DNF'd a lot of books on this list, but this one just fit nicely here. I didn't do it because I wasn't interested in the book, but rather that I was in a BookTubeAThon time crunch and didn't have enough time to read the whole thing. I've been meaning to return to it for almost 2 years now, so I think it's finally time to. Plus it's another Bandwagoning YA book, so that's good. </div>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">Expansion: Companion Novel or Short Story</span></b></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">The Emperor's Soul by Brandon Sanderson</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjs_ou-PjwCdxtQsDaq0vyX-mF17N5tOYMhQ8BUwloF5pT7NiNWpEaWYmjh3Ra0EP793ndNwhCeLMN52dXzd8hqWZhWId608NEh0UY-MWi16PEINg6n6jvUMPZ5E1i5Ot389nnuemgADcc/s1600/emperor%2527s+soul.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="297" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjs_ou-PjwCdxtQsDaq0vyX-mF17N5tOYMhQ8BUwloF5pT7NiNWpEaWYmjh3Ra0EP793ndNwhCeLMN52dXzd8hqWZhWId608NEh0UY-MWi16PEINg6n6jvUMPZ5E1i5Ot389nnuemgADcc/s200/emperor%2527s+soul.jpg" width="125" /></a></div>
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This is a companion to Elantris that's meant to be read after it, so I'll probably end up just reading The Emperor's Soul right after finishing Elantris. Like I said earlier in the post, I mean to get to a lot more of the side quests than the actual character paths. </div>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">Mini-Game: Graphic Novel, Novella, or Poem Collection</span></b></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Battle Royale Vol. 3 by Koushun Takami</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSEWNWAtQbzXW5pJ_8PP0cWIUMiAZVnFfKWHTJErYhq6arY9yHZLdjGctJku9bJAUL2IMgAM08dKfJPIkaY2CwV-G8UvDlUUMR3EURT6C8gH7dqbHHXCjAiBvg9AsfOMzq1poPCVOLb_I/s1600/battle+royale+3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="471" data-original-width="318" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSEWNWAtQbzXW5pJ_8PP0cWIUMiAZVnFfKWHTJErYhq6arY9yHZLdjGctJku9bJAUL2IMgAM08dKfJPIkaY2CwV-G8UvDlUUMR3EURT6C8gH7dqbHHXCjAiBvg9AsfOMzq1poPCVOLb_I/s200/battle+royale+3.jpg" width="135" /></a></div>
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I read the first 2 volumes of the manga adaptation of Battle Royale during the BookTubeAThon, so I want to keep on making my way through the series, so that's what I'll do with this. </div>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">Animal Companion: References Animal in the Title</span></b><br />
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Honestly, I can't think of a single book on my TBR that fits this. Maybe I'm missing something (I didn't try too hard here) but I'm drawing a blank. I'll update this if I figure something, but... I'm doubtful.</div>
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<span style="font-size: x-large;"><b>Bard</b></span></div>
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<b style="font-size: x-large;">A Fairy Tale Re-Telling</b></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Geekerella by Ashley Poston</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUW9Iv1Tj6d8KrF7X3UujWjKjTGnn80DtAUf5D_ajjzLRaIYNoy20gDbMO46-4MrZqMhiqEimpAmKikO-T4Ic3YqXbPvVVvzY-bofPRZ-M_XJoGaw7lMkwyaIMs0yWlWPwTPnwM35R-IM/s1600/geekerella.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1052" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUW9Iv1Tj6d8KrF7X3UujWjKjTGnn80DtAUf5D_ajjzLRaIYNoy20gDbMO46-4MrZqMhiqEimpAmKikO-T4Ic3YqXbPvVVvzY-bofPRZ-M_XJoGaw7lMkwyaIMs0yWlWPwTPnwM35R-IM/s200/geekerella.jpg" width="131" /></a></div>
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I got this back around the time it came out because I was in a reading slump and wanted to read it alongside Booksplosion to get myself back in a reading mood. Unfortunately, that clearly didn't end up happening. But, it still sounds super cute and it'll be a breath of fresh air, given all of the fantasy & darker stuff that I'm planning on reading. </div>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">A Book Cover With Striking Typography</span></b></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Days of Blood & Starlight by Laini Taylor</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUnJt8D5qd33woznUPJn1a1KXblMpD3I-lEHflb6zpuWF8xNMsZSJcdFZsvfDrNrecoDAYAr_CRKqNAD5a7AOk7emMXt8V_ejBYWcHYVYQg7Q6ZRDXTgRE4HHEjXsaJwZZ_EGLXIb77cU/s1600/days+of+blood+and+starlight.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="311" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUnJt8D5qd33woznUPJn1a1KXblMpD3I-lEHflb6zpuWF8xNMsZSJcdFZsvfDrNrecoDAYAr_CRKqNAD5a7AOk7emMXt8V_ejBYWcHYVYQg7Q6ZRDXTgRE4HHEjXsaJwZZ_EGLXIb77cU/s200/days+of+blood+and+starlight.jpg" width="130" /></a></div>
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If I'm planning on reading book 1 during the quest, might as well add book 2 to the TBR as well. At this point, I'm really kidding myself if I think I'm actually going to make it this far around the board, but oh well. </div>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">A Book Translated From Another Language</span></b></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Battle Royale Vol. 4 by Koushun Takami</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPEyt-PIgOkKTpH7E9BDVocq0AsNHOEFzoq0qBqMJNu9CAPsYlNBG5XUzT4dcHlISMPaOFoGoAQoG_2kZsH9EezPDsWvsZQuYKxeboI0807RI9Jmu3GSKiNYnROJEZm6TXGIncethcWoc/s1600/battle+royale+4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="473" data-original-width="318" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPEyt-PIgOkKTpH7E9BDVocq0AsNHOEFzoq0qBqMJNu9CAPsYlNBG5XUzT4dcHlISMPaOFoGoAQoG_2kZsH9EezPDsWvsZQuYKxeboI0807RI9Jmu3GSKiNYnROJEZm6TXGIncethcWoc/s200/battle+royale+4.jpg" width="134" /></a></div>
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I'll get to the side quest before making my way all the way here, hence the side quest getting Vol 3 & this getting Vol 4. Either way, I'm hoping to continue the series ASAP. </div>
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<b style="font-size: x-large;">A Banned Book</b></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">A Clockwork Orange by Anthony Burgess</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYrRlsFcXXYq-yzEDWf6Twlfly3tW2LLn01-xWLA8LFzMDzV-jFqqGEwweC9UvLWGliFLO9m68pKqUgbhGDZ559nKo4FEwIVRdkRo-Gzp4_sk-j37K-Y_Yd1LHDKdlP8pcW2UAkaBSaMo/s1600/clockwork+orange.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="312" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYrRlsFcXXYq-yzEDWf6Twlfly3tW2LLn01-xWLA8LFzMDzV-jFqqGEwweC9UvLWGliFLO9m68pKqUgbhGDZ559nKo4FEwIVRdkRo-Gzp4_sk-j37K-Y_Yd1LHDKdlP8pcW2UAkaBSaMo/s200/clockwork+orange.jpg" width="124" /></a></div>
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I actually first got this for a class (my sophomore year of college. Another from the 2014 or earlier shelf) and I never ended up reading it because I just watched the movie instead. But it's always really intrigued me, so I've kept it on my shelf all this time, so I might as well throw it on my TBR, even if we've already established that I'm not making it to this point on the board. </div>
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<span style="font-size: x-large;"><b>Rogue</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>A Book Published by a Small Press</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">London Belongs to Me by Jacquelyn Middleton</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3RiX5rlckLS2_y-nV6-J9DVnktH6B5aZPqKSNOw0IWW6Jpd5JXc6k99HsqjGFO4cJpuAjpI4HGqzcoyiuq6fCTm6x2q3W9Gu7DRDZL5PDReISbX51cPev8wcrUsGG2X-UV4NudPya2pY/s1600/london+belongs+to+me.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="305" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3RiX5rlckLS2_y-nV6-J9DVnktH6B5aZPqKSNOw0IWW6Jpd5JXc6k99HsqjGFO4cJpuAjpI4HGqzcoyiuq6fCTm6x2q3W9Gu7DRDZL5PDReISbX51cPev8wcrUsGG2X-UV4NudPya2pY/s200/london+belongs+to+me.jpg" width="128" /></a></div>
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There are probably a couple other books on my shelves that could fit here, but I figured I should throw in a contemporary to lighten up this super dark TBR. I mean, I've got A Clockwork Orange on here. I'm going to need something happy after that. </div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>A Book With Less Than 500 Ratings on Goodreads</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Gamescape: Overworld</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzX-EUZKxGVDz3LBkox3c5uWBAm4ZOHmTyGZaIaAoF48xGQJC9dL6yqyfew8Wl4tiizadvMxyjHqNMtzkBO6erZcRkS1HfiE6dZqrkWvSsfH9F0i05NCAv4wNHtyO9j80iVfx4zAqyGbE/s1600/gamescape.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="314" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzX-EUZKxGVDz3LBkox3c5uWBAm4ZOHmTyGZaIaAoF48xGQJC9dL6yqyfew8Wl4tiizadvMxyjHqNMtzkBO6erZcRkS1HfiE6dZqrkWvSsfH9F0i05NCAv4wNHtyO9j80iVfx4zAqyGbE/s200/gamescape.jpg" width="131" /></a></div>
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This is the other book on the TBR that I don't own. I'm definitely intrigued by it and it's one that I want to read, but since it's one I'd have to pick up from the library it's a bit lower priority. </div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>A Book Cover W/ A Partially Obscured Face</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Dreams of Gods & Monsters by Laini Taylor</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzdySgWfkWfvv2mEM9g5qyIY2ikHM_SGNXSoivL5AnLpVGRrWjcRaBW3HpZC19W9Tnbu1BBRBDL1ZYd5BPEuUrhoMRiXv0IMWWV5F19bSDtw-G0qQ3MuX83g733d4OqoTtdTNI8OLeHlk/s1600/dreams+of+gods+and+monsters.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="311" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzdySgWfkWfvv2mEM9g5qyIY2ikHM_SGNXSoivL5AnLpVGRrWjcRaBW3HpZC19W9Tnbu1BBRBDL1ZYd5BPEuUrhoMRiXv0IMWWV5F19bSDtw-G0qQ3MuX83g733d4OqoTtdTNI8OLeHlk/s200/dreams+of+gods+and+monsters.jpg" width="130" /></a></div>
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Once again, I'm probably not going to be getting to this, but if I'm going to be putting the first 2 books on here, I might as well throw this one on too.<br />
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So, that's my TBR for The Reading Quest! Ultimately, I think that my genuine goal is to complete the entirety of the Mage path and a few side quests, but obviously it would be fantastic if I were able to get all the way around the board (don't get your hopes up!). Overall, I'm just really excited for this quest, and I hope that it helps me to get a lot of reading done and to hopefully crush a good chunk of my tbr shelf!<br />
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<span style="text-align: center;">Thanks for reading! If you like my posts, I'd really appreciate if you'd subscribe/follow so that I know you're enjoying what I'm posting! See you soon!</span> </div>
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Kristen Brighthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16947782400794390038noreply@blogger.com0