30 Day Clothing Challenge~ Day 24: Your Favorite Pair of Shoes

Favorite pair of shoes? Just one pair? We'll just have to settle for two then. At least I've got a special weakness for boots, which makes this slightly easier. I just bought my Docs a few months ago, and so far it's one of the smartest purchases I've ever made. They look great and they're going to hold up for a very long time. I wear them with everything I can, though I've let up now that summer is here. My feet can only take so much! My winklepickers on the other hand, aren't real leather, and I wish the buckles were silver, but they were a thrift store find and I couldn't pass them up. They're harder to match to my outfits and silver jewelry, but I just love pointy boots.

I've only got about a week left of school till summer break which is sort of a relief. I actually enjoy school, but this late in the year I'm reaching my limit. I need my sleep.... I'm compensating for the tiredness by dressing up even more apparently. It makes me feel a little better ^^ And I attempted to do something different with my hair by parting it in the middle and covering my undercut.

I love this little hat <3

Well the last of my bullar (Swedish cinnamon buns) just came out of the oven so I'm off to munch on those and finish watching Amadeus. (I love this movie...) I am unashamedly lazy and don't plan on moving from my bed until dinner time at least. Considering I've been roped into Graduation Band tomorrow, and will have to play Pomp and Circumstance over and over again until my lips fall off, I think I deserve it.

Goth Friendly Anime Part 2

Well, I did promise another part. So here we are!

 
Gosick- Gosick takes place in a fictional French-speaking European country. While attending a boarding school there Kazuya meets a girl named Victorique, who instead of attending classes, chooses to spend her time reading in the library (A girl after my own heart) or solving mysteries. He unwittingly gets dragged into these investigations, which often turn out to be fairly gruesome. Victorique looks an awful lot like a Gothic lolita, though her cold attitude is at complete odds with her sweet appearance. I haven't had the chance to finish this anime, so I'm not sure how the large underlying plot plays out yet, but from what I've seen it's really enjoyable. The first arc I saw revolved around a string of murders on a luxury ship.

 Nightwalker: The Midnight Detective- More vampires! There's a ridiculous amount of vampire anime out there actually, though I'm only putting the ones I enjoy on these lists. (For example, I'm not one for Blood +, Vampire Knight, or Rosario + Vampire) This was a late night anime that ran in 1998, so it's a bit older. The art seems a little dated, as does the animation, but I still like it. It's dark and moody and has interesting characters (including a spunky little imp). Shido, a private detective by day and Nightbreed hunter by night is a vampire with little recollection of his past. Through most of the anime he's solving murder cases having to do with these creatures, though later on they bring in his possessive sire, who's finally caught up to him. Shido can make weapons out of his blood, which is a pretty neat trick.

Ao No Exorcist- Ok, now this anime is pretty much a typical Shonen. It's one of my "Just for fun" animes. Lots of sword-fighting, utilizes the same cliches and the characterization is a bit cookie-cutter. BUT the stereotypical parts don't make it any less enjoyable. Who doesn't like an action-packed show once in a while? The anime revolves around Rin, who's shocked to discover he's the son of Satan. (Original right?) With his guardian dying to protect him, he ends up going to the prestigious True Cross Academy (where he doesn't fit in at all) in order to become an exorcist and protect people from the demons emerging from Gehenna. Of course, there's a large cast of fellow students to deal with, and it turns out his twin has already completed his exams and is to be one of his teachers. The whole reason to watch this show though, is Mephisto.

Mephisto Pheles *cough cough* is just....fantastic. He's the charming pink and white-clad demon up there. Mephisto is the principal of True Cross and works with the Vatican instead of siding with his fellow demons. Of course they don't trust him (Despite the fact that they don't even know he's the King of Time, Samael, and second in line to the demonic throne. That would go over well...) and his cheerful, dramatic exterior hides a penchant for manipulation. Totally worth watching the show just for him.

Demon Prince Enma- Like Pet Shop of Horrors this is an OVA so there are only four episodes. It's a horror anime and it's pretty graphic. Actually, it's very graphic, so if you don't appreciate a lot of blood or a little nudity perhaps this isn't for you. It's a more realistic sequel/remake of Dororon Enma-kun, an older anime I haven't seen. Enma is a fire-based demon who's come up to Earth to take care of the demons who've escaped the underworld. He has help in the form of a hostile ice-demon, a Kappa, and an old demon taking the form of a hat. I really like this anime, I only wish the plot was more cohesive and they tried a bit harder with the character development. Of course, with only four episodes to work with your options are limited. On the other hand, I really like the animation in this OVA, and the show managed to unsettle me, which is always a good thing in my book.

Dantalian No Shoka- When Hugh inherits his grandfather's estate he also aquires an extensive library. Upon further exploration it's discovered that this library houses 'phantom books' with unique properties, which are guarded by a Dantalian who takes the form of a young girl. The phantom books upset the balance of the world, and cause problems wherever they turn up. Hugh and Dalian take it upon themselves to gather up these phantom books and add them to the library. It's a light horror, with lots of books and supernatural elements, and fantastic artwork. It's also set in short story arcs so you can watch a bit at a time.

 Black Blood Brothers- Another one of those "for fun" vampire animes I have a habit of watching. The Kowloon Children were a new species of vampires that introduced humans to the supernatural as a result of their rapid reproduction. They're capable of siring new vampires from just a simple bite. After the Kowloon Shock, humans went to war against them, with the Old Bloods on their side. Now years later, Jiro and his brother Kotarou, the last of their bloodline, attempt to sneak into a city where vampires thrive, called the Special Zone. With the reappearance of the Kowloon Children things become a bit difficult as they encounter old enemies and new dangers that threaten the Special Zone. Kotarou is kidnapped and Mimiko, a moderator between vampires and humans, becomes involved as another attempted takeover by the Kowloon Children is staged. This is one of those animes that I watch with a smile on my face almost the whole time. The plot runs pretty smoothly, there's a bit of humor, it's easy to watch, and enjoyable to boot.

There are quite a few animes I love that aren't really "Goth-friendly" per say, but are freaking fantastic. I''ll probably do a post on them eventually because they deserve mentioning. But for now go have fun with these~

To switch my focus away from the animated world to the real one, this what I wore to Band Banquet. That's where the marching band learns the show theme for next year, and the people who are going to be on leadership. (Section leaders, Drum majors, etc.)  I've been wanting to wear this dress ever since I bought it last summer, and I finally got the chance!

30 Day Clothing Challenge~ Day 23: An Outfit/Piece of Clothing/Accessory You Consider Lucky

I don't really have an item that I consider "lucky" per say, but I wear the bracelet I received for Christmas nearly every day. It's made of bass strings and I love it so much I hardly go anywhere without it!

Really, this post is just an excuse to pop in and say Happy World Goth Day! This is the day I take to pamper myself and do some Goth Maintenance. Cut my bangs, pluck my eyebrows, paint my nails, etc. And I normally dress up a bit more. Then sit around and watch things like Interview With the Vampire or Labyrinth. It's fun! I hope everyone is enjoying it as much as I do~

Here's what I wore to school.

I love this corset. Even if it's got weak boning.
I can't really afford steel anyhow.

I feel a haircut coming on.

This shirt is too short to wear on it's own, but it works wonderfully with a corset.

Outfit Dump (Hey look, I'm a Zombie!)

I've been dressing out of a suitcase six weeks today, and somehow I've managed to make it work. I had a bunch of outfit pictures lying around, so I figured I'd compile them all into one big post. You know, I've noticed a trend around here. Nose piercings are a dime a dozen. It's bizarre. It seems like it's sort of the 'thing to have'. On one hand it's nice to see that people don't care. On the other, I feel like now I want to get a couple new additions more than ever. The primary reason I like piercings is for their aesthetic value, but it's also nice to break some societal norms and be different once in a while isn't it? Unfortunately, the lip ring I've wanted for years isn't happening until I move out, but I'm going to start getting a bunch of rings on the ear where my hair is short.

New tie from Goodwill~

New tights from Target~

My beloved Lip Service shirt~

I bought this dress at H&M a few months back.

One of my absolute favorite jackets from Trash and Vaudville

The shoulders are fabulous

Beautiful bathroom shot from my new school.

Also, I may or may not have gone on a Zombie Walk with some friends.
I didn't get any pictures which did this justice, but I was rather proud of it.

I've got another new jacket from Trash and Vaudeville that I completely forgot to take a picture of so I'll need to remedy that soon. Since this is a picture post I might as well drop a couple of drawings I've done of Cecil. I really need to start working on some Carlos sketches. If you're not currently listening to Welcome to Nightvale, you need to be. It's brilliant.

I subscribe to the white haired, third eyed, tentacled Cecil with glasses.
Because he's adorable.

Hiding from Management. Poor baby.

Sorry I don't have anything more substantial for you. I think I'll start writing some Halloween related posts soon. That time of year is upon us once more ;)

Goth-Friendly Anime

Anime. Oh, how I do love Anime. It started back in middle school with things like Ruroni Kenshin, (Which I still love) and Ouran High School Host Club, (Another still-favorite) and gradually as I branched out, I found Anime that lined up with my interests in more darkly inclined things. I've found that a lot of Goths tend to enjoy Anime, just like a lot of Goths enjoy comics, or sci-fi, etc. We're all pretty big nerds if you think about it, and I'm certainly damn proud of that. Not to mention, many Goths have an interest in Gothic Aristocrat, Lolita, and Visual Kei styles, which can lead to a fondness for Anime or Manga.

 But for people who haven't really watched much Anime and would like to, or are just looking for some new ones (Though I'm sticking to fairly well-known ones so you might have seen them) I've compiled a list of shows that I've seen that might tempt a few darkly inclined individuals. The summaries here aren't extensive by any means (Though somehow they ended up pretty long anyway...), and there's good anime and 'for fun' anime in there, but it should give you an idea of the respective shows. I'm taking care of the more popular ones first.

Hellsing- Oh boy. Where to start? This anime is bloody. Really bloody. When it centers around a vampire it's bound to be. Before I lay out the plot I have to clarify that there are actually two Hellsings. One is the older anime, which I think has better music, a better character design for Alucard, and more fun dialogue. However, the plot gets pretty bad around the midway mark because the manga hadn't been finished and they went off and did their own thing. Even the villain is rather...questionable. So while I like the older anime I think I'm going to recommend the newer OVAs, ten episodes that follow the manga pretty much to a tee. Hellsing is a secret organization who's sole job is to eliminate supernatural threats to England, meaning vampires. The irony being, their top agent is one. Alucard is bound to the Hellsing household and serves his masters by hunting down other vampires for the organization. He's charismatic, terrifying, flippant, violent, and just plain evil really. The series starts off with an ordinary police girl being thrown into all this vampire mess when her town is ravaged by ghouls. She has to adapt quickly to working for Hellsing, who will soon come up against never-before-seen artificially created vampires. Lots of fighting, lots of melodramatic threatening, and lots of vampire goodness. And then the vatican gets involved. And then Nazis. Intrigued yet? It's every bad cliche ever and it's fantastic.

 Death Note- Ok, I'm fairly certain anyone that knows even a little bit about anime has heard of Death Note. Heck, people who don't know anything about anime have heard of Death Note. It's just one of those animes that jumps to your mind because of it's extreme popularity. But in my opinion, that popularity is completely deserved. For those who know nothing about the plot it revolves around Light Yagami, who discovers a grim reaper's notebook. (a' Death Note') There are a few rules written down, but everything boils down to the fact that if you write someone's name down in the book they're going to die soon after. Light decides the best way to utilize the Death Note would be to rid the world of criminals, and thus begins his career as the soon infamous 'Kira'. The police of course, want to do everything they can to find Kira, and enlist the help of L, a genius who brings a whole new meaning to the word eccentric. From there the plot only thickens and thickens as Light and L dance around each other, L trying to learn Kira's identity and Light 'helping' them as he tries to remain anonymous and continue his work.

Kuroshitsuji/ Black Butler- Again really popular, but really great. This was probably the third anime I ever watched and it's still a favorite. I mean even disregarding plot and the fantastic cast of characters this show is hilarious. And then when we do consider the characters I don't know how you can't love characters like Undertaker (adorably creepy) or Grell (Everyone's inner fangirl. A kickass Grim reaper with a chainsaw. He's insane and has a penchant for heels.) Plot: After Ciel's parents were killed he makes a deal with a demon. Upon learning who is responsible for his parents' murder and killing said person, he'll allow the demon to devour his soul. In the meantime, Ciel acts as the Queen's 'guard dog', dealing with threats to England, and the demon (Christened Sebastian by Ciel) acts as his butler. Season 1 is utter perfection, though I'd recommend avoiding season 2. It all goes to hell from there. The ending to season 1 was great and then they went and undermined it.

Trinity Blood- Hey look, more vampires! This time with a sci-fi twist. I'm always a sucker for sci-fi vampire stuff. To me, this is one of those 'watch for fun' animes. It's not particularly special, but it's a whole lot of fun to watch unfold. Not to mention, I might have come for the vampires, but I stayed for Abel. This anime is set 9,000 years in the future. A huge war occurred between the vampires and humans, leading to the devestation of much of the planet. Currently, a cold war of sorts is happening between the Vatican, human government and New Human Empire (Vampires). Father Abel might seem like a bumbling priest, but he's actually a Crusnik, a vampire which feeds on other vampires, and the Vatican's most powerful weapon. Prepare yourself for political turmoil everywhere.  It's fun and worth watching, and I love that the bacteria that created the Methuselah (vampires) came from Mars. It makes me giggle.

There are no good pictures for this anime...

Pet Shop of Horrors- Okay, while there's a large chance some of you have seen all of the aforementioned animes because they're fairly well-known, hopefully, this is one you haven't. Pet Shop of Horrors has got to be one of my favorite animes. It's a short 4 episode OVA so it doesn't take much time to watch either.  It's an older anime, and the budget wasn't very large, so a lot of the animation is stills, but to be honest I hardly noticed. The mysterious Count D (No, he's not a vampire. Not everything is vampires with me you know) runs a pet shop in Chinatown. He sells 'rare' pets to his clients, though his motives are hardly pure. In reality he despises most humans and is much more fond of animals. The animals he sells often look human to the buyer, in their delusions, and the pets come with strict contracts. Break the contract and the consequences could be, and are, terrible. The atmosphere of the whole show just pulls you in. It's not horrifying in the sense of gore, it's more a study of the human condition and psychological horror than anything else. The episodes are separate stories, tied loosely together by Detective Leon, who attempts to figure out exactly what's going on with the pet shop and ends up forming an unlikely friendship with the Count.

Ghost Hunt- This anime follows the life of Mai Taniyama, who's curiosity leads her to stumble upon Kazuya Shibuya as he's investigating an allegedly haunted building. She nicknames him Naru for his narcissistic personality and becomes involved with the Shibuya Psychic Research Center. They pick up a cast of characters along the way and the rest of the series is spent in small arcs, dealing with various psychic phenomena. It's light horror for the most part, not particularly scary, though quite a few managed to creep me out. What can I say, I have this thing about dolls. Most of the arcs are pretty creative, and The Bloodstained Labyrinth seriously managed to freak me out so that's a plus. It's the one genuinely scary arc in there.

Of course, a lot of people will tell you to read the Manga instead of watching the shows, much like reading the book instead of the movie which I always tend to agree with, but I don't have much manga and therefore aren't an expert. You'll have to ask someone else about that. I've got another batch of Goth-friendly anime (About 6 I think?) but since I didn't want to drown you in one gigantic post I could do a part 2 to this. Anyone interested? If I'm just rambling to myself I could just throw them in a list at the bottom of my next post. Or I could do a proper part 2.

Before I go, I'm wondering if any of you know a good place to get a nice black capelet. I don't want to spend an awful amount of money on one, but finding a capelet that doesn't look cheap, or costume-y, or unflattering, instead of elegant, is proving to be difficult. Help me out? 

Beat The Heat

Summer's here again. If you'll excuse  me, I'm going to go hide in the closet for a few months until the sun lets up a little. While everyone else is getting ready to go to the beach. (With all that saltwater...and sand...and tanning...) I'm looking to buy a parasol and trying to figure out how to best ration my food so I don't have to leave the house unless necessary. With the dreaded Daystar looming overhead I'm starting to think some very familiar thoughts. Thoughts like...

• How badly has my makeup melted?
• How long can I wear my fishnet shirt before I get the dreaded waffle burn?
• I stepped outside, is my hair wilting yet?
• Oh God, is that a tan I spot?
• Can I get away with sunglasses at school, or will the administrators think I'm high?
• Will they take away a parasol?
• If I go running now, will my mom be able to find and identify which puddle was me later on?
• If it's so humid all the time, why can't we breathe underwater yet?

And of course, I can play some familiar games like Spot the Tourist. But I digress. The point is, with summer here again, how can we black-clad darklings survive the season? Here are a few things that could ensure your survival through the coming months.

• The first one is ridiculously simple. Stay out of the sun. That seems rather obvious, but it deserves saying. If there's shade, walk in it. If you want to go somewhere, maybe schedule for a cloudy day. And if you do venture out of the shade, make sure you're wearing sunscreen! Sunburn is a nuisance, and a painful one at that.
• Hats! Hats are fantastic. They can make a great addition to an outfit while keeping the sun off of your face. And as wonderful as mini hats are, they're not going to do much. We're talking wide brimmed Lydia Deetz inspired things here. I seem to have gotten rid of most of my hats over the years, so it's time to buy a few new ones.

• Parasols! It's time to whip out those beautiful, frilly, lace covered parasols. I don't own one, but that seriously needs to change. Of course, you're bound to garner a few more stares toting around a parasol, but since when has that bothered us? 

•  So maybe wearing black tights under your skirt or shorts shows your devotion and willingness to suffer heat stroke for your scene, but let's not go overboard ok? Dying is probably not on your list of things to do this summer. Swap those solid tights for a pair of fishnets or lace. Just make sure you put some sunscreen on unless you'd like some interesting tan lines.

• Unfortunately, It's probably time to put away the boots. Some days you can probably get away with them, but more often than not it's wiser to invest in a nice pair of sandals. I've worn down the heels of most of mine so I'm in a tough spot. (I've been needing to get them fixed for ages...) I find that strappy ones are the best sandals for adding interest to an outfit, while keeping your feet from melting off.

These Steve Maddens are my absolute favorite~

• Wear white! No seriously, during the summer it's a great idea to rock the ice/ghost goth vibe. Don't you dare tell me that you can't make white look oh-so-spooky if you really want to. No one's going to take you goth card just because you decided it would be nice to not melt on a particularly hot day.

Here's what I wore to watch my mom at her latest Triathlon. She puts me to shame exercise-wise. I only run because I have to in order to stay in shape. The swim was in the ocean, so yes, this is how I dress to go to the beach. Considering last time I wore a leather jacket, I didn't feel quite as out of place XD

Hotel shot ^^

Anyone else out there have some tips for surviving summer?

30 Day Clothing Challenge~Day 22: Something You Only Wear in the Summer

Oh summer. That dreaded word. As far as I'm concerned Florida has it's "summer" nearly all year round, and then around May or June the weather deteriorates into blistering heat that really should be a new season in itself. Personally, I think renaming this time period Hell seems like a good idea, but that's just me. I have nothing against nice warm weather, or even the sun in small amounts, but when you step outside for 20 minutes and find out later you already have a bad sunburn it begins to grate on your nerves. Florida's sun hates me and I hate it. Ours is a mutual hatred. But don't mind me. I'm cranky because I can't wear boots or jackets without melting into a puddle. I'll just hide inside for the majority of summer break and everything will be fine ^^

Be that as it may, I can't turn into a complete hermit, so I'm going to have to go out on occasion. If my friends don't hear from me every once in a while they might become a little worried... And maybe if I'm fast enough I can dart through the sun to the shady/air conditioned spaces. Regardless of sun-avoiding strategy, we all need clothes that are comfortable and still representative of our style during the summer. It can be difficult, but I normally stick to interesting tanktops, band tees, or best of all, my fishnet shirt during the summer.

The only risk of fishnet shirts is the dreaded waffle burn. I've sustained that once in my life and I'm telling you it will happen never again. Looking back, it's sort of hilarious, but back then it was a pain to hide the pattern on my shoulders from the world until they disappeared.

As far as other summer clothes go, I like skirts and dresses because they're airy. Anyone who decides to wear black jeans in this heat, and plans on being outside is insane. You all have my undying respect, but seriously, put something cooler on? Sticking to your style is great, but dying of heat stroke might put a damper on things. I personally don't like many shorts, (I have one pair I really like-the ones in the picture, and another pair that are tolerable) but cargo pants are a nice compromise. Of course, it's hard to find a pair that isn't unflattering or *shudders* khaki, but I've got a pretty reliable pair that go well with aforementioned tees and tanks.

This is why I wear these shorts ^^

Today, we actually had yet another bout of rain, which made it slightly chilly in the morning and allowed me to wear one of my jackets for probably the last time until November. I savored every moment, though I was having a lazy day and so mostly slouched around in my Sherlock shirt. The sleeves on it are just so puffy and comfortable...

And now, if you'll excuse me, all this talk of summer has inspired me to go off and write a post about vanquishing the upcoming summer months. We will emerge victorious! ;)

Spice up Casual Goth

 I recently did a post about the necessity of sometimes toning down your look for the sake of your sanity and sleep, but what about those of us who have the opposite problem? Or even just those days when you want to be casual, but still interesting? We can't dress like a Shiny Black Sheep every day, (Lovely metaphor courtesy of Lucretia's Reflection. It's my favorite phrase as of right now.) but there are some minor things you can do when you want to dress down, but still add a little interest to your casual wear.

• Accessorize! Accessories can make or break an outfit as we all know. If you're going out in a T-shirt and jeans you can add a little interest with a few well placed bracelets/necklaces. I love wearing simple chokers with my t-shirts and my ankh is normally a staple.

• Shoes! There's no rule that says thou-must-wear-boring-shoes-when dressing-down. When I have t-shirt days I tend to throw on a pair of my more interesting sandals to balance it out. Or how about creepers? They've got that unusual flair that separates them from the converse clad crowd around you. I'm sad to say I don't own a pair because I think they'd be perfect for a go-to casual outfit. Even slipping on a pair of combat boots let's me feel a little more in my element, and it provides the additional element of letting me stomp around when I'm in a foul mood.

• T-shirts that say things about your interests are much more fun than a plain black shirt. If you're going to wear a t-shirt, make it say something about you. You can show off the things you like, and maybe even find someone who shares your interests. Band shirts are obviously a popular choice, and my Bauhaus shirt has actually helped start conversations with two old school Goths. (One of them was working in a bakery and made sure I got the largest lemon square. It was fantastic) Of course, who says the shirts have to be Goth or band related? The most worn T-shirts in my closet are my Riddler and Dark Souls shirts. Comics and video games for the win ;) 

 

Not particularly Goth, but my love of Batman is easily worked in ;)

I'm eying this too.
The sad thing is I hardly have money to spare for T-shirts XD

• Hats and scarves automatically bring an outfit to the next level. It looks like you spent a lot more time choosing your clothes when in reality it took you 30 seconds to wrap a piece of fabric around your neck or pop on a hat. I've got this semi-boring black shirt and skirt combo that looks completely different once I don my leopard or skull scarf. And hats are fantastic creations. If you're having a bad hair day on top of your casual day you can just stick a fedora or bowler on your head and you're good to go.

• How about changing your makeup or hair? If you've got the same everyday makeup routine try changing it up a bit. I normally match my eyeshadow to any colors that appear in my shirt. Since I normally only go out in eyeliner, the eyeshadow helps me feel a like I put a little effort into my outfit even if I've just thrown on the typical shirt and jeans combo. Hair, on the other hand, can be easily changed as well. You could quickly tease it a bit before you go out. A spritz of hair-spray and you're half-channeling the trad Goths with minimal effort. We're not talking a whole bottle of Aquanet here. (Unless you'd like to. Then by all means go ahead! I highly approve.) If you've got the time, straighten or curl your hair. If you just want to put it up, try something different like braiding it back.

Just changing your eyeliner can make a look completely different.

Well that's that. In other news, we recently had one of our lovely summer storms down here, which resulted in me going without power for about 24 hours, an extremely flooded yard, and a large 70 foot tree barricading my driveway. I've had to climb over it a few times to get to the bus. So yeah, fun times. I never realize how crucial electricity is to my existence until I lose it. I actually got so bored/fed up with not being able to even do homework online, or most of my chores, that I ended up polishing my boots. I really ought to do it more often considering scuff marks magically appear on them no matter how hard I try to avoid it. I think I hit my feet on the stairs at school...I'm really a klutz.

 Finally, anyone watching Hannibal on NBC? That show is making me ridiculously happy at the moment. It's got so much more interest than most typical crime shows, the cinematography is really beautiful, and the characters are flawlessly done. Mads Mikkelsen is my absolute favorite Hannibal to date and you can just feel the instability seeping off of Will in the way he stands and talks. And of course I get a kick out of watching Hannibal play his mind games with everyone as they scramble left and right to do his bidding. I mean, he's only trying to help. No manipulation here. Just your friendly neighborhood cannibalistic psychiatrist.

I see what you did there~

I'm sort of worried that it's going to be cancelled, and that would be a tragic waste of potential. Of course it's got a few faults, (which I'm not going to get into because I'd rather this didn't turn into a rant) but the show has got so many redeeming qualities that more than make up for the shortcomings.  The reviews are great, but the views for whatever the coveted audience demographic is have dropped, and NBC is pretty fickle. So everyone should go watch it ;)