Quite Magical

After two years of fun and banter, we have decided to retire our beloved podcast. So here, in our final episode, we reminisce about our favorite parts and topics -- while digressing a bit of course. But aside from that, since we have nothing to lose, we also delve deep into a particular topic we've been avoiding since the very beginning, due to its ability to tear fandoms apart... We love you! Thanks for sticking with us. Music: AkioBoy

We continue our pre-2005 comedy series with another iconic movie from our youth; the top-notch high school flick parody, 'Not Another Teen Movie'. So join us for some dumb humor, babyface Chris Evans, and on-point references, as we dive into the ridiculous nostalgia that is this film. Music: AkioBoy

We continue our dive into comedy nostalgia, and this time we're going deep. From the distant land of windbreakers, cassette tapes, and chokers, we bring you the iconic high school romcom, 'Clueless'. And we dare you not to fall in love with Paul Rudd. Music: AkioBoy

We're diving into yet another ridiculous, formative comedy from our youth, and enjoying some iconic scenes as well as just how dated all the celebrity cameos are -- it's time for 'Zoolander'. Music: AkioBoy

Today we're watching a formative movie from our youth, the one that brought you gems such as "that escalated quickly", "I love lamp", "glass case of emotion", and many more. We're watching 'Anchorman - The Legend of Ron Burgundy'. And we quote our way through most of it but it's a lot of fun and you should definitely join us. Music: AkioBoy

We're back, and we're watching more things, and we're traveling back to the different world of 2008 by watching 'Twilight', and you should definitely watch along. Join us as we comment and judge but also offer a surprising amount of praise for this YA-pioneering classic. Music: AkioBoy

We had so many feelings about season 1 that we decided to just jump ahead and watch the series finale, too -- which gave us more feelings. Malec wedding, Sizzy finally happening, Jonathan angst and the slightest hint of Dark Magnus... Join us for this double episode where we watch and enjoy a double episode and make emotional noises about it. Truly the end of an era. Music: AkioBoy

We're here, at the end of season 1, and what a ride it's been. Nostalgia, laughter, and a looming sense of just how much the world and our own lives have changed in the past four years. We hope you've enjoyed our rewatch (next time: the series finale). Music: AkioBoy

It's time for the Wedding™, and we are ready. Join us as we breathlessly express our emotions and talk along with all the vital dialogue, because this is what we've been waiting for lbr. Music: AkioBoy

It's time for the trial, and all the malec and Lightwood siblings goodness that comes with it. There's also suspicious reappearance of Jace's 'dad' and the beginning of the incest angst, but we're mostly here for the trial lbr. Join us! Music: AkioBoy

It's time for the very special AU episode, where the colors are bright and the demons are gone and where Alec is the most confident gay. What a gem this episode is tbh. Music: AkioBoy

It's time for 1x09, and things are getting tense. Parabatai fighting, malec fighting, the Downworld getting together because the protagonist says so -- a lot goes down. Join us! Music: AkioBoy

Tbh all we remember from this is Alec being a thirst trap and Magnus falling for it. But also, Lydia's introduction, Simon's vampire-turn, and-- a lot of stuff happens, actually. It's great, join us! Music: AkioBoy

It's time for that episode we both forgot about where Luke is under investigation and there are some (adorable) clace moments as well as Alec's non-existent flirting skills. 1x07 'Major Arcana' -- join us! Music: AkioBoy

It's drinks scene time! And sure, yes, there's a bunch of flashbacking and lots of important plot stuff, but we're all about the malec drinks scene. Not even gonna lie. We're also joined today by Matteo the cat, who serenades us (and you) with purring throughout the episode. Music: AkioBoy

It's time for the werewolves to make a proper appearance (which is apparently done through a giant doggy door), as we dive into episode 5, 'Moo Shu To Go'. So join us in our annoyance toward Clary and our appreciation for Alec's top-notch salt, among other things. Music: AkioBoy

It's time for the thing we've all been waiting for -- episode 1x04, aka the Malec meet cute. Sure, there's stuff about Clary's memories and cringey special effects and dangerous demon things ("The demon deceived me!"), but let's be real. Also, heads up: You'll be hearing a lot of emotional noises and commentary from us, along with the episode audio. Music: AkioBoy

We continue our rewatch of Shadowhunters season 1 with episode 3, 'Dead Man's Party'. Join us as we enjoy a cheesy flying motorcycle ride, some parabatai feels, and cringe at the awful decor of Hotel DuMort (golden tufted couches, enough said). We also realize that the show apparently took all the sexual content they had for the season and put it in this one episode. Which we have mixed feelings about. Music: AkioBoy

We continue our season 1 rewatch with episode 2, where Simon has the best one-liners, witchlights are super impractical, and Alec's saltiness starts to really come through. We've got the episode audio going along with our commentary, so whether you actually watch along or not, join us! Music: AkioBoy

We're back! And in honor of the 4-year anniversary of our beloved show (we're about a week late, but still), we're doing a rewatch of season 1, from start to finish, one episode at a time. First up is the pilot -- lame, wonderful, and exciting. We've actually got the episode audio included while commenting this time, so keep that in mind if you're watching along (which you totally should). Or listen without watching, and you can still follow along -- whatever you prefer. Aside from our live commentary, we also talk a bit about the fandom itself, and especially what people who found the show later on may have missed out on in the fandom back when the show first started airing... Music: AkioBoy

We're back! And we're doing something special. Alas, this episode can't be listened to on its own (well, it can, but it'll probably be boring as hell), because it's more of a... commentary. As in, us watching a movie and commenting along with it, in real-time -- in this case, the cheesy Netflix gem, "The Knight Before Christmas". Because what is jolly month without some cringe and ridiculous suspension of disbelief? So feel free to watch the movie along with us (it's encouraged), and give us your take on our theories of Vanessa Hudgens' character obviously being part of a crime family. Music: AkioBoy

Today, as part of our mental health series, we're talking about failure. Failure and perfectionism, how it screws with people's lives and self-esteem, and how to find the silver lining. So come listen to our biggest failures! Plus some wisdom from the likes of Yoda and Rafiki (and also us). Music: AkioBoy

It's Halloween! And things get... weird, in this very special episode. Instead of our usual fic-reading, we're doing a fic-madlibs kind of thing -- and auto-generated fic is truly a unique experience. So come listen to the adventures of Magnus Jr., breaking into rip-off Hot Topic, woolly mammoths, car-metaphors, and more. Happy Halloween! Music: AkioBoy

It's the spooky season! Which means horror movie season. Or at least, an excuse for us to talk about horror movies for a double-episode-length amount of time. Favorite genres, least favorite genres, first times and scary vs non-scary... Spoiler: We're both into the supernatural stuff, and we also have a lot of recs for you. So grab some pumpkin-spiced thing of your choice and join us! Music: AkioBoy

Today we're going where we've never gone before on this podcast: a/b/o fic. Or, a version of it. A gateway a/b/o fic, by la_muerta. It's a good time, join us. Music: AkioBoy

Today we continue our mental health series with some of our own experiences and diagnoses, discussing what they entail and how they affect our lives -- bipolar disorder, anxiety, medication, and in particular, depression. Come for the relevant topics and stay for our long-ish customary digressions Music: AkioBoy

We're back with our spin-the-wheel shenanigans! And this time, we have the lovely Lu (lecrit) joining us -- three writer brains to come up with ridiculous fic scenarios, this time. Office espionage, old western single dads, drag racing, and time travel/shapeshifter romance. It's wild. Music: AkioBoy

In this episode, we finally get around to talking about something important we've been meaning to get to; mental health. Given the broad range of the topic, though, we've decided to make it a series -- to start it off, this episode is all about self-care. Join us! (And feel free to listen to some ambiance of your choice in the background.) Music: AkioBoy

In this very special episode -- where our one-year podcast anniversary miraculously coincides with our 50th episode -- we're doing something a little different. It's still fic-related, but instead of reading, we're writing. Sort of. Spin the wheel, tropes galore, and four improvised, highly specific smutty scenarios with way too much plot, all for your listening pleasure. Happy birthday to us! Music: AkioBoy

Today's episode is all about fandom! We've already talked extensively about fic (see our series, "Let's Talk About Fic, Baby"), and this time we're discussing the culture of fandom. Echo chambers, cancellation culture, creator interaction, and more. Join us. Music: AkioBoy

We finish off the clizzy exploration series by AtraEris, with this pole dance-themed oneshot. Music: AkioBoy

We're back! And we're making up for our long absence by bringing you an obnoxiously long episode about movies. Just movies. Favorite movies, favorite genres, pretty much everything in between. Come hang with us, it's great. Music: AkioBoy

After almost a decade of theories and viewing parties and murder, Game of Thrones has come to an end. In this episode, we discuss the good and the bad, the best and worst characters, but mostly how we felt about the divisive series finale. Music: AkioBoy

Alec and Magnus deal with some tension at Pandemonium, in this oneshot by ohfreckle. Music: AkioBoy  

In this double-episode, we discuss the series finale of our beloved show -- the ups and downs, what we liked and didn't like, our favorite parts and why. The bittersweetness of it all, with a few minor digressions and a lot of laughs. 2,5 hours isn't even enough to cover all of it, but we try. Music: AkioBoy

Alec and Magnus have a heated argument with a heated conclusion, in this oneshot by apartment. Music: AkioBoy

Marvel! We diverge from our regular topics to talk about the Marvel Cinematic Universe, in honor of 'Avengers: Endgame' finally hitting theaters this week. In this extra-long episode (spoiler-free, since we haven't seen the movie yet), we discuss our favorite MCU movies, favorite characters, what makes the MCU work so well, and why risks pay off. We also talk about how we first got into Marvel in general, as kids, and how the release of 'Endgame' makes us both quite emotional. Music: AkioBoy

A certain type of pollen-trope -- that we haven't yet visited on this podcast -- is the focus of this oneshot by RedOrchid, where Alec and Magnus make the best of a bad situation. Music: AkioBoy

After a short break, we're back with a new episode! This time, we get into something that's been weighing on us for quite some time, and that is the show's tagline; "All the legends are true". Clearly they are all not true (unicorns? dragons??), and we get unnecessarily deep about all the ways the statement is a dang lie. Music: AkioBoy

In this episode, we continue our deep dive into everything Malec, this time with a focus on Malec-specific tropes in fic. What are they? Why do we have them? Also some thirst tangents about chests and backs, which are always necessary. Music: AkioBoy

We revisit the Clizzy exploration series by AtraEris, in this shibari-themed oneshot. Music: AkioBoy

They make us laugh, cry, swoon and feel -- Magnus and Alec, what more can we say. Join us as we talk about their development, the show's portrayal, and everything in between. Music: AkioBoy

Magnus and Alec enjoy a night in, in this oneshot by ohfreckle. Music: AkioBoy

In this episode, in honor of the season 3b premiere of Shadowhunters, we talk about how the show has affected us, personally. How a guilty pleasure became something bigger, how writing passion was found and inspired, how friends were made and confidence boosted -- all of them, experiences shared by many in the fandom. And also, we discuss the tentative excitement for the show's return. Music: AkioBoy

This episode is all about the unsung heroes of the fic community -- the betas. We praise, we discuss, we get into what exactly makes a good beta, and the kind of responsibility they have along with the writer. A beautiful, necessary symbiosis. Music: AkioBoy

Alec and Magnus show off their competitive sides in this oneshot by bumblebeesknees. Music: AkioBoy

Ships! Shipping! That thing where you love the love between fictional characters, or just want them to bang. That thing that somehow tears fandoms apart for no other reason than disagreement on which character should smooch whom. What is shipping, and why do we love it so? This -- with some examples and thoughts concerning our own personal shipping habits -- and more, in this fifth installment of our fic-talk series. Music: AkioBoy

Isabelle and Clary enjoy a relaxing massage in this oneshot by AtraEris. Music: AkioBoy

We get a little more serious than usual in this episode, as we focus on smut in fic and its place there, but also veer into the topic of fic-policing in fandom and our thoughts on that. TW: mention of rape/non-con Music: AkioBoy

In this oneshot by RedOrchid, Alec learns that a hole in a bathroom stall partition sometimes has a very specific purpose for being there. Music: AkioBoy

Tropes, tropes, tropes -- we love them, we hate them, we need them. In this slightly longer episode (in honor of our return from our holiday break), we discuss different kinds of tropes, both angst and fluff, why we want to see the same concepts done in a hundred different ways, and why there are far more coffee shop AUs out there than space ones. Music: AkioBoy