mooneryder

[mooneryder]

The reason why I love InHun—aside from the incredible chemistry—is the dynamic. The frontman, a cold-hearted guy who's lost every ounce of hope in humanity, joined the games as Youngil because he was so pissed that a random dude held on to his stupid heroic beliefs until the very end of the first game. His only purpose was to witness him break, to see him become as hopeless as he is, to see the world the same way he does—only for Gihun to prove himself stronger than that, showing Inho that not even the worst monstrosities of human nature can make him lose hope. Inho hasn't seen anyone else believe in goodness and fight for it as much as Gihun has, and I believe a part of him admires him for it.

[mooneryder]

these comments have tipped me over the edge

[mooneryder]

Something I can't stop thinking about though -

When in-ho is eavesdropping on gi-hun and jung-bae's conversation he hears jung-bae say "when we get out if here we should get soju like the old days" and then later when they're getting ready to rebel, in-ho makes a point of telling gi-hun "you can buy me soju when we get out of here" SO he heard these two best friends reminiscing about the time they used to spend together and took the next opportunity to insert HIMSELF into that scenario with gi-hun instead.

He was jealous af listening to that conversation and he is down bad for gi-hun and no one can tell me otherwise

[mooneryder]

[mooneryder]

The inherent eroticism of being stalked by a predator that disguises itself as fellow prey animal.

The inherent eroticism of that same predator wanting to both eat you and have you metamorphosize into a predator yourself.

[mooneryder]

the only thing that changed was their height was swapped. so erm. anyhoooo im waiting for fanart bout them- im lazy to draw.

[mooneryder]

Gi-Hun: I need to appeal to people to try and get them to stop playing the game

Thanos, high on a substance previously unknown to man:

[mooneryder]

on hwang in-ho/front man, seong gi-hun and their dynamic.

first, idk why people are getting so upset at other people calling gi-hun dumb, we were told that in the first season. lol being bright is not his strongest trait but he has a good heart and we love that about him. however, he is still an idealistic gullible idiot with a gambling problem. except this time his gambling addiction is backed by a sense of justice and righteousness and he no longer gambles with money, he’s gambling with people’s lives. front man asked a good question at the end of the season, “did you have fun playing the hero?” can we even call gi-hun the hero of the story anymore? he gambled with people’s lives and front man showed him the consequences of his moral heroics.

front man only agreed to help gi-hun with his revolution when he mentioned about "small sacrifices for the greater good". i think he reveled in the fact that the “good guy” was willing to allow a few innocent people to die for the greater good to stop the games, which is exactly what the entire VIP theory is to rid the world of 'trash' to improve the world. notice how gi-hun's moral code and belief also changed, from being "nobody should die" into "yeah small sacrifice is okay as long it's for the greater good" at this point, he just proved that front man's belief is actually valid. AND he gets more of his own people killed in the pointless battle with the soldiers that they had no chance of winning. now he gets to feel responsible for all those deaths and the death of his friend and for whatever additional torture they cook up in the next games (as punishment for the escape attempt).

now on hwang in-ho, i believe he was once a good man and the story he told gi-hun was the truth. but in the end he lost a kidney, lost a wife, a baby, lost his money, got fucked over by the wrong people and got into serious debt and had to play this game to help his wife and probably it was too late to save her. he might have played the games like gi-hun but saw how ruthless and greedy people are and resolved that they don't deserve help

i don’t think in-ho wants/will kill gi-hun, but he wants him to understand things from his perspective and show him that his compassion for the people in the games is foolish. you can tell the frontmen (the old man and in-ho) are extremely fond of gi hun. not only did he protect their original front man when nobody else did, he then won the games and thus their respect as he is now as rich as them. he's no longer "trash", he’s an elite like them. i think they both actually kept tabs on him after he won (i wonder if they do that for all winners? inserting them with gps chips?) because they knew he had not used his reward money and in-ho wanted gi-hun to get on the plane and be happy with his daughter

there’s one interesting aspect of the games that makes front man such a complex character. the fact that they’re operating a organ transplant trafficking network. in a way, he’s creating some good to come from a really fucked up situation. but is it really for the good of others who desperately need it, people like his wife, like his brother? or is it just a money making scheme?

either way, i don’t think there is going to be a redemption arc for in-ho, he’s too far gone. we may get to see more of his human side if he manages to see jun-ho again. the only time we’ve seen genuine emotions from him was when he shot his brother like he seemed distraught

the real cliffhanger for me, is will gi-hun stay true to his belief that people can be good, or will he be forever changed into a villain and become the next front man…? after the events of this season i don’t see how his will doesn’t shatter. he’s witnessed how humanity consistently chose money over survival, he’s lost two close friends, his mother, abandoned his daughter. he has gained nothing from wanting to stop the games and this clearly feels like an origin story for the next front man. it’s clear the front man has won this round and i think squid game will either die with 001 or continue with gi-hun as game master

another thing i find funny that i don’t see many mention is how gi-hun is like the luckiest guy in the fucking world. but i don’t think him being alive this long is plot armor, it makes sense. the games exist for the entertainment of rich sadists who have so much money they don't know what to do with it (remember what old 001 said in s1 about life being no fun for both people with no money and people with too much money). and i’d imagine killing hundreds of poor debt-ridden fools year after year gets boring. especially when said fools are desperate enough to gamble with their lives because they think they can beat the system by playing better than everyone else and surviving and getting the money.

gihun is different because he got the money, got out, and still came back. not because he's unfeeling or because he wants more money, but because he's still convinced he can beat the system.

if you're a rich bored gazillionaire, would you rather watch some randos die or would you rather watch this exceptional idiot fail again and again until he learns that his ideals are meaningless and people are inherently greedy and equality is a myth and people at the bottom of the barrel don't get to question the system?

if you're an asshole gazillionaire, you don't want someone to challenge you and just get away with it. you want to hand them 45.6 billion won and make them go away quietly, traumatized, after breaking them psychologically by making them do horrible things until they understand they're just powerless "horses". if they insist on challenging you and your system and your beliefs (money = boundless power), you teach them a lesson and show them their place in the most manipulative and cruel way possible. if gihun dies right away, that's boring. so he can't die, he needs to suffer. he needs to concede defeat.

also, i find it funny how people are comparing hwang inho and gihun dynamic to hannibal and will graham. makes sense, their whole cat and mouse game, front man hiding his true nature from gi-hun the same way hannibal does, trying to corrupt the righteous protagonist, sowing chaos, testing him and observing his behavior like a lab rat, the crazy tension and staring contests, the gaslighting and manipulation. and with the fact that they think lee byung-hun looks like mads mikkelsen. i never put the two of them together but now i can’t unsee it lol

[mooneryder]

“In another life?”

“Yes, in another life”

[mooneryder]

i feel insane even saying it but there was something so deeply hannigram about the frontman and gi-hun in squid game 2.

something something a cold blooded experienced killer who’s able to indulge his darker instincts from a position of power and privilege finds obsessive interest in someone he views as similar to him, only unwilling to submit to those base instincts because of his need to help other people. under the guise of being his close confidant, he slowly wears him down and takes him apart in a cat and mouse game he ends up far too involved in, manipulating his circumstances until the perfect second to reveal his own betrayal of the same creature he found so interesting.

i mean, the frontman looked almost satisfied when gi-hun suggested sacrificing people for the “greater good” after being so unwilling to cause harm, something that himself in episode 1 would have been horrified at. and that came so soon after the scene of in-ho himself, killing a man out of necessity so he and others could live just as gi was suggesting doing.

all they need is a homoerotic stabbing scene in s3 and they’re set.

[mooneryder]

squid game is not squid game without gay people in each season

— doomed lesbians in season 1

— toxic old men yaoi AND doomed lesbians in season 2

[mooneryder]

Inho: im gonna join the game and destroy him

Gihun : 👁👄👁 🔪

Inho: ... what if i married him instead?

[mooneryder]

Gi-hun: We have to let some of the weaker ones die, it will be for the greater good.

In-ho: So you agree that sacrificing people is necessary in the long run.

[mooneryder]

Video Games Fictional Characters

Honestly? We brought this list back out of our own need to know whether Astarion or Gale would come out on top.

Astarion | Baldur's Gate 3

Sonic the Hedgehog | Sonic the Hedgehog

Simon "Ghost" Riley | the Call of Duty franchise

Shadow the Hedgehog | Sonic the Hedgehog

Gale Dekarios | Baldur's Gate 3

Shadowheart | Baldur's Gate 3

John "Soap" MacTavish | the Call of Duty franchise

Karlach Cliffgate | Baldur's Gate 3

Lae'zel | Baldur's Gate 3

Lamb | Cult of the Lamb

Narinder | Cult of the Lamb

Wyll Ravengard | Baldur's Gate 3

Phoenix Wright | Ace Attorney

Sans | Undertale

Miles Edgeworth | Ace Attorney

Halsin | Baldur's Gate 3

William Afton | Five Nights at Freddy's

Link | The Legend of Zelda

Tav | Baldur's Gate 3

John Price | the Call of Duty franchise

Kim Kitsuragi | Disco Elysium

Harrier "Harry" Du Bois | Disco Elysium

Kyle "Gaz" Garrick | the Call of Duty franchise

Daycare Attendant | Five Nights at Freddy's

Mario | Super Mario Bros.

Aventurine | Honkai: Star Rail

Malleus Draconia | Twisted Wonderland

Belphegor | Obey Me! Shall We Date?

Kirby | Kirby

Leon S. Kennedy | Resident Evil

Papyrus | Undertale

Amy Rose | Sonic the Hedgehog

Sundrop | Five Nights at Freddy's

Medic | Team Fortress 2

Springtrap | Five Nights at Freddy's

Siffrin | In Stars and Time

Moondrop | Five Nights at Freddy's

Michael Afton | Five Nights at Freddy's

Dr. Ratio | Honkai: Star Rail

Scout | Team Fortress 2

Kris Dreemurr | Deltarune

Boothill | Honkai: Star Rail

DogDay | Poppy Playtime

Neuvillette | Genshin Impact

Akechi Goro | Persona 5

Frisk | Undertale

Enver Gortash | Baldur's Gate 3

Gabriel | ULTRAKILL

Arthur Morgan | Red Dead Redemption 2

Kurusu Akira | Persona 5

Sniper | Team Fortress 2

Spy | Team Fortress 2

CatNap | Poppy Playtime

Rouge the Bat | Sonic the Hedgehog

Minthara | Baldur's Gate 3

Princess Zelda | The Legend of Zelda

Furina | Genshin Impact

Azul Ashengrotto | Twisted Wonderland

Leona Kingscholar | Twisted Wonderland

Yuu | Twisted Wonderland

Knuckles the Echidna | Sonic the Hedgehog

Scaramouche | Genshin Impact

Ignis | Final Fantasy XV

Kaveh | Genshin Impact

Flowey | Undertale

Spamton | Deltarune

The Dark Urge | Baldur's Gate 3

Lilia Vanrouge | Twisted Wonderland

Heavy | Team Fortress 2

Alhaitham | Genshin Impact

Wriothesley | Genshin Impact

Jamil Viper | Twisted Wonderland

Idia Shroud | Twisted Wonderland

Jade Leech | Twisted Wonderland

Floyd Leech | Twisted Wonderland

Pearl Houzuki | Splatoon

Marina Ida | Splatoon

Luigi | Super Mario Bros.

Noelle Holiday | Deltarune

Maya Fey | Ace Attorney

Chara | Undertale

Soldier | Team Fortress 2

Vil Schoenheit | Twisted Wonderland

Lucifer | Obey Me! Shall We Date?

Leshy | Cult of the Lamb

Mammon | Obey Me! Shall We Date?

Melinoë | Hades II

Silver the Hedgehog | Sonic the Hedgehog

Tails the Fox | Sonic the Hedgehog

Cloud Strife | Final Fantasy VII

Sylus | Love and Deepspace

Goat | Cult of the Lamb

Sebek Zigvolt | Twisted Wonderland

Sephiroth | Final Fantasy VII

Ace Trappola | Twisted Wonderland

Zagreus | Hades

Klavier Gavin | Ace Attorney

Maria Robotnik | Sonic the Hedgehog

Metal Sonic | Sonic the Hedgehog

Riddle Rosehearts | Twisted Wonderland

Tada! This is a returning list!

Want to discuss the finer points of your Tav? Or swap Astarion fanfic with fellow readers? Here are some Baldur's Gate 3 Communities to get you started. Not a BG3 fan? Find a Community for your fave, or create one yourself. The sky's the limit.

[mooneryder]

The mysterious demon snarled in defiance before Satan.

Heat radiated off him and his glowing eyes blazed with fury.

As my demon lover took a stand against his lord,

I felt my love for him burn even hotter than the fiery depths of Hell.

Emberlynn Pinkle you depraved little genius

[mooneryder]

some flirty holiday stolitz done for a secret santa event! happy sinsmas!

[mooneryder]

Stolas crashing out compilation:

Never change Stolas, never change.