#// I know they've done it in fillers before

[wendyfulmother]

Wendy's N.aruto Verse!

There will be MASSIVE SPOILERS for both the OG N.aruto and Shippuden. The verse was made along with my friend @believeandjump <3

Wendy is Kakashi and Guy's god-daughter (Like how Jiraiya was named Naruto's godfather). Mary and George both decided to name them her goddad's where Mikoto Uchiha (Sasuke and Itachi's mother) was named her god mother.

She grew up with Sasuke and Itachi. Sasuke was like a little brother to her whereas Itachi was like her big brother. She was very close with them, until Itachi left one day. Sasuke and Wendy's bond was still strong but they rarely saw each other, with Sasuke more so isolating himself and becoming colder.

She was NEVER told that Itachi was the one who killed the Uchiha clan, leaving Sasuke the only survivor. She was told that he had died alongside her Auntie Mikoto and the others because she was far too young to understand. (Having JUST turned 7 a month prior)

Wendy originally did not become a ninja. She went to the academy with Naruto, Sakura, Sasuke and the others and graduated, but she decided to not become a ninja. That was...until she awakened her clan's power of flight and after a rescue mission to get her youngest brother, Michael, back, she decided that maybe being a ninja isn't a bad idea.

During the aforementioned mission, she began to rekindle her friendship and bond with Sasuke.

The next day after Michael's rescue, her 13th birthday, she became a ninja and starts tutelage under Kakashi in Team , being an honorary member.

Since Wendy did not become a ninja until then, she does not participate in the Chunin Exam with Sasuke, Naruto and Sakura. She DOES however hear what had happened with Neji and Hinata during the preliminary (Hinata and Sakura are two of her best friends) and she does end up slapping Neji in the face for nearly killing his cousin, much to EVERYONE'S surprise.

Wendy also had been keeping a horrifying secret that she had been being abused by her step-aunt who lived outside of the village to protect her younger brothers from receiving her step aunts harsh treatment. Sasuke and Sakura both are suspicious of it once she just ignores them one day and Kakashi is revealed to have been told the situation by Iruka Umino, who had heard it from John (Who is now in the academy).

Here it is also revealed to Sasuke and Sakura that Kakashi is Wendy's godfather. Kakashi, Sasuke an Sakura go on an unofficial mission to save her once John reveals that Mara took her away. They manage to get her out of there with minor injuries.

The night Sasuke left the village, like Sakura, Wendy saw him. But she did not even try to convince him to stay, for she knew her worlds would fall on deaf ears. All she said to him was "...I'll miss you..."

During the mission to retrieve Sasuke, her dear friend Peter Banning was sent along with the Sand Siblings (Temari, Kankuro and Gaara) helped try to fend off the Sound Ninja 4 only to die in the process, which Wendy grieves heavily over.

After finding out that Choji, Neji, Kiba and Naruto were also in the hospital for injuries during the fights to retrieve Sasuke, she leaves all of them flowers and visits them as frequently as possible.

Wendy begs Kakashi to train her to get stronger and he obliges. He trains her during the time skip.

NARUTO SHIPPUDEN VERSE

Wendy becomes a chunin before Naruto comes back to the village (yes I know the other chunin exams were filler but SHHHHH it's canonically told during Shippuden's opening that everyone [excluding Temari, Kankuro and Neji] are chunin)

Wendy goes with Team Kakashi to save Gaara from the clutches of the Akatsuki

During this mission, Wendy finds out Itachi was alive this whole time and it hurts her. Not only the fact that she had been lied to for so long, but ITACHI was the one who was behind massacre, leaving Sasuke an orphan.

While Sakura and Granny Chiyo fight Sasori, Wendy joins Naruto and Kakashi in fighting Deidara.

She is NOT present for the Techi Bridge Arc

Wendy goes on the mission with Asuma's squad and witneses his death after being knocked into the collection's office wall by Kakuzu trying to fight him.

She is sent to the hospital soon after the fight with Hidan and Kakuzu and is soon diagnosed with PTSD by Lady Tsunade.

Wendy joins Team 7 and Team 8 for the search for Itachi. She finds out Itachi dies from Zetsu with eevryone else

Wendy, while separated from the group, encounters Sasuke for the first time since he left the village. He tells Wendy that he’s defeated Itachi, but tells her that he intends to kill “Madara” for his involvement in the clan’s massacre, hiding his true plans from her.

Wendy dies during the Pain assault but is brought back when Nagato uses Rinne Rebirth to bring everyone back.

Wendy joins Kakashi, Naruto and Yamato to the land of Iron to talk to the Raikage about sparing Sasuke from being killed.

During this mission, she also finds out the truth about Itachi from "Madara Uchiha" and she is absolutely b r o k e n by the news.

Wendy is sent to join Naruto, Aoba, Yamato and Guy on Genbu to keep the ruse of an S rank mission for Naruto while War is being prepared. Once Naruto finds out about the war, she reluctantly joins him and B to the battle field.

They run into Nagato and Itachi (reanimated) and after the fight, Wendy and Itachi finally reunite and reconcile. Wendy begs him to tell her mother the truth and Itachi agrees, because Wendy's mother, Mary, is Itachi's (and Sasuke's) godmother.

Wendy joins Kakashi's faction for the war.

She is trapped in the Infinite Tsukyomi with everyone excluding Naruto, Sasuke, Sakura, Kakashi and Obito.

Once everyone is freed, she is reunited with Team 7

She sees Sasuke off along with Sakura and Kakashi.

BLANK PERIOD VERSE

Wendy helps round up the prisoners at Hozuki Castle (Kakashi Hiden)

Wendy joins the Hanabi Rescue Mission (Naruto the Movie: The Last)

She is at Naruto and Hinata's wedding.

[lightofraye]

Debunking Nonsense Against Jared

There's apparently some crap about Jared that is just absolute nonsense. Full of lies and bullshit.

It'd be one thing if people just didn't like him. It happens. Not everyone is likeable. You're not expected to like him. But don't pull up lies to explain why you don't like him. Especially when they've been debunked again and again and again.

1. The "racist" tattoo. Y'all, this is nonsense. It's been debunked over and over and over. It's not a racist tattoo. For one, it's lacking the logo of "Come and take it", which would make it a racist tattoo. But a lone star above a cannon does not a racist tattoo make.

Jared is a proud Texan. He also donates to many a charity and organization that help people, speaking out about them often. Not to mention, prior to pro-gun rights appropriating the symbol and logo, it stood for a proud history in Texas. Jared would've known.

So how about instead of focusing on a mere tattoo, come up with more proof that Jared is a racist? Hmm?

Besides, if you're mad at Jared's tattoo, are you then mad at Jensen's t-shirt, which did show the saying as well?

2. Fighting with fans online. Oh come on. Misha's done it. (Misha's done worse, in fact.) Danneel's done it. Jared doing it does not a bad person make. And I don't think he's done it in a long time.

And of course, people will go "Danneel was hitting back!" And? What's the difference? Jared was hitting back too. Danneel went a step farther most of the time, siccing her followers on them, threatening them with Clif, even ran crying to Clif because people were being "mean".

3. RE: Prequelgate. Give me a fucking break! Jared was right to be upset! He called and texted Jensen for hours before he gave up and responded to that tweet about The Winchesters announcement. Jensen also lied about not being allowed cellphones on The Boys set. When they weren't filming, they were allowed. (Of course they can't have their cellphones on their person during filming, unless it suited the scene!) Besides all that, Jared honestly didn't know about it! Kripke was even shocked when he learned Jared didn't know! Supernatural and its legacy is as much Jared's as it was Jensen's! The whole freakin' industry gave Jensen a massive side-eye for his unprofessional behavior. Kevin Smith, a man who has directed, written, and acted in the industry, thought it was uncool. Also, Jared wasn't drunk.

4. Supposed bully accusations. I'd need to see more of this to believe it, but outside of occasionally putting Misha in his bullshit place, I've never heard of Jared bullying anyone. Everyone he's worked with has sung his praises. The only one who hasn't is Misha and that's because Jared won't let Misha put him down. And in fact, has had to step in to stop Misha from torturing Jensen. So fuck off with your noise.

5. His fanbase. Is he now responsible for his fanbase? I never knew that. What about Misha's fanbase sending Jensen death threats for denouncing Destiel? Has Misha ever stopped that? What about AAs hoping for Jared to suicide after Walker was cancelled?

6. What about Genevieve? Oh come on! Do I like that Gen is featuring the kids a lot? Myself, no. But if Jared was truly bothered by it, I'm sure he would've spoken to Genevieve. And Gen isn't any different than many other mommy influencers. I'm not keen on exploiting the kids like that, but would you say the same about Danneel abruptly grabbing the kids at Wales Comic Con and dragging them out for a photo op? All because she had no one in line for her autographs and desperate for attention?

7. Jared's Hair. Apparently there are some claiming Jared had gotten hair plugs. My response to that is: So what? Misha's had plastic surgery (trust me, it's obvious--his eyes and clearly lip fillers). Danneel's had worse--her hair is fried, bad extensions, plastic surgery galore that has ruined her hair line because of facelifts, fillers, Botox, and breast implants (twice!). Jensen's likely had a bit of work too.

So. Fucking. What. About Jared's hair?

--

Come up with truthful reasons to hate Jared, hmm? Not bullshit.

[demonslayedher]

Did my rewatch with a friend, some observations either from me or both of us:

--Gotouge was deep in the "bean" period at this point in the manga, drawing especially Tanjiro's face in lumpy simple shapes on a regular basis. We suspect that in this season so far, Tanjiro's face has spent most of its screen time in silly mode as opposed to normal mode.

--Before we watched, I had her guess what she thought the vibe might be for the ending theme. "I don't know, foreshadowing all their deaths or something?" GIRL, HOW DARE YOU GUESS THAT RIGHT. Also, I'm so glad the full version of "Tokoshie" is already out because it's going to be super difficult but I can't wait to give it a shot at karaoke.

--We chatted afterward about Ufotable's choices. I feel like they've upped their show-offy game in this season (thicker lines, extended scenes, varied BGM and careful sound design, slow and deliberate filler, and lighting, lighting, lighting, lighting!), which might be somewhat to compensate for the slower story pace. It's simply reality that a lot of the hype for KnY has slowed (the Mugen Ressha era levels were unsustainable, of course, that was a phenomenon), and I know many people have gotten tired of it. But frankly, those people are not Ufotable's audience now; we the captives who love spending time with these characters are the target audience, and when things pick up again, those who took a break will come back and binge these seasons. I'm sad to see some hype die away, but I have no worries about the hype train totally dying down.

--And the love and care thrown into this production shows that they have every intention of giving the final arcs the care they'll require <3

--but also AOI!!! I loved the subtle restraint of that filler. It wasn't overdone, and it's so rare to see Tanjiro and Aoi have a moment together, and to see both how Aoi has relaxed in his presence and how she remains formal. That irony and layered way of Tanjiro having no idea how he's helped her, and Aoi talking about herself in wanting to be left alone, but still finding a way to show that she cares about this person Tanjiro is talking about even though she has no idea who it is? Wonderfuuuullllll

--How softly Shinobu speaks to Kanao!!!!! The way Shinobu sits in shadow but Kanao is within reach of the sunlight!!!! (They put Kanao's hair on the same side as usual instead of matching the way the manga did this scene!)

--The glimpse in Tamayo's memories of Yoriichi encountering Muzan, the sound of his earrings tied with the sound of Tanjiro's earrings!!

--The same sort of layering in the ending theme!!

--YUSHIRO SCREAMING DESCENT

--Giyuu's face being cut out of view when he says he's not the Water Pillar

--EVERY BIT OF GIYUU AND TANJIRO INTERACTION, I'm sure Hanae Natsuki had so much fun being thoroughly obnoxious

--EVERY BIT OF GIYUU AND SABITO INTERACTION

--There is no mistaking Murata and I love that

--LITTLE GIYUU'S EEEEEEYYYYYYYYEEEEESSSS

--The height difference between Tanjiro and Giyuu in the Taisho Secrets

--Tanjiro was the one being overbearing and clingy in the episode and now in the Taisho Secrets we've got Giyuu thoroughly in "Kamado Tanjiro is my friend" mode, like "...Come eat more soba with me. Oh. Then. Come eat shake daikon with me. Are you coming? You're coming! Are you done yet? I'm staring at you from the side of the screen. I'm waiting. Come on. Hang out with me."

--I was gonna say the Taisho Secrets were obvious this time, but my friend (who has read the manga and just watched this episode with me) said, "oh, I didn't know that side was from his sister!" So... alright, good call, then, Ufotable.

--Ok but as Tanjiro is first showering Giyuu with kindness (and indeed, sitting so much in Giyuu's personal space), I was thinking about Giyuu's smile in the Taisho Secrets (shake daikon, yay~), and my friend said, "You know what this is making me think of? That panel at the end of the manga when..." --when he's smiling, I thought-- "...he thinks Tanjiro is dead." NO STOP WHY DID YOU DO THAT ME

--Love that little addition of Tanjiro cheerfully pointing out how quiet it's been, and "no! No demons here!" TANJIRO, YOU SHOULD BE VERY, VERY WORRIED ABOUT WHAT THIS MEANS

--"Now want about Tomioka-san" "What's Kocho doing?" UFOTABLE STOP THE DOOMED GIYUSHINO HURTS

--WHAT A CLIP TO END ON AND PLUNGE US INTO THAT ENDING THEME

--rude

[innershoesuitcasebiscuit]

When I watched One Piece with the 1000+ episode I thought I wouldn't be able to finish it. The odd thing is that when I watch other anime or k-dramas, tv series from HBO, even though they have lesser episodes I would get bored and just skip it till the ending. But in One Piece even the Opening Song I dare not skip it. This is why the One Piece is GOAT. I didn't even skip any filler arcs 😂😂😂.

However this post is not actually me gushing about how far I have come in One Piece.

Now we head straight for the main topic:

Upon seeing the scene where Sabo met some of the crew in Kyros house. I've got this enlightenment regarding a certain scene in Thriller Bark arc.

Remember this? Robin eavesdrops on the conversation Sanji has with Lola's crew. Curiosity is Robin's nature after all, she's curious as to why Luffy has recovered miraculously while Zoro is in worse condition. Her curiosity I think stems from the worries she has for Zoro, I think on her mind she has this question 'what happened?' , 'why did he become like this?' . I mean at this point Robin cares about her crew mates unlike before when she first joined.

But this scene might connects with the scene in Dressrosa arc.

After seeing this scene you can see that Zoro is alerted by Sabo's presence and ready to take him down but caught off-guard when Sabo threw the booze to him.

He was just caught off-guard, he didn't lower it. The booze is also not a peace offering from Sabo to Zoro. Remember Sabo can take Zoro head to head. Sabo is not weak especially now that he has Ace's DF.

I think that Sabo gifted Zoro the booze as a way to thank him for the sacrifice Zoro has done at the Thriller Bark arc and the loyalty shown by him.

Also after they've done talking Sabo gave Zoro, Luffy's vivre card.

Now the question is why not give it to Franky? Or Robin? Which was closer to him. Why trust a person you've just met when there's someone you have known for two years.

The reason is within those two years time skip. Robin might have been the medium why Sabo held a debt and trust towards Zoro (with him paying that debt with a booze and giving Zoro the vivre card). She might have also told Sabo about the events at Thriller Bark especially what she has heard when eavesdrops on that conversation that Sanji has with Lola's crew.

Well I think this is enough. I would also like to gush out with my shipping but I'm holding it in for now. I'm going to enjoy watching and reading One Piece first before rewatching it again to drown in my ships.

I'm holding my Zorobin heart for now 💜💚.

But just for a freebie: I don't think Zoro would lower is guard even if you gave him a booze. Zoro's first priority is Luffy and at that time Luffy was still in a bad condition. He lowered his guard though when Robin shouted Sabo's name.

Notice the way he stands straight when he asks Robin "You know him?"

[tobiasdrake]

Well, Daima's off to a really slow start. First episode kinda sucks, but it'll hopefully pick up now that the plot's begun.

I know Toei's gonna Toei but spending ten straight minutes watching two new characters watch the Majin Buu saga of Dragon Ball Z feels like a bit much. I sure hope Majin Buu winds up being an important character in Daima because boy howdy did we recap the shit out of who he is and how he came to arrive at this point.

Toei, you're not adapting a manga; You don't need to throw in filler to pad the runtime.

Elephant in the room, Shenron can't actually do this. The wish made at the end of the episode is beyond his power. Weird how obsessed post-Z material is with reverse-aging the characters; They've done this in GT, Super, and now Daima's entirely predicated on it.

They threw in some stuff about "The Saiyans are all using white magic and reverse de-aging them is a white magic wish instead of a black magic wish so it bypasses the established rules and will work!" It's nonsense, but it's kind of necessary nonsense to make the show's premise work so it skates by.

Trying to critique the wish too hard runs afoul of the "Look do you want a show about the cast turning into kids and exploring the Demon Realm or not?" problem.

And I do, so I won't harp on it too much.

But man, it's amazing how little happens in this episode. We get a little establishment on King Gomah and Makai. I'm guessing Degesu and Dr. Arinsu are Makaioshin, a concept that up to this point only existed in supplementals.

They're evil counterparts of the Kaioshin, which is pretty self-evident in the show proper. Especially since they're apparently East Kaioshin's siblings?

Also, I caught that bit about "Dabra's predecessor, King Abra". Well played.

I hope some of the other characters get involved with Daima's plot. "Turn everyone into children and scale back all the power levels" seems like a golden opportunity to give weaker characters their time. It'd kinda be a waste of a premise like that if it still winds up just being the Goku and Vegeta show anyway.

I dunno.

This episode left me feeling about the way I felt before I watched this episode. That is to say, "Oh boy, I can't wait until Dragon Ball Daima starts."

[gorbalsvampire]

is it bright where you are? (vtm city meta 2/?)

In Part 1, we talked about how to choose your city. In Part 2, we're going to start populating it with SPCs!

how many vampires?

If you've been around Vampire: the Masquerade for any significant length of time, you'll have heard the 1:100,000 ratio passed around.

Discard this. Ignore this. Screw this up, do a shit on it, nail it to a frisbee, and fling it over the rainbow. It's arbitrary, it's frequently contradicted, it persists in fandom largely because it's a hard number on which the brain battens and sticks, and it's got no relevance whatsoever to how many vampires YOUR city needs.

Likewise, anything from the sourcebooks that gives you any impression that you need seven Tremere before you can have a Regent, or a dozen Ventrue to fill out the bottom rung of the Board? Yeet that. Those aren't characters; they're filler. A needless strain on the night to night. They probably exist, shunted off into suburbia with cleaver families or otherwise keeping themselves to themselves, but please don't feel like you need to know their names or have statblocks for them. They do not matter. They are there for verisimilitude's sake; spackle for the brain wrinkles of tidy minds.

You'll have Player Characters. They'll need sires, and they may have a Mawla or an Adversary. In an ideal world that's where you should start: build around the things the players put on their sheets, i.e. the things they've signalled they want in the game.

We do not live in an ideal world. At the present moment in time, my brain has been sparked by an impromptu chat from one of my D&D group who's been watching LA/NY By Night and getting back into Vampire. This particular group are now considering a pivot when we're done with our current D&D adventure, and I am reconsidering the handful of ideas I had for a Manchester based story some years ago. We have a sense of what clans are cool: we're probably looking at Toreador, Tzimisce and Lasombra (which is weird) and probably Anarchs because I know what these gremlins are like, and I want to lean into Ventrue and the Anarch pillar clans (Brujah, Gangrel, Ministry) because we're gonna have to fill out the conventional sect members.

The truth is, you've probably got an idea or two about your city already. That's why, a lot of the time, I actually start with the domains.

domains and you

Most cities kind of divide themselves into domains naturally. If you know the city, you can do what I'm doing right now and go "hmm, Oxford Road would make a good seat for a Ventrue Prince with this feeding limitation and that power base... Deansgate feels more anarchy, more Brujah... if we're going to put Toreador anyway, put them in Salford, maybe a Toreador/Gangrel axis, that could be fun... Elysium in the Northern Quarter, there's places there that would be perfect... and obviously the more north you go the more Anarch things get as the money runs out..."

If you don't, here's a trick you can do. Point your web browser to snazzymaps.com. Select your preference of style (I like to use Dark and Red as filters, for obvious reasons, and "dango red" is my current favourite). Drag the view to your real-world city of choice and zoom out until you have the names of good-sized, famous districts visible. If you want a busier and more complicated city, zoom in a bit and get the smaller ones. You'll need an account to save, but nothing stops you taking screenshots...

Here are a couple of maps of Manchester: the wide zoom that includes some of the outer city, but not the real satellite towns like Sale or Altrincham, and the close in on the inner city which is where most of the action will probably be happening. I would of course crop these to hide the various UI greebles if I was using them in any sort of player facing resource, but that comes later.

That gives you your domains, which you can start populating with any SPCs you already have burning a hole in your brain. You can set markers at this stage, if you know where you want to put things, or you can do so in the later Relationship Mapping stage, or you can not bother and use a damn notebook (which, again, since I know Manchester fairly well - I lived there for two years and married a local - is probably how I'd go about things).

The old-school variation on this is acquiring an Eyewitness travel guide (the fat ones with the white covers) and using the chapters from that as domains. I like using Eyewitness because they're pretty exhaustive in terms of landmarks - gives you plenty of things you can navigate by and slip into descriptions, although it does give your game a slightly sightseer vibe.

For historical games, I like to dig up a historical map! There's not always one from exactly the right decade, but usually some from close enough that you can pinpoint landmarks around which a domain might centre and still achieve the right period vibe.

Anyway. However you've reached this point, this is where you start doing the Research, rounding out your initial enthusiasm for PCs and SPCs with historical conteeext! Vampire works really well as historical fiction in my experience - reality is deeper and gnarlier than anything you could make up and, quite often, you'll come across people and events and places that make you think "oh, this could be vampires."

I usually spend a couple of weeks on this. Just chipping away on different deep dives, different conflicts - politics, sport, universities, anything that exposes deep long term fault lines in the city's integrity, because that's where the monsters live and where their influence is felt. Once my head is creaking and my notes arranged along conflict lines... the Process can really begin.

[fillingthescrapbook]

Let's Talk About: Fantasy High Junior Year and The Name

"There's no cock on this one!"

This episode is bananas. In a great way. Like, this is the kind of quality story-telling that we don't get from television anymore. Not because the writing sucks; studios just don't produce long-running shows anymore…outside of procedurals. And you can't get this kind of lived-in universe, complicated relationships and drama that comes with it, and seed-planting-and-reaping that Fantasy High has done if you don't have the episode numbers and the seasons to back it up.

Yes, I know that Fantasy High is only on its third season. But we've had off-shoots and one-offs that count as filler episodes. Episodes that may not have moved the story but have definitely grown the characters, colored the world.

Anyway--

This episode is bananas. This season is bananas. And it's all thanks to the episodes that came before. The bits that spun into something bigger. The throwaways that became whole entities. And, most especially, the foreshadowing that was allowed to wait and mature at the right time.

Ayda's love letter during the meteor shower? Epically romantic. But the words that composed it wouldn't have the same impact had we not waited the years between Junior Year and Sophomore Year.

The "Mmm Whatcha' Say" outside Ruben's House; Kristen's touching scene with Bucky, and Cassandra's message; Fabian feeding someone fried rice that's been out in the sun for days; Gorgug going full hacker; Kristen 2 being British AND straight? These are just some of the bits that gave the more plot-bound scenes more gravitas. More impact.

Fig's vision at the Temple of the Fallen Sun; Adaine failing at her Elven Oracle job yet stringing together the legend and history of Ankarna; Riz being so good at being a spy--

And then Brennan cues in the footage of himself from 2019/2020. Of Murph asking how Ragh was able to see Kalina. Bringing back the question of "what the fuck is Barbarian Healing?"

The curtain reveal of how Brennan sold Emily on playing the same character--and it's not the Gilear curse after all. Although it plays into the whole thing.

The Bad Kids have gone a long way. The Intrepid Heroes? Even longer. They've grown. We've grown. And I thank the universe that there are still creatives who are doing proper long-form storytelling.

Thank you, Dimension 20. Thank you, Dropout.

And now we're gonna have to wait one whole week for the next episode. We're finally going to find out what Ally does that breaks Brennan.

I can't wait to see how this all plays out.

[itsclydebitches]

for all that it's very clear RWBY took influence from a lot of anime, the writers sure don't seem to have learned much of anything from it. i'm watching the redub of the classic sailor moon anime right now, and it's insane to me how much better this thirty-year-old anime packed with filler was at things like character arcs and believably redeeming villains and having a main character that is at once childish and yet a great leader who, when the chips are down, could talk some of the worst evils in the universe down from their plans.

if anyone could talk salem out of her plans for world annihilation by just being able to love her, it's usagi tsukino.

Right? Man, I'd pay for a high-budget, animated version of that crossover lol.

That's one of the big arguments of the Why RWBY is Disappointing vid though, using Cowboy Beebop as an example, if I remember correctly. There's no doubt that RWBY has been influenced by a number of classic series, but deliberately mimicking something that worked in another show doesn't guarantee success, particularly if you don't understand why it worked in the first place. I'm constantly emphasizing that stories are whole products made up of a thousand smaller pieces, like a puzzle or a patchwork quilt, and simply slapping one piece down because it looks good in another story isn't enough. You have to carefully build everything around that piece so that it fits into the unified whole. Continuity, world building, characterization, setup... RWBY is very good at throwing out those "cool" moments, but it does none of the work ahead of time (or, just as often, after the fact) to make those moments satisfying outside of the initial adrenaline rush of watching.

Plus, RWBY is over-crowded nowadays. Characters, mysteries, real world issues, and those "cool" ideas have populated like bunnies until, I think, it's easy for a lot of fans to just get swept up in the spectacle of it all. The simpler your story is, the less there is to hide behind, which is why I think a lot of manga like Sailor Moon still rings true 30+ years later. If you do right by your core concepts and prove to the reader (often subconsciously) that your storytelling skills are strong, it will resonate even after new generations have different expectations in their media, or these ideas have become "cliche" in wake of that initial popularity. If we go with a food comparison (always my favorite lol) Sailor Moon makes me think of something like good home cooking. Looking at it now it's simple, it's straightforward, it has some technical flaws, but the comparatively low number of ingredients have all been treated stunningly well and there is an insane amount of love poured into the dish. Meanwhile, later seasons of RWBY feel like a semi-successful restaurant serving a special so long it took the server a week to fully memorize it, rattling off an absurd number of ingredients and fancy techniques used until you're not even sure what the dish is supposed to be anymore. Some diners go, "Wow, what an amazing, clearly high-end dish! And they've included this super rare ingredient which means it must be good." Meanwhile, others are going, "... Honestly, that sounds like Too Much. I'd have preferred a simple, well-done pasta." And all the while the restaurant—which is pretty big and popular now, garnering a lot of critical attention—is trying to pass this complicated, fancy-for-the-sake-of-fancy dish off as the product of a humble, mom-and-pop establishment. No, you used to serve that kind of food: simple, technically flawed in a lot of ways, but with so much love poured into the dish that most diners didn't care. Now people suspect that your chefs are miserable and we definitely know they're overworked, so even if that insane dish would have tasted great to certain pallets, it was doomed before it even left the kitchen.

[turtlethon]

Hi there!! I’m such a big fan of your reviews, you did a great job with them!! 😄

My biggest questions would be;

Who’s your favorite turtle? And if you had to choose just five episodes from the series, which ones would be your all time favorites? 😁

Thank you!! Have a great day!!

Thank you so much for the kind words! For the record, I'm Team Donnie, always a big fan of the inventor/scientist archetype. (Also my favourite colour is purple, so he gets an extra point right there.)

I feel like when it comes to picking the top five episodes the natural inclination is just to pick the first five, and with good reason; nothing that came after S1 had as much time, care or money afforded to it. So just to make things interesting, I'm going to set everything from season one aside and pick five more episodes that I think also deserve to be celebrated.

5. THE DIMENSION X STORY

The Turtles having to fight their way into the Technodrome (and back out again) somehow never fully lost its allure. This one and "Shredder's Mom" both rank highly in my estimation, and while this is the less visually impressive of the two I think it wins out for how willing it is to mix things up, sending the Channel 6 regulars to Dimension X while two of the Turtles remain behind. Wild, far flung adventures that tap into the more sci-fi aspects of TMNT, and the cherry on top is that this is easily Vernon's best episode - it turns out he's more interesting as April's rival when he's doing well and she has to work to regain the upper hand.

4. THE NINJA SWORD OF NOWHERE

This one gets few points for innovation - Shredder and his crew jostling with the Turtles for control of some ancient magical artifact or high-tech invention is standard stuff for season three, and in this case, it's a dimension-hopping ninja sword. But rarely, if ever, has it been done this well. Splinter and Shredder battling in dimensional limbo is great, and the animation team handling this one really went above and beyond. Ninja Sword of Nowhere almost feels like it should have been held up as a textbook example of what a Turtles episode circa 1989/90 should be, a reference point that could be shown to writers or animators for what the show should be trying to acheive.

3. SPLINTER VANISHES

The intended 100th episode, even if it didn't turn out that way, and one that I remember feeling like a big deal while watching it as a kid that still held up upon revisiting it as an adult. I always know it's a really good ep when writing the entry for it takes hours as I agonise over it, trying to make sure I articulate everything I want to get across to the best of my ability, and I remember dwelling on this one for a looong time, thinking about how the story compels the Turtles - and us - to consider what happens when the adventures end, when it's time to grow up and move on. Probably the most emotionally resonant episode of TMNT '87, and even though Splinter does not come across well by the end of it, the journeys we go on with each of the Turtles as they explore their post-hero lives easily outweigh that. The fact that "Splinter Vanishes" accomplishes all of this and is a non-Shredder episode - when let's face it, they're more often than not filler shows - makes it all the more remarkable.

2. SHREDDER TRIUMPHANT!

I have mixed feelings about the show continuing into the Red Sky era because this episode, the season seven finale, felt like it had brought TMNT '87 to its natural end point. I love how it plays upon the sense that the Turtles (and the viewers) have that they've seen and done this all a million times before, and it quickly becomes apparent that this time things are different, that finally Shredder and Krang are competent and have learned from all their previous losses, setting the stage for one final showdown. All the main characters - the Turtles, Splinter, the Technodrome regulars and the Channel 6 crew - get their chance to shine and show how they've grown over the course of the show's run. A milestone episode for sure.

1. TURTLES ON TRIAL

I think for me this is still The One, the single episode outside of the first season that I'd consider peak TMNT. It's also the first episode I remember seeing on TV, which I think set me up to have entirely unrealistic expectations about how good Turtles would be; fortunately the rest of the run was still a good time even if we never quite got here again.

I like to see my heroes really have to go through the wringer, to have everything thrown at them and somehow just about make it out victorious, and so the environment we see the Turtles forced to contend with here, a city full of people who have been conditioned to be actively hostile towards them, while they're also dealing with the usual Shredder/Krang stuff, makes for compelling television. Yes, Clayton Kellerman and "On Trial" are a perfect encapsuation of the media landscape at the time - which still feels relevant today - but on top of that this is a gorgeous episode with some terrific battles between the Turtles and Shredder's bunch. It's simply the bee's knees. (Or should that be the turtle's knees?)

[ladyriot]

Snippets from the longfic I've been tinkering with for ages and have still not made work in a way I would be happy to write. Tentative title is The Revisionist. Case-fic, angst-fest, pining galore... set after the series ends. Jane wants one last case with Maura and comes to regret it.

~~

Maura's entrance is announced by the muffled sound of heels across carpet. Jane stands from her crouch to make room for her to get close to the body.

Maura betrays almost nothing, in a professional mood that forces humanity out as best as possible because otherwise this job gets too much. But there's something about the way she's holding her mouth that means this one's getting to her, which means this is one of those times that Jane needs to put herself in the autopsy room, a distracting force so Maura won't get too in her head. It means Jane should show up on Maura's porch later and act like it's her who needs comfort tonight. 

She's hit now with a bitter strike of loss. Who's gonna take care of Maura when she's not around, someone who won't hover and worry and hug like her mother always tried to in times it would make Maura skittish to be touched by any hands but Jane's? Who would make sure Maura was okay when she didn't want to admit she wanted company, didn't want to ask and risk sounding needy? 

Jane resolves to call every night, no matter what, be ready to switch to video at the slightest hitch in a voice, as Maura takes careful stock of the body. 

"I can't estimate time of death here," Maura says finally, voice measured and even. "I'll need to do the autopsy first."

Maura finally meets Jane's eyes. "Do you have an ID?"

"No," Jane says. "Nothing on her. Anything you can tell me before I canvass?"

"There should be more blood on the victim," Maura says, leaning further over the body. "Look at the spray, how none of it is on her face. The blood might've been wiped off. I'll look for traces of solvents that might've been used. If we're lucky, fibres."

"Thanks," Jane says, taking a step back. "Killer was really angry. How'd he find the calmness to clean up after himself? And why just her face? You think he knew her?"

"I can't possibly tell. I'm gonna let them get her back to the lab, okay?"

Jane nods dutifully, softening her eyes in a way Maura can read as reassurance. They've become fluent in each other. Maura gives an almost imperceptible nod of her head and walks out of the room as if unbothered.

~~

"Are you doing the autopsy tonight?"

"In the morning," Maura says. "Just an external exam for now, get everything processed."

Jane nods. "You look like something's off about it, though."

"Surgery," Maura says softly. "She has indicators of cosmetic surgery. Look at this scar under the chin. It's where chin shaving would be done. There are also indications of filler." 

"So you're upset because a stranger didn't like her face?"

"No, Jane," Maura says. "I'm upset because these scars are fresh. The swelling must have just recently gone down."

"Are you saying the killer did surgery on her?"

"You know I can't say that, Jane," Maura says. "I can tell you the technique is slightly antiquated. It wouldn't likely be done this way by a recent graduate of the last five or six years. And it's a little less precise than I'm used to seeing in medical books. It wouldn't be out of the question."

"Fuck, that's sick," Jane says. "That's deranged."

Maura doesn't even correct her language. "Dental records might help us see when her jaw was altered. And I've sent swabs of her face to check for solvent and any trace off for processing already."

~~

Maura leans against the window, remembers it's unsafe, (car safety wasn't even tested on women) and sits up straight again, rolling her skull back into the headrest. She's drained. Jane drives carefully, tapping her non-driving foot in a staccato rhythm that only makes Maura sleepier as her breaths elongate into four counts. But she doesn't want to go to bed. Her fatigue is at war with the potential loss of Jane. She swallows hard at the remembrance of Jane's words on video, wondering when she ever got the chance to record it. It'd been so sweet, and Jane had met her eyes in a way that told her it was for her. Mostly for her. It had made her stomach clench. 

Maura'd done her own video after washing the body for the autopsy the next day. Kent had returned as she was finishing and helped her put it in cold storage for them to pull out in the morning. She'd paced her office, unsure what to say and Kent had told her to say what's in her heart. But her heart just thundered a pulse of Jane's name, over and over. 

"You woke something up in me that I thought wasn't there at all. This ability to connect, to love and be loved both openly and entirely. And I love you. I am willing to speculate, just this once, that I couldn't stop if I tried." 

Maura, for the first time, was glad there was so much ambiguity in the word love. And yet still she felt transparent, felt like Kent could read it on her, see exactly how it is she loved Jane.

"How was that?" 

"Good" 

"I'm really sad." And she had felt deeply hollow. So hollow that she went and cancelled her plane ticket. She had wanted to avoid watching Jane leave by booking her trip to begin before Jane had to go. She could spare a few days witn her to not have to see her walk away from everything that held them together and that lingering… posiibility that Maura had little belief was something she felt alone.

But now they pull up to Maura's driveway. Jane shifts the car into park and Maura watches her arm flex. Her mouth goes dry with a want to ask her inside, to ask her to stay, protect her with those muscled arms. But she won't ask. 

"Thanks for driving me home," she says instead. "I was uncomfortable driving at that estimated blood alcohol content." 

"You're good, Maur," Jane says, stepping out of the car with Maura. 

They head up the stairs together and maybe Maura won't have to ask at all. Maura unlocks the door and steps in, Jane following after and locking and bolting the door. She goes off to put her kit belt in the gun safe. Watching that, how Jane still has it, makes her think. How long is Jane extending her work? It never really made sense for Jane to leave anyway. If she wanted safe, there were safe job positions in Boston. Her family was Boston, her whole life. But still, she wants to leave everything to start again, alone, somewhere new.

Part of Maura has to cover up the instinct to believe that Jane is trying to get away from her. Maybe they spent too much time together. Maybe she was limiting her from the life she actually wanted. Maybe she's noticed the way Maura just can't keep her eyes off her sometimes. 

"Are you planning to stay until this case is solved?" Maura asks lightly, trying to curb the hope from the question.

~~

Maura gets ready for bed in contemplatory silence. But then Jane knocks, dressed in pyjama pants and a tank top.

"Goodnight," Jane says.

"Come here," Maura says, her heart betraying her with its fierce beat.

She hugs Jane, lets herself be held, and the horrors of that day, slowly creeping in in the dark, finally start to blur at the edges. She breathes easier in Jane's arms. Feels so safe. 

"Can I… ?" Jane asks.

Stay. She knows that's what Jane's asking just by how soft and scared it sounds. One of the only things that scared Jane was asking for a vulnerable moment of intimacy. Maura nods against her, then exits her embrace, pulling her by the hand towards the bed and flicking up the sheets on her side as invitation while she slips into the bathroom to finish getting prepared.

Clean and moisturized and brushed, Maura slips into her own side of the bed. "Can I turn off the lights?"

"Yeah," Jane says.

Maura does. "Night, Jane."

"Goodnight."

Maura can feel Jane's fierce warmth already and it lulls her towards sleep. She knows she's going to wake up with those arms wrapped protectively around her. But they never do while she's awake.

[absolem0]

To help out the anon that wanted some help regarding getting into One Piece, if they want to try the anime but don't wanna go through the wikia or whatever other place to know what to watch or skip if they want pure canon or not, there's a website called One Pace where a group of people are diligently working into editing and condensing down the anime to skip filler and trim the unnecessary fat from it to make the pace much better. They're still not done with it (I think Skypeia is for exemple the one arc that needs the most work still) but they've been on it for a few years now. There's Japanese and English dubs as well as different multilingual subtitle options.

oooo, I've never heard about it before!

Thank you for the info! Hope the anon in question will find this helpful :D

[worstpart]

[ I KNEW WHO I WAS THIS MORNING, BUT I'VE CHANGED A FEW TIMES SINCE THEN ]

𝟶𝟶𝟷. 𝚂𝚃𝙰𝚃𝙸𝚂𝚃𝙸𝙲𝚂 …

⋯⋯⋯ GENERAL DETAILS.

FULL NAME: yejide rotimi. NICKNAME(S): none. AGE: twenty7. DATE OF BIRTH: august 18. PLACE OF BIRTH: seattle, washington. CURRENT LOCATION: bearhold, washington. GENDER: genderfluid. PRONOUNS: they/she/he/any, no preference. ORIENTATION: bisexual. SPECIES: nightwalker vampire, turned two months ago. OCCUPATION: paramedic at bearhold fire department.

⋯⋯⋯ PHYSICAL APPEARANCE, ETC.

HEIGHT: 5'6. TATTOOS: none. PIERCINGS: one in each ear. CLOTHING STYLE: 1) comfortable. 2) colorful & fun. DISTINGUISHING CHARACTERISTICS: biiiiiig smile.

⋯⋯⋯ HEALTH.

ALLERGIES: peanuts. SLEEPING HABITS: poor. non-existent sleep schedule, but sleeps a lot? day naps… so many naps… EATING HABITS: enjoys sweets a lot... but well. now i guess it's blood :(. SOCIABILITY: 10/10. highly sociable. the extrovert friend. DRINKING / SMOKING / DRUGS: no / no / no.

⋯⋯⋯ PERSONALITY.

LABELS / TROPES: beware the nice ones, bunny ears lawyer, doesn't like weapons, cause = consequence, the heart, the nicknamer, the reliable one, perpetual smiler, silly rabbit cynicism is for losers, you are not alone, bad liar, the cutie, beware the silly ones, did not think this through. INSPIRATIONS: jester lavorre (cr2), jessica day (new girl), phil dunphy (modern family), penelope garcia (cm). POSITIVE TRAITS: ambitious, enthusiastic, creative, expressive, mischievous, intelligent, resourceful, excitable, active listener, compassionate, perky. NEGATIVE TRAITS: clumsy, credulous, unrealistic, troublesome, unorganized, overimaginative, impatient, easily discouraged, naive. LIKES: birds, music, making new friends. DISLIKES: alcoholic drinks, tight schedules, summer. FEARS: disappointing people that depend on her, failure. HABITS: bouncing on toes, nervous laughter, bouncing leg, filler words. HOBBIES: watching tv / movies, reading, strategy games, d&d.

𝟶𝟶𝟸.   𝙱𝙸𝙾𝙶𝚁𝙰𝙿𝙷𝚈 / 𝙷𝙴𝙰𝙳𝙲𝙰𝙽𝙾𝙽𝚂   … 

[ content warning: mention of death ]

quick and dirty..... born in seattle to two very sweet very loving parents. hopped around a lot once she reached adulthood because she was struggling to find a place in the world where she'd fit in. while her parents were a little disappointed she didn't choose to go to college, they ultimately decided that their love for her outdid any expectations they had set for her. yejide did a lot of odd jobs all around the country and made a very large network of friends and acquaintances.

by the time she reached bearhold, she didn't really feel like leaving. maybe all the moving around finally caught up to her, or maybe bearhold was just the right amount of charming to keep her. besides, it wasn't too far from seattle. she could visit her parents whenever she felt like it. the fire department was fun, too. a good community, a flicker of the thrill she'd get on her solo adventures, a solid group of friends she may even call family.

two months ago, she returned home to seattle. it's the first time that it hit her that her parents were aging, and what has she done with her life? she hugged her mom and dad tight, commented on matching grey hair her dad was sporting and the smile lines on her mom's face. they've done things with their lives, helped people, made a difference, and it's all written right there for anyone to see.

and then. well. she made the mistake of meeting up with some high school friends since she's back home anyway. they decided on a night out, one that the never-reluctant yejide was a little bit reluctant about. no worries. something about one of her friends was a little strange. whatever. whatever, it's all good! no worries.

you know. until she wakes up the next morning so fucking thirsty that it's painful. until she can't bring herself to say bye to her parents before heading back up to bearhold out of fear of herself. until she ignores the group chat message that the friend with weird behavior that night had gone missing. until she finds their obituary a few weeks later. until she realizes she doesn't know what she is or what to do about it. it's all good. no worries.

𝟶𝟹. 𝚅𝙰𝙼𝙿𝙸𝚁𝙸𝚂𝙼   … 

standard stuff! was a little bit horrified that she seems to glitter like she's from twilight. made her a bit nauseous. doesn't like taking day shifts at work because of that. standard vampire abilities: super strength, super speed, quick healing. was also horrified regarding all of that. chest compressions from a vampire? scary. yeah you're supposed to be breaking ribs but not like that. due to her general friendliness & charisma from when she was a human, her vampire self seems to have some charm ability that she doesn't fully understand and doesn't want to.

[redpool]

Liveblog of the Teen Wolf: The Movie

Yeah that a great place to store the most powerful enemy you've ever had

That was the whitest Japanese I've ever heard

Who the fuck are you

Ok darth vader, chill out

This is the worst thing I have ever watched

Oh my god

No

Just no

Jesus

Dude, what the fuck?

Swearing??

I hate it here

Still don't like her

ELI!!!!

Jordan?? Why are you still here?

Mason's a cop now? Why.

DEREK IS A OFFICALLY A DILF

Dude, that was so unnecessary

Dude, that was so unnecessary pt 2

And you're holding hands why?

That was not a two person job

I hate you all

Exactly, why are you here?

Why are you explaining what the nemeton is? We already know????

Eli, that was unnecessary

Derek seems like the best dad

He's a shithead

And a smartass

And also a dumbass

Is it just me or is the a ting really bad?

Oh God, I know what's about to happen.

I'm not mentally prepared for what's about to happen

I dont want to see Ryan's ass

I have been subjected to so many naked bodies over the past week, I'm over it.

EW

I HATE IT HERE

WHERE DID THE RELATIONSHIP COME FROM???

THEYVE NEVER EVEN SAID TWO WORDS TO EACHOTHER

Awww, he's trying to be a good dad

Can you put your pants on please

Does this relationship actually bring anything to the plot?

*eyeroll*

Jesus christ

Why are they acting like they've never been there before??

Seriously, why.

Um ok riddler calm down

Oh, never mind

Have you just learnt to swear??

Umm??

Bonding moment?

Are we not going to talk about that???

Yeah, Eli and Derek are the only good thing about this movie.

What the fuck

Have I mentioned that I hate it here?

Umm

Wow, they really are using that r rating to the fullest, huh.

Why is she naked.

She didn't die naked, so why is she naked?

Umm

Oh

COACH!!!!!

Why am I doing this to myself

Best scene in that whole movie

The lip filler on this one

Why are her nails painted and done perfectly??

Are you kidding me?

You're going to tell me that Allison, who just came back from the dead, can beat a werecoyote, two police officers AND a true alpha?

Um ew

Dramatic ass

Ok bro, you are over acting rn

What the actual fuck

Why are you walking like that?

Mother?

Liar liar

Lol

Oh my god

Jesus

She went straight for the head

What

You're going to sit there and tell me that a human woman is stronger than a at full health werewolf?

Kitsune really said 🧍🏻‍♀️

Just heal? Why aren't you healing?

'Yeah, but I'm a good demon.' yeah bby you are

BOO BITCH

WHY HAVE YOU NOT HEALED?

I've witnessed the Derek Hale take worse hits then that and walk around like its nothing.

Ok, that was pretty cool.

Why are they taking out normal humans?

PETER

You've been spending too much time with cowboys

Jesus christ.

You two just need to kiss already

No, it's Kira. You need Kira. You don't need Lydia, you need Kira.

What in the CGI fuck was that

I seriously hate it here.

I really dont give a shit

Lady, you dont even know this child.

Her quiver was literally just empty.

Oh my god

*deep sigh*

Are Tyler Hoechlin and Ian Bohen the only actor that continued a ting after Teen Wolf ended?

You're such a shit-stirrer Peter

It should have been you, instead of Brett & Lori.

Oop, she ded

Oh, they got dusted.

Why did I just gasp?

Oh ok, just throw him down the stairs why don't you.

Oh my god

NOW SPARTA KICK HIM

Are you an idiot?

That was so unnecessary pt 3

Yeah like I cant fucking see the puddle of blood sitting right there.

I'm so uncomfortable

How has the acting gotten worse?

You guys are fully grown werewolves, it's a piece of fucking rope.

I didn't care about your relationship then and I still don't now.

It's the fucking teacher isn't it.

I miss Brett so much. Isaac too.

You're getting to Joker rn dude.

PROTECTIVE DAD DEREK

How has the eye cgi gotten worse?

Called it

That's so sad

Has everyone in this movie just forgotten how to act?

Yeah, I really dont care.

Yeah, that's not how it works bruh

See, should have recruited Peter ages ago.

YOU STUPID BITCH

HE BETTER BE OK, I SWEAR TO FUCKING GOD

Missed you Jords

How tf would you know?

Do the roar

Holy fuck

Fully body goosebumps rn

Oh shit

Oof

Umm what?

He's a unicorn

Bout fucking time

That was so fucking cool

Ew, no.

Jesus fucking christ

I see some Johnny Cage in you Sheriff.

Umm ew

You look like a really fucked up seal

Please shift back. Your wolf faces are really ugly.

Jordan, can you please do something.

'You can't catch me! I'm the ginger bread man.'

Gets worse everytime.

Headbutt

Jords, had him just fine. Derek didn't have to sacrifice himself.

Unnecessary death so it doesn't count.

What is with the writers and burning the Hales.

AND IN FRONT OF HIS CHILD AND PERVIOUSLY BURNT UNCLE????

Bullshit

That didn't happen. Derek is fine.

Get out of my fucking house.

Ew

That didn't happen either.

I fucking hate you.

You're full on making me cry rn.

Pretty sure Derek was the first teen wolf character I ever liked, this hits deep.

Oh honey

No.

You seriously think that Peter and Cora would let Allison and Scott raise that child?

Ew, stop.

Have fun in hell bitch.

Am I supposed to know who that is?

Eli, what the fuck are you doing?

[plumbley-bee]

Watched the first episode and these are the things I liked

.zuko being a blatent avatar fan boy and furiously drawing a picture of aang the moment they meet to put on his little find the avatar wall.

.sokka actually having a good reason as to why he doesn't like it when Katara waterbends because it's dangerous and their mother literally died to protect that secret rather than him just thinking its weird.

.the memory of his former teacher being the thing that calms aang down from his freak out after finding out his whole tribe is dead rather than katara and sokka.

Really really tried going in with an open mind, I wanted to like this show so bad you guys. But these are the only changes so far that I think we're done well. Maybe the next few episodes will be better, but Aang narrating everything he's feeling very quickly after we meet him and also to nobody but appa? Katara and aang not even introducing themselves before she comforts him? Sokka gets mad at aang for "lying" about being the avatar but like in this adaptation they talk like what, once? Before that gets revealed? How could he lie he was unconscious half the time you've been around him! In the original katara literally asks him if he knows anything about the avatar on their way back to the tribe and he actually lies to her, but the live action doesnt even have them interact until after he learns his people are dead. He isn't given time to lie to them! He barely knows them!! Everything being told to us and aang by grangran, fully pulling us out of any immersion you could even try to have because it came out of NOWHERE and fit so horribly like we barely meet grangran before this happens and suddenly she's breaking this really important impactful news? I literally bust out laughing bc it felt so unserious.

I felt us seeing the massacre of the Airbenders was unnecessary, I felt learning about it by watching Aang learn about it was much more heartbreaking and left a bigger emotional impact. But that would've been fine had they given the moment he discovers the remains of the air temple any emotional weight, but after it was all already explained to us with a monolog from a minor character, a lot of that has also unfortunately been taken away from that scene.

oh and aang getting his air glider from zukos ship was fine but that thing literally is supposed to mean so much to him?? Like that's one of the few things he has from his people left and it's not even his now ig???

(Also the sokka immediately going to sacrifice aang felt so out of pocket like you're gonna tell me that the 16 year old boy who has been looking after the kids in his tribe most of his life is going to throw a 12 year old to the wolves because he lied to you even though he really didn't because he was never given time to even lie to you in the first place!!)

I'm also sad aang didn't get to play with the kids, or go penguin sledding with katara, they were silly filler stuff but they were important in their own way too.

"Aang brought us something we hadn't had in a long time, fun."

This has always been the heart of the show for me. learning to live rather than just survive, still enjoying things, and finding hope during even the hardest wars. Aang as the avatar brings the potential for the world to finally know peace again, aang as the last Airbender bring the hope that Airbenders aren't all extinct, but aang as the boy in the iceberg? He brings joy and fun and laughter where he goes. He remembers what good came from the world before all the bad. he runs from his responsibilities and problems because he's a young boy and he's scared and that fear and that "cowardice" brings him so much shame that he just tries to fix other people's problems instead to make up for it and THATS THE AANG THAT IS SUCH A GOOD MAIN CHARACTER!

Idk, I'll try to keep watching, but they've already removed so much heart from just the first episode.

[nickjunesource]

its so disappointing what they've done to the nick/June love story ( I know it happens all the time in shows) this season they basically made it mean nothing to lift up June and Luke. and now knowing season 6 is going to be about June fighting for Luke AGAIN its just a bummer that they are proving June never really cared for nick inthat way.

We totally understand, it has been disappointing to see what they've done. The first two seasons and season four were absolutely beautiful, while seasons three and five were horrendous to say the least. Really sad to see a show drag a wonderful ship around like that. It does happen all the time, but Osblaine is particularly special and so it feels even worse to see their love and all its potential squandered.

While the post season 5 interviews were not great and did emphasise that point, we do want to really stress that those interviews were done long before they even began outlining and writing the sixth season, so they weren't talking about anything that would be set in stone. Look at the interviews from after the seasons from s2 onward- the following season is typically very different from the preceding end of season interviews. That gives us every reason to hope that Osblaine will have a strong comeback in this upcoming final season.

It is a major bummer that s5 really deemphasised June's love for Nick and had her focus on Luke and live a fairytale life. It was clearly a filler season with a completely unnecessary plot between June and Luke. When June said "give me 5 minutes and I'll go" at the end of 4x10, it should have meant to leave and go join a Mayday group, not have pancakes and mimosas with the squad before heading home. All that time in Luke's house made for a really bad season that few enjoyed. This show is strongest when June's love for Nick is most visible, like we saw in s1, s2, and s4. We do think though based on how things ended in 5x10 that the show has no choice but to have June and Luke be apart for an extended period of time as their stories are clearly set up to go in vastly different directions. And with that comes the everlasting hope that Nick and June will have a good number of scenes together. Their stories feel like they're bound to intersect with how things were set up at the end of s5. Both enmeshed in the resistance, both effectively ending their marriages, both in extremely dangerous positions that will eventually force them underground. It really feels like the perfect building blocks for them to have a strong season together, similar to what we got in s4.

[sister-claire-critical]

Recent MiMo page feels like a really clever way to show Marie isn't hallucinating it all- not that she needed to prove it but I guess it's an opportunity to show more of Rosie's time in the abbey right before we're presumably getting away from that for awhile. Also I didn't know nettle porridge was a thing- makes me wonder how much research they do for this comic. Any research notes they have would be a great opportunity to show/use next time they need filler for a hiatus.

oh that would be cool! can't remember if they've done AMAs or lore dumps outside of the comic before—if they have, it's certainly been a LONG time—but that would be neat to see!

—Mod Marie🌸