#❝ ✦ ◜legends never die◞ — visuals.

[dangermousie]

Top Dozen cdramas - 2024

This can obviously change but nothing truly exciting looks to air for the rest of the year so that's unlikely. My Top Dozen for the year are likely be set in stone.

It's a very idiosyncratic list which has two mini dramas, three moderns (!!! for me that's insane) and a lot of vibes dramas.

12 Hard to Find - all vibes all the times. A tragic romance that feels like a Gothic fairytale, this is what minidramas could be.

11 Love In the Desert - out of all the dramas on this list, this is the one that screams most "a good time." It's a romance and visual feast and webnovel madness and sexy good time and it made me cry.

10 Fortune Writer - a mini that is so smart and meta and fun about narratives and fate and villainy and fighting the story itself. So clever.

9 Derailment - a puzzle and a love story, telling most anything about it would be a spoiler but this story about a rich girl from 2025 who seemingly wakes up in a parallel universe in 2023 in body of a poor doppelganger, and the young man who was in love with the original has everything including addressing what it must feel to people to have a transmigrator possess a loved one.

8 Tender Light - the ending was just - it's the reason it's not n1. But the rest of this drama about an abused wife and an idealistic young man refusing to bow to societal pressure was just exquisite. It addresses morality and loneliness and complicity and sacrifice. Just incredible. Poetry in motion.

7 Will Love In Spring - a modern romance cdrama? In my list? Is the world ending? But seriously, this is such a gorgeous, realistic yet intense exploration of love and loss and trauma. It made me utterly reevaluate Li Xian to boot.

6 Snowfall - this is such a fever dream of a mood piece of a vampire romance, with seriously BDSM and gay vibes, as well as utterly incredible canon age gap ride or die OTP with Ouyang Nana bothering to act for the first time in her life and Vengo Gao embodying a gentleman vampire to perfection. Li Muge remains one of my favorite directors for a reason.

5 Heroes - the story of three very different men all consigned to the dustheap of history by changing times (the best swordsman in the era of guns, a former imperial guard of a regime about to be overthrown, a constable obedient to obsolete code who studied for imperial exams which got abolished) as the Qing dynasty is about to fall, this has fights, humor, three (!) separate love stories, philosophy and utter and complete heartbreak. The performances, the ideas, the filming and the writing all combine to make a bleak masterpiece with a 99% death rate (I am not kidding, only tertiaries make it out.) If I were in charge, it would get all the awards.

4 The Legend of Shen Li - the one truly mainstream idol costume hit on the list. It's an adult, passionate xianxia that reunites Zhao Liying and Lin Gengxin as deities and battle powerhouses in a love story that is so full of yearning and passion and intensity I feel like peeking through my fingers. This is everything xianxia romance tries to be and almost never is. This just might be my favorite xianxia of all time, tbh.

3 Eternal Brotherhood - a dark horse whose existence I didn't even know about before it aired. Visually stunning despite its tiny budget, this narrative about three sworn brothers in a kingdom and world in crisis, is pitch perfect in its humor, its intensity, its tragedy and its themes (also THREE!!!! amazing love stories despite not being a romance-centric show.) The battles, the friendships, the traumas, the darkness at the heart of it all!

2 Fangs of Fortune - the sole drama that can rival JoL2 for me (only caveat is it's still airing), this is visually the most jaw dropping drama I've ever seen, but it's also high fantasy the way it should be - making me feel so immersed that stopping feels like coming up from a deep dive or waking up from a hypervivid dream. It has impeccable performances (many from actors who I don't normally even like), and its plot and relationships and themes - fate and sacrifice and choice and found family bonds and trauma and so many other things - make it feel as if it was made just for me.

1 Joy of Life 2 - THE drama of 2024 for me. It's somehow better than the incredible first installment. It's funny, it's heartbreaking, it has insane performances, a narrative that hits all my personally favorite themes (a person trying to remain human in an inhuman world, righteousness not being weak), a large cast of fascinating characters who feel like they live in front of me (there are no throwaway roles in this), my favorite ship of the year (though it's not even a ship-centric show) and above all, Zhang Ruoyun's live wire of a performance as Fan Xian, arguably my favorite cdrama character of all time. It should not work yet it does. Brilliantly.

[evieelyzabethh]

Streamer Jayce definitely seems like a LOL player who’d heavily grinds the game, and would *know* the lore extensively, even better than the devs/writers themselves. And in a world where LOL is the exact same, even with game Viktor and Jayce remaining unchanged, streamer Jayce would also definitely make jokes about himself and modern Viktor related to those game characters

oooh I've sorta been imagining a slightly separate AU where the streamer AU is still modern, but reader and the gang blow up before League of Legends was released their characters and bases the visuals off of them. Jayce and the Machine Herald were both introduced in like 2011/2012, so the slightly less modern streamer AU would take place circa late 00s early 2010s which is silly because that's such a different landscape.

You start out on Youtube, playing the original Minecraft, Sims 1 and 2, Bioshock, the old Resident Evil games and Silent Hill, Jayce playing WoW and LoL, the old Zelda games, Halo, and Assassins Creed. Your aesthetic looks quite different, pink and black foam sound mufflers decorating the back of your space, pink glass beads covering the door behind you, a fluffy pink rug on your floor, PlayBoy throw pillows next to your cheetah print stuffed animals on your hot pink velveteen bed. Don't even get me started on your closet. Juicy tracksuits galore, so many roll over leggings and matching tube tops, sparkly halter tops, low rise jeans, gold and silver hoops, a collection of belly button rings, and so many Chanel heels. You also definitely had one of those bedazzled BlackBerry's.

Viktor is more present in this AU, you both having a separate series on the channel called Multiplayer Monday where you and him film videos playing together. I wouldn't say he fits into the emo-boy look. Think less Rodrick Heffley and more season 1 Spencer Reid with less greasy looking hair. Lots of sweaters, lots of button ups and academic prints like argyle or plaid, lots of beat-up converse, old messenger bags, and comfy oversized jackets. He's still just as sassy, but he really does get into the games. I see his day job being something like an early day's computer scientist who really gets into the craft that goes into coding a game.

You and Jayce only really blow up because shipping culture used to be even more insane than it is now and everyone couldn't wait to see you two together, never mind the very real boyfriend you had. You and Vik still get a lot of attention, but shipping wars definitely break out over who you're going to "end up with". There are so many, fanfics don't get me started. You know how 1D started the "I Got Kidnapped By..." trope, you three definitely started some freaky shit in fanfic spaces. In fact, you really originated Fuck or Die fics, specifically a smutty twist on the Hanahaki disease trope where you have to fuck to prove that you love one of them so they won't die and prove which side of the shipping war was right once and for all. Also, so many Youtube edits of you and Vik to Kesha's, Your Love is My Drug.

Despite not being the greatest at the games he played, Jayce's deep love for the lore eventually got him noticed by Riot, who invite him, you, and Viktor to one of their events and plan a partnership with you three, which is how Jayce and the Machine Herald get introduced into the game. You also get a character, but we all know how well adding female characters to male dominated gaming spaces goes. It would be a completely terrible mischaracterization of who you are and what your channel stands for, your tits would be huge and popping out of your outfit, your waist would be the size of your head, your weapon would be some sort of Cupid's arrow gimmick, and the character would eventually be retired and a piece of lost LoL history. You get a few references made to your character on Valentines Day, though!!

Viktor is more pissed about it than you are, and out of spite, he remodels your character and makes a little platform game for her as a present to you on Valentines Day. It's a really cute small release where you battle a bunch of magical creatures on your adventure to find the Ring of Happiness. While you usually take the wheel when it comes to more creative endeavors like character and world design and story board creation, it's still a very cute game. When you beat the game, you do also receive your own real-life Ring of Happiness.

Besides the little hiccups, Jayce and Viktor think it's very cool to be in a video game. Jayce is definitely the type to main his own character no matter what while Viktor likes a little more variety. The cosplays would also go insane!!! Does Jayce lose his fingerprints with the ungodly number of times he burned himself trying to hot glue his hammer together? Well, yes!!! Does Viktor nearly dye himself with the black body paint he uses? Yes!!! You cosplayed Viktor's version and are the only one who comes out unscathed. From that point on, you leave the cosplaying to the fans and stick to playing the games.

ps. sorry for the lack of my big headcanons. tumblr hates me and wont save my drafts so i literally have no way of writing and posting them :(

[thewebcomicsreview]

I'm hardly the first person to notice this, but good god webcomics are the least time-efficient possible way of telling a story, aren't they?

I've been trying to figure out a better method of telling a story so that I could finish it before I die of old age (or, perhaps more relevantly, before everyone loses interest). It seems like no one really wants to read prose on the internet, but also people don't really like a comic that takes a year to go anywhere.

The main bottleneck is dialogue. You can only get 2-3 lines in a standard comic panel, so even a short conversation of character texture can take several pages. It makes me wonder if the Single Panel With Text Beneath It style (like ForEach) isn't just the Objectively Correct™ way to tell a comic on the internet. It's very efficient on the art, you can include narration if that's your jam, and it's very easy to make it work on mobile. (Also the art being separate is a boon if you want to make marketing materials). But everyone will correctly call you a Homestuck rip off.

Though the other thing Homestuck did was make these sprites of the characters that could be used to crank out a bunch of panels for scenes where nothing visually interesting was happening. You don't really see that copied as much

Not openly, anyway. There's a stigma. I've thought about rebooting Legend of the Hare as a visual novel, where that kind of thing is arbitrarily more accepted, but it does start raising the question of why you're bothering with the visuals at all. I don't think the kind of person who makes webcomics is usually looking for an excuse to get out of drawing, even if it lets them increase their page output dramatically. Making sprites that don't look like absolute ass is also really hard. Homestuck sprites have a really specific janky charm to them that I've never really seen any other comic pull off.

And, yeah, you could always just use a simpler art style, like Order of the Stick does, but it's super hard to get anyone to read a webcomic with great art, let alone simple art designed to maintain a high page output. And, again, why are you making a comic if you don't want to draw, unless you just naturally happen to draw that way and be really fucking good at it like Rich Burlew is?

It seems like the only really good way to tell a story in a reasonable amount of time as a webcomic artist is to make enough money off it that you can work full time, and, um, that's not really feasible either.

I don't have an answer I like. I guess just kill yourself in the content mines working webcomics as a second job that doesn't pay you anything.

I don't have a conclusion, capitalism is a nightmare.

[sorvqlz]

Fan of Bloody Painter here, not sure if you like this request or not.

The phantom of the opera: Erik losing Christine and let her go to Raoul. Legends says he’s real back in past until 2025… Y/N who was a fan of art and illustrations like they like video game characters and anime designs. They met a mysterious man named Helen Otis. He starts to give them an eerily similar vibes. Could it be? Perhaps, Helen is a reincarnation of the phantom Erik himself? Why his black hair and his style seem have same charms as the phantom too? He could be modern Erik himself. Y/N laughs and don’t believe in the past, it’s just some dark romance, who knows, but then Helen always grew obsessed with them during collage years. Bloody Painter not just likes art but also like music as well.

This is basically yandere Bloody Painter x reader, I always see him as a modern version of phantom of opera since they are both wearing mask and black hair love for talents. Sorry for spamming my typing. 😭

Paint Me a Phantom

-dw about spamming I don't mind at all!! 😭♡

Yandere Bloody Painter (Helen Otis) x GN!Reader | Phantom of the Opera Inspired

They always said Erik died with the old Paris Opera House. A ghost who disappeared into the smoke of history, never to return.

But legends never die. They just change masks.

You had always been drawn to the romantic—not the pink-flushed, movie-type romance, but the kind that weeps in candlelight and aches through art. Your world was sketchbooks, digital illustrations, brush pens, and open tabs of music scores while you worked. You loved beauty where it hurt the most. That was what made your art sing.

So when Helen Otis entered your life during second-year art school, he felt like a painting come to life.

He was quiet, aloof. Black curls fell into his eyes as he sketched in class, and his clothes—sharp, old-fashioned, with little dark details—felt like someone who had never really left the 19th century. He always had gloves on. You thought maybe it was an art thing—maybe he didn’t like the feel of graphite on skin.

But there was something else. Something behind his eyes.

You noticed it in the way he watched you during critiques. He never looked directly at your pieces—he looked at you watching them, like he was studying how you breathed when you were proud, how your fingers twitched when you doubted yourself.

You joked once during a late studio night, with a soft chuckle, “You’re like a modern Phantom of the Opera, you know?”

Helen’s pencil stilled. He didn’t smile. Not really.

“Maybe I am,” he murmured, almost too quiet to catch.

You blinked. “Okay, Erik,” you teased, “What, are you gonna start hiding behind curtains and composing sonatas for me?”

His lips curved—just barely.

“Would you listen, if I did?”

You laughed it off. You didn’t believe in ghosts or reincarnation. That kind of stuff belonged in novels, in tragic operas and visual novels, not in the real world.

But after that, he started leaving things for you.

A sketch slipped under your door—your face rendered in charcoal, looking softer than you ever saw yourself. A page torn from his notebook with handwritten lyrics in French—lyrics from the opera. A rose, deep red and fresh, laid across your desk with no note, but a smear of crimson across the stem.

You told yourself it was admiration. Artists were dramatic. Maybe he just appreciated your work.

But then you began to notice the way your favorite spaces—your hidden corners of campus, your safe little studio nooks—started feeling less private. He would already be there when you arrived. Not every time, but enough. And when you asked how he knew, he said with an unnerving calm, “I listen to what you don’t say.”

You told your friends, laughing it off. “He’s intense. Gothic weirdo type. You know the ones.” But there was always a strange tightness in your chest when you spoke about him.

Then came the night of the exhibition.

You had several pieces on display, digital illustrations exploring dreams and duality. You stayed late after the crowd thinned, picking up your leftover sketches.

That’s when you found it—his piece. It wasn’t listed on the wall, not in the program. But it was there, on a spare easel in the back. A painting.

Of you.

But not as you were.

It was you in a flowing coat of midnight blue, your face half-covered by a white mask. One hand reaching out, the other clutching a crimson rose. Behind you stood a crumbling opera house, candles flickering, music notes bleeding into the darkness.

You stared. The brushwork was masterful. Intimate. Obsessive.

And behind the canvas, you felt him.

“I always knew,” he whispered behind you. “From the moment I saw you… I knew it was you again.”

You turned slowly, your throat dry. “Again?”

Helen stepped closer, eyes glinting beneath the dim gallery lights. “You don’t remember, do you?”

You took a step back.

“It’s alright,” he continued, voice low, velvety. “You don’t have to remember. I remember enough for the both of us. The way you sang. The way you looked at me before you left.”

“That wasn’t me,” you said quickly, shaking your head. “I’m not… whoever you think I am.”

Helen smiled. But it wasn’t a kind smile. It was possessive.

“You always said that,” he whispered. “Back then, too. You told me it was just fantasy. Just shadows and stage lights.”

You could feel your heartbeat in your throat. “Helen—”

“But this time,” he murmured, “I won’t let you leave. This time… no Raoul. No curtain call.”

He reached out, gloved fingers brushing yours.

“This time, you stay with me.”

Author's note: Their dynamic feels like walking a tightrope between passion and danger. Helen sees Y/N as something sacred, something he’s known before—an echo from a life he refuses to let go of. Meanwhile, Y/N just wants to live in the present, but can’t help feeling drawn in by his strange charm. It’s all soft glances, quiet tension, and the creeping realization that maybe… they’ve already gone too far to escape him.

[splinterofpandora]

Ah, superheroes origins and average people inside them! Have they always been here?

50/50. On the one hand, standalone stories about random cops, Jim's personal adventures, etc took up space in the old comics. Their appearance varied from decade to decade, but you can easily find them on the Batman pages in the 60s and inside Detective Comics of the early 80s.

However, these were more random stories from individual authors. Year One was a true revolution in DC's superhero narrative, establishing the place of Gotham, the Department, and a little thieves as a key component of Batman's plots. In other words

It's not just the foundation of everything in Dark Knight after the Great Crisis. No. It's the foundation of the entire Batverse itself.

And you can see how the authors developed ideas about not so powerful, inexperienced, protector of the weak in Legends of the Dark Knight. How Gotham became a modern comic book hero thanks to Scott Snyder. How Catwoman blended elements of luxury, street life and unusual roots into one person.

Moreover, Year One is the start of the important Year Trilogy for understanding Bruce's psychology. Also it's basically modern approach - visual style is important, deep cinematic narration, feelings behind hero, plot twists, idea of fight with something much bigger than Gotham itself.

Now that we've dealt with the importance of the comic on the outside, let's talk about the inside. It's a start of Jim's long run. Trouble with his wife and new love in the form of his partner. Problems with being a father and a cop in a dirty system. An unbearability of living in the city where psychos trying to kill their own family have become the norm. All of these things will shape the image of the commissioner in the past, present or even...

...a future...

How does he do it? Well, details make things happen. On the first panels we see the man. Very tired but generally believing in a bright future. The reality of Gotham forces him to act differently. More brutal and severe. But at the same time, he remains an honest man. Frank Miller asks the reader to believe in Jim as much as Jim himself believes in the rule of law. So even when he plays dirty...

It's still about the letter of the Law. Miller makes visual storytelling the backbone of the show. The colors, the shifting beauty and dirt of the city, the variety of streets and the people on them captivate the imagination.

In the finale of the first issue, we get Bruce drowning in devastating thoughts. Trying to help isn't working. His life has been wasted. Or it is not? Of course, criminals are a cowardly and superstitious lot. He got his answer! He's supposed to become a Bat!

Bruce, Jim, even Selina...it's just a symptom. They become the answer to Gotham's call to free itself from the old order, where there are only mad kings and the oppressed poor soul.

We either fight to the death of the enemy or we die ourselves. To defeat monsters, we become monsters ourselves.

And now you're thinking: Hey, crazy fellow, we've all read the Batman classics! Why are you saying all of this clear conclusions?

Because we will never learn what are adaptations without the original. A comic book is a product of its time. When Batman was just beginning his modern journey. When his Darkness was everywhere. When Robin died, when the Batfamily was only a distant Dick and a rare visitor, Barbara. When Tim didn't know how to handle his life.

Batman: Year One is the answer to the question of who Batman is after his reboot, the reboot of all of DC. As universe, as publisher, as one (of two) biggest gamers at picture stories wildspace in its renaissance.

The End of Part One. High Volume YO cycle.

[thehelltingvilleclub]

OKAY OC POSTING

If you don't gimmie your OC lore in the replies I'm gonna take your toes--

Introducing:: May Osewai - Secretary of Manga Theme Songs:: Living Dead Girl - Rob Zombie | She's Out Of Her Mind - blink-182 | FUNERAL GREY - Waterparks Favorite Shit:: Anime Adaptations, Visual novels, Horror / Guro, Battle Royale(s), Monster Movies, Slasher Flicks, Acrylic Stands, Hard Covers, Asian horror, Foreign Films, Evangelion : Neon Genesis, Ghost in the Shell, Corpse Party, Torrent Sites, X-Men, Spawn, Teen Titans, Accurate Translations, Uncensored Doujins, Silent Hill, Serial Experiments : Lain

Japanese Native, although only half japanese, who moved to the suburbs of NY with her father while she was still in middle school. Outwardly, you'd think she wouldn't belong in the Eltingville Club (Aside from.. Girl--) She's quiet, generally keeps to herself.. UNTIL You try to mention anything related to Manga, Mythology Monsters, or Movies, ESPECIALLY foreign movies. A toxic fan just like the rest of them, she belittles "improper" American remakes, English Dub IS for posers, and she will die on the hill that Evangelion is an under rated masterpiece and that nobody actually understands the ending. If she saw how people interpret Serial Experiments: Lain in this day and age of the internet she would actually have a stroke. She became friends with the boys through Pete, though she attended school with all of them throughout their teens. One of her many nicknames was "Sadako", (and yes she would absolutely yell at you if you tried to call her "Samara" instead) due to her generally dead-tired expression and her hair, which used to be significantly longer when she was a kid, to the point that it eventually became her AOL handle (sadako_chan) as a joke to herself. She lives with just her dad, her mom having passed away before they moved to Eltingville, and according to him, Mr. Osewai wanted to try and find her a "less hectic" environment than a tiny Tokyo Apartment. Suffering from the curse of gifted kid burnout and also an only child, she extra didn't have anybody to build social skills with when she was young, so her outlets were manga and cartoons which turned into movies as she got older. She also will randomly blurt out facts she knows about franchises/films she is watching when she is with others (and.. honestly she does it even when she's by herself like a goof), but will get PISSED if people are talking during a scene she likes or something she deems "important to the plot". She also loves to rewatch movies, but gets frustrated when people don't notice or understand things the first time they watch something. She owns dozens, if not nearly a hundred different figures from various franchises, Western or Japanese, including the entire Teen Titans roster as poseable figmas that are practically her prized possession-- That's reserved for her signed poster for the original Battle Royale and her art book for corpse party. She is a bit of a gore weirdo, there's a reason she gets along with Pete after all, so don't be shocked if she starts going off about some random underground 4Chan shit like Metamorphosis on steroids.

Her birthday is September 9th, she thinks Mecha-Fans are a bunch of man-babies that couldn't decide if they wanted to be or fuck Optimus Prime, and absolutely will roundhouse kick you in the shins if you try to use her as an armrest.

Also, some of her favorite game franchises include: Resident Evil/Biohazard, Final Fantasy, Xenoblade, Silent Hill (Yes, even The Room), Mortal Kombat, Corpse Party (obviously), RPG Horror Games, and Legend of Zelda Majora's Mask to name a few. Oh, and the Lego Star Wars and Lego Batman games, but those are guilty pleasures she'll never admit to unless someone offered to play it with her--

[askagamedev]

Shouldn't Overwatch also have the same problem then in regards to visual clarity? I'm sure if you were to give people Juno and Brigitte people would struggle telling what their role is probably confusing Brigitte as a Tank given she has a shield just like Reinhardt. Only Baptiste has said cross on his outfit which if he didn't people might confuse him from DPS since he carries a healing grenade launcher. Yet the only character design problem ive seen people talk about is Venture.

While this is true, it's a very different situation. Overwatch is an old game, it's been running for eight years now. When Overwatch launched, there wasn't anywhere near the kind of well-established competition that there is today. When Overwatch launched, there was no Apex Legends, Paladins, Deadlock, Quake Champions, or Valorant. Further, Overwatch's launch cast was designed with incredible visual clarity - nearly every character had a silhouette and visual design that both made them distinct and conveyed their style of gameplay. There's a pair of business terms for this kind of thing - Blue Ocean vs Red Ocean.

A Blue Ocean is mostly unexplored and pristine - you're entering a market that's mostly untouched and there isn't much competition. This favors the first-mover advantage - the first ones there have more time to experiment, set things up, and learn from their mistakes. The customers/players in that market don't have anywhere else to go if they want their gameplay, so you can afford to make mistakes, iterate, and improve. Since there aren't many other games to switch to, the players will likely stick with what they are already familiar with.

A Red Ocean is a saturated market, where the waters have been dyed red with the blood of all of the dead or dying competition. There's already a lot of competition, meaning that any new product must stand out significantly from its peers or it will soon die from lack of audience. In a Red Ocean, the initial launch is much more important because you never get a second chance at that first impression. Further, audience retention is also super important because of how much competition there is - a new product might be able to draw some attention just from the novelty, but novelty wears off quick and most of the players already know the genre and the other games available. If the new game doesn't serve their needs immediately, the players won't give it the time to improve - they'll just go to one of the competitors that already does serve their needs.

We can't really compare the two games in a vacuum, we must compare the full environment that the games launched in. Overwatch had the added benefit of significantly less competition in its Blue Ocean, meaning that the playerbase really didn't have anywhere else to go while they waited for Overwatch to improve things. Concord was unable to grab attention immediately in a Red Ocean, meaning any potential audience quickly dispersed themselves among the large number of competitors already out there.

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[weezarddd]

On a more serious note, I genuinely wanted to say.. it's okay to miss Flying Bark. Flying Bark brought us something truly special that I don't think could ever be replicated to a T, and that is okay. LEGO Monkie Kid was one of those shows that caught my attention the moment I saw it; the visuals, the voice acting, the story, the music, ALL of it sparked something in me. It brought forth a newfound passion for animation that I had never felt before. to the point where I created a Lego character as a muse for animation projects l'd make for my Personal Exploration class.

I would constantly look back at the amazing shots and scenes, and supported every single animator. Of course, like a lot of people, I was one of the people who came for the animation, but ultimately stayed for the story. But, I understand that the impact FlyingBark had was HUGE on many people who watched it. But, my only wish is that this loss doesn't become resentment. I want LEGO Monkie Kid to thrive with Wild Brain now working on it more than anything, and I think, as a community, we should give them all the support they can get!

Wild Brain could give us a new experience unlike any other, and I want us all to be there for the ride, and show our love to everyone on the team. We gotta understand that while the visuals will be different, Wild Brain is doing everything they can to give us an experience we will never forget, and will enjoy just the same, to keep this show we love alive and stronger.

I think we should look back on one of the very first quotes of the show, in the pilot:

"The thing you need to understand about the old legends is that the story is never finished. There maybe no pages left to turn, but there is always more to the journey."

While specific, this quote has been given a new meaning to me; While Flying Bark may no longer be working on the show, they are not gone. The impact that FlyingBark has had on all of us, on the show, is and will always be felt. FlyingBark introduced us to something special; LEGO Monkie Kid would probably not be as popular as it is now, if it weren't for the soul it was given with a type of animation many have not seen for a long time, and that will never die. The writers, the VAs, the music production, and the new team Wild Brain, is here to continue and give life to a new adventure; a new era of LEGO Monkie Kid, and I want all of us to support them so we can watch this show succeed.

With that, I have but one thing to say to Wild Brain:

Welcome aboard, buds. 💛

[zylphiacrowley]

What is Suikoden about? :>

Ohhhhh hohohohoho Meg, you have no idea what you've done (I'm sorry this is going to get wordy... I just really love this series so so much).

So all the mainline Suikoden games (plus Suikogaiden I&II which are visual novels) take place in the same universe, some years apart. All the games have war as a main central conflict, but you usually play as a young "unnamed" protagonist (technically all the heros have like manga canon names iirc), with the exception of Suikoden III which took on a tritagonist situation where you switch between three main heros and then you make a decision about halfway through the game which one you want to be the "main" hero (as a bonus you also get to play the story from the "villain's" perspective as well if certain conditions are met). The series is based on the classic Chinese novel, The Water Margin (perhaps rather losely. I own the novel but I haven't actually ever gotten that far into reading it OTL).

One major important part of the story is the runes system, which is essentially the magic system. There's many runes that you can just straight up buy from vendors in the game, but then there are also 27 "True" runes, which are super powerful, and usually come with built in immortality (except the Rune of Punishment which.... Does not :)) and a lot of them also come with fun and horrible Extra "Perks":tm:! Each game also has at least one of the 27 True Runes that your protagonist ends up wielding. The in-game legend about the origins of the True Runes goes as follows (pulled this direct from the wiki):

In the beginning, there was "darkness." Then finally, the "darkness" shed a "tear." From that "tear," the brothers Sword and Shield were born. Sword Bragged that he can cut anything. Shield replied that he could protect anything. Then the brothers began a legendary battle for seven days and seven nights. At the end, Sword cut Shield and Shield smashed Sword. Sword became the sky, Shield became the earth, and the sparks from the battle became the stars. And the jewels that adorn Sword and Shield Became the True Runes-- The runes that all other runes were born from.

Each game has a "base" that your hero finds at some point that gets built up not only as the story progresses, but also as you recruit characters to your army. Which is another thing all the games share! There is a collection of 108 recruitable characters in each game (give-or-take as III is kind of different in that it includes antagonists, and also the other games have some characters that will take other's places depending on certain conditions e.g. there's one character, who if you make certain decisions, will die in battle, and his son will join your army in his place, taking his place in the roster, but if you don't make those decisions, you keep the father and never meet his son). Not all the recruitable characters are playable in battle however, some of them are there as either battle support, offering you different benefits to your combat party, and some are there to add things to your base such as minigames, shops, or entertainment (The Suikoden II Iron chef style minigame is still my all time favorite videogame minigame, although some of that might be nostalgia talking lol). It's incredibly rewarding to return to your base after recruiting people and then find another wing added onto it and sometimes with more fun minigames to play. It really starts to feel so lively! Also if you recruit all 108 characters and fill your roster (known in-game as the Tablet of Stars) usually before the final major tactical battle, you unlock different really cool extras (like the aforementioned ability in III where you get to play through parts of the game from the "antagonist's" PoV)

Oh gosh, another thing all the games have in common is there are three battle systems. 1) your typical turn-based system (6 characters):

2) a duel system where it's 1v1 in a sort of rock-paper-scissors style thing where you have to read your oppenent's dialogue to determine how they're going to attack and react accordingly or take massive damage

and 3) the large-scale "tactical" battles, where you set up battle units with the characters you've recruited and then you essentially play a semi-chance based version of chess and fling them at each other on the field and try to reduce the enemy to a certain number, hold out until a certain amount of moves/time has passed, or just all out reduce their army to zero.

(also lol this video has the joke about Viktor's Lion flag)

Along with all the war, there's a bunch of deeper underlying themes like companionship, loyalty, hope, grief, loss, guilt, you know all the happy fun JRPG style storytelling elements! And honestly that's what really elevates the games. I think it's a lot like some of XIV, especially StB and HW in that respect. Like yes, war is going on, and it's the main big central conflict, but there's always more to keep you engaged and interested in the heroes and their journeys. I was going to go on and explain a synopsis of each game specifically, but lol just this is already soooooo long. There's also a villain (he's not the main villian.... ohhhhh no) in the first two games who's a vampire, his name is Neclord (fuckin lol), and he has a bangin battle soundtrack:

There is literally so much more I could say about the series, but like literally if it sounds even slightly interesting to you, I implore you to pick up the remasters when they come out in March (I believe on multiple platforms, including Steam and Switch iirc?)

Also a special mention about the creator Yoshitaka Murayama, who passed away in February of this year. He created his own game studio, Rabbit & Bear Studios which developed the Spiritual successor series to the Suikoden series, Eiyuden Chronicle (which had an incredibly successful kickstarter campaign and is available to play to the public right now, and I own but have not yet played).

[anadrym]

Extended Author's Notes for Left Behind Ch1.

(I'm really gonna try to do these for this one because I have so much to say about it.)

Work title is from "Still Here" from the League of Legends 2024 Cinematic. Absolutely love that song. Got into a car accident while listening to it and I STILL like it.

Chapter title is from "Going Down Fighting" by Phlotilla and Andrea Wasse, from the Old Guard soundtrack. Another really good song.

Vi is 26 in this chapter and Caitlyn is 25 (That age difference is according to their wiki stats).

I'm so proud of some of the wording in this chapter. I think it's kinda cool to use really poetic language during such a horrific scene.

As I said in the original AN, this is set post-Arcane S2, but there are some changes. In LOL, Caitlyn is the Sheriff, so I've kept that for a lot of my fics, including this one. I didn't change it because I think it makes her more of a target, which is what drives a lot of this chapter.

Vi is right. If they had left immediately, they probably would've made it. But neither of them could've left Tobias behind.

I haven't seen any of the Purge movies, BUT a few years ago I went on a 10-house tour of Universal's Halloween Horror Nights, and the Purge House was the only one I made it through with my eyes open the whole time. The scenes at the manor are loosely based on that.

The vandalized portrait was such a strong visual to me, I was scrawling notes about it down in the middle of the night.

One of y'all noted that Vi still has Tobias' wedding ring at the end of this chapter. That's important. :)

If you re-read the fight in Caitlyn's bedroom, you can see the part where Vi gets hit. The guy with the meat cleaver backhands her (empty hand) and then hits her in the gut (meat cleaver hand). In the next paragraph, the blade is bloody. I'm super proud of this, because it's Vi's POV and she didn't realize, but I wanted to make sure it was in there as a kinda rewatch bonus.

"But Vi's head is starting to spin from the - stress? adrenaline? fear?" Actually, babe, it's blood loss. :)

And then the "stitch in her side, the kind that comes with too much running" - I was trying so hard to make sure Vi wouldn't notice that she was seriously injured until it was too late.

I don't know if it came across, but the line "Your dad --" is Vi immediately thinking that Tobias can help (he's probably the only doctor she trusts) and then realizing/remembering that he's gone.

Even if both Vi and Caitlyn had managed to escape Piltover, Vi's injury would have been deadly - either from blood loss or infection.

The line "for me" is kind of a reference to some of my other works. Whenever Caitlyn says it to Vi, Vi caves. Here, Vi tries an Uno Reverse and it doesn't work, because Caitlyn won't leave her to die.

Not willingly, at least. >:)

I did receive questions on the political implications and ramifications of this attack. They will be discussed, but in a background sense. This is for two reasons: 1. I am not good at writing political stuff. 2. One of the things that really stuck with me was a comment from one of the crew behind the show that basically said that neither Vi nor Jinx ever wanted to be in the middle of all of this. They never wanted to be symbols or leaders or someone's legacy. They just wanted to live their lives. So this work is going to be more focused on Caitlyn and Vi and their relationship, with all the political upheaval mess happening in the background.

[zeepz-art]

Spoilers for Arcane season 2 Episodes 1-6 ahead, tread with caution:

Also keep in mind everything I rant about here are just my current opinions and concerns, this could change after the next three episodes' release.

Ok.... first of all, never has a show made me sob as hysterically as this one has. The end of almost every episode has had me in tears so intense that I'm sitting there hiccuping oh my god. Like when Vi and Vander hugged at the end of Episode 5, or when the 'Remember Me' flashback happened GOD

The art and animation is as STUNNING as usual holy shit. This show is so beautiful and the visuals are addicting. It's all such good inspiration for fanart and just future artworks in general, it's honestly an artist's paradise and I genuinely can't believe something like this exists.

Anyway, initial gushing and ranting aside, here are some of my... gripes? concerns? about Season 2 for now.

(Please keep in mind that these opinions are not set in stone since the season isn't fully released yet but I still want to rant about them and get it all out of my system.)

Overall the season has been really really good, I am really enjoying it. But I can't help but feel SO confused. Maybe it's the fact that it seems a lot more focused on League of Legends storylines and references this time (I have no knowledge of League lore), but so many of the different plots throughout the episodes have left me so confuzzled.

For example, in Episode 6, it feels like so much happened that was so out of pocket. When Vi runs into Caitlyn, even though Cait was the one who literally left Vi to rot in a hole to continue her quest to kill Jinx, she immediately agrees to stabbing Ambessa in the back and just seems to forget entirely about what she's been doing for the past 2 and a half episodes?? It just felt like her mentorship with Ambessa, her 'relationship' with Maddie, and her obsessive search for Jinx were kind of tossed aside in favor of her and Vi making up.

Don't get me wrong, I love to see them together again, but I'm so confused as to WHY they're back together already. Not to mention Cait's reaction to seeing Jinx again is so tame in comparison to how much she seemed to despise her an episode ago.

Another Episode 6 example: Jayce... What the fuck?

I know we'll probably get context and exposition in the next few episodes as to where he's been and why he's like this, but still, it feels so strange that he went from sacrificing everything to save Viktor's life in Episode 1 and 2 only to show up and kill him in Episode 6. WHAT HAPPENED TO YOU JAYCE PLEASE I NEED TO KNOW WHY YOU ARE MURDERING YOUR POOR WET CAT BOYFRIEND

My other concern with season 2 so far, is that the pacing/storylines and plot feel really fast? it kind of feels like so many plots were crammed into season 2 that they now only last a few episodes until they finish or are forgotten? Like Isha was only there for 4-5 episodes until she died, Vander/Warwick's existence was built up across 3 episodes only for him to die really soon after he was revealed? Vi's breakup era only lasted for a few minutes in a montage? Viktor's 'Jesus' era had maybe 10 minutes of screentime? the list goes on.

I enjoyed all of these plots and storylines a LOT but I wish we got just a bit more time to appreciate them instead of getting emotional whiplash every episode. And that comes from someone who LOVES emotional whiplash.

To be fair though, none of the 'deaths' I'm talking about are necessarily confirmed yet since they're just implied until the next 3 episodes, So I do hope that at least Vander/Warwick is still alive because we barely got to dive deeper into the emotions the sisters must have experienced after seeing him again.

Anyway, Season 2 is honestly still so good it's a solid 7.5/10 for me so far. It has its flaws but it feels unfair to focus on them too much considering the season hasn't even finished its release yet. So yeah I'm really enjoying myself over here and am frothing at the mouth for the next few episodes to come out. Until then I will be curled up in the corner drawing infinite amounts of Arcane fanart to sate my endless thirst for more of this show.

Thank you for coming to my Ted Talk and thank you for your patience.

[dc418writes]

•|Legends Never Die|•

✨Pairing✨: dark!Curtis Everettxblack!reader

Summary🪄: Curiosity doesn’t kill cats. It kills the nosey

⚠️: 18+ NO MINORS, chasing, mention of blood, abduction, minor bondage, allusions to basement wife, language, noncon touching

A/N🎤: Hey guys! So this is my little twist on the infamous Headless Horseman tale and I hope you guys like it☺️💕!

*DISCLAIMER!: although visual was made by me, I DO NOT CLAIM OWNERSHIP of pictures used as they were all found via Pinterest*

Everyone you interviewed in the small town warned you about going down that dirt road. How those who dared pass through that wooden tunnel were never to be seen again.

But you didn’t listen. Instead letting your need for the truth overshadow your caution.

Once you heard about the mysterious figure looming in the woods and read all the accounts from those young and old, your piqued interest wouldn’t rest. You needed to see for yourself if this horseman really existed or if it was just a boogeyman of sorts with stories being passed down from generation to generation.

Dead grass and autumn leaves crunch under your sneakers as you journey further into the wooded area. The cool air prickling your nose and cheeks while buzzards squawk overhead circling with their wings spread wide.

That should’ve been your sign to turn back, but your legs carry you until you’re meeting a withered cabin. Smoke rising from its chimney into the gloomy sky.

“H-Hello!?,” you call out, but there’s nothing. Whoever lived here clearly wanted to be alone being the only cabin out in this stretch of woods that you could see.

“I don’t mean any harm! Just wanted to ask some questions,” you ask as you reach the front door.

You knock twice, but again you don’t hear anything. Can just see a peek of the lone, vintage couch and coffee table resting on top of the decorative rug in the living room through the crack in the curtains shielding the windows.

The floorboards creak under each step you take - no matter how careful - wandering along the wrap around porch while your eyes focus on the woods with every crack of a twig and swish of leaves.

Meaning you weren’t paying attention when you tripped over the metal bucket; knocking it over as you stumbled forward.

A reddish-brown tinted rag rolling out along with a small amount of water tinted the same color pooling around your feet is the final straw feeling your stomach begin to sink and anxiety slowly rise.

Something deep inside tells you to hide when you hear the whinny of a horse along with its trotting hooves approaching from somewhere in the forest. It’s the fastest you’ve moved since your high school gym days setting your eyes on a decent sized shed a few feet away.

Luckily it’s latch is open allowing you to quickly slip inside just as whoever approaches the property. Crouched by the small, smudged window, you can see the black stallion being led by a person in all black themselves from their thick coat to their leather gloves and down to the boots on their feet.

A pumpkin mask with detailed carving covering their face.

It looks like it was made from the gourd itself. But most surprising - and fear inducing - a hatchet on their hip. Its blade stained with someone or something’s crimson blood that steadily drips to the ground.

“What’d I get myself into?,” you think watching as the tall figure rounds the house before stopping upon noticing the knocked over bucket and rag. Clearly now on alert that somebody was there how his head turns left and right.

Your heart rate increases as he appears to be coming towards the shed. (More than likely to put away his horse as you now notice the bags of feed by your feet.)

It’ll be impossible to run out the same way you came, so you hurry towards the back crouching behind a barrel near the corner. Your knees pressed into your chest to make yourself as small as possible just as the double doors open and both step inside.

Hands covering your mouth, you can hear them tying their horse away before filling its container with food and beginning to brush along its mane and the short hairs on its body.

A skid of a breeze across your face nearly startles you - thinking whoever arrived found you - until you see the plastic flap of the doggy door gently moving back and forth. It seems big enough that you could fit through, but you won’t know for sure unless you try.

So you patiently wait until you hear the double doors open again and the thud of boots becoming quieter with each step, signaling that you were finally alone and able to move again.

Carefully your arm goes through first then your head, but your opposite shoulder only bumps into the wall unable to pass. Shifting your body, you try again hoping someway you can make it through but your efforts are futile.

Just giving you enough of a distraction that you don’t feel the presence of someone behind you until it’s too late. Roughly grabbing your ankles and yanking you back as you scream.

You thrash kicking and swinging trying to get away, successfully hitting his crotch deep enough to have him groaning as he keels over on his hands and knees.

“Bitch,” he grits out as you scramble to get your footing to run out the shed. The horse whinnying and stirring about due to the new commotion.

Bursting out the doors, you keep running without any direction just setting your sights forward while trying to dodge limbs and trees along your path.

At the galloping not too far behind you, your heartbeat increases hoping there’s another house somewhere in these woods you can ask for help.

As your chest heaves and throat gradually becomes dryer from the air constantly rushing through, it seems you two are the only ones out this far leaving only one end in sight for you.

The stallion’s galloping grows closer and louder - as if it’d never get tired - while you feel exhaustion overtaking the adrenaline that once controlled your body.

You make the grave mistake of peeking over your shoulder trying to gauge just how close your hunter is not realizing your path was soon ending. Flying forward, your body tumbles down a dirt hill until you’re roughly thudding to a stop.

However, rather than hitting the cold ground you’re horrified to find a decaying body with its eyes wide and staring right at you. Some flies buzzing from them to you as if thinking you could be their next snack.

A deafening scream rips through your chest as you try to scurry away, echoing off the surrounding trees until something hitting against your head makes everything go dark.

-

Opening your eyes, you first notice the dark, wooden beams of the unfamiliar ceiling. Definitely older from their weathered appearance as one seemed to be a good hit away from breaking in two.

You try to move, but your arms and legs are bound to the semi-firm mattress below you with expertly knotted ropes you know you’d never get out of. It left you spread wide and fearful to what your captors next plan would be.

“You’ve done a lot of research.” The deep voice startles you, instinctively making you turn towards the corner to find the person chasing you earlier. They’re still in all black with the orange mask attached to their face as they look through your notebook of interviews and printed articles.

Had they been there watching you the whole time you were out?

“Have to say, I’m flattered,” they lowly chuckle closing the book and haphazardly tossing it on the ground. You see just how tall this person is when they stand and their head is only inches away from the beams above. It fills your stomach with nausea and dread how they slowly approach the bed reaching their finger out to teasingly trace from the post by your foot to your ankle.

“I-I’m sorry,” you cry with fresh tears dripping out the corner of your eye and down to the mattress below. A line of black left in its path from your mascara and liner.

Carefully removing their mask, the face underneath is surprisingly handsome. Near crystalline like blue eyes shielded by long lashes and a sharp jaw covered by an almond colored beard, you could honestly find yourself falling for the man in front of you if you met under normal circumstances.

His fingertips slowly trace higher - from your ankle to your calf and finally the inside of your knee - making your squirm and tears fall heavier while you plead, “Don’t.”

“Looks like you found your horseman kitten,” he smirks. “Too bad you’re little story won’t ever get published. Especially not with you tied up down here until I’m done.”

[moon-touched-vn]

☽◯☾

"Let blood answer blood."

"Arthur the king is dead. Arthur the ravager yet lives."

☽◯☾

Hello, and welcome to the official Moon Touched blog!

I'm an amateur solo visual novel dev in the process of developing a game called Moon Touched, which aims to tell a unique story in the Arthurian mythos using lesser-known Welsh elements with a slight low fantasy twist. A tale of revenge, loyalty, violence, and the thorny bramble that holds the heart hostage.

☽◯☾

Moon-Touched

Arthur expected headhunters to loot his corpse as he lay under the bodies of his men in the blood-soaked fields of Camlan. He never predicted the enemy would instead crave his prowess for spoil. 

Cold executioner of justice, Creoda of the Gewisse, has been blessed by the moon god to taste death but not to succumb. Every murder he suffers demands blood as the price of his divine wergild. As long as he serves Mōna, he will pursue his butchers with neither fear nor mercy in his heart.

But even a tireless wolf like Creoda suffers the occasional thorn of conscience. In order to sever his thralldom and live as a normal man, he must slay the source of his curse: his brother. 

Emboldened by Arthur's fiery spirit but wary of his reckless nature, Creoda offers his captive a grim proposition:

"Fight." "Flee." "Die." "It makes no difference."

A hard-bitten skeptic, Arthur tests the Saxon's limits by fire, water, and blade. Each brutal encounter teaches him a little more about Creoda - and himself - than he cares to admit.

Armed with only his wits, a hexed sword, the loyalty of his companion, Bedwyr, and the cold whispers of death swirling about him, he must find a way to conquer his demons... Or find his head on a pike.

Based on Welsh versions of Arthurian legend, Moon Touched is a dark fantasy where one wrong step could very well prove your last. 

Reports of the king's death may be exaggerated. How much depends on you.

☽◯☾

Gameplay

Moon Touched is a traditional visual novel that uses choices to direct the narrative's flow. Your interactions with other characters influence how scenes play out. As of writing, three routes are planned, but several dead ends abound as well.

Features include:

Codices:

Shades Mode - a toggleable cosmetic unlocked by completing the demo. Arthur's sprites wear aviator shades, and some of Creoda's sprites wear cat headphones.

Update 2/13/25: The demo is in the process of being developed. It will cover the prologue and chapter one, and runs roughly about an hour long.

[masterchefatbaratie]

Beneath tired fingers layers the sculpt of fraying pages. Under waning light or by candle, the uneven lining of cell walls would accompany him in a thorough read. The book's spine divulged myth recognized only as gospel. Desperate eyes voyage in earnest, committing every word to memory. Its complementing illustrations, however, detailed the otherworldly. 

Nestled at the crux where all four sees meet is the All Blue. 

The book of boundless marvels was left behind, blanketed in dust, and put to fraying rest to wither in its age as every year folds it further inward. Its legacy, however, lived within the boy who occupied its cell, trekking beyond bars to behold the splendor it promised.  Motivation transcends the intention of becoming a chef, let alone the greatest in the culinary world. Taking refuge onto a passenger ship, these dreams are set into motion through an impassioned vow. A child's dream proclaimed among returned stares varying between chagrined and bemused.  "It's a cook's paradise." No longer confined to a cell poring over legend, his gaze would follow rays of light splitting clouds through a porthole of his room. An urgent mind drinks in the illusory, his memories never warped of pictures on paper, mouthing descriptors, chapter by chapter. Maybe an effort would be made to remake the book.  To any staff members that would listen, line cooks busying themselves over the natural clamor of pots and skillets, Sanji would proclaim again that he is going to find the All Blue. Their laughter mingles, falling upon deaf ears.  "and I'm going to find it one day." When their laughter runs silent, and tides of luck no longer lap at his favor, an adamant snarl reclaims him. Rage eclipses fear and in the face of death, Sanji proclaims once more that he will not die until he finds the All Blue. When the passenger ship is reclaimed by the ocean, and all lives snuffed a pitiable dream mapped by pictures burns at his core, kindled by a promise by death who spares him.  A weathered pirate captain in search of the All Blue, surviving at his side sacrifices his flesh on his behalf. While life pools onto stained rock, Sanji is asked to find a place of legend on his own. Sharing the same dream is not enough. Ten years under his guidance, and a pen to paper, Sanji divulges ornate visual to book with inelegant form where detail burns brighter. Between breaks, after hours, every word. Chapter after chapter. Sanji takes to retelling and rereading all in one. His eyes map while the words of his captain echo to live on and find the All Blue. It is real.  It's real.  Setting sail towards the Grand Line, beyond the East Blue, Sanji is as adamant as he was at a tender age by candle. Following the captain who preserves motivation and cherishes it as he. Every day, every year, inspired by pictures and word, Sanji sets to experience the All Blue. For himself and for Zeff, chef, guardian, and retired captain of the Cook Pirates.  "That's my dream." 

[cienie-isengardu]

I find it hilarious the Grandmaster probably banging Sektor's head on the wall about how loyalty is important and how Lin Kuei principals are absolute since he was baby and he didn't see Sektor might develop a tinge of independence to realize he didn't have to be told what to do once he's in a superior body. I feel like Sektor was kind of just waiting for a chance to seize power from his father and the Cyber Initiative gave him an opening and I feel his programming somewhat deteriorating was actually just Sektor's personality resurfacing above protocol and seeing that his father was no longer necessary.

I feel Sektor was honestly probably waiting for his father to die in the back of his mind prior(maybe he thought the guy would just die of old age or something) but when the Cyber Initiative was in motion and he got converted, this thought came back and eventually it just kind of weakened the loyalty protocols to where Sektor's desire to rule overrode his father's authority and he didn't feel like waiting for him to expire on his own.

The major reason why I have so hard time buying the whole human Sektor's desire to replace his father from MK9’s BIO is that the story mode, alongside other sources, doesn’t give me anything suggesting he was that ambitious or cunning to begin with and even less to think he was the designated heir. Quite the opposite, from the all named Lin Kuei characters from the same game, he is the most obedient one, the most willing to put Grandmaster’s wish over his own well-being and (at least visually wise) easily dominated by the presence of his fellow clan members. When Bi-Han is shown with Cyrax and Sektor, he takes the central place within their little group. When he is out of the picture, Cyrax openly questions Grandmaster’s vision of cyber Lin Kuei while Sektor is on the defensive, as he has no real argument to add to the discussion and Cyrax clearly doesn’t treat him as his superior, especially when Sektor confronted him about not killing Johnny Cage. 

It may be just me, but the human Sektor lacks the initiative that is characteristic for his cyber version. Similarly, for a supposed heir he feels so… subdued and withdrawn, not to mention his father sent him on a very dangerous mission in which the chance of dying was very high. Sub-Zero’s BIO from Deadly Alliance summed Kuai Liang’s choice to aid Raiden in his quest against new threat as “It was highly unusual for the Grand Master to embark on such a dangerous mission” and I think it wouldn’t be too far-stretched to assume Lin Kuei had a similar approach to the Grandmaster’s designed heir.

Sektor is a grown up man in MK9, if he was meant to replace his father at some point, I imagine he would be trained from birth for this duty. However, all the BIO says is that he had no choice about being Lin Kuei, but there is no information he was designed to be next Grandmaster. For all we know, the Grandmaster could have more children than Sektor and even if the man was considered as a potential candidate, sending him to the Mortal Kombat Tournament seems like too much risk - if he died, literal decades of proper education for the leadership would be wasted, wouldn’t it? 

My point is, I don’t think Sektor was seen by his father as the future leader of Lin Kuei - or anything more than an useful pawn, so I can understand that Grandmaster has never considered him a threat nor questioned his loyalty. Especially after automation, as C.I. Project was supposed to perfect the human warriors, not grand them better understanding of trauma and abuse they endured for Lin Kuei's benefit.

Frankly, maybe the fact that his son was so obedient and lacked initiative was the reason why he allowed Sektor to volunteer for C.I. Project - additional sources like Mortal Kombat Legends: Battle of the Realms adds a lot to that feeling of my, as Grandmaster’s explanation - complaint - about human weakness seemed to be solely directed at Sektor, the only cyborg fully presented during the speech: “The mortal body is fragile, weak. So, we enhanced them.”

Maybe you are right and Sektor waited for a chance to seize control and C.I. Project provided it - and the BIO indeed tells the truth that his “ultimate goal is to supplant his father as Grand Master of the Lin Kuei”. However I personally think it was not human Sektor’s desire for power nor personal ambitions that corrupted his programming, as he has never been shown trying to enlist Bi-Han or Cyrax for his planned coup. I think the problem lies in the fact that Grandmaster removed the “flaw” that kept Sektor in check, be it out of love or fear of his father. And once the flaw was subdued, Cyber Sektor could clearly see for the first time that his father is the danger he needed to remove to ensure his own safety, but also Cyber Lin Kuei’s independence. Because this is what you get when you remove humanity from a ruthless killer - no loyalty, no mercy. 

And yes, indeed, there is something hilariously ironic about Grandmaster's blindness to the danger of the C.I. Project and perfecting his own son that already dedicated all his life to him and the clan.

[usagirotten]

The Crow 30th Anniversary 4K Blu-ray Drops May 7th

As the calendar turns to May 7th, 2024, fans of the iconic film ‘The Crow’ are in for a treat. The beloved cult classic that has captivated audiences for three decades is making a grand return, this time in the form of a 4K Blu-ray edition, commemorating its 30th anniversary1. The 1994 masterpiece, directed by Alex Proyas and starring the late Brandon Lee, is known for its gritty atmosphere and poignant storytelling. It tells the tale of Eric Draven, a musician who is resurrected to avenge his and his fiancée’s murder, becoming an avenging angel in the dark cityscape. This special 30th Anniversary Edition promises to bring fans a viewing experience like no other. The remastered version boasts a native 4K resolution (2160p) enhanced with Dolby Vision and HDR10, providing a visual feast that honors the film’s original aspect ratio of 1.85:11. Accompanied by a Dolby TrueHD 5.1 audio track, the haunting score and intense action sequences will resonate with unprecedented clarity and depth. In addition to the standard release, a Limited SteelBook Edition is also available, offering collectors a unique package to treasure2. Both editions include a digital copy, ensuring that you can enjoy this timeless story across all your devices. The release of ‘The Crow’ on 4K Blu-ray is not just a celebration of the film’s legacy but also a testament to its enduring impact on cinema and culture. As we revisit the streets of the dark city and the poignant journey of Eric Draven, we are reminded of the film’s message about love, loss, and redemption. Fans can pre-order their copy today, ensuring they don’t miss out on the chance to own a piece of movie history. As ‘The Crow’ returns, it’s clear that even after 30 years, some stories never die; they only grow more powerful with time. Inside of this edition: - Shadows & Pain: Designing The Crow – NEW!                                                        - Angels All Fire: Birth of the Legend - On Hallowed Ground: The Outer Realm - Twisted Wreckage: The Inside Spaces - Sideshow Collectibles: An Interview with Edward R. Pressman – NEW TO DISC! - Audio Commentary with Director Alex Proyas                                                       - Audio Commentary by Producer Jeff Most and Screenwriter John Shirley       - Behind the Scenes Featurette                                                         - A Profile on James O'Barr                                                                                          - Extended Scenes:                                                                                                           - The Arcade Bombing - The Funboy Fight - The Shootout at Top Dollar's - Deleted Footage Montage                                       - Trailer                

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