#10/10 comic relief of any situation.

[uninformedartist]

So just finished watching the ep so review. Spoils ahead:

So the episode was ok to me, solid 6/10 one of the better episodes which since this was supposed to be an "extravagant" ep why does it got better quality than the main eps, idk Viv has her moments like this ep and other eps its a train wreck in writing ect.

Mammon worked on my nerves, from design to his movements, personality ALL of him was annoying, which props for an annoying Villian but its Villian I never want to see back again and he's hinted for some sort of return.

Side tangent: Mammon is like the how many-ith Villian to get a return ep/hint at one. It was 1st cherubs, then dorks, then stella/ice twink, striker/crimson now Mammon & according to the leaked storyboards a ghost guy that tries to talk IMP into off-ing themselves... its a flipping lot and cherubs & dorks seem to be forgotten dispite dorks knowing & having hard evidence they exist, flip Viv chill it with your Villian of the week cos its way too many now.

Anyway, Blitz didn't need to be in this ep besides the flashback. Ozzie got him to talk Fizz out of being Mammon's puppet but ultimately Ozzie spoke him out of it & gave him courage to quit/confront Mammon. Even Blitz being a bodyguard/killing people for Fizz could've been any imp. Blitz is starting to feel like Steven from SU, in every ep even tho the ep doesn't need him/ the episode surrounds topics a wee child shouldn't be in (i.e Lapis trauma dumping on Steven & he a child isn't really equipped to handle that situation).

My fave part of this ep was Ozzie and Fizz. Ya'll I legit prayed Viv wouldn't mess these two up and my prayers were answered. Absolutely a joy these two were. Fizz especially what a darling. Loved that small scenes with him and the deaf imp child, l dont know sign language but it looked genuine animated and was just sweet moments.

From their interactions, Fizz's panic attacks/self doubt felt & were genuine... I felt that as someone that has panic attacks from high stress on my studies/life. It was just handled well. Fizz feeling less than and needing to prove himself from 1. his past 2. his appearance, that accident affected his self image/worth so much (why I felt him forgiving Blitz was too hastily done but I digress) & 3. him doing this Mammon contest still to gain/earn Ozzie's love for him cos Fizz believes Ozzie only sticks around because of this fame Mammon gave Fizz. Ozzie finally saying what he loves about Fizz was lovely, wanted that in the 1st ep but ¯\_(ツ)_/¯. Their song was... I didn't like it BUT the message in it was beautiful. Lastly Fizz saying fuck you to Mammon from the courage/strength Ozzie gave him was a nice send off... also Ozzie saying he loves Fizz ah ngl that made me smile agh I just love them. I want to see them more than the Stolitz show but thats only a wish. Props Viv, you get 1 brownie point not messing this up.

Last findings, the ep was bloated as hell my soul Viv please stop cramming so much in an ep, this one is 30 mins long & yet still felt bloated. Pacing was a motherfuka damn it was bad & the swearing was jarring (its a Viv written ep I don't expect any less but still gonna point it out) and the comedy wasn't so prominent in this ep, Blitz/Mammon gave some comic relief but in the best and worst ways:

The way the VA delivered this line "to be fucked" made me laugh, the line is cringy but the delivery lol gold

Aand Blitz, my soul shut the fuck up & get out this ep. Last ep & this one he said something so agonizingly cringe I pulled my face

The world of HB is legit American hell or earth just painted red since Fizz named all these places in America just "hellified" where his fans come from.

And very last, congratulations Salem glad you got the cathartic send off you deserve from working under Viv, truly fuck you "Mammon" indeed :) also glad they credited you this time.

[danganronpadedication]

Request: Yasuhiro Hagakure x s/o general Headcanons

Yasuhiro Hagakure x GN! S/O General Relationship Headcanons -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Wow, I'm so surprised to see yet another Hiro liker! I think he's awesome, he's very good comic relief and he's got a heart of gold. Which apparently a couple shady individuals are after, but hey. Sorry about the wait on this one, I'm an active uni student lol. - Mod Tsumugi --------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1. Hiro is a very laid-back and relaxed person, and that carries over into your relationship. His easygoing nature helps balance out any tense situations you two might encounter. He doesn't get stressed over small details, and will often try to calm you down if you're feeling anxious. Granted, he's not the best when handling comforting other people, but he tries his best.

2. Hiro isn't the most reliable person, he's very scatter-brained and disorganized, so it's up to you to keep him on track most days. He doesn't often think things through all the way, but his heart is in the right place. Expect a sense of spontaneity in your date plans, as he'll try and surprise you at every turn. He might forget to text you back, but he'll make it up with a silly apology, and a heartfelt gesture.

3. As the Ultimate Clairvoyant, he'll always offer to do readings for you, especially when you're uncertain about something coming up. Though his predictions are pretty hit or miss, it's amusing to see how much he believes in his own fortune-telling abilities.

4. Hiro might not be the type to fight, but he is surprisingly protective of you. He would try to diffuse conflict with humor or by “predicting” the outcome to avoid danger. He’d do anything to keep you out of trouble, even if it means running away from danger together.

5. He believes in following your dreams and will always encourage you to pursue what makes you happy. He might not have the best track record with his own schemes, but he’ll always be your biggest supporter, whether you're trying something new or struggling with a big decision. Expect him cheering for you the loudest.

6. Hiro often ends up in ridiculous situations, which provide plenty of entertainment in your relationship. Whether it’s getting scammed by someone for the third time this week or showing up with a new “get rich quick” scheme, his antics definitely provide you with some entertainment.

7. Expect random hugs, silly compliments, whatever he can do to show you he cares in minimal ways. He's very casual about it, he won't be calling you over the top pet names, but you will definitely know he loves you.

8. He's a conspiracy theory nut, especially the outlandish ones, and will frequently go on rants about whether or not the moon is hollow or if lizard people run the government. He gets really excited when you humor him, and let him talk your ear off about it. While you may not always believe him, his enthusiasm is contagious.

9. He’s the kind of guy who thinks he's being cool, but in reality, he’s a bit of a lovable dork. Though he'll probably get pretty defensive about it lmao. Be nice to him <3

10. His love language is probably either acts of service, or words of affirmation. He's also a bit of a momma's boy, you will be hearing him talk about Hiroko (not me projecting cause I love Hiroko). In the rare case you get into a disagreement, Hiroko will probably be the one talking some sense into him lmao.

------------------------------------------------------------------- You sat on the park bench, watching Yasuhiro fumble through his deck of tarot cards with an exaggerated sense of importance. He was determined to give you a "perfect" reading, even though his last attempt ended in him predicting that you'd somehow bring the dinosaurs back to life?

"Alright, babe, this time it's gonna be 100% accurate," he said, shuffling the cards like a pro—or at least trying to. One slipped out and fluttered to the ground, and he quickly bent down to retrieve it, grinning sheepishly. "Whoops. Just the universe messing with us."

You couldn't help but laugh. "I don’t think that’s how the universe works."

He shot you a playful wink. "Ah, you just don’t understand the mystical forces yet." With a grand flourish, he laid out the cards, and after a dramatic pause, his face lit up. "Oh, wow! It says here you're about to have a sudden adventure with someone incredibly handsome."

"Really?" You raised an eyebrow, playing along. "Who might that be?"

"Obviously me!" He shot up from the bench, grabbing your hand with a grin so wide you couldn’t help but smile back. “C'mon, let's go somewhere fun. I don’t know where yet, but the cards say it'll be awesome.”

"Hiro," you started, laughing as he tugged you to your feet, "You didn’t even finish the reading!"

He waved a hand dismissively. "Eh, it was probably just gonna say something cheesy like, 'You're destined to be with the best fortune-teller ever.'"

You rolled your eyes, a wide smile on your face. Hey, who were you to tell the cards they were wrong?

[fangirling-heart]

Hi Heart! Good morning ^w^

For the fandom Ask Game, how about The Owl House?

Hello! And good day/evening (it's evening for me)! Thank you for the chance to ramble about my favorite show! :)

my favorite female character

Luz Noceda my beloved! I have mentioned the numerous reasons why I like her so many times, I've probably become annoying, so I'll keep it brief: She's sweet, she's enthusiastic, she's unapologetically herself, she's smart, she's headstrong, she's extremely relatable to me, she's a weirdo, she's a legend and she is the moment!

my favorite male character

Hunter! Hunter is a really great character, who I absolutely love for his story and arc, his awesome design, his relationships with other characters, his personality...

He basically has everything it takes for me to love a character, including the antagonistic starting point (I do have a soft spot for redemption arcs), but he didn't really have a redemption arc, because he didn't really need it. Hunter was always a good person, trapped in the bad situation, but that doesn't make his arc any less impactful and wonderful.

my favorite book/season/etc

Definitely season 2. Literally every element in it bounces off each other perfectly. The character arcs get moving, we see many relationships grow and develop, we meet a lot new characters whose entrance to the show feels completely natural and very impactful and everything develops more and more! The story, the relationships, the characters! And then everything is comes together for a marvelous final act (Hollow Mind-King's Tide)!

my favorite episode (if its a tv show)

Thanks To Them. Yes, it's not a season 2 episode, but it's my absolute favorite one!

I will forever be pissed at disney for cutting this show short, but I will also forever be in awe for the way the crew handled the last season and especially this episode. It does an excellent job balancing out all the characters, a bunch of dynamics and I never thought that one scene was taking time from another one. Also, it focuses on a lot of the stuff I love the most about the show, like the dynamics of Luz and Hunter and Hunter and Flapjack, the lore of the Wittebanes, the shenanigans of the Hexsquad, Camila and her relationship with Luz, Belos being a creepy bitch (the fact that we didn't see him get hit by a car is a crime, but I gotta admit the idea of having him quietly getting stronger by possessing critters in the background to set the atmosphere and build up the ending part was great) and an awesome confrontation with a bunch of emotions for the end! 10/10 episode! (I still cry with Flapjack's sacrifice...)

my favorite cast member

The man, the myth, the legend, Alex Hirsch!

my favorite ship

I honestly have so many ships I love in this show, it's hard to choose just one. So I'm gonna say my top 3 (in no specific order):

Lumity

Huntlow

Raeda

a character I’d die defending

Camila Noceda! None of that "Camila is a bad mom!" crap is allowed here! In this house, we love and appreciate mama Noceda!

a character I just can’t sympathize with

Odalia Blight. That's an actual bad mom and horrible person! Screw her!

a character I grew to love

Probably King. I did like him from the beginning, just not so much when compared to other characters. But during season 2, when we got to explore his character more, outside of cute comic relief, I grew to love him.

my anti otp

Well, aside from obvious choices (incest, pedophilic ships), I personally don't like ships with the Hexsquad and Boscha, especially Boschlow. Aside from just, not really liking Boscha as a character, I just can’t see in general the appeal of the bully x victim of their bullying ship type.

[unproduciblesmackdown]

oh i've been trying to find this interview again, which i remembered mainly for the parts about [interviewing the parents which is so Interviewing The Parents] but has many fun details

The first time Will Roland auditioned for “Be More Chill,” he didn’t get the part. “It’s the reality of our business,” says the actor, whose family moved from Manhattan to Locust Valley when he was 8. “On any given day . . . you may be the person who is going to get the job and you may not be.” But let’s not feel too bad for Roland, whose theatrical trajectory is the stuff most people only dream of. At the same time he was auditioning for “Chill,” the sci-fi musical that made it to Broadway after its cast album went viral (more on that later), he was also involved with a workshop for, as he puts it, “another little show called ‘Dear Evan Hansen’.” He got cast in that show, playing Evan’s friend, Jared, a character who brings comic relief to a work that has its devastating moments. Roland looks back on his four years with the show as “an absolutely incredible experience.” The writers worked “my sense of humor, and the sardonic way I observe things” into this classic theater role of the clown, “the one who comes out and observes the ridiculousness of the situation,” says Roland, sitting in the balcony of the Lyceum Theatre where he’s rehearsing his next big Broadway gig — the lead in “Be More Chill,” which opens March 10. Obviously, everything turned out just fine for Roland, and for “Be More Chill,” a pop-rock musical based on a 2004 young adult sci-fi novel by Ned Vizzini that appeared to be dead in the water until the cast album went viral on social media. After the show played at a small theater in Red Bank, New Jersey, in 2015, “I thought it was going to be the next big thing,” says Joe Iconis, the Garden City native who wrote the music and lyrics. “There was so much momentum.” But after a review in The New York Times that “was not particularly helpful,” interest dwindled and Iconis and his partners moved on. Happily, some things are meant to be. The Red Bank theater had enough faith in the musical to order a cast album, and suddenly the fan base exploded, videos were all over YouTube and fan art appeared on Tumblr. That led to an Off-Broadway production last summer that sold out before performances started, and eventually to the Broadway run, with Roland, who is part of Iconis’ extended theatrical family, very much back in the picture.

Real people, real issues The young star was decidedly upbeat on Valentine’s Day, the afternoon following the first preview when he says those extremely vocal fans “brought some hard-core joy into this building.” Like everyone involved, he’s intrigued by the way the show took off, but really, he points out, it’s nothing more than word-of-mouth, which “just happens to be the internet right now.” On the other hand, he says, “I don’t know that word-of-mouth has ever put so much wind into the sails of a production.” When asked why the show resonates so strongly with fans, Roland says what they love about the show “is the same thing that I love about the show . . . that it is an honest depiction of real people dealing with real issues.” Roland plays Jeremy, a nerdy high schooler who never fits in until he swallows a SQUIP (a quantum computer in pill form) that has the power to turn him into one of the cool kids. There’s significant fantasy at play, says Roland, but “there is truth to every one of these characters . . . it doesn’t speak in broad, heart-rending poetry, it speaks in really human language.” Does he see himself in the character? “I think he sees himself in me a little bit,” jokes Roland, who talks about first getting involved with theater at Friends Academy in Locust Valley, which he attended from sixth grade through high school. “What they created for me, first and foremost, was a space where I found community and acceptance and belonging,” he says, which he notes, is why a lot of people start doing theater. Roland was serious about his goals “from the moment I met him,” says Tracey Foster, director of arts at Friends. “He knew what he wanted to do in life.” As the title character in “Oliver!” one of his first major roles at the school, Foster says that beyond his “big, booming, beautiful voice,” he was “touching, tender and scrappy.” (Roland’s recollection differs: “My voice was changing so it sounded really bad,” though he acknowledges that he’s “channeling a lot of those days in this performance.”) From the beginning, Foster says, Roland displayed “a wonderful combination of confidence and humility that . . . let him make mistakes and keep moving forward, pick himself up when he needed to.” Those qualities, she notes, suggest that “he’ll be able to survive the bumps in the industry.” Foster was in the audience for the first preview and naturally thought Roland was “spectacular.” But she also has raves for the production, which she first saw Off-Broadway. “They grew it up for Broadway,” she says, “in a way that was beautiful and fulfilling.”

Acting in his soul Roland’s family, of course, saw his raw talent early on. “Will sang before he spoke,” says his mom, Beth Roland, explaining that since she was a fan of “putting my child in front of a TV,” the first words out of his mouth were Big Bird’s alphabet song. Now, she says, “acting is just in him . . . it’s in his soul. I think he acts in his real life.” His dad, Bill Roland, who gets endearingly emotional when talking about watching his son onstage, has a simple response when asked about Will’s success. “Passion,” he says. For now, Roland, who turns 30 on Tuesday, is thinking less about the past than about opening night, managing the inevitable changes that Iconis and book writer Joe Tracz are throwing at the cast. He is getting married next year (check out Instagram for photos of his proposal at the ritzy but rustic Blue Hill at Stone Barns in Tarrytown). After that, who knows? “Be More Chill” could run for years, and there’s a movie in the works. No one’s called yet, but Roland says, “I would very much like to be involved.” Wisely, Roland is not thinking too far ahead. “I love doing TV and film, new plays, new movies,” he says, “really getting to put my stink into a character.” He looks forward to the day he can call his own shots and thinks at some point directing might be an option. “My dream role,” he says, admitting that he’s borrowing the thought from others, “hasn’t been written yet.”

Behind the music and lyrics “When I wrote ‘Michael in the Bathroom,’ I was writing about myself,” says Joe Iconis, the Garden City native who wrote the music and lyrics for “Be More Chill.” If you don’t have a teenager in the house, note that the runaway hit from the show has all but broken the internet (it has its own Instagram account with, at last look, more than 12,000 posts). Iconis says when he wrote the song, about a guy who locks himself in a bathroom rather than face the other kids at a Halloween party run amok, he was writing about his adult self. But, he adds, “I hoped that young people would relate to it because it is a universal thing . . . someone else is going through this, not just the character in the show.” The success of the song and the show is part of a growing Iconis moment in New York theater right now. His musical “Broadway Bounty Hunter” will get its New York City debut this summer starring Annie Golden, and the cabaret group known as Joe Iconis & Family is set for a run in April and May at Feinstein’s / 54 Below. Sitting in a balcony lobby at the Lyceum Theatre, where “Be More Chill” is in previews, Iconis talks about getting the theater bug at 6, when his dad took him to see “Little Shop of Horrors” for his birthday. “I was immediately hooked,” he says, but as he grew older he realized performing was not for him. “I was terribly scared to be on stage.” With the support of his nontheatrical family (his dad is in information technology, his mom is superintendent of the Massapequa School District), the self-described “theater nerd” focused on music and says he knew by sixth grade that he wanted to be a Broadway composer. “I was definitely the only child who could say that. Ever.” As he works toward opening night on March 10, Iconis is focusing on fine-tuning the piece (“musical changes, script changes, things we want to tighten, numbers we want to reorder and rearrange”). It’s a huge enterprise, he says, but his faith in the show grows by the minute. He calls it “the little show that could.”

[coline7373]

On the aftermath of Melida/Daan

Jedi Apprentice? I loved this serie!!!!

That said, I have long struggled with the way the aftermath of Melida/Daan seemed to be just swept under the rug and how, at the Temple, everyone seems to condamn Obi-Wan without a word about Qui-Gon's own behavior.

I long wanted to read a fic that tackled all that and now, I have.

So. First thing first.

The problem is two fold: one, whether or not Obi-Wan was wrong to abandon the Order to figh with the Young, and second, the matter of the probation.

And of course, Qui-Gon's role in all that.

Let me start of by saying that, yes, I do think Obi-Wan was wrong to do what he did. Not moraly, but in facts and consequences for others. Don't come at me with the pitchfoks and let me explain.

There 10 000 jedi for 4 quadrillions people in the galaxy far, far away. Just by the number, they physically cannot help everyone. Nor should they have to! Jedi are negociators, facilitators and investigators. It is not up to them to make the system work. They are elbow grease in a -supposedly- already functionning system. So, due to their limited numbers, they have to limit and choose where they intervene.

Jedi and the Senate have long decide to pick these missions by a democratic process of selection. The elected representatives of the people are the one who vote on where the priorities for jedi interventions lay.

And since the Republic is a democracy, there is a legal separation of power. Jedi can't just go where it was voted they should go and do there whatever the hell they want there. They can't dispense off governments and their laws, customs, culture and choices just because jedi decided they knew better. Jedi help the people there. They don't make decisions for them.

Accountability, preventing abuse of authority, keeping each other in check, preserving freedom of self-determination, respect of governments' autonomy, equal treatement of all.... There are a multitude of very valid reasons for the separation between legislative, executive and judiciary powers.

The gffa is a special place and the jedi are a special people. There is probably some leeways for them to dispense, in certain specific situations, for the due process. But not entirely! Just, some.

War crimes and genocide are probably amongst those exceptions, but it would still need to be proven in galactic court. Think of the Trade Federation's invasion of Naboo and the chill way the Senate decided to make a commitee so they could "assess" the situation. The Senate wouldn't just take jedi words for a situation like Melidaa/Daan. Hard evidences, investigation and a senatorial agreement of intervention decided by a majority vote would be what could make the Senate waves a government's rights to govern themselves.

And there is a difference between acting within the legal parameters provided for jedi, as representatives of the Republic, and acting as a religious follower of the Force, as it dictates a jedi should.

When it's at cross purpose, it threatens the legality of jedi actions, and probably the leeway power-hungry politicians give those seemingly over-powered individuals most of them fear.

So, a jedi dispensing "justice" in the way he thinks is justice, outside of due process, without the approval or demand of any governing official and/or body, it augments the risk of society deciding jedi are overreaching and therefore shouldn't have the legal authority to act without consultation anymore. Or at all. And in the end, isn't it what just happened? The clones killed the jedi under the Sith's chips influence and people cheered in relief to be "free" of the threat of the jedi.

(I'm basing myself on comics, here. Considering we're talking about the books, I think it's fair.)

The jedi can do as much as they do because they are a recognised and state sanctionned legal power, in a sort of no-men's land cross-road between diplomats, specialised tactical forces and intelligencia agents. And their reputation as monks-space-wizards, of course.

Obi-Wan, by going against the mandate of the Senate, threaten that.

Because if one jedi goes rogue, what's to say more won't follow? And if representatives of the Republic can't trust jedi anymore to act within the boundaries of the law, why should they have legal, executive and judiciary powers other citizens don't?

It's normal Obi-Wan was put on probation. He did exactly what jedi shouldn't do: let his emotions get the better of himself, lost the ability to see the situation with a clear head, act outside of his legal parameters of actions, without thinking of or caring for the consequences.

He acted on impulse, to save the children of Melidaa/Daan, yes, which is moraly commendable, yes, but also to sooth his own emotions. To stop the situation that was causing him distress, outside of the boundaries of the law for jedi, regardless of the consequences for the jedi Order and the billions of people they may not be able to help anymore if the jedi lost their freedom of action and its state sanctionned legality.

There's a lot of things he could have done to help the children of Melida/Daan beside what he did.

Don't get me wrong. I don't blame him for not having a better idea, he was just thirteen. Children were being killed by adults who had already been fighting each other for centuries. Hard not to feel a sense of urgency or to have a better solution at that age. Even harder to watch impassively.

But as a jedi, he should have stood by and watched. Because he should have been able to think on the situation impartialy until a legal, effective solution was found. It is what his duty as a jedi demanded of him. That he bears witness, without intervening. Because the legal governments of that planet didn't want jedi help, neither the Melidaa, nor the Daan.

He had to have that emotional strengh, if he was to be a jedi. To be able to abide by the legal decisions of the governing bodies of that planet, no matter how terrible, because it was their planet. And jedi have to respect of the autonomy of the peoples of the Republic to govern themselves. Otherwise it's not a democracy anymore.

And if you think Democracy is wrong, I put you to the challenge to find a better way for people to govern themselves, because people have been trying for centuries irl and no one have found one yet. Unless, of course, like Anakin, you think a dictature is a grand idea. In which case, you can go open a history book.

You probably think I'm terrible for saying that or that a Democracy that abide by children mass murder shouldn't exist. But we don't know that total annihilation of children on Melidaa Daan is what would have happen without Obi-Wan's intervention. All we know is that, in the end, he was not the key element that help stop the war. He helped some, but the one who saved the children are the adults jedi, who got the approbation of the Senate to intervened, the leaders of the Young who convinced their adults to make peace, Qui-Gon who helped settled the treaty between the Melida and the Daan and the people of Melidaan who made it stick.

Think, for one moment, if special foreign agents you cannot fight against because they are too powerfull, came and make you stop do something you think is necessary for your society? Would you be happy? That they change not a trivial aspect of your society but its very fabric?

That you don't think children murders and mutual genocide is necessary, good, fine. Me too. All the people who thinks jedi had it coming in RotS can get the f*ck out here.

But in this particular case, we judge the Melidaa/Daan with our own values. And jedi can't do that.

Because jedi have to respect the values of all. Because they represent the Republic, who represent all the peoples.

And unless the people in question ask for help, jedi cannot act legaly. And if you say jedi should just act illegaly, (aside from the fact it wasn't necessary in the end,) we go back to the problem of jedi loosing their legal, executive and judiciary special powers that help them save billions because of overreach.

Would you leave billions to suffer to help just one planet? Would you abandon Alderaan, Naboo, Chandrilla, Ord Mantell, Bith, Corellia and countless other just to help one Melidaa/Daan?

Sorry to quote Spock there but the needs of the many do outweigh the needs of the few. And the jedi are the guardians of that: the safeguard of most.

If, like me, you think it's horrible no more can saved or helped, you can get angry at the people of Melida/Daan who made the situation horrible in the first place, those who perpetrated it, and the outsiders, civilians and politicians alike, who witnessed the situation and did nothing.

Again, there is four quadrillion of people in the galaxy far, far, away. Certainly more than enough to help one planet. To reach for galactic peace if they all work for it.

Like Obi-Wan said in The Clone Wars, if civilians had all stood up and decided to stop the war, it would have stopped. Nothing politicians can do it they are all fired. Galactic War went on because the majority of people just let it go on. Not enough protested or fufilled their civilian duty to hold their governement accountable for their actions.

It shouldn't all depends on the jedi. And it certainly shouldn't depends on just one boy who had neither the knowledge nor the know-how to stop a centuries old civil war, with a side of children genocide.

But he choose to try. And, of course, he didn't came up with much better than "fight back", because he had no experience in warefare, diplomacy or politics, nor access to the ressources the jedi do have in case such as these. This is also the strengh of the jedi Order: strengh in numbers, support in term of hardware (weapons, tools, vehicules, ect) and legitimate influence on how the Senate punishes a planet that break galactic laws (economical embargo, emprisonnement of the leaders of terrorist/genocidal movement, ect).

He had the emotivity and impulsivity of someone young and had no one with his best interests in mind to help him cool off and look for others options rather then "stay and give up on the jedi path" or "leave and forget about Melida/Daan completely".

He did wrong but it was a mistake to be expected of someone his age, with no training and support.

And this is where Qui-Gon failed him.

By not offering support, no matter his own distress at Tahl's injuries or how Obi-Wan disobeying him awaken Xanatos' related PTSD. Because he was the Master and Obi-Wan the padawan. He was supposed to be able to master his own emotions and put Obi-Wan's training first.

Instead, Qui-Gon let his emotions get the better of him and blind him until he couldn't see the situation for what it was. He was so caught up in his own trauma about Xanathos, about his fear of making Obi-Wan like Xanathos because there is something inherently wrong with his teachings, his fear that there is something wrong with his judgement and those he choose, l5ike Xanathos,) his fear for the critical condition of the woman he loved that he didn't see his padawan was in emotional turnmoil and needed help.

He let fear blind him.

And Obi-Wan did need help. He needed someone to help him work through his outrage and horror at what was done on Melidaa/Daan, to be able to view the situation impartialy, and help to think of a workable solution to help the people on Melidaa/Daan while still being within the legal boundaries of the role of the jedi. Which is what Qui-Gon did, in the end. He came back and helped make the treaty that ended the war.

But, at the time, when Obi-Wan needed his help, he let his negative emotions, his attachements to Xanathos and Tahl, his pride in his own councel, his fear of repeated failure, his fear for Tahl's life overhelmed him. And thus Obi-Wan was left to make this life-altering decision without support.

I've seen a lot of people saying he should have just knock Obi-Wan out and grabbed him. Which -yes. One hundred percent. But again, this is something we wished for based on our own values.

Jedi's values say serving the Order is something that has to be done voluntarily, that one should respect one's autonomy to the fullest extent whenever possible. (Remember Mace giving droids killing people the choice to be re-programmed rather than destroyed?) And Obi-Wan has made it very clear what his will was, there.

"Obi-Wan was just a child." It's very canon, not even legends, but canon, that children are treated as seriously as we do adults very early in their lives, in the gffa. Padme became queen at twelve. Anakin swore a lifetime of servitude to the jedi Order (agreement to become a padawan) at nine. And no adults in the gffa had any problems with that.

"Qui-Gon didn't take the time to discuss the situation with him and argues his decision. " Yes. But, considering Tahl was dying, I think he was right to rush. What he he should have done was come back once Tahl was safe, to discuss it some more, rather than make it all hinge on a two minutes conversation. But he did come back, in the end. Months later, maybe, but he did. And that's why people feel so ambivalent toward him. Because Qui-Gon is exactly who G. Lucas wanted him to be: the reminder to the audience that jedi aren't infallible all knowing, all powerfull superheroes. That they can make mistake. Because they are just people.

In conclusion, for the first part of the Melidaa/Daan Problem, I think Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon were both wrong. Obi-Wan, in his choice, blindness to its consequences, and Qui-Gon in letting his attachements and fear get the better of him and consequentely in failing in his duties as a Master.

Now, onto the probation part.

I think a lot of people who criticize the probation have never been on one imposed by kind people who act from a position of honest goodwill with their most sincere best interest at heart.

It's not meant to be just a sanction, to say 'this was wrong'. It's an opportunity to have all the time in the world to reflect at lengh without any other demand on your time. It's a chance to improve, to open your mind to points of view you might not have seen before, to understand better how your own emotional mechanism work that it put you in said situation in the first place, to review the situation with more insight, to gain wisdom about past event and about yourself.

Failure is an opportunity for growth and probation is a an opportunity to dedicate your focus solely on reflection and emotional/social recovery.

That said, it's not how it's presented in the books.

It's all "You did wrong. Do your time and maybe Qui-Gon will take you back". There is no blame assigned to Qui-Gon, no self-admission of failure from him, no discussion of their bond, their duties to one another, their actions and what it means, no admittance of a need for changed behavior, no chance for growth...

I feel that they wanted to keep it simple because it's a book aimed at a young audience. But by wanting to avoid difficult discussions kids might not understand or be bored by, they by-passed the concepts of probation, guilt, accountability, and the responsabilities and boundaries of the role of jedi entirely and thus give a completly skewed view of the event and how jedi work when one of their member make a mistake.

I think it's a false short-cut, a misrepresentation of the jedi and a disservice to the audience, no matter how young. Because rather than struggling with understanding "adults can make mistake but it doesn't mean you're blameless by elimination or that every adult's entire authority should be put in question", the story ends up telling "You should never question authority. Adults are always right so you just shut up." And that's a terrible message to give, because it's definitively wrong.

It's not because an adult is wrong once you never have to obey them as a minor ever again or that they are wrong about everything on this particular matter. This fear of having to justify authority, it come from a place of not being sure of its reasons other than "I'm the boss" or how to explain it to a child well enough they will accept to obey to that authority. It's the fear not being able to justify the legitimacy of one's authority. And acting on fear, that's not the way of the jedi.

Qui-Gon clearly had wisdom and intelligence, beyond this incident. He was capable of thoughfull interpersonnal interactions or he wouldn't be the jedi everyone say he was. And Obi-Wan himself wouldn't regard him as highly as he did either.

He can be uncertain faced with Qui-Gon's everything but, come on, he's no shrinking violet either.

How many thirteen years old has the gall to stand up to such an intimidating adult the way Obi-Wan did? But he did. And yet, he still thinks Qui-Gon is strong and wise and a good jedi and wants to learn from him.

So, Qui-Gon screwed up. The problem was Qui-Gon have been screwing up a lot and, each time, they talked about none of it, neither with the High Council, the Council of Reassignment, nor between themselves. He didn't apologised either, so it build up and up until it actually became so big it was impossible to do adress without changing fundamentally who they were as characters in the story.

This is where the Order was supposed to intervene.

A neutral third party with authority over them both, a duty of overview, and recognised wisdom. They should have torn down that built-up mess of unspoken issues and make Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan work through it. Do a thorough review of eveything problematic that happen between them from the start, so that everyone can say their piece, offer insights into the other's actions or POV, and prompt apologises where necessary.

Not in an accusatory way. In a way that say "this is where Qui-Gon failed as a jedi, as a master because .... Here is how you might improve."

Transformative justice rather than punitive justice.

Opportunity of betterement of self, in his role as Obi-Wan's master, as a jedi in the Order whose actions can influence other jedi, as a jedi and therefore a representative of the Order to the wider galaxy, as a representative of the Republic... This is what was taken from Qui-Gon too.

And from other jedi.

By not condamning them both, the Council announce to the rest of the Order that they found no fault in Qui-Gon and that the fault fall solely on Obi-Wan.

The intelligent masters who have experience in padawanship before, or the perceptive knights, will know it's not true. It take two to make a relationship. To think a 13 years old apprentice was just as responsible for this mess as his 43 years old Master is just foolish. The social judgement of Qui-Gon's actions was maybe just done behind closed doors.

But not all jedi may see this. And that open a whole new can of worms where the blame is put solely on the shoulders of a 13 years old learner, instead of partially on the learner and mostly on his 43 years old teacher.

That say to the othe jedi "The wisest amongst us have decide it's just the padawan who screwed up."

And since it was no small screw-up with priors, the youngest and most dogmatic/short-sighted/mean members just turn on him.

That's to be expected. It's the normal reaction in any society to shun a member condamned by its governing body, when he threaten the society as a whole. Which Obi-Wan did (see above).

And that's where the Council messed up again. Either they don't see it happening or they do but don't do anything about it, when their role is to regulate the Order, in addition to decision making and interpretation of the will of the Force. So, it's allowed to go on and fester. It let those toxic emotions and behaviors grow. When those are emotions that open the door to the Dark Side! It taint the Jedi. Against a thirteen years old.

Again, I know it was written this way to probably make the probation, an act of self-reflection on one's mistakes and change -something no one, especially not a young audience, enjoy practicing- still a Dramatic Arc (tm). Look at mean padawans! Look at the masters who ignore him! Obi-Wan alone against the world! But he will prevails! Because he's the hero!

Yeah... no.

Self-reflection is difficult and boring. No one likes to spend days on thinking what they did wrong, what they missed, trying to internalised different point of views, how they should improve. Especially when the stakes are that high and the initial motivation that just, that moral.

But it was a mistake for how the jedi function in-universe, and he should reflect on what else he could have tried, on why he acted as he did, why he made the choices he did, what motivated him and what are sensitive points for him. So that he can learn from this and do better next time, in another mission. So he can understand the mechanisms of his own psyche better and recognise when he find himself in a situation where his emotional reaction might be a danger for his impartiality and how to safeguard against it.

That's just part of growing up.

Learning, making mistakes, learning again, putting in the work, even when it's unpleasant or boring... This is also what it takes to become a jedi. Not just telekinesis, mindfuckery or lightsaber fighting.

The attempt to make it seems unnecessary or even something grand to fight against where Obi-Wan is this righteous innocent lamb, just to make the episode exciting, it did a disservice to everyone: Obi-Wan, Qui-Gon, the jedi, the Council...

I was always furious at how the functioning and the philosophy of the jedi was completely warped just for gratious storytelling purpose.

Or worse, because that's the author's honest opinion of the jedi Order. There is more than enough opinion the jedi are unfeeling cold bastards in the world already. To add to it just to make things dramatic... Ugh!

But this is what we've got so this what I think should have happened instead, if we stay with the canonical characterisation and motivation of jedi, as individuals and as a group.

All that to say, I have long wish for someone to have a go at it and cut this bullshit in half. Or more. And extract from it what a fall-out with in-canon motives, philosophy and good characterisation might look like.

And here we are! Finally! And not just a past wrong righten but also a look at how the jedi operate in "peace times" before everything became about the Sith and the war against the Separatists.

Just... the Order and the regular problems of being a jedi in a galaxy far, far away.

Thank you!!!!! I feel like I can breath because something that always bothered me immensely is finally right!

I thought the characters were on point and I love how the author represented Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan's relationship. I love how they just said fucked it to the meal plan and went to treat themselves something appetising. I love how they opened up to each other and how each want the best for the other.

I loved the stories and everything in it. I loved the view at all the different jedi. I love how all the bullying might finally be adressed. I love when Obi-Wan talk about the war, even though it broke my heart. I love the chance to see regular citizens as characters. I love the description of the Temple and regular life there. I loved everything!

So a big, heartfelt thank you to this author!!! It was great serie and a great read and something that absolutely missing for me! I encourage everyone who struggle with the treatment of the aftermath of Melidaa/Daan in the books to read it!

[angrylittleburd]

When you get this, reply with 5 things that make you happy and send this to the last 1O people in your notifications. Whoever ya want to 💜

Friends/ Family - First and foremost the people I love and associate with willingly mean the most to me. Both IRL and Online. I'm extremely extroverted and 10 out of 9 times any experience worth having is improved when shared with someone you love.

Creating - Surprise Surprise the artist likes to create stuff. I ain't just talking about drawing though. The act of creating itself is just so fun. Thinking up characters, worlds, scenarios, etc. and then sharing these ideas through drawings, short-stories, DMing for table top games, role-playing, or heck just sitting with someone who wants to hear it and talking out loud about it. That's just half of it. I haven't even talked about getting to enjoy and or interact with other peoples creations.

Comedy - Humor holds a special place in my heart. I love jokes and the joy of being silly. Laughter is the most beautiful sound someone can make. Whether making someone laugh with my own jokes or laughing along to someone else's. Having a good sense of humor and knowing not everything has to be taken seriously leads to a happy life. Comedy can keep people humble when they get too full of themselves but it also helps cheer people up when they are down.

Tragedy - Hey man, everything in balance ya know? I know I just got done saying all that stuff about comedy and joy but a world full of only punchlines ain't for me. If you know me, you know I love a good tragedy. I LOVE putting characters in situations. Not every story has to have a happy ending. I will quickly clarify I am mainly referring to tragedies that come from fictional sources, such as sad movies, books or scenarios I put fictional characters in. But I will say while I derive no joy from real world misfortune, big or small, there is an appreciation for the contrast created when talking about personal misfortune. The sense of relief or triumph wouldn't be as sweet if the bitter taste of defeat wasn't so pungent, ya know?

Hyper-Fixations - I made a whole comic talking about the struggles of hyper-fixating on stuff and how it sucks when you suddenly lose interest in something. But look if you gotta endure the lows you might as well enjoy the highs. Its FUN to find a new source of media/ content and/or some niche interest that just encapsulates you. Heck re-discovering or reigniting an old fixation is fun! I dunno, this one really doesn't need as much explaining I feel, its fun to be interested in stuff.

[kuroo-suno]

Hey, random question but ik you read some shoujo manga. Do you have any recommendations?

omg i sure do!! sorry if this is long i just really love shoujo ( ‘́⌣’̀) completed series are at the top and currently releasing are after, and i wrote a little about each one (though it's based on memory so it's not exactly detailed).

hopefully at least one of these is enjoyable! i've read loads more but these are some that stick out ♥

Completed:

Chorokute Kawaii Kimi ga Suki

☆ Intimidating, misunderstood sweetheart ML and an endearingly goofy and super-weak-to-romantic-gestures FL

Horimiya

☆ one of my all-time favourites UGH. FL and ML are both completely different outside of school but in vastly different ways and thanks to a chance encounter, they meet and discover that perhaps they both have a little more to offer than what's on the surface ♥♥♥♥

Kanojo ga Kawaisugite Ubaenai

☆ demon ML comes to the human world disguised as a high school student to complete a test to become the next demon lord and the FL has never had friends before and couldn't read any romantic (or warning) signs if they were printed on the inside of her eyelids. ML is also sooo weird and awkward and provides a lot of comic relief

Kawaisugiru Danshi ga Ouchi de Matteimasu

☆ FL is a star employee, but an absolute scrub once she gets home so she offers her friend/ML to live with her rent-free in exchange for his cooking and cleaning services (and to keep her from getting involved with losers)

Living no Matsunaga-san

☆ FL moves into her uncle's boarding house while her parents care for her grandmother and her roommates are quite the array of individuals, including the older ML who shows he cares by being a crabby little nag-machine

Natsuaki-kun wa Kyou mo Kokuhaku Shitai

☆ Aloof and seemingly disinterested ML (main character) pines HARD for the world's cutest girl and is desperately trying to confess

Tsubaki-chou Lonely Planet

☆ i wish i could read this for the first time again tbh. FL gets a job as a live-in housekeeper for a famous author (ML) to help pay back her dad's debts. ML is icy and distant, but FL has a heart of gold fr. This series made me laugh and cry numerous times and reading the last chapter was so bittersweet because i loved getting a conclusion but didn't want it to end yk? (from the same author as hirunaka no ryuusei and uruwashi no yoi no tsuki so no surprise it's 10/10)

Ongoing:

Daifuku-chan to Ouji-sama

☆ Small-town girl moves to the city for university (and to find new love). One of her boarding house roommates is a 10/10 but their first meeting doesn't exactly leave the best impression~

Hikaeme ni Itte mo, Kore wa Ai

☆ one of my all-time favourites?? Super school-focused, perpetually stressed FL comes across the battered and bruised delinquent ML in the rain and patches him up. He makes sure to repay the favour (insert saluting emoji here)

Kaoru Hana wa Rin to Saku

☆ modern day romeo/juliet situation except no one dies! ML and FL are from rival schools (lower-class, bad grades vs wealthy scholars) and are perceived very differently. ML is soft and sweet despite his appearance and encounters FL as a customer at his family's cake shop. She treats him differently than others have (read: like a human person) and oooooo it's so sugary!!

Super no Ura de Yani Suu Futari *technically seinen but........

☆ 45 y/o ML's only joys in life are going to the convenience store to talk to his favourite bubbly cashier and smoking out back with an edgy young woman who he's definitely more familiar with than he realizes..........

Uruwashi no Yoi no Tsuki

☆ FL presents much less feminine than her peers earning her the nickname of "prince" and she's always treated as such. But then she meets ML who is a fellow """prince""" and he sees her for who she is and appreciates her beauty both inside and out~

Yamaguchi-kun wa Warukunai

☆ FL has an unfortunate run-in with a creep on the train en route to her first day of high school and is saved by her delinquent classmate (ML). he's in everyone's bad books but the more she learns about him, the more determined she gets to change his reputation

Yubisaki to Renren

☆ FL is a deaf and lovely, but sheltered, college student and has a chance encounter with the ML, who is much more worldly and adventurous than she is annnnd cue tears fr

i almost added about 600 000 000 000 more but i'll hold back for now LOL if you have any recs or want to talk shoujo, please don't hesitate to reach out!!

[hide-your-bugs-away]

Where did you watch Don't Look Back (1964)? I've been wanting to watch it for a while now because I'm always itching for literally ANY Alan Price content but I don't know where to find it to watch it. I was wondering if you knew?

HELLO AAAAA THANK YOU FOR REACHING OUT TO ASK!! Dont Look Back is constantly playing on loop in my brain... my favorite movie of all time, no contest, and not just because the fruity and moody piano man who changed my life plays the comic relief and emotional linchpin (though, I could honestly write a huge analysis on the significance of his role in the film as a whole)... it's such a great time that perfectly encapsulates why I love that era of music so much - especially that snapshot-existence of early-'65. 🥹

(More under the cut because Connie starts rambling...)

Anyway, the place I originally watched the film was on YouTube (back in 2020!) A full, high-quality upload of the movie was on the platform (miraculously never taken down for copyright) for years... up until that stupid SESAC situation happened on YouTube a couple of months back. A lot of Bob's content was caught in the crossfire, and while most of the music and videos came back, those full uploads of Dont Look Back are all gone now for some reason. There is still one single upload of the movie on YouTube, however, it's AI-colorized and upscaled to... mixed results 😬 Putting aside my own feelings and negative bias towards AI tools being used in that way (especially because the colorization of films can be an expression of art in itself), it just doesn't look super good?? In my opinion?? It just superimposes a lot of oranges and browns to everyone's skin and hair and that's it,, not a lot of those truly striking colors that 60s London was known for, especially in the mod/beat scenes. Not to mention, like a lot of black and white movies from that time period, it honestly feels *best* to experience it the way that people 60 years ago saw it, because the choice to make it black and white in the first place was an artistic decision, in a lot of ways (along with being a practical choice on Pennebaker's part, no doubt).

All of that to say... I have both Dont Look Back and 65 Revisited saved to my Google Drive and I'd be happy to share it with you 👀 Alan's in only a bit of 65 Revisited, but it's the part in the Newcastle tie shop which is 10/10. I also have Snapshots from the Tour saved on my computer - it isn't saved on my Google Drive yet, but I can send it your way as well if you'd like 🙏 There's a great scene in that one where Alan's talking about blues music with Albert Grossman (Bob's manager) and Tom Wilson (Bob's record producer, later for the Animals as well after they ditched Mickie Most) and agghhhgGggh IT'S SO FASCINATING TO WATCH. ALSO. ALAN PRICE CIRCA 1965. AAAAAA. Freshly seperated from the band (and the Eric) who introduced him to that music in the first place... CRIES SO LOUDLY.

SO.... yes!!! Feel free to message me and I'll share that link with you!! 🥹 IT'S SUCH A GREAT AND FUNNY AND INTRIGUING MOVIE whether you're a Bob Dylan fan or Donovan fan or Alan Price fan or just a fan of that era of music in general AAAAA as I said before... IT CHANGED MY LIFE. ALAN PRICE HAS A MENTAL BREAKDOWN AND I HAVE NEVER BEEN THE SAME. /pos

[7grandmel]

Todays rip: 26/04/2024

A.U.B.R.E.Y (Vagrant Juice and Clams)

Season 6 Featured on: SiIvaGunner's Highest Quality Rips: Volume FF

Ripped by AubyLover29

Unfortunately requested by crickqt! (Tumblr Askbox)

Oh god, uh, where to begin with this one. Do any of you remember the Raft Ride event I had on here, on April 1st? Yeah, Raft Ride ~ The Story So Far - through my commitment to the bit, I had to try and talk about a LOT of different jokes and bits, ones I'd expressed fondness for already, and ones I still didn't know what to really make of. Of course, it was balanced out by the very nature of the event being that I didn't take the posts all too seriously, I wrote a good few of them half-asleep at my desk, yet serious or not, at 10:16PM on April 1st 2024, I reached Wanna See My Raft?. Right at that moment, I had to confront the demon I'd long wanted to ignore - and today, with A.U.B.R.E.Y (Vagrant Juice and Clams), I've decided its time to face the demon head-on. Today, we're talking about SML, and talking about Jeffy.

Truth be told, for as much as I love to think back to my youngest years on the internet, the affection I have for Dreamscape and Paralyzer and all that which I talked about in How 2 Do Anything - I somehow managed to avoid SuperMarioLogan for all that time. Maybe my YouTube recommendations were just kind to me, or my young brain just didn't really get the appeal of plush/puppet videos, but I steered clear of the channel despite its absurd popularity. If you've never heard of SML, you've missed an absolute titan of children's YouTube, a channel that gets 2 to 3 million views per upload, with videos made at a rate of 3 per week. Whether or not the videos are GOOD is another matter entirely - to some, its just typical Kids YouTube slop, but others have been following the channel's history for years and witnessed first-hand just how outright insane its storylines have become. What began as just a series of skits with Mario characters in wacky situations slowly began to get edgier in the mid-2010s YouTube landscape: the videos would play with outright racist and homophobic jokes, depictions of sex work and drug abuse, full-on SUICIDE jokes - all still attached to a channel with Mario puppets and with a target audience consisting mostly of children. It got to the point where Nintendo themselves had to step in with a legitimate pen-to-paper DMCA takedown request - and in the years since, the channel has continued on much the same course, but with all Mario characters replaced with human look-a-likes.

It's an absolutely insane rabbithole to go down, a core pillar of kids YouTube's seedy underbelly, yet one that for some reason or another keeps being brought up in online discussion, mainly by terminally online adults like myself. And so, SML-posting began sneaking its way into SiIvaGunner's rips as early as the start of Season 4 Episode 1, but has slowly been growing in frequency as of late, all headlined by SML's new mascot post-Nintendo takedown - Jeffy. A comic relief stupid shithead character now sitting as the channel's main character, Jeffy is, put bluntly, an outright agent of chaos the likes of which I do not wish to describe in detail. A demon in man's clothing, a creature unable to be tamed, a man who fears no god. And, indeed, the main star of SuperMarioLogan, and by proxy, the main voice to be heard in all rips made of the channel.

In a way, Jeffy is akin to those "cursed" SiIva memes that have always existed in some form or another. Astronaut in the Ocean, Yankin, The Bean - I've covered the former two plenty in rips like Aquarium in the Ocean and the latter's infamy is one of the most notable events from Season 1 of the channel. Yet in comparison to those three, Jeffy's prominence on SiIva seems to have slipped under the radar in a lot of ways, his true power yet to be felt. There hasn't been an SML takeover, none of the rips have truly blown up - its as if the demon is biding his time, known to be lurking only by some channel die-hards like myself, yet still obscured from the public consciousness of the masses. And in the meantime, we're getting rips like A.U.B.R.E.Y (Vagrant Juice and Clams) - all paying a disturbing amount of reverence and attention to this false deity.

Kirby Planet Robobot is a very special game on SiIvaGunner, and has been since the start of Season 2, arguably even since The Reboot: Through rips like Mother's・Caption (We Paused The Channel For HOW Long?! Mix) and The Noble Haltmann, it is THE game most closely tied to the channel's ongoing lore in the Christmas Comeback Crisis, the kind of game where any rip of it is bound to catch the attention of viewers. Of the game's soundtrack, P-R-O-G-R-A-M sits above all in terms of significance, tied to everything from The Reboot to the Inspector Gadget takeover of Become as Gadget - its a theme that is at once intense and climactic, yet also sounds as if it is falling apart at the seams, a digital system being broken apart by an unknown invader. And amidst all of this context, all this weight that P-R-O-G-R-A-M holds - or at least, has held to me ever since way back in 2017 - we get a rip of it using fucking JEFFY. And I'm supposed to just understand what that means and move on with my life?

All jokes aside, I do genuinely have to admire the effort put into A.U.B.R.E.Y (Vagrant Juice and Clams) despite (or, god forbid, BECAUSE) of its sources. The core of the rip uses several different Jeffy sources, primarily the bizarrely-real songs performed by the character himself, Wanna See My Pencil and Why?, referencing the characer's main running gags - these are mixed together with other Jeffy-related SML clips to add to the cacophony of noise throughout the rip. Althewhile completely left-field sources are added to..."compliment" the main track - the full-blast sound of Keemstar yelling, the "Nintendo Diss Track", a section played to the tune of Penis Music (dong music, anyone?)...its all so utterly unhinged, yet remains...ominous, in a way, throughout? Like, I have to admit that it does all kind of work, I love the use of WHYYY? for the bridge - but I still can barely even discern what would drive one to gas up JEFFY of all memes to the extent AubyLover29 has done here.

Then again, AubyLover29 in general is a bit of an enigma on the channel - you may have noticed that the title A.U.B.R.E.Y (Vagrant Juice and Clams) has absolutely nothing to do with the joke of this rip whatsoever. This is a constant with all of AubyLover29's rips: they're titled around hit character Auby from Omori rather than their actual contents, and her online presence outside of her rip contributions is seemingly completely nonexistent. Its just one more quirk atop this pile of bizarreness - it all reminds me of when I first had to dig into waterwraith pokos all those months ago. Only here, Jeffy's prominence of the channel is gradually becoming less and less of a secret - his rate of appearances has only gone up since A.U.B.R.E.Y (Vagrant Juice and Clams)'s upload, and I fear for what may happen when a takeover inevitably comes. May god help us all.

[noridal]

free space just means you get to check it off no matter what, no conditions for acquisition :) and do u have other Florida man ship u like besides the pinnacle of Florida? letting u choose 🩵

Oh so you really want to watch the world burn, uh? Well, you'll get a long post about my thoughts on what I've seen in my time of hyperfixating on our lovely Captain.

Starting off strong, we have Flyoming:

The fandom decided that these two gotta be married for that one scene where they stand next to each other, and I'm not having it™. Don't get me wrong, asshole/ray of sunshine is a delicious dynamic, except this is not what's going on here. I like to think that if they're married, they're constantly trying to poison each other or choke their husband in his sleep. They're fucking the same guy because their marriage is open (of course) and enjoy having threesome or regularly attend their favourite swinger's club (to distract themselves from how bad it's going). Why don't they get a divorce? The hatefucking is too good.

Honestly, Wyoming is secretly terrified of Florida (as everyone should be) and Florida, well, dislikes Wyoming (as everyone should), but they can't say it out loud because it wouldn't be nice :)

As colleagues they totally work, maybe even friends. But romantically? This is a trainwreck, RvB fandom.

Let's move on with exactly fucked once(1), Flucker:

I'm unsure wether this would be marked as canon or not. Because Florida definitely would fuck Tucker, but Tucker is too caught up in his "must pretend to be straight" pantomime. Still they both fucked Church at least once. Either way, Flowers/Tucker is either one sided (from Florida's side) or Tucker secretly wants to bang but he isn't ready to admit it.

The potential is there, though. Florida has a daddy kink? Well, Tucker got pregnant. It would make sense if Florida was into that too. Parenting Junior is something Florida would mess up terribly, although I'm pretty sure he'd love his alien kid as much as he seems to love everyone in blue base.

Setting that aside, I'm pretty sure that if Tucker ever got curious enough to try, that would be his first and last time doing whatever Florida's into. Kid's too proud to have someone call him baby boy more than once.

It's great material for a long fic which is half about Tucker coming to term with the fact he's bi and half about how much fucking Captain Flowers was weird af. Or, a pretty steamy single chapter smut fic talking about that one time. Either way I'm going through their tag because there's so little material it only takes 10 minutes.

Talking about daddy kink, it's time for the daddiest ship of them all:

This is the kind of ship that at first you see and think "wtf this doesn't make any sense", but the more you look into it the more you realize these two dads have something in common.

First of all, the comedy here. The irony of Sarge falling for the blue Captain is pure gold. In a barbecue situation, they'd talk non-stop about their adopted kids. They both are definitely into fishing/hunting/diy shit, and exchange progressively more huninged survival tips to each other. Honestly, they just get along.

Another version of them that tickles my brain is "dating before PFL/Blood Gulch" so that. Makes them exes? Either way these guys are old and must have their fair share of dating experience by the time we see them, and once again it would be ironic putting them against each other. Or, since Florida was the one picking the people on red team, you can also picture this as "he just wanted really really bad to have his lover back".

Also, they both have a boner for murder.

In conclusion, there's lots of room for comedy and angst, according to the way you decided to frame it. This could be the dumbest enemies to lovers (to enemies again?) ever, with a twist of feelings in between.

More red team shipping! We have Flonut:

This is THE comic relief ship. Honestly. Flowers and Donut would simply get along, talk about interior design, yoga, and make double entendre 24/7. It's impossible to tell wether they're talking about some Bulgarian sex position or just pudding. The ultimate twink/daddy relationship in RvB.

I like to think they are dating and pretend this doesn't get in the way of their job because they only do it on the weekends, or something. The odd thing is that it works, I can totally see Florida complimenting Donut's aim after getting shot in the stomach, which makes everyone else uncomfortable. The rest of the blues and reds currently discuss wether or not they're really dating despite the both of them stating it openly more than once.

I also like to think that when Doc shows up, he'd join their dates and the three of them definitely have the best of times.

Flowers' death robbed us of many nice things but this is probably one of the best ones.

Bonus crackship:

When confronted with the question "would you fuck your clone?" Florida definitely answers that he's done it already. I'm scared and I will not elaborate further.

[like-sands-of-time]

Ok but the reason shows or movies like the facts of life, boy meets world, dead poets society, etc. All resonated with tweens so much is because they talked about real, serious issues, and didn't talk down to us, the audience, the kids.

Likewise, the reason shows "aren't the same these days" and feel.. empty or without the same cultural impact, is because they aren't actually addressing the same problem kids face no matter what decade we're in. They think all kids have a closet packed with brand clothing, shiny toys and completely personalized rooms with three different wall paints and stairs in their room. They think a lower class kid still has the latest phone and trendy clothes, but just has a single mom who works. Kids complain which they always do, but they are told their complaints are valid instead of proving to them how they're wrong. They've lost touch.

I can't express enough how much the children of today and tomorrow need a show that is modern and inclusive, tween and teen friendly, and serious. A sit com should be serious issues with humor to fall back on. Not empty jokes with five minutes of a "lesson" to be learned. Give the characters happy endings, fine, but show them real repercussions for their actions. Telling ten years olds they can behave like spoiled kids and be validated by their parents is only causing ten year old kids to feel they can behave that way. Hmmm I wonder what the connection could be

We need a show(s) with kids growing up and figuring themselves out in the modern age, but realistically I beg of you. Disney shows are doing nobody any favors. Show kids of darker skin tones as important characters, not just stereotypes. Show kids exploring romantic identities in more than the traditional way and make !! It !! Clear !!! No more subtext. If you can't say that a boy is blushing over going on a date to the mall with another boy then don't fucking bother. "Queerbaiting" is out. Queerness being a NORMAL thing in tv, nobody making it a big deal, is the only way it will become a normal thing in our own society. So that girl likes girls. Is she a decent person? What's her character like? Etc.

Show real issues. Show the kids working through them and understanding them, even applying them to conveniently related situations. Show them getting into trouble and having adults they can rely on to be serious and loving, not indulgent and borderline negligent.

If there must be relationships, listen to the audience! Chandler and Monica worked for a reason. But also, sometimes the Cory and Topanga, Ross and Rachel, storyline isn't the most important. Yes they're the main characters in their story, but in a show about a group, they're only two people. The Shawn and Angela, Chandler and Monica stories worked even though the writers didn't care as much about them, cough shangela cough. And sometimes you don't need a comic relief character you dump scene fillers on. A character everyone just bullies or calls/thinks them dumb. It's not necessary. They can have meaningful plots too if you actually put in the work and keep all your charts organized

The point of all of this is, if it ever reaches someone who writes for tv, those shows impacted us so much as 10, 11, 12 year olds and we didn't even realize. There's an opening for meaningful, daring, unique and "ahead of it's time" tv. because that's what it'll be the whole time. People will drag their feet and maybe the ratings or social media reviews will be on both ends of the spectrum but it's worth it when we think about how much the characters affect us and our own dreams for the future. I don't need high school or middle school stories anymore, but that doesn't mean kids don't.

[connyscomics]

Our Dreams at Dusk by Yuhki Kamatani

Trans rep: 8/10

General Enjoyment: 9/10

Age rating: 10+

After my last read, this one was definitely a relief emotionally (though it's not all happy by any means). I got recced this comic by a school friend, and, honestly, I'm so thankful for the recommendation because this one is just fantastic! The story follows Tasuku Kaname, a young teenager who is coming to terms with being attracted to other guys. Tasuku is called gay by some of his classmates and runs away in a flurry of emotion, bumping into the enigmatic Anonymous along the way. This experience leads him to a lounge where LGBTQ people in his community gather to hang out and work on community restoration projects. In this group, Tasuku gets to meet a number of different people with a lot of different identities/experiences. He meets a young boy who likes to present feminine and is unsure about whether he truly is a boy, as well as an older transmasc individual who is dealing with the conflict between his past as a "girl" and the present-day living as himself. Tasuku also meets a younger lesbian couple who are struggling to be open about their relationship (outside of the group) and an older gay man whose partner is terminally ill but they are partially separated due to a complex family situation. Lastly, and probably most importantly, the girl Tasuku meets at the beginning, Anonymous, turns out to be aro/ace, which the story represents in a really accurate and respectful way!

The trans representation in this story is good, but not the central focus. Instead, the comic discusses a series of different queer identities and how all of them intersect. It's honestly one of the best representations of the queer community as a whole that I've ever seen in a manga, rivaled only by a manga I reviewed a while back titled "Love Me For Who I Am".

[incorrectoverthehedge]

How fun it is to write each character!

So I'm doing some a bit different, and I'm going to talk about each Over the Hedge character and how much fun I have writing them.

RJ - RJ by default is a fun character to write because he's super charismatic, but it's also clear he's got a lot of pent-up issues he hides behind the mask. I've always had a love for writing characters who have a lot more problems than one would think, so RJ's immediately up my alley. Plus, we kind of think alike and I like to think out of all the characters, RJ's just naturally easy to imitate if you have confidence. 9/10

Verne - Verne so far is kind of tough to write, and I think it's because I find him kind of boring for the most part. He's not bad at all, but compared to the other characters that I actually have legitimate plans for, he's the one I have the least amount for. 5/10

Hammy - Hammy is a mixed bag for me so far. On one hand, I actually have plans for him to develop into more than just a comic relief character, and I think there is a side of him that I want to explore a bit more. On the other hand, his humor is not one that particularly speaks to me, and thus, it's harder to write out. Maybe it's because I'm too old to really appreciate his style, but I just have a really tough time thinking of jokes that are not only funny and in character for him, but don't come off as random. 7/10

Stella - Stella...might be my favorite to write from a comedy standpoint. I notice that every time there's a snarky one-liner or a fourth-wall break, it's usually Stella doing it, which kind of speaks to how much I enjoy writing her. It also helps that I have plans for her as well, so the future is looking bright for her. What makes her not perfect however is the fact I can't really get her speaking style down. It's a bit weird to write for me. 9/10

Heather - Oh yes. Heather is really fun to write because she's in a way, one of the more normal Hedgies, and that makes her extremely flexible when it comes to not only plots, but also jokes as well. I particularly love writing about her one-sided crush on RJ. She's pretty much head over heels (or tails) for him, but at the end of the day, she considers him a friend above all. Oh yeah, and I adore writing Stella and Heather's friendship. 10/10

Ozzie - Ozzie's someone that I also have plans for, but at the moment they're a lot more...further away. He's kind of used as not only comic relief, but also part of Heather's development. It's not the best, I'm aware, but trust me, Ozzie will start to show his own character soon. 6/10

Lou/Penny - They're both here because for the most part they're exactly the same character. They're somehow simultaneously the most normal of the Hedgies but also one of the most restrictive ones. Their nature makes their plotlines and overall potential for humor really limited. If I were to rank them individually, I'd put Penny above Lou solely because I think Penny has a bit more potential due to being a mother figure of sorts. Lou 4/10, Penny 5/10.

The Triplets - I've never liked writing kids. It's super difficult for me because I have the urge to add on more to them, but then I remember they're kids and that plot goes right out the window. Is there any wonder why they haven't really had that major of a role yet? 2/10

Tiger - The more I think about Tiger the more interest I have in writing him. For a while I forgot about him, but deciding to be one of the voices of reason, yet simultaneously say it in the most sarcastic way possibly makes for some good comedy. Plus I have plans for Tiger that show he's not just a pompous snarker, but an incredibly loyal member of the Hedgies. 8/10.

Dwayne - My problem with writing Dwayne is how can you improve on perfection? He's got such a great sense of humor that, try as I may, I can never replicate. 5/10.

Gladys - She's easy to write, just make her a Karen. But she's in such specific situations that it's not really that fun. 3/10

Vincent - Never was that invested in him in the movie, and bringing him back just feels so contrived. If I were to bring him back, I'd have to do it in a very specific way, and even then, he'd just be coming back for revenge. Not much funny I can do with him. 1/10

[jasonsutekh]

Snow White: The Fairest of Them All (2001)

An evil witch becomes a wife and stepmother but is too obsessed with being the most beautiful in the land so seeks to destroy her new family.

 It’s often refreshing to see a new spin on an old story but each successive new spin has to be more inventive which leads it further away from the classic material. This retelling is more sensitive to the shorter characters, although they still end up carrying much of the comic relief. There’s also some interesting background for the magic and an explanation as to how it all came together.

 In every scene the view is over-exposed to make it look more like a fairytale, however it gets very distracting and whenever the darker elements are introduced they lose their impact because everything is far too bright and sunny. The narrative mixes together elements of a few stories which also makes it a little busy and allows the characters to essentially cheat their way out of most situations.

 There’s a good range of magic abilities so there’s often something visually entertaining, even if the CGI doesn’t quite meet with any high standards. There’s little actual comedy in the film and most of it isn’t even terribly amusing apart from some of the acting which is competent, the best it gets is mildly pleasant.

 Although there’s a good cast, several of the actors were underused and few got to express much range. Most of the action isn’t due to positive decision making which made it feel as though the characters were at the mercy of the narrative rather than having to actually do anything. This also made the ending underwhelming since they didn’t deliberately achieve anything.

 3/10 -This one’s bad but it’s got some good in it, just there-

[elrhinochtone]

Things to do in your V:tM game

1 - One of your player's character has an established gay relationship :

Have a Baron / Harpy / Important Elder they do NOT want to fuck with summon them at some point. The elder was embraced sometimes in the 1500's, and is undergoing a bit of a sexual/romantic awakening. They want the character to coach them through dating mortals to get the hang of this whole "gay" thing.

Treat this seriously. The Elder is treating it deadly fucking seriously. Make it clear that any amount of mockery, sass or incredulity will trigger 500 year's worth of internalized homophobia and will not end well for the PC. Cackle as they try to navigate an elder through the local dating scene.

Use it as an alternating source of tension and comic relief. For the first, just roleplay your classic "I am obviously terribly out of touch but will kill you at the slightest excuse" Elder. For comic relief, just have them text "I wish to learn more about this 'grinder' location you spoke of", or have a ghoul quietly commiserate in the corner or drop a bit of dry humor on the situation.

Getting through the initial "elder is geh" bit without killing the player is the tricky part. Make sure to lay it thick with the reminders that you do NOT want to piss them off.

2 - None of your players know about the extended White Wolf universe :

Have a Werewolf show up once. They are fully capable of obliterating the entire coterie. Things start out hostile - demonstrate, in game, that it can and will kill them if they piss them off. Stick them in a situation where they need each other, and the second the PCs realize they can't fight that thing they'll be quick to point it out, giving you the opportunity to have the Were start a fight without actually killing them all - they accept the need for cooperation when it comes up.

Like 10 sessions later, mention something about a wolf attack. Watch the PCs squirm.

Even later, the same werewolf shows up at their door : they want something. Let them have fun lording it over them, let them joke around and shit. Mid-way through the quest, an entire pack shows up : the thing they want is actually a Thing, and shit's about to go down for the Garou Nations.

Once the scenario is resolved, never mention the Garou again. Beyond the moment-to-moment gameplay, this is a "breathing world" thing - serious stuff is going on outside of the player's sphere of interest and control.

3 - One of your Players knows about the extended white wolf universe :

Hint that the above is happening : Wolf attacks, or, if the players know about Mage instead, strange happenings as a crazy homeless man points at someone and a gas pipe 'coincidentally' explodes at the exact same time. Adapt for Changeling, etc.

Then have the actual thing be completely different. The wolf attacks are some sort of CIA 'direwolf' experiment, the homeless man is actually a psychic desperately trying to warn people about imminent dangers, etc.

This is a weak one to end on, I know, but it's very important that your veteran players get the message that they do not know what's waiting out there. Vampire is, in part, about being a big fish in a small pond, knowing there's an ocean worth of horrors out there. If the players know what's in that ocean it doesn't work.

If you have players that know the lore, rewrite the lore. It matters.

[lunatic-fandom-space]

Sissi, die junge Kasierin (1956) [Sissi, the Young Empress]

This was a really good one and I had a great time watching it. I felt a little bit of dread towards the end, but not nearly as much as in the first film, and I think that was mainly because it somehow just feels wrong to have a film about Elisabeth end happily, but thats a me-thing

And I mean, the throughline of the film was Elisabeth and Sophie fighting over her daughter so there were some scenes there that I did find as upsetting as that scene in the first one where they talk during the ball, but that 'upsettingness' didnt stick with me after the ending because that conflict ultimately does get resolved. Also, this ending of her being crowned queen of hungary didnt give me that feeling of "oh noooooo, Im just watching this poor girl lock herself in this horrible situation" that the wedding at the end of the first movie gave me. I also thought the tone of this film was a lot better overall, the first one really frontloaded all of its romantic silliness and then most of the drama was in the second half, whereas this one felt a lot more balanced. It also felt a lot less like it was actively trying to be funny, like there were a couple of jokes curtesy of that comic relief-major from the first film, but it was mostly just a little silly, which I liked a lot

Other than the stuff with Sophie, this film also dealt with politics regarding hungary and Elisabeth and Franz Joseph becoming king and queen of hungary which I thought was pretty interesting, even though that plotline did feel pretty shallow. It was basically just, Elisabeth loves hungary and the people of hungary love her and Franz Joseph wants to mend relations with hungary and he does that with the help of Elisabeth with basically no issues other than 'his mom and ministers dont like that' and it all works out fine. But idk, I did still like it

Then there was of, course, Elisabeth and Franz Joseph's relationship which I thought was very cute. I was really rooting for them, which is surprising because I was honestly expecting to really dislike him during the Sophie-stuff and him taking his mother's side, and I mean, he's not my favorite but I mostly just wanted him to listen to Elisabeth and work things out with her, like I wasnt mad at him at any point. Now that I think about it, I wasnt really mad at Sophie either even though I feel like she was about as hateable as you can get without going completely over the top. huh. I guess these characters just dont inspire a lot of emotion in me, other than Elisabeth but that goes without saying, Im sure you could already tell that I sympathize with her a lot from my last review lol

I think the sets were of about the same quality as the ones in first film, but the costumes were soooooo beautiful, much better than the ones in the first one imo. I especially liked the light blue dress Elisabeth wore when she went back home after having that big fight with Sophie and Franz Joseph, the dress she wore to the ballet and her coronation dress, they all looked absolutely gorgeous. The only outfit in this whole movie that I thought looked bad was the one she wore when she accepted becoming queen of hungary. It was this red dress with white accents and she wore a green jacket over one shoulder like a cape and its like "oh, I get it, its the hungarian flag colors" except the jacket is a completely different shade of green than the one in the flag and it clashes with the dress and it looks bad. Also, this isnt something that looked bad and its not even really a complaint per se, but all the women were wearing this bright red lipstick and I found it very distracting. Theres even a scene with Elisabeth's younger siblings (who I think are like 4-10 years old) where you can see that one of the girls is wearing it which was pretty weird. But I guess that was just the trend at the time

Anyway, pretty much my only real criticism of this film, other than it being kinda shallow which isnt really a criticism I have anyway because I still think its good, is that the editing was kinda choppy at times. Like, sometimes they would cut from one scene to another scene and it would feel really jarring and abrupt, or they would do a fade-transition but instead of smoothly fading from one scene into the other or fading to black before fading to another scene, they would start to fade out and then have a hard cut to the next scene before the previous one was even gone, it was quite unpleasant.

I dont have anything to say about the actors, they were the same ones from the first film giving the same good performances, so that's pretty much it. It's a good film, I liked it a lot better than the first one and Im very excited to watch the grand finale of this trilogy, Im very curious what theyre gonna do there.

I only have one last thing to say that didnt really fit anywhere else:

Im having a lot of trouble wording this properly, but you can really see how this film ended up influecing Elisabeth: das Musical. Like, during her big argument with Sophie and Franz Joseph, Elisabeth ends up saying something along the lines of "So youre on her side in this, against me" (thats a pretty bad translation tbh but Im not in good headspace for that rn) which is very similar to one of her lines in Die ersten vier Jahre