#Arc of Inifinity

[loveologistic]

can i just say how awesome ufotable is??? they definitely did justice to the series. this season is filled with extraordinary animation.

[just-someone-online]

Deadass it's probably a good thing for everybody that I wasn't on FT tumblr a decade ago. I promise, 13yo me likely Would Not have shut up about Wendy or Michelle

[giffingthingsss]

Finally watched Avengers Endgame

Having not seen any marvel films for a while, I have to say they are pretty well done. I didn't notice any gaping plot issues, except perhaps for the question of why they couldn't snap Tony back after it all, but maybe they explained that, idk. I'm fine with his death though. Bookends the series.

I actually loved Thor going through an emotional crisis and just needing to talk to his mom. Been there. That will cure pretty much anything.

I never liked this version of captain america. I know, I know that's like, anathema or something, apparently. I kept waiting for him to turn to dust at the end of inifinity war, but alas. But he was watchable.

I actually had no problem with just leaving half the universe dead, which is why I didn't watch Endgame until extreme boredom this weekend. I liked the boldness of Infinity War and was uninterested in just reversing the whole thing.

It's interesting though that this is a 'bringing back' without making it as if it never happened.

I wish I liked Captain Marvel because that whole thing would have been super cool if I did. I know what she's going for, but unfortunately she just comes across as a dismissive 'i'm way better than you' person. Other characters also adopt that kind of persona, but we see the gaping vulnerabilities beneath. They know they're effed up inside and we see them putting on a front. With Marvel I get no front.

People slammed the chick in Dial of Destiny as the same kind of thing, but she had layers. The parts she was covering were clearly there. Not the movie's fault if people didn't see them.

I thought they did pretty good with handling her overpowered...ness in the plot though.

The shot with all the women was just like... Stop thinking women want this. Stop thinking we want forced moments. Just make interesting, complex characters and have them be people. You weirdos.

Some stuff with the dudes was forced too. Again I have opposite taste. ('avengers...assemble'. universe cheers, i roll my eyes in the back of the theater)

Loved the scene with Tony and his dad. There's one kind of forced line I would have cut, but other than that.

I liked the movie taking its time with emotional payoffs to character arcs. Long movie, but it's the end of the story, so. Send it off properly.

I think Scott was actually my favorite thing. Normal guy with no baggage from the last five years just wants to eat his taco.

[timelordpropaganda]

Did you design former Lord President Borusa’s outfit? I’m watching a recording of Omega coming over and his outfit’s on point.

Hello Anon,

I did in fact design that outfit! It was one of my favorites! Vulca and I did the collar together over the course of a few days and she made that hat and good heavens I screamed when I saw it! I loved that gown I made him too, it looked amazing and complimented his undertones gorgeously. 

I am not sure how much President Borusa liked being fussed over by the two of us the day he was getting fitted but, he did say to Vulca that I was the reason his Prydonian Cardinals had better be paying attention to the other Chapters and their discourse. He compared our eye for detail to the work done in the High Council.

Vulca also asked if he had the presidential authority to order me to clean up my work bench in our apartment and to not leave my finished brushes in the sink which actually made him laugh which was amazing as I had not really seen him do that before.

A pity he ended up being crazy. I had no idea thats why he had ordered that black and silver outfit for. I had assumed he was getting into some more risqué extracurriculars which, no judgement on my part, being Lord President I’m sure is stressful... 

I also adored working with Lady Thalia during that time. She is so pretty and she trusts me to do what I want.

[tvrningout-archived]

thanks to reading the inifinity train arc, below we get to take a look at what my kny kiddos’ subconscious would each look like :’ )

yu: before you stands an ocean, the water towering over you in a display that reminds you this isn’t reality. you stick a tentative hand within, and it almost feels as if the ocean takes you by the hand. then you’re under water, gently cradled by the current. you aren’t being swept away, though, but rather guided along. it’s warm here, and you aren’t sure how, but you can breathe without choking on the water. the current leads you right to the core, which radiates a gentle glow; it beckons you closer, as though lonely.

mizu: you’re inside a forest, but you don’t feel lost among the towering trees, nor do you feel lonely. with rabbits hopping around your feet, the wildlife acts as though it wants you to follow, and you do; the birds sing overhead so you never wonder which way to go next, and soon you see a young fawn crouch beside a pond. you look into its depths and see something glimmering beneath the waters. when you reach in and finally hold it in your hands, the core’s light softly embraces you. 

hyouka: there is a mountain before you, presenting a daunting challenge if you wish to reach the blazing light at its peak. it is a perilous climb, full of false footholds and loose rocks that nearly send you tumbling back down. a little bruised and bloody, you reach the mountaintop only to find your prize surrounded by a ring of fire. the flames stretch and hiss at your approach, and though the core shines brilliantly, you get the feeling it is afraid. to your surprise, the fire doesn’t burn you when you reach out your hand, instead making a path for you to cross. it is then you realize the core’s light is dimmer than you thought, and there are cracks that do not shine at all.

satsuki: you’re suddenly inside of a house, and the first room feels terribly cold. you fear you might freeze. the further you progress, though, the warmer it becomes in each room until it is comfortably cozy, like the warmth of your loved one’s embrace. there’s one room whose door will not budge no matter how much force you use; not even the rice paper will tear under your insistent fingers. it isn’t until you desperately whisper please and press your head against the door that it finally opens. inside, you find a dimly glowing core. though intact, it appears cracked. 

[shazzeaslightnovels]

April 2021

(Series: Honzuki no Gekokujou | Artist: You Shiina)

No. of Reviews: 9

Like I said I would, I’ve only picked up Zombieland Saga Revenge and SSSS.Dynazenon so far this season. I liked the first season of Zombieland Saga well enough but it wasn’t a favourite of mine like it was for some people. It had some great episodes but it didn’t quite come together in the end for me. Still, I’m pretty excited to see what Revenge does for the characters, especially Yuugiri, who I wanted more of in season 1. Dynazenon is full of mysteries and fun so far. Really enjoying it. Digimon Adventure: is still surprising me each week with how fun it has been lately. Not every episode has been a hit for me but it’s mostly been a blast.

Catching up a little bit on shows from last season, I finished 4 shows. I went into Tomozaki-kun hoping that it would give me motivation to read more of the light novels but the anime just reminded me of why I wasn’t a massive fan of the first volume and that is the pacing and the narration. It feels like a lot of the scenes just go on for a moment too long and start to feel dragged out and the anime didn’t cut as much as it should have, in my opinion, though I’m sure that fans were happy with how faithful it was. I did like how it explored the characters and their flaws, but I doubt I’ll ever pick the light novel up again. I really liked the first half of Sk8 the Inifinity but I found it got too angsty in the second half and I wasn’t satisfied with the ending. I also got annoyed at how we never really saw Langa lose and it took out the tension from the final match because he seemed unbeatable at that point. I think it needed another cour to flesh out the characters and the conflicts more but I still had a lot of fun watching it. Idoly Pride was fine. I liked that it was more about grief than about being an idol but I thought most of the characters didn’t receive satisfying development or exploration. Sakura felt like the only character who received a proper character arc and even Kotono didn’t feel like she was explored enough. I did like that it had a twenty-year-old idol though. That’s not something you see everyday. I really enjoyed Heaven’s Design Team. It was so much fun and I came out of each episode feeling like I’d learnt something new. It took me a little while to get really into it but I was hooked by the end. I want a second season, mostly because I’d like to see the creation of the Cassowary. I think my only complaint is that I’d like to have seen more details in the “animals that actually exist” segments. My favourites of the season were definitely Laid-back Camp 2 and Heaven’s Design Team, with a slight preference for LBC2.

There are a couple of reasons why my reading has slown down lately. Mostly, I think I’m just a bit burnt-out on light novels for the moment but it’s also because I have a bad habit where I will sometimes get impatient and rush through volumes and I’m trying to get rid of that habit so that I can enjoy the act of reading more. I’ll be trying to read more next month, if I can.

List of Reviews:

Tsuki to Laika to Nosferatu 6

Kimi ni Sasageru Eiyuuroku 1

Majo no Tabitabi 7

Hataraku Maou-sama! 12

Honzuki no Gekokujou 4

Influence Incident 1

Seijo-sama wa Zangyou Teate wo Goshomou desu

Honzuki no Gekokujou 5

Maou Gakuin no Futekigousha 1

Next month, a new volume of Kami wa Game ni Ueteiru is coming out so that’s exciting.

[darisu-chan]

TTYBW Should’ve Been Bleach’s Endgame: An Analysis

So given the fact the anime is coming back (...sigh...) I want to talk about why TTYBW won’t work in the anime either unless it has some major structural changes in the plot, battles and characters.

Let me explain why.

TTYBW is the final arc in Bleach as a story. It was the moment to tie down a lot of plot points that were left hanging for several years, starting from Ichigo’s true origins which remained a mystery from the very beginning. It was a way to introduce the Quincy too, an elusive race we really didn’t know much about except through what Uryu knew, as Ryuken never provided any new information. We wanted to know many other things related to several characters we had come to love through the years, but specially see where exactly Ichigo would end up, or rather, how much stronger he would become now as a true Shinigami given the end of the last arc.

And though we got some answers, character development was stunted for our main cast, even Ichigo after so many revelations didn’t grow as much as he should have. Rukia and Uryu got sidelined, which hurts in Uryu’s case as this was his personal arc. Aizen and Urahara, who had the key to much of the knowledge of whatever was happening, didn’t do much or provided many answers.The Quincy were forgettable at best, with few exceptions. Yhwach was the greatest disappointment as the final antagonistic force, and the final battle was probably the worst out of all the major battles fought. Wasting time and space for two full chapters about how all is well now, instead of immediate repercussions or a grander battle was also a let down and a very unreasonable decision to make.

This said, I don’t mean to imply the whole arc was a waste of time, but it definitely could have been much better.

The way it was set it was kind of like what Marvel did with Inifinity War and Endgame. After years of caring about a variety of characters, we were meant to see them confront their greatest foe yet, making characters who had never met or were at odds with one another unite against the same enemy. With the stakes raised so high, it was meant to be a dramatic experience that got the audience invested.

In Bleach’s case, the stakes were raised at an all time high. We were talking about the end of the whole world as we knew it. If our characters were to fail, not only would Soul Society (and the souls in it) cease to exist, but also the Human World and Hueco Mundo would have a similar fate. This was the set up for the whole cast to work together against the Quincy, to put their differences aside for a just cause. To a lesser extent, they did, but not in the level they were suppossed to be. Remember, this is the end of the world. This is not a one character will die, or only SS will be affected and the rest of us can move on. No. This was all or nothing, and the truth is the writing didn’t treat it like it was.

Yhwach wasn’t just a villain like Aizen who was still very human. Aizen wasn’t a force that couldn’t be dealt with. He was tough, not only because of his powers but because of his mind. That was what was the most interesting aspect. His intelligence against brute force, which is why it took Urahara planning ahead to defeat him. With Aizen it wasn’t a battle of strenght but more of wits. And every time characters treated it as a matter of strength, they failed (Shinji, Gin, Yamamoto, Ichigo). That’s why Urahara ultimately defeating him through Ichigo made sense. A lot of people got mad, but, really, only Urahara was suppossed to match Aizen in intelligence, no one else. Yhwach, on the other hand, was pure strength. I’m not saying he was an idiot, but his powers made him overpowered. Whereas Aizen used his own powers to accomodate his plans, he used other resources such as manipulation, distractions, and using his opponent’s weaknesses against them to win. Yhwach, meanwhile, didn’t need to plan that much ahead given the fact he was so strong. Yes, he did manipulate his followers into doing his bidding, but at the end they were distractions at best, as he by himself could have defeated everyone just by knowing the future. There were only two characters that could have defeated him: in one future, Ichigo, and according to Haschwalt, Uryu too held the key. But both of these defeats were related to the characters’ powers: Ichigo by using the OG Zangetsu and Uryu with his individual Quincy powers. There was no wit and no plans involved in here.

Yhwach was a forced not to be taken lightly. He defeated Yamamoto, the oldest Shinigami alive and the most powerful one. Remember that Aizen had to develop a Espada specifically to defeat Yamamoto and even then he didn’t actually manage to kill him. Yhwach did kill him. Which in turn made the system of the Gotei 13 collapse as a result, with the need to appoint a new Captain Commander, and also pretty much reducing the morale in the aftermath of the first attack. This results in the Shinigami in positions of power having to put their differences aside to save their world. But there’s a catch. We don’t hear of Central 46 in terms of help. The nobles, except for the ones who are Shinigami, are mute. This could have been the time to meet all inhabitants of the SS, and yet they weren’t present. 

Now, back in HM, we know Harribel, the new queen, is being held captive. Urahara, along with Chad and Orihime, went to HM, probably to get help. When he came back, he brought Grimmjow and Nelliel with him. This was expected. If we are in the endgame, we need all characters to fight together, and Grimm and Nel are two of the most loved Espada. But here’s the thing, if this is a life or death situation, two Espada aren’t going to make it, specially given the fact that they weren’t even the two most powerful ones. And, alright, most Espada died in the Winter Battle, but there were others still alive. Remember, Yhwach shouldn’t be taken lightly. He defeated and killed Yamamoto. His Quincy defeated captain-ranked Shinigami. Why would Grimm and Nel be of that much help? What should really have happened is that Urahara should have used Grimm, Nel and other available hollow to free Harribel and, presumably, others working under her, and convince them to join forces with the Shinigami to save HM. Without SS, HM can’t exist. Urahara staying for so long in HM didn’t pay off when he was clearly needed in SS during that initial attack, when things really went south for the Shinigami. Remember that probably thousands perished then. Urahara’s absence has little payoff then.

Then, on those living in the Human World we have Chad and Orihime, who were sidelined time and time again. The few vizards left in Karakura, who didn’t do much. And, the most interesting ones, the Fullbringers. Remember this arc was set right after TLA one, where the Fullbringers were the main antagonists. Seeing them work together with Ichigo and co. would have reminded us about how high the stakes were, and that people can come together when in need. It would have been a sort of way to forgive and move on. And though we did see them, and Tsukishima and Ginjo did help... it wasn’t what it could have been in terms of impact. For one thing, the emotional impact of killing both Ginjo and Tsukishima on the last arc was entirely lost. The stakes of both fights were entirely diminished. Secondly, the ones who should have been in the actual fights and should have helped defeat Yhwach were the Fullbringers still alive and still very much humans. It wasn’t enough to see Riruka and Yukio. We needed the rest of them there and actually fighting alongside the Shinigami.

Another thing. Though some characters that weren’t Shinigami joined forces and fought against the Wandereich, we seldom saw fights in which we had a Shinigami and a Hollow fighting right next to each other, for example. Like imagine, I don’t know, let’s say Grimmjow fighting side by side with Rukia, a character he had amost killed in the past. There would’ve been a conflict of interests there, but they would have been forced to let bygones be bygones. Yukio fighting alongisde Hitsugaya is another example. The closest we got was Bazz B helping out, which was a great moment and made his death even sadder. But why didn’t we have any more of these moments with the rest of the cast? Bazz B was a character that had just been introduced. Imagine the emotional impact with characters we’ve known for a long time, now fighting together. 

Remember the battle in Fake Karakura, where some captains and vice captains are fighting Aizen and the Espada, and there’s a moment when they feel like they could lose, and the rest aren’t coming any time soon as they’re in HM helping Ichigo and co., but then, out of nowhere, the Vizards make an appearance, ready to fight Aizen. And Shinji says they’re not there to help the Shinigami, but to help Ichigo. Remember what you felt the first time you read/saw that scene? Do you remember the tension, then the relief, then the emotions? Remember that feeling of pride for Ichigo, cause he’d made such an impact in the lives of so many people? Imagine that feeling, but to max capacity if Hollows and Fullbringers would have worked together with the Shinigami to fight the Quincy, and if the main reason is that Ichigo, the one character who belonged in some ways to all of them, had managed to convince them to fight together.

There was no reason to make Ichigo a human/Shinigami/Hollow/Vizard/Fullbringer/Quincy if not to unite all of these groups who were enemies. The only other reason was to make him insanely OP, and even then he wasn’t the strongest. It was a failed opportunity which really dimished the stakes of the story. If only two Espada are fighting, then things won’t be as bad for HM. Except we know they are. If only a few Fullbringers are fighting, then the Human World isn’t in trouble. Except we know it is. Somehow, we had this feeling that Karakura was more in trouble during the Winter War than in here. 

And to top it all, we have Ishida Uryu. 

As the audience, we know Uryu was trying to protect the world. That he was a lot like a Gin, in the sense he was in the enemy ranks with the sole purpose of backstabbing Yhwach, except in his case it was for a selfless reason. Haschwalt is onto him the whole time. But in the eyes of the Shinigami who had come to know him, he had betrayed them. Worst of all, in the eyes of his friends, he had betrayed them. In the eyes of the Wandereich, he was one of them.

So, if Uryu had actually managed to fight alongside Ichigo, imagine that sweet sweet impact. Both hold together by the shared history of their parents that had now come just come to light. Joined together by the fact their mothers had a very similar way, and that tragedy shaped them to be who they were. But above all else, they are joined together by the fact that, before they came to know all of this, before things were this complicated, Uryu and Ichigo were friends already. Despite their initial rivalry, they couldn’t hate each other, and time and time again they had joined forces. Uryu being the only one of his human friends coming to save Ichigo during TLA arc wasn’t in vain. It was to show how far they had come. And during the last arc, this relationship should have been taken to its highest point. Uryu and Ichigo being friends because ultimately being a Quincy or a Shinigami doesn’t matter. What matters is the bond the two have. It would have shown that things can change. That world moves forward. That old grudges can be put aside. That it doesn’t matter what you are. It is how you feel what is important. It should have been the culmination of their shared story.

We were robbed in terms of development of other characters. Since this was Uryu’s arc, his relationship with all of his friends should have been explored, particularly with Ichigo and Orihime. We sort of got it with Ichigo, as I stated above, it should have definitely been more emotional. Then with Orihime, because the two grew very close together. In SS arc they spend a lot of that time together. In HM, Uryu explicitly said he was going there to save Orihime, while the others had another agenda. He was there in the dome when Ichigo fought against Ulquiorra. During the time skip, it is shown they talk a lot together. At the beginning of the last arc, Orihime says this phrase “That’s what I like about you, Ishida-kun” in terms of his relationship to Ichigo. And finally, when they realized Uryu is with the Wandereich, Orihime calls out to him and they share a pained look. There was definitely much more to explore there, but sadly we got nothing and Uryu was sidelined in the final chapter.

Other characters needed more. We never did find out exactly what did Rukia promise to get her bankai. Rukia and Ichigo needed more moments together, as they had a conversation long overdue regarding Masaki and maybe even Kaien. We never see Hitsugaya and Hinamori talking after everything, even when Hitsugaya got stronger, and presumably discovered his true bankai form in his quest to be stronger for her. Hisagi should’ve gotten his bankai there. Ryuken and Uryu never did talk or anything. The six of hearts should’ve fought Yhwach together. In general the final battle should have gone for longer and been better. For a manga in which the fights were always the most important factor, this has got to be the sorriest excuse for a final battle if I have ever seen one. And Aizen’s whole character could have done more. My biggest disappointment was that he didn’t immediately jumped to the chance of being King.

There’s a lot more to point out, but let’s leave it like this.

Now, how can we improve TTYBW so it feels more like an endgame?

Let’s compare it to what is probably the best written arc in Bleach: The Soul Society Arc. Now I admit that the other arcs were great and I enjoyed them a lot, but the SS arc does something which is writing advice 101: keeping the stakes high, so that the tension remains high at all times. When there’s tension, there’s conflict, and conflict is essential for writing. If there’s no conflict, there’s no story. It is as simple as that. Now conflict can be purely psychological. But in stories like Bleach, which follow closely the hero’s journey, the conflict is not only psychological but physical as well.

What TTYBW did which is important is that it raised the stakes so high that now the whole world is at risk, which means our characters, particularly Ichigo, are not allowed to give up and must keep pushing forward. It is all or nothing. The problem was that at times it felt that the matter wasn’t as important. A lot of fights were pointless, there were scenes that could have been cut short, etc. In short, it felt that we were stuck in things that were irrelevant instead of working towards the main goal: defeating Yhwach. Now, in the SS the stakes are not that high for everyone, but they are high for Ichigo, our protagonist. Rukia is going to be executed soon. So, Ichigo must grow stronger to be able to save her. The more the date for Rukia’s execution is moved, the higher the stakes, and the higher the tension. For example, Ichigo has only 3 days to achieve Bankai or else Rukia will die. He cannot give up because if he does, Rukia will end up dead. 

Everything Ichigo does in the SS is destined to his main goal: saving Rukia. Not only does every fight make him stronger and help him get closer to his objective, but each fight manages to befriend his opponents, which is key during Rukia’s execution, when his new allies come together to stop the other Shinigami from intervening. Even the side story is not pointless. Hitsugaya investigating Aizen’s death and the conflict that arises brings together Aizen’s eventual betrayal in one of the most shocking scenes in the series. Little by little we’re introduced to the key characters in this conflict, as well as have major world building and lore, which answer the questions we started having during the first arc, about who are the Shinigami, how is SS like, how does it work, etc.

If TTYBW had followed a similar path, expanding on the Quincy lore, introducing the new characters in memorable ways, having Ichigo’s allies uniting against a common enemy, the fights serving a purpose to advance the plot instead of being fillers, it could have very well been the best arc in Bleach history. But it didn’t and the payoff wasn’t great. As stated before, Bleach was primarily known because of its fights, having the very final battle against who could have been their greatest foe (as it was set up to be), would have made for one of the greatest battles in shounen history. But it was anticlimatic at best, forgettable at worst. Having a time skip of 10 years served absolutely no purpose whatsoever, and dedicating a chapter to attempt to recreate an Ichigo and Rukia relationship 2.0 with their children was inconsequential. It didn’t solve anything. Nor did it add another layer to the story. It was just an epilogue that was telling us to move on from this story. But we can’t. Because as fans we know the potential the story as a whole could’ve had. It should have been an epic conclusion to a story that was in the making for over a decade. The final battle should have made the audience emotional with pride, joy, and sadness but ultimately satisfaction at all that had been accomplished.

And I’m sorry, but if the only thing you liked about the ending were the ships and believe that makes it have a satisfying conclusion, we weren’t reading the same manga.

Will the anime somehow accomplish this?

Unlikely.

They would need to rewrite the whole thing. 

It’s still possible, but do they have enough budget or even Kubo’s permission?

I do expect certain aspects of the story will be filled in as the medium allows for more time to expand on an idea. However, there are other aspects that probably won’t be changed, like pointless fights, or Harribel not being a part of the last arc, for example.

All in all, the potential was well but it was wasted. It is honestly a shame, but I won’t accept mediocrity and neither should you.

Let’s take this as a writing lesson to always strive for conflict within a story and the resolution of the main goals set by the protagonist. Secondary characters are secondary for a reason, and they shouldn’t interfere with the development of the MCs. Even the coolest battles need a purpose, or honestly what is the whole point of having them there. Resolution means resolution. We don’t need the answers to all the questions, as open endings do exist, but all main plot points should be resolved in some way or another, and not left for other materials, such as novels. 

In conclusion, I have low expectations for the anime. I think it is a way for WSJ to cash some more money. But knowing how it all goes down, the anime won’t be such a let down. Just another segment of what could have been greatness but wasn’t.

[eyesofthesunflower]

hi!! can i ask why you didn't like ww 84? this isnt trying to be an attack or anything!! i just also didn't like it all that much and i wanna see if im just looking too deep into it and if anyone shares my reasons or not ;; hope you have a nice day!!

So like,,, I do have a lot a lot a LOT of thoughts on this movie. Honestly thank you for asking bc like I do WANT to go into it. You can totally drop into my messages if you want to keep talking about it! I would love to hear your thoughts too.

I harbor no ill will to anyone who enjoyed this movie. I just strongly dislike it.

Ultimate TLDR: I get what they were trying to do, they didn’t do it well.

Broad brushstrokes:

- So like number 1 issue is the racism. Plenty of people are going to go into that I’m sure but like, holy fuck. The treatment of people in the Middle East (with the missile scene especially). The use of black people as props for a moral center. Having your villain be a skeevy (and sexy) latino conman (I love Pedro Pascal as an actor but like they gave him a VERY stereotypical backstory and behavior for a latino character, and while it was clear his character was trying to pass as white, they still made him use an accent) while having no people of color as a positive leading role. I get that he was supposed to be a Trump allegory turned on its head by him being Latino but it still ended up being a downward punch. I can’t super speak to this as a white person but it definitely rubbed me the wrong way.

- Another major issue I have is Kristin Wigg’s character as a stereotypical ugly duckling narrative. Society has outgrown “glasses curly hair and modest clothes make you ugly” trope. Could have been resolved by Diana taking her under her wing at the end and teaching her real confidence or even a climactic moment in the final fight where she realizes she was always worth it. I did appreciate though that “woman gets called pretty for first time and attaches her worth to it and that’s bad” narrative bc relatable (as someone who was maliciously bullied for their looks) but this movie also frames harassment as positive attention (mechanism affirming she is hot now).

- Diana has no narrative arc. Her having to sacrifice her happiness over and over (which I think Steve lowkey rightly called her out for being so fixated) isn’t really resolved or touched on after it’s brought up. It’s also clear that she already valued truth before the story, so she doesn’t change there. Also it’s implied she hasn’t grown as a person in 60 years after Steve’s death, and even if she hasn’t they don’t do a very good job showing much grief.

- Diana grieves a man she knew for a few days to a monthish perhaps (not sure if travel is accounted for much in the first movie) with no consideration for her aunt who she also lost the day she met him.

- You never get to see Diana be a capable researcher beyond using her knowledge of Latin which is just her native language.

- Not to mention people handle artifacts with their bare hands in this movie.

- The exposition all feels convenient because it always comes right before it’s needed and you never see any work go into it. The whole narrative structure is bad and I could tell you exactly what I would have done different (shown Diana on an archaeological dig, or having some legitimate struggles in her life beyond “I’m choosing to isolate myself over a single man”)

- I’m happy to see a movie with color in it but it’s clear with some scenes they were trying and failing to show off (I hate the fireworks scene so much). Just so much bad editing.

- They set up a lot in this movie and just never actually truly brought it back around. Especially with the scene in Themyscera which was badass but POINTLESS. Like I get what they were trying to go for with the truth mattering but like, it wasn’t executed well. Also why set up that stuff with “the language of the gods I wonder who made this” and not GO INTO THAT I was excited for that potential plot line. The armor even was pointless.

- No sisterhood with the Amazons in a narrative of growing beyond self isolation. First movie was about independence so it makes sense they weren’t there. But Diana still ends up completely alone. The Amazons would have been great to help face this or literally any more women being involved in the story. The beginning doesn’t show her even being bonded with them then. They’re like almost pointless for the influence they have on her backstory.

- Seventy waves of feminism were trying to fight each other and none of them emerged. A movie with a female lead doesn’t have to be feminist but it’s clear they were trying to be, so like, it sucked that they didn’t execute a clear message at all.

- The fight scenes were all bad. I didn’t enjoy a single one. One was just fucking, cirque du soleil (sp?). Diana’s fighting style was also impractical and I get that even though she is Very Magic she trained with women who were magic but not As magic as her. There was this one sexy kick that just had no leverage. It made me cringe.

- Male gaze. Male gaze on Diana the whole time. Villain’s makeup can run but Diana will have perfect wings while she is crying.

- The MacGuffin was an inifinity stone. There I said it. Boo.

- Whole narrative structure bad. Just poorly organized. Lack of resolution for anything. There were a bunch stories involved and none received focus or resolve or expansion.

Those are the BROADEST brushstrokes. Thank you for asking :)

[cyanideandchemistry]

Bones I have to pick with Avengers Endgame

Loki deserved so much better, from both Inifinity War and Endgame. Do I even need to explain this one? He had a redemption arc in Ragnorak, and the Russo’s were like “kill him.” And they got Tom Hiddleston back for Endgame but only as 2012 Loki for like 5 minutes???? Like wtf??? Give us some closure!!!!!

Captain Marvel played such a small role? Don’t get me wrong, everything she did in the movie was completely bad ass. But she was in it for like a cumulative 2 minutes. Carol deserved better.

Thor and Bruce becoming complete caricatures after the 5 year jump?? What the fuck??? Thor was probably the worst representation of alcoholism I’ve ever seen. Super stereotypical goofy, fat drunk. They could’ve at least made him a dark, brooding drunk which would’ve been much more in line with his character from Infinity War. Professor. Hulk. It wouldn’t have been so bad if they had just finally treated Bruce like a serious character. I’ve been waiting 7 years for Bruce to be utilized to his whole potential. Fuck me, I guess lol

What the fuck was up with that Clint blood lust storyline? How does that possibly fit his character? At first, I thought he was just using the opportunity to be a vigilante (re: going after a Mexican cartel and a Japanese mob-type thing) but I don’t think that’s it? Like why would he be so remorseful for killing bad dudes? He wouldn’t, but why would he kill non-bad dudes? It don’t make sense.

The revived characters? Not in the movie long enough. They could’ve at least shown what it was like in the soul stone. Oh wait, Thanos destroyed all the stones 🙄 Yeah, okay.

How did Peggy not see the giant beefy man staring at her through the blinds? They were like a foot apart. She would’ve seent it. Oh, and Steve and Peggy dancing should’ve been an after credit scene. That was such a weird way to end it off the whole saga. Just Steve and Peggy making out.

What happened to Antoni? Why wasn’t Hank (who was much more qualified) with Bruce when he sent Steve back in time to return the stones? Wtf does most of the radiation in the Hulk being gamma have to do with his ability to wield the stones? Why does Jeremy Renner look so hot with an undercut?

Tony deserved a long, happy life.

[silverducks]

Infinity War

So, there’s just too much going on in the new Infinity War’s trailer that I don’t know where to start with putting it all together. It looks epic all the same and I cannot wait!

I’m assuming the film’s about Thanos gathering all the Infinity Stones and the various Avengers and friends, scattered around the world, are trying to stop him. So it’ll probably end with Thanos obtaining them all - ready for what’s in store in Avengers 4.

And it does restore my faith in Marvel - Thor 3 was clearly played as a comedy because the MCU is gonna now get dark, very dark and gritty and painful...

But the scene with Loki in especially struck me, spoilers for Thor 3 below:

So, at the end of Thor 3, Thor and Loki had kinda reconciled and Loki was kinda good again, but in that scene it looks like he gives the Infinity Stone, the Tesseract, to Thanos. I’d already heard that this was shown in the comic con trailer, so I wasn’t surprised, but the nature of the scene is so interesting. It doesn’t look like Loki is exactly making friends with Thanos - that he met up with him willingly - so I think he’s giving it to Thanos to save his own skin. Something I think Loki will always do, no matter what his redemption arc is. He’ll never be completely selflessly good. Besides, I’m sure it can be easily argued that Thanos would have just killed him and taken it anyway!

Or it’s to save the rest of the Asgardians, but it doesn’t look like there’s any left...

But I just don’t want them to make him another baddie and do evil/cruel things. I can live with him giving Thanos the Tesseract to save himself, but if he then joins Thanos, I’ll be very dissappointed. And I mean proper side with Thanos, not just playing along/tricking him etc. Loki’s so much more interesting when he’s dancing between the lines of good and evil - when you’re just not sure what he’s up to. And haven’t we had enough of Thor and Loki being at odds and then reconciling again? How would you carry on Loki’s (and Thor’s!) story if he went proper villain again? And wouldn’t villain Loki just be a rehash of Avengers 1? And this would completely undo Loki’s redemption arc in his last 2 films!

So I hope Loki (seemingly) giving Thanos the Tessaract doesn’t mean Loki then does team up with Thanos. I’m hoping it’s a trick, or Loki made a bargain and Loki will get knocked aside/left behind by Thanos. Or at the very least, pretend to join him, but not really, or very quickly change his mind. We don’t see him again in the trailer, and he’s sure to be in the film at another point, so who knows...

Although I’m betting (hoping!) they’ll not make Loki properly bad/evil, as Marvel don’t like to take risks and (hopefully) will know this isn’t the best path for Loki’s character, not now after Thor 2 and 3. So, here’s hoping he can then get away and join up with the Avengers and Thor and help save the day again.

Which is another thing - so much of the trailer is based on earth, we don’t see much of Thor or GotG at all. But they’re obviously in it, so I wonder what their story will be - a space battle perhaps? Stopping Thanos getting the ether Inifinity Stone? Maybe we’ll see more of them in the next Infinity Wars trailer...

And just what is to become of Thor, King of Asgard, now? He’s accepted his birthright and completed his character arc and become King. But that scene with Loki looks like the ship with the Asgardians in - destroyed and all of the people look dead. So, does Thor no longer have a people to be King of? Has Asgard now really been destroyed? As there’s not even any people left?

Surely not!

I really hope not anyway, as that really would be sad. But what else could it be - unless a few survive? I wouldn’t put it past Marvel to kill off all the Asgardian survivors, but then why bother rescuing them at the end of Thor 3? Why all that talk about Asgard being a people, not a place? Why make Thor king to then just kill them all off? Why put so many hints in about the Asgardian’s settling on Earth, in Norway? And would you also kill off Heimdall? And Valkryie? Wouldn’t it be odd if everyone else dies but them? So, whilst I think it’s very, very likely that scene with Loki is the crashed rescue ship full of Asgardians, I’m hoping not all of them are dead! That enough of them survive to keep Asgard (it’s a people, not a place!) alive!

Grrr - It’s far too long to wait! I wanna see it NOW!!!!!

[tvrningout-archived]

kaiya would 100% jump in the way of an attack or just straight up sacrifice herself for one of her friends, and that’s exactly why sei and chinatsu probably figure out some way to keep her away from the fighting in the inifinity castle arc. like ma’am would be there constantly body-shielding slayers and end up getting killed by one of the upper moons or muzan himself with her luck and self preservation skills.

in all seriousness, though, if everyone’s involved in this last ditch effort, kaiya’s not about to sit it out. she can’t stand by while everyone else risks their lives!! but maybe she’s with either the kakushi or yushiro? providing medical aide and at least some protection should they run into trouble. she may not be a strong fighter like her friends, but kaiya will be damned if she doesn’t put her hands to use.