#Battle For A Three Dimensional World

[dunmeshistash]

Interview to celebrate the opening of the Ryoko Kui Exhibition

About Delicious in Dungeon: Story making

Q1. Your first long-running series has lasted for about 9 and a half years. Has it been different from your previous experience drawing short stories?

A1. Compared to short stories, the series has been easier because the same characters appear each time. But I was surprised to find that I got tired of drawing the same characters too many times.

Q2. You have said before that the overall structure of the story was decided before serialization began, but how much of that had you communicated to your editor? Also, what kind of communication did you have during the series production?

A2. The goal was something we discussed and had decided on from the beginning. The goal itself was simple, but the path to get there was more difficult and took longer than imagined.

Q3. Regarding the overall story concept and development, did you write out or put anything down in writing (such as the plot)?

A3. I did, but it was simple.

Q4. Did you come up with the dishes based on the monsters you wanted in the story? Or did you come up with the monsters based on the dishes?

A4. It depended on the story, but usually the story came first followed by the monsters or food. I feel like that was most often the order.

Q5. As you progressed in drawing the series, what elements of the characters, story, or world expanded or grew in the most unexpected way?

A5. Nothing particularly unexpected perhaps. When I used to draw web manga, I tended to think up inconsequential settings. So, from the beginning I tried to restrain myself as much as possible and not expand too much. I was surprised when my editor said "Let's expand it more," in the second half of the series.

Q6. "Delicious in Dungeon" starts with a relatively simple setting, but as the series and the labyrinth exploration continues, the map slowly expands little by little in the readers' minds. It becomes more three-dimensional, revealing the secrets of the world, and taking on a multilayered structure. Are there any sources that you used as a reference, or which influenced you in creating this multilayered structure?

A6. A long time ago, when I was working on my personal web manga (fantasy), I drew it however I wanted, thinking that "Only people who can read this will read it," but I regularly received feedback that it was "unreadable", so I tried to make it as easily. accessible as possible.

Q7. The series combines many elements, including "fantasy", "gourmet", "battles", and "puzzle solving", but I think it's also important that it is a "comedy" which makes people laugh. Could you let us know if you have a creative commitment towards depicting humor?

A7. My hopes are that I can make it fun for people to read.

[page 5]

About Delicious in Dungeon: Drawing manga

Q1. Please tell us about the drawing tools you currently use, both digital and analogue.

A1. In terms of analogue tools, I use a light box, a G pen, a round pen, and a brush pen. And for digital, I use CLIP STUDIO PAINT and a Wacom LCD tablet. Screentone pasting is always done on the computer, so ultimately it all ends up as a digital manuscript.

Q2. Do you have any rules or reasons for using digital and analog separately?

A2. I'm always looking for ways to draw better and save time, so the exact approach is probably different for almost every chapter. Personally, I feel that analogue methods create more appealing lines, but I feel like digital saves time, so maybe I'll do a digital rough sketch and do the inking by hand… I might have been using a G pen, and maybe I'll try out a turnip pen, or this time I'm short on time so I'll draw it entirely digitally, but with digital I can redo it over and over, so maybe analogue is still faster, and so on and so forth. I'm indecisive in this way and so haven't developed a consistent process.

Q3. I understand that you prepare 3D data for your assistants to draw the backgrounds. What kind of data did you make for "Delicious in Dungeon" ?

A3. You could call it 3D, but it's not a proper model, just something to help with the rough sketching. I line up cubes to share the perspective and sense of scale, and they use it as a reference.

Q4. At the beginning of the series, the characters and backgrounds were somewhat simply drawn, and it seems like they became richly detailed over the progression of the story. What was your intention behind using these different styles?

A4. It's simply that my technique isn't stable. I thought I'd put a lot of effort in at the start. I remember being confused when my editor asked me to add more in to the drawing, and I wondered "Where…?"

Q5. Thinking about the food, were there any menu illustrations that you were particularly satisfied with, or which you struggled with?

A5. I've never liked my own food illustrations. But the times when I read other people's manga and thought "That looks delicious," I think it's been more an influence of the movement, the staging, and the situation than the drawings.

Q6. For the world maps and the terrain of each continent, did you refer to any maps of the real world? I feel like the shape of the 'island' is similar to the shape of Fukuoka Prefecture or Kyushu.

A6. I didn't reference any specific geography, but I did try to put thought into things like whether a developed city would be near a river or the sea, and what the coastline would look like. I'm pleased if it feels similar to a real place, because it means my interpretation was pretty accurate.

About Delicious in Dungeon: Other

Q1. Which is your favorite monster?

A1. Nightmare.

Q2. I'm sure you have received a lot of feedback from readers in countries and regions outside of Japan. Please tell us if there was anything from them that made you happy, was unexpected, or which made a lasting impression on you.

A2. When you play foreign games, there are times when you think "Why did they translate it into Japanese like that?" But having been on the side of having something translated, I've realized some things are unavoidable, or endless, and there are many things that don't matter either way from the author's perspective, so it was interesting.

About Ryoko Kui's short story collections and herself

Q1. Dragons are a consistent and important motif in your work. Was there any particular work or experience which inspired this? Also, are there points about drawing dragons which you find interesting or have had to work hard on?

A1. It's less about liking dragons, and more that I'm interested in the worlds in which dragons exist. When I draw dragons, the depiction in itself has a sweet feeling to it. I have never had a pet reptile, so I don't have a very good understanding of them.

Q2. Unomiya University in your story "The dragon's school is on top of the mountain" has a Faculty of Dragons, Department of Environmental Studies, and Department of Technology Studies, and a Faculty of Veterinary Medicine. If you were to enroll in the university, which department or faculty would you like to enter?

A2. I probably wouldn't be accepted….

Q3. The collection includes a short story staged as an essay manga. Are you a fan of essay manga? Please tell us about any genres of essay manga that you like.

A3. I love all kinds of essay manga. I read them often.

Q4. If you were to make your own game, what kind of game would you like to make?

A4. I prefer being a player when it comes to games.

Q5. When did you first start drawing illustrations (doodles)?

A5. I don't exactly remember when I first drew a picture, but I think I started drawing manga around the fourth or fifth grade of elementary school. in my notebooks and had my friends read them.

Q6. What is the most fun part about drawing manga?

A6. Every part is fun and hard in its own way.

Q7. Please tell us if there is anything you "just can't stop no matter what".

A7. My procrastination habit.

Q8. Could you please tell us if there's something you want to draw now?

A8. I've been working continuously since the serialization, so I'd like to take about 2 to 3 months to just draw whatever I want.

[burntoutdaydreamer]

3 Steps to Improve Your Characters and Make Them Three-Dimensional

So I don’t have a process for creating/developing characters (to me the process is intuitive to the point where I wouldn’t even know how to explain it), but I do have a process for revising characters that just… fall flat, for whatever reason. 

I like to get to know my characters by throwing them into a bunch of different situations and seeing how they react, but sometimes that’s not enough. In these cases I need to go back to the drawing board and figure out how to make them not feel like a cardboard caricature of the role I need them to fill. Here’s the process I use, and it involves three key questions to understand what makes your character tick.

1) What is this character’s fundamental belief- either about the world or themself?

2) Where does this belief come from?

3) How does this belief hinder them, and are they capable of growing past it?

Alright, here’s what the process looks like in action. 

Let’s say I have a character I need to flesh out for my story.

Character A is a middle aged coffee shop owner and the protagonist of her story. The central conflict of the story revolves around trying to save the family run coffee shop she inherited from her father when he passed away, which has recently fallen on hard times.

What is this character's fundamental belief?

Character A believes that the world is an inherently good and fair place. She believes that good is always rewarded and bad is always punished, even if the timing isn't always perfect. As such, she strives to live a virtuous life, putting as much good into the world as she possibly can. While she understands that even good people can face hard times, she believes that in the long term, if things don't work out, it'll be because she didn't put in the work needed to turn things around.

Where does this belief come from?

Character A grew up in a solidly middle class household with good parents that treated her well- rewarding her for good work, and fairly punishing her for misdeeds. Her parents gave her everything she needed, but also expected her to work hard for the things she wanted. She also had the experience of watching her father build a successful business through hard work and by building strong connections with the people in town. If we want to push this further, we could also say that this belief was reaffirmed by watching her brother ruin his own life, squandering all his money and goodwill with those around him on failed get-rich-quick-schemes and outright scams that landed him in jail.

How does this belief hinder them, and are they capable of growing past it?

Let's say that Character A recently hired a barista who seems perfect for the job. Strapped for help, she gets him started right away before getting the results of his background check. When the results come in, she finds out that he is on probation and was recently released from jail for a violent crime. Shocked, she fires him. Believing that people who end up in jail always deserve it, she can't see past her initial prejudices. As a result, her coffee shop suffers from the loss of her new star barista.

Some time goes on, and Character A encounters the barista again, and learns more about the circumstances that landed him in jail (maybe he was falsely convicted, maybe he was battling psychosis, maybe the violent act was done to prevent a loved one- anything that makes her question her initial assumptions). He then confesses that he is struggling to provide for himself and his family because no one will hire him because of his criminal record. Character A comes to realize that her belief isn't completely true, and that the world isn't entirely fair. Though it takes a lot of inner work to do so, including coming to terms with her privilege, she eventually accepts this, and revises her beliefs. She decides that even though the world isn't fair, people have the responsibility to make it fair.

She decides to re-hire the barista she fired. After doing everything she can to make things right with him, she proposes an idea she wants his help with. Together, they transform her family business into a joint coffee shop and community rehabilitation center. In addition to selling coffee, they also launch a program to provide resources to recently incarcerated individuals looking to reenter society. They'll host weekly events on job interview coaching, alcoholics anonymous, motivational speeches, group therapy, opportunities to connect with open-minded employers, and more. Their promotion of this new program enables them to secure funding from local patrons and public grants, and customers are willing to pay for more expensive coffee with the knowledge that that money will be put to good use.

Additionally, if we want to go with the brother in jail backstory, we could have this ending be an opportunity for her to reconnect with him and maybe even repair their relationship as she gets to see him in a new light.

Main Takeaways

And there you have it!

You can use this process on any character- protagonist, antagonist, side character, etc. By grounding your character's motivations and development in their beliefs, you can easily introduce depth and internal conflict while keeping everything connected to the themes and plot driving your story.

Depending on your character's role or your story's plot, the belief can be wide reaching and complex (such as a philosophy or ideology), or specific and personal (such as having to do with their self-esteem). Either way, it should always be tied to their personal experiences or observations. This doesn't necessarily mean a tragic backstory. It could be, but I encourage you not to make this your default way of creating character depth. A mundane but grounded and sincere motivation will always be more compelling than cheap, dark shock factor.

Generally, protagonists with happy endings and villains with successful redemption arcs are capable of moving past their beliefs, while tragic heroes and antagonists aren't, and this failure is usually the source of their downfall. Keep in mind that even if characters do move past their old beliefs, it will always be a difficult thing to do. It will require them to confront their own mistakes, biases, and emotional wounds, and require both internal and external work in order to fix whatever their old beliefs have damaged.

Hopefully this guide will help you approach your characters from a different perspective. Feel free to share any insights.

Happy writing y'all!

[fujoshiribbon]

a fairly detailed kirby oc ask meme

🪐 (Saturn) - What planet are they from? Is it in Gamble Galaxy, Another Dimension, the Mirror World, the New World, or somewhere else? Where do they live now?

🧃 (Juicebox) - What species are they? What’s their biology and physiology like? Do they differ in any way from a ‘typical’ member of their species?

⚔️ (Crossed Swords) - What weapon(s) do they wield or specialize in, if any in particular? Any special properties? Do their weapons have names or epithets? [e.g. MK’s Galaxia, Morpho’s Doomblade]

🪄 (Magic Wand) - Are they capable of wielding magic? Is it a learned skill, or is it innate? What sorts of spells can they cast? Do they possess any magical items or artifacts? [e.g. the Dimensional Mantle]

💫 (Shooting Star) - If they were to wish on a clockwork star, like Galactic Nova or Star Dream, what would they wish for?

🪽 (Wing) - Can they fly, hover, or levitate? Is it through natural means or artificial means? If they have wings, what do they look and feel like?

🥘 (Stew) - Do they have any favourite foods or comfort foods? What are their eating habits like? If absorbed by the Cook ability, what healing item would they summon?

🧋 (Boba Tea) - Come up with a Kirby Café item themed around your OC! It can be a savoury dish, a drink, a dessert, or something else entirely.

☀️ (Sun) - What’s their morning routine like? Do they take a lot of time getting ready in the morning? How do they groom themselves? What are they having for breakfast?

🌙 (Moon) - Is your OC a particularly light or heavy sleeper? Somewhere in-between? Do they take naps?

🍅 (Tomato) - If Kirby absorbed them or their attacks, what Copy Ability [or Abilities] would he get? Alternatively, if they themselves are capable of using the Copy Ability, do they have a favourite?

⚡️ (Lightning Bolt) - Which Power Effects [Blizzard, Bluster, Sizzle, Splash, Zap] would their attacks grant? Do they have any particular weaknesses or resistances, elemental or otherwise?

🎶 (Music Notes) - Do they play any instruments? What kind of leitmotif and/or battle theme would they have? Are there any songs you associate with them?

💌 (Love Letter) - How easy are they to befriend? Are they more of a social butterfly or a lone wolf?

💥 (Collision) - What’s your OC’s combat style like? Do they adhere to any particular code of honour or ethics in a fight, or are they totally unfettered by that sort of thing?

⚙️ (Gear) - Do they have any knowledge of, or connections to, the Ancients? What do they think of them?

⚖️ (Scales) - On the subject of a certain someone’s lengthy rant; is your OC moreso on the side of magic or science? Somewhere in-between? Do they incorporate the two together in some way?

��� (Ice Cream) - The Invader Armour undergoes a drastic transformation depending on its pilot. If they were to wield it, what appearance would their mech take on? What abilities would it have?

🪞 (Mirror) - What would their Mirror World counterpart be like? If they are a Mirror World counterpart, what traits of theirs are reflected? Do the two of them get along?

🐛 (Caterpillar) - What are your OC’s greatest fears, and why? How do they act or react when they’re afraid?

💼 (Bag) - Inventory check! What items does your OC typically carry around with them? What do they carry them in?

🔮 (Crystal Ball) - Out of all the treasures in the Great Cave Offensive, Kirby is letting your OC pick one from his stash to keep! Which one do they pick, and why?

♟️ (Pawn) - Does your OC get possessed easily, or do they have the willpower to fight back against any possible attempts? Have they been possessed before?

🕸️ (Spiderweb) - Create a bouquet inspired by your OC! It can be based on their colour palette, flower language and symbolism, whatever they like best, or any combination of the three.

💜 (Purple Heart) - If they were corrupted by the Jamba Heart, which negative traits of theirs would be amplified?

🩷 (Pink Heart) - If they were a Dream Friend, what would their moveset be like? How much HP do they have? Would they be a strong attacker, or would they take on more of a support role?

🦁 (Lion) - If they were an animal — that is, of the Earth / Shiver Star / New World variety — which animal would they be? If they already are an animal, what real-life species or subspecies are they most similar to?

🕰️ (Clock) - What would a Dreamy Gear version of them look like? What sort of accessories would they have? What kind of role do they play?

🛡️ (Shield) - Which Clash role would your OC pick - Sword Hero, Hammer Lord, Beam Mage, or Doctor Healmore?

🦋 (Butterfly) - Does your OC ‘fear the reaper’, so to speak? If they fused with Morpho Knight, what sort of form would they take on?

🍒 (Cherry) - Out of all of the Dream Friends [Kirby included], which ones would they get along with the most? The least?

🥀 (Wilted Rose) - Do they have a Soul form? What would it look and act like? How much control over themselves do they have? Is it still possible to save them, or are they too far gone?

[galehowl]

in the darkest night, guiding stars

Some rambling about Tailmon's and Caedemon's complicated relationship in Aurora below~

Tailmon and Caedemon are two of some of the oldest Digimon aligned with both their own and mankind in Aurora, and their relationship goes far back to the very genesis of the Digital World.

As Huanglongmon's creations and members of the Archangels, both of them served them and the four Great Beasts as guardians of their world, alongside the other eight of their kind. For thousands of years, they were the guiding light for all the other Digimon to look up to, until Lucemon's betrayal, and the other six Archangels siding with him. Having discovered what would later become known as the Dark Area - an eldritch, mysterious and volatile dimension existing apart from the Digital and human worlds, yet intertwined with them - he chose to keep it secret, and, in time, his own desires, made worse by the influence of the Area, made him turn against his world and creators. The six others that succumbed to it all the same chose to follow their leader, and nearly laid waste to the Digital World by breaching the dimensional walls and unleashing the Area upon it, but were ultimately stopped by the remaining three Archangels, the world's inhabitants, and Huanglongmon's ultimate sacrifice to seal the Dark Area away, along with the traitors.

Ophanimon perished in those battles, but was reborn in the far future, though without memories of her past.

It was the actions of mankind that called her to action once more, and what awakened Caedemon from his eternal slumber deep within the Dark Area. It was when humans, upon discovering its existence, breached it in an attempt to take control of its powers and Caedemon himself - and sealed the fate of both worlds.

Caedemon, like his brethren, was never meant to be awakened, and Tailmon was mortified upon eventually figuring out the identity of the decaying beast. In her eyes, rightfully, not only was he a traitor, but also even alone a serious danger to both worlds, having become part of the Dark Area itself, but he was also absolutely not fit to be a Tamer's Digimon, especially to a child.

Caedemon initially also did little to soothe her concerns, even with her disdain and suspicions for him obvious, as he exhibited a selfish, troubled and nihilistic personality, caring little for their own kind, and consistently questioning whether or not humanity is even worth saving, with all they've learned about it - a big contrast to her more optimistic outlook on things, a love for all living beings, and a desire to seek out good in everyone, even to the detriment of herself and others.

Though they do eventually mend their once broken friendship, it takes a long time for things to get better, and a lot of change ( namely for Caedemon ) for them to find a way to complement each other in working together - two beings plucked from past long gone - to guide both worlds into a better future.

[mmavverickk]

I personally have always felt that, on Jason's end, the rivalry he bad with Percy was done to like meet the expectation of his role S a son of Jupiter. He doesn't even know how to have a genuine rivalry because he's all in his head.

I dunno I might be talking outta my ass

i understand how it comes across that way. honestly, that's probably how rick wrote it. "well these two are kids of the big three, gotta put some tension there."

he clearly didn't think about percy and jason as three-dimensional characters that could have a rivalry grow naturally between them. he thought a rivalry would just be a flat plot point and made something up.

the rivalry should have been jason trying to fill percy's shoes at CHB for months, and still falling short because he's not thinking of percy as a person who can't be replaced rather than just an empty leadership role that needs to be filled.

the rivalry should have been jason learning that percy became praetor after spending less than a week total at CJ—he was literally on a quest 90% of the time. no matter how much he helped in the battle at the end of the book, jason wouldn't think he'd truly earned his position. earning a praetorship, jason would think, takes years of work, not a week.

the rivalry should have been percy remembering how bitter he really is towards the gods as he recovers his memory, percy realizing that CJ deadass has an entire child army, fully sanctioned by the adults in new rome, and realizing that those adults are just as bad as, if not worse than, gods who would send children on life-threatening, world-saving quests, and the only person he can really take that repressed anger and bitterness out on is jason.

the rivalry should have been jason hearing how flippant percy is when talking about these deities that they're meant to worship, how much he insults them and how impertinent he can be without consequence, and he simultaneously envies how much percy's able to get away with and hates how disrespectful he is.

we should have seen roman leader jason, groomed from his toddler years by the legion and lupa herself, who leads a structured, militaristic camp that prioritizes the safety of the many over the safety of the few, bashing heads with greek leader percy, who went from being an outcast to growing into leadership because he wanted to save as many people as he could.

we should have seen jason's envy of the fact that percy had a mother. we should have seen jason's jealousy over how much percy's father loves and values him. we should have seen jason's heartbreak that this self-important, standoffish, disrespectful jerk has the brotherly relationship with thalia that jason's desperate to have.

we should have seen so much more of these two characters that made them seem less like legendary heroes and more like the traumatized teenagers they are.

[loredrinker]

The Distinct Eras of Solas's Existence

Solas’s life isn’t one-dimensional. He’s lived through three distinct eras of existence, each defined by transformation and struggle. What draws me to his story time and again is the tension between detachment and connection, immortality and change, and the weight of eternal choices.

Because Solas has lived through such vastly different phases of existence, each has forced him to adapt, rethink his perspectives, his morality and confront the consequences of his actions.

This constant cycle of transformation and resilience is why I believe he is capable of change.

I'm looking at his journey through 3 eras of his existence: 

Pre-Veil: Becoming a man (lyrium crafted) and living before creating the Veil.

Uthenera: Veil newly created. Centuries of slumber and existence in the Fade. 

Post-Veil: Waking in modern Thedas, reengaging with the world, joining the Inquisition, and culminating in Veilguard. 

First off: this post isn’t about the concept of Solas learning what it’s like to have a body for the first time. While I’m sure that experience was equal parts traumatic and exhilarating, that’s a post for another day. 

I’m also steering clear of the horrors and wars of Solas’s Pre-Veil existence - we already know he suffered terribly, made devastating choices, and carries immense regret. The blood on his hands and the weight of those decisions are undeniable. 

Lastly, I’m not entertaining the idea that Mythal had him bound or wielded some magical power (like a geas) to control him (you can read more here). To me, that narrative diminishes the complexity and the writers say you can interpret it how you want. I see their bond as one rooted in duty, loyalty, and complicated and twisted by shared choices. Every awful thing they endured and enacted together only deepened their connection, forged in the fire of mutual commitment and consequence. It's still a chain in it's own right, but a different kind.

Long post below. Everything below the cut is my imagination and interpretation.

Pre-Veil (Roughly 8,000-10,000 years – Time with the Evanuris / Rebellion Wars) 

I’m certain Solas’s time in Elvhenan wasn’t solely defined by war and rebellion. He served as Mythal’s second-in-command, likely handling battles and strategies, but he was also immersed in politics and court intrigue. His role was probably a combination of strategist, diplomat, and advocate for fairness and balance among the elven people. 

We know he enjoyed life in the courts, as he reveals at the Winter Palace in Inquisition: 

"I do adore the heady blend of power, intrigue, danger, and sex that permeates these events." 

He wasn’t just an observer of Elvhenan’s grandeur; he thrived in it. Heady - intoxicating. With a core essence of wisdom, Solas would have fully embraced the era’s philosophical debates, artistic endeavors, groundbreaking inventions, and empire-building. When he refers to “our great cities” and “our deepest mysteries” during his confrontation with Elgar’nan, he speaks as being a part of Elvhenan’s beauty and innovation - not separate from it.  

Solas’s Independent and Rebellious Nature - Hot Blooded and Cocky

Solas was far from a submissive figure, even in service to Mythal. He was independent, rebellious, and stubborn - “unmanageable, even by Mythal’s reckoning.” (I love this line from Elgar’nan. Even Mythal, who knew Solas best, was scratching her head at times because she couldn't control him – and also why I don’t buy the geas concept.) This fierce individuality is one reason the Evanuris gave him the name Fen’Harel. 

A Sensual and Spiritual Man 

Solas strikes me, based on the games, as someone deeply connected to life (how could you not be when you see spirits as people too), both spiritually and sensually. His conversations in Inquisition and Veilguard hint at an appreciation for the world’s beauty and experiences. He loved dancing (Inquisitor: Do you have any interest in dancing? Solas: A great deal…), savored food and drink, and created beautiful art and music. This isn’t someone detached from his physical form or the material world - he immersed himself in its richness. 

A man who composes music and paints intricate frescoes, full of symbolism and emotional depth, usually has a vibrant inner life – which makes sense for wisdom.  His art and creations are tools for reflection and introspection, ways to process his choices and regrets. But where did this come from? Did he learn these skills from a spirit? Was he taught by a wise elf or an inspiring companion? I love the mystery of these glimpses into his life - they humanize him and add layers to his character. 

Solas wasn’t a solitary figure either. He built connections beyond the Evanuris - with spirits, other elves, and likely even lovers (Ghilan’nain, anyone?). Far from being a lone wolf, he seems to have been actively engaged in the cultural, social and political dynamics of his thousands of years. His relationships, creations, and experiences paint the picture of a man tied to life, even as his long painful journey eventually pushed him toward isolation. 

Witnessing the Fall of the Evanuris 

But life in Elvhenan wasn’t all beauty and splendor. Solas witnessed firsthand how power corrupted even those who began with noble intentions. He saw the Evanuris rise to tyranny, and the defeat of the Titans - a major regret of his - became a foundational moment. While it enabled the empire’s growth and stunning cities, it came with immense moral cost to Solas. 

The Rebellion and Isolation 

Solas eventually reached a breaking point. When the Evanuris’ tyranny became unbearable - when they wouldn’t listen, not even Mythal - he walked away. He forged his own path, leading a rebellion to free the elven people. 

During this time, his relationships likely narrowed. He tells Rook it took him centuries to build bonds during this time (but he still built them). Playing a long game of strategy and sacrifice required isolation, though key connections, like Felassan, remained. Mythal’s murder drove him into despair, and he became even more isolated, pouring himself into planning the ritual that would change everything. 

The Creation of the Veil 

The Veil was a desperate solution to stop the Evanuris and the blight, but something went horribly wrong. It didn’t just destroy the world he knew - it reshaped reality. The Veil severed the Fade from the world, altering existence forever. And for Solas, it left him shattered. His physical body remained in the world he destroyed, while his spirit/mind retreated into Uthenera. 

Uthenera: The Dreaming State (3000+ years) *In Trespasser Solas says he lay unconscious for millennia, millenia is multiple thousands)

During Uthenera, his long "dark and dreaming" sleep, Solas existed in a liminal, dreamlike state - a place between worlds.

It’s striking that he entered Uthenera at the exact moment the Fade was severed from the physical world. The mental fortitude required to withstand such a monumental shift and prevent his total annihilation - or even a psychological collapse - speaks volumes about his strength. Solas’s power is undeniable, but for me, this also confirms that he is a deeply reflective man, one who cultivated a strong mind to endure such force, isolation and emotional cataclysm. (All New Faded for Her - now I must endure - again.)

I initially wrote about his activities during this time, but his claim of being unconscious in a dark, dreaming sleep suggests he was largely unaware of the world around him. Rather than delete it, I've left it in below but this more recent post shows my changed thoughts.

From this vantage point, he could witness the catastrophic aftermath of his actions: the loss of elven immortality, the severing of the Fade from the physical world, and the corruption of spirits into demons. He saw the rise of humans, the fall of empires, and the continued oppression of his people. Each new event added to his layers of guilt and grief. If the Fade reflects emotion, can you imagine Solas’s overwhelming feelings during this time? His emotions would have rippled through it, shaping the dream realm itself.  In the Fade, Solas remained detached, able to observe and reflect without directly engaging in the chaos of the broken world. He likely encountered the demons and maddened spirits born of his actions, forcing him to navigate this unfamiliar, broken Fade.  Perhaps this is where his greatest fear - dying alone - began to solidify. Without the complexities of relationships or the challenges of the waking world, his isolation left him emotionally detached and vulnerable to increasingly rigid thinking. After centuries of war and rebellion, his retreat to Uthenera may have offered recovery, but it also severed him from the connections that had once grounded him in “humanity”.  It’s assumed that during this time, Solas began to shape his plans to tear down the Veil – to fix his mistake. It also seems that it’s during this period at some point that Felassan reconnected with him, leading to yet another tragedy. Unlike Solas, Felassan had lived in modern Thedas for a time. He had built relationships, forged bonds, and seen the value in the world as it was. He urged Solas to give this new world a chance. But Solas, entrenched in his painful guilt and unable to let go of his vision, refused - killing his friend and brother-in-arms, adding yet another layer of grief and regret to his already growing burden. I wonder - Solas killed him in this detached state, in a highly emotional Fade state - could Solas have killed him physically face to face? 

For Solas, time in the Fade didn’t march forward as it did for mortals. What probably felt like yesterday to him was ancient history to the rest of the world. This disconnection from the flow of time would only deepen his sense of detachment, a gap he could only begin to bridge when he awoke in a world utterly changed from the one he remembered. 

So eventually he does wake up – a year before the Inquisition. 

Post-Veil: Modern Thedas – 14-16 years (Inquisition to Veilguard) 

When Solas woke up in modern Thedas, it was a world that had moved on without him - alien and unrecognizable. The magic he revered was now feared, spirits were seen as monsters, and elves were fragmented and oppressed. It was a rude awakening, and Solas had no choice but to reengage with life, relearning how to "be human" in a world so far removed from the one he knew - in a world that he broke. 

Solas initially tried to reconnect with the Dalish, but they rejected him (interesting how one of his first actions upon awakening was to seek connection...hmm). Then came the disaster at the Temple of Sacred Ashes, Corypheus, and the Anchor. Suddenly, Solas had a path: join the Inquisition, study the Anchor, observe the one who wields it, and figure out his next move - all while avoiding personal entanglements. 

Fail. 

Connections in the Inquisition 

Despite his best efforts to remain detached, Solas formed bonds with the Inquisition’s members, particularly the Inquisitor (in my world, low approval doesn’t exist for me but I won’t torment you either with my Solas Lavellan love).  

The exact timeline of the Inquisition is debated. While most agree it spans 1.5–2 years, there’s also an old fantastic post by @threestories that argues for closer to 4–5 years (complete with a detailed spreadsheet and timeline goodness). Either way, it’s plenty of time for Solas to weave himself into the lives of those around him – and for them to sneak their own ways in. 

During this time, Solas wasn’t an aloof observer. He shared meals, debated philosophy, laughed, argued, and played cards and continued painting. He fought alongside people like Blackwall, Iron Bull, and Cole, relying on them for survival. Solas is not the powerful being he once was. Weakened, he’s forced to navigate the world in a more vulnerable state. I believe this humility provides him with new insights and forces him to see value in collaboration and diversity once again (reflections of Elvehnan). 

The messy, imperfect beauty of life began to creep back into his perspective. Living and fighting beside mortals for this period of time forced Solas to confront the reality of their fleeting but rich experiences. It wasn’t something he could experience in the detached safety of the Fade. If romanced, his love for the Inquisitor only deepens his inner conflict, tearing him between personal connection and his mission. (He possessed knowledge beyond any mortal, yet even the Dread Wolf could not foresee what it would mean to fall in love - sorry, couldn't help myself).

Yet, despite these connections, he remained steadfast in his mission. After Corypheus’s defeat, Solas leaves. But he wasn’t quite done; he wanted the Inquisitor to know the truth of who he was. Two busy years followed, leading to one final reunion - a moment where we see a shift in Solas’s perspective. His relationship with the Inquisitor was important enough that Solas set this whole thing up. There was a part of him that would love to be turned away from his path, but not yet.  

The Decade of Isolation 

After Trespasser and his final goodbye to the Inquisitor, Solas retreated into a new kind of isolation - active but distant. For ten years, he worked through agents, manipulated events, and positioned himself for his ritual to tear down the Veil. This period seemed to harden him. If he was in love, he made the painful decision to try and sever that bond, he forced Cole to forget him so Cole wouldn’t follow him - Solas hardened his heart to a cutting edge, and put that pain to good use.   

And then, he killed Varric. 

The act wasn’t premeditated - it might even be argued as accidental - but it wasn’t without weight. Solas never intended to kill Varric, and we see the regret flicker in his expression, his eyes turning down for a moment. Yet, the symbolism of that moment is striking. If Varric embodies persistence - whether it’s the refusal to give up on life, friends, or hope - then his death by Solas’s hand reflects the cost of Solas’s mission. In hardening his heart, he’s cut away the very persistence Varric represented. 

But then came Rook.

Conduits and Catalysts

Forced to interact with Rook and the team, much like he was forced to interact with the Inquisitor and the Inquisition, Solas once again found himself entangled in the lives of others. What makes Rook interesting to me is their role as a conduit. While Solas is trapped in the Fade prison, Rook becomes his connection to the outside world. For someone who had been isolated again for a period of time, being compelled to engage with another person is significant.

Rook and Solas's conversations may seem simple at first, but they force Solas to talk, to reflect, to bring up memories, people, and choices he thought he had left behind. Regardless if he's lying to Rook, these conversations would stir things up for him, peeling back the layers of detachment he has built. They compel him to think about his past, his connections, and his mistakes - reminders of life beyond his mission.

When Solas finally escapes the Fade prison, he doesn’t retreat back into isolation. Instead, we find him fighting alongside the people of Minrathous and then eventually Rook and the team. While his goal remains focused - defeating Elgar’nan and tearing down the Veil - he’s participating in life again.

Even amidst the chaos of battle, Solas can’t help but connect. He talks with the team, echoing the camaraderie of his time in the Inquisition. In one of my favourite moments, he and Emmrich share a brief but mutual appreciation of spirits - on a battlefield, no less. It’s a small yet powerful reminder: no matter how much Solas tries to harden himself, connection finds him. And maybe, just maybe, he still seeks it.

If Solas’s experiences prove anything, it’s that he struggles to stay detached.

Solas’s Shifts 

The bonds Solas formed through his long life were personal. Sure, anyone can argue they weren’t, pointing to his lies and the secrets he kept while plotting the entire time. And yes, he absolutely had an agenda. But whether you played a high- or low-approval Inquisitor, Solas admits he grew fond of the mortal people in the Inquisition. These connections gave him new perspectives on this modern world, connections forged through the shared intensity of battle and survival, and filtered through his reflective, intellectual, and philosophical nature. 

And no, I don’t believe the Inquisitor alone could have swayed him from his path. His growth wasn’t tied to a single relationship or event. While his time with the Inquisition may seem insignificant compared to his millennia-long existence, it planted the seeds of change. I maintain that the foundation for his change was established in Inquisition. As I’ve said before in this post, his eventual shift at the end of Veilguard wasn’t an overnight revelation but the accumulation of these disruptions to his worldview (warning, that post is totally Solavellan). Rook, as a conduit and mirror, brought their own voice as well as the voices of Solas’s past back into focus, reflecting and reminding him of what he had learned.  

By the end of Trespasser, Solas went from planning total destruction to preparing a host of spirits to preserve as much life as possible in Veilguard. You can call him a liar if you want, still question this morally grey choice, but this is a fascinating shift to me.

Enter Sola's Fourth Era

And now, we stand on the edge of Solas’s fourth (and likely not final) era of existence. How will he step into this stage? As a broken, beaten man forced into submission? Or as a man of wisdom, finally able to see another way forward?

This is why, for me, the only ending that feels true to Solas’s arc (as I see it) is the Atonement ending and the only one that exists for me. It aligns with his defining trait: choice. It offers him the agency to forge his own path, just as he did when he walked away from Mythal and the Evanuris.

Whether Solas enters this stage alone or with his heart is up to the player, but the ending feels significant regardless. He returns to the Fade, not in the detached slumber of Uthenera, but with his eyes wide open - awake, active, and ready to face what comes next.

And yes, I’m a sucker for redemption stories.

A Journey of Growth 

The Inquisitor once called him a terrible liar of the heart, and I think it speaks to the core of who he is: wisdom seeking connection. At his heart, Solas is driven to reflect, connect, and understand - even when those impulses clash with his mission. 

Solas’s life isn’t a straight line, nor is it defined by detached indifference. Instead, we see a complex web of relationships, regrets, and moments of growth. His post-Veil life shows us that even an immortal can be shaped by the mortal world. While his immortality makes change slow, it doesn’t make it impossible. Every person he lets into his life - whether reluctantly or intentionally - leaves a mark. Figures like Felassan, the Inquisitor, Cole, Varric, and Rook all serve as mirrors, reflecting his flaws and his potential. That's the beauty of relationships - we are all reflections of each other.

For Solas, change isn’t the result of one grand revelation. It’s a slow, deliberate process, shaped by his experiences, choices, those around him and the experiences they shared together. If his journey proves anything, it’s that even the Dread Wolf isn’t bound by fate. 

[kirbybecomesastarwarrior]

So how evil would you say Morgan is?

In Morgan's last post, I mentioned one of the biggest changes in KBASW AU (to mix the anime & game lore...) is Dame Morgan the one who gave Hyness the Jamba Heart.

(I hinted at her ability in this post... when I said she's a black hole, I meant that.)

She was the one who created the dimensional rift that dropped the Jamba Heart at his & the cult's doorstep. Dame Morgan being very well aware that Hyness was in the position of the book of Legend made sure the circumstances a line with everything the book says.

And of course, she waltzes right in (pretending she just happened to pass by), "Could it be the Jamba Heart, and it's chosen you, imagine the great power you can do with that, only you could, this is your destiny... "

And presents herself "as a former star warrior who's become weary lost soul after the war just trying to find purpose." Needless to say, Hyness welcomes her with open arms. The raw power of an ex-gsa-soldier, he couldn't pass up this ...

The events of Star Allies are very different... The best way I can describe is (without spoilers/ this is a reference to Kirby Star Allies' game). The "Story Mode" doesn't happen but Star Allies Guest Star mode is happening... (Minus the boss battles MK & King Dedede since aren't there ... they have someone else to fight ~)

"Where's Kirby & the main gang during this..."

"Forgotten Land" is happening... and when Dream Friends are confronting Morpho Knight so is Kirby in the Isolated Isles (the Extra Mode), Morpho is testing Kirby and his friends all at the same time.

Basically (this Boss battle is happening), while everyone was fighting Morgan snatched the Jamba Heart away. However, one person notices and tries to stop her... Leading to... this zesty confrontation with Zan Partizanne and Dame Morgan.

Keep reading for spoilers~

Zan Partizanne was able to realize that it was Morgan who delivered the Jamba heart to their doorstep once she saw (Morgan) create the dimensional rift to snatch it away.

And as any true villain does... Morgan comes after Zan Partizanne's entire life & entire existence ( as well as the hypocrisy of the cult) and rubs her mistakes in her face leaving no crumbs.

And this is why Morgan's so dangerous. She takes advantage of everyone's very human flaws and calls people out on them... she knows how to play a good mind game. (via. Joker in the Dark Knight)

THE THREE MAGE SISTERS ARE MEANT PARALLEL TO UTHER'S & HIS THREE STUDENTS: Zan Partizanne - Sir Arthur/ Flamberge - Dame Morgan/ Francisca - Sir Nonsurat...

With a very key difference, the Mage sisters genuinely care for one another, Uther's students hated each other. Which is why the blind loyalty they put into Hyness sickened her (at least Uther had class but this bumbling moron's way to scrap at the bottom of the barrel.)

Dame Morgan is one of the most complex characters in the story. (Uther & Morgan's dynamic is basically Azula & Fire Lord Ozai...) She's very much out to get what she deserves, in a sense she played by the rules of the world but it was never enough.

Now she's out to make her own way, rule her own life... TO TAKE IT!

She's evil yes but you get why she's like this.

I also want to explain a bit more her power with the Jamba Heart, and how she was able to negate "insanity..." She's the middle man of the deal... that reaps the benefits. Getting that generated dark heat energy for herself. And it also helps that now she has her own personal sponge for that (*cough* Dark Matter *cough*).

And of course, after this, she departs for Dreamland... And this is where things get really interesting!~

I hope you all enjoyed Dame Morgan aka Morgan Le Faye.

[bravelyartbooking]

little known bravely default series facts

I noticed a couple of comments about the Bravely Series on Twitter last night that made me realize some folks didn't know some of what I consider common knowledge of the series (like why the ba'al theme wasn't on the Bravely Default soundtrack).

Contains spoilers for all three games. Also this got longer than I thought, thanks in advance if you make it to the end and find something you didn't know! I'm sure most of this seems obvious to long timefans.

Here is a compilation of what I know that may or may not be common knowledge to newcomers?

I had to split this into three parts because of Tumblr's character limit and I'm honestly too tired to fix the numbering. A much more readable version can be found on Google Docs here.

First part:

The version of Bravely Default that was received in the West is the second version of the original Bravely Default game, released in Japan in Dec 2013. This version, called "Bravely Default: For the Sequel" came with a massive (80ish) amount of improvements based on player feedback, such as: additional sidequests for the Asterisk Holders in later parts of the game, difficulty and encounter settings sliders, battle speed, redrawing the cities, and the Bravely Second mechanic itself.

This means some tie-ins to Bravely Second didn't exist with the first version - the Adventurer being green when you first encounter her, the end AR movie with Magnolia, the Ba'als and their theme. All this was added later.

The Japanese version does include different languages, including English, so if you can't understand Japanese you can still easily play this version of the game on a hacked or Japanese 3DS!

The first release in Oct 2012 was called "Bravely Default: Flying Fairy" and a lot of JP folks still use BDFF to refer to it.

While BDFTS and BD: Where the Fairy Flies (the Western release) are functionally identical, some changes between JP and West include but are not limited to:

Costumes were censored (such as the Vampire having a bodysuit under the belts and the Bravo Bikini)

The ages of Agnes, Tiz, Edea, Alternis and the Venus sisters was bumped up 3 years in their journal entries (or anyone whose age is written out instead of written as numerals).

Japan had merchandise that had codes for the extra costumes. The extra costumes made it into the Western version of the released game for in-game currency with the exception of Tiz's Dimensional Officer, Edea's Military Cadet, Agnes's Bravo Bunny, and Ringabel's Wakoku Warrior.

You can summon friends from Japanese versions and those costumes will be visible EXCEPT the Bravo Bunny is censored (the cut-out is covered) and Wakoku Warrior is replaced with Freelancer.

These codes expired after like 2 years.

There are 4 novels called "Pocketbook of R" (2 books) and "Pocketbook of R Second" (2 books). I'm including all the translation information I currently have.

Pocketbook of R is a first person journal from Ringabel in what is commonly dubbed "Infinity World" between the events of Bravely Default and Bravely Second.

Ellen translated the first book here (note that she did largely 'summary' translations as she hated the writing in the novel).

Bill translated most of the second book (page 70+) here. (Bill's native language is French and while I did some proofreading, there may be some clunkiness of translating from a third language into a fourth.)

Ellen started translating the third book here. This and the fourth book take place at the same time as Second, for the most part.

No solid English translations of the fourth book currently exist though I know the gist of it thanks to an older Tumblr fan who gave me the rundown. I'm sure RNT will make a video.

Second Part:

There are an additional 2 novels that are based on two of the spinoff games.

One is "Bravely Default - 200 years later" based on Praying Brage that was released in the Japanese Bravely Second collector's edition ONLY.

One is "Bravely Default Fairy's Effect - Rinne's Miracle" based on Fairy's Effect that was released as a standalone novel.

Very little information has been released about both. One day we'll have a summary/translation.

There are (currently) 4 spinoff games, all currently shut down.

Praying Brage (Nov 2012 - Apr 2017) was a browser game and was based on the premise of Edea going 200 years into the future to save Agnes. RedNovaTyrant has a great video on it here!

Bravely Archive: D's Report (Jan 2015 - Oct 2017) was a mobile game that centered around an alternate/future Luxendarc with crystal memories and a new main character who is revealed to be Deneb

It released in Australia for about 6 months in 2018

Bravely Archive Fairy's Effect (Mar 2017 - Aug 2020) was a mobile game released after Bravely Second that took place simultaneously 8000 years in the future and between the events of Bravely Default 1 and Bravely Second. There's a lot of lore for both games in FE that can be seen in various videos on the internet (such as info on the Kaiser/Glanz Empire and Agnes's transition into Pope, Ominas having a role in saving Mahzer and the newborn Edea from Eternia during Braev's coup), but Bill translated some of the remaining website summary here.

Bravely Default Brilliant Lights (Jan 2022 - Feb 2023) was a crossover mobile game in a new world that combined Luxendarc and Excillant characters and setting. It lasted 13 months and I archived as much video as I could on Youtube but as of now, first person "reports" can be found here that summarize each board of each story.

It explains why "First Born" Ba'al was a thing in Bravely Second.

An 'offline' version was released but pulled from the app stores in July 2023.

There are 2 audio dramas for the first game!

First one is called "Festival of Reunion" and a translation of all four tracks can be found here.

Second one is called something like "Bracelets of Eternity" and so far no English translation seems to exist (though I know the gist of the first track).

The Ba'al theme was released with the first audio drama.

There's a Luxendarc / Linked Horizons concert that took place in Japan in 2013, you can find video of it on Youtube and Amazon Prime Video, and they released music CDs specific to it.

Square released an X-mas Collections Music CD that has wintery remixes of some of the Bravely Default music.

There is a Bravely Default 4 volume manga that's a retelling of the first game. Red made a video about it here. You can find scans online and most of the translations were done by Ellen.

There is also a manga anthology that serves to tie together Bravely Default and Bravely Second (released around the same time as Second, if not earlier). Red also made a video about it here. Ellen scanslated the third story in the anthology, I reuploaded it here after her imgur account got nuked.

Bravely Second was changed between the JP and Western releases based on feedback from Japanese players:

Sidequests were streamlined so that players could get a "good ending" based on their decision even if they chose the opposite Asterisk after the time reset

The Black Mage/ Ranger sidequest had its endings completely rewritten, as the Japanese version ends with either Bahamut being eaten or the wounded NPC dying depending on who you sided with.

Some costumes that were DLC were added to be bought with in-game currency (same as Default)

Fort Lune was made more easily available instead of being locked behind a SE Member account (along with some other things like costumes).

Some of the writing was tweaked as there were complaints about the memey/modern references/references to other media like Dragonball.

Aimee/Hawkeye costume was changed (there was also minor censoring of other costumes, like adding a bra to Ranger for Magnolia).

The fox companion was moved to different locations instead of sitting next to the Adventurer, lessening some complaints of "mood whiplash" between tent scenes and serious story events.

Some JP preorder-exclusive weapons were excluded (as far as I can tell, some weapons were just very hard to get).

The controversial apology for Bravely Second was in regard to the large amount of negative feedback the team received from the JP fans in regard to Second (though some Western fans also had a lot of negative things to say, it was largely only because of the costume censorship to the point at least one mod was released).

Third Part:

Magnolia and Pope!Agnes had large plushie prototypes made of them that were never released.

There's an official MMD figure of Agnes from Second.

2 types of large Edea plushies were released, one with closed eyes and one with open eyes.

Only 200 of the open-eyed Edeas were made/released but now there apparently there's only 199 in existence because I tried to buy one and the seller told me she was damaged in by a wild animal getting into the warehouse, rip Edea...

Large plushies were released of Edea, Ringabel, Agnes, and Tiz based on their Default appearance. Tiz's plush had an unfortunate hair style in the prototype that they changed in the final version. Images of this bowl cut have been lost forever.

Gloria got a smaller plushie that's in the JP SE Store.

A set of even smaller Default 1 cast plushies, among other things, are in the 10th anniversary set.

The European Collector's Edition of Bravely Default Where the Fairy Flies included this unfortunate figure of Agnes.

The Bravely Second artbook has three versions:

Original Japanese version, scans of it exist online

Bravely Second (Western) collectors edition version, which removed several images - sketches/concept art of Agnes tied up in the ribbon and a couple of images of Geist as well. This version had translated captions but any text on the images was not translated.

The fully English translated version which also restores the images removed from the CE.

Sales data has indicated that the Bravely Series reached 3 mil in Nov 2021. No word on 4 mil or 5 mil, but maybe we'll find out this year?

Bravely Default 1 (all versions) hit 1 million in July 2014 (21 months from initial BDFF release)

Bravely Second (all versions) hit 700k in April 2017 (2 years from BSEL release)

Bravely Default II (all versions) hit 1 mil in Dec 2021 (10 months from BDII release)

So much JP only merch was released through the years, especially in the years before Second.

Some through the SE Cafe collab with BDII

Some through Artnia (here's Default and Second's collabs)

10th anniversary stores with Hakabanogarou in person and online (now closed)

10th anniversary collab with Super Groupies for watches, Agnes's pendant, a stole with Airy's pendant.

Stuff on the SE JP store

Limited edition rubber stamp sets for Default and Second

Linked Horizon branded BD merch was released with the concert like pins.

Magnolia figure.

Official D's Journal

The messaging Line app released Bravely Default/Bravely Second stickers drawn by a fanartist made official artist named Satokivi! I think they were like 3 dollars per set.

She also drew the mini series of 4koma called "Praying for Miko" for Praying Brage

Physical versions of these stickers are on the JP SE Store.

There's a vinyl record

Pop-up Parade figurines of the main four were released in 2023 for the 10th anniversary of Bravely Default.

Bravely Default II had two demos, the first one specifically made difficult to get feedback from the fans. They implemented some feedback to change the final version of the game (but not everything). This was the first time they have asked for feedback from the West instead of just Japan.

Team Asano has released Lunar New Year art every year except 2016 with Bravely characters and the zodiac animal

They do Christmas cards every year, and it seems that this year they included a special card for a special fan with an extra character in the dragon art. If you know you know.

The woman on the cover of Bravely Default II isn't Gloria.

Bravely Default II has several secrets in the names of Chapter 5, 6, and 7. Spoilers for BDII below:

Twin AGES refers to both the first initials of the known Heroes of Light (Adelle/Gloria/Elvis/Seth and Aileen/Godric/Emma/Sloan) as well as the repetition across the two eras of Heroes. Also, you’ll notice that the initials are shared between the folks who inherited the same blessing from the crystal (assuming Emma got the Earth Crystal and Godric the Water Crystal). This is most noticeable in the final fight against the Night’s Nexus when the spirit of the old Hero of Light is standing behind the new to help them. - Adelle/Aileen - Gloria/Godric - Elvis/Emma - Seth/Sloan

Twin CAGES refers to the ‘cage’ that Adelle locks herself into, and the ‘cage’ that Elvis is forced into without her

Twin PAGES references back to the twin eras of the known Heroes of Light, but now with the Player - whose help is needed for the cycle to end. This is why “P” is the last letter to fade in the ending credits when the player is thanked.

I'm sure there's a lot more I'm forgetting, and this isn't even including the Bravely Default original concepts that were revealed in a booklet in the 10th anniversary exhibitions.

If you made it to the end, I applaud you, and I hope there was at least one or two things you didn't know!

Also one day I'll finish the video on the English fan survey.

[rebeccalouisaferguson]

Cover Star｜A sincere conversation with Rebecca Ferguson, from "Mission: Impossible" to "Dune": "If there was a pause button in life..."

Over the past few years, we've been immersed in the eyes of Rebecca Ferguson. She is "Lady Jessica", the mother of Paul, the protagonist of "Dune 2", and "Agent Ilsa" in the "Mission: Impossible" movie series. Her charm that is not limited by frames makes every character more real and three-dimensional.

In the cold winter, we flew to London to meet Rebecca Ferguson. There was an especially warm smile in the studio. She had a sense of relaxation, sitting casually on the stacked tires, but she was also like a small flame, burning the wonderful thoughts in her mind. In front of the camera, she carefully stretched her figure and carefully selected the look she liked. With a mini racing track laid out on the ground, Rebecca Ferguson created a different sense of tension and story.

From ballet to stunts

We will always remember that in 2014, Rebecca Ferguson hid the fact that she was afraid of high-altitude stunts while filming "Mission Impossible: Runaway Nation." Tom Cruise was surprised later, "She never told anyone! She trained for it and completed it full on" However, in the face of these past events, he asked her if she agreed that she was a person who "decided to do whatever she did." The kind of person who arrives? Rebecca Ferguson replied that she doesn’t like to oversimplify or emphasize her own behavior. “I also don’t like to have a predetermined impression of myself because it may lead to self-aggrandizement (laughs). I think most people I work with also have the same traits. ! When they want to achieve something, they always give it their all, not at the expense of others. I hope it’s a process that’s kind, considerate, and exciting.”

Born in Sweden to a British mother, Rebecca Ferguson graduated from Adolf Fredrik's Music School, a well-known music school in Stockholm. At the age of 15, she participated in the soap opera "Nya Tider". She also studied ballet, jazz and funk at the Royal Swedish Ballet School, tap dance, etc. Her diverse exploration of art since she was a child seems to have given her an "artist" eye, and perhaps a bit of an artist's temperament. Her heart is like a jumping note, and she can always talk about any topic; her attention to details also injects countless inspiration and boldness into the photos.

life pause button

After Rebecca Ferguson worked in Sweden for more than ten years and gave birth to her first child, her name gradually became known to the world. In 2013, she played Elizabeth Woodville, the controversial queen of King Edward IV of England during the Wars of the Roses, in the BBC historical drama The White Queen. This English-language debut earned her a Golden Globe nomination. Since then, she has become one of the busiest stars in Hollywood. The third film in the Mission: Impossible series she starred in premiered in 2023. For months, fans discussed the poignant battle of her character Ilsa Faust; the subsequent dystopian series starring Rebecca Ferguson The first and second seasons of "Silo" premiered on Apple TV+, during which time the craze for "Dune: Part 2" broke out. Compared with the growth story of Timothée Chalamet, we seem to be more often deeply attracted by the mystery, elegance, beauty and strength (and exquisite veil!) of the protagonist's mother Lady Jessica. Since the battle of wits in the first movie The fierce physical fight is still unforgettable!

Recently, she announced her participation in the movie version of "Peaky Blinders", co-starring Cillian Murphy, the protagonist of the British period crime drama. Ask her what else she wants to challenge in her career? "There is nothing I want to change, but I will always think about challenges and chasing dreams. I have never been on the stage, and I also want to do some theater work. This is my biggest wish now, and it may also be my biggest fear. !”

The theme of the February issue of "Harper's BAZAAR Taiwan" is about F1 racing and speed. I am curious about what she hopes to "fast forward" to the ending experience? "Absolutely not! I don't want to fast forward at all! I think time goes by fast enough already. If there was an option to rewind, I would rather have that - or press the pause button - to pause time and feel my surroundings. Maybe we can revisit some of the moments to let us know we’re not at the end yet.”

Naughty, Libra, maternal, mobile, practical in building dreams, artist, etc., we wrote a character sketch of Rebecca Ferguson; and then through her sincere answers, there was an interesting collision of souls.

Fashion is a language

Rebecca Ferguson (RF): I don’t know, maybe both? I think my answer is, we learn over time. We learn by making mistakes, and we grow by listening to and observing others. At the same time, I like people and I like to communicate! If the other person is interesting and smart and makes me feel smart too, the conversation is interesting, or if the other person is challenging in some other way, that's also engaging. But I'm not always witty, sometimes I'm naughty and sometimes even rude, which isn't really good.

HB: You are a fashion icon on the red carpet, but we also want to know about your personal style and experience. Has your daily fashion changed because of the crazy costumes you wear? Or has it changed as a result of becoming a mother and entering a different stage of life?

RF: I think life is fluid and we change with it. What's important to me is comfort, although not necessarily to the standards of fashion. But fashion is in some ways an expression of identity and how we want to be seen; on certain occasions, it is also important to present yourself in a certain way. But on other occasions, like when I go to work, I usually wear fitness clothes with a big hat and T-shirt on top. When the weather is cold, it’s more casual. Even so, I will wear cool sneakers and some very colorful socks! I still left my mark, I was still me. Of course, working with different stylists has also changed me, some experiences have been great, but others have also made me realize what doesn't work for me. Fashion is really like a language, right? For example, working with my current stylist, Tom Eerebout, he takes me into some areas that I really like, and the whole process is wonderful. I discovered that I loved fashion and expressing myself through clothing and accessories.

HB: In early interviews you talked about a childhood full of creativity and memories, such as dancing, music, modeling, and gymnastics. Can you share with us how you explore your passion? Have these experiences shaped who you are today?

RF: I explored my passion through the job opportunities I was offered. I will use my past physical experience if needed! For example, when I was filming "Mission: Impossible," those dance and physical training helped me shape the character. As for another question, I think everything in life influences everything; everything we do is filling up the "backpack in life", whether it is good or bad experiences, and these experiences ultimately shape us.

HB: Can you share with us what is the best and worst thing that has ever happened to you in the entertainment industry?

RF: To be able to be a part of the entertainment industry, have a place here, and have a workspace to express myself, to be able to do all of that consistently; and to be able to make enough money to take care of myself, take care of my family (more than put food on the table), work It also makes me feel fulfilled and satisfied...it's really great. Of course, there are a lot of not-so-good things, but I'm at a very good peak at the moment, so I prefer to emphasize the positive things.

[racefortheironthrone]

Considering superhero comics predate the invention of spandex, when did the idea that superhero costume are made from spandex come from?

Great question!

To answer this question, I first need to backup and do some history about fin-de-siècle strongmen and the origin of the "superhero costume" as a distinct cultural concept. In the late 19th/early 20th century, circus strongmen were not just huge draws but celebrities and cultural icons in their own right, part of the whole obsession of anxious masculinity in that era, along with the emergence of bodybuilding and quite a bit of racist eugenics (think "Passing of the Great Race" stuff) about how industrial civilization was making white men effete and degenerate and thus vulnerable to the Other.

However, the strongmen had something of a fashion problem: in order to do their shtick, they often wore close-fitting silk tights and shirts in order to show off their musculature, and these had a tendency to split when they were flexing. This could run the risk of leaving the strongmen hanging in the wind, as it were, so they adapted by putting on wrestler's unitards over their tights to keep themselves under wraps.

Throw on a cape, and you literally have the archetypal superhero costume. But if you take a look at how these costumes look on an actual human body, they're not literally skin-tight. You can see some muscle definition in places, but there's also visible wrinkles and folds at the joints and other places where you need more flexibility. It's just not quite there yet in terms of evoking the whole George Sandow aesthetique.

And then in 1958, spandex was invented as a much more elastic fabric that could be truly skintight without splitting, so you could really see the musculature much more clearly. Add this to the expanding and increasingly professionalized and advanced culture of postwar bodybuilding, and people's expectations about what their superheroes could and should look like began to change. Thus, starting in the Silver Age and into the Bronze Age, superheroes start to look a lot buffer and their costumes look a lot tighter so that the reader can see every damn muscle (and curve) on superheroes' bodies - because artists and editors and publishers realized they could make more money by making comics that were a bit sexier, thanks to the magic of "spandex."

Now this gets us into the economics of the comics industry and changing generational cohorts, but as we passed from the Silver Age to the late Bronze Age, you started to see a shift from comics artists who worked in comics because Jews and Catholics weren't welcome in the Art Departments of Madison Avenue, to comics artists who worked in comics because they had grown up reading comics and learned to draw from comics.

This had an impact on superhero costumes, because the older artists tended to be plugged in more to fashion and fashion art and thus drew superhero costumes as clothing with real three-dimensionality to it and the younger artists found it easier and faster to just draw familiar superhero bodies naked (with "spandex" as the figleaf) and then put in a few lines showing where the costumes end - and this easier and faster style that turned up the dial on allowable sexiness was more profitable for the companies.

Once you get to Jim Lee, Rob Liefeld, Todd McFarlane, and the other "Image Kids" of Nineties Comics, the spandex-ification of superhero comics had reached its peak because now the hot new trend was stuff that wouldn't work even with real-world spandex, hence the phenomena of the boob sock and the logical extension of the swimsuit/bikini for superwomen to the battle thong.

So ultimately it all comes down to the combined pressures of culture and economics.

[jadevine]

Have watched MAD MAX: FURIOSA and I am struck by several excellent things:

1) The Ancient Roman/Greek aesthetic of Dementus’ gang and pre-crazy Immortan Joe, and the attention to costumes for everyone’s gang/clan/settlement in general. A+++ for the costumes again! Is it just me, or does the Green Place feel Wild West/frontier with all their blue/indigo denim, long skirts, and their rifles/shotguns, and walking around barefoot??? Even considering shoes are rare in the apocalypse, you don’t put all of those elements together, along with a theme of PEACHES, and expect folks from the States to NOT immediately think “country,” lol.

2) The medieval/“fall of Rome” feeling. Dementus’ motorcycle chariot is Greek/Roman, obviously, but his procession to the Citadel is a REALLY medieval show of power/people all carefully filing down the road behind him on motorcycles. Everyone’s got their own fiefdoms, and the war style is given a medieval feel with skirmishes, long-ranged weapons, and trading “hostages” (especially Furiosa) in exchange for good behavior.

3) Neon colors bursting out of the endless orange desert, or shiny and chrome metal versus rusty and old metal! It’s like “a desaturated photograph with a single pop of color,” but for the whole movie, and I love it! Another thing that imitators forget about when they fall into the “real is brown and dirty” trope is that people are people, and they will TRY to look nice, even in the apocalypse.

4a) The detailed body language. Dementus has at least one herald/signaller, folks are constantly signaling each other from a distance, and everyone seems to automatically gag/muzzle or cage an excessively violent person. Even in the apocalypse, some people are clearly considered too far gone, and biting is frequent ENOUGH that people watch out for it. People also know to just wait for a clearly angry/traumatized hostage to start talking again, or that some people don’t talk at all (whether because they physically can’t, or they just stopped due to trauma). Everyone also inspects a new person to check for disease/injury.

4b) The shifting/forgetting of spoken language. On the surface it sounds like the standard trope of “after the world ends, everyone forgets how to talk good,” but they haven’t forgotten JUST YET. History Man still remembers how to read, and the various gangs/settlements clearly have their own dialects. Military orders are distinct, and Dementus and the History Man are especially well-spoken throughout the film. (Besides making good use of Chris Hemsworth, Dementus was also an adult when the world ended, so he is constantly using ALMOST-right words.)

5) Heights! Cliffs, towers, the long range weapons, the diggers, and kites/gliders! It gives the fight scenes a three-dimensional feel and the impression that even the SKY isn’t safe. Sky-octopuses or metal buckets swooping down on you??? A+! Also terrifying! Related: Dementus’ gang sure uses a lot of monster trucks that are twice the size of everyone else’s cars. Durability aside, I wonder if the expense of these vehicles (especially in the apocalypse) is another symptom of Dementus being a) arrogant and needing to feel “bigger” than everyone else, b) desperate to fill the void of his family’s deaths with cars/killing, and c) an excellent fighter who unfortunately knows nothing of logistics, and he drains everything/everyone around him. He uses THREE motorcycles for his chariot, and using a monster truck in battle also means you need more gas and more metal/rubber for repairs.

6) THEY KILLED MY BOY JACK! 😭

7) Several POC characters, whose faces we can see! We are also Mad Max fans, so it’s nice to see them even as supporting characters ❤️

There is a A LOT more to talk about, but in general: This movie is shiny and chrome!

[nebraska-is-a-myth]

Abuse in 'Runaway Max': A Stranger Things criticism

One thing I know to keep in mind is that the book is told from Max’s perspective, so it's her eyes we experience the world from, and her opinions that guide us through the story. For that we have to value her as a somewhat unreliable narrator, considering she is thirteen at the time and dosnt understand certain things.

A quick timeline to keep in mind because the book handles time very messily:

Billy has just turned 17 by the time Max and Billy first meet.

After Halloween in season 2, Max says she’s known Billy for 7 months, which takes us back to early May.

They move in together three weeks after the wedding in late June, meaning Max and Billy have lived together for a total of 5 months by the time they get to Hawkins.

Neil confiscates Billy's car keys for two months in June, so I’ve taken an educated guess that Max first witnesses Neil's abuse somewhere around august, then in September/October Billy breaks Max’s friends arm, leaving for Hawkins late October.

Now onto the deep dive:

In 'Runaway Max', we learn about the terrible Hargrove family dynamic, and how the Mayfield's learn to navigate that. Max gets a very graphic front row seat of Billy's abuse in chapter 10, and during that chapter Max responds to that situation as any 13 year old would, scared and confused. Despite this however, Billy's image doesn't change in Max’s mind. She has no visible compassion for Billy at any point of the book except from this chapter, and after that she states that she’s actively trying not to care about “his stupid life and his cruel dad”. 

From a writing standpoint, choosing this to be a part of Max’s character takes away from her complex experiences in an abusive household. Yes Max is a hardened character, but not exploring these difficult topics of disliking Billy while also feeling sorry for him makes her feel like just another pawn for the audience to make them dislike Billy. The writers could have made the step-siblings dynamic much more interesting to have them navigate this terrifying experience together. But I understand the duffers just wanted another one dimensional antagonist for season 2.

"I'd watched the Hargroves in action. Neil standing over billy with the belt - calling me a stupid little girl - making it clear that he thought I was weak and pointless. Knowing Neil believed that still wasnt as bad as the way Billy had hated me for trying to help him"

I have mixed feelings about this. I feel this description Max gives dutiful to anyone going through that situation, that they would feel disheartened by someone rejecting their help, and verbally berating them for it. However, it’s vitally important to understand the context of Why Billy reacts to Max this way.

During the assault on Billy that Max witnesses, Max calls out and interrupts Neil, trying to diffuse the situation. Neil responds not to Max, but to Billy “Is this the son I raised? A worthless loser who needs a little girl to fight his battles for him?” And then strikes billy again. 

Max assumes this to be an attack on her, however that's not what's happening at all. Neil is using Max against Billy. He takes Max’s intervention as a sign of Billy's own weakness, a softness. “Any hint of softness and he would never let me forget” In a way Billy had been trying to teach Max to harden herself so that Neil couldn't find anything to target her for, Billy had been making her more likeable for Neil. And now this softness that Max is showing for Billy, by standing up for him, is getting him punished. It’s been implied before that this was the case, but now we are seeing it explicitly that Billy is being punished for Max’s actions. This chain reaction forces Billy into a position where he cannot be on Maxes side, he cannot be friends with Max, because siding with anyone other than his father equals punishment.

After Neil leaves, we circle back round to the sentence “Sometimes Billy acted like we were in on some big, crucial secret together / like we were in some sort of secret club together - like we could be on the same team” Billy had been trying to tell her from the beginning, they were both members of a club trying to navigate life with Neil Hargrove, bonded by shared experience. They were supposed to be on the same team too, victims of Neil, but Neil has made that impossible by using Max against Billy. “I could see all the ways he hated me” Neil isolates one from the other, Billy resents Max for getting him hurt, and Max resents Billy for rejecting her.

During most of the sections of the book that happen in Hawkins, Max continues to call Billy a “Monster”. However, never Neil. It’s not untrue that Billy has a mean streak, he can be cruel and heartless, most notably when he breaks the arm of one of Max’s friends. The only time this level of violence is seen in Hawkins is during the fight with Steve.

Both of these big outbursts of rage are built up by attacks from Neil. Note: Billy is still an asshole, these are not excuses for his actions only explanations.

Yes, there are two occasions in which Billy grabs hold of Max’s arm, but there is an argument to be made that this is just normal sibling behaviour. Have you never pushed or shoved your sibling before, or been on the receiving end of that physicality. It’s not always pleasant, but it’s not uncommon for siblings to get physical during disagreements. Max is also only distressed by this on the first occasion, “He caught me by the arm, and it wasn't the first time he’s ever touched me, but other times had always been to push me out of the way in the kitchen or flick me on the end of my nose. This time, his fingers closed hard around my elbow” - however the second and last time goes like this “He reached out fast and caught me by the wrist”. Those are the only times Billy is ever physical with Max.

Despite this, Billy is still the monster. “Billy was the closest thing to one that I had ever known - this was what it meant to live with the monster.” Monster singular. Billy is the most terrible thing living in the Hargrove home, not the man who beats his son.

Personally I find something off putting with Max ranking Billy as a worse monster than Neil. During the night at the byers she says "I understood now that Neil was in his head, and that meant he was just as dangerous as his father. Worse because Neil was cruel and frightening but he cared how things looked on the outside. Billy was crazy" Max isn't stupid, she knows Neil is a bad person, and maybe from Maxes point of view Billy is worse than Neil because Neil hasn't ever physically hurt her. But from a writer's point of view, to say that the victim is worse than the abuser? That is both dangerous and honestly disgusting. To call Billy crazy, and insinuate that he’s acting like a ‘bad victim’ because he doesn't pretend that everything is normal is so hurtful to victims of abuse who see themselves in Billy. 

Continuing this thought, Max then goes on to compare Billy to a recently possessed Will. Which, first off, comparing abuse is never okay. But what Max says is almost worse, "Will had turned into something terrible and frightening, but even with the mind flayer working through him, he was trying not to let it. He'd almost gotten us killed, but you couldn't blame him because he didn't ask for this. He was trying so hard to stop it" Is the author trying to say that Billy should try harder to not let the abuse he has been experiencing at the hands of his father since before he was ten, affect him? Because if Brenna Yovanoff is using Will as a ‘good’ example of a victim of parental abuse, and using him to discount Billy's own experiences, then I’m sorry but who let this book go to print?

Obviously as a character Max choosing this comparison means very little to her because she doesn't know about Lonnie, but the writers do. Comparing Billy to will is a choice.

Billy and will have both experienced abuse from their fathers. Will is on one side of the spectrum of victims, quiet, timid and apologetic. Billy is on the opposite end of that spectrum, his experiences have hardened him, made him angry about what's happening to him. Billy isn't quiet, he’s an asshole and he has issues with authority, but the one thing that sets Billy and Will apart is the fact that Billy is still experiencing that abuse.

Will is a survivor, Billy isn't.

To imply that "you can't blame Will because he didn't ask for it", but it’s okay to blame Billy, does that mean we are supposed to think Billy is asking for it?

There are choices writers make in the information they reveal to their readers, the phrasing that is used and the comparisons they make. It speaks volumes that while Will is praised for his experiences and bravery with his dad, Billy is called a monster for acting out because of those same experiences.

I mean, tell me you're a writer who doesn't understand the complex reactions to abuse without telling me you only care about “good” reactions to abuse.

[yyh4ever]

Hello, Does yu yu hakusho also have Drama CDs?

Yu Yu Hakusho DRAMA CDS

There are two "Yu Yu Hakusho Shueisha Drama CD" released in 2004 and 2005. The voice actors are all the same as the anime version.

CD 01: December 2004

TRACKS

Spirit Detective Saga: the encounter between Yusuke, Kurama, and Hiei

01. Sanbiki no Youkai (Three Youkai)

02. Kizuna (Bonds)

03. Jagan no Otoko (The man with the evil eye)

TWO Shots Gaiden

04. Sesshoku (Contact)

05. Kyoutou (Joint Struggle)

CAST

Yusuke Urameshi: Nozomi Sasaki

Kazuma Kuwabara: Shigeru Chiba

Kurama: Megumi Ogata

Hiei: Nobuyuki Hiyama

Keiko Yukimura: Yuri Amano

Botan: Sanae Miyuki

Gouki: Norio Wakamoto

Shiori Minamino: Kumiko Takizawa

Mirror of Darkness: Tomonichi Nishimura

Maya Kitajima: Yuki Matsuoka

Yatsude: Osamu Kato

Hedoki: Ikuo Nishikawa

CD 2: March 2005

Inter-dimensional Cannon Arc (events from the epilogue of the manga)

Yusuke is spending his peaceful days running a ramen stand when he receives news that Genkai has collapsed. Furthermore, the Gate of Judgment in the Spirit World is occupied by those who seek the elimination of youkai from the Human World and the re-establishment of the barrier between the Demon World and Human World. If their demands are not accepted, they say they will fire the inter-dimensional cannon into the Human World. Yusuke and his friends gather together again and head to the Spirit World, but...

TRACKS

01. day by day

02. Reikai e (To the Spirit World)

03. Gekitotsu (Clash)

04. Noru ka Soru ka (All or Nothing)

05. Sore kara (And then...)

06. Messages from the VA: Nozomu Sasaki, Shigeru Chiba, Megumi Ogata and Nobuyuki Hiyama

CAST

Yusuke Urameshi: Nozomi Sasaki

Kazuma Kuwabara: Shigeru Chiba

Kurama: Megumi Ogata

Hiei: Nobuyuki Hiyama

Genkai: Hisako Kyouda

Botan: Sanae Miyuki

Keiko Yukimura: Yuri Amano

Atsuko Urameshi: Yoko Soumi

Shizuru Kuwabara: Ai Orikasa

Yukina: Yuri Shiratori

Otake: Hidetoshi Nakamura

It's great that after more than 10 years, "Two Shots" and "All or nothing" were finally made into OVAs in 2018.

There's also an original mini drama story written and directed by Shigeru Chiba (Kazuma Kuwabara VA). Part 1 was released in the Music Battle Edition 2 (1994), and Part 2 in the Yu Yu Hakusho Memorial CD BOX (1995). The cast is Yusuke, Kuwabara, Hiei, Kurama and Botan.

"Yu Yu Hakusho Special Mini Drama ~ The Hungry Warriors" (Part 1 & 2)

This is a drama that makes fun of the lack of eating scenes in anime, where Yusuke and his friends argue over what to eat. Among them, Hiei wants to eat monjayaki. In the manga, when Hiei melted Bui's axe, Kuwabara says "It melted like chocolate''. In the anime, his line was changed to "It melted like monjayaki''. So, it was probably an in-joke between the voice actors, using the mini drama as reference.

I don't know if there's any translations. I remember someone told me they were translating the mini drama, but I haven't heard anything since then. Does anyone know if there's any translations?

[robotlesbianjavert]

What's the problem with Deku's writing?

well for one he's a main character. which is strike one.

technically that's a joke but also not. there's a lot angles i could take in order to complain about deku, so for now i want to take the angle that as a main character, there are things that are going to be taken for granted as endgame for the narrative, but it's so taken for granted that the story forgets about the actual material needed to reach the endgame.

i'm going to use ofmd s2 as an example of this, because it's another thing i like to point at and go :) bad writing. so for that, it's very evident that the writers are aiming for "ed and stede are together and are ready to embark on a new, more mature phase of their life together". you can tell this because the showrunner was constantly talking about it in interviews. and indeed, the season ends with ed and stede parting ways with their crew and pirate life to try their hands as innkeepers.

but to reach that endgame, the series has to a) get stede and ed back together as soon possible, meaning they have to lean heavily on coincidence rather than any real efforts on the part of the characters, b) resolve the very emotionally stark situations the characters had left s1/started s2 in a way that makes the happy innkeeper endgame possible, but this makes the segue from drama to resolution unbelievable because the series can't really dedicate the time to dealing with that fallout before hopping onto the next big issue, which c) means that the ways that the other characters have been hurt as a result ed and stede's relationship drama have their pain sidelined and shrugged off, and in turn d) the focus on ensuring that ed and stede are together and in love means that their relationships with other characters get de-emphasized and feel much less lived, which rebounds and makes ed and stede feel more one-dimensional without the magic that fleshed them out. and most dire of all e) the audience is expected to believe that "sorry i was a dick" "you're not a dick life's a dick" is meant to indicate a development of maturity that means they are able to go off and be innkeepers together. it is NOT there.

essentially, the focus on a specific endgame without care about how that endgame is achieved ends up undercutting the triumph and catharsis of that endgame, rendering it much more hollow. people still enjoyed ofmd s2, and they're allowed to! but they enjoy it because their otp ended the season standing next to each other. three feet part. not for any genuine critical acclaim.

it's a similar issue with deku, especially in this final arc. his obvious endgame is that he'll affirm shigaraki's humanity and pain, "save" him (what that looks like yet, we don't know), and in turn become the greatest hero. we've got all the bones of that - just recently in 411, deku did his whole "you ARE human" declaration. but the lead up to deku and shigaraki's confrontation is thematically shallow and heavily dependent on us knowing that deku is a great kid and a great hero.

deku starts the third act realizing that if he understood the villains that he's faced, things could have turned out differently - the set up is that deku has to understand shigaraki as a person in order to stop him. the lead up to this is. well he asks muscular "what's up with you" one time in the middle of battle. that didn't work out. and then he had his nagant confrontation, where he was more shocked about her killing the former commission president than he was about the commission ordering a lot of evil assassinations. and then never thought about what that meant for society at large. and he was just like "well i know the world has some greys in it now" and that fixed her i guess. overhaul was there and deku made no real effort there to get why he was so frantic about seeing his boss. and then he has that conversation with ochaco where they both go "isn't it crazy that we have empathy for villains".

so basically the most work that he actually put into "understanding villains" was with nagant, who is a completely new character who has the baggage of "hero commission assassin is ANYONE in series gonna talk about that", and the potential she possesses as a shigaraki foil and a stepping stone for deku towards his endgame gets muddled. she's also basically, while a significant confrontation, is one beat of many in the third act.

so the set up for "understanding villains" as a factor in deku's endgame, in seeing villains as human, is pretty weak. and deku was honestly really dependent on getting that build up and using other villains as a learning experience, bc his actual dynamic with shigaraki is sparse. compare it to uraraka and toga - the "understanding" thread fares a lot better there, because uraraka has had specific and charged interactions with toga that deeply affected her and made her think. deku's most constructive interaction with shigaraki was way back at the mall, before the training camp, but that's not enough to carry chemistry through their supposed arc as hero & villain.

but the story already knows that deku, one way or another, is meant to succeed, so it acts like he received the necessary development to be able to understand shigaraki as human in their confrontation.

there's a similar lack of meat for many other aspects of deku's characters - like his relationship with the vestiges, where yoichi could be 2nd and 3rd around on deku's behalf, and his mastering of the new ofa quirks, which we get TOLD has consequences or that he's struggling with, but it's never in a way that actually causes him substantial issues that he must overcome.

but actually, we can move all of that aside and ask one simple question about deku's character: what does he think about the floating death coffin the other heroes built for shigaraki?

deku gets confronted by the vestiges about having to possibly kill shigaraki, and his response to that is "yeah i guess but i gotta try saving him". which is very nice, but it just ends there. deku doesn't have to deal with how everyone else - people who are scared, or have been hurt by shigaraki and the villain's actions - might feel about this initiative. at no point does deku have to stand his ground against the other heroes after shigaraki's head, he doesn't have to convince anyone of his point of view, he doesn't have to look inward and understand why he wants to do this. it's just "well if i can!"

deku doesn't have to have any thoughts about the floating death coffin. he never has to be in scene with it before it started malfunctioning. he doesn't have to have any opinions about its construction, about the heroes deciding to take this path. he doesn't need to have feelings about it, he just has to save shigaraki.

and when that happens, the narrative will celebrate him, and the heroes will be like "wow deku really is the greatest hero, kids these days are so great". they don't need to have thoughts about deku wanting to do this in the first place, because it's going to happen and no one can stop it.

in a similar way that some ofmd fans can walk away happy with season 2 because they don't need anything more than their otp standing together three feet apart, a lot of fans would be happy with deku and shigaraki's likely endgame because what matters is that deku is the hero and that he saves shigaraki. but from where i'm standing, deku has so little substance and build up to this endgame (or at least the build up is THERE, but poorly done) that it's hard for me to be impressed.

also everything @codenamesazanka said here. everything she says i nod and go hell yeah.

[swan2swan]

This shot is...well, it's a lot. Let's break it down:

FIRST: I wanna see the storyboarding for this. The direction. The concepts. They pulled off a 270-degree rotation in the whole environment to illustrate several beats of a fight scene. That's REALLY COOL, and a perfect use of the three-dimensional medium. That's the ambition I love to see.

However, the ambition is...well, obviously limited by the assets. It's a big void. We know from the movie just how much more complex the wreckage of Main Street is, and everything just sort of hits the pavement...

...BUT speaking of hitting the pavement, the camera shakes when it gets close to Rexy's feet. They went into this shot and said "When the camera gets close, shake the camera to simulate the weight." It might also just be because of the proximity, but the camera shakes when Rexy snaps her jaws shut--which any Jurassic superfan will know was a brilliant technique used in the final battle of the original Jurassic World.

Now, the character movements are...somewhat choreographed, it feels, but there's also a definite path to all of them. Mitch and Tiff run, Tiff runs into a table. Throws the table, which turns upside-down (the camera even passes in front of it!), runs, panicks and covers herself as Mitch running in from behind an umbrella, Mitch stabs Rexy, who gets mad, throws the table in pain, and the table lands on the guns Sammy is carrying, yanking her back. Darius has to come and rescue her.

Final point: I love that Rexy is using everything in this battle. Teeth, legs, tail, she's a machine. She's a Boss Battle, and the crew is struggling to escape and stay alive.

[dimalink]

Searchers of red purple sunset

Three dimensional scene for today based on role playing games about a fantasy. Such games are looks like most interesting. Interesting world, something secrets of this world. Connected with magic. And most unbelievable places you can to see. After you have cleaned this location.  What a good point of view – to watch the sunset.

Especially, if game is three dimensional. Few hours you make a clear of location from the monsters. And, at last, - everything is done! New level. Completed quest and beautiful sunset as a prize. What can be better for an excellent day. For a fantasy fan it cannot be better. Main thing here, it is to be the story interesting! And main question – and what is next? But, it will be later. Right now, it is good to make a save game.

And this is my scene with spirit of fantasy and role playing games. Searchers for the adventurers, already, reach place of the curse. To place, where magic amulet was with strong vibrations. And, it is getting glowing. Red purple sunset, already, paints a sky. And, all around, – there were standing an obelisks, which makes a magic field even more stronger. And it is, already, dangerous.

In every of a long sword it was inserted amulet, making more stronger a magic properties. Armor was a setup with a magic amulets. Without these things, they will never reach this place. It was, already, a sunset. And day is going to the end. All day long, they go through this wasteland. Wild magic makes this place abandoned. And legions of the night were here, already. Skeletons, werewolfs, fire birds, ice giants. Necromants of circle makes a stronghold here. Cult of living fire, also, has a settle in this place. And some speaks, that they, even, connect their efforts to find this place.

And searchers for adventures plan to find this place during the day.  And not in the sunset, when magic powers have their most peak. But, they were lingered in the way. They need to clash with necromants and the cult. And legions of the darkness and the wild magic. It takes all day long. And their campaign become hard. Stamina level is going to zero. And, looks like, it is a trap. Now, wild magic knows about this place. And searchers, make them a way to this place. Right after themselves.

So, it is, already, a ground shaking. And it is starting a read of a spell of eyes of dimensions. This way wild magic can to see you. And skeletons, again, are rising from the ground. And portal soon will be opened. Ahead, it is lots of hours of battles. It is good to find something, that can help to deal with these. And find healing. And restore of stamina. A lots of things it is good to find, too much things. And there is no time. Your party member speaks to you, that he has one spell to make illusions.

It will turn the eyes of wild magic into illusions. For some time. And during this time, you can to look at this place better. If to get from another side, above this fence, made from onyx. From another corner of location, then you can go first to this magic power. And this gives an advantage. It is just need to be quick! If to walk all this place and find entrance to the other side. There are magic things, which are more powerful, than a wild magic.  Most of ideas, it should be some amulet. You can hide near obelisks. They defends, those who stands near them.

Now it is a race with time. It is good to walk this place around!

Dima Link is making retro videogames, apps, a little of music, write stories, and some retro more.

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