#Cost-Effective Trailer Parts

[clampguyblog]

Why the S26321 INTRAAX Suspension Is a Must-Have for Your Trailer

Trailers are the backbone of heavy-duty transportation, and their performance hinges on the efficiency of their suspension systems. For owners of Hendrickson INTRAAX trailers, the S26321 INTRAAX Suspension is a vital upgrade that ensures smooth rides, reduced maintenance, and long-lasting durability. Let’s explore why this innovative component is the perfect solution for keeping your trailer road-ready.

What Is the S26321 INTRAAX Suspension?

The S26321 INTRAAX Suspension is a tri-functional pivot bushing kit specially designed for Hendrickson INTRAAX trailer suspensions. This bushing kit plays a critical role in absorbing shocks, reducing vibrations, and maintaining the stability of your trailer, even under heavy loads.

By providing flexibility and wear resistance, the S26321 INTRAAX Suspension protects other critical components of the suspension system, ensuring long-term performance and reliability.

Key Features of the S26321 INTRAAX Suspension

Here’s what makes the S26321 INTRAAX Suspension stand out:

Durability for Heavy-Duty Use Built from high-quality materials, this bushing kit is engineered to handle the extreme demands of heavy-duty trailers. Its robust construction ensures longevity even in the harshest conditions.

Superior Stability The S26321 INTRAAX Suspension enhances trailer stability by reducing vibrations and minimizing the effects of road shocks. This ensures a smoother ride and improved safety.

Optimized Performance Designed specifically for Hendrickson INTRAAX systems, this suspension kit fits perfectly and ensures optimal performance, allowing your trailer to operate at peak efficiency.

Cost-Effective Solution By preventing excessive wear on other components, the S26321 INTRAAX Suspension reduces maintenance costs and minimizes downtime, saving you money in the long run.

Seamless Installation Its compatibility with Hendrickson INTRAAX systems makes installation quick and hassle-free, allowing you to upgrade your suspension with ease.

Why Choose the S26321 INTRAAX Suspension?

Investing in the S26321 INTRAAX Suspension is about more than just compliance with trailer requirements—it’s about ensuring peace of mind. This component not only enhances the performance of your Hendrickson INTRAAX trailer but also protects your investment by reducing wear and tear on critical systems.

Whether you’re transporting freight, equipment, or other goods, the S26321 INTRAAX Suspension ensures your trailer can handle the load safely and efficiently.

Maintenance Tips for the S26321 INTRAAX Suspension

To maximize the performance and longevity of your S26321 INTRAAX Suspension, follow these maintenance tips:

Inspect Regularly: Check for signs of wear or damage on the bushing and surrounding parts.

Keep It Lubricated: Proper lubrication reduces friction and extends the life of the pivot bushing.

Align Your Trailer: Proper alignment prevents unnecessary stress on the suspension system.

Replace Worn Parts Promptly: Timely replacement of worn components ensures the entire system remains effective.

Conclusion

The S26321 INTRAAX Suspension is a game-changer for Hendrickson INTRAAX trailers, delivering unmatched durability, stability, and cost savings. Its tri-functional pivot bushing kit is engineered to optimize performance, reduce maintenance costs, and ensure safety on every haul.

Whether you’re upgrading your current system or replacing worn-out parts, the S26321 INTRAAX Suspension is a reliable choice for keeping your trailer road-ready.

Ready to upgrade your suspension? Visit Clamp Guy to learn more and make your purchase today!

[wynnyfryd]

Trailer Park Steve AU part 6

part 1 | part 5

October

It's Wednesday night, which means dinner at the Hendersons. Steve finally decided to show his face — and no, not because Dustin's doorstep song and dance had any effect on him; it was partly because he was sick of hearing muted metal music from across the street and mostly because he hadn't left the trailer in three days and he was starting to feel and smell like shit.

So, anyway. Dinner. Ma Henderson's pulled out all the stops: prepped a homemade lasagna, stocked the fridge with full-sugar sodas and bought the good brand of key lime pie; invited the Sinclair and Wheeler kids to make a little party of it. (Nancy was 'unfortunately too busy to attend,' thank fucking god.)

But then Ma got stuck late at work, so now it's all hands on deck. Mike and Erica are setting the table — Steve can hear Mike bitching at her because she told him the knives go the other way, dumbass; Lucas is at the fridge filling cups with ice and Pepsi and muttering to himself about how much better Coke is; Steve's got an eye on the oven, waiting for the cheese on the lasagna to bubble up juuust right; and Dustin is using "prepping the salad" as an excuse to corner Steve and annoy the ever-loving crap out of him.

“What do you mean it’s hard?” Dustin whines, dropping a handful of shredded carrots into the wooden bowl. “Just talk to him!”

Steve takes a deep breath. Mourns, briefly, for the night he could have had; the girls he could be doing hand stuff with in the back of the Beemer instead of putting up with this kid's shit. “I don’t wanna Just Talk to Him." He bends to peek through the oven door. "And, also: get off my ass about it, alright? I came to dinner, I'm heating up the lasagna. I'm, like, participating or whatever. What more do you want?”

“For you to talk to Eddie! Obviously!" Dustin's tossing the greens so aggressively that it kinda feels like he wishes he was pummeling Steve instead, and when he throws his hands up, little flecks of iceberg lettuce go raining to the floor.

Steve eyes the leafy green confetti. "You're cleaning that up."

"Come on, dude," Dustin begs. "It's been two weeks! What's the point of having friends who are next door neighbors if they refuse to get along?”

Behind them, Lucas supplies in a weirdly strangled tone: “This really doesn’t seem like the way to get him to talk to Eddie."

Thank you. Steve couldn't agree more. He turns to tell him as much and realizes the reason Lucas' voice sounded like that is because he's trying to make one trip to the dining room at any fucking cost. He's got an armful of drinking glasses and three cans of Pepsi tucked under his chin, and he's about to fumble the whole wobbly stack.

"Jesus Christ, man, cut that out!" Steve swoops in to grab the cans before they can join the lettuce shower Dustin just made. He doesn't care how much he loves Claudia, he will leave without helping if they splatter soda all over this floor. Mews the Second can lick it clean for all he cares, he's so for real. "Two at a time," he says sternly, taking the extra cups from Lucas’ hold and handing him back a reasonable amoint. He sends Lucas out of the room with a knee to the ass.

"Hey!" Lucas pouts.

"Hey yourself," he grins.

Lucas sticks out his tongue like a child (because he is one, Steve reminds himself), and when he shoulders the swinging door to the dining room he almost brains his little sister, who makes a graceful side-step and comes strutting through undeterred.

"Are you two nerds done playing good cop, annoying cop with Steve?"

"Ah-!" Dustin gawps. "I better not be the annoying cop!"

"Uh, yeah. Obviously, you are." She props a fist on her hip, a little tyrant in the making, and Steve’s ribs go tender with a fond, vaguely proud ache. He really loves her so much. "Now scram. I need to borrow Steve."

On second thought.

Surely at some point these kids, like, owe him money or some shit for the amount of weary sighs they've caused him to let out. Like, financial compensation for the years taken off his life? Something?

"Yes, Erica?" he asks, nostrils flared; eyes closed.

"You should talk to Eddie."

"Oh, Jesus fucking Christ." Steve looks up to the ceiling, pleading for anyone to grant him strength, then he turns to pull the lasagna out of the oven and watches the bubbles sizzle and pop in the hot cheese until he no longer feels like blowing up at a little girl. "Okay. Okay. And I should listen to you because…?"

Screw financial compensation.

He deserves a presidential medal for how calm he's keeping his tone.

Erica's glaring fiercely at him when he glances her way, and why is every kid he knows such a brave, confrontational little shit? "Because," she explains, "He's being mean to my brother."

Oh, fuck no. "What do you mean?" he asks, voice dropping to an urgent hiss as he feels his hackles raise. Like hell is he letting some Billy 2.0 hang around his kids. "Is he, like- Is he saying shit about you guys?"

She spares him from trying to find a tactful way to ask what he's really asking. "No," she says shortly. "But he is being a bastard about him joining the basketball team—"

"Language—" Oh, what's the point.

"—and those two nerds out there? Are obsessed with him. Especially Mike. Like, ob-sessed.” She writes the letters out in the air in front of her to really drive home the point. “Mike likes whatever Eddie likes, so you need to convince Eddie to like Lucas before Lucas loses his friends over this stupid 'jocks versus freaks' crap." She lowers her voice and jabs the skywriting finger into his shoulder hard enough to bruise. "And if you tell Lucas I said any of this? It is on. sight, Steve. I will crush you."

"Jesus Christ."

"So, we good?"

"Uh huh," Steve stammers. "Y-yep. Understood."

Wow. So dignified, Steve. Really loved how you let a ten year old intimidate you. He's saved from any further bullying by the sound of keys jangling in the lock.

"Dusty!" Claudia calls out through the door, "Dustybunny, can you come help? My hands are full!"

In the dining room Steve hears Dustin groan while Mike and Lucas start immediately tearing into him for the name, mocking 'Dustybunny; oh, Dustybun!' in stupid sing-song tones.

"So I'm just gonna..." Steve says awkwardly, inching toward the door. "Go get that."

"Mhmm." Erica gives him an unimpressed look. "You do that."

—

"Oh, Steve, sweetie, thank you!" Claudia says when he opens the door, cheerful and sweet as always. He goes to take her bags from her, but she drops them all at her feet and steps forward to give him a hug, a firm and tender thing that makes an annoying lump form in his throat.

"How are you?" she asks, stepping back to look at him; eyes raking over his face, hands on his cheeks. Really looks. She frowns at whatever she sees. "How's your mom?"

"Can you please just talk to me?" Steve begs, shivering in the hallway because they haven't budgeted for turning on the heat just yet. Wasn't supposed to get this cold for another pay cycle. He tugs the ends of his sweatshirt sleeves. His limbs feel stiff and tense, a budding anxiety like there’s a bomb in the base of his spine.

"Steven, darling, not now," his mother sighs as she sinks demurely onto the couch. "Then when!" he explodes. He doesn't want to yell at her, but, "Seriously, when? When are we going to say anything to each other that actually fucking matters, mom? I feel like I barely even know you anymore!"

"Yes, and I feel a migraine coming on; are you quite finished?"

"….She's fine," Steve answers.

Could be true, for all he knows.

The wrinkles between Claudia's brows deepen, like she wants to press the subject but decides to hold her tongue. "That's good to hear," she settles on after a moment, giving him a gentle pat on the cheek before stepping away with a subtle look that’s not mad, just disappointed.

Steve kind of wants to cry.

"Mom! Food!" Dustin hollers from the other room.

Steve rolls his eyes. "I swear I try to teach him manners."

"Well, good luck with that," she grins, the shadow of tension between them dissipating. Her mood is good like that. Resilient. Strong. Immune to outside force.

Steve’s moods, on the other hand, are more like those stainless steel fridges that promise to remain spotless but then end up covered in grubby handprints. (Exhibit A: he’s doing it right now.)

Thankfully Claudia’s got enough sunshine in her for the both of them. “Come on,” she says, extending a hand and wiggling her fingers for him to grab hold. “Let's eat."

—

part 7

[strangersatellites]

second installment of the eddie knows tarot-verse

decided to flesh out this post !! enjoy !! xoxo

part two is posted!!

edit: look at this AMAZING art by: @amethyst-crowns !

“What are these?”

Steve is gesturing to Eddie’s deck of tarot cards on top of his dresser.

Today has been just like every other Saturday has been for the past several months.

At the ungodly hour of nine a.m. Steve knocks on the trailer door to summon the boy out for their standing Saturday breakfast at the diner. After several cups of coffee and a rather mediocre stack of pancakes, they find themselves back at Eddie’s where the rest of the day is typically spent with Eddie strumming at his guitar and jotting down song lyrics and melodies while Steve entertains himself by either listening, interjecting with questions, or rummaging through Eddie’s things.

Today, he’s spotted Eddie’s deck.

Shifting in his spot on the floor he props his guitar against his bed and stands to walk to the dresser and retrieve the deck. 

“I knew you were gonna ask that,” Eddie jokes as he pulls Steve to sit on the bed with him and starts shuffling with the cards.

Steve’s eyebrows furrow and he lets out a questioning hum making Eddie huff a laugh.

“They’re tarot cards,” he starts, dropping his voice low for dramatic effect. “Set aside your skepticism and allow the cards to tell you your fortune.”

Steve chuckles, “Don’t think I would call myself a skeptic, ya know, given the circumstances of the last several years of my life. But I’ll bite. What kind of future can they tell me, oh wise one?”

And see, as of late, Eddie has been working on not running away from things that scare him. Has been the reason he has run directly toward danger in situations severe enough to nearly cost his life. 

Point is, one would think that by now he would know which scary things are hills worth dying on.

He doesn’t.

His big, fat crush on Steve Harrington clouds his judgment and drives his own morbid curiosity and self-destructive tendencies to have him saying, “Well, my favorite is the soulmate reading. Let's do that one, yeah?”

Steve’s eyebrows shoot up to his hairline. “They can tell me that?”

Eddie starts focusing his energy more intentionally on his card shuffling. Furrows his brows in an attempt to convey his seriousness. 

“They can tell you anything, sweetheart.”

Decidedly dragging his eyes from the pretty flush covering Steve’s cheeks at the pet name, Eddie gives Steve a quick lesson in what he’s doing.

“So, basically, I just focus my energy-”

“Sounds dangerous.”

“Shush!”

Steve giggles.

“I focus my energy on communicating to the universe what I am asking the cards. So this time, I’m asking them to tell me about the soulmate of the great Steve Harrington.” He catches the card that jumps out of the deck and into his lap and places it face down between them. “And that, Stevie, is how we pull cards.”

Steve looks questioning but not dismissive. “So you pick the ones that fall out?”

Eddie scoffs as he pauses his rapid shuffling and pulls a rogue card from where it’s peeking out from the deck. “Ones that fall out. No, Steve! I pick the ones that speak to me.” He resumes his shuffling and is immediately gifted with another two cards spinning out between them both.

Lifting his hands in a gesture of innocence Steve mutters apologies as Eddie stacks his remaining cards and sets them to the side.

‘Okay, pretty boy. Last chance to back out before all is revealed,” Eddie whispers, lining up the four cards he pulled. 

Its an out for Steve if he was just feigning interest, and it's a copout for Eddie. Eddie who is actively psyching himself up to face disappointment at the task of telling Steve allllll about his dream girl.

Steve shoves his shoulder. “Shut up and tell me about them.”

Before flipping the cards face up, Eddie points at each one and tells what it is going to represent based on the reading format he chose.

“Alright, this first card is going to be representative of how your soulmate views you. The next one tells you who they are and how this person comes into your life, and the last two are descriptors of your soulmate.” 

Steve takes a breath and gives a resolute nod. 

Eddie steels himself and flips the cards.

Freezes.

Instantly his mind is running a mile a minute, both in shock and what the fuck he is going to tell Steve.

Let it be said that Eddie is nothing if not quick on his feet. And Eddie Munson knows for a fact that Steve doesn’t know anything about tarot. What’s he going to do? Correct him?

He claps his hands together and plasters on his most predatory smile. 

“Stevie, Stevie, Stevie,” he tuts. “Now this is no surprise,” he starts.

And you see, the best kinds of lies are ones that are based in truth. That’s the reason that Eddie taps a finger over The Magician and says, “Your soulmate sees you as a person of great power and influence. King Steve, if you will.”

True.

Steve bristles a bit but nods along.

Pointing at the next card, “The King of Cups,” Eddie tells him, “Now this, this is a good one. This one says you’re going to be a great boyfriend-”

Not quite true.

“- and that your soulmate is a new person in your life. You meet a new girl and not tell me, Stevie? I’m hurt.”

Steve laughs and runs a hand through his hair. “I mean, I don't think so, no. Haven’t really had much time since the apocalypse, ya know,”

Eddie’s brain short circuits a bit at the idea that he is the newest person Steve knows. Right. 

He opts to press on. “Ah this is interesting. The reverse King of Swords. Well, typically this represents someone abrasive. Brash, even.”

True.

“But since it's reversed, it means the opposite,” he says.

Not true. 

“She’s going to be gentle and kind. Aw. Isn’t that sweet, Stevie.”

Even the thought of it makes Eddie’s heart flip over and twist with discomfort. Despite the fact that he’s lying out of his ass.

Steve is getting really into it and picks up the last card himself. “What’s this one? The Tower.”

Eddie twirls a piece of his hair around his finger and thinks for a split second before responding with the first thing that comes to mind. 

“It’s a landmark. It means you’ll meet her somewhere you’re familiar with. Maybe that farmer’s market you like to go to on Sunday’s! That seems like a good place to meet someone.”

Steve wrings his hands together and then takes Eddie’s notebook from the floor to jot down what he’s learned. 

If Eddie wasn’t already trying valiantly to hold back his own impending panic he might find his enthusiasm cute. As it is, he’s experiencing the heavy feeling of dread settling low in his stomach of the realization of what this reading actually says.

The Magician actually says that Steve’s soulmate had to learn to use their intuition to get to know him. Had to look past his power and influence, his King Steve persona. 

The reverse King of Swords actually says that it's someone abrasive and blunt. Someone who uses words as a weapon and easily finds themselves in harm's way. 

The Tower actually says that this person comes close to chaos, destruction. Has had their life turned upside down. When pulled with the reverse King of Swords it implies that this person nearly fell victim to their own rash decisions. 

If that wasn’t enough, it's the King of Cups that really put Eddie over the edge. Because it tells us that Steve’s soulmate is someone older than him who came into his life with a bang. 

It also says it's a guy.

But Eddie just agrees with Steve’s request to join him on a trip to the farmer’s market tomorrow and puts his cards back on the dresser with a ringing static sound in his ears.

He’s content to join Steve on his quest to find his nice girl at the farmer’s market if it means he never has to tell him the truth.

That the cards said Steve’s soulmate was him.

_________________________________________________

It's Tuesday night and Eddie is nose-deep in some book Gareth recommended to him. Truth be told it's boring, but he’s reading it because his friend liked it. He can never say Eddie never did anything for him. 

A firm knock on his door frame has his eyes shooting up.

Wayne is standing there, hands in his pockets. He nods Eddie’s direction.

“Got a call from that Buckley girl, kid.”

Eddie furrows his eyebrows as he walks to the phone in the living room. 

He answers with a question in his voice. 

“Hey Bird. You okay?”

He is cut off from asking anything else when Robin launches into one of her rambles.

“Well honestly I feel like I might be going crazy because like a year ago- well I guess it was two years ago. Anyway- this one Summer our tv went out and I had to find other ways to entertain myself, and you know I’ve already read every book I own and Steve was working on his house and was busy all the time so no one could drive me to the library-”

“Bird! What’s going on? Why did you call?”

She groans dramatically, “I was getting there Eddie. But fine. I learned how to read tarot and I don’t know what you said to Steve about the soulmate reading you did for him, but I know for a fact that The Tower has nothing to do with the farmer’s market.”

And isn't that just it? All of Eddie’s carefully crafted lies coming back to bite him. 

“I- Robbie. You can’t tell him. Please?”

Her voice drops in a show of sincerity. 

“Of course not Eds. I won’t tell him.”

He heaves out a breath of relief.

“Thank you, Bird. I owe you one.”

She giggles.

“Your secret’s safe with me.” She pauses before she speaks again.

“Not with Steve though. He’s the one who taught me how to read the cards.”

[felassan]

Thoughts on the DA:TV reveal trailer from June 9th. DA:TV spoilers under cut.

this post is rly late, ik hh ◕‿◕

General and some random stuff

It's important to bear in mind what the trailer advised at the bottom, which is that the trailer is "game engine footage" and that "not all images appear in game".

Overall I really liked the trailer and it made me feel super excited!! I thought it was cool. the general more light-hearted tone of it and the music choice weren't what I would've guessed or expected, but they were interesting choices. I was a bit [dog cocking head from side to side in confusion] in the early portion hh, but it really came together for me all chills n stuff with the 'rise of Rook'-kinda shot and the group fight scene at the end, by which point I was overwhelmed with excitement, all the new stuff it had shown and the prospect of going back to Thedas fr to the point that I was teary lmao (don't look at me). I think as well the subsequent gameplay reveal video was more representative of the tone that the game will have, and that DA has.. previous [affectionate] for slightly ?? trailers and portions of the marketing. (remember the DA:O-era Marilyn Manson 'This Is the New Shit' metal trailers with like blood splattering all over the place & screen like strawberry jam fountains and stuff and the male Cousland who inexplicably looks about 40-50 years old? hhh. yea).

I think it looked great ^^ it's very pretty and detailed, it has cool art.

I also dug the sound design, like when there were sound effects like Venatori drawing swords and stuff (as a random example), it was just very crisp and satisfying

Trailer song

I'm so curious to know who the cover/rearrangement of "Heroes" is by and to be able to listen to it in full sometime. Do you think it's simply music for the trailer, or that it's part of the game OST? Didn't DA2's have some Florence and the Machine on it for example?

Interesting to note that "Heroes" is about two lovers from different sides. "Under constant fear of death, they dream they are free, swimming with dolphins". the song "represents two opposing forces", a sense that they will be separated, and the idea that love can endure or overcome anything (umm Var lath vir suledin? 😭). it brings to mind the idea of two people on opposite sides of something as parted friends or star-crossed lovers or something like that.

I also think this is interesting: "Bowie placed the [song] title in quotation marks as an expression of irony on the otherwise romantic or triumphant words and music". When Solas raised the Veil, he saved his people and the world but also doomed his people and destroyed the world - he is an ironic and sad/tragic hero. In a previous trailer, he says [to Rook probably] in a non-positive, almost bitter tone, "They call me The Dread Wolf. What will they call you, when this is over?" It sounds like he thinks (knows..) that though Rook may save the day now, they could poetically end up like him, a mirror of him - hated for it after the fact, or a big damn hero that sadly no-one knows about (remember in Mass Effect when Kirrahe says "We are trained for espionage. We would be legends, but the records are sealed. Glory in battle is not our way"? remember when Mark Darrah said that at one point or other, the 'vision statement' for DA4 was "We would be heroes, but the records are sealed"?), or being a hero at great personal cost to themself, or saving the world from one issue but inadvertently setting off another or causing great collateral damage or something like that. a "hero", but an ironic one in some form or other. it's argued by some that despite its sound, "Heroes" is not a feel-good anthem per se:

Describing the song, [Bowie] stated it is about "facing reality and standing up to it", about achieving "a sense of compassion" and "deriving some joy from the very simple pleasure of being alive". Likewise, Pegg contests the song contains underlying dark themes that juxtapose its uplifting chord sequence and delirious vocal [...] while the repeated announcement of "nothing will keep us together" asserts that time is short. Regarding the themes, Lurie stated: 'alchemy: We may be average and regular in the present moment, but we have the potential, at any time, for heroic thought and action – even if only for one day. The transformation can be brought about by an external event or through an internal change in perspective'."

Purple and bronze

My favs <3 :)

People we've met before

We knew Lucanis wasn't really dead

I really liked the focus of the trailer and its accompanying text blurb on the cast of characters, a thing which is a mainstay focus of Dragon Age and something that people really love about it. The trailer gives the impression that the game is about Rook becoming a leader, the leader of this specific A-Team crew; the relationships between them and the crew members; all their unique and complimentary strengths and personal storylines as woven into the main plot; and working as a team to defy the odds.. together. the old lesson of, if we work together, we have the power to resist and triumph. real The Power of Friendship, Found Family-vibes, yknow? 🥺 I really liked this line "Create memories with your team which will deepen your experiences and give you more to fight for." (Dates and friend dates with them please). In ME, Liara can ask Shepard what she's fighting for, and if it's a chance to give Garrus peace. Shepard can reply that Garrus has been hurt and betrayed, and that she would like to offer him something better. that's the sort of thing that that line makes me think of.

I also get the impression that yeah, the DA:TV prologue/lead-in comic Dragon Age: The Missing was definitely originally intended to end not long temporally irl before DA:TV marketing content of this kind came out. like if you read The Missing then immediately watch this trailer, you can see what they may have been trying to go for in that comic and how they connect together. The Missing ends with Varric and Harding in Minrathous, and in this trailer, here they are in Minrathous. At the time of The Missing, I wondered:

this sounds like it’ll be Varric’s role in DA:D, right? The person who puts together the new Team, but not a companion per se. so… Varnick Fury? he recruits us? maybe the various characters Varric and Harding meet in this comic series are part of the wider team in DA:D, contacts, folks we meet?

and

D] highlight these four groups/factions and introduce the two new ones (Veil Jumpers and Shadow Dragons) in advance of DA:D. [...] Certainly if I was Varric at the moment when Harding asks “So who are you thinking?” at the end here, after the events I had experienced and people & groups I had met in recent weeks, with those being fresh in my mind, I would be thinking about the Grey Wardens, the Antivan Crows, the Veil Jumpers and the Shadow Dragons, both as groups and terms of the mental list of people that I had recently met who Solas doesn’t know. again it makes you think about the popular speculation that the DA:D PC will have the background of being from one of these groups.

this trailer and subsequent marketing materials since then have indeed detailed that Varric is not a companion, that he recruited Rook, that the devs were kinda thinking of an 'Avengers'-type team, that Neve (appeared in The Missing) is a companion, that Rook can be a Warden, Crow, Veil Jumper, or Shadow Dragon (among other things), that those factions are all important in the storyline of the game, that the companions include a Warden, a Crow, a Veil Jumper, and a Shadow Dragon, and that the crew will also have contact with non-companion NPCs who will be "faces" of their respective factions!! like we don't know for sure that the 'face' NPC[s] of the Veil Jumpers will be Strife and Irelin or one of them, but we do know thanks to Game Informer that e.g. Strife and Irelin do appear in the game as NPCs. When Harding asks Varric in The Missing "So who are you thinking?", it mirrors the trailer, where Varric asks Harding "What are you thinking?" after she states that this will take more than just the two of them.

A fun fact about the trailer is that the 'most replayed' segment is the Lucanis and Bellara part. the people know what they want hh.. ^^

Opening segment: Venatori, Varric, Harding

The trailer begins with a view of Docktown, Minrathous, just from a bit of a different angle to the one in that screenshot. the now-familiar floating castle is in the sky. I guess the bright green light on the docks in the trailer version of this scene is one of Minrathous' magical neon shop signs, specifically one above the door of the building on the docks that you can see here (albeit it's unlit there because it's daytime/or at least not overcast). it's foggy/misty, with a general moody vibe. Varric and Harding are in a bar. I think the bar they're in is through the doorway with the neon green light above it, and I wonder if that bar is this one.

Are the carved creatures with human heads and wings in the foreground statues on the nearest shore (where the 'pov' is standing) or carved prows of ships in the harbor? they remind me of harpies or angels. have we seen these assets before in DA? in-world were they based on a Thedosian creature?

[points] repeating rings/concentric circles

this bit reminds me of the different shapes and patterns here. (around 'Level 30', around '0 points available', and the skill tree itself both in terms of design and the pattern behind it)

Who doesn't love a good Mass Effect-style lens flare? :D somehow these always make me feel nostalgic.. this bit reminds me of an eclipse (of which much could be said in the context of DA and DA:TV..) or other astrological event, or like an event horizon or something.

These guys are Venatori Soldiers. Compare with those in the gameplay reveal video. they even attack in a big group of guys in the trailer the way they do in gameplay, Power Rangers badguys-style (a Venatori classic..). ^^

What's the deal with some of their weapons being red btw?

It's giving red lyrium, it's giving red lyrium blade like Certainty (two), it's giving the vibe of the red lyrium weapons pack, it's giving general Venatori fuckery (they have messed with red lyrium stuff for their own nefarious ends several times before).

the symbol on their foreheads is also familiar.

It shows up in Dragon Age: Absolution.

(from here) the flag scene on the right is seen during Hira's flashback when the Venatori killed her family as an example, punishing them for helping those less fortunate in Tevinter. so it seems like the Venatori have a new symbol and a new look in the post-DA:I material, right? like irl art direction/art updates-wise. just, in-world, they actually were using it in the past, as we can see it in the Hira flashback, at which point she was a child, long before the time of the Inquisition forming. unless this is a specific faction or offshoot of Venatori..?

I'm not sure that it actually is or not, but when I see this type of thing I also think about red lyrium shards. also, some of them have lil spiky shoulder blades -

which reminds me of that 'hostile architecture' vibe Tevinter architecture and designs of stuff have going on, like the spikes on the back of the chairs here. and I wonder if the guy with the red face covering is the leader of this particular squad?

When it pans out to this shot, we get a good look at the bar and also it's clear what a bunch of cowards the Venatori are. What is this, like, 7 on 2 at least.. but it was actually more than that in the beginning because Varric and Harding have already laid several Venatori soldiers out flat on the ground (I count at least 3 there and 1 flat on the bar lol). 11+ v 2 LOL. there are also a couple of injured but not KO'd people crouching who could be more injured Venatori, or else just innocent bar patrons who got in the way. in the background you can see what looks like a hookah, which we have seen in northern Thedas before. also, at this point, Rook is right there, sitting there all casual and nonchalant at a table over by the window, with their hood up and their back to the fight hh. the other thing that strikes me about this shot is the intricate patterns on the rug and how beautiful the lighting is - all those shafts of sunlight and candle/firelight and stuff.

Bar fights are such a fantasy, D&D-type classic. I wonder if this bar is the Swan, the tavern Corinne mentioned as being in Minrathous which has good tavern music? or if it's the same bar as where the game starts off, where Rook has the choice of intimidating a bartender or not? an article also mentioned a pub in the streets of Minrathous which has a dozen NPCs in it and which is reached via a wide, winding pathway. (probably at least two of these various bar/pubs are actually the same one being described/shown in a different way hh.) the Venatori try to look all menacing and the barperson, understandably, tries to scuttle out the way.

Bianca looks great and has had a glow up. the carved patterns are so pretty, and with the eyepieces and stuff she looks almost steampunky or Fable-y. which makes her subsequent demise at Solas' hands in the gameplay reveal video all the sadder. ���� we can also see at this point that at Varric's belt, he wears a symbol of the Inquisition, even though it's been around 8 years.. 🥺 as in The Missing, you can also clearly see that Varric has been aging. he looks old and tired, he has more of a beard, and his hair is thinning and graying. this look of his, including the outfit and scarring around his eye, iirc first appeared in Issue 2 of The Missing.

I wrote then of that,

he looks Older and more tired, and also maybe redesigned (outfit, scar etc). if this comic is set around 9:52 or shortly beforehand, he’s over 50 years old now since he was born in 9:1. according to this tweet of Fernando’s, it wasn’t Fernando who did a redesign, BioWare had sent along the reference for Varric for this comic. are we looking at Varric’s DA:D Era (Dad Era..) Redesign? is this how he’ll look in DA:D? 

and it seems we were, and it seems it is! :D

When the shot cuts to Harding, we can see that the bar has a roaring fire (tho I question the heat efficiency of this with a wide open door :D). I like the symmetry of having Varric and Harding both shoot one Venatori each with their bow/crossbow at this point. Harding is in her new gear, the new look that appeared in The Missing. She looks so good! I love all the detailing on her and Varric's clothes, like the fur parts at their collar and shoulders (which up here in Tevinter seems so quaintly southern, Fereldan-y hh). my heart skips a beat when Harding whips her head around and blows her bangs out her face. 🥰 the motion of her and Varric's hair is soo goood (and for stuff like Harding's cape whipping around), and look at the detailing of her braided updo!!

Mid bar-fight, when despite being mid-fight Varric reaches for a tankard and Harding summarily takes it off him.. it reminded me of this panel from The Missing #2. at that time, I thought,

“food poisoning” ye sure okay bud. at the end of issue 1, Varric was after a stiff drink. this panel is a smart bit of continuity from that. [but] on a serious note though I hope Varric is doing okay like, and this was just a hangover after a celebration like he says, rather than part of his recent tired/sad/kinda strugglin vibe. otherwise coupled with his older tireder more haggard look it reminds me a bit of Ser Aaron. [and it's] sad to think about [anyone going through or struggling with that] :( (RIP Aaron...)

and the tankard moment in this trailer reminded me of that worry again. Varric, buddy... are you okay 😭

It's so funny (in a good way) when Harding in the background uses her bow like a freakin baseball bat to level a guy while in the foreground Varric is like 'yea it's fine, she got this' because he knows she can handle herself hh. and like, yea, in these few seconds Harding takes out three dudes herself. Varric is still looking forlornly at his now-empty hand when she's smacking a guy clean across the face with the mug. Harding.. make it rain!! :) bad guys drop to the floor and the sparkly effects of spilled drink both fall around her. also, does it look to anyone else that on the front of a pouch Harding wears on her front, there's the eyeball Scout-or-Inquisition symbol, like how there is on her bow? then Varric is like. 'okay, I'm listening'. :D

Neve

We see Neve meeting someone in a Minrathous backstreet. the setting here reminds of the Minrathous streets in the gameplay reveal, of this concept art and of this scene from a previous trailer. it's raining at night and she's meeting them - an informant or contact etc - at a specific time and place in a secluded area to make some sort of trade. they show her the goods and she offers them a pouch of what is presumably coin

from how the Venatori talk about Neve in the gameplay reveal, and maybe even a lil based on how this 'contact' (who is actually trying to rob her or maybe even trying to complete a hit/kill contract on her) is dressed, I wonder if this person was Venatori or one of their agents?

Neve's saunter made me weak in the knees. she seems so confident and capable. she has great instincts/reflexes, which makes sense for a character who investigates alone on the night streets; she saw the attacker's feint (and their real goal all along) coming straightaway. you can't get one over on Neve

In the final triumphant shot of her, when she holds the item aloft, she's got one foot on the felled person, who is lying on the ground hh

I appreciated the attention paid to the sound effects of her footsteps! it's like there's a metal clinking sound when she steps with her metal leg.

She does her specialty, ice magic, and ice magic looks so lovely - a bright white light coming from it, snowflakes floating all around

though I know it's probably more like, this was her planned design and the comic artist was given BW's reference for her, I love how faithfully Neve's complicated, fashionable design was carried over from the comics into this trailer/vice versa/matches in each!! e.g. the toe of her boot, her leg, all the details of her overcoat, the shape of her snake-belt, everything

Also her mannerisms match too! the spell she does here, with its staff-less magic and both hands coming forward with a burst of ice magic, is exactly like she does in the comics. :D (on the right below). I just think that's such a thoughtful touch.

I'm rly curious about the item that she was after. the red shard-type thing reminds me of red lyrium, and at this point a red gem-like thing set in golden metal surrounds remind me of the Venatori. those are different shapes of course, but see above with regards to: the red and gold symbols on the foreheads of the Venatori guys who attack Varric and Harding in the bar; the red and gold brooch or clasp thing from Absolution; and the red and gold symbol of the Venatori on their banners in Hira's flashback in Absolution.

What is it, and why was she after it? the other thing it reminds me of is the round enchanted clay discs from her TN short story, The Streets of Minrathous. they were seals to the demon's prison (the one that is under Minrathous) and involved blood magic. (this is red and gold though so it doesn't super-match tho, as if I remember right the seals in TN were described as being seated in polished black shell on gold chains, with a long, thin, 4-winged dragon etched on the front that was rising out of a dark sea..)

Another thing to notice here is when Neve's name's splash text comes up, what look like orange-red leaves blowing in the wind blow across the screen. this imagery repeats in a few of the other companion segments.

Lucanis

He assassinates a target in a crowded, beautiful, colorful and busy marketplace. Do you think this is Antiva, Tevinter or somewhere else? ^^ the target is frantic, he knows he's in danger and that he's being chased/watched (makes sense, 'The Demon' has a reputation); but Lucanis is so stealthy that he has no idea where he is. Lucanis is quick and deadly.

the orange-red leaves swirl around in the air

on the back of Lucanis' outfit we can see the purpley wing motif and the patterning of many eyes (more thoughts on that here), these are placed really prominently in this trailer.

Again the detailing of hair movement, clothes etc is awesome! Even the back of the target's cloak is all bejewelled and detailed.

Lots of NPCs in the crowd. peer around at their hairstyles just in case they're among those that are available in the CC for Rook :D we also now know that we will be able to re-create NPCs like these in the CC, as it was used to make them all.

Who do we think the target is? they are a human man. is he simply a random person to showcase Lucanis' assassin-ness for the purposes of the trailer, or meant to indicate a person from a particular group or faction? can we infer anything from the design of his clothes? the red pointy spike on his shoulder pad for example kind of reminds me of that of some Venatori (see above in barfight segment). and in general he seems well-dressed, and maybe his outfit has a sort of mage-y vibe. a higher-up Venatori? a bad magister? we know Lucanis has been going around taking contracts to kill prominent Venatori from TN, and that he was intending to do more of these jobs.

It's a mixed crowd, there are humans present and you can also see elves, qunari and dwarves. :) (please ignore the top right hand corner of the image below, I guess a copy-paste failed and I didn't notice at the time hh).

After the target knocks someone over by mistake, an angry guy behind him gesticulates, understandably annoyed.

Lucanis catches and kills him in one fluid motion. I would let Lucanis assassinate me

Grabs em by the face hh (makes sense, he then covers their mouth so they can't scream and draw attention I guess - it's the middle of a crowded marketplace after all)

mullet singing magnificently in the wind

lil crowfeather-like hair tufts sticking out

And he snaps his neck rather than stabbing with one of his knives or swords (and he is wielding one in this encounter). I guess it's more efficient and quick in this instance than stabbing. it also makes less of a mess. :D The setting and dialogue line for this segment is smart too - Lucanis kills this person by leaping out of the shadows/where he was hiding into the broad daylight, and kills them when it's light outside hh.

Bellara

an ancient elven ruin in Arlathan (Forest or Crater). birds fly overhead. I love the lighting and all the greenery :)

the orange-red leaves continue to fall in Bellara's segment too. they aren't a surprise here of course, the gold/orangey 'omg it's Arlathan/the Veil[Jumper] archer place from old concept art' trees are in Arlathan, where this segment is set, but they also crop up in the trailer in e.g. Minrathous in Neve's segment, in Lucanis' segment. they're a nice continuous aesthetic linking the scenes together ^^ We also see them on the Golden City version of the DA vinyl cover art, twining through the dragon's wings and growing among the buildings, in a way connecting this foliage to the Fade.

the design of the place reminds me a bit of the bridge at the Temple of Mythal in DA:I. I wonder if this ruin was a temple or palace in the past, and if so, to/of whom?

it's so beautiful and makes me feel really excited to explore ancient elven ruins and Arlathan :)

the two startled halla look so pretty

interestingly, the black bird that flies near the halla looks like a corvid - making you think of rooks, and Rook.

green Fade-y light gathers in the archway and our Veil Jumper's official proper introduction, fittingly, has her leaping out of the Fade[?], or otherwise leaping through part of the Veil :D Bellara's segment is so fun and I love that for her and us. when she first appears, she looks so happy and thrilled to be on the adventure that she's on here.

in her hand she grasps her prize, which I guess she's just taken from wherever she was - a gold-colored triangley thing (so, a piece of ancient elven tech or another ancient elven artifact). when she gets caught and pulled back into the portal, she drops it and it falls out of her hands.

👁️ Now, about the tentacles. from previous materials like the short story Ruins of Reality and DA: The Missing, we know that in Arlathan, space and time, and reality, has been warping. the Veil is thin and wild, wacky stuff is going on in there. there are Veil Bubbles. the Fade is a mess close to Solas' ritual and demons are coming through, etc. the tentacles in this segment are very interesting indeed 👀 Veil Jumpers are also being attacked by tentacles in this DA4 concept art. here's another DA4 concept art with a tentacled monster in it. I wonder where Bellara was jumping from? a different pocket of reality in Arlathan or elsewhere? a place "in-between"? from a Veil Bubble? the tentacles also reminded me a lot of the Cekorax. it was a big tentacled monster that Dorian hired Hollix to kill in Minrathous. in that TN story, Dorian recalls that a Mortalitasi once told him of "things past the Veil of our world, neither demon nor spirit"...

Emmrich

Cut to Emmrich in the Grand Necropolis in Nevarra. See the bottom of this post for thoughts on the final shot of the Emmrich segment.

Digging up a lot of buried secrets.. it's giving the mysteries of the Grand Necropolis (the lowest reaches of it are quite ancient), and it also makes me think of secrets in the Deep Roads, Descent-style 👁️

The pov at the start of Emmrich's segment has the camera inside the chest (or coffin-type thing, since the skeleton seems to rise from it a few seconds later) these two people are opening and looking inside. the lore says that the geography of the lower parts of the Necropolis varies and changes, producing a disorienting effect on visitors which has successfully prevented robbery attempts. but we can probably assume from location and context cues that these people are looters or grave robbers right? you could imagine grave goods and other treasures/loot to be found in the elaborate Nevarran crypts. (and, some of the wealthiest Nevarrans decorate their crypts with their most prized possessions.) Emmrich is a Mourn Watcher, a member of an order which serves as guardians and keepers of the sacred Necropolis. so it makes sense to see him foiling an attempted graverobbing :) [disrespectful of the departed anyway, but especially so in a culture where their death-related practises are kinda sacred to them like Nevarra]

I wonder if the people are just random petty thieves created for the purposes of the trailer, or if they represent members of a specific group/'speak' of a particular plot-thread? like I could imagine e.g. some Lords of Fortune or something wanting to loot a storied tomb full of walking dead, for treasure and glory.

the way Emmrich casts his magic here, he reminds me of a pianist or a composer. he's so calm and composed.

he's behiiiind youuu, Pantomime-style hh :)

when the splash text appears on-screen, in the bottom right you can see a fire burning - looks to be one of the robbers' dropped torches, which is a fun touch.

Davrin

I really love Davrin's design and I'm super curious to know which Creators' vallaslin designs he and Bellara have. he's so calm in battle, you get the sense that he's a skilled warrior for sure and I immediately trust him with my life. like Harding and Varric in the bar fight, he's holding off loads of enemies just him (well, him and Assan ^^).

He's fighting darkspawn which have been afflicted by red lyrium. (here's the "red lyrium darkspawn" for real too). as if regular darkspawn and the threat of being Tainted by contact with them wasn't enough, now you need to be careful of their red lyrium claws and the spread of red lyrium and stuff too. look how gross they look from behind.

In the background is a statue of a griffon, so I think Davrin is fighting in a Warden-related area. there are stone structures around and you can see some banners (albeit, not with Grey Warden symbols on them from what I can see).

It's dark and all around are the signs of the Taint - the darkspawn themselves, the dead gnarled trees, the corrupted tendrils, things which look like they could be Blight pustules/sacs, etc. I think the Davrin scene is set in the same location as this screenshot (which as it happens, also features Davrin!):

in the bottom left of this screenshot you can see water, and in the trailer, Assan runs past a boat. plus the other stuff looks the same too. and being that it's apparently a Warden-y location (griffon statue), I think that it's maybe the surrounds (or.. remains..?) of Weisshaupt in the Anderfels, and I definitely think it's the same place as here from the DA Day 2023 trailer:

- as the rock, lighting, structures, red lyrium etc all match up. Remember the line from that trailer, "Grey Wardens don’t hide in our castle. I won’t ask good soldiers to turn tail and run"? chat, it's not looking good rn for the Grey Wardens or for Weisshaupt (ctrl-F "Weisshaupt" in this post, and see also this post, for more on this topic.)

when the big red lyrium darkspawn charges forward, it knocks over one of the small ones hh.

Cut to Assan. good boy Assan!! he's already taken out at least one darkspawn by himself over there and we see him sitting on it hh. I wonder if Assan will join us in battle if we select Davrin as one of the 2 companions? it looks like he and Davrin have a close bond - he knows what move Davrin is thinking of just by how Davrin looks over at him. :) he's a strong baby - when he leaps on the big darkspawn he knocks it right over all by himself from the force of the impact. I love Assan's model and I think he's so cute oml 🥺 the way his ears perk up when Davrin looks at him 🥺... his big blue eyes like a husky or something.. the way he's kinda rangy and a bit scraggly like a puppy in the 'teen' stage where they're kinda tall and leggy but haven't really filled out yet 🥺 the lil whinny and squeaky roar he makes. HIS LYNX-LIKE EAR TUFTIES...

The shield-launching move is so fun and cool :D I think it's my favorite shot in the whole trailer. I just love Davrin, the relationship depicted here between Davrin and Assan, the trust and fun in that moment, the bond between them. and when he launches Assan here, Davrin looks so joyful and happy, it's nice :)

On Assan - is he one of the thirteen griffon hatchlings Valya discovered in 9:42 Dragon? or is he from a subsequent clutch? it's about 9:52 now, the question is how long does it take for a griffon to reach maturity? ^^

I also really wanna know more about Davrin. :D like Bellara and Taash, he hasn't appeared in prior DA secondary media like a comic or story so we don't have insight into him from something like that. we got quite a bit of insight into Bellara as a character in the Game Informer cover story (how we meet her, her personality etc) and a few lil snippets about Taash have come out here and there from social media (though I'd also really like to know more about Taash!). I'm dying to know more about Davrin too!! how did he come to join the Wardens, what motivated him to do that? what Dalish clan is he part of (is it a known one or a new-to-us one?), and where did they tend to roam? was he specifically entrusted with the care of Assan as a Warden assignment, was it more happenstance that he came into his care, or did Assan when he was a lil baby see Davrin one day and kinda be like "yea that is my guy" (griffons chose their riders by themselves, not the other way around) ((also. valid))? what does Davrin think of the possible Grey Warden civil war, the First Warden, the Hero of Ferelden? how long has he been a Grey Warden for, and how far is he from his Calling? what are some random lil trivia factoids about him? does he travel around killing other monsters in addition to darkspawn and saving people from them, and that's how he made his name as a monster hunter ("monster hunter" is giving a lil Witcher-vibe to me, and the voiceover line here anyways implies that Davrin also fights demons)? ◕‿◕

Also at this point is a neat transition to darkness. back in the bar, Harding and Varric are fighting back to back, a trope I am a sucker for hh.

Taash

(reverb womp womp womp sfx like a giant boomerang is being thrown :D)

"We'll need someone with fire in their blood" [to face dragons]. I know what this conveys (fight fire with fire, Taash is badass, brave, bold in the face of danger, will fight dragons etc) but I also thought this was an inchresting choice of line for Taash's segment.. Iron Bull once said "So, when you face a dragon, does it get your heart pumping? Do you breathe a little faster, feel the blood racing?" When qunari Inquisitor speaks to Old God Soul Kieran, he tells them: "I noticed your blood. It doesn't belong to your people." Corypheus taunts Adaar, "What do they call you? A qunari? Your blood is engorged with decay! Your race is not a race, it is a mistake!" In some scenarios, Corypheus can say of Adaar that they are "a beast of strange blood". and some believe that the Tamassrans cultivate dragon blood within the Qunari. so 👁️..

Some thoughts on Taash's design. (so I don't repeat myself too much. I link to each post in that series btw, one for each companion, at the end of this post).

Taash's segment is set on the Rivain Coast (two). you can see the palm trees, beach, bright blue waters, the skeleton of a large dead creature, that statue in the background, etc. fittingly she's fighting a dragon and there's fire everywhere :) I wonder if the Rivain Coast locale is where we will recruit Taash. she isn't among the characters (like Neve) who Varric knew prior to the start of the game; at the timepoint he speaks his Taash line in the trailer, he doesn't know her.

omg, the physics on Taash's braid! :D it looks like the gold cuffs on her horns have an eye symbol carved on them. dear Taash, please tell me the story behind each shiny trophy that you wear. 🙏 in addition to the dragonscale-looking parts of her armor, it looks to me like on her gauntlets there are also teeth (assumedly dragonteeth). love that for her. and as she gets up to charge forward, she does a small smile or smirk to herself. she's havin a great time fighting a dragon :D the heat-warping effects from the fire are cool too.

When Taash's splash text appeared on screen, it was at this point (the last one lol..) that I realized there were different effects on the companions' name texts. Harding has horizontal lines through hers, like the flightpath of arrows. the bits in Neve's could be chunks of ice. Lucanis' looks scratched/slashed, as if by daggers. Bellara's contains the floating triangle pieces that indicate ancient elven magitech. maybe Emmrich's is the particle effects of his necromancy? Davrin's could be slash marks from a sword or claw marks from a griffon's talons. and Taash's is all burning and on fire, with dragon-looking claw marks. smart!!

check this out in the background, the rock structure which looks like a head with pointed teeth -

it's the same structure as in this shot of Rivain from the DA Day 2023 trailer.

only in Taash's scene, she's on the beach and the teeth-rock structure is in the background, whereas in this shot, the POV is like you're standing under the jagged overhang, looking out from the jaws of the 'beast'. in the 'in jaws' shot you can even see the beach Taash may be fighting on, it's the area with the big skeleton on the shore. when we saw this shot in the DA Day trailer, it reminded us of teeth, and now that we can see the rock shape from another angle, it really does look like the maw of a great dragon-y creature, with fangs on the top and bottom jaws. the placement of this in Taash's segment interests me because there is also the suggestion of a dragon-y creature with teeth in the background of her card art. ^^

I also wonder if we can identify what type of dragon it is here from the dragon's design? ^^

When Taash leaps through the air, you can hear her yelling. :D at this point it looks to me like this is the same place as in this screenshot of Rivain Coast that came out later. you can see the big skeleton ribs, the campfire, the wall, and the hanging line thing. it's just from a different angle.

Rook and back in the bar

Do you think the Rook shown in this trailer is the 'default' Rook for marketing, like mage dude Hawke in DA2? And/or the Rook from the gameplay reveal video? you can see a lil bit of their face in this trailer.

dae get the feeling that when Varric says "This crew needs a leader. Someone we can count on" he might be thinking of Hawke? not to suggest as the leader of this crew (remember how he gave the Inquisition the run around to protect Hawke when they were looking for them), but just like, he's thinking back to a different place, a different time, a different crew, a different found family. 20 years ago in Kirkwall, his home, when he was part of Hawke's gang and they sheltered all the DA2 misfits (affectionate) under their wings. a reality he hasn't inhabited for ~10 years now. 🥺 "Someone that the world can count on" takes me back to his line to Cassandra in her interrogation, "The entire world is on the brink of war. And you need the one person who can help you put it back together". And it also has me wondering if by that point he's also thinking of the Inquisitor, another leader that he followed, a leader that saved the world. 🥺

Varric also understands the importance of a good leader as the core of a group, of the power of bringing friends together around someone great. a lesson he learned at Hawke's side, then later solidified or emphasized at the Inquisitor's. then, with "But where are we gonna find...?" he's probably going through the factions he and Harding encountered in DA: The Missing in his head at this point, but I also feel like he's rotating the leader-hero blorbos he keeps in his head and scrolling through them. Hawke? [if not left in the Fade]. Absolutely not, the world has taken too much from them already and he just wants to protect his friend. The Inquisitor? Won't work [for the literal leadership role], at this point they know they need to find someone that Solas doesn't know. and it doesn't even occur to him that he himself could lead the new crew. for one thing, Solas knows him obviously, and he's tired, but for another, Varric knows he's the storyteller, just a character in other peoples' stories, a follower, not a leader (of that kind). its a lil meta but it (and the rest of the stuff I said here) is also just 🥺.. when you think about Varric's life and what's happened in it.

Where in the opening segment, Rook was there chillin sitting all casual at a table by the window in the bar, they've now gotten up and started laying into Venatori themselves. (contrasing with e.g. the bartender, who ran out of the way, and other bar patrons who stand around in the background during the fight at various points or are seen floored. you can see why Rook specifically attracts Harding's attention at this point.) it's so funny [pos] - Varric and Harding are now staring thoughtfully into the fire discussing their plan in a circle of KO'd Venatori, Varric with his hands on his hips, meanwhile Rook has taken the heat off them and fends off a gang of Venatori by themselves. and the Venatori are back to trying to like, 6v1 someone. Oh Venatori dudes, you're so retro Power Rangers badguys. Rook only came out here for a quiet drink, and they are feeling so attacked right now.

Varric and Harding conducting a demon-summoning Heroic Leader[™]-summoning ritual

The unconscious/dead Venatori on the bar is still there on the bar. Rook lays someone else out on a table. Harding hears the commotion behind her and slowly turns around. Venatori flail towards Rook. Rook, backlit all cool, smashes two of their heads together silly-style (pos) and then steals their stuff (a sword). Rook pistol-whips a guy in the face with the handle of one of their own swords. Rook then launches themselves off a bench (floored Venatori in the background), yeeting the Venatori on their back (floored-table Venatori also in the background) into the bar, then elbows them in the face. Harding, understandably, falls in love (I know you, I walked with you once upon a dream..). Varric isn't aware of what's going on yet, either because he's so lost in thought reminiscing about his glory days with Hawke and/or because maybe his hearing is going a lil in his old age. Harding makes bedroom eyes at Rook.

Five Venatori then run at Rook (haha.. these fuckin guys :D). At first I was like wait, where did this wave come from? but if you look around Varric and Harding's feet at this point, the Venatori that were laid out in a circle around them are no longer on the ground - so that's a nice touch, that it's the same ones who got back up to have another go. Rook executes the swashbuckling action-adventure trope of cutting a rope to drop a chandelier, crates or other objects on some bad guys, which is fun. this bar patron (hit the image limit on this post hh) with the magnificent feathery collar is unfazed and just enjoying their drink. Harding's cape whips as she turns around; Harding is paying ATTENTION. The Venatori tackle and swarm on top of Rook like they're playing rugby. The chandelier drops. The Venatori are taken out. Harding is like 'wake up grandpa, get with the program'. Varric turns ("HUH?") and then, understandably, also falls in love. Varric makes bedroom eyes at Rook.

And then Rook rises (backlit, among flames and from the heap of a whole football team of Venatori that they KO'd themselves), and also rises. at the same time the music is crashing to a crescendo and the song says "We can be heroes". :D And at this point I'm feeling a bit unhinged over trees, but it looks to me like some of the particles floating around at this point are the orange-red leaves again hh.. Having no "Rook" splash text at the Rook-focus segment makes sense, they aren't a companion and while they are always "Rook", that isn't their name and of course they are the player-defined character of the bunch. I really like the shot where they look over their shoulder, back at Harding, Varric, and the pov.

looping back to the question I first asked in the 'Rook' section of this post, in this trailer it looks like Rook is wearing this outfit, which is also the outfit Rook (there a Shadow Dragon Rook) wears in the gameplay reveal trailer. So I think we can surmise that the Rook in the character reveal trailer is a Shadow Dragon Rook (and a rogue too, as in the gameplay reveal). I wonder if this Rook, this Shadow Dragon Rook, is sort of the 'default' Rook for marketing? or whether in the next trailer, they have a different Rook?

About Rook's clothing in this trailer. it looks similar (e.g. hood shape, presence of a hood, diamond-quilt-like pattern in places, the diamond-shape pattern on the shoulder, etc) to this figure on a Minrathous street from the 2020 trailer, who I assume is a Shadow Dragon or Shadow Dragon Rook. like in that post, it again makes me think of the art which accompanied Minrathous Shadows, the short story about the Viper. the outfit of the person in that art isn't the same as Rook's, but there are similar aspects in the way that people from the same faction have similar aspects in their outfits. again I'm wondering if maybe the Viper is associated with the Shadow Dragons faction, maybe even the Viper leads it? and what if their contact in that story, a lady who is lightning smart, is Neve? ^^

Also, Rook already has the Veilguard symbol on their clothes in this trailer. I wonder which moment the trailer is depicting. Is it depicting the moment when Varric and Harding first met Rook, then after it they recruited them to join the team? Or is it depicting a time after that when Rook had already been travelling with them for some time (per some info we were told before we know that Rook has been with Varric for a while already before the start of the game), as just a lil part of the team, only their performance in this bar fight was the moment when Varric and Harding realized that Rook could lead? Is it neither of these, and more just a cool scene for a trailer for vibes (that is very valid btw, it's a trailer - we didn't see the Hero of Ferelden's eyes for example glowing blue as they entered that specific cavern full of darkspawn like in that one DA:O trailer etc) - the trailer did note at the start that not all images in the trailer appear in the actual game. the trailer also depicts a barfight, and we know the game can kick off with a fight in a Tevinter bar (depending on if Rook chooses to be aggressive in the bar, a fight scene can follow). or maybe the trailer is showing when Varric and Harding met Shadow Dragon Rook specifically? since we know that faction choice basically determines why Rook has been called to help in the fight against Solas, and in this trailer it's Harding being impressed by Rook in Minrathous as they fend off Venatori, specifically.

End group fight

I really love the tagline "Together - Defy The Gods". "Together" puts the emphasis on the companions, the characters and their relationships with Rook & one another as they work together as a team. it makes sense to flash up at this point too, when the whole party (not just Rook+2) is fighting a serious battle together and quite a few of them get a spotlight of them doing their thing as the camera pans around this battle. the tagline also reminds me of when the Inquisitor can say defiantly to Cory at the end of DAI, "I don't believe in gods". ◕‿◕ I also really liked the swelling of the music and the drumming as the trailer ended, it was cool.

At this point, we can see Shadow Dragon Rogue Rook, Neve, Harding, Lucanis, Davrin and Bellara, though in the next bit we also see Taash fighting in the circle. am I just missing her at this first point? can anyone see Taash in that image? ^^ (Emmrich runs up in a following scene.) they're fighting off loads and loads of red lyrium darkspawn (when I watched this scene a second time I realized those humanoid darkspawn remind me a lot of the husks from Mass Effect, only red instead of blue). the big darkspawn swinging a hammer near Lucanis looks like one of the redesigned ogres. I really liked the group fight scene, I thought it was really cool and heroic. :) I hope this is a cutscene and bossfight-type battle at some point in the game's main storyline, because it is a really cool scene. :D maybe the trailer version with all the companions in it is just that, the trailer cinematic version of the fight, and in the gameplay it's Rook+2 companions as in this screenshot?

from the way the structures around them look architecturally, the place they're in has ancient elven ruins. the red sky is ominous. from the darkness and the curling tendrils, and what looks like maybe sacs on the walls, the place they're in is afflicted by Taint corruption. there are also floating chunks of rock in the sky, a trait of the Fade or places in the mundane world where the Veil is thin and Fadey things are Fadin'. they are in the same place as in this screenshot. (when the dragon alights later in this segment, it also generally evokes the sense of this key art for me.) and like I said here, this place and dragon encounter bears a resemblance to the 2x cover arts of the DA Vinyl, which we know were called "Golden City" and "Black City". so here we are maybe, in the corrupted/Blighted Black City..? and if it has ancient elven architecture.. brb, lying awake at night thinkin of how the elven architecture on the vinyl cover art basically confirmed the long-held theory that Arlathan is the Black City. these tower-tops are quite like what we see here in Arlathan Forest and here in Arlathan Forest at Solas' ritual site in the gameplay reveal video, for example.

Bellara's bedroll in her backpack in this climactic battle is so cute and pratical. 🥺 when her 'arrow' hits its mark, darkspawn blood and guts go everywhere. Rook has a cool golden dagger. Lucanis, please move, you are about to be smashed by an ogre's hammer. I'm really curious about his purple wing ability - like how does it work and what does it do? he pretty much stays on the same spot, wings outstretched, for the duration of this scene. I love the way Neve moves when she casts magic, it's like she's dancing, like some forms of bending in Avatar or something. when she lights up with the bright light she looks even radiant-er than usual. and the flash of Neve's ice magic turning the screen white for the next text to appear is a smart transition. ^^

(darkspawn feet pic.)

I'm a sucker for a good ol' 'camera pans around the gang fighting something off together and looking cool'. you know that one shot in the Avengers somewhere where it circles round them when they stand ready in a circle? that's the vibe, and it reminds me of when the devs mentioned the Avengers in the context of talking about the game's name change.

Davrin's boots have spur-looking parts! you can feel the force of Taash's blow there. and then Emmrich comes running up to the team from somewhere else chased by more darkspawn and the freakin dragon. did.. did they use poor Emmrich as DRAGON BAIT (I kind of get the impression that they wanted to draw the dragon to this particular location, and I wonder if that has something to do with the circle)? 😭😭 Grandpa..?? they wouldn't let him help fight in the circle with his magic, or assign a more physical member of the team to be the bait, and were instead just like run old man, run. 😭 he's running for his life and Harding's like over here Emmrich, I'll keep them off you, promise. at this point you can also see lots of those Blight sacs on the walls. the dragon is huge and looks really cool and detailed - when it's getting ready to breathe fire, you can see light through the tissue of its throat, and the fire dripping from its maw is cool.

in the final scene with the dragon's wings outstretched, on the left you can see a red lamp-type thing. it's the same as the blue ones here, only red. I wonder what those are? and why do they change color?

and of course, like I said here, in the background at this point we can see the Evanuris symbols in the form of their headshapes, specifically on the tops of statues just like the ones that surrounded Solas' ritual site in Arlathan Forest in the gameplay reveal. this makes me wonder - this battle seems quite climactic, if it occurs at the end of the game, maybe the game ends where it all really began, back at the Arlathan Forest Ritual Site, which by that point has maybe become extra Fadey and has corruption spreading in it, which killed all the vegetation? that would be poetic. an alternative spin on this theory is that, since this place is kinda Fadey, maybe it's the in-Fade reflection (specifically the Black City) of the irl ritual site.

I've previously wondered if the dragon in this shot is Elgar'nan (dragons were a form reserved for the divine, i.e. the Evanuris, in the time of the Evanuris), but on a re-watch, from the way things are positioned (maybe that was intentional?), the statue-head directly behind the dragon in the center as it spreads its wings is actually the one with the Ghilan'nain headshape, so maybe it's actually Ghil? this dragon's horns curve down like Ghil's headpiece curves, not upwards like Elgar'nan's. this concept art piece for DA4 to me implies both Ghil and Elgar'nan take dragon form (2 dragons here, 2 Evil Gods rising), and as we know, they were a shape of the divine generally speaking back then anyway so it's totally feasible. the dragon in the trailer matches the one on the left in this concept art more than the one on the right.

The other big thing about the final shot is that there is an eclipse in the background. this is just like on the vinyl cover arts, and is something we've seen a lot in DA:TV marketing (ctrl-f "eclipse" here), e.g. the astral-looking spheres here, this previous iteration of the logo. it's also a thing that has cropped up in related lore in previous games, along with sun&moon imagery (example), like:

two shadowed spheres among stars / an eclipse as Fen'Harel stirred [Emergent Compendium]

and I looked up and saw the seven gates of the Black City shatter, and darkness cloaked both realms. [Chant of Light]

etc. and if you think about it, in a solar eclipse, the moon blocks out the sun. Elgar'nan in Dalish lore is the son of the sun; he threw the sun down from the sky and is known as He Who Overthrew His Father. throwing down the sun would cause darkness, and it could be a poetic reading of an eclipse-type event like we're seeing here. additionally, the Dalish believe that when he did so, he buried the sun in the abyss (which might be the Void), a place which sounds like it's in a different part of reality to the waking world and which sounds like it could potentially be Blighted. (and in this trailer we're looking at a Fade-y or Fade location, and it is corrupted).

as the trailer ends, we can see pretty designs similar to the one here around Rook's level in the top left.

At the end of this post I'm gonna link to some more of the other posts I made about the trailer & related things at the time, just for the sake of completion. ^^

Post with the reveal trailer in it

Related official new screenshots from the website

Yeyyy, griffons are back (outside of the books)

Vallaslin

We saw you from across the bar

Lucanis wings compilation pic

Floating building, welcome back

He is here

A dream come true

Thoughts on the companion 'tarot-style' art pieces: Taash | Neve | Davrin | Harding | Bellara | Emmrich | Lucanis

Yoooo

They have come to deliver this world..  (◡ ‿ ◡ ✿)

[shebeafancyflapjack]

73 Yards is a good concept but I think I know the reason it's not gonna stick with me like similar episodes

Spoilers under cut

I called it from the trailer that the old woman would be an older Ruby. The framing alone reminded me of when Amy and Rory see their older selves waving from far away in S5. So knowing that was coming I was hoping the pay off would give me a little bit more to surprise me.

It just didn't. Older Ruby stopped Younger Ruby from doing the thing and the timeliness got fixed. And outside of an odd sense of de ja vue, she nor anyone else remembers what happened.

This a trope I really dislike in time travel stories like this because my feeling is, if the characters aren't going to remember it, why should the audience? It's kinda like the "and it was all a dream" twist. Except even that I don't get as bothered by if the person has grown or changed from having the dream, for example "there's no place like home".

Now compare this to similar episodes where Doctor Who has done stories involving timeliness crossing etc - Blink, the Girl Who Waited and Turn Left. Those all ended with a happy resolution but there were consequences that weren't fully undone. Blink has a ton of people's lives screwed up and 'killed' off screen. The Girl Who Waited manages to save Amy before she can become like old Amy but at the cost of old Amy sacrificing herself and the trauma she went through, and the effect that has on the Doctor and Rory who have to carry on knowing what happened. Turn Left has Donna stopping herself making the wrong choice and resetting things but it's implied that an actual parallel world was created from Donna's first choice that still existed and also she keeps some memories from that world, which also carry on into the series finale. I'll also mention Heaven Sent because there you have the Doctor going through this massive trauma for billions of years but it keeps getting reset and he only remembers a little bit each time. Except even then he is partly aware there are other versions of him before and after who are continuing this struggle and he has to carry that with him into Hell Bent.

73 Yards could end up linking into more stories later on but as it stands, that journey that Ruby went on all those years and what she had to go through is essentially erased. Maybe there will be a lingering sensation for her like a bad dream but I suspect Russel is going to want this to be his new Midnight and not answer any questions ever. Which is fine, I love that about Midnight. But while we didn't get answers about Midnight, we still had the Doctor having to remember what happened and being scarred from it. In 73 Yards we get neither answers nor consequences so it just leaves me shrugging my shoulders, like okay that was a thing.

Was beautifully shot though and the first part where Ruby is just in Wales was really chilling, it's when they took the story back to London it lost me.

[rainbowolfe]

Thinkin about how Webber is most likely a representation of Shamura, and wondering just how far that comparison goes

Cause theres other non-human characters in Dont Starve (both playable and NPC), and Monster Prom didn't get any characters inserted despite the fact they would all fit in, so it feels like Webber was inserted with a purpose and not just cause he's cute cameo. I would think that if the reasoning was "cute cameo" we would get more cameos.

This be the "Don't Starve" promo image.

The food pictured seems most likely to be Spicy Chili, which is equal parts vegetable and meat. Is it a coincidence that COTL has an equivalent to that?

The Magnificent Mixed Meal. Made up of four vegetables (Beetroot), and four meats (2 Tuna, 2 Meat). 100% chance of increasing Follower loyalty 100% chance of stopping a Follower from Dissenting It also grants a blue Heart if The Hunger is active.

They're eating on a red blanket with gold trim, making it match the flags of the Old Faith that appear in the trailer and the colors of the elite/high level OF Followers.

Lamb's focus is on Webber, but the Red Crown's focus is on his skull. And is it not weird that both Webber and his skull are present when they are effectively the same entity? And the Skull is not happy to have the Crown's attention.

And then there's the decorations! Many of which are related to science, ie. the pursuit of Knowledge. The Science Machine on Lamb's Side, and the Alchemy Machine on the Crown's side. The Tree Guardians are an interesting touch, which might tie back to something/someone in Darkwood.

And that statue? Is of a Deerclops. A Winter-exclusive monster. Eating its eye grants lots of health, but at the cost of your sanity. It freezes players (cough, cough, Touch of Ithaqua; cough cough) but its primary focus is more on the destruction of structures. Chaos.

(Also Webber's comment on this creature is "He might be able to digest me", and Webber's epithet is The Indigestible.)

theres also the fucking Moon* overlooking them, way closer than any normal Moon would be.

Webber is a person who was eaten by a spider but, instead of being digested, merged with it. He's an entity with two souls (and seems to hold memories from both halves, but doesn't differentiate between them). He's brought into the world/game via a frankenstein-esque resurrection. His current predicament was caused by a moment of foolishness he couldn't take back. His best friend is someone with a morbid obsession with death. And is haunted by her twin sister. Also she likes art.

Hm.

HMM.

[iogenie]

I'm late to this but I am so tired of trying to look up pretty art of Wish and seeing so much hate for it. While everyone is entitled to their opinions, I feel like a lot of people who are hating on this movie missed the entire point of it.

For years, I've watched everyone say they wanted the 2D styling back, but then complain about Wish's art style. It's soft and colorful and beautiful. People say it looks cheap, but it truely doesn't. Everything moves fluidly, it's all cohesive, and it blends well with the more modern style of the characters faces. A wymsical art style does not make it a bad style.

While I think the promotion for the movie wasn't done correctly (as I also thought it would be dumb based solely off of the trailers), I definitely think people did not watch it with an open mind. Going into something already hating it often keeps people from seeing the true beauty of it. While it's a simple movie; the message is much, much deeper than people give credit for. The whole point wasn't granting wishes (either Star or Magnifico), but rather keeping your dreams and wishes close to your heart. Magnifico himself states early on that the wishes are the best part of someone. So the message is to be the best version of yourself and make your own dreams come true.

The music is so, so good in this movie. I understand why alot of people don't like the music. It feels off compared to other Disney movies. I think people don't realise or keep in mind that every song in these movies is designed the way they are on purpose. Most Disney songs are meant to inspire the main character (and also the viewers) to do whatever hard task they are facing. Personally, Go the Distance from Hercules has constantly pushed me to keep going well into my adult life. The songs in Wish have the same effect.

The opening song, "Welcome To Rosas" is bouncy and fun because Asha whole-heartedly believes in Magnifico and his protection.

"This Wish" is designed to make the viewers feel her pain and her emotional struggle with what she's learned and the loss of her father. (Side note: Most Disney movies simply skip over the dead-parent thing, while Asha actually addresses it.)

"You're A Star" isn't my personal favorite, but the message is still amazing. Finding the good in yourself and understanding that everyone is special in their own way, yet still connected by their love and experiences.

Magnifico and Asha's duet in "At All Costs" was so beautiful and one of the few songs most people seemed to like. They both agreed that the wishes were pure happiness and would do anything to keep them safe. Magnifico genuinely cares about his people and their happiness. He's vowed to protect them all from the horrors he faced in his childhood. The connection they share is pure and good.

"This is the Thanks I Get!?" is, by far, the most hated song in the movie. Personally, it is my absolute favorite. People compare it to "Hellfire," which is entirely unfair. "Hellfire" is an entirely different genre with an entirely different meaning. From what I've seen, most viewers didn't like that the song seemed dispassionate and goofy. Magnifico is quirky and goofy through the entire movie, and I sincerely doubt anyone can say they don't do dumb things when they're alone. He works through his frustration and trauma by being himself; goofy. (I will circle back to all this later).

"Knowing What I Know Now" is purposely all over the place. It's another song I see people complain about, and I can understand why. The song seems chaotic and out of place; but keep in mind that these are all kids under the age of 18 who have no idea how to defeat an "evil" king or what they are really doing. The structure of the song reflects this. It's only when Queen Amaya enters the song at the end that everyone is on beat and the song comes together because they have found an adult to help them.

"This Wish - reprise" is extremely powerful. It's the entire kingdom coming together as they've finally realized what has been going on. They take the lessons Magnifico has taught them and uses them against him. The love they have for their kingdom and each other is powerful enough to stop the cursed magic in its place.

There's so many easter eggs in this movie. Each main kid character represents a character in another movie. Asha's friends are the 7 dwarves from Snow White. Asha is the Fairy God Mother from Cinderella. Valentino is the founder of Zootopia. Star is from Pinocchio. Saba Sabino writes the logo lullaby. Magnifico, (or rather the cursed magic) is the Mirror on the Wall in various movies, and seems to be the original magic for most Villians. Disney is well known for putting these little details into every movie they make, and Wish is the origin story for the whole universe. Personally, I think that's amazaing and very well done. I had lots of fun finding and pointing out the connections.

Now that I've gotten through all the points of the movie, I'd like to share my own theories. I absolutely adore the movie and haven't stopped watching it or belting out the sound track on my way to work. I love the original message the movie gives... but.

Magnifico is not evil. He's a narcissist, sure, but not evil. He very much cares about his people and their happiness. He started the kingdom in the hopes of saving others from the fate his own parents suffered and the trauma he went through. He loves Amaya so much and dotes on her the whole movie (until the end).

I think the cursed magic had been eating away at him for years before the events of the movie. He kept the book in his study where he spent most of his time, and he tells Asha that he put a spell on the glass to keep people out. This doesn't mean the dark magic isn't able to escape the case its in. The first time we see him even consider opening the book, Amaya is there to pull him from the edge. The way he softens and concedes to her logic is telling of how much he loves and values her. However, the pull of the magic is too strong to resist as his own emotions and trauma effect his mental state. By the time he's actively using the dark Magic, Magnifico isn't actually there anymore. It's just the cursed magic using him. He never would have attacked Amaya, or bound his people. He'd clearly never considered breaking/absorbing the wishes before doing so to Sakina's, as he (the dark magic) is genuinely surprised by what happens. At no point does any character in the movie think about the complete personality change their king goes through. Amaya says she's watched the good in him melt, but hadn't done anything about it because she'd loved him so much. But she'd been able to correct him when he was frustrated. So why does she give up on him so easily when he so clearly loved her? She knows what he went through as a kid and knows why he studied magic and built the kingdom. She knows why he protects the wishes and what he's willing to do for them.

Asha, however, doesn't. He tells her briefly that he suffered a great loss and he aims to keep others from experiencing the same things. She states this is why she wanted to work for him; then immediately takes it back when he refuses to grant Sabino's wish. She doesn't listen to his explanation, nor did she care. His frustration and outburst about deciding who deserves things is not entirely unjust, even if it was unnecessary. He has made it his life's goal to protect everyone, and while it isn't always fair, that does come with having to ensure some wishes aren't harmful. Yes, he could have and should have explained better or handled the situation differently; but he is the King and he makes the rules. The cursed magic is also influencing him at this point any time he gets frustrated.

Trying to get her Saba's wish granted may not have seemed selfish, but she does single handedly ruin the structure of Rosas. The point of giving up their wishes is that the people won't have to go through the heartache of unfufillment, and the chance to have them instantly granted. Naturally, granting wishes takes alot of magic on Magnifico's part and granting several in a row would be taxing on him. Asha says he grants one wish every month, and Magnifico says he granted 14 wishes the previous year. Based on what we see in the movie, he grants extra wishes to make up for things happening in the kingdom.

Personally, I feel Asha is too quick to turn on him. In the beginning she says you don't miss your wish when you say goodbye, and the people of Rosas chant about giving without regret when the two new citizens give their wishes. But the second Magnifico won't grant her family's wishes, her mind is changed without condering anything else. Magnifico doesn't correct her when she asks if most wishes won't be granted, but only focuses on her own families wishes at first. It's really only after she meets Star that she considers releasing all the wishes. And despite seeing potential danger in some wishes, Magnifico is still devoted to protecting them. He still considers them to be the best part of a person and worthy of protection.

As stated before, by the time the movie ends, Magnifico is all but physically gone. So technically, he truely did give up his life for what he considered protecting Rosas "at all costs". When he states one more time that this is the thanks he gets, Amaya tells him it's the thanks he deserves; being hung on the dungeon wall and left there. Kinda messed up considering all he did and gave up for the kingdom. They don't even try to save him or bring him back from the dark magic. Dahlia says the book mentions being unable to turn back once accepting the cursed magic, but I feel like if they could trap him and that magic in the mirror just by believing they could, why wouldn't they at least try to do the same for him? Sure, he was always a narcissist, but he was never evil and they all loved him and he, them.

It just feels unfair after everything. Disney villains tend to be unliked through their movies; Scar, Hades, Cruella, Ursula, Jafar, the Evil Queen, Magnificent, ect.

Viewers thought Magnifico wasn't a true Disney villain; to quirky and fun and missing those classic villain qualities. So really, why didn't his people at least try to save him?

None of these theories change my love for the movie and its message, I just think Magnifico deserved better. I'd love to hear other people's theories! I'm just tired of seeing so much hate for such a beautiful movie. 💙

[prettysymbiosis]

I’ve been trying to get these thoughts out for days but basically I feel like the unifying theory of s16 (as I see it) is a conscious exploration of the dichotomy between sunny as a classically bold and brash pee pee poo poo comedy and sunny as a thoughtful, nuanced and subtle show about flawed people and also about itself, at times (by that I mean the meta isn’t always about macdennis or the other characters but about sunny itself - win an award, clip show, big mo, etc). the trailer actually captures this dichotomy well through the dialogue clips and animations, as well as the pinned comment which said “get ready for a whole lot of subtlety.” it’s still so baffling to me that sunny can simultaneously read as one of the most loud, obnoxious, unsubtle shows ever on television, OR it can be so subtle and allegorical in the writing of later seasons that most viewers would think people like us are crazy for reading so much into it even though we’re really not. this kind of self-reflective flavor is another product of the rewatch/podcast project which has been almost universally agreed to have had a very positive effect on the writing.

anyway having said that, I want to just share my notes on the first two episodes without trying to edit them too much. I’m bolding the points that I personally haven’t seen anyone else mention yet and putting a 😎 next to ones that evoke a Classic Sunny VibeTM because that’s important to the experiment of this season.

the gang inflates

macden fun/domestic/DUMB again 😎

something something never committing to the couch when it was absurd not to and it ended up costing them so much macdennis blah blah

dennis hanging up on dee was so funny to me oops 😎

and the WHOLE dee (as a character and specifically the female character) thing about being minimized to an absurd degree. I like to think the bog was a turning point for dee and the show is gonna do better by her now hopefully by recognizing her plight in a more serious way, like the way the guys have been doing?

are mac and dennis…… you know…… like for real??? as many have said, it could totally be revealed kind of retroactively to undercut the shock and be like “honestly we’re surprised you didn’t notice sooner” I feel like that is something rcg would do. suggestive clues:

“I don’t wanna talk to you about–” “a TON”

or is dennis like well that’s news to me jealous vibes??

“I figured you were man” ??

“I’m getting a little concerned about our nut”

“you truly have no reason to be sleeping with frank”

they specifically put a lil reaction shot of dennis after mac says “that’s a lotta blowin” a la the lil grin in gets romantic and, well, I just think that’s a choice that was made

“it’s not homophobic” is that so?????

when mac is like “you think we got rid of our furniture too soon/that the business plan won’t work” it’s kinda like no it’s not the committing to what they have, it’s that mac still has big denial problems and dennis can’t work with that… maybe? but so does dennis tbh

in a show-meta sense it’s like, we should be less worried about whether the gay gay-ass love story will alienate people and more worried about how these characters are too ridiculous to even let the love story play out effectively. they need mental health days if we are ever to have nice things

it’s possible mac denying his reaction to the allergy has to do with his body dysmorphia?

also it occurred to me that maybe part of why rob is clean-shaven this season is so they could do those prosthetics more easily?

those handprints though…. I hate everything

oh also just the bed scene. its existence

the zoomed in neck touch of course

“I’m not going to do it!” “..okay” dennis keepin his cool :)

mac’s shirt! COOLER HEADS PREVAIL

just the sheer silliness of inflatable furniture - is there some metaphor here lol?

in a general sense could inflates be taken to mean flanderizes? also maybe it’s just implied but I noticed I hadn’t actually seen anyone mention inflation as a sexual kink and like, that was part of the intention right? if so, 😎

charlie “uhhhhhhhh… yep.” poor charlie :( he doesn’t want to live in a maze (like a rat)

“well then you’re just like being a predator” :( so here for charlie calling out bullshit with frank and mrs. mac and even his own mom so far in these first two eps

charlie just giving up and yelling in frustration which is kinda what bonnie does in ep2 (and ep3 based on trailer)

the gross horny male objectifying thing 😎

rob put his whole pussy into this episode

charlie saying “I don’t get why he doesn’t take me seriously” and dee saying “that’s gotta be maddening” 🙃

cats in the alley my loves 😎

gluing dee a pillow on the wall <3

“consider it an offering” “of war??” this says so much. must everything be a conflict?

charlie’s hair looks so crazy and good in the sleepover scene and also he’s so smart

charlie asks frank to “return everything to the status quo” by the end of the episode, sitcom style. full reset, no progression. except charlie is asking that frank not endlessly take advantage of the fact that mac and den can’t figure their shit out, not totally push dee out just because it’s easy, not make light of the trauma charlie has from what happened to him. all that stuff IS the status quo! so what is he really asking for? this is one of the bits of writing that I think is also about the show as a show, and how they’ve approached these dynamics forever. 

it’s funny that people are saying this season is such a return to form because it is, but it’s also so much more self-aware of what that form is/was and how deeper elements can coexist within it. they’re really walking with a foot in both worlds here and they’re doing it well. love this for them and for us, the people who know what it’s always sunny in philadelphia is REALLY about

“we’ll take you to the hospital, and they’ll have nuts. and you can– you can die there.” hahahah

[ausetkmt]

National Review: Absurd Government Regulations Are Keeping People Out of Their Own Beds

sight. So policy-makers passed an ordinance that criminalizes camping on public land. People guilty of unauthorized sleeping sued, and the Supreme Court heard oral arguments on April 22, 2024. The case, Grants Pass v. Johnson, tests how far cities can go to regulate what happens on public property. But cities would not have so much homelessness in the first place if they did not actively stop affordable housing on private property.

This is what happened to Chasidy Decker, who lives 500 miles east of Grants Pass in Meridian, Idaho. Her problem is not that she lacks a bed. She already has one inside her tiny home on wheels, a 252-square-foot vehicle that she parks on private property. Her landlord leases space to her behind a fence in his side yard, which has hookups for water, sewer, and electricity. Yet Meridian will not let Decker sleep under her own roof. They warned her about expensive fines the day after she moved in. So, she has been homeless since August 2022.

Her trailer sits empty, while she scrambles for other accommodations.

Decker and her landlord sued to be left alone on private property. Our public-interest law firm, the Institute for Justice, represents them. A district-court trial ended in April, and they expect a decision by late summer.

Meanwhile, similar zoning disputes are unfolding nationwide. Many cities and counties oppose private housing solutions, which has contributed to a crisis affecting nearly every part of the economy. One charity, Tiny House Hand Up, tried to build affordable housing on its own land in Calhoun, Ga. But zoning officials stopped the project because of square-footage minimums. Calhoun residents must pay for bigger homes, even if they want smaller homes.

Anita Adams encountered a different roadblock when she tried to build a house in Seattle for her family. Zoning laws allowed construction, but the permit price included a $39-per-square-foot “housing affordability” fee—which added $80,000 to the project. Seattle demanded this payment to its public-housing fund before Adams could break ground. She and her family cannot afford the expense, meaning the city is effectively preventing them from building on their own property.

Amanda Root, a disabled, older resident living on a fixed income in Sierra Vista, Ariz., just wants to stay put on the same lot she has owned and occupied for more than 20 years. But code enforcers want her gone, citing a technicality: Her trailer has axles, and her street is zoned for mobile homes without axles. “I have looked at different options,” Root says. “There is nothing out there that I can afford. A tent? Where am I going to go? Behind Food City?”

Tiny House Hand Up, Adams, and Root all sued with representation from our firm. Lower-income families suffer the most from misguided policies such as these. Common tactics include occupancy caps, prohibitions on multifamily housing, and overregulation of accessory dwelling units, or “granny flats.” Shawnee, Kan., even criminalizes roommates. A 2022 ordinance makes it illegal for friends to split rent in single-family homes.

Multiple studies show what must be done: Let people build and operate housing on their own property. Yet real reform remains elusive — hindered on one side by not-in-my-backyard activists who think they should have control over how their neighbors live, and on the other side by people who believe it is immoral for developers to earn a profit — as if there were some other reason they would be willing to build.

Meanwhile, millions of ordinary families are getting pushed past their limits as the cost of living rises. People with mortgages are downsizing or consolidating. People who lease are falling behind. And those on the fringes are becoming homeless. Already, half of U.S. homeowners and renters are struggling to keep up.

The Grants Pass case deals with the fallout. Zoning reform could address homelessness before it happens. The Constitution provides the necessary firepower through the due-process clause of the 14thAmendment. State constitutions use similar language. Put in simple terms, these provisions mean the government cannot restrict activity on private land without good reason.

Decker does not want to sleep in a park. She has a bed. She just needs permission to use it.

[pickypickypeak]

Some hot takes I’ve seen around about the little mermaid (2023) (this is not a “you must like the movie at all costs” post, you’re not bounded to like a movie but if you vocally hate it on social medias, at least give some valid reasons or else just say you don’t like it, I don’t even like all Disney remakes)

“I’ve not seen the movie but from what I’ve seen on YouTube it looks like shit” BRO WATCH THE MOVIE. You’re judging a 2 hour long movie from TRAILERS and 30 SECONDS CLIPS. You think that qualifies you to judge the quality for the whole movie? I’m sorry but no it doesn’t! Most often, lighting and effects and even the script are not even final in clips and trailers. You can say it doesn’t look appealing TO YOU, of course. You can say you’re not gonna watch it because it doesn’t look appealing, OF COURSE. But you definitely can’t say: this actor ruined the character. WITHOUT EVEN SEEING THE MOVIE

“This will never be as good as the original movie” people that’s not a competition lol… those are new versions… they’re meant to coexist with each other… You really think Disney wants you to forget about the original Ariel?? Rest assured Disney wants you to buy both dolls😂

“They’re cash grabs” Yes they are. Disney is a business and makes money by doing movies. They found a way to make easy money, which is, remakes. People watch them, wether you like or not. There’s nothing inherently wrong with them, as long as they show respect for the original movies, which some did and some others didn’t. That doesn’t automatically mean each one of them is soulless or wholly made by people with no interest other than money (Alan Menken??? Put his whole???? Heart???? In every score??????), if you just watch some interviews it’s clear most of the cast is thrilled to be a part of this and loves the original characters as well, they really wanted to do them justice! Not all of them of course, but it’s the same for EVERY! MOVIE! EVER! Actors and writers do their job, that doesn’t NECESSARILY mean the movie is soulless (again, some movie are, regardless of them being remakes!)

“The CGI looks like shit” man it’s a children movie… of course they’re not gonna put Avatar billions into the crab 3D model

“Halle Bailey doesn’t fit Ariel” I’m sorry I’m not trying to convince you otherwise😂 she looked and sounded like Ariel to me but that’s my opinion ig

“It’s forced representation” No it’s not, we’ve all seen the black children reaction videos, this means the world to them, this is literally what representation is about…

I’d say this is mostly it…

[demifiendrsa]

Persona 3 Reload — The Hero Character Trailer

Japanese version

Yukari Takeba Character Trailer

Japanese version

Iwatodai Dorm Life

Japanese with English subtitles version

Junpei Iori Character Trailer

Japanese version

■ Specialized Extracurricular Execution Squad (New S.E.E.S. Combat Uniform)

This remake updates the classic combat uniforms worn by the party members when exploring Tartarus. Check out all-new character art of the Protagonist, Yukari Takeba, and Junpei Iori in their new gear!

strong>Protagonist (voiced by Aleks Le in English, Akira Ishida in Japanese)

Weapon: One-handed short sword

Initial Persona: Orpheus

Theurgy: Cadenza, Best Friends, and more.

His weapon of choice is a one-handed short sword, and the first Persona he summons is Orpheus.

Normally, a person can summon only one Persona, but he holds the power of the Wild Card—a special trait allowing him to handle multiple Personas and different types of Theurgy.

—Orpheus

Orpheus is the first Persona that the Protagonist awakens. In Greek mythology, Orpheus was known as a heroic poet and master of the lyre.

Yukari Takeba (voiced by Heather Gonzalez in English, Megumi Toyoguchi in Japanese)

Weapon: Bow and arrow

Persona: Io

Strong Skills: Wind, Healing

Theurgy: Cyclone Arrow

An expert archer with the unique Persona Io.

She specializes in wind and healing abilities, and her Theurgy skill Cyclone Arrow ignores an enemy’s natural affinity to deal heavy wind-type damage.

—Io

Yukari’s unique Persona is Io. In Greek mythology, Io was known as a priestess in service of the goddess Hera, favored by Zeus.

Junpei Iori (voiced by Zeno Robinson in English, Kosuke Toriumi in Japanese)

Weapon: Two-handed Sword

Persona: Hermes

Strong Skills: Fire, Slashing

Theurgy: Hack n’ Blast

A hard-hitting attacker with a two-handed sword.

He specializes in fire and slash attacks. His Theurgy, Hack n’ Blast, deals heavy slash damage to a single enemy regardless of affinity.

—Hermes

Junpei’s unique Persona is Hermes. In Greek mythology, Hermes was known as the messenger of Zeus, revered by travelers and merchants.

■ Social Stats

As you go about your daily life, you may be challenged to meet a certain standard of aptitude in three Social Stats: Courage, Charm, and Academics. These can be improved through activities like studying and part-time jobs. Without sufficient Social Stats, you may not be able to use certain facilities or develop Social Links, so be proactive in self-improvement.

■ Dorm Life

While living in the student dormitory, you can spend time with friends in the common areas. Together, you can cook, study for tests, read books, watch movies, tend to a rooftop vegetable garden, and more! Doing so can raise your Social Stats and teach your friends passive skills called Combat Characteristics, which you’re sure to find useful.

By experiencing dorm life together, the Protagonist and his friends will grow as people. As these bonds grow stronger, they may reveal new sides of themselves.

Public Computer

You can use the public computer in the dormitory lounge to study with software or gather intel. In addition to raising Social Stats, you may also learn useful skills for combat and exploration.

Acquire Special Characteristics

When you spend time in the dorm with fellow students, they may acquire special Characteristics with effects like increased critical attack rate, reduced cost for healing skills, and more. These are sure to come in handy during battle, so try to make time for your friends.

■ Schoolmates

Through student life at Gekkoukan High School and being a member of SEES, you’ll get to know all kinds of people. These bonds are called Social Links, and by raising their ranks you can experience special scenes with them. You’ll be able to find a number of fellow students to hang out with after school hours. Interacting with them will also strengthen your Persona abilities, so be proactive in building these relationships! For this remake, Social Link characters have received all-new portrait illustrations, and their scenes are now fully voice acted.

Classmate: Kenji Tomochika (voiced by Joe Zieja in English, Wataru Hatano in Japanese)

A second-year at Gekkoukan High—one of your classmates. A good friend of Junpei’s who wastes no time asserting himself as your friend as well. He professes his love for older women and soon turns to you for advice on dating.

Gourmet King: Nozomi Suemitsu (voiced by Paul Castro Jr. in English, Fukushi Ochiai in Japanese)

A third-year at Gekkoukan High known as the Gourmet King. He has toured restaurants all over Minato Ward, eating everything on the menu—including secret menus. He appoints you as his bodyguard after helping him escape a dispute with a shadowy figure.

Track and Field: Kazushi Miyamoto (voiced by Mark Whitten in English, Eiji Miyashita in Japanese)

A second-year at Gekkoukan High—one of your classmates and a fellow member of the track and field team. He’s a star athlete who has ranked highly in competitions thanks to his hard work, spirit, and perseverance. He recognizes you as a worthy rival who can go toe-to-toe with him.

Track and Field Manager: Yuko Nishiwaki (voiced by Shelby Young in English, Emiri Katou in Japanese)

A second-year at Gekkoukan High and the manager of the track and field team. She’s childhood friends with fellow track team member Kazushi, referring to him by the friendly nickname “Kaz.” Kind and caring, she watches over you as a new member of the team.

Student Council: Hidetoshi Odagiri (voiced by Austin Lee Matthews in English, Masaya Matsukaze in Japanese)

A second-year at Gekkoukan High, vice president of the student council and head of the Disciplinary Committee. He’s known for his ruthless enforcement of rules, earning him the ire of the other students. Once you join the student council on Mitsuru’s recommendation, he seems to take an interest in you.

Student Council Treasurer: Chihiro Fushimi (voiced by Kelly Baskin in English, Aya Endou in Japanese)

A first-year at Gekkoukan High and treasurer of the student council. She tends to have trouble expressing herself to others, and is particularly uncomfortable around men. Overcoming this struggle is at the top of her mind.

Art Club: Keisuke Hiraga (voiced by Griffin Burns in English, Yuuichi Iguchi in Japanese)

A third-year at Gekkoukan High and head of the art club, where the two of you meet. As the son of a doctor, those around him believe he will follow in his father’s footsteps—but he himself is torn between medical school and arts study abroad.

Foreign Exchange Student: Bebe (voiced by Jeff Berg in English, Mitsuhiro Ichiki in Japanese)

His real name is André Laurent Jean Geraux. An exchange student from France who loves and admires Japan, from kimonos to historical dramas to Japanese gardens. After the two of you meet, he encourages you to join him in the fashion club.

Persona 3 Reload will launch for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC (Steam, Microsoft Store) February 2, 2024 worldwide. It will also be available via Xbox Game Pass.

[sirenjose]

Thoughts on Orfeo + the Orpheus Drug

1 reason Orpheus turns around is due to excessive emotions/love.

After Orpheus turns around in L’Orfeo, the chorus says: “Orpheus conquered Hades and then was conquered by his emotions. Worthy of eternal glory is the one who will have victory over himself.”

In the final Act, Apollo emphasizes this: “Too much you rejoiced in your happy fortune. Now too much do you mourn your bitter and hard fate.” Orpheus earlier did too: “What Pluto forbids, love commands”. Eurydice after Orpheus looks back says he lost her due to “excessive love”.

Apollo's lines are very similar to Orpheus' Orfeo card description.

It also feels vaguely similar to some of what is said and going on in Hollow's essence.

The other reason is doubt (that Eurydice is behind him, he's not being tricked) as Orpheus when leading Eurydice out says “who can assure me that she is following me” and later “Perhaps the enamored Furies are taking up arms... to snatch my treasure from me? And I allow it?"

His journey so far has been relatively easy. His gift has been very effective his whole life at persuading others. Orpheus confirms this: “What honor will be worthy of you, my all powerful lyre, since you have succeeded in softening every stubborn heart in the realm of Tartarus”.

Hades gave in to Orpheus’ pleading due to a combination of Persephone’s begging (she basically says if you love me, you’d do this for me) as well as Orpheus’ singing, but he warns Persephone “stern and unyielding fate may oppose your wishes”.

Later she thanks him, and he basically confirms he (Hades) did this in part for her, as he says “Let not your soul become so desirous of heavenly delight that you abandon the marriage bed” (aka don’t leave me).

This is a story that happens at a time when requesting blessings/favors from gods required some kind of sacrifice, so Hades saying to Orpheus that he could only have Eurydice if he doesn’t look back wouldn’t been understandable for that time period.

This could also have been Hades way of bending the rules to allow Orpheus' request. The earth is jointly controlled between the gods. Hades domain extends to everything underground. The rules of the underworld would be strongest until Eurydice was in the sunlight.

Orpheus’ gaze would bring attention to his breach of the natural order. Hades could turn a blind eye as Orpheus led her up into daylight, but once he could no longer pretend to not notice when Orpheus looked back, Hades had to do his job and retrieve Eurydice’s ghost.

When souls died, their memories were erased by the river Lethe (they were reborn but forgot their past life). Eurydice was dead, but Orpheus wanted her to return with her memory intact, which was a problem.

Apollo talks about Orpheus giving in to “anger and grief”, being a “slave to his passions”, and being “overcome by blame and danger”. This fits with Orpheus as we see him in his Hollow essence (and especially in the essence trailer).

The lesson from the myth includes this: By looking back, you lose sight of what’s important. Like if a driver or runner in a race looks back, that action could cost them the win (and it has happened before).

Like in the myth, Orpheus believes Hades (Norton) is tricking him, that Eurydice (Alice) isn’t really with him, which is part of the reason why he looks back. Orpheus is focused on the past, seeing shades/the past (Memory) rather than the real/present (Alice).

Orpheus doubts. He believes he’s being tricked, that Norton is taking Alice from him, but in the end, in L’Orfeo, there was no trick. Eurydice was really there. But by doubting and believing he was being tricked, and due to his focus on the past, he lost her forever.

---

Speaking of Orpheus and the myth:

Orpheus drug: causes "coma"

Likely what Orpheus used to "fake" his death (+ Kevin's and William's)

Orpheus & Eurydice myth: Eurydice is dead.

Orpheus goes into the Underworld to bring her back (though he fails). It's just like the drug. Death -> Life Coma/Fake Death -> Awake/Alive

The symbol is a lyre, used in the myth to bypass Cerberus and Charon, and convince Persephone and Hades to let him take Eurydice. In the myth, Orpheus was a talented musician. That's why only a small amount is needed, why to "avoid overdose". Similarly, the drug "subdues" people

[brokehorrorfan]

Scream Factory has revealed the specs for its Pumpkinhead 4K Ultra HD + Blu-ray, which releases on October 10. The 1988 horror film marked the directorial debut of special effects legend Stan Winston (Jurassic Park, Terminator 2).

Shout Factory is offering an exclusive set with an 18x24 poster, a prism sticker, a set of five enamel pins by Matthew Skiff (limited to 500), and a set of five 8x10 lobby cards by Beyond Horror Design (limited to 500). Pictured below, it costs $139.99.

Mark Patrick Carducci (Neon Maniacs) and Gary Gerani (Trading Point) wrote the script. Lance Henriksen stars with John D'Aquino, Jeff East, Kerry Remsen, and Tom Woodruff Jr. as Pumpkinhead.

Pumpkinhead has been newly scanned in 4K from the original camera negative with Dolby Vision HDR as well as DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 and 2.0 sound. Special features are listed below.

Disc 1 - 4K UHD:

Audio commentary by co-writer Gary Gerani and creature creators Tom Woodruff Jr. and Alec Gillis

Disc 2 - Blu-ray:

Audio commentary by co-writer Gary Gerani and creature creators Tom Woodruff Jr. and Alec Gillis

Remembering the Monster Kid: A Tribute to Stan Winston - Interviews with actors Lance Henriksen and Brian Bremer and special effects artists Alec Gillis, Tom Woodruff Jr., and Shannon Shea

Interview with producer Richard Weinman

Interview with actor John D'Aquino

Interview with actor Matthew Hurley

Pumpkinhead Unearthed - 5-part making-of documentary

Demonic Toys featurette

Behind-the-scenes footage

Still gallery

Theatrical trailer

Vengeance: The Demon alternate title card

When a group of teenagers inadvertently kill his only son, Ed Harley (Lance Henriksen) seeks the powers of a backwoods witch to bring the child back to life. But instead, she invokes “Pumpkinhead” – a monstrously clawed demon which, once reborn, answers only to Ed’s bloodlust. But as the creature wreaks its slow, unspeakable tortures on the teens, Ed confronts a horrifying secret about his connection to the beast – and realizes that he must find a way to stop its deadly mission before he becomes one with the creature forever.

Pre-order Pumpkinhead.

[dani-luminae]

Thoughts on Wish

I've never walked out of a Disney movie with such a lukewarm response before.

It's not Bad, but it also didn't feel like it had a lot of love put into it, either.

That being said, this is still an Asha stan account.

Asha is, without a doubt, the strongest point of the movie. Which is good, bc she's the main character. Right at the beginning it's established that her generosity is the root of her character, and her "adorkable" moments are next to none aside from the trailers. She very clearly does not want to be misunderstood or mistaken for selfish. She is, in all measures, Magnifico's foil. That being said, I don't like the ending, giving her the Fairy Godmother's wand and implying that's who she becomes. Not only bc the Fairy Godmother has almost always been portrayed as white, but also bc this movie was promised as the origin story of the wishing star, not the Fairy Godmother. Especially with the whole "made of stardust" thing, it would have been stronger if it was Asha joining Star and the other stars.

The music is really hit-or-miss. Either it's great or it does nothing. "This Wish" (and its reprise) and "This is the Thanks I Get?!" do great, "Knowing What I Know Now" starts off slow and gets strong, and the others just... fall flat. I'm just going to say it, I don't think "I'm a Star" needed to be explained in a song (which I couldn't even follow for a good portion of the performance.) "At All Costs" makes sense in the plot but without context can be wildly misconstrued.

King Magnifico is a fantastic Disney Villain because yes, he starts out with noble intentions, and even the audience might be tricked, but the moment his strategies and power are merely questioned he turns into a Problem, which is the best kind of Disney Villain I think. The plot is entirely his fault in the best way. Also I think he takes the cake for "Disney Villain who physically does the most damage to the protagonist" given how he throws Asha around and slams her to the ground with magic.

I love Queen Amaya and she deserved better than Magnifico.

Beyond Dahlia, I'm very ambivalent about Asha's friends. Gabo was more "rude for comedic effect" than actually Grumpy, and Dahlia constantly has the only brain cell. Dario wasn't dopey, he was just a stoner. And... Simon deserved better. They made his "sleepy" description be a result of having already given his wish over to Magnifico and therefore losing a part of himself, which is a nice touch that makes sense, but then he spends the rest of the movie being controlled to fight them (a plot point that almost honestly felt like an afterthought to the plot more than anything.) And we get... half a minute of resolving that. After he's been terrorized by bunnies I suppose.

I expected... a lot more Disney references. Like we saw Aurora's dress in Sonja's wish, and of course we find out that a recurring minor character who just came to Rosas turns out to be a Wendy reference when she goes off with Peter-reference to build a flying machine, but these were the only two references I really caught. For a story that's been "a hundred years in the making" there was really, really little actual joy to be found in it.

The ending should have been something like "Star invites Asha to come reside among Stars like her, but Asha demurs to remain in Rosas as heir to Queen Amaya, and once Rosas is safe in the hands of Asha's chosen heir, then she ascends to join the stars."

For a Disney movie, it's sweet and cute and has a wonderful message. For it to be the 100th anniversary movie, "a story a hundred years in the making," it kind of left me looking at it like "this is it????"

[bluezey]

This sequel is definitely splitting people

Now the argument is the particle effects are gone on the emotions

What do you mean gone?? They're right there!!

You can see the particles around their edges, and they're popping off Joy when she runs!

If you haven't noticed it, it's understandable because we're watching the trailer on a small screen

I will grant you this, the particle effects may be limited though. They do appear to move less and pop off less often. But again, small screen, less noticeable. And we're only seeing like, what, one minute of footage?

We also need to look back on the nine years between the films. When Inside Out one was made, an animator made the effervescent particle technology, but only used it on Joy as it was a complicated animation that cost a lot of money. But when Pete Docter saw it, he wanted it on all five of the emotions, bringing the cost up significantly. Nine years later Pixar had a bunch of hits, but due to Coronavirus and Lightyear being in the latest later half, their profits have been hit hard. Hell, I'll even say Elemental's slow start, the controversy with founder John Lassetter, the promotion of Pete Docter to executive producer, and Lightyear bombing so hard nearly everyone who worked on the film were laid off, those may have also made an impact on their budget and profit, and now they have to play safe. It gave us new ideas in animation style such as Luca and Turning Red, and Pixar still wants to wow us and take risks like Elemental and Soul. But to sum up the rambling, all this could have affected how they did the particle effects in Inside Out 2. Again, the particle effects are expensive, but you can't cut them as they're an iconic part of the animation and film. So they most likely had to cut corners, such as the emotions are made of particles, but they move and pop off less. Hell, I'll accept that, cause it still works.

Another minor complaint is people saying Joy looks slightly different: after nine years of animation improvements, from Pixar no less, the old models are outdated and they had to make new ones. Riley looks different too, you gonna critique on that too?

[goji-pilled]

spoilers for the first main boss of shadow of the erdtree 👍

i dont think i necessarily would have to tag this as spoilers considering we have seen it before in trailers and its not a secret it exists but eh better safe than sorry for now i suppose

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so that marks the first remembrance boss of the dlc as beaten in ng+2, from scratch (this is the first run of the dlc on this character), and this time i did it completely solo without any summons.

and whew my opinion definitely has changed a lot compared to the first time i fought it.

during the first run i absolutely hated this thing. genuinely one of my least favourite bosses and i have no doubt that i will still despise fighting this guy's death blight cousin ugh. this time however? i actually?? enjoyed the fight?? for the most part anyway.

i dont know what it is because my scadutree level is 4 as of in this clip which isn't any more than it was in the first run + this guy should do more damage and have more health now too but it somehow?? didnt feel like it??? idk if the dragonslayer katana is just broken like that or if they tweaked something during the patches but boy it felt so much better this tims.

which, again, is crazy considering im doing this in ng+2 from scratch.

however, i still have my share of criticism.

for one there are times where the effects from his bajillion phases put a noticable dent into my fram rate which absolutely sucks. and while im at the effects: there were also just times they either cluttered the screen and it was difficult to see anything, or where stuff like the tornado straight up just blocks the entire view of the dancing lion.

there's also the aoe stuff in the arena during the lighting phase which i find to be extremely annoying and feels like it was added just for the sake of making it more difficult. all it does is contribute to the points above made about the effects.

its not nearly as bad as it was with that atrocious final boss though LMFAO

also, arguably the worst part: although the lion's moveset is extremely cool and does the dancing part justice, with the way it zooms around there are times the camera just fucking goes all over the place making it hard to see and follow what is happening which cost me multiple deaths.

overall though still actually a very cool experience and a great boss though, not to mention that the theme is an absolutely fantastic banger; 7/10 👍