#Frozen elsa tangled I need people to see this

[theemperorsnewfanblog]

wish there were way more fans of the emperor's new school, on this site but also in general. Where r the fanfictions, the character analyses, the YouTube review videos, the ship wars, the cosplayers the crossovers etc. Outside of like 5 people on this site there is nothing. Join our fandom y'all I'm begging it's lonely out here 😭😭

[citricacidprince]

“Why do you like crossovers so much?”

Normal Answer: My favorite shows canonically crossed over when I was younger and it made me realize the potential and fun crossovers can bring!

My Answer: I saw 2 low res drawings of Merida/Rapunzel and Hiccup/Jack Frost making out Sloppy Style and being besties on my shitass ipod and it forever changed my brain chemistry. For better or for worse I can’t tell you, but I am having fun here.

[thecarnivorousmuffinmeta]

Little random, but you've answered asks about Disney Princess movies before a while ago.

What are your thoughts on Frozen and Anna and Elsa?

Thoughts on Frozen

People like it, but to me it's a thoroughly "ok" film. It's far from Disney's best, not one of the worst, but sort of middle of the road. The plot's a giant mess and was clearly subject to last minute revisions (Hans's sudden villainy comes across as so sudden that it fails to make the point it was trying to make. It wasn't necessary, as the point Elsa makes isn't invalidated even if he wasn't evil and Anna still could have dropped him at the end. And we just get this "YOU FOOL, DIDN'T YOU KNOW I WAS THE MUSTACHE TWIRLING VILLAIN ALL ALONG?!" To which I can only say, "No, Hans, I didn't know that, kind of makes that scene where you left the castle to look for Anna personally very pointless. Nobody would have questioned you, dude." It makes a lot more sense when you consider Elsa was supposed to be the antagonist/misguided in initial drafts and the then desperate need for somebody to be the bad guy.)

Tangled, by comparison, is a much more put together film and in my opinion is much better, but it didn't have a hit song sung by Idina or Anna's adorable nerdiness and Elsa's general angst.

So Frozen gets to be the beloved film for over ten years on, rejuvenating the Disney brand for another generation, and I just have to sit there and take it.

(Perhaps a hot take, I'm not tuned in enough to know, but I thought Frozen 2 was much better as a film in general, much more put together/hard hitting, though it had far less memorable music/the big numbers just weren't as good. It's also a lot more hard-hitting, with none of the comedy and very little of the narrative of empowerment.)

Anna and Elsa

I do like these two and they're very believable characters who do go through character development that feels very real.

In Anna we have an isolated, awkward, young adult who is convinced that 'love' will save her, doesn't know where she stands with what was once a beloved older sister, and when she fucks things up tries to fix it without really addressing the issues she had in the first place until the very end of the movie.

She's fun, she's relatable, if short-sighted and naive, and it's clear that she does have to learn something from her adventure, and that she really didn't understand her sister and what she was going through.

In Elsa, we have someone who has been under immense pressure her entire life while also knowing that she has this terrible secret which means she will never live up to what she has to be to rule a nation. She ends up isolated from her younger sister out of terror of hurting her, which damages their relationship, and she too has growth where when we first meet her in the film, she sees coronation as only a one-day event she has to simply get over with as quickly as possible.

She's also a very relatable character, her struggle is something that speaks to a lot of people and has been iconic for over a decade for a reason, and she's refreshing in that her problems despite being a female lead have nothing to do with men and a man never enters the picture for her.

Even her moment of "WHEEEEEEEE I'M FREEE!" to Anna arriving and "NOOOOOOOOOO! ALL MY ACTIONS HAD TERRIBLE CONSEQUENCES!" is a great one as Elsa is only then really forced to confront both herself, her loved ones, and finally accept who she is by the end of the film.

TL;DR

Basically, I like both characters and I think people really like them for a reason.

But I do think the movie's a hot mess.

[martianbugsbunny]

Maybe Disney needs to try taking on a fairytale they haven't done yet. Don't get me wrong, I enjoy more original stories like Raya and the Last Dragon and Encanto that as far as I'm aware don't originate from any particular legend (feel free to correct me if I'm wrong tho). Those are fun. Exploring different magical concepts like dragons and the miracle is awesome.

But that being said, I think Disney needs to go back to its roots and do a fairytale. Something with a princess and a big bad that comes from an existing legend. That's (generally) where Disney excels. That's why people love Disney. Little Mermaid? Classic. Beauty and the Beast? Classic. Princess and the Frog? Classic. Cinderella? Classic. Snow White? Classic. Really, I just think Disney does what Disney does best when they're taking a story that already exists and turning it into a beautiful piece of animation with a gentle, kind soul at the center of it, maybe with a different little spin like setting the Frog Prince story in 1920s New Orleans or having Beauty's father be an inventor. Little touches like that to make the story uniquely Disney, but with a solid basis in a folk narrative that touches something deep and instinctual inside most people.

Give me a girl who's cursed. A girl who either falls prey to evil or makes a deal with it, and whose sweetheart fights for her like Aurora or who does the brave thing and sacrifices to fix it like Ariel.

Give me a girl who's trapped. A girl whose family keeps her down or who just hasn't found where she fits yet, who stays kind despite her troubles like Cinderella or who finds her own alternative way out like Belle.

Heck, even a weird-ass thing like Shakespeare But Lions would be welcome. That's such a Disney thing to do, taking a story like Hamlet and filling it with whimsy and giving it a happy ending. Plus, Simba is one of the strongest protagonists and learns one of the best lessons in all of Disney fight me.

(I'm not going to count Frozen in the folk story group because the departure from the original was so wild I don't think it deserves to count. I love Elsa with my entire soul but I would also die to see Disney do a proper version of the Snow Queen fairytale.)

Look, my point is that I'd like to see something that really makes Disney dig a little deeper and recapture the spark of its classics. Because as much as I enjoy stuff like Tangled and Frozen and Moana (I've watched all of them loads of times and I cry about them consistently) they don't come to mind as Disney classics for me. Maybe that's just me. Maybe it simply hasn't been enough time. Maybe it's the difference in the animation. Speaking of that, however, I would actually love to see a Disney movie done in a 2D style again; I don't think 3D has any inherent superiority and I'd love to see what Disney could do with a 2D movie now. And there are so many folk stories in the world, surely there must be one that Disney can bring to life the way it used to. They haven't retold every story that's been told already.

Am I being a little picky? Probably. But I'd love to see something that reminds me of the Disney classics where a gentle person with a courageous core has their life touched by magic, faces an obstacle, and has a happy ending. Something that's not a variation on "X needs to be saved" but a specific character longing for a specific thing and either doing what they think is necessary to get it (like Tiana and Ariel) or giving it up for the sake of someone else, but getting a happy ending nonetheless (like Belle and Simba). Also a clear-cut badguy who gets to be absolutely cunty and evil about it with no peculiar twist.

I'd like to see something Classic Disney again.

[fancylala4]

The kingdoms don’t really feel real and don’t really react to the situation in modern Disney movies like tangled and frozen.

In tangled, the princess got kidnapped. This would cause the kingdom to be on edge and worried about her safety. What do they do every year? Have a festival that is like a state fair. It’s weird. Can you imagine if we had a party or a happy fair if something bad happened to a major official? We also don’t know anything about this kingdom at all. How do they feel about the princess being kidnapped? Did the kingdom change for the worse? Are they untrustworthy of outsiders? No, they act like everything is normal and are happy. What was the nameless king and queen’s response to this in the kingdom? Nothing but sending a bunch of lights in the sky each year and look sad. The town seems pretty cool, with outsiders and a wanted criminal walking around the streets. The town folk also don’t seem shocked by a girl with super long hair, and acts like it’s normal. They are also pretty stupid, as they don’t see the resemblance between the lost princess and the long haired outsider. Even with a huge picture of her as a baby. They could have easily shown how much it affected the kingdom and the people living there in the movie, but they didn’t. This kingdom feels less like an important place and more like Disney World. Nah, it’s more like a ride there. It’s too perfect and just there for rapunzel to have fun. Even some of the issues the movie shows like the king almost killing Flynn over an ugly crown is glossed over.

Frozen is a bit better, but that’s not saying much. The people in kingdom are chill about everything that happens in the movie. Elsa runs away and has powers? They did have a moment of fear of her, but that’s it. They didn’t seem to care that the kingdom was holding this big secret, wonder what else they are hiding and the fact that their queen runs away. Anna leaves some guy in charge to go get her sister? They don’t care. Elsa’s magic causes a big snowstorm that could kill them all? They cool with that. Sure, they can’t escape, their crops could fail, and they could freeze to death, but they seem fine with it. They also never show any kind of anger towards Elsa, since she was the one who caused all this. The only people in the movie who showed any kind of anger toward Elsa were outsiders. The duke, his goons and Hans were the ones who tried to hurt Elsa, not anyone in the kingdom. They also were ready to turn against Hans in favor of Elsa, even though he was the one who was there in their time of need. He was going to kill Elsa in front of everyone (or not. I didn’t notice anyone in the scene except for the main cast of characters) but for all they know, that was the only way to stop the storm and save the town. They were also cheering for Anna and Elsa after the scene. Showing no signs of anger towards them for leaving the kingdom.

Comparing the two with other Disney movies in the past like Beauty and the Beast, it’s shows how little thought the writers put into the world building.

[silent-wolf]

batfamily as disney princesses

wait so ive been thinking more about this post in particular on what the assigned disney princess is for each batfamily member and i need to u all to understand my thoughts rn 1. dick as ariel from the little mermaid:

can we agree on the fact that dick is the most likely to get eloped without giving a single hint? also the most likely to break out into a spontaneous song number. he's such a bubbly person and would be friends with anyone, INCLUDING A CRAB. 2. jason as tiana from princess and the frog: okay hear me out- we're so used to him being perceived as belle, but honestly they're not THAT similar personality wise. tiana is passionate, persistent and opinionated. if that doesn't scream jason i don't know what does. both of them would never change themselves for other people and i think thats so lovely. 3. tim as belle from beauty and the beast: im still on my tim as belle bullshit !! both of them are idealistic, loyal and slightly judgemental. honestly the way both of them managed to change people around them( i.e- bruce and the beast) to become better people, while not giving two fucks is pretty commendable LMFAO.

4. damian as snow white from snow white and the seven dwarfs:

DO YOU SEE MY VISION. imagine littol damian frolicking in a field as he sings to a bunch of deers and bluebirds. in my mind, he's just a gremlin with no thoughts but little critters running through his brain. he's so gentle with his pets and is extremely environmentally conscious.

5. cass as mulan from mulan:

there is literally no other option more fit for her. groomed from a young age to be something they're not, but then becoming badass warriors in their own right? like yesss girl bosses !! and both of them having issues with finding their own self that's not a reflection of what other's want and perceive them to be?? so compelling~

6. stephanie as rapunzel from tangled.

thats it. that's all you need. okay i'm joking but stephanie is so painfully rapunzel it HURTS. both escaping from a toxic environment to find enjoyment for life once again, and doing good for the world. i love them both to death. they're also my gf's

okay as for the rest i dont have any concrete reasoning but the vibes just m a t c h

6. duke as elsa from frozen- idk something about them is just so uncanny. i'd imagine trying to live upto the expectations of ur new family and the rest of the population would take a toll on you, which is basically the premise of frozen. and both of them are rlly pretty...

7. barbara as jasmine from aladdin- literally best girls icl. there is no logic behind this, but i think little barbara dreamed of being as cool as jasmine one day. BONUS: bruce wayne as cinderella.

anyways this is all just for fun and feel free to comment ur suggestions !!

[intothegenshinworld]

Tofu Anon:

LET IT GO ABSOLUTELY SENT ME-

Anyways, I come bearing more references! :D

-Frozen-

Mini-Creator, in Inazuma, after the Sakoku/Vision Hunt Decree: “...’Cause for the first time in forever~~~!”

The Creator, too occupied with convincing Ei to join as Elsa:

-Tangled-

(Just the Creator bursting into “Mama Knows Best” whenever Mini-Creator walks into the room.)

-Tangled (again)-

Mini-Creator, brushing Mama Tofu’ hair: “...Flower gleam and glow-“

Mini-Creator and Mama Tofu both hyperventilating when it actually glows:

Venti in Angels share (accompanied by Kaeya and Rosaria with Diluc having his night shift there)

Venti: "And that's how I used to cut mountains with my lyre!" Rosaria: "Even for a bard, that's a wild story." Kaeya: "Don't worry Venti, I believe you." Diluc: *Please don't tell them you're the anemo archon, please don't tell them you're the anemo archon, please don't tell them you're the anemo archon* Venti: *Suddenly sobers up Venti: "OH MY BARBATOS- CREATOR IS SINGING AGAIN!" Kaeya&Rosaria: "???" Venti: "Gotta note this one down. This will become my new hit song." Diluc: *Thank god they're too drunk to ask Venti about this

^This happens EVERY TIME either Mama Tofu or Mini-Creator sings. (Which is a lot in the beginning XD) People will start to question his sanity, but weirdly enough, both Jean and Diluc shrug it off.

I feel like we had all the Tangled songs so we need a scene like this

Somewhere in Snezhnaya the Creator and Mini-Creator walk into a Fatui camp. Although scared, both proceed because they are the Creator. Turns out; the Fatui are dumb and don't really know the difference between Creator and Mini-Creator

Hydro Fatui: *slams down a poster of Mini-creator* Hydro Fatui: "Is this you?" Mini-Creator: *cranes their neck to see the poster better. The poster depicts a perfect portrait of them with a nose bigger than their hand* Mini-Creator: "That's just bullying at this point..." Pyro Fatui: "That is definitely them!" Cicin mage: "Get them!" Mirror Mage: "The Tsarista will be delighted to hear we saved the Creator from the imposter." Mama Tofu: "Wait, this is all just a big misunderstanding-" Geo Fatui: "Don't worry, your Grace. The Fatui's got this." Mini-Creator: "No, this is like actually a misunderstanding!!" *Chaos starts until Mama Tofu yells really loudly 'Stop'* Mama Tofu: "Listen they're my child and I need them to show me to the Tsarista because we want to meet every Archon- Don't you guys have morals? Don't any of you have a dream?" *silence and everyone looks at Mama Tofu* Cryo Fatui: *approaches the Creator menacingly* Cyro Fatui: *leans closer* Cryo Fatui: "I had a dream... once," TEYVAT STARTS TO MAKE MUSIC Mini-Creator: *still between all the big and scary Fatui, starts to grin because they know exactly what's about to happen* Cryo Fatui: "I'm malicious, mean and scary-"

You know how it continues XD

[sebastianthecollectorandcreator]

How I Would Do Frozen

Whether It Be Disney Remaking The Movie (God Forbid) Or A Fanmade Retelling I Got Ideas For How To Change Things Up For The Movie.

Give Anna Fire Powers. Makes For Good Contrast, Huh?

2. Give Elsa A Girlfriend! When The First Movie Came Out, Only One Non-Adult-Aimed Animated Movie Had An LGBT Character, That Being ParaNorman. By The Time The Second Film Came Out, There Was A Massive Influx Of LGBT Characters In Animation (Non-Adult) Already But Disney Is Either Out Of Touch Or Late To The Game Depending On Who You Ask. Elsa Has A Good Thing With Honeymaren In The Second Film (Hopefully, They Expand Upon That In The Third One). I Know That There Are Some Who See Her As Asexual, And That's Fine, I See Her As Bisexual (I Could Say Lesbian, But I Wanna Throw Jesla Shippers A Bone).

3. I'd Like For It To Like A Mix Of Game Of Thrones And Avatar: The Last Airbender (But Not Like That, Elsanna Shippers).

4. Have Elsa Be An Anti-Villain (Sort Of Like What Was Supposed To Happen Before "Let It Go.")

5. Give Kristoff More Development. After Watching A Video On The First Movie, I Realized That Kristoff Didn't Have Much To Do In Either Movie.

6. We Need To Talk About Hans. I See People Cite Hans As Where Disney Started Leaning Into Twist Villains. Here, I Could Either Get Rid Of Him Or Dump The Twist Altogether.

7. Give Some Focus To The Townspeople As Well. Tangled Did It With Its Sequel Series, Why Can't Frozen?

8. Put Development In Either Of Anna's Relationships.

9. Just Make It A Disney+ Series Instead Of A Movie.

10. Elsa's Powers Would Come From Her Being Born 1000 Years After An Alignment Of Saturn.

11. Elsa And Anna's Brother (Yes They Have A Brother In This New Cannon) Would Be Tarzan. I Was Disappointed When The Theory Was Disproven In Frozen II.

Fun Fact: Before The Backlash Got Political, The Initial Backlash For The Last Jedi Was Due To The Theories Being Proven False.

[septmilleneurones]

See, for me, the fact that it’s so difficult for survivors to believe that we deserve love and the fact that abuse messes you up in the head is why I find the classic versions of Cinderella particularly unrelatable. Tangled, Frozen and Encanto also depict protagonists experiencing love after abuse and/or trauma, but all of those works actually engage with the trauma. These protagonists struggle and sometimes they make mistakes - big mistakes in Elsa’s case - but that doesn’t stop them from being loved. In Cinderella, particularly the classic versions, she is a fucking model victim, a Mary Sue really. The fact that that still isn’t enough for some people is deeply disturbing and I think we need to stop trying to prove why Cinderella was A Good Victim and start turning this back on non-survivors.

Because at best non-survivors are doing that thing where they’re like “I just realised that people in abusive situations are just stuck there and that makes me feel bad and I don’t like feeling bad so I’m going to just yell at survivors to Bootstrap more” and at worst - and I have absolutely seen this - they’re that particular subset of misogynistic men who are bitter about being expected to be Providers but are fine with the patriarchy that created the “men as providers, women as housewives” dynamic that still sees women in het relationships doing far more of the daily chores than their male partners.

As I’ve said many times before, we will not have true liberation for survivors until we have a Cinderella who spends at least a week in bed after she gets to the palace (I have been overworked) and ugly cries in front of Important People during a royal event. Hell, in light of recent discussions in my country about youth crime and its causes, I want a version where she meet cutes with the prince after the royal guards bust her defacing the palace wall with graffiti of a skunk��’s butt. Not because I think survivors need to be spicy in order to be loved but because you know what’s worse than being derided for being too soft? Being put in prison.

PS: “Have courage and be kind” may not be meaningless but it is absolutely the kind of mantra that appeals to survivors who are abstract-minded by nature and is as much use as a bikini in a snowstorm to those who aren’t, which leads the latter group to think the former group are Neurotypical Karens and leads the former group to think the latter group are Bad Victims.

I just thought this set of tweets was really important.

[unmask-strange-aeons]

The Super 6 / The Golden Age

On the 27th of November 2013 a bomb exploded something so big it would change Internet culture forever, but how affected it Rise of the Brave Tangled Dragons? Well, it affected in such a Big Way that we for the first time (but not the last) changed its name to Rise of the Brave Tangled Frozen Dragon. Yes, like once upon a time Season 4 we did frozen.

But we did it before the movie came out. EVIDENCE this looks like the oldest... But then the new naming post THIS. What’s interesting in this post is that frozen came before Tangled which later was changed again, BUT this first post came from 18th Jun 2013, Frozen came out on the 27th NOVEMBER 2013 so just like we did with Guardians we adopted Frozen before it even came out.

Frozen really was our Golden Age but also the beginning of our decline period, our dark age if you so will.

Frozen didn’t just brought us the characters, no it also brought us... the fans. Now if you lived during the release of Frozen you will remember, merch everywhere like everywhere, turn on the radio and there will be let it go. And with this Hype there were the fans, and Elsa was their Queen, but you see they had a problem... there was no one to ship her with. I cannot be 100% sure how it started but the Frozen fangirls found the big 4 and with them they found... Jack frost. Jelsa was born, but you see people shipped Jack with Rapunzel before... so they had to go... And the Shipping wars were on. The OG fans of the big four producing anti Jelsa edits, saying how toxic it is... and the age gape... Jack is 17 while Else was 21. So you had Jelsa shippers vs Jackunzel shippers... and there were the few who said ship none of them. Now the frozen fans were brutal. They forced Jackunzel fans to delete their blogs, stop posting about them and were just a wave against them. While Jackunzel fans tried to fight back... they lost.

And a Titan was born. The BIGGEST Big 4 edits till this day are the 2 Titans Jelsa Faded and Jelsa - You are the Reason with 154 Million and 67 Million views.

Now Jackunzel wasn’t the only ship to be ripped apart by frozen, Mericcup was also under fire, in favour of Hiccelsa but this was nowhere near as large as Jelsa as they wanted them together. But this meant that the Jelsa fans also went after Hijack. But there was also Jelsa vs Hiccelsa. But all of those were rather tame in the face of the hate that Jackunzel fans faced.

This was our Golden age... it isn’t great. It was terrible, but also it showed us that we didn’t need to just focus on the big 4, that we can still add characters to the story, it gave us the ability to adapt to whatever fandom we wanted to and so hundreds of spin offs of the big 4 were created, here is the WIKI idk if that’s all crossovers...

But liking Frozen at the end, it died down. And what was left from them was this wasteland with many big 4 blogs stopping or even deleting because of the Jelsa vs Jackunzel wars. And so, where in various stages, the other Ships. We were at our lowest point yet. This was the Dark Age.

As always, if I am wrong, please let me know Big 4 fandom...

[starwars-rosesofrebels]

Frozen 3's plot

Frozen 3 is finally happening! I personally really wanted this because I wasn't happy with how Frozen 2 ended. I always thought they'd be planning another short like for Anna's birthday and their first holiday etc. But I wasn't expecting a movie! The more the better. Frozen 2 left us with the sisters being separated as 2 sides of the bridge; Anna is Queen of Arendelle while Elsa is the fifth spirit. I always loved Elsa as Queen because I felt she felt she owed Arendelle to make it a better stinger kingdom after the events of Frozen, so giving the crown to Anna didn't sit well with me. But anyways even if Elsa isn't Queen in Frozen 3 I just wanted the sisters to live together again because the whole point of Frozen 1 was reuniting them and recreating memories and Elsa reconciling her mistakes. But seeing now Frozen 3 is actually happening here's what I feel could happen:

I do think that the movie's purpose is just for Anna and Kristoff's wedding because it could have been a short like Anna's birthday and their holiday. But they probably didn't do that because a wedding short would compare it to Tangled's wedding short. And so give this and seeing how much we want to see Anna and Kristoff's wedding they must've thought long and hard about the plot of the movie and how the characters would grow and what else is left that needs to be told.

The initial way Frozen 2 was going to go was letting Arendelle flood and rebuilding it making Northuldra part of Arendelle and hence the sisters would be together. This would have been so much better than what we got in the movie. But I feel the team has learnt that through our reactions to the movie and made it another reason to go ahead with the movie, bringing the sisters together once again. It would be perfect because the two worlds would become one and Arendelle could be more involved with the Northuldra people. It just works. Not sure how the rulers would work, if Anna would stay Queen as Elsa was kind of ruling Northuldra and so they both became Queen of what but both would automatically become rulers of the new Arendelle/ Northuldra. Elsa wouldn't be alone and isolated in any way and Anna wouldn't feel the absence of her sister's presence or love. Also Anna has already included Northuldra's iconic hexagon shape in her Queen attire and made her parents, as young children, statue in the town. So why not do it?

I personally think it makes perfect sense but I hope something Laing those lines happens in Frozen 3. It would fit the characters and the audience too and I'm sure it would do even better in the previous 2 movies in terms of money.

The current status of the movie is probably the writing stage so it's gonna be a while before we get to hear anything about Frozen 3. They have to write it, the animate it then voice it and much more. But either way it's Frozen and I'm sure I'm gonna love it! Just hoping they do justice to the characters and franchise whether or not the third installment is the final one.

[fancylala4]

Starting watching tangled the series because I’m bored and I’m in love with cass:

The movie:

Rapunzel is running away from the guards like she’s a runaway. Where is she even going?

The short hair here looks better than the ugly ass bob she had in the movie. Though, brown hair still doesn’t suit her at all.

Why couldn’t rapunzel just wait until the whole greeting guests thing was over? What’s the point of going horse riding and getting guards on your tail?

There’s a wall around the kingdom like it’s the little mermaid 2. Copying the little mermaid yet again.

The song life after happily ever after sucks. This song kind of gives me “first time in forever” vibes and the way rapunzel acts is kind of like Elsa did in frozen. I see they are desperate for the same level of popularity that frozen has and took some elements from frozen for this series. Yeah, I know frozen didn’t invent this whole concept but considering how much Tangled likes to copy things from other movies, I wouldn’t put it past the writers to copy some things from another popular franchise.

Rapunzel’s daddy is lex Luther and Mr. Krabs. Though he sounds more like lex here. What is a this legend doing in this show?

I dislike how Flynn is just freeloading on rapunzel and doesn’t do anything all day. He also is going to ask a girl who was turned 18 and was so sheltered that she acts like a 5 year old to marry him. Man, he really is a loser bum.

I know cass is supposed to be wrong about Flynn but honestly she’s so right. Never trust a guy who gets with a barely 18 year old girl and is freeloading on her.

I liked rapunzel’s royal outfit. It’s so much better than that bootleg Barbie as rapunzel dress and it suits her.

I see they change some elements of rapunzel’s character as she struggles with learning and adjusting to new things in the series. In the movie, she was basically a bland character who wasn’t affected by her new surroundings and reacted like a normal person with a normal background. I actually liked this change. But couldn’t she remember to wear shoes when people were around, or just wear a long dress that doesn’t show her feet? Could have avoided that roast by that lady. Also why isn’t she wearing any shoes around town? Rapunzel’s super nasty.

Cass saved the day by stopping the creepy dream kiss. She’s my favorite already.

She also put Flynn at the kids table. It’s kind of weird how rapunzel just lets this happen. So much for not being a push over anymore. On the other hand, fuck Flynn.

Flynn really asked rapunzel to marry him in public and in front of her parents. Did anyone not have the sense to tell him how wrong this is?

Rapunzel’s being smart for once and runs away from that creep.

For the first time in forever, rapunzel sneaks out along with cass. Why is rapunzel letting her dad control her like this? She’s technically doesn’t need to take orders from anyone. Also wasn’t that the lesson she learned in the movie? Why is she just taking this?

Flynn is really stupid. He really doesn’t understand why a barely 18 year old who was locked up until recently doesn’t want to get married? Also I thought he learn that pascal wasn’t a frog. Guess the writers can’t think of an another gag for him.

Wind in my hair sucks. Lyrics are super basic and Mandy can’t hold a tune as usual. The scene also reminds me of the little mermaid 2 with the walls.

So the kingdom had enough time to make a statue in the place they found the flower, yet they couldn’t afford to hire better guards to find their kidnapped daughter? No wonder an old lady with no powers snuck in to the castle with no issues.

Rapunzel’s dumbass touched a large spike on the ground and her hair grows back? Huh? Why is it still blonde? Shouldn’t it be blue or black since that is the color of the rocks? Then again Disney can’t bank on her with any color, so it’s back to blonde for merchandising.

See how good the hair looks here? It looks so much better than that plastic wrap hair look in the movie. That movie should have been hand drawn.

Her hair can’t be cut? I’m not surprised because Disney needs to make money on this show and they can’t make it with rapunzel’s hair being hideous.

I understand why cass didn’t want to tell Flynn anything. She could lose her job and that creep isn’t trustworthy.

What time period is this show? Why is rapunzel wearing a wig like that? I know it’s supposed to be France according to some books but the movie made it seem like it was set during the 1800. Also, she’s lucky her parents are pretty dumb.

Oh that court lady is evil.

I swear rapunzel having a diary was taken from a scrap idea from the movie.

Rapunzel could have easily worn shoes that are comfortable here or just gone barefoot. The here dress is long and no one can see. Also, she’s indoors so it’s not gross to go barefoot.

That evil lady has a nice design. Lady Crain I think her name is.

Why am I not surprised that rapunzel’s daddy looked a bunch of people up for bs reasons. He was the same one who was going to kill a guy for stealing an ugly crown. It’s perfectly in character.

Lady Crain is right to take him!

Rapunzel let her hair down out of the wig. The animation looks weird but I still do like the way her hair looks in the show.

Cass is the one fighting here while rapunzel is just grabbing people. Can’t even fight in her own show..

What kind of little mermaid nonsense is this? Rapunzel’s daddy is acting like king triton here but worse (at least triton had a point about the human world and Ariel was a teenager) and bans rapunzel from going anywhere. Worst of all, rapunzel just takes it. She doesn’t need to follow his rules or anything, just run away. Or stand up to him. It’s just awful because he knows she went through this before and he still did it. What a trash bag.

Ariana doesn’t do anything and just supports rapunzel in the shadows.. Can this franchise write a good female character for once?

Flynn’s creepy ass came to cheer rapunzel up and says he still doesn’t understand why a girl who was locked up wouldn’t want to get tied down with a creeper.

Song still sucks and Mandy still can’t sing well.

Well at least the art style looks nice tho it reminds of lolirock. The story writing is a step up from the movie in some ways and the show wasn’t scared to add poc. It’s also nice to have a character like cass. But it does suck she is a lady in waiting.. also how they seem to be doing the daddy daughter drama instead of the mother daughter drama. It would be interesting to have it here and made so much more sense. But I guess ripping off the little mermaid was more marketable.

This movie gets a 3 out of 5.

[raven-at-the-writing-desk]

Could i request hcs for the first years with an gn!s/o who is like elsa from frozen? Like they have ice powers, they freeze things when theyre nervous, wear gloves to contain their powers, theyre scared they might hurt someone, etc?

Hot take, Tangled > Frozen--

Curiouser and Curiouser...

While Ace is wowed by your magic (and, truthfully, a little envious of them), he doesn’t entirely ‘get’ your hangups about them. According to him, there's no use in having super (literally) cool powers if you're too busy brooding to use them. "If you've got it, you might as well flaunt it!" he tells you. "Stop worrying so much, it'll be fiiine."

His cheery demeanor and humor help to ease your nerves. Ace acting so nonchalant about your powers makes you feel just as normal as anyone else at NRC—and when you’re preoccupied laughing with him, it’s hard for fear to freeze over your heart. In a way, his smile’s like the sunshine that drives the snow away.

Ace encourages you to use your powers to do irresponsibly dumb but fun things. Think you can freeze the floor of the basketball court so he can slide around on it? It'd be easier for him to shoot hoops like that. How about walking on water? Just freeze the lake under your feet when you make contact with the surface. Or--and this is the idea Ace likes the most--how about you conjure up a snow day so he can skip class and take you on a date?

As much as Ace likes to see you happy and confident, he’s not naive enough to think that you can always be fearless. When the chips are down and you feel like the walls are closing in, he’ll offer his hands to hold yours. They’re tricky hands, ones that you’ve watched make the cards dance time and time again, with nimble digits that tease and delight.

With his palms pressed against yours, and fingers laced together, Ace makes you feel stable and secure. A pleasant warmth sweeps from where your hands meet to the rest of your body, banishing the cold from you and lighting a fire from within. Suddenly, all is right with the world, and you feel as though you are capable of taming any storm, any blizzard.

If you’re the ice and snow, then Deuce is the rock that you’ve frozen over, the one that grounds you when you’re about to be whisked away by the snowstorm, or by your own fears. He's nothing if not stubborn, so you can expect Deuce to dig his heels in and offer his unwavering support.

Deuce knows exactly what it’s like to be fearful and disappointed yourself when your powers rage out of control. He feels the same when his delinquent side gets the better of him. “I worry that I won’t be able to control myself. That I’ll mess up and accidentally hurt the people that I love... and that’s scary to think about—so I understand why you’re scared, too.”

He speaks about his own experiences in earnest, and lets you know that it’s okay to feel how you do. All Deuce asks is that you’re just as honest with him when it comes to you sharing your experiences with him. If you’re nervous or apprehensive, then tell him. He’ll happily be there to lend an ear and uplift you.

Deuce makes a vow to improve with you! You’ve both got something you want to overcome, so you swear to work toward those goals. He’ll aim for being a star student (granted, you’ll probably need to join him for quite a few study sessions), and you’ll hone your icy abilities (with Deuce offering to be your sparring buddy). You’ll grow together—both as individuals, and as a loving, supportive couple.

He won’t protest your decision to wear gloves. (If they make you feel more comfortable and in control, then you should wear them!) Deuce usually lacks the boldness to outright hold your hands anyway, but he’ll often go for a high-five or a fist-bump instead. He considers you reciprocating those gestures as a sign of great trust—after all, who else would you allow to come so close to your icy touch? Perhaps one day, Deuce’s burning spirit will thaw you completely.

Jack’s used to the snowy regions of Pyroxene, so the cold never bothered him anyway is something he can easily endure. He’s of the opinion that with great strength comes great responsibility—so rather than fearing your gift, you should take action and hone it. Jack even volunteers to be your personal coach and fitness partner!

“Heavy duty spells have a bigger knock back if your body is weak,” he explains. “That’s why you need to train yourself physically, not just practice incantations. Physical strength and endurance is important for developing and controlling strong magic.” And not only that, but he argues that exercise is good for calming the nerves and regulating your body temperature—thus keeping the icy magic at bay.

Of course, Jack doesn’t expect you to immediately be at his level, but he expects you to put forth an honest effort if you want to get a proper grasp of your powers. He’ll help you up and grant breaks when you ask nicely, but he also won’t hesitate to push you to exceed what you believed your limits to be. Jack wants to see you succeed—he wants to see that beautiful moment when you can tear off your gloves and cast them into the wind, even if it means giving a little tough love.

After your sessions, Jack fetches bottles of water to keep you hydrated. Unfortunately (depending on your post-workout mood), there’s a chance that the water freezes over when he hands you a bottle. Jack doesn’t let that get to him, though—and he won’t let it get to you, either. He’ll simply take the new ice pack and press it to your forehead or cheek with a small smile and a gruff “... Good job today.”

There’s a part of him that can’t help but worry that all of that ice magic you use is bound to leave you feeling chilly yourself. Because of this, Jack often offers you the shirt off his back (well, more like his blazer or jacket) or asks if you feel cold out of the blue. (And, while he won’t blatantly make the offer himself, Jack won’t protest if you decide to snuggle up against his fluffy tail to get the warmth you need.)

As the descendent of a family of farmers, Epel knows firsthand just how dangerous a touch of frost can be to life, farmhands and apple trees alike. Still, Epel's got guts—and he won’t back down from just some ice. In fact, he finds himself entranced by your magic and wanting to see more and more of its beautiful, raw power.

He gets you a pair of gardening gloves for your hands. They're the same kind that they use back home to protect their hands while working out on the fields, so they're nice and sturdy--surely, they'd help you with your ice magic, too. They might look a bit plain, but Epel can help spice them up with some custom patchwork. "It's like you're already a part of the family," he mumbles shyly. "And this way, you can look at something bright and colorful when you look at your hands."

Epel helps you find practical uses for your magic. With your ice, you can freeze his apple carvings and prevent them from oxidizing--and that way, they can be appreciated for all the longer. It helps you realize that your powers aren't capable of just hurting others, but also preserving beauty and spreading joy to the world.

Epel understands that there are times when the facade cracks, and you just need to... let it go. For times like that, he'll take you to a "secret spot" that only the two of you know--a little open field where you can unleash your magic as you like, summoning snow and raising castles of ice when the temptation hits you. He loves watching you create, seeing all the power surging around--but, most of all, he loves that wild smile of yours coming loose as you throw all caution to the wind.

When you've let it all out, Epel's got a warm blanket and a cup of hot, spiced apple cider for you. He throws the blanket around your shoulders and huddles with you under it. His presence is cozy--far more than what even the drink and the blanket can provide, and it stills your fears.

Frankly, Sebek is insulted that you underestimate him! He has trained since his childhood (and under the grueling mentorship of Lilia!) to protect others--do you really think the threat of some frost and ice could deter him from being at your side? Perish the thought!!

Sebek doesn't bother hiding his distaste for the gloves you choose to wear. He sees them as a symbol of shame and weakness, so he often makes his displeasure known to you. "Hmph! Why bother with wearing such needless accessories? It is as though you are already admitting defeat before the battle has even begun. YIELD NOT IN COWARDICE, BUT BOW OUT ONLY WITH YOUR FINAL BREATH!"

It's also common for Sebek to go on rants about how you should be embracing your powers rather than pushing them away. Ironically, he sees no problems with others fearing you (it simply makes those other people weak-willed and unworthy of being in your presence). In fact, he's convinced that your abilities put you on a different level of might compared to everyone else, and you should be properly respected for it!

Sebek only expresses concern when he realizes it's you that fears your powers the most. Unfortunately, he's not the best when it comes to being subtle or speaking with tact, so his attempts to comfort you end up being loud reassurances that your magic is a source of pride. No matter how much doubt you may harbor, Sebek will always be your greatest cheerleader and hype man.

When shouting and hyping you up doesn't help, the least Sebek can do is provide you with something to soothe your soul. He'll set you down somewhere comfortable and set to brewing a pot of your favorite hot drink. Served to you in an elaborate cup, the steam puffing up from the drink colors your cheers and warms your frigid fingers, restoring the smile that Sebek cherishes so very much.

[immaturityofthomasastruc]

IOTA Reviews: Gabriel Agreste

So, according to Astruc, I guess rich fourteen year blonds can change their ways for the better, as long as they look like Adrien.

Let's get into the twentieth (chronologically the ninth) episode of Miraculous Ladybug's fourth season: Gabriel Agreste

We start off with—oh for the love of—WHY DOES EVERY EPISODE FOCUSING ON GABRIEL NEED TO HAVE HIM TALK TO HIS WIFE'S BODY?!

We get it, Emilie may or may not be dead, but is the only way we can see Gabriel in his civilian life? It's just a cheap way to get exposition out of the way.

So like Gabriel just said, Adrien's aunt Amelie and his cousin Felix, as in that evil son of a bitch who had the balls to be angry at him for daring to not come to his dad's funeral when he needed emotional support from his family, are coming over for some event Gabriel is hosting. Felix is watching a video on Alya's superhero blog, the Ladyblog, all about what a Miraculous is (obviously neglecting to share the information she knows from being Ladybug's confidant because she's not an idiot), all while providing this picture of Hawkmoth and Mayura.

They look like they're about to drop the sickest supervillain rap album in history.

I also love the picture the animators use of all the heroes, where half of Vesperia is cut out.

It's like even they realized how nonexistent Zoe is as a character.

Cut to Adrien giving a bedridden Nathalie some lunch while talking about how Gabriel won't let him invite any of his friends to the event because I guess it's just for the 1%.

Sure wish we could see how important they are to him given he hasn't made a single attempt to hang out with any of his friends all season. I can get what the writers are going for, but this Angstdrien Depreste moment just doesn't work.

In one of the most haphazard ways of forcing her into the plot, we simply cut to Marinette being surrounded by her friends where Alya got writing duo Marc and Nathaniel to help her confess her feelings to Adrien. Because yeah, obviously two people who are skilled at writing know all about how to help Marinette get together with Adrien in an unscripted way, right? And they draw up a little visual for how they can help Marinette.

Okay, this is a problem I have with shows and movies that do these kinds of things in general. Why does switching the genders in a damsel in distress situation automatically make it okay? The entire situation where a princess is saved by a handsome prince has become such a cliche in storytelling, you can't just change one minor detail like the roles and expect praise to come from it. It's like getting a new paintjob for your cheap car and expecting it to work better. Yeah, it looks cool, but the car won't automatically stop breaking down at random.

Compare this to Tangled and Frozen, two movies that focus on the standard damsel in distress but still change certain things about it to make them seem different and subvert several fairy tale and Disney cliches. Tangled focused more on how mentally stunted Rapunzel can be with how unadjusted she is to the outside world thanks to the mental conditioning from her emotionally manipulative “Mother” who only wanted to use her for her magic hair, while the main conflict in Frozen revolved around Anna, the supposed damsel needing to be saved by an act of true love, but even though they built up Kristoff as the love interest to Anna, it was ultimately an act of sisterly love from Elsa that saved her life. While the basic formula could be seen in both of those movies, there was enough changed there to make them seem unique in their own ways. Here, all the writers really do is stick Marinette in a suit of armor and Adrien in a dress and expect to be praised for breaking boundaries.

And why did Marc and Nathaniel even draw those pictures in the first place? Yeah, I get that it's a visual for Marinette “saving” Adrien, and yes, they are very detailed, but why exactly did Marc and Natheniel need to draw them in the first place where all they had to do was tell Marinette they were willing to help? Wouldn't it make more sense if this was an actual plan they were drawing visuals out for, which would better justify what happens later on? And why are they meeting in the art room at school?  If You'd think seeing Gabriel is hosting an important event where several of the rich kids will be there that it'd be on the weekend, so why are they at school? Wouldn't it make more sense to discuss top secret plans about Adrien with Marinette in private? And wouldn't you know it, Chloe is here to spy on them. Why? Other than to advance the plot, I have no idea.

So yeah, Chloe got a video of the pointless fantasy drawings that Marc and Nathaniel drew, so obviously, she can just upload it to the internet and wait for it to rack up views so Gabriel can notice it and take Adrien out of school after seeing how weird Marinette is even though she didn't even actually do anything, much less commission the drawings.

Or she could do that, because otherwise, the other characters can't stop her and we wouldn't have a B-plot in this episode. But hey, it’s nice of the writers to let Plaggandadrienbondingisthebest write a scene for them, because this isn’t out of place in the salt fics she’s written about Marinette.

Now I could talk about how the writers are once again ramping up all of Chloe's negative traits to the point where she and several characters remind the audience that she's always been evil, heart blacker than Don Cheedle in this episode by constantly insulting her to her face and behind her back, but instead, I'm going to focus on something else for her appearance this episode, because this is easily the biggest problem I have with her this season. Even as a villain with no excuses to give her any sympathetic moments, the writers have no idea what they want to do with Chloe.

Say what you will about how Chloe was portrayed in Seasons 2 and 3, or whether you thought she deserved to be a hero or not, but at least she was somewhat consistent. She still acted like the same bully while occasionally helping others and going on about how awesome she is as Queen Bee, and generally felt like the same character. This season, the writers keep changing her personality and evil plans in every episode she has a major appearance in. In “Sole Crusher”, she goes on about her family ideology about using their expensive shoes to step on the weak while selfishly throwing innocent civilians into harm's way to save herself, in “Queen Banana”, she's back to using her influence to get what she wants before cutting off all ties with Adrien, and in this episode, she and Sabrina are using technology and cheap gadgets like bungee jumping gear to spy on Marinette and her friends, and gloats about how devious she is while getting dirty laundry on Marinette because she wants to ruin her chances with Adrien. Yeah, she's the same mean girl throughout, but the writers can't seem to make up her mind on how she tries to get what she wants. Even in Season 1, she mainly used her influence to get ahead in the world while occasionally lying to soak up attention, and she was still more consistent there. It honestly feels like the writers had no idea where to take Chloe's character after “Miracle Queen”, so they decided to have her go back to her Season 1 self because they thought that's when people liked her best just like how they recycled the umbrella scene to reignite interest in the Love Square.

And once again, despite it serving as the crux of a lot of this season's conflicts and is one of the reasons Marinette is Guardian in the first place, the writers are ignoring what Chloe did in “Miracle Queen”. If you want to confirm Chloe is evil and a traitor, why not focus more on that instead of petty squabbles like what's happening in this episode?! You would think for all Astruc talks about how irredeemable she is, his team would make a big deal about her betraying Ladybug, and by extension, all of Paris. This is one of the biggest problems I had with “Miracle Queen” and Chloe's “damnation arc” that was supposedly planned from the beginning as a whole: Even though it could have been a big moment, it's treated more like a joke than an actual betrayal, and doesn't even have any lasting consequences for Chloe to deal with this season. In fact, does anyone even know Chloe sided with Hawkmoth?

If Astruc wanted Chloe to be a villain who sided with the big bad, they should obviously do something about it. I don't think I'd be nearly as angry at the writing if anything meaningful came from this turn of events other than replacing Chloe with her sister who everyone loves. Just this episode had Gabriel mention how tough it is doing stuff on his own, in his civilian life and as Shadowmoth, so why not groom Chloe to be his new assistant to parallel Marinette trusting Alya with the knowledge of her identity? She already hates Ladybug, so why can't the writers take advantage of that and have Gabriel capitalize on this opportunity? They already dumped Lila in favor of making Chloe the bigger threat (until the season finale where the writers remind the audience Lila exists), so why can't they actually commit to making Chloe a full-blown villain?

And one more gripe I have is that it makes no sense for Chloe to be back to tormenting Marinette when “Sole Crusher” and “Queen Banana” obviously built up her as an antagonist to Zoe instead. With how many scenes Chloe got expressing her hatred for her sister for getting more attention than her in those episodes to the point “Queen Banana” ended with Chloe saying she'll get her revenge on Zoe, you would think her next major appearance would capitalize on that setup. Not only is this just a wasted opportunity, it still makes no sense why Chloe would even do this when Zoe is in the room with Marinette and doesn't say a damn thing.

Chloe managed to convince Audrey to not let Zoe go to the party for some reason, so she can't stop Chloe, but Marc and Nathaniel come up with a plan to dress Marinette up like a butler to sneak in. Okay, why does Marinette have to be the one to go incognito, when once again, she didn't even do anything? Again, It was Alya's idea to recruit Marc and Nathaniel to the cause of the Love Square, so why aren't any of them taking responsibility? Better yet, seeing how Zoe has proven herself to be a great actress in the last scene by convincing a butler to not go to the party so Marinette can take her place, wouldn't it make more sense for Zoe to dress up like a butler and try to get Chloe's phone to delete the video, and actually give Zoe something important to do? Between Marinette not even doing anything to cause this, Chloe not just putting the video on social media, and Marc and Nathaniel's stupid plan, this entire B-plot is the very definition of the writers doing whatever they can just so Marinette is at the party to transform into Ladybug.

So at the party, the robotic staff gets to work while Gabriel welcomes his guests, who proceed to put on white and gold masks.

Damnit, Astruc's going to go on about how Squid Game somehow ripped off his show on Twitter, isn't he?

Chloe tries to show Gabriel the video as she enters, so Marinette responds by throwing back the box she was carrying at her, which could have hurt her unless Adrien caught it. Well, Marinette's already trespassing on private property, so I guess wouldn't be too far of a stretch to add attempted murder to her rap sheet. Gabriel ignores Chloe, and because the episode can't work if Chloe remembers texting/email is a thing, she's thwarted for the time being. But before she takes her phone's SD card out with the video's data on it, she talks with Felix.

Look, writers, you can make all the jokes you want about the subject at Chloe's expense (even if all the time spent insulting Chloe this episode is overkill even by Astruc's standards), it doesn't change the fact that you're obviously reusing Adrien's character model and voice actor for Felix.

Speaking of, while Gabriel sends Adrien to his room to spend time with Chloe and Kagami, he asks to talk with Felix. He asks why Felix stole his ring in the first place like he forgot how important it was to his mom, but Felix seemingly gives it back while making a copy for himself... only for Gabriel to immediately figure out it's a fake.

“I've stared at her corpse more than enough times to recognize her ring from a cheap copy!”

Nathalie makes the obvious suggestion to just akumatize Felix to force him to confess, but Gabriel, having one of his rare moments of competence, points out Felix would realize he's Shadowmoth if he did that. Instead, Gabriel transforms into Shadowmoth and creates a Sentimonster copy of his civilian self to confront Felix.

We cut to Adrien's room where Chloe demands to get a phone to put her SD card into, and once again forgets how far technology has come by not even considering the option to upload the video onto Adrien's computer because the only thing keeping this plot from falling apart is scotch tape and a lot of prayer. Instead, Chloe uses a box to pretend to be one of the robotic help in an attempt to get her phone back, with Marinette in hot pursuit.

Just... what is even the point of this? We have an episode focusing on the main villain of the series, and we're wasting time on what looks like a scrapped Season 1 B-plot. Why not use this episode as an opportunity to dive into the origins of how Emile fell into her coma and why Gabriel became Hawkmoth in the first place, like what so many people thought would happen as soon as the episode title was revealed? We're four seasons in, we know next to nothing about Gabriel as a character other than who he knows, and they're sitting on a chance to help the audience get to know him more.

One thing of note does come from this scene. Adrien offers Kagami a drink... and Kagami scowls at Adrien.

Oh my God, it's almost like Kagami should be pissed at Adrien because he was a terrible boyfriend to her. It's brief, but after almost an entire season where she just bowed down to the Love Square for no reason, it's nice to see Kagami actually having a little resentment for Adrien after how poorly he treated her in “Lies”.

We cut over to the actually interesting stuff where Felix is close to figuring out the entrance to Shadowmoth's lair, but is caught by Sentigabriel. Felix initially plays dumb, but Sentigabriel says he knows the ring is a fake, demanding Felix give him the real one, which is in a safe place. Felix also tells Sentigabriel he knows he's Shadowmoth after seeing the Peacock Miraculous under his tie earlier in the episode, and must have some real balls to stand up to him, until...

Yep, it's not enough that Adrien is all but said to be a Sentimonster, but now Felix may be one too. Was he created by the ring, and that's why Gabriel wants it back, so he can control Felix again? The dialogue implies that even Amelie doesn't know, and that just raises even more questions. I just don't get why the show is acting like this is a huge mystery when we all know Gabriel has snapped his fingers to get rid of Sentimonsters in other episodes like “Optigami” and “Sentibubbler”. I don't think the audience is going to assume if Gabriel snaps his fingers, he'll get his bodyguard to run in and beat the crap out of Felix.

So while Felix is distracted by Sentigabriel, Shadowmoth tries to akumatize Felix, yet for some reason, he is able to resist the Akuma easily. It's funny how Shadowmoth is supposed to be the new and improved form for Gabriel, yet it's been three times this season that his victims have broken free of his control. Hell, at least Alya and Chloe looked like they were struggling, but all Felix says is that he doesn't need Shadowmoth's power, and just resists the Akuma and runs away. In response, Shadowmoth akumatizes Sentigabriel into the Collector.

I talked about him briefly in my Top 10 Favorite Episodes list, but I really love the Collector's design. The jet-black suit with the shoulderpads and touches of red and white looks so awesome, and the eccentric personality Gabriel comes up with to make it look like he doesn't have a lot of control just makes him all the more memorable. His powers are to capture people and objects into his book, but here, it's updated for his tablet and also forces people to tell their deepest secrets, obviously meant for Felix. Overall, a solid set of powers that makes him honestly far more formidable than Shadowmoth in combat in my opinion,

So while Kagami gets Adrien to a safe place so she can fight off the Collector with the help of the butler and Adrien's bodyguard, Adrien and Marinette transform into Ladybug and Cat Noir respectively. The two think about how to stop the upgraded Collector while getting Felix to a safe place. Ladybug summons her Lucky Charm, a trampoline, which she and Cat Noir use to bounce several plates from the catering van off of so Cat Noir can throw his staff to knock the tablet off the Collector's hands, which Ladybug immediately breaks with her yo-yo. What, no Cataclysm needed to break something as delicate as that?

Ladybug de-evilizes the Akuma, uses Miraculous Ladybug to fix the stuff the Collector collected with his tablet, Sentigabriel pretends to apologize and gives Felix the real ring, and Ladybug gives him a Magical Charm. Also, Bob Both deletes Chloe's video from his phone because she was too stupid to back it up onto her computer because the writers know nothing about what we can do with modern technology. Aren't you glad that B-plot was resolved in such a satisfying way?

While Gabriel plans to study the Magical Charm (leading to the Megakuma in “Dearest Family”), We find out that Felix realized Gabriel was lying because he cut Sentigabriel's pants earlier, and didn't see the cut in the real deal's pants, hinting that he'll return again. And so the episode ends with the revelation that Marc and Nathaniel deciding to make a comic all about what Marinette had to go through because of them without even apologizing.

Woooooow, you two really suck, don't you? This whole B-plot happened because of your stupid drawings, and you two have the balls to make a manga about what she had to do to clean up her mess? If Marinette was the one to ask for their help, I'd understand, but Alya recruited them off-screen and just told Marinette they were going to help, so once again, she had no reason to risk doing any of this. If Gabriel actually saw the video, all she could have said was that she had nothing to do with their stupid plan and point out she didn't even agree to let them write the next Love Square D&D campaign or whatever. Suddenly, I don't feel as bad that Marc is probably going to be written off in Season 5 because of real life stuff.

In case you can't tell, this episode really got dragged down because of the B-plot. As usual, none of Marinette's friends apologized for forcing her into this situation, and even compared to the other B-plots this season, was just pointless.

This really could have been more of an origins episode for Gabriel that gave him some much needed focus and backstory. But instead, we got a pointless B-plot where Marinette dressed up and snuck around without actually doing for the plot. Seriously, you could cut out all of Marinette and Chloe's scenes in this episode, and nothing would really change. Honestly, it would make the pacing a lot better and less tonally jarring. Hell, an easy way to improve the episode is to keep the stuff with Gabriel and Felix the same, but instead of the scenes with Marinette and Chloe, pull an Arrow by having flashbacks to when Emilie was still around and focus on how her condition got worse to give Gabriel talking about her ring more weight.

I'm also not entirely sure how I'm supposed to feel about Felix in this episode. I joked about him being more sympathetic at the beginning, but he didn't really change. Yeah, he still had a reasonable motivation to find out more about Gabriel being Shadowmoth, but the narrative never made it clear if he was going to use this information as leverage against Gabriel, steal his Miraculous from him, or just alert the authorities that his uncle is a crazy magical terrorist. The only reason he was more heroic was because he was actively opposing Gabriel instead of working with him as Shadowmoth, and was scared of Gabriel potentially killing him. If they're trying to make him more of an anti-hero, I can understand that, but it feels jarring to go from making him out to be a real asshole, to giving him more sympathy in his second appearance.

According to Astruc, this episode was supposed to be about making the audience like Felix.

And I'm just here reading this, thinking to myself... WHAT?! How and why is Astruc suddenly okay with Felix now when he spent SIX YEARS insulting fans for liking him, and by extension, the PV? What caused this sudden change of heart? Was it an executive mandate? Did some of the other writers on his team come up with this? Was he seriously playing a long con this whole time? And again, what makes him more sympathetic than Chloe when in his last appearance, he also worked with Hawkmoth? How is he any different from her by Astruc's logic?

Other than those parts, the episode was just okay. The fight with the Collector was rushed (only lasting a little over a minute), but the battle of wits between Gabriel and Felix was pretty interesting to watch, and I think if there was more focus on the latter, I'd like this episode a lot more. But I guess compared to “Glaciator 2” and “Ephemeral”, I'd still take this episode over those two.

[jheseltheunswerving]

Frozen II should have been a Show

Frozen II and Raya and the Last Dragon. Both would have worked better as shows than they did movies. 

Sometimes when a story’s pacing isn’t working, the form of the story needs to be changed. A novel should become a novella. A screenplay should become a traditional play. A movie should become a show. 

The reason people don’t do it is because a full fledged show is a much bigger risk than a movie. 

It’s the risk of spending more time, and possibly more budget, on a show that may not get the needed attention for it to pay off. Because from the audience perspective, committing to a show takes a lot more time and energy than it does to commit to a movie. 

However, it’s a risk Disney can afford to take, and I bet for these two films in particular, it would have resulted in success.

For example, Raya’s advertising brought a lot of hype to the movie. And while it looked beautiful and told a compelling story, the pacing of that story was rushed, because they tried to fit so much into just a couple hours of screen time. 

But upon seeing the trailers, people were already comparing it to Avatar: The Last Airbender. Raya could have very well been Disney’s Avatar! And it was released around the same time that Disney+ launched, which would have drawn more people to the streaming platform. 

It wouldn’t have needed to be a long show. Certainly not as long as Avatar, spending full seasons focusing on one aspect of the show: water; earth and fire. Instead, Raya could have dedicated a few hour long episodes to exploring all the different parts of the world. 

Or they could have done exactly what Avatar did and dedicated full seasons to that, which would have been more of a risk, but either way, it would have resulted in better pacing. 

Then we have Frozen II. Ooooh, Frozen II. Let’s not beat around the bush. We all know this sequel was only made because of the success of the first movie. Disney only made it to make money. 

But to give credit where credit is due, the writers of the film still tried to tell a good story. But once again, they tried to fit too much into too little time. And the story they told wasn’t even worth it. 

The animation? Stunning! The music? Phenomenal! But the story? While an attempt was made, it did not do the characters justice. 

At least, not on the surface level.

See, Anna becoming queen could have worked, if they’d set it up better. There was a song removed from the original movie where Anna expresses her desire to prove that she was more than just second in line for the throne. More than just the spare in case something happened to Elsa. 

The song could have been re-vamped and reused in the sequel! And it would have worked! It would have made Anna becoming queen feel less random.

But also, she needs to earn it. Anna loves Arendelle, but we haven’t seen her doing much to take care of it. The most we saw was her leaving it in Hans’ care when she left to go look for Elsa in the first movie. If the sequel had been a series, there would have been more time for Anna to show off her capabilities as a possible ruler!

Then we have Kirstoff. In the first movie, it was okay that we didn’t get more backstory on him because that really wasn’t the point of the story. And honestly, in Frozen II, it was acceptable for the exact same reason. But imagine the possibilities of his character if we’d been given a show for a sequel instead of a movie!

In Tangled: The Series, we learned more about Eugene’s past, and it was awesome. It fleshed him out more as a character, rather than him just being Rapanzel’s love interest. It provided him opportunities to make choices, and made it more difficult for him to do so. And above all, it was compelling. 

We could have gotten that with Kristoff. He may not be a prince, and frankly, we don’t want him to be. But to find out what happened to his parents, how he met Sven, why the two of them were left alone. That would have been awesome too. And it would have provided more opportunity to see Kristoff and Anna bond. 

And then finally we have Elsa. Her leaving Arendelle and becoming the fifth spirit was such a random and contradicting character arc. Where the first movie was about Anna bringing her back from living isolated in the North, the sequel was about Elsa leaving Anna to live isolated in the North. 

The point of Elsa’s character arc in the sequel was her discovering her worth, which is supposed to build off the development she made in the first movie, but really just discredits it. Because if you watch the first movie without seeing the sequel, that character arc already seems finished. By the end of the first film, she has learned the power of love and how to let people close to her. 

And those lessons seemed completely forgotten in the sequel, because most of the time, she is either ignoring Anna or directly pushing her away. All for the sake of following a voice she randomly started hearing one day. 

Oh, and the voice thing? I’m sorry, but that was stupid.

I love Aurora, her voice is always ethereal and beautiful, but the concept of the voice itself felt too random. Mainly because there wasn’t any explanation as to why Elsa started hearing it when she did. If it was Ahtohallan calling her to her purpose (I guess?), why didn’t she hear it sooner? Might have saved her a lot of grief in the first movie. Considering the voice served as her call to action, an important role in any story, it felt too random.

Elsa’s whole narrative in this movie just felt like lazy writing in general. It followed the same Avatar recipe of the four elements but with far less substance. 

Here’s the thing about the four elements recipe. It’s a quick fix when you don’t have a plot. It provides a goal for your characters and what they have to do to achieve it, without much brain power. 

Examples of the four elements recipe:

Avatar, obviously. But Avatar isn’t lazy writing. They took a simple premise, and made it something grand.

The Dragon Prince has six elements. The six primal sources of magic. Again, this writing isn’t lazy. In fact, they don’t even follow the recipe verbatim. There isn’t one main protagonist mastering everything. There are many different characters all being exposed to a little bit of the elements at a time.

Raya and the Last Dragon. The five kingdoms of Kumandria. It wouldn’t have been bad writing if they had more time to make this simple premise something interesting.

But if Frozen II had been a series instead of a movie and they still used this recipe, it would have been too similar to Avatar. But again, without the substance. Basically, Elsa becomes the Avatar, but with less work. She doesn’t master the elements per se, she just uses her powers to “tame” the spirits of the elements. In other words, she shot ice at them until they calmed down. 

They could have done something far more interesting with Elsa’s character. Something that would definitely take more time to execute properly, but it would have been so worth it. 

In the first movie it was implied that Elsa was simply born with her powers, and that’s just something that happens sometimes. That was an explanation I was totally cool with. It did not need further elaboration. Some people may disagree, but for me it was fine, because unlike Frozen II’s voice, the source of Elsa’s powers does not play an important narrative role. All that matters to the story is that she has powers. 

Then in Frozen II they decided they needed to elaborate, and gave the explanation that Elsa was gifted magic because her mother saved her father. Which is… fine I guess. Begs the question why Anna wasn’t also given powers, but okay.

But what if they hadn’t given that explanation, and we were left with the idea that, while rare, people can simply be born with powers sometimes? That means it could happen more than once!

I would have loved to see Elsa meeting other people with powers! Fire powers, gravity powers, electricity powers, all kinds of powers! And that would have been such a great way to complete her character arc. 

Can you imagine? Elsa opening up a school to teach little kids how to use their magic? Hell, that could have been why she eventually gives up the throne to Anna! That would have been a much better conclusion for Elsa. She spent most of her life feeling like she didn’t belong because of her powers, so she goes on to create a place where people like her can belong. I would have loved to see that!

And since she’s already meeting more people with powers, we could finally get that Frozen/Tangled crossover, instead of a brief cameo. Can you imagine a Frozen series that looks like this? 

Credit: @ Arendelle_Times on Twitter

It would have been great. And it would have been great to see Elsa talking with her long lost cousin, Rapunzel, bonding over them both growing up isolated with some form of magic. 

Sometimes, deadlines and profit take priority over good storytelling. I don’t blame the writers for the fact that neither Raya nor Frozen II worked. I blame Disney, but not the people that work for it. I truly believe that in both cases the writers were trying to tell the best story possible with the limited time they were given. But if they had been offered the option to make these stories shows instead of movies, it would have resulted in something magical. 

[ceruleanwhore]

I’ve been thinking about this and I watched someone’s video essay on a bunch of stuff around this and no, I actually want to talk about it. Rise of the Guardians came out on the heels of Brave and was sandwiched in between that and Frozen, which resulted in the film getting a fraction of the attention it could have if it weren’t overshadowed by Disney. This means that RotG never really got a big following and fandom of its own, and yet Jack Frost clearly is the pinnacle of a Tumblr Sexyman, so we ended up with the RotBTD/RotBTFD fandom where people basically just poached the cute lil ice twink to use in their Disney content (and some also did the same with Pitch, since he’s also quite a Tumblr Sexyman himself). For real, every j3lsa shipper I’ve seen gives me the vibe that they’ve seen Frozen no fewer than 37 times but they’ve only seen RotG once, after they already discovered the ship and decided they liked the aesthetics of it. Because RotG never really got much traction in terms of having a fandom of its own at the time of its release, bits and pieces of it instead just got co-opted by the Disney fandom(s). Friendly reminder that all of this was in 2012/2013, which was also the golden era of disnerds and was when we were starting to really get fandom culture around Disney where, before Tangled, while there were definitely tons of Disney fans, they weren’t really doing any of the fandom stuff and making fanworks based on previous Disney princesses and their movies. People were writing fics and making fan edits of Tangled, Brave, and Frozen, but we’d never seen anyone do that until then with other princesses like Cinderella or Ariel or even Esmeralda who, arguably, was everything that Elsa was 20 some odd years prior to Frozen. So, with the true dawning of these eventual Disney adults who, at the time, were still teens and kids, and the fandom stuff that went with them, RotG and its characters ended up being more like playthings for them than material for their own fandom.  With the shipping, specifically j3lsa, I think there’s a couple parts to it. First and foremost is what I just said about the huge sociological shift in overall fandom culture and online spaces with this dawning of a true Disney fandom, but there’s also the sensation of Frozen itself and, more specifically, Elsa. Everybody was foaming at the mouth going absolutely feral for this hot white girl who has Idina Menzel’s voice and doesn’t end up with a man, and she became a cultural sensation the likes of which we’ve never seen before. I think it was because of this that everyone collectively decided she needed to be paired with the Tumblr Sexyman who shares her aesthetic. If the ship and everything regarding fandom culture that went with it comes down to collective obsession with Elsa, then that also explains why Jack often ends up being really ooc in that ship, because it’s about making a boyfriend for Elsa rather than shipping two characters who suit each other or already have a strong relationship. So anyway, I just think that if RotG had been released at a different time, especially if it had been a while after Frozen came out when there was that gap before they did Moana, it could have gained more of a following of its own, meaning it also could’ve just had its own fandom without the crossover shipping stuff, and the internet could have gained interest in a different ship. (I also would just be really curious to see what Elsa ship the internet could have come up with in the absence of Jack Frost. Tbh it kind of makes me sad that we’ll never know if we could’ve had mainstream Elsa x [other Disney princess] or even, if people were still going to make HTTYD crossovers, Elsa x Astrid instead.)

Regardless of if you ship it or not, my whole point with jackrabbit/bunnyfrost is that they are the absolute pinnacle of what the internet wants in a ship - a sassy pretty boy twink and a gruff, 6 ft something tsundere with muscles and an accent who have a whole relationship of just snarky rivalry but then being there for each other when it matters. I am convinced that the only reason this ship doesn’t have the same following as something like drarry or zutara is because it didn’t have the fandom to support it, so it couldn’t become that mainstream, whereas the Disney side of things was absolutely that mainstream, so that kind of took over. No hate to those fandoms or ships, btw, I’m only censoring that one ship name so it doesn’t come up in people’s searches for it, but this is just something I think is an interesting bit of sociology and fandom history.

So I recently rewatched Rise of the Guardians for the first time like since it came out and I just need to know why the everliving shit everyone was going on and on about Jelsa for so long when the occa bunny bloke is right fucking there with the best possible relationship arc with Jack