#He’s too focused on the demon to really think about it imo tbh

[lunarisverysilly]

Silly Helluva Boss Rant/Critic

!Spoiler Warning!

NOTE: I Am NOT A Professional Writer, This Is My OPINION On Season 2. If Opinions Trigger You, Dont Read.

i have so much to say about this stupid show oh my gosh where do i even start?

honestly i just miss the older episodes of the show, like season 1, when it was just silly demon comedy and viv wasnt trying to add depth to the characters. even though originally i liked the idea of more depth in the show when episode 7 happened. but clearly viv doesnt know how to write characters. blitz(obviously cuz hes the main character) and verosika(somehow) are the only half decent characters imo. but thats not saying much

i love the shorts though. they feel like mini season 1 episodes.

in episode 7, it introduced a conflict between stolas and blitz. but then it put it off the ENTIRE SEASON til full moon which was 8 episodes. and in those 8 episodes, blitz and stolas just acted like nothing happened?? no mention of it at all?

and full moon was hyped up so much for what? there was like 5 minutes of actual stolitz. the entire episode was basically about the cherubs, agents, and blitz buying sex toys.

and all the conflict is so fucking forced. all these fucks need to do is communicate omg. like in full moon , if stolas let blitz talk to him at the end, we'd be done. blitz clearly has a hard time opening up and being vunerable but he was about to actually talk with stolas BUT NO stolas teleports him outside so they can stretch it on a couple more episodes! and then in sinsmas when stolas and octavia are fighting if octavia just listened, it would be over. but of course, we still need more drama even though the show was better WITHOUT it.

mastermind wasnt all that good tbh. i feel like it needed more time. and the fake out deaths bored me. viv already confirmed that the end of season 1 would have canon stolitz so obviously they werent gonna kill blitz or stolas. but andrealphus' plan made no sense. like, it completely depended on stolas watching tv at the exact time the broadcast happened and there being no live delay. comedy was actually pretty good though. and the stolas poor arc seems fun.

and the only slightly good that came out of the stolitz mess was ghostfuckers(aka the millie episode) cuz blitz was sad abt stolas. but im very glad we got that because i started watching around like episode 2 release(which means i waited 4 YEARS) and i always really liked millie(i love strong women) and im actually quite happy with it even if blitz was still technically in the spotlight more. but also shes pregnant. wow. but i feel like the show needed something like that. because i doubt they can stretch the octavia and stolas shit a whole seasons length. so their gonna need something else to bring drama because they love drama.

and unhappy campers. i fucking hate unhappy campers. it baited everyone into thinking it was the millie episode. but she says like two lines that mean something for her character. and moxie felt so ooc too. it was so unfunny. i watched it straight faced. season 2 hasnt been focused on comedy as much as before and its obvious. but usually i at least let out a small chuckle once or twice. BUT NOT THIS EPISODE. and the barbie wire stuff felt shoved in. it literally came out of nowhere. it was just such a shit episode entirely.

fucking stolas used to be my favorite character but all the self-victimizing shit was so annoying especially in apology tour. he said blitz made him uncomfortable but what about all the times he made others umcomfortable? like in harvest moon, when he called blitz blitzy in front of everyone and blitz is clearly embarrassed?? and when he started talking about blitz' dick IN FRONT OF HIS DAUGHTER??? stop acting like a victim, stolas. you arent. i think maybe he got a little better in sinsmas but barely. and this isnt story related, but stolas' voice actor has such a good vocal range?? like the apology tour song blew me away. i love his voice so much.

oh my god, dont get me started on how viv treats octavia.. i used to love octavia and still kinda do... but now theres 3 episodes of just her being mad at her father and its getting REALLY repetitive. and yea, she does have the right to be mad at him because stolas sacrificed himself for blitz, thinking he would die(even if he didnt) which probably hurt her a lot. but i was hoping sinsmas would show us more of her as a person, like her hobbies(ig they showed her singing but so does everyone else in the show soo), her interests, literally anything about her but her being mad at stolas. i was hoping we'd finally see how her and stella feel about eachother. but no. they talked once but could you even call it talking cuz all stella did was take her phone while laughing and octavia didnt say anything. she was clearly annoyed with her mother but that doesnt really give us a dynamic. and also in stolas and vias argument at the end of sinsmas, it felt like she was purposely taking everything he said the wrong way just for more drama. especially about the happy pills thing. stolas said she was the only good thing in his life so she then says shes an obligation. LIKE NO, hes saying he cares. which yea, he might kinda be bad dad but he does try his hardest and she could at least acknowledge that but still be disappointed.

and stella. i was hoping they would end up doing something with her like giving her a back story that made her so bitchy or something. but then the first ep of season 2 turns her into just a villian. she was just born evil apparently because that totally happens. shes literally nothing but a plot device. and im not against plot devices if they actually do their job. like isha from arcane for example, shes a plot device for jinx development but she actually does her job. shes interesting enough and gives you all you need from a plot device. but stella literally just leaves you wanting more. shes barely a character. we know nothing about her. all she does is start more meaningless drama. shes not even likable as a villain.

now, verosika(AKA best character). shes actually kind of well written? i wish we had more of her this season but also dont because they probably wouldve ruined her too. she only had a 5 minute convo with blitz in apology tour but it made me love her so much more. and her trying to help others after blitz hurt them like he hurt her is so sweet. and then her giving blitz cake, acknowedgling he hates himself just as much as everyone else at this party. i love her sm bro. unrelated but her design is so nice. and she looks so good in all her outfits. loved her fit in the 1 second of screentime she had in mastermind. and i immdediatley recognized her voice in the chrsitmas party song and got so happy

also on the official yt video for the verosika song, the second comment said "I guess Blitzo finally enjoys her music now after, I can imagine, years of it tormenting him with guilt and regret" and i would like to agree with that statement.

i think thats all my criticism. so uh.. bye

[incesthemes]

Happy Wincest Wednesday Ciel!!!!!

If you haven't already and have the time I was wondering what your answers were to 7 and 17.

I'm like almost 100% I know your answer to 7, I just like to hear you talk about why you like things honestly lol

i go to ice my hand and you immediately ask me to write essays, i see how it is. i guess i'll ice it later lmao

do you have a preference between wincest, weirdcest, or gencest?

WEIRDCEST!!!!!!!! i make no overt distinction between any of them because i am a spiteful man, but there is a delicious flavor in weirdcest that appeals to me specifically.

imo sam and dean are way too stupid to actually put hard labels on anything they feel for each other and especially on themselves, so the more "traditional" romantic understanding of their relationship isn't something that really speaks to me. i for sure think they have sex but i don't think they'd ever cross the mental gap between "i'm fucking my brother" and "i'm in a (non-familial) relationship with my brother" if you get what i mean.

on top of that it's just that the weirdness of their relationship is what speaks to me. i don't care about sex or romance much at all, so i'm way more focused on how completely insane they are about each other. and weirdcest offers a lens to take that weirdness to an extreme and zero in on it, to pick them apart and play with them in ways that i feel more align with my tastes in fiction—as in, i'm a huge fan of the gothic, and the gothic genre hinges on anxiety and uncertainty. the unspoken existence of something between these freaks is where i pitch my tent, so toppling over into overt romance sort of diminishes the effect for me tbh. there's no existential anxiety in domestic bliss, you see 😔

how do you see their soulmate relationship? any headcanons?

soulmatism 🤤 i love soulmates as a horror concept and i love the general vibe of horror that surrounds supernatural's soulmates as well. the abject lack of autonomy fits well with the themes of destiny and fate within the story, and it's incredibly fitting that sam and dean have been forced into yet another ugly mold by those fucking angels. not only destined to kill each other cain and abel style, but also to be desperately intertwined in ways they can never extricate themselves from. and because these are the two options presented to them from the very start of the show, the only two paths they can ever walk, it's just such a satisfying development to behold.

as for headcanons, i am extremely partial to dyed-red's soulmate meta and theory. it's a beautifully horrific concept to think about and it makes a lot of sense in the canon of the show, based on what we know and what the audience is told.

as for OTHER headcanons, here's something: dean has a perhaps uncanny ability to locate sam, because he "knows" him. i'd love to take that and apply it to soulmates—maybe people do have more success finding their soulmates wherever they are because they're just one single person in the end. and then on the flip side, when dean is a demon in season 10, sam can't find him because his soul has been corrupted unrecognizably. in the context of them being able to find each other in the past due to their connection, it adds another layer to sam's panic and extreme reactions 🥰

[that-green-haired-swordsman]

I'm too lazy to write a detailed post about I liked and disliked about the One Piece live action, but let me say I'd give it a solid 8.5/10, it's far better than I expected it to be (I didn't expect anything tbh and was sure it would suck lol)

But as I'm rewatching it now I want to point out two things about Zoro that I'm missing, and no, it's not the goofiness that would be a tad bit out of place due to the overall tone of the show, it's

1. his lack of cheekiness, sometimes arrogance even, when he's enjoying a bit of trash talk during a fight, that kind of "fuck off you cockroaches, I'm the greatest" attitude he carried for a while, until he got his wings clipped by Mihawk at least and I think that he gets more stoic and serious after fighting Mihawk is a nice shift in his character for reasons I'm sure I don't have to explain to you, but it seems they're gonna make him the other way round in the show, let him open up and relax more instead of letting him get more serious, which would be a bit off in a live action TV show I'd say, because I think these shows just work better with people getting more comfortable with each other instead of one of them being more reserved, guess that just doesn't go along well with that "TV show formula" if you get what I'm saying.

2. What I also miss is his... excitement for fighting, he practically can't wait to meet an opponent he can improve his abilities with, which goes as far as that he smiles and grins devilishly (fitting his byname "demon" so well), which looks even more intimidating when he wears his bandana, and a more intimidating in general is what I'd love to see. He's more a silent ninja, so speak, with deliberate, thought-through movements, he includes his environment, which is an interesting take because as much as I love a Zoro who just slams his blades down and across hard for destruction, focused on strength instead of agility, never jumping backwards or sideways much, just forward, into his opponent, that new, more athletic take is believable because you can't tell me that Zoro never gets involved in a good and proper bar fight. How he flung that beer mug at the marine was just priceless. But when he fights, he often does it with a smile on his face which is so noteworthy as it contradicts his demeanor outside of a fight. Sometimes it's like he turns into another person when he really enjoys a fight, and he does enjoy them (he's arguably insane imo). BUT! That this trait of his is missing at this point makes room for a change of his demeanor once he's in Logue Town.

Kitetsu.

The cursed blade he obtains in that arms shop and claims he's managed to having broken or mastered that curse, just by outstretching his arm and challenging his luck another time. And so far, there hasn't been any indication that this curse is still active. (aside from the old Ashura theory)

But... what if it is? What if that cursed sword turns Zoro slowly, but steadily, into that bloodthirsty maniac we know from the manga and anime? What if guarded, calculated Zoro becomes this madman who licks his opponent's blood of his blades and smiles while doing so? What if the reason for this crazy behaviour is Kitetsu's curse, who forces him to become more reckless, more intimidating, if not even more demonic, since it's the will of the curse or sword, a curse that has killed each of his masters so far? And as Kitetsu was beaten by Zoro's luck when he tossed that sword in the air, the blade begins to corrupt Zoro's mind instead?

Idk if this is too dark for this adaptation but then again we had psychopathic Buggy. A blade with such power over Zoro would also fit to a drama-themed TV show I think. Idk I just think it would be cool. Because I always thought that, so far, Zoro got away too easily, considering he wasn't even on Rookie level when he challenged Kitetsu's curse and he beat it. Either Zoro was just hella strong even back then or it's just a weak-ass curse lol. Anyway, if the show runners would play a bit with that curse more, it would add some dramatic effect that would fit right in with the general tone, and we would get to see a bit more of that Zoro we're used to because if you call him a demon, it takes more to live up to that name than to just cut people in half... Yeah, carrying cut-off heads with him is pretty dark and cold, but a demon is something else, still, at least for me. Zoro can create an aura if he wants to that makes an opponent shit their pants, especially when he's in a fight, and if that would be the extension of that curse... Man I'd love this. The sword wants blood and Zoro has to deliver. Wow but it's PG-12 so probably not gonna happen but let me dream a little

[iichaeyj]

omg can you please do it for enhypen too? i saw your moot game and it was really cute

enhypen as kdrama cliches . . . ♡

PAIRING: enhypen x gn!reader

GENRE: fluff

WARNINGS: not proof read at all lol

WORD COUNT: 1.8k

A/N: tysm for requesting this!! hopefully you like it!

HEESEUNG: past life lovers

i love this trope omg

the one where the two leads were in love in their past lives (and it ended tragically)

maybe you two were in danger and he was killed trying to protect you

or he was the one who had to kill you to protect you from something

classic kdrama stuff, yk?

this concept just suits heeseung so well imo

smth about randomly meeting heeseung somewhere

maybe you saw him at a party or you passed by him on the street

and you just feel this weird connection and he feels it, too

so you both sorta freeze as you make eye contact, the world moving around you as you two stare at each other

and you eventually have to move on and go about your day, but the image of the stranger who feels so familiar to you doesn't leave your mind

and you meet him somewhere else the next day

maybe he's your boss at your new job

but everytime you see him, you feel this weird sensation in your heart

the feeling that the thing you've been looking for your whole life has been found

that's how heeseung makes you feel

and it's the same feeling you had when you loved him in the past <3

examples of kdramas that include this trope: extraordinary you, hotel del luna (sorta), and goblin

JAY: demon/fantasy

okay just hear me out

tbh i didn't think this suited jay that well when i first thought of it

but the more i thought about it, and my bad boy!jay agenda, it sorta makes sense

in fantasy kdramas, there are often ones where the male lead is a demon

and he typically comes off as this tough, brooding figure who has never experienced love (and claims he can't feel such things)

but it all changes when he meets the protagonist who is kind and can understand him

as they spend more time together, their feelings for each other grow stronger

and just think about this but with jay

demon!jay (or any other mystical being) who only comes to meet you because maybe you accidentally summoned him or smth

and he's sorta kept around bc you don't know what you even want from him

and although he seems cold and rude in the beginning, he begins reaching out for you more and more as time goes on

and soon enough, he's falling in love with you

also, this trope just produces the most soft-hearted men (most of the time) who only love their lover and that is so <3

just picture jay, a literal demon, pining for you like #@*$&#$!$!

and ofc there's the dilemma of whether you two will be able to even be together

but he's a demon, he'll figure it out

and you two are now together, whether you two are both human or demon or whatever <3

examples of kdramas that include this trope: doom at your service, goblin, and my roommate is a gumiho

JAKE: love at first sight

this suits jake so well :(

imagine accidentally running into jake at a cafe or smth

and your drink spills on him

and you're apologizing profusely and such

and you look up at him and make eye contact

and he's just staring back at you with such lovestruck eyes????

like you're just trying to apologize, but jake can't even hear anything cause he's so focused on taking you in

you're just so stunning and attractive and you make him feel so ??? in a way he can't explain

and this is even better if he's the popular, confident type

he, who is normally very confident and poised, just stuttering after meeting your eyes

so basically, you're all like ??? trying to say sorry, while he's staring at you like <3_<3

and just imagine him chasing after you??

like you sorta run away after that, embarrassed to have spilled your drink all over him

and he's so enamored by you that he just begins searching for you

he goes to the cafe everyday at the same time, hoping you'll come in

or if you two meet at a cafe in a university, he asks his friends if they've seen anyone like you around

im basically spreading my puppy bf!jake agenda atp but idec

and when he does find you, he goes all <3_<3 again while trying to ask for your number

so cute im throwing up

examples of kdramas that include this trope: business proposal, descendants of the sun, and strong woman do bong soon

SUNGHOON: opposites attract

we all know how i feel about sunghoon and enemies to lovers <3

but this trope could be enemies to lovers, or it could just be ppl who are very different from one another falling in love

this could also suit sunghoon as a ceo tbh

he's known as this cold, rich ceo who's attractive but apparently not very nice

and you're his new secretary who's been told that you shouldn't try and approach him in a friendly manner

but you're friendly and bold, so you do it anyway

and sunghoon is sorta cold at first, dismissing you as strange and telling you to go away

but as you keep persisting, you manage to become a daily sight for him

when you greet him in the morning, he begins greeting you back and making conversation

he knows you're different from the other people in his life, and he enjoys having you around

it's sort of like he's cold to everyone but you

i also see a lot of angst potential in this trope omg

you two have very different backgrounds (regarding your wealth and reputation and such), and that could pose as a problem

idk but this trope w/ ceo!sunghoon ??? in love tbh

examples of kdramas that include this trope: run on, business proposal, and it's okay to not be okay

SUNOO: love triangle

idk but i just see it

sunoo's your best friend who's had your attention all his life

you two had something special and it was obvious to everyone

the way you two looked at each other said enough about how you both felt

but bc you two were so precious to each other, he was afraid of making the first move

he had just figured that it was all going to work out

after all, you two only had eyes for each other

but then someone else comes in

the company you work at just employed your new coworker

and he seemed into you at first sight

the new guy just kept approaching you both in and out of the office

and ofc, sunoo saw all of this

he saw the way the guy was practically chasing after you everytime sunoo came to pick you up after work

and he was feeling something that he hadn't felt before

he was scared of losing you

and he was jealous that someone was taking your attention away from him

and tbh, i feel like he'd just sorta snap at that point

even though you two had previously been very cautious about your feelings, he was suddenly crossing over the line you two had been too afraid of jumping over

he was suddenly being affectionate with you in public and began asking for your attention anywhere you two went

and ofc, the other guy stood no chance

not when sunoo was yours and you were his since the beginning <3

examples of kdramas that include this trope: cheese in the trap, nevertheless, and love alarm

JUNGWON: business partners/working together

to be specific, i'm talking about the classic kdrama trope where the leads are forced to come together because they have a mutual goal and/or just work beside one another

just think about jungwon and you who work together in the same company

you two are the heads of two different groups (like maybe you're head of the designing team and he's the head of the marketing team or whatever)

so you two have never really interacted with each other personally

but one day, you two are tasked to work together on a big project

and i just picture a lot of arguing at first

you two have totally different ideas on how you want your project to turn out

but you two have to spend time together (or else you two might get fired)

so you collaborate using all your ideas

and you two gain mutual respect for one another

but as you two spend more time together, your friendly relationship begins to turn into a romantic one

i imagine a lot of mutual pining and small accidents that make you two like each other even more

like think about you and jungwon working late together one night

and all the lingering stares and the gentle brushing of hands against each other

or him moving closer to take a look at your work, coming up from behind you and leaning down so that his head is right next to yours

the tension is insane

and it's all up to one of you two to confess (if your pride allows it)

examples of kdramas that include this trope: run on, start up, and itaewon class

NIKI: hopelessly pining

i've said it before, but niki and the best friends to lovers trope <3

he's been your best friend since you two were in middle school

and now you two were going to the same university

you've only ever seen him as your best friend

you've talked to him about love before, but he's never been the main subject

but he's actually been in love with you for years now

he hadn't realized it until the last year of high school, but he was completely head over heels for you

i can imagine all the angst omg

just niki trying to control his new feelings for you while you're totally oblivious to them

and imagine jealous niki omg

him getting jealous over every guy that tries to get your number, sometimes pretending to be your bf or just casually slipping an arm around your shoulder

and you're just totally oblivious

you two have been affectionate with each other since you were little

it was no different now than it had been in the past (at least that's what you think)

but as you two try and navigate your first year of university, weird things begin happening

niki becomes more open about his feelings in a way you can't understand

you don't understand why he glares at any guy that comes near you

you don't understand why he begins getting more cautious of hugging you or holding your hand

you don't understand why he can't look you in the eye anymore

but maybe with a heated argument and an angry confession, you'll realize why

examples of kdramas that include this trope: dear m, fight for my way, and weightlifting fairy kim bok joo

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[little-miss-ghostess]

I ranked all of Invader Zim's episodes + movie (because why not?)

So recently I decided -- very spontaneously -- to binge all of Invader Zim. The show, that is, not the comics (although I do need to do that at some point). I hadn't seen Enter the Florpus since it released in 2019, and I hadn't watched the show in a longer time than that, and since I'm a stressed out little gremlin I just kinda went "Hey, why not?"

And it was a good time! I see more flaws with the show than I did as a kid/teen, but I still enjoyed it. I think this was the only show I saw as a kid in its entirety cause in every episode there was SOMETHING I remembered, and it was also a lot of fun to see Florpus right after seeing the show since it meant I could directly compare them.

Partway through this binge project I decided, "I wanna do a ranking of these episodes, that seems fun." I was originally going to do it on a tierlist, but then once I made this blog I decided it would be more fun for me to just dump it here instead in a list format and with some short thoughts of mine on each episode.

From worst to best:

Rise of Zitboy (Ep.9B)

The concept for this one wasn't really great to begin with, and the execution wasn't much greater. It's basically just an extended gross-out joke, and it wasn't a funny one imo.

Career Day (Ep.6A)

A great concept for an episode I feel wasn't executed the greatest. I laughed a couple times, but it was too gross-out focused for my liking.

Gaz: Taster of Pork (Ep.26)

Felt like a regular episode forcefully extended into a double-length special.

Voting of the Doomed (Ep.25B)

Like Career Day, this had a great concept but eh execution. I think this is considered the worst episode by fans? I don't agree with that entirely, but it is weak.

Door to Door (Ep.14A)

I remembered this episode being one of my favorites as a kid, and it's still alright, but not as good as I remembered.

The Sad, Sad Tale of Chickenfoot (Ep.16B)

I remembered this episode being not great as a kid, but it was better than I expected.

A Room With a Moose (Ep.7A)

Dib should've let those kids face the moose tbh.

Future Dib (Ep.13B)

Good concept, decent execution. If it was given another rewrite it could've been great.

Walk of Doom (Ep.2B)

AKA the favorite episode of everyone making Gir line compilations on YouTube in the early 2010s.

Lice (Episode 17B)

Dib seemed weirdly out of character in this one and Zim probably should've gotten more play, but it was still enjoyable.

Abducted (Ep.16A)

I'll never forget you, weird blob creature.

Mysterious Mysteries (Ep.13A)

I find the implication that Zim actually accepted an invite to appear on a human TV show funnier than I should.

Hamstergeddon (Ep.7B)

The only reason Zim failed is because he tried this plan on a hamster. If he tried it on a DOG then he would've won, easily. Dogs listen to you, hamsters only seek to cause mayhem.

Battle Dib (Ep.6B)

Considering how little his dad was around at this point, it's amazing Dib knew as much about him as he did.

The Wettening (Ep.5B)

One of Zim's most effective plans, and it was just to get back at Dib for splashing him with a puddle. Incredible.

Bestest Friend (Ep.3A)

Keef scares me.

Parent Teacher Night (Ep.2A)

Has probably the single funniest Zim shriek in the whole show.

Bolognius Maximus (Ep.11A)

I've seen some weird stuff in cartoons, but I'm not sure anything can top "Turning my enemy into sentient bolognea to defeat them."

Battle of the Planets of Doom (Ep.15)

Pretty good episode, and it reminded me that the "Face on Mars" is a real thing.

The Girl Who Cried Gnome (Ep.24A)

Moofy's screaming can get to be a bit much, but otherwise this was a stupid episode in a fun way.

Mortos Der Soulstealer (Ep.23A)

Shoutouts to Dib who was so focused on stopping Zim he didn't even consider trying to show off Mortos to prove demons are real. Kid has a helluva one-track mind and I relate.

Vindicated! (Ep.25A)

More like Mr. Dicky. Got'em.

Invasion of the Idiot Dog Brain (Ep.8A)

All things considered, it's incredible that Zim had the patience to stand Gir piloting the house for a full year.

Bloaty’s Pizza Hog (Ep.10B)

It's a good thing Zim never targeted Bloaty's at all. Gaz would've ended the whole show in 10 minutes if he did.

Gir Goes Crazy and Stuff (Ep.19A)

I keep thinking this episode is called "Gir's Gone Crazy and Stuff" which lead to two of my friends misreading it as "Girls Gone Crazy." Oops.

Germs (Ep.4A)

Zim being a clean-freak is the funniest character trait he's ever been given. I will not be taking in outside input.

FBI Warning (Ep.14B)

This episode made me afraid of renting things as a kid.

Backseat Drivers from Beyond the Stars (Ep.22)

The scene between Zim and Dib when Zim realizes Dib is in Tak's ship is the funniest interaction in the whole show, both performance and animation-wise.

Dibship Rising (Ep.24B)

Dib faced less consequences for a robot him wreaking havoc than he did when he threw a cup of punch on the ground

Dib’s Wonderful Life of Doom (Ep.19B)

And the award for the Most Hilariously Petty Act goes to.....Zim!

Hobo 13 (Ep.20A)

I can't believe Skoodge was voiced by Ted Raimi.

The Frycook What Came From All That Space (Ep.27)

It's unfortunate that the show was cancelled, but this wasn't a terrible episode to end things on all things considered. Almost made things feel like they came full circle...almost.

Game Slave 2 (Ep.11B)

At the time, this probably came off as Gaz being unnecessarily cruel. Nowadays, Iggins would fit right alongside the other Gamers™ so I can say with certainty that he deserved it.

Dark Harvest (Ep.4B)

...Ok yeah, I'll give this one to the parents of the 2000s. I have no idea how this episode got greenlit.

Walk For Your Lives (Ep.20B)

This is Zim at his absolute stupidest. It's a riot.

Plague of Babies (Ep.10A)

Ayo what the fuck

Nanozim (Ep.3B)

na-no

Megadoomer (Ep.17A)

This is the most cooperative Gir has been short of being hypnotized. Wow.

Halloween Spectacular of Spooky Doom (Ep.12)

Honestly, Zim and Dib need to put aside their differences for like a month and get some damn therapy.

Zim Eats Waffles (Ep.23B)

This episode is stupid. So, so stupid. It's also incredibly funny and is the first episode that comes to my mind when I think of Invader Zim.

Attack of the Saucer Morons (Ep.5A)

I like this one a lot. Why?...I dunno I just do, it's funny. Leave me alone.

The Nightmare Begins (Ep.1)

The crew really hit the ground running with this show, huh?

Bad, Bad Rubber Piggy (Ep.8B)

Real talk, this was a great balance of humor and genuinely telling an interesting Zim story.

Planet Jackers (Ep.9A)

I love that Zim's final plan was just to let himself get the shit beaten out of him to distract the drivers from his ship. Zim may be dumb, but he's smart dumb.

The Most Horrible X-Mas Ever (Ep.21)

Can we get Jhonen to write more Christmas specials?

Tak: The Hideous New Girl (Ep.18)

Easily the best episode of the original show imo. It's just really well-written, even if it does take a little longer than you'd expect to get to the real meat of the episode. Also, I probably quote "Your head smells like a puppy!" the most out of any Invader Zim line. No I will not elaborate.

Enter the Florpus

Everything that made the original show great but in HD and with some genuine heart to it. I do prefer the original designs from the show itself (sharp angles for LIFE) but the coloring here is just so pretty I hardly mind. If this is the last animated Zim thing we ever get, it's a great note to end things on.

[bthump]

i feel like you totally might have been asked this question previously, so fully ignore this if so and i just didn't immediately find it, but what do you think a theoretical meeting between golden age griffith and like, post GA guts would be like? the idea of a more innocent griffith not quite understanding whatever swirl of emotion guts feels towards him is intriguing to me, and then obviously the pain/regret/guilt???/hate(/love) guts feels etc..... so complicated. so delicious.

Sorry this took a while to respond to, my brain just has not been in creative mode recently lol.

Anyway I have one post where I've talked about time travel-y stuff here but the focus is pretty specific.

So yeah I definitely think that Guts’ emotions would be wild. I don’t think he’d really feel much if any anger or hate towards him, that’s all been focused on the demon version. Guts’ post-eclipse feelings towards human Griffith are all about regret and loss and longing. Assuming Guts traveled through time on purpose and this wasn’t suddenly sprung on him, I think he could keep himself under control, but man he’d be like, staring at Griffith in shock and awe for a while no matter what, and the intensity would bleed through any attempt to be chill.

I think seeing human Griffith would hit Guts with a big punch of self-loathing tbh, like in comparison to him he’d really feel monstrous now, in his armour and/or Black Swordsman gear, etc. Plus like... the nostalgia of being back in the moment you were at your best and happiest while you’re currently at your worst and miserable... that would be hard to deal with even without Griffith. He’d look around at Griffith and the Hawks and think, wow this is what I threw away, it’s gone forever now.

Anyway wrt Griffith he might still have some mixed feelings even if his hate is focused on Femto/Ngriff actually, yk, that sort of dread, knowing what Griffith would choose in his moment of despair - I’ve always said that he should feel betrayed about the sacrifice and the eclipse rape cheapens that. So that would also be an interesting layer of emotion imo, especially since ultimately Guts blames himself for bringing on Griffith’s despair. It’s that like, contrast between that sense of past innocence and wanting to cling to it, and present knowledge of what’s to come.

And it’s Guts so regardless of how time travel works, whether this is possible, whether he was warned against it, I think he’d immediately try to change the past somehow lol. Maybe that’s telling Griffith exactly why he wants to leave and hoping Griffith confronts past!Guts about it, or maybe he’s dumb and just tries to destroy the behelit lol, whatever.

For Griffith’s part... I think he’d be kind of horrified at Guts’ vibe. Ignoring all the immediate ‘what the fuck is going on who are you yadda yadda yadda’ stuff like, once he realizes who Guts is he’d be like, okay some shit clearly went down. He’d probably be perturbed at Guts’ intensity towards him, kinda freaked out at the implications behind it, like wondering if he died in the future or something. Also let’s be real, if he was into Guts’ strength and badassery in the Golden Age he’d probably be pretty attracted to him post-eclipse lol, even while being disturbed and wary.

Trying to come up with concrete things they’d say or do is too hard though lol, it’s too dependent on circumstance. Plus I’m bad at imagining big emotional displays, and this would definitely be a cause for them.

ty for the ask!

[haleigh-sloth]

dabi does care and it's shown pretty clearly on panel too? like the entire incident with twice we're shown his own thoughts for the first time in ever and it's very understanding of twice’s mindset back there. In MVA immediately after he said he doesn't care about giran bringing him into the league, when they think an enemy is closing in he rushes from the back to the very front with his hand raised to attack like tsundere much? and in the war arc when nejire is about to attack a already bound duo of shigaraki and spinner he sends a wall of flames right to her? like if people are gonna twist small things to paint him like he's the LOV's adversary atleast take everything into consideration? like he's tunnel visioned because of how much his self expression had been hijacked by endvr the moment he was created and he's been separated from his family and probably people in general for a decade because of how extremely traumatizing the self immolation was and watching his father continue heroism like his son hadn't just died. people really see one person not adhering to the rules of their found family and they set out to demonize him further.

I agree with a lot of this but I also do think the fandom turned Dabi into this "uwu baby who cares so so much like a protective big brother" (because he's an actual big brother lol) and people just kinda forgot that......he's an asshole.

He is. But like, so is Shouto, straight up. But it doesn't mean he doesn't care. He's super emotional actually, especially when he's casually crying blood and thinking about his family. Yeah, emotionless, doesn't care at all about anything 🤙🏼 🤙🏼 🤙🏼. But no he's never been the type to outwardly show concern when things get...concerning. It took Twice's death for him to show actual signs of distress in front of another person. Again--the times crying about his family, nobody was there to see it.

Before you read further I also ranted a bit about this whole debacle here and here. Though I think this ask was actually in response to one or both of those posts lmao.

On ch. 335:

I think people are just mad that he doesn't have the same horrified expression on his face as Toga and Spinner, I guess completely forgetting who his character is. You know, the one hyper-focused on his father. Not just killing his father, but making a show of it, making sure his father's attention is on him as they're dying....together. Yeah, what's happening in front of him isn't pleasant, but tbh what is he supposed to do? What are Spinner and Toga doing? My issue is people thinking Dabi is just totally cool with going along with AFO's plans (don't get me started on AFO comparing the two of them), when in actuality, the entire LOV are taking cues from and are at the mercy of AFO now so ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

I also think Dabi's tunnel vision is an indication that his arc is going to be strictly about his family. I mean I always thought his arc would be about his family, but I think people expected a bit more inner exploration of him and his feelings toward the people around him (the LOV specifically). And don't miss me, I think we may get some of that. But imo the focus of Dabi's arc has always been the Todorokis, and I really don't expect that to change.

AND Dabi isn't the only one with tunnel vision either? Toga and Shigaraki have exhibited severe tunnel vision at their own moments also--and Shigaraki is literally doing that right now.

Toga: she left the LOV mid-war to go satisfy her own curiosity on what Ochacko thinks of villains, get her opinion on if they're even considered people in her eyes. Yeah, she promised to go back to them, but she still left for her own ambitions. Because she wanted a hero's words to either make or break her.

Shigaraki is lying there in front of the LOV screaming about All Might. Not even screaming about the fact that AFO took control over the LOV, took control over his mind and body, drug him out to that fight with S&S. Yeah--he was putting up a fight with AFO on the battle field. But that battle is over, and what's happening now? He's reverted back to how he was pre-Kamino, where he just attributed all of his pain to the existence of All Might. He's back to square one. Coming full circle, again with this Horikoshi lol (this entire arc since the war has brought back a lot of early BNHA stuff). Shigaraki may mention Twice and we may see him really talk to the LOV, but I'm doubtful of that tbh with what's happening. We'll see, both routes are possible.

But I mean, if Shigaraki and Toga can show tunnel vision for their own personal interests, why can't Dabi? The LOV trio have always all had their own personal vendettas against heroes. They don't have the same pain, trauma, feelings, not even the same goals really. Toga wants to live in a world that's....easy to live in. Shigaraki wants to destroy everything (save for what his comrades want), and Dabi straight up wants to die with his dad. No, they're not gonna be a big ball of togetherness right now. We're in the final stretch and it's getting time for the LOV trio's pain to start getting addressed individually, because that's what they each need.

[imperiuswrecked]

This is the anon from the previous ask about ToM, I completely agree with everything you said, I just worded the last part of my ask very poorly since I was putting a emphasis on Wanda since throughout Trial of Magneto, it was heavily focused on her despite the series being named TRIAL OF MAGNETO. The Avengers and X-Men need to be held accountable for what they did because honestly? It's really enraging that the twins need to constantly "redeem" themselves for something they hadn't meant to happen. The X-Men who were involved in House of M got way too comfortable despising Wanda even though it was their willingness to kill her that drove Pietro to convince Wanda to rewrite reality to protect her. The whole hatred towards Wanda got even worse imo when the AXIS retcon happened, because now in the Krakoa Era, some of the mutants are framing it as if it was her own personal beliefs, because now she's a human mutate, instead of retaliation against Magento after he killed Pietro when he found out what he did to save Wanda.

No worries Anon, I enjoyed reading your thoughts, and the discussion we have.

I think you're right and a lot of people totally forget Charles's hand in this too, so many people failed Wanda and just decided her life was not worth saving. They called themselves heroes except for when it counted.

AXIS was so lackluster, I barely remember anything from it except the stupid retcon. And Hickman should keep an eye out because his writing of Wanda as the bogeyman of Mutants is soooo bad, it leaves such a bad taste in my mouth to read how they are demonizing Wanda and I want revenge! lol.

There is so much blame to go around, and Pietro did make mistakes, I'm not sugarcoating his actions either, however I feel like it all boils down to how much people especially the writers of Marvel, ignored all the context and just focused on "no more mutants" no one even remembers that she just watched her brother die at her father's hand, her whole world was breaking, she wasn't doing it on purpose, she was traumatized.

We fans of the Maximoff Twins, and the rest of Magnet Family just want good things for Wanda and everyone, but its hard to feel happy when they constantly shove that damn plot into everything. The Trial of Magneto is a massive joke, it really is the Trial of Wanda all over again, but this time worse. Ugh. I still can't believe she wrote Tommy and Billy yelling at Wanda and its like "therapy! tough love! take responsiblity!" fuck off with that B.S.

*sigh* Can't wait for this series to be done tbh, I was so excited for it but now it's something I dread.

[ectora]

REVIEW 311

Screen time

Macy : 23m26s

Maggie : 20m07s

Mel : 18m25s

Harry : 13m20s

Abigael : 5m02s

Jordan : 4m28s

Here is a table with the details of the time shared

Opinions

In a general manner I enjoyed the episode. It was entertaining and well passed. I don’t think it was their strongest episode so far but it was an entertaining one. It finally started to connect the other characters to the main storyline but also felt almost like a filler for the sisters. I also think the show should have maybe showed more consequences and different good things for the sisters. Because except for Mel (and I’ll come back to that later), the good things that happened to Maggie and Macy are pretty normal. It’s not like Maggie didn’t work for that internship. It’s not like a free legal clinic would get bad press. Or that it can’t happen to be upgraded in a hotel. Like yes what happened to antonio and that old man was really bad but at the same time it just didn’t feel like the sisters were gaining that much from it. Maybe if they had sticked to only it being the consequences of what they had to do to get the allergy off or something, rather than good things that could have normally happened, happening. I’m not sure that nakes sense but well lmao

Positive points:

The perfecti. They’re actually really entertaining on screens and are just funny. I think they were a great idea and a good addition to the story. And I’m genuinely excited to see more of them and how they’re story is going to unfold.

Josefina getting her powers. I’m glad they ended up giving her her powers with “wakening spell” similar to the one the sisters needed when they became witches. I really like her powers as well it’s so fitting.

Macy smiling. I have my issues with how the whole thing happened and I’ll take about it later but I’m glad she was finally able to catch a break. The show is often giving her storylines without a lot of time for her to just breath and I’m glad she finally got the opportunity to do so.

Abigael and Jordan. Listen, I just have a soft spot for their friendship. I just enjoy watching them. Tbh they both have easy chemistry with everyone but these two together just gives me good vibes. I just like them together on screen. I also liked how absolutely soft he was with her. And how she easily recognise his qualities. I just love them individually and together.

Maggie finally getting some therapy. I’m glad they’re finally giving that to her. Now can they extend that to like ... literally every single one of their main characters cause they all need it.

Josefina and Mel. As always their scene were really enjoyable. I think it’s always nice to see Mel show other people magic isn’t their only power. And I like how it shows how understanding and empathetic Mel really can be.

Mel and Maggie. Once again, their bond is so sweet and feels very natural. I just love seeing them share normal sisterly moments.

Negative points :

those are only going to be the actual negative points I have. Others that are more like annoyance, I’ll put them with the remarks.

Ruby. I’m just tired of this show giving zero effort to that relationship. I’m a big time abimel shipper but the treatment they give melby is just disrespectful at this point. They had one little moment where they said “oh she isn’t here” and then that’s it. Not even pretending to be on the phone. Or a text message. Nada. This needs to be fixed. Either get on it or get rid of it. But enough. Especially when you compare it to how they treat the straights.

Abigael’s story. Apparently some people don’t make the connexion with self harm, but to me said connexion is pretty obvious. More and more obvious especially after last episode where they showed us Abigael hurting herself directly. It was graphic and kinda unnecessary imo. I think the story itself, of having Abigael’s sides fight each other is interesting but the way they approached it was very careless and if they continue being so adamant about showing us how broken abi is, they need to actually be careful how they handle this.

Things that just don’t make sense:

Did no one tell Maggie about Jordan being cured ? I’m so confused 😭

Mel. Again, is no one ever going to talk about the fact she never finished her phd in season 1 ? Or didn’t have any teaching experience. I know it’s a small things that’s probably never going to be brought up but it’s been nagging me djdhd

At the end of the episode when they go back to putting the egg, suddenly the air isn’t toxic anymore and it’s small but i realised right away and just haven’t been able to get it out of my head.

Same with Josefina and the book. Mel was right there. Couldn’t she have taken it ? 😭

Why did Harry and Macy took the portal to Paris ? Why just not orb.

I’m still confused by the whole demon trying to kill the witch side of Abby to be honest. Like I’m not sure how hurting her physical body is going to do anything ? Isnt her demon part gonna die too then ? Parker’s made more sense because it was like a sickness, you could say the magical cells were killing he humans ones or something. But here ? I’m confused.

Talking about demon abi, ... why this ugly ass dress. I understand the reason for different noticeable clothes but why does it need to be this ugly. Abigael Jameson-Caine is too fashionable for this.

The entire book of shadow thing like ? Did we just forgot Mel presented the book to Josefina the episode before ? Are we just erasing that from our memories ? What’s happening.

How they gonna freeze the therapist and then just leave a note like is she not supposed to unfreeze ? Maggie is just gonna be gone ? And with a sudden note on her laps ? What.

Remarks & speculations

Hacy. I don’t dislike the couple don’t get me wrong. I think they’re sweet. But the show focuses too much on that relationship. Macy barely feels like she has a story outside of it at this point. At least Harry has the whole white lighter thing but again the reason he wants to be mortal is Macy so ... if just feels like the show continues to centre these two characters toward each other first. However it was great to see Macy happy. But again like The sisters had one hug and then that was if.

I’m really sad we didn’t actually see Macy and Josefina interact. Or that we won’t see her reach them a bit more about her magic and the whole new side they don’t know about.

My babies in the tomb. I’m just really wondering what the deal with the perfecti. Are they so big on duality, good and bad that it’s to an extreme that is dangerous ? Abigael in some ways I can understand. She’s the demon overlord. She’s powerful. Her demon form tried to go after TCO. But Jordan ? Was he just a collateral damage ? Did they judge him bad because he was with abi ? Because he was cursed ? Or is it a plan they have that involved isolating TCO ? (I doubt it but still a possibility). I mean he was probably out there cause he was helping abi but then it being strong questions about the perfecti’s moralities and visions of the world. Cannot wait to see more.

Abigael was ... broken to say the least. Kudo to poppy for that, Abigael looked absolutely exhausted. You could feel the fear and exhaustion in everything she did. And I feel bad for her because she’s not only mentally exhausted but physically too. She can’t sleep safely. And I don’t know if everyone realised the level all this must have reached for Abigael to be ready to give up everything. Because she is different from the sisters on this, she grew up as a magical being. That has been her entire life. What has been defining her since birth. For her to be so ready to give everything up so she could finally just find some peace ... she’s literally at her limits.

Talking about abi. We know the sisters are gonna try to help Jordan in episode 13 but does that mean they don’t realise Jordan is gone until then ? So it’s easy to assume 312 will also have abi/jordy mostly and in the tomb. Speculations - if the synopsis of 312 is indeed about saving Jordan from the tomb and not something else - is that they’ll realise on site than Abigael is stuck too and will help her as well. Unless she does something good to help jordan and because of that they decided to get her out too. That could connect both story and have a start on the redemption.

Also while abi is gone are the demons just gonna wait around ? Like the fact they all just willingly followed her rules doesn’t seem realistic but even less when the girl is no where to be found.

I just want Mel to get a proper storyline. And Macy too. Maggie I feel is actually the best written one development wise out of all of them.

I think they brought the storyline of Harry being worried about his age and waiting to be mortal too early. He has a good ten years on Macy anyway. And they barely started dating. There are already a lot of things going on and I genuinely feel like they should have left that for next season at least.

Highlights

Maggie in therapy. “You seem like you have a lot of demons” “are you under a lot of stress” was genuinely funny. Maggie is so naturally funny I really love her for it.

Mel saying there isn’t another shoe to drop and demon Abigael saying hold me beer.

The dogs that does math. Don’t ask me why it’s just funny.

Josefina using her powers after realising she still has them

Macy’s face when Harry told her about becoming mortal as if he isn’t constantly talking about it djdhd

Abigael’s soft “jordy”

Celebrating later, running now

The entire witch ceremony at the end.

[phoebehalliwell]

how would you rank the seasons from least to most favourite?

alright okay right off the bat worst season season 7. for starters i think this season has no staying power i mean like since i’ve been running this blog 4 so long now my knowledge of charmed is encyclopedic and insanely vast more than like it ever need be but for the longest time. i could not remember season 7. like wtf even happened there?? evidently leo became human??? cole returned? the avatars??? like all of it was just. it’s not even necessarily forgettable it’s just i straight up could not remember it for the longest time. and i’ve said it before the concept of utopia was way to advanced for a show like charmed to tackle i am not watching charmed for moral philosophy i am watching bc i love these girls ♥ hee hee hoo hoo magic adventure ✨ tho if i am to offer a single comment on utopia: it’s awfully rich for a show to go on about destiny and fate and then take a stand against utopia in the name of free will. but w/e. i don’t like leo in the avatars i don’t like his dynamic with piper in this season i don’t like whatever phoebe’s doing this season there’s like leslie?? maybe there’s someone else? boring & flavorless they should have been setting up her endgame instead of puttering around. and kyle. zoo wee mama. could have been a great antihero. morally gray. duplicitous. self serving. but no. they gave him all those traits and called him hero/love interest. s7 left a lot to be desired out of the characters and their relationships also gave us phat L’s such as the charmed ones are werewolves don’t worry about it and feminism peaked with naked women. shout out to zankou: demon, dilf, dub & the noir episode.

you know what? fuck it i’ll say it second worse season 5 genuinely fuck season five. this is probably a Very Specific beef 2 me But. i hate what they did to the charmed universe. this was the season that marked the transition of charmed from supernatural drama to campy soap which like. i love camp! i do! but fr. fuck this season and what it did to the worldbuilding. the early season have Such A Vibe to them man with warlocks and witches and just a couple niche monsters from assorted lore that the show took and made their own. season five opens with mermaids goes directly into fairytales then gives us superheros whatever the fuck was going on in that mummy episode the sandman leprechauns and nymphs. and i hate it for that. it takes away from this urban fantasy things that go bump in the night what lurks in the shadows of the back alleys of san francisco in favor of the ugliest cinderella dress ever put to television and an onslaught of horrible irish accents for a full episode. other issues with season five: cole’s still here? why? they don’t know and neither will you! we’re not redeeming him! phoebe’s not getting back together with him! yes he died we just refuse to let him go! the cherry on top of course being a cole-centric 100th episode. shout out to. hmm. lemme think about what i actually liked about this season. i like jason dean as a love interest i don’t remember what he did in s5 but i know he was there. the season finale i’ve talked about how stupid & shitty it was but idc i still love that episode and then shout out to bacarra the only original villain this season that was a proper serve. the crone gets second place.

next on this come on we all saw it coming season 8. it’s a bad season! and i get bts there was a whole lot happening budget cuts missing actor etc. but it goes beyond that. it was a bad season. billie and christie were bad. and i’ve said this before but billie in herself is not an inherently bad character. she was just the literal worst for the show. she was a dollar store buffy blonde confident cocky skilled and ready 2 fight evil But. we are not following her like we followed buffy we are following her mentors. it’s like if we had a show called giles that aired for seven seasons And Then buffy showed up. billie was insanely irritating to watch from our perspective and in general wasn’t like. well written. attempts to humanize her / give her more depth often fell flat. and then christy. oh nelly. oh my god. barely a character. not well acted but hey it would have been a miracle if she was. negatives include dumain who was a mess omg bringing back the triad bringing back the source billie & christy obvi and also involving homeland security. which is season 7′s fault which is why it’s the worst. dubs on the other hand include both coop and henry i really liked them the shoehorned love interests weren’t great but i like their characters i though the way the got rid of leo to save on the budget was really creative and gave us a great piper episode and of course the sugary sweet finale i love it i do what can i say.

yet another controversial choice aptly coming in fourth is season 4. i respect what season 4 set out to do. i think it was a good idea. long form narratives, keeping a darker tone, focusing on character-driven drama and growth. too bad it fucking failed miserably at all of this. cole as the source and phoebe as the queen of hell was just so so botched. they had a very unique opportunity following the death of prue to explore these characters and what it means to them to be charmed, to be witches. they saved the world but the cost is insanely high. they’ve lost an older sister. they’ve gained a new sister. how do you even begin to cope with all this? episodes such as hell hath no fury and brain drain fuck so hard because they work with exactly that. had the whole season been like those episode season four would sit at number one with flying colors absolutely no competition. but alas. we can’t have nice things. the show got so bogged down with phoebe & cole, in a way that was just so, so messy. for starters, whether you loved cole or hated him before, we can all agree source!cole sucked. he was such a strong 180 from what we had seen that the show had to make the source some type of possession to justify half the shit they were trying to pull. and then to pit phoebe and paige against one another over a man was just. disgusting. and the ending of course felt rushed because it was! they wrapped up that entire issue in a nice little bow much faster than they reasonably should have been able to. it could have been a great season. it was definitely not. shout out to the seer an iconic mastermind on barbas levels, as previously stated brain drain and hell hath no fury Specific shout out to piper’s scene at prue’s grave shout out to paige as a character i like what they did with her and um. yeah that’s it.

okay we’re exiting the shit tier in favorite of the good tier welcome to the upper half. kicking us off is season 6. season 6 did what season 4 could not in that it gave us a long form plot that still left plenty of room for like. normal demon of the week episodes. i love phoebe early in this season with her faboo haircut her brand new empathy power and her relationship with jason dean. obvious strikes against for whatever the fuck that baby crazy stint was and also the mata hari episode. yikes. i love paige’s hair color in this season nothing paige as a character necessarily stands out to me however i like how they seem to have hit the blend of work-magic with paige where she wants a life and career outside of magic however she still loves the craft and embraces is with an open heart and mind. season six also gives us chris who was a very fun male lead imo we really didn’t have many like him he’s bitchy. he whines and bitches a lot he’s got an agenda he’s a bit secretive but at the end of the day he just wants a family i like him. i like the character growth we see out of piper i like seeing her try to move on from leo i love seeing her get back together with leo i like her dynamic with chris and her fears about motherhood. i also liked richard but that one takes a lot of justification. L’s are witchstock hyde school reunion used karma off the top of my head also the paige/richard/addiction plotline was so tone deaf. also the girls were mean to darryl : ( he deserved so much better. dubs were chris as a character, tbh the episode little monsters, phoebe with empathy specifically saying i love you too to jason i could write a dissertation on that line alone also the courtship of wyatt’s father and i thought the reveals of evil wyatt and chris being piper and leo’s son were both fun and interesting plot twists.

coming in third is actually season 2 a season i really do love it’s just. it lacks structure. imo there is a lot to love about season 2 morality bites and pardon my past are both delightful time travel episodes we get jack sheridan and bane jessup two of my personal favorite prue love interests we get p3 h2o and a great prue plotline regarding the death of patty we get the super cute cupid episode it’s a great. collection of episodes. it’s not a great season. there’s just imo not a strong enough thread connecting the stories together it’s mainly held together by having the same characters in it over and over again i really liked dan personally but like. i knew we were wasting time there. he was just an obstacle. a super cute loving and caring obstacle who’s great with kids but lbr piper and leo were always endgame. wasting our time on dan was stupid. i do love the sister dynamics in season two “gotta hand it to those pesky little demons they sure have brought us closer together” but again. this season could have benefitted from a rex and hannah type or even like a cole or zankou. this season is less of a season and more of just like a handful of episodes, and while there are some fat dubs, there are also some definite swings & misses. shout out to the time travel episodes the prue centric episodes phoebe’s character growth and maturity throughout this season (e.g. her going back to college) and i also think the fashion got a lot more fun this season.

second place i’m saying season one season one was a really strong start and gave us these really compelling characters with interesting relationships between one another But. a lot of it just kinda falls flat. and credit where credit is due it was a brand new show getting its feet under it but the fourth sister feats of clay which prue is it anyway they just simply aren’t dubs imo. also i don’t like that 70′s episode bc again i am an asshole concerned about The Lore i can’t believe one bitch ass warlock caused the Charmed Ones to grow up without powers. it just really bugs me. all in all the plots as a whole like aren’t great imo they’re nothing to write home about (save for from fear to eternity) it’s really the characters that make this season so goddamn good.

first place congratulations to the one the only season three. this is just because it kinda hits all my requirements in that it has some banger one offs (e.g. all halliwell’s eve, the good, the bad, and the cursed) it has an overarching plot at the exact same time as the source becomes more prominent and obvi cole is also there with murderous intent i like the character growth we see especially from prue i like piper and leo finally get married overall i really like the aesthetic of this season that blends a darker urban fantasy tone with still some charmed fashion and whimsy. strikes against tbh phoebe and cole’s relationship i am insanely picky with my enemies to lovers and the do not come remotely close to cutting the mustard in fact they are almost immediately disqualified however from afar i can see and respect The Drama. shout out to recasting victor prue with pistols death as a character and shannen directing episodes

[lunar-lair]

Dreamwraith sent me your tags on the Runaway King AU. I just spent the last five minutes mentally key smashing cause assjjdfkkfgkg THANK YOU???!!!!!!! such high praise holy jesus

I'm not used to anyone commenting about Evanescent Signs, so that made my entire week <3

ALAMSOSSKK HI????? Personally im like,,,sorry i barely paid any attention to the actually AU in front of me but also tbth the au yall were talkin abt isnt quite my vibe 😔 too much angst lmao. Also i heard you were coming back and my whole brain lit up w evanescant signs like my god.

alSO WH??? WHAT DO YOU MEAN NO ONE COMMENTS ON EVANESCANT SIGNS ALSMSK IMO ITS LIKE,,,UR CROWNING ACHIEVEMENT IN MY BRAIN

Then again i have not read ur casper high stranded fic bc again, no vibes 4 me 😔 but unless im misremembering, what i read of the fic where you made danny and vlad like,,an angel and demon basically was fucking epic!! Even if i didnt get through it all the way. And the 5+1 with the line 'our here is tiny, he is young, and he is always, *always* saving us' was so excellent. And Amity Park LIVE is really hilarious, even if its one of your shorter ones. And i checked ff.net and not many of secrets revealed is on there? Totally ok i just noticed

In all honesty, and this is so hilarious, i havent read your namesake. Period. I think ive read bits and pieces of it? But it never really stuck with me, which...god, hilarious as ALL hell

But dude, ofc you deserve high praise! And ofc i love evanescant signs!! Ive been following that fic on ff.net since it had...2? 3 chapters? Maybe since before the tucker chapter-brb lemme check-yeye i had it right. I KNOW i waited a while for chapter 4, though. Ive reread every chapter there probably-esp ch. 1 (ectoplasmic encounters) ch. 2 (...smth worth saving i think?) and ch. 5 (ghost speak for jocks), theyre all tied for my favorite tbh

Im sorry if this sounded rlly scattered and like,,ig squirrelly?? ALSKSK ive never gotten an ask off anon i dont think and ESPECIALLY not from a writer ive been following for 5 yrs,,,,its rlly good to hear youre back!! Ofc you dont have to write for evanescant signs if you dont want to, but ive been checking every month or two since i read it first in 5th grade, and i wont stop now!! Its one of my favorites in the fandom, really, so i guess its nice to know you know how much i like it now too!! And again this is so hella scattered ALSLSLS but im glad it made you happy and that you werent focused on me just freaking out abt smth you werent talking abt ALSKSLS <3

[randomidiocyncrazies]

going into more detail about the P2/P4/P5 Persona Q idea, I’m thinking of breaking the cast into the following chunks:

P2 IS: Tatsuya, Lisa, Eikichi and Jun (separated from Maya in Xibalba)

P2 EP: Maya, Ulala, Baofu and Katsuya (before Tatsuya officially joins the party but after the P1 party member leaves?)

P4: entire IT (cultural festival like in PQ, or after fighting the culprit)

P5: all PTs (before Casino heist like PQ2)

Having the P2 cast all come from the EP timeline with Lisa, Eikichi and Jun getting accidentally involved & regaining their IS memories works too, but the storyline would have to revolve around that + Tatsuya’s reaction to justify introducing that plot element imo, cause it’s A LOT to deal with. Also if the overarching plot is centered on P2 (particularly the IS party members), then why are the P4 and P5 casts involved? Also while I think it’d be interesting to re-introduce Philemon and Nyarlathotep to the Persona setting and have them play a bigger part—especially since Nyarly isn’t banished until the end of EP—their involvement might skew the plot too heavily towards P2? (although I admit the “nobody remembers this adventure” ending of PQ games would work especially well for Lisa, Jun and Eikichi here) 

tbh PQ had quite a lot of nods to P2 IS (the clock tower, school mysteries + moving statue urban legend on P4-side, and the true form of the main antagonist). I kinda like the idea of the setting being a fake school like PQ, with details of the school influenced by the persona users when they arrive, but the story might have to be tweaked a bit (different final boss probably, and maybe bring in more themes in P2/4/5). 

potential themes

I liked that PQ and PQ2 had plots that were ultimately about the new characters, since it justifies their inclusion (and i think it’s a bit unfair if the game focuses too much on the cast of a particular game). I have mixed feelings about some of the execution of PQ and PQ2, but I do appreciate the intent behind it. I do think reinforcement of the games’ themes could help make the overarching story more cohesive, so here are some potential themes with P2, P4 and P5 in mind:

rumors, gossip and the role of mass media are important in all 3 (4) persona games here: P2 antagonists manipulate various media to generate rumors, and in turn manipulate rumors to bring about the end of the world; the Midnight Channel in P4 reacts to local gossip and it’s about the casual dehumanization of individuals through media (mostly TV); in P5 people’s perception of the PT is literally a plot point, and the game reminds you of the PT approval rating almost constantly

(distorted) memories is primarily a P2 thing (”worse than death\ forgotten”, Nyarlathotep’s manipulation of Jun and Philemon’s deal to the IS kids, Tatsuya’s ‘sin’) but it could work with the mystery aspect of PQ games. Distorted memories arguably lead to distorted self-perception (P5), and uncovering the truth is P4′s jam

as mentioned in the previous post, the tension between P5′s teenage rebellion and P2 EP’s adult guidance could be really fun to explore and incorporate into the plot. Persona games are about coming of age, but with EP there’s also a secondary theme of guiding the younger generation and fully grappling with adulthood—the heroines of PQ and PQ2 are quite young, but I can potentially see the new character(s) being a little older here (maybe 17-18?)

stroll ideas

Of course the reason why this idea exists in the first place is all the potential interactions between everyone! There’s just so much potential with all the different dynamics and topics they can discuss :3 Here are a few ideas:

Stomping Grounds: P2/4/5 discuss where and how they bust Shadows. P2 “we had to sleep in dungeons sometimes!!!” is incredibly envious that demons aren’t running around the real world for the others. P2 and P4 are jealous of P5 for not having to repair/replace ruined clothes (”you just think about cool clothes and they appear on you?!” “man we should try that in Xibalba...” “it’s really not that simple! Morgana can explain it better, but basically it’s our mental image of rebellion” etc etc).

Lisa’s Brutal Makeover Corner: Teddie gets jealous when Lisa demonstrates her makeup skills on Jun and wants to get dolled up too—he won the Yasogami cross-dressing pageant after all! He has to be the prettiest!!! 

Butterfly Effect: several P4 and P2 characters try to use P5 cast’s knowledge to their advantage, but is stopped by the detective trio to prevent potential time paradoxes

Say It With Flowers: Jun and Haru (and Yukiko?) discuss flower language, share gardening tips, and swap demon/shadow intimidation tactics. Everyone around them is slightly afraid of their enthusiasm on the topic...

Fashion Gurus: Eikichi and Yusuke have a discussion about ~aesthetics~ and comment on their companions’ styles. Kanji is roped into the argument

Fashion Gurus Strike Again: Ulala, Ann and Rise discuss latest fashion trends and comment on the others’ fashion choices

The Audiophiles’ Alliance: Futaba and Yosuke chat about headphones and the greatest bops (with Futaba lamenting she can’t make him eat his words because the song she’s thinking of doesn’t exist yet in his time). Eikichi—aka the great Michel-sama—senses a prime opportunity to get some new fans... 

Strangers in a Familiar Land: Lisa and Ann get into how people tend to act... weird about them due to their foreign looks; Teddie, on the other hand, loves the attention his human form gets from the people around town (and the girls conclude that Teddie would probably get into trouble in a big city)

Everybody Loves Kung Fu Fightin’: Makoto, Ulala, Lisa and Chie show off their moves and swap training tips. Lisa and Chie talk about their favorite martial arts movies and convinces the others to check them out

Big Bro’s Worries: Katsuya and Yosuke complain about their younger brothers, while P4 and P5 protags are slightly smug that they don’t get that much trouble from their sisters, especially P4 protag 

Velvet Room attendants

Since P2/4/5 all have multiple Velvet Room attendants, they’re gonna double up on some jobs to avoid over-crowding:

P2: Demon Artist: he’s in charge of the Workshop. Unlike the other attendants he’s human, so Margaret and the twins are probably intrigued/unsettled by him and Marie might also be curious as someone else who also stays at the Velvet Room but isn’t really an attendant

P2: Nameless & Belladonna: they handle the healing service. They can sense something unusual with the P2 cast due to the split timelines, but it has no bearing on the plot. I’m on the fence whether to include a healing service at all, but if there is one I think it suits them, since their music is supposed to put guests at ease

P4: Margaret & Marie: like their PQ and PQ2 roles, Margaret manages the Persona Compendium and Fusions, and Marie handles skill cards

P5: Caroline and Justine: the twins handle the quests, since Margaret does the fusions. Caroline enjoys ordering the persona users about

[you can find more on this AU tagged under PQ Triple]

[paradife-loft]

the-mirador

replied to your post

“more mdzs novel bloggin. - explicit exposition that Jin Guangshan had...”

i think the discussion in the second paragraph is why i preferred the frame job in the show, because i didn't sense any sort of shift in /how/ he was controlling Wen Ning at any point, such that /he/ would believe that he lost control? (like tbh the way the scene was shot made it seem weird to me that he didn't immediately assume something fishy was going on). so it's disappointing to me that given what you've described, there's not a significant difference in terms of what he's actually doing that would make "losing control" more credible. i will say that i tentatively prefer the "framed" version, because i don't feel like i have a good enough sense of how the magic system works to understand why he fumbled, such that it would feel to me like more of a consequence of the general system of magic being used rather than the specific technique/intent, if that makes sense? and while i would like a more morally gray WWX, i'd prefer that to be about him committing /intentional/ acts of violence than taking on something he couldn't quite control. but that's just my preference.

woooo, awake/not at work/generally capable of replying to this now! I definitely feel what you’re saying here, and I think this plus some other discussion I’ve seen today about adaptational differences is all going to inform the, sort of free-association ramble below. so:

the point about the magic system! it occupies a weird space for me because in either medium, the magic is really only sketched out briefly, through implications a lot of the time, and in drips and pieces throughout the whole story - but also I’m the sort of person who compulsively and in many instances subconsciously tries to assemble the pieces of magic in a story into a comprehensive whole, filling in gaps in much more detail than an original canon gives us? so while I absolutely can be (and had been) automatically tossing up all manner of hypotheses that made sense to me for how WWX could have lost control of his powers, I find it frustrating for the text itself not to provide an account of what specifically happened in Wen Ning’s case, when the setup of that scene in particular makes me want a more detailed explanation of what went wrong to go from “WN fighting a hundred ranged combatants” to “WN now in melee, punching through a dude’s chest”. did he finish off the 100 archers and come down to help WWX, picking any target at random? did Jin Zixuan showing up emit a “delicious high-cultivation life energy, come and get it!” signal to any fierce corpses around that would prompt him to ditch the lowbie archers for a more interesting target? had WWX been keeping a part of his mind focused on an order to WN to control who he was attacking, and the destruction of his gift for Jin Ling fucked up his emotional control and focus such that his argument with JZX got mixed into the “orders for who Wen Ning should murder” channel? there’s implications that this latter is how we’re supposed to read it, but because throughout the scene there’s not... actually any narration of orders being given to Wen Ning in any format at all, it’s still very much a “who knows?!” situation.

and for that matter - the combination of logistics and lackluster explanatory narration that kills that scene, feels even more striking when compared to the very next instance of WWX losing control, in the battle at Nightless City. first, we have a context that makes what’s going on a lot more obvious and plausible, in addition to imo some stronger narration of what is actually happening for Wei Wuxian’s internal perspective. like: he’s pretty clearly unleashing a whole bunch of corpses, directing them to kill anyone on this battlefield except the Jiang sect disciples. he’s explicitly said to be in a volatile emotional state, furious and then terrified once Jiang Yanli shows up; and his panic is destroying the control he’s able to exert over the corpses. JYL is one of many potential targets to a large number of corpses in the exact same area (not a single corpse up until now on a different part of the battlefield). WWX specifically issues an order to the corpse coming after JYL, which is ignored; and later, when he exerts great effort to steady his mind, he’s able to make them obey him again and stop killing.

I think a part of the trouble I have with using “Wei Wuxian loses control of his cultivation abilities and kills people he didn’t want to” as a part of his moral greyness, is that perhaps ironically, I haven’t really gotten the impression in the novel that him losing control of those abilities was something likely that he should have weighed more heavily in his decisions to continually use demonic cultivation in the first place. and this might be a failure on the part of my memory, but - I felt like I got the sense that his control over himself and the spirits he commanded was much more volatile and likely to blow up in his face during the drama, not the novel. and since the ethical value of a loss of control is about whether it’s something foreseeable and possible to take precautions against, rather than whether it happens at all - the two versions feel almost mismatched to me.

(if you want “morally grey due to intentional acts of violence committed,” though, what seems like a real shame to me is actually the difference in the scene a bit after Qiongqi Path, where WWX finds the bunch of low-level cultivators being assholes about the Wens and goes to town on them. the drama version of this scene is kind of ambiguous about what’s actually happening to these people, but in the novel, WWX actually does a lot of curb-stomp \-battle grievous bodily harm to this batch of nobodies - breaks some legs, kicks out a guy’s teeth, etc. - just as a directionless expression of his rage. it’s good.)

....I think ultimately where I’m settling, as far as what my “bits of multiple versions mashed together personal canon” comes out to, is having the Qiongqi Path incident be a framing, but the Nightless City scene not be? keeping both incidents as pure loss of control on WWX’s part feels a bit like it blunts the impact of what’s going on with his mental state once he thinks WQ & WN have been killed - is the recapitulation of his major trauma more or less equivalent to the (admittedly shitty) way he’s treated when ambushed by JZX? and besides that, the specific outcome of the Nightless City incident, Yanli getting hurt, just seems more likely to happen as a result of a loss of control compared to the specific dead-Jin-Zixuan outcome of Qiongqi Path. (since there are also plenty of other ways in which Qiongqi Path is a setup, adding in yet another layer of that doesn’t feel quite so... exonerating, as making the additional deaths at Nightless City not WWX’s fault does? at least that’s my opinion.) so doing a little bit of each version I think ultimately... preserves the level of competence WWX is always shown as having with his abilities - a competence that only breaks down under a truly extraordinary circumstance - while also not wiping him morally spotless in the department of being too reckless and uncaring, and thus getting innocents/his loved ones hurt in the process.

[go-forth-and-live]

Types of Intelligence Meme || Accepting!

intrapersonal   ⸺   the capacity to understand oneself and one’s thoughts and feelings, and to use such knowledge in planning and directioning one’s life. not only an appreciation of the self, but also of the human condition.

@hyakiru​ @nxctiphany​

OH BOY “knowing thyself” is really not one of Hazel’s strong suits tbh. 

So there’s one thing that really shines through a lot in Reload. Hazel’s sense of self-worth and value is mostly based on external things--the perceptions other people have of him. When Ukoku asks him what it is he wants Bishop Filbert to acknowledge him for, he says “I wanted him to need me. We’re not blood related, and there’s nothing definite that connects us; so I wanted him to acknowledge my existence.” Like I can’t really overemphasize the importance of what this means to him. Hazel, ever since he was a child, has been constantly seeking a sense of purpose through the validation and approval of other people. He sees his value solely based on his function to the people he loves. 

What Ukoku tells him is that human beings have no intrinsic worth--that their value is determined arbitrarily by the subjective view of others, and that these things are always in flux. A positive perception of someone could easily skew negative, and vice versa, based on someone’s mood or impression of you. 

Hazel internalizes this hard. And the problem with basing your entire personal perception off others opinions, and living your life in pursuit of that validation, is... well, first of all, it’s never going to be enough for you, right? Even if you get the validation you’re after, your sense of purpose and value is coming from something outside yourself that you can’t control. You’re always going to be fighting to keep it and hold onto it. Beyond that, you also don’t--really know who you are. Hazel crafts certain fictions about himself throughout Reload, and he believes them, because he has to. Because it’s the thing that lets him keep pushing eastward, that keeps him focused on his goals, that keeps him from falling the fuck apart. 

He believed that becoming an exorcist was the only way to secure his place in Filbert’s life, because the alternative was believing that nothing really connected them and that Filbert would never see him as family. He believed that his powers of necromancy were something given to him, personally, specifically, and that they are pulling him towards a mission. A purpose. That he’s crossed the sea to Do Right and Save Humanity and that’s his quest, that’s what he was meant to do. He ties his value to his powers of resurrection, and he expects that’s the primary value others see in him too. All the constant praise he gets from the people he saves just hammers that in deeper. 

By the end of Reload, Hazel has come to realize that he was wrong. The powers he thought made him special were--really just a matter of random chance. A scared kid who happened to be at the wrong place at the wrong time. Not only that, but the powers he believed were a gift of divine providence to him were powers he was leeching from a literal demon that was possessing his body. But he also knows, I think, that the... other things were wrong too. That Filbert loved him unconditionally. Gat destroyed Hazel’s soul-hoarding pendant (their safeguard to ensure that Hazel could revive him when needed) and died to protect him, because he saw Hazel’s worth. Not for what he could do but just for who he was. For nothing that Hazel ever had to consciously prove.

What’s good about where Reload leaves him, imo, is that now that he’s had these realizations, he can do something with them. Hazel has to learn to understand himself better now, to see his own intrinsic worth and value, in part because he now has to deal with the fact that he has this monster inside of him. On a practical level, he has to develop that sense of self-awareness, to keep Varahal from taking over his body ever again.  

Seeing Hazel weep over Gat’s bandanna breaks my heart every time I see it, but there’s an odd sort of hope there. That on a metaphorical level, Hazel can and will be able to accept the darkest parts of himself, and for the first time, find a sense of meaning and purpose that is self-defined. And while I doubt he’s ever coming back in the comics, I like to think that the Hazel developing somewhere off the panels is gradually taking steps towards being a wiser, more empathetic, and more self-actualized person.

[neven-ebrez]

15x01, a look at the future through the past

Back home! I watched the episode last night and rewatched it just now. I’m sorry to say that I was baseline bored on most levels but the second time through things felt better (yay!) even if the bland factor was still there for me personally (I’m bored with most ghost stuff from SPN these days). Imo the characters basically served the plot of 15x01 instead of the other way around which is very Game of Thrones-y and 1000% not what I’m here for but I won’t talk about the details of that because I’m sure no one wants to hear that and I’m also sure things won’t stay that way long so I’ll talk about some other things instead. There are some things I can tell are a thing but I don’t know exactly what the shows means in depicting them, and others where I’m more confident in my interpretation so here we go.

I’m like 99% sure the demon in Jack is actually Chuck and that he’s basically trying to maintain his torture (I mean... the guy admitted to being a torturer ffs) of the Winchesters with the best viewing seat possible as it were (he even tells Dean point blank he’s a “fan”). For some reason only Dean and Cas got the focus for this (torture) tho and not Sam. With Dean it was the demon reminding him of how dark and brutal Dean can be himself (via his time with Alastair). Dean blows that off pretty quick and isn’t too visibly effected, commenting that it was a long time ago. With Cas the torture came in the demon’s possession of Jack himself, Cas saying bluntly that he can’t even look at Jack and that demonic possession is basically defilement. Cas is clearly more effected and Dean’s harsh “Jack is DEAD!” tonally recalled S13 in many ways. Also oddly the demon admits Dean is gorgeous but not the same is said of Cas, with the demon insulting him instead. Two interactions. Two wildly different responses. It’s the demon putting Dean and Cas at odds without any interaction needed from them themselves, though the latter comes in spades and is the only focused on “true” conflict of the episode, set against soft Sam/Dean exchanges.

The blend of Cas’ angelic nature along with his human nature was also heavily, heavily highlighted in the episode. It was probably the most highlighted thing in fact. Cas smiting and healing. Cas shooting a gun and throwing rocks. Cas tells Dean he wouldn’t starve to death in the crypt (which, on a side note, has huge Buffy vibes for me, along with Belphogor (sp?) calling the Hell rip or whatever the “Hellmouth”). Cas can see the demon’s demonic face easily despite episodes like 14x01 (also written by Dabb) where he can’t see a room full of them (I think I argued back then that Cas was willingfully trying to ignore and was annoyed with his angelic nature). Cas’ angelic side gets another highlight when Sam accidentally shoots Cas and he doesn’t get truly injured. This particular scene seemingly serves no other purpose other than to highlight Cas’ difference (as non-human) in general. Emotionally tho, Cas’ human side is on full display. He’s worried about the town’s people. He’s annoyed with both Sam and Dean for different reasons at different points. Cas bodily removes the demon from sharing the same space as him because the demon upsets him. Cas can not even LOOK at “Jack” but Dean (and Sam) can. As I said, it’s similar structurally to how S13 handled Dean dealing with Cas’ death in comparison to Sam moving on from it. It functions to show that for Cas his relationship with Jack is different from Sam and Dean’s, however otherwise similar in the fact that TFW all see Jack as their child, their family. It’s exactly like how Cas is different to Dean as compared to Sam.

Back onto demon “B” whatever tho. Interestingly, we never see the demon smoke into Jack. Then he just “”happens”” to know every spell needed to help the Winchesters but for Dean and Cas two things are required for sacrifice/gathering. In each, one component is dead-like and protecting (salt, goofer dust) and the other channels life/creation (a heart and angel blood). Each time there’s a duality in play. Curiously Sam is not involved in any of this with the demon for whatever reason, making the demon (within the season’s structure as presented so far) a primary component of Dean and Cas’ differences. They are tests of free will for them specifically in a way. What will each person “freely” give/obtain for the demon? To me, it just all screams this thing/demon is really just God fucking with them in every way he can but while maintaining some ally aligned position physically. It’s Chuck’s literal MO.

Also. The show is back to Dean blanketly treating Cas like shit. Which we know happens in waves constantly but as a Cas fan it’s still annoying to watch for the umpteenth fucking time. And they haven’t even pinpointed the *exact* reason here for all the snapping (yeah, pacing, I know). The audience has to do some connecting the dots here I feel. They have to have a certain understanding of how Dean needs Cas. I *think* the takeaway is that Dean uses Cas as an emotional punching bag when he’s actually mad at himself and that instead of getting so angry with himself these days that Dean’s decided yelling at Cas is a better/healthier way for him to deal with himself. Which is absolutely unfair and devastating to Cas, but it’s what Cas (unfortunately) has become to Dean. It’s like when he told Cas he was dead to him at the end of S14 because of Jack killing Mary. Dean’s really mad at he, himself, for ignoring the warning that was always there. Not really Cas. But Dean has yet to apologize and/or rectify this. This is the (ongoing) problem for Dean and Cas. Point blank.

At this point if I was Cas I’d just leave and not come back. He doesn’t deserve the way Dean constantly treats him. Dean doesn’t “need” Cas like this but he’s become comfortable using him like this. This is so jarring from the understanding Dean shows Cas in late S12. And from the grief arc he has in S13, followed by the relief he shows when Cas returns. Dean never learns how to properly “claim” Cas, however. Looks like this time instead of killing Cas the show (like in S8) is gonna have Cas choose to stay away (after 15x03?) I guess, prompting Dean to do some reflecting or whatever following this (What is Cas to me? Why do I actually need him? How should I treat him?). But honestly I’m not thinking of the reflecting right now. Or the “after” or whatever. I’m just thinking about how shitty Cas is being treated RIGHT NOW and it 1000% makes me wanna just drop the show and not watch anymore until it’s over. I’m just not interested in torturing myself for months watching this slowly drag out but apparently I’m so masochistic and love Cas so fucking much that I will. GODDAMMIT

Onto “pipes” I guess. This is where I point out that I don’t know what the show is going for here but I’ll throw around some ideas. Pipes had a lot to do with the episode. Sam thinks he hears water flowing in a pipe in the crypt and they think they can escape through the sewers. Wrong. Later, Sam tells the sheriff that a pipeline burst near the town. Lies. And lastly there’s a plumbing truck outside the home where the clown ghost slaughtered the birthday party (uh... where’s the bodies btw?). So everywhere we have the imagery of pipes bursting and needing to be fixed. Which, water has nothing to do with Hell, not really. I guess the Hell “rip” is kinda acting like a burst pipe?? Water is usually associated with angels/Cas/change tho. My best guess is that it’s repurposed Michael imagery since good ol’ Bel-whatever let us know Michael’s cage door is busted open and he’s just sitting there for now apparently. I’m not confident in my interpretation here at all though. All I can tell is that busted pipes as imagery (something likely associated with lying/wrong) for something is a thing.

In general I’m going to say 15x01 didn’t even feel like a Dabb episode to me. I honestly wouldn’t have guessed he wrote it. Since I didn’t care about the random people under attack (women running and scared and not tougher is always a hard sell for me personally) I found myself frequently saying “why aren’t they doing _______?” a lot during the episode. Ghosts needing to run? Why? I mean, I get the show wanted to show how the magical border worked but this could have been done in many other more effective ways utilizing tension more. It almost felt like the show didn’t know what to do with its S1 self and so visually everything ended up looking so very incredibly cheesy and not just in the way the colors are no longer desaturated. It literally looks like the show can’t go back into what it was. We saw this visually with a sign that cropped up in several shots as Sam and Cas tried to get the girl and her mom to safety. It was a cul de sac sign.

Here’s a video on why cul de sacs as a design became popular. In short, following the rise in popularity of the automobile neighborhoods are designed for safe car use, above all else. They don’t want outsiders passing through and they want things to be slower. When cars got popular streets were redesigned away from the traditional city “grid” (where accidents happened at intersections most commonly) with features that instead had safety in mind. I choose to interpret this as a visual comment on the show’s design. The Sam n Dean show is like a city grid, dangerous, while the Sam, Dean, Cas, Rowena, and Jack show offers more “safety”. That’s why we get it framed like this imo, between Sam and Cas. Things looked one way before Cas, and another after. Things have changed from the grid and they aren’t going back, for a variety of reasons.

Since the episode title recalls the movie Back to the Future I thought we’d have more of a visual/dialogue tie in tbh. I’ll try to talk about what we thematically did tho. BTTF is a movie about a boy overcoming his impulsiveness to be an alpha male who isn’t scared. This wasn’t a goal of the boy himself necessarily but it was an effect had upon him just the same by the story and his experiences. The movie bookends on this character development. In between the movie is about the disconnect of generations, how kids don’t see their parents in the way they see themselves and vice versa. It’s also about trying to set right familial relationships into proper categories. Marty’s mom, Lorene, accidentally falls in love with her own son instead of Marty’s father, George. Marty’s existence is then threatened and he must spend the movie trying to understand his parents and help them fall properly in love, thus saving and changing himself and them. We only get shades of these themes in the episode, like when the demon (in Jack’s body) calls Dean gorgeous and it makes him uncomfortable. Divorce (unhappy marriage) is also touched upon with the sleepover/makeover girls. In BTTF Lorene and George do not have a great marriage as George lacks confidence but Marty’s interactions with George in the past help change this in the future and their family is much better for it.

We are told in PR that Dean’s “conditioning” and him changing from that is a big part of what SPN is and has always been about. This is similar to how Marty must learn to properly deal with bullies (as he sees his father as weak and overcompensates to distinguish himself from him) and not letting them have power over you. Chuck is like Biff in this structural comparison. Biff is someone we watch become depowered over the course of the movie and I feel this is similar to what the show will likely do regarding Chuck. I could go further in depth here but these are the general thematic points this episode alone addresses. Only with Marty’s character development does he stand to have a happy life with his girlfriend, Jennifer. Back to the Future ends with another call to adventure and its script is widely regarded as “perfect” by many. Quite the structural comparison for SPN to be making. We’ll see. We’re currently stuck in the past for now. Onward, to the future...

[comicteaparty]

July 13th-July 19th, 2020 CTP Archive

The archive for the Comic Tea Party week long chat that occurred from July 13th, 2020 to July 19th, 2020.  The chat focused on Super Galaxy Knights Deluxe R by snuffysam.

Featured Comment:

Chat:

Comic Tea Party

BOOK CLUB START!

Hello and welcome everyone to Comic Tea Party’s Book Club~! This week we’ll be focusing on Super Galaxy Knights Deluxe R by snuffysam~! (http://sgkdr.thecomicseries.com/comics/)

You are free to read and comment about the comic all week at your own pace until July 19th, so stop on by whenever it suits your schedule! Discussions are freeform, but we do offer discussion prompts in the pins for those who’d like to have them. Additionally, remember that while constructive criticism is allowed, our focus is to have fun and appreciate the comic! Whether you finish the comic or can only read a few pages, everyone is welcome to join and chat with us!

DISCUSSION PROMPTS – PART 1

1. What did you like about the beginning of the comic?

2. What has been your favorite moment in the comic (so far)?

3. Who is your favorite character?

4. Which characters do like seeing interact the most?

5. What is something you like about the art? If you have a favorite illustration, please share it!

6. What is a theme you like that the comic explores?

7. What do you like about the comic’s story or overall related content?

8. Overall, what do you think the comic’s strengths are?

Don’t feel inspired by the prompts? Feel free to discuss anything else that interested you!

carcarchu

I'm only 5 pages in so far, but this comic has a great sense of humour i've already laughed out loud at some of the jokes

Deo101 [Millennium]

god yes the jokes all hit so well

carcarchu

i noticed an error on tapas, page 42 and page 45 are identical

Deo101 [Millennium]

oh no

snuffysam (Super Galaxy Knights)

@carcarchu fixed, thank you for pointing that out!

carcarchu

i'm 63 pages in now and i'm really enjoying this comic so far. it's solidly paced with an interesting cast of characters. the banter is really fun to read and i'm loving how the world building expands with each new character introduced

snuffysam (Super Galaxy Knights)

glad to hear it!!!

shadowhood {SunnyxRain}

Damn I feel bad for only reading this now

I love the comedic pauses in between the jokes, and it makes the situation more awkward and hilarious for me!

Also fourth wall breaking and lampshades

Feather J. Fern

I really like the line "I can't hear you from over there." Lampshading why people monologue but they are stepping away from the listener

I really enjoy these types of jokes, this comic has really good comedic timing.

Also It is long, but easy to digest, so I'm speeding through quite easily.

Also Sir Pokes a Lot!! My favourite character, and you killed them! (I love the animated parts of the comic too)

snuffysam (Super Galaxy Knights)

thank u!!!

and yeah, sorry about sir pokes-a-lot

Deo101 [Millennium]

Can not wait for y'all to meet my fave

shadowhood {SunnyxRain}

Wait WHAT SIR POKES A LOT DIES WHAT THE HELL

Oh yes, the animated parts always get me by surprise and I love them too

snuffysam (Super Galaxy Knights)

imo, there's an even sadder death in book 2...

RebelVampire

I like that the beginning just has a lot of comedy even while establishing the exposition parts. So you don't really even notice you're learning about characters, the world, and so forth, because the jokes just really make the entire experience vastly entertaining. My favorite moment in the comic is probably now when all the governors show up and Electric Zebra to fight the demon. Cause it was like a party of badasses, had lots of great comedy, lots of great fighting, and just all around it was nice to see everyone else embrace Mizuki's strengths too. My favorite character is a tie between Electric Zebra and Sword Warrior/Taci. Electric Zebra because I love that he works for the gov but also hates the gov while also moonlighting as a musician. He just all around is a fun character for me who could do no wrong. Taci I like because he's simultaneously arrogant, smart, caring, and selfish. I also like that he just blatantly announces his plans to become dictator. As for the art, I really love the colors. The entire comic is just a really colorful experience without being over-saturated, and I really think that makes it stand out, regardless of the other 3D aspects and such that make it stand out as well, of course. I like in the current book it explores the nature of making friends. Since Mizuki is trying hard to make friends with Stella, and Stella isn't having that. So I enjoy this exploration in terms of kind of what do you even do in those situations and how can you peacefully co-exist and overcome that grump gap.

As for the overall related content and the comic's strength, these are one in the same for me: the comedy. This is by far one of the few comic's that clicks for me in terms of comedy. Not only does it have fantastic timing, but a lot of it is really smart with lots of callbacks to things that happened - and damn do I love that sort of continuity. It's not even just the one-liner jokes though. Sometimes it's just the stories overall way of solving problems in comedic ways that is the best, so all in all, just a great entertaining comic.

Krispy §[Ghost Junk Sickness]§

The dialogue is so funny to go through, I love the way Snuffy characterises and just has fun!

also the cell shaded rendering is so cool! I love the aesthetic and design !

snuffysam (Super Galaxy Knights)

@RebelVampire regarding continuity stuff, this is basically the ending of book 2 lmao(edited)

mathtans

Hm, so this is somehow a trickier one for me to analyze since I've been reading it since the first CTP. Admittedly I fell behind after Book2 (busy months) but I just got caught back up (SpaceMySpace...) so I guess I'll do some further pondering and check back in later. ^^

snuffysam (Super Galaxy Knights)

ok so i finished re-reading my comic the only joke that made me legit laugh out loud this re-read was the dancing in panel 3 of this page: http://sgkdr.thecomicseries.com/comics/255 just because i completely forgot i put that gag in there lol

tbh my favorite character in the comic is taci. like, before his introduction, the comic was incomplete, in a sense. but with him in the picture, all the writing just fits together. (even past the fact that books 3-5 wouldn't happen without taci being a total weirdo who mailed hundreds of letters to the galaxy knights under fake names, lol)

Deo101 [Millennium]

taci is also my favorite,,, as you know, aha

Comic Tea Party

DISCUSSION PROMPTS – PART 2

9. Given the comic’s emphasis on comedy, what was your favorite joke insofar? What made it stand out to you compared to the others? In what ways does the comic’s comedy stand apart from other comics?

10. What do you think of Mizuki’s tactics for using magic? Is she crazy as many characters imply, or do you think she’ll continue to make it work far into the future? How will this decision affect her skills as a strategist?

11. What do you think King Zebugu is doing participating in Galaxy Knights trials? Do you think he’s finally changed his ways, or is he up to something? Also, will this help Taci achieve his own goals?

12. Do you think Mizuki will be able to become a Galaxy Knight? If so, what other trials will she have to work through? Additionally, what will become of some of the other characters such as Stella, Taci, and Pejiba in the trials?

Don’t feel inspired by the prompts? Feel free to discuss anything else that interested you!

Deo101 [Millennium]

Okay my favorite joke so far was DEFINITELY this one, it's the first one I think that really made me like, fully laugh out loud. I dont know why it got to me so much. Also it made me love cahe very much as well.

SPOILER

Also I think Mizuki's magic probably IS something to do with her abillity to copy other's magic really easily, and probably more efficiently.

and kinda combo of 11 and 12 but I hope they all become galaxy knights and be friends :)

(including king zebugu)

back about the magic thing I KNOW weve been told anyone can do any magic, it's just very draining and hard, so they use their own magics always... but People have also commented on her ability to actually utilize other's magics SO i feel like theres more to it than just her being incredibly stubborn.

RebelVampire

I'm sorry Cahe. You used to be my #2 fave character, but then Taci.

Deo101 [Millennium]

LITERALLY SAME

RebelVampire

My favorite joke changes each reading, but right now I'm gonna go with Book 2 when Mizuki is remarking about forgetting something important and then we see Enetoro still stalling for the talent show. It was such great timing since it was long enough most readers probably forgot about it in the front of their mind but still recent enough you're like oh yeah. And I just like that long ass joke setup for the entire book. As for how the comic's comedy in general stands apart, just superior timing. A lot of comedy is about timing, and this comic is just spot on everytime. As for how Mizuki uses magic, it's probably a bit of both. She is crazy, but she will probably make it work for a long time to come just out of sheer force of will and stubbornness. But I think her having to learn so many abilities and find ways to utilize them together can only increase her skills as a strategist, since it allows her to assess the full potential of every ability and command others to reach that potential. King Zebugu is probably up to something again. I don't think he's as evil in the first books, but I def think there's something going on that he isn't telling anyone that he'll reveal towards the end and say, "Well good luck Mizuki peace out." I don't think it'll help Taci though. I think Taci will just wind up getting roped in and never get even one step closer to becoming the dictator he always wants to be. I do think Mizuki will become a Galaxy Knight. As for other trials, I'm not entirely sure. I imagine there's gonna be some sort of tournament arc though cause otherwise how is Stella supposed to say something about how this is a true contest for warriors. I think Stella will befriend Mizuki, and Taci will at least win something he can brag about. I think Pejiba won't win though, but I also think Pejiba would be content to try again and just go back to skipping around with Cahe.

snuffysam (Super Galaxy Knights)

There's... somewhat of a tournament arc coming up? The structure is gonna be weird compared to other tournament arcs, but it's definitely one of the more interesting chapters I've written lol. So... have fun speculating on that for the next three years lmao

Regarding some of the other questions - there's currently enough information in the comic to figure out all the 11th-hour plot twists for Book 3. I won't say there's enough information to easily figure the plot out, lol, but you could figure it out. Though - there is absolutely something going on that King Zebugu isn't telling anyone about (it's kind of a habit at this point, lol).

mathtans

1. You know something I like about the beginning? The links to the original artwork. It's just a subtle thing down at the bottom, but it simultaneously shows the progress made by the artist, and allows anyone thinking 'wow I could never do anything like that' to realize that it didn't happen overnight.

Also the gradual world building is really well done. You don't get too much at once.

2. I think my favourite moment remains how Mizuki defeated Zebugu near the end of Book 1. It was just really clever in terms of reincorporating something subtle (the comic's good at that in general) to turn the tables, and played off his personality more than his magic, which was also clever. There's lots of other great moments too, but that one stands out over time, I think because we were looking at a climax there.

3. Favorite character is probably Zaxaty. Yeah, yeah, mathtans going for the major lesbian, big surprise, but hear me out. She's connected to the King, a major antagonist, but has her own personality and I don't think she's afraid to slap him down if needed. She might even end up connected to the major protagonist (because of reader ships). She's into art, there's that whole bizarre roller skating thing just to point out she's not normal. I possibly enjoy hairstyles like hers. And she sustained major injuries in the big Book 2 battle but sucked it up and still did what she could. So there.

(Before Zaxaty it was probably Pejiba. She seemed smart and capable.)

4. Character interaction... possibly Mizuki and Taci, simply because I tend to enjoy their interactions with everyone else in the cast. So when they get together, whew... possibly related, Mizuki has a tendency to be oblivious due to inexperience or failing her perception checks, while Taci can be oblivious because he's so full of himself. Their battle and the Sword Warrior revelation was another good moment overall.

5. Again, I'm hardly a person to be commenting on art. But the rendering effects and the occasional animated panels kind of blow me away.

(Not the first person to remark on that, admittedly.)

6. I'm not great with themes either. Perseverance is probably one, based on what/who Mizuki has to put up with. Also friendship, which Rebel referenced, and can even be seen in the earlier bits with the group coming together (Cahe and Pejiba taking it to the next level). And how those in power aren't necessarily the best at decision making (is that a theme)?

Then there's mystery, like what are peoples' goals. Is that a theme? I don't know what I'm talking about, let's face it.

7. Something about the story and content is how much development's gone into it. I don't know if the side stories were started in part due to StArt Faire, or if it provided some perpetual motion, but for example Gynu and Suzigu have this entire childhood backstory in there, and we never saw that much of them in Book 1. (Maybe that one was to highlight more Galaxy Knight stuff? But there's others that expand on otherwise minor characters.)

Then there's the cast page, which seems to be constantly updating, and includes extra random trivia and even what seem like really really minor characters (like the Ferryman).

I have no clue how snuffysam manages to do all that stuff and yet continue to update multiple times in a week. With, as Rebel pointed out, very good comedy too, both situational and connected to character personalities.

8. Comic strength is I think at times doing the unexpected. Like throwing in animation, or referencing someone new or something that adds new pieces to the magic dynamic. Like you want to keep reading to know what comes next because even if it's what you think it might be, there's probably some new aspect you didn't expect that will be there too.

Anyway, there's some thoughts, and for all I know it's similar to stuff I already said in a previous chat. If so, whoops. More tomorrow. I type slow.

(Incidentally, related to the stories, the "wingwomanicon" story won't load for me... it's a blank pdf. And the link in the story proper for when it first went up seems to link to the wrong story.)

snuffysam (Super Galaxy Knights)

@mathtans I really should test my links lol... the story should be fixed now

Comic Tea Party

DISCUSSION PROMPTS – PART 3

13. What are you most looking forward to seeing in regards to the comic?

14. Any final words of encouragement for the comic?

Don’t feel inspired by the prompts? Feel free to discuss anything else that interested you!

mathtans

9. I'm not sure I could pick a favourite joke. Mizuki's habit of breaking the fourth wall tends to be cleverly done. Coruby's wit matches well with his character. I'll echo what Rebel said about the timing too; there's effective use of beat panels and the like too.

10. Mizuki's probably crazy, or perhaps it's more her obliviousness, but she's very good at working with what she has to minimize the drain. She also must have a really good memory. I think the main problem with her ability to strategize is she's not great at long term planning, everything seems to be more "in the moment".

(I figure you've got a lot going on as is there. ) Sorry, must scamper again, back later. Should we comment on ships too here, or is that mostly covered by the comic itself?

snuffysam (Super Galaxy Knights)

Hey, you can comment on ships as much as you want!

mathtans

Zebugu and Taci might be a ship. Can't be that much animosity without deeper feelings somewhere, right?

RebelVampire

I can't decide how I feel about Zebugu/Taci. That is a ship that makes sense as much as it doesn't make sense. I am stuck in a loop.

I am looking forward to more Taci because Taci. There can never be enough Taci in the comic, and I think I just really enjoy how he works off Mizuki because it offers lots of beautiful comedic potential. My final words are just amazing comedy comic that everyone should check out.

mathtans

11. I think King Zebugu is in the trials in part because he doesn't like that his wizard and his accountant were former Galaxy Knights. Maybe it's the ace they play to get him under control at times, maybe they don't need to, but I think he's trying to gain more power over his underlings, and by extension the planet. He's always got an angle. As to Taci, for him it's probably more ego driven, but he does have two abilities so maybe he wants to see how he compares off planet. I don't see either of them winning, I see them potentially cancelling each other out so the other guy doesn't win.

12. I think Mizuki could become a Galaxy Knight, but I don't think it'll happen in Book 3. In particular Bily is being set up as an antagonist against her (she has a similar ability to duplicate the spells of someone else, though she does need to touch them AND she has a beef with Mizuki over being the one to knock her brother out of contention). Other trials, I'm not sure... there might be one where they have to team up with someone else. Mizuki and Stella would be an interesting situation, as would Taci and anybody. I don't think Motorcycle Man or Willpower-Copy Lady will get far since the cast page only gives them minor character status. But then that could be part of the joke in the end.

Rebel's analysis regarding the others looks pretty good, actually. I'm not sure how hammer guy fits in, is one thing.

Fun that Stella's officially out now, incidentally. I don't see her going for shorter women though. Also, I wonder what constellations she might have that are in no way tied to the stars as we know them? And for that matter, she made a "Frozen" reference, which is usually Mizuki's domain. Perhaps she's also aware of the 4th wall (or "Frozen" went international there on 'SpaceMySpace' or something). Anyway.

13. Well, that last Starstuff Story is only one page long, so potentially looking forward to reading the rest of that. Seeing how the tournament plays out will be interesting... I'm more hyped about it than the gatherings plot of Book 2, maybe it's the extra title drop, dunno. Also vaguely curious about what's happening with everyone back on the planet during this time... like, if the King's away, who's running the place? (Zaxaty?)

Incidentally, the Galaxy Knights must be pretty well off financially. They set up housing and roommates for EVERYONE, then almost right away had a challenge and eliminated most of the people. Like, a lot of those rooms they didn't need.

Random question too, how DID the Starstuff stories get their start?

snuffysam (Super Galaxy Knights)

@mathtans I dunno how I keep screwing this up... anyway, I checked, and the newest story is now 100% fixed.

The original reason for Starstuff Stories was to flesh out characters' move pools for potential video game adaptations. Like, that's why Green Archer uses explosive arrows and chain arrows in her story, and why Chill Bro has ice armor in his. Though it evolved over time to just being interesting stories that I wanted to tell that wouldn't necessarily focus on Mizuki.

mathtans

Sorry, was needed elsewhere. Then read the story. I didn't expect ears to be a thing, and that poor woman is cursed. ^.^ That's a neat origin idea, I hadn't thought along those lines. Looks like the story has evolved too, there's been some scenes without Mizuki too (though I guess they were in some way related).

14. For final words, just keep at it I guess, you've got a very interesting world set up and do well at engaging your audience too, from what I can tell.

Deo101 [Millennium]

Zebugu/taci huh...? I can see them being exes or something

mathtans

Maybe that's the real reason Taci wants to kill Zebugu.

Deo101 [Millennium]

Zebugu forgot to tell taci they broke up, and stood him up!

snuffysam (Super Galaxy Knights)

That does sound like something Zebugu would do...

snuffysam (Super Galaxy Knights)

also, regarding something @mathtans said - Looks like the story has evolved too, there's been some scenes without Mizuki too (though I guess they were in some way related). yeah i had to rewrite book 3 like two times before I realized the story worked better if it didn't focus on mizuki all the time. like, book 3 introduces the most new characters out of any book so far, and i was completely neutering it by forcing all their arcs to relate to mizuki in some way. thanks to breaking that mentality, i'm able to include stuff like characters having rivalries with each other in ways that mizuki wouldn't even find out about, which helps keep the book from getting bogged down imo.

mathtans

It's cool that you draft everything out to that extent. And it's not out of the blue, she wasn't there for some of the big battle ending Book 2 either.

(Or at the talent show for most of the story. )

Comic Tea Party

BOOK CLUB END!

Thank you everyone so much for reading and chatting about Super Galaxy Knights Deluxe R this week! Please also give a special thank you to snuffysam for volunteering the comic and creating it! If you liked Super Galaxy Knights Deluxe R, make sure to continue to support it via some of the links below!

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