#I can enjoy a character’s arc without making up excuses for their actions

[prince-aegon-targaryen]

There is a lot of unhinged hotd takes these days. Yeah sure 50 year old Viserys is 14 year old Alicent’s victim I guess. How dare that child groom that old man? Won’t anyone think of the poor 50 year old man?

[sapphiresaphics]

I am SO FUCKING SICK of this being used as an excuse. There’s this NASTY pervasive policing in media by some “fans” who believe that you can’t like or enjoy a character unless they’re completely morally PURE. They believe that any negative thing a character does MUST be met with equal retribution and/or punishment, or else that means the media in question is CONDONING or SUPPORTING the actions of said character.

Caitlyn, along with every other character in Arcane, is a morally grey character. Meaning they do good things and they do bad things and you’re supposed to have the capacity not to forgive the bad but to be able to understand the reasons behind their actions and see things from a perspective that is not purely black and white. Understanding Caitlyn’s actions doesn’t mean you condone/forgive them, but it also doesn’t mean you condemn her for them either.

Caitlyn does some bad things in her position of power, but she’s not a fascist. Fascism is a far right-wing authoritarian belief. But Caitlyn never show signs of being right-wing. She doesn’t believe in the ideology of fascism and she actively works against the system she’s been put in charge of when she can. She doesn’t use the deep dark prisons in Stillwater where Vi was held, she refuses to lock people up without cause, and she has no interest in amassing power. She has one goal: Get Jinx. That’s it. And she uses the power that was GIVEN TO HER BY THE GOVERNMENT to try and enact that goal. And importantly when that goal is met/exhausted, she RETURNS POWER BACK TO THE GOVERNMENT. Which is what a military leader IS SUPPOSED TO DO under Martial Law.

But these moral police “fans” just see that she did bad things and therefore she is bad too. Simple as that. And anyone who tries to bring CONTEXT and NUANCE into a show that heavily relies on CONTEXT and NUANCE gets blamed for approving of “war crimes” and defending “classism.” And no… that’s not how media literacy WORKS you pompous asshole!

It’s extraordinarily frustrating that fascism as a term has no clear definition, because that allows these moral police assholes to label anything they don’t like under the fascism umbrella. It makes trying to discuss Caitlyn and her arc really difficult because they just shut down all discussion with “she committed war crimes” and they never even bother to try and look into the story beyond that extremely surface level reading.

[microknifeyuri]

i find it genuinely sad that people only talk about misogyny on the ii fandom when it comes to defending taco but no one goes over the way people treats most of the female characters which is like ACTUALLY misogynistic and the actual issue. i went over taco's thing a lot of times already but i'll also cover it here. like lets see how people treat women on ii briefly.

like have you seen how people treat suitcase. how she's often treated as a kid/constantly forgotten as a person outside of using her as a weapon to villainize a guy that does want to fix things with her. have you seen how little care people put on her. have you seen how they only remember that she exists for suitloon or barely even have anything to comment on her

have you seen people talking about candle outside of her being hot or outside of silvercandle? have you seen how people LITERALLY villainized her because she wanted to take care of herself? have you seen anyone say anything about her on a deep way? have you ever seen people focus on the way working with silver affected her outside of "silver doesn't deserve her"?

have you seen how GENUINELY HORRID people were about cabby winning s3? how they still SOMEHOW made it about silver? how people were incredibly ableist towards her? how they still kept going on how cabby wasn't an actual good person? on how she didn't deserve the win?

have you seen how mic, the character that genuinely has the best writting in the whole show, only gets talked about to completely miss the point of her arc AND ONLY for shipping, completely disregarding her growth as a person? completely forgetting that her story is one of growth and healing?

have you seen how people sexualized test tube to the point where she's only seen as a hot scientist or as a weird gal who's a freak instead of focusing on the fact that she's someone who heavily struggles with mental health and making connections? like people simped a lotttttt for her when she was having a whole breakdown because she was going to lose her friend, and no one really focused fully on those aspects of test tube's character.

have you seen the overall way people treat lightbulb? she's just a shell of her character for the fandom. she's genuinely so so deep and interesting but she got fully downgraded to just nonsense on fanon takes.

have you seen how people treat taco? have you seen someone even focus on her as a character outside of her being a "hot villain"? have you seen anyone actually get what she's going through? have you seen anyone wanting her to get better but also not forgetting what she has done? have you seen anyone actually understand why she can't get a redemption arc on the traditional sense? have you seen anyone not immediately go to defend her when taco herself does not want to be excused, nor does she think she should be? have you seen anyone getting that she's a complex character and that they can still enjoy her without having to excuse her actions? have you seen anyone ACTUALLY getting why taco needs to let go of ii and not make up with the people she hurted? have you seen anyone treating taco on a reasonable way? have you seen anyone treating her as fully capable of doing bad things but also capable of getting better if she really does try? have you seen SOMEONE that actually CARES about taco outside of her being attractive?

my point is. the ii fandom is rooted in misogyny, yes. but it is not because of people preferring other characters or what not. sure there MIGHT be some cases in which that's the thing, but most of times it isn't. the fandom is genuinely overall horrid about women and don't actually focus on them outside of being hot either. like i have once seen someone who genuinely hated candle but simped for her because her violence was hot in ep 17 and like. that's Not Really Good.

and most of the fem characters that aren't deemed hot or don't have anything to hate them for get often ignored (ex. pepper, soap, clover, etc). also don't get me started on how MOST OF THE TIMES THEY JUST HAVE TO give women a familiar relationship with a male character to which they happen to have a positive relationship with on hcs (ex. Candle and Yinyang being hced as mother/sons, Cabby and Yinyang is the same case) which uh. you know. it doesn't really sit right with me

you can think a woman character is hot/attractive and also care about her. you can like a fucked up woman as well while also not justifying her actions, it won't make you a bad person. like personally i really really love microphone and find her attractive but at the same time i genuinely care about her story and how much she's a story about growth and finding yourself, alongside with other people. a lot of the stories of the women charas are ultimately about growth and finding themselves on ii. and i think all of you should be focusing on the depth of a character instead on whether a character is hot or not therefore we can define if they deserve to be treated with decency, like that's ever done anything positive anyway

!! THIS POST IS NOT LOOKING TO CAUSE TACO RELATED DISCOURSE. KEEP THAT SHIT TO YOURSELF. THIS POST WAS MADE AS A FORM OF CRITICISM ON HOW LITTLE PEOPLE ACTUALLY CARE ABOUT FEM CHARACTERS ON II WHILE ACCUSING OTHERS OF MISOGYNY SO DELIBERATELY. IF YOU GET OUT OF TOPIC I'LL BITE YOUR HEAD OFF (NOT A SERIOUS THREAT BUT BY GOD BE DECENT) !!

[mintedwitcher]

I've been following this discussion about Eddie, the writing and racism and figured I'd contribute my own 2 cents.

I think the thing about machismo/toxic masculinity culture and Eddie is that it would be a super valid way to, well not excuse, but explain Eddie's behaviour and still make him sympathetic to the viewers. This already has worked in the earlier seasons and it was connected to his upbringing in a strict Mexican Catholic family too, but there is a problem:

This only works as long as Eddie is unaware of it. It works as long as Eddie thinks it's normal to repress his more complicated feelings and mask the soft parts behind a tough attitude, sarcastic humor and anger because that's what the man of the house is supposed to do.

If Eddie recognised that this is in fact not healthy then he would have to actively work on doing better to keep the viewers' sympathy. If he was like: "I know I'm being an asshole by yelling at others and refusing to admit my own flaws, I know I'm not being fair to the people around me and that I, too, deserve better, but I'll just keep behaving like a textbook example for toxic masculinity anyway." Then why should the viewers still sympathise? Having a character flaw is fine, but recognising your own flaws and leaning into them on purpose even though it hurts the people you love the most? Sorry, but that's where my capacity for sympathy has reached its limit.

And this is where the show fucked up because Eddie has had his whole "my parents should've done better by me, I should've done better as well and from here on out I will do better both for myself and my son" arc in season 5. He repressed, had a breakdown, went to therapy, confronted his dad and decided that the cycle would end with him.

Now to say race has nothing to do with this conversation wouldn't be quite true, there is racism in this fandom and Eddie's character has been a victim to it, but I think we've passed that point. By now it's not a "the fans are racist" problem anymore, it's a "the writing is terrible and makes Eddie look like an arsehole" problem. Eddie's tendency to mask his "weakness" in front of other people is of course valuable representation of the way machismo culture in Latino families is alive and well and nobody can blame Eddie for how he was raised. But. Bringing this topic to the show, giving Eddie an entire storyline about it and addressing how harmful it can be should logically result in Eddie growing as a person and working on shaking off that tough guy persona. It's a struggle to overcome and we'd all cheer him on. (I for one really enjoyed Eddie's season 5 arc.)

That's not where the show went though. They addressed Eddie's flaws and how the Diaz parents' parenting played into it, gave Eddie some lines where he claimed he'd work on himself and then they dropped the whole thing. So now Eddie knows how his own behaviour hurts himself and others and he seems very content with not changing it.

YES.

I have no sympathy left for him anymore. He is actively aware of his harmful behaviours and yet he makes no attempt to curb those habits or even apologise for them. In season 8 alone we have seen him consistently degrade his "best friend", and lovebomb his son, without there ever being so much as a second of self-reflection. That, to me, is exhausting to watch. And to be told that we're supposed to cheer for that? For him basically being handed everything he wants with very little effort on his part? By the end of season 8, he has his son back, he's dunked on his parents (who, let's be real, weren't doing anything wrong), he's got his job at the 118 back, and he got his house back from Buck. And all of it, without even a fraction of thought or consideration into how his actions and behaviours affect others, even though he's supposed to be aware of it.

It's exhausting, and it makes for an extremely boring character. There's nothing interesting or special about a man getting rewarded for the bare minimum.

[saltyowlets]

Fandom Concerns: Cullen, Solas, and Forgiveness Deserved?

Something something, the narrative and character parallels between Cullen and Solas are quite fascinating in a microcosm but also reflective of the potential problematic nature of their romances in regards to analysis and meta talk.

This is not to say their romances are bad- even if I still struggle with the appeal of Solas' romance (just being transparent here), I enjoy his character. The central issue is the consistent narrative I've seen brought up, coddling and fixing both men in regards to their conflicts, Cullen with his lyrium and trauma, and Solas with his own past and actions in DATV.

In Cullen's case, it is not difficult to avoid such a narrative, but once you dig just a bit deeper, you find how easily it is to fall into the trap of coddling when addressing the major problems in his story. Fandom reaction can be mixed when faced with these plot points. Usually, it becomes a narrative of wanting to fix him or, worse, ignoring the issue altogether. If this was just about enjoying his character for fluff, then fine, take no mind in what I say. I love fluff as well and sometimes, i just want to enjoy a sweet narrative.

However, I am pointing towards more lenient analysis of Cullen and his arc that I have seen pop up through meta or even some analytical fanfiction (or so-called)

I don't find fault in people wanting to enjoy a simple and generally romantic story/fanfic. I also love them but for ones that try to somewhat address or tackle his story with critical thought, I take issue with the themes of the LI being the center and cause of his healing journey or sometimes lack thereof. It is not wrong to want to help and fix your partner, but at what cost?

It is not healthy to ignore the valid reasons why Cullen should have had a redemptive arc instead of a healing one. Relationship with Cullen becomes questionable in a realistic sense post game. Points and concerns of his past will prop up. That is the nature of relationships. To willingly allow his problematic biases and fears remain, to allow the narrative that love fixes a man, a woman fixes a man? That's what I take issue the most, why I cannot understand the vehemently denial of the necessity of redemption. This isn't about how you enjoy Cullen, it's about acting as if there are no faults in a man who actively seeks redemption for his actions. Aren't you taking away from his own narrative by claiming no fault in himself?

Some of my favorite Cullen fics and ships have no input in his redemptive story, but at the very least, they aren't built rose colored.

This is all the same for Solas. I have seen recently of narratives that leave Solas blameless for all his actions, pointing to all other people in canon such as Varric and Rook. And egregiously, Mythal.

Is this reflective of his disappointing narrative in DATV or the brewing sentiment towards Solas after a decade? Could be both. What is true is that his story falls directly in the trope of women (in this case 3) fixing him. Mythal, Morrigan, and Lavellan, for the good ending. It takes no time to address the faults of the man, directly letting him essentially go scotfree. Solas is not a good man nor entirely a bad man. Instead of understanding that characterization, we have a story that initially treats him as a proud, selfish man but ends with him, good man? This fault in his narrative becomes reflective of how the fandom treats his character, jumping from villification and obsession

Playing DATV on its own, Solas' character is muddy at best and contradicting at worse. This grey area makes it easy for certain groups to coddled and over-excuse Solas without even acknowledgments of the literal deaths at his hands. His appeal was never about being a misunderstood character- his appeal is about a character who is trapped with ideals and regrets of days long gone. His inability to change and learn is his downfall, so to have people say he did nothing wrong, that he was justified, erases the crux of what made Solas even a character.

What I say is never out out of hatred to those that enjoy their characters and romances, God knows how much I love Cullen. I literally talked about him every day for nearly 5 months.

But I will always take issue with people who purposefully disregard the blatant issues these men have and how misogynistic themes can be presented by fandom and its culture.

It becomes even more worrisome when this resolute refusal to accept both of their narrative issues and problematic history turns into talking points that mirror alt right pipelines and conservative culture.

Grants, I've been in the DA fandom for 5 months, 4 on tumblr. My observations are more of what I see in the current day and maybe it's limited, but I don't speak out of my ass when I see some weird shit growing in the corners.

[diamond-jester]

A random rant about Harley and Joker's relationship

Am i the only one that finds how, when discussing this pair is it always either 'Joker was never abusive, they're just a villain couple' or 'Everything bad Harley did during her time with Joker is his fault, she's a blameless victim'?

Putting it like that is an hyperbole, i know. But i really dislike how people act like she's has to either be a blameless victim or that you can't acknowledge the fact their relationship isn't healthy while still finding the couple interesting. In general i feel people think she's not her own character if she's at the Joker's side.

Harley is at her best when the story acknowledges those nuances and works with them, rather than ignoring her faults.

You can acknowledge the fact their relationship was never healthy while also acknowledge it that the way it is shown has changed through comics and adaptations. Just compare Btas' 'he used his lies to slowly change the way she thought, having an effect even he didn't expect: Her falling in love' to Suice Squad's 'He tortured her for months to make her see things his way'. (Funny that i see SS be considered the romantized one).

In general recent versions leaned into the unhealthy aspect of their relationship to the point that they can't be shown together without making the plot be about them breaking point. This ties with how much Joker has been turn into an edgelord, which a whole otger topic in itself. It also results on earlier aspects of Harley being tied to the Joker in a way they weren't before, like her accent or her costume.

The most bizare version of this is in Kill the justice league, where Harley acts as if Joker chose her outfits in the prior Arkham games... Though those game explicitly told us she chose them.

I also dislike how her redemption has been tied to if she is in relationship of the Joker, with the implication that if she isn't with him then she immediately won't be a villain anymore.

I recommend watching 'Harley's Holiday', as it shows the fact her path depends on her own mistakes, the whole episode serving as a prove that her getting depends both on her putting the effort AND her being allowed to. It doesn't depends on her relationship status, it depends on her.

The reason is that i don't enjoy how her reedemption arc has been presented since the N52 era is that the story rarely bother to hold her acknowledge the pain she's provoked. Later version of hers tend to jump into her broken up with Joker, without acknowledging her actions before.

The story acts like she had a gun over her head all the time, when she's often part of his schemes, laughing at his side as they cause destruction. Fuck, some adaptations has her complicit in Jason's murder. EXPLORE THAT. Explore her guilt, how she feels abut her actiobs and the harsh fact she enjoyed some of the atrocities she commited. Let civilians and/or batfamily hold her accountable, don't giver her a pass because 'Joker made do it :('. Her being given the 'anti-hero' feels like a cop out made to let her hurt others without exploring the moral issues in her actions.

Let Harley be her own character, explore those darker themes that she comes with. Excusing them or shying away from them makes her harm.

I like Harley and Joker because of the story they tell, not because a false belief that they are a 'healthy relationsip'. Ignoring their story hurts both characters, too.

[aihoshiino]

I‘m reading through Umineko atm and am at the last episode of the answers arc and that made me think a lot about ONK for some reason (or rather they‘re both occupying the same amount of brain space atm lol)

Super big fan of both and I still love ONK and many of its characters for what it tried to do, even if i really don’t enjoy the direction the ending is heading at the moment for many reasons, but one of them is the whole wrap up of the revenge-plot and Hikaru and Ai‘s relationship. I loved the 2(?) chapters where Aqua confronted Hikaru with Ai‘s timeless love letter, because it felt so human, their relationship and how deeply tragic and emotional it was but also very… real? So, to see the last few chapters flip-flop between „Kamiki is a really fascinating character with a lot of depth and deeply human“ to „He is just a mastermind manipulating liar and is just flat evil“ is really sad.

Hope it’s kinda understandable what I‘m getting at, english isn’t my first language so excuse any mistakes…

Maybe I’m just spoiled by how Umineko handled murder-mysteries and also tied those mysteries to its themes of love and relationships but, oh well.

ANON!!! I'M GRIPPING YOUR SHOULDERS!!!! THIS IS WHAT I'VE BEEN SAYING ALL THIS TIME!!!!!!

Obviously OnK even at its best doesn't quite reach the same heights as Umineko and even when the character drama and story are in their most well-realized forms, OnK's mystery is still kind of half baked lol. Which to be fairness to Akasaka, is a VERY different skillset than what he made his bread and butter doing but still. Very funny.

THAT SAID... I do think it's really fun to put Umineko and OnK in conversation with each other if only from a thematic/vibes perspective because I think they have some surprisingly similar things to say specifically about misogyny, autonomy and abuse. They were coming at it from very different directions, but they arrive at very similar places. "Lies are love" and "without love, it cannot be seen" aren't... not basically expressing the same sentiment after all.

Those similarities really do make it all the more disappointing where OnK ends up, though.

(Umineko spoilers behind the cut, as well as some trigger warnings; ROT13 filtered because the CWs themselves are also spoilers lol - traqre qlfcubevn, fhvpvqny vqrngvba, puvyq nohfr, cneragny vaprfg & pfn)

As much as I constantly joke about Ai of B-Komachi being Hoshino Ai's Beatrice, I think Hikaru is actually the most Sayocore character of Oshi no Ko which makes it so much more of a let down that OnK fumbles him like it does.

Like... Umineko lets you see Sayo at her absolute worst, the peak of her traumabrained depravity and nevertheless trusts that you will be able to look at her with love and empathize with her when the time comes and you start to see her heart. It treats her with such tender care, letting you excruciatingly understand every step she took down the path to finding the gold and blowing up the shrine until you realize that there really was no other way things could have gone for her. The environment of the Ushiromiya family is so incredibly poisonous and putrid that she was already one foot into suicidal ideation before she found out about her heritage and what Kinzo had done to her mother. Even if you can't agree with her actions, you can understand and sympathize with why she ends up taking them.

OnK... sort of seems like it's setting up to be doing this with Hikaru then takes a massive swerve?? It's bizarre. We even have an accidental parallel to EP8's "an accumulation of sins" moment during Ruby and Hikaru's first meeting where she fucking looks into the camera and is like "btw nobody is born ontologically evil, when people commit violent and antisocial acts their environments are almost always to blame" and that combined with how Aqua's first confrontation with him plays out and tbh the Movie Arc's characterization of Hikaru as a whole really makes it feel like the story wants you to see him as we're asked to see Sayo in Umineko - with love (read: empathy and an open mind).

But then ig it turns out he was, actually, ontologically evil and also has a serial killer cult??? So who even knows lol. What I wouldn't give to be able to pick Aka's brain for even 5 minutes as to wtf he even thought he was cooking with Hikaru in the end

[thatscarletflycatcher]

Top 5 movies set in the present and top 5 period films :)

Hi!!! I got this ask and forgot every movie I have ever loved (and will probably remember them all as soon as I hit post). It also reminded me painfully of how inadequate my cinephile culture is; there are so many classics that I'm almost certain I will love if I watch them and that would deserve the spotlight so much!

So let's make these lists about interesting movies that I think are good as movies, and not think much if they are truly The BestTM. I'm also omitting Austen and other adaptations I already talk too much about.

"Contemporary films" (set in the present is a complicated concept. I'm picking them as "the narrative happens sometime contemporary to the movie's original release date"):

5. Music & Lyrics (2007):

This is technically a romantic comedy, but its strength relies on its love for music, its humor about the music industry, and a take on 80s nostalgia that is neither surrendered idealization nor complete mockery. It's one of the few movies where I actually like Hugh Grant, and the score is so well done! My one gripe really is that I think the movie would have been so much better if the leads have remained platonic? Sometimes I like to pretend they did.

4. Dead Man Walking (1995):

This is one of those serious, controversial movies professors pick for university discussions, in this case, the one about the death penalty. The movie tries (and I believe succeeds) to address without "solving" or dismissing the relationship between our horror at heinous crimes, justice for the victims and their pain, and the value of all human lives. Susan Sarandon is as always majestic in this one.

3. National Treasure (2004):

Tumblr loves National Treasure, but I love it specifically because to me it somehow captures the thrill, the exotic mystery (without gross Orientalization!) AND the nonsense of a classic Jules Verne novel -and Verne was one of the staples of my childhood- in a way that no Verne movie adaptation I have ever watched manages to capture.

2. State of Play (2009):

This one is mostly an excuse to cheat, because while the movie is a very solid political thriller (you know, one of those "you might enjoy even if you are not a fan of the genre), the original British TV series it is adapting is better. And both have great casts (Russell Crowe is probably more solid than Cal Macaffrey on the same role, but David Morrissey does a much better job than Ben Affleck. So, it goes both ways, you see).

Hot Fuzz (2007):

I have heard this one being called "the most intelligent stupid comedy ever made", and honestly, fitting description. I have joked before about this being my comfort movie and how funny that is because it is the gory story of a police officer being kicked out of his beloved job and sent into a town where everyone mocks and gaslights him and then the back end of the movie is a non-stop action sequence... but, listen, it is funny, it is, somehow, heart warming, you can tell everyone is having a ball, the editing is amazing, the pacing is just right, so many set ups and they all pay off, the story is satisfying, the characters -specially the main lead- are likeable, and their arcs also satisfying.

Period films:

5. Oscar (1991):

This is a very silly comedy set in the 30s, adapted from a play and you can tell, but it is a riot, and in my opinion one of the best Stallone roles ever. It makes me wish he had done more comedies in this style. It also has the always charming Marisa Tomei and the always welcome Tim Curry.

4. The Englishman Who Went Up a Hill But Came Down a Mountain (1995)

Another instance of a movie where Hugh Grant does not annoy me, it's basically what says in the tin and the right kind of thing if you enjoy the typical British period drama of beautiful landscape, small town shenanigans and restrained romance.

3. The Mask of Zorro (1998):

Much of what I said about National Treasure applies here, except that it is not at all silly, and it has many moments of great pathos besides being a really good adventure/superhero movie.

2. To Walk Invisible (2016):

This is a biopic of the Brontë sisters, just covering their peak years of authorial activity, to trace a portrait of their personalities and life situation. While my knowledge of Bronteana is not super extensive, from the little I have read of them in general, plus Elizabeth Gaskell's The Life of Charlotte Brontë, I feel like this was carefully and lovingly done, without heavy editorializing or overdramatization (I'm staring at you, Emily (2022)), or pitting the sisters against each other. There's a scene of Emily reciting her poetry to Anne in the moors that just got me in the feels.

Master and Commander: the Far Side of the World (2003)

There are few genres I'm as disinterested in as war epics, and few movies I love as much as I love Master and Commander.

It was harmed by coming out the same year as The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King, but it is, and what I'm going to say will sound blasphemous to some, the better movie of the two. It is a war epic, and a slice of life film. It's the story of a friendship between two very different men and the tensions their personalities and job at sea bring. The cast is top notch, down to child actors. Some of the production details are insane. They made rope specifically for this film because the way modern rope is turned doesn't fit well with old rigging techniques. The cast spent many days together at sea learning the basics of how to manage the ship and work in their ranks and the way sailors and officers would relate to each other. The immersion this all creates is also insane. The sound design was marvelous as well, and the score truly inspired (I want to kiss the person who picked Fantasia on a Theme by Thomas Tallis as one of the main features of a 2000s movie adapting a 20th century novel about the Napoleonic Wars, the same way 19th-20th century Ralph Vaughan Williams picked up a tune by a 16th century composer to do his thing, to establish this thematic connection between past and present and the ways we look at and make History).

If you watch only one movie on this list, watch this one. It's worth it.

Ask me my top5/top10 anything!

[salted-anime-takes]

Mob Psycho 100 (S1, S2, & S3)

Author: ONE

Studio: BONES

Genres (Listed by MAL): Action, Supernatural, Comedy

Premiered: Summer 2016 (COMPLETED)

Anime vs. Manga?: Both are so charming. It's worth checking both out. I really enjoy the progression of ONE's artstyle throughout the manga, too.

Salted Genres: mentor-apprentice, good sibling rep, respectful towards women (albeit without any taking lead roles), grownass man worthy of being babygirl, well-written characters, GREAT comedy, con artistry (lol)

Major Trigger Warnings: Not really??? Esper dad fights his esper son, but we're already in esper territory. ONE makes it clear that many adult espers are poorly adjusted socially, and the father character fighting his son is quite clearly Not a good guy.

Can I Watch It Around My Parents?: As long as they don't hate Supernatural themes, you could easily watch this around them. Couple of comedic scenes involve smartass guys getting their shit kicked in so bad, they get blasted to the point of their clothes disentigrating, but it's clearly meant for comedic purposes and not sexually. Trust me. He needed to be humbled.

Artstyle: Unique, leaning towards shounen. Heavily respects ONE's style while bringing it to a fuller depth and severely objectifying Reigen Arataka (he's in his late 20s). Not afraid to look raw or "ugly" (which is so refreshing).

Personal Review: Fuck you, this show is practically perfect. I don't have to say anything. You're on tumblr- Reigen is a god here. But seriously, just watch it. It's one of the few animes I wholeheartedly will recommend to anyone. If you can't appreciate it, it's just your loss. People who cry that "all anime has some caveat to it" to excuse shitty tropes? can eat shit. Mob Psycho is better than that AND your shitty harem anime.

Context: I watched this back in 2016 when it originally aired, and it was the fight with Teru (episode 4) that really got me hooked. Back then, ONE was the talk of the sphere for the recent release of One Punch Man S1 (Studio: Madhouse), and being the comedy fan that I am, I knew the humor was right up my alley. Season 1 was so fantastic that I immediately picked up the manga where it left off. All of us that were early fans used to convince people to watch it by saying, "If you liked OPM, this is the creator's piece he really put his heart into the story for!" Even after the manga ended with such a fulfilling ending, I was eager to see it again animated with BONES' gorgeous action animation skills. Some anime can manage being absolutely timeless, and I firmly believe Mob Psycho takes the cake.

Favorite Character: Reigen Arataka. I am not immune to grownass, loser men with hearts of gold (or at least when it counts). If anything, his entire character arc is becoming less of a loser since becoming Mob's role model, and you gotta love it.

Fandom: I never engaged with it, but it's impossible not to see on here. People are pretty wholesome from what I've seen (aside from objectifying Reigen, but he can have it. As a treat). Most takes include making Reigen a father figure (which I disagree on. Mob has a father. He needed a MENTOR. Big difference.) and the expected various shipping takes. The majority of characters are men, so it's mostly mlm. Most of the popular ships are pretty cute, so it's worth checking out if you enjoy shipping! Reigen is also memed to hell and back, and I miss Redraw Reigen days with all my heart. Great memes.

[astheworldgoesonitswickedway]

I'm officially here to rant about Fernald. (the hook-handed man) Please don't come for me but I think it's time we stop romanticizing the character and pretending he's something he isn't. Okay, I get it. He's funny. Genuinely funny, not just "they set up a few good jokes funny." I too, love his relationship with Sunny. And yes, like many of our characters he had a traumatic past. Let's get started with Anwhistle Aquatics. Here's the thing. The Medusoid Mycellium getting out could quite literally have started the apocalypse. Sure there was a cure, but who really has horseradish (or a substitute) on hand? Without widespread knowledge of the cure or the cure itself such a fast acting poison could have destroyed a good portion of the world. (I know it sounds dramatic but hey, the poison was created to kill in an hour, so it is that serious) Okay so, I understand why Fernald felt they had to be stopped. But at the very least he killed Gregor Anwhistle. Which killing people was the very thing he was trying to stop? What he did was wrong, but I suppose we can understand why someone would be driven to that if they felt the world was at stake. Again, so not saying it's okay. I am not condoning that. But this shows us he willingly participated in murder, and without Olaf. Which brings me to my greatest point. His actions WITH Olaf. This time around, there was no "do the ends justify the means" to blur the lines. For one, especially in the books but also in the show, Fernald displays not only willingness to participate in Olaf's many schemes, and allow the kids to be abused, he himself is unnecessarily cruel for no reason other than apparently, he enjoys being cruel. I always thought the Miserable Mill was maybe the best example of this but also the Carnivorous Carnival. For two, Fernald was accomplice to who knows how much murder and arson. So Fernald had a rough past, so did Olaf and we don't try to excuse him! So V.F.D. no doubt threw Fernald away after the Anwhistle Aquatics incident, and what that means joining Olaf is okay? No! Who knows what horrible things he did before the Baudelaires arrived on the scene, who knows how many murders Fernald participated in and even committed with his own hands. (or rather hooks you know what I mean) In the Slippery Slope, Olaf ordered Fernald to throw a baby off a cliff and Olaf certainly didn't seem to think he would have any trouble following that order. And hey, to make it personal, how about Monty?! We all love Monty. He was amazing. Unlike many others he cared about the Baudelaires and he would have been a great guardian to them. I think he would have told them everything once they got to Peru. Well you know what? Fernald participated in Monty's murder. Yeah, I get it. Olaf did the deed. Still. And I know what you're thinking, Fernald left Olaf's troupe. Well that was a half baked redemption arc if you ask me. Fernald didn't leave because he suddenly realized he was wrong and developed morals. Fernald left because Olaf would have hurt the one person in the world he actually cared about. And yes, I loved Fiona and Fernald being siblings. It was kind of sweet watching him protect her. But it seems from his point of view, murder and abuse is okay as long as it's someone else's sister. Just not his. Despite his sweet protectiveness, that's also really selfish. And it's the same logic he used for Sunny. His little soft spot for her makes me smile. It's actually adorable. BUT. It is also selfish. Hurting Sunny, a literal infant, was all fun and games until he cared about her. ( okay well in the show he was hesitant from the beginning and in the book I don't think he ever cared about her but still) And let's not forget the way book Fernald harassed Violet. Need any more be said about THAT? Anyway, in conclusion, I understand the fandoms draw to the character and I can appreciate the things about him which make us laugh and smile, and which make us WANT to like him. All I'm saying is we should probably acknowledge those things don't change the fact that like Olaf, he is a murderous villain.

[iwonderwh0]

I find it kinda crazy how so many -- what seems like majority of the people who talk about them -- believe in the possibility of some kind of happy ending for Emma and Daniel. Or apologise Daniel's actions to the point of straight out ignoring or denying them, like "oh yeah, what he did was really fucked up, I don't like it. Anyways isn't he sweet?"

Or then this thing. Forgiveness. I don't think it's possible, and frankly I don't think he deserves it? His actions can be understood, yes, but not forgiven, and that's what makes this whole tragedy all that much more compelling. I mean, I like his arc so much specifically because of how irreversible it, there's really nothing that could be undone about it, and I like it for how everyone involved in it was doomed by the really narrative and it wasn't really anyone's personal fault but the inevitable consequences of CyberLife selling people under disguise of gadgets. If this wouldn't have happened to Phillip's family it would just happen to someone else.

It seems like an unpopular opinion but I think Phillips's family didn't do anything wrong, or at least, buying another android wasn't a crime that deserved this prosecution. They didn't know androids aren't just what they are marketed as. And I really dislike the insistence on demonising them that I see. Dbh fandom in this sense is like David Cage himself -- prefers to humanise and empathise with androids but doesn't even attempt to give humans of the story the same treatment. Like each time I see their discourse only Daniel's POV is taken into account. But think about it from Emma's POV for a moment and answer again, do you seriously believe Emma could ever forgive him? Would you?

Like imagine one day your friend just grabs you, drags you passing the corpse of your father to the roof, proceeds to kill a few more people in process and on top of than threatens to kill you too, pressing a gun to your head and waving you from the roof of a fucking skyscraper.

Even suggesting forgiveness in this case is...I just don't get it, sorry.

You can enjoy characters who do fucked up unforgivable things without turning them into some fixed version of themselves or excusing and minimising everything they've done. Seriously.

[freesia-writes]

Howzer + Aurelia Ch. 3

Beginning with his shiny days, this story follows Howzer's character arc through some heartwarming romance, action, adventure, yearning, angst, and growth.

Master List of Chapters

Content/Trigger Warnings for Entire Work (individual chapters not labeled): wartime peril, injury, and death; sexual assault up to kissing; relationship passion up to making out and heavy petting; sexual relationship alluded to (smut is posted separately); pregnancy, birthing trauma, and stillbirth (chapters 30-39, can be skipped and still keep up with the story).

Word Count: 925

.

3. Potential

Aurelia wiped the cloth across the bar counter mindlessly as she watched an hourglass-shaped BD-3000 luxury droid moving to the beat with a predictable series of motions, fully holding the clone captain's attention as he bopped along next to her. A smile crept onto Aurelia's face, accompanied by the mild fondness she always felt at the clones' behaviors.

She had worked at 79s for a few months, considering it a "place holder" while she figured out a more long-term career plan. She simultaneously had far too many aspirations at once while also feeling overwhelmed and paralyzed by all of them, settling instead to cater to the needs of a rowdy crowd most nights while she daydreamed about the possibilities.

"Whatcha thinkin about, beautiful?" came an exceedingly smooth clone voice, bringing her back to reality, and her eyes snapped into focus to see Pivot leaning on the bar across from her. She smiled, swatting her washcloth at him playfully.

"Just pining for your return, of course," Aurelia responded quickly, flipping the cloth over her shoulder and bending down to prepare his usual drink. He had been coming there long before she started, and he was as comforting as he was harmless. She had initially been put off by what seemed like advances, but when she realized there was nothing behind them other than flattery and fun, she relaxed and played along.

"Well, feast your eyes," Pivot answered, sliding some credits across the counter to her as she poured the drink from the shaker into a highball glass. She plopped a couple bright berries on the top and pushed it toward him.

"Consider them feasted."

Pivot laughed, giving her a playful salute as he scooped up his glass and made his way back to his squad in a corner booth.

***

"I mean, if you think about it, it seems like such a simple solution," Howzer said, gesturing abstractly with one hand. "I can't wait to show them what some real strategy looks like."

"I'm sure they'll be grateful," purred the Mirialan next to him, cupping her face in her hand and resting an elbow on the table, looking up at him with admiration.

"Well, it's what we were made for," he answered, puffing up a bit more. This had been going surprisingly well, and he fought to keep his composure. "So, any other plans tonight?"

She shook her head demurely, muttering something about unpacking some cargo crates.

"I've got a little something you can unpack," Howzer chortled, "If you need some practice."

"Ugh," came the reply, and she quickly excused herself without another word. He leaned back in the booth, allowing a brief sigh before regathering himself and rising to his feet. He ambled to the bar counter, scanning the room for any familiar faces long the way and seeing none. He missed Sprint, who was his usual companion when his romantic pursuits came up empty, and consoled himself by imagining what sort of missions his brother may have been enjoying.

"Can I get you anything?"

Howzer looked up, finding the bartender waiting patiently across from him, wiping a glass as she regarded him with a slightly tilted head. Now this he could work with. He leaned jauntily against the counter, flashing his roguish grin and turning on the charm.

"Listen, I know you probably have a lot of questions, but before we dive in, you can go ahead and take a moment to soak it all in. I'm sure you're wondering how you, of all people, managed to find the best-looking clone, right here in your own bar."

Aurelia smirked at the blatant irony of his phrase, fully prepared with a tongue-in-cheek response, "'Best-looking clone'? Did they teach you about irony on Kamino?"

"They taught us about everything," Howzer returned evenly, "So if you've got any questions, I'd be happy to let you in on all the mysteries of the galaxy." He raised one eyebrow with a distinctly fiendish air, eyes roving from her curly black hair to her full lips. Her nose was a bit beakish, but she had pretty eyes, dark and intelligent.

"Wow. What an offer," she marveled, pressing the back of a hand to her forehead as if about to faint. This came with the territory, sure, but could also become tiresome. She yearned for any conversation of substance, but was realizing more and more that this was not the atmosphere for that. "In the meantime... Can I get you anything?"

"I'll take a fizz, thanks, but what about you? What are your wildest dreams?" Howzer inquired, eager to continue their exchange.

"To sit under a tree on a cloudy day and read poetry from an actual book," Aurelia answered without missing a beat. She turned to get a bottle from the refrigerator behind her, missing the flash of surprise on Howzer's face. He looked serious for a moment, something working its way through his brain, but was back to his cocky little show when she turned back around.

"Wow," he bantered, "What refined taste you have. I'll get right on that." He exchanged his credits for the bottle, then offered a hand, "The name's Howzer."

"Aurelia," she responded, shaking his hand and secretly hoping his desire for attention had been satisfied.

"Aurelia," he echoed, trying it on for size, "Fancy name for a fancy lady. Alright, Aurelia. I'll be seeing you. Try to hold it together until we meet again." Howzer popped the cap from the bottle, flipped it toward her like a coin, gave her a wink, and sauntered off.

Next Chapter

[empyrangel]

what’s your opinion on the raiden shogun/raiden ei, girl i gotta know

See, that one’s pretty complicated.

When I first played the Inazuma archon quest, I didn’t think much of her at first. Which makes sense considering we don’t hardly see her until the end. Then came the reveal about how the loss of her sister caused her to retreat into her headspace and leave the mortal plane behind. As someone with MaDD who spends most of my time in my own headspace to hide from life and problems, she really resonated with me. So after that I had a pretty positive view of her for a while, but then I started to notice how her character was handled post-archon quest, as well as the criticisms from the many people who dislike her.

They’d talk about how Ei had allowed her grief to consume her and abandoned Inazuma with a puppet for a leader. How she said that she knew about the vision hunt decree, and the fatui to starting the civil war and trying to give people delusions. She let all of that happen because it didn’t conflict with her pursuit of eternity. I realized that these were valid criticisms and agreed with them despite liking Ei. I don’t have a problem with morally dubious characters, as long as they are handled properly, but Ei was not.

I was hoping to enjoy seeing how her character would change after the end of the archon quest. Yes, she was grieving, yes, she suddenly had the burden of being the archon and ruler thrust upon her shoulders immediately after everything with the cataclysm, but that doesn’t excuse what she did. I was hoping to see Ei regain her belief in humanity by interacting with the people of modern day Inazuma, and see her people gradually regain their hope in her. I wanted to see her regret her past and put in the work to make up for it for the sake of her people. I wanted to see her apologize to them, to become an active ruler and participant in Inazuma society. I wanted to see her face the consequences of her actions with people rightfully angry at her for abandoning them, and see Ei determined to win back their trust because she cares about her subjects. I wanted to see her struggle to not fall back into her old mindset or to become disappointed and angry at how Inazuma has changed, and to persevere despite all that. That would have been a well written character, but that’s not what happened.

Instead, she got a hasty redemption arc, after which all her teeth and claws were immediately removed for the sake of making her more marketable. She was never confronted with her actions, no one was ever allowed to feel angry at her for what she did. We pretty much just moved on immediately from everything that happened. We see in certain limited time events that the people of Inazuma are still scared of Ei, but it’s played off like a joke.

I mean, I suppose Ei did have to fight the shogun (who symbolically represented her past self and ideals) for 500 years in that pocket dimension in her second sq, but we (the player/traveler) only saw the very beginning and very end of that, and the people of Inazuma never knew about any of that. I don’t want her to suffer just for the sake of suffering, so that didn’t really mean anything to me.

Some hardcore Ei stans have the counter argument that since Ei is both a totalitarian dictator and a god there isn’t anyone who can hold her accountable for anything, so expecting Ei to make change or make up for what she’s done is unrealistic. But I believe that her being unable to be held accountable is exactly what would make her having a real character arc so good. Since nobody can make Ei do anything, she’d have to hold herself accountable. She’d have to display the will to want to change without any punishment or incentive driving that. And I think that would just add to her character.

So I guess what I’m trying to say is that I love Ei in concept, but not the execution. I love her potential, I love what she could have been, but not who she turned out to be.

As for the Raiden Shogun, since she’s a different person than Ei, I guess I just feel sorry for her. I don’t think about her very much, but I like how you can see the differences in personality between her and when Ei is controlling her, with Ei being more casual, soft-spoken, and friendly, and the Shogun being more cold, withdrawn, and serious. I mean she was created by Ei and then immediately left to rule Inazuma herself as Ei had disappeared into her headspace. And she doesn’t have autonomy, she can only follow whatever parameters Ei has coded into her. That sounds like a sad life.

[aegon-the-elder]

Tom delivers a wonderful portrayal, and George's praise for his performance is well-deserved. You said that Tom has mentioned in the past that Aegon can be more calculating and manipulative than he appears. However, it would be more convincing if we had seen that fully reflected in previous seasons. My issue isn’t with Tom or his interpretation—it’s with the general approach some cast members take toward the source material or being unfamiliar with the lore, even though they've worked with it for years. During the S2 press tour, it was frustrating to hear actors express surprise or show unfamiliarity with their characters' arcs when these events are clearly outlined in the books. Given that S3 hasn’t even started filming, this lack of familiarity is concerning, considering what lies ahead. In the books, Aegon is absent for a significant portion of the story. Major events like the Battle of the Gullet, the sack of Tumbleton, the burning of the Riverlands, the events of KL, and the fall of Harrenhal are plots we might see in S3. Due to CGI limitations, it’s possible that we might not even see the confrontation between Aemond and Daemon. So we might see very little of Aegon next season, and when he returns, he will continue to commit more crimes before his eventual death. The full scale of the war hasn't been shown yet in the series. Most of these characters commit atrocities and then die, often without any redeeming qualities. Very few of them are good or innocent, and even fewer meet a heroic end. While I enjoy the show and appreciate certain creative interpretations, it would be nice if cast members didn’t feel the need to justify or redeem characters whose actions are clearly reprehensible or when they are unfamiliar with the lore. Complexity in characters is good, but trying to highlight redeemable qualities feels misplaced when we know the horrific things they do and how their stories ultimately end. They are war criminals, and that is fine. They are horrible people, and that is fine. It's fine

Thanks again for stopping by!

We agree that actors should probably familiarize themselves with the original story of whatever work is being adapted. It doesn't necessarily lead to a bad performance, but it can cause a disconnect from what greatet purpose the character serves in the story, rather than a 1-minute scene in an episode they filmed months ago.

There are also things in the show that we never get to see. Scenes that were written, then cut. Scenes that were filmed, then cut. Whether they can be considered canon or not us up to the individual. But I think it's fair to say that there are a lot of off-screen things that lead to an actors interpretation of a character as well. Unfortunately, what makes the cut and what the audience sees is out of their control and that creates an even bigger disconnect with us and even between the actors and writers themselves.

I also think I should clarify that when I said Tom read the Aegon bits of the story, I wasn't talking about specific scenes Aegon was in. Rather, the whole Dance upon until Aegon’s death is what he's read. It's certainly possible he's read beyond that, but I don't think he's said. But needless to say, he definitely knows what atrocities are about to take place.

As far as the others, well... I would hope they know. I am only talking about Tom. I honestly don't pay much attention to what the others have to say about their characters, so I'll take your word for it that they're quite unfamiliar with the work. And that sucks.

And I will jump off a bridge if we don't get the Battle Above the Gods Eye.

I agree that some of these characters don't have any redeeming qualities. No amount of good can excuse the crimes they've committed. Some characters are just villains, through and through. But I don't think it hurts to dissect a character to try and fully understand their motives. If that includes finding the– I don't know... "better" traits of a character, that can certainly help.

Tom has said Aegon is a bad person. Tom has said he doesn't want us to feel bad for him or think he's a good guy. Him finding the things in Aegon that causes him to do these horrible things is not at all a defense of his character or a plea to the audience to redeem or forgive him. It's just him figuring out why the monster came to be. And the "good" parts of a character can often connect to the bad parts as well.

Aaaaand you got cut off. If you have anything else to say, we can talk outside of my asks privately if you want. This isn't an argument for me, so I'm cool with it. Just let me know!

[diamondcitydarlin]

I'm not gonna tag this because shadows fandom loves to be contrarian and base their metas directly on people who didn't like things while calling them stupid and shallow and whatever (because apparently I can't not like the way a thing was written without directly insulting someone else who did?? Or being stupid? make it make sense) but I honestly am all for Guillermo being and staying a human. I've been all for it since day one, honestly. To me, everything about his story from the first episode, first season suggests that this is the kind of idealized dream he's going to wake up from eventually and realize it's not everything he wanted. I've always been 100% on board with that, especially with the reveal that he was a vampire hunter which came with its own set of powers. In fact, I was working on a fic a couple years ago that I intend to return to that is ALL about Guillermo finally eschewing his dreams of vampirism for a purpose that better fulfills him etc.

So no, my problem with this last episode is not that 'Guillermo needs to stay a vampire or it's bad writing phwah', my problem is with the swiftness that all of this happens, coupled with the fact that Guillermo is between a rock and a hard place and more or less just being guided into place by what everyone else in the situation thinks is best for him. Despite the fact that he literally DRINKS BLOOD FROM A CUP to fully come into his vampire powers naught but a few scenes before, the fact that he cannot bring himself to drain a human directly from the tap until dead (which I still don't think makes a lot of sense on it's own but fine) is treated as this insurmountable problem they can't possibly get over so, obviously, he needs to be reverted via Derek's death (a character who also doesn't deserve that). Can't just let him drink blood from cups or bottles for a while. Can't just let him half drain someone but not to the point of death. Maybe at least to give him some time to decide??? Maybe give him better reasons (of which there are many) to decide to revert? He has been idolizing this for most of his life, after all, I just think it's a shame that we're meant to accept that ONE moment of revulsion towards killing someone (KILLING SOMEONE OF ALL THINGS) is enough to make him just nope out completely. That's a disservice to him and what he's capable of, if you ask me.

See, I of course enjoyed the deliciousness of the whole cheating/sex parallel to Guillermo being bitten by someone else, loved that, I'm just not sure how I feel about that storyline ending with Nandor being like 'im gonna forgive you for this but only because you're too much of a stupid little baby to know what you want, but I know what you want better than you do, now lemme kill the guy you cheated on me with real quick ok' LIKE. I KNOW that they are toxic I KNOW they are unhealthy, but Guillermo is a character that has constantly been struggling with his own agency, often seizing it on his own by very aggressive means, often being shown as smarter and more capable than most of the household, and for this storyline to just end with Nandor 'fixing' it all because Guillermo's just too dumb to know what's best for him...IDK YALL. DIDN'T LIKE IT. I can see how people would find it romantic and I do think it's meant to be but...nope. I don't find that romantic lmao I find that insulting and patronizing. Maybe that's the point? But it wasn't funny either. Or interesting, really. (The Freddie stuff was fucked up but at least it was funny to some degree lol)

I guess my point is that I wish there had been more time spent on this. We can't keep excusing these cop-out, rushed and dropped storylines on 'well it's a goofy show' because yes, it's ALWAYS been a goofy show I get it, but there's no denying that seasons 1-3 did a better job of holding on to arcs and creating consequences for the characters as a result of these arcs and their actions, such as the Vampire Council tricking them into custody after a season of Guillermo killing a bunch of vampires etc. There's precedent in this GOOFY GOOFY show to think that there will be follow through and consequences of characters actions etc, so no, it doesn't come from nowhere and it's not people just seeing what they want to or whatever.

I do kind of think this was rushed because the next season will most likely be the last, but even if that is true, I don't see why we couldn't have dedicated more time to it in this next season. It's deflating, it's boring, it sucks that one of the main narrative questions of the show 'Will Guillermo transform or not?' has been answered with what I find to be more or less a wet fart that doesn't even really make sense or fully take into account who the characters are and what they're capable of.

Yes, it's a goofy show that is usually just episodic moments of whatever crazy shenanigans the vampires will get into today, but it used to be elevated and tied together by story arcs and narrative consequences that would, eventually, sooner or later, show up for the characters to deal with. It used to be arcs that spanned episodes of Guillermo coming into his power and feeling conflicted about his dreams versus his destiny. It used to be the Vampire Council or the Baron being a certain kind of existential threat. It used to give us the idea that while funny stuff was happening, buckle up, because it's going to get REAL in the last few episodes.

But now that's uh...more or less just not a thing anymore. Everything is dealt with in a 25 min runtime and there are no consequences for anything that last or mean anything. To me, that sucks, and not in a cool vampire way lmao.

[fallowhearth]

Ongoing web serial reviews...

Mother of Learning by nobody103

I actually finished this one, which is itself a good review. The story is based around a timeloop, which can be a tricky proposition, but is handled well here. The author successfully keeps things interesting from loop to loop while staying congruent with the protagonist's characterisation.

This story is kind of... Stylistically boring. By which I mean kind of boring as a style choice, rather than unintentionally dull. The protagonist, Zorian, is the world's most boring teenage boy. He loves studying. There are no quips or flashy action scenes, and even the more outlandish set pieces display a kind of restraint. The writing style is generally quite plain without much ornamentation or personal style, but on the other hand does get the job done without being obtrusive. If you like straight forward but competent writing that does not call attention to itself, you will probably do well here. On the other hand, if you like a high octane story with lots of emotional highs and lows, you probably won't find this compelling.

Despite generally enjoying this, I have a few critiques to make. The author falls short in a way common to a lot of newer writers, in that they do not write the bits they don't enjoy writing. This is fine up to a point especially if you are aiming at fannish. It becomes a problem when the story is set up to telegraph certain beats, but these do not land because the author avoids writing those scenes. In Mother of Learning, that was really obvious in the scenes where characters' interpersonal conflicts came to a head. There were a lot of substantial conflicts set up with some real emotional stakes! But then I get the impression the author does not enjoy writing conflict, because the actual scenes were anticlimactic and didn't really resolve anything. Characters would back away from conflict in ways that belied their established characterisation. Characters were suddenly hit with the emotional intelligence stick out of nowhere for no reason, so the author did not have to play out actual conflicts. In aggregate it means that the character arcs in this serial were unsatisfying and largely unresolved.

There were also some pacing issues in the first half; it takes way too long for Zorian to discuss things with Zach. My sense is that this relates to my previous observation - I don't think the author wanted to write this story transition, or did not feel confident about doing so, and subsequently came up with a lot of excuses for why Zorian did not move to the obvious next plot beat. A valiant effort was made but this did not read like character choice but author avoidance. On a personal level, it also just annoys me when plots stall because characters who have every in-universe reason to talk to each other do not. You can write a compelling story with characters who know different things and do not share them, it's just a higher degree of difficulty and requires a real ability to inhabit characters' perspectives. Mother of Learning was just not that kind of story, so this part dragged.

It's also interesting that the author notes they started writing Mother of Learning as a world building exercise, because I found the world to be fairly generic. There were some mildly interesting gestures toward the existence of an economy, but the main character is not interested in history or politics or culture or sociology etc so these topics don't come up. What we see of the world is mostly surface level and often borrowed from other works. I never got the sense that the inciting events and the variously involved factions were emergent from the material and social conditions of the world. People just kind of do things to create the plot.

From the length of this post and the generally critical tone, you would be forgiven for assuming I didn't like it. But if I didn't enjoy it I would have stopped reading and never given it much thought. There was enough here to hold my interest, and enough substance to bother picking out the elements that did not work for me. The author was writing this for a decade; they don't seem to have any other stories up at present, but I'm really interested to see what they will do next. They seemed to be fairly young when it started. They've no doubt grown a lot as a writer and a person in that time.