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cantcompetewhereudontcompare · 2 months ago

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A BRIEF ANALYSIS OF HARRY STYLES LYRICS

I've been thinking about how to approach the last part of the Louis' songwriting deconstruction (Part I, Part II, Part III, plus a bonus).

I mulled over different ways to go about it, and ultimately decided that before I delve into an analysis of Louis' lyrics, I need to analyze some of Harry's. Why? Because, as I said multiple times, I hate hypocrisy, so if I'm going to pick apart an artist's work, I need to show what my criteria is with art that I appreciate and like. Otherwise, I could very well cherry pick and be unfair, and that's not what I'm about.

Because we've established that Louis isn't really the one writing the music or melodies, I'm going to leave musicality, chord progressions, instrumentation, etc, out of this analysis and only focus on lyrics. But let me be clear, Harry is very intentional with that part of his music, and taking that part of the composition off this analysis is in detriment of his overall "score".

In fact, in my entire time as a fan of his, I thought Harry's lyrics were his weak point while his strength was melodies and instrumentation, and I while I haven't necessarily changed my mind, after analyzing his lyrics in a deeper way with poetic structure and rhyming schemes in mind, I've come to the conclusion that I underestimated him in that regard. His melodies and instrumentation are still the best ingredient, but his lyrics aren't as far behind as I originally thought they were.

I'm going to analyze Harry's songs by the following metrics:

Poetic intent: 1- Rhyming schemes and patterns 2- Effectivity and comfortability of the rhymes 3- Syllable distribution and cadence

Vocabulary*

Clichés, commonplaces, and overused tropes

Nonsensical elements and overall storytelling

Theme and execution of it

*In regards to vocabulary, initially I wanted to use the CEFR levels, but all the online tests I could find gave me the same result for every song, so it just became a useless metric. I wanted this to be impartial, but my own biased opinion will have to suffice.

In all regards, the benchmark I'm using is your average pop song, not a masterpiece work of art by the best lyricists of our lifetime. Essentially, I'm grading on a curve. Some metrics will have a baseline that's a 7 and gets upped or lowered. Some others will start at a 10 and get lowered if they mess up. I'll explain my thought process for each as I make my case for the first song.

Harry has recorded and released 35 songs total, and Louis has too (in the second part of this series I said he'd recorded and released 34, but that was not including Copy Of A Copy Of A Copy, which wasn't recorded in a studio but is part of his live album). That amounts to a grand total of 70 works. I simply won't be analyzing that many songs, so I'll pick a handful.

For both of them, the choices will be songs that I find interesting or think are their strengths. I promise I won't cherry pick the best of one and worst of the other. You're welcome to suggest other songs that you think represent Louis' strengths better.

When I type down the analysis this type of metric: [10S] will mean the amount of syllables of the line.

ONLY ANGEL

POETIC INTENT

VERSE 1 Open up your eyes, shut your mouth and see [11S] That I'm still the only one who's been in love with me [14S] I'm just happy getting you stuck in between my teeth [13S] And there's nothing I can do about it [10S] Broke a finger knocking on your bedroom door[11S] I got splinters in my knuckles crawling 'cross the floor [13S] Couldn't take you home to mother in a skirt that short[13S] But I think that's what I like about it [10S]

The stanza has 8 lines, which are neatly divided in two groups of four by both rhyming pattern and syllable distribution. The rhyming pattern is A A A B C C C B, syllable distribution is 47+47.

This is mirrored in the second verse:

VERSE 2 I must admit I thought I'd like to make you mine [12S] As I went about my business through the warning signs[13S] End up meetin' in the hallway every single time [12S] And there's nothin' we can do about it [10S] Told it to her brother and she told it to me [11S] That she's gonna be an angel, just you wait and see [13S] When it turns out she's a devil in between the sheets [13S] And there's nothing she can do about it [hey, hey] [10S]

Once again, the stanza has an A A A B C C C B rhyming pattern with a 47 + 47 syllable distribution.

All the other elements of this song (mainly chorus and bridge) are repetitive and playing into the instrumentation and the melody first and foremost. There isn't a rhyming pattern to analyze.

Rhyming schemes and patterns:

The verses have an interesting rhyming pattern. It's clearly not half-haphazarldly through together, but actually well thought out and with intent. It's not your run-of-the-mill rhyming pattern (those are usually A A B B or A B A B). There's something disruptive about the "about its". While I can't rate the chorus or bridge, I'm not going to deduct points for that, because if I were analyzing the music alongside the lyrics, they would be elevated by it, so while I can't add extra points for that, I think subtracting them would be unfair.

For this metric, the baseline will be a 7, and I'll be adding or subtracting points on that baseline.

Score: 9/10

Effectivity and comfortability of the rhymes:

They're good. Not amazing, but good. None of them blows my mind, but none of them are uncomfortable or feel forced either.

With this metric I'm starting at a 7 for "average pop song" and adding or subtracting points from that baseline.

Score: 7/10

Syllable distribution and cadence:

I'm not gonna lie, the symmetry is really appealing to me.

This score is pretty arbitrary. it's a very random metric, that will only apply to very specific songs. I'll start off with a 7 and add points if it stands out. Most songs will just be a 7.

Score: 9/10

Vocabulary:

It's good. It's not Bob-Dylan-esque good. It's not even Alex Turner good. But it's good. The scores here are in comparison to the average pop song, and I think Only Angel's vocabulary is slightly more elevated than the average pop song.

A standout lyric to me is "I must admit I thought I'd like to make you mine, as I went about my business through the warning signs." He's saying, "You may have all the red flags, but I have my rose-colored glasses on, so all I see is flags" in a more sophisticated way.

For this metric, I'm starting at a 7 for "typical pop song vocabulary" and adding or subtracting points based on that.

Score: 8/10

Clichés, commonplaces, and overused tropes:

When it turns out she's the devil in between the sheets.

This is the only cliché I can identify in this song. I can't expect singers to never include clichés, but I will take notice of them, and if overused, deduct points. Also, the clichés have to make sense with the rest of the song. In this case, it fits perfectly.

Would calling her an angel be classified as a cliché? Meh, that would mean literally every love song is a cliché.

The rest of the song is a well-executed romantic-adjacent song that doesn't rely on clichés.

For this metric, I'm starting off at 10 and deducting points for clichés.

Score: 9/10

Nonsensical elements and overall storytelling:

There are no nonsensical elements to this song. It's pretty well contained within its logic. It presents a relationship that isn't serious, but sexual in nature. While the lover's brother and the speaker's mother are mentioned, it's not to allude to a serious relationship, but the opposite. The speaker's mother is mentioned in the context of not taking the lover to meet her. The lover tells her brother that she's "gonna be an angel," but the speaker tells us that's not what ends up happening.

Even the sentence "end up meeting in the hallway every single time," which could sound a bit nonsensical, actually ties the second verse to the first ("broke a finger knocking on your bedroom door"). This sentence also ties back to another song on the same album (Meet Me In The Hallway), which I think is a nice touch.

It's pretty cohesive.

As with the last metric, with this one I'm starting at 10 and deducting points for nonsense or bad storytelling.

Score: 10/10

Theme and execution of it:

As I said earlier, it's a romantic-adjacent song that doesn't rely on typical and overused tropes, which makes it a little different. There isn't an allusion to a serious relationship, but rather, to one that's mainly sexual, which probably helps, as it's typically not that explored within the pop genre.

There's a very vivid image of him at her door, knocking vigorously until he gets hurt, then falling to his knees and crawling, and in that context running into her. The element of "every single time" gives us insight on this being a repeated occurrence.

Starting a romantic adjacent song by declaring that not only has the lover never been in love with the speaker, but also, that nobody else has, is really clever to me. It's self-deprecating and introduces us to an interesting theme, which flips the expectations of what a popstar might sing about, in terms of love, in its head.

I'm starting off this one at 7 for the average pop song. Elements that elevate it will better the score, elements that make it overdone, or nonsensical will lower it.

Score: 9/10

FINAL THOUGHTS:

Only Angel is not a lyrical masterpiece, but it's elevated by its innovative approach at a theme and rhyming structure. It's obviously well thought and its author knows about poetry and applied their knowledge correctly.

Score: 61/70 = A-

CAROLINA

POETIC INTENT

VERSE 1 She's got a family in Carolina So far away, but she says I remind her of home Feelin', oh, so far from home She never saw herself as a West Coaster Moved all the way 'cause her grandma told her"Townes, better swim before you drown"

The rhyming scheme in this verse is a combination of perfect rhymes ("Townes", which is pronounced "Town," and "drown"), repetition ("home"), and assonant rhymes. Assonant rhymes are those that sound similar when spoken but don't look similar in paper. There are assonant rhymes in Only Angel, but they look more similar, so they're more obvious to the untrained eye.

I recommend you listen to the song to check for yourself. Listen to how he says the words "Carolina" and then "I remind her," and then do the same thing with "as a West Coaster" and "grandma told her."

Let's rearrange some things to measure the syllables.

VERSE 1 She's¹ got² a³ fam⁴-i⁵-ly⁶ in⁷ Car⁸-o⁹-lina¹⁰ [10S] So¹ far² a³-way,⁴ but⁵ she⁶ says⁷ I⁸ re⁹-mind¹⁰ her¹¹ [11S] [of] home,¹ feel²-in',³ oh,⁴ so⁵ far⁶ from⁷ home⁸ [8S] She¹ nev²-er³ saw⁴ her⁵-self⁶ as⁷ a⁸ West⁹ Coas¹⁰-ter¹¹ [11S] Moved¹ all² the³ way⁴ 'cause⁵ her⁶ grand⁷-ma⁸ told⁹ her¹⁰ [12S] "Townes,¹ bet²-ter³ swim⁴ be⁵-fore⁶ you⁷ drown⁸" [8S]

The rhyming scheme is A A BB C C DD. I put [of] between brackets because it's there for grammar reasons he glues it to "home" in practice. Once again, as with Only Angel, you can divide this verse into two neat groups of 28 syllables.

B and D are examples of what's called "internal rhymes."

Verse 2 is even more technically intricate, and this time, it doesn't mirror verse 1.

VERSE 2 She's got a book for every sit-u-a-tion [10S] Gets in-to par-ties with-out in-vi-ta-tion [11S] How could you e-ver turn her down? [8S] There's not a drink that I think could sink her [10S] How would I tell her that she's all I think a-bout? [12S] Well, I guess she just found out [7S]

This rhyming scheme is amazing. A A BB CCC D D. It's a thing of dreams. There's two pairs of perfect rhymes ("situation" + "invitation" and "about" + "out"), a trio of perfect rhymes ("drink", "think", "sink"), and a pair of near rhymes ("how" + "down").

While the rhyming scheme differs between stanzas, the syllable structure is once again mirrored, with two groups of 29 syllables each.

BRIDGE I met her once and wrote a song about her I wanna scream, yeah, I wanna shout it out And I hope she hears me now

A AA AA is the rhyming scheme here. "Shout," "out," and "about" are perfect rhymes, they all share the same vowel: /aʊ/ and the same consonant /t/. "Hope" and "now" are assonant rhymes, with each other and with the rest.

As with Only Angel, the chorus is repetitive and elevated by the music. So I won't be adding or deducting points.

Rhyming schemes and patterns:

😍 I'm in love.

Score: 10/10

Effectivity and comfortability of the rhymes:

This type of rhymes are more common in hip-hop and a lot less common in pop music. Alex Turner is famously inspired by hip-hop, which is what encouraged him to do internal and assonant rhymes and whenever he could. I'm using Teddy Picker (a song Louis called out) as an example because it's very rich in it:

Another variation on a theme A tangle on the television and the magazine D'you reckon that they do it for a joke? D'you reckon that they make 'em take an oath That says that "We are defenders of any poser Or professional pretender around"

On its face, only "defenders" and "pretenders" should rhyme, but actually listen to the song. Listen how he pronounces every word and you'll see. Particularly eye-opening is how he pronounces "professional" with the stress on the last syllable, which changes the vowel to an open sound that rhymes with "we are."

Anyway, back to Harry, I'm not very used to this type of usage of rhyming in pop music, and I absolutely love it.

The fact that none of these are awkward, or cliché, or overdone. But also feel completely natural and like they just flow with the cadence of the song. No notes.

Score: 10/10

Syllable distribution and cadence:

I don't need to keep yapping.

Score: 10/10

Vocabulary:

In my humble opinion, the vocabulary is slightly better than the average pop song.

Score: 8

Clichés, commonplaces, and overused tropes:

The concept of "she's a good girl" and writing a song for someone you just met.

Is "she's got a book for every situation" a commonplace? I don't think so, right? It sounds like it should be, just like "there's not a drink that I think could sink her." The images these words elicit are so vivid, one would think these commonplaces already exist, but I can't find evidence of it. Don't get me wrong, I'm not going to claim that Harry was the first person ever to put these words together, but they certainly weren't widespread clichés.

Searching "book for every situation" (without quotes) and limiting the search to before the album came out yields no relevant results.}

I'm deducting two points and adding one for creating a sentence that sounds like it should be a cliché but isn't. Sorry, I don't make the rules.

Score: 9/10

Nonsensical elements and overall storytelling:

The logic within the song is solid. There are no nonsensical elements, no parts that were just added to bulk up the lyrics, no leaps of logic. The storytelling is excellent. He meets a girl once, she's exciting, and unique, and different, and after the date is over, he can't stop thinking about her, so he writes her a song without telling her he's doing it. She'll find out when she hears it.

Score: 10/10

Theme and execution of it:

The theme is a new spin on the typical love song (such as Only Angel was) and I think it's perfectly executed. It's not a magical concept, but it's cute.

Score: 8/10

FINAL THOUGHTS:

While I personally like Only Angel better, I'm trying not to be biased, and I think Carolina is a tighter song in terms of lyrics. It's very cohesive, the vocabulary is above average, the rhyming scheme is well thought out and done.

Score: 65/70 = A

GOLDEN

POETIC INTENT

VERSE 1 Gold-en, gold-en, gold-en as I o-pen my eyes [12S] Hold it, fo-cus, ho-ping, take me back to the light [12S] I know you were way too bright for me [9S] I'm hope-less, bro-ken, so you wait for me in the sky [13S] Browns my skin just right [5S] You're so golden [4S]

This stanza has two groups of rhymes that parallel each other throughout. The green rhymes are a mishmash of perfect rhymes with both the vowel /aɪ/ and the consonant /t/, and assonant rhymes where just the vowel rhymes.

The blue rhymes, however, are more complex. The single-syllable words "know" and "browns" are rhyming the vowel /oʊ/ (though, typically, "browns" would use the vowel /aʊ/, the way Harry pronounces, especially with a silent "S" makes it match with the rest).

The double-syllable rhymes, however, are compound rhymes, rhyming the vowels on both syllables. In Golden, the vowel for the first syllable is /oʊ/, and for the second one, /ə/. I'm not claiming every double-syllable rhyme here shares the /ə/ vowel because clearly they don't, but the way it's pronounced makes it rhyme. "Golden", "open", "broken". and "focus" do share them, though. Hopeless uses the /ɛ/ vowel, while "hold it" and "hoping" use the /ɪ/ vowel. Pronunciation, melody, and context makes it so all of these are compound rhymes.

The first two lines mirror each other perfectly, with each "golden" in the first line corresponding with a second line rhyme. "Gold-en" + "Hold it". "Gold-en" + "fo-cus". "Gold-en" + "ho-ping." and then ending both lines with an assonant rhyme ("eyes" and "light"). Both are also 12 syllables. In fact, the fourth line closely mirrors 1 and 2, while it doesn't fully do it (and there's a reason that we'll explore later), it does mirror the amount of syllables. It has 13 syllables, but if you listen to the song the "I'm" is sang alongside "for me".

The rhyming scheme here is AAAB AAAB AB AAB AB A.

VERSE 2 I don't wan-na be a-lone [7S] I don't wan-na be a-lone when it ends [10S] Don't wan-na let you know [6S] I don't wan-na be a-lone [7S] But I can feel it take a hold [8S] I can feel you take con-trol [7S] Of who I am and all I've e-ver known [10S] Lov-in' you's the an-ti-dote [7S] Gold-en [2S]

This stanza is simpler than the last one, though that's not saying much because the last one was kind of insane. All the blue words rhyme with each other through the vowel /oʊ/ making these assonant rhymes, but "alone" and "ends" also rhyme, through the consonant /n/, making this a consonant rhyme ("ends" such as "browns" gets the "silent s" treatment from Harry). It's likely this rhyme is added for effect. A rhyme that separates itself from the rest, to show us how final and serious he is about it "ending."

This one would be a A AB A A A A A A A pattern. Chef's kiss.

As typical for Harry (and for a lot of pop artists!) the bridge and chorus of this song don't really have a rhyming pattern worth analyzing and play a lot with instrumentals and melodies.

Rhyming schemes and patterns:

Having two separate rhymes going at the same time, one of them being mostly compound rhymes, while also being coherent and intentional with your vocabulary isn't exactly easy. The first verse is incredible. The second one is not bad at all, just a little less impressive.

Score: 9.5/10

Effectivity and comfortability of the rhymes:

What would earn negative points here, would be uncomfortable rhymes, where you add a word simply because it rhymes even if it doesn't make sense or sounds awkward. Or rhymes where it technically rhymes, but it sounds awkward to the ear. What earns positive points is internal rhyming, unexpected or clever rhyming, assonant rhyming that you'd never expect to rhyme, etc.

Golden does neither of these things, so I'll give it a neat 7.5. It's good, but it's not mindblowing. It earns a 0.5+ for somehow doing a whole scheme including the word "antidote" and have it make perfect sense.

Score: 7.5/10

Syllable distribution and cadence:

The first verse is a 10/10 the second one gets points for congruity.

Score: 8.5/10

Vocabulary:

It's okay. Nothing revolutionary. Sliiightly better than the average pop song.

Score: 7.5/10

Clichés, commonplaces, and overused tropes:

I can't think of any. Self-deprecation, though not a novelty is not exactly a staple of pop culture. Usually the singer tells us why the lover is either perfect or at fault. Songs where the singer believes they're not good enough are rarer. That alone makes Golden stand out. There are also no commonplaces or idioms that I can identify.

Score: 10/10

Nonsensical elements and overall storytelling:

There aren't any nonsensical elements. No words just added there to fill a void that don't make sense. No leaps of logic, nothing like that.

Its storytelling is actually really good. I can't analyze the music side of it, for the reasons I already mentioned, but it definitely plays a role in storytelling.

Strictly lyrics, though, in the first verse he's describing the feeling of being dazzled by a bright light when you're not used to them. You open your eyes and you have to squeeze them shut because it's so bright. He's looking at it, and it's "golden, golden, golden." As his eyes get used to it, he's asking her to "hold it", he's "focusing" and he's "hoping" that he can get back to that light, which seems to be moving away. But as the verse progresses, he tells us that, in reality, he always knew she (the light) was too bright for him. He's not hoping anymore, he's hopeless, and he's not holding anymore, he's broken. She's no longer near him, she's now in the sky. And as the sun, in the sky, it browns his skin.

Once you break down the verse this way, it's heartbreaking. He went from having her next to him, blinding him, to moving away from him. And he tries to stay with her, but eventually realizes it simply isn't possible. She's now distant, in the sky. She's still present, browning his skin, affecting him, still, but she's further away.

In the second verse, he's grippling with the fact that this distance will only grow bigger. And he's anguished about the inevitable reality of ending up alone, which he now is sure will happen. He tells us through repetition exactly how anguished he is about it. Despite this, despite knowing this relationship will inevitably end, he tells us that she still has a hold of him and how important she is to him.

It's beautiful storytelling, using a metaphor to retell the ending of a relationship. To be able to write something so compelling while also using such beautiful poetry is a gift.

Score: 10/10

Theme and execution of it:

This is a "love song" but as I said before, it's not your typical one. It has a self-deprecating angle that's not too experimented with. As I just detailed, too, it's very well-executed. I think the angle it takes for storytelling is fresh and interesting.

Score: 9/10

FINAL THOUGHTS:

I'm so mad I can't analyze music with this song, because hooo boy does the music play a huge role in this one. All I can say is that it's a great song.

Score: 62/70 = B+ (the music would elevate this to an A+)

LOVE OF MY LIFE

POETIC INTENT

VERSE 1 Things hav-en't been quite the same [7S] There's a haze on the ho-ri-zon, babe [9S] It's on-ly been a cou-ple of days and I miss you, [13S] When noth-ing re-al-ly goes to plan [9S] You stub your toe or break your cam-era [9S] I'll do ev-ery-thing I can to help you through [11S]

The words "same", "haze, "babe", and "days" are all assonant rhymes through the vowel /eɪ/. "Plan" and "can" share the /æ/ vowel. "You", "do" and "through" all have the /uː/ vowel. This leaves you with a A AA AB C BCB rhyming pattern. There's a single line left out with no rhymes. This would be normal for any other pop star, but not really for Harry, especially if every other line is full of rhymes. So why? Because that line is representing "nothing really going to plan."

It even sounds a little out of place when he sings it. That's on purpose. Artists that do this, hiding the meaning of the lyrics in the poetry, are my absolute favorite, and I had never noticed Harry did this until right about now.

VERSE 2 I've nev-er been a fan of change [8S] But I'd fol-low you to an-y place [9S] If it's Hol-ly-wood or Bish-ops-gate, I'm com-ing, too [13S]

The second verse is very short and sweet, and filled to the brim with rhymes. Having two parallel rhymes and one of them including the word BISHOPSGATE. I commend him, really.

He does the bit of representing the lyrics with poetry again, "I'm coming too" has an assonant rhyme with "Hollywood." It's not an exact thing, but the vowels /ʊ/ and /u/ have a very similar rounded sound from the back of the mouth.

I've always thought that he intended this song to be about Olivia Wilde (he started writing it before he met her, but he kept retouching it over the months, case in point "you break your camera"), who lived in Hollywood and moved to London with her kids. There was a whole conflict with her kids' dad about that, specifically, so Harry is telling her "either way, I'll be there." There's a slight mention of this in As It Was ("leave America, two kids follow her"). Curiously, the As It Was music video was filmed in the Barbican, which is right next to Bishopsgate. Harry and Olivia spent a bunch of time in or around Bishopsgate (almost anyone in London would, to be fair).

Anyway, rhyming scheme A AB AB.

CHORUS We've been doin' all this late-night talkin' 'Bout anything you want until thе morning Now you're in my life I can't get you off my mind

Nothing too impressive here, but it's rare for Harry to not just vibe with the music in the chorus. So we have rhymes in a chorus for the first time! (Not really the first time — I'm being facetious — even Sign of the Times' chorus is full of rhymes). Rhyming scheme AA AA B B.

Rhyming schemes and patterns:

The device of using not-rhyming to communicate part of the lyrics is really clever and I really like it. Other than that, the schemes are good, but not mindblowing. The first verse is really cool, though.

Score: 8.5/10

Syllable distribution and cadence:

Okay! Nothing mindblowing. Nothing too intentional. It's okay.

Score: 7/10

Effectivity and comfortability of the rhymes:

Listen, he managed to rhyme BISHOPSGATE seamlessly. Give him props, for the love of god.

Score: 8.5/10

Vocabulary:

Better than your average pop song — not exactly the reincarnation of David Bowie, but better than average. "There's a haze in the horizon" gets an extra point.

Score: 8/10

Clichés, commonplaces, and overused tropes:

I mean, there are very common elements, such as following your lover everywhere and...

"I can't get you off my mind"

But it's the type of commonplace you expect in a pop song. So I'll allow it (I'll still deduct a point, though).

Score: 9/10

Nonsensical elements and overall storytelling:

Storytelling through rhymes, are you kidding? And also, nothing is nonsensical. And he manages to tell a coherent story.

Score: 10/10

Theme and execution of it:

It's cute, not super overdone but also not overly original.

Score: 7/10

FINAL THOUGHTS:

This is one of my least favorite songs by Harry (I still like it a lot), but I chose it because I thought it was interesting how he incorporated the rhyming in the storytelling (he kinda did that with Golden, but very subtly). And I wanted to include at least one chorus with a rhyming scheme. Lyrically, Matilda, Boyfriends, Love Of My Life, and Music For A Sushi Restaurant are much better (off this album). Also, low key Keep Driving. But Late Night Talking is still a very good pop song.

Score: 58/70 = B

Overall, Harry is a compelling songwriter who tends to put thought into his rhyming schemes and intent behind his lyrics. He, perhaps, overuses repetition (less so now than before) and could elevate his vocabulary and themes a little bit, but I would say that his lyrics are actually better than average and he doesn't get enough credit for them because people tend to either just listen to his biggest hits or not look too deep into them.

I think lyrics are his weakest point as a songwriter, but that doesn't mean they're bad at all. At the end of the day, it all boils down to taste.

I think in male mainstream pop, the only male artist that I rate higher than Harry in terms of songwriting is Hozier. Ed Sheeran could be up there too, but he sold out a while ago, and is slowly going back to his roots. I'm obviously not even considering incredible hip-hop artists like Kendrick Lamar or rock-leaning artists like Alex Turner (I would say Alex isn't really that mainstream nowadays).

I think Harry is a B- songwriter when it comes to lyrics and an A- songwriter when it comes to instruments.

#h defense #long post #fandom myths #Harry Styles #Louis Tomlinson #One Direction #1D #Larry #Larry Stylinson

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boyd-speaks · 2 months ago

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January As usual January started slow. Apropos of nothing, I decided to draw this anthropomorphized Musharna (from pokemon) and she's so sleepy, she has a plush Teddiursa. I think that's cute.

February And so begins my art this year, mostly being art for my various youtube videos. It's kind of amazing I made the video this is for back in February. Only this week, at the time I'm writing this, I've been working on a variant of the deck it's about, and won a clean game with it. Jalira is really cool. Shame 'Cold Brews' didn't go anywhere. I liked the idea for a series, but I guess it was too slow. Who's to say more, maybe if I'd done more one of them would have caught fire. (I didn't even end up using this as the thumbnail since I wasn't sure anyone would pick-up what it's about.) March This one is an exception to my usual rule. I always use pictures actually on DeviantArt, and its an easy rule considering just before posting this year in review I added some pictures I missed, but this is but one of a group that, while I think embody the month, I don't really think need to live on dA. This, and the other images I made with it, were for my April Fool's video, so they weren't even shared until then, but were definitely drawn in March. April I loved the video this was for so much! I wrote some short fiction, and gave it a dramatic reading. I made a mechanically interesting card that combined these two beloved magic characters, and I drew this picture, which is one of the few drawings I did this year in this specific style, which I kind of think of as my signature style, despite not using it much in 2024. May There are surprisingly a lot of good may pictures, but I had to give it to my boy Amnesio. One of my favourite pictures of the year, regardless of context, they're also the face of one of the years best received videos.

June June was Splatoon-June, one of the weirdest daily art projects I've done, because the art was actually secondary. Instead of challenging myself to draw a picture every day, I designed a magic card, made art for it, and recorded/edited a short video about it. This was just one, but click through to the linked picture if you want to see the entire month of art. July Like with Amnesio in May, this was drawn for a very similar video, and I really tried to match the level of quality I did for Amnesio with this one. Interestingly this is actually the third in the series, the second one came out in June, but I never posted the art because it just didn't come out super great. This one though... I like this one. August These weren't the only options for August, but I love these little weirdos. I think my best work is when I go simple and stylized, but I tend not to include them in stuff like this, because they aren't the most, obviously impressive. As I've said about other pieces in this review, these guys are the face of one of my better performing videos of the year, so they have that going for them too. September And here's Morrigan, my girlfriend's most important OC (to me and our relationship, I can't speak for her.) I haven't drawn her in a long time, but she's always in the background of our life. For her birthday I decided to draw Morrigan and make a magic card for her, and this was the result. I tried to keep it relatively stylized, while still putting in the extra effort to make it feel special. There's a bunch of fun techniques I used in this that I hope to use again in the future, like the post white outline and the way the background came together. October I couldn't not use my October daily drawing challenge for October, but this year I went so stylized with it, one drawing wouldn't do. So here's the end of October summary picture for you to peruse. I highly recommend clicking through to the video as well since it includes a very cute scene that a fan made using them which I found incredibly touching. November I feel like not that much happened in November, I ended up getting very busy and the only really good picture from that month, I didn't even remember to post. I just put up this piece today in preparation for my Year in Review, so here it is. I like Taya, she's fun. Not a very complicated design, but a cute one. December And finally December. I didn't make this piece because I was overwhelmed, but it works well for it. December is always busy, and this year was no exception so it's a very fitting image.

I love doing this series, not just because it gives me an excuse to look back at all I've done, but during the year it makes me remember to do at least one noteworthy thing a month so I don't have any empty spaces at the end of the year.

Happy New Year everyone, here's to another one.

#boyd's scratchings #year in review #year in review 2024 #2024 year in review

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these-are-the-first-steps · 2 years ago

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Here’s a random reylo ask for ya- did you ever have any theories/HCs early on in shipping reylo (cuz I believe you’ve said you were shipping since TFA) which you didn’t end up being into as much, or at all anymore as TST progressed?

Hello! Sorry it's taken me so long to get to this.

Story Time

So I saw TFA the second day it came out. I left rather bewildered- one, because a new actor I'd never seen before in my life (adam driver) gave such an unorthodox performance I couldn't stop thinking "The fuck does this guy think he's doing???" namely the interrogation scene where I don't think any other actor would have, nor could have, played it the way he did. I'm still shocked by the choices he made with his line delivery in that scene but in the best way possible. It's hard to explain. Anyway, that's one. Two also goes back to that scene. In middle school, back with Tokyo Pop was big, they held their very first manga contest for us regular american people to try our hand at Japanese style manga. Well, I felt like I could write, and my good friend at the time (she still is- we keep in touch!) could draw like a crazy person. So we decided to try for it. The only problem was, being middle schoolers, motivation and scheduling wasn't our forte. I did manage to write a short script excerpt of a story that had been brewing in my head for awhile at the time, and while I think I did eventually hand it over to her (I was suffering from perfectionism), the art never happened. We tried again in high school but then high school angst got in the way and it still didn't happen. Regardless, I still now had the only real concrete piece of writing for this story I had been sitting on for a couple years now.

Eventually....well, time moved on.

Cue "Star Wars: The Force Awakens", a sequel film I was INCREDIBLY skeptical about. I'd been watching star wars my entire life. My dad took me as a little kid to the big deal re-screenings of the original trilogy they did nationwide before the prequels came out. I had a lot of Opinions on this movie series. I had just moved to NYC and was out for a walk when I passed by Bloomingdales and saw, a bit to my shock, that their store windows were full of (allegedly) screen-used costumes and props from the upcoming TFA movie. I crept closer, had a look. Han Solo was the only thing I recognized. The rest? Unfamiliar. Alien. I had seen zero promotional images for this movie before encountering these windows and had only heard some things. I made guesses as to what everything was, before rounding the corner and being confronted with an irrationally tall costume. "Oh, is this the darth vader rip-off? lmao" (the only thing I had concretely heard about). "This guy had to be on stilts surely??" Kylo Ren. Funny at first, but the longer I stared at it, I shit you not, the more unsettled I got. I actually got *scared* staring at this costume. I took one very poor, very shaky picture, and basically ran away. (I regret not taking a better photo but oh well). I run into an article the next day at work about the movie and it happens to have the trailer and I decide, sure, ok, I'll give it a watch. Those windows were interesting at least. I basically had my tickets bought by the end of the day. So here we are, back to the theatre, sitting here as this audacious actor delivers the most ballsy performance I've seen the whole film as he interrogates the heroine, and I listen to what he's saying, and then, it hits me.

This. Is my story. These are my lines. I wrote this exact same exchange in middle school.

What the fuck??

This meant a lot of things to me. This meant that I knew where this story was going, and where it was going I liked very much. I went back to see the movie again a second time about a week or two later. I had to be sure-- I wasn't just imposing what was already inside my brain all these years onto a totally different story on the screen, was I? I watched, and waited. And sure enough....no, no it had to be it. These two? I know exactly how this is going to go down.

A few months later I visited back home and even managed to dig through a box and find my old script. I read through it, sort of shaking a little. My heroine- Light- had also been captured- by the Dark- and the song and dance were the same- Where am I? Does it matter? I can see everything. I'm not giving you anything. A summary, and as some years have passed again I have lost the print out in a box again, but some of the dialogue was ver batum.

I knew exactly where this new star wars story was going because I already wrote the damn thing in middle school, word for word, and if you thought for one second I wasn't going to tune in and defend this arc, that I never managed to get published myself at 13, with swords and shields and knives for my own personal middle school catharsis then you were dead wrong, my friend.

This may have seemed like a very round-about way of answering this question, but I wanted to give context, substance, because all of this ^^^^^ up here? It defines, explicitly, why I'm even here to begin with, and why I fought so hard from day one. There was nothing to abandon, or question, or shed. Because I already knew this story by heart. I had already written it!! And I still think ants and DLF and JJ Abrams and Terrio and the rest of those bastards can pry it from my cold dead hands, because truly they butchered my baby and while I may live with that, I'll never forget it.

Thank you for the ask, friend.

#reylo #reylo stories

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medivhtirisfal · 4 years ago

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Review of Oniisama E (Dear brother)

So I've watched «Oniisama e» recently, and it was an amazing experience - the anime gave to me an extraordinary range of feelings.

It suddenly became popular last year (many creators use shots from it in their videos, like «*song's name* slowed and reverb». You know.) I found it by watching a video with piano melody, which was kind of an edit/AMV. Here it is, if you're interested:

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In general, this anime is about teenage school years of Nanako (main character), her friends, rivals, also about her family and etc. It's mostly narrated via letters that Nanako sends to her "brother". It takes place in 70s btw. And in a prestigious academy for girls only. Manga was made in 70s, anime in 90s. And it's sort of a shoujo ai.

First of all, this anime unexpectedly reminded me of my primary school years because back then I used to like reading old books (belonging to 20th century) about finishing schools for girls. Those schools were usually focused on etiquette, literature, arts, music. And this anime just resembles that perfectly, but with a more modern attitude. I guess, that's why it was especially interesting for me to watch this, as seemingly no one (apart from me) liked such literature, and here I can see an anime that is suddenly getting popular and is literally equal in terms of atmosphere to those books.

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Let's get down to characters. (No major spoilers)

I'd like to start with the "Magnificent Three" - three students that are loved by everyone in this academy.

Fan's favourite is Rei Asaka (or as they say «Saint-Juste-Sama»).

I didn't really like her at first sight, as she seemed as someone who's feigning her coolness and recklessness (I'm too used to such stereotypical characters in anime). But actually, when they started telling us more about her story, showing her problems with mental health (an unusual thing for manga from 70s), her values and ideas, she started becoming more and more interesting as a person. She's probably not my favourite, but after watching the whole thing, I can say that her problems and her relationship with Miya were the main and the only thing that made me watch the whole anime. At some point I started emphasising with her and "cheering her on" through the screen whenever she was about to do something.

P. S. Rei's also a talented musician, can play different musical instruments. That's great!

And I can't omit the fact that she's the meaning of the word AESTHETICS

Miya-sama or Fukiko Ichinomiya. She's the leader of "Sorority", which is a club for elite. I don't have much to say about her apart from that she's undoubtedly a rather bad person, who's quite cruel, yet I couldn't really start hating Miya for that because I emphasised with her too, especially at the end of the series. But that's just probably me because seemingly everyone hates her :D

And Kaoru, or Kaoru-no-Kimi. My favorite :')

She's straightforward, has different ideas about life than others in this school, she also solves everyone's problems (I literally started calling her problem-solver at some point) and fights stereotypes. A good friend, a good student, an awesome athlete...

Nanako is a really kind person, a good friend as well, and incredibly empathetic. She's a good main character, as she's not here just "for the record", but definitely has a personality (and I found her backstory to be very interesting). The fact that she's a narrator also makes her unusual. Her family and relationship with them is superb too :')

Mariko is the one who most of us would understand the most, as she's not a perfect friend or a perfect person, even though she's on "good side" and is Nanako's friend, but she's quite realistic and has lots of negative traits. That doesn't make her bad, though. I'd call her morally neutral, as, opposite to Nanako, she doesn't really care about others and says phrases like "Why do you care about her? You should think about yourself only".

(P.S. can someone explain what polish on her fingernails mean. I'm sure that her having only her thumb varnished should mean something)

I also want to mention that even minor rivals of Nanako turn out to be humane. This anime attempts to show grey morality, which is praiseworthy.

My personal applause for portraying Rei and Kaoru as well-educated, talented and clever students who love reading. You know, it's unusual for new animes, as in them "bad guys" that are "cool" are usually the ones that everyone in schools like, but not the ones like these girls. That makes me sad(

What can I say about plot? Well, obviously, it's not very complicated, as it's a drama about school, but the anime certainly has some HUGE plot twists. (For some people the first one was that Rei was not a guy :D) Oniisama e generally has that nostalgic, soft and breezy atmosphere, but don't get mistaken: it brings up many serious subjects. This anime makes you want to analyse and try to understand characters' feelings, to understand why they make particular decisions or what led them to behaving that way.

I also love the music in the show. Creators pay a lot of attention to it. Some melodies are super emotional, some set the mood. M-8 which Rei always plays is cool, but my favourite one is M-10, Miya's theme. Incredibly intense.

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And the reason why many decided to watch it is that Oniisama e is so aesthetically pleasing!

The ending may be a bit disappointing. Personally, I started missing everything that had happened throughout the series at the end of the last episode. Not sure it was the thing that creators intended to do, but here we are. The rest of the anime was cool, especially its middle part. It will seem boring for those who prefer action-oriented anime (well, that's probably obvious).

To sum up, I recommend that anime to those who like old art style and vibes of old animes, those who, like me, used to read something similar and those who want to see some intense drama with shoujo ai elements and maybe cry a bit (or cry your eyes out if you're rather sensitive). Nevertheless, it's going to be an interesting experience for everyone.

P. S. I'm going to make another post with spoilers describing my thoughts on this anime and then a set of icons. Because it's literally full of mesmerising shots.

#oniisama e #dear brother #retro anime #anime #saint juste sama #kaorunokimi #rei asaka #fukiko ichinomiya #kaoru orihara #nanako misonoo #mariko shinobu #review #anime review #90s anime #90s nostalgia #aesthetic

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ordinaryschmuck · 4 years ago

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Why I (Want to) Love Tangled: The Series/Rapunzel's Tangled Adventure

Salutations random people on the internet who most likely won’t read this. I am an Ordinary Schmuck. I write stories and reviews and draw comics and cartoons.

When I heard Disney was making an animated series based on Tangled, acting as a continuation from the original movie, my initial thought was, "Why?"

Sure, Disney is infamous for its unnecessary sequels of the story after happily ever after, with the many, many, many failures that follow suit. Even then, though, most of these continuations were movies that kind of have the potential to tell more of a story. But what more could be said about Tangled? Sorry to spoil a movie that's over ten years old at this point, but by the end of it: Rapunzel lost her golden hair, was reunited with her parents, fell in love, and lived happily ever after. Her losing the golden hair is the most essential part of that list because how can you do a series based on a Disney princess when her most iconic feature is gone? Then I found out that the series forced a way for her hair to come back, and my new initial thought became, "Oh man. This is gonna suck, isn't it?"

Despite the hesitation, I decided to give it a chance anyway. After all, I've been pleasantly surprised before. Things like My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, The Mitchells vs. the Machines, and even The Owl House (yes, really), were shows (and a movie) that I didn't think would be that special. Only to find myself enjoying nearly every minute. So after watching Tangled: The Series/Rapunzel's Tangled Adventure, I can certainly say I was surprised...but it was entirely for the wrong reasons.

And to explain how requires spoilers. So if you haven't checked the series out yet, I highly suggest you do it to form your own opinion. Just keep in mind that it's a bit of a mess, but it can be an enjoyable mess...sometimes...let me explain.

WHAT I LIKED

The Animation/Art Style: The series swapping from 3D to 2D might have been the most brilliant decision anyone could have ever made with this series. Usually, when an animated movie gets turned into a show, the most noticeable downgrade is always the animation. Whether it’s not as detailed or not as fluid, it's always subjective that the movie is better animated than the series. But by switching up the styles, the contrast becomes objective instead. 2D and 3D animation each have their pros and cons, so deciding which one is better is nothing more than a matter of opinion. So by changing the style, Tangled: The Series/Rapunzel's Tangled Adventure avoids getting complaints of being a downgrade from the original movie. It also helps that the art style of the series is really unique.

The best way to describe how the show looks is that it's like a coloring book brought to life. At times, everything looks like it was drawn and colored in with crayons, which sounds like an insult, but in actuality, it's one of the best features of the series. As much as I love most animated shows nowadays, I will admit, they all look a little too similar at times. Then here comes Tangled: The Series/Rapunzel's Tangled Adventure, which tries to incorporate a whole new style that successfully sets it apart from most shows.

As for the animation itself, it's really well-made! It's remarkably expressive when required, while the movements are really fluid during the correct scenes. Sure the fighting can be a little floaty during some action set pieces (yes, those exist here), but the dialogue and comedic moments are really where the series shines with its animation. I may have problems with the series as a whole, but I give credit where credit is due for the perfectly executed effort that I see in every episode in terms of animation.

Rapunzel and Eugene’s relationship: This was not something I was expecting to enjoy from the series. In the movie, Rapunzel and Eugene were fine. They were the typical Disney couple that worked off of each other enough that it was always entertaining, even if it was unbelievable that they fell deeply in love with each other after, like, two days. They weren't bad, but they weren't anything to go crazy over.

But the writers for the series said, "You know what, let's make these two adorable in nearly every scene they're in." And they are!

Even though I don't believe in their relationship in the movie, I fully believe it here. Both characters have a large amount of faith in one another on top of having endless love for their partner. Like how Eugene knew Rapunzel would be fine when taking out an airship or how Rapunzel couldn't bring herself to say a bad thing about Eugene when making Cassandra a sparring dummy of him. It's legitimately pleasant to watch, to the point where I put Rapunzel and Eugene in my top ten list of favorite fictional couples. They're that good to me, and it's one of the reasons why I don't jump on the bandwagon of shipping the two main female characters together. I'm all for LGBTQA+ representation, but give Cassandra her own girlfriend. Rapunzel's taken, and most of my enjoyment of this show comes from her and her man. So, you know, keep things as they are.

Cassandra (Seasons One and Two): Seeing how I've already mentioned her, let's talk about Cassandra, shall we? Because when making a series based on a movie that had only four prominent characters, with two of them being comedic animal sidekicks, you're going to need to introduce more members to the main cast to write more potential stories. And Cassandra, in Seasons One and Two (I'll get to Season Three), is a worthy addition. She acts as a strict straight man (I know the irony) who interacts well with Rapunzel and clashes perfectly with Eugene on occasion. She was passably entertaining in Season One and developed amazingly in Season Two. Her growing frustrations with Rapunzel's actions lead to a slow build-up that made her betrayal heartbreaking but somewhat understandable. And as for the results in that betrayal...yeah, I'll get into that later. For now, I'll just say that Cassandra was a pleasant addition to the main cast, especially when she was a part of the main trio, and she's yet another good surprise that the writers supplied for the series.

The Songs: The songs are...not going to be for everyone. Most of them are passable yet kind of generic, while others sound like they belong on Disney Junior (Looking at you, "Bigger Than That"). But when Tangled: The Series/Rapunzel's Tangled Adventure makes a hit, MAN, it is a home run. Numbers like "Ready As I'll Ever Be" and "Nothing Left to Lose" are sung phenomenally, orchestrated well, and are songs I can listen to on repeat multiple times. And "Waiting in the Wings" is not only something I consider to be the best song in the series, but it's also something I'd place as high up on Disney's best due to how f**king incredible it is. "Waiting in the Wings" is a powerful ballad that manages to be both tragic yet inspiring on top of how well it sums up Cassandra as a character. The writers may not always be on top of their game when it comes to music, but songs like these prove that they know how to earn that Disney name.

And that’s all I have for the likes...Oh boy. That’s not a good thing is it?

WHAT I DISLIKED

It Peaked at Season One: It did. It really did.

Season One felt like the writers had a grip on what type of show they wanted: A slice-of-life series with Rapunzel dealing with the issues of her kingdom with a meager threat of these black rocks growing in the background. It was all cute and well-balanced for the most part, but that all disappears in Season Two. Because now it's sort of about this adventure, but because Tangled: The Series/Rapunzel's Tangled Adventure set itself as a slice-of-life series, there need to be these small-scale stories that intertwine the grand narrative being told. The issue is that the story comes to a grinding halt one too many times as fans are forced to sit through these filler episodes that, while not all of them are bad, still feel like a distraction. And by Season Three, the series does feel more focused while having some slice-of-life episodes added to the ongoing story instead of distracting us from it. But the writing isn't as strong, there are several plot holes in the narrative (how did Rapunzel's sunstone get into her dress?), and there is way too much time going back and forth on Cassandra's morality. They claim that she's a villain while arguing that there might still be some good in her, and they continue this train of thought for nine episodes when it really could have been settled in two. For me, it's a bad sign for a series when the first season is the best one. Because if it's all downhill from there, what's the point of even watching?

It Tries to be Epic: This might have been the worst decision the writers could have made.

Now, here's the thing: I don't mind grand epic tales of adventure and battles against demons. If anything, I'm all for them...when it's appropriate and fits with the tone of the series.

Tangled: The Series/Rapunzel's Tangled Adventure suffers a similar problem Frozen II has, in which the writers felt like a big, life-threatening adventure was the perfect continuation of a meager, personal story about the relationships of characters. It isn't. If anything, it's completely missing the mark about what the original story was about. And sure, sometimes writers can succeed in telling personal stories through grand adventures. Just look at The Owl House and parts of Amphibia. But with those shows, it's established within the first few episodes that action and peril will be a series staple. With Tangled, while there was some action and peril, it's all very subdued compared to how high the stakes got raised in later episodes in the show. Especially in the series finale.

And, I mean, c'mon. You're making Rapunzel an action hero?

Judy Hopps? Yes.

Moana? Maybe.

Raya? Most definitely.

But Rapunzel? The character who’s all about optimism and seeing the best of others. That's the character you're going to morph into a hero that fights against an evil demon laid dormant for years? Did you even watch the original movie? Yeah, sorry, but I just don't buy it.

If you want to tell an epic story that gets the blood pumping for fans addicted to adventure, go for it! See where the wind takes you. But make sure to set that tone as early as possible while also making sure that it fits with the characters. If not, the end result is a series that feels like it's trying to be something it’s not.

Eugene is Kind of an Idiot at Times: It should be noted that Movie-Eugene and Series-Eugene are practically two different characters. In the film, Eugene was more or less the straight man, as he often questions the wackiness in the world around him and keeping Rapunzel grounded in reality. For the series, most of that personality got transferred to Cassandra. Thus making Eugene's new role in the series act as the egotistical imbecile. Sure, he had those moments in the film, but not as frequently, and it really pains me when the writers really lean hard into a minor aspect of his personality. Sometimes there are moments when Eugene acts like his original self. But it's all small scenes that are spread apart with entire episodes where he has half a brain cell. I'm sure some people didn't mind this change to the character, but as someone who adores the movie version of Eugene, I can't help but feel disappointed.

The Villains are the Worst: Now, I don't mean the one-off villains that show up, cause some chaos for a bit, and disappear at the end of the episode. Those are characters with fun personalities, occasionally cool designs, and do their job as villains of the week. It doesn't matter if their motivations are laughably simple, as their purpose is to be enjoyable characters above anything else. So I actually enjoy those villains...it's the ones that act as season-long antagonists that really grind my gears.

The purpose behind these types of foes is to build up how evil they are throughout the season. The issue is that the writers try to give these characters, or at least two of them, a point. To be fair, this can work. Just look at Killmonger from Black Panther and sometimes Karli Morgenthau from The Falcon and the Winter Soldier. You understand and probably even sympathize with the logic and reasoning these characters have. It's just that their actions couldn't be farther from what you would do. The problem with Varian and Cassandra is that they have the motivation, but it's not written suitably for the story.

Cassandra is a whole can of worms I'll get to in a minute, but Varian is someone I can easily discuss for a brief time. Because while I can comprehend his pain for having his father frozen in yellow rock, I don't think turning evil is the best decision to go with that character. Because A. Everything is his fault. He blames Rapunzel for not helping him, but even if she didn't have a crisis to deal with, there was nothing she could have done to stop it. His frustrations are not only unjustified, but given the fact that this wouldn't have happened if he listened to his father in the first place, it feels like him becoming evil is too drastic of a turn. And B. Varian worked much better as a supporting character rather than a primary antagonist. He was just this hopeful, if not a clumsy scientist who wanted to prove himself, who causes minor catastrophes due to not thinking ahead. Turning a character like Varian into a villain is a bit of a misstep because if the guy acts hilariously incompetent as a good guy, it makes little sense to have him be intelligent and ten steps ahead of Rapunzel when being evil. If he were to become more serious and careful when helping the rest of the main cast, I'd consider that character progression done properly. But becoming a villain is just an overreaction.

However, none of that compares with my issues with the main antagonist of the series: Zhan Tiri. This goes back to my problems with the series making itself too epic. Because if Zhan Tiri existed in any other show, I probably wouldn't have any problem with her. She's built up well throughout all three seasons and is kind of threatening at times. But she doesn't belong in a series based on a movie that dealt with a small, personal issue where it wasn't even the character who killed the villain in the end. It was her love interest and animal sidekick. Even if Zhan Tiri works well as a character, the fact that it doesn't feel like she belongs in the show makes her too distracting to enjoy. And that's why these villains suck. If not poorly written, they don't belong in a series that should focus on small-scale issues. And if you can functionally write an antagonist that appears for only one episode but flounder with ones that show up in several, well, that's just embarrassing.

Cassandra (Season 3): OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOH BOY, do I have some words to express with this character. Like with Movie-Eugene and Series-Eugene, Cassandra from Seasons One and Two is frustratingly different from the psychotic IDIOT from Season Three. Basically, just take the issues I have with Varian, multiply them by ten, add them with some bafflingly stupid decisions, and you still wouldn't get how much Season Three-Cassandra frustrates me!

First off, her motivation...what the f**k were the writers thinking? The big reason why Cassandra betrays Rapunzel and motivates all of her misdeeds was that Cassandra's mother was Mother Gothal...EXPLAIN THAT LOGIC TO ME?! Because Cassandra should know what type of woman Mother Gothal was. She should know what Mother Gothal did to Rapunzel in the first eighteen years of her life. So how is Cassandra being abandoned by Gothal the central motivator to cut ties with Rapunzel, who is probably an even bigger victim in this scenario!? Seriously, Rapunzel was cut off from the rest of the world and treated as an unknowing prisoner because she was beneficial to Gothal. Cassandra was adopted into a household with mutual love and got to actually live her life. In no way does it make sense for her to be angry at Rapunzel.

Nor does it make sense that the writers try to play it off as a good thing in the song "Crossing the Line!" Sure, it sounds nice, but thematically, it gives across the opposite feelings that the audience should have. Because if Cassandra cutting ties with Rapunzel is meant to be tragic and awful, why is the music suggesting it's the best possible thing that's ever happened for the character? If you like the song, fine, but even you have to admit that it's thematic nonsense.

But, sure. Cassandra's evil now, and she considers it a good thing. Whatever. I'll take it as long as it leads to good stories...but here's the thing: In the penultimate episode before the three-part series finale, Cassandra asks a question. A question I would have never expected her to ask, despite everything that has happened in the last season. A question that was so baffling, I had to legitimately pause the episode to process the fact that she asked something so stupid. Because Cassandra, the character who is intelligent and grounded in reality, asked, "Am I the bad guy?"

I was honestly shocked to find out she was shocked! How, in the flying, everlasting, cock-a-doodle-doodling F**K does a person like her not pick up that maybe, just maybe, she isn't the hero in this story!? Call me crazy, but endangering the lives of people you once called friends and family, dressing in black, AND HAVING A GIANT EVIL-LOOKING TOWER MADE OUT OF F**KING SPIKES aren't qualities I would give to a hero!

If Cassandra was like Thanos, a character so wrapped up in his ego that he can't even notice how evil he is, I would understand. But she doesn't have an ego. Anger, yes. But for the most part, her personality is based on having logic and reasoning. So turning her into a villain and having her unaware that she's a villain is an act of lunacy that I am incapable of understanding. I don't know who's idea this was, but whoever is to blame...you've got issues.

>Sighs<...This series isn't good, is it?

IN CONCLUSION

I like the animation and some of the characters...but that's not enough. Tangled: The Series/Rapunzel's Tangled Adventure is a mess of a show that tries to do too much for a story that should have so little. Meaning that it's a D+ for me. I want to enjoy it and give it a higher grade, especially with how much I hear people praise this series. And if you do enjoy it, all the power to you. Your opinions are valid, even if I highly disagree with them. Because for me, this is a show that I won't get myself tangled up in again in the future.

#tangled: the series #rapunzel's tangled adventure #rapunzel x eugene #tangled cassandra #tangled varian #zhan tiri #what i thought about

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