#I don't post them all because I think it'd seem repetitive probably but just know... lol

[icewindandboringhorror]

Recent sky photos 

[emergingghost]

julien baker live lyric changes masterpost

the many ways that julien changes her lyrics over time and seamlessly alters the lyrics and meanings of her songs to maintain a level of personal authenticity has become so fascinating to me and many others so i thought it'd be nice to do some research and compile as many as i can. enjoy! or cry! whichever!

the original lyrics are in parenthesis, changes are bolded, roughly in chronological order and i’ve added timestamped links to performances [x] where i can! i use mostly youtube because it's the most accessible. some of these seem to be permanent changes and others are just occasional, probably depending on how she's vibing with the song at the time (i'm assuming). let me know of any i’ve missed!

Rejoice: [x] [x] [x] pronoun change, does this lots! "i know there's a god and they hear either way" ("i think there's a god and he hears either way") [x] she uses the 'she' pronoun here this time! [x] she sings 'force' here and also in a version she performed pre-release "asking why did you let them leave and then force me to stay?" ("asking why did you let them leave and then make me stay?")

Good News: [x] [x] [x] these are not full lyric changes but rather some gut-wrenching repetition. side note she performs a cover of paul by big thief in the first clip here too! "it's less about you / it's all about how i ruin everything oh everything i do / everything i do / god i ruin everything oh everything / oh everything i think could be good news." ("it's less about you / it's more about how i ruin everything--- i think could be good news")

Distant Solar Systems: [x] pronoun change speaking of god, she also omits the second last verse. "I send postcards from the road and now and then she answers" ("and now and then he answers")

Turn Out the Lights: [x] [x] [x] this one hurts! a few times in late '18 and in '19 "maybe i'd do it but it's not a joke" ("i'd never do it but it's not a joke")

Sour Breath: [x] [x] another one that hurts!! "think all the liquors gonna keep me warm / burn everything down just to prove i could / leave you inside a body made of wood" ("think all the liquors gonna keep you warm / burn everything down just to prove you could / leave me inside a body made of wood") [x] audio only from 1:16 (same changes as above +) "i don't do too well when everyone's worried about me" ("i don't do too well when nobody's worried about me")

Appointments: [x] [x] [x] in lots of performances post-2018. she switches between using 'know' and 'think' occasionally “i know that i ruined this / but i think i can live with it / nothing turned out how pictured it ... i think that i failed again / but i know you’re still listening” ("i think if i ruin this / that i know i can live with it / nothing turns out like I pictured it ... i think if i fail again / then i know you’re still listening") [x] audio only - from 2:45 (same changes as above +) "i hope you're still listening" ("i know you're still listening")

Happy to Be Here: [x] tiny changes. not sure if she's done this more than once "different me would be inhabiting my body / have two cars, a garage, a dog..." ("different me would be inhabiting this body / have two cars, a garage, a job...")

Something: [x] [x] [x] [x] (she adds 'again' a lot, even since 2015) “asking aloud why you’re leaving again” (“asking aloud why you’re leaving--”) [x] (this was prior to release) "asking aloud why you're leaving again / i know you won't answer me" ("asking aloud why you're leaving --- / but the pavement won't answer me")

Red Door: [x] "beneath before you won't follow me down" ("beneath before you wont follow me there")

Shadowboxing: [x] [x audio only - from 3:09] "tell me that you love me / tell me you love me / i wanted so bad to believe you / so tell me you loved me / tell me you loved me / i wanted so bad to believe you" ) ("when you tell me you love me / tell me you loved me / i wanted so bad to believe it / so tell me you love me / tell me you loved me")

Ziptie: [x] [x] [x] [x] (side note the end of the second clip rules!!) “someone’s/somethings got my heart in a ziptie” (“someone’s got my head in a ziptie”)

Tokyo: [x] [x] [x audio only - from 1:30] in a few performances in 2022 “a seven-car pile-up of every disastrous thing that i am" (“a seven-car pile-up of every disastrous thing that i’ve been”) + also sings "accident" instead of "aftermath" in the audio clip

Relative Fiction: [x] [x] [x] [x] does this lots! "honey you're the only thing i'll wait around for" ("--you’re the only thing i’ll wait around for")

Highlight Reel: [x] [x audio only from 1:45 ] original chorus lyrics are 'you feel' but now in one chorus she sings 'to' and the other she sings 'you' "ooh it's a highlight reel / tell me how to feel" ("ooh it's a highlight reel / tell me how you feel")

Ringside: [x] [x] [x audio only from 3:50] two separate lyrics changes in these clips! "like a scratch-off ticket how i dig my nails into your skin" ("like a scratch-off ticket how you dig your nails into my skin")

(from final verse) “nobody deserves a second chance / so why do i keep getting them?” (“nobody deserves a second chance / but i keep giving them”) [x] [x] (from the second last verse) “nobody deserves a second chance / but somehow i keep fucking getting them” (“nobody deserves a second chance / but honey i keep getting them") Anti-Curse: [x] [x] [x] [x] [x] she doesn't always change 'foreign characters' "writing the words to the best love song you've ever heard" ...“sounding out familiar characters” ("writing the words to the worst love song you've ever heard"...“sounding out the foreign characters”)

Favor: [x] [x] [x] [x] first change - changing to 'why?' in most live performances “why couldn’t you make me do it?” (“well you couldn’t make me do it”) [x] [x] new change from MSG in 2023! “how did you make me do it?” (“well you couldn’t make me do it”)

HONOURABLE MENTIONS:

Funeral Pyre: [x] this is just a funny thing i found on my hunt. the audience accidentally corrected her grammar, theyre singing along and sing "needed so badly" instead of the original "needed so bad" and everyone took a lil' moment to laugh. Funeral Pyre: allegedly. i just read about it somewhere so have no proof!! “while i drank gasoline 'cause it's what i needed so bad” (“while you drank gasoline 'cause it's what you needed so bad”) Shadowboxing: [x] she doesn't really change any lyrics significantly but repeats the final verse for emphasis.

Good News: [x] (i think an early/demo version but i cant find any other recordings/videos of this version!) "how i fuck up everything i think could be good news" ("how i ruin everything i think could be good news") Rejoice: [x] house show performance from 2015 before official release. a few different lyrics! "ask you why did you let them leave and then force me to stay?" ("asking why did you let them leave and then make me stay?") (final verse) "i rejoice anyway / i rejoice either way" ("i rejoice i rejoice / i rejoice i rejoice") Sour Breath: [x] she added a new mini verse repeating "the harder i swim" where there are usually just instrumentals or 'oohs.' then she continued with the original final "the harder i swim the faster i sink" verse.

Sour Breath: [x] house show performance from 2015 before official release. there's an entire additional verse where the repeated 'the harder i swim the fast i sink' usually is. proceed with caution. "...too late to talk just go to sleep been up too long and you've been drinkin' all night it's almost a week and you haven't said a word been thinkin' it isn't worth the tryin' it takes to fix everything you hate about me all that you wouldn't wanna see

the harder i swim, the faster i sink and all i ever wanted was to pull you down with me was to pull you down with me don't you wanna sink with me? don't you wanna drown with me? just let me pull you down..."

[otakween]

Digimon World 4 - Final Thoughts

Whelp, that was...something. This game is objectively bad, but I still had a good, brain rotting time. It falls into the "game to zone out on the couch to" category. The lack of much story, characters or dialogue means I got in some quality podcast/music time as well. It's pretty similar to Digimon World 2 in its crappiness, but I found DW4's gameplay more satisfying. I think DW2 has the more appealing art style though, so they even out to the same rank basically. Full thoughts below!

Notes:

So this is loosely based on the Digimon X-Evolution CG film I posted about before. I was disappointed to see that the opening credits are just a hodge podge of scenes from said movie. That's pretty boring and lazy if you ask me. I picked Dorumon to control in honor of the film's protag (and since it would be a more novel experience).

I found any weapon aside from the guns to be a colossal pain to use, so I just used guns and guns alone for the entire game lol. At least I was able to get tech points quickly that way!

This game has the most unbalanced difficulty levels ever. It's either stupid hard or stupid easy. Luckily, the stupid easy moments are far more frequent. Every time I fought a boss I braced myself only to just button mash my way to the end in like a few minutes. Most of them were jokes. On the other end of the spectrum, the beginning of the game was weirdly hard because I would get mobbed by enemies and massacred in like two seconds (this is when I realized I should be using the guns lol). It's hard to have much strategy because most battle moves you can do (spin attack, charged attack, block) suck control-wise. My strat for most of the game was either the ole "shoot and run" or just to get up on a high ground where I was invincible. The latter move kinda felt broken and was part of what made the game stupid easy.

Thank God I emulated this game. Although it's mostly easy, there are definitely moments where it's easy to die. Some dungeons will lock you into the tightest corners and then just spawn like a jillion enemies out of nowhere (the Otamamon and Infermon were the WORST). Some of the harder bosses had some pretty cheap moves too. Save states were the VIP, as usual.

The plot of the game is really basic and the writing is just as wonky as DW2. Basically all you need to know is that there's a virus that's bad and you need to get rid of it. It doesn't get any deeper than that and there are no twists or turns. Ophanimon, Seraphimon, and Leomon are the only characters with significant dialogue (none of the bosses talk) and they really don't have anything interesting to say (I did like Ophanimon and Seraphimon's models tho)

The dungeons were definitely better than DW2 in terms of visuals/layout, but the enemies felt super repetitive. You get maybe 3 types of enemies per dungeon and then you just fight those same 3 again and again and again.

The dungeons are unreasonably long slogs with no way to save in the middle of them. I had save states so I was okay, but sometimes a dungeon would take me over two hours?? Like wtf. I know kids have a lot of free time but some of them aren't even allowed to game for 2 hours straight!

Of course, I played this single player. I actually think it'd be really fun as a multiplayer game? Like, that's probably what it was actually built for. There are actually some moments where you can't go to certain parts of dungeons without a buddy :'(

The bosses were mostly big bads from the series/movies which was fun. Made it awkward when I defeated them so easily though lol

All of the walkthroughs for this game suck lol. The one I used for the majority of the game the guy literally kept writing "I don't remember what happens in this dungeon. Just go through it." LOL thanks for nothing, bud. He said "I don't remember" sooo many times it was comical.

I poked around on the internet looking for info for this game and it seems the general consensus in the fandom is that it's pretty abysmal. Still, there are people like me that got enjoyment out of it regardless.

The little noises Dorumon made when attacked were very cute

I never bothered with digivolution. You don't get digivolution until late in the game and if you digivolve it reverts you to levl 1. Nuts to that!

I also didn't bother with any side quests because they sounded extremely not worth it (some of them don't even have a reward?)

I was pretty under-leveled at the end of the game (barely scraping level 30) but I felt like I had infinite healing basically because I had so much MP. That's another aspect of the game that felt broken.

The ending of this game was SO anti-climactic. I defeated the boss, returned to the hub world expecting a cutscene, and then it went straight to credits. No dialogue, no thank you, nothing. I had to go around and talk to people to get some thank yous but they didn't sound that appreciative really lol. Where are my flowers!? 😭 This took me over a month of tedium!

One part of the game that I did find pretty hard was the Storm Train where you have to get to the end of a train track while hitting the right levers while simultaneously fighting of a ton of enemies. If I had to do that without save states, I probably would have given up lol

I never really regret beating a video game, even if it kinda sucked. It's especially nice to check off another game in a series (even though the World series isn't really connected). I give Digimon World 4 a 5 out of 10.

[stainedglassthreads]

How terrifying it would be if assuming Toriel is a party member and be focus of next weird route is manipulating her with gaslighting her to love Asgore again and forced her to be with him again as like seemingly typical picturesque husband and wife together?

First, I'd like to preface this by saying the Weird Route is kinda, as the name implies, weird. It doesn't really change all that much in the grand scheme of the story. Snowgrave still follows all the major beats of Pacifist, just removing several scenes and fights, and no one outside Noelle really acknowledges what happens-- and even she thinks it's a dream at first. So I don't know if a Weird Route really would force Toriel and Asgore together, as that feels like it'd be something that that people in Hometown may notice and remark upon. It's mostly a concept that I presently think would be REALLY fun to explore and consider, and one I think fits the ways the Weird Route is disturbing, without making it repetitive and wearing off the shock and horror. I also think that this kind of Weird Route would probably take place mostly in the Light World, further setting it apart from Snowgrave.

Also to be clear, this is my further thoughts on a post I reblogged from @honeybouquets

That said, without further ado...

Oh, it'd be pretty terrifying, and it'd also be pretty disturbing in a way similar to the Snowgrave route-- albeit in a very different way. I think it'd be pretty interesting to explore in Deltarune specifically, too.

Deltarune is already a 'typical picturesque small town' that seems off to the majority of the fanbase. Things seem happy initially, it seems like everything the Undertale fanbase has been dreaming of for years. Monsters are on the surface! No more war! Everyone is alive! ASRIEL is alive, and was never Flowey!

But then people began seeing things in the town that brought on senses that something is... off. Now, honestly, most of these things aren't all that insidious, they're basically just the results of a different world where things played out differently, or tragic but mundane things that just tend to happen in life. Despite being populated by monsters, Hometown is INCREDIBLY mundane, to contrast the excitement and adventure of the Dark World, but also likely to contrast the fantastical nature of Undertale.

Hometown is unnerving because it gives those who played Undertale everything they think they wanted for the characters... and the characters still aren't living perfect lives. Which is realistic, but also disappointing, when coming from a game like Undertale where you can fix everyone's problems if you're just kind enough.

Sometimes, people just fall out of love, like Asgore and Toriel. Sometimes, parents fall ill or don't make you feel safe and loved, like Rudy and his wife. Sometimes people die and there is no miracle cure, like the Amalgamates and Gerson. Sometimes a trans person doesn't have the resources, money, or support to safely transition and it leads to dysphoria and depression, like Mettaton.

I think that a weird route like this would continue along the lines of, giving the players what they THINK they want, and then showing how it still wouldn't be a very good thing. I'm of the opinion that Asgore deserves happiness, but his clinging onto the past isn't very good for him, and Toriel shouldn't be responsible for giving him happiness, as she's also got things to heal from. Intentionally or no, Asgore has hurt her, and she wants space. It's good for them to forgive and move on, and for her to let go of her grudge, but not try to regain what they had, because that's gone for good. A lot of Post-Pacifist Asgoriel AUs that I've seen, I feel like they kinda... brush over all the troubles those two have had and skip straight to happy fluff. Which is fine, I'm sure a lot of the shippers just want to see two characters they love happy. But seeing Toriel's desire to have her space not really addressed rubs me the wrong way, being someone who has no interest in a relationship, albeit for different reasons.

But taking that scenario that people want, making them 'kiss and make up' so to speak, because SURELY it would make them happy... as a horror and angst fan, it's a weird route I'd find really interesting, exploring how fucked up it is to do this to Toriel, the one who wants this divorce the most, and telling her 'no, it's okay, Asgore is a really good guy, he's so sweet and you're making him miserable', and show a realistic outcome. No matter how 'cute' you think a couple may be, if they're not happy together then just loving each other enough won't solve their problems. Life is complicated.

It might also be interesting in that it may, to an extent, also gaslight Kris themself while we use them to manipulate Toriel. Kris pretty clearly doesn't want to use Noelle as a weapon, but this isn't the same. This isn't turning Toriel into a killing machine. We don't know Kris' full opinions on the divorce, but even without the Player as a factor, being a kid whose parents are divorced is probably a situation that would make them feel really helpless, especially knowing they don't like thinking about whatever got Asgore kicked off the police, and what poor conditions he's living in now.

Perhaps in this route, if Kris is more on guard after what happened to Noelle, we'll be able to get around that by appealing to their desire for a happy family, or by helping Asgore out of his bad situation, or by making a more appealing situation for Asriel to come home to. Slowly corrupting Kris, not through killing but through tempting them with the happy life they want, and all they have to give up is their freedom, could be a really interesting foil to what we do to Chara in the No Mercy run, or a much darker take on us guiding Frisk in the Pacifist run.

All that said... I do think it possible some future chapters in Deltarune, including chapter 3, COULD involve more plot-stuff happening in the Light World. Alphys mentions no school, meaning possibly heading into the Dark World earlier in the day, wrapping that up, and spending more time in the Light World, and Susie mentions the upcoming festival, which could be a big deal.

[fancy-a-dance-brigadier]

Also also 001 - DS9 for the ask thing (because we all love garashir, but what's up with the rest of the show?)

I don't think anyone knows what's up with the rest of the show, not even the people who were on it. That show is chaos personified I swear (and that's why I love it)

Favorite character: Julian!! That man walked onto the screen, made an absolute fool of himself, and from then on out I knew he was my favourite and latched onto him like a barnacle. He is an agent of chaos and I love him for it, and I find him to be such a layered and detailed character even though you might not realise it at first. I think also think his character arc is really tragic, and as someone who flies to angst like a moth to a flame, that very much appeals to me. I could go on and on about him, but I don't want to make this post any longer than it no doubt will be. Also he's pretty <3

Least Favorite character: The Female Founder. She was pretty good in the last few episodes of season 7, but every time she turned up before that I just couldn't stand her. Her plots just felt so repetitive and dull, and she actively made me dislike Odo, which I cannot forgive because I love that goo man and she really brought out the worst in him. So yeah, not a fan of her

5 Favorite ships (canon or non-canon): Garashir, of course, but I've also become a slave to the Siskoshir brain rot lately. Kiradax is definitely up there too, and Jake/Ziyal is very cute. I also like Kira/Odo, but only when it was one-sided on Odo's part - I never really thought it made sense for Kira to reciprocate his feelings, so I didn't like it so much when she did, as sweet as they were together.

Character I find most attractive: Julian and Jadzia worked in unison to remind me that I am indeed attracted to men and women, they're both so PRETTY. Honourable mention to Ezri, because she's adorable and Mirror!Ezri is really something else

Character I would marry: Probably Jadzia, or maybe Sisko. They just seem like good marriage material

Character I would be best friends with: Honestly? Jake. He just seems like a cool guy to hang out with, and his relative lack of baggage appeals to me

a random thought: I reckon it would've been neat if Keevan had got to hang around a little longer. It'd be interesting to see how they'd handle having a rogue Vorta around the station.

An unpopular opinion: IDK if this is unpopular or not, but I really don't care for the Ferengi episodes. There are some exceptions, of course (Bar Association, The Magnificent Ferengi, and Little Green Men come to mind as Ferengi episodes I enjoy), but I really don't vibe with them otherwise. The misogyny just gets a bit too much for my tastes, which is saying a lot since I tend to be able to handle that sort of thing. So yeah, even though I know it's supposed to be a send-up of extreme sexism, I just don't really vibe with it.

My Canon OTP: I really like a lot of the canon couples, so I don't know if I can choose just one! Definitely a tie between Sisko/Kasidy, Jadzia/Worf, and Rom/Leeta

My Non-canon OTP: You see, if I'd received this ask a week or two ago, I probably would've said Garashir. But at the moment, I really am kind of obsessed with Siskoshir - I think it offers more of what I like in a ship in general. Still love Garashir of course, but Siskoshir has my heart at the moment

Most Badass Character: Oh my god there are so many! But Kasidy springs to mind first, so I'm gonna have to go with her. Oh, and Kira too - both of them are brilliant and badass and powerful and I love them so much

Most Epic Villain: Damar!! I know he turns good at the end, but I don't care he's still great. Words cannot describe how much I adored that man's character arc, I was literally cheering whenever he stood up against the Dominion. Pour one out for Damar, he was a real one

Pairing I am not a fan of: Jezri, but that kind of goes without saying. I think I don't like that ship because I love both Julian and Ezri as individuals, and seeing them just get smushed together because they were the only two left without partners at the end just felt like a disservice to both of them. I think if they'd got a focus episode or two together, and if they based their romance on more than just Julian's old crush on Jadzia, it could've worked. But in the end it just felt rushed and shoehorned in, so yeah, not a fan.

Character I feel the writers screwed up (in one way or another): Julian in season 7, hands down. There was just SO MUCH wrong with how they wrote him in that season, from the rushed romance with Ezri to the way they handled Section 31. Ugh I have such a bone to pick with Extreme Measures - I firmly believe that episode would've been so much better if it was just Julian VS Sloan without the Miles buddy comedy element, and I think that would've done Julian's arc a lot more justice in terms of his loss of idealism. I've already discussed how I feel about Jezri, and don't even get me started on Chrysalis, or how cutting his relationship with Garak short damaged his character. But yeah - in season 1 it felt like they didn't know what to do with Julian in a fun way, but in season 7 they didn't know what to do with him in a not-fun way, and I think that's a shame.

Favourite Friendship: Jadzia and Julian, the bi buddies in blue!! I know we all love Julian with Miles and Jadzia with Sisko, but I just adore how their friendship grew from that awkward crush type thing in season 1 to the amicable companionship of the later seasons. And I also just have a fondness for strong platonic relationships between male and female characters in fiction too, so there's that. Honourable mention to Jake and Nog

Character I most identify with: I always struggle with these types of questions because I don't really think about characters in that way, but if I had to pick someone I'd have to pick Jake purely because of our shared love of writing.

Character I wish I could be: uuuHHH I have no idea. Someone who doesn't get traumatised?? Is there anyone who doesn't get traumatised on this show???? Again, I just don't think about characters in that way, so I have no idea how to answer this question.

Thank you so much for the ask!! This was a lot of fun (and I apologise for writing you a whole ass essay whoops)

[13eyond13]

I'll try to keep it short because you're very kind but I'm becoming annoying... I actually like Soichiro. It's his morals I cannot stand. In fact, in line with his, I like Matsuda's and even Light's variations more, even with all the darkness they entail, because they're more critical. I adore L and find him relatable, but I'm not so sure if I'd like him as a person in real life, and yet I again like his morals more than Soichiro's. I still think Soichiro is generally a better person than any of the others. I still dislike his morals the most. When I say at the opposite end of Soichiro in the moral spectrum is where Near stands I'm not talking just about my personal liking, but as I interpret their views on morality. Maybe there's some detail of the manga I'm forgetting (I truly have to reread it), but Soichiro didn't seem very critical about... anything, while Near states something like "even if god came and told me this is good and this is bad and this is The Truth I'd still consider and come to my own conclusion". I like that. I care less about someone getting a moral with what I may consider a degree of grey if they do that. I myself have very strong morals that nonetheless have degrees of grey; strong doesn't mean pure. My grey and someone else's grey might be very different. But I've developed them, not accepted them blindly. Near of course, Mello, L, and even Light and Matsuda do this, but Soichiro generally doesn't. And I dislike that greatly. In fact, I think I'd find him kind in real life, and likeable, but I'd not really like him because I can't really bring myself to like someone like that even when they're kind and compassionate and good. I'm already talking more than I intended but I'll try to point out what bothers me of his attitude.

Soichiro is very very anti Kira, but he's working for a government with the death penalty and he doesn't seem to consider that even for a moment. For him, that the government does it is justifiable but monstrous if a person does it. He doesn't really have a justification, it's just like that because it's as it is. He's very against L's methods, buy L uses people who were going to die anyway at the very moment he uses them either way because of the death penalty, because of the government. From a government pov, if the government were to do what L does, it'd be something terrible. From an individual pov? Not so much. It's ugly, but it's beyond himself whether that people die or not, and his decisions are easily justifiable from an individual pov: they're going to die irrevocably, that very day at that very time, and he is using what he can to solve a very complicated case that is taking many lives, and he even might use the moral support of "I'm giving the prisoners the chance of choosing, with the potential reward of lifelong imprisonment instead of death". And again, while a government doing that is terrible, it's not as terrible for a person. L is a private detective, an individual. People can be fallible. Governments shouldn't. What L does might be justifiable, if ugly, for a person, but it would be unforgivable for the government to do. But the government lies on L and it's L who takes the slander of the rest of the Task Force. And that's what Soichiro doesn't see, and that's what bugs me. Soichiro sides with the government and the laws no matter what, no matter if they're terrible and are actually the cause if indirectly of the terrible things L is able to do (I'd have to reread to be completely comfortable affirming this, but Soichiro's attitude towards the government reminds me a bit of Mikami and Misa to some extent).

Soichiro hates Kira, and hates and criticises L's methods and his ruthlessness, but doesn't even consider for one moment the problem is not L. The problem is not the 24 yo boy/man, the problem is his government, that has the dead penalty and actually let's a private detective carry on with the investigation and do as he pleases (and I'm not even taking into consideration how L's upbringing and the lowkey if fun exploitation he was subrmited to have most probably influenced if not determined the way he acts in these cases, because while it's intriguing it'd feel like justifying L out of pity, and either way Soichiro doesn't know that; but I mention this because L's entire past at Wammy's, like the other children's, is another very terrible move from governments and adults in responsibility positions). The problem is Interpol, the governments in general, blatantly saying L is ruthless but not even setting rules when working with him. And I think it would actually have been very easy to stop L doing those things. Just change the rules of the game, tell him beforehand there are a few things he can't do. It's a game after all. Of course L would still exploit the moral and legal vacuums of the rules as he pleased, as one does when playing anything, but the government wouldn't have given him totally free way.

I'm not sure if I'm explaining myself very well. Years ago in a class I talked about the difference between personal vengeance and the death penalty. I feel this is similar. A person is fallible. A government should be able to stand over licit murder. L manipulating people to prove a point is ugly. A government doing that or letting someone free way to do whatever is terrible. L does whatever, and as an individual is not so horrible as it is that the governments internationally actually let him do whatever even knowing beforehand without setting rules. Soichiro sees this and it doesn't even cross his mind for a moment to criticise the government he's working with. Also, he considers his morals the best, which makes sense in a first person pov (why support x morals if you don't think they're the best? I'm not critisising this), but he's very... imposing about them, while as I say not being precisely the most critical thinker. That Soichiro is like this, morally (I'm not even talking about the policeman aspect though that's so often talked about in the fandom), makes a lot of sense to how Light ends up being Kira, and with how Matsuda thinks and acts. And I find that very intriguing, but I can't stand Soichiro's simplistic morals and his better-than-you attitude even though he's a generally good person. That's why I dislike his morals the most (of course you don't have to agree!). I don't stand by Near's morals either, but I like his "god could come and tell me and still I'd doubt" attitude. It's what makes gods mad in basically every mythology, but I love that kind of thought process. I'm very much like that too.

I'm so sorry this is so long. I tried to cut, but I got the impression it'd make it even less clear or more difficult to understand. Or maybe the lack of clarity lies precisely on how repetitive and long this is. I'd like to think English not being my first language has to do with this, but honestly the problem is most probably just me. I hope I made the point understandable enough, though. And thanks for your patience. I really liked that post of Near someone sent as an opinion and how you replied! Very interesting takes on both ends.

Hi again! You have some very thought-provoking points about it all, and don't worry, your English is excellent.

I loved Near's stance about these things as well, and that's something that really bothered me when growing up about some authority figures and institutions being really totalitarian and silencing of doubts or stances they deemed too negative or incorrect to voice aloud. I value having freedom of choice and the ability to think critically about everything immensely. Maybe it's because I went to a very strict and sheltering and weird little school as a child that tried very hard to indoctrinate me with a specific worldview, and always shamed and silenced anyone who disagreed or questioned them or felt like an outsider or wanted to have a different point of view. I remember relating the most to Matsuda on the task force when I first watched the show as a teen, because he was always speaking up with his devil's advocate questions or confusions. The way Soichiro and the others usually yell and scold and shame him for this bothered me a lot, because I wanted them to discuss things openly so I could see all the different sides of the arguments more clearly. Actually, I think this is a pretty culturally similar thing between Japan and Canada (where I am from). There's a strong emphasis on doing what's best for the entire group instead of just yourself, and being too controversial or outspoken or individualistic about certain things is often taboo and frowned upon as a big social faux pas. It's possibly quite a bit stronger pressure toward obedience and conformity and politeness in Japan in certain ways as well, but I don't know for sure as I haven't lived there myself.

I think Soichiro had a bit of nuance and flexibility with his morals and his stances in various instances throughout the plot, and to me he seemingly tries hard to see things from other angles during complicated moments in what must be one of the most difficult situations he could possibly face as both a police chief and a parent. But it's true he never seemed to doubt that upholding the laws already in place and the way his government punishes the convicted were the "correct" ways society should function. I think this series would be a really interesting one to discuss in a class that talks about stuff like justice and the death penalty and law and ethics and such for how many of these things it touches on in an entertaining and thought-provoking way!