#I just kind of wish the player was treated with more respect for not being a part of that majority

[cormorantcolors]

Okay idk if this is a hot take, I just finished my first BG3 playthrough recently and am only now starting to really engage with the fandom, but why is nobody talking about how hostile the game can be towards ace and especially aro characters? Like idk it feels weird that Withers is so beloved or the tiefling party is such a cherished scene when both of them have text that paints choosing not to date anyone as lonely and cold and tragic.

[mdhwrites]

THE. HERTA.

The writers from the Intelligentsia Guild wanted to give me an extra title. Something like "Herta Prime" to separate me from my puppets. How banal. Are the puppets not "me" as well? So, I gave them a suggestion — if they dared to write that, then I would call myself THE Herta. It's short, simple, straight to the point, and elegant.

Esteemed member #83 of the Genius Society, human, female, young, beautiful, attractive. It's said that she lives in the far edge of the Cosmos, almost never leaving. Sounds like her appearance this time... must be to deal with an issue that has to be handled herself, right?

Image and above text taken from Hoyo's English account on Twitter.

OH MY GOD I'M HYPED! And just this alone already feels right. I'll admit when I first saw her I went "Teen Lisa" at the design... But it's a teenager which is kind of major to me. Framing her that young fits exceptionally well with who she has been throughout the entire game. Hear me out:

When we first meet her, she's a petulant, uncaring brat who just wants to play with her toys and hardly cares for people who don't make her life more fun. A bad ending to Star Rail's beginning is sticking around and Herta losing interest in you because of the lack of change. All she cares about is her simulated universe.

By the time Ruan Mei is there though, she's spent a lot more time at the Space Station than she ever has before. She now has a group of peers she has been working with for a long while, something implied she hasn't done really, much like Ruan Mei. But instead of just taking charge and telling the others what geniuses they'll recruit, she's asking for input, wanting their thoughts, stuff like that. She is learning her game is more fun with more players.

A sidequest in Penacony pushes her the next step where she is given a heavy weight. A weapon used to destroy entire star systems. She doesn't mock the scientist, the gift or the weapon like she might have at the start. She treats the Stellaron in us as just a weapon to be played with after all. No, she solemnly tucks it away for later, respectful of the wish that someone who can maybe use it for good have it. It's a responsibility that she must accept, properly, with no one like Asta to shirk it off to. Instead of trying to ignore it though, she treats it with respect.

Finally, we have the Unknown Domain which has a LOT to it about Herta potentially opening up due to it being about something so critical to who she is... But the one I want to zoom in on is the ending. For someone who saw themselves as so high and mighty, who theoretically treats the universe as a curiosity to be replicated, who can only be interested in the strange and unknowable, the curiosities of existence... She gives a mundanite comfort. Thanks someone who could never approach her understanding for giving her the first step into being who she is. She knows it's a simulation but she feels that weight enough to feel the need to thank the simulation regardless.

And now she deems something so important that she comes herself? What could that possibly mean? She needs to kiss Ruan Mei? I can't even begin to properly guess but I am excited to put it mildly because we have gotten to see this teenager, some loli bait doll, become a young woman and now we'll get a physical manifestation of it and I LOVE IT.

Also, just a shout out to the description perfectly explaining why she's Ice Erudition again. "The puppets are me." So why would she be anything other than just a refined, perfected version of the puppets? Also she uses a keyblade/staff which makes the Kingdom Hearts fan in me happy and I'm just SO curious what we're going to see with her. A Herta who summons other Hertas? Does she spin with the key? Is the portal cat an actual thing to her? GIVE ME MORE INFORMATION STAR RAIL!

But for now, I am just excited to let my mind expand thanks to this first turn of her key to let us see who she will be. I just hope it's as exciting when she opens the door properly. See you next tale.

======+++++======

A reminder my asks are open and I'd love questions about Star Rail or even story ideas! I struggle more with concepts to write about for Star Rail far more than I wish I did and I'd love to hear your all's thoughts for a font of inspiration.

I have a public Discord for any and all who want to join!

I also have an Amazon page for all of my original works in various forms of character focused romances from cute, teenage romance to erotica series of my past. I have an Ao3 for my fanfiction projects as well if that catches your fancy instead. If you want to hang out with me, I stream from time to time and love to chat with chat.

A Twitter you can follow too

And a Kofi if you like what I do and want to help out with the fact that disability doesn’t pay much.

[msbunnat]

sorry if you’ve been asked this before but how do you interpret Zeus in Greek mythology?

I know you like to keep the details of your comic a secret but can you at least elaborate on your perspective about his canon?

Like me personally, I see Zeus as kind of a force of nature, probably cuz he kind of is. He’s the man made character created in order to further understand that which man did not know, like all the gods. And also like the other gods his actions are hard to rationalize cuz they’re so dam inconsistent. One moment he’s treating women as disposable then the next he’s giving Hestia the respect and permission to never marry without any question.

sorry for the Yap sesh lol, love ur art and ur comic btw!

I think this is the first time someone has asked this and I am very happy to answer!

*THIS IS TO BIG SORRY!! ;-;

First, I need to make it clear that the Zeus of ancient myths and my Zeus will be different, even though its based on mythology. I am just contributing with my two cents to this range of fanfics that have existed since ancient times.

I truly believe that all the myths we love and explore are basically fanfics based on a religion and that people in the past used them to spread knowledge, comedies, tragedies and just to have fun while keeping the image of their gods alive. That is why the gods are so inconsistent in mythology, since we have many variations even of a single myth and it will always depend on who is telling the story (I wish it were easier to make fics like this about my religion, but I am afraid of the reaction of extremists).

I interpret Zeus in mythology like all the other gods, I no longer make a distinction based on the prejudice of him being a compulsive pervert, he has many sides. As all gods re natural forces, natural as in animal and plants, but also human feelings and urges.

Zeus has some basic pillars that myths tend to respect: He is THE father, he is the fairest one, he is the executioner, he is seductive, he is good-humored (sometimes he makes some bad jokes kkkkkk), he defends natural balance more than anything and he respects the will of others (this seems ironic, but calm down!!). After reading more myths about him and different interpretations, I understood that this modern view of him as a player is completely distorted and ignores all the other myths he participates (I understand that it became his joke, but… some people take it to seriously). So I started to form my own view of his myths.

Most of his adulteries are consensual and when they are not, they remain in that confusing area of ​​what was once consensual, since it is always mentioned that he seduces (for example, how he turned into an bull or a shower of gold because he knew that his potential partners really liked those things - and I find it hilarious that it seems like he didn't even intend to get Danae pregnant kkkkkk, but it ended up happening). This doesn't mean we can't understand that some of these seductions are abusive (like taking the form of a husband to have a night with Persephone or Alcmena), but saying that he discarded them doesn't seem right either. He often protected his lovers and bastards in the most intelligent way possible and sometimes he just walked away too for the good of others. And in a way, as the father and lord of the sky, he is always watching. I also hate how we take away any woman agency when it comes to Zeus, like, there re myths that they wanted a casual nigth with a god... stop ignoring that!! (the bad thing is that Zeus is also a pilar for fertility ;w; so if he sleep with someone with a uterus... they will get pregnant).

Going to the non-literal side, we have to remember that Zeus is a god and his adultery should not be seen as the same as that of mortal men. He cant acuatlly be with a mortal on the mortal realm and be a husband there... I also want to say: Hera wasn't that jealousy (I think she herself knew that Zeus needed to spread his blood/goodness in the world - yes, a strong interpretation is that Zeus' affairs are a metaphor for spreading goodness). On the contrary, she respected the bastards who faced their challenges and thus deserved to be close to them on Olympus. Hera tested the heroes for two reasons: So they understood that she and Zeus were in charge (so that no one would think they could usurp the throne, and she protected both her and Zeus, as well as Zeus do his best to also prevent the bastards to die and have some help - both Zeus and Hera do all this from a distance, they want to be fair with eachother) and to see if they deserved to be with the immortals.

It seems ironic today, but Zeus respected everyone's will, but it was in the Greek terms (more of in atenians terms, bc we don't have much of the other states). He accepted the decisions of Hestia, Athena, Artemis… I don't remember seeing him laying a finger on them or wanting them to get married. On the other hand, we have versions of him as father of Persephone, 'selling' her (but the myth was about an arranged marriage and I think it makes sense that it's Zeus, since the focus ends up being Demeter's suffering and this encompasses more complex feelings when losing her daughter because her 'husband' gave her away, while he is still respected and loved socially).

Now the bad side of Zeus in how fair he is. He punishes Apollo in some situations, even though I understand why he needed to do it… But he is not shallow enough to be evil for the sake of evil… It left a impression on me when he killed Asclepius and hurt Apollo (obviously), it is sad and I doubt he enjoyed killing his grandson, but if he didn't do it… the balance of the cycle of death would collapse and he is the one who sustains this cycle with the greatest respect. In fact, my theory is that he doesn't face Nyx, not because he fears her, but because no matter who wins the fight, the world will end (if Nyx dies, the night and everything that comes from the night, for the Greeks like sleep and death, will be disturbed / if Zeus dies the throne will be empty and no other god would do what he does, maybe Athena, but the world was too sexist back then to let her become sovereign and I also think she would be colder than Zeus when making decisions and would have no descendants…). But sometimes he just wanted to prank and have fun! So like, no straight answer here.

In the case of Ganymede, I believe that his myth is more one of those in which Zeus is merely a narrative tool, more than an active role. People just started shipping them and that's when the pederasty boom happened, but before that Ganymede was just a boy who was handsome and got a 'dream job' (poor thing…).

[longing-for-rain]

Just so you know, some of your anons are coming from a blog called @mal3vol3nt

I do not know if you’re aware, but she’s chronically obsessed with you and has also been sharing your ao3 on Twitter and inciting harassment there too, saying you’re “racist” and a “degenerate” and accusing you of writing underage. Her blog lately is mainly posts about you and it sounds very similar to some of your anons

I had to check this out for myself and...wow. All I can say is just...wow 🤣

No, I actually had no idea who this person was but from the looks of it she's been obsessed with me for months? I guess that explains the anons, I knew these people were mad, but apparently they've been over here steaming over my takes and are legitimately terrified of me. And I didn't even know them! Didn't realize I've been doing numbers on Twitter (or X whatever it is now) despite never having an account.

(The rest is below; please don't click if you do not wish to see insensitive discussions of rape or if you are not in the mood to read opinions so malformed they will melt your brain)

I guess I have another angry little troll who doesn't know what a captial letter is obsessed with me. Wish I could say it was the first time, but alas. A lot of particularly funny things here though.

> Advertising your terrible ragebait Twitter like anyone finds you important

Lmao.

> "write fanfiction of katara being raped so zuko can save her"

What a terrible misread of the point of that story, but then again, I don't expect much else from a terminally online crybaby who exclusively consumes media for children. If you can't handle adult discussions about adult topics, maybe don't read stories that are clearly marked 18+ and with far more extensive trigger warnings than any mainstream media will give you.

> "measuring the size of her breasts and hips"

Lmao. I said she is drawn differently in different scenes. That's it. You guys are another level of unhinged.

> "obviously fetishes and racism"

It's kind of creepy how they sexualize Zutara, while simultaneously accusing us of doing that. Why do you assume a fetish is the only reason behind someone liking a ship? Why would you say this about a group of people including many black, brown, and indigenous women? And minors? And if you want to get into the whole fetish thing, don't even get me started on the shit I've seen from the kataang fandom. Hint: when I say some of you have a "mommy fetish" I mean it in a very literal sense. Not to mention the whole kataang rape discord debacle.

> "sick fantasies about these minor characters"

I have never depicted a minor in a sexual situation. I make a point to explicitly avoid doing that, and all characters are depicted as adults. Your lack of media literacy isn't an argument. If you're going to criticize my writing, at least read it, which you clearly didn't. And if the content is too upsetting for you, you clearly lack the maturity to engage in these kinds of discussions.

Imagine treating ship discourse this seriously, actually unhinged. Who said that Ember Island Players is the real Katara? What? She talks a big number about coke-fueled rants, must have given it a try herself. How do you expect to be taken seriously when you never say anything of substance and screech "racism" or "colonizer" every other word but can't even articulate the significance of those terms? Honestly, at this point you sound like a right-winger who thinks saying "but I'm [identity] and I agree with [opinion]" is a golden ticket to winning every argument.

And look at this: apparently I deserved all the things she and her friends sent me? Actually I respect this take, at least she's honest about it unlike the people who cry and backpeddle when they get caught red-handed.

I'm actually cackling at this one. Genuinely laughing; my neighbors are probably concerned. It's like you took every single Bad Person Allegation and threw it into a blender. And to top it all off, apparently 24 is "pushing 30" now LMAO. And apparently I, a lesbian, could only possibly like Zutara because I think Zuko is hot. Not to mention the way they entirely miss the point of Zutara, but ATLA itself, by insisting that Zuko is a "violent imperialist" who is apparently unworthy of love by anyone who does not share his skin tone. Kind of ironic coming from the people crying that I'm a racist who doesn't understand the show. Next level clownery.

This is so funny. These people are absolutely terrified of me, no amount of unhinged anons will hide that. It's fine for men to tell me I deserve rape and death, that I'm a dirty pervert for daring to speak out about sexual trauma, and that women's sexual trauma is nothing but a fetish, but if I respond to that man telling him he should die for being so disrespectful and misogynistic to rape victims, I'm the monster? I stand by it. If you think what he said about rape and rape victims is acceptable, especially if you're a man, die! Hang from ropes, as I said.🥰

I guess I should be really scared though. This is clearly a very influential figure in the fandom who is renowned for her enlightened wisdom on the plight of fictional cartoon characters against evil imperialists like me (adult with job).

...oh wait. I was excited for a minute, I thought I was dealing with a celebrity. But even the "callouts" struggle to hit 20 notes :/

And to everyone sending me positivity during this time, thank you very much! But I wanted to show you this to assure you I'm doing just fine. People can act as weird as they want behind a gray face, but after seeing the kinds of whiny little brats they are in reality, it's pretty hard to take it seriously. "I got my plane ticket" my ass, that would require you to leave your decaying, trash-filled apartment.

[okkos-ferrum]

Hot take maybe but like i feel the vile crew are a much more fun, dare i say, dynamic of a dynamic.

Like dont get me wrong i think zack and ivy are a fun duo that contrast carmen's badasssery with player acting as intel and shadowsan as a stoic support

But antonio, jean-paul, gray, and sheena (mime bomb too ig??) played off carmen better. (Tho to clarify not at all saying the writers shouldve had carmen hang around vile instead, they def were all bad influences on one another due to vile)

Like to me, cuz carmen is the mainly hyper-competant moral good of team red, she somewhat stands alone for it. Player is highly specialized, while idk what zack and ivy contribute specific to the team aside from extra manpower. Shadowsan may rival carmen in skill, but he has his own mistakes he's working to fix, so he's in no moral place to argue against her. As much as team red is filled with good wholesome family moments, carmen still feels kinda treated as the leader, and thus, seperate from the group. I wish sometimes there would be a conflict (no im not including the s2 conflict with the car and stuff idk that one was too inconsequential to me) between team red splitting hairs on how to approach a problem. Itd add some variety to each specific relationship carmen has with each rather than a generic friendly terms

The vile crew works as a more entertaining group cuz there are actual unique dynamics carmen has with each of the group members, as well as the group members themselves having unique relationships with each other. For the first point, cuz everyone is on the level playing field of some kind of competant thief, its not like carmen has the immediate, no-questions-asked role as the leader. Theres more of an underlying feeling she had to make a good impression aside from her skills to gain their respect, which to me is more realistic than zack and ivy suddenly attatching themselves to a then dismissive but skilled carmen during the boston caper. Like as contrived sheena just being a hater to carmen is, theres still something interesting abt her still tagging along with carmen as a reluctant friend/rival. As such, it challenges carmen to show a different side to her, like her constant need to prove herself, to the forefront, which in turn, helps also flesh carmen out more. In comparison, antonio is quite the opposite, being literally so nice to everyone regardless, which also makes him stick out (like for example, in the cs interactive game, he will readily help carmen out if u choose him to be an ally)

Each character in the vile crew have also unique groups. Unlike one blob of general friendliness like team red (aside from the over it dad energy from shadowsan lol), we see that antonio and jean-paul have a closer friendship within the group, similar to how carmen and gray also have a closer bond. Tell me the unique relationship zack has with player that is different from how anyone else treats player? Like its not much.

Theres def more banter within the vile crew as well, with sheena always being the sour one of the group. Moreover, there is the group collectively finding mime bomb to be the "weird guy in class" that is so endearing to me. They all challenge each other, like how they all judge gray's pun vile name, or how they sometimes make fun of sheena during their first mission. Yet admist all that, they still care and enjoy their company together, as seen with them still reminiscing the water balloon prank in season 4 or how antonio and jean paul are relectant to fight carmen the first time they see her again.

Idk i find it so funny how the show was able to make the vile operatives so endearing as characters, especially in comparison to tesm red whos a bit lacking

[jerktournament]

ROUND ONE - Byakuya Togami (Danganronpa) VS Yesod (Lobotomy Corporation/Library of Ruina)

(The contestant image for Yesod is from Lobotomy Corporation, but this entry is for both renditions of the character.)

!!! PROPAGANDA BELOW !!!

BYAKUYA: "- His title is literally, get this, "ultimate affluent progeny" - Fucking look at him /hj - Treats everyone as inferior in every way, even when they're trying to solve a murder he goes "how did YOUUU figure this out before MEEE???? >:0" - Constantly has an "Me vs. Them" mentality about everything so he feels the need to prove himself to be superior - Messes with crime scenes because it would "make them more interesting" (purposefully incriminating someone else, who he didn't like) Actual quotes by him - "I'm only here to get breakfast. I have neither need nor desire to talk to you. Now withdraw." - "You're like a child lost in the woods, you know that? A total waste of space." - "You know, I still just can't believe it... That an uneducated, brain-dead, useless piece of garbage like you has survived this long." - "You have only yourself to blame—you came to me with your tragic little story. I didn't ask you to. This is the real world, not some romantic fantasy fairytale.""

YESOD: "AAHGH HOW DO I EVEN BEGIN TTHERE'S JUST. yesod. probably spoilers here but when you first meet him in Lobotomy Corporation I think one of the earliest things he does is make a jab at your fashion sense even though it's universally agreed by new players that his outfit is a disaster (although he dresses like that for fear of contamination and his Trauma!). He's cold to mostly everyone and is very strict, rules-following kind of guy, and people often see him as emotionless and heartless, coming up with the nickname "The Viper" for him as a result of that! BUT!!! BUT!!!! LISTEN EVEN IF HE'S MEAN. EVEN IF HE'S COLD. HE'S LIKE THIS BECAUSE HE HAS TO BE!!! He has so much unresolved trauma in his past of getting too close with am employee and befriending them and losing them because he wasn't strict enough on safety regulations and let them off with a pass because they were friends. AND NOW HE'S CLOSED AND WITHDRAWN AND OBSESSIVE OVER SAFETY PROTOCOL BECAUSE HE'S SCARED AND HE REALLY REALLY DOES CARE ABOUT HIS EMPLOYEES!!! It's hinted that he doesn't like the nickname Viper but he accepts it because it makes him out to be the respected person he wants to be!!!! He praises the real AI of the corporation, Angela, for being cold and emotionless(which is ANOTHER bag of repressed trauma worms) and wishes he could feel nothing like her because HE FEELS TOO MUCH!!! I LOVE HIM SO DEARLY MI AMOR!!! And AND in the second game he's healed a little bit and is still a little mean but the first thing he does THE VERY FIRST THING HE DOES to the protagonist is walk up to him wordlessly and reach up to fix his tie. I'm normal about him. Also he's short. Short people closer to hell or whatever. IDK he's purple ok? :3 Even if he loses IT'S A TESTAMENT TO HIS GROWTH I'M PROUD OF YOU YESOD!!!!!!"

[mesaprotector]

was reading recently about the "to be lawful or good" trope (follow orders/respect rule of law, or do what's right?), and it occurred to me that western values are so idealistic on the matter that "good" is almost always chosen, and a character who believes the law is the greater good is usually painted as morally dubious and hypocritical. tvtropes points out that in the parallel "to be chaotic or good" dilemmas protagonists almost always choose chaotic. i guess that makes sense from the point of view of fiction as wish fulfillment, and the ideal world for an american is one where they can do whatever they want without consequences.

psycho-pass is a really good example of media where this does not happen. anime in general tends to be more respectful of "lawful" values, sometimes to excess from my own western point of view (too many anime i've seen, workplace abuse is "dealt" with by learning to work harder). but urobuchi at least has a nice concept of what a balance can look like. (spoilers below, of course).

akane tsunemori is the most lawful good character to ever lawful good. she has constant positive intentions, cares for everyone in her society, and does so by enforcing and interpreting the law - and would not have it any other way. there's an amazing quote from her near the end of s1 (i have not seen the later seasons):

"People have always detested evil and sought out a righteous way of living. Their feelings, the accumulation of those peoples feelings are the law. They’re neither the provisions, nor the system. They’re the fragile and irreplaceable feelings that everyone carries in their hearts."

when faced with "to be lawful or good", she never once gives up on the law, no matter what. she has at least two chances to kill a dangerous villain outright and rejects both as being against orders; when the law itself tries to ensnare someone she loves, she finds a way out by following the rules instead of just breaking them like any other hero would.

dungeons and dragons kind of threw the alignment system at players and told them "you, there, interpret this". it's difficult and a lot to ask. from the little experience i have with it, most players only care about good/neutral/evil, and as for law vs. chaos they're just treated like different flavors of ice cream. it's far more compelling to treat them as equally important - a lawful good character and a chaotic good character are as far apart, morally, as a lawful good and a lawful evil one.

psycho-pass s1 doesn't have a chaotic good character. the closest it gets is kagari, who could perhaps be called chaotic neutral (though i have trouble calling any literal cop chaotic, he was essentially forced into the role). but it does have a fantastic example of a chaotic vs. lawful conflict, just on the evil side - makishima vs. sibyl.

i think where i wanted to go with this is that part of maturity is learning that two people, or groups of people, who are fighting, may very well both be righteous, and talking it out is often not a solution. i think most modern politics is like this, but that's just my feeling. there are some fairly evil people around, to be sure, but the vast majority of people are not - and recognizing that those different from you are in some ways righteous, and that you yourself are in some ways capable of evil - is really a critical sort of humility.

i might be a little too thrilled with myself for having realized this so early - i was the only kid in my class who liked "lord of the flies", and i still do like it. tumblr used to really have a thing about hating it back when the audience on this website had an average age of 16. i hope those people who insisted "but i'd never have grown up to do anything bad" have learned better since. but looking at how many older people (including apparently most writers) haven't gotten the memo, i'm not too sure.

[skull001]

Amy hot takes.

Amy's Sonic Advance gameplay is still THE superior 2-D gameplay for Amy, and the only reason it hasn't been revisited in newer games is because Sega are cowards still stuck with the "one-button" approach that only works for Sonic and Tails.

Even when games like Origins Plus and Sonic Superstars nerfed down Amy to just two moves, she is still more fun to play as than Sonic.

Amy's gameplay in Sonic Advance >> E-122 Psi Amy hacks >> Amy Mania by Troop Sushi/Codename Gamma >> Sonic Supertars >> Origins Plus.

Sonic X's Amy is the full package of how Amy should be like. Even with her flaws, she was one of the most fun characters to watch, and surprisingly got plenty of moments that humanized her and even explore a bit of how she saw her relation with Sonic, proving she isn't deluded about it like her detractors claim.

Giving Amy a toy hammer is one of the best things Sega did, and wish the full potential of what she can do with it was more explored in gameplay terms.

The tarot cards should be only a back-up weapon, never the main one. Story-wise, the can guide her in her quests, providing the player with hints that they have to interpretate.

IDW's characterization of Amy is alright. The issue if anything, is that she, like the game characters, are hardly the focus of the stories, nor are they allowed to be shown in a more personal manner. Don't care if it's because Sega is too strict, or if the writers only use them to get to the characters that THEY really want to write for. Either way, the situation sucks for the game cast.

I think Amy is better suited to be the franchise's co-protagonist alongside Sonic. She is very versatile as she isn't restricted to be by his side 24/7, and as long as she sees Sonic as her prince in shining armor, there really isn't any reason to keep her from growing into a stronger and more beautiful heroine.

I'd like to see a story where Amy tries to help a character find redemption, but is ultimately unable to, betrayed by them even. I think this would be an interesting change of pace because, even if let down by those Amy tries to help, that she still remain kind of heart would be proof of just how strong her heart is.

Superform. Of all characters not named Sonic, Amy's noble and compassionate heart should be more than worthy of awakening that miracle.

Morio Kishimoto really should go all out with exploring more of Sonic and Amy's relation. I think he is one of the few people capable of doing so and pushing the status quo to ot' limit whole keeping things fresh. After the let down of that last Tailstube where Amy's feelings were again the object of mockery from american writers ( especially HIM), I'd more than welcome the more respectful approach from Japanese writers towards the dynamic of these two characters.

Amy IS part of the main cast, and should be treated accordingly to her status as lead female character. That means, not giving away Amy's roles to less important ones. Wether it's things like her compassion (which Tyson Hesse mentions to be unique) or being the most adventure loving of the girls.

Don't make Amy be "mature" by becoming a party pooper who dislikes fun. This is a very outdated stereotype of women that honestly, doesn't apply to the real Amy. She would join the boys in doing dumb things, while still doing girly things with other girls too.

Enough of sad face Amy. Why the hell is Sega afraid to show an Amy that, no matter what, can be a beacon of hope for those who have lost their faith. Further more, why is she not expressing faith anymore on Sonic? I swear ever since Sonic Boom, only Tails is allowed to do this as an artificial means to push the bff thing, in contrast to previous games and even shows, where Amy did this. It saddens me how in Prime, she complains about Sonic not sticking to the plan, while Tails is the one who reminds that he has never let them down. Like, helloooooo? Amy also knows this, so why treat her like she doesn't?

Sonic, Tails, Amy & Knuckles >> Sonic, Tails and Amy >>>>>> Sonic, Tails & Knuckles.

Writers shouldn't be afraid to show/play out Amy's flaws. I like seeing characters make fools of themselves once in a while, as long as they are also allowed to get out of their mess by also playing out their strengths and positive traits.

[otakusheep15]

My (possibly controversial) Twisted Wonderland Opinions

I see a lot of these on TikTok and such, so I wanted to make my own. Remember that these are all my own personal opinions, and I do not claim that any of these are canon or factually correct. If you don't agree, that's fine, just remember to be respectful.

Just as a fair warning, most of this is me being pissed off at the fandom for how it treats certain characters/players, so if that might offend you, I'd suggest scrolling past this one.

The fandom as a whole really tends to mischaracterize Kalim and I'm pretty sick of it. He's actually a very intelligent character with a deep, tragic backstory. Kalim is not your "small cinnamon roll" or "precious baby," he is a teenage boy with serious mental issues. The only reason he is so kind and bubbly is because he wants people to like him. If people like him, they have less reason to try and kill him. That is why he tries to be so nice. It is for his own personal safety. It's the same reason as to why he tries to salvage his relationship with Jamil so hard. Yes, he does still care about Jamil, but Kalim is fully aware that Jamil is the most trustworthy person in his life, and without him, Kalim could be put in serious danger. Kalim is a good person, but he is also very selfish, and does things so that people will like him more, and I'm tired of the fandom pretending like he's some innocent cinnamon roll when he's much deeper than that.

The way this fandom treats male/non-binary players is honestly so horrible, especially when Yuuka was first introduced. I have seen countless posts of female players being rude and disrespectful towards non-female players simply because they were hoping for a non-female protagonist in the anime and mangas. It's annoying and disrespectful, and I wish we could all stop fighting and just enjoy the game without the negativity. Not every female player is like this, but I see it enough that it needs to be called out.

I need certain members of this fandom to realize that most of these boys are minors. The majority of the main cast are 16-17, and only a few of the students are 18+. It feels like so many people in this fandom forget how young some of these characters are, and it shows in the way said characters are treated. It feels especially weird when I see people in their 20s and up simping after the first years, who are all 16. I don't really mind people who age them up for things like fanfics, but it's still kind of creepy to see.

Rook has been such a creep in this game since he was introduced, and people still treat it like it's a non-issue. He has such a track record of stalking students, being weird or creepy towards them, and making unnecessary comments. There was even a side story where he body shamed Vil because he put on a little extra weight. This man is not a good man, and more people need to realize that his behaviors are not okay and they are not justified, especially when several other characters have mentioned how freaked out they are because of him.

Many of the characters in this game have severe levels of depression, but the fandom still shits on them despite this. Leona and Idia are two good examples of this. People are constantly hating on Leona because he's rude or lazy, but most of his personality shows clear signs of depression. It's canon that he was neglected for pretty much his whole life, and, after a while, he just gave up on trying since no one cared. This is clearly depression, and yet the fandom treats it like this was all his own choice, which is annoying. Same with Idia: he's very clearly depressed and still struggles with Ortho's death, yet the fandom continues to make fun of him and bully him for it, and it pisses me off. What makes it worse is that the same people idolize other characters like Cater, who also shows signs of depression. They love him and can clearly see his signs just fine, yet they choose to ignore it in other characters.

And that's all I have for now. If I think of any more, I'll either add to this one or make a part two, whichever I feel like in the moment. If you were offended by any of this, I apologize (but you're probably someone who needed to hear this anyways). If you disagree with any of this or want to share your own opinions, feel free to (politely) do so in the comments or tags, and I will gladly read them all. Any rude behavior will be deleted and blocked immediately, so don't try that shit with me.

[phantombanquet]

The Etymology of the Four Yuus in Twisted Wonderland

For a brief introduction, there are different kinds of Yuus/Player for every media of TWST: Game Yuu, Novel Yuu (Yuuya Kuroki), Heartslabyul Manga Yuu (Yuuken Enma), and the most recent one, Savanaclaw Manga Yuu (Yuuka Hirasaka).

There's a different name for each Yuu in every adaptation of the game. The origin behind each names is quite interesting, so I wanted to share my thoughts on it.

I'm coincidentally a bit knowledgeable about the meaning behind each of their names, however, I am NOT Japanese (I'm SE Asian), so there might be wrong information, and if you find any, please feel free to correct me!

Game Yuu (ユウ)

Unlike the other Yuus whose names are written in Kanji, Game Yuu has their name written in Katakana as ユウ. Katakana is primarily used for transcription of words from foreign languages, but they can also be used as an emphasis on other Japanese words; in this case, Game Yuu's name is used in Katakana to signify them being from another world.

However, it's noted that Game Yuu's name is used as a play on the word “You” as seen in the end of Scarabia Book 4 where they reply with “I am Yuu” (if you have your name set as ユウ) when Mickey Mouse asked for their name.

Game Yuu's name doesn't need That much of deeper analysis explanation since it's meant to be a placeholder of the name us players decide.

Tldr; Yuu's name is written in Katakana (ユウ) instead of Kanji because it's supposed to signify how they're from another world, or simply, a foreigner.

Heartslabyul Manga Yuuken Enma (円満 雄剣)

If you aren't updated with the Heartslabyul Manga, Yuuken was a second year student and the vice captain of his school's kendo club before he was transported to Twisted Wonderland.

He has a very determined, righteous, and open-minded personality. Yuuken treats everyone with respect, as seen in the manga where he defends Riddle from getting hit by eggs even after Riddle just defeated Ace and Deuce in a duel. Yuuken is also strong in terms of physical strength, which is something that Game Yuu doesn't have (lol).

Starting off with his given name Yuuken, it contains the kanji 雄 which means “male or hero”, and the kanji 剣 which means “sword”. For me, this is like a reference to Yuuken's strong personality and determination for justice.

Meanwhile, his surname Enma 円満 comes from the Japanese name of Yama, who is the master of Hell, according to Buddhism and Hinduism. He's considered as a deity who has the authority to judge the crimes committed by those who once lived, and is commonly associated with righteousness. This one is a bit more tricky, so I'll start my in-depth explanation:

The references above are from Shintō or Shintoism, an ancient religion in Japan that is still practiced by more than millions until this date. Shintō is prevalent in Japanese culture, and you can see it referenced in several films, novels, animes, and games, like Twisted Wonderland. It's common in Japanese folklore that every demonic figure has a honji, or “true form”, and as for the Great King Enma, his honji is Jizō Bosatsu, who is the protector of children, travelers, and guards of the underworld.

Although the Great King Enma might seem terrifying and intimidating, he is compassionate, and genuinely wishes to save the souls from punishment, which is why there are several tests given to the souls of the dead to help them avoid going to hell.

((You might have noticed how Yuuken's personality is a bit similar to the Great King Enma..))

And now if we try to analyze the meaning of Yuuken's name, he is more or less like a powerful protector. Both of his names are similar to each other in terms of their meaning: righteousness (because of the word “sword” and with the Great King Enma being associated with “righteousness”).

Tldr; Yuuken's name is a reference to Shintō, which is why he always has the courage to do or stand up for the right thing during the entirety of the Heartslabyul Manga.

Savanaclaw Manga Yuuka Hirasaka (比良坂 悠河)

Savanaclaw Manga just recently started, so the only information we Know about Yuuka is that she's 17 years old, and was a judo master before she got isekai-ed. However, she is currently shown to have an easy-going, caring, and responsible personality.

Her given name Yuuka is a combination of the kanji 悠 which means “to help someone” and the kanji 河 which is “river”. I'd like to think that her given name symbolizes how she could be a bridge to help others.

Moving on to her surname, we are greeted with yet another reference to Shintō. 比良坂 is a reference to the Yomotsu Hirasaka which is, in Japanese mythology, a slope or boundary between the living world and the world where the dead live (Yomi); basically, the pathway to the underworld. There's a whole story to this, so another in-depth explanation is on your way:

The goddess Izanami died after giving birth to the god of fire (Kagutsuchi). The male god Izanagi is devastated by the loss of his wife, so he decides to travel to the Underworld (Yomi) in order to bring her back, which is where he travels through the Yomotsu Hirasaka to reach the Underworld. ((The story goes on, but it's not related about this anymore, however, you can just search “Yomotsu Hirasaka” online to find several stories about the whole story!))

And the use of Hirasaka as a name for the MC is quite headache inducing if we took it into a lore perspective where Game Yuu is connected to Mickey Mouse, who is presumably from another world, through the mirror.

((also can i just add how i Love the references to Shintō.... it's such a neat detail especially if u know that ancient Japanese used to believe that mirrors would suck the spirits of humans and connect our world to the spiritual world which is very fitting in terms of mickey mouse lore. it's like the dreams that Game Yuu sees through the mirrors is a reference to thsi))

Anyway, there's a common pattern for both of the names of the Manga Yuus to be similar to each other. If we take the “river” 河 in Yuuka's name as a symbolism, then it would be something like “path/flow of life” which is similar to the meaning of her surname, the path to the underworld.

Tldr; Yuuka's name is another reference to Shintō, or Japanese mythology. Her name could mean something like “a path to help others”, but we have yet to explore than in Savanaclaw manga.

Novel Yuuya Kuroki (黒木 優也)

From what I've seen so far, Yuuya has an extremely different personality from the rest of the Yuus (and honestly the most realistic one imo LMAO).

Contrary to how the other Yuus reacted after being isekai-ed, Yuuya immediately had a breakdown due to the change in environment. He's not too confident and is frequently anxious due to his past. He also dislikes confrontation. More information about Yuuya is found here.

We've finally arrived at our last Yuu, Yuuya Kuroki. No, there are no references to Shintō this time lol. Maybe a just bit I guess.

His given name consists of the kanji 優 which means “gentleness” and the kanji 也 which is used as “to be”, so Yuuya's name basically means “to be gentle”, which he is.

Kuroki is just a combination of the kanji 黒 which is “black” and 木 which means “tree”, but it could also mean “unbarked lumber”. I'm sure they're trying to reference something after all the Shintō references to the past Yuus, but I am Not sure what they are trying to reference. Lol.

However, trees are symbolic in Shintō as they are said that spirits inhabit trees that are of hundred years. They also connect the world of gods (kami) to the earth, and people.

Meanwhile, I'm not too sure what “black” 黒 could be a reference to. I've only thought of how tattoos painted in black where used as a protection from evil during ancient Japanese times, however, it's rarely seen like that as of today.

Tldr; We have yet to know more about Yuuya, but currently, he is seen to embody gentleness.

I think. that is all for today. I'd love to hear everyone's thoughts about this, please feel free to tell me!!!! And pls tell me if i ever said something incorrect because i do not want to spread misinformation ;;

I enjoy how every Yuu is somewhat related to the world building lore of twst so i could not resist talking about this.

[lizzybeth1986]

Why I gave HLAW a "Hana's Perfect Wedding" Theme

Tbr I like thinking up weddings for all my pairings and fave characters. But with Hana there is an added significance that makes me want it to be extra special for her specifically.

The first two chapters of Hana's playthrough in TRR3, touches on a very interesting and rather painful aspect of Hana's upbringing - that she has been robbed of choice in so many things, especially in the kind of wedding she wanted. We see this both in the safe house, where Hana and MC decide to marry, and at their engagement photoshoot where Hana plans a couple poses.

In both scenes, she dives into the task with incredible enthusiasm, before stopping herself and asking the MC if in doing so she is ignoring the MC's desires for their wedding. The MC can reassure her, but in both scenes Hana is nervous about becoming like her parents, in leaving behind her partner in her desire to fulfill her own dreams for her wedding.

Unfortunately, this story thread is dropped completely after Ch 2 of TRR3, and the wedding itself is so focused on the MC that PB often forgets that Hana is a bride at that wedding too! She is made to wear dull colours like the rest at her own bachelorette (and two white ladies of the court are allowed to break this rule), and is treated like a bridesmaid more than a bride at her own reception! Especially in the Savannah proposal diamond scene.

Despite being the bride, the MC makes her run errands and she is made to stand in the line of bridesmaids for the bouquet toss in her wedding gown! Honestly...not a dream wedding at all.

So it's always been important to me, to imagine a perfect wedding for Hana. One that centers her. That keeps her dreams - the ones that Hana assumed would never come true - in mind. One that respects her journey and where she came from, combines all the things she loves.

So to me...and I think to many Hana stans... Hana's dream wedding isn't just a typical dream of someone who can't wait to marry the one they love. It's also an opportunity for Hana to live out fantasies and dreams and wishes that she thought she'd never have the chance to fulfill.

Because I'm not sure how many TRR players know about this...I thought I'd talk about it and why it personally mattered so much to me, a bit today. ☺️☺️

Can't wait to see all your HLAW entries!!

[crossdressingdeath]

I hope later varric realizes how much of his foot he ate when he told quiz it's hard to see them as a person, and the only reason he can't apologize and explain himself to quiz is bc they're too busy 🤧

I really can't get over how that line comes from Varric, of all people. Varric whose main role in the story is knowing the previous Important Hero of the age and who talks a lot about how being a hero has taken enough from his best friend. But then, I guess you could say that part of Varric's character is that no matter how much he cares for people a part of him is always looking at them as fodder for his stories, and him seeing Quiz as an icon instead of a person could be part of that? There is sort of a weird feel to him making Hawke and Quiz the protagonists of his heroic tales about the events of DA2 and DAI respectively, especially if you play one or both of them as being an unwilling hero and miserable in their role. Like, "Is he keeping quiet about that because it's personal and the world doesn't deserve to know about it, or because it gets in the way of a good story if the hero openly, explicitly does not want to be there?" is a question that can definitely be asked about Varric and it's something that neither of his appearances thus far have really gotten into. He loves his friends, but his most famous book comes from treating his best friend's life as plot fodder, and there's no evidence that he ever... y'know, asked? Hawke and Quiz before he turned what depending on player choices may have been the worst periods of their lives into bestsellers? (Do they get a cut of the royalties at least?) And some things Varric comes out with are like... as an example, Varric pushing a romanced Bull for details about what Quiz is like in the bedroom is kind of fun especially with how Bull shuts him down immediately, but it's also... y'know, incredibly invasive. There's a lot to get into with a character whose most notable actions mostly involve turning our heroes' lives into books whether they like it or not and I wish Varric's DAI quest was about that instead of his shitty sort of girlfriend.

But yeah, it's really awful that in his friendship cutscene of all places Varric says that he struggles to see Quiz as a person. I mean, DAI is very much a story about Quiz's personhood being stripped from them! They're the Herald of Andraste, they're the Inquisitor, they're a religious figurehead, they're the hero to all the good little Andrastians, they are not allowed to just exist as a person. Especially if you're playing a non-human or a mage, but even non-mage Trevelyan has a huge number of expectations placed on them. Like... in DAO you have to save Ferelden, in DA2 you have to save Kirkwall (again, and again, and again, and- you get the idea), but it's really only in DAI where you are expected to be a specific person, even if you absolutely physically can't be because you are not a human non-mage noble! So Quiz is already in a situation where everything they are as a person is being denied in favour of this image the world has of the perfect Andrastian Inquisitor, and their inner circle are basically the only people who ever treat them as a person in their own right instead of just "the Herald of Andraste" (and even then only sometimes; for every time a member of the inner circle shows concern for Quiz's wellbeing, one of them comes out with something like "you're not allowed to believe Mythal is real because you're the Herald of Andraste"). And now one of said inner circle, one of the people Quiz is closest to in the whole of the Inquisition, is looking them in the eye and telling them he struggles to see them as a person. It's a horrible, horrible thing to think about someone who you claim to care about! It's an even more horrible thing to say! Varric looks someone he supposedly sees as a dear friend in the eye and tells them he forgets that they're a person and absolutely nothing comes of that! Like, that should've had a pretty serious impact on their relationship????? But nope, nothing, Quiz doesn't even respond to it. Like... I get that it's different situations, but it really does remind me of Solas's refusal to recognize the current people of Thedas as people. Except with Solas his failure to recognize others as people is a central part of his character and him being pushed to realize he was wrong via Quiz's friendship/love and being terrified of the fact that if Quiz is real that means everyone is real and bringing down the Veil will cause another apocalypse on top of the one he's trying to undo is one of the most fascinating things about him; with Varric it's just Quiz specifically he doesn't see as "a real person", and it's a throwaway line that the story does nothing with. If nothing else I would've liked to see more done with that parallel.

And yeah, I really would've liked a sequence where Varric realizes just how far he shoved his foot down his throat by telling Quiz, someone whose story revolves heavily on being treated like they're not a person (even if it's in the quote-unquote "positive" way of "You're more than just a person") that despite being one of their closest friends in the organization he also struggles to see them as anything more than just the "Herald of Andraste" and... actually apologizes for it. But it doesn't happen! Very sad.

[repo-net]

Hi friend! As fun as Monaca was, it is good to see Nagisa is back! 💙 After “Monaca” ranked her friends, I’ve been wondering how you would rank the WOH in terms of your personal favorites? I’m assuming Nagisa is your favorite, but out of the others do you have a 2nd favorite, 3rd, 4th, 5th ect. or is it just Nagisa’s the best and the rest are kind of equal to you? (with the exception of perhaps Monaca?) Just curious but you don’t have to answer. Have a great day! 💕

Hello hello, thank you again for another ask! It was quite a fun week, I appreciated the small change in theme I took for a bit, but it's nice to finally have a refreshed and updated look again now that we're back to normal.

Ranking the Warriors of Hope, huh? I've been asked this question a few times before, but I'm not sure if I've done it here yet? I can't quite recall. I do have a personal ranking though that hasn't changed and likely won't ever change, but I'll skip number 1 since I think it's pretty obvious who's taking that spot.

5. Kotoko Utsugi

Kotoko's cute. I think she's entertaining and a lot of her lines hit the mark when she's actually allowed to have depth (something that DR tends to fail on), and she probably has my favorite design when it comes to the Warriors of Hope. Her personality is funny and I just wanna give her a hug because of the horrible messes she's been through.

But in the grand scheme of things and appreciating her overall character, I just can't overlook the clutter of mishandling of the themes in her writing. The game didn't treat it with nearly enough respect as they should've, from the weird as hell shots of her underwear, to the whole motivation machine... thing. I have an obvious issue with that entire segment, but I at least see why Kotoko would act in such a way. But the fact they turned it into a minigame...? With the instructions for it ending off by basically telling the player to not enjoy themselves too much? Leaves such a sour taste in my mouth.

For the same reason characters like Mikan are low on my tier lists (though I don't actually dislike or hate any character, the lowest grade I give is just a 'god, I really don't care at all'.), Kotoko gets the same grade. Fun character, horrible handling and presentation.

4. Jataro Kemuri

Y'know, there's a bit of a gap between Kotoko and this one. Not that big, but enough that I can decisively say every time someone asks me who my least favorite Warrior of Hope is, I would say the former. Anyways, moving on to Jataro. I think one reason he's over here is because he suffers from what I call "middle character syndrome", where he doesn't 'die' early enough like Masaru to leave a first impression, or someone late like Nagisa to really set you up for the climax. He's stuck in the unfortunate spot of having to follow up from who came first.

But that doesn't mean I don't like him. I think his trauma and backstory is one of the more unique ways of portraying mental abuse. While I think they could've done a better job of actually giving us time to digest his story and see more context in what really happened, I think his attitude (and his voice actor: god bless Michelle Ruff, she does an incredible job) and how he's so ruthless because he loves being hated is intriguing.

It's not enough to get him that high, but for what it's worth, I enjoyed Jataro while he was on screen and I wish we got to see more of him and Masaru, they badly needed more screentime. Speaking of which...

3. Masaru Daimon

Ah, here's the boy. If you thought my issue with Jataro's screentime was bad, man - Masaru's issues go way bigger than that. This poor fella gets a total of two scenes to shine in - the part where the Warriors of Hope introduce themselves, and his boss fight. If you wanna be generous and make it three, then we can count his supposed funeral, but as far as I'm concerned, the only one who got any sort of character build there was Nagisa and Monaca.

So why is Masaru so up high on my list despite the fact that he, y'know. Barely even existed? It's because he left his mark and set the tone well for the rest of his members to follow up on. Establishing himself as an arrogant, noisy brat that you just wanna pummel in his intro, with making a few lines here and there that make way for light-heartedness (wieners!). And then, he shows his weak heart. Beating his arm up (that scene was and still is hard to watch btw) and making subtle references easy enough for the viewer to make inferences from. Building what's coming.

That's what Masaru does. He lays the blueprints down for the rest of the kids, and that they all have reasons for turning the way they did. Being the first example is as important as closing off the story, and Masaru despite how little time he got was able to pass that test.

2. Monaca Towa

Yep, it's pretty obvious who my second favorite Warrior of Hope is if you've been paying attention to my blog, lol. Monaca is a horrible and terrifying child. She has done plenty of things wrong. I want nothing more than for her to receive her comeuppance and get what she deserves. And that's why pickle satan is my second favorite Warrior of Hope, my favorite villain/main antagonist in the series, and one of my favorite characters in general. And it all roots back to what I believe is most important in a character - presentation.

Believe me when I say this; a character that annoys the viewer will always be worse than a character that repulses them. You want them to think 'oh screw this guy, i hope they get owned and beat eventually', absolutely not 'oh screw this guy, get them off my screen, i don't wanna see this anymore'. You want to have the audience desire their demise, not be so irritated by them that they don't even wanna continue seeing the story anymore. Monaca plays her role of the despicable villain incredibly. She is so easy to hate in the ways that you wanna see her get destroyed.

I could go for a long, long while about Monaca and make a post of her own, honestly. Her dynamic with Nagisa is a one-sided tragedy (that I honestly think is more co-dependent than most people realize.) that ends with her pulling off one of the most horrid scenes in the series by mentally destroying the psyche of another character to the point he can't even muster the will to fight her anymore.

Her whole motive - it's initially believed that Monaca wants to be the next generation of Junko Enoshima herself, but the more you look into it, the more hints the story gives, until the buildup where the plan was for it to be Komaru all along... it's an excellent build and subversion that makes sense. Her writing works. Her character works. Everything clicks with Monaca. I just wish her arc ended more satisfyingly in DR3, even if the absurdity of it was pretty funny. Monaca's great. Love her and I'll always write about her.

Thanks again for sending the ask! I apologize this took a while, I've been busy these past few days in preparation of the upcoming school week. Hope to hear from you again, and have a great day!

[adamwatchesmovies]

Sky High (2005)

If you’re making a movie about a high schooler torn between his friends and the popular clique, you’re not going to beat Mean Girls - so what can you do? Add an extra element to make it different. On their own, the high school and superhero elements of Sky High would be forgettable. Together, they make this the kind of movie you’d enjoy as a kid, fondly remember for years, revisit later on and be pleased to see that it holds up.

Will Stronghold (Michael Angarano) is the non-powered son of The Commander (Kurt Russell) and Jetstream (Kelly Preston), the world’s most popular superheroes. He hopes his first day at Sky High - a school for superheroes - will unlock his potential. Although he and his friends are relegated to the “Hero Support” (sidekick) department, he catches the eye of beautiful Gwen Grayson (Mary Elizabeth Winstead). When his powers finally manifest, he begins hanging out with Gwen and the popular crowd, just as Royal Pain - his parents' nemesis presumed dead for 16 years - reemerges.

You can probably see where this story is going. At the end of the day, the “cool kids” are not the people Will can depend upon; it’s his childhood friend Layla (Danielle Panabaker) who is secretly in love with him and can manipulate plants along, with the sidekick misfits: Ethan “Popsicle” Bank (Dee Jay Daniels) who can melt into a puddle of goo, Magenta Lewis (Kelly Vitz) who can turn into a guinea pig, and Zach Braun (Nicholas Braun) who glows in the dark. If Sky High deviated from the formula more, had richer characters, or took a few more chances, it would be a better film. The movie can tell us that sidekicks and heroes should be treated equally all it wants, but Puddle Kid won’t be saving the day anytime soon and the story fails to make him cool by showing him use his ability to crawl beneath doors to spy on people or combining his skills with smarts or martial arts. Similarly, it’s not like Will confronts his father and persuades him to apologize to Royal Pain for the anguish he made them feel while they were in school together; Royal Pain is just evil and needs to be dealt with the old-fashioned way. There’s another layer of depth and intelligence that could’ve been unlocked.

With that said, the movie has a good number of jokes and when the high school and superhero genre are blended, it works well. Bruce Campbell has a small role as Coach Boomer. He provides some big laughs as he puts the new recruits through trials and comments on their potential - or lack thereof. Equally funny are the scenes in “superhero support” class. The teacher, All-American Boy (Dave Foley) is so lame he deserves no respect. The dubiously useful skills he teaches are showcased in a couple of montages that prove this movie knows the superhero genre and has fun both referencing it and poking fun at a few aspects too.

Sky High is at its best when it’s making you laugh but the teenage drama stuff works fairly well too. In the cafeteria, Will has to contest with Warren Peace (Steven Strait) who holds a grudge against the Stronghold family for imprisoning his supervillain father. The story by Paul Hernandez, Bob Schooley & Mark McCorkle makes him more than just a bad guy. Not that the one-dimensional bullies (played by Will Harris and Jake Sandvig) are bad. Actually, they’re fun in a Bulk and Skull kind of way. I just wish the film blended its two genres more consistently in the second and third acts. There is substance in the scenes of Will and his father talking. His heroic abilities are our world's equivalent of being a star football player but the further we go on, the more detached from reality the characters and the story becomes. There are some twists along the way that make the conclusion quite a lot of fun, however.

While Sky High lacks originality, it uses its tried-and-true elements well. It’s good, family-friendly entertainment with a fair number of smartly written bits and some good character moments. (January 8, 2021)

[risu5waffles]

Finally Time Enough <glasses fall off and break> For Ten More

ONOR67 really did us dirty wiv that bug suddenly being hazardous. What wiv the level being, like, 15minutes of backtracking and no checkpoints. The environment is top-notch, which is to be expected, but the gameplay/story is nowhere near engaging enough to maintain interest. Kinda disappointing from the creator of the Proxima series, to be honest. Still, i liked the witch/demoness/whatever, and the slug things were cute, and the bit wiv the cheese.

Thankfully this one was not nearly as flashy as advertised, which i was a bit worried about; i don't think are nearly as concerned about photosensitivity as they ought to be. Not quite so thankfully, it's really over-long, and i was starting to want the checkpoint just about half-way through. Certainly by the point we got the grabbinator and bombs bit. That just dragged forever. Blowing things up to progress has never been as fun as it should be, even in LBP1 &2's story modes. The explosives never quite blow up as much as you need to progress, and then it's "welp, guess i gotta go back and do it all again."

Yes it's my level, i know. But hell, i'm proud of it, even if i did only rate it as an Orange Diamond. i'm the only gal running this archive, i can show off a little, as a treat.

Ehhhh.... i really wanted to give something by Efan8467 a look, since they've been doing an awful lot of work republishing old DLC levels in LBP3 for folx to play (i think there's some kind of glitchery-witchery going on, 'cause all the prizes here were, like, the actual prizes from the PSP LBP). Also i never got to play either of the handheld LBPs, so it's always nice getting a chance to see what they were like. That being said, this was the game intro, and you don't really get to do anything. Like jetpacking about on that track was neat, but also really limited? Also also, look, i love LBP to bits, and i honestly think MM's heart was largely in the right place, but they have never had a totally respectful take on other cultures. Very "It's a Small World After All" at best, and i can't imagine their take on Aboriginal culture in PSP was particularly sensitive, and given the history there, it's... kinda a lot, it feels like?

Nicely decorated, if a bit kludgy in shaping. Short, not particularly painful. i wish i could say more, but my mental index card just says "alright level. i had fun." Look, my memory is for shite. That's not on the creator, but i don't have time to watch the video again right now. Sorry MagicalMare!

This one's such a weird little thing, because Pign's levels were usually so polished and well-presented. It's not bad. i know i had a good time wiv it. But it really feels like they were tossing a bunch of things together to see how it all would work. They tell us they were trying stuff outside their usual comfort zone, and i respect that a lot. Even more that they went and left the level public instead of having it live for a few months to gather feedback and then pulling it down.

What the actual but this one is weird. Not weird bad, but definitely weird frustrating. You can tell that they updated some of the things in the dialogue when they re-pubbed it in 2012 (i think?), there are some cheeky references to being "back in 2009;" but if DrunkenFist_Lee got any feedback about, say, maybe having more clarity in communication wiv the player, they did not implement it. It's not a bad experience, but it's certainly not something i feel like i would want to go back to.

Back-to-back LBP1 goodness. This one is much more straight-forward, and manages a few nice presentational touches. Also, i will always love those old-school score bubble spawners. Definitely a fun trip in the way-back machine.

Oh, dear Entropy, what the hell Evandip-? Why would you think that gameplay bit was going to be in any way fun? Especially after a level that was smooth and cruisy? This is why difficulty spikes are such a problem wiv games. The sudden shift in gears can be way more off-putting than if the whole thing was just hard from the start.

Go play Firespike Tower. Unless you don't have LBP3. In which case you can just watch this video. It's a fun level, and i'm glad Morphology76 asked for plays over on the subreddit.

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And that's that. Another 10 in the bag, and already 100 episodes deep. Just 9million+ to go!

[juni-ravenhall]

yesterday on sso ig post i saw some number of ppl commenting that the final 50sc wasnt enough for the disco reward, that we shouldve gotten 200sc since it was 200k people, stuff like that

this is one of the few times that ive felt some (mostly kids/teens..) criticism of a sse choice was kinda silly, since we have been getting a lot of free sc in the past half year, and at the current rate id assume we will get more small free sc codes again in the next months. if youve been using every free code since xmas til yesterday, you prob got more than 200sc for free in the past half year. which is nice and very welcomed from sse, who had otherwise gotten very dismissive and disinterested in rewarding players' loyalty and patience with them (which they should be grateful for due to all sso's years of problems!) with rewards that the players feel actually matter.

but, i dont have anything rude or disrespectful or mean to say about those people (mostly kids/teens...) for saying it was cheap of sse to not give out more sc yesterday. i dont think theyre greedy and i certainly dont think it would be okay to publically (including in gc/servers/communities) call them greedy or whiny or entitled or stupid, if you did think that about them. (i say that bc ive seen those kind of words used over and over. do *you* want to be called those things, especially in public, or in someone's gc? is that really how you want ppl to treat each other? instead of having respectful convos about things you disagree on, or just take a deep breath and move on [when the thing isnt really a real problem hurting real ppl]?)

even if i disagree with their opinion, the fact is that

1) most of those players are frustrated with sse for a lot of valid reasons. even tho sse is trying to give out more rewards, it feels like too little too late for them. which is okay. they dont have to be loyal or patient with a game they paid like $€100 for that was a hot mess and often failed to deliver things or didnt uphold a standard quality (or even child safety, like human moderation, player reporting, manipulative marketing tactics to children who dont understand theyre being exploited...). they might not know how to convey their frustration in other ways than asking for more loyalty rewards bc they are regular young ppl who dont deeply analyse things before they talk. its not hurting anyone in this case and therefore isnt really an issue (sse is a company and can not be hurt. if any one person at sse is hurt by "give us 200sc you suck" comments on the company ig page, something is wrong that can be fixed), and companies do need to get negative feedback as well as positive. even when that feedback isnt well-phrased: "i love this game" is also not well thought-out feedback, the same as "i hate this game". or "thank you for the reward" vs "i wanted more rewards". both are okay. neither are especially concrete or analytical.

2) some of them make a point that for the free sc we've received lately, you still can't even buy a 350sc pet, much less a 800+ sc horse. in.... you know, the horse game. which is a fair point. if you're a young player, without an income or the ability to make your own digital purchases, and maybe your parents either dont pay for sso for you *or* only pay occasionally... then, if you're passionate about wanting to play this game, you really *wish* you could buy a horse in this game but you cant, you're an engaged player/customer that should be valued by the company for your interest and loyalty... it does make sense to think that you could be rewarded with enough to buy a horse, once in a while. you would barely even be able to buy tack or clothes or a pet, still, without buying more sc (esp until recently when firefly shilling grinding wasnt a thing - but u still lose access to that if u lose your sr sub bc you / your parents couldnt pay for another month). and, you probably still want to buy another horse. its not as if getting 900sc for free and buying a horse means you wouldnt be interested in buying more sc later, for another horse, for tack, for clothes, for pets. you were engaged enough in the game in the first place to desire that horse so badly. its not likely youd just immediately stop being interested in buying sc or paying for sr... rather, you might be even more passionate now that you have that pretty horse you wanted for a year, now you really, really want to try to get star rider, or get that tack set for the horse. and maybe you can afford paying for a month of sr or use double sc weekend next time, even though you couldnt last year. engaged, passionate and loyal players/customers are important and should be valued. (not as in, value every single thing they say. value as in consider how to keep them positive towards your product and company. they will also spread word of mouth advertisement etc for free for you, if you keep them happy.)

ive said this before, but remember that getting a free horse should actually be a normal thing in sso (sc allowance isnt really "free" considering you have to be paying to get the allowance). the same way giving out a free weapon or free mount in other games makes sense (if its not possible to just earn them with non-premium currency). it brings in attention and eyes on your game when it happens, the same way their current micro-dosing-sc campaigns are getting them lots of players attention, and brings positivity and excitement in the playerbase. it makes returning players come check out what they've been missing and maybe spend some cash if they like what they see.

alternatively they could offer some horses for shillings instead of sc to help reward the players who just cant pay much for the game, if they dont want to give out large sums of sc (like 500-1000) or give out free horses. ofc the 10k js limit is a problem here if they want the horses to cost more than a sweater (tho... i think instead, no objects should cost more than 5000js individually..), but even that can be solved by making some system where you pay 10k js multiple times, like by unlocking different parts of a bundle or buying a few items that together will combine and form the full "key" to buying your shilling horse.

anyway. i think that before you call people names (greedy, untitled, whiny, stupid, mean, rude...) for something you disagree with, you should think properly about whether theyre actually hurting any real people (saying "i hate this" about a company or product or situation etc =/= saying "i hate you / i hate this person / i hate these people" about actual individual people or groups of people - and no, saying "but sse staff are people" doesnt make it different than criticising a company/product, unless one is literally sending hate to individual staff members as persons).

and, you should also try to understand where that reaction is coming from - both theirs, and yours. people are frustrated with Thing, people express negative emotions and thoughts and opinions towards Thing, and sometimes thats fair and okay. sometimes Thing has bad things that are worth being frustrated over or criticising, and yes, even if there are also good parts to Thing, its still completely valid to criticise the bad or less good parts, and to be frustrated about them. (nuance is necessary - its not okay to want people not to criticise Thing just because it has good parts, or just bc you love it - criticising Thing also doesnt mean they hate it or hate you - those are unhealthy mindsets without enough nuance.)

yes, sometimes people also "hate" on a Thing to take out frustrations that arent even related - it does happen, but its really just.... not that serious if 3 people are taking out their frustrations on a commercial product or capitalist company.... if you had a hard day and say, comment on a brand of soda's page to say "fuck you i hate you", this should not be a big deal to anyone. professional social media page managers need to be trained in how to cope with spam and other negative interactions. on the other hand, you taking out your frustrations on actual real individual people - or groups of people - is a genuine problem. saying "these people on ig are so whiny and greedy about this videogame" is rude and disrespectful when those people's frustrations are actually coming from a pretty reasonable source and arent hurting anyone. this teenager on instagram doesnt have a social media manager, this unprofessional sso youtuber is just a normal person like you, this tumblr blog doesnt deserve mean reactions from their peers just for expressing opinions about a Thing that isnt a Person. not if its not harming people.

but i know its really hard for me to ever get through to people about this bc some people just feel so strongly that "hating" on a product/company *is* somehow hating "on real people", is "harmful", usually both on the staff of the company and on the non-"haters". we're "harming you" by criticising your favourite game or disagreeing... "harming sso staff" by leaving negative comments... and so on. which is just not true and not reasonable. (usually painting people as either lovers or haters - and those of us who love the game but also criticise it and criticise the company, get painted as haters for no other reason than lack of nuance. i really cant believe how i've had a sso-centric blog for 5+ years and play this game a lot and people will STILL claim that actually i hate sso, im biased against sso, i dont care about sso, etc, etc, etc. its crazy.)