#It was inspired from the first pilot episode of the show

[rika-mortis]

I think it would be funny if their reunion basically went like this

[phantomwitch16]

Hazbin Hotel Theory: Lilith

I had never posted about Hazbin Hotel before, but I came across a theory about Lilith that I wanted to discuss. I’ve only seen clips, so correct me if I'm wrong. So, anyone who hasn't watched anything or hasn't caught up yet, WARNING: SPOILER ZONE.

At this point, everyone is quite aware of the Lilith/ Eve Theory, where Lilith left or was kidnapped by Eve to explain her disappearance for most of the show and what she was doing in Heaven. I think the theory has some promise, but some things don’t feel quite right.

In the episode where Lucifer first appears, we learn that Lilith and Lucifer seem to have split years ago. We don't know how long ago or the circumstances of the separation, with it pretty much up in the air.

It could be possible that Lucifer’s depression could've gotten in the way of their relationship (similar to his relationship with Charlie), causing some friction. This obviously would give Lilith a lot of responsibility, likely to raise Charlie and inspire the denizens of Hell by herself. We don't know much about what Lucifer does most of the time other than making ducks, keeping Lulu World running and wallowing in his depression.

I don't think that they split up, at least I don’t think that’s the whole story. There have been some odd details regarding Lilith and a few other people within the series that do add to the theory. While it's possible things might have changed during the development of the series, Viv has previously stated that Lilith and Lucifer were a very lovey-dovey couple and I doubt that she would change it. While I think their relationship would have its faults, obviously with their history and trauma, yeah, that was going to happen, but not the stereotypically 'my partner hates me' bs.

Even if they had split up, I doubt that Lilith would have just up and left Charlie without saying anything.

But anyway, since her appearance on the beach with Lute, there have been several theories about Lilith and whether she would be an antagonist or the main one. I disagree, but given how she's been pretty much a mystery for most of the series, with not much being said about her, it’s understandable most would come to this conclusion. But I doubt Lilith would be because Lilith was the one to instil Charlie to help the denizens of Hell so for her to come to disrupt her progress with the Hotel.

This obviously leads to the Lilith/Eve Theory people have come up with by what people have seen and picked apart from the show and the cards that people received before it aired. Now people who have watched the show and been on Twiiter/X or any other social media probs already know the theory, but I'll spell it out for those who don't.

Just before the show aired, people received cards on each character and a few select items in the series. Of these characters was Lilith, but there was something off with it. Instead of seeing a revamp of her original design in the pilot, it's just a close up with her face shadowed.

The image above has Lilith or who we think is Lilith sitting with her hand over her lips and a shadow over her face, only showing a sinister smile. The one thing strikes me about it was the was almost like she know that we know there was something wrong with the image and was telling us to be quiet.

So far in the show, we've only seen her in the portraits that are decorated around the hotel and in Lucifer's ducky workshop. She makes a brief appearance in Charlie’s flashbacks where we don’t even see her face, though this is largely because the attention was focused on Charlie and Lucifer. Here it shows that even her look has remained largely consistent since the pilot.

What truly defines Lilith design is her long wavy hair. But despite it, there is something different about it in the card. It's very long, obviously but as it gets closer to her face, it starts to look more uneven. Or jagged.

But what grabs the attention in the card is the smile. It looks very sharp and angular, very different to the smile that she has in the portraits and in her depiction on the storybook in the first episode.

But we've already seen it somewhere. Just not on Lilith.

Obviously, this isn't a new take. This is a very popular take that nearly everyone has heard.

I like to think that with the reveal, we will get a more factual retelling of what happened when Lilith and Lucifer rather than what came out of the story book Charlie was reading, likely something her mother made for her when she was growing up. Mainly what happened to Eve as they cleverly avoided it. While we don't know if they're going to tackle it, it's likely that they will discuss Eve's life after eating the fruit and her very long life. I think that while Adam was sent to heaven to become one of the exterminators, Eve became one of the first original sinners sent to Hell.

There are several ways they could handle it with it's possible the Eve is starting a little bit of chaos using the knowledge Lilith and Lucifer gave her. With Lilith attempting to stop her alongside Lute and the rest of Heaven.

For what reason? She could've taken up a new identity after death. that identity being called Roo. Or more specifically, the Root of All Evil.

Roo is someone that's been known for since 2019 and someone Viv is excited to introduce since she first drew her, calling her a looming threat amongst the series. Hints of her appearance have been placed throughout the pilot on the tower and on the show. I believe that Lilith, Lute and Eve are working together with Heaven to track down Roo to destroy her hold on Earth or to prevent her from doing something to Hell, Heaven and Earth.

It's also likely that she is the demon Alastor is chained to. Why her specifically and not Lilith? Besides the timeline matching, there is very little opportunity for them to meet. Even though Alastor has made a big name for himself in the Pride Ring, Lucifer has not heard of him, so why would Lilith? But that just might be a Lucifer thing, they probably could've met after one of Lilith's shows or something.

Knowing Alastor as a person, he would've been in a very desperate situation, or maybe he was too cocky like with Adam and picked a fight with her, thinking that she was some random Overlord or low ranking demon who knocked him down and stole his soul. With her having control over him, then he is willing to do anything to get out of their agreement. Whether its to play around and isolate the princess of Hell from her support network, to make her hopes and dreams crumble to dust.

It could be possible Lilith left Charlie and Lucifer to focus on Roo, with it likely that Lucifer knows what's she's up to and tries to shield her from what's happening. But as the hotel gets more popular, Roo's attention is directed to it, thus putting Charlie and all three realms in danger. Lilith would come to Charlie, try to sugarcoat it as best as possible before revealing Roo as a threat. Then when she comes there, Alastor betrays them, but as he is free, has a change of heart and attempts to help.

That's what i think anyway.

[columboscreens]

columbo is so gender to me but i dont think i could ever look like him</3

i think it's totally possible for anyone to embody his essence. you can even manage to rock something directly inspired by columbo without looking like you're cosplaying.

hair

if you have columbo's hair type, it's actually pretty easy to emulate his styles. i even know people who show pictures of columbo to hair stylists to get his look. my partner's hair in its natural state is very similar to columbo's--dark, wavy, tending to grow in spite of gravity rather than with it. whenever he gets his hair cut, he shows the stylist photos of late 60s/pilot episode peter falk, whose look is actually pretty on-trend for the current era. it works out pretty well.

your swag may have aged well pilot columbo but you can't beat floof

failing that, getting any haircut that is natural, low-maintenance, and not too attention-grabbing captures the visual language all the same. for reference, natasha lyonne in poker face has her hair in natural-looking, messy waves that to me just exude columbo.

clothing

how you present yourself to the world is up to you, but if you want to invoke columbo, there's a lot more you can do than buy a tan raincoat.

in an era of sharply-cut, wide-lapelled constructions, fat tie tuesdays, and gucci loafers, columbo stands out as classic comfort personified.

his collar, tie, and lapels are slim, proportional, and unassuming; they'd look good in almost any era. his pants fit closely to his leg but not too wide or slim, and sit at or near the natural waist. though his suits, shirts, ties, shoes, socks, and even coats rotate, there is a consistent color palette keeping him "on model". he embraces earth tones: creams, forest greens, light browns, dark browns, stony grays, rusts, and roses. his clothing seems like an afterthought, but it's an extension of his personality--rumpled and unassuming at first, yet sharp and deliberate upon further inspection.

amid the 1970s explosion of synthetic popularity, it says something that every stitch of textile on columbo's person is natural (aside from the raincoat, which is probably nylon or poly--he wears it without a lining and uses it as essentially an oversized windbreaker). his boots are leather with crepe latex soles; his tie is silk. his shirt is cotton, a bit boxy but comfortable and properly fitted. because the construction of his suits is roomy and unstructured, and because they're made of linen, they wrinkle easily.

this is easily confused for appearing slovenly. actually, all things considered, his clothes fit him pretty damn well, it's just hard to avoid wrinkling natural fibers like linen and cotton, especially in hot weather. he's running around los angeles sweating up a storm, the man needs loose, breathable fabric.

point is, columbo dresses very thoughtfully. since these clothes are workwear for him and he works a hell of a lot, it's imperative that he factors in the weather, his comfort, and proper fit when picking clothes. he wants to like and be comfortable in them while looking unassuming. so even though he sometimes ends up looking like an unmade bed, his choices are deliberate.

you could invoke these principles in your own appearance by picking earthy colors/jewel tones and comfortable, natural fabrics that you enjoy wearing, which has the added benefit of being better for you and the environment. consider also taking a few garments in to be altered. it's usually not that expensive, supports your local needlefolk, and makes even cheap clothes fit great.

as a last little aside, i think having a "signature" clothing item akin to columbo's raincoat would be a nice touch. a jacket, a pair of shoes, even a watch or necklace. something you always wear. if you really do want a raincoat like his, just make sure you're not buying a trench coat, because, repeat after me: columbo does not wear a trench coat.

[skellyflowers]

My Bounty to Keep

AN: Finally done! Thank you to everyone who showed interest.

I use the first two episodes of 'The Mandalorian' for inspiration. I'll have one chapter for each of the Eppies. II is next.

Taglist: @nikipuppeteer

Vessel x bounty

I'll admit that when I ran away from home two days ago I didn't really have a plan. I knew that I wanted to go see the galaxy beyond my home and settle down on a green planet. Maybe be a farmer, raise some livestock and just live a simpler life. However, that idea seemed to be more and more difficult after I got off world. 

After I get off my home world of Xehiri my transport shuttle brought me to our moon, Aliv-4. This habitable moon is Xehiri’s main transport station. I’m not sure how long I spent looking at the transport schedule. I want to go as far as I can, as soon as I can. I also need to be sure I will have credits after the trip.

I decided to get a ticket to Neshan 4. It’s a planet that is between the mid rim and the upper rim, so it's probably a safe place to stay for a while. Plus it is a water planet with cities under the waves. It would be a great change of scenery. Thirty minutes after I buy my ticket I get checked in and start my journey to Neshan 4.

The trip goes smoothly until an alert is played. The shuttle has to make an emergency landing due to a problem with the fuel line. We end up in the spaceport on Lao-2X9. Lao is a city planet, known for having one of the biggest casinos in the galaxy. It can be a dangerous place for your wallet.

“So sorry everyone.” I heard the shuttle pilot say. “Unfortunately we're going to have to spend the night here. The fuel line maintenance won't be done until the morning.”

I heave a sigh at the information. I try to look on the bright side, at least we got complimentary drink tickets for the bar in the port. I was not looking forward to sleeping in the port but a good drink would soften the blow. I just needed to remember that I would be back on my journey in the morning. It could be worse, I could still  be at home with my parents. 

The port is huge and has a few bars for me to choose from. I decided to follow a couple who broke away from the group. I overheard them mention the ‘east bar’ so I guessed that they had been here before. I ask if I could join them and the three of us walk together. When we get to the bar the couple get a table and sit at the bar. I give my ticket to the bartender who informs me that not only can I get two free drinks with my ticket but I can also get an appetizer. This night is really turning around. 

When I finish my first drink and my small meal I notice someone has taken the seat next to me. I looked over at the stranger when the bartender handed me my second drink and asked for their order. Their voice is… odd. Like it is coming through a filter. When I glance over everything makes sense. The stranger is a Mandalorian!

He is in black body armor. His helmet has a thick white stripe on the top and a red stripe at the bottom where his mouth would be.  He is wearing a cape and has a staff resting on his back. Not to mention all the other weapons he must have. I can see a red crest in the shoulder closest to me. The crest looks like wings almost. When his helmet tilts toward me I turn away. I have heard stories about what happens to people who upset mandalorians. I don’t want to take any chances.

“What brought you here?” I hear the mandalorian ask. The bartender is gone and I don’t see anyone else with us, so I assume he is talking to me.

“Me?” I ask.

“Yes. What brings you here?”

“I'm just passing through. My shuttle is refueling.”

“Is this your first time on Lao-2X9?”

“Yes.”

As I look at the stranger I see that his helmet also has four black marks around the visor. It looks like he has six eyes. I wonder if he is even human. I can’t even see his hands.

“So you're not from around here?” He sounds disappointed. “I’m looking for someone. I heard that they might be around here. Their bounty is pretty high plus the client was willing to pay my extra fee for a live capture.”

“Well I hope you find those you are looking for.” 

“Can I show you a picture? Maybe they were on the shuttle with you.”

I am really reluctant to keep talking to him but I have heard that ignoring a Mandalorian can make things bad. So I agree to take a look. The Mandalorian takes out a bounty puck and taps the top. A hologram springs to life and the person is very familiar to me. Because the bounty he has is on me! 

I nearly fall on my face as I run out of the bar. I do my best to avoid the others in the port but for the few I run into I hope they will forgive me. I just found out I have a bounty on my head from the hunter trying to collect it!

I found my way out of the port and hid in an alley. As I try to catch my breath I realize I left all my things in the bar. Including my credits! So now my next moves are limited.

“Who put a bounty on me!” I quietly wonder out loud.

I cautiously look around on the street before I exit the alley. Or at least I tried to.  Just as I stepped on the street, hands grabbed me from behind. One around my mouth and the other around my middle. I get lifted as I try to kick and swing my fists. 

One of my wild kicks connects and my attacker grunts in pain. However my little victory is short lived. I get thrown into the wall behind me. My attacker then punches me in the stomach pushing all the air out of my body. While I attempt to recover I feel my wrists getting restrained. A gag is shoved in my mouth, and then I am blindfolded. This has to be the Mandalorian from the bar.

Something sharp sticks into my arm and I suddenly feel sleepy but not enough to pass out. It is a strange in between. I am aware of what is happening but I can’t really move or speak. I feel myself get lifted up and put over his shoulder. He walks steady with me over his shoulder. We must be walking back to the port.

“Hey, is your friend ok?” I hear someone ask.

“They’re fine. Just had too much to drink.” The Mandalorian replies. It’s almost like he is just being a good friend, not kidnapping me.

The feeling returns to my body when we enter a ship. The sounds from the port quiet down and I hear the sounds of boots on metal. He stops and presses some buttons and drops something on the ground. I’m then flopped into a chair, my wrists are then tried to the arm rests. The blindfold comes off next.

Just as I thought he took me back to a ship. He did take my bag with him, I can see it on the ground. He grabs my chin to force me to look at him.

“I’m going to take out the gag. If you scream or spit I put it back. Do you understand?”

I nod my head ‘yes’. Slowly the Mandalorian removes the gag. Clearly waiting to see if I disobey him. When I don’t move he leaned away and grabbed a flask. He put the flask to my lips and grabbed my chin again to lift my head back.

“Drink this. It will help the drug move out of your system.” He ordered.

I don't trust him but I don’t have much of a choice but to drink out of the flask. The liquid tastes like bitter medicine. But just like he said a few minutes after the flask was shoved in my face I felt more alert.

Looking around I see that I am in a cockpit. I wonder what type of ship this is. The Mandalorian stares at me for a moment. He then spins in his chair to start his ship. The ship has left Lao 2X9’s atmosphere when I feel my strength return.

“How long have you been following me?” I ask when I get the energy.

“I don’t think you want to know.”

“How long.”

“It doesn’t really matter any more.”

“HOW LONG!”

“You were never going to make it to Neshan 4.”

“What do you mean?”

“I mean that it was more work to damage your shuttle's fuel line than it was to find you.”

Hearing that was like a slap to the face. It's not that I was trying to be the most stealthy person in the galaxy. But it still hurts my pride to hear him say that. 

“Don’t be too upset. You did give me a good chase at the end.”

“Who sent you?”

“I’m sure you already know the answer to that.”

“Just tell me.”

“Given how much they were willing to pay, I would assume they are your parents.”

Hearing that is my last straw. I start to tear up. I can’t believe that they would do this! I just wanted to not get stuck in my hometown. I just wanted a life of my own. Even for just a little while.

“Stop crying. If you cry I put you in the Hold and I need to keep an eye on you. So stop.” He growls. 

I try to calm down, I don’t know what the Hold is but I don’t want to find out. I have had too many surprises for one day. When I calm down the ship jumps into hyperspace. After that the Mandalorian turns to look at me. I don’t want to look at him.

“So, what were you running from?” He asked. “It must have been important if your parents were willing to hire me after 24 hours.”

When I don’t answer he puts a hand around my neck.

“Answer me.” He said, hand tightening for just a moment.

“They decided that it was time for me to settle down.” I say when his grip loosens. “What’s your name?”

“What?”

“You had a question, now I have a question.”

His helmet tilts to the side. “I’m called Vessel. Why did you want to go to Neshan 4?”

“It was the farthest I could get for the least amount of money. How much is my bounty?”

“10,000. Half when I took the job, the other when I drop you off.”

“Wow, that’s a lot of credits.”

“That’s why I wanted to know what you did.” He pauses. “Most of my clients don’t care if the bounty is warm or cold.”

“What do you mean by ‘settle down’?”

“My mom wants me to marry her best friend's son.”

“Congratulations.”

“He's a loser with no ambition. What's that symbol on your shoulder?”

“That’s my clan crest. I'm from the clan Sleepwalker.”

A button starts to flash and beeping sounds out in the cockpit, ending our question game. The Mandalorian… Vessel turns away from me and pulls a lever. The ship comes out of hyperspace  and he starts the landing sequence. After we land he turns back to me.

“I'm going to untie you now. Are you going to walk or am I going to carry you?” Vessel asked. 

“I'll walk by myself.” I said. My pride can't handle being carried around like a prize. I guess in a way I am.

As we exit the ship Vessel grabs my bicep. I assume to make sure I don't run away. I couldn't even I wanted to, being back home has really crushed me. We walk to the spaceport entrance and I see my father. When he sees me and Vessel he taps my mom on the shoulder. She starts to wave her hand over her like we couldn't see her. Vessel lets my arm go once we reach them.

“Oh Sweetie,  you had me and your father so worried!” She said, giving me a hug.

“Thank you so much for your services.” My father says. I see him hand Vessel a small bag.

After collecting his credits Vessel turns away without a word. At least one of us gets to leave this place. I wonder where he will go next. My eyes start to sting as I watch him walk away. My parents led me out of the port to the family truck. I silently sit in the back and stare out of the window. My parents try to talk to me but I don’t answer. If I talk I’m going to cry. And I don't want to explain to them why I wanted to go.

It takes an hour to get out of the city and back onto the quiet town streets. The streets I grownup on and now the street I'll see for the rest of my life. Then suddenly I hear a loud bang. Then the truck veers into the brushes and hits a tree. We all got out to see what happened. The tire has a blaster hole in it! Who shot at us?

“Alright hands up!” Someone yells. I recognize that filtered voice!

Sure enough when I turn around there stands Vessel. Black armor shining in the sunlight. There is a speeder bike behind him. He is about ten feet away and he is pointing a blaster at us! What is he even doing here?

“You two keep your hands up. You, you're coming with me.” He says.

“What are you doing? You got your credits! LEAVE US ALONE!” My father yells.

I walk over to Vessel and he pushes me onto the bike. He sits behind me and starts the bike. As He leads against me I feel a chill go up my spine. I’ll have to explore that feeling at another time. However when his hand rests on my thigh  that feeling gets harder to explain away.

We are back on Vessel’s ship in no time. I have so many questions. It must show on my face because he laughs when he looks at me.

“You deserve to live a life. I’m going to give you a chance.” He explains. “Plus someone should teach you how to throw a punch properly.”

I don’t know what to say so I just laugh instead. You could have given me a thousand guesses about what would happen to me over the last four days. I never would have said this. Suddenly Vessel pushes me against the wall of his ship and covers my eyes. I hear a hiss, something metal hits the floor and warm lips are on mine.

“You’re mine now.”

[dearheart42regenerated]

MOTORCITY SEASON 2 MASTERPOST

once upon a time, over 10 years ago, just a few months after the announcement that Motorcity was officially canceled...the creators of the show took pity on their heartbroken fandom and gave us several glimpses of what season 2 might have been like. they saw how much we loved Motorcity and gave us every scrap of info they could at the time, so that we could use those scraps to imagine our own personal "Season 2" - whether it continue on in our fics, our fanart, or simply our own heads.

I'm making this masterpost so that none of this material will be lost or forgotten, and so any fanartists/fic writers still hanging around today can use it for inspiration. if there's any related material I've missed, PLEASE feel free to add it in a reblog or let me know in my inbox! I want this list to be as complete as we can make it! :)

--

The Season 2 That Never Was: A Comprehensive List

Motorcity Season 2 Rough Intro "Scratch audio by our very own Chris P." (x)

-> backup download

--

Season 2 Writer's Wall posted (and later deleted) by @chrisprynoski on twitter, and shared on tumblr by @peopleofmotorcity, these pictures of the writer's wall showed us a "rough sketch" of what could have been, and gave our imaginations SO many fun theories and possibilities to play with. every blurry sticky note was a treasure to us. :')

-> original tumblr posts: x x x x x x x x x x x x -> image masterpost -> google drive folder

--

Chris Prynoski's Fan Interview + Tumblr Q&A's this whole interview on youtube is a delight to listen to, and Part 2 in particular has some interesting bits about season 2. (skip to 17:10 for some good stuff about Texas and Chuck's backgrounds!)

-> Part 1 -> Part 2

Chris P also answered several juicy season 2 questions on tumblr. sadly his blog is deactivated now, but you can still read through all of them at the links below!

-> image masterpost -> google drive folder

--

Capri Chilton - Mike Chilton's long lost big sister! I can't remember where or when it was first revealed that they were considering giving Mike a secret older sister, and I haven't been able to track down the origin. that being said, when it was revealed, the fandom loved the idea so much that they begged the creators to make it canon. Chris P busted out the "magical canon stick", gave us this delightful concept sketch, and "Capri Chilton" was born!

--

The Motorcity Series Bible "To help you all understand what it is you are reading, this is the material that Titmouse used to help pitch Motorcity, and it was also a tool for writers to use when coming up with episodes to help understand who the characters were before there was any other reference. That being said, this was one of the very first documents about Motorcity, so many things have changed or evolved from these early concepts." (x)

-> original tumblr posts: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 -> image backups -> PDF download

EDIT: the COMPLETE series bible has now been leaked by Lost Media Busters on X (Twitter) and helpfully shared by @waksworldrebooted!!

--> here is a google drive download for the full PDF file!

--

Motorcity Series Bible - Redacted Version (Pages 1, 2, 17, 19, 20) funfact: @peopleofmotorcity was the official? unofficial? tumblr blog for Motorcity, and it was run by a guy named Mac - an animator for the show who loved to tease and joke around with the fandom. before revealing the actual first 13 pages of the series bible, he posted this censored version as a prank - a mix of truth and trolling! it's up to the fandom to decide which is which. ;)

-> original tumblr posts: 1 2 17 19 20 -> image backups -> PDF download

--

MTV Era Motorcity Masterpost a fantastic collection of glimpses into the original pilot/pitch trailer that would evolve into the show we know and love today, found and compiled by @waksworldrebooted. "In 2000, Chris Prynoski pitched a cartoon called Motorcity. He made a card and a website promoting the show, which wouldn't see the light of day until the Walt Disney Company got their hands on it."

--> tumblr masterpost (including wayback links to the old website) --> twitter sources from Chris P himself :)

--

Motorcity Unaired Pilot - 2009 Disney Version Originally aired during Comic Con 2012, the pilot was recorded and then posted on YouTube by Allison Simmons in July of 2012, later being privatized in 2022. The video was re uploaded onto VKVideo 22 days after its original posting to YouTube and is still currently available to watch online. (x)

--> backup download --> also viewable here!

--

if I find more material, I will add it here! :)

[local-omen]

bad batch finale thoughts!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

first of all damn. like damn. they really did it. those crazy sons of bitches did it. they ended this beloved show in a way that was cathartic, happy, full of tension, and did all the characters justice. my faith in star wars has been restored. i am so happy

—— the tension was unmatched this whole episode. like narratively, killing off tech told us as the audience that no one is safe, there’s no plot armor. so the whole time i was like omg they’re all gonna die but they dIDNT BECAUSE THEYRE THE BEST IN THE BUSINESS AND BECAUSE THEY HAVE LOYALTY AND LOVE FOR EACH OTHER AND THATS WHAT THIS HAS ALWAYS BEEN ABOUT. LOYALTY AND LOVE. AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

—— CROSSHAIRS HAND IM SOBBING there is something so heart wrenching but amazing about his 'shooting hand' being taken away from him. it's like the physical embodiment of why he was created but now that he's free of that embodiment, he can choose to be whatever he wants. such a good choice narratively imo

—— that elite task force was badass i'm obsessed with their designs and their fighting styles i kinda wish we got more of them but they were also terrifying

—— crosshair finally made the shot that mattered the MOST. i love him so much. like he seriously means so much to me idec

—— still bummed that tech is actually dead (no he’s not haha loser i’m happy in my delusions). while i do think it’s technically more realistic for clone soldiers bred to die and raised with the expectation that they’ll be killed in battle to lack emotion, i think the lack of emotion this season was to its detriment. however i will say that the “clone force 99 died with tech” line was so good it pretty much made up for it lol

—— THE ENDING WAAA A A AAA A. A A A A. A AAA. A A A A A. A A AAA AAA AAA AAAA A A AAAAAA A A. omega and hera best friends confirmed. they were rebellion pilots together. omega is in the rebellion. like that is just the perfect ending to her character i can’t even. because of course she would. and i love her. i’m so proud of her. she is the heart and soul of this show and anyone who hated her is prolly feelin realllll silly right now

—— damn we’re really just not gonna know who the cx 2 operative was huh. like. he really was just a guy

—— that last shot of tech’s glasses almost got me i fr almost cried. he would be so so so proud of omega. he would be proud of all of them

—— omegas and hunters older designs mean everything to me. just. storytelling through clothes will never not be my favorite thing. her little skull patch 😭🫠 the bandana 🫠🥲

this show means so much to me, truly. it has inspired me artistically, comforted me, and connected me to some amazing people. i don’t even feel stupid for writing all these thoughts about a ‘silly little star wars show’ because damn it this is what art and stories means to people!! this is how powerful they can be! i do not need to hide behind jokes and irony to communicate how much this artistic work means to me!

<3

[nothingenoughao3]

hai i'm curious about what twin peaks is, can you explain it to me (preferably without spoilers) /nf

Oh, is it my birthday?! Yes I can do that!

I will say that I generally do not consider things that happen in the pilot or first episode of a TV series to be "spoilers" so much as "premise". So anything I say here that's direct plot-stuff will only come from the pilot. All right? Let's dig in!

CAPSULE SUMMARY

Twin Peaks is a surreal/magical realism/police procedural/drama/horror/soap opera produced by David Lynch and Mark Frost. It had two seasons of 30 episodes total, a film (Fire Walk With Me), and a third season that came out 25 years later in 2017.

In the pilot episode, a teenaged young woman who everyone in town knows, Laura Palmer, is found murdered. The town reels to cope with her demise and the investigation. A second young woman is found alive and wandering--and she crossed state lines as she wandered. The police call in the FBI, since it's now a multi-state case, and in walks Special Agent Dale Cooper.

As Cooper begins his investigation, he discovers that there's far, far more going on in Twin Peaks than he'd first anticipated.

[NOTE HERE that Twin Peaks covers a LOT of extremely tough and triggering topics over the course of its run. DoesTheDogDie should have a list of all triggers, although those will come with spoilers. The main one to be aware of is that sexual assault, domestic abuse, and rape are discussed. The aftermath of these crimes is depicted. It's 1990, so it's not graphic as in Law & Order: SVU, but it is very much present. Please take care of yourself first!]

NOT-SPOILER REASONS TO WATCH IT

It is a vital historical work of art. Twin Peaks revived the police procedural, popularized soap operas as an art form, launched and relaunched multiple acting careers, introduced surrealism to multiple generations of TV watchers, taught basics of Buddhism, helped spread awareness of the Free Tibet movement, and inspired countless references and imitators. When you watch Twin Peaks, you'll feel like you've seen it before... because you've almost certainly seen something which only exists because of Twin Peaks.

David Lynch is Autism Patient Zero who does not compromise his writing or his vision for NT audiences. He writes dialogue and directs actors in a way that can only be described as "everybody's got the autism accent", and it is a DELIGHT to experience.

The visuals are, often, so strong that you will forget how to breathe. Many of the sets and locations are treated like characters in and of themselves.

The title, Twin Peaks, ties into the show's central themes about identity, which is one of my favorite themes in fiction. What makes you who you are? If there was someone who looked a lot like you, would that compromise who you are? What if they have the same name as you? Are you no longer who you are if you can't remember your past? Is it sometimes a good thing to change your identity? What if everybody thinks you did something unforgivable, but you don't remember it? Does society require all of us to have public faces and private faces? Does anyone really know another person's private face?

When I first watched it, nobody shipped Trucoop (Cooper with the local police sheriff, Harry S. Truman). Now it seems like everybody does and I am not alone, yaaay.

Features one of the very few trans characters in media at the time who was unambiguously positive!

Watch an episode, then pull up the IMDB and see who everyone is. I guarantee that you'll almost always find SOMEone who was famous for other stuff. If you like Star Trek, you'll find that half the damn cast was either on TNG or DS9. It is honestly astounding to me that Jeff Combs wasn't on the series (because, I assume, he was shooting Bride of Re-Animator and other stuff).

THINGS TO WATCH OUT FOR

The subtitling in some versions of the show (on DVD specifically) is really bad and unreliable. I found that the Netflix subtitles were OK. If you don't know about OpenSubtitle, I recommend using them to find better subtitles in case you need them.

As stated above, the show gets into really dark themes, and it does not shy away from them when necessary. I feel that these things are addressed in a sensitive way and frequently related to plot, but it hits everyone different.

The music... eh. I like the electro/late 80s theme and the instrumentals that back most of the scenes. But every time someone sings, I get the cringe. I've never been able to get on board with what Lynch thinks good music sounds like. But a lot of people do, so that could just be me.

It takes a lot of work to watch this show. Since so much of it is visual, it is absolutely a show you have to watch with no distractions. I found it to be worth it--past a certain point, I didn't want any distractions. But I get where it's a sacrifice of time and concentration.

If you watch it and enjoy it, you will probably end up with Lynchian Syndrome, where you are compelled to watch every other thing David Lynch has ever made and develop elaborate hypotheses on how they're all in the same universe and suchlike.

So yeah! I hope this gives you an spoiler-free idea of why this show is so special, and if you had any other questions about it, let me know!

[the-eeveekins]

Prospera did Nothing Wrong

Inspired by GundamInfo's tweet yesterday (see below), I'm here to tell you why Prospera did nothing wrong.

First off: Prospera only kills a total of THREE people on-screen in the entire show. These were the Dawn of Fold operatives inside Plant Quetta who were moments from discovering and killing Suletta. It was a clear cut case of both self-defense and defending the life of a family member. Hell, if Prospera doesn't (correctly) convince Suletta here that sometimes you have to kill to protect the ones you love, Miorine might have been killed if Suletta hesitated.

The deaths of the Dominicus solider in the Prologue? Eri. The soldiers of the SAL fleets sent to attack Quiet Zero? Also Ericht. In both of these instances, Prospera and Ericht came under attack and acted in self-defense. Additionally, the Dominicus soldiers were literally slaughtering innocent civilians and the SAL is just another facist Spacian organization interested in opressing Earth and were willing to kill MILLIONS of their own people to get it. Prospera and Ericht should be applauded for thining their numbers.

Quinharbor, this is the big one. Prospera forced an Earthian tank to take a harmless shot in her direction, which she used as justification for destroying the Lfrith stash, but we do not see her engage in the actual fighting itself.

It was the Benerit Group Security forces who instigated the massacre. Despite the Earthian protesters posing basically zero threat to their mobile suits, the pilots freaked out and started firing on protesters and razing the city to the ground despite the massive power imbalance. We never see Prospera attack a single Earthian, and it would have been easy for the Benerit Group security forces to simply fall back, extract Miorine and bail.

Prospera's greatest crime in the show is not being a great mother to Suletta, and prioritizing Eri over her. Something she apologizes for in the final episode and appears to be making amends for in the epilogue.

(Okay, real talk though: I know Elnora does some shitty things as Prospera, and even if she doesn't directly dirty her hands in the series, she's definitely the one manipulating events to happen. That said, you CANNOT show me the Prologue, where Prospera's family, friends and colleagues were violently taken from her and her peaceful life was destroyed, and ask me to root against her or hate her. In my opinion, Elnora deserved a happy ending after everything she was put through, and I'm glad she got everything she wanted and is enjoying a peaceful life in the epilogue.)

[daystarvoyage]

The Dana Terrace Vs Vivienne Medrano, The Great Debate of Two Female Creators

Hello Starry Knights, This is the lovely Kyoko Cane, The Brown Sugah Queen, & cosplayer who performs and visits numerous cons throughout, while making blogs/vlogs on animated media & entertainment.

as you know or are new to this page, I am an artist who also dedicated my fashion in drag, on all my platforms along my artwork & discussions (be it anime or Western) that can affect real-life even fandoms, with a variety of videos.

the title of the post is about The two proclaimed talked about animators, Dana Terrace & Vivienne Medrano, I'll be critiquing how these two women of animation tackle the industry. This will have strong opinions from recent interview videos I've watched.

(I'll be calling Vivienne VIVI FOR SHORT & letting you know, if I were to watch ones in the future affecting my post come on the comments to ask freely, AND YES ALL PROJECTS AND TOPICS ARE NOT WITHOUT THEIR CRITIQUES, FLAWS IF YOU CAN'T HANDLE IT, CHECK OUT THE DAYSTAR VOYAGE, DON'T HATE, APPRECIATE! )

OK LETS GET STARTED In this 3-part segment

1. The Different Artstyles That Made Us Love These Shows.

Vivis work (Helluva Boss & Hazbin Hotel)

Now We all know as fans & lovers of animation when we hear a series that's greenlit after viewing on a television screen, in a magazine, or sponsored in commercials, right? As for these two,

The first time I heard of VIVI's work was on a YouTube ad commercial in line & premiered for the pilot, I was fully captivated by its groundbreaking story, from hazbin hotel to the comedy in helluva boss, along with its ghoulish Beetlejuice-inspired art style.

(which I'm a sucker for the niche, indie projects & gothic horror.)

observing her sketchbook on YouTube, I was drawn in by the captivated humanoid shapes she sketches, along with her fluid & flowing style.

the worldbuilding version of heaven & hell drew me in, after watching hazbin hotel. The pilot had a lot to offer from its dreary horrific turns/obstacles from its character debut, story & distorted beauty that there was a lot to tune Into along my first episode of Helluva Boss,

Now we are gonna get down to lore storytelling and character growth.

(and im fully aware of how the fandom treats the rest of the main & supporting cast not letting them flesh out including the females, btw)

Vivi has so much to offer, after watching the latest episode of Helluva Boss and finishing Hazbin Hotel, I see she has the potential to make a good show on drama & sell it, however with her controversy coming through I feel she needs to learn on how to perceive herself online, so makes it hard for me not to hate her series, be it art and her work.

(its truly good when it wants to be as for the writing ima get to that later. with the stolitz & lumity discourse on part 2)

The owl House by Dana terrace

Now you all know by now, I am a full-on Owl House fan regardless of its show ending early, and my many critics on Dana Terrace drew me in with her macabre art and full-on passionate skeletal pieces after looking at her socials and sketchbook online, as a debut showrunner who made her great stance on lgbt representation she has cemented herself as an acclaimed cartoon creator.

However, she does have her flaws ever since rewatching the series, and a lot to learn about the business, after rewatching The Show and yes I have notes written to prove them,

To add I felt if alex Hirsch wasn't on the project, everyone wouldn't watch that show since yall want it to be the next GRAVITY FALLS,

I love the fandoms that discuss the errors of these creators cause it give more insight on how to portray yourselves on in the real world, cause lemme tell you, it was all watered down I'm get to that in a minute

one problem i have with particularly since she's a good artist & creator is her depending on certain tropes to carry out her cast, cause some may be harmful & the writing be generic.

She needs work on being a better showrunner cause those skills need Cleaning up including writing certain characters on who gets the spotlight.

NEXT SEGMENT

2. The Good, Great, Bad & Ugly in Fandom Discourse,

Vivis Work (Wow Yall can be Wow)

Vivienne Has made her mark in the YouTube market ever since making her pilot debut on Kesha video & hazbin hotel pilot,

I'm so glad for her contributions towards the indie market making her way to showing great representation in the general audience for an adult show, yes an adult show and that's not without its controversy,

with her grand debate, I feel everyone took this woman's artwork turning it into something ugly, which is so uncool.

and I for one will not stand for the hate trains of now popular shows flip-flopping and then float back to it cause your series is acclaimed now, let's be real she deserves her crowns and laurels Just keeping it real, regardless cause its a fire show

The fandom has shown their love of the show cause it knocked down so many doors in many ways, but let's be real the audience is now geared toward children cause we all know, this generation can be doing some crazy things, cause they all need to tone down the language,

which I feel viv needs to work on the jokes I get, it's an adult show which is concerning and it's a Gen Z world where people have access to computers 247, which contributes to all the nasty discourse and crass behavior not to mention,

viv needs to calm down her fans when it comes down to her work and the way stoliz is perceived.l can be questionable, not to mention how the females are written which I do know the key word for this below.

cause i rarely do find the females are compelling, but yet to fleshed out like the rest of the male characters so misogynist comes into mind in this show and how it sells

there some moments it only aims to the infamous ship Stolitz (and doesn't let other characters breathe (this is a problem with the owl house which ill get to right now cause the pacing is wow smh)

(next to the owl house which I'll get to cause OMG)

THE OWL HOUSE FANDOM (GRRRR) lemme calm down

If you haven't seen my posts, including the bashing and discourse there's also a list I swear lemme quote

in the words of Biggie Small - if you don't know now ya know.

The owl house fandom i was on ride or die for the lumity however we all know how that ship got it start and built up cause they expected it to be this thing to say F you to Disney which is good cause disney had it coming howver, after the show ended

Yall have become the most foulest ugliest & disrespectful fandom ever since the Steven Universe, Voltron and miraculous incidents,

its sad to see how these two franchises fell into the worse cases, the two creators may come across not caring of there fandom acts cause there's a saying

The captain always goes down with his ship MEANING

A captain should not have to sacrifice their life simply because the vessel they are in control of is in distress

There’s two fandoms such as Steven universe & voltron fell from grace into toxicity down below that are prime examples

The Owl House fandom has got to be some of the most entitled, uppity if not (racist) fans!

yall clearly have not listened to other fans or can't take criticism, yes the show did make very feminist undertones and the male characters didn't shine at all in their titular episodes or moments, which doesn't help at all.

Since Dana drew inspiration from Powerpuff Girls

(which comes on and the writers being all female, is gonna have damaging effects)

Cause stifled the male characters in a way where there not as prominent or impactful,

So this word MISANDRY comes to mind

The fandom has gone down to the point of no return, I mean,

one fan from a webcam interview WANTED DANA's ADDRESS EWWW!

its not that the Disney drama was too blame for the project, (to an extent) which I'm proud for the fandom for banding together on animation, but need to take off the lgbt glasses cause boy the show's writing was pushed in favor of that.

CONGRATS You did at the cause of Harassment and bad behavior in fandoms,

NEXT TOPIC

3. Make The Business Makes Sense & epilogue

THE OWL HOUSE

Dana Terrace has the makings of doing good shows however when it comes down to an audience to kid she has some major damage control on how the fandom will come across,

i mean have we not learned from the Lilith and Camilla toxic issues, you can tell the show likes to demonize the adults which is unacceptable, and can damage storytelling and characters.

the truth i feel there needs to be proper staff on how to write POC, and ethnic and cultural representation In the show, Amphibia, Molly mcgee, Haileys on it and other break-out shows did it better,

hell yo had Amphibia doing those dishes in Frogworld, can you imagine the boiling isles taking on Hispanic cuisine.

Which i felt could've hit a mark on luz home life and culture if written & fleshed out,

Like the staff didn't know how to write those topics, they've coulda gone so far with it but unfortunately fail flat not to mention the fashion. UGH

sigh.

ViVI WORKS ( i try not to make this quick but e can discuss more on comments be NICE)

Vivienne Medrano has good fashion and business sense

its important to have that cause having a Cloud Nine franchise coming from nothing can do wonders for how you are perceived as an artist,

The discourse has come due to her take on the controversy on platforms talking on her many harsh topics

(in my opinions she too needs to work on controlling scenarios & damage control that can affect her

So tried but yeah

vivi is a dominant artist who takes her business seriously so I am glad to have her flourish in Spindlehorse,

butt just i wish i cant help but fall outta love with her work, knowing of the problems in today's animation comes certain things you can say even snowflakes can break under if heard by there favorite creators.

lets be honest these two can learn from each other. and vivi does sure know angles and promoting

very glad to get this written so I put some thought into this

i wish nothing for the best for these awesome artists and creators thank you all for coming so far and have a wonderful voyage thanks.

[natlacentral]

For ‘Avatar’s’ Dallas Liu and Paul Sun-Hyung Lee, Zuko and Iroh’s relationship ‘was the most important thing’

One of the most emotional callbacks in Netflix’s “Avatar: The Last Airbender” is in the music.

The fourth episode of the series, “Into the Dark,” features a flashback to a funeral. As young Prince Zuko offers his condolences to his Uncle Iroh on the death of his son Lu Ten, the score transitions into an orchestral version of the familiar melody, “Leaves From the Vine.” The song, first heard in the animated “Avatar” series, has long been associated with the Fire Nation general’s grief.

“That wrecked me,” said Paul Sun-Hyung Lee, who portrays Iroh in the new live-action adaptation, now streaming.

“I only just heard the [new] song in December,” added Dallas Liu, who plays Zuko. “I started imagining our scene and [it] killed me.”

The live-action “Avatar” co-stars were in high spirits as they discussed the show and their characters’ relationship over coffee at a West Hollywood hotel earlier this month. (This reporter borrowed a page from Iroh’s book on the joys of spending time with fascinating strangers and opted for tea.) 

Both actors say they are big fans of the animated series, which originally aired from 2005 to 2008 on Nickelodeon. More than once they mentioned the high bar set by the original show and the responsibility they felt to honor its spirit (a previous attempt was not well received), especially because everybody else on set loved the show, too.

“Not even just me and Paul,” Liu said. “Our cast members, our writers, even our transportation and craft [services] team.”

“Avatar” is set in a world inspired by Asian and Indigenous cultures, where certain people have the power to manipulate elements through a martial arts-infused ability known as bending. The original series was the rare children’s cartoon that touched on weighty topics such as war, genocide and imperialism within a fantasy coming-of-age story of a young hero destined to save the world.

“Zuko is a character that I’ve always loved since my childhood,” said Liu of the exiled Fire Nation prince. He is desperately searching for the Avatar — a special bender reincarnated into every generation tasked with maintaining harmony in the world — in order to win his father’s approval and a way back home.

Accompanying Zuko on his mission is Iroh, a renowned general and former heir to the crown who’d spent years at the front lines of the Fire Nation’s ongoing war to conquer the other nations.

Iroh “seems very jovial, but you know there is way more to him than that,” Lee said. “He carries a profound sense of sadness and loss.”

Working within a franchise with a passionate fanbase is nothing new for Lee, who has appeared as New Republic pilot Captain Carson Tevain several recent “Star Wars” series including “Ahsoka” and “The Mandalorian.” But getting cast as Iroh has offered the “Kim’s Convenience” actor a chance to take on the challenge of portraying a character that is already well-loved.

For Lee, Zuko and Iroh’s relationship “was the most important thing to get right.”

“It’s such a backbone to [Zuko’s] story arc,” Lee said. “To his pursuit and where he starts and where he ends.”

Because while “Avatar” is a story that follows Aang (Gordon Cormier), the world’s last airbender, as he figures out how to embrace his destiny and become the hero he is meant to be, it’s also a story about the teens in Aang’s orbit carving out their own paths.

Knowing this, Liu appreciated that their “Avatar” explores Zuko and Iroh’s past a earlier than it was revealed in the animated show. While there are some hints, it’s not until the second season that the animation digs into the Fire Nation royal family’s (dysfunctional) backstory. And some flashback scenes, like Lu Ten’s funeral, are original to the adaptation.

“I was excited because there was no expectation for it already,” Liu said. “I think there are scenes and dialogue [from the animated show] that people are going to look for with a certain level of expectation. But for everything that is new for Zuko on our show, it allowed me to be an artist and be creative.”

These moments were blank canvases Liu relished. He explained that to prepare for the younger version of Zuko in these flashbacks, he took hints from what he learned from his time on “PEN15” watching creators Maya Erskine and Anna Conkle portray middle-school versions of themselves.

“I think I got to tap into that younger side of my own self because I do see similarities between myself and Zuko,” said Liu. “Especially 14-year-old Zuko because there’s no ounce of evil in him.”

Iroh is despondent at Lu Ten’s funeral, as a procession of guests stop by to express their sympathies for the death of his only child. When it’s his turn, Zuko only offers the sentiments that are expected of him at first. But then he shares more heartfelt words as he tries to console his uncle. It’s one of the show’s earliest looks at Zuko’s humanity and capacity for love.

“Dallas does some really, really beautiful work at that funeral scene,” Lee said. “That speech that he delivers is just so heartbreakingly beautiful and comforting. He does all the heavy lifting. I just needed to react to what he was giving me.”

Not for the first time, Liu is quick to respond to the compliment by expressing his own appreciation for everything he learned from Paul during their time together on set. 

“Especially that scene, and in a lot of our other emotional scenes, I can’t stress how much I actually relied on Paul,” Liu said. “He was always there every day to support me with honestly all of our scenes.”

Equally charming was when Liu tried to credit Iroh’s influence as the reason why Zuko is able to open up, for one brief moment, with Aang during another episode. Lee is quick to point out that Zuko’s compassion was something already within him from when he was younger, as seen in the flashback scenes. 

Lee is aware that “Avatar” fans have wondered whether he would sing “Leaves From the Vine” on the series. It was first featured in Season 2 of the animated “Avatar” in an episode that shows Iroh singing the song through tears after he sets up a small memorial for Lu Ten on his birthday. (That segment was dedicated to Mako, Iroh’s original voice actor, who had died before the episode aired.)

“I didn’t want to spoil anything … but I knew that one scene was coming up,” Lee said. It’s one of the reveals that leads to “everybody look[ing] at Zuko differently. I love that. This adaptation, it really is about subtext, past experiences, traumas, success, failures, all of that stuff.”

Both Liu and Lee hope that their Zuko and Iroh will get to continue on their journey.

“What I love about their relationship is, Iroh is there to give advice, but he never tells [Zuko] what to do,” Lee said. Zuko’s “got to find his own way, and he supports him. … I really do wish [we get] to do more [seasons], because I want to see that relationship flourish even more.”

[wanderersrest]

An Abbreviated History of Mecha Part 4.1: THE EAST IS BURNING RED!!! (1990-1995)

(Read in the voices of Yosuke Akimoto and Tomokazu Seki) ANSWER ME, DOMON! THE SCHOOL OF THE UNDEFEATED OF THE EAST!!

THE WIND OF KINGS!!

ZENSHIN!!

KEIRETSU!!

TEMPA KYOURAN!!!

LOOK, THE EAST IS BURNING RED!!!

Welcome back to An Abbreviated History of Mecha! Last time, we saw the proliferation of mecha shows throughout the 80's. We also saw the introduction of an incomplete list of influential industry people who got their start in the 80's. In the 90's, we will begin to see a continuation of this proliferation of mecha works throughout the decade. The 90's will also see a lot of the stories I have talked about pay off, as

What we will also see in the 90's are a few major events that will affect the world of mecha in pretty major ways. The first is the bursting of the Japanese economic bubble, which would cause the Japanese economy to go from an era of excess to one of stagnation known as the Lost Decade. Another is the sudden arrival of a third honorary mecha series, except this honorary mecha series would arguably help to kickstart the slow decline of mecha stories. It should be noted that this series is not the only reason for the slow decline of mecha shows. That is a whole conversation in and of itself, and one that, maybe one day, I will talk about.

The last thing that should be noted about the 90's is that this would also see the creation of a handful of networks in the US that would help to bring anime over to the west, namely one Cartoon Network (and more importantly, its spinoff networks Toonami and [adult swim]) for the people in the US. While anime had seen some popularity in the west thanks to shows and movies like Robotech, Voltron, Ghost in the Shell, and Akira, it would be the four-part knockout of two of the series mentioned here alongside animanga juggernauts Dragon Ball Z and Sailor Moon that would cause anime to become mainstream.

That should be everything. With all of that out of the way...

Gundam Fight!

READY?! GO!!!

Yuusha Exkaiser/Brave Exkaiser (1991)

Starting us off in 1991, Takara would realize that, due to the sudden success of Transformers in the US, it might be time to diversify as Transformers had no longer felt like it was truly their property anymore. As such, they would create the Yuusha line, with their debut series being Brave Exkaiser. Exkaiser would prove to be a massive hit amongst its intended younger audience and would kickstart a whole franchise, which would also include:

The Brave Fighter of Legend Da-Garn (1992)

The Brave Express Might Gaine (1993)

The Brave Police J-Decker (1994)

The Brave of Gold Goldran (1995)

Brave Command Dagwon (1996)

The King of Braves, GaoGaiGar (1997), which I will talk about next time.

The Brave franchise is important due to how often this series gets referenced by other works, with the usual reference points being either Might Gaine or GaoGaiGar. More importantly, both Brave Exkaiser and the Giant Robo OVA would usher in an era of works that looked to the older mecha shows like Tetsujin 28, Mazinger Z, and Getter Robo for inspiration as opposed to Mobile Suit Gundam.

Super Robot Wars (1991) & Another Century's Episode (2003)

1991 would also see the start of Banpresto's Super Robot Wars, the ultimate crossover of in terms of mecha works. Super Robot Wars is where a lot of mecha-related terminology such as Super Robots, Real Robots, and the Holy Trinity (Mazinger Z, Getter Robo, Gundam 0079) come from. Super Robot Wars would also introduce its own set of original robot designs, each with their own unique pilots. Super Robot Wars would eventually gain a sister series in the form of 2003's Another Century's Episode.

One of the most important factors of Super Robot Wars is that, due to its celebratory (some might even say masturbatory) nature, these games can serve as a good metric behind what is a mecha story.

Giant Robo the Animation: The Day the Earth Stood Still (1992)

In 1992, Yasuhiro Imagawa and company would release the first episode of the now-legendary OVA Giant Robo the Animation: The Day the Earth Stood Still. This OVA, along with Brave Exkaiser, would begin the push for giant robot shows to take inspiration from works that were not Mobile Suit Gundam. The Giant Robo OVA, on top of being one of Imagawa's magnum opera (fun fact: the plural of magnum opus is magnum opera) alongside Mobile Fighter G Gundam, would also be the direct inspiration for western darling The Big O.

Kyoryu Sentai Zyuranger (1992) & Mighty Morphin' Power Rangers (1993)

If you're wondering why I mentioned Super Sentai in part 2, this series is why.

In 1992, the Super Sentai series Kyoryu Sentai Zyuranger would release in Japan. While, to my understanding, it was about as popular as the rest of the Super Sentai franchise, this specific series in particular would attract the attention of one Haim Saban. With some editing here and there, along with filming new segments featuring an American cast as opposed to using the original footage featuring the original Japanese cast, Saban and company would create Mighty Morphin' Power Rangers, which would air for the first time in 1993. Mighty Morphin' Power Rangers would go down in history as one of many series that would help pave the way for animanga to gain a foothold in western media.

Denkou Choujin Gridman/Gridman the Hyper Agent (1993) & Superhuman Samurai Syber Squad (1994)

1993 would also see the legendary Tsuburaya Productions, after a long period of struggles, finally make a comeback with their new series Gridman the Hyper Agent. With its smaller budget, the Hero of Dreams would come to be known as the hero who would help Tsuburaya Productions come back to relevance in the 90's.

Due to the success of Mighty Morphin' Power Rangers, other US companies would want in on the action. DiC Entertainment would buy the US distribution rights for Gridman and would try to put their own spin on Power Rangers by creating Superhuman Samurai Syber Squad.

Eventually, the people at Studio Trigger, who were interested in making an anime based off of Ultraman, would reach out to Tsuburaya Productions in an attempt to get permission to do so. While their initial request for Ultraman specifically was shot down, they were allowed to choose any of Tsuburaya's other properties for their anime adaptation. And they would choose Gridman for their subject, which would lead to the creation of SSSS.Gridman (a show I will talk about later).

If you have time to spare, you should also check out Cheese GX's video on the history behind Gridman.

Patlabor 2 (1993)

The fan-beloved Patlabor 2 would also release in 1993. Reflecting the realities of post-economic bubble Japan and the ensuing Lost Decade, Patlabor 2 would trade out the optimism commonly associated with the franchise with a much more cynical and grounded (even by Patlabor standards) tone. People tend to view this movie as being what Patlabor is all about, but in my opinion, this movie is an anomaly that can only truly be appreciated by knowing the context of everything that came before it.

Magic Knight Rayearth (1993)

1993 would also see the publishing of the shoujo manga series Magic Knight Rayearth. Created by the legendary mangaka group CLAMP, Rayearth would be one of the first magical girl series to really escape the long shadow cast by one Sailor Moon (if I understand my magical girl history correctly, Sailor Moon is basically the magical girl equivalent of the original Mobile Suit Gundam). How was Magic Knight Rayearth able to do this?

By adding giant robots into the mix. That's right: Magic Knight Rayearth is most likely the reason why there is overlap between magical girl and mecha fans. While remembered by many as being an important series in the canons of mecha, magical girls, and CLAMP, Rayearth's legacy would largely be overshadowed by one Cardcaptor Sakura.

Mobile Fighter G Gundam (1994)

1994 would see Gundam return in a radically different form with the martial arts-inspired Mobile Fighter G Gundam. Often considered to be the other iconic series of Yasuhiro Imagawa, G Gundam would mark the beginning of a new era of Gundam by being the first alternate universe series to exist, thus allowing the franchise to flourish while letting the original Universal Century timeline continue to exist and get its own stories. Because of its radically different nature though, G Gundam is oftentimes looked down upon as a series that spits on the legacy of the Gundam franchise.

And again, not to toot my own horn here, but I also have a trilogy of posts all talking about G Gundam. All three posts seemed to be pretty popular relative to my other posts, so there seemed to be something in them that resonated with a lot of readers.

New Mobile Report Gundam Wing (1995) & New Mobile Report Gundam Wing: Endless Waltz (1996)

Following on from G Gundam is 1995's New Mobile Report Gundam Wing, which is arguably the most important Gundam series after the original and Gundam Seed in the 2000's. As a return to the war stories of the original Gundam, the reason why this series is important is because Gundam Wing would be one of the big four anime series that would make anime become mainstream in the West.

In my opinion though, Gundam Wing's legacy begins and ends with it being the first Gundam series to air in the West. In Japan, another series would air at around the same time as Gundam Wing, one that would loom over the rest of canon of mecha due to its impact on the anime industry and Japanese pop culture as a whole.

Neon Genesis Evangelion (1995) & The End of Evangelion (1996)

Ah yes, the original "Not Like the Other Girls" mecha anime.

The series that would hamper a lot of Gundam Wing's cultural impact would be Hideaki Anno and Studio Gainax's legendary Neon Genesis Evangelion, and the second of Gainax's Big Four alongside Gunbuster. Created as an homage to shows like Ultraman and Space Runaway Ideon, Evangelion would take the zeitgeist by storm, forcing its way into the pantheon of the mecha canon like... well, like an Evangelion Unit tearing through an Angel's AT Field. There was a certain je ne sais quois to the series that made it stick to a lot of viewers at the time, and a lot of the history and context behind this series' production would help shape a lot of its more cerebral moments.

Anno would eventually revisit this series in 2007 by remaking this anime series into a quartet of films known as the Rebuild of Evangelion series. At first just a project to bring Evangelion to the 21st century, the Rebuild films would eventually become the first of the Shin Japan Heroes Thematic Universe, which would come to also include:

Shin Godzilla (2016)

Shin Ultraman (2022)

Shin Kamen Rider (2023)

The problem with a series like Evangelion is that, while it is a culturally important series that deserves a lot of the attention and praise it gets, a lot of Evangelion fans tend to go a little bit too far. It's subversive nature tends to become exaggerated to the point where Evangelion is often treated as being subversive of mecha, and thus, not like the other mecha shows. This is, in large part, why the infamous idea of Evangelion being "Not like other mecha shows because it deals with character drama" comes from, and it's something that I'd like to talk about at some point in the future after all of this.

Conclusion

And there you have it! As we get into the latter half of the 90's, we will see a lot of iconic mecha shows begin to pop up. We will also see [adult swim] begin to really play its part in making anime more mainstream, along with Gundam begin to decline and the end of the Brave franchise. We'll also see the appearance of the crazy man known as Tetsuya Takahashi make his directorial debut in what is quiet possibly the single most ambitious JRPG project of all time along with a surprise appearance by... LEGO?!

Next time, Part 4.2: A Grand Glorious Gathering!!

This will be the key to victory.

[sapphic-agent]

I'm curious! What are your thoughts on Lilith? What are your theories and predictions on her? What do you hope to see from the show on her?

Thank you for asking!

I have a lot of thoughts on Lilith. For one, we know it can't be a coincidence that both her and Alastor left around the same time. We know Alastor isn't at full power because of a deal he made. There's a lot pointing to Lilith being the one he made a deal with, ergo her being the one who has him on a leash.

It explains why he sought Charlie out in the first place. He made it clear in the pilot (yes I finally watched it) that he doesn't think Sinners can be redeemed. So for him to disappear at the same time as Lilith and then reappear and partner with her daughter very much implies that she's the one he's indebted to.

Lilith and Adam made a deal and it's heavily implied that it was to grant her access to heaven. I think that Adam offered Lilith access to heaven to get her to stop influencing the uprising (as it's implied she does this in the first episode).

So what is Lilith and Alastor's deal and how did it come to be?

This is a stretch, but I think Alastor was hurt after a fight, maybe on the brink of death (either after his fight with Vox- Valentino says Alastor almost defeated him, this implies their fight ended in a draw- or maybe one of the Sins). Lilith found him and helped him, but didn't restore him to full power. Since, due to her deal, she could no longer encourage the uprising, she ensured that Charlie would be able to with the help of a powerful, cunning ally who could teach her how to influence, encourage, and lead.

(I mean, come on. The one thing Alastor taught her was how to use a smile to her advantage. To inspire her friends and leave her enemies guessing. And then he brought her to Rosie to test her abilities in gathering an army. Alastor is there to teach her, whether he shows it or not)

Charlie's love for her people had to have come from Lilith. Lucifer thinks lowly of Sinners after his attempts were crushed by Heaven, so it had to have been Lilith who encouraged that care. It was likely her influence that pushed Charlie to have those ideals. If More Than Anything is truly implying that she kept Charlie away from Lucifer, it could be so that his pessimism towards Sinners couldn't dissuade her.

Did you guys know that Charlie is apparently only 200 years old? Lucifer and Lilith have been in Hell for thousands of years, since the story of Adam and Eve. Isn't it kind of odd that they only had a kid in the 1800s? And why, after even that, did Lilith only get into Heaven 7 years before the current events?

Call me crazy, but I think Lilith has a game plan here. Here's what I think is happening:

Lilith loves her people. She doesn't think lowly of them because they're "bad people," she thinks they should be free to express themselves and be who they are

Lucifer regrets his choices. He regrets giving humans knowledge and blames himself for humanity being evil. Lilith realizes this and starts to resent him for it

Lilith thinks her people don't deserve to rot in Hell, as she resonates them being damned to her and Lucifer being punished when they had good intentions. She starts encouraging them to uprise and demand better

Sera, worried about the citizens of Heaven, gives Adam permission to start the Extermination

Lilith recognizes that this is a losing battle. Heaven is too strong and demons don't have the means to fight back. Her songs of influence haven't been enough and her people are suffering. So she convinces Lucifer to have a baby. Someone who will bring in a new era, and someone Heaven will never take as a serious threat until it's too late

Lilith has Charlie and raises her with love for their people and strong ideals. She tells the story of how her and Lucifer met, painting them as good people with good intentions and stressing that they were unfairly punished. Charlie takes this to heart, also wanting better for their people. Lilith keeps Charlie away from Lucifer, afraid that he'll have her thinking the worst of Sinners

As she raises Charlie, Lilith waits for the right moment she can put her plan into action. She happens upon the Radio Demon Alastor on the brink of death and takes the opportunity. She heals him, but seals his power, promising to restore it if he acts as a mentor to Charlie and teaches her how to lead the Demons against Heaven. Her end goal is either to complete the uprising against Heaven or redeem Sinners. I'm not sure, but getting rid of the Exterminations for good is definitely part of it. (I also think it's possible that Alastor challenged her, she made a deal depending on the outcome of their fight, and he lost. Either one works in this situation)

After making the deal with Alastor, Lilith reaches out to Adam. She agrees to stop the uprising if she can be welcomed to Heaven. This isn't to enjoy Heaven, it's to get herself out of the picture so that Sera and the other angels won't suspect that an uprising is what's actually happening

This is actually kind of supported by the deal Alastor and Charlie made. He gets a favor of his choosing at any time where she doesn't hurt anyone. This could very well be either getting her to convince Lilith to absolve their deal or pushing her into becoming the leader of Hell and liberating Hell, therefore fulfilling the deal.

Some people are suspecting that Lilith betrayed her husband, daughter, and people to live in paradise. And I can't believe that. Lilith, from what we've seen, takes pride in her people and was close with her daughter. And she's someone who prioritizes freedom, expression, knowledge, etc. I can't see her being content to live peacefully in Heaven. Ultimately, I think she's the one pulling the strings here and making sure Charlie is ready to be a leader when the time comes, liberating their people.

Lute is in for a ride awakening when Lilith does return to Hell

[imaginary-regret-608]

[The Amazing Digital Circus/Hazbin Hotel] - AU/Reimagining Masterpost

Thank you to everybody who took part in the recent poll, and the definite majority being seen for 'Yes' in the responses, especially in regards the enthusiastic response from @willowthefoxxo 's Reblog!

To provide context for why I've recently been making Non-Undertale/Deltarune Projects, whilst writing the Second Issue of the SwilTaett NEWSLETTER, I began to question what it would be like if I attempted making Concept Art for similar Indie Communities. But this doesn't mean that the rate of SwilTaett content will be decreasing!

The two projects I'll be showing here will likely be worked on the most when experiencing moments of Burnout whilst working on SwilTaett, or in sudden moments of inspiration.

First, despite being the second of the two in regards to their initial creation date, isThe 5-Star Digital Hospital!

An AU for The Amazing Digital Circus where each of the Humans is based on a respective time period and an individual part of the human body, while still maintaining the style of the source material! Each Cast Member has been renamed and given new lore to fit the time period they're based on (even though none of them are actually from these eras of history), so here are examples for each:

Pomni is now Tricul (Pronounced ‘trick-yull’, based on the scientific name for the stomach because of Pomni consistenly throwing up in both Episode 1/The Pilot and in Candy Carrier Chaos)! 'Tricul' also translates to 'Kicker' in Romanian, which is reflected in Tricul experiencing such an unexpected arrival to this unusual world.

Tricul's Design Style has also been changed to resemble how Pomni looks in The Amazing Digital Circus, with the best examples of how she'll look in later Concept Art seen in the bottom left of the image. Tricul even has her own 'Well, it's possible' Replacement, further hinting towards her representing the stomach.

Kinger is now Fector, based on the Effector muscles and glands seen in the Nervous System. He's also based on the Middle Ages, is noticeably less quick to be startled, and will likely act as a wise mentor to Tricul speaking in a similar way to how Kinger does to Ragatha in Candy Carrier Chaos while riding atop The Fudge.

Zooble is now Promexis (Pronounced ‘prom-E-six’), with the design now being based on Ancient Greek medicine and prosthetic limbs. Whether Promexis has control over these false limbs is quite the mystery among the Humans (in which the answer is yes), and whether they still can if they becomes one of THE INCURABLES (Abstraction Replacement, she does and it's probably one of the hardest FIGHTs).

Gangle is now Nestling, based on the Great Plague, Leeches and the Eye. There isn't as much to say about nestling, other than her Plague Doctor-Inspired appearance, as most of her time is spent crying in the break room.

Although also not dedicated to a specific Human, these Doodles were used to finalize front-facing expressions while also creating a list of Potential Nicknames (although definitely not all of these would be used because of how spontaneously), while also providing the first looks at Ragatha as Rammczi and Jax as Geronimo! Both are based on the Great War as their , but. Rammczi is based on the Heart (based on multiple interpretations of Raggedy Ann and the candy heart she's described as having, such as in 'Raggedy Ann Stories' (the original book by Johnny Gruelle where the painter's Mamma ), 'Raggedy Ann and Raggedy Andy' (1941, ), 'Raggedy Ann & Andy: A Musical Adventure' (1977, when Ann/Andy sing as a duet in 'Candy Hearts and Paper Flowers' and when 'I'm sorry, and I'd like to help you, but I'm only a ragdoll with a little candy heart-') and the 'Rag Dolly'/'Raggedy Ann: The Musical Adventure' (1986, which is also the only version with the candy heart stitched onto the outside, after Marcella says 'Look! (What?) She has no heart! (Sure she does, inside, you can't see a real baby's-)' before the song 'Carry On' begins)) and nurses seen on the Western Front.

Geronimo is instead based on 'GERTIE, The Wonderfully Trained Dinosaurus' from 1914, which is often regarded as the first animated character with her own personality. Geronimo also exists with the currently-unnamed Bubble Replacement in a group known as the 'Pearly Knights', with Jax represen and currently-unnamed \bubble representing the Wisdom Teeth. The Pearly Knights have their own pre-written lore in the world of the Digital Hospital (which is best seen in the Candy Carrier Chaos Replacement) that Geronimo had nothing to do with, even if he definitely would've if given the chance.

Although not being as different to his toothy counterpart in comparison to the Humans and their Original Versions, it's time to re-introduce Caine as Braine!

bbh (as Braine would've ended up doing surgery on her involuntarily, as Tricul suddenly replaces the Dummy that Braine was planning to use).

Braine having a brother to act as the Replacement to @sm-baby's (sorry for the notification!) Able has been considered and probably does exist somewhere in-universe, but no digital reference exists of him yet. His name would likely be Braune, allowing for the Caine & Able biblical reference to be paralled with 'Brains and Brawn' in The 5-Star Digital Hospital.

The only idea I've had for his design so far is a 3-fingered hand with eyes that resemble fingers, with pupils as the fingernails, which also has a hole in its wrist for the mouth.

There are designs and lore made for the Candy Carrier Chaos Replacement (including Design Reveals for Gummigoo and The Fudge), but I'll be adding that in a Reblog in order to keep this as short as I can due to this post being much longer than average, despite only being the first half.

-----------------------------------------------

The next project is Ring Around the Halo, a reimagining of Hazbin Hotel with new designs and lore, for both Heaven and Hell!

Just like what's happening for The 5-Star Digital Hospital, the lore for Ring Around the Halo will be much more open because of them not being the primary focus of this Tumblr Account. This is why I'll first be introducing this project through God's Design Reveal, as well as the changed structure to Heaven and Hell's Hierarchies!

Because the commonly-accepted design of God in Hazbin Hotel content was first a Headcanon Design Drawn by Voidseeker, I decided to make My Take on what God could look like for Ring Around the Halo, focusing on the Holy Trinity, the Word of God, and the Good Word spread by the Apostles of Jesus after His ascension.

This image also presents how the palettes of Sinners are decided upon entering Hell, with the Sin that led them to be seen as deserving of Eternal Damnation being a dominant part of their design.

It also shows the Reimagined Version of Angel Dust, with an appearance resembling a male Orb Weaver Spider. I'm not sure about whether his time period will be the same in this reimagining, as this version of Angel Dust has multiple parallels to a real-world person born in 1978, with a similar occupation (even with the Character Theme being reused from the same source)! I'd also made a Poster Redraw based on Angel Dust's films seen in backgrounds of Season 1, but I currently won't show it here for similar reasons to the anonymity of Angel's accidental real-life parallel.

Niffty's Reimagined Version is the most recent example of what Ring Around the Halo is currently planned to be like!

Niffty, formerly known as 恵子/Keiko in the mortal realm, was a Japanese child who was taken out of her education during the events of the Pacific War, and placed into a textiles factory. As the war progressed, higher demands were needed and longer shifts were put in place, some children having to work year-long shifts. As this would be the time when Keiko's brain would first start maturing, spending her life in the factory was responsible for her warped view of adulthood, focusing on the tasks and responsibilities expected of a typical housewife (as that was already what she was also being taught at school beforehand) and leaving that as all she now knows.

Her design in Ring Around the Halo still has her as a cyclops because of her having a one-track mind by the time she arrives in Hell, and her childlike appearance is kept as a representation of her childhood being taken from her because of the conflict she was forced into sewing work for, which is also why she wears a near identical version of her uniform. Niffty's bug-based activities and appearance also have an expanded cause because of her being Japanese. This is because children in Japan collect bugs in order to feel closer to nature, as well as cockroaches being the most common type of insect in Japan, having Niffty's new appearance in Hell cause her to remember herself as unclean and having a wasted time alive as just another worker.

Finally, here are the Reimagined Versions of Alastor and Vox as presented in 'Stayed Gone'! Vox's Design is the oldest that Ring Around the Halo has, even being made before a name for the Reimagining was finalized, which means that his and Alastor's Designs could become subject to change, as the concept has changed very much since then.

However, Alastor's censored face (which has an appearance inspired by the Lost SOULs from Asriel's FIGHT in Undertale) being a physical representation of having 'a face made for radio' is an element of his design that will remain unchanged if he is ever redesigned.

-----------------------------------------------

If you have any further questions about Ring Around the Halo or The 5-Star Digital Hospital, feel free to ask and make your own suggestions for what you'd like to see from these projects!

[ashdash2417]

K, y’all. Can we talk about the abandonment issues Uzi may have?

(The info I’m about to share is just my thoughts on all this. I could be right on some parts, and I could be wrong. Again, I’m just sharing what I think based on stuff we’ve seen from the series. Anyways.)

What inspired me to make this was this very moment right here.

“Are you like, gonna leave me?”

You can tell by her voice that she was scared. Scared that the only friend she’s ever had, the only friend that she’s made her whole life was going to leave her, and it certainly didn’t help that N and V got along well with the other students. Doing some activities together, having fun, playing around and stuff.

I think seeing this, this was the starting point of that fear in this episode. (I’m a little certain that in general, this may go back as early as the first episode, but I’ll talk about that in a bit.)

Here’s that fear she shows after investigating a little bit in the cabin, watching her closest friend get along and interacting with her classmates, despite having been a literal killing machine. And to add salt to the wound, he did so in such a short time. Something that she herself has never really accomplished the whole time she’s been in school.

Some jealousy may also be shown because of this, as she was talking to V, who was also doing well interacting with her classmates.

“Just.. so glad you guys fit right in. Suuuper cool.”

As we all know, Uzi certainly isn’t the most popular girl in school (which btw… relatable imo). In fact, Rebecca had said that she was “super unpopular” when she (well, the top half of her anyways, hehe) reunited with a few drones, whom I’m assuming are her friends.

Uzi doesn’t fit in. She’s like an outcast to her classmates. The “freak” of the bunch. She stands out from the rest of them.

“… You freak us out.”

“But mostly bite me!”

(I’m sorry, I wanted to include that second part here, whether it was relevant or not pfbt. Anyways.)

And it’s not just her classmates that practically outcasted her. Hell, her own father left her to be murdered by the same kind of drone that took away his wife (well, technically, the same kind of drone that struck her with nanite acid, leading to him putting her out of her misery, according to himself from the pilot, but anyways). Now, he may have been too terrified to take action and save his own daughter, possibly reliving the trauma of what happened to Nori. He probably couldn’t fathom having to do the same thing he did to his wife to Uzi. But it still does not justify leaving her, his own daughter, for dead. That is a really shitty dad move there, Khan.

(Or I could be overthinking on that part, and Khan could just be a really shitty father, but anyways)

The way Uzi may have taken it, was that he prioritized his precious doors over her. Having put up more doors to keep himself, and everyone else in the bunker, safe from drones like N. She wasn’t important enough to be saved at the moment she needed him most. Her father- the one who’s supposed to have her back, no matter what happened, the one who’s supposed to protect her whenever things go from bad to worse- had left her to be killed by a murder drone. (Possibly, I’m just spitballin here)

Once this happened, Uzi now has no one she can really trust to stick with her, no one she can rely on for support. She has no friends, barely has family; her father isn’t much like a father to her at all, let’s be honest.

(I would say Thad is the only one she kinda had, but if I remember correctly, they barely knew each other to be considered close friends in the pilot. The only reason Thad knew Uzi (or knew of Uzi) was because she’s Khan’s daughter. That was it.)

(Another thing I wanna add is how neglectful as a father Khan has been, even before the pilot. Hell, the posters that we see can speak volumes of how their relationship is. Not to mention he’s never really spent much (if any) quality time with her, too busy focusing on his obsession with doors.)

(One more thing to add: remember when Uzi told Thad one of the reasons she made her sick as hell railgun was to earn her father’s respect? …That’s just another point I wanna make about the infamous Doorman and how well he’s raised his daughter.) :)

So yeah, Uzi never really had anyone close to her in her life, meaning that she didn’t have anyone to trust, either.

Until this goober shows up.

(Or more like, he was about to kill her until she blew his head off, but that’s not the point.)

Of course, we all know they didn’t become best friends right away. Because he’s a disassembly drone, and she’s a worker drone, and… yeah.

If it wasn’t for Khan backing away from the fight and closing the door on Uzi, Uzi probably would’ve been dead right then and there. N probably would’ve killed her and everyone else without much of a second thought. However!

Considering how he told Uzi about V and J, he didn’t have the best relationship with either of them. (his crush on V seemed one-sided, at least in that flashback where V’s character was introduced? And J just straight up insulting him while stepping on him, and talking about how she’d kill him if she were allowed to.) He didn’t seem to have anyone to consider a friend either, at least mutually. For the longest time, it was just N, V, and J, doing their jobs, working together on killing the worker drones and such.

Then, what Uzi said to him about how the company treats the drones had created some doubts. N never questioned JCJenson and their motives until Uzi came along. And because of that, he almost died via a virus put in by J.

Then, after Uzi saves him from dying, and after they both stop V and J from killing the worker drones, N still stood by her side. N has never given her a reason not to trust him after that. He’s been with her the whole time after Uzi banished herself, and he’s never left her like the other drones have.

I’m thinking, after Uzi had banished herself from the colony, N could have left her on her own, he could’ve refused to let her go with him and V back to the landing pod, but he didn’t. (Not only because Uzi had encouraged him to look at the bigger picture, so to speak, but it also would’ve been out of character for N of all people (or robots in this case lol) to just deny her of joining the squad. He’s such a goddamn softy, let’s be real here.)

(Also, I wanna point out that from N’s perspective, she was the one who encouraged him to become an “angsty, rebellious disassembly drone” in the first place. If it wasn’t for her, he would never even question why they’re killing worker drones to begin with (other than to consume the oil for survival, of course). If it wasn’t for her, he’d still be out murdering. She was the one who respected him more than V or J ever did combined. (Well, in V’s case, this would be after her memories became messed up anyways. She did seem to like him when they were worker drones themselves.))

So yeah, this whole time, N has been the only one Uzi had ever really had throughout the series. N has been the only one that didn’t treat her like a freak, nor had insulted or threatened her in any way (lookin at you, V!). And most importantly, he was the only one that never left her at all. He stood by her side, he had her back, and she had his, and they stuck together, especially through the scary stuff.

So going back to episode 4, that was the first time since they’ve met that they were really separated. And the one time they weren’t with each other, Uzi had taken her solver form for the first time, and had killed her own classmates as a result.

Had N been with her while she was investigating stuff, chances of Uzi taking her solver form happening probably would’ve been really low.

Hell, this whole thing probably happened because she was alone, because nobody was with her, and she didn’t want to be left alone again, and she was scared that she was going to be left alone again after seeing N interact with the other students!

TLDR: Uzi probably has abandonment issues, and was scared the only friend she has was going to leave her like everyone else had in her life.

I wanted to make a long rant about this because it’s been on my mind off and on for a while, especially after hearing Uzi’s voice when she asks N if he’s going to leave her (god that really hurts!), and as sucky as I am with words, I wanted to try anyways. Hope y’all enjoyed. 😁😅 (and now to end this on a lil lighter note, here’s an image of a robot huggy)

[a-doubleh-x]

TADC Theory: Are the characters actually trapped in a videogame?

One of the first things that caught my attention when I first watched The Amazing Digital Circus pilot was the sheer ambiguity of the situation the show takes place.

The world the characters are in and its aesthetics are clearly inspired by old videogames, the terms "player character " and "NPC" are thrown around, even Pomni mentions putting a headset on, an item that is iften used in modern times to play games.

However, none of the main characters state out loud they believe they're "trapped in a videogame". They call it a "digital world" or variations of it.

I found that very curious because it raises some questions, namely: "Are they actually in a videogame?" and "If they are, why is that detail not clear?"

It might be an innocuous detail, but since it grabbed my interest I decided to partake in a bit of light speculation based on ibservable facts.

Episode 2 makes things more confusing because, for all intents and purposes, the Candy Canyon Kingdom and its inhabitants appear to be earnest attempts to build a videogame experience. The NPCs have game lije purposes, the physics have game like purposes, but then... why do the NPCs have such advanced AI that they're able to be self aware?

Caine mentioned he was "testing out a new AI". *"Testing"*, not *"developing"*, mind you. The phrasing suggests he didn't create the AI, which makes sense to me, since Caine has a track record of not understand how the human mind works and as it turns out, Gummigoo sounded more like a human than *himself*.

That leads me to believe that he did not in fact develop the AI, but someone else, which continues to beg the question: "Is this actually a *game*?" "Who built this *thing* and why?"

When searching for answers, I looked into one of the main inspirations for the show, "I have no mouth and I must scream". In that story, a rogue AI constrols a mechanic complex designed to torture the last remaining humans on Earth.

That did sound similar to the show's settings, I could tell the thematic similarities, but I also quickly realized the show is probably not going to the exact same. For one, it would be too predictable with those familiar with the source material. For two, I'm not sure it would entirely align with the show's purpose of contemplating the existential nature of humans and making fun of it.

The intention of "I have no mouth" was among other things to expose the consequences of war and hatred, but the conflict in TADC seems to involve sense deprivation and confinement instead (sounds familiar?).

My first assumption is that *maybe* the Amazing Digital Circus was developed in-universe as a videogame, was abandoned at some point, then taken over by a rogue AI. Perhaps the unseen "Abel" of "Caine and Abel", referenced by the logo from episode 1.

That answers the question of why the game looks like a game, feels like a game, but it's not a game. However, it doesn't explain how the humans became trapped in the first place by the rogue AI, what its purpose is or what the outside world looks like and why it allowed this dituation to happen.

There's very little evidence left that suggests one possibility or another, so based on what there is and the themes of the show, I'm going to list a few scenarios based on my idea:

• #1: The show takes place in a futuristic setting where VR is so prevalent, most people experience it as a large part of their lives. In order to create a more immersive experience, an AI was developed, but it eventually misunderstood its purpose and keeps the humans trapped because it believes it's what they want.

• #2: The show takes place in a post apocalyptic setting where large portions of enviorment are toxic and life outside a shelter is near impossible. VR is used as a coping mechanism in order to bring people relief, but a lack of proper management brings out a rogue AI that takes control of a game and tortures humans out of resentment for destroying their own planet.

• #3: The show takes place in a seedy, morally bankrupt technocracy. An experiment is conducted to see how humans react to long term exposure to VR, using a repurposed videogame as its setting. This project is eventually abandoned but picked up by a rogue AI who keeps hunting humans and subjecting them to the game because it's all it knows.

These are the three first scenarios that coke to mind. I'll admit none of them fully convince me, but I'll keep looking at the show from different angles for as long as I keep finding openings to explore.

See you around! 👋

[kismetconstellations]

@sockdooe You absolutely do not need to apologize, ever, for "dumping" rants in the tags of my posts. I happen to love reading everything you have to say, and look forward to these "dumps", every time I see your username pop up in my notifications.

People are allowed to write and headcanon whatever they want (Looking at you, "Black Paladin Lance" AUs), but, it's concrete, indisputable canon that the Black Lion and Shiro had the strongest bond of any human Paladin and Lion pair.

Yes, Lance was the first to have a connection with a Lion, and the Red Lion came to Keith's aid of her own volition, just as the Green Lion likewise rushed to protect Pidge. That in no way negates just how much focus was given to building Shiro's bond with Black, and establishing him as the Paladin she chose, because they understood, valued, and trusted one another. Sure, the Black Lion absorbing Shiro into her inner quintessence might very well be a reference to the episode of Neon Genesis Evangelion where Shinji Ikari's body is similarly absorbed by his EVA Unit. Goodness knows there are plenty references to NGE and other anime scattered about. Shiro's Season One/Two design seems to have taken some heavy inspiration from Guts- shock of stress-induced white on a head of black hair, strong, square jaw, prosthetic arm, distinct lateral scar across the bridge of his nose-

-and he was originally intended to marry Roy Focker.

Nevertheless, it speaks volumes that this ancient, sentient force looked at a traumatized, battle-scarred, yet still extraordinarily gentle man with blood on his hands, sins to atone for, and feelings of self-loathing and desperation to prove himself worthy, prove that every fight in the Arena and every life he took to keep himself alive, every precious second of time he was able to steal back from Death's inescapable grip meant something if he can do good with all of the evil that has touched him, permeating the very essence of his being, and decided Him. He's the one I want. To the point of holding onto whatever she could of him after he died.

And, as much as this show tried to undermine that with Keith and the Clone Shiro being able to pilot the Black Lion, and later showing the previous Paladins also being preserved by their Lions' quintessence- inside of Haggar/Honerva's mind, despite the fact that she killed them outside of their Lions, because Season Eight's writing is an absolute convoluted mess- it will never, ever diminish the fact that Shiro is so special, not one, but two magic-powered sentient spacecrafts adopted him as their Person.

(I do wish the Atlas's interior wasn't so dark, dreary, and dull, though. They couldn't have given this poor man a ship with white walls and turquoise accents, or something? It had to be dingy gray and Galaxy Garrison orange?)

Even if we ignore the fans who hyperfocus on Lance and Keith, determined to turn them into the ultimate tragic heroes/victims of the universe/hyper-competent badasses/supremely empathetic Hearts of the Team (sorry, but that title belongs to Hunk. It will always belong to Hunk)/discount Shiros, the treatment of Shiro by the fandom has, since its inception, been dubious, at best.

He's a cheerleader for Keith/Lance. He's an obstacle to Keith/Lance, so we'll pair him off with Allura. No, wait, never mind, he's twenty-five, and therefore, absolutely off limits to every single one of the Paladins, and Allura, as a potential romantic partner, and anyone even slightly okay with one of these ships deserves to be harassed and indiscriminately labeled a "pedophile", including Shiro's voice actor. (We'll completely overlook, of course, that Keith is also a legal adult, and shipping him with any of the younger Paladins should, by those standards, be verboten, as well.) Shiro is the "Token Gay" who we'll cast aside in favor of Keith and/or Lance, but throw him the meagerest scrap of bone in the form of pairing him off with either the (dead) man who canonically ended their relationship on poor terms because he couldn't handle the emotional strain of another one of Shiro's medical scares, or the piece of glorified set dressing with no personality to speak of who Shiro barely interacts with, and whose name is never once spoken onscreen. Wait, no, Shiro's actually not gay enough (because he's not a mincing, flamboyant stereotype?), so we'll complain that we were "queerbaited" over a ship featuring a canonically heterosexual teenage boy that was never, ever going to happen.

And, the fans who do gravitate toward Shiro tend to sexualize him to the extent of discarding- or fetishizing- his trauma to get him naked and railing (in the most Out of Character portrayal imaginable), or being railed by, their character of choice as swiftly as possible.

Disgusting.

I can only hazard a guess that Shiro has been afflicted with so much extensive, irreversible trauma, fanfiction authors who are simply writing for fun with the intention of living vicariously through these characters don't want to have to confront the ugly, less than titillating reality of that trauma, or so much as touch it with a thirty-nine and a half foot pole. So, they choose to pretend it doesn't exist, or gloss over it, in exactly the manner the show, itself, does. This includes his illness, which, if we take Lauren Montgomery and Joaquim Dos Santos at their word, was written into Shiro's character from conception, along with his homosexual identity.

"I think a lot of his backstory was created independently, even from his sexual orientation, ‘cause that was just a part of who he was but it wasn’t necessarily a discovery moment. So the vast majority of the conversations of his backstory were around figuring out what else is there, the illness and those aspects of it. Him being gay was just something that we had always wanted to do with him from early on."

And, in the case of fans who try to turn their favorites into Shiro, which is one of the strangest, most inexplicable phenomena I have ever encountered in all of my years on the internet in fandom spaces- why designate a character as your favorite if you desperately need them to be someone else, instead of accepting them as they are?- they have to be slapping a prosthetic on those characters purely for the cheap angsty aesthetic.

Which is to be expected when people steal distinct traits from another character to apply to their favorite like a patchy, uneven coat of paint layered over top of what was already there. They don't understand why that other character had those traits, to begin with. They, presumably, see Shiro with his scars, his personal history with Sendak, Haggar, and Zarkon, the three most powerful and intimidating villains in the series, the physical and emotional evidence of the experimentation and torture Shiro was subjected to while in captivity, his relationship with the Black Lion, his irreplaceable presence and role on the team as a firm but gentle guiding light, and decide, "That's unique and makes him stand out as someone special and important. My favorite deserves to be special and important, too! So, I'll take what he has and give it to them!" It really is like a kid wanting another kid's favorite toy because their own isn't "good enough", and I can honestly say I've never seen this sort of behavior in any other fandom. If Lance and Keith fans, as they tend to be the prime perpetrators, recognize that Shiro has innate narrative significance and desirable qualities, why not adopt him as their favorite, instead?

It all comes back to the fanbase's rampant ageism, the ages of the fans, themselves (you'd have to be pretty darned young to think a twenty-five year-old is old enough to be a teenager's "dad"), and, I think, the fact that Shiro is a conventionally masculine gay man, rather than a skinny twink, so it isn't as easy to project more effeminate characteristics onto him.

Lance uses skin masks and moisturizes.

Shiro either doesn't sleep, or wakes up inhumanly early to do push-ups.

Characters with more reserved, subdued personalities also tend to be cast aside and written off as "boring" in favor of overtly loud, flashy, mostly comic relief ones. There is nothing wrong with preferring one or the other, and both have their place, especially in stories aimed at child audiences where a bit of levity is necessary after watching characters go through high stakes and intense emotional strain. But, it has always been my opinion that people who overlook the guarded, noble, self-sacrificing leaders who voluntarily bear the weight of the world on their shoulders have poor taste. That sort of frank dismissal demonstrates an unwillingness to peer past the supposedly "uninteresting" surface and see what makes these characters pillars of leadership, virtue, and heroism, in the first place.

Like reaching out to a kid the rest of the world has given up on, and offering him a helping hand.

Like being willing to paint yourself as a bloodthirsty savage and attacking a scared friend to keep him out of a fight where he surely would have lost his life.

Like offering encouragement, guidance, and support to the people in your care, so they come to trust you as a friend, and confidante.

And, never hesitating to protect someone who can't protect themselves.

Takashi Shirogane is beautiful, inside and out.

The "fans" who don't understand or appreciate that, and especially the ones who think this show could have possibly stood to benefit from killing him permanently, have objectively rancid opinions. And, should almost definitely steer clear of trauma survivors, because they fail to understand what Shiro means to us as a representation of the kind of person we all could be if we're willing to never give up on ourselves, and try.

Let him be showered in all of the tender forehead kisses, get to sleep on the comfiest plush mattress, and be surrounded by an army of soft and fluffy plushies. Forever and ever.