#LITERAL TONAL WHIPLASH

[kibblemode]

weird fucking dream i had under a cut bc its long lol

so like me and my sister were visiting my grandparents in wisconsin but when we got to their house they werent there, even tho there were like 5 or so cars in their driveway including theirs. cal went in the house while i hung out outside taking pictures. for reference this is what my grandparents yard looks like

the version in my dream was like fucked up and evil. instead of the fence there was like an old wooden shelf with like a bunch of gross rusty chains hanging from the top, and the garage was like actively rotting (i mean its like that irl but not nearly as bad) and it was a weird gross brown instead of red. instead of a window on the 2nd story in the garage there was just a tiny door that i was filming for some reason. there was like obviously something Wrong abt it but idk what it was lol. it was really shitty and cloudy out so it was pretty dark? then its like a hard cut to me and cal in the house just kinda watching tv, i think it was probably a few hours later bc it was night at that point. we were just kinda chilling and not doing much? the only notable thing was that there was like a fuck ton of weird medication in the bathroom and the tv was up really loud, + my grandparents still werent home. i could kinda tell something was Very Very Wrong but nobody ever acknowledged it. after a while one of my uncles showed up at the house, i think he needed to borrow something? calvin was in the kitchen helping him find whatever he wanted, i turned the tv down while they were talking bc it was Loud. for whatever reason my uncle was acting like literally the opposite of how he is irl and it was like really fucking bizarre. literally acting like a character in a david lynch movie or some shit, really erratic and strange but we acted like it was normal. i was sitting on the couch near the stairs when my uncle walked into the livingroom, i just kinda looked at him and he gave me a horrified look like he was looking at a dead body or whatever. literally the second he looked at me hail britannia played so loud it woke me up and i woke up biting my lip so hard it was bleeding

[mordenandmerry]

I give you the best dynamic in media:

Stoic dad and angry lesbian daughter.

Stoic dad and angry lesbian daughter.

STOIC DAD AND ANGRY LESBIAN DAUGHTER.

[magstorrn]

okay yeah now i understand why the 2021 j&h film has such bad reviews lmao. that was one of the worst things ive seen in my life

[paging-possum]

on some level I understand that welcome to hell is probably a little harder to sell than hazbin given the *gestures vaguely* entire main plotline of w2h THAT SAID im going to be mad about it forever. because one of them is actually funny and has good character design and compelling dynamics and a good plot and its not the one about the freaking hotel.

[no1ryomafan]

I hate how my Kikaider brain rot has actually worsened since watching the sequels because I thought it would put it at bay since it’s been putting me off from doing other stuff but I just keep ROTATING all the stuff about 01 funnily enough.

01 is just so *weird* because it’s not like I’m having a relationship where I hate it and I think it ruined the original but then become obsessed with wanting to fix it-I have had rewrite ideas but it would come with their own problems nor are they really striking me-no, I don’t actually feel super negative towards it, even if it’s objectively so flawed for multilayered reasons but I keep hyperfixating on WHY it’s so flawed because the OG show and even the crossover are not nearly as flawed in comparison. They do have their issues but they serve their purpose.

The original show having a recap ep was a odd decision and unfortunately the ending feels rushed/unsatisfying due to they had to make a up a ending since they couldn’t do 01s yet, but also as a self contained story it’s still incredibly solid and works for 12/13 episodes. Where as crossover despite being a single episode works for its runtime since it ties perfectly back to both the OG show and 01 + gives Jiro a ending that’s the closest thing to closure he’ll ever get, it’s biggest flaw is just the Inazuman characters are something you won’t have full context on if you don’t read the manga because they sadly didn’t get a anime-which yes I am also reading the manga, didn’t get far but I like what I have read-but that also does not actually effect the Kikaider side of the crossover.

But then you have 01 which absolutely FAILS at using the 4 episodes it’s given in almost every way: It doesn’t tie back to the original despite the originals ending being the way it was for 01, with plot holes being caused from it and it’s tonally different as it leans more on action than story which is not in its favor as it takes up most of its short runtime leading to the new characters and the story not being as developed as the original despite having incredibly interesting plot points, just the execution is not there.

It’s the one Kikaider show that needed to be longer, either the episodes needed a 45 minute runtime or it needed to be 6-7 episodes which is at least half the length of the original if it also couldn’t get the 12/13 episodes treatment. It just baffles me how 01 was given such little time especially as a OVA yet was still made likely due to the first show doing decently, yet they didn’t use their time wisely at all to make it actually tie to the original.

But I still can’t find myself to actually hate it or deem it as bad because maybe I appreciate the fact it existed just so the crossover could happen and we could also see the 01 characters animated, or just again, it doesn’t ruin the original so you could honestly pretend it doesn’t exist even if I don’t because I like the crossover and it’s important there. It’s something I don’t feel strongly for and I will always just advise the first show to people, since it being so flawed for so many reasons that’s it’s baffling at least makes it interesting to think about rather than boring or god awful.

[spinninglightning]

treech th type of guy to listen to one direction and clarity by zedd. n jst the early 2010s music in general. lamina though? definitely into 80s pop, madonna, cyndi lauper, pat benatar- the WORKS

[eleventhcircle]

got through the 95 dungeon tonight. what the hell is going on

[evanatsuhi]

the no mercy route is literally completely optional and boring as fuck to actually do. you’d have to like actively and purposefully dedicate yourself to it for it to even happen. being upset that there was a ‘tonal whiplash’ or whatever for killing every single character and enemy in the game to the point where they don’t even spawn anymore is silly because the ‘tonal whiplash’ was literally 100% your doing. almost like that was kind of the point

[ladytano]

As predicted I loved Mirror, Mirror. An alternative universe were everyone is comically evil can never go wrong for me. I love that shit every single time. The episode also had some good Uhura content which is always a plus. Everyone was working together as a team to get the fuck out of there which was just a fun time in general. 

[villainisms]

ALSO WHOOO THOUGHT HAVING HEAVEN, IOWA FOLLOWED BY SO GOOD RIGHT NOW AND THEN KINTSUGI KID FOLLOWED BY WHAT A TIME TO BE ALIVE WAS A GOOD IDEA? I NEED TO MAUL THEM.

[fatbottomedgal]

This article is a work of art

it’s been long enough i’m making an executive decision that we all need to go reread the tgi fridays infinite mozzarella sticks article

[ourbastardofsorrows]

the neighbors just heard me switch from singing “i will follow you into the dark” to saying “you’re too late, spider-man!” in a green goblin voice bc i noticed sister coming over to help take out the trash

[thedas-elf-lover]

A slightly deranged review from a long time Dragon Age fan.

What this game promised to be in terms of a Dragon Age game: - Most romantic - Offer a few key world state choices that would have great plot impact, which emphasis on wanting to give players choices that have a visual impact, not just codex. - The most complex, deep companions yet. - Choices that matter.

What I got: [SPOILERS] - The shortest, chastest romances I've ever seen, where the end goal is quite literally sex. The final romance scene is the sex scene, after you've been locked in for some time. No sex before marriage, lol. Even the shortest romance in DAI is longer than the longest romance in this game. It's probably the least sex positive game out of them all. - The only choice that has visual impact is the Solas option, and even that doesn't really give anything major. Solas has maybe one unique line? Otherwise, there is no major change. The other two choices (Did you disband the Inquisition? Did you vow to save or stop Solas?) have no difference, either. It's a matter of do you want your Inquisitor to say "comrade" or "friend." The Inquisition doesn't matter. The South gets nuked off-screen anyway. In codex. So two of the three world state choices we get are mostly represented in codexes anyway. - I have nothing against the companions in Veilguard, but to call them the most complex is somewhat... false. Solas is a complex character. Thom Ranier is complex. Vivienne de Fer is complex. Fenris, Anders, Merrill, Isabela, Morrigan, and Sten are complex characters. They are characters who contain complexities that are not easily swept away. ALL the Veilguard companions are your next door neighbors. They're normal. There's nothing wrong about that, but they don't challenge you. There's nothing to think about. Lucanis isn't going to make you seriously consider your morality, despite being the "prince" of the Crows - hired killers. Neve's standing and possible privilege as a human mage in a magocracy is never commented on. These are just two examples, but the same applies for the rest of the companions. None of them are HIDING anything. I will reiterate that there's not anything necessarily WRONG with that, but it does mean they lack the flare of drama that previous companions had that made them brain-scratchers. - Choices don't matter. No matter what Rook does or says, you're railroaded into a scrappy, heroic person who is always right. The worst thing you can do in this game is just NOT do the companion quests. - Despite being a RPG, there is no roleplaying. It's more action/adventure. But it gets a little slow in places for an action/adventure. And it doesn't have enough roleplay value to be a satisfying RPG. - Pretty much the only reason I can see replaying this game is to see the opposite city routes. You don't have to finish the game to get the full romance, either. - No lore continuity. Elves, qunari, dwarves, and humans just living in peace in Tevinter. Some fantasy where poor communities aren't racist doesn't explain this away. - Orientalism in Rivain? - Reducing what was originally a story about slave liberation and rebellion to "love and murder" over Solas' ex situationship. - The game can understand gender that exists outside a binary but somehow can't understand multiculturalism. - Why does Bellara, a Dalish elf, have white guilt?

Some disorganized additions:

- Tonal whiplash. You go from losing a supposedly beloved companion to the final romance scene (the sex scene) in the space of 5 second. - You can't speak to your companions outside cutscenes. However, you can go around the Lighthouse snooping on your companions having nice conversations amongst themselves. - Not a SINGLE companion bothers to check in on the PC even once. You played as a Grey Warden who lost Weisshaupt? No one cares. Emmrich will check in on Davrin but not you. The only point in the game where they show even a smidgeon of care for you is after the Regret Prison, but they don't actually show it. You're pulled out and it immediately cuts to a war table scene. No emotional reunions. - This is Found Family - but only for the companions. Bellara has the opportunity to see Neve as a sister figure, but not you. This could roll into the lack of roleplay value in this game, but it really adds to the lonely element of this game. - "Okay guys, we lost the big game. Let's all take a step back and do some self-care exercises." But the game is Weisshaupt and the South is getting nuked. - Characters often feel like caricatures of themselves. Oftentimes this game feels like a fanfiction of the story and characters it's representing. Some of the things the characters say are not things that normal people would say. Because Rook never builds more than an entirely superficial relationship with their coworkers, it's entirely believable that the most moving thing Rook can think to say, whenever the obligatory Sad Moment happens to a companion, is "[Insert Name Here], I'm so sorry." - You could replace the Inquisitior with a cardboard cut out and it would have more life. - We already had a story about a disapproving parent who is hurtful to their queer child with Dorian. There was a missed opportunity with Shathann to explore the Qunari's view on gender, but only the Tevinter characters are allowed to talk to Taash about different gender identities. When Shathann talks about qunari gender identity, it's oppression. This game's handle on cultural identity is awful. And then they fridged Shathann. - Did you know Elgar'nan and Ghilan'nain, the ancient elven gods (we won't say Evanuris even though that's shorter and more believable to Andrastians who might balk at the idea of ELVEN gods), have escaped from their prison and are blighting the world? The elven gods escaped and they're blighting the world, because they're blighted and escaped prison and are elven gods and are blighting the world, Elgar'nan and Ghilan'nain, those gods, who are elven, and escaped and are blighting the world. - This game is Young Adult. This game is YA with all the darker, grittier elements from the previous game filed away, presented as "politically correct" with "ethical piracy" with no continuity in characterization because Isabela Dragon Age 2 would NOT say any of that. It's if Genshin Impact was a Dragon Age game, complete with the canned body language (cross arms). - The villains are one-dimensional. Aelia's "Minrathous dark truth" AKA Batman villain, Butcher dies after 1 moment of glory, the Dragon King is nothing sauce, if Elgar'nan was just a little bit more intelligent he'd have just smashed that moon into Thedas and called it a day, Illario's speech is ripped right from the Lion King. Gone are the days where antagonists had complex reasons for their actions. Gone are the days where characters were put into situations were there was NO good choice for them to make and we could judge them with the nuance they deserved. - Also did you know: Whatever it takes?

On the bright side, the CC is great.

[hiding-under-the-willow]

Chapter 6 is up!

Decided it was about time I finally started posting this fic after working on it for a few months. Expect maybe biweekly updates? We'll see lol

I've always been really intrigued by the idea of how Hels might feel about Beef and vice versa, and also vaguely disappointed that I've never really seen anyone explore their dynamic. Then I got really inspired by some of the early season 10 dynamics and settings and somehow that ended up with this story being born!

Read it [Here]

[genericpuff]

look i know i've talked about it before but it was more from the angle of analyzing how this plotline could have been about persephone legitimately overthrowing hades, and not from the angle of how this one scene completely undermines all of rachel's manufactured attempts to "create a dialogue" about sexual assault and consent

and i'm specifically referring to THIS SCENE.

honestly hades is a toxic piece of shit himself who deserves jail for life but like. the tonal whiplash of this comic often has me feeling torn between "persephone is a victim of grooming who became what she once despised" and "persephone was actually always a deeply insecure and manipulative person and that's why she and hades get along so well" 💀😭 regardless of whichever conclusion you come to, neither of them are exactly indicative of a writer who really understands consent or healthy relationships, because despite whichever scenario makes the most sense, rachel still tried (and in many ways, succeeded) to convince her audience of girls and women alike that these two are healthy couple goals and that her extremely limited 10th grade understanding of consent and sexual health was "helping people"

and yes this further cements persephone as rachel's self-insert

because while she's gone on record to say she's never been sexually assaulted, she has admitted in interviews and social media posts to being in similar situations where her autonomy was being invaded upon

including a literal REAL LIFE STALKING SITUATION

like. that is an incredibly shitty and horrifying situation to be in. and i wanna make it clear, i'm not trying to use this against her in any way. this is something she didn't deserve to go through and reversely, does deserve to move on from.

i bring it up though precisely because it's incredibly telling that she, as a writer who claims she wants to use her platform as a means to "help people", is not capable of actually practicing what she preaches, and thus her characters aren't capable of doing that either. she's still exhibiting and glorifying behaviors and traits that align with the people who have harmed her, because HADES LITERALLY FUCKING STALKS PERSEPHONE AND IT'S PLAYED UP FOR COMEDY-

THIS SHIT WAS IN THE PILOT VERSION OF THE COMIC TOO, BEFORE IT WAS EVER AN ORIGINALS SERIES. HADES HAS ALWAYS BEEN WRITTEN LIKE THIS AND IT'S ALWAYS BEEN ROMANTICIZED AND PLAYED UP FOR GAGS.

LIKE I'M SORRY, IS THE "DECONSTRUCTION" HERE JUST SUPPOSED TO BE RACHEL TURNING HER OWN TRAUMA INTO COMEDY INSTEAD OF GOING TO THERAPY ???

FUCK.

[raven-at-the-writing-desk]

oct 2024 episode of octa + 4koma update

***SPOILERS for the new Episode of Octavinelle chapter (13) and this month's 4koma!*** Reminder that there is no Episode of Savanaclaw update this month.

Ayo... 😳 The girlies are fighting... asdjvaiutfvaofdilfei AZUL FINDING IT IN HIMSELF TO PUSH UP HIS GLASSES ANYWAY, AS IF THAT'S SUPPOSED TO INTIMIADATE LEONA SoMEHOW??? ???f????? ? ? ? ? ??

… Also why the FUCK is Leona’s skirt skewed like THAT… I know that’s NOT how that shirt looks in the game 😭 COVER UP WHORE

WEH... OJITAN SAVING THE DAY BY YOINKING RUGGIE BY THE SCRUFF... Makin' up for almost sanding him yourself, I see... WHAT A GOOD ONII-SAMA... (<- delusional)

This is kinda cool yet also disturbing and gross 💀 Azul seems to have a bunch of tentacles shooting out from his back (he still seems to have legs???). And then those tentacles shoot out and grab people's talents for him... LIKE THEY SHOVE THEMSELVES DOWN YOUR WINDPIPE AND RETRIEVE IT

LIKE UGH I'M MGAGGING SJUST THINKIGN ABOUT IT, THAT SHIT MSUT FEEL SO UNcFOMROTABLE ... THE TENTACLE SQUIRMING AROUND INSIDE OF YOU... YOINKING OUT A PEIC EOF YOURSELF... EWwwwwwWwwwwwwwWWwwwwWWWwww 😭

There's many panels of Azul and his tentacles causing havoc and snatching up mob students + the twins showing up and fighting his tentacles off. BUT. AFGUADVKFADUVAOGVUEGVWIYEFBIAL IT MAKES ME KINDA ILL LOOKING AT THE TENTACLES SO I;M JUST ONGNGA KEEP WHAT I SHARE TO A MINIUMUM... OTL SORRY, I FIND IT REALLY ICK

The trend of Azul making the most out-of-pocket expressions continues. Bro's LITERALLY the screaming crying throwing up meme?????? (For comparison, Riddle bled ink from a different spot; ie his head.) Although here I feel really bad for him, because it CANNOT be good to be leaking ink from your eye sockets, nose, AND mouth... Please help this boy...

NOT THIS NOT THIS, ASHENGROTTO... HE'S SO UNHINGED, WHY'S HE PULLING A YUNO GASAI FACE

HE'S FINALLY SNAPPING, GFUYS.... .. .. . . ..... .. . . .. . . . .. . .. . . I love the detail of Azul looking like he's sinking in Ursula's cauldron and her poor unfortunate souls + bottled critters for her potions are mobbing him... The encroaching despair...

Aw, the twins are worried about Azul and call out to hinm... JADE EVEN SHOWING HIS TEETH, EVEN THOUGH HE CLAIMS IT "EMBARRASSES" HIM...

I KNOW WHAT YOU ARE, OCTATRIO... 🫵 YOU'RE FRIENDS... YOU CAR EABOTU EACH OTHER, DON'T DEN Y IT

Also, these!! (Because I didn't know where to cram them before.) A back shot of kid!Azul and a really REALLY blurry image of their class picture in the Atlantica museum.

Hopefully we get to see kid!Azul in full during his flashbacks :DD

... And now for complete tonal whiplash, this months' 4koma features Deuce as the main character! He's accidentally bleaches Kalim's Magic Carpet (thinking it is his lab coat). He tries various methods to restore the Magic Carpet but ultimately goes to Malleus for help.