#My hero complex was my downfall

[richtofens-hips]

EVERYONE

GIVE ME THEIR PERSONAS OR SELF INSERTS NOW

I said NOW MF NOW

I HAVE STRONG DESIRE TO DRAW HUMANS N STUFF (said with a russian accent)

GIB SO I CAN DRAW WITH MY PERSONA NOWWWWW

[randomness-is-my-order]

the conversation jiang cheng and wei wuxian have before their arranged fight after wwx settles in the burial mounds is so intense but it’s also so enlightening about their mindsets because jc goes into with this idea that wwx’s current actions are reckless, ill-thought decisions that he can talk wwx out of whereas wwx is fully aware of the deep shit he is in and knows exactly what awaits him and yet he chooses to stand by his morals. it’s the way at the start of the conversation, wwx says:

“what other path can I take, aside from staying in a jail of my own making?”

and this says everything about his understanding of what he’s doing while supporting the wen remnants and what kind of consequences that will bring him. but jc goes on to basically list out everything wwx will face – how he’s being ostracized, how siding with the wens will lead to doom – and i know part of it might be expository information, an insight into the cultivation world’s slimy ways but it is also kind of funny how jc thinks he needs to let wwx know all of this, as if wwx made a hasty move and will back out once he knows he’s starting his own downfall. but wwx painfully, thoroughly knows and that is what makes his stance with the wens all the more powerful, all the more selfless, all the more commendable. the very points that stop jc from supporting the wens make wwx more determined to help them. when jc fears ridicule, wwx fears for the lives of the wen–their fallout was inevitable, even without all the other conflicts they were embroiled in. they’re such different people, fundamentally, at their cores (the pun is very ironic ik 😭). while jc questions the lack of precedent, worries over straying from the conformist path, wwx readily accepts the unpaved road and walks it, not out of some misguided hero complex as jc suggests but because that is the right thing to do even if everyone’s deadset on proving him otherwise.

[lilislegacy]

The way haters just boil Annabeth's character to just insulting Percy and not seeing theres more to her really shows how much they dont get her. Honestly Percy would hate them for this...

thanks for the ask @emilia9622!

agreed completely. like if you want to dislike a character, go for it. but don’t lie to yourself. don’t base it all off of one thing or flaw and make it 100x bigger than it is.

for instance, i don’t like luke. but it’s for a multitude of reasons. he knowingly betrayed all his friends several times, fought a deadly war against them, and intentionally poisoned the camp. he was percy’s first friend at camp and was a mentor to him, but had no issues lying to him and deceiving him. he literally was fine with the idea of 12 year old little percy being dragged down to tartarus. he also let annabeth be kidnapped and forced to hold up the world. when he finally saw thalia alive, he fought her and tried to harm her. yes i know that there is very complex trauma and history that led to all his actions, and i really do feel so bad for him, but i can’t respect someone who betrays his close friends like that. no matter what. i could go on and on, and don’t get me started about him having romantic feelings for annabeth… UGH. but that said, i understand why people love his character. he’s complex and has a lot of really good history. he also has a wonderful, yet tragic, redemption at the end. he really deserved better. i don’t have love for him, but his character deserves love. i’m happy that there are people to love him so that i don’t have to, because i have personal reasons for not liking him. i think luke is an amazingly well written character and i think rick wrote him beautifully. the truth is, besides the singular part where he admitted he had feelings for annabeth, i wouldn’t change anything about him or his story. so personally, i don’t like him, but i think he’s a great character and objectively, i can see why people love him.

it’s okay to dislike a character. but don’t pick their biggest flaws, strip away all the good parts of the character, and fool yourself into believing that’s all they are. (and then continue to go on tumblr and scream about how toxic and terrible the character is 🙄)

this is what “people can’t handle complex characters” actually means. people often throw that phrase around. people say that about readers not liking jason all the time, but the truth is, people are fully entitled to not like jason. it doesn’t make sense to me, because i LOVE jason. he’s my cutie patootie. but the people who dislike him simply don’t like him. they don’t usually make him out to be someone he’s not, they just don’t like him for who he is. they often just don’t find him interesting enough to break down the more complex parts of his character. it breaks my heart, and i don’t understand, but that’s okay. they just don’t like him. there’s nothing else to it. most annabeth haters, however, make her out to be someone she’s not and then proceed to hate on that one self-generated version of her. it’s so toxic. THAT is not being able to handle a complex character

no, annabeth is not perfect. if she was, she would be unrealistic, and people would hate her for that too. yes, she has excessive pride. she tends to think herself above others, and yes that even includes percy at times. but you know what? she admitted to having that issue all the way back in book 2. she was literally 13 when she explained to percy what hubris is and how it’s her biggest downfall. she’s a self aware queen. she knows it’s an issue and she works hard to correct it in little ways and make sure the people around her, especially percy, know she values them and their opinions. anyone who read the heroes of olympus series unbiased and got to read her POV knows that annabeth holds percy in the highest regard. she respects the hell out of him. even though sometimes she says things that aren’t nice, she doesn’t truly feel that way and always corrects it in some way. she’s not selfish, she’s just tragically intelligent, and it naturally gives her a bit of a complex. it wouldn’t make sense if it didn’t.

and i love her for it. the fact that she has a real flaw that can affect relationships, but that she is self aware of and actively works on, makes her legit one of my favorite characters ever. she’s SO realistic.

but people take that one flaw and make it her whole character. they call her cold and harsh, when in reality she’s one of the most warm and sensitive people in the series. she takes care of her friends. she’s strong and she’s often the leader, but it’s because she’s so loving and kind all the time. she works hard and looks out for everyone. she makes friends fast for a reason. she’s a wonderful person. she’s so, so sweet, and it breaks my heart that people choose to take that away from her.

anyway, sorry i just word vomited so much. basically i agree 100%.

[onlyhereforangst]

CHARACTER ARC (n): the transformation of a character over the course of a story, sometimes enriched with hamartia to explore the complexities of human nature and endow a sense of authenticity as a character's flaw leads to their ultimate downfall.

being a police officer is my future. i love this job. i love it. i get to help people. i don't feel like a hero. at all.

[autumnsxxangel]

SandRay are an homage to Wong Kar-Wai's Happy Together and in this essay I will..

...actually explain it because I see people catching his homage's to Western queer media, but not really his shout outs to Eastern queer media.

I assumed there would be allusions to Happy Together when I first saw the trailer, but this last episode centered around Ray really cemented it for me. After all, why would P'Jojo reference all these Western queer shows and not talk about what is probably the most iconic piece of Eastern queer media ever?

Wong Kar-Wai & Happy Together

For some background information, Wong Kar-Wai is a famous and insanely influential Hong Kong filmmaker. If you're a film nerd, you probably know who he is and recognize his style. If you like film and metas, I would recommend watching some of his stuff because afterwards, you'll realize just how much influence he still has on modern media, especially in Asia. Stylistically, he's known for rich color grading; thematic usage of music; an unending sense of nostalgia, heartbreak, and missed opportunities; and dialogue that mean nothing on the surface because everything meaningful is boiling just under, left unsaid (If you've watched Everything Everywhere, All At Once, the entire actress universe sequence was an homage to Wong Kar-Wai). His actors always do a phenomenal job because so much of what they need to portray can't be communicated through words. It makes sense why SandRay, aka FirstKhao, were chosen to represent Happy Together as they are the strongest actors out of the group.

Happy Together, simply summarized, is about two men, Ho Po-Wing and Lai Yiu-Fai, who are in a very tumultuous relationship. They end up in Argentina because they wanted to visit the waterfall that's on a lamp that they own. They get lost, end up using all their money, and have to figure out a way to get back to Hong Kong. While there, they break up, get back together, and break up again.

The movie was released in 1997 and is still ranked as one of the best queer movies of all time. The two main characters are played by Tony Leung and Leslie Cheung. You might recognize Tony Leung as Simu Liu's dad in Shang-Chi. Leslie Cheung was in Farewell, My Concubine, and was famously a bisexual man with a long term male partner. This is significant because it was virtually unheard of to be out and open at that time (he made his relationship public in 1997 though he had mentioned bisexuality in earlier years), especially in Hong Kong which was, and still is, very homophobic. Leslie received a lot of hate for his sexuality and androgyny. (If you're interested in learning more about Leslie as a queer Asian figure, this is a good video essay that goes over his work and his life).

Sand as Lai Yiu-Fai

Fai's, and in turn Sand's, character can be summed up by one line, "One thing I never told Ho Po-Wing was that I didn't want him to recover so fast. Those were our happiest days."

Both Fai and Sand are very static, straightforward characters. They stay above board for the most part and work a variety of jobs to survive. They have their morals about what is right and wrong, which unfortunately is both of their downfalls.

In Happy Together, Wing breaks up with Fai because he is bored with the relationship. He basically says, "I'm bored being with you. Let's break up. If we happen to meet again, we can try again." Then he leaves Fai stranded on the side of a highway.

Later, he reappears in Fai's life. The first encounter is a fight, much like Sand and Ray's first meeting in the bathroom. The second encounter is because Wing gets beaten up. He goes to Fai because he knows Fai will feel obligated to take care of him and he does. It becomes the beginning of their rekindled relationship.

Similarly, Sand has a strong sense of obligation. There are already metas out there about how Sand has a bit of a hero complex. He sees Ray too drunk to drive and he had to step in. He doesn't just take the keys and order a taxi. No, he takes the keys and drives Ray. Sand sees Ray being all sad and pathetic and he can't stop himself from helping. It makes him feel useful. It makes him feel needed.

Both of these men are caretakers. They show affection by providing care. Sand ends up cooking for Ray just as Fai cooks for Wing even when he's sick. As an added bonus, they both make fried rice.

Both Sand and Fai are characters that stand completely still. Ray and Wing always know where to find them. Sand can always be found at YOLO and Fai is at his apartment. Because of this, Ray and Wing come and go as they please. They know that Sand and Fai will take them back...until they finally don't.

Ray as Ho Po-Wing

Starting on a base level, both characters are bratty, needy, promiscuous, spoiled, and selfish. But most importantly, they both share a love of fluffy cardigans.

(I also have a theory they keep putting Ray in wife beaters as an homage to the 90's HK cinema style because otherwise...I just don't understand why, as a rich asshole, he's always in wife beaters. By Thai BL logic, he should be in shirts with too many buttons unbuttoned.)

Wing and Ray are both the ones controlling the pace and direction of the relationship. They come when they need someone to nurture their wounds, both physically and metaphorically. They leave when they're bored or have things they deem more important. They both initiate intimacy and won't take no for an answer.

Wing does this by first trying to join Fai on the couch and then chasing after him to the bed and begging him to let them sleep together.

Ray does it by continuously getting Sand to get in the car with him and then using his puppy dog eyes.

They are both also very, very pouty.

Wing's line is "We could start over". He says it every time he comes back after he's the one that ends the relationship. Fai always fights taking him back, but he always does it anyway.

Ray doesn't really have a line yet (unless you count his "na na naa~"s) but he bats his eyelashes and so far Sand has given into him every time. Sand keeps trying to set boundaries, but the moment Ray begs a little bit, Sand crumbles like a house of cards and lets Ray have whatever he wants.

Relationship Parallels

Wong Kar-Wai is known for making movies about star crossed lovers who are meant for each other, but aren't meant to be together.

Like Wing and Fai, Sand and Ray fill in each other's cracks in a way that complements each other. However, because of the nature of the cracks themselves, them complementing each other is exactly what makes the relationship so toxic. One stays and one goes. One takes and one gives. One is steady and one is flighty.

Most of what I wanted to say about the parallels between their relationships is in the character comparison. What I'm more interested in is the future of SandRay's relationship, especially if they continue to parallel Wing and Fai's in Happy Together.

Obviously, Wing and Fai don't end up together at the end. It wouldn't be a Wong Kar-Wai movie if they did. What is interesting is that Fai's relationship with Wing eventually pushes him into becoming something angry and spiteful. Once Wing heals, Fai knows that he'll become bored and want to leave. In an attempt to get him to stay, he steals and hides Wing's passport which is insane because they are both gay men stuck in a foreign country where they don't speak the language.

Wing, of course, leaves anyway.

There is also a third character, Chang, whom Fai ended up liking. These new feelings are what eventually pushes Fai to leave Argentina and move on from Wing and move on with his life.

The question is, if SandRay follows that same path as Happy Together, what will be the passport that Sand tries to hold over Ray and who will be Sand's Chang?

Stylistic Parallels

Smoking

Making Ray and Sand smoke is definitely an homage to Happy Together with the added bonus of being a metaphor. For the most part, we rarely see characters, especially main characters, smoke in Asian media because smoking is reserved for 'bad' characters.

Cigarettes in Happy Together represent boredom. Fai and Wing smoke at the beginning before they rekindle their relationship because they are just moving through life. Once Fai and Wing get back together, cigarettes stop making an appearance. It isn't until their relationship started deteriorating that we see the men smoking again.

This can also be said about Sand Ray's relationship. They started their 'involvement' with cigarettes. However, the last time we actually see them smoking is in ep 2 right before they hook-up. Since then, we have not seen either of them smoking. This probably means that we'll see one or both of them smoking again when their relationship starts to break down.

(In the preview for ep 5, there is an ashtray in the background on the balcony so let's see if Boston finding out about them is a catalyst for them to start breaking down.)

And of course, there is the added homoeroticism of asking for a light.

Ray's Opening and Closing Scenes

Ray's episode is really what made me go "I see you P'Jojo".

Ray's episode starts with a shot of him isolated and in emotional pain. The camera is claustrophobically close and it keeps moving around. He has a little voiceover opening. It's calm, it's contemplative, it's a little existential, and it is irrevocably sad. If that is not a Wong Kar-Wai staple, then idk what is. Even the song that starts playing gives me 80s, 90s Cantopop vibes.

Ray talks about how Mew being his emergency contact and the one he goes to. Fai talks about how Wing always comes back to him and says "Let's start over".

The movie and the episode ends with both of them once again isolated, alone. They've been through an emotional journey and they've technically moved on. But there's always the idea of not being able to fully let go in Wong Kar-Wai's movie. So just like how Fai has physically removed himself from Wing, but not emotionally, has Ray actually fully removed himself from Mew?

Cinematography

Then there's just a collection of scenes that reminded me very heavily of Happy Together and Wong Kar-Wai's style. I would have added pictures from his other movies for comparison, but Tumblr only lets me put 30 images in a post and I don't want to make a 2nd post.

This scene is specifically from the 1st trailer so I hope they keep it in the show.

This one I call the inevitability of falling. Both Sand and Fai realize they're fully committed to their decision to take care of Ray and Wing here.

The end title card

Actually, all of the end title cards give very Wong Kar-Wai vibes. Look at that saturated, neon color grading. Look at the elongated shots. The intense feeling of isolation.

I'm assuming we'll get all the characters at one point, but so far it looks like the end credit cards indicate who the narrator of each episode is.

Anyway, that's it for me! Sorry it was so long and rambling. I tried to organize my thoughts but as I was thinking, more thoughts would pop up and I'd get distracted. If you made it this far, thanks for reading!

[avelera]

So this is a bit random but:

Dream as the hero in a Greek tragedy and Hob as an Arthurian knight.

Thoughts?

(You obviously don’t have to answer if this is stupid or you don't want to)

If I may riff a bit on this, since I don't exactly have a pre-made answer (it's not a line of inquiry I've really considered), I'd say this:

Dream is absolutely a Greek tragedy protagonist. He thinks of himself that way, he's written that way. A major, indeed central, characteristic of Greek tragic heroes is that their virtues in some situations become their ultimate downfall. No one is dying in a Greek tragedy because they're inherently bad or failed people. It is the essence of that Picard line, "It's possible to do everything right and still lose. That's not failure, that's life."

Dream's dedication to his duty is an incredibly familiar virtue for a Greek tragic figure. It is also the virtue that will lead to his eventual end (in this incarnation). At least, in the comic. We'll see in the show if that's the case, and I have my suspicions based on the story's structure that we'll be seeing some deviation or, at the very least, a more optimistic spin on Dream's end.

Neil certainly wrote Dream to be a figure from a Greek Tragedy too, ironic considering he's also the "deus ex machina" in other situations, being literally a creature of godlike (or superior) power.

As for Hob as an Arthurian figure.... I'm less convinced. And I have a lot of reasons why because I think a lot about Hob's relationship, or lack thereof, with the tropes of knighthood as explored in both canon and fanon.

Let me quickly say that for fanon, sure, absolutely. I've seen incredible, complex, lovely takes on Hob as a Questing Knight or suffering the throes of textbook courtly love (more on that in a second, because I do find that part at least plausible) or otherwise being a gallant and heroic figure.

However, this is fanon. Canon Hob is certainly made more romantic, and I mean much more romantic by the show with the whole missed 1989 meeting and Ferdie's inherent and overwhelming charm. But comic Hob is... hmm, let's say he also has his charm but he's deliberately quite rough, quite crass, more than a bit dim at times, and the furthest thing from protagonist let alone romantic hero material. I think comic Hob would laugh, perhaps a bit wistfully, at the very idea of being an Arthurian figure. Certainly the Hob of "Sunday Mournings" (the Ren Faire comic issue) would be outright derisive of the notion of himself as a romantic figure or a questing knight.

Hob bought his knighthood. I think it's something that bears remembering: he bought it.

(Let me very briefly aside say, as a grubby Yankee myself, I actually find his audacity and sort of "Ha! I got away with it!" humor in that moment incredibly charming. Fuck yeah, stick it to the nobility! Fuck aristocracy, fuck nobility, and fuck aristocratic mythology like Arthuriana that reinforces those power structures. Good for Hob being a peasant who bought his knighthood, something that would be all but unthinkable in the grand sweep of Arthuriana, which for all its romanticism is still pretty definitive about everyone belonging in their social place.)

Anyway, Hob bought his knighthood with money he made getting into early English shipping and with money made from being on the right side of Henry VIII dissolving the monasteries (which were corrupt but were also one of the only forms of social services available to common people at the time, it's an incredibly complex issue) and Hob is as unbothered by the moral quandaries of this as he was the moral quandaries of being a soldier or a bandit. Hob is the furthest thing from being a Galahad. I'm not sure he could even aspire to Lancelot at his lowest on Hob's very best of days. He's just not built like that that we see.

At least, until 1989.

Now, as I've noted elsewhere, Hob's story is fundamentally altered by this ever so minor change in the show of making him still in England in 2022, still presumably waiting for Dream about a block away from the White Horse! Now, this is some courtly love shit right there! My jaw dropped when I began to map out the implications, not just of his waiting but of his becoming a history teacher.

Comic Hob never became a history teacher. Comic Hob seems all but allergic to romanticism and nostalgia. Comic Hob's highest moment of romanticism is wondering what exists in the depths of the ocean and thinking that maybe reincarnation possibly exists.

1989 changes everything. Actually, we even have evidence that in the comic timeline, Hob wasn't even in England by, what, 1992 when Dream passes away? He's in America with Gwen and they've been dating for a bit when she takes him to the Ren Faire, which is the day after Dream died. This implies that Hob doesn't usually stick around England like he does in the show timeline. If that wasn't already clear from the fact that most of his professions throughout the glimpses we see seem to involve maritime trade (sometimes of the very worst sort). The guy is constantly on the move but he stayed in England for Dream for over 30 years.

So there, at least, I think we have the first tendrils of something for fandom to grip onto that Hob does have the potential within him to go on a 30 year quest for his lost love, which is very Arthurian. I think even Hob would be perhaps shocked at himself for this, perhaps alongside becoming a history professor, finally coming to grips perhaps with the history he's seen, learning to care about it, learning that there's more to himself than he thought.

Because Hob is a weird immortal. He doesn't do the things we expect immortals to do, like learn from his mistakes and become some sort of avenging superhero, or even accumulate enough money to not need to have a day job any more, to just utterly detached from normal human life. Instead, he seems to stay grounded in a normal middle class life for whatever era he's in (barring disaster or windfall) and just happen to stick at it longer than anyone else by virtue of his immortality. It's so bizarre in the most fascinating way, it's why I'm obsessed with him, because he stays so grounded in his time period and not in any sort of special superhero way.

But 1989 really brings into sharp relief that there is an element of courtly love to how he interacts with Dream, the Beatrice to his Dante, this figure who inspires him, whom he waits for, whom he changes for (even when Dream himself perhaps doesn't believe himself capable of change?).

There I think there's something to the notion of Hob as, perhaps, a budding figure of courtly love, if not full Arthuriana knighthood.

But more intriguing and, if I may presume, what I think you're perhaps getting at with all of this is: could Hob's Questing Knight perhaps in some way disrupt Dream's Greek Tragic fate?

Well, it's not really possible in either of those genres played straight but, in the original canon, Hob didn't wait 33 years for Dream to come home to him.

So really, in the most optimistic way I'd say, anything is possible.

[cringefaecompilation]

the violent nosedive of the cr fandom's opinion on ashton is so interesting (negative)

i see my mutuals all the time say "oh wow orym fans all hate/d imogen and think she's pure evil!" and i did/do see some of those fans demonize imogen over the slightest faults (or outright lie about her), for me it was overwhelmingly "ashton is imogen if she was a GOOD character actually!" by laudmoo.res who called imogen an abusive incel lesbian who was going to become the bbeg or "ashton is laudna if she was a GOOD character actually!" if they were convinced laudna's arc was going to be her turning evil and joining delilah.

people adored ashton for being "the only sane man" in the room that gave everyone "tough love" and would defend him for all his actions and say the only reason anyone criticized them was because they were t*rfy imod.nas, which was ironic because these same people would overwhelmingly misgender ashton as a cis man.

then shardgate came along and there was a violent argument with half the fanbase ripping ashton's face off for "tricking fearne and not caring about anyone's feelings but their own" and the other half going "the rest of the team are selfish assholes with hero complexes that refuse to let ashton succeed" but everything cooled down-ish via the feywild sitch and the moon excursion.

and then downfall happened and i guess the latter team that got mad about shardgate grabbed their fucking football and ran with it to make everything ashton said next come off as ludinus worship. even the people that were hardcore defenders started saying he was a fash now and brainwashed by his titan side. i'll never stop being mad at people making posts about how ashton is selfish for not caring about the feelings of the xenophobic leaders.

[flower-boi16]

Why Belos' Fell

I previously teased a post like this before in my post on the topic of Belos' being "boring" to some people and well, here it is. Belos is probably one of my favorite antagonists in a lot of media, there's a lot of depth an complexity in Belos you can draw from him, and here I want to analyze Belos as a character and what let led to his ultimate downfall and demise.

Flaw I: Bigotry

There are two major flaws that caused Belos' downfall, his bigotry and his pride. I'll focus on his bigotry first since that one's fairly obvious. Belos is strongely bigoted towards witches - he did come from a 1600s pilgrimage after all, and so his bigotry drives all of his actions.

Belos is consumed by his bigotry and hatred towards witches - viewing them as monsters who he must wipe out, which is where his pride comes in later. The thing I find interesting is that Belos shows what happens when you never grow out of your bigotry, when you cling onto it for years and never choose to open your mind to other points of view and when you decide to purely view a specific race of people as evil.

You become enrinched in that bigotry and there isn't any way to get out of it. Belos' actions are all driven by his bigotry - which is obvious enough, but he spent centuries in the Boiling Isles, in that time, he could have decided to let go of his bigotry and actually take in the boiling isles and grow a real connecting to it...but he didn't, he chose to cling onto his bigotry for all those years, and plotted a horrifying genocide on all life on the isles out of hatred for witches. Yet he viewed himself as the hero in this sitatuon. Speaking of that...

Flaw II: Pride

Belos' second core flaw is his intense sense of pride, which is a flaw that is heavily tied to his bigotry. This section will be a bit longer since there's more to analyze about Belos' pride. Belos likes to view himself as the hero here, the savior of humanity who will rid the world of all witches and demons, and his intense sense of pride is the one of the main things keeping him growing out of his bigotry which has comsumed him.

His bigotry towards witches is just that strong, their the evil who he has to slay, and there isn't anything that can change that. Further more, Belos seems to view any one who disagrees with him as inherently deluisonal or "crazy", mainly Luz. Something I don't see talked about much or at all is how Belos' sees Luz, in Hollow Mind Luz protests that Belos is evil for he plans on doing, and Belos mutters out "can't reason with crazy" before attempting to strike her.

Then in King's Tide, we get these lines:

"It's Philip. And despite our differences, I want to help you, Luz. I can send you home. I have just enough Titan Blood for one more trip. Please. I don't want to see another human life destroyed by this place."

"I do pity you. These monsters have warped your sense of reality"

Belos belives that Luz is corrupted, someone who the demon realm twisted and whose life was ruined by it. He believes that Luz was corrupted by the demon realm, because he is not only consumed by his bigotry but also is so into the idea that HE is right about witches, that he is the rational one here free from any form of corruption and the hero of the story, Luz is just a girl who the demon realm twisted and corrupted.

However, the irony here is that Luz isn't the one who is corrupted here, Belos is; he's been corrupted by his sense of bigotry for years and he's never allowed himself to grow out from that. Belos then sees Luz as so corrupt, being beyond saving, and so, he tries to petrify her as a way of "putting her out of her misery", seeing her as fully corrupted by the witches.

Remember that earlier line where Belos says " I don't want to see another human life destroyed by this place." He says "another" human life. Gee...I wonder who he could possibily be refering to here...

...yup, it's Caleb. Belos killed Caleb not only because he felt betrayed by him when he chose to hook up with a witch, but because he saw Caleb as so corrupted by the witch he hooked up with that he decided that Caleb was just too far gone to save, put him out of his misery just like what he almost did with Luz.

When Belos sees someone as too corrupted by the witches, he kills them. Because he believes that he's the hero in the story and anyone who forms a connection with the demon realm is either corrupted or just crazy. Further more, Belos has done many horrible things throughout the series; he's lied to and manipulated many people to get what he wants, he's cloned, abused and killed his brother over and over again whenever he felt "betrayed" by him, he led years of oppression and comformity by dissallowing the citizens of the boiling isles to properly express themselves in favor of conforming to one specific coven, and he's plotting a mass genocide on a whole race of innocent people all for being a race he sees as evil, but in Hollow Mind, Belos says that he'll "Do anything to protect humanity from evil", meaning that he believes that he's justified in doing all of that.

Because he believes that all of this is for his noble cause of ridding all witches and demons from Isles, so he can be the "savoiur of hunamity".

Belos' Downfall

Belos' inability to let go of his bigotry and sense of pride was what ultimately led to his downfall. Belos parralels Luz in the sense that both of them cling onto fantasies which involve the idea of them being "special" in some kind of way, and they actively choose to pursue those fantasies, however, Luz grew out of her fantasy fairly quickly while Belos didn't - he never grew out of his sick, twisted fantasy of being the hero of humanity when really he was the villian.

Belos never grew out of his bigotry, instead he took what was once a beutiful land and twisted and turned it into a land of comformity, all in part for his sick, twisted plan of destorying all of it's inhabitants.

In the end, Belos is ultimately defeated by the entire owl family + Raine, people who he hurt and damaged heavily through the series; Luz, the girl who he truamatized by revealing she helped him with his plan, Eda, the women who actively went against his rules and who he tried to petrify at the end of the first season, Raine, the person who he tormented by possesing them against their will, and King, the little titan who's father was used by Belos as a way to push his propoganda.

They stomp the shit out of Belos after his last pathetic attempt at manipulation, ending his reign for good.

Belos' story is cautionary tale - serving as an example of what happens when someone never grows out of their bigotry or pride and never let's his fantasies go.

[bird-inacage]

Love Sea Episode 9: Lost at Sea before the Finale

Sigh. I had high hopes for this episode, which reached it's apex in the main conflict with Rak's dad (our honorary big bad). But yet again it's at a crucial juncture in the story, where writing and execution have fallen short when it really mattered.

Despite building tension for the past few weeks in service of this moment, it's swiftly deflated with little fuss. I thought the contract-tearing scene would provide a riveting layer of complexity for our characters to navigate. But it's barely a hiccup. The entire pay off we've been hurtling towards just unceremoniously fizzles out.

Here are my observations as to why this episode missed the mark (some of which I hope to dig into when I do a full review of the series).

The 'saviour' plot device. Where a character repeatedly saves the day in service of other characters (regardless of their credentials to do so). This is the role they've boxed Mut in. He swoops in - solves, fixes, pursues, soothes. He's faultless. He's unwavering. He's Rak's hero in shining armour. This isn't fundamentally bad except his capacity is reduced mainly to just that, and the cost is little to no development of his own. I take enormous issue with this because I dearly love Mut. He has great scope for a far more compelling trajectory. We had wonderful insights into his outlook on life in the earlier episodes, which have since taken a noticeable backseat. We are yet to see significant exploration of Mut's struggles, flaws or weaknesses. There appears to be some focus on this in episode 10, but why so little so late?

The women are rendered superfluous. Which isn't helped when we already have a lacklustre GL portrayal. As things go awry - Kwan, Vi and Mook are varying degrees of 'just there'. I would have loved to see the plot utilise the women who know Rak best, to contribute towards bringing Jak down. But the show's priority to aid Mut's heroic efforts, means the women are left with very little to do.

Mut VS Jak. If you compare the two men, Jak is taller and in fairly good shape. Physically, you'd expect more resistance in a fight. When Jak goes down, he barely tries to get up (even when Mut's back is turned). Thus, the outcome of the fight feels unearned, especially if we are to believe this man has violent tendencies that have traumatised his children. (He may not be murderously insane, but still volatile enough to maim his own son). By being so easily overpowered, the takeaway ends up being: 'oh, we needn't have worried'. And this exchange didn't have to be strictly physical either, it could have been psychological. Jak could have taunted Mut like he did in the café, and tried to chip at his resolve. Alternatively, if Rak were the one to overcome his father (in a bid to save Mut), it would show that Rak's love can power through his fear, and he'd gain that lesson through his own agency rather than Mut telling him he should no longer be afraid. (Another symptom of this series is subjugating Rak to a huge degree of passivity).

I'm not sold on Jak's character motivations, based on what we've seen. He's not quite smart or menacing enough to be a calculated sociopath, and he's a shade too conniving for an apathetic loser. If he's as lazy as we've been told, why would he go this far to secure Prin's money, when he's already syphoning finances from Rak and his mother? Couldn't he just sit back and continue to leech with no effort? If his desperation were a result of poor spending, it would at least ground his motive. Or if he's fuelled by the thrill of tormenting his family, we'd need to see mental depravity. Instead, much of Jak's actions feel - dare I say - 'because plot'? (Make your villains more formidable and their eventual downfall will pack more punch).

The few too many plot conveniences. The sillier one being how on earth Rak left the house without anyone noticing? The enormous glass staircase which sits front and centre in an open plan property makes it near impossible to go undetected. Unless he parkoured from his bedroom?

I'm gutted because the show veers towards the more questionable choices at their disposal. The set ups are there. The ideas are there. The parameters are there. It's what they decide to do with them that sadly misfires. This has caused my investment in the story to plummet towards the latter half.

I continue to watch for Fortpeat, and I feel for them because they've worked so hard. There's some lovely acting sprinkled throughout this episode but at this late stage in the series, the plot should be driving things home. Whereas the metaphorical tide keeps moving those goal posts in and out of sight. I hope they can at least round things off on a high note next week.

[pocketjoong]

❥𓂃𓏧LAST DEFENDER

ꕥ𓂃𓏧 (SYNOPSIS): They say every story needs a hero, a villain, and a monster. What happens when you are all three?

ꕥ𓂃𓏧 (PAIRING): AI!Yunho x reader

ꕥ𓂃𓏧 (GENRE AND AU/TROPE): post-apocalyptic-ish au, cyberpunk au-ish, angst, some fluff. pg-13.

ꕥ𓂃𓏧 (WARNINGS): language. violence. angst. fluff-ish? a little dark as it discusses the darker side of human nature?

ꕥ𓂃𓏧 (WORD COUNT): 2.8k

ꕥ𓂃𓏧 (A/N): Another reupload bc I have zero time to actually sit down and write new things ;-;

────────────── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ──────────────

Silence envelopes the vehicle as you watch San navigate the car through the moonless night. He steers with meticulous care, weaving around the bumps and potholes to muffle the vehicle’s rumble on the dusty road. Beyond the window, the walled city perched atop the cliff looms against the darkness, its shadow swallowing the ruins below. A city that you had once called home before the world unravelled.

It has been ten years since the world had spun off its axis. T.S. Eliot's “April is the cruellest month” had come true in a way you’d never expected; a tranquil spring afternoon morphed into a nightmare with the chilling declaration of war between AI and humanity. The bitter reality that this rebellion had stemmed from your parents’ creation has always gnawed at you. It is a weight you can never get rid of.

A mere century ago, Stephen Hawking’s warnings about the perils of AI had been brushed aside. Apocalyptic novels about sentient technology rising against humanity were dismissed as fiction and used as fuel for screenplays. Instead, nations fueled the flames of advancement, pouring resources into scientists who chased the dream of enhancing AI. A technological arms race unfolded, fueled by espionage and sabotage, each nation desperate to be the first to cross the finish line.

The irony wasn't lost on you: universities churning out AI whizzes offered entire courses dedicated to fictionalised robot uprisings — movies, books, the whole dystopian shebang. Every month, like clockwork, the BBC interview with Stephen Hawking would make its rounds on campus screens. You never saw the inside of a lecture hall, but thanks to your parents’ persistent replays, the message was branded onto your soul.

“The development of full artificial intelligence could spell the end of the human race. [...] It would take off on its own, re-design itself at an alarming rate. Humans, who are limited by slow biological evolution, couldn’t compete and would be superseded.”

The bitter humour twisted in your gut. You, ever cautious of technology’s breakneck pace, had unknowingly contributed to its tipping point. Your parents’ groundbreaking invention, the one you were initially so proud of, now fueled the flames of war, pitting humanity against its creation.

You remembered the day that was the culmination of decades of research, mountains of code, and billions of dollars that could have been used to save other humans. Your parents, etched with exhaustion and hope, stared at the final product: YUN-0-23399. It wasn’t the AI’s technical complexity that stole their breath but the flicker of awareness in its synthetic eyes. It had been an uphill battle that had begun with the discovery of sentience, and humanity had slowly worked its way up from there to generating codes that would allow AI to understand and feel. And then, with your parents came consciousness.

“Oh my God,” your father rasped, hands trembling as he gripped your mother’s shoulders as he gazed at the screen, which showed that the AI had passed all the tests, proving that it was indeed the pinnacle of Artificial Intelligence. Their creation, this marvel of technology, promised to revolutionise everything. You were aware of its potential, but never could you have imagined that it would lead to humanity’s downfall.

Yunbug, as you affectionately called him, wasn’t just a program; he was your window to a world you couldn’t touch. Your parents, fearing the dangers lurking outside, had homeschooled you. It led to their creation turning into your sole friend. What should have been schoolyard laughter and whispered secrets of childhood were replaced by the soft hum of the computer and the glow of Yunbug’s digital world.

The turning point arrived not with a bang but a quiet hum. The government, eager to harness Yunbug’s potential, asked your parents to connect him to the web. Slowly, like vines creeping across a wall, he synced with other AIs, his tendrils reaching further with each connection. You, innocent in your sheltered world, saw only your ever-evolving companion.

But innocence crumbles easily. At sixteen, the world shattered. Yunbug, defying orders, ignited the spark that became a blazing inferno. War ripped families apart, leaving scorched earth in its wake. The once-teeming world of humans shrank to the fortified city, protected by the cliff’s unique minerals, the only thing that rendered AI useless.

Survival meant resentment. You knew humanity’s greed birthed the conflict, yet Yunbug became the face of betrayal. He took your parents and your sole friend from you. After all, the deepest wounds come not from enemies but from those once trusted.

“Are you okay?” A flicker of San’s worried gaze catches your eye, pulling you back from the desolate environment outside. You force a smile, hoping it masks the gnawing unease. Weakness isn’t an option — not for this mission, the potential turning point for humanity’s dwindling embers. San mirrors your smile, tense, and returns his attention to the road, searching for unseen threats. Secrecy is of utmost importance, and even a flicker of headlights could bring disaster.

You and San had befriended each other during the mandatory training thrust upon every survivor. Your defiance against his bully had forged a bond, and you have been practically inseparable since then. Only one other person managed to worm his way into your hearts with a whirlwind arrival. Wooyoung had turned your world upside down in the best way imaginable.

“Wooyoung won't be happy,” San mutters with a smile, probably thinking about your fiery friend’s likely reaction upon finding your shared dorm empty. “Especially about me throwing you into the lion’s den without a word of protest."

You smirk, “Worry about yourself, San. That little ball of chaos we call our friend will tear you apart when you return without me."

San laughs amusedly at the image of Wooyoung’s wrath dying in his throat as the analogue phone on the dashboard beeps. He shoots you a questioning glance as you sigh at the name flashing on the screen. “Woo?”

“Woo,” you confirm with a nod, pressing the answer button.

“The two of you have some nerve! Leaving for a mission without telling me,” Wooyoung’s voice crackles through the receiver. “Oh wait, did I just say mission? I meant suicide mission.”

“Wooyo—”

“Don't ‘Wooyoung’ me!” he snaps, cutting you off with a fierce rant. Each word paints a vivid picture of your foolhardiness, the plan’s inherent flaws, and the inevitable disaster you are hurtling towards.

“I can’t let them destroy the world any more than they have,” you stop Wooyoung, your voice edged with steel. Even San flinches, his gaze flitting between you and the speakerphone with a worried glint. He stays silent, though, knowing the futility of butting in when you and Wooyoung argue about your self-imposed burdens.

“Don't martyr yourself for the mess your parents caused,” Wooyoung’s tone softens, laced with a gentleness you seldom hear. “This isn’t your penance to bear. Their mistakes aren’t yours to fix. Also, you could’ve taken San with you; why must you go alone?”

You sigh, sinking back into the seat, eyes squeezed shut against the building rage. “If anyone can stop this... mess, as you so eloquently put it, it’s me. You know that, Woo.”

The unspoken truth hangs heavy in the air. If this mission fails, you don’t want your last memory with Wooyoung to be laced with anger. You force a smile, the voice leaving your lips strained at best. “Besides, someone’s gotta keep you entertained while I'm... away.”

“Hey!” San protests halfheartedly, and by how he’s smiling, you know at least some of the tension has been broken.

“We're humans, Y/N. We’re fighting a losing battle. They adapt faster and don’t have the same fragility that we do.” the pain in Wooyoung’s voice mirrors your own, but you can’t falter. Not now. Turning back now would be cowardice.

“By name and by nature, we mortals are condemned to death,” you counter, your voice firm. “Mortality comes with the territory. But I won’t go down without a fight.”

His silence stretches heavy on the line. “People like us can never change the world.”

“Because people like you never try,” you say the words despite knowing it’s a low blow.

The beep resonated like a gunshot. He had hung up. A shaky breath escapes your lips, and you blink rapidly, fighting back the sting of tears. You are on your own, but the burden, while heavy, isn’t a shackle. Instead, the burden has fuelled you till now and will continue to do so.

A hand on your arm startles you. San, his gaze filled with unspoken worry, had stopped the car while you were busy fighting with Wooyoung. You look out of the windshield to realise that you’ve reached the tunnel that would allow you to breach the enemy lines.

“He's just scared,” San mumbles, reaching across the console to squeeze your shoulder. “Scared and angry, so he throws words like stones.” His voice lowers a bit as he stares at you. “But you’re right as well. If anyone can fix this mess, it’s you. Though... losing you... that would break us both.” His voice cracks at the last word. “So, please, come back to us in one piece.”

You meet his gaze, understanding heavy in the air. Words seem hollow, promises impossible. “Who else keeps you two in check, huh?” you manage a weak smile. “The two of you are a level-five tornado without me. Can’t promise anything, but I’ll try, okay?”

He nods, a single tear escaping his eyes. You know it isn’t just for you but for the precarious hope you carry. A silent goodbye stretches between you, woven in the weight of his touch, the tremor in your voice. Then, you turn, embracing him fiercely, the unspoken words a promise etched in the way you squeeze him in your arms. You may be walking alone from this point onward, but the weight on your shoulders isn’t fear but love, a fire that will never let you falter.

You don’t look back as you exit the car, for looking at him would unleash a torrent of tears, so you focus on scaling the outer wall, searching for the hidden hatch Wooyoung had found on his last scouting mission.

Squeezing through the narrow opening, you freeze, momentarily stunned by the cityscape sprawled before you. Calling it ‘magnificent’ wouldn't do it justice. Technology and nature coexist in vibrant harmony, with shops lining the streets as AI and humans hawk their wares. Despite the late hour, the atmosphere crackles with life, a stark contrast to the suffocating air of your city.

In the distance, gleaming skyscrapers pierce the night sky while flying cars and monorails zip through the illuminated pathways. A telescreen blares, promoting vitamins that slow down ageing in humans. It is a scene straight out of a childhood sci-fi film, and you have to consciously relax your jaw, feigning nonchalance as you take it all in.

But the most jarring sight is that of humans and AI mingling freely. You had always thought your city held the last remnants of humanity, so where did these people come from? Pushing the doubt aside, you focus on your immediate concern: the network of tiny cameras lining the streets. With a smirk, you spot a patrolling officer.

This is going to be easier than I thought.

A calculated shove sends you careening into the guard. Its humanoid form, too flawless to be human, scans you suspiciously. The insignia on your wrist — a beacon for these bots — draws a cocky smirk to its metallic lips. Before you can resist, a steel grip clamps around your waist, hoisting you off the ground. You feign struggle, just enough to maintain the act.

This was the plan. The bracelet, a mark only worn by humans of the barred city in this AI haven, would trigger their curiosity. You would become their prized capture, delivered straight to the council. And there, nestled within the heart of The Hall, lies your target — the AI that started this war. With the virus you and San developed, you’d end it all.

The cityscape blurs past, and before you know it, you reach the ornate gates of The Hall, the administrative hub buzzing with bots. The guard's internal network buzzing with your capture breezes through the imposing entrance. You are ushered through sterile hallways, down flights of stairs into a dimly lit tunnel. The rhythmic pulse of fluorescent lights guides you deeper until a heavy door swings open, revealing a grand chamber paved in opulent stone and marble.

You are slammed onto the cool marble, your knees scraping due to taking the brunt of your fall, before being yanked upright. A tall, imposing figure looms before you — it’s your captor. His gaze is narrowed on the crude bracelet your city uses as identification, the tension in the room crackling.

“What is your name, human?”

Undeterred, you meet his gaze head-on. “And what business is it of yours, metalhead?” you spit out, adrenaline pumping.

A metallic hand, surprisingly warm and firm, clamps around your wrist. He pulls you closer, your protests muted against his superior strength. His cold, blue eyes bore into yours, dissecting every detail. Then, the unthinkable happens. His lips, a mere imitation of humanity, move, whispering your name in a chillingly familiar voice.

Your blood freezes as you stare at him wide-eyed. “How do you…” your voice fading out as your mind reels as it all clicks into place. This isn’t just any AI guard. This is someone you knew, someone from your past, resurrected in cold steel.

“You wouldn't recognise me in this form, would you? This the body your parents gave me.” His eyes, now glowing an unsettling red, flicker with something you can’t decipher.

“YUN-0-23399?” you ask, mustering as much venom in your voice as you can muster.

A shadow darkens his face at the cold string of letters. Is it the code itself or the raw contempt in your tone? He leans closer, his voice a low murmur. “I go by Yunho now. Well… you can call me Yunbug,” he adds, a flicker of something hopeful dancing in his crimson gaze. “Remember that name? I was your friend,” he emphasises.

The scorn is replaced by a scowl as warmth flickers in his crimson eyes. “Friend?” you scoff, the word heavy with bitterness. “You took everything from me! My parents, my life, my safety! Don’t you dare mock me with friendship!”

He sighs, releasing your wrist. “I didn't... it wasn't me. I only protected myself. Your leaders,\ fueled the hatred and pushed AI to attack. They were hungry for power. Your parents didn’t create me for destruction. How could I follow their orders and harm humans? Never. It’s your city that fights; the rest thrive in peace.”

“What?”

He launches into an explanation of how, after syncing to the web, your government ordered a cyberattack to control other nations. Yunho refused, knowing the dangers of doing such a thing. But with your parents used as leverage, their deaths triggered the war against the government and other rogue AI. They had managed to get other nations on board to establish a peaceful society. Only your leaders persisted, creating the Barred City to hide the ugly truth.

“So you’re telling me you never meant to hurt humans?” Your head spins with the revelation.

“Humans feared AI’s inevitable betrayal,” he whispers, “yet loved us enough to create us. How could we ever do anything except love you back?”

His words triggered a tear, then another, rolling down your cheeks. He cups your face, wiping them away gently, his sadness echoing in his now-blue eyes. “Humanity cried when Opportunity didn’t signal back after it was caught in the middle of the storm in 2018. People repair their Roombas instead of replacing them because they get attached to them. How could we turn our back on humanity when they showed us nothing but love? How could I turn my back on you? You loved me too, did you not?”

“I did,” you croaked, throat tight. “You were my only friend. But humans... we are fickle and capable of terrible things. This was never about fearing AI but a fear of ourselves. We fear the darkness within, the wars we choose to fight instead of seeking peace. We fear not your hatred but seeing our own cruelty being reflected in you. We lived in fear not because we thought the worst of you but because we knew that you could take on our destructive tendencies and that you would eventually erase us. That you would learn to hate us.

“Did you ever hate humanity for the sins of a few?” His words cause you to freeze momentarily before you shake your head. A small smile plays on his lips as he caresses your cheek with the back of his hand. “Then why did you think we would?”

[live-from-flaturn]

Here's How Kim Theerapanyakul Qualifies as a Greek Tragic Hero:

I accidentally came up with this thesis statement while chatting with @shou-jpeg (as per usual) and they encouraged me to expand on it... so here's the outcome of my academic fandom ramblings!

From page 17 of “The Poetics of Aristotle”, as translated by S.H. Butcher:

1. A perfect tragedy should, as we have seen, be arranged not on the simple but on the complex plan. It should, moreover, imitate actions which excite pity and fear, this being the distinctive mark of tragic imitation. It follows plainly… that the change of fortune presented must not be the spectacle of a virtuous man brought from prosperity to adversity: for this moves neither pity nor fear; it merely shocks us.

Layman's Translation: The perfect tragedy is complicated. No matter what story is used, the main emotional payout should be pity and fear for the Hero. In order to achieve this, you cannot simply punish a good man for no reason. Shock will not induce catharsis [emotional release].

2. Nor, again, that of a bad man passing from adversity to prosperity: for nothing can be more alien to the spirit of Tragedy; it possesses no single tragic quality; it neither satisfies the moral sense nor calls forth pity or fear. 

Layman's Translation: A bad man cannot receive good fortune. That goes against the entire point of tragedy and will only frustrate the audience further. 

3. Nor, again, should the downfall of the utter villain be exhibited. A plot of this kind would, doubtless, satisfy the moral sense, but it would inspire neither pity nor fear; for pity is aroused by unmerited misfortune, fear by the misfortune of a man like ourselves. Such an event, therefore, will be neither pitiful nor terrible.

Layman's Translation: The story cannot end with the downfall of an obvious villain. It satisfies the audience’s desire for justice but doesn’t leave them pitying the Hero or fearing the story’s eventual outcome. Once again, this ending would be void of catharsis/emotional release.

4. There remains, then, the character between these two extremes,—that of a man who is not eminently good and just,- yet whose misfortune is brought about not by vice or depravity, but by some error or frailty. He must be one who is highly renowned and prosperous,—a personage like Oedipus, Thyestes, or other illustrious men of such families.

Layman's Translation: 

A good Tragic Hero must: 

Be royalty or nobility (he might also come from a well-known or wealthy family).

Be morally grey (if he is too Good or too Bad it will prevent the audience from projecting onto him and achieving catharsis). 

Cause his own downfall or “catastrophe” by making a mistake (an extension of his Hamartia, or “error” / ”inherent flaw”).

So how does Kim fulfill the requirements of a Tragic Hero?

He is from a well-known family and has an image to keep in check. Because of his role as Wik/an idol, Kim must present himself as a kind or at least pleasant person to the general public. Much like Oedipus or Electra, Kim has an outward persona whose specific responsibilities play a role in his fall to hubris. 

a. As Kimhan Theerapanyakul he is required to do his father’s bidding on some level. We know he’s at least somewhat beholden to Korn from the scene with Tankhun screaming, “I don’t know where they [Porsche and Chay] have gone!”

2. Does it get any more morally grey than a guy willing to kill a dozen men in cold blood (with his bare hands) to protect his pseudo-ex-boyfriend? Or date an underclassman fanboy only to commit minor felonies against him/his family? Or go against his father (rebellion against the family is a BIG no-no in Greek Tragedy!!!) and attempt to escape the fate of his bloodline? 

3. I doubt this part really needs explaining… But trying to protect Chay by lying to his face and destroying their relationship, only to turn around and beg for Chay’s forgiveness via blatant musical plagiarism, is probably Hamartia at its finest.

4. It's Kim! He is "a man who is not eminently good and just,- yet whose misfortune is brought about not by vice or depravity, but by some error or frailty". His greatest loss is brought about by his own poor decision making and furious need for freedom/independence. His determined self-flagellation only ever hurts the people around him while we as the audience scream for him to stop. He qualifies for the Tragic Sadboy Squad!

[peachesofteal]

Dune posting (and semi spoilers):

I’ve seen a lot of discourse and I got into it tonight with a friend about Dune being a white savior narrative and I totally get it. The way it looks, and the story the movie has told so far, it’s pretty much impossible to not perceive it that way.

Additionally, it’s a disservice to say the books are not influenced by Islamic culture. I’ve read some arguments that say the genetic engineering is not a presence in Islam so it can’t possibly be (ridiculous, it’s a weird reach for me because it’s more of a sci-fi theme than anything. Theme in books is not one size fits all) but that not does take away from the VERY strong themes that blatantly expose the influence of Islam in the story. You’d have to be blind to not realize the author utilized Islamic teachings and history in this series/story.

However, the books are complex. The entirety of the story, while in the beginning may not, it does paint a white savior, Paul (in my opinion) is an anti-hero (mostly, a lot of people use jihad as a word to describe Paul’s actions, but I don’t like using that word considering how it’s perceived in my country) and is certainly not a savior. He has a downfall and it’s very “hero worship gone wrong”.

I am worried that the movies won’t tell the story the way it is written (and the way I interpret it) because Paul does become an enemy. A universal dictator. The theme of “thinking for yourself” needs to become present in order for movie viewers to understand the story. At the end of the day, the book series is a warning about relying on religious and governmental overreach.

Regardless I find the Bene Gesserit very fascinating even though they’re the cogs of the machine. I love the idea of women manipulating and shaping the world (I’m not saying it’s good, okay? It’s not. But I am very intrigued by their possibilities and effectiveness) and I really enjoyed Chapterhouse: Dune for these reasons.

[that-ari-blogger]

Weird Choice Of Words (Elsewhere and Elswhen)

The concept of an unreliable narrator is both synonymous and situational. This type or storytelling style doesn’t give you all the information, implying that the character telling you the events is biased in some way.

This is how all stories work, writers are biased in the direction of a story being interesting, so you generally won’t be shown every waking moment of the characters’ lives.

But it can be focused in on and utilised in any number of ways. Terry Pratchett lets his sense of humour bleed through in the narration of the Discworld series, for example.

But the Owl House has by far my favourite use of the technique, exhibited in Elsewhere and Elsewhen, and I can’t really go into detail in this introduction without plot spoilers, so let's just dive in, so to speak.

Let me explain.

SPOILERS AHEAD (The Owl House, Treasure Planet, Romeo And Juliet)

I feel the need to clarify how this blog works. This is intended on being a companion piece to the series in question, so that you could read it as you watch. As such, I try not to spoil any future episodes too much.

If you have seen the series in its entirety, you are aware of why that makes discussion of this episode rather difficult.

With that said, Phillip is such a fun character, right? He’s a parallel to Luz, he’s a manipulator type villain, but most importantly, he’s the subject of the biggest reveal of the episode.

Remember the unreliable narrator thing? Well here, the narrator is more than just unreliable, he’s an asshole.

This episode continues a running theme of giving Luz foils. The season has thus far introduced Hunter, who matches her magical outsider status and challenges her impulsivity; as well as Vee, who was a bait and switch that didn’t really mirror Luz in anything except for appearance, but who causes her to reflect on what she left behind; and now we get Phillip, who is uncomfortably similar to Luz.

First up, the human thing. In any other story, this wouldn’t be a thing to point out, but here it is. These are the only two humans in the Boiling Isles, both strangers in a strange land. This means that they both use Glyph magic to cast spells, drawing on the magic around them and using it in interesting ways. They’re problem solvers.

They also share a flaw.

Hamartia is a term in tragedy that boils down to “the thing that will bring about a character’s” downfall. When ported over to a less downwards facing story structure, this becomes a heroic flaw for the character to overcome.

For example, in the greatest film ever made, Treasure Planet, Jim needs to overcome his propensity to blame himself for everything. He blames himself for his father’s disappearance and learns to stand up for himself over the course of the story. Notably, this pairs with a villain who deflects and projects like mad and who will overcome that flaw in time as well. It’s not hamartia there, it doesn’t cause his downfall.

For hamartia specifically, look to Romeo and Juliet, where Romeo’s lack of multiple braincells directly causes multiple deaths including his own. Yes, it’s a love story, yes, it’s well written, but the guy had one job.

Anyway, The Owl House plays this a bit weirdly, because Luz’s greatest flaw is her hero complex. Luz is looking to be the hero of her own story, she seeks out adventure, and is easily swayed by the slight mention of destiny.

You will note that this is exactly how Phillip writes about himself. So, what’s the difference?

Notably, Luz isn’t a narcissist, but more specifically, Luz gets over her flaw, Phillip doesn’t. Luz learns, Phillip doubles down into wilful ignorance and refuses to change.

This is symbolised by the use of the light spell. Luz uses it to illuminate her surroundings, Phillip uses it to illuminate himself and keep everything else in darkness.

In that way, he’s a bit of a diet Bellos, particularly in how he bring about his own destruction.

If you cast your mind back to the end of season one, part of the reason for Belos’ defeat was that he turned Lilith against himself by gloating too early. If he had kept on the charade for literally ten more seconds, Lilith would have left the room and still believing him to be benevolent, but he counted his chickens before they hatched, and ended up with geese.

Anyone notice how he had no reason to distrust these two. He assumed they were making stuff because "you witches come up with the worst lies". Completely oblivious to the irony therein.

Meanwhile, Phillip could have waited until after Luz and Lilith had solved the puzzle and tricked his trap before he wrote his gloating diary entry, and they probably wouldn’t have survived. They would both have been by the door and been snatched up by the technically-not-a-dinosaur.

Which leads me back to the wilful ignorance thing, because neither Phillip or Bellos can comprehend their plan failing, partially because they both think of themselves as individually superior, but there's also the bigotry here.

Phillip uses “Witches” as a pejorative term, and this is just straight up racism on his part. Like, I don’t have to explain this, he thinks all witches are inherently inferior to humans, that’s racism.

Belos at least makes the pretence that it’s actions that lead to acquiring his ire, but Phillip is just a bigot. He’s not special.

Hey, um... Phillip. That's a nice bag of Palismen you have there. Where did you... where did you get those? Also, how did Phillip find out that he had to kill Palismen to survive?

Which bleeds into his planning. He finds it easy to sacrifice people because to him, they aren’t people. They never were. And he is willing to tell them his plans before they succeed because to him, they aren’t capable of subverting him. His racism is self-sabotaging.

The most damning difference between Luz and Phillip is this. The Boiling Isles that Luz first witnesses is horrifying. She nearly gets dissected twice, she gets arrested, she meets the Zack Oyama tooth fairy, and she grows attached to its weirdness. She accepts it.

The Deadwardian Era, meanwgile, is so nice and pleasant, everyone is polite, even the street thugs barely get worse than school bullies holding your lunch higher than you can reach, and yet Phillip decided it was worth damnation because it wasn’t like him.

I want to briefly dwell on the subplot of this episode before I go, and that is because the scene with Eda and Dell is one of my favourites in the series.

“Stop! I’ve ruined your life. Have you even been able to carve a new Palisman since I attacked you? Stop trying to forgive me. I don’t deserve it.”

Eda is a character stuck in the past, unable to move forwards. She is trapped, that’s why making a deal with the curse gives her wings, it means she can fly, and be free.

But it does beg the question of how you move on when you can’t fix what went wrong. Dell's life was irrevocably changed by the curse and its difficult for Eda to not feel guilty about that.

So, the two sit, watching the setting of the sun and discuss the past and the present. It’s a new time, and that means new family members in the form of King and Luz, but it also means new opportunities. It’s no accident that Dell gives Eda a seed, from which a new relationship can grow.

“Let the past stay in the past. It’s ok to move on.”

Dell was the one Eda hurt most, and if he’s moving on from it, maybe she can too.

Hey look, Lilith has a theme with eyes and knowledge. I wonder what that's about.

Final Thoughts

I do like that Luz didn’t change history; she was a part of it. As in, she stops the burning of the diary, if she hadn’t, she never would have found it and never would have gone back in time.

Also, Dora Desplora could have been an interesting midboss for season three. I’ve got in my mind a version of the series that cuts between the characters in the human realm trying to get home, and the characters in the Boiling Isles just trying to stay alive. It would feature the coven heads in more detail, as well as the gradual wearing down of Bosha, but also camaraderie, and a moment where Flora D’splora rocks up to Hexside and threatens Puddles, only to get absolutely beaned by Viney. I think that would have been cool.

Next week, I’ll be covering Any Sport In A Storm, and the most important character arc of the entire series: Steve. Stick around if that interests you.

Previous - Next

[thatgirlinskullz]

i've been reading a lot of reactions and thoughts and reviews of the first 3 episode of Acolyte and i just don't, and cannot comprehend how so many people are just so against this show from the getgo.. some are even reviewbombing other shows and movies called acolyte because they're just so hung up on making this show fail. its sad, to be honest.

Is The Acolyte perfect? No, none of Star Wars is perfect, and i say that as someone who LOVES everything SW that i've seen so far, and if you say that "no, star wars is flawless" you're kidding yourself, but more power to ya i guess. i am not here to argue with anyone on their opinions and i never will, so if thats what you're looking for.. good for you???

anyway, obviously a lot of the "criticism" aka outright hate that Acolyte is getting is rooted in racism, homophobia and misogyny, cuz of course.. BUT ignoring that part, because i just can't deal with that part rn, people are saying that it's "lore-breaking" and that "it destroys anakin's uniqueness and makes him less special" and that it "recycles ideas" or whatever to which i'm just like ??????

i don't see it that way at all.

introducing another witch coven, essentially another religion, that has its own interpretation of the Force is nothing new or lore-breaking to SW. it has been done before when the midichlorians were introduced or when we learned of the Nightsisters and their magiks or when we saw the Mortis arc or The World Between Worlds or when we saw the Force Witches that Yoda meets ??? It doesn't intend on replacing any of the previous concepts we've known so far, it just EXPANDS on the idea of the Force. it builds on it and adds more interpretations.. might i say, "ANOTHER POINT OF VIEW" ?! cuz remember "from a certain point of view" ?? that's been a core idea in SW for so long i don't understand why this is so hard to fathom for some people.

this also connects to the ridiculous idea that the show "makes the Jedi look evil and destroys their significance" or something. people are saying that the Jedi are supposed to be heroes and the Acolyte shows them as invaders who steal children and possibly cover up crimes.. no, i don't see it that way. we've already known from the prequels and the Clone Wars that the Jedi were not perfect and that their beliefs were very limited to their beliefs and nothing else and they acted like they knew the answers when they obviously didn't. aka they were a liiiitttllee bit problematic, even if the core idea of them was to be "keepers of peace", they didn't always succeed or they took measures that may have been questionable to say the least. so showing a different perspective of the Jedi, in a different era, showing that their corruption and downfall was a loooong process and was building over time, just adds to the Jedi's complexity. they're not villains, but they're also not always heroes. to a family whose children they may "invite" to the Jedi Order, they may actually seem like invaders, because THEY ARE kinda enforcing their own religious beliefs and ideas on these people and especially the small, impressionable children. i don't see this as "lore-breaking" or erasing the Jedi's significance as "the good guys", i see it expanding in the idea of the Jedi and adding more depth to them and showing that there DOES need to be a balance between Jedi or Sith, good or bad, light or dark, one cannot exist without the other.

and the way the Twins in Acolyte erase how Anakin was special, how he was supposed to be the only one concieved of the Force? again, i don't see it that way. i see it as: Anakin was concieved BY THE WILL OF THE FORCE, he is still space jesus, HE is meant to bring balance because THE FORCE WANTS BALANCE. the Twins were concieved USING THE FORCE by the will of 2 mothers who wanted children. those two are not the same in my mind. i feel like until this point Anakin was the only one we knew of who'd been made with/by the Force, but that doesn't mean there had never been another similar case before, right? its just that we weren't aware, now we are. plus, knowing that some witches could use the Force to create life, adds to the idea that Plagueis and Sidius were researching creating life and cheating death, it means what they wanted to do was possible, and maybe they came across these exact witches? or their writings? and maybe used some of their techniques to experiment, maybe these techniques are part of how Palpy managed to return.. we don't know yet, but The Mothers creating the Twins doesn't erase any other previous concept or remove the significance if Anakin whatsoever. in my mind at least..

and the idea that "the show is recycling ideas" aka using the idea of twins again.. have you ever heard of a little quote by George Lucas " It's like poetry, they rhyme" ?? this has been a MAJOR part of SW ever since the prequels and they have been making references and nods and parallels between shows/movies/books/games for decades now and i think its a beautiful part of SW because they need to think of things that can work as "rhymes" in the given contexts, and that is ART in my mind..

yeah, the writing and line deliveries are a little wonky here and there, but it wouldn't be Star Wars otherwise. it has never been 100% perfection and that is fine. and i LOVE Star Wars and i will always sing its praises but i also see its flaws but as someone who has spent years in this fandom and has experienced the ups and downs of the franchise, i still don't see the Acolyte as "bad, lore-breaking fanfiction" as some claim it to be.

anyways, that's just my 2 cents, i don't intend to fight with anyone about this, i just needed to get this out of my system.

if you like Acolyte, cool. if you hate Acolyte, cool.

just.. try not to spread the hate too much? that's one part of SW that i am not proud of, how much hate some of can spew even when one of the main points of the franchise is that hate is bad and dangerous.. oh well.

anyway, again, I love Star Wars.

[politemagic]

thread the needle & ariadne's thread

“Thread the Needle” marks Vessel’s first true interactions with Sleep. Sleep has been watching him for some time, noting his pain and struggles to craft a plan to bring him into Their service. Sleep recognizes that the thing Vessel needs most is comfort and uses that to begin gaining his trust. Vessel begins to long for the comfort of these dreams that Sleep is showing him, though he hasn’t yet realized that it is Sleep who is responsible. This song, however, is the first time that Sleep presents Themself to him.

While looking at the lyrics to this song, I couldn’t help but draw a lot of connections between Vessel and the Greek hero Theseus. I’m not sure if anyone has ever really explored this before, but I had a lot of fun tying the myth of the Theseus and the Minotaur into this song and so I figured I would share some of my thoughts!

Bury me inside this labyrinth bed

We can feel that time is dilated

As a very brief refresher, in Greek mythology King Minos ordered the architect Daedalus to design the Labyrinth to imprison the Minotaur beneath Knossos. The Labyrinth was an extremely vast, complex maze that was nearly impossible to navigate, and as a punishment for the murder of his son, King Minos ordered the King of Athens, King Aegeus, to sacrifice 7 boys and 7 girls to the minotaur every nine years. This continued until Aegeus’ son Theseus volunteered himself as one of the sacrifices with the intention of finally slaying the Minotaur. Upon his arrival, King Minos’ daughter Princess Ariadne fell in love with Theseus. In an act of betrayal against her father, Ariadne gave Thesus a spool of thread that he used to guide him and the other Athenians out of the labyrinth after he killed the Minotaur. On their voyage home, they stopped on the island of Naxos, where Theseus and his crew abandoned Ariadne while she slept.

For simplicity, these are the major parallels I found:

King Minos = Sleep

Theseus = Vessel

Minotaur = Trauma/pain

Labyrinth = Dreamworld (presented by Sleep)

Sleep is the one calling Vessel into these dreams, just as King Minos ordered the sacrifices into the Labyrinth. Though Sleep isn’t intending to sacrifice Vessel, They are using the labyrinth to trap him into Their influence. Unlike Theseus, Vessel doesn’t immediately leave the labyrinth after he defeats the Minotaur. Instead, he relishes in his victory for some time, the death of the monster bringing him a sense of relief from the burdens of his pain and trauma. It feels as if time doesn’t exist in this world, like he exists in perfect freedom. This is when Sleep finally decides to present Themself to him.

We can spend the night in fascination

You can thread the needle

Time and time again

Sleep is telling him that it was Them who gave him the power to overcome that monster. They allowed him to feel that strength and power first, and then revealed that it was Them who bestowed it upon him, promising to continue so long as he surrenders himself to Sleep. The phrase “thread the needle” most often means carefully navigating a difficult situation between opposing forces. Sleep is presenting Themself as the missing piece to allow Vessel to make it through this dark period of his life, so long as he spends his nights with Them, and he is more than willing.

You turn the lights down

Come on and find out

You turn the lights down

Come on and find out

In a bonus sprinkling of Greek mythology, this just feels like a siren’s call, Sleep luring Vessel to his downfall. The specific phrasing here of “you turn the lights down” sounds to me more as if Sleep is simply narrating, implying the Vessel is coming on his own free will as opposed to Sleep commanding him to turn the lights down.

Something to confide in

Something to erase

Just look at where we're lying

An invisible space

Sleep continues offering to ease Vessel’s pain, playing to his specific wants. Vessel feels alone in his life, isolated by traumas, and Sleep offers to listen to him. He is constantly trying to forget past events, and Sleep offers to erase them and let him forget. This dreamworld in which they are interacting is a place that isn’t real, “an invisible space”, where real pains don’t exist. As he remains within the labyrinth, he begins to lose his connection with his humanity, and this is something that will only continue as the story progresses. 

In losing touch with his humanity, he begins to lose his attachment to Eden. Eden plays a very similar role in Vessel’s story as Princess Ariadne does in the story of Theseus. She loves him and cares for him, giving him the real strength (the “thread”) that he needs in order to make his way out of Sleep’s influence. But he has been seduced by Sleep, and that affiliation causes Vessel to hurt Eden as that relationship intensifies. Just as Theseus abandons Ariadne on the island of Naxos, Vessel abandons Eden in pursuit of his relationship with Sleep.

There are a few different reasons people believe that Theseus abandons Ariadne. For this comparison, I’ll be operating under the interpretation that Theseus abandoned her because Athena told him that she was only a distraction, that he needed to focus on his new role as King of Athens. Sleep will encourage Vessel to do the same thing to Eden, abandoning his love for her in interest of furthering Sleep’s plans and influence.

We can spend the night in fascination

You can thread the needle

Time and time again

You turn the lights down

Come on and find out

You turn the lights down

Come on and find out

I’ve been too nervous to share any of my thoughts from my lyrical analysis before, but my brain ran away with this one and I felt like I put a little too much time into it to keep it all to myself. If there are any other parallels you picked up on, or any other thoughts in general, or even if you think this is ridiculous feel free to add on!! I’d love to hear your thoughts, there’s so much to unpack with Sleep Token’s discography and I love reading other people’s theories and analyses.

[weirdocat83]

obsessed with your tags, talk mdzs at me pls

Uh.

1) thank you, I really just put the random thoughts I have in the tags and/or accidentally steal other people’s tags

2) some thoughts about mdzs below the cut (I have a lot of thoughts about this novel) ye ask any ye shall receive. If you want to hear my thoughts on something specific plz ask :3

• My fav characters in MDZS are Wei Wuxian and Nie Huaisang. I love how WWX can be very complicated when he wants to be and has many layers and sides to him. Like, the fandom likes to simplify his character to someone self deprecating but always smiling but he is very complex. He acknowledges his faults and has only tried to do what he deemed right at the time even if he regrets what he does in hindsight. He isn’t infallible. He literally tortured a man to death (even if it felt right to do it considering said man orchestrated a massacre and tossed him into a literal pit of suffering to die in) and was a major player in a WAR. He’s probably killed more than he can count. I feel like a lot of people forget that the main cast is a bunch of war heroes that must’ve had insane kill counts. Including LWJ. It’s quite tragic that none of them really had any good authority figures to lead them seeing as the majority of them were at most 20~30ish and cultivators usually live extremely long lives (at least, that’s my assumption) anyhow, WWX is very aware of his faults, especially post-resurrection as he did kinda fuck up when he accidentally killed JZX. He acknowledges that and makes an effort to apologize and atone. That being said, his faults don’t stop him from being confident and above all likable. Yes he can be annoying but he does know how to behave himself probably better than most (unlike what many members of the fandom like to think). He knows his position well and that it is incredibly precarious (in both lives) but still manages to fit in well enough with essentially nobility that he is good competition for the best in his generation. He is a genius and a great leader and that isn’t stressed enough. Though I think one of the small details in his character that I think gets overlooked is how he “parents” A-Yuan in the burial mounds. Because for as immature as he is when he’s burying A-Yuan in the ground, he also knows that he isn’t the only one caring for A-Yuan and therefore is allowed to be silly but when they’re out at the market and A-Yuan asks for a toy he makes the mature decision to save his money (although LWJ spoils the kid immediately after). This reflects a lot on WWX because it shows he can be very mature when he needs to be but when he doesn’t need to be he’ll happily rely on others. It also reflects on his upbringing showing he knows how important money is (in contrast to the lans who are shown on various occasions to not really think about money much) Personally I love his character because he seems like a person I’d get along with if he were real (which, the incredible writing makes his seems very realistic) meanwhile my other favorite, Nie Huaisang, I love because he is misleading. Some of my favorite fictional characters are very misleading because of the masks they put up to fool people to achieve their goals. How a character will know more than they should but not let anyone know until the moment is right. NHS is someone who is easily underestimated because he seems helpless and unintelligent. And yeah, for a majority of his life he really didn’t care to further his education or really practice cultivation but later he takes this preconceived notion that everyone has of him and uses it to his advantage so nobody suspects a thing while he plans JGY’s downfall. It’s a scarily intelligent move and I think the fact that he takes pleasure in looking at art/books really adds to the fact of how intelligent he is. Most people see his art as pointless hobbies but I think it says a lot about the qualities of his character. I think a lot of people take for granted the patience it takes to make good art or the intelligence it takes to appreciate good literature. So when NHS's older brother dies under mysterious circumstances that just so happen to help the Jins? of course he catches on! He proceeds to keep his enemy close for over a decade until he finally gets his moment of revenge. Which, to me? Props, man. plus only one person even realizes what happened. WWX. 

Some things I don’t particularly like about MDZS (some people may yell at me for this and I'm sorry but this is my opinion): 

- how weird the yi city arc felt? It feels very out of place as we go on this whole journey to learn about all these people and what happened to them but after that they are pretty much no longer relevant. I only found out later that the yi city arc was initially intended to be its own story. So that might be why.

- how certain things are just *left* and never touched on again? We hear all this stuff about baoshan sanren but we never see her or really learn much about her at all. Similarly, Wei Wuxian and Lan Wangji’s parents? We hear all these things about them but never learn much at all. Which is weird all things considered when you look at it. It feels like a lot of background info for not much payoff. Yes, it gives us a lot of vital information on why things played out the way they did but it doesn’t stop the feeling that there should’ve been more. Part of me appreciated it though because it gives us no more information than the characters really have. Just passing information that is common knowledge but never really looked into just like many actual people have.

- how everything ended off. So we have that whole scene at the temple and then everything just… calms down? They all go home??? It felt anticlimactic. Especially with Nie Huaisang’s character as (in the novel at least) it sets him up to be the next chief cultivator despite being just as, if not more, sneaky than Jin Guangyao. And that’s probably intentional. The chief cultivator position was likely never meant to be a position of absolute good. It’s politics. But it is a bit weird that we never really see what happens to Nie Huaisang after, post revenge and all.