#SO GOOD but they were very explicitly clear that it was not a robot

[rey-jake-therapist]

wanted to add to ur point about sauron's intentions for stabbing galadriel.

sauron wants galadriel to give in willingly and it was made clear pretty explicitly, imo.

he didn't stab her to kill her, and i don't think that he stabbed her to fully mind-control her. he stabbed her to bind her to him after she told him that their bond was broken, to open the door between their minds. and him being able to talk to her right after has to illustrate their strengthened bond and the door being wide open and nailed to stay open.

*maybe* when he told her to give him nenya while looking into her eyes after stabbing, he wanted to show her his sincere motivations to heal the middle-earth, and he succeeded to do so! gal wasn't as much "deceiving" him, as she was stating what she saw. she believed that he wanted to heal the middle-earth. but! she didn't believe that he would heal it. his methods were still unacceptable for her.

tbh, i never saw that scene as gal deceiving and sau being deceived bfr i came across this reading into it. i always felt like it was gal just saying that she sees what he wishes to do and him being happy that she finally sees it. he just thought that it meant she would join him and that didn't turn out to be the case.

and i don't think galadriel can use nenya to an extent where she is a match to sauron yet. it would be waaay to premature and rushed. and such emphasis on the morgoth crown stabbing, communicating via minds, and the shadow realm pulling her under (finrod's "the darkness tries to pull the ship under" comes to mind), would not make narrative sense if galadriel is suddenly immune to sauron's powers or darkness in s3, idk.

I agree with you, for most of it ! In this post I wrote recently, I expressed similar ideas to yours.

Not only I don't believe that Sauron wanted to kill Galadriel here (what do the writers have to do to convince these people that when Sauron wants to kill someone, he kills them ? Sometimes with a hand wave even ?? JFC), but I also don't think he wanted to mind control her, I don't think he's not interested in her light anymore, and I don't think his plan was to let her soul be absorbed into the Shadow realm.

I don't believe any of that because none of what he did afterwards makes sense, if it was his intention; all he had to do was to snatch Nenya while she was on the ground, even after she fell off the cliff, and patiently wait. Gil-Galad and Elrond would have been unable to help Galadriel without Nenya, soooo... What stopped him, if not that Sauron still craves Galadriel's light, and is not interested in enslaving her ?

I think Charlotte Brandström, or the showrunners confirmed that he wanted Galadriel to give him Nenya to him, because he wanted her to believe that he wanted to heal Middle-Earth. That's exactly why he smiled so happily when she said "you want to heal Middle-Earth"... He genuinely thought "at last, thanks to the bond I've just created between us, she understands now."

I think she deceived him when she seemed about to give him Nenya, but abruptly backed off and jumped herself off the cliff, though. Her behavior was very off, she acted as a robot, as if he was mind-controlling her. But she was able to refuse him and to escape, which can mean two things :

he was indeed mind-controlling her and she was able to snap out of it (maybe thanks to Nenya)

he wasn't mind-controlling her at all, but she was acting as if she had some kind of revelation that would make her join him, to distract him.

It's also worth noticing that he was probably able to read her mind as much as she could read his at this point, and she sensed it, so she had to be extra careful regarding her thoughts.

I agree that if all it takes is Nenya to protect her from the bond created by Sauron, then there's no point in this entire scene at all. If it turns out that the writers only wanted her and Frodo to have matching wounds so they could compare them later in Valinor, it will be really a waste of a good story.

[thekingofwinterblog]

Man the one thing Bionicle will allways have my respect for is the whole giant robot reveal amd planning, that shit was cool.

Like I never read any books or comics (just watched the movies as a kid lol) and of what I read of the lore I feel iffy, but just that idea alone is legendary

Funny thing is, the movies are actually the single WORST part of the bionicle franchise XD

Not only are the 3 good one, only decent movies at best, but they were made explicitly FOR fans, and fans alone, and has no shame about not telling you stuff because they fully expect the viewer to know all the lore through the books, the comic books, or games.

They are also absolutely terrible in terms of action, as the Toa in pretty much every other medium are stupidly powerfull, with elemental powers easily on level with an avatar state avatar if not beyond, physically capable of lifting over one ton, and as the toa mata estimated during their fights with the Bohrok swarms, while they might ultimately win if they just went all out, they would certainly destroy the island of Mata Nui(about the size of mainland denmark) in the process.

To say the movie toa arent quite on that level is... kinda an understatement XD Not to mention that the comics actually fills in scenes in between cuts in the movies, or just makes actual movie scenes better. It's kinda a mess to follow.

overall, I've always described the Bionicle franchise as the actual Star Wars extended universe. It's a whole mess of in-canon with each other stories, that has a very clear cronological flow, but would have been way better if they just made a tv series that covered the main story(which was basically the only thing bionicle DINDT have).

That said, i can tell you exactly why you think the lore is iffy. It is related one one, single sentence.

"Doing in the wizard".

Doing in the wizard, is a story telling trope, where something that was presented as magical or mystical, is later revealed(wheter it was planned or retconned in later) to actually have a mundane, scientific explanation.

And man, is Bionicle the single WORST example of this trope ever made.

So to explain this, and how it all relates to the series big twist reveal, I need to explain how Bionicle started out, and what it became over time.

Because when it began, Bionicle started out as a myth in the making.

On paper the story of the story of the six toa coming to deliver the land from a great evil is as stock as you get it.

But what made it special from day one, was that it managed to capture the feeling of a deeply spiritual tale, of faith, destiny, and myth.

The story of the six toa coming to deliver Mata Nui and his chosen people is treated, both by the narrative, and the people in it, as a great religious story, with the coming of the six Toa Mata essentially being this universe's coming of christ.

There is a moment in the mata nui online game that really encapsulates this, as when Tahu first meets the Ta-Matorans he is supposed to deliver, they attempt to trap him, and he easily breaks free, but then the fighting is halted as Vakama, the turaga(basically priest king) of the ta-matoran shows up, orders his men to stand down, after which he walks up to Tahu seemingly to talk, only to kneel down before him.

because for him this is basically the equivelant of the coming of christ. the divine prophecy that came from God himself is finally coming true.

Now Bionicle has a lot of things to love, as other than the movies, it has great action, it's characters are generally actual people with flaws and developments, and it has lots of awesome moments, amazing and deep world building that is stupidly thourough, and sweet character moments, and of course one of the biggest twists in fiction... but it is this very religious and spiritual tone that sets Bionicle apart from pretty much... everything else western childrens media has ever made.

It is this deep, unfliching and honest portrayal of a world that feels like a myth come to life that drew so many people to this story when it first came out, what ellevated it over yet another story about good and evil clashing.

The people in this story feel real, not only because they generally have actual character(some way more than others), but because they Believe in their world. as in, they believe in Mata Nui, his tennants, his story, and the six saviors he promised would come to deliver them and wake up their god.

this is how you create a real, genuine setting. it is why Bionicle has a feel to it that you never see in western childrens media(nor that often in adult either), other than some very, very few exceptions, due to our deep aversion to showintg religion to children.

and then of course there are the gods in question.

Mata Nui and Makuta. the two brothers who set this story into motion. The first who came here to this world, and created the matoran, and the second who followed him from paradise, and cast a spell that put mata nui into his current deep, deep sleep.

Now these two could have been just another set of "evil brother who who was jealous of, and hates his good brother and attempts to usurp him".

but that's not quite what we get.

When the toa Mata finally do confront Makuta, they get his perspective on it all. Now they ultimately write this off as just an evil villain trying to justify his actions... but if you actually break down what makuta is saying, he is a way more interesting villain than the very simplistic reading the devil figure the matoran believe he is.

"Destroy me? You cannot destroy me. No more than you can destroy the sea, or the wind. Or - the void."

"You are like the sea? The sea bears life! The sea bore us!"

"I bore you, for I am Nothing. And out of Nothing, you came. And it is into Nothing that you will go. I stand with Mata Nui, side by side. I am his brother. The people of the world are builders. But look into their hearts ... and you will find that they also have the power to destroy. I am that power. I am destruction. And I WILL destroy you."

ultimately, the story of the gods Mata Nui and Makuta is not the story of heaven and hell, but instead a story of yin and yang.

Mata Nui is the god of light, and that is the element that everyone associates him with... but thats not his main trait. his main trait, his defining virtue, is creation. That is what he is most famous for after all, creating the matoran and this island home for them.

Similarily, Makuta is tha god of darkness, as that is his element... but his main virtue is destrution.

as the creators themselves noted, using a lego methaphor, mata nui is the drive to create new things, to make something bigger and more interesting out of the parts you have... but Makuta is the drive to destory that creation, to take the lego set apart either before creating something new, or to put it away into the box so that you can use it later. before you create something new, you must destroy.

And this ties into the actual story as well, as one of the big main plots from the start is that to reawaken their god, one of the things that would happen, is that the toa and the matoran would have to give up on Mata Nui the island, their home, their promised land, as only by it's destruction could their god reawaken and lead them to the paradise he originally came from.

its really, really good stuff, and one of the things that ellevated Bionicle over so many other children stories.

now, you might have noticed i said, and continue to say, early bionicle.

There is a reason for that.

and it ties into two very, specific turning points in the development of the story.

the big twist that Mata Nui was actually a giant robot was always going to be the center of everything, the explanation for all the wierd mysteries of the series. Even if his final form didnt end up being quite as big as this above concept piece made him out to be, the overall point stands.

The god of the Matorans was a gigantic robot, and his childrens proper place was inside of him, both to live their lives, and to serve as part of the great ecosystem that was the universe inside of mata nui.

Mata Nui the island, which he created for the Matoran to live on, was always a temporary thing, and their true destiny was him brining them back to "Paradise", aka the great planet of the solar system this story takes place in.

Spherus Magna. a planet that was broken into 3 before he left, and left a hellscape.

his original home that he left long ago.

Now, you might have noticed that i said not a word about what Mata Nui's backstory on said planet actually was.

The only thing that is important as it was originally portrayed, was that Mata nui left the planet for whatever reason, ended up on the water filled moon he currently rests on, and his brother followed him there from paradise.

now, you could create a scenario where there was some scientific, "Mundane" reason for all of this, but if you read this summary so far, the first thought in your mind is probably that what broke this planet into 3 pieces was probably related to something Mata Nui and Makuta, the two known gods of this universe, did. Maybe it is the reason why Makuta no longer has a body, and ended up on this moon in a much weakened form as basically a spirit who can only inhabit souless machine parts.

and im going to take a wild guess that this is probably what was originally planned... but you see, there was a shift at some point. actually on two points.

The first shift was at the very start of Bionicle as we know it, for the series was actually meant to only last 1 year. The toa would defeat makuta, then awaken Mata Nui, and that was that. The end.

However, Lego, who was at the verge of bankruptcy at the time, saw potential in the setting, and given it was a hail mary to save their company said "Screw it, lets expand on this universe!

and so the original one year story became 3 years.

now this artifical extension could have been disasterous, but unlike so many other similar tales, it was the exact opposite.

Mata nui the island got more fleshed out, the big mystery got more build up, the characters got to go through more development, both in the form of a kickass new upgrade, but also character arcs as a result of their power increase going to their head.

new villains, new places to go, new developments.

all leading up to the point where it was now decided that they would end the story. The arrival of the seventh toa of light, which would be where makuta was finally defeated, and at the end of the planned movie that would be the finale, mata nui would finally awaken.

Except this part didnt happen.

at the last moment, Lego essentially pulled the plug and decided to extend the series, and the point where they would reveal the big twist for a second time.

that said, the following storyline of the big flashback to explain metru nui was always going to happen, its just that as originally envisioned, this would be a flashback as the Toa, Turaga and Matoren traveled to Metru nui, as Mata Nui was flying through space back to spherus magna.

So essentially the story was over, but lego got to get one more line of bionicle toys out of it, while the bionicle team got to have fun one more time.

But thats not what happened, as not only did mata nui not awaken(it would take 3 more storylines past this point before that happened), but the big flashback was where everything went wrong so to say.

this is where bionicle shifted hard from a story trying to be a myth with very clear religious and spiritual overtones, into full on sci-fi.

and you can tell that shift occured very clearly as they abandoned all their original plans for how metru nui was supposed to look like in the poster above, showing the very alien like enviornment that was mata nui's insides, into the far more boring and safe(as well as full on science fiction) setting in the poster below.

now im not going to say that everything that came after this point was bad, far from it, there was a lot of really awesome stuff that happened afterwards, but it was the critical turning point where Bionicle steered away from the essence that made it more than just another toyline, an attempt at creating a myth that while it had sci-fi aspects, was ultimately a story of faith, destiny, and trying to find ones place in the universe, into just another sci-fi story.

Basically you can sum it up as the point where mata nui went from a god who was also a giant robot, into just a giant robot.

and man, does it make the lore, and tone a mess.

while the new universe does make logical sense, it lacks the soul(pun very much intended) of what made bionicle, bionicle.

and you know what the really sad thing is?

The final part of the story, where Mata Nui is FINALLY awakened, only to lose his own body, and find himself trapped in his mask as its launched into space before crashing back on the shattered planet that he came from, could so easily have fit into this mythical storytelling.

what actually happens is that mata nui learns he was actually just a giant robot created by some scientis in a lab 100 000 years ago to travel the cosmos, learn about the universe, then come back and fix the broken planet. then he repairs his own, unstable, proto type body that wasnt really working out, makuta senses him and follows him, they duke it out, mata nui kills him, then uses the last of his energy to fix the planet, before dying. oh, also rather than being his actual brother, makuta was actually just a computer program mata nui created. and Makuta isnt even his real name. his actual name is Teridax. im not kidding. oh and the actual thing that destroyed the world? it was a fight amongst some tribesmen using the resident dues ex machina substance that began oozing from the planet's core. again, im not kidding.

here is how you could easily fix it, while keeping in the same tone with what was suggested in the first three years about makuta and mata nui's origins.

The exiled and humbled divine being, cast from heaven, and forced to wander the world he himself played a role in wrecking so long ago, as he travels across the world, and befriends the people he essentially left behind to create the matoran in a better place, rather than fix the mess he, ironically enough given his defining attribute, created.

basically a bionicle take on the atonement/labors of hercules.

and then, having wracked his brain on how to solve the problem of his brother having taken control over his own body, he stumbles upon the solution.

his brother's own, broken, non-active body, which after their ancienct, and catacylsmic clash his brother left behind to follow him to the ocean moon.

and so his journey becomes to essentially take a page out of his brothers book, and do what he did to him in reverse. Repair the mighty body of a god, and then take contrel over it.

after the great journey of hardship and pain, now comes the ressurection before ragnarok, the final battle.

see how easy it is to rewrite this story about what is essentially two computer programs fighting over different continent sized bodies into a story about gods fighting a thematic and climactic showdown on the ruins of a planet they themselves wrecked to pieces to begin with?

but of course the story has to end, and it ends on a note tying into the original message. you cannot create, withouth destruction coming first, and so to win this conflict, mata nui has to destroy something. himself.

His own body.

Like any good jesus analogue, he gives his own life in a sense, as he chooses to give up on the possibility of regaining his own body and with it, regaining his true power and goodhood for the sake of the future of his people and this planet, driving his own skull into the oncoming moon that served as his home for all these years.

and with his final bit of power as his brother's dying body begins to give up on life, he spends the last moments of godhood to do what he, the god of creation should have done from the start. fix the mess he and makuta left behind.

putting the massive planet back together into one whole, while also terraforming it into the green wonder it used to be.

then, we end the story as we began. with a prophecy, where Mata Nui predicts before his toa, as his spirit returns to slumber once again that he will return, but for now, they must make their way forward withouth him, in this new world, that they now must make their own destiny here on the Paradise he promised them so long ago.

I dont know about you, but i think that would have been a lot more interesting that desperately trying to rewrite the entire setting to be full sci-fi because you didnt want to continue with the spiritual and religious themes that you never managed to shake off anyway.

mind you, it's not impossible to have this kind of twist and make a good story about it, but when you commit to telling what is essentially a religious tale that is basically the coming of christ, Ragnarok, the exodus, and the eternal kingdom on earth into one, you are not going to be able to swerve into making it full on sci-fi withouth it feeling, really, really jarring.

And guess what? it makes Bionicle Lore feel really, really jarring. Or iffy as you put it.

[elfdragon12]

So I got a message in my inbox that tumblr somehow gobbled up relating to my post about the "IDW1 Megatron hating organics, but some fans were in denial because James Roberts brushed his xenophobia off too easily and/or they hadn't revisited it in a long time" thing. (It's not even the first time this has happened where I see a message, read it, click away for a moment, and then it's gone.)

This person commented how it seems to be more of a trend in modern sci-fi and fantasy stories that humans tend to be seen as the bad guys, whether or not that's actually true. Their charitable view was that this is because humans in these more fantastical stories are considered "boring". The less charitable view was that fans/writers are more misanthropic.

I think both are right.

A Transformers example is how humans are written in the G1 cartoon versus how they're written in Earthspark. To be honest... Humanity in Earthspark... Does legitimately have reason to be resentful of the Cybertronians. Two different human members of the main cast are amputees due to the Cybertronian war. (And the season 2 writers pretty much legitimized the season 1 antagonists.) Though Megatron has turned Autobot/good guy, the only humans he seems to be genuinely interested in are still just Dot and her family. He shows very little regard or sympathy towards any other humans. Meanwhile, we know that Optimus does try to maintain good relationships with other humans besides the main family. The big reasons that humanity's resentment of Cybertronians seems so bad is that we spend all our time with the Cybertronians, this is said to children who had nothing to do with it, the audience has very little context for how the war even happened, and older fans are much more resentful towards human characters thanks to the Michael Bay movies.

Another example is "War of the Worlds" by HG Wells versus "Gundog" by Gary Whitta. Both of these stories are alien invasion stories that turn pretty sour for humanity. Now, for total transparency, Gundog audio episodes came up as a guest episode on a podcast I really like, but I didn't enjoy Gundog so I never went to finish. The big reason why I didn't like it, however, relates to this topic. The narrator suggests that humanity deserved to be slaughtered and enslaved because they didn't share resources with the aliens and attacked them... Yikes(tm). This has a lot of gross implications when you sit and think about it for a few minutes. On the other hand, War of the Worlds is explicitly a criticism of British imperialism/colonialism. There are at least two lines, one towards the beginning and one towards the end, that make this very clear. HG Wells writes a variety of reactions towards this invasion (the artillery man actually made me think of Andrew Tate, all these big plans but little actual skill to pull them off), yet, despite this being a criticism of colonialism, never really implies that humanity deserved the attack (the closest being that this perhaps taught the British some empathy towards their colonies).

Now, part of this is more awareness of civil rights movements, but a criticism I've seen of using these themes of prejudice as metaphors for real life is that... Humanity often has perfectly legitimate reasons to fear some of these groups. In the 2005 IDW Transformers run, there were around 700,000 casualties on Earth alone, so yeah! Humanity, and organics in general, are not going to have a lot of charitable feelings towards these giant robots who only bring war and fighting! However, the POV characters are from these other groups, so the audience is not encouraged to actually think about the situation much beyond "wow! Humans are so prejudiced! They're being so mean to this not-human character I'm reading about!" when that's not really the case. Or at least, not the whole case.

Just something to think about. A lot of thought and nuance can be put into this topic.

[ladyloveandjustice]

Spring 2023 Anime Overview-Mobile Suit Gundam: The Witch from Mercury Season 2

In my review for season one of Mobile Suit Gundam: The Witch from Mercury, I praised the show for being a compelling sci-fi full or intrigue, centering a well developed queer romance between the robot-piloting protagonist and all around precious girl, Suletta Mercury, and her fierce fiancé, Miorine Rembran.

But having been burned by anime before, I said I would hold off on recommending the entire show until it finished, and crossed my fingers tight that season 2 wouldn’t drop the ball.

The great news is that I can now wholeheartedly recommend the show. The final season did not drop the ball. It remained a great watch, the romance and relationship development continued to be worthwhile and excellent, and it was consistent with the strengths of the first season. It wasn’t perfect, which I’ll get into, but it was very good. Whether you’re here for girls in love, robots wrecking each other, tense battles between opposing political factions, or morally-horrifying moms on a revenge spree, you’re in for a treat.

The shocking last moments of the first season have some great relationship fallout, and the series delves into how Suletta was truly brainwashed by her mother. Miorine’s struggles to come to terms with the bloody legacy she’s inherited and her relationship with Suletta can withstand such a thing. Suletta grapples with her mother’s deception and her own individuality. Both are compelling arcs that built upon the groundwork the first season laid and lead to some nice relationship drama.

(Also, the credit sequence was awesome.)

The parallels between the two girls really pop this season as they both have to confront their mistakes, shoulder their sins, and see if they can move forward with the other. You really see how they mirror each other, and how they need each other. The romance ball isn’t dropped and becomes even more textually explicit, with Suletta explicitly stating she's into Miorine and no one else and eagerly anticipating the wedding, while Miorine also makes her intentions with Suletta very clear.

The second season is also a lot faster paced than the first, delivering tense and heartbreaking episodes one after another and leaving you on the edge of your seat. A lot of the conflicts that had been building from the first episode came to an explosive crescendo. Those bombs dropped and the carnage was wonderful. It was exciting, we saw more sides of the conflict, spent some time on earth, and got to see some unexpected depth in several characters. And yes, there were approximately a million more Utena references, some that made me laugh out loud.

However, this season wasn’t perfect. I was already having a little trouble following all the different factions and agendas in the first season, and this season exacerbated the problem. And while some characters got great roles, there were just so many. That meant a lot of them didn’t have any space to develop or even serve a clear purpose. There were a lot of characters I was excited to see do something, who the show built up as super ominous and meaningful and...then they did nothing. As funny as it is that several characters can be summed up as "s/he did fuck all the whole show and then bounced, king shit", it's also a letdown.

And this season really threw into focus how many of the more distinctive supporting characters were barely explored. Suletta’s bond with Earth House was a major plot point, but we barely know anything about most of them so it doesn't hit as hard as it should. Even Chuchu, who was one of the more developed ones, felt under-served as fan favorite. For instance, there were several bits where she entered the battle and it was treated like a big deal…and we didn’t even get to see her fight, presumably because the show didn’t have time. And it was worse for other characters- I couldn’t even tell you the names of most of the girl squad working with Shaddiq. They all had such potential as characters, I wish we'd gotten more of them. Things that should be impactful the narrative, like Miorine's dad and the consequences to his actions and what it means for their relationship, were barely explored (not that I'm all that interested in him, but it was weird after the emphasis the first season put on it).

No major balls were dropped in the conflict between the Spacians and Earthians, but it also felt like it got lost in the shuffle at times and I felt like the show could have had a clearer ideology. The “war is bad” and “exploitative corporations are bad” came through loud and clear, but it felt like some threads could have been followed up on more.

In hindsight, I was also disappointed how much of the season Suletta and Miorine spent separated- some of that was plot relevant, but some of it was just clearly so they could learn exposition separately, and considering how important the relationship was to the show, it felt like a waste.

A good chunk of screentime was also waited Guel’s brother, Lauda. While Guel’s arc was solid and he’s the character who changed the most throughout the show, his brother and his tendency to blame any woman Guel was standing near for all their problems was not compelling (Nanami did it better). So it felt like there was a conflict involving him just to give Guel something to do during the fighting and tie a bow on things. Even the characters involved admitted what happened was kind of dumb, and I would have liked to see one of the more interesting unexplored characters get development instead.

The finale was especially rushed, and while there were cool moments, I couldn’t really describe how the battle was fought, and even one of the characters in the show admits that certain plot developments don’t make sense. I also couldn’t tell you exactly how exactly the villain’s big plan worked, which is kind of important!

You just had to be like “oh okay, well, pretty lights, stuff happened, don’t know why that was a thing, that was the power of love I guess, I’ll just soak up the vibes.” Which isn’t the end of the world, a lot of anime does that, but it stuck out because all the battles before that had their fantastical mechanics (mostly) clearly explained, There were also several reconciliations I would have been more okay with if the show had spent more time on what the messy process of repairing that broken trust looked like, but because it didn’t, it felt unearned.

And finally, the show spent a lot of time talking about a huge romantic event and in the end we…didn’t see it. It’s made clear it happened off screen, but the fact we didn’t see the event the show itself made such a big deal about felt like a let-down and even a bit of a cop-out, if I’m being honest. I get that outside forces may have been responsible, but it doesn't change my disappointment.

Basically what most of the complaints amount to is that I really enjoy this show, but I feel it needed to be longer than it was. At the very least, the events of the final episode could have used two episodes to unfold, so everything could be fully developed, and we could fully see how the characters ended up where they were. But ideally…Gundam series are typically 50 episodes, and I feel like this show might have been better served as a show of that length (or even 37 episodes/3 seasons). This show had a huge cast, a huge world, and a lot going on. I think we needed to spend a lot more time with the characters to get to know their backstories, personalities and agendas. I would have loved some “filler” episodes focusing on a minor character, or Suletta and Miorine going on a disastrous date.

However, overall I was satisfied with the ending. I came out feeling like a winner. It was fun, a lot of the characters ended up where I wanted them to be, and I liked how things turned out. There was an acknowledgement that a corrupt system of war profiteering and exploitation could not be taken down in one stroke, but that our heroes were going to keep fighting. I dearly want a slice of life following all these people at the end of the day, and my investment in the characters is a sign of a job well done.

The show also continued to treat it’s array of fat characters with respect, and it had some good disability representation as well, highlighting some disabled people leading fulfilling and joyful lives.

I really wish G-Witch could have been the absolute best version of itself. But the version we got is still pretty great. I definitely had a fantastic time with the show, was often touched by it, and I’ll carry the excellent characters with me for a long while. The textual romance between two female leads in a mainstream franchise like Gundam is a monumental achievement, and the show handled the relationship well. I hope its success opens the door for more like it. We deserve more stories like this- stories of all genres where queer people are important and get to go on grand adventures, are protagonists, are a normal part of the setting, where we see the kind of people anime usually ignores (fat people, non-Japanese people of color, queer people and disabled people...) are treated with respect, where the story embraces all even as it explores injustice. G-witch is an important step, and I’m sure it will be remembered fondly for years to come. And I sure wouldn’t say no to an OVA to fill in some of the blanks.

[yuutsunaoi-writes]

𝙏𝙖𝙧𝙤𝙩 𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙙𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙬𝙞𝙩𝙝 𝙔𝙤𝙣𝙖𝙜𝙖-𝙘𝙝𝙖𝙣!

prompt: 'Saihara-can would you like me to do some tarot card readings?' + 'Ouma-kun that's just pictures of me' + angie third wheeling

a/n: I was thinking of including this in my saiouma 'Back and Forth' fic but I ended up writing this as a shorts- (I may still write another version of this in Back and Forth though-) 

(inspired by this meme I found on Pinterest!!)

The other day, Angie Yonaga was visited by someone she had least expected to be visited by: Kokichi Ouma. 

Angie, who found peace in art and loved talking about Atua, found it odd that the Ultimate Supreme Leader suddenly dropped by and asked if she could lend him some of her tarot cards. 

It was unsure how that purple head knew she had tarot cards, but she lended it to him anyway. She occasionally would use those cards to persuade others to join her to worship Atua, so she deduced Kokichi probably knew from then. 

The Ultimate Supreme Leader thanked her giddily and told her that he wanted to do some readings on a rival evil organization that was threatening his own organization, but Angie knew better than to believe in the absurd reasoning. 

So she went along and asked Kiibo to keep an eye on Kokichi. The robot was reluctant, but she insisted that it would be for the greater good. She told him to tell her if he saw Kokichi walking around with cards. 

A few days later, Kiibo told her that he saw Kokichi being cards around and entered the library. 

In a haste, Angie made her way to the library, and found Kokichi and Shuichi sitting at a table together. 

From afar, the two were just conversing like they normally would. Since the two of them were the only ones talking in the library, Angie could easily make out what they were talking about if she focused. 

"Shumai! Would you like me to do some tarot card reading for you?!" Kokichi suddenly asked excitedly, eyes probably gleaming in enthusiasm. Shuichi furrowed his eyebrows at the sudden excitement, but agreed to it nonetheless. 

So not really a rival for his organization, but perhaps a rival for his intelligence then? Saihara-kun has always been a smart fellow. 

Kokichi eagerly took out some cards, and Angie was quick to realize that those were not her tarot cards. 

Did she hear him wrong then? 

The Ultimate Supreme Leader proudly put the cards on the table faced down, grinning before he picked one and flipped it. 

"Well, Saihara-chan, I'm an expert in tarot card reading! Lemme show you! Take this card for example; this was the time when you had just entered the academy and befriended Akamatsu-chan - your first love! That lovesick look in your eyes as she preached about teamwork is really disgusting. Just kidding! It's adorable! Geez, Akamatsu-chan should just reject you straight up so I could ask you out! 

That was a lie though! I'd rather date someone else!"

…what… ? 

Angie, confused, turned to look at Shuichi who looked a little embarrassed, clearing his throat as he murmured, 

"... She's a really… nice person. It's hard to not… uhh… Anyways. Ouma-kun, those are not tarot cards-"

"Let's move on to the next card!" Kokichi cut Shuichi off, choosing another card and flipping it. He laughed in his typical 'nishishi' way, and started talking. 

"This one tells me that you could be so damn straightforward and attractive if needed. That's what everyone thinks anyway! Saihara-chan's charisma when he's serious about solving a case could be very charming~ Geez Saihara-chan's a playboy~ Is this why you kept on ignoring Akamatsu-chan's and my love confessions?! What a horrible guy!"

Shuichi blinked in surprise, staring at Kokichi as if that midget had grown two heads before he scoffed, a subtle delighted yet embarrassed tone following his words after. 

"I'm not so attractive that I have people throwing themselves at me, Ouma-kun. Also, Akamatsu-san has never explicitly told me that she likes me like that. Another point, don't I already have you? You and your words that are more often than not feigned as lies?"

The Ultimate Supreme Leader gasped, making a show of clutching at his heart as he accused the detective with tears welling up in his eyes,

"What's up with those cringe-worthy words, Shumai?! Are you actually planning to seduce me before selling me off to the black market?! How terrible of you!" 

"How did you even come up with that absurd idea?!" Shuichi groaned, his frustration perhaps catching up to him. 

The Ultimate Detective suddenly stood up, snatched the picture Kokichi was 'reading', and inquired in all seriousness. 

"How come you have a picture of me at a crime scene outside of the academy anyway? Pretty sure my uncle was the only one who knew beforehand that I would be there just to get some experience."

Kokochi grinned cheekily at the question, and Angie found his next answer very intriguing. 

"Of course, because I've met your uncle and he obviously supported our relationship!" 

Angie saw how Shuichi faltered at the claim, cheeks taking the lovely shade of red as he gaped at the supreme leader who kept on his innocent grin. 

Somehow, it was Shuichi's turn to come up with a ridiculous idea. 

"Did you blackmail my uncle?!" 

Angie had to hold her laughter in, covering her mouth as she tried her best to stifle laughter at this sudden turn of events. Even Kokichi seemed to be enjoying himself, resting his cheek on the palm of his hand as he smiled mischievously. 

"Eh~ Busted already~? I mean, it's so easy to blackmail your uncle, Saihara-chan~" 

Shuichi couldn't seem to accept it as the truth and sputtered. 

"But that's absurd."

"So which one is the lie, and which one's the truth, Saihara-chan? 

Come on, think! Aren't you the detective around here?" Kokichi taunted, still with that unnervingly well-putted evil smile on his lips. 

The answer was obvious, but Shuichi probably couldn't comprehend the idea of his uncle meeting someone and suddenly supporting his relationship with said someone. 

A little bit flustered, Shuichi cleared his throat and gestured vaguely at the other picture to divert the topic of conversation. 

"What does the last picture mean anyway?" 

The Ultimate Artist was not letting that happen under her watch. 

Before Kokichi could follow along the detective's request, Angie loudly got out of her hiding spot, a bright smile on her lips as she strode towards her classmates and snatched the last picture, glancing at Kokichi who complained about her ruining their fun. 

Angie beamed at Shuichi, and said, 

"Atua told me that something is brewing in the library, and that I should ask Saihara-kun which is the truth and which is not! Could you give me your answer, Saihara-kun?" 

Shuichi, embarrassed that he couldn't get out of the topic, groaned barely audibly before he answered meekly. 

"... At least let me introduce you to him, Ouma-kun… "

Kokichi grinned teasingly and instantly forgot the last picture, standing up in triumph before literally dragging Shuichi out of the library to celebrate the start of their 'phantom thief-detective relationship'. 

(The purple head suddenly clarified that the relationship that Shuichi's uncle was so supportive of was a phantom thief and detective relationship. Questionable, really.) 

Before the duo leave though, Angie smiled amicably while Kokichi gave her a blank look - to tell her to not follow them, probably. 

Either way, there's some 'tarot cards' that weren't yet to be read. 

So she stared at the picture of Kokichi staring at a smiling Shuichi who was talking to Kaede, and realized that perhaps Atua had planned for her to be there. 

After all, if Shuichi were to see this picture, Kokichi's 'crush' might as well be as hidden as her love for Atua. 

In other words, very apparent. 

[starshine-selfships]

YOURE ALSO SHIPPING WITH AN ANGEL NAMED GABRIEL!?? TELL ME ALL ABOUT IT!!!! 🩷🩷🩷

GOD GOD YES!! Also fun fact I lowkey knew you specifically would see those tags and got excited to see if you would say anything hfjgrgj

Here's the guy of the hour, the week, the YEAR

(The art with the oranges is my own lmao)

I got the game he's from as a gift for Christmas from a friend who really likes it (and I was like yeah!! I wanna play the game too!!) so everything I'm saying has a grand total of a month and a half behind it, and I feel like the short time duration is important to highlight the insanity here kdjffk

ALRIGHT SO spoilers for the entirety of ultra.kill as a game bc he's integral to the overall plot, but some background before Gabby, the game is centered around a robot (controlled by the player) descending down through 9 layers of hell a la dante's inferno style, bc this particular machine is blood powered and mankind has been completely wiped out (partially by war, partially by something that hasn't been made 100% clear yet), so you're just going around slaughtering everything in sight, with the chunkiest graphics known to man along the way.

Gabe's role here is to step in and try to stop you bc you're basically a walking abomination to all that is holy, Gabe is the angel that sends people to hell and is also the one chosen to carry out the will of god so he's also done a lot of killing to do that; he loses to the machine, gets so mad he curses at you (calls you an insignificant fuck) and then leaves, but we see a little behind the scenes, where we learn he's never lost a fight like this and the rest of the angels call it heresy; they sever his connection with divinity and tell him he has 24 hours to fix everything or he'll die. So naturally, next fight he's pissed as hell, and starts out MAD, yelling and threatening, but as it goes on, he starts having fun and laughing and taunting, and when he loses again, he says he feels relieved and needs time to think. He starts introspecting and starts questioning everything he's been told after he realizes he wasn't feeling hatred, but a sort of passion in the challenge of the fights. He starts asking himself if the angels he followed were actually in the right, and ends up killing them all, accepting that he's going to die but that he'll die not only having been freed from the constraints placed on him, but also having freed heaven itself from the angels that basically held it hostage with their power.

He's also as close to trans as you can get without explicitly calling him such! The devs discussed angels and pronouns in a recent stream and said they wanted angels to have no pronouns if possible, but then realized that they needed to gender Gabe when another character wrote a diary entry about him, so they settled on pronouns as a mark of angel status, which means that he didn't originally use he/him, but picked it up later and continued to use it no matter what; the other angels called him "it" after the took his divinity, but the overall narration still uses masculine pronouns for him, so it comes with the implication that he's still exactly who he knows he is, no matter what is said about him, which. as a trans man. good lord fhsjg the trauma of his arc hits very close to home for me and that was part of what propelled him into the spot he has on this blog.

The other thing that got him here was. and there really isn't any other way to say it. This man turned everyone into rabid animals, I have never seen so many people look at a character and desire him so violently, everyone wants to do unspeakable things to this man and it is so funny hdsjgks his VA will also voice pretty much anything in-character as well, so there's a lot of unhinged bullshit that makes for an absolutely incredible image of this man. He's a little uptight at first and throws a fit when things don't go his way, he seems like the exact kind of man that would be kind of silly, this man would struggle to peel an orange, throw it at a wall, and then later hang his head in his hands about it. This man would be able to speak multiple languages but would somehow mispronounce every single word as he goes. He's an astounding character and he's also kind of pathetic and something about all these factors just. lobotomized me. There is a gay little angel where part of my brain should be and I've just accepted it. I had a gay dream about him one single week after I saw him in game, the grip he has on me is UNREAL and I've fully accepted it.

He gives the very fun aspect of "is not human and has no idea what humans need or how they act", which makes him utterly hilarious to me, I wanna see this man try to preheat the oven, he is trying so hard to cook something for me and he is burning it so badly, he does NOT know what a car is and is frankly too wary of it to even consider getting in it. People also arrived at the consensus that he's probably very tall, it's been confirmed that there are no canon heights in the game, but everyone has agreed that Gabby is at least 7 feet tall and it is the funniest thing on earth to me. Very large and somewhat confused angel who means the best trying very hard in his new environment. Oh my god wait when the developers had that stream I mentioned they also talked about Gabe for a bit in regards to his personality bc in-game he saved someone from being swept away in the river styx (now an ocean after an influx of souls), and they were so grateful they added a fully functional hologram of him onto their ship, saying the lines he'd said when he'd saved them, and the devs said that they'd wanted that to be a glimpse into what Gabriel is like when he's not immediately targeting you as an enemy or fighting, and the specific words they used were "he's kind and loving" and that short-circuited my brain immediately upon impact.

He is The Guy Ever, he's basically trans and 70% of the people who drew him gave him top surgery scars even before the devs talked about gender, he's got religious trauma and guilt, he's too tall and has probably never read a book outside of the bible, he giggles and whimpers, he is considered to be one of if not the most wifeable character in the entire game, he has an official body pillow, I want to put him in pretty little outfits, I want to hold his hand and take him to the beach, I want to pin him against a wall, he is. Such A Guy,, thank you so much for asking me about him he makes me feel so insane hsgjsdl

[navree]

I love House Tyrell too !! ❤️❤️❤️ That’s who really knows how to play the Game of Thrones - looking at you Olenna 👀 -

Speaking of House Tyrell, don’t you think that what Margaery was accused for, I mean adultery and disloyalty because she too enjoyed the company of handsome men, was very similar to what Rhaenys was accused for? 🤔 Was the concept the same for both of them? Are they really guilty? Honestly, they seem to have many similarities - like being shrewd and maybe even manipulative politicians - and I would love to read your thoughts ❤️

There's some similarities, but not a whole lot. The main thing with the accusations against Margaery is that they're not whispers at court like it seems to have been with Rhaenys, these are legal accusations of treason. Margaery is currently waiting to be tried, in what amounts to a Westerosi court of law, for committing high treason against the king, her husband, by engaging in affairs with other men. These are allegations being made publicly and specifically with the intent to prove her guilty of a crime. In Rhaenys's case, these appear to have amounted little more to the occasional rumor, certainly never anything as formal as what Margaery's going through.

There's also the place they're in as queens when any allegations of impropriety are being made. Margaery is the wife of a king with very little authority, since Tommen is like eight years old and isn't anywhere near power right now, and she herself has no way of cementing any power the way a queen typically would, since she's sixteen and it is generally frowned upon for sixteen year olds and eight year olds to consummate a physical relationship. Rhaenys, on the other hand, had been Aegon's wife for a while, and was very clearly favored by him, and had cemented her place in his life as his preferred romantic and sexual partner in a way that was clearly visible to everyone. That's probably why there wasn't anything beyond the occasional rumor of her liking comely young men, because it wouldn't have been able to get that far with an authoritative king who wouldn't take those accusations against his wife sitting down.

So on that front, they're both in very different situations, with Margaery's being far more precarious, but the original concept is kind of the same, since the idea of "this powerful woman is actually a secret slut" is something we've seen not only throughout history, but still being done to modern female politicians and leaders today (that or calling them frigid robots).

Is Margaery guilty? Honestly, no. It's been a good while since I read AFFC, but it seems to be pretty clear that all of this was made up out of whole cloth and all orchestrated by Cersei because she wanted Margaery out of the picture in order to forestall the coming of Maggy's prophecy. She convinces people she knows to claim that Margaery was unfaithful, or that they were unfaithful with Margaery, and all of those people recant their charges. The only one who doesn't is the Blue Bard, who is very explicitly written as having been tortured into confessing to the point where he's gone mad as a result of the ordeal. No one was concocting any rumors that Margaery was unfaithful or promiscuous before Cersei decided to do her thing, and it's pretty clear not only to the reader, who has access to Cersei's thoughts, but also to a lot of the people in King's Landing, that these allegations just straight up aren't true.

Is Rhaenys guilty? A bit harder to say. Unlike ASOIAF, F&B is not a proper narrative, where you can get into people's heads and see their thoughts and motivations. It's a history book, without the access to inner monologues and closed door conversations and private accountings that a narrative with POV and characters can have. And this section of F&B is, as I've said repeatedly, really just not one that has a lot of information about the people it's talking about, and certainly never anything from their perspective. So, while we can't ever know for certain whether Rhaenys did or didn't have affairs, I'm pretty certain that she didn't. The main point of evidence just seems to be that a) she patroned singers who happened to be young, we know that her patronage had a distinct propagandist bent that was her primary motivator and b) that Aenys didn't really act like Aegon, but those rumors about Aenys are explicitly stated to have died away the second Aenys was able to bond with Quicksilver (and in general, I'm willing to cut a toddler going through a mental breakdown because his mom was very suddenly killed in action some fucking slack).

As to whether Margaery and Rhaenys are similar, maybe. They're both intelligent and they both possess a clear understanding of the political landscape, and appreciate using politics to shape how the kingdom is run as opposed to a more militant approach, and they're both well loved by the populace and appear to know how to use that to their advantage. But we don't really know all that much about Rhaenys, and meanwhile with Margaery, since we're not in her head and we view her through people who have a pretty distorted view of the world (Sansa and Cersei), so we don't necessarily have the clearest view on her either. I think Rhaenys is also just a bit more settled, she enters the history books already as a woman in her mid-twenties, where Margaery is still just a teenager, and as such has a bit more mastery over herself and the world around her than Margaery currently does.

[thewertsearch]

Asks Compilation 20/11 - 2

CC: I will need to connect after my goofball moirail does so I can keep my goggles on )(is nefarious escapades. [...] CC: Isnt t)(at w)(at youre doing too? Joining late to keep an eye on yours? GA: I Dont Know For A Fact That She Is Mine CC: )(a)(a youre not supposed to know for a FACT dummy! [...] GA: I Know GA: But What If I Dont Really Want Her To Be That

This initially sounded like Kanaya wasn't sure if she wanted any kind of relationship with Vriska, but in retrospect, it's clear she was just confused about the type of relationship she wanted.

The post quoted above is my analysis of Equius and Nepeta's relationship. We now know, more or less, the 'reason' that she puts up with him - but I'm still not convinced she should.

For sure - it would have highlighted their relationship as a moirallegiance a lot earlier than the comic did.

I probably wasn't going to guess that they were moirails, though - hell, I still probably wouldn't be able to guess it, if it hadn't been explicitly stated!

I think moirallegiance is romantic. It exists under the umbrella of troll romance, after all. I just think it's also platonic - a contradiction that would confuse a human, but would make perfect sense to a troll.

Not a problem! Shipping dynamics are confusing enough when we're just talking about one type of relationship.

'The Joker has a pitch crush on Batman' is not the take I expected to see in my inbox, but damn if it doesn't make sense.

Never mind. This is the take I needed to see.

I see it, and I'm never going to stop seeing it. Honestly, I'm not sure Ianthe is capable of any kind of relationship other than a pitch one.

This is so funny. Is Homestuck really enhancing my reading of The Locked Tomb to this degree? Is this really what we're doing now?

Oh my god, I didn't even think about Augustine and Mercymorn. What they have going on is a hot mess, and kismesissitude describes it perfectly.

Oh, damn. Muir really is a diehard fan, isn't she? I'll have to read her fics when I'm done.

Just for the record: Harrow and Palamedes are totally moirails, and he auspisticizes for her and Gideon in Canaan House. In this essay I will

See, I know what you meant, but I do love the idea that swearing is banned on Alternia.

Maybe that's why they use quirks? To get past Trollian's filtering? lmao

Doof and Perry are clearly moirails, with Perry as the pacifier. His calming influence is obvious, as Doof's 'villainy' gradually becomes more and more benign throughout the show, and their relationship becomes increasingly casual.

"they seem like very good moirails! :)"

I wonder what the demographics are around troll orientations, actually. It seems as if you can form a kismesis/matesprit pair with a troll of any gender, so maybe trolls are predominantly pansexual.

Honestly, these symbols are very useful. The quadrants are surrounded by an overwhelming amount of terminology, so it's good to have them as shorthand. Equius♦Nepeta, Kanaya♥Rose, etc.

Anonymous asked: Something interesting is that Equius's violent impulses are actually comparatively stable. He definitely has them, but he's managed to get a constructive outlet for them in the form of robot cage-matches. Compare the outright-genocidal CA, vriska's manipul8ion and crippling of Tavros + murder of all those other trolls, or to a certain extent Terezi's own love of carnage. The only trolls in the top half of the hemospectrum we've met who haven't demonstrated any 'violent urges' are Kanaya and Gamzee [...] Equius might be fucked up, but he has mechanisms and strategies to not take it out on anyone around him.

There's also CC, the only high-blood whose disposition remains a relative unknown. We've just been semi-officially introduced to her, though, so we'll probably be seeing more of her soon.

Anyway, you're right - Equius has his coping mechanisms, and the implication is that he could be a lot worse. We haven't seen Nepeta act as his moirail yet, but maybe she's been doing so offscreen.

Thank you! I'm pretty sure it boils down to the fact that the quadrant system is fairly complex, and I love that shit. Give me a set of rules, and I'll analyze the hell out them, every time.

This is something that Hussie has always been good at, both in Homestuck and Problem Sleuth - and it seems like it can even make shipping interesting to me.

To Gamzee, Equius is a friend with detriments.

To Equius, Gamzee is a friend with weird caste system baggage that he isn't sure how to deal with. Plus, he's clearly into him, although I can't figure out in which quadrant.

Yeah, I guess it's always possible that a 'typical' auspistice doesn't need much social ability. When you get right down to it, all you really need to do is keep the warring parties apart, so anything beyond that might cross the line into advanced auspisticism.

Maybe a 'meddler' like Kanaya is indeed a rarity, which would make per a particularly popular auspistice. Like I said, there aren't a lot of trolls around with a disposition like hers.

I haven't decided yet if I'll be liveblogging anything after Homestuck - but I've added it to the list of prospective projects. We'll see how I feel when Homestuck is finished with, in late 2034.

Yup - if we interpret a 'spadekind specialist' as a master of caliginous relationships, then Karkat's the one who fits the bill.

[dana-chan-the-control-brain]

I'm not anon but I just came here to say they're right for liking Dadler and they shouldn't be afraid to say it. I understand why people don't like him or the idea of him being redeemed and I understand they feel very protective over Sun and Moon but like...

Nuance exists, people. Someone can do bad things in their past and become better later on down the road and they shouldn't just be written off as bad forever because of their past actions, ESPECIALLY if they're trying to make a change and repent.

Also, wasn't Dadler under the influence of Afton? So, like, very much not making his own decisions when he did those awful things? Obviously Sun and Moon are under no obligation to forgive him and Dadler trying to be better doesn't erase the trauma that he caused... but isn't it better that he TRIES to do good and repent rather than just remain some evil bastard forever? (And again, Afton's influence not his own choices.) Honestly the parallels between him and Moon are kinda obvious and we can't ignore them just 'cause Moon is our little scrunkly and Dadler is the one who hurt him.

Oh wow! I didn't expect such an insightful ask like this. Lol

Yes, Dadler was under the influence of Afton when he built Sun and Moon, but how much is up for debate in Lofi, which is made a little more clear in Dadler Lives Au.

Like Afton's influence and how the glitch works in my fic is that it basically gatekeeps your own serotonin away from you. Doesn't matter if he eats healthy, or actually gets his necessary vitamins... It's Afton's government-mandated happiness now and property of Fazbear Entertainment. "build the robot, robot builder!"

or... "kill the kids, child killer" if you want get real technical about the glitch and the cult.

Not only that, but you can't sleep. Physically, at all. And there will just be instances when Afton is directly in the pilot's seat.

Keep in mind, Afton does not have the strongest influence under Handler than VANNY. (for reasons I can't say but I feel readers have picked up on what I've been hinting at before it's explicitly stated)

Vanny is the most possessed that Afton has ever gotten with a human. A successful Successor to his "legacy" (of murdering kids in rabbit costumes. lol)

Handler is just.............. Afton's toilet paper. Needed for a specific purpose, he doesn't care enough to keep him around if he rebels and will throw him away once he's done what he needed.

And there are many guys like Handler that got infected through email in other branches. Although the number is small, Afton just wants to grow and increase his numbers and keep growing. The Plex is homebase.

But, there were some things he could control. His choosing to keep a level of distance towards his creation and his overall rudeness towards them was his own decision. A lot of things were his own decisions. But due to lack of sleep, and having a voice constantly YELL at you when the murder bot WON'T murder... you can say makes him irritable and grumpy and a little desperate to do what's needed.

There are sometimes when the real Handler pokes through in Lofi... but it's very rare for those who are looking for it.

Sun and Moon never met the guy on a "good day" .... all his days were bad days filled with sleep deprivation and drugs. (his substance abuse will be addressed in the lives au don't worry. it's only one chapter so far and there's a lot of shit planned)

And also, due to my personal experiences and background, I actually do like this kind of redemption story with parental figures cause it's an escape and comfort to me. I know it's self-indulgent and not many people will go for it due to their own personal experiences. (and you are 100% right. It is up to Sun and Moon if they actually want him around or not. Sun is being willing, but he hasn't forgotten. And he's a lot more confident now then the last time Handler saw him)

Lol I still get comments on that fic saying that they want to kill or continue to beat the guy up in the fic. And I don't mind those comments, I actually love them, cause they're also right. Although I do think people need to take notice of the FIRST-person perspective of the Handler Lives AU.

...You are no longer the Y/N.

You are the Dadler now. This is his perspective. His reflections. His story.

The Y/N from Twins is now T/N. ...."their name..." cause Handler can't read nametags. lol

But again, the Dadler Lives au doesn't detract from Lofi. It's just something I made for myself for funzies as a little side project to develop some ocs and minor characters.

And I trust people's judgment to know if it'll be their thing or not.

[domeyashiro]

Not to stir the pot or anything but I’ve been seeing so many posts on tumblr of some group that is posting “another translation” of Saezuru. These people keep talking about demanding that the publishers re-release a “perfect” translation. As a former JA>EN translator I have my own thoughts on this one but I was curious to know what you thought. (Also, I’d love to know more about what kind of translation work you do!)

Sigh. I don't even have to look up that blog to know who you're talking about. And I think "another translation" is a very fitting term for what they do. ;) From what I saw, they're a prime example of the Dunning-Kruger-Effect. If translation were as simple as exchanging words from the source language into their dictionary translation of the target language like a robot, there wouldn't be tons of books on translation theory out there. I feel a rant coming up, so please bear with me, because what I’m about to say will be nothing new to you.

First of all, there is no "perfect translation". Give the same source text to ten translators and you'll get ten different results. All of which can be perfectly valid. Ideally they all convey the same meaning, so it's not like you wouldn't notice that they were translated from the same source text. But the wording will differ. One person will find a better translation here, another person will find a better way to phrase things there. It's not like one translator gets everything right and better than everyone else, unless you have people with vastly different skill levels. Often it will be simply a matter of personal preference which translation you like best. 

The person who runs the blog you mention has a very literal approach to translation. They think sticking as closely as possible to the phrasing the author chose will achieve the "perfect result". But that's a typical beginner’s mistake. They're getting the facts right, I'll give them that. Being a native speaker does have advantages. But getting the facts right is the bare minimum we try to do as translators. (I say "try", because we're human and everyone makes mistakes here and there.) What's more important for a good translation is strong writing skills in your target language, which is why most professional translators translate into their native language, not from their mother tongue into their second or third language. Because it's incredibly hard to develop the same feel for what sounds good and natural in a language you didn't grow up with. It's not impossible, but very few people achieve this level of skill.

I'm also an ESL speaker, so I won't judge other people's English, but let me explain why I think that translating too literally is a beginner's mistake. First of all "literal translation" is a total myth, because where you draw the line between what is “literal” and what is not is always a deliberate decision made by the translator. Strictly speaking, if someone claims to be using only Sensei's own words, they would also have to drop subjects and pronouns where they're missing in the Japanese original, as they do all the time. I doubt anyone would go this far, but let's roll with this example to emphasize my point:

"iku?" (Go?) is a perfectly natural thing to say in Japanese. The info who is going and where they want to go is usually clear from the context and doesn’t need to be explicitly stated. So the Japanese reader gets a normal sentence, whereas the English reader gets an ungrammatical one. The sentence needs a subject at least: "We go?" Understandable English, but still not a grammtical sentence. "Should we go?" Now we get the same information the Japanese speaker got from just "iku?" in the context I pretend it was said in. I added two words that aren't there in the original, yet my sentence is a) easier to understand b) correct English and c) conveys the same meaning as the original, while the "literal translation" is lacking in all three aspects. Now please imagine a whole text written like: “Go?” “Yes, go!” Would you honestly think that the translator did a good job by giving you a text in broken English that's barely understandable when things get more complex than this? The Japanese audience gets a perfectly well-written story, while you’re barely even able to understand what’s going on. So your reading experience doesn't match at all, despite sticking religiously to the source text.

I’m exaggerating of course. No translator would go this far. But this example shows that even the most “literal translation” doesn’t get away with wording things exactly as in the source text.

And then we get into more complex territory: If I translate a joke, is it more important that I give you the exact words the author used, although you're missing the cultural context to find the joke funny, or is it more important that I make you laugh like the author intended? If there's a dialect, how do I go about it? Is it important enough to risk alienating my audience (because we're not really used to seeing written dialect)? If yes, which English dialect could work? There is never a perfect equivalent, because dialects are so tied to the region where they're spoken. So do I substitue a Japanese southern dialect with an English southern dialect? Or do I go by the image the dialect evokes in the Japanese reader’s head? Urban or rural? Or maybe I should create a fictional dialect? But then it doesn't evoke any image at all and might simply sound stupid. Or how do I "literally" translate all the different ways to say "I" and "you" in Japanese? There is simply no one and perfect way to translate something. Some ways are objectively better than others, but most of the time it's a case by case decision. What works well in one situation, might be the wrong approach in another one.

So if you try to approach everything with "literal is best", your result won't even be good. You’ll end up with awkward English: flat dialogues that don’t flow, clumsy idioms, unnatural word choices, characters who don't sound like native speakers, jokes that don't land, shifted nuances, weird sentence structure and so on. All this makes the text harder to read, harder to understand and almost impossible to enjoy. If you can’t create a text that reads as effortlessly and beautifully in English as it does in Japanese, all you’re doing is make the author look unskilled (and yourself too ofc).

Proper translation aims to recreate the unique features of each source text and the individual style of the author with the natural means of the target language. You’re allowed to be creative and find original ways to do so, but you're not supposed to cripple the target language by pressing it into the structure of the source language. Because the readers don’t see “the beauty of the Japanese language” in your supposedly faithful translation. They see clumsy or even wrong English. 

Coming back to the "another translation" blog. If we're talking about the same person, they like to label everything as "serious mistranslation". Yes, there are many actual mistakes in the scanlation, and probably in the official translation too (I haven’t read it tbh), but 90 % of the things I saw them point out aren't even minor mistakes. They're just "correcting" perfectly natural English into English that says exactly the same, just worse or longer. Speech balloons have limited space and sometimes a sentence simply doesn’t fit in if you don’t shorten it a little. That’s not a mistake! And if I have a Japanese sentence like "I'm doing this for the first time", it's not a mistranslation to turn it into "I've never done this before", because the meaning is exactly the same. I just chose a phrasing that might sound more natural in English in the given context. This is a made-up example, but this is the level of nitpickery we're talking about. Not to mention that it's incredibly rude to drag someone else's translation publicly like that, especially when your criticism is solely based on your own lack of knowlege.

(Regarding your last question: I translate manga professionally but that’s all I can really say on this blog.)

[queenofzan]

anyway here are my fallout opinions, abridged:

fallout 1 excellent. v good. disappointed they copped out and made it “easier” by getting rid of the timer. absolutely not a game i could play today but had i access to it when it was released i would have...probably not gotten very far unless i watched someone else play it first. i was even worst at video games as a child. WHATEVER GOOD GAME GOOD WORLDBUILDING FUN

fallout 2 very good. again sad to see so much stuff cut or dummied out and it being more linear in some ways BUT extremely fun to see the classic sci-fi villains “people who had privilege before The Event” show up and be assholes, and also explicitly believe they are the Real United States (and not like. everyone they left to die and fend for themselves in the former united states). UNFORTUNATELY fallout 2 started leaning more into some racist bullshit that enabled later very racist bullshit. like i see where they were coming from in fallout 2 but. they did it badly and enabled future Worse Shit. president robot was not as fun as the master

fallout 3 was a slog tbh. not opposed to the change in format and gameplay style but the writing was SO BAD. i don’t want to be the protagonist’s son and follow around the guy actually doing shit! i also don’t want a FALLOUT GAME to railroad me into siding with anyone but gosh you sure can’t do shit to the brotherhood of steel in this game bc you have to have them for the endgame. lazy. did have some very good classic fallouty quest lines. also a huge fan of introducing in-game radio, i’ve been a sucker for that since watching danny play gta

fallout new vegas is the love of my life, the light of my soul. has some problems but the political situation and developing worldbuilding is delightful. i love the fact that there is no clear “good” choice, there are legit real and thoughtful and narratively consistent downsides to everyone you could side with. the choices that are best for your character are not necessarily what is best for the people around them, and they feel real enough that it really can make you feel guilty about letting down the ones and zeroes. caesar’s legion is one of the most interesting fictional representations of both the strengths and weaknesses of absolute rulers

fallout 4 is definitely better than fallout 3. i am still yelling about these basic-ass failures of science fiction premise awareness and genre conventions but it’s not nearly as bad as the literally bad writing of fallout 3. it also is trying to have more nuanced factions with competing needs again. not doing it as well or as tightly as new vegas or like. fallout 1, but it has some truly kickass companions and the fundamental hopefulness about humanity that the trekkie in me loves

“ani i thought you said these were your abridged opinions” i’m a wordy bitch and this IS the short version

[writingtoforgetreality]

Louisiana Fever (Bucky Barnes x GN!Reader)

Request: Hi! Since your ask are open could I have a imagine with bucky where him and his boyfriend (if you’re uncomfortable with male reader could you make it gender neutral pls?) are at the Wilson’s party and they talk about moving here and maybe getting a dog? Something really sweet and fluffy please? I’m having a hard time and need a bit of softness! Thanks you! (by @pastel-boy-sungjae), [Marvel-Masterlist]

Summary: A forever changing decision was made between Bucky & you. Whatever the future held for you, you could not wait to finally start somewhere new.

Words: 1,876 [Are you proud of me?]

Warnings: language, humor, fluff, short & sweet, no pronouns used, TFATWS spoilers, REQUESTS ARE OPEN!

If you like my work & wanna support me: a coffee would be highly appreciated ❤

Louisiana. Home of the Wilson family. A pier alongside the turquoise sea which created comforting tunes to soothe your ears. The slight breeze that tickled your skin in the most pleasurable way possible. A peaceful place to stay & feel safe, no matter the alarming threats menacing this universe daily. Here, it appeared to be as calm as ever. Like a bubble enveloping the area here, along with its people. A dome to prevent jeopardy from taking over.

The party was hosted by Sam, assisted by his younger sister Sarah. They invited Bucky & in addition to that, he invited you. You were his partner & if he attended a get-together then he only ever did with you right by his side. At first, you disliked the idea of inserting yourself where you believed you were not wanted. Luckily, your boyfriend had some reassuring pep talks up his sleeve that convinced you to tag along.

A flight was booked & before you even knew it, Sam hugged you close to his body as he greeted you. Bucky had informed him that you would come along. To his best friend, that was a given. There was no Bucky without you & no you without Bucky. Hence why he did not explicitly say that he obviously invited you as well.

It was the first time you were introduced to Sam’s family & his friends living nearby. The locals were more than welcoming & helpful even though you were complete strangers. Plainly stated, you fell in love with this place. The atmosphere was incomparable, like nothing you had ever encountered. This new, unfamiliar feeling washed through your body & there was only one word that could come close to describing it. Home. Not Bucky’s apartment where you had moved into a while ago. This strange yet somehow well-known place triggered emotions in you that you thought did not exist. You wondered if Bucky reacted in a similar way as you walked down the pier, hands intertwined, gazing out to the endless blue horizon. Where one hue kissed the other in an almost seamless way. Connecting yet separating sea from sky. A stunning sight that caught your plenary attention. You imagined yourself spending hours, simply watching the sun rise during the chill hours of the morning & set during the warm hours of the evening. The light not only coloring the sky in reds & purples but that same tone reflecting in the waves of the water which were caused by the wind.

“Hey, lovebirds! A little help here!” a familiar voice echoed in your ears & you found yourself turning around as you searched for the source of it.

“We’ll be right there, Sam.” you yelled over the distance so he could hear you clearly.

“He does have awful timing.” Bucky joked, wrapping an arm over your shoulders. You giggled & silently agreed with him though both of you were aware that you did not mind one bit.

Preparations were almost done, you simply assisted with the last finishing touches. They really went out of their way to create a homely aura for everyone to enjoy. Bucky & you occupied one of the many wooden tables, sitting next to Sam, Sarah & her kids. You guys had so much fun & could barely contain your laughter. Those people were not just friends. They were family. Blood related or not, the feeling they gave you counted at the end of the day.

The barbeque was delicious, as were the many options of desserts. One of them which you brought along. Bucky whined about a cake & who were you to deny him something you loved too? And by the fast pace it was gone, you assumed the others relished it just as much.

Food was long forgotten but the chatter kept the party alive. In the lifestyle you found yourself in, it was a rare sight to be surrounded by so much happiness & contentment. Usually, people radiated desperation & fear. Here, it was as if nothing bad existed. Only the smiles & sparkles in people’s eyes as they talked about something they were passionate about or the most random topic that came to mind. It did not matter. Acceptance was capitalized & it was a gift to experience it. With your boyfriend, with your best friend. With soon-to-be friends, you hoped.

“…so they aren’t here today ‘cause they’re currently movin’ out.” Sam pointed to the house that sat right next to his. Your eyes widened a little at this statement.

“It’s up for sale then?” you questioned, referring to the cottage that definitely needed some hours of dedicated work but appeared to be worth it underneath its surface.

“Yeah, it is. Still looking for a new owner.” Sam nodded. A smirk spread onto your face & you nudged Bucky with your elbow to gain his attention. With raised eyebrows, he turned his head so your eyes were locking.

“Okay. What’s going on in that head of yours?” Bucky chuckled as he noticed the enthusiastic look you wore. Sam observed your interaction but decided to stay silent for the time being.

“We could buy it, right?” you suggested, rambling so your words blurred together & it was hard to make out what you said.

“The house?” it took him a couple of seconds before he answered your question with another one. Simply because he was uncertain if you were joking or if you were serious.

“No, a trip to Disneyland. Of course the house.” you replied with a slight sarcastic tone.

“You wanna move here?” Bucky asked once again to ensure that he understood correctly.

“Don’t you? I mean, it’s perfect for us, Buck. The people here are lovely & we’ve got Sam here.” you pointed out, trying to list as many positive aspects as necessary to convince him.

“Wait, wait, wait.” Sam chimed in & you directed your attention to him. “Does that mean robot-boy will be my neighbor?” he pointed his finger at Bucky with fake disgust that had you laughing.

“That would annoy you, wouldn’t it?” Bucky inquired with a sly smile.

“Totally.” Sam countered, now completely ignoring that it was your idea in the first place. The two of them were bickering like children & it was a useless attempt to stop them.

“Perfect, we’ll buy it then.” your boyfriend’s statement had you shocked but equally excited.

“Really?” you could not help but ask.

“Really.” Bucky assured you & placed a short kiss on your lips.

“Why did I even say anything?” Sam shook his head, mumbling those words so nobody heard. Deep down, he had to admit that the could imagine it to be pleasant to have you two with him at all times. Though he would never say that out loud.

“We’re gonna move to Louisiana.” you exclaimed, throwing your arms around Bucky’s neck to hug him tightly. Your future could finally begin here. Something told you that it was the right decision. Sam only had to pull some strings & the deal was almost as good as yours.

A few hours ticked by, the sun had already started setting & Bucky suggested to watch the remaining minutes down by the dock. Your back rested against his chest, his arms securely wrapped around your waist as you sat in between Bucky’s legs. Savoring the last sunbeams that shone into your face & had you squint your eyes in order not to blind you. A comfortable silence settled around you. The sound of the sea the only discernible noise amongst the calm of the evening. But every quiet had to end eventually. And it was you who broke it, voicing a thought that had been playing in the back of your mind ever since you agreed on moving here.

“Hey, what about a dog?” your question caught him off guard & he barely had time to prepare a reply.

“Huh?” was all he could muster & you giggled at his perplexity.

“A dog. When we move here. Don’t you think this is a perfect place for a dog?” you turned in his arms so you could hold eye contact.

“We’ve already got Sam.” Bucky scoffed & you rolled your eyes annoyingly at him.

“I’m being serious, Buck.” & you truly were. Ever since you could remember, you promised yourself that you would adopt a dog if the chance was given. With a house this size, it would be a waste to not fulfill your dream. You watched Bucky sigh but the glint in his eyes showed you that he contemplated your thought.

“We’re not getting a Chihuahua.” he made clear before you got even crazier ideas.

“What’s wrong with a Chihuahua?” your dumbfounded expression had him laughing.

“They’re outta the question.” he stated & left no room to argue.

“Fine.” you breathed out with an exaggerated sigh. “A Corgi?”

“Why?” you did not understand why you had to reason with him but you had to think fast to provide a reasonable explanation.

“Because they’re cute.” maybe not the smartest of replies but if you worked your pleading expression then you should win.

“You say that about every single dog. That’s not a valuable point.” Bucky called you out & earned a pout from you.

“But it’s very much true.” a short pause allowed you to gather your thoughts once more. “Besides, they remind me of you.”

“Do I even wanna know?” Bucky breathed out & threw his head back to visualize how done he was with you in this moment. You, of course, were aware that it was only him teasing you.

“No, but that was, in fact, a very valuable point & speaks for getting a Corgi.” a proud smirk made its way onto your face.

“You’re lucky I love you.” his ocean blue eyes flickered between yours. You moved forward & pressed a tender kiss on his cheek. “But I’m the one choosing the name.” he decided.

“No way.” you shook your head frantically. “We’ll end up with a dog called Dog then.” you almost whined.

“You can’t stop me from giving it a nickname.” he reasoned with that famous smirk of his & you groaned because you knew he was right.

“I don’t like it.” you mumbled after a few moments.

“Alright, no dog then.” Bucky shrugged his shoulders & pretended that it did not matter anyway. But it did. And he really did like the idea of getting a dog.

“NO WAIT!” you were quick to raise your voice & stop him from turning down your plan. “Ugh, can’t we just…I don’t know, pick a cute name together?” you offered him your best puppy dog eyes because he had a hard time resisting you whenever you played that card.

“We could.” Bucky agreed but kept his response short. He waited for you to ascertain what he meant.

“But?” your voice went an octave higher at the end.

“But I’ll still call it Dog. It’s a great nickname.” Bucky praised himself.

“It’s foolish.” you commented & crossed your arms over your chest.

“Do we have a deal or not?” his head tilted to one side, waiting to watch your reaction.

“What do you think?” your eyebrows perked up. “Of course we do!”

Published (05/10/2021) by Cathy

✨MY Ko-fi PAGE✨

Tags: @bibliophilewednesday, @msmarvelsmain, @weareironmanbitches,@zestyemby, @kattenjager1, @cheraboo330 (thanks for your support <3)

[paragonrobits]

its weird to me how the MCU fandom has this weird thing about refusing to acknowledge that Ultron was... well, a person. And it’s just him, in particular. No other villain gets this treatment.

he was not a good person, by any means, but he was very explicitly a sapient being, as much as any human. His choices were his own, and he was a living entity, but the fandom has this really bizarre thing about just... making him an extension of Tony Stark.

things like ‘tony built a murderbot that tried to end all life on the planet’ and he’s treated as this autonomous drone following simple programming, when the very clear and explicit point is that he is, in fact, sapient. He’s the same as a human.

Again, yeah, he killed people. He wanted to kill a lot MORE people. So did Loki, and Killmonger, and literally every single villain in the MCU, but you don’t see people treating them as non-sapient weaponry or doing things like, say, blaming the CIA’s existence for Killmonger’s actions.

You don’t see people, say, treating Tony as nothing more than an extension of Howard Stark. Ultron is Tony’s creation, but he’s not limited to just being that. Again, he is a sapient being. He made his own, spectacularly evil choices, but they were his to make.

This is mirrored with Vision, which the fandom seems obnoxiously, horribly cruel and biased against. For literally no reason; Vision himself is completely blameless, is so morally pure that he can lift Mjolnir with ease, and is basically sweetness incarnate. (While Tony seems to feel he can lift Mjolnir because he’s a blank slate, there’s not anything to actually support this.) But fandom constantly calls him a toaster (which is a common way of dismissing any sapient robot as being nothing more than a tool), mocks Wanda for having a romantic relationship with him, or treats the big battle to save his life as a huge waste when its unlikely that literally any other character would have gotten the same amount of viciousness.

At this point, it’s probably for the best that we didn’t get more focus on non-human characters like aliens, because going by the fandom’s actions, the fandom would have endorsed Warhammer 40k levels of ‘the life of a nonhuman is inherently meaningless’ nastiness.

[lem-cup-rev]

5.2 | Launch

She-Ra and the Princesses of Power (2018)

🌸🌸🌸🌸

FASCINATING.

I literally don’t know what to think about the Entrapta story, I feel like it pulled my feelings in every direction. I love how insane it was.

First, I was disappointed by how childish she is now, really unable to focus on or process anything outside her fixations. Then, as she repeatedly made it clear she had no empathy for Glimmer or the others, I was kind of loving how totally evil she was. ‘In this show all about villains with deep, compelling, traumatic inner struggles, Entrapta is almost the only person who just doesn’t care about anyone else!’ Then, when she gave her tearful self-pitying apology, I thought it was a hilariously bad writing choice. There’s like an incredible mismatch in having a ‘friends learn to understand autistic person’s communication style’ story where the autistic person’s hands are covered in the blood of war crimes. After that, it seemed to explicitly go back on itself, saying that she really cares about Glimmer! I was ready to find it really frustrating, but somehow I ended up really getting pulled back into the story and getting excited about them making up and teaming up! So I guess the writing choices… worked???

I wish all absurd, frustrating writing choices were this much fun!

I can’t believe they put their autistic teammate on a leash. Can you show that on TV? Are we, like, okay with that, in 2020?

I liked having Mermista take the lead! Like I said about Perfuma before, she pretty much hasn’t been relevant since her introduction. Oh, and Mer-Mysteries! I still find the princess squad forgettable in a lot of ways, but she had a good gruff determination that carried the momentum.

Adora’s story is still pretty nice! I like her.

It was interesting hearing her refer to She-Ra as a separate entity. It made me think of how in 1985, Adora and She-Ra had separate voice actresses and were in many ways like two different people.

Really good stuff with Horde Prime just like last episode. Oh, I loooooove him possessing his clone’s body. The freaky powers and biology of his whole army are so good and are being revealed so naturally and low-key.

Omg, I loved the last moment with Glimmer and Catra! Just choosing to be near each other for a little bit of comfort even though they have no guarded pretense for it? Literally so tender. 💗

I really like the overall plot structure, it feels so clear and cohesive and effectively paced! We got an episode where Adora rests and we get a princess adventure, while at the same time the pressure to save Glimmer is still present and it kicks us straight into gear for going into the next episode. Really good!

The tone itself feels really consistent with the previous episode. Not very She-Ra at all, to be honest! I think I’ll really enjoy it if they’ve finally achieved a consistent tone for the whole last season. But who knows where we’ll go from here~!

Oh I straight up almost forgot. On top of everything else, Entrapta was more saucy towards the robots than this show has basically ever gotten. Beside all her childishness, that reminder that she’s 30. I unironically think that’s great representation.

Next time: Bath time for kitten…

[rollychan]

Not trusting Marvel or Disney is perfectly valid and all but I think that dropping hints that an organization is evil and/or corrupt but not fully saying it within the first two episodes isn't inherently them not making up their minds as much as possible foreshadowing. If you just show they're bad right away it would have less of an impact.

They're giving us all the subtext that the tva are awful and authoritarian. If in the end they don't commit to them being awful, I'll agree it's bad writing. But not revealing it this early in the series isn't bad writing. In fact it'd be worse writing to give it away that soon.

Yes, it's normally perfectly fine to do that, I agree. I love good villain reveals as much as the next person.

The thing with the TVA though is that there is nothing subtle about their authoritarian and deeply inhuman actions. That's not really subtext, it's text. Or if it is supposed to be (subtle) subtext, it's badly written subtext because it's very in-your-face. They literally, in front of our eyes, destroy whole timelines and purge variants for not owning tickets those variants didn't even know they absolutely had to have so they wouldn't be "erased." Prisoners are dehumanized - there is a literal robot that erases their clothes. Mobius argues in favor of determinism and not free will. The only subtlety about it are the posters people have noticed that aren't in the focus.

This got rather long so the rest is under the cut.

Before finding out what other fans and reviewers and the people creating the show themselves were saying, I had the same opinion as you, anon. I am still holding out hope they'll deliver on what I think they have pretty clearly shown (I'm with you on the authoritarian / dystopian coding of the TVA, though I don't quite agree it's subtle or just subtext), but seeing those interviews and reviews? That made me doubt it a lot. Had I not seen the interviews etc. or known about them, I'd still be very convinced they'll turn the TVA (or at least the Time Keepers) into the final / actual antagonists. A part of me actually is still that stubborn and convinced of that, but another part of me is jaded when it comes to Disney and Marvel. At this point I actually hope it's Disney's / Marvel's irrational fear of spoilers that makes them force people who worked on the show to give such shallow interviews and professional reviewers to act like they've never reviewed a thing in their lives.

With something that is so in-your-face, I wouldn't expect a villain reveal, but rather an escalation, as is the tradition of dystopian novels and some movies at least (haven't watched that many movies so I can't actually say and I don't want to make assumptions.)

I think I got carried away somewhere in the middle there, sorry, anon. Back to the second part of your ask.

For me, it's not so much the impact of the reveal that is important here but that they have to reveal the TVA as actually really bad in the first place that's bad writing. They clearly are. Nobody should look at what they are doing and think "yeah, that's how it's supposed to work, looks fine to me" and nobody should be on the fence about it / doubt that they are doing very wrong things. The individuals at the TVA may not be "all bad" as Loki put it so well, but what they are doing there based on their orders is. I think this would tie into the "escalation" that I mentioned. None of the dystopian novels I've read lacked impact and it was pretty clear from the start that the authorities are very tyrannical dictators (or otherwise didn't care about individuals.)

(little aside here: if not for the interviews and reviews, I'd actually have believed they were going for an "escalation" route. But the PR they're doing is messing it all up. There's also the fact that this is a Disney show and not a dystopian novel turned series. If this were a dystopian novel, it'd be obvious the TVA is a tyrannical organization and the author wouldn't have to make that explicitly clear by saying it, it'd be pretty clear within the first few pages, like in 1984. "BIG BROTHER IS WATCHING YOU" and the mirror and recording devices mentioned would be enough, and if not, the protagonist mentioning that simply writing a diary is cause for a death sentence should be. But it's not a dystopian novel. I find the lack of seriousness around what the TVA do a bit worrying for that reason. Context matters, and so does meta-context.)

I don't know, I just think that if people will be surprised about the TVA turning out to be the bad guys here, we as a human species have fallen pretty low not to recognize it.

That said, I'm oscillating very much right now (after the second episode) between a more positive and a more negative opinion of the show. The main reason for that aren't the themes or the TVA though. I like the themes they picked up. I just hope they continue to deliver on them (they did explicitly mention determinism vs free will again so this gives me some hope.)