#Shinn deserved better

[uc-aces]

So, the eternal question: who got screwed over by the showrunners worse, Shinn or Cagalli?

Spoilers below obviously.

I think the answer is both for different reasons. I was advised that Cagali's role was deliberately sabotaged, but I doubt Shinn was purposely screwed over in the same way...It's REALLY hard to say because one could say Cagali because they made her make stupid decisions and the characters were horribly mean to her for no real reason and were unreasonable to her too. On the other hand, Shinn was allowed to go down a shitty path because Athrun decided not to actually try to talk to Shinn any further than 'You're being used!' Doesn't explain anything else. So it's like...

Cagali was definitely fucked outside of the show.

Shinn was fucked within the show by people deciding to be selfish and stupid.

And it hurts because for most of the show, Athrun had the braincell between most of the folks, and then just to make Shinn an enemy, he just, dwells on the Archangel and Kira for WAY too long.

And it HURTS even more considering how good and solid the show was for the longest time before Kira got involved. I don't even know why they had Talia and Rey stay at the end there. It's like they weren't content with screwing over Shinn, they also had to make sure our Captain and Bestest Buddy? not survive the show? It's a kick to the balls!

It feels like the show after a time was hellbent on making the original cast the protags again and getting rid of everyone else either physically or psychologically in order to facilitate it.

I can't say I didn't enjoy Seed Destiny by the end of it, because I was hype. I was enjoying the fuck out of it, but that just makes it all hurt even more by the end.

[questionableadvice]

~ Friendly Talks About Marriage, G. W. Shinn, 1897

I'm side-eyeing Wilkie Collins' The Woman in White so hard right now. I read it when I was a teenager but I'm still mad that the hero chose Laura instead of her far more interesting (but less pretty) sister.

[morally-grey-girlbosses]

The top two characters will be eligible to proceed into the bracket!

Propaganda under the cut.

Dahlia Hawthorne:

did a lot of murders and poisonings but they deserved it imo so she’s ok

She has committed so many crimes. And in an outfit that wouldn’t look out of place on Barbie at that. She’s the DEFINITION of girlboss, and she can poison me any time.

Aura Blackquill:

her brother got framed for the murder of her wife and she became bitter and evil because of it. this led to her holding an entire space center full of people hostage to get him a retrial

So she may have a robot army to take a couple people hostage, and blamed an 11 year old child for killing their own mom (who was her work partner and maybe sort of girlfriend), but in her defense her brother was about to be executed for a murder he did not commit and there was definitely some evidence that pointed towards the 11 year old being the culprit. So what else was she supposed to do? Just sit by while another important person to her is taken away and the real killer gets to go free? She tried to do things right and go through the police but that didn't work, and sometimes when you run out of options and run out of time you have to use unconventional methods. And in the end it worked and the execution was cancelled and the real killer was found (it wasn't actually the 11 year old child, now 18, but that's beside the point), so in the end things were ultimately better as a result of her actions so you can't exactly say she shouldn't have done it. So she did some things wrong but they are also understandable. I don't think she's a bad person deep down, she just got screwed over by the broken justice system.

Kidnapped a bunch of people but it was like. So the courts would do a retrial for her brother because she believed he was innocent (he was) a day before his execution, and so who she believed the true killer was (she wasn't) would take his place (she didn't) Also a lesbian <3

Franziska von Karma was submitted without propaganda, but I know AA well enough to attempt to write my own. She is obsessed with the idea of crafting the "perfect case" and goes so far as to hide evidence, manipulate witnesses, and also physically assault everyone with a whip in order to achieve it. However she was only doing it to avenge her adopted brother and at the end of the game she comes around and ends up delivering the crucial piece of evidence to save the protagonist's assistant from being killed by an assassin.

Dee Vasquez was submitted without propaganda. My attempt: She has ties to the yakuza and blackmailed one of the actors at her studio into basically being a slave to her. When he gets fed up and ends up trying to kill her she kills him in self-defense, making her one of the few "true culprits" in the series who would actually be found not guilty in an IRL court of law.

Ini/Mimi Miney was submitted without propaganda. My attempt: She was overworked to the point that she accidentally killed about a dozen people by switching their meds while sleep-deprived, then felt so bad about it that she got into a car crash, stole her sister's identity, and pretended she was dead for years. Then she killed a guy because she was worried about him revealing her secret.

Jezaille Brett / Assa Shinn:

prime example of god forbid women do anything. like cmon she just killed a bunch of people and left no trail behind so masterfully she up and haunted the entire goddamn narrative. her name is mentioned in secret messages in streets in papers in fear in mystery and we don't know her motivations still; why does she do what she does we do not know, and will never find out. fucking girlboss she's there for one case then the next we see her she's dead. what is up with this woman and why is she so important despite not seeming so ever.

Olive Green:

She qualifies as after her fiancé died from gas inhalation, she had questions about his death and suspected one of his fellow tenants to have murdered him rather than it being an accident. She consequently attempted to murder him. She rocks because we have to stan a vengeful woman!!!!!

Iris Hawthorne / Sister Iris Hazakurain / Sister Iris of Hazakura Temple:

well she’s more morally ambiguous than her sister!!!! she covered up a lot of crimes and lied about her identity to her (long series of hand gestures to indicate how complicated the boyfriend status is) Sorta Boyfriend for. like nine months i think. and she would have gotten away with it too if not for her co-conspirators fucking everything up

[isure-hopeso]

12.31.2023

48 books this year. My hunger never ends. I am insatiable. Here's my reviews:

Five Classics by Agatha Christie 8/10 Started the year off strong with a handful of Christie's shorter classic mysteries

The Fortune Teller by Gwendolyn Womack 4.5/10 Super super cool story idea with very poor flow and had a cheating trope

Mountain Mama by Axsom & Pelham 6.5/10 A depressingly realistic look at life on the frontier for a single mom

A Well-Behaved Woman by Therese Anne Fowler 8/10 Alva Vanderbilt was so incredible

Followers by Megan Angelo 6.5/10 One of those books where you really don't care the first 2/3 and then you can't get over it for the last 1/3

The Return of the King by J.R.R. Tolkien 10/10 my annual reading of one of the Big Four, as always

"Kitchen Princess" Omnibus 2 by Ando & Kobayashi 9/10 I'm pretty sure I learned my love languages from the Kitchen Princess series as a kid

A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas 5.5/10 A little tropey and the riddle was stupid easy, but I love me a Beauty & The Beast retelling

Homeland: The Legend of Drizzt #1 by R.A. Salvatore 5.5/10 It really didn't need to be that long, but Salvy loves his extra DnD context

The Black Poets by Dudley Randal 10/10 When I tell you how often I think about the poetry from this book. When I tell you.

Mansfield Park by Jane Austen 6.5/10 Witty and wild for it's time, like all Austen novels, but she's boring and falls in love with her cousin

A Court of Mist and Fury by Sarah J. Maas 7.5/10 Turning the Beauty and the Beast retelling on its HEAD and using tidbits from the previous novel to change everything - but also very very smutty

Tithe by Holly Black 7/10 Rereading an old book I love in high school and finding that I still like it quite a lot

The Big Four by Agatha Christie 8/10 One of her biggie Poirot heists, super thrilling

"Kitchen Princess" Vol. 6 by Ando and Kobayashi 9/10 I have dreams, actual dreams, about these stories for weeks after reading them. Good dreams.

The School for Good and Evil by Soman Chianani 7/10 Decided to read this after watching the movie -- it might not be incredible storytelling but it's a fun story-world, so I decided to read it all

A World Without Princes by Soman Chianani 4/10 S for G&E 2 -It had some good bits, but was overall way too clumpy

The Silmarillion by J.R.R. Tolkien 10/10 This was actually my first time reading it, and I LOVE getting all the universe context!!

To Weave a Web of Magic by Delacroix, Kurlana, McKillip, and Shinn 8/10 This series of short stories had some real bangers and some ehh

On The Incarnation by St. Athanasius 7/10 the deconstruction never stops, love that for us

Unfinished Tales by J.R.R. Tolkien 8.5/10 It was so cool reading some of his last unfinished works, it was really not cool reading a bunch of stories with no ending

The Viscount Who Loved Me by Julia Quinn 5.5/10 Where the first Bridgerton book was much better than it's season, the second book was exactly as whatever as the second season.

"The Tempest" by William Shakespeare 7.5/10 really very odd, but the overall vibe was so good and exactly what I needed after Quinn

The Last Ever After by Soman Chianani 6.5/10 S for G&E #3 Thus begins my attempt to finish the whole series because I bought them and they were sitting there

"Sophist", "Statesmen", "Parmenides" and "Philebus" by Plato 10/10 What's the difference between is and is not? Is 'is not' a state of being? lol I dunno

Quest for Glory by Soman Chianani 7/10 S for G&E #4 Okay finally these stories are getting interesting again

A Crystal of Time by Soman Chianani 6.5/10 Really pulling out some wackadoodle things for this one, but I wasn't against it too much

One True King by Soman Chianani 6/10 An alright wrap-up, but my boi Hort deserved a more thorough ending

In the Flo by Alisa Vitti 6.5/10 I learned more about my period in this book than in any health class, but it also got a little woowoo with moon phases

The Green Witch by Murphy & Hiscock 7/10 I had a late-night book buying stint where I bought like 7 witchy books and this was the first to arrive

Acting on Impulse by Mia Sosa 2/10 I have nothing particular against this author, but this was the book that convinced me that I could get a book published

A Court of Wings and Ruin by Sarah J. Maas 7.5/10 Hoo boy does a lot of stuff go down in this spicy, spicy book.

A Court of Frost and Starlight by Sarah J. Maas 6/10 Just a fun little story about wildly traumatized characters

Save the Cat! Writes a Novel by Jessica Brody 9.5/10 One of the coolest things I've read, I learned so much about reading and writing

Walden and Others Writings by Henry David Thoreau 10/10 So much beautiful writing, this is going to be a regular reread for me

A History of Magic, Witchcraft, and the Occult by DK 8.5/10 Naturally one of my favorite books of the year was a literal textbook

A Court of Silver Flames by Sarah J. Maas 8/10 Apparently I didn't hate this book as much as I was supposed to, but also please mind your manners in shared eating spaces

American Brujeria by J. Allen Cross 6.5/10 It turns out Hispanic witches are super super Catholics, which I bet would make some non-Hispanic Catholics real angy

Magic Lessons by Alice Hoffman 7/10 Practical Magic #1 it was such a lovely writing style, like an actual witch telling a prophecy

House of Earth and Blood by Sarah J. Maas 8.5/10 A really cool story, standing ovation for Lehabah every day, but also weird that the big bad killer guy wears hats and watches basketball

Nevewhere by Neil Gaiman 9/10 Hadn't thought much of it while I was reading it, but this story had stuck with me like a bad cold baby

Bones of Faerie by Janni Lee Simmer 5.5/10 This one had been sitting in my TBR for too long, and it wasn't too bad

Well of Darkness by Weis & Hickman 8.5/10 Getting to read a fantasy story in the perspective of the bad guys? Heck yeah. So cool.

After the Funeral by Agatha Christie 6.5/10 This one had alllllllll the rich family drams

Ironside by Holly Black 8/10 my first time reading this finale of Black's trilogy, and I just feel like the main character could have been more logical or taken more action

A Writer's Notebook by Ralph Fletcher 2/10 I pretty much learned nothing, got nothing out of this

Search the Sky by Pohl & Kornbluth 8/10 Only took off points for misogyny, but it was from the 50s, otherwise a really cool story

The House Witch by Murphy & Hiscock 5/10 A follow-up from the first witchy book to arrive, this one didn't teach me as much about witches as I hoped it would

Approximately a 7/10 average for the whole year! I went out on a limb for a lot of books this year, and that was rewarding just about as often as it was disappointing, but I can at least say that I haven't DNF'd a book yet. I largely write these for myself, and I don't expect anyone to take the time to read it -- if you did, then you are a saint and a hero. May your pillows be cool, your blankets warm, and your eyesight always clear enough for reading.

[lesser-mook]

Lunamaria Hawk deserved better

Lila from (Zeta) is one of my benchmarks of decent Gundam ladies, not saying Luna shoulda been slaying like she did but jfc at least be on Marida or Mick Jack’s level.

As soon as she got to earth, she got less & less moments to stand out, and when she got Impulse, she was nowhere near Shinn or Rey. 

Technically Sochie & Miashei in those goofy (yet charming) Kapools was getting in the mix constantly.

One of her best moments is when she fought Stella in the first 6 episodes, and that’s because the first 21 Episodes were the best of GSD (Excluding EP14)

As soon as they got to Earth, all that potential for that rivalry just went up in flames.

A rivalry that could’ve used as a vehicle to drive the drama aspect of Stella & Shinn, and push Luna’s skill level higher.

Things got stale after her Zaku got trashed, and even worse when she got with Shinn. She became the “Must protecc” trophy GF.

She herself says she earned her Red Uniform, which means she’s Elite level.

That MF Sven wasn’t even enhanced, and he displayed one of the hardest flexes in Gundam SEED, period.

source gif

She did a little something in early 12,16,18,21-28 but surface level. Impulse run wasn’t anything special. I would’ve appreciated if they flexed and demonstrated why she got that Rank..

Yo ongod, if they paced the last half of the show better- they could’ve made The Impulse+Destiny Gundam. What a waste. 

[bobgoesw00t]

Since I recently received an ask from someone about if Gundam Seed had played out from Flay’s point of view (to which I said it would be the same as it originally is, just with more scenes of Kira’s waifu thrown in) I feel the need to post my personal thoughts on how Gundam Seed Destiny should have played out (instead of the weird version we ended up getting).

So like with Seed, the show would play out like it does up to the point where Athrun and Meyrin leave ZAFT to join up with Kira and the Archangel. From there I think a few things could happen. In each case, Shinn would listen to Athrun instead of going into SEED mode and attacking him and make sure to disable the Legend instead of blowing it up. Then he would go with Athrun to the Archangel and they would explain everything to him. From there, I see a few different ways the rest of the series would play out. First, Shinn would take Athrun, Meyrin and Kira’s words as the truth and help them out for the rest of the show. In this timeline he would try to get in touch with Lunamaria to let him know that he’s OK and that even if they have to fight each other, they aren’t enemies.

The second variant is that Shinn would need convincing and would go back to the Miranda and continue on with them while also looking for information and evidence to support what the others were saying. He would of course find it and rejoin the Archangel crew and MAYBE bring Lunamaria along. He would also try to get Rey to go with him but it wouldn’t happen.

The last alternative is that he join Athrun, Kira and friends but go back to ZAFT with the intention of being a spy for them, so they could have information on what Durandal might be planning and respond to it much faster. No idea if he would be discovered or not but regardless, he would join forces with Kira and his boyfriend Athrun (they are a couple feel free to @ me xP) at the very end and then all would be right with the world. Also in this scenario, Lunamaria would discover what Shinn was doing and help him out since she knows her sister is OK.

So OBVIOUSLY in these versions of events Kira, Athrun and rest rest of the returning cast from SEED would play the bigger role they do in the original version while also keeping Shinn as the main protagonist! THEY COULD HAVE EASILY DONE THIS BACK WHEN THE SHOW WAS IN PRODUCTION BUT NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO, THEY HAD TO FUCK SHINN OVER AND MAKE HIM A VILLIAN!!! WHAT WAS THE POINT OF INTRODUCING HIM AS THE LEAD CHARACTER IF YOU WERE JUST GONNA REPLACE HIM TOWARDS THE END OF THE SHOW!?!?!? IF YOUR GONNA GIVE THE RETURNING CAST MEMBERS A BIGGER ROLE AT LEAST MAKE SURE THE LEAD PROTAGONIST IS ON THE SAME SIDE AS THEM/MAKE THEM AN EQUAL PART OF THE STORY OTL

...that is all for now! Hope you like my thoughts and what not xD

[lesser-mook]

Fuck yeah.

Good work🍻

Super Robot Wars/Taisen Z fan opening(Setsuko’s Route)

A really well-made fan anime opening to Super Robot Wars Z, taking cues from the Gundam SEED opening and using the song Sandome no Sakura.

[nahalism]

Idk if you can relate to this but What do you do when you realize your relationship with someone in your head is completly rooted in attachment and ego and it overconsumed you to the point that you become psychotic

lol. fortunately/unfortunately i have experienced this. its such a loaded topic but as you've already acknowledged, only you have the power to alter and repair this situation.

the questions to answer would be, what am i attached to? what am i getting from this relationship that keeps me here? (that includes love, validation, a sense of self, or even being addicted to someone who reinforces the negative views you hold of yourself/induces the chaos your used to). where do those feelings and my fears stem from? etc etc. once you have the answers to these questions, and come to grips with what you think this person adds to your sense of self, ego or even what they take from it, you can, with clarity, discover new ways to fuel your sense of self, and sustain your sense of worth. i think in many circumstances its fears about our competence, value, and general low self esteem that keep us suffering in these situations but the reality is everyone involved deserves better. take time to get clear and get your self in order (this will help clear the emotional fog that literally makes you feel crazy, hyper impulsive and self doubting of your decisions, thoughts and feelings) then make your move.

sidenote:: its ironic, because whilst those first steps are always hard, its never as hard as you think it will be. even when it feels like death, life will find ways to creep in. something that florence scovel shinn said that stuck with me is something along the lines of, when your willing to do the things you fear most you will find you no longer have to do them. (im paraphrasing buttt no lies were told..). may u find the courage, strength and love to do what is right <333

[master-ray5]

Fairy Tale Challenge: Miwako’s Bedtime Story

I finally got around to finishing my entry to the @fairytalechallenge​. This is one of my last few fanfictions. I have other projects which need my attention and sadly fanfiction is a bit of a distraction. Enjoy this little cute story. 

Picture source: http://fanartsailormoonbythaiartistfan.tumblr.com/post/135649421834/kunzite-his-child-he-embraced-his-daughter

Fanfiction link: https://www.fanfiction.net/s/13631011/1/Miwako-s-Bedtime-Story

***

First off, here is the‌ ‌guide‌ ‌for‌ ‌the‌ ‌names‌ ‌I‌ ‌use‌ ‌for‌ ‌the‌ ‌Shitennou‌ ‌in‌ ‌this ‌story.‌ As they are now married men, they have taken the names of their beloved wives. Jadeite=Hino ‌Taito‌ Nephite=Kino ‌Masato‌ Zoisite=Mizuno ‌Saitou‌ ‌ Kunzite=Aino ‌Shinn‌

Also, I’m using the daughters of the Senshi introduced in the “Parallel Moon” story but I will change their names. Frankly, I find adding Jr. at the end of the names was a tad lazy writing (not even addressing how the girls all look like tiny cloned versions of their moms). So the names I use will be: Minako Jr.=Miwako Ami Jr.=Mami Rei Jr.=Reina Makoto Jr.=Makino Kousagi is still the same as it fits in the style I’m going for.

O.o.O.o.O Miwako’s Bedtime Story O.o.O.o.O       Royal Advisor and Leader of the Shitennou, Kunzite had just finished a long day of diplomacy and aiding King Endymion. His wife, Lady Venus, was helping Neo-Queen Serenity with an ambassador, who was known to be very dry and boring, so his only concern for her safety was if she somehow managed to die of boredom. Despite his long day, he had managed to return to his wing of the place just in time. He had to see the other woman in his life.     He opened the door to the sitting room of his wing of the palace. Upon entering this area, he no longer thought of himself as anything other than Aino Shinn, a man like any other. He was surprised to find Hilda, the housekeeper, slumped out on the couch, looking exhausted as if she just climbed Tokyo Tower with her bare hands.     “Are you alright Hilda-san?” Shinn asked as he dropped his briefcase on a table and moved to check on the woman.     “Sir, I thought you and I had an arrangement,” Hilda began, draping her arm over her eyes as if facing the world was too difficult. “I would continue to assist with watching the young miss when you and Lady Venus worked late but in return, you promised me you would reduce said girl’s sugar intake.”     “We did,” Shinn chuckled, realizing the housekeeper was exhausted from attempting to keep track of his daughter. “She is just naturally full of energy. She gets it from her mother.”     “She is exhausting is what she is,” Hilda insisted as she pulled herself off the couch and began to head towards the exit. “I highly suggest you find a convent to send her, or else she will be nothing but trouble when she is a teenager.”     “Then she will be exactly like her mother. Good night Hilda-san,” Shinn snapped as he took off his jacket and undid his tie. He could tolerate Hilda insinuating his daughter was a handful but to insinuate she was anything more than a spirited child was where he drew the line. He knew very well Miwako was the spitting image of her mother and the energy she possessed would be one of her greatest gifts. Somewhat comfortable for the evening, Shinn made his way through the halls until he came across his daughter’s room. He knocked on the door before turning the handle and stepping in. “Miwako-chan, how are you?”      “Venus Love Me Chain!” A voice shouted before the snap of a whip slapped against the wall and inches from Shinn’s face. Before the weapon could recoil, Shinn stepped on it and kept it in place.     “Daddy! I’m trying to fight the evil guys!” Miwako insisted as she tugged at the whip to free it from her father’s foot. The comparisons to her mother were apt, as Miwako looked exactly like when Minako did as a child, even with her own red bow in her hair. Though her outfit didn’t look much like Sailor Venus, as the young girl had cobbled together a makeshift Sailor costume with an off-color skirt, part of her school uniform, and large sunglasses. “I need my weapon back!”     “That will be enough of that. Where did you find this?” Shinn asked as down looked at the whip, already knowing the answer to the question.     “In your and mommy’s room,” Miwako replied with a proud smile. “Do you have it in case some monsters show up before mommy can transform?”     “Yyyyyyyyyes!” Shinn lied through his teeth. “That’s exactly it, honey. You are so clever.”     “Ain’t I,” Miwako glowed as she continued to tug at the whip, still hoping her father would let her play with it. “Come on, let me play more.”     “Sorry my little love,” Shinn insisted as he reached down, grabbed the whip, and tugged it from her hands with ease. He vowed to find a better hiding spot for the item when he had time later. “Now, why don’t you get your pajamas on and I’ll tell you a story.”     “Really? MMMM….okay,” Miwako agreed before letting go of the weapon and rushing into the bathroom. In no time at all, Miwako had slipped into her pajamas, brushed her teeth, and hopped into bed. “I’m ready.”       “So you are,” Shin began as he pulled the covers over Miwako’s legs and took a seat on the bed. Making sure she was comfortable, Shinn reached up to her hair and untied the bow on top. “Once upon a time, there was a little girl who wore a…”     “Red riding hood,” Miwako interrupted with a smile. “I heard it before. What else you got?”         “Okay…,” Shinn groaned. “There was once a selfish prince who...”     “Beauty and the Beast!” Miwako yawned. Not from exhaustion but because she was not amused. “Next!”     Shinn did his best to maintain his composure but just like her mother, Miwako had a way of pushing his buttons. “A girl trapped in…”     “Rapunzel,” Miwako answered, not giving her father an opportunity to continue. “You need to learn some new stories, daddy.”     “Fine!” Shinn hissed before taking a deep breath and managed to regain his cool. “Let’s try this. I’ll make up a story for you. Feel free to just interject any suggestions you have as I go.      “Yeah,” Miwako agreed with a smile. “That does sound fun.”     Shinn cleared his throat and began. “Once there was a lady named…”    “Mommy!” Miwako blurted out. “Make mommy a part of the story.”     “Sure why not,” Shinn smiled, admiring how much his young daughter looked up to her mother. He couldn’t help but remember how when Minako was pregnant she had been worried that her daughter would have the same strained relationship she had with her own mother. Instead, Minako was blessed as Miwako had nothing but love and respect for her. “A woman named Minako who was working as a…”     “Housekeeper,” Miwako suggested. “Like Cinderella!”     “So you want me to tell you Cinderella except it stars your mother?” Shinn chuckled. “Now, who’s not being original”     “I’m sure we will find a way to change it,” Miwako replied as she snuggled into the covers and looked up at her father with a warm expression. “Just keep going.”     Shinn shrugged, leaned against the headboard of the bed, and pulled his daughter close. “So, once upon a time, there was a woman named Minako who was working as a housekeeper for her wicked stepmother. What should we name her?”     Miwako thought for a moment before she volunteered, “Beryl?”     “Beryl?” Shinn’s heart skipped a beat when his daughter said the name. “Where...where did you hear that name?”       “Mommy said it was the name of an evil queen who once kidnapped you, daddy,” Miwako answered as she snuggled closer to her father when she mentioned the word “kidnapped.” “They must have been really bad to kidnap you, daddy.”     “You have no idea,” Shinn agreed, his heart

O.o.O.o.O     The ringing of the bells of her alarm clock woke Minako up. It was a new device but the only reason she had been given such a high priced gift was to ensure she got up in time to get everything done before her stepmother, Beryl, awoke. With her father no longer around, Minako had become a slave to her widowed stepmother.     “Meow” Artemis called as he jumped on Minako’s bed. He was an old pure white housecat known for keeping the mice problem at bay. He nuzzled Minako in an attempt to get her to wake up.     “Oh Artemis,” Minako “How I wish you could talk, perhaps even give me a magical item which would allow me to turn into a warrior and fight for love and justice and someday even reunite with my soulmate. Oh well. I have no choice but to serve my wicked stepmother.”       Minako went to work getting herself ready for the day. She combed her hair, dressed, and put on her shoes. She made her way to the kitchen and after a breakfast of crusty bread and a glass of wine, she began her duty of servitude to her wicked stepmother. She cleaned the kitchen, prepared breakfast and made sure the tray was lined up  as she pushed it towards her step mother’s room.     She was just about to knock when she heard a voice on the other side.     “The prince is looking for a bride. I intend to use this opportunity to brainwash him,” Beryl cackled as she talked to her subordinate. “Soon Prince Kunzite will bow to me and then you will give the reward you so rightfully deserve.”     “Excellent plan my lady,” Adonis Danburite commented. He had been an advisor to the Kingdom but had become sick of the way the royal family seemed to ignore any of his advice lately. Adonis had feared for his livelihood and had decided to reach out to Lady Beryl, a woman known for her sinister ways, for advice.     “Oh no,” Minako gasped as she heard what her evil stepmother was planning. “I have to warn someone!”     “What was that young lady?” Adonis asked as he opened the door and stared at Minako with cold eyes. “Lady Beryl. I do believe your stepdaughter has been eavesdropping on our conversation. You discipline her better.”     “Your right!” Minako admitted. “I have heard what you are planning to do to Prince Kunzite and I won’t let you.”     “You have been nothing but a pain since your father died!” Beryl shouted, grabbing a vase from the nearby table. Minako ducked at the last minute as the vase shattered on the wall behind her. “And I never cared for your spinach puffs! Never! Now lock her in her room so we can go take care of the prince.”    Before Minako could make a break for it, Adonis grabbed her wrist and restrained her. With the help of Beryl, the two locked Minako in her room and left for the Castle. Minako tried to break down the door but no matter what she tried, it wouldn’t budge. Tired and discouraged, Minako fell on her bed and began to sweep.     “Oh Artemis!” Minako cried as she felt the cat jump onto the bed. “What am I going to do? The prince is going to be corrupted and I can’t do anything about it!”     “There is something you can do,” Artemis announced before he leapt into the air. In a flash of light, Artemis transformed into a man in a white suit with white long hair. “Hello Minako. I am your Fairy God Cat.” O.o.O.o.O     “This sounds too much like Cinderella,” Miwako interrupted as she shifted in bed. “Change it up a bit. Also can I have a drink of water?”     “Sure, one second,” Shinn replied as she got up, filled a cup in the little girl’s bathroom, and returned to the Miwako’s bed. “Also, did Cinderella have a Sailor scout in it?”     “No,” Miwako answered as she took a sip of the water.     “Then you haven’t heard this story before,” Shinn commented as he sat on the bed, leaning against the headboard, “Now where was I?” O.o.O.o.O     “My Fairy God Cat?” Minako wondered, still shocked by Artemis’ new appearance. “I wasn’t aware that was a thing.”     “Well it is. I am here to give you the power you need to defeat your stepmother,” Artemis explained as he snapped his fingers. In the palm of his hand, the transformation pen of Venus formed. “Here, take this. Holdit over your head and shout “Venus Power.” It will allow you to become a warrior capable of defeating Beryl. Or at least help you break out of this room.”       “If you say so. Venus power!” Minako shouted as she was surrounded by a shower of light. In the blink of an eye she transformed into Sailor Venus, but not one most people knew. Instead, she wore a yellow Sack-back gown, white gloves, white stockings, and orange glass slippers. “Incredible!”     “You have become the warrior of love, Sailor Venus. Now,” Artemis clapped his hands together, getting Minako’s attention. “Point at the door and scream, “Crescent Beam!””     “Crescent Beam!” Minako yelled, A blast of energy erupted from fingertips and created a giant hole in the center of the door.     “Impressive,” Artemis complimented, seeing how strong Minako was. “Now use one of the horses in the stable and ride to the castle as fast as you can.”     “Wait, aren’t you coming with me?” Minako asked, stopping herself before she ran from the room.     “No, I’m going to stay here,” Artemis commented as he shook his head. “That way it’s easier to tell this story. Less characters to keep track of.”   O.o.O.o.O     “Dad,” Miwako whined as she tugged at her father’s arm.       “Well it is,” Shinn shrugged. O.o.O.o.O     Making her way out of the house as fast as she could, Minako saddled her horse, Bbuttercup, and rode to the castle. When she arrived, she found the place on high alert with guards at every possible entrance. As she rode up, she was stopped by a guard with a spear.     “Halt who goes there?” The soldier asked, captured by the beauty of the rider.     “I am Sailor Venus, a warrior of love,” Minako announced. “I have come to save the Prince from a wicked witch who wishes to control him for her own gains.”     “You are too late,” The soldier announced. “The witch was here and made off with the Prince’s...with the prince’s…” O.o.O.o.O     “His smile!” Miwako suggested.     “The prince’s smile?” Shinn asked, unsure of where his daughter got such a suggestion.     “Yeah, I actually asked mommy once if a witch stole your smile,” Miwako admitted, as she snuggled closer to her dad. “You don’t smile that much daddy. When I asked mommy my question, she said “its because daddy is trying to be strong to protect us and only smiles when we are around.””     “Well yeah, I guess you're right,” Shinn agreed, a bit disheartened. He had heard the comments by social media and online articles. “Lord Kunzite is so cold.” “What does a warm person like Lady Venus see in someone like Lord Kunzite?” “Instant credits to anyone who gets a picture of Lord Kunzite smiling.” Saito had made the joke once, “You have a resting angry face.” He didn’t do it intentionally. It often became focused when at work and often forgot to smile. “Daddy will try to smile more around you and your mother.”     “It’s okay daddy,” Miwako insisted, resting her head on her father’s chest. “I don't mind. I know you have to be strong because you have to protect me and mommy from monsters.”     “Your mother has fought even more monsters, little Miwako, “ Shinn lamented as he thought about how many battles his wife had fought over the years and how it seemed he could only do so much to help. Yet, through all of it, she somehow managed to keep a smile on her face. It was part of what made them so strong as a couple. Kunzite helped his wife stay focused and Minako helped her husband find joy. “I will find a way to try and smile more. Anyways, let’s see, after she heard about the Prince…,”   O.o.O.o.O     “She must have escaped to the family cabin on the coast,” Minako announced as she rode as fast as she could towards her destination. “I will make sure to save the Prince.”     Minako made it to the coast in less than an hour and dismounted the horse on a hill which allowed her to look down at the cabin. She noticed a light in the window.     “Time to bust in and save the day,” Minako announced to herself.     “I hate to burst your bubble,” Adonis growled as she snuck up behind her, grabbed her wrists, and bound them with a chain. “But you are caught.”     “Oh come on,” Minako groaned as Adonish dragged her to the cabin. Soon, Minako was kneeling in front of her stepmother who sat in a chair by a roaring fire, holding a glowing pink gem.      “Welcome dear stepdaughter,” Beryl called as she caressed the gem with her fingers. “This is what you came for. The emotions of the young prince. His youthful energy and his very happiness is here in my finger tips.”     “Give it to me,” Minako demanded as she tried to struggle against her shackles.     “What are you hoping?” Beryl asked, shaking her head at Minako. “Give this back to the prince and he will fall in love with you at first sight? Such a way of starting a relationship will only end in dirovce or having a relationship with your riding instructor     “Well I thought I would use returning his happiness as more of an icebreaker, then maybe go for tea,” Minako speculated. “Take it one step at time, might try wine tasting,”     “Silence!” Beryl roared, “I don’t care to hear about your ridiculous plans which are never going to come true anyways. Now turn to stone!”     With a wave of her hand, Beryl cast a spell on Minako causing her body to slowly turn to stone. The spell started at her feet, moved to her legs, and had soon turned her lower half into stone. It looked like she was at the end of her rope. O.o.O.o.O     “Oh no!” Miwako cried as she sat up in bed and looked her father in the eyes with concern. “How is she going to get out of this?”     “Yes, how would she get out?” Shinn wondered aloud. Truth be told he never was one for creative works. He was more the logistic one of the group. Saitou had written a few novels and Taito managed to fill an entire wing of a museum with his work as a painter over the years. Shinn’s most creative work was when he had a chance to enjoy photography every once in a blue moon. Even then, they were mostly landscaping shots and times Minako felt photogentc. He was at a loss of how to save his wife in this imaginary story he was telling. “How would you end the story?”     “Well she needs help,” Miwako decided, putting a finger to her chin like she was truly contemplating what should happen next. “Someone who could save her. Um..I know! What if Mini Sailor Venus came to help.”     “Mini Sailor Venus?” Shinn chuckled, realizing Miwako was talking about herself. “So you are going to save your mom? Sure, why not.”   O.o.O.o.O     “Hold it right there Beryl!” A voice announced from the entrance to the cabin. Standing there was a smaller version of Sailor Venus. “I am Mini Sailor Venus! In the name of Future Venus, I’ll punish you with the power of love! Catch mom!”     “Mom?” Minako wondered as the smaller version of her threw a bottle. The projectile hit her stone legs, broke, and covered her with a glimmering blue liquid. The liquid instantly turned her legs back to normal. Able to stand, Minako leapt away from Beryl and Adonis and stood close to Mini Sailor Venus. “I never gave birth to you.”     “Not yet you haven’t,” Mini Sailor Venus explained as she pulled out a key she just happened to have on hand and unlocked Minako’s manacles. “I have come from the future to not only help you escape and return the prince’s happiness, but also I have come to help to tell you Beryl’s secret weakness.” O.o.O.o.O     “Secret Weakness?” Shinn asked, unsure of what his daughter was talking about. “I wasn’t aware Beryl had a secret weakness. What is it?”     “Shiitake mushrooms!” Miwako shivered at the thought of them. “She’ll eat them and immediately pass out because of the bad taste.”     “Shiitake mushrooms?” Shinn smirked as he shook his head. “You are so your mother’s daughter. Okay, Mini-Sailor Venus, having brought shiitake mushrooms, threw one into Beryl’s mouth with a single elegant toss. Beryl, overwhelmed by the terrible taste, fainted and was no longer a threat. Wait, how would they beat Adonis?”     “Simple! Twin Crescent Beams!” Miwako cried, bouncing to her feet, and recreating her mother’s attack. “Crescent Beam! BOOM! And then he explodes into a billion pieces!”     “Okay, okay settle down,” Shinn appealed, pulling his daughter to the bed and tucking her back under the covers. “So with Adonis and Beryl defeated, Sailor Mini-Venus returned to the future and Sailor Venus returned the prince’s happiness. Back to normal, Prince Kunzite was ever grateful to Minako. The two started dating, eventually leading to them getting married, and having a beautiful girl named Miwako. The end.”     “I liked that story,” Miwako admitted as she slowly started to fall asleep. The sudden burst of action to recreate the Crescent Beam had been the last of the energy the little girl had in her reserves. Her eyes fluttered in a desperate attempt to stay open. “Hey, papa...How was the real Queen Beryl defeated?     “She…,” Shinn stopped himself as he remembered witnessing the incident through a psychic sensation despite being locked in the form of a stone. The image of Minako plunging her sword into the witch's stomach. O.o.O.o.O     It was not until years after his return, on the night of their wedding she confessed her dark secret. After making love and consummating their marriage, a dark expression crossed his new wife’s face, as she felt the need to confess to her husband.     “There’s something I promised I’d tell you when we were married,” Minako admitted as she looked down and buried her face in her Shinn’s chest, a bit afraid of how he would react. "The fight with Queen Beryl. I...I was happy I killed her. I still am and I hate that I am."     “Never feel a shred of guilt or shame for ridding the world of that monster,” Shinn answered as she wrapped his arms around his bride. “You did what you had to. We are warriors. Our hands have to be dirty so the innocent will not have to suffer under the darkness. Also, I want you to remember, there is nothing you can ever do to make me stop loving you.”   O.o.O.o.O     “They beat her with teamwork,” Shinn answered with a little white lie. It was as much of an answer he felt Miwako was able to handle. It was half true as part of how the Sailor Senshi had been able to defeat Beryl. “All thanks to your mom leading the way.”     “Hmm, Mommy’s awesome,” Miwako hummed as she laid her head on her father’s chest and drifted off to sleep. Shinn stayed by the girl’s side and gently stroked her hair. He was so lost in the moment he didn’t even hear the door open or see a familiar figure approach until the newcomer was at the edge of the bed.     “I go away for the evening only to find you in bed with another woman,” Minako teased low enough so as not to wake Miwako. “Did you two have fun?”     “What can I say she has a hold on me,” Shinn admitted, as he admired how good his wife looked in the dinner gown she had worn when she aided the Queen. Part of him wanted to have some alone time with his beloved, but he didn’t dare move and disturb Miwako’s sleep. “A power over me I can’t and don’t wish to fight. Just like her mother.”     “She’s adorable,” Minako whispered as she slid into bed and snuggled against Shinn’s other shoulder. “She’s the only woman I could ever see sharing you with.”     “That makes you a better person than me,” Shinn whispered back as he wrapped his other arm around his drowsy wife and pulled her close. “I could never share you with another man.”     “Actually there is another man,” Minako sighed as she took a hold of his wrist. She brought his hand to her stomach and rubbed it affectionately in circles. “And you’ll meet him in a few months.”     Shinn’s eyes became wide as he realized what his wife meant but he made no response. He dared not wake the sleepy blondes in his arms. Instead, the stoic man laid his head back, pulled his family close and smiled wide, feeling blessed he lived in a reality where he was able to tell them Fairy Tales. O.o.O.o.O     In “Parallel Sailor Moon'' a few things were added to the mythology of the franchise. First off the girls getting married and having kids who look a lot like them (the Juniors). It is also implied in the comic, all of the men who married the Senshi took part in Mukoyoshi (Adopted son in law”) and took the family name of their wives when they got married. Hence, Shinn would become Aino Shinn. Also, I wanted to try and recreate that family picture that exists online of Minako, Kunzite, Minako Jr., and a tiny boy with white hair standing together as I really think it’s the ending Minako always deserved in the end.       Thanks to Knowall7 for being my Beta.

[final-mazin-blade]

🔥 Gundam Seed

Shinn was a better protagonist than Kira and deserved to have his own arc completed in SEED Destiny. Athrun Zala on the other hand deserves the character hate the fandom seems to spare him. He switched sides more than enough times that it got annoying. There were too many Char clones but none of them were bad. SEED didn’t have a bad premise, just a garbage fire behind the scenes production and writing wise.

[darckcarnival]

"Hey Darck, how do you handle and cope with vampirism?"

“That... Is not an easy question to answer, Shinn.”

“At first, a younger me thought it was cool, working so very hard. Yes, I missed my family, my friends, but... All I wanted to do was impress my sire, advance, become better, make a new family. And I lost all of that as well.”

“When you end up alone, the weight of eternity sets on your shoulders real quick. You watch the world turn, age, advance, while your self stay the same, mostly. Sure somethings change. You get stronger, maybe a little taller, your hair grows, but otherwise... Aging is different now.”

“The best way to handle vampirism, is to turn your curse into a great gift. Turn it around as some sort of blessing, use it for better things. That is what I do. I use this hell I live, as a way to make sure others are safe, fight for the lives of people who deserve to have a chance. You watch those you care about age, but... As long as they are alive, that is all that counts.”

“I may seem like I have it together, Shinn... But coping with some things is never easy. It’s all a juggling act.”

[wisteriafield]

tonight is thinkin about my BOY Shinn Asuka and how he Deserved A Lot Better Than That As Spoken By Kenichi Suzumura

Look at him, sad because he’s been shoved off to the side for Kira in his own series from what I’m pretty sure was the case even as far back as the first intro

[ninthfeather]

"(unpopular opinion: shinn asuka had potential as a character before GSD became The Kira Yamato Show pt II)" MAN YES THOUGH i mean he was being very "reckless protag" at the start but imo he was on the brink of actually learning from his actions. SORRY JUST HAD TO SEND A MESSAGE CAUSE i have so many feelings on GSD (most of them negative - ) don't even get me started on rey

Sending an ask is fine!! I still have a lot of feelings about GSD, as it was my Very First Gundam, so even though I’m not actively in the fandom, nor was I ever really other than, like, two really subpar fanfics, I like the opportunity to talk about it.  My love for Gundam Seed Destiny is the love of nostalgia–it wasn’t actually that good, but it meant a heck of a lot to me at the time.  Besides getting me into Gundam, it presented a fundamentally different narrative about war than anything else I’d been exposed to up to that point, and it was in some ways formative for me in that sense.  Narratively and as a piece of writing, though…it was not great.  

Shinn’s arc was a trainwreck and it didn’t have to be.  He wasn’t some sort of irredeemable villain from the get-go, he was a hurting kid with PTSD and an impulsive streak.  Athrun was trying to get him to make better choices, but Athrun was affiliated with Orb, Shinn had trauma, and Durandal was playing everyone.  Shinn was manipulated by Durandal, but also took reprehensible actions on his own.  So it’s more complicated than him just being a victim of Durandal, but it’s also false to say he wasn’t one.  I know from an Anime Insider interview from when the show was released that someone on the production staff (head writer or director, I think?  It’s been years and my hard copy’s not here)  basically said that Shinn was a portrait of the problems with modern Japanese youth, that he was “entitled” and craved “acceptance” and “approval.” I remember being annoyed by that when I read it and it still annoys me.  If they were trying to portray Shinn as entitled, I’m not sure they did a good job.  Traumatized war orphans who live on their combat ship just don’t read as entitled to me.  His tendency to seek approval constantly and especially from the wrong people is among his tragic flaws, but it’s also among Athrun’s, and yet things turn out very differently for those two characters.

Personally, I find Shinn most interesting as a counterpoint to both Athrun and Kira, in the sense of this is how their arcs could have gone wrong.  I am not certain this is what the show was trying to convey, but I’m a former English major and texts are sometimes more fun when you read for what’s actually in them rather than authorial intent.  Kira’s arc in GS is plagued by the threat of the Earth Forces wanting to turn him into a glorified tool.  Shinn’s arc, in an indirect way, is that made real in the form of Durandal’s manipulations (and Rey’s, though Rey is also simultaneously complicit and a victim).  The difference between them is the allies Kira had with him (vs. Shinn’s allies, who aren’t all truly his allies, aren’t close to begin with and are picked off one by one through the show, until only Luna and Meyrin survive the series, and only Luna stays with Shinn).    Athrun, meanwhile, makes poor decisions about who to follow, but also is ultimately able to realize when his side has morally gone beyond the pale, and to use the connections he had from childhood (Kira and Lacus) with the other side to reorient himself to a side that matches his moral convictions (vs. Shinn, whose only remaining childhood connection, the cell phone recording of his younger sister, is a tool that Durandal uses to manipulate him toward further morally questionable decisions).  Shinn is a testament to the chaotic nature of war, a reminder that our faves, while good people, also got lucky.  If they’d ended up in the wrong places at the wrong times, they could have ended up like him, or at least in similar situations.

REEEEEEY.  My feelings about him are so complicated and at the same time boil down to screw Ulen Hibiki.  A lot of my GS and GSD feelings boil down to that honestly.  Rey deserved better.  Rey also did some very, very screwed-up things and the fact that he was actively aiding Durandal in turning Shinn into human UXB shouldn’t be overlooked, but he was also one of the only people who was really kind to Shinn. The fact that he helped Shinn rescue Stellar makes me think that under all the manipulation and pain and screwed up things that never should have happened to either of them, Shinn and Rey’s friendship was real, to some extent.  In an environment with no Durandal, it could have been good for them both.

It’s been like 10 years since I watched this show why on earth do I still have this many emotions about it???

(Disclaimer to anyone who comes across this in the tag: I am not an active participant in the GS or GSD fandoms, and know nothing about the current discourse trends. I’m not really interested in fighting anyone on this, it is just my opinion.  Lemme be wrong on the internet in peace if that is what you feel I am.)

[junker-town]

The lasting importance of David Stern’s Seattle SuperSonics heist

David Stern’s legacy is multi-faceted. Just ask Seattle fans.

The former NBA commissioner leaves a complicated legacy. Just ask Seattle fans.

David Stern died on New Year’s Day at age 77, just about six years after retiring as NBA commissioner. He was largely a beloved commissioner (with notable exceptions) despite pushing numerous highly unpopular, highly questionable policies, being extremely abrasive to all comers, and being a magnet for conspiracy theory.

One of the notable exceptions where Stern is not beloved is, of course, in the city of Seattle, where he is seen as largely responsible for allowing and maybe even pushing the SuperSonics to relocate to Oklahoma City in some mixture of pique and interest in setting a new precedent.

The Sonics were stolen from Seattle and moved to OKC in 2008. The list of names who deserve blame for what happened is long. Stern shares the top spot with Howard Schultz, the former Starbucks CEO and Sonics team owner. Schultz is up there because he, a Seattleite, got frustrated with arena subsidy politics and sold the Sonics to an ownership group based in Oklahoma City, which had been angling very openly to bring a team to OKC. Schultz sold out Seattle completely and entirely because he wasn’t willing to shell out for a renovated KeyArena or a new gym, and he also wasn’t willing to do the hard work of satisfying public officials’ demands to get them on board for subsidies.

Stern is there because he could have hit the brakes at any point, he could have found another way for his friends in OKC to get a team, he could have put some controls on Schultz’s sale to ensure Seattle-based would-be buyers were given priority. Notably, the NBA has done all of this stuff since in other relocation sagas since. Stern didn’t do any of it in the lead-up to 2008. It’s a huge stain on his legacy in the NBA.

Why Stern put the knife in Seattle still isn’t clear, 12 years later. The commissioner always claimed that city and state officials wouldn’t commit to working with the NBA or the team on public arena subsidies. But KeyArena wasn’t that old, Schultz was a billionaire, the NBA didn’t seem to be spending years of effort to get something done. Look at Sacramento, for comparison’s sake. The Kings and NBA spent a decade failing to get arena subsidies before Stern bailed them out by giving them one last chance as the Kings were being sold to a Seattle-based group. Sacramento finally got a deal done at the last gasp in large part due to the enormous effort Stern and his staff put in. (Stern sent several top deputies to Sacramento for a couple years before the resolution, in part to essentially seize franchise control from the Maloofs and in part to set the groundwork for an eventual deal.)

Seattle didn’t get that kind of attention.

In New Orleans, concerned long-time village idiot and Hornets team owner George Shinn wasn’t going to meet payroll, Stern convinced the 29 other NBA team owners to collectively buy the team and appoint him, Stern, as the governor. Stern’s NBA tiger team would revive the franchise so that it could be sold to someone who would commit to keeping the team in New Orleans. The NBA team owners would share the profit.

This whole deal infamously led to the incredible Chris Paul trade veto (another stain on Stern’s legacy, in my opinion) and eventually the sale of the team to the Benson family for a modest profit with a commitment to keep the team in Louisiana. At any point in that sordid period, Stern could have sold the Hornets to an outside investor (including one in Seattle, no doubt) at a sweet profit and abandoned the New Orleans market. He didn’t. The now-Pelicans are still there, because Stern wanted them to be.

The Sonics are in fact that last NBA team to be relocated, unless you count the Brooklyn Nets, who moved 15 miles from Jersey to NYC, or the Golden State Warriors, who moved 17 miles from Oakland to San Francisco. We don’t count those as relocations. So the question becomes whether Stern’s harsh actions in Seattle taught other NBA cities that they could absolutely be left in the dust if they didn’t pony up, and they then began to pony up, or whether Stern regretted to mark that the Seattle saga left and acted differently with future situations.

His actions in Sacramento and New Orleans clearly point to the latter explanation: how the NBA was perceived for aiding and abetting (and hell, driving the moving trucks) the Seattle heist changed how the league approached other cities facing arena issues and potential relocation. To some extent, cities also now know the score — Milwaukee is a great example of that, with everyone involved moving quickly to secure public funding for Fiserv Forum with an explicit threat of relocation on the table if they failed.

The Sonics saga remains important not just because it’s a memory of a time when David Stern failed NBA fans. It’s important because it totally changed how the NBA and its cities dealt with each other, for better or worse. Seattle can’t happen again because the NBA doesn’t act like that any more and because cities know what’s coming if things go sideways. It remains a horribly sad moment for Seattle and a horribly important one for the NBA.

[lesser-mook]

Gundam Seed Destiny AR (Another Rewrite)

Gundam SEED DESTINY was the Anime that showed me there was more to Anime than just Harems, High School settings, & trash Ecchis

My first mature themed Anime. 

Yet:

There’s a lot of problems with the SEED Destiny project, 

Began strongly,  but the buildup to the ending was weak. The Epilogue with the handshake was fine but everything in the middle after Episode 22 needs new context.

The flaws are mainly attributed to the characters.

How awkwardly some of the characters are written (Cagalli), LACK of emphasized characterization for others (Luna) and the unnecessary involvement/prioritization of certain plot points (Kira/Lacus) and the abandonment of others. (Better developing Shinn):

the illogical decisions made by Characters for no reason

the plot armor

the consistently annoying sanctimonious damn near invincible nature of Yamato

And how Kira makes the story suffer due to his poorly written character

Poorly choreographed major fights. (That if i directed, would play out very VERY different in pacing alone, let alone presentation of character skills)

The little battles were fine (recycled animation was noticed) but they were fine for the most part. Though seeing the exact same fight sequence recycled back to back, between 3 episodes is annoying when compared to 00 Gundam or IBO

HD Remaster did it’s job by polishing it, much appreciated.

And the criminally poor management of SHINN ASUKA towards the later part of the season.

After Episode 30, he just becomes this smug, insufferable little shit.

And i get it, he’s frustrated with how ZAFT was treating Stella; But he almost overlooks the fact that she’s been killing their people since day 1. 

(And she killed Heine) Not her fault (technically, child soldier) but she still caught bodies.

He doesn’t he even entertain that reality, while acknowledging his own opinions. 

Soon as he gives Stella to Neo, he somehow comes back with a worsened attitude towards Athrun for some reason.

And Shinn not getting punished for releasing a prisoner & assaulting medical personnel gave him this “Hehe, i’m special” attitude.

Then after 34, he claims he got revenge for Athrun “too” by shooting down Freedom which completely contradicts his dismissive attitude prior towards the same exact Athrun.

The narrative is not sure what exactly is the dynamic between these two cats. And i’m equally as confused.

So when Athrun shows up in E42 catching himself trying to appeal to the Shinn.

I’m not sure what that appeal is founded on; Cause i always sensed a brewing friendship TRYING to develop but to persuade someone not to enact genocide requires a level of respect.

 And i never sensed that from Shinn to Athrun, and what they could’ve had should’ve been what Kamille & Quatro had or Asemu & Woolf. 

Like Mu should’ve mentored Kira, Athrun should’ve mentored Asuka.

SEED always waste, waste, waste good ideas.

And how weirdly paced Luna & Shinns relationship was kills me, on my soul

She confided in Asuka WAY too fast, she wasn’t given any time to digest what happened or meditate on what the situation is.

Instead of an episode wasted recapping Kira & Lacus’ relationship (no new footage btw, just episode footage we already saw) 

instead use that entire 25 minutes building up Shinn & Luna’s entire history since Military Basic Training leading to now; Because why the fuck not????

I would’ve had homegirl avoid that man for at least 2 or 3 days before she even speaks to him again.

Because why wouldn’t she be afforded that? 

He fucked up, and at that point, she figures her baby sister was dead. 

Nah, that hallway scene, woulda played out with her walking away from him.

Then afterwards, through him coaching her on Impulse Gundam, then they can build something new. GRADUALLY.

Can’t just hop into that shit, Shinn & (in this case, especially) Lunamaria Hawke deserved better.

Binged the Anime recently (FEB-MAR 2022), 

and i can say with a clear head that the show’s highest points were definitely when Shinn, Athrun , and ZAFT Minerva’s crew were given the spotlight to shine and go on missions: 

Episodes 1-12 [Excluding 13-14]  Episodes 15-22 is peak GSD 

In that respect (in that 1-22 window) it’s a solid Military Anime.

Athruns "Big Brother?” dynamic for Shinn was excellent to see in action (not the best, but it was decent) could’ve been so much better. 

Again, mentorship, imagine what Zala could teach this kid in terms of combat.

Anything Close to Garrod and Jamil’s dynamic would’ve been awesome.

Jamil corrects Garrod, Garrod learns and evolves. Because Jamil has the experience, and Garrod benefits from learning from him.

Simple.

But since Episode 23 it all gradually went to shit since Kira Yamato burst into the picture, like a Looney Toon character.

Mainly because whenever he’s in the frame, the tension ceases because not only is he a static presence & he’s too strong, lack of rivals.

And he’s always in the right, self-righteous, a very underwhelming character. (Especially compared to Athrun or Season 1 PRE-Episode 30 Kira, before he became Jesus Yamato )

Whenever Athrun makes a point:

Kira: “I hear what you’re saying, BUT”--- (Bullshit dialogue follows)

He does this at least once or twice.

Then Murrue Ramius (Underrated character) actually validates his bad decisions after Kira contemplates the mere possibility that he’s been making dumbass decisions. (Episode 31) Bad writing is bad.

Dude isn’t allowed to be wrong no matter what.

Mainly after Episode 23 & 28 is mainly when the show went full retard, which is when they do their wannabe Celestial Being interventions. Then the downward spiral of Durandals little scheme really starts brewing.

And how Yamato was written to quickly defeat Athrun’s Savior Gundam like Zala just learned how to pilot yesterday- was a disgrace:

“b b ut Athrun was conflicted“

Save it.

Nerf is a nerf. Bad writing is bad. Period.

Even Episode 35 tried pushing some contrived narrative that not having a justification to fight will cause someone to be incapable of fighting 

Capt. Talia Gladys says this while the camera pans to Athrun. 

& Episode 26 had homeboy moping in his room lol, Subtle.

Problem, He had reason(s): 

Fighting the Alliance (which he was doing)

Joining ZAFT to be of use in the conflict (which he was, and what i really like about GSD is ZAFT was outwardly portrayed as good guys in a lot of Episodes)

Athrun wanted to be involved in what the hell was going on, thus informed vs remaining as Alex Dino & being clueless

All of which we clearly saw being built upon in the first 12 episodes

This infamous “conflict” started after Kira (our Lord & Savior) simply said 

“We (Kira/Cagalli) don’t want you fighting ORB” 

& “Cagalli is crying” (as if that justifies adding confusion to a Warzone twice)

Kira: “So all of this is the fault of ORB and Cagalli?”

YES, dumbass!! 

The Minerva was literally the persecuted in both scenarios, not ORB.

ORB is the aggressor:Due to Yuna, why? Because Cagalli wasn’t there, and when she NEEDED you in her corner during those 2 years of you sitting on your ass- KIRA, nor you nor Kisaka were there for her when she needed support dealing with Yuna and his Father.

Dumbass.

this photo perfectly illustrates their “chemistry”

Thus the genius ignores the fact that ORB/Earth Alliance is coming after Athruns Duty Stationed Ship and if he doesn’t fight, the ship goes down.

And ORB is involved at all, because Ms.Atha isn’t in office.

After Athrun said at least 4 times or more, in the same conversation:

Go back to ORB

Go back to ORB

Go back to ORB

Go back to ORB

Mind you Cagalli taking her ass back to ORB (Again) would eventually pull back ORB forces from fighting ZAFT, which was ATHRUNS point.

But Athrun can’t have a point, because Kira would be in the wrong.

And the fucked up part is, they ended up going to ORB (EP35-40) after another disastrous intervention & the Eurasia incident with DESTROY Gundam anyway which didn’t require their presence.

The Minerva would’ve handled it, people would’ve died regardless (Unfortunate as that reality is)

After the homies Todaka & Baba lost their lives, for nothing.

If Chief Rep. Cagalli just went back like Athrun said, their ORB forces wouldn’t have been slaughtered for nothing. And those 2 men would be alive.

Should’ve just listened to Athrun, but that point is never hammered in as much as “CONFLICTED Athrun”, crazy.

And the biggest casualty was SAVIOR Gundam getting basically bent over the couch by Freedom. 

Then after he loses the Savior, it’s as if his status on the Minerva drops, everyone just lowkey loses respect for him or the energy towards him shifts somehow. So painful to watch. 

Episodes 1-6 he’s highkey pulling no scopes in a Zaku, 

but because Kira says they don’t want him fighting ORB despite ORB coming AFTER the Minerva to SINK IT (I repeat):

Now  Freedom shows up, tells my guy Cagallis crying (because for the first 42 episodes that’s ALL SHE Does) & Athrun doesn’t know a Mobile Suit pedal from a Joystick. Bullshit.

Setsuna learned a monumental revelation in Season 2, so monumental it would reasonably make him question everything. He was reasonably flustered, and had a fresh bullet wound. STILL KICKED ASS, with struggle, because he was suffering, but it didn't nerf his abilities.

What’s Athruns excuse?

So what i’ve gathered, UNLESS Athrun’s goals sides with Kira and his sidekicks; Athrun isn’t allowed to be focused, have SEED, or be in his right mind.

Or else prepare for Empress Lacus to give him some pretentious speech to reveal some epiphany that he should already be keen to because we’ve DONE THIS once before already.

“of ZAFT” Mind you, this champ goes ahead and becomes Chairwoman of the same exact Military lol

I love Lacus’ confidence, and the way she commands the room when she gets serious, but where does that even come from? 

What do we even know about homegirl? Her mother? How & why she can bark orders so well? (That’s a learned skill you adjust to, it’s not something you have because your dad is a politician or because you sing some songs...)

I want to know this girls past, and how she has so many connections at 16 years old.

RELENA DARLIAN/PEACECRAFT:

Not written the best, but we gradually see this young lady, glow up from sheltered reserved Schoolgirl to Gov. Official running a country & leading conferences with seasoned Generals and world leaders.

Going by early signs of very unusual social behaviors on her part, I personally believe she’s on the spectrum (functional autism). 

Which is a good thing, it helped me see her in a new light, with an added context which makes her more interesting when you really look at her eccentric decisions & social awkwardness throughout the show.

POINT BEING:

We see her development, we see her earn the respect of various leaders, which makes her reputation in their eyes- legit because we see it form.

And no, she’s not sure of herself 100% of the time, she doubts herself about her Country’s ideals, she looks to Noin, Quatre, Pagan, and Heero for support. (Which is why Kisaka and Kira should’ve been there. Relena is Cagalli and Lacus)

She’s human, she’s a character. And like Heero, she’s a goddamn savage:

EP 11 if i’m not mistaken

Back in the day, i couldn’t stand her, but on this recent binge, whenever Relena isn’t there, i miss her. 

Biggest complain would be my confusion with her initial infatuation with Heero, maybe she sensed a kindred spirit or the fact that he hijacked an Ambulance then came back in time to threaten her life- 

Which any other girl would report but  again Relena’s different.

Besides that, she’s cool.

Can’t say the same for Lacus, Meer was interesting, but Lacus? Nah.

Lacus Clyne was underdeveloped, i love how together she is, but like her BF; She comes across as mary sue because she’s rarely checked or proven wrong on anything and whatever she says & does is the right call.

Episode 39 GSD was a situation where she was backed into a corner, i would’ve liked to see her clutch a situation but Kira comes to the rescue. Her father dies (GS Ep 40-42), she cries (Good) but we don’t get much else from that.

Too vanilla. They’re not allowed to be compromised in any way, rarely disagree or fight too.

UNLIKE Athrun and Cagalli who make mistakes, disagree, & have flaws, thus (while underwritten too) they at least resemble human beings and not self inserts.

It’s also underwhelming that the Freedom / Impulse fight was so contrived because of the same shit. Kira was “conflicted” & wasn’t sure “if he should” be “fighting ZAFT”:

Mind you 15 min earlier, he was annihilating ZAFT grunts just fine but Shinn shows up, now he’s got wiggly knees (Can’t make this shit up)

Gundam 00 once again has a similar situation, 

Setsuna is still hurting from his gunshot wound. Graham is waling on 00 Raiser, Graham says: "FORGIVE ME, FOR KILLING/DESTROYING YOU." (varies on translation)

As he proceeds to attempt to impale 00R through the GN Shield; Camera cuts to Setsuna's face, he has a look of distraught, then determination, then anger-

00 Raiser goes TRANS AM, and then they start going at it. 

One of my favorite moments in the series. Anyone who's seen the show will tell that fight was high octane, good content. (Episode 16 of Season 2)

Setsuna was bleeding out from a bullet hole,

what's Kira's excuse?

Poor writing.

With all the popularity that SEED that has, the fans are constantly robbed of what could’ve been epic fights where both parties are TRYING, and competing with all their skills on display--

With a level of energy on the same tier of battles in Gundam 00:

GUNDAM SEED (HIGHLIGHT fight ) EPISODE 30

Mobile Suit Gundam Thunderbolt

IRON BLOODED ORPHANS 

8TH MS TEAM (No they’re not zipping around in the sky. This is grounded; Weighted Mecha combat. Old School)

GUNDAM (mfing) WING

ALL of that is to say this:

We were lowkey missing out on legendary 1v1 battles in GSD (between mains mainly) because of plot induced nerfs, and awkward writing decisions.

Cause when Kira gets Strike Freedom & fights Shinn, you can barely call that a fight & more like a game of tag. Even SHINN himself points out that Kira is trolling him mid-fight. EP41

You see what happens is: The flaws in the story bleeds into the fights instead of the strengths. For better and or for majorly worse.

It’s the writing, contrivances & Direction decisions is what holds the battles back:

(Respectfully; Rest in peace to the Author)

Wrote a Prototype draft for Shinn awhile back regarding how his arc is handled in the finale.

Literally was just a passing thought, sappy redo i did at 2am out of boredom.

Unexpected thing happened: It actually resonated with some people, cool-

so i got curious and after some casual editing, i like how well it translated into a video format.

And months in after deciding the rewrite, i learn someone else has made a revision of their own: “GSD: ALTERED”

From what i read so far,

 i like the ballsy approaches they’ve made to Yamato specfically, basically sidelining him by the end of the story lmfao. No issues here.

Stella has a bigger role & alive, she gets Impulse, etc.

The kind of changes that goes way beyond fanfic, into “story upgrade” territory. 

As for Kira: My problem with Yamato isn’t him being involved, i respect the characters skill, but unless you’re Superman, Batman, or a badly written GARY STU

nobody is that fucking good, Amuro gets a pass because again: NEWTYPE MAGIC

And it’s how the story allows his presence to hijack everyone elses agenda. 

You’d think the dude was protected by the story itself, like he was a self-insert or something.

His vulnerability in SEED made me sympathize with him but as SOON as he got the X10A he just went full Superman. 

No mechanics, no OS writing (which was my favorite thing about him, his computer skills), no more struggle, no real tactics or intelligence. 

Literally untouchable, it’d be so refreshing if a random equally skilled ZAFT/ORB (Sir or Lady) pilot gave him some trouble, even if just for a quick 60 duel..

And given the fact that i don’t recall seeing a significant amount of ZAFT Lady pilots.

It’s not the numbers/ratios for me.

It’s the believable nature of that... Coordinators are essentially Super Soldiers, ZAFT has plenty of women pushing paperwork, on the Council as Leaders, but the only lady pilot of ZAFT we could name off the dome is Luna & a minor character with little to no presence in the story??? (Shiho) 

And i just binged GSD, and i don’t recall a single short sequence dedicated to her catching bodies, could be wrong tho

And most of the ZAFT grunts we see get shot down since SEED are Gents, i mean okay? I guess all the lady pilots are never in major battles lol

I think that speaks for itself as to what i’d do if i directed a 1v1 (Grunt vs MC) scenario.

They don’t need a name, just a nameless pilot in a grunt putting up some kind of a fight. 

Otherwise, he can just do it all effortlessly with no challenge & despite his bare boned tactics being so predictable, because the recycled footage shows him literally doing the same thing on repeat.

Yet nobody can seem to beat him, NOT EVEN ATHRUN....until the plot decided it was time for him to “lose” just so he can get an almost immediate upgrade. TRASH.

And when he loses X10A, he didn’t know what to do; That was the perfect opportunity to give him some depth, the exploration of a Powerless Kira. 

But NOPE by the end of the same episode he gets a shiny new Toy Gundam and is right back where he left off

AND THAT’s why X10A had to go

And i get it, all pilots have to get to a point where they’re LVL99/ And he’s ULTIMATE Coordinator (Which just means Pure bred/ ie he can turn on SEED like a light switch and the only one who can do that because he’s basically a mutant) but this guy got there way too fucking fast in SEED despite having no professional training. 

Which sums up a similar gripe i have with Banagher.

He barely gets a pass, because: NEWTYPE magic.

And Unicorn does all the fighting anyway

Kira’s issue is the same as Deku, too sheltered, given power, never ventures on his own, and never stays that way. 

Always goes back to status quo. 

And for some reason, Kira always in a Gundam, for the most part.

vs The After Colony boys who will make do in any machine they can get their hands on.

Sometimes using each others’ machines.

They travel on their own, they don’t always stay as a team, they do their own thing, INDEPENDENCE. Maintenance, computer quality assurance, stealing Air Carriers, sabotage, etc. 

POINT BEING, despite being “Gundam” pilots, everything they use isn’t always a GUNDAM yet they will fight til the end (win or lose) they will fight

And even then, their Gundams get damaged, run out of ammo, flaws, mortality, but they get shit done.

That’s a true “Gundam Meister”

And Durandal had a point, Kira had no direction, didn’t apply his skills; 

Just a zombie staring off into space, until Lacus gets pulled up on, then he jumps into Battles without an invitation. Imposing his righteousness.

In GSD Another Rewrite (if i get my way): This man will either go off on his own and get a damn job OR (per what i can do in an edit, realistically): 

This Man will join the ORB forces (Lt. or Commander) after Cagalli returns to Office, after he survives his fight with Shinn, and he puts those skills to use-

WITHOUT THE FREEDOM

jpeg source

After Episode 28, Savior & Freedom fight to a standstill and Athrun gets his point across. Kira & Friends finally take Chief Atha back to ORB:

Freedom and Impulse will eventually have their fight along the way

But they get to ORB regardless, and this time, Kira stops hiding in the bosom of the Archangel and applies himself.

ORB Union Forces: Commander Yamato

(sounds so much better)

He gives Lacus the Freedom back, going out of his way to request an upgrade (that he specifies in schematic design) due to Shinn pretty much surpassing X10A, WITHOUT switching Silhouettes.

So this is him being proactive, rising with the occasion.

All so it can be renovated into X20A, thus in this take, we know where X20A comes from. Not just showing up 39 EP in.

And during this period he’s in a humble Murasume, working with Lt.Baba, training new pilots and leading them in combat.

Learning how to be a leader, earning respect from others, caring about his Men: 

He has actual responsibilities now, like his predecessor in Zeta, & Char’s Counterattack:

The problem is the Man had nothing to do but cause trouble, be in the right, he wins every time, and show up in time for the finale to be the winner.

Too safe, give him something to do, get him in a Murasume. Give him and his sister something to do or get em out the way.

Side note: I’ve never had a problem with Destiny Gundam X42S design 

and yes i do like what people interpret as “tears”, which i always saw to be Destiny’s facial scars; Gives it a primal vibe for me personally.

From a mechanical standpoint, the placement of it’s weapons are awkward & it’s wings lacking movement because of said weapon placement are definitely a step down from how lean X10A’s design was:

But despite that, it still works given the fact that V2s thrusters also do not move.. and somehow manages to be one of the op suits.. because its hardware lore was on-point.

So Destiny’s problem is hardware application, lore, not exterior continuity.

EXAMPLE.

Mirage Colloid (GSD AR Lore):

Microscopic prism particles, (When the HYPER Deuterion-Drive is active) the particles can now emit active Electro-magnetic waves + combined with the passive Electro-magnetic properties of the Voiture Lumiere: Jamming enemy OS via the particles infiltrating enemy mobile suits thus a Quantum Communication computer virus 

Also, any enemy mobile suit within the range of any lingering particles can be forcefully drained of electrical energy, and transferred to the Destiny via a mechanism resembling the Deuterion Beam system, albeit a small amount from just one suit. (This is not an automatic function)

Therefore, the Palma Fiocina (Post UPGRADE) now possesses a POWER DRAINER function that depletes enemy energy by 5x only upon physical contact and when HDD Enhanced+Mirage Colloid Particles are dispersed

When enhanced by the HDD+The Destiny’s (while dispersing enough particles) excess pink particles possess an odd photonic disruption effect that disperses most beam weaponry fired at the Destiny. This feature where the particles are bending light (Similar to Blitz), distorting it’s direction entirely effectively serves as the Destiny’s THIRD beam shield. Omnidirectional only if enough particles surround the machine

Additionally, the excess Variable Phase Shift Energy residue discharged from the Destiny’s joints + combined with the New Particles features birth a bizarre phenomenon where the After images both have temporal mass for 3-5 seconds 

These features are only accessible via the Hyper-Deuterion Drive system, if the Palma Fiocina feature is attempted upon use, the system’s Quantum Computer will boot the system automatically.

See? Using actual lore from Cosmic Era, i just made some shit up, and the Destiny is now more so (The most terrifying suit in C.E to have to fight 1v1 or in any fight)

And It has some parallel properties of the GN Drive, F91, and Turn X. All in one.

It’s power tier/scaling just got upgraded, BIG TIME.

It’s that easy

Again, Destiny needed an internal hardware redesign (battery & overall performance issues fixed) more than a visual aesthetic overhaul. 

It needs LORE.

So none of that Arch Destiny shit in this SEED Destiny

  (No offense Wacky)

 GSD:AR (without getting the content copyright blocked) will just be some low effort shitpost videos (mainly short series of shorts), tweaking a fight or two, not a complete revise of the ENTIRE story- it's been done already & done pretty good.  Editing whole conversations is a good way to get the content blocked, thus being just waste of time.

Cause again, Episode 1-22 ( excluding 14-15 or whenever Kira/Lacus is absent for the most part and Cagalli isn't being stupid) SEED Destiny is solid, 6/10 Military Anime

- Loose example of what i'd like to do: Destiny Gundam vs Akatsuki (but because she's a veteran combatant, imagine Cagalli actually putting up a better fight this time)

Minor tweaks to  "What If?" SEED Destiny was more Shinn-centric, less KIRA Yamato & “Friends”

Nothing big, just a minor project

Gundam SEED DESTINY (AR): Another Rewrite  

[kayura-sanada]

I wonder why it's so hard for authors, movies, video games and tv shows to create good redemption arcs. And if they do the character dies. Or they miss the opportunity. I've only seen it done amazingly with zuko from avatar. What characters do you wish had redemption arcs?

Oh, here we go. Okay, once again off the top of my head:

Kingdom Hearts - Aqua, Vanitas, Axel (a better one, please), Lexaeus/Aeleus

Dragon Age - Solas (it’s still up in the air, but I doubt it’ll be given to us, lbr), Anders (or at least better show his thought process, ffs)

Code Geass - Kururugi Suzaku (the one we got was off-screen), Gino (what is that boy even doing?), Rolo

One Piece - Aokiji (??? not sure here, kinda like ‘screw him’ but also ‘make better amends’), Smoker maybe

Naruto - Sasuke, Itachi, Jugo

Bleach - Ulquiorra

Beastmaster TV Series - The Sorceress

Supernatural - Lucifer, Gabriel (a better one)

BBC Merlin - Morgana

MCU - Wanda Maximoff, Steve Rogers, Bucky Barnes (let this boy get some on-screen healing hmm? yes? no?), Loki

Torchwood - Gwen (she needs like five), Jack (it feels like the whole show was him attempting redemption and never getting it), Gray maybe

Gundam SEED Destiny - Shinn (he needs like six; I still hate that boy)

Escaflowne - Folken

And you know what, I’m gonna stop there because this is getting long; suffice it to say that far too many characters deserved redemption arcs and got screwed over instead, while even more needed them but got treated as Perfect/Fine The Way They Are when, no. They’re not.

Though I will say, Mass Effect gave Mordin an excellent redemption arc.