#That depends on audience poll results

[cardhamine]

I wanted to do art for Easter and TDoV, but this is what came out instead. Anyway, never pull on a rabbit's ears; it's very rude and bad for their hearing.

[kitkat-the-muffin]

Tis a niche of its own

Sorry there is only two female characters, I kinda pulled these off the top of my head and probably missed a ton of other candidates. Reblog with an addition if you have one!

Edit: I forgot to make this poll a week long! Once this poll ends I'll remake it with new additions depending on the results (the characters with the fewest results will be replaced with suggested characters from the notes so be sure to suggest some!) in the meantime tho plz reblog to increase sample size

This follows my own definition of what "Comic Relief" means: A character that is used as a conduit for comedy in a piece of media

Through character studies I have determined that there are 5 types of comic relief: the Character Relief, the Audience Relief, the Tone Shifter, the Butt of the Joke, and the Slapstick. Characters that identify as "Comic Relief" usually fall into one or more of these categories

Further explanation under the cut

The Character Relief refers to a character who actively makes jokes to be funny in-universe through conscious humor. Examples from this poll would be Sans and Rayla, who go out of their way to make their friends laugh

The Audience Relief refers to a character who makes the audience laugh regardless of their impact on the story. Examples from this poll would be Lapis and Gus, who are often involved in comedic bits meant for audience entertainment that aren't acknowledged by the narrative as anything unprecedented

The Tone Shifter refers to a character who makes jokes to relieve tension and shift the tone of a scene, either consciously or unconsciously. Examples from this poll would be Jay and Leo, as they both consciously make jokes about grim situations to help their friends or family feel better. Additionally, Jay would do this unconsciously before his trauma made him start doing it on purpose

The Butt of the Joke refers to a character who is made fun of by other characters in-universe, whether endearingly or not. Examples from this poll would be Dewey and Lance, who are often met with insults whenever they do something wrong or silly. The insults are usually meant to be endearing and comedic, but they can still feed into the character's possible inferiority complex. This also applies whenever a villain hits them with a sick burn*

The Slapstick refers to a character who is made fun of by the narrative and the audience like a punching bag. Examples from this poll would be Sokka and Yusuke, who are sometimes put in troubling and awkward situations as a gag for the audience's entertainment alone. These gags are not fun for the characters yet delightful to watch

Most comic relief characters can be characterized as multiples of these. For example, Jar-Jar from Star Wars is both Slapstick and Audience Relief, and even if you don't find his jokes funny that doesn't change the fact that they were written with your entertainment in mind

If you're curious how a "The Narrative's Favorite (derogatory)" character would fit into this chart, they're likely both a Butt of the Joke and a Slapstick character, making their life absolute hell. To be honest, MK from Monkie Kid is an example of a character who fits all 5 categories, but he isn't blue so he isn't in this poll

*Ok if you've ever seen Phineas and Ferb Mission Marvel let me just say MODOK is a total Butt of the Joke and my favorite line in that special is when a TV announcer calls him a "Giant Chicken Egg with a Face" and I just had to mention that omg

[viasdreams]

14 days of love voting !!!

dream edition~

since i have the biggest audience for dream, im going to do three members !! please pick the member you would like to see a valentines day fic for the most <333

(mark and haechan will also be included in the 127 poll (depending on the results of this) so think about that before you vote!!)

i have an idea of who is gonna win so im very curious to see how this is going to pan out :3

[wanderinghedgehog]

By now, y’all might be familiar with that poll I posted awhile ago about different actor’s interpretations of a certain line in the Les Mis musical. Well, now I’m gonna talk about it. Hooray!

”Forgive me, sir. I would not dare” is such a fascinating line to me partially because of how it takes the place of an entire series of monologues from a chapter in the novel. For time’s sake, the musical condenses the runaway cart incident, Javert voicing his suspicions about the mayor, and the result of his suspicions into one scene which puts it in a different context. Instead of reporting Madeleine and then gaining information about Valjean’s lookalike as he does in the novel, Javert instead finds himself suspicious of Madeleine despite already knowing that “Jean Valjean” has been recaptured. Surprisingly, this doesn’t significantly change Javert’s motivation for taking such an apologetic tone. In both cases, he chided himself not for being suspicious of the mayor, but for being so in a way that trusted his own feelings more than that of the law. “Forgive me, sir. I would not dare” is not only a fumbled apology, but a testament to how rare it is for him to disregard his superiors. It’s a moment to understand his philosophy pre-Stars. Not only that, but it provides different information than Stars. It shows how the strictness of Javert’s moral code doesn’t only make him seem authoritative, but can also degrade him.

But an apology is not inherently degrading. So why is it in this case? This is where actor interpretation becomes important. The effect comes from the tone, not the words.

I’ve noticed a few different ways actors tend to portray this line. The first involves more of the pleading present in the novel. This interpretation comes across as somewhat panicked, trying to convey a plea for forgiveness and being appalled by his own actions simultaneously. This is beneficial in the way that it can clearly draw the audience’s attention to the difference between this line and the more composed lines surrounding it. Additionally, this particular version of the line tends to split into two subcategories. One is more reserved, contrasted with the previous, more confident lines and effectively communicates abashment. The other is more distressed and makes the apology seems urgent. Both subcategories serve the same purpose though.

The second interpretation is much more even-toned than the first. With this one, Javert maintains his composure and the apology rarely comes across as anything other than the result of a momentary lapse in judgment. This version of Javert tends to prioritize professionalism over any kind of charisma. My opinion of this interpretation varies depending on the actor.

The third interpretation is probably my least favorite. It has little to no sincerity and makes it clear that Javert is still quite suspicious of the mayor, but simply doesn’t want to alarm him. The apology has absolutely none of its original meaning. This interpretation irks me because it takes away an aspect of this character I find very interesting (the fact that Javert is a bootlicker in the most genuine way possible).

Anyway, I’m not sure how to end this. I’m might‘ve not really had a point here, but that’s okay. I just really like this line.

[top-pleng]

I keep seeing people say LMSY dethroned the other GL couples in terms of love scenes haha. And they definitely knocked it out of the park! But it made me curious to see who audiences think actually are the best pair when it comes to intimate scenes such as kissing and sex.

I won't be doing all Thai GL couples because I'm not familiar with all of them and I feel like most people are also not familiar with all of them. Which lends itself to people voting for their personal favorite even if they have no idea what Couple Z's love scenes are like, so I am restricting this poll to only three pairings: LMSY, FreenBecky, and FayeYoko.

Because those are my top three favorites personally and I feel like three is a good number. Please only vote if you are familiar with all three pairings from their respective works together. I will include a Show Results option for those of you who cannot decide or who may only be familiar with one or two of the couples but not all three.

I'd also like to add that this is just for fun. I don't see any need to pit any of these Love Teams against each other since they're all great pairings in their own right and I think all have really phenomenonal actresses with compelling chemistry. I am so glad that we have reached a point where we can argue and debate about which couple has the best love scene because there are so many options and so many different types of love scenes.

I'd also like to add that while I personally enjoy an intense love scene. Not all shows need them and I don't think a GL pairing needs to have a long, "sexy" love scene to be successful. It depends on the couple and what the purpose of the love scene is.

But anyway now that I got all those pesky disclaimers out of the way... please reblog the poll to spread to a wider audience. And please do not be antagonist to other people this is just for fun y'all.

[webcomic-character-tournament]

are you tired of how many character tournaments just become a popularity contest?

how regardless of seeding, even high contenders can almost arbitrarily be knocked out early on, leaving you with nothing to root for?

if you're feeling that, and if you like any webcomics, you should participate in the webcomic character tournament!

the primary goals of this tournament are:

to celebrate the medium of webcomics as a whole

to find new webcomics to read, and to recommend your own favorites

to highlight indie creators and help them build a wider audience

to have fun rooting for and celebrating your favorite characters!

in order to accomplish these goals, instead of a single elimination bracket, i will be using a mcmahon system inspired tournament structure!

this means that no character will be eliminated, and you can participate in polls rooting for your favorite character throughout all the rounds. characters will also be roughly matched up based on a system that determines how well known their work is, so most rounds should be relatively evenly matched, allowing people to fight for their favorites on their own merits

more details about how the mcmahon tournament will work can be found under the cut!

submit as many characters as you would like to here! the deadline is tentatively next saturday, june 3rd, at 4pm EDT

tagging some other tournaments i like whose participants i think might be interested :) @wlw-webcomic-bracket @obscurewebcomictournament @gaywebcomicsshowdown @autisticgirliesbracket @yuribracket @secretthirdthingtournament @nonyanderepoll @funkylittlebaldcharapoll @divorced-tournament

no submission is specifically banned, but try to keep in mind the spirit of this tournament when deciding what to submit.

under the cut after my more detailed description of the tournament structure, i also ramble in a lot more detail about my philosophy regarding submission eligibility, but it's not necessary to read all that before submitting characters

mcmahon tournament details:

matchups will be decided based off of a survey sent out after submissions are over gauging participants' familiarity with all of the competing characters' source materials. each character will be assigned points based off of how known their source material is, and each character will go up against a character with a similar popularity score for the first round

characters will be awarded points based off of if they lose, win, or tie their match and have that added to their total score, and then they will again be paired against a character with a similar updated score

depending on how many characters are participating, this process can continue either until there is a definitive ranking of all characters, or until just a few top winners are clear

i haven't entirely decided on specifics such as whether points will be awarded by a simple 0 for a loss, 0.5 for a tie, 1 for a win or by percentage of the vote, and if initial popularity points will be counted in the final ranking, or if i will try to rank winners from within their initial popularity categories, but i hope that won't matter too much, because in my opinion the main fun of this isn't the final results, it's for people to have fun in the individual rounds seeing their favorite character's points go up!

submission guidelines:

if you are submitting characters from extremely popular webcomics, try to limit yourself to just characters that are among your top favorites of all time, and maybe try to submit stuff from lesser known works as well

similar goes for webcomics that are more widely known for adaptations into other media forms (one punch man, tower of god, heartstopper, etc.)

i'm not specifically banning any comic for having bigoted content or its creator being a bad person, there's a wide scale of stuff i could decide to include in that definition or not. in the goal of celebrating favorite characters, obviously a lot of people love characters despite flaws in the work they're from, but also keep in mind the goals of recommending works to other people, and helping uplift and promote creators you like, and try to find a reasonable balance from there

what counts as a webcomic:

physically published works that you can find pirated or scanlated online probably don't count

comics whose publication is centered around physical releases, who also have simultaneous online releases by their publishers (comics on manga plus or comixology, newspaper strips with online sites, etc.) probably don't count

comics published through traditional publishers that are exclusively online (such as shōnen jump+ comics) still probably don't count

comics published online through companies that exclusively publish online (such as lezhin) are still discouraged

stuff like line webtoon or tapas official comics are more acceptable, as there are a lot of free comics from independent creators around them and many of these comics started out that way themselves, so they exist within a culture of webcomics more so than the aforementioned comic categories

stuff that is paywalled beyond just having an early release system is discouraged

comics that are no longer online but accessible through archives are fine though, especially in the wake of sites like smackjeeves being deleted there's a lot of stuff in webcomic history that can only be found that way now!

webtoon style comics absolutely count as webcomics, they're an exciting way of fully making use of webcomics' digital format! simultaneously however, i feel like with the rise of mobile webtoon apps, there are many people who read webtoon style comics but who dont further engage with webcomics, so i'd definitely encourage submitting a variety of styles of webcomic!

none of these rules are set! feel free to submit whatever you want, i just list them so you can try to find a balance between the different goals of this tournament when submitting stuff.

anyone can submit as many characters as you want, but just maybe if you find that a lot of your submission ideas are from comics in some of the more discouraged categories, limit yourself in how many you submit from those categories and only submit characters if they're absolute favorites of yours you want the opportunity to celebrate, and maybe try to also submit a character from something that isn't in a discouraged category too!

theres no penalty for not going with this, but i think because choosing characters by number of nominees doesn't really align with my intentions for this, depending on how easy it is to sort submissions i might just go off of vibes, so you might just be less likely to have a character make it to the tournament if their comic is in more heavily discouraged categories is all

[wip]

Hello!

For A/B tests, has the thought of rolling out a simple pop-up survey after the "settling in" phase(one that can let users know they're in a testing group, what the test is, and ask them to rate their satisfaction with the change), been thrown around at all?

Satisfaction surveys for features being tested are industry standard, and other than WIP here(only open one day a week) or Feedback tickets(which VERY few people know about or have the desire to do), there doesn't seem to be ANY way for staff to measure quantitative CSAT!

C'mon, Tumblr users LOVE polls!

Answer: Hello, @ebay-taxidermy!

We actually do qualitative surveys like that from time to time—but this is a process separate from the quantitative work of an A/B test. We often don’t want to do a survey during an actual A/B test because it may influence the result, depending on the size of the audience in the test.

As it is, we already get a huge amount of useful feedback from Support tickets, and we are on the platform reading what y’all are saying! Thanks again for your feedback—it is much appreciated, and it all helps.

Have a lovely day.

Best,

—Marina

[arenabreadandbiscuits]

INCOMING COMIC?! - ZODIAN

So, kinda working on a comic. I say kinda because constant support is gonna be a great way to push me to actually do it but my posts don't get much attention so it depends ^^''

Anyway the comic is based around Zodiac signs and considering I'm an Aries I drew them first. He/them pronouns for my boy because yes he's pretty like a girl but he's not one. (Though...I'm so totally down to make a female version for the comic as well. Which I'll probably do for everyone is this blows up like I'm begging to the Gods for it to do lol)

Arian - The Ram, The Shepherd.

I have many ideas for this comic since I've been thinking about it on and off for years so PLEASE interact guys!

Here he is, as well as his time lapse. Also VOTE IN THE POLL TO CHOOSE WHO I DRAW NEXT! Of course whoever has the highest votes wins.

I'm happy to share info on the story to come and share my thoughts on what may or may not happen. Ask in my askbox if curious about the possible lore!

For context I think I want it to be a rather interesting depth story in a world of competitions and battling over space and territory. Please ask me so I can brainstorm ÙwÚ

Honestly this is a project to keep my mental safe as I continue to heal from my GBS, I just want an audience and one that pushes me just a little to get these things done so I feel better about my situation. Please vote, whoever wins this vote I'll draw next for sure. And I'll draw both 'male' and 'female' though I enjoy making my characters look androgynous at times hahah

I look forward to seeing the results!

[mythriteshah]

The Higuri Regalia - proud allies of Abbiocco Fine Dining - is pleased to announce the return of: The Mythril Showcase!

As a refresher to those uninitiated: this fashion show was created during the twilight days of Menphina Madness to provide the frequenters of the Etheirys Blitzball League an opportunity to show off their acumen in style outside of the Blitzsphere. Since then, Thiji Higuri - the merchant-lord and fashion nabob himself - has tested the skill and daring of haute couture hopefuls through various themes.

This time, The Regalia will be teaming up with Abbiocco Fine Dining ( https://abbiocco.carrd.co/ ) to provide an exclusive venue that will open with a sneak-peek of the upcoming clothing line! Select outfits from this arcane collection will be showcased only during this night, and will not be seen or sold anywhere else until the official release of the line. So don't miss out!

(Additional information will be provided closer to the event date!)

With two successful shows now under the Regalia's belt, the deciding of the next theme was opened to the public via poll to give proper closure to this turn; now the results have finally arrived. The theme for the third Mythril Showcase will be: "Kingdoms of the Far East." This inspiration takes from the popularized culture and history of Othard, namely during its warring periods in Hydaelyn's timeline. (TRANSLATION: this cosplay contest is based off the Dynasty Warriors/Samurai Warriors/Warriors Orochi series)

Those who wish to participate are welcome, and will be handsomely rewarded with a glamour weapon of their choosing for their efforts. This time, however, there is a twist: as there were warring factions during ancient times, so, too, will there be specific glamour weapons tailored to them! They are detailed below:

Wei: Knights of the Round/Susano

Wu: Rubellux/Tsukuyomi

Shu: Smaragdine/Shinryu

Jin: Fae's Crown

Other: Warring Triad (Sephirot/Sophia/Zurvan)

Samurai: Four Lords (Seiryu/Suzaku/Byakko)

Orochi: Hades/Seeing Horde

(NOTE: If the faction of the character you are portraying as does not contain your desired glamour weapon, you are allowed to choose from another category. It is advised you do your research beforehand to prevent confusion.)

 The top four winners will receive far more greater prizes:

4th Place Winner: An assortment of Pixie, Archangel, and Statice's Wings!

3rd Place Winner: An Island Adenium Whistle!

2nd Place Winner: A Shishioji Flute!

1st Place Winner: A Voucher of the Higuri!

(Translation: a commission of your character in the desired outfit will be made!)

(Note: Additional prizes may also be given depending on the quantity of participants!)

The event will take place on Friday, December 22nd at 7PM EST (Doors open an hour prior) - the day of the Winter Solstice! The location: Abbiocco Fine Dining in the Goblet, Ward 14, Plot 35 (Diabolos World). Whether you wish to spectate, or show off your own Power in Beauty, all are welcome to attend!

Contestants will be judged based on a variety of categories on a 1-to-10 scale.  For the sake of fairness, these criteria will be made known to all.  They are as follows:

-Emulation: Cosplaying - as accurately as possible - a certain character from a particular source of media (game/show/movie, etc.)

-Adherence: Remaining within the scope of the theme.

-Embellishment: Complimenting your outfit with accessories and other small details.

-Stage Presence: Your ability to “strut your stuff” via actions or emotes.

-Reception: How well you command the audience’s excitement and attention.

*-Innovation: Any additional nuances to your entry (using minions, reciting lines, etc.) for extra points.

(You may request to sign-up to compete by utilizing this form: https://forms.gle/Xty9CFEdD3aVq3wWA. Sign-ups will conclude prior to the contest’s commencement - 30 minutes prior to showtime.)

[art-by-committee]

DECIDE WHAT I DRAW!! (info post)

I've been an artist for 20 years and I'm currently doing a bachelor project where I let tumblr decide what exactly I'm going to create!!

This week, I'm running four simultaneous polls to decide:

Medium/tools

Art style

Colours

Vibe ~

Next week, I will run a tournament bracket to decide what the actual subject should be. Until then, please submit suggestions for subject through asks!

The finished result will be posted by December 10th.

My regular art blog is @harbek. Here's some examples of my range:

SCHEDULE:

November 14th - 21st: Polls on medium/style/colours/vibe.

November 21st: Deadline for subject submissions.

November 22nd: The subject tournament bracket begins!

(One-day polls. Length will depend on number of suggestions.)

PROFIT??? (I work on the art and also my other exams.)

December 8th: Academic deadline for this project!!

December 10th: When the final result will be posted.

MORE DETAILS (FOR THE CURIOUS):

This is a project that's a part of my bachelor degree in Art, at the University of South-Eastern Norway. I'm examining and experimenting with the concept of an artist letting the direction of their work be determined by their audience (such as by communal voting).

Stuff you may find on this blog:

These polls, obviously.

An occasional reblog relevant to this subject?

Other polls asking your opinions on related stuff.

Concept sketches based on random possible combinations of poll results (to have more than one work to show).

ALSO, the art result of my test poll!

If you're an artist (of any level of skill/experience) and you have thoughts on this, please feel free to reach out!

[wolf-tools]

The Wolf Tools

Before we get too deep into analysis, let me establish the system we’re analyzing on here—that is, The Wolf Tools.

They’re a series of symbolic categories that define, in broad terms, what makes a werewolf a werewolf. Some of the tools are traits that move beyond just the werewolf, but in combination, they define the werewolf as something unique.

In short, we’re looking at the following:

The Moon - transformation

The Beast - monstrous form

The Bite - infection/initiation

The Bane - weakness

The World- narrative surroundings

For longer descriptions of the tools, read on, my friends

Disclaimer: there are many stories out there that lie on the fringes of “werewolf”—especially when we emerge into monster stories of other cultures. The lines can blur, but I’m not really here to have the argument of “could you classify a skinwalker as a form of werewolf?”. Maybe you can, maybe you can’t. That’s not what wolf tools are built for.

My focus is on the tools, how designing a werewolf with certain traits or details can shape a narrative’s tone, and how these stories reflect the wider world they exist within.

All that said, let’s dive in:

The Moon

The Moon represents the act of transformation. Despite the name of this tool, not all werewolves transform by the light of the full moon. Mostly, it sounds poetic.

Common questions that the moon asks of a werewolf story:

What causes the act of transformation?

How much control does the werewolf have over this act?

What is the physical process of transforming? How is it described? How is it shown to the audience?

The Beast

“the beast” represents the actual, physical, monstrous form of the werewolf. If the Moon is the initiation and process of transforming, the beast is the end result. Depending on the story’s greater purpose and the era of generation, you’ll see some interesting variations here.

What does the beast look like? How lupine is it?

What is the mind of the monster? How much conscious control does the human within have?

The Bite

The bite concerns itself with transmission. It’s a more common trope among monsters—we see bites among vampires, among zombies—and it lends a certain universality to their horror. Not only is this thing terrifying… but you could be, too.

With werewolves, the Bite broadens beyond a physical, disease-like “transmission”, and in certain cases, there is overlap between the Bite and the Moon (where a transmission or bestowing of Werewolf-ism immediately triggers a transformation. We see this a lot in curse stories)

What causes transmission?

Typically the answers to this question fall into three main categories:

Physical interaction (eg a bite, scratch, lovemaking, exchange of blood or saliva)

Birth (born to a werewolf parent)

Magic (placed under a curse, given a magical ring)

The Bane

The Bane encompasses the werewolf’s weakness. What renders a werewolf vulnerable? In some cases, this may be what makes it killable, what pierces its thick hide; in other cases, this is a question of what forces, or hinders a transformation.

What is the material, object, location, or action, that triggers the weakness?

How does it affect the wolf?

The World

Finally! Last but not least, this is a broad category that explores how the werewolf navigates the world, how the world perceives the wolf, and the general back and forth relationship between the monster and its surroundings.

How easy is it for the wolf to navigate in the world?

How much of the world knows of the werewolf’s existence?

What is the world’s opinion of the wolf

How intertwined is the wolf’s story and experience with the structure of the wider world?

[atlasofthestaars]

Question!

I have about like, 3?? requests sitting in my inbox (sorry for the wait), and I know that most of you are here for New Era, so I wanted to poll something.

I'm not guaranteed to follow the results of the poll, but I do want to know what my general audience wants from me so I can figure out what path I do wanna follow!

I will explain the options a bit more in depth and what it will mean if I go down each path.

New Era will be prioritized, and I will try to get chapters out for that one as soon as possible. This means that requests will take the longest for this one as I typically find myself the most inspired for New Era vs the requests I receive. This means I could take forever to get to them since I will be mainly busy with the main fic.

New Era will be a priority, BUT every 2-4 chapters I will switch focus and try to get a request or two done depending on how many I get. New Era updates may take longer because of this, but the requests do get some time allotted for them to be focused on.

New Era updates will slow down to make time for requests since I will go back and forth.

I the poll up for a week, but honestly my decision will probably take place before it officially ends? Who knows!

Thanks for reading my ramble haha <3

[aoikasaa]

cinderella phenomenon merch update

hi guys !! update on the cindphenon merch: they're coming along really nicely, and i should have previews for them up soon ! :DD

also little faq from the form, future order dates, sales misc etc below the cut:

will they be available internationally? yes ! but as i'm not based in the US, shipping to US and other parts of Asia/the rest of the world starts from around $10usd as i'll be using registered mail;; if you have a few friends in the same region as you, I'm open to group orders to help with shipping costs !

what characters will be available? as of now (and for the foreseeable future lol), it will be Rod, Karma, Rumpel, Fritz, Varg, Waltz, Lucette, Myth, Parfait and Delora based on the original game. all of them will have individual charms except Delora and Parfait, who will come together in the same charm as each other's front/back. Fritz and Varg will be available as both individual and same charm versions.

will Evermore versions be available? unfortunately, i don't think so unless this original batch does extraordinarily well haha// due to the style of the merch, it takes a long time to produce and i simply don't have the time to dedicate to so many characters again;; but if i change the designs...simplify them...hm...but then they wont match the og ver charms hrngh....i dont know haha !! im thinking about it !!! i really am !!! but ultimately this is very much a passion project for me so it is at the whims of my limited time and energy :"))

what about the results of the poll aka the front/back designs of Karma and Waltz? please wait and see when the previews are up! a hint: there were very clear majority winners on what the people wanted between the options :"DD

do previews include irl photos/samples? unfortunately not! i won't be receiving samples until sometime early nov, but you'll be able to see the full designs before then! however, i will be posting pictures of the irl samples when they arrive as well :))

when will they be available for sale ? as long as there's no delays/issues with the sample batch of charms, pre-order sales will open once i confirm the quality of the samples! so the projected timeline would be: - open pre-orders mid/late nov 2023. - to avoid Christmas shipping jams etc, pre-orders will close late dec 2023/early jan 2024 - shipping to begin sometime mid jan 2024 do take note that as this is a projected timeline, things are subjected to change. i will update the timeline accordingly when the ball starts rolling! if you're unable to purchase at that time, i will likely be opening a second sale after may 2024 to sell any leftovers after a local con. however as these will be leftover stock sales, i cannot guarantee that the character you want will still be available then.

i won't be able to pre-order from nov - jan, and i'm worried leftover stock won't include the charm i want. will you open pre-order sales for this set of charms again? maybe not. it depends on how well the sales of this initial batch does, as merch production can get quite expensive...if there's not much demand in this first round of sales and i'm unable to justify the high production+shipping fees, i may not be able to have a second sale. however, i am considering making other cindphenon merch as well (evermore charms, physical fanzines, but mainly Fritz + Varg related merch like a standee)! considering my schedule, these will most likely only be available post-may 2024, but i will keep you all updated on this! i will either reblog this post with any updates or make a new post on updates, so feel free to follow for merch news!

if you have any other questions, go ahead and shoot an ask through the inbox or reply to this post :D i'll get to them as quickly as possible, but take note i will answer all questions publicly for audience sake, so please use the anon feature in asks if you're uncomfortable with that!

[dippydippycritiques]

Can/Should A BBTAG 2 Exist? (Results & Finals Thoughts)

After three days of these BBTAG polls being open. I have decided that I am going to cut them off here, (though you are more than welcome to continue voting till the close date), as I feel the results show the mass majority of players agreeing on the state of BBTAG's future moving forward.

SHOULD A BBTAG 2 Exist (Poll Results)

In Regards To An Environment That Allows New and Old Players To Play How They Want

46.2% - (Yes, But Shenanigans Will Still Persist)

23.1% - (Yes, Absolutely)

23.1% - (It Depends On How Everything Is Balanced)

7.7% - (No, Certain Things About BBTAG 2 Will Still Push New Players Away)

CAN A BBTAG 2 Exist (Poll Results)

The Possibility of a Sequel Being Made

46.7% - (Maybe, But I Have Little Faith ArcSystems Will Pursue A Sequel)

26.7% - (Yes, A BBTAG 2 Can Exist)

20% - (BBTAG 2 Can Exist Under Certain Circumstances)

6.7% - (No, BBTAG 2 Died When Mori Left.)

Ok, there's a lot to unpack here, so I am going to get the SHOULD out of the way first as I feel this will be a pretty straight forward answer.

While there will definitely be gameplay elements, moves, or other contributing factors that might affect someone's enjoyment of the game. At least 69.3% of players believe that BBTAG has a good environment for casual and pro players to play how they want, and if the balancing for this theoretical sequel is fleshed out, that percentage would grow to 92.1%! (To be fair, the pool of people who participated in these polls was relatively small, so take that for what you will.)

The results for the "SHOULD BBTAG exist" poll just confirms my suspicions that if a BBTAG 2 doesn't happen, we definitely need more games like it that allow players to play how they want. Even though BBTAG is over six years old now, there are still new players popping into the lobby daily, which tells me that even though the game can be flawed...extremely flawed at points too. There is something about BBTAG that makes new and casual players want to play it, and the fact that there is a community of new players popping in to play BBTAG on a consistent basis while brand new fighting games or sequels cannot hold that same audience says a lot.

I think having recognizable franchises and good marketing definitely helped this game in the long run. The bad DLC practices are still really shitty and the lack of updates of any kind in almost four years also doesn't put ArcSystems in a good light (I'll get more into that later) but people who like BBTAG REALLY like BBTAG and that's something I feel cannot be ignored.

Alright, now for the CAN section.

The 46.7% that say they have no faith that ArcSystems will pursue a sequel...yeah, I feel that, but I want to get one thing out of the way first before I really touch on it.

Even if you agree with me or do not agree with me. I still think it's very possible for a BBTAG 2 to exist without Mori's involvement. As far as the BlazBlue games are concerned that are strictly centered around the Blazblue cast? Yeah, I would say that series is on hiatus for now. Trying to get a different game director to create a new Blazblue title is the equivalent of giving a child a new set of parents. Blazblue is his baby, you just don't pass someone's baby to a new person and hope for the best, but what puts BBTAG into a different category are two things.

Mori was heavily involved in the making of BBTAG, despite how it turned out in the end.

While BBTAG is TECHNICALLY a Blazblue title, the game does not center around only the Blazblue cast.

There have been plenty of sequels to video games where the original creator of the series had no involvement whatsoever. A good example is Fire Emblem. Yes, it's true that when you switch game directors every title, you can get very different results. People say that POR and RD are the best games in the series while a lot of the modern games, especially the most recent one, has it's core fanbase completely divided. The point is, even without Mori, ArcSystems can make a sequel to BBTAG if they want to...but that's just it. They need a desire to pursue it and from how often they don't update BBTAG, even when it was ported to the PS5, that kind of says a lot.

But what drives me up the wall is that there are so many signs that should tell them to pursue it! Though I cannot find the most recent numbers, BBTAG sold 450,000 copies two years after release. Since then, it's very possible that this number could have doubled when you consider the 2.0 update was not out yet. Until new information comes out about BBTAG's sales, BBTAG seems to be one of ArcSystems most successful fighting games to date! If you combine that with the fan outcry for just an update...or maybe a few. The fact that ArcSystems has no desire to return to the series at all is very disheartening.

And the truth is, and I hate saying this to myself, but sometimes I wonder if not pursuing a sequel is for the best. They had Mori directing, tons of marketing and a wide variety of playable characters and amazing VA's...and yet by the beginning of 2024, BBTAG still feels unfinished.

I'm going to leave this here as this is just one of many examples, but there was SO MUCH cut content from the VA's. In Gordeau's case, many of his lines were better than the ones that were chosen. Specifically when it came to his assist lines with Hyde, opting to use the elongated "kiiiid" take instead of the other two lines that were superior in every way.

My theory is that many of the lines Gordeau says here regarding "poison, electricity, and fire" were meant for the game corner that never got fully programmed in. If I had to take an educated guess of what it might have been. The game corner was probably a beat em up with various enemies with different element types as you try to make it to the end of the level. I have not checked every character yet to see if there is consistency with my theory as these videos are relatively new, but I will provide updates if I learn more.

The reason why I bring this up is because, though I cannot prove it, it feels like BBTAG was a game that went through development hell. Until someone years down the line reveals more. I just got this sense that either--

A.) ArcSystems had way too much on their plate and could not properly flesh everything out in time.

B.) Laziness and the unwillingness to listen to fan demands or feedback until it was absolutely necessary for the games meta. (Gorby, Still Waiting On Adachi, Yumi, and Hilda Though.)

C.) A bad working environment that pushed their employees to shove the game out the door, no matter how unfinished the product was.

Or D.) A combination of these three things.

I'll just end my analysis by saying this. If the community and love for BBTAG between old and new players is still strong and the outcry for any kind of update to the game is louder than it's ever been. Why won't they go back to it? Tweak a few things, nerf a few characters, add a few music tracks, anything!

My conclusion after doing this research is this.

While I feel making a sequel to BBTAG would be great for the fighting game community as a whole...I don't think ArcSystems can handle creating another game that is that big. Maybe their team is too small, maybe they ran out of funds, or maybe they are just too lazy to respond to fans who truly want better for this game.

All I'm saying is, personally, I would LOVE a BBTAG 2, but if ArcSystems cannot even handle creating their very first outing properly, what makes them think they can perfect everything in a sequel? Usually, making a sequel to your first game improves on what you've created. Hell, that's what I WANT ArcSystems to do...and yet...no updates...no signs of improvement. They just don't care to ever go back to BBTAG when the community is clambering for more and to me, that's the worst thing you could ever do to your fanbase...

[best-underrated-anime]

Best Underrated Anime Group C Round 3: #C3 vs #C1

#C3: Old man turns into robot superhero

#C1: Friendship over nostalgia for the past, and moving forward

Details and poll under the cut!

#C3: Inuyashiki: Last Hero

Summary:

Ichirou Inuyashiki is a 58-year-old family man who is going through a difficult time in his life. Though his frequent back problems are painful, nothing hurts quite as much as the indifference and distaste that his wife and children have for him. Despite this, Ichirou still manages to find solace in Hanako, an abandoned Shiba Inu that he adopts into his home. However, his life takes a turn for the worse when a follow-up physical examination reveals that Ichirou has stomach cancer and only three months to live; though he tries to be strong, his family's disinterest causes an emotional breakdown. Running off into a nearby field, Ichirou embraces his dog and weeps—until he notices a strange figure standing before him.

Suddenly, a bright light appears and Ichirou is enveloped by smoke and dust. When he comes to, he discovers something is amiss—he has been reborn as a mechanized weapon wearing the skin of his former self. Though initially shocked, the compassionate Ichirou immediately uses his newfound powers to save a life, an act of kindness that fills him with happiness and newfound hope.

However, the origins of these strange powers remain unclear. Who was the mysterious figure at the site of the explosion, and are they as kind as Ichirou when it comes to using this dangerous gift?

Propaganda:

This show is nowadays remembered for referencing One Piece and its obvious CGI, but it’s so much more than that. Inuyashiki is a beautiful, dark, dramatic exploration of humanity, showcasing the brightest good that humans are capable of and the most horrific evil. It seriously explores both extremes, and it forces the audience to solemnly watch every step of the way.

It also has an AMAZINGLY badass OP and a beautifully sad ED, perfectly encapsulating the duality of the show itself.

Trigger Warnings: Animal Cruelty/Death, Flashing Lights, Graphic Depictions of Cruelty/Violence/Gore, Rape/Non-Con, Suicide

#C1: After the Rain (Koi wa Ameagari no You ni)

Summary:

Akira Tachibana, a reserved high school student and former track runner, has not been able to race the same as she used to since she experienced a severe foot injury. And although she is regarded as attractive by her classmates, she is not interested in the boys around school.

While working part-time at the Garden Cafe, Akira begins to develop feelings for the manager—a 45-year-old man named Masami Kondou—despite the large age gap. Kondou shows genuine concern and kindness toward the customers of his restaurant, which, while viewed by others as soft or weak, draws Akira to him. Spending time together at the restaurant, they grow closer, which only strengthens her feelings. Weighed down by these uncertain emotions, Akira finally resolves to confess, but what will be the result?

Alternatively: The main girl works at a diner and misses being able to run. Main guy is the boss at the diner and misses writing.

Propaganda:

It feels like a lot of folks didn’t give this a fair chance because they thought it would be an age gap romance, when it really is more about friendship between the MCs. Don’t be turned off by the opening. It’s cute, but all from MG’s POV. The art is pretty, and Aimer’s “Ref: rain” is one of my favourite songs now, besides it being a beautiful ending theme. Depending on how old you are, you might relate more with one MC over the other.

Trigger Warnings: One-sided age gap. Depending on your views, MC’s friendship with her boss could be uncomfortable

When reblogging and adding your own propaganda, please tag me @best-underrated-anime so that I’ll be sure to see it.

If you want to criticize one of the shows above to give the one you’re rooting for an advantage, then do so constructively. I do not tolerate groundless hate or slander on this blog. If I catch you doing such a thing in the notes, be it in the tags or reblogs, I will block you.

Know one of the shows above and not satisfied with how it’s presented in this tournament? Just fill up this form, where you can submit revisions for taglines, propaganda, trigger warnings, and/or video.

[yessmoking]

anyway time to be rude towards fellow nerds and start beef:

Polls were fun for the one week when they were new, everyone got in on them, and few of them managed to reach huge audiences. People were creative and building off of each others’ jokes.

Now polls are clogging every fandom and character tag with “some random ass guy vs another one but from different cartoon” polls that get 12 votes and the result depends on which fandom was op’s followers’ favorite.

fucks sake at least askblogs and y/n headcanon prompt fillers are putting some creative effort into clogging the tags with material that’s impossible to filter out. character polls are a content void. waste of pixels and the time it takes to scroll past them.