#actually one of the most beautiful character designs in modern fantasy

[linklover222]

I HAVE SOMETHING INAPPROPRIATE TO SAY!!!!!!!!!!!

[otaku553]

Can we ask why you’ve distanced from Genshin? I’m thinking about it bc of the representation issues but was wondering abt ur thoughts

It’s a bit difficult to put this succinctly!

I have a lot of thoughts on this, so I’ll sum up a few on the topic of character design.

I think when most people talk about representation in Genshin, the first thing they talk about is skin tone, which is fair and definitely valid. I think, as someone who has grown up with a lot of East Asian beauty standards around me, what Genshin does is cowardly but understandable from a viewpoint of marketability. I’m sure that they know their lack of representation is controversial overseas, but either this controversy is just giving them more attention and free promotion, or they’ve calculated that the controversy generated won’t actually deal any damage to their profits. That’s mostly why I’m not vocal about it: at best, they scroll past an extra opinion that they’ll probably ignore, and at worst, they’re getting free unintentional advertising out of me.

I will say, though I think plenty of people have made great posts about the representation issues, I think Genshin’s problems with character design and representation go much deeper than just skin color, and have been a growing issue even since Liyue; it’s just gotten exponentially worse with the introduction of Natlan.

I feel like Genshin is actively making regions more modern just to avoid historically accurate cultural representation, and nowhere is this clearer than in Natlan. To begin with, Genshin introduced itself as a historical fantasy, and that is, I think, why it worked so well compared to, say, Honkai— you can tell characters come from the same game due to unified elements such as the Knights of Favonius’s crest as a motif, and the central idea of history. Though the idea of “historical fantasy” is kind of nebulous, since they don’t actually claim to be trying to replicate any real world locations or cultures, you can infer some things about the time period and general location based on the existing technology and architecture and stuff.

But it feels like the moment you get to somewhere not European or East Asian, Genshin starts making designs from a far more modern approach. Some of the Natlan and Sumeru characters, I don’t think I’d be able to place as Genshin characters if I hadn’t played the game. I actually thought that one of the teased Genshin characters for Natlan that I’d seen around online, Citlali, was a Honkai Star Rail character, and was super surprised when I saw her in the Genshin 5.1 trailer. When you can’t even tell that a character belongs to the game you’re designing for, then what are you doing as a character designer?

This is more speculation than anything, but it’s almost as if they’re avoiding proper representation of cultural clothing by making things look modern, and it’s clashing terribly with what they established the game as from the beginning. For fuck’s sake, Mavuika, who’s the archon, meant to represent her nation, is wearing a leather biking suit. She looks so incredibly out of place in the fourth anniversary art of all the 5 archons together. They seem to be losing sight of what made them successful with character designs in the first place just out of a fear to do proper research or make something less than “conventionally aesthetic/attractive.” That’s my main issue, to be honest— not necessarily the skin colors, but the clear lack of thoughtfulness in character design, not only for representation but also for what suits their setting and premise best.

I have a lot more thoughts on Genshin Impact so feel free to send another ask if you’re curious!

[leserattevirginie]

Crown of Shadows by C.S. Friedman

Genre: Sci-Fantasy Star Rating: 4,25 ⭐️

Plot: ⬜️ Plot holes big enough for a herd of elephants ⬜️ I think I’ve read this before. (Unoriginal to the max.) ⬜️ No plot, just vibes ⬜️ Enjoyable but not super memorable. ✅ You have my undivided attention. ⬜️ Mind = Blown

Characters: ⬜️ Mary Sue is in the house! ⬜️ These are cardboard cut-outs. ⬜️ Good main cast, but the rest is forgettable at best. ⬜️ Generally well written. ✅ Complex ⬜️ What do you mean characters? These feel like real people!

Personal Enjoyment: ⬜️ DNF ⬜️ Somebody free me from this hell (but also no, I won’t DNF) ⬜️ WTF did I just read??? ⬜️ I don’t like it, but I also don’t hate it. ⬜️ It’s a good book but I just never want to pick it back up. ⬜️ No strong feelings either way. ⬜️ Enjoyable read ✅ What a page turner! This is fun! ⬜️ I think I’m in love ⬜️ (new) all time favourite

World Building: ⬜️ This takes place in our world. ⬜️ Worldbuilding what worldbuilding? ⬜️ This feels like a TV set. ⬜️ Not super deep, but present. ✅ Detailed, believable. ⬜️ You bet every single ant has its own 100 page backstory!

Pacing: ⬜️ drags/is rushed in all the wrong places ⬜️ Inconsistent ⬜️ something undefinable feels off ⬜️ I don’t love it it but it fits the book perfectly. ✅ Good/no complaints ⬜️ Amazing! Could not put this down!

Writing: ⬜️ This is painful ⬜️ I’m cringing ⬜️ Not great, but not bad either. ⬜️ Neutral (Didn’t really notice.) ✅ Elegant but not overly flowery. ⬜️ So beautiful I actually stopped and noticed it. ⬜️ I’m not sure if this is just a bad translation. ⬜️ I’m not confident enough in my language skills for this language to comment on the quality of the writing.

Wow, I can't believe I've finished the series this fast! That alone says a lot about how much I liked it :) As usual, here's a bunch of rambly thoughts:

For the most part I feel like I did about the other two books - plot is fine but character work and world building take the cake. The plot was still fairly straight-forward, but I will say that it was a bit more complex with the dual plot-lines. A bit I don't think I've mentioned before that I love: due to the set up we get sorcery and sword type stuff but also tourism, instant soup, insurance companies, etc. (Did I imagine the aspirin?) The mix between modern and old timey things is great!

Unfortunately I also still feel the same about the treatment of women within the series. Sure, the argument could be made that maybe it's just Damien who's a bit misogynistic in his POV, and Gerald is just generally The Most Terrible Person ™ around, but it still doesn't sit right with me. Especially since we start the book with Gerald's lunch committing suicide. Was that weird bit about Damien's landlady necessary? Was there no other way to explain how Iezu perceive the world other than "Holy shit can you believe that middle aged lady dares to think of herself as attractive, lol what a hag" ?? But hey, Narilka is still alive! I suppose if you exist to redeem the Gerald clone you get to live. (I can't believe I forgot poor Almea in my last rant. The fridging that started it all! ...is it still fridging if the man murders her himself??)

As for the plot lines, on one hand I really, really enjoyed getting more POVs! ...maybe just not the ones we actually got xD The patriarch was probably my favourite, even if almost every second I spent inside his head was incredibly frustrating. Some of that may be due to Calesta's influence, but for the most part it's probably just him being the fantasy-pope. There's a reason I left the church xD That being said, I appreciate that he actually whole-heartedly believes what he is preaching. The thing that confuses me the most about the church is its stance on working the fae. As I understood it, it was designed to focus the fae, making it a bit less dangrous for the general population. And also providing humanity with the concentrated power of the beliefs and faith of thousands if not millions, which could eventually be used for space travel. (Or something in that vein.) Anyway, I thought it was very clear that they are still manipulating the fae, just on an enormous scale, and disapproved of private sorcery. But at times it kind of felt like the patriarch sort of forgot that (or deliberately repressed it?). All those "no, this isn't witchcraft, this is a miracle from God!" moments felt so odd because - of course its the same thing? You literally created your God yourselves by those exact same means??? Oh well, church is hypocritical, fork found in kitchen.

Andrys and Narilka I actually liked well enough, as long as they weren't on page together. Or thinking about each other. Actually, scratch that. I liked Narilka when she wasn't being compared to teacups or dolls! But then she had to fall in love with Andrys after talking to him...twice? Andrys... I mean he was there and relevant to the plot. I do feel bad for him, but there wasn't really that much to him other than (admittedly horrific) trauma and an uncanny resemblance to his great-great ....-great grandpa. And drugs to cope with all of that. Small pet peeve: the nickname Andri. WHY. You're literally just taking of one letter (and changing the other because....aesthetics??)

On to more enjoyable ramblings!!! The Damien-Gerlad dynamic in this book was just *chef's kiss* You can't just hit me with the "You changed me" speech that early in the book, I was not prepared xD The many ways in which we see the depth of their...friendship... were just sweet (especially post-hell), and such a contrast to the first book! (Well, Damien still tells us constantly how hot Gerald is, that hasn't changed at all xD My dude literally described his very platonic bestie as "aesthetic perfection". A few pages after Karril rerminds us of how very straight he is, of course.) Now maybe at this point my rose coloured shipper glasses are just glued to my face, but that moment when he tried to explain how Almea supposedly feels also slightly came across as him projecting just a bit. (Gerald is right, Almea (or the Almea-thing) has every right to be pissed, honestly she should have shown up with ghostly divorce papers. Or maybe Damien was right and she just wanted to see him jump into a volcano for a good cause, who knows.) There are some things I would have loved to see more of: - the mental link between Damien and Gerald was criminally under-used, imo. Did it change Damien physically somehow, since Gerald no longer felt cold to him? Is he now part vampire for ever xD (And dear god that whole bit about taking the Hunter into his body, whyyy xDD) - honestly I would have loved to see Gerald readjusting to being human (and being incredibly annoyed about it) a bit more. It's been 900+ years, surely there's stuff he's forgotten? I mean he spent the vast majority of his life being the stuff of nightmares! - Gerald honestly wanting and trying to redeem himself (sure, he was ready to sacrifice himself in the end, but it kind of struck me as a last minute decision. And you can't tell me being the first to kill a Iezu and saving the world didn't also appeal to his ego). But I get that that would take another 10 books, minimum

Damiens break with the church was a long time coming, and handled well, I think. Oddly enough, priest never struck me as a job that you can just quit.

I just remembered about Gerald's apprentice (Amoril?). What an idiot. I would have loved to know how he came to be the Hunter's apprentice though. Can you apply for scolarships? Anyway, trashing a library is unforgivable in my book ;)

Oh, and Hell! Hell was surprisingly meh to me, but I did appreciate the insight into how the Iezu operate (which was probable the main point of that scene anyway). Love that Damien could just reason with the literal devil. (But the concept of the Devil as a non-unified entity was actually cool though). How did it take Damien so long to understand what the mountain of dead women could possibly be. Neither he nor the reader are stupid enough not to get it. Friedman usually doesn't hold our hand and over explains in the series, why start now?? Shock factor? I doubt anyone cared enough about Sisa? Sasi? for that to work.

OK I promise I'm coming to an end soon but guys. Guys. The epilogue. The freaking epilogue. What a trip that was xDDD 1) The Wedding. Karril POV was... certainly something! We now officially know that not only women find Andrys attractive. (Take that, Damien "idk, he's probably attractive to women but also aesthetic perfection" Vryce. Did I need to know about potential Iezu sex that only benefits the (currently presenting as) male partner? No, not really. Also WTF was that scene with Andrys' ex lovers. I know we're supposed to see and rejoice in the fact that Andrys is no longer a playboy, but did we really need that "women hating women for the benefit of some hot guy" thing in here? I swear there were bits in the series where I could have sworn it was written by man (derogatory). At least Narilka remained unbothered. Presumably moisturised. Very happy and in her lane. Focused on her wedding, as she should be. She gets to live on to be compared to countless fragile things made of porcelain, whether she wants it or not. 2) Freaking Riven Forrest. I was cackling throughout that whole bit. Not only does he get to hunt and terrify people just like his father, he also runs a successful (?) fishing rod business on the side. (I know, I know, hunting supplies in general, the rods just kind of stuck out to me). The fact that the intelligent prey he looks forward to hunting the most is once again a woman (even if it is an abusive, horrible woman) tells us exactly what part the Iezu mother chose to take from the OG Hunter, huh. Which is great for Gerald, but a weird choice on her part?? But dear God the last bit. He keeps a portait of Gerald above his fireplace??? I finally completely lost it at "Here's to you, dad" xDDD 3) The "dark haired youth". Of course he survived. I was suspicious as soon as we didn't actually get to see Andrys kill him. As for the new persona - I suspected who he was, but the moment I was really sure was when Damien started describing him in loving detail. For an entire paragraph. That was half a page long. But the ending. WTF. I could have accepted Gerald's Death, but this? You're telling me after all they went through together, and after he basically just risked his life again by saying hi to Damien in the most cryptic way possible, they just...never talked again?! Nah, in my expert opinion they just met up in the next bathhouse. Also I wanted to see the guy suffer be annoyed a bit more because he can no longer Work to maintain his image. (I'd also have loved to know Geralds criteria for his new body, vain as he is. What was his thought process? "Oh no, the wonderful world of magical horse-breeding is now lost to me! Guess I'll just have to make sure that from now on I have the most majestic ponytail out there!"? Although, come on. He might be willing to risk his life for a horse.) My last words: I enjoyed this series so much more than I ever thought I would, and these idiots now live rent-free in my brain. Also how the f- are we supposed to read these books as an entirely platonic relationship? The most I'll agree to is some weird, slightly cursed QPR. But come on. COME ON. Even if they are both heterosexual (notwithstanding Damiens constant thirsting casual descriptions) they are definitely in love. Or just so deeply obsessed with, and at this point, sort of dependent on each other (Gerlad's words, not mine. sort of) that it makes little to no difference.

I know there's some prequels (?) I think I might check them out sometime.

[theshiftingfairy]

Shining Nikki Dr script

Took me a little bit of time, but finally, it’s here. Now, I know there is probably not a lot of people that are familiar with the Nikki franchise in the shifting community, but that’s also why I wanted to talk about it. Also it’s one of my main dr at the moment and talking about it makes me happy.

Shining Nikki is a mobile dress up game, in the world of Miraland where instead of violence, people fight with Styling power, the magic system of the game based on beauty.

I have two shining Nikki dr. One of them follow the plot, solely because the player character is a consciousness without a body that follows Nikki in the beginning and I am so curious to have this experience of not having a body and just existing in the world. But for my main dr, I completely got rid of the plot to enjoy Miraland when it’s peaceful.

The main reason I love Miraland is that it is one of the only fantasy world I know within a modern setting. There is elves, fairies and dragons, but at the same time, the technology is advanced, as much if not more than ours, and there is a futuristic island where all advanced technologies are made. And all is mixed together and still feels cohesive.

This is also because it’s kind of my version of a fame dr

Miraland

Feel free to ignore this part if you don’t want spoilers

- As I mentioned, there is no war of gods and no threat of end of the world. There was also no war between the elves of light and water elves and they were never banished. I want my Miracle land to be the most whimsical place it can be.

- The gods exist though, at least the new gods like aphrodia and the god of beauty and their envoy, but there is no consequence, they just exist as they are in the game.

- There can be movement between the different factions, but not to the point of creating war. I don’t think Savior would have a reason to exist in this reality, unless maybe as an organisation that monitors individuals with strong styling power.

- Elves can actually fly with their wings and leave the Pigeon forest normally. Forest elves typically prefer to stay in the forest and are more secluded. I also decided to script in Chloris and Lakris, the princes of the forest elves from Love Nikki as they would be alive in this era.

Me

My dr name is Elina Wilde, like in all my drs (actually I think it’s the first time I introduce my dr name so hi!)

I am half elf. My mother, Rosalie Bellflowers is a Forest Elf and a noble from the Pigeon capital while my dad is a human scientist from the pigeon kingdom as well. They are the same as my hogwarts dr parents as well.

Their relationship was not well accepted among elven nobility (in this world, elves think themselves superiors to humans, the only half elf in the game is a paria for having a human mother) so they left the Pigeon kingdom for Ninir where I grew up in Starheaven. I have 3 younger siblings. My sister Lynn is 22 and studies interior design at Cicia university. My brothers are still in high school in Starheaven, I honestly have no idea of what they will do after school.

I decided to make this dr into a ballerina dr as it’s something I always wanted to try, so i am a professional ballerina and i went back in the pigeon kingdom as an adult to pursue dancing.

I live near the pigeon forest in a village called Winged Manor (another thing I borrowed from Love Nikki) The manor is the property of my grandmother Adélaïde Bellflowers and I live in a small but cosy cottage within the village.

Ballet 🩰

I started to learn ballet at 6, in Ninir Starheaven. I then was accepted in the Pigeon royal academy at 18 and started dancing professionally for the royal ballet company at 23 and I am now 29. (If you were here when I was questioning myself as to what to do with my age, I decided to go with my cr current age, since elves lives for hundreds of years, I have still so much time to enjoy this dr)

ninir ballet style is a dreamlike, theatrical fairytale, and tells the stories of the most famous fairytale of Ninir. While Pigeon ballet tells the numerous legends of the Pigeon forest , mythological stories and dramatic stories. For comparison a Ninir ballet would be the Nutcracker and a Pigeon ballet would be Giselle or Romeo and Juliet.

Pigeon ballet have the particularity to have roles that are reserved to elves as they use the elves ability to fly. With time companies in Pigeon started to include some of the most popular ninir ballet.

My logic is that each nation in the game has a big faction that is in the entertainment industry. In a world where beauty is power, the most important aspect of everything is art. Ninir has the December troupe, Cloud has the neverfall troupe, Apple has the Mercury group, I thought Pigeon could have an Opera house and a big Ballet royal company.

Designer style

In Miraland, it is kind of expected to be skilled in designing, no matter what your main occupation is. Even if, people still buy clothes, it is more common to buy patterns and to make your clothes yourself (as a node to the game crafting mechanic) I of course scripted to be very skilled in sewing and clothes design.

As a designer, I specialise as a ballet and theatrical costume designer and I am known for my elegant and whimsical style that blends skillfully the Ninir fairytale style with the intricate and whimsical Pigeon Elven style.

To keep my designs in the styles of Shining Nikki, I went to Love Nikki to literally pick and choose what sets I wanted to be the designer of, as well as stealing design from the game that are attributed to other characters 😅 (Aloysius and Mercury stinks anyway, I have a pattern of loving sets made by characters i hate in this game…) I also stole the tinker bell dress from Yexiao but I gave her credit to a fairy dress with Chinese influences so it’s fine I think x)

If you think about it it’s not really stealing, I just go to a reality where I am indeed the designer of those sets, they would have no idea.🤷‍♀️

Styling power

I took inspiration from the new infinity Nikki game to visualise what styling power actually looks like. Different outfits carry different powers, such as the ability to glide, some would let you have a control over the elements like wind, water etc…The stronger the styling power in a person is, the easier it is to use this magic system.

With styling power, clothes can be stored into a pocket dimension and one can change magical girl style. In infinity Nikki , you see characters planning their outfits on a tablet and have them appear on them, so it would be something like that. It just sounds fun to me…and with the amount of clothes I planned, rather convenient. This dr really is for my inner child.

Nikki ( and Momo)

Let’s not forget about our main character. In the games she gets isekai into Miraland, so she appears out of nowhere. In this reality I decided to make her a Shifter as well, so she shifts there, but she have her family as well. Since Nikki is Chinese, I scripted her family to be from the Cloud Empire. She works as a journalist at the designer intel hub, which allows her to travel all around Miraland and she is a designer and stylist for the Apple apparel group.

There it finally is 🥰

I feel like not a lot of people will really know what I’m talking about here, but that’s okay.

If you don’t know the game shining Nikki, definitely check it out (but please don’t waste your money into gacha, there is rerun of the events all the time, you don’t have to pay to get the full set if you’re patient. And if you loose interest in the game, there would be no reason to spend money on it.)

[mandatory-blog-stop-asking]

I'll miss Akira Toriyama.

It is suddenly very important to me that you understand how good Dragon Ball actually is.

Because I get it, not everyone lived under the Equator and not everyone cares about battle shonen, but you have to understand that at some point, someone whose art you love probably loved Dragon Ball.

Akira Toriyama managed to influence more than just his medium. He influenced action media worldwide, every week. Almost every comics artist, writer, producer or otherwise industry person, in any country, owns some of their income to Toriyama.

From Jorge Jimenez drawing on the Father-Son Kamehameha for his beautiful tribute to Superman's family during his time drawing Justice League, to Rebecca Sugar making dance explicitly matter to fusion, to fucking Cloud in Final Fantasy 7 just doing his best SSJ2 Gohan cosplay throughout the whole game, anyone creative who liked action cared about Dragon Ball, with 2 degrees of separation being the maximum you could go before your specific 90s-early aughts references reached back to it as well.

And the memes and fame the thing accrued over the years don't quite make that make sense, because if you've never seen it, it just looks and sounds like a run-of-the-mill bad shonen show where people scream all the time and don't really grow as characters. But that's not what that series actually is. The anime is what got popular, sure, but as a manga, Dragon Ball is one of the most well-executed, funniest, fast-paced pieces of literature Shonem Jump has published, and it's crazy to think how much of it is just Toriyama improvising.

It's not perfect, obviously -- it's rote and it's old and it's repetitive, but it never stops being a good, read. It never stops being interesting, or well-designed, or fun. You'll open a chapter and something about it will make you smile, or make you laugh, or just keep you entertained enough that you have to read the next one. The fact this man made all of this weekly, without a grander plan than "I want to draw a martial arts comedy" and then codified the way we think about transformations, power struggles, action paneling in general-- there's quite literally no one else with that kind of range on their contributions to modern pop comics. We start talking Tezuko or Oda when we start talking about who's had as much an impact on the genre, and then you find out of course Oda is a Dragon Ball kid, and Kishimoto is a Dragon Ball kid, everyone whose manga you love after the 90s is a Dragon Ball kid.

And look, it's not like you have to love Dragon Ball or anything: it's art and like any art it won't connect to certain people, and it will be poison to others. You not being into Dragon Ball is fine and it's valid, and it's definitely not the first work of that nature to have a worldwide impact. Akira didn't invent manga, he just made a really good one.

But, fuck, the world is a less interesting place without Akira Toriyama in it. He brought out something so many people identified with nearly effortlessly. The guy just wanted to make us laugh and have fun; all the yelling and violence and world-ending threats came later. I need you to keep that somewhere in your head when the subject is Dragon Ball. It's fun first.

Everyone, at some point, got together and loved and lived a series that was about hard work paying off, and had a blast with it. But more than that, everyone loved a really funny, fun-loving series that could always put a smile in your face first and foremost, no matter what the villain of the arc did to Earth or the heroes. And that changed the world more than any of the thousands of edgy manga about fights always getting bigger and the protagonist always getting stronger did. Because Dragon Ball isn't just that. It is that in some level, of course, but more importantly, it's a kid stepping on poo and screaming about how gross that is. It's Majin Buu hanging out with Mr. Satan and a puppy because he loves having friends. It's a Super Saiyan bargain sale, it's Bulma shooting Goku startled, it's Kuririn not having a nose and being able to beat some dude who smells. And that's fucking hilarious.

Teach that dinosaur how to ride a ball, Toriyama. You earned it.

[tododeku-or-bust]

OC Essay of the day: Philia's design!

I put a lot of thought into this, and while I've modified here and there, at her core there were things I absolutely wanted to accomplish with her design. Yes, race is a major part of this topic! You've been warned! Perhaps you can learn a new perspective on approaching your brown characters.

So: her hair and skin. Phi is biracial and identifies as Black, and her skin is a medium brown. Her hair is about 3C with a bit of 4A. For comparison, Patroclus has 4C hair that's been locked, and dark brown skin. I wanted her to favor Patroclus more for multiple reasons.

First, I wanted everyone who looked at her (in story, I'm not there yet with art lmao) to know that she is Philia, daughter of Patroclus. It's mostly relevant to narrative, but it's also a mild jokey joke bc I grew up with everyone going "you look just like-" and it's like 'yeah but who the fuck are you' lmao and Phi goes through that often. But it's important because I want to emphasize that she is beautiful, she shares her Papa's features, and her Papa is beautiful too. That their Black features (their skin, their hair and texture, fuller lips, wider noses) are beautiful!

I also wanted her to be browner in skin and have a thicker texture bc I'm kind of tired of the societally pushed idea that the only valid mixture of Black and White biraciality (?) are people who are light skinned like Zendaya. That their beauty inherently comes from proximity to Whiteness. It's exhausting. Everybody's not gonna be light skinned with thinner hair 🤷🏾‍♀️ In my modern headcanons, Phi has faced cruel microaggressions by "well meaning" white women who assume she's adopted (i.e. that she's been 'saved') when she's out with Achilles bc she doesn't "look" like she "should".

Her eyes: so it's a conversation that absolutely needs to be had that fantasy people writing brown characters often want to give them light eyes and some people feel you shouldn't. I don't necessarily agree that you "shouldn't", so much as you should recognize your biases in WHY you are. Are you giving light eyes bc you think they're prettier than brown ones (a thought process based in white supremacy) or is there an actual, canonical reason? If you think it's bias, you need to stop and think about your design (and Fr fr yourself!) as a whole. It's all about thoughtfulness and intent.

Anyway, the reason Philia's eyes are green are because Achilles' eyes are green. And I wanted that bc I wanted him to see himself in her. He sees his own soul staring back when he looks into his daughter's eyes. There's no avoiding her gaze. It forces him to grow and reflect. He never wants her to be like him, to make his choices and suffer what he's suffered. He doesn't want to see disappointment as she looks at him. He has to learn that she's her own person and she's going to make judgments, make mistakes, and grow. That she's not him.

Her height and body type: this is where I've been wondering if I want to change things the most. Height wise, she's tall. Her fathers are tall lmao. In the Hades AU, she's 6ft by full adulthood (that demigod in her blood), in modern AUs, she's like 5'10. Originally, I wanted her to have that Ancient Greek marble statue power build. Strength for sure; she can throw battle boulders with the rest of them lol. But strength don't necessarily mean she has to be thinner. So lately I've been thinking that I'd like her to gain more weight as she gets older (which is what happens anyway) but she's no less strong. Like the art I did of her gala outfit, that was from a plus size ad and I really liked that design. I also wanted her to be shapely and athletic too. Like Serena Williams. So I'm still thinking about it.

So yeah! That's Philia's design! I can do shorter ones on Calix and Kairos later; I probably will 👍🏾

[zo1nkss]

You said you wanted characters for headcanons? How about Fang and Ivan? Since Ivan never really got a backstory & will sadly be gone, I decided he's great with plants and makes lethal but painless poisons, which is what he gave to Fang for his dog as a show of friendship.

ANON THAT'S BEAUTIFUL

Ivan:

Is actually a huge cat person. Would gladly die for any cat, and was just as upset to see Fang's dog go as Fang was but he's better at hiding it

Since we know he's inclined to comfort Fang when he's upset, I like to think of him as the hard shelled guy who's soft just under the surface

Modern Ivan is the quiet, reserved friend who opens up about topics he likes and no one can get him to shut up

Fang:

Modern Fang had a secret collection of Lisa Frank stuff until he found out it was mostly stolen designs and tossed everything he owned

He's very good with his hands; especially delicate work with small pieces. He can fix just about anything on the ship and knows his way around a number of crafts, as well

Historically, most pirates couldn't read but I think Fang is self taught and very well read - he just really likes fantasy novels and silly romance, and loathes non-fiction. Like what's the point???

[gameinfoxtbr]

Black Myth Wukong Developer

Probably one of the most eagerly awaited video games of the past decade is undoubtedly an action RPG titled Black Myth Wukong, Black Myth Wukong Developer is Game Science. Game Science is based in China. The initial protagonist of the game is Sun Wukong, also called the Monkey King, and the game is based on one of the Four Great Classical Novels – Journey to the West. As they’ve been trying to deliver players such an immersive and thrilling story on a new playing platform that combines a beautiful graphical user interface with fast-paced action, The Game Science has been trying to imagine and bring to the world a game like this in which the battle sequences and storylines are tightly inspired by today’s real world. The Origins of Black Myth Wukong 🚀 Games Science is a company that was established quite recently by a group of experienced developers who used to work for Tencent. It was decided to create more games from scratch rather than follow the tendencies of the gaming industry. Black Myth Wukong was initiated on February 22, 2018, and on February 25, 2018, it was decided to make the game single-player only. This was the starting point of the development team to derive the action role-playing game (RPG) newly structured with a mythological setting in China and pave for a spectacular journey.

GameInfoX They are obsessed with creating accurate and extensive content that has been received globally; people are now waiting for the Black Myth Wukong game. Based on both the trailer and the play, it is visible that the painting and the fighting system are the work of the Black Myth Wukong Developer, which was done in this game. To know more details about Black Myth Wukong today and today’s updates and news! The Core of the Black Myth Wukong Developer and His World 🌏 This is mainly because Sun Wukong, or Monkey King, is the protagonist of the black Myth Wukong. By experiencing the voyage to the West, players will have a wonderful voyage with powerful magical powers, Mythology creatures, and exciting challenges. Some of the top game scientists have done some really good work; trying to give real-life prose to this ancient tale which is supposedly historical. I like the idea of matching the design of the world to make use of every feature that can be utilized in modern graphics engines; the graphics are stunning. Adding dynamic weather effects, destructible environments, and realistic character animation, Black Myth Wukong is among the most visually ambitious projects in the works now. For a detailed overview of the Black Myth Wukong Guide covering gameplay, combat, and even tips for taking out tough opponents, watch this video. Pushing Technical Boundaries Unreal Engine 5 💻 Since Black Myth Wukong was developed based on the Unreal Engine 5, such a game can achieve things that other games just can’t. Besides having the latest technology of its generation, it also has advanced character design features as well as real-time ray tracing capacities. Rich texturing and realistic PT lighting notes of every scene in the game are made possible by Unreal Engine 5. By fur of the Monkey King, the setting of the dark fantasy Black Myth Wukong, the ruined temple backdrop, the fire-spewing enemies… everything comes to life. Combat Fast, Fluid, and Fantastical ⚔️ Interestingly, based on the trends analyzed, it seems that one of the aspects, in which all of the fans are most interested, is the battle system of Black Myth Wukong. A peculiar fight system was established by the rather funny and truly enthusiastic developers who used supernatural powers and martial arts moves without exception. The actuality of Action RPG is implemented through the player character’s transformations of Sun Wukong, Ruyi Bang, and clones controlled directly by the player. The particular fight is dynamic and exciting; the player never gets bored while fighting opponents. Black Myth Wukong’s starter bosses also offer something different for each battle, as usually within the fight the player has to switch up strategies within Monkey King’s move set. As to enthusiasts of this sphere, they enjoy the types of spirits to be met as well as the mythology of the creature’s battle and killings. Be sure to use the Black Myth Wukong Tier List for help during these incredibly exciting fights.

GameInfoX A True Next-Gen Experience 🌟 Black Myth Wukong is one interesting and eye-catching game with great action and speed along with synopses to give one of the most fantastic next-generation experiences. They are putting their best bet in creating a complex game, and the first to use all the capabilities of modern-day consoles and PCs. These teaser videos and gaming demos have excited millions of video game aficionados as to what the newest generation of gaming consoles can do. The legendary story of the Monkey King himself and the beautiful environment of the defeated opponents, characters, etc, make Black Myth Wukong a game that gamers will have no option but to look at. Finally, I was able to ask them about the likewise numerous game modes upon its release and the DLCs and maps that were added after which is just a guarantee that the game is not tiring too soon. See the latest and more details of Black Myth Wukong here! To know what Black Myth Wukong is all about What’s Next for Black Myth Wukong Developer? 🔮 Black Myth Wukong is around the corner and fans are asking what’s next from Black Myth Wukong Developer. This is a known group, and the success of Black Myth Wukong could turn the team into one of the largest development studios in the world. In this case, Game Science will be favorable resulting from creativity, compelling storytelling, and graphics. At the moment, every gaming community around is eagerly waiting for Black Myth Wukong. Teammates contributed their efforts to create a hardcore game that not only narrates the story of Sun Wukong but also sets a benchmark for action RPGs.

GameInfoX Conclusion 🎉 However, Black Myth Wukong is more than just a computer game; it is the result of a lot of hard work, passion, and love that a team poured into telling a particular historical god story. The reader’s interest in the game is therefore only aroused, apart from being excited to read. Those who like stories with unique mythology, action games, or graphics, will be impressed by Black Myth Wukong Developer. Of course, we know that all of you enjoyed the game so much and you are eager to know about all the things that surround it – The Black Myth Wukong Game Guide is here and much more to make you prepared for the new challenge! Word Count: 880 words Read the full article

[slightlygaming]

Happy end of 2023, here’s my list of my favorite games I played this year!

Fable Anniversary - I feel like I’ve been missing this game all my life. It’s fantastic and has given me such a deep appreciation for fantasy RPG games and the way they’ve progressed over the years. While very dated in some ways, Fable holds up and still feels unique in the modern gaming scene. It has a humor and joy to it that I just haven’t seen in any other game. I highly recommend to anyone who hasn’t played it before, or who feels overwhelmed by modern RPG’s. Fables main story is only around 13 hours making it a lot more approachable then most.

Inscryption - Inscryption is a fantastic game that will change what you think a card game can be. Its fun, addictive and has a really strong narrative and mystery that kept me hooked and excited to see what came next. It’s gameplay and structure is really unique and makes it stand out from any other in the genre. Highly recommend you check it out!

Disco Elysium - Disco Elysium is a fantastic game that narratively stands as one of the strongest out there. Its very fleshed out and features a compelling diverse arrangement of characters. Its emphasis on text is both its feature and detriment. If you don’t like text based games, Disco Elysium might not be for you, but even as someone who isn’t the biggest fan of text based games myself, I found Disco Elysium more then makes up for it through its narrative and environment design. The art and music are both fantastic. While I don’t think I look at with the same fondness as I’ve seen expressed, I found it had a lot to offer and is definitely a must play in the realm of narrative games.

God of War Ragnorak - (replay) Truly one of the best AAA games I’ve played. Ragnorak is filled with heart, warmth, and such a strong belief in the characters and what growth and progress actually looks like. Ragnorak is a manifestation of more then just the growth of Kratos and the God Of War franchise but also Santa Monica as a studio. It embodies what massive triple A games can be when the people making them have a clear vision, and are given the tools to see it through.

Stanely Parable - (replay) if you havent played Stanley Parable you need to change that right now. Its one of the funniest games out there and knows how to do meta humor right. Theres so much to do and I highly recommend checking out the Deluxe Edition which features a whole sequel game in it. You might fall in love with a bucket though, just warning you…

Celeste - A game that isn’t afraid to challenge you for the best. But while it can be incredibly challenging, it also can be incredibly rewarding. The game relates to issues of depression and anxiety, and does so with care and thoughtfulness. It is incredibly beautiful, both in design and in narrative. The story centers around Madeline, who feels stuck in her dreary life, and feels she must climb this mountain. The plot is a fairly common one within indie games, but the satisfaction of climbing to the top is something very few games have made me feel.

[dwellerinroots]

crocus— do you have any significant dreams that you remember? what were they about?

azalea— what is the most recent song you listened to? how do you feel about it?

snowdrop— would you say that you have been in love before?

If you're up for it!

I am, in fact, up for it! Questions answered with pictures of flowers, all below the cut!

Crocus in the wild of the Alps (6), Karl Gercens crocus— do you have any significant dreams that you remember? what were they about?

I actually keep a (semi-irregular) dream journal! But I'll choose to consider this one a comment on recurring dreams for that reason. A lot of dreams about various ways the world ends that are cosy, but are basically the same dream over and over (I choose not to read too much into them). Far less humorously (or depending on whom you ask, more,) I've had a repeated dream of dying trapped under cold ice floes? Apparently, it's not uncommon among my family, either, mysterious... Anyway, I have it once or twice a year. Watch as I bite it in a desert or something, bahahaha! And I used to dream regularly about - hmn, I could be harsh and call it a very generic fantasy setting, or kind and call it a young Dwells' wistful desire to be isekai'd away. There was enough story throughout the dreams (characters in recurring roles, I was usually watching through another character who might have been me, and might not) that I could probably wring a story out of it, but - I like to let it lay as a memory I'm fond of. If you're curious, I'll go through the details later..!

P4100834, John S. Quarterman

azalea— what is the most recent song you listened to? how do you feel about it? HEH, what a question. I listen to so much music that I actually - much like my reliance on hugs (physical or ephemeral) to get through the working day, did you know the average human body needs music to live? A fact, proven by empirical data, most likely.

Just going by 'most recently listened to,' I'm not entirely sure if it's accurate to call this 8-bit, but a chiptune rendition of Wolf at the Door that I somehow had on my digital audio player (because I refuse to use modern phones, like the curmudgeon I guess I am). I think 'Optimistic' would've been better suited for the workweek, but what do I know, bahaha... Apparently there's a fairly large argument about radiohead in the musical world, which was why I'm content to just devour all music and enjoy it even-handedly. It's good, and thematically appropriate. I'll take it.

The last track I listened to while doing writing, Ashes, by Dilate. A real two-disc wonder, which is unfortunate because both albums of theirs (his? I think it was basically one guy!) perfectly nail the two sides of my science-fiction aesthetic, aha. Cyclos is grim, militaristic, and feels like it's always lurking menacingly out of reach (but promising wonderful, unknowable things); and Octagon mixes ambient sound to create a feeling like drifting on frozen clouds. Both albums are good, would highly recommend if sci-fi ambient is your jam.

Finally, track I to last night while thinking about bird...

All the music in Nier/Automata is good, but I just really love A Beautiful Song, and piano instrumentals are a favourite. Truth is, I'm more a fan of an older game by the same writer/designer called Drakengard, but it seems to have largely been forgotten to the mists of time.

20, Britt Willoughby Dyer (for Gardenista) snowdrop— would you say that you have been in love before?

Mmn. I think I'd say I've been in genuine, heart-over-heels romantic love twice, and an unflinching platonic love once. The kind of love that - in all cases - feels so awful after you swear you'd never want to ever feel it again, and instantly regret thinking about it because you miss it. Simultaneously, I don't regret any of those loves. Though neither of the romantic loves really turned out, I learned more about myself through them, and hopefully the same for them. And I miss my best friend every day, so it goes. Love is far more beautiful then it is terrible, but it takes me awhile to warm up to it; I'd say I'm - despite coming across as a very romantic person - mostly aromantic. I just do the best I can to treat people fairly and with the same care I'd hope they'd treat others, and it often comes across as a bit more. In both cases, it took me some time to really reciprocate, but when I fall in love, emphasis on fall, bahahaha!.. I don't know if that's how I want to end this one, though. When I think of love, I think of all the parts of it. I think there's a tendency to say 'well, if love isn't easy, it's not real love,' but - love is more then just a relationship. It's doing the best you can for one another, and being able to help the person you love (or people, but I can't really imagine that outside of fiction, honestly) through their most difficult days. I still wonder if I'm capable of doing that much, and I think it's the sort of person I aim to be. Quick edit, VERY important, I am also deeply in love with a bird (fictional) and that is DEFINITELY the point to close on, nailed it

[chefboyard-bag]

@immortalsapphics got me

coke or pepsi? coke

disney or dreamworks? dreamworks ftw

coffee or tea? coffee

books or movies? Younger me would said books all the way, but I struggle to get myself to finish books now, so I guess movies

windows or mac? windows.. like duh

dc or marvel? I definitely read more DC as a kid, but I was briefly on a geek-ass podcast and my role was to be the "well actually" guy, so I know way more Marvel lore

x-box or playstation? PC, my most recent-gen console is a 360

dragon age or mass effect? Never played either

night owl or early riser? Can't wake up well to save my life, I don't hit my stride until like 6pm

cards or chess? I'm impressively good at losing every chess game I've ever played, but I'll take your car in hold 'em

chocolate or vanilla? I used to be the death-by-chocolate type, but honestly vanilla slaps

vans or converse? I rock both, but only the old-school, modern style shoes suck ass

Lavellan, Trevelyan, Cadash, or Adaar? Is Dragon Age like explicitly Irish, or is it just a coincidence?

fluff or angst? angst all day

beach or forest? Swamp baybeeee

dogs or cats? cats fur sure

clear skies or rain? I can fucks with the rain, but I needs me some clear days

cooking or eating out? The URL ain't a joke, I throw down in the kitchen

spicy food or mild food? I don't vibe with spice that is just pain for the sake of hurt, but gimme that tastee heat

halloween/samhain or solstice/yule/christmas? My entire apartment is permanently halloween themed

would you rather forever be a little too cold or a little too hot? I guess a little cold? Idk the older I get the more I realize anything outside of 69-73°F and I'm uncomfortable

if you could have a superpower, what would it be? Time manipulation

animation or live action? animation, but like it's gotta be well done

paragon or renegade? McScuse me?

baths or showers? showers, but baths can be a beautiful thing when the chronic pain is especially bad

team cap or team ironman? they were both wrong

fantasy or sci-fi? sci-fi, as long as it's scientifically accurate

do you have three or four favourite quotes, if so what are they? that's too many words, but "this world might be cruel, but I'm still kickin" has legit kept me around

youtube or netflix? youtube, love me them dumbass videos

[REDACTED] yeah fuck it why not

when do you feel accomplished? LMAO as if I've ever experienced that emotion

star wars or star trek? idk I've never been big into either

paperback books or hardcover books? Love me the sensory experience of a hardcover, but most of my books are paperback

to live in a world without literature or without music? You're really gonna ask a multi-instrumentalist to give up music?

who was the last person to make you laugh? Everyone thinks I'm funny, then they meet my partner..

city or countryside? country without a doubt, been living in a huge city for 6 years now and every single person here can fuck off and die. I miss the farm

favorite chips? Cape Cod

pants or dresses? I can rock the hell out of a dress, but designers hate women and the functionality of pants can't be beat

libraries or museums? *sweats profusely* I.. I . don't know

character driven stories or plot driven stories? Depends on how it's sold, I typically lean towards plot, but I'll read an entire book of pure characterization if it's actually interesting and relevant

bookmarks or folding pages? bookmarks but I can never find mine, so dog-ear it is

Dream job? One of those executive positions that pays $600k to sit on your ass and do nothing

What gives you comfort? SLEEP

what are some of your favorite song lyrics? "In this god-fearing land there ain't no lodging for the mad, and you can't get high enough to breathe before you drown"

favorite ice cream flavor ever? OTTER PAWS 🐾

first fandom? I can genuinely say I've never been a member of any fandom

top artist of this year? LMFAO I'm a top 2% listener of the Kermitment podcast

Got tagged by @dingbingbats

Rapid fire questions go

coke or pepsi? Bepsi :)

disney or dreamworks? Dreamworks have dragons so

coffee or tea? Coffee for utility tea for pleasure

books or movies? You can't make me choose

windows or mac? Windows, Mac scares me

dc or marvel? DC ig, I like Harlivy

x-box or playstation? PC and Nintendo consoles

dragon age or mass effect? Never played either of them

night owl or early riser? Born to night owl forced to early rise

cards or chess? Cards, I suck at chess :(

chocolate or vanilla? Depends, mostly chocolate though

vans or converse? Vans are more comfy but I love my Converse to death

Lavellan, Trevelyan, Cadash, or Adaar? Don't speak French

fluff or angst? BOTH

beach or forest? Forest

dogs or cats? Both are lovely beasts but I have a slight cat bias

clear skies or rain? Rain 100%, not to be too emo but I love the sensation of raindrops falling on my back

cooking or eating out? Cooking all the way if it wasn't for executive dysfunction

spicy food or mild food? I like it a bit spicy. Like "spicy at a Turkish restaurant" not "spicy at an Indian restaurant"-levels

halloween/samhain or solstice/yule/christmas? Halloween:)

would you rather forever be a little too cold or a little too hot? The latter is just menopause so that one ig???

if you could have a superpower, what would it be? Shapeshifting or invisibility, you're on the trans loser website

animation or live action? Animation

paragon or renegade? Don't speak Italian

baths or showers? Showers

team cap or team ironman? Unchecked nationalism or hypercapitalist libertarianism. Captain America I guess because I cannot imagine a single emotionally resonant story that could be told with the current iteration of Ironman

fantasy or sci-fi? fantasy but I've been getting more into sci-fi lately

do you have three or four favourite quotes, if so what are they? The Sappho quote, you know the one;"[…]Heaven and hell are the same but in heaven they feed each other";The good ol' Memento Mori

youtube or netflix? Youtube

[REDACTED] 👍

when do you feel accomplished? God has cursed me for my hubris, and my work is never finished.

star wars or star trek? Horny Space Fleet

paperback books or hardcover books? hardcover, I'm too clumsy for paperbacks

to live in a world without literature or without music? You cannot meaningfully separate one from the other

who was the last person to make you laugh? Probably the dingus who tagged me

city or countryside? city

favorite chips? Those corn based chrupki that come in bags the size of a small child

pants or dresses? Pants

libraries or museums? Libraries

character driven stories or plot driven stories? Character driven

bookmarks or folding pages? Bookmarks

Dream job? They should pay me for being a special little boy, so ig Court Jester

What gives you comfort? Art, friends, pillows to hug

what are some of your favorite song lyrics? My theology/ I like to know that he's watching me/ Fulfill me up like a prophecy/ put the fear of God in me ; Sodom & Gomorrah by Dorian Electra my beloved

favorite ice cream flavor ever? Can't go wrong with mango

first fandom?

tagging others, add your own new question at the end if you follow up:

@vikugnavikugna @vzajemnik @nectadraws @sephinot @immortalsapphics @randomarcher2013 @asphyxi-art

[lily-orchard-gossip-blog]

Can you please make a very long speech post about Isekai? I want to learn about its history and it’s first appearance related to the modern-day definition in any culture. Please? For me.

Well... Alright, since people are interested in it.

Isekai quite literally means: Another World.

It comfortably sit in between Portal Fiction, Fantasy and Science fiction, in terms of genre, and it's its own thing.

So, Isekai does have roots in ancient mythology.

Namely the myth Urashima Tarō, whch involves a fisher man saving a turtle and getting wisked away into, well, a heavenly space (or another world.), before returning and dying. Fun stuff.

But it's easier to look towards Portal Fiction as being the starting point, because it includes... well, portals to another world.

Portal fantasy is when a character crosses into another world through a portal of some kind. (Often leading to a fantasy world.) The big distinction between Portal fantasy and Isekai, at least to me, is that in Portal fiction, the character who crosses into this other world will always go home at the end of the story . But in Isekai, the main character will always stay in the fantasy world.

(It's been argued that having a coming of age narrative is also vital to the Portal Fantasy genre, but I'm being more simplistic just so it's easier to understand).

Basicly, think of Inuyasha. The Kagome goes through the well to feudal Japan, have adventures, and then returns to the real world through the very same well. Other examples include Alice in Wonderland, Caroline, and The Wizard of Oz.

Now, All that being said, that's just backstory. There are elements we associate with Isekai, but it isn't Isekai.

That actual FIRST isekai novel, that has elements of what we know of as Isekai today, comes from:

Isekai no Yūsha (Warrior from Another World )

Look, Isekai is in the title and everything!

It's a short fantasy novel about a high-schooler named Ryoji, who's summoned to take up a magic sword and fight against the demon king Gandar Boa.

The Book is out of print, and information on it is rather scarce. However, I do know it came out in 1979,making it one of the earliest examples of modern day Isekai…. I think.

Okay, look, I haven't read it, it's never been published outside of Japan, and it's name is so generic that it's hard to find much about it. But multiple sources told me it was the first notable example, so I'm rolling with it.

But I know what your asking. What about the first Isekai anime? Well, I've got you covered on that.

The first Isekai anime is

Aura Battler Dunbine (1983)

The Summary, that I totally did not just steal from My Anime list, goes as follows:

Shou Zama is an ordinary 18-year-old from Tokyo who finds himself summoned to the medieval fantasy world of Byston Well. Upon arrival, he is put into service under the ambitious lord Drake Luft, who seeks to greatly expand his power. Those like Shou who come from "Upper Earth" possess strong aura power and are ordered to pilot "Aura Battlers," insectoid mecha designed by a man named Shot Weapon, who also came from Upper Earth.

As Shou finds himself fighting alongside his new comrades, they put their lives on the line to prevent the villain from taking over Byston Well before it's too late.

Mechs, fantasy, special powers only people from our world possess? Can't be any more anime than that!

It ticks a lot of the boxes that we tend to expect from most Isekai anime, but it is missing one thing. Where's the video game mechanics? Where's the video game worlds?

Well don't, I've got you covered. The first Isekai with video games being a proud feature is:

Super Mario Bros: Peach-Hime Kyushutsu Dai Sakusen! (1986)

(For those who want to watch it in beautiful 4k)

Yes, that's right. Mario got there first.

The Mario Bros. get sucked into their Famicom game, and must now rescue Princess Peach from King Bowser Koppa.

This Mario Film is notable for being one of the earliest Isekai to involve a video game world, and mild usage of video game mechanics.

For more information, I would highly recomend this video here:

For Mother's basement, as he goes a lot more in depth then I could in a blog post.

But yeah, that's my Isekai speal. I hope you enjoy it.

[eirikrjs]

Yo eirikr. I was interested by your comment on Nahobinos and Kratos, where you dislike when original additions to a story with mythological backdrops are portrayed as better than the myths themselves. Why do you feel that? Or could you just elaborate in general? Not that I disagree or mean to challenge the sentiment, I just wanna see how you'd express it. Also, could you give some other examples of that happening?

Hmm. It's probably a mixture of things.

Just from a literary point of view, it's amusing to me when authors think their characters/concepts are going to exceed myths that have stood the test of thousands of years of time, or remain relevant beyond a decade or two at most. And maybe they don’t even actually think that. But, more often that not, these creations show an ignorance of the mythological material (the thing they are supposed to be about), which is consistently the underlying issue.

Kratos is most relevant here. He’s a super-violent manchild who literally destroys a civilization by the end of his extended murderous tantrum. He’s a poorly-conceived character fueled by the “sad” cliche of a dead wife and child, and someone we are supposed to accept as better than Greek culture because he is physically stronger than all of it.

But this is where that cynical capitalist edge rears its ugly head, in that Kratos is a modern, hyper-masculine power fantasy sold as a product to young men and boys who just saw Gladiator, 300, or recent equivalents and want to “live” that same experience. He’s not a particularly creative creation, as too much creativity can hinder sales. His role is to tell us Greek myths don’t matter; they are old and boring while Kratos is new and iconoclastic. He’s a cultural rebel and the rock sountrack David Jaffe originally envisioned was likely the better fit for the series. But he’s also shallow and only has meaning as consumerist product and avatar of violence while the game is being played.

Thus, American/Greek culture did not transform once Kratos emerged on the scene; he’s just supposed to sell copies of video games, and I guess he has been successful in that regard! But his best-selling games are also teaching the wrong lessons about myths (namely ”they are irrelevant to human experience”) by making ripping gods’ heads off the goal. Meanwhile, Zeus will exist as a cultural concept for another 2000 years+ while Kratos will eventually be replaced by another large-corporation-backed character that’s even more destructive.

Writing is the other angle, the problem being a failure to understand the meaning of myths and so the new and “better” ideas fail to integrate with them. You could probably argue that Kratos was never trying to integrate with Greek myth; thus, the Nahobinos are more germane here as they are supposed to be a “true form” of gods, many of which still have Kaneko designs that look exactly like they’re supposed to, creating a disconnect.

Kratos in God of War 2018 is honestly successful at this at first, fitting into the role of Farbauti, the largely undefined husband of the equally obscure Laufey and father of Loki. Everything else goes off the rails, but particularly with the game’s characterization of Baldur.

Baldur is meant to be the best, brightest, and most beautiful god and is loved by all--all but Loki, who takes advantage of Frigg’s overlooking the “innocent” mistletoe in her effort to make him invulnerable. So of course in GoW 2018, Baldur is a dark and disturbed individual--disturbed because his mythic invulnerability has been twisted so that he can’t feel anything and thus simplified to a dour bad guy you need to kill.

So thus Baldur isn’t the only one twisted, the myth is as well. And for what? To prop up Kratos, your given mass market protagonist, and give reason to have a boss fight that ends in Baldur’s demise. Yes, it’s Baldur’s fate to die but here it’s a celebratory moment of achievement (trophy earned!) bereft of the relevant human grief present in the myth. The myth is rewritten to suit the worldview of Kratos, a psycho killer, and I think this is one of the most egregious examples an “original character portrayed as better than myths” of recent memory. And, ironically enough, “rewriting” myths is also a minor theme in SMT5.

But GoW 2018 perfectly represents my “most media about mythology hates mythology” observation, as if the subject is a hurdle to be overcome for the sake of an “original vision.” But media using myths earns attention and inevitable ire unlike other fictional works because it flies closest to the “sun” of real culture and subsequently is more prone to melting its wax-wings if executed poorly. This is opposed to something like Final Fantasy that’s never trying to get off the ground in the first place. But still, there are plenty of examples that soar--like Nocturne, which understands the symbolic meaning of cavernous spaces, fire, and sacrifice, to name a few. It’s original, but also feels naturally mythic.

As for others, nothing’s coming to mind. But if you want to get down to it, cultures and regions with different religious backgrounds naturally produce locally resonant works. Like, umm... well, my brain’s a bit empty after writing this but there’s lots out there. It’s not hopeless. And I really do think much of the problem with mythology in media is with mass market adaptations casting wide nets (or, paradoxically, small nets aimed at majority demographics) and thus smoothing over subtleties and cultural context for streamlined “experiences.”

[benichi]

Olympia Soirée -  Spoiler Free Review

Her entire clan wiped out years ago, Olympia has been isolated for much of her life. Now she must travel to Tenguu Island – the only person who can perform a ritual that will restore the sun to a land enveloped in darkness. The heads of each district there (Red, Blue, Yellow) lead a society governed by rigid class structures.

If she can find a mate who will help her continue her lineage and save the world before it is destroyed, she will reveal to that special someone her heart and her true name.

[Content warning]

This game deals with a lot of unwanted s*xual advances/assaults and also has (implied) s*x scenes (which are not explicit though). Plus topics such as misogyny and the opression of women.

+ Visually and aesthetically one of the most beautiful localized Otome Games. The game flawlessly transitions between scenes and, especially compared to Bustafellows which often felt very clunky, there’s just something so smooth about the experience. Some CG’s have little bits of some awkward anatomy going on but overall I really love Satoi’s style. The Character/World design and vibrant colors are pleasant to look at. And the music matches the game’s fantasy setting well and really helped to set the mood.

+ Interesting set of Main Love Interests. I quite enjoyed everyone and their interactions, both among themselves and with the Heroine, though I have no distinct favorite among the LI’s. There are a lot of sensual scenes which, if you’re into them, might be one of the game’s biggest selling points.

+ The Heroine is smart, proactive and relatable but since the game really pushes these unwanted and often unavoidable assault scenes she ended up in a lot of unfortunate situations. But despite actually having the power to repel these unwanted advances she never uses it. There are people who enjoy this kind of content and there’s nothing wrong with that. But I feel like they should have at least given those who do dislike these scenes the option to actually make use of the Heroine’s power. I’d say Olympia was a likeable Character overall and fell victim to poor writing in some scenes.

∙ An elaborate fantasy setting with some impressive world building... this game is long. Sometimes parts of the story did feel a little too drawn out (a lot of repetitive flashbacks and explanations) but overall Olympia Soirée did a good job at keeping my interest up. There are routes that do a better job at developing the relationship between Olympia and her LI than others, with Himuka getting the shortest end of the stick because his route covered a lot of story, leaving not as much room for romance to develop organically.

- ... but sometimes not elaborate enough. I can’t get into too much detail without spoilers but there’s this weird blend between the use of modern and “old” technology. Basically the overall setting never gets much of an explanation and feels a little thrown together.

- A lot of nasty Side Characters. They’re responsible for most of the unwanted assault scenes which just made them not very likeable (which is a shame because design-wise they actually look pretty cool.)

- Some parts didn’t include a translation. Hello Darkness my old friend - same as with Bustafellows there are parts of the ending that do not offer a translation. Which certainly leaves a dissatisfying feeling, especially because it’s very apparent due to the fact that the untranslated parts come up every time you get an ending and/or enter the main menu screen.

If you can lean back and not think too hard about the overall setting/some of the details and aren’t turned off by the above mentioned content warning then Olympia Soirée is a very aesthetically pleasing visual novel with a likeable Cast of Love Interests, a (most of the time) smart and proactive MC that offers a lot of sensual scenes.

[carriesthewind]

Hmmm. Ok, so there are a lot of things I love about this series, but to know more about how to pitch it to you, I would want to know more about what you like in a book, and more about what you liked/didn't like about the first book.

But w/o that, here's my top few bullet points:

Great characters and character voices. I love Eugenides so much as a character, and I love his narrative voice. But I also love all of the other characters and their voices (the second book, The Queen of Attolia, is told through alternating third person limited points of view; the rest are told through limited third or first person pov of characters other than Eugenides). I find them to be enjoyable to read and very likable, but also extremely complex and engaging and messy and real. Most of the people who love the books do so in large part because we get very invested in the characters, even the ones we dislike (but especially Eugenides).

Complex plots and fantastically clever plot twists! I love the plotting in these books so much. They are fantastically tight and well-constructed, with each beat standing on its own but also building on the themes and character moments. Furthermore, they are constructed very deliberately, with the plot twist(s) designed not to surprise the reader (although they often do), but to further the readers' understanding of the world, the plot, the characters, and the themes through the twist. I skip around reading every book I read, reading the ends well before I'm finished - except with these books, because they are just so well constructed.

Beautiful writing. I think Megan Whalen Turner's writing style is gorgeous - poetic and expressive, but without excessive or overblown language. There's a reason that OP mentioned that the thing that pulled them back in to reading it was remember a good quote.

The mythology and the worldbuilding - I'm grouping these together b/c they are inextricably linked. As you undoubtedly noticed from the first novel, they mythology of the world, and how those myths are told within the world, is a big part of these novels, and it only gets more interestingly and complexly woven into the novels as they go on (the themes about how stories are told, and who tells and why, also continues to be developed, especially in the last book). Each of the myths is great as a standalone, but Turner does as particularly engaging job of weaving them into the world she builds without being didactic. This also goes back to her beautiful writing - the way the myths are told, the language that is used, depends on the origin of the myth and the speaker. For example, in the fifth books, the series of myths that is told through the novel is based on the Epic of Gilgamesh, but has been translated (within the canon of the novel) by the speaker for the listen from their native language - and I don't know enough about linguistics to explain how, but I swear the *sound* like they have been translated in the same way the Epic of Gilgamesh does. The worldbuilding in general is also interesting, realistic, deep, and complex. While you get some of the political landscape in the first novel, the further novels delve much deeper into the political, social, economic, and military intricacies of both the peninsula and the wider world. And while the worldbuilding is based in part on ancient greece, it's not just historical fantasy. As the later books make more clear, this is a world creeping up toward the early modern age (cannons and early guns are a really really important part of the setting and plot), but Turner weaves all of her influences together in a way that makes sense as a cohesive world.

As to the distinctions b/w the first and later books: this is harder, again, b/c I don't know what you liked or didn't like about the first book. What I will say is that all the books could be fairly classed as YA, The Thief is aimed to be readable for a fairly young YA audience, while the other books skew much older. This is actually one place where I do think there should be more caveats for new readers. The Thief, although it has a lot of complexity to its plot, worldbuilding, and characters, fits decently enough into a standard middle-grade historical adventure fantasy model, especially on a first read. The Queen of Attolia, on the other hand, goes to some dark and rough places right from the jump, especially for the age range it's written toward, and deals with really complex and adult (as in emotionally mature, not on-page sexual) relationships (I'll put spoilers below the readmore). Another book is written from the perspective of a slave, and a lot of his narration is him slowly processing enough to, you know, start to process how much that fucking sucks.

On the other hand, if you just didn't care for Eugenides as a character that much, or didn't like the style of writing or the worldbuiding, you probably won't like the rest of the books either, b/c those are central to the books.

I hope this helped answer your questions! :)

Spoilers for The Queen of Attolia below:

In the first part of the novel, the Queen of Attolia (Irene) captures Eugenides again, and she cuts off his right hand. We see the entire event happen on page, from Eugenides's perspective. A war breaks out b/w Attolia and Eddis as a result, and most of the book's plot is about that. However, the book is also the love story (romance would be inaccurate by the conventions of the genre) between Eugenides and Irene (like I said, complex relationships).

this is how these things are supposed to go, right?

[whifferdills]

I would love to see a list of movies from the last five (or ten or fifteen or whatever) movies that you've really loved, if you'd wanna share it? I definitely agree with you re: people decrying how "all modern movies are just CGI fests" because THERE IS SO MUCH VARIETY OUT THERE, you just gotta look around a bit! I'd love to hear your thoughts!

thank you for this ask! i love talking about my opinions <3

in terms of movies from the past few years:

We're All Going To The World's Fair (horror-adjacent new media trans* coming-of-age)

Titane (trans-adjacent black comedy/body-horror gore fest/found family drama. sweet, and even sweeter in the context of how fucking weird and uncomfortable it can get)

Memoria (a movie as a space to occupy. sound design as narrative thrust. a thought you can't get out of your head (a trepanned skull found during the construction of a highway). the impossibility of communication, and the importance of it regardless)

Everything Everywhere All At Once (generational trauma, the deep complexity of a fraught but loving mother/daughter relationship when it is also first/second gen immigrant, and straight/gay. butt plug fight scene. sausage fingers made me cry in the theater)

The Humans (horror sort of? psychological drama. funny. the house is a major character & Amy Schumer is sympathetic)

Drive My Car (slow bittersweet meditation on grief, performance, and human connection) & Wheel of Fortune and Fantasy (Hamaguchi made 2 movies in 2021????how. but again: human connection, and the space a narrative can make for us, the words it can give us, a plainspoken honesty and room for your regret and anime blu-rays)

maɬni – towards the ocean, towards the shore (essay-film. language, myth, nature, and community)

Bacarau (surreal genre-mash town-under-siege story. Udo Kier as the personification of western colonialism. idk how to summarize this one it is A Lot, 10 pounds of movie in a 5 pound bag)

Lover's Rock (music, community, the casual intimacy of a house party. beautiful, joyous little thing. all of Small Axe is good but this especially)

Shirley (a good biopic? again, not-quite-horror...creation, invasion, psychosexual weirdness. the terror of being seen/the seduction of seeing)

laying it all out you can def see what my tastes are lol. & there's been a fair amount of 'really liked it but either the affection faded or it never bumped itself from Really Like to Love'. Faya Dayi, Macbeth, The Night House, Candyman, Annette, Swan Song....also some things i like bc i think the actor is super hot (Green Knight, Who You Think I Am).

i actually don't mind CGI-heavy things or at least feel like the fault is in the execution and intent, not the media. i really liked Matrix: Resurrections for ex, but even things that ARE resolutely slick theme park rides with zero "redeeming values" & filmed entirely with the world's most alienating green screen can be good theoretically i just think MCU etc gets bogged down in shit that is supposed to make you care about the characters but never does. a parallel universe MCU where every movie is like 90 minutes, has no serious continuity, and exists just so we can watch superheroes fighting supervillains sounds kinda dope actually