#also it fits with the underlying plot more honestly

[psychoticwillgraham]

for my drag king will au im very tempted to make him a pre surgery trans guy. like he’s got the beard and everything and he was originally trans in this anyway, but I’ve only seen ONE other trans guy Will fic with him having tits (and it was SUPER hot too) and I just wanna write something that celebrates ppl like that (im pre everything bc that’s just how i wanna be but when i look hyper masc i still have my tiddies out) and shows that u can be a trans guy without top surgery and still be sexy

[ace-and-the-rpg-horrors]

I think another hint that the fandom is a bit misogynist is how most of the fandom barely talks about the Hinomori’s. Two sisters.

Sure, one may argue that it’s due to them being within the least popular groups (which is also a question for another time whether or not l/n and mmj’s lack of popularity is also due to some unlined misogyny).

But the Hinimori’s are honestly very interesting and have understandably struggles and why they were distanced by the time the main story started.

It’s honestly a shame that the fandom rarely talks about these two…

you're quite right!! i adore both Hinomori sisters, they're within my top ten characters. being on the more calm side, they do tend to get overshadowed by how loud and bubbly the Tenmas are, and how argumentative the Shinonomes are.

there's definitely a lot of interesting stuff to be explored regarding them, such as how they have both hidden aspects of themselves that don't "fit" with a certain image that others have of them... or how some of the reason that Shizuku is very clingy to her sister is because she had so much work to do and didn't get to see Shiho as much as she wanted to in the past.

and yes, i do think that L/n and MMJ!'s unpopularity is partially due to some underlying misogyny. i hate to say it, but it can't be denied that a certain amount of both VBS and W x S's popularity is simply due to the fact that they have boys in them. Ruikasa and Akitoya are overwhelmingly popular, much to my and many other's irritation. not because the ships themselves, or the characters within them, are bad, but because in a game where there are sixteen girls and four boys, all four of those boys being so much more liked is an issue.

you could argue that N25 is incredibly popular despite also being an all-girl group, but there are other big factors that contribute to that, such as them covering many of the most famous Vocaloid songs, the topic of mental health, which is incredibly relatable to many, as well as a canonical transgender character who has had people waiting for her gender identity to be explicitly revealed and discussed for years.

unfortunately, L/n and MMJ! tend to get ignored due to all this happening with other units, despite them being just as well-written and interesting in terms of their plots and relationships. and i agree with what you said, that the Hinomori sister's lack of popularity could be attributed to them being in those less-liked units.

[coldresolve]

squeezing mm through the danish lit meat grinder

so i know ive joked about mm having a boiling spaghetti plot structure where we start out mild and let that thing sit there until the whole thing boils over. and thats true, but if yall want a more in depth ramble about tension beats ive tried to hit, lemme introduce you to the narrative tension model thats been beaten into my head since i was 8 by the danish education system. presenting:

the narrative model

aka the hollywood model, aka the whale model (it supposedly looks a bit like a whale)

note that this isn't exactly a model for plot structure, as you see with ex. the hero's jurney, save the cat, etc - it's a model that can be laid on top of any plot structure and serves to illustrate narrative tension. and thinking about narrative tension this way is incredibly helpful in my experience. i feel like its pretty self explanatory, but in case it's not:

the impact refers to the "hook", or the inciding incident;

the introduction is where we get to know the characters and conflict;

the elaboration is where the story starts to get moving;

the turning point, or the point of no return, is where something major happens that alters something, whether it be the stakes, the nature of the conflict, etc. this is typically found around the midway point. i prefer calling it the turning point because point of no return implies things can go back to the status quo for a while before this, which they usually can't once the conflict has been introduced

the escalation is the build-up to the climax in which tension rises exponentially

the climax is where shit hits the fan. it ends with the revelation of the story's main theme

the fade out, or the resolution, is where characters settle in their new (or sometimes old) normal

the thing about this model is that you can put literally all stories into it and it checks out. sure, the length and position of each "phase" shifts around a lot depending on the underlying plot structure. sometimes the change in narrative tension is barely pronounced until it takes off for the climax, sometimes the escalation takes up 90% of the story, sometimes the fade out is literally just a single sentence. but thats the beautiful thing about models: who gives a fuck, do what you want

ive had this vaguely in mind for moneymakers and finally sat down today and applied it (ik its not done yet but shush). and honestly im kinda surprised with how well it fits. these things are pretty subjective, so you can make the argument that the turning point includes ratio, or the climax starts at the last stream or after The Confession, etc etc. but heres where i'd draw the lines

note my immaculate excel skills. also note that blue = conrad's pov and green = renee's pov, and that one pretty nicely fades into the other. im very proud of that switch okay. im a writing god is what im saying

anyway yeah i dunno. this is all pretty basic but i like it a lot, so

happy saturday. insert peace sign emoji

[autumnslance]

paladin talk derived- what would you have liked to see as ul'dah paladins or knights? aesthetics, oaths, lore, other stuff?

I've said before in my old post comparing various jobs (PLD, DRK) with the Oaths of 5e D&D that as they are, the Sultansworn fit the "Oath of the Crown" due to being primarily focused on their role as the Sultana's guards; they are there to be old school historical knightly guardians of the ruling family and their palace.

Oath of the Crown The Oath of the Crown is sworn to the ideals of civilization, be it the spirit of a nation, fealty to a sovereign, or service to a deity of law and rulership. The paladins who swear this oath dedicate themselves to serving society and, in particular, the laws that hold society together. These paladins are the watchful guardians on the walls, standing against the chaotic tides of barbarism that threaten to tear down all that civilization has built, and are commonly known as guardians, exemplars, or sentinels. Often, paladins who swear this oath are members of an order of knighthood in service to a nation or sovereign, and undergo their oath as part of their admission to the order's ranks.

So if we're sticking to fantasy style paladins with a hint of history nerding from the writers, this sort of thing suits them, really.

And honestly, what lore we get in ARR isn't bad; the quest story around it is boring, but the concepts, tenets, oaths, history? It could still work. Throw out the HW "job stones vying for dominance" nonsense, and again, don't forget they exist past the starting zone, and it'd be fine! The Sultansworn should be more a part of the messy politics of Ul'dah and involved in some of the central events, especially those in and around the palace and dealing with the Sultana. Where does the order fall during all these events? How many are actually loyal to Nanamo and Papashan? How many are swayed by the Syndicate and allow events to happen? We don't know, and that's one of my issues in how the story unfolded.

Cuz the Sultansworn that are locked to their positions like at the doors to the Fragrant Chamber, it's just...business as usual. And some of it is the shorthand, truncated allowance for story in a MMO environment, but a lot of it also feels like an oversight when plotting out events like a full on coup that puts the Sultana's life on the line and her personal guard are nowhere to be seen.

So where's the storyline about dealing with the fallout of ARR, of the Sultansworn picking up the pieces and rooting out traitors...OR, since we had an Ul'dah paladin story in ARR (mediocre as it is), then give us the Ishgardian one in HW to compare/contrast. Then, let them come together in the Stormblood chain (maybe still have it be a tournament), as the two different paladin orders from two different nations duke it out and eventually come to an accord on how they're more similar than they first appeared and want the same things in the end: the safety and security of their peoples and Eorzea as a whole.

As for aesthetics, the short answer: Dhalmekia in FF16 does a better job at invoking the culture and military (with an elite guardian order to boot) of a desert nation in their clothing/armor and weapons.

However, in original and rebuilt FF14 that's now over a decade old...

The armor we get for the AFs are lacking in religious iconography, but still feel very "traditional Fantasy Pan-European Holy Knight via video game physics" you'll find in any other RPG, either video or tabletop. This includes the first set, which is what we get from our Sultansworn trainer, even if the Player is a "Free Paladin". Like the Valor chest piece almost works in its underlying construction, but they throw that style of tabard and the ridic shoulder pads on top, and those gloves and boots. And a crown instead.

Several of the ARR AFs are taken from earlier games for their iconic looks, and I am not certain if I am missing other historical references in those gearsets, or if it's all simply rendering iconic game gear from earlier FFs into something that works in 14.

Part of the trouble to is all of the common outfits in ARR are, for the most part, real generic tunics, robes, and pants for everyone regardless of region. There's very little change in appearance for outfits across the realm regardless of whether one is in South Thanalan, La Noscea, or Coerthas. And looking at what 1.x material there is, it was pretty much the same. We have various turbans in game since ARR, but I'd like something a little less "generic fantasy armor" and acknowledging other forms...that we don't really get to see until we get some Eastern-themed outfits in HW, and then especially in Stormblood. For the most part, it's either full plate or chain. We've also had curved swords (scimitars, sabers) for awhile, why not make something like that, with a round shield, more the uniform of the Sultansworn, instead of a straight blade and kite shield?

I have a Watcher paladin in a D&D game where I ended up looking into Turkish folk styles and Earlier Ottoman armors for her gear. I've also recently (and this is going a little more into the Caucasus) gotten into traditional Georgian clothes, with the chokha worn by their soldiers developed from earlier century kaftans, as they sat at a crossroads of the trade routes.

Here is an unrolled thread about Crusade history (had to auto-translate) with some art and photographic examples of different periods and regions. Even when the historical Faris (from the idea of Furusiyya, which was a knightly code and concept in Arabic medieval times and like chivalry and knights in the West, started with who had horses) wore more metal armor, it was different from traditional European styles. But given the strictures on styles in 1.x and through 2.0, that really wasn't feasible.

For a huge part, I'm just real done with Pan-West-European fantasy, especially when a token effort is made to add varied regions, but it ends being just that: tokenism, and the rest doesn't take into account the actual environment they've created (which is why I say if you're going to make just another Euro-flavored knight order, stick them in the Euro-flavored knight zone). CU3's gotten better about that over time, especially as they've gotten more budget, more people, and better technology. Development marches on, but it really makes the gaps in early game noticeable, and I kinda hope (but don't expect) for some subtle swap outs and revisions to the generic early gear everyone in ARR zones are currently stuck with.

[ananke-xiii]

I've finally organized (the majority of) my posts with the proper tags! I'm so proud of myself, I genuinely thought I was never gonna do it but hey, miracles do happen after all!

It took me almost one year but now I've fully realized the importance of tags, this is what I call progress...

It was actually quite a helpful thing to do because I've identified what my major themes are and well, turns out I do write about a lot of stuff, don't I?

I'm sad to report that not all tags work for all posts, I don't know why this is happening and, honestly, I don't care right now. Things will sort themselves out... somehow... magically... in the future.... lol.

I like some of the names I've chosen, some others are too prosaic, what can I say? Inspiration comes and goes.

#myths we live by: general observations and/or criticism about the underlying myths that are prominent/popular in the stories I consume and that therefore play a part in my understanding of the world.

#movies in spn: it's not shocking news to anyone but once I've personally realized the depth to which movies in SPN are not just used as references but as foundational structures to write episodes on it was over for me.

#destiel and betrayal: dean and cas relationship as a marriage of (con)sorts based on betrayal.

#on resurrection: I see resurrections as rebellions against Time, a way to keep the past forever alive, which is the ultimate undead that must rise to be faced etc. And I use Supernatural to explore my obsession, thank you very much.

#billie won theory: I think Billie won because the weight of the role of Death in the narrative was eventually re-established. On one hand, it's a postive thing because Death is too much of a powerful symbol to be discarded the way it was in S10, it was bound to re-emerge. On the other, the way it was re-framed is quite... bad because it gives a problematic and conservative flavor to the finale where Death is glorified and romanticized. After all, let's all go back to the jolly old times that never were jolly, instead they're just old, and be content that there will be happiness in the after-life, yeah! No thank yewwwwww.

#phd in spn s12: I have a fascination with s12 which I can't really explain to be honest. I don't even like the BMOL storyline! But I love Mary and I LOOOOVE. LOOOOOOOOOOVE Kelly Kline so, you know. Maybe that's it.

#time travels in spn: I have a lot to say about time travels but I never manage to write down what I want the way I want so there's not so much in here for now. But maybe... somehow... magically... in the future... I'll be able to write coherently so that people can actually understand me etc.

#spn angels: I have. A.LOT.to say about them. I love them, they're the ultimate dysfunctional family. Apart from Cas, Metatron is my fave, be warned.

#spn s9 is complicated: well, nothing more to add. It is what it is. BUT, ALSO. S9 is kinda good, like... the episodes are, like, not bad at all. And the plot more or less makes sense which is a huge compliment for Supernatural.

#super-m/Others: mothers in SPN are my favorite thing. I mean, I know this is supposed to be THEE show about absent fathers but I honestly don't care, SPN mothers are wild and most of them are also dead. Lot to think about.

#spn lines: some lines that I like or that I want to analyze.

#jack the puer: I have this theory, you know, and it's about Jack and how he perfectly fits the Junghian archetype of the "Puer Aeternus" and one day I'll write more about it, hence the tag. It's like a promise to myself.

#b/w spn: this is about how SPN is a show about dichotomies and how sometimes the lines between polarities get blurred and some other times (too many times) are reinforced much to my chagrin.

Okay, soooooo, finally.... Order in my land of Chaos! Hope you enjoy it! <3

[tending-the-hearth]

So I’m working a summer camp/summer school this year, and while my kids are working on their summer packets, I have time to read! It’s been fun, because I’m reading a book a day, which is something i haven’t done in years.

I’m catching up on the “A Twisted Tale” series, so I thought I’d do a ranking of the books I’ve read so far! I’ve just ordered “Go the Distance” and “When You Wish Upon a Star”, so I’ll have the full collection by the end of the week, which is VERY exciting!

So here are the books I’ve read + my ranking/reviews (spoiler-free)(also all of these reviews are my own opinion, so if you like one that i said i wasn’t a fan of, PLEASE remember it’s my opinion):

“As Old As Time”: 10/10 - y’all can’t be surprised that this is my favorite in the series. It was the first one I read, and when i tell you the last section of the book had me sobbing on the train, everything about the story was so wonderfully written, and Adam’s entire character arc just made me fall in love with him more. And just… Belle was perfection. Gaston continues to be one of the most terrifying Disney villains, and Adam and Belle continue to be my absolute favorite Disney Prince/Princess couple.

“Almost There”: 10/10 - ok so I JUST read this one yesterday (because i just bought it lmao) and it was one of the best books I’ve ever read! I loved getting a look at Faclier’s past, and how he came to know his “friends”. Tiana’s entire struggle throughout the story, of the decision she was going between, it was honestly heartbreaking. Also the way Charlotte and Tiana’s friendship was discussed, and the moment at the department store, this whole book was fantastic.

“Reflection”: 10/10 - MULAN AND SHANG MY BELOVEDS!! Seriously, their relationship progressing from begrudging allies, to friends, to having feelings for each other??? I really loved how the entire struggle of Shang finding out that Mulan is a woman, not because of her gender, but because he found out that she lied, and it fit so well with their budding friendship.

“So This Is Love”: 9/10 - listen i love love love a good Cinderella retelling. I honestly have to think that this book took some kind of inspiration from “A Twist in Time”, because it just felt like there were moments in the book that reflected the movie! And given how “A Twist in Time” is honestly one of my favorite Disney movies, it makes sense that I love this book. Charles and Cinderella are so sweet together, and the fact that they establish that Cinderella was at the ball just to have fun and to dance and not to find a prince!!! I loved it so much.

“What Once Was Mine” 8/10 - okay so this was REALLY good, and the little lore insert with the Moon Flower made me SO excited to have references to the TV show. Arianna was a fantastic character, especially since we know so little about her just from the movie itself, and I love the entire underlying theme of mothers and daughters and how their relationships can be so different.

“Conceal, Don’t Feel” 7/10 - I’ll be honest and say this was my least favorite. Frozen was never my favorite Disney movie, but I did like the idea of Anna and Elsa coming together despite being separated after everything happened. The plot was a little forgettable compared to the other installments of the series that I’ve read so far, but I can see how, if you love Frozen, you’ll absolutely adore this book!!

And these are the ones I have left to read (probably in the order I’ll read them):

“Mirror, Mirror”

“Part of Your World”

“Once Upon a Dream”

“Go the Distance”

“Straight in Till Morning”

“When You Wish Upon a Star”

And I’m so so excited for “A Twisted Tale Anthology”, and will be buying it as soon as it’s released! Or I’ll preorder it, but either way, I can’t wait!! (Me and @queen-with-the-quill will definitely have a freak out together once we both read it lmao)

[labratatouille]

Hey!!!! I come from ao3!! 🙌🙌

I was wondering if you have a favourite plotline you’re working on for the knights of the Cardinal compass? I’m fully caught up with the chapters now and need more lmaoooo

also on record I’d like to make it clear that I’m personally super into the Cartman and Butters manipulation game jazz because oH DRAMAAAAAA

Thank you + no pressure to respond ��🌝

AYYYY THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR READING THE FIC!! Seriously it means the world to me 🤍🤍

And omfg that’s a very good question.

1. So far I’ve probably enjoyed writing the first hump of what I call the “Cartman actually starts to appreciate the team” arc the most, because his actions in chapter 8 made my heart feel shockingly warm inside (no spoilers) ESPECIALLY HIM AND KYLE KINDA GETTING OVER THEIR SHARED PAST TENSION!! Oh and you’ll be treated to more details on the Kyle and Cartman past soon don’t worry, it’s secret for a reason rn. Seriously the theme of Cartman wanting to ironically use history to run away from his past is so prevalent lmaooooo love him honestly, what a dick. I find him wanting penance so fitting for the Crusades.

2. Another one I’m super passionate about exploring is Kenny’s impulsiveness and obsession with almost dying (total callback to the show honestly). Bro needs a hobby that isn’t dangerous because this fucker cannot get away from traps. I really hope I’ve been able to show just how much of a dopamine hit this guy gets from dancing with death, the man is addicted to risk taking. I’m gonna try not to say too much about it because there’s a lot more going to happen with this very soon, but I think it defo shows in how (out of the m4) his reasons for being on the expedition are least related to history and more related to needing the adrenaline of a search. My action hero trope <33 + love him being a bit of a Butters simp honestly

3. AND ON TOP OF THAT PROFESSOR KYLE!! Would you believe me if I said that the next few chapters are very much “ohhhhh dear lord is this man okay like… in the brain?” coded, same with Stan a lil bit. His underlying perfectionism and slight envy of Tolkiens success that are mentioned like twice make me so incredibly depressed because I already know the plot, and not a spoiler because it’s been hinted at for ages but Kyle’s workaholism is gonna get a little bit intense.

THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THE QUESTIONS, see you next time!! 😎👍

AO3: lab_ratatouille

[applestorms]

questions of pacing aside, i actually think the progression from one set of kids to the next in homestuck is quite good, and also at least in part explains why the comic shifts so heavily into the more blood-based relationship/character dynamic focus in Act 6 and onward, as opposed to the more breath-based plot emphasis that was more present in the first half.

the most basic way you can see this is in how the characters age over the course of the story, actually. you start off with the beta kids--13 years old, four humans, related by blood even if not explicitly stated from the start--who generally stick to the plot and keep away from the relationship drama. john doesn't seem particularly interested in romance other than through celebrity crushes and as a plot point in his movies, rose is (presumably) confident in her lesbianism and doesn't converse w/ jade enough in-canon to push much of a dynamic there. dave is the main one that very obviously (and, imo, cutely. d'aww) has a crush on all of his friends, but his latent internalized homophobia (and the uncomfortably Freudian implications of the Other One) means that jade is the only real candidate he can pursue. jade herself ends up being into the idea too, so there ends up not being much of a struggle anyways, at least at the beginning.

the trolls are also 13 years/6 sweeps old, but notably they're coming from an entirely different social context, one that pushes the necessity of relationships much more strongly (note the underlying "fuck or die" implications of the imperial drones). there's also 12 of them, meaning a lot more potential options for romance, not to mention the 4 quadrants for pursuing it in the first place. fitting, then, that the introduction of the leader-ly blood player adds more romantic drama to the story.

karkat bitches about his fears of troll/human sloppy makeouts enough that the story was destined to devolve into some degree of that at some point, but the rapidly rising number of troll/human interactions in A5A2 in general was bound to add to the already present interpersonal drama that drove a lot of A5A1. even looking past the burgeoning powerhouse that is rosemary at this point in the story, terezi, dave, & karkat have enough drama amongst themselves to power a fucking rocket, and that's before you add people like vriska, jade, & john into the mix.

so by the time you get to the alphas it really doesn't surprise me that so much of the plot of their early pages revolves around The Jakestakes and it's corresponding drama. the kids are also 15 going on 16 and a lot more explicitly horny by this point (bound to happen w/ the smuppets & blue women, roxy's overwhelming Thirst aside), pushed to new levels by the similarly new levels of isolation almost every character is surrounded by. the kids want interpersonal connection, and it seems natural to me considering the (human) Society they're coming from that they would default to romance at this age, REGARDLESS of whether or not they are actually interested in it. (i see you, aromantic jake headcanons.)

the same thing happens with the dancestors, actually, who are probably the most explicitly horny set of characters in the comic iirc? or at the very least, the ones who have the most canon basis for that kind of relationship history, even considering how little they show up in general. i see this as a combination of both being around 19 years/9 sweeps old and being stuck in the dream bubbles, honestly. what else is there to do but delve into a bunch of nuanced relationship drama and awkward post-death situationships, really? (unless you're cronus, of course.)

but anyways, alongside the age difference resulting in more relationship drama, there's another thing the progression lends itself to: identity crises!

this is maybe less clear in the dancestors, but it's definitely clear for the first three groups. where the beta kids all have fairly distinct, natural identities revolving around their interests (maybe more strongly stated in the case of dave & rose, fitting considering their level of maturity in comparison to the prospit kids), a lot more of the trolls are concerned with the Image they project out into the world. take rose's pre-grimdark interest in the occult & psychoanalysis, fairly genuine interests i think that do shape her identity into something fairly distinct, in comparison to the fucking Lifestyle Choices of vriska & terezi with their respective mindfang & redglare roleplay. not all the trolls are that level of dedicated so they make for a smoother transition from the betas, but there's definitely a lot stronger of a theme of personal reflection & identity within the trolls, especially in how they view/treat their ancestors.

the alpha kids take this to another level, which again i think is fitting considering their age. the alphas are a bunch of fucking liars, yes, but the key thing to note here is that when they lie to themselves, it's probably just cause they don't really know who they are yet? like, dirk is certainly Aware of some core, unchangeable parts of himself, yes-- but none of these kids have really gotten the chance to figure out who they are yet. when roxy talks about being a sick haxxor bitch, or dirk about being a multitasking, hyper-competent puppet master, or jake about being A Goddamn Adventurer-- they're playing with costumes. they're rp-ing, and trying to figure out who they actually are in the process, what parts they're willing to show the world and what parts they're more inclined to hide. even jane (or perhaps especially jane?) is just fitting herself into the role she's been placed under since childhood.

this is one idea i think the epilogues/post-canon content really missed in its interpretation of the alphas. these kids aren't uniquely terrible, their relationship drama is not world ending (despite how it may feel. looking at you A6A5A1x2), they are not harboring some exclusive seed of evil deep within them. i honestly think that if you had chucked the john/vriska/terezi/karkat/dave/jade love hexagon from hell into a different context it would look no different to the alphas' English Sweepstakes.

which kinda leads to my final point, actually: the third thread. miscommunication.

communication gets more and more obtuse the further along in the story you go. i feel like i've mentioned this before, but hussie really starts taking advantage of the medium of pesterlogs the further in you get w/ the whole concept of Biased Narrators (also see: doc scratch, homosuck), which is part of the reason why i think the story gets more and more misread the further into it you get as people skim more and pay the price even harder.

prospit/derse differences about directly vs. indirectly saying what you mean aside, the kids get more and more cagey as the story progresses. this development is actually the clearest imo when you look at how it goes from the beta kids (friends talking to friends) -> trolls (online strangers, ready to fuck w/ you but ultimately sympathetic in their own right) -> doc scratch (literally just an internet predator). as who you're talking to online increases in potential danger, so too must the required level of Fuckery.

caliborn might be a little shit w/ some violent tendencies & questionable taste in art when he's talking to the alphas (in particular, dirk & jake), but he's also the future (V)illain of The Comic and shouldn't be taken too lightly. at the very least, the power that he and calliope both have over the story as a whole is nothing to scoff at.

as much as it doesn't feel like it at first, the alphas take a lot of the themes previously established surrounding the more personal/emotional/relationship-oriented aspects of the beta kids & trolls and crank it up to 11. everything just feels so much more intense, even if the game mechanics and plot shit is dialed down significantly in turn. it's no wonder A6A5A2 (the tricksters) and A6A5A1x2 (the conversation on the quest beds) play out the way they do-- i mean, those two acts alone basically sum up the Entire dynamic of the alphas & all of their interpersonal problems in one big dramatic swoop. more lonely, more longing, more confused about who they are and who they love and who they want to be. the alphas got it all.

[the-dead-sea-trilogy]

4, 5,and 6 for TDS trilogy? Any of them obvs :]

4. What detail in [insert fic] are you really proud of?

Honestly, as with most of TDS, all the little subtle things that are going on and the parallels with time, underlying motivations of characters (the people AND the pokemon involved). Whenever there are repeated words or phrases. For example in the last update, in Interlude, II - Lifeline when flash-forward Maxie calls Colress and says "Colress, I'm trying to keep this professional, I have a favor to ask you," and then in the next chapter, Icarus Maxie says "Colress, I'm--um. Trying--I have a favor to ask you." I do that a lot and I never get tired of it. Time is a flat circle etc.

Because I have so much of the trilogy plotted out and written already, I have a lot of opportunity to play like that both within the books themselves and between books in the series. For example there have been phrasing and imagery callbacks to Devil several times in Icarus already, and I added inklings of Icarus in Devil when I was editing it before I posted it. (I had started writing Icarus while I was finishing Devil - Devil was posted all at once after a few rounds of edits). There are hints of Mother Earth in Icarus. Etc etc etc. You get it.

Ophelia has kind of been on its own for a while, but it definitely influenced the way I write Colress and I'm considering how it fits in more in his characterization. I also may start releasing Ophelia at some point. It's like 80% complete and 120k words in.

5. What do you wish someone would ask you about [insert fic]? Answer it now!

"WAIT IS YOUR USERNAME SUPPOSED TO BE META OR SOMETHING" yes. yes it is >:)

Without revealing too much, while Maxie is the main protagonist, I consider the series to be Archie's story.

6. What’s one fact about the universe of [insert fic] that you didn’t get a chance to mention in the fic itself?

It's kind of implied in the worldbuilding but will probably never be explicitly stated, but my version of the Pokemon universe is like, superimposed over the real world. It's why I have them say things like "oh my god/gods" and "christ" etc instead of the traditional fandom "oh arceus" (which is a trope that I personally find distracting, but no shame to anyone who uses it. i've definitely seen some creative Pokemon Swears. just my preference). And why they mention real places like Hawaii as well as Alola etc. Both worlds exist at once.

The geography is weird and is not 100% hammered down in my head, nor do I think it needs to be, but as such, Hoenn is somewhere off the coast of Florida. Archie is a pirate of the Caribbean. Don't ask me why there's a volcano there then, I don't know. Unova is in New York (Castelia City either usurped NYC or is a LARGER adjacent city), Alola is near Hawaii, etc etc etc. Don't ask me where Kanto and Johto are, I don't know. The logic of my universe would set them in Japan which cANNOT be right unless it all functions like Phoenix Wright Japanifornia which at this rate, you know, it could. I know the logic of this would then also set Hoenn in Japan. But look. Archie and Maxie are Pokemon world's "Florida man" okay. I don't make the rules. They just are.

[sunflowervolvimp3]

I LOVE FROM EDEN SO MUCH!!!!!! the whole tone and vibe of it and how cosy it is with all this underlying mystique!!! it all feels very suspicious while reading. you had me looking like that 🤨 but it’s also soft and kinda warm 😩 i cannot wait for what’s gonna happen!!! and that 15k words didn’t feel like them at all! i think your choice of giving this story an oc was the better! rowan adds to the whole story a lot! a reader insert would have probably made the fic more dull than what’s now a great fucking start!! i adore rowan and her mummy issues 😌 what is your plan with the following parts? so excited to read them all!!!!

omg miss caro this made my day 🥹 i honestly was not sure if people would vibe with an oc over y/n but if YOU DO THEN ILL KEEP IT GOING FOR YOU!!!!! originally i planned three parts but uh. i am wordy. so i feel like to include everything i planned it’s gonna be more around 6?? ish??? we got a lot of plot to fit in there so we shall see!!!!

[dangermousie]

This is super helpful!

Side note: if TKA had too much murder for you, Under the Queen's Umbrella probably will too. And I am not sure about Three Musketeers.

So, I excluded: any war-heavy epics (so definitely avoid 6 Flying Dragons, or anything Lee Bang Won adjacent, for that matter. I am currently rewatching My Country which is in my Top 10, but you would NOT like it), dramas with tragic endings, dramas with heavy dose of mysticism/supernatural, time slip, or generally too much murder (TKA v Matchmakers was actually a super helpful benchmarks.)

Here is the list in addition to the ones I mentioned or others like Royal Secret Inspector and Joy that were mentioned in comments.

Dae Jung Geum (2003) - this is the oldest drama on the list, so you have to be OK with a drama that looks older. This said, it was a huge hit and is a female centric story with little murder. FL starts out a cook and ends up as first female royal physician.

Ballad of Seo Dong (2005) - once again older and might have too much murder (not sure?), this is a star-crossed story between royals of two rival kingdoms. I am putting it on the list because out of all pre-Joseon sageuks, this is the closest to meeting your preferences but honestly, probably not.

Sungkyunkwan Scandal (2010) - by far my favorite drama on this list. Our heroine is a girl crossdressing as a boy to attend Sungkyunkwan, the prestigious university. There her paths cross with a very upright son of a minister, a rich kid, and a potential rebellious one. It was a big hit for a reason - the characters are great, the romance top-notch and it's just a delight.

Dong Yi (2012) - the most traditional drama on the list (and the longest, at 60 eps), this follows a woman who rises from servant to favorite royal concubine. She's pretty saintly so there isn't much murder. You have not to mind polygamy or age gap.

Maids (2014) - I sort of struggled as to where recommend this one because it's probably a bit too grim/murdery for you. But you mentioned non-royal-adjacent sageuks and while they do exist and I adore them, they tend to be the most grim/bloody of the lot. This is one of the few that's not fully like that.

100 Days My Prince (2018) - a fluffy romcom piece about a prince with amnesia.

Flower Crew: Joseon Marriage Agency (2019) - a group of hot dudes engage in matchmaking and are tasked in getting the king's chosen bride up to snuff. It's vvvvvv fluffy but cute.

The Tale of Nokdu (2019) - I don't think there is too much murder but perhaps on the cusp for you. Our ML cross-dresses as a girl to hide and runs across the fun fierce young heroine.

Secret Royal Inspector (2020) - not to be confused with Secret Royal Inspector and Joy which is an entirely different drama with different actors that would also fit but someone recommended to you already. Basically our protags travel Joseon and solve crimes. Because there are crimes there is some blood but it's a pretty lighthearted drama.

Bossam (2021) - an excellent daily life sageuk. It addresses the custom of "kidnapping" widows so they could have an excuse to remarry. This story starts when a low-life ML hired to kidnap one such widow kidnaps the wrong woman by mistake. It can be pretty grim but it's such a lovely hopeful drama and surprisingly low on murder.

Moonshine (2022) - about Korean prohibition in Joseon times. I am not a big fan (tho the romance is occasionally cute) but it's def fluffy.

Poong the Joseon Psychiatrist (2022) - what it says on the tin. Two seasons. It's sort of a psych procedural set in ye olde tymes.

Joseon Attorney (2023) - once again what it says on the tin. A procedural with an underlying revenge for wrongs plot.

Knight Flower (2024) - our FL is a meek widow by day and Robin Hood by night. This is more a comedy than anything.

This is not the world's largest list because no blood excludes a LOT but hopefully it's something.

PS I second @aceinthetrap comment that if you enjoyed Live Up To You Name, you might like Queen In Hyun's Man (2012), about a nobleman who acquires a talisman that under certain conditions transplants him into the modern world and he crosses paths with an actress.

I wanna watch another good sageuk so bad this year, but I haven’t found anything that appeals to me. Anyone have any suggestions for something that isn’t all death and destruction? (And with no time travel, because then that doesn’t really count as a sageuk.)

[literary-illuminati]

Books I Read In September

45. The Oleander Sword, by Tasha Suri

Pre-ordered this, and I’m entirely happy with what I got. I mean it’s got intrigue and angst and the literal and metaphorical selling of souls and lesbians and eldritch horrors and war crimes, what’s not to love?

But really, I’m pretty sure I already made the joke, but SFF lesbians and weird power dynamics around fealty and martyrdom sure are a pair, huh? (Or maybe that’s just a random bit of selection bias in the books I read/see talked about, but eh. I should catch up on Montress.)

Anyway, Malini is a joy to read, and the Yaksha are absolutely gorgeous and come across as rather believably alien, though I really do wish they weren’t quite so straightforwardly malevolent, and the temple/palace intrigues with whatever the asshole emperor’s name was and his priests was great. Can’t wait for book 3.

46. None the Ninth by Tamsyn Muir

My other pre-ordered book of the year. And look, I am largely outsourcing my opinions on this book to the ongoing 24/7 symposium digging into every bit of symbolism and possible reference in these things going on here in the tag. But, like, book good. 

Also Pal and Cam, my beloveds. And Nona is adorable. 

I need to go scream in the wilderness a bit again.

47. The Reluctant Fundamentalist by Mohsin Hamid

This month’s attempt to acquire some Culture, via what was apparently the most influential book of 2007 (literally recommended to me because a coworker’s book club is doing it). 

But no, this was good! Very much of it’s time, though less in a ‘dated in a bad way’ way, and more in a ‘future generations of college students will get assigned this and told to write an essay about the cultural fallout of the War On Terror.’ 

It really, really committed to the whole ‘life story told in a conversation over dinner’ framing device, to a degree that books basically never do - the prose of the whole thing still felt conversational and like it could actually be said by one person to another. The constant asides to the cuisine being served and the order of the courses and everything did eventually start to grate, though. 

The big central twist is, well, barely a twist - except that the title gives you a very definite idea of where the protagonist’s arc is going to end up that you bring with you into the book. Still, really well done.

I’m surprised you don’t see the janissarya analogy made more often in modern polemic. Shoe doesn’t exactly fit, but close enough that you’d think it’d get some use.

48. Exit Strategy by Martha Wells

I really do adore Murderbot stories. They’re just perfectly sized for a lazy afternoon or two of reading, they’ve got the plot structure of a tightly edited 40-minute tv episode, and they’re just great fun comfort reads. Perfect book pringles. (Also Murderbot is one of the greatest protagonists of all time).

This one in particular would have honestly worked pretty well as a finale to the series? Or, since it clearly isn’t, I guess ‘works as a season finale’ is the better way to put it? It resolves the central underlying plot thread that’s been running through the books so far quite nicely, anyway. 

I totally admit that aside from Murderbot only, like, four characters have made a sufficient impression that I can reliably identify them by just their names, though. 

49. Elder Race by Adrian Tchaikovsky 

Hey, I finally finished the last Hugo nominee! Now to start feeling properly guilty about failing to answer that ask about my ranking/opinions from a month ago. 

But no, this was good. The only Tchaikovsky I’d read before was Children of Time/Ruin, so this was definitely a change of pace (obvious similarities in setting aside). The whole central conceit of ‘fantasy setting is actually the result of an apocalypse destroying a technologically advanced civilization and the descendents of the survivors viewing the remnants as magical relics and sorcery’ is so thoroughly cliche I think people just stopped writing it for a couple decades, but the execution is really well done. 

Nyr and Lynette are both fun POVs, anyway, and I absolutely adore anything that has multiple POVs seeing/taking part in the same events and interpreting them wildly differently. The one chapter that had two columns with Nyr providing exposition on one side and what Lynette&co actually understood him as saying on the other was great. 

Tchaikovsky also did a really excellent job of capturing the whole horror and grief and ennui of being the Last Of Your Kind better than I usually see, and also saying Fuck the Prime Directive, which is always appreciated. 

Also incredibly endearing that Nyr’s whole transhuman civilization gave themselves giant badass horns and then collectively decided to pretend it was for pragmatic utilitarian reasons. 

50. Fugitive Telemetry by Martha Wells

Because it’s 2 murder 2 bot month, I guess (but no all my holds on these really did just come in at once).

So apparently this was actually written after the novel, which I only found out after finishing it, but chronologically it seems to have taken place before? Which conveniently means I didn’t accidentally ruin any big twists for myself.  

Anyway, this was a fun detective story sort of thing. Murderbot being continuously annoyed at how much harder the lack of a dystopian panopticon made their job was a great running gag.

51. The Thousand Eyes by A. K. Larkwood 

Because it’s magical lesbians month, I guess. 

But no, this was a fun read. The whole setting and tone were very, hmm, D&D? Like a real mixture of super fantastical elements and generic fantasy things given different names (there are elves, and orcs, and for some reason specifically yuan-ti) and then the vision of society and the economics and the mindset and vocabulary of everyone who hasn’t been asleep in a ditch for ten thousand years is just incredibly modern. Not a complaint, it’s just very much a thing. 

My actual complaint is that this was like four different discrete stories stacked on top of each other and put into a compactor until they all fit in one book. There were a lot of times where I was kind of left feeling that Larkwood was relying on me knowing how a given story/character arc goes so she could just skip through the high points and then resolve it without necessarily building it up beforehand. 

(I also have a perpetual dislike for the plot beat of ‘oh no, the abusive cult who raised you was just doing their religion wrong. We’ve got a direct line to your/their god and he’s actually a great guy!’)

Interesting how minor a character Csorwe is in this one compared to Unspoken Name, really, but Shuthmili and Tal are both incredibly fun POVs so can’t say I really mind. Tsundere dragon goddess of betrayal and destruction was also a great time. 

[lil-tachyon]

do you have any advice on drawing mechs :)? your art is amazing!

Thanks for asking! I will preface this with the same piece of advice that I always give people: you get good at art by practicing. If you’re not consistently drawing and working on improving, you gotta get into the habit of that first. With that out of the way....

In terms of the actual drawing, you gotta be comfortable drawing lots of boxes and cylinders in perspective. That’s crucial for getting stuff like weapons and limbs looking good. The underlying structure of lots of mechanical things like mechs or other vehicles are often pretty basic and it’s the details you add on top that make them interesting. But make no mistake, you have to get the structure down first or else nothing’s going to look good. Here’s some examples from my own drawings where I’ve tried to point out the usage of very basic forms underlying everything else:

Now do you need to get out a ruler and protractor and plot out every single point of every geometrical figure exactly right, Scott Robertson style? Absolutely not (although it doesn’t hurt to be able to and I encourage you to try that as an exercise!) But you should be pretty comfortable drawing basic forms in perspective.

When you can do that, the next step is being able to actually design a mech from scratch and this is where it gets a bit harder but also where the fun really begins. Probably everyone has a different approach to this- I’m just gonna walk you through how I do it. Usually I have a vague idea for both the visual appearance and the “context” of a mech before I draw it and I develop both of these together because they both influence each other. By “context” I mean, “in what kind of world could this exist?” I think this is an important question to ask with mechs because in reality they probably don’t make much sense. In most applications, a wheeled or tracked vehicle would probably work better. And sometimes you just want to draw a cool robot and that’s it and the context doesn’t matter. But personally, I think I draw more interesting mechs when I think about what they’re built for and the world in which they exist. There’s sort of a “plausability spectrum” for mecha with somewhat realistic designs on one end and bonkers stuff on the other.

On the realistic end you have stuff that’s smaller, more compact. These might be deployed in places with rough terrain where a car won’t cut it. They’re probably not much bigger than a hardsuit and if they are, they’re probably quadrapedal or hexapedal for stability and weight distribution. For inspiration look to Simon Roy, Boston Dynamics, Maschinen Krieger, GitS, and real-world legged vehicles:

Past realism there’s a huge realm of mecha designs that I would call “plausible-in-context.” Mechs that are built more on rule-of-cool than practicality but have in-universe justifications and fit the setting. Star Wars, Lancer, Battletech, Gundam and honestly probably the vast majority of mech designs fit in here.

On the bonkers side you get it all. Stuff that’s definitely there to look cool before anything else or stuff with pretty noticeable fantasy elements. Gurren Lagann, Mony Pich’s stuff, Ghibli mechs, the work of Makoto Kobayashi, and Shining Force fit here.

Think about where your mech exists on the spectrum and come up with a little backstory for it. Is it a robotic pack mule accompanying spec ops teams into the mountains? Is it the emperor’s mechanotitan guard automaton from the ancient times? This the kind of stuff that influences how I draw a mech. Think about what it does, how that would impact how it looks visually, do thumbnails, work out the kinks and pretty soon you’ll find yourself with something you like. I use reference pretty liberally at this stage, either looking at art I like or real-world mechanical details, or weapon designs. Don’t be afraid to use any and all reference! You learn by studying others and the real world.

Once I’ve got the design pretty much figured out that’s when I finally work out the composition/posing of the final drawing and polish it off. Doing it this way takes me a while. I know people who can just draw cool mechs off the top of their head and that’s a totally valid way to do it as well! But this is the process that, right now, works pretty well for me.

Last little note- something I struggled with for a long time was making mechanical joints look good. My advice is to heavily reference other artists and see how they do it. Someone like Ryan Barry might go ham on the details and greebles:

Whereas monypich might cover lots of stuff up in smooth armor plating:

There are many, many different solutions. Use your judgement and don’t feel like you have to figure it out for yourself! It’s okay to take inspiration from others.

Hope this helps and please let me know if you have any other questions! Sorry for letting this sit in my inbox for a while but I wanted to try to write out a good answer.

[veraynes-blog]

Hey uh. Hi. So I was pretty hugely hyperfixated on Doctor Who and specifically Thoschei for most of 2018-2020. Before that I was a casual fan, since I basically grew up on the show. And then I sort of... Moved on to other things, as one tends to do. 13's era wasn't really doing it for me and I lost my desire to really keep up with the show or the fandom. But since Power of The Doctor came out I decided I should watch it, to have context for the new series. And uh. Something about seeing David Tennant in that dumb suit again reawakened something in me, and I've been neck-deep in the Doctor/Master brainrot for the past two weeks.

At one point I remember thinking "hey... There was that really good Tensimm fic I read back in the day.. unchained or something... Wonder if I could find that again". Of all the DW fics I read during my time in the fandom, yours was the one that stuck with me most. I did manage to find it eventually (imagine my delight at seeing there was not one, but two follow-up stories!), and I read the whole series in a few hours.

And man, do you get what makes their relationship good. I understand why I remembered it so well, and I'm glad I can go back to the fandom if only to read your fic again with a new perspective. Your writing is pretty stellar, the plot threads and themes you set up in Time Lord Victorious are purposeful and well developed even outside the context of the fandom it's written for. But man, you really excel when it comes to character writing.

I'm very... Picky about my Thoschei. I get frustrated when it gets reduced to just "enemies to lovers" or "kinky hate sex" because there is so much more to them. It's all that history, that underlying connection that neither of them can fully acknowledge but can't fully ignore either, all that mushy subtextual grey area and complicated mixed feelings. That's where the interesting stuff is, that's why I love them.

I find people tend to gloss over a lot of this in fanfic, especially for Tensimm since they fit Tumblr's favourite "edgy pretty white gay bois" ship archetype. And I really honestly think that there are few, if any, fanfics that really dissect and examine their relationship as well as yours. (Hell, I think you understand their relationship a fair bit better than several actual Doctor Who script writers.) It honestly feels like it could be a really extraordinary piece of official Doctor Who media (minus the gay sex obviously). You've written a really incredible piece of fiction and I just wanted to share with you how much I value it and how much it means to me.

A couple questions, if you're okay with answering them

Do you think there's any chance you'll write more Doctor Who fanfic? If not that's entirely okay, I'm just curious

Do you have any recommendations for some of your favourite Doctor/Master fanfiction? Any rating, pairing, or length is fine, just stuff you've read and enjoyed in the past

Thank you again, and sorry for the super long rambling ask :)

Anon I'm nearly crying over this, thank you so much 🥺💕 I keep reading your message again to bring a smile to my face.

I honestly appreciate you picking out the character analysis as a highlight of the series, back when I was writing it I was basically treating it like my personal psychological study, and I'm still fascinating by them 🥰 The awful grey areas their relationship has are the best bits!

In answer to your questions:

1) Yeah absolutely. I also got inspired by the recent episode and wrote down the intro to a Fourteen/Simm!Master fic (although life obligations got in the way of making any further progress yet).

2) @countessrivers and @linz33y used to write great Ten/Simm fic with me back when we were sharing a hyperfixation! I think most of them got pulled across to their AO3s. There's also a couple of Doctor Who fics in my 'Favourites' collection on AO3 that are definitely worth a read!

Thank you again for taking the time to message me 😊 You made my day!

[the-iron-shoulder]

I mean, my personal interpretation of the LoZ series (and I am aware that this goes against the official canon, but I feel like my interpretation is more interesting and, honestly, more consistent with the text; something something engaging with art on my own terms something something) is that it’s more or less one fundamental story, the titular *legend*, being told over and over in different times/places by different people. That’s why you get recurring characters, both main (Link, Ganon, Zelda) and non-main (some bloke named Beedle shows up, you know he’s going to offer you a good deal; kind of like stock characters in the Commedia dell’arte), but they change with each telling to fit the needs of each instance of the story. Recurring themes and plot elements and set pieces and stuff, too. Why does Link use the Master Sword? Because of course he does, that’s just part of the legend, you wouldn’t tell a story about King Arthur without sticking Excalibur in there somewhere.

In my interpretation, that’s also why you get recurring names or reinterpretations of names. So, like, examples: “Ah, when *this* person told the story, “Rauru” was identified as a town. When *this* person told the story, they identified “Rauru” as a sage. When *this* person told the story, they identified “Rauru” as a king. Ah, Din/Nayru/Farore? Well, in the older tellings of the legend, the tellers came from a polytheistic society, and those three were worshiped as gods. In some newer tellings of the story, the storyteller is from a monotheistic culture and reinterpreted them as dragons rather than gods; powerful, interesting, but perhaps not worthy of worship.” Or whatever. That’s just kind of the general idea. You know, like real-world myths where sometimes a name refers to a region, sometimes to a god, sometimes to a hero, sometimes to a city, whatever, depending on the needs/perspective of the teller.

So to me, TotK is basically The Legend of Zelda as told from a Rauruist perspective; the storyteller is basically caping for their king (contemporary, historical, whatever) and just baking the unstated, underlying assumption that the Hyrulean monarchy is Good (and therefore that they are always the rightful rulers) into the telling. If your perspective involves a Good King, well, of course it’s good when they come to power, and we can just ignore or gloss over how they got there; they’ve got a role to play (the good and rightful monarch) and what matters to this teller is that they’re there and not the sociopolitical forces that got them there.

My OP was really just a quick, wry look at the fact that this assumption is baked into the telling. A brief jolt of dissonance into the reader’s day, hopefully bringing a quick chuckle.

Yeah, of course it’s a fantasy and of course we don’t have to get super deep into Hyrulean realpolitik if we don’t want to. I’m just pointing out an assumption in the story in a way that I hoped was amusing.

Okay, so TotK calls Rauru the “first king of Hyrule,” but Sonia is already identified as “Hyrulean,” so the concept of Hyrule predated Rauru.

How do you get to be the “first king” of somewhere? (Force and conquest. The answer is force and conquest.)

But sure, he's a good guy, right, of course

We talk about the first king of Hyrule but he says we're not allowed to talk about the last democratically elected president of Hyrule

[cocksuki2]

Please, do rant about how chainsaw man is a masterpiece and it's going to have an impact on modern shounen

thank you so much for prompting me to talk about this. i have so much to say about it. im about to write an essay. manga spoilers are a given but here's the warning just in case.

firstly, fujimoto has such a strong grasp of visual storytelling. i know that this seems like a pretty baseline statement for a mangaka but i genuinely think his grasp on it in particular is spectacular. he works so much into his panels and even the placing of the characters in the frame is important.

it's a really obvious element of his work and it's both plot-driven and comedically driven, which makes it all the more compelling. oftentimes in chainsaw man, comedic scenes are indicative of a greater power hierarchy present within interactions (especially with regards to denji and makima).

makima plays a maternal role in the story and is, undoubtedly, a character fujimoto took a lot of care in writing and drawing. she's always in positions of power and almost always the focal point of panels and scenes she's present in. her sexuality as a woman is used as a weapon knowingly and she's presented as both mother, lover, and leader to denji and within the art of the series (which serves to highlight denji's deep-seated need for affection of all forms).

in fact, a lot of her positioning in the series is very maternal. even when she tears pochita from chainsaw man's chest, she is cradling his head as a mother would a babe. her chains come from her womb and diaphragm, often thought to be the location of the solar plexus chakra which dictates personality, ego, identity, personal freedom, choice, and authenticity. which is fitting considering her position as the control devil and her attempt to rob denji of his personhood. (honestly i could go on about makima and motherhood forever. i saw a tiktok about it a little while ago and ended up diving down a rabbit hole of thought).

it's also really interesting to me that denji serves as both comedic relief and a tragic character, as well as being the main protagonist of his story. it's not unheard of, but it is unique and it makes the story stand out within the shonen genre (naruto did something similar but with an entirely different message and theme). it makes denji compelling and incredibly human. 

that trope within itself is nothing new. it's somewhat common. however, what I've noticed about chainsaw man is that denji's comedic relief is almost always indicative of a greater theme. his motivations being purely sexual and romantic are, originally, presented as a comedic aspect of the series meant to introduce you to the type of person denji is. however, after reading the series, it quickly becomes an ominous indication of his ability to be easily manipulated, as well as the extortion of those qualities that lead to his (and makima's) eventual downfall and the climax of the story.

a lot of popular shonen media contains some levels of deeper analysis, but chainsaw man does it in a way in which the plot is actively dependent on that further analysis. i think csm kind of took the shonen genre and introduced a deeper level of thought to it I've only seen in a few other examples (jjk being one of them) and i think that what will come out of it is shonen manga with deeper symbolism and heavier themes.

i think chainsaw man's popularity in particular is gonna end up contributing to a greater shift in shonen and action manga towards more deliberate placement of themes and underlying messages.

that's not to say that other shonen mangas LACK those underlying messages, but i am saying that chainsaw man's popularity is largely OWED to that when it is usually the other way around. and chainsaw man, even in the first week of its anime release, is already HUGELY popular for those reasons.

i think that sometimes there is a belief with popular shonen animanga (and action media in general) that in order for it to be popular, you need these cash-grab scenes and characters. it seems to me that a lot of shonen maintains this idea of serving the palpable and blatantly obvious first and the darker second, whereas chainsaw man absolutely does NOT do that. chainsaw man puts the ugly (and somewhat comedic) aspect of tragedy in your face and then asks you to analyze it to find something even uglier and more meaningful underneath, which is a breath of fresh air in the shonen genre to me.

so all this to say: i think that chainsaw man's popularity is gonna lead to a greater shift in the shonen genre that brings analyzable media and themes to the forefront of what's considered "marketable". im really excited to see the works that come after this and what inspiration they take from it.

i realize that im not saying anything new about chainsaw man. all of these things have probably been said before and in greater detail, but from my perspective (as someone who really values composition in manga panels) this is how i see it. and NONE of this is to say that other shonen genres lack this deep of messaging. chainsaw man is, however, where i have noticed it the most of the shonen i have read.