#and then the parallels to the start of remake

[cryingpariah]

I would like to introduce to you a head canon or theory (really it’s a crackpot idea)

What if Koby is Rock’s Grandson?

That sounds incredibly stupid but hear me out. Koby has been rapidly growing in power since he started training with Garp, of course anyone who trains under Garp is going to be strong but Koby is different.

Koby is advancing in power fairly quickly, he knows some of the 6 powers, has great observation Haki, and he’s got enough Armament Haki control to pull of one of these

Koby is special, both for the fact that he trains harder than others and also seems to gain power better than others. Helmeppo had the same training from Garp (though Bogard probably taught him more of the sword skills) and he can pull off a small version of this move.

Helmeppo is strong yes and I’d say he’s most above most other marines, but he’s not near Koby’s level. Sure we can say this is because of Koby’s extra training and determination (and I fully support that too) but there’s something about Koby that feels important.

Now let’s take a look at Rocks

Rocks and Koby share a pretty similar facial shape don’t you think? Flat chin, and a similar nose, even their hair right now looks kinda similar.

If you think it’s just cause of the intense look on Koby’s face here’s another picture for comparison

Heck we could even call Koby the Rocks. D Xebec of the marines cause of how much he’s definitely going to stir things up for the organization. He (along with many others) will tear down the organization and remake it in a bold and powerful move. Just like how Rocks shook the world when he was alive.

Narratively this would also be an amazing parallel too, The Grandson of Rocks being taught by one of his greatest foes and Luffy becoming the Rocks (only in influence) of the new era.

As for Koby’s parents, well One Piece is full of orphans. Odds are he never met them or he was very young when he lost them.

(Thoughts? I like this Little Theory of mine but I have nothing to base it on)

Rocks D Koby has got quite the ring to it can’t lie. Plus Koby being a member of D clan would make sense, they are known for making history and shaking things up…

Also the idea of Koby and Luffy both embodying different aspects of the major players of the previous is just chefs kiss I love it very much!

I’m pretty sure it was recently revealed that Koby, just like a bunch of powerhouses in the world of One Piece, comes from the East Blue. The only downside to this theory is this could potentially mean Koby is related to Blackbeard which…ew. If we go by the Rocks D Crocodile theory and add the Crocodad on top of that would make Luffy and Koby half siblings !! (RIP to LuKoby nation if it’s real 🫡🫡) (also omg siblings on opposites sides of the war trope 😭😭😭)

In terms of actual canon potential this is (objectively) on the lower side of the spectrum but if we follow the rule of cool and kinda silly that One Piece often does…I say this could very well happen!

[daylighteclipsed]

While I’m talking, Cloud almost killing Tifa in Gongaga is not just a ‘would that be fucked up or what’ moment or even because Tifa has the true memories/proof to counter Sephiroth’s lies (though, that is part of it). It’s also because killing Tifa is the antithesis of who Cloud is. It’s the antithesis of the little boy who put his life on the line to save her and then dedicated his life to becoming strong enough to protect her. The antithesis of his promise to be there for her and the feelings behind it. “Cloud” and “Tifa’s killer” cannot coexist. “Cloud,” the boy defined by a desire to protect Tifa, cannot survive this. That’s why Sephiroth is trying so hard to get Cloud to kill Tifa. Sephiroth could kill her himself and that would still be majorly bad for Cloud’s true identity as he’d still lose his only tether to reality and the symbol of his conscience. But it wouldn’t be as effective as having Cloud do the honors. Sephiroth needs Cloud to kill the light in his own heart. He needs Cloud to kill his self. And there is no more definitive way than this.

[sincerely-sofie]

Hi, I was the anon who had the idea of Skunktank running into Merit and Constance and idk if my ask made it through. I hope it didn’t, because I was not finished typing lmao-

But I imagine Skunktank doesn’t know much about Ruby’s past. She doesn’t want to talk about it. He does remember there was a period of time where Opal looked devastated, and that she wouldn’t explain what happened. Ruby showed up in Twig’s and Ark’s care not too long after. It’s only a little later he just happens to catch Ruby’s illusion waver a little, and he sees these . . . Scars. Scars that shouldn’t ever be on a child. He thinks that maybe, just maybe, that he saw it wrong, but he gnaws at the back of his head until he pulls Twig aside and tells her that maybe Ruby should be taken to the doctor, because he thinks he saw some scarring. Twig takes a deep inhale, pausing to find the words, and the longer she takes, the more dread Skunktank feels.

Eventually Twig tells him that they know about the scars, and that Ruby is recovering. She’s safe, so it’s best not to ask either of the girls about it. When Skunktank presses — out of concern, a rare sight from him — Twig tells him it’s not her story to tell. After another brief pause, she continues and says that she would appreciate it if he kept an eye out for two Hisuian Zoroarks — one normal, one shiny — always together with matching burn scars. She doesn’t want Skunktank to do anything other than tell her and Ark where they are and if they’re coming anywhere close to the village. That’s it. Do NOT do anything else. If he won’t listen for Twig, listen for Ruby and Opal.

Skunktank can’t get anymore information, so he lets it go for now. Ruby is safe and healthy, so that’s all that matters. If anyone can keep her safe, it’s legendary battler Twig and nightmare bringer Ark. It’s put in the back of his mind. Some time later, when he’s away from the village, he bumps into two Pokémon with burn scars all over their hands. When they fall, their illusions drop and reveal two Hisuian Zoroarks, their burn scars still remaining. Skunktank sees their claws, and his mind flashes back to the shape of Ruby’s scars and Twig’s warning. He knows who they are now. He looks at them, and he can’t help but feel sick. He’s nauseated. He wonders if he’s staring at another imagine of himself — a version that went too far. A version that would have just shrugged their shoulders at the thought of those little Azurill and Marill kids going into the Amp Plains to get their treasure back, uncaring if they got hurt. A version of themselves that got two kids in the form of a Mudkip and Charmander hurt.

These two are attempted murderers, free to go due to lack of evidence, leaving their baby sister with scars from a wound that it was a miracle that she survived from.

It’s no wonder Twig hates him. He’s looking into some distorted mirror — one that’s not entirely accurate, but still displays a general image — and he hates what he’s looking at too.

ANON I’M LOSING MY MIND

I did get the ask, actually! I’ve just been slowing down answering asks in general because I’m (yet again) sick as a dog, and I wanted to give that ask a more extensive, drawn response!

Here’s an incomplete teaser where Twig and Ark ask Skuntank to take Ruby out on a walk for her physical therapy while they’re stuck dealing with legal stuff. They encounter Merit and Constance while out and about.

For some bonus context, despite Ruby’s strong preference to hide her bandages (and later her scars) using illusions, she’s been instructed to avoid using illusions whatsoever. However, she’s still keeping her form of a unovan zorua secret, so she’s still using that illusion:

[hhuta]

jazz for two x twilight, part 2 // part 1

[lunaicfantastic]

anyway my theories for the bear are: that season 4 will end like season 1--with them announcing the closing of the bear/the beef and the upcoming opening of something new/the bear, that we will find out that Mikey was the one who told Claire about the name of the restaurant being the bear (mb thru a convo btwn Richie and carmy) and this will be the final straw in the clusterfuck of their relationship, at one point carmy will try to burn down the bear, and that Richie will get tickets to go see Taylor Swift with his daughter idk

[deathisamotherofbeauty]

the urge to create a moodboard of how I think the cattonquick flat would look like. the urge to write a future domestic fic... someone hold me

[waywardstation]

Sygna Suit Ingo comes with lots and lots of feels as they hit where it hurts with many of his lines.

I really really hope there will be some kind of conclusion at some point.

I'm even taking a "btw Emmet and I once where separated through time and space and despite all odds our tracks met yet again!" or something like that in a possible BW remake...

You’re right, so many of his lines just explicitly emphasize that everything that’s important to him now is everything that he lost in Hisui.

I already posted about how his “Day with ____” event feels like a parallel to his walk with us through Wayward Cave.

And many of the things he says in the center feel very connected as well, because again they emphasize how much he cares about the exact things he lost and wants back in PLA.

This one, he just mentions how awful the thought of losing yourself could be.

And here it feels like it’s also supposed to directly reference that here, he understands EXACTLY what he was so confused about in PLA regarding hidden moves. He even calls it common knowledge here, and yet in Hisui he was unsure about it.

And then he has several lines about wondering what is important to grow as a trainer, namely growing stronger, and strengthening your bonds with your pokemon. That it is his purpose and destination to keep growing.

In PLA, Ingo expresses several times that he has lost his purpose and he doesn’t know his place in Hisui (only starting to feel it again once we have spent some time with him).

Again, practically everything he expresses here that is important to him is exactly what he lost and now doesn’t understand in Hisui. And it feels like the dialogue here sometimes goes out of its way to parallel his PLA dialogue.

I also wonder if there will be a conclusion of some sort, and if everything connected to this sygna suit variant points to that, or if all of this is DeNa going “here we acknowledged it” and that’s it.

And I would love love love a Warden Ingo sync pair, but anyone who’s seen me discuss this concept before knows that with how their storylines seem to go, I’m not sure I want to see DeNa try to handle that narrative in an event ^^;

[randomishnickname]

Must-read Destiel fics - my superduper Nov. 5th rec list

Three years ago, on the blessed day of November 5th, 2020, I had:

never seen an episode of SPN,

only had a vague inkling of what the two pale coconuts were on about,

and I hee-heed and ha-had with the rest of Tumblr about the love confession scene and the Internet errupting in an unparalleled craze

At first I thought, that's it.

Then ... I got curious. I watched some YouTube Destiel supercuts. I read some fic (I think @andhumanslovedstories beautiful Cas/OC fic was my entry point?). I read meta. I watched some more YouTube scene packs. I read even more fic. I watched some of S4, some of S1, some random fan fav episodes. And then Destiel lodged itself so deeply, thouroughly into my brain that it took over and hasn't relinquished control in the last two years. The most tenacious, pervasive brain worm to date.

This ship got it all, and this fandom got it all, and there's such delightful, powerful, batshit crazy, romantic, expertedly crafted fanfic out there, it's like being a starving child in the world's biggest candystore.

So without further ado, here's some of my very favorite fics from this infinite trove, with all my thanks to the wonderful writers who keep delighting and awing me with their dedication and craft. There'll of course be some recency bias at play but you can browse my bookmarks over here to chose from over 100 excellent and well-curated SPN stories.

💕CATEGORY: SWOONWORTHY💕

Wildly romantic fics that warm you up from the inside.

It Won't Be Perfect by someonetoanyone (10K words) Summary: Dean daydreams about what it'd be like to let himself love Cas freely.

Why I love it: the humor, the spot-on characterizations, and the quintessential late season Destiel-ness of being so deeply love with your best friend that it's too big to actually do anything about. Just. So warm.

Rock Lobster by Ginger Fail (13K) Summary: Cas decides that the lobsters Dean planned to cook need to get back home. Impromptu beach vacation ensues!

Why I love it: This road trip story is fresh and invigorating like a sea breeze! Fun, entertaining and full of deep, deep fondness.

Seek to Know You Better by ahurston (32K)

Summary: On a road trip, Dean and Cas play the 36 Questions That Lead To Love.

Why I love it: They’re so deliberatedly, carefully starting a relationship here. They try so hard to bridge the gaps and meet each other halfway. A very mature take on love that feels nourishing.

☢️CATEGORY: BRAINWORMS GALORE☢️

Fics that make you go BARK BARK BARK.

samson went back to bed by piesexuality (9k, @twoheadedcas) Summary: Cas strikes a deal with Chuck - keeping his family together comes at the price of their free will.

Why I love it: What if Cas got his revenge for the Mala'ak box? What if love came at the price of everything you've been fighting for? What if a story twisted the knife oh so sweetly? Each word of this one lands a punch. Made me insane in the best of ways (cue pinned fanart).

In sickness by @saintedcastiel (41K) Summary: S4 redux but Castiel has a fetish: giving Dean the sniffles.

Why I love it: This one is soooo. Can barely find words for it. It taps into Cas' early season alienness and psychosexual obsession with Dean, brilliantly demonstrates Casdean vs Samruby parallels, and each word is just. Perfect. ARGH!

so much smoke in a hall full of mirrors by AreYouReady (6K, @autisticandroids ) Summary: Godstiel is losing his heavenly war. Crowley provides a compliant Dean-doll for him to release his frustrations upon.

Why I love it: Urgh, this one is sooo dark. Taps into the scary, intimidating and alien aspects of Godstiel so well. Gore, consent and psychosexual issues galore. Delicious.

Special mention: In a Parked Car, Exhuming Ophelia by @an-android-in-a-tutu (17K). Still need to comment properly ;)

💣CATEGORY: EMOTIONAL WRECKING BALLS💣

Angsty fics that tear you to pieces to remake you better.

What Used To Be Mine by someonetoanyone (48K words) Summary: Dean never makes his apology prayer in Purgatory - Cas dies, Dean mourns.

Why I love it: Oh god, this is a heavy hitter. Just, straight up insurmontable grief, packaged in poetic, raw language to make you shed tears and tears. Loved it so much.

Ignite your bones By ilovehowyouletmefall (67K, @angelinthefire) Summary: Dean accepts Chuck's deal: killing Sam to save the world.

Why I love it: Cruuuuel cruel premise for a story that doesn’t pull its punches. It gets dark in Dean’s head and everyone around him suffers. Wonderfully written. The ending set my brain on fire.

Right Where you Left Me by outdean (93K, @armandgender)

Summary: Cas comes back from the Empty after 10 years to find Dean married to another man.

Why I love it: This one is a riiiide. When grief has become a part of you but your love comes back… When you return from the dead and have to carve a new space into the world for yourself... nothing is easy here, but the emotions are INTENSE. Also, autistic!Cas for the win.

Special mention: Who Ya Gonna Call? by saintedcastiel (50K) and Clear skies in spring by enochianprayer (WIP)

💥CATEGORY: EPIC RIDES💥

Expansive, wild adventures with lots of ups and downs

Spirit of the West by teen_dean (140K, @urne-buriall)

Summary: An 18y old Dean grew up on a horse farm – cue veterinarian Castiel. The summer of a lifetime ensues.

Why I love it: So this is one of my very favorite stories, ever ever, and I cannot recommand enough to immediatedly suscribe to the author’s Substack to be able to follow it in „real time“ next summer. It’s cinematic, rich, full of darkness and light, it’s everything a story can aspire to, I’m just. I just really love it.

Second Verse, Same as The First by LaLaCat1 (135K)

Summary: Endverse!Cas is sent back to the start of S1 and is determined to make things right this time round.

Why I love it: a desperate and badass Cas, unfridging everyone, a thrilling plot, moments of awesome for the entire cast, gripping action scenes, a romance for the ages… this is a genuinely amazing story.

back road, black road by eden22 (167K)

Summary: 18y old Sam gets kidnapped by Hell on his way to Stanford. Dean tries to deal.

Why I love it: So this one’s not Destiel-centric but does have wonderful Destiel moments. It’s also very heavy on the gore and the angst (NOT for the faint of stomach), but expertly crafted, fascinating and frankly it deserves more love. Held my breath for half the read and never knew where it’d take me.

Special mention: It's The End Of The World (As We Know It) by tiamatv (140K)

🤪CATEGORY: DESTIEL INSANITY🤪

Uproariously funny stories about the intricate rituals these two weirdos get up too.

Life Skills by ilovehowyouletmefall (26K)

Summary: Dean teaches a newly human Cas how to be „a real man“.

Why I love it: Dean coming to Big Self-Realizations while trying to have platonic threesomes with Cas is so perfect. Very endearing, tender and funny. Also, smoking hot sex.

the cheapest room in the house by biggaybenny (89K)

Summary: Dean downloads Grindr for Cas

Why I love it: Just. Late season Dean being deranged about Cas’ sexuality while everyone watches on in utter confusion. Equally hilarious and deeply moving

according to all known laws of life by @sobsicles (29k)

Summary: Cas comes back from the Empty to a Dean who won’t stop playing gay chicken.

Why I love it: They are both such petty, insane weirdos in this one. They said „can every situation be turned into a squabble“ and didn’t wait for an answer. So funny, so tender

Special mention: Wedding Vows and Negotiations by GingerFail (6K)

That's it, enjoy and leave your writers some much-deserved love!

[cremateyourlife]

Bakugou - Kudou (Second User)

a parallel that i've loved since the start.

at the off chance this post looks familiar, i've made it before on my old account. i'm just remaking and adding to it.

[bowlolol]

SMG4 THEORY

So, I saw a twitter post about some of last year’s movies.

IGBP is a sequel to SMG4 goes Insane.

Western Spaghetti is a sequel to Wild Wild Mario

WOTFI 2023 is a sequel to Casinos, Cards, and Chips

And WOTFI 2024 is a sequel to The Mario Carnival.

And it got me thinking.

By this logic, have ANY of Mr Puzzles’ shows been original?

NO. 

They haven’t.

Not a single one of his shows are an original idea.

(before I get jumped, technically A Night at SMG4’s wasn’t one of his shows. And if it was, you could argue it was a sequel to something like Freddy’s spaghettiria.)

Now, that just seems like a fun fact, not a theory. Where am I going with this?

Well, I also saw something here on tumblr. There are a lot of parallels between 4 and Mr Puzzles. I’m not naming them all, but just know that there are enough to start considering how alike they really are.

But, what do 4 and Mr Puzzles NOT have in common?

Well, 2 big things.

4 has friends, obviously. And he values his friends a lot.

But, more importantly, to this theory at least, 4 has creative vision.

4 has the ability to make things.

He can make things people genuinely enjoy without copying existing things.

He makes. 

Mr Puzzles doesn’t.

Mr Puzzles copies.

He makes parodies. He makes sequels. He remakes things. But he can’t make anything of his own. 

That’s the difference between them. 

Mr Puzzles is a stand-in for the big media companies.

4 is the talented freelancers that big companies prey off of and buy.

4 is basically just a better version of Mr Puzzles.

He has friends, an audience who loves him, and creativity.

That’s why Mr Puzzles can’t make a good show without him and his friends.

And, that’s why Mr Puzzles hates 4 so much.

Sure, he hates everyone because they keep beating him, especially Mario, but he hates 4 more than the others. (excluding Mario)

Why?

He’s just jealous.

Thank you for coming to my ted talk.

Remember, this is all speculation!

[syrena-del-mar]

The Nine Circles of Hell: Dead Friend Forever, Episode 7

First, a trigger warning: I'll be discussing themes of revenge porn, grooming, statutory rape, sexual coercion.

I'm going to discuss this episode with as much upmost care as I can, due to the sheer amount of sensitive material that came out of this week's episode I will also not being using any explicit scene screen captures from this episode. If there's anything you'd like to me to take out or want a more in depth conversation, feel free to use either of my message boxes.

Last week I said DFF had more to offer than just being a campy 90s slasher remake. While I first thought we were already in the depths of hell, thematically, with Non getting beaten by the mafia, I didn't expect this week's episode to somehow double that pain. But here we are. I was lulled into false security with the 5 minute montage of getting to know what Phee and Non's relationship was like. I should have remembered that I'm definitely watching the wrong genre when I expected more of those moments.

Non and Phee

This episode really continues and expands the idea that humans are not these clear-cut, unambiguous, good-or-bad beings that idea has now been depicted through Non and his relationship with Phee. Non has so much love to give and so much want for being loved, it's what leads to Phee in the first place, but it's also what leads to his downfall. Because Non loves so much and so hard, it's also why he wasn't ecstatic that Phee had to lie to his father and say that he was involved, just to get him out of trouble with the police. What started like a sweet date turns a bit bitter, because Non is seeing the consequences of his actions not only affect himself but also the others that he loves. It's also why he couldn't tell Phee about the sheer amount he owed Tee's uncle, because he was now well aware that if Phee found out, he would get himself involved.

Non lies and manipulates Phee, he tells him time and time again that nothing happened between him and Mr. Kreng. Non swears to Phee that he isn't lying to him and that he won't keep any secrets from him anymore. It pains him to do so, he's barely holding himself together by the end of a thread thread once he's Phee's arms and his face is hidden from Phee's view. Yet, he does. He keeps it a secret how big of a hole he has found himself in, because he doesn't want to drag Phee down with him. Non says it himself to Jin, he doesn't want to be burden, he'll figure it out himself. It's a direct parallel to the bigger issues that Non is finding himself in beyond just within the 'movie set'. He has the 300 million baht hanging over his head, his parents (in his point of view) regret having him and find that he does is bring embarrassment to the family, and now he has another adult willing to give him the 300 million baht with a fake sense of care. So he found, what he believes to be, a solution that would get rid of the 300 million baht debt and all it requires is giving up a piece of himself, but at least it won't come at a cost of burdening his parents or Phee.

In trying to protect Phee, his lies ends up costing him the one he loves the most, Phee. Now from this point on, this is all speculation, but when Phee accused Non of 'always doing this', I'm not in the camp that believes that Phee is accusing Non about being a serial cheater. I see why people are in that camp, but I initially jumped to that conclusion as well. Now, I'm more in the line that Phee is accusing of Non always feeding him lies, even after explicitly promising him that he wouldn't. After putting his neck out for him, after letting Non do things his way as long as he promised to tell him the truth, Non goes back to telling lies. Phee lashes out, and at the end of the day he's still a teenager, so he hits Non's weakest point. Just get lost and die. The very words that likely haunt Phee in the present-day, now as an adult. And Non's holds the broken bracelet, punishing himself, because he knew that there was no coming back from losing his lifeline.

Non and Mr. Kreng (Please keep my trigger warnings in mind, they will be heavily discussed in this section.)

Statutory Rape. Grooming. Coerced Sexual Relations. Nonconsensual Sex. Molestation. Sexual Assault. Sexual Abuse. Those are all words to describe the relationship that occurred between Non and Mr. Keng. Let's call exactly what it is. I think I'll lose my mind if I have to see someone another person call Non a cheater. There is no cheating when there is statutory rape.

Non is literally at the end of his rope, Mr. Keng clocked that immediately. He knew that Non was isolated, that he was completely othered by his classmates, he believes that Non has nobody else to turn to, and he knows that Non is in deep in a scam that target teens. In his eyes, he found the perfect victim.

Non is taken advantage of by a person in power, a person that he should be able to trust. Non isn't naïve, he clocked that Mr. Keng wanted something from him since the moment they first met. But he is vulnerable. He's being extorted by the mafia and he sees someone offering him the money that he needs to put an end to that. In his eyes, it was a way out, a means to an end that just cost him a piece of his soul. I truly think Non rationalized it to himself as prostituting himself, because he knew that money was never coming without a price. No matter how much Mr. Keng tried to sell it as 'brotherly' love.

But at the end of the day, it does not matter what Non believed or rationalized, because Mr. Keng was the adult in the situation. He had a duty, as a teacher, to protect Non and provide a safe classroom environment. Instead he target, manipulates, and coerces Non into having sexual relations with him. He knows the power imbalance he holds, first as a teacher and then with the 300 million baht he 'gave' him. Mr. Keng, knowing that Non's not close to his 'friends', physically isolates him. He takes him to his office that's half-lit, located in a long hallway with, seemingly, very little foot traffic. He prods at Non, asking what's been bothering him and has him visibly become emotional, before offering his care. He's a complete and utter predator, in every sense of the term.

I hope he dies a long, painful death.

Non and Jin

First and foremost, whether or not Jin was ultimately the one that posted the video does not matter. Filming a classmate being sexually assaulted is still child porn at the very least and, possibly, revenge porn (if he disseminated the video) at the worst. I was on the same boat as @respectthepetty and their take that Jin had to be the worst of them all. Like they said in that post, Jin is a coward and he even admits to it. There's nothing more cowardly than hiding behind a door, filming you supposed 'friend' getting sexually abused by your teacher, and then even considering putting up on social media for revenge because your heart is broken.

Yes, Top framed Non. Yes, Por demanded (and bullied) money from Non. Yes, Tee brought Non to the mafia. Those are all very bad things, don't get me wrong. All the physical and mental abuse they put Non through was hell. Yet, Jin was the only one aware that Non had already been seeing someone, which seemingly had upset him already. Then he sees him with Mr. Keng and instead of reporting that his alleged friend was being assaulted, he gets angry and films Non at his most vulnerable point in life. Even Fluke didn't want any part of that.

Jin takes away Non's dignity. And at the end of the day, it doesn't matter whether he uploaded it online or not, he was still the one to film, transfer that file onto his computer, and contemplate whether he was going to post it or not. At every point since he found that Non and Mr. Kreng were in that room, he rendered Non powerless. That video would have never been uploaded if it hadn't existed in the first place. With just a point of a camera and click of a button, he is revictimizing Non every. single. time. that video is opened and seen by another person.

There are no words to fully describe or explain that kind of trauma that he has subjected Non to.

Final Thoughts

This episode was nauseating. It honestly took me about two hours just to get to the end. Usually, I can watch through a show I enjoy really quickly, but this episode was so hard to digest. And that's simply due to how realistic they are approaching the subject of Non and Mr. Keng.

Barcode and Ta really are the stars of the show. I'm not saying that the other castmates aren't amazing in their roles, but man TaBarcode really know are hitting every single emotional beat. I was never a TaBarcode nor a MacauChay girlie, but man Be On Cloud has truly brought out their best this time around. Even though I fully know we are heading towards an incredibly heart wrenching ending for PheeNon, I can't help but want to hoard and scramble for moments of them together.

It's crazy how well, everyone was able to pull their weight this episode. There were so many moments that with less talented, less experienced actors, could have fallen flat, but they didn't. Ta and Barcode's PheeNon was so incredibly heart-beating, butterfly inducing before we were brought back into their reality outside of their relationship. 2J and Barcode's scenes were.... so disgustingly real, for lack of better words. I knew that storyline was never going to end well but it had been more than I ever expected Be On Cloud to release. They're tackling such real issues that weigh on teens with incredible tact, there's no romanticizing what happened. Even Phee's reaction was so understandable when you put yourself in the shoes of a teenager. I'll reiterate again and again, whatever you think about Be On Cloud as a management company, as a production company, they really are breaking boundaries and doing something right. Whatever happens in the second half, I think I'll be here, recovering, for a long time.

[blkkizzat]

one pet peeve i have about certain anime/manga is the lost potential of a manga-ka not properly developing/exploring the world and characters they created.

after gege finishes this bullshit i want someone to buy them out and remake the jjk anime. ideally (spoilers): season 1 & 2

make jjk 0 the start of the series and yuta the main character (as was originally planned).

flesh out the student relationships that year with yuta, maki, inumaki and panda more

inumaki backstory (apparently he is from a sorcerer family too)

fleshout inumaki feelings/struggles with not being able to speak actual words

laying foundation for future maki/mai resolution later in series and the treatment of non-cursed energy users by zenin family. brief mentions of toji and perhaps megumi.

more history of how jujutsu society works as there's a whole hierarchy alluded to we never find out about and also would help on how they are in or have ties to the government which is revealed later in shibuya arc.

more confrontation between gojo and geto. theres 10 whole entire years between geto's defection and jjk 0. these two were practically inseparable (whether you see them as soul-besties or lovers) and theres an active bounty on geto. there had to be more passing moments, tension and smaller battles/struggles there.

show adoptive family relationship between geto, nanako and mimiko.

in fact theres a whole unexplored dichotomy between geto's mentorship to his sorcerer family he made from his followers and the found family of jujutsu high under gojo.

yuta struggling more with the guilt/burden of rika and mastering his ct

okay then finally we can have 'night parade of a hundred demons' and that resolution.

season 3 - hidden inventory arc

honestly this arc was pretty solid and can stay mostly the same but could be expanded by 3-4 episodes

show more of the dynamic between geto, gojo and shoko give us some more history/backstory of shoko.

give us an episode with haribara. like yes its sad he died but we didnt no anything about him really for it to be as impactful as it should have been as its literally the reason nanami stayed on to be a jujutsu sorcerer and what finally made geto snap.

give more backstory on gojo's family and expectations of him and how him being "othered" as the most powerful makes him more disconnected from people

something a bit more substantial to show even through gojo and geto were super close gojo couldn't emotionally empathize enough to see how much geto actually was struggling and the fact he failed him there

also see yuki interact with the rest of them more as she literally popped up out of the blue

movie break before season 4 for toji backstory movie

season 4 - the actual first season of jjk

i know yuji isnt the brightest crayon in the box but you'd think he'd actually go to the high school library/raid gojo's family library for ancient text/info on the actual curse living inside him. we should learn more of sukuna in this way, hell you could even rope in his old occult club for this.

more of sukuna mocking yuji. we see sukuna show interest in megumi which is good foreshadowing but we have nothing to hint of their actual relationship connection. i don't think sukuna would just be silent i think he would be mocking yuji internally alot.

sukuna should take over yuji's body temporarily due to their vow and we should have an early intoduction to uraume.

can we develop junpei more? he can have the same fate eventually but i feel like he should have joined jjk high briefly (still being manipulated on the side by mahito) before turning on yuji and this also is a good parallel to yuta story of how not everyone can be saved/converted.

introduce ino and show his and nanami relationship. how nanami struggles with it after haibara death

an episode or two just seeing the kyoto students interact and develop more of the relationship between mechamaru and miwa.

more information on how/why megumi sister got cursed. i assume megumi looses his shit later bc his sister is the only family he had that he gave a damn about but we need to see some more flashback scenes with them. i gotta be honest idgaf about her at this point and we certainly didnt see enough for megumi to completely lose the will to live or be as suicidal summoning mahoraga at every inconvenience lol.

season 5 - shibuya arc

things here would have made a lot more sense/felt better if things earlier were developed more as i mentioned so i dont think there needs to be a ton of changes.

we DO need to see how inumaki lost his arm because its so confusing he all of a sudden doesn't have one.

in all honesty zombie!toji should have been able to sense jogo if we are running with the theory he is programmed in that state to fight the strongest. sure megumi may have more potential than jogo but same could be said for dagon then. there was really no need for jogo show up at that point just to leave two minutes later.

nanami not dying to jogo/mahito. i appreciate how they did it and isolated i dont hate it tbh. its fitting although sad af. however choso's death and the subsequent power up yuji gets invalidates nanami's death/power up. Power ups from deaths are fine but it happening twice in pivotal moments is lazy writing. Nanami's death subsequently isn't as meaningful and choso's death (as his bro it is going to hit harder regardless). plus killing sukuna is way more substantial than than mahito.

given what happens later it also would have probably been good for megumi to realize thats his daddy back from the dead. maybe he realizes as toji's offing himself due to tid bits/things gojo or others have revealed to him in the past. but theres no other good time to do this before he becomes sukuna's vessel.

season 6 - culling games & gojo's release

explain in a less convoluted way idk how they are going to do this for anime cause i read the manga and bitch im STILL confused??

honestly though id say keep nanami alive tho just so he can meet higaruma because we need nanami + higaruma scenes they would fr be gojo and geto level besties istg.

would like a bit more on noritoshi kamo backstory and he seems to have this twisted fondness for his "children" so to speak so a bit more on that creepy mofo.

season 7 - prep for sukuna fight & sukuna gojo's fight

we skipped MONTHS here. wtf!? we need to see:

choso and yuji relationship

choso mourning yuki and realizing he probably wont be able to keep her promise as he has to protect yuji

yuji's training

maybe see more of sukuna's past

gojo reflection thoughts on all tf that has happened and his mental state.

season 8 - post gojo, current fight with sukuna

if nanami has to die he can go out fighting sukuna.

thats really all i have so far. the previous changes would make choso's death make more sense and although i hate it, it would serve its purpose more than an earlier nanami death.

thank you for coming to my ted talk.

[completeoveranalysis]

[7]

In my excitement to see Yuuko (alive) on the last page I didn’t immediately register the fact that she was GIANT. But I’m very much a fan of it!

Meanwhile I think she’s remaking Syaoran? Which I’m also very much a fan of!

Or like, I suppose we don’t know what SHE’S doing it, but it’s happening and she’s nearby at the very least. 

Also even more hilariously this makes it look like she heard Evil Wolverine's comment, instantly beamed in as a multi-dimensional giant to shade him, and then immediately ended the call.

Which is such a power move I don't even know what to say.

OH the sadness in her eyes as she watches him wake up, AND THE EMOTION ON HIS FACE AS HE LOOKS UP AT HER. 

It is NICE to see him have feelings again! GIVE THE BOY HIS EMOTIONS BACK HE DESERVES IT!

OH ARE WE DOING THAT???? ARE WE JUST PUTTING HIM BACK TOGETHER LIKE A JIGSAW PUZZLE???

IM

Wait I’m just going to see the next page before I get too far into this excitement spiral.

OH MY GOD ok ok ok OK

SO YES, Step 1 - Syaoran ‘died’ but because he was “shattered” and he’s “manmade” he can be reassembled. 

We recycled him. We restored him from the recycle bin.

Which is a WILD loophole to have for people you created yourself. For Evil Wolverine, I mean. Since they were MADE by him and not technically BORN they don’t die the same way and can just be put back together. 

WHICH has implications for a bunch of people - like Watanuki, for example, if he ever “dies”, since he “can’t” actually do that. But I assume “vanishing” is a different category of non-existence which would still be a threat? Or maybe only certain people could actually put him back together in a way that worked, with Yuuko possibly the only real option?

But also, KYLE RONDARY could technically make his return this way. And so could Xing Huo. And, uh, the whole army I suppose, but let’s not give Evil Wolverine any ideas. UNLESS MAYBE "SHATTERING" IS A SPECIFIC WAY OF DISAPPEARING AND THEY DIDN'T DO THAT SPECIFICALLY BECAUSE THEY KIND OF "UNWOUND" INSTEAD BUT I'M GOING TO DEEP LET'S PULL BACK A BIT

One thing I really like about this for Syaoran in particular is that it gives him a parallel to Sakura - like, his original Sakura, from Chapter 1. Her soul was shattered at the start of the series and he spent the rest of his life putting her back together, and now (after he was also shattered by the same man) he can also be put together the same way. It’s a very nice thematic link for them both. 

AND SPEAKING OF WHICH SAKURA IS REFORMING ALSO SHUT UP NO WAY WE GET SAKURA BACK?!?!?!

FUCK ME WE GET SAKURA BACK

[thewulf]

Hiii how are you? ✨️ Can you write Sirius Black and the Slytherin reader? The reader's family is a Voldemort followers but she never wants to go down that path. She's a really good person. She has more in common with Sirius than they realize. Sirius starts to have feelings for her, but after all, she's a Slytherin and her family are really bad, so Sirius doesn't want to admit it but continues to observe and watch the reader over time. After a while, he begins to test her patience and reactions. Even though these two idiots insist on admitting it even to themselves, fate may have written them together. They will have to discover this. They seem like they were created for each other in these difficult conditions.~

My favorite boy Sirius ahhhh!! Yes, you got this. I love love love getting HP requests. I sooo wish we would get more on the marauders instead of a remake of HP but I digress...

This has a lot of potential to go from angsty. Maybe the boys are mean to her bc she's easy to pick on, she's too nice to defend herself and thinks she kinda deserves it bc of who her family is :( Sirius is kinda playing both sides. He's joined up as your potions partner for the year and he sees how kind and how scared you truly are. It reminds him of him. He also joins in on pranking you, being mean to you etc until he's finally had enough. After a particularly nasty prank or something he finds you crying and it all spills out from you. How much you hate your life, your family, how you're scared to go home etc. and it hits him then the parallels between you and him. Ofc a happy ending :)

[sciencegothic]

hi! do you have any thoughts on athena's dynamics with telemachus and odysseus? because i have We'll Be Fine playing on loop in my head. and i think the differences and similarities between those two friendships are really interesting, so i'd love to hear any thoughts you have on them! :)

bee hii !! thank you for the ask !!

i definitely agree - athena’s dynamics with odysseus and telemachus are super interesting, especially in the ways that they parallel and contrast each other - i’ll try my best to unpack all my feelings coherently.   

so, okay, looking at athena-odysseus first. odysseus clearly looks up to athena. i mean, he’s a mortal man and she’s a goddess. that’s a pretty big deal. but right forn the start we see that odysseus is very causal around gods? i mean, he tricks athena into revealing herself to him, he’s obviously comfortable with mingling with the gods - or at least he’s comfortable with her.

(we see this reflected in telemachus, who almost immediately refers to athena as his friend when they meet, but i’ll get to that more later. already a similarity, though).   

to add to to this, we can see odysseus relatively relaxed and causal nature around athena best encapsulated when he says: 

Sounds like a plan Goddess and man Bestest of friends

this furthers the idea that he is very comfortable around her, while also showing that he doesacknowledge the divide between god and mortal, but seems to see it as something to bridge, rather than fear. odysseus has a very positive outlook about their relationship going forwards, and is quick to follow along with athena’s teachings, as signified in the musical by him joining in with her on the second chorus. 

athena, though, she doesn’t share this same view of their dynamic. before odysseus’ above line she says:

If you're looking for a mentor, I'll make sure your time's well spent

this is a mentor-protege dynamic to her, much more than it is a friendship. she also remakes how they’ll “see how it ends” when he suggests them becoming friends. friendship is not a priority for her, not a too priority at least. but, i don’t think that means she doesn’t care about odysseus. quite the contrary, honestly. being his mentor is very important to her. she wants to “change the world” with him. that’s something. that’s not a thing you do with just anyone. 

(putting the rest under the cut because, oops, this got quite long).

i think she did care about odysseus, right from when they met. it’s just that her way of expressing that was a sort of “tough love” approach, which doesn’t always bode well for friendships. but with the release of god games and the revelation of what athena’s relationship with zeus, her father, is like, i think it becomes more apparent why she holds the opinion that a healthy dynamic between two people (be it god and god, or god and mortal) revolves around pride and strength. she wants to shape odysseus into a great warrior, because she saw potential within him when he fought the bore. she wants to reach into his soul and pull out all the parts that make him a great man. all the parts that will keep him alive. 

if the god games are zeus’ attempt to set his daughter on the “right” path, athena’s goodbye to odysseus is her attempt at doing that with him. and, okay, it’s hard not to look at my goodbye when talking about these two. so, odysseus says—

I’ll remind you, I saw you as a friend

where athena laments that—

You’re not looking for a mentor I’m not looking for a friend 

and this sort of encapsulates the whole dynamics that i’ve being trying to capture. odysseus saw this as a friendship, athena saw it as mentorship. and the thing is, the fact that they did get on so well up until this point - the fact they managed to build such a tight bond as a goddess and a mortal- it shows their separate detentions of what their relationship is are kind of the same. i mean, okay, not literally, friendship and mentorship aren’t the same thing. but they clearly both wanted something from the other, and wanted to give something to the other, and they were achieving that. they had a bond. they cared. 

it’s just, athena is a goddess. and just as she warned, they couldn’t be “the bestest of friends”. because, as stated, her definition of what should come out of a meaningful relationship with someone (relationship in the platonic sense here) is heavily swayed by her father and the other gods. she is trying to make odysseus strong, she sees him leaving the cyclops alive (and then revealing his name) as a show of weakness. she cannot help him, then, because he has just damned himself, and in a way has just turned his back on her by ignoring her advice. gods are prideful, after all. it is a deep blow for someone to go against their will (cough cough. see zeus in god games.  cough). 

so they go their separate ways, they end things on pretty sour terms. and then a lot of years go by and a lot of things change. i’m going to leave these two for now, because i think a big aspect of their dynamic post-cyclops saga is best described in reference to athena and telemachus. 

speaking of which! let’s look at athena and telemachus. okay, so, like i mentioned before, a big similarly between their dynamic and athena-odysseus’ right off the bat is how comfortable telemachus is which athena almost immediately. you mentioned we’ll be fine, and i think that has the perfect example of this. because telemachus says:

You're my friend, I couldn't ask for more

there has been no verbal agreement between the two before this that their is any sort of friendship between them; but telemachus clearly believe strongly enough that they are friends, and - more pressingly - athena does not correct him. this shows then that while telemachus is so much like his father, athena has changed since meeting (and then leaving) odysseus. personally, i think part of this is because of odysseus. some of his last words to her were a staunch reminder that she is “alone”, and i think that hit her hard. i think that made her realise that they had been friends, she just hasn’t realised. and then she let that friendship crumble 

(athena also outright refers to odysseus as her friend when she’s lamenting about his to telemachus, which furthers the notion that she has had a change of heart and realises now - albeit too late - that they were friends. more on this in a bit). 

although athena is more accepting of her friendship with telemachus, she hasn’t fully lost her desire to be a mentor. little wolf is her helping telemachus to find his strength, helping him to fight. like odysseus with the boar, she sees his potential and she wants him to realise it. and like odysseus, telemachus takes this as a sign they they are (or could be, in odysseus case) friends. one difference here though is that the boar fight was orchestrated so athena could find a warrior worth her time. her helping telemachus is just that - she’s helping him. he asked for a sign and she showed up to show him his true strength. she wanted to help, rather than evaluate, i suppose. 

also, athena is generally very open with telemachus, and he responds with kindness. i imagine that she may had been a lot more reserved with odysseus, and maybe now has realised the detriments of that. it is also much more akin to a friendship dynamic that she is being so open, rather than sticking with the formalities of a strictly mentor-protege dynamic.  

but, okay, now we need to look at what athena tells telemachus about odysseus. this verse is especially telling:

Maybe if I'd made a different call Maybe if I hadn't missed it all Maybe he'd be fine Maybe we'd unwind Maybe if I help another soul Maybe if I helped you reach your goal Life could be that bright I could sleep at night

there is so much to say about this, but this post is already ridiculously long (sorry) so to sum it up - athena has had seven years to reflect on her time with odysseus, to reflect on their partings words to one another. we can see hear she’s clearly haunted by how things went, clearly wonders if it could have gone differently if she’d only treated him differently. and i think, her interaction with telemachus almost confirms that things could have gone better? because he’s so much like odysseus when she first met him, and it just reminds her how that relationship had started. comparing that to how things ended - how it haunts her now - as she laments to telemachus, it’s just a stark revelation that things could have, should have been handled better. i also believe that her whole interaction with telemachus and how he responds to it after as a sort of switch in her mind that she can still try to repair her relationship with odysseus. or, at the very least, she should see where he is

i think the line that sticks out to me most in relation to both dynamics is when athena tells telemachus:

You’re a good kid 

she does definitely mean it, but also i think in this moment this is something she’s saying to his son what she wishes she had told odysseus. he was her protege, her champion, but at his core he was just a kid. and he was a good kid, and a good friend would have let him know that. this is the biggest difference, then, between odysseus-athena and telemachus-athena - athena is letting telemachus know from the start that she appreciates him as more than just her student. 

athena’s arc in terms of her shifting mindset about friendship is best shown in god games. as mentioned before, the god games are like zeus way of testing his daughter and trying to force her back into the “right” (his) path. if athena was still the athena we see at the start of the musical, who values strength and pride over love, she would have been convinced by the other gods and given up. but she isn’t that same person anymore. 

she has been haunted by odysseus and changed by telemachus and now she is ready to fight for odysseus, not as a mentor but as a friend. she tells her father she is here for the sake of a friend, for the sake of a friendship. and even when the god king himself smites her, even when he tries to use brute force to get her to stand down, she still fights for odysseus.  

because he is her friend. 

i don’t know how well i actually answered this in regards to the similarities and differences - i sort of just went off on a ramble about the general dynamics between them - but i hope this at least answered your question somewhat! i love athena (shocker) and i think having her character progression shown through her friendships with a father and his son is so, so interesting. the three of them mean a lot to me 

[synergysilhouette]

Disney's revival era: an Alternate Timeline

A bit of a weird idea; I wanted to write an alternate universe where the Disney revival era made different choices with their films, and whether or not it paid off for them. I'm starting with "The Princess and the Frog" since I consider it the start of the era more than "Bolt."

(Edit: I've since made posts about remaking the renaissance and post-renaissance eras, but since those came out before the revival era, they don't exist in the same AU. Maybe I'll tweak this post so they do.)

The Princess and the Frog--In this timeline, Disney catches onto the "If we put 'princess' in the title, it'll reduce our box office" thing faster and changes the title to "Frogs." This outrages the black community, who also criticizes Disney for making the two leads frogs for most of the film. This results in a story overhaul, with the story being renamed "Cursed," and Tiana no longer turns into a frog when kissing Naveen, but she does gain the ability to speak to animals. This version of the film doesn't reveal his identity until the end, with Naveen going by Lawrence and the human "Naveen" we see is actually Lawrence working with Dr. Facilier to scam Lottie as well as woo Tiana to give them back Naveen. Naveen himself cannot discuss the curse, and must promise to help Tiana when he becomes human again by kissing a princess. Naveen's treatment as a frog also draws parallels to the treatment of people of color at the time, since Naveen is depowered here.The film ends up making about $400 million and still getting Disney out of their creative slump, as well as Ne-Yo's "Never Knew I Needed" being an actual song in the film (because it's so good and so underrated). "Tiana" becomes a Disney+ series that helps to promote the platform when it first debuts. It also got a Broadway adaptation in 2013, with Anika Noni Rose reprising her role when it debuted.

Tangled--In this timeline, Glen Keane's seminar on the benefits of 2D and 3D tilts favor in 2D's way, and he persuades Disney executives David Stainton and Dick Cook to make it by making the art style fuller akin to the Rococo paintings the film was inspired by (check out Lisa Keane's concept art for it). Kristen Chenoweth is kept on as Rapunzel, making some discourse on the internet later on when it was revealed Idina Menzel also auditioned for the role. The movie also finalizes Bastion instead of making Flynn Rider, due to concern that he'd be too similar to Naveen, and Beneditch Cumberbatch is cast as him (apparently he was supposed to be British, so I kinda jumped on this opportunity). "You are my Forever" and it's reprise are never cut here, and the movie also utilizes the darker original concept (no idea what it was; I heard about it and it sounds intriguing), with fans and critics likening it to "Mulan," "The Hunchback of Notre Dame," and "Pocahontas" for it's tone. The film makes about the same amount of money the original did, and makes Disney reconsider retiring 2D. The success inspires a Broadway production MUCH earlier, which makes many report that it's at home with Disney's renaissance adaptations on Broadway (with Mandy Moore making her stage debut as Rapunzel), and a TV series (with tighter writing) on Disney+ in 2019, which also helps bring in subscribers with "Tiana."

Winnie the Pooh--I wouldn't change much, other than the fact that it got promoted more and made about $200 or $300 million at the box office, prompting Disney to make "Goodbye Christopher Robin" a bit earlier.

Wreck It Ralph--Similar to "Tangled," WIR goes through the "2D or 3D" discussion, with 2D winning out in order to give it a retro vibe and appeal to a wider audience, taking inspiration from 90s video games and TV series. Critical response likens it to Pixar, and praises Disney for a particularly successful original film, making Disney open to more original stories in the future.

Frozen--Disney can't hold back the 3D desire any longer, and believes that the winter atmosphere makes "Frozen" the ideal film to showcase it. The Norwegian influence is more obvious and accurate here (versus a more vague Scandinavian influence like in the OG timeline) and they keep Elsa and Anna as sisters while still making Elsa the villain, though redeeming her at the end by using the mirror from the original fairy tale to explain her villainy. Here, Anna accidentally ruins Elsa's coronation (as originally stated in the wiki during the film's development), and when Elsa flees, she returns, more powerful than ever, to ruin Anna's coronation, making an ice palace out of the Kingdom of Arendelle and trapping Anna, just as Elsa felt trapped. Elsa also has two looks: her blue skin and dark hair when she uses her powers, and white skin/hair when she doesn't, though by the end, it's shown that the hair/skin color can mix and match (black hair with white skin and blue skin with white hair being fan-favorites, I'm sure). Hans isn't a twist villain, and Kristoff's design draws comparisons to Bastion, and the producers lean into the theory that they're long-lost brothers. Hans has much less brothers, instead it just being five, and his journey in the story is essentially the opposite of Anna's, where he wants to be distant from his family. By the end, Elsa does let Anna keep the throne--and the citizens understandably agree. The film still becomes the phenomenon it did IRL, and it POSSIBLY leads to Disney discussing a sequel much sooner.

Big Hero 6--The film has some significant changes: Fred and Wasabi are of partial Japanese heritage, (with the film attracting attention for having a predominately Asian cast, and Honey Lemon might have some Chinese ancestry mixed with her Latin roots; plus "My Hero Academia" debuting the same year in Japan helps boost both in popularity), Gogo is a convicted felon on parole to mirror her comic counterpart, head of story Paul Briggs and co-writer Robert L. Baird reading the entire run of the series, and inspiration is taken from X-Men and Teen Titans for the show, with Wasabi, Fred, and Gogo being superpowered individuals (Fred's draconic powers, Wasasbi's qi manipulation, Gogo's superspeed) while Hiro and Honey Lemon are human nerds. Yokai is also more present, with the plot twist of his identity being revealed earlier. It's also noted that Yokai took inspiration from Amon from season 1 of "The Legend of Korra," which has earned both praise and criticism for what some consider copycating. Baymax is Hiro's creation like in the comics, and Tadashi dies a little later in the film for more dramatic effect (the longer you know someone, the more it hurts). It's production goes smoothly, and it's moved up to a Spring release to better coincide with "Frozen" and it's success with it's message of sisterly love. The directors also advocate for it to be 2D, but Disney making $1 billion with "Frozen" makes them hesitant to do so, so they reach a compromise, making the film a hybrid style (somehow developing the tech earlier). This art style, combined with the superhero craze and positive reviews, pushes the film to make $1 billion, or something close to it.

Zootopia--The decision to make the film about a dystopian future where predators are oppressed ends up being the final cut. The film ends up being a bigger sleeper hit than the OG version, since it received controversy in certain countries for the USA making what was perceived to be a propaganda film about human rights and a jab at those specific nations. Of course, the controversy only heightens interest in the film, though Disney tries to smooth this over by clarifying that it wasn't meant to be a propaganda film, though some criticize them for not speaking up for oppressed people in said countries. The 3D art style is kept the same.

Moana--This version makes a few changes: "Moana" takes place in a specific land, (though I personally haven't decided if it's set in Samoa or Tahiti), Moana is a grown adult by this point and has a couple brothers, but not as many as in the concept art, and Maui isn't portrayed as obese and is more athletic, with Dwayne Johnson and Jason Mamoa's figures being a primary inspiration. Moana also practices wayfinding and navigating the seas under Tala's supervision before she goes to find Maui. Moana also isn't as headstrong about seafaring; she still wants to do it, but her mother tells her the story of her father much earlier in order to quell her, and her own accident makes her more hesitant. Maui also isn't a catalyst for all the bad events of the film; Te Fiti's heart is instead taken by selfish seafarers, with the overall message of the film mirroring a love for nature and others. There is also a bit of flirting between Moana and Maui, but the crew wants Moana to focus on her self-finding journey (plus Auli'i is still 14 while Dwayne is 44, so they wanted to avoid controversy), so nothing is concrete. Originally it had the "2D or 3D" crisis, but reached a reverse-"Tangled" situation, now being made as predominantly 3D with 2D watercolor elements. Dinah Jane (who auditioned for Moana IRL) sings the commercial version of "How Far I'll Go" instead of Alessia Cara. It meets the same financial success, with some saying that Moana took all the positive qualities of Ariel and Pocahontas without being held back by her predecessors' flaws. The film also gets a Broadway adaptation, being seen as a standout for it's diversity on the stage, as well as postponing news of a remake and resulting in the sequel being greenlit earlier rather than a show being considered in the interim.

Ralph Breaks the Internet--No major notes, but the references do heighten the Disney princess films and ignite conversations about whether or not critics have treated them unfairly. The film was also argued to be hybrid or 3D animation, but the concern of disconnect made them keep it 2D. It makes about the same in box office.

Frozen II--POSSIBLY released earlier if Disney didn't wait 3 years to greenlight a sequel (I'd put it at 2017 if they decided IMMEDIATELY to make a sequel), but Disney didn't make the mistake of using super young kids for test audiences, and production is MUCH smoother. As such, the more serious aspects of the film are kept, and Hans joins the gang here. The Northuldra are more characters than plot devices, and are diverse in terms of phenotype and genotypes; originally Disney had them mirror Indigenous Americans, but in my version, their Sami influence made some members of the tribe also have European features. Queen Iduna comes from these European members (I feel like that's easier to believe than her coming from the members who appear more Native American), and Elsa doesn't stop living in Arendelle, traveling instead. Agnar and Iduna get their flashbacks to show their relationship, as well as reducing Agnar's criticism as a terrible father. Plus there are FOUR songs marketed: "Lost in the Woods" is made more theatrical than rock-influenced (not that I hated it; it just wasn't right for this film), while edited versions of "Show Yourself" and "The Next Right Thing" (ie an Anna and Elsa duet of "Show Yourself" and lyrics that suggest Anna has been separated from the group in TNRT rather than suggesting the loss of certain characters) are exhibited to be the award contenders. Of course, "Into the Unknown" is still an exec favorite, with "Show Yourself" being a last-minute submission to awards. The film earns significant praise and is still a phenomenon, albeit less of an underrated one. The success of this film leads to the Broadway show being retooled in order to include some elements of the plot and the Northuldra, as well as making about $1.5 billion at the box office thanks to more positive reviews than the OG timeline "Frozen 2" and COVID not being a factor if it was released in 2017.

Raya and the Last Dragon--Right off the bat, the film again goes through the "2D or 3D" question, with 2D winning out, particularly thanks to Scott Watanabe's concept art (not shown here; this is Ryan Lang's). Rather than an amalgamation of Southeast Asia, Kumandra is a land made of five lands inspired by distinct cultures. Raya is the daughter of an emperor influenced by the Vietnamese empire, and the guardian of the dragon gem. Raya originally seeks to restore her land and the others as one nation of unity when the gem is broken and stolen, but recognizes the new nations as independent after realizing that her land (nicknamed "Heart" mockingly by the other regions) may have been too oblivious to the suffering of other people. This film is a musical, and while Kelly Marie Tran still plays Raya's speaking voice, the film takes inspiration from "Tarzan" and "The Lion King: The Gift" by having songs placed over the scenes rather than the characters singing themselves, representing their thoughts. Sisu also comes off a lot more serious and wise, being a mother-like figure to Raya rather than a sister. The voice cast better reflects the SEA culture, and a tighter world/message allows for better word of mouth--plus it's amazing music makes it an instant classic. The diversity and positive reception actually puts it's box office at similar figures to "Demon Slayer: Mugen Train."

Encanto--Mostly the same, except tighter in story. Antonio, Isabella and Luisa spend more time with Mirabel throughout the film to emphasize the family bonds (rather than just Mirabel with Alma and rushing through her relationships with everyone else), and we see more insight into Pepa and Julieta's dynamic. The film makes a bit more money given that it's a phenomenon, but COVID keeps it from doing anything too record-breaking, sadly. "Raya" and "Encanto" being released in the same year to massive success is marked as a legendary year for diversity in Hollywood. It still remains a 3D film.

Strange World--Overhaul, overhaul, overhaul. The story and visuals are more ambitious, and is more science-fantasy than sci-fi. Firstly, the film goes for the hybrid style of animation, since it fits sci-fi genre (or sci-fan in this take) so well, and Ethan is older and is almost the main character instead of his dad (I wanted to make him the main character, but a Disney protagonist in their 40s is pretty rare). The main cast are humanoid aliens that take influence from comic books and anime, mainly the Kree, Tamaraneans, and the Saiyans, with the main theme being rejuvenation and family, essentially a cross between "Moana" "Atlantis," and "Encanto," (with a touch of Fox's "Avatar") with Avalonia's culture being influenced from lesser-known European and Afro-Asiatic cultures. The Clade family works as mercenaries hired by a mysterious benefactor to destroy a rebel group that seeks to threaten Avalonia--but when the truth comes out, they may find themselves rogues in order to save their world. Disney actually promotes this movie like CRAZY due to COVID, and it makes around $300 million, with praise going for it's plot being unique among Disney films. Disney's sequel fever is a bit altered due to this (ie Zootopia 2 being released in spring of 2025 instead of fall, mirroring the first film's release date).

Wish--Disney utilizes MANY original concepts, such as human Star (who's the son of Magnifico and Amaya here), while Amaya is the evil queen from the get-go, and Magnifico struggles between good and evil due to his trauma. Asha's friend group is more prominent, and she's a much more shy and reserved protagonist. Asha's design is influenced by the Mowry sisters, who both have their own past with Disney. Disney uses the Anderson-Lopez team for the music since they already were working on a Spain-inspired film for Disney (not sure if Julia is entirely to blame for the music, though, and should their use in "Wish" affect their work with the "Frozen" franchise? Julia still sings the end credits song, though). The filmmakers EXTENSIVELY watch classic and modern Disney films, as well as "Enchanted" (because duh), and try to use abandoned concepts from other Disney films to use for "Wish." They opt to make the film 2D with 3D elements (ie magic and effects) to acknowledge Disney's history. The film achieves over $600 in box office, and Asha is inducted into the Disney princess line, as well as the movie earning praise for it's depth and tackling of complex themes such as wishes, dreams, and loss, including how what you want and what you need aren't synonymous. Currently undergoing a stage adaptation, something Disney wanted to keep under wraps but was eager to announce to carry over the 100 years celebration.

I know this is a bit of an odd post, and I'm sure others would have more creative ideas on an alternate timeline, but I wanted to utilize what we had. Perhaps I'll come back and edit this to include scrapped Disney movies.

(Update: Gonna add "Moana 2" later)