#and this isn't to say the show is without flaws but it DOES get lonely trying to generally defend the character arcs

[musical-chick-13]

Once again wishing I liked the books more.

[funnycreatortimetravel]

Whenever I rewatch the Madoka Magica episodes + the two recap movies, I always feel that the sentiment "Homura did nothing wrong," shines through the most here and less so Rebellion (I'll get into this later) even though ironically, the Rebellion movie is where that infamous saying was coined.

-Homura cannot DO any wrong when everything sort of already goes wrong no matter if she intervenes or not. Mami dies whether or not Homura intervenes (she goes crazy when she finds out that magical girls are all destined to turn into witches and then goes on a murder-suicide rampage, she's killed by Walpurgis, she gets caught off guard, etc.) All of these deaths happened on Mami's accord and not Homura's, so of course there's no wrongdoing to be had.

-Even if you argue that Homura could've been nicer to her, Mami automatically assumed that Homura had the worst intentions for Madoka and the others, so she never really gave her a chance even WHEN Homura went through the effort of finding a grief seed solely to befriend Mami (which Homura does in most timelines FYI.) The moment Homura isn't Mami's sweet little junior student anymore, Mami is automatically on defense and even calls her a loser just because she doesn't want Madoka to make a contract, and Mami just assumes that it's because Homura doesn't want competition (which makes no sense because Homura offered her a grief seed.)

-Mami does the same thing to Kyoko in the Different Story Manga; Once Kyoko's parents died and she became distraught, she didn't want to follow Mami's ideals anymore and this leads them into getting into a physical altercation (sound familiar?)

-Mami has never been a person you can just causally talk things through to. If she believes you don't share the same ideals on things, she can and will fight you. She doesn't fight Sayaka or Madoka because those two largely agree with her on everything, but Kyoko and Homura? They're free game if they so much as look at her sideways.

-Mami also says that making a wish should be something you seriously think about and not just dive in willy nilly, but then turns around and tells Madoka that she should wish for a cake if she still hasn't figured it out all because Mami doesn't want to be alone.

-I'm going to give Mami the benefit of the doubt and assume she wasn't being serious, but she knows how impressionable Madoka is and regardless of how serious or not she is, she's still fine with Madoka making a wish and becoming a magical girl just so she won't be lonely anymore.

-Homura tries her damn hardest to befriend Mami (she offers her a grief seed as I mentioned earlier, she listens when Mami tells her to go away without a fuss, and she warns Mami of the witch Charlotte only to be ignored and tied up) and the only thing she gets in return is Mami's unwarranted hostility. And once Homura is proven right and Mami is beheaded in front of Madoka and Sayaka, causing an insurmountable amount of trauma to them, she still quietly grieves for her even when all Mami did was assume the worst with no evidence.

-I don't necessarily blame Mami for assuming that Homura didn't have the best intentions since she's a veteran and I'm certain has had other negative run-ins with magical girls, but it's not like Homura even provided enough evidence that she would be like them. Mami was just being territorial due to force of habit (she's fine with other magical girls so long as they stay her juniors as evident in Rebellion when the moment Homura "turns different," she's highly suspicious and is ready to go guns blazing.) She doesn't even give Homura a chance to explain herself in either the show or the movie and that's one of her biggest flaws; she's so perfectionist that she can't even see what's in front of her sometimes.

-Despite this, Homura still values her as her old mentor and is hurt when the person who saved her all those timelines ago calls her a loser to her face. She even says that Mami has the softest heart of all and wishes she could forget how she trampled over her and other's feelings, (even though when you look back, Mami was the one who hurt her feelings rather than the other way around.)

And yet she still says this...

-"And it hurt me..." Homura admitting that shows just how much she cares. The fact that she's able to admit that it wasn't what Mami said that hurt her, but the fact that shattering Mami's optimistic viewpoint with the reality of the magical girl system was what hurt.

-Homura knows about Mami's tragic backstory with her parents and also knows that Mami, "doesn't have any other family to speak of," which shows she's been very close to Mami at one point, even seeing her vulnerable side just like Madoka did when Mami had that breakdown shortly before she died to Charlotte.

-She also "envies Mami" because Madoka states that she'll remember her even after she dies. Homura is obviously envying Mami because Madoka will forever see Mami in a good light in death while Madoka is afraid of her, but she could also just be envying Mami because, well, Mami died and left Madoka feeling attached to her while Homura thought she was going to die without ever being able to be close to Madoka as she once was. Context clues people, context clues.

-If you look at the different story manga, which I and many others consider canon, Homura clearly still has PTSD from Mami's murder-suicide attempt, which is the main reason why she tries to be gentle with her and listen to her when she's ordering Homura around.

-And she also notes that Mami never "held her hand," like that. Regardless of what Homura thinks, she clearly still wants or wanted that intimacy with Mami. She still saw her as an older sister figure and I know it crushed her heart when Mami said something so cruel to her.

-She also declines when Mami believes that Homura is going to kill her, even though her soul gem is stained and she technically is on her way to becoming a witch. Instead, Homura imparts some words to her.

-In the case of Sayaka...Whooo boy, it's like ten times worse than Mami. Sayaka is so caught up in her ideals that she hates anything too wild and selfish, but also weak and passive. She craps on Kyoko for being immoral and then also craps on Madoka AND Homura for not doing enough (she says that Madoka has a lot of potential but doesn't do anything with it and says Homura is too unskilled to fight effectively.) She views herself, or at least tries to, as the ultimate magical girl of justice who's moral, selfless, and most of all, strong. She doesn't view Homura, at least the one in the past timelines, as someone strong enough to be a proper magical girl.

-Sayaka holds everyone to the standard of Mami Tomoe, someone who's graceful, strong, and selfless, but she never gets the chance to realize that that version of Mami Tomoe isn't the real one and the standard she holds herself and others don't exist, which is why in every single timeline, she ALWAYS ends up witching out. It's also why in every timeline, she's antagonistic to Homura no matter if it was her timid self or the one hardened by trauma.

-She blames Homura in one timeline for attempting to warn them about Kyubey, accusing her of trying to split the group up, but then in Magia Record, when Homura DOESN'T tell them about Kyubey because she's seen how pointless it is, Sayaka gets on her case for not telling them sooner and accuses her of not telling because Homura "finds it funny." She literally can't win, no matter how quiet and out of the way she is.

-And it doesn't get better once Homura becomes "stronger" (or at the least the facade of becoming it) Sayaka just thinks that she's one of those magical girls who kills only for herself (and while Sayaka's not ALL the way wrong as she will kill solely for Madoka, she also doesn't understand that the system is designed to be like that and that's the fault of Kyubey and not Homura.)

-We're never actually shown Homura saving civilians, but we also don't see her sit idly by and let them get hurt either. Homura's viewpoint is that magical girls aren't morally obligated to be heroes and she's right; magical girls are cattle being harvested and the "good" they do is only delaying the inevitable once they witch out. No matter how noble and pure Sayaka was or wanted to be, she was eventually going to witch out and harm others, even if she wanted to save people.

-The nature of magical girls is equivalent exchange; whatever "good" is done, an equal amount of or even more bad is sure to come of it. Sayaka was going to keep killing innocent civilians as a witch until someone put her out of her misery, and that was what Homura was going to do. Sayaka doomed herself the moment she made a contract with Kyubey, and more importantly, she doomed innocent civilians, and she doomed her friends.

-Sayaka's witching out leads Mami to go crazy and attempt to kill everyone, Madoka making a contract in several timelines to save Sayaka from witching out (she does so in the Different Story Manga and Sayaka still ends up hurt) and Kyoko dying either from suicide during her confrontation with Octavia or dying from the wounds she sustains from the battle. Not to mention Sayaka witching out breaks Madoka's psyche, which is what Homura is trying to avoid.

-It would be one thing if Sayaka just died on her own accord, but she always brings others with her down her descent into despair, whether it's by killing civilians as a witch or being mean to Madoka and making her feel as though Sayaka's witching out was partly her fault.

-That's why Homura was in the right to "put her down" essentially, and even though she said she would, she couldn't bring herself to because somewhere deep down, she still cared for Sayaka. She apologizes for blowing up Sayaka in one of the first few timelines when she witches out and she blames herself for Sayaka making a contract in the TV series timeline, even saying that she should've protected Sayaka as much as Madoka even though Sayaka has never been anything BUT mean to her in the beginning. She takes responsibility for the girls' downfall even though it was inevitable.

-Another thing is her kinship with Kyoko. Because Kyoko and Homura both grew up in religious homes (Homura with catholic school and obliviously Kyoko's father being a preacher) they have the closest views on what it means to be magical girls. Note how I didn't say similar, but closest. Homura and Kyoko's wishes were for someone else, and as a result, they firmly believe that their wishes are for the sake of those people and won't pretend to be heroes or the like. The only difference is that Kyoko is much wilder and rougher because her wish directly led to the murder-suicide of her family (cough cough, like a big sister figure that killed her OTHER found family.)

-It's also the reason why Homura and Kyoko became so close in Rebellion. Kyoko was the only magical girl, apart from Madoka and even SHE sometimes didn't trust Homura, to kill Walpurgis. Kyoko agrees to fight with Homura and even though she is purely doing this for her benefit, she at least gives Homura a CHANCE and hears her out, even offering her a pocky stick. She was willing to team up with her and was also the first person that Homura felt comfortable talking to in Rebellion when she felt that something was up.

(I'll go into further specifics in another post since I ran out of image/video usage. Damn this app 😭.)

[dojae-huh]

Hi Huh-nim, just a random thought but I'm curious about how much Jaedo have opened up to each other. I think Jaehyun seems to be the type of person that stays in his own world and probably keep most of his thoughts to himself because he found that not a lot of people around can relate to his perspectives. Doyoung could also be quite defensive or protective of his true feelings to others as well despite his friendly character. I'm curious about how Jaedo show intimacy in their relationship.

What is the point of a "lifelong partner" if you can't or don't want to open up to him? When you continue to "stay lonely" in such a relationship?

People want real friends or a family (in its ideal form) to have someone they can open up to, speak without caution, be listened to and be accepted, not judged, a place to relax and be oneself.

Jaehyun even wants to show his true character to fans (his weird humour, his clumsiness, his slowness, his hobbies), and you think he will play someone with Doyoung? He is authentic by design, pretending is hard for him, not comfortable. We also know that Jaehyun has profound talks with his relatives when troubled and listens to their advice. Ergo, he seeks out intimate talks (with a selected few). Jaehyun also has an inclination to express himself through song-writing, and he chooses to tap into his own experiences and feelings, not just write rythming words and use popular cliches. Lastly, Jaehyun is bad at lying.

As for Doyoung, his motto is "be sincere with oneself", "live truthfully to oneself". He is talkative and likes to vent, as well as process and contemplate while speaking. He highly values authenticity in people and is not quick to truly trust, meaning, he will seek this out in a relationship. I stressed several times how Doyoung becoming more abrasive is a sign of closeness. The more he is intimate he is with someone, the more he is "unfriendly". For Doyoung being "defensive" isn't about hiding his opinions. On the contrary, it's about debating over them, insisting on him being right. Take in the context of SK as the country where the older person's words are always "right", someone the younger person can't go against or even question. Teh country of tradition, doing as everyone else, conforming and following rules. And there is Doyoung who talks to people much older than him as equal and who always contradicts "norms" if he doesn't agree.

JaeDo are very attuned to each other, used to each other's antics and habits, and this level of "becoming one" doesn't come without psychological intimacy as one needs to understand why the other does what he does. Some of it comes through observation (the way Doyoung knows how Jaehyun looks when he wants to say something while the everyone in the room are talking and Jae doesn't know when and how to speak up), some of it is communicated through verbal explanations. Doyoung said "I'm stubborn, but Jaehyunie is more stubborn". Such a conclusion comes from battling over opinions and personal POVs on situations.

Both Do and Jae said that their ideal first date is getting to know another person in a cafe, conversing. They used to have talks in the evening with wine (Jae showed us his mini fridge he bought for the drinks). They copy each other's interests (like scented candles, jazz), which is a sign of wanting to "merge" (create one environment, one set of rules/hobbies that is suitable and comfortable for both) and opposite to staying "the way I was before the relationship, my own unique untouchable individual self".

Notice how when Jaehyun relaxes he becomes a chatterbox. Only those who think they will be ostricised for their ideas or those who think everyone else are morons don't want to share their thoughts and what they think. People have egos, and egos want their opinions to be known. For any person, the goal is not to be fully understood (it's seldom possible), the goal is to be accepted despite your weird thoughts, or your tics, or your flaws. And the more a person's mind is creative/full of ideas, the more he wants to verbalise them, let someone know about them.

In conclusion, yes, JaeDo ought to open up to each other a lot and discuss various topics. They wouldn't have the deep trust they have without that. Now, do Jaedo have sensitive topics they prefer not to touch on? Of course they should. Like it's evident Jae stayed away from Do's beef with Ten and Johnny as much as he could. And it seems to me Doyoung avoids involving himself with the creative projects of his friends because he knows he will want to do it his way, insist on his vision, that he can hurt with his critique.

It is also possible that both hide from each other temporal difficulties they have to not burden the other one. We know Doyoung prefers to shut himself in his room and work through his anger or other negative emotions alone. However, it's not always about mistrust. Some people simply calm down better alone, while others better with help from others. Or another example, if Jaehyun vented out his frustration on Doyoung everytime he felt jealous, it wouldn't do any good to their relationship that was still in its early stages back in 2018-2019.

I used "temporal" as I don't include long-lasting issues that can destroy or fester and blow up, and thus need to be shared and worked through. Because looking at how JaeDo sail smoothly, they do it. For example, when Jaehyun was vulnerable due to the scandal and attacks in 2020, Punch era, he didn't try to be a strong soldier and act as if it didn't affect him (again, he simply isn't capabele of that). And Do was right there beside him as morale support. (Doyoung actually always fawns over pouting and sulking Jaehyun, partly why Jae does it so theatrically, he manages to get Do's attention on himself from Do's work).

Lastly, a bit off topic, why does everyone forget Doyoung is a weird Aquarius himself? Why won't he understand Jaehyun when the two clicking is the reason Jae is so attached to Do in the first place? Only because Do once said he doesn't get how Jae's brain works? Do thinks he is normal himself. While he may well be the rarer brain type out of the two. Who cries over a dead Marie because her real story was misinterpreted in history? Or is super-fixated on outward look and fights over fake glasses to wear for the performance but doesn't do manicure even for a fashion pictorial?

[thestupidhelmet]

Okay so I feel like fez lost his funk after the first season. What do you think the show would be like without him? Like does he really add anything to the table after the first season?

A fascinating question!

If Fez returned to his homeland after season 1 ...

Season 2:

Hyde and Jackie would feel his absence the most. Hyde would be lonelier because his three best friends are couples up (Eric with Donna, Kelso with Jackie). Hyde, without a friend to hang out with consistently, is more on edge. Crueller with his sarcasm.

Without Fez to give her the attention and thoughtfulness Kelso can't, she becomes even more impatient with and demanding of Kelso. When he says they should break up/he should see other people (after Laurie sexually assaults him he experiences sex with his long-time crush), she's not only adamant that this won't happen, she's also grows suspicious.

Eric and Donna miss Fez and reminisce about their time with him, but his absence doesn't affect them otherwise.

Hyde is more blatant with getting cheating Kelso caught by Jackie. Jackie, becoming more frustrated with Kelso's glaring personality flaws, is less apt to deny the truth. She point blank asks him if he's cheating. Kelso denies it. Jackie believes him but only just.

Kelso, though, has noticed Jackie's intensifying dissatisfaction with him. He's unsure if he loves her and is relieved when she does finally catch him cheating on her with Laurie. In Kelso-logic, he believes Jackie's reaction will tell him about her character -- if she's worth the work of being in a relationship with her.

Kelso puts the onus of his cheating on Jackie's growing hostile treatment of him. He says they can start over, that he'll drop Laurie if Jackie starts treating him nicely. Jackie is aghast at his perspective and proposal and dumps him. "And we are never, ever, ever, ever getting back together!"

Kelso, ego hurt, skips his week of trying to woo Jackie back and goes straight to aggression. He lets Laurie bully her, as he does on the show.

Hyde steps in and teaches Jackie his version of Zen. But he also calls out Kelso directly for treating Jackie like crap. Kelso says, "Hey, she treated me like crap first!" Hyde says, "You're full of crap, man, if you believe that. You cheated on her!"

This situation puts more of a wedge between Kelso and Hyde.

Jackie begins hanging out with Hyde. He doesn't want to enjoy it, but he starts to. After their Red Lobster and mall excursion, she kisses him in her car. He pushes her away, but when she explains that she kissed him because she was alone and he was alone -- he gets in touch with just how lonely he's been since Fez left.

Hyde tells Jackie that romantically, they won't happen (after his dialogue from "Kelso's Serenade"). But they can hang out sometimes. Jackie, brightening, says, "As friends?" Hyde says, "As people who can tolerate each other despite their mutual dislike."

Jackie's obsessiveness, unfortunately, leads to the same results on the show. Hyde can't tolerate her clinginess and chronic attention-seeking. But he still protects her from going to jail.

Season 3

With Jackie and Hyde's relationship evolving, Kelso finds himself with only Laurie to hang out with. Fez isn't present to give him a buddy. Laurie, as on the show, decides she and Kelso should date. Kelso isn't interested in who Laurie is; he just wants to have sex with her. So he cheats, hoping to free himself of the emotional, relationship trap he's found himself in.

Kelso lets Laurie catch him fooling around with another girl in the Formans' basement. He anticipates the break-up, but Laurie isn't Jackie. She laughs and says, "I don't care who you do it with. It's not like I'm not having sex with other guys. But I'm actually starting to ... care about you. So I'm completely cool with us having an open relationship."

Kelso is blindsided by this turn of events. He says, "But I want us to break up!"

Laurie says, "Oh, we can break up when I say we can break up. Otherwise -- " she puts on her baby voice -- "I'll tell Daddy how badly you hurt me." She speaks menacingly. "Then he'll hurt you." She smiles, showing all her teeth. "Understand?"

Kelso, half-crying, says, "I understand."

The events of "Jackie Bags Hyde" (3x08) go differently. Because Jackie truly fell out of love with Kelso (thanks to Fez's absence and the ramifications of that), she does experience romantic feelings for Hyde.

Hyde has an easier time accepting his growing romantic feelings for Jackie because he's been in touch with his loneliness. His make-out with her doesn't end abruptly. In contrast, it gets heavy fast. Jackie is full-steam ahead, but Hyde regains control of his passion and says they need to slow down.

Inside the Lincoln, Jackie says, "I've done it in a car before. This car. It's okay."

Hyde: "It's only our first date, man. We don't wanna do somethin' we might regret."

Jackie: "You'd regret doing it with me?"

Hyde (frustrated, in more than one way, and wanting to reassure her): "What I'm sayin' is let's see where this goes."

Jackie: "Like on another date?"

Hyde (relieved): "Exactly."

Jackie (after thinking a moment): "How should we tell people out first date went?"

Hyde takes his own moment to think and says, "We ate pizza. It was cool. Whatever."

Jackie (understanding): "Whatever. It was cool. We ate pizza "

Hyde, grinning, says, "You have learned well, grasshopper."

Jackie and Hyde conceal their growing romance from their friends. This protects them from Kelso in one way but puts Jackie in Kelso's cross hairs in another. He wants out from his relationship with Laurie. If sleeping with other girls won't do it, then having a romance with another girl will. He decides Jackie is best mark -- er -- candidate.

Kelso tries becoming Jackie's friend again first. Hyde is suspicious and asks Kelso what he's up to. Kelso spills his whole plan and why: "First I'm her friend. Then we 'rediscover' our love for each other, and Laurie finally drops me."

Hyde says, "Not gonna work, man. Jackie's found someone else."

Kelso: "What? Who? I haven't seen her date anyone!"

Hyde: "You heard me. Who doesn't matter. And you don't pay enough attention to know who's doin' what unless it's a girl doin' you."

Kelso: "Damn! Where am I gonna find a girl I actually like?"

Hyde: "Have you tried Sheboygan?"

Season 3 ends with Hyde admitting to Jackie she's his girlfriend. Eric and Donna break up, and Laurie leaves town unexpectedly -- which makes Kelso very happy but also very confused.

Season 4

Eric and Donna go through their break-up (and in Donna's case, mother-abandonment) grief. Eric, alone, catches Hyde and Jackie making out in the basement. It barely registers during his depression. He walks past them, where they kiss on the sofa, and returns upstairs.

Kelso uses the opportunity to "befriend" Donna in her emotional vulnerability. Instead of sleeping with Eric in "The Relapse," she sleeps with Kelso. As she says in the episode, she would've done it with anybody.

Kelso, excitedly, tells Hyde that he and Donna has sex twice. Hyde frogs Kelso's shoulder twice, hard. "You don't sleep with your friend's girlfriend, man! Not when she's still in love with her ex!"

Kelso: "She jumped me! What else was I supposed to do, say no?"

Hyde, understanding the thin line of hypocrisy he's walking, says, "In this specific case, yeah. Hell, how would you like it if one of your friends slept with your ex?"

Kelso laughs. "Laurie slept with everyone except my friends. But if she had, that would only be you or Donna, which would've been hot. Eric's her brother, and that would've been gross."

Hyde: "What about Jackie?"

Kelso: "Jackie never would've done it with Laurie. She hates Laurie."

Hyde: "Focus. Let's say Jackie and Forman slept together. Then how would you feel?"

Kelso: "Bad. I used to love Jackie 'til she went psycho."

Hyde: "So you don't love her anymore?"

Kelso blows out a breath. "I'm not sure I ever really did. I mean, I did cheat on her the first chance I got."

Hyde (to himself): "Cool."

Kelso (confused): "Wait, I thought you didn't like that I cheated on Jackie."

Hyde: "I don't. Nevermind. The point is, you gotta leave Donna alone. She's gonna regret that she nailed ya -- "

Kelso (smiling): "Twice."

Hyde: " -- And I'm not sure Forman'll forgive you."

Kelso (worried): "Should I tell him ... ?"

Hyde: "Right now, it'd kill him. Or he'll kill you. Donna'll probably tell him herself anyway."

Kelso: "So I'm off the hook! All right!"

Hyde knows reasoning with Kelso is impossible and ends the conversation.

Jackie, meanwhile, is having her own conversation with Donna. "You slept with Michael?" Jackie shouts.

Donna: "Twice. It was bad ... twice. But I needed something, anything to distract me. I'm miserable, Jackie. My mom's gone. I can't be with Eric because he's a controlling ass. I don't know how to break out of it."

The fact Kelso slept with Donna stings, but Jackie realizes what bothers her more is that he took advantage of her best friend. "What you need is to spend time with a real friend."

Donna: "Where am I gonna find that?"

Jackie: "Donna!"

Donna: "I'm kidding, I'm kidding. Thank you, Jackie."

Jackie: "First, I'll oversee your makeover. Changing up your look can change how you feel on the inside."

Donna: "I don't know ... "

Jackie: "Would it help to know I've been keeping a juicy secret from you?"

Donna: "Only if you tell me the secret now."

Jackie (giggling): "Steven and I have been secretly dating for months. He calls me his girlfriend and everything! Isn't that great?"

Donna experiences a myriad of conflicting emotions. "That ... might be the weirdest piece of news I've ever heard."

Jackie (insulted): "You slept with Michael. Twice."

Donna: Fair enough. Do you plan on telling Kelso?"

Jackie: "Why should I? He cheated on me with Laurie. He had Laurie bully me. He then dated Laurie -- "

Donna: "You made your point. So ... how am I supposed to tell Eric?"

Jackie: "What I shared with you I shared with . Eric doesn't need to know."

Donna: "About me and Kelso, not you and Hyde!"

Jackie: "Oh. Well, how would you feel if Eric had slept with Michael twice?"

Donna: "That Buddy Morgan's kiss awoke something in Eric he didn't realize until now?"

Jackie (frustrated): "A female Michael."

Donna: "Terrible. Like he cheated on me even though we're broken up."

Jackie: "So expect Eric to feel like that. If you two ever get back together, better he knows now what happened then when you're dating again."

Donna takes Jackie's words to heart. She tells Eric she slept with Kelso and why. Eric is devastated and furious, too deep in his pain to understand the situation from Donna's point of view.

Eric finds Kelso at The Hub and says, "I know you slept with Donna. She told me."

Kelso: "Did she tell you how many times?"

Eric: "What?!"

Kelso: "Uh ... Frank wants me to help him behind the counter -- "

Eric (grabbing Kelso by the shirt collar and forcing him to stay in place): "How. Many. Times?"

Kelso, sputtering, says: "Just twice! One after the other."

Eric (hands shaking): "Well, that's just great!"

Kelso (relieved): "I didn't think you'd take it so well."

Eric: Uh-huh. Uh-huh. I have two pieces of news for you, buddy. One, Hyde's fooling around with Jackie."

Kelso: "He likes to prank her. So what?"

Eric: "No. Hyde's playing tongue twister with your ex. Maybe more."

Kelso: "Jackie's cheating on me with Hyde?"

Eric (too flustered and flabbergasted by Kelso's thought process): "News item number two: you're banned from the basement!"

Kelso: "But you and Donna are broken up!"

Eric: "For, like, five minutes. You pounced in her!"

Kelso: "Hey, she pounced in me!"

Eric: "I don't care. And Jackie hasn't been your girlfriend in over a year. She's not cheating on you. You cheated on our friendship! No, scratch that. We're not friends anymore."

Eric leaves The Hub. Kelso is angry over Hyde and Jackie and heartbroken over losing Eric's friendship. He feels very alone.

Kelso seeks comfort from Donna at her house. She wants him to stay away, but he says, "I comforted you sexually and lost everything! You owe me."

Donna: "This conversation is over. Don't come by my house anymore."

Kelso is a teen without a friend group.

In the basement, Eric tells Hyde about Donna and Kelso. Hyde says Kelso told him earlier today. Eric shouts, "And you didn't tell me?"

Hyde: "Figured it was Donna's place. Not mine. If it helps, I punched Kelso in the arm twice afterward -- and I barely held back."

Eric: "Good. ... I told Kelso about you and Jackie."

Hyde: "What about me and Jackie?"

Eric: "That you're fooling around."

Hyde: "Huh. Thought you didn't notice. Whatever."

Eric: "Kelso's banned from the basement anyway, so he probably won't cause you any trouble. Probably."

Hyde: "I can handle Kelso. He just better not mess with Jackie."

Eric (thoughtful): "You care about her ... "

Hyde (outwardly chill, inwardly anxious): "She's my girlfriend. But she'll tear his eyelashes out if he tries anything. Bottom ones, too."

Eric: "Ouch." Silence. Then, "What am I gonna do about Donna?"

Hyde: "When you're calmer, try to think about what she's goin' through. Her ma ran off to California. She didn't just lose her boyfriend when you guys broke up; she lost her best friend. She's gotta be hurtin' to sleep with Kelso."

Eric (softening): "I guess."

Hyde: "If it makes you feel better, Jackie told me Donna he was bad at it. ... And for what it's worth, she still loves you. She's just not the kind of girl who likes to be controlled. Think about that, too."

Donna stays single throughout the season. Her experience with Kelso dissuades Jackie from setting her up with Casey

Eric, however, (falsely) believes he can let go of Donna -- or the fact Donna slept with Kelso -- if he has sex with someone else. He gets close with that girl Emily, but he can't go through with it. He still loves Donna and feels like he'd be cheating on her.

Season 4 ends with Kelso vowing revenge on Eric for banning him from the basement, Donna for refusing to engage in a sexual relationship after he "lost everything" by comforting her, Hyde for being in a relationship with Jackie, and Jackie for moving on from him with Hyde.

It also ends with Donna and Eric trying to reconcile in the basement. Eric says he's tried all year to erase his imagined image of Donna and Kelso sleeping together. Donna says she's been going through hell all year, and Kelso was a horrible stop along the way. She wishes she could forget it herself. No amount of showering can erase it from her memory.

Eric apologizes for trying to control her. He understands why she gave back the promise ring. This admission heals a huge part of Donna's heart. She confesses that this last year without him made her realize she never wants to repeat it -- but she understands she'll have to because of what she did with Kelso.

Eric clasps Donna's shoulders tenderly -- "No, you won't -- " and kisses her. "Let's get back together," he says afterward.

Donna (wiping tears from her eyes): "Really?"

Eric: "Donna, I love you. And I wasn't thinking of Kelso when we kissed."

She laughs. "That's good. So you forgive me?"

Eric: "No. There's nothing to forgive you for. And Sleeping with Kelso ... you've suffered enough."

Donna (playful): "Dumbass." She thinks quietly. Then she says, "I really want to get out of here."

Eric: "The basement?"

Donna: "Point Place. Wanna go to California with me to spend the summer?"

Eric: "Yeah! But my parents'd never let me go."

Donna: "Who says they have to?"

Eric (mustering up his courage): "Donna, I'll be an outlaw for your love."

She grins and kisses him. They separate, him to his bedroom and her to her house. They pack clothes and other necessities and meet at the bus stop. They board the bus.

Season 5

Red, Kitty, Bob, and Joanne are all concerned (and angry) that neither Eric nor Donna have returned home that night.

Kitty: "Last I knew, Donna was going to try to reconcile with Eric. You don't think she killed him and is burying the body?"

Bob: "Hey, my Donna would never kill him herself. We've got family in New Jersey for those kinds of things."

Red: "Well, if Eric isn't dead now, he will be when he gets home."

Joanne: "Maybe they eloped."

Kitty, Red, and Bob's faces twist in horror.

Hyde, Jackie, and Kelso are each interrogated about Eric and Donna's whereabouts. Kelso reveals he slept with Donna almost a year ago, twice. Bob wants to throttle him, but Joanne prevents it.

Kitty, Red, Bob, and Joanne wait at their houses for a phone call. Donna calls Bob once she and Eric arrive at her mother's house. Bob is furious but also understands. He tells her to have a great summer with her mom but to expect consequences when she gets home.

Bob and Joanne tell Red and Kitty the news. Red and Kitty are relieved and enraged. Red tells Kitty to get into the Toyota; they're going to California.

Kitty: "We can't just leave. What about our jobs?"

Red: "Damn it. Fine. But when Eric gets home, I'm kicking his ass so hard that he ends up back in California.

Kelso tries to drive a wedge between Jackie and Hyde. He fails.

Eric and Donna work through their issues more deeply in California. They also fall more deeply in love. When they get home, their punishments suck. But neither of them regrets their decision.

Kelso is allowed back into the basement but is on probation l. He's not allowed to hurt -- or try to hurt -- Eric, Donna, Hyde, or Jackie.

Jackie and Hyde's relationship ultimately thrives. They learn from their mistakes and grow from them. Without Hyde's insecurity about Jackie's potentially lingering feelings for Kelso, and with Jackie very much through her grief over Kelso, no catastrophic misunderstandings and no break-ups.

Conclusion: Without Fez, the conflicts and relationships among the other characters would be altered. In positive ways and negative ones. But the T7S writers didn't integrate Fez into the group as significantly as they did Eric, Donna, Jackie, Hyde, and Kelso.

Fez and Eric have one episode featuring their friendship but no development. Same goes for Fez and Donna. Fez's relationship (platonic) is generally used as a device to forward her arcs with Kelso, or Fez acts as Jackie's sometimes confident. Fez a d Hyde develop a close friendship, mentor-mentee relationship, in seasons 1 and 2. They're paired again in season 4 because they're the odd men out.

Once Jackie and Hyde's romantic relationship begins in season 5, however, Fez is paired with Kelso. They quickly develop a romance that did not exist previously. Before season 5, they were antagonists then frenemies. But while Kelso supports Fez through the xenophobia and racism of Nina's parents for one episode, Fez doesn't truly support Kelso through his arc with Brooke in season 6. Donna is Kelso and Brooke's main support.

Unfortunately, the show's writers turned Fez into a punchline and punchline-giver. Comic relief. Even his arc in season 6 with Laurie and Red is relatively perfunctory. With better writing, Fez's absence after season 1 would make far more of an impact.

[crusherthedoctor]

For the top 5 prompt: Top 5 Eggman boss battles.

This is yet another list that probably shifts depending on the day, because there's a lot of good ones.

5.

An underrated one. Like Rush Adventure in general.

There's no deep reason, I just think it's a neat fight, and since it uses the Jeweled Scepter, that grants it a plethora of unique magical attacks that you don't often see in an Eggman battle.

4.

I couldn't decide between these two, so fuck it, they're both here. Can you blame me? They're both well-known, and for good reason.

The Egg Walker marks the end of Tails' story, and it follows up the race to the missile in the city. The battle itself is fine, if perhaps a bit easy, but Eggman's tranquil fury in the cutscene prior really sells the mood. Shame he's rarely been given opportunities to show that side of himself since then. But that's where Stellar comes in. Either way, between that and Tails standing his ground, it's a great moment for both characters.

As for the Viper, we all love the obvious meme, but like the Walker, the fight is also fun in itself, and is reasonably tricky for a final boss. But as weird as it might be to say, the ending is what really makes it for me. The way the music stops the instant you get the last hit in, the way Tikal warns you about his kamikaze dive, the way the lonely sound and visuals of the explosion lingers before culminating with what could be mistaken for a volcanic eruption... awesome.

3.

It's an awesome mech. It's an awesome battle. It's an awesome moment for both the hero and the villain. Capped off with descending towards the center of the earth. As someone who considers Unleashed flawed in ways that I can't ignore, even I can't deny that this is one of the game's standout moments, and it deserves all its praise. I'd argue it's a better final boss than the actual final boss, and I'm not just saying that because the latter is another giant monster... okay, maybe that's part of it.

Shout out to the Generations version, because I really enjoy that one in its own right.

2.

Oh boy, here comes the controversial one. How dare I put anything from Forces on a top five that isn't derogatory, amirite.

In all seriousness... look, say what you will about the fight itself. I think it's alright, but I get why it might be considered perhaps a little anti-climactic compared to what it could have been as far as gameplay goes. And you guys know that I always consider gameplay to come first and foremost, no matter how good or bad the story of the game in question is, so it's not like I'm ignoring that part. And of course, there's the Nega-Wisp Armor reskin aspect that everyone complains about, which caused Twitter to throw the baby out with the bathwater and consider Eggman's position as the final boss to be the true problem. Which is probably why the final boss of Frontiers ended up being a talking ballsack. Thanks, everyone.

Anyway, all that said, I think there are certain elements that elevate it in spite of its ultimately okay status. There's the music, but that goes without saying for a Sonic game that isn't Chronicles. But another factor is the combination of the seriously underrated sound design, with the complete and utter silence on Eggman's part, which like @skaruresonic, I interpret it as the doctor being too focused on killing your ass that he disregards his usual banter, and like the Egg Walker cutscene in SA1, I think the effect really works, regardless of the actual intent or reason behind it.

So yes, I'm putting it as #2 for these overlooked attributes. I'm not sorry.

1.

The finale of S3&K will always be particularly special to me. There have been many great Eggman throwdowns, but this one illustrates how the doctor's high octane levels of pure determination rival Sonic's own; perfect for an arch-nemesis. There have been godlike figures who go down after a single fight, meanwhile this mortal man belts out a bonanza, because the mere concept of giving up the Master Emerald does not compute.

The build-up also goes a long way: S3&K as a whole establishes and maintains this aspect of Eggman's character throughout. He's going to get the Death Egg back up and running, and nothing is going to stop him. His robots set the jungle on fire. He himself destroys the ruins in Marble Garden, in the hopes that Sonic will get killed in the process. He's not even phased when the Death Egg falls smack dab into a volcano; his dedication never wavers. Then come the endgame, where he finally fucks off with the Master Emerald after telling Knuckles it was Nothing Personnel Kid, which is followed up with a dramatic chase through the crumbling Sky Sanctuary, which then culminates in the final showdown aboard the eponymous vessel... and then continues even after it blows up.

It's iconic, it's fun, it's climactic, and Eggman's ridiculously exaggerated refusal to quit being on full display cements it as one of my favourite Eggman portrayals, despite hailing from a 2D game with no dialogue.

Honorable mentions (that currently come to mind):

Death Egg Robot, cause c'mon, it's a classic. This mostly refers to the original Sonic 2 version as well as the variations in Generations and Mania.

Egg Shrimp (Sonic Advance 2), for being petty enough to abduct Vanilla after his plan's been foiled, and for the badass moment afterwards in which Sonic narrowly saves Vanilla.

Egg Emperor, because I don't care if it's Metal Sonic, it's an Eggman mech, he's trying to mimic Eggman, shut the fuck up or I'll do a in-depth Shadow the Hedgehog level tier list. The design is rad as hell, and it has the iconic TAKE THI-TAKE THIS, TAKE THI-TAKE THIS.

Egg Salamander (Sonic Rush), for capping off the dynamic between Sonic and Blaze... and because Wrapped in Black.

Nega-Wisp Armor, because the fight is fun despite its simplicity, and it's noteworthy because Eggman finally got to be the true final boss of a 3D mainline installment for the first time. And it only took a decade...

The endgame for Mania, in which Eggman menacingly jumps around in a Pokeball and then holds his own in a three-way standoff instead of being tactlessly upstaged like he's nothing.'

The one in IDW that doesn't exist.

[dalesramblingsblog]

A Brief Look at Stephen Marley's Chia Black Dragon Trilogy, Part I: Spirit Mirror

This is the first in a series of posts looking at the Chia Black Dragon trilogy, a "Chinese Gothic" series of fantasy novels published from 1988 to 1993 by Stephen Marley, whose writing career tangentially intersected the extended universe of Doctor Who and Judge Dredd in the 1990s. The remaining two instalments will probably be Ko-fi exclusive, with this post standing as a teaser for those who might want to donate and read more; as ever, I won't be making any effort to avoid spoilers, so read on at your own discretion if that's something you're concerned about.

The first thing we ought to note about Spirit Mirror is that it's the product of a first-time author. Granted, the fact that Stephen Marley was in his early forties upon the novel's publication does rather cut against the use of any adjectives like "young" or "inexperienced," but 1988 is still a good seven years before his lone Doctor Who novel, Managra, and a full five years before the earliest of his works that I've talked about to date, Virgin Books' Dreddlocked.

As much as it might be nice to say that I'm blown away by the talent on display here and am in complete disbelief that it's Marley's first novel, the truth is that I'm not. It's broadly good, to be clear, and certainly an experience I'm glad to have had in the final weighing of the matter. With that being said, the compellingly literate and erudite blend of black comedy, Gothic surrealism and idiosyncratic pop culture references that so animated Marley's later novels is largely only discernible as a presence at the very edge of the frame here, rather than a fully-fledged torrent.

To a certain extent, of course, it seems churlish to bemoan the lack of pop cultural references in a book like Spirit Mirror. Being set in second-century China, thousands of years before his later, more overtly sci-fi novels, he can't exactly have clones of James Cagney and Mary Shelley wandering about willy-nilly. The objection I'm raising here, then, is more a reaction of disappointment at the general conventionality of large swathes of the novel, particularly in its middle third. Managra, Dreddlocked and even the flawed Dread Dominion were many things, but they could hardly be labelled "conventional" with a straight face.

There's some hint that Spirit Mirror might be trying to offer a commentary on the ubiquity of a certain kind of rudimentary "quest" narrative within modern fantasy, with the second act low point being brought about by Chia's recklessly tackling a problem without fully understanding what she has to do. If this was the intent, however, it never really comes off as well as it might, if for no other reason than that the middle sections of the book play out the standard dark fantasy beats almost to a T. Like I say, the simple fact of the matter is that, apart from a few rather broad one-liners from Chia, Marley hasn't quite got his very peculiar and dark sense of humour down just yet, though from what I've heard of Mortal Mask and Shadow Sisters it's something he grows into with time.

This broadness also finds itself reflected in the characters themselves (no pun intended); Chia herself is compelling enough, even if "wise-cracking immortal masking a metric ton of insecurity and self-loathing" isn't exactly likely to set the world alight with its originality, but her supporting cast really lack much in the way of definition. Everyone gets in their fair share of quippy lines, but I found it extraordinarily difficult to get particularly invested in anyone besides Chia. Vinaya probably shows the most promise, but even he turns out to be possessed by the main villain, so oh well.

What, then, did I actually enjoy here? Well, at the risk of being blunt, it was mostly the stuff that served to bring to mind the quirks of Marley's later novels. Any time he chose to dial up the surrealism and the darkness, he had a pretty good chance of winning me over, with some gleefully nasty moments of repulsive violence and strange dreamscapes captured in Gothically overwritten fashion. Even as someone whose attention wandered in the middle portion of the novel, Chia's rebirth and brush with Enlightenment absolutely captivated me.

Thematically, Spirit Mirror is also pretty top-notch, being heavily steeped in an eclectic fusion of Buddhism and existentialist philosophy - it's always clear, as with his later works, that Marley comes from an academic background, though in the case of his debut novel this does often cut against his capacity for emotiveness - and the broad strokes of Chia's actual arc hang together well as an expression of those ideas.

Also particularly fun is the plain inspiration from Jorge Luis Borges - who died in 1986, just shy of two years prior to Spirit Mirror's publication - with the central legend of the Mirror Realm being almost directly lifted from The Book of Imaginary Beings. I suppose sticklers for originality might object, but by the same token, there are probably far worse and less interesting sources of inspiration for a first-time author than Borges.

On the whole, Spirit Mirror is a book that I ultimately admire and respect a lot more than I outright enjoy, and even then a lot of that respect and admiration stems from the seeds of Marley's later works that just happen to be visible at this early stage. Those traces might have been mere hazy, indistinct reflections at the periphery of my vision, but they were definitely there in some capacity.

And hey, in what other book will you bear witness to the main character giving birth to a tumour as a means of revealing a traitor close to her, followed not long after by the dispatching of the main villain by means of a severed, diseased hand being shoved down his throat?

[silvergraham]

i have many complicated feelings towards taylor kelly and let me explain why... she is a dick. that much i will say right now to get it out of the way. she's a dick and i distrust her implicitly but that does not mean i hate her (i mildly dislike her at best). i don't think she's the worst person in the whole world, i mean... the show has murderers and rapists that i think deserve hate way more than she does. this doesn't make her a Good person though, just because there's a lot worse doesn't mean she isn't flawed. and that's what she is: deeply flawed, selfish, fake most of the time (and i think that's why a lot of her scenes in s5 felt off, because she was roleplaying as sweet girlfriend when she's nothing like that). and hear me out: i think that's great. i dislike her and that's great!!! because here she is: a woman allowed to be a person. and guess what?? people can be dicks!!! not that she's some great feminist statement from the show or whatever, she just happens to exist as a character with a determined set of characteristics: selfish, ambitious, fake, calculating, cold, opportunistic. and she uses her past hurt as an excuse for her behavior, claiming to have some higher purpose when she steamrolls over everything and everyone to get what she wants. and once again: that's great!!! she would have made a great antagonist for the 118 to bounce off of and i guess she still can be. making her just a love interest definitely did not play out her potential (but i do fear that if they bring her back it's just going to feel stale and like beating a dead horse. mostly i think everybody just wants her gone. which... you know, fair). but there's still some parts of her that i wish we could see a bit more. like the fact that she is probably the loneliest person on the show and that's why she clung so badly to buck. that definitely was the reason they were together for so long: their respective loneliness -which is not something you should base a relationship on. despite the fact that they were so ill suited for each other, despite the fact that i definitely believe taylor doesn't really want a romantic relationship of any kind, they felt so lonely that they stuck together. though there is a hard line between their two types of loneliness, that line being the 118, buck's support system. because taylor doesn't have anything like that, doesn't have family, doesn't have actual friends. the only thing we know she has is her job. and i think she saw buck on one of the worst days of his life and saw the way he loves people so completely and i believe she wanted to be loved like that... to have someone who cared for her like that. she saw buck's unending capacity for love and she was so lonely that she thought maybe if she could make him love her it would make the loneliness go away!!! this is how i interpret her actions in 4x14 and onward, this is why she kissed buck after he said he was done chasing people, because without buck then she truly is alone!! and she thought that if he was done chasing her then he would just leave her behind and she couldn't let him. which is a horrible reason to start something with someone!!!! they were doomed before they even began!!!!!!

[iamthenightcolormeblack]

My Thoughts on Pride & Prejudice 2005: Style over Substance

Kicking off my Pride and Prejudice adaptation review series with the most popular of all the adaptations: the 2005 movie. This film stars Keira Knightley as Elizabeth Bennet and Matthew Macfadyen as Mr. Darcy.

1. GENERAL THINGS I LIKED

The cinematography and the soundtrack. Every shot is a painting, especially with the gorgeous landscape scenery. The music is beautiful and dreamy; I have listened to the soundtrack more times than I've watched the film. Both the cinematography and the soundtrack effectively transport the viewer back to the film's romanticized version of "the past," when life was simpler and people lived slower lives, waiting for their Mr. Darcy to sweep them off their feet.

Originality. The film takes a unique approach to the story by focusing mainly on the romance between Darcy and Elizabeth and emphasizing how the natural surroundings reflect the characters' mental state/emotions (pouring rain during the first proposal and stormy skies when Elizabeth hurries home after Lydia runs away). Though one can disagree with the creative changes made, I like how this film isn't just a remake of what came before it.

Elizabeth's walks through the countryside. The film expresses her desire for freedom through her countryside walks. For instance, the Netherfield walk is shocking to Caroline Bingley because it demonstrates Elizabeth's independence.

The comedic parts are great thanks to the creative additions made. For example, the "excellent boiled potatoes" joke isn't in the book, but it perfectly exemplifies Mr. Collins' poor social skills and pretentiousness, as he tries to make an overly formal comment about an otherwise mundane dish.

2. THE CASTING

The acting is good, although I don't always agree with how the characters are portrayed.

Keira Knightley. I like how she's the right age for Elizabeth, who is around 20-21 years old; Knightley was around 19-20 when she played Elizabeth, plus she has gorgeous eyes. She perfectly conveys the pride, confidence, and biting wit of Elizabeth, as she holds her head high in an imperious manner and has a direct, piercing gaze. However, I don't like how this version chooses to simplify Elizabeth's character into that of "free-spirited nonconformist tomboy," who is a nature-lover and runs to the countryside to console herself when things get tough (ex. running to the lake after rejecting Mr. Collins). This is a contrast to the Elizabeth Bennet as presented to us in the book, who acts like a typical "lady" for the sake of her social reputation; she mostly keeps her thoughts to herself except when talking to Jane or Darcy. Elizabeth is powerful not because she rejects society outright; it is because she does not submit to societal pressure to marry and makes her own choices (ex. rejecting Mr. Collins).

Matthew Macfadyen. His Darcy is cold, aloof, and remote, yet shows signs of a rich inner life and unrequited yearning for Elizabeth as a soulmate. I like how this version shows Elizabeth peeling away his cold exterior like the layers of an onion, until his heart of gold is revealed. While I think Macfadyen is a good actor, I disagree with the interpretation of Darcy solely being a lonely introvert, as it neglects his primary character flaw of pride.

Tom Hollander's Mr. Collins. Probably the best casting, as he perfectly portrays the bumbling awkwardness of the character and is more sympathetic than the gross Mr. Collins in the 1995 BBC miniseries. He is short, has a nasally voice and officious manner that makes him annoying yet fun to watch.

Simon Woods as Mr. Bingley. He's so friendly and eager to please, like the character is in the book.

Rosamund Pike's Jane Bennet. Utterly angelic and motherly, need I say more? The perfect antidote to Elizabeth's savagery.

Rupert Friend's Mr. Wickham. Handsome and dashing in a red soldier's uniform. It's easy to see how a girl would fall for him and ignore his debauchery, but also obvious that he is deceptive. For instance, he keeps claiming that he is insignificant and unnoticed, when he basks in the attention of Elizabeth, Kitty and Lydia.

3. OVERALL CHARACTER AND PLOT DEVELOPMENT

Since this is a movie, character development is a challenge, and the film relies on changes of outward appearance/dialogue to show character growth. For instance, we get to see Darcy's change from cold and remote into warm and loving, while Elizabeth admits that "she was wrong" about Darcy and slowly comes to respect him.

The first half (beginning to Darcy's proposal) is great because it effectively introduces the audience to the cast of characters (the family, Darcy, Bingley, Caroline, Wickham, and Mr. Collins). It also contains all the comedic parts and sets up the conflicts that drive the story. Overall, this half is more faithful to the novel because it has the social satire aspects of the story and sticks to the key plot points while developing the characters.

The second half is rather lackluster compared to the first because it focuses solely on resolving the plot points introduced in the first half. This part of the book contains important events for Elizabeth's character development (getting the letter, visiting Pemberley, dealing with the fallout from Lydia's elopement), but the film rushes through them to get Elizabeth and Darcy married. Instead of focusing on how Elizabeth overcomes her prejudice of Darcy and starts to love him, the film relies on aesthetic shots of flickering candles/landscapes to serve as quick transitions between the scenes. Though we have plenty of evidence that Darcy loves Elizabeth, we don't see much evidence that the love is mutual until the second proposal, only that Elizabeth starts to see him as a friend.

Another reason I don't like the second half of the film as much as the first half is the reduced dialogue. This second half has a lot of quiet moments devoted to nature scenery/Elizabeth staring in the mirror. Reducing the dialogue, with the exception of the letter scene, doesn't make sense because the plot/action of Pride and Prejudice is furthered through the conversations the characters have (after all, wealthy Regency women likely spent much time indoors/making social calls). While one can argue that the reduced dialogue is meant to show that Elizabeth is reflecting on her mistaken prejudice, without access to Elizabeth's interior thoughts, the audience doesn't get to see Elizabeth actively confronting her false assumptions about Darcy, unlike in the book, where she says out loud to herself: "Until this moment, I never knew myself."

Notable Scenes From the First Half of the Film:

The opening scene. It sets the tone for the whole movie with the beginning shot of a field at dawn, which ties in nicely with the second proposal scene near the end. By presenting Elizabeth by herself reading a book, it communicates to the audience that Elizabeth is "not like other girls," and it shows the imperfect, yet loving family dynamics of the Bennet household.

Elizabeth roasting Darcy after he dismisses her as "tolerable, but not handsome enough to tempt me." During a conversation the Bennet family has with Darcy and Bingley, Mrs. Bennet commits a social gaffe when talking about Jane's many admirers and how one sent her poetry. Elizabeth saves the situation by commenting that bad poetry can kill love, and Darcy comments that he regards poetry as "the food of love" and asks how to "encourage affection." I like that the film included this little exchange from the book (although it takes place while Elizabeth is visiting a sick Jane at Netherfield, and not during the first ball), since it was skipped over in the 1995 miniseries. The best part is Elizabeth's sick burn: "Dancing. Even if one's partner is barely tolerable," which is made even better when she walks away from him with a triumphant smile on her face.

The famous Hand Flex. After Darcy helps Elizabeth into the carriage (by holding her hand) so she and Jane can head back home, he glances longingly at her before wringing the hand with which he touched hers. It's an important hint of his growing love for her, as well as his struggle to repress those feelings. This is a wonderful bit of character development as it reveals that Darcy has a heart.

Mr. Collins having a meal with the Bennet family. The awkwardness is palpable as Mr. Collins tries to show off his social skills and give pro tips on charming ladies. This is all topped off with this amazing comedic joke: "These are excellent boiled potatoes. Many years since I've had such an exemplary vegetable." Another brilliant bit: after Lydia cannot contain her laughter, Lizzy, after giving her father a mischievous side-eye, slaps Lydia on the back to hide her laughter. Best line besides the excellent boiled potatoes: "Believe me, no one would suspect your manners to be rehearsed."

The Netherfield Ball dance between Darcy and Elizabeth. It is staged like a clash of personalities in the beginning, while the creative filming technique of separating the couple apart from the crowd of dancers foreshadows the budding relationship between them. I also like how sarcastic the dialogue is--Elizabeth is trying to win a battle of wits with Darcy but he successfully avoids her traps while reminding her that she doesn't truly know him and cannot make judgements about his personality.

Mr. Collins trying to introduce himself to Darcy. It's so comical because of the significant height difference between Mr. Collins and Mr. Darcy (Collins is dwarfed by Darcy). The height difference effectively represents the significant difference in social status between the two men and makes Collins, with his pomposity, look ridiculous as he fancies himself part of the nobility but cannot properly introduce himself.

Mr. Collins' proposal--one of the funniest scenes in the movie. Mr. Collins clumsily tries to flatter Elizabeth with a tiny flower, and it gets even funnier when he so obviously misreads Elizabeth's disinterest and outright exasperation (he doesn't understand that no means no!). After Mr. Collins bends down on one knee to propose to Elizabeth, the film emphasizes Elizabeth's towering presence over Collins to show that the two are a mismatch. The fact that the proposal takes place in the messy dining room reflects Collins' view of marriage as a business matter that he wants to get done with quickly, since the location of the proposal is not very romantic.

Elizabeth roasting Darcy yet again at Rosings Park. Elizabeth eagerly recounts to Colonel Fitzwilliam Darcy's impolite manners at the first ball; Darcy confesses that "I do not have the talent of conversing easily with people I have never met before." I like how the nervous and quiet delivery of that line shows to the audience that Darcy is an introvert, and it shows that he's an honest person, since he abhors "disguise of every sort." The scene effectively highlights Elizabeth's prejudice towards Darcy as the audience feels pity for him when Elizabeth tells him to practice.

"This is a charming house." During this scene, Darcy visits Elizabeth while she is alone and awkwardly attempts to make conversation with her. Macfadyen is a master of body language; Darcy says little but expresses a lot (ex. the nervous fiddling with his gloves). He tries to express his feelings for Elizabeth but gives up and abruptly walks out of the room.

The first proposal. What a climactic scene (but not very faithful to the book)! The music, thunder, and rain perfectly complement the volcano of emotions that erupts when Darcy cannot repress his feelings any longer. This scene has some of the best sexual tension ever; the two get closer to each other until they almost kiss. While this scene is great to an objective viewer, I don't like that the modified dialogue changes the original meaning of this scene (more about this later).

The letter. Elizabeth has a moment of introspection when she is forced to question her judgment, and Darcy delivers his letter. I like the shot of Darcy riding farther and farther away from Elizabeth, signaling that he is becoming increasingly out of her reach.

Notable Scenes from the Second Half of the Film:

Aunt and Uncle Gardiner arrive right after Elizabeth comes back from Rosings and they take her away to a vacation. I didn't like how they were introduced too quickly; I was thinking to myself "how did they get there and where did they come from?" Luckily we are treated to more glorious shots of the English countryside (the one with them under a large oak tree is my favorite).

Visiting Pemberley. I was puzzled by why Elizabeth laughs as soon as she sees Pemberley for the first time because in the book she was in complete awe of it. Also it doesn't make sense why she would touch his expensive stuff it's not her house...or is it? The good thing is that the embarrassment the two have upon meeting each other again is definitely palpable. Georgiana is sweet, but a little less shy than she was in the book.

Darcy smiles! After introducing Georgiana to Elizabeth, he smiles for a brief time at Elizabeth, and she smiles back. It's a great moment showing how Elizabeth has drawn out his goodness, and indicates that Darcy has transformed for Elizabeth. She also starts seeing him as a friend and her prejudice against him seems to have reversed in this moment of mutual recognition.

Lydia's elopement. Keira Knightley's fake cry was off-putting. Then Darcy only talks to her for a little bit and doesn't help her much (unlike in the book, where he asked her to sit down and got her some wine to make her feel better). I don't know why the aunt and uncle are in this scene because it's very important in developing Darcy and Elizabeth's relationship. In the book, the two are alone, and Elizabeth choosing to tell Darcy about Lydia's elopement is a sign that she trusts him, while Darcy's concern for Elizabeth further confirms that he still loves her. This extremely brief scene flickers quickly, and it takes only a few seconds before Elizabeth is crying in her carriage, while the sky is dark and ominous.

Bingley rehearsing his proposal with Darcy. This added scene, which is not in the book, is so funny because of how Darcy roleplays Jane, while Bingley has so much anxiety about her not accepting him. It's a nice glimpse into their friendship and it's also funny because Bingley is getting proposal advice from someone who failed very miserably at proposing.

Sunrise on the Moors. Another objectively beautiful and romantic scene that is definitely not faithful to the book. The two meet each other in a field in their nightgowns and profess their love to each other while blessed by the rising sun.

4. MAJOR FLAWS; OR, HOW THE FILM DIVERGES FROM THE BOOK

In earlier book adaptation reviews, I stated that I welcomed creative changes as long as they reflected what was already in the book (ex. literary elements and character development) or the author's intent, since film and books are different mediums and some storytelling techniques that work in books may not work on film. This movie is undoubtedly well-known for its creative changes, especially in terms of historical setting and dialogue. While these creative changes entertain the audience, I feel that they change the meaning of the story as presented by the book.

Here's the biggest issue I have with the movie: Darcy has no pride. The film interprets his "pride" as a misconception strangers get from Darcy's cold manner and inconsiderate remarks, but in the book he is an arrogant person who views his social inferiors as beneath him and treats them poorly. In the movie, his whole character is fashioned in the modern image of the "sensitive man," who is kind and considerate if only the outside world would appreciate his uniqueness. Thus, Elizabeth's prejudice against him is entirely without merit. While making Darcy a more sympathetic person highlights how wrong Elizabeth's prejudice is, the fact is that both of them have "pride and prejudice." Some fans have commented that Darcy is like a sad puppy at times. It's hard to see how he's a good match for this Elizabeth's fiery spirit, only that he wouldn't infringe upon her freedom to roam. A lot of YouTube comments I read were people expressing their desire to "hug Darcy" or console him after Elizabeth rejects him; this doesn't make sense because Darcy is an unsympathetic character until he is forced to change in order to earn Elizabeth's love. Apart from becoming kinder to Elizabeth and the Gardiners, Darcy never really changes in the movie; he still remains a socially awkward introvert.

The re-interpretation of Pride and Prejudice as purely a romantic novel: The emphasis on romance means that the other elements of the book--the social criticism, secondary characters and the dialogue--are de-emphasized for the sake of the romance between Elizabeth and Darcy.

The film's approach to the story echoes Charlotte Bronte's criticism of the novel: "And what did I find [in Pride and Prejudice]? ... a carefully fenced, highly cultivated garden, with neat borders and delicate flowers; but no glance of a bright, vivid physiognomy, no open country, no fresh air, no blue hill, no bonny beck. I should hardly like to live with her ladies and gentlemen, in their elegant but confined homes." This version of Pride and Prejudice utilizes Romantic elements not in the book (ex. the storms, the landscapes) to increase the passion that the characters feel but cannot express.

Pride and Prejudice is perceived as a "boring" book because much of the drama takes place indoors (ex. Darcy's first proposal is in Mr. Collin's home), whereas in the film, there is greater emphasis on the natural scenery in keeping with its Romantic interpretation (lots of the "open country" that Charlotte Bronte desired). While the landscape scenes are beautiful, locating the action indoors, in the grand houses of the nobility, emphasizes the repressive, tradition-based nature of Regency Era society that Austen criticized (in a subtle way). These houses reinforce social hierarchy, for instance; the interior of Rosings Park is showy and stifling because it it represents Lady Catherine De Bourgh's wealth and power over those around her. Locating most of the scenes indoors visually represents the "confined and unvarying" lives of Regency era women and makes Elizabeth Bennet's independent streak much more significant.

Some of the social constraints that Elizabeth and Darcy face are removed. For example, Elizabeth is much more direct in her criticisms of others (ex. the "barely tolerable" insult), whereas in the book she largely confines these criticisms to her intimate friends such as Jane and Charlotte Lucas. While this effectively shows how badass she is, Elizabeth likely would not have taunted Darcy in such a direct way, as it would have been considered impolite and likely harmed her social reputation in a society governed by rigid adherence to social etiquette. And of course, Darcy likely would not have been walking around the English countryside in an open-chested shirt although we may have Colin Firth's wet shirt to blame for that. The importance of following etiquette rules is shown when Darcy offends the whole village by refusing to dance with anyone during the first ball. As a woman in a patriarchal society, it would have been even more important for Elizabeth to follow the rules, as her social reputation was important to her chances of making a good marriage. By de-emphasizing the rigid social norms that govern the characters, the obstacles to Elizabeth and Darcy's marriage are less significant, and it seems that the only thing standing in the way of their being together is Elizabeth's unreasonable hatred of Darcy.

Also, in many of Austen's novels, the hometowns of her heroines and its inhabitants are their own characters; the power of gossip in determining one's social reputation for the "marriage market" is de-emphasized in the film. In Pride and Prejudice, a major reason Elizabeth doesn't discover Wickham's bad character at first is because of the "general approbation of the neighborhood" and social popularity he has in Hertfordshire. After Lydia elopes, the family is in a bad situation with regards to marriage prospects because the village had "generally proved [the Bennets] to be marked out for misfortune." In the film, the role of the village is relegated to that of a place for entertainment and nothing more.

Others have noted that the film also exaggerates the social divide between Elizabeth and Darcy by turning the Bennet family into peasant farm-owners who have messy hair and wear plain, homespun clothing. This justifies Darcy's social prejudice against the Bennets, which undercuts Austen's message of morals, actions, and treatment of others being a better indicator of character than class rank (the rich people in this book, with the exception of Darcy, Georgiana and Bingley, are shown to be lazy or plain ridiculous). While Darcy may be richer than Elizabeth, and have better connections, they are both members of the gentry--after all, they do not have to work to maintain their lifestyles. Instead, we are presented with a conventional rags-to-riches story, where our poor but virtuous heroine is rewarded with a rich Prince Charming who takes her away from the squalor of her home to his great big palace.

Ultimately, the story is changed into an argument for love, specifically the passionate kind, triumphing over all; Elizabeth overcomes her hatred of men as "humorless poppycocks" to be with Darcy. Near the end, Mary reads out of a book claiming that a lady should give in to her passions and surrender to love, which doesn't make sense as the marriage based entirely on passion (Lydia and Wickham) is shown to be less than ideal.

While Austen does believe in following one's heart (ex. Persuasion, where Anne Elliot regrets rejecting Captain Wentworth because of his lower social status), others have commented that she presents the ideal relationship as a balance between mind and heart. Charlotte's practical marriage to Mr. Collins represents the traditional view of marriage as an "economic proposition," it is entirely logical and calculated, whereas Lydia and Wickham's marriage is the other emotional extreme, motivated entirely by sexual infatuation. Before Elizabeth acknowledges her love for Darcy, she must respect him as her intellectual equal. Here's the passage from the book where Elizabeth realizes she loves Darcy: "She now began to comprehend that he was exactly the man, who in disposition and talents, would most suit her. His understanding and temper, though unlike her own, would have answered all her wishes. It was an union that must have been to the advantage of both; by her ease and liveliness, his mind might have been softened, his manners improved, and from his judgment, information, and knowledge of the world, she must have received benefit of greater importance." Elizabeth's decision to marry Darcy is not only a result of her heart's desire, but it comes after she does some thinking and concludes they are compatible and would be able to live with each other on a day-to-day basis.

Something else I find ironic is the director's (Joe Wright's) claim that he aimed for realism in the film, given that Austen already depicted Regency era life realistically by focusing on social norms, class, and wealth:

The director, in his quest for "realism," features the messy environment of the Bennet household, which doesn't make sense given that they are still relatively wealthy (when defending herself, Elizabeth tells Lady Catherine that she is "a gentleman's daughter"). Also, they have servants to clean things up, so why would the house be in a constant state of disarray?

Lastly, how is the second proposal scene is "realistic?" It is a moment of "psychic communication" between Darcy and Elizabeth which is out of character for the book. They both "can't sleep" and walked, in the words of Wikipedia, "across the moors" to see each other ok this seriously reminds me of Wuthering Heights. The scene is powerful because every woman wants to be told that "you have bewitched me body and soul" but "realistically," this doesn't happen (and this line isn't in the book either).

"REALISM" IS THE REASON WHY WE FUSS OVER HISTORICAL ACCURACY!!! HISTORICAL ACCURACY ALLOWS PERIOD DRAMAS TO BE REALISTIC!!!!

If the characters wore historically accurate clothing (different from the loosely inspired, modernized dresses/hair in the film), it would have emphasized the lack of freedom women had in Regency Era society and reinforced the importance of following social norms to succeed in a patriarchal society.

Bad Script Changes:

This film is known for its modernized script, which makes it easier for a mainstream audience to watch the movie. However, it also changes depictions of the characters in ways that undercut the meaning of the book.

Elizabeth Bennet, man-hater:

"Oh, they [men] are far too easy to judge. Humorless poppycocks, in my limited experience."

"And which of the painted peacocks is Mr. Bingley?"

"Men are either eaten up with arrogance or stupidity. And if they're amiable they're so easily led that they have no minds of their own whatsoever...No, they bring nothing but heartache."

I know these snarky comments are fun and reinforce the modern perception of Elizabeth Bennet as a feminist heroine. However, book Elizabeth doesn't rail against men as a whole; she just wants to find love rather than be forced into an advantageous marriage. Her idea that marriage should be based on love and respect, along with her unwillingness to compromise on that ideal, is what makes her revolutionary, not her complete apathy towards the opposite sex.

"Don't you dare judge me!" While it foreshadows Elizabeth's flawed judgment, this outburst is out of character for Charlotte Lucas, who in the book is level-headed and makes practical decisions. As with the majority of the bad script changes, it is too modern and doesn't fit with the 19th century style language used elsewhere in the script.

Darcy's lack of pride is shown in the modified lines of the first proposal (which were hard to catch because they were spoken super fast):

"I can bear it no longer. The past months have been a torment. I came to Rosings with the single object of seeing you. I had to see you. I've fought against my better judgment, my family's expectation, the inferiority of your birth, my rank and circumstance, all those things, but I'm willing to put them aside and ask you to end my agony. I love you. Most ardently."

These lines completely change the meaning of the first proposal. Apart from the famous opening lines ("In vain I have struggled. It will not do. You must allow me to tell you how ardently I admire and love you"), Austen makes clear that Darcy still regards his higher social position and Elizabeth's inferior connections as obstacles to their marriage. His first proposal to Elizabeth is a means of getting rid of the suffering that his unrequited love has forced upon him; he still does not accept Elizabeth as his equal, which is why she rejects him in the first place. Clearly he is not "willing to put [social norms] aside" when it comes to "his sense of her inferiority." The modified lines also make Darcy much more romantic by having him state that he came to Rosings to see Elizabeth; the book does not specify that this is the case; he just came on a routine visit to see his aunt and Elizabeth happened to be there. As I said earlier, Elizabeth in the book rejects Darcy because of his lack of respect for her, but in the film, he seems to show nothing but respect for her. They even have an almost-kiss, which doesn't make sense given that she hates him so intensely at this point in the novel.

"He's so, he's so...rich." Elizabeth utters these when trying and failing to find a reason not to visit Pemberley. This declaration does not make sense because Elizabeth has formed in the very least a grudging respect for Mr. Darcy; without access to her internal thoughts, one might take this line as evidence that she still hates Mr. Darcy.

“Just leave me alone!!!” After confronting Lady Catherine, Elizabeth flees to her room to find some alone time. This doesn’t suit Elizabeth’s character because 1) she acts like a temperamental teenager and 2) she is estranged from her family. In the book she gets closer to her family after Darcy’s first proposal, not the other way round. In some JASNA (Jane Austen Society of North America) articles I read about Pride and Prejudice, the authors observed that Elizabeth isn’t concerned about her family early in the novel; her motivations are largely self-centered, she keeps her head above their foolishness and doesn’t have intimate relationships with anyone in her family with the exception of her father and Jane. Only after she receives the criticisms of her family’s behavior from Mr. Darcy does she look out for her family; for example, by advising her father not to let Lydia go to Brighton (and she becomes right about it harming her family’s reputation). The film also makes Elizabeth even more isolated from her family by omitting the fact that she tells Jane about what happened between her and Darcy. Elizabeth learning to care for her family is an important part of her growth which the film omits.

5. CONCLUSION

I still think this film is worth watching, even though as a purist I disagree with the creative changes made, namely the emphasis on the romance over the social comedy. It is obvious that the screenwriter/director didn't strive to replicate the book exactly and aimed for a romantic re-interpretation.

The film has had a positive impact since it introduced a lot of people to Jane Austen, including me.

Here’s my story: when the movie aired on TV, my mother, who is a 1995 die-hard, started ranting about her hate for this version, so I picked up the book so that I could watch and compare.

As a romance movie it is excellent, because it has plenty of sexual tension and quotable romantic lines, along with a couple we can root for. The set design, music, and set design also make watching the movie an experience. It's very easy to love this movie just for the cottage core aesthetics (although aesthetics cannot cover up the flaws of this film).

On a side note, I find it funny that the Wikipedia article for this film states that it "failed to have the cultural influence" of the 1995 BBC miniseries. In fact, many people my age (17 or 18 years old) who have read the book consider this movie the definitive version of Pride and Prejudice and some don't even know that the 1995 miniseries exists!

Whether you love or hate this film, all I ask is that you don't call it Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice.

@colonelfitzwilliams @appleinducedsleep @obscurelittlebird @austengivesmeserotonin @princesssarisa @dahlia-coccinea @firawren @cobaltzosia

[nanakah]

about Ishigami, his growth and Miko's role

most people, myself included, thought at some point that Tsubame's rejection (or acceptance) could wrap up Ishigami's arc and even his past's flashbacks neatly, but Osaragi's arc suddenly revealing there was more to his relationship with Miko made me reflect more and think nah...if anything we're halfway there. It also showed glimpses of him already struggling to find his place in the world by quitting his clubs, even though he was successful at them and there was no Ootomo incident yet to undermine his self-image.

It seemed odd that despite everything he went through he still has his "hair=shield/averting eyes" theme going strong, but it makes sense if you consider even though Tsubame helped him see the way to be more accepting of people and cleared his name, his self-esteem still is super low. I spoke of this in my "sutera" meta, but to Ishigami, his life still has been a sucession of failures and almosts. At his core, he still hasn't fully opened up to people or learned to use his vulnerabilities to his advantage.

If I have grabbed your interest thus far, keep reading for more considerations!

Tsubame is kind to anyone and attempted to do good for him, but ultimately he was never fully himself around her, nor she tried/he alllowed her reaching out to the deepest parts of his insecurities. She doesn't show her own flaws to him either and to this day we get the feeling we don't know her well, just the best parts that Ishigami wanted to see. Kaguya, Miyuki and Chika contribute a lot in a sibling-like way, but there's a limit to how much Kaguya in particular can inspire him. Miko however, has scratched a little beneath the surface and has expressed an interest in helping him with that, even if he himself is still avoiding the topic. She's also more relatable to him in the sense that the rest of the stuco has a history of successes in their lives, while he was able to watch Miko's hardships and failures closely. Their panic attacks even look similar and they're always watching the other to provide backup (in a very roundabout way, at least before) when they happen.

While their personalities are fundamentally different, his arc and struggles remind me a lot of Miyamura from Horimiya and today, as I was musing on what is so different about them as of now, I believe it's how Miyamura didn't have a single *traumatic* mistake to get over, so he goes down his development road much faster. Putting it another way, it's ultimately that Ishigami hasn't yet learned to be kind to himself like Miyamura has through Hori. Like Shirogane and Kaguya are through themselves. In Miyamura's case, sympathizing with how Hori despite her strong exterior can be very fragile inside but still support him (fight for him, defend him, accept his true self, not judge him, hear him, make him feel good enough) made him feel compelled to grow stronger to protect her back.

Miko as she was at the beggining of the story couldn't provide Ishigami this sort of stability (and that's where Osaragi's "prettier story"/"you weren't there for him" reasoning fails) even if deep down she wanted to, but now after making many mistakes, learning from them and becoming more flexible, she absolutely can. Both Ishigami and Miko have deeply rooted issues that took them more than just each other to flesh out and develop, but they're very much the missing puzzle piece the other needs.

Miko still very much has room for growth as well, mainly concerning finding a middle ground between her "bad girl" and "good girl" personas that Ishigami can easily see through, as demonstrated by the consolation chapter. She tried being "bad", she attempted lying but was still saying half-truths, because her love of justice isn't just out of parental abandonment issues or loneliness - she does believe them sincerely. The moment Ishigami headpated her and shared genuine, spot-on words of concern and admiration (thus a hint of fondness), it was all over for her trying to keep up the love-warfare upper hand.

That's not actually new - Ishigami has always demonstrated he was able to see glimpses of her true self, be it teasing how she's an otaku or a closet pervert and such, he never fully bought the strait-laced image she aspired to make real. But it did take him being around her more to see she could be sweet to him and as he puts it, that smiling more is not a bad look on her. Miko says to Osaragi your true self only comes through interacting with others, so given how lonely she has always been (and how the one person close to her - Osaragi - was actually keeping things between them superficial because of her own problems), it's no surprise she's only finding out now who she is. Ishigami can help Miko find a better compromise of good/bad after both not following any rules at all for so long and recently learning that hard work can pay off. Miko immersing herself in his hobby will clash with her rigid study schedule sooner or later, and he'll know how to help her with that better than anyone else.

On the other hand, Ishigami's moral compass, romanticism (love for flowers, planing dates etc) and idealism aren't things he is proud of...yet. He protects himself with layers of cynism, especially in his first appearances, but he is always being contradictory and letting it slip how idealistic/pure he is at heart. He also is only now learning to like his outward image with things like fitness/studying and finding out it's not like he never cared about it - it's just that he was scared shitless of failure, thus never even tried hard in the first place to avoid being hurt. And as I have advocated for in the Sutera post, I expect Miko in some level to help him come to terms with seeing good in himself. Heck, even being able to game with her now and showing off how good he is and having her appreciate it is gonna do wonders to make him feel more "adequate". Tsubame's arc had a lot of him changing himself to become "better", but Miko on the other hand is trying to put herself in HIS shoes to maybe go "hey, I like you as you are. I'm trying to understand you more and put effort in for you".

Ishigami and Miko start out watching out for each other behind their backs - which instead of helping their relationship, drives them further apart because they think the other side is showing no appreciation. As the story progresses, they're slowly learning to make each other more aware of their support, and it is making them open up more in general.

They have a strong belief the other wants to be rescued and there is truth in that. Both want help and to be recognized for their efforts, but won't cry out for it. In the unplugged earbuds chapter Ishigami takes it upon himself to protect Miko's reputation in spite of himself, the election arc has him actually putting effort into the campaign just for the sake of protecting her and at first posing as a rival of hers to Shirogane only to reveal he's trying to "make Miko smile", he is constantly fending off men from interacting with her as protection (while also sounding jealous), he was way more protective of her when she was wearing that cast than needed and is now being able to openly headpat her and sounds almost like her "soothing sounds" from the days of yore lol Sure Tsubame seems like his start to becoming "a better man", but all the way back on the election, it was for Miko's sake that we first SEE him putting effort into *anything* without being coerced by anyone to take action.

And while it's more discreet compared to Ishigami's "white knight" attitude, Miko also tries hard to protect him - cheering him on during the sports festival race and wanting to console him before the stuco intervened, telling him he should study (but he thinks it's just nagging), christmas (which I'll elaborate bellow), making sure he was able to graduate middle school by actually confronting school staff and, of course, their very first meeting as recently revealed.

Many people hated the entirety of Osaragi's arc, but 232 gave very juicy info indeed. Ishigami's reason for supporting Miko from the shadows comes from admiration AND part gratitude for her attempting to talk to him and listen to what troubles him, and seeing they actually had a "falling out" argument was game changing.

He looks sad and troubled to have shut her down there, not simply angry, and so does she (there's tears in her eyes when her face is shown in the next page) - despite her black and white sense of justice at this point of the story, she still wanted to listen to him. And even after that outburst she still believed the rumors weren't real, unlike Osaragi sees it - otherwise she wouldn't have made the effort for him to be able to move on to high school. Why would she care, if she truly hated him and thought he was in the wrong?

If any further proof was needed at all that this info is important, I'm happy to say we have more. I noticed the Christmas stairs scene mirrors this exact falling out moment: "Go away"/"Suit yourself"

But this time Miko had already decided to change, had already seen the mess their relationship became the last time she did not reach out to him and thus already had their previous falling out in mind - meaning she decides to chase after him.

I don't like how the scanlations handled this scene because reading the japanese raws, my interpretation was that Miko was sounding "annoying" because she was still kinda drunk/unfiltered and freaking out when talking to Ishigami, not outright berating him like the Jaimini's box translation made it look like. She also sounds too angry after the fall, so I generally thought Viz's version (the panel shown above) was closer to the original.

"I always have to take care of you! You keep putting youself in danger. You can't make it on your own." is a better translation than Jaimini's, and also parallels better what Ishigami is often telling Miko as well (That she keeps putting herself in danger and that he has to be around to keep her in check). But with 232 in mind, I think it misses a nuance of the original line: "ほんとあんたは 私が居ないと危なっかしく駄目ね" - "Honto anta wa watashi ga inaito abunakkashiku dame ne" - while I'm a novice at japanese studies, gathering from what I can read and trying to get a feel of the whole sentence, it's closer to "So it really is dangerous to you if I'm not there/ It's no good if I'm not around you". You can take that as her being full of herself, which is the route Jaimini's goes ("You'd be screwed without me") but that's too hostile - Viz's got the spirit of wanting to protect him better, but the original has an implication that she has "tested not being there"/failed being there before (due to not fully siding with him in middle school) that's absent elsewhere.

IMO the reason Ishigami's "closed his eyes" arc is not over yet is because he hasn't accepted or gotten over or fully learned from his past yet, he simply shut it down. That's why briefly during the sports festival his eyes are in plain view, then go back to their usual for the balloon gag. I'm not sure if Ootomo herself will make a comeback, may or may not - regrets are regrets and sometimes the only solution to them is letting them stay in the past. But the topic of how he saw Miko in middle school and the letter certainly are being set up to still show up in the story.

If I compare him to Miyamura again, he'd still be at the point before Miyamura's haircut - not wanting to face the parts of himself he doesn't like, not quite ready to change. Not quite ready to patch up his own wounds yet and instead silencing everything from his past.

In this sense, Miko does wonders to make him feel more confident even if he hasn't realized it yet, and she's always dropping little hints she'd like him to worry about his future not in a naggy way, but because she genuinely prays for his success. He unconsciously wants Miko to think well of him and it fills him with confidence and a more prideful image of himself he doesn't really display to anyone else, not even Tsubame - like his usages of "ore" (a more manly/confident way of addressing himself) around her (AND HER ALONE):

( I don't like the available translations to the staircase scene either, lol. Zaibatsu has conveyed the tone of the second scene up there perfectly. For the staircase line, I've seen "I'll be there to catch you" and "I'll save you" which are contextually correct, but to me the original "俺が絶対守る" - "I (ore) will absolutely protect you" carries a much more romantic nuance or ambiguity, regardless of him realizing it at that point. It's like, the title to one of the most romantic moments/songs in the CCS Clear card anime ost, for instance. OF COURSE MIKO LOVES HIM. The narrator doesn't overexplain or take apart Ishimiko's interactions like for Prezguya, but all the evidence needed is there. And I gotta add the very next chapter to the staircase one is the "eternal love" x "real love" I'm super fond of that says fate is irrelevant and to find real love you must use your head to realize/understand things, so makes the romantic subtext even greater.)

This whole affair is also making me open my eyes that I should try to study japanese more...of course I'm happy to have translations and scanlators working hard, but there is something inherently lost in adaptations because it robs you of connecting with the author's intentions unless it was the author who wrote the translation in the first place

Thinking back on Ishigami's early "i wanna die/i'm going home/don't look at me" role, it seems unbelievable we're at the point he's now able to directly confront a "stranger" (lololol) or make serious promises with so much confidence.

PLEASE DON'T END SO SOON MANGA, I NEED MORE.

( off-topic kind of, but i'm lazy to make a separate post just for it: Since I mentioned things lost in translation, I saw something on Discord about Ishigami having an unreliable narrator moment in the "compliments" chapter/Iino Miko cannot love part 4 and holy molly, it is true. He first says something akin to "You're just too beautiful" out of context, Miko HEARS IT - and that's why she looks so shocked before asking for clarification - and he DID SAY IT in the speech bubble, but after she's nice to him and he thinks back to what he said he adds a "Your handwriting is just too beautiful" to his flashback. I'm ONTO HIM. ONTO HIM I SAY. It is what he meant, but it's like his mouth betrayed him. Whether it's unconscious or denial...it totally is something. The scanlation completely skips this and had the same line both times it's mentioned.)

[picturejasper20]

Steven and selflessness

Steven it´s character who has always been defined by his desire to help other people. While many times he suceeded in helping others, there were a few instances that he took his selflessness too far and did more harm than good.

In this post i´m going to examine a few episodes in which Steven showcased self-destructive tendencies and  tried helping others in unhealthy ways.

1) Sadie´s song

In this episode he thinks that Sadie *should* enter to a talent show regarless of how Sadie feels about singing in public. Steven assumes this is what Sadie wants and should do since she loves singing.

Along with Sadie´s mom,Barbara, they push to Sadie to participate in the talent show. They try turning her into a pop star ignoring that Sadie is quite shy and doesn´t like speaking too much to strangers.

Near the end of the episode Sadie tells to Barbara that she´s tired of her pushing her into uncomfortable situations, everytime she tried doing something new.

 ¨I just thought, for once, I'd get to do things my way, but you came in and took over everything like you always do!¨

Steven then realizes that this is not what Sadie wanted.. it was what HE wanted to do.

¨Aggh! How did I let this happen!? I don't wanna do this!¨

 ¨You never did. It was always me.¨  

This is example of Steven trying to ¨fix¨ someone without considering what they want first. He didn´t ask Sadie what she wanted to do, he thought this is what she needed.

Speaking about trying to ¨fix¨ people..

2) The new Lars

In this episode Steven accidentally takes control of Lars´s body. He pretends to be Lars temporality, thinking this could help Lars in getting more people to like him.

He goes to Sadie´s house to tell her that Lars loves her without knowing what exactly their relationship is like.

Sadie kicks him out the house, believing that ¨Lars¨ is making fun of her. 

¨I understand enough! You're only my friend when it's convenient for you. Just get out of my life!¨  

Steven realizes he didn´t know everything about Lars and Sadie and confesses to her that he´s controling Lars body. They quickly return to Steven´s house so everything goes back to normal.

Next morning Steven goes to the Big Donut and apologizes to Lars for taking over his body. Lars is very upset about what happened but he admits that he should try to be nicer to others.

¨Yeah... I guess she's right. Maybe that's why everyone liked the you me better than the real me.¨

In this episode, Steven tried fixing someone again before asking if they wanted to be helped at all. He thought that Sadie and Lars should be together, not considering that they want to be just friends for now.

Steven behaved a little like a diamond would in this episode.

3)  Kiki's Pizza Delivery Service

In this episode Steven tries helping Kiki to fight her nightmares that don´t let her sleep. It seems to work, the main issue is that the more Steven spends time trying to help her, the more tired he wakes up next morning.

Yes, ¨Into Dreams¨ was not the first time that Steven tried helping a friend using his dreams powers without thinking how it would affect his health. He later tells Kiki that he can´t keep up fighting her nightmares forever, so they decide to find what causing her to have this weird dreams in first place.

It turns out that Kiki has hard time saying ¨No¨ to her twin sister Jenny who is always asking Kiki to cover her up in her job. They next day he finds out that Kiki and Jenny had a talk and  Kiki is taking the day off while Jenny takes care of the restaurant.

This is an example of Steven putting others feelings first before his. It something he usually does a lot in the series, specially in Steven universe Future.

4)  Onion Gang

Onion gang isn´t so much about trying to help Onion but about how he thought that Onion was alone and had no one to hang out with.

¨Things get a little lonely for Onion, not knowing any other kids his age. But luckily he had his friend Steven, who would kindly donate some time to a youth in need.¨  

The next day he invites Steven to meet his friends, when Steven later returns to his house he thinks about how he was wrong about Onion and how HE was the one who alone.

¨Looks like the lonely boy with no friends his age was actually... Steven.¨

 When Onion asks him to play with them again, Steven seems very.. upset.

¨I figured it out! The only reason you hang out with me is cause you feel bad for me, isn't it?¨ ¨You don't have to lie to me to protect my feelings! Those kids, out there in the woods. You understand each other and you don't even talk! They're your real friends. So just, go. I don't need you to pity me. It's the one thing I can do by myself.¨

He seems to be upset about fact that Onion didn´t need him, that he was fine and didn´t need to be fixed.

At the end of the  episode they both make up and Steven tells him that he can come to visit anytime until he waits for his friends to come back next summer.

In this example, Steven thought that Onion needed his help but it turned out that he had friends, he wasn´t this ¨lonely boy¨ Steven thought he was. 

I think all these episodes are important to understand why Steven was so obsessed with helping everyone in Future, because it was a flaw he already had in SU. In Future he was struggling to find his own identity since there was no one to be ¨fixed.¨

Gifs source: Steven Universe Wikia

[hippityhoppityyourenowmyproperty]

Reset!Rant (part 4)

Blackout

Chapter: 1

Thad: "Even though Craydl was programmed to obey my dear grandfather over me, he still could hold a conversation and be useful. While you have some rudimentary communicative abilities, it's not the same. I could say the same of Bart."

This is a put down that comes out of the blue and it shows how normal it has become for Thad to resort to insulting Bart. This insult is especially tasteless when you remember that a lot of ND people have problems with verbal communication/talk too fast/talk too loud or too quiet/have trouble expressing their thought and can go nonverbal. So yeah, basically another slice at Bart for having ADHD, wouldn't you know it.

Thad's vision blacked out and he grabbed the washing machine for stability. If felt as if the bottom fell out of his world. He knew this feeling all too well now, but it had never been as bad as this. He staggered away from the laundry and into the kitchen to sit.

.................................... Helen's voice echoed from the kitchen. "Thad? I just got a call from the school. Bart passed out in class and I'm going to pick him up. I'll be home soon." When Helen returned home with Bart, Thaddeus was waiting in the kitchen with a smirk on his face. "You passed out?" Bart scowled and stomped off to dump his backpack and jacket off on his bedroom floor. Thaddeus snorted, still sneering.

Making fun of someone because they showed physical weakness, that's stereotypical school yard bullying right there. "Haha look at you you loser! You passed out. You're such a weakling!" Thad is so...pathetic in this. He is so desperate for power, so desperate to be superior to Bart. He waited all this time in the kitchen just so that he could throw Bart this line. He clinges to everythign that will make him appear better than Bart. He obssessively seeks out every little one of his flaws and mistakes in order to maintain his big ego. It's almost pittyful. Of course he snots at Bart, of course he is behaving as condescending as possible. Thad is the kind of person who kicks someone who's already on the ground. This is just...So ugly to read. Hey Thad, you nearly passed out earlier this day, I don't see you shaming yourself for being weak. What's the difference? What's making you so special that you don't deserve to be shamed for it?

Hey Helen, you're just going to ignore Thad very obviously and viciously bullying the closest person you have to a son? You're not gonna repriment him for it so that he won't continue to destroy Bart's self esteem and his mental health? No? Great, it would be very confusing if you suddenly started being a responsible parent.

Thaddeus leaned against the doorway with crossed arms. "You're pathetic." He sneered.

Funny that you mention it, have you looked in the mirror lately?

Chapter: 2

Mike gestured to Bart's injuries. "You could say that you got hit in the face with a basketball or something." Bart slung the bag over his shoulder and pushed the bathroom door open. Maybe he could just go home? No, Thad was there, and he didn't want to listen to his evil twin berate him about getting bloodied in a fight.

Through his frequent put downs, Thad now made Bart afraid to show weakness. He knows that Thad will make fun of his vulnerability and won't be of any help to him.

Thad: "No moron, I'm playing with a tesseract puzzle." His voice was dripping with condescending sarcasm. "What else would I be doing?"

Another put down out of the blue. And a very sordid one, I might add.

Chapter: 3

A commotion in the backyard grabbed her attention and she saw Bart and Thad duking it out again. "Oh, for the love of...Wally, I'll call you back. The boys are really at it this time. I swear, Thad needs to get out of the house and get a life, and Bart needs to stop antagonizing him."

Hmm, that's odd. I could've sworn that Thad was the one who constantly ripped on Bart, was a dick to him and provoked Bart with "You've got ADHD so you're dumb" insults, and Bart was the one who remained friendly despite having to endure insult after insult without retailiating. Are you referring to the times Bart called Thad a jerk and said "Like you're any better"? Are those the oh so bad words Bart calls Thad that justify you saying "He's antagonizing him"? Because, and maybe that's just me, but calling someone who is neurodivergent a r*tard, moron, idiot, shortbus, brainless, annoying, destructive, a nuisance, hyperactive, embarrassing, dense, pathetic, saying that they have "Rudimentary communicative abilities", that they "probably got distracted with by something shiny" and implying over and over again that they're stupid and useless, that you see it as a disgrace to be related to them, that you'd like to beat them up, (and actually beating them up) and that they're inferior to you because of aspects of their personality they can't control is a bit worse than saying "Jerk" to defend yourself in response to being called those insults. And somehow we should believe that Bart is the one who is antagonizing Thad? What the fuck is wrong with you people? Thad is so obviously abusing Bart in this, I don't know how anyone couldn't see this. Screw Helen, she has no sense of fairness and justice when it comes to Bart's treatment. Do I have to explain the word favoritism? How come she lets Thad get away with was worse stuff? Why doesn't she chew him out for all the stuff he put Bart through? He was very clearly shaming him for having ADHD im Helen's presence, and she didn't do shit.

I'm 100% sure Thad started this conflict with some "You're inferior to me" comment and was also the one who got physical first.

Helen: "You don't even know?! Get in here and go to your rooms!" The boys let go of each other and sulked past Helen. "I swear you two, if you were girls, I would be blaming hormones for these outbursts."

Yeah, let's just casually ignore the fact that testosterones are the hormones that increase aggressive behavior and that boys produce about 16× more testosterone than girls, and that men are known to be quicker to express their anger through violence than women. (Cite: Men vs. Women: Hormones; a transgender perspective, Why do women and men respond differently to anger? PsychCentral) I guess I can add "sexist" to the list of things that make Helen an unlikable person. Also, glad to know that she now cares about breaking up a fight between them. Play fighting for fun in the yard? Absolutely not! What were you thinking? Why do you act like that? You should know better! Shady sparring fight in the streets? Sure Thad go ahead! Nothing wrong with beating up your brother to release your anger!

Chapter: 4

Thad answered with a smirk, "That you're a hyperactive brat who would just get more destructive when introduced to sizable amounts of caffeine."

Bart glowered and crossed his arms. "Shut up! I am not!" Thad lifted his chin in victory. "See? Hit the matk. I'm right."

Both Helen and Konner sit next to Bart and they say nothing in response.

Kon chuckled as Bart settled down at the table. "Man, I kinda missed that."

"Missed what?" Bart asked.

"You driving people nuts. Inertia's not Rob or Wondy but he flips out pretty fast." Thad snarled at Kon, "They don't have to live with him!"

Bart has been nothing but nice to Thad. Bart is the one who has to live with Thad's constant belittling. Thad has deluded himself into believing that he is the victim here, but he's really not. Bart is. Bart has been trying to help Thad, even though he was a total douchebag who constantly humiliated him. Bart has to live with Thad.

Chapter: 5

Kon: "Seriously, don't you have any other modes than "up yours" or "sideways"? You're going to die a lonely virgin life if you keep this up. Yeah, I get that your childhood was stolen by an evil madman and all, but you're preaching to the choir here. Dude, get over it. We did." Thad's glare darkened and he clenched his fist. Lunging forward with a punch, he stopped just short striking Kon. Shaking with fury, Thad backed away and left the kitchen. Bart sighed and leaned against the kitchen counter. "He's gonna need to spar today and I'm all beat up already."

"You don't have to be his punching back."

"I'm not a punching back. I hit back."

I agree with Kon up until the "just get over it" part. It's nice to see someone finally calling Thad out on his demanding and shitty attitude, but telling an abuse victim to "just get over it" isn't good advice, either. What Kon should have told him was that Thad should work on his behavior and that him having been abused doesn't make it okay for him to abuse others.

The dialoge after that between Kon and Bart is another attempt on the author's part of justifying this situation. The "I hit back" isn't very encouraging when you consider that Thad is a way better fighter than Bart. The "He needs to spar today and I'm all beat up already" makes it very clear that Bart would rather not participate in a duel, but does it anyway because he feels pressured to keep Thad's emotions in check. Without Bart sacrificing his own well being, Thad would've gotten himself into a lot of trouble by beating up random people in blind rage. And Bart knows this. Despite what this sentence is trying to make you belive, their fights aren't balanced. Thad can easily overpower and outsmart him in a duel. At the end of the day, Bart is still his punching back.

Chapter: 5

Seeking Thad out, Bart found him in the library, talking with a couple of upperclassmen girls. Bart pulled him aside, much to Thad's annoyance. "I'm gonna need some help. Eddie's-" "Not my problem," Thad interrupted. "I don't care what's going on." "Look, getting beat up was just the start of it. He's-" "Not. My. Problem." Thad turned away from Bart. "If he got himself into it, he can get himself out of it. This is a waste of my time." "I just want you to back me up."

This kind of sums up what kind of person Thad is. He takes and take but doesn't repay the favors. He's cold and has no compassion. It doesn't matter to him what Bart did for him, and that he vouched for him. And going by Thad's logic, Max and Bart shouldn't have offered Thad to stay with them because; If he got himself into this situation, he can get himself out of it! Not our problem, we don't care what's going on!

Thad knows that Bart is going to do something really dangerous and could get seriously injured or even die, and he still doesn't give a fuck. He hasn't learned to care for Bart one bit.

Bart grinned at him. "You came."

"Max wanted us to take care of each other," Thad remined. "Letting you get pounded into a smear is a violation of those orders."

This is Thad admitting that the only thing that made him help is Max. I'm 100% certain that Thad would've gladly stood by and watched Bart die if it wasn't for Max. Thad still hates Bart's guts for whatever reason, and he actively shows him that every chance he gets.

Chapter: 7

"Obviously, I got my intelligence from both of our grandfathers. Pity that means there wasn't any left for you."

Hey Thad? How about you shut up and not smack talk Bart every chance you get? It would make you less of a person that deserves to get hit multiple times in the teeth with a brick. This is, very obviously, another put down directed at Bart's ADHD that is disguised as a joke.

Jerking his head up, Bart nodded. "You would do that?" "What kind of evil twin do you think I am?" Thad huffed in mock offense. "I only beat you up and ridicule your intelligence, not withhold precious words of wisdom that can be thrown in Wally's face whenever he gets his tights in a wad about you not being the perfect little sidekick. He treated Bart to a wicked grin. Legacies are more than a name and a costume."

Oh don't worry Thad, you're not the evil clone, you're just the abusive, selfish, cold hearted, self entitled, manipulative, egotistical brother. Yes, you 'only' did those things. They are still reprehensible and loathsome. They will still mess up a person and are unforgivable. Turning your actions into a joke doesn't make them funny or acceptable. The fact that he admits to his wrongdoings but doesn't see them as reprehensible speaks volume about his personality. He talks about his crude actions with such satisfaction and confidence as if he were proud of them. After everything I read about Thad in this, it's very likely that he is.

And the reason why he does Bart a favor here? Again, just doing it for himself. He tells Bart these things not becaus he likes Bart, but becaus he dislikes Wally for that whole legacy thing and wants him to suffer. Thad is self projecting about his issues with his legacy.

[kleineshexenkraut]

(Lets hope the formatting works. I noticed that the options for creating posts did become worse and more limited compared to a few years back. Weird.)

I can agree with a lot of this actually. Chad in particular often feels like an afterthought. Nice design and premise, but then standing on the sideline without anything to say. That he's quiet is made into a character-trait and even made fun of in the story, but it often just felt like 'oh, I forgot to have anything for Chad to say/contribute. Ah well, lets just make him land a few hits, everyone's used to him not talking.' Which is a shame. I was hoping for a bit more character-development in the Fullbring arc, but it sadly stayed how it was.

Well, I'd say Ishida is smart, but that doesn't prevent him from also doing dumb shit. He's kinda the one in the group a certain level of Tsundere energy is hoisted upon for comedy sake. And while I'm glad this isn't coming from the girl in the main group for a change, it becomes more annoying the further their friendships should be progressing.

Ah yes, Aizen. I actually enjoy a relatively late villain reveal for the surprise factor, although this one wasn't even all that late. Compared to how long the entire show/manga runs at least.

There is foreshadowing, but mostly what we get is the episodes that play 100 years earlier and what the character tells us was arranged. I have my own theory about this, though. Aizen as character is oddly bland at first sight. Like you said, a bag of charisma with little else, and one can argue about whether just standing somewhere smiling while saying they planned what happened just now counts as charismatic. That's a flaw in a lot of anime, characters endlessly standing around watching stuff instead of actively engaging. But we see Aizen rarely doing anything beside that up until the end of the Fake Karakura Town arc and if he shows up then he's overpowered. Sure, he can manipulate people into doing whatever, that doesn't make it more interesting seeing him floating or sitting somewhere looking pretty. One has to actively look for what the guy is about to get it to become more engaging and it isn't what a lot of people say it is. (In my opinion.)

The guy is all about deluding and deceiving people - himself included. He's the perfect example of someone twisting everything into his own narrative to mask his emptiness and shortcomings. In this he is very closely resembling a Hollow already and this makes him trying to hollowfy much more ironic. I think a lot of the so called plans are just him noticing shit happening that could play into his goals, then going 'that was what I planned all along' and everyone believing it because might as well blame that on the already established villain too. We get told that he was lonely all his life because no one was at his level. In truth, this arrogant way of thinking is what actually made getting close to people impossible. That and the complete lack of empathy and care for anyone. The guy is constantly pretending to be someone he isn't. He doesn't give a shit about the people he deems beneath him, which is by his default everyone. And whenever there are people at his level or above he does everything to up his power until he surpasses them so that he can continue the narrative of being superior.

And even though his believe that the state of the soul king is an abomination and he should be allowed to die already is very true, I don't think there ever was a good plan for what he could change. Not just because people who have zero empathy for others could ever create a just or pleasant reality, but also there's the question of how powerful someone has to be to shape everything into another state of being. For all the speeches we didn't get a good breakdown of how he planned his new reality to look instead. As character-study he is interesting, but still far less charismatic than intended. Just as Yhwach actually.

Finally someone who's not all over Byakuya. XD I like him for the banter and occasional unintended comedy he can provide and his design certainly is pretty, sword and abilities included. But his personality is indeed rather bad. With the episodes from 100 years earlier we get to see a short moment that shows us he's hot-headed and rash. By the time the rest of the story plays out however he just seems full of himself and shaped himself around his duties, to his family as well as the Gotai 13. He's repressed and has every ounce of feeling hidden to the point where he seems emotionless. In the moments this mask cracks, be it through grief, temper or when we get the aforementioned unintended comedy, he gets more interesting, but sadly reverts back to what was before very quickly. (Although, to be fair, my favorite characters need closer inspection to get the good stuff too, they just happen to be more to my liking.)

His actions, behavior and reasoning are more understandable if watched through the lens of honor codex and values of a feudal era Japan, which the whole of Soul Society is subject to. But that doesn't make it good or likeable. And even after he gives explanations and reveals the turmoil he was in during Rukia's sentencing there's still the remaining air of noble superiority and knowing better than others. Which makes him suffer from the same trope Ishida does – intelligent characters doing dumb shit or having stupid thought processes. So again, interesting for character-study, but only enjoyable in tandem with others for friction between personalities.

The flimsy, bad reasoning can be applied to his dead wife as well. There's a little story I think is absolutely hilarious, in which Kenpachi is really pissed about Hisana leaving small Rukia behind. It sadly has some disparaging descriptions of Yumichika I dislike a lot, but the rest is funny enough despite that. https://www.fanfiction.net/s/3355733/1/Parenting-Made-Easy-with-Zaraki-Kenpachi

I guess as summary most characters in the series are interesting for the characterization bits and pieces that are in between the lines. With a cast this big it's not really surprising.

The fan-service we get from Yoruichi was quite funny to me. It's like the scene between Orihime and Ishida about the outfit change cranked up to a hundred.

Ichigo is a character who only ever can become stronger once he needs to protect someone. If that isn't the case he falls short and that seems strange at times. He's also rather hot-headed and very emotional, which constantly lets him forge ahead into situations that absolutely could've been handled better. Although, many of these are made more shitty by the other friendly parties involved, so there's that. To me it looks more like knowing that he can accomplish great feats of heroism, yet hating that this needs to be a thing at all. Maybe that's where the impression of doing something because the plot demands it comes from?

Characters I was annoyed by back then and absolutely hated when re-watching were Hiyori and Riruka, both for the same reason. This character-archetype is so abusive and abhorrent, there's nothing funny about it to me.

But Hiyori was a lot worse. Frankly, I would've preferred had Urahara left her in the Maggot's nest. “Oh, look. Kurotsuchi's cell is free to use now, how convenient!” *ass kick, door slam*

I did love the eeriness of the scene, though. To me it was clear that Urahara took her there to warn her that she'd end up there permanently if she didn't behave real fast. And making Mayuri his second for the newly formed research branch was another big warning shot. “See? I already have a replacement for you. There won't even be so much as a hitch in proceedings when you disappear. You're on probation!” I thought she got the awful meaning and really liked to see how ruthless Urahara can be if he wants to. But then she continued just as shitty and I wasn't sure whether I had misread the scene or whether she was too dumb to realize in how much danger she was.

Mashiro was another bad in the series. At times I wondered if this character didn't have a single working brain cell? *sigh*

That got long again... XD

Hi! :3 Wanted to ask earlier, but forgot. You said there were various story-lines in Bleach you didn't like (or something like it). I'm curious, would you be ok with telling me what those are? Brainstorming with you was very fun and I'm pretty sure I'd enjoy even hearing about the stuff you thought sucked. XD Only if you're ok with it, of course.

I first watched Bleach when I was a kid, and even if I didn't finish it I thought it was good. I tried to rewatch it this year and, among other things, I found it boring. I couldn't keep my focus even when I did my best. So I might be remembering things wrong and I'm missing rather a lot of information. That said: One of the things I didn't like by the time they got to Soul Society was that the secondary characters felt,, well, painfully secondary. In theory, I should believe that Chad and Inoue went because they're good people and they're Ichigo's friends. Chad even says that he doesn't know shit about Rukia but he's there because Ichigo is. When I was a kid I thought "wow, that's epic". Now, I find that their friendship is underdeveloped. We get the flashback where it started, and then we almost don't see them interact. I should be able to tell that Chad is Ichigo's best friend by chapter one or two if their relationship is really that meaningful. They should talk and do shit together. So, when watching a friend who's mainly left aside by the plot, it feels like his presence in Soul Society is unjustified, because I'm told it's based on the strength of a relationship I didn't actually get to see. (I hope that made sense) This time around I realized that Ishida is not the smart character I remembered him as, so that was fun. In my memories, he was arrogant because he was smarter. Turns out he's just arrogant, full stop, and then goes on to do some very irresponsible things just to pick petty fights with Ichigo. While overturning expectations is fun, I don't find his character interesting in the least. I think Aizen is boring (while trying to put my thoughts into words I've realized that that's my main problem all around. I'm mainly character-driven so if I don't think the characters are fun to watch then I just can't stand to watch it). But, back to Aizen as a villain, I feel like he's just a bag of charisma? Like, "look at my traitor strategist! So cool and slick. So smart. He thought of EVERYTHING!" and then I'm just suposed to believe it. Maybe I'm just slow and stupid, but I didn't get how his plan made sense? How could he influence all those little things to get to that result? It seemed far-fetched to me, like I had to reaaally suspend my disbelief to buy into it, and at that point I was not willing to do so. And even if it made sense, I feel the timing is wrong. Aizen gets introduced as a villain pretty late, but he was suposedly influencing things from the beggining. I feel that if that was true, there should be foreshadowing from the start, so that when it gets revealed you can go "ooooohhhh that's what THAT was about, holy shit"(maybe there WAS foreshadowing and I didn't see it because I was loosing focus, but I doubt it. It feels, again, like those things we're told and I'm just suposed to believe it instead of seeing it with my own eyes) I couldn't stand Byacuya this time. His justification for his actions is flimsy at best, and that's only about Rukia. It does not include, explain or justify his disregard and even cruelty towards his subordinates. That should be purely on him for being an asshole, but we're suposed to believe it was because he was sad over his dead wife? And once we know he's sad about his wife he can now be a good boss? It doesn't make sense and I hated it. Didn't do anything to make me stop hating him, even though the plot was telling me that it was cool now, it was all just a misunderstanding. And that kind of contradiction between what the story says and what I believe sours things for me. I can't expect a proper redemption if the author believes it's already done. If he kept behaving like an asshole but he was aknowledged as one that would be okay too. Instead I got what feels like a half assed effort. Something that happened a lot during my rewatch was that a lot of characters that I liked as a kid turned out to be boring, annoying or bad. Byacuya is one of them, of course. I liked Hitsugaya but now he's just some dude. I didn't have a problem with Rukia but now I don't like her brand of bossiness. At times it feels like manipulation and I don't like it. I liked Yoruichi but now the fan service ruins it for me (though that's no fault of her own). Soi Fon's problems and attitude feel stupid. Kyoraku is a flirty old man at inapropiate times and now that bothers me more than before. I just thank my lucky stars that Kenpachi and the 11th were even MORE fun this time around, because I could enjoy their nuance better. And I have mixed feelings about Ichigo. On the one hand, the mix of delincuent with responsibility and a certain amount of brains is a fun combination. A main character wigh comon sense is great! But a lot of the things he does feel like they just slapped a hero complex over his personality? I feel like sometimes he just does things because the plot requires him to do them, not because he deeply believes that these are the things that must be done. Unfortunately, I don't remember enough details to back this up, but that's the feeling I was left with. A bit like with Chad, I feel that sometimes characters do things because that's the role they're suposed to play, not because those choices make sense with who they are. All in all, I was left with the feeling that Kubo is not great at making characters. At least, he's not great at making characters I can enjoy

[lizzybeth1986]

Hana's Group Scenes: Book 2

(I will be updating this essay as and when group diamond scenes appear in a chapter)

(ETA: COMPLETED)

Bathhouse

Technically, one can spend time with Hana with or without the diamond option, as this scene is more focused on Liam, Drake and Maxwell. The bathhouse is techinically co-od, so the MC and Hana can crash if they want to. Much of the friendly/romantic conversation happens before the diamond option unfolds, and the MC has an option of either calling Hana her best friend or telling her she wants to kiss her. Both options make her happy: the second for obvious reasons, the first because she was once a lonely child who never had many friends to begin with, much less a best friend.

Hana doesn't feature much in the diamond option, except to appear unfazed by the overabundance of abs in the male section of the bathhouse, and later to make the succint (and very correct) observation that Maxwell's hippo tattoo has a very personal story behind it.

Fondue Party

While most of the group scenes in TRR revolve around a particular event/attempt to take a breather, this scene is of thematic importance to Hana herself. Like the yacht scene, it focusses on her fear of failure and her doubts whether any of her skills are valuable if they don't bag her a suitor. In the follow-up to this scene, Madeleine plays on exactly this flaw of hers and exploits it to the point where Hana does almost fall apart (especially given that immediately after Madeleine's comments, chocolate falls on Hana's gown, driving her to almost scream in frustration).

We have noticed, all through the books, that whenever the MC points out Hana's strengths, the encouragement backfires because it further feeds Hana's negative thoughts. Usually, she answers compliments like these with a response like: "then why am I not getting suitable matches?" (the latest example of this being the hot chocolate scene in the MC's bedroom, where Hana compares herself to Liam).

But by instead focussing on their mistakes, the group helps Hana understand that she isn't alone, that mistakes are natural and human and common to everyone. She already sees the MC, Maxwell and Drake (and now Olivia) as perfect in their own ways (an example of this would be her surprise if the MC chooses her in the island question at Truth and Dare, stating that she won't be a good choice becahse she isn't as "sarcastic as Drake" or "funny like Maxwell"). So to hear them talk so casually about times when they have messed up puts her "mistake" into perspective. This is something she does know, deep down, but in personally sharing aspects of their lives with her, they help her see them as flawed, and grant her the reassurance that a few mistakes don't take away her value as a person.

Camping Scene

While Drake is in charge of the trip, Liam offers help in building the tents and Maxwell (of course) entertains everyone, Hana is shown to take charge when it comes to keeping everyone well-fed. As I have mentioned in the Patisserie essay, Hana is a naturally nurturant person, and this shows in her desire to feed everyone and keep them happy. This nurturant aspect of her also emerges when she is petting the stray lizard, as it reacts differently to her than it does to either Drake or Maxwell (the lizard bites both).

But that is not all. Hana also shows a healthy dose of independence in this scene when it comes to building her own tent. Liam offers to help her, but she declines, stating that "it's kind of like a puzzle, isn't it? I think I can figure it out". And figure it out she does. For all her nervousness that she might not fare very well outside of court, Hana seems very determined to push her limits and do well on her own.

Hana doesn't have a camping story like Liam or Drake do, since she doesn't have much experience doing it. This is why she reacts with fear and worry, wondering if she will be attacked by animals in the middle of the night. Being with the MC makes her feel safer and more secure. While she is happy trying new things, it still naturally frightens her to an extent, and the MC's presence in her tent is reassurance enough.

Panda Reserve

Hana does not feature very strongly either in this scene or the one in the Night Market, but outside of this scene at least she gets a personal childhood story about her, related by Xinghai. This scene also, in some small ways, features her creativity and ingenuity with whatever materials are available.

Given that it is a panda reserve surrounded by bamboo, it is amazing to see Hana place a crown made entirely of the shoots on Yang Yang's head. She is disappointed, however, when Yang Yang finishes off her handiwork in a single bite, only to be comforted by Maxwell about how - coming from a panda - that would be a compliment. She is seen later playing with Yue Yue and Yang Yang, with a ball she made, also out of bamboo.

Perhaps the most heartwarming part of this is the non-diamond scene that follows, where Xinghai tells us why the panda reserve was such an emotional investment to him, citing how excited little Hana was to see a newborn panda. This story highlights how deep and complex Hana's bond with Xinghai really is, and that underneath the sky high expectations and incessant demands to fit in, Hana's father really does love Hana and genuinely want the best for her. It is important that this sequence is shown in the chapter before the tea ceremony, because it gives us a glimpse of the personal history Hana is leaving behind. It also helps us understand why she might return to her parents - which I am sure will happen at some point in Book 3, given that we haven't seen Hana's mother yet, or fully explored her own background and childhood in Shanghai very thoroughly.

Shanghai Night Market

This scene is interesting, because while it is not centered around Hana she still manages to shine in it. The buildup to this scene is entirely on her, and gives us a very good glimpse of her skills of perception: she correctly guesses (even though she was hardly part of the Savannah drama) that Drake and Maxwell need to air their issues out and rebuild their friendship, and is also able to see Olivia grow to become an important part of their group.

In this scene, she is friend, guide and translator. Hana is truly at her element here, giving food recommendations and ordering such Chinese street delicacies as rou jia mo, shansi leng mian and xiao long bao in fluent Mandarin.

Her parting line about how food creates bonds is a particularly Hana thing to say, given that she is well known for her skills in cooking and baking, and is seen on more than one occasion using food and drink to gain alliances. The MC may scoff at the "cementing political alliances" portion of Hana's statement, but we must remember that it is Hana's suggestion of bringing Regina/Adeleide a religeuse/champagne bottle that helps the MC win their favour more easily.

Coney Island

The trip to Coney Island allows the group to celebrate the MC's newfound freedom from the scandal that has followed her since the Coronation, and allows them to experience the fun and thrill of being in a theme park. Each LI gets their fortune told, a go at the high striker, a chance to spend time with the MC on the ferris wheel and be gifted a soft toy.

Hana's fortune stands out as a beacon of hope given the uncertainty of her current circumstances, and allows her to feel a little better about her future. At this point, whether she is the MC's LI or not, Hana is at the precipice of something new and terrifying, something she knows she wants but has always been afraid to reach out for. From here, the only way she can go is up.

Hana comes out the dark house in the high striker competition, surpassing Drake, Liam and even Maxwell (whose puck almost hits the goal, but not quite). She is written as "studying the spot where the lever strikes the puck" and achieving a perfect aim in doing so. While it seems to be largely a show of strength, it is Hana's show of wits that help her win in the end.

At the ferris wheel, Hana cannot resist taking in the sights and marvelling at the way the stars reflect in the water. She is amazed at the "carefree, indulgent" vibe of the place, exclaiming that "it's like a whole other planet". This is an environment that is completely new to her, as she explains at the beginning of their trip, and she revels in it, and in her own newfound freedom.

On being gifted a soft toy by the MC, she treats it with a particular tenderness that could only come from someone who rarely had much by way of friendships, and who probably had to make do with with inanimate objects and imaginary friends. Back in Book 1, Hana did tell us about pretend tea parties with make-believe friends - since she couldn't have toys - and admitted to finding solace in a lake as a child. In the library scene, she speaks of how she drew whiskers on rocks to create a replica of Templeton, the mouse from Charlotte's Web. This is possibly the first time she has ever had a toy to call her own. Here, she treats it like a real flesh-and-blood being, insisting on spending time with it so she can figure out the perfect name.

Beer Garden

This group scene - the last of its kind for Book 2 - gives everyone small, fun moments doing different things: drinking, chatting, dancing atop a table. However, Hana in this scene gets a few moments to shine.

Liam points out to us how truly talented Hana is, when he recognizes the dance form that Hana is doing on the table as the Cordonia Harvest Dance. Upon hearing this observation, she shows us the extent of the preparations done by both Hana and her parents when she tells him - with a completely straight face - that she learned all 26 of the traditional Cordonian dances, because she wasn't sure which ones were still in fashion at court.

But the real highlight of this scene comes with Hana's confrontation of Neville, and her very public rejection of him. Unlike her tumultous exchange with Xinghai back in China, this outburst acts as a clear stressbuster for her - similar to the effect that telling Olivia how she felt at the Coronation had back in Book 1. The exchange at Shanghai leaves her drained, but this particular bold move makes her feel much better, perhaps because she has no emotional attachment to the person she is arguing with in this scene. She has been stating her disinterest for him clearly multiple times, but this is the first time she allows herself the space to actually say so.

Hana's breaking point with Neville emerges the moment he speaks condescendingly of commoners, and given that this was a dig aimed at Drake for taking away their table, it makes complete sense for Hana to feel protective. She does not mince her words here: stating he is far too stuck-up and boring for her taste, that she will never be interested in him, finishing her diatribe with a particularly cutting remark about his questionable fashion choices.

However, there is still a little part of Hana that is not completely used to taking charge like this, which is why she expresses doubt about whether she did the right thing almost immediately after.Perhaps the most interesting reaction to this question comes from the support she gets from Olivia. Olivia: the person who had jokingly claimed that Hana had "finally grown a backbone" when the latter argued with her father in Shanghai. Here, she is more encouraging and sees Hana as a stronger person.

To me this highlights an unlikely friendship between two very different women, that comes full-circle. Hana's first independent outburst (in that it was the first time she made the decision to speak up to someone who had belittled her, without encouragement) was against Olivia herself, where she called the duchess out on her awful behaviour towards her, ending it nonchalantly and with little regret (Good night, Lady Olivia. It turns out I don't care what you think). It is Hana herself who reaches out to Olivia and offers to include her in the group, who points out that the latter is slowly becoming a part of them. This sequence is the first time Olivia - a highly guarded, "prickly", wary woman - encourages Hana and applauds her for the same courage Hana had once displayed, in front of her.

The beer garden episode may mean different things to different characters in this diamond scene, but for Hana it is another step in the new direction her life has now taken.

[whitleyschn33]

Hello! Same anon again. You've probably talked about this and I've seen the YouTube video but Whitley isn't evil incarnate. He's a kid likely 15 or 16 trapped in an abusive home with an emotionally manipulative greedy father and emotionally absent alcoholic mother. Whitley hasn't ever done anything to Weiss other than make smart ass comments. He's seen what happens when his sisters test their father. And listening to Weiss' songs she was the primary verbal punching bag.

ANON: Continuing from that Whitley probably acts the way he does as a way to survive the abuse. Being daddy’s favorite makes him less likely to face the same disownment as his sisters. Whitley is a lonely kid with no emotional support or guideness and probably feels abandoned by both his sisters leaving him behind once again in the toxic care of Jacques Schnee. If he managed to get away from his influence I’m sure Whitley would realize how messed up his dad is. Weiss changed in a year Whitley can too.When people make up headcanons about rwby characters discovering their semblance it’s always when they’re really young which doesn’t make sense. They don’t just wake up one day able to leave behind a shadow clone or absorb lightning. Their aura has to be unlocked but then that begs the question how does that process work? Does it have to be by someone else or can a person unlock their own aura? Like with Ren was it already unlocked or did was it desperation?

ME: Hey! Thank you for writing! Trust me, I love any excuse to talk about Whitley, if you can’t already tell. Yep, although Whitley’s age hasn’t been confirmed, I definitely think he’s about 15 or 16 based on his design, so about 2-3 years younger than Weiss (I’m leaning towards 3). 

The FNDM seems to assign him a lot of blame for all the things Jacques does to her, but this is blatantly wrong. Whitley clearly has no control over what his father does, and it was his father that choose to strip Weiss of her title, and Weiss brought that on herself. Fans like to say that Whitley manipulated Weiss to make that happen, but let’s face it, Weiss would have done everything she did without any input from Whitley, and the only thing he did was clap at her song and not intervene when she summoned her Grimm. 

Whitley is very careful to never speak bad of their father, because he has no way of defending himself from his father, and no connections to lean on. Weiss clearly had Klein and Winter, but Whitley seems to be completely on his own. Klein doesn’t seem to like him, and Winter and Weiss seem to completely ignore his existence. Clearly his mother has no role in his life, so this leaves only his father taking any interest in his life. He has not been allowed to learn any combative skills or to activate his semblance, and I would not be surprised if this is because Jacques forbid it as a way to control Whitley, since allowing Winter and Weiss that freedom has only led to rebellion. Whitley is very much on his own, and if playing his father’s game keeps him from getting hurt, then he’s going to be the perfect daddy’s boy. He says as much.”It’s foolish not to do as Father asks.”

Whitley has probably never been allowed outside the house alone, and information he receives has all been filtered through Jacques. What exactly he knows about the Schnee Dust Company and the White Fang is probably very reminiscence of Weiss’s own views back in Volume 1 (something a lot of fans seem to sweep under the rug). I think a good dose of freedom would be good for the boy, but considering that Whitley is the last choice for heir, Jacques will probably do everything he can do keep that from happening.

I think that this lack of freedom that Whitley has also factors in to why he doesn’t seem very fond of his sisters. It’s clear that his sisters basically have abandoned him to their father, and then seem so shocked that he is actually an obedient child. I’d be very surprised if Whitley wasn’t furious at Winter and Weiss for just leaving him there without any kind of contact. Of course he’s going to be mad at Weiss for repeatedly upsetting their father and leaving him to take the brunt of the anger.

Moving on to semblance, those are some really good questions. The show seems to say that Aura has to be unlocked, but then Ren just discovers his semblance when he’s a kid. It could be possible that Ren’s Aura could have already been unlocked (was his father a Huntsman? Or was he just a regular hunter?), but he was like, 9 or 10, so that doesn’t make a lot of sense. I mean, it’s possible Huntsmen/Huntresses start that young, but I always thought it would be at around 12. So you know, 5 years at an Academy like Signal, and then 4 years at a school like Beacon. But i could be wrong. Either way, it does raise some questions about how aura works and whether or not another person has to unlock it or not. Pyrrha says she used her own Aura to unlock Jaune’s, so is just constant contact with someone else’s aura enough to draw out your own, can you jumpstart it yourself if you have a lot naturally (like Ren seems to have), or is that little ritual Pyrrha does absolutely necessary?

Maybe in Ren’s village they all unlock their aura’s to, you know, give their people a little more durability or for some cultural reason. Ren’s village seems to be very reflective of an Asian culture, so maybe Aura is something very important to them like chi seems to be in some Asian cultures in our world. But who knows? 

Anyway, I know this isn’t the most cohesive of replies, and it’s kind of late, but thank you for messaging me again! I love talking about Whitley, and you’ve actually got me thinking a lot about the Huntsman system and how flawed it actually may be. Whitley comments that it’s barbaric and “what could a single Huntsman do that an army could not?” He might actually have a point when you think about it, at least in the eliteness Huntsmen seem to have and how despite the very real danger in their world, no one else seems to possess any sort of combative knowledge. It reminds me of the Samurai in Japan, and we all know how that worked out. But that could be a post onto its own, or even a Film Theory episode (need to start commenting), so I’ll stop there. Anyway, please keep sending me stuff to rant about, and thank you!!