#bb analysis

[turnonyrlovelight]

do you think there was a sense of homesickness throughout the years ?

did jake and elwood miss the orphanage, always go back to it in their minds and reminisce about it during stateville ?? did they see factories in the distance and think of the orphanage ? did they see a shitty little prison chapel and get reminded of sister mary ? did they want to come home, want to revisit the orphanage and be nothing but those two naughty little children again ? did they see an old janitor or a guard with a kind face and think of curtis ? did they wish some nights to go down to the basement and listen to music with him, to learn with him once more ?? what about the band ?

what about their minds and jake's during the court case when elwood got the longer sentence ? did they look over at him, did they feel sad ?? did jake feel guilty even though it wasn't his sentence ? did he overthink it ? what happened in those first few years in stateville ?? did the years end up blurring together and did it become home to them ? did jake and elwood stick together throughout it and did jake write ? was there any suspicion around his death ?? did camille ever find out or is she still looking, is she still out there waiting for him like elwood was when he left stateville ?

of course elwood felt guilty, but was there ever a time where the guilt left and he thought 'i started this, it's only fair i stay in longer' and did he ever forget who he was ?? were there times where he zoned out for weeks on end, maybe for years and one day looked in the mirror and realised he was changing, that time wouldn't stop and he shouldn't be waiting for it ?

did elwood feel at home again in the hospital, getting smacked by mother mary and talking to her in person ?? did it feel like he was a kid again being sent up to her office for setting something on fire or not paying attention, only this time it wasn't something he could apologise for or take back - even though he completed his task and the orphanage closing was years later - did he feel the need to apologise over and over again for what he did ?

and did she ever get overwhelmed ? did she get overwhelmed during the swap from sister to mother, from the little orphanage director in calumet city to the hospital director in chicago ? were there nights she missed curtis and missed the orphanage, missed the children, missed jake and elwood ?? did she ever cry ? did she ever go back to calumet city ?

did she see jake and elwood in buster when he came along, when he got into trouble for the same things and had the same attitude of jake when threatened and the same mannerisms as elwood when left alone ?? is that why she thought elwood would be the best influence to him ? did mother mary hesitate to call the cops because she knew buster was in safe hands and knew this would happen ?? did she chase after them with the others just to see how they were doing, held her tough front to scare them into not getting into that much trouble again ? was she scared she would lose them and they would lose each other ? was mother mary drafting another 'angels have dirty faces' letter when she heard elwood's charges and how far he'd taken everything ?

did mother mary feel the same as elwood in the sense that it was just them, that everything was gone and they only had each other ? was she so quick to yell at elwood because she would've broken down too ?? how she was much more defensive than she was in the first movie. there she was vulnerable and explained everything, told them she was worried and ended up guilt tripping them because she didn't know what else to do. in the second movie, she was harsher and more defensive, angry like elwood was. did she miss the orphanage and calumet city and joliet and curtis and jake an was it hard for her to look at cab and buster because of it ?

oh god this was very question oriented im going so feral abt them, no doubt there's gonna b another post soon

[apiratefellinlovewithastar]

I personally adore that when Clayton tried to get involved, Edward immediately shut him down like “do not interfere with Ciel—no, Earl Phantomhive.” because if we circle it back to when Ciel first showed up to a Fag’s meeting and parallel it, it shows that yes, that’s his baby cousin, but he is not that right now.

He is working, and he’s good at his job, and if he’s acting as his title then it’s because the situation calls for it.

He wholeheartedly trusts Ciel is there, not as a student now that he’s revealed it, but in the Queen’s behalf (something he had been suspecting for a while now). No matter how confused he is, he knows Ciel will eventually reveal what’s going on, and if he doesn’t, well. There’s always a reason for that too.

So it’s like this: my baby cousin should respect me, but I respect the Earl.

There is a place and a time for everything, and Edward understood the assignment.

[akkpipitphattana]

hmmm something about bison actively encouraging the “you have to protect me” narrative to kant during the paintball scene and style literally having to fight fadel to let him participate.

something about how fadel doesn’t ever let others help him and also how even when he’s angry and hurt, his instinct is to protect style and not let himself be cared for, even in a fake scenario.

something about how bison continues playing the innocent role, knowing damn well kant knows how truly dangerous he is, and how he does inherently want someone to love him, to care for him, to protect him.

something about kant and fadel both inherently being protectors that don’t look to be protected. something about how style wants so badly to take care of fadel but fadel won’t let him. something about how bison doesn’t even realize yet how much kant needs to be protected, too.

[descendant-of-truth]

The fact that Riku was already concerned about finding strength to protect his friends when he was like, five, does make me wonder: was Sora being bullied at the time or something?

He doesn't say it like there's anything he needs to be protecting his friends from, he doesn't even seem very worried, but... why else would he care? Riku wouldn't need to be strong if Sora was just clumsy or something. But he's convinced that somewhere beyond the island is the strength he needs.

But what strength even is that? Physical strength is something he can absolutely develop on the islands, and he certainly doesn't need magical strength at this point in his life. If his solution to Sora being bullied is to beat up the people responsible, then he could just. do that. It'd land him in a lot of trouble, but technically he could.

Which makes me wonder if what he wants is something more like bravery? Maybe he hasn't yet been able to stand up to Sora's bullies at this point. It'd be particularly rough if it was his teachers who were treating him poorly more than other students, because a child would have a lot less ground to stand on there. He can't exactly fight an adult.

It could also be something less straightforward, though. Maybe Riku is just consistently not there when it happens, regardless of who the culprit is, and his little kid brain imagines that if he just had some sort of "power," he'd always be there in time to help.

This is all just speculation, of course - it's never really suggested that Sora dealt with anything like that on the islands, even in BBS when Riku was talking about protecting his friends. It's not made clear at all what kind of strength Riku wanted, or how exactly he was intending to use it.

Although, if Sora did have a history of being bullied and/or made fun of, then it would explain the way he sorta... freezes up, when his friends start laughing at him.

It's only for a few seconds, but the fact that Sora briefly goes quiet and completely still here with that expression on his face is a very telling reaction. Combined with the framing of both shots, it gives the impression that he's not all there, just for a moment.

Could be that he's reliving an old memory, could just be that it's getting to him for non-backstory reasons. This is a Sora that's fresh off of DDD, after all, and that manifests in more ways than just this throughout the game.

But if it is related to some unseen period of time in his childhood, then it makes it even more painful that Riku started this moment by laughing at him, too. Obviously none of them had any ill intent, but still... ouch

[snarttt]

does anyone want to hear abt the paralells between links awakening and i saw the tv glow? no? i dont care take them anyways

THE TITLE: the most obvious paralell is the titles. i saw the tv glow and links awakening are both titled about coming to a realization

THE DREAM: the pink opaque and koholint island are both representation of the "ideal" reality, with few struggles

DESTINY: Link, being the chosen one, was destined to come to this island and wake the Wind Fish. Isabel was destined to be Isabel, as that is herself, manifested in the form of the Pink Opaque

THE GIRL: Both Link and Isabel have a girl in their dream that guides them through their journey. They are both implied to be love interests

THE GIRLS' WISHES: They both wish to escape. Marin wishes she was a seagull (metaphorically or literally), while Tara is escaping reality.

"If I was a sea gull, I would fly as far as I could! I would fly to far away places and sing for many people! ...If I wish to the Wind Fish, I wonder if my dream will come true." - Marin "

"Time wasn't right. It was moving too fast. And then I was 19. And then I was 20. I felt like one of those dolls asleep in the supermarket. Stuffed. And then I was 21. Like chapters skipped over on a DVD. I told myself, "This isn't normal. This isn't normal. This isn't how life is supposed to feel."" -Tara

THE BIG BAD: In Link's Awakening, Link finds the true mastermind behind all of the chaos on Koholint Island, the Shadow Nightmares who have the power to transform. The monsters were created by the Shadow Nightmares to prevent Link from awakening the Wind Fish. In isttvg, the big bad is Mr. Meloncholy, a monster who torments the Pink Opaque and reminds Isabel of her troubles.

WAKING UP: Both Link and Isabel "wake up" from their dream, with Isabel throwing out her TV and "moving on" (although u cannot move on from yourself) from the pink opaque. Link awakes the Wind Fish, therefore destroying the island in its imagination and freeing the Wind Fish

THE GIRL DISAPPEARING: After the ending of the dream, both girls disappear, never to be seen again

THESE QUOTES: Something abt these two quotes

"TO THE FINDER... THE ISLE OF KOHOLINT, IS BUT AN ILLUSION... HUMAN, MONSTER, SEA, SKY... A SCENE ON THE LID OF A SLEEPER'S EYE... AWAKE THE DREAMER, AND KOHOLINT WILL VANISH MUCH LIKE A BUBBLE ON A NEEDLE... CAST-AWAY, YOU SHOULD KNOW THE TRUTH!" - Link's Awakening

"Sometimes The Pink Opaque feels more real than real life." -Tara

IN CONCLUSION:

Link's Awakening and I Saw the TV Glow are very very similar to each other in the ways listed above (and a few more minute details), and I love trans girl Link from Links Awakening. Thank you for coming to my ted talk. Another comparison is they both have peak soundtracks.

theres prolly more but im brain farting

[garoumylove]

The importance, influence and misunderstanding of Justice Man in Garou's narrative.

I'm writing this because I was inspired/compelled to do so by people still misunderstanding Garou and how he got into monsters etc what people get wrong about One Punch Man and I have rarely seen this discussed and I think it's an extremely important point to understanding Garou and why Garou isn't into 'monsters' but rather he's into fighting for the underdog/the outcast.

We don't have much mention of Justice Man in the manga but what we do have gives an extremely important insight into this kids show and how it influenced and reflected Garou and his peers.

So the most important insight we have is the flashback with Garou and Tacchan and his peers as small children discussing it. This is Garou at his youngest.

Tatcchan is discussing the previous day's episode with his cronies and they ***laugh:*** "Did you see Crab Demon's face when Justice Man beat him?"

Garou defends Crab Demon and says (and this is the absolute key to understanding this whole thing and why Justice Man is a piece of shit): *"Crab Demon just wanted to ocean to be clean and beautiful again. He wanted to protect the sea. One crab against a whole human army and Justice Man too!"*

This makes it clear that even though the character's name is "Crab Demon" there is actually nothing evil about him. His goal was to protect the ocean and make it clean again. Does that sound like a monstrous goal to you? And Justice Man came and kicked his ass, for what? What was the threat? Crab Demon seems like someone that just wants to protect the environment and is trying to do it singlehandedly. So Justice Man doesn't really have a legitimate reason to destroy him. It's the classic "misunderstood weirdo" trope of someone who appears bad or evil but is actually kind which is often seen in kids stories and fairy tales. But unlike those stories where people usually réalise the 'monster's true gentle nature and accept him, here they rejoice in destroying a most likely innocent being. This is what Garou ultimately finds disgusting as he gets older. This is what heroism is presented to him as and he rejects it wholeheartedly.

Justice Man is not a hero. Not in the noble sense of the word. He is presented as a narcissist that loves to beat up anyone he doesn't like. It seems that Crab Demon wasn't actually doing anything wrong or threatening anyone. And if he was, it was probably because they were trying to prevent him from looking after the ocean.

(Now, granted, the Crab Demon may have done some bad things to keep the ocean beautiful and clean, **we don't know**. But it doesn't matter because that's not why Garou is rooting for Crab Demon. What he admires about this 'monster' is his protective and caring nature.)

This scene is clearly set up to show us that Justice Man is a horrible person and that Tatcchan and his friends think his actions of picking on and destroying the outcast is hilarious. It aligns Tatcchan with that narcissist and Garou with the weird but kind-hearted character.

If you think about it, a sweet kid like Garou isn't going to empathize and relate to the monster character because of its violence, destruction and bloodthirst. He relates to the monster because it is unfairly ganged up on and beaten for nothing. Why would a empathetic and kindhearted little boy like Garou look up to monsters because of the pain and destruction they cause? That's because he wouldn't. I've said it before and I'll say it again, Garou doesn't identify with monsters because they're bad and evil but because they are unfairly treated, just like in Justice Man.

What Justice Man teaches, and encourages, is that it's okay to pick and bully those who you deem unworthy or ugly or weird etc. This is what Garou hates and fights against. The reason he aligns himself as a 'monster' is because that's what the weaker, stranger creatures in Justice Man were called. It's because that's the role he was literally forced to play on the playground and get his ass beat over and over.

Garou wasn't rooting for real evil monsters. He was rooting for the underdog because of his already kindhearted and empathetic nature. He says himself that he was a gloomy loner kid and I think that really helped him feel the pain of others who were lonely and rejected. And when the popular kids did invite him into their social circle, it was just to wail on him. No wonder he doesn't trust anyone who's popular.

Garou was not rooting for evil bloodthirsty monsters. In fact, on his hero hunt, while he never dares to actually kill a human he doesn't even think twice about ruthlessly killing actual monsters. He literally views them as disgusting. He thinks he's going to be this evil destructive monster and he sort of goes that way but he is never able to kill anyone or let go of his humanity. His use of that label is inaccurate and it's just a fuck you to the people who called him a monster and treated him like one. It's like taking a negative label and owning it and reclaiming your power. You call me a monster? Then I'll be a monster.

And even when Garou does go around beating the shit out of heroes, he doesn't do it senselessly or just for the sake of violence, he does it with a very, in his mind, noble goal to set society right. Monsters, real ones, usually just rampage for pure bloodlust which he does not do.

So no, Garou is not into monsters. He is into fighting for the underdog, for getting society rid of trash like Justice Man. He calls himself a monster because that's what his childhood show called those who were different and who were outcast. But he hates actual monsters and he hates heroes.

Justice Man conflated the idea of abusive narcissist and hero for Garou and to him they became one and the same. And he goes through life with that confirmation bias, seeing evidence for this everywhere. The heroes are flawed, yes, but they're not like Justice Man. But that's not what Garou sees. He has these blinkers on and any time a hero acts in a less than noble way to him it's confirmation that all heroes are just piece of shit powertripping assholes and he ignores any good they do or any good qualities they have.

Justice Man is a very important influence in his life and serves as an explanation as to how he got to be the way he is. It's not the only influence or explanation but it's a hugely important one.

Garou didn't start out rooting for monsters for being monsters, he started out rooting for the underdog, but everywhere around him the underdogs were being called monsters and so he adopts that label too. And yet, when faced with real monsters who threaten the innocent, such as Royal Ripper and Bug God, he himself has no hesitation to savagely destroy them.

Edit: just to clarify, I don't think that Justice Man was the one and only thing that made Garou the way he is. That would be a bit absurd but it's definitely an important element that I thought was very clever of ONE to use in the narrative. Justice Man is like a parallel to what's happening in his own life and he identifies with the non-monstrous monsters in the show being beat up for no good reason. That show seems to confirm to him that as long as you're strong and popular you can do whatever the fuck you want to whoever you want and he can't accept that. Not in Justice Man and not in real life.

[alma-n]

FowlFest 2023, day5, favourite scene

Heavy tlc spoilers

Artemis,

Help me.

We don't possibly talk enough about this scene. And theres no valid excuse for that!

We all, including Holly, know what he did was for the better; and he did not in fact let her die.

But imagine being stabbed through your heart with a fucking cursed sword, and you ask the one and only person you trust to save you in that situation for help, only to be watched to death before their very eyes.

And Holly had never asked for help. I don't remember her doing it after either. She does shit on her own. The agony, the pain, and oh boy the TRUST, for her to do that.

Its painful.

Yes, Artemis in fact didn't let holly die, but she is to forever have nightmares about that moment. And in her dreams, Artemis does indeed only care enough to glance her way briefly.

[galenthusiast]

Colorful stripes in B.B.gals magazine 2000/07

both balanced and unbalanced patterns

bayadere stripes

[magazine scan by gangal]

[therealhepcat]

Xehanort vs. The Legal System

Content Warning: The following discussion includes child abuse of a fictional character, manipulation, and harm.

Additional Warning: Long Post

Offender: Xehanort, Keyblade Master

Victim: Ventus, Keyblade Apprentice (11–12 years old at time of offenses)

Timeframe: From when Xehanort finds Ventus in the Badlands to just before he abandons him on Destiny Islands

Jurisdiction: High Court of Kingdom Hearts Tumblr

Presiding Judge: Me

Charge 1: Child Endangerment

Description: Willfully exposed Ventus, a minor, to extreme psychological stress, magical threats, and combat scenarios far beyond his capacity—under the guise of “training.”

Real-World Equivalent: Child endangerment, reckless supervision, and exposing a minor to harm.

Sentence: 10 years

Charge 2: Child Abuse (Physical, Emotional, Psychological)

Description: Systematic manipulation and abuse of power. Xehanort gaslit, emotionally broke down, and physically harmed Ventus. He repeatedly lied, withheld the truth, and psychologically conditioned Ventus for his own goals.

Real-World Equivalent: Aggravated child abuse, emotional cruelty, and abuse of a dependent minor.

Sentence: 20 years

Charge 3: Aggravated Assault

Description: Inflicted physical harm during the heart-splitting process and other moments of magical violence. Vanitas’ creation was achieved through brutal force and dark energy against Ventus' body and heart.

Real-World Equivalent: Battery with a deadly weapon and aggravated assault against a minor.

Sentence: 20 years

Charge 4: Torture

Description: Caused immense suffering by forcibly extracting part of Ventus’ heart. The procedure led to loss of consciousness, extreme pain, and psychological fragmentation.

Real-World Equivalent: Torture, violation of human rights, and psychological warfare.

Sentence: 25 years

Charge 5: Human Experimentation (Unethical & Non-Consensual)

Description: Ventus was used as a living test subject to attempt artificial manipulation of light and darkness to create the χ-blade. Ventus was unaware of his role in a metaphysical experiment that permanently altered his being.

Real-World Equivalent: Violation of the Nuremberg Code, Geneva Conventions, illegal medical/human experimentation, and war crime.

Sentence: 30 years

Charge 6: False Imprisonment / Coercive Isolation

Description: Held Ventus in isolation at the Badlands, keeping him under control through manipulation and magical influence. Ventus’ ability to leave or understand his situation was unclear.

Real-World Equivalent: False imprisonment, unlawful detainment, and coercive control.

Sentence: 10 years

Charge 7: Reckless Endangerment / Medical Negligence

Description: After rendering Ventus comatose, Xehanort discarded his body on Destiny Islands without seeking treatment or help, abandoning him in a vulnerable state.

Real-World Equivalent: Negligent abandonment, reckless endangerment, and medical negligence.

Sentence: 5 years

Charge 8: Attempted Murder / Reckless Harm

Description: During the heart-splitting ritual, Xehanort subjected Ventus to an act of extreme metaphysical violence—tearing darkness from his heart in a way that nearly destroyed him. While Xehanort did not explicitly intend to kill Ventus, his actions showed willful disregard for the child's life, resulting in near-fatal trauma and long-term memory loss.

Real-World Equivalent: Reckless assault causing severe bodily harm / attempted manslaughter of a minor.

Sentence: 20 years

Charge 9: Creation of a Sentient Weapon (Vanitas)

Description: Used Ventus’ heart to generate a living being of pure darkness, solely intended for destructive purposes. Vanitas’s existence was engineered without regard for Ventus’ autonomy.

Real-World Equivalent: Unlawful creation of a biological weapon, genetic/spiritual violation, and war crime.

Sentence: 30 years or life

Charge 10: Violation of Magical Consent Laws (Fantasy Law)

Description: Manipulated Ventus’ soul, heart, and being without informed consent, altering his fundamental identity through arcane means.

Real-World Equivalent: Unauthorized metaphysical experimentation and violation of spiritual/mental integrity laws.

Sentence: 10 years

Charge 11: Unlawful Creation of Life (Fantasy Law)

Description: Created Vanitas using part of another person’s soul without divine or governing body sanction, violating magical ethics and disrupting balance.

Real-World Equivalent: Unauthorized soul manipulation and magical equivalent of cloning or illegal AI/human synthesis.

Sentence: 25 years

Charge 12: Trauma-Induced Permanent Disability

Description: Ventus fell into a coma for years following the damage inflicted by Xehanort’s actions. His heart was irreparably fractured, and only external intervention (Sora) allowed partial recovery.

Real-World Equivalent: Causing long-term disability or coma due to assault/negligence.

Sentence: 15 years

Charge 13: Attempted Possession of a Minor’s Body

Description: Before deciding to use Ventus to forge the χ-blade, Xehanort planned to override his consciousness and inhabit his body—destroying his individuality to extend his own life.

Real-World Equivalent: Identity theft, possession of a minor, and metaphysical murder of the soul.

Sentence: 50 years

TL; DR - Major Charges (13 Total):

Child Endangerment – Put Ventus in dangerous training

Child Abuse – Physical, emotional, and psychological harm

Aggravated Assault – Harmed Ventus with magic

Torture – Caused intense pain during heart splitting

Human Experimentation – Used Ventus as a test subject

False Imprisonment – Isolated him in the Badlands

Negligent Abandonment – Left him comatose on Destiny Islands

Attempted Manslaughter – Nearly killed him in the Vanitas creation

Weaponizing a Sentient Being – Created Vanitas from his heart

Magical Consent Violation – Used his heart without permission

Unlawful Creation of Life – Created Vanitas via soul division

Causing Permanent Disability – Left Ventus comatose

Attempted Possession – Planned to steal his body as a vessel

FINAL SENTENCING

Total Sentence: 270 years to life

Parole: Not eligible

[turnonyrlovelight]

also. i bet on losing dogs mitski ......... that song has had me in such a chokehold for so long n i'm thinking abt the blues brothers now.

"i know they're losing and i paid for my place by the ring/so i can look into their eyes when they're down/i'll be there by their side/i'm losing by their side" makes me think sm abt throughout the movies how jake, elwood, curtis n buster r the losing dogs, the way they can't seem to get a break or get something good, or keep something for a long time- whether it be the orphanage, a parental figure [looking at u buster] or a family. they're always losing. sister mary, cab and mack are betting on losing dogs. they know they're losing, they know the blues brothers can't catch a break, yet they stay with them.

"i'm losing by their side" they lose too, with the battle of the bands, the palace hotel, joliet, the orphanage, but not in the same scale, not in the way that they have to restart their lives over and over and over again like the blues brothers.

"i always want you when i'm finally fine" this lyric reminds me of camille, in the sense that her and jake's relationship would've been very intense, as the both of them are very intense, but not in a good way- in the way where it makes you feel good, but you know it's bad. them deciding to get married and jake running off, camille chasing him and trying to get him back, but trying to kill him, jake on his knees begging her not to, but he still has that little bit of compassion. they both do, but they weren't the right people for each other.

in conclusion ??? i bet on losing dogs .......... mitski u kill me a million times with every album u make

[theblueprincess590]

The Winds of Youth-A Character Analysis of Ventus

Ventus began his story much like Sora, as a starry eyed youth who dreamed of broadening their horizons and seeing what lay beyond their small homes. Yet unlike Sora, Ventus had something to prove. Ventus wants to be an adult, wants to be his friend's equal and yet he is denied this time and time again. Everyone treats him like a child, they dote on him like an infant that needs constant supervision, They coddle him in his training never letting him from reaching his true potential, and worst of all they keep him cooped up in his room like a cage bird all while using their infantilizing of him to justify it. With his found family refusing to ever let him leave, to let him fight, and never teaching him anything more than the basics, The Land of Departure eventually becomes a prison surrounded by wind for the pure hearted boy. Making it no wonder that when the call to adventure finally arrived he grasped it without hesitation even if the hands that offered it were stained in filth and hate.

It is Vanitas who initially gives Ventus the push to leave his home and travel to other worlds. Doing so by nagging on Ventus’s insecurities and fears by implying his best friend Terra will no longer be the same person, that the earth will grow into a mountain higher than the winds can reach. However it must not be mistaken that Vanitas is just doing this out of cruelty. No Vanitas is using Terra to help Ventus justify his decision to leave. Vanitas is Ven’s darkness, his other half, and thus knows all that Ventus feels all he truly desires. He knows how desperately Ventus wishes to leave, to prove himself more than a child. So he gives Ventus what he has always wanted, a “justified” reason to run away, a chance for him to indulge in his selfish desires without any guilt. And this is ultimately Ven’s greatest failure.

Ventus left the Land of Departure not to save Terra but to indulge in his own desires of freedom. Terra was merely the just cause. After all if Ventus was really just acting out of concern for Terra then he would of voiced said concerns to Aqua or Eraqus, returned home after encountering Terra again in Radiant Garden, brought up the existence of a mysterious intruder in his room (which he only does when seeking praise from Terra and Aqua for “defeating” him), or most importantly of all he would of told Terra of the warning he received before Terra left when he had the chance but he didn’t because if he did he did then he would of lost his chance to prove himself. That is why Ventus continues his adventures after succeeding in his goal to find Terra because it was never about Terra in the first palace.

Yet the journey still holds a great meaning to it. Just like Sora’s adventures Ventus manages to make countless friends, each of who manage to help him grow as a person. Through the kindness of Snow White Ventus grows from one who needs protection to a protector  ultimately pushing him to save Princess’s Aruroa’s heart from Maleficent, which in term gives him the convention of a Hero that allows him to train alongside Hercules and Zack. Of course though it is not just strength that the Disney characters impart on Ventus but also wisdom and perspective. Through their adventures together Ventus learns what it means to truly have a dream, no longer accepting the aimless life he lived before and instead striving to become a keyblade master just like Terra and Aqua so he can truly be their equal. He learns what it really means to be a friend through the joy of Lea and Isa. Which in terms helps him come to better appreciate Terra and Aqua when he sees just how much their friendship made Stitch’s life better. And in the end discovers the true value of bonds when treasure hunting with Peter Pan, That a bond is not something physical but rather an invisible link that will always connect your heart to the ones you love. 

However these lessons can not protect Ventus from his cruel fate. He fights alongside Terra and Aqua in the Key graveyard despite his heart being weighed down by the tragic truth of his existence. Yet even with his inner strength Ventus only becomes a burden. Not only does his presence end up distracting Terra and Aqua but he is quickly incapacitated by Xehanort, reduced to a mere object by the old man yet again. And when he does manage to finally put up a fight in order to save Aqua he only ends up giving The Masked Boy what he wants. Vanitas reveals to Ventus that it was he who orchestrated this hero’s journey. Everything from the UnVersed to the disney world to Terra, Aqua, and Eraqus were set up by Master Xehanort and Vanitas to make Ventus stronger, so he could forge the X-Blade. From the very beginning Ventus was playing a rigged game, blindly following a shallow script of lies and deception all because it fed his ego, because it made him feel like a big man, like a hero. When in reality he was just a pawn. 

At least that's what Vanitas wants Ventus to believe. This “Coming of Age” Story may have been written by a Dark Imp but that doesn’t mean Vanitas has the right to decide its value. The path he followed may have been a lie but the friendships Ventus formed and the lessons he learned were anything but false. Ventus got stronger not because of Vanitas but in spite of him. It was Snow White, Cinderella, Jaq, The Three Good Fairies, Lea, Isa, Minnie, Huey, Dewey, Louie, Hercules, Zack, Phil, Stitch, Peter Pan, Tinker Bell, Mickey, Eraqus, Terra, and Aqua who shaped Ventus into the boy NO the Man he is now. It was them who imparted on him the values that gave his hearts strength, that helped him push forward past the darkness, and that gave him hope, love, and Dreams. Not this Shallow Shadow. Which is why Vanitas can never defeat Ventus. Vanitas made no effort to understand others, no effort to connect with others, and no effort to change himself. He simply remained the same, a spiteful parasite that sought conflict and conflict alone. He visited the same worlds as Ven and yet never once formed a connection of his own, only filling the worlds with more hatred and violence. Even his pursuit of Ventus and the X-Blade was just to instigate further conflict with a second Keyblde war. And Because of his unwillingness to change Vanitas could never understand Ventus, even when his heart was bare to him in their final battle. Vanitas could only see Ven as the lesser half, unable to understand why he put so much value in his friends, why this wayward boy was so ready to die for them. And because he stay the stayed the same, because he indulged himself in violence and ignorance Vanitas lost to the only bond he ever had. As it was the shared D-Link between himself and Ventus that ultimately destroyed Vanitas.

Ventus began his journey with selfish intention masked as richness ultimately resulting in his free spirited time of youth coming to end through harsh truths. And yet he was still able to grow from it. Because just like Sora Ventus is at his core a kind and heroic person with his heart open to all. He sought not only strength but connections allowing the bonds he formed to change him, gifting him with great ideals and power through every new command, keyblade, shotlock, D-Link, and Command Style earned. All of which help him grow from a shelter child to a true Man, one who always puts his friends before himself, reaching for the first time in the series the complete understanding of the power of friendship “My friends are my power ands I’m theirs”   

[bonefall]

Maybe I'll make a post on this at some point but like, something deeply fucked up about TNP and Po3 that people have totally forgotten about is how badly they try to whine that "Tigerstar Had Good Traits :("

Firestar does it, Brambleclaw does it, and they keep doing this after it becomes this GRAND irony that Firestar almost gets Tiger'd to death in a fox trap because he was too trusting. Bramble gets his pity award of keeping deputyship and then cries to his son about how No One Saw The Good In Tigerstar :(

And it's wiiiiild that no one else in this fandom has done anything with the fact that Leopardstar broke the Warrior Code to appoint Hawkfrost, who had no apprentice, an extremely aggressive and warmongering Tigerclone who says things like "Tigerstar wasn't the worst cat to look up to." ONLY qualifying trait was being kinda like Tigerstar.

And she practically did that the SECOND Mistyfoot went missing. And then Leopardstar continued to be one of the most violent and xenophobic leaders through Po3, joining with WindClan to attack ThunderClan.

What I'm getting at is that like, a few years ago, with books like "Blackfoot's Reckoning" and "Shadow in RiverClan" it's like they suddenly decided to retcon in a bunch of "redemption arcs" in hindsight. They just pretended like there was this grand high reckoning with TigerClan, when there literally wasn't, and if anything that caused SERIOUS problems for the cast that the authors didn't fully acknowledge as such.

And now ppl haven't actually read the main series and are just working with their recent memory of all these retcon books.

But TNP and PO3 are still there, and you can go and see the ACTUAL timeline where Leopardstar is really not apologetic at all, and Blackstar is a useful stooge for the very next wannabe dictator that strolls in, in spite of the new side content that COMPLETELY mischaracterized them for their plots to work.

[imminent-danger-came]

I feel like I've heard so many takes on kh over the years, but the real answer about the story and it's decisions is that everything in kh is done for theme.

Why does data Riku contain the journal inside himself? Because they explore this concept of "their are worlds inside us", that wherever you go, you take pieces of the places you've been and people you've met with you, and those experiences change who you are (even sometimes leaving hurt where they used to be)

Why was Roxas put in a data twilight town? Because the heart is uncode-able. It's incalcuable. You will never be able to write down, capture, or understand everything about another person (something I think twewy also explores), even someone you think shouldn't or doesn't exist. You will never be able to fully understand them to even be able to determine that

Why does Ansem TW's machine turn Riku back into himself? Because Ansem's sacrifice, listening to his heart, gave Riku his identity back (the way Ansem lost his own in darkness). Ansem became Diz and Riku became Ansem, an imposter of ATW imposter—they both lost themselves for their goal. Riku shouldn't have done everything on his own much in the same way Ansem should have gone to Mickey for help. Ansem was destroying everything around him, and he tried to change that

Why did Aqua defeating Terra almost send the both of them to the ROD? Because Aqua needed to save Terra, and become lost to the Darkness she was so worried Terra would, and did, succumb to. She needed to succumb to that darkness herself. Literally why anti-Aqua exists.

Like that's it. It's for theme

[crimsontentacles]

Sudden realization that if Bloodborne received a PC release and some form of a coop/difficulty mod, I'd reach levels of rabid obsession previously unknown to mankind

[akkivee]

something i’ve always found interesting is how all of the leaders except ichiro have migrated to a different place. like it’s:

📿: nagoya➡️bukuro➡️nagoya

🎋: osaka➡️bukuro➡️osaka

💉: bukuro➡️shinjuku

🍭: bukuro➡️shibuya

🐴: bukuro➡️hama

1️⃣: bukuro⬇️

hypmovie spoilers lol, but throughout the three kings mv, the bros are on a safari expedition in africa, which is where humanity began in, evolved and branched out from so i wonder if ikebukuro is basically this series’s main foundational grounds in that same sense; ideals are born and evolve in bukuro and then branch out into other regions

[byler-alarmist]

For me, one of the biggest ???? Mike moments in S4 was this line:

I'm sorry, ruin US???????

What the absolute fawk, Mike. How the hell would El's bullies ruin your relationship???

It's not a scenario like S3, where Hopper can be reasonably scapegoated as the cause of MiIeven's division.

It's not like El's friends or bullies in Lenora were trying to pull them apart. It would be different if Angela or Stacy had spent their time trying to lure Mike away, or alternatively, if they called Mike names in front of El and implied he was making her look even more uncool.

But they didn't!!! Angela and the other "mouth breathers" have absolutely NOTHING to do with the decline in Melvin's relationship.

It was already sus for Mike to change the subject to the bullies at this point in the conversation. (it would have made sense earlier you know, in the car or at dinner the night after Rink-o-Mania, when he could've told her that Angela and them were nobodies to try to make El feel better, vs. in reality he just silently glared or made bitchy remarks at her.)

Telling El she can't let the mouth breathers "ruin her" is one thing, as it can be interpreted to be about the damage to her self-esteem. But I just can't believe that Mike had the audacity to say "ruin us", as if the bullies' actions were the reason why he couldn't write "Love, Mike" in his letters.