#because i thought i had no strong opinions on how they should be portrayed

[edenleicester]

uhhhh len 10

[bookdragonideas]

Here's the thing. I'm a girl, and as a girl, I really like it when girls are portrayed in fiction. Especially fantasy.

But so much fiction/fantasy mixes up 'girls' with 'unstoppable forces of female badass' and there's not necessarily anything wrong with having a character who is an 'unstoppable forces of female badass'. But it gets old real quick. And it is not the same as portraying normal girls, or having good female characters.

And that's one of the many reasons I love Avatar the Last Airbender.

Because all the girl characters have flaws and weaknesses and sometimes act like idiots or jerks. They get emotional and make mistakes. They lose fights or arguments or are just wrong sometimes. Some of them are amazing warriors, and some aren't. Some are powerful or special and some are normal, with nothing special about them.

And I Love that.

I was around the same age as Katara when I first watched Atla. And I instantly connected with her as a character. I loved her optimistic attitude and her fighting spirit. And I could relate with her anger, and with her maternal instinct. I admired her fighting skills of course, but I loved how the show portrayed her compassion and kindness, the way she could both beat up a bunch of bullies AND enjoy a relaxing day at the spa. She was a baddass warrior that should never be crossed. But she was also a normal teenage girl who had a lot of the same internal struggles and problems that I did.

(I never connected to Toph on the same level, but I did relate to her on a few things. She's an adorable trash gremlin who would commit any crime for fun and I love that. But she struggles with being both independent and letting people help her, and I still struggle with that sometimes. I've learned that sometimes, you can help others by letting them help you.)

Yue is, in my opinion, a perfect example of a type of hero that seems to be disappearing. She is not a warrior. She is not a fighter. She's not even a bender.

Yue is a perfect princess, a perfect daughter. She is extremely feminine in a rather older sense.

And she was the only one who could save the world. She gave up everything for her people. She saved everything, everyone, the entire world. Without ever becoming a fighter.

Yue is a perfect example of a girl who was never more than a girl, and how that's okay. Not every girl has to be rough and tumble and fight for her rights in order to change everything. Sometimes it's okay to just be a quiet obedient girly girl. Sometimes that's all it takes to be a hero.

And I love that. Yue is strong in her own way. She is unique and interesting. She appears in only a few episodes and yet manages to be one of my favorite characters.

Song is another great example of this. Song is a healer in a small town. We don't see much of her but we see her compassion and empathy. She is gentle and generous. A healer not a fighter.

She watches Zuko steal her ostrich horse and does nothing.

Is that because she's kind and generous and knows he needs it more? Or is it because she's a healer girl who knows she can't actually stop those two from taking the horse? Maybe neither, maybe both. I have always thought that the scene where Zuko steals the horse and only the audience knows she saw it is one of the most thought-provoking in the series.

Suki is a badass warrior woman who is an awesome fighter and good leader. She is one of the best non bender fighter we see in the entire show. She was one of the smartest, most efficient, and powerful characters we ever saw.

She kissed a boy she had just met because she thought he was cute.

Now don't get me wrong I love SokkaxSuki. Its one of the best couples in the show.

But Suki totally did the old 'love at first sight' thing. And that is awesome. Because when she kisses him she delivers one of the best lines, not only from her, but, I think, in the entire show.

"I AM a warrior, but I'm a girl too."

Being a warrior doesn't mean that she isn't also a teenage girl. She might be a fighter, but she still gets crushes and likes to flirt with cute boys. And hey, she picked a good one. Not every boy is going to come break you out of prison.

Anyways, let's have more realistic girls in fiction. And please enjoy the next 24 hours.

[alexandraisyes]

What would happen if you were a writer for TSAMS?

I mean we'll never know unless we try, however-

God the temptation to make jokes about shipping ajfsdkg;ljfasd;l

In all seriousness I'm good at finding and fixing plot holes and writing consistent storylines. I've been writing solo for years, and recently I've been co-writing fics for this fandom. And stars I'll say it now, obviously I wouldn't drag fan ships into the canon lore, that would be stupid considering most of them just wouldn't work with canon.

If I had the chance to write for TSAMS I would definitely try to influence the way certain things (specifically things like mental disorders) are portrayed, because I understand being part of the audience and the frustration of only seeing part of the story and missing an entire important perspective. I personally find so much enjoyment in that because I get to tear everything apart, dissect it, and put it back together so the fandom can understand what the story is portraying, but the fact that someone is required to tear it apart to get what should have been an obvious message most of the time is an issue, in my opinion.

A consistent problem I've noticed with TSAMS is that it's overly omnipotent on some things while being too closed about others. This is a narrative problem that stems from not having enough time to figure out the best approach for new situations they want to incorporate. This is because the writers/VAs are so bogged down by personal projects, stream schedules, their servers, life, etc that they just don't have time to figure these things out. Especially when the company is pushing for more content/lore episodes and they're just a team of four. Four very very busy individuals that have to write AND voice act the entire cast of characters. I feel like having someone who is just a writer would help with a lot of the inconsistency and unresolved plot holes.

There's a lot of strong potential for things that would stem back as far as two years that would be so interesting to see incorporated, but they just don't have the time to work through those and it's easier to keep jumping on new boats and abandoning the ones they have to sink because of unresolved tears in the plot letting more inconsistencies trickle in like so much water. So I would absolutely work to correct those and clean up the holes and resolve unanswered questions.

I'd also push for more consistent characterization, or rather better worded, deeper characterization. Not that they don't have good characterization now, overall I think they do a decent job, but there are just some things that I wish they'd touch on more. Likes, dislikes, disorders, complications, relationships, etc. What really makes up these characters; I'd probably end up with a complicated character web for the main cast at the very least to help with consistent storytelling. I do this with my own AUs to keep characters consistent, including quirks (For example Solar Flare always refers to people by their full name in my writing). It would also be interesting to dig deeper into what makes the characters them. Their personalities, beliefs, interests, morality/standards (for those without morals), and what they did and didn't find traumatic (as well as what level of trauma).

God even just the thought of how I could potentially fix the dumpster fire (/affectionate /positive) of TSAMS and co is a little exciting because there's just so much potential lying around untampered with that I would happily dig my grubby little claws into.

[renardtrickster]

Also because bringing up "I watched Hazbin Hotel" and only talking about discourse is a Bad Look, here's my thoughts on the pilot and the four episodes thus far released.

I've seen some people say the animation in the show is less fluid in the pilot, but I think I like the show's animation more? It's a lot more consistent, the characters are shaded so they stand out from the background more (and kind of "pop"), but honestly a passing vibe I got in the pilot now and then was that it was "too fluid", like it moved too fast at places or like it had a lot of "flourishes" that felt off. I can't accurately explain it, but point is, I like the show's vibes more.

I also like the redesigns. I didn't notice anything too drastic with say Dust, Alastor, or Charlie, but Vaggie's was an upgrade. The red shirt breaks up the white, and she's looking much more Moth (the more Moth your characters look the better).

I don't really have anything to say about the voices, my attention was divided elsewhere. I will be committing seppuku later for not being able to have a strong, belligerent opinion on this matter.

Speaking of Vaggie, now that I've seen more of her character, I've grown to appreciate her more. There's a sort of 4-section graph where Charlie and Vaggie believe in the Hotel's success, with Charlie being much more personally emotionally invested in it while Vaggie's more cynical and seems to be doing it more for Charlie's sake. Meanwhile Angel Dust and Alastor don't believe the Hotel can succeed, but Alastor still helps while Angel Dust just blows things off.

Also everyone who did the "she's an Angry Latina stereotype" thing can eat shit now. She was angry in the pilot because Angel Dust publicly embarrassed her girlfriend, tarnished any credibility the Hotel had, and then insulted her to her face while being unrepentant the entire time. Now that we've seen more from her, she's just grumpy and more willing to put her foot down (as opposed to Charlie who is bubbly and more accommodating). I knew this specific accusation was bad faith from day 1.

I genuinely don't think the show is edgy. It "appears" edgy, but Charlie's a disney princess who walked onto the wrong set and is shifting the genre through her presence. The fact that her goal is to show that people in Hell can change and become better people isn't just portrayed as earnest (instead of naive) but it is in fact achievable (as shown by Pentious and the others over time) adds onto this. The show is a fundamentally hopeful and positive one and I respect it for that.

In line with that, I appreciate the musical numbers. They bop, I didn't need to tell you this, but they also fall into the category of "endearing through earnesty". Like Charlie singing to Pentious about how change begins with an apology is the corniest shit on earth, but I couldn't help but smile about it.

I do like the speed of the plot, both the "redeeming people" plot and the "expedited extermination" one. I cynically expected Pentious' redemption to be a red herring, but the fact that he stuck around and is turning over is something I approve of. It is a bit fast at times though, I do know that this is because there's only 8 episodes, but I choose to blame the studio/streaming platform over the writers on this one. Also, we should throw bricks through the window of every streaming service headquarters.

I did like Adam's portrayal. The original Adam and Eve myths, whether or not Lilith is there, do lend themselves to misogyny, both in terms of reading and "what influenced some doctrine". Between Lilith being cast out for not wanting to be subservient to a man/wanting to top and then having sex with animals and demons or something, and Eve getting duped by the snake and now humanity's been cursed with original sin because femoids are dumb and bad and men should make the decisions, etc. etc. Adam being depicted as a misogynistic frat bro-type who is obsessed with his dick and brags about his conquests to random people reads to me more as "a clever take/commentary on christian mythology and culture" instead of "gratuitous edginess".

Honest to god, I think they're better at using swear words now. My principle criticism of Helluva Boss (which I like) is that they sometimes use "fuck" like it's punctuation, and it can get grating or become "noise" that doesn't register, which is Bad when it's your funny dialogue. Cursing is still casual, but I feel like characters only turn on the capslock and start screaming FUCKING SHITASS when they're emotionally compromised or intentionally meant to come across as crude and unlikeable. If they took notes and course-corrected on this, I will never wear a hat because it's going to be off to them forever.

Angel Dusts' voice direction in episode 4 was really good. He usually speaks in a somewhat high-pitched, New York ("new yoike") accent, but when he was yelling at Charlie to leave I noticed that it seemed to get a bit deeper and he lost the accent, as though he was so upset he couldn't keep up the affect anymore. I got chills.

TL;DR Hazbin Hotel is good, actually.

Maybe people should take more breaks from using the internet, for their mental health.

[mauvewalker]

You know one thing I’ve noticed being parroted around a lot are about how ‘sweet’ the strong boys are, just repeating what the protagonist Rhaenrya views her sons as she has stated it within the show herself. (Which is fine as people are entitled to their own opinions). I suppose it doesn’t help with the way the team black boys have been casted, younger actors & an actual teen matching the character’s age, looking all cherub/innocent like with the awkward hairstyles emphasises their youthful ages & the framing by show is heavily in the favour of the blacks.

Compare this to the team green boys Aemond and Aegon (both phenomenal actors perfectly cast to portray them) but considering Aemond is supposed to be a teen what 16 or 19? (the show-runners can’t seem to do basic maths, lol) however, as an audience member subconsciously Aemond is viewed as an adult & treated/judged as such with his actions. Again the negative framing by the show of him in manipulating the GA perceptions of the teams, I’m really surprised they didn’t play a villainous theme tune as like with Darth Vader every time he appeared on screen but I think that would have been a-bit too obvious, lmao. It’s not like the camera framework & Aemond’s get up in black, heavy smirking in the background isn’t already doing so.

Anyways having watched the show, I happen to be believe that they are not these sweet harmless little princes, in particular, Jace hides a much darker personality, imo. For instance, in the courtyard back at Kingslanding with Luke he says “it doesn’t matter what they think” so on the surface you could argue oh how sweet he is trying to comfort his brother but shows his self-entitlement in viewing the other lords/people as beneath them & we know Rhaenrya has told him “you are a Targaryen that’s all that matters” so it has been instilled in him this belief in the Targaryen exceptionalism being closer to gods than men because of their dragons. Also, that line mirrors young Rhaenrya with “their wants are of no consequence” about the small folk again showing self-entitlement & an attitude that would make them poor future leaders.

Jace having this belief instilled in him, I feel it would explain why they all picked on Aemond because whilst Aemond may be a legitimate true-born prince who was undeniably a Targaryen with the Valyrian looks, what didn’t he have? A dragon!! so Jace with his inferiority complex/issues & superiority complex combined, knowing he was a bastard targets/bullies Aemond unfairly for this (for being what he should have been if he was fathered by Laenor) to make Aemond feel bad, inferior & inadequate like him, which they were successful in.

As we saw this made Aemond risk his life attempting to claim a dragon with helaena saying “he did it again” (hinting that Aemond at 10-12 risked himself numerous times) and it was shown twice with his failed attempt with dreamfyre & his successful attempt with vhagar. As Rhaenyra has instilled in him being a Targaryen is the most important BS & the biggest symbolism of this is having a dragon. So, when Aemond finally claims a dragon, Jace is now unable to see or convince himself as better than or being more Targaryen than Aemond.

Hence, his anger when they all jumped him 4v1 beating him & when Aemond was managing to defend himself & calls them for what he is “a bastard” Jace’s rage comes out, not because he thought Aemond was going to kill Luke with a rock as he had lowered his hand holding it. It was Aemond saying “lord strong” which made him pull out the knife & slashing with the intent to kill him. Again Aemond managed to defend himself & the knife dropped on the floor, so obviously Aemond lifts the rock up again to use as a deterrent as there is now also a knife bought in the fight. The strong boys shared a glance & threw sand in his face blinding him & Luke slashed his eye.

We all know what happened after, they didn’t get punished for it, viserys sided with them reaffirming his favouritism & threatening to remove tongues for questioning their legitimacy. Rhaenyra didn’t care to discipline them for it, thus, reaffirming their self-entitlement that they are correct in their behaviours & did nothing wrong.

Another example of Jace self-entitlement, inferiority complex & bullying behaviour was during the toast speech. It was Aegon who pissed him off & some with an optimistic view would argue his toast was trying to bury the hatchet with “fond memories of our youth”, however, he was looking at Aemond with a slight smirk knowing full well it may have been fun for him it was not for Aemond- he was targeting him again when it was Aegon who bothered him & Aemond was minding his own business. The reason for this? Because he is comfortable to be looking down/belittling/bullying Aemond.

Again, with the dance with helaena, some would argue how chivalrous of Jace for feeling sorry for Heleana being alone but it was to piss off both Aegon & Aemond. Moving on, with the speech & then Luke laughing at the pig, Aemond loses his temper, rightly so. As all he was trying to do during the dinner was ignore them, both Jace & Luke have triggered him with the past, so he gives the infamous strong speech, to push back & give them a taste of their own medicine.

Jace is the one who then loses his temper & his first typical reaction when he does?? is to be physically violent & throws the first punch & which side does he purposely target?? Aemond’s blind/injured & vulnerable side of his face. The punch was laughable, Aemond didn’t even spill his drink & with one push was thrown down. Exactly like his younger behaviour showing no growth, he get back up & during this altercation, Luke had tried to join to gang up on Aemond again. So both brothers are unable to take the heat that they dish out & fight fairly 1 to 1, but, really what could’ve Luke have really done, lmao.

They should of known when they saw Aemond earlier that day in the courtyard training. At the time, it’s clear both strong boys didn’t know it was him (with the typical targaryen blonde hair they maybe could of mistaken him for Aegon) & were super impressed with his prowess/skill, before he turned around with the eyepatch & their faces said it all, like ‘oh shit’ & then soured that the person who they perceived weaker/beneath them during childhood is a skilled swordsman, unlike them. Another thing that Aemond has/is that the strong boys don’t to add to Jace’s list, alongside having both of a mix of a inferiority complex & superiority complex, a ‘sweet prince’ he is not.

[violet-moonstone]

Black Women and Girls in Science Fiction, Fantasy, and Media in General

Thinking about how much Mel Medarda (and characters like her) means to me and considering making a sideblog with posts about black women in science fiction, fantasy, and historical fiction -- because we are often not included, sidelined, or portrayed primarily as struggling.

And I want to focus on Black women who are portrayed as intelligent, kind, wise, graceful, cherished, etc because we are not expected to be these things (I've straight up been told to my face that someone was shocked that I was kind and intelligent because I'm Black...and they meant this as a compliment). I've also had friends make comments about not expecting a guy I liked to be interested in me because they just naturally assumed he's "not into Black girls" because that's the norm in our neighbourhood.

I've also been told that I'm not "really Black" or that I'm "whitewashed" or "an Oreo" because I don't fit the narrow idea of a Black woman many people have about Black women and Black people in general. I'm not loud, sexual, or aggressive enough. The way I speak isn't Black enough, and neither are my hobbies and interests). Seeing Black women and girls portrayed in a variety of ways is so freeing, because it allows all Black women to see themselves in media and art.

I think conversations about how women are portrayed in fiction can be difficult, because no, I don't think all women should be portrayed as traditionally feminine and/or as love interests. Yes, I think there should be women who are portrayed a strong and brave warriors...but as a Black woman, that's pretty much the expectation -- to be a warrior who needs no help. But this expectation does not come out of admiration.

We're expected to be strong and able to shoulder burdens on our own because very often, people don't want to help us so we have to help ourselves. We're not expected to be watched out for and certainly not serious, long-term love interests (unless we're biracial or have light skin) in fiction or even in real life. And then when you get intelligent, dark skinned Black girls/women as love interests who have any personal goals or opinions that don't 100% align with the male protagonist, prepare for her to be hated (See the Castlevania: Nocturne and Invincible fandoms for examples).

I'm not going to get into detail about the history of the "strong Black woman" trope and the effects of slavery on perceptions of Black women, but if you need an example of how this still affects society: Black women in countries like the US, Canada, and England are more likely to die in childbirth. This is partially because of how wealth disparities among racial groups affect access to healthcare, but it's also related to Black women's pain not being taken seriously and Black women not being seen as worth protecting in the same way (This also happens with Indigenous and Hispanic women btw).

There are still people in healthcare programs/people who work in healthcare who were taught that Black people have a higher pain tolerance than people of other races. Being a "strong Black woman" isn't exactly an empowering experience when your suffering is seen as trivial or non-existent.

Let's not forget that when Rue (who was explicitly described has having dark skin in THG) was cast as Black (and played by a very light actress btw) there were people in the fandom talking about how they automatically pictured her as being pale and blonde because that's their mental image of a sweet, innocent girl. (Also because these people were not very bright and couldn't imagine that Katniss thought Rue was similar to Prim in terms of personality, not literal appearance).

When Annabeth Chase was cast as Black, I saw someone talking about how it didn't make sense because as a white blonde in the books, she would have a reason to prove her intelligence and defy stereotypes...as if this isn't something Black girls go through in a much more intense way on a regular basis!

Anyway I wanted to mention all of that because it's important to keep in mind when I'm talking about appreciating characters like Mel. Appreciating femininity or being a primary love interest can be seen as frivolous and limiting because in general it's a box that a lot of female characters (especially White female characters) are put into, but it's important for Black women because we get it so rarely (although I think it's getting less and less rare these days, thankfully).

[1989withstyle]

Recently I sent in an anon to @alittlebitofloveliness about my interpretation of a female Dallas Winston! So I thought I’d expand my insight on the parallels/contrast between fem Dally and fem Darry.

Now Dallas Winston in the book reeks of toxic masculinity and the ideas of what masculinity was at the time. That being said FEMALE Dallas Winston would to a certain extent portray toxic femininity as well. Except Dallas would NOT adhere to the feminine standards of the time. As stated in the book, Dallas isn’t a physically attractive person, not in the way the Curtis Brothers are. It’s one of the reasons Dallas as a character is treated much more harshly than anyone in the gang.

A female Dallas as a result of not being attractive would probably take the route of “not like other girls” or whatever the equivalent of that is in the 60’s. It doesn’t help matters that she doesn’t have any strong female role models to look up too or to help her navigate girlhood. To make things worse she’s not pretty, or slim or tall the way a Fem Sodapop or Darry would be. She’s short,curvy, and is HIGHLY opinionated. All traits that many people would not approve of the time. I’m not necessarily saying she’d be plus size, but I do think she would be viewed that way at the time considering she has curves to her, which would be frown upon during the time. You also have to remember that anything pre 2000’s (really pre 2010’s) considered people who had curves to them, to be overweight.

(Ahah…good old 2000’s with its body shaming 🫡)

Back to the point! Dallas as a result of not being seen as physically desirable, I think would heavily reject femininity as a result of not fitting into those standards. BUT also the way she grew up comes in to play as well. She’s seen the way that the women around her got treated by the men in her lives. How the girls she played with at recess were sexualized at a frighteningly young age. How those girls would later end up in abusive relationships, or some would end up in less that savory jobs. I like to think that also would play a huge part in her rejecting femininity as a whole. Seeing that at a young age would horrify Dallas, to the point she flat out rejects being seen as feminine. She’s seen what happens when you fit into those standards and she refuses to conform as a result.

(Fem Dallas definitely reeks of internalized misogyny)

Dallas in turn carry herself as loud,opinionated, and would refuse to dress conservatively. I think she’d be a tomboy with a girly streak. Not completely masculine, but definitely not girly either. She’s stuck in this middle ground due to rejecting anything feminine growing up. To pull from movie examples she’s a mix of Janis Ian,Kat Stratford, and DEFINITELY Natalie Scatorccio from Yellow jackets.

I do think a fem Dallas would look down on girls who do embrace being soft and girly and sweet. She would find them to be stupid,weak, and would just add them to the list of reasons of what’s wrong with their society. Though this also stems in part due to her own jealousy. Even if she wouldn’t admit it, I feel like there are times where Dallas wishes she could be seen as delicate and soft. Which is why I think she has a soft spot for fem Johnny, because yes Johnny is sweet and loves everything feminine, and in a way is everything Dallas CAN’T be. Though their dynamic in this universe is gonna be saved for a later rant.

Now that I’ve established how I would view a Fem Dallas…now let’s discuss my thoughts on a Fem Darry in this universe. As we all know Darry is the golden boy of Tulsa. As a girl this would not change, except she’d be seen as the All American girl. She’s tall with long and slender legs, lean and flat chested. In my mind she looks like Julie Newmar did, just maybe a little bit more leaner. She would definitely check off all the boxes on how a women should act and look like at the time. She’s outgoing,sweet, and doesn’t really voice her opinions out loud. BUT In the same way that Darry doesn’t necessarily act like a toxic male, Fem Darry would not act like a submissive housewife. She values her education and strongly believes women are made for more than being a wife. She craved to get out of Tulsa and to have a proper career for herself. She had dreams bigger than being a mother and a housewife. But things changed when her parents died. She lost any hope of going to college and making something for herself. Instead she’s stuck working in a domestic field the way that most women were at the time. Nurses,teachers, and secretary work were the only real career paths at the time. So I imagine Darry most likely went on to be a teacher here.

Unfortunately for Darry, she has no choice but to play along with society’s rules. Especially if it means being able to support her sisters. She HAS to smile, and be sweet and patient even if she feels like yelling most days.She has to act prim and proper, and wear skirts. Even if she desperately just wants to wear pants.She’s trapped by societal norms in the same way Dallas is. The difference is that Darry uses her femininity to her advantage, while Dallas actively fights against it. Both are representations of femininity in their own way. I think as a result of how both girls act they often clash most of the time. ESPECIALLY when it concerns handling Ponyboy. Darry what’s Ponyboy to have an easy time in life so often she projects certain standards/views on femininity onto Ponyboy. Whereas Dallas often encourages Ponyboy to go against those standards.

Anyway I could go more in depth but I think that pretty much covers my own take on the Genderbend Outsiders Universe. I hope this makes sense to ya’ll!

[evebestthinker]

I find it hard to see Corlys and Rhaenys as a powerful couple of equals in the show. I always laugh when the actors talk about their deep love and partnership. What I actually see is Corlys repeatedly dismissing Rhaenys's counsel and opinions. The only time Rhaenys seems to wield any real influence is when Corlys is absent. It’s strange how the fandom tries to sell this "great love" by saying things like, "Yes, he's flawed and made mistakes, but he feels ashamed. Look at his puppy eyes when he sees his wife's pain." Meanwhile, it's as if they forget that Rhaenys is in pure agony because of him—he's the root of almost all her suffering, aside from the council’s decision.

I've often criticized how these characters were adapted for the screen, both as individuals and as a couple. In my view, the portrayal of Corlys and Rhaenys up to the middle of the first season is the closest to their book counterparts. It hints at the united and powerful couple they should have been, though even then, it's far from a perfect adaptation, with many changes I don't like.

In the series, I've always seen them as two strong people individually. Their impact comes from their own charisma, their union doesn't add power beyond what they already have on their own.

For instance, when Eve and Steve said that Corlys and Rhaenys had been each other's rock throughout the last season, I couldn’t help but roll my eyes. From episode 8 onwards (and for the six years prior, off-screen), Rhaenys is clearly on her own. She even says, "I must stand alone," because that's exactly what she's been doing the whole time. The idea of them being each other's rock fell apart long before season two, but like many other things, it's just been ignored. I honestly thought this season would revisit that dynamic and explore it further, but instead, it’s just another piece of drama they introduced and then dropped.

So I agree with you, the idea of partnership that Steve and Eve talk about never really comes through for me, especially from the second half of the first season onward, up until Rhaenys's death. When every major decision or crisis shows them in disagreement and growing apart—literally—how am I supposed to believe in their partnership? Just because Corlys comes back humbled? Are we supposed to believe that's enough to show he views Rhaenys as his equal? He continuously makes decisions, knowing the risks and the pain they'll cause her and his children, and when the consequences catch up, he feels embarrassed and so what?

This dynamic could have worked once, but it's basically how their marriage is in the show, he's such a disappointment and failure as husband, he has nothing of the real Sea Snake who always puts family first, in the show Corlys only pririotizes his needs. And at the same time Rhaenys toils in the service of Corlys, accepting situations she doesn't like only because in this fucking show women are portrayed as submissive to their husbands and incapable of holding a grudge for more than two seconds: they always have to accept the way things are for a greater scope.

I'm honest I didn't expect this from them, it does not reflect what we see in the books and it's a pity because Steve and Eve would have done very well with their on paper characters, but this is what we've been given.

I personally ship only their book versions and use the show's scenes purely for aesthetics, like making videos or gifs, but I think that people must be free to like or dislike things related to a tv show , to have their own opinions on topics of the show and to be free to ship whoever they like for all the reasons they want

[largemandrill]

d twins and rogier 🫵

Thank you I have many thoughts about them.

Rogier

Favorite thing: His mental illness, obviously. There’s so many things wrong with him that are also things that are wrong with me. He’s just like me fr (bad thing)

Least favorite: I’m gonna be so vulnerable right now but his outfit is so fugly. Like, he rocks it, but it is HELL to draw and I personally rank characters in my head by how fun they are to draw. I love him enough to try though.

Favorite line: I like it when he full on admits that the Tarnished terrifies him. We are very scary and he’s just a little guy. He knows the only thing keeping the Tarnished from murder is that they have a little crush on him lol.

brOTP: Rogier doesn’t have real friends, He only knows how to abandon people after he’s convinced himself that they hate him. However, I do see the relationship with the player Tarnished as the only platonic thing he’s got going on. They are buddies and he’s not used to that. He can’t leave this one behind because he physically cannot move, and that’s probably for the best tbh.

OTP: you know who I am.

nOTP: Honestly I don’t really have nOTPs. Rogier is slutty enough that you can throw him at anyone and it can work. I guess I’m not too privy on when people portray him and Fia with anything close to a healthy relationship, but that’s not the ship itself’s fault.

Random Headcanon: He’s so transgender you could never understand.

Unpopular opinion: Not unpopular within our particular circle, but with the community as a whole. He’s a pathetic little weasel of a man with sad eyes and undiagnosed mental disorders. I love him but therapy can’t fix him.

Songs I associate: Should be noted that I can make any song about him if I try hard enough. The main ones that remind me of him are We are not friends by S, Bag of Bones by Silversun Pickups, Wine and Wheat by Madds Buckley, and Liar by Arcadian Wild.

Pic: This tiny guy from the manga

Darian

Favorite thing: His strong arms that can carry me into the sunset. And probably also his reflexive need to care for others to the point where he would probably die for a complete stranger.

Least favorite: Not his fault but again with that fucking OUTFIT. I love it aesthetically but my wrist hurts even thinking about drawing it.

Favorite Line: I love how much a jokester he is once you join Gurranq. Like when he tells you to not let him starve to death is so funny to me. He trusts you enough to joke and that makes me emotional tbh.

brOTP: In my mind, he and Nepheli are actually really good buddies. They’re both adopted by not great dads and they value other’s lives above all else. Also they probably drink together.

OTP: I’m not going into him and Rogier rn because that would take a full hour to write down. I’m just a man.

nOTP: I can’t see him with a woman, I’m so sorry self-shippers. It doesn’t gross me out, but it doesn’t register as realistic in my mind. He’s gay, that’s a golden order mandate.

Random Headcanon: He wouldn’t be a great dad, but he would be one of the best dads out of the male cast of this game. Really a tallest dwarf situation.

Unpopular opinion: He’s never been wrong about anything that wasn’t related to the Golden Order tbh. The skeletons are an issue and he’s one of the only people equipped to properly deal with them.

Songs I associate: If a song is about Catholic guilt it’s immediately about him. Take me to Church is legally his theme song.

Fav pic: my profile picture/phone background, obviously.

Devin

Favorite thing: His rabies

Least favorite: I wish he had more screen time. I know that’s so his speech is more impactful, but I still wanna see him more.

Favorite Line: His iconic slutshaming moment. Good for him tbh.

brOTP: Him and me in real life. We’d be chill.

OTP: I physically cannot imagine Devin having any romantic interests for some reason. He’s not really a person in his head so maybe he believes that he’s incapable of love or something. I have many Devin thoughts.

nOTP: see above

Random Headcanon: I genuinely believe he could be a pretty good musician if he pushed himself. He looks like Kurt Cobain I had to make that joke somewhere.

Unpopular opinion: I know I say he’s a freak, but he’s actually just a grieving little guy. His mouth is foaming and his eyes are filled with tears.

Song I associate: Moon Waltz by Cojim Dip. I dunno the vibe is just correct.

Favorite image: All fan art of him is great. I don’t have a specific pic for him lol.

[solar-halos]

hey!! I was wondering what your favorite odesta fics are?

hey mia! thats a great question lol, usually i just rotate through the same three odesta fic writers and cross my fingers u guys update something soon, but i’ll try to mix it up!

1. by any other name by jajajaja. this one is just so sweet and cute. it’s also a Finnick Lives au so you already know it’s going to be a joy to read

2. voicemails from my love by jajajaja. another fic by the same author, and for good reason! this one is a modern au, which brings out the silly and carefree side of odesta even more, so i really like that. it’s also just such a fun and sweet (and cute) idea that i’ve never seen done before. i’d definitely check out this author if you haven’t already i think you’d really like their fics!! very domestic and sitcom-y depending on which ones u read, but there’s also fics with a healthy dosing of angst if that’s more your speed!! theyre doing it all and we love to see it

3. oslo by ongreenergrasses. we know em… we love em… it’s an odesta proposal fic by none other than the genius behind the sun persists in rising! (a fic rec within a fic rec… fic-ception). but i won’t get too into that since i know fs that you’ve read it. anyway, oslo is so good! i loved seeing how annie and finnick each reacted to the quell, it made the ending so bittersweet.

4. franka by ongreenergrasses. another fic by the same author, but i can’t help that my mutuals are so talented. but seriously, this has such a good and natural combination of angst and fluff. i know you don’t like reading smut, and usually i don’t either, but 1) this is literally an ongreenergrasses fic i had to give it a try… 2) i don’t really mind smut with these two since theres usually a lot of character analysis thrown in there 3) as the summary suggests, that’s not all that happens. so if you’re comfortable with that i definitely recommend that one to anyone that will listen

5. can you drink all my thoughts by mavilywavily. i like this one especially cos in my opinion it’s a more realistic spin on the whole odesta childhood friends to lovers trope

6. like a yellow sun by volcanicloves. this one has a special place in my heart because it’s a silly, fun hg au! like obviously i get why we don’t have very many of those but if you’re as obsessed with dcoms as i am, this lemonade mouth au is probably gonna be perfect for you. the main pairing is everlark but it does ft odesta (and annie being so so strong! go annie!!!)

7. moments of peace by ao_xxii. this is another one that features odesta, but it’s such a beautiful piece that i had to include it!! love it sm

8. It would be best by NezumiPi. god. this one has to be my favorite odesta fic yet. it’s another Finnick Lives au, and i really appreciate how the author portrays such a complicated and nuanced situation. 10/10 can’t recommend this one enough. like i’m pretty sure u already read it but tbh i think we all should just read it again

[make-friends-with-the-rats]

Thoughts on Katherine

she's the king of new york <3

How I feel about this character: Okay I have so many thoughts about her. She's definitely not perfect, but I love her anyways. She's just trying to become her own person and control her own life and I respect her for that. At the same time, she's lived as an upper class woman her whole life, so the newsies strike helps her open her eyes to the real struggles going on in her city and beyond when before she'd only read about those problems on the printed page. The strike and her involvement in it really is a turning point for her as a character both in her career and in the way she views the world.

All the people I ship romantically with this character: Jack and Katherine! I'll be honest, I wasn't a fan of Jatherine when I initially watched the stage version (having watched 92sies first). It just struck me as yet another Disney fairy tale ending type thing and I didn't like how their dynamic was portrayed or how the entire story seemed to be shifted to focus on the love story. The portrayals of Jack and Katherine in UKsies felt much more authentic to me and is what made me like them together. I'd also like to note that I personally see Katherine as being bisexual. Katherine is interesting to analyze because, intentionally or not, her disinterest in Jack in the beginning of the show, her frequent presence at Medda's burlesque/vaudeville shows, and the lyrics “I thought I knew what love was/ Now I’m learning what is true/ That love will do what it does” kinda feel like Katherine was attracted to women and then had bi panic when she met Jack... just saying. Also Sarah and Katherine is cool with me 👍

My non-romantic OTP for this character: David and Katherine, I just think they're neat! They're both sort of outsiders together in the beginning and then they're the ones who gang up on Jack and keep the strike alive when he's losing hope. Their experiences of the strike are so similar, going from outside observer to passionate leaders in their own rights. I honestly wish that the sort of middleman position David had between the newsies and Denton had been retained in the stage musical between David and Katherine just so he and Katherine could have more scenes together and be the besties that they are. Also Race and Kath, and Sarah and Kath.

My unpopular opinion about this character: Katherine was just written wrong. Not entirely, but there are inconsistencies in her character from Act 1 to Act 2. The writers were trying for both "strong independent woman" and "improved love interest/love story" at the same time and I really don't think they knew how to marry the two. And while the love story between Jack and Katherine was definitely more of a love story than the 'love story' between Jack and Sarah in 92sies, I really don't think there needed to be a love story in newsies at all and neither did Kenny Ortega himself or Jack and Sarah would have been focused on. But they weren't because other themes are much more important to the story. Plus, it's a little messed up that Denton could exist without being anyone's love interest and Katherine couldn't. Also, Katherine being Pulitzer's daughter was an unnecessary plot twist and is also in bad taste considering that she's named after a real Katherine Pulitzer who died when she was two. I think they should have stuck strictly to the Nellie Bly inspiration for her. (Please read up on her she is so cool.)

One thing I wish would happen / had happened with this character in canon: Hey how about we get some resolution on the state of Katherine's career? Is she still backlisted? What do you mean she's going to follow Jack wherever he goes?? What just happened??? Sorry but I hate that one line so much, she would not f--ing say that. I really wish that the women of newsies could coexist. Give me Sarah, and Katherine, and Medda, and Mrs. Jacobs, and Hannah, and let's throw Charlie back into the mix along with newsgirl Spot Conlon. These characters do not replace or substitute each other!! We need them all to bring their own unique perspectives and add more depth to the story!! Newsies is not just about the newsboys and I am so tired of there being a quota on female characters in newsies.

Thank you so much for asking!!

ask game

characters answered: David Jacobs, Jack Kelly, Blink and Skittery, Bumlets and Swifty, Sarah Jacobs, Specs and Dutchy, Les Jacobs, Crutchie, Snitch and Itey, Mush Meyers, Spot Conlon, Racetrack Higgins

[doctor-badadvice]

This man has not updated his wardrobe since 1947

There's already a few posts discussing outfits and symbolism and while I found them very interesting, I'm a person of strong opinions now writing two characters with chess related names. So here's my two cents (or should I say, nickels) about Bishop's appearance throughout the 2003 show and what tells us about the specific moment of his life that's being portrayed. The focus will be mainly on the palette, but also on whatever influences are behind the designs.

So let's get started!

1815 — Battle of New Orleans

Here's the first disclaimer. I know next to nothing about US history past what little school required me to learn and generically speaking, I've never been interested in the nuances of how people come together to kill each other. History classes were far more interesting to me when we talked about society and culture. So take what I'll say with a grain of salt. My military expertise here is a couple Wikipedia pages.

As far as Bishop's uniform goes, I have no idea what's going on. I read that uniforms were supposedly mainly blue with whatever color corresponded to what the unit's duty was, with the exception of musicians who had their colors swapped. If that's true, Bishop here could have been a musician having a not so great day at work. But the field medics later in the flashback are wearing the same color so it's probably just a choice to keep the color palette consistent.

Other than that, the belt would suggest he had some kind of rank. Though I don't think they were trying to be accurate past the bare minimum. I'm not going to guess what Bishop was up to in his mortal days.

Also, a special mention goes to Bishop's facial hair. He must have been popular in his time.

1870 — Creation of EPF

This is where colors start being relevant but first, another disclaimer. I appreciate the work wiki editors do, but it would be nice to have sources to whatever's stated on a given page, especially if you're providing estimated dates. I can't say I disagree, but it'd be nice to know where the information comes from.

So the wiki says that Bishop was supposedly born in 1776. It means that at the time of EPF's foundation he was nearing his hundredth birthday. No wonder he's dressing in all black. The average life expectancy at the time was about 40 years old. It's very possible Bishop had already outlived most, if not everyone he knew and it's probably something one would struggle to come to terms with.

Design wise, turtlenecks were nothing new at the time. Medieval knights wore garments in a similar shape under their armors well before the 15th century. And yes, I guess that's more of a coat than the average tactical turtleneck, but it still gives him a hitman, or even hunter vibe which is more or less what he was up to at the time.

1947 Roswell. New Mexico/present times

I can finally explain the title now. But first, let’s take a step back!

Bishop’s default outfit is the secret agent outfit™ we’re all well accustomed to. Specifically, I think the closest he takes inspiration from is Agent Smith from the Matrix movies (as I previously mentioned here). Guy in a black suit with shades, apparently impeccable self control and a distinctive way of talking that compels you to listen to him.

There’s so much to say about motivations and themes these two share, but let's focus on the aesthetic side.

These two fools are men in black. Yes, like the movies. The whole trope originates from some old conspiracy theories about the US government hiding aliens. These theories date all the way back to 1947 from some guy named Harold Dahl claiming a man in a dark suit told him not to tell anyone about some UFO sightings. Various fellow ufologists made similar claims over the years, making it a staple of their general paranoia.

Because of the second flashback, it’s possible that Bishop himself was one of these men in black, if not the one the rumors started from. It's a funny thought and I feel like Bishop would also find it amusing to watch people lose their minds about his fashion choices for decades.

Color wise, white has been added to the mix. It’s been a while now since the creation of EPF and Bishop has found some kind of balance in his life. He’s still dead set in his hatred for aliens and clearly enjoys inflicting pain on creatures he sees as undeserving of basic human decency, but he now has some purpose other than looking at the sky for something to shoot down. He leads an elite task force with men and funding devoted to developing a proper defense of the planet. He’s a foe not to be underestimated and a formidable fighter who can and will take on multiple opponents. But he’s also a very scared man who doesn’t wish what happened to him on anyone.

I often praise the show because Bishop can survive getting impaled but he still remains human. He will react with sheer violence to aggression and reform his ways when shown kindness. He will happily stick his hands in turtle soup for some DNA, but also be the best man at his friend's wedding and even attempt dressing up for the occasion despite having been deprived of normal human interactions for more than a century.

(I know it's a little cluttered in this point but I can't just leave out Casual Friday Bishop)

Design wise, I like just how an otherwise elegant attire works during the fight scenes and this detail specifically.

This man’s power is stored in the leggy.

Interlude

So this pic above is me right now.

For context, I usually consider the episodes of the staged alien invasion to the outbreak as part of the same arc. The entire situation is absolutely absurd from Bishop dragging the president into his fanfiction in response to budget cuts, to Baxter's bodily misadventures, to Bishop making a deal with a random ghost over the phone while New York is turning into yet another Umbrella Corp mishap.

But anyways we're here to judge this man's fashion taste and we have two outfits to talk about.

First off, a special mention goes to the catsuit and this pose specifically.

The sass is off the charts.

Though I find this one kind of depressing. There isn't a lot to read in it either other than Baxter grabbing the most generic tactical turtleneck for the sake of keeping Bishop from walking around bare chested (and the scene before this pic clearly shows Bishop isn't afraid to show some titty). But seeing him in all black right after moving to a new body kinda points out that Agent Bishop, leader of the EPF, is kinda on par with a piece of military equipment (and the president probably sees him as much to an extent). He's the mold for an army of supersoldiers for crying out loud.

But he switches back to the usual suit afterwards and what matters here is the supersuit.

S3 onward

Imagine being an alien, member of the starfleet of your planet and senior officer of the invading force tasked with taking over Earth. You have trained hard, wargamed the whole operation a bunch of times and concluded that it will be piss easy to conquer this underdeveloped planet.

You reach the surface, get into formation and then this nerd rolls up.

The best way to describe this suit is "hostile". It's hostile to the animators and to whoever has to stare at this eyesore before Bishop shoots at them.

And I love it. There's nothing quite like a black and red suit of armor with various cybernetics and lights to say that you mean business. It goes very well with how the stakes just start steadily rising from this point of the show onwards and seeing as the suit was ready during the staged invasion, we know that Bishop never really planned to retire after unleashing his army of clones.

It adds that extra bit of cyberpunk that I like to see and it shows that Bishop never truly gives up on anything since we have actually seen this design before.

Bishop was so proud of his Slayer he just stuck with him in spirit.

Couple that with a new coat to take off for extra dramatic effect and— maybe the president was right about not trusting him with unlimited budget.

2105 — New York apparently

Another century has passed and Bishop is still alive and kicking. Well, he doesn't kick as much anymore as it would be unbecoming if the beloved president of the Pan-Galactic Alliance were to go around kicking alien butt.

Jokes aside, you can disagree with Bishop's portrayal in Fast Forward, but they were still trying to do something meaningful with him. The idea of the turtles having to work with him when they were trying to kill each other just the other day is surprisingly deep for a season that felt the need to have the most unfunny robobutler ever.

They were clearly attempting a chess joke switching the palette to white with black streaks. Bishop has completely turned his life around and it even shows in the way he presents himself. It's nice to see just how much he managed to accomplish as well, even though it would have been very interesting to see him have a gradual change of mind, rather than selling us the concept through timeskip magic.

Does the design still hold up then?

Well, Bishop is clearly making an effort to look the least intimidating. He is fairly more patient when others don't immediately do as he says, even asking for help rather than blackmailing, and is still commendably dedicated to his job. He still asserts dominance by showing leggy (seriously, Mr President, that slit doesn't have to go this hard) and he's still deep down, at all times, ready to throw hands.

That's Bishop alright and it's no coincidence that he starts running around shooting aliens the second Baxter shows up in his life again. I'm not much of a fan of his new armor though. I think they were going for a futuristic design but it's the blandest they could think of. It reminds me of Obi-Wan Kenobi's armor in The Clone Wars but it just kinda comes out of nowhere. It would have been cooler if his tunic turned into a set of armor kinda like what the turtles got.

In any case, if you really want to see reformed Bishop really shine, you should check out @adenthemage / @violetvulpini 's art. You will not be disappointed.

[gingerylangylang1979]

Sydney Adamu, Love, and Black Women’s Opinons

No matter how The Bear handles Sydney’s love life or lack of one, people are going to be pissed. The truth is she can’t live up to everyone’s expectations as a black woman character. Is that even possible? Is too much social weight being put on how her personal life is portrayed? 

I’m a black woman. I get that we are the most vilified demographic in the media and in fandom. A lot of battles have been won, but there is still a way to go. But does that mean every black woman character has to redeem all the sins of the past in every story? Can storytelling ever be truly just storytelling if a black woman is involved or are there certain social criteria and personal expectations that need to be met? 

As a huge Sydney fan it’s been interesting to see all of the different discourses about who she is, what she means to people, what she represents culturally. Some of it good, some of it bad, but all thought provoking, especially when voiced by black women. 

I recall debates back in the day about how black characters should be represented. From the beginnings of cinema black characters were at the whims of a system not made for them. Black women in particular were mostly tropes and rarely complex, vulnerable, desirable characters. 

Times have changed somewhat but there are still challenges facing black actresses. There is still rampant colorism, nepotism, classism, unconscious bias, egregious racism, misogynoir, navigating the streaming landscape, and just trying to exist like we always have. My question is in this environment what should we expect from Sydney Adamu as black women. 

Expectations about her love life kind of spell out all of the varying opinions. And each one carries a certain weight, whether the opinion holder means to or not. 

I’ve noticed it doesn’t matter what view you have, you will be accused of being racist and misogynist. So what is really going on?

Is there a way to win as a creator in this scenario? How much of a story needs to solely rest on vision and how much should answer to social justice concerns? Even if you try, who are you trying to please and how? Is there even a “right” way? 

Black women aren’t a monolith. Some think it’s racist to want her with a white man, others think it’s racist to think she should only be considered with a black one. Some think she should be queer and want the representation. Others think it would just add to the history of black women being masculinized and made queer to erase them as love interests. Some want her to be single because she is a highly ambitious professional. Others think that sidelines her as a strong black woman that doesn’t need a man. Some welcome a new character so the romantic focus doesn’t have to be on her. Others see the new character as a threat purposely brought in to marginalize her. 

So what is the truth? I think there is no real truth to be had other than whatever the hell plays out and if it makes sense. But many things could make sense for Sydney. I know what I want and think makes sense but it could go several ways and still be enjoyable. Others are way more militant and bringing a lot of non-negotiables to the end game. 

So if we can’t even decide as black women how Sydney's love life should be portrayed, how the hell do we expect fandom, the cast, and crew to have conclusions that are “right” according to our perceptions when our perceptions don’t even align as a demographic and most are valid in light of any person’s lived experience, political views, idea of a good story, and interpretation of media? 

I’m going to delve into the should she be with Carmy debate briefly, just to highlight what I’m getting at. 

What about Ayo’s opinion? She voiced not wanting a romance with Carmy but it seems everybody but her has been questioned in an accusatory way regarding that stance. She may be the only black woman afforded that. Rightfully so, it’s her character. She made some vague statements contradicting that later, maybe she still says no, is neutral, or maybe she is open to it. Maybe she likes what we have already seen and where it’s going and isn’t putting all of these heavy implications on the character like we are. 

And as far as Storer, he knows who he wants this character to be or at least had a blueprint. The endgame could change but I have a feeling he largely modeled her on his sister, who is queer BTW. Maybe Sydney could have been played by a white character. He didn’t do that because he seemed to want Ayo in the role when final decisions were made. We do know the character was older and seemed more stoic in the OG script. But other than that we don’t know a lot about intention. How much the differences between Courtney and the character are impacted or not by race, organic story development, Ayo’s performance, and dynamics with individual characters we won’t know. But a lot of assumptions are being made. 

As far as Jeremy’s opinion. He’s been pretty consistent with saying he thinks it should remain platonic. I don’t think that says much beyond he’s looking at his character season by season, scene by scene, and concluding he doesn’t think Carmy is good for her and isn’t thinking about romance. That’s all he’s said. I’m taking it as just that for now. He could change his opinion if dynamics change or not. But a lot of assumptions are being made. 

But back to black women fans. 

The main reason I wrote this is because it’s getting really tiring when I see people trying to police black women’s opinions. It’s really, really interesting when an opinion someone doesn’t like is voiced online and when it’s a black woman they have this shocked oh, so I wonder why they said that response, or oh she must have internalized hate or something. As if liking a different ship, or no ship at all, turns one into Candace Owens. I see this coming from black women towards black women and non-black women towards black women and it needs to stop. 

Me and another black woman who share opposite opinions were recently harassed and called racist simply for not agreeing with others. We both agreed it was ridiculous. The irony of calling black women racist, just because they don’t agree with you, when discussing black women characters is mind boggling. 

We can have various opinions and they may not agree with yours no matter what race you are and if you are indeed racist, an ally, or anything in between. Stop labeling us, stop harassing us, stop thinking we have to have the exact same vision for black women characters. 

I’m open for respectful discussion on this but will not waste my time with bad faith replies. 

[theerurishipper]

Love reading your analysis post. Thought I'd bring one into the table and let you read my thoughts on a certain character.

.................................. Frankly, I never truly regarded Chloe's character, particularly in her capacity as Marinette's "bully" during Season 1, with the seriousness it seemed to attract. While many viewers hold strong negative sentiments toward her character, my exposure to various novels and manga has shown me instances where characters akin/similar to Chloe were portrayed with greater depth and nuance. In these narratives, authors skillfully delved into the character's animosity towards the protagonist, often weaving a compelling backstory that shed light on how resentment stemming from a childhood marked by neglect or abuse could transform an individual into a more morally compromised figure.

Sometimes, these characters underwent substantial development and personal growth, whereas in other cases, they remained stagnant, allowing the main character to recognize and acknowledge this stasis. This literary divergence underscores the difference in storytelling approaches between Thomas Astruc and many of the creators in the manga and novel realms I've encountered. While Chloe's character in "Miraculous Ladybug" might have played a minor antagonistic role the Astruc creator intent appeared to extend no valuable lessons. In doing so, he presented characters like Chloe as just plain evil while the ones I've encountered with authors would rather use their antagonistic and bully characters as cautionary examples, demonstrating the potential consequences of their actions, whether they ultimately experienced redemption or not.

I find it challenging to take the strong animosity towards Chloe seriously, particularly because of Astruc himself and his own hatred for her, as the creator of a children's magical girl cartoon, it's crucial in my opinion to maintain a clear boundary between one's professional role and personal life. The fusion of personal grievances with one's job can only exacerbate anger and resentment, which is counterproductive. I believe that past personal matters, whatever they may be, should not influence the production of a children's show, as these shows have a profound impact on their viewers.

Miraculous Ladybug, being a widely popular series among both children and adults, should have been carefully considered for its messaging. It's perplexing that the show wasn't discontinued earlier, considering the negative messages that the writing team appears to be conveying. The fandom may also share some of the responsibility; perhaps they've had encounters with individuals akin to Chloe in their own lives, which contributes to their strong reactions. Regardless, the show has already garnered a substantial amount of criticism for Chloe's character. Why the fandom continues to perpetuate and even endorse such negativity remains unclear. Furthermore, the fanbase's inclination to label her as psychopathic and devoid of any redemption, in similar way to Marinette's belief that she can never change, is bewildering and raises valid concerns.

When I mentioned that I never perceived Chloe as Marinette's "bully," I understand that this perspective may not be universally shared. To me, Chloe never posed a genuine threat, unlike Lila, whose manipulative nature was far more concerning. Chloe struck me as someone who was all talk and little action, often emphasizing her privileged background by calling out for her father's help.

In an ironic twist, I actually view Chloe as Marinette's rival more than her tormentor. It's intriguing how Marinette and the rest of their class didn't cower in fear of Chloe. Despite her wealth, Chloe seemed to attract little genuine affection from her peers, as most interactions with her revolved around attempts to control or exploit her, or simply to gain something from her. The way even the show's creators seemed to discard her character makes me sympathize with her on a different level.

Perhaps it's a sign of growing older, but I now perceive Chloe as a rather pitiable character. I can't muster any anger towards her, and witnessing the fandom labeling her as "evil" only makes me inclined to challenge such judgments. If this is how they perceive a child, then they might benefit from reconnecting with reality, as this is a rather misguided and stupid perspective on their part.

I suspect what really irks the anti-Chloe faction is that we choose to empathize with her, even though it may not align with their perspective. It's important to clarify that we're not in the business of justifying or excusing her actions or behavior, nor are we hiding behind her parents' shortcomings as a shield for her conduct. Instead, we're highlighting a nuanced aspect that's often overlooked in the fandom.

It's also worth acknowledging that in this fan community, there's a tendency to grant leniency, especially when it comes to Marinette, often attributing her actions to her age of 14. It's somewhat peculiar how this grace isn't uniformly extended to all characters, with Adrien, for instance, being a prime example. That sort of being a hypocrite.

When it comes to Chloe, I can't help but feel a sense of pity—a very human emotion. I believe there might be individuals out there who have experienced something akin to Chloe's situation, or perhaps they've been a little like her in their own past. If the show's creator chose not to redeem her character and allowed her to spiral further, it wouldn't necessarily be a problem, as long as they conveyed her role as a cautionary tale.

Beneath all the layers of her character, Chloe emerges as a profoundly desolate 14-year-old. I may not particularly like her, but recognizing the underlying sadness in her character is something I believe many people can relate to.

What the point of this show exactly? I thought Magical girls shows were to inspire hope. If the protagonist herself deems her to far gone then what the point. I thought a magical girl is one who doesn't lose hope and to inspire characters like Chloe not to damn her.

I'm glad you like my posts!

And as for your analysis, I don't have anything else to add! It's a great analysis of Chloe. I do agree that Chloe's relationship with Marinette is rather vague. If Chloe did bully Marinette, which I'm not denying, then it's played for laughs more than anything, which makes it confusing as to just what their dynamic was like. Chloe is a bully, but her actions are never taken seriously by the narrative, which sends a muddled message when you start to pretend Marinette was deeply mentally scarred by this when you've spent 5 seasons making a joke out of it.

In the series, Marinette has more of a rivalry with Chloe until Seasons 4 and 5 decided to pretend Chloe was some kind of serious threat whose only go to move wasn't yelling for her daddy all the time. In Origins, Marinette seems more disgruntled than actually troubled that Chloe is in her class again, and even snaps back at her when Chloe does that thing with the bubblegum. Chloe is just the mean-girl archetype, someone with whom the main character has a rivalry. And I personally do interpret Marinette and Chloe's dynamic as one where Chloe bullied Marinette and I am really not going to downplay that, but I also see where it can come off differently, considering the show never really portrays Chloe as a significant threat. Clearly there are scenes in certain episodes where Chloe is being a bully which are taken seriously, but a lot of the time they are not. It's just the archetype, it's up to one's own interpretation.

Thank you for your ask!

[quetzalpapalotl]

What made you think Megatron/D-16 the most complex character in tfone? :0 (not hate, I'm genuinely curious and I really loved reading your analysis/insight)

If I recall correctly I said that in the context of complainign about the Spanish dub casting, by which I mean that Megatron requires a comparatively wider range and that the movies hinges a lot on selling his character, given that the crux of the movie is the megop fallout and this fallout was caused by the ways in which Megatron changed.

Orion and D-16 are the characters who have the most going on and are given more depth, this isn't to say that every other character is bad, but the story is about the megops and so they are given more screentime and explored more throughly. But compared to D, Orion fundamentally remains the same through the whole movie, while D ends a completely different person that he was at the start.

There is a simplicity to Orion, he sees a bad thing, he wants to fix a bad thing. His motivation through the whole movie is always to get a better, fairer life for himself and his fellow miners. He routinely sneaks into the archive hoping to find clues about the Matrix in the hopes they can get the energon flowing again and miners can do something else with their lives, he wants to participate in the race to show that not having a cog doesn't make them lesser. Finding the truth doesn't affect his person, if anything it validates him, because he already thought the system was unfair. He's still mainly concerned with getting people a better life and the path to that now seems harder, but it's also clearer than ever.

That is not to say Orion is a one-note character with no depth, or that portraying him is easy (all acting requires skill). He comes more into himself, he is deeply concerned and then hurt by D/Megatron, he has a wide range of emotions. And I already talked about how I think his flaws are very consistent with his virtues, his strong sense of justice makes him stubborn and one-track minded, he bulldozes through D-16's opinions and the fact that what must be done feels so clear to him makes him unable to handle D's feelings. He's young and eager, maybe an experienced Optimus Prime would have handled things better.

In comparison, there's a lot more going with D and his feelings aren't as straighforward. In the beginning he does confess some corcerning belief and he was talking more in terms of "I" and "me" and more concerned with personal gain than Orion, but he was still a nice, kind guy who stayed to help Jazz and cared about his best friend, helped him and put up with him even when Orion can be a missguided jerk. D-16 had genuine belief in the system and Sentinel Prime, was happy to work and go higher within its parameters. So when he finds out everything he thought he knew was a lie, he flips out, his value system is turned over creating a potential for change taht circumstances direceted in a negative direction.

He has all this anger that he doesn't know how to handle and doesn't have an outlet for, so he starts by blaming Orion for leading them to the truth as unreasonable as that may sound because on an emotional level, he is upset by the things he has learned and he learned them because of Orion's actions, he wouldn't have to suffer if he had remained ignorant. He figures that violence feels good and that he can use it so no one is in a position of power over him again, so he can never be made a fool again. He projects his own feelins of not wanting the truth onto everyone else and decides he can only trust himself. And he just keeps on indulgin in his anger and newfoudn thirst for power more and more.

Megatron's internal process of change is communicated not only through dialogue but also through some amazing body language thanks to the animators which should be supported through and equally adept voice delivery. These are sometimes hammy, sometimes subtle but we need to feel them. When Orion wants to stop Megatron from killing Sentinel because they already won and extra-judicial murder sets a bad precedent for their new world and also because he's worried that if Megatron indulges more in violence there won't be going back and when Orion fumbles that because he's Orion, the audience needs to not only fully buy that the guy we met at the beginning has changed enough to let Orion die for the sake of the person he now wants to be, but also to feel it enough that it hurts us as well.

And Brian Tyree Henry does an amazing job of delivering all aspects of Megatron!! He really elevates the TF One experience through his voice acting. Meanwhile Eduardo Capetillo Gaytán just doesn't fit Megatron (even my non-tf friends commented on what a terrible voice match he was), not all his lines are awful but he just doesn't provide any nuance to Megatron's performance, he doesn't sound really different at the ends and also he sounds like he's throwing a tantrum. Which I guess is not entirely wrong given how Megatron acts like he personally is Sentinel's biggest victim, but Capetillo is more on the line of spoiled brat than Megatron, the dreaded leader of the Decepticons. I mean

[welcome-to-green-hills]

hey there i have a question. We all know that eventually amy will be added into this cinematic universe. But i wanted to ask how do you think they’ll portray her character? My biggest worry is that they’ll portray her as a “Stronk girl boss” which nowadays are incredibly unlikable due to making them jerks for no reason. It doesn’t exactly make me feel hopeful for her inclusion.

Hi Hon!❤️✨

It’s perfectly okay to feel a bit unsure about specific characters appearing in the films. I understand the fear completely, I promise. You’re not the only one that has shared fear or concern of her appearing as well. A popular ask that I’ve received in the past, and still get on occasion, is that she’s only there as a one-sided love interest. So, yeah! It’s perfectly okay for you to be a bit tensed on the subject. I think—and this is strictly my thoughts and opinions—that Amy Rose might be the hardest character to portray in SCU. Not because she’s complex, but because a lot of eyes will be on her.

She got to be tough, but not too tough.

She has to be sweet and bubbly, but not too sweet and bubbly.

She has to be strong and independent, but not too strong and independent.

She’s gotta be able to be brave enough to ask for help, but only in certain situations so that she doesn’t seem too clingy.

She has to be… weirdly perfect? If that makes sense.

I wish that I had a strong answer to give you about Amy Rose’s portrayal. I really do. From what I’ve seen with the writers, they do seem to like the older games the most (I discuss this more in my pinned post if you’re interested in reading it, along with hyperlinks to different videos). There’s a chance for us to see her act like she did her classic years, or Dreamcast years. I think for the sake of our sanity and mind, we should take a step back and breathe. We don’t have any confirmation that she’ll be in this film as of yet.

Well just have to hang tight and see!