#because it was factually incorrect (which it was!!! i fully admit that)

[thefirstlie]

im so glad i don't post analysis anymore girl what was i doing

[bravomckenzie]

Not being funny but how can you and Kat talk all this smack about everyone else’s fics when Olivia is a Mary Sue who never really progresses and Kat writes nothing but self inserts who can’t even portray WOC without using micro aggressions, wrote a gay character shagging a straight woman because her MC is oh so sexy and perfect that even gay men go for her as well as romanticising abusive relationships. Like I get that you’re probably seething because you’re not as big of a deal as you used to be back when the fandom was a microcosm with a few fics going around, but the fact you’re so bitter as to sneeringly turn your nose up at new content? You and Kat are so fixated on positioning yourselves as people who are better than everybody else, it’s why Kat writes all those whiny Reddit posts about how hard it is to be a fanfic writer in a community where everybody is oh-so jealous and bitter because she’s getting so many more reads than everyone else and how it’s such a stwuggle to be a big writer in this mean space. You aren’t as big as you used to be and you’re so bitter about it, it’s actually hilarious. Stay mad that the fandom is thriving without your output and stay mad that people are doing things bigger and better, life goes on.

first of all, wrong kat mama LFHSKFJSJFN i am not and never have been friends with the kat you’re referring to and i fully agree with what you said about it. my kat has nothing to do with litg anymore. like interacting with me is as close as she gets these days.

next, i’ll give you credit where credit is due - i am not as important here as i used to be. and i’m the first to admit it. i used to be one of the most popular bobby stans in the fandom. i am not that anymore. my relevancy i still have is because on the fact i did write such a popular fic. i am a fandom elder at this point who newer blogs really probably only follow because they’re kind of just “supposed” to. like i was very popular at one point, making me just a standard litg blog you follow when you show up here. and once again, i can admit it. i will always be just the author of ciwyw now. and i am more than fine with and even proud to be that. i love my fic more than ive ever loved anything i’ve ever made.

so with that being said!

olivia’s growth and development is something i pride myself on. and saying there’s no growth on her behalf means you either didn’t finish the fic or genuinely lack reading comprehension skills. more than anything, ciwyw follows olivia’s journey in discovering her worth and the way she deserves to be treated. she isn’t a mary sue. she isn’t a cookie cutter mc. she has flaws and she makes shitty choices. she’s both an objectively shitty girlfriend and shitty friend at several points throughout the fic. to say she’s anything less than that is deadass just wrong. like actually factually incorrect. and i do take insult to that so i guess you made your silly little point.

stating my opinion on not being into the new content being created doesn’t mean i think i’m better than anyone. because like i don’t? i have said a billion times that i consider myself an okay writer AT BEST. my characters and plot as concepts are where my work shines. my actual writing is nothing special. i just genuinely do not vibe with the repetitiveness that the fandom has come to at this point. and i don’t enjoy the concepts for the other pieces being written rn with the exception of a few.

since day one, i have said this blog exists for me to scream into the fandom void about fandom things & a place for whoever wanted to do that too. i never meant to or even tried to become relevant. it just happened. my current or former levels popularity have nothing to do with what i think.

the anon who sent me the asks made valid points about issues in a popular fic in the fandom. like genuine problems that exist within the story. she was funny about it which is why i was funny about it back.

anyways. y’all should know by now, especially since you’ve apparently known me for a hot minute… i’m literally not going to stop posting whatever i feel like screaming into this void. like idc how much yall get mad at me and tell me to shut the fuck up. it’s literally not happening.

i do not care what you think of me as a person. i’ve settled into my mean girl narrative quite comfortably. i’m fine here. i realized it was something i’d never shake off. your opinion of me is your own. much like mine is about fanfic.

stay mad. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

[heyblaidydd]

ghostyrivergirl replied to your post “Literally all Crimson Flower does, for me, is validate everything Rhea...”

Rhea also kinda intended you to be a vessel for her mother, denying you any right to be your own person. Like, I don't fully support one side or the other. But Rhea's definitely got some flaws. Slaughtering anyone who defies the church is one of em too.

@ghostyrivergirl Yeah, but Rhea also admits that was wrong and apologizes for it in both VW and SS. So like, what’s your point? This post wasn’t even tagged in the main game tag it was tagged for Rhea and is specifically about Rhea, calling out people for labeling her as a “crazy bitch” when the one route where she devolves the most is literally the route meant to push her to her breaking point.

You say you don’t support one side or the other, but you also accuse Rhea of “slaughtering anyone who defies the church” which is factually incorrect. As I, and many others, have stated before Cyril and Shamir both openly do not support the religion or even believe in the Goddess and they’re two people who are in near proximity to her on a regular basis. Like I don’t know how many times I have to say this, but the interactions are there all you have to do is pay attention to them.

The individuals that everyone is so keen on defending for some reason are literal assassins and grave robbers--because those are actually the people she executes. And ironically, they do believe in the Goddess so they’re not defying anything, they’re really just making a political power grab that ultimately failed.

Again, I didn’t even tag this in the main game tag, so clearly you’re scrolling through the Rhea tag looking for a bone to pick for whatever reason.

[i-dreamed-i-had-a-son]

Thoughts on that (formerly?) annoying episode

Star Trek Season 1 Episode 24, This Side of Paradise, is (was) a frustrating episode for me. Spock, who up until this point has never explicitly shown romantic interest in anyone, falls in love with a girl. Not naturally though--no, he is drugged, and begs, on the ground, in agony, for her to stop the effects of the drug. When he finally gives in, then he appears to be free, but we know that he is certainly not himself.

Bones and Jim notice this as well, while talking to Spock over communicator, and Bones is immediately concerned, thinking Spock might be in trouble. What is Spock up to? He's chilling out with his girl.

It had really really really bothered me, though, that when all is said and done, and Spock has gone back to normal, and he is asked about what he has to say about his experience, he says, "For the first time in my life, I was happy." This was super frustrating and hurtful for me, because I relate to Spock's lack of romantic interest very deeply. (I perceive him to be aroace, but other interpretations are, of course, valid.) Is he really saying that all the good times he's had on the Enterprise, all the moments he's shared with Jim and Bones--all the companionship he has found in them isn't enough? That he has never been happy? That he needed to find a girl before he could be? What does that say about someone like me, who is aroace?

It especially bothered me because Spock only explicitly expresses romantic feelings when he is fundamentally not himself, and he recognizes this as well. (This post is already long, so I'll skip the details, but if you're curious, let me know.) Something deep and intrinsic about him is changed, and then he expresses romantic feelings--which further convinces me that he is aromantic. So why was he repeatedly subjected to this invasive altering of his identity? Was he not sufficient as he was? It felt humiliating to watch him behave in ways I knew he would never behave when he was himself. And it definitely felt like the producers were pushing him into a relationship to "fix him" and show his "human side".

But then I looked at it deeper, and I realized that maybe that's not what was going on at all.

While it is likely that a heteronormative message was intended, part of art is its interpretation, and I am choosing to internalize the other narrative that I see. And before we get going, a warning (if you haven't gotten it already): this is a long post. I'm on mobile and can't figure out how to make a "read more".

Firstly, I will say that aside from the romantic element, the episode had very good moments. Especially when Kirk confronts Spock, and you can tell that Spock is holding himself back, and doesn't want to believe that Jim means what he's saying, and he's utterly shocked that Jim would ever say something like that--and particularly that he uses the word "half-breed". (Spock, in an earlier episode, had actually told Jim that it disturbs him to hear that word from someone so close to him...essentially, he admitted that it hurts him. Jim hadn't outright said that he wouldn't use the word again, but it was clear that he knew the damage it could cause and that he had only used it as a last resort.)

But it gets more interesting when we consider what Spock actually responds to, and what he avoids. Firstly, he responds to that word, which he even tries to make into a Spock-version of a joke ("While the term 'half-breed' may be partially accurate..."), using defensive humor instead of addressing his feelings about it. The other thing he responds to, which is the only thing he actually directly answers, is Jim's taunts about his parents. Equally notable is that he didn't respond to any taunts about his relationship with Leila (the girl) that had insinuated he was unable to truly love her. Jim makes several attacks on this front, calling Spock a "carcass," a "computer," a shell of someone "pretending to be a man". "Does she know what she's getting, Spock?!" Jim yells at him. Spock says nothing.

Here's the punch in the gut: Spock only responds to things he believes are wrong.

Spock fights back when Jim maligns his parents, he responds to anything that is factually incorrect. He responds to the word "half-breed" by calling it "partially accurate"--implying he believes it to not be fully apt, but equally, implying that it does have some truth in it...and when it comes to the other personal statements Jim makes, he is silent. He doesn't believe he has enough evidence to dispute Jim's outrageous claims--because a part of him believes it himself.

Not only does this offer insight into Spock's insecurities, it also supports my view of Spock as someone who doesn't have those romantic feelings. Spock hasn't lost his memory while under the influence of the spores, nor does he lose it after their effects are removed; he knows who he really is and how he really behaves. There is a part of him that is freed by being expressive, and that part mostly focuses on appreciating the beauty in things. He comments on how beautiful the clouds are, and rainbows--and yes, perhaps he finds Leila beautiful, but I think he does so from a purely aesthetic and (shall I say it?) scientific stance. He likes feeling free to admire and experience the beauty of things, her included. But deep down, he knows what he's feeling for Leila isn't really love.

He might even like the sensation of kissing her, but not because of any romantic feelings--rather, because it is so clearly and intimately linked with being known, being understood, being trusted; not just from a physical perspective, but (especially for the touch-telepathic Vulcans), an emotional one. That is what truly appeals to him.

Spock feels freed because his usual inhibitions are gone (forcibly battered down, but we'll say gone). So he swings around on a tree branch and does other equally wacky things, and he kisses someone and speaks causally and comments on the beauty of life. He wants to experience the things he's never let himself experience before, because he feels at home; he is accepted, and that frees him. But he knows, deep down, that the freed "Spock" is fundamentally different from the one we've come to know, the one Jim and Bones know, the one on the Enterprise.

That's why he doesn't disagree with Jim when he starts attacking Spock's ability to love. He knows he can't. He knows this freedom, really, is false--and he knows how it came about. Not by a choice of his own, but one forced on him. Nevertheless, he is desperately attached to one particular aspect of that freedom. Just look at what he says as soon as the effects are broken.

First, he says to Jim, "You did that to me on purpose." An interesting choice of words, that belies his now emotionless facade. "You did that to me" acknowledges there was something inflicted on you that you did not want...in a way, that statement alone is Spock's guarded way of saying, "That hurt me. And you knew it would hurt me. I could not believe you would do such a thing...but now, I begin to understand..." And honestly, his face says the same thing. He's shaken up, he looks a little dazed; he's trying to reframe what happened--Jim didn't suddenly hate him for being how he was, it was a calculated move, meant to help him. But, it was clear that Jim didn't want Spock to stay that way. There was a Spock Jim knew, and he wanted (and needed) him back. The "freed" part of Spock needed to be repressed again, or at least that's how Spock saw it.

Think I'm way off base? Listen to what he says next:

"I don't belong anymore."

The entire episode, there's been a repeated mentioning of "understanding", of "being one of us"--but Spock is the only one that calls being affected by the spores "belonging". (Even if he wasn't the only one, it wouldn't detract from the importance of that statement.) His entire life, he has desperately wanted to be loved, known, accepted, and to feel at home, and he never had been able to be fully himself. He was always keeping a part of himself under wraps--not a romantic part, but a sentimental, emotional, free-spirited one. On Omicron Ceti III, Spock was finally able to express that part of himself and find only acceptance for it. Even though he knew the truth of why he was able to do that, he loved being loved and accepted so much that he couldn't bear to give it up.

He even begged Jim to stay with him--and you know what he said the spores offered? "There is belonging...and love..." (The theme of belonging returns again.) And is that a surprise? Unconditional love and acceptance, a sense of belonging--of course Spock would treasure those things; he has been searching for them his whole life! And of course he would want to share them with Jim too; even aside from the spores influencing everyone to infect each other, he is clearly more able to express his fondness for Jim, since during the entire time Spock is affected by the spores, he never once calls him Captain--only "Jim". He has always wanted this closeness, this openness, and he finally found it. It's no wonder that he seemed so heartbroken when Jim broke the spell of the spores--that feeling of belonging, despite how much he treasures the people on the Enterprise, was gone. Not for any lack of care from Jim or Bones or anyone else, but because he had never been able to accept himself before. If the spores hadn't forced him to, he never would have; now that they were gone, he found that he could not do so again.

When he says to Leila, as she realizes that he does not love her and has gone back to being who he really is, "If there are self-made purgatories, we all must live in them. Mine can be no worse than any other," he is not saying "I can't love you because I'll be going away on this ship and that wouldn't be logical." He's saying, "I know a lot of how I am, my refusal to express certain things, stems from how I see myself." In a way, his purgatory is indeed self-made. I don't believe this applies to his romantic feelings, or lack of them--they are not a decision--but instead to the freedom that came with accepting who he is.

And that is why the final line of the episode no longer bothers me. Jim gently nudges him by saying, "We still haven't heard much from you about Omicron Ceti III," and Spock replies, "I haven't much to say about it," pauses, and says,

"Only that...for the first time in my life, I was happy."

I had originally thought that he was saying he was happy because he had "found love", but now I see what he was really saying.

For the briefest of instants, he felt what it was like to love himself.

[fictionalcharactermbti]

Jinbe: ISTJ [Duty-Fulfiller] One Piece

Pensive Fine presents an alternative type.

I would argue Jinbe is an ISTJ. Yes he does want do strongly adhere to a moral code and being authentic but that doesn’t necessary indicate Fi-dom. Consider the way in which he helped Luffy recover after Ace’s death. He does not hesitate to fight back if Luffy attacked him. He says “Don’t count everything is lost, what’s gone is gone! But ask yourself what remains?”. 

He is directive and upfront, with a strong emphasis on laying down the facts. Again he shows this after Pedro dies, telling the crew to focus on the opportunity Pedro provided for them to escape and to not waste it. Whilst Jinbe has shown great empathy, he became that way through his experiences. In flashbacks he is portrayed in quite a gruff and blunt in his speech, skeptical that there was evidence that fisherman would be ever treated with respect for it is not supported by the facts nor past history/interactions with humans (Si-Te). He disagreed with Otohime stems based on this point rather than a clash of opposing values. Later on his interactions with the young Koala makes him reflect upon how change can be frightening and makes him more receptive to accepting alternative possibilities to what he is used to experience (Ne development) Jinbe is quite skilled at giving detailed and specific information on the topic, never losing himself in tangents (Si>Ne). 

Where is his Ne? His feet are firmly rooted in reality- what is plausible without too much regard for meaningless abstraction. He knows how the world works. He is cautious of the future as it has the potential to threaten stability and as a result takes a very deliberate approach towards it, valuing the more secure path (inferior Ne). Although this can be attributed to his experience, he has no problems coming up with delegating tasks to people in, organizing people in an efficient manner and making plans to achieve goals and considering factual data (Te), in fact he seems quite natural at that stuff. Similar to Law, he can be baffled with the Straw Hat’s outlandish behaviour and how they can so easily disregard the cause-effect of their actions. He criticizes Luffy for his lack of responsibility as a captain- falling asleep in the middle of his story and for not keeping up with the news (vital information for anticipating future outcomes). Jinbe does like helping people but he doesn’t do it through visualizing the potential path of growth for people (the way a higher Ne would) but would rather through doing practical things for people in the moment. From observes his patterns of cognition, there is simply stronger evidence a preference of Si>Ne and arguably Te>Fi. To argue for Fi in the dominant position, stronger evidence is required. 

Special thanks to this post here (http://onepieceofmbti.tumblr.com/post/125537320493/jinbe-istj). 

Fictionalcharactermbti Reasoning:

JINBE: INFP [THE HEALER] ONE PIECE 

Introverted Feeling determines subjective values–convictions about how a life is best lived. Such values are trained by direct experience of good and bad behaviors, and they claim us from within. Source: Lenore Thomson

At the end of the day this is Jinbe’s guiding principle of judgement. It is not Te like in an ISTJ. ISTJs use Te to find a place within a system’s values. Jinbe from the start does not fit within any system. We see him slip from group to group. This is because of his Fi. Whether it is his original pirate crew, his nation, the warlords, or Luffy, his judgement guides him to not have strong allegiances to groups. His allegiance is to what is right at the time based on his experiences. That is quintessential introverted feeling.

INFP’s understanding of reality is quite nearly like the one described by mystics, who believe that spiritual energy descends to earth by way of eternal ideals–structural patterns that bring order out of material chaos. By aligning their behaviors with these ideals, mystics can, presumably, bring life into harmony with its divine potential. Source: Lenore Thomson

This is the combination of secondary Ne with the dominant Fi. Jinbe does not get his information from hard facts and concrete realities. Yes, his Fi leads him to be guided by experience, but this is added to more abstract thought. Jinbe is incredibly forward looking and this is seen best in how he plays politics and how he assists Luffy. He is always thinking of the possibilities of the future. How the actions today can create great change within the entire pirate community and way of life. This is what inspires him to teach Luffy. He isn’t convinced by some hard evidence that Luffy is the future Pirate King. An ISTJ would be much more skeptical of such flights of belief. There is a sense of destiny and Jinbe believing in this greater purpose and meaning in the way he helps and guides Luffy. 

Because their ideals are wholistic, INFPs feel responsible not only for their actions but their desire to take action, and they have a nearly karmic idea of balance. If they betray their ideals in either deed or feeling, they try to make restitution. Source: Lenore Thomson

This is the way Jinbe looks at his past. There is clearly guilt there. He is clearly trying to make up for his past, for mistakes whether directly caused be him or not. That doesn’t matter, just as the quote explains. This mentality is exactly why Jinbe breaks vows, breaks honor, breaks allegiances to rescue Luffy from Big Mama. Following the rules, following honor, and the way of the system/rules do not fit well with Jinbe. He will break all of the rules if they don’t sit well with him. He won’t try to navigate a way for the rules to work for him, but straight up break them. 

Contrast this with ISTJs like Fujitora. When Fujitora is faced with the rules not working, he doesn’t head on break them. That goes against ISTJ principles. Rules of the system are still important to an ISTJ. Breaking them fully could tarnish the ideals of those rules and systems in the first place that in general work and need to be upheld. Instead, he finds a way to skirt around and within rules in place. He can get around one exception to the rule while upholding the law as seen in his resolution of the Don Quixote Doflamingo arc.

Jinbe continually has huge defining moments. Moments when he doesn’t consider the rules and systems like Fujitora does. This is because Te is not his more dominant judgement, it is Fi. Everything he does is not attributed to something outside of himself, but his own internal compass. As soon as something doesn’t jive with his inner harmony, he can’t stand by. 

When INFPs spend most of their energy protecting their inner realm from attachment to an imperfect outer situation, their least-developed function, Extraverted Thinking, doesn’t get very conscious. Such types are often excellent at managing time and resources for others but have a harder time structuring and organizing their own lives. Source: Lenore Thomson

This is a part of Jinbe you admit yourself. However, where this behavior is attributed is incorrect. Jinbe is a great leader and is great at helping others. But notice his own life is a little bit of a mess. He keeps acting on his Fi, and this leaves him to having a nomadic life, with no real people to belong to. This would be torture to an ISTJ, but something this INFP is fine with. Maybe not happy, but he would much prefer it than following. 

It is always important to note that INFPs, when they get more unhealthy they look like stereotypical STJs. They can become harsh to others in their words, sharp and biting. INFPs are able to cut deep due to their deep understanding of the emotions of others. We see this when he helps Luffy after the loss of Ace. In moments like this and with typing you have to ask, why? And is this behavior typical? Jinbe is not typically direct and to the point. He can wander, jokes with Luffy’s crew, and enjoys their antics. He is amused with Luffy’s different style and in fact inspired. He becomes direct with Luffy in this crucial moment, because he understands Luffy and what he has been through. He knows what he needs. This is deliberate. INFPs, like any type, can be harsh when they need to. Especially, if harshness at the beginning leads to a decrease in conflict overall. He knows this direct approach in the moment, to force reality in Luffy’s face, is the only way to help Luffy grieve. He isn’t doing it out of an inability to read emotional cues, but because of his strong emotional understanding. He sees Luffy drowning, but showing anger instead of accepting the loss. Jinbe is deliberately confronting Luffy to help him get to the iconic moment of Luffy breaking down, letting go.

CLICK HERE FOR THE SCENE

When typing characters it is important to look at the overall pattern and not the exceptions. The exceptions brought on by different factors of a character’s arc do not speak to a character historically and as a whole. Those exceptions are typically indicative of functions lower in their stack. It is really important to look at Jinbe when he is alone, when he reflects on his life and philosophies. What brings him into these moments. That is why I give examples, but not always incredibly specific examples, because those very tiny details become insignificant when trying to type a character as a whole. They often play too much into stereotypes and lose how dynamic each type can be. 

This is scene in how you first dissect the Luffy scene after Ace’s death. There is too much focus on the one line and not on the overall context of the scene. Once you widen the lens this clearly isn’t a natural harshness of Jinbe’s. In the scene you see Jinbe’s face struggle with the grief he sees in Luffy. He clearly wants to be softer in this moment, but recalling what Ace had told him sucks it in to help Luffy, to give Luffy the help he needs to move from anger into sadness. This take a great emotional intelligence that we can see in functions like dominate Fi.

[travllingbunny]

I'm not sure what exactly happened at the end of TBOSAS (except that I'm sure Lucy Gray ended up dead) so I like your theory, as one of the possibilities.

I'm still not inclined to fully believe it thought, that is that Snow actually found Lucy Gray's body and dumped it into the lake. It's not impossible, because of the state of his mind at that point iand how much disassociating and paranoia is going on. However, while Suzanne Collins likes to use the Unreliable Narrator to present the events through skewed perceptions and wrong interpretations, I don't think she has ever used it to present factually incorrect physical events, so I'm not ready to believe that Snow found Lucy Gray's body and dumped it in the lake but still kept on thinking she might be alive (including even that part where he leaves the suppies at the house before leaving, thinking "hopefully she will use it to escape").

I do think he either killed her when he was shooting at her after he heard her sing, or wounded her and she went on to die alone in the woods. Somehow, whatever version happened, I imagine her dying alone in woods, rather than being killed instantly - it just fits the entire character and the mood of the story better.

But in any case, I think you're spot on with the rest of your analysis. It doesn't even matter if he found her body and knew 100% sure she was dead - he was already having a sort of mental break and weird disassociated thoughts about intending to kill her, as if his mind was struggling to admit to himself what he was about to do:

"Still, to think he would kill her? He looked down at the loaded gun in his hand. Maybe he should've left it in the shed. It looked bad coming after her armed. As if he was hunting her. But he wasn't really going to kill her. Just talk to her and make sure she saw sense.

Put down the gun, he told himself. but his hands refused to cooperate."

And the entire scene is then him coming up with a scenario in his head where she is laying traps for him and trying to kill him - which she is not - until he talks himself more and more into repeatedly trying to kill her. I don't think we need to imagine that he also knew he had succeeded - the fact that he would intentionally murder her to cover his own tracks and remove her as a potential threat to his ambitions is enough of a horrific realization of just what kind of person he is deep down - the "vicious animal" he first felt he was after killing Bobbin in the Arena - and all the things he is ready to do when push comes to shove.

Whether he found her body or not, I don't think it makes any difference - the Lucy Gray survival theories are IMO all extremely unlikely, and I'm sure Snow is aware of that deep inside (it doesn't sound like he believes she survived even after he thinks she might be) - so I think your assessment of his mental state and how he deals with this is spot on:

"Was she alive, dead, a ghost who haunted the wilderness? Perhpas no one would ever really know. No matter - snow has been the ruination of them both. Poor Lucy Gray. Poor ghost girl singing away with her birds."

SPOILERS!

Obviously the ballad of songbirds and snakes and Lucy gray’s fate is meant to be up in the air and for the reader to speculate on, but I really think snow killed Lucy gray and sunk her body to the bottom of the lake with the guns in the sack. That’s why he gets sick, that’s why he’s in such pain and disorientation and he blames it on the snake bite, which ends up not being venomous. He killed Lucy gray and hid her body and it’s so horrific to him that he makes up his own story in his head, he lies to himself and creates his own mystery like the song in order to keep going, because snow knows if he thinks about Lucy gray and what he actually did to her he will never forgive himself, and he won’t survive.

Suzanne Collins walks a fine line in writing Coriolanus snow in this book between deep, burning hatred and genuine sympathy, and I’m in awe of it. It’s interesting though, the fact that after he drowns the weapons (and Lucy grays body, but again that’s just me) in the lake, it’s like a baptism for his presidential life. His family photos and his mothers powder are unsalvageable, but his fathers compass survives. In killing Lucy gray, snow finally chose his ambition over his heart, and it rules his life for the rest of his days.

[calvinwatchesstuff]

Let’s Watch Yu-Gi-Oh! ARC-V: Episode 3

Once again, no time for an intro; let’s jump right in!

Last time on Yu-Gi-Oh! ARC-V, Yuya looked like a goddamn idiot trying to Pendulum Summon (which I reluctantly admit I can relate to), and now some asshole is after the Pendulum Cards I think.

Also, I just noticed how impractical the school building is. Seriously, what’s with the tube? How does the area with the cage stay in the air?

Ah, so here we have the obligatory training montage. I’m a little disappointed we didn’t get to see more of it, but I like how they’re effectively having him try to reverse-engineer the method of Pendulum Summoning.

Okay, Gongenzaka is growing on me a little bit.

Wait, now the city is called “Maiami”? Okay, it was definitely Miami in the last episode, but sure, they changed it I guess.

OH MY GOD YUYA WHAT ARE YOU

“Sh…should I make up an excuse?” I like how self-aware he is about this.

“Dark Town - The Stolen Pendulum Summon” Well I guess we know what this episode’s gonna be about, don’t we?

I love how Yuzu just barely reacts; I wouldn’t either.

Oh, he’s one of these assholes. That’s nice.

“What were they called again? Those cards you used?” Well, considering the summoning method is called Pendulum Summoning, and a giant pendulum appeared on the field, take a wild fucking guess.

‘This couldn’t possibly be some sort of trap! I accept!’

Oh, I get it. So this guy’s like the male version of Chloé from Miraculous Ladybug. I now understand everything I need to know about this character.

Okay, I just saw a sign for something called “Fire! Fire! Duel School”. Is…is that a Beavis and Butthead reference? I mean, I can’t imagine it is, but I also can’t think of any other context for that name.

I like how there’s just some guy randomly doing really weird push-ups in the lobby.

Again, it’s kind of ridiculous how seriously everyone is taking Duel Monsters- the fact that there are not one, but SEVERAL schools based on it pushes my suspension of disbelief quite a bit- but I’m willing to let it slide for now.

“Meaning they have everything You Show Duel School doesn’t!” OH SHIT LITTLE GIRL IS FUCKING SAVAGE

WAIT WHAT

Holy shit, they’re actually acknowledging the existence of Fusions, Synchros, and Xyz! (And Ritual Monsters, but those have always been just sort of lurking in the background.) Okay, while I find it kind of ridiculous that each one of these has a separate class to learn, I’m now legitimately impressed; I was fully ready for Pendulums to start overriding everything like Xyz and Synchros did in their respective series. Good on you, ARC-V. Good on you.

And now we have a kid with blue hair and a lollipop. Can’t imagine he’s significant in any way, especially with that dramatic sting they just played over him glancing at Yuya.

Yeah, that’s a…pretty big stadium, alright.

Oh no, who could possibly have seen this coming except for literally everyone?!

And of course, now the mastermind is getting screwed over because Asshat Whose Name I Didn’t Care Enough To Memorize doesn’t want to hand over the Pendulum Cards anymore.

Or he could be totally fine with it. That’s cool too.

And now for no apparent reason Asshat decides to take Yuya’s friends hostage. I guess he realized Yuya could probably beat the crap out of him if he wanted.

Seriously, this is kind of fucked up for so early in the series. I mean, this is basically a Shadow Game we’re dealing with, and we’re still in the first few episodes!

Oh gee, I wonder if that spider card is going to be relevant at some point in the duel.

For some reason the “Action Duel” speech happened twice: once before the commercial break, once after. Why? The other episodes didn’t do that.

What was up with the random slow-mo shot?

I’m just glad he didn’t start out by summoning that damnable hippo again.

Well that was a pretty cool shot, even though I’m not at all certain how it worked.

Damn, for all that talk about diverging plans, Sawatari (I figured that by now he’s threatening enough for me to learn his name) sure seems to be absolutely fucking terrified of the guy behind this all.

Oh, and of course he has fucking dartboard monsters.

Wait, so Action Traps are a thing now?! How does that even work? Action Spells need to be played by the finder in order to be activated, but Action Traps activate the instant they’re picked up?

THE QUESTION MARK OH MY GOD

Welp, there goes the bridge.

“Big Bro Yuya doesn’t cry, so I won’t either!” Um…have you met the guy? He’s cried at least three times in the series so far. I mean, I’m not criticizing him for that; I’m just saying, that statement the kid made was factually incorrect.

Oh hey, a holofoil card! Not sure I’ve ever seen one of those in the anime before.

NO BACKSEAT DUELING, NOT-KAIBA

Oh, that’s probably not good.

I love how not-Kaiba is acting out the Pendulum Summoning process in his office. That is an amazing image to me.

Huh. There was no actual pendulum during that summon; I guess that’s only when Yuya does it.

And suddenly Lollipop Kid comes back for the end of the episode.

Well, this series is certainly ramping up faster than I thought. This makes me incredibly curious what the hell the rest of the series is going to be like, if this is the third episode. Well, tune in tomorrow for the conclusion of this duel, in which we figure out what the hell Lollipop Kid has to do with anything.