#but give them segments!!! develop the characters!!!!!

[samijey]

The OC - NXT 11/06/2024

[thewistlingbadger]

I'm going to be honest: I think one of the ways you fix season 2 is by getting rid of Warwick

Act 2 was more or less entirely dedicated to Warwick, a new character who really isn't that new bc he's actually Vander from s1. Despite the fact that he plays a heavy role in the act, his character isn't explored at all. Warwick is used in act 2 for the main purpose of reuniting Jinx and Vi. The sisters end up basically ignoring all their problems and differences and become family again solely due to Warwick's presence. If you get rid of Warwick, then the sisters don't reunite. They either stay on opposing sides or they end up reconciling later in the show, most likely due to them developing some sort of understanding for the other and by actually exploring their baggage.

Warwick is tied to Singed in this season, and through him and Viktor he's tied to Ambessa. Half of the plot in act 2 is Ambessa trying to find Warwick by using Singed to turn Warwick into the ultimate weapon. This part of the show was kinda weird and it definitely took away from the plot. If you get rid of Warwick you can actually focus on ambessa and her motives, or on ambessa and Caitlyn since their relationship is established but not developed.

The sisters end up bringing Warwick to Viktor's commune, which is how Viktor gets reintroduced to the story after not being seen for several episodes. Viktor decides to attempt to heal Warwick, but it isn't said why. We learn that Viktor's powers are suffering and that the commune isn't all that it seems, but we never get to learn anything further bc this segment isn't focused on Viktor- it's focused on Warwick. If you get rid of Warwick, you could actually focus on Viktor, his powers, his commune, his relationship with sky and the hexcore, and his motives.

At the start of act 2, we see that Vi is in a really bad place. She's fighting a lot, getting wasted, and isn't taking care of herself. We see that she has a friendship with Loris as well. However, we're not able to explore Vi's friendship or her current situation or her character bc shortly after Jinx asks Vi to help her with Warwick. If Warwick is gone then you can actually focus on Vi as a character and unpack all the shit the show has built up.

At the start of act 2, we see there's a lot of unrest in zaun. We see zaunites starting to band together and view Jinx as a symbol. This is a really cool concept that isn't explored because instead of Jinx spending the act with other zaunites, she spends it with Warwick. If Warwick is gone then we could actually explore the current politics between zaun and piltover and the effects they have.

It really doesn't make sense to have Warwick be the center of the act when he's not a main character. Hell, he isn't a character at all. He's a plot device. Literally almost everything that happens in act 2 is somehow related to him, yet he has no arch in the season. Everything he does just adds to the plot, not to the value of the story. We end up getting the most random piece of lore dropped in the middle of the season because of him. Lore that literally wasn't relevant at all to what was going on in the show and was never brought up again. I understand that season 1 hinted at Warwick being Vander but if it were up to me I'd be prioritizing the other, much more important shit that s1 set up. Not fucking Warwick. Especially since he's just Vander, an excellent character that we were done with at the start of the first season. There's no reason for him to be back. Since act two is so centered on him, the other acts had to condense and become jammed packed full of shit. But if you get rid of Warwick, you give the story space to breathe. You could have things stretched out longer and in more detail because now you have the time to! You can go into the gray and Caitlyn's dictator arc in detail because now you don't have to worry about wrapping it up before Warwick shows up.

Warwick was literally so big in the show that he took away time and development from literally every character, but especially mel, jayce, ekko, heimerdinger, and Viktor, who were rarely seen this season despite being key players from season 1. If Warwick was gone, you could actually show what happened to ekko, Jayce, and heimerdinger before act 3. You could give ekko some much needed depth and screen time. You could actually explain the black rose, which is never explained throughout the entirety of the show. You could have had Ambessa's backstory be in the show and not its own separate music video. You could have showed Mel more. If Warwick was gone, you could actually explore the characters of Caitlyn and Vi and their relationship. You could explore Sevika's character, who got pushed to the side despite her promising start. You could explore Isha as a character. You could explore lest as a character, who was introduced and then completely forgotten. You could have expanded on the chem barons instead of glossing over them.

In general, if Warwick isn't around you just have more time to do more shit. Like holy shit this is actually crazy.

[ilidaeandquill]

All Is Fair in Death and War - Character Analysis/Notes

Narinder - Anger

For the sake of my sanity, we’re going to pretend this gif primarily focuses on Narinder.

Quick fun fact: On my Goat/Extra Hard save file, Narinder got the Jerk trait (which I refuse to correct for obvious reason). I'm going to make any and all interactions with him as a jerk canon in AIFiDaW.

So anyway here's him bullying Goatfrey for their crush on Shamura before he steals their money (I know my cult is ugly I'm redecorating it).

(Keep reading for character breakdown) First Chapter: All Is Fair in Death and War - Chapter 1 - IlidaeAndQuill - Cult of the Lamb (Video Game) [Archive of Our Own] (THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR 1,000 HITS FLMGKDSNG - If you read it, I hope you enjoy!!)

Primary Motivation: Narinder has two opposing character motivations: to reclaim a semblance of divinity without the Red Crown, and to assure the safety of his traveling disciples Baal and Aym. These two motivations directly contrast each other, and with the additional plotline created from rescuing the Bishops, he struggles to decide which one to prioritize. Lots of internal conflict with this one.

Character Traits: Prudish af. Concise with his 'work' (killing, he's literally just killing people) but sees no reason to assist others without probable payment. The sting of his betrayal, both from the Lamb and his siblings, runs too deep.

Theme Songs (Lyrical): "Death" - Matthew K Heafy, Sean Long & Mike Malyan, "you should see me in a crown" - Billie Eilish, "Gladiator" - Jann Theme Songs (Instrumental): "Sins of Hyrule" - ROZEN, "Aurora in Faerieland" - James Newton Howard Additional Narilamb song from his p.o.v. because the devs did it and I want to too: "LET THE WORLD BURN" - Chris Grey

Voice Claim: Cobra Bubbles - Lilo and Stitch Dialogue Pattern: He speaks formally when he's focused but gets sloppy with his dialogue as he loses himself to anger/irritation.

Outfit Inspiration: Regal and stealthy - a true assassin's garb. Most of his clothes are stolen, as he refuses to wear the cultist uniform given by Lambert. He does prefer heavy robes but sticks to lighter garments for crusades/daily activity.

Narinder is a strong supporting character (and if we want to get technical, he's Lambert's love interest, but I hate assigning that title to characters - I don't want a character's romantic plotline to determine their importance in a story) and the primary representation of the Anger stage of grief. This is seen through his personality traits/reactions to story events, but also through his pyromancy. His fire, representing his anger, literally burns him alive every time he uses it. He must learn/develop a way to safely use it, or risk losing himself to his rage.

Additionally: his anger is represented through the fact that he is angry at the world/fate. With my own grief, I often get angry, thinking it "wasn't fair" that my dog, of all creatures, got heart disease and died young. I portray this same anger through Narinder. His imprisonment wasn't fair. His loss of godhood wasn't fair. And, the unconscious, yet most important thing, is what happened to Baal and Aym was not fair.

"Ratau turned to watch the sparing brothers again. His fingers curled around his hands, nails digging far into his flesh. “Yes, but… This is inhumane. My lord, they know how to fight! We both see that! Be fair with them, please.”

“If the world was fair, none of us would be here.” The One Who Waits flicked his hand, and Ratau disappeared to his mortal realm." - That whole segment comes from his anger - it's not fucking fair what happened to the three of them. And oooohhhh writing that anger for him is soooooo satisfying.

Random Trivia/Facts: - Despite his regal tastes, Narinder's favorite food is plain baked salmon (with some spices ofc I'm not a monster). - Narinder was the first character I was able to give a distinct motivation. His internal conflict between reclaiming godhood and setting his disciples free was way too intriguing; I had to develop that first. - That said, the only way for him to add to the theme/move towards acceptance is if he goes against his initial desire of reclaiming divinity to help the ones he cares for. This is to say that I, the author, am trying to balance his development like a fucking tightrope walker. - KLEPTOMANIAC (If only for petty reasons). - He might be a pyromaniac too idk. - In "Yngya's Repose," Narinder fell in love with the Lamb shortly before their destined duel over the crown. In AIFiDaW, Narinder is still (somewhat) in love with the Lamb, he is just too angry to let himself feel anything other than the hurt of betrayal. - To add to that: In the scene where Narinder falls for the Lamb (Year 3: Autumn) - he specifically falls in love with Lambert because they were kind to Baal and Aym. There were a few other factors outside that, but seeing Lambert treat his disciples as their own was the final push he needed to fully fall in love. - And then he had to fight them to the death isn't that fun? :) - Narinder's parenting teaching style with Baal and Aym is largely inspired by Moro and San (Princess Mononoke) and Maleficent and Aurora (Maleficent).

Thank you for reading! Narinder is a super complex character; my only hope is that I give him the writing he deserves. He is, of course, featured in "All Is Fair in Death and War," but his primary appearance is in the short prequel to that: "Yngya's Repose." I hope to make a podfic of that story soon so people who don't have the time/ability to sit down and read it can still enjoy the story :)

Theme

The Goat/Goatfrey - Narinder - The Lamb/Lambert - The Curse

Leshy - Heket - Kallamar - Shamura

Jalala - Rinor - Fena - Aym & Baal - The Mystic Seller

[tapwater118]

Has anyone ever heard of “Battle for Dream Island” (1990) before? Really obscure NES game, doesn’t even have a Wikipedia page (or hell, even a mention in one).

From what little I can find about it on the internet, Battle for Dream Island was an NES game released on January 1st, 1990, apparently made entirely by a pair of independent American developers. Never made all that many sales, but eventually it garnered a rather niche following on an obscure gaming forum, though it had long since dissipated. Unfortunately, seemingly nothing from the forum threads was archived, so all I have to go on are a few vague threads titles from a navigation page.

I, rather cliched like, bought this BfDI cartridge from a sleazy old guy at a flea market (along with Puzznic and Wario’s Woods for a bargain deal). I dumped the ROM and booted it up on an emulator to take some screencaps.

Upon pressing start, you are prompted to “Choose Contestant,” and have a choice between any of 20 playable characters (who are all everyday objects, for some reason). Each contestant has their own stats, and while you can feel the difference while playing, the overall impact of character choice is pretty negligible. (Also some of these guys don’t even have arms?? Weird design choice but okay.)

Two screencaps of the character select screen. I went with Pin for my first playthrough cause idk she seemed kinda cute. I’m almost sure the stats are “Strength,” “Speed,” “Jump,” and “Skill.”

(Continued under cut)

While touting itself as a game show, BfDI is essentially a glorified minigame collection. The gameplay loop is as follows: You and the 19 other contestants play a minigame (referred to as “challenges”) to earn points based on how well you do (though I’m fairly certain the computer contestants just get a random amount of points for each challenge). Most of the challenges are various platforming segments, though some others fall more into puzzle game territory.

Two of the challenges. The green “Win Tokens” can be collected for bonus points. LEFT: A horizontal platformer level. The grey wall in the middle of the screencap moves up and down. RIGHT: A challenge about climbing ladders while avoiding “acid spitballs.” The game pauses to scroll vertically a la Super Mario Bros. 2.

After each challenge, this speaker thing shows up (pretty sure he’s supposed to be like a game show host?) and tallies up everyone’s score. The contestant with the least score gets “eliminated” and removed from the game.

The results screen. Leafy did rather poor on the last challenge, so she’s out of the game.

The game continues like this until you lose (have the least amount of points) and get booted to the game over screen, or until you are the last one left, in which case you win Dream Island! (Though of course in reality you just get booted back to the title screen. No Dream Island for you.)

The victory screen, with the gates to Dream Island in sight. Feels more like the gates to hell given how Pin’s staring at me.

It’s a fairly easy game for NES standards (I won on my first try). Took me about 80 minutes on my first playthrough, though subsequent ones could take less than an hour as I knew what I was doing. The brevity and the fact it saves your high score gives BfDI a nice sense of replayability (though this is probably best done sporadically, as the challenges tend to get a bit samey after a couple of back-to-back playthroughs).

So yeah, just wanted to share this in case anybody else has heard of it. I’ll probably rip the sprites and upload them sometime later cause it doesn’t look like anybody’s done that yet.

[worrywrite]

Warframe post, just real quick (he said, before writing the post).

How aware of the events of the game do you think the Helminth strain is? Clearly it's intelligent. It knows the operator/drifter. It *cares* about the operator/drifter. It wants them to succeed, it wants them to be happy. But it, unlike a huge amount of characters in video games, also has its own selfish and individual wants. They're not normal wants, but it does have them. It's strange. The helminth is so easy to forget about, imo (I only just got around to installing the helminth segment and I've been playing since before the orbiter existed), and it's not particularly relevant as a character. It's neigh immortal, near omni-present, almost assuredly man-made, and it still chooses to exist in the background of your perspective if the game.

Surely a lot of this comes down to the devs not particularly caring about the helminth as a character. But they did care enough to give it an animation for smooching your pets on the head if they follow you into their room. They did give it voice lines. It has a name. It has backstory. It shows up pretty much wherever warframes exist.

Do you think... Do you think maybe the helminth is the collectively suffering consciousness of every protoframe ever made? Or maybe it is just a fully functional but chill strain of the technocyte.

Anyway. I think it's very funny that in 1999, the player can have two very specific (and indirect) interactions with the helminth. Because the helminth is the technocyte that is in the protoframes. So when Eleanor talks about how she's started actually communicating in a very basic way with her technocyte cells, and how they're jealous of you if you romance her--that is the helminth. And when Flare, possessed, asks you to stay away from Flare--that is also the helminth. Presumably the reason you can't romance Flare, apart from development time constraints, is because the helminth knows you might and wants to keep Flare for itself.

So, potentially, the helminth is aware of the various timelines and events that connect all aspects of its existence. This is also part of how the drifter is able to enter 1999 to begin with, by connecting through two manifestations of helminth "maws" in different times and potentially across difference timelines.

Going back to the interactions with Eleanor and Flare, the helminth also has a strangely feminine persona. It connects to and attempts to understand and motivate Eleanor in a very sensual way, in the way that her body is familiar with. As Lizzie, Flare's guitar, the helminth adopts a feminine voice and very sexualized persona--though this is in part explained by Flare as being an adaptation of their over the top stage persona. And, consequently, it does have a certain kind of stereotype of its own. The helminth is kind of, literarily speaking, the hooker with a heart of gold archetype. Kind of. But do you see where I'm coming from? Very sexual, typically feminine, complicated relationship with its own work and identity, loyal and kind (to you), the embodiment of a sickness (literally and/metaphorically), unable to maintain a long term relationship (it keeps breaking its romantic loves), shunned by most due to appearance/function...

Sorry. I'm suddenly having lots of thoughts about the helminth strain.

[raven-at-the-writing-desk]

Now don't throw tomatoes at me but I'm actually really excited to finally see malleus again— I've always loved malleus since we met him in the story, but I'm also sooo curious about what's gonna happen next,, I'm wondering the obvious thing, about whether or not we might get a parralel scenario like what happened with the KoD and silver will have to "slay" malleus or at least be the one to land a killing blow, but I also saw a really interesting post focusing on how magic is a manifestation of dreams and deep desires and imagination,,,, in that case, I may (VERY delusionally) hope that Yuu finally gets to be a major part of the story for once??? Even reading the novels, there HAS to be something bigger for yuu— while the idea of crowley simply being an incompetent airhead is fun and more comfortable, haven't you thought that meybe he pulled them into this world deliberately??

All to say, what if at some point, Yuu somehow manifests magic in a very dire moment ?? You know lol?? Agh idk. I just want yuu to finally make impactful choices but that IS too much to ask, as far as we can see for now,,, (but hey, that part leading up to ace getting is UM, and the convo between him and yuu,,, it *does* give one a sliver of hope, doesn't it? :') )

Don't worry, no tomato throwing here! 😅 I may not care for certain characters, but I’m not going to shame anyone that does. You’re free to think however you want about Malleus!

dbjsvsJcwhj My personal feelings about him aside, I am actually glad he’s finally relevant to the main story again. He’s missed out on so much of his own book OTL In the time he’s been gone, the fandom has been left to speculate about both his and Lilia’s potential death flags. I really doubt Twst will have the balls to kill off one of them, but it would be cool to at least see Silver delivering the final blow to knock some sense into (not necessarily kill) OB Malleus.

Yes, it’s true that Silver states in the recent update that magic was originally considered “a miracle borne of strong desires from the heart.” But 💦 I don’t think that means Yuu would randomly manifest magic in the final fight?? It feels more like a “let’s save the day with the power of friendship” to me, but I could of course be wrong.

I understand being frustrated that Yuu’s participation in the main story seems to fluctuate a lot, with most of their activity being books 3, 4, and segments of 1, 6, and 7. That’s not much, especially considering how long books 6 and 7 are. Sometimes (even in events) it feels like Yuu is barely there, as most dialogue options don’t involve different reactions from the characters. Even Yuu's quest to find a way home is barely addressed or taken seriously until early in book 7. Yuu hasn't gotten "real" development unless you count them realizing their Disney dreams are prophetic in book 5, taking the initiative to save Grim in book 6, and that dialogue option about them being worried they're not contributing + the related convo with Ace in book 7. All very short moments in the grand scheme of things. And honestly, I think that makes sense for the kind of character Yuu is. A blank slate, a self-insert, an outsider that's easy to exposit information to, someone with which to view the story, characters, and world through. Yuu is primarily there to be the POV character, the lenses, the camera that we see Twst through. They're not really meant to be a traditional "main character". It's possible that Twst gives them a slightly bigger role at the very end (especially with what went down in the dream in book 7), but I doubt it will be a huge triumphant moment where they and they alone save the day or deal the final blow in a crazy act of self-sacrifice. Twst has always been a story that puts the NRC boys first, while Yuu is the observer.

I've noticed that the complaint of Yuu not doing a lot in the story comes mainly from English speaking fans?? And I guess that makes sense, given how western culture tends to emphasize independence and standing out. They want Yuu to reflect that. They want to be the ones to make a difference. I don't even remember ever seeing these same comments from the Japanese speaking fans; it's definitely a less common sentiment for them. The Japanese fans seem pretty content with Yuu being an observer and taking on more of a minor or supporting role. Again, this fits in with what I understand of many eastern cultures. They're demurer, not wanting to stand out too much from the crowd and instead prioritizing group harmony. Very interesting cultural difference to note!

It's a common theory (with many variants) that Crowley intentionally summoned Yuu to Twisted Wonderland for his own nefarious motives. People found him pretty sus right away due to how he seems to not put in any real time or effort into investigating a way to send Yuu home. Plus, there's that ominous opening monologue of his to consider. However, I don't think he summoned Yuu because of their (potential) great magical capabilities. The Mirror of Darkness tells us that it doesn't sense a shred of magic in Yuu, and Leona smells zero magic on them (though that could be because it hasn't technically manifested yet, as some fans claim).

The idea is that Yuu is supposed to be plain. They are supposed to be magicless. Why? To humble the NRC students and to show them that asserting yourself violently or with great magical power ISN'T the way to go. To show them value in strategizing (which Yuu does in the prologue by helping Grim aim at the ghosts), of camaraderie. What does it say about the story's themes if Yuu, the person who is supposed to be showing them the worth of mundane things, is suddenly... "secretly ultra-strong, actually”/“just like you guys” (even if it's only a temporary hope-fueled magic)? It might contradict what has already been set up. It also breaks the self-insert appeal of Yuu, since developing magic would also mean Yuu would later have to further develop things like proficiency in magic, best/worst subjects, and an unique magic/signature spell... meaning Yuu HAS to become better "defined", thus losing their blank slate nature. This would surely upset some fans who deeply project onto Yuu, have a Yuusona, etc.

Yuu can still make an impact on the characters and the world--and they have, judging by how much closer the boys are with each other--without having to be The Most Special One or like everyone else. I think it undermines what Yuu has already managed to achieve to say that they haven't made an impactful choice at ANY point in the main story when I believe they definitely have. Yuu made the choice to sign the contract with Azul. Yuu made the choice to approach Malleus. Yuu made the choice to go against Crowley's orders and go retrieve Grim from S.T.Y.X. Yuu made the choice to get Leona’s help with the contracts. Yuu made the choice to stand with Adeuce against Riddle in book 1. Yuu made the choice to let the VDC/SDC tribe train at Ramshackle. Yuu has done a lot, and all without needing to seize the spotlight or to do anything big and flashy. I don't think Yuu needs to be big and flashy. There is pride to be had in simplicity and being humble too. There is pride in representing the 90% of humans in Twisted Wonderland that are ordinary and without magic.

(An aside: so if Yuu wasn’t able to manifest magic in many other extreme instances, does that mean their desire to save Grim in book 6 wasn’t “enough”? That their desire to save Ramshackle, their one and only home in this world, wasn’t “enough”? It implies that Yuu didn’t wish hard enough for these other things they clearly care about and want.)

I think a good way to give Yuu a decent role while staying true to their design as a blank slate would be for Twst to really lean into the whole "beast tamer" aspect that was introduced all the way back in the prologue. This would work well with their deep connection to Grim as well. Assuming that Grim ends up being the final OB... We could easily have the NRC students and staff on the ropes, Malleus at his wit's end after exhausting himself with his own OB, a rampaging Grim about to end it all. And then... one lone figure shakily rises from the rubble and confronts Grim. One human. Magicless, defenseless. A human lost in an unfamiliar world, a human who believes they're useless and don't contribute much. A human who is always in need of being protected by others. But not anymore. This time, it's Yuu's turn to protect what they love--their friends, this world they've come to love, Grim. Ace and Deuce yelling at Yuu to not be stupid, to get back--but Yuu just advances, calling out to Grim and begging him to stop. And maybe it's Yuu's wish that rallies everyone and/or gets OB Grim to hesitate. That's when they can strike. Is that corny? Yeah. Does it sound like the ending to a Disney film? Sure. But it still grants Yuu, a magicless human that is supposed to be there to teach everyone about friendship, cooperation, and humility, their big moment to shine. The best of both worlds, I'd say.

[bowandbrush]

sorry for patronizing you mutuals with my sudden avatar fixation!

having rewatched the series, I decided to check out the live action series out of curiosity (I jumped straight into the Kyoshi island episode, to see what the interaction between Sokka and suki was like. Yeah)

In the new series we have much more screen time with Suki and more story on her past, but it’s not written half as well as the original. I understand they’re trying to change some things up and erase sexist Sokka, but that was the entire point in the original story.

in the new version, Sokka just…stares a little and tries talking to her. Which is fine I guess. He’s impressed with her skill in fighting and devotion to being a warrior. It’s understandable, as he develops a bit of a crush after watching her in combat. Later discovering her training dojo, Suki just decides to train him. Out of nowhere. There are a fair amount of scenes and dialogue that insinuates she has a thing for him too, a lot. The entire training segment is just them standing close, tripping over each other, staring, etc. basically the same formula so many writers use to build tension between two characters.

It lacks substance. There isn’t much reason for them to like each other here. And for Pete’s sake, we don’t get to see Sokka wearing the traditional Kyoshi outfit!

In the original, Sokka saunters in with prideful arrogance, dismissing and underestimating the female warriors. Y’know, because they’re girls. This scene wasn’t being sexist, Sokka was. I still don’t understand why they erased this, because it was a very important character development.

When Sokka ‘demonstrates’ his combat skills, Suki sets him straight without a sweat. In humiliation, Sokka realizes how much how wrong he was about women and their strength. How disrespectful he was.

that gives him a reason to ask for training. For forgiveness, and to better himself. It’s also a great scene when we see Suki sharing her culture with him. Although she wouldn’t normally “train outsiders, much less boys”, she still gives him a second chance.

There is so much authenticity here. He grows to admire Suki as a fighter and as a person. For her kindness and forgiveness too, not just strength.

we can see Suki grow on Sokka, appreciating his unbreakable loyalty and bravery. As well as his silly demeanor. We all like funny guys!

It’s a really nice Strong and brave woman + smart and silly idiot duo, and I love it.

live action is just,,,watered down a lot. I don’t know what the live action series will do in the future. I don’t really care anyways. BUT what I really appreciate with Suki and Sokka is their vulnerability with each other.

nowadays, every “strong” girl is defined with outer works/action. That usually means no crying, no soft side, no fear. Especially if she’s in a relationship with a man. She has to be tougher than him. Because I guess vulnerable and defeated girls can’t be strong. At least, that’s the trope I see most often.

Suki is very strong, brave, and tough. But when the appropriate time comes, she lets herself be open and exposed. She can let her guard down and expose her inner pain, because she knows Sokka is there for her.

it’s perfectly normal and healthy for a man to be able fall apart in his girls’ arms. But I feel like that’s suppressed the other way around, because it displays weakness. And I guess we’re cancelling weakness in women now. Because of woke

[felassan]

Notes on and quotes from today’s new DA:TV coverage content from Game Informer, the video “The Making of Dragon Age: The Veilguard | Cover Story Feature”. The rest of this post is under a cut due to DA:TV spoilers.

First I'll note that the Game Informer video contains spoilers for DA:TV, so bear that in mind before deciding to watch it or read further in this post.

There were no new images, screenshots or videos from the game in the Game Informer video. There was however a series of music pieces playing in the background of the devs talking throughout. I didn't recognize these music pieces (lmk if you did tho pls hh!), so I'm wondering if the music in this video was all-new DA music from DA:TV!! 👁️

Next I will say that there was not much in the way of new information in the video. The devs were chatting about topics, info segments and talking points that have been featured in previous articles & previous coverage on the game. however, the devs seemed really happy and excited, and proud of what they've made, excited to share about it, and that was rly nice to see. :)

For the rest of this post, it is not a 'cliff notes on everything said in the video'-type post. It's just a series of notes on and quotes from the video that particularly stood out to me and that I particularly liked. ^^

"You start DA:TV having chased Solas to Minrathous. You're there to stop his ritual, there to take him down. You're there to find this character, so you're chasing him, you're trying to stop this ritual that he has already said multiple times that he is going to perform before he performs it, because, if he does, the Veil will get torn down, the Fade and the world of the waking will merge, and demons will pour out, pretty much meaning the end of life as we know it".

John Epler: "Solas always feels that he is a tragic hero, but a hero [of the story] nonetheless. So he is coming into this believing firmly that what you stopped him from doing [Rook stopping the ritual the way they did in the gameplay reveal video] was the right thing, that you've made a mistake, but, because now he's trapped, now he can't reach out and actively affect, he needs to work with you. And that allows us to provide a lot of nuance to the relationship, because Solas sees a lot of himself in you, especially the parts of himself that he maybe doesn't like to face, so there is kinda that interesting push and pull between the two characters, Solas and the main protagonist Rook. And you can define what that relationship means. You can continue to be suspicious and hostile towards him. Or you can start to see him and find that common ground, find that connection between the two of you and really develop a different relationship over thee course of the story." Mark Darrah: "This is a good direction to take the Solas story. It allows us to hopefully give a good conclusion to all of the varied attitudes towards Solas that are gonna be coming into this game. People who love Solas, people who agree with Solas, people who hate Solas, people who want to kick Solas off of a building, I think that we give you the opportunity to bring that to a close, but then tell a greater story about The Veilguard and about the world as a whole."

BioWare wanted to tell a story this time where you literally cannot save the world without these characters

The companions have relationships with each other too. "They have friendships, they have rivalries, and lean into that concept, you're not just pulling together a bunch of people who will do whatever you say, you're assembling a family and that becomes the core of what The Veilguard is all about. It's about taking this group, this found family and saving the world side by side with them."

In the game, things and the storytelling are done towards a goal, towards a storytelling goal, "towards the future" [of the franchise it sounds like], not 'just because' or 'just to do them'

John: "The message of The Veilguard is, you’re not saving the world on your own. You need your companions but you also need these factions, these other groups in the world. You help them, they help you. Now, something we wanted to avoid, because, you know, there's always the trope of, 'oh yeah, I would help you save the world but I need you to go gather 200 wood', it's kind of a silly concept, so what we wanted to build is these factions that do want to help you but have realistic challenges, problems in front of them. So narratively, you help them with their problems, they will help you with yours when the time comes, but beyond that each faction has a follower, as well as an ancillary character we’re calling 'agents', who exist as these, face of the faction. We’re not gonna get too deep into those right now, but we didn’t wanna just say, 'here's the Wardens, go deal with the Wardens', we wanted to have characters within that faction who are sympathetic, who you can see and who become the face of that faction, so even if there's moments where the faction as a whole may be on the outs with you, these characters are still with you, they’ve still got your back. It’s a core with what we’ve done with the storytelling in this game. We wanted to make sure all the content you did felt relevant. Everything you do has a purpose and has a tie back into the critical path. Sometimes it's more explicit than others, but there is always a sense that you are moving towards the goal of stopping the elven gods, stopping the end of the world, and it's not just [like how some of the side content in DA:I was]. Helping these people, helping these groups, so that they can help you when the time comes."

In the story and tone of this game, it has the highest of highest and the lowest of lows. At the lowest of lows, "it gets gritty, it gets painful, it gets dark", but there are also nice positive moments in the game and a colorful, optimistic throughline. Corinne: "This identity is something special for the franchise now and for the franchise going forward"

"the depths of Arlathan Forest"

"In the case of Arlathan, what does it look like when you go to the place where the elves had their ancient empire that was run on and fuelled by magic? What does the aftermath of that look like, especially when the gods are out in the world and raw magic is seeping back out from the Fade."

DA has always been a series where in the world, the truth has multiple perspectives

We will journey out from the Lighthouse into the area of the Fade known as the Crossroads, "which is full of mysteries, exploration, branching paths". We will take eluvians to the far corners of northern Thedas

Some of the environments are more mission-focused, "with narrative beat after narrative beat"

"We know what's gonna happen, we know when it's gonna happen, but of course it's influenced by all the decisions you've made as the player along the way"

There are also more non-linear, more open areas in which we will be able to open up new sections of the map, find new pathways, "really leaning into solving mysteries and finding ancient treasures and some of our apex battles, there are some truly terrifying enemies that you're going to encounter when you're left to your own means to kind've explore these larger areas".

"Tevinter has always been a land where mages rule, they are in charge, they make the rules and run the show. So what does that look like? And, as we've gone through DA:O, DAII and DA:I, magic has become more and more present, and part of that is because Solas has been slowly preparing this ritual for longer than anyone in the DA universe is really aware of, but also just, going into these spaces where magic is, by definition, and by the lore, much much more present. It's been fun"

For the first time in DA BW are able to let the visuals speak for themselves (as in, the technology has caught up and they aren’t just saying 'trust us, this [magic thing] is really cool')

They took great care with how they introduce each companion and major story character

Corinne is really proud of what BW have built with the CC. "It is a game where everyone belongs"

A new to DA feature in CC: full body customization with pretty robust diversity. Body shape, body size, body proportions

They invested huge effort into their strand hair technology. There are numerous hairstyles in the game, they know how much the fans care about hair and Corinne is one of these people. They know that the range of hairstyles matters too and that it is not just about quantity. "Making sure we have diverse representation for all types of players."

They took a step back and asked, how are we going to incorporate things like your background in a meaningful way?

They call difficulty levels "playstyles". This is integrated into the CC process. You can select a number of preset experiences that your character will adopt and step into the game with, but you can also customize that playstyle e.g., if you're bad at parrying, you can ease this up

Some of the locations that we will visit are "bustling cityscapes." "We're gonna go right into the heart of the Tevinter empire. We're also going to a city in Antiva called Treviso"

Corinne Busche: "[those places] have a dense populace and we knew we needed to have the tools to support a wide range of NPCs. You will not find NPCs that look alike in this game. Each one is crafted using the same tools that we're giving to our players, with the exception of some of our custom-sculpted characters like the companions. So when you go up to that market vendor in Minrathous, you can make that character. When you see the guards patrolling the street, you can make that character too. You can therefore be inspired by the population around you and go and create that in CC."

The Lighthouse as we know is our HQ and base of operations. Each of the companions has their own sanctuary, their own room within it. These spaces become a reflection of who they are. The more time we spend with them as the game develops, as we work through their arc, their room and their personality will evolve and flourish and become more complete as they trust us and we understand them better

Corinne: "There are moments in the game where two of our companions fell in love with each other and I had to make some pretty challenging choices as it related to the quest we were on, and it broke my heart, it absolutely did"

The game tries to give the player as much agency as it can, and then reflect it back on us. Choice and consequence can be hard to show, but this is a game about agency and about giving us options

We can upgrade gear and enchant gear, this extends to the companions too

The 3 specs for each of the 3 classes are highly distinct

Every attack, every swing of a sword, when you connect you feel it, these have weight

Companion abilities can be queued up one after the other

The devs are really proud of this game and excited about it. Everything that's in the game is in there because someone cares about it. The game really reflects the dev team and it's coming together well, they are really excited for us to get our hands on it soon

[source]

[yannisdesk]

I disagree with the arguments going around that Vander's past was poorly handled in season 2 of act 2, or that it somehow "cheapens" his and Silco's character. This initially was just a paragraph, but it got a little long, so I broke it down.

"Vander and Silco knowing the sisters' mom pre-prologue is bad writing because she didn't know them in season 1." - If Vander and Silco knowing Vi + Jinx's mom pre-prologue is bad writing then that means the bad writing goes back to the very first scene in act 1 season 1. She's shown in the prologue dead after fighting in the battle that Vander orchestrated and led. He clearly recognizes the girls and when they give him that pleading look, he turns in the exact direction that Felicia and Connol's corpse was in, which communicates that he knew exactly who they were and who they were looking for. Their parents and Vander always knew each other, it just wasn't obvious how. Now we know.

"It makes Silco's character unnecessarily dark." - It really doesn't change Silco's character as much as you'd think. Yeah, it darkens him, but only by like 5% more. Silco throughout all of season 1, especially act 1, is extremely a "do whatever it takes" type. He wanted power, he wanted to free Zaun, and was willing to do some heinous things, some "base violence" to set off the domino effect he desired for his rise to fame. One of the first things we're shown him doing, is using Zaun's children to experiment with shimmer. He has no sentimental ties to anyone but...Vander, and even then we see that it can only go so far. Come act 2 and 3, and he's clearly different, because he raised Jinx. We see Silco post-fallout with Vander. This Silco is simply different from the one we see in the flashback, but there are still shades of him throughout season 1 as we see with his relationship with Jinx, which yes, was extremely messed up, but he did care for her in his own way. Like how the Jinx we see at the beginning of season 1 act 2 is extremely different from Powder - this Silco has been through a lot, and has a completely different outlook. But similar to how Powder is never gone from Jinx, pre-fallout Silco is never fully gone from post-fallout Silco, as he embraces Powder rather quickly. Like Powder, pre-fallout Silco always there, bubbling just beneath the surface. He's just better at drowning out that part of him.

"It cheapens Vander's anti-violence stance." - No, it doesn't. He could still very much be disturbed by how many Zaunites died during the battle (a lot of his people were lost, just look at the prologue) and draw the line at that, but Felicia's death in particular is what drove the wedge between him and Silco, and that's a separate thing. As we see in season 1, Vander does care about his people beyond his adoptive children. He doesn't say "Okay, everyone but the kids can fight!" No, he straight up says no one will fight. And when push comes to shove, he offers up himself to protect Vi, which was probably coming anyway because he said during the bridge scene in season 1 episode 2 that he didn't know what to do in terms of handling the apartment explosion. So no, Vander caring about the people of Zaun is not all of a sudden tossed out of a window because he cared about a friend who died tragically.

"It means Vander, Vi, Jinx, Claggor, and Mylo are no longer a found-family."- How? Vander isn't related to Vi or Jinx by blood. Going by the watercolor memory segment, he was a family friend who was active in Vi's life, sure, however that doesn't mean he was some sort of surrogate father to her pre-prologue. He was a trusted adult figure in her life, and he became much more than that once her parents were killed. He became a father to her, Powder, Claggor, and Mylo, who also became their brothers. They were a found family. They never would've developed that dynamic if their bio-families were still around - or at least, not to the extent that it did.

There are things I could drag act 2 for - namely the pacing and how Vi's character is handled. But, I'm fully behind Vander's lore expansion.

[lore-grandma]

So usually when I talk about twisted wonderland with my friends it tends to develop into a conversation about the story and the character designs (for context most of my friends don’t know this game or play it, I don’t blame them because well Disney). generally when I’m explaining each character and they likely relate to the retelling of the classic Disney stories I can easily pin point each characters parallels even if it’s not very obvious. And when the character mash up isn’t obvious it’s usually heartsbly. And it’s only two characters, that aren’t super clear but I CAN think of some theories. (It’s possible that Trey is the king of hearts but could also be the walrus, since he does mention the walrus sauce and from what I’ve seen from Japan’s releases that Trey’s dream involves a tweedle Dee and tweedle dum reference as well as possibly a reference to the clams the walrus eats. Which tweedle Dee and dum tells the story of the walrus. Cater isn’t so obvious actually, it’s likely that he’s the stand in for ALL the card soldiers, yes the other characters do represent the different suits but it’s pretty clear that the other 3 have more prevalent themes. He could also be the caterpillar (though unlikely, frankly just naming characters) the animals that run around trying to get dry, the mad hatter (literally no one gives of his vibes) the ugly faced Dutch lady (I don’t remember if she was in the Disney version) hell he could also be the king of hearts due to his “loyalty”and obvious desire to be house warden.) now all this to say, there is but one character that I can’t put any definite label on and it’s ortho. Is he hades minions? Megara? The fates? Definitely not Hercules, in fact he’s arguably more of the hades stand in than the actual hades stand in. ORTHO WHO ARE YOU! Actually maybe megara because she has technically died and been brought back, kinda like ortho. (I’m not actually sure if ortho’s soul got transferred to robot ortho, or like a segment. I wouldn’t be surprised if being connected to a blob of overblot gave him some sentience though. That’s a lot of human pain right there.$

[venusmage]

genuine q's from someone wanting to place KCD2 and saw your huge praise!

Do you have to have played 1 to get it or no?

If you do have to play 1 is that one good? I heard such a mixed bag when it released and I'm not sure if that was just the 'there are only white people' thing or what

I want to play these games but I have not personally paid a lot of attention to the world of video games in many years and do not know the current narrative/vibe around the KCD1 and 2 team, appreciate any insights!

1. No you don't! As someone who bounced off of KCD1 when it released, 2 does a great job recapping the most important story beats within the first hour of the game. I think it might be one of the best done "previously on" type segments I've ever seen. My wife knew nothing about the series at all and she understood everything going on with zero issue.

That being said, I'm loving 2 so much that I am going to go back and give 1 another shot after we're finished. 1 IS good, but it was Warhorse's first game and a niche one at that, so it has some jank that I'm not feeling in 2 so far. I think they really polished things up in the sequel and it's probably going to prepare me for 1. I won't lie and say 2 doesn't have a learning curve. One of my only, if not my only critique is that I wish the game had better accessibility options for those who want to customize parts of the experience. Right now mods are handling that, but it's only a fix if you're a PC player. However as a person who tends to find an abundance of systems/options overwhelming, this game does a good job in making the management aspects FUN rather than a chore. This has quickly become a cozy game for me lol.

2. I guess the criticism you mentioned for 1 could be levied at 2 as well, but I do think that kind of argument may be taking the game in bad faith or misguided. KCD's thing is that it's heavily researched, fairly faithful historical fiction. Bohemia is in what is now the Czech Republic. The games take place in the early 1400s and try to accurately reflect the people, culture, and beliefs from that era. I don't think its a bad thing that the devs, who are based in Prauge, want to create a game that is inspired by their country's history. If you have absolutely no interest in the time period or that part of Europe then maybe it won't be for you and that's totally okay! As someone who usually likes A) creating my own playable characters from scratch B) playing women and C) doesn't often care for war stories -- this game surprised me in that it didn't deter me at all. I love Henry as much as if he were a custom PC.

I admit to not knowing a lot about the devs in general. I like keeping a distance from the commercial art I consume because I think blurring the line between creators and fandom pretty much always ends badly (bioware...larian a bit too). I've heard that there is at least one vocally shitty developer who's a typical anti-woke gamer asshole, but I have no reason to think that the other people involved with making the game are like that at all, and I don't believe in discarding an entire piece of art because one shitty person is attached. Because here's the thing: while KCD2 very faithfully portrays some deeply upsetting subject matter (war, racism/xenophobia, PTSD, homophobia, sexism, antisemitism), 3/4ths into the game I've only seen these portrayals done in a way that is respectful to the vulnerable parties. An acknowledgement that these horrible things happen while clearly condemning them at the same time. I've not had a suck-my-teeth-and-grimace moment with this game despite the grim plot line. It does not punch down. Which is funny, given the crowd of gamerbros that are fans of it as well. The story and characters are too thoughtfully written for it to be anythibg but intentional. Having a game not insult my intelligence has been lovely. I feel like that's rare lately.

Yes most of the plot important characters are European Christian guys from 1403 and they act like it. However the minority characters that are included are handled with just as much respect and effort as our lead Henry. Katherine, Samuel and Musa are three of my favorites in the entire cast, actually. As well as Hans who genuinely feels like he's written to be implied gay/bi. His romance, compared to the two straight options, genuinely seems to me like the "intended" one just due to how the plot is written and the themes throughout the story, and hes with Henry the whole game. And the thing is this game is so carefully and lovingly put together that I struggle to believe it's just a coincidence. Because nothing in this fucking game is a coincidence.

Sorry for the gigantic response but I think this RPG is so special in such a rare way. The Writers, developers, musicians artists and actors all deserve the highest praise. The first and only game that if it doesn't win GOTY I'm actually going to be pissed.

[cairavende]

My wonderful girlfriend got me Gideon the Ninth for Christmas and I realized why should I just give Worm recaps? Let's read some Locked Tomb! (We'll see how this format works, maybe I'll adjust it. Specifically might break stuff down into smaller segments instead of full acts, but I didn't think of doing this until after I had read all of act 1.)

Gideon the Ninth Act 1 (chapter 1 through 8) thoughts:

This book is so gay oh my god

Like, it's gay in ways I can't even explain. I love it.

Harrow beats the shit out of Gideon in chapter 2 and I don't know if I've ever seen someone get beat up in a more gay way.

"Oh Griddle! But I don't even remember about you most of the time." ROLL A FUCKING DECEPTION CHECK HARROW! You are saying this standing in the middle of the field you spent all night burying bones in just to foil her escape in the most dramatic way. You can't stop remembering her.

Gideon is the most herbo of herbos. I fucking love her. I love reading her PoV. She just knows punch and stab with sword and if those don't work than she'll just do them harder.

Also Gideon is SO fucking gay. Dear god. Dulcinea faints and Gideon turns off all though. HELP PRETTY GIRL. Nothing else.

Ok I could just make this whole thing "EVERYTHING IS GAY" but there is technically more than that.

I love how weird everything is and how little explanation is given. I don't want pages of exposition, I want to learn the world as it comes at me! This is perfect.

And just the very nature of things that seem weird not being given more than a passing thought in the book is information. Something may seem wild to the reader but it's so normalized to the characters that they wouldn't even think about the idea of it being different.

Lack of explanation also helps really show how much of a meathead Gideon is. Do the readers get to learn details about this thing? Only if it is a weapon, has tits, or Gideon is forced to listen while Harrow explains it. Otherwise no, why the fuck would Gideon spend her precious few brain cells on thinking?

And even if Gideon is forced to listen as Harrow explains it, the readers might not learn much cause Gideon might stop listening. I love her.

Aiglamene is wonderful. Crux is fine but I like her more.

Poor Gideon just wants a big sword that she can swing hard. It's not like she can't use a rapier. But why when she can go big sword?

SO MUCH CATHOLICISM

As someone who once was Catholic and then realized I was actually not a straight man, but instead a lesbian, I am in deep.

And the fucking slang used! Or whatever would be the right term. The shit they say! I love it. Just the weird sci-fi far future space necromancer universe and then suddenly "Are you asking me to . . . throw her a bone?", "Gideon had always known that this would be how she went: gangbanged to death by skeletons.", "Don’t hypothetically shove stuff up my butt again, it never does any good.", "Lo! A destructed ass.", "Well we were developing common sense, she studied the blade.", "Double Bones with Doctor Skelebone."

House of the First appears to be Earth. I kinda assume the House of the Ninth is Pluto, even though things obviously aren't in order given that the Seventh and Sixth are closer to the sun. Of course, I'm kinda expecting this to not technically be this solar system at all.

Undying Emperor, King of Resurrection, I Have Ten-Thousand Titles, Boss First, etc etc hasn't been on "Earth" in over nine thousand years. I wanna know MORE.

And the fucking Ninth House has their own prayer! Everyone else has one that the Ninth didn't know and then the Ninth had one that no one else knows! GIMME MORE!!!!

Also again, so many Catholicism metaphors or comparisons or whatever!

I could go on forever but gonna end this one with OH MY GOD SHE FOUND SUNGLASSES I LOVE HER. Fucking "I came prepared, my sweet." and "But then you couldn't have admired . . . these!" as she whips on the sunglasses. God. I nearly died.

[jovefondech]

YutaMaki all canon evidence! Read this if you lack knowledge about Yutamaki. Why they have development and not a lackluster.

Yutamaki deniers and Yutamaki defenders, take note!

If you’re wondering about Yuta Okkotsu and Maki Zenin ending up together, Im here to show you why many people believe in YutaMaki and why the evidence strongly supports it. There is no headcanon, there are numerous hints throughout Jujutsu Kaisen that point toward their romantic potential. I will list them them down here, using only canon source material. I will also list down counter argument that denies Yutamaki endgame.

1. Hints from Jujutsu Kaisen 0

Even in JJK 0, there were clear signs of YutaMaki being set up.

Panda ships them. Panda first teased Yuta about Maki, showing that he sees potential in them. One example is when he asks Yuta what kind of boob size he likes, and Yuta answers, “Big ones.” Panda immediately cheers Maki on, implying she has a chance. Another moment is when Maki playfully hits Yuta on the head, and Panda blushes and giggles at them like a shipper watching their OTP interact. Maki, confused, asks Panda why he’s laughing.

Maki’s only blush in the series is because of Yuta. During their classroom scene, Yuta praises Maki, and she acts like a tsundere, clearly touched by his words. When she leaves the room, she blushes, something she doesn’t do for anyone else in the entire series.

Rika’s jealousy and Yuta’s protective reaction. After Geto injures Maki and the others, Yuta heals them, but he’s especially concerned about Maki. Rika, jealous, snatches Maki’s unconscious body and shakes her, yelling, “It’s not fair! It’s not fair! Always thinking of you! Always thinking of you!” Yuta, visibly angry, scolds Rika, saying, “What are you doing, Rika?! She saved my life! Hold her gently, like a butterfly or a flower!” This moment is significant. it shows that Yuta deeply cares for Maki, to the point where Rika, who represents his deep emotions, feels threatened. It's also been months since he's been with his classmates with the real rika so during those times, Rika watched Yuta and Maki interact in a way that made Rika jealous, Although he is close with all his classmates, it should be a coincidence why Rika would specifically target Maki. It is worth reconsidering the reason behind her actions.

2. Gege Akutami’s Interviews and Official Hints

When asked, "Will Yuta like another girl other than Rika?" Gege responded, “I'm sure he will from now on.” Note that Gege included "from now on" hinting that he already had it in mind, and who could that be? Who is the only girl Yuta is close to at this point? Maki.

When asked how Maki’s view of Yuta has changed, Gege replied, “From an annoying beansprout to an incredible beansprout.” This shows clear character development in her perception of him.

When asked, “Who is Maki’s first love?” Gege replied, “I don’t know,” but placed a manga panel of Panda shipping YutaMaki right next to the question. Coincidence? Probably not.

3. Light Novel Evidence (approved by Gege)

The JJK 0 light novel gives even deeper insight into Yuta and Maki’s feelings.

Yuta is shown admiring Maki, thinking:

"To Yuta, Maki is like the shining star in the winter sky."

This is nothing romantic for them but

This kind of poetic description looked a bit romantic in perspective. It also enhanced their chemistry.

After their conversation, Maki feels warmth in her chest and blushes, recalling his words.

There’s also an interesting parallel:

Yuta’s thoughts on Rika’s spirit disappearing: “Rika’s body became more and more transparent, the form that had been imprinted in his childhood memories began to melt like snow under the winter sun.”

Yuta’s thoughts on Maki: “Like the shining star in the winter sky.”

The winter imagery is a deliberate connection, suggesting Yuta sees Maki in a way similar to how he once viewed Rika.

4. Anime Q&A Hint

In a Q&A segment where the girls (and gojo) were asked about their type, Maki answered, “Someone who is stronger than me.”

Who is the strongest sorcerer alive by the end of the manga? Yuta. And Maki knows Yuta is stronger than her.

5. Yuta and Maki’s Bond in the Main Series

-before Yuta appears, Yutamaki was foreshadowed. Megumi introduces Maki by saying she’s rough with others, but Panda, blushing a little, adds that she’s much softer when she’s with Yuta. This suggests Maki treats Yuta differently from everyone else.

-When Yuta finally reunites with Maki after a long time, his first words to her are, “Are you okay? Can you move?” showing his immediate concern for her well-being.

-Maki is the one who reassures Yuta that he’s stronger than Hakari. Given that Maki specifically said her type is someone stronger than her, this is a meaningful statement.

-Maki comforts Yuta after Gojo’s death. She places a hand on his shoulder when he’s in deep distress, showing emotional support.

-Maki is the only one who visibly showed strongly opposing Yuta’s self-sacrificing nature. Even though his friends also oppose him, Maki is the only one who voiced it to him. She stresses about him risking his life and argues against it multiple times, showing how much she cares.

-After the final battle, Maki lectures Yuta for being worthless (actually more like risking his life that he almost died)

Yuta, kneeling with his head bowed and even tearing up, apologizes to Maki, something he hasn’t done to anyone else except Rika.

Maki yells at him, worried despite her tough demeanor.

I'll also quote during that scene:

Maki: "I'm not trying to blame Yuta, I got hit by multiple blackflashes! But this guy... ugh! nevermind."

Yuta: "??"

Panda and Inumaki giggle at them, as if they know she’s being a tsundere.

You see, This scene shows that Maki was really worried about him because he almost died.

-The last panel of Yuta shows him walking with his classmates, but he’s looking at Maki and smiling stupidly.

6. The Final Illustration and Epilogue

After the last chapter, Gege released an illustration of Yuta and Maki together, with Maki side-hugging Yuta while they both smile.

In the epilogue (JJK year 2080), Panda meets two children:

The grandson looks like Maki (or another Zen’in), with a clear resemblance.

The granddaughter looks like Yuta and wears Yuta and Rika’s ring necklace.

Panda directly calls them Yuta’s grandkids and says about the granddaughter, “She has a bad personality.”

Maki once said, “I have a bad personality.” in jjk 0. So The granddaughter’s personality seems to mirror Maki’s.

This heavily implies that these are Yuta and Maki’s descendants. Gege could have easily drawn random kids, but instead, he made sure one resembled a Zen’in and the other resembled Yuta, making the connection almost undeniable. Gege drew the grandkids for a reason.

7. Yuta’s Character Theme: Love

Yuta’s entire character revolves around love. He’s not the type to move on quickly or start a relationship with someone random, he deeply values strong bonds. Geto once called him a womanizer, but Yuta refuted it, saying, “How rude! It is pure love.” If he were to end up with an unknown NPC woman, it would completely contradict his character theme.

8. Jujutsu Kaisen Is a Shonen Series. Gege Doesn’t Care About Making Ships Canon for Fanservice

Let’s be real. Jujutsu Kaisen is a shonen battle manga, not a romance series. Gege Akutami isn’t interested in writing love stories or confirming ships just to satisfy fans. If they were, we would’ve seen explicit romances like in other series that cater more to shipping.

Gege barely focuses on romance in the story. The only “confirmed” couples are ones that existed before the story (Toji & Megumi’s mom) or happen entirely off-screen (Jiji & Yuji’s mom). semi-canon ships but less screen time (Mehamaru & Miwa ) and implied (Hakari & Kirara) , they all weren't focused enough so it should be the same way with Yutamaki.

That’s why most relationships in JJK, romantic or not, are built through implication rather than explicit statements.

Gege doesn’t care about confirming ships, especially since he purposely rushed the story. Yet, YutaMaki is one of the most developed pairings in JJK. Even though they remain friends throughout the series, their strong chemistry supports the possibility of them ending up together.

This is exactly why YutaMaki wasn’t shoved in our faces with a dramatic confession or wedding scene. Gege left hints instead of outright confirmations because that’s his style of storytelling.

Gege is more of a subtext writer than outright confirming. Yuji's mom being kenjaku wasn't stated but only visually shown, Kirara being trans wasn't stated but was visually shown in a bonus. So YutaMaki endgame not stated but visually shown would make sense. Explicitly confirming it wouldn’t matter and would be out of Gege’s writing style, especially since it’s irrelevant to the main story.

The idea that “it’s not canon unless it’s stated” ignores that JJK simply doesn’t operate that way. If Gege wanted to make an obvious fanservice couple, he would’ve done it, but he didn’t. Instead, he gave us Yuta and Maki’s bond, the implied grandkids scene, and all the subtext without spoon-feeding the conclusion.

At the end of the day, denying YutaMaki just because it isn’t “confirmed” is missing the bigger picture. Gege doesn’t care about forcing ships, but he still put in all these YutaMaki moments for a reason.

9. The "Yuta’s Grandkids Could Be Megumi’s Descendants" Theory Is Nonsense

Some people argue that Yuta’s grandkids in the epilogue must be related to Megumi instead of Maki, just because one of them looks like a Zen’in. Heres why this theory doesn’t make sense at all:

-Megumi Has Nothing to Do With Yuta’s Story

There’s no logical reason for Yuta’s grandkids to be linked to Megumi when he has nothing to do with Yuta’s personal story.

Yuta and Megumi barely have personal interactions in the manga. They respect each other as allies, but their relationship isn’t deep or significant to Yuta’s character arc.

If the epilogue was supposed to hint at a connection between Megumi’s bloodline and Yuta’s future, there would’ve been some kind of setup or foreshadowing in the main story, but there wasn’t, Thats why that would be an Asspull.

-assuming Yuta and Megumi got laid by some random npc girls

Straight to the point without process Megumi ending up with some random NPC girl out of nowhere makes no sense narratively. As for Yuta, if he ended up with a random NPC girl, it would contradict his character, making him a womanizer like Geto once said to him that Yuta despised. He already developed a strong bond with Maki, so why would he need to form another one when someone already compatible with him exists?

- If Yuta’s Descendants Weren’t Maki’s, It Would Undermine His Relationship with Her

If Yuta didn’t end up with Maki, then all their moments in JJK 0, the main series, and even the bonus chapter with the grandkids would have zero payoff.

What would be the point of all the hints, their strong chemistry, Panda shipping them, the deep emotional connections, and the grandkids both resembling Yuta and Maki if they weren’t actually endgame?

Gege isn’t the type to waste character arcs like that. If Yuta’s grandkids weren’t connected to Maki, their designs wouldn’t have been so obviously linked to her.

At the end of the day, Jujutsu Kaisen doesn’t confirm ships outright, but the subtext is undeniable, the epilogue strongly implies that Yuta and Maki ended up together and had a family. People can stay in denial, but the hints are all right there.

- The Epilogue Is from Panda’s POV

The perspective of the grandkids scene was from Panda.

And who has been one of the biggest YutaMaki shippers in the entire series? Panda.

If Panda sees Yuta’s grandkids and immediately connects them to both Yuta and Maki (especially pointing out the girl’s "bad personality," which Maki literally said about herself), then there’s a reason for that.

7. "timeskip Yuta had many years to develop a relationship with some girl" is nonsense.

That statement is bullshit. Jujutsu Kaisen is a written story, not real life. Fiction follows narrative structure and character development, not random off-screen events that aren't built up in the story.

If Gege wanted to establish Yuta forming a new relationship, he would have at least hinted at it. But instead, the story had Yuta’s bond with Maki. Fiction isn’t about "realistic possibilities" it’s about what is shown, implied, and developed within the narrative. Saying "it could’ve happened off-screen" is just an excuse to ignore the evidence in the actual story.

---

Conclusion

The amount of hints and foreshadowing throughout Jujutsu Kaisen strongly suggests that Yuta and Maki were intended to be endgame. Their relationship has been built up since JJK 0, and continued to develop throughout the main series. This leads up to the epilogue, like connecting pieces of puzzles together. However, the pairing is never explicitly stated in the story, but the evidence makes it clear.

If you still don’t see the YutaMaki vision after all this… well, you just don't like the ship and you're in denial and have no reading comprehension. But at least now you know why so many fans believe they’re canon.

Btw I'm not saying Yutamaki is canon, they are actually semi-canon because they're just hinted, not confirmed.

Finally, if you read allat, then you just gained Great Yutamaki knowledge, thank you for reading.

[ameliathornromance]

Monster author tag

I was tagged by @regency-monster-love—thank you! The idea is to promote other monster authors and ourselves!

Link 10 of your stories and explain why you choose those particular ones.

Picking ten of my favourites isn't an easy task. I love all my stories... but I guess even parents have their favourite kids huh? Anyway, here are my favourites that I've written (in no particular order.)

Orc Reacts to you bringing back a baby - I really like this one. For a while, all I could think about was how cute it would be to have this massive Orc, all muscle and frowns holding a tiny human baby. Very much 'excuse me he asked for no pickles' energy.

You give your Orc Bf flowers - I don't like to get political when I write but, I'm always thinking about how I can normalise certain things. And I wanted to normalise giving big beefy Orcs flowers.

Monsters with Pets - I'd be lying if I said this wasn't inspired by Jon Snow and his dire wolf, Ghost from Game of Thrones. Especially for my Orc segment of this post. It'd been on my mind for a little while about what kind of pets different Monsters would have and I had a lot of fun writing it. I wanted to add a Dragon segment too, but I couldn't think of what kind of pet a Dragon would keep.

Orc Boyfriend is sad you had to go away for a little while - I think this was my first Orc POV post? I wanted to take a break from writing Y/N for a while and focus on the Orc in this post and how he would behave when you were gone. I really like how this one ended and also the relationship between the Orc and his friends.

Stretch Marks - I've chosen this post because it's really personal to me. I have really sevre stretch marks on my thighs and hips. When my parents saw them they thought I'd had an injury or something lol. Because I have sensory issues, I'm always wearing shorts so the marks are always on show. I just wanted to write some comfort if anyone else had the same insecurity that I did :)

The Other Woman - This was initially meant to be another forbidden love post... but somewhere along the line it became angsty. I had a lot of fun writing this story and the second part of this story. I normally try to avoid writing Fae because I feel like Fae are all over media atm, (nothing wrong if you write or enjoy it, just not my thing :)) but I'm glad I chose to write a Fae character instead. Good writing exercise in case I ever develop a hyperfixation... you'd be surprised how much this happens to me.

Rain, Rain, Rain - An underrated favourite of mine. I was experimenting with my Orcs having accents and I also love the way that this story ended. This was right back when I started my blog, so the writing may not be the best, but I'm still proud of it.

Orc x Gardener!Reader - In my head, I had a cottagecore style reader living in a cottage, with a vegetable garden in the long flowy dresses and the like. I didn't really know how to put that into writing, so I ended up with a gardener reader and a protective Orc who had a huge crush on her.

Travelling Orc Headcanons - I love this one because it's short and easy to read. For me, I've always preferred reading headcanon stories because I can't read paragraphs and my eyes skip over sentences, which is why I enjoyed writing this so much. I also love how the story progressed.

A Whole New World - I think this was my first post that hit over 1000 notes? Again, I like this one because it has headcanons, but also more in depth scenes that really enrich the story. Like no. 7 on this list, it's one of my earlier works, so the writing might not be great, but I'm still really proud of it!

I'd tag people but my blog is sfw :( that being said, any monster romance author who would like to join in on this tag is welcome to!

[medusasea]

South Park Has too Many Characters

Don't get me wrong, most of the characters are good or at least decent, but there are tons of characters who don't get as much screen time as they deserve or they are downright underdeveloped.

I feel for instance like the show didn't give Wendy enough screen time, but she is one of the lucky characters, since she often has an important compared to most other recurring characters.

Heidi however is pretty much a background character now. However, she is also one of the lucky ones since she got quite a long arc and character development.

Damien on the other hand has only one episode. He is never seen interacting with his father Satan, even though the latter frequently appeared.

There's also Kevin Mccormick, who has always just been there since the show's beginning. They then gave Kenny a little sister in the season 9 episode "Best Friends Forever", where she was just a background character and I didn't even notice her during the first viewing. She only became relevant six seasons later and her only role since then is to be taken care of by Kenny. Adding her didn't even make it easier to give Kenny the spotlight more often, since she was rarely used. Not to mention that if they wanted Kenny to take care of someone, there were already plenty of other characters he could've helped. Sure, his friends aren't nearly as vulnerable as Karen and it wouldn't make any sense for him to pretend being their guardian angel (I'd argue it doesn't even make sense for him to pretend being Karen's guardian angel, but that's a story for another day), but they are not indestructible either. The show frequently puts these kids in danger, it has supernatural elements. Writing Kenny as the one needing help/rescue more often would've also been better than adding Karen just to waste her, since with Kenny they bother giving him legitimate character development and agency. Karen was only relevant in 2 episodes and 1 game segment. If instead of adding her, the writers had Kenny take care of any other character or had him be the one needing help, it wouldn't be nearly as jarring, even if those plots were mediocre or even bad.

Speaking of Kenny, many people complain he doesn't get enough relevance either. I pretty much agree with this, but I don't think it's too big of a problem for the same reason I don't mind it that much Wendy didn't get more screen time.

I am not expecting them to develop every single character or to give all of them the same amount of relevance. Most minor characters should stay like that. As I mentioned, I can cut them some slack for underusing a character that already had plenty development and multiple appearances. Though it highly depends both on the character and the story overall if I consider them underused. For instance, I dislike not getting at least a few interactions between Damien and his father, but I don't mind Gary being used only once, since he was pretty much there for the Mormon theme of the episode and not very memorable in comparison to other South Park characters. He's a good enough character and I wouldn't have minded if he appeared more often, but I don't really miss him either. There are some fans who wanted him back badly and it's totally fine if you also want that.

This is pretty much all I have to write for this post. I don't think it's possible for the creators to perfectly write every single character and I can accept underused characters to a certain extent, but in South Park's case the problem feels to big for me.

[raven-at-the-writing-desk]

I saw what you said about the dreams being nothing and useless to the story, and I was curious about something, do you think the characters that never got closure or development from their book should have stayed like that or do you think a new book should have been made to tie up the initial stories?

Heartslabyul for example had a lot of loose ends on their book that never got resolved, Cater never had focus or allowed development, the others too didnt get true closure, and I thought the heartslabyul dreams was the perfect way to finish their arc in a fulfilling way.

But you hold the opinion the dream arcs shoudnt have focused on them too much right? Do you think It was okay for the characters development to end in their book, or do you think their closure should have been in a different moment or way?

[Referencing this post!]

While I realize that the original post was very critical of the dream hopping segments, I did not mean to call them "nothing" and "useless" as a whole. I'm unhappy with how the dreams were executed, especially the lack of urgency present in them. My main gripe is how the characters know that they're on a time crunch, yet they hardly ever act like it. Instead, they stand around for multiple segments eating fake food or casually sharing stories about their families. This is time-wasting nonsense and it does nothing to help their situation. We quickly started to stray from Diasomnia and the urgency of the conflict at hand in favor of fanservice (like dorm leader Cater, despite Cater expressing he never wanted the position) and trying to explain away that fanservice with contrived dialogue.

Please do not misunderstand me. I never said that I don't want any non-Ignihyde or non-Diasomnia character to get development in book 7. It's true that many characters, especially the non-OB boys, never got the spotlight in previous books or that we never got the satisfaction of seeing their growth this far into the school year. If any of them were going to get attention, it makes sense to do it now as one last hurrah in book 7. It might not have been very obvious due to the critical nature of that original post, but I actually thought some of the later dreams (namely the Savanaclaw and Heartslabyul ones) were good and wrapped things up nicely. I will, however, still lampoon them for having the characters standing around and eating/talking for way too long.

It's not that I wished the game didn't focus on the non-OB boys, it's that I wished the execution of them wasn't so meandering. If the devs wanted to keep the dream segments in, they should have trimmed the fat out. Get rid of all (or most of) the idle parts, or at least trim down on the idle dialogue by a lot. Or maybe just make the OB boys + Adeuce mandatory and the others optional. Like, still part of book 7 but you can read the non-OB boys at your leisure, similar to collecting individual students' wishes in the Wish Upon a Star event, and you only need to clear the OB boys to advance in the story. Have short scenes where dorm members reunite (sort of like at the end of book 6, when everyone regrouped with their respective OB boy) and gear up + strategize with each other. Cut back briefly to Malleus and Lilia's brawl between each dorm, just to keep them relevant and/or remind us of that clock ticking down as Lilia gets more and more worn down. Maybe standardize how many parts are dedicated to every character too… Not have a spread of 4 to 46. That would at least speed us along a little faster or at least give a better sense of rushing to prepare for the fight against Malleus.

That being said, characters don’t just magically stop developing the instant their book ends. They’re changing on their own, outside of the purview of the player or off-screen (like when Riddle talks with his mom over winter break), all the time. A lot of this happens through self-reflection/internal thoughts, so we the players don’t get to see it. It doesn’t mean the characters haven’t changed or wouldn’t change without us viewing it ourselves. Even now, the characters are still growing and changing. Some of them might have more concrete “closure” now (like Kalim finally getting to punch Jamil), but the truth of the matter is that character development never truly “ends” (ie Kalim and Jamil still have their complicated relationship to sort through). It is a continuous thing we consciously work at. There’s truly no end in sight for it. Regardless of whether we got those dream sequences or not or how that development was delivered to us, this still would have been true.