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melloianv2 · 4 months ago

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Janitor Girls

Believe it or not, this was the thing I was doing for months.

Janitor Girls is a magical girl object show mixed with elimination game mixed with object-heads. It's a lore-driven show mixed with dark and light0hearted elements.

Summary:

The girls themselves are aliens from a different planet, that was destroyed before this series started. They resides on another planet named Fridek. They work as janitors who cleans other buildings or houses with charge. The girls are magical girls in this planet specifically at the time, stopping crimes.

They tried to get money from regular gameshows like Jeopardy in order to live better than the job they currently in.

Until someone breaks into the building to tell them to assassinate a game host. From a different planet. Confusing the girls even having skepticism towards the object and about the host. They usually do not kill anyone, if they did it was by accident. They didn't know who the host was anyway. They weren't convinced to assassinate him, but they were eventually convinced to at least go to planet to see about the host and determine from there after hearing about the prize the host would give. They went to the planet and found out it was elimination game happening over there. They decided to talk to host to convince the host into hiring them as janitors to clean up every elimination game mess after its finished. In which the host accepts. From there, they investigate.

In a shellnut, they clean every single elimination game the host makes after the games are finished.

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Now, if you want to read long descriptions, know about the characters and everything, just click read more for more explanation of the series.

Main storylines

There is 2 main storylines in the show. The Elimination game (obviously) and the Planet. However all the stories or side-stories connects to the these two storylines in particular.

The Planet is basically storyline about figuring out what happen to the planet and travelling across other planets or galaxy to find answers. They may discover new information about other planets or finding more enemies..and friends. This storyline has more action and fighting and lore, versus the elimination which is just more humor-sided.

Episodes are quite not a elimination for the day episode, more like elimination - Planet - maybe or might be slice of life ep (to get to know the characters more) - back to elimination or planet.

The Girls

The janitor girls are the main characters. They pretty much have names instead of being named after the object they are.

Here's all the girls and summary of their personality:

Arcbella [arch-bell-a] (Duster Brush): The leader of the girls. She is smart and the one who makes sure the girls do not get out order. She more often to question something and not let it slide. She wants the answer, and she'll find it, even if its a bad idea. Sometimes her choices or opinion is wrong.

Claude (Mop): Claude is the tomboy of the group, often fond of sports and games. She is more competitive than the rest of girls. Though, she more likely to get angry then rest. SHe have major problem of thinking brawn over brain.

Petalz (Broom): Petalz is a nature and animals lover. She is the nicest, most empathy and the most caring out of the group. She doesn't judge anyone's appearance, and accepts who they are. She also rarely gets angry. She owns her own garden.

Fashon [fash-on] (Spray Bottle): Fashon is elegant, arrogant and sarcastic. Fashon is into fashion and makeup. She wants to be fashion model but cannot due to the fact she's a spray bottle. Forcing her to be in janitor position. She thinks highly of herself and gets angry if someone tries to insult her or think otherwise. She is quick to insult someone or something if she sees something she doesn't like. However she not entirely mean and arrogant, she does care and even regret what she says sometimes.

Emily (Scrubber Sponge): Emily is the anxious one. Emily is insecure and have anxiety, towards most things. Its way harder for her to adapt to anything because of it She often keeps a secret or really important information until its too late (which is the biggest flaw.) She also way more shy than the rest of the girls and problems with talking to newer people (social anxiety.) She don't even share the thoughts that are bothering her nor anything else. She is also the most insecure.

Veborg [verge-borg] (vaccum cleaner): Veborg is a robotic creation that was created from a planet. She was created to mimic the objects in the planet, and also to shapeshift. she somewhat of an prototype until the real thing. However, she became sentient and wanted to explore the world. Veborg is more of tech person the rest of the girls. She is quite native however learns very quickly. Unfortunately, she still haven't developed certain emotions, making it hard for her to blend in. She is the easiest to get tricked.

Ventte [Vent-ette] or Voideria (trash can): Ventte is the happy upbeat one who likes to party. She can be very determined and not give up so easily. She good at baking cakes and stuff, but not so great cooking meals. SHe is quick thinker and likes taking the easy way instead of the hard way. She is lazy when it comes to labor work or cleaning. She is also gluttonous, but she does not eat all the time, she more of soda drinker. ventte/Voideria is not actually her real name, as her real name is Trashie. She disliked her name and changed it.

The girls themselves are aliens that able to shapeshift into the object forms. Their species is called objecuion (veborg is robot but still alien.) They are actual objectheads/objectpeople creatures that is able to shapeshift into object form and object person form. Every since their planet was destroyed, they took on object form to blend in with the rest.

Form:

(these are not accurate height, only one is Emily since she is the shortest. I dislike how I drew ventte, it more of the way I drew it and the outfit..might change it.)

These are the girls true forms. Which this form is called powered form. Without the magic, it just be a regular objecuion form. Each have their own separate abilities however at least one ability is a cleaning ability. They transform into these forms at will, excepet for Fashon. She the only one who uses a perfume bottle to transform. Their object forms is weakest, almost no power.

Archbella's powers are summoning gas, smoke, and able to clean dusty areas quickly.

Claude's powers are quickly clean stains, greater agility, greater strength and greater precision.

Petalz's powers are mostly nature-related abilities and animal-related abilities (able to talk animals, summoning them, the calling, etc). Other abilities are higher jumping and able to sweep anything away (that is dirty or leaving evidence.)

Fashon's Powers are chemicals. She able to control, summon or evaporate chemicals. It could be any, including cleaning ones. The cleaning ones often kills bacteria or other dangerous substances. Some of her chemicals can also reveal something hidden. Other than that, she have ability to see what others can't.

Emily's powers are invisibly, wind, and ability to clean hard stains.

Veborg's powers are sucking things from her suction hole, usually thins that are at least between tiny and medium. SHe also have similar ability to Claude when comes to high agility but its only when speed due to the wheel can boost up better. She can shapeshift her legs, detect technology, scan for data, and learning ability.

Ventte's powers are her infinite storage dimension called the void. The storage in located inside of her body, and the only way to access it…by entering through her mouth…and it's very easy to get lost inside the dimension. She can fit anything in in there, can be as big as a 4 stories house. Though she does not like using this ability too much with others as she only use it for herself (she really dislikes like when someone tries to enter the dimension without her permission.) When she in powered form, there's another way of entering by her opening her back or front part. [note: the void isn't her digestive stomach.] Other than that power, she summon black holes, travel through summoned portals, and ability to destroy anything… (Ventte is the only one who still have the void dimension in object form.)

Other Characters:

Foxie is a fox plushie that appears in the janitors building to tell the girls about the tv host. He's alien from another planet. He doesn't really have much characters unlike everyone else in story, so admittedly he's more like a plot device. Foxie does have somewhat of an personality of being mysterious and not fully telling the information given. He also have abilities as he gave the girls semi-powered form called magical. That way, they have half-version of their powers as their object form.

Magical forms:

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Mr Sweeper [Mini Broom] is the janitor girls boss in the janitor building. He's the same species as them and even have powered form. He also technically their boss for magical girl stuff, as he watches over them. Whenever anything gets severely bad, he shows up to help. He didn't trust Foxie nor the whole mission entirely. He claims their planet is more important than some random object they don't even know.

Sua is a dual speaker box who is friends with all the janitor girls. She helps the girls sometimes when they have mission or some issue that isn't related to cleaning. She usually a dj or party starter along with ventte for hangouts. She does not talk but rather communicate with hands or written papers. The reason she does not talk because her voice is very loud, can cause hearing loss. At the moment, she still haven't able to control her powerful voice yet. Her brother and sister was able to control theirs before her, though its because hers is the strongest. Though her voice can be used as a weapon due to how loud it is. Sua is trans and just a regular object that is born in planet Fridek.

Now for the actual host and the planet:

Aliala is the game show host for the elimination game called, Ready to Shine? contestant are post to win a prize, which a very special magical crystal that Aliala found. Whoever wins gets the crystal and money ($4,500,000). The show in on live television. The gameshow takes place in planet Vetrau, a planet with questionable rules.

Vetrau have a specific rule where revival and magic is banned, as if object dies, they die forever. Despite this, the game show is quite dangerous. Vetrau is post be sort of an dystopian. (side note that Vetrau is an gas planet.)

Aliala...

Aliala is a wealthy rich fashion lover who often very arrogant to a degree. He is quite full of energy though, and most time in a somewhat good mood. However he is very petty, sometimes making his challenge based on petty reasons. He may be hidden sadist on top of that. He is also known to be easily jealous of someone if anyone manage to do something better than him, often leads to berating others. Aliala is 100% drama king and loves when drama happens among the contestant or somewhere in celebrities. He doesn't like it when conflict is solved. He also like to spend his money on a bunch of nonsense. Most of the negative traits is just for humor. There is good sides of him, sometimes he be nice and admit when he's wrong. He secretly metal. He pays his employees decent amount of money. Awhile Fashon and Aliala have similar hobbies, they do not like each other.

He takes awful long time picking out something to wear and putting on makeup. once per episode, he have a different outfit on. He not a fond of skirts at all.

Foxie claims Aliala is secretly an undercover evil guy, and this personality of his is just all an act. The crystal prize it actually him pushing the blame to someone else that he stole. Though, the girls aren't really convinced, since they just see him more of annoyance than anything else. Though Aliala does have huge personality shift when he's really angry or being aggressive.

Aliala is based on a mock orange flower.

Aliala have a twin brother whose into the same type of fashion and makeup he's in. However, His brother is way more nicer and caring than him. His twin brother is said to more popular along the objects and invited more often him. He was given gifts a lot due to helping others. Aliala is very jealous of his brother, often times only make fake smile when near him. However, Aliala's twin brother been missing for years due to unknown reasons.

There are side villains called the filthy club (bacteria side-villains that just like dirtying up places.) and the dark ones (who been rivals of the janitor girls for years. They are the same species as them. They send one of their members to the gameshow to steal the crystal.) There's more villains than this but am not going to talk about them in this post.

The planet that was destroyed:

The planet is name Clorange. It got its name due to the ring on the planet looks like clouds instead of asteroids rotating it. It was planet of Objecuions, where they all once resided. Despite they have some villains in the planet, it was described be utopian. The place was describe to have freedom and no law. They was free and can just whatever, but they still had an economy. Everyone at least knew how to defend themselves in the planet. However, one day…someone came and destroy the planet, causing all the Objecuions to flee to different planets. Anyone who tries to put the planet back to together, mysteriously disappears.

Trivia

All the girls are around their 20s and Archbella is the oldest. awhile mr sweeper is around his 40s.

Emily is bisexual, seen mostly attracted to women.

All the girls have their own homes and lives, they just choose to hang out with each other in one spot.

Archbella at the moment have the most developed backstory.

There is a specific bracelet that can make a object and objecunion temporarily.

This series sort of have romance.

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Q&A

What is the rating of this series?

For teens and up. I didn't want to quite make it for kids. There is no blood nor sexual topics at all.

Why have two main storylines? Why not one? why switch up??

To make it interesting instead of sticking to the similar formula. Also so to introduce elements in this universe. It always was post be sci-fi.

Aliala is a guy??

yes.

in universe, he often mistaken as a woman.

before saying else, he just a guy who so happens to like feminine attire. He just happens to be mean. There is also other objects that are male that like feminine attire. Though none of them is as mean as him.

Ventte's power sounds kinky

Its not post to be, it just the void dimension so happens to be located inside of her body. Its like if you throw away trash, it just be in another dimension. Why she have void in her body in the first place? let just say her mother is somewhat of an black hole.

Why is Ventte and Emily forms is fat?

I didn't want none of the girls forms to just be all skinny. I think it would just look boring. Besides, Emily is chubby. Every single bodytype post to be different, Like Archbella is hourglass, Claude is post be muscular with rectangle shape, Petalz post to be pear shaped, Fashon is inverted triangle shape, Verborg also rectangle and the skinniest, Emily is diamond and Ventte is round/apple.

Where the contestants?

I didn't draw them or talk about them, as this thing was already too long to begin with. Maybe later.

Was you inspired by anything?

II (inanimate Insanity), that one slice of life object show and that one magical girl object show that's only have a pilot. (can't remember the other 2 names srry.) But mostly inspired by the magical girl object show.

Is this satire?

Where did this concept come from?

It was a ridiculous idea I had about magical girls but janitors. It was originally objectheads until yea. Since I have nothing else to post, I posted this instead.

Is this Magical girl, gameshow or sci-fi?

Yes.

Is this series going be very serious and dark?

It have its serious moments and dark moments, but never overly serious. It still keeps its humor.

Why object-humans? why not just have magical form in object form instead?

Well, because I kind of wanted a series where objectheads and objects co-exist in the same universe.

Are there's actual objectheads?

Yes.

Will there be lgbt objects?

Yes.

Will there be other aliens other than objects?

Yes, plenty.

Why do Foxie want Aliala to be assassinated? Why he makes these claims, where did he even find the girls? What did he even do to him? Where did he come from??

At the moment I didn't think of a reason yet. However what planet Foxie comes from will never be revealed.

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Anyways that's wrap for this post, I don't know what to post after this, cya. I don't know what to post at all actually, All i have left is original content oopsie. anyway, cya.

#art #object shows #object show #object oc #object show art #osc art #object show idea #osc

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danganronpasurvivoraskblog · 8 days ago

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Dangancember 2024 - Danganronpa Top 24 Class Trials - Number 6: Danganronpa V3 Case 4

//Case 1 and Case 4 of Danganronpa V3 are two of the most standout trials in the entire series. So much so, that seperating them, and deciding which one was better between the two, was nearly GODDAMN IMPOSSIBLE.

//Seriously, throughout the entire time I was making this list, having to choose between which case I liked better between this case and the first case of V3 was so insanely difficult.

//But in the end, I had to give it to Case 1. For the simple reason that I always tend to revisit Case 1 of V3, where I don't do the same, at least not nearly as much, for Case 4.

//And for very little reason other than that.

//Danganronpa V3’s fourth Class Trial is a bit of an enigma for me. On the one hand, I often find myself sweeping it under the rug when discussing the series, but on the other hand, I can’t deny that it’s one of the finest trials Danganronpa has ever crafted.

//Seriously, it’s sitting at a comfortable sixth place out of 30 cases in my personal ranking, so yeah, it’s undeniably great. I’m just selective about how much I acknowledge it.

//What makes this trial so fantastic is the way all its elements come together seamlessly: the jaw-dropping twist, the high-stakes context, and the deeply compelling mystery. With most of V3's cases, I feel they're a little...weaker overall, even if they are generally the more complex cases in the franchise, mainly because of the emotions they instill within me.

//But two of the cases, with Case 4 being one of them, are an exception to this. This one mainly because it’s a case that doesn’t just tell a story; it practically reinvents the game’s rules while doing so.

//The trial takes place inside a virtual reality simulation, reminiscent of something straight out of Sword Art Online.

//And yes, just like SAO, the stakes couldn’t be higher. If you die in the game, you die for real. That chilling premise alone opens up a Pandora’s box of possibilities and interpretations, making the entire case feel more dynamic and multidimensional than your average murder mystery.

//It’s also hilariously meta, and in the good way, unlike V3-6. Not only are you solving a murder in VR, but the case leans into the absurdity of its premise while staying true to the emotional core of Danganronpa’s storytelling. The layers of reality, fiction, and simulated existence blur so well that you can’t help but admire how cleverly it all fits together.

//So yeah, even if I don’t gush about this trial as much as some others, I’ll still tip my hat to it. It’s a wild ride that fully earns its place in the Danganronpa hall of fame.

//This chapter is… fine, but what really makes it stand out is how it aligns with a recurring theme in the main Danganronpa trilogy. In each game, the fourth chapter tends to focus on a character who, up until that point, seems to be thriving a little too comfortably in the chaos of the killing game. Whether they appear to be enjoying the despair or simply manipulating the situation to their advantage, Chapter 4 is where the narrative decides it’s time to shake things up and force some character growth, or, in some cases, a complete character overhaul:

In 1-4, Byakuya gets his reality check during the trial itself. After stubbornly clinging to his cold, cutthroat logic all game, he suffers a humiliating defeat in reasoning during the Chapter 4 trial, making him reconsider whether his worldview is truly as airtight as he believed. By the time the trial ends, he begins taking steps toward becoming a more dependable ally and declares that he won’t engage in any more killing.

In 2-4, Nagito's character arc takes a sharp left turn in the Case 4 investigation. Up until that point, Nagito had this weird self-deprecating reverence for the other Ultimates, treating himself like disposable trash unworthy of standing among them. But suddenly, after finding out the truth behind their identities, it’s like a switch flips. During the investigation, he becomes disturbingly self-assured, cruel, and downright dominant, flipping his dynamic with the group entirely. Now, instead of putting others on a pedestal, he’s treating them all like the garbage he once considered himself to be; and this segways into Chapter 5.

This idea literally goes double for A-4. Rei, typically dismissive and unhelpful, is shaken to the core when faced with Satsuki’s sacrifice. Haru, a victim, gave his life to save Satsuki by creating a Locked Room Mystery for her escape; a level of selflessness Rei has never witnessed, and when Satsuki confirms Haru’s sacrifice was real, Rei is stunned, unable to process such altruism. Meanwhile, Tsurugi, steadfast in punishing victims as chaos-causers, is thrown off balance by Satsuki’s unprompted confession. The idea of a victim helping their killer challenges his beliefs so profoundly that he passes out, forcing him to question his entire worldview.

Syobai literally becomes the player character in A2-4 for a part of the trial, and singlehandedly is forced into a position of leadership. It's a key moment for him and the mark of the game where he starts to take more initiative as a character, and go on his own quest to dick over Mikado and end the Killing Game.

//And then, in V3, there’s Kokichi Ouma, who, comparatively, takes the "fourth chapter personality shift" baton and runs to the end of the Earth with it.

//(Side note, I can't believe I'm actually talking about it here, but I have seen SO many people ask me why I spell it "Ouma" and not "Oma" like the dub does, especially since I don't call Kyoko "Kyouko" or Kirumi Tojo as "Toujou" when that's what it is in Japanese. It's because "Oma" means Horse in Japanese, and I don't want to call him "Kokichi Horse." That's weird. Also, I just prefer this spelling, it's as simple as that.)

//Kokichi, already a wildcard and a mischievous trickster, steps fully into his role as a scheming, manipulative VILLAIN, leaning hard into his calculating and almost theatrical nature. It’s a fascinating evolution, especially since his antics fill the tension void left by the previous case.

//Let’s be real, Case 3 had its moments, but Korekiyo Shinguji being both the killer and victim of his own twisted scheme felt more...uncomfortable, than genuinely intimidating.

//Kokichi, on the other hand, brings back that thick, suffocating air of distrust, which elevates the stakes nicely. All in all, the fourth chapter’s character transformations may follow a predictable formula, but they always deliver something fresh and memorable.

//But we'll come back to Kokichi later. Let's get talking about the trial itself, and why it's so unique.

//Danganronpa trials always tend to have a running theme with them throughout each game, and some of these work out better than others tend to. For example, all the first cases, a character who is seemingly important to the plot is suddenly taken away after they are killed. Case 2 always reveals a new, more ominous, secretive side to a character, who up until that point, had been rather unnasuming. And while not a lot of people like this fact, up to 3 people always die in Chapter 3 of each game.

//In Chapter 4, the running theme is that all the murders take place in a very liminal environment; different from anywhere else you've seen in the game, and with its own set of rules that differ from every other trial. In the other games, it's the Locked Room, the Funhouse, the Ballroom, and the Tower of Babel.

//But this setting is probably the most bizzare of them all, and by God, do they do some GOOD THINGS with it!

//The entire murder takes place inside a virtual reality simulation. A full-on digital world that, if I’m not mistaken, was originally created by Monokuma but later modified by none other than Miu Iruma, the Ultimate Inventor.

//VERY CLEARLY a nod to Danganronpa 2, and that alone is great.

//Miu takes it upon herself to tweak the simulation, removing anything dangerous or sharp enough to become a potential murder weapon. Ironically, despite her best efforts, it’s Miu who ends up as the victim of this virtual whodunit.

//Now, here’s where things get juicy: this wasn’t your typical crime in the series. This was a murder gone horribly wrong.

//And what’s fascinating is that while this isn’t the first time something like this has happened in the series, it’s actually only the second, or if you’re really nitpicky, the fourth instance of a murder scheme backfiring. Let’s take a quick trip down memory lane, shall we?

//In Danganronpa 1 Sayaka cooks up a plan to kill Leon but ends up being the one who got skewered instead. Then in Goodbye Despair, Killing Harmony, and Another, the first cases also feature a twist where the killer’s original plan goes sideways, albeit in a slightly different flavor, with the killer targeting the wrong victim.

//But this case is the only other murder scheme, besides Sayaka's in Game 1, planned by the victim themselves.

//...Unless you count Haru in Another, which we've already been over, but you could also make the argument that Haru's plan was for him to be killed, while with Sayaka and Miu, their plans backfired.

//Miu, in all her chaotic, trash-talking glory, was planning to take out Kokichi. Being the brains behind the virtual world, she took full advantage of her role, laying out the rules of the simulation for everyone while sneakily fudging a few of the details to give herself the upper hand.

//Her goal? To execute the perfect crime, one that would be impossible to pin on her.

//Even though, upon reflection, the fact that she's the only one who COULD make the rules makes it pretty obvious that she's the one responsible. Had that been the case, I think that would have been too easy.

//Unfortunately for Miu, but fortunately for us, Kokichi is like a walking ad for 4D chess. He catches on to her plan faster than she can deliver one of her raunchy one-liners, and instead of walking into her trap, Kokichi flips the script, countering her scheme with a plan of his own.

//What ensues is a mind-bending trial where the layers of lies and manipulation make even seasoned players question what’s real and what’s virtual.

//This case stands out not just for its premise but for its audacious execution. A murder happening in a VR simulation is already enough to make it memorable, but the added twist of the victim being the would-be killer takes it to a whole new level of brilliance.

//And let’s not forget Miu herself: even in her final moments, she manages to be equal parts infuriating and hilarious, making her one of the most unforgettable characters in the series.

//I could do a whole character analysis on Miu, and I feel like I might want to one of these days, but today is not that day, because despite her integral role in this case, of the characters that are important to it, she is the least so.

//But with Miu dead, this leads into what is quite possibly the FUNNEST investigation and trial in the series.

//The real charm isn’t necessarily in the investigation process itself. It’s in the clues you uncover and the sheer thrill of piecing together how the crime could have possibly gone down.

//This isn’t your standard case where you’re dusting for fingerprints or deciphering alibis. No, this case takes place in a virtual, video-game-like world, and that alone makes it incredibly special.

//What really sets it apart is that solving the crime requires you to think in terms of VIDEO GAME LOGIC. And I don’t mean just understanding how games work on a design level, like balancing difficulty or crafting levels.

//We’re talking the nitty-gritty quirks of actual gameplay mechanics, stuff like looping worlds, invisible walls, glitches, and even loading screens. These elements aren’t just amusing easter eggs; they’re critical to figuring out how the murder was executed. It’s like being handed a mystery where the answers are buried not in reality, but in the code itself.

//For anyone who’s spent hours yelling at their screen over a bugged-out NPC or a weird collision glitch (Fuck you, Todd Howard), this investigation feels like a hilarious, and extremely meta, love letter to the quirks of gaming.

//This case’s brilliance lies in how it merges classic mystery-solving with the quirks of gaming, creating a truly unique experience. It’s the kind of investigation that makes you feel like both a detective and a speedrunner trying to glitch your way into an inaccessible area for clues.

//And let’s be honest, when you’re unraveling a crime that hinges on the kind of stuff we normally blame on bad game developers, it’s impossible not to have a little fun with it.

//But of course, the mystery and the setting of this crime don't carry the whole thing alone. The actual conflict itself is what makes this trial such an emotional rollercoaster, and hands down, there's one key element of this trial that shines out more than any other:

//Kokichi.

//We've already been over V3-5, and the role that Kokichi plays in that chapter, where his scheming all culminates into his final plan. But the biggest issue with that was how little closure it gave Kokichi, and how his plan felt like it was all part of Tsumugi's scheme anyway.

//But the SETUP for his character arc's conclusion, that we see in this trial, is BRILLIANT.

//I already kind of talked about this at the start, but let me reiterate my points in more detail here.

//Up until now, Kokichi has been the class’s resident chaos gremlin. Cocky, sarcastic, endlessly witty, and annoyingly good at making people want to strangle him.

//Whether he’s tossing out savage one-liners or cracking jokes at everyone else’s expense, Kokichi has spent most of the game toeing the line between a playful pest and a genuinely brilliant schemer. And no matter how much he got under your skin, you couldn’t deny that he was sharp as a tack, sometimes spotting clues even Shuichi, the Ultimate Detective, manages to miss.

//But in this trial? Kokichi doesn’t just steal the show. He sets the stage on fire, and crowns himself the ultimate supervillain.

//This is Kokichi at his absolute peak. Gone is the silly prankster who lived to push everyone’s buttons. In his place is a calculated mastermind who orchestrates Miu’s death in a way so devious and brilliant that it leaves you wondering just how deep his schemes go.

//And here’s the kicker: he didn’t even commit the murder himself. He set everything up like a diabolical puppetmaster, then let the crime unfold while keeping his hands technically clean. That fact alone? It’s the ace up his sleeve, and he’s not shy about rubbing it in your face for the entirety of the trial.

//Kokichi’s behavior in this case is a stage show of psychological warfare. At one point, just to prove how far ahead of everyone else he is, he flat-out CONFESSES to the crime and lays out every single detail.

//And no, it’s not because he’s trying to save anyone or come clean. Kokichi’s confession is less about honesty and more about spiting you. He doesn’t want you to have the satisfaction of piecing everything together. Instead, he hands you the answers on a silver platter, complete with that smug grin of his, just to prove that he’s always one step ahead.

//The best part is that even when Kokichi is acting like a full-blown villain, he’s still absolutely hilarious. Whether he’s taunting the group with his over-the-top theatrics or dropping perfectly timed quips, his antics add a layer of dark humor that keeps the trial both tense and ridiculously entertaining. It’s like watching a magician perform a trick while roasting the audience the entire time.

//But what makes his actions, and this case as a whole, even more heartbreaking and mind-boggling is the reveal of the real killer.

//Shockingly, the one who ACTUALLY murdered Miu...is GONTA!

//Gonta Gokuhara. The Ultimate Entomologist. The most wholesome, lovable, pure-hearted character in Danganronpa V3, heck, maybe even the entire Danganronpa franchise. The gentle giant who LEGITIMATELY wouldn’t hurt a fly (Though would probably hurt someone else for hurting the fly.) The guy who refers to himself in the third person and wants nothing more than to protect everyone, make friends, and be a true gentleman.

//That Gonta.

//Even though the big guys always die in the fourth chapter, unless you're Kakeru, To say Gonta being the culprit is shocking would be an understatement. While Gonta is undeniably kind and reliable, it’s no secret that he’s not exactly a mastermind. He’s easily manipulated, struggles to keep up in trials, and doesn’t have a mean bone in his body.

//So when it’s revealed that he killed Miu, the first reaction from everyone is sheer disbelief. How could Gonta, of all people, commit murder? And more importantly, why would he?

//What makes this moment so impactful is the reaction of the group. Once Kokichi drops the bombshell that Gonta is the killer, everyone scrambles to find excuses to prove him wrong. No one, not even Gonta himself, can believe it. Gonta, in his sweet and earnest way, tries to deny it, clinging to the idea that he could never willingly hurt someone. But the cold, hard evidence keeps piling up, and by the end, there’s no escaping the truth.

//The only two people in the room who seem willing to entertain the possibility are Shuichi and Keebo. Shuichi, being the Ultimate Detective, reluctantly follows the evidence where it leads, no matter how painful the conclusion may be. Keebo, ever the logical one, processes the facts without the emotional bias the others cling to. But for everyone else, especially Kaito, and even Maki, the mere idea of Gonta being the culprit is too much to bear.

//And that’s where Kokichi pulls off another one of his devious moves. By exposing the truth and forcing Shuichi to press forward, he drives a wedge between Shuichi and Kaito, effectively turning Kaito against him. Kaito, the ever-loyal and stubborn optimist, refuses to believe that Gonta could be capable of such a thing. His faith in Gonta, and his growing detest of Kokichi, creates a painful rift in what was once a strong friendship.

//What’s even more brilliant about this setup is another reason why the investigation is so good, in how it creates the perfect misdirection. Gonta is a notoriously sweet and loveable guy whose idea of "video game logic" probably involves pressing random buttons until something works. Early in the investigation, you’re almost sure he couldn’t have done it because, let’s face it, even if you walked him step-by-step through how world loops or loading zones work, his brain would still be stuck in "kind gentleman" mode.

//So, when the evidence eventually points to him as the killer, it’s a jaw-dropping moment. The fact that the least tech-savvy person in the group was somehow the linchpin in this digital murder mystery is both tragic and utterly shocking.

//This case doesn’t just deliver a shocking twist; it weaponizes the emotional bonds between the characters to make the reveal hit even harder. Gonta’s reveal as the killer isn’t just surprising, it’s tragic, and it leaves a scar that lingers long after the trial is over.

//And the trial itself rides on these character moments, but it sure as hell doesn't die on them.

//If the concept of a murder mystery set inside a virtual reality simulation wasn’t already enough to make this case one of the standout moments in Danganronpa, then the trial itself takes things to levels of brilliance and emotional devastation that few could have anticipated.

//This trial isn’t just good; it’s a masterclass in everything the series does best: crafting intricate mysteries, delivering gut-wrenching twists, and tying it all together with compelling character moments that leave you reeling. It’s a case that combines innovation, heartbreak, and even absurdity into one unforgettable experience.

//When the trial begins, suspicion immediately falls on Kaito, a favorite target thanks to his hot-headed nature and frequent clashes with Kokichi. The evidence against him is damning on the surface: he logged out of the virtual world earlier than anyone else, and a bottle of poison was found on his seat in the real world.

//All signs initially point to him being the culprit. However, things are rarely that simple in Danganronpa, and this case is no exception. As the trial progresses, we learn that the setup against Kaito was actually the handiwork of none other than Miu herself.

//As I eluded to earlier, Miu had concocted an elaborate scheme to murder Kokichi and frame Kaito for the crime. She planted the poison and forced Kaito to log out early, expecting that these details would make him the prime suspect. It’s a devious plan worthy of her sharp mind, but in a cruel twist of irony, Miu ends up dead instead.

//And how, you ask? By being strangled to death…with toilet paper.

//Yes, toilet paper.

//That’s the murder weapon.

//While it might sound absurd...and it is...it makes perfect sense within the context of the virtual world. Just exhibit A of why this case uses the unrealistic logic of the game world so damn well.

//In the VR simulation, objects are unbreakable, meaning that even something as flimsy as toilet paper becomes as strong as a rope. While this detail initially seems like a quirky bit of world-building, it turns out to be the key to unraveling the mystery.

The moment it’s revealed that Miu was killed with toilet paper, the case takes on an entirely new level of not just hilarity, but complexity. It’s a reminder of how cleverly the trial uses the unique mechanics of the virtual world to craft a mystery that could only exist in this game.

//But the ingenuity of the murder weapon is just the beginning. As the trial unfolds, the focus shifts from solving how the crime was committed to figuring out who the culprit is, and this is where things get truly heart-wrenching. The culprit isn’t some cunning mastermind or morally gray antihero, and is instead the gentle giant with a heart as pure as freshly fallen snow.

//For Gonta who wants nothing more than to protect his friends and be a gentleman, the very idea of him committing murder is unthinkable, not just to the characters but to the player as well.

//And yet, it’s true. Gonta killed Miu. But the twist doesn’t stop there...because he doesn’t even remember doing it!

//Due to a mix-up with the VR helmet cords, Gonta experienced memory loss upon logging out of the virtual world. He has no recollection of the events that transpired in the simulation, including the murder!

//This detail adds a tragic layer to the trial, as Gonta’s confusion and heartbreak become almost unbearable to witness. The group is torn between their trust in Gonta’s inherently good nature and the mounting evidence against him. Even Gonta himself struggles to reconcile the truth, repeatedly insisting he would never do it.

//The emotional weight of the trial is further heightened by the reactions of the other characters. No one wants to believe Kokichi when he suggests that Gonta might be the killer, while Kokichi, ever the manipulative trickster, delights in dropping this bombshell, though his accusations are met with immediate resistance.

//Everyone scrambles to find alternative explanations, desperate to clear Gonta’s name. Even Shuichi, who is typically steadfast in his pursuit of the truth, hesitates to accept the implications of the evidence. However, as the trial progresses, it becomes impossible to deny the facts, and the group is forced to confront the devastating reality.

//One of the most powerful moments in the trial comes when Kaito, Shuichi’s closest ally and staunchest supporter, turns against him. Manipulated by Kokichi, Kaito lashes out at Shuichi, accusing him of being too focused on the truth to consider the emotional toll it takes on others.

//I won't go as far as to call it a "betrayal" because it's nothing that serious, but considering the bond between Shuichi and Kaito has been one of the few sources of stability throughout the game, watching their friendship fracture under the weight of this trial is a testament to how deeply Kokichi’s schemes have sown discord among the group.

//Gonta's breakdown as the truth comes to light is one of the most gut-wrenching moments in the entire series. The tragedy of his character arc is amplified by the fact that he doesn’t remember committing the crime. He doesn’t get the chance to explain his actions or defend himself. Instead, he’s left to grapple with the knowledge that he did something he would never have consciously chosen to do. It’s a unique conflict that’s rarely explored in murder mysteries and one that V3 handles with surprising nuance.

//I also want to draw attention to the voice acting, specifically with the English Dub (since that's the version I played), which takes this trial to an entirely new level of emotional devastation.

//Kaiji Tang’s performance as Gonta is nothing short of phenomenal, capturing the character’s confusion, sorrow, and desperation with heartbreaking authenticity.

//But more than him, remember how I said that there were four voice performances in the main Danganronpa series that I thought were absolutely phenomenal for the breakdowns in the series? Marieve Herington as Celeste was the first one, Kira Buckland as Kirumi is the second, and the third is Derek Stephen Prince as Kokichi.

//He's insanely good throughout the whole game, but he shines especially here, delivering lines with a blend of smugness and chilling calculation that makes him simultaneously infuriating and fascinating.

//Kyle Hebert’s portrayal of Kaito adds layers of frustration and vulnerability, while Dorothy Fahn brings subtle depth to Tsumugi (shockingly). The voice work is so impactful that it enhances every twist and turn of the trial, making the emotional moments hit even harder.

//In the end, this trial isn’t just a showcase of clever writing and innovative mechanics. It’s an emotional rollercoaster that pushes the characters and the player to their limits.

//From the absurdity of the murder weapon to the heartbreaking revelations about Gonta, every aspect of this case is meticulously crafted to leave a lasting impression. It’s not just a standout moment in Danganronpa V3, it’s one of the best trials in the entire franchise, a perfect blend of creativity, tragedy, and unforgettable storytelling.

//...Almost...

//I don't want to end this on a negative note or anything, but there is another reason why I ultimately had to put this trial below V3-1. It's far from a major problem that completely ruins my opinion of the trial, obviously, but dear God did it test my fucking patience.

//Put simply...

//This trial and this Chapter are where the MONOKUBS are at their MOST INSUFFERABLE!

//Crazy, because at this point in the game, there's only two of them left!

//I largely boil this down to Monodam dropping out of the story prior to this chapter, but Monophanie and Monotaro single-handedly come close to RUINING this Chapter because of how goddamn fucking INCORRAGABLE they are. Legitimately, the only thing that they did that I thought was entertaining was Monotaro proclaiming Miu as his mother, but that's largely because of Miu and not him.

//To make a long story short, I really feel SO GLAD for the people who actually liked the incest stuff that happened in Case 3, because HERE! YOU HAVE MORE OF IT!

//In this chapter, Monotaro suffers memory loss, causing him to forget who Monophanie and Monokuma are. Monophanie, in an attempt to help him remember, beats him with a frying pan. This leads to a bizarre and disturbing romantic relationship between the two, despite being family.

//The next day, Monotaro turns abusive toward Monophanie, and though he later apologizes, it paints a toxic and uncomfortable dynamic. Monophanie becomes jealous of the students as Monotaro bonds with them and starts to act like a father figure when they believe she’s pregnant. However, this is all part of a gruesome execution, where a giant insect bursts from Monophanie’s stomach and kills both Monokubs.

//This entire plotline trivializes what are actually some SERIOUS ISSUES in a disturbing, exploitative way, and turns it into an uncomfortable "spectacle." It's hands down the ABSOLUTE WORST THING that happens in ALL of V3, and possibly the entire main trilogy, especially because it takes place in what is otherwise one of the BEST CHAPTERS in the series!

//But Oh! OOOH! OOOOOOOOOOOOH IT DOESN'T STOP THERE! IIIIIT DOOOOEEESSN'T STOOOOP THEEEERE!

//Ahem...

//Sorry...In case it wasn't obvious, this REALLY upsets me. But I'll try and stay professional.

//Largely the reason I've never gone over them before this point is because the only other time in the game where the Kubs actively play a part in the trial is in Case 2, when Monosuke, after acting all high and mighty towards his siblings, accidentally gives away a major clue in the trial. But that was actually a pretty entertaining part.

//Here, Gonta's execution, and his final moments, are completely RUINED by the Monokubs. And any emotional tension and misery that you're feeling for him in his final moments are completely taken away!

//While the execution itself is by no means poorly done, and it does feature one of my favorite music tracks from the series, it definitely doesn't give Gonta the fitting send-off he deserved.

//Sure, it’s undeniably tragic, with Gonta being attacked by robotic wasps, stabbed in the chest, and ultimately set on fire. Quite a violent and gruesome way to meet his end; but here’s the issue: The execution doesn’t focus on Gonta’s death as much as it should.

//Instead, a significant portion of the sequence is dedicated to Monophanie and Monotaro’s bizarre, unsettling bug-related antics, which just feels…off.

//While the gruesome spectacle is certainly chaotic and violent, the sequence spends a substantial amount of time on the absurd antics of Monophanie and Monotaro, especially their bizarre "bug baby" plotline.

//Now, the Monokubs meeting their end in these executions isn’t new. This is, after all, the last time we see any of them perish. But this one feels like the worst offender. When Monokid and Monosuke died during Kaede and Kirumi’s executions, I wasn’t bothered too much because their deaths were brief and didn’t take the spotlight away from the main event. Monodam’s death, on the other hand, was genuinely surprising, and despite some focus on him, the context made it feel fitting.

//But here? We’ve crossed a FUCKING line. The execution becomes less about Gonta's tragic demise and more about this uncomfortable and frankly weird bug child subplot. Honestly, by this point in the series, I’m pretty done with the odd, incestuous undertones, and I certainly didn’t need to be subjected to a whole execution where that’s the central theme, while Gonta himself feels like an afterthought.

//Le sigh...

//Aside from everything else, I feel it’s worth repeating that this case is crafted in a pretty impressive way. The sheer creativity and intricacy behind it can't be ignored. And while the execution itself leaves something to be desired (and by "something," I mean "a whole lot"), I don't think that should take away from how well the rest of the case is put together.

//I mean, the story, the twists, the atmosphere...it all comes together in a way that's hard to ignore. Even if the final outcome feels like a botched cake at the bakery...all gooey on the inside and looking suspiciously like a science experiment gone wrong...the overall design of the trial is still pretty solid.

//It’s like watching a magician pull off an incredible trick, only for the rabbit to hop away halfway through. You can’t really blame the trick just because the rabbit decided to bail.

//So while I can’t overlook how poorly the final bits were handled, the rest of the case is still good enough to hold up.

#danganronpa survivor #danganronpa #danganronpa v3 #drv3 #mod talks #ranking #gonta gokuhara #miu iruma #kokichi ouma #dangancember 2024

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tobiasdrake · 9 months ago

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AA 4-1, Turnabout Trump, is the best opening case in the history of Ace Attorney. Bar none.

(To be fair, 1-1 and 2-1 fucking spoil the killer for you in their opening cinematic because they think new players are stupid and 5-1... 5-1 makes me shake with homicidal fury at the shit it pulled. So the competition isn't very steep.)

4-1 had the unenviable task of breaking the audience in to a brand new status quo. Seven years after the events of the original trilogy, we have to introduce our new protagonist Apollo Justice. The easy way to do this would be to have Apollo sign up to work for Phoenix and then have Phoenix mentor him.

Screw you, let's get fucking crazy, PHOENIX IS A HOBO and his law career is DEAD. Oh, and he's not the mentor. He's the defendant. Buuuuut he's also still the mentor because he's smooth now.

Incredibly bold of them to go this route. They had to have known that players weren't going to like this. Phoenix's law career ended in disgrace five minutes after Trials and Tribulations ended!? He's been fucking disbarred for seven years!? WHAT!?

What do you mean he has a daughter!? What!?

And she's a precious cinnamon roll!? What!?

WHAT DO YOU MEAN SHE'S OLD ENOUGH TO DRIVE IT'S ONLY BEEN SEVEN YEARS YOU ARE FUCKING WITH ME NOW FOR FUN

This case took a sledgehammer to the Ace Attorney status quo. This was a huge gamble. People don't like it when you tell them that their favorite characters promptly got kicked in the nuts after the credits rolled last time. They like the idea that everything worked out and it was great. And they riot if you tell them otherwise.

Did it pay off? Uh.

In terms of reception? No. Everybody hates this game. It offended the AA fandom on a deep and visceral level.

But me, I love it. I think this kickstarted an interesting shift in the core identity of Ace Attorney. And the biggest mistake they made was going back on it.

And it starts here with this magnificent bastardry of a scheme.

Phoenix does fill in the mentorship role for Apollo in our Tutorial to Ace Attorney case, but it's... twisted. Because Apollo is apprenticing under a professional attorney and close personal friend of Phoenix's, Kristoph Gavin - But Phoenix has made the curious decision to request Apollo's representation over Kristoph's.

That's not to say that Apollo's doing this entirely alone, as Gavin pitches in to lend his struggling protege some mentorship on the job.

But that's the trick. Phoenix has, throughout his career, successfully identified murderers among various witnesses, two prosecutors, and two investigating cops. But this unique setup allows him to do battle with a defense attorney. His own defense attorney, at that.

(He hasn't had to pin down a judge yet but HO-HO he will get to that in two games' time!)

There's shades of 2-4 buried in 4-1. So much so that they even cite the main theme of Justice For All while they're at it.

Literally what Justice For All is about. Dare I say... Apollo Justice for All?

2-4 fractured the relationship of trust that exists between attorney and client, that the trilogy is built upon. So much of the series is about believing in your client and giving your all to their defense, and 2-4 took a crowbar to that case by asking, "What if the client is untrustworthy?"

4-1 sets the stage for the new status quo by introducing the opposite question: What if the attorney is untrustworthy?

This isn't the kind of question that an AA game asks. It's... unsettling, given the franchise's romanticized view of defense law. The notion leaves an ominous discontentment that can be difficult to place, and sets the stage for what will become known as the Dark Age of the Law.

And yet, this is the kind of over-the-top legal nonsense that can only emerge from the realm of Ace Attorney storytelling, which does not give a fuck. A murder has been committed with Phoenix in the crossfire, and he has successfully created a scenario where the killer is not only in the courtroom, but is defending him in court.

Well. His protege is, anyway. Phoenix was very careful not to allow his representation to fall directly into Kristoph's hands, after all. Instead, he takes Apollo under his own wing instead.

What gets me about Phoenix and Kristoph's relationship is that Kristoph is genuine about wanting to help Phoenix.

We've seen plenty of murderer frame-ups throughout the series, and even one case of a murderer entering the courtroom as a defense attorney to ensure their fall-gal gets convicted.

Kristoph isn't planning that. Rather, he has a different target in mind that he can pin this murder to. His relationship with Phoenix is much too professionally valuable to let Phoenix go down like this.

As with 2-4, we have a perfectly adequate suspect to accuse in the defendant's place. A reasonable case could be made for Olga Orly's complicity instead of Phoenix's. Phoenix could go free by letting the wrong person be convicted.

But he's going to shoot the moon instead.

And he's going to do it, he's going to defeat the untrustworthy attorney, by putting his faith in a trustworthy attorney instead. The same way he defeated an untrustworthy client years ago.

4-1 has met with some criticism for the way so much of this comes down to Phoenix vs. Kristoph, with Apollo relying so heavily on following Phoenix's breadcrumbs. But for me, that works fine. Phoenix can light the course but it still falls to Apollo to navigate it, and that works for me as Apollo's very first case in his career.

After all, Mia leaned on Diego plenty in her first case. And Phoenix leaned on Mia a lot throughout the entire original trilogy. This case serves as Apollo's introduction to the Wright method and its unconventional approach, as Phoenix makes sure that special attention is paid to the kind of small details that unraveled prosecutions in his own time.

Ultimately, Apollo is as much a part of this as Phoenix is. None of this would work without him. We see him torn between his mentor and his hero as Kristoph realizes what Phoenix intends, and the jaws of the trap begin to close around him.

But ultimately, Kristoph's presence in this room leaves him cornered like a rat in a cage. Phoenix already saw to that.

Thus, one mentorship is fractured beyond repair while another is forged in iron. Phoenix even finds a moment to squeeze in foreshadowing for the final confrontation in 4-4.

This is such a fantastic introduction to the new status quo of post-timeskip Ace Attorney. It hints at the darkness inherent to the new world of law following Phoenix's disbarment, while also building the relationship between our next-generation hero and his predecessor, and serving it up alongside the maddest gambit ever to hit the courtroom of Ace Attorney.

And Also Payne is nearby but who gives a shit. XD

The prosecutor is less relevant in this case than any other in AA history. He just stands there uselessly at his booth and watches Phoenix's masterpiece unfold.

That this helpless performance is Winston's swan song, to be replaced by Gaspen in future games, is just the icing on the cake. So long, Winston. You won't be missed.

#ace attorney #ace attorney apollo justice #apollo justice #phoenix wright #revisiting aa4

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megbanned · 8 months ago

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How do you have so much brain power to create an au? Like tell me your ways😭😭😭

I like to write x'D!, create or recreate stories sometimes based on the main story and from there explore different ways in which it could have happened

Or simply think "what if this happened to this character?" - Mini Uzi

Or "What would the characters look like if they were opposites, either in personality or gender?" - Evil!AU / GenderSwap AU

"What would happen if the story took place in the Sonic universe?" - MD Sonic AU

Sometimes small concepts can create big things o:!

or also by exploring different themes you can create more things, like imagine- Pirates/Medieval AU, Fantasy AU, Steampunk, Mutants, Animals, what if the core didn't explode or if the exoplanet wasn´t cold- Or something more drastic would be to recreate the entire story like "what if Doll was the Main character", mold it to your liking and tell it in a different way, or take movies, games and other series as inspiration. There is a lot to get ideas from, I think sometimes it can be scary because you may not know how to represent a character but you have to try, see what can come out of it, sometimes you have to investigate and when you do this you can also get inspired

Maybe creating an entire AU can be… something difficult to think about? but sometimes you can start with something different, like maybe a new episode? something like "these things happen between this chapter and this chapter", or "this happens before the pilot chapter"

Or something much simpler where HCs can be applied, something like "this is what the characters do when they are off screen", or "this character should have done this"

Sometimes… you just have to explore different themes xD

#asks!

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lividria · 6 months ago

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Everything You Need To Know For Metroid Prime 4

I finally have an excuse to use all of my Metroid knowledge for something. Metroid Prime 4 is a BIG deal, but we've waited for it for so long, so people might not know/have forgotten some important information they're gonna need beforehand, so here's a big post detailing basically everything you definitely need to know or may need to know, depending on what happens in the game. I'm of course assuming a familiarity with the series, though, so I don't have to explain what Metroids are or who Samus is, but even if you're still really into it, maybe you missed one or two things I'll hopefully be able to explain.

This is mostly off of memory, and I am very confident in my memory, but I checked a Metroid wiki for multiple points, so hopefully I'm accurate, but if I miss something, get something wrong, or you just have something you want me to add, let me know, since I want this to be comprehensive. Alright, let's do this.

This is LONG, so all the facts (& idle speculation) are under the cut.

One caveat I almost forgot about, I have a confession, I... Haven't played any of the Prime games besides the remaster of the original. I tried to emulate Hunters, but it didn't end well, and I was led astray into believing that ports of Metroid Prime 2 & 3 were going to be ported to the Switch "soon"... Last year, and now I don't have nearly as much time on my computer as I'd like to play them on an emulator. I can only hope they get ported to the next console, or get released with 4, or something. I'd like to think I know about as much as I need to, though.

A "Brief" Summary of the Metroid Prime Series

So far, the entire sub-series has taken place in-between Metroid 1/Zero Mission, and Metroid 2/Samus Returns. It's relatively self-contained, and only acknowledged in the main series once (to my knowledge), meaning you could be a big Metroid fan and still know nothing about Metroid Prime, so just to be sure, here's a summary of the Metroid Prime games we've had so far.

Metroid Prime 1: Samus responds to a distress signal from a Space Pirate research ship, discovering they were performing genetic experiments with a mysterious mutagenic substance. The ship is destroyed by an escaped Parasite Queen, but Ridley, injured after Metroid 1 and enhanced with cybernetics (now dubbed Meta Ridley), escapes to the planet the ship was orbiting, Tallon IV. Samus gives chase, discovering that the planet is also being effected by that same mutagen, named Phazon, that the Space Pirates are experimentig further on the planet, and that the Chozo once thrived here before dying out due to the Phazon's destructive effects. Samus confronts Meta Ridley, who is shot into submission by Chozo technology and launched down a pit, and enters a passage in that temple into a Leviathan, a living asteroid filled with Phazon that spread it onto Tallon IV in the first place. Samus finds a Metroid mutated beyond recognition, the Metroid Prime, and confronts it, eventually destroying it, though it consumes her Phazon Suit upgrade that made her immune to Phazon, and Samus escapes the Leviathan as it explodes, leaving Tallon IV behind. However, it's shown that the Metroid Prime reanimates in the image of Samus. Dark Samus is born.

Metroid Prime Hunters: Though it was released after Prime 2, it chronologically takes the place of a 1.5, so yeah. A mysterious message is sent out from the Alimbic System, claiming that ultimate power can be found in said system. The Galactic Federation dispatches Samus to claim it, who finds that multiple other characters are hunting for it, who I will get into in great detail in a second. However, it was a trick by the malevolent entity Gorea, who was sealed away in the Alimbic System and freed by Samus & her rivals in their search. Gorea is blown up, and everyone leaves.

Metroid Prime 2: a group of Galactic Federation soldiers are lost on the planet Aether. Samus goes to investigate, finding that the arrival of a Leviathan has split it into two alternate dimensions: Aether and Dark Aether, and Dark Aether's inhabitants, the Ing, have almost driven Aether's, the Luminoth, to extinction, and could threaten the galaxy in the future. Dark Samus is here, and has allied itself with the Ing in order to feed on the Phazon on the planet. The Space Pirates are here, too, but are getting destroyed by Dark Samus & the Ing, and those GF soldiers are dead. Samus ends up destroying the entirety of Dark Aether after a climactic showdown with the Emperor Ing & Dark Samus, the Luminoth are saved and presumably repopulate, and Samus leaves. However, Dark Samus reforms in space, and finds it's way on a Space Pirate ship that escaped Aether with a bunch of Phazon.

Metroid Prime 3: Dark Samus has brainwashed the Space Pirates, Ridley included, and together they're throwing Leviathans all over the galaxy, so the Galactic Federation has enlisted Samus and 3 other bounty hunters to help stop them. However, Dark Samus infects all 4 of them with Phazon, resulting in all of them but Samus turning evil, and, as Samus travels across planets to destroy the Leviathans, she is forced to kill off her allies. Eventually, Samus confronts Dark Samus on the living planet Phaaze, the source of all Phazon that wants to infect the entire universe. Dark Samus is defeated, but they fuse with the stolen Aurora Unit 313 (Aurora Units are basically Mother Brains but used by the GF) that was being used by Phaaze for the entire Leviathan campaign. Samus blows it up, the entire planet explodes, Phazon as a whole just kinda... Disappears, and she escapes to go on other missions. However, in a post-credits scene, a ship owned by Sylux, one of the rivals from MP:H, is stalking Samus.

Metroid Prime Federation Force: The Federation has made it's own, clunky armor suits that are much worse than Samus' but better than whatever else they were doing at the time. Space Pirates are doing things, so you go stop them. They have a beam that makes things bigger, and they use it to take over Samus' suit, trap her in Morph Ball mode and make her bigger and make her fight the armor guys, who defeat her and blow up the Master Brain, which is just a lamer Mother Brain and the head of the operation. The Space Pirate bases are destroyed, the day is saved, but it's shown in an unlockable post-credits scene that Sylux stole a Metroid egg from the Federation and hatched it. Uh oh.

Who To Worry About

Characters, wahoo!

Samus: It is unknown if she will return in Metroid Prime 4... No, obviously she's the main character.

Dark Samus/Phazon: I sincerely doubt they're bringing Phazon back, it was shown to have been thoroughly eradicated in Prime 3 and they're clearly open to Prime games not involving Phazon judging from H and FF, so, unless they come up with a damn good explanation as to how Dark Samus is still around, I wouldn't hold my breath.

The Space Pirates: They're shown to be back in the trailers, duh, but note that throughout the entire Prime series, besides for Federation Force, they're shown to be a secondary threat. One of the rivals in Hunters was a Space Pirate, and they were of equal importance as everyone else, too, which is... Not really. They're shown to be with Sylux, who has been built up for years now, and are like... The main part of the trailer, so I'm not saying they aren't going to be important, I'm just saying that something else might crop up we haven't seen yet.

Ridley: Will our beloved purple dragon bastard come back? I'm gonna go with... No. For one, he wasn't in Prime 2, but was in 1 & 3, and bringing him back multiple games in a row would be kinda lame, and Nintendo already seems to be phasing him out if you look at later titles. I doubt they would've made him a 3 phase final boss in the Metroid 2 remake if they had big plans for him elsewhere (But then again, I have no idea if MercurySteam and Retro Studios are on the same page about lore), though he is shown to still have the Meta cybernetics there, so Prime is probably canon to the main series, at least, if it's not just a red herring reference that doesn't mean anything in particular. There's also another thing I'm going to bring up later that's another point against him showing up.

Kraid: I have no reason to believe they'd bring him back, but I just wanna note Meta Kraid was a scrapped Prime 1 boss and he was brought back in Dread for no clear reason, so... Mmmmaybe?

Galactic Federation: You're shown to be at a GF Research Facility in Prime 4, and obviously these guys are important again, especially after their bigger role in Prime 3 & Federation Force. I know they introduced a new captain character in Prime 3, I think his name was Dane? So he might show up. Sylux has a huge grudge against the entire organization, and stole his gear from them, so there's a possibility we'll see the same darker side of them we saw in Fusion and Other M to justify that. Worth noting that Fusion had a translation error where it was supposed to be specified that the bad actors were part of the "old Federation army", or something to that effect, so it isn't the entire Federation that's sketchy, but if they were active in Fusion, the current penultimate game in the timeline, they almost definitely could've been active for whenever Sylux's grudge began. Other M also has dubious canonicity at this point, but still, it shows Nintendo isn't opposed to showing a darker side of the GF.

Federation Force: It seems Prime 4 takes place after FF due to Sylux having Mochtroids, the GF are being directly attacked by Space Pirates in the trailer, the FF have previously taken on a Space Pirate attack on the GF and won, and have even collaborated with Samus in the past. Maybe they'll be the equivalent of Prime 3's bounty hunters, minus the turning bad part. Probably. But FF is also the lowest rated Metroid game in the franchise, so...

Sylux: One of the rivals in Hunters, and as mentioned, shows up in Prime 3 and Federation Force post-credits scenes. He's the blue & green guy in the Prime 4 trailer. All we really know is that he hates the Federation (and by extension Samus), and stole his armor & weapon, the Shock Coil, from them. His species is unknown (People assume he's human but it's unconfirmed), and his homeworld, Cylosis, is also not elaborated on anywhere, giving us no leads. We see some kind of snowy wasteland location in his Hunters intro, but we don't know if that's Cylosis. (Cylosis seems to derived be from the word Cyclosis, which is something like cytoplasm getting circulated throughout cells, so... No idea.) He inexplicably changed ships between Hunters and 3, and is shown with Metroids in FF, but in the Prime 4 trailer has Mochtroids. He is also seemingly allied with the Space Pirates, and is absolutely going to be a big problem. (By the way, I tried to keep these summaries relatively brief, but @ postal-ech has a great post going over each Hunters character in detail if you're interested... hey wait why is that underlined none of the other usernames I've added here got that, is that actually gonna notify the guy? oops, spacing it out just in case because I know they already saw this post lol)

Mochtroids: Yes, I'll elaborate. Weak, failed Metroid clones made by the Space Pirates in Super Metroid, distinguishable by only having one nucleus. Sylux has Mochtroids in the Prime 4 trailer, which is probably why they aren't lashing out at anyone yet. It's unclear how important they'll be, but they haven't shown up anywhere besides Super Metroid, and even then were only in Maridia, so... Neat. Unclear what this means for the Metroids, especially Sylux's in specific. Fun fact, Mochtroids were in Hunters' demo, but not the actual game.

Weavel: A Space Pirate previously encountered by Samus in Metroid 1/Zero Mission, almost killed, and brought back as a cyborg guy, which is how we see him in Hunters. He obviously has a strong hatred towards Samus because of this. If they're bringing Sylux back, another Samus hater from Hunters, and bringing the Space Pirates back, Weavel's faction, I'd wager it's a pretty safe hope to have that Weavel may show up again.

Trace & the Kriken Empire: Trace is another Hunters rival, a representative of the Kriken Empire, described as "space cockroaches" so problematic the FEDERATION AND SPACE PIRATES WOULD TEAM UP TO ERADICATE IF NECESSARY. At a certain age, a Kriken is sent out to claim a planet for the Empire, which is presumably then conquered, though Trace specifically set his sights on the ultimate power from the Alimbic System, which he failed to collect. It's unknown if he was then disgraced, orrr if he claimed a planet after the fact. Maybe one we saw in Hunters? I could see these guys serving a similar role as the Ing in Prime 2, but I have no actual evidence they'll have a major role beyond it just being a logical choice based on what we already have.

Noxus & the Vhozon: Noxus is another Hunters rival, of the Vhozon species, who wanted to secure the ultimate power so that it didn't fall into the hands of evil, as their species places a lot of emphasis on peace and balance. Their homeworld, Vho, is also called out as having subzero temperatures, for whatever that's worth. In case it isn't obvious, I'm just listing off every Hunters rival because at this point it's a coin toss on whether or not they'll bring back more besides Sylux and who it'll be.

Spire & the Diamonts: Spire is another Hunters rival, and the last of the Diamont species, some weird, golem-like things that went extinct at some point. Spire was a good guy, and wanted the ultimate power to figure out what happened to his people. This is like, the fifth extinct/near-extinct race, isn't it? I did the math, there's like 8 now, actually.

Kanden & the Enoema: Final Hunters rival, Kanden is a lab experiment from his species, the Enoema, in an attempt to make essentially an ultimate life form for combat, though Kanden escaped and got a big ego. He wanted the ultimate power just for power's sake. He's essentially the wild card of the crew. He has an electric field around him, whatever that means.

Gorea: The final boss of Hunters, some random creature that just showed up in the Alimbic System to kill the Alimbics before being sealed away. It's shown to be immensely powerful, and we have no idea if there's more. If there is more, though, there could be another Gorea in Metroid Prime 4. But I wouldn't count on it.

What we Knew About Prime 4 Before the Trailer

Side note, most of this is from this Metroid wiki's timeline segment on their Prime 4 page, but it's also mostly after a certain point just people being hired by Retro Studios who may or may not be working on Prime 4, so I'm leaving all that out because it's incredibly unimportant and boring.

Metroid Prime 4's first look video only gave us the logo, but the video depicted the screw attack symbol forming out of space dust in space, the letter 4 appearing in blue flame and then the blue & black original Metroid Prime 4 logo as the Metroid Prime 1 title theme played. I'm too lazy to find the video, but that sounds like Dark Samus reforming at the end of Prime 2, who was also blue & black. Phazon returns?

There's a chance that multiplayer, or unique Morph Ball gimmicks, may show up, as they were brought up in an interviewer with Kensuke Tanabe, the main director of the Prime games, when he was talking about future Prime installments. If they're bringing back at least one rival from Hunters, one of the games with multiplayer, and also gave each rival a Morph Ball equivalent, hm... Hunters released before that interview, by the way.

It was also said in a different interview (I think) that Prime 4 might focus on a single planet again, and a time travel gimmick might be involved. I assume it'd work similarly to the dimension hopping from Prime 2 but I dunno, it was left vague.

BUT, development reset at some point in 2019 after all of this was shown and said, so I have NO CLUE how much of this is still applicable or now a red herring. However, due to the logo change, I will say that logo in specific probably no longer means anything.

The guy behind Hunters in specific mentioned in a 2020 interview that they have a backstory for Sylux written up that has "a lot of threaded storytelling" and thus made using him in future games "a good fit". He specifically called out wanting to talk about what's under his suit, so make of that what you will.

There was a specific job posting for Retro Studios that mentioned writing emotional scenes that will resonate with people, and given that the main trilogy gradually ramped up that kind of thing... I dunno, I don't want to plant ideas in people's heads before I write my big post where I just make shit up based off all of this as a part 2.

There was also a Retro Studios Twitter banner of MP4 concept art showing Samus in some weird blue & black hallway... Hey, wait a minute. We don't know if this concept art predates the development reset, though, but since it's Retro Studios which came on after the development reset, so... May be a coincidence, but I'm calling it out anyways.

THE IMPORTANT PART: Trailer Analysis

Quick side note, huge shoutout to all the people who dissected the trailer on their own pointing out a bunch of individual observations I bring up here all together (Plus my own field work). I won't be able to track down all the posts to credit them all and it'd feel unfair to only link the one or two I can probably find, but still, thanks, guys.

COSMIC YEAR 20X9 Galactic Federation Research Facility

Pause right here, right now. This is IMPORTANT. The research facility is just the setting for the trailer, it doesn't matter too much, but THERE'S A DATE. One of the rarest things in the entire franchise, even rarer than Samus leaving a planet without blowing something up on it. Or just blowing it up in it's entirety. So, what does this tell us? Well, I had to fucking to find a list of every mentioned date, mostly coming from instruction books & the like, so have it all. Get ready for contradictions!

2000: The Galactic Federation forms. One specific thing says it was 2003, but 2000 is neater.

20X5: The Space Pirate attack on a GF research vessel that prompted Samus to go to Zebes in 1/Zero Mission, also in 20X5. Metroid 2/Samus Returns supposedly takes place less than a year afterwards, but it's unclear if this'd overlap into the next year, as we're only given years, not months.

20X6: Federation Force occurs, but somehow takes place several years after Prime 3. It's also mentioned somewhere Prime 1 also takes place years after Zero Mission, so, uh... I dunno. The X in the format when we had 2000 earlier already throws a wrench in just about everything we know about calendars. X in roman numerals means 10, so maybe it's representing a decade? That'd work.

20X7: Super Metroid. This came from a random Japanese ad, so, uh, I dunno. Especially since it's supposed to happen, like, immediately after Metroid 2?

20X9: Metroid Prime 4.

So, look, I don't know if this is accurate anymore, because that's... A lot of dubious sources, but it's all we have. If that is accurate, especially 20X7, that is FUCKING HUGE. This means, among other things, that the Metroids are wiped out, Ridley and Mother Brain are dead for real (unless...), Zebes is destroyed, the X are beginning to propagate again, and this is after Federation Force. Unclear if this is before or after Other M, though, if anybody cares about that game being in the timeline, but it's obvious from Samus' suit in the trailer (We'll get to that) that this is before Fusion & Dread, unless Metroid 6 has her regain her old suit somehow.

Samus flies into a rocky region with her ship from Prime 3 & Federation Force, with slight design alterations, such as Samus popping out the top instead. This... Doesn't make sense, since she had a separate ship for Super... Unless this is actually after Fusion where that ship got destro- Wait, no, she has the purple ship, after. So, that may mean the date inconsistency is actually a red herring. Up to you. For a split second, when Samus is jumping out, you can see these ships in the sky. Are these Space Pirate ships, or GF ships? I don't know, I haven't looked into fucking spaceship lore. Let me know, if you know.

(@codylabs has let me know that this is a type of Space Pirate warship shown in Prime 3, just without that game's version's indications of Phazon fuel, and also clarified that Samus probably owned the Prime 3 ship used here and the Super ship simultaneously, thanks, go read their reblog for more detail on all that and detail on all of Samus' ships in general if you care)

(I'd have used more screenshots, but I'm writing this on an iPad, so it's a lot more annoying when you can just go find what I'm talking about in the trailer. If you're here, you've probably watched it already. I might go back and add more if I edit this later.)

I saw someone say that Samus' suit is slightly different, too, but I... I don't care. I'm here for the notes about story & gameplay, not every little design differences (Same goes for pointing out the new intro jingle & the visor redesign). I know some of you are, so if somebody gives me, like... A comprehensive list of all those little things, I may add it if I'm not lazy, but that's not my point here. (@nathaniel-prime reblogged this pointing a ton of the design changes out, but they had... A lot to say, so just go read all that yourself.)

Whatever's happening here, it's happening big. A massive purple laser blows up a turret shooting into the sky at those ships (probably), there's fire, there's more gunfire in the distance, you get the idea, there's a big fight. There's even a Space Pirate shooting at other Space Pirates. Can enemies get angry at each other due to AI shenanigans, or is that plot relevant? Will that mean anything for Weavel?

In the bottom left, where there'd usually be the beam selection, there's the missile launcher, instead, meaning you're probably going to have different weapons down there instead of just different beams. Maybe the Affinity Weapons of the Hunters rivals? There's 4 slots, one taken up by missiles, so that'd leave... 3 rival weapons. Will that happen? Probably not, but I wouldn't be surprised if Sylux's Shock Coil is added here. Or they do something like Prime 2's Beams that have ammo.

Space Pirate theme remix, new Space Pirate designs, destroyed buildings (Presumably the Research Facility), wounded Space Pirate scan like with Prime 1's Frigate Orpheon (Scan Visor's back), so it's a fight between the Federation and Pirates.

You can see an Energy Tank, those are back, you see the Morph Ball is obviously back, Federation scientists are wheeling something away when Space Pirates break in (may or may not be relevant depending on what they're researching), the Space Pirates launch themselves into the building with capsules... Is it just me, or does some of this building look like the concept art from earlier? (I later rewatched it and no longer see the resemblance.) Also, there's Federation soldiers in armor resembling the Fed armor seen in Other M, so there's that. I wonder how much else they'll take from Other M.

Now for the moment. Cutscene where Samus rolls onto the ground as a wall explodes in a big room perfect for a boss arena, revealing 4 Space Pirates, 2 Mochtroids, and our boy Sylux, who gives Samus a stare. Samus gives a stare back. You could see that the room was mostly empty besides for some random thingies in the corners, so I'd assume this is where the first Sylux boss fight would take place, as that's the perfect reveal cutscene for him.

Then we get the logo, Metroid Prime 4: Beyond. Looks sufficiently space-y, but it also resembles a black hole. Now, if this is after Super, when the Space Pirates are pretty much backed into a corner now that all of their leaders besides fucking Kraid (and maybe Phantoon) are dead (unless Zebes wasn't actually a big deal for them), I could see them doing something drastic, like, I dunno... Building a black hole generator? Or weaponizing one? Wouldn't be the first time black holes are a big plot point in a space-themed Nintendo game, though I don't remember if Bowser made the black hole in Mario Galaxy (Or was it Galaxy 2?), I never played it. If time travel is a gimmick, I could see you having to go back in time and preventing it from being used... Or the black hole is just for a space-y graphic, or it's used as this planet's native race's symbol or something. (Future me here, I'm stupid and didn't think about the whole time travel gimmick here even though I brought it up despite black holes and time travel being discussed together all the time, the black hole could be what's used for time travel to some extent. What if Beyond in the title means beyond the black hole? Or, like, the future?)

After the logo, you see a lush forest environment with bird-like things, green mist, Samus walking out of a PORTAL (The time travel gimmick?), giant trees (one has a big opening to walk into it at it's roots), giant cliffs revealing nothing but clouds, one REALLY BIG TREE. Probably a major landmark. No architecture in sight, too, so maybe it's the past? And the date 2025, for our release window. I saw something in the Metroid Prime 4 info timeline from earlier that was Reggie, former Nintendo of America president, saying (I'm paraphrasing) that Nintendo likes to do extended reveals of the games six to nine months before the game's release. Is this an extended reveal? I personally don't think so, but I may be stupid.

Conclusions

in no particular order, here's the main takeaways. Of course, I could be wrong about all of these, we don't have much to go off of.

Phazon is probably not around anymore.

Space Pirates & Sylux are (two of?) the big bads, and the Galactic Federation is probably important. Space Pirates may be in-fighting?

The game may take place after Super Metroid, which has all sorts of implications.

Time travel & black holes may be relevant.

Out of all of of the other rivals from Metroid Prime: Hunters besides Sylux, Weavel seems the most likely to return, but it's unknown if any others will return at all.

Mochtroids return, whatever that implies.

The beam swapping system seems to be replaced with different weaponry, but the core Prime gameplay seems in tact (Though the state of visors besides the Scan Visor are entirely up in the air).

It may be released in early 2025? Maybe? Probably not.

Hopefully this helps at least one person out there. Again, let me know if I should add or change anything or anything like that. I plan on making a part 2 where I just baselessly speculate about what could happen in the game with all of these crumbs, so if this post pops off, I'll probably do that. (Hey, I did that.)

#metroid #metroid prime #metroid prime 4 #nintendo direct #if this game sucks upon release i will unironically cry

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canonmisogynyvictimstournament · 1 year ago

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PROPAGANDA

FLORA REINHOLD (PROFESSOR LAYTON)

1.) I MEAN WHERE DOES ONE START!

Okay so in the first game (curious village) she’s locked in a tower, cut off from civalisation because her dad died and he wants her to find a worthy suitor. Not a suitor her age, a suitor who’s nice just a suitor who can solve lots of puzzles. Flora is so ill equipped for the real world because of her father. AND her dad definately set up this marrage trap when she was under 10. I mean it’s a woman who’s left in a tower for a worthy suitor. She’s not even trusted to go into town alone! The town is full of clockwork people! No one is even real!

Then in the next game she’s left behind because mystery solving is just to much for her dainty self! So she sneaks on after them, claiming she doesnt, “want to be left all alone again”. In the same game she’s kidnapped, has her identity stolen and no one notices because her only characterisation is she likes pretty things and then when they finally do notice and find out she was abandoned in a barn no one cares! SHE’S IMMEDIATELY LEFT ALL ALONE AGAIN. :(

In the third game Professor Layton lies to her to give her the slip. He has never lied in the entire series but he lies to her because she couldnt take going on this latest adventure. She’s the only character to faint during time travel (which doesnt even make sense) and KEEPS GETTING LEFT ALONE. She’s even left in a cage with her kidnapper who’s apparently only helping them for Flora. I mean she’s deeply uncomfortable when she’s caged with him, no one gave her a heads up that she would be caged with him.

She’s the only female character with the professor in the main trillogy who isnt a housekeep or secutary and her only characterisation ever is she likes pretty things and cant cook.

Thw writers then go on to make Katrielle’s game. A game about the Professor’s daughter. Not Flora the person he took into his care this entirely new character. My argument on why she’s a victim of mysogony there is they wrote her in outdated form and upon reciving critisism decided to sweep her under the rug and replace her with other characters. >:(

2.) Shafted SO hard because the writer’s immediately didn’t have any more ideas about what to do with her. She was set up as a mysterious character in her first appearance, and actually had plot relevance and a lot of potential moving forward. (Light PL spoilers)

However! In the next game, the main character just immediately leaves her at home to ‘keep her safe’, despite bringing a boy younger than her with him. She follows them, gets to join their investigation for all of about maybe an hour of gameplay, and then is promptly kidnapped unceremoniously, and literally locked in a barn for the rest og the game. When the other characters realise she is missing, they do literally nothing and don’t go to collect her until the next day DURING THE GAME’S CREDITS.

In the next game, and the final one of the trilogy she appears in, the main character and his apprentice (once again, a boy younger than her) literally run away from her whilst she’s making them sandwiches. Just so they don’t have to bring her along. She’s also kidnapped AGAIN, and does absolutely nothing about it (doesn’t even attempt to struggle) so that the main character can come in and save her. :|

Additionally, she’s never put in any side material set in the right time frame for her to be there, including not even being MENTIONED in the spin-off sequel (although that game is weird about what references it makes anyway), except for the movie, where she’s in it to once again be told to stay behind, and she gets a single word long line.

A lot of people come out of these games complaining that Flora has no personality, because the writer’s were apparently so determined to keep her off-screen that it was easy for people to question what kind of a character she even is. (She has one, they just don’t show it often enough.)

3.) She is constantly left behind and treated like a little girl even though she’s older than Luke, while he is respected as Layton’s apprentice. They don’t even eat her sandwiches :( They also have a running joke of her being really bad at cooking, but that’s literally the only thing they let her do! She also gets kidnapped TWICE (that is, every game she’s in but the first one) and the first time she gets impersonated by the bad guy and NO ONE NOTICES for most of the game.

Also in the Japanese version she’s “of marriageable age” and apparently really wants to marry Layton when she’s older… and that’s one of her key character traits in that version. She has a really cool backstory but after the first game she’s reduced to “girl whining about how they leave her behind all the time”. It’s like they wanted to fridge her but realized they couldn’t do that to a little girl.

DEANNA TROI (STAR TREK: THE NEXT GENERATION)

1.) Apparently, Deanna was originally intended to be TNG’s Spock replacement, a highly intelligent and rational character. Unfortunately, because she was a pretty woman, the decision was made to put her in a skin tight jumpsuit, at which point all that went out the window. Her actress has complained about this and is the source for her being originally intended to be similar to Spock but being written differently after the costume decision. She’s constantly being put through godawful plots where she’s victimized in ways that male characters - and even the other women who aren’t treated as sexy props - are not, she’s constantly being badgered to get married, she’s constantly being given love interests who there’s no reason whatsoever for her to be interested in.There was one scene where she had to eat ice cream and she kept having to spit it out off screen because the outfit they put her in was so tight she couldn’t eat. She’s an interesting character who is frequently relegated to sexy lamp status even though when she IS written well she is very competent and has skills no one else on the crew has. She literally gets teleported out of her clothes in one episode. Justice for Deanna

2.) She is an underused and underdeveloped character compared to her male counterparts. She is the only character who wears a deep-cleavage suit instead of a standard Starfleet uniform (thankfuly she does wear an uniform in latest seasons). Whenever she gets more screentime it’s only to have her body or mind violated. She is a psychologist with empathy powers, but it feels like writers didn’t really know what a counselor is for in a futuristic spaceship full of men who don’t go to therapy, so she barely has anything to do except having her powers conveniently blocked, weakened or taken away by alien of the week.

I love her because she was such a sweet, caring and intelligent character, but the writers clearly wanted her to be a hot babe of the show.

Saving grace: she really does improve in the laters seasons.

3.) She is mostly relegated to being a potted plant or a sexy lamp. She is supposed to be an empath, but mostly she gets to go “captain, i think he might be lying” about characters who everyone can see are definitely lying. AND everyone else in the show gets to wear a uniform and she doesnt for NO REASON untill the second to last season of the show (and even then it isnt Her Choice, but a man makes her do it) (and the female uniform is a catsuit for no reason, the male uniform is. a shirt and pants at this point). OH and maybe 75% or her plotlines are either men assaulting her in some way or another

#polls #round 2 #week 3 #new

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beloved-cat-gremlin · 7 months ago

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Can I just ramble on about the color symbolism in the Ace Attorney series?

Spoilers for like all games in the franchise under the cut

We all know the classic "Phoenix is dressed in blue and Miles in red" trope. Showing that they are opposites and yet fit together perfectly because of that contrast.

But I've yet to see anyone talk about how when you include the full trio with Larry, from their childhood on they are the primary colors. Meaning they are all different and yet all fit together in a certain way!

Or how the Von Karmas all have a blue motive going on and how Miles' court debut outfit has that splash of blue with it to show his connection to the Von Karmas while still keeping red as his primary color and showing how different he is from them.

Or how Maya wears purple, the color that's right between blue and red, showing how she's in between both Phoenix and Miles and plays an important part in both their lives.

Same with Pearl and her lighter pink colors. Showing how she has a connection to Maya but is still her own person.

And then there is Apollo! Oh boy Apollo!

Like how Phoenix and Miles have opposite colors, Apollo has his strong bright red and Kristoph has his light periwinkle/lavender colors showing just how different they really are. And Klavier's weird maroon/dark fuchsia colors are kinda an in-between of Apollo's and Kristoph's colors and it shows his connections to both of them.

And then Athena joins the team and with her the entire law group of the WAA is once again the primary colors! And Athena wearing all bright yellow (which is the most noticeable color on the spectrum) being a contrast to Simon's black and white.

Oh and you thought I was done with Apollo? THINK AGAIN! BECAUSE NOW WE BRINGING IN TRUCY! With Polly and Trucy once again having a red blue parallel going on, only this time it's cause they are half-siblings!!! And that doesn't stop there cause Trucy's colors also reflect Phoenix and how she is his daughter but also Thalassa's daughter cause Thalassa is also associated with blue. And at first Trucy was wearing pink to go with her own father but changed it to said blue to match her knew father.

And Thalassa also having a blue red theme going on with her being the blue themed one and both her husbands; Jove and Zak, being red themed and once again showing parallels between each other!!!!

And even in SoJ the themes keep going!!! With Nayhuta having a similar color pallet to that of Kristoph, paralleling once again Apollo. And Yuty's color theme is also paralleling that of his mother; Amara and how Rayfa is paralleling her father Dhurke! And Dhurke's blue tones once again paralleling both Apollo and Jove.

And you thought I'm done again? Ooohhohho you are still so wrong cause then we still have the Skye sisters to talk about. How both Lana and Ema have some red/pink themes going on but Lana is all tinted in dark colors and shades of dark red while Ema is all in pastel and pink and brighter colors. And then Ema gets older and becomes a detective and she gets tints of green in her design- and you know who else has a green theme? GUMSHOE!! OUR MAIN DETECTIVE GUY!!!

And Kay in the investigation games has a blue pink theme going on being similar to Maya in that she is wearing two colors of opposite that merge into one, shaping how she is affecting Miles' life and those around her. Or how Simon K and Horace have another pink turquoise theme going on shaping their parallels and history.

AND SEBASTIAN!!! HIS BLUE RED COLOR THEME ALREADY CONTRASTING HIMSELF IS SUCH A GOOD CHOICE. With the red being a parallel to both Miles and him as a prosecutor but also his father Blaise and their history and speaking of Blaise: we know he has history with Manfred and it's assumed that they also worked together with Damon Gant.

And you wanna know what? YOU REALLY WANNA KNOW??? THOSE THREE TOGETHER HAVE THE PRIMARY COLORS AGAIN!!!

And then there's even the GAA games but dear god I'm not gonna get into that one other than how Ryu and Kazuma both started out with the dark black colors, with Kazuma being red adjacent and Ryu having that blue theme going on again (in his DLC bonus outfit at least) and how later on they still have the tiny hint of red/blue but now with black and white. JUST LIKE THE JURY SYSTEM IN THAT GAME. IT'S ALL CONNECTED GUYS!!!

#ace attorney #rambles #no art

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efangamez · 1 year ago

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GRIM: A Retro FPS-Styled TTRPG, inspired by Quake, has released on itch.io and DriveThruRPG!

ITCH.IO

DRIVETHRURPG

In a time far beyond Earth’s exodus, explorers have unearthed relics and ancient architecture that are said to be older than the cosmos itself, shattering all theories of the creation of the universe and its age. You and your allies, assigned by the Martyrs of Free Olympia or the Elysian Coalition, are tasked to investigate ruins on the planet Gamma Rho Iota Mu, simply referred to as GRIM, to find any traces of life that are rumored to lay beneath the only structure on the planet: a towering obelisk.

Countless explorers sent to GRIM have delved into these ruins, but none have returned. Many denizens of Free Olympia and beyond have feared that their planet will be next to succumb to GRIM's grasp, and some have fallen to their knees to worship this fated harbinger of doom. All seemed hopeless and lost...

Inspired by prolific FPS games like the Quake series, GRIM's mechanics are quick, brutal, and easy to understand without sacrificing its immense depth.Using either the flip of a coin or a six-sided die (d6), use Combat Skills to speed around combat maps and frag enemies, or use Roleplaying Skills either in or out of combat to navigate the dark and oppressive world beyond the Whispering Gate.

This game is meant to be played with a Watcher (GM / DM), and 1-6 other players.

If this game reaches certain goals within 30 days, more content will be added to both the handbook and beyond!

$300: This game is fully funded! Thank you so much!

$600: 5 new Pre-Made Battlemaps for combat encounters will be added to the handbook!

$800: GRIM, The Palace of Eyes, a setting expansion for GRIM, will be released! Explore a realm tucked between dimensions, and fight eldritch horrors while navigating expansive castles and dungeons. Will include more unique enemies, weapons, powerups, and settings!

$1,500: A printed run of GRIM will be made and released!

$3,000: Beyond the main theme already released, an entire soundtrack for GRIM will be created! Enjoy intense combat music and horrifying ambient tracks that will immerse you even further into the world of GRIM!

$3,000+: ??? (more goals will be released! I'll immediately jump for joy, however.)

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aesa · 5 months ago

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writeblr intro

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hello, everyone! I'm njsa (she/her), a 22 year old university student from australia, currently studying a bachelor's degree in space science. I'm returning to writeblr with more inspiration and dedication to sharing my writing projects. A bit more about me can be found here. On this blog, I'll be posting anything to do with writing, including worldbuilding and inspo boards, as well as other writeblrs and writing projects! I won't be participating in tag games, so please don't tag me in them. Feel free to ask me questions, I'll try to respond as soon as I can. I would prefer it if only those who are 18+ follow my blog, as some of my works may contain mature themes. None of my posts will contain explicit content. All of my novels will be labelled as adult fiction.

about my writing

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All of my writing projects (at this point in time) are contained within a single fictional universe, VESSEL. Majority of my works are high fantasy, with a dash of science fiction, (space) western and southern (australian) gothic. My goal is to publish my novels as serials. Eventually, I'd like to turn these into physical books once completed, though I'll aim to always have the serials available on my website (to be released) for free ✧

my writing projects

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Vessel is the story that started it all - my magnum opus. This is a high fantasy series that expands across the galaxy. It is a progression fantasy with extensive worldbuilding, political intrigue, magic, other-world species and so much more. It is the origin and main focus of my writing; all of my other novels surround it. This epic follows Brynas, a girl born on Earth, and her path to becoming a legend known throughout the galaxy as she discovers her true calling. Inspirations and similar stories: game of thrones, cosmere, dune, star wars and heavy inspiration from retro-futuristic, space-surrealist aesthetics.

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Snake Oil is a prequel story to the Vessel series, and the first novel I intend on publishing. It is set on Earth in the late 19th century and is an Australian gothic, mystery novel. At the moment, it contains three POVs. An elite academy in the Irish countryside discovers, once closure procedures commence, that three of their students have been missing for over a decade. Reinforcements are called to investigate. ~ A constable stationed in the Australian high country is tasked with transcribing police reports. People grow restless over the lack of action taken by law enforcement on the mysterious disappearances of fellow townsfolk. When a group of locals decide to take matters into their own hands, he volunteers. ~ Deep within the Australian mountain ranges is a village unknown to the outside world. A girl with peculiar abilities begins to question her faith when strange visions plague her mind, and the comforting security she felt as a child begins to unravel as she enters adulthood. Inspirations and similar stories: picnic at hanging rock, ethel cain (music), immaculate (movie), sour switchblade - elita (song).

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Rogue Frontier is a story that runs alongside Vessel. It is a space western that is, at the moment, only an idea with a few scenes, though the main cast is well established. Genuinely only came up with this idea because I crave found family stories. A comedic space western that follows the adventures of a bounty crew that are begrudgingly forced to work together under an anonymous boss. Over time, they learn that the promise of riches isn't the only thing keeping the crew from falling apart. Inspirations and similar stories: guardians of the galaxy, cowboy bebop, wayfarers series, rogue one, oingo boingo's music (the entire dead man's party album) and 80's music in general.

If you'd like to be added to the tag list of any of these stories, let me know!

other blogs

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I have a side blog dedicated to my writing projects, @vesselserial Here, you can read more information about VESSEL and keep up with my progress. I also have a general blog / studyblr @dunedreamr, where I'll be posting my progress in completing my bachelor's degree (and future career pathways) as well as other interests that I have, like books, movies e.t.c.

star divider made by saradika on tumblr (linked)

last updated: July 16, 2024

#writeblr #writing community #writers of tumblr #writeblr introduction #writeblr intro #writing #wip introduction #wip intro #blog intro #own #my.writing #vessel #p.snakeoil #p.vessel #p.roguefrontier

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iridescentoracle · 7 months ago

Text

The Klavier Problems Post

so. i talked about a bunch of things in that post i made earlier about how to fix apollo justice (the game though also the character) including all the little things i would do but the two big changes i think are needed to fundamentally fix this game are 1) making apollo’s inscrutable asshole mentor a separate character from phoenix wright 2) make klavier gavin an actual goddamn person.

and i talked about #1 at length last time, so here’s the post about #2.

so, klavier gavin. i keep trying to come up with metaphors that don’t feel too clunky to actually use in a sentence and not being satisfied but to me he is several pieces of cardboard lovingly painted and assembled to make roughly half the shape of a person, held together by three staples and a prayer. what’s there is great! it’s just. not an entire character.

conceptually he’s fantastic. an actually nice and helpful prosecutor? WILD. absolute galaxy brain development. who knew you could have one of those. an apparently nice and helpful prosecutor who has ties to the game’s main villain and so might be playing the long game, leaving the audience and potentially protagonist suspicious and unsettled the whole time, only to eventually prove himself genuinely a good person when things get desperate? excellent twisty fun, and provides obvious and delightful room for things to get interesting and complex.

and even in practice, there’s parts of that that are genuinely executed well! there’s at least a half-dozen points over the course of 4-2 and 4-3 where he clearly knows what’s really going on and gives apollo the opportunity to figure it out/prove it when he could’ve just gone for an easy win. he actually plays way more fair than literally any other prosecutor so far up to and including edgeworth in the matt engarde case! he’s way more forthcoming with info during investigation segments than anyone else would’ve been, both directly and by providing access to crime scenes apollo was otherwise blocked from, and i swear during the first trial especially he, like, hand-fed apollo the win. that’s FASCINATING and so so different from anything we’ve seen before, i love it.

the problem is… kind of the everything else? or like, that there isn’t anything else. he’s set up to be this massively complex character who actually has by far the most difficult/horrible time over the course of the game, and the writers just… forgot to actually put the complexity in.

he’s got all the pieces of an amazing character—this consummate performer who’s always putting on a show, perpetually performing who he wants to be and how he wants his audience to see him, hiding his true feelings from everyone around him, that’s great, that’s always a good time. someone genuinely good-hearted and honest who truly believes in justice and doing the right thing and playing fair so sincerely and completely that they can’t even see that the people they love are secretly evil? again, that’s great! i love that! that’s so compelling!!

but like. [padme amidala meme voice] okay so he’s a consummate performer who hides all his feelings. he does have actual feelings, though, right? okay so he’s genuinely sincerely good and honest and kind and would pick justice and truth over letting his loved ones get away with murder if forced to make that choice? again, he does have feelings about that, though, right? that’s not an easy choice to make?

and while i do love the introduction of a prosecutor who plays fair and is nice and friendly instead of [literally every other prosecutor in the entire series both before and after this game], it’s really fucking weird how chill he is about interacting with apollo and trucy. like. really fucking weird. why are they all so normal about each other? why is klavier so chill about helping his brother’s ex-employee who proved his brother was a murderer and the daughter of the man his brother framed for said murder? like. even if he’s all Professional™ to the point of managing to hide whatever he must be feeling just about his brother being a convicted murderer, how how HOW is he so normal whenever he’s interacting with apollo and trucy. it’s WEIRD it should be SO WEIRD where is the tension??

even more weirdly, why isn’t apollo weird about interacting with klavier gavin, in turn? even if we want to assume klavier is Just That Good at maintaining his persona, apollo is not a professional musician and doesn’t seem like a very good actor. he should feel extremely weird about this guy and he just… does not seem to. for that matter, trucy should feel weird too! that doesn’t need to be something the game actually digs into, it could be implied in passing that she’s also doing the performance thing and hiding all her actual emotions in favor of showing a carefully crafted persona to the world and that she only shows what she’s actually feeling to phoenix, in private, but NOPE not even vague implications in that direction really, she’s just. actually totally normal around klavier gavin and is a huge fan of the gavinners somehow??

but the weirdness (or rather, baffling lack thereof) doesn’t end with apollo and trucy.

again, not wanting to talk about/show how he feels about his brother for most of the game totally makes sense, he’s a consummate performer with a well-practiced facade etc etc, he isn’t even in 4-1 so by the time we meet him he’s already had time to practice being His Normal Professional Self. he’s got this. in my hypothetical rewrite he’s got this slightly less around apollo and trucy specifically because of their very specific personal connections but if we hear him talking to ema or to other people he’s definitely got this.

but in canon he literally finds out during a trial that one of his bandmates/good friends is also a murderer and a smuggler and was the one responsible for setting his guitar on fire which he was SUPER upset about earlier in the case, and his reaction to daryan’s confession is… playing air guitar and saying “you’re not in the band anymore btw.” there’s a couple minutes in the last case where he’s like “oh shit my brother committed a LOT more crimes than i thought actually” before he goes back to not caring. like, setting aside his expression bc limited number of sprites etc etc, based specifically on the actual dialogue he’s clearly distressed about the possibility of kristoph having been responsible for poisoning vera, apollo openly says “but you clearly think it is possible,” and then klavier is like “eh fuck it, i knew something awful was going on, yeah let’s make my brother testify” and… that’s it. air guitar time. kristoph spends half his time on the stand insulting/manipulating klavier/attempting to undermine klavier’s confidence in himself and it’s clearly working! until suddenly klavier’s like “haha yeah no it’s all good.” in the credits scene he compares the trial in which he found out his brother had attempted to kill at least three different people and he himself was partially complicit in kristoph being convicted, positively, to a rock concert.

like. there’s maintaining a professional facade and then there’s that.

he deserves to be so goddamn compelling. but like. in practice he’s not even a person. why doesn’t he CARE. why doesn’t he care kristoph is a murderer. why doesn’t he care apollo proved it. why doesn’t he care daryan is a murderer. why doesn’t he care kristoph is a murderer again, and also forged evidence and used klavier to ruin someone’s career and presumably would’ve used the forged evidence himself to win under false pretenses in klavier’s first case if he had the chance and and and. why doesn’t he care in the next game that his mentor got murdered. let him be a person with interiority i am begging.

but like. this is what i keep coming back to. i could fix it. i could fix him. not in the “oh i could fix him” generally-dating-related sense. more like the opposite of that actually. i could make him psychologically MUCH worse. but as a character he would actually be good.

it should’ve been such an amazing dramatic reveal/twist in the last case when the scope of kristoph gavin’s crimes begin to be revealed and klavier stays true. all game, he’s too nice and too helpful and apollo and trucy feel more than a little awkward interacting with him even though he’s always perfectly polite to them despite little hints of something darker underneath, moments when his perfect facade falters. he should keep apollo/the player off balance and unsure what to think of him, and we should suspect that he’s just as bad as kristoph but playing the long game even better.

and we get to the final case and realize kristoph gavin has been behind everything and at first klavier acts like he doesn’t believe it, and we brace ourselves for klavier to show his true colors and push the judge to end cross-examination and let kristoph get off scot-free even though we know he’s behind everything and we know klavier knows—

and then he doesn’t.

he hasn’t known all along, he wasn’t in on it, he’d adamantly repressed any suspicions he’d had all those years—so the gradual reveal that kristoph was behind everything is completely devastating, not least because he has to learn and process it all on the stand in front of everyone (not least both apollo and kristoph himself), and so the evidence builds, and finally, klavier has a whole entire breakdown of his own, that’s if anything longer and more dramatic than kristoph’s

and then he collects himself, and he apologizes, and he helps us win the case.

that would be

so goddamn compelling

and i genuinely don’t understand why that’s not what the game gave us. we were so close to getting that, why did he just brush it off? why didn’t he care?

so in the secret good version in my head, that’s what happens.

there should be differences in how he’s written outside the courtroom, too, though. like i said before, in canon, apollo-and-klavier and trucy-and-klavier should feel extremely fucking weird about interacting with each other and be varying levels of good at hiding it but none of them should be perfect, and i think it’s a major writing/characterization flaw that none of that is true. in this version, though, the situation is a little different: trucy could still potentially be a little weird around klavier gavin bc he’s kind of part of why her original dad abandoned her (and vice versa), but she doesn’t actually have to be.

because here’s the thing: in this au, klavier hasn’t done anything to phoenix at all except (if he didn’t take the whole seven years off for his band—which, given that he did still get someone disbarred thanks to his brother’s tip and probably still had weird feelings to repress about that, he might have!) potentially face him sometimes in court (where, as in canon, he’s an entirely fair and reasonable opponent who doesn’t resort to anything beyond lighthearted insults and is an extremely graceful loser, and in general is an absolutely delightful change of pace from the paynes or who-have-you), and while he is part of why trucy’s original dad left, that was as much (as far as she knows) the fault of shadi’s defense attorney for forging evidence instead of proving him innocent fair and square, and if her dad had actually cared he could’ve come back for her eventually, so while she probably isn’t sure about klavier right at first regardless, i think it would be plausible for her to not have any sort of a grudge by the time the game actually happens?

conversely, though, if phoenix stays a defense attorney he and edgeworth definitely get married within, like, a year, tops. so while trucy might not be weird about klavier, at least by the time the plot of the game kicks off, he’s kind of nervous around her, just like. not bc of the zak gramarye trial. because one of her dads is his boss.

but then that just makes any conversation trucy-and-apollo have with klavier that much more fun bc as far as trucy’s concerned, here’s that cool prosecutor who’s one of the nicest people she knows from her dads’ jobs! while klavier is slightly terrified but in a normal polite kind of way, and meanwhile trucy and apollo have their canon pseudo-siblings-because-they-don’t-know-they’re-biological-siblings dynamic, and finally klavier and apollo interacting is every bit as fucked up and tense as they should be about each other in canon bc oh my god you’re why my brother was exposed as a murderer and got sent to jail / oh god you’re my evil ex-boss’s younger brother, and how the hell do you talk to someone like that? because that’s what their dynamic should have been in canon and frankly we were robbed

nyquildriver: klavier being polite and helpful but obviously taken off guard frequently by these two would be so entertaining nyquildriver: it gives us the tension that we want while not being like, bizarre about it and resorting to like. flirtation? that feels weirdly like pandering nyquildriver: although klavier disguising his uneasiness with flirtation? that would be an interesting choice iridescentoracle: YES i actually love the idea of klavier flirting reflexively as like. a defense mechanism. when he’s stressed and doesn’t know how to respond he leans harder into the rockstar persona which includes flirting with everyone whether he remotely means it or not. it fits into what we do see of klavier in canon so well but like. turns him into more of a real person?

nyquildriver: honestly the pieces are there! they just didn't arrange them into a complete picture of a person, argh nyquildriver: after their first meeting apollo: what the fuck was that trucy: was he… into you? apollo: I don't think he was, which is why that was weird as hell??? nyquildriver: trucy's favorite running joke now is klavier flirting with apollo like he's a fan nyquildriver: she buys gavinners merch to plant on apollo/his things on the off chance that klavier sees it because the reaction should be hysterical nyquildriver: and that is worth giving up her allowance for however many years

iridescentoracle: god. and the like, deeply comedic irony that of literally everyone in the world who he could have this awkward and specific a relationship with, it just happens to be the one guy who can tell he absolutely does not actually mean the flirting and is perpetually accompanied by his sister who can also tell iridescentoracle: like, if apollo was ANYONE ELSE he might be able to actually pull off using Flirty Rockstar Klavier Gavin as a façade to get through interactions convincingly normally. but unfortunately, nyquildriver: and it would be a great way to keep the player off guard and suspicious of him too!

#aa tag #ace attorney #AA4 #character: klavier gavin #this was originally going to be all one post but at some point i realized this was like a solid 40% of the post and that just felt silly #so parts 1 & 2 it was!#also nyquildriver & i aren't actually opposed to klavier/apollo as a ship categorically despite the exchange at the end #we just find their canon dynamic bafflingly flat & only sometimes fleshed out in fic in ways are actually convincing?#and like. come on. tell me this hypothetical dynamic isn't hilarious #aa posts #aj rewrite tag

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