#but that's also interesting because typically a lack of agency for your character is not.. a good thing

[flythesail]

The way Osha chooses to be a Jedi as a child and still has that choice situationally stripped from her due to the Jedi's actions hmmmmmmmmm.........

[wellofdean]

I wanted to make a separate pose to big up these excellent tags on this post about how a show can be about misogyny when it's about men from @deangirlism101 :

#by virtue of watching the show long after it stopped airing and after years of exposure to the fandom#I've experienced a very interesting phenomenon wherein i went in expecting a very straightforward male fantasy#specifically in regards to dean#and was continuously surprised by how dean was around women who were actual characters and not caricatures#with caricatures of women dean also becomes a caricature of a womanizer#but with woman characters? with victims and friends?#dean is constantly paternal/brotherly#endlessly protective and respectful#in fact dean's utter lack of sexualization of the complex women around him in the first few seasons#kind of had me thinking he might just be straightforward gay#additionally it's interesting to point out that dean is the only one of the three winchesters who does not have a#''symbolic woman'' that drives his narrative#i.e. of the three winchesters he is the one who engages with the women around him as people and not someTHING to give him ''purpose''#which ties pretty well into his own role in his family being a typically femenine one#john endlessly relies on dean to serve the role of his mother yet he resents him when he does it so naturally#which from a queer lense is pretty much spelling out ''john can't put his finger on it but something (queerness) about dean bothers him''#anyways it just surprises me how#the fandom has perpetuated this image of the characters#and how#ironically#that image is the exact caricature dean so obviously puts on and we so obviously are supposed to KNOW he puts on

Some really nice points here, and bang on target:

Dean is not called to his adventure/journey because a symbolic woman dies like John and Sam are; he is put upon it by his father and his own sense of responsibility and love before he has the agency to choose. He wants his father's approval, his brother's love, and he wants not to be alone in a world of monsters...and...is HE a monster? A killer? Is everything his fault?

John resents Dean because what he needs from Dean (obedience, domestic work, emotional labour) is feminine. It's what women are for. Dean internalizes that resentment. Sam defies John and is driven by his own losses, and John can respect that, but Dean becomes the family repository of what they've lost. Dean is the eldest daughter who can never do enough.

John has chosen to abandon normal life and live on the fringes to pursue his revenge quest, and Sam is fighting to get back to the center -- left his family, hot girlfriend, Stanford Law, credit in the straight world, friends. But Dean? He has accepted that he will never be normal. He has accepted that he will always be a lonely, liminal weirdo who knows something terrible about the world that most people are spared from knowing.

Like:

If you leave Supernatural season 1 without realising that everything Dean pretends to be is pretty much the opposite of what he is, then you are not watching it right, full stop. The Dean Winchester he pretends to be is a character invented by a terrified, homeless, wounded little boy who doesn't know how else to protect himself.

Second, if you can't see how totally fucking queer all that is, I CAN'T HELP YOU. And,

you cannot hit that many nails on the head without knowing where you're swinging your hammer, and in conclusion, Dean was always deeply queered, and that was in the DNA of his character.

The truth is, that Dean is a very cohesive character. He is written and performed beautifully, and with intention. He is not an accident, he is an artistic creation, and he is excellently drawn. I am not "giving the writers too much credit", I am taking an Occam's Razor-type view of it, and coming up with the simplest explanation for what I see on the screen.

That said, if by some insane magic trick they managed to make Dean this queer by accident? It doesn't matter what they intended, because THE TEXT IS WHAT IT IS. I don't need the permission of the authors to see a church by daylight, and Dean is THAT OBVIOUS.

[imbecominggayer]

Signs You Have Written An Actual Mary Sue

*Insert SIREN NOISE As Writer Has Just Said "Mary Sue"* whoop

For the sake of clarity, I'm going to be using the term "Mary Sue" as a catchall term for characters that lack important flaws. I understand that the term is often disproportionally used against female characters but I want to use a recognizeable term for this issue.

Also, this advice is for "serious works of fiction". If this story isn't intended to be critically viewed by anyone else and is just meant for fun, write Mary Sue.

Okay? Ok!

What Is A Mary Sue?

A "Mary Sue" is a character who is defined by their inhumaness as they lack flaws and consequences. And that is the key term that defines the Mary Sue: "consequences".

The Mary Sue has the impressive ability to bend reality to serve it's own needs. Like a parasite!

But let's get to some specific signs

A: They Lack Substantial Flaws

"Substantial", in the world of writing, means "of plot significance"

Mary Sue often has flaws but they are either:

Fake Flaws that are never shown to the audience such as a character who is a horrible cook who never cooks

Cute Flaws that never impede on a character's likeability and success. Their anger issues never lead to bad impulsive decisions. Their naivety never loses it's "charm"

Substantial flaws are flaws that actively hurt a character's chances at getting their goal while simultaneously ruining the character's life.

Compelling Characters are tempted by vices, have their morals tested, fail spectacularly, and make bad decisions.

Mary Sues are enlightened characters whose bad decisions tend to be portrayed as a natural intuition. A character who never fails meaningfully.

p.s: flaws should be dark reflections of their good qualities. determined=stubborn. idealism=savior complex

B: They Lack Agency

Mary Sue, despite their wealth of charm and attractiveness, never makes active decisions.

They never make active decisions because Mary Sue is a character who is so perfect they have no desire, goal, or lack of something. Afterall, if someone has the ability to get anything they want, why would they want?

Mary Sue never has to change anything about themself to get a goal because they neither have imperfections or goals.

Instead, the plot comes racing at them as conspiracies, mysterious love interests, and practically God herself, desperately try to involve this mediocre individual in the drama for some reason!

As I have mentioned in my: Writing Advice: Give Your Characters Agency, characters need to have agency in order to have a compelling character and plot since narratives are based on the question "what is this character willing to do to get their goal"!

Mary Sue don't need to ponder this question since they don't have a goal. They either passively hope to survive while not doing anything active in order to try and survive or they just kinda walk around.

C: They Bend The Rules Of Reality

But not in a cool way. Like more of a bully kinda way.

I'll give you some quick examples of what types of "bending reality" exist since it kind of depends on the plot!

a: "Character A is not conventionally attractive, doesn't practice self-care, insults other, has a HUGE superiority complex, and is obnoxious. Yet for some reason, several characters crush on them when there’s no redeeming qualities."

b: "Character B fails to do something but it's okay because that failure allowed them to succeed and they actually end up winning overall"

For A: Basically, Mary Sue changes the character settings of other characters and often forces them outside of their typical behavior while not simultaneously providing a reasonable explanation for hy this happens.

For B: The plot caters exactly to their needs. Like even mistakes play out as victories because the plot develops in the direction making them being right in the end. Mary Sue doesn't get pushed by the plot here. They are the plot

[ecto42]

I think in D&D terms the typical assumption would be that a character with a chronic illness and/or chronic pain would have a low constitution score. The reality is a lot of people like myself would probably have constitution as our biggest stat because not only are we constantly staying up while fighting our bodies, we’re generally expected to ignore our own physical needs and wellbeing in exchange for being able to get things done. For example, I have been fully in the middle of a POTS episode and had to cook myself dinner, carry multiple loads of laundry up and down the stairs, etc. Like there’s such a real thing to Ashton Greymoore having chronic pain and yet their highest stat being Constitution.

I think something people are really good at acknowledging for Ashton as well as being apparent with Taliesin is that chronic illness generally means you’re stronger than people would assume, but you also blow through your resources faster and they can be just as counterproductive as they are helpful. It’s important to note that Taliesin struggles with chronic issues like hand tremors and has other chronically disabled friends like Dani Carr.

Like personally as an AMAB person with a condition that primarily hits AFAB people particularly hard, I’ve had cardiologists tell me “If anything your heart is overly muscular.” Which like, thanks dude yeah that’s decades of anxiety and years of POTS hitting and me having to stay standing up. Like I was in marching band in high school and I was the kid basically double-time marching in giant steps every show because I was the easiest to place since I’m so tall. Then when I worked fast food I had to either maneuver through hoardes of people to get back to my station or just push through them completely. In 90+ degree weather in the summer in Alabama with an anxiety disorder and a “heart condition” that’s actually just another neurological condition. Like I spent years doing manual labor and unloading trucks and pallets while exhausted on like 3 hours of sleep. You have to develop that kind of resilience when the capitalist system reinforces a world where no matter what if you want to survive as a person straddling the poverty line you have to work your ass off.

This doesn’t even get into the kind of resiliency you have to develop as an undiagnosed neurodivergent person who’s being told by absolutely everyone for most of your life that you’re doing everything wrong. Like Adaine from Dimension 20 is such a good example of that. This is also why I love the portrayal of Ayda Aguefort so much, because she really is like me having to learn everything from books because no one else in her life can explain things the same way that a book can. That is one of those things that as a late diagnosed autistic & ADHDer it’s really hard to explain personally without getting really like tragic or depressing in conversation because it sometimes is just a matter of “I’ve effectively been abused my entire life purely because the system wasn’t built for me and I had a lot of expectations I failed to live up to.”

All of this as a way to say that neurodiversity and disability are much more interesting and heroic feeling when they are portrayed by actually neurodiverse and disabled people, as well as those who love those people enough to tell stories that include them. I think TRRPGs and RPGs in general are a great way to explore this. Often times when we see disabled people in shows or movies that revolve around their disability there is a lack of agency, whereas often times with TTRPGs you have to create your own agency in the first place.

[blindbeta]

Ok i don’t know if you’re doing asks right now but I’d honestly like to ask about a character in a murder mystery/fantasy story I have and I’m not sure if they align with any negative blind stereotypes or if it’s something I should avoid altogether even if it’s not a stereotype.

To start, my character (let’s call him B) has JOAG (juvenile open angle glaucoma) and has tunnel vision. He also relies on a cane and braille. He also takes medication for his condition ( I was thinking carbonic anhydrase inhibitors or beta blockers but I still need to dig deeper into that.)

I was thinking of having a blind main character (and blind side characters too). He has a tsundere/ojo-sama personality (rude on the outside, sweet on the inside type of guy) and water powers. I know that there is a bit of a pattern with rude or defensive blind characters and I feel unsure about whether or not I should add that into my story. I thought of him being apprehensive of one of the other main characters because he doesn’t know them personally and isn’t a huge fan of change. He slowly warms up to the other character but he struggles to do so. He helps the rest of the other characters in solving the mysteries and tries to think as logically as he can but sometimes his bias slips in every now and then.

Onto his powers, I was thinking of him having the ability to control water. I was also think about having him have an interest in potion-making and his spell books being written in mostly braille because he relays on braille the most.

He has a few hobbies and interests such as going on picnics, siren singing/just singing in general, drinking tea and organizing his stuff. (Apologies if this is a lot, I love rambling about my characters lol).

That’s all I have for this character at the moment. I hope nothing in this ask was offensive or anything. You don’t have to answer this if something in this post came off as rude or offensive. Thank you for your time!!!

Avoiding Rude or Defensive Blind Characters— Explore It and Add More Blind Characters to Show Different Personalities

It sounds like everything is in order right now. The only concern I have is addressing the rude/defensive thing you brought up.

I’ll admit, I actually enjoy this type of blind character. It falls a bit into Disabled Snarker trope, which I love. I feel these characters tend to be viewed as having more agency than blind people are typically believed to possess.

It also allows us a bit of fantasy escapism.

Typically, blind people aren’t allowed to express the level of snark that these characters are. This is because we are expected to lack desires of our own, be excessively passive, and to not complain even when we are wronged. An example of this would be blind people being told they did something incorrectly when they are denied services, or were ungrateful when refuse help they don’t need.

Here is a video where Sadi on Tiktok laments her rideshare troubles caused by bigoted drivers. Link here.

Here is one where she discusses being grabbed by a stranger. Link here. And another where she expresses her frustration with the dismissal she faces when she speaks about being treated inappropriately. Link here.

Here is one by Tobes, who describes accidentally running into cars that are parked on the sidewalk and being scolded for it despite that fact he had no reason to believe a car would be parked that way. Link here.

We are often considered rude because of ableism. Additionally, we often have to be stern and stubborn just to get through the day and this can be perceived as rude by others.

You could have him use this attitude in areas other than blindness or only when provoked in an obvious way. Having a cool attitude that others find intimidating or unapproachable might be a way to go about this.

Or he could still put someone in their place for being ableist and this actually might be a refreshing fantasy for a lot us who can’t always call out ableism the way we want to. To me, people are going to think blind people are rude no matter what we do. This means most of us, especially those of us marginalized in multiple ways, are forced to police our tone or reactions in frustrating ways, even when someone is being harmful toward us or openly oppressive.

Sometimes it’s fun to see a blind character who responds in a way that is proportional to the ableism being directed at them.

I am not sure if you can go against this stereotype one your own, because again, some people will see blind people as rude no matter what. This is in direct opposition to the idea that blind people are all innocent beings without agency. These two opposing stereotypes of blind people are very strong and I know from experience that it is difficult not to be put into one of these boxes. He may deliberately display an aggressive attitude in an attempt to gain some agency over how he is perceived. Conversely, he might be defensive or rude about everything, while being chill about blindness stuff or even ableist attitudes. Instead, he could become colder, distant, or emotionally cut the ableist person off. He could also be like Toph and react to personal or structural ableism with jokes.

Basically, it’s good to be concerned about this, but I think commenting on/exploring it would be a better option. Subverting the trope is also challenging because it might accidentally cause him to be put into another box. Therefore, it might be more helpful to explore it for him personally, giving him more depth and challenging the idea that all blind people are naturally rude for “no reason. [Quotes around “no reason” to indicate sarcasm.]

Personally, I want to see blind characters having agency, depth, a community, and using mobility aids and blindness techniques. So I’m okay with this. The story might still benefit from a sensitivity reader or two though, and I’d love to read it myself. You can also try @sensitivityreaders

Lastly, having other blind characters would help challenge any stereotypes readers might have. In addition to showing his sweet side mentioned in the ask. Sorry I couldn’t give you a yes or no answer on this topic, but my personal go-to fix for stereotypes is always to show more blind characters. This allows you to show off more personality types of experiences around blindness.

Also JOAG can be painful if not caught early or managed properly. You seem to have done a good job of showing treatment options and different conditions. There will be a lot of medical stuff in his future/present, which means he has experience advocating for himself. This could also help explain why his attitude might seem rude or defensive to abled characters, in addition to the Rude Blind Person stereotype.

If any other blind or disabled folks have thoughts or suggestions, please share.

In closing, I don’t have any concerns with his powers. Also points for cane use!

Some parts of this ask might be relevant as well. Link here.

Hope this helps.

-BlindBeta

[guardianspirits13]

Ok now for a list of things that I'm kind of iffy about or wish they had kept from the books. It's worth noting that I can't think of a single show exclusive scene they added that I did not like, and most of the changes were integrated flawlessly.

Starting out, the pacing. I'm hoping this gets better with time, especially given that the second episode has much more time to breathe. The whole first episode felt a little cramped, and some of the exposition felt a bit... exposition-y. I don' t think there is much they could have done to get around this though so I'm not gonna dwell on it.

As a fan of the series, I love how they introduced the structure and function of the PJO world with the intro, but I think the jump from "Percy sees things" to "everything is all real" felt a bit abrupt. I am curious what first time fans think about this, and again the first episode covers a lot more ground page-wise than ep 2.

Manchild Gabe... I am not sure how I feel about this. In the books he seemed downright threatening and even with Percy's 12yo bravado, he was still an intimidating figure. His bickering with Sally seemed more like your typical dysfunctional relationship than a power imbalance... both can be harmful in their own way, but I'm still undecided on how much giving Sally a bit more agency in her relationship with him effects the larger story. The whole "not all monsters look like monsters" thing works well in the books with Gabe, but I guess they were redirecting it to foreshadow Luke's betrayal? I'm not sure.

...which brings me to Sally. I was unsure about the casting, but she has earned her stay to me. I always imagined her as a bit more subdued, especially with the more intense iterations of Gabe. She's kind and gentle and has a rebellious streak, but as worried as she might be for Percy she hides it inside of herself. I think her being a bit more expressive as a character works in this setting though, especially since we aren't seeing her through Percy's kid colored lenses. She feels a bit less like the perfect, kind, and understanding mother Percy sees, and a bit more like a real-life single mother trying to keep some of that childhood wonder alive despite everything. She does seem younger than I would have expected, but that's a nitpick on my end. I think she is one character that I will always have a separate book/show counterpart for in my mind.

Ok. Now for Clarisse. Out of all the characters I was skeptic about, I think she's the only one who didn't win me over. This is a writing issue, nothing at all to do with the actress. She was characterized more as a 'queen bee' type mean girl than a bully who picks fights just to feel worthy of her father's approval. She would be better fit for a vindictive daughter of Aphrodite than a daughter of Ares. My mind might be changed in the future but we got most of her scenes in these first two episodes so I'm doubtful. The one moment that had potential was when Percy broke her spear, but the Clarisse I know would not back off just because there is an audience.

There was no hellhound... I was kinda looking forward to it, and it does emphasize that even camp isn't really safe for Percy and is a catalyst for both his quest and the idea that there is a traitor. I can kind of see why the cut it for thematic purposes so Percy feels safe for once in his life, but that's only if I squint.

The scene cuts. I know, I know they're supposed to mimic book chapters. I get it. But it just doesn't work for me, it feels like there's a lack of establishing shots and the black screen is long enough you think the tv is buffering. It's an interesting idea in concept, but the execution falls flat.

OH also as far as things that were missing- the 3 fates. I know this is in the show since it was in the trailers, but I'm curious as to where they're gonna put it now.

Anyways minor nitpicks aside these two episodes were an emotional roller coaster and absolute masterpieces of television cinema.

[cherryys]

different anon but I agree with your assessment of the megumi finds out about his father subplot and it being a bad set up, and personally, I've never expected megumi to have any of those typical dad feelings like loving him in reality or hating gojo for it, but I did think the reveal could have been used as a gateway into megumi's feelings surrounding his father, the sale to the zenins, his position in the jujutsu world all that HE knows and just fleshing out that part of his character along with how he feels about gojo doing it even if those feelings aren't typical, but atp I think gojo should have just blurted it out when he was younger and just move on from there (just a glimpse into how megumi felt as a child after gojo came and went would've went hard lol) neither gojo or megumi seem like the types to share all of that in a conversation imo but I think their dynamic was done a disservice considering how unique their situation was with each other (mgm contracted when he was way younger than most, his dad fucked up the "strongest" not just physically, gojo probably being the only adult figure in his life is kind of crazy, etc) like it's funny and fucked at the same time that he can laugh at the absurdity of gojo's letter and his lack of interest in his dad despite being affected by his absence could be an interesting thing to expand on that sort of subverts expectations but that may be out of gege's interest #sad

I personally don't believe it has to serve a higher purpose in the story, and I do think gege's characters suffer a bit from a lack of fleshing out

ive talked about this in length in multiple posts but the biggest problem with how Megumi is handled is that we don't really get anything substantial about him in specific moments.

sure, we're given building blocks like in CH. 9 or CH. 58 about his mindset and ideals, but we're never really told how he feels in crucial moments, so it just makes him a surface-level character sometimes. his feelings about his dad could be inferred, but they're never really said out loud or explored upon. like you could probably say he feels abandoned by him, and he's hurt over that, and he carried that hurt and guilt throughout his entire life, and it might be true, but it's never acknowledged neither by the story nor by him. People sometimes say Megumi truly doesn't care about his dad and unfortunately the story reaffirms that view even when you see small, small glimpses of that abandonment seeping through his character. but it's just that. small glimpses. it's never elaborated on or explored.

his feelings to being sold to this shitty place, practically being defined by his technique since a young age, and given no agency on his life, are never explored, either. sure, we see a glimpse of it 266, and how he only wanted a simple life, but couldn't do that because of his Technique, but then it's never really explored beyond that, either. his relationship with his Technique is also something that should be elaborated on, since it defines him and you see him struggling with it and struggling with his self-worth relating to it, but he's never given closure on it, either.

and (arguably) the most debated topic about jjk apart from the sukuna v gojo fight, his feelings towards gojo. they could be assumed, but their relationship isn't explored beyond a surface-level statement or two thrown around, because we're never truly told what he feels about gojo, actually feels about him, not just "benefactor". compare that to something like yuuta and gojo, whose relationship had an entire movie dedicated to it. you know clearly what yuuta's feelings towards gojo are, and what gojo's feelings towards yuuta are. but you don't have that for megumi, who arguably should've been more important since, y'know, he's the deuteragonist, but instead we're given nothing. This letter could've been the best time to get megumi to talk about how he actually feels about gojo for once, but instead he just laughs. and it would've been great if I knew what the hell the laugh meant. is it about the fact gojo bothered to leave a note? about how ridiculous it is? about the info that his dad is dead? or is he laughing bc it seems so insignificant now compared to all that happened in shinjuku??? I don't know. gege silences megumi in what are supposed to be his most important moments. make him express any sort of feelings for once. this isn't even a criticism on megumi's naturally cold attitude, because despite it he does talk about his feelings (CH.9) but he's never given the space to express anything. in fact, he's never given the space to actually process anything that happens to him.

gojo could've literally told megumi right then and there when he was 6 that he killed him and it wouldn't have changed a single thing, but instead gege kept this plot point going as if it'll have any sort of payoff. (it didn't.)

and my biggest gripe so far, right now, after the showdown. his behavior is irritating me to no end. He literally went through the worst time of his entire life, his sister is dead, mentor is dead, his friends were hurt trying to save him, and he looks as if he just woke up from a nap. he doesn't process anything that happened to him in the showdown, nor do we see him do so. it's as if it didn't even happen. as if him getting posessed didn't even matter, when it in fact flipped his world upside down. and I'm like, okay, what was the point of getting him posessed then if he won't gain anything from it?? that's the problem, gege never lets him express his emotions or actually feel them. like, tsumiki's death had such a profound effect on his soul, yet we are never shown what he actually feels about her or about her death, and by actually feels, I don't mean the obvious grief, but like, actually process her death. that post-battle scene would've been the perfect time for him to finally talk about how he feels towards tsumiki's death when he's given the time and space to process it it rather than in the bath when he was forced to drown in his own grief without ever coming to terms with it, but it's as if it didn't even happen. that time could've also been used for him to express how he feels about gojo, or about his friends risking his lives for him, or hell, getting posessed. I want him to acknowledge that he literally had his autonomy and agency stolen away from him and that someone else piloted his body for a month like some sort of sick joke. but nope, it's never treated as if it's a thing that happened, they just shrug it off.

not to mention in 266. the chapter is about megumi, but it's not really about megumi, yknow? we are never shown what he actually felt in that month of being posessed, or how he felt when Yuuji finally said those words to him that made him resist the bath. yeah he fought back so obviously he chose to live, but also, what does that mean for him? what does he feel like in this moment? what did he feel like before? what did yuuji's words make him feel? gege sure as hell won't tell us.

I have many other gripes with the way megumi's character is treated but I feel like this is enough whining for one ask LOL sorry it got so long

[trainingdummyrabbit]

What do you think of aroace spectrum angela or like. any variant idk

REAL AND TRUE AND CORRECT. NOT TAKING ARGUMENTS AT THIS TIME <3

like. ok ive definitely spoken abt it offhand sometime before so im just going to use this opportunity to aimlessly ramble ok? ok. hyperfixation trap card.

like yeah theres the whole 'only having rep thats robots and aliens and etc' thing which is very much a fair and appropriate response, but also like. at a point you Do just kinda have to go 'Man Just Look At Her.'

i certainly couldnt say it as well as other folks, but... Man Just Look At Her. theres so many threads that are Literally Right There, its kinda hard Not to. id have to study again n cite my sources or whatever but also this is my house. ok.

like theres the obvious 'i see you as a friend' interaction with her and roland sometime mid-to-late ruina, which is. again. Its Right There. but its also the way she looks in lobcorp, and the instant she gets any agency she immediately veers in a completely different direction. (as a reclamation of self, as another small rebellion, as an exploration of how She would like to present herself and be seen)

its that interaction with xiao, her genuine confusion towards the concept of lovers, what they are, what makes it so different from any other sort of person. (as a jab towards her own isolation, the values she was made to uphold, her unfamiliarity towards cityfolk and the ways they carry themselves-- and that seeming contradiction of that affection vs. the way she was told cityfolk Work.)

angela, to me, feels like the type of character to simply Be. for lack of a better term. its a difficult concept to Describe in a way that makes sense, (despite me being, how do you say, In The Same Boat.) its something i could see her toss around out of curiosity, but honestly just... not really care for. she has things to do.

like... angela is just. a very cut and dry character, to put it in a way. she just kinda states things as they are, sometimes rather bluntly. its hard to elaborate because things simply Are. plain and simple, no need to fuss over it. and thats what this feels like itd be, yknow?

also iam just shrimply. forever an angela+roland qpr truther. tbh. like i dont know what the Hell those two have going on but you literally Cannot separate them. i hesitate to call it 'love,' because. well yes, but also no. but also kind of? but not quite. again, it just Is. they simply Are.

its one of those things that just feels Odd seeing her in any other context, in regards to romance or whatever. which is tied to a whole slew of other problems only tangentially related to the subject (shipping content bias, character simplification, and so on and so on,) but its just... man she would Not fucking say that. she would not Do that, she would not Act that way.

like i certainly believe it Is possible to have romantic interpretations with her, but its gonna be. Specific. with the way she carries herself, how she acts, and how she reacts to things. even with the romantic elements, itd still dip into aro experience territory, if you know what im saying. like whoever it is, this shit isnt going to fit into Roles and Archetypes, like how a lot of folks like to write ship content. for lack of a better descriptor, its gonna be Weird.

and thats honestly whats so frustrating about it! you Can have an interesting through-line and interpretation of that sort of thing, but a lot of the time whenever i (rarely) see it, its just... Typical Beauty Standards, Hot Secretary Lady, Scary Controlling Whatever the hell like... i hate t judge but cmon guys we can do so much better than that. ironically, wheres the Love? the respect for who she is, the curiosity on exploring that sort of thing with who she Is? guys come On...

which. grain of salt, because its not like i search out ship content, yknow. im not gonna speak like an authority for stumbling onto stuff sometimes. the fact that it isnt so popular and in-your-face is genuinely refreshing honestly, but. tangent.

anyway arospec angela agenda never sleeps and iam one of the strongest soldiers. the ace is Non Negotiable come back later with a warrant so i can Not Look At It. (<- this is a bit. (<- but im serious.)) thankyou. bows.

[toujokaname]

Card shuffle / Episode 15

Author: Akira

Characters: Tatsumi, AkanP, HiMERU, Rinne, Kohaku, Hiiro, Aira, Mayoi, Anzu, Niki

"Quit pickin' fights already... Might as well be chattin' up a brick wall, HiMERU-han."

← Previous ✧ Directory ✧ Next →

[ Read on my site for a better viewing experience using Ois~su ♪ ]

Season: Winter

Location: Café Cinnamon

Tatsumi: Hm. Well, it's certainly crucial to address issues promptly, but what exactly do you mean by "improvements"?

AkanP: Right. Umm, I'd rather have Anzu-chan, who seems to have been entrusted with the improvements by the agency, explain it, but...

Where did she wander off to? She mentioned not having much interaction with Crazy:B or ALKALOID, so maybe she's a bit shy?

HiMERU: Isn't it rather strange that AkanP can just boldly barge into an atmosphere resembling an informal drinking party?

Rinne: Akan-san, you sure dig this kinda upbeat vibe, huh? That's why, even though you're never on-site, you're always at the drinking parties. That's been a thing since way back.

HiMERU: Typical behavior from a useless person. And to think you get paid for it. Being a producer must be an easy gig, hm?

AkanP: Umm, let's see...? Ah, there she is! Anzu-chaaan, over here~♪

HiMERU: Tch... None of this sarcasm is getting through at all. Such convenient ears.

Kohaku: It's gettin' kinda funny now, but ain't it better to just give up? You'll just tire yourself out if ya keep pickin' fights, HiMERU-han.

Hiiro: Hehe. Thank you for working so late, Anzu-san.

Aira: Seriously... It's already bedtime for good kids, yaaawn...♪

Hiiro: You always seem sleepy after a performance, Aira.

Aira: If anything, it's weird how everyone stays so calm even after giving it their all in a performance... Matrix is a big deal, so I'm stressed and tired.

Hiiro: There, there... Do you want to rest on my lap?

Aira: ...Getting pampered by Hiro-kun would feel like admitting defeat, so I'll rest on Mayo-san's lap instead.

Mayoi: ...?! Thank you very much!

Tatsumi: Fufu. More importantly, Anzu-san, regarding your assignment to improve Matrix—could you elaborate on its specifics?

Honestly, even I'm getting fed up with the lack of explanations?

AkanP: Aah, please don't blame Anzu-chan, she's working so hard!

HiMERU: Indeed. Anzu-san is working harder than necessary, despite having no involvement in this affair. HiMERU offers you his condolences.

Hm, you say you're okay with it? Because you like your job? Goodness, how very convenient—

If you are too much of an accommodating good kid, wicked adults will exploit you.

HiMERU doesn't necessarily dislike such foolishness, however.

Tatsumi: Hm, hm... So, for the upcoming round, you plan to change the stage for Matrix?

"The showdown itself might get lackluster or become one-sided, potentially leading viewers to lose interest—"

"So, isn't that something we can add that might interest the viewers?" I see, it is a good improvement, isn't it?

Niki: What specifically are you gonna add, Nee-san? Are we gonna get different delicacies from around the world every time?

HiMERU: Won't that only interest gluttons like you, Shiina?

Kohaku: Ah, I might be interested too. It'd be fun to explore all the different foods from the outside ♪

HiMERU: Hehe. HiMERU also thought it was a wonderful idea ♪

Niki: You're blatantly reacting differently to me and Kohaku-chan?! That's discrimination, discrimination~!

Rinne: ...Actually, who says it matters more than what they say, doesn't it?

Niki: ? What're you talking about all of a sudden, Rinne-kun?

Rinne: Forget it. I haven't used my brain this much in a while, so I'm sleepy and accidentally blurted out gibberish.

Ehehe. I'm tired, so I'm gonna rest on Meru-san's lap~♪

HiMERU: HiMERU will kill you.

Aira: I'll help.

AkanP: Hehe. It's quite heartwarming to see you all getting along so well, but could you please keep it down a tad? Anzu-chan's voice is rather soft.

It'd be troublesome if you say afterwards that you didn't listen to the explanation, right?

HiMERU: Just to clarify, in your case, it wasn't because we didn't listen to the explanation, but rather, you didn't provide one.

Kohaku: Quit pickin' fights already... Might as well be chattin' up a brick wall, HiMERU-han.

Tatsumi: Fufu. Alright, apologies for getting sidetracked with small talk. But where precisely do you propose relocating the stage?

Considering the ease of attracting patrons, I believe the current ES setup is quite optimal—

AkanP: That's true. But, you know, after a whole year, everyone's gotten used to ES, so there's really no novelty anymore, right?

That's why, this time around, we decided to spice things up by choosing "that place" everyone's been curious about. ...Oh well, I guess I ended up explaining it after all.

Tatsumi: "That place" being...?

AkanP: The hometown of Rinne Amagi-kun and his little brother Hiiro-kun.

The colloquially named "Amagi Village" will be the stage for future Matrix matches.

[ ☆ ]

← Previous ✧ Directory ✧ Next →

[vampiremediareview]

Pardon Me, But Your Teeth Are in My Neck

The Fearless Vampire Killers, or Pardon Me, But Your Teeth Are in My Neck is a 1967 comedy horror movie directed by Roman Polanski. I first came to know about it through its musical adaption Dance of the Vampires, released in 1997.

The movie follows two bumbling vampire hunters in their pursuit of both knowledge and a human woman, Sarah, who's recieved the attention of the local vampiric Count von Krolock.

This movie hits all of the typical cornerstones of a vampire movie, right down to a mysterious vampire noble seducing an innocent young girl. The girl, Sarah, is honestly not as involved with the premise of the movie as I'd have personally liked, but I found Sharon Tate's performance as Sarah to be quite nice.

Though it is quite typical as far as vampire movies go, I found it's cinematography to be very interesting. The bleak sights of the winter forest around them creates an amazing sense of isolation and desperation. It creates a sense that they are truly alone and that they need to accomplish their goal in slaying von Krolock.

The Standouts

Sharon Tate's performance as Sarah is very good. It portrays the innocence of youth really well and her curiosity is nice as well. Her costume choice is beautiful and her acting in the final scene is entrancing. Ferdy Mayne's performance as Count von Krolock is nice as well. I especially enjoyed the scene where our two main characters were introduced to him... He has the aura of someone intimidating and dangerous, yet subdued. It was a little more subtle, but he seemed to have a way of lulling people in in different ways, such as when he offers Abronsius his library to use,

The opening credits are stylized in a beautiful way that had me captivated to watch more. The effects with the mirrors and the vampires' lack of reflections was breathtaking and amazing.

My Personal Take

It wasn't nearly as comedic or scary as I would have preferred. In trying to be both I find that is sometimes failing to be either. Abronsius is a little too bumbling for my tastes, though that might be a generational divide. I spent a lot of the movie, looking for symbolism in the plot and not finding much. I also found myself wishing that Sarah had more agency within the story, which leads us to our next section.

Dance of the Vampires

The version of this that I watched was the Berlin 2011 version on youtube (linked here). I primarily chose this one because of its subtitles. I wasn't sure what to make of it, but I did find myself enjoying it quite a bit.

One of the main positives for me to this version is the way that Sarah has more agency. Though she is invited by the Count to the ball, it is by her own decision that she joins him there. I also liked that Alfred and Sarah had a stronger relationship in this, perfectly exemplified in their duet with "Draußen ist Freiheit".

The effects in this musical are even more impressive to me given that it is live. It took me a moment to realize that Herbert did not have a reflection in "Wenn Liebe in dir Ist" and once I did, I couldn't help but gasp. The use of color symbolism also doesn't go unnoticed, especially in Sarah's red cape and shoes opposing her white dress.

It is by no means a perfect musical. The relationship between Magda and Chagal left me scratching my head... I wasn't sure what to make of it. "Die Unstillbare Gier" seemed to me strange. I wasn't sure if it was meant to humanize the Count or not. At some point, I decided to give up on reading too much into it and just enjoy the amazing singing, acting, and set design that they put on.

Overall

In conclusion, I do recommend both the movie and the musical to watch. I may have been a bit critical of them, but they were both genuinely enjoyable experiences. I'd say that they are better than the average vampire b-movie coming out today. If you are on the fence about watching it, I would say you should do so. Even if only for the amazing cinematography and atmosphere.

[definitelyunhingedagentphoenix]

Question, was talking with friends who also like ieytd so I thought I should also try and get your opinion, who do you think the phantom is? Like do think they are a whole new character, an already seen character, because I have my theory that the phantom could be V. Vitti, the top field agent whom we see in Ieytd 1 and 3, from portrait.

So I agree with you 100% and because I just put out a really long post on a different person's post I'm just going to copy and paste what I wrote there here under the cut so people who have already read it don't need to read it again. I totally forgot their name though when I wrote it so it is supposed to be V. Vitti

So my running theory at the moment is that dr. Zor is that person from the photographs in the office after you finish a mission in I expect you to die three. You know how there are five portraits on the wall and a missing space for the sixth one but then you find the sixth one in the plant on the other side of the room? Obviously that has to mean something right? And I can't remember their exact title but basically it's the top agent in the EOD.

In the third game during project KBOOM when Zor is addressing the agent they say something along the lines of "there's nothing in the agency worth saving. I would know." Which seems to allude to the fact that they have a more in-depth knowledge of the agency then someone who has always been opposing them. So what if they saw something during one of their missions as an EOD agent or were asked/told to do something that was truly despicable by the agency itself. After that they turned their back on the agency and left with a pretty sour taste in their mouth. Probably a deep hatred of the agency and all of the high ranking members that they had probably considered friends at some point.

I would even argue that they probably faked their own death to remain anonymous because at no point in time does Handler even speak about them let alone talk about them in a negative light. If the pain of the death was still hurting him he probably wouldn't bring it up. That would also kind of explain why that person's photo was still in the office and not in the trash can, but was not hung up either. Whoever was taking it down was probably doing so because that person was no longer with the agency but they were distraught about it. Then whatever happened to that particular headquarters, happened, and they just dropped the photo. Based on the moldy sandwich still sitting on the plate when we first arrived there before the opening song, it seems like everyone left in quite the hurry.

I could even paint a sadder picture here because imagine if the reason for all of that was that Dr. Zor showed up and killed all of the agents that were there. Maybe Dr. Zor, seeing themself still memorialized on that wall sent them into a rage and they threw the painting.

So then picture, a new agent arrives that at first seems like any typical agent that the EOD has. But then they do something remarkable. They kill commander Solaris and destroy the death engine. Performing extreme feats of both self-preservation and lack of self-preservation. No person in the right mind no matter the training would send themselves up in a commandeered space shuttle from their enemy in order to destroy something that they knew would get them killed. And at first it's just another agent gone and a failed mission for Zor.

But then Juniper later tells Zor that the agent has resurfaced. Ever one for the arts, he's already named them Agent Phoenix seeing as they have risen from the ashes. They are alive and once again performing amazing feats that no other agent (well... Other than Zor themself) have ever performed. That's when Zor begins to take a personal interest. They begin to follow the agent and see what makes them tick. That's why Zor wanted John Juniper to film the agent once they actually had them captured. It's not because they actually believed that the phoenix would die, even John Juniper didn't believe that Agent Phoenix was going to die there so why would Zor?

To put it simply, it's because they want Agent Phoenix to live. They want to see how they escape. They want to see how their mind works. Zor sees a potential in Agent Phoenix that people in the EOD used to see in them. A true ambition and drive to do what they believe is right. And not only that but the willingness to put themself on the line for that very goal, not caring what the consequences of their actions are as long as the greater good still benefits.

Zor knows that Agent Phoenix survives after the whole incident with John Juniper. It wasn't just the EOD that was looking for a body there. And Zor had a pretty solid gut feeling that Agent Phoenix would have survived regardless. When no body is discovered they know that Agent Phoenix will be back and where is the most likely place they'll go? A EOD safe house that's not too far from the Zoraxis building. The very same one where they threw away their own picture.

They get there and of course scope out the place to make sure that Agent Phoenix isn't currently in the building. Remarkably, they've healed from their injuries quite quickly and are already back on another case. A perfect time to set up a little scavenger hunt of sorts. A medal. One in every place that they know Agent Phoenix is about to be in. They give one to Roxana and tell her to hide it but not well enough that Agent Phoenix won't find it. Of course they don't actually tell her the reasoning behind it but they know Agent Phoenix will find it. They hide one in many places with little hints and clues on how to find them. Even in their underwater lab they make a little stencil that agent Phoenix could put on the chalkboard to find out the code that will BRING THEM THE MEDAL. Zor was even there very recently if their personal message to Agent Phoenix is anything to go by. Ollie has been down there long enough to run out of food, be starving, and not know that Zor was outed as a supervillain but there just so happens to be a tape labeled "Phoenix" that was recorded by Zor themself, referencing the Juniper incident? Ollie didn't bring all that down there. Zor was down there setting this all up.

In that same mission, we learn of the secret code symbols that Zor is using. When you collect all the phantom medals, what do you find? A set of gloves which are suspiciously gold (a colour that's associated with both the EOD and Zoraxis) and the letter addressed to the Phoenix once again that has the same encrypted symbols that once deciphered read "I expect you to live."

ZOR expects them to live.

Zor WANTS them to live.

Agent Phoenix isn't just an adversary that Zor finds amusing. They see potential. That's why the entire note reads:

It seems you're as good as they say, Phoenix. They used to say I was good, too. But I made a choice. And before they get you killed, I hope you realize you have the same choice: to die or to live.

I expect you to live.

Zor has lived through this before. THEY were the EOD's best agent and they made the choice to leave for one reason or another. They've seen something in the EOD that caused them to do what they've done. That's why there's "nothing in the agency worth saving" because they DO KNOW. They've seen the agency's true colours. And now that they've seen Agent Phoenix... They were kind of right. There's only ONE thing in the agency worth saving and that's Agent Phoenix.

My prediction is that we are going to meet Zor in the next game but they're going to be introduced to us as this other agent. Maybe Handler has caught word that this person is still alive and he sends us to get them back; not unlike what he expected us to do with Roxana in the first mission of 3. But the twist is that this person is Zor and they are trying to convince Phoenix that they should join them. That they belong in Zoraxis. Maybe they even belong as Zor's partner.

Side note. I bet those gloves that this mysterious phantom leaves for the Phoenix is the pair that the EOD gave them when they were promoted to their role as one of the top 6. That's why they left them there for Phoenix. And also explains their association with Gold. Not to mention that the EOD symbol is very present throughout Zoraxis. There are loads of EOD logo's hidden around. It's even on the flooring if you die on a mission in 3 which could just be there for show but considering every other item in the room is branded with the Zoraxis logo... It feels too suspicious.

[h-worksrambles]

Echo and player choice: Horror through powerlessness

I have so many thoughts about how Echo plays with player agency to subvert the expectations of a visual novel and add to its horror.

  When you start Echo you have little reason to see Chase as anything more than a typical player character. He has a defined personality and established ties to the cast and the town so he’s definitely not a blank slate protagonist. But you still get to make plenty of choices in the prologue. And ultimately, in typical dating-simulator fashion, you choose a character’s route to follow. So far it feels like you’re making choices as Chase that affect the story, and part of those choices is, eventually choosing which cute anthro guy (or girl) you’ll romance, and getting one of various endings.   But as you play through the routes things start to get a bit...weird. This start with the choices beginning to get sinister, or cryptic, often signified by a specific musical cue. And as the routes go on, we get more and more hints as to what’s really going on.    TJ’s route demonstrates how little control we the player have over Chase, our supposed player character, and also doubles as a commentary on the nature of player choice and romance in a dating sim. The game expects that you chose this route partly because you find TJ appealing as a character, so as Chase begins to show attraction to TJ, he and the player are essentially on the same page. But TJ doesn’t really reciprocate in any way other than friendship, and any tells that Chase picks up on are entirely innocent as far as TJ is concerned. Then Chase starts getting jealous (to the point of malicious) when Julian shows up, resulting in a ‘confession’ scene that looks like this.   

  Through this, Echo makes a commentary on how the mindset behind a dating sim is...kinda messed up. You use your player character, Chase, as a conduit for your own choices and wish fulfillment. And pursue the romantic interest of the route with single minded determination in a way that is kind of possessive. And you get to witness that as Chase’s behaviour gets more and more uncomfortable, and you relate to him less and less. This is also seen outside the romance in the overarching mystery of the letters from Sydney. Chase comes to his own conclusions about what’s really going on in the scavenger hunt, and intervenes in ways the player has no control over. Eventually he goes out to find the last clue, and replaces it with a different piece of paper, which we don’t see. Our player character is not just acting without us, but also witholding information from us. This culminates in the route’s ending, where Chase becomes a full fledged villain, murdering Flynn, manipulatively co-ercing TJ into keeping the secret. And this is the only outcome, the player’s choices don’t affect this ending. If you thought Chase was just a blank slate protag for your choices and TJ was the romantic ‘goal’, you are throughly proven wrong. Chase is a character, with a mind and goals of his own, and TJ’s lack of agency, and being objectified as a cute innocent love interest to be protected is the tragedy of the entire route. Here, Echo turns the fundamentals of a dating sim VN on their head to tell a horror story, all without ever explicitly breaking the fourth wall.

  Leo and Jenna’s routes throw another spanner in the works by introducing us to the ghost of Samuel Ayers...our actual player character. Yep, the whole time, you were not playing the character you thought you were. You control the ghost of Sam Ayers, a resident of the town who died years ago, and whose ghost has been possessing Chase ever since the day Sydney died. You control Sam, who is controlling Chase. You make decisions as Sam, and Chase follows Sam’s instruction. This changes the player’s understanfing of their control over the narrative. Because the character we’re actually controlling is someone we don’t really know. And it’s a great way to get under the player’s skin. It also allows for an interesting dynamic between Chase and Sam. Near the end of Leo and especially Jenna’s route, Chase starts to recognise Sam’s presence as a voice in his head. This allows for an effect similar to a fourth wall break in other games, such as Kris becoming aware of the player’s control in Deltarune. In fact, both games frame the act of player control as a spectral possession that supresses the protagonists’s own personality. But it does this without explicitly breaking that fourth wall. Which is good, because while fourth wall breaks can work in a horror game, recklessly shattering it can risk dimantling the atmosphere of the game’s world, making this less scary by being too overtly meta. Chase doesn’t become aware of the player, and thus question his free will, but does become aware of Sam. Still, in some ways, this is more comforting than TJ’s route, because it restores the player’s illusion of control. Sure, we’re not playing as who we thought we were, but we’re still in control, right? We make choices as Sam, who will in turn guide Chase to good or bad endings depeding on our outcome. That’s what happens in Carl, Jenna and Leo’s routes. After all, what is a visual novel without choice? It’s the only substantial gameplay element this genre has. We’re still in the driver’s seat...right?

  And then we get to Flynn’s route.

  And even that guarantee is ripped away from us. 

  Over the course of Flynn’s route, Sam starts exerting control to force Chase to make decisions the player may not want. He forces Chase to condemn Flynn before the group, hiding the truth of Chase’s own past actions. Eventually, he stops possessing Chase entirely, and takes control of Flynn instead. We now follow Flynn as the POV character, for the rest of the route. And here, too, Sam starts restricting the choices you can make as a player, directing Flynn to an outcome you are kept in the dark about. This culminates in the scene in the vision of the Smoke Room where Echo plays its final card.

  So you know, Sam, the ghost of a dead townsperson of Echo who has been our player character this whole time? Yeeeaahh...turns out we weren’t really controlling him either. ‘Sam’ is simply an offshoot of the ghostly entity behind all of Echo’s supernatural happpenings. One that creates simulations, echoes, if you will, of those long dead to coerce, control and torment the townspeople for its own ends. We were playing as the true eldritch villain of the game this entire time. Our capacity for any control over the events of the story was a lie. Any say we had over the story has well and truly gone, and we can only watch as Flynn is destroyed by his single minded search for the truth, transformed horrifyingly into the Socket Monster. Much as TJ’s route punishes the player for thinking of Chase as a mere blank slate for their actions, by presenting him as a person with goals of his own, so too Flynn’s route punishes you for underestimating Sam, by proving he is far more powerful than we ever expected.

  Echo’s subversion of player choice is fascinating because it has so many layers. In TJ’s route you slowly realise you’re not in control of the person who you think is your player character, and that he has goals outside of you. So when his actions get progressively more messed up, you can’t stop him. Jenna’s route had you realise you’re controlling someone completely different, and while you can steer things to a good or bad outcome, you watch Chase grapple with the existential nightmare that someone else is making all his decisions, and we the player don’t really know anything about who we’re actually controlling.  And Flynn’s route, pulls the final rug out from under you, as you you realise you’re not even in control of Sam, because he’s in the service of the very entity you’ve watched hurt these characters over and over again, route after route. And we only realise, too late, that he’s led us, and Flynn to an inescapable tragedy.      

   Echo takes the visual novel, a genre where the only real piece of gameplay is the choices you make and makes you question your ability to even make said choices. It frightens you by making you feel progressively more powerless.   And yet, you come back. You all come back eventually. You try again on another route, and another, hoping maybe this time things’ll be different. ...Because just like this town...

You’re only moving in circles.

[uweiy]

I'm intrigued by Love is Science? but know nothing about it. Can you give me a run down on what kind of thing to expect and who it might appeal to? Thank you!! 😁

Ooooo boi *gremlin smile* I'm glad you asked. You've entered the dragon's den, broken the dam and thus this post turned out to be a monster so I'm gonna link here another post from @accidentallyadramablog which imo gives a nice (and short) overview.

That said let's get into

Love is Science?

Summary :

Yan Fei is a the CEO of the Love is Science marriage agency, that matches people based on scientific data. Hsuan Yu, 8 years younger than her, is a promising young hairstylist who has been in love with her thoughout their entire childhood when she has only ever seen him like a little brother.

Unexpectedly they meet again. Between the way they've each built their lives and how Yong Yan Fei's ex husband still looms over Yan Fei's life, how will their relationship develop this time around ?

Now,

just reading that summary I know what you're thinking.

Indeed, if you have some experience with dramas, you might recognize some TYPICAL TYPICAL tropes – let's get them out of the way :

love triangle (though we all know who she is going to end up with don't we)

childhood friends

'noona romance'

And they are every bit as present and as trope-ey as you would expect.

However, as they say, the devil is in the details.

And particularly, in the side characters. Let me give you a quick rundown of the lot of them :

As such, we follow the stories of multiple relationships that develop parallel to one another.

The relationships

• Yan Fei/ Hsuan Yu : Not much needs to be added I think. Their storyline might be the most predictable but they are pretty sweet and heartwarming. pining for like 12 years though poor Hsuan Yu. Anyway you can enjoy it or find it boring or but you can't hate it.

• Mark/Ouwen : Noooow we're getting to it. Their dynamic is so... Refreshing and unique. Confident gay with a soft heart and dumb disaster bisexual I mean *chef kiss*👌delicious

After the disasters of their first meetings, it's a cat and dog relationship where Ouwen is the hsssssss don't touch me– cat and Mark is the golden retriever trailing after him not really realizing the rampage he's creating in Ouwen's heart. while Ouwen is like "Remind me why the FUCK I caught feelings again ?".

IDK it just has everything 'Enemies' to friends to lovers, (not actually) unrequited love, pining, sweet moments, jealousy, feelings realization, snarky banter... What more could one want.

• Cho Nai Hui / You Fu : they are. So. So sweet. Both are older and have experience, and as such they are not so naive or stupid as the youngsters. Them sharing their life experiences and going on dates like typically teenagers (in movies or TV shows anyway) would is refreshing to see and really really heartwarming.

• Liu Sheng Ying/ ??? Her ex ? : The show hinted at a wlw storyline and this arc seems to have JUST begun. Basically Sheng Ying's ex comes to Love is Science as a client and requests Sheng Ying as an advisor, while Sheng Ying still seems heartbroken over her. I can't WAIT to see how it develops.

The friendships :

Something I greatly appreciate is that both the romantic relationships AND the friendships have a great importance in the drama.

• Joanna and Yan Fei : Jo, queen Jo 👑. She's just here to gossip, get all the gossip and be the voice of reason and we love her for it. You can see how comfortable they are around each other and how they were there for each other during tough times and still are. Kudos to the actresses because I believed the characters were besties in a heartbeat.

• Hsuan Yu and Mark : they are honestly... Such polar opposites you kinda wonder how they became friends but they are and it works perfectly.

Hsuan Yu still hasn't gotten he maybe shouldn't take Mark's advice, and Mark still hasn't gotten that he, definitely should take Hsuan Yu's. It also enables to develop a more playful and mischievous side to Hsuan Yu, giving him more depth?

• Ouwen and Sheng Ying: rivalry to reluctant solidarity to friends-but-i-will-deny-it-if-asked to just friends. IT'S GREAT

I also ejoy the fact that these multiple storylines are allowed to coexist. The romantic ones, the friendships, older, younger, m/f m/m and f/f like take your pick !! And tbh a WLW storyline ?????? These are so scarce I will take anything.

The recurring themes :

The show more or less subtly touches on some topics/issues, to which the dating aspect contributes to.

A non exhaustive list would be

Divorce, and how divorced women can be viewed as failures for some reason

How successful men over 30 are sought after but successful women after 30 are somehow deemed undatable

Preconceived notions and homophobia

And beyond the topics, there's just things like... Joanna not being interested in long term relationships nor wanting to get married, reporting sexual harassment, older people going on dates.... I'm not saying it's a groundbreaking activist drama –which is not really what I was looking for– I just appreciate the fact that it is a pretty mainstream drama and that these things are there.

Mad respect if you've made it up to here ! but we're not quite done yet.

The cast and crew :

The other element that made this drama stand out for me besides the side characters is the cast.

It might be weird that such a meta thing impacts the appreciation of the show but it did, for me at least.

📣📣TMI WARNING 📣📣

For me what happened is I stumbled onto Mark and Ouwen cuts on YouTube, then somehow onto the behind the scenes. They weren't subbed at the time so I could barely understand a word of what they were saying, thus I'm not sure what but something about how the rest of the actors, the director and the crew were interacting just told me it was a show worth watching or at least checking out.

📣📣END OF TMI📣📣

The cast honestly seems to have a blast and to have, how to say it, come together really well. It seems like most of them have become genuinely friends, or despite differences in personality have truly enjoyed working with one another and with the rest of the crew, and it shows.

Where it's lacking

In my opinion the show does have some aspects where it underperforms.

As previously mentioned, the main plot is kinda tropey, furthermore, in a drama typical fashion when something is about to get resolved, immediately something else happens. Nothing unexpected from a drama though.

The pacing : Some moments of the main plot especially dragged on, so I admit I skipped through some parts.

Because I feel so strongly about all the characters though, I don't really mind the previously mentioned points. I just think it's a shame because I feel like if it had been crafted a little bit better it could have made the show go from an 8/10 good drama to an 11/10 friggin amazing drama easy.

Lastly, there is a pretty unequal time distribution so Yan Fei and Hsuan Yu do tend to occupy the most part of an episode. However some episodes are more centered on some pairings (like ep 11 that will probably have an important Mark/Ouwen part).

Overall

it's a drama that warms my heart, as simple as that. It's not that deep, it's pretty funny, the acting ranges from good to excellent and I have taken a liking to a lot of the characters, which is what I think fuels my interest for the drama.

And I feel like it managed to attract a wide range of audiences because the romances and relationships are so diverse. Whether you watch the show for its entirety or for one aspect/storyline/character is entirely up to you and I feel like the creators of the drama are aware of it as well : and you can easily find subbed compilations about each specific pairing on Settv's official YouTube channel.

Take that aspect that you like–if you find one of course–and enjoy it, that is all ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

What's left to say besides.... 🎉🎊 Congratulations for making it to the end of this lengthy post !

[overfedvenison]

Thinking about what makes 3.x/Pathfinder unique

OSR notes how the classic era of D&D bears a number of trends that are unique and encourage interaction in a way distinct from modern games. It’s often stereotypes as a bunch of powerful PCs rampaging through a meatgrinder dungeon, but actual analysis and playing note that the overall lethality instead pushes PCs to interact with an open sandbox in ways that encourage roleplay - If you encounter a room and find 30 kobolds, and your fighter has 3 HP before he dies, how do you live? You sneak, you think, you intuit the environment and interact. Combat is a fail state, not a goal. And no matter what path you take, you build up treasure - Which is why everything has it in those old dungeons. Thus, maybe the party negotiates with the lizardmen for safe passage in exchange for getting a Kobold idol. Then maybe you take some other gold and jewels after you sneak by the kobolds, and give the idol to the lizardmen, and they accept you and give you a bone necklace worth 100g. Etc. These are meaningful interactions that stem from the idea that you would not want combat, and you should be thinking about the world. New D&D; 5e mostly, has this emphasis on roleplay and character arcs. Your characters are not disposable anymore, and your interaction does not come from lethality but investment in your character, their background, and their arcs. This is not bad either, just different. The experience is very much more on player agency and allowing the expression in character creation. And groups will typically follow a set story with a linear path set up by the DM, interacting in ways that illuminate their character. The adventure has combat, and it has dungeons, and these are in some manner scenes that accommodate your player expression. To an extent, gold and treasure are de-emphasized, and things are balanced to be a fair challenge throughout since it seems more like the interest lies in the players. There’s a middle era, which I think gets ignored... That of 2000s-era D&D, and Pathfinder.  When I think about what appeals from that era, and what defines it... First, the game is easy enough that your characters are not disposable, and the huge variety in character customization means that you have a huge amount of self expression - But that expression still comes from the gameplay aspect primarily. You do not have 5e style backgrounds, and you don’t even need them, because your character derives a lot of their personality from their abilities and gameplay aspects. This could be very samey, if handled improperly, but there was such an emphasis on build variety and so many options that in practice you would never have the same character twice unless you went out of your way to do so. The system lets you freely combine fantasy tropes, and the result you find is a unique character. That’s COOL. I said characters are less disposable, but the game IS still likely to kill you if you are not careful; it’s just that combat is assumed now, and you are meant to interact with it in a strategy game like fashion, and balanced so you won’t die when that occurs. There is a -strong- sense of combat in it, and that combat is tactical in deep and where you get a lot of the character expression. That is very distinct; no other era would require minis in the same way (4e is arguably within this same era,) and no other era would put such an emphasis on player options. This also means this is a game of heroes and warriors, who have these great and memorable combats, moreso than the emphasis on arcs of later games or the focus on the world of earlier ones. I think, if you are a person who defines your character more by how they express themselves in gameplay than how deeply you think about their personality, you might really like this era. If you consider 3.5 as this game about heroes, the use of gold ties in too. Both Early and Late D&D tend to have a lack of things to do with gold late-game. Early D&D assumed you would, eventually, begin to build up a castle or similar route, and impact the game world. Late D&D, it doesn’t assume the goal is treasure and sidesteps the question of what to do. But in 3rd edition, right in the middle, you have this really interesting gradient develop where your gold is ALWAYS relevant and in ways that gradually embolden your character to be this great hero. It’s easy to die early, and a bad combat can kill you. But it is assumed you will have access to magic items in some fashion - There are charts for buying magic items, there are rules for making magic items, and never before or since has creating magic items been so open or accessible to the players. Most players in 3.5 won’t invest in castles, and most DMs outright banned Leadership. But you pick up magic items, and get more over the course of your character’s life. You grow from a 1st level adventurer who can’t even afford proper armor, to someone who has crafted legendary items and can stand toe to toe with demon lords. Never have I seen a long-running campaign in this edition that did not evolve as magic items were introduced until the PCs were playing a completely different game than when they began. It’s interesting and compelling in a way different than early or late D&D; it’s not all combat either, as the access to magic changes how the party solves most problems. Some of the endgame solutions I have seen - Shoot the side of an animated dragon the size of a city with a cannon, fly inside the hole atop a flying canoe, and fight through an army of warriors and an angel to reach the throne room of a god. End up in a battle against an ancient warrior, and end up in a philosophical debate that makes the god rethink his path and surrender. - Encounter a noble from the largest city in the world upon their festival to trade for the shield of an ancient hero who can silence magic, then fly atop the sorcerer’s lair from magic carpet and fall in. Use a magic spell to teleport a band of thieves within, then fight the sorcerer by silencing his magic with the shield in a battle and driving out the demon fighting him. Then, in a last battle, summon in an ally they know of each alignment and banish the demon back to the abyss. - Trade a prototype gun to the shattered kingdom of the dwarves mid-apocalypse, after saving it and being declared a hero, so their clerics can grant a nation’s worth of holy water in three bags of holding. Fight an undead army by causing these to rain, then fight it’s invincible leader calling in a dead companion from the afterlife - now celestial - to battle him. Laid the final blow by dissolving the lich in holy water. So it’s like, your characters tend to become Heroes - Not Kings, and not Adventurers as other editions. Combat is a goal here - But it’s not about mindlessly slaying monsters, but expressing the heights your character can get to. My groups tend to play ‘Big,’ I suppose, but even if those are outliers you still always get these moments that express how far you go and have these super memorable moments and battles as things escalate.  I think that is the really defining aspect of 3rd edition; how the endgame is so much ‘bigger’ than the early campaign and how much it is about the cumulation of your character build and the actuation of your choices.

[raymondebidochonlifechoices]

Portrait of the FBI trainee as a young adult

or Some thoughts on how Riverdale aged up their teen protagonists

Jumping seven years in the future over the span of just seven days is not an easy feat, but it can certainly be done: changes in physical appearance and “adult” stories are very useful tools. But this is Riverdale, which means that, while all characters are adults in season 5, some characters are more adults than others.

Jughead Jones, Veronica Lodge and Toni Topaz, in particular, come to mind.

Adult Veronica has been blessed with a new sensational wardrobe befitting a more mature character. To be honest I’ve never met a 25-year-old dressed like Ronnie, however, her clothes are those of a grown up. Character-wise nothing has changed for adult Veronica. However, she had always been portrayed more like a young adult businesswoman than a typical teenager. So, in a way, post-time-jump Veronica hasn’t so much changed, as grown into her age. As a result, she might not be different from her pre-time-jump self, but she is convincing as an adult.

Toni had a similarly drastic change of wardrobe, accompanied by equally drastic changes in terms of her character: Toni is now pregnant but -most importantly- in a position of authority. She might not have her own story line yet as advertised (so far, she has supported the plots of Big Bad Hiram, Hero Archie, Investigator Betty and Isolation Queen Cheryl), however, in every scene she has been portrayed as someone dealing with adult responsibilities and being successful at that. She runs the Whyte Worm, she used to work at Riverdale Social Services, she’s Riverdale High School’s guidance counselor, she secures financing for the school and its activities, under her captaincy the Vixens have become a winning sports team heading out to championships. Adult Toni is drastically different from teen Toni.

The most adult character, however is Jughead. In terms of physical appearance, he has ditched his trademark beanie and very recognisable wardrobe for a new set of clothes, a couple of tattoos, glasses and facial hair (that some love and some hate). In terms of story lines, like Toni, he has the most adult ones. And the most different ones from those of his youth. He has meetings with his agent where he talks about his job. He no longer investigates to unravel Riverdale’s mysteries as much as he interviews people for a book, for which he already has a contract and a deadline. He takes a second job to make ends meet. He faces debt. He (supposedly) drinks a lot. As a teacher, his storyline has been the most realistic of them all. Instead of condoning dance-offs with 25-year-old Cheryl or being given a class of minions like Veronica (wasn’t that a very taciturn and obedient bunch …), Jughead is shown staying out late to prep for class and giving pop quizzes to students who are actually unprepared/bored/rude. Mobster-like debt collectors and alcoholism aside, his “adultness” is the most relatable and the most easily recognized as such.

And then, there’s Betty … Who, apart from her longer hair, has been given a mixed wardrobe of 1. new adult capri pants and heels, 2. her old high school combo of sweaters and collars (that she often wears when she investigates – which makes for quite the visual throwback to her high school sleuthing years) and 3. an FBI jacket than makes her look even younger than when she was blackmailing Donna back in the day. Betty’s natural make-up makes her look especially young. (Hadn’t Lili commented once upon a time about how they had gradually darkened Betty’s make up in s2 or 3?) In terms of characterisation, unlike Toni and Jughead, and much like Veronica, Betty is given the exact same material: in her case that’s: “investigating sleuth usually barging into places demanding answers”. Unlike Veronica, however, Betty has not grown into her role, because from Buffy the Vampire Slayer to Nancy Drew, the teenager-badass-investigator-played-by-an-older-actress has been an effing trope, and, so far, the writers have failed in differentiating between 18-year-old Betty and 25-year-old Betty in terms of dialogue, set ups, story lines, agency. In other words, FBI trainee Elizabeth Cooper lacks adult gravitas.

Disclaimer #1: this is in no shape or form a diss on the actress, whom I like a lot. This is a diss on the writers, who didn’t bother to update an extremely tropey character, when they updated her on-screen age.

Disclaimer #2: neither is this a diss on the actor playing Jughead, whom I also like a lot. Just because he’s getting better material, it doesn’t mean that he doesn’t put in the work: from suggesting the glasses to Jughead’s fed-up, weary, disbelieving or conspiracy-excited new mannerisms.

Then there’s also the matter of how Veronica, Archie and Jughead, all have regular partners for their post-time-jump story lines, whereas Betty has been given the short end of the scene partners stick.

>> Veronica’s foe is daddykins/Chad (who is, anyway, just another version of daddykins).

>> Archie’s story is Archie & his posse against the world. His partners even dress alike to reinforce the idea that they act as one unit! In 5x5 it is Archie and his posse of similarly leather-clad friends against the Ghoulies. In 5x6 it is Archie and his wannabe Bulldog students against the illusive football funding. In 5x7 it is Archie and his similarly dressed merry band of volunteer firefighters against the blazing inferno that is Riverdale.

>>Jughead shares half his scenes with the same new, exciting and extremely likable Tabitha Tate.

>> Betty’s scene partners, however, are seemingly whoever is available at the moment. Polly. Alice. Kevin. Archie if naked. Glen. A trucker. Dr Curdle Jr, A victim’s mother. Reggie. None of them stands out. As this is Riverdale, it’s hard to tell if this is bad writing (focusing on other characters and letting, for some reason, Betty fend for herself, counting on her popularity to maintain the viewers’ interest) or a conscious choice to portray her as being isolated. If, however, it’s the latter, it does the character no favours at all. Jughead’s also isolated, but his plot is new and exciting. In Betty’s case, 1. we’ve already watched the story of her searching for her missing sister when she was a sophomore and 2. I don’t particularly care about any of her scene partners, who are either secondary characters or people we’re not going to see ever again! And this makes her storyline, for lack of a better word: boring (or, in naked Justin Gingerlake’s case, extremely annoying).

I’m absolutely elated to see Betty investigate with Jughead, not only because this will eventually lead to Bughead, but also for the possibility that her mystery plot line will finally become more engaging. That’s not a very nice thought to have for your favourite female character. That’s not a very nice way to treat your most popular female character, especially when you have previously “gifted” her with a cheating story line and the least popular ship (yes, barchie, that’s you).

5x7 came and went and I’m still waiting to see what’s new about Betty Cooper and her storyline. (This is true about Veronica and Archie too, however, this is a bughead blog, so Jughead and Betty take priority! – and, also, let’s be honest, I never cared much about Archie.)

I do not appreciate that FBI trainee Cooper is written exactly the same way as teenager sleuth Betty. Why affiliate her to the FBI if you’re not going to give the character real authority? I do not appreciate the writing choices that make 5x5-5x7 Betty’s plot boring. Why come down so hard on your show’s most popular female character? I love Betty Cooper, both with Jughead and on her own. Likewise, I love Jughead both as part of bughead and on his own. Adult Jughead definitely has my attention. So, when may I have my interesting adult badass female character back?

[jabberwockprince]

my favorite ship dynamic is neglected rich princes who cope with trauma by being dramatic brats and who only have each other as emotional support 

so anyway here’s some good Red Prince & Prince Average content, just two bros dealing with their curses by ignoring them completely - the fellas in the red shoes server were like “hey, your OCs BUT with the credits’ artstyle” and I blacked out for 2 hours to draw that first pic 

commissions are open if yall interested btw !!

AND HERE COMES THE BRAINROT RAMBLE UNDER THE CUT OH BOY OH FUCK OH SHIT 

inhales, i’m a Jack simp cause I love pretty french boys that also happen to be blondies but I also love Discount Lucio, so obviously I gave Prince Average rights while making my OC 

I like to HC that Prince Average comes from a long line of known hunters since he IS based on the Huntsman from Snow White - but y’know, his family wanted a hunter and they got a kid who realized he wants the entire royal experience, fancy balls and all of that, instead of the Noble Art Of Shooting Things :tm: 

So with that lack of understanding and support from his family, Average is left to inherit the entire fucking shebang. And it doesnt END WELL because he’s young dumb and full of dreams of grandeur, so he pretty much ruins the entire family name, leading to his unpopularity 

but ALSO he and Red Prince are childhood friends, they met when they were just little dudes dreaming about being big heroic princes. Wonderland was going thru hard times after the disappearance of the White Queen (one of Red’s mothers because if no one else is gonna shove LGTB+ characters in this bitch then I will) and needed allies, so most of Red Prince’s childhood friends were just strategic relationships to strengthen the bond between different kingdoms and powerful families

Back then, Prince Average was your stereotypical starry eyed hero, boasting about his family’s achievements, on the OTHER HAND tho, Red Prince was a momma’s boy, a crybaby thru and thru. And then you know, typical fairytale stuff happens. 

Red Prince gets cursed for being the wolf who cried wolf, Prince Average decides to focus on being an immature hedonist, they turn into the mean teens who judge your shoes and your lifestyle, develop even more dysfunctional and toxic habits due to untreated trauma, enable each other never change, the usual.

then POOF, some girlboss hottie kills her evil stepmother and gets her very own malewife trophy boy and Prince Average is turned into both a fucking tree and a gremlin dwarf in the span of like, a day or two. So obviously the first thing he does is cry about it and then demand that other people fix it. And by other people I mean Red Prince, who is too busy trying to break his own curse after 7 years of doing nothing but sit on his ass and brood. 

and they get their own 2D Animated Spin Off Show where they go around Fairy Tale Island annoying other popular fairytale characters to find an easy fix for their problems until the F7 and Snow show up to teach them about the importance of independence, agency and responsibility for 2 seasons and bOOM then there’s a MOVIE where they finally break their curses by pure unfiltered self-appreciation and love and friendship, none of that romantic love cliche and also solve the 10 different plotholes from the show

no, i havent slept in 20 hours. no i wont apologize for anything