#but those are their own characters and not just one-to-one gender swaps so again that's different

[murmurmurl]

I actually find gender swapping characters really interesting (what part of their expression is dictated by gender norms vs certain events in their life vs their personal preferences that wouldn't change either way, etc.) so now I wanna draw what that would look like in my ocs except I am in pain rn so I'm forced to just lie there and be plagued by visions

[ask-the-totally-real-peppino]

For Fake Peppino, have you heard about Fake Peppina? She made her first appearance in Recd's Lap 3 Cover, and entered the mod called "Peppina Ramen over Peppino." She is only seen in the opening before your boss fight. And in the version 3.8 update, Fake Peppina was now a boss while you're in the background of her boss battle, The Crumbling Tower of Pizza, and the ending of the mod.

('Fake Peppina' does not exist in this AU, and certainly not in the way described - bc that 1. Assumes I (Bean the mod/artist) has seen or was even aware of these (I didn't know about them until this ask), 2. Assumes that the cover and mod are canon here, and their story events played out - which is not the case bc, again I was not aware of them, and I don't take ideas from fan creations such as mods (at least not intentionally fsdklsdf), and 3. Implies that the characters are aware they are in a game and are aware of mods/other fan creations - they're not jlkgsfd

Even regardless of that specific mod, there still is no 'Fake Peppina' or a 'real Peppina' or any genderswapped variation of the characters - I am not a huge fan of genderswapping and that is not the story I want to do

There are plenty of female clones here, but they are their own characters and not just 'Fake Peppina', so if you are looking for specifically her, then you'll have to go somewhere else to find that - there are plenty of creators who do genderswapped AUs etc out there!)

[bozers]

Random Mk character headcanons Pt.1 THE MENFOLK

Raiden

Sweaty. Sweats like a mf even when he isn't working. Has to wear undershirts to combat the waterfall coming off him.

Never struggled with anger issues until becoming a champion and getting the amulet.

Secretly a bit freaky. Is down for pretty much anything eye emoji

Reiko

Has a mild ED. Was worse when he was younger, but he's getting better about it. Used to hoard food. Struggles with body dysmorphia due to unrealistic expectations, comparing himself to Shao ( a completely different species...)

Allergic to cats.

Loves the ocean. Dreams of one day owning his own boat to take out sailing whenever he wants.

Kung Lao

Weirdly enough? Introvert. Raiden is one of very few people who doesn't deplete his social battery.

Struggles with bouts of depression. Self medicates with Marijuana.

He is incredibly secure in himself and none of his confidence is an act. That doesn't mean he can't get discouraged sometimes, but he won't try and hide disappointment behind false smiles.

MOAR BELOW vvvvv

Johnny Cage

Struggled with contamination OCD tendencies all his life and coped using substances. His lifestyle is in direct conflict with his illness and it acts like immersion therapy in a way.

Cancer runs in his family so he is vigilant about getting screened once a year.

Life in Hollywood almost crushed him into an apathetic cynic, but somehow, he has managed to stay hopeful if not a bit delusional at times. His hunger for recognition rivaled only by his boundless curiosity.

Smoke

He had a tongue ring for many years and wants to eventually get a tattoo but can't settle on a design.

Can "Slav Squat" and isn't shy about showing off to friends.

Struggles with unhealthy attachment styles.

Rain

Is actually an extrovert. He may think himself above others, but he still requires validation and gets sad if he doesn't get to talk to those close to him.

Iron deficient

If he had never been appointed as High Mage, he would have gone on to teach magic theory at the academy.

Geras

He may be immortal, but that doesn't mean he just sits in a room all day. Geras is endlessly curious, as this is a core part of his very being. Observing and learning new things is both his primary function and an endless font of joy.

He knows how lonely Liu Kang is. Knows that even he can't fill the void left in his masters heart. Time for him is just a function, whereas for Liu Kang, it is and endless road of isolation

Will search up humans in funny situations on the hourglass to watch. It's like his version of FAILARMY.

Liu Kang

Is and has been incredibly lonely for eons. He really thought he would fill the void after reuniting with his old friends, but the feeling isn't the same. They don't know him. Not really.

Once he found a way to connect to his Titan friends, he visits them often. Being able to talk with Lord Raiden again alleviated the strain on his heart tenfold. Reuniting with Kung Lao, (his boy, his bro!!) has also helped give him hope for the next few eons. Same goes for Kitana. (She was the one to find him again after the dust settled.)

His brother is alive in his timeline. Of course they have no relationship, Liu choosing not to intervene due to fears of drawing danger to him. Instead of becoming a shaolin monk, Chan lives happily in the united states as an Ice Road Trucker.

Shang Stung

Has BPD and narcissistic personality disorder. This severely impacted his ability to live peacefully in society and pushed him to grifting. Taking advantage of others was less exhausting than pretending to be a friendly employee to some shopkeeper.

He is half human. Shang's mother traveled to outworld during the last tournament 100 years ago. She was a servant to Liu Kang's champions but ended up running away with a disgraced Edenian.

Doesn't identify as a specific gender, especially after learning shapeshifting. Will often times swap between whatever he feels like that day.

Syzoth

Double jointed and hyper flexible. Shang Stung had to find a way to control him other than shackles, cuz he could always slip out no matter how tight they were.

He is very at ease around children, and falls back into dad mode immediately. Is also a purveyor of terrible dad jokes.

Has Gilberts Syndrome. His species use of bile/acid attacks puts a lot of strain on his liver. Due to his rough living, he didn't get adequate nutrition and now his body struggles to keep balanced out humors.

Only needs to eat once a week, but will happily snack if something tasty comes across his path.

Shao

Has no biological children. Despite his family's standing and pressure to continue the prestigious line, Shao has never taken a wife. Multiple concubines and bastards, but no wife or suitable heirs.

He doesn't view any of the young men and women he mentors as children, just tools. Even though he saw himself in young Reiko, his affection is entirely dependent on his loyalty. Reiko is more of an extension of himself, a way to overcompensate for what he lacks.

Has IBS.

Kuai Liang

He left the Lin Kuei a few years after Tomas was adopted. At odds with his father at the time, he left to go live with their allied clan: the Syrai Ryu. He was born a cryomancer like Bi Han, but chose to pursue pyromancy to distance himself from his lineage. Though able to wield fire, he is still weak to it. When he finally returned home, his father welcomes him back like the prodigal son he was. Bi han deeply, deeply resented this.

Got his tattoo in Hong Kong while he was totally plastered (not a reputable place. They even got the tattoo wrong lol)

Unreadable poker face. DO NOT play cards against this man.

Kenshi

Was forced to drop out of high school to support his family when his older brother was killed, and subsequently got wrapped up in yakuza shit. Has since taken his high school equivalency test (GED) and passed with flying colors

Is addicted to caffeine.

LOVES holidays! Especially Christmas. He may not get all his friends gifts, but the ones he does give are very well thought out and personal.

Bi Han

Doesn't take care of himself or maintain his appearance very well. But he basically won the genetic lottery so it's not that noticeable.

Has a type A personality and is a perfectionist. But he is actually a very gracious person at heart, and will silently shoulder the brunt of responsibility to spare his brothers.

Was happy to mentor Tomas when he first arrived, even though Kuai and Tomas had the stronger friendship. His attitude changed, however, when Tomas choose to stay after Kuai ran off. Instead of seeing the loyalty of Tomas's decision, he saw it as a shallow way to win his fathers favor.

(he couldn't see it was actually jealously. That Kuai could have a choice to leave but he didn't. Tomas had an actual valid reason to want to leave, but he is the one remaining? Bi Han has big feelings and does not process them well )

Quan Chi

Once he started losing his hair, he decided to go bald.

Much prefers to spend his time in the Netherrealm. His dominion there is near absolute, and he would much rather be in the company of those subservient to him. He doesn't see anything wrong with this dynamic, believing this the superior to mutual friendship. (this is laughably hypocritical given his relationship to Shang mf Tsung)

Indulges in all kinds of delicious foods. Sweets, fine drink, rare cuts of meat- the works. Even if he dislikes it, he will eat it anyway just for the sake of it. He made himself ill by eating an entire box of chocolate once.

Havik

Was born in secret to slave parents. They hid him from the government for as long as they could, and so he was able to live a relatively carefree childhood. Other's his age, and of unsanctioned birth, would be seized by the state and put to work as soon as possible.

Fierce passion aside, Havik is very introspective. When not fighting, he often sits in silent contemplation for hours at a time. Before his mind begins to degrade from the blood magic use, he would sit and scrutinize every action he took.

Unlike Quan Chi, Havik cannot bring himself to indulge in luxuries. He feels tremendous guilt given how many of his people are still unable to enjoy even the barest bit of comfort.

He leaves his dick and balls at home for safe keeping.

[friendly-emerald-emily]

molly is such a fascinating character to me. and surprisingly, not because of her content in the show. but her lack of content. molly really felt like to me she was supposed to be the break-out star of the HiT era. let me explain why.

in short, it's all down to marketing and merchandise. i'm a massive HiT era apologist, mostly because it's the era of ttte i grew up with, but as i was looking through my catalogue of merch, i noticed something...molly was popping up. a lot. weirdly so.

i have a good amount of those briarpatch ttte board games, and typically they were for 4 players, and as such 4 engines were provided to play as: thomas, percy, james, and...molly? at first it seems weird, but when you think about it, it makes sense. molly rounds out a quartet themed around red, green, blue, and yellow, and also adds in a female character. i think that last bit is important, but i'll get to it later.

so i went digging, and the 4 player briarpatch games pre-molly usually had mavis in her place, likely also to add female representation, just swapping yellow for black. there are a few exceptions, i recall seeing toby and harvey instead, but again, it was mostly mavis.

looking at more merchandise outside of board games in this era, molly got quite a bit of focus. she was part of a set of 4 bath squirters along with thomas, percy, and james, and what i find most shocking, she was one of VERY few engines to receive a trackmaster remote control engine. molly also was featured on a 2008 great discovery trading card, even though she only had one line in the entire movie.

after this, i went digging deeper into the world of the thomas microsites and online games, where molly also had a strong presence. the quartet of thomas, percy, james, and molly continued in the simon-says type memory game (i think it's called 'peep peep!'?) and molly also appeared in the emotions game, but this game featured 5 engines, and the fifth...was emily. remember my point theorizing that molly was focused on because she was a girl? here's where it's important.

this five engine ensemble of thomas, percy, james, molly, and emily is repeated again in the plug n' play game 'right on time', a game that i own and remember fondly. emily was chosen again to fill the fifth slot, and i think it's because HiT wanted to have a gender-equal ensemble a la bwba. and i think molly was chosen specifically not only because her yellow paint is unique and for her gender, but because she is probably the girl character at the time that had the most opposing personality to emily. as we all know during this time, emily was interesting and had flaws unlike SOME OTHER ERAS- portrayed as having a very strong and opinionated personality, which would easily contrast towards molly's more shy and sensitive personality. both have also been described as having sisterly attitudes towards other engines. i think HiT wanted to prove in this 5 engine ensemble that they had varied writing for their female characters.

for all of this, i think that molly WAS supposed to be a much more important character than she turned out to be, mostly because she was marketed so heavily and disproportionately than her screen time would lead you to believe. molly also appeared more often than the other HiT newbies (bar rosie), but that isn't really saying much with how little other characters like neville or billy appeared. i don't know why molly was dropped so suddenly when the set up for her seemed to be there? only thing i can think of is that emily had just been moved to tidmouth sheds right before series 9, and that they didn't want to repeat that process?? idk i'm just spitballing because i've been thinking about molly a lot recently. on a small related note, her basis is also very specific and her design is SUCH a standout compared to other new characters at this time, so clearly effort was put into her. i wonder how different the series would have been if molly was elevated to prominent secondary character status like salty or mavis, or even main character status!

tl;dr i think molly was originally going to be important but then she wasn't :(

[postsforposting]

subtext

this is a headbutt

this is also wade-as-deadpool's conception. angel is a "virgin mary"/mary magdalene foil. that headbutt is head-in-butt aka anal. he conceived himself, an impossible conception. created before he was conceived, then died and was born again.

not immaculate but out of sin--because it's out of wedlock. wade pulls vanessa's proposal ring out of his ass, where he was saving it for marriage. vanessa's "jinx" reply confirms her anal question was also a proposal.

her first proposal to him was on women's day, but he got cold feet. marriage is "creating a new life together" which is why it has to be on christmas, jesus's birthday. women's day is march 8; 8 is infinity/"Forever" in another direction, so he's also saying he doesn't want forever with her. wolvie, on the other hand, is the 8th variant we meet.

this means both wade and deadpool know the themes, subtext, and symbolism of the stories they're in. wade knew he was in a story before he was deadpool. the scene with the pizza boy in someone else's apartment is him telling us that he knows there's an audience and he's being watched.

even as "just" wade, he knew he was destined for something else out of his reach. that vanessa wasn't "endgame". she was "the one" for wade, but he knew he wasn't going to be "just" wade for much longer. he could only keep it up all year, not forever. he proposes at the end: an attempt to save his life and create a new one, just before it's all ending. because he wanted to live, he didn't want things to end.

because endings, death and suffering, change you into someone else. that's explicitly the theme of dp2. that's why he wanted francis to fix it so he could....live again. that's why he left vanessa, and why vanessa also changed how she acts with wade after her own stint in the oxygen tank. why they broke up after they both died for realsies--because they'd changed too much and wanted different things than when they'd met.

he expected francis to get away during the bridge fight (winter soldier bridge fight reference) and reacts with fake disbelief when negasonic says francis escaped. he knows there can't be a story if he kills the villain in the first act. if there isn't a story, he doesn't exist.

he doesn't merely see the audience, he knows the structure of the story. he knows what time jumps are, and knows when scenes are played out of order: "we all know how this turned out" as he gets in the cab in dp1.

he doesn't address us directly until after dying the first time, until after his face-down staking--not crucified upright like christ nor merely the opposite, but "in another direction" because he plays for neither heaven nor hell but his own franchise.

he addresses us just before acquiring his swords, because jesus's second coming will have a sign and is not in peace but with a sword. wade was "just a man", which is why he doesn't get off on international women's day and why he forgives the pizza boy with just a confession and apology. unlike jesus the preacher, he doesn't address us during his "first coming" as wade, because that's the jesus foil. he saves during the first go round--except those he's ordered to kill by the government, something bigger than himself--and is unforgiving in the second.

deadpool is a superman though, more than a man. like jesus was "more than a man". that's why the gender jokes start up after he's deadpool, not while he's wade. he's going "in his own direction", and in another direction as deadpool: he didn't "come with a sword" ie on women's day, but as deadpool he acquired katanas and swapped from vanessa/women to play for another team. his own team, his own franchise, not mere men or women but only those as fucky fucky--cockeyed queer--as himself. specifically he fucks up and touches people worse than himself. aka worst wolverine, literally from the peanut gallery and not one of the good seats.

wolverine is the only other character referred to like deadpool is: genderqueer AND who's played for no other teams but his own. when the godly disney franchise demands that everyone find their other half in the opposite gender, playing for no one but yourself is as queer as it can get. and as homo-same-sexual as it can get.

same as yourself......"only you". only himself. vanessa demanded he show her he cared about something bigger than himself.

he couldn't because he's a....homosexual.

god-anchor-logan is the same as but also bigger than jesus. (dick joke.) deadpool has always cared about that, he just couldn't reach him. he's misunderstood by even those who should be closest to him.

he's defying the narrative of what's expected of him. is it only pansexual if you'd fuck anyone? deadpool explicitly doesn't. or is it pan-sexual if you only want a partner who is every gender and every sexuality while also none of them? just like yourself, which also makes it homo-sexual? all sexualities, all genders/sexes, ie pansexual? everything and nothing, alpha and omega?

you know, like the father, the son, and the holy spirit are supposed to be everything but also from nothing. transcendent, above it all, because it does not matter....like pan is defined as "it does not matter".

is that still pan? like how the sex jokes work both ways? pan is queer, but is queer "only you" still pan? or is it something else entirely?

the movie wants you to think about what your expectations do to people. how much can you queer something before it's "too different"? if it's not what you expected, does that make it wrong?

but in being wrong and unexpected....isn't that exactly the definition of queer? to not be textbook accurate?

vanessa is also a virgin mary/magdalene foil; francis is god, deadpool's father. oedipal complex: deadpool literally fucked his mother, subtextually fucked angel-who-is-his-mother, and did three kinds of fucking by killing his father. deliberately, because he knows how stories are supposed to work and instead of playing along, went "fuck that". he fucked his whole family in his crusade to defy the narrative.

to defy the narrative is to start your own franchise is to play for your own team is to....fuck god. as in how he addresses us as fuckface at the end of dp3. cause that was not what we expected.

that's what made it feel so right.

[uselessvaldemarsimp]

"less-cannon-accurate" annnnd there it is, thanks for letting us know that the author of that "route" treats Valdemar being aroace just as an inconvenient little detail to be discarded. what a shame

DISCLAIMER: i am not aroace! this is simply my opinion, take what i say with a grain of salt

here’s what i have to say:

is valdemar good aroace representation in the first place?

i dont think so! their orientation was announced in a, correct me if im wrong, comment section of an instagram post, and no where else! the fact that they and vulgora, villains, are the only nonbinary characters that use they/them exclusively, and the fact that valdemar, again, a villain, is the only aroace character in the entire game, is simply overall bad representation! a villain being aroace isn’t inherently bad representation, but all other things considered in this specific situation, the creators seem to view aroace people as inhumane freaks! yikes!

is this an excuse to erase said gender and sexuality?

not really, no!

is the valdemar dorian route by ronelle otieno good aroace representation despite this?

i think so! it’s done very well in my opinion, being an integral part of their character, not explicitly stated but shown through their actions and storytelling, it honestly makes valdemar seem a little more human, the way that their orientation is shown. i think ronelle otieno took something that was a poorly done afterthought and made it into good representation

can aroace people partake in sex and romance?

yes! this is a pretty obvious fact that most people are aware of by now

since that’s the case, is the inclusion of sex and/or romance when engaging with an aroace character an erasure of their sexuality?

not inherently! again, aroace people Can partake in these things, despite what some people may think!

HOWEVER, is deviating from canon with an aroace character who has been explicitly stated to not have an interest in sex and romance an erasure of their sexuality?

honestly, this is where things get tricky, but i think i have a way of thinking about it:

do actions = attraction?

i dont think so! i think people can kiss whoever they want, have sex with whoever they want, give flowers to whoever they want, without it being a direct show of their orientation. therefore, while it may be deviating from canon, it isn’t an inherent erasure of the characters sexuality. an erasure of aroace sexuality would be having that character specifically show or state that they are romantically and/or sexually attracted to someone. that’s where we begin having issues! if you have a problem with deviating from canon, that’s an entirely different thing, and i suggest you never interact with fandoms ever! for your own sanity.

people swap the sexualities of characters all the time, why is it such an issue when people do it with aroace characters, or queer characters in general?

lack of representation! if all these different flavors of queer were normalized, as they should be, people wouldn’t have so much of an issue with playing around with characters sexualities, but because representation is spare, people cling onto these aspects of these characters for dear life, even if the representation isn’t good representation

so what should people be fighting for?

more representation! instead of hanging onto characters who’s orientation is already a badly done, arguably acephobic afterthought, maybe the best course of action is to make an effort to create more aro and/or ace representation in general!

at the end of the day, is this all that big of a deal?

not really! you are the the captain of your own ship. you can choose to interact with things, or dont! wasting energy arguing over something that wont change is not worth your precious time. using that energy to create and promote Good representation is probably a better use of ones energy.

i highly encourage aroace people, especially those who have read the dorian route, to share their opinions. i dont intend to speak For or Over aroace people, im just a stranger on the internet who has thought a lot about things that dont really matter a whole lot in the grand scheme of things

[benegesseritofficial]

Pushing Daisies has immediately struck me as extraordinarily queer coded. Enjoy my rant.

This show came out in 2007 and yet Ned is an extremely gentle man in every aspect of his characterization. He was emotionally wounded as a child, a fact we linger on and explore at length. He drives people away but in an incredibly passive way. He isn't interested at all in the hot woman throwing herself at him. The only person he's interested in was his childhood best friend. The man is passive, sweet, and a romantic; not someone who would chase you but a prize to be won.

Chuck is literally named Chuck. Sure her name is Charlotte but when we first meet her she's in a dinosaur costume and her name is Chuck. No one's called her Chuck since Ned, and when he does again she only wants him to call her Chuck. Almost immediately everyone calls her Chuck. Also... Charolette Charles? Charolette is the feminine form of Charles. Gender fuckery is afoot from square one. And she's assertive. She has no trouble talking over Ned, or any other man for that matter. She cares deeply about feelings and emotions and her perceptions of right and wrong, and she will steamroll anyone who tries to contradict her. She kisses Ned first. She figures out how she can safely kiss Ned. They both wanted it but she's the one who starts problem solving. Now, her actress Anna Friel is slender, her hair is long, and she is dressed exclusively like a 1950s fashion model. She's 5'5", but dwarfed by Lee Pace's 6'5". But what if she wasn't? What if she was opposite a man who wasn't a fucking tree? What if these lines and actions were given to a woman who wasn't a size 2? What if Anna Friel wore jeans for even one scene while Chuck interrupts and problem solves and takes action? Well, the audience might start to notice that the character isn't very feminine at all. Chuck is all character and very little gender. She could really be played by anyone.

And finally, Olive. Dear, sweet, Olive, longing after a man who shuts down one half her advances and doesn't seem to notice the other half. Olive, who is bold and brash and catty and fun and (apparently, by the costuming department's choices) obsessed with '70s fashion. It's 2007. A gay writer cannot express his struggles longing after a straight man who will never care for him. Not in so many words. But he could write most of that character. He could just swap a few little details and pronouns. By the time a minuscule, high voiced actress is reading Olive's lines, the average straight viewer would never even guess. But there Olive is; a readymade gay icon, over the top and feminine and unapologetically attracted to men. Everything a more feminine gay man wishes he could be out in the open. Olive can tell gay men's stories when they couldn't use their own voices. Relatedly, once you see her and Chuck's aunts as drag queens, you just can't unsee it. When Olive first meets those two, they take her under their wing as a kindred spirit. In the course of telling a story, it's not a trope or action that makes much sense for straight women. Younger women don't seek out and value the advice of old women. Not on TV, not in the cultural wisdom of 2007 or today. Gay men on the other hand. Drag queens on the other hand. If you were in the culture, you understood to value your elders when they bestowed wisdom.

And none of that addressing the situation. Ned absolutely cannot touch the person he's in love with. He and Chuck kiss in (I think) the third episode. Chuck isn't a love interest, she is arguably his girlfriend for most of the series. And yet, a forced wall must remain between them. Chuck has to remain in disguise when they're in public. They are together, but still feel they have to restrain themselves. There is no clear future for their relationship, no matter how in love they are. Much like a gay couple might feel, years before widespread societal acceptance and legal recognition of their relationship. It isn't safe, and only a few close friends can know.

[yeoldecryptid]

Tw. Self harm and SA

So, around a week ago I made a post saying I wouldn’t be posting any Gaiman related content in ‘the foreseeable future,’ the reason I included that phrase was because at the time, I wanted to see how information would develop. Since then I’ve done research to see what kind of beast we’re dealing with (shit’s bad,) and made a post yesterday saying my goodbyes to the Sandman fandom. The gist of my opinion is that even if we indulge in the thought experiment that that these women are, for whatever reason, not giving a clear picture; (a thought I think is EXTREMELY unethical and dangerous to put stock in,) the stuff Gaiman has either confirmed, or we have concrete evidence for is bad enough. However, I will admit I’m struggling to step away from one of my special interests to the degree that I need to, so I thought it would be beneficial to talk about some plot points in Sandman that… hit different now.

I’ve noticed that people who are mainly interested in the show tend to like Morpheus, while those who mainly read the comics (such as myself) do not. I am not trying to criticize people who like the show better here, but I do feel I should explain why that is the case.

Morpheus in the book does not have a good relationship with women. It’s not subtle. He sends Nada to Hell for refusing her advances, even after she literally mutilates herself to get him to leave here alone. TEN THOUSAND YEARS LATER he ‘fixes it’ by having her reincarnated. To some degree, every character who is aware this is happening dismisses it.

Thessaly, who had a romantic relationship with Morpheus, is quickly revealed to be a horrible person after they break up.

Show fans are aware that Calliope is trapped by a male author for ‘inspiration’ while he claims to be a feminist author. (Do I need to make comparisons?) but again, Morpheus rescues her, making him the ‘savior.’

I would also like to mention that some of the gender swaps made for the show make me a little uncomfortable. Lucifer and Lucien seem reduced to ‘girl bosses’ when in the books show them as far more complex characters. I have implied in the past that I think the book version of Lucien is better written. The reason for that is because I felt like when changing his gender for the show, they removed much of the quietness and nervousness that made him such an intriguing character to me. It’s like they felt like having a timid, quiet female character would somehow be ‘sexist.’ I did not dislike Lucienne’s character, and I could see some interesting development of her own on the horizon, but the change just felt… wrong. (To clarify, I am not criticizing their actresses. I genuinely feel they did a wonderful job with the material they were given.)

A little unrelated, but as someone with a stutter: I love the guy, but Abel’s representation sucks.

[smokeybrandreviews]

Multiverse of Madness

I am an unapologetic Adventure Time apologist. i think it was one of the greatest shows ever created and deserves all the love it gets. AT saved Cartoon Network back in the day and spawned so many creators who would, in turn, leave their mark on the industry. Without AT, there is no Steven Universe or that other one with the fighting i guess? The influence of Adventure Time gave credence to the potential popularity of shows like nuShe-Ra and nuVoltron. Those characters are iconic and full of so much depth. Finn Mertens, Jake the Dog, Bonnibel Bubblegum; All of them have become stalwarts of cartoon history. Like, Marceline Abadeer is one of my all-time favorite characters in fiction. When Distant Lands aired, i was emotionally devastated. Obviously, Obsidian was mys sh*t but Together Again brought me to tears. That's how much this show meant to me, so when Adventure Time: Fionna and Cake was announced, i was all over it. I was mad curious how this would play out. Would it be just a romp through a gender-swapped Ooo? Would the target audience still be kids or would the show be a more mature take since the original kids were now wayward adults? So many questions. Well, Fionna and Cake is over and i have thoughts.

First thing first, This show is not about Fionna and Cake. It is on a superficial level but they're more a plot device who participates in the narrative. Fionna and Cake is about Simon Petrikov coming to terms with the loss of Betty Groff and how his relationship with her, was toxic as f*ck. Like, holy sh*t, was it bad! The co-dependency was insane! I mean, you got glimpses of that throughout Betty's arc in the original AT (Betty literally leaping through a Hambo powered time rift, her problematic Magic Woman phase, and the eventual wish that turned her into f*cking GolBetty, all for her "love" of Simon) but this chick was as obsessed with Simon as Simon was with her. When she transcended and become a deity of pure chaos, Simon was left in a depression spiral that, ultimately, shook the core of the goddamn multiverse. And i say that with no hyperbole. F*cking Ice King, put the entire multiverse of Adventure Time in jeopardy, because he missed his boo. What follows is, one of the most well thought out and executed romps through a multiverse narrative I've seen outside of f*cking comic books. I don't want to spoil anything but the first nine episodes of this show are brilliant, rivaling the very best Adventure Time has to offer. The tenth? Not so much.

Fionna and Cake definitely botches the landing, especially coming off such incredibly strong episodes as the three right before it. Again, no details, but, holy sh*t, were those three episodes great. Seriously, watch this show, it's f*cking fantastic. The Simon stuff is definitely the heart of this narrative but what about the show's namesake? The Fionna and Cake bits are good but i never really felt as invested in their story as i was in Simon's trials. It's not like their stuff was bad, per sey, it just didn't feel as... dire? I don't know, i felt more for the characters around them than i did the characters themselves? Don't misunderstand me, i enjoyed their arc. Fionna and Cake struggling with their own identities and coming to terms with who they are was cool and all but, ultimately, it felt more sub than main plot, which is weird because it's their show. Fionna and Cake are basically the inciting action which informs the entire plot but i never really feel like that's a thing. Plus, there is this very important aspect to their character which, kind of never really plays into the overarching conflict, with the exception of a particularly gruesome scene, and i feel like that was a missed opportunity. As an overall production and viewing experience, Fionna and Cake is f*cking exquisite.

The stuff i said about Fionna and Cake is true, to an extent. True for me, i guess. People may get more out of their arc than i did, which is fine, that's a point subjectivity. What isn't subjective is how well this show is produced. Seriously, the art style is familiar, yet, more detailed. The characters are well performed, each true to their own personality beats. But it was the worlds we visited that truly hammered home the butterfly effect, the effect Simon had, on all of those worlds. I loved every second of that experience and, while they didn't fully stick the landing, there were great aspects of that tenth episode. Fionna and Cake turned out to be ten episodes of solid, adult, Adventure Time narrative that felt organic. It didn't feel like a cashgrab or desperate attempt at Max to pull in viewers. It felt like, after the absolutely brilliant reception to Distant Lands, that HBO understood there was a market for a show like that and they just let the staff create. Adventure Time: Fionna and Cake isn't perfect, it's definitely got it's flaws, but of the content I've seen this year, it's easily some of the best. Whether you're a fan of the old world of Ooo, or just interested in what "adult" animation has to offer, this show is one of the best examples of the art form. It was a strong watch and i definitely recommend a viewing.

[eemamminy-art]

(@driftward) At last an ask let's go! From the Honest Fav Char Ask page: 1. Do you project onto THE CHARACTER? and 23. Has THE CHARACTER permanently altered or impacted your psyche in a way you won’t forget?

I was tempted to ask 5 to be funny but look if someone does not know the answer to that by now there is just no hope for them

1. Do you project onto this character?

I think the better question is, is there a favorite character of mine I don't project onto? Lol I tend to gravitate a lot toward characters I can relate to so then I lean into those relatable traits a lot!

23. Has this character permanently altered or impacted your psyche in a way you won’t forget?

Again I think just about every favorite character of mine has impacted me in some way or another ahaha but I think the one I think about the most is probably Estinien. The dialog he has immediately after the Final Steps of Faith when he wakes up after surviving Nidhogg's possession is something I think about constantly. That his grief and sorrow very nearly consumed him, but unlike Nidhogg he had people around him to help him grow and heal. And even though those people did not cure him of his sorrows, they were just enough of a source of light and hope that he could crawl out of his despair on his own.

I know Estinien has moved on from that as a character by now and he's just some guy these days, but I related so much to him in that scene that to me he is always that person who very nearly was consumed by his own misery but allowed others to help him back up. And I just relate so much to that and find it so inspirational. Maybe one day I'll also just be some guy chilling in the background not so affected by loss.

5. If this character were a woman, would you honestly still like them? Or in reverse, what if they were a man?

I know you joked about this one but I honestly still want to answer it! I'm sure I would still like any character if they were swapped from man to woman but there's a few characters I can think of where I don't think it would improve the character particularly. Characters who are grappling with toxic masculinity or certain expectations placed on them as men, and that's the crux of their story arc or the thing that makes them unique. While I'm sure they'd be interesting as women too, and certainly more attractive to me that way, if it would come at the detriment of the character I wouldn't enjoy them as much. Generally speaking I find gender roles and the weight/burden they place on someone, or the ways they might defy those gender-based expectations, to be a very interesting theme to explore, and that extends to men too!

-

Honest "favorite character" asks

[cheemken]

Hi! So I just recently got interested in your Pokemon Champion body swap AU and I just have lots of questions to ask you if that's alright (if you're still into pokemon that is.)

1. How do the Paldea kids, Alola kids, Galar kids and the Unova protagonist and the other Unova characters who were with Steven at Reversal Mountain at that time (Plus Cheren and Bianca) think about the body swap? One by one?

2. How does the pokemon league of each region think about the body swap? One by one? This is also includes the gym leaders themselves.

3. How does the signature pokemon of the champions react to the body swap? How do they help their respective trainers?

4. What was the reaction of each Champion when they are in each other's bodies? Their thoughts, feelings and how they cope? Especially Geeta since she is in the body of Hau and Hau is a god damn child. Or Iris since she is in a body of an adult, Geeta? And even Hau in the body of Lance or Steven in the body of Iris who I think is a 12 year old? Man, the age differences here. And don't get me started on both the gender and body dysmorphia and complications some of the champions will have to face.

That's all I would like to ask. Just take your time answer my questions. I will wait🥰

Hi hey, it has been such a long ass while since I last posted abt pkmn omf😭🤣

But happy to have you here, I'm glad you like my silly little au, and I'm sorry it took a while for me to answer too, I just got home cbmddn

Anyways to finally answer your questions hahah

1] the Unova kids, well, kids as if they're not adults in my hcs and aus hahaha, I'll answer that around the third one don't worry, but yeah ofc, Hilbert noticed first, bc hey, Iris doesn't usually show interest in shiny rocks, only if it has smth to do w dragons, ofc he knows what his best friend likes

I think Bianca would notice second tho, cause ofc, Iris was usually so clingy to her, and would listen to her ramble on abt her research, but surprisingly, Iris was caught up in her own world, finding some rare rocks and stones

And soon, she told Cheren, who then told Hilda, and now they're all a bit sus bc Hilbert is like, glaring at Iris lmfaooo

Steven ended fessing up bc he was so damn sure Hilbert was abt to throw hands w him, demanding where Iris was

The Paldea kids, oh, Penny knew immediately lmfao. Geeta, while not the best at technology, had some semblance of knowledge abt it, Iris, however, is like a grandma trying to figure out the buttons, look, she and Drayden are both shit at tech cut them some slack, it's actually canon lmfaooo

Penny did play along tho, see if Florian and the others would notice too. But w them caught up w their own stuff, and Iris trying to figure out shit, well, Penny went over to her and asked her if she really isn't Geeta. Bc she knows Geeta's smile, that's not how Geeta smiles bc for once it didn't unsettle her lmfao

Iris said yeah she's not Geeta, and told Penny to not tell anyone, and help her get back to Unova, or maybe figure out what's going on. Penny sighed, god, she always gets dragged to these kinda things, but damn it was it thrilling lmfao

The Galar kids, I think none of them would notice it was Diantha in Leon's place now, bc ofc, Dia is quite a great actress. The ones who noticed immediately tho? Sonia and Raihan

I think that's when Diantha slipped

Sonia, for one, bc she noticed the loneliness in those eyes again, she never thought she'd see it again on Leon, and she ended up asking abt it, if he's doing okay, if Rose suddenly showed up again, or smth happened. Dia kinda slipped and said she misses her brother and Drasna, voice so quiet that you have to be real close to hear it. Sonia asked what was that, but Dia shook her head, said it's nothing, just,, champion responsibilities. No, Sonia did not at all believe that

Raihan figured out it wasn't exactly Leon bc Dia slipped during a battle and almost said Psychic instead of Fire Blast lmfao, that and after that battle, he also saw her, ofc in Leon's body, almost head to the women's restroom lmfaoooo

2] okay let's be real, the Indigo league would immediately find out it's not Lance bc Hau, as chill as he is, is still rather young and this is the first time this has happened and he started to panic the moment they gave him paperwork

And soon enough, Clair is there calling every other league if they found Lance and if their champions are also alright. Karen was there trying to calm Hau down tho

The Hoenn League, yeah, Lance and Cynthia aren't fooling anyone. Plus, Tate and Liza figured out and just deadass told everyone else lmfao. Cynthia did reassure Lisia tho that they'll get Wallace back, and she apologized to her for trying to trick her into thinking she's actually Wallace. Lisia just looked at her and smiled and said "yeah, I kinda figured, Ms Cynthia. My uncle never burns anything when he cooks, even when he's sick." Cynthia vowed to never talk to any member of this family again girl this is just humiliating at this point lmfao

Sinnoh league, oh, they took a while to figure out it's actually Wallace, but y'know how they figured it out? Gardenia took "Cynthia" out for some treats at a cafe, and Cynthia will always, always, order cake and hot chocolate, but Wallace ordered tea and Gardenia just "yeah, no, who the FUCK—" she immediately messaged the group chat. Candice, Gardenia, Roark, Flint, and even Volkner found it funny tho

Unova, well, yeah, after the events of Reversal Mountain, Stevene just straight up told the league bc he is NOT risking both Hilbert and Drayden's wrath lmfaooo

Kalos, honestly, Leon is a shit actor, he slipped the second day and Drasna was just "oh, dear.. then where is Diantha?" Sycamore kinda,,, resents him, low-key, like really low-key, cause ofc that family dinner w Drasna and Dia, he really thought it was Dia, for once their family was together after Diantha's busy schedule, but now he finds out it wasn't actually Diantha. Drasna was also a bit sad, but honestly she's more worried for Diantha cause during all that, they probs don't know where she actually is

Alola, yeah, Geeta's also not fooling anyone, they really really really had to calm Hala down and stop him from storming to Paldea bc he thought his grandson would be there in Geeta's own body. Geeta was calm through it all, even chuckled and said it is rather amusing, but, she has already contacted the other champions, perhaps they have the solution for this. The kids did ask her abt her league tho, and abt Paldea, and what the region was like, they'd want to visit there some day. Geeta told them she has a protege there, close to their age, perhaps they'll meet Nemona one day, she is looking for trainers on par w her

Galar, yeah Dia is actually fooling all of them except ofc, Sonia and Raihan. Idk I don't think those two would tell anyone just yet, I think they did ask Dia what's going on, and Dia finally told them and even she's not sure how this happened, and she's still trying to figure out how to get back to her body bc of all the bodies she could've switched w, it just had to be Leon's

Paldea, Iris also isn't fooling anyone. Well, she's kinda fooling some of them, she and Hau impersonated some of the champions enough, and w Dia's acting lessons, well, she learned a thing or two. Then again, Penny was observant, Larry did notice too, he just, well, he isn't getting paid enough to care. Their champions come and go anyways, when asked abt why Geeta seems a bit off he'd just said "I don't know, do I look like her babysitter? That's one job I didn't applied for."

3] Dragonite, ah what a tough and terrifying dragon, he's so soft w Hau. Like, he knows that Hau is getting nervous, and it reminded him when Lance was also just a boy, when he tries so hard to act tough, so he's there nuzzling close to Hau, calming him down too

Metagross, ofc, it's a smart Mon, it knows it's Lance lmfao, but also, just to mess w Lance bc of how gruff his personality is, a far cry from Steven's, it often won't listen to him, y'know, just to fuck w him a bit lol

Milotic, oh, this one is as petty as Wallace, immediately found out it's Cynthia and just. Would Not listen lmfaooo

Garchomp, also figured out it's Wallace, yes it's bc of the tea thing, but unlike Milotic, Chomps is more confused than anything cause smth like this didn't even happen when they were in the Distortion world

Haxorus, she honestly pities Steven at this point, man is being interrogated like a Plasma grunt😭🤣

Gardevoir, well, ofc she tries to play along, but I think day one she figured it out it's not Diantha, and had some mental conversation w Leon going "Where is Diantha?" And Leon is never ever forgetting that deep foreboding voice ever, he never thought that's what Gardevoir even sound like w a human voice, he still shivers at the thought

My ace for Hau in this is Decidueye, I think Deci would be at least a lil bit intimidated w Geeta, tho it did find it amusing when Geeta tried a Z Move, especially w Mallow teaching her

Charizard, also a lil bit intimidated of Dia, but hey, Dia was also soft y'know, she gave him pokepuffs and he got attached real quick lmfao

Look look listen I know Geeta's ace is Glimmora, but in my hcs, it's Kingambit, bc it fits and it should've been him at the start and I will die on this hill. Anyways, he's also a lil bit weirded out at seeing Iris in Geeta's body bc ofc, they both have drastic personalities, and when he saw Iris sneaking out to get ice cream he actually blanched before he remember ah yeah, that's not his trainer hahaha

4] see, okay, while yeah, the age difference is a bit odd, but in my hcs I did change their ages and such, mainly bc when I write my hcs and aus, it's mostly set in like some timeskip after the events of each game y'know. So Hau is at least 15-17, while Iris is in her early 20s, so technically Iris is an adult

But yeah the gender dysphoria is so real, I think w Cynthia especially, bc for one, girl is trying her hardest to keep her life in check in her own body yeah, but w my hcs she's like, yeah she's not doing well, like, her left eye is scarred, her body was too thin, sometimes she forgets even the most basic of things, but Wallace's body was so different from hers. Sometimes she thinks this is what she could've been if she didn't spiral y'know, and during the time of the body swap, she kept thinking abt it. One of the few moments Milotic would actually be nice to her tho, as if reassuring her that hey, she's making an effort, and that's better than nothing

Geeta will admit tho, she did miss having a younger body, and wow was Hau flexible, Geeta wasn't that flexible when she was younger lmfao

But yeah I'm sorry but I'm not gonna talk much abt the body dysphoria lest I spiral too hahaha

Anyways yeah hahah

[firedragon1321]

Swap AU Humans Round One

Below are profiles for characters from my swap AU! Plus transparent PNGs. I've posted them before all crusty and rushed, but here they are in all their glory! These sets will be tagged "swapchara"- mostly so I can find them again later.

In order from top to bottom- Aki, Sammy, Hailey, Amber, Kellen, Keith. Yes, they have different names for a reason. Yes, Sammy/swap!Tai looks slightly different. This is because I forgot to draw his bangs. Everyone else is as they appeared on their original posts.

Spoiler warning for Swap AU itself (this will be a fic), along with Digimon Last Evolution Kizuna. There are links for each of the mons leading to the Bulbapedia or Wikimon page- or in some cases, just an image- of what they're based on (some are obvious, others not so much).

TW for mentions of Digimon-level trauma, mild unreality

EDIT- Mild edit to Keith's height, added an extra line to his bio. Also edited Kellen's age.

PokeDestined

Aki

Gender: Male

Age: 10

Height: 4’4”

Weight: 72 lb.

Crest: Miracles

Japanese Name: Akihiro

Pokemon: Pichumon -> Pikamon -> Raimon -> Pawmotmon -> Zeramon

Aki is a hyperactive young boy born for adventure- at least before coming to the Pocket World and meeting the Pokemon residents. Its fate is now squarely in the hands of him and eight other children. Since then, he’s come to appreciate moments of peace. His optimistic, sunny nature is the perfect shield from whatever troubles him, though his partner Pikamon can see right through it. Aki and Pikamon are sometimes at odds since the latter is so serious, but they’re friends at the end of the day. He has very a large appetite.

Aki dreams of a boy and a “Pikachu” going on an adventure. Even when awake, he remembers this duo as if they were real. He would love to step into that life- if only for a moment- to escape the horrors that dog him on every step of his journey to save the world.

Hailey

Gender: Female

Age: 10

Height: 4’3”

Weight: 70 lb.

Crest: Reliability

Japanese Name: Hiromi

Pokemon: Azurimon -> Psymon -> Goldumon -> Gyaramon -> MegaGyaramon

Hailey is the group’s caretaker- a task she’s well-suited to since she has three younger sisters. Though she has enough determination to overcome foes and enough kindness to soothe small children, she isn’t able to overcome her own self-doubts. Hailey gets exasperated with the antics of her Psymon, who isn’t as “all-powerful” as he claims. But like the other children, she has a close bond with her Pokemon companion.

Hailey dreams and remembers another girl whose anger constantly boils. She, too, has a Pokemon, who she constantly berates for causing mischief. Hailey could never be that cruel! Yet, something about these sensations as natural as her own thoughts. Now, if only she could figure out the truth.

Kellen

Gender: Male

Age: 11

Height: 4’6”

Weight: 75 lb.

Crest: Kindness

Japanese Name: Kenji

Pokemon: Wyanumon -> Eeveemon -> Umbremon -> MegaHoundoomon -> Okidogimon

Kellen is surprisingly mature for his age, helping Hailey care for the group. He usually takes the first night watch. Though he seems distant from his partner Eeveemon, he has trouble clicking with the latter’s goofy personality. He puts on an aloof front held together with string and duct tape. A introspective person, he journeys as much to find himself as to save the world.

Kellen’s mental shield grows weaker because of the dreams and memories that don’t belong to him. The mere possibility he may be someone else is upsetting- let alone a person so brutishly arrogant. But if that person really is “the original one”, is Kellen’s own existence a grave sin?

Digimon Trainers

Sammy

Gender: Male

Age: 11

Height: 4’8”

Weight: 80 lb.

Type Specialty: Fire 

Japanese Name: Satoshi

Digimon: Agufry, Leflare, Lavorvo

Sammy set out from his hometown with only Agufry by his side. His goal is to become a Digimon Master. Not even he knows what that means, and he becomes unusually defensive if questioned. He will do anything to help those in need, be they human or Digimon. Though a skilled battler, he has trouble understanding advanced technology. He needs help to use the virtual “ghost lands” where Digimon live. For some strange reason, he frequently encounters legendary Digimon.

Recently, Sammy remembers and dreams about a man and a dinosaur creature. Though his life is dangerous and he frequently experiences great loss, Sammy finds himself drawn to it. His own life has fallen into a routine. To him, these dreams are an adventure he longs to begin.

Amber

Gender: Female

Age: 11

Height: 4’6”

Weight: 74 lb.

Type Specialty: Psychic 

Japanese Name: Atsuko

Digimon: Biyodee, Bakoboru, Tapiku

One of Sammy’s traveling companions. Amber is an expert with Psychic-type Digimon, able to understand their feelings better than any other type. She has a short fuse and can easily be pushed to the edge. Though she seems like a mere spitfire, she simply has trouble communicating her feelings. Coming from a family of psychics, yet born without psychic abilities, she struggles to find her place in the world. Thus, she set out with Biyodee on a journey.

Amber noticed strange behavior from both Sammy and her partner Biyodee recently. She isn’t sure of the reason. But she’s reaching her wit’s end with Sammy. Not helping are the dreams of a young woman who lost her beloved companion- dreams which make Amber want to hold Biyodee and never let go.

Keith

Gender: Male

Age: 12

Height: 4’6”

Weight: 82 lb.

Type Specialty: Ice

Japanese Name: Ken

Digimon: Gabello, 40+ others

Keith grew up in the same town as Sammy. He declared himself a Digimon Master long before he ever left home. In actuality, he has no idea who or what he is. To bury his insecurities, he bullies Sammy and searches relentlessly for power. His main Digimon is Gabello- a rare Ice/Fire-type and the crown jewel of his collection. He has forty other Digimon- each stronger than the last, but none able to fill the emotional pit in his heart. He's exactly two inches shorter than Sammy, and doesn't take it lightly when someone points that out.

One night, Keith had a disturbing dream where Gabello was taken from him. Since then, he’s dreamed of a man who looks much like him. He tries to ignore these dreams, as they’re interruptions on his path to power. But that boy and the strange Digimon he calls “Gabumon” seemed so happy together…before that day…

[junebugwriter]

Loki Season 2 Doesn't Understand Loki

The fundamental flaw in a season that means nothing

Spoilers below.

I think we need to talk about Loki.  

People who know me know that I don’t like superhero and comic book movies. I love them. And that’s why I’m so critical of them. I can blame my brother on getting me into comics in high school, but the fact that long after that I keep coming back to the well speaks to what I love about them. Comics are the blending of prose and visual artistry, of character and medium. Every comic is a conversation between artists. Television and film, likewise, are another variation on that same theme.  

However, like any other kind of media, its greatest strengths can also fall victim to their greatest enemy: the companies that own them. 

Marvel Studios and the Marvel Cinematic Universe began as a simple concept: translate the idea of comic book universes onto the big screen. Let the comic company own the movies that bring their stories to the masses. When Disney bought Marvel, lock stock and barrel, it also brought truckloads of cash and prestige with it. This proved to be a Faustian bargain in the end, because what happens when the infinite money machine begins to grow too large to handle? Things begin to break down. 

Loki Season 2 is this metaphor brought to life. 

Everything Will Be The Same Ever Again 

The first season ended promisingly enough. Loki and his alternate timeline gender swapped variant Sophie finally find He Who Remains, the man behind the curtains that the Marvel Cinematic Universe has been building up to. He’s the one who pulls the strings, paves the road, and decides the Sacred Timeline ™—in other words, this is the man who decides Marvel Canon.  

Season 1 ended exactly as I hoped it would: Sophie, tired of being controlled, did the thing that gods of mischief and chaos are supposed to do. She killed the man behind the curtain. In so doing, she unspooled the Sacred Timeline ™ in the name of free will, allowing for infinite universes to be borne from the infinite choices made every moment by every being in existence. She gave birth to the multiverse. She broke the system.  

Obviously, this could not last.   

Loki season 1 promised that the universe would be forever altered by the actions of Loki and Sophie, and for a while, this seemed to be the case. Most of the recent phase of Marvel output has revolved, for better or worse, with the introduction of the concept of multiple realities. This has been used somewhat as more or less a vehicle for Brand Integration ™ and less as a vehicle for, you know, good storytelling. Yes, we’ve been promised Fantastic Four and X-men movies, but those aren’t even really in the works currently. They’ve been stuck in development hell for years since acquisition. All we’ve gotten is a couple of winks and nods, a musical sting, and N’amor, which all things being fair, was great, but N’amor has always been his own thing and a mutant in name only, story-wise. Otherwise, it’s been fine, but far from the promised chaos that Loki season 1 alluded to. 

Additionally, there’s the problem of character. Loki in mythology is less a villain but more of an antagonist, a trickster character that causes problems and meddles in the affairs of others for little reason else besides “he wanted to.” He’s mercurial by nature, and that works very, very well for mythology. It works for the purposes of “this is how the world is, this is why things are the way they are, and this is how the world will end.” Loki’s presence is not malevolent, but rather genuinely chaotic. He will do what he wants, and usually only to satisfy himself. He often seems unable to really control himself, let alone anyone else. He does things because he loves just making things happen, and if he winds up with what he wants, it’s all the better.  

In the comics and the films, he’s much more cast as a villain. In the films, he desires the throne of Asgard, to be the rightful ruler of people. Failing to win Asgard, he seeks out Earth as an agent of Thanos. Failing that, he meanders long enough in the background to have fun when dealing with Thor, and that’s about it. He finally dies an ignoble death by Thanos, and that was to be the end of him. Loki the TV series is not the same Loki we saw die. This Loki is an alternate timeline variant, and after having his ego broken by the Time Variance Authority, he seeks out another variant, Sophie, who has been causing problems for the TVA. 

If all that gives you a bit of a headache, don’t worry. That’s just the comic fan experience. Comics, and superhero stories, are of a kindred spirit with Soap Operas: not only are they highly melodramatic, often made up on the fly, and filled with colorful characters, but they’re also designed to go on FOREVER. That’s the beauty of them. The characters, and the universe, frequently default to a certain status quo. Sure, every few years, something comes along that promises to Change the Universe Forever, but that often amounts to one weird tweak and then it's back to the races as usual. The bad guy comes along to challenge the hero, hero must thwart whatever plan the villain has, and all is well. That’s the rhythm of the comic book story, and that works quite well for executives... to a point. So, what happens when people start to get tired of the same old story? They change the status quo on paper, and hope nobody notices that the structure of it all is still intact.  

That was the promise of Loki Season 1. See? We have a multiverse now! Please, be distracted by this CHAOS long enough to not realize that we are still in control of everything, and everything is fine.  

That last sentence? That’s the plot of season 2. See, Sophie killed He Who Remains, and the multiverse exists. The TVA is designed by HWR to maintain the Sacred Timeline ™. With the Sacred Timeline ™ now in chaos, everything in the universe is going haywire. That means timelines are unraveling. The plot now follows Loki, his hetero life mate Mobius, and a cast of fun, colorful characters, racing against time to keep time from unspooling, and the multiverse from completely falling apart. 

Mr. Loki’s Wild Ride 

“Loki” is a show meant to turn Loki from the god of mischief and chaos to... a hero, somehow. One who wants to fight to maintain an autocratic, bureaucratic organization that wasn’t very good at its job in the first place because the alternative is... chaos. According to the plot, this chaos takes the form of nothingness. Lack of existence. See, without an imposed order, nothing can exist! Therefore, reality NEEDS someone or some entity to maintain order in some way so that everything can keep on existing.  

But why is this the case? Why does reality need a temporal loom or a man behind the curtain? The show doesn’t do a very good job of explaining why everything ceases to exist the moment that the Temporal Loom, the machine that maintains the Sacred Timeline ™ other than “that’s just how it all works,” and really, it doesn’t even tell us that. It just shows time unraveling, sans explanation. How did time exist before the Temporal Loom, you ask? Loki, for all its technobabble and endlessly recurrent exposition, is not actually interested in explaining that bit. You see, it was chaos and war and death before, or it’s nothingness. Which is it? Why is it? It’s a nihilistic and frustrating bit of worldbuilding that leads to nothing.  

This nihilism is a kind of narrative reinforcement technique. By the end of it, Loki has figured out how to control time itself, after much trial and error, as well as another conversation with He Who Remains. Yet in that conversation, he learns a fundamental truth about the MCU: He who makes the difficult decisions gets to sit on the throne. He Who Remains is supposedly one such person. In his stead, at the end, Loki does the same. He wrests control of the timelines, bundles them up into a cape, and seats himself on the throne of He Who Remains. As such, he recreates Yggdrasil, the world tree of Norse mythology, the tree upon which all the realms rest. You see? Everything goes back to normal, now that someone is in control. 

But wait a minute. Why would Loki ever make this choice? Loki early in the show figures out he doesn’t want a throne. He doesn’t want control. All he ever wanted was to be loved and known and understood. That is the true desire at the heart of his character. It’s beautiful, and poignant, and speaks to my own heart. In Sophie, he found someone who does know and understand him. Is it narcissistic to love a gender variant of yourself? Probably! But it makes sense for him. Because he is a mercurial person. He doesn’t really understand even himself, and because of that, it results in mischief and chaos. That’s who he is. He is a chaos god.  

By the end of the show though, he’s learned and grown... what? To love order? To love bureaucracy? To love control? That’s what it’s saying when he takes the throne! I understand that this is Loki learning what it means to be a hero, but is that really what it means? To let go of your defining characteristic? To lose what makes you... you? To undergo true ego death so that the world itself can keep on spinning upon your skeleton? For all its over-explanation, Loki the show isn’t interested in answering much of anything. It’s poetic that he gives up his life so that reality can continue, but this seems rather pointless, in the end. Instead of embracing himself, he denies his identity to sit on a throne he doesn’t want. That’s no god of chaos and mischief. That is the god of stability, order, and the status quo.  

That’s not Loki.  

Pay no attention to the executive behind the curtain 

I understand the mercenary reasons for these choices. I understand that the universe must keep spinning, and the infinite money machine must keep on making money. But to do so, they need to kill the defining characteristics of their beloved characters, and that just makes it all so thin, flimsy and frustrating. There are some amazing moments in this show! Everything with Sophie, Mobius, and Ouroboros is excellent. The characters make this nonsense story shine, long enough to make you hopefully realize that it doesn’t even make internal sense. 

As someone who analyses stories for a living, it’s impossible to see this apart from the concept of capitalist realism, whose central maxim is this: It’s easier to believe in the end of the world rather than the end of capitalism. Substitute “capitalism” with “the underlying bureaucracy upon which the world rests and runs itself” and that becomes just the text of Loki. It’s easier to imagine the end of reality than the end of the TVA, and the end of the autocrat who sits on top of the pyramid. The Universe is run by a corrupt pyramid scheme, but it’s that or nothingness! So, you NEED someone to run things like this, otherwise it’s all void.  

That’s what this story is saying—but why does it need to say this? Why do we need someone sitting on a throne? For a character like Loki whose entire character is anarchy incarnate, this simply just rings hollow.  

And so, I am frustrated. I want to like “Loki.” It has some great moments and is a lot of fun. But at the end of the day, it does the character of Loki wrong but having to reinforce the status quo, and when your central character who is defined by causing mischief, maintaining the status quo is a terrible way to end your series.  

[bohemian-nights]

I think the most aggravating thing about the Michaela situation is that Jess Bronwell did that genderbend to appease HERSELF. She's so utterly vile and selfish its insane. She ruined a story. She took away the opportunity from a dark skinned black man to play someone that everyone in the ton (even his own SILs) deem as handsome and crush-worthy but at the same time isn't a shallow person but one dealing with a lot of internal vulnerability and guilt. That sort of layered story, she STOLE that from a black man and not only that but she made sure John, Fran's other dark skinned love interest was done dirty too with the implication she doesn't actually romantically love him. That's not even getting into the amount of people who feel they are being cheated representation through seeing Francesca's infertility and grief/finding love again storyline. Things that media doesn't tackle with nuance or commonly at all. That said, I doubt Jess would ever have given Francesca's story the depth it deserved either way. Requires too much nuance she doesn't possess.

Then as other anon mentioned: casting Masali SIX YEARS in advance. Flying her out from South Africa. All the absolute STUPID decisions they made to make SURE Jess' fanfiction became canon: all to avoid making Sophie a black woman? And now Masali will have to deal with the ire from fans who are rightfully mad? That said most Franchael fans have been heartbroken yet really respectful about Masali which is more than I can say about Jess Bronwell's fans who have been lapping up this change and acting as if their beloved male characters weren't problematic and that Michael in the books was a misogynistic demon and his fans are homophobes in denial. Like pls. They also keep bringing up the "he was a colonizer" and as a brown woman I have to absolutely LAUGH at that. This is fiction. Michael Stirling isn't real and isn't actively colonizing the subcontinent just like racism has magically disappeared in regency England. Retconning what he was doing the years he was avoiding Francesca is far easier than gender bending the whole goddamn character. He could have been off traveling on a grief sabbatical or whatever but acting like they changed him because he was any more problematic than Anthony or Benedict or Colin is laughable. And its usually fans of those 3 who are yapping too. I wonder how they'd feel if these 3 male characters had been swapped into women?

And you know what im concerned about? They still haven't mentioned who's season is next. Benedict meets the lady in silver at the masquerade. But it takes him some good long while (2 years?) to meet Sophie/find her. So either they're gonna avoid the time skip entirely... or they're actually doing the insane thing of making Francesca's story next because Jess Bronwell has no guarantee she'll even get to tell her self insert fanfic otherwise. I'm not sure. The hints were very strong about Benedict being next season. And if Shondaland wants Bridgerton to get renewed they'll have to bring the numbers next season which means Benedict. Francesca certainly won't bring those views especially not after pissing off book fans. But also I don't trust how off the rails the plan for this show has gotten.

Chris Van Dusen had his problems but at least he never would have pulled this shit. Its clear to me that Jess is both pandering to fans with the Benedict being pan storyline and also pandering to her own self insert fantasies with genderbending Michael. I'm utterly disgusted with her and Shonda. I'm also shocked the publisher for Julia Quinn's books even let this happen considering the sale money they make with tie ins too. If nothing else, I believed this mess wouldn't happen because it would impact that symbiotic relationship between streamer and publisher.

Everyone angry about this change has every right to be and its so so valid. Idc what the "popular" opinion is. Its a very narrow-minded self serving take and celebration for those (usually white) people who are excited about this.

Everything you said 👏🏽I really can’t express enough how shocked and utterly disgusted I am by everything. Honestly all I can say is that if anyone is unhappy with this bs fanfiction, don’t give them views next season. It’s not even a fun watch anymore.

[jennelikejennay]

Couldn't sleep last night so I made a mental list of all the characters in The Locked Tomb to check for anybody, literally anyone at all, who abides by gender roles. Because while it's true that some people exist in the book who aren't noticeably queer, even the apparently straight people aren't doing gender according to any 1st through 21st century standard. Heck, the whole cav/necro dynamic is a gender inversion—the buff one serves the physically frail one.

There are some spoilers.

So we begin.

The Second House, Judith and Marta. Girls but military. Not gender conforming.

The Third House. We have buff lady Corona, prince Ianthe, and lip balm Babs. No gender roles here.

The Fourth House. A sword swinging girl and a frail boy with a braid and earrings. 404 gender not found.

The Fifth House is so conventional, right? Okay but remember the wife is the boss and the husband sends invitations, takes care of kids, and is a wife guy. Only moderate levels of gender here.

Sixth: again, brainy boy, sword lady. In any traditional fantasy (see: Wheel of Time) these would be gender swapped.

Seventh: I don't see Dulcie breaking any gender norms because she is too busy being mostly dead. Pro however writes lyric poems, so he's at any rate not a total meathead.

Eighth: their gender is being assholes. No obvious non conformity anyway. They are too busy sucking.

Ninth: who's the girl, the sword swinging porn viewing meathead or the filthy trash goblin? Which among them is pretty and coy and submissive? I vote Harrow as more femme by process of elimination but I can't think of a single time she performed femininity and was comfortable with it.

Jod: plays with barbies.

Mercymorn: not strongly gendered but I don't see any non conformity.

Augustine: ditto.

Gideon: very manly, which is why it's funny that half the time his body is piloted by a girl.

Wake: what says femininity like an orange haz suit and a giant gun? She actually reproduces with her own body, that's very womanly of her, but she calls it Bomb.

The Angel: we don't even know the Angel's gender, not really. I think Nona's right to use she/her and the Angel clearly likes that, but all the descriptions given suggest she may be presenting as a man and then there's all the plural stuff.

We Suffer: if I were doing stereotypes I would not have the masked terrorist cell leader be a girl

Pash: or the bodyguard

Nona: I could write a term paper on whether she in fact counts as female at all, but character wise she's another of those characters that doesn't have much gender suggested at all.

Resolved: in The Locked Tomb, gender is simply not a thing except when it is subverted. Did Jod create a utopia where nobody has gender expectations in the first place? Or do our characters just have too much on their mind to get surprised when a lady calls herself a prince? Either way, it's heckin refreshing and one of the things I love about the series.

[smokeybrand]

Multiverse of Madness

I am an unapologetic Adventure Time apologist. i think it was one of the greatest shows ever created and deserves all the love it gets. AT saved Cartoon Network back in the day and spawned so many creators who would, in turn, leave their mark on the industry. Without AT, there is no Steven Universe or that other one with the fighting i guess? The influence of Adventure Time gave credence to the potential popularity of shows like nuShe-Ra and nuVoltron. Those characters are iconic and full of so much depth. Finn Mertens, Jake the Dog, Bonnibel Bubblegum; All of them have become stalwarts of cartoon history. Like, Marceline Abadeer is one of my all-time favorite characters in fiction. When Distant Lands aired, i was emotionally devastated. Obviously, Obsidian was mys sh*t but Together Again brought me to tears. That's how much this show meant to me, so when Adventure Time: Fionna and Cake was announced, i was all over it. I was mad curious how this would play out. Would it be just a romp through a gender-swapped Ooo? Would the target audience still be kids or would the show be a more mature take since the original kids were now wayward adults? So many questions. Well, Fionna and Cake is over and i have thoughts.

First thing first, This show is not about Fionna and Cake. It is on a superficial level but they're more a plot device who participates in the narrative. Fionna and Cake is about Simon Petrikov coming to terms with the loss of Betty Groff and how his relationship with her, was toxic as f*ck. Like, holy sh*t, was it bad! The co-dependency was insane! I mean, you got glimpses of that throughout Betty's arc in the original AT (Betty literally leaping through a Hambo powered time rift, her problematic Magic Woman phase, and the eventual wish that turned her into f*cking GolBetty, all for her "love" of Simon) but this chick was as obsessed with Simon as Simon was with her. When she transcended and become a deity of pure chaos, Simon was left in a depression spiral that, ultimately, shook the core of the goddamn multiverse. And i say that with no hyperbole. F*cking Ice King, put the entire multiverse of Adventure Time in jeopardy, because he missed his boo. What follows is, one of the most well thought out and executed romps through a multiverse narrative I've seen outside of f*cking comic books. I don't want to spoil anything but the first nine episodes of this show are brilliant, rivaling the very best Adventure Time has to offer. The tenth? Not so much.

Fionna and Cake definitely botches the landing, especially coming off such incredibly strong episodes as the three right before it. Again, no details, but, holy sh*t, were those three episodes great. Seriously, watch this show, it's f*cking fantastic. The Simon stuff is definitely the heart of this narrative but what about the show's namesake? The Fionna and Cake bits are good but i never really felt as invested in their story as i was in Simon's trials. It's not like their stuff was bad, per sey, it just didn't feel as... dire? I don't know, i felt more for the characters around them than i did the characters themselves? Don't misunderstand me, i enjoyed their arc. Fionna and Cake struggling with their own identities and coming to terms with who they are was cool and all but, ultimately, it felt more sub than main plot, which is weird because it's their show. Fionna and Cake are basically the inciting action which informs the entire plot but i never really feel like that's a thing. Plus, there is this very important aspect to their character which, kind of never really plays into the overarching conflict, with the exception of a particularly gruesome scene, and i feel like that was a missed opportunity. As an overall production and viewing experience, Fionna and Cake is f*cking exquisite.

The stuff i said about Fionna and Cake is true, to an extent. True for me, i guess. People may get more out of their arc than i did, which is fine, that's a point subjectivity. What isn't subjective is how well this show is produced. Seriously, the art style is familiar, yet, more detailed. The characters are well performed, each true to their own personality beats. But it was the worlds we visited that truly hammered home the butterfly effect, the effect Simon had, on all of those worlds. I loved every second of that experience and, while they didn't fully stick the landing, there were great aspects of that tenth episode. Fionna and Cake turned out to be ten episodes of solid, adult, Adventure Time narrative that felt organic. It didn't feel like a cashgrab or desperate attempt at Max to pull in viewers. It felt like, after the absolutely brilliant reception to Distant Lands, that HBO understood there was a market for a show like that and they just let the staff create. Adventure Time: Fionna and Cake isn't perfect, it's definitely got it's flaws, but of the content I've seen this year, it's easily some of the best. Whether you're a fan of the old world of Ooo, or just interested in what "adult" animation has to offer, this show is one of the best examples of the art form. It was a strong watch and i definitely recommend a viewing.