#but when a main gets a canonical love interest and we actually see them bond people don’t give a flying fuck

[two-sides-samecoin]

Y’all I’m sick and tired of hearing the argument of ‘well vickie wasn’t developed well at all’ YEAH AND SHES A SIDE CHARACTER!!! WE DIDNT SEE BARB A SIDE CHARACTER DEVELOP AT ALL AND LOOK HOW MUCH ATTENTION BARB GOT! LIKE BARB PROBS GOT EVEN LESS SCREEN TIME THEN VICKIE AND YALL STILL SCREAMING ABOUT HER YEARS LATER

[quasi-normalcy]

Every "Nu Trek" (2017- ) Series Ranked from Worst to Best:

Very Short Treks (2023): There's really no words for just how terrible this series is. I mean, I know that it only barely counts because it's explicitly not canon and has a total combined run time of about 15 minutes, but *my god* is it bad! Only one of its episodes is remotely funny, and even that manages to feel like it's driven its main joke into the ground by the end of its 2-minute runtime. The only thing that I can say for it is that is that it gives me an easy, uncontroversial choice for worst Star Trek series, not only of the last 7 years, but of all time.

Picard (2020-2023): Listen; I know that this series is unpopular with the Tumblr Trek fandom, but it actually breaks my heart to have to put it so low on the list. It has, in my own opinion, the best dramatic acting of any Trek series and among the best directing, and almost every individual scene, in isolation, is compellingly watchable. More than that, it has fascinating worldbuilding choices, you can really *see* the passion of the writers for what they're creating (at least in the first and third seasons), and Agnes in particular is among my favourite characters in anything ever. It's got a lot of great moments, too! Picard and Seven bonding over shared Borg trauma; Soji uncovering the truth of her identity; Jurati hacking the Borg Queen's brain; Picard's final farewell to Q; Shaw's Wolf 359 monologue; Geordi's reunion with Data...I could go on. And yet, it just feels like so much *less* than the sum of its parts! Incredible ideas are introduced and then just shrugged off to pursue much more boring ones. Story arcs feel pointless if not actively offensive. Absolutely baffling writing choices are made throughout, with no indication as to why. And the nostalgia baiting , particularly in the final season, becomes so intense that it just chokes the plot to death. One comes away haunted by the feeling that this series should be so much better than it is.

Discovery (2017-2024): Really, this is two separate series: a twisty, grimdark, sci-fi war drama and a gentle queer coffeeshop AU about scientists who talk about their feelings. Both of them have their moments, but they each fall down in the same way: a focus on epic, high-stakes mystery box storytelling that undermines one's ability to really get invested in the characters, or even know who they are when they aren't off saving the universe. Without that, while I liked many of the characters and loved seeing them science the shit out of things using teamwork and the power of math, it's kind of difficult to get invested in this series one way or another. In spite of its absolutely gorgeous visuals, it comes off feeling weirdly...flat.

Short Treks (2018-2020): Not a lot to talk about here; just kind of an anthology series of short films adjacent to Discovery, Picard, and Strange New Worlds. Mostly they're varying shades of mediocre, but a few of them are as brilliant as any episode of Star Trek ever made, so the series gets to be relatively high on the list.

Strange New Worlds (2022- ): This is the first entry on this list that, in my opinion, belongs on the top shelf with some of the best of the older series. And it achieves it basically by adopting the same formula as the original series or the next generation--socially conscious planet-of-the-week adventures with enough wit, cleverness and joie-de-vivre to keep it interesting. I remember in 2017, there was plenty of discussion of how it's possible to update Star Trek's formula for prestige television; how funny that the solution turned out to be "don't change it at all, just give it modern special effects and actual character arcs." That said, the series is a bit *too* beholden to the original, with focus primarily on a bunch of characters who aren't allowed to grow or change too much because we already know how they'll turn out. It would be even better if it were about a new ship and a new crew full of nobodies who we can come to love. Which brings us to...

Lower Decks (2020-2024): Above, I said that Picard felt like it should have been so much better than it was. Lower Decks, frankly, should have been so much worse. How is an adult animated sitcom with Rick and Morty style animation and constant memberberries this freaking good!?! Every episode is a master class in efficient storytelling, with 22 minute runtimes often feeling like they contain as much story and character work as episodes twice as long. And the characters are incredible--like TOS and TNG, they feel almost archetypal, and even though you've never seen them before, they slide so seamlessly into the Star Trek universe that it's hard to believe that they weren't just *always* there; that there was ever a time when you could imagine the Star Trek universe without just intrinsically knowing that Tendi and Shaxs and Mariner were off somewhere in the background. It's greatest success though, the reason why it's comedy works when it really shouldn't, is that it's only *slightly* sillier than the serious series. What we end up with a fantastic series with an ethos that is pure Star Trek, and in fact, if I had written this list a month ago, it would certainly be in the #1 spot. However...

Prodigy (2021-2024?): The first season of Prodigy is...charming. It's got some fun characters, some spectacular visuals, some interesting premises. And if the plots tend to be a little too simplistic to be engaging to an adult, hey, it's a kids' show. It's good. Solid. Above average. And if I had only the first season to go on, it would probably be in third position on this list. But then, a few weeks ago, it went ahead and dropped the best season of Star Trek in a quarter-century, and I really...I just cannot recommend this series highly enough. The sheer, ambitious scope of the narrative; the arcs it puts its character through; the cleverness of the writing; the fricking GORGEOUSNESS of it! And it does all this while redeeming deeply unpopular characters and plot points from other series, in a way that never feels forced or pandering. Not only is it the best Star Trek series of the 21st century, it's one of the best children's animated series since AtLA. Go. Go! Watch it! Watch it now!

[jadesea33]

I read @9lives2mics post this morning and felt like it pretty much summed up my thoughts and feelings about all of this so I wasn���t going to share what I wrote yesterday. But Shalaka encouraged me to add my voice to the chorus and she’s right: if we want something to change, we need to speak up about it, so here we go.

I’m going to start with something positive: I’m happy that Carol will be confronting some of her past trauma and it’s clear that Melissa is too, based on everything she’s said during promo for the show. This has been the main focus of her comments. I believe she wants to give Carol personal closure and I respect her for that. But I’m at the point where it seems likely to me that she agreed to do the spin-off for Carol. Not Caryl. Not because she doesn’t care about Caryl but because it seems that what happens with Caryl may be beyond her control.

People say we should trust her. And I do. But people also seem to forget that she’s only one woman in a room full of men. She doesn’t get to decide everything (unfortunately, because I’d be 100% on board with THAT show). I imagine it’s more likely she gets to say what she wants for Carol but she’s not going to be able to decide the arc for Caryl on her own. Norman’s made himself wishy-washy enough about it all over the years that I honestly have no idea how he feels about romantic canon but if the showrunner doesn’t want it, it’s not going to happen. And David Zabel has said he doesn’t want it.

And trust me, I get that the source of all this is a clickbait article written by someone who apparently has proven themselves to be anti-Caryl but my feelings are based entirely on the direct quotes from Zabel. I actually didn’t read any of the article except the quotes. So unless he was grossly misquoted or was using the world’s worst deflection tactics, he does not want romantic canon for Caryl. I see no ambiguity in what he said. No room for interpretation.

And not only that, but he wants to set up a Daryl/Isabelle romance that undermines Daryl’s character and his relationship with Carol. And I just can’t tolerate that. Carol is going to cross an entire damn ocean to search for him and what? Find him experiencing “mutual interest” in a relationship that’s “more than friendship” with a manipulative nun he barely knows? Is Daryl even going to be happy Carol’s there? Is he going to show her the love and appreciation she deserves or is he going to be too busy with his “feelings” for another woman? Are we going to have to watch Carol comfort Daryl through his man pain over a forced relationship that never made sense and that took place while Carol was risking her life, battling her claustrophobia and confronting her personal trauma in order to find her “friend”? None of that is anything I have the slightest desire to watch.

I could possibly still give AMC my money without romantic canon. I could potentially watch Carol working through her trauma with the person closest to her in the world by her side if it highlighted their bond in a deep, meaningful way. But the shipbaiting is going too far for me. It disrespects the relationship that Carol and Daryl have shared for the last 14 years and it disrespects the fanbase that wants to tune in to see their bond continue it’s natural course, to see them nurture it and watch it grow.

If AMC wants someone like me to watch this show, they need to find a new showrunner, one who actually understands and respects Carol, Daryl and Caryl. Because it’s clear to me now that David Zabel doesn’t. I know filming has started on S3 but if we get a S4 and beyond, a new showrunner could still potentially clean up the mess that Zabel seems intent on creating.

Okay, if you actually read this far, thank you. And please, I know it can be hard to speak out. It causes me great anxiety to do so, especially when I know that some of my fellow Carylers will not like what I say. I fear some of the friendships I’ve formed in this fandom may be strained now because of differing opinions and that breaks my heart. But ultimately I care too deeply about these characters to remain silent when I see a great disservice being done to them. If you see that disservice too, please speak up about it. Will it make a difference? I don’t know. But we’ll never know if we don’t try. Sending love to you all. ❤️

[doodlegirl1998]

your response literally made me realize that they need Izuku more than he needs them despite what Hori wants us to think.

Because think about it, nobody ever acknowledges Izuku unless he does something that benefits THEM! And fuck whatever he needs or wants!

They even make fun of his interests as if he’s the inpy one who does that sort of thing! So again, how am I supposed to believe they actually give a shit about him and his wellbeing?

Hi @theloganator101 👋

All of this. 👆

Now I like the idea of Izuku having friends, I like the idea of Izuku having ride or dies (such as Shoto.)

However, canon has left all of Izuku's friendships with the 'DekuSquad' and Class 1A as a whole to rot or actively does it a disservice in the name of 'comedy', for Bakugou's benefit or because Hori gives no care to them.

Class 1A, we know, never stand up for Izuku against Bakugou, so Hori's golden boy doesn't look bad. However, by consequence, it also looks like they don't care for Izuku apart from some key members like Tokoyami who never stand for Bakugou's shit. (Bless you, Tokoyami!)

However, with Izuku's main friendships in the 'Deku Squad', we have:

Izuku & Ochako - a friendship/budding relationship that is left to rot and actively done a disservice for 'comedy' and Bakugou's benefit.

Izuku & Iida - a friendship that is left to rot and actively done a disservice for 'comedy' and Bakugou's benefit.

Izuku & Shoto - a friendship that is actively done a disservice for 'comedy' and for Bakugou's benefit.

Izuku & Tsuyu - left to rot and done a disservice for Bakugou's benefit.

Izuku & Aoyama - left to rot.

How are we meant to buy that Ochako cares for and 'loves' Izuku when she calls him 'plain' and is so set on hiding her feelings?

When she doesn't stand up for him when he's being abused by Bakugou and when she looks freaked out whenever Izuku is shown to enjoy his hobbies?

Or when she 'who loves Izuku' barely spends any time with him?

From what we see in canon, we can't.

How are we meant to buy Iida cares for Izuku when he barely appears with him now?

How are we meant to buy Iida is Izuku's "best friend" yet when he is so quick to call Izuku "Mr House Arrest" and take Aizawa's side without hearing out Izuku?

Or when Iida is so quick to hit him* after Izuku getting out of the hospital?

Logically, we can't. *Yes, Iida apologised for doing this. However, this moment does rub me wrong, and even if this punch is nullified by the apology, the other criticisms still stand.

How are we meant to buy Shoto cares for Izuku when he thinks nothing of Bakugou verbally and physically berating Izuku now*?

*Yes, Shoto is an abuse victim, and some become desensitised to this behaviour as a result - however Shoto did not begin the series acting this way, so what conclusion can we draw?

How are we meant to buy that Shoto is a close friend of Izuku when he is chasing after Bakugou's friendship (Bakugou, who is openly hateful of Izuku?)

It looks like, through Hori trying to glorify Bakugou, that Shoto doesn't care as much for Izuku as we would like to think.

Tsuyu and Aoyama are barely even there anymore, let alone bond with Izuku.

Tsuyu used to stand up to Bakugou and his bullshit openly - now? Not a peep. She's only here to be an accessory to Toga vs. Ochako and Ochako as a whole. Izuku, who?

Aoyama has strong parallels with Izuku due to both starting the series quirkless and being given a quirk by AFO and AM, respectively. Yet this friendship is barely given any focus by Hori. Hori doesn't want Izuku to think about his own past during Aoyama's backstory, so he fails to give Izuku any introspection and fails to deepen their connection and Izuku's character as a result.

Class 1A as a whole are also done a disservice by Hori having them all gang up on Izuku with Bakugou leading the charge.

To conclude - Hori hates Izuku and it is clear looking at just how dirty he does all his connections in 1A and major friendships.

[a-may-w]

My Thoughts On MHA Ending and Bakudeku

*MHA SPOILERS AHEAD*

This post is mainly gonna be me rambling but I wanted to get it out of my head before it consumes me whole. I cannot believe the ending we got. For multiple reasons. Deku being a teacher, Shigarki never being redeemed, but, most shockingly of all to me, the near complete victory Bakudeku shippers got---let me explain. For YEARS the main argument against Bakudeku was that Uraka/Deku was endgame and that, despite how much people shipped Bakudeku, it would NEVER be real. But then. But then, Hirokoshi didn't make Uraka/Deku cannon. Correct me if I'm wrong (please actually do if I am I kinda speed-read the last chapters in a haze) but Uraka and Deku were never confirmed to be dating. They were never confirmed to have dated. They were never confirmed to even have expressed feelings to each other and they sure as hell were never confirmed to have kissed---looking back on it, I don't know if ANYBODY kissed in the MHA manga, but, thats besides the point---Deku and Uraka were never confirmed to have been romantically involved. Which, just, blew my mind when I read that. Not because I was a super huge Uraka/Deku shipper but because I thought it was destined. Deku is the main male character, Uraka the main female one, and with hints at their relationship from the start that's just how super popular, mainstream stories go. Just like Aang and Katara from ATLA, but NOPE. Even more, he made Toga/Uraka cannon?!?! I'll be honest when I first saw Hirokoshi hinting at them being sexual towards one another I thought it was just fanservice and him being a creepy dude sexualizing lesbians (which I mean...he is doing) but their is WAY too much plot relevance and WAY too much actual romance for it to not be considered a real relationship. Both of them had unrequited feelings for Deku that they bonded over and formed an intense, but ultimately kinda beautiful relationship about. Hell, the last time Uraka and Deku interact in the manga it's just Deku comforting her about Toga dying. And yeah, you can argue their relationship grew with Uraka making that speech at UA and both of them being similar in their ultimate pursuit to save people, but, I feel like Toga/Uraka really throws a wrench in the whole possibility of their relationship. To me Uraka loving Toga felt like she was her moving on from Deku. So, already Bakudeku shippers have gained a major victory with the ambiguity of Uraka/Deku, but now it times to talk about the relationship of Bakudeku itself. Listen. I'm not really Bakudeku shipper. I never really read the manga for ANY ships, I was mainly just interested in the OFA/AFO lore. But. I have fucking eyes. And holy shit do they see a lot. You know the meme where its like "If you've been rivals for more than seven years you're no longer rivals, you're just gay?" Yeah. Yeah. Bakugo's redemption arc, him nearly dying several times to save Deku, him calling Deku "Izuku", him calling himself "Kacchan", Bakugo CONSTANTLY talking about "catching up to" Izuku, thinking about him and Dekus shared love for All Might while he dies, and, most damning of all I think, him crying because Deku lost his quirk and they "Can't be rivals forever/a while anymore" and then laughing with him bittersweetly. Like, holy shit. And then, the epilogue (which, I do have issues with the epilogue but that's besides the point) he mainly funded a, most likely very expensive super-suit, so Deku could be a hero again and they could continue being rivals. Like...????? Jesus christ dude. Like I don't know maybe I have gay glasses glued to my eyes but I don't know how else to read this. But, the argument I'm trying to make isn't that Bakudeku is cannon, or that their soulmates, my argument is that Bakudeku shippers have essentially won. Bakugo and Deku being friends and eternal rivals with neither of them having any canonical female love interests to Bakudeku shippers, who were shipping these two when they really shouldn't have, is victory. The ending of MHA is essentially victory for Bakudeku shippers. And that is WAY closer than I EVER thought Bakudeku shippers would get.

[pbjelly90]

I haven’t really gotten into the swing of blogging here and I probably have like 2 followers who aren’t bots 😆 but I’m rewatching BBC Sherlock and feeling an inkling to reread the original stories and it just has me thinking and wanting to ramble about Sherlock media and put it somewhere. What I’ve really grown to appreciate all these 20ish years of being a Sherlock fan is seeing every new adaptation put their own spin on Sherlock and all the characters in the canon. Some I’ve loved, some I’ve been displeased with, but it’s always fun to analyze and revisit and see what parts delight and what disappoints or leaves me wanting more. More thoughts below because apparently I had a lot to ramble about on this topic lol.

BBC Sherlock probably has one of my favorite Watsons, and he gets more focus here then a lot of other adaptations, and feels truer to the character to me than many others. Old adaptations like Basil Rathbone with Nigel Bruce used to have him be a bumbling fool type and I’m glad that’s in the past now. I also enjoy Lestrade in the BBC version and tend to prefer adaptations that get him along this vein, a trusted person on the force, exasperated with Sherlock and his methods a lot of the time, but also one of the most willing to put faith in him and believe in his abilities (and his integrity when it matters.)

Irene Adler adaptations like the BBC show or Robert Downey Jr movies are usually hit or miss for me, and generally I find they put too much emphasis on making her have romantic feelings for Sherlock for my liking. I applaud how they want to make her a more prominent character than one who only appears on page in one story, but romantic tension/interest feels so limiting as the way they choose to do it. There’s some merit to showing how she has to weaponize her beauty/sexuality in that time period at times, but they rarely dig deeper than that or give her more of her own storyline.

I’ve also found most Moriarty adaptations pretty lacking. BBC Sherlock’s became very popular, and Andrew Scott is a wonderful actor, but he always came off as far too gleefully chaotic and evil for evil’s sake to be that interesting to me as Sherlock’s foil. I feel like they went with a Batman versus Joker sort of dynamic there, emphasizing shock value, and I much preferred the mystery of him throughout the early seasons versus the reality post reveal.

Moriarty in the original canon only gets hinted at very late when Conan Doyle is setting up what he believed to be the end of the stories (before public demand and personal debts changed those plans), and therefore he’s always been more a mystery figure than an actual developed character in the original stories. But the building blocks are there for adaptations to take and mold and I hope we get to see more creativity here. Robert Downey Jr faces off against a version of Moriarty in the movies that I’d call Moriarty classic. Serviceable, but nothing new there really. Math teacher, formidable, crime lord, older, genius, check, more or less straight from the books.

BBC Sherlock was also missing Moran who I’d been highly anticipating, and fans kept speculating some unnamed sniper was him, but we never got confirmation. To me that was such a huge missed opportunity, for an adaptation that really highlighted the bond between Sherlock and Watson, how could you ignore the bond between Moriarty and his own “dark” version of Watson?

So cue Moriarty the Patriot, which felt like a series made just for me to fangirl over. It nails Sherlock and John, even if they’re not as much the main focus here as other series, and that’s just clearing the bar for me, my first criteria for any Sherlock media being “do they get John right?” They introduce a younger version of Miss Hudson, whom I also loved in BBC Sherlock, but this brings a fun new dynamic where she feels more like a loving sister to our boys rather than a favorite aunt like in the classic take. Still long-suffering, still the heart who keeps them in check and cares for them, and until John comes along, the only person really in Sherlock’s confidence. I hope we see more of her backstory in MtP (BBC nails this quickly with the mention of Sherlock helping to put her shitty husband in prison.)

Then there’s the MtP version of Irene, who’s the most creative take on the character I’ve ever seen. Is there some potential romantic tension with Sherlock still? Sure if you’d like to ship it, but thats far from her main storyline, she has so much MORE going on. Her own wants, her own goals, her own mistakes, her own plans, that whole first plot of hers is still one of my favorite arcs in the manga and a time when it truly differentiated itself for me from any other adaptation. And that’s not even getting into the Bond material yet, which as a Bond movie and book fangirl as well, was this series actually custom made for me?!?? Ya’ll really were deep into my brain for this one, combining M with Albert, bringing in Moneypenny, all of it. The manga blew me away with all of this and how it was handled. Moran, you better never betray Bond as agent 006 Alex Trevelyan a la Goldeneye. 😆

Before the meat of this, I want to take an aside to also say I love MtP’s take on Mycroft. BBC gives us our first more active Mycroft on-screen that I can recall, not just lounging in the Diogenes Club per canon, orchestrating everything at a remove, but more involved in looking after his brother and meddling when he feels necessary. He’s a huge drama queen in the first episode and I’m looking forward to rewatching the seasons again and seeing the brothers’ dynamic grow. But MtP takes this and instead of having our first encounter with Mycroft be with John alone, more removed from his brother still, we see the two fighting and squabbling and I just love them, your honor. I would like to see someone handle their parents better than the BBC version did, and idk if we’ll ever see them in MtP, but I do enjoy the tidbits we’ve gotten like Sherlock’s working class accent. They already used the name Sherringford/Sherrinford for their ancestor, so curious where they’d go with this. But Mycroft in general, his parallels with Albert, his guilt over their ancestor and role in the government? His relationship with his brother? Nailed it, more please.

Brief shoutout to Enola Holmes, she’s a bit Mary Sue/wish fulfillmenty, but I enjoyed her and her dynamics with her brothers vastly more than the sibling they shoehorned into the last season of BBC Sherlock. If you’re going to give the boys a sibling, that was a fun way to do it. Henry Cavill looks NOTHING like Sherlock is usually described, but he was fun and quite nice to look at lol.

Now onto the main thing I want to ramble about: MtP has the single best adaptation of James Moriarty that I have ever seen in writing or on screen. It’s no coincidence that this is the first adaptation I’ve seen try to dive into his backstory, figure out what’s the deal with his brother(s), which was a genius move taking that inconsistency with Doyle’s descriptions to make there be three James Moriartys total, and to give us a compelling reason as to WHY he does the whole lord of crime thing. Like fine if it’s just for money, control or power, and I can read/watch that story if well done, but this is the first time I’ve really seen a series take the building blocks Doyle laid out and really turn them into something more, to create something original and compelling. William and his brothers 100% deserve their main focus in the series, and its all the better for that perspective flip, as much as I love Sherlock and John. Sherlock and John are fleshed out already, most modern adaptations can get them right, but the Moriartys? That was brand new.

Not to mention, they gave William James Moriarty his Sebastian Moran, and nailed that dynamic as well. Normally I’d think if we finally got Moran he’d be my main ship for Moriarty, just as John was always my main ship for Sherlock, but somehow MtP gets me shipping them, but also William x Sherlock, Mycroft x Albert, Moneypenny x Moran, Irene x Hudson aaand I could digress for way too long here so I’ll leave it at that. Note to anyone writing future adaptations, GIVE MORIARTY HIS MORAN.

All of these MtP versions of the characters are so good that now they’ve ruined me for other Sherlock related media, I’ve found. I watched Ron Kamanohashi and loved it, but as soon as elements of Sherlock and Moriarty were introduced, I found myself badly wanting MtP to be the original canon they were drawing from and see those storylines reflected in the modern day setting of Ron’s story. That is now 1000000% my headcanon. Can we somehow get future Sherlock media to adapt some of the new ideas MtP introduced moving forward, and keep expanding on those concepts? Be inspired by them to keep exploring more of the characters once you’ve gotten the mains right? Maybe not, but a girl can dream. It’s a fun time to be a fan of Sherlock related media.

With all that rambling said, has anyone got any recommendations for other Sherlock books, shows, manga, etc? I remember The Seven-Per-Cent Solution was a very influential AU book back in the day for Sherlock fans and is supposed to present an alternate telling of the Holmes and Moriarty dynamic, so I may read that. Sometimes I branch off into Lupin media and I’ve read some of Arsene Lupin vs Herlock Sholmes as well. 😆 I enjoy silly Herlock in The Great Ace Attorney games although he definitely feels like a goofy AU version.

—

TLDR: If anyone has skimmed this giant post and has any other Sherlock media suggestions, let me know! Looking for some more unique takes on the characters and story.

[stu-dyingstudent]

third war continued/Sakura sent to war prematurely fic recs

Okay, I'll be completely honest, this is one of my ultimate favourite tropes when it comes to Sakura-centric fanfiction! Unfortunately, there really isn't too many of these out there and most are not completed, so if you know of any more then please send them my way. I'm begging.

Started: 2024.07.23

Last Updated: 2024.07.23

note: feel free to check out my master list which has a bunch of Sakura Haruno fic recs (all organized)!

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Your Move, Instigator (draw your weapon and hold your tongue) - Laysan_albatross || ao3|| third war extended AU || complete

“We are still under wartime policy,” the recruiter had told her parents. He had an envelope in his hand. He sounded sorry. “She has two parents who are successful ninjas. We would be remiss to overlook her potential based upon that alone.” The Third Shinobi War never ended. Konoha needs more soldiers, grabbing anyone who can fight, especially those who can't say no.

You guys, I love this one to death. It's definitely a darker take on the Naruto universe, but I thoroughly enjoyed it. The civilian born shinobi are deemed as more expendable and thus thrown into war while the clan born remain sheltered. I found it quite interesting that the Uchiha were also lobbed into this group, but it was more done as punishment instead. Very raw and properly gets across the devastation that this brings.

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still waters by Vulpecula_et_Anser || ao3 || gen || M || Sakura sent to war early AU || one-shot complete

Sakura is twelve when she queues up in front a desk with a bunch of other equally-terrified looking shinobi. The ages range from younger than her to old enough to be her grandpa. The man sitting at the desk is stony-faced as he doles out assignments. Sakura obediently shuffles forward when it is her turn, and recites her shinobi identification number in a shaky voice when asked. When the provost marshal looks at her, looks down at his paper, looks back at her, and grimaces, Sakura knows it’s not going to be good. OR How Sakura survives the war, told in bits and pieces.

Canon-fodder! Sakura makes her shinobi debut on the front lines, forcing her to get creative in her means to survive. It's gritty, raw, and the clever use of seals is great! In most of the other works of this type, Sakura is placed on a team of sorts or has some "support" (kinda), but here she is all alone. She is forced to fight for her life, to keep going despite how she feels because ultimately, Sakura does not want to die. She does meet some people later on though and it was great to see. Y'all know this type of story is my personal guilty pleasure (also one of the best I've read thus far)...

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Find Your Place (whatever it takes) - Dovey || ao3 || third war extended AU || incomplete

The war lasts longer than in canon, and has only just ended. While most of the 'Konoha 12' are clan heirs and thus protected from having to go to war prematurely, Sakura is from a civilian family, with naturally advanced chakra control, and thus is thrown immediately onto the frontlines. Now she's on a genin team in peacetime, and she's struggling to figure out how to live when she's not constantly at risk of dying. Team seven bonds in new weird ways, The Uchiha are actually all dead except for Sasuke (including war-hero itachi) who's got a chip on his shoulder the size of Konoha, Naruto isn't the kyuubi container and he finds Sakura kinda scary. Sakura would just like to have a hobby.

Find Your Place (whatever it takes) is the og fic of this category as far as I am aware. The main difference to consider is that it primarily focuses on the aftereffects of the war and the impact that it had on Sakura as a person.

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team. - waterpllar || ao3 || gen || third war extended AU || complete

She’s under Neji's command, which apparently means she’s under the Hyuuga’s command. The Hyuuga’s role is on the frontlines, but Neji must be special for a kid from the branch family, because they mostly send him and Sakura out after the big battles are done, to pick off the wounded, and burn bodies. Sakura kind of wishes she had someone to keep her from the big fights, too. Her job is with Neji, taking back kekkei genkai and retrieving important people’s bodies, but she has other assignments, too. She’s given a dull kunai and told to go through the battlefield, dodging blows and jutsus from friend and foe, slashing at whatever isn’t wearing a Konoha headband.(the third shinobi war doesn't end, dragging on for years. konoha is running out of troops, and unimportant children in the academy with even a modicum of talent are snatched up to the warfront. sakura, unfortunately, is one of them. so is neji.)

Such a strong beginning, although, I gotta say that the ending was rather disappointing imo. There was so much potential, but the author admitted to not wanting to continue the story so it was cut short. Hopefully more works of this nature will come to light!

.

Induction - Anonymous || ao3 || M || gen || third war extended AU || incomplete

in·duc·tion /inˈdəkSH(ə)n/ noun: induction 1. the action or process of inducting someone to a position or organization. enlistment into military service.   or; The Third War does not end soon enough. Children pay the price.

Definitely not my favorite take on this trope, but it fits the bill, so it's here! Anyway, tbh I never actually made it far enough reading to get to the actual war part, so I don't have too much to say.

.

Ground Zero - TheIzzatron || ao3 || gen || T || third war extended AU || incomplete

Desperate times call for desperate measures. If this means forcing weapons into the hands of children, then so be it.

AHHHHH I'm praying for the day we get another chapter of Ground Zero!! I really appreciate how we actually get a training arc where we get a base of the characters and how this system works before they properly get dispatched. The characters and their emotions are so well done that you truly feel how unfair the situation is. They aren't heartless, they are children. Highly recommend.

.

Control - Dragonist || ao3 || gen || no rating || Sakura sent to war early AU || incomplete

Kumo kidnaps a child of Konoha. Sakura graduates from the academy only a year after starting it. There's a war going on, and she's obedient enough to stay quiet and follow orders. Then the war ends, and it's unclear who is really giving them. (a mystery from a child's perspective)

I haven't read Control yet, but I really need to get around to it!

Ok I just noticed I forgot to add the link to this one, but that has been fixed!!

Edit: bruh, I’m so mad I didn’t get around to reading this sooner because it seems the author deleted it 😭 if any of you have a link/download, please send (I’m begging)

---

Please send me more like these!!!!

[fanstuffrantings]

Ok there’s this fic I read where Lucy doesn’t do the s class trials because she becomes the temporary guild master and it’s her building relationships with other characters and making sure Fairytail doesn’t fall behind and I was wondering how that would work in your redesign and rewrite of Fairytail? I think it would make her and Juvia closer and allowing her to become more confident in herself as a mage and leader! (Also jellal is in that fic and it’s so cool how the two interact and it gave jude a redemption arc)

So short of it: within my rewrite it wouldn't fit, but that doesn't mean it's not an interesting concept to explore!

Longer explanation, starting with why i'd keep lucy not staying behind and also explaining how it would effect her dynamic with Juvia if she did stay behind:

while it's been years since I watched Tenrou Island, so much happens in that arc that I feel Lucy being absent would make it feel incomplete. Mashima isn't the best at showing it but she is the main character and should he present for canon major events that happen throughout the show timeline.

I really loved seeing her bond with Cana and I think the tragedy of her being just barely too late to see her father again was one of the few heavy plot points we got that actually made me emotional (shocker most of those moments happened when lucy got actual focus.) I also like the idea of us getting a fair bit of chapters showing the people that stayed behind and what was going on with them to lead up to the tenrou crew returning. So I think not having major players for a bit of the series to allow the side cast to shine would be really cool.

That said: how would lucy staying behind and eventually taking over as guild master change things in my opinion. I think we'd see Lucy bonding with a lot of characters she has minimal interaction with. Macao being one as he'd no doubt be the one to acknowledge her skill and potiential. Since Lucy is so young even in canon I don't think she'd actually get the role for a few years. She'd have a proving stage where she showcases her skills and gains the guilds trust as an authority.

For juvia, I've always imagined Lucy was one of the people who encouraged Juvia to befriend Droy, getting him to teach her about plants as a hobby which leads to Juvia joining shadowgear. I could see Lucy actually kind of integrating into shadowgear in the absence of her normal team and running missions with them to both improve her abilities and help people. They started out on very rough terms due to Juvia's obsession with Gray, but with Juvia actively working to change herself and figure out things she enjoyed, I think Lucy's friendly nature and incredibly supportive attitude when it comes to creativity would've lead to a strong friendship and trust forming. Lucy likely being the first person Juvia makes something for.

Now I can't really speak on jellal because it has been a hot minute since I watched any of his arcs and I honestly just kind of thought he was so-so as a teenager (no hate, just wasnt personally for me. Its one of the reasons im lacking in content for him rn 😔). But I do know he really was lacking in interactions with anyone on team natsu outside of Erza, so him and Lucy would be very interesting to see unfold.

All in all fun idea to play around with but within how I imagine canon not for me.

Thank you for the question and I hope this answered things for you!

[thespianinthebackcorner]

I'm pretty sure Squid Sisters were already pretty popular back in the Splatoon 1-Splatoon 2 days. After all, their relationship, agent lives and family drama was the main focus of the plot (among saving the squid society). And even nowadays, people still love them. They're THE Splatoon icons. Have you forgotten how people went crazy over the Reporter Callie outfit? There were fanarts everywhere!

Off The Hook are also really interesting - they played a huge part in Octo Expansion (you know, the DLC with the biggest, darkest, most liked lore and aesthetic?) and in Side Order, we also know their backstories (especially Marina's backstory is pure fanfic material, people love the angsty deserter trope + she was a breath of fresh air and a mystery as a first important non-enemy octoling character ever). Not to mention that they're literal canon lesbians with healthy and interesting dynamics.

What do we know about Deep Cut?? They've got nothing going on. They were villains in the Splatoon 3 storymode but mind you, not even the main villains. They grew up together, they come from some prestigious families that aren't mentioned ANYWHERE outside of the Sunken Scrolls, we know nothing about them. They don't have backstories, they don't have interesting dynamics (they're just 3 random people and their bond isn't even shown to be that strong, of course people prefer the SS family drama or OTH lesbian romance). Deep Cut is boring, of course people don't care about them, don't blame us, blame Nintendo for neglecting them.

Also, stop acting like you're better than others because you don't care about the icky romance and give deserved equal attention to every poor idol that gets overshadowed by the lesbians. People DO care about other Splatoon characters. There are fanarts of the Agents (Agent 24 is problably the second most popular ship right after Pearlina), non-idol Splatbands, even Craig Cuttlefish and Octavio! Maybe you'll see all this content if you stop exclusively browsing only the pearlina tag. Also accept that Deep Cut is boring.

ooh, another one.

Okay, I don't have all the time to type up an entire essay (tbh I lowkey admire the effort of writing four paragraphs just to bitch on me for having an opinion), so I'm gonna summarise my result.

I don't follow the pearlina tags. The only Splatoon tags I follow are Splatoon and the promo kids tag. Used to follow more but I have my reasons for unfollowing the other ones. (They were mostly agent ships, for clarity.)

I know other people care about the others. I'm just saying that when stuff like this rolls around it's never seen because everyone talking about pearlina gets top spots on this site and no one gives attention to anything else, so everything else is hard to see. This is mostly a recent development with grandfest, but even so Pearlina overshadows a LOT. For me, the Callie suit was actually a rare case of the community not focusing on them.

i know the Squid Sisters were popular in their first games. That's the point. Y'all are sitting out here talking about the old idols and ignoring the ones we're supposed to be paying attention to.

So what if the deep cut members don't have much lore to their names? I'm in the promo kid fandom! They have literally only their names and people don't have a problem coming up with headcanons and engaging stories for them. Just be creative. That's what fandom is for.

Believe it or not, I know Pearl and Marina featured in side order and octo expansion. I know they have a healthy dynamic. Surprise surprise, I've played the games too. I have both DLCs and have completed both. I know. That's not my point.

i also know that there are poeople out there caring about other characters. Like I said, I'm in the promo kid fandom. It's just that whenever pearl and marina appear on screen, any trace of that is immediately overshadowed and made ten times harder to find. And I rarely have the time to go hunting through tags.

I'm not trying to act like I'm better. I'm not guilty of pearlina posting, but I'm not much better either. I'm just stating how I feel and how i see things. If you've got a problem with that, great, but don't insult me for my feelings. It's your choice how you react to things. If you've got nothing nice to say, don't say it.

[eliotquillon]

part of me does wonder if jace and alec would still be parabatai if TMI was a series that came out now/wasn’t the first shadowhuntersverse series that CC wrote. like undeniably the pendulum has swung back and forth a lot over years as to how significant of a thing being parabatai Is - in its original form it was just another unique piece of shadowhunter culture used to cement worldbuilding/character dynamics (eg it’s used as shorthand between luke and valentine to show just how close they were) and then with TID it became a really significant dimension of will and jem’s relationship and continued to be built up with emma/julian in TDA - and while jace and alec’s friendship was developed (and . lets be real. slightly retconned) to reflect this in later books they are still very much the odd ones out of the parabatai pairs. like they are significantly less close in the TMI era than any of the other main parabatai sets.

and while i do think a lot of that is because a) again, the parabatai concept was still in its beta phase when TMI was written and b) alec is having a hard fucking time grappling with his sexuality/crush on jace during city of bones and the months leading up to it, i also think it’s really telling that, for all that red scrolls of magic did a lot of retconning for the inter-CoG/CoFA period and is way more in line with later books in terms of its character dynamics (despite being set mid TMI era), it very much preserved the key detail of isabelle being the person who alec confides in about everything. it makes a point of reminding us that she was the only person alec felt 100% safe in telling about his sexuality and that there are still things he’d rather tell her than tell jace. which absolutely does Not fit with what we see between will&jem or even clary&simon (who i personally don’t think should have become parabatai for thematic reasons but are nevertheless textbook examples of what the parabatai bond has evolved to become in canon). and while i’m very glad trsom upheld that facet of alec and isabelle’s relationship (especially bc isabelle didn’t get to be alec’s suggenes in qoaad, which came out only 4 months before trsom) i think it is surprising that it DID when it highlights what is a pretty big absence in alec&jace’s relationship as parabatai when compared to other matched sets.

like again back in the original late game TMI era of 2013/2014 when will&jem were still implied to be a weird one-off with how close they were this was totally fine. the midnight heir short story from the bane chronicles even alluded to a more strained jace&alec type parabatai dynamic between james and matthew with james going off the rails and getting into fights with matty. i truly do not believe that jace and alec were intended to be this weird dangling thread; it’s just bad luck for them that CC had years to work on TLH in private and retcon james and matthew’s characters/friendship to end up working in a way that fit the developed version of parabatai by the time they were actually main characters. but as it stands TMI era jace and alec feel like such exceptions to the parabatai rule now. idk! this was a very long rambly post and ultimately i can’t see them as parabatai to anyone else (much as i would selfishly love for it to have been alec and isabelle, they would helicopter-parent each other into fucking oblivion if they got a rune-assisted push even further into codependency; they would be terrible parabatai to each other) but it is interesting to think about what would change about them and their relationship if CC were writing CoB today.

[acourtofthought]

It genuinely made me laugh out loud! “Shadows disappearing is confirmed good by HOFAS!” I was confused at first thinking when tf did that happen.. and then had a chuckle when I realized they were talking about Ruhn.

I typically stay out of the subreddit, and have their tags blocked on here, but I was curious to see what theories or hints they gathered from HOFAS. Seems like the bulk of it is:

- ruhnlidia “parallel” confirms mate language for e/riel from the bonus (or something like that, I’ve forgotten which precise passage they warped).

- stone mother song is about elain (vast stretch, seems punitive to focus on the song and not everything else that happened in that scene). And is so fucking interesting because that’s a bonus chapter and they’re still claiming BC aren’t canon/down voting when you point out they are. Can’t seem to make up their minds !

- today show article & interview about fans expecting the story to be Az & Elain, and SJM saying there’s a lot to explore in a rejected bond. The first is whatever imo, and the second they seem convinced is about them but I’m more convinced it’ll be Eris & Mor. Admittedly, Helion & LoA is another possibility more likely than e/riel, but their story breaks my heart already and I desperately want them to have HEA

Are there any other arguments you’ve seen/heard of? I’m curious what you think of these three as well!

🧼💖

The Stone Mother argument being about E/riel is just bonkers to me. First off, we have no idea if the song itself is actually based off Native American legend or whether SJM just liked the name. But to take a Paiute legend and claim it about a white women's love story is very cringe to me. I agree with you, I think the rejected bond is going to be Eris and Mor and the effects of an unaccepted bond will be Helion and the LoA. I could see them eventually getting together but for the last however many centuries, they do seem to be an example of a "rejected" bond. And you're right, they have selected very specific lines from the interviews and articles while ignoring the rest. First SJM said she only asks herself those same questions when writing. Is there choice? Is it destiny? What if it's wrong? But she's already written that into the series, where the characters wonder how it happens, is there choice, etc. And every time, the characters have said that it doesn't matter because at the end of the day they still chose one another. Bryce confirms that it didn't matter where her bond with Hunt came from or who it was determined by because it's what she wanted. Nesta struggled with the mating bond because it meant giving up her humanity but in the end she decided she wanted Cassian as her mate. They take that to mean SJM is proving to the reader that she's definitely going to write a rejected bond for two main characters when all she's saying is she makes sure to have the characters ask themselves the important questions so in the end they know without a doubt it's what they wanted and not just something decided by fate. But they ignore SJM saying that characters end up with who they need to be with for the most growth. How her MMC cheer on the FMC and encourage her. These things clearly go against the E/riel narrative but they conveniently leave those quotes out of their arguments. The one big argument I heard going around during the release was how the Cauldron was corrupted therefore Elucien's bond is. So basically.....an event that happened 15,000 years ago and in all that time the ONLY corrupted bond to come out of it was Elucien's? That's quite convenient, don't you think? There is also zero proof that the Cauldron or the Daglan were responsible for mating bonds. So yeah, I imagine all these theories will end up in the graveyard of E/riel theories along with Bread and Roses meaning that E/riel are living together and pregnant in CC3.

[thecatsaesthetics]

Feysand stans are one step away from being the worst. Why be so threatened with Rhysta?

If we saw the potential of the ship, why would we stoop lower with Feysand?

You Feysand girlies like to rant how we “hate” Feyre for shipping Rhys with Nesta when we’re complaining that if these characters are paired off differently, it would justify SJM’s writing considering how Feysand aren’t supposed to be original endgame in the series. It would even solve certain plot holes.

If you can’t handle that maybe all of you are just threatened that Rhysta is getting more popular now and you worry for Feyre losing relevancy because her character cannot stand on its own and is always attached with Rhysand. Sorry that your ship sinking. Advise for Feysand stans, don’t be an ass just because you don’t like or feel threatened over a ship.

Point by Point I will deconstruct this. First, nobody is "threatened" by R*ysta, we MOCK it. If you like crack ships whatever, but the seriousness of it? Rhys and Nesta would never happen. They aren't remotely interested in one another and they are incredibly different characters.

The reason why people say you hate Feyre is simply by how you make her behave in your fics (this goes for T*msand too) as the wife who's cluelessly getting cheated on or having Nesta flat out steal Feyre's character arc (becoming High Lady, mating bonds etc). Feyre does stand on her own, people love Feyre because she's an actual strong FMC.

Feysand was always end game, SJM has confirmed this several times. Even the newsletter people point to (where she says rewrote ACOMAF) says this:

The romantic arcs of ACOMAF were the same in the original draft and in the final version. That means Feysand was always intended, and you can see this in ACOTAR where she has Feyre draw stars on her draw, seeing a pool of starlight in The Spring Court, and the scene where Rhys felt the mating bond click into place.

Even in her live the other night SJM was saying she knew the romantic plot points of ACOTAR. You can dislike it, but it's a fact. Feysand was the intended endgame and F*ylin was the bait and switch.

Also Feyre and Rhys are overwhelmingly popular among the fanbase. Don't confuse people shouting loudly on tumblr to true popularity. Most people who read and enjoy the books like Feysand. Most people don't keep reading a book series where they hate the main characters.

Feysands aren't bitter over anything, because at the end of the day it's the canon ship. SJM talks them up all the time because she loves them and has written them a happy ending. Feysand and Pro Feyre accounts are MOCKING antis simply because you are wasting your time and energy. Nobody is forcing you to read ACOTAR or interact with the fandom.

If you don't like Feysand, Rhysand or Feyre these books are not for you. SJM is never going to go down "evil Rhys" path or make it so Feysand isn't canon. Feysand is always going to be canon and likely they will end up High King and Queen at the end of the series.

I suggest touching grass and finding a book series you enjoy.

[runningwithmyeyesclosed]

Yay for long weekends! I got some fics downloaded, and I am ready for a nice long weekend, me and drarry.

The Nightmare Club by Elle Gray (Elle_Gray)

Main Pairing: Harry Potter/Draco Malfoy

Explicitness: This one is interesting in that there is a lot of thoughts of sex but only one pretty tame actual sexual encounter is described. I wouldn't say this has zero spice, but it isn't particularly heavy on the spice.

Word Count: 85,702

POV: Harry Potter

Song:

My Summary:

Harry had never thought to question his sexuality, but once the idea got in his head it would not leave. And once he started imagining guys in his bed we'll he couldn't stop. This wouldn't be a problem if it wasn't one particular blonde that had taken over his thoughts.

My Thoughts:

I've never been a 18 year old boy, but if i was, I imagine my mind would be exactly like Harry's in this fic. I feel often in the canon we see Harry just coming up with dreadful worst-case scenarios, and I think this fic captures Harry's inner monologs perfectly. I can't help but feel this Harry feels super Canon accurate (I haven't read the books in a while, so take that with a grain of salt).

As for Draco, I love when Dracos upbringing makes him dislike non serious relationships it makes sense and is kind of cute. I hate when that is matched with a I just want to have fun Harry. For a bit at the beginning, I was thinking if Harry hurts Draco, I will travel dimensions to kick his ass. However, I was wrong, and Harry's heart is in his penis. We all knew this. I can't get over how the awkwardness of it all is so very accurate for their age, haha. Almost all of their actions and bonding remind me of freshmen year of university (minus the trauma of war for myself) but the awkwardness, the way you are truly figuring yourself out, and the slight wprry for the future.

The ending was satisfying! When a story ends with the main couple getting together, I'm happy but also a little sad that I can't see them in a relationship all domesticated. Oh well! 8th year fics are usually not my favorite, but I really enjoyed this one!

[linisiane]

What Kim Kitsuragi Tells Us About Fandom Ghost

I don't know if this has been said before, but I feel like another reason why Kim Kitsuragi is so wildly popular and beloved is how seamlessly he maps onto the trope of the Fanon Ghost.

Fanon Ghost is a concept that originated on Tumblr, by user wildehack, to describe the phenomenon of fandom elevating certain white male side characters from canon into main characters in fic, using a very specific set of characterization.

(Examples: wildehack focused on Star Wars' Hux's popularity in fic in comparison to characters like Finn/Poe, but others include Q from Craig!Bond verse, Arthur from Inception, Draco Malfoy, etc.)

From wildehack's defining essay:

"... prudish til you get him in bed, whereupon he is The Most Kinky, the charmingly repressed rage, the Love of Research and Order, the way lust/interest/affection is coded into irritation at The Neat and Tidy World being All Roughed Up by the hot mess of the other half of the ship?" "This crowdsourced tight-lipped furious perfectionist with his neat clothes and his scowling defensiveness and his biting sarcasm and his embarrassed desire to have a dude who is both sweaty and emotional take him apart."

Sound familiar?

Well, the terms may be a little different.

Where wildehack uses 'prudish,' 'biting sarcasm,' etc. to describe their fandom's fanon ghost, Disco fans might use 'professional,' 'dry wit,' etc. to describe Kim Kitsuragi.

But, the idea is the same, down to his embarrassing / sweaty / emotional partner. Kim Kitsuragi is Fanon Ghost if fanon ghost weren't a white male side character.

quick detour that'll become relevant later: i feel SO smug about the fact that Kim's characterization is canon to Disco Elysium. You had to make up your own perfect blorbo, but ours came like that! And he's not a white character being used to ignore POC main characters!

wildehack's essay started a conversation on why fandoms gravitate towards "This One Crowdsourced Dude," even when he doesn't exist in canon. And when there are other, often more established, minority main characters to work with.

There are a bunch of responses to this question—the FandomLore article I'm referencing this discussion from has a bunch of the full metas—ranging from exploring why he's often white and what exactly about him appeals to fandom. I think Kim's popularity can be really helpful in sorting my thoughts to these responses.

For instance, there are two general responses as to why the Fandom Ghost is usually a white side character:

Whiteness is considered a a blank slate default, making it easier to write about without fear of misrepresentation/mischaracterization

VS

White men are considered more desirable/more relatable by fandom.

It's probably a mix of the two, but I think a fascinating THIRD take is that these white side characters in canon aren't just blank slates, but also share minor traits that all point to One Trope that causes people to obsess.

certifiedspacetrash postulated that the fandom ghost is actually a reskinning of a much older beloved archetype—the byronic hero: a character notable for being hard to like and hard to know, but usually possessing a rich inner life and a softer side accessible only to a special few. (Sound familiar?)

He theorized that part of the reason we don't see many POC Fandom Ghosts is because mainstream medias don't cast byronic traits onto POC characters.

"I think if Hollywood cast more young, striking actors who happen to be PoC, women etc as villains / byronic heores we would see lots of fanfic of them. But Hollywood is still in some weirdass reaction to being accused of racial stereotyping (which they 100% still do), and almost refuse to cast poc or women as bad guys. If they are, they’re either cast very old; or they’re the mary sue badguys - 100% beautiful, geniuses, incredibly powerful, no flaws whatsoever - and that tends not to inspire a lot of writers."

I find this take fascinating with Disco Elysium in mind because of the way Kim Kitsuragi is the exception that proves the rule.

Kim Kitsuragi is a rare, well-written mixed Asian character with byronic traits. And would you look at that?—Kim Kitsuragi has captured the hearts and minds of basically every Disco Elysium enjoyer ever.

Kim Kitsuragi is notably NOT overshadowed by Jean Vicquemare, who is a white side character with byronic traits that, in an alternate universe, could've been possessed by the Fandom Ghost to overshadow Kim. Jean, in our universe, already has a pretty big fandom in proportion to his screentime.

But, by the grace of moments where Harry can get Kim to "give a smile only you can see," Kim Kitsuragi is the breakout star of Disco Elysium. I find that hopeful, in a time where Asian male characters (outside of Asia, ofc) are often overlooked or boxed in or emasculated.

[skayafair]

DBD & VnC

When I watched the Dead Boy Detectives with its main 4 characters and their dynamics, I KNEW it reminded me of something. Thanks to Tumblr dashboard, I remembered!

Vanitas no Carte!

Same gender and sexuality fuckery, supernatural mysteries (ghosts vs. vampires tho), ambiguous complex relationship and nuanced psychology. Please don't watch the anime tho, it's bad, read the manga it's absolutely worth it.

I'LL ELABORATE (character parallels under the read more)

Edwin Payne & "Vanitas" Blue colour scheme

Ok let's be honest they would probably hate each other's guts but they really do have similarities.

The OG detective, the brains Vanitas calls himself a doctor but he solves mysteries first so shush

Gets bitches (unfortunately, like @ mapleleafsunset correctly noticed)

Went through severe physical torture and has Trauma (tm)

Magic user

Books

"What is love" (a.k.a. can be very dense and panic upon the realization)

Has a side that's considered traditionally feminine

Tsundere

Ego the size of a planet (at least Purple is sure of it)

Soulmates with Reddish

Deep personal relationship with Pink (deep friendship in Edwin and Niko's case and whatever Vanitas has going on with Jeanne because it's supposed to be romance but it's queer in the queerest way possible) vanijeanne haters dni

Charles Rawland & Noé Archviste Reddish colour scheme purplish magenta in Noe's case but I don't take criticism

Would totally get along and be an unstoppable force.

The brawn

Tan king

Golden retriever energy

ADHD (totally a headcanon of mine, although I'm 100% sure Noé has it)

Anger and violence issues (is working on it)

THE Sunshine

Loyal to no end (especially to the blue colour coded character)

Complicated relationship with father (figure)

"What is romantic love" (is genuinely confused)

Has complicated (sort of) romantic-ish relationship with Purple (Tell me what Charles has with Crystal? A fling? An infatuation? General attraction for so many reasons? Fell in love and came out of it as friends? All of the above and then some? I think they're inventing queer-romantic relationship as they go. And Noé certainly loves Domi with his whole heart but as a friend? Or not???? I'm so confused) I'm sure Noé's gay tho

Barely interacts with Pink but they're alike and are totally adorable and everyone'd like to see more of them together

Crystal Palace Surname-von Hoverkraft & Dominique de Sade Purple colour scheme (+yellow for Domi)

Their gossip potential really frightens me

The Bitch TM (affectionately)

Sort of a double personality (used to be VERY different until a certain point in the past)

Bisexual queen ok Domi may be a comphet lesbian we're yet to see this

Neglectful family (Domi has it better but only slightly)

Rich af

Has complicated (sort of) romantic-ish relationship with Reddish (Is Crystal in love? Is it just a general attraction? We'll see I hope. Domi is sure she's in love with Noé buuuut are we sure this isn't comphet and trauma bonding? I'm not sure. Hell if I'm sure about ANYTHING or ANYONE in ANY of these canons. Delish)

Tender and close relationship with Pink (We all remember Crystal's first reaction shut up sprites and Domi told she loves Jeanne ^_^)

Used to stare daggers at each other with Blue but eventually bonded over Reddish bitch drama queens who are too alike to get along right away (affectionate)

Niko Sasaki & Jeanne Pink colour scheme (+ yellow and red for Jeanne)

I'm afraid to think what Niko might teach Jeanne about love. They would have been A MENACE but a totally adorable one and everyone would just succumb to them no questions asked.

White hair

Charmes everyone the very instant they see her

THE Sunshine [2]

May play a very interesting and influential part in future (it's a mystery so far but is sort of foreshadowed)

SO CUTE sorry I had to

Has trauma related to a parent(s) loss

Comes off as naive but is actually more than meets the eye

Deep personal relationship with Blue (see above)

Tender and close relationship with Purple (do I have to say anything, and Jeanne said she loves Domi :3)

We almost never see them together with Reddish because the authors know we won't bear such an intense radiance and warmth :3

The way ALL the relationships are so fucking queer to the ground and complicated is the best part. Whoever calls Vnc "a queerbait" are probably the same type of people who call DBD the same. VnC also has A LOT of gender confusion and mixture, as an enby - 10/10 do recommend.

Also it's hilarious how both sources have two sets of characters where each male and female character has a "twin" counterpart and a "different" one, so it's really fun to mix and match the relationship.

Bonus: Tell me Jenny isn't similar with Olivier, I dare you. Even their weapons of choice are a meat cleaver vs. a chainsaw and they're both MESSY about it. Jenny needs a golden retriever girlfriend so bad.

[allseeinganalyst]

PLEASE TALK MORE ABOUT GOBUL I LOVE THEM TO PIECES OH MY GOD...

Sure!

I really *like* Goku x Bulma. I think there is a very sweet “childhood friends to lovers” aspect behind them, and Bulma shows a lot of concern and love for him as a friend that I think translates into more quite easily.

To be clear I’m NOT on the Chi-Chi hate train, because I think there are valid af reasons for her acting the way she does because of who she is as a person. There are times when she is annoying, yes, but these are exaggerated and flanderized to stupid levels by “fans” (and also by the show itself from time to time — the Cell Games arc springs to mind).

The thing is, I think because of who Bulma is, these things would just… not be present. Chi-Chi needs Goku to work and her kids to study because that’s the idyllic family life she wants and you do need to work to make money to live, even in the weird, quasi-feudal world of Dragon Ball.

But that problem… doesn’t exist for Bulma. She’s like…Tony Stark. She’s heir and later president of Capsule Corp, she’s the richest woman on the planet. Vegeta doesn’t work or do chores, why would he? So… Goku would be free to live the life he wants AND live it with his lifelong friend. I don’t remember it being mentioned that she’s an incredible cook for him like Chi-Chi, but who cares, she’ll just hire fuckin’ Dragon Ball Gordon Ramsay to cook for him every night. Or she’ll build a robot that can do it. She’s Bulma, she’ll manage.

I also think Goku would be affectionate back to her. First off, he does like spending time with his wife in canon and gets a little sweet with her, so Super’s odd notion that he doesn’t know what kissing is aside, I think we can assume he can be affectionate. Maybe not MASSIVELY so, but he can be.

Secondly moments with that are often undercut with Chi-Chi being angry for comedic reasons. See the Flanderization of her character I mentioned above. And while I do think that’s still going to happen with Bulma—she can whine rant and bitch with the best of ‘em and I love her so much for it — there’s going to be… less of that? To a degree? Goku coming in from training will probably be met with a “GO SHOWER, YOU STINK” but there likely won’t be too much upset about mud or setting a bad example for his son. She’ll watch him go and admire how hot her husband looks.

That brings me to the main reason I like to muse about this pairing — in Dragon Ball, when couples hook up, they have kids. Every major main character couple has done it. So obviously “Gohan” would be born to Bulma.

See, after Bulma, Trunks is my favourite Dragon Ball character. Specifically his future self, but I liked grown up GT Trunks too (in theory)… so thinking about the character that would replace him gets me thinking…

I’m imaging a son (though a Daughter would be cool AF but anyway…) and I like to think they’d be called a play on “Fundoshi” (traditional Japanese Underwear) or “Mawashi” (Sumo Wrestler Underwear) or something that blends the Asian Mythology from Goku with the Underwear theming of Bulma… or we could just call him “Singlet” or hell… maybe he’s just “Trunks”— I think it’s obvious Bulma isn’t that interested in letting her husbands name their kids (see Super with Bulla/Bra).

And he fundamentally changes just about every part of DBZ and Super when you think about it. Namek especially. But all of it. And you gotta think while the kid WILL have a study program it’s gonna be so different to Chi-Chi’s “HIT THE BOOKS” approach, and Bulma would for sure be like:

“Huh? What? Yeah sure sweetie, go train with Dad. Mom needs to finish fixing this perpetual energy generator. Here, actually, take the radar and tell Dad he needs to bring me the Dragon Balls! Call it a boys day out! Father-Son bonding!… Mamma needs a facelift anyway…”

It’s that. That gets me. That question: “What would be different about this series of Bulma and Goku had a kid instead of Gohan existing?”

I’ll spare you my thoughts on that but basically I think Bulma and Goku would make not just a cute, but very interesting couple narratively.