#clearly i play 100% for the story so i always take these two because they're the most interesting to me

[bereft-of-frogs]

something that's extremely funny about knights of the old republic is assembling your little party. I've got my little trio, obviously I'm taking Bastila everywhere because there's just so much there. there's the lore. the force bond. also because it's been 20 years and I obviously know the ending, I've got some dramatic tension going on too, I feel like she's lying or at least hiding something, she has to know something more than she's letting on. idk I'm obsessed with her.

and then Carth. is just. there.

like he's the most interesting out of all of the other options right now which is why I keep dragging him along but it's also so funny to go from this like really intense backstory, shared dreams, shared history intriguing relationship to. Carth. There.

I also gave him an extremely silly looking visor thing. so it's like, the player character and Bastila having these intense conversations about sharing dreams and destinies and then Carth. Lurking. with his dumb little visor.

I'm having a great time.

[ladyloveandjustice]

List of "Does it Like Women" Results and whether I agree

I find the "Does it like women" blog fascinating, as y'all have probably noticed. I always tend to think deeply about this topic when I consume media, so I wanted to make a list of results I disagree with, because it interests me! I'll likely be updating this through reblogs if my interest doesn't wane, I'll make a note in the replies when I do!

Loves Women

I agree with all of these so far! Well, loves women might be a little bit of a stretch for the first Spiderverse movie (on the other hand...doc ock...hnnn), but I think the second does so yeah basically agree.

Likes Women

Kill la Kill- Man it's 2013 again and I'm seeing tumblr make powerpoints about how klk is deeply feminist and it's actually a super deep critique of harassment that Ryuko has to wear the ugliest outfit ever and Westerners Don't Understand (person making this argument is inevitably a Westerner).

Yeah, based on the part I've seen and everything I've heard, hard disagree. But I have not seen the whole thing, just those three, I do know the part I saw included rape jokes a plenty, a weird victim-blamey take on "not being ashamed" of being forced into a skimpy outfit and how if you're bothered by men ogling you that's your weakness, and a vagina wedgie. I'm not as mad about it as I was back then,and I can appreciate the show has it's good points later on. Not having watched it also means my knowledge is incomplete. However, I have listened to really in depth breakdowns of the series (mainly Anifem's podcast), so I know exactly what happens, and yeah, the treatment of women doesn't impress me. I'm on the dislike side, (holding back on hates because again, haven't seen all of it)

...could understand mixed feelings though, I guess

Madoka- I'd definitely go more towards mixed feelings honestly (especially if we're counting Rebellion) but I get the people who say "likes".

Yuri is my Job- it loves women, it loves messy women, it loves women who love women, it loves them so much, idk why it got a sizeable no vote. People who only watched the first ep? People who think yuri is "bad"?

Mob Psycho 100- Someone in the notes says "accidentally likes women" and that's the only answer in the "likes women" area I'll accept. It has 10 million prominent male characters and like three prominent female characters. ONE really really obviously has a hard time imagining women as powerful or action heroes. (this is reflected in One Punch Man too) (One Punch Man actively hates women and queer people though, Mob is infinitely better) Only one who ever gets to fight and play with the boys, and she's a low level mook, and we have to spend 75% percent of her limited screentime on whether it's actually okay to fight women, with her winning argument being "Well you're literally a child so I guess it evens out" (???) The little girl with the evil dolls gets even less screentime.

I do like that the series examines how Mob idealized Takane and how people not caring about the real her made her tired, as well as how it allowed her to reject Mob and was basically a lesson in the importance of accepting rejection. But her screentime is also really limited, and I feel like we could have dove into her a lot more. Tome is a wonderful weird girl and I liked her little arc, and I hear she gets more in the Reigen manga, but still not a TON of screentime, and even with her there are a couple jabs about how she doesn't "count" as a girl due to not acting traditionally feminine we're clearly supposed to find funny. Emi is...there I guess. There's that sweet scene with the writer girl, and the bully girl, but they're like, not reoccurring at all, as evidenced by how I can't remember their names.

And uh. the girls school episode.

Anyway. Hot take but I don't think "they're barely in the story but when they are two of them are treated pretty decently and have some depth, though there is some weird stuff about whether women can even fight men or whatever" really counts as "likes women". I'd go more mixed feelings.

Life is Strange-out of the two options I chose dislikes, but my feelings are a lot closer to "mixed feelings". I go into why here.

Gushing Over Magical Girls- lol. lmao even. The anime about middle school girls who look 8 sexually assaulting other middle school girls DEFINITELY doesn't like women. I go into more detail here.

Cowboy Bebop: Mixed feelings, probably. I chose dislikes because yes, Faye and Ed are great (you could def read Ed as nb though), but Faye also is repeatedly damsel in distress'd and treated as incompetent in her field when I don't think she should be, she can be a failgirl without being the sole woman in the action side of the group and also the least capable (there's also That Scene in the movie). also i just. it's fine that she's sexy but I hate her outfit. give her something nicer looking, it's so ugly. But my main reason for a dislike vote is the treatment of Julia. Girl is a textbook example of fridging. They really gave her so little. But yeah I could see mixed feelings.

Also do you remember that one scene during Faye's tragic backstory where she's hospitalized and the camera requires us to look down her super (painful looking? like idk how she's not screaming about it) squished boobs during this tense and important moment god that took me out. whenever anyone acts like Faye always owns her sexiness and the camera never does anything I remember that scene.

Ranma 1/2: I've seen read a good chunk of it, and this result is...surprising. Maybe by the standards of 80's manga though, who knows.

Better Call Saul- I did vote yes on this one, but I'd put it more at mixed feelings. Kim is a fantastic character, but there aren't enough women on the show at all. She's a major part of the show, but basically the only one of any note. I only voted yes because I finally remembered Francesca was a reoccurring character and she's all right, but the fact I had to think to remember...

Undead Unluck: I know it gets a lot better later but I'm not sure if a work that has it's female character continuously and comically sexually harassed for the first few chapters can ever get liking women privileges. I don't know enough about it but it might be a mixed feelings situation.

Akiba Maid War: tbh I'd probably give this 'loves women'.

Ducktales: For the second season specifically I'd say "loves women". The first season leans more towards 'like women' though, so it evens out.

Mixed Feelings

Dracula- IIII definitely think it dislikes women, sorry guys. Mina is a great character and you do have to take it in the context of when it was written. But there are surely contemporaries of Bram Stoker that wouldn't have randomly gone out of their way to scoff at the "New Woman". Not to mention again, really random sidebars about how men are so much smarter and cooler and women should be grateful to them. I could go on about Lucy and how Mina is treated and whether that's a critique of sexism or just playing into it and how it's so open to interpretation but I'll stop here.

also the book is hugely anti- Romani, immigrant etc and I think that ties into disliking women since some women are those Romani and immigrants

It really really felt like a case where a lot of people in the Drac Daily tag just wanted it to be super feminist because they liked it (you can like things without having to make them feminist! it's fine!), and the way they scoffed at feminist scholars who had "surface level readings" of the text (aka they dared to say it was sexist) still leaves a bad taste in my mouth.

The Lego Movie: dislikes women. what are y'all on. Even it's own sequel calls it out for disliking women. Wildstyle is basically the only woman with real characterization and she's the purest concentration of "hypercompetent woman must play second fiddle to Average Male loser who is the one who actually saves the world and also she falls in love with him because of course she does'. Then Wonder Woman got one line (in literally the first theatrical move she got to even be in) and Superman and Batman a lot of screen time.

Does not like

Scott Pilgrim- Don't get this result, I'd put it at likes or mixed feelings? It's literally about how Scott has weird issues with women where he doesn't see them as to full people they are, and it calls him out on that hard. The whole sixth volume is how he made up a damsel in distress scenario for Kim and always took her for granted, how he put all the blame on Envy for the end of their relationship when he played a huge role in that, Knives finally getting over him, moving on, and telling him he needs to grow up a little (highlighting how his grossness towards her was him refusing to accept that he was an adult now, and that he was horrible to her, and yes he does apologize), and accepting that he and Ramona are both messed up people and she's just as flawed as he is, taking down the pedestal he put her on. And having Ramona triumphantly confront her abuser. Scott acknowledges he has a lot in common with Gideon, the supervillain!

Roxy is a sticking point, the whole 'it was a phase thing' and her and Ramona's relationshipbeing unexplored was annoying (fixed in Takes Off) but even she had some moments of pathos and was definitely the (Ramona's) ex the story seemed to sympathize with the most.

I dunno. this seems like a tumblr lacks media literacy thing again. Did you think the narrative agrees with Scott. Did you only watch the movie.

Succession- I'd go more mixed feelings? Dislikes is fine, I think it doesn't have enough women and often privileges male characters over them, but sometimes it's examination of the sexism Shiv faces is really incisive, and she's a complex character. But she should have gotten that abortion.

Watchmen: hates women actually. Pretty much anything written by Alan Moore does.

Persona 4: I think it hates women actually. But dislike is fine too.

Merlin: Everything I've heard about the show puts in in the hates camp rather than dislikes, but i never watched it (I did watch this video on it, and the bootlicking is out of this world if it's accurate) so I can't really comment

Fables: I cannot fathom how this did not get "hates women". Not just the fact it's written by a known misogynist. I will always remind everyone that I was literally there to see Bill Willingham say the female fans protesting the misogynist treatment of Stephanie Brown were annoying and he wishes he could shoot them. I was there. I heard him. This attitude completely shows up in his work. On top of that, his conservative, women hating idealogy all over this comic. Do you not remember all the random abortion soapboxes and how hard Snow White got sidelined????

And when I refreshed my memory, I discovered the reason Snow White had kids when she didn't want to was because a spell made her have sex with the male lead and she didn't even remember that happening. I also forgot that her backstory was the seven dwarfs raped her (but then she murdered them! Girl Power!) This is only the tip of the iceberg, I rediscovered way too many screwed up things he did to his female characters. Plus blatant Zionist propaganda and a ton of racism.

Like Snow White's backstory was some dark and edgy rape revenge and she's an Empowered Woman now, only to have her be raped by the man she will marry (in a mutual rape) but we don't call it that, and now she has kids she doesn't want, she can't get an abortion because It's Evil, time to quit her job she's proud of and move to a farm to have six kids.

iCarly-- It hates women! Dan Schneider. That should be all we need but some people in the comments insisted on separating the art from the artist despite the fact the artist is ALL OVER the art, and said art directly tormented Jeanette McCurdy! There was so much content in the show that was there to specifically torment her-- the fact her character has a food addiction/eating disorder while she had a real life eating disorder and they had to have known this, the fact after hearing she had a crush on an actor then they wrote it into her character to humiliate her, the fact they continually sexualized her while knowing her discomfort with it and with her body-- I have also watched the exhaustive basically minute-by-minute breakdown by QuintonReviews. Some gross shit happens on that show.

Hates Women

Agree with all of these so far!

[nighttimeebony]

One thing I adore about Buddy Daddies is the conflict between Rei and Kazuki in episode 7.

In fiction, it is so unbelievably common for one half of a couple in a family unit to do all of the work when it comes to the actual parenting. The cooking, the cleaning, etc. During the early decades sitcoms, the mom was always the hard-working and strict one while the dad was always the lazy, not-helpful one.

And that's the conflict.

Even though Rei and Kazuki are both men, Kazuki very clearly plays the role of the homebody in their relationship with Rei being sort of useless as a parent outside of being the fun one (at least initially). It's not waved off as a joke or dismissed as something you're not supposed to take seriously. That's a problem that they address in the episode that Rei needs to fix.

Marriage and relationships as a whole are partnerships, with both parties doing their equal share of effort to make it work, and parenting is just that but magnified times twenty. It takes mutual effort on both sides that Rei wasn't giving, and it infuriated Kazuki.

It's one thing for Miri to take Kazuki for granted, because she's still just a little kid and that's just how kids are, but it's another thing for Rei (Kazuki's partner), a grown adult who should know better, to treat him the same way. Their relationship couldn't continue functioning the way it was, with Kazuki putting in 100% effort and Rei barely doing anything.

Rei needed to step up AND HE DID!

He struggled initially, but once he realized that Miri needed him to be a parent and not a playmate, he stepped the hell up. When Miri got sick (due in part to his own actions) he didn't just wait around for Kazuki to come back and fix everything, he went to Kyu on his own to get the resources he needed. He stayed with Miri in her room to watch over her and wrote down a schedule for Miri's medication.

And it's not just for the one episode! In episode 9, we see Rei helping Kazuki cook in the morning while they're getting Miri ready for school! Rei has started to put in actual effort in his role as both a parent and a partner!

That's fucking great!! That's a conflict that I have never seen done before in a show like this!

Usually, this sort of trope would be treated as a joke, or the parents are just already good at parenting with a screw up or two here and there, but I've never seen this kind of active growth before in a story about parenthood.

Not only are Kazuki and Rei active participants in raising Miri, but they both have moments where they realize that they have to change in order to do their job as parents properly. They can't just half-ass it and they know this. Love is necessary in parenthood, but you have to put in effort too.

[basedkikuenjoyer]

Motherlode

And here I find myself again, circling back to the same basic thoughts about this arc that really only stretched itself out to about double what I and most others predicted. You get my angle right? While the world's watching, while the fandom's watching someone not named Nico Robin give a little nuggie of Void Century lore...200 chapters after Bakura Town, 100 after Kiku's fall, in a chapter after one with a folk lore allusion title. Stussy breaks the seal. Speaking more or less the same trauma. It's even the same central idea of Wano; ensuring the Straw Hat's escape was Stella's final command. It all runs on that old school Japanese take on ideal feminity; "A woman's happiness is taking care of those she loves." Self-sacrifice to repay kindness towards you.

Bonney has so much to compare and contrast, you're a solid candidate for someone who could kinda fuse Kiku & Yamato, but Stussy? You're our Tamataebako buddy with the same eyes. A trans woman and a clone, can't say it isn't relatable and they both have a demonic facade without an ounce of action girl tomboy tropes. Stussy can nab that torch now just like Bonney could have. But you still exist in that space. Why are we doing you now, after the others? We still have cards unplayed from Wano. When their theme is subtlety one should expect waiting until the final phase.

This chapter gives me a lot that has me excited.

We have a whole theme this chapter of people responding again and doubling down on the idea these different faces we know are reacting differently to Vegapunk's speech. Things different fans are reacting to. Wano the Joyboy lore, Carrot the weaponry, but it's one of those simple tricks that fuel a big deception. None of it is really that much deeper than clarifying what we as readers sorta knew. Of course, for Wano...it isn't the full group but we see a group. It'd make perfect sense for Kiku to be smiling and holding a tray with the implication she brought the dango, she could appear any example of this cover serial...but this is how you have to look at things when strategic absence is an established motif. Oh, and I guess Shino just got to stay youthful. Rock on mature woman, enjoy it.

The world is merely learning more or less what we know. The real story is still playing out. Stussy, the escape, this time we aren't breaking away. It's almost like a good rap track where the first two verses are smooth and melodic leading into a rapid-fire third verse to really hammer the message. I think we'll stick with that as the message unfolds. But this arc has just enough gas it's the opening act not the final point in and of itself. What makes me feel confident this time? Glad you asked:

Nojiko caring more about the farm bolsters this and her alone would have me freaking the fuck out but...bruh. Miss Goldenweek? Goldie!? Marianne and her hilarious in hindsight apple hat? Peep the suitcase, they're leaving to find Cross Guild. But yeah! Miss Friggin Goldenweek and Nojiko have an interesting response to this worldwide message. I love it too. They don't really seem to care much. Nami's big sister and a mellow girl that was one of Luffy's most vexing opponents. She got a cover serial, this little lady was always an oddball waiting to surprise us. For now though this is dope. Don't let her demeanor fool you, she was clearly a top agent for a reason and the reasons really aren't that different than the archetype I see out of Kiku.

What specifically does it though is how she's paired with the reaction focusing on the common people killed as collateral damage. Now let's take it altogether. Because something else going on under the message brings us back to where this felt most powerful:

Uh-oh. The big cloud layer is under attack. The Elbaf ship is getting surrounded. What if they weren't enough? For all the talk about other stuff that could happen if the Giants are the penultimate surprise addition...is it just gonna be the Grand Fleet after all? They make so much sense big picture. Robonosuke is still hanging around at the edge of all this too. Because things are getting dire on Egghead underneath the lore dump.

All in all...I love this shit right now because it's exactly what I've been on about since Wano ended. Wall to wall this chapter. 1115 is a straight banger.

[kimberlyannharts]

LAST TIME ON RANGER ACADEMY: Sage, Mathis, and Lindy are taking a little break from their demon-infested school to hang out with Sage's dad, who's way cooler and hotter and way less demon-infested. And as a bonus, turns out Tula had the same idea, so everyone got to be there for Rhianth's story hour, where we found out that ten years ago Dark Specter thought baby Sage was the perfect vessel for murdering with and caused the deaths of her biological parents and the shuttle Tula's sister was on, until Zilan sacrificed himself to cure Sage's possession with an anti-Dark Specter machine. And like all sad widows to Green Rangers do, Rhianth kept that machine all these years, so hey, maybe that could be helpful in the final fight against Dark Specter's return. We only have two issues left, after all; we gotta wrap this up!

It's Ranger Academy #11!

= Well, it's a device that's made specifically to defeat Dark Specter introduced in the final story arc, so................probably not

= I'm sorry, what do you mean friends NOW? Did Nugget mean NOTHING to you!!!!!!!!!!

= oh sweet they're really expanding on the Black campus

= Sorry to say it but Headmaster...if you don't survive your possession that's fine with me. Honestly I always kinda hated your vibes. Especially since I have......no idea who you are or how you came to be (like since she's possessed, we have to assume she's IN the tube like Zordon was rather than just transmitting herself via the tube like the guest Rangers? but like......WHY is she in the tube. They say she's connected to the Grid, but that's it. Zordon was kind of a special case, and even with the (frankly stupid imo) reveal that all Eltarians end up doing the face-in-tube thing, she's clearly not Eltarian. eh, maybe they'll explain it next issue. maybe

= Okay maybe the Bandorian Monks were playing the long game with not giving Lindy her own color yet. They knew Lindy would be the one to save us all

= Flirting like this when everyone's about to die GOD gay people are SO ANNOYING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

= I will say though this is more flirting and chemistry than Rocky and Adam had in Darkest Hour and I don't even know if they're supposed to be legit romantic

= Why don't you guys take some of that Morphin energy water and just spritz Dark Specter with it

= Imagine getting possessed because Dark Specter double-dog dared you to attack him

= also i have to laugh a bit at "a handful of professors and junior rangers were possessed" because yeah, just a reminder that we don't know anyone's fucking names

= Something they don't really elaborate on in this issue is how EXACTLY the machine works, or why you have to morph in order to use it, which is kind of another point in my "the machine won't actually do anything" theory. It's like how in Issue #100 Billy had that anti-Death Ranger gun out of nowhere that didn't do anything. "Chip, what anti-Death Ranger gun????" exactly

= I'm sure they'll be fine

= well shit

= QUICK SOMEONE GO INTO LABOR!!!! IT'S HOW WE GOT THEIR MOM TO STOP BEING EVIL IT'LL WORK FOR THEM TOO

[remastered-feedback]

A Little Less Conversation, A Little More Action: Don't Delay Player Agency

(You can also read this post on my blog/personal site!)

Recently I've been picking games I play not just because they seem like they'll be fun, but also as something to mine for ideas and inspiration. I've been teaching myself Godot, and while I'm a ways off from making any game that's ready for a market release, I'm approaching them more from the perspective I've always approached music with as a musician; not just a work in a medium that I enjoy, but as something to analyze for ideas and inspiration for my own work.

Consequently, I've been playing a lot of older, retro games, as well as a lot of handheld GBA games and indie games. Part of this is for their charm, but part of it is also because those are much closer to what I can accomplish singlehandedly; where modern AAA hits like Baldur's Gate 3 and Elden Ring notch thousands of dev team credits, older NES/SNES games, as well as GBA games and indie titles, rarely have staffs above 50, and typically cap out just past 100 at their absolute largest. Those AAA hits are great games, but if I want something I can use as a reasonable estimation of the targets I can hit solo, they're not where to look.

Two of the games that I've been playing on this old-school kick are two highly touted JRPGs: Golden Sun for the GBA, and Chrono Trigger for the SNES. While both are very good and I'm enjoying both, there's a contrast that's hard not to notice, and it's one where Chrono Trigger is a clear winner. (Yes, I know comparing any JRPG to Chrono Trigger is totally unfair. I'm not using this to take shots at Golden Sun, I'm just using it to explain my point. Again, I'm enjoying both, please do not be unfair to Golden Sun and read "Chrono Trigger did it better" as "This is a bad game" because "Chrono Trigger did it better" applies to 90% of the genre!)

In Chrono Trigger, you almost immediately gain control of Crono. You are somewhat on-rails, the game is clearly directing you to the fairgrounds, but you have the control to decide where you go. Want to run off to the forest before you even know the game's mechanics? You can do that! Even once you go to the fairgrounds, you have control over what you do, where, and when. That's good! Giving the player immediate control is a good thing! Letting them immediately be in control of the player character, and immediately having a say over what happens, gives the player instant agency and engagement. You're not sitting and waiting for the game to start, the game has begun the moment you hit "New game."

Golden Sun, on the other hand, is extremely on-rails for the start of the game. Your home town is flooding, and every time you try to head in a different direction, your previously open pathway is immediately blocked by a falling rock. There's one way for you to go, and all other options are walled off. Even once the flood is over, you're still going down a linear path with no real say in what happens, because there are multiple conversations you need to have, multiple encounters and confrontations you're required to engage with no matter what, and while this is understandable for the very start, it's this way for well over 45 minutes. You're approaching an hour into the game before you can make any kind of meaningful decision, and that kills so much of the draw of RPGs. Story is a staple of the genre, but if I feel like I'm not actually getting any say in the story, I don't feel like I'm playing an RPG. I feel like I'm watching a TV show. And while I like TV shows, that's not what I play a video game to experience.

This isn't to say you can't have a tutorial or an opening cutscene to draw players in, but the sooner the player is making the decisions, the better. People play video games to experience something interactive, whether it's something story-heavy like a visual novel or something gameplay-intensive like a puzzle game. If you're giving the player a full 30-60 minute saga they have to sit and watch before they can make any choices, you've done it wrong. It doesn't need to be any big choice either; "Do you want to fight the combat cat bot or try to hit the bell at the faire?" is enough. "Do you want to go recover Harry's shoes or not?" is enough. "Do you want to check the Mind Flayer nursery for any clues or press onward?" is enough. It's not about immediately being in a position to change the world, it's about having agency and control as soon as possible. Being the active participant driving the events, not just a passive passenger.

You don't have to send the player into immediately engaging with life-or-death without any preparation or preamble. That would be almost as dangerous as giving them a feature film before they get to make any decisions. But as soon as you've established the basic fundamentals, get them engaged and making decisions. The sooner the player has agency and is able to make decisions, no matter how small they may be, the better for both your game and their experience.

[egg-emperor]

It's funny when people that don't like my takes and analysis on game Eggman always try to say that I actually just like some other version that isn't game Eggman and just want him to be the same as it, as if I don't actually only like a very small amount of versions.

"You just want him to be like SatAM Robotnik!" "You just want him to be like Archie Eggman!" Bro the only other versions I really care about or pay attention to besides the games is Archie, IDW, X, and maybe Prime if he comes back. I like Boom Eggman but not as much and I'm not the biggest of the Boom series as a whole but that's the only other one that counts.

And I don't like loads of Archie, only the parts that feel accurate and true to game Egg. And I only like the parts in IDW where that also applies, same for X. And what draws me in initially even if they aren't 100% game accurate is their designs when they're classic/modern because they match his game designs

I'm personally not a fan of SatAM Robotnik because he's missing not just the design but also the charm and silliness I clearly like in game Egg as much as his evil and sadistic side. And I only like Archie Egg when he feels accurate to game Egg, specifically for that reason

So how am I apparently such a big fan of other versions over game Egg that I just want him to be exactly like them? Game Egg was my first and has always been my favorite no other will ever come close in my eyes. Because he's the original, the source, and what Sega of Japan actually work on.

I only like other versions when they're very close or exactly the same, minus the vastly different Boom Egg but even then the reasons I don't like him as much is because he's not like game Egg. Same feelings when it comes to SatAM and any other media that's missing assets of game Egg.

When I compliment, analyze, share facts about his character, and create my own hcs and story based on it, it always comes right from his portrayal in the games itself. It always has a canon basis that supports it. I don't pull shit out of nowhere or completely non canon media to make my point. Sometimes my stories will take tiny inspirations from other media (where it feels accurate to apply to game Eggman again) but my analysis and fact sharing never does.

It's frustrating when people try to tell me I don't actually like or understand game Eggman and just want him to be like some non canon versions that I don't care about anywhere near as much in comparison, specifically because they aren't exactly like game canon Eggman. People twist my intentions, tell me how I feel, and put words in my mouth a lot.

And well two can play at that game because it seems to me like you just want game Egg to be one in the same with Boom Egg. :P Because he has a lot of those traits and the not so evil thing going for him that you want game Egg to have but doesn't. Also I'm pretty sure a looot of the people that say stuff like do admit game canon isn't their favorite version unlike me, so it's pretty ironic

Personally I love to acknowledge and explore the sometimes very huge and sometimes subtle differences between the versions. Hell one of my biggest most passionate fan projects is an AU multiverse thing where different Eggmen meet and interact and I explore their differences! I only think they should be 100% the same if they're supposed to be canon to the games, or it's supposed to be using an Eggman that they claim to be fully accurate to the games.

You can critique, disagree, and debate with what I say but you shouldn't twist my words or intentions to try and do it

[insomniaccipher]

EDIT (24/3): so um, I posted this way way too early. In my sleep deprived state I guess I posted it rather than save it as a draft, since it's clearly not done. I'm not going to private it, people have already seen it so expect this to be updated with the remaining notes. Sorry and thank you for understanding!

(tw for mention of depression and a depressive episode)

After a few days of me being absolutely fucking drained and progressively chipping away at this, and having a surprise d3pr3ssiv3 episode

(seriously though, don't do what I did and work yourself into a depressive episode. I'm okay now, but I should have rested before I crashed.)

And I can finally present the original sketches, notes (internal dialogue included) and with additional notes provided by present me.

Thank you to the few people who showed interest in my little character for being patient with me, I know I wasn't super loyal with the time frame and kept having issues arise but here it is. I apologise for not having a full illustration of them, It's one of those things that I have to be 100 percent satisfied with and right now, it's not there.

Thank you so so much again and I hope you like them, please feel free to critique them or ask questions but try to keep it polite please. Love you all!

Page 1 (left) - Bits and bobs

- Originally I was thinking of giving Arc moving tattoos. This was because I wanted them to have a more clear connection to ink since they would already be around it quite a lot also I imagine it would have been funny for Arc, who is a very calm and collected person, to be in a frustrating situation but can't express it so their tattoos just fucking loose it showing that they are fucking fuming but looks calm as can be.

After I decided on the hat with a veil however I decided to scrap the idea, or at least save it for a different character, as I realized the character would feel too busy and between the two ideas I liked the hat and veil more.

- There was a short-lived idea of them having blackout tattoos but after a bit of research I decided not to ask I wasn't sure if they had any cultural significance, so better safe than sorry.

- Arc, as stated in the notes, is seemingly always calm. That doesn't mean they can't feel frustrated, sad, embarrassed it just means they can keep their composure and level headed. They're like one of those people that if you upset them they'll walk out the room yell and throw shit and walk back in calm as can be.

- Their role has by now developed more than just being an archivist, as now I see them as just a general records keeper. They find and keep old records and text organised, while also writing down new information and such. I'm not changing their name though, cause honestly I've just grown attached to their nickname.

Page 2 (right) - the first note and ideas

- Weirdly enough, the very first idea I had for this character wasn't their story or personality: but their hat and veil. Yup. I just liked the idea of a character with a big halo hat and a veil hiding their face.

- There was another character at one point or they might have been the same, I don't exactly remember and the details between them were similar enough that it's possible that they were just the same character just with minor tweaks. But that character was more connected to the band (again as in the personas/characters they play, not the irl people) while Arc is more of a solo unit.

Mentioning this other character is relevant because, and this is purely based on memory, I think the whole reason they were reworked/scrapped/whatever-the-fuck I did with them was because a hat and veil wouldn't be practical on stage.

- Anyway whenever they do take the veil off, either for more delicate work or they have to be in public, they'll put on a basic mask that covers the majority of their lower face.

- A lot of stuff I see, so forgive me if it's not actually a popular concept, seems to make the band members some form of inhuman. Which I fucking love, however to be honest the inhuman stuff was always kind of going to be part of them no matter what, even if I hadn't chosen the hat and veil concept (See top bullet point for the moving tattoos concept).

[katatonicimpression]

One of the things I love about Shinobi objectively being stupid and weak and lazy and ineffectual is that I feel so many abuse narratives focus on showing the victim ISN'T the things the abuser said and THAT'S why they shouldn't have been abused, whereas with Shin yeah he IS these things and guess what STILL DOESN'T DESERVE ABUSE. I don't think that was the authorial intent, the text is rarely at all sympathtic to Shin, but it's how I choose to handle it. That yeah, he is a big stupid screwup and vain and obnoxious and objectively not a good person and still 110% worthy of sympathy and compassion and should never have been hurt because there's never any justification for that. SORRY FOR THE RAMBLE just I in general love Shin being dumb bc it's funny but also this!

YOU'RE SO RIGHT! I enjoy making fun of him but it's worth saying this!

I'd also add that, if we set aside the times he's written as (or coded as) perv-y - those moments are 100% there for racist and biphobic reasons - his other character flaws are clearly there as a result of Sebastian. They're not the "reason" for the abuse, it's the exact opposite.

And yeah the framing is weird because it's not at all actually sympathetic to him, but also very reluctant to have him actually be the biggest baddie in the room at any point and will constantly have shit things happen to him while he achieves no real villainy.

I think it's mostly coming from a (racist) desire to emasculate the character at every turn, but it winds up making him just not seem that bad and oh my god this got out of hand have a "keep reading"

OK right by my reckoning there are only 2 shin appearances where he's actually the main villain. The one where he kidnaps Warren and Betsy, and the x-force one that is a blatant rehash of it.

The betsy and Warren issue dedicates itself to just listing his damage and, while firmly not on his side, its still a pretty sympathetic take... or is it?

Maybe this was supposed to be an own and they just failed at that.

The x-force one is much more simplistic. He doesn't really get pathos, kidnaps some children and actually murders someone directly with his powers (for I think the first and only time?). It's genuinely ooc how he's actually a straight forward, mostly competent villain here.

So thats TWO issues where he's actually the main bad guy and one of them is a deep exploration of his trauma.

His other appearances are either a story where he's in opposition to other villains, or he's just fucking about (e.g. marauders). With the former, it's that desire to emasculate him again. He's almost always shown as a complete mess next to these other, scarier villains.

Shout out to this very brief cameo where he apparently does some behind the scenes scheming with the Mandarin. Apparently he can be a competent villain so long as he's off the page.

But the rest of the time he's:

Failing at being a super villain in japan

Ignoring Cordelia Frost's weird plans

Being ghosted by the British hellfire club

Failing at being an Upstart

Playing chess with some guy

et alia...

None of this makes me hate him I'm sorry.

The absolute weirdest one framing wise is the storm thing. Shin is coded as a predator. He invites ororo for dinner and drugs her drink. Coding-wise, they're not being subtle here.

But then we immediately find out that it's Candra's plan AND that she's also drugging/otherwise manipulating Shinobi. AND it's implied that they have a physical relationship. So... that's not consensual. It literally can't be.

So, in an issue where he's unambiguously coded as a date r*pist, he's implicitly being sexually abused.

And like..... um???? What am I supposed to take from that?

My best guess it's that it's a 90s "haha man under a woman's control how pathetic of him" but like.. I am incapable of reading it like that.

It's just throughout: this character is intended to be seen as bad but for toxic, racist and queer-phobic reasons, but if you read him without that lens, it's just: "Oh, he's kind of a dumb jerk I guess. He should probably quit drinking."

Basically, if you think a man being weak and ineffectual makes him worthy of scorn, then he'll come across as villainous.... which is kind of ironic I guess.

...........................

..um so this got off topic from the original ask. I just started typing about how his characters framed and it became a whole thing sorry.

[irlwakko]

Can you talk a bit about the ocs you just posted? They seem neat I'm interested to know about them :]

*sobbing* ghjhghfhkffkfggkjf,,,,,, /pos

(This first part gets very rambly, so if you want to skip to story stuff, I put a cut so you know where it is!!)

Okay so backstory on the creation of these OCs: in 2020 some of my friends and I kinda had this little like... RP and AU project on Twitter where parts of it were like a half-joke but it also all had its own story (I don't wanna say a WHOLE whole lot bc that whole thing's kinda over and the accounts we did it on are all privated/deleted/dead now and I don't wanna drag it all back up without talking to all those people about it first)

(but I did want to mention it because like... though we've all talked a bit about taking some of the characters we played and tweaking them to make them our own, I don't wanna totally be like "HEHE THIS IS MINE!!!! >:)" without giving credit where credit is due to my amazing friends)

(and also obviously because............... uh if you take one look at them you can tell they're not 100 Percent Out of my Brain Original so I wanted to. explain that this started as an AU. a very convoluted and complicated AU that only like 20 people knew the inner machinations of)

ANYway due to this being a convoluted and complicated AU which relied on plot points from a now-dead pandemic-era Twitter RP group, I haven't got their story figured out COMPLETELY yet and some things are due to change (if I ever even get around to planning and writing this kjdhbksdfj) so bear with me. also I can't draw so all I have are those picrews

--------

Sawyer/Summers and his brother Alexander/Almanac (the two name thing will become clear later) were inseparable growing up, and everyone around them knew they were going to grow up to change the world-- presumably together. That is, until an unexplainable tragedy struck their senior year of high school. (I will be honest I haven't nailed down what that unexplainable tragedy is yet.)

After the tragedy, Sawyer remained optimistic. Things had clearly changed with him-- how COULDN'T he have changed, after something like that?-- but to the people around him, he seemed incredibly resilient in the face of what he'd witnessed. Alexander, on the other hand-- always the more reserved of the two-- withdrew completely into himself.

And behind the scenes? When it was just Sawyer and Alexander alone? Well, nobody knows exactly what happened between them. Only that they had gone from being an inseparable duo to barely speaking. They went off to separate universities at the end of that year, and that was it.

Fifteen years later, Sawyer's already changed the world. His genius quickly became apparent to his professors and only grew from there, and his inventions have already advanced the world to a technological age previously thought impossible-- and he's only getting started. And Alexander? Well... nobody's heard from Alexander.

Behind the scenes, Sawyer's been working on his magnum opus: time travel. It was a prospect he'd always daydreamed about as a child, and now the dream is almost realized. He's not ready to go public with it yet, or maybe ever-- the only person who knows about it is his husband Owen-- but he just needs to know that it works, after all this time trying. And he knows exactly where to start.

--------

It's the start of Sawyer and Alexander's senior year. They've got big plans for this year: dominate in their final year of high school, become joint valedictorians, and head off to university together to change the world. It helps that they both got into the advanced class taught by the new science teacher, Mr. Summers. His class is challenging, but nothing they can't handle... and besides, they can't even remember the last time they've actually been challenged in school. Yep, this year should be fun. (Even if Summers does keep sneaking out of class to flirt with their dorky history teacher, Mr. Owens...)

Oh, also they've been running into this guy with green hair and a black trench coat like, everywhere they go. It's getting kind of creepy. But they're pretty sure that's nothing.

[alliterative-albatross]

So, I sent you (@disgruntledspacedad) a pretty long ask a while ago (back when you had anon on) and I'm decently sure Tumblr ate it (or maybe you ignored it, in which case, feel free to ignore this one as well). But then I saw one of those "writers appreciate feedback no matter how long" posts, so I'm back here. Here is my mediocre attempt to rewrite my original review of your work. Bear in mind that English is not my first language, so if at any point my phrasing sounds weird to you, you know why. Mandatory disclaimer/apology: this might get a little too long 😅

RULES OF ENGAGEMENT

I remember being SO mad at myself for not finding this sooner. I binge read it one afternoon with no thoughts for any real life responsibilities I might have had (and no regrets). Javiears is one hell of an unconventional relationship in the beginning, and I really love what you did with them. The whole premise of your story is quite refreshing, and you somehow manage to convey the trust and mutual respect there two feel for one another without explicitly showing us the beginning of their "entanglement".

Also, fuck you for what you did to poor Emilio, that man was a saint and he deserved better! I honestly can't believe that I got so attached to a character that appeared so little in the story, but it happened, and his death kind of broke my heart.

But the Javiears reunion + mild confession was lovely, and felt completely deserved. And of course the sex scene. I won't lie, I expected a bit better from Javi there, but I did like how utterly /human/ it was. Capturing that humanity, the imperfections in each character is something you're really good at (more on that later).

AFTERSHOCKS

Ah, my emotionally constipated babies who really need to work out their communication issues. I do love them, though. And this short series did a really good job of delving a bit deeper into Ears's and Javi's psyche. Kudos to you for dealing with the medical "aftershocks" of living through an explosion AND using that experience to move your emotional plot forward. These two need to grow a lot before they can get to a stable point in their relationship, and you really manage to convey their insecurity and fear of commitment/intimacy while making it clear that they're in it for the long run and that theirs is a relationship that WILL work out so help them God.

IF I FALL

Ouch. Punch me in the gut while you're at it, why don't you?

But seriously, "If I Fall" is SO FUCKING GOOD. Don't get me wrong, it's angstier than an image of Jesus on the cross (don't judge me, it's Holy Week and I just got home from accompanying my grandma to church), but it somehow works beautifully. You, my dear, play heartstrings like they're a fucking guitar and I AM HERE FOR IT.

You're doing an amazing job at making me feel everything these characters are feeling, which is both awful (bc pain) and impressive.

Also, if anything happens to Ana I will cry, because she is adorable and wonderful and has suffered way too much already and really deserves a break and some cookies.

Also also, if anything happens to Ears I will cry, because she is badass and wonderful and has suffered way too much already and really deserves a break and some cookies.

Also also also, if anything happens to Javi I will cry, because he is loving and wonderful and has suffered way too much already and really deserves a break and some cookies.

Basically, I am really invested in the well-being of these characters and can't wait until they're happy and safe again (please tell me they will be, my heart can't handle much more pain).

A quick note on the angst complaints: yes, this story is way angstier than most other fics out there and it can be a bit too much at times, especially considering how many chapters of pain it's been. BUT it's obvious that "If I Fall" NEEDS this amount of angst to get where it's going, to send the message it wants to and to properly develop its characters. The pain is as important to this story as flour is to bread. You may not like eating flour on its own (I don't think anyone does), but you love bread (because bread is amazing) and you must recognize that bread NEEDS flour to work. It wouldn't be bread otherwise. And eating the flour as part of the bread even makes you like the flour because the bread is just DELICIOUS.

I fully understand and sympathize with the people who have elected to table "If I Fall" until it's completed so they can binge read it knowing there's a happy ending in sight, but in case you're feeling a bit self conscious about all the angst, please know that your story is beautiful not in spite of the pain, but rather /because of it/.

PS: No, I'm not high/drunk, I just really like bread

AUTHOR'S NOTES

Silly thing to comment on, I know, but I do feel like it's important that you know how useful your ANs have been. There are many details in the story that I simply wouldn't fully get without reading your comments at the end of each chapter, and I appreciate your writing a hell of a lot more knowing how deeply you understand and care for each one of your characters. Plus, it is obvious how much work you've put into researching a country and a time period that are (from what I gather) unfamiliar to you, and I really do believe you've done an amazing job of it.

JAVIER PEÑA

My boy. I love your characterization of this complicated character, and I have eagerly read each and every one of your headcanons about him. I can't really say if your version is fully faithful to the source material because it's been a while since I saw Narcos, but your Javi most definitely reads like a real person. He's fairly consistent as a character, and I feel like everything he does is perfectly natural for him to do as a character. He makes for an unconventional yet deeply interesting romantic lead, and so far I have thoroughly enjoyed all his POV chapters/scenes.

OCs

I know you've gotten some flack for making her into an OC halfway into the story, and while I get why the sudden change may have felt like a disappointment for some, I don't share that sentiment. I firmly believe that this fandom is unfairly harsh towards Original Characters and their creators, and I don't really understand why. Listen, I love Reader fics, and consume many Reader fics. I have read dozens, maybe even hundreds, and I can safely say that I've only ever "inserted" myself in approximately 10% of those stories. Reader characters are not as blank as their writers may want them to be. They can't be. They're characters, and character have personalities and moral values and senses of humor and a bunch of other things. Reader characters may not have a backstory or a physical description attached (and even that's not guaranteed), but they're still characters.

And on a more personal note, pretending they're actual blank slates is naive at best and insensitive at worst. Reader characters are American coded 99% of the time, and white coded 95% of the time. Not every readers is white nor American, even if that's the predominant demographic on Tumblr. When I read a JavixReader fic about a woman who speaks exactly zero Spanish, I know she's not me. The story may be beautifully written and have an amazing plot and character development, but the Reader *isn't me*. There is absolutely nothing wrong with that, and some of my favorite xReader stories feature a "reader" who couldn't be more different from me, but it's something that enemies of OC fics should take into account. Particularly if they are white and/or American. But I digress.

HANNAH AARONS

Your character is amazing. She's strong, smart, confident, independent and an all-around badass. She gets kidnapped while pregnant and still focuses on problem solving and survival. But she's also overly guarded and mistrustful, and really needs to work on her communication skills. There are times when I absolutely love her and even admire her, and other times when I want to whack her with a slipper. She's no Mary Sue, but remains interesting and likeable throughout the story. She feels wholly human and real, and that's no easy task. I like her, I am invested in her, and I can't wait to see what's next for her. She's a compelling and three dimensional protagonist in a complex story who never fails to draw me in. I love her. She's your baby, and you should be proud of her.

Also, quick question about personality types: I know you've typed Javi as ESFP and Ears as ENTP (100% agree on both, btw), but have you given any thought to their enneagram types? I personally have always seen Ears as being somewhere on the thinking triad, maybe a 7 or even a 6w7, but I'm not too sure about Javi. 9w8 maybe? He could also be a 6w5 🤔

PARTING THOUGHTS

Basically, I love your story, your characters and your writing in general. You are a fantastic storyteller and wordsmith. You get into the heads of incredibly different characters personality-wise (Ears, Javi, Berna...) and manage to capture all of their complexities and quirks every single time. And it doesn't feel like it's something innate for you either. To me, it seems that you have put a lot of work and effort into understanding each and every one of your characters, who they are, why they do what they do and what they want. And let me tell you, all that effort has been more than worth it. "Better Love" is a fanfic, but it wouldn't be out of place in a regular bookstore, if I'm honest. I don't know what you do for a living or if you've ever considered writing professionally, but you clearly have the skills and the drive to create some masterpieces.

You are amazing and your writing is a gift. Thank you for sharing it with us, and have a nice day! ~ 🍪

~

My friend, I apologize for hoarding your first ask. I’ve been sitting on it because I’m not gonna lie, I enjoy going back and rereading it. It gave me a lot of comfort when I was in a pretty dark place, both personally and in regards to my writing, and I was reluctant to send it out into the the abyss of Tumblr where I might never see it again. 

That’s not fair, though. You put just as much effort into sending me that review as I put into my writing, and I apologize for never responding to you.

Okay, anyway, so twice now, you’ve made me cry. In a good way, I promise! 

I absolutely love your bread/flour metaphor. It made perfect sense. I want the emotional release of Javi and Hannah’s reunion to be earned, and in order to do that, the angst has to come first (there are also a few plot “ingredients” that have yet to make their appearances). Thank you very much for understanding that, and for voicing it so eloquently.

I appreciate your comments on my research and characterization. You’re correct that I’ve put a lot of time and effort into crafting a universe. In a lot of ways, I’m doing my best to stay true to the source material (regarding culture and timelines in particular), and in others, I’m branching into my own territory. 

On that note, I’ve never once regretted fully embracing Hannah Aarons’ identity as an OC. She’s stayed consistent in my mind from the beginning, and it was a relief to finally share my vision of her with the audience. And for the record, I totally agree with you regarding “reader” characters. Every reader insert echoes the perspective of their author, no matter how vague the physical description. I can only imagine how grating that must be from the perspective of a non-white, non-american reader. Thank you so much for sharing your insight! I will certainly keep it in mind the next time I write a “reader insert” fic.

Okay, enneagrams! I am much less familiar with enneagram than I am MBTI, but I agree 110% that Javi is a 9 with a strong 8 wing. I waffled back and forth on Ears a little, but eventually landed on 8w7 for her. It came down to the eight’s deepest fear, which is being controlled. That’s Ears all over, and the fact that she and Javi share that eight willfulness means that they might butt heads a little, which also seems very appropriate for them. Big thanks to @remusstark for her insight into the eight frame of mind - our conversations helped solidify my decision on this. :)

Anyway, I’m just rambling now. The big take-away point that I want you to get is that I am so, so grateful to you, both for your insightful feedback and your dedication in making sure that I actually saw it. You are an absolute gem and a deep thinker, Cookie-Anon, and if you ever feel like sliding into my DM’s, I’d welcome the opportunity to get to know you better.

Mad love and soft hugs, 

~ Jay

[gureishi]

so... today I finished off Rays route with the GOOD ENDING (thank god) and my sleep schedule is officially non existent! :D

lemme start off with Day 8, because that must've been the creepiest the game has ever gotten for me. I MEAN LOOK AT THIS:

EVERYONE IS LITERALLY GONE, SOMEONE PLS SEND HELP! T_T

I never knew there was a part of Saerans route in which he quite literally cuts off your contact with the RFA????? wish someone warned me, but the surprise was quite welcome too I suppose?? the glitches and the distorted music definitely amplified that scary and hopeless feel I got after being cut off from the rest of the members (especially bby Saeyoung, god I love that boy). OH AND THE WAY THE CHATROOMS WOULD GLITCH BEFORE LOADING?? THAT CREEPED ME TF OUT THANKS!! Although I was in a way also happy that I was able to talk to Saeran more! (it is his route after all).

The chats with Rika always left me feeling frustrated. I could see where she came from and understood her motivations for the way she acted and behaved, but it hurt to see the way in which she believed she was loving and caring for Saeran, and how Saeran internalized everything she told him, idk that just left me feeling a new typa broken.

It was very tempting to lash out and get angry or even just to submit to Saeran and his horrible tormenting, but I held on to get that sweet delectable good ending! (gotta get that cute kiss CG after all)

Also I was worried about Saeyoung and his safety ALL THE TIME, I knew there was a part in the game in which he'd be kidnapped but when it finally happened I honestly wanted to stop playing lmao, also Saejoong Choi can take a piss somewhere, I hate him and I wish they revealed more of his crimes in Saeran's route :(

Saeran's route also honestly made me love Jumin so much more, his so endearing, honest and caring. Love that we get to see more of his relationship with V here, you can actually see that they're best friends and that makes my heart smile.

and AWW THE END WHERE WE SEE V WITH RIKA? That really played with my emotions, and has got me considering jumping straight into his route, because I for one know his life doesn't get any better in Saeran's AE unfortunately. (and of course I won't jump straight in again, since everyone around me has been saying getting two hours of sleep every night just to play an otome game is not healthy at all)

I love the calls we get with Saeran after he finally comes to and realizes his worth, the drugs finally out his system. His so adorable and soft and even goofy at times that it makes me question whether I actually see Saeyoung as my fav (though I'll have to think alot more about that T_T, I swear tomato boy I definitely still luv u lmao)

Also love that Saeran has the most kiss CGs out of all the routes, like yes we love to see it ^^

Oh and the guests for Another Story are just such a treat from Cheritz. I mean we literally invite a dragon?? (a shame Saeyoung couldn't see his dragon buddy) and a coding language??? cmon you can't tell me that's not cool.

even though you gave me the sleep friendly guide, I still ended up getting 100% for nearly everyday (except for 2 of them which was 90%) and I must say I'm quite drained and tired but also happy that I was FINALLY able to experience Another Story, something I only really read about online before without knowing too much detail of what specifically happened. It has quite honestly given me a bigger appreciation of the game as a whole :)

I would love to play Saeran's AE but am so scared of getting a bad end, and also there's like no guides for it anywhere? so there's that to worry about too i guess.

I did decide I'd perhaps take a break from playing this game for a while since unfortunately life continues and its back to work for me, but perhaps sometime soon I'll see myself playing through the alluring and mysterious photographers route instead? ;)

also this route got me thinking alot more why Cheritz didn't give the MC eyes?? Like what purpose does the MC not having eyes provide?? idk Cheritz just give her eyes please, I think that way there'd be alot less questions floating around my bloated and overfilled mind, thanks.

Also thanks for coming along with me and listening about my journey of playing through this Another Story, I really appreciated it! :))) <3

I have been so eagerly waiting for this update!!!! Congrats on getting that good end! I'm really impressed with your dedication—and also, like, please get some sleep 😭❤️

He really is such a sweetheart, isn't he? I totally relate to that feeling of like I LOVE YOU wait I wanna MARRY YOUR BROTHER wait I love you uhhhhhh help, both of you come here and give me a hug.

I am so excited to hear how you feel when you play V's route and, eventually, the AE! And I'll recommend another of Seeme's guides, hehe. I used it last time I replayed the AE and it was great. Here! There's a sleep schedule-friendly one too (though you are clearly a completionist when you play these routes and I feel that—I'm the same way).

Those kiss CGs! Are! Amazing. He honestly needs a lot of kisses.

As far as the eyes thing goes, it sure is weird, huh? Apparently it used to be pretty popular for otome game MCs not to have eyes so it's easier for players to self-insert. Lots of newer games seem to have MCs with more specific appearances (and personalities), though.

I do like to self-insert when I'm playing otome games but also...I look nothing like this MC anyway, so her being eyeless does nothing for me, lol.

Would you prefer an MC with eyes even if she's more clearly not you? I think I would.

Also this route ending man it kills me literally just thinking about it. But just! Remember! That our boy is fine in the end. He's okay!!! He's safe and he's happy and he's got a boat ❤️

Thank you for sharing this Saeran route journey with me, my dear. I enjoyed every second of it!

[fnafslinky]

Fazbear Frights 1-9 review.

Into The Pit:

Slow and meandering during the first half but picks up speed after Spring Bonnie shows up. Good message and good idea, but the execution could be better. 6/10

To Be Beautiful:

This story is so full of fluff, you can cut out like 60% of it and lose nothing. I know it's going for a fairy tale thing with the repetition and all, but fairy tales do that because it's made for children. Repetition is to train a child's brain to remember better. These books are aimed at teenagers, so this narrative device is not needed. On top of that, it has unfortunate implications of "Not like other girls" memes that we don't need to revisit. Only saved by its creepy af ending. 3/10

Count The Ways:

Legitimately my favorite story out of FNAF and one of my favorites of all time. It fixed the previous story's Not Like Other Girls problems by having the goth main character hate the pretty blonde and being called out for not even knowing her and being shallow. It is actually surprising to have these two stories be back to back.

The narrative device of switching back and forth between the MC facing her death and how she got up to that point means it keeps your interest throughout that the previous two stories had problems with. It makes for great drama and tension.

The main reason I love this story in particular is because of this exchange near the end:

“Silly Millie, for someone who doesn’t want to die you sure spent a lot of time talking about it,” the voice surrounding her said. “But that’s the way of things, isn’t it? Talk is always easier than action.”

“I think,” Millie said, sniffling, “that when I said I wanted to die, what I really wanted was to escape. I didn’t want death. I just wanted my life to be different.”

“Oh, but that really takes action, doesn’t it?”

And, if I can be real for a minute: I feel like that kinda changed my life. Or very least, my point of view.

As someone who has made attempts on his life before and frequently battles depression- It made my problems so much less overwhelming. Of course I didn't want to die. I wanted my life my life to improve. And now whenever the thought of suicide passes through my head, I just remember this phrase and it helps me keep it together and calm down.

And also F.Freddy's follow up with having to work for happiness is spot on too. Misery is comfortable, that's why so many people prefer it. Happiness takes effort. 10/10

Fetch:

I'm in the minority for not caring for this one. I felt like there wasn't any direction or character arc, I didn't find Fetch particularly scary or interesting, and the MC makes a lot of dumb decisions in it.

That being said, I love how it jumps right into the action instead of taking awhile to get to it like the other stories did. The stories tend to play out like a different book and then FNAF characters are slapped in at the end. This one gets right to it and makes it integral to its plot. 6/10

Lonely Freddy:

Another one I really love. The Frights series has a good traction with its tragedies and this one is no exception. I really connected with the feeling of being pitted against your siblings, usually by accident and circumstance with your parents. Particularly this line:

“Maybe you’ve made them what they are,” Aunt Gigi said, pausing for a moment before adding: “Hazel’s the easy one. Alec is the hard one. It’s like you put them on their own little islands.”

I wasn't Alec, but Hazel in this situation. And it made me realize what my sibling went through because of it.

And this is another story where Freddy's is more integral to the plot too, and one of the few times it's not already abandoned.

I really like how well done Alec's back and forth he had with himself whether to befriend his sister or not. It's a believable character arc when he realizes his mistake at the end unlike another story that we'll get to.

And the fact they made a God damn teddy bear legitimately creepy is a mastery of horror writing that I can only ever hope to strive for. Definitely the scariest in Frights 2. 9/10

Out Of Stock:

I agree with Dawko that this one feels best to make a 30 minute special out of. It feels like a Halloween special or creepypasta you would watch/read as a preteen. Old enough to want to explore more mature stuff, but young enough to still have more cartoony stuff be familiar. And I mean that as 100% a positive.

I also like how this one is a bit more comedy based. Like the scene where the MC gets thrown across the room after electrocuting himself and his friends dont even notice. I can picture that bit so clearly.

The climax is the best part of having a dire game of Red Light, Green Light with the Plushtrap Chaser. It's very energized and exciting that the other stories don't have as often because the subject matter doesn't lend itself to it.

The trend in these stories of kids learning to appreciate their parents, and they're parents realizing they have to sacrifice some stuff to make their child happy is very sweet. And it's no different here. 8/10

1:35 AM

What I like about this series is that you never know where its gonna go from story to story. I though for certain this story was about how the doll was gonna have an evil spirit possessing it.

But no, what actually happened is that it's never made clear if the MC is losing her mind, being haunted, or just seeing stuff because she's sleep deprived. That ambiguity makes the book a lot creepier and sadder because you don't know how this poor woman should be helped. And it ends without any clarification. That's great and a perfect idea for horror story.

That being said, Scott's writing quirks (and it's definitely Scott doing it, I can tell) of front loading info, constantly stopping the flow to have backstory and over explaining things that don't need makes it frustrating to read after several books of it. And we're not done with that either. 9/10

Room For One More:

I skipped over all the dream sequences because it adds nothing to the story. Its great you remember Sister Location, but it feels like you don't trust your audience to read a FNAF story if there isn't animatronics every couple pages. And honestly? Understandable.

I do know based on my own FNAF comic, pages featuring humans is a lot less popular than the ones featuring animatronics. And I get it, you're a bunch of furries it's more interesting to visualize. And you can go in the opposite direction and have very little FNAF stuff when they're needs to be more. The New Kid doesn't even bring it up til the last third.

But I digress. The strongest qualities in Room For One More is three points.

The location is very vividly described. The underground security office with steel walls, the radiation disposals, the musky scent. It paints a clear and unique picture.

The main character's fallen arc of self care and distrust of others is a well done cautionary tale. It goes hand in hand with the speech before of having to work for happiness, and the difficulties there are from even trying. But you still need to do it.

The body horror is not as visually disgusting as it could've been, and more conceptually horrifying. But if you have a fear of bugs in your skin or crawling in your mouth, prepare for something so much worse! And no, that's not a spoiler, it's pretty obvious where its going from the beginning. 7/10

The New Kid:

This one was disappointing. This is not the way to do a tragedy, because I don't care about the MC.

Throughout the entire story, the main character has literal sociopath tendencies. He is controlling of other people, he doesn't have any empathy, he sees other people as tools to use, he kills a bird and doesn't care- So at the end when he accidentally kills someone, I don't believe him feeling bad about it. And I sure as shit don't care about his death after him leaving his victim to die, while he was still breathing, and not coming back for a week.

Also the twist at the end makes no God damn sense and I'm not even gonna dignify it.

A better tragedy would've been his friend, Mick, getting into trouble for the murder after refusing to ever stand up to the MC. Or even the MC being betrayed by him last minute for him to learn how his shit behavior really screwed him over. But the end result ended up being an unsatisfying mess. 2/10

I'll review the 4th's books with 5 and 6, since I'm sticking with a three at a time theme and because I haven't read 4 yet.

[shoujocentral]

Symphogear G- Sequelitis Strikes Again...

So, after watching the first season of Symphogear, finishing it in three days, and being hooked in an instant, naturally I was pumped to get to the next season to see what they would do with the plot, what new characters we'd get to see, how the old characters would be expanded upon, and how much more awesome the fights would get. And... would it be too harsh to say that it basically failed on most of that criteria?

Okay, yeah it would. But still, the reason this review took so long to come out is because I found this season to be a chore to get through. I still had a lot of fun, don't get me wrong, but it was a far cry from the excitement and investment I experienced in the first season. Where exactly did Symphogear G go wrong? Well, let's dive into that now.

Once again, this review will be spoiler-free for any who haven't seen the show yet.

Plot:

What is Senshi Zesshou Symphogear G about?

After the events of the first season, Hibiki, Tsubasa and Chris along with the DRS are working with the esteemed Dr. Ver to preserve Solomon's Cane, a device that Finé used to summon Noise. However, it is soon revealed that the doctor is evil, and working with a terrorist organization known as Federal Institutes of Sacrist (FIS), and with Solomon's Cane in their possession, they now have control of the Noise.

On top of that, three new Symphogear users appear, only they are working on the side of FIS. The leaders of the three, Maria Cadenzavna Eve, claims to be the new reincarnation of Finé's soul, and she also possesses a dark version of Gungnir, Hibiki's Symphogear. With such a formidable ally, FIS demands that the world's governments relinquish all control to them, lest they unleash the Noise upon them in an all-out assault.

How will our heroes stop this new global threat? And why are a group of Gear users working for the enemy?

At first, I thought the plot had a lot of intrigue and potential. While the first episode didn't grab me by the balls like Season 1 Episode 1 did, I was still interested to learn about the villainous Gear users and how the enemy's nefarious schemes would unfold. Unfortunately, if I could describe the execution of said plot in a single word, it would be "unbalanced."

Basically, the first half of G had great character and plot setup, but I found the fights somewhat lacking. Then, by episode 8, the fights had returned to their usual epicness and badassery, but the plot and characters had taken a turn for the worst.

Whereas Season 1 felt like it was continuous building and building with each episode, stuff just... happens in Symphogear G. Characters motivations are set up, but either forgotten or completely changed halfway through the show. It honestly felt like the writers were making G's story up as they went along.

The issues I had with Season 1's story are present here as well, in that the villain's motivation is incredibly confusing and not made 100% clear until the last couple of episodes. FIS's main goal is to save humanity from the Moon, which will soon crash into the Earth due to the damage it endured from Finé. However, they go about this by... killing people? I understand innocent bloodshed is necessary in most evil "save the world" schemes, but is this really the best way to convince the rest of the world that you're here to help?

Either I'm just really dumb, or Symphogear just isn't very good at explaining things.

Another thing that bothered me about this season was the usage of Swan Songs. In Symphogear G, there's not one, but TWO methods that allow Gear users to sing their Swan Songs without dying. "Tension? Consequences? WhAt ThE hElL aRe ThOsE?!"

However, the worst part about this confused and structurally unbalanced plot is how it affects the character development.

Characters:

I'm going to cover the three lead characters and Miku very briefly (cause there honestly isn't much to talk about) so we can discuss the new characters in more detail.

Remember how I praised Hibiki in Season 1 for being a flat character done right? Well, in G, the writers attempted to give Hibiki somewhat of an arc by having the villains call her a "hypocrite." At first, I was intrigued as to what they meant by this. Then, there was a point where Hibiki went Berserk again, and I figured "Oh, they mean that because she can't control her Gear, she's a danger to the people she's trying to protect!" Nope. Once Hibiki returns to normal, she never goes Berserk again, and her plot becomes about her dealing with the Gungnir fragments slowly killing her from the inside. Soooo... why is she a hypocrite again? An excellent question! ...that's never answered. Weak.

I wasn't the biggest fan of Tsubasa in Season 1, finding her over-the-top EDGE a bit too much for my taste. However, I will give credit that she at least had an arc. In G, she does absolutely nothing. She has no arc, no motivation, and contributes nothing to the plot (thankfully her strict, yet compassionate personality is left untouched). I initially thought she would have some conflict with Maria, given that the two had a bit of a standoff in Episode 1, with Tsubasa angry at Maria for possessing Kanade's Gear. Much like Hibiki's Berserk Mode, though, this conflict was never expanded upon or brought up again, relegating Tsubasa to a glorified background character.

Chris was my favorite character in Season 1, with her fiery tsundere personality and redemption arc. But much like Tsubasa, she suffered the fate of being pushed to the sidelines. Chris started out in a tough spot, transferring into Hibiki and Tsubasa's school and bearing little to no social skills. This new environment throws her for a loop, especially when a group of her classmates try to befriend her. I interpreted this as Chris not only struggling with social anxiety due to her hatred of people in Season 1, but also still harboring some guilt over her actions and not feeling worthy of friendship or care whatsoever. Okay, fair enough.

Well guess what else the writers forgot about?! 🤪

And alas, let's talk about Miku...... Oh my sweet little angel, what have they done to you??? Miku was the heart and soul of Season 1; she was Hibiki's emotional support; her Sun that warmed her whenever she felt dark. In G, she's just useless. The writers, like Hibiki, try to give her an arc (that doesn't start till episode 6...) where she wants to protect Hibiki from the Gungnir killing her. The way the writers execute this promising arc, however, is nothing short of insulting. Long story short, she fails to protect Hibiki in any single way. Instead, Hibiki ends up being the one still protecting her. Good job, Symphogear G.

With all that out of the way, I can FINALLY move onto something more positive. While I may not like what G did with the protagonists, the same cannot be said for the villains. These people are what made this season enjoyable to me.

Maria Candenzavna Eve

Maria is objectively the best character of the season. I really don't see how anyone could argue otherwise. She has a gut-wrenching backstory, a clearly defined motivation, and every action she takes, while not always the most logical, makes sense to how she is feeling at the time.

Maria's sister, Serena, who was also a Gear user, used her Swan Song to save FIS from an out-of-control experiment. Immediately following this, the scientists berated the deceased Serena for destroying something they had put so much work in. Maria was enraged by the idea that they would do this to someone, a child nonetheless, who had just sacrificed her life for them. However, instead of retaliating and seeking revenge on FIS for this, Maria dedicates her actions to protecting human lives so that Serena's sacrifice wouldn't be in vain. And unlike the rest of FIS, she actually goes out of her way to avoid killing anyone! Of course, she eventually learns the hard way that saving everyone may be an impossibility...

Also, she gets one of the most adrenaline-pumping and yet emotional fights, accompanied by her kickass battle song, which is probably my favorite of the entire series now.

Kirika Akatsuki

Hot-blooded, cheerful, and insistent on ending every sentence with "I say!" Kirika is nothing short of a joy to watch. She's a welcome entry in the villain faction, which desperately needed someone lighthearted to counteract the dead sister angst. Of course, this doesn't mean she's is without her own conflicts.

Kirika's main drive is, aside from saving the innocent, protecting her girlfriend best friend Shirabe. She's constantly trying to cheer her up cold-hearted friend and remind her that what they're doing is the right thing. However, this protective instinct leads to a discovery that changes her for the worst, and the rest of the show is her tragic and slow descent into madness, leading to a heartbreaking scene in the final battle that left me going "damn, they went there."

Kirika's Gear is cool enough, but not my favorite. It's mostly just a scthye and boomerangs, making it not much different from Tsubasa's Gear. Or at least, her Gear isn't as impressive as our next antagonist...

Shirabe Tsukuyomi

Cold, distant, but ruthless in combat (beware the quite ones), Shirabe is a great foil to her lover friend Kirika, or "Kiri-chan" as she likes to call her. One could say that Shirabe is an emotionless husk, but as the story plays out we learn that, like most tsunderes, this is merely a mask to hide how much she cares for the people around her. She harbors a deep respect and admiration for Maria and an unbreakable bond with Kirika.

Shirabe bears a strong resentment towards Hibiki, being the one to drill home the fact that she's a "hypocrite" (for reasons I'm still not hugely clear on...). She believes that FIS is the only hope humanity has for survival. Of course, once her idol, Maria, starts to lose sight of this goal, Shirabe becomes conflicted, and starts to question which side is right. I love it when villains don't know which path to take. Such delicious angst! 😬

As much as I love Chris' Gear, Shirabe's may just be my new favorite. Her pigtails transform into mechanical arms with sawblades! She can spawn a giant sawblade to ride around on like a giant wheel! She can turn into a giant robot with sawblades for arms! Y'know, I'm starting to think I like saw-based weapons...

Professor Nastassja

My only complaint about this character is that no one ever made fun of her name.

Prof. Nastassja, or "Mom" as Maria, Kirika and Shirabe call her, is the serious, straightforward thinking mastermind of FIS's operations. She was there when Serena died in front of Maria, and after seeing her determination to protect people, she decided to push Maria towards their ultimate goal of "saving" mankind from the Moon crashing. Thankfully, this woman actually has a head on her shoulders, and comes to realize that killing people probably isn't the best way to save them (who'da thunk?) and thus sets out on a path of redemption. Damn, what's with villains this season realizing that they might be wrong? I love it!

Of course, on the deep end of the villains spectrum, we have the only one who doesn't realize the error of his ways...

Dr. Ver

Just a sample of the many amazing faces this guys makes.

Everyone loves a good psychopath. And oh boy, does this guy really underline the "psycho" part of that word. Constantly laughing manically, making theatrical gestures, spawning Noise with an itchy trigger finger, and declaring loud and proud that HE is the hero of this story. I could watch him for hours.

While Dr. Ver's motivation does stem from FIS's overly convoluted plot, he makes it very clear that he has his own agenda. He may claim he strives for the salvation of humanity, but his actions say otherwise. And that's why he's so great. He doesn't have a complex backstory or a redemption arc. He's just evil through and through and he loves every minute of it. As Alfred once said to Bruce Wayne: "Some men just want to watch the world burn." 😈

Alright, that's all the new characters out of the way. Time to move onto my favorite section before I wrap things up...

Yuri:

The yuri content this season was, like the rest of it, a mixed bag. The best way I can sum it up is that it took one giant leap forward, and another giant leap back.

First and foremost, our star couple of the show: HibiMiku. Or they would be the star of the show if they had more screentime. Yeah, G really did this couple dirty. They don't even hold a conversation together until Episode 6! And then they throw in the whole conflict of Miko wanting to protect Hibiki. I guess the writers were relying on the sentiment they'd built on HibiMiku from the last season, but I feel like the two could've have at least TALKED about Miku not wanting Hibiki to fight before throwing her into the action. There was one scene twowards the end with the two of them that really got me in the feels, but it was hardly enough to make up for the whole lot of nothing we got from the rest of the season.

Second, we have the two that ultimately saved the yuri content in G: KiriShira. They look good together? Check. Complimenting personalities? Check. Emotional support? Check. Each character has their own motivation and arc outside of their relationship? Check. These two are not only absolutely adorable together, but unlike HibiMiku, which is more implied (even though there shouldn't be any doubt they're dating), KiriShira actually gets a love confession! I haven't seen that in a magical girl show since Sailor Moon Crystal when Hotaru confessed to Chibi-Usa! I'll have to see more of these two before I can say for sure, but I might actually prefer KiriShira to HibiMiku at this point. Gonna have to see how the rest of the series plays out!

Conclusion:

Symphogear G is a considerable step down from Season 1 in my opinion. While I absolutely adore the antagonists and love (MOST) of the yuri content we got, the story and protagonists just didn't do it for me this time around, which is a shame considering how much I liked them in Season 1. The fight scenes in the first couple of episodes were less than impressive, which had me nervous, but they thankfully stepped up towards the end, delivering one hell of a climactic finale.

Also, I'm not gonna lie, the final episode got me choked up.

I may have been to hard on this season when I started this review. Despite my numerous issues, I still enjoyed myself throughout and I am looking forward to the next season. I sincerely hope my issues with the plot and protagonists are rectified because I do love this series. What's done well in G is really good, but what fails in G really fails. Oh well, not every season of a franchise can be a masterpiece. I'm just praying that it's all uphill from here. 🙏

Rating: 6/10

Hope you all enjoyed! I'll see you in my review of Symphogear GX, my fellow yuri lovers! ❤️😊❤️

[bellringermal]

Who do you think would win in an all-out fight to the death if Gehrman and Maria ever came to blows? Setting aside those pesky emotional bonds, and assuming they're both at the height of their powers. Maria has the obvious advantages of youth and combustible blood, but I feel there's something to be said for the value of experience, as well as the fact that having invented the Hunter fighting style and trained Maria himself, Gehrman probably knows her own moves and tactics better than she does.

Mmmmh.. let’s take a look at our challengers, shall we?

I think the most important thing to take into consideration is what sort of opponent they were trained to fight in the first place. I’ve always assumed that Maria was a member of the Royal Guards and thus was tasked to protect Annalise from her political opponents and hunt them down for their Blood Dregs. Before she joined the Hunters, Maria was trained to kill other humans and not beasts, since that duty was reserved to the Knights.

Let’s check some extra lore facts to support this theory :3

There’s no evidence in the item descriptions that points towards the Cainhurst Knights using blood blades like the Chikage, but we know for sure that they wielded the Reiterpallasch as shown in the promotional images and in the weapon’s own description.

Rapiers are also the weapon of choice for some of the servants we encounter in the castle.

We also know that the Knights were servants and not nobles, so all of this seems to rule out the possibility of Maria being one of them since we know that she’s a relative of Annalise and consequently, a noble herself. Long story short: Maria, not unlike Eileen, is a Hunter of Hunters even if she kills in the name of Annalise and not to put blood-addled Hunters to rest. This also explains why would she become an apprentice to Gehrman and why in the cut dialogues she refers to him as “Beast Hunter” instead of just Hunter since she comes from a society where the two types of hunters are clearly distinct.

This is also reflected in Maria’s set that is a combination of Knight, Royal Guard, and Hunter gear. Her clothes are that of a beast-slaying Cainhurst Knight (but more practical), her weapon is the signature blood-blade of the nobles while her boots, gloves, and hat are of classic Old Hunters fashion.

All of this to say that, if you ask me, Maria would be way more proficient in killing another human than someone who exclusively hunted down beasts.

But, at the same time, we have no solid proof that Gehrman only did that. First of all, because the line between men and beasts gets very blurry at times and second, because we know that Gehrman delivered “mercy kills” not only to those fully transformed into beasts but possibly even to his own students if they became blood-drunk. Just like Eileen does to Henryk, and possibly, the player.

Gehrman surely saw the hunt as a dirge of farewell, wishing only that his prey might rest in peace, never again to awaken to another harrowing nightmare.[BURIAL BLADE]

Facing a rational opponent is very different from going against a mindless beast. Even us, as players, can experience this by comparing how it feels to fight a beast boss and a humanoid one. Ludwig’s boss fight alone, showcases the different pace and strategy required to fight what is basically a wild animal and an honorable swordsman.

And even when fighting Gehrman and Maria, we can experience first hand their different approach to a 1V1 duel.

Maria’s moveset is precise and elegant, consisting of charged thrusts and wide swipes. The blades of the Rakuyo are reminiscent of the hands of a clock and even some of the animations performed in order to transform the weapon (when combining the two blades back into one, for example) seem to mirror the image of a clock dial. After propelling herself into the air in her jumping attack, Maria plunges down on her opponent and deals AOE damage on impact thanks to her blood arts.

Gehrman on the other hand, deals ranged damage by “pressuring” air itself onto the hunter. (Now, let’s take a moment to appreciate that Gehrman can kill you with fucking air and Maria can kill you with her own blood. If that’s not badass I don’t know what is). Gehrman’s combat style is less refined, but that’s a direct consequence of how large and presumably heavy his weapon of choice is. Even when untransformed, the curved blade is thicker than the Rakuyo and is clearly not a weapon that you can use to poke and stab. The Burial Blade is made to chop off limbs and heads, taking advantage of the long handle to hook and drag the opponent closer before tearing them apart.

Both Maria and Gehrman perform explosive AOE attacks after standing still for a few seconds. Gehrman always faces the moon in the Hunter’s dream during this animation while Maria usually faces the player character. They both perform this animation twice during the fight and each time it marks the beginning of a new phase. Both Maria’s AOE animations are potentially deadly to the player while Gehrman’s first one doesn’t deal any damage but signals his connection to the Moon Presence. Maria’s second AOE attack sees her levitate above the ground as the blood swirls around her. This can be taken as proof that Maria’s abilities transcend those of regular Vilebloods (as if the inflammable blood wasn’t enough!) and placing her in the same league as Queen Yharnam that can make the player character levitate while dealing damage. Yharnam also conjures blood blades by stabbing herself (through the hand, with her ritual knife) just like Maria does.

Gehrman’s “supernatural” abilities on the other hand, consist exclusively in attack and speed boosts offered to him by Moon Presence. Maria’s powers don’t look nearly as situational as Gehrman’s do.

On a mere physical level, I would assume Gehrman to be stronger because of sheer size and level of strength required to lift and use a heavier weapon. But as far as mobility is concerned, I think that Maria would move way faster and have overall a superior attack speed.

Experience surely would play a part in this death battle, but that is something that is harder to quantify in a lore-friendly manner. Some people think that Gehrman was a random dude (even a farmer, according to some) with no combat experience whatsoever that improvised himself a Hunter when the beasts became a real threat, presumably during his adulthood. In my headcanons, on the other hand, he was trained since childhood and had been a Beast Hunter for about 20 years when Maria joined the Old Hunters. In any case, the age gap surely gives Gehrman a huge advantage on Maria when it comes to mere combat and survival experience.

As you pointed out, another thing to consider is how familiar Gehrman would be with Maria’s techniques since he’s the one who taught her many of her tricks and moves. The jumping attack, in particular, feels very “Gehrman” to me :P but Maria never forgot her original Cainhurst combat techniques and after so much time spent training with Gehrman she would’ve learned a few things about his weaknesses as well.

I am confident in saying that anyone who faced Gehrman would affirm that his prosthetic leg doesn’t impair his movements in any way, but at the same time it’s hard to believe that this is 100% true.

In conclusion, I think that such a duel would be rather spectacular to witness and that the outcome wouldn’t be predictable until the very end, considering how fast and vicious both Gehrman and Maria can be. But to conclude, my money would be on Maria.

She has a wider set of skills due to her upbringing in Cainhurst, natural blood abilities inherited from her Pthumerian ancestry and Gehrman himself surely did his best to teach her how to overcome her flaws.

[an-aura-about-you]

*bunny hops in* Hi-hi! This bun knows you have some OCs and is curious about them, would you answer some questions about them? For your adult OCs, how did they decide on their careers? (Or how did they end up doing what they do if it wasn't much of a choice?) They're not sure if you have younger OCs, do you? 🐰💛

That’s a good question, especially when it comes to some of the villains. And I can’t even remember if I’ve got anything up concerning all of my OCs, so that’s what this might turn into. (All of my Princess Tutu OCs, that is. I’m not sure we’ve got the time for the others.) And editing to remove the read more because for whatever reason it doesn’t want to work on my blog when I have that. Sorry about the long post!

First, let’s start with OCs that aren’t really OCs. That is, they’re characters that can actually be found in Princess Tutu or very clearly based on other works.

Lohengrin: The Knight in the StoryFound in: various works, most notably Consumed, Ship of Theseus, and Take Me To Church

Lohengrin, most of the time, is Prince Siegfried’s loyal knight. Most of the time because he’s occasionally not so loyal (Consumed) and occasionally he’s not a knight anymore (Ship of Theseus, Take Me To Church). His origins taken from Arthurian legend, particularly the Wagner opera named after him, he is the son of another knight in the kingdom and followed in his father’s footsteps.

In stories where he dies, his past is always the same: he is sent to a neighboring kingdom that is falling under the Raven’s influence to serve as the champion to the duke’s daughter, as she has been wrongly accused of murdering her younger brother. A verbal taboo is placed on her so that she can’t ask Lohengrin who he is, because his identity is so tied with his duty that once it’s revealed he must return to his fight with the Raven. (In the opera, it’s because Lohengrin’s powers come from the Holy Grail, which is Too Holy for the profane.) In spite of this, they fall in love and even marry. But, inevitably, she does ask. And when he leaves, she dies of grief. He is helped through his period of mourning by Siegfried and eventually Princess Tutu. In moving on, Lohengrin falls in love with Tutu but believes it cannot truly be requited. In truth, it doesn’t matter because Siegfried and Tutu are the two he loves most in the world.

In stories where he is alive, he remembers the tragedies as though he lived them, and perhaps he did. But if he’s around, he’s the happily married duke of the neighboring kingdom, his wife not dying and her taboo being taken away now that the Raven is no more.

Elsa: Lohengrin’s Lady LoveFound in: works focused on Lohengrin, notably Consumed and Ship of Theseus

Elsa is Lohengrin’s wife, the daughter of a duke from a neighboring kingdom. It’s clear from the way Princess Tutu is set up that her story is meant to serve as foreshadowing for Tutu’s fate. Both of them have verbal taboos concerning the ones they love, and both of them cease to exist once breaking them. In the opera, if Elsa is able to keep her taboo for a year, then she will no longer be bound by it and she and Lohengrin can live happily ever after. (But it’s an opera, so of course that doesn’t happen.)

In stories where she is alive, she is the happy duchess of the neighboring kingdom. 

Elsa is also the original owner of Lohengrin’s horse, Pfeifferkuchen.

Gottfried: Elsa’s BrotherFound in: works focused on Lohengrin, notably Ship of Theseus

Gottfried is Elsa’s younger brother and Lohengrin’s brother-in-law. It is revealed that a witch in the Raven’s employ had turned him into a swan and accused Elsa of killing him. He’s relatively young, only just now reaching marrying age in Ship of Theseus.

In stories where Lohengrin and Elsa die, Gottfried is given Lohengrin’s sword.

Ortrud: The Raven’s WitchFound in: Consumed

I’m not sure if her name is ever mentioned, but she is filling both the roles of the Pagan priestess in the opera with the same name as well as Kraehe. Not much is known about Ortrud, such as what motivates her to frame Elsa for murder or even why she works for the Raven in the first place. Some of this might be handwaved as, “Drosselmeyer Did It.”

Parsifal: The Original KnightFound in: works focused on Lohengrin, notably Variations and works related to it, Consumed, and Take Me To Church

Parsifal, also known as Percival, is Lohengrin’s father. According to Arthurian legend, he saw a group of knights riding past when he was a boy and thought to impress them with his marksmanship by shooting a swan out of the sky. But when he presented the swan to them, the knights asked why he would kill an innocent creature. It was on this day that he decided that he would grow up to become an honest and just knight. In Arthurian legend, he becomes one of the Knights of the Round Table and his family is charged with the task of watching over the Holy Grail.

In Variations, he’s the knight to discover what had become of Prince Siegfried and his entourage in their fight against the Raven.

In Take Me To Church, he’s the knight that trains Rue in swordsmanship.

Bears an uncanny resemblance to Fakir’s father.

Blanchefleur (story): Parsifal’s WifeFound in: works focused on Lohengrin, notably Variations and Consumed

Blanchefleur is Parsifal’s wife and Lohengrin’s mother. Much like her husband, she is kind and gentle, opening her home to those who need it.

In Variations, she’s the one who suggests Fakir and Duck seek advice from the Auspex.

Bears an uncanny resemblance to Fakir’s mother.

Erina: She Eats AntsFound in: Variations and works related to it, whatever she wants to be in

So yeah, why WAS Anteaterina in only one episode of the series? That seemed super weird for a show like Princess Tutu where characters keep popping up or coming back. Is it because she was an anteater? Is that why? But ambition like hers simply can’t be ignored.

And when Rue left to live with Siegfried in the world of the story, it wasn’t. Erina earned a spot in the advanced class. She and Fakir would be dance partners for the rest of Fakir’s ballet career in Variations and remain friends afterward. After leaving Goldkrone Academy, she gets a job with the Eleki Troupe to see if it’s to her liking and will eventually look into teaching ballet herself.

In Variations, she ends up meeting Autor, and in works taking place in that universe they not only become friends but pursue a romantic relationship. As a result, she ends up learning about storyspinners from Autor and her role in carrying one of Mytho’s heartshards from Duck.

And now for characters that are pure 100% Aura original!

The Auspex: Messenger of the BirdsFound in: Variations

The Auspex is not the person’s name but their job. In Siegfried’s kingdom, they divine messages from the birds in their aviary. The Auspex is chosen for the job by the birds themselves. There will come a time when the Auspex must leave, as being around the birds for so long means eventually developing an allergy to them. At that point, the next Auspex will be chosen.

The Auspex in Variations bears an uncanny resemblance to Autor.

Cygnus: Infant PrinceFound in: works concerning Siegfried’s family, implied to be in Take Me To Church

Cygnus is Siegfried and Rue’s young son, usually written in as a baby or toddler at his oldest. He’s here to be an adorable little baby.

Logos: Famous FatherFound in: works concerning Autor’s family tree

Logos is a descendant of Drosselmeyer and Autor’s father. Loving music his whole life, he is a graduate of Goldkrone Academy and a somewhat famous opera singer. (His range is whatever he wants it to be.) He has the capabilities of a storyspinner, but he restricts that use to a sort of glamour to amplify the emotions in his singing. That’s as far as he will personally tread into the realm of warping reality.

Lore: Pianist ExtraordinaireFound in: works concerning Autor’s family tree

Lore is Logos’s wife and Autor’s mother. She likewise went to Goldkrone Academy where she found her passion in piano. She doesn’t mind the spotlight, but she doesn’t seek it out the way Logos does. Instead, she is a professional piano tutor and taught Autor everything he knew before he began going to school. (Now that I think about it, she is probably qualified to teach at Goldkrone. Lore being an adjunct professor would be fun to write!) She is one of the few people that’s aware of storyspinners without being one herself.

Waren: Doomed UncleFound in: Speak of the Devil

Waren is a descendant of Drosselmeyer and Logos’s uncle. When Logos was a boy, he accidentally witnessed Waren being possessed by something while the man was trying to induce a storyspinning trance. Waren never fully recovered from this, and Logos’s father ended up in charge of his estate. Logos would go on to inherit the property.

Heinrich: Local JewelerFound in: works concerning Anteaterina’s family

Heinrich is Erina’s father. His talent lies in crafting, his heart in art, and both come into play in his work at the jewelry store. He might seem a bit muted in his emotions, but he unquestionably adores his family and enjoys spoiling them.

Blanchefleur (Goldkrone): Marvelous MotherFound in: works concerning Anteaterina’s family

Blanchefleur is Heinrich’s wife and Erina’s mother. Exuding confidence and personality, she’s a natural at selling jewelry in her husband’s shop. But more often than not, she’s attending to other family business like keeping the household or running errands for her mother. She and Lore used to date during their schooldays, but it hasn’t been revealed what Blanchefleur studied there. It’s clear from her conversation with Autor that she’s familiar with opera, though.

Penelope: Blanchefleur’s MotherFound in: works concerning Anteaterina’s family

Penelope is Blanchefleur’s mother and Erina’s grandmother. Not much is known about her except that she recently left East Germany to live with her daughter’s family and that she is an accomplished cellist. 

Sattine: Or is that Rattine?Found in: works concerning Anteaterina

Sattine/Rattine was Anteaterina’s school roommate. As her name implies, she is an anthropomorphic rat during the events of the story. They used to be friends with a rather cruel streak, but Erina developing real feelings for Autor put an end to their friendship. Sattine is something of a gourmand and seeks out fine foods.

Penn: Ordinary Average GuyFound in: works concerning Autor

After a particular conversation with Erina in his family library, Autor is inspired to study law as a way to use his words and stories to change the world without being a storyspinner. Penn is one of Autor’s law school classmates as well as his roommate there. It’s possible he might not know what he’s going to do with what he’s learning just yet, as is often the case with college students. What makes him unique is how ordinary he actually is. His roommate is downright peculiar, not just coming from a town famous for a fairy tale author but actually being descended from that same author, the son of a relatively known opera singer, and dating a ballerina from a relatively known dance troupe. Penn finds Goldkrone interesting but is kind of glad that it’s a place to visit rather than being something tied to him.

Laurel: Darling DaughterFound in: works concerning Autor and Anteaterina

Laurel is Autor and Erina’s daughter through fostering her before officially adopting her. Both of them found out about Laurel through their own lines of work individually, Autor as a social worker and Erina through teaching ballet. Laurel is bright and talented, dedicated to dance. She was at first overwhelmed to have so much family after having none at all, especially since she’s the first grandchild for both Autor’s parents and Erina’s parents to dote on. But having grown up and mellowed out a bit, Autor and Erina are able to help Laurel find the space she needs so she can fit into their lives.

Laurel’s name is also how she first caught Autor’s eye, as Laurel is an English form of his mother’s name, Lore.