#common points to bowser and mario

[nailtagyuri]

when i was 12 this was the coolest most mindblowing shit ever i was genuinely so obsessed with it I'd read it very day like the bible. I would die for a version of this with the post 3D world content over my country

[pianokantzart]

How do you feel about DK? (either in general or his relationship w/ Mario)

I just generally think DK's hilarious.

He's the best fighter in his kingdom to the point that he's hailed as a celebrity, and yet he is so fantastically bitter about the fact that he got his ass kicked by a tiny inexperienced man in overalls. Which, frankly, is his own darn fault for being too self confident to use powerups during the fight.

Meanwhile Mario's just... existing. He doesn't even care much that he beat DK, to him it was merely a stepping stone to reach his brother. Mario is just like "good game" and goes out of his way to be nothing but nice, while the entire time the gorilla is FUMING. He desperately wants round two.

I also like the fact that they didn't really bond over any deep conversation or their shared daddy issues, but instead reached a mutual understanding by fighting a common enemy. It gives me hope that Mario and DK will maintain a frenemy vibe in the future, because the way they rub each other the wrong way is so legitimately funny.

On a side note... I also like how friendly DK was to Luigi after first meeting him? Like that accidentally-aggressive elbow nudge when Bowser got put into the jar.

It was a short interaction, but it gave me major "frat boy who makes sure the anxious kid feels included" vibes.

[angelxd-3303]

Ok so there's a new clip out that a friend showed me, and it got me thinking. In the clip we see the Bros finding the pipe, and somewhere along the way Mario loses track of Luigi. We see him enter the pipe, and he says:

"Luigi, are you in here?" And he almost sounds... exasperated? Like this has happened before. Maybe it's just the nerves of being in such an unsettling place, but as a younger sibling I recognize the exasperation in his voice, lmao. That's the voice your brother uses when you once again get yourself into a Situation, and he's done with your Curious George arc.

That being said, if anyone has played Mario Galaxy, you know that every now and then Luigi will send you a letter basically saying:

"Hey Bro! I found something interesting, but now I'm stuck in x place and need help."

So you go to help him, and you end up finding this ridiculous green bean in the most bizarre place imaginable, and you're left reenacting that one Security Breach meme:

"GREGORY! What the *honk* are you doing?? HOW DID YOU GET UP THERE?!?!?!"

This man right here:

Is absolutely impulsive as shit. Yes, he's jittery, and is most definitely going to scream at the sight of his own shadow, but put him on the trail of something interesting and all common sense goes down the pipes. This guy is ALWAYS getting himself into these situations, throughout the games, and presumably also in the movie.

I would not put it past this guy to cause unintentional chaos in Bowser's castle, just with his curiosity. Someone pointed out that his level of fear always stays the same, that he sees a spider in the bathroom and heccin' Cthulhu with the same level of fear, and it's absolutely true. Idk, maybe I'm overanalyzing this, but the idea just gave me a laugh. Feel free to share your thoughts!

(here's the clip, btw!)

[earlysunshines]

favorite mistake

myoui mina x fem!reader

summary: you've got a tough shell and mina seems to be the reason you make your way out of it.

wc: 2.4k

warnings: blood ; bruises ; cursing ; injuries idk : rushed and not proofread well

a/n: small drabble. I hope you guys like it (idk if I like it myself :-[ )

//

mistakes are a common part of life; especially yours.

you've made a lot of mistakes, but there are three significant mistakes that made who you are today.

mistake 1: leaving your so-called "home" at 17 with barely any money or plans.

mistake 2: picking up boxing gloves

mistake 3: meeting myoui mina. 

-

your friends often compared you to that stupid mario character bowser, jeongyeon says you're "all mighty and strong" but in the inside you're a "softy," you remember the constant snickers and snorts from when you went to watch that stupid kids movie wtih her.

jeonyeon has been by your side ever since you made your first mistake, and the second – but she's the reason you made your third one.

you remember it so clearly, every single second and detail of that moment. the night of your biggest mistake.

-

there's a knock at your door. your head is spinning and you don't want to get up.

when you turn at the silver doorknob theres a woman wearing a brown coat, her face catches you off guard. her features are so delicate, and her eyes are honey-like and sweet looking. 

"you are?" you greet, though it's a bit uninviting.

"where's jeongyeon."

"she's out."

"oh, i see." 

you two have a five-second staring competition, and it's enough time for you to notice the beauty mark on her nose and above her lip. you don't know who this woman is, but she's truly captivating and you feel a little soft under her gaze.

she looks up at you, you're a few inches taller and your sharp features are like daggers that point at her. she notices the various bandaids that are scattered all over your face: there are bandaids on your lip, eyebrow, nose, and upper cheek.

"are you okay?" she asks you. the woman sounds just barely concerned, even if her question sounds more like a comment. 

your jaw tenses and you look her up and down, the hand that rests against the door frame starts to tighten around it.

"hope you work it out with jeongyeon." you mutter coldly, closing the door and returning to where you were and what you were doing: sulking and pondering on the couch. drowning yourself in a bittersweet comfort, something so temporary.

the door opens ten minutes later; the voice that scolds you is familiar. you groan in annoyance. 

"y/n, where are your damn manners?" jeongyeon complains. you sit up slowly, propping yourself up with your sore arms, jeongyeon curses you out a little more. "you can't just be so rude to everyone, you know? have some fucking manners for fucks sake." 

when you look over to see the woman you share the apartment with, there's another woman that stands with her: the same one you had closed the door on. you roll your eyes and pull the blanket over your body, closing your eyes again.

jeongyeon grumbles once more. "I'm sorry mina, she's probably just tired and grumpy." 

"that's your roommate? i've never seen her around." the woman's voice is soft and inviting, it's really different from the usual aggressive and aggravating tones you're always hearing and you fucking hate it. it's too different from what you're used to.

"she doesn't go to the university," jeongyeon explains, "she just lives with me."

"oh, I see." 

"just leave her be, don't let her ruin your mood. how about we work on that project?"

the girl hums. 

mina you think. what a pretty name.

-

mina walks out of jeongyeon's room to see you in the kitchen. the white tank top hugged your figure nicely, and the toned muscles in your upper back were emphasized under the dimmed light. mina took note of how broad your back was, though your waist was slimmer; your body was extremely built, and very athletic. it seemed like you worked out often. the bandages on your tricep and forearm also made it seem like you were one to get violent.

most would be wary of you just from one look. though, mina is anything but frightened or intimidated. 

your hair falls in a loose, disheveled fashion, it seemed like you had just woken up. it made you seem more approachable. there's a soft melody that plays, the mood of the setting is different now. you seem more inviting, less hostile as you crack an egg into the bowl. 

"you're not slick," you mutter. mina's gaze was fixated on you, it paranoid you, you didn't have to turn around to realize the dark-haired woman was there. 

"i wasn't trying to be," she responds with a monotone voice. your jaw tenses and you turn your head so you can see her from the side of your eye.

"did you need something?" you ask, though there's a hint of annoyance laced in your words. it's uninviting.

"jeongyeon told me to grab water." mina says, and it's surprising how calm she is, you think.

"cups are in the cabinet to the left of me," you murmur. mina hums.

there's no other noise other than the sound of the cups shifting from their original spot, the whisking of the eggs in your bowl, and the sound of water filling the cups. mina leaves and you two don't exchange any more words.

you lean against the counter as you watch her leave. there's a string that's trying to pull the two of you together – you don't let it tug at you so easily.

-

mina's visits become more frequent.

the bandages on your arms disappear, but now some bruises and scars are unveiled under the cloth. mina is so incredibly curious, (and, slightly worried for someone who's been such an ass to her for as long as she's known them). she doesn't know why and it bothers the young woman.

there seems to be a new bruise every time mina comes over, she decides to pester jeongyeon – she doesn't budge – says it's not her business; mina's interest grows.

you two meet in the kitchen again, and you always tend to have such silent moments with each other in that small kitchen; the tension in the air isn't unnoticed, ever.

mina is the first to mutter something on some wednesday afternoon. "if you add ice, it helps the bruises."

you turn to face her and mumble under your breath, "thanks for the tip." 

"are you clumsy or...?"

"I don't think that's a question you should ask a stranger."

"well, it bothers me that you're always so hurt when i'm over."

"it shouldn't bother you at all."

"i know." mina breathes. "I wish it didn't."

 you feel your heart skip a beat a little, it shatters slightly at the same time upon hearing her response.

-

jeongyeon invites you out and you decline the offer. jeongyeon mentions mina and you pretend to be bothered. you let your roommate drag you out for dinner, and you seem to be stuck to mina's side the whole night.

you're a flower that slowly blooms when she happens to be near.

mina changes something in you, and you hate change.

-

the heart that beats in your chest is rarely warm, almost always cold unless jeongyeon seems to make you chuckle every now and then. 

your heart seems to have been cold since you've been alive, and sure there were times when there had been small sparks – though, never enough to warm you up.

mina seems to change that.

mina's attentiveness is something new to you, so is her unique presence. she seems to ignite a sudden tranquility into any room she's in, she makes you feel content even when you're all over the place, when your mind is running too far and too fast that you can't catch up. mina grounds you.

myoui mina makes your chest feel all warm, she gives you goosebumps when she accidentally makes contact with you – she's the only person you're able to have physical contact with, at least without hurting them.

your petals are forming, you're in bloom.

-

maybe it was when she had suddenly bandaged a terribly wrapped cut, or when she had complimented your eyes. maybe it was when she had first met you, or when your first conversation happened. maybe it was when she managed to pull a simple fact about yourself from you, or maybe it was the first brush of your hands against each other, even if it was an accident.

there's no definite start or initiating event to what blooms between the two of you, it just happens naturally, and everything that led to it and what started it was too subtle to ever notice.

you start to care for this woman, and she seems to care about you.

how could she care for someone who's so wreckless and violent?

-

mina's hands are soft, they're delicate, and they're perfect just as she is. 

they're so soft against your skin, so soft when her knuckles graze against your scratched cheek and make you feel all warm in the chest. they're perfect in your hand, so grounding it scares you, and her fingers intertwine so well with yours it's unbelievable.

it's unbelievable because your hands, in contrast, are so terribly rough. they're so messed up you think that they don't deserve to hold the delicate hands of mina.

your knuckles are scratched and beat up, your palms have noticeable calluses, and the back of your hand is bruised. your hands punch and distress, mina's hands are ones that love and cherish.

-

you've never been so terrified up until now. nothing has ever made your heart drop as quickly as the three words that mina says so gently, not even the time you had broken your arm or rib. it's so strange how three words scare you more than injuries that could've ruined your life.

"y/n." mina mumbles.

you hum softly.

mina lays down next to you, and the only thing that had been heard other than the chirping of crickets or the wind was her steady breaths as she lay there. the sore feeling in your whole body had been erased as soon as you let yourself relax next to her, shoulders making contact and and hands brushing against each other. the only thing that had illuminated the quiet, warm room was the moonlight that spilled through the blinds.

mina's words are barely above a whisper, 

"I love you." 

your breath catches.

...

"you don't have to say it back." mina mutters, "you're not obligated to."

there's no response from you, only silence. mina figured this would happen.

your hands find her way into hers, but still no response. you're terrified.

-

two weeks pass by after the words had been said, and you still haven't said them back.

-

two weeks after that – a month – you stumble into the apartment with your head spinning, shoulders sunk, and a new bruise on your back. mina runs up to you, her brows are furrowed, and her heartbeat spikes.

she makes you sit down on her gray couch, she doesn't ask what happened. 

mina had already known about your little "career," you fought people for money and it was as simple as that. sometimes you'd win, the bets would go into your bank account and you'd be less paranoid or tired. sometimes you'd lose and it seemed like you lost all hope.

"im sorry." you say, though you don't look at her at all while saying that. mina sighs and shakes her head.

"it's okay, where are you hurt?"

"i think my back is bleeding," you respond, and the way mina's jaw tenses and brows crease aren't unnoticeable. 

your shirt is off, leaving you only in your bra and black sweatpants. mina looks at the cut you had received from a harsh hit, you don't even know how it made you bleed. she wipes off the blood and works away at the injury carefully. mina tries to ignore the low groans and sharp breaths that escape your lips, though it's harder to ignore them this time.

"mina," you start. 

"hm?"

"i'm not going to box anymore. I won't fight," you murmur, though it's more of a harsh, low groan since you wince at the way mina bandages you while you say it. mina sits down next to you after finishing up, she looks at you with the softest gaze, tilting her head.

"why?

...

"because," you begin. the eyes that peer into yours are curious, waiting for an answer.

"i love you." 

the way it rolls off your tongue feels perfect, it feels right and it's like a two-hundred-pound weight had been hurled off your chest. the confession is quiet, soft, and it's so genuine. 

"you don't have to quit for me y/n-"

"I want to be with you. I don't want to hurt anyone or myself anymore, I don't want to hurt you." you explain, "I already found a solution to not making money too, i'm done with fighting. I'm done."

mina takes a moment to process the words and she immediately kisses you – it takes you by surprise. 

you've never shared a kiss with her, even though you've exchanged your "i love you's," maybe it is the right time, you think.

her lips are so soft against yours, you're now a fully bloomed flower as her hand gently cups your face and your nose inhales her floral scent. you can't get enough of her, everything feels perfect.

she's your favorite mistake.

she's not a mistake because you regret meeting her; she's your biggest mistake because she made you feel, she made you feel alive. it's so strange, it's so different – it feels like a mistake because you feel as if you don't deserve this woman – you can't help but wonder if she really is set on loving you. she made you open up, and now you're going out of your way to let her care for you, you're becoming a burden and you wish you could go back and prevent that from happening.

you don't want mina to handle all of you, to carry all of your problems.

even as you two grow to love each other, even as you let yourself unwind and improve, even as you continue to kiss her and love her.

 you'll still carry the burden of being her biggest mistake. maybe that could be bad an good, though, that feeling of guilt will always stay in your chest.

always.

[ponett]

I have now finally seen the Mario movie. It was Pretty Good. Here are my wordy thoughts on it. (I am going to spoil the entire movie. Duh.)

In many ways, the Mario movie does what I wish the first Sonic movie had done. They just took the characters and the premise and the world from the games, and made it a straightforward animated adventure movie. It's bright and colorful and remixes things JUST enough to include fun elements from multiple games, and it doesn't make Mario get adopted by James Marsden or whatever. It even has the music!

That's all you really need, right? Right...?

I'll get this out of the way up front. Chris Pratt was fine. He's fine

If anything, it really feels like they did the movie a disservice by letting us hear so little of the Mario voice in the previews. It took one scene for Pratt to disappear into the role for me. It was totally fine. If anything, I found Charlie Day's normal voice coming out of Luigi WAY more distracting, even if I did like him in the role.

Everyone else was pretty good, for the most part. Jack Black was obviously very good as Bowser, but I'm biased. Seth Rogen does the Seth Rogen laughs as Donkey Kong, but I thought DK was fun, too. (I liked his little rivalry with Mario where he was just constantly giving him shit.) The only casting choice I truly hated was Fred Armisen as Cranky Kong. I hated every line that came out of his mouth. He sounds atrocious. Just the worst. I swear to fucking god if they do a DKC movie and we have to hear him for 90 minutes

I did think Peach was lacking, but that was on the script, not Anya Taylor-Joy's performance. It's cool to see Peach fight, but it's one of those all too common instances where the writers put so much effort into making the main girl kick ass and be an effortlessly confident girlboss that they forgot to give her an actual personality. Not that I'd point to Super Princess Peach and its mood swing superpowers as positive representation or anything, but there's a happy middle ground, surely. Shrek was 22 years ago, just having the princess do flying kung fu kicks isn't enough.

Okay. With the voices out of the way, let's talk about the big picture:

It's way better than the words "Illumination Mario movie" implied, and I mostly enjoyed my time with it. The spirit of Mario is there 100%. But I'd also describe it as "ruthlessly efficient."

This was perhaps the main complaint critics had, and they were absolutely right. People have responded to these totally average reviews with "Well, what did you expect? Shakespeare?! It's MARIO!!" Like, yes, I would prefer it if the movie I paid to see had writing that was good instead of bad. What a shocker. My issue isn't that it's not "high-brow" enough. The problem is that it feels mercenary. It feels like an editor went through and deleted almost every line of dialogue that isn't some form of exposition, at the expense of the pacing. Any scene that's not a montage or some sort of action is kept as short as they could make it, with barely any room for embellishment, character interaction, or anything other than the bare minimum word count to hit all the typical Save the Cat Hollywood screenwriting 101 story beats to the letter. There aren't even as many jokes as you might think (and the ones that are there are extremely hit or miss, including a lot of the slapstick with Mario himself).

Mario and Peach's little arc together in the front half of the film is probably the worst example of this pacing. Even having read reviews that complained about how fast Peach goes from meeting Mario (by her admission the first other human she's ever met) to deciding to train him as the new savior of the Mushroom Kingdom, I was SHOCKED at how fast it was. They don't even lampshade it.

Peach takes Mario straight into the big training sequence where he learns how to use mushrooms and jump over platforming obstacles. Peach is apparently already a hypercompetent platforming pro and a great fighter, so there's no clear reason why she's taking the time to train this random guy to be half as good as her when the world is in danger. Then they set off on their adventure, Toad joins them, and we get a VERY brief travel montage. It's about thirty seconds total - just long enough to give Peach a line about how she wants to protect this beautiful world of hers to try and give her some stakes. We get the genre-mandated nighttime campfire heart to heart, which is exactly long enough to have Mario say he misses Luigi and to have Peach give the two sentence summary of her origin story and not a second longer. Then they reach the Kongs, and their big journey is complete. (They barely interact for the rest of the movie.) So much of the movie is like this - always ready to get on to the next scene as soon as a new one starts.

I'm not criticizing the script because I expect The Super Mario Bros. Movie to be a prestige drama - although there are certainly halfhearted attempts at a dramatic arc. The stuff with Mario's family was a fun enough idea, but again, ruthless efficiency. We get one quick scene with them at the start to give Mario some pathos, because I guess Save the Cat said he's gotta have some pathos. And then Mario gets his dad's approval amidst the action of the final battle in Brooklyn to resolve his arc, just so the movie can end as quickly as possible once Bowser is defeated. (Despite now having the approval of their family and their community back in Brooklyn, Mario and Luigi move to the Mushroom Kingdom off-screen without a single word dedicated to this decision, because that's where they live in the games.)

Look. I am not comparing it to The Godfather. Don't give me that shit. I am not asking for an extra half hour to explore Mario and Luigi's childhood trauma. I am not asking for the complex inner workings of the Mushroom Kingdom monarchy. I know this is gonna be a basic Hero's Journey adventure for kids. It just feels like it's turning down so many opportunities to have a little fun with the characters, to let them interact and play off of each other, to let there be some adventure on this adventure. This is the first time we've gotten to see these characters interact with fully voiced dialogue in a very, very long time! "Yeah, it's not High Art, but it's FUN!" Stories are fun! Character interactions are fun! The script could be having so much more fun!! It is adamantly against making the Story parts of this story-driven movie any more Fun than they functionally need to be!!!

Mario, Peach, and Toad's journey to find the Kongs is shorter than the training montage that precedes it. After the opening, Bowser mostly just sits in his castle and waits for the third act to start. Luigi's there, too, but he only gets one scene with Bowser and then the movie mostly forgets he exists until the climax. He doesn't even get to try and sneak out of Bowser's castle and get up to hijinx. He's just there to be a motivation for Mario, so he sits in a cage for half the movie. It's the bare outline of a script with action scenes added in.

Aside from the fact that it's Jack Black singing as Bowser, I feel like this overly-efficient script might be part of the reason why the "Peaches" scene stands out so much. It's a moment that didn't strictly need to be there to keep the plot moving or to provide an action setpiece. It's not even a reference to another Mario thing. It's just a fun and memorable little character moment that's there for its own sake. That's what the movie needed more of. To stop and smell the roses more often. To play in the space.

To be clear, this isn't a unique problem with this movie. Critics have been noting for years that second acts are disappearing from big Hollywood movies in favor of the Act I plot setup and the Act III action, even though Act II is supposed to be where you get to explore your actual premise. And lots of animated movies give me this exact same vibe of being too "screenwriterly," or feeling like they had an executive breathing down their necks and demanding changes based on focus testing. But these common issues are why I come away mostly feeling like the movie is on the better end of "average," rather than totally blowing my mind. You have seen this movie many times before, just not with Mario in it.

And, of course, there's the music. The score by Brian Tyler based on various classic Mario and Donkey Kong tunes (frustratingly all attributed to Koji Kondo) is absolutely beautiful, but it's unfortunately frequently overshadowed by the licensed music. Everyone already complained about things like the use of Take On Me in place of a lovingly arranged DKC medley, but it feels illustrative of the tug of war the movie is caught in the middle of, between wanting to be a lavishly faithful Mario movie and wanting to be a generic tentpole animated adventure movie. Every single licensed song used is the most obvious, overused song they could have picked for the scene. It reeks of cynical executive meddling and it took me out of the movie every time.

But there really was a lot of care and love put into this movie - more than probably any other video game movie ever made, not that that's a high bar. I don't want to underplay that too much amidst all my complaints spurred by the absolutely insane response to the reviews.

Aside from the countless background references that people will be picking apart for years, touches like the Captain Toad tune playing in the background of Toad's introduction or the Mario Kart 8 menu music playing in the kart garage really help bring it to another level of authenticity. I also enjoyed seeing some more obscure Mario enemies that felt like they were picked more for being fun to animate than for being nostalgic and marketable. No matter how many times I sarcastically pointed to the screen and deadpanned "reference. reference." I am not immune to noticing these things and smiling. I am not immune to the DK Rap. These alone don't make the movie good, but it's nice to have a video game movie that feels like it was made by people who like video games.

Most importantly, the animation is great throughout. It's leaps and bounds ahead of other Illumination work, and it's the best the Mario cast has ever looked. They even made Donkey Kong handsome, somehow. They're all so squishy and expressive, and they move so fluidly - especially in the action scenes. I particularly liked the more kinetic ones like the aerial Banzai Bill chase and the Mario Kart sequence. Truly, the Mad Max-inspired car battle on Rainbow Road where Mario literally does the speedrun shortcut is this movie firing on all cylinders.

Other, more hand-to-hand fights nail the Popeye-esque vibe Mario should be going for. He's an underdog who gets the shit kicked out of him by bigger, stronger opponents until he gets his signature powerup and turns the tables on them. My favorite animation of all probably came from the use of Cat Mario to turn the tide in the DK fight. They had so much fun making Mario move like a cat. Again, it feels like a choice made because it'd be fun to animate rather than just a nostalgia move.

It's that animation and that attention to detail that carry the film, really. They elevate it from mediocrity into being a fun watch for a fan like me, albeit one I couldn't help but pick apart with Anthony as we watched it at home. I'm glad I saw it, but there's a lot of room to improve with the inevitable sequel. I hope they do. I can't deny that I had fun with the movie, but I hope next time that fun is partially because of the script instead of in spite of it.

Stray thoughts:

Overall, I would say I enjoyed the movie a lot more than Sonic 1, but probably not as much as Sonic 2. Not that these movies need to be pitted against each other.

I hated the Luma. I hated how hilarious they clearly thought the Luma was. They have the fucking Luma break the fourth wall to end the movie and start the credits. This is going to be a deep cut for fans of bad animated films, but the whole time I was just thinking of the little fish from Romeo & Juliet: Sealed With A Kiss who's just the director's kid saying random nonsense. You know I'm right

I rolled my eyes at the "our princess is in another castle" joke and several other jokes that would have been dated in a gamer webcomic 20 years ago but I guess they had to be there

How much of Brooklyn did Bowser's giant floating castle take out? We know 9/11 happened in this universe because the Freedom Tower is there, hasn't New York been through enough

I can't believe there's a Diskun easter egg

The dog is the most Illumination character design in the movie. It felt like it wandered on set from The Secret Life of Pets

Mario being a gamer and playing Kid Icarus of all things just made me remember this tweet:

Yes Anthony did get mad at me for being thirsty for Bowser

[snakeeyesdraws]

Overly Analyzing the Super Mario 3D World story intro

So I've been playing Super Mario 3D World a lot, and since I haven't seen many people talk about the opening cutscene, I wanted to do that since it contains a lot of very cute animations!

This will kinda be a scene by scene analysis with me just pointing out things I like, but if you'd like to see the full cutscene in better quality than my screenshots, you can watch it here!

The scene starts off with all of the main playable characters going for a walk under a starry sky filled with fireworks. I know blue/yellow Toads have been staples of Mario games now, since they colour code the main characters and Mario is obviously red, but its does delight me that Blue Toad is just invited on this little walk with them.

(Also if you listen closely, you can hear Mario say "Ah Princess, what a beautiful evening!" and I thought that was cute)

Their walk is interrupted by Toad noticing something offscreen, and they run ahead to see a broken pipe in the middle of the path! Mario and Luigi closely examine it, and then we get...

ACTUAL PLUMBING FROM THE SUPER MARIO BROS!

Real talk, the more the series goes on the less relevant their status as plumbers often becomes, so anything that references it or shows them actually using their plumbing skills makes me so happy. And their tools are colour coordinated!

A bunch of power ups and the green Sprixie Princess pop out, and we get some classic 2d artwork, which I absolutely adore. More of this in every 3d game, please.

The ground and pipe start rumbling, and this is where I really wanna focus on the character animation of the main four here. All four of them start looking around for the source of the tremors, and we see both Peach and Luigi lifting their hands up, Luigi looking more anxious.

Bowser suddenly pops out of the pipe and roars, startling all four main characters. We can see very different reactions from all of them.

Toad and Peach jump before covering their ears, very clearly intimidated by Bowser's roar.

Luigi is the only one to fall over completely from Bowser's appearance. He stays on the ground and holds one hand up in front of his face, flinching when Bowser roars. Dude is clearly terrified by Bowser.

Mario does jump in surprise when Bowser pops up, but he's the only one who doesn't cower when Bowser roars. Instead, he immediately gets into a confrontational pose, with one hand held out protectively towards Peach. This isn't his first time dealing with Bowser, obviously, and his instincts are to prepare for a fight and to protect Peach.

However, Bowser's target this time isn't Peach, but instead the green Sprixie Princess. A lot of people poke fun at the set up for this game - "if Princess Peach isn't in danger, why do any of them care?" - but I always like when Mario & Luigi and the others try to rescue others simply because it's the right thing to do.

Bowser turns to glare at Peach and Mario, taunting them to react. Peach and Mario are both upset by the capture of the Sprixie Princess, but neither react too strongly to Bowser. Both of them have interacted with him enough to know what he's like.

Conversely, both Luigi and Blue Toad react much more when Bowser turns to them. Blue Toad stumbles onto one foot, while Luigi cowers back further, keeping his hand raised defensively, which seems to be a common mannerism of his when he's frightened. Bowser seems to be grinning a bit more in this pose, as if he knows he can get a bigger reaction out of these two.

When Bowser disappears down the pipe, all four of them regain their bearings and jump back up, reaching out for the green Sprixie Princess.

Peach is the first one to rush forward to the pipe. She sort of flounders on the edge of the pipe before she slips down it - yeah, I don't think she had a game plan there outside of trying to rescue the green Sprixie Princess. But proactive Peach being included on the adventure is always a win!

Before Luigi even lands his startled jump, Mario is already rushing forward to follow Peach down the pipe, and Toad is right behind him. I'd say it's out of mostly courage on Mario's end, and mostly out of loyalty to the princess on Toad's.

Then we get to my favourite animation of this scene (can you tell I'm biased?)

While Mario and Toad follow Peach down the pipe, Luigi pulls himself together and slaps his cheeks twice to hype himself up. It's one of my favourite quirks for characters to do, and it's doubly endearing on characters who are timid in nature. Luigi was arguably the most started and scared by Bowser's appearance, but he knows he has to do something! Totally adopting this as a common mannerism of his

Luigi then follows the others down the pipe, and they travel to the first world of the game, bringing the opening cutscene to a close.

Fun fact; since I've only ever played this game solo, and since I main Luigi, I assumed that his animation of landing on his stomach outside of the pipe was unique to him, since he's established as quite clumsy.

But in 4 player mode, you can see all of them coming out of the pipe together, and Mario lands on his stomach too. Just thought that was a cute detail.

So that's the opening cutscene of Super Mario 3D World! It's not terribly complex, but I've always adored it for showcasing a lot of personality with the main characters, and since I didn't really see any discussions on it, I wanted to highlight it!

I do recommend you watch the cutscene since a lot of the nuances and details can't be shown in screenshots - or better yet, play the game yourself! It's a ton of fun ^^

[wfagamerants]

Mario & Luigi as a series, loves its villains. I really can’t think of any other Mario series that gives its bad guys this level of attention and spotlight, as well as recurring appearances for several villains exclusive to the series.

While Fawful is an obvious example in regards to this, I’d actually say it’s none other than Bowser himself who really embodies all of this and manages to effectively be the third main character of the series, with a genuine arc to his name.

Bowser’s role in the series already starts out very uniquely. While he does start off wanting to kidnap Peach, as per usual, her now explosive voice makes her less than desirable to have around in his castle, so he promptly teams up with the Mario Bros, starting off Superstar Saga.

At this point in time, Bowser is a genuine ally, giving the Bros a ride to the Beanbean Kingdom and even giving them tutorial hints during their battle with Fawful, but things go downhill fast for the big guy.

From that point forward Bowser:

Ends up stuck in a cannon and held at ransom

Gets shot out of said cannon and suffers amnesia.

While amnesiac, becomes the rookie lackey of Popple, suffering two defeats at the hand of the Bros.

Takes another fall and lands back heavily injured in Stardust Fields, where Fawful and Cackletta find him, leading to the latter possessing his body. From this point, Bowser himself vanishes from the plot, aside from his body being rented out by Cackletta as a vessel.

Even once freed, he falls with the exploding Bowser Castle and when delivered back home, is just dropped off there.

Not much goes right for Bowser in SS, despite not taking an antagonistic role he ultimately ends up on the brunt of a ton of punishment and really is the one in need of saving from the big bad, once his body is taken over.

The Minion Quest side-mode in the 3DS remake does a little to expand on Bowser’s role in the game. We do get to see how he actually got his amnesia (Captain Goomba fell on him) and he gets a moment to fight back by knocking Fawful away, during an attempt to abduct him while unconscious.

That stuff is nice, but more than anything this game emphasizes an aspect of Bowser that will become important later on. The loyalty his minions have for him.

Putting the player into the viewpoint of a common Goomba does a lot to show how much Bowser’s minions think of him and how much they will band together to get their beloved ruler back. When Rookie Bowser fails to recognize Captain Goomba it really does make for a sad moment, that adds a sense of drama to Bowser’s role, which is otherwise largely played for laughs. Very fitting, given the change in viewpoint.

Partners in Time puts Bowser into a role that’s both unique and closer to what we expect from him, at the same time.

While his child self is a recurring nuisance that actively takes part in the plot at numerous points, adult Bowser is absolutely clueless about the greater plot going on. He shows up to kidnap Peach, who is actually Princess Shroob in disguise and lands in a time hole, never even realizing he’s time traveling.

Despite being locked out of the loop, Bowser does manage to make the most out of his role. He decides to turn the volcano in the past he fell into, into a new hide-out, teams up with his younger self, after some arguing and is able to emulate the team-work the Bros have with their younger selves, really well.

Following his boss fight, Bowser is kicked out of the past and by extension, the plot. He does reappear for a for a post-final boss encounter, but that one is not only over quickly, but also just pretty strange and doesn’t add anything to the story, though Bowser eating things he really shouldn’t, in this case, the mushroom-fied Elder Princess Shroob, will become important next game.

Bowser’s Inside Story just straight up is Bowser’s game. He may share the spotlight with the Bros, but on the whole, this is in very, very large amounts, his story. It also marks what I consider to be the big turning point in Bowser’s story in the series.

While Bowser falls victim to Fawful’s scheme, having his minions captured, his castle taken over and being given the Vacuum Mushroom to mindlessly inhale Peach and the Bros. That said, unlike Superstar Saga in particular, this time, Bowser fights back.

Bowser does need the help of the Bros, starting out without even his fire breath, but with that extra push, Bowser ends up recovering his lost abilities, gains new ones altogether and even learns to weaponize the new vacuum ability he got from Fawful’s mushroom.

We get to see Bowser be a brutish meathead, but he does manage to get himself out of problematic moments, if often with unknowing help from the Bros. Through this, Bowser reclaims his castle, fights through Fawful’s forces, survives what would otherwise be fatal moments and in the end, finishes off Dark Bowser with style.

I am not going too deeply into individual moments, because it is more the greater picture. Bowser went from an unlucky victim of the antics around him, to being out of the loop on what was going on, to one of the main stars, showing what he is capable of through his raw strength, ability to overcome whatever is thrown his way and the loyalty of his minions who upon rescue, assist him for his special moves.

The Jr’s Journey side-mode reinforces Bowser’s care for his minions we already got hints of, by showing that several Goombas of his kingdom suffer from the Blorbs and that him coming to the meeting at the beginning really was him wanting to take part in it. 

Outside of that, the story is very disconnected from what Bowser is doing, being way more about Jr’s story and development. That said, what role he does have, along with how Jr and his troops refer to him, truly show Bowser to be the big good of his kingdom, building on what Minion Quest established. 

We also do get the occasional check-in on when the stories take place relative to each other and those really do feel like getting a look at how Bowser’s antics look to minions and allies of his that aren’t directly involved in any given game.

Dream Team gives Bowser another entirely new role to play, this time teaming up with the new big bad of the day, Antasma.

I am going to say something maybe a bit contentious, but to me, Bowser in Dream Team is the best example of continuity anything in Mario has ever pulled off.

A lot of this is communicated really effectively through gameplay. In his first battle, Bowser’s moves include:

A sliding punch.

Him rolling up in a spikeball.

His usual fire breath.

And then much later in the game, we get a giant Bowser battle.

All of these are techniques that he learned through help of the Bros (Sliding Punch, Spikeball), recovered (Fire Breath) or was previously only able to pull off with their help (Giant Bowser) in BiS.

The Bros and by extension the player, has helped Bowser that whole time and powered him up. Now he’s a villain again and makes use of those new abilities to be YOUR problem to deal with. You helped create this monster.

And on top of gameplay examples, Bowser really shows how much he has learned on the story side of things too. He goes along with what Antasma does and gets a cool new castle out of it, which to me read like Antasma buttering Bowser up for an eventual betrayal.

Then one did indeed happen and it was Bowser betraying Antasma instead, having gotten everything he wanted out of him and thusly taking off with the Dream Stone to take charge all by himself.

I understand some didn’t vibe with this, because the RPGs are a rare time we get new villains. For me though, as someone who played all the RPGs, it was a really cool thing to see Bowser defy expectations and be the one overthrowing the new villain, without needing to be on the hero's side to do it. It’s a nice reminder he is the main villain of the franchise for a reason.

All this comes to a close with a boss battle against Dreamy Bowser. Bowser powered up to be able to summon whatever he wants and power up his usual abilities to a never before seen extreme.

The battle also gives some nice thematic pathos to both sides. Mario and Luigi for many of the attacks, are seen protecting each other or working together, while Bowser shows he thinks highly enough of his minions to summon dream versions of them to aid him. It genuinely really does feel like a true finale.

That sentiment also goes for another aspect of Bowser’s character in this series: Bowser’s dynamic with Luigi. Back in SS, Bowser barely even remembered him and even as the series went on, he’d always view him far more dismissively, never even calling him by name.

Dream Team gives Bowser and Luigi their most direct 1 on 1 confrontation (Yeah, Mario’s there, but he’s largely support) via their giant battle and through that and the final Dreamy Bowser battle, Bowser finally gains enough respect for Luigi as an enemy to recall his name.

Following all of this is Paper Jam. There are many things that can be discussed on how many aspects of it were handled, but strictly speaking Bowser, I think it’s a fitting conclusion to his arc in the Alphadream era.

After being kicked around, unaware of the plot around him, fighting the big bad and teaming up with the big bad, before backstabbing him, Bowser and his paper counterpart are just the villains outright, from start to finish.

While conceptually, much of what we see is fairly standard Bowser stuff, the context we see it in makes a big difference. Many call the new Neo Bowser Castle a lazy name and concept, but to me it again, stands as a good example of continuity. Unlike Dream Team, Bowser doesn’t need Antasma to get his sweet new castle, he just makes it himself through planning and ruthlessly capturing and enslaving Toads in mines to gather materials to fuel it.

Similarly, all it takes for Bowser to launch an attack on the kingdom following the Jr duo's defeat, is his own resources and the new final boss form of the day also doesn’t require a McGuffin of any sort. It just takes Paper Bowser going along with it.

Bowser pulls off all the stuff you’d expect from the Mario RPG villains with very little extra help. All he needs is the cooperation of another Bowser and together they stand tall as the main threat. I understand the circumstances around Paper Jam can muddle things, but to me, this is a really fitting and satisfying way to close out Bowser’s arc across all these games.

Time will tell what Brothership does with him. Given everything that happened I wouldn’t blame them if the game is seen as a bit of a relaunch and I have full confidence it will be a good role.

Mario games do whatever they want and I think Bowser’s progression has already concluded very well, so I am more than game to see them do more things with it.

This write-up is a companion piece to this video by my dear friend Mod Mamono, all about M&L villains, check it out here:

[lore-of-the-mushroom-kingdom]

The Mario Movie Is Not Canon To The Games P2

Part 1

Now for other things that are extra details that separate the movies from the games.

Toad a close friend of Peach and member of the Mushroom Council in the games has not meet Peach in the movies. Toad is also dressed more like Captain Toad which is a separate character in the games.

Super Star is treated as a rare object that must be heavily guarded in the movie. While in the games they are extremely abundant even used without a care in Party events or part of a special move in SMRPG. In addition their more Power counterparts which Bowser usually goes after are also still pretty abundant. With Power Moons which are Power Stars in another shape being extremely common. Honestly the way the Super Star is treated in the movie is more like the Star Rod.

Fire Flowers are merely touched in the movie while they are established to be eaten in games.

Mario hates mushrooms in the movie while in the games has loved them since he was little.

Mario uses a Cat Suit in the movie while he didn't get this Power-Up until the events of Super Mario 3D World.

Pauline is the mayor of New Donk City. While in the games Mario was dating Pauline and it's implied she hadn't become Mayor yet.

Kamek acts more like a yesman with Bowser never questioning him. In Bowser has been shown to question others to insure his plan goes off right, and Kamek is acting more like Kammy Koopa in the movie. Kamke isn't really a yesman and often advises Bowser, which has even lead to arguments between the 2.

Foreman Spike end sup on good terms and cheering for Mario and Luigi by the end of the movie. However, in the games Spike doesn't see Mario in a better light until after Wrecking Crew 98.

Karts in the movie are the modern karts while in the games at this point they only had pipe frame karts. The anti gravity can also go atop water in the movie unlike the games.

Rainbow Road breaks due to a Blue Shell in the movie, which never happens in game.

Speaking Blue shells. The Blue Spiked Shelled Paratroopa in the movie is not a thing in the games. In games Blue Koopa Troopas aren't the highest rank and if anything it Gold Shells would be a rank above. But regardless it's actually the Koopatrol that are the elite Koopa Troopas. Adding on to that, the Blue Shell is not a Koopa Troopa Shell in the games but rather a Spiny Shell. They also didn't look this at this point in the timeline.

Fire Donkey Kong in the movie doesn't look like his game version.

Super Bell Trees don't show up in the Mushroom Kingdom but rather the Sprixie Kingdom. The same goes for the Clear Pipes.

Peach's Castle already has a stain glass window, while in the games it's established this was added due to Bowser's constant invasions.

Toad Guards in the movies are far more effective than they are in the games.

King Boo and his Boos were probably not working for Bowser at this time and it would be until future entries would they work together. The same goes for King Bob-omb and his Bob-ombs, who also doesn't have a fuse in the games.

Dry Bones and Chain Chomps were not part of Bowser's Army in SMB and wouldn't join until SMB3.

Koopa Troopas unlike in the movie were not wielding spears and wearing armor in the early games. The majority of them were also quadrupled in the games until Super Mario World when they finally went bipedal. While in the movie they are all bipedal. The same goes for Paratroopas. Peach also mentions all turtles being evil in the movie, while this is far from the case in the games. As evident by Koopa Village which is part of the Mushroom Kingdom.

The majority of Hammer Bros. in the early games didn't have shoes early on while in the movie they do have shoes

While Shy Guys were part of Bowser's Army at this point, they were not part of the events of SMB.

Bramballs are in the Grasslands instead of Jungle Biomes.

Lakitus which are major members of Bowser's army which show up in SMB are absent from the movie. Bloopers and Cheep Cheeps some more major minions of Bowser are also absent from Bowser's army in the movie. Both of the enemies show up in SMB as well.

The Adult Penguins in the movie are closer to the size of Baby Penguins in the games. They are also inhabiting the Snow Kingdom in movie which should actually be inhabited by the Shiverians. In the games the Penguins are primarily found in around places like Cool Cool Mountain which is part of the Mushroom Kingdom and not too far away from the Grasslands.

Speaking of locations, the map from the movie looks nothing like the one from games. The continent the Mushroom Kingdom is on seems to only have Grasslands and not the Eastern or Western side of this Kingdom, places like the Beanbean Kingdom, and more on it. Which includes the Koopa Kingdom as well. It also has a different shape from the Mushroom Continent. Mario, Peach, and Toad also go to Yoshi's Island which the Bros. and Peach did not go to until the events of Super Mario World in the games. Yoshi's also seems to lack the surrounding area of Dinosaur Land, let alone isn't in the Cheep Cheep Sea which located in the Mushroom Kingdom.

Also, we see a Yoshi egg in the sewers of New York in the end credits and is implied to be Mario Buddy Yoshi. However, Mario's buddy Yoshi is the Star Child Yoshi and hatched on Yoshi's Island probably during the events of Yoshi Story. They also first met during the events of Super Mario World when Bowser trapped Yoshi and his friends in eggs probably because of an previous encounter.

So yeah, I think with all that being said it should be clear now the Movie cannot be canon to the Canon of Mario Tales.

[skulls-soul]

OK so hear me out imagine bowser and princess peach have something in common and that’s that neither of them can handle spicy food

 Bowser who is almost constantly surrounded by lava and fire who is almost constantly described as a walking furnace being unable to handle anything spicy

imagine that one day by accident Bowser and peach would come over to the Mario’s place both brothers forgetting that the others made plans with the other Royal and so all four of them talk about it for a minute until they all agree that this could just be a group hang out it’s not the first time that the four of them have interacted in a group but it would be the first time that the four of them would be hanging out as a group if that makes sense

Mario and Luigi are cooking her up some spicy wings setting them down in front of the two royals Luigi mentions how they’re a little bit hot so be careful you don’t have to eat it if you don’t like that stuff. (He meant to say spicy but ended up saying hot instead)

Bowser peach and Mario All take one to eat Bowser eating his full with bone and all, while  Mario and peach take their time. Everything seems to be going fine Mario takes his second one but bowser and peach seem to be having some difficulty. Luigi turns around seeing the Royals trying their best not to cough (the probably thinking that I’d be rude if they started coughing) but when Luigi asked if they were OK both royals start to have a coughing fit tears going down their face peaches face turning into a bright red wild Bowser has smoke coming out of him.

At this point Bowser would ask what was in these and Luigi would start listing out the ingredients one certain ingredient popped out amongst the rest fire flower seasoning  Bowser would say “are you trying to kill us” and Luigi would immediately start waving his hands in front of him saying “off course not I whould never !!”

Mario by this point pithched into the conversation trying his best to hold in his laughter he’d say how Luigi did warn them that the wings were hot. Luigi would go grab a carton of milk and two glasses he started pooring one for peach first though after he handed peach her glass when he went to go fill the other Bowser just grabbed the entire jug chugging half of it down as peach chugged her glass down.

 Luigi would be profusely apologizing saying how he should’ve worded it differently when warning them Princess peach refuses the apology though saying Bowser and her should have known what he meant when he said that they were hot Bowser on the other hand was looking at Mario like if he had a second head

Bowser asks Mario how he’s not coughing up a storm after eating one of these wings Mario with simply shrug says that they’re not that spicy peach and Bowser were about to disagree with him when Luigi set another plate of wings down on the counter saying that these ones aren’t spicy and they’re just plain or maybe garlic butter. 

 Here’s the thing is that the Royals can kind of understand Mario being able to handle spicy food because it’s Mario he can handle anything whats shocking is that when the Royals realize that Luigi is also eating the hot wings and so they just stare at him

When Luigi finally realizes that he has a pair of eyes on him he’ll just ask if he has something on his face and princess peach would just State that “those are the spicy ones” Luigi was just not his head like if it was a question and not a statement as it with an ask if he’s OK and before Luigi could respond Mario says “this is nothing to him”

I realize now that I made a little fanfiction for my head cannon instead of just explaining that teaching Bowser can’t handle spicy food Mario and Luigi can but what’s shocking is that Luigi can handle spicy foods better than Mario

Imagine if there was like a spicy food competition in the Sahara desert omg someone pls make that happen 

[yanderes-galore]

Yandere romantic Mario vs Yandere romantic Bowser hcs fighting over princess peach sibling who helps mario to save princess peach and distract bowser for awhile , only for it to backfire on them.

Well this match up was bound to happen at some point, sure!

Mario Concept

Bowser Concept

Yandere! Mario vs Yandere! Bowser with Peach Sibling! Darling

Pairing: Romantic - Rivalry

Possible Trigger Warnings: Gender-Neutral Darling, Obsession at first sight, Overprotective, Manipulation, Kidnapping, Slight violence mention, Stalking, Jealousy, Dubious/Forced relationship.

Mario has had many people help him save the day from all sorts of foes.

Primarily he's saving Peach from Bowser.

Mario most likely met you through Princess Peach during one of his many visits.

He's never known Peach had a secret sibling!

According to Peach it's because she's been protecting you for awhile now.

She doesn't want Bowser to target you like he does to her.

So when you were able to care for yourself alone you moved out from the castle and hid your heritage.

You still visit your sister, which is how Mario met you, but for the most part you remove yourself from the castle.

You hate how your sibling keeps being targeted by Bowser but haven't been able to stop it.

In fact, you're thankful to Mario for saving your sister when Bowser does strike.

Mario honestly finds his cheeks heating when you give him your thanks.

Obviously you meet Mario first by accident but Peach allows it because she trusts her savior of many times.

For the sake of this concept maybe Mario wasn't interested in Peach.

Maybe when he first meets you he feels his cheeks heat up.

Mario most likely met you maybe a few weeks to a few months before Peach is kidnapped by Bowser again.

This gives the hero time to get to know you.

He knows about your annoyance when it comes to Bowser and your sister.

He agrees and you two become fast friends.

Mario listens intently to you when you talk about your life growing up.

You had assigned parents too look after you and you're similar in age to your sister.

You tell him how the Mushroom Kingdom is like without being bowed to like a traditional royal.

Really you're meant to take Peach's place if anything happens.

Yet you really want to protect your sister, something Mario shares in common with you.

Maybe you meet Mario's brother and friends the longer you know him.

He seems like such a sweet guy and you trust him.

All the while the hero in red begins to fall more and more in love.

He takes his time with waiting to admit how stunning you are.

He really does want to tell you that he's enamored but for now stays your friend and protector.

The second half of this concept takes place when Bowser kidnaps Peach.

Mario is adamant that you stay to keep the kingdom running.

However, you stop him with a hand on the shoulder and a stern expression.

"I'm not letting him get away with this again, I'm coming to help."

Mario is hesitant but obliges.

It gives him time to spend with you... he might as well.

Then your journey to save your sibling begins with you, Mario, Luigi, and maybe even Toad + Toadette.

There's no doubt Bowser hears about you from minions like Kamek.

He finds it strange that you share traits with the Princess but he's never seen you.

He asks more, his curiosity increasing, yet he isn't given much else.

Maybe he even asks Peach if she knows anything.

Perhaps with a harsher tone she admits she has a sibling.

Which makes Bowser eager to meet this supposed sibling.

While Bowser gains info on you by having minions stalk you, you're having fun with Mario.

Mario loves it when you smile despite you being upset about your lost sister.

He tries his best to make you happy as a hero should.

Sometimes you even take breaks long enough to rest and chat.

Mario makes it a goal to confess to you after getting Peach back.

Maybe you'll fall for him and his heroics?

You're unaware of Mario's affections other than the tint of his face and caring behavior.

He tries his best to be your guardian while making your way to the final castle.

Once you get there for the climatic battle, you come up with a plan.

You ask Mario to save your sister while you distract Bowser.

Mario finds this a horrible idea and decides against it.

Yet, again, you're insistent.

You want to help.

Not trusting the situation Mario tries to make things quick.

You nearly regret your decision when Bowser's steps enter the throne room.

The large Koopa King was expecting to see Mario here, but all he sees is... you.

His eyes widen at the prize in front of him.

Oh... you really do seem related to the Princess.

Cute, too.

With a laugh, the large beast asks why you're alone.

"I want my sister freed."

He likes that's you're bold.

You even gave him confirmation as to who you are.

"Freed? Perhaps we can make a deal?"

"What deal?"

"You take her place."

"... you can't possibly-"

"What's the matter? This way the Mushroom Kingdom gets their Princess back and I keep a prize. Is it not a noble sacrifice?"

The idea of this trade makes your skin crawl.

Bowser's gaze is intense, hungry, and eager.

Peach was getting old anyways, plus, maybe Mario will leave him alone this time?

Turns out no because just as he thinks of scooping you up, the plumber returns.

Mario comes running into the room with Peach to encounter Bowser, the Koopa King showing annoyance at this disturbance.

Mario isn't going to allow this sort of deal to happen.

In fact, maybe this time you manage to get away from Bowser after giving him just a little taste.

For now, Mario has won and brought Peach home along with you and his friends.

However, now Peach is no longer the one on danger.

While Mario plans how to confess to you, Bowser plans how to make you his.

Maybe even when Mario gets his timing right to tell you, Bowser trashes everything?

All because you came to help Mario you're now caught in the loop your sister was in.

Bowser hunts you down to kidnap you and charm you while Mario tries to play your protector and hero.

They both adore you and both try to confess.

Mario doesn't really like staining his gloves but if he has to be more cruel to get you back... he won't mind being more violent.

Meanwhile Bowser doesn't mind playing the role of monster... as long as he gets what he wants and ruins that plumber's life, he'll be happy.

It's just... well... it's up to you if you love either of them.

Sadly, even if Peach tried to make a deal like Bowser did with you, he'd never take the bait.

Bowser's already got something much sweeter than Peach.

It only gives him more satisfaction that he's stealing you from Mario.

You begin to regret coming to help your sister that day...

Perhaps you should've listened to Mario back then?

[final-fantasy-as-literature]

Japanese Cultural Context and Its Dismissal With Regards to My Preferred Study of Final Fantasy VII

Shouldn't be any spoilers under the split, but the split is there for length.

Something that frustrates me when I point out that Journey to the West, Xiyouji, acts as a Bloomian precursor to Final Fantasy VII, intentional or not, is that a lot of people who are absolutely convinced that's impossible seem to fail to realize that Xiyouji is the major precursor to much of the most popular and influential Japanese media. When you think of the spikey-haired anime, manga, or JRPG protagonist who isn't quite human but loves or respects (usually coming to love or respect) his companions enough to use his immense power to protect them on a journey while negotiating the contradictions in his own being, you're thinking of an archetype laid out by interpretations of Xiyouji common to Japan from the '50s to the '80s. Popular examples of this archetype are Luffy from One Piece, Son Goku from Dragon Ball, and Naruto from Naruto. These range from adaptation (Son Goku), to negotiating with the work without relying on it (Luffy), to simply being inspired by so many works based on it that it recreates elements of the work anyway (Naruto).

Modern, popular anime, to continue discussing that sphere, came into being because of Xiyouji. When Osamu Tezuka's manga based on Xiyouji and heavily inspired by the 1941 Wan brothers' film Princes Iron Fan, My Son Goku (Boku no Son Goku, 1952-1959), was adapted into the film Alakazam the Great (Saiyuki, or Journey to the West in English) in 1960, it sparked Tezuka's interest in animation and directly led into Astro Boy's (Tetsuwan Atomu, 1952-1968) adaptation into an anime of the same name in 1963.

Ignoring that Tezuka's Astro Boy shares a lot of abilities and beats with Son Goku (from his bright eyes to his ability to discern good and evil to advance the plot, and begins to cement the archetype I mentioned above), My Son Goku and Alakazam the Great were popular and compelling enough to have their own influence outside of Tezuka's work. A lot of the metatextual humor and criticism in anime and manga can be traced back to My Son Goku, with even the title commenting on the story itself. Even Bowser, a villain from the Mario series that is distinctly not in a Bloomian precursor relationship with Xiyouji through the authors, was inspired by the Bull Demon King in Alakazam the Great before adopting a shell to go with his horns.

As the Bowser example kinda shows, people who make things don't do so in isolation. It would be difficult to do so, and it would be exceedingly difficult to be a fan of any kind of art in Japan from the late 1950s to the 1990s without coming into contact with something inspired by, adapting, or retelling Xiyouji.

Goku no Daiboken from Mushi Productions came out in 1967. NTV's Saiyuki aired from 1978 to 1980, but they also aired other Saiyuki media like their 1994 release. Akira Toriyama released Dragon Ball in 1984 and it received a Toei adaptation in 1986. In 1997 Enix was about to release its own Saiyuki manga.

That doesn't even include board game adaptations or uses of Xiyouji, card games with Xiyouji-themed cards or rules, reproductions of ehon adaptations of Xiyouji, Xiyouji children's books centered on Sun Wukong, use of Xiyouji in classrooms, video games like Capcom's SonSon in 1984, and on and on.

I think a big part of the push back I get on pointing this precursor nature of Xiyouji with Final Fantasy VII out over the past year is the wave of people playing Black Myth: Wukong or watching Overly Sarcastic Production's Journey to the West series and doing that "Guy who has only seen The Boss Baby" thing. Pointing out anything like the capture-rescue-recapture plot device, the focus on limits and breaking them, the spirituality inherent, or the ambivalent and multivalent nature of the protagonists connecting Xiyouji and Final Fantasy VII gets drowned out by people's feelings of being sick and tired of people going, "So I just got done watching the new BM:W trailer/playing BM:W and I was thinking..." Can't even start talking about Bloomian precursors or Bakhtinian chronotope before people disengage because of BM:W or the feeling that I'm being pretentious.

The other major part, that pretentious part, is that a lot of people have a dual-hatred of finding any depth in media they consider to be for children or for media from Japan in general. I don't have much to say about that, and I think that's a battle that's only just started in media. Just frustrating that saying, "I think this thing is doing something academics haven't really talked about much in Japanese media yet!" is drowned out by thought-stopping clichés becoming popular on the internet. "This is a Wendy's." "Put the fries in the bag." "Curtains are just blue." "Not that deep bro." "Just a silly JRPG."

With that said, I personally believe a deeper reading of Final Fantasy VII can be found in acknowledging this context. Cloud and Tifa can be read as sharing an expression of chronotope with Monkey and the Monk, with Cloud and Monkey moving and existing outside of the physical, human bounds of Tifa and the Monk. The capture-release-recapture structure is a huge part of both stories and is subverted to a degree with Tifa rescuing Cloud from self-capture on more than one occasion. There is even exploration of what can be read as heart-mind monkey in Final Fantasy VII with Cloud struggling against an indecisive and fractured mind, and I suggest that Cloud, Sephiroth, Zack, and Roche make up the elements of this heart-mind monkey in the same way that Monkey, the Sixth-Eared Macaque, the Bare-Armed Gibbon, and the Red-Buttocked Baboon do in Xiyouji with similar conclusions.

Oh well. As much as you can't stop people from writing fanfiction, you can't stop people from applying literary theory to the media they like. That is to say, I cannot be stopped unless I magically develop a platform and suddenly have academics in related fields telling me I am wrong. If M.J. Gallagher can suggest myths from across the globe impacted the game, I can suggest the narrative structure, characters, and even the UI itself (every character has a gold band of limits, something new to the series at the time) are deeply interacting with a text that has been immensely popular for readers and scholars in Japan since the late 1800s. That isn't a dig at him, but a confidence booster for me. I'm not even selling a book or speaking authoritatively to a large audience.

I'll probably return to more academically-minded posts after this, focusing more on the game than offhand discussion of discussion.

[pianokantzart]

Reading your most recent post on Movie!Bowser… it does make me quite curious as to how they’ll handle Bowser and Mario’s fighting dynamic in the hypothetical second Mario movie. In terms of physical strength, I mean. Game!Mario is quite capable of taking down Bowser in his original form(as in, can physically take Bowser down without power-ups) but Mario more or less needed the aid of the star power-up to do so. The movie versions of M&L are definitely closer to normal humans in terms of fighting prowess, so it makes me wonder if they’ll try having Mario, and Luigi by proxy, fight in hand-to-hand combat with no power-ups with Bowser at some point?

Maybe that could be a plot point in the second movie? Bowser worms his way out and starts whichever villainous plot his evil little heart desires, and Mario and Luigi start off a journey of sorts to find another star power-up, believing it crucial in obtaining victory? But, unable to find it, they’re more or less thrown into the fray with their wits and only limited power-ups in tow? And thus sustain a significant amount more of injuries without their invincibility from the star? (And perhaps the fabled green mushroom makes its debut that way…) The movies could have an interesting juxtaposition with the first movie bros being inexperienced + power-upped vs. second movie bros being more experienced + ….not-so-power-upped lol. They sort’ve have to earn their hero titles more(though moreso in the eyes of themselves only. Mostly everyone around them is already like ‘Duh. Your heroes with or without them.’ But, alas, character arcs! Potentially!) Sorry, I’m kinda word vomiting, but day by day I grow ever more curious how the second movie could play out….

One thing I like about The Super Mario Bros. Movie is that it's pretty much just an origin story. There is so much room to expand between where the movie left off and the full Mario lore as we know it today, and I for one am interested in the process of Mario and Luigi going from "Haha! We're heroes!" to "Oh f*ck, we're heroes," to "Okay... we're heroes... we can do this."

Like, how would they react to the idea of facing off against Bowser again without a power star to help them? How will their dynamic shake out when they're bouncing from one life-or-death situation to another? How will they balance their protectiveness toward each other with their moral obligations? Where will the new stakes take them? What new powerup/ally/enemy will they encounter? But back to what you're saying. If Mario and Luigi don't use powerups– even small ones– in the fight against Bowser, I predict a combination of the following tactics will be employed:

Reliance on dexterity. Bowser has them beat in terms of speed, strength, and resilience, but being a giant turtle monster he isn't nearly as agile as Mario and Luigi.

Using Bowser's emotions against him. It's his most glaring weakness, so while prodding at his ego is risky it could also make his movements more predictable.

Using their surroundings to their advantage instead of relying strictly on their own physical ability, which is a pretty common thing to do in Mario games (and video games in general.)

Leaning heavily on teamwork, not just with each other but with Peach, Toad, and probably Yoshi given the post-credits teaser.

And maybe a certain green and white mushroom will need to come into play at some point? We'll see. My biggest fear is that the writers will nerf Bowser a little so that he's easier to take on without the aid of the super star, but I really hope that doesn't happen. Speedy, strong, ruthless, unwavering, tactical, durable Bowser with a fire breath powerful enough to destroy civilizations is my favorite Bowser.

[shapeshiftinterest]

“Oh, It’s For Bad Boys Who Don’t Behave”: bowser x luigi

based on THIS post

bowser tells his kids about a cute guy he saw during a koopa kingdom inspection

bowuigi valentines event

day 2: flirting/ pick up lines

story under the read more

“Oh, It’s For Bad Boys Who Don’t Behave” (also on ao3)

BANG!

“The softest looking man your old man has ever seen in his life came into one of the stores I was inspecting,” Bowser said, bursting into his office and taking a seat.

“Wow, dad, nice to see you too,” Wendy deadpanned, not even looking up from where Ludwig was painting her nails. “We’re fine, thanks. How was your day?”

“He came in with some kind of weird ghost thing and bought a dog leash,” Bowser powered though. “And I’m just at the counter talking with the manager and ask ‘What’s that for?”

Ludwig rolled his eyes, not that Bowser could see, and dipped his brush into more nail polish. “Maybe it was for his dog.” Wendy snickered with him behind her finished hand.

“Can it you two.” Bowser groused, before continuing his story. “Anyways, the guy goes ‘Oh, it’s for bad boys who don’t behave’, and let me tell you, kids,” he said, putting a clawed hand on his heart and pretending to swoon in a totally kingly and masculine way. “Oh my god.”

...

The room went silent for a few seconds until-

“HE WAS FLIRTING WITH YOU!!” Morton yelled, pointing at their oblivious dad from his position near the bookshelf.

Bowser blinked. “He was what.”

Roy sat up from the couch and looked over the rim of his shades, which had fallen a bit from shock. “Holy shit,” he said. “If even Morton could see it, the guy must’ve been flirting with you!”

“HE WAS WHAT?!?”

“Daddy, chill,” Wendy said, blowing on her nails. Ludwig had started painting Roy’s instead. “It’s not like you didn’t get his phone number, right?”

“...”

The four koopalings stared at him in disbelief. “You did get his number, right dad?” Roy prompted.

Bowser mumbled a few excuses.

Roy threw his hands in the air. “Seriously?”

“Unbelievable,” Wendy chimed.

“Hey! My nail polish!” Ludwig yelped, diving backwards to catch the bottle. “And honestly, Father. You can kidnap a princess but you couldn’t ask what I assume was a commoner for his number?”

The king growled at them in warning. It wasn’t his fault the other man had left and he still had like, 3 other stores to inspect.

Morton padded over and patted Bowser’s arm solemnly. “It okay, dad. Morton go find mystery man for you.”

Bowser groaned, slapping a hand over his face and dragging it down before patting Morton’s head in return. “Thanks, Morton but it’s fine. Now everyone get outta my office, it’s starting to smell like nail polish fumes.”

“But-,” Ludwig started to protest.

“OUT!!”

And with that, the koopalings were hastily ushered out.

Bowser would then meet Luigi a week later when he was substituting as Peach’s bodyguard due to Mario catching a cold. He’d stop the kidnapping just to ask him for his number and a date, confusing everyone present as he’d drive his clown car back through the forcefully made skylight.

[bitchy-frog]

I just realized smt-

So...in the latest mario games (3D world and Wonder) Bowser has been doing bad things, common for him, right ?

He didn't kidnap Peach for two games. That's the point, literally

Yes- I'm giving tumblr writers bowuigi ideas but I'm dead serious. Did he ACTUALLY lost interest in the princess ?

[weirdmarioenemies]

Name: Plungelo

Debut: Super Mario Sunshine

Whadda hell. Plungelo. This thing is so wacky! It feels like a weird mishmosh of unrelated parts and that’s wonderful! A red orb with enormous unmoving eyespots, a weird lip-like beak, toilet plunger feet, and a sprout on its head like in Among Us! But is Plungelo the impostor?

By that I mean, is it a real creature, or simply made by Bowser Jr.’s goop, like many of the Sunshine enemies are said to be? I don’t know! But I don’t think it matters. I never much liked the “Sunshine enemies are created by the paintbrush” idea. Like, where are all of Isle Delfino’s native creatures, in that case? Cataquacks seem to be native, but they turn into goop when defeated. And why do even the Yoshis disintegrate in water here? Maybe some or even most of the enemies are made by Bowser Jr., but I like to think they depict real creatures. I want them to be real! I understand if Goobles are Goop Exclusive but the others should be real!

So, I believe Plungelo is a Real Animal. A real animal with a sprout on its head so that it may mutualistically gain energy through photosynthesis! Why would a real animal evolve plungers for feet? Why, for walking on flat glass, of course! Or maybe for plunging burrowing prey out of holes in the sand? Plungelo loooves to walk on glass, it loves it so bad. It’s literally the only context they are found in! They are causing a scene by walking on the Gelato Beach mirrors, preventing them from incubating the legendary Sand Bird egg!

But it’s not just them. They’re in cahoots with the Wiggler sleeping on the egg, it seems, since both appear at the same time, both messing with the egg! And we GOTTA talk about this Wiggler because it is so important to whatever the heck is going on here.

The more common Wigglers found in the Mushroom Kingdom, Dinosaur Land, and other places are yellow, and the spots on their segments are rather irregularly placed. THIS one, though! The spots on EVERY segment are right on the sides!

Just like the eyes (?) of Plungelo and its cousin Cataquack! Fittingly, both of their Japanese names include “hana”, from Wiggler’s Japanese name! There is clearly a connection between these wacky creatures and this Wiggler. What is it?

This particular Wiggler is able to fall apart into segments unharmed! Could this be the origin of Plungelo and Cataquack? Maybe all the same species, and different points of the same life cycle! Maybe this Wiggler is the beginning, and then, like a strobilating cnidarian, this individual gives rise to many genetically identical individuals- the Cataquacks! As Cataquacks develop, the previously-dormant symbiotic plant on their head sprouts, which will someday become the Wiggler’s flower!

Cataquack’s long beak shrinks into a smaller mouth, which will aid it in its new ecological niche as a Plungelo: its newly developed suction cup feet allow it to climb certain surfaces, where it tries to stay high up so that its sprout gets constant sun! They are particularly drawn to reflective surfaces like mirrors and windows, so they can get as much light as possible. Plungelo, after having eaten a large amount, as well as having nurtured its sprout until it bloomed, will now have enough energy in reserve to hibernate! As it does, its final transformation into Wiggler occurs, and it begins growing a chain of segments that will be the next generation.

But then why is it so green? And why do these segments lack mouths and tails? Maybe this one was “undercooked”! It had not been sleeping there very long before Mario got involved. It’s mad, because it was SO close to finally completing its life cycle!

When defeated, this Wiggler turns into sand. It was made of sand all along? Surely there’s a good explanation for that, right? It’s too bad this post is getting oh so long! Goodbye!

[officallyasphalt]

Some Luigi headcannons before I begin writing (and may even drawing what he'd look like)

GENERAL HEADCANONS

• This man is so traumatized

• He definitely has some trauma from past bullying

• Also the trauma from Bowser kidnapping and almost killing him has left him with some ptsd

• He hates feeling heat and changed from a long sleeved shirt to a short sleeved one after the incident

• When he's sick he becomes very clingy and enjoys being near someone he feels safe with

• He loves to talk and will ramble about anything and everything if you let him

• He also loves to debate things and will love to have random debates from things like if cereal is a soup to some more serious topics if he feels safe with the person

• He prefers dogs over cats especially with the one ghost cat he gets nervous when a cat may be even slightly aggressive

• He will playfully tease those he feels close with, playful shoves or pokes are common

• He loves his brother Mario and does envy him slightly yet he could never hate his brother, his brother means the world to him

• If anything he'd be more upset with the toads (and somewhat princess peach) for how he's been treated

• He definitely is neurodivergent I don't make the rules

• One of his hyperfixations was mechanics and robotics for a while

• He is willing to die to save his brother

• Dispite his trauma of the place he loves the other dimension, especially loving Mushroom Kingdom

• He doesn't have much back at Brooklyn and prefers to try to start over in the Mushroom Kingdom

• He has some slight separation anxiety (but Mario has it way worse)

• He is so trans I say so and so does the fandom mhm

• He told Mario first and Mario was a bit confused but once he understood he was in full support

• Luigi and Mario would always hang out together when they were in school to the point where even if they were in other classes they would text each other and get distracted

• Luigi always was able to do fairly well in school and had to help his brother multiple times but he actually enjoyed it (dispite Mario hating the work)