#did NOT take long for me to get into the character analysis huh

[theladysherlock]

"Alek felt a moment of satisfaction. He'd done something useful.... the rumble of explosions and the shriek of engines somehow filled the hollowness inside him."

*Tour guide voice* And here you'll see our first glimpse at Alek's consistent desire to be useful or helpful in some way! Truly one of the biggest aspects of his character, without this I really don't think his characterization works.

I could write a whole essay about how Alek thinks he needs to be useful to deserve being wanted and/or loved, but I just watched that video with Brennan Lee Mulligan saying "let me demonstrate my value and that will be my entree into this new community" and Hank Green's "you imagine yourself to be the value you're delivering rather than yourself" And that seems to explain my take on Alek's whole situation pretty succinctly.

Alek has been treated like shit before and assumed that the only way people will actually want him around is if he can be of some sort of use. I'll get into it more as the series progresses, because if I start listing examples I'll be here all day lmao.

[thedevilsoftruth]

“ I guess I've grown attached to Marine and Jas. We’re a ragtag bunch, but it kind of feels like a weird family. I never really had much of a family as a kid. “

*sigh*

Let's sit down for a minute. Me and you. Let's talk, yeah? Have a couple of beers, kick back, and relax.

This is a quote I've been thinking about for a long time. Long, long, looong time. There is a LOT to unpack with this. I have been meaning to make a character analysis on Shane since my first three days of playing Stardew.

TW FOR DRUG / ALCOHOL ADDICTION AND CHILDHOOD TRUAMA

Most of the things I will say here just my theories. If you want to add anything onto it, please do so in the replies/reblogs, It would mean a lot to me. I would love to hear what you have to say.

It's always struck me odd how Shane is renting his room from his aunt. Not the fact that he's renting it, but the fact that it's his from his aunt. I've always thought, " Well, what about his parents? Wouldn't he be living with his parents instead of his aunt? " Well... the easy answer to that could just be that he's simply renting it from his aunt. Maybe his parents don't have room in their house. But you see, I'm an overthinker.

Notice how he says, " I never had really had much of a family as a kid. " why would he even want to live with his parents if they weren't there for him as a kid?

Here's my theory,

Shane is really close with his aunt ( of course ) I think his parents were absent when he was a kid. If Shane is out in Cindersap Forest, under the big tree, he gives you the dialogue, " I'm attached to these woods. Lots of memories "

" lot of memories " huh.... weird....

I think Shane's parents were super neglectful to him when he was a kid. They were never proud of the work he did, and they were never around to care ( business trips ) I think Shane would sneak to his aunts house after school for shelter because at her ranch is where he felt content the most and where he could clear his head. Especially out in the forest. He would have his buddies over, and they'd play in the woods. But when he would get back home, it'd start all over again.

He'd get home, and nobody would be there. I have a headcanon that Shane is an only child, so he'd have no siblings, and the only person he could trust was his aunt.

It explains so much. His alcohol addiction, how cold and rude he is at the start of the game, his depression and including the way he treated Jas at the start of the game. Shane didn't know how to parent Jas because he never had a reliable role model to look up to as a kid.

Sure, he's poor and can't afford to live in a house with his goddaughter. That's enough to drive any man Insane, and I know that because that was all of my families issues when I was a kid. And it's still happening with my step-dad. He and my mom were both poor drug addicts. My dad had to come stay with me and my aunt THOUSANDS of times because he was homeless and couldn't afford to survive with my brother. But there's always SOMETHING that drives that person down the path of drug addiction.

For my mom, it was because she was neglected by her parents, and she had Bipolar Disorder. For my step-dad, it was because he was simply influenced. He had friends who were drug addicts and my mom was a drug addict as well. If you hang around drug addicts for a long time, you get influenced and start to take drugs as well.

It could just be that Shane is just depressed because he can't afford to care for his child, which is 100% understandable, and he lives with his aunt just because he lives with his aunt. I just wanted to put my thoughts out. Like I said, it's just a theory. If you have anything you want to add, please do. ❤️

[queersouthasian]

How much do people lack character analysis?? I saw someone create paralleles with charlie and way, and say charlie taking babe's powers is as disgusting as way using his powers on babe. Are you fucking kidding me? This is why we can't have good things. Did y'all watch a different show? Do y'all don't realise Charlie cannot control his powers but way can? Way can choose who to hypnotise and to what extent but Charlie can't. Charlie just touching someone cannot take away their powers. The more the intimacy, the more the absorption. Even if charlie didn't want, he would still take away the powers. Literally something not under his control. And he saws that very clearly in ep 7, "the closer I get to someone, the more I can take away their powers". Way? Way can choose, and he choose to be disgusting. Also this person compared Charlie's lieing about death to babe's dad giving up babe for a better home. HUH??? JUST HUH???? CHARLIE PUT HIMSELF IN DANGER, ALMOST KILLED HIMSELF, HE DIDN'T GIVE AWAY BABE FOR ANYTHING, DIDN'T DO ANYTHING TO BABE AGAINST HIS WISH, HE DID IT TO HIMSELF. BABE'S DAD GIVING HIM AWAY WITHOUT CONSENT IS NOT EQUALS TO CHARLIE KILLING HIMSELF TO PROTECT HIM. ARE Y'ALL FR?? HOW LONG WILL YOU DEHUMANISE HIM??? HOW LONG Y'ALL GONNA NOT ACCEPT THE FACT THAT THEY HAVE THE BEST RELATIONSHIP AND THEY HEALED EACH OTHER??? FUCK EVERYONE WHO HATES THEM, ESPECIALLY CHARLIE TBH, FUCK EVERYONE WHO THINKS BABE WAS AN ASSHOLE WHEN HE WAS BEING MIND CONTROLLED, FUCK EVERYONE WHO ANTAGONISES BABE FOR HAVING TRUST ISSUES, FUCK EVERYONE WHO THINKS CHARLIE IS NOT A GREAT PERSON, A GREAT LOVER. FUCK EVERYONE WHO THINKS THEIR LOVE IS NOT SOMETHING POETIC. AND FINALLY FUCK EVERY SINGLE PERSON WHO EVEN THINKS OF COMPARING CHARLIE TO WAY, FOR UNDERESTIMATING BABE'S LOVE AND EFFECT IN CHARLIE'S LIFE.

[reunionatdawn]

My Analysis (and Critique) of Lea's Japanese KH3 Character Arc

(Japanese Translation) Roxas: No matter how many times you disappear, I'll always bring you back. Axel: Yeah. Roxas: Got it memorized? Axel: It's a promise between best friends.

Nomura said that in his mind, KH3 begins at DDD, so that is where I'll start with this analysis. At the beginning of Axel's arc, he had a dream where Roxas reminded him, "You made us a promise". Us.

Lea said the same lines, “Why do I always get the icky jobs,” and “I’ll always be there to bring you back,” to Xion in KH Days when he brought her back. Does he remember that? Nomura: The nature of the being known as Xion and all memories to do with her were erased, but he would remember other things. (KH3D Ultimania, May 2012)

We the audience know that he also made that promise to Xion. But Axel didn't remember her anymore. However, it was implied that he did remember making that promise to someone besides Roxas.

Xigbar and Saix appeared as members of Organisation XIII. Did they return as humans like Lea and the others? Nomura: The conditions of becoming a human have been met, so you’d think they had returned, wouldn’t you? For them to have been with Xehanort and the others, perhaps they were collected after they had become humans and before Lea and the others woke up. You could say the same for the members of Organisation XIII that didn’t appear in this title, however… I’d rather everyone use their imaginations. (KH3D Ultimania, May 2012)

This scene is from the HD Re:Coded movie, and it takes place shortly before DDD starts. It shows Young Xehanort and Braig physically taking Isa before everyone woke up. Xehanort has had his eye on Isa for a long time. He knew exactly where to find him due to the sigil.

Lea: That's me. Dilan, Aeleus, Even, Ienzo—We're people again. But only the ones who joined the Organization here. I guess Xehanort doesn't count, but where are Braig and…Isa?

Axel awakens in the Heartless Manufactory. Unlike the others, he was still wearing the Organization XIII black robe. The fact that both he and Isa were not wearing the same clothing as the apprentices when they lost their hearts implies that their status was different from the other apprentices. IMHO, it was always heavily implied that they were subjects of the experiments on the darkness of the heart.

I really liked this scene because it was reminiscent of the scene from 0.2 where Aqua faced her shadow while looking in the Magic Mirror. Axel was now face-to-face with Lea. His other self. Now that he was human again, he would have to confront his past and all the emotional baggage he'd been running away from up until then.

There was a sense of dramatic tension when Lea finally uttered Isa's name, highlighting the deep emotional history between them. And unlike all of the other apprentices, Isa wasn't there. Along with Braig, he had mysteriously disappeared, setting the stage for Lea's journey.

(Japanese Translation) Lea: Ah, this is such a hassle. What about the idea that they weren't recompleted at all? What do you think of that? Ienzo: That would be— Lea: No, never mind. I'll go search for them. Ienzo: Huh? How are you going to do that? Lea: My role is the same as usual.

It wasn't TOO obvious as to spoil the eventual twist, but it was still heavily implied that Isa was the other person Lea made that promise to. And the fact that Lea was going to go find him to keep that promise was a significant turning point for his character development. Saix was the one who mortally wounded Axel in KH2. He hurt and betrayed him in the deepest possible way. For him to immediately go to bring him back demonstrated such a profound sense of love and forgiveness on Lea's part. I found it very touching, and it only made me want to learn about their past even more.

Is he still able to pass through the Corridors of Darkness like before? Nomura: Diz is also human and can pass through the Corridors of Darkness. Since Lea has the memories of being Axel, he saw the message Ansem wrote on the wall in Radiant Garden and thought that was the only way he could travel. Of course, using the Corridors frequently is dangerous. (Famitsu, May 2012)

It was also interesting that Lea was the only human member of the Organization who could still use the corridors of darkness. And Lea's dialogue hinted that this ability was something he had used before as a human as well. I don't think this was the first time Isa had disappeared. DiZ and the Beast were the only other non-Nobodies who were able to traverse the corridors of darkness. DiZ had this ability due to the hatred in his heart. And the Beast because of his desire to bring back Belle. Lea likely had a mix of both sentiments.

Why did Lea visit Disney Castle when he should have been looking for his friend? Nomura: To search for his friend he needed the power to move between worlds, and there is no way to do that other than become a Keyblade Wielder. At the time, wanting to be made a Keyblade Wielder, Lea saw a message recorded by Ansem the Wise in the past and, knowing it was dangerous, used the Corridors of Darkness once more to go talk with King Mickey and the others. That’s why after Maleficent left he was asking at the Mysterious Tower. (KH3D Ultimania, May 2012)

I loved the scene where Lea proudly reclaimed his human name. Naturally, he didn't want to be referred to with the name Xemnas gave him anymore. And it sends the message to the player that Lea is not the same as Axel from KH2. Axel tried to turn Sora into a Heartless by targeting Kairi, something he was ashamed of and gave up his life to atone for. Lea had moved on from that goal. He wanted to be on the side of light, wielding a Keyblade. But his motivation for wielding a Keyblade was simple. He just wanted the ability to safely travel between the worlds so he could continue to look for Isa.

Who are the thirteen researchers of darkness? Nomura: Thirteen seekers of darkness that share a consciousness and heart with Master Xehanort, serving as raw material for the X-Blade. In this game, they failed in their attempts to make Sora the 13th of their ranks, but who's to become the 13th in his stead? And who are the six whose identities have not been revealed? Nomura: Time was stopped just as Master Xehanort was materializing. So he moved his consciousness to Young Xehanort’s body. Reacting to this, King Mickey exclaimed, “That’s impossible!” Young Xehanort was holding a Keyblade that he originally wasn’t able to handle thanks to Master Xehanort’s power. Though the keychain on it is different, the Keyblade he takes out is Master Xehanort’s. (Famitsu, May 2012)

Nomura referred to the seekers of darkness as "raw material" who shared a consciousness and heart with Master Xehanort. He did not need their mind or will; only their body. MX literally moved his consciousness over to Saix's body and controlled him like a puppet.

By the way, Braig’s dealings with Master Xehanort in Birth by Sleep make sense, he was to become a vessel. Nomura: There is a certain reason for Braig to proudly exclaim, “As for me, I’m already half Xehanort.” Isa (Saix) is included too. I think you’ll understand the details about their circumstances eventually. (Famitsu, May 2012)

When Lea first began training, he could not summon a Keyblade. Yen Sid wasn't even sure if he had the potential. And at that point in the story, Lea still had a lot of inner conflict. He was still unsure of what happened to Isa. All he knew was that he had gone missing with Braig. Would Isa still see him as a traitor? Would they have to fight? I'm sure this sense of doubt weighed heavily on Lea's mind. During the final confrontation, he looked very shaken when it was finally revealed that Isa was back on Xehanort's side.

Other than Braig, Isa was the only member of the original Organization who was already a vessel. That's why he was the only one they bothered to collect before the game started. And yes, Nomura suggested that we were supposed to learn more about what actually happened to him and why he became a vessel in the next game after DDD. He wasn't power-hungry like Braig, so there must have been some other reason for how he ended up in that condition.

Mickey: Aw, Sora. Don't tell me your heart's sleeping, too. Yen Sid: No, Mickey. This affliction is not the same. Riku: Can we do anything for him?

After returning to the MT, Lea was off by himself in the corner lost in his own thoughts. Naturally, everyone would have learned from Yen Sid about Master Xehanort's plan to turn Sora into one of the thirteen dark vessels. And obviously, if someone like Sora could be turned into a vessel, then the person doesn't have to consent to it, like Braig did. In fact, Xemnas specifically revealed to Sora he previously conducted mind control experiments to create a vessel.

Xehanort's plan with Sora was to cause his heart so much pain that he would become an empty husk. In a figurative sense, "empty husk" implies a person is physically present but emotionally hollow, as if they lost their original meaning or purpose.

When I first played DDD in 2012, my impression was that Lea probably was not thinking that Isa made a conscious choice to side with Xehanort again. He was lost in his own thoughts until Riku asked about a cure for Sora's affliction. There was a very subtle implication that the same thing that just happened to Sora is probably what happened to Isa, a long time ago. And I wasn't convinced that Isa even regained consciousness after he was recompleted. After Axel left him in KH2, he was just an empty husk ripe for the taking.

What happens to the hearts of those who have had Master Xehanort’s heart planted within them? Nomura: They’ll gradually be swallowed by it. As for Master Xehanort, he plans to control them completely. The planted parts of the heart are captured rather than disappear. (Famitsu, May 2012)

Saix was depicted as a unique Nobody in Days. While the other Nobodies could awaken their human hearts, Saix seemed to be the exception. He was the only member who couldn’t see Xion as anything. And he was unable to feel anything other than rage. His heart had not disappeared, but it was captured and likely dormant.

After Riku successfully used the power of waking on Sora, Lea was ecstatic. The true power of a Keyblade Master is not exhibited through combat. The Keyblade's true power is to bring back a heart that was lost. THAT is the power Lea knew he wanted.

Nomura: I figured since Lea had returned to his human form, it'd be no good if he didn't have any power to bring back the person he wants, so I thought he should become a Keyblade Wielder. (Famitsu, May 2012)

Lea then summoned his Keyblade effortlessly. And I really liked the Phoenix motif they incorporated into the design. After dying in a blaze of glory, Axel rose from the ashes and was reborn as Lea. The Isa that Lea knew as a boy was effectively dead. His body was merely a hollowed-out shell. But Lea now had the power to bring him back to life. Even if the overall plot was convoluted, I loved DDD for Lea's storyline alone. It got me incredibly hyped for KH3 and I waited seven long years to see the conclusion to Lea’s storyline in particular.

(Character File Short Story) The setting sun was red again today. When my daily training was done, I always watched the sunset from the top of a hill in the Secret Forest. “Bet you don’t know why the sun sets red. You see, light is made up of lots of colors. And out of all those colors, red is the one that travels the farthest.”

I really enjoyed the symbolism of this quote. Of the seven lights, Lea was the red one. And red is the one that travels the farthest. More than any color, it can penetrate the deepest darkness.

(Japanese Translation) Lea's training with me. He apologized to me over and over again. It's alright, I'd say, but he'd keep on apologizing… At first I was a bit scared but as we trained together we started talking to each other. I found out Lea also has a best friend he wants to save. I felt like, he's not a person that I can bring myself to hate. Sometimes... he'd stare at my face. So I'd ask him, what's wrong? "I don't know, but I feel like it's something I must recall", he'd say...

Hayner, Pence, and Olette felt a bond with Roxas due to the relationship their data counterparts had with him. And it’s clear that Lea was experiencing the same effect. The heart works in mysterious ways, after all. Obviously, DDD foreshadowed that Lea was supposed to regain his memories of Xion eventually. But honestly, I felt no desire for Xion to come back when the implication was that Lea/Kairi was, on a heart level, the same bond, just in different physical forms.

Lea told Kairi that his goal was to save his best friend. When this scene was first shown off at the orchestra event in 2017, I still think he was supposed to be referring to Isa. But sometime during KH3's troubled development, they completely dropped the whole "save Isa" subplot and I guess we were all just supposed to take it for granted that he was talking about Roxas here. At least...I think?

Lea: Way back when I was a kid, I met this other weird kid. Somehow we became fast friends. Never saw him again—nearly forgot about him, too. Then I met Roxas. Couldn't believe it. The two of 'em were identical. Oh, I didn't tell Roxas. Didn't want him to go vanishing on me, too. The kid's name was Ventus. He's one of the lost Keyblade wielders we're looking for. Think he's still got me memorized?

The handling of the Roxas/Ven situation in KH3 was...confusing to me, to say the least. There was no particular indication that Lea ever viewed Ventus and Roxas as two separate people. Lea knew that Sora's goal was to free Roxas's heart and also to save Ventus. And Lea never said anything to indicate that he thought those were two separate goals. To him, saving Ventus was saving Roxas.

Lea was looking forward to meeting Ventus again. Not just because of their brief encounter as kids in BBS, either. It's because he wanted closure with Roxas after their friendship fell apart due to Axel lying to him about his true identity. Lea wasn't sure if Ventus would still have the memories of being Roxas, though, so he was worried he wouldn't remember their time together in the Organization.

Roxas was a blank slate amnesiac. His whole life revolved around eating ice cream after work because he had no memories of anything else. Axel was determined to keep him that way to fulfill his own emotional needs. On the other hand, Ventus had his own life and his own group of friends. I was excited to see Lea grow beyond his over-attachment to Roxas, which is what tore their friendship apart in the first place. I wanted to see Lea establish a healthier friendship with Ventus on more equal grounds as young adults.

Ventus: Yeah, 'course! We’re friends. I can't believe you became a Keyblade wielder just like me. Lea: Yeah… Sora: Axel, you know Ven? Ventus: Axel? Who's Axel? Lea: See, see, see? Major brain ache.

Unfortunately, that never happened. When they finally reunited at Yen Sid's Tower, Lea learned that Ventus didn't know who "Axel" was. There was no follow up conversation to mend the rift after Roxas walked away from Axel, leaving behind only the Winner stick. The whole reunion scene was just played off as comic relief.

Jiminy: Not to worry, folks. To help us out, I've given each of you a Gummiphone. They've got summaries of everything that's happened so far. That way, you can read up, if you like. And if anyone has any questions, we can call each other.

I guess after this, Lea was able to download an info file on his Gummiphone and that's when he learned that Ventus wasn't really Roxas, they just looked identical. It's pretty dumb. And the later joke when Ven and Roxas met ("had a couple of plot points that needed ironing out") indicated that Nomura probably never intended for Roxas and Ventus to be two separate people and couldn't even pretend to take the idea seriously. But anyways, after this scene, Lea now knew that "Roxas" was a totally different person from "Ventus".

(Japanese Translation) Lea: Roxas… In the end, the day has come without me being able to save you.

Lea's motivation was now stated to be "saving Roxas". It did confuse me that he seemed to completely forget about saving Isa. I guess that we, the audience, were just supposed to assume that Isa made a voluntary choice to become a vessel in DDD (even though I didn't get that impression at all). And Lea apparently just wanted to focus on getting Roxas back again to fill that best friend shaped in hole in his heart. So, everything went backwards, and Lea was once again the same character as Axel from KH2. Honestly, how boring.

(Japanese Translation) Isa: This world isn't your true home, is it? Lea: You… Isa: I'm not here to fight. Relax.

Before the final battle, everyone spent one last night with their best friends. Lea ate ice cream and watched the sunset all by himself. And the scene should have ended just like that. Lea should have reunited with Ventus (who actually matured from his life as Roxas) and the two of them should gotten closure. But Ven had his own best friend he wanted to save and his own home to return to. This scene should have emphasized that Lea needed to finally save his best friend.

When Isa showed up, Lea was pretty shocked. And honestly, so was I. DDD depicted him as a full vessel. Someone who totally shared a heart and mind with Master Xehanort. Why was he now suddenly acting so nonchalant and friendly? How was he able to just sneak about without Xehanort knowing? It was so jarring and killed all of the dramatic tension DDD built up regarding their reunion. However, it did leave me with the impression that the clock tower was once a special spot to Lea and Isa before it became the RAX special spot.

(Japanese Translation) Lea: Hey! Isa: You won't be able to eat that much, will you?

IMO, Isa was supposed to be a completely separate character from Saix. You were supposed to hate Saix. But his Mystery Gear was a cute bunny rabbit. While it was incredibly jarring to see Isa suddenly wolfing down ice cream, it was intended to change our perception of him. In Japanese media, a fondness for sweets often symbolizes a connection to simpler, childlike pleasures, hinting that the character may have an innocent or pure aspect to them. The big plot twist planned was that Isa was supposed to be endearing.

(Japanese Translation) Isa: One of those is for Roxas, but who's the other one for? Were you planning to eat two by yourself? Lea: I don't know. For some reason, I ended up buying three.

Yes, it can be interpreted that Lea got the extra ice cream for Xion. But he still had no memory of who she was. So, the scene does imply he got it with Isa in mind. It's kind of cute that Isa knew it was for him and was teasing him about it and Lea got so embarrassed. The whole "you can't eat two by yourself" was also a reference to Days and what Roxas wrote in his diary after he got the Winner stick.

(Japanese Translation) Lea: Anyway, what are you here for? Isa: Do you remember? When we were best friends, sneaking into the castle from time to time… Lea: Yeah. Isa: To save the friend we made there, we became apprentices to Ansem the Wise.

Isa then reveals that he and Lea once wanted to rescue a girl from Ansem's castle. I really want to talk a bit about this sudden backstory exposition dump, which seemed to come out of absolutely nowhere. I don't think it's too farfetched that this idea of helping a girl was always a part of their backstory, even when Days and BBS were first written. However, I highly doubt this girl was supposed to be one of the Lost Masters or a character from Union X. If this idea existed all the way back in 2009, the girl was probably just Kairi. In any case, rescuing the girl was probably just a small fraction of the backstory Nomura initially had planned for Lea and Isa.

Experiments of the Heart – Notes on Subject X, Excerpt 1 (KH3) After his initial experiments on me, Ansem the Wise ceased his research into the heart, his hand stayed by some fear I cannot fathom. Yet this new subject is like me: devoid of memories. She is the perfect sample upon which to continue my master's work. She, too, could benefit from it; by traversing the heart, we have a direct path into memory. I myself have begun to reclaim my lost past thanks to these very experiments.

After AtW initially delved into Xehanort's heart, he put a stop his research. Xehanort then conducted more research in secret, including experiments on the girl and other kidnapped victims.

Ansem's Report 2 (KH1) The experiments caused the test subjects' hearts to collapse, including those of the most stalwart. How fragile our hearts are! My treatment produced no signs of recovery. I confined those who had completely lost their hearts beneath the castle. Experiments of the Heart – Notes on Subject X, Excerpt 2 (KH3) My pilot studies used a handful of subjects, but none possessed the fortitude to endure them. Ultimately, all suffered mental collapse. I knew it would be a heavy blow to lose a subject as unique as she.

Subject X was one of the pilot subjects mentioned in Ansem's Report 2. The girl and the others were imprisoned under the castle. All of them turned into Heartless except for the girl, who regained lucidity. Xehanort found her useful and she was locked up long enough to befriend Lea and Isa. But Braig/Luxu eventually took her away.

Memoirs, Excerpt 2 (KH3) We slipped into the castle that day knowing only that we wanted, with all our hearts, to save her. But we did not find her inside on that day or the next, or any of our subsequent visits. Had she been moved? Had we simply imagined her? Lea and I knew there was only one way to be certain. And so we stand before the castle gates today, not as trespassing children but in order to become Ansem the Wise's newest apprentices.

Sometime after the girl disappeared, Lea and Isa offered to become apprentices because they wanted to save her. However, the real Ansem already ceased his research and it's highly unlikely he would accept new apprentices. So, Lea and Isa most likely became apprentices to the impostor Ansem while he was in the midst of his research on the Heartless, which was a secret from the real Ansem.

Ansem's Report 4 (KH1) The Heartless appear in groups, and are multiplying rapidly. I've provided them both living and nonliving samples. They've responded only to the living. They seem to multiply after absorbing something from the living creatures. Their prey vanishes without a trace. I believe the Heartless are taking hearts. They are born from those who've lost their hearts, and thrive on hearts seized from others. The hearts taken by the Heartless become Heartless themselves.

Under the guise of helping out with research, perhaps Lea and Isa were used as "living samples"? That would explain why they were wearing the black coats when they were recompleted, rather than the white lab coats that all the other apprentices wore.

(Japanese Translation) Xemnas: The experiment to generate Heartless was an attempt to control the mind and abandon the ego. Even if we made one lose their heart that way, one could still harbor a heart in their body, which serves as a vessel.

In Ansem's Report 8, the experiment to generate Emblem Heartless required Xehanort to recreate the conditions that spawned the Pureblood Heartless. So, Xehanort would have needed another subject, right? This subject would have probably met the same fate as Subject X. Suffered a mental breakdown and locked up in the Chamber of Repose. Saix's favorite insults for Xion were "defective failure" and "broken". Almost like it was intentional innuendo to foreshadow his dark backstory of being turned into a vessel.

(Japanese Translation) Subject X and Notes on Mental Experimentation 2 (KH3) During the initial experiments, we tested a few candidates, but none of them could maintain their sanity—they all broke down. I can't afford for something to happen to her, this special subject. In the midst of this, it was revealed to my master that I had been conducting repeated tests using a large number of subjects. This led to a strict order to halt the research and dispose of all the results. But that wasn't all. Along with the release of many test subjects, she, too, disappeared without a trace. Where is the subject now?

This Secret Report from KH3 coincides with Ansem's Report 9. After discovering what his apprentices were doing, Ansem sealed off the Chamber of Repose. Xehanort believed Ansem found Subject X and hid her away, but it was actually Braig who had done so already. But Ansem may have taken other subjects out of the prison and hid them. And I always found it noteworthy that Saix was retconned to have orange eyes starting in Days and DDD. It may have been foreshadowing that he too had a connection to Ansem the Wise. Maybe Isa was one of the subjects taken away?

(Japanese Translation) Lea: I remember. But we never found her, did we? Isa: Have you given up? Lea: I haven't given up, but… Right after we became apprentices, before I even knew what was happening, Ansem the Wise disappeared. Before I even knew what was happening, we became Nobodies. Before I even knew what was happening, you became Xemnas's right-hand man. It wasn't even a matter of that, was it?

Lea speaks about this mystery girl as though he hasn't even thought about her in many years, and he was completely caught off guard by Isa's question. The English version of this scene leads you to believe that both Lea and Isa made a choice to become Nobodies and then they both voluntarily chose to join the Organization (and doing all the dirty work involved with following Xemnas) all in order to find Subject X. But in Japanese, this was not really the case.

Lea repeatedly used the phrase 「なんだか知らねぇうちに」 ("Before I even knew what was happening") to describe how events unfolded. The dialogue suggests that their original plan was to become apprentices to Ansem the Wise in order to save the girl. But everything else was portrayed as an unintended consequence. In other words, the situation spiraled out of control.

Lea also used the phrase 「それどころじゃなかっただろ」 ("It wasn’t even a matter of that, was it?"). This means that the situation they were in (Ansem disappearing, becoming Nobodies, Isa becoming the right-hand man) was too overwhelming or urgent to focus on their original goal of finding the girl. She wasn't the priority to Lea anymore. She was never his motivation for joining the Organization.

(Japanese Translation) Isa: Xemnas's original self, Xehanort, used her as a research subject. I thought becoming his right-hand man would be the quickest way to save her. Lea: So… did you find her? I helped you at first, didn't I? To help you climb the ranks. Isa: I didn't find her. There wasn't even a trace of her. Maybe she was never there to begin with. At some point, I started to think that way. And before I knew it, my goal had changed—to become a stronger existence.

Saix's primary goal was to get close to Xemnas so he could stab him in the back and take over the Organization. And it probably had more to do with a getting revenge on Xemnas than anything altruistic. He knew Xemnas had a "friend" in the Chamber of Waking and he wanted to use that to his advantage. Saix literally had no heart. He barely even reacted when Axel almost died in Castle Oblivion. His obsession with strength was likely due to his gradual Nortification.

And there's no reason to believe that Saix was not fully Norted by the start of Days. The idea that he was just selflessly looking for that girl and only acted so evil because Axel grew closer to Roxas and Xion is a retcon to avoid addressing the elephant in the room—Saix was possessed. That's why Axel grew distant from him in the first place.

I honestly don't know why they completely dropped the possession idea after DDD, since it would have made Isa so much more sympathetic. I guess they thought fans didn't care enough about Isa to think too deeply about it. I personally thought it was not only very insulting to Isa's character but the audience as a whole. It's insulting to drop such a flagrant retcon at the last minute and assume that the player wouldn't possess the reading comprehension to even notice. But honestly, I think Nomura thought so, too. But he mentally checked out with KH3 and stopped caring.

(Japanese Translation) Lea: That's where you went wrong. It's not too late—quit the Organization already. Isa: And you're the same. Roxas is just like the friend we were searching for. That friend is already gone. It's better to think that way.

IMO, this line had a slightly different nuance in Japanese. Isa was saying that Lea's borderline obsession with Roxas mirrors his own fixation on finding the missing girl. And if you ask me, both of them were the same in that regard. Lea was trying to replace the best friend he lost with a new one. And Isa was using the girl similarly.

(Japanese Translation) Lea: Don't mess with me! I'll bring Roxas back, no matter what. And I'll find that friend too. If it comes down to it, I'll even bring you back. Isa: The marks under your eyes… they're gone. Lea: Yeah. I don't need them anymore. Isa: You, who used to be such a crybaby—I was the one who taught you the charm to reverse your tears. Lea: Shut up. Go home already. I'll beat you to a pulp tomorrow! Isa: I'm looking forward to it.

There were little vague hints for a deeper backstory that we never got to see, like Isa getting a Winner stick and the mention of Lea's upside-down tears. I’m sure the Winner stick was an important memento to Lea and Isa even before Roxas gave it to Axel in Days. And tears no doubt had to do with his bond with Isa. That's why the subject embarrassed him so much. Yes, just like in DDD, it's still strongly implied that Lea originally made the promise to Isa that he'd always bring him back. When Lea says, "I'll even bring you back," the camera angle even is the same as Lea's dream from DDD. Just like when Axel declared that to Xion before they fought, Lea was getting worked up remembering his past promise to Isa.

MESSAGE FROM THE DIRECTOR I am assuming that you already have a copy of KINGDOM HEARTS III if you are looking at this page, but as I do not know if you are reading this before or after you played the game, I will write my foreword without any spoilers. I had quite a tough time writing the story this time around. So many characters appear in this game, with each of them having their own set of problems and needing to choose their own fate. They are characters that were born over the course of ten plus years, and each character has fans who love them. I ask for everyone to see their stories to the end, and see what each of them grasped from their stories. I rewrote the ending multiple times, and took a lot of time deciding how I want it to play out on the screen. After much thought, I ended up keeping it simple. I believe that KINGDOM HEARTS III is truly completed when the two thoughts - whatever you feel from playing the game, and my thoughts that I’ve secretly placed in the game - match up together. I hope that everyone playing the game will complete the game for us. The release of this game was truly a long time coming. We did make you wait for a long time, but I’m sure it will feel like a blink of an eye for you to reach the ending compared to the time it took to get here. However, I believe the reason as to why this series has lasted this long, is because of the feeling that it leaves you with after you finish playing the game. It would make me happy if you talk with friends about KINGDOM HEARTS III, the new addition to the series, and if that triggers you to think about stories that haven’t been told yet.

As a whole, the KH team just wanted the Dark Seeker Saga over with. I don’t think they ever intended for Isa’s storyline to continue past KH3. But Nomura secretly wanted players to finish KH3 feeling unsatisfied and thinking of all the other stories he wasn't able to tell. Even if that meant he had to connect one of the Lost Masters to Lea and Isa's past in a pretty contrived way, he wanted their backstory to be left open for the possibility that he could depict it someday.

Back in 2019, it was still unclear whether he'd ever revisit this backstory (his answer was leaning towards a no). In 2022, Nomura finally confirmed that we WILL see more of this backstory since fan interest was sufficient. But it still leaves their storyline in KH3 feeling less like an actual conclusion, and more like a teaser.

To say I was extremely disappointed in Lea and Isa's story back in 2019 when I first played KH3 would be…an understatement. The short scene about their past was still mainly just exposition to introduce a girl who would be important in the NEXT game. I would later learn that this girl was possibly Skuld from the mobile game Union X. Whatever. I certainly didn't buy KH3 to learn about her, lol.

Ultimately, the big reveal in DDD that Saix was a human puppet meant nothing in KH3. Saix just randomly turned back into Isa again off-screen. So, after this clock tower scene, I realized that there was not going to be any storyline where Lea would need to use his Keyblade to be the hero, bring his best friend's heart back from the darkness, and change him back to the person he once was. I had to force myself to keep playing after that. And it was VERY hard.

"Fans all have different favorite characters, so I thought I should give each of them their own time to shine, but because the amount of things needed to be explained was too large, I had to find a way to have Sora move forward, at the very least. Actually, when the scenarios were being written, the Keyblade Graveyard part was the most difficult. If I focused on each character at a time, the progression of events would be quite slow, and the battles involving Sora were necessary to be shown, so making allowances for everything was difficult. The way I imagined it, all of the characters tied to each other should fight in order and put an end to everything [themselves], but if I did that, the explanations would end up being too long. On the other hand, if I made the enemies you can battle only a few people, and showed the rest via cutscene, that wouldn't have been very satisfying. After worrying about it quite a lot, with a certain intention in mind, I placed the emphasis on the pacing, and the way the plot unfolded was able to be brought to life."

At first, I do think Nomura probably tried his hardest to incorporate an abridged version of Lea and Isa's backstory into KH3 (along with many of the other Organization XIII members' backstories). But due to the troubled development, costly budget, and the push to make the game more accessible, the team pressured him to make the game more fast-paced, cut down on the amount of boss fights, and keep the exposition to a bare minimum. Lea and Isa's entire scrapped storyline needed to be concluded with barely ANY screentime. I think Nomura was very unhappy about this. And he probably also had no idea how to even to write it with such restrictions.

『キングダム ハーツIII』でのロクサスやシオンの復活に関しては、かなりギリギリまで悩んでいて、復活させないルートのストーリーまで考えていました。ただ、皆さんの想いが強かったので復活ルートになりました。どうしようかと悩んでいる部分に関しては、皆さんの想いにかなり影響を受けま��ね。 "I struggled quite a lot, right up until the last moment, about the revival of Roxas and Xion in Kingdom Hearts III, and I even thought through a story where they wouldn't be revived. However, because everyone's feelings were so strong, it became the revival route. When I'm uncertain about how to proceed, everyone's feelings have a significant influence."

Lea's whole fight with Isa at the KG was basically a plot device to allow Xion and Roxas to return. Logically, I understand why it was written that way. Fans were, by and large, more invested in the nostalgic reunion of the Days trio anyways. Without a detailed backstory, fans wouldn't be emotionally invested in a Lea/Isa reunion. Most fans simply saw Isa as the contemptible bastard who bullied Xion and Roxas, not as Lea’s beloved childhood friend/lover. Logically, this choice made sense. But emotionally, I still hated how the final story played out. It just felt so cheap. And I definitely got the sense that Nomura's heart really wasn't in it, either.

"復活させないルートのストーリーまで考えていました" (I even thought through a story where they wouldn’t be revived)

The phrasing here makes it clear that not only was a non-revival route considered, but it was detailed enough to have its own story. The use of "ただ" (however) and the detail about a fully fleshed out non-revival story imply that Nomura probably leaned toward not reviving them. And I really would kill to see this alternate version of KH3. Hell, if you ask me, I think an alternate version of the Lea/Isa battle was not only written and storyboarded, but it probably even was partially animated and only altered at the last minute.

Isa does not even look rageful like he does in his KH2 berserker mode. He looks totally mindless. Like he's a puppet being controlled. It's interesting how he stops his attack just as he's about to finish off Lea. Then Xemnas comes out of nowhere. He is clearly pissed that they're not clashing, and he steps in to finish Lea off himself.

Isa is watching and he seems to be gaining a bit of self-awareness. And then he steps in just in the nick of time to save Lea.

Just kidding!

That's when Xion gains self-awareness and does it instead. Isa kinda just hangs out in the background. He says nothing and does nothing until he's defeated by Roxas. I have no idea whether he was supposed to be fully self-aware during this fight or not. Re:Mind sorta hints that he deliberately did nothing to help Lea so Xion could come to her senses. But I guess it really didn't matter because Isa was chopped liver in this game's storyline anyway. I guess the team thought, as long as Isa helped R+X come back, that was enough. He didn't really need to be a well-developed or likable character in his own right.

Roxas reveals that Isa was working the whole time to help him get a body. Wow, how convenient. No wonder Isa wasn't allowed to be possessed. The plot needed him to do things off-screen. How did Roxas even know this? No idea. It makes absolutely no sense. But I definitely had no trouble believing Nomura when he said he only decided to revive Roxas at the last minute to please the fans. I had already suspected as much, but I respect his honesty for actually admitting that, considering how angry it made some fans.

(Japanese Translation) Isa: What's with that face? Lea: Damn it, stop letting yourself be manipulated so easily! Isa: Don't you think you've outgrown that little charm by now? Lea: Yeah. Isa: Then quit making that face.

They never actually reveal what the "charm" to reverse tears was. The word used was "おまじない" (omajinai) which often conveys an element of emotional reliance or psychological comfort. It's not an actual magic spell; more like a silly little ritual, like crossing fingers for good luck. It often has a whimsical or lighthearted connotation and can involve anything from simple gestures to spoken phrases.

In KH2, Hayner shot down the notion that their friend group would stay together forever. Naturally, things would change after they grew up. There's a very similar exchange in 358/2 Days. Axel told R+X that being together forever was impossible. Then they both looked sad, and he tried to cheer them up. "What's important isn't that we hang out with each other every day. As long as we keep each other in our thoughts, we'll never be apart, right?" To me, it seemed like Axel was just repeating something told to him by Isa, to keep him from crying.

Regardless of how much Isa wanted to help Subject X, I don't think he would ever have chosen to become a vessel or become Xemnas's right-hand man. The more likely scenario is that his storyline was supposed to have overlapping themes with Xion's. Rather than let himself become a puppet dancing on Xemnas's strings, he chose to disappear. And Lea did not take that decision very well. He probably beat Isa up and dragged him back to the Organization himself.

(Japanese Translation) Lea: You should stop pushing yourself too hard. You've been looking for her all this time, haven't you? Isa: Maybe. I've been searching for her seriously—even going as far as siding with them. Meanwhile, you acted like you'd forgotten her, made new friends, and started enjoying yourself. Watching you like that… it just pissed me off. It felt like our goal was slipping further away.

In Days, one of Saix's reports mentions the plan Lea and Isa formulated when they joined the Organization together. After KH3, players just assumed that their goal was to find Subject X. But again, Lea's dialogue casts doubt on that. After everything that happened, he was not particularly concerned with Subject X anymore. He didn't even know that Isa was still looking for her. Whatever their shared goal was, it was likely to be something more mutual and personal to them. Like, taking out Xemnas, securing their freedom, and then eating ice cream and watching the sunset every day. I'd wager that when Days was first written, that was the idea, more or less.

Disney has been more conservative lately about LGBTQ content and they are the ones that own KH. Or maybe Square-Enix just thought overt romantic undertones between two men would damage the game's "accessibility" especially in places like China or the Middle East where even implied homosexuality is illegal. In any case, the KH3 team clearly wanted to drive home that Isa was obsessed with a girl. He was mad that Lea forgot about the girl. The GIRL, okay!? Honestly, I think Nomura was probably told to "tone it down".

(Japanese Translation) Lea: I never forgot. Isa: Yeah, I know. You're not that kind of person. Probably… I was just jealous. Lea: You're being honest. Isa: Once I'm human again, I wouldn't say something this embarrassing.

Lea's shadow self was a crybaby. He couldn't bear to lose his best friend. Isa's shadow was also related to his difficulty acknowledging his feelings. The VERY subtle implication was that Isa was not being candid about his intentions. His anger at Axel in Days and KH2 didn't have a damn thing to do with any girl. And finding her wasn't the reason he joined the Organization once again in KH3. But he didn't want to admit the real reason. It was too embarrassing. So, he lied.

You used to be a crybaby. Before I knew it, the marks under your eyes that stopped you from crying disappeared, and you began to make friends other than me and laughed with them. [...] In the end, you're still a crybaby, but you don't need those upside-down tears anymore. Just like you don't need me anymore. Yes, I thought I wasn't someone you wanted around any longer. That's why I sacrificed myself for that man. If you don't need me, then there's nothing left for me.

He does admit it in his Character File short story, though. He thought Lea didn't need him anymore and he no longer had any purpose. But if he stated this on screen without also mentioning the girl, I think too many people would have realized how gay Isa and Lea were for each other. We couldn't have that now, could we? The short story HEAVILY implies that Lea's upside-tears were related to how much he needed Isa and couldn't bear to lose him.

“I never thought he would grow as much as he has. We originally planned to have him exit upon being defeated by Roxas during the opening of KHII, but all the staff, myself included, were strongly inclined to have him keep playing an active role after that. It's possible he will have things to do in the future, too. I tried to put that into his 'see you' line in KH2 FM+.”

Overall, Lea and Isa's storyline in KH3 was only a shadow of what it was originally intended to be. After waiting seven years, I can’t say I enjoyed it all that much. But I respect that Nomura didn't completely extinguish the intimacy between these two and their final exchange was still extremely tender. Especially with the Japanese voice acting. The last words that Lea and Isa exchange on screen are "see you". That particular line was apparently very significant.

Axel: Let's meet again in the next life. Roxas: Yeah, I'll be waiting.

Even in the original KH2, I always suspected that what Axel said to Roxas was what he and his human best friend once said to each other. But Lea, being the crybaby that he is, couldn't let Isa go.

Next to you, I eat the sweet and salty ice cream. It tastes the same as it did back in Radiant Garden when we were young. I never imagined a future like this, sitting side by side and eating ice cream. Being the crybaby is supposed to be your specialty. And yet… The sunset stings my eyes.

It makes me sad that for most players, the main takeaway they got from Lea and Isa's KH3 storyline was: "Who is Subject X? Is she Ava or Skuld? Where did Luxu take her? Will Lea and Isa go looking for her in KH4?" I couldn’t care less about Subject X or the Lost Masters arc, to be frank. The main payoff for their story wasn't supposed to be a potential reunion with some time traveling girl in KH4. It was supposed to be this moment right here. This epilogue scene was supposed to be the definitive ending to Axel's long and painful character arc. At least Tomoco Kanemaki viewed it that way.

[catgirl-catboy]

Mikan Tsumiki has Histrionic Personality Disorder

I bet you thought I was joking about typing up a whole analysis on this. Let me preface this by saying I'm not histrionic myself, so please let me know if I make any mistakes when discussing this.

This is less of a headcanon, and more of a theory due to the large amount of evidence, that being said, if you dislike or disagree with it, that's a-okay!

A nice long analysis under the cut.

To those unfamiliar with HPD, Wikipedia defines it as "a personality disorder characterized by a pattern of excessive attention-seeking behaviors, usually beginning in early adulthood" which certainly fits what we see of Mikan in canon.

Here's a screenshot for evidence:

That being said, we should point out that Mikan's behaviours in high stress situations like a killing game isn't equivalent to how she'd behave normally. That being said, lets get into the actual diagnostic criteria for HPD!

I think we can right away check off E, since deliberately falling in suggestive positions is one of Mikan's main character quirks. I could post the CG of her doing this as evidence, but lets not.

I also feel like D is another easy criteria to mark off, since most of Mikan's relationships are characterized by her desire for approval and appreciation. This is most notable with her abusive relationship with Junko, but we also see some shades of this during her FTEs with Hajime, implying it isn't specific to this bad relationship.

Mikan needs somebody in her life that forgives her existence, and every action, both positive and negative, she takes. But that isn't all the evidence that I have that Mikan is continuously seeking appreciation and approval from others, since its a large part of her talent.

A lot of ways Mikan gets positive attention from others is through nursing them back to health, and its one of the few areas in her life she feels confident in. That being said, in one of her FTEs she says some... questionable things about her patents.

And here it is again in Danganronpa S, showing it wasn't just her phrasing things oddly.

Her working as a nurse isn't completely altruistic, since she feeds off the attention and power she has over her patients.

I think that checks off "continual seeking for excitement, appreciation by others, and activities in which the patient is the centre of attention" really solidly. I have less evidence for the rest of the diagnostic criteria, but I believe they fit anyway. I feel like she fits "self-dramatization, theatricality, exaggerated expression of emotions;"

but its a bit harder to say for sure due to a lot of Danganronpa characters doing the same thing, so its unclear how normal Mikan's reactions are in her own universe.

Mikan has one of the more extreme breakdowns of the series, but she was not entirely in her right mind at the time, so idk if I should count it. She also has a very extreme shot to the heart event compared to other characters, where Hajime must propose to her to get the best ending.

Here are some quotes where she has a very exaggerated emotional expression, for your consideration. ""Ah! I-I'm sorry for laughing so suddenly! I-It's just...I can't help it. I'm just so happy, I can't remember the last time I made any friends... Ah, not that you actually want to be friends with me! I'm soooo sorry I said something so...presumptuous! I'll do anything you say... Just...please don't hate me...!"" ""Ah, so in the end...you're all just a bunch of bullies, huh? Justifying your actions with fancy words... M-Making excuses for why it's not really your fault... E-Everyone always treats me like that... Always... "It's all her fault..." "Sh-She's the one with the problem..." I...I'm done with that! You hear me!? I'm doooooooooone! It's not fair...It's not fair not fair not fair notfair notfair notfair notfairnotfairnotfairnotfairnotfair... Why won't you forgive me!? If you did something wrong...you'd forgive yourself right away...! What did I do!? Why won't anybody forgive me!?""

I also think there's a solid argument for her meeting the "over-concern with physical attractiveness." criteria! It is the main way she gets attention, after all. A lot of her comments have to do with her body, and a lot of the presents she likes are things she can wear.

So long as you belive one of the 'maybe' criteria, then she has enough for a proper HPD diagnosis.

[yuseirra]

This isn't totally about 162 so I'll just post this without a read more:

Here I am trying to make sense out of things that don't~ it's times like this I realize I have a brain because I can feel it running frantically on its own in the background like CPU to form an analogy to make it all work together.

It's really confusing...tbh,

By the way, WHY did Kamiki acknowledge Ai was just your normal, ordinary girl if it were to come to this? It's what's helped me build my understanding around this guy, is that idea still relevant? About Kamiki still loving Ai even while seeing her as a person?

At this point, I won't be surprised if the author writes they changed what they originally planned bc they saw the reactions that insisted Kamiki should be a villain, because what's been going on totally contradicts what he's said back there. He DIDN'T have to say it, no one expected the character to make such a statement but he did, was there a point in that? That was the line he's made that sold me the idea that him and Ai could have really been a match as well as Ai's video.

Yeah, it's probably that Kamiki broke down after Ai passed? Because he couldn't bear her presence fading away year after year after her death, so he couldn't accept that and wanted to become closer to her somehow(through this bizzare reasoning he's formed)

So, this motive of his isn't about her popularity or how well she's known to the public, it's more about the way he "feels" about her. Because... Yeah, killing someone who surpasses Ai doesn't really automatically lead to her suddenly being acknowledged more by the public. It's really hard to form that sort of connection, wouldn't it?; and why do something like that during when Ai's still alive? It would have taken place after she's gone away.

Would it really be that he changed only because she left him? That wouldn't be it, could it?; she had his kids!! He could have gone and met them! The fact that she's alive and he could meet her would BE proving her presence and significance. So I do insist on the idea that Hikaru started growing the way he is after Ai's passing.

It does also align with the song's vibes on how he can't bear to live without her and would sacrifice anything, to fill in what's missing and all that. The song also states that he's accepted this sort of fate he is, and that he "wants to get closer to the only Ai"

So yes, it's determined that Fatal is really indeed his song.

In that case though, how DOES doing what he does make him grow closer to her?; Is there something that's made him convinced it'd actually prove to do so and an idea that has some sort of solid base or reality, or is it just him having a vague feeling of twisted closeness towards Ai? Goodness, what's gotten into him?

In an analysis I wrote sometime back, I wrote this must be the way he felt after Ai's death:

He hasn’t been able to move on at all. It’s like he was unable to take a single step forward from the moment Ai died. He’s probably been living with that kind of deep sorrow and despair, thinking he deserves to suffer as punishment, and he might have intentionally kept those feelings alive. That’s why I believe this character would’ve tried to undo the situation. To him, it’s as if time hasn’t passed at all… He just couldn’t accept Ai’s death, so he’d wish, even at the cost of anything, that it hadn’t happened, and maybe he wished he were dead instead of her. Without Ai, as the lyrics say in the song, he can't go on living. He doesn’t even want to live. If there had been any hope of saving her, I think he would’ve clung to it. If such a hope didn't exist, it would’ve been tough for him to hold on to these emotions for so long.

He really could not move on at all, huh...

But would he be worth sympathizing with or deserve some sort of pity if he only results to this... He's the one Ai loves and risked so much for, I really, really wanted that to be the case. Now I just don't know. Ai should smack him back to his senses if it is that he's lost it;

I really should give up on the idea that he wanted to bring Ai back to life at this point (even if that's what he wanted, I guess he's already crossed the line)

But why have lyrics like that in Mephisto, I wonder;; that song really ISN'T Aqua either. It's about wishing the dead back.

Hm.. It could be that he really did want her back but since that's what's impossible, he wanted to become like her by taking lives that he deems as valuable as Ai's and that really was all there is to it.

It'd be.. Sad if the guy Ai loved only amounts to this much though, I can sense his desperation and how significant Ai was to him, she really WAS his everything, but... That's not someone Ai should wish to save. He really should rot with all those lives he's taken(if he's ACTUALLY done so)so I wonder.

This turn of events would make sense and I'd have accepted it in one go if only 153-154 did not exist, so I really have to wonder what the author wants to do with that... Man, he seems too far gone repair,

REALLY!! Maybe he's really possessed and needs to undergo Misogi you know?? Sarutahiko is THE symbol of misogi.. Involves salt and water -_-)

Mephisto and Fatal really turned out to be his song!! I believe so? Because Aqua is not about wanting to meet someone beyond death again?? He's not all about I can't bear to live without you, what should I use to fill in what's missing?

So is this all there is to those songs? They seem too strong to be left at this. I feel it should be displayed in a more obvious and significant way within the story if it's tied this strongly. I'd do that if I were to be a comic writer because it'd be a perfect opportunity to bring a catharsis, but again, who knows? Mhm, I'll just stand back and read a few more chapters.

Seriously why introduce the idea that he was as far as being "noble"? There is no point in that if he results to someone that can kill their own child for some ridiculous reason. And some parts of the lyrics always stood out so much for me... Is it really natural for your average person to say things like embaracing destiny or fallen-ness, reincarnation, forgotten who I lived as, etc? Become someone else? I wonder if there is point to hope, but I do really want some explanations regarding why those whole had to be mentioned.

Will then, till next chapter drops!

[borom1r]

2, 3, 7, 8, 9, 12, 14, 18, 20, 22 for lotr from the violence ask meme 😈

OK i have answered 2 already but lets do this thing fuck yea (thank uuuuuuuuuu!!!!!)

3) screenshot or description of the worst take you’ve seen on tumblr

look its not really a "take" but the amount of people who just post variations of "I don't like Boromir, he's the worst" IN THE BOROMIR TAG is genuinely insane to me. like have ur (incorrect) opinion but keep it out of the tag worstie

7) what character did you begin to hate not because of canon but because how how the fandom acts about them?

uhhhh no one thank the gods. ive always disliked Denethor Because of canon. but i will say stumbling across the file index of an old LotR fansite + clicking on files w/ no preview only to find graphics thirsting over Denethor did cause massive psychic damage lmao

8) common fandom opinion that everyone is wrong about

idk 😭 i dont interact w/ the broader fandom really. i do find the way ppl reduce Pippin to Just a joke character in fanon insufferable tho

9) worst part of canon

BOOK!FARAMIR + HIS MIDDLEMEN SHTICK MY WORSTIE.

also ngl i do find the Aragorn/Arwen romance....... Weird. like I'm far from averse to "love at first sight" so long as it comes with the recognition that it's really more infatuation + true love takes work. and there's the fact Aragorn fell head over heels for an image of Lúthien, and Arwen's heart did not turn towards him until Galadriel dressed him up in elven finery. not to mention she was "not yet weary of her days" when Aragorn dies + has to die "whether I will or I nill" like she. wastes away? slowly alone in Lothlórien.

like idk [Aragorn kinnie voice] that's my sister, man but all that aside I do think.. Arwen deserved better? I like that the movies made her more active + I do wish she'd actually been there at Helm's Deep bc it would've been fun to see her and Éowyn bond but yeah. the vibes were off with that whole situation imho

12) the unpopular character that you actually like and why more people should like them

huh. does Théodred count? i feel like he's kind of a blank slate so fandom can just kinda run wild with him but i do genuinely enjoy writing him + find that there are solid implications for at least a friendship between him + Boromir (if not more). i mean, Boromir got a Rohirric shield from someone

14) that one thing you see in fics all the time

ok th implication here bein its sth that bothers me which thankfully i pretty much only read Aramir or Faramir/Éomer fics soooo theres not much??

i think the only things that RLLY get to me + they aren't THAT popular trope-wise (or ive been rlly good at avoiding them lmao) are fics that 1) make Boromir overly aggressive or 2) completely woobify Faramir

+ tbh the Faramir one bothers me more actually. that is a grown ass man and captain of the rangers of Ithilien.....................

18) it’s absolutely criminal that the fandom has been sleeping on…

HRM. again idk :3 <- blissfully not interacting w the broader fandom + only interacting w/ ppl w correct takes on Boromir + Rohan

(tentatively i need to start following more ppl i see some of yall in my notes + i shld follow. sorry im like a nervous dog u need to coax out from under the porch lol)

20) part of canon you found tedious or boring

side-eyeing my copies of the Histories. i need to finish those. eventually.............

22) your favorite part of canon that everyone else ignores

ignores?????? nothing i think (thankfully lmao) but i will say there is SO much detail in the films that it makes me INSANE. ik we literally just talked abt this in DMs lmao but i could sit n talk abt LotR costuming for fucking HOURS the films were SO stunning and the clothing alone reveals sooooooo much abt the characters i think its a super underrated vehicle for character analysis :3

[cecekeating]

My 612 Jordayla Analysis/Commentary and Breakdowns pt 1

OMG!! My Jordayla bears are getting married!! I almost can’t believe it! Today’s breakdown is gonna be long! I hope you are seated and ready because we are gonna be doing a deep dive into some parts of the episodes that I feel needed some extra explanation.

We start off the episode with Jordayla practicing their wedding dance. They were so cute and this scene screamed YOUNG LOVE!! From Jordan and Layla being in super casual outfits to their banter while dancing and Jordan being a complete goofball with his dance idea. Episodes 606-610 had us seeing a very mature, stable Jordan as he led and helped Layla navigate her mental health journey. I am so glad the writers put us back on regular programming to remind us that Jordan is still the unserious, lovable goofball that he is.  We even had Jordan at the beginning of the dance take a sniff of Layla’s hair or was that a kiss on her head? All through that scene, you could just see a super young couple in love with each other. Can we also talk about that dip? Because I know I am not the only one that saw and felt the sexual tension there. Layla and Jordan looking deep into each other’s soul like their life depends on it! If this is a teaser of the actual wedding dance, I fear I might not survive when this wedding airs. If you want to fully appreciate that scene, I urge you to study the gifs that @supagirl_86 shared on Twitter. You won’t regret it. 

While dancing, we find out Olivia is now Layla’s maid of honor and this means Jordan will need to pick a best man within two days - a task Jordan finds conflicting. By the way, Jordan was so unserious for that comment about Layla not having any other friends. I guess it was payback for the coach Mac boyfriend jokes in episode 608.

So we see Jordan try to talk to Spencer about the whole bestman situation. This conversation then brings up the fact that Jordan and Layla have not fully discussed where they would live after marriage. It also makes Jordan realize that he has not fully thought about what happens after they get married. What will their future look like? You can see Jordan sort of panic here and although Spencer tries to assure him, it doesn’t do much to ease his worries.

As if it was planned, the next time we see Jordan in conversation with another male character, it is with Asher. They talk about work and again, this conversation brings to light the fact that Jordan and Layla have not discussed whether they want children. Something that really struck me was Jordan mentioning that Layla is an only child and she had a tough parental situation. This means Jordan has a full understanding and picture of Layla’s childhood and how it affected her. I want you to have this at the back of your mind because I will be expanding on this further in the write up. Jordan panics again because now he is not sure if Layla wants children. He wants to be a father but he doesn’t know if Layla is on the same page with him. 

I want us to pause here because when this came on my screen at first I was like “huh?”. How on earth will the writing tell us that Layla and Jordan have not communicated about being parents or wanting to live together? I thought about this for a while and I have concluded that there are two parts to this arc for Jordayla. 

The first part is the writing wanting the decision about having children and living together to be on screen with the audience being privy to Layla’s POV. It is super realistic that this came up at this time because the wedding got pushed up within a month. This means that there was so much that they never got to talk about and handle because they had to put finishing touches to the wedding plans. I think the biggest reason why Jordayla did not also have this conversation is due to what they went through this season. Everybody and their mama knows that Jordan and Layla went through it with her mental health and the recovery process. Layla was not in the right headspace at all to discuss living arrangements or even having children. All through this mental health journey, Jordan was laser focused on Layla being her best mentally and emotionally. There was no time to discuss housing plans or even parenting. Don’t forget that Jordan wanting them to look to the future and eventually move in together was actually one of the causes of her triggers and eventual decision to wean off her medications. We all know how that went. 

It totally makes sense that Jordan and Layla have not had a full blown discussion about where to live and whether they want children when you consider what they had to deal with as Layla struggled with her mental health. 

Now let us go to the cabin episode in 606. I know a lot of the citizens of Jordayla nation brought up this episode to push back at the writing for Jordayla in this episode. This cabin episode was used to plant the seeds on two key issues that Jordayla will handle before marriage - home and children.  In the scene where they are talking about their top three priorities, can you remember the look Layla shared with Jordan when Catience spoke about buying their own home? I remember watching that scene and predicting that Jordayla had either discussed their housing situation OR Jordan/Layla had made plans about getting a home. That part of the scene was sort of a foreshadowing that the living situation will be discussed in future. Remember that this happened after the whole back and forth with Jordan wanting Layla to move in with him.

In that same scene, we had Jordan share his top three priorities. When he said he wanted to marry Layla, we saw Layla’s reaction. She gave a huge smile indicating that she was on the same page with him. When he spoke about starting a family however, we didn’t see Layla’s reaction. That scene established that Jordan wanted a family and what the writing wanted to do by not showing Layla’s reaction was to have the audience wondering if that was what Layla wanted as well. We saw her reaction to wanting to get married, why didn’t we see her reaction to starting a family? This however flew over our heads because it was already canon in episode 406 that Layla wanted to be a mom. So there was nothing for us as the audience to guess or wonder about as we already knew she wanted to be a mom one day. 

In a way, episode 606 was written to have the audience ask the questions: would Jordan and Layla get their own place after marriage and does Layla want to start a family with Jordan? Episode 612 answered those questions and sort of brought it full circle. It is also not lost on me that this episode that dropped clues on Jordayla and their future was the same episode where Layla mentioned that her number one priority was marrying Jordan and they should set a date for the wedding. They were on course to plan the future until the incident with the vandalism set them back. 

I continue in part two.

[return-to-twisted-wonderland]

🌸 Anon

Catching up. A ‘popular’ song from earth

Elisa getting the explanation from Ortho had helped a great deal. Twisted Wonderland is the world they not live on but are also from too(Huh, now that Elisa thinks about it. Is she technically an alien?), Night Raven College or NRC for short is one of two magic school on Sage Island(Where they are right now but it’s not exactly where she, Ortho, and Idia are from), Crowley is technically in a sense the headmaster but it’s technically called headmage here. The robes well they are ceremonial robes for NRC.(As for how they got on her, well magic) Ignihyde is the dorm he and Idia are in, Ortho said it is bit more complicated than that but he’ll explain that part later when he is with Idia. Elisa felt it was only fair to answer Ortho’s own questions too, such as what Earth’s like. Elisa did her best to explain what is like there, aside the obvious no magic. Some part of her wishes she can just show actual images and not describing it, however she would have to make do with just trying to explain with words as well as describing it as best as she can. Even at some point. Singing one of the songs from Earth, there actually so many to choose from, so she picks one from an musical she saw before, clearing her throat. She began to sing ‘Popular’ From Wicked(She did explain what the song is and what musical it came from so Ortho would understand it more). “Whenever I see someone less fortunate than I, And let's face it, who isn't less fortunate than I? My tender heart tends to start to bleed” she even danced a little while singing too. “And when someone needs a makeover, I simply have to take over! I know, I know exactly what they need!” She sung and danced like she was the character that sung the song in the musical “And even in your case, Though it's the toughest case I've yet to face” and Ortho was her audience(plus maybe even dance partner) to her singing(Even if he was the only one listening to said singing) “Don't worry, I'm determined to succeed! Follow my lead And yes indeed, you, will, be, Popular! You're gonna be popular! I'll teach you the proper ploys, When you talk to boys Little ways to flirt and flounce Ooh!” A little hop in her step “I'll show you what shoes to wear!” She clicked the heels of her shoes together “How to fix your hair!” Gestured to her hair “Everything that really counts to be Popular! I'll help you be popular! You'll hang with the right cohorts You'll be good at sports, Know the slang you've got to know So let's start 'Cause you've got an awfully long way to go!” Both Elisa and Ortho continued to head for Ramshackle while she continued to sing and dance the song for her twin brother “Don't be offended by my frank analysis” he might have been pulled along to dance with her while she is singing “Think of it as personality dialysis” she looked to mimic having glasses for a quick second “Now that I've chosen to become a pal, a sister and advisor, There's nobody wiser! Not when it comes to, Popular! I know about popular And with an assist from me To be who you'll be Instead of dreary who you were Well, are There's nothing that can stop you From becoming popu-ler… lar” heh, Elisa looked to have fun singing this song for him “La la, la la!” She spun around when she was singing that part. “We're gonna make you pop-you-lar!” She smiled too as she was singing it. Elisa looked she enjoyed this song. She sang for a while until they eventually got outside in the direction of Ramshackle. Until the dorm itself was almost in sight.

“And though you protest, Your disinterest” she holds Ortho’s hands “I know clandestinely” she soon let go of his hands as she soon grins to match the next set of lyrics. “You're gonna grin and bear it! Your new found popularity! Aah!” there’s her spin from before “La la, la la!” She managed to stop spinning in order to face him “You'll be popular!” As she was going to conclude her song for her twin, she didn’t realize Idia was soon behind her thus most likely heard her singing. “Just not quite as popular as me!”

Idia: ...What song was that?

[yakuzabrainrotlive]

Did some real plot progression! Finished Tanimura's section ^^

The first and only thing I wanna say above the read more is F U C K that boat chase sequence. That was TERRIBLE. Had to switch to easy difficulty. I don't usually get motion sick, but that shit made me queasy. Controls were weird too. Or at least I thought they were.

Maybe I just suck - wouldn't be surprised. You see, I suck at those types of tasks in these games in general - the car/helicopter/truck shooting chase sequences in previous installments also had me tearing my hair out.

Corruption??? In law enforcement??? NO WAYYYY *pretends to be shocked* . Nah but fr. Wish I could say I'm surprised.

Okay I really wanna see how this was pulled off. I'm VERY curious. But also I feel SO bad for Saejima. He lost 25 YEARS of his life to murders he didn't actually commit. Obviously he would have done some time for attempting the whole thing, but I doubt it would have been anywhere close to that long.

IT'S ALL STARTING TO COME TOGETHER. I've been waiting for this!! Can't wait to see all the boys working towards solving this mess. I was worried for a second that this would be kind of like Y0 and they'd always be so close to each other but never cross paths.

I'm happy I actually managed to get this part right in my first impressions-based character analysis. Maybe it was obvious, I don't know. Always fun to see what I get right or wrong. Gosh, Akiyama is such an intriguing character. So, SO rich, yet still so kind.

Also I'm sorry but I still don't buy this Akiyama-Falling-For-Yasuko thing. Like sure!! I've heard love can be quite unpredictable and some people fall fast. Hell, maybe Akiyama is that type of person. But... I feel like they barely interacted in my opinion. I remember there was the whole "looks like my ex whom I still miss" thing and I guess that's... valid? But gahhh. I just don't feel this one.

In fact, if there's one thing I don't like about the games too much this far, it's how these "romances" are handled. It often feels like they either:

A) come out of nowhere (current example and Kiryu and Yumi imo) OR

B) they're there for a very small amount of time and then they're kind of... pushed aside and not explored (Kiryu & Kaoru).

Only exceptions I can come up with are... OBVIOUSLY Majima and Makoto and, while it wasn't a romance, I also liked the thing with Reina and Nishiki in Kiwami. Yes, despite how that one ended. Dunno know if that's a hot take or not.

Looking back, there were some visible flags for this that I probably should've picked up on. But to be honest, I don't tend to pick up on things on first playthroughs in general, AND it had been a while since I played Akiyama's part. This one was a surprise.

I liked this warehouse scene a lot in general. Sugiuchi's power play of "What are you gonna do? Shoot me? Japanese police don't shoot!" was rad and it really showcased how much of a veteran he is in terms of knowing how the police operate.

Also enjoyed the display of Tanimura's almost tunnel vision-type of determination for finding the truth. Consequences be damned; this man will shoot and fight if it keeps Sugiuchi there and gets him closer to his goal.

Sugiuchi being an undercover Yakuza member came out of left field for me. Gosh, I kind of wanna see more of this guy's life and how he operated back in the day. His backstory was cool enough to fit a protagonist character in my opinion.

Uh-

Huh. Okay. Umm... lemme just... Process.

I can kinda sorta see it. Maybe. Still, a very risky plan. This relied on:

-all the men actually getting knocked out from the bullets (especially those that didn't hit their heads) after they were hit and not waking up right after

-Saejima not noticing the relatively significant lack of blood from the bullet wounds and on the floor at any point

-Saejima not checking for signs of life on Ueno Yoshiharu after the shot like a proper assassin would

-AND, glaringly, two yakuza not noticing the bullets not being proper bullets while inspecting them before the hit.

Clearly it worked, but... gosh. So many risks. Also can I just say... Munakata is SCARY sharp. I know he's trained to notice discrepancies in crime scenes, but the way he utterly DISMANTLED Sugiuchi's report was kind of terrifying.

The amount of sloppiness on Katsuragi's part makes me wonder if it was all purposeful, though. It was almost like he knew Munakata was sus and would wanna contact him.

NAHHH NO WAY😭😭 There was only one gunshot, though!!!! Someone survived, it has to be true!! (delusional) 🥺

[stunie]

Darling I've noticed that you're open for matchups. You have been taking requests a lot as far as I can track and I hope you took your time on them. 🥲🥲

I come here to participate, if you're still open? Please if it's necessary, you may ignore this request of mine. Your thoughts on things matters to me. <33

You wrote one of my favorites... KN8, Haikyū!! and Windbreaker. And you did all the characters very well. Chef kiss. Plus Hoshina— dear Hoshina. I've been thinking of him all day and it is getting unhealthy. HELP if you don't mind getting me a Windbreaker boy? Men? Yes?

---

Things about me: I'm a she/her! Hitting 18 is a change for me and weww. The level of stress has increased and coffee is my water now. But I'm still young so i'm trying to find some ways to unstress myself, sighs? I'm an INTJ (and I got a mixed feeling of this MBTI bc sometimes, I do not know myself. 😓😓) and sleepy 24/7. I'm comfortable at sleeping anywhere as long as I can close my eyes still. I'm patient, tend to be seen as relaxed and aloof but can be unhinged whenever I am left alone with my thoughts or with my friends. Pretty mean but I tend to be considerate. Too considerate that even meeting people and no matter how open that person is, I get formal. I love and hate to stay late, and love and hate studying, and love and hate everything (moody at some times).

I went to a program last Wednesday and took an Intelligence Test Survey. I got 100% of Existential Intelligence and 20% of Interpersonal... And hope this helps through your analysis of my personality?

I love to draw too! Sing, read, watch anime and listen to music. Especially listening to classical music and dancing around the room alone is the type of tea. As much as I wanted to engage myself in physical activities, my stamina is same as Kenma (my spirit animal, i'm afraid). I have some struggles with sharing my thoughts out loud and would take me time to share it. I'm a stuttering mess if I failed to express my thoughts.

Learning history give me some kind of hype despite the fact I tend to forget things,, but I really love to know what's been happening from the past (and it made me believed that I have a past life where i'm living in Victorian era... Delusional me). Other topics I love to learn is Art, Science, Philosophy and Psychology. 💪🏻

I never dated someone's before so I appreciate things deeply of what that s/o shows. Even if its quiet or loud kind of love.

---

That's all and I wonder what are your thoughts? Hope this isn't too much. Thank you for reading all the way here!! 🥲🥲 Have a good day dear and take your time. ^^

HI HI nonnie !! bahahaha we’ve done a lot huh !!! it was so fun (: you’re so kind for checking on me! thank you for that (& for joining in!!) 🥺 i appreciate it very much ����🤍 for yours, im thinking ….!!!!

SUGISHITA! :O i think the dynamic here would be the cutest thing ever. look at sugishita on the right pic … and you said ur sometimes seen as relaxed and aloof ?!! thinking about you two sitting together nahahahah and nirei is like “i wonder what those two are thinking about.” ITS CUTE. also he’s joining you in every activity. or if not, he’s supporting you in every activity. listens to your classical music. perks up at your drawings and he looks really excited when you show him…STUTTERING MESS YOU SAY? it’s okay! he’s patient. he’ll understand. also thinks it’s cute ….

[willel]

I feel like the series centered Joyce's character around Hopper way too much in these last two seasons, and I've seen other fans also complaining about it. And honestly, I have to say that I tend to agree. Hopper's got himself a whole Russia prison arc, and while Joyce helped him, she was mostly just there to help Hopper's arc take place. I just feel like her character (and Winona's acting) is being wasted. And it honestly is a shame because Winona/Joyce is truly the reason why the serie got so popular in the first place, in S1-S2 her character focus was really great and I wish they did not change it in favor of Hopper's storyline.

It's a complicated problem. I don't think Hopper himself is the problem. Like, we did need a little more substance to him, especially after the mess of season 3. Yes, I'm someone who disliked the season 3 plot with him, it felt like a huge waste of time. (the entirety of season 3 did)

I think the bigger issue is while Joyce and Hopper's time was quite balanced in season 1 and 2, season 3 just completely tipped the scales in Hopper's direction. We started getting less and less of what Joyce was thinking and doing outside of Hopper's shenanigans.

But Joyce is not the only character who suffers from this. Jonathan arguably had it even worse. As each season progressed, more and more of his character was glazed over in favor of Nancy. This is not a knock against Nancy obviously, but you can see how the writers just... can't balance these relationships for some reason.

I'd argue Will also suffers from this. The boy has a lot going on but for two seasons now, it's being boiled down to his conflict with Mike. It's a great way to show how isolated and distant he's become but at the same time, he's got SO much more going on why does it always boil down to their romantic interests?

Mike has this two fold. I've written posts about it before but I have no idea what the hell the writers are doing with his character. I've read a few analysis on what the Duffers are doing with his writing, but it always boils down to, "This is because of El. This is because of Will." I just don't get it.

I know they aren't perfect, but I honestly feel like so far, Lucas and Max has made it out the most unscathed from the writers subpar balancing of character dynamics. They both have their own bad shit going on that culminated into something epic and beautiful. Arguably Lucas still gets a little lost in Max's story line, but I mean... I get WHY. Lucas wasn't about to be mangled beyond recognition with his soul sucked out so I get it.

All that said, I have .01% confidence the writers will fix this for season 5. It could happen. But I'm not getting my hopes up. This issue in the writing runs very deep and affects multiple characters and dynamics. I've been craving Byers platonic content for years, whether it's Joyce focused, Jonathan focused, Will focused, or El focused and my hopes have been dashed time and time again.

I got crumbs in season 4 and that's all I've had to tide me over for a long time. I'm just... so ready for everyone to look at the Byers and be like "Oh shit you guys are f*cked up huh? Lemmie help you." and give them some much needed attention.

I also understand I am completely and utterly biased so nothing I've said is an objective fact. I mean, other than how lopsided the writing has been, that is pretty objective.

[candy8448]

Sage themes worst to best (imo)

I LOVED the sage music, it sounds so good!! None of them are bad, i really liked them all, its just that i prefer some over the others

Looking back on these, im quite impressed by my analysis, i wrote this on the spot with nothing planned in mind and it turned out so well, huh

(Spoilers, if you haven't gotten the fith sage yet)

5: Tulin

IM SORRY, i love Tulin too, he is adorable, and his theme reflects that, sounding flighty and fresh and young and hopeful, those are the first impression i got when i first watched the cutscene. Tulin was my first sage and while listening to the music in that cutscene (after just finishing the colgera fight with an AMAZING track) i knew that the other sages were going to also have sick themes. His theme is just not the style i like, it's the only one (maybe including sidon) that i wouldn't actively chose to listen to. Its still good tho.

4: Sidon

I... dont really care about sidon, i like his personality, i just prefer riju and tulin over him and never really cared about what he got up to (mipha was also my least favorite champion, so maybe i just dont care about the fish people?)

Anyway, Sidon was the only "new champion" in BotW who had a full theme that wasn't just 20 seconds long, so of course they would use it instead of creating something new for the others (which in breath of the wild, was just a cut bit from the champion themes) it is a really good reprise for sidon's theme (i did love his theme in botw), it just doesnt do it for me like the others do. Like sidon's character, it stays the same, iit doesnt bring that much new to the table. Its good, so it sticks with it.

Tied second: Riju and Mineru

I love them both, they sound so good fir very different reasons, i cannot pick a favorite between them

Riju

Riju is my favorite sage, and i like how her theme carries a lot of Urbosa's them with it, like how Riju is, the music carries on Urbosa's legacy, and it just feels like confidence, pride, finally found what she was looking for in herself to be a leader. Also i just love how it sounds, it sounds... kinda heavy? I dont know how to explain it, its just good.

Mineru

Unlike the others, her theme isnt bombastic and hopeful with newfound strength, it sounds sadder, but calmer. It slowly builds up but still stays lower. It does sound like how she stayed asleep for milenia, coming back but not with all herself, having to stay as a construct. She is the one who saw how the sages got defeated in the imprisoning war, and the music reflects that. It kind of sounds like an unsure hope? Like she doesn't know if it will work out but she is willing to put everything on the table to help link

After over 110 hours of the game, playing since day one, i only just got to this part of the game yesterday (spent a LOT of time exploring and doing sidequests) and imediatwlly noticed how drawn back this theme is, learning about the war right after this cutscene was a lot, it was a great scene, and the music fits so well

1: Yunobo

Didn't like him in botw, still dont know if i care about him (i still accidently call him Daruk cuz i forget his name), but his character is a lot better and BOY is this music good!

I loved it the moment i heard it so much that i just had to post the cutscene with the kusic to youtube. His dungeon was my absolute favorite and the music in the dungeon itself was also so good.

His theme starts all clumsy, like the character we knew in botw, but still takes into account his development from that game. Then we get to the GOOD stuff! just has the OOMPH and OUGH and its so bombastic, it sounds strong like the gorons and it sounds freeing, it sounds good, he knows his mistakes from the begining of when we find him in this game, he is confident, stong. Unlike Daruk's theme which started strong then went softer, slower, full if regret, Yunobo's starts clumsy, softer, then builds up into this new character he has made for himself, free of his regrets of what he has done and redeamed. Out of all tge new champions and sages, Yunobo is the one who went through the most development between the two games and his music definetly reflects that.

Also i just loved it from first listen, without thinking about all this that i wrote just now, its judt the best sounding overall, honestly i might like this character more now just because of this

[catboymansion]

👀👀 I'm curious about the costuming in not me?

(cracking knuckles) let's get into it.

So the main thing I learned in college is:

Costuming is Storytelling.

Costumes should blend into the character themselves, creating a story of where this person has been and where they are going and should be coherent with the directing and acting choices. They should be invisible.

Unless the script specifically uses costumes as symbolic pieces.

The most obvious example of this in Not Me the Series are the button scenes:

I actually used a somewhat similar device in a show I designed so when I saw these I said OH BITCH so we're using SYMBOLS HUH

These are not only important because they're a part of each other's costumes, but because they're part of each other's ARMOR.

Why armor?

Obviously the costumes in Not Me pull very heavily from classic street punk style. And the first rule of punk style is that your vest is your battle gear. It's what you go to protests in, it's a declaration of war, it's a billboard of all you fight for and exactly who you fight against. That's where they get Black's forever vest right:

I'm weird. I'm a weirdo. You ever see me without this stupid vest on?

But it's boring. It's uninspired. No patches, no paint, NOTHING. It doesn't tell a story. It's a bland facade of what he's supposed to represent. Now this scene:

Look at the colors!! The DIY portions! THE PAINTED DENIM! A lot more distressing and customizing went into these pieces, and it goes a long way to humanizing their characters in this moment.

So now we've established that the costumes in Not Me are supposed to be symbols, and we're not supposed to take things at face value. So let's talk about Him...

I'm weird. I'm a weirdo. You ever see me without this stupid shirt...

Obviously Yok is a walking billboard for Boy Who Dreams of a Life Bigger Than This.

I LOVE his tattoos, even if they're repetitive (crows and also the kanji for crow is a little overkill my man)

They're a one for one symbol of his hunger for freedom.

Which is why I HATE Black's tattoo.

What even is that. It's so boring. I'm fully aware that blackwork bars often have symbology attached to them, but the usual meanings make no sense for him to me. Also we couldn't get that bar around his whole arm? Even just a few more inches? For me?

All in all, I am both impressed and confused by the costuming in this show. Why are side characters so richly symbolic, but the main characters are like blank slates? Why use an eagle button when birds are so obviously associated with Yok, not Sean? Why is the BEAUTIFUL street art in this show not also reflected in the clothing? Why doesn't Sean have a back patch done up by Namo?

What I will stand by, and what I will defend to the death in this and any other show is

Limited. Wardrobe.

These people are poor, literally on the run from the law, and living in a car garage or a run down apartment. When I say your battle vest is your battle vest, it's your ONE. You do not lose it, you do not let anyone touch it or borrow it or take it.

(I used to sew patches on vests for biker gangs at my old job and they would refuse to leave the shop while I worked. But that's a whole other storytime)

So when Sean and White exchange buttons, they're exchanged pieces that have never EVER left their person. These are pieces of their souls.

(White might not have gotten it in the moment, but Sean certainly did.)

I've rambled enough, and I hope anyone else found this interesting. Sorry for the essay reply, but i did warn you in those tags 😆 If yall want me to do a silly little analysis of any other BL, let me know 😊 I love crossing my interests.

😘

[saltlickmp3]

hello there lovely mack!!

i hope your doing well, I have some asks here from the doctor who asks: 7, 3, 4 :D

:DD hi!! i'm doing pretty good hehe thank you

3 - favourite male companion

ooh i think graham - he had a nice personality and was a caring guy but also seemed very human yknow?? like companions often get a bit weird after long enough in the tardis but graham was a down-to-earth kinda guy the whole time, he was sweet. idk if he really counts as a companion as such but wilf is wonderful as well hehe. and jack's more of a side character than a companion but omg jack harkness he's so fun

4 - favourite story

oughhhhhh nghhhhhhh uhm okay my heart is calling me to wild blue yonder I FREAKING LOVE WILD BLUE YONDER but i think i like it more as a character study yknow?? most of my favourite parts of doctor who are Character Moments. silence in the library / forest of the dead has stuck with me for quite a while even though i've only actually seen it once (but i'm gonna rewatch it maybe even this evening tbh.... thinking about it a lot recently). waters of mars is another favourite for character reasons but also for plot reasons nghhhh i really like that one. not so much a story but kind of an arc?? at the end of s10 when bill is reunited with heather (the girl with the star eye who got taken by the water) (side note i LOVE it when doctor who episodes use water as a force nghhh sopping wet show) and they finally get to hang out... like bill wanted too... like i know that's not really a story but yeah. idk i dont have one favourite doctor who is just so hnnnnnnrg!!

7 - rank the doctors from best to worst

i couldnt to this normally i had to make a tier list

like i love ten forever even with the Issues but he IS DIFFERENT from fourteen and i stand by this there are things fourteen did or didnt do that ten would have handled very differently its not just the same guy. thirteen my beloved thirteen this is a case of i am taking canon and running with it because i know deep in my heart that she is so so so much more than we got to see. nine and twelve are swag of course, fifteen is WONDERFUL but he hasnt been in enough situations yet to get a proper character analysis yet yknow?? and eleven is. okay i guess. like he could have been better but he wasnt bad or anything he just kinda annoyed me sometimes. idk.

anyways [ shirt that says ask me about doctor who please dear god i have Things To Say] pretty cool show huh?

[seddm]

Have you watched “the ghost and Molly McGee”? If not, I think you should watch it, just to give it a try. The reason that I bring this show up to you it’s because lately, there have been people hating the “ relationship” between the main character, Molly and her “love interest”, Ollie. Some people have been hating the hell out of the character of Ollie, and the reasons people give are ridiculous to say the least. Most of the people are just mad that their personal ships sink after the character of Ollie debuted on season 2 which premiered not too long ago, or they claim that the character of Ollie hasn’t been developed properly “which I disagree completely I think he’s development has been great. This reminds me of all the svtfoe shipping battles back in the old days and made me remember your deep analysis of the show back then, and I thought “huh I wonder how Seddm would analyze this how”. I’m just so curious as to what your opinion would be on all of this. It would be great if you would check it out, I WILL say tho that the show it’s pretty different from STVFOE . It’s mainly “episodic” rather than following an actual storyline but I will say that in season 2, the show does start following a storyline, at least much more than in season1 season it’s still pretty good, just that season 2 it’s a bit better. A little bit more “deep” regarding storyline. You’ll understand what I mean if you see it yourself. Anyways, thank you for reading this. I hope I explained my self well. It’s fine if you don’t like it too. I personally find it very wholesome haha. And again, I find the direction they’re taking with the show in the new season pretty interesting. 😄

I watched S1 of the show, and eventually I'll probably check out S2 as well, and while it was entertaining - I especially enjoy how over the top the facial expressions are, I'm going to be brutally honest: it didn't catch my attention and interest enough for me to form any kind of "analysis" opinion beyond a very surface level entertainment. Might change once I start S2, but as things are right now, I don't have the drive to look at it with the kind of fandom-eye needed to form opinions. Sorry! But I did see something of what was going around the internet when the first leak involving Ollie appeared, and I thing I can understand what you mean. Shippers are gonna ship, after all. Had I been a, don't know, Molly x Libby shipper, I too would have been miffed at sudden competition appearing. Even more since, in this specific case, the former had (so far?) absolutely no romantic undertones, while the latter was presented as a crush from the get go.