#everyone feel like well rounded characters who can be multi faceted

[suckishima]

okay this is so small but makes me really happy. taketora just got done talking about how much he admires tanaka and how cool and "manly" he is, which like makes sense right, both tanaka and taketora are always being shown as these like loud "boy's boys" archetypes who do everything with power, talk about girls, and emphasize "guts" and "manliness," so obviously taketora would respect tanaka

but then he immediately turns to also think about how much he admires fukunaga in the same way—fukunaga who doesn't display any of those same qualities that taketora was just admiring about tanaka. fukunaga is quiet, fairly low-key and doesn't flaunt anything ever. dude just goes around making weird puns that 1 people often barely even hear and 2 apparently seem to baffle everyone. but taketora sees all of that and sees how fukunaga still shows up and gets the job done more than successfully—he's one of the top point getters on the team—and taketora respects him for all of that, still calls him a "man's man" and tbh more than respects him, he admires him and sees him as a rival

and idk that just makes me happy, like 1 it's a nice small way of furudate saying that yeah "manly" is a thing that's important to taketora but it doesn't just mean one stereotypical thing—like it's showing that taketora isn't as one dimensional as we would have thought and that he sees things from multiple perspectives (we also saw this from him back during the whole "guts" thing with kenma and how he respects him too)—and it's also an example of seeing fukunaga from another perspective too. it's because he's so low-key that even we as readers have probably barely noticed how much of a rock he is for the team, but if you got back through their matches you can see how often he does score—he's quiet but he's always there. and i just like that furudate takes a moment to not only acknowledge fukunaga but to do it from taketora's pov in order to really hit it home to us how true it must be

[thesiltverses]

It feels like there are a ton of trans characters in The Silt Verses and I just wanted to say it is pretty rad there are so many whose entire character arcs and personality don’t solely revolve around being trans and they are fully fleshed out characters just like any cis character. LGBT representation in mainstream media is so boring and most of the time, it’s like people think the only facet there is to a queer character is being queer, especially with trans characters. So thanks for making everyone a fully developed character and not just having them there specifically for a “coming out arc” and then being wallpaper the rest of the show.

Hey, and thank you so much for the very kind and generous words!

Your point about LGBTQ+ and particularly trans characters often being portrayed as single-issue personalities in mainstream media is a really interesting one - although I wouldn't feel comfortable agreeing with the idea that TSV does a better job. (Ultimately, I'm a cis man and while I'm very proud of the work we've done, I know my writing carries the limitations and blind spots inherent to my experience, and I know there are trade-offs and downsides to the choices we've made around how queerness is portrayed in the show.)

I'd also want to say that one of the great joys and pleasures of The Silt Verses and my life to date has been working with so many absurdly talented queer and trans actors in such a wide variety of roles, and I don't think I can overstate just how much of the well-rounded humanity and personality that you mention is entirely down to their performances and their emotional range.

(Also, if you're up for something grim and gross, Gretchen Felker-Martin's Manhunt and Alison Rumfitt's Tell Me I'm Worthless are both very good horror novels I've devoured in the past year that are by trans authors and centred around trans characters, and with - I thought! - multi-faceted and roundly-developed protagonists.

There's also another fantastically talented queer author I can recommend who knows how to write a compelling character, and their name is...wait, B. Narr? What the hell?!)

[maxlarens]

hehe can you recommend your favorite books and poetry💜

YES I CAN! giving people book/movie/music recommendations scratches a very specific itch in my brain. i love when people think i have good taste😭 love u forever for this anon!!!!! under the cut because i go ON AND ONNNN AND ON.

anyway. PREFACE. i love poetry, but i tend to collect it through pinterest instead of reading poetry collections. which i feel like is probably the better way of reading poetry. that being said i do have a few fave poems:

a poetry collection i have read is crush by richard siken! it's fairly easy to digest if you're new to poetry. but it's very evocative and deeply emotional for me. i love the poems snow and dirty rain, dirty valentine and litany in which certain things are crossed out.

jessica gives me a chill pill by angie sijun lou is one of my favourite poems ever. my favourite quote comes from it, 'I ask Jessica what drowning feels like and she says not everything feels like something else'.

this is a book? this a translation? this is kind of a play? i think it's fair to also call it poetry. antigonick by anne carson. it's a little difficult to parse but it's so worth it. my favourite line is 'a husband or a child can be replaced but who can grow me a new brother'.

this last one is not technically a poem. it's a game transcript which u should play. but it reads very much as a long poem/short story. it counts to me. anatomy by kitty horrorshow. if you're into haunted houses/body horror you'll like this. i love it very much, i think about it all the time. this is one of my many favorite lines from it: 'When a house is both hungry and awake, every room becomes a mouth.'

okay so that's poetry done. here are my favourite books:

annihilation by jeff vandermeer. if you've seen the movie (with natalie portman) and have no idea about the book i urge u to ignore the movie and read the book. it's science fiction/horror adjacent. i find the main character incredibly compelling and i love the writing style and the way vandermeer talks about nature. it's just a stunning book and has def influenced my writing even if it's not terribly obvious.

you feel it just below the ribs by jeffery cranor and janina matthewson. this is also science fiction. it's written in the world of a podcast i listen to, within the wires. i approached it with context on the world so i'm not sure how it would come across to someone with less context. regardless i think it's fantastically written. i'm not sure how to describe it other than to say i really connected with it emotionally.

the raven cycle series by maggie stiefvater. this is a young adult paranormal fantasy series. in my opinion it's not a typical YA series. rather than focusing overly on romance or love triangles it instead focuses deeply on incredibly well-rounded and multi-faceted characters, the power of friendship😭 and coming of age. romance is there but it's treated with such reverence. it's such a special series and stiefvater is a wonderful writer.

our wives under the sea by julia armfield is an exploration of grief and loss wrapped up in an abstract horror book. i can't describe how it made me feel but i think everyone should read it.

i wont get into these but also: my year of rest and relaxation by ottessa moshfegh, the hunger games series, the girls by emma cline and the grace year by kim liggett (<-i love the first 3/4s of this book. i hate the last 1/4. its worth it for the 3/4s imo).

[woundedheartwithin]

(You're the biggest Ghost of Tsushima fan I follow so sorry), so I just finished my second playthrough of Ghost of Tsushima (director's cut version so with Iki Island included and as a new game plus). Mostly just did replaying the main story of both Tsushima and then Iki this time around (with the side stories for the allies included to spend a bit of extra time with them and Iki's memories of Jin's ass of a dad). Went for the kill ending (did spare the first time), I like both endings but as I generally leaned more towards sneaky Ghost style playing where possible the spare ending is probably more fitting for my personal style of playing the game. I did find I was way more excited than I expected to see Norio again (apparently, I like my good monk buddy more than I thought I did). And I didn't dislike Kenji as much as the first time round (I still wanted to slap him at times, though). I would like to start a petition for either Masako or Ishikawa or both to adopt Jin, a) because they're now his parental figures and b) to piss off Shimura if he's still alive.

Hi there! It’s cool, I’m always up for talking about Ghost! I’m glad you liked it! It’s def in my top five games, and I still very much love it (hence my pfp still being Ryuzo through two different hyperfixations lol, I just can’t bring myself to change it)

I… can’t believe you didn’t like Kenji 😭 Kenji’s one of my favorite characters lol, and I thought he was universally loved, so you just blew my mind a little bit! Just goes to show how differently folks can feel about characters ❤️

As for Kazumasa, I hope you ended up seeing him a little differently after doing all the memories. He’s a very complicated character, and one that interests me immensely, so I admit I do feel quite a bit of fondness for him, but I totally understand if you still don’t like him. Much like his brother in-law, he’s definitely not for everyone! I’m also quite fond of Lord Shimura for the same reasons, but again, totally understand where you’re coming from!

The kill ending is definitely kinder to Shimura in the whole honor sense, but I do believe the spare ending is canon for a lot of reasons. Both endings have such deep implications for the state of Jin’s psyche, and they both have their merits imo. Kill, I think, is for the version of Jin who is still trying desperately to hold on to his samurai code, and spare is for the version of Jin who has fully embraced the Ghost and all that that entails. Both are very impactful

Norio is def a sweetheart and one of my faves. He’s such a deep and interesting character, and with the nature of his trauma being so close to Jin’s, it was very interesting to see how their paths paralleled one another. I would def sign the petition for Masako to adopt Jin, both for his sake and for hers! Ishikawa’s more of a grumpy uncle, I think 😂

The game itself is so well written, and it has such multi-faceted characters who are so tremendously well crafted and well acted, so I always love seeing people wanting to talk about how the game affected them! The ending rips me up every time I play it no matter which ending I choose, and I’m still traumatized by what happened to Taka 😭😭😭😭

Anyway, thanks so much for the ask! ❤️

[allastoredeer]

Okay, so, I was going to write this in the tags originally, but it was getting long, and from experience, if the tags go on too long it just cuts them off.

So, thoughts are going here I guess.

Firstly!

Me, genuinely confused: People think Alastor's bad ace representation because he's a serial killer???

What???? Excuse me?? 🤣

I don't know why I find that so funny, but I do. That's the silliest shit I've ever heard.

Heaven forbid aces do anything. 🙄

Secondly!

Your so right OP. Alastor is fantastic ace representation.

I agree with all the points you have above, but I'd also like to include one thing I especially love about Alastor's character and how it relates to his aceness is how fun and silly he is.

Murderous, manipulative, and immoral, for SURE.

But look at this man

He's the silliest. He's fun. He's aloof in the sense that we no fuck all about it him and his motives, but otherwise he's so openly goofy and (as one person put it) "girly pop" which is a term I personally love.

So often, you see ace characters written as stiff, unfeeling, unable to comprehend emotions, and unable to navigate certain social situations (which is why there's so many comparisons/"ace representation" in robots and/or nonorganics).

Yes, aces can be socially awkward, experience difficulty navigating certain situations, have a hard time wrapping their head around certain emotions/concepts, (for me, personally, its the whole concept about people getting "hot and bothered" when they see someone they find attractive. You mean to tell its a LITERAL thing. People actually get hot and bothered? That's not just a silly little phrase they use? Ya'll temperature actually be rising?? Fucking wild!)

However, all of the above? Literally EVERYONE experiences them. Anyone can be socially awkward, it can be difficult for anyone to navigate certain situations, and ANYONE can have a hard time wrapping their head around certain emotions and concepts (see allosexuals having a hard time wrapping their head around the idea that someone doesn't experience sexual or romantic attraction when its such a normal and natural thing for them - like how the opposite can be true for aces (let's all remember, though, asexuality IS a spectrum!)

Back to my previous point, Alastor doesn't come off as stiff, anti-social, robotic, or unfeeling in any way.

He's goofy, he's fun! He dances, he acts silly, he's dark, he's complex, has multiple platonic relationships, experiences a RANGE of emotions in the show. He's well-rounded and dynamic! He's funny and entertaining!

As an acearo, I have never felt more connected to a character! I love the relationships I have in my life, I'm a silly goofy person, I'm socially awkward at times, sure--who the fuck aint??--but I can navigate situations that make me uncomfortable. I feel so many emotions, and it's not hard for me to wrap my head around the concepts of love and sex, because really, they aren't that deep.

Human beings are complex and multi-faceted, and its that that gives concepts like these their depth.

Just because I don't feel sexual or romantic attraction doesn't mean I don't read nor write love stories. I've written smut, I've written long, plot heavy, emotion heavy, romance heavy, smutty fanfic exploring the dynamic of a ship I like. Just because I, myself, do not experience these things, doesn't mean I can't understand them.

I've never been shot by a gun before, but I know it fucking hurts. I know it'll leave trauma. I know it'll take a long time to heal. I know there will be physical therapy, medication, doctor visits, hurt, pain, and ups and downs all to along the way.

Being ace-aro doesn't mean you can't empathize, understand, or relate to what allosexuals feel and experience.

Alastor has made no implications at being uncomfortable with other people relationships or love. He doesn't know he's ace, sure, but the only time we've seen him uncomfortable with the idea of sex is in episode 1 when Angel suggested making a porno with him, and even then, he didn't seem necessarily uncomfortable, he just very firmly denounces the very suggestion ("Ha! Never going to happen.") There was also the moment in the pilot when Angel said he could suck his dick, in which we got the radio noise and him saying "No thank you!" I'd say that radio noise is the closest we've got him with displaying discomfort with sex.

He's never come off as being weirded out seeing other peoples romantic relationships (see Charlie and Vaggie). He's just...not interested. That's it.

Of course, I've seen fan art, headcanons, and fic of him being flustered and uncomfortable witnessing sexual situations (love them, always reblog), and I can totally see and understand that for his character, but as for the show itself, we haven't gotten a ton of evidence that he's viscerally uncomfortable with such things.

All of this is to say, Alastor is fantastic ace representation, he's a fun, intriguing, well-rounded, multi-faceted character who is truly entertaining to watch! He breaks all those sterotypes about aces being stiff, anti-social, unfeeling people who don't understand relationships.

Him being a serial killer is the silliest, stupidest reason to claim he's not good ace representation. Seriously, what are ya'll on?

Thank you for coming to my Ted Talk.

I know that some aros/aces are kind of disappointed with Alastor as representation, what with him being an evil cannibalistic serial killer and all. However, I think that Alastor is not only non-problematic aroace representation, he’s actually GOOD rep. Here’s why:

1. Even if you consider Alastor a villain, there are a lot of character MORE villainous than him—often with their sexuality being part of their scumminess. For instance, Adam would be way less gross if he didn’t sexualize all the women around him, and Valentino wouldn’t be able to be nearly as harmful if he were less lustful.

2. In contrast, Alastor being aroace is portrayed *positively*, often actively humanizing him—something extremely refreshing. Rosie knowing Alastor’s sexuality when he’s unaware of it himself is a huge indicator of their friendship. Along with Alastor’s deer-in-the-headlights responses to Angel Dust’s flirting, it also shows that Alastor isn’t as all-knowing and put-together as he can seem. Plus, it’s clear that even if Alastor is manipulative towards Charlie, he’s not being predatory towards her like THAT.

3. Alastor also breaks several stereotypical aroace tropes in a way that’s nice to see. He’s not a loner. He’s very good at understanding people and navigating social interactions. He’s happy to take on a parental role. He puts his hand on people’s shoulders, gives hugs, and happily engages in partner dancing. I’ve seen some people write Alastor as being uncomfortable with physical contact, but TBH I’ve seen him give (and comfortably receive) more physical affection than most people I know.

4. Alastor lets us get the great ace version of the “Your daughter calls me daddy too,” joke. Which i think is WAY funnier than the allo version.

[softpine]

Hi! You do great with making your characters well-rounded with their strengths and weaknesses. Do you have any tips for making a deeply flawed character more relatable? Like someone who is manipulative or dishonest but not full-on evil.

thank you!! i have some tips here for how i write flawed characters (the gist of it is that every character strength has an equal and opposite flaw). to answer your other question:

honestly i think relatability is overrated. i can think of wayyy too many characters in popular media who are written to be as relatable as possible, and as a result they feel like soulless, uninteresting blank slates. i would take an interesting, multi-faceted character over a relatable one any day. one example that’s fresh in my mind because i just finished it is the show yellowjackets. the entire main cast of that show is absolutely BATSHIT, some are downright evil (misty quigley i’m looking at you. i love your crazy ass.), and yet i find myself so intrigued and endeared to all of them. there will be scenes were a character is literally eating dirt or dismembering a body in a bathtub while talking about things that everyone can relate to: loneliness, feeling out of place in your own life, wondering if your decisions shape you or if you shape your decisions, fearing the unknown, etc. things like this prove that you don’t need your characters to be doing relatable things, they just need to be able to express their emotions in a way that feels relatable.

and to do that, you have to understand their motivations. you said that your character is manipulative and dishonest but not completely evil. so, how do they feel about their own dishonesty? do they enjoy lying or get a thrill from it? do they feel guilty for doing it but are unable to quit? are they even aware they lie, or do they believe their own delusions? who are they manipulating and why? is it for material gain / financial reasons, or is it more emotionally based? do they lie and manipulate people to protect themselves (defensive) or to gain things/power (offensive)? is this something they’ve always done, or did they only start doing it as a result of past experiences? i could go on and on, but i’m sure you get the point. i ask myself as many questions as i possibly can when i’m trying to figure out my characters’ motives. these motives will leak out into the character’s actions, though they’re usually never stated outright in the dialogue. in doing so, your readers will probably feel connected to this character whether they can relate to their actions or not, because there’s something fundamentally human about them that we can all relate to.

[everybodylovesyuu]

why MXTX is my new most favourite author

So recently, I started watching The Untamed and then decided midway through that I want that bl so I tried to switch to the novel and that... was a whole fcking mess where now I have no clue what's canon and what's not cause I ended up finishing it by half watching through The Untamed, half through the manhua and half through the novel...

And then I decided to try Scum Villain (SVSSS) and then Heaven Official's Blessing (TGCF) as well because I enjoyed both MDZS and SVSSS. And 3 books later, I'm now writing a post just to express my love for MXTX's wonderful amazing writing. And just to scream into the void of all the reasons why I love her works.

1. Premises

Starting off, her ideas are just very unique and I absolutely love how hooking each of them are!! The world building, the plotting and the settings are insane in practically all of her novels and I'm just in awe of how consistently she keeps coming up with something fresh and interesting that will grab the interest of everyone who stumbles across it.

2. Genres

As somebody who likes to write myself, I consider comedy as the hardest genre to write. Followed by sexual/erotic scenes. And action too! MXTX somehow manages to do all of them so well and I just feel a lot of admiration for her as a writer for all the fun and the heartbreak that she puts into her stories.

3. Romance

MXTX's romance is just *chef's kiss*. There's no other word for it, it's just mind blowingly good. It never gets to the point of being "cheesy" or "cringey" or too forced. It always sounds natural, feels good and feels deep. There is a pattern to how she writes her main characters but I love it. I love that pattern. It's always the other MC (LBG, LWJ, HC) that falls first and falls deep while we see the story from the point of view of someone who falls without even knowing it (SY, WWX, XL). What that leaves behind is the constant thrum of anticipation, of knowing what their actions mean while the main MC is being dumb and frustrating lol. Her dialogues and scenes between them are always just 😵‍💫 [Eg. wangxian's first kiss?? hua cheng's 3000 lanterns??] There is so much love through actions and acts of service and it translates so well into what they have. She writes romance that is meant for the centuries.

4. Characters

MXTX's characters are just. so. good??? Like I'm not even talking about the main characters, it's always the side characters. Like she just has a way of writing such rounded fleshed-out characters with their own stories and own behaviours and own reasonings and you can't help but love them. Really, even the antagonists have so much in them that you can't help but feel for them, even if you hate what they have done. I love how her characterization for each of them is so distinct and clear and their conversations are always so so natural and real and I feel so in awe of the situations she builds up around them. Their problems are always something that can never be blamed onto a single person– they are deep and multi-faceted just like real life. The choices made by the characters are always right in their own terms and you can't even hate them for those choices because you understand the reasoning. That is how real life is and MXTX captures it so so well.

5. Side Stories

Also, what's with her side stories being so fcking angsty 😭 Like beefleaf (Shi Qingxuan and He Xuan) and Banyue in TGCF, XXC/SXC/Xue Yang in MDZS, Shen Jiu and Yue Qingyuan in SVSSS??? She does NOT hold back on the side characters and gives them so much depth that you just start caring for each and every one of them. You see them in a thousand different lights from their own monsters to the smiles they have on now. She writes her side characters like they are real people too and I absolutely love that. So much. That automatically made her one of my favourite authors ever.

Anyway, thank you for coming to my long rant for why I love MXTX and her writing so much lmao. I don't think anyone is interested but I had to get it out of my system. She's fcking amazing.

[wise-tortoise]

I started watching Sanders Sides videos because I knew Thomas Sanders from Vine and I thought he was funny and I heard friends say that he was a really cool guy, wholesome and stuff.

I've been going through a bad mental health period lately, so I thought, why not? I need this positivity, might as well see what this is all about.

So I came for the wholesome, positive self-acceptance lessons and I stayed because holy mother of Hades. The characters.

Knowing they were only parts of this guy's personality, I thought they were going to be cardboard cutouts that would easily get boring.

I was SO wrong.

Each and every character is as human as Thomas, despite being merely products of his imagination. They are complex, three-dimensional, dynamic characters who have ideas and feelings and sometimes they like each other and sometimes they DESPISE each other.

Sometimes they are right and sometimes they are wrong. They make mistakes. They learn from their mistakes. Sometimes they don't but they're trying anyway.

They have beliefs that sometimes are reinforced and sometimes are shaken to the core and they have honest reactions to what happens around them.

Sanders Sides has the added bonus of encouraging reflection on both the self and the world we live in. It helps you accept parts of yourself, as well as helping you figure out plausible answers for tremendously complex moral philosophy questions.

And sometimes, you learn that there is no "one" right answer, but it changes for everyone, because of how different we are and how our experiences vary from those of our neighbors. There are times when there may not be a straight answer even for the same person, because we are just so multi-faceted and nuanced that what one can see as round on Monday, on Tuesday the very same person may think it's square.

And isn't that awesome? How just one person and his close friends have been able to create such complex characters and a simple yet incredible storyline that go above and beyond what one would expect from this kind of concept? Isn't it amazing how one person's talent and skills allow them to become several different people while still remaining the same one person?

It's 1 a.m. and I should go to sleep, but I really wanted to express my amazement and gratitude to @thatsthat24 and his crew. Thank you from the bottom of my heart.

[haydeetebelins]

hi seeruh the salty questions all odds for modern warfare

kadian salts the earth. ll accepting.

What OTPs in your fandom(s) do you just not get?*

Ghost/Roach. I don’t get the characterizations that fandom provides for them, and as time goes on I’ve come to appreciate them more as a BROTP than any of the typical boxes that fandom fits them into. I also don’t get Toarcher unless it’s Kelly and Sass’s brand tbh.

Have you ever unfollowed someone over a fandom opinion?

Nah in this fandom we ride together or you die a pedophile or their apologist. No inbetweens.

Has fandom ever ruined a pairing for you?*

Soap/Ghost. Don’t get me wrong, I ship it with Chals and I ship it hard, but there’s a lot of disgusting rape fic out there, and I fucking despise it. It’s soured the more mainstream ship for me to the point I only appreciate it as a facet of shipping my Soap muse.

Is there anything you used to like but can’t stand now?*

I used to like Shepherd bashing but tbh it’s so on the nose and flies in the face of canon in most fics that I just... stop. Stop making him an obvious mustache twirling villain, stop making characters dump on him as C.O., stop having characters suspect he’s evil or untrustworthy just because you know what happens in Loose Ends. It’s lazy. I hate Shepherd as much as you but this is a shitty trope and you all know it.

Most disliked character(s)? Why?

I actually kind of love what everyone brings to the table in canon? MW is one of the few COD games where I don’t have particularly strong feelings of loathing towards any one character -- I can even write Shepherd and Makarov as multi-faced in my fics despite how loathsome they are, because I do think they are well-rounded and fascinating as characters in terms of the narrative.

Honestly it’s Makarov’s mooks here. Not the Inner Circle but the likes of Volk, Waraabe, Rojas, etc. No character, no purpose but to move the plot along and build levels around... So much more could have been done here, and we get none of it.

Is there an unpopular character you like that the fandom doesn’t? Why?

Hi have you met my sons Kamarov and Yuri? I love them. They’re my children. Yuri is my absolute darling, and Kamarov is a former muse of mine. I’ve sene lots of bashing of each, and even more sympathetic Yuri portrayals tend to oust him as a side character or wildly OOC. It’s at the point I only trust Tin and my fellow COD RP veterans in writing him because no one does my baby boy right.

Unpopular opinion about XXX character?

U didn’t list a character u HECKIN nerd.

Unpopular opinion about the manga/show?

if you mean tinmeshi’s shitty, shitty rape doujins then my unpopular opinion is that we need to burn them all and make the original artist pay for the cost of clean up.

Instead of XYZ happening, I would have made ABC happen…

Hey what if Soap’s death wasn’t a cheap cop out to tug at the player’s heart strings and he got to be more than the sacrificial lion designed to make us hate a character we already hate even more and motivate Price to kill Makarov even though he’s wanted to do that for two games? What if Yuri got more of a character arc? What if Makarov and Price had a real showdown instead of Dust to Dust? Man I’d do so much don’t test me I’m already writing ten canon divergent fics at any one time.

What is the one thing you hate most about your fandom?

The constant infantilizing of Roach, a grown ass man and special ops soldier who kills for a living. The constant character assassination that is Ghost as an aggressor or predator, especially sexually. The constant fetishization of mlm or the use of gay relationships as a punchline or to highlight how a villain is a deviant. I am so tired. I am so tired of so many tropes the fandom uses and how long they have stuck around.

What are your thoughts on crack ships?

Everything is a crack ship. For fuck’s sake. The characters are 2d paper dolls we can project anything on to, including preferences and headcanons. Ship away, everything in here is a crack ship.

Unpopular character you love?

YURI! AND! KAMAROV! MY! LADS!

How would you end XXX/Would you change the ending of XXX?

Motherfucker I would completely scrap MW3 and rewrite huge swathes of that game, do not fucking start with me. Starting with more villainous Price, an American campaign divided between Team Metal working to help the still on the run as criminals Soap and Price and the Rangers taking the war to Russia and hunting down ‘terrorists’ like Soap and Price, Yuri having more important things to do in the story, Soap living but being out of commission, Makarov not going down without a fight just LET ME WRITE THIS YOU ASSHOLES I WANNA WORD GOOD.

Least shippable character?

They’re military grade paper dolls idgaf. Viktor mb? I don’t want to imagine him shipped. I’d sooner imagine Papa Imran and his wife starting some revolution and thus ‘ship’ Imran with whatever partner he has in canon than consider Viktor with a shipmate for a single instant.

[phantom-le6]

Episode Reviews - Star Trek: The Next Generation Season 3 (4 of 6)

This is now the fourth round of Star Trek: The Next Generation episode reviews for the show’s third season, and it kicks off with one of my all-time favourite Trek episodes…

Episode 16: The Offspring

Plot (as adapted from Wikipedia):

Data invites Deanna Troi, Wesley Crusher and Geordi La Forge to the Enterprise science lab and surprises them by introducing a featureless humanoid android, whom he created based on his own structural design and recent advances in Federation cybernetics technology, describing it as his child, who he names Lal (Hindi for “beloved”). Captain Picard, being informed about Lal, expresses concern to Data for constructing Lal in secrecy, but Data reminds him that he would not express such concern were two human crewmembers to decide to procreate, to which the captain has little argument. Data encourages Lal to select a gender and appearance. With Troi's assistance and considering many of the on-board species as well as the databanks, Lal narrows down to four possibilities, including a Klingon male, which, as Troi points out, would make it "a friend for Worf", but in the end selects the appearance of a young female human.

 Data first aids Lal with cognitive and standard behavioural algorithms, as well as encouraging her to interact with other members of the crew to learn behavioural and social customs. After a failed attempt to place her in school, due to the younger children being intimidated by her and the older children too socially advanced for her, he places her under Guinan's care at Ten Forward. This leads to some awkward moments, such as Lal misunderstanding the concept of flirting and kissing, which she first interpreted as "attacking" until Guinan makes an effort at explaining the practice. Intrigued by this, Lal engages in suddenly dragging and kissing Commander Riker over the bar, leaving him baffled and earning him a fatherly scolding à la "What are your intentions towards my daughter?" when Data walks in on them. Lal nevertheless adapts very quickly, even, to everyone's amazement, surpassing Data as stated by her ability to use verbal contractions, something Data has never achieved.

 Meanwhile, Picard, as per general orders, reports to Starfleet, prompting Admiral Haftel to arrive to evaluate Lal. From the outset, Haftel is determined to transfer Lal to a Starfleet science facility. He interviews Lal, where she reveals her desire to remain on the Enterprise with her father, but Haftel is unmoved. Upon leaving the meeting, Lal visits Troi in the counselor's quarters. Lal is clearly confused and distraught, and to Troi's amazement, reveals that she is feeling fear. Experiencing an overload of information and emotions, Lal soon stops speaking and wanders off, eventually returning to Data's lab, something she is programmed to do in the event of a malfunction.

 In the meantime, Haftel meets with Data and orders him to release Lal into Starfleet's custody. Though Data moves to comply, Picard orders him to stand fast and reminds him and the Admiral that Data is a sentient life form with defined rights and cannot be ordered to turn what is in essence his child over to the state. But before the discussion can get any more tense, they are interrupted by a call from Troi who explains what has happened to Lal and asks everyone to come to Data's lab at once.

 Upon arriving, Data's diagnostics find Lal's emotional outburst is a symptom of a cascade failure in her positronic brain, and they must work fast to stop it. Seeing Data's sincerity, Haftel offers to assist Data, and he accepts. Sometime later, a worn-out Haftel leaves the lab and informs Troi, Wesley, and Geordi that they have failed. Visibly moved at Data's determination to save his child, Haftel explains the failure was irreparable. He is visibly overwhelmed himself, concluding that Lal will not survive for long. Data apologizes to Lal that he could not save her, but Lal thanks Data for her creation. She lets him know she loves him and will feel the emotion for both of them. Data returns to the bridge, and Picard conveys the crew's condolences, but Data reveals that he has downloaded Lal's memories into his own neural net, allowing Lal's memories and experiences to live on.

Review:

This episode stands out from the rest of TNG for many reasons.  For one thing, it’s the directorial debut of cast member Jonathan Frakes, sparking off a litany of Trek actors breaking into directing through their respective franchises, some of whom have since gone on to direct other TV shows and feature films. Frakes himself even went on to direct two of TNG’s four feature films when the TV show concluded, though some of his work outside of Trek leaves a little to be desired (a key example being his live-action film incarnation of Thunderbirds).

 However, the main reasons for the episode to stand out spring from the story of the episode itself.  Data creating a child is a brilliant idea on the surface just for exploring the idea of what it might be like for mechanical life-forms to reproduce. As far as I know, no other sci-fi franchise has really looked into this concept, or if they have, they haven’t necessarily explored it quite the way that TNG does.  However, Trek is also about relating aspects of our present-day life and the issues therein to the audience through the metaphor of its future setting.  Where Data is concerned, fan interpretation has made him into a metaphor for certain aspects of life as an autistic person, and while that comes through for both him and Lal in this episode, there are other metaphorical representations to be drawn as well.

 The incorporation of the Admiral Haftel character and Data’s status as a de facto single parent, combined with his autism-like traits, presents a kind of metaphor for the misapplication of social care intervention.  Doubtless at the time of this episode’s production, in our present day and for all the years before, in-between and after, there will be some people who believe that where a child is being raised by a parent who is differently abled, single or both, that child should be removed from the parent and placed in care of some kind.  When Picard points out that Haftel is basically ordering a father to hand his child over to the state, this cements Haftel’s principal role as an analogue for the closed-minded social worker who judges the parent not on their actions, but solely for being single and/or differently abled, and who makes his decision on those grounds without any regard to what father or child want or how they’re actually doing.

 Now while I acknowledge that not every parent who is single or differently abled could cope with being a parent, the reality is there are also parents who are married and regularly abled and can’t cope with parenthood either.  The reality is being a good or bad parent is about doing the best you can to meet your child’s basic needs, and in this regard, it is actions and not labels that define a good parent.  Data’s actions throughout the episode are those of someone genuinely trying their best to do the right thing for their child, and Haftel ultimately comes around to acknowledging this when Data has to try and act to save Lal’s life.

 It’s also interesting to watch Lal for what little time she gets in the world of TNG, because while Data is the focus of the episode, Lal has some great moments as another autism analogue.  The difficulty she has fitting in at school is an apt analogy of how western education fails, back in the early 1990’s and now, to effectively educate the differently abled in general and autistic children in particular. From a social skills standpoint, Lal is well behind for someone who appears to be a young woman, yet academically she is highly intelligent, and cannot fit in with any given age group. In turn, her difficulty understanding concepts of flirting and romantic/sexual attraction emulate how incredibly difficult and horrible it can be for autistic teenagers and adults in real life to navigate the same sort of challenges.

 The simple fact is this episode is brilliantly performed, wonderfully multi-faceted and also includes some great moments in terms of accepting being different, taking a gender/sexuality-neutral approach to teaching Lal about love, and for parents of the very young there’s a great little scene where Data has deal with Lal going through an infinite array of ‘why’ questions.  This episode is funny, tragic, thought-provoking, and just generally everything Trek should be. The fact it’s a bottle episode born out of a need to balance the show budget after the expense of ‘Yesterday’s Enterprise’ proves two final points.  First, TNG learns from the abysmal ‘Shades of Grey’ episode and upped its game for bottle episodes.  Two, a great story on a low budget is better than an ok story going over-budget. Score for this one is a clear-cut 10 out of 10.

Episode 17: Sins of the Father

Plot (as adapted from Wikipedia):

As part of an officer exchange program, Klingon Commander Kurn has requested to be placed aboard the Enterprise as first officer. His harsh Klingon command style aggravates the crew, though he takes it easy on fellow Klingon Lieutenant Worf. Worf confronts Kurn about this alone, prompting Kurn to reveal he is Worf's younger brother. When the rest of Worf's family left to the Khitomer colony, he was left with Lorgh, a friend of their father Mogh. Kurn was raised as Lorgh's son, unaware until recently that Worf had survived the Khitomer massacre. Kurn tells Worf that Mogh is being charged posthumously as a traitor in the Kitomer massacre by Duras, the son of Mogh's rival, which will mar the Mogh family name for generations. Worf requests an urgent leave of absence to defend his father's honor. Captain Picard believes that Worf's actions as a Starfleet officer in his father's defence will reflect on the Enterprise and Starfleet, and directs the Enterprise to the Klingon homeworld so they may monitor the events. En route, Kurn volunteers to be Worf's Cha'DIch, a second to stand with Worf during the challenge. Worf agrees, but warns Kurn to not reveal his bloodline just yet.

 At the High Council, Duras reveals evidence of Mogh sending Khitomer's defense codes to the Romulans. Worf challenges this, but is told privately by the aging K'mpec, the Klingon Chancellor, to drop the challenge and return to the Federation. Worf discusses this curious request with Picard, who also finds it strange and orders his crew to examine the evidence. Meanwhile, Duras has ambushed Kurn, aware of his true bloodline, and attempts to get him to betray Worf. Kurn refuses and is seriously wounded in the ensuing fight, no longer able to support Worf in front of the Council. Picard accepts Worf's request to take Kurn's place.

 The Enterprise crew finds evidence that the Khitomer logs have been modified and soon discover one more survivor of the massacre, Worf's nurse Kahlest. Picard is able to convince Kahlest to help Worf’s challenge; she knows Mogh was loyal to the Klingon Empire but does not know who the true traitor was. Picard brings Kahlest to the High Council and bluffs that she knows who the true traitor was, starting a heated dispute that is sure to end in needless bloodshed. Infuriated and as a means to halt the bickering, K'mpec calls Worf, Picard, Duras, and Kahlest into his private quarters and reveals the truth; the Council is well aware that Duras's father was the Khitomer traitor, but exposure of this, given Duras's high political position and capital, would certainly lead to an unwanted civil war within the already trouble-stricken Empire. The Council only accepted Duras's charge of treason against Mogh believing that Worf would not challenge it due to his Federation citizenship. To prevent further upheaval, K'mpec imparts that the Council will condemn Worf and Kurn, but Picard refuses to let this blatant injustice stand, thus creating a situation that could end the Klingon-Federation alliance. Worf, seeing what restoring his family's honor may cost, steps in and says he understands what he needs to do, that the only course of action for Worf is to accept a discommendation, tantamount to admitting his father's guilt. In exchange, the knowledge of the proceedings, including Kurn's true bloodline, will be undisclosed. Back in the council, all of the assembled Klingons, including a reluctant Kurn, ceremonially turn their back to Worf in disgrace, and he and Picard silently leave the hall.

Review:

This is probably the most influential episode of Next Generation in two key areas.  First, a lot of what is now accepted canon regarding the Klingons, including showing their home world and the immortal line “today is a good day to die” are established here.  Second, it’s the first episode to end in such a way that a follow-up story was virtually demanded, putting TNG on the path to ending its obsession with isolated one-shot episodes.  By extension, it also made the eventual spin-off shows of Deep Space Nine and Voyager possible; neither of those shows could have enjoyed the great season-long/series-long story arcs that made them if TNG hadn’t first opened itself up to that same kind of story arc.

 It’s a great Worf episode that nicely compensates for the lack of any issue exploration with how well if fleshes out Worf’s backstory and the Klingon race in general.  It’s well-acted, and Tony Todd does a great job playing the role of Worf’s younger brother Kurn for the first time.  The only downside is the lack of issue exploration means I’m not getting as much to talk about with this episode, but then I had more than enough to go at there with the previous episode.  Overall, I give this episode 9 out of 10.

Episode 18: Allegiance

Plot (as adapted from Wikipedia):

Captain Picard, while sleeping in his quarters on the Enterprise after the successful completion of a mission, is abducted by an unknown device. He finds himself in a cell with two other prisoners: Starfleet Academy Cadet Haro from Bolarus IX; and civil servant Kova Tholl from Mizar II. They are later joined by the violent Esoqq from Chalnoth. While they have meager beds and facilities, their only source of nutrition is provided by a tasteless rubbery disk, which Esoqq is unable to eat. He moves toward Tholl as though to eat him, but Picard is able to dissuade Esoqq temporarily. Picard attempts to learn why the four of them have been abducted but can find no connection. Picard organizes Haro and Esoqq to attempt to break the lock on the only door to the cell. Initially foiled by a stun beam when they tamper with the controls, they manage to override the beam and then defeat the door's security, only to find a blank wall behind it.

 Meanwhile, on the Enterprise, a doppelgänger of Picard has taken his place, ordering the ship to delay a scheduled rendezvous with another ship and travel slowly to a nearby pulsar. En route, Picard's double exhibits behaviour that the senior crew begins to question, such as showing romantic interest in Dr Crusher, as well as engaging the crew in singing "Heart of Oak", the official march of the Royal Navy, in Ten Forward. Upon reaching the pulsar, Picard's double orders the ship to be moved closer, potentially exposing the crew to lethal radiation. Commander Riker and the rest of the bridge crew refuse to follow his orders, effectively removing him from command due to his perceived unfitness for duty.

 After discovering the false door in the cell, the real Picard deduces that Haro is not who she claims to be, as she knows details of a secret Starfleet mission that are unavailable to Academy cadets. Picard observes that the four different alien captives and the tightly controlled setting are suggestive of some kind of experiment: Tholl, the collaborator who goes along with whoever is in charge; Esoqq, typical for his species, a violent anarchist who rejects any kind of authority; Haro, the cadet, sworn to obey orders without question; and Picard, a leader, trained to command. Haro reveals herself to be not a Bolian, but a member an unidentified alien species. She reverts to her natural form and is joined by a second such alien; the two have been studying the concept of authority and leadership, as their race lacks hierarchical authority structures as humans and other races do. Because the captives' knowledge of the experiment has now made it impossible to continue collecting data on their natural behavior, the aliens return Picard, Tholl, and Esoqq to their respective original locations.

 Aboard the Enterprise, Picard's double is also revealed to be of the same alien species, all members of which are in constant telepathic contact, which the aliens remark is far superior to the vocal communication used by the beings aboard the Enterprise. When Picard criticizes them for engaging in kidnapping and assault, the aliens express ignorance of the morality Picard espouses, and indicate that they will need to study this concept further. However, Picard uses a series of nonverbal cues to direct his crew to trap them within a force field, causing the aliens to panic as they are unable to bear captivity. After a few moments, he releases the field and allows them to go free, but warns them not to abduct others again.

Review:

This was apparently a second bottle episode that, in conjunction with ‘The Offspring’, was to off-set the over-spend used on ‘Yesterday’s Enterprise’.  It’s also the first in a pair of Picard-centric episodes that go back-to-back but don’t inter-connect beyond who they focus on.  According to notes on the Memory Alpha wiki, we’re supposed to getting inside Picard’s head a bit by having the real Picard getting landed in an alien race’s equivalent of a rat maze, while a Picard double conducts his own kind of experiment on the Enterprise, acting on aspects of Picard’s personality we don’t normally get to see.  A key example of this is the Picard double acting on the real Picard’s past with, and attraction to, Beverly Crusher in a way the real Picard can’t.

 In this sense, the episode is interesting, but falls flat in other areas.  Not only do we not get to really learn what the aliens have learned from their study of leadership and authority, but when Picard temporarily imprisons two of them near the end of the episode, he claims imprisonment is an assault regardless of justification.  I’m sorry, but the Enterprise has a brig, a ship’s jail, to imprison people who misbehave, and it’s been used twice this season already.  Imprisonment is not an assault unless it is mis-used.  What Picard should have been objecting to was abduction and being experimented on, not being imprisoned.  The former would have made sense and been right, while the latter makes him look like a totally bloody hypocrite.  Clearly this aspect of the episode was not well thought through, and as such I give this episode a meagre 6 out of 10.

Episode 19: Captain’s Holiday

Plot (as adapted from Wikipedia):

Strongly pressured by the crew of the Enterprise, Captain Picard reluctantly agrees to take a vacation on Risa, a pleasure planet. Shortly after he arrives, he is kissed by a woman he has never met, in her attempt to fend off a Ferengi named Sovak. Sovak accuses Picard of conspiring with the woman, Vash, who has in her possession a data disc that he wants. Picard has no interest in the quarrel and returns to his room to discover two "Vorgons" who identify themselves as time-traveling police agents from the 27th century, searching for a powerful weapon called the Tox Uthat capable of stopping the fusion reactions of a star. The 27th-century scientist who invented it travelled back in time to hide it. According to their historical records, Picard will locate this object on Risa.

 Picard confronts Vash about the Tox Uthat. She claims to be the former assistant of an archaeologist who discovered the location of the Uthat, gave her the disc for safekeeping, and died. Picard and Vash use the information on the disc to determine the Uthat's hiding place. When they arrive at the location where the Uthat is buried, the Vorgons appear to witness the discovery of the Uthat. Sovak then arrives with a phaser rifle and has Picard and Vash excavate the site at gunpoint for hours. However, the Uthat is not there. The Vorgons leave, confused because this doesn't line up with their historical record. Sovak, in his obsession, refuses to believe that the Uthat isn't there, throws away the rifle, and starts digging while Vash and Picard return to the resort.

 After their arrival, the Enterprise returns to pick up Picard. He catches Vash attempting to sneak away from the resort and surmises that she arrived days earlier, located the Uthat, and devised a ruse to fool Sovak into thinking the Uthat was lost. She reveals the hidden Uthat and the Vorgons reappear, demanding it. When Vash suggests that the Vorgons may have ulterior motives, Picard has the Enterprise use the transporter to destroy it. The disappointed Vorgons reveal that Picard has acted just as their records said by destroying the Uthat, admit defeat, and leave. Vash and Picard have a final intimate exchange before they say goodbye to each other.

Review:

This is the second Picard episode on the trot, and if you can bear with the interminable period between Picard’s arrival on Risa and him teaming up with Vash where he’s being very stiff and stubborn, not to mention guest actor Max Grodénchick’s character of Soval being the typical irksome Ferengi, then it’s a good episode.  It’s got an interesting Picard-as-Indiana-Jones vibe to it, and apparently this was born out of Patrick Stewart noting his character had a lack of combat and seduction scenes, something this episode nicely compensates for. Part of this is done through the character of Vash, who makes a great foil for Picard from a romantic, moral and intellectual standpoint, and it’s fun to see the two of them together in this episode.  Another part of it is the introduction of the pleasure planet Risa, which Trek returns to a few times in later episodes/series.

 According to Memory Alpha, Gene Roddenberry was a major fan of the idea of Risa, and he wanted some same-sex couples in the background of the Risa resort scenes, echoing an idea Whoopi Goldberg had for ‘The Offspring’ regarding Guinan teaching Lal about flirting and romance. However, both times the other show-runners nixed this because back then network censors would never approve anything like that.  Doubtless this is why Trek’s first same-sex kiss, and indeed one of the first lesbian kisses on TV ever, didn’t occur until the Deep Space Nine episode ‘Rejoined’, about five-and-a-half years after this episode.  Have to say, this is the first time in a while where Roddenberry’s ideas about a TNG episode sound like good ideas to me.

 My only real criticism of the episode beyond Picard’s initial scenes on Risa and Sovak’s initial scenes generally, and the network nixing of Roddenberry’s wishes, is the lack of any explanation for what the Risian custom of jamaharon.  Throughout this episode and all subsequent uses of Risa in Trek, there is mention of people seeking this by displaying a Risian symbol of sexuality known as a horga'hn, but no one ever explicitly states the meaning of the word.  Now granted, explaining anything connected to sexuality in the world of Trek could be seen as something TV just can’t allow, or at least not back when TNG first brought Risa to TV audiences, but I would think given the supposedly enlightened nature of the world of Trek, someone somewhere could have defined the meaning of this term more explicitly somewhere, even if it was just in some sort of tie-in literature.  After all, there’s been plenty of other tie-in media, such as publishing the Ferengi Rules of Acquisition.  Somehow, I think a tie-in book covering everything about a pleasure planet like Risa, including what jamaharon means, would not be an unreasonable idea.  My score for this one is 7 out of 10.

[childofaura]

Rating the anime I’ve watched in 2019: A really short list

Kinda just felt like doing this, 2019 has been a REALLY interesting year in anime. I didn’t watch a whole lot of stuff, but I wanted to kind of go over what I did watch. So I’ll talk about what I thought and rate it 1-10.

PLEASE KEEP IN MIND: THEY’RE RATED SOLELY ON MY OPINIONS, IF I DON’T FEEL STRONGLY ABOUT ONE PLEASE DON’T GET MAD. ALSO ALL OF THESE WERE WATCHED IN SUBS. ALSO SPOILERS AHOY.

1. Dororo.

The OP was AWESOME. The animation in the first half of the series was really smooth, but there was a slightly noticeable dip in animation later on. Not huge, but still there. Actors were FANTASTIC, and the little girl who plays Dororo is so cute! Characters were incredibly well written and varied, Hyakkimaru still struggled despite his honed reflexes and training, and Tahomaru was so morally divisive, it was great. Somber tones really bring out the nasty forbidden underside of the Shogunate’s “lasting peace”. Though the ending with Tahomaru, Hyakkimaru’s mother, and his father figure all dying in the fire was rather... disappointing, Hyakkimaru forgiving his father and Dororo deciding what to do with the large sum of money left behind, to use it for the greater good, wraps everything up.

Dororo’s a solid 8/10.

2. Rising of the Shield Hero

I ended up checking this one out after hearing all the controversy it was stirring up, because I wanted to see what it was. Like always, the “controversy” was a big tepid pile of nothing, and I got to experience an isekai that operates under a different mood with different dynamics. Animation quality is consistent and good, and there’s a LOT of female characters that are well rounded and strong, like Raphtalia, Melty, the Filolial Queen, Glass, etc. Scenery is beautiful, and Naofumi’s growth into trusting again is nice to watch. Also the soundtrack is so enjoyable, Kansas is my favorite song. Cons, though few, are still there: the pacing can be a little funky at times (Mainly what comes to mind is that AWFUL filler episode where they fight the Church from the molten pit, and don’t move AT ALL. Worst episode ever), the physical growth of some of the characters like Filo is jarring (In two days she grows horse sized, after they had that montage of taking care of her) even with an explanation. The last thing that rubs me the wrong way (It’s not really a con in general, just a con for me) is Raphtalia’s crush on Naofumi. It’s simply that they spend the first few episodes building their relationship as a father/daughter, then they try to shift to romance after establishing that first familial relationship.

Rising of the Shield Hero’s an 8/10.

3. The Promised Neverland

AAAAAAAH HOT DAMN I LOVED THIS ONE. It was completely out of my range of what I normally watched at the beginning of 2019, BUT I LOVED IT SO MUCH. The animation is eerie, especially the facial expressions and how smoothly they move. The children are so darling and thinking about how they might have possibly died in S1 broke my heart, as well as me hoping they didn’t, lol. Every episode leaves off on this wonderfully tantalizing cliffhanger, so binging the episodes are a must. Characters like Mama and Sister Krone are terrifying, though in the latter’s case I love how clever she was, and was sad when she died. Her Japanese actress definitely blew it out of the water and had a lot of fun with the character. I’d say the only (not really a con, but) thing that weirds me out is how close the characters’ mouths are to their faces, but that’s a stylistic thing and I won’t fault them for that. The children are strong and resilient and I can’t wait for the next season.

The Promised Neverland’s a 9/10.

4. Demon Slayer

I got into this one late, and I hate myself for getting into it late. But nonetheless, I’m so glad I watched it and I can say with confidence it’s up there with FullMetal Alchemist: Brotherhood’s level of excellence. Tanjiro is such a kind-hearted boy who constantly puts himself through physical torture for his only remaining family; Nezuko’s “hypnotism” to see humans as family feels more like placebo because she just genuinely has compassion for people, especially when she looks at Ms Tamayo and Yushiro as family when they’re also demons. All the characters are deeply involved in this story with either known or hidden (Zenitsu) strengths that allow them to conquer their struggles. The style is unique and the character designs are pretty, and HOO BOY THE FIGHTING ANIMATIONS, THE STYLIZED TECHNIQUES. MWAH! MUCH LOVE! I love the soundtrack so much, it almost reminds me of the Pokemon movies’ orchestra pieces. The story is well paced, and no issues with filler. Showing how even demons deserve compassion is a beautifully unexpected twist in this show.

Demon Slayer’s a 10/10

5. To the Abandoned Sacred Beasts

I do love this series dearly, and while the good outweighs the “meh”, I still have to address the issues. BUT FIRST, THE GOOD THINGS: Characters in this show are incredibly in-depth, even the soldiers. The designs of the Incarnates are fantastic, terrifying and imposing. Schaal is a strong young girl who sets off with just a suitcase and a rifle and, after meeting Hank, decides to get inside his mindset to see why he’s doing what he does, and why he had to kill her father. Hank is a man in constant suffering who has to see his best friends losing themselves to insanity, knowing that they’re not the people they used to be but questioning whether he’s really doing the right thing regardless. All the soldiers have their own focal point in the episodes they show up in, showing their unique traits and attitudes, and how it links to the monsters they are now. The concept of Incarnate soldiers is parallel to veterans with PTSD. While Liza’s a bit of a ridiculous fan-service character, there’s really no complaints because the fan-service in this show is balanced; they show Hank unnecessarily shirtless a LOT (Though honestly I’d be fine if they let him wear his shirts more). But the cons. There are a decent amount of them. Animation is clunky and lower budget. Pacing is not easy to keep up with, as the split between Hank’s mission and the main conflict with Cain interrupt each other quite jarringly. Schaal’s father seemingly rises as a zombie again to serve no other purpose other than Schaal’s character growth, as we could assume that a LOT of the other monsters like Keynes, with the fire of justice, would also come back to life. Liza doesn’t really seem to do much or contribute much as a character; she came close when she volunteered to take up the Incarnate Extermination Squad’s equipment by saying she knew how it worked but she literally. Just. Held up a shield for the commander (forgot his name, Cain’s little bro) to jump off of. She needs to do more. Love the series and I love watching it, but it’s a mixed bag.

To the Abandoned Sacred Beast’s a 7/10.

6. Fire Force.

Well... this one is definitely gonna be tough to deal with, because I only got maybe 8 or 9 episodes in before I had to break away. So I’ll break it down simply.

Pros: Animation is SOLID. ABSOLUTE. FLUID AND DYNAMIC. It’s literally Midoriya vs Todoroki, but in EVERY EPISODE. Some characters are fascinating and enjoyable like Shinra, Maki, Joker, and Hibana. The concept of Infernals, people who just burst into flames without warning, are a solid idea to run on. The OP is a banger. The soundtrack fits the mood perfectly.

Cons, and a lot of them: There isn’t a whole lot going on in terms of variety, it’s mainly fighting Infernals in the city. It picks up eventually, but slowly. While some characters were enjoyable, others were either flat or downright unbearable to deal with; flat characters like Obi (He’s not a bad character, but he feels... generic) and Iris (Also not bad, she’s strong in what she’s had to deal with and being kind regardless, but it’s just standard quiet girl.). Unbearable character is really just two so far: The lieutenant, who gets borderline abusive (both mentally and physically) with Maki (Like I get it dude, you had trauma with fire and Infernals but you don’t need to be an abusive shit), and Tamaki, ESPECIALLY Tamaki. She’s rude, screechy, treated Shinra like utter shit when they first meet, and respects almost no one outside of her district for no real reason. And she also falls into the next con: The one-sided fan-service. Now I will defend the right to fan-service with everything I believe in, but I’m still allowed to have my opinion on it, and the way it goes in Fire Force is just... so awful. Fan-service jarringly interrupts what are supposed to be heavy emotional or important scenes (Iris sitting on the ground with nothing but a towel, Iris getting her clothes burned off by Hibana, Tamaki sticking her butt out after getting hurt by her district partner, Tamaki’s clothes being burned up and being against the wall with that weird-ass kitty pose with her wrists, etc.), Tamaki’s “lucky lechery” is supposed to be funny somehow but it makes literally no sense, and oh cool she ends up sexually harassing the dudes with it, too. I could understand this level of fan-service if it was like a harem anime or a cheese-cake-ish anime or whatever, but it’s- it’s a shounen. There’s nothing that really shows you there’s gonna be this weird level of fan-service.

I respect everyone who loves Fire Force, but it’s just not my cup of tea. That’s all.

Fire Force’s a 6.5/10.

7. Vinland Saga

THIS ANIME. THIS ANIME IS PERFECT IN EVERY WAY AND YOU WILL NEVER CHANGE MY MIND. The first OP PERFECTLY encapsulates just how much of a hellish live Thorfinn is about to live. The animation (Being from the same company as Attack on Titan and Kabaneri of the Iron Fortress) is SUPERB where the characters move with weight and purpose. Seriously, have you seen how the characters jump forward? With their legs and arms forward? It’s a little detail but it’s so great. Characters are multi-faceted and it gives me strong feelings about how awful they are but how clever or strong or brilliant they are. The pacing of the anime is perfect; something plot-important happens in each episode, the characters travel long distances to give you a feel of movement, and there’s not a single episode that could really be considered “filler”. Dynamics of these characters work in fascinating ways at times. The actors absolutely own their roles; Askeladd’s actor nails that perfect nonchalance where he seems surprised but you know he’s truly not, Thorfinn’s older actor knows how to scream his lungs out in anger. The main star, though? Thorkell, hands down. That guy is absolutely having fun with his character.

Vinland Saga’s a solid 10/10.

[hunnybadgerv]

For the fanfic meme: anemone, carnation, orchid, rose, lotus, petunia, lavender :)

Flower Asks for Fanfic Writers

anemone: how old were you when you first started writing?In third grade, we had a class project where we made our own books. Wrote the story, illustrated it, and even bound and covered it. That’s really the moment I remember wanting to be an author for the first time and I’ve been writing stories ever since--not constantly, but off and on. It’s only been maybe the last 20 years where I’ve been writing regularly and pretty consistently.

carnation: do you only write on tumblr or on other sites? what are they?About the same time I started on tumblr I set up AO3 and FFnet accounts. I post writing there too, as well as on Furia’s RP blog.

orchid: do you prefer to write one shots or multi part fics?I don’t really have a preference. I enjoy both. One shots are easier because they are just this encapsulated moment that may or may not fit into the larger scheme of things. Multi-part fics can be really fun because you have this great vehicle for character development and toying around with different plot devices. 

Both are fun in their ways, and have their drawbacks. It’s harder to show character progression in a one-shot. But multi-part fic works are hard long arduous journeys that can get you down and can feel unwieldy when go on for awhile. Plus, when you feel you’re letting down readers because you don’t update the multi-part regularly, it can just make that downward spiral all the steeper.

rose: which of your works is your favorite? why?Gosh. Honestly I’m kind of torn. 

I love First Watch of the Night because the writing in that one I feel is some of my best, like ever. But the characterization and character development in Solitude: Before I See is really intriguing to me. I also like New Perspective because I did a lot of world building for that piece and I think even though it was written for a six-week long challenge that it really came together quite well (honestly, I’d love to go back and revise that piece a bit).

Yes, I’m aware my faves there are all multi-part fics, but I like that they give me a great framework to do so many different things--romance, action, humor, mystery. I’ve also got some one-shots that just came out of nowhere and have really won my heart. But I think it’s all relative and heavily dependent on my mood at the time, and whatever characteristic I’m drawn to at the moment of asking.

lotus: how many drafts do you currently have?Hmm. This is an interesting question. This is a trick question, well, more like a trick answer. I’m going to use my Story Tracker that I keep with my Word Tracker for this. It is really just a big list of the stories that I’ve tracked in my Word Tracker spreadsheet this year. But I’ll also admit, that there are draft in my files that are still considered working that are not on this list--just means I haven’t touched them since January 1, 2017.

But currently there are 30 drafts that are in progress, in beta, or in some other drafting stage. And this number does include a few, I think 2 (maybe 1), WIP chapters as well. 

petunia: who is your favorite character to write for? why?Honestly, I think that’s kind of like asking me if I have a favorite minion. I’m not sure I can pick. I guess I could say Furia, since I write her a lot more than the others and I RP her as well. But truth be told I love different things about all of them. Nyx’s sense of duty and her huge heart, Rhys’ refusal to give up his life or what he loved when he lost his eye, Aderyn’s strength and how she tries to take care of everyone around her, Min’s strange mix of whimsy and worry, Remy’s reliance on her unique combination of brain and brawn that makes her surprisingly susceptible to matters of the heart, and Maritza’s dogged determination in all things. They each have something wonderful and unique, even if some share traits. Each one is a little snowflake carefully crafted in the clouds with a steady (though sometimes admittedly sloppy) hand. I couldn’t pick just one.

To be totally tacky--I just want to catch them all on my tongue. Sorry.

lavender: what is the most important thing to you as a writer?Honestly, I think one of the things I love most as a reader is something I strive for as an author--strong, well-written, and well-rounded characters. I want each to feel unique and like their own person. 

I think it is one of the reason that I don’t (read: can’t) drag characters into other games. It’s kind of silly maybe. But I just ... for me the characters are so grounded into the stories I see them in that trying to shoehorn them into someone else’s life or existence feel inauthentic. So, you’ll never see Inquisitor Furia (though she might make a good warden--she and Cousland share a somewhat similar backstory) or Commander Rhys Shepard or Boss Maritza and Remy Ryder. They are each individuals with their own time and place that helped shape them. 

Though I will admit that I have dragged Furia into other time periods. But even then I’m just totally crafting a story around her and letting different facets of her personality shine through. Trying to shoehorn her into Mass Effect for example would change quite a bit about her life and history in a way that might alter her as a character--essentially in my head she would be living someone else’s life and not her own.

And I have digressed so far away from the topic of this question. ... Get a leash!!!

But character is really my passion. I love good stories and great scenes and plot twists, but I think the thing that makes a story great is characters. Readers and writers connect through characters--so characterization for me is the linchpin of fiction. It keeps the wheels on.

[surviveforbiddenforest]

Nick’s Responses

Answer to Ruthie:

Thanks Queen for taking the time to read my opening statement J I do believe that you embodied my strategy when you talked about how everybody either didn’t think I was a threat to their game or was on their good side. Being in this limbo like relationship with everyone was part of the reason I was able to win two social competitions. As well as why Ali couldn’t find another person to vote me out that round he tried to blindside me. It’s ironic how if you go back and look at the titles I received in touch subjects were “Thinks they are controlling the game”, “Is actually controlling the game”, “Best position”, “Most friends”, and “Most final 2 deals” yet nobody seemed to notice and/or care. To answer your question, I would probably be a bit bias and vote for Julia to win. Toph’s game was very erratic and haphazard, he didn’t always fully think things through and kinda just had a “go with the flow” strategy. Julia, although playing UTR was able to come back from redemption and have 0 votes cast against her, but she did have an opportunity for second chance in the game and had previously been eliminated.

Answer to Jenny:

I could best describe my gameplay in these three traits: Calculated, Sociable, and Aggressive.

My game was calculated because I was very strategic and analytical when it came to who I wanted to leave and when. I consider all options and would think about everybody else’s connections before determining who the biggest threat to my game moving forward was. Such as I said in my answer to Charlotte, the people I choose to target partially had to do with who they were aligned with. I wanted to make sure that people felt closest to me so I got rid of people who got in-between me and others i.e. Ali, Drew, and Nicholas.

My gameplay was to be sociable. I built up many connections with a lot of people and initiated alliance to further myself in the game. I created alliances such as: Nicholas/Julia/Me, Drew/Toph/Me, Ruthie/Nicholas/Charlotte/Me, Toph/Charlotte/Me. I reached out to multiple people in the game and had social ties with a lot, if not everybody sitting in jury… something the other two sitting next to me cannot say. Not to dig on Toph and Julia, but they both have told me time and time again that they had limited relationships with many people in the game, sometimes not even messaging them at all.

Lastly, my game was aggressive. I vied for immunity wins, not really because I needed them but to prove I was a competitor and strengthen my case for tonight. I made cut-throat game moves and got rid of close allies to ensure I would be sitting here tonight. I did not sit idle and wait for game moves to happen, I made the moves happen. I was an initiator.

I believe all three of these traits prove that my game was the most multi-faceted and well rounded. I was social and liked when I needed to be, part of the reason nobody really ever considered targeting me, even when I didn’t have immunity. I was strategic and calculated with my moves making sure to consider everything leading up to a game move and making sure that I was a favorable candidate to win next to the finalists. And I was aggressive with how I played the game, I made moves that needed to be made in order to further myself such as taking out other competitors, such as Drew, Nicholas, and Charlotte.

Adil: Justin Finch-Fletchley, involved in some of the plot yet sometimes easily forgotten as a character. However, still involved in the story and Dumbledore’s Army but very UTR.

Jenny: Hermione, super freaking smart and a strong independent women. Everybody loves you and your individualistic self. You are one of a kind

Jenna: Lavender Brown, you love telling everybody about your crackt relationship but honestly you are really a super sweet and funny girl.

J.D: Angelina Johnson, because let’s be real J.D. would totally be a Quidditch player and probably kick all our asses like she did on Redemption.

Ali: Seamus Finnigan, he is a very likable character but manages to make mistakes every once in a while like when he came for me in this game ;(

Drew: Harry Potter, if Drew was a wizard he’d probably be one of the most powerful ones to ever exist. Also Drew is a main character let’s be real.

Ruthie: Ginny, a bright wizard and very likable. She is secretly a badass and kicks ass on the Quidditch pitch. Super sweet to her friends and people she loves.

Nicholas: Dean Thomas, friends with a lot of people in the story and honestly just a straight up guy. A great wizard and Quidditch player, too.

Charlotte: McGonagall, one of the most powerful witches and a truly smart women. She seems scary until you get to know her (or at least that was my experience with her in the game). The best teacher in Hogwarts.

Daisy: Tonks, Daisy kind of camo through this game and Tonks is one of my favorite characters. Daisy is very likable and an overall stellar witch.

Julia: Luna, can be ditzy sometimes and not really know what is going on but is one of the best friends you could ask for. Not to mention she can teach you how to keep away the nargles.

Toph: Neville, an acquired taste, but probably one of the most genuine people to play this season. He is a good friend and loyal all the way. 10/10 knows his plants.

Me: Fluffy, the three-headed dog. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯  I’m adorable but scary at the same time. Also I like to sleep so.

Answer to Charlotte:

As you said, I wasn’t banking on jury management during the season. I played a very cut-throat and “back-stabby” game because I knew if I played any other way I wouldn’t be sitting here tonight. As I said in my opening statement I partially had a hand in almost everybody leaving during merge. I purposefully targeted castaways that would get between me and other people who I could work with… even if I was aligned with said castaway. Part of the reason I targeted Ali because he got between my alliance with Toph and Drew. Part of the reason I targeted Drew because he got between alliances I had with you, Toph, and Ruthie. Part of the reason I targeted Ruthie because she got between my trio with Nicholas and Julia. Lastly, part of the reason I targeted Nicholas because he got between my alliance with Julia. Especially with jury being constructed of J.D. (somebody who I have history with), Ali (one of the only people who actually tried to get me out and expose me), and one (now two) people who have me deleted as a contact, I did not feel like jury was going to be so keen on my gameplay. I feel it is better to own my ruthless game-play because if I didn’t get out certain people in the pecking order I wanted it would not be realistic for me to be sitting here, or if I was I would be labeled as relying too much on my idols and would probably lose that way. I am proud of the game I played and I don’t think I would really change anything. Thanks for the question.

Answer to J.D:

I can’t really sort everyone but I’ll try and sort the people I was on a tribe with. Most of these are probs wrong but I tried ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

L.A: Gryffindor

Adil: Ravenclaw

Jenny: Hufflepuff

Jenna: Gryffindor

J.D: Slytherin

Ali: Ravenclaw

Drew: Ravenclaw

Ruthie: Gryffindor

Nicholas: Slytherin

Charlotte: Ravenclaw

Daisy: Slytherin

Julia: Gryffindor

Toph: Hufflepuff

Nick: Ravenclaw

Answer to Daisy:

In my opinion Toph played a much for sporadic game. He was loyal, yes, but he sort of just went with the flow and followed people. He was used as a random vote in most of the game and never really came up with any game moves by himself during the merge. Julia had a second chance in this game and had already been eliminated. You could consider that as port of the game or as saved by a twist, but she did get voted out which you have to think about when casting your vote tonight. Julia also told me multiple times that there were tons of people she had not communicated with at all this game, even Toph told me last night that her and Julia haven’t exchanged words in over a month. Julia as well didn’t conceive any of her own “big game moves”.

For the reason I stated in Ruthie’s answer I would probably still be biased and vote for Julia because I worked with her since practically day one. I do think you played a good game, but you kind of slept UTR because you had Jenny’s super idol.

Adil: Even thought I was on a tribe with you for a very short time and didn’t talk to you that much, the few times we spoke I thought you were a very nice guy. Also you are from the U.K. so get shook America.

Jenny: I absolutely fucking love you. I came into this game instantly wanting to be aligned with you and was lucky I was placed on the same OG tribe as you. If you put time into this game you could have easily smoked us all because everyone thinks your rad. I was literally debating playing the opal necklace on you when you were going to self-vote but then I knew all hell would break lose and everybody would be pissed at me.

Jenna: I have honestly seen you “grow up” through ORGs. You are super fun to play with in these games and are such an interesting and crazy character. I wish we had the opportunity to work more closely this season, but you obviously were playing the game well because you made one of the most crackt votes in the season.

J.D: You are a fucking badass, even though I don’t think you really like me, but I respect you a lot and I think you played really strong, especially for being able to comeback from redemption twice.

Ali: You were one of the only people who tried to come for me this game and I give great kudos for that. I was gag’t when you played the wand and almost sent me home with an idol. You were super fun to play with and I wish we could have worked more closely at merge.

Drew: You are genuinely one of the smartest and funniest people I’ve met in this community. I was super excited to have a chance to play our first game together and I thoroughly enjoyed working with you. You were really running this game and had a lot of people who wanted you to stay. I know you have me deleted or whatever but I really do not hate you, I just knew if I wasn’t able to get you out I’d have a slim chance of making it to the end or winning.

Ruthie: Bitchhhhhh you knew I fucking love you. You are one of my favorite people in this community and I was so shook when my one vote sent you home. I enjoy playing with you every time and even if we weren’t number #1s this game it was so fun playing with you. You had a really under-rated game and I would have loved to see how you would have done if I wasn’t cast in this game. You were close to a lot of people and nobody really saw you as too big of a threat.

Nicholas: You were so fun to work with and you were truly my number one from the start. I knew you had really good connections with a lot of the jury and would probably beat me in the end. If Charlotte didn’t win immunity that round I think you would have easily made final 4.

Charlotte: I am so glad I had the opportunity to meet you and play with you before I go on hiatus. You were one of the sweetest and coolest people I’ve ever worked with in an org. I felt so bad about getting you out but I felt you were my biggest competition and was most likely going to be the reason I was voted out or lost at FTC. You played a really good game and you should be proud of that. Easily P.O.T.S.

Daisy: I was so happy I could play with you into the end game this time because other games we played it didn’t end up like that. You played a very fluctuating game and had a lot of ups and downs. I would have been really curious to see hwo you would have done if you had more OG Firenze at merge or if you had more time and energy to play the season out. Thanks for asking me a question J

The main reason I was telling you how I wanted out Drew was because I was testing the waters to find out who was really close with him and who was not and I wanted to confide in you that he was somebody we needed to keep our eyes on. It didn’t make sense to vote out Drew while redemption was in play because he would easily have come back and targeted my ass hard core. I was not very close with Jenna in this game and I had the Toph and Drew alliance on the side, which I really wanted to stick with because I knew after Drew left Toph would be loyal to me and stick with me for the long haul. If I could go back I would not change my vote, nobody knew how long Redemption was going to last and having Drew on my side was something I believed to benefit me especially since he was connected to a lot of people I hadn’t been on a tribe with leading up to merge. If there was anything I would change about my game… I don’t really think so. I got people out in the order I mostly wanted and was able to make FTC and have a strong case for the jury. I do not believe I relied on immunity wins, I had very strong social bonds with a lot of people not to mention multiple idols which would have saved me if I didn’t have immunity. The immunity basically served as a way to allow me to keep my idols as long as possible and to build my case at FTC. Even when I didn’t win immunity I was still able to stay in the game, such as during final 6 and final 5. There was a never a time I thought I would leave because I didn’t win the challenge because you have to remember I had the Thestral idol secretly in my pocket since round 2, I didn’t really think I was going anywhere if I didn’t manage to win an immunity.

I appreciate your after talk about how “not voting someone solely based of jury management…” because you being able to make it to final 4, makes you have, in my opinion, the most crucial and insightful information on how the jury should vote.

[its-just-like-the-movies]

Starless Dreams (17, A-)

By the time this posts, I’ll have started fall semester classes at OSU. One of my classes for this year will be a documentary film course, which will require us to see the upcoming feature Whose Streets?, about the Ferguson riots. I’m excited about the class, seeing the film, and discussing it in said class, and more than that I’m excited about seeing more documentaries in general, and how good all the documentaries I’ve seen from 2017 are. Yes, it’s just four films, but any quartet as indelible and varied in content as Casting JonBenet, Raising Bertie, Last Men in Aleppo, and Starless Dreams is one worth cherishing and holding onto, perhaps through the end of the year. Starless Dreams is the one I’ve most recently seen, and the one that strikes me as most illuminating a corner of the world I’d have no way of learning about without it. Then again, how could a story about the inmates at an Iranian prison for teen girls not feel like a unique and rare piece of life to experience? Even better is that director Mehrdad Oskouei is committed in showing us everything about the lives of these girls, not just the tense negotiations between their families and prison officials about being released and discussing the crimes that put them in there, but everything these girls have done to build up a community inside the prison. Everyone is friends with each other, and with the film crew, who they rarely seem that precious about being in the company of outside of their interviews. The girls play games with each other, throw parties when someone is being released, and attempt to make the best out of a situation they have no illusions about. These moments of levity are a boon to the whole proceedings, and Oskouei’s greatest gift is that he’s able to flesh out the fullness of these girls’ lives while articulating the personal, familial, and systemic failures that put all of them in this place, and the ones that could keep them there too.

As impressive as it is for Oskouei to be so generous towards these girls, what makes it even more fantastic is that all of these girls are, to a one, guilty of their crimes. Everyone is very candid about this, not just in their interview sequences but occasionally in ordinary conversations. Interviews aren’t carried out in one take, necessarily, but you get the sense that each conversation is its own session, the minimal editing that takes place within the scenes all the more interesting because Oskouei is neither maudlin with these girl’s suffering or withholding of it. Do they start laughing? Do they ask him questions? Is it something he does, not them? We learn fairly early that the girls aren’t particularly reverent of Oskouei’s project, at one point snatching the boom mic and singing together before the singer and another girl conduct their own mock interview, buzzing about why on Earth these people are here for them. But even this blossoms into asking the kinds of questions Oskouei surely would have, as one girl openly admits not just her crimes but the upcoming prospect of her release and the very real fear that her grandmother is not going to retrieve her from prison. At this point she’s expecting grandma not to come through for her, given the woman’s reticence to confirm it and is terrified that she’ll end up back on the streets unless her grandmother takes her in. Grandma is also scared she will go back on the streets, which is why she may not take her back, leaving this child to rage that her grandmother will only be right if she is left without a home, with nowhere to return to but a life of crime.

The paradox of what will happen to these girls, who are not allowed to be freed without being taken home by a family member, is a question that haunts the entire film. Questions about the family lives of these girls are almost always the points in interviews where they cannot help but cry, out of fear or shame or regret. All of them are asked if male relatives have “bothered” them in their childhoods, and if this had anything to do with their criminal lives. Many of the girls say no, though they often confess other terrible things the fathers and uncles in their lives have done to them. One is pimped out by her father for drug money. One worked with her older sister and mother to kill their father/husband out of fear for their lives. One told her mother that her uncle, the mother’s brother, had “bothered” her before, and is beaten and runs away from her family because her mother does not believe her. A few are married, one deeply in love with her husband and has their child with her for the back half of the film, where everyone in the prison takes it upon themselves to help take care of the child. Three times we watch someone be taken home, and each has its own connotations and reactions from the girls and their family members about the environment she’ll be returning to, or if she’ll even stay at home.

Even more revealing is the instances in which their stories overlap, or when the girls talk about how they know their stories are the kinds they were warned about at an even younger age. One girl talks about having wanted to be a lawyer or someone in the justice department to help out girls who would be in her situation, while the girl who killed her father says part of her motivation was in protecting her little sister. All of them are aware that their stories aren’t inherently unique, and are avoidable not just on a personal but a systemic scale, pointing out the imbalanced application of justice in Iran between men and women. Many are especially upset at the idea that they’ve disappointed and shamed their mothers. two girls even crying because part of their crimes include attacking their own mothers for drug money. One girl’s interview is suddenly shared with her bunkmate after she begins crying in recognition once she hears about the first girl beating her mom to obtain drug money the woman didn’t have. The presence of the baby is enough to make many of the girls visibly speculate on ideas about their own motherhoods, to think about their own families, and what it means for any of them to be raising a child in this capacity.

Can you believe the film I’ve just been describing would even look for a glimpse of light in these girls’ lives? Would you believe the whole thing starts with everyone playing in the snow, mashing piles of it in each others’ faces and building snowmen and staging a concert? If it’s astonishingly mature for these girls to have such candor about their lives and insights into the world around them, it’s just as valuable that Oskouei does not frame these girls as victims or objects of pity in any way. They are given the space not just to breathe but to live, to be children. The trust and candor that Oskouei has gotten from and reciprocated towards these girls is remarkable. Soon enough it looks like the reason they’re so flippant around his camera is not because of disinterest, but because they’re so comfortable and at ease around this man and the team he’s assembled to document their stories. I kept thinking of the scenes in Precious that we spend in Ms. Rain’s classroom, more or less watching each moment play out in their own peculiar rhythms as the characters went about their lessons. Whatever pasts these characters had, this was the moment they were able to be people and exist freely in this space. That book ends with the other girls is Ms. Rain’s class giving summaries of their own lives, devastating accounts that correspond with the interviews these girls give about as well as the classroom scenes line up with the scene we see the girls socialize.

I apologize here for not being able to name any of these girls, even if the film does briefly tell us who everyone is. It’s not as though the film spends a great deal of time reminding us of their names the way that, say, How to Survive a Plague or The Interrupters or Raising Bertie do. We are treated to an introductory title card at the start of each interview, and a lovely “thank you” credit to each of the girls by name, without attaching a face to any of the names flashing before us in the film’s final moments. The only name that stuck with me was one who went by “651”, since that was the number of the grams of crack she had on her when she was arrested. It feels unfair, after Oskouei has gone so far into showing them a full, rounded, multi-faceted people that I keep referring to them as, well, “them”, or “the girls”, or something along those lines. Faces, statements, expressions, conversations, all of these stick with me more than their names. Is that fair, that the combined impression of their lives affected me so much and yet the only name I can remember is a number? Would they give a shit? Maybe it’s short changing the girls to think they don’t care, but they clearly have bigger things to worry about. Oskouei probably might, given how much attention he put into giving them so much humanity and such a rounded presentation of their lives. But he also works to make each girl identifiable and keeps track of them, so that when each one is focused on we know who they are. This is the girl who killed her father; this is the one who loves her husband; who is waiting for her grandmother; who ran away from home; who doesn’t want to go home. We know who each one of these girls are, not just by their faces but by their stories, even if we can’t remember their names. The story of all of them perhaps carries more impact than their individual ones, a treatise on Iran and its families and its criminals through the stories of girls who end up in prisons like these, all of them aware of how they got there and what they could’ve done to avoid it. All of them aware of what they have to do to never come back. All of them making a life for themselves, a community for each other, trying to make the best of an impossibly difficult situation.