#heroes of might and magic is nostalgic for me

[fat-bro-strider-tgirl-tits]

A really long time ago, I drew fanart of the pixie from HOMM5. I don't know if I still have that drawing or picture, but this one is better I'd say

[frostfires-blog]

✦✴Top 10 2024 Anime✴✦

So, surprisingly, this option was the winner of this poll that I did a few weeks ago... I wanted to put this out sooner, but I got caught up with other things.

Overall, I added 49 new entries to MyAnimeList in 2024... This might not seem like much to most of you, but it was considerable considering I'm pretty picky. The fact that 47% of the series were newly airing anime was surprising—particularly compared to the 24% from the previous year—as I typically only watch subsequent seasons and marathon series that have already been released.

*P.S. I included all anime that finished airing in 2024 even if they started in 2023 (e.g. Kusuriya no Hitorigoto) but didn't include anime that are still airing in 2025 even if they started airing in 2024 (e.g. Ao no Hako) since that's typically how the official anime awards handles things... I also opted to include anime that I started and completed in 2024 even if they didn't originally air in 2024. I also didn't include any sequel seasons, only new series.

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-> Honorable Mentions:

⦁ Seijo no Maryoku wa Bannou desu / The Saint's Magic Power is Omnipotent

⦁ Hananoi-kun to Koi no Yamai / A Condition Called Love

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-> Top 10 New 2024 Anime:

10) Goukon ni Ittara Onna ga Inakatta Hanashi / How I Attended an All-Guys Mixer

> Check this out if you're a fan of: Kaichou wa Maid-sama!, Romantic Killer & Kiss Him Not Me! Although this series is not for everyone—considering its unconventional premise—its balanced blend of comedy, romance, and slice-of-life elements make it an enjoyable and wholesome watch. The series' superb voice acting, simplicity, and colourful array of relatable characters are its key strengths. While it does not have a lot of depth, its unique premise allows it to subvert several classic tropes—making the series feel refreshingly nostalgic.

09) Nige Jouzu no Wakagimi / The Elusive Samurai

> Check this out if you're a fan of: Akatsuki no Yona, Gintama, Kemono Jihen & Kimetsu no Yaiba While at first glance this anime appears to be a typical action-adventure shounen series—its art direction, tone, and humour are incredibly distinct. This series also challenges the conventional notion of a hero by substituting brute strength with agility and keen instincts. This anime balances its brutal historical setting—which is rife with war and political power struggles—with its anachronistic, self-aware comedy. Another strong point is its dynamic character design and natural synergy between its vibrant cast. The series' kaleidoscopic and mind-bending visuals are a testament to its creativity and distinctiveness—as it skillfully employs colour, imagery, and symbolism to enhance its allure and tone.

08) Kaijuu 8-gou / Kaijuu No. 8

> Check this out if you're a fan of: Attack on Titan & Jujutsu Kaisen Firstly, I wanted to note that #09 and #08 are completely interchangeable—I just thought it would be funny to place Kaijuu No. 8 in 8th place haha. This series follows an organisation that uses strength, wits and technology to defend Japan by fighting monstrous creatures called Kaiju. At its heart, this series is simple yet entertaining classic battle shounen anime. Its strong points are its amazing soundtrack, quirky characters and clever cliffhangers. While I wished it explored its setting, themes and characters more thoroughly—its high-paced action sequences were very satisfying. (P.S. Hoshina lives in my head rent-free.)

07) Loop 7-kaime no Akuyaku Reijou wa, Moto Tekikoku de Jiyuu Kimama na Hanayome Seikatsu wo Mankitsu suru / 7th Time Loop: The Villainess Enjoys a Carefree Life Married to Her Worst Enemy!

> Check this out if you're a fan of: Why Raeliana Ended up at the Duke's Mansion & The Saint's Magic Power is Omnipotent Once again, #07 and #06 are interchangeable—I just thought it would be funny to place 7th Time Loop in 7th place. Don't let this series' ridiculously long title deter you—if you're a fan of shojosei historical fantasy romance, then I'd highly recommend it. This series captivated me with its compelling blend of romance, drama, and mystery—in addition to its dynamic animation and music. The narrative follows our heroine—who is stuck in a seemingly endless time loop—through her 7th life. Using her vast array of skills from her past lives, she endeavours to stop the war that inevitably claims her life by becoming the fiancee of the man who will start it. The series' protagonist is compelling, capable, and confident—while the male lead is mysterious, complex, and captivating. The series' strong points are its complex characters, compelling narrative, and the strong chemistry between its main couple.

06) Yubisaki to Renren: A Sign of Affection

> Check this out if you're a fan of: Kimi Ni Todoke & Ao Haru Ride This series follows its protagonist, Yuki, as she navigates everyday life and relationships with a hearing disability. This anime conveys that there is beauty in simplicity, striking a great balance between depicting the perspective of a deaf protagonist and portraying a sincere and authentic romance. The series' meticulous attention to detail is especially noteworthy—particularly in its use of colour, imagery, sound, and body language to adequately convey emotions and subtleties, thereby allowing the viewer to fully engage with the characters' differing perspectives. Another commendable aspect of the series is that it recognises Yuki's challenges without excessively embellishing or romanticising them. We not only witness the beginnings of a heartfelt romance between Yuki and Itsuomi as they gradually learn to communicate with each other—but also develop an appreciation of the value of human connection and exposure to various languages and cultures. If you're looking for a cosy slice-of-life romance series, then I'd recommend this series.

05) Karasu wa Aruji wo Erabanai / Yatagarasu: The Raven Does Not Choose Its Master

Check this out if you're a fan of: Kusuriya no Hitorigoto, Kokyuu no Karasu & Mo Dao Zu Shi This series is arguably the most underrated anime of 2024. This series is an enthralling blend of historical fantasy, mystery, drama, and action set in a universe where mystical shape-shifting ravens are embroiled in an intricate political power struggle. This anime's selling points are its carefully crafted multi-layered narrative, characters, and world-building—which collectively create an incredibly immersive and compelling viewing experience. This series does a great job of playing with the viewer's perceptions of characters throughout the series as they encounter substantial moral and emotional and moral obstacles. Its unpredictability stems from not only its originality but also its well-executed twists and complex character interactions—which force viewers to consistently reassess alliances and plot points. If you're looking for a compelling and multidimensional series with fluid action sequences, stellar music, and captivating aesthetics—then look no further.

04) Hoshifuru Oukoku no Nina / Nina the Starry Bride

> Check this out if you're a fan of: Akatsuki no Yona, Kaizouku Oujo & Fushigi Yugi Although this series seems like another retake of the classic rags-to-riches romance—it is an enthralling blend of drama, romance, and historical fantasy. While many complain that this anime does not bring anything revolutionary to the genre, I do not believe it needs to. Its selling points are not its originality, but rather its endearing characters, stunning designs and fantastical setting. This series is both nostalgic and engaging while refraining from being overly reliant on classic tropes—demonstrating that a tried-and-true formula can be effective without feeling unimaginative. Although love triangles typically possess a negative connotation within the anime community—this series employs the trope to enhance our comprehension of the primary characters, advance the plot, and fuel character development, rather than to force the main pairing together or introduce superfluous drama and miscommunication. I haven't seen a love triangle this compelling and unpredictable in anything else besides Chihayafuru, Fruits Basket and Who Made Me A Princess. Ultimately your enjoyment of this series will be heavily influenced by how much you care about its characters and genre. So ,I'd only recommend it if you're a fan of shoujosei historical, fantasy romance. That being said, I'm very excited to read the manga, which from what I've seen is much better-paced and more detailed than the anime.

03) Wind Breaker

> Check this out if you're a fan of: Tokyo Revengers, Jujutsu Kaisen and Tsurune This series centres around a group of delinquents at an all-boys school that have banded together to protect their town and its people from nearby thugs. It is generally critiqued for its simplistic story, but I believe it is another example of how simplicity is the ultimate sophistication. The series' best attributes are its character development, character interactions, animation, pacing and character design. What differentiates Wind Breaker from many other series is that it is equally as emotionally resonant as it is action-packed addressing several relevant themes such as isolation, discrimination, self-discovery, camaraderie, acceptance, redemption and integrity. The series' lack of fantastical elements augments its emotional resonance by adding a degree of sincerity and realness. The series' exceptional voice acting, complex characters and authentic character interactions further add to its resonance. I'm incredibly excited to see how much more the characters will grow in the upcoming sequel season...

02) Sousou no Frieren / Frieren: Beyond Journey's End

> Check this out if you're a fan of: Fumetsu no Anata e & Violet Evergarden I have to start this off by admitting that I obstinately avoided watching this series until around five months after it finished airing—only relenting after discovering my favourite seiyuu cast in it—because I allowed my prejudices to obscure my judgment. I obviously regret being so petty now and want to take this as a lesson going forward and hope you guys will learn from my mistakes too. Although Frieren seems like another archetypal action-fantasy series with an OP protagonist—there is so much more to the series. After having watched it I was honestly surprised at its popularity given its focus on sentiments, subtleties and symbolism rather than action. The series presents us with its primary recurring themes from the very beginning: the value of forging relationships, the purpose of life, and the gravity of goodbyes. Through these themes the series imparts to us the message that life is short thus we should strive to live in the moment and embrace every connection and small happenstance. Sousou no Frieren is one of the anime series that has the potential to shift your approach to how you choose to live your life, as a result of this message. Aside from its thematic richness and emotional resonance, the series boasts incredible animation, music, and voice acting along with compelling characters and fluid battles. An understated part of the series is how tactfully it handles its heavy themes, without making an overt spectacle out of them but rather maintaining a consistent melancholic tone.

01) Kusuriya no Hitorigoto / The Apothecary Diaries

> Check this out if you're a fan of: Kokyuu no Karasu, Karasu wa Aruji wo Erabanai, Sauinkoku Monogatari & Akagami no Shirayuki-hime I'm sure no one is shocked that this series is at number one, given that I've written three hanakotoba posts about it and it made my top ten favourite series and top fifteen favourite female characters lists. In many respects, this series feels like a breath of fresh air, yet it still retains a sense of nostalgia. At its core, Kusuriya no Hitorigoto is a blend of mystery, drama, comedy and historical romance. The series follows Maomao, our protagonist, as she utilises her analytical mind and knowledge of various medicines, plants and poisons to fulfil tasks and solve mysteries in Imperial China's Rear Palace. This series differentiates itself from many other series in the mystery genre by resolving its cases through the application of worldly knowledge—which just is not commonplace given its historic and secluded setting—rather than in a pretentious or cryptic manner. This does not detract from Maomao's intelligence, but it does give the series a grounded and authentic atmosphere that other mystery series lack. Much of the series' appeal stems from its dynamic cast—particularly its compelling yet flawed protagonist whose personality is defined by the juxtaposing qualities of cautiousness and curiosity. Although the series starts with episodic mysteries, it gradually unravels into a more complex overarching mystery allowing its characters and narrative to naturally evolve—thus highlighting the series' pacing as one of its strong points. The series' immersive ambience and aesthetics are not only the result of its careful integration of Chinese cultural elements but also its skilled application of colour, lighting, and music to convey various connotations to the viewer. My favourite aspect of the series is its deft integration of numerous flowers as visual motifs for different characters and story arcs. The integration of floriography not only complements the series—considering Maomao's expertise with plants and herbs—but also augments its richness and immersiveness, highlighting the series' meticulous production.

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P.S. I've posted two polls centred around this post. If you want to participate here are the links: Part 1 │Part 2

[ariel-seagull-wings]

@mikeellee @rei-ismyname

"The saving grace of Kurt’s swashbuckling is that it often includes a layer of irony and even a few tentative critiques of the toxic masculinity that informs certain heroic fantasies. In his ’85 miniseries, Cockrum has the princess offer herself to Kurt as a prize then flips the power dynamic; Kitty Pryde and Illyana Rasputin accidentally teleport away Kurt’s costume, leaving him naked and stammering before the princess’ lusty gaze. Cockrum also pokes fun at Kurt’s presumptions of chivalric heroism by introducing an anarchic, horny army of chibi Kurts, called Bamfs, who cause him plenty of trouble and embarrassment. And the female Bamfs turn the tables once again, making Kurt a victim of their aggressive flirtation, much to his chagrin. Other stories more directly interrogate Kurt’s fantasies. In Uncanny X-Men #204 (1987), reenacting the ’85 miniseries is presented as a desperate plot to avoid reckoning with difficult truths. A decidedly modern princess even accuses Kurt of being no different from the villainous Arcade: “Listen to yourself, Nightcrawler — you’re just like him! Hooked on excitement! … Is that all you are?!” And as much as Excalibur #16 indulges swashbuckling fantasies, it also forces Kurt to confront problematic preconceptions rooted in the conventions of the genre. By falsely assuming the beautiful blonde princess is a good guy while the blue pirates are bad guys, Kurt nearly gets himself and his teammates killed. There’s also an implied ironic distance in the simple fact that as much as Nightcrawler might want to be in like Flynn, he can’t. He’ll always be blue and furry with a tail and pointed ears and the wrong number of fingers and toes. In other words, he’s always obviously performing the part, and his performance is always partly inadequate. Classic X-Men #23 acknowledges this. When Kurt dons the colonial costume, it literally doesn’t fit. He has to cut the toes off the boots to accommodate his mutant feet, his difference bursting out of his generic costume. Kurt’s desire to be a leading man within a world that consistently tells him he can’t is also intensely identifiable, as well as strangely hopeful. Because most of the time, Kurt performs the part successfully enough to save the day. This speaks to the transformative power of escapism, which is literally Kurt’s superpower, after all; teleporting is a form of magical relocation which is a form of transformation. Sometimes, playing a role is as good as living a role, since a role is just that — a role, a part in a play that often gets cast a certain way but doesn’t have to. Escaping into different perspectives can help us see ourselves better, just like playing with roles can be a way of reshaping them to fit us better."

"Nightcrawler’s fondness for a nostalgic genre that was already out of fashion when the character debuted in 1975 also places him at odds with where superheroes and action genres in general were heading. Writing in 1977, Jeffrey Richards was already mourning the death of the swashbuckler: “The ringing speech, the romantic gesture, the balletic grace, the virtues which the swashbuckling hero incarnated … are alien to today’s style, which is tough, cynical, laconic, individualistic — in a word, ‘cool.’” In response to a 2021 Claremont Run thread about Nightcrawler, noted comics artist/writer Phil Jimenez strikes a similar tone, lamenting contemporary attempts to make Kurt a less joyful character: “It also makes me think about the drive by some to stamp out whimsy and flamboyance in super-hero comics, driven mostly by heterosexist fears, despite whimsy and flamboyance being baked into their DNA.” Coolness can be critical; it can also be cool for the sake of cool. And joy and flamboyance can offer their own kinds of critique and rebellion, especially in contexts that might be trying to stamp them out for the wrong reasons.

I never yearn for simpler times, which only ever seemed simple to certain people. But I often have occasion to feel nostalgic for heroes who like being heroes. Being a hero should be hard. But it doesn’t have to be joyless or prudish, and with the best versions of Nightcrawler, it isn’t. Dave Cockrum definitely understood that, which is why his birthday is Kurt’s."

"Like real-life people, Kurt Wagner is sometimes insecure; he sometimes doubts himself and struggles to decide what he wants; he sometimes makes bad choices and feels guilty and angry. Yet in the vast majority of his comic book stories, he has some core beliefs. This includes the belief his unique body, like every unique body, is special—even divine—and so is the pleasure that flows from and into that body. This version of Kurt Wagner passionately embraces sexual freedom and diversity for the same reason—because he knows, as well as any mutant out there, that all desires, and all bodies, deserve all kinds of love."

[gemini526sdumptruck]

Inanimate Magic Insanity AU

Explanation Post

Can’t believe episode 17 shook me enough to make me genuinely redraw an AU I made when I was 11 but here we are.

So yeah, with II coming to an end this month, I got nostalgic and decided I wanted to modernize an old II magical girl AU I made in 2016 called "Inanimate Magic Insanity", and try to actually make a story out of it!

I wanted to share a few of the designs I came up with, so here's Lightbulb, Paper, Marshmallow, and Apple, since they were kinda "main characters" in the original AU.

I'm gonna do my best to describe it, because this rework is this in a bit of an early phase lol.

Onto the actual AU itself (Notice: Very mild spoilers for II 2 Episodes 16 and 17, just in case):

So essentially the story takes place in a currently unnamed object city. Everything there was perfectly normal, everyone was doing their own thing and whatnot. But then one day, a mysterious force came and started attacking the city (atm I'm not 100% sure on what the "monsters of the week" are, but I'm thinking that they're like robots and robot phones, related to Meeple).

Enter one MePhone 4, who lives somewhere in town in a seemingly regular house. He saw all of this happening and basically thought "what if I could do something about this". So this led to him creating the heroes (I like to think he made them Powerpuff Girls style lol)! 19 (later 20) objects who would be normal civilians most of the time, but when there's trouble, they'll have the ability to turn into superheroes!

Little does anyone in the city know, that MePhone 4's normal looking house hides a super expansive, high-tech HQ which is sorta like "Mission Control". This is where the heroes are told and given their missions, where they eat, sleep, and hang out. Basically their home. It's very important to MePhone that nobody outside of the hero team discovers "Mission Control".

The kinds of missions the heroes go on range from simple public service to actually fighting the big bad villains. One group of heroes might be saving a kitten from a tree, another group might be fighting the villain of the week! Outside of going on missions, the heroes also get to do things in the city. Like hang out at the park, or go to stores, get jobs if they want to. They just can't tell anybody that they're the heroes or tell anyone about "Mission Control".

The Heroes (really gotta think of a team name for them lol):

Lightbulb- Power of Electricity

Paintbrush- Power of Colors

Paper- Power of Creativity (basically he has a magic pencil and whatever he draws with it comes to life)

Marshmallow- Power of Sweets

Apple- Power of Truth (that was her power in the OG idk lol)

Test Tube- Power of Science (and to a lesser extent Technology)

Bomb- Power of Fire

Tissues- Power of the Cold

Cheesy- Power of Comedy

Cherries- Power of Duplication

Microphone- Power of Music

Balloon- Power of Air

Suitcase- Power of Safety Nets

Nickel- Power of Metal

Knife- Power of Strength

Soap- Power of Bubbles

Yin Yang- Power of Light Manipulation

Lifering- Power of the Sea

Clover- Power of Nature

Bot- Team Mascot (they were still built by Test Tube in this AU, Bot joins the team later on)

As for all the other characters, they're either civilians living in the city or antagonists. They weren't created by MePhone in this AU. These guys are real.

Some notable ones atm are:

Baseball (he would befriend Suitcase, Nickel, and Balloon)

Fan (he's a huge fan of the heroes, he would spend his time theorizing on what the monsters are and who the heroes really are)

Goo (would eventually befriend Bot)

And yeah, that's most of what I have rn! Will add more if I come up with anything.

Character designs coming soon.

[ven0moir]

BYCHANCE - meta breakdown

so i was tagged in this AMAZING thread. and god, it was delicious. it also made me realize something.

i want to start by pointing out the meta behind nancy and steve's interaction bc as unimpressed as nancy seems with him, he's sending the audience the subconscious message that the show can get super silly and far-fetched with its metaphors and analogies.

this reminded me of another scene in S2 where i felt the duffers/characters were talking to the audience and explaining the meta in very broad strokes.

The meta commentary is hilarious, and easy for the GA to pick up on and giggle a bit--Max represents a large portion of the audience--she liked the story, sure, but she considers it derivative and wished it had more originality.

What I learn from this is: The showrunners are aware of how derivative the show is, but are actually banking on it to hide the truth in plain sight. This will only be obvious in retrospect.

The show feels derivative ( and it is meant to feel so ) because the Duffers bank on the familiarity we have with the tropes they use so we as the audience make subconscious connections. But what makes the show original is how the context of the Derivative World designed by the Duffers affects and shapes the emotional realm, and thus growth, of these characters.

This line of thought reminds me a lot of this statement by Shawn Levy:

“People talk about mythology and The Upside Down ( the derivative aspects of the show that seem familiar/nostalgic ), and all that is huge, but the magic ( what makes the show original ) of S5 are the characters who find sense of belonging with others and through that connection, become heroes.”

Now, you might be wondering, how does Bychance fit into this? Well, so far in my deep-dive into Bychance meta, I've come to associate the word risk with odds and chance.

"Do you accept the RISK?"

Following this logic, then Bychance is 'derivative' in the sense that it is a combination of the tropes we previously observed in Doomed From The Start dynamics. In order of appearance these were Stancy, Mileven, Boyce and hell, probably even Karen and Billy.

But what's going to feel original about Bychance is the emotional depth and growth they lead to.

ITS A START, NOT A REACH

Similarly to Hopper, I'm not saying Bychance is this grand conspiracy, or grand strategy meticulously and perfectly planned from the start--what does seem realistic to me is that the Duffers had a solid idea of the direction they wanted to go in, and based on that were able to strategize where to leave certain hints and clues to build up to the scenes that need to happen.

one of such scenes being Bychance's First Meeting.

[keep-on-trying]

Watched fansubs of MahoPre II ep 1, and... well. Couple things.

When the diamond Linkru stone first sparkled in the ep, it changed colors to pink. Doesn't that mean it basically reverted to it's original form from first ep of original series? Because both their Diamond Linkru stones were pink before waking their Precure powers originally. Very curious detail.

Mirai thinking the outfits being prettier is the reason they feel more fired up but Liko absolutely is thinking it on more serious sense LOL. God I love them and gosh I missed them so much!

The main villain (Ailu, Isle, I have no idea if he has official romanji version of his name) is following some sort of script of encountering Haa-chan, Mirai and Liko. And the little girl who looks like a green-haired Haa-chan. So there's time shenanigans involved but in different manner than OtonaPre's.

Regarding the green haired girl, she's not officially introduced by name yet so I'll not call her by name yet, even thou anyone who's checked pre-release material would know her name, but based on what happened in Haa-Chan vs Isle scene... is she possibly Mother Rapapa herself? There was focus on Haa-chan being the inheritor of her powers, AND whatever was happening basically reverted Haa-chan from her all-powerful form to Cure Felice... what in the hell?

Why does Isle know Cure Miracle is Asahina Mirai? Why is there such huge focus on his dog? Is this all related to how this ep puts emphasis on Mirai becoming non-magic world's secret magician hero and thus doing reckless missions on tyring to help people out? Did she possibly fail to save the dog? Or does Isle come from the future and thus knows of Mirai, and knows she will fail to save him? And is on some revenge journey??? Also, Isle basically had some sort of device that has powers from Deusmast??? That's worrying.

One weird thought I had was Isle having a crush on Mirai and being mad Mirai is instead priotizing her relationship with Liko and Haa-chan and idk if that would be a bad plotline or good plotline to build upon MiraiLiko LOL. Considering the emphasis on dog, doubt this is the case. But the opening showing Isle's black heart basically exploding makes me think his heart has had an achy situation.

The animation of first ep is GOURGEUS btw, absolutely gourgeus. New animation for pink diamond henshin scene is so beautiful, and so is the new animation for diamond eternal attack. They're really nailing it with the animation direction for this series. So far it don't feel cheap. And the OP and ED have so many tasteful nostalgic references to original OPs and EDs, it feels so nice for them to follow the themes from before. Makes it feel like a proper sequel.

EDIT: Soooooooooooo, many many many people are saying that Mirai and Liko do kiss during their transformation scene, in a subtle blink-and-you-miss-it style.... judging by what Yoshiyama Yuu tweeted.... it might indeed be it XD.

I guess those are my thoughts for now. Very excited to see more!

[beevean]

(1/2) Unpopular opinion: While it is a problem, as seen with so many villains being woobified and others being stripped of their edges, I think the criticism about judging characters by whether they're likable is only one half of the scale, since you have characters like Lanolin being praised SPECIFICALLY for being an unpleasant asshole with no other traits on the basis of "we need more cynicism uwu, you just can't handle a woman being real and honest uwu".

(2/2) And that's not even going into other current year female characters who are written similarly and for similar reasons, or the continuing trend of derailing idealistic characters because the writers consider them boring or unrealistic. Bad or contradictory character writing comes in all shapes and sizes, and I fear that Tumblr's focusing solely on just the one type could lead future writers to learn the wrong lessons, and instead triple down on OTHER bad writing pitfalls via overcorrection.

I think it's all a matter of trends coming and going.

Sonic is a good time capsule. At first, Eggman was the main villain, the only villain even not counting minor spinoffs, and he was always depicted as a goofy guy who nonetheless could be a serious threat. As we all know, the very name was considered too silly for the Western audience of the time, so he got renamed Robotnik and given an edgier redesign in cartoons.

Then come the 2000s, and Eggman isn't good anymore. He's too goofy, too stale. We moved onto cataclismic gods, whose appeal was how scary and dangerous they were, with little to no funny qualities (intentionally ofc). This is also the era where Sonic, the quintessential '90s mascot, was unofficially replaced by 2000s mascot Shadow.

2010s, we're going back to appreciating the Classics, Eggman is once again the star of the show and the series takes again a lighter tone, in hopes of recapturing the series' lost magic. (Sonic was far from being the only one, shout out to Mega Man 9 ofc)

And now the 2000s are en vogue again, but with a distinct nostalgic "hey remember when we were cool?" flavor, and the desire to have "deeper" stories - this is where IDW and its pseudo-moral dilemmas thrive. On top of that, fandoms have become more... socially aware, let's say, and they grew tired of the tired old sexist tropes, so now it's time for new sexist tropes! Such as the tough, no-nonsense, harsh #girlboss who is just as good as any man, and if you dislike her then you are just sexist! "you can't even handle [insert mildly controversial female character]" and all that. Before, women were only "good" if cute and demure, while now, women are only "good" if they're aggressive and strong in combat.

We got used to the idea that the best characters are the "morally grey" ones. Asshole heroes, woobie villains. Soft, cute men and brash women. And these characters are absolutely allowed to exist, but in the worst cases the "subversion" is the only appeal, and they simply lack charisma. Presence, style, a reason to root for them that goes beyond their tragic past. I don't care about Lanolin's potential trauma being conveyed in an unsympathetic way that might be #relatable to some if she's as interesting as a rock and her only purpose in the plot is being frustrating.

I find myself a bit unequipped to talk about this, but I'm reminded of this very good video from Mr. Enter comparing the OG Fairly Oddparents with A New Wish, and how trends have changed in 20 years:

Two points jumped to me: the difference between Timmy being "the average kid" and Hazel having her own unique quirks, and the infamous meanspiritedness of the OG show that was all but retconned in ANW, because we generally grew tired of it and no longer find it a joke.

[wereallylostnowbois]

Echoes of Wisdom first thoughts

Full disclosure i meant to get this post out yesterday but circumstances prevented it

Im not going to be doing much "theorizing" so much as just commenting on things that I think are neat.

And to start, first and foremost, ZELDA'S GOTTEN HER OWN GAME!!!!! IM SO HYPE!!!

Though with prior statements from various loz directors over the years I can't help but wonder why now? Even as of very recently their stance has been that Link is the protagonist and will always be the protagonist. I joke sometimes that this is because the cdi games scared them away from doing a protagonist Zelda, but in truth its probably because if Link isn't heroing then what is his narrative purpose? I'd be curious to know what internal decision led to us finally getting Zelda as a protagonist.

And on that note: meaningfully different gameplay as a consequence of a different protagonist!!! Fighting enemies via clever usage of environmental pieces is a lot more Zelda than swinging a sword around. The narration doesn't mention this, but if you watch closely in the demo section for the echoes you can see the echoes begin to flash yellow a few seconds after being summoned. I theorize that this probably means the limitation on echoes is a time one rather than a quantity one. Do with this info what thou wilt.

I will admit I am surprised though, in side games where Zelda is playable she tends towards a similar moveset to Link, though you won't see me complaining about this change.

On to the smaller details.

Based on this small feature we see in the overview shot I think we can reasonably conclude this is the same Hyrule as in alttp and albw, as only those games feature this field of stones. I won't do any timeline speculation because I find such things inane, but I will helpfully note that whatever area Zelda emerges from after the sequence with Ganon is southeast of Lake Hylia, a part of this map we don't get to see much of. From this angle we should also be able to see Link's House, as it resides just south of Hyrule Castle, but its nowhere to be found, so the map probably isn't identical, only similar, in probably the same way alttp and albw are similar to each other.

The Great Deku Tree is here and appears to have a very oot-ish design, which paired with the Deku Scrub seen later in the trailer has me a bit nostalgic.

The dias here has a similar vibe to the Master Sword pedestal in many prior games, though bears nothing save for the design of the Triforce. This is probably a place where Zelda will get an upgrade of some variety, though who can say what that might be. Based on the mist this is almost certainly somewhere in the Lost Woods, where Link obtains the Master Sword in uh. Oh so many games.

Of further note, this is our first time seeing both kinds of zora in the same setting. I can't help but wonder what the story is here, but I don't see any use speculating from the few frames we got.

This game will also mark the second appearance of the Gerudo in a top down loz game, with Four Swords Adventures being the first. The presence of a desert town also furthers my note that this is the alttp hyrule, but also isn't. Perhaps the bounds of the map have expanded?

Im obligated to wonder why Zelda seems to be sneaking in though.

Based on the motif of floating islands it seems like we'll be able to traverse the world Hyrule is being consumed by, which follows with the "two worlds" motif most loz games have. In the opening shots of the trailer we see that Ganon's Trident is what opens the initial portal to this place, and in fsa certain npcs will mention the trident being used to banish people to the Dark World, but I hesitate to confirm its identity just yet. It certainly doesn't look like any iteration of the Dark World we've seen before. Reminds me more of Another Dimension from Kirby honestly.

And speaking of Ganon, his classic design makes an appearance! He's got his throwable trident and silly ping pong magic! Look at him go! To do the most mild amount of timeline speculation, because he seems to be enacting a plot of some variety (kidnapping Zelda) this has to take place before the Oracle games, as post-Oracle he's rendered a mindless beast by a failed resurrection. Thats my obligatory timeline note for the month tho.

Not even gonna open the can of worms that is speculation on Tri. I just wanted to say that I love this design. So marketable plushie.

If you were, however, to press me for speculation. I would then make note of the fact that at the end of alttp the Triforce speaks. No one has ever been clear on why. I've mostly lent myself to the assumption that this is because alttp was the first loz game to have any solid lore. Stuff was weird back then. Best to not worry about it.

In any case, these have been my non-comprehensive immediate thoughts. Im looking forward to playing this game.

[theredtrails]

What are your recent favorite video games? (Bonus if you also tell me the stuff you played when you were younger that influenced you the most)

I bought FF7 Rebirth the day it came out and I'm still not done with it 🙃 but I really enjoy it though!! I'm curious to see if it sticks the landing but I enjoy spending my time maximizing my relationship with Tifa 😌

I recently enjoyed The Cosmic Wheel Sisterhood, it's a tarot-building narrative game, very well written and amazing characters 🥰 obviously I spent a lot of time playing BG3 and Alan Wake 2, I just wish I had more time 🥺 the latest Prince of Persia seems right up my alley, I love Metroidvanias/platformers like these. The Castlevania DLC for Dead Cells was another 10/10 for me, happy to see French studios releasing fun stuff!

Bonus answer: it's hard to say because my tastes have changed so much... I played a lot of Heroes of Might and Magic and Sims on my family computer but that doesn't really appeal to me anymore.

I grew up with a SNES as a child, and my favorite game was the fighting game Killer Instinct! It was edgier and darker than Street Fighter 2, which I really loved, and it had a killer soundtrack too 😌

I don't play fighting games anymore, maybe a Tekken match here and there, but I think it has influenced my taste for fast-paced action games... I also was a big fan of the old God of War games!

I had a JRPG phase as a teen with several Fire Emblem and Tales of games, FE3H was very much nostalgic in a way 🥲 I finally got a decent gaming PC in my early 20s and that's when I discovered BioWare games 😌

[pesterloglog]

John Egbert, Jade Harley, Jaspersprite

Act 6, page 5283-5307

JOHN: jade...

JADE: hm?

JOHN: i think i just realized something.

JADE: what?

JOHN: THIS MOVIE FUCKING SUCKS!!!

JADE: whaaat

JADE: but you love this movie!

JOHN: yeah, i know.

JOHN: i mean... i thought i did.

JOHN: it's been kind of a long time since i last saw it. i really remember it being a lot better than this!

JOHN: but now everything just seems so cheesy and stupid.

JADE: but you were making such a big deal about finally getting me to watch it with you on your birthday!

JADE: you were going on and on about how i wouldnt be disappointed... but now youre saying you dont like it?

JOHN: i don't know. i'm trying to like it. i WANT to like it.

JOHN: i want to feel the same magic that was there all the other times i watched it.

JOHN: but i can't, because...

JOHN: it's just...

JOHN: not...

JOHN: good. :(

JADE: really?

JADE: i was actually kind of enjoying it!

JADE: its very silly

JADE: i really dont think its the kind of movie youre supposed to take all that seriously john

JOHN: but i DID take it seriously!!!

JOHN: i guess maybe that's kind of the point.

JOHN: i always thought all this hokey bullshit was legitimately awesome and compelling.

JOHN: what was i even thinking!

JADE: i dunno....

JADE: but people can change their minds about things

JADE: i think youre allowed to change your mind about a silly movie

JADE: i used to LOVE the squiddles show when i was really young

JADE: but as i got older i started to realize it wasnt as great as i thought it was

JADE: i was just too young to see how it was actually a flagrant vehicle for selling merchandise

JADE: and if you believed the conspiracy theorists it might have even been pushing some other dark hidden agendas.....

JADE: so i stopped liking the show itself as much but that didnt change the fact that i had a lot of fond memories about it

JADE: i still loved all the cute characters and could enjoy it on a nostalgic level

JOHN: well, maybe later i'll be able to rekindle some nostalgic feelings about it.

JOHN: but right now, i just feel like a dope for talking this up so hard.

JADE: what is even the problem with it?

JADE: ive just been watching this and thinking, yup, i can see why john was so obsessed with this movie...

JADE: its funny!

JOHN: it's just non stop terrible action movie cliches!

JOHN: look.

JOHN: i love nic cage. he is basically my hero, ok?

JOHN: but i'm kind of just realizing now that he is EMBARRASSINGLY BAD in this movie!

JOHN: he is just doing this corny parody of a southern guy who is down on his luck, and acts "charming" with his goofy accent and stuff.

JOHN: some things i used to think were so badass are just coming off as ridiculous now.

JOHN: can you believe that one time we were watching this movie, when he said "put the bunny back in the box" i actually high fived my dad?

JOHN: this time that line just made me roll my eyes.

JOHN: there's so much crappy dialogue!

JOHN: "cyrus, this is your barbecue, and it tastes good..." arrgh!

JADE: but he was trying to sound like a hardened criminal to win the trust of john malkovich!

JOHN: jade, please. it was a cheesy line, don't be so naive.

JADE: what!!

JADE: you spent your whole life worshiping this dumb movie and now youre calling ME naive????

JOHN: ok, i'm sorry. i guess in fairness to you, you have only just begun to climb the steep learning curve of this vexing and hypnotic film.

JOHN: but i am no longer bound by its spell, jade.

JADE: oh god

JADE: vexing and hypnotic??

JADE: its a movie full of explosions about a guy with a mullet

JADE: what is with you lately? you seem to be in such a crappy mood these days

JOHN: i am fine. this MOVIE is what's crappy these days.

JADE: oh bluh bluh

JADE: can we just finish the rest of the movie?

JADE: look you made us miss a whole bunch of stuff!

JADE: hang on im going to rewind it...

JOHN: who even cares what we missed.

JOHN: just cameron stupid poe in his idiot wife beater babbling some more southern home spun heroic nonsense.

JOHN: heart of gold my ass!!!!!

JOHN: everything dave ever said about this movie was right! i can't believe i used to think he was just trolling me.

JOHN: the stupid junkyard scene where cyrus makes a little model out of rocks and stuff, just so he could tell the criminals to surround some army guys and shoot them... that was pointless!

JOHN: and all this heavy handed scoring. oh my god. the music makes every little thing into such a federal issue!

JOHN: like... oh man, SOME MINOR CHARACTERS BEING INTRODUCED IN SLOW MOTION! dun-dun dun-dun DUN DUN DUN!!!

JOHN: there. now you officially know they are all badasses.

JOHN: also, i somehow didn't even remember dave chappelle being in this movie. he was pointless too.

JADE: whos dave chappelle?

JOHN: and you know the malloy guy, the dick head cop who we're supposed to hate, because of how he gives john cusack a hard time and makes asshole decisions with a helicopter?

JOHN: well screw that! he wasn't so bad. so what if he was a little grumpy? he was just trying to do his job. he had one of the best lines in the movie actually, which was another thing we were supposed to hate him for.

JOHN: what was it? about how cusack was probably out saving a tree and recycling his sandals or some shit? HAHAHA! now that i think about it, i fucking LOVE malloy.

JOHN: i'm going to rewind it to watch that scene again...

JADE: no!!!

JADE: dont touch the remote

JOHN: oh, and we're supposed to be like "YEAH" when cusack wrecks malloy's awesome sports car.

JOHN: but that was a nice car! john cusack shouldn't have ruined it like that for laughs.

JOHN: i know *I* wasn't laughing, were you?

JADE: YES :p

JOHN: john cusack was such a terrible character in this movie now that i think about it. i don't really get what he added to it?

JOHN: he was like the second hero... but dorkier? what did he even really do? he scampered around the junkyard for a while goofing off, and then when it was his time to shine...

JOHN: HE DEMONSTRATED HIS MASTERY OVER HEAVY MACHINERY! wow, he can operate a crane! i am thrilled by the exploits of this pedantic weenie.

JOHN: i guess he's actually like cage's estranged sidekick? almost like the robin that batman never realized he had.

JOHN: now that i think about it, this movie was always an oddly poignant tale of bromance between cage and cusack. just two bros separated by destiny, waiting to be united.

JOHN: when they finally come together to kick some ass, it is arguably more moving than when he reunites with his wife and daughter!

JOHN: i wonder if i'll think that scene sucks now too? it used to move me to tears, but now i'll probably think it's so lame, i'm almost afraid to watch it. maybe i should try to leave at least SOME memories untainted.

JADE: john you are kind of sounding like a crazy person here

JOHN: yeah right! crazy like a fOWWW!

JADE: what???

JOHN: oh...

JOHN: i guess there was a stray feather clinging to my pajamas and it just poked me in the ass.

JOHN: god damn dave sprite.

JOHN: that guy molts like it's going out of style.

JADE: oh...

JADE: heh

JADE: yeah

JOHN: where is he anyway?

JOHN: i specifically told dave sprite several times when my party would start, because i knew he would do this.

JOHN: he's already missed half the movie!

JADE: why do you always call him dave sprite?

JOHN: um... because that's his name?

JOHN: dave sprite.

JADE: no, i mean why do you always say it like that? with the space between words?

JADE: its not dave sprite, its just davesprite

JOHN: what ever.

JOHN: i can't believe he's standing me up on my birthday.

JOHN: maybe he doesn't want to hang out with jaspers?

JOHN: jaspers, i hope you're not going to start chasing him around again when he gets here.

JASPERSPRITE: Hisssss!

JOHN: dude, shut up.

JADE: yeah.... john

JADE: i dont think davesprite is coming tonight

JOHN: aw, man. really?

JOHN: i knew we shouldn't have invited both him and jaspers.

JOHN: that's just party planning BASICS.

JADE: no...

JADE: it has nothing to do with jaspers

JOHN: oh.

JOHN: then why?

JADE: he uh...

JADE: kind of broke up with me

JOHN: what!!!

JOHN: when did that happen?

JADE: a couple days ago

JOHN: no. no way.

JOHN: i cannot accept this!

JADE: john its ok you dont have t...

JOHN: you and dave sprite were like the glue holding everything together on this miserable road trip!

JADE: we were?

JOHN: yes, jade.

JOHN: you were our rock.

JADE: your rock??

JADE: what are you talking about?

JOHN: come on, jade.

JOHN: you and dave sprite were like... an INSTITUTION on this stupid golden battleship.

JADE: we were not an institution!

JADE: you are just saying meaningless things now

JOHN: why did he break up with you?!

JADE: um...

JADE: its complicated

JADE: basically hes just going through a lot of stuff right now

JOHN: stuff??

JOHN: what stuff.

JOHN: jade, we are all going through stuff. you don't see me flying off the handle and breaking up with MY girlfriend.

JADE: do uh...

JADE: you have a girlfriend?

JOHN: that is not the point.

JOHN: the point is that dave sprite is a douche.

JADE: i dont think hes a douche, hes just...

JOHN: no, he's an orange feathery douche.

JOHN: why is he such a basket case? he's like regular dave, but like, aloof enigma edition.

JOHN: maybe it's because he's part bird? i think becoming a bird and a sprite did something weird to him.

JADE: i dont think being a bird ever bothered him

JADE: like i said... its all more complicated than that

JOHN: normal dave was so much more level headed.

JOHN: i have to admit, i spend a lot of time wondering what he and rose are up to.

JADE: me too

JOHN: ehh...

JOHN: maybe it's for the best he broke up with you.

JADE: why?

JOHN: well, what kind of future do you think you would have with him?

JOHN: he's a sprite. like really, what even is a sprite? how long do they live? will he still be around if we win the new game we are allegedly trying to get to?

JADE: i dont know

JOHN: there are a lot of things we don't know.

JOHN: and also...

JOHN: how do things even work if you marry a sprite?

JADE: what do you mean

JOHN: i mean...

JOHN: ok, he has a ghost butt, for one thing.

JADE: uh

JADE: so

JOHN: a GHOST BUTT, jade!

JADE: SO WHAT IF HE HAS A GHOST BUTT!!!!!

JOHN: i'm just saying...

JADE: WHATEVER YOURE JUST SAYING, JUST STOP SAYING IT!

JADE: and whatever youre trying to gesture with your hands there, stop doing that too!

JOHN: what? no, i was just...

JADE: nope!!! totally not talking about this

JOHN: but

JADE: put your hands down john

JOHN: ok, fine.

JADE: thats not down, thats up!

JADE: oh well, at least youre not making those unsettling gestures...

JADE: john...

JADE: what are you doing?

JOHN: nothing!

JADE: i hope youre not entertaining some awkward train of thought about, uh...

JOHN: no!!!

JADE: what is with you??

JADE: today is your birthday, youre supposed to be having fun!

JADE: but youve been so testy, as if youre committed to not having a good time

JOHN: well, maybe i'm just getting a little tired of being stuck on this lame boat!

JOHN: don't you think it's gotten kind of old?

JADE: yeah, i can see how you might find it a little slow here

JADE: i dunno, i havent minded much... maybe its different for me though because i used to live all alone?

JOHN: oh sure, i'm sure it's GREAT for you. you get to spend your days smooching and breaking up with dave sprite and what not, and you can shrink down to any old planet you feel like, any time. whereas i have to make this whole big deal of ASKING you to shrink or unshrink me, and...

JADE: but i dont mind doing that any time!!!

JOHN: i know, but you think i want to bug you about that at the drop of a hat? when you're busy and on dates and stuff? i just happen to have respect for something called PERSONAL BOUNDARIES, jade.

JOHN: and it's not like there's really anyone else to talk to, except the inscrutable chess people and a bunch of brainless consorts and an idiot cat princess. oh and also nanna, but i mean, she's my grandmother, and she's great, but a guy can only spend so much quality time with his grandmother before he starts to feel like kind of a loser whose friends are too busy to spend time with him!

JADE: john... if you told me this earlier i would have...

JOHN: and i still never visit any interesting dream bubbles, and we can't even finish our cool planet quests because the moment we broke through the window all our denizens decided to go back to sleep, and...

JOHN: i guess what i'm saying is, i'm MORE than ready to get to the other window and meet our friends and other new people and stuff.

JOHN: are you sure you can't make the ship go faster???

JADE: were already going as fast as i can make us go

JOHN: and how fast is that again?

JADE: about the speed of light!

JOHN: well, can't you use your space powers and bump it up a notch?

JADE: no! nothing can go faster than light john

JADE: unless you teleport of course

JOHN: and why can't you teleport us again?

JADE: i already explained this! i cant do that here, its not within the domain of the green sun which gives me those powers!

JOHN: is that why we can't go faster than light either?

JADE: no thats just a regular law of physics!!! jeez

JOHN: ok, i mean, i know that. but this isn't really a regular place, right?

JOHN: isn't the speed of light like a thousand miles a second? so what does that really mean here? are miles and seconds the same here as on earth? how does this nonsense dimension we're racing through jive with all the relativity mumbo jumbo?

JADE: ok first of all, thats not even close to the speed of light

JADE: light travels at a hundred and eighty six thousand miles per second no matter what frame of reference youre in... even this one!

JADE: second of all special relativity and comparing laws of physics between different frames of reference, those are tricky issues to talk about!

JADE: but id be more than happy to talk about them if youd like. actually i would enjoy that because i never really get to talk about science wi...

JOHN: no, i don't want to talk about physics! i don't know anything about the laws of physics, because they are hard and boring.

JOHN: i simply would like them to behave in a way that is most convenient to ME and MY LIFE! is that really asking too much?

JADE: yes as a matter of fact it is!

JOHN: well, guess what? SCIENCE IS STUPID BULLSHIT!!!

JADE: you take that back!!!!!

JOHN: no.

JOHN: magic is awesome.

JOHN: science blows.

JOHN: the end.

JADE: john.....

JADE: what is that?

JOHN: what?

JADE: under your hood...

JADE: looks like a piece of paper stuck to your back?

JOHN: huh?

JOHN: oh god dammit.

JOHN: STRIIIIIIDEEEERRRRRRRR!!!!!

JOHN: THAT BASTARD!!!

JADE: what?

JOHN: THIS IS TOTALLY OUTRAGEOUS.

JADE: what is it??

JOHN: I WILL TELL YOU WHAT IT IS.

JOHN: IT IS THE LAST FUCKING STRAW!!!

JOHN: RAAARARRAAUUUAAAAUUAGHGHGGHGGGGHHGH!

JADE: where are you going?

JOHN: I'M GOING TO GO KICK HIS ASS!

JADE: what! john, no...

JOHN: POSING AS MY DEAD FATHER BY MIMICKING ONE OF HIS GREAT FATHERLY NOTES HE USED TO HIDE AROUND THE HOUSE???

JOHN: AND ON THE TWO YEAR ANNIVERSARY OF THE DAY HE WAS SLAIN BY JACK NOIR, A *FACT* OF WHICH THAT CHEEKY ORANGE ASSHOLE IS PLAINLY AWARE??????

JOHN: THIS IS A NEW LOW, EVEN FOR DAVE SPRITE!

JADE: ok yes, that practical joke is in poor taste, but you should try to calm down and...

JOHN: NO, SCREW THAT, I AM SUPER PISSED OFF ABOUT THIS!

JOHN: THERE IS ONLY ONE WAY TO SETTLE THIS, AND THAT IS WITH AN OLD FASHIONED BEATDOWN.

JOHN: WHERE'S MY HAMMER!!!!!

JADE: um

JADE: which one?

JOHN: ANY OLD HAMMER!

JOHN: WHATEVER. IT COULD BE A HAMMER FROM THE BARGAIN BIN OF A HARDWARE STORE FOR ALL I CARE.

JOHN: JUST GIVE ME ANYTHING THAT'S FIT FOR CLOBBERING A GHOST BOTTOMED DICK FACE WHO'S ALSO A BIRD.

JADE: sigh

JOHN: I'M COMING FOR YOU, DAVE SPRITE!

JOHN: DO YOU HEAR ME, YOU MAGICAL SON OF A BITCH? I KNOW YOU CAN HEAR ME!

JOHN: THAT STUNT WASN'T COOL! *YOU'RE* NOT COOL!

JOHN: LIKE IT WASN'T BAD ENOUGH YOU DUMPED JADE FOR NO REASON. WHAT'S THE MATTER WITH YOU!

JOHN: YOU AND JADE WERE OUR ROCK ON THIS SHIP! YOU HEAR ME?? OUR ROOOOOOOOCK!!!

JADE: :|

JOHN: AND NOW *THIS* BULLSHIT??? WHAT THE HELL, MAN.

JOHN: I DON'T GO AROUND LEAVING FAKE PUZZLES FOR YOU LIKE FROM THE MOVIE SAW, DO I? HAVE YOU EVER HEARD ME SAY I WANT TO PLAY A GAME EVEN *ONCE*?? WELL, HAVE YOU????

JOHN: NO, BECAUSE THAT WOULD STIR UP PAINFUL MEMORIES OF A DEARLY DEPARTED LOVED ONE, AND THEREFORE WOULD BE UNBELIEVABLY SHITTY OF ME!!!!!!!!

JOHN: HEY! I SEE YOU THERE!

JOHN: GET DOWN FROM THERE RIGHT NOW, WISE GUY!

JOHN: OH NO, DON'T PLAY DUMB. I CAN SEE YOU PLAIN AS DAY. I'M ON TO YOU, BUDDY.

JOHN: STOP VAGUELY WATERMARKING THE SKY WITH YOUR SMUG DOUCHEY FACE THIS INSTANT AND FIGHT ME LIKE A MAN!!!

JOHN: YEAH SURE, LAUGH IT UP! THAT MAKES YOU SEEM LIKE WAY LESS OF A TOOL. NICE GOING BRO!

JOHN: EVERYONE ON THIS BOAT IS SICK AND TIRED OF YOUR BULLSHIT! WHY DON'T YOU JUST FLY AWAY AND LEAVE US ALONE?

JOHN: HOW CAN YOU BE SO MUCH MORE OF A PRICK THAN THE REAL DAVE? YOU ARE THE MOST PISS POOR SUBSTITUTE FOR A BEST FRIEND A GUY EVER HAD.

JOHN: I CAN'T *WAIT* TO MEET UP WITH THE REAL DAVE AGAIN. THAT WAY WE CAN ALL GO BACK TO THE AWESOME STATUS QUO OF PRETENDING YOU NEVER EXISTED IN THE FIRST PLACE!

JADE: john...

JADE: theres no one there

JOHN: oh he's THERE alright.

JOHN: he's probably just using some sprite magic so only i can see him.

JOHN: don't you see, jade? he's antagonizing ME PERSONALLY, not you. he's done with you, remember?

JOHN: he already used you like a rented mule, and now he is moving on to greener pastures.

JADE: what pastures

JOHN: it's me.

JOHN: I'M the pastures.

JOHN: and now his mule is grazing all over them, while he has a good laugh.

JADE: what

JADE: wasnt i supposed to be the mule?

JADE: i dont think i understand your analogy

JOHN: no, you see, it's...

JOHN: the mule represented, like...

JOHN: i don't know, like the spirit animal of his douchey ways. or something.

JADE: ....

JOHN: augh, WHO CAAARES.

JOHN: who cares about mules, or pastures, or dave sprite's stupid ephemeral sky visage.

JOHN: who cares about anything!!!

JOHN: who cares about my birthday, or nic cage, or this boat full of idiots.

JOHN: JUST.

JOHN: WHO.

JOHN: CARES.

JADE: john i think youre officially throwing a tantrum here

JADE: ...

JADE: john?

JADE: john...

JADE: are you asleep?

JADE: please dont tell me you just fell asleep in your driveway

[lcatala]

Same, 2D cartoonish 16-bit like graphics are just, easier to parse. Reason I'm nostalgic for old strategy games like civilization II or Heroes of Might and Magic II is because all the data on screen is so much clearer and accessible, I immediatly know what I'm looking at.

I can do 3D if it's fairly simple and a bit carricature, like, retro FPS or Portal or Minecraft -- but the hyper realistic 3D games, or even nonrealistic modern shooters like Overwatch, that's just visual noise to me.

i hate open world games i hate immersion i hate 3D i want pixels on a grid i want a path i want a directive i want an objective i am autistic

[bunnimew]

Who are your fave morally gray, animated villains (can be from Dreamworks or any other companies)? I never kept up that much with Kung Fu Panda past the first movie, but it felt surreally exciting when I saw and heard Tai Lung in the newest film's trailer (he was the first film's villain). I got very nostalgic and remember he had a point in being mad that he got denied what he worked for, because he had "darkness in him" (that doesn't justify all he's done as a villain, but still).

Hi, Anon!

Man that morally gray really messes me up because I desperately want to say Yzma from Emperor's New Groove because she's just so much fun but I'm not sure she's in the gray at all 😂😂😂

I'll say the Diamonds from Steven Universe, though. They have a lot of personal growth to get through, and they're still on that journey, but that makes them so relatable and their struggle with it is pretty hilarious. A judgy person learning not to be judgy can be absolute gold comic relief. We're also fans of Jasper in this house. There's nothing wrong with wanting to be strong; Jasper just needs some lessons about what inner strength means and the overall strength that comes with self-control and restraint. Said another way, Jasper's a white belt. Everybody starts as a white belt. Steven Universe was a good show.

I'm gonna throw Doc Ock on this list because s/he's been animated several times and s/he's great. Most of the Spider-man villains are. They're rarely one-dimensional, which is what makes Marvel so good, but Ock in specific makes us feel for him, a lot like Conners, and the Spiderverse version clearly has a history with May and I want to know *all* about it.

Ursula (The Little Mermaid) in the movie is not morally gray, but in my heart she is. One day I might write the fic about it 😂

GASTON. He's clearly a villain in Beauty and the Beast but he's legit just doing what he thinks is right. He's a total idiot but great for a meme and therefore a fav.

MEGAMIND! He might be the palest on the grayscale but I love that. He subverts all villainous expectations and does it in such a clumsy and endearing way, how can you not love him?

Also Bog King from Strange Magic. His motives aren't wrong AND he gets to sing?? AND he gets the 'hero' in the end?? It's everything I wanted for Pitch 🤣 He also has a great design and great VA. We love us some Bog King.

And of course Pitch Black. Anyone who stumbles on our blog can see how much we love Pitch. 🖤🖤🖤

Honorable mentions go to Bill Cipher (Gravity Falls), Oogie Boogie (Nightmare Before Christmas), and Alastor (Hazbin Hotel).

Thanks for the ask, Anon! Morally gray is the best color 🤣

[fatalfangirl]

It's Friday! I'm traveling today and am distracting myself from flying anxiety with fics. Forever thankful for the quality of writing in this fandom. Here are some recent favs:

His Mercy, Mine - NSFW - by @facewithoutheart

What a damn roller coaster. I went into this only having read some of the snippets posted on tumblr - didn't read the tags, didn't skim - zero spoilers. And that's how I think this fic should be consumed if you want maximum gasps. The split timeline storytelling is really effective, as are the descriptions/language used for the gladiatorial AU. I loved it. The only other thing I'll say is don't skip the second chapter :) I'm also currently reading the author's latest WIP: This Will All Go Down In Flames and would rec that too. The Austin based fic is full of feels, music, and local beer. AND a goat.

wasabi - NSFW - by xivz

Roommates snowbaz stuck in quarantine and featuring cam boy Simon! What is not to love! Baz's thirst is so good in this. Wonderfully demented. Perfect amount of lust, which is to say an overflowing bucket of it. The author also recorded a podfic for wasabi and holy hell 🥵 the narration was so hot. It made me pause mid folding laundry with a flush. Had to fan myself. Definitely worth both a read and a listen!

network connectivity problems - SFW - by BasicBathsheba

This one came as a rec from @you-remind-me-of-the-babe and @whatevertheweather after I confessed having only read one Ban fic before. And wow. I loved it. Textfic gold. GOLD I tell you! Simon texts a number thinking he might be IT and help his computer woes, but in reality it's Baz, Simon's uni nemesis, former roommate, and ruthlessly good footballer. The fic is charming and funny and goes where you hope it does with a few little surprises in between. Strong rec for a late night read. (I'm also currently obsessed with Local Hero, which I'm half through, and cannot believe I didn't read these fics sooner, but happy I have them now.)

The Boy and the Summoned - NSFW - by @takitalks, art by @ic3-que3n

I am a sucker for demon Simon. It is one of my favorite versions of Simon (next to dragon) and this fic hits the damn spot. Very cool AU with a canon divergence that has Natasha surviving the Watford attacks, but as a price - and how she dealt with the fallout of that event is a mystery that seems connected to a ring (and a demon) Baz finds on Pitch grounds years later. I love the vibe of this fic, the sort of gothic creepiness of the Pitch estate and the menacing dark fog that surrounds Simon. Excited to see where the mystery takes us!

in the Dust of Dragons - NSFW - by @martsonmars, art by @nick-eyre

This fic is so well written. It's fantasy done exceptionally and makes me feel nostalgic for my childhood of curling up with a books and escaping to fantastical lands. The lore and storytelling is pulling cleverly from canon and has us following Baz on a solo journey (thus far) carrying the weight of his trauma and a heart that is still soft at its core. There is dragon Simon and magic and a Penny that will not take shit from anyone. And we're only 2 chapters in. This is going to be good folks. Dive in and enjoy the ride with me.

[thealmightyemprex]

Disney VHS Request REview Aladdin

So I have a fondness for old home media formats and have a bunch of Disney movies on VHS ,thought it would be fun to let my mutuals pick which ones I watch .And to answer your question ,I am watching these specific films on VHS ,cause it legit adds to the nostalgic feel

Requested by @goodanswerfoxmonster ,we shall look at Aladdin

The plot of this 1992 film is street urchin Aladdin (Scott Weinger ) gains posession of a magic lamp holding an all powerful Genie (Robin Williams ) who will grant Aladdin three wishes which Aladdin uses tomake himself a prince and woo PRinxess Jasmine (Linda Larkin ).Can Aladdin not only stand against the machinations of the royal vizier Jafar (Johnathan Freeman ) but also his fears of being himself ?

So do I have nostalgia for this film:Yes I do! Saw it many times as a kid ,as well as its sequels and TV series (I mightve saw Return of Jafar first ,I'm not sure ) .As a kidI thought it was a very good movie but as an adult......I have the same exact opinion

Yeah sorry folks I dont have anything groundbreaking to say about this film,most people agree it is pretty darn good,and I think it is pretty darn good.Its not among my favorites but everything is pretty solid in terms of entertainment I feel ....I am actually at a loss at what to talk about on this

I think Aladdin is a pretty solid protagonist with a solid character journey with his own insecurities while also being a very clever and resourceful hero .JAsmine is I think my third favorite Disney Princess (Behind Repunzel and Belle ) and I like the chemistry between the two protags .Side characters are good,love Abu the kleptomaniac monky and the Magic Carpet who is a character in its own right .The film,even seen on VHS and 30 years later ,I maintain is one of Disneys best looking films ,the animation is spetacular

The villain is great ,Jafar is a good mix of classic villainy while being a good foil to our hero,our hero is a poor kid ,our villain is this elegant guy in high power ,and that is his defining thing ,he DESIRES power.He might be one of the best power hungry villains I have seen ,because no matter however powerful he is.....Its never enough for him,and this comes to bit him in the butt ,which tends to happen with villains. HE is also just a good classic style villain,very elegant,cackling ,cracking puns and just enjoying his own evil .He is wonderfully designed and animated by Andreas Deja and I must give credit toJohnathan Freeman ,Jafars voice actor ,who is so comitted to the character he has played him various animated projects ,video games and even on STAGE over the past 30 years .I also must mention he has one of the best minions ,Iago ,his parrot voiced Gilbert Gottfried who is really funny .I dunno I love that there are moments where they are friends (Till the end at least ) and the contrast of this loud mouthed crass bird with this refined villain ,they are a good duo

I also think the film has some great action scenes ,including possibly the best climax to any Disney film next to Sleeping Beauty . The final fight between Aladdin and Jafar is legit exciting starting as a struggle,then becoming Jafar throwing spells at Aladdin and then escalating to Jafar becoming a GIANT COBRA while Aladdin battle him with a sword.Its cool I like ir

Of course ya cant talk about this movie.....Without talking about one character/performance. The Genie is just such a perfect melding of character animation and actor .Much has been said of Robin Williams performance with is various adlibs and impressions giving the character a zany feel ,but one must give credit to ERic Goldberg ,the animator who makes the character a litteral shape shifter and is somehow able to match Williams chaotic energy .Comedically just cause of how random some of the refrences are not all the jokes work......But he is really funny most of the time .Most of all his friendship with Aladdin and desire for freedom.Also "Youll always be a prince to me".....Always makes me misty eyed

Now lets talk about the songs cause this soundtrack is great....And it is kind of a miracle they are .See originally the songs were done by Alan Menken and Howard Ashman ....But then Ashman died and they tried to keep as many songs as they could but there were story changes so they got Tim Rice to work with Alan Menken ....So we went from Little Shop of Horrors guy to the Jesus Christ Superstar Guy ,kind of a weird mix .I am impressed by the work of all three and how it all fits together .Not gonna rank the songs,they are all great but I am gonna talk about them .Also will JUST talk about the songs in the film, as much as I love Ashmans deleted songs like the heartfelt PRoud of Your Boy and the villain song Humiliate the Boy (And its kind of tragic subtext )

Arabian Nights while I like Bruce Adlers singing and the actual instrumentals(And it became kind of Aladdins theme song ) is for me the weakest song.It sets a mysterious mood which is hilariously subverted by Robin Williams adlibbing a bunch of stuff as a merchant ,but its just not a favorite

One Jump Ahead is great ,I thought it was an Ashman song but its actually a Rice one,its a great comical intro to Aladdin as a character and I like short softer reprise

Friend Like Me ...Is the best.It is the best song .Contender for best scene.Robin Williams justs add so much energy ,the animation is so wild ,and Its just such a fun show stopper

Prince Ali is another great showcase for Williams this one is just such a fun hype song for Aladdin when disgusised as a prince

PArt of your World is one of the most romantic scenes in Disney ,Aladdin and Jasmine seeing the world on a magic carpet is just so damn lovely and the song is just so sweet

Prince Ali Reprise......Is one hell of an underrated villain song . They actually went through several possible villain songs for Jafar , till they decided to have him sing a reprise of Prince Ali .Its pretty short and I can see someone being disappointed they didnt use say Why Me (A villain song which gives us more about his character ).....I think this was the right choice cause it his BEST moment in the film ,he is GLEEFULLLY taking down Aladdin by VENEMOUSLY spitting back his own theme song,now thats a villain !!! .Also it is punctuated by a TERRIFYING evil laugh

Now Question time

1.Is Iago Furry Bait

Oh most certainly not

2.Is Jafar like KINDA hot

Honestly he kind of is . Johnathan Freemans voice is alluring and I love his elegance

3.do you enjoy this movie more or The Thief of Baghdad?

I like this film.....But The Thief of Baghdad is just better ,it appeals more to the side of me that loves fantasy and the performances are just so good

OVerall good movie

@ariel-seagull-wings @goodanswerfoxmonster @princesssarisa @themousefromfantasyland @the-blue-fairie @filmcityworld1

[insanescriptist]

Adel eventually got around to it! Some weeks and a couple reminders later...

-=-=-=-=-

Q. So how'd you get the idea of this?

The idea of a FSN/JJK xover happened because I got a little nostalgic for complex magic systems, tried to find some good FSN crossovers that I hadn't read and also I might have been rereading some of Slex's fics (specifically this one ) and went huh. Then there was a little math work and I realized the FSN cast could feasible be of age to be upperclassmen.

Speaking of the little math work, due to the Amnesia by Fire, Shiro doesn't have a birthday but is considered 17. So I went to Rin, who is in Shiro's year and saw her birthday. And then I looked at JJK's profiles to see how old they were and saw that Geto was 1. younger than Gojo by two months and 2. that was the same day as Rin's.

-=-=-=-=-=-=-

Q. Who agitates for birthday parties?

Well, obviously Gojo. For cake purposes. If he covers ingredient costs, he gets cake!

Honestly, I suspect this will lead to further ridiculousness, because of Gojo Satoru is just Like That.

Satoru: he's responsible, good looking, hard working, skilled and can cook. I'm going to ask him to marry me. Shoko: and what about his girlfriend? Satoru: she can be the mistress.

-=-=-=-=-=-=-

Q. I thought Divine Energy wasn't possible to be used by mortals/would kill them

If it did, then the history teacher that Caster enchanted to keep up with a Servant would be dead by Caster's hand.

Nasu verse says something about how the mana in the Age of the Gods would be too much for modern mortals/magi. Which the Age of the Gods would have plenty of Gods shedding mana into the world to produce miracles by faith and so on. (Also in Nasu verse, modern humans are weaker, because there's a lot more of them.)

Anyway, it's mentioned that JJK techniques are unique to the individual/family and can be improved by various means/vows. Which are binding.

And then you have Heavenly Restrictions. Which are clearly an observable phenomena by some metric. Or else they wouldn't be know.

In Nasuverse the Gods have more or less left. In JJK, you have Cursed Spirits that have ascended to godhood as part of their background lore. Hello, Michizane Sugawara. (Sakuna, as powerful as he is, is still a Cursed Spirit. Not a god.)

So yeah, you can easily have lots of little gods having favorite little meow meows for specific spiritual techniques. Alas, can't just talk to them to figure it out. That would be too easy.

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

Q. Power Creep in JJK?

Eh, yes and no. I haven't read the manga (it's on my list) but most shonen do end up with some degree of power creep. JJK's is a little awkward in some places, but not completely unexpected for the genre, especially as it tends to scale exponentially instead of at a set rate. No, seriously, it kinda does on the ranking scale of things. However the math does place FSN Servants and ofc, magi as very weak in comparison. Because of the whole, set rate. Behold, the power of exponential math. Crazy numbers and that means crazy power.

If traditional weapons were used against curses and sorcerers measured their effectiveness as a gauge: Grade 4 - "A wooden bat is enough." Grade 3 - "If you have a handgun, you can rest easy." Grade 2 - "Close call with a shotgun." Grade 1 - "Even a tank might be insufficient." Special Grade - "Cluster bombs might work.

-=-=-=-=-

Q. Nasu's metaphysical mechanics confuse me

Yes, they're not the most straight forward system. Basically it's concepts and ideas, with other factors tossed in to make them stronger/more effective.

Basically you want to Min/Max everything in your favor. From yourself to another concept you like/have researched/your family has researched for X amount of time. Do all this. Ahead of time. And you can still lose because someone negates a boost of yours or has a bonus you didn't account for. A magi walks with death.

We'll take the idea of Hero for example. A Hero fights monsters, perseveres over challenges and brings hope. So applying the Hero status to someone would metaphysically boost Attack, Endurance/Strength/Constitution and also Charisma, at it's most basic. Maybe just an all around stat increase of say, 1 or 2 points.

However with it being Very Generic, you get Very Minimal Boosts. So you get more specific. Apply the idea of say, a Knightly Hero. More strength, more speed, more charisma. However a Knightly Hero is as a concept, not great at magic. So greater stat increase in specific fields.

So you get more specific and do say... a Dragon Slaying Knightly Hero. Well, obviously you get a bonus against dragon type things or things that are similar to dragons. Same general bonus as a Knightly Hero, but probably with a higher rating.

Even so, without the innate compatibility, the effects are going to be less than ideal. Dressing a pig in pearls doesn't make the pig a lady.

But say, you apply the Concept of a Welsh Hero to a Welsh Girl, in a Welsh Village, that has been worshipping said Welsh Hero for centuries, and controlling every detail to increase compatibility.

Well, then you can get someone like Gray. Who has magically been changed into a vessel best suited for King Arthur, with the exception of King Arthur's soul. So if you applied the concept of King Arthur to Gray, then you'd have an A+ compatibility, thus theoretically allowing King Arthur to be reborn. Once you acquire the soul of King Arthur and put it into Gray. Which a bit tricky.

Flipping over to JJK, Incarnations of dead sorcerers into a living being/possession is part of how JJK's Culling Game came to be. As I haven't read JJK, you can see how it's very much the reverse process to Gray's transformation. Souls tossed into various vessels.

You can also do it to other concepts beyond "Hero," such as say, Consumption, Acceleration, Resonance, Imaginary Elements etc. Which also sound somewhat like the basis of a Sorcery Technique.

No seriously. There's lots of similarities in the systems at the base of things. Since it's all metaphysical and JJK's sorcerer's are still fundamentally human and thus interact with the world in fundamentally human ways with human understanding of it.

As further example... The Zen'in Cursed Technique of Construction is basically a magus' Gradient Air/Projection, done out of Cursed Energy. Shiro's blades are made using Tracing, an Advanced form of Projection. Construction apparently is Energy Intensive, which is why Mai usually only makes bullets, because she has small reserves of Cursed Energy and JJK fundamental world building says that you can't really increase the energy reserves in a meaningful way without specific training over a long period of time or by use of vows. Shiro meanwhile by specializing in what he's making and adding in his bonus of Origin and Element (Sword by Sword) can be super energy efficient. So long as he's making a Sword(sword), Sword(bladed object)?? and SwORD(weapon)??? but not S̶̯̲̘̝̦̾̀̀W̴̙̹̪͓̩͛̃̍͛Õ̸͕̓̈͐Ŗ̵͔̇̌̋D̴͈̗̆͊̓̎ (alien weapon). (The definition of "sword," in Shiro's Unlimited Blade Works is Very Flexible. Rho Aias makes no fucking sense to be in there otherwise, except under Very Flexible Terms.)

Q. So still no plot?

Again, I'm not writing this. I'm just building the sandbox.

Q. So that Domain Expansion and Unlimited Blade Works, they're similar but not the same right?

Yeah. Very Similar at a glance. Function pretty similar too, but also still fundamentally different.

A Domain Expansion is basically, at it's core, amplifying a sorcerer's Cursed Technique over a defined area, an area defined by the barriers of the Domain. The boundary is the important part as by imposing a boundary, you are limiting range in exchange for accuracy. For someone like Sakuna, who as a Cursed Spirit and immensely powerful and skilled, he doesn't need the sure-hit effect when he can just aim. It helps that his Cursed Technique is effectively straight lines of cutting energy.

A Reality Marble is expanding a person's innate world (it's laws, limits and rules) and imposing it on an area of reality. Most easily done by spirits and aliens. Humans usually can't do it, but those that do are a little warped.

So uh... Kenji likely has a Reality Marble instead of an actual Domain Expansion. Surely this isn't a problem at all.

Q. Why would Shiro become a Sorcerer in JJK terms?

Fighting Cursed Spirits would absolutely let him be so happy. He gets to save people from monsters! Fulfill his purpose (as a sword)! Save people! Be a hero! Slay Curses!

Except.. except... except... fundamentally the enemies in JJK are Cursed Spirits, born from accumulated Cursed Energy from masses of people. Japan has the highest amount of Cursed Spirits due to Reasons, so much so that Tengen has set up Barriers (of Cursed Energy) around Japan to do minor Purification (Cursed Sorcery Skill). Barriers of Cursed Energy, exposing the Japanese population to Cursed Energy for generations surely will have no knock-off effects in the latent Cursed Energy reserves of non-sorcerers and thus increase the frequency of Cursed Spirit Genesis, especially combined with higher modern population compared to historic populations.

Yeah. Oops. This might be a problem that's only going to get worse. And has been for some time. Whoopsie..

Q. So who would win if the Magi Association fought the Jujutsu Administration?

Pretty sure Jujutsu could kill off the magi individually, but someone would likely end the world somehow. My money would be on Atlus or a Dead Apostle Ancestor.

Primate Murder is a Good Boy.

Q. Still not gonna write this?

No. Enjoy the sandbox.

Having vague thoughts on how JJK would go if it got crossed with F/SN

Since the main characters of F/SN are just old enough to be upperclassmen to Gojo Satoru

[felicitykings]

my bestie @holly-mckenzie tagged me to post 8 shows to get to know me. 

tagging: @justabritishmusicallover , @gothamstreetcat, @brvceselina, @apple-grass-and-smiles, @sonyarebecchi, @kaz-breker, @jennortegas, @mike-el , @gaffney, and @charlieconwayy

(please note: this is in no particular order)

stranger things (2016-) - i’ve been obsessed with this show since the start really, there’s just something about it, particularly those first two seasons, that just keeps me coming back. there’s fun characters that i enjoy watching and it has an awesome soundtrack!

gotham (2014-2019) - truthfully this was the first piece of media that really connected me to batman and that world. i’d seen movies before but i never felt connected to the character. but something about watching this kid grow up and earn the cowl, especially with all the choices he made that eventually led to him becoming batman had me rooting for him. and honestly, every single cast member on this show is so perfectly cast - particularly RLT as oswald. they’re the gold standard for me now. and i loved how everything fit together in this retelling.

primeval (2007-2011) this show has always been that show that has felt like mine, you know? i have so many fond memories of watching this growing up and it has always stuck with me without it ever being repeated on tv or having a large fanbase that regularly makes content long after the show is over. no, the show has just always stayed with me all through its own merit of having lovable characters and a really great storyline that i will always be upset was never allowed to be completed.

dark (2017-2020) - admittedly, i was super late to this party having only watched it earlier this year but WOW what a show. i think i can honestly say that this may be the best written and conceived show of all time - certainly of the shows i’ve watched. i have literally no complaints about it. the fact that most, if not all, the story seems to have been planned from the beginning is obvious with the number of twists and turns and strong character development/story arcs and it just makes it all the better when you can rewatch and spot even more each time. this show is incredible! i really can’t say enough about it and if i keep going here, i’ll never stop.

stargirl (2020-2022) - stargirl my beloved you were taken from me far too soon. i’ll be honest and say that i wasn’t expecting to love this show as much as i do when i decided to give it a shot. but it was so utterly charming with truly likeable characters - whether they’re heroes or villains - that you can genuinely enjoy watching. and it has a strangely nostalgic feel/tone despite its modern day setting that just adds to its likeability. 

rtd era! whoniverse (2005-2011) - this is probably cheating but just including doctor who in general felt wrong when it is this era (main show and spinoffs) that i cherish the most and i couldn’t include one without the others. maybe its the nostalgia idk but this was when the series felt the most grounded to me and despite its issues i still adore it as an era of this show’s history. the shows worked great side by side, targeting different audiences, with characters that felt real. in the case of the main show, you really felt that the companions were real people, with real lives who were plucked out of them to go travel with the doctor and it really dealt with the consequences of that which has been seriously lacking in recent years. for torchwood, the characters were allowed to be messy, truly truly messy and just plain human. they made mistakes, there wasn’t always some magical fix for them, they were on earth with limited resources just doing the best they can and sometimes it might not be the ‘right way’ but they still try and it’s beautiful. for sja, they’re just kids but they’re still real kids and they were never treated as less than their adult counterparts, they were given room to grow but never in a way that seemed patronising. there’s a magic in this specific era that i will love my whole life.

roswell (1999-2002) - i’ve always adored the balance that this show managed to get between the typical early 00s teen drama side and the sci-fi/fantasty elements. while in a lot of teen sci-fi fantasy shows these days focus on that rather than character dynamics/growth, this one really excelled at giving each character a compelling arc throughout the show, while developing a strong individual dynamic between every possible pairing of its main cast which is amazing compared to some of its contemporaries where there’s always characters who never interact outside the group setting. as such, you really get to see why these characters are putting themselves on the line for each other time and time again. they’re really a family and it’s shown consistently through the show (rather than characters just saying it without any development or actions to back it up) and it’s incredibly endearing.

the originals (2013-2018) - what can i say? i love this disfunctional “frankenstein family”. the show has its ups and downs but they’re all a mess and i love them. how many times can a group of people stab each other in the back? plenty and i truly love every second of it. morally grey characters / villain protagonists and such an interesting concept because there are barely any “good” guys to root for, it’s just a case of season by season, and sometimes episode by episode, deciding which ones are right this time, if any of them are.

other faves include:

pennyworth

all creatures great and small (2020-)

1899

swamp thing

the tracy beaker franchise

waterloo road (2006-2015)

sense8

get even

on my block

nowhere boys

we are lady parts

wolfblood

one of us is lying

teen wolf (specifically s1-4)