#i do think they'll keep his arc because it fits in with the themes of parenthood and parental love quite well

[the-paris-of-people]

hi! not an unpopular opinion, but i’m so interested to see how they continue to adapt annabeth’s relationship with her parents in the show?? cause even in the books i wasn’t totally sold that they were redeemable after what she told us about her childhood, but in the show they REALLY are not making frederick chase and athena look good so i’m just interested to see how that plays out - how that will shape how annabeth views her mother, whether she’ll stay with her dad, etc. etc. curious to hear any of your thoughts!

[satohqbanana]

I think this is how I'd like Arcane S2 to go based on what the fandom and LOL players have posted so far on socmed and other media sharing sites (and if I miss any plot point, my apologies, I'm neither watching it off Netflix or the pirate's bay).

For starters, S2 would open with a timeskip. Both Piltover and Zaun are in a mess. Neither have their leaders, after all, and potential candidates are currently fighting their way to the top, none strong enough like the previous ones.

Various factions are scrambling to take control over the borders and all known (and secret) passageways between the cities. Jinx is one of the faces at the front. Every Piltovan is out to get her if they can; kill her or turn her in, they'll win political power. She's even more ruthless this time, and she's enjoying the act of killing. It's also as if she wants to find someone strong enough to kill/stop her.

Meanwhile, the Chembarons are fighting for leadership over Zaun, but first of all, they are trying to court Sevika's loyalty. She has the charisma that helps her rally supporters towards anyone she finds fit. They do not know that Jinx is holding her captive exactly because of this. Their second priority is claiming monopoly on shimmer - or making an alternative. Since Silco's gone and Singed is holed up in his lab, production has gone places, and no one's brewed anything better yet.

Ekko has made efforts to support struggling Zaunites, but the Firelights' territory is growing smaller by the day. Thanks to the conflict, he now knows Jinx has survived their fight on the bridge, but he fully regrets having tossed away her bomb. (It is clear that he still struggles to separate Powder from Jinx. This is his actual arc.)

Heimer has started to shed his immortal naivety; now he's actively helping Ekko's community thrive. Particularly he's leading the Firelights in research endeavors. They have a working tonic for shimmer, though still imperfect, so Heimer thinks of sending Ekko and friends to Piltover to make things better.

On the side of Piltover, we have Vi. She's been forced into becoming an enforcer thanks to Caitlyn, who attempted to put her back in jail in grief and rage. Thanks to the conflict, one of the jail guards tattled about Vander and Grayson and Silco and Marcus, then suggested the team-up. Vi initially refused the offer, but she eventually agreed to it, because she has no allies aside from Ekko and she can't wait for him while Jinx is destroying both cities. She keeps on wondering why Vander agreed to acquaint himself with them, as day in and day out she's just assisting Piltovans and fighting Zaunites. A colleague suggests she's better off helping out in Zaun instead, and she punches him.

Caitlyn is exhausted to say the least. She has just buried her mother, Jayce and Mel (and Victor) have disappeared and nobody can say where they've gone, and Noxus is breathing down her neck. At the very least, she does have Ambessa guiding her, even if her words feel demanding. Caitlyn promised to comb all over Piltover and Zaun for Mel to prevent Ambessa from rallying Noxian forces, under the condition that if Caitlyn can't bring the cities to an acceptable state, Noxus is free to take control of both as it pleases. Caitlyn has also accepted Noxians into the military force of Piltover, sent by Ambessa under the guise of searching for Mel.

(And Ambessa is thirsty for blood. She has chosen to hold back for now, for she does worry that little peace-loving Mel might actually die in the crossfire between Noxus and Pilt/Zaun and Ambessa is not willing to go through the loss of a child again this soon. But she is getting impatient, and she is also considering taking the hexcore for herself.)

Overall, the season deals with themes of power and control. Naturally Vi and Jinx meet each other and clash twice or thrice during this leg of the story. But most of all, it's about Vi becoming Vi, much like how Powder became Jinx last season. Even if this doesn't solve all plot threads, it would at least give Vi the center stage to tell her "side" of the story, especially with regards to the Piltover/Zaun conflict.

In fact, I think it'd be great if Caitlyn captures Jinx, but keeps her incarcerated to get a better hold on both Piltover and Zaun and get things in order. As Jinx is lashing out in her cell, crying and screaming and begging to be let out, Vi is there, tearfully apologizing for all her shortcomings as Powder's sister. The series ends with Caitlyn giving some speech to promise a better relationship and system between Piltover and Zaun, then the speech getting interrupted by a jailbreak, one Vi initiates to free Jinx. As chaos again breaks out, Vi apologizes to Vander and grieves the fact that she truly is a bad sister.

I'd prefer letting the LOL players bridging the gaps between Arcane and LOL by themselves since they have better grasp of the lore, and also to help cover some obvious plot holes. Anyway that helped me cope; hope this helped you cope in some way too 💗

[coralcatsea]

HetaOni Fanmade Ending Thoughts

I have both compliments and criticisms and just want to give my honest thoughts after playing.

I enjoyed the scenes with the nations themselves, such as Italy being trapped in his mind in a perfect simulation and Holy Rome, Prussia, Romano, and the two ancients working together to get him out. I liked the basic idea that Russia's seemingly disturbing phone calls were actually him trying to help, but not saying anything because he could never find the right time. I think the way England got his sight back made enough sense, although I think it'd be even better if he was shown having to deal with the consequences of the sacrifice a bit more, plus maybe America having more moments to react, get upset, and help him out.

What I didn't get into, however, was the explanation for why the events of the game happened. In short, everything with the 2ps. For me, their existence in the game felt very random and not at all organic. I think the plot with them could work in another game, but not HetaOni, because the original game had no build up that would ever make me expect a universe domination scheme with 2ps, plus the themes and styles don't match. It'd be like if you took Coraline and threw in an evil organisation that employed witches to rid the world of children, haha.

I think a backstory/myth just surrounding the lore of that one cursed house would've worked better, something focused more on Ryuuzu and the creatures as mysterious supernatural entities on their own rather than elements of a super ambitious plot. Maybe they can't even be fully explained. I do have ideas, but I feel it'd be better to make a separate post for that.

Moving on to the ending itself, I have mixed feelings. While the nations worked very hard together, I feel like the 2ps just deciding on their own to hand over an escape portal felt a bit...anticlimactic? It sort of removed their agency. I think it would've been better if they acquired an escape route on their own. Either by finding it, defeating a final boss and taking it, or even having to convince the one keeping them trapped to let them go.

Then, when they do leave the mansion, I'm okay with them expecting to lose their memories since that brought about a very sweet scene I felt fit all their growth so far, but then there should be a scene that triggers the memories to come back. That sort of happened with the candy, but it felt unsatisfying how little they remembered, because then it's hard to tell how much their arcs meant in the end. If their memories have to stay gone then I feel like they should at least have a moment expressing how strangely, they all feel a great deal closer to each other and less alone than ever before, maybe in an epilogue scene at the sleepover thing they decide to have.

These are just my opinions. Maybe they'll be taken into consideration for the remake, maybe they won't, but either way, it was interesting to see a continuation of the game. The art was great and made it a lot easier to take serious moments, well, seriously. Also, I don't know if/how much the original dialogue got tweaked, but it felt better than I remember. I'm sure it took a lot of hard work to recreate the game, so congratulations to Cookie for starting the project and seeing it through.

[heretherebedork]

I have seen ur ep 3 review kind of post and so i got to thinking. And since i got time this time pls hear my word vomit coz i got no friends

The Kinn-tawan-vegas-porche mess

Kinn being unable to trust but also wanting to protect porche, Porche awaiting for kinn to talk abt his plan, Tawan just being a dick and watching all of it burn, Vegas stabbing everything kinnporche has left. (But Honestly without vegas this arc would be boring)

The Action

I was so excited to watch outside the teernapakul bubble mafia fights (which did happen thanks to vegas) but there's so many internal wars that I question how did this major clan survive all these years with such dysfunctionality? I'm still excited for the kinnporche power couple fight (hopefully 13-14 eps) the recent ones were underwhelming could be coz of camera or editing or the story not needing a good choreographed fight or maybe they were holding it back for the finale.

Vegas

What is it with vegas causing the distress and acting like he's trying to save the damsel in distress and how is it working every time. The plot shield for vegas is so damn thick in this ep. Pete being subjected to whatever Vegas got going just feels wrong but I want it to keep it happening coz we don't know much abt pete like more of npc in GTA . Pete's masked but wt has he masked and why ?? I haven't yet seen why vegas wants power we know he's evil but why has he planned all of this mess if he wasn't hungry for power? And why does he want it? Is it becoz of Daddy issues? Or was he conditioned to believe coz of the environment he was in? He's such a mystery plot device that If I don't have any conclusions i will riot. Also why is Vegas soo charming what a snake 🐍🐍.

Pete

Boi's got no control he's just subjected to try his best. He just doesn't fit here but somehow does fit better than any bodyguard. Looking at all the visual clues, Pete's view of justice and morals are perfect for the kinnporche world but he can't control his microbursts of uncomfortable feelings which is why vegas is feeding off of pete.

Kinnporche arc was all abt trust so what is Vegaspete theme abt? Is it control? Power? Subconsciously being Submissive to the point u see urself going from being evil to grey?

I haven't yet seen Pete succesfully bounce off things or vegas to take control. So if the show follows the fandom's predicted pace of this arc it will be such a defining moment .

So all in all Vegas is a perfectly written plot device that it's like more like Vegas playing god than an antagonist .

And the funniest part is he doesn't know and when he does he adapts the plan quickly. I will slander him for the pain he will cause our sunshine boi but appreciation for his consistency won't go away.

Always welcome those who have nowhere else to go with their meta here!

I am oblivious to how good or bad actions scenes are, honestly. Like me and kissing and me and... a lot of things. I enjoyed the action scenes but, like, I compare these to Tien Bromance and they're a lot better than that. I know we'll get more power couple fights but I can't predict what they'll work like.

Oh, Vegas makes so much sense to me. He's got really amazing people skills and a real talent for knowing how to speak to people to push their buttons exactly the way he wants to push their buttons. It's a gorgeous skill and it makes sense for someone who has minor power and wants more.

And we don't know a lot about Vegas but we can definitely predict what's going on. Is Vegas truly interested in power? His father is. But Vegas himself? I'm not so sure. I think Vegas just wants to be able to do what he likes and to live his life. But we don't know his personal motivations yet beyond trying to do what his father asked.

I love Vegas for that because what might seem like plot armor makes sense between him and Porsche. Because Vegas understands Porsche and how to manipulate, how to feed him just the right energy and the right words. Porsche is straightforward and Vegas finds that so simple. Honestly. Porsche and Kinn are straightforward and Vegas sees right through them in those regards. He did underestimate their bond at first but now he's learned better.

Also, Vegas is absolutely a snake and he's the best snake. He's a viper that looks like it's smiling with his mouth closed and then reveals a thousand teeth when he truly smiles.

Pete is an interesting character because he's a mix of honest kindness and the kind of hardness that only comes from years of violence and a loyal friend and a loyal bodyguard and an understanding friend and someone who can watch torture without blinking. He is the duality of life and he's amazing.

I do think that Pete's role is different. Pete is about the power of kindness and the strength of a smile and the deepness that comes from genuinely caring for other people. He's going to go into Vegas' den for the sake of Porsche and he's doing to take whatever comes his way to prove his friend is innocent.

I also think we definitely saw Vegas take control with the torturing of the prisoner, seeing him so calm and so twisted and watching Pete watch him when no one else could... that was the start of something. That was the proof that they are equals in their own way, though not all ways.

I mean, Kinn and Porsche might be about trust but they're not there yet and I think Vegas and Pete are about pain, honestly. The pain of lying and of torture and of abuse and of loneliness and of loyalty. There are so many kinds of pain.

(no book spoilers)

[novafire-is-thinking]

Behind the Playlist - Transformers: Prime Edition (Part 11 of 22: Megatron)

Link to the other posts in my Behind the Playlist series

✧ ✧ ✧

One either loves Megatron or fears him. Or both. It was easy to find songs that fit his character arc. I present to you a playlist fit for a delusional gladiator-turned-warlord.

Intended overarching themes and/or qualities: World-shaking Ambition, Poisoned Motives, Violent Striving

My personal favorite(s) from this playlist: Stand Alone, Call Me Fighter, Warpath, and The Call

✧ ✧ ✧

Full song list and explanations under the cut:

Believer by Imagine Dragons

This one is so fitting that it could have been one of Megatron’s speeches as a gladiator on the rise.

Here We Come by Tiger Drive

Here they come. They call themselves “Decepticons.” And they’re bringing war because fighting is all they’ve known.

Rule the World by Zayde Wølf

“So we'll keep on starting the fires / Thinking we'll smoke out the liars / We don't give up when we're tired / That isn't the way that I'm wired

Someday, someday / We're gonna rule the world / I know someday / We're gonna rule the world / Counting down to explosion / I hear the moment approaching / Someday, someday / We're gonna rule the world”

Legend by The Score

“Here we go, here we go / It's my turn to make history / Here we go, here we go / When I'm gone they'll remember me, yeah

A dreamer with the fever to be great was all I ever want / Was all I ever wanted / A fighter with the fever for the fame was all I ever want / Was all I ever wanted”

Shakedown by The Score

“The scars from the fights that came through the years / Are constant reminders of what got me here / All those nights alone / They were the start of something great now / Here comes the shakedown”

Stand Alone (feat. Zayde Wølf) by Generdyn

Before he’d gained a following, Megatron may have felt as if he was alone in the fight to bring change, starting with the gladiatorial pits. That didn’t stop him though. He had an iron will and was fully confident in his abilities as a fighter.

Going for Greatness by Future Royalty

“This is my time / I’ve waited long enough / I’m taking my moment / Don’t matter how it was, no regrets / No matter how hard it gets / I’m going for greatness”

Call Me Fighter by Matt Beilis

“The sun is gone / I'm holdin' on / Swallowed up in the fires / But don't call me broken, just call me fighter / A life of pain wrapped up in chains / Still, my dream burns brighter / Don't call me broken / Just call me fighter”

Empires by Ruelle

“A storm is coming / Desire burns / A war is calling / The tides are turned / Empires rise / Empires fall / We live or die / To take the throne / Only one will stand at the end of it all”

Optimus: “One shall stand.”

Megatron: “And one shall fall.”

Warpath by Tim Halperin, Hidden Citizens

“Time is running out / Time can't stop me now / The world may live or die / But I will rise

I'm on the warpath / I'm on the warpath / Yeah, I'm on the warpath / I'm on the warpath

Hear it on the wind / The battle cry within / At my core / I know what I'm fighting for”

Megatron fell to a point where he no longer cared if the worlds he battled on thrived or died as he was chasing Optimus across the stars. Megatron thought he knew what he was fighting for, but he lost sight of it a long time before he reached Earth.

Insurrection - Instrumental by Tommee Profitt

insurrection: (n.) a violent uprising against an authority or government.

Start a War by Klergy, Valerie Broussard

“So you wanna start a war / In the age of icons / So you wanna be immortal / With a loaded gun / So you wanna start a war, war”

“Yes, Primus. I would like to start a war. Oops, I poisoned you. Brb, lemme go chase down and kill my former brother-in-arms since I’m really mad at him. Then I’ll come back and see what I can do about fixing the planet. Actually, maybe I’ll just keep conquering other planets to satisfy my power-hungry spark.” - Megatron (probably)

Turns You Into Stone by Tommee Profitt, Fleurie

“Dreamer trapped by your desires / Turns you into stone / The light you stole / River turns to dust / Miles on the run / Everywhere you go / Can't find no home / All the world you roam / Turns you into stone”

Optimus: “I am but a soldier, Megatron. And you… are a prisoner of your own twisted delusions!”

No Mercy by UNSECRET, icetope

“War is fury / There's no mercy / No mercy / No mercy

No end to the hunger / When it's glory that you crave / The dark pulls you under / 'Cause there's always more to take”

Mountain (feat. Rhett Walker) by Generdyn

Overconfident much?

The Call by League of Legends, 2WEI, Louis Leibfried, Edda Hayes

“For the beat and the broken / For the lost and forsaken / Let us never surrender / May we rise unto the call

For the beat and the broken / For the lost and forsaken / Let us never surrender / For the glory and the fall”

I love this song for so many reasons. This is the Megatron who once fought for a worthy cause—to throw off oppression and demand a just system. I put this song on the playlist for Optimus as well; it fits both of them and emphasizes the bond they once shared when they were working toward the same goal.

Untamable by Hidden Citizens, Tim Halperin

“This appetite it might consume me / I set my sights, no stopping now / Rush of reckless running through me / And time is running out / Oh, it's running out

And there's nowhere left for you to hide / Once the day becomes the night / There's nowhere left for you to hide

Untamable, unshakeable / When the lights go down, the beast comes out to play”

Enemy by Tommee Profitt, Beacon Light, Sam Tinnesz

Megatron became a ruthless enemy of many. This song perfectly conveys the perspective of those enemies.

✧ ✧ ✧

Notes:

This post series is in alphabetical order. Next up are Miko Nakadai and Optimus Prime.

As I add more songs to the playlist, I’ll update this post.

[localsharkcryptid]

Ah ha tis that time of year again where I post and idea that popped into my brain and refuses to leave!

Anyway with my interest in Resident Evil Village coming back as well as the game nearly being a year old combined with my need for TNT Duo content I have produced and idea which I wish to hopefully write or do something with

This is of course with the characters from the dsmp NOT the content creators themselves

Wilbur takes the place of Ethan, Fundy being Rose, and Sally being Mia who is going to be actually dead since why the fuck did Miranda keep her alive to begin with-

Yes Wilbur has lost a hand, loses fingers, and loses the other hand- its the price of being Ethan- also yay mold, fungus man, should be fucking dead man, congrats Q you fall for a corpse yet again.

Techno takes Chris's role cause well yes it makes sense, also Techno and the boys turn a salmon into swiss cheese

Dream takes the role of Mother Miranda [bitch (derogatory, so derogatory)] powers and motives may be slightly altered- still control freak but worse, all in all you're going to hate this guy

Lady Dimitrescu is replaced with Lord Halo/BBH simply because of height at this point and literally no one else fit the bill

The daughters being replaced with a group of subordinates: Hannah, Antfrost and Skeppy (they'll still be bugs? Maybe? Undecided- character research to be done yayy)

Donna and Angie are replaced with Ranboo and Tubbo, not much changes with how they work aside from them both being a bit more independent of each other. Possible route of befriending them for sake of bench trio? Also unlike Donna and Angie they will actually be separate entities thus not just ranboo using tubbo to communicate though have a sort of connection thanks to the Cadou, perhaps a pain thing or something like how C!BBH and C!Skeppy work-

Moreau is replaced with Sam, possible character changes to fit Sam's character a bit more? Just changes- pathetic warden man either way- most heavily manipulated by Dream, think current arc sam but somehow worse! Mutated form is going to be maybe more reptilian? Maybe otter based-? Still aquatic as to fit the fish crest. He needs help big time.

Quackity takes over Heisenberg's role, hammer replaced with a pickaxe cause ha funny. Slightly more casino theme to the factory? Plans to fucking murder dream remain, team up will happen, I refuse to be stopped also cause TNT duo my beloved- literally just butcher army, electons and las navadas Quackity but all in one body. Literally just stole Tommy from being experimented on and has been harboring/enabling the feral child.

Tommy is an outsider to the village, having gotten stranded and briefly taken in by Dream- he doesn't speak of what happened there having been taken into the care of Lord Q/Quackity since Q pretty much stole the kid, he's now been just hanging around mostly on his own, stealing to survive and assisting Q with his plans. Eventually finds Wilbur and instantly latches onto him.

Niki and Jack Manifold take The Duke's place, running the merchant's caravan, Jack handles trading and sales, Niki handles weapons and the cooking- they both despise Tommy with a passion, due to the child often stealing from their wares. Their knowledge of everything is unsettling much like the Duke's. Also note- Niki is going to pull a gun on tommy at some point

Backstory with Louisiana/RE7 remains just switched out characters- won't be really referenced

Bonus characters to divert and expand on plot!

Ponk, present survivor and doctor of the village/probably investigating about the lords and things?? Heavy tie in with Sam either way, cause fuck you awesamponk my beloved

Charlie, maybe dead?? Undecided- still gonna have a tie in with Q

Punz, connection to Dream of course, inside man for the village maybe? General role undecided

Sapnap & Karl, exes to Q, very dead, oh so dead so only like minor plot relevance-

More may be added

All in all the story will deviate from the actual game's plot a fair amount as I am running with the idea but anyway good day people of this land while I now continue to try and work out how to write this shit :]

[6okuto]

hiii so. I want to try writing for the last legacy #gang but. I’m afraid of messing up their characters hdjdfhbfb do you. have any advice on this🧍

OMGG....i am so honoured rn. that is so exciting ok,, ok ok ok i can give u. what i do and little notes i keep in my head

general

read other people's hcs if you're stuck !! even if it wasn't the same prompt it might help u get a better idea of the Energy Needed

also like,,, if they remind me of certain characters i'll even look at other hcs from different media. (haikyuu) rime works(ish?) when you look up tsukishima ,, sage works when i look up atsumu,, etc. in case there isn't enough/the right LL content for you

you can even like, look at memes,, if you just scroll the LL twt or ig. they might help too

i take screenshots of their dialogue so i can easily look back :]

looking at the dialogue choices might help bc they'll emphasize important parts of their character (and how they could diverge)

if Ur like Me and never remember what happened ever,, i fr just keep their wiki pages open. there isn't a lot of plot info on there (literally none for the m3) so i stare at the cgs/trivia/profiles and Hope For The Best.

if ur really stuck there's no harm in asking for someone else's opinion ! if u don't have anyone to ask u can ask Me :100: /srs

and tbh it's ok if u change ur mind about things,, i've said stuff and disagreed later because i saw someone else's hcs but that's just life sometimes. we accept (cringe) and move on

felix

more formal than usual. going > gonna , allow > let (sometimes) (my thing of him being 1/2 thesaurus searches away from casual)

he's easily flustered (he's whipped) but he Can tease,, just maybe after a few seconds of glitching

All of them would do whatever mc needs but i see felix as especially a comforter when they're upset (might panic at first)

route has a lot about growth and acceptance/forgiveness

for angst: isn't listened to, insecurities of his skills/interests, fear of being alone again

sage

tease,, obviously. innuendos, jokes, smirks, etc

ideas of protection/love have roots in him being dangerous + not being worth it (e.g. telling mc they should have stayed on earth)

distractor + eventual solver, one to threaten to fight

route has themes of allowing yourself to be vulnerable, choosing kindness in the face of rage/violence

for angst: not being able to protect mc, mc realizing that he was right in his fears before leaving, finally breaking down and being vulnerable

anisa

tbh. i'm still unsure of her characterization myself i speedran her route and need to go through it again But.

whenever i think i need to loosen up i remember rivath (running to touch things, eating soap </3, kissing in public, etc.)

>> her relationship with mc lets her do these things—they let her relax and be,, more chaotic,, than when she's on duty. girlboss

would be a comforter + listener i think

her route has a lot with learning to trust yourself and figuring out what you want/what you think is right

for angst: doing the wrong thing, not doing enough, fear and insecurities surrounding her father/what she did

rime

asshole /lh a lot of snarky/teasing replies and fighting

when you ask him to do something he's the guy who says no while doing it. he's going to help, just not (always) easily

redemption/lover arc rime is capable of being gentler/softer than he is now (e.g. him with felix in sage ch.13)

comforter/solver . a hot take? i don't know. i see him as listening and offering his opinion while reassuring, willing to hug/cuddle

no route. but ideas of choosing to be better, finding out who you are and where you fit

for angst: fear of being left behind, insecurities of his place with the M3 and MC, regret over his past and what he does to them, playing with the idea of him Not having a redemption

at the end of the day just trust urself !! even without actively recalling specific details, just playing the game and having a general Vibe gets u farther than u might think. I live/write off guesses and vibe checks alone. i am shocked to this day at people agreeing with and enjoying my posts 🤨

also. prioritize yourself and your own enjoyment . you are doing this for the 3 F's. fun, fantasies, Free. if you want to take a break then you Take A Break. i'm cheering u on i'm sure u will be great :muscle:

[cutiebeams]

Hello TWEWY fandom, it's meta time.

TWEWY is filled to the brim with symbolism and hidden meanings, as we all know. Even the partners and their colors when they sync with Neku; I realized, have some depth, and I'm going to articulate my thoughts on it. This is going to be long, so get cozy. 

Shiki

Let's start with the first partner we get. Her theme's red, and Neku's is blue. Before we even delve into this analysis, let's unpack the general symbolism of the colors themselves, because that is important as well.

Red: passion, love, anger, energy, courage

Blue: trust, loyalty, wisdom, intelligence, stability

These two colors are essentially on the opposing sides of the color wheel as well; the only shade darker than blue is purple (which is Neku's theme of his attire but that's not important rn stay with me fellas)

Red & blue are portrayed as opposites in a plethora of media and this is no exception: Shiki is the extroversion to Neku's introversion, the pathos to his logos, bubbly and chipper vs his stoic and reserved demeanor. Neku is outwardly hateful (towards other people and his circumstances), and Shiki is inwardly hateful (she hates herself to the point she doesn't think there's anything special about her)

As expected, they clash vehemently at first. Neku is extremely irritated by Shiki's energy and she is frustrated with how aloof and mean he can be. But as they get to know each other, they become like yin and yang; and Shiki's kinder qualities begin to rub off on Neku which he exhibits in the following weeks. Red is often symbolic of love; and Shiki shows a lot of it: she's very friendly and amiable, sympathizing with total strangers and getting along with almost everyone; but she's pretty feisty too- she gets visibly upset when Neku ignores her and makes himself difficult and she's not afraid to call him out (and she DOES, quite a few times). However, she is still overall kind to him, even when he's prickly; trying her best to be patient with him and her gentleness eventually wins him over.. eventually. 

When confronted with an issue, Shiki seems to lean towards the emotional aspects of the matter, such as when Ai and Mina were at odds, she hesitated to bring the truth to light because she didn't want to jeopardize their friendship and emotional wellbeing; in contrast to Neku who wanted the truth to be brought to light as soon as possible because he felt that lying was wrong and it needed to be addressed sooner, rather than later, or things would just get worse. Or when 777 couldn't find his tech, Shiki listened to him vent out of sympathy while Neku agreed to help because of the logical results it'd bring- 

Shiki is also very outwardly emotional: she's very chirpy but she also isn't afraid to openly express her sorrow, anger, or fear, and sometimes she gets overcome by her emotions. But for the most part, she exhibits high emotional intelligence and understanding of other's feelings; and she's essentially the group's moral support: she's one of the most verbal about being sure that they'll make it back and that they all need to work together. Shiki is also extremely passionate; about other people, about the things she creates, it spills into virtually every aspect of her life.

The sad thing though, is that Shiki seems to love everybody but herself, and we see tiny glimpses of this in her small moments of passiveness (such as telling Neku he doesn't have to shout when he snaps at her) On the flip side, Neku's blunt honesty gives Shiki the inner strength to not only face her self-hatred; but overcome it. And that brings me to Shiki's other color: green. You can see it in her stickers + it's her nickname in Another Day. 

Green: nature, rebirth, growth, harmony, healing

I believe that this choice is two-fold: green also symbolizes envy and jealousy and this is something that Shiki's character battles with. She wants to be like Eri- beautiful, smart, charismatic; to the point she even tells Neku that she emulated Eri's personality at first because she was so excited to be in her body. But she then realized that she wasn't Eri, and would never be; nor did she ever want to be. What Shiki truly wanted was to love herself: and that's what her character arc encapsulates; a journey of self-acceptance and self-love. 

When we finally get to see real game Shiki, she's wearing green because she's a new person, hence the themes of rebirth and harmony: she's confident and happy in who she is; and so the green changes from the negative connotations of jealousy and envy to the positives of steadiness and self-harmony. There's also healing, for both her and Neku: she helped him to open up emotionally and become gentler, and he helped her accept herself. We don't get to see her face because it doesn't really matter: as Neku himself said, "You'll always be Shiki." It's her character that is important, not her appearance. Green is also red's complementary color, and we see that rather than doing a complete 180 in personality, Shiki just gets a little milder. She's not quite as bubbly, but a lot of her passion is still there, it's just gentler. 

In short, Shiki is Neku's opposite. They're like night and day: completely different, but inseparable. 

Let's talk about Neku a while now, shall we? His color choice seems contradictory given his personality when we meet him: he is extremely distrusting, volatile and aloof. The thing is though, Neku's arc is also about growth and while he does not exhibit any of the traits of his color scheme at first; during the entirety of the game, he regains himself. Neku's character is about relearning how to trust people and not being afraid to be open and accept different points of view and values- and that diversity is good and healthy! During his first week with Shiki, we get very small glimpses of how emotional Neku actually is, particularly through inner monologue. 

When Rhyme is erased, he's distraught (his thoughts tell us he feels awful) but he masks it with blunt logic ("Because we couldn't. That's how it was meant to be"), perhaps to avoid showing vulnerability, even declaring teaming up is a dumb idea- because people get hurt and there are situations where there's nothing you can do about it. Neku's rant when Shiki declares that Beat and Rhyme were their friends takes us right into his psyche:

"Who needs friends?! They just laugh and talk like idiots and pretend to agree with you- so you end up caring about them….exposing yourself...getting HURT..Screw it! We're better off without them! You want other people getting in your way? Dragging you down? I don't!"

And suddenly, Neku's prickliness makes sense- he views attachment as painful and vulnerability as a risk, and so he vehemently avoids them. He's mean because he's hurting and he's sad: and how fitting, as one of the negative connotations for blue is sorrow and grief. Remember how I said Neku didn't exhibit any traits of blue? Well, that was specifically for the positive ones. 

Negative symbolism of blue: coldness, aloofness, lack of emotion, unfriendliness, sorrow

And that's Neku to a tee: at first, anyway. While his behavior is not justifiable, it is understandable.

When Shiki snaps at him and tells him that he's inhuman Neku doesn't show any outward response during the actual conflict, but the next day when she apologizes his sprite changes to the "sad turtle" and we get to see his thoughts again:

That I was no better than a Reaper…

Rhyme…

……………

Well...right now…

Neku proceeds to tell Shiki that they need to focus on the mission, and she agrees. While he isn't being especially friendly with her, it's leaps and bounds from his initial open hostility: he's more willing to work with Shiki towards a common goal and one could argue this is when his paradigm shift begins- her comment rattled him a lot, and Neku makes baby steps to change. The daily mission (which involves helping two friends address a misunderstanding) gives us more development for him, too. At this point, he still doesn't think conflicting views and values are a good thing and that relationships only hold him back; and he voices to Shiki that he doesn't see the point of friendships built on falsehoods (which is an excellent point and one that she actually agrees with) and we get to see one of Neku's good qualities: he values truth and honesty a lot. 

She asks him if he truly thinks that people are better off without friends, and when he doesn't answer; Shiki talks about how meeting Eri made her want to be her best self (which is how ALL healthy relationships should be, whether platonic or romantic). She mourns Rhyme again, venting that it isn't fair she'll never know what dreams are like and this time, Neku doesn't deflect. He sympathizes, and for the first time since entering the game, allows himself to be emotionally vulnerable: 

"I know. I…. I'm sad too. We'll just have to live a little extra. For her sake."

From this point onward, Neku begins to grow positively, slowly but surely. He's not friends with Shiki yet, but he feels safe enough in her company to not only express sorrow but caring enough to encourage her to keep pressing forward; for Rhyme's sake. The next day Shiki is quiet and sad due to being confronted on her self-hatred, and Neku doesn't know how to deal with her lack of cheeriness. But instead of being annoyed with her like before, he's visibly concerned and wondering what's wrong; and he tries to engage with her as much as possible: asking for her viewpoint on the daily mission and what they should do, etc. When he learns the truth about Shiki's identity, Neku just listens patiently and afterwards, his monologue is much more positive and understanding:

All this time..she's been as confused as me.

He now realizes that she's just as scared and upset as he is and he empathizes with that, going even further to say that "I like you the way you are" when Shiki expresses fear in being brought back due to her underlying jealousy: he appreciates her, every aspect of her; not because she's perfect, but just for who she is. Later on when Shiki hesitates to scan Eri and runs away Neku gives her the push to do so: as said earlier, he values the truth, and he knows that Shiki needs to face it if she's going to improve as a person- and we see him beginning to exhibit his wisdom. He's not really gentle, but his honesty is needed. When Shiki begins comparing herself to Eri and self-deprecating, he intervenes, in his own way: 

"Oh, would you cut the crap? Who ARE you? You're you. You're not Eri. You'll never be Eri. You'll only ever be you."

Neku reiterates what Shiki told him earlier, about never wanting to be Eri, but he goes a step further. She only went as far as to say she wanted to love herself, but that she never could; while Neku asserts to her that being herself is absolute and unchangeable. Shiki mildly protests this though, saying that Eri is "so much better". To her, while she does value her identity the most, Eri's identity makes her feel inferior. She wants to be her own self, but Eri, in her eyes, is perfect, something that she cannot achieve. And that is why Neku's reply is so important.

"Forget her! You need to live your own life. If she can do it, so can you. All that matters is that you try. You're lucky you're jealous. It gives you something to shoot for. So..shoot."

Up to this point, Shiki has measured the worth of her identity based upon comparison to others, and Neku understands that and tells her upfront  that she needs to stop trying to be somebody that she isn't and be confident in her own self, and just do her best- and that'll be enough. He also encourages her to use her jealousy in a productive way, to find her niche; her drive. This gives Shiki the courage to go back and listen to what Eri has to say, and in doing this she hears her friend praise her positive traits, ones that Shiki herself most likely never even realized: her empathy and love for people, her eye for detail, her skill in creating things, her passion and motivation-

 ALL things, that according to Eri, "I don't have." And Shiki finally understands that Eri saw her as her equal and that who she is, is valued. Of course, a few positive reinforcements is not enough to do a 180 from most likely years of self-hatred, and so she asks Neku again if she's okay the way she is; and his reply shows yet more growth:

"Hey, Shibuya's got room for all types."

This is a STARK contrast to his dialogue when we first meet him- "All the world needs is me," "You have your values, and I have mine," etc. Neku valued his identity, but he took it to the extreme in that he ONLY valued his identity, values, and morals. After meeting Shiki though, his viewpoint changes a bit and at this point Neku now appreciates diversity- he's still not at the point that he feels he can understand other people, but he at least doesn't see conflict of morals as a bad thing anymore. And in turn, this gives Shiki the inner strength to want to go back to the RG and start afresh. He gives her one last push to go back when she hesitates since she was the only one granted a second chance, with the promise to see her again; and in just a week, Shiki goes from being the biggest pain in Neku's side to his biggest motivation for surviving the second game and one of his best friends.

Joshua

Another week, another partner.

What's interesting about Joshua is that he is also blue, just a lighter shade. While Shiki is Neku's opposite, Joshua is more akin to his shadow- a mirror, of sorts.

Light Blue: peace, serenity, ethereal, spiritual, infinity

Josh and Neku are extremely similar, but their personalities still converge at enough points that they're starkly different: their tempers especially are a separating point as Neku is much snappier than Joshua (especially if provoked), and despite Josh being represented by a lighter color, in a lot of ways, he symbolizes his partner's negative traits in even more extreme ways in a subversion to expectations; a "darker" version of him, in a sense. 

When they first meet, these two also clash, but for entirely different reasons. Joshua's attitude, as well as his dodginess, pisses Neku off immensely. While his first week with Shiki is about relearning how to build trust, his second week is a test of said trust by giving him a partner very similar to his former self: distant, aloof, uncaring. It gets especially tricky when Neku scans Joshua and sees himself dead, and he begins to distance himself again; deciding that there is no way that he can trust him- and not only that, but that it'd be ridiculous to do so. Neku senses something is off: he doesn't know what it is, but it unsettles him enough that he is steadfast in his decision to keep Josh at arm's length.

...Until he and Josh visit Mr. Hanekoma, and upon learning that his teammate and Mr. H are acquainted, Neku decides that perhaps Joshua isn't as bad as he initially thought: but he's still pretty hesitant; and understandably so. Mr. H gives him some backstory of his partner, and his motives start to come to light - turns out, Joshua has been able to see the game while living, and that alienated him from other people since Hanekoma was the only one he could confide in. Just like with Neku, this doesn't justify his behavior, but it does make it understandable: Josh pushes away people by playfully antagonizing them and making himself difficult, and Neku pushes them away through hostility. 

When he and Josh visit Udagawa, they connect on both not doing well in groups and Joshua comments that they're more alike than he thought, which leads into a conversation about people not being able to understand each other as long as they have their own worlds and Neku begins to backslide a little:

"Right? They're them, and I'm me. Talking to them gets me nothing."

He goes on to say he respects CAT and their philosophy about doing your own thing and how he needs to just enjoy his life and forget about others, and Josh agrees. While Shiki is Neku's friend, she is the exception, not the norm, and Neku still doesn't trust most people. However, when Josh expresses not needing other people's values, Neku's reply is interesting. He agrees outwardly, but it's hesitant, as if he's unsure of himself. 

"Yeah..."

His inner thoughts show us that once again, he is changing.

But...I don't feel that way anymore. Since coming to the UG, reading people's minds- Shibuya's full of people with just as many viewpoints. Mr. H said the world ends with me. To expand my world, I have to learn to look farther- not write off other people's values as inferior. 

….Maybe I had it backwards. Maybe I need to open up to really enjoy- 

Josh calls him and snaps him out of his thoughts so we don't know what he was going to think next, but Neku has definitely experienced a massive paradigm shift in his way of thinking: he's inwardly questioning himself and acknowledging his wrongs and showing willingness to trust again and is showing a lot more empathy to other people. However, this resolve begins to crack when more holes in his memory get filled. Neku is angry and confused, but most of all, he's hurt and we see it in his reaction when Josh asks if he's okay; because he distances himself again. This situation causes him grow distant once more and he also gets more openly prickly since his trust is shaky. Josh relating to him that he feels he belongs in the UG doesn't help matters, either.

However, a later conversation has him moving forwards again. While acknowledging that people are not meant to see eye to eye, he thinks to himself that perhaps it is better that way. People don't think alike, but they can at least try to understand each other; and he then gets the resolve to actually counter Joshua's argument of solely reading people's thoughts and not talking to them.

"But why? Where's the enjoyment in that? I'd rather broaden my world my own way."

And again, we get a small paradigm shift of Neku feeling comfortable enough to express the positive changes that he has slowly been experiencing: blue symbolizes stability, and by this point in the story he is obtaining more and more of it: in his values, in his emotional expression, in how he deals with people, etc. He gets thrown for an immense loop learning that Joshua is alive though, and Neku finally snaps when his teammate brushes it off claiming they're "just like any other pair"-

He's utterly disgusted by Joshua treating the Game as an adrenaline rush- even when Neku first got into the Reaper's Game, he never enjoyed it, even if he initially was only looking out for himself at first; and the idea of getting excitement from toying with death is foreign to him. It only gets worse when Neku accuses Josh that HE killed him, and simply is taunted in return. From that point onward, he becomes openly hostile and snappy again, throwing the idea of trusting his teammate to the wind and tells him upfront that he's only going to tolerate him to survive; leaning back on his negative qualities (because growth is a process and there will be moments of wavering and backwards steps, and that's normal!)

Later on he also shows open distress when a Reaper is attacked and they are unable to save him; declaring they "left him to die." Even though it wasn't any fault of their own, Neku self-blames just like Shiki did in the first week- thinking that he could've done something, maybe if he had gotten there sooner, or defeated the Noise faster. While not 100%, Neku is comfortable enough to openly express sorrow, and Joshua underhandedly sympathizes and takes the blame off him ("We did what we had to do Neku.") He also protects Sota from Noise later down the line even though his partner is already erased and he's going to die anyway and again expresses sadness ("If only we'd gotten here earlier") and even indignation after the older man dies, screaming in anger about all the people who have been erased ("These are people, not toys!!"). When Josh questions him about the interest in others, he then explains that he's gotten to know folks better and that "it's different now".

"They're not just strangers. I can't shut them out like that." 

This is really important because in this, Neku is essentially declaring he cannot go back to who he used to be; nor does he WANT to. He refuses to, and he is making a conscious effort to be open to other people even if he doesn't understand them. Neku goes on to assert that one needs to reach out to others as well in counter to Josh asserting that he won't ever be able to understand others and this time, Joshua responds positively. Through Neku's steadfastness and refusal to waver on his viewpoints once he truly feels solid in them, and his courage to express them and not back down; he influences Joshua into thinking that perhaps people truly do need each other and can understand each other, even if it isn't easy to do so. In showing sympathy towards his enemies, he also proves again and again that people can change too, for the better; and his wisdom begins to shine once more. (And it is this change that ultimately leads Joshua to decide to save Shibuya) Unfortunately, Neku is thrown for yet another loop upon getting more of his memory back and thinking that Sho killed him, and Josh sacrificing himself is absolutely world-rocking.

He blames himself again, angry at himself for not opening up; and it is with this mindset that he is thrown into the Reaper's Game for the final time. His trust is in shambles, and the third week is Neku's personal test to see if he is willing to reach out despite being recently wounded by his partner.

Speaking of, Joshua doesn't really have an arc compared to the rest of the cast: rather, he serves as the catalyst to their growth instead. His character is interesting because from beginning to end, he expresses essentially none of the positive attributes of the color he is represented by; he only appears to at first glance. While Josh does change his mind about destroying UG Shibuya and is convinced that people can change for the better, whether he himself changes for the better is up for debate. Orange is the second color associated with him (it's the shade of his cell phone and his stickers), but just like with light blue, he expresses none of its positive traits.

Orange: enthusiasm, happiness, creativity, determination, encouragement

Negative symbolism of orange includes insensitivity, pessimism, and being unsociable, all aspects of Joshua's character. He doesn't think that people can change; and that it is impossible to understand them (he even goes as far to express "I'd rather just get rid of them" in a dark contrast to Neku, who is content to merely ignore people). Josh doesn't like groups of people either, and he exhibits insensitivity many times throughout the second week, merely behaving charismatic in order to interact with others. He doesn't really grow outwardly, but that's not the point of his character; he's Neku's test to see if he's truly changed or not.

Joshua is Neku's shadow, he's in the same vein. Rather than night and day, they are as dusk and midnight.

Beat

Beat is interesting because his color was actually switched for Final Remix: in the original DS version Beat is green, and in the Switch version he is yellow. I'm going to dive into both because I feel they're equally important. I already covered green for Shiki, but green has yet another meaning which describes Beat to a tee- safety. While Shiki is the moral support and mediator, he is the protector: he's extremely sacrificing for his sister and the people he cares about to the point of putting himself in physical danger to keep them safe (such as jumping in front of a car to save Rhyme, or jumping in front of Neku to protect him from a brainwashed Shiki). That much stays constant throughout the game. Healing also applies to him, as he helps Neku to open up and feel safe being emotional again by not being ashamed of being emotional himself: Beat openly cries over Rhyme and Neku mourns with him, and they help each other heal by learning to rely on one another. Not just as partners, but as friends.

Yellow: joy, warmth, positivity, friendship

From the get go, Beat is a huge bundle of energy and he's extremely kind; although he gets rather volatile if he feels slighted. But like with Shiki, he's overall a very sweet person and openly emotional: he gets angry in a heartbeat, laughs heartily when he's happy, and cries freely when he's sad- and his tears are never portrayed in a negative manner either; they're just a normal reaction to a sad situation and this normalization of sorrow leads to Neku getting comfortable again in being vulnerable- one could argue he's the most emotional in Week 3. Yellow is the complementary color to purple, which is also the main shade of Neku's design. Rather than an opposite like Shiki, or a shadow like Joshua, Beat is Neku's foil. He's a lot kinder and he's got a big heart but he is also extremely impulsive and acts w/o thinking. In contrast, Neku thinks things through logically, but he's a little lacking emotionally; and so they balance each other out. He's also highly attune to when Neku starts withdrawing into himself and gently snaps him out of it constantly; showing once again his sensitivity to emotion. (He consistently asks Neku if he's okay when he gets lost in thought; which Neku does a lot, especially if he's upset. Beat keeps him grounded.)

Beat's arc is finding value in himself again + doing his best; not for other people, but for himself and finding his drive. When mourning Rhyme, he vents that "she thought I was worth dying for" and that she had much more to live for, and he doesn't understand why she'd sacrifice for him. (And he blames himself for her death, as well) While Beat is protective out of the kindness of his heart, it also comes from a lack of self-worth: he places other people above himself, to a fault. Neku sympathizes with his grief but then goes a step farther to encourage him to not be regretful. In another contrast to Shiki, rather than another's identity making him feel inferior to the point of emulating them and overshooting, Beat jumps to the other side of the ditch and loses his passion altogether. 

Rhyme refused to give up on him, but eventually Beat began to resent her pity and he began to push her away as well. After they both died and came to the Game though, Rhyme's declaration that she had nothing to live for startled him into realizing that she meant a lot more to him than he thought and more than anything else; he wanted to be there for her as she was for him. After beating himself up, Neku comforts Beat in his own way, telling him that he needs to focus on the now and not let his sorrow overcome him, in essence; but also to go the distance just for himself, not for anyone else.

And Beat gets his fire all over again, eventually declaring that Neku isn't his partner anymore- he's a friend, and one that he cares about a lot.

Through his partners, Neku finds himself, they all strengthen different aspects of him. He learns to trust, to be open, to find value in friendship again and him taking off his headphones is the ultimate metaphor of him letting the world back in.

Shiki, his opposite.

Joshua, his shadow.

Beat, his foil. 

They all shaped his world, and showed Neku just how wonderful it really is.

And that is beautiful.

[agl03]

Hi! I loved your last post with theories about arc C/next season theme. Do you think they'll bring back Ghostrider as a character, and when? It seems that Arc A is completely forgotten, except for the Darkhold (a good thing, IMO, because it felt a bit disconnected from the rest of the seasons). Also, your most recent thoughts on renewal? Clock is ticking and I' m starting to be really worried :(

Hi @daisyjohnson-sq

The vibe I got from comic con and now that we are well into the season is that Ghost Rider was not part of how they had planned for the Season to go.  LMD and Mad Science were the plan, and what they set up in the finale.  However, over hiatus they were given the Ghost Rider stuff and had to adjust accordingly.  My feel is he’s not mentioned much if at all because he was never intended to be part of the the story this season.  I’ll be blunt, he was a grab to go for that crucial male 18-34 demographic.  It also allowed TPTB a chance to test the waters with him, gauge his popularity, and perhaps set up a spin off.  Its not that I dislike Ghost Rider, Robbie was a great character and Gabe is a fantastic guy, but the longer I go the less it fits with the rest of the Season.    Things like the pills Coulson had in the finale and the bulk of Daisy’s recovery arcs  are what got cut to get him in.   

They did pull the Darkhold from it and it is going to serve as the tie that keeps it all together.  I’m also betting that B and C will go together much better, it won’t be that sudden change in story we had in A and B.   And with the Darkhold in play still and the fact Robbie is in the Hell dimension or wherever because of it.  We could absolutely see him back again, more than likely as the story starts to wrap up.  They have left the door open for him, the EP’s tease that he could come back, we’ll just have to wait and see when that window in the story happens again.  Look for when the story takes maybe a bit of a Mystic turn again, we get a better look at what is going on with the Darkhold, someone new gets the Darkhold, or we actually see what Radcliffe is really up too.  He could also be out for the season and is on hold until Season 5…if we get it.  

As for renewal.  I’m still where I was a few weeks ago.  The shows we see getting renewed now aren’t ‘surprises’.  They are all the ratings juggernauts, we have yet to see any of the bubble shows get a yay or nay.  Though our live ratings are not the best we HOLD.  Most shows drop as the season progresses but our ratings have held steady and we continue to kill it in the DVR field.  I don’t know how we are doing with things like ABC on Demand, Hulu, ITunes, and Amazon.  But be prepared we might not find out our fate until April or May.   I just hope if this is our last season they let the EP’s know in advance so they can wrap things up accordingly in the finale and not leave us with an awful cliffhanger.  

Since we have the B Arc finale this week we need to mobilize again and make some noise.  Watch Live and make sure we trend on Twitter!