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tinycurlyfry · 2 months ago

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What's the role of suo character? He is considered as main character with nirei or as deuteragonist but I see he has no importance outside protecting nirei!. I don't understand the hype around his mysterious aura

I think probably what you're looking for is a more flashy fight/action centric series then! You'd probably enjoy all this time you're putting into sending anonymous asks about a show you don't see the appeal of more if you spent it instead on media you can enjoy! However, I will absolutely take this opportunity to gush about Suo you are giving me on a silver plate happily! So let's talk about why Suo is so fascinating narratively!

Labeling him as a deuteragonist is actually pretty spot on, to be honest. He is a character that sticks by the protagonist's side pretty consistently throughout the story. Suo as a character gives advice to Sakura about what will help him grow and achieve what he wants as class captain as well as provides an interesting combination of parallels as well as differences in perspectives compared to Sakura. Additionally, Sakura's presence draws forth the aspects of Suo's character that are likely to be developed within the story. Let's start with how Suo provides a difference in perspective for Sakura!

There is more strength in drive and ideals than in physical strength

Suo says it pretty clearly to Sakura before his match in the Shishitoren arc-

When he first met Sakura, it is very likely his first impression was 'ah, here's yet another brute who thinks he can beat others up and claim himself to be the strongest'. The same kind of person Sakura calls weak or lame himself. However, even Sakura's goal that he says to everyone in the beginning... kind of reflects this idea that physical strength gives you value. He judges Nirei because he can immediately tell Nirei isn't a fighter yet is a student at Furin, he thinks the only thing that is important is winning fights and making sure everyone knows they can't bend him under their will. Sakura thinks the only thing valuable about himself is his fighting ability/strength. But what is shown through his actions? That he protects those who can't defend themselves. That he is pissed off when someone enjoys causing others pain or suffering. Outside of the manga, when asked about what Suo's dream is, he says 'emancipation of slaves'. Right from the get-go he is challenging Sakura to start to think about what his purpose is when he fights. Because it's not really about just proving he's the strongest guy around. Why does this bleed so much into what Suo says to Sakura? Well, for Suo-

2. Empathy is the most important thing to possess

Suo is extremely good at understanding where other people are at emotionally/mentally. A LOT of his dialogue is trying to explain how a person might be feeling or encouraging others (rather forcefully at times haha) to try to demonstrate empathy themselves.

Suo is the calm to Sakura's storm. Except. Suo isn't actually the calm. Not in truth. This is part of why he is so intriguing as a character. It is also where Suo starts to actually parallel Sakura. Because Suo is-

Very Emotional

Incredibly so. The difference is, Sakura wears his heart on his sleeve. He doesn't hide how he feels or his inner thoughts at all because Sakura wants to be true to himself no matter what. It's hard for him, it is agonizing for him at times because of his bad prior experiences, but it is still something he tries to do at all times. Suo, however? Keeps those emotions hidden behind a "friendly" smile most of the time (to talk towards him being appealing- a lot of people like characters who put up fronts. I am included in this 'lot of people' lmaoo. I am such a sucker for a character who puts up a front to guard themselves or keep others at an arm's length).

But Suo gets angry. Incredibly so. He also judges others all the time. He's VERY opinionated, but he doesn't often state any of these opinions so directly. It's important to Suo that he upholds appearances and comes across as disciplined, calm, and collected. Sometimes though, he is anything but. Which is what we're shown in the Keel arc. Keel takes advantage of kind people who are just strong enough to be useful, but weak enough that they can be beaten into submission and manipulated. And that? Already pisses off Suo I'm sure. But then, on top of everything else, Suo is kept from running to the aid of someone he cares about. Someone who has such good drive, who also has a strong core but has some ways to go in being able to act on that drive. Suo is kept back from saving his friend and Nirei is beaten into unconsciousness. So what happens? Attempted murder. Suo's anger and frustration boils over. He hates these people. He hates seeing those he cares about and seeing those who can't defend themselves, broken. So he's going to put an end to it. To them. "Nice Guy" façade be damned. "The level headed one" be damned. And we get this look at Suo in a chapter literally titled "Extreme Emotions"

Which like, if you wanna talk about why his character garners a lot of hype, I think a large part of it is because of his aura when he's genuinely mad. It's the duality of it all.

I don't have as smooth of a transition for this one but what else does Suo do that Sakura absolutely does as well?

2. He keeps people at an arm's length; he doesn't like letting people in

This is also where Suo has a lot of duality, but here it makes him something of a hypocrite. He tells Sakura it's important to delegate and rely on others alongside Nirei. He pokes and prods Sakura to try to get him to open up to them. To not assume how others feel. But Suo doesn't show that himself. The ONLY thing Suo has honestly given about himself is that he has a mentor who taught him the 'hodge-podge' martial arts he uses as his fighting style. Everything else? Jokes, lies, dismissive words. Suo is hardly ever injured or dirtied in a fight because it isn't a conversation to him. He's the one doing the talking. He's the one teaching a lesson to the other person. The other person doesn't need to say anything to Suo. He's already pretty damn sure what kind of person they are. He doesn't eat with the others because he claims he is on a diet. It keeps him from participating in what is probably the BIGGEST symbolism/metaphor for personal connections in the story. Because Suo doesn't try to connect with others. He actively avoids it.

So uh, yeah! That's why I think people find Suo interesting and get hyped about when he's on screen/in chapter panels! I am sure there are other things that could be said, but I hope I could offer some insight!

#suo hayato #Wind Breaker #FryTalks #wbk analysis

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raven-at-the-writing-desk · 2 years ago

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Just like how kalim embodies scarabia's mindfulness in his own way, how do you think other boys embodies their respective dorms spirit?

For the sake of ease and consistency, I will be using the official TWST localization's terms for each dorm's core value.

Please note: these are my personal interpretations; even the definitions of each dorm��s “spirit” is not explicitly defined within official TWST materials, so I’ll be running with my own definitions before covering each NRC student. Additionally, since I’ll be covering 22 characters in this post I may not have time to get into painstaking detail for each one.

***Main story spoilers (including late book 7) below the cut!!***

The Queen of Hearts' Spirit of Strictness

Literally speaking, strictness refers to following rules or beliefs exactly. There is rigid enforcement of these rules or beliefs, and very few, if any, exceptions or mercy granted.

Right off the bat, it’s easy to see how Riddle aligns with the spirit of strictness. He is the embodiment the law in Heartslabyul, serving as both judge and executioner to his students. Riddle insists that the rules—no matter how nonsensical—be followed, and he does not hesitate to unleash his wrath and collar those who step out of line. He is strictness itself. Beyond book 1, we do see Riddle trying to be more patient and flexible—however, the fact remains that he upholds rules and continues to have trouble with circumstances where he has to think independently or without a set of instructions to refer to.

Trey is known for frequently indulging others and behaving in a manner which some may call kind. The twist here is that Trey’s strictness is present in the “big brother” role he adopts when dealing with his peers. He’s generally more lenient than Riddle, but Trey often alludes to the fact that he shouldn’t be underestimated or thought of as a nice guy. There are moments when Trey gives others their comeuppance for misbehaving (such as in his dorm uniform vignettes, where he deprives first years of cake for complaining about his same-y baked goods). The thing is, most don’t see it coming because he’s typically so… nice. When he wants to be stern and put his foot down, he certainly can—it just isn’t something that happens a lot, since he’s more mild-mannered than his classmates.

Cater is strict with his public image, specifically how his peers view him. This is most obviously seen in his obsession with social media. He's constantly taking pictures and posting, being heavily involved on Magicam—a space where he can control the narrative about the type of person he is and the life he has. Cater keeps up this front in real life as well, acting cheery and sociable with his classmates while masking a far less motivated and sad side to his character. (This is implied in his Lab Wear vignettes, where a mandrake he infuses with his own magic becomes gloomy and huddles into itself.) There are occasions when Cater expresses that he is lonely or that he wishes he had more friends growing up, but he never fully opens up about his true nature. He strictly keeps that part of himself locked up tight and is seemingly afraid of what others would think of that persona.

Like Cater, Deuce is strict with himself. In Deuce's case, this arises from a past of delinquency and the desire to reform and to be an honors student that his mom can be proud of. Because of these goals, Deuce tries very hard to excel in class (but often falls short) and to behave in a way that he believes honors students would. This means changing the way he looks (he let his natural hair color come back in; it used to be bleached blonde), the way he speaks (not using foul language), the way he dresses, and, most importantly, the way he acts. Of course, his temper gets the best of him at times and his delinquent self bubbles back up (like in book 1 when the eggs were ruined), and Deuce is currently working on better repressing that.

Ace is probably the most carefree and the least stereotypically "strict" of the Heartslabyul group. Instead of having a focus on enforcing rules, Ace is usually the one breaking or defying them. How, then, does he embody the Queen of Hearts' spirit of strictness? I believe it comes through in some of Ace's most iconic scenes: the ones where he is calling others out on their bull crap. Time and time again, it's Ace that is bluntly telling others what they're doing or saying is hypocritical or wrong, or that they haven't truly taken accountability. He does this no matter who he is facing, be that his own dorm leader (book 1), an undead bride (Ghost Marriage), or Malleus Draconia himself (Endless Halloween Night). Ace has his own set of morals and beliefs, and he speaks them loud and clear without imposing as harshly as Riddle does.

The King of Beasts' Spirit of Persistence

Persistence is when one continues their course of action in spite of difficulty or opposition. In other words, there is an obstacle in the way of achieving a goal, and one persists in the face of that obstacle.

Leona is a somewhat strange case to make for persistence because initially he comes off as a very lazy character. We quickly learn that though he appears unmotivated, he’s comfortable scheming and thinking multiple steps ahead to cut out difficult or unnecessary work. There’s no doubt that Leona has had a challenging childhood, feeling like he was always being compared to his brother and never recognized for his own talents. We feel the effects of Leona losing this hope as late as book 6, when Leona says that Jamil is capable of change, unlike himself. Some fans even speculate that Leona’s dialogue implies he has fallen into depression as a result of frequently being dismissed and put down in spite of his efforts to be seen. Even when Leona is dealing with such trauma, he cooks up a plot to return his dorm to glory and to support its future. He, the lowly second born prince, wants to prove himself and his team of misfits, as being worthy of respect and admiration. When the plans fall through, Leona is quick to give up (which seems to go against the idea of Savanaclaw’s persistence). However, I would say this is part of his character growth in book 2. Later in the main story, Leona also throws in the towel quickly—but it doesn’t contradict his development; he knows when to strategically retreat in book 6.

Ruggie comes from an extremely impoverished background. He has had perhaps the least “cushy” life out of the entire NRC cast. Even so, Ruggie was able to study and work hard enough to earn decent grades, get multiple part-time jobs, and pick up many useful survival skills. He’s street smart and knows that what he lacks in strength he can make up for by sticking to someone who is strong (Leona). (Their relationship is mutually beneficial!!) Ruggie knows that just having money isn’t sustainable in the long run, so he’s hauling ass now to make something of not only himself, but also for all the people in the slums.

Jack embodies persistence through the events of book 2. At first, Jack tries to get Leona to see reason by letting him know that he genuinely is a figure Jack admires. He’s put in a moral dilemma when Leona argues that even if they play dirty, he has good intentions. If Jack interferes, he is messing with the future job prospects of his dorm members. Jack wrestles with the question before ultimately coming to the conclusion that he has to tell others about it—and, what’s more, put his own pride as a lone wolf aside to confront Leona and stop to his machinations.

The Sea Witch's Spirit of Benevolence

Benevolence may refer to meaning well or general kindness and compassion. It involves a willingness to help others and caring for them.

Azul, being at the head of the operations at Octavinelle, passes himself off as a benevolent man who will listen to your woes and grant your wishes. In fact, he does—but at a price. The shady ring he’s running is NOT wholly benevolent; the deals can definitely come across as malevolent in book 3 (when Azul wrote the contracts in such a way that the loopholes could fuck clients over). The deals themselves (assuming no foul play), however, are neutral since both parties agree to the terms. Contracts are written with the idea that they will benefit the clients. And Azul is, of course, also seeking out benefits for himself, as that is the nature of business dealings.

Jade represents a kind of benevolence associated with acts of service. He’s Azul’s right-hand man and information broker—furthermore, much of how Jade presents himself alludes to being a butler or some other supportive role. Jade just generally behaves in a way which benefits others. He acts demure and servile, then uses the trust he has gained through service to ply what he wants out of others. Jade does it so sweetly and so expertly that his prey don’t usually notice, or willfully overlook it, being far too impressed by his abilities to fixate on his ulterior motives. This strategy works even on notoriously stern individuals such as Vil (Jade Dorm Uniform vignettes).

Floyd gives “free hugs” :) is… well, ironically, the “kindest” of the trio in a weird way. While this is highly dependent on his mood, the fact of the matter is that Floyd is the easiest to read in terms of “telegraphing” his actions. If he’s in a bad mood, he usually will not hide it. You know what you’re signing up for as soon as you see him. He also typically doesn’t put forth an effort to manipulate or to scheme like Azul or Jade would; Floyd would prefer to be direct and get it over with already. That, in a sense, is the mercy that he offers: something swift and plain to see.

The Sorcerer of the Sands' Spirit of Mindfulness

Mindfulness is a state of being aware of oneself and the present moment. A mindful individual can aknowledge and accept one’s feelings, thoughts, and bodily sensations. Mindfulness may also extend to being aware of others and perceiving their own states of being.

Kalim is not viewed as the most intelligent or crafty of leaders, but where he shines is in his ability to welcome and to bond with his dorm mates. His emotional intelligence is extremely high, which proves itself to be a useful skill in getting to know others and to earn their trust. Kalim has made a name for himself in Scarabia because he is always there to listen and lend a helping hand to his dormmates. He is unabashedly open about his own emotions too, crying when he is sad and trying hard when he is frustrated or dissatisfied. He often asks to know what is wrong when he senses upset within his classmates and wants to do what he can to rectify those situations. This is peak mindfulness--not only is Kalim acutely aware of his own emotional state, but he's also pretty consistent with sensing those in others (the one big exception here, of course, is Jamil). Sometimes Kalim can be blindsided by his own blind faith in others or his overeagerness causing him to blurt things out unintentionally. He's definitely not perfect in this regard--however, there's plenty of room and willingness to grow and to learn (something which Kalim has expressed both in book 5 and in birthday vignettes).

Jamil more readily fits in with a less savory interpretation of mindfulness. He thinks ahead and uses what he knows of others to manipulate them or put himself in an advantageous position. This notably occurs in book 4 (when Jamil plans to use the feedback of Yuu and the Scarabia members to dethrone Kalim), as well as in events (like Beans Day, where he plans to entrap Kalim when Kalim cooks a fragrant lunch that Jamil purposefully packed for him). He uses what he notices or knows about others (Azul’s shadiness, rumors about Lilia being a bad cook) to avoid interactions which could be less than beneficial to him. Jamil’s main fault is that he fails to recognize people’s strengths (something which Leona calls him out for in book 6), and instead focuses mainly on their weaknesses, shortcomings, and how those could be exploited (mostly because he’s in a position where he cannot outright act in certain ways without suffering some consequences). Jamil is aware of these potential consequences and finds or plans workarounds for them. However, he is also mindful in a more conventional sense too. He’s usually the competent one in Scarabia’s leadership and fulfills the organizational tasks that Kalim doesn’t. The duo is like sun and moon; they balance each other out.

The Beautiful Queen's Spirit of Tenacity

Simply put, tenacity is determination and endurance. One is persistent in maintaining, adhering to, or seeking something valued or desired. Each of the members of Pomefiore knows what they want, and they are stubborn in their pursuit of it.

Vil makes it clear in book 5 that he wants to win VDC/SDC, thereby proving to himself and to the world that he is capable of more than playing the part of a “villain”. He already had high standards for himself prior to book 5 (exercising, doing skincare, maintaining a healthy diet, etc.), but you can see how single minded Vil is toward this one goal. He drives his team members hard and even cancels a major job offer from his manager so he can dedicate all his time and energy into seizing the win. And how many times has Vil lost in the past??? Countless, I bet. Yet here he is, trying again and again, even when he knows that happy endings aren’t guaranteed and his efforts may not bear fruit after all.

Rook pursues any and all things beautiful!! He used to just be content admiring beauty, but with Vil’s prompting, Rook soon also found value in beautifying himself. It means Rook can also put beauty out into the world, and helps him better appreciate other works of art. This man is infamous around campus for his… admittedly creepy and unnerving habits. He follows people around, documents them in photographs, memorizes their personal details, etc. His keen eye has also earned him praise though—Vil can comfortably rely on him for honest feedback, and Neige recognizes him as a dedicated member of his fan club. Rook is nothing if not determined and dedicated to his craft.

Epel is tenacious too, but in a way that Vil would not approve of in all circumstances. Epel is stubborn in his thinking and refuses to let go of his hometown roots. He’s very proud of where he comes from, so he puts up a fight with Vil when Vil demands that Epel address his upperclassmen more politely. Epel sees the command as a threat to himself, and a challenge to the hometown he loves. Additionally, it takes Epel a while to reevaluate his deeply ingrained views on gender norms. He’s all-around very strong-headed!

The King of the Underworld's Spirit of Diligence

Diligence is when one is involved in careful and persistent work or effort. This principle generally governs all of STYX, the blot research organization operated by the Shroud family. Their job is a thankless one—they do such important work, yet it isn’t recognized by the general public due to STYX’s secretive nature.

Idia, as the temporary acting director of STYX in book 6, gets involved in their research. There’s many Phantoms kept in the STYX facility, so there are many safety precautions in place and care taken to ensure no one is harmed. (Ironically, it was Idia’s lack of diligence that led to Ortho’s passing.) Outside of book 6, one can say that Idia has a diligent personality, at least when it comes to his hyperfixations. He becomes dedicated to media that captures his interests to the point where it actually incentivizes him to leave his room (Ghost Marriage) and overcome his meek stutter to speak confidently and lecture people (first Halloween event, his Dorm Uniform vignettes, etc.).

I believe Ortho is diligent in being Idia’s emotional support both before and after Ortho is officially recognized as a separate student. He cheers Idia on and encourages him to touch grass socialize, wishing nothing but the best for his big brother! Ortho wasn’t always like this either; he used to be quite stiff and monotone, and had to learn how to emulate emotions by carefully observing and absorbing media. His motivation in book 6 is also fueled by diligence—Ortho worries about what he can do to support Idia’s wishes, and this is ultimately what drives him to taking over STYX and unleashing the Phantoms. Then, in Fairy Gala: What If, Ortho stubbornly tries to come up with his own ideas regarding the theme of evolution rather than rely on others for answers. He works hard to developing his own concept and is able to put on a show-stopping performance with it!

The Thorn Fairy's Spirit of Nobility

To be noble can refer to strength of character, mind, and/or literal position, birth, rank, or social status. No matter which definition you go with, I think they could all apply to the members of Diasomnia.

Regarding noble status, Malleus and Silver are both princes. Lilia and Sebek may not be nobles themselves, but they (in addition to Silver) serve royalty and have close personal connections to people in high places, be it via friends or via family. Diasomnia is very well-connected.

Beyond superficial nobility, one can say that those in Diasomnia are noble in character as well. To begin with, Lilia has sacrificed himself for his country on multiple occasions. This isn’t limited to going to battle, but also ferrying his princess’s egg to safety, traveling the world for knowledge on dragon eggs, and going so far as to give up his own life force to hatch Malleus. And what does Lilia get for all of this? Banished from the capital, screamed at, shunned—all because he is a nobody, a bat of no status. Despite this, Lilia does not become bitter nor hateful, he instead opens his heart and mind to the world and seeks to instill others with the same wisdom. Through all the tragedies he suffered, Lilia rose stronger than ever rather than sinking to the same levels as the narrow minded senators that rebuked him.

Silver is, perhaps, the most overtly noble in character. He extols the virtues of listening and getting along with others, often serving as the peacemaker between parties (typically between Sebek and their peers, but we’ve also seen Silver smoothing things out between all of NRC and diurnal fae). He also assumes the best of others and is ready to leap into action to protect them at a moment’s notice. His kind and gentle nature attracts many forest animals to him, who can likely sense the purity of Silver’s heart.

Sebek’s brand of nobility isn’t geared at others in general but rather is pinpointed on one person (that being Malleus). He is noble in the sense that he dedicates himself to his prince. It’s no secret that practically everything Sebek does is to “live up” to perceived standards so as to not shame Malleus or the Draconia royal family—from doing well academically to dressing neatly and throwing himself into training… Sebek’s passion and eagerness is what makes him stand out. It could also be said that he fiercely defends his friends and those who have earned his respect (albeit maybe not worded in the most tactful ways). That, too, in a sense, is honorable.

Finally, we have Malleus. What can be said about him that hasn’t already been said? He is the prince of a nation, so there are many people looking to him for leadership. As such, Malleus must always conduct himself in a manner that puts his country’s best face forward and expects the same of others. Indeed, he reprimands Sebek for behaving in poor taste and instructs him to apologize to Leona, the prince of another nation. However, what is most telling about Malleus is his impetus for Overblotting. He deludes himself into thinking “this is what is best for everyone”. In his mind, he frames forcing everyone into dream states so they can stay forever and have their happily ever afters as the “good” and “noble” thing to do. He’s definitely not doing this for himself, he argues, it’s a gift for everyone. And throughout book 7, Malleus tries to gaslight others into this belief too 💀 when bro’s already convinced himself of this and refuses to see otherwise—

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thedarkestcrow · 4 months ago

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"10th Blog Anniversary" Post - The Future

The manga is currently on hiatus, but when it returns, we’ll be nearing its final arc, which means that the manga that started in 2006 and to this day consists of over 200 chapters will be coming to an end. But before that, we’re going to get some answers that we’ve been waiting for a very long time. Here are some of the things I’m most looking forward to or would like to see in the manga before it ends:

Who is Undertaker?

Undertaker is a mystery who has been around since the beginning of the manga. We’ve learned that he is a seceded shinigami who must have a connection to the Phantomhives, probably since Claudia’s time. But who he really is, what his goals are, and what the creation and evolution of his Bizarre Dolls is really for (beyond the resurrection of the twin) is still unclear. So I’m really curious to know his story. I’ll even accept a multi-chapter flashback for it.

Who is the culprit behind the attack on the Phantomhives?

The main motivation for Ciel’s actions and the goal of his contract with Sebastian: Revenge against the culprits. On whose orders were the Phantomhives attacked on that day? What’s the reason behind it? And why were the twins sold off to this cult? I think the answers to these questions could be connected to other open questions, as well. And since this mystery has been looming from the beginning, of course I want to know the conclusion to it.

The possibility of being judged worthy

We have learned that – although it’s so rare as to be almost nonexistent – there is a possibility for a dying person to be judged worthy by a shinigami. If that person is deemed “beneficial to the world”, they can be removed from the to-die list, meaning that they will continue to live. We don’t really know anything else about the specifics or how it works. But the fact that this option has been introduced must mean that it will be addressed at some point. So either there is a character who has already been judged worthy, or there’ll be someone who has the potential for it. Alternatively, the sole possibility of having someone removed from the to-die list could maybe serve as a loophole in Ciel’s contract with Sebastian. And since Undertaker is a shinigami, he might know the technicalities behind it, so he could play a role in this as well.

Either way, I’m curious to see how this aspect of the story will play out. If it opens a way out of the contract, it will be interesting to see whether Ciel will take it or not.

How will Ciel change before the end?

So much has happened to Ciel over the course of the manga, but what hasn’t changed is his thirst for revenge and the sacrifice he’s willing to give for it – his soul, literally and figuratively. He’s always distancing himself from other people, believing he’s all alone, and deep down he feels guilty for surviving when his family didn’t, and for sacrificing his twin in order to live. He masks his guilt and tries suppress his fears and grief, even to the point of denying his true existence and pretending to be his twin. He’s ruthless, clinging to the belief that as long as he gets his revenge, it will justify all his actions. And then he’ll accept his punishment at Sebastian’s hands.

I would love to see Ciel face his guilt, process it, and realize that he’s worthy in his own name, that he has many people around him who love and support him (like the servants, or even though it’s complicated right now, Lizzy and Soma,…), and that he deserves to live as himself. This would create a conflict between Ciel and Sebastian that I very much would like to see. But Kuro is ultimately a tragedy, so the realization that revenge won’t bring closure might come too late. Maybe it already is.

How will the contract between Ciel and Sebastian end?

It’s been clear from the beginning: Once Ciel gets his revenge, Sebastian will have his soul. However, things might not be that simple. There are forces at work that might try to prevent this outcome, and I suspect that this is Undertaker’s goal. Still, I believe Ciel will be the deciding factor in the end. As I said above, I’d love to see some conflict here. Either for Ciel to abandon his plan for revenge or for him to want to find a way out of the contract. Either way, it would be interesting to see Ciel and Sebastian on opposing sides for once.

#black butler #kuroshitsuji #10th blog anniversary

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crooked-wasteland · 5 months ago

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Man, those Tweets don't look good! I hate to judge but Viv strikes me as someone who would constantly self-plug on Wattpad despite being told not to and claim her work is so special with such bravado that everyone should check it out like "Ohohoho! It's so good like blahblahblah and like no other", then you see it's just like any other fanfic yet they're claiming it's empowering.

Helluva Boss isn't a show about a newfound family of mercenaries anymore! It's become a ping-pong battle between being a serious telenovela and comedy. I know not to make those mistakes because if we're having a serious conversation that doesn't require you to talk about your drawings and whatnot, now is not the time for her to self-advertise! There is a time and place for that.

Imagine everyone freaking out over Trump, ICE and the LA fires as you're all trying to console one another then she's here promoting her shows like it's nothin'! I'd be fine if she at least held charities with her characters and VAs similar to what Alex Hirsch and his team did.

If you ask me what other good stories revolve around rising up against the status quo, newfound families and mercenaries, it'd be "Teenage Mercenary" (which is a Webtoon a series) and "Spy x Family."

When people talk about the issues with the story, I think we're onto something when everyone keeps talking about Stella. The reason why people are so thoroughly disappointed in the show as a whole ties back into Stella and her role as a villain.

To be frank, Medrano isn't a real artist. The only thing she understands, truly, is the technical side of animation, and she doesn't even know how to do it well. She doesn't have an artistic hand in her shows in any other way than writing. And just as she doesn't understand shape theory to character design or how to use animation to tell her story (as she rushes her animation to where important narrative beats in the environment are a blink and you miss it occurrence), she has not the faintest idea how narrative structure works. She disregards world building because she doesn't even understand the importance of it to a story. She thinks the characters are all that matter for a "character driven" narrative, but fails to grasp even the fundamentals that characters are a combination of internal and external factors and their identities hinge on the consistency and understanding of the rules of their reality.

Stella being the main antagonistic force to the story necessitated her being a balanced and thought out character. Characters are defined by their shadows. For Stolas to make sense, Stella needed far more internal motivation and weight as a character. The episodic structure blatantly ruins the attempt at serialized fiction and no one who has written for the show so far has a grasp of how to balance that kind of structure.

#vivziepop critical #helluva boss critical #helluva boss criticism #helluva boss critique #spindlehorse criticism #spindlehorse critique #anon ask

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lapileaf · 3 months ago

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Buddy’s MBTI and Enneagram Analysis (I forgot about this 😭 I made it after the final and i forgot about it) special thanks to IzNome for looking this over back in December!

I’ve been working on this analysis for a while, but I wanted to wait until after the final to post it. I’m still using the name Buddy for now, though I really do love “Nox” too! Here’s a breakdown of his personality type:

Buddy:

ESTJ - “The Executive”

Extroverted, Sensing, Thinking, Judging

At first glance, Buddy might seem like an introvert, but hear me out—I’ll explain why I think he fits better as an ESTJ.

ESTJs belong to the “Sentinel” group and thrive on order and structure. They prefer making decisions based on what they know, and they’re usually the ones who take charge in a group setting.

I’m going to break down each part of Buddy’s personality based on how I see him throughout CB. (This might develop further or change based on season 2 but this is what I have so far)

Extroverted (E)

Buddy is an omnivert—someone who can swing between extroversion and introversion depending on the situation. This is a concept that doesn’t fit into the traditional categories of MBTI types, but it’s a helpful way to describe people like Buddy who don’t strictly fall into either the “extroverted” or “introverted” box. Omniverts have the flexibility to adapt based on their environment, feeling comfortable being alone when needed, but also able to interact socially when they’re in the right mood or with the right people. ISTJ are very similar to ESTJs but it’s not as common as an ISTJ to be an omnivert.

So, while Buddy may seem like he’s introverted at times (quiet, reserved, closed off), he also has moments where he’s incredibly assertive and outspoken—especially when interacting with characters like Chase or when pursuing his roles in the story’s. There are instances in CB where Buddy engages with characters he doesn’t like, simply because he has too or he wants to. Even when he’s frustrated, he still makes sure to have his voice heard. His need for social interaction often outweighs his desire for solitude.

At times, Buddy can shut down or become withdrawn if he’s unsure how to act in a situation. This kind of response can be a characteristic of introversion—when he feels uncomfortable or doesn’t know what to do, he becomes awkward and quiet. But in moments where he feels confident, or when he’s trying to dominate the situation (like in his exchanges with Chase), Buddy is extremely vocal and assertive. His actions show that, while he can be introverted in some situations, he’s more of an omnivert in practice. He seeks out social interactions but also requires downtime to recharge.

Sensing (S)

Buddy values structure and clarity. From the start of CB, it’s clear that Buddy prefers things to go the way they’re supposed to in the stories. He gets frustrated when things don’t unfold as planned, as he’s focused on completing tasks the “right way.” He’s not the type to stray from the original plan or improvise, and he’s uncomfortable with deviations. For Buddy, consistency and stability are important, and he values the big picture over the small details when problem-solving.

Thinking (T)

Buddy approaches problems logically. When things go wrong, he tends to rationalize the situation, trying to come to terms with it through his logical framework. He tends to downplay emotional reactions in favor of practicality. There are times when Buddy’s emotions do get the best of him (especially with Chase), but generally, he prefers to think through his options before making decisions.

For instance, Buddy didn’t understand why Chase would care about storybook characters (like in Cinderella) because, in Buddy’s mind, they’re just fictional. He also struggles with the idea that Chase would be kind to him without expecting anything in return. This kind of unreciprocated kindness doesn’t align with Buddy’s transactional view of relationships.

Judging (J)

Buddy is all about structure. He’s bothered by any deviations in the story’s chaos, which is evident in how he interacts with Chase throughout CB. The way Buddy insists on doing things the “correct” way and sticking to the plan shows that he’s a “Judging” type. His need for structure and predictability clashes with Chase’s more spontaneous, “Perceiver” mindset, and it often leads to conflict between the two.

Enneagram: 8w7 - “The Nonconformist”

As an 8w7, Buddy is independent, confident (or at least tries to appear to be 😭), and assertive. He seeks to maintain control in all areas of his life, avoiding vulnerability at all costs. This is clear in how Buddy behaves—he doesn’t want to feel weak or exposed, and he tends to assert his dominance to protect himself from that vulnerability.

Buddy’s confidence and smugness can come off as intense at times, but it’s all part of his desire to remain in control and avoid situations that make him feel powerless.

#cinderella boy #cinderellaboy #punko #fun with punko #webtoon #cinderella boy webtoon #buddy cinderella boy #cinderella boy nox #nox #nox cinderella boy #mbti types #mbti personalities #ESTJ

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monkey-network · 1 year ago

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The Beauty of 12 Angry Men

I remembered in 6th grade lit reading Franz Kafka's The Trial, a story about everything judicial being set in stone for someone completely out of the loop. The bureaucracy behind Josef K.'s fate is never given a cause, no method helps him, and after a year he's at the mercy of a situation nobody said would be fair to him. It was a striking story to me, and lead me into recognizing Sidney Lumet and Reginald Rose's 12 Angry Men as a similar yet antithetical story. The film keeps everything in the dark except for the titular jurors trying to piece the case together for a boy expected to get the death penalty. The matter though, is that the defendant's fate was clear from the start and the journey is about getting to that thread's end. What follows is one of the most well written, performed, and staged movies I watched in my entire life and I just wanted to finally talk about it. So, let's talk.

Setting the Stage

It takes three minutes almost exactly for the title to appear. You get the mission statement from the judge, a good scan of the main characters, and a single moment of the defendant's face, basically the only time you ever get to see said defendant for the whole movie. After that, we the audience are locked in the deliberation room where the film starts to shine after the credits role.

For the longest time watching movies, I was so used to big colorful settings, the characters going places even if it's just another place to talk, where it's a gamble if you can memorize those places. Oppenheimer last year became the widely regarded movie that consisted of next to nothing but conferencing in rooms. Even in older movies, things were never shot in the same spot for long. This film was the first instance where they stripped everything and worked with bare bones staging. All it is are the men in that one room. No flashbacks, no cuts to anything beyond the group speaking. The only other places you get are the adjacent men's restroom and the courthouse steps at the film's very end, scenes of which add to less than 4 minutes. And you would think it gets boring, but 'focus' is the keyword behind everything. The fact there's next to no music adds to it having an actually engaging script that doesn't manipulate or go to unnecessary places to get the point across.

12 Angry Men is what I'd call a "dynamic stage play" where you could imagine yourself seeing this in a live theater, but it wouldn't have worked as well without the secret main character that is the camera. This film knows how to prevent things from getting too static; the cinematography is... well-paced in laments terms. Again, in that one room, you're engaged in where it's focused, how it moves with the characters, when it cuts especially when it closes in on the jurors at their most serious. From a technical perspective, it's immersive at its simplest. No juror feels left out even when out of frame and nothing distracts you from the brilliant acting everyone brings to the literal table. After seeing this, I felt like this was the kind of movie I'd want to make. One that can work with so little but feel as tightly coordinated as any other similar to this. Then again, I wouldn't have concerned about this movie on technicalities alone. Let's get to the story.

The Stakes of Uncertainty

The trial is a first degree murder charge where if unanimously found guilty, the defendant would be sentenced to the electric chair. Everything surrounding this film hinges on the one person who votes not guilty, juror 8. Number Eight makes it clear that his vote is not about bias, there's never a hint at him or anyone having a relation to the defendant outside the case. His vote is the biggest gamble dependent of everyone retracing their steps of the details surrounding the trial, and what I love most about this is the fairness.

Eight doesn't know if the boy's not guilty, he never forces anybody to side with him, but recognizes that the defendant's life is a serious matter and shouldn't be as open shut as everyone else makes it in the beginning. The film shows within reason that the trial wasn't as clean cut as it seemed. And I know the movie isn't judicially accurate and everything's circumstantial, assumptive, and so on. If there's any real issue the film has for me is that they never indict Eight for sneaking in the switchblade even though that scene is still a goddamn show stealer.

Henry Fonda excellently portrayed a man who knew how to play the cards right

Then again, the increased flimsiness of the trial made with the uncertainty of the outcome is the point. We never get the sentencing after the men leave that room, it's all about Eight showing the others that the boy's life deserved more deliberation than the others were willing to give him. Hell, it discusses that trials like this can and have existed where measures of the outcome are made beyond the defendant's control. Breaking through the easy decision every other juror had was more valuable, and Juror 8 did that responsibly while never trying to be above anyone. That in turn is what makes this ensemble cast nearly flawless.

The Angry Men

Before ever seeing it, I've seen a couple jokes of this movie's premise of how it was nothing but said 12 men who sure were angry. Having now seen it myself, it's amazing how much we get to know about the jurors yet only two are ever given names. You'd think the film would give them simple archetypes and gimmicks, but even if you disregarded the acting chops everyone brings, the writing was able to balance who they each are relative to the case and each other. You can memorize which juror is which yet that never makes them just a number on the table.

To me, the best part about this film is how the group is able to collectively debate about the trial with individual motives and understandings. Jurors Eight and Three are the focal characters, they're the most opposing, but I don't consider them the main characters. A Youtube video I watched explores this better than I ever could, but everyone is in this together, regardless of how present they are in the movie and you notice this in their behavior. The character writing made with the simple staging does so much while explaining so little.

Juror Four, who reveals himself to be a stock broker, is the most clinical about the details. He does his best in retracing the trial as factual as possible, discussing the evidence in a way not even Eight is able to fight. What makes him crack though is when it came to jurors Eight, Five, and Nine bringing up certain conditions of the defendant and witnesses that he didn't care to notice. Juror Nine is the opposite, concerning about the witnesses' conditions and probable influences which helped reveal factual doubts in their testimonies.

Juror Seven from the getgo is made the most detached of the group. By the way he's dressed, constantly checking the time, while capable of paying attention Seven is the most dismissive of the case for the simple reason of just wanting to leave for baseball. This is where he comes into conflict with jurors Two and Eleven especially. Eleven is expressively respectful toward the judicial due process, mentioning himself being an immigrant, which makes him eventually fed up with Seven's disinterest. He's not somebody who changed his vote easily nor adds a lot to the debate himself, but recognizes Eight's efforts of a fair discussion and naturally confronts Seven about his constant snide attitude towards the case.

One of the film's strongest moments, where the build up was genuine even if you felt it was unexpected

Everyone makes sense with is established about them in the beginning and I could go on about the little things. Juror Nine, being the first to switch his vote, is the only one who meets with Eight outside in the film's end. You can tell by Juror Twelve fiddling with his glasses and concerned of having the info laid out sequentially is the most flippant about his vote. Juror Five being more likely to change his vote out of sympathy, having grown up and is more knowledgeable of the slums given that's the defendant's home. Nothing about this movie or ensemble is complicated, but the through-line behind everyone's choices in this gets to be more complex than realized. Everything about this is encapsulated in my favorite scene of the whole movie.

Pulling It All Back

Juror Ten is the most openly bigoted of the ensemble. From the start he is racially motivated in his vote, but that's not expressed until a little later. Of that point, he's certain of himself like juror Three about the vote being clear while scoffing at Eight's opposition. When the cracks of the case start to show, Ten's arrogance starts to show and his words become charged. He becomes the most hostile toward everyone and especially gets a rise out of Juror Five when talking about "these people". Everything comes to ahead when the vote is 9 to 3 for not guilty. Ten finally has his outburst, his racial rant unspecified but striking all the checkmarks of a man that stuck in his ways. Then it happens.

Everyone put up with his remarks up to that point, but here they finally step away and we get the most striking moment of a man finally alone with his thoughts. After Juror Four tells him off, Ten goes to the corner desk and basically shuts down for the remainder of the movie. This was the film's strongest payoff in every sense. It wouldn't have worked without the buildup just as much as the civility that came with everyone involved. Nobody had to throw a punch or challenge his beliefs, you never know if this changed Ten as a person, all that matters was that Ten knew he exasperated any goodwill from the jury and finally checked out the conversation. 12 Angry Men knew how to make the characters see their errors naturally, never feeling like they played up the drama for everyone to get their moment.

Conclusion

To me, I'm reminded of when in 6th grade, my literature teacher would have these Socratic seminars discussing the books we'd read. You could say it was the most involved I was in that class. This film knew how to capture that feeling, how towrite a roundtable where the stakes are high from the start but doesn't make it sanctimonious. Again, Juror Eight doesn't force or manipulate the others to see things his way. They try to convince him initially, adding up to a tangled but mutual engagement and it always feels like you're with them in the moment. You feel Eight's uncertainty is as sincere as his conviction, the same going for everyone else involved. The fact they're all sitting in sequential, helping you naturally follow who is who, is the cherry on top.

Before watching this, I didn't presume much beyond a simple courtroom drama which I enjoy ever since Ace Attorney. What followed after was just being more than impressed by how concise and thoughtful this was made. No second felt wasted, no detail felt trivial, ALL THIS and not even mentioning it being like a "bottle episode". Believe me, this post is long enough fanboying about a film from the 50s. It earned being the most ergonomic and engaging movies I've ever seen. If this essay wasn't enough, I recommend it at least once in your life as it's free to watch. What else is there to say?

It's the Best

#12 Angry Men #movies #films #cinema #film analysis #cinema analysis #movie analysis #analysis #reviews #Good Stuff #long post

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blossomthepinkbunny · 1 year ago

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Poor rendition of queer characters in HH and HB

Here I am again talking about queer representation in Hazbin Hotel and Helluva Boss, this time just more generally. Because it's always a little weird to me when people claim HH/HB to have good queer representation, when in actuality most of the queer characters are either just blatant stereotypes or get mishandled somehow. And with Helluva Boss recently winning the Queertys - Web series reward I think that this is probably a pretty good time to acknowledge that kind of stuff (as people have done before).

TW: Sexual assault, R@pe (when referring to the actions of characters)

Blitzø (Pansexual): is very sexual and seen on screen multiple times either having sex or just having had sex. Pretty much fits the general stereotype of queer men always being sexual and also the stereotype of pansexuals just sleeping with everybody. Like, he literally screwed the mutual Ex of his coworkers even though he knew how much that guy hurt them.

Stolas (Gay): also mostly sexual (from how he was introduced) and he is in a pretty terrible "relationship" with Blitzø, which includes coercion, SA, Power dynamics and fetishization. Another very sex-driven queer man. Also just great proof for the people assuming that queer relationships are inherently predatory, unhealthy and never work out.

Moxxie (Bisexual): is often forced into a very feminine role because even in relationships with women, queer men always have to be pointed out to be feminine and putting a guy in a dress is funny I guess.

Fizzarolli & Asmodeus (Queer): they're actually better than a lot of the other characters here but there is still some of that uneven power dynamic going on with them and there are obvious issues with their relationship. Overall they aren't too bad though. They didn't get that much sexual focus and what they got is kinda warranted since Ozzie is the Lust demon. But there is that one scene with Fizz stepping out of his car with Dildo confetti canons (I think) and that was sorta weird, since in an episode before that they presented Crimson as being homophobic and stereotypical for assuming queer men are all obsessed with dicks. Which is just interesting because thats most of the queer men in Vivzepops stories.

Chaz (Queer): just a sexually abusive asshole because we definitely needed more predatory queer men in this show.

Sally May (Trans mtf): basically the single recognized trans character in both shows and she only had one line. After that they made fan merch for her which consisted of her in a bikini with her bulge being drawn pretty visibly (multiple times). Of course there's nothing wrong with Trans people who don't have surgery but it's just a tiny bit weird to me that fanservice merchandise is what she got reduced to, when something like that wasn't even the joke of the only line she had in the show and because she hasn't recieved any kind of focus after that.

Angel Dust (Gay): now there is a lot of stuff that could be said about Angel. On one hand he is another very sexual gay man whose screentime often just consists of sex jokes and references. On the other hand that's a big point for his character. How he tries to act confident in his sexuality when in reality it's the main source of his problems. Though he does often harass other men in the show and that's just so unnecessary. Talking about Angel mostly leads into discussing if he is good representation for SA victims or not, which is something I don't want to talk about that much because I feel like it's not my place to judge that as someone who never has experienced SA. I'm gonna say that I do find Viv's treatment of him outside of the show insensitive (with the pro-shipping, diminishing Valentino as an Abuser and general sexualization of the characters) but as far as the portrayal of him in the show goes I've heard different opinions and you should read the discussion's of actual r@pe survivors about this topic if you want to know about more about it.

Husk (Queer): I don't have anything to say about Husk. He is a very refreshing queer man in these show's and there is nothing bad about him I could think of right now.

Valentino (Queer): for him I mostly want to talk about how he is treated outside of the show which doesn't sit right with me. He is a villian in HH so it's understandable that he is gonna do effed up stuff. I also like that the show tries to make a point about how men get sexually assaulted too (wether they succeeded in that inside the show I'm not gonna judge too hard like I said). But there are a lot of people who not only sexualize him, but also his actions and his relationship to Angel and from what I know Viv never really spoke out against that. She actually interacts with people who do that stuff and I it's just kinda gross.

Vox (Queer): I also don't have a lot to say about him. He and Val are a couple so he is dating a r@pist but he is also a villain so you can't really expect more from him. Especially since he would still be interacting with a r@pist even if they weren't dating.

Alastor (Aromantic, Asexual): is obviously not interested in relationships or sex but his identity is pretty much ignored by a huge amount of the fandom. Vivzepop never say's anything about people blatantly invalidating him like that. It seems to me like she doesn't care about characters who can't be involved in shipping but still wanted to have more diversity in her show so she just called him AroAce. In Hazbin Hotel he isn't bad representation though. His sexuality is never the focus but thats fine, it's mostly just the treatment he gets outside of HH which I don't like.

Charlie (Bisexual): doesn't have a lot to her sexuality. This is something I talked about pretty lengthy in my other post, specifically about the lack of Sapphic content in both shows, so I won't go into too much detail here. Her relationship with Vaggie would probably be the best in both shows if it wasn't for the fact that they both never get the real spotlight as a couple. And there is that thing in Vivzepops stories where the women are pretty much sexless without men and that's obviously something that is generally an issue when talking about the lack of Sapphic representation (which is also a topic heavily tied to sexism). Charlie's portrayal isn't necessarily stereotypical but that's just because there is nothing to her identity in the show.

Vaggie (Lesbian): like I said I already talked about the Chaggie relationship so now I wanna focus on something I didn't even mention in that post. Her name literally being Vagina and that's apparently funny because she is a Lesbian so she obviously likes Vagina. That's just incredibly stereotypical and also excludes Trans Lesbians and Asexual Lesbians who don't want sex. The whole joke was that Adam named her that because he is obsessed with sex and he's a jerk. But her name was always Vagina even in the pilot (from what I know Adam wasn't conceived then and neither was the idea that Vaggie even is a former exterminator).

That's all the queer characters I could think of. I hope I didn't miss any.

I thought about including Millie here too. But she was also already included in my other discussion post and I still don't know if she is canonically Bisexual of if that is just a headcannon so I didn't put her here.

I'm just gonna say that i don't have a problem with queer men being sexual (or any queer person in that regard). But it's pretty much every one of her queer male characters. This is especially bad when a lot of the relationships are toxic as well.

I just think too many characters fit stereotypes and to me that isn't good queer representation. If you like the depiction of queer characters in HH or HB that's good for you and you don't have to agree with me. But you also can't really deny a lot of this stuff and you can't expect others to just be fine with bland, hurtful and sometimes even toxic representation like there is in these shows.

#hazbin hotel #hazbin hotel criticism #vivzepop critical #hazbin hotel critical #hazbin hotel critique #vivziepop #helluva boss #helluva boss critical #helluva boss critique #helluva boss criticism #queer representation #queer rep in media

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first-and-last-neocount · 2 months ago

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Nightborn-Induced Insanity: Almea Tarrant Meta

I realized I had way too many thoughts and Thoughts to fit into a coherent Discord blurb so I'm vomiting up an entire wall of text post instead. XD Stay with me here this is a bit of a journey but I promise I'm going places.

So.

I've never delved very far into the character of Almea Tarrant because there was one little detail I could never quite reconcile in a way that satisfied me, even with the precious little canon info we have on her; namely, that I always got the strong impression that she's afraid of the fae. Even in the extreme brevity of her role in the prologue of Black Sun Rising, I feel there's a clear implication that this is a woman who is fundamentally uncomfortable with the unseen powers around her, and I could never wrangle that into a satisfying place coupled with the fact that she married Gerald. It's far from impossible, not even unreasonable, to think that she might just be turning a mental blind eye of sorts to the reality of him being an adept, but that never added up to a relationship dynamic that particularly compelled me; how deep can their love story be, if she has no connection with something so fundamental to him as a person?

But now. Oh, folks, how the tables have turned.

See there's something I noticed while reading Nightborn (yes, I only just finally got to it, lol). And that something is that Ian Casca was a redhead. His red hair is commented on repeatedly - it's sort of his 'signature' visual descriptor, the same way that Gerald's grey eyes get remarked on frequently. And because I'm me and my brain draws connections at the speed of light, from pretty much the first mention of that, a part of my brain noticed 'huh. Almea was mentioned as having red hair too. Would be funny if... but nah, Casca clearly doesn't have kids and we know he's not going to live that long, can't be a real connection'.

And then. Guys, gals, and nonbinary pals. Then we hit this.

*record scratch*

EXCUSE ME? Is that a canonical confirmation that they saved this man's sperm, and very well may have used it, due to a lack of preserved genetic samples from Earth? Canonical implication that there may well be biological descendants of Ian Casca running around Erna?

Red hair's not exactly a common trait. Only 1-2% of our world's population, though who's to say if that number holds consistent in the alternate timeline that these books seem to inhabit, lol. Granted we don't know how many genetic samples they were able to save from the colony supply, or the range of variety in those samples, but... there's nothing here that says it's not a real connection. And if you apply that lens to Almea's relationship with Gerald, the potential - at least for me - is staggering.

If Almea is descended from Ian Casca, and knows it, that would certainly explain an ambivalent relationship with the fae; growing up with the albatross of your ancestor's deeds around your neck would inevitably shape your relationship with sorcery in an irrevocable way. It could also add an incredible depth to her connection with Gerald, though, because while she might not understand what it's like to be an adept, she might well understand the social stigma of it. She might know exactly what it's like to be judged by every single person you meet for something you absolutely cannot control, your whole life shaped and driven by a simple quirk of inheritance. And the sheer tragedy of it, to think that she might have wrestled with that legacy all her life and even believed that she had finally triumphed over it, to then lose her husband to the same kind of madness and die in a twisted echo of that same first Sacrifice that has been looming over her since birth -

Guys I'm chewing on the edge of my desk here. The. POTENTIAL.

So all of this to say that I have already conjured an entire new characterization out of this wild extrapolation from a few lines of text in Nightborn, and I'm now working on a fic about Gerald and Almea's first meeting. And going feral about it. Because my god, the sheer delicious ANGST that I am going to wring from this...

#the neocount writes #coldfire trilogy #gerald tarrant #almea tarrant #nightborn #nightborn spoilers #i guess? i don't know if we're still tagging that #or if we ever were to begin with lmao #but better safe than sorry #anyways yeah this has eaten my brain

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tokiro07 · 3 months ago

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Toki Reads Shonen Jump 2025, Issue #19: Mismatch Week

One Piece: While Luffy attempts to nurse Loki back to health and only makes things worse, Loki compares Luffy's admiration of Shanks to his own admiration of a certain pirate he was too young to journey with as a child; Jinbe manages to put out the fires and remove one of the threats to the children, but in doing so gains Gunko's attention. / The fact that at any time, any two characters can be revealed to have a connection is one of my favorite things about One Piece, as it makes the world feel that much more real; the fact that Loki saw something admirable in Xebec also suggests that he's not a purely malevolent figure as has been hinted thus far, but it's One Piece, so that doesn't really come as a surprise

Roboco: On a camping trip, the group gets up to one of their classic food competitions, and Bondo endorses smoking; upon retiring to their cabins, the group finds that Second Year has been murdered??? / Good This certainly won't stick, this guy seems to get killed every time he shows up

Sakamoto: With killing now easily accessible and decriminalized, the moral barrier quickly erodes as the less scrupulous kill for petty reasons and the more righteous kill in retaliation, resulting in a cascade of murder and the deaths of over 300,000 Japanese citizens; Seba and the JCC team dissect the guns that have been distributed and formulate a way to stop the killing by force-locking them even before the bullets are fired. / While there's no way of knowing if human morality is truly so easily shattered in such a situation, it certainly feels logical and makes for a compelling scenario; that said, 300,000 shots were fired, but that doesn't mean every single one successfully killed its target, though elaborating on that would kind of take the impact away from the scene

EluSam: Regretfully, Tokiyuki takes Fubuki's head so as to reduce enemy morale, and soon after meets up with reinforcements; meanwhile, Takauji finds much more trouble facing his brother than he anticipated. / I feel like I should recognize Tokiyuki's allies, but alas, I do not; outside of the first scene, this chapter really didn't resonate with me, but that's probably just because I'm not invested in war stories

Witch Watch: Morihito is asked to play the role of a mascot that gets hit by a truck in a traffic safety skit, but one of Nico's spells accidentally brings the mascot to life. / A shockingly macabre chapter that came coincidentally as I was thinking back on my high school's drunk driving demonstration, where they staged a car crash, arrest and fatality; I found the experience distressing, but I guess Japanese elementary schoolers are made of tougher stuff, or at least aren't worried about a mascot's wellbeing

Blue Box: Chinatsu allows herself to bask in the rewards of her efforts and wins her team their third game of the Winter Cup, but sadly they lose in the fourth; now the pressure is on for Taiki to win Nationals, to make good on his promise to Chinatsu. / I'm not all too surprised that Chinatsu lost from a narrative perspective, as it raises the stakes for Taiki and gives the impression that he won't necessarily win just by virtue of being the protagonist, but it feels kind of like a letdown to me because I was just as invested in Chinatsu's success as Taiki's if not more so

Akane: Shomei's performance concludes, and Akane realizes that the reason he refuses to teach her God of Death is because their styles are incompatible - his based on rigid consistency, hers on fluid reactivity; Akane resolves to prove she can match his style at an upcoming competition that Shomei is set to judge, which in turn prompts Hikaru to join the fray. / Let's go, lesbians!!! I think Hikaru's my favorite character, so I'm excited to see her make a comeback; I also really enjoy Akane's logic in refuting Shomei's - insisting that she can only be fluid would paradoxically mean that she's being too rigid in her own scope, which ties back to what she said to Issho about refusing to limit herself

Kill Blue: Juzo loses the second challenge to Chisato instantly, prompting Noren to reveal why Juzo is trying to become StuCo President; Chisato gives Juzo one last chance in a serious cooking competition, with a budget of only 500 Yen; Juzo uses the money for train fare and returns with a wild boar that he hunted himself, giving him the edge in ingredient quality. / I did ask for a believable and satisfying turnaround, and this is exactly the kind of Gordian Knot solution that I love to see; it reminds of the bit in Hinomaru Zumo where Hinomaru has to get food with only 100 Yen and uses it to call in a delivery that he puts on his master's tab, so naturally I'm endeared to this solution

Nue: Gakuro's Hollow Weapon unlocks a new ability, Yokaku, a familiar that can isolate and devour specific targets, allowing it to overcome two back-to-back specific scenarios that Gakuro finds himself in - first, removing his own Command Energy from Ishu's webbing to escape it, and then removing poison that Raisei booby trapped Ishu with; having been abandoned by Raisei and rescued by Gakuro, Ishu decides to betray Raisei and reveal that he plans to resurrect the Hyo in three days, prompting Nue to declare that Gakuro and Ishu need to get married for some reason. / I'm glad that Ishu is joining the harem, but I'm a little worried for what this sudden proposal means for the rest of the team's romantic endeavors; I don't hate Gakuro's new ability, but I wish it were more cohesive with either his shadow manipulation OR with Kasuza's abilities since she's the one who awakened it

Kagurabachi: After Kunishige's death, Yura approached Samura and explained the plan to retrieve Magatsumi and use its True Realm to restore the land that had been destroyed by the Malediction; to prevent a second Malediction and protect Iori, Samura accepted an alliance with the Hishaku and had his and Iori's memories of each other sealed; back in the present, Iori has broken the seal and tells Chihiro she wants to see her father, prompting him and Hiruhiko to draw their Enchanted Blades and thus summon Samura to their location. / God damn, that's a hell of an entrance! Also my apologies for something I said last week, I misunderstood and thought Samura sold out Kunishige, but that was just him receiving the news over the phone, and he only joined the Hishaku AFTER they gave him reason to think their plan could work

Chojo: Hanazono makes curry for Chojo, and the feelings she put into making it trap him in an illusion of the ingredients at boot camp. / A bit unorthodox, but this method of showing her determination to make food that Chojo would enjoy was weirdly endearing for me

Astro Royale: Tendo reveals that the Astro Battle Royale was a ploy to gather strong human emotions like greed into one place, and uses the Daybreak Ore to absorb the energy of the audience and become a monster; however, it's also revealed that Shikaba lured Hibaru to join the tournament specifically to betray Tendo and stop his plan; all of the current Yotsurugi allies gather to face off against Tendo. / Perhaps I'm not reading very closely, but it kind of seems like that contradicts everything that Shikaba has said and done so far, like TRYING TO KILL TAIRA! It kind of feels like Wakui is just making an excuse for things to shift in Hibaru's favor and didn't plan it that far in advance, and if he did, I'm not nearly invested enough to understand the groundwork he laid for it

Kiyoshi: The First and strongest Demon Lord, Tonjinchi, descends upon the team that just barely survived fighting Bakku Yoraku, and proceeds to take them all out one by one with no difficulty, though they survive just long enough for Tsurugi to arrive and save the day. / I've said before that this arc feels like a Hail Mary and that Usui is trying to show off the appeal of his cast to get people invested, so hopefully this will play out similar to Undead Unluck where the first half gets us vaguely familiar with everyone and THEN they get fleshed out in the back half; otherwise, this big group clash of people whose names I don't know against a giant wall just doesn't really do much for me

Hima-Ten: Tenichi tries to invite Himari to the fireworks, but due to a work conflict she turns him down; Tenichi goes with Honoka, but his mind is consistently on Himari; Himari laments her choice, only for Tenichi to arrive with some footage of the fireworks and a mysterious prize he won at the festival to salvage the night. / This seems like a sudden development in Himari's favor and admittedly it's got me nervous, but at face value it's a cute moment

Ichi: Ichi manages to regroup with Desscaras and explains the situation to her; she formulates a plan for Ichi to draw the guards' attention, leaving her the opportunity to interrogate Bakugami. / That brief smile from Desscaras when Ichi said he'd made a friend was so sweet, and a great set up for how funny it was that that still wasn't good enough to convince her that Gokuraku was on the up-and-up; while this plan seems fairly straightforward, this is obviously going to lead into the Bad News phase, where Desscaras also becomes a wanted criminal until Bakugami reveals his true colors at the Advent Celebration

Shinobi: Yodaka is invited to have cake at Aoi's condo, which turns out to be in a secret safehouse employed entirely by ninjas that are guarding VIPs; Mimizuku explains to Yodaka that the higher ups want him off the mission for losing his edge, but that he advocated for him to stay because of his emotional connection to Aoi, and offers to train him to overcome his newfound weakness; intruders enter the condo, which Mimizuku sees as a good opportunity for training. / I'm glad that Mimizuku is in Yodaka's corner - Yodaka still has to prove himself to the higher-ups, but at least he has someone guiding him and doesn't have to struggle on his own

Syd Craft: Syd and Elio drop in on the landlady's daughter, lazy genius inventor Hakua, for a visit, but end up in a compromising situation when one of her robots gets a bit too handsy. / She's cute, but...how old is she? She was so small in that five-year flashback, but she's very much not now...

Embers: Despite Haitani's confidence in his research, the moment he gets to the field he learns that praxis is a lot tougher than theory, and he ends up getting in his team's way constantly; when Captain Bugai pulls him aside, he's sure he's about to get benched, but instead gets some sage advice - to focus on his using strengths, not strengthening his weakness. / I'm glad to see Bugai encouraging Haitani, and I really love moments where characters get to really show off their value; it reminds me a lot of Luffy's "I can beat you" speech, as it illustrates how Haitani fits in the team rather than making him a one-man army

Beethoven: Now officially a student at Reiro Academy, Yaso meets up with Kahoin, who introduces him to the head of the piano program, Ai Aigou; despite her friendly appearance and reputation, Ai immediately starts treating Yaso with disdain, as she's actually the granddaughter of his former master, Tsutomu Mikagehara; meanwhile, Lexi and Marsha make their way to Japan and conjecture on what Beethoven and the necromancer are trying to accomplish; while we don't know the necromancer's purpose, Beethoven has begun work on his 33rd sonata. / Ai being Mikagehara's granddaughter is an interesting development, partially because it's a pretty logical inclusion, but also because there's a lot of nuance to why she'd resent Yaso; not only did he more or less force Mikagehara to push himself while ill (so she blames him for his death), he also went against his teachings and played to dominate the piano (betraying him), and then quit the piano entirely (putting the last few years of his life to waste); if any one of those circumstances were different, her opinion of Yaso might be at least somewhat less harsh, but that particular combination of factors serves to paint Yaso as poorly as possible, and turns Ai into a living manifestation of the insecurity that plagued Yaso for the last two years - that he's not worthy of making music anymore

Ruri Dragon: Ruri learns that human and dragon society are at odds and currently in a truce, and Takemoto asks which society she'd prefer to live in; as she's not particularly bothered either way, she chooses to stay as a human simply so as not to make anyone feel responsible for her leaving, on the condition that Takemoto continues to ensure she doesn't hurt anyone; Ruri has a nice little heart to heart with her friends about how difficult she finds it to navigate human relationships and how they want to keep hanging out with her to help her learn better; soon after, a new ice-based ability manifests itself. / It's interesting to me that Ruri never considers the fact that she knows nothing about dragon society when making her decision - this implies that she's so disinterested in society as a whole that she's just accepted she'll be the odd one out no matter what, and only chooses to stay as a human for the sake of the small circle she knows she has any semblance of a connection with; I also wonder if her very existence is the basis of the non-aggression pact, like her birth was the impetus for the treaty and any violence against her could potentially break the agreement; this doesn't seem like the kind of series that would bring up a huge political incident like that, but it suddenly seems like a distinct possibility

Across Akane being a bad fit for learning Shomei's Rakugo style, Yodaka being better at solo missions than guard or team missions, and Haitani ruining his defensive skills by trying to switch to being an all-rounder, there's a lot of analysis on mismatching a character's skills and placement this week. What's more interesting, though, is how they all choose to address it - using it as an opportunity to learn a new skillset, proving the doubters wrong, and refocusing on core strengths. They're all different, and none of them are wrong

This Week's Top 3:

Sakamoto Days for how well it sells its dramatic hypothetical

Kagurabachi for its absolutely gorgeous two-page spread

Embers for Haitani's character moment

Aww, Nue's streak broke! It was really close, too, honestly! The emotional weight of Gakuro saving Ishu by absorbing the poison from her into himself was pretty good, but it was held back by how repetitive it felt for Gakuro to use his new power twice in one chapter rather than having it spread out, plus the weird turn that Gakuro has to marry Ishu now. I'm gonna let Kawae cook before I assume that the poly ending is dead in the water, but that's a hell of a hiccup along the way!

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all-that-remains-au · 5 months ago

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ATR RULES AND GENERAL INFO 🗝️

Welcome to the studio! Here are some base rules/guidelines to follow within the blog;

Feel free to ask anything that does not fall under the topics of hate speech (racism, lgbtphobia, ableism, etc.), NSFW (as I am a minor), or anything else that could be potentially harmful in any way. Otherwise I will just not answer your ask and delete it.

Do not write the story yourself or alter any kind of plotline in the form of an ask. The story will write itself for you.

Roleplaying is allowed, but do not roleplay as a character shown in the blog itself. However, non-ATR characters and personal OCs are allowed.

Please do not spam the inbox. The more asks you submit does not mean I will see them more/get you "noticed".

Information about the blog itself;

This AU is a huge work in progress! This means that any roles/plotlines/arcs may be skewed/altered in the future. Reference images are also still a work in progress, which means they will be incrementally added to this post based on who's currently introduced. Check back here for updates on ref sheets or character info. ;o)

This AU follows the general idea of BATIM, and does not include any form of plotlines/cycle development from BATDR whatsoever. However, characters like Alan Gray, Nathan & Wilson Arch, or Memory Joey may be briefly mentioned for consistency.

There will be various character dynamics/ships that are crucial to the plotline (including OCs!) as well, so if certain aspects aren't up your alley, I totally get it. This is a judge-free zone.

I also ask that you be extremely patient with me and the consistency of uploads, as I am usually very busy in real life and do not know how well I'll be able to actually keep up with the blog itself. Anything promised will not necessarily be 100% guaranteed.

With all of this said, I hope whoever's reading this enjoys this AU, and enjoy your stay ^_^ <3!!! play ball or Wateva -Mod Rozz (@r0zzk1ll)

Character Reference Sheets

#hoping this reaches at least like 2 non-mutuals/friends idk #i've been working very hard on this Look pleas look /REF #bendy #batim #bendy and the ink machine #batdr #bendy and the dark revival #bendy au #batim au #ask blog #all that remains au

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dr-spectre · 1 year ago

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I’ve been seeing a lot of people in the Splatoon community say that Splatoon 3 ROTM will be the last time we will see the New Squidbeak Splatoon which includes Callie and Marie, but like… no?! Nintendo hasn’t outright said “hey y'all, you like the Squid Sisters and wanna see them continue to grow and develop? TOO BAD BITCH!! THEY AIN'T COMING BACK AFTER THIS GAME HA HA! IT'S JUST OFF THE PEAK AND DEEP PEAK NOW BUDDY! ENJOY!!”

When that person said in the Splatoon 3 direct “witness the finale of the Splatoon Saga” she meant the finale of the trilogy set up from Splatoon 1, the story of the New Squidbeak Splatoon vs the Octarians. The Splatoon games up until this point have always had a consistent throughline of developing the Octarians and giving more insight into the conflict between them and the Inklings. Octo Expansion was about diving deeper into the Octolings, them reaching the surface and living with the Inklings. In Splatoon 3, it seems like the Inklings have accepted the Octolings and are living peacefully alongside them. (Or they are just really dumb and still don't realize that Octolings aren't just Inklings with weird hairstyles.)

Splatoon 3 ROTM marks the finale of the New Squidbeak Splatoon vs Octarians storyline as DJ Octavio’s entire army literally got turned into mindless furries and he became allies with the New Squidbeak Splatoon at the end of the game. Whether he’ll stay as a good guy remains to be seen but by judging Smollusk’s dialogue in Side Order where he says that Octavio is just flying around in his new machine nowadays, he’s probably gonna stay at the very least neutral to the Squidbeak Splatoon. His mission to save his race is basically over now, Octolings are living on the surface and his army is a bunch of furries. We will most likely never see the Octarians as enemies ever again in the series and the developers will move on to different threats never seen before and start a new storyline, or maybe they’ll focus on the Salmonids for Splatoon 4 but we’ll have to wait and see.

Now I wanna roll back to the Squid Sisters, listen, aside from the Inklings, Callie and Marie are the most iconic characters in the entire franchise. If you tell a random person “do you know Splatoon?” They are probably gonna think of the Inklings, the unique gameplay and then the Squid Sisters. The only other characters that rivals their popularity are arguably Off the Hook, Deep Cut are still recognizable but they aren’t on the same level of popularity as those two groups in my opinion.

It would genuinely be a bad financial and story mistake to never ever bring back Callie and Marie for Splatoon 4 and onwards, they are extremely iconic and profitable characters that people LOVE and wanna see more and continue having brand new adventures. Now, do I think they are gonna have the same role as before? No, I think they may take a break or step back from the Squidbeak Splatoon and let Captain 3 take control over Agent 4, Neo Agent 3, etc.

For Splatoon 4, I am guessing they are still gonna perform as the Squid Sisters, but in the main story mode or dlc I'm hoping that the developers take an Octo Expansion/Side Order route with the Squid Sisters where you get to hang out with them and learn more about them. How are they doing currently? What was it like for them at the start of their careers? Some more info about how they were as kids? How do Callie and Marie look back on the events of Splatoon 2? How do they feel about the other Idols and characters?

There’s still so much left for these girls and just never seeing them again after Splatoon 3 would be a massive mistake and destroy all that interesting potential and lore.

Also, the way that the Splatoon world works is that it’s an ever evolving world that follows our time, meaning that the characters age and go on new journeys as the years go by in our world. We see updates on past characters and are shown where they are at, the only times when that doesn't happen is when a character is fucking dead (Commander Tartar and the Octoweapons except for Octostomp) or they are in a location that isn’t the focus of what the writers wanna tell (C.Q. Cumber), heck even a character like Iso Padre who was a small side character in Octo Expansion managed to make an appearance in Splatoon 3 and show that he actually made it to the surface!

Callie and Marie are not going anywhere, you can rest easy. The credits song "Wave Goodbye" is not called that in Japanese, it's called "Star of the Sea Breeze" and we all know that the localization team can make some pretty bad mistakes....

#splatoon #splatoon 3 #callie cuttlefish #callie splatoon #marie cuttlefish #marie splatoon #squid sisters #new squidbeak splatoon #dj octavio #octoling #octo expansion #side order

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dailydemonspotlight · 8 months ago

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Datsue-Ba - Day 134

Race: Femme Alignment: Neutral-Chaos October 23rd, 2024

In several underworlds in many mythologies throughout the world, there are more figures than just the god of the dead, his companions, and the souls of the damned. Of course, demons come to mind to many, and they are the namesake of basically every monster in the SMT series, but even outside of the circles of Abrahamic belief there lie many creatures that haunt the hallowed halls of the dead. Today, we're turning back immediately to Yomi, however, as another figure that lies in the Buddhist underworld is today's Demon of the Day- Datsue-Ba, literally meaning "Old woman who strips clothes." Yep, it's gonna be a weird one, so sit tight.

Datsue-Ba are well established in Buddhist literature, appearing first all the way back during 11th century Japan, with our first concrete source being in the traditional Buddhist text the Hokke Genki, a story dating back all the way to the 1040's! Among the many tales consisting of the collection, Datsue-Ba appears in the story 'Renshū Hōshi,' wherein the titular monk Renshu ends up dying of an illness and meets a Datsue-Ba at the banks of the river to cross into the realm of the dead. She speaks to him, saying,

“Know this! This [place] is the Sanzu River 三途河 (Three Ford River) and I am an old lady of the Sanzu River. Take off your clothes, and I will let you cross.”

However, upon realizing that the monk had a devote connection to the Lotus Sutra, also known as the most foundational text to Buddhist belief overall, she bows in respect to the man and he returns to life. However, this is far from her only appearance, as the Datsue-Ba appears reoccurringly throughout several other pieces of Buddhist literature. She also appears in the text 'Jizō Jūō Kyō', though I admittedly can't find much about this text itself. In the text, Datsue-Ba is mentioned yet again, however, in much the same role as mentioned in the Hokke Genki, being a hag who sits by the waterside in the underworld and who steals something from someone as they pass by. The text also, interestingly, puts her under the reign of the Ten Kings... who I'll probably have to talk about someday, huh.

Curiously, now in her more important role, she steals things from the dead specifically in relation to how much they stole in their life. To quote the text's translation,

"Under the tree, two demons live. One of them is Datsueba, the other Keneō 懸衣翁. The hag demon breaks the fingers of both hands [of the dead] in reproof of the theft that [he or she] committed [when alive]. [...] All the dead are gathered under the tree. The hag demon strips away their clothes, and the male demon hangs the clothes on the tree branches. [By doing so, both demons] expose the gravity of [the sinners’] crimes and transfer them to the court of the next king."

This specific role of judging sinners is carried over to many future interpretations of the character, wherein she serves as a sort of moral judge to those who have passed, specifically in the way that she steals their clothes. Her generally agreed upon appearance is also somewhat similar to her design in SMT, though it differs in a few key aspects; agreed upon designs paint her as a withered old hag with exposed ribs, likely pulling from her more traditionally monstrous design in some traditional Buddhist texts, such as the Shiwang Jing scripture which depicts her as an ogre alongside the male demon she works with. Later depictions, influenced by the Jizō Jūō Kyō, paint her as a decrepit demon with sagging breasts.

This clearly influenced the SMT design for the demon, as Datsue-Ba in the series is a withered old woman surrounded by white, long hair. Her blindfold may be a connection to the idea of justice being blind, as the Datsue-Ba does enforce justice, in a way. I'm not sure what the giant paddle on her head says or represents, though, so if anyone can translate it, I'd be so glad. Still, the Datsue-Ba is an incredibly interesting demon and one that I wish we saw more in the series, as she only appears in Nocturne to my knowledge.

#smt #shin megami tensei #megaten #persona #daily #smt nocturne

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wazzappp · 8 months ago

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You write fanfics, right? Would you mind giving a newbie a few tips for writing their very first fanfiction ??? 🥺

FIRST OF ALL WOAH. IM HONORED YOU WOULD ASK ME FOR ADVICE AND SECOND OF ALL AKAKKFJGKHKHSKSGG I uhhhhh. Kind of????? Write?? I make plans and then I draw comics I'm actually trying to WRITE write something right now (key word being 'trying') but INEXPERIENCE ASIDE I guess I can try to tell you about some stuff I like to think about when planning a comic?

I like to start by knowing both where everyone is starting out and where everyone is going to end up. It's also helpful to know what everyone WANTS. I make sure to separate those two because they aren't necessarily the same thing. It's good to know both before you get to the details. If you don't know where you're going, you cant have fun getting there!

When I'm planning something out I like to start with the big parts as bullet points and then fill in the gaps. That way, if you realize one point doesn't flow into the other the right way, you can rearrange things before you're 5 hours deep and realize 3 hours worth of it doesn't work.

Try to think up multiple different ways a scene/situation could go! I replay something in my head a dozen times in a dozen different ways until I land on one I like. If you have something solid its totally cool to stick with it, but it's also fun to explore possibilities in your head before committing. That way you can pick out what the most impactful version is and go with that.

TALK!!! TO YOURSELF!!! FOR DIALOGUE!!! Find somewhere private where you wont be judged or interrupted and just go for it (my personal favorite is in the car on my drive to work but don't do that if you think it will get you into an accident lol). Try and get into each characters headspace and think about how it feels to say the things you're saying. Does it make you feel sick? Choked up? Tense? Notice it and think about how it will change their body language and how other people perceive them.

Know what your characters flaws are! Perfect people are BORING. Not to mention unrealistic. Also its really important for how people interact with each other! If someone is distrustful, judgemental, naive, defensive, blunt LITERALLY ANY CHARACTER FLAW it will play a role in how they deal with both people and problems.

Working on biographies + character designs (if you draw) for characters to make sure you understand them as well as possible is really helpful. I do it for almost all of my AU's that I make. But also I'm incredibly detail oriented so yk. Take that bit of advice with a grain of salt. I like picking my favorite little guys apart with a scalpel but if you find that demotivating don't worry about it too much.

If you're following along with a game or a movie, it's good to know ahead of time how closely you are sticking to the established story and universe. Keep track of any new rules you make. Working within a set of constraints helps to get both you and the character to think more creatively, and keeping those rules consistent makes the world feel more real. In a way, setting limits makes your world bigger!

Its also worth mentioning that I like to pay attention to what I enjoy reading when I'm figuring out a story. What pacing do you like? What level of description? Do you like things phrased more straightforwards or more poetic? I'm not suggesting you copy people of course. Just know what you like and try to apply it to yourself!

Damn that was way more than I thought I had to say lol. I'm going to also tag @moosemonstrous @rokhal @kermit-coded @cannibal-wings sin case they might have some tips to add because they are all absolutely exemplary in their craft (bring out the FANCY words today just for you) and I HIGHLY suggest looking at their works.

<3 Thanks for your ask!! I cant wait to see what you make!

#asks #that was neat ive never been asked for advice before!#I hope you have fun and I hope I was helpful!!!#oh yeah. and having people to bounce ideas off of. integral to my motivation lmao

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hs-loner2006 · 6 months ago

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When it comes to critique of Tears of the kingdom’s gameplay and especially it’s story, I think a lot of people focus too much on what could’ve been, and don’t take the time to fairly judge what the game does have and whether or not it executes it’s ideas, mechanics, setting or themes well.

The gameplay and themes that the game and it’s story portray is consistent throughout and don’t go against what it established. The prologue sets everything up perfectly, we’re introduced to the Zonai, and the Imprisoning War and as we progress, we’ll gradually learn more and more of what we need to in order to keep both the story and gameplay engaging throughout, whether it’s through item descriptions, in game books you can read, stone slabs/tablets, the whole 9 yards.

Darker and edgier isn’t always better for a story, you have to work with the themes, characters and concepts that the story established and keep it consistent throughout. Core themes of Tears of the Kingdom is unity, love and second chances, Link losing his arm, The regional phenomena plaguing the world, the Master Sword’s corruption, and Zelda’s draconification is meant to seem irreversible, cause that’s how both we the players and Link initially see it as first. What the game teaches both the age demographic for the game and older players who don’t have it so easy in life, is that there will be always second chances, one mistake doesn’t mean the end of the world, and that it will always be possible to get through hardship with the help of individuals you trust, no matter how impossible the odds may seem, there will always be a possibility that you’ll get through it all, thanks to the help of another individual or even a whole group of individuals you trust.

As for Love, Zelda bonds strongly with her ancestors, Rauru and Sonia, they’re practically the parental figures needed, but never had during the forthcoming of the Calamity from Breath of the Wild, they supported Zelda’s strengths and didn’t chastise her for her weaknesses and didn’t force her to do anything she didn’t want to do. With Mineru, though we don’t see her and Zelda bonding in cutscenes like with Rauru and Sonia, we know from the star-shaped sky islands that Zelda bonded with Mineru over scientific stuff and even helped Mineru build a construct once, and when Zelda tells Mineru about the decision she’s about to make for the greater good, Mineru panics and she fears so much for Zelda in that moment, as she knows just how badly a critical decision such as draconification could affect Zelda, another example of an ancestor of Zelda’s not forcing anything onto her, and this moment would play a key part in Mineru’s role in the epilogue.

With Zelda, even after she sacrificed her own memories, her unwavering love for Link in the form of her last will right before and right after swallowing her sacred tear, is why she lets him claim the Master Sword once more and why she saves him from Ganondorf.

As for Link, Sonia and Rauru coming together to reverse Zelda’s draconification, it isn’t a case of bad writing, cause it’s thematically consistent with the rest of the game about second chances and love, Rauru and Sonia made a promise to Zelda to get her back to her home to put Link’s mind at ease, by choosing the individual closest to Zelda and who knows her more than anyone else to channel their powers through, which is Link, they help him bring Zelda back and they fulfill the promise they made in the end, their own deaths not stopping them from that, something that is thematically consistent with the rest of the game. The prologue showed Link not being to catch Zelda with his mangled arm after the first Ganondorf, this is important as it sets up a parallel in the ending where Link is able to catch Zelda with his restored arm after Ganondorf has finally died, again, something that is thematically consistent with the rest of the game about 2nd chances and love. Mineru also had no way of knowing that Zelda would keep her last will as a dragon or that draconification can be reversed contrary to what she said, cause while she’s extremely smart, she isn’t all knowing, this is a similar plot point to how King Rhoam thought Zelda could awaken her light power just from praying at the sacred springs, but she couldn’t, instead, what was actually needed was a strong motive, and that strong motive was in the form of her love for Link, Link from Tears of the Kingdom also had a strong motive in the form of his love for Zelda at the end of game, and that’s what saves her from a self inflicted curse as dire as draconification. You may make the argument that there was no lasting consequences, but to me, the very likely mental trauma that the whole thing took on both Link and Zelda are the consequences, they both went through utter hell and were just barely able to save each other in the end.

Furthermore, Zelda’s restoration in the ending and what she does in the epilogue is consistent to her character growth from the end of Breath of the Wild, where she learns to live with the loss and trauma of her past and decides to grow into the individual she wants to be. Her recalling the memory of the ancient sages, her and Mineru all making their vows to Rauru exemplifies the realization of how she wants to rule for the rest of her lifetime. Mineru’s departure also hits hard for Zelda, as it’s for the first time (aside from maybe her biological mother) that she gets to give a proper goodbye to one of her parental figures, knowing this is the last time she’ll ever see one of them again. Zelda’s line “My friends, with all your strength, stand with me.” conveys that she’s ready to take on a role as big as leadership alongside Link and the sages, effectively completing her story and character arc for good.

It’s fine to have headcanons or generally be unsatisfied with the game’s story and it’s ending, I just tried creating a post that judges the story for what it is and don’t try to take into account my own preferences when discussing what it does have, there are some valid objective criticisms for the story, but as a whole, it did it’s job for what it was going for.

#tears of the kingdom #the legend of zelda #princess zelda

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jedimasterbailey · 1 year ago

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Heyyy babe 😘 for the Choose Violence ask game: 1, 2, 9, 15, 16, 17

YESSSSSS I GET TO CHOOSE VIOLENCE TODAY 😁 Thanks dearest 💚💙

Link to original Star Wars Violence Questions linked below!

1.) Give me a compelling argument for why your fav would never top or bottom.

Luminara Unduli would never be a bottom because she definitely that bitch who is ALWAYS in charge. With all the bullshit she has to put up with in both the canon and in the fanon, that woman would have all the pent up feeling to go on all night or go full blown domantrix on whoever that lucky bottom would be (I would personally volunteer my services). No matter where she is and what she’s doing, Luminara gets shit done and that is that. Via osmosis, Barriss Offee is most likely a top too since her mother has taught her how to be a bad bitch like her 💙💚

2.) What character did you begin to hate not because of canon but because of how the fandom acts about them?

Grogu. Like he’s literally just a baby but my God judging from all the mass excessive merchandising you would think that at one point in time Grogu was the only Star Wars character that existed and that’s not necessarily his fault by the annoying group of people who literally only watched Mando just for Grogu and Grogu only. There are so many people out there who will never watch a Star Wars movie or anything else that isn’t Mando just because Grogu isn’t in it and again it’s insane because again he’s just a literal baby. If the show was exclusively about him, it would have been a boring show. If I wanted to look at something cute, I can just go look at puppies or some shit. I don’t need to watch a show for that.

9.) You’re mad/ashamed/horrified you actually kind of like…

I honestly don’t have an answer for this sorry 🤣

15.) Opinion of Anakin’s characterization (I.e the broification of Anakin Skywalker).

This is a very loaded question because I don’t really swing either way with this topic (as in I don’t love or hate it). Like on the one hand, I like how in the CW show they made Anakin more with it and mature when the situation calls for it which makes sense considering he has Ahsoka to consider and he has to be a good role model for her. I also appreciate how in the show Anakin isn’t just bitching about Obi-Wan or obsessing over Padme all the time or being pissy with his other Jedi colleagues. I love seeing Anakin actually being a model Jedi and actually showing that he truly does love and respect Obi-Wan, Ahsoka, etc. However Anakin is seen as more sensitive in the movies and doesn’t always respond with such rage all the time like he does in CW show. Like bro Anakin’s anger goes from 0-1,000 in seconds to the point where he’s just destroying gadgets, kicking Clovis ass, etc. So in short, in some ways I personally think they did a good job expanding on Anakin’s character in the CW however there is no denying there is a huge distinction between Matt Lanter Anakin and Hayden Anakin. They most likely went the bro route because toxic masculinity is in.

16.) Best written female character in Star Wars.

Leia hands down. Her character is one of the very few Star Wars characters that is consistent and true in every single project we see with her in it. And like I’ve never met a Leia hater in my whole life and if I did I would question that person’s character because Leia is a badass that holds everything together when no one else will or when people leave her. She honestly deserves her own show.

17.) What event is Anakin’s point of no return in his fall to the Dark Side?

Shmi’s death. Had that never happened Anakin probably would not have taken those visions of Padme dying in childbirth or Palpatine’s bullshit stories seriously. It was only because Anakin lost his mother that he was insistent on keeping his wife and children safe at all costs because he did not want to endure that kind of pain ever again.

Original Ask Game Questions

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