#i just think its crappy storytelling

[ryssbelle]

The Brozone Misconception

(This picture is more a joke don't take it too seriously)

This is a kind of long analysis, deep dive, and discussion about certain fandom misconceptions. I am 100 percent open for discussion but I would ask that you read the whole thing first before reaching out, and please be respectful!

A link to the og google doc with images as tumblr image limit killed part of the essay XD

Essay under the cut

There is a common misconception in a small subset of the trolls fandom about the character of Brozone. That is their reaction and treatment of Branch, their overall purpose in the story, and whether or not Branch should have forgiven them. Whether or not their trauma born toxic traits which they aim to grow out of should be forgiven or not.

Let’s begin with an analysis of the beginning, middle, and end of their arc progression more or less.

We start with our favorite problem child, Jonathan Dorian, mounting the pressure of tonight's show, building expectations, and showing us, the audience, a bit of what goes on every time these guys perform: 

Making Bruce do 100 more push ups in the time before showtime (1 minute) 

Pressuring Clay to wear the funderdrawers even tho he clearly doesn’t want to 

Rebuffing floyds attempts to calm himself down

And his worst crime

Making Baby Branch Nervous

Now you could see all of these and think “Evil! Evil John Dory! Jail for John DOry for 1000 years!!” because he is being oh so toxic. Now JD’s main motivation for pushing his brothers so hard in this moment has to do with the “Perfect Family Harmony” which according to baby Branch no one has ever hit before

And you can see the strain it puts on the other brothers not just through the scenes i showed before but Clay literally tells us

John Dory not only sees it as a great achievement, but he is putting his own and his families self worth all on whether or not they accomplish the perfect family harmony

(ignore the crappy cropping image limits)

And when they fail he blames it on them not following his lead 

He still believes after all of that that they can successfully complete the Perfect Family harmony 

This looks to be about the first time the brothers air their grievances out to their older brother about how they actually feel about not only completing the harmony, but the direction of the band itself.

All of this happens within the heat of the moment, and only continues to get worse as when confronted with all of this Negativity JD decides to leave. You can see by his facial expressions in the above screenshots he was already feeling terrible about the situation as a whole. Animation is very show don’t tell just as much as live action is, it’s very important for storytelling as a whole. A character should not have to SAY they are remorseful for you to be able to see it.

So JD leaves leading his other brothers to leave as well. Ironically they are following his lead badum dum dum. 

Now we can assume this is probably par for the course for these guys, cuz Grandma is right there, and she just lets them leave, you say plot convenience I say subtle story telling/ It is implied they do this all the time and will eventually come back. (they don’t)

(Also ignore this image its also a silly and not serious XD)

Now you may be thinking, Ricky, you say that Brozone is not toxic, yet you show us the worst examples of their character. Listen dear reader, this is only the beginning, what I’ve shown you is merely the establishment of the eventual conflict that will be part of the driving force behind character growth and the story itself. 

Let’s move on to adulthood. The main arguments against Brozone happen here, other than the initial abandonment of Branch, which, I should remind you, happened when the oldest among them was still a teenager (teenagers are dumb). 

In this section I also have to mention another movie, and another character, as he is usually brought up in these discussions 

Creek

Creek is usually used as a comparison to the Brozone bros in the argument that Brozone is EVIL AND TOXIC AND UNFORGIVABLE and Creek by comparison should be seen in a better light and not deserve the hate. To be honest I have never seen the level of hate that has been given to Brozone leveled at Creek in the slightest. He is canonically a toxic character, and one who is incredibly self serving which a majority of the fandom recognize and vibe with. Creeks admittedly rancid personality is a massive factor in his appeal (at least for me), and that is kind of the point of his character: To be awful and unforgivable. Creek wasn’t made as your average side character, Creek was specifically made to be an antagonist, to be a contrast to one of our main protagonists, Branch. That is why they are always at odds with each other within both 3D media and 2D media. 

Taken from the trolls wiki

Creek has also shown disregard for Branch’s hobbies in the main show, tossing his puzzle into the fire. This was during Haircuffed, when Creek didn’t want to do Branch’s puzzle

Which you think not so bad, its just a puzzle! Well…

Puzzle’s have incredible significance to Branch, a comfort object if you will, and another way to feel connected to his Grandma. Now you might cry “Creek didn’t know it was significant! He can’t be held responsible for that!” HE SHOULDN’T HAVE TO KNOW THE TRAUMA BEHIND THE PUZZLE TO NOT DESTROY THE PUZZLE.

Conversely let's look at the Brothers:

Throughout the course of the film they are a bit rude to Branch and dismissive of him:

JD:

Bruce:

Clay:

(You could argue the face grabbing is just a troll thing cuz)

But anyway

These scenes are minor things that add up during the course of the film for the purpose of showing off the traits they will put aside and grow out of for the sake of each other.

(brb reading xmen)

Lets talk about Xmen, you think JD is bad well watch this

Bam!

Anyway

Before we tackle the entire argument scene let’s first tackle the individual character of each of the bros, Specifically: John Dory, and Bruce, who are most criticized for their actions.

John Dory is one of the first brothers we see return in the film, and his first and foremost objective is to collect Branch so that they can go get their other brothers to rescue Floyd. Some have called John Dory uncaring for his younger brothers, but if that were the case why start the rescue mission at all? An uncaring brother would just ignore the letter and go on with his life, but John Dory literally drops everything just to go rescue his little brother. The letter even specified getting the other brothers first, but John Dory goes alone to get Floyd out of danger as fast as possible only retrieving the other bros when he fails (and cuz he didnt know where they were, can’t waste time when you got a brother to save)

A brother who didn’t care about his family wouldn’t go through all this effort. Some would say he’s only doing it for appearances sake, but for whom? Him and his brothers have been out of the limelight for 20 years, JD especially has been isolated in the neverglades, who is he trying to impress with this? No one, he’s just a good brother.

Also a reminder! When thinking about breaking Floyd out he is not the first to bring up the harmony! Floyd is, John Dory had a much more clever idea

So it's not just to complete the harmony either.

He’s also held on to all the merch from their Brozone days, mementos of his family, it shows how he cares, but also the flaw he aims to overcome: his desperate attempt to cling to the past, the better days.

Now let's go to Bruce, easily the most scrutinized of the brothers (because of the baby comment) 

When he first sees his brothers again this is his reaction: 

(Another point for JD, got ignored but is more happy to see his bros getting along)

Bruce is excited to introduce them to his family, excited to reconnect.

(Note: At this point tumblr stopped allowing images so i will be giving descriptions along with a link to the original google doc for reference purposes these are screenshots from the movie)

Cut image: Bruce introducing his wife to his brothers "These are my brothers, unexpectedly"

(Still excited and immediately introduces them to his wife despite them being “unexpected”)

Cut Image: Brandy saying "It's so nice to finally meet you"

“It’s so nice to finally meet you” Implies that he’s talked about them at length and the possibility of them meeting up with one another.

Also all of his kids completely ignore their mom, just to ask their father something, or tell on their sibling, or ask for his help as seen in this entire clip

With the ketchup kid he assures his kid he will handle it (and yes Brandy had to handle it but um rescue mission?) and that he loves them he just needs a bit of time to address, um who was it again? His brothers, right…

Bruce is argued as being incredibly selfish, I had seen a meme once that had suggested Bruce would let his own children die before he would give up his own life, which is horrendous and blatantly untrue. Bruce only tries to turn away his brothers when John Dory brings up the perfect family harmony and that’s before he knows it's for Floyd, once he finds out it’s for Floyd he is immediately on board! His biggest concern about the harmony at this time is how they’re going to do it. 

As for “abandoning his family again” Bruce is going on a rescue mission, which he asks his wife before hand if it is alright

Which she approves, he also agrees to cover for a WHOLE MONTH for the yoga retreat (Also seen in the clip above)

He spends the majority of the journey caring for Tiny Diamond as well, he lets Tiny into his hair, carries him around in a baby sling he’s a dad to any kid who needs him.

Clay doesn’t get as much scrutiny as either of the older bros, most likely due to his inability to leave the golf course and the fact he apologizes to Branch at the end. There are many things that mimic the same in the ending scene but let’s address the points brought up within the argument that people use to claim the evilness of Brozone. 

Also fun reminder, Clay is the one to start the fight, Not John Dory, not Bruce, Clay just a fun note (he is a lil problematic and argumentative and thats why i love him)

Clay brings up John Dory being bossy which sets everyone off into a tangent about the past, past actions that they think are resurfacing

Cut image, the beginning of the argument:

Clay: No. No, dude. You’re forcin' us to be perfect, just like you always have, so we can hit the perfect family harmony.

John Dory: Yeah. For Floyd.

Bruce: Is it? Or is this all just so you can tell people what to do again?

John Dory: Wha What?

_

Bruce: This isn’t gonna work if you keep on bein' the same old John Dory.

We all know John Dory’s reason for being “bossy” ; his reason for his perfection, once done out of an effort to impress, is now one out of necessity. They need to be perfect because now someone can die, and the others can’t see that due to their own trauma at the hands of JD’s perfectionism. 

As shown way at the beginning of the essay, all of the brothers suffered at the hands of JD’s past obsession, Bruce had to look a certain way pushing his body past its limits, Clay had to act a certain way disregarding his own happiness to keep up an image, Floyd was ignored and his advice pushed aside, and Branch was pushed to be perfect when he was only about 2 years old (or a month old if you go by the brozone blog). JD also suffered, pushing himself to make song after song, mentally exhausting himself and inadvertently hurting his brothers in the process of doing what he thinks is right for them. 

JD also had the responsibility (as a teen) to parent all of his younger brothers:

Cut Image:

John Dory: Well, I’m not allowed to change. I’m the oldest. I had to be the leader.

John Dory: Why do you think I moved to the middle of nowhere? So I didn’t have to be in charge of anyone. Four little brothers is a lot of responsibility.

You could argue it's his responsibility as the oldest but Grandma was right there, they shouldn’t be his sole responsibility. 

When most of them left it was done out of self preservation, to protect their sanity and to finally find happiness outside of a place that was no longer bringing it to them. They were kind of acting how most would want Branch to act, they cut out the toxic family for their own safety. 

Bruce:

Cut image:

Bruce: [stammers] Why do you think I left? So no one would treat me like you did.

Clay: 

Cut Image:

Clay: I’m gonna find trolls who take me seriously. Next to Clay is a picture of himself in a graduation cap

(Also that is Clays graduation photo, they are all around teen years in  the prologue which means this is either a middle school graduation photo or he graduated early and is still not taken seriously, which as someone who also faces that [only being seen one way despite your achievements] is incredibly discouraging and soul destroying) 

They most likely didn’t return due to the fact they didn’t want to be faced with this kind of treatment again (golf course entrapment aside) 

(Now you’re probably wondering about Floyd and he’s a whole other post, this is mostly focusing on the brothers who receive the most criticism due to misrepresentation)

During the argument they talk about going their separate ways, it is admittedly harsh they way they talk about leaving again, but they never say they’re leaving forever. Bruce has to return to his wife and kids, Clay left the golf course without one of its leaders, JD has his own life and routine, of course they’d go back to it once it was over, but that doesn’t mean visiting is off the table, and that they’d never see each other again. 

Cut Image: John Dory: What? The mission’s the mission. [chuckles] You didn’t think we’d all live together when this was all over, did you? Singin' songs and roastin' marshmallows?

Again i recognize JD is being an asshole here, but he is only knocking the idea of living together off the table, which kind of understandable they’re all adults with their own lives they don’t need to live together, I don’t get mad at my sister for going back to her house when shes done visiting. But again it is more how they say it then what they’re saying

Cut Image:

Branch: [scoffs] Oh, I’m sorry. Is that funny to you? That I might want us to actually be a family again? Tiny Diamond, pull over. Now.

Seen is JD's look of regret

You can see on his face that he regrets what he said when Branch says this, when he gets angry at him, he didn’t mean it like that. Thats when the don’t be a baby comment comes in, they still don’t actually understand why he’s upset, they think he’s acting childish, they don’t recognize he’s changed yet

Cut Image: The bros reaction upon hearing of grandmas death

These are their faces when they hear what Branch has been through, they obviously are upset, they’re hurt on his behalf, they are remorseful, this and their future actions signify the shift from who they were (hurt kids turned hurt adults, fighting over their past trauma) 

After Branch leaves, they, on their own accord, continue the mission to save Floyd, which is how they get caught, and during the final climax control freak JD relinquishes control, having changed and lets Branch take the lead. This is after Branch reminds them they don’t have to be perfect to be in harmony, just to be as they are together which they AGREE

Cut Image:

JD: We'll follow your lead, Branch

Once they save Floyd we are brought to Bruce’s restaurant, he brings them there to host their reunion, there is where branch gets encouragement from JD, where Clay apologizes, where Floyd reminisces and you can see JD engaging with his brothers more than just encouraging Branch he has joined Clays sad book club

Cut Image: JD reading a sad book behind Branch and Clay talking about said book club

This isn’t the end of their reconnection, this is only the beginning. They still have lots of time to grow, and to become closer as family. 

Now lets head back to Creek for a moment before we close this off:

We have brought up the puzzle destruction and his purpose as an antagonist. The main argument most people use is that Creek had no other choice but to sell out his entire race to be eaten and killed to save himself. He had a choice, Branch would’ve let himself get eaten if it meant protecting all of troll village as noticed when he protects poppy in twt (though he might’ve actually found another way out), Poppy would’ve as well. In tbt Floyd begs each of his brothers who meets him before the climax to let him die so they don’t face the same fate, these are all selfless acts. Creek reacts selfishly, eat everyone else but don’t eat me, then he smugly confronts Poppy, obnoxiously laments about how he has to live with his actions when if he were a truly good and selfless character wouldn't have been an issue. He smiles smugly, shrugs his shoulders, and lets himself be carried to safety when his people look at his betrayal with disbelief and sadness. 

Creeks actions in the 1st movie are awful, they’re supposed to be, they’re meant to be unforgivable crimes, and that is why he is killed in the 3D canon, legit he is dead in the 3D canon. 2D and 3D are different continuities, which is part of why I find them (Brozone and Creek) to be mostly incomparable.

Brozone’s arc only affects Branch and each other and in the end they grow stronger, and into better people. Creeks arc/actions affect an entire species and their survival, within the 2D continuity his actions only continue to be self serving, and rather toxic (more for funsies but you know) he should not have been forgiven, but he was. His actions were deplorable yet forgiven which then begs the question why aren’t Brozones? Creek also wrote the apology song solely to humiliate Branch in front of his friends which is not cool bro, Branch did not deserve the treatment he got in the episode from anyone. 

To conclude my thoughts are that Creek and Brozones actions are incomparable, Creek’s actions are not meant to be taken in a positive or sympathetic light, he is a villain cut and dry, that is who he was made to be and he does it wonderfully. I don’t hate Creek, I love his character, he is awful and that is great! Love toxic awful characters! Brozone are a representation of a broken family coming together again, they are toxic, and then they grow, they are meant to do so, the villains of that movie are Velvet, Veneer, and familial trauma all of which get mended by the end of the film. It’s not perfect but its there, and the ignorance of it is what causes these major misconceptions. 

TL;DR Learn media literacy please

[otakween]

Digimon Frontier (Manhua) - Volume 1

Weirdly I wasn't able to find this manhua by searching "Digimon Frontier," the keywords to use are "Digimon 04: Infinite Zone"...for some reason. It says "Digimon Frontier" on the cover so, IDK.

Also, I just noticed that this particular release is from Australia?? That's pretty rare for scans.

Ch. 1

Right away, this manhua feels odd because it only partially follows the dub's naming conventions. Lobomon is back to being Wolfmon, Kazemon is "Fairimon" (not Fairymon) and JP is Junpei. However, Izumi and Tomoki are still Zoey and Tommy. Also, they for some reason had Takuya say "Spirit Revolution!" instead of "Evolution?" That part just felt like a mistake.

As usual the storytelling is crap because they cut out so much and sped towards the punchline within a few pages. Anyone who did not watch the anime would likely be confused.

I did enjoy the character intro page that laid out everyone's spirits, at least that was helpful in terms of orientation.

Ch. 2

They just found out that the digital world exists yet for some reason they already understand the concept of digivolution? They also didn't bother explaining that there were chunks of the land missing so them celebrating when it was restored made no sense smh.

It kinda felt like this chapter had no dialogue, just a battle and some sound effects. I think the target demo for this is a kid who just wants to watch monsters battle and doesn't care about characters at all.

Ch. 3

I enjoyed this one, but maybe that's just because I like Chackmon lol. The pacing seemed more reasonable and the rubbery art style was really fun.

Not sure what a "digital password" is, this translation keeps pulling random phrases outta nowhere...

It's interesting revisiting the lore dumps now that I have the full picture.

Ch. 4

They keep introducing themselves as the "10 legendary warriors." Guys...there's only 5 of you. Stop.

This chapter felt really faithful. I think Frontier might actually be suited to the manhua treatment since its story is pretty simple and action-based. Junpei's digivolution sequence was really well done. There's definitely some artistic merit here.

Ch. 5

Damn, they somehow managed to give Izumi even more of a short stick than in the anime. Not only is her debut off screen, but pretty much the moment she appears as Fairymon (spelled Fairimon here) she's knocked out. Wtf...

Again, no idea why they gotta keep the fact that the kids are warriors a secret (especially since it just gets revealed two seconds later anyways)

Ch. 6

In another instance of this manhua getting things slightly wrong, they inexplicable call Agunimon's attack "pyro tornade" instead of "pyro tornado..." wut

This was just an action/battle chapter. If I didn't know the anime so well, I'd probably have trouble following what's going on.

Ch. 7

This has gotta be the laziest translation I've ever seen. On one page the evil warriors had the correct names and then on the next they had their Chinese names inexplicably. Also they spelled "reflection" as "relflection" lol

Ranamon seems to have been toned down a bit in the sexy department (smaller chest).

I'm never going to get used to "Spirit Revolution!" 😑

The crappy adaptations continue! Luckily, I think this is the last anime series to get this treatment. I don't even want a better adaptation, I don't think Digimon needs a manga adaptation (original stories would be good though).

[brujahinaskirt]

So, I don't really rp, but I used to co-write novellas with internet friends I met in an online fiction community that existed for this purpose. We'd pass a manuscript around and each add a chapter (which we kept secret from each other until its release). It wasn't exactly a roleplay, but I think the process is quite a bit like looking for an RP partner.

Seems to me a ton of writers on tumblr are trying to find partners to write with lately (roleplayers or otherwise), but they're going about it in the worst way possible. I suspect maybe tumblr just... never taught you guys how to do this.

Old-school writing group tip for you to help you find your next writing partner? If you want people to respond to your ads, sharing your wish list and DNI is simply not enough. You gotta share a sample of your writing.

"Hi I'm looking for someone to do an XYZ rp with me! Here are my fave tropes and characters!" is not gonna get any traction because it offers no meaningful information. People can't know if they're interested in writing with you if you don't give them some kind of sample of the experience, even a bite-sized one.

A nutrition list alone isn't helpful in picking your dinner off a menu. That's because this information needs more context to be relevant. On its own, it gives you no idea what the meal is going to look or taste like. What form it will take. How it will be prepared.

You wouldn't try to entice someone to order a meal based on that raw info alone... so don't use this tactic to entice someone to spend hours and hours of their life writing with you.

"But my post has special dramatic formatting and is super visually attractive!" Nice, but not useful for this purpose. GIFsets of canon characters and quotes ripped straight from the script are useless to someone trying to decide if they want to collaborate on a story with you. It's because this stuff gives absolutely nothing in terms of showcasing what you're bringing to the storytelling table.

No wonder so many people are giving up and breaking out crappy AI chatbots. I know we're all hyper-vigilant about scraping and theft right now, and for good reason, but if you want to find someone to write with you... you gotta share just a snippet of a sample. You gotta.

[butmakeitgayblog]

Okay so I tried watching TLFOAH and throughout the first episode I got this really crappy vibe (not from the performances) and it didn't match with the book. At all. I watched through to the end and walked away for a bit. It it hit me what the problem was. Male director. This series is not really from the point of view of any one woman or her experiences or her pain. It took the apologetic parts of the novel and centered them by making the suffering of the women especially Alice seem incidental. Nobody's fault. Generational trauma. Repetative. I know not everyone will share that opinion but the fact that they put a totally unnecessary sex scene in (none of it from Alice's point of view she's an object) nullified the whole story for me. Alice is a pretty object through the whole thing. She's an object to her grandmother. She's an object to the men around her. She's an object to herself. The series doesn't reckon with any of that, it just gives a patent "happy" ending. This really seems to be the trajectory of ADC's career too. Pretty object, patented storytelling. This story really could have benefited from a woman director who gets it what a shame.

I tell ya, I read this about 4 times, each time myself walking away for a but to kind of think it over, and I'm still just not coming up with the same conclusions you are. First and foremost, that line about her career? Totally unnecessary. It was tasteless, and I'm not sure if it was just rage bait or some personal bone you have to pick with women being unapologetically attractive, but frankly you can leave that shit at the door because I'm not gonna entertain it. She's an actress. Actresses by and large get paid to be pretty. If you don't like that, fair enough, but that's something you need to take up with Hollywood casting, not actresses trying to make a living. She's going to take the roles she likes (such as this one, which also happens to be the best role of hers to date), but also the ones she gets cast in. It's not like every actress has the luxury of turning down jobs no matter what your personal preferences are. You talk about being reductive and objectification in the rest of your message, yet really treaded the line on some sexist/misogynist sounding bullshit right there. Be better. That said, I'm not flat out saying you are wrong in regards to this show, but I don't think I got that impression of it at all.

I mean, it was stated from the start that the show is about generational trauma. It's about how victims of abuse can end up falling into and continuing cycles of abuse. I can't side by side compare to the book, but taking the show at face value, that's exactly what it did, so I'm not entirely sure what it is that you wanted from it.

Fundamentally, I'm not even sure what you're talking about the suffering being incidental and not painted as anyone's fault? It was. In her childhood years, it was Clem. In her adult years, it was June and Dylan. There was no ambiguity there. They were all shown as manipulative people who hurt those around them. June's motives may have been different, but she was still shown in a harsh light. In fact something I appreciated was that they didn't write Clem any sort of boo-hoo-woe-is-me sad boy backstory as a kind of way to write off or pseudo-excuse why he did what he did. He was just an abuser. He liked to hurt people, particularly the women in his life, plain and simple. He abused and took advantage of Candy, then June, then Agnes and his daughter, and there was no attempt to try and soften him to pull away from that fact.

Another thing that I appreciated was the fact that they didn't focus the show on the abuse itself, but rather the damage that's left it's in its wake, and the healing process that needs to be done. I don't think that approach lends itself to rendering the trauma itself incidental, but rather it shifts the focus from the violent acts themselves and more toward the victims left to pick up the pieces and move on with their lives. Too often in these cases people get so caught up in the story of the abuser and the whys and the whats and the white noise that comes with those high octane emotions. But the reality is that those scars last long after the dust has settled, and unfortunately by then usually nobody's really paying attention to the victims anymore because it all becomes about the sensationalism of the violence and the abuser. (*Cough* D3pp and Heard *cough* Tory and Meg *cough*)

That's what I think, in part, this show was trying to portray.

Now, switching gears here, while I had my own issues with the sex scene, I do somewhat have to push back on what you're saying here because while I could've lived without it, I do see what it was saying. I don't think Alice was being used as just a visual sexual object, but rather it was giving insight into where she was emotionally. Only, what? Days prior? A week or two at most? She had found out the man she loved - her childhood best friend mind you - had fallen in love with someone else. And that's after months of thinking he'd just left her behind, only to find out it was her own grandmother who had betrayed her and sent him away "for her own good". The girl was emotionally flailing and desperately searching for some sort of connection. She was desperate to find solace and comfort and thus, glommed on to whoever made her feel something that wasn't pain and betrayal.

That's a very understandable human emotion given the situation.

Enter Dylan, shithead extraordinaire, who she immediately thinks is hot. They have an instant attraction and he pursues her just as hard as she pursues him, and in the unstable emotional space she was in, it's entirely understandable that she'd latch on to someone like him. He makes her feel wanted and desirable, he's a fresh start and a way to leave behind her past. It would be so easy to fall into someone like him when you're already looking for a place to land to begin with.

However, really look at that sex scene.

Really evaluate it.

She's not even looking at him.

She's not holding him close or wrapping her legs around him, there's no prolonged eye contact or heavy kissing. Nothing that speaks of actual intimacy. She's disconnected from him and the moment. To me that is Alice's point of view.

You may take that as her being portrayed as just a sex object, but in my opinion it spoke volumes about what was actually going on with her internally, even if she herself was not entirely aware of it (although tbh I think she was.) Even the upside down camera shot leaves the viewer feeling off kilter, almost as though it's mirroring just how off balance and desperate she is, right along with how everything between them was from the start.

I don't think it's fair to reduce Alice down to just an object because at no time did I get that impression of her at at all. She is young woman who has had everything in her life ripped away from her over and over again. She's not stupid, just unsure of exactly who she is. She thinks she's a murderer, she thinks everyone who has ever loved her either hurt her, left her, or betrayed her. But even through that, she's cunning, and clever, she thinks on her feet and has a will to keep going. Just because she makes some bad decisions, that doesn't negate all those character traits.

And again, they don't soften Dylan as a character. I've actually had A Lot of conversations about the portrayal of Dylan and I think I've landed somewhere around: I didn't need to know much more about him. Would I have liked to maybe see more of the building blocks of their relationship? Yes. But in the same breath I think that might've only given them space to try and paint him in a more forgivable light when that did not need to happen. Because in the end this story isn't about the abusers. It's about the women who have to escape them. It's about the quiet after the storm and what they do to pick up the pieces. And I liked that they didn't try and make these women, Alice included, into these fake af perfect renditions of what we think victims should look or act like. Sometimes they're messy, sometimes they make bad choices, sometimes they're strong and resilient fighters who never turn back. Sometimes they do. One is not more worthy of sympathy or safety over another. They make their own choices and they're still allowed to be humans who are imperfect and none of that somehow diminishes what it is they go through even after the abuse is over.

And honestly I'm not sure of you and I watched the same finale. The whole point of June's letters and the Flowers burning down her statue that Clem made was about Alice and June and all the other women taking back their power and their stories from those who hurt them. It was point blank saying that not only is this June giving Alice back that power she had so mistakenly taken away as a family member who loved her and thought she was doing best but had gotten it so so wrong, but also it was her passing the torch on to Alice. Giving her the ability to literally burn Clem and Dylan, even June herself if Alice so chooses, out of her life and start over from the ashes (the Phoenix metaphor from the very beginning.) To start writing her own story.

I don't actually see that as a happy ending per se, but more a hopeful one. So very few times in life are we given the chance to wrap up our traumas and wounds in a pretty bow and have everything feel perfectly resolved. More often than not the people who hurt us don't ever have to answer for it. More often than not the worst people in this world don't suffer any sort of repercussions for their actions or are made to pay a price. What usually happens is we're left with the scars and the frayed edges of what we went through, and we do our best just to keep going, trying to make peace with it through the pain and injustice. I feel like that was a much more realistic - albiet whimsical for narrative purposes - ending than a lot of other options that I'm sure got tossed around the writer's room.

Now all that being said, yeah I think it would've been interesting to see a woman's directorial take on it. I'm not sure the changes they would've made but for the sake of it, it would've been interesting. Knowing what's been said though, I feel like this director cared a lot about the story as it was, not just what he wanted it to be, and added elements that I loved that weren't in the original script (such as the ending fire that tied up all the symbolism.) But also considering the author herself was hands-on through the entire process and the fact that the showrunner and producer was a woman (actually there were 6 women executive producers on this as well 3 women screenwritersand 2 women editors) worked closely with Holly, I think what got into the show was more or less what the author wanted. I don't think the director skewed what the overall message was, at least not in the author's eyes it seems. So while I may read the book down the line and adjust my views accordingly, for now I'm going to trust that Holly Ringland and Sarah Lambert had a very steady hand on the reins of this thing.

[archoneddzs15]

Sega Saturn - Phantasm

Title: Phantasm / ファンタズム

Developer: Sierra On-Line / Infini Entertainment Technology

Publisher: Outrigger

Release date: 8 August 1997

Catalogue No.: T-36001G

Genre: Interactive Horror

When CDs started flooding the market in the first few years of the 1990s, many people thought the future of video games lay in interactive movies. The veteran adventure game designer Roberts Williams became affected by this craze for a short while and under her supervision, famed gaming enterprise Sierra On-Line presented its own take on the new fashion: Phantasmagoria, a seven-disc extravagant monstrosity complete with live footage, digitized graphics, and stylized medieval-sounding choirs.

If getting scared is the only thing you look for in a horror game, then Phantasmagoria might not be as disappointing as it turned out to be for those who expected good adventure gameplay. Roberta Williams apparently had enough of innocent fairy tale storytelling in her King's Quest series and unleashed what must have been the darkest images concocted by her imagination onto this title. The game contains some of the most disturbing, unsettling scenes in the history of the medium - but that's not what makes it horrifying. Rather, it is the perpetual building of suspense, the long stretches of wandering preceding the brutality, during which not much is happening, but many things are foreshadowed, resulting in a convincingly ominous atmosphere.

Spanning a massive 8 - yes that's right, EIGHT - discs, Phantasmagoria takes Sega Saturn owners into the world of mysterious horror. You may know this game under its western PC title of Phantasmagoria. I'm not too sure why they changed the title for the Saturn, mind you. Probably easier for the Japanese to say Phantasm [ファンタズム] rather than Phantasmagoria [ファンタスマゴリア], I guess. (I think I saw a Japanese Phantasmagoria billboard for the PC which actually made the name change to Phantasm).

All this is further enhanced by technology. The superbly detailed graphics are all digitized images, looking strikingly real and immersing you in the nauseating opulence of a haunted castle. The much-hyped video sequences may be too numerous and pointless in many cases, but they create a peculiar bond between you and the protagonist, as you watch her react to everything she notices in photorealistic detail.

Those videos of the heroine adjusting her hair or curiously poking suspicious household items may be mundane, but that is exactly what makes the ensuing horror effects more prominent and long-lasting, but what is really so bad about it being on the Sega Saturn is the people who ported it to the Saturn decided it'd be a good idea to use the crappy Cinepak video codec! Ugh. Looks blocky as hell compared to the PC original. Another downer point is that the guys over at Infini or Outrigger have dubbed everything into Japanese! Why can't they just subtitle it? Surely it would be easier. (I do know there is apparently a fan-translation of this out in the wild these days.) Oh, and from what I heard, this Sega Saturn version is apparently censored compared to the PC original. Why? This means I can't see all the deaths, and I can't witness the r*pe scene in Chapter 4's intro anymore.

Still at least the gore is quite nice if you're into that sort of thing.

Note to anyone looking to buy this: as I mentioned, Phantasm came on 8 CD's, and a traditional Sega Saturn game disc jewel case could not store that amount of CD's so it came on two 4-CD cases. I'll explain the two cases.

Red CD Case:

Disc 1 (Chapter 1)

Disc 2 (Chapter 2)

Disc 3 (Chapter 3)

Disc 4 (Chapter 4)

Blue CD Case:

Disc 5 (Chapter 5)

Disc 6 (Chapter 6)

Disc 7 (Chapter 7)

Disc 8 (Chapter 7 Ending Chase)

[dragontamerno3]

DS9 S1 E12-15

I have been sorta nursing my health for the last couple of days as I've had some pretty bad pain days and didn't really feel up to giving a full recap as I watched something. I'm still feeling crappy so this may continue for the foreseeable future. Yay chronic illnesses... Anywhoo on to the recaps.

E12 - Vortex

This is another Odo episode. Was kinda expecting to just blank out and let this one pass without much thought, but I was pleasantly surprised. I didn't particularly like it, but it had some good moments. Up to this point there didn't seem to be much to him besides "security dude" but getting to see that even he has temptations was a nice touch for character development. There are potential clues on who/what he might be in it but ultimately I knew it was too early for him to get to meet his people so I was curious to see where it actually led. When he ultimately let the dude and his daughter escape by letting the Vulcans take them to safety was really where the episode changes for me. That's literally at the end so it doesn't do much but change my star rating on it but it let me see that Odo has a heart and I look forward to seeing more of softy Odo. If he truly is a grump with a heart of goo (this is a pun laugh with me) then I might actually come to like Odo.

6/10

E13 Battle Lines

Typical "two sides have been fighting for centuries and refuse to stop story." While I agree with Sisko's decision not to let Bashir change the "coding" of whatever was keeping those folks alive after dying over and over again, I was on the side of ending it until Shel-la (I think) said he'd use it to win the war finally.

I felt bad for Kira when the Kai died and when it became clear that she couldn't leave again because of it. Kira's reaction was pretty much how I would have (at least in the sense of "Why aren't you DOING something") and she's growing to be the fiesty Kira I know and love.

5/10

E14 The Storyteller

This one had me laughing probably more than I should have been but I had a fun ride on this one. I in no way thought this one was a "good" episode but seeing Miles in any uncomfortable situation like this is generally worth my time. I know that Bashir and Miles become friends at some point but seeing them have this awkward interaction at the beginning, the pulling of teeth to make Miles socialize with anyone let alone a chatty Bashir, and then the bait and switch on the surface. Chefs kiss. Bashir also had too much fun laughing at him. lol

I don't have much to say about the plot itself, it was okay. I do enjoy a "we created our own monster" story, though generally its also tied to a "this person is a monster" character so it was interesting to see it manifest as a storm like thing.

6/10 for the giggles

E15 Progress

I really like this episode but I don't like how it ended. To me, it doesn't fit with the Kira that we've met so far. This is the first time that I could see the Ro Laren skeleton to Kira's character design cause I could see Ro doing the same things.

Having her, of all the crew, touch down on the surface and run into (at least) 3 folks trying to live their lives away from the pain of what the Cardassians did to them, was the perfect set up for this. Everyone else would have fought them harder or would have taken them without their permission within minutes. And then when the old man gets hurt and she stays to nurse him back to health for a while, it really felt like she was settling back into the Bajorian refugee type where they all help each other no matter what their title was. It was really touching and beautifully set up.

What I don't agree with is what happened after Sisko reminds her that while it's okay to be conflicted but it's not okay to get stuck, she decides that she is going to drag this man away from his home unwillingly. Yes, if she left him there he *probably* wouldn't have survived and yes she had a job to do, I'm aware of all of this and even accept that these are the reasons she acted the way she did. But I feel like war exhausted Kira would throw all she had at him and still let him decide his own fate, given how much the Cardassians had ruled over them. I feel like he should have been allowed to choose where he wanted to die and it felt out of character that Kira didn't agree.

With that said! The idea that she helped him finish building a few things or fixing things up and then she turned around to burn it all down was a pretty dramatic touch that I didn't see her doing. It was a very powerful ending.

7/10

[striveattemptfail]

so i took this screencap after i read the latest ep and—

hn. (=_=)

idt i'll liveblog this week but i'll put my Thoughts under the cut

(tl;dr jason's Moobs and artemis' arms are the only thing getting me through this webtoon and unfortunately i am near hitting the point where that can no longer sustain me 😔😔)

(also pls heed the tags on this post bc there is a lot of Wank And Bitching. if you don't wanna read the meandering negativity, pls move along ᕕ(ಠ_ಠ)ᕗ)

okay so Thoughts™️:

i said i'd stick around to make sure lobo was done well but considering he folded and fucked off in <5 panels i can't even judge that

and idr if i mentioned it on my blog but i told some friends i'd stick around for the first season of rho and likely drop it after that

but idek if i can keep to that anymore

i've read a lot of really crappy comics, superhero issues and webcomics alike. i've had my fair share of whiplash pacing and wildly ooc canon

i'm not saying i'm an expert at judging comics, but i'll give myself enough credit to say at the very least that this webtoon is Just Not Good

while i'm personally not bothered by changing the art style—

(actually, it's one of the few things i appreciate in traditional publishing for superhero comics, so introducing it to the webcomic medium has been really interesting to me)

(but that's a whole other post lol)

—they're not using the change to its full potential, or even for its intended purpose

i get that the webtoon weekly schedule is brutal and borderline inhumane for a lot of asian artists, so it's probably hell on earth for western artists having to switch to that kind of scheduling

nico offloading all the inking to another artist so he can get a break makes sense

but if that's the case, the art should be more polished—and it just isn't

it's still abundantly clear to me that corners were cut to get eps out on time with the same kind of length

i'm not an illustrator, and my eye for perspective is already pretty awful with my glasses on, but i think it still says something that my half-blind ass can still see errors

if the art has to change to give the regular artist a break, why isn't any of the art (both from the original artist and the fill-in artist) not up to par?

and this isn't even considering that the art just changes in the middle of an arc, which makes everything hella confusing for a reader who can seamlessly read episode after episode due to the nature of the webtoons platform and the webcomic medium in general

at least if there's an art switch in most traditional comics, it's introducing a new arc or volume to that series, and it's physically broken up into multiple comic books/issues

the changes in rho thus far have just been ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ at best, and (to me) without any thought about how the style could affect the overall story

to be clear: wayne family adventures also does this. but at least toby succeeds in emulating starbite's art style enough not to break immersion. and because it's been toby every time, the changes in art style is usually only noticeable when scrutinized

unlike with rho thus far, who's had different artists with similar but still distinctly different styles

so the abrupt art change is not only impacting the immersion of a reader but the effectiveness of the storytelling

and i don't even wanna get into patrick young's abysmal writing thus far. i know better than to yell on the internet about comic writers after namedropping them lol

i love jason. i genuinely like his rebirth outlaws team. for all the flack i give lobdell for rhato (2011) and in general, he did some actually decent things for all three outlaws during their 2016 run onwards

(some things. i'm still not forgiving him for rhato (2016) #25, or the fact that willis todd was apparently gd wingman, or for a lot of other things, but that is a discussion for yet another post lol)

i honestly cannot say the same for patrick young's writing

aside from the (fucked up) storyline happening to bizarro, i stand by my point that the highlight of every arc thus far has been the villains

which would be a compliment if it weren't for the fact that the series is supposed to be about the titular (anti) heroes of the story, or if the heroes were just written half as well

and yet?? i've been disappointed by every development for jason, and the mostly lack thereof for artemis, much less the downright disrespectful treatment for all the other characters introduced thus far

bizz really is the best boy, not only for his kind nature but for being the only decently written character out of the three

i get that superhero comics allows for different characterizations and the webtoon is continuing that tradition

doesn't mean i like what's happened to most of the characters

it's just........it's been really disappointing reading this webtoon

and i honestly feel bad for those who've spent hard earned coins unlocking any of this webtoon's fastpass eps

verdict: am i gonna drop this sooner than i thought? likely so

unfortunately for me i am a stubborn masochist of a stan so i'll be testing how long i can hold on just out of love for these characters 🥴🥴🥴

[ghoultyrant]

Self-fulfailing prophecy

No, I didn't misspell 'self-fulfilling'.

'Self-fulfailing prophecy' is a term I use in my head a lot in regards to video game design and storytelling intentionality to encapsulate a phenomenon whereby the creator(s) believing something to be true of their work directly leads to the work lacking that quality.

In a video game design context, you'll see devs convinced that, say, the mechanics of their game are such that swords are the best weapon type and axes the worst, whereby they proceed to give axes extra advantages and preemptively nerf swords with specialized counters and less access to cool bonuses on the swords. Often, even if their initial belief was right-ish (Which is far from guaranteed), the collective result of their efforts to counteract the intrinsic advantage they consider to exist results in the final state of the game being the exact opposite of their beliefs anyway: in this example, axes end up the best weapon and swords the worst. This kind of thing sometimes persists several games in a row, where you can tell the devs are so convinced of this belief that instead of making Game 1 where axes are king and going 'whoops' and course-correcting, instead Game 2 and Game 3 just stack on still more advantages to axes and still more nerfs to swords.

In a storytelling context, you get creators deciding that, for example, some character is a Heroic Good Person, and having decided this is so they stop scrutinizing whether they're really depicting a Heroic Good Person. Particularly common is deciding that some character is an Unsympathetic Evil Monster With No Redeeming Value, and as a direct result simply not noticing that they've actually written a complete human being in a crappy situation who, understandably, is unhappy with how awful their situation is, where their unpleasant behavior really comes across as, y'know, not evil.

Even aside morality per se, this kind of thing crops up pretty readily; a creator intends a character to be 'likable', so they don't stop and think about how the behavior they're depicting fits into its context, and suddenly what's intended to be an affable and friendly individual ends up coming across as callous or mocking because they keep up their friendly routine in circumstances it's pretty inappropriate for.

I often get the impression most people are more willing to 'meet in the middle' than I am, when it comes to characterization and so on, where they see the signals a character is meant to be X, so they read them as X unless the narrative is particularly dissonant on that point. I've never been able to make myself do that, though; you can't 'meet in the middle' on game design. If the devs made axes godly and swords garbage, no amount of respecting the devs' intentions is going to make those facts stop being true -not unless you hack the game to make them true.

And honestly, this applies just as well to storytelling; if you're reading a character the intended way by filling in with things that were absolutely not intended by the creator(s), that's in some sense the storytelling version of a romhack: you're changing things to make them work in spite of the creator(s)'s intentions.

The original material is still a self-fulfailing prophecy.

[zachsgamejournal]

COMPLETED: Jak and Daxter

I've been a Naughty Dog fan since olaying Crash Bandicoot in 1996. I delayed playing Jak when jt first released, which was a mistake, cause I loved it. It's a bit derivative, but Naughty Dog's production techniques make this simple but charming platform feel epic and timeless. And replaying it recently initiated a grand trip down memory lane.

Firsty, the dialog and story are a bit crude. I think, maybe, they were going for edgy. But unfortunately I think they delivered something too childish for teens and adults, but too rude and pessimistic for children. Like many (crappy) cartoons, the humor is based around being loud and/or mean. They should have taken more direction from the amazong storytelling abilities of Pixar. Maybe it was still too early in 2001, but telling a compelling story will wngage more adults than telling an edgy story.

But looking past that, the game is great. The art dirction in particular. In true naughty dog fashion, everything has personality, even the way grass hangs over the edge of cliffs. It's wild to look at other ps2 games and wonder how they weren't able to look as food as Naughty Dog's first ps2 attempt?! This is assisted by the animations, which were top notch and still look great. This makes the game feel alive.

The levels are basic but pleasant. It's wooded areas, swampa, snow areas–everything that one is used to seeing in a 3d platformer. But with the art and animation, the levels feel like real lives in spaces. Not just carefully crafted arenas to hide collectibles in.

As great as Naughty Dog is, their originalality can be a bit lacking. Jak wears its Mario 64/Ocarina of Time inspirations on its sleeve. Every level is an Open design with 10 main collectibles and the hundreds of smaller collectibles. So it's basically PlayStations Mario. But the way they connect all the levels to feel like one big open qorld is inspiring.

I also appreciate the length of the game. I was able to platinum the game in roughly 10 hrs. That's pretty perfect. Despite the less rhan impressive story i look forward to returning to thia game again and again.

[radellama]

How much do you edit? Do you have a specific technique? & How do you combat writer's block?

How much do you edit? Do you have a specific technique?

It really depends on what I'm writing, and if there's a deadline involved.

If I need to work quick and the stuff I'm writing isn't too dense, I'll usually do a few passes and try to edit as a whole whenever I see mistakes. I take the time to try find spelling mistakes, plot inconsistencies and make sure I'm happy with the general flow of it all.

But if I've got the time and I'm going through one of my larger works, I try to spend time away from my work before I edit. I find that when I'm working so much with my writing, I end up just memorising what I've written and not ACTUALLY seeing things critically in order to edit effectively, so I need time away to lose that short term memory of it and come back with fresh eyes. Usually a day or two is good, giving me time to think like a soup getting reduced to its best parts. When I come back to edit I do multiple passes, usually focusing on one main thing each time so I don't let anything slip through the cracks. Generally, I go rythmn/flow/grammar > plot (does it all actually make sense) > character (making sure dialogue sounds like them, the atmosphere is set up right) > final pass. To help with this: CHANGE THE LITERAL WAY IT LOOKS. Idk if you've heard this before, but seriously, give it a try. Change what font you're using while you edit, change the size so that it changes the spacing and where the words physically ARE on the page! I'll even invert colours (I usually work on dark mode) or turn it into a pdf and hand write all over it on my iPad- on rare occasions I'll even use a screen reader so that I can just hear it on my final passes and make sure it all sounds ok, though that's a bit tricky cause crappy robot voice is crappy lol.

Because I'm soooo deeply picky with it, it's a struggle to find people who are a good match as beta readers/to help with editing, so that's why I take on so much myself. When I've done my final pass is probably the only time I can let other eyes onto it seriously, as my writing can be messy af and only I will understand what I meant lol. But, with the multiple passes I try to do, I can catch most things, and aiming for 2-3 passes minimum is usually good! The key of it all is separating the creative and critical headspace, as you can't create critically and can't be critically creative. They're both necessary to creating something, but you can't do them at the same time...

How do you combat writer's block?

I feel like my writers block is very different from what other people describe... Usually when I'm facing a block, I KNOW she l where things need to go, or I've got a scene written down but it just doesn't come across right, and it's more about me struggling to find the words and tone that I need. I tend to take ages because of this, and I absolutely agonise over what I'm working on, and the biggest part that trips me up is being autistic lol. Autism isn't only a detriment though, as there are parts of my writing style and just the general way I approach it that I can only do because of Autism and the way that storytelling and media is sort of a special interest. If I'm really struggling, I just have to leave it alone and not write, which hurts.

But, because I write extensive notes for myself, and no longer try to write 'in order,' it's easier to just get stuff done if I put something on the page. Can't edit a blank page, so I'll just try to write something when I'm able and come back to it later...

Send me some writing asks

[celtrist]

Need to reblog this because all of these are excellent points. I didn't even THINK how many stories we missed until @mimblizzy said it. But MAN was that disappointing to realize. For me, it was from the perspective of visuals and visual storytelling. Hazbin having a rundown, old building for the hotel is what gave the premise of the show charm. Because it was an underdog story with so many things going against them. But now they have, in bible, the literal third strongest being in existence. Like the Vees are NOT a threat in the next season. I mean, they are, but by all accounts, they're a downgrade from the FIRST MAN. But that's a story not related to the building.

And while I don't have a huge issue with the hotel being rebuilt and all nice and perfect, it doesn't feel earned. If we had time with this old rundown building, and had those episodes of the crew dealing with the crappy things about it, the rebuilding would feel earned. But I would say unless you were one of the people who already knew Hazbin and were waiting for the amazon series, viewers didn't have a huge attachment to the building itself. They may have had an attachment to the CHARACTERS and THEIR reaction to the destruction of the hotel, but not the building itself. Which considering the show's name is "Hazbin HOTEL", the hotel IS something people should connect with. Sort of like "sure it's unsanitary and barely working, but it's cozy and familiar for us and OUR mess". But we never really saw the hotel non-functioning and are already getting a huge upgrade that wouldn't have those "underdog" vibes. And this would fit fine it it wasn't in THE FIRST SEASON they did this.

And that's to also add that Hazbin Hotel has a biiiit of an awkward thing that, by all accounts take all the scenes that happen in the hotel and they don't really NEED to happen in the hotel. It's very good to have characters interact with their environment in a story as it gives space and grounding. And it's what's normal for people, like think of in your home. You are interacting with your environment in your house all the time. And Hazbin Hotel didn't have moments in the hotel where characters interacted with the environment like that of a hotel. Niffty rolling on a trolley would've been a nice touch. Even the suggested episodes above make this point essentially and would've added to the connection between the residents and viewers to the hotel as well as giving the hotel a personality. When we got to "Dad Beat Dad", it was sorta like the hotel just SUDDENLY for that episode only decided to be a bit more rundown. But if we saw, hell, if we at least HEARD about the problems the hotel had before, the disarray of the building wouldn't feel so random and out of nowhere when we get to ep. 5. I know for me, it didn't initially feel as weird for the "rundown disarray" feel that Lucifer had towards the building and the building suddenly having issues like a chandelier falling because I KNEW that's what the hotel was supposed to be. I've known them since 2019, but for someone who wasn't as aware, it probably seemed a bit random. Then again, the show is kinda charismatic so it is sorta easy to miss glaring issues. With that said, it should be important to note too that I don't think the building was a hotel initially. If I remember right, it was just an old random building the Morningstars had. But that's something that would've been nice to know and learn about, maybe build some connection between Charlie and the building so viewers can feel that much more for her when the building is gone.

Sorry, that got more into a rant than I planned (as is usual for me with this series, I like it I swear). I just got bummed out with all the missed opportunities and how bad of a move the remodeling of the hotel is when it's only been season 1. Again, it's not earned. That's probably my biggest issue. Rebuilding the hotel wasn't earned as we didn't really ever see it "at its worst". We didn't see its problems. We didn't see how the residents really felt or connected with the building. We didn't get accustomed to the building and have a connection to it. And when the core premise surrounds this hotel, I feel like it should be important that we DO build that connection with a freaking building. But we didn't. We arguably don't even spend all that much time forming that connection with the building. It was just another piece of the environment, not something personal to the characters and in turn to the viewers.

The environments are super nice in this show, but having the interior of the hotel be more messy, maybe have a bit more of other resident's flare around (Like maybe Vaggie having a dummy in the main room or Angel leaving stuff around), I don't feel warm and cozy in seeing the ramshackle hotel. It feels to me empty. Which is upsetting since I feel like a more smaller vibe for the hotel would've been great to counter the clean, superficial vibes the VVV tower should give. Like the hotel isn't really great, even a health hazard, but it's home and has heart. Whereas the VVV tower has all the best things, nothing's rundown, but it's all superficial and empty feeling. But we didn't get that, the hotel is arguably just as empty feeling as the VVV tower, lacking a connection with the viewers as well as the characters.

But we didn't get that. The hotel just got an upgrade. That's it. It doesn't feel satisfying. It would've felt SO GOOD to see that upgrade when we were seeing the hotel broken down and a mess, but we didn't. It was relatively fine quite honestly aside from the bugs Niffty was chasing. And to be clear, I get they only had so much time. 20 mins and 8 episodes are not a lot. But this does not change that Hazbin is arguably a poorly written show, if not at least passable. It does not change that I full-heartedly believe they could've approached it and written it better. I understand that they wanted to get everything out because of the long wait and wanted to make sure they were able to get through everything within at least 2 seasons. Especially the long wait, I understand Spindle probably felt like they needed to bring in the angels, have a redemption, introduce Lucifer, and all that. I. Get. That. But I don't think they approached it well. I think, even if scarier for them, they should've been willing to be more risky. 8 Episodes isn't a lot for a plot-driven show, but it's adequate for a SLICE OF LIFE show. Which, was sort of the initial thought with what was originally planned (and sure, I still have issues that they wanted to introduce Lucifer early but whatever). Eight episodes of slice of life were what people thought it would be and good to introduce the characters, build their relationships with one another, and connect to the building with all of its faults. Then you can get into plot stuff in season 2. A rushed work to get everything on the plate is not as good, and won't be remembered/rewatched as much as taking the time to do these things. It would've been a big risk, but I would've preferred it rather than what we got. Especially since let's be honest, for the people who've been WAITING for this series? We were not all dying to know the plot with the angels. Like yes, we wanted it, but we were more interested to see the characters. How they interacted, relationships, personalities, stuff like that. I don't envy the tough position and understand it was the best they could do. And I get wanting to tell the story, I do. But Like Helluva, Hazbin detracted from the pilot's premise. Aaaand I'm gonna stop here because now I'm detracting from the point of my original post.

Again, sorry, ranting. It just frustrates me the more I realize things with how crappy that the hotel got revamped. Just- agh

Was looking at the hotel for a drawing and never realized the large degrade from the pilot design (on the left).

I think it was a good choice to simplify it down as the OG design was VERY complex compared to the new design (and some things like the carasoul up top didn't work well considering Alastor was moving his tower up to there). So while I like the pilot hotel more, 100% good move to change it to what we got.

HOWEVER, the pilot design gives that dingey, rundown feels SO MUCH better than the final design. I think background-wise the pilot is better in a lot of ways (like with colors, having them less saturated than the characters). But the hotel in the official series, especially the interior, didn't look as rundown and dingey as I think it was meant to.

You could argue "well Alastor could've spruced it up", but we see in the episode "Dad Beat Dad" a chandelier falling, cockroaches, and Lucifer clearly supposed to be unimpressed with the place. But the show had a very clean and nice looking hotel both interior and exterior. The pilot was good with it being dark and dirty feelings on both these ends. While the final design was super clean-looking but SUPPOSED to have a "roughness" to it, the pilot had a really nice exaggeration of its roughness that gave it a lot of character and made it more interesting. Between the two, I'm more interested in what's inside the pilot hotel than the final design. And it sorta sucks because season 1 ALREADY had the hotel rebuilt all nice and pretty (which like Lucifer showing up, SHOULD'VE been saved for a later season. I get why they did it, but I think the risk of not doing it in season 1 would've had a stronger payoff in the later seasons).

Again, I think it was obviously the right call not to make the hotel so complex for the show. However, there's a stronger mood and personality to the pilot hotel over the final one that feels like it wants to look super nice but it is supposed to be seen as rundown and needs to be fixed-up. And that sucks because I would've loved seeing the rundown place, but we really just got a nice-looking hotel that, in the universe, isn't supposed to be seen as "nice looking" or "clean" (and issues with the hotel concerning its structure and everything was ONLY brought up in "Dad Beat Dad". Little details like a character saying the plumbing was broken AGAIN or things breaking/falling in the background or something would've gone a long way).

It's just a bit of a bummer that the hotel really lost the mood and personality that it did have in the pilot when I really think they honestly could've kept those aspects without making it super complex. I don't dislike the final hotel design, but I don't like the lack of personality and mood it's SUPPOSED to have that the other design achieves.

[anytaintedcreature]

i am loving these daily headcanons, they are giving me LIFE.

Oh man 

I don’t think I’m all that good at headcanons but ask and you shall receive my friend

okay so because I just love your Partners fic I agree with you that Erik is definitely the one who gets more jealous of the two. He’s not the one in the spotlight, after all, so he’s gotta sit back and watch people adore the Luminary far too often, which is fine - I mean, he adores the Luminary too - but some people just adore him too much, let’s be honest. 

Not to mention the travesty that is the game forcing Gemma, come on she’s in the blasted thing for a whole hot second and doesn’t do shit  

 Anyway, as for Rowan and Erik in a somewhat canon since in my happy universe, I think the jealousy starts rearing its ugly head first in Gallopolis. It’s the first time Erik’s really had to sit back and share his attention since they met - even in Hotto when they help Veronica, it’s more of a ‘team effort, we’re in this together, I guess we’re going to help this salty girl’ kinda thing. But enter Faris and even Sylv to a point and you’ve suddenly got two new people competing for Rowan’s help and time with Erik as just a tag along, and I imagine he just doesn’t care for that shit at all.

I always figured a large part of why Erik didn’t take to Sylvando immediately is - aside from the fact that Sylv is a bit of a goof a times, or at least he plays that part - I think Erik sees him as the first real rival for Rowan’s attention in an admiration sense, as Veronica is smol and Serena’s just, well, Serena. Sylvando’s new, he’s bold and shiny and Erik was the cool guy toting Rowan around, and now this new chump’s showed up and he’s got a boat, and well. Erik’s feeling less shiny, bless him. 

((Also he can’t stand it when everyone else in the party goes on about how Gemma is just Yggdrasil’s gift to the universe and Rowan is #blessed to have her around, her hair is so blonde and perf, I think that shit makes Erik want to climb onto the nearest table and shout, “He’s gAY, DAMN YOU” to the heavens before promptly turning the color of a beet and retreating to the nearest crack in the floor.))

[middle-earth-mythopoeia]

The rumor that Amazon is money laundering with RoP is getting louder and louder. Considering that they said they put 1 BILLION into it, but the costumes look cheap, the elves didn't get wigs and the storytelling is very weak I kind of understand it. Do you think it's actually true, or only spread by angry Tolkien fans? 🤔

Money laundering is when criminals attempt to disguise the proceeds, sources or nature of illicit activities. An example would be if a criminal used cash from an illegal activity to purchase real estate, then resold it and deposited the profit in a legitimate bank account. So in that light, no. When Amazon makes money off of Rings of Power, or their other TV shows, they're not disguising where it comes from.

What you're really asking about is something else: where the hell did the 1 billion go? And I don't have an answer for that. It just goes to show that no amount of money can make a crappy project into a good project if it's already rotten at it's core. And Rings of Power is rotten at its core. Even apart from Amazon's horrible abuses of its workers—including on the Rings of Power set—the story they came up with for the show is trash.

The thing that's awful about Amazon isn't so much that they launder money—although maybe they do, I don't know—it's that they commit crimes right out in the open, like busting unions and letting their workers die in warehouses, and there's no accountability for any of it.

[matan4il]

Whats so weird to me is how loud the no homo crowd is right now. And I'm like I know its not that you love Taylor and Lucy. Because if you really are a Buck fan Lucy and Taylor are kind of crappie storytelling for him. It would be like hoping Eva stayed around for Hen.

So its weird to see them try and make it seem like Eddie would have some strong reaction to Buck "cheating " on Taylor. IS It just me or does this make anyone laugh because why exactly would Eddie condemn or alter his relationship with Buck over a mistake. I feel confident that especially now, Eddie and Buck are in the do you need my help to bury a body stage lol. Like if the show decides to chicken out and not canon them, sorry you can't break that bond.

And on a second note the writers could have developed Taylor and Anna more organically off to the side like Karen. You still could have done this PTSD storyline with Buddie. Very easy Eddie tells Anna look if I'm ever loosing it please just call Buck, he's of the size and muscle mass you know. Its not even like this sort of relationship between men dealing with trauma hasnt been handled in the past. Yet they still didnt. Why? Because clearly they have zero interest in creating female LIs that rival their own bond and story.

Hi Nonnie!

Honestly, I didn't know some people were saying this, that Eddie should have changed his attitude to Buck based on the cheating. I have to admit, I think Eddie knows better than anyone else how easy it is to make a mistake and hurt others even though your intentions are good. Isn't that what happened with him and Shannon? He meant well, but he was scared, so he found a way to support his family that was running away without fully abandoning Shannon and Chris. He supported them, but from afar, and in doing that, he still ended up hurting them. And then he came back from that mistake and he made up for it ten times over by being the incredible dad he is.

So he more than anyone could have compassion for Buck and understand this, and believe that he can work to make it better. And yep, Eddie would be there to help with that. Bury a body or help with what's even harder, making things right. Buddie always have each other's back.

And yep, I agree. The show just isn't that interested in external LIs. It's why Athena also ended up with one of the 118 after her divorce from Michael. Similarly, I feel like no external LI could rival what Buddie already have, but the show isn't even trying. Or when it does, it feels disconnected. Think of Taylor's backstory in 5a. It just felt misplaced, and the bottom line was still about a milestone for Buck, being in a r/s where he exchanges an "I love you" with his partner, though that one was so awkward, it still doesn't feel like it counts. I think the show knows how important Buddie and Buddifer are as partners and as a family unit, and it knows any r/s they try to develop as a romantic one for these men that isn't theirs simply can't compare, and it will also take away time and focus from these relationships we love. So at the end of the day, I really can't see any other endgame for Buddie that will satisfy the audience other than each other. And it feels like the show knows this, too.

Thank you for this ask! Hope you're having a lovely day! xoxox

(I got an influx of asks, I WILL answer all of them, but it might take a sec. If anyone wants to check whether I've already answered theirs or to read my replies, here's my ask tag. Thank you! xoxox)

[bloodstained-ballgowns]

‘The Morning Show’ rewatch thoughts: Part 1

I started rewatching The Morning Show in preparation for season 2 in September and I think the halfway point is a good point to scream some thoughts into the void. Spoilers for eps 1-5.

One of my personal favourite storytelling techniques is something I like to call the ‘impartial camera’, and this show uses it so effectively while handling really sensitive and volatile subject matter. The basic key to the ‘impartial camera’ in my book is that it forces the audience to make up its own mind because nothing is clear cut. There are no heroes and villains, all the characters are on the same playing field, and their actions are more being broadcast to the viewers instead of framed in certain lights. Like this show definitely has an agenda, is definitely pushing a certain narrative, but it lets the audience work through the nuances in that narrative in their own minds with everything unspoken onscreen rather than completely spelling it out for them. For example, I would say that the camera doesn’t condemn Mitch Kessler, Mitch Kessler condemns himself through his actions and his words that are shown onscreen, if that makes sense.

That being said, it’s not like the camera is just floating around. I really like a lot of the camera work here because you can tell that the direction is very purposeful while getting really personal. You definitely feel like you’re inside a character’s head when they’re at the centre of a scene.

Why has Jennifer Aniston acted in so many crappy romcoms when she can do stuff like this? She’s so good here! The acting overall is great, if a little melodramatic at times (seriously, everything is pretty much at a screeching ten, 100% of the time), but that’s partly a symptom of this crazy journalistic celebrity world where no one means what they say and everyone has a thin skin and keeps their knives sharp. Maybe melodrama is just what that world is like. 

Alex Levy is superficial and insincere and selfish and such a good character. She’s a professional (in that her job is her life, not that her tantrums are workplace appropriate, but oh well) and ambitious woman who is a complete bitch, a prejudiced feminist, and literally the embodiment of that “well, well, well, if it isn’t the consequences of my own actions” meme. Her power grabs are pretty pathetic and she has no idea what she’s doing most the time (mood) but it seems to work out for her okay mostly so I’ll give her that.

BILLY CRUDUP OH MY GOD. He’s like lightning whenever he’s onscreen, it’s amazing. Cory is probably my favourite character as well because he’s so undefinable, everything you expect and everything you don’t at the same time. His and Bradley’s friendship(?) is also fascinating and so heartening. I think they mesh so well because to viewers, they both seem like outsiders, and they definitely see that in each other too. I think they are the only characters who are ever fully, truly honest with each other. I hope season 2 doesn’t drastically change their dynamic.

I love Claire. I just really love Claire. Part of me wishes I was more like her.

Mia irritates me but you know what at least she’s good at her job (unlike some people *cough* Chip *cough*).

As long as Yanko gets to keep his eyeliner in season 2 we’re good.

I relate to Bradley on a deep level because she says what she means and gets annoyed when other people don’t do the same.

“What the fuck is going on right now.” “I don’t know but it’s weird and fascinating and I’m super into it.” Yanko and Daniel are me while watching Cory and Alex duet lmao.

Alex’s whole monologue to her daughter in the taxi about women and power fell flat to me because a) the reason the network isn’t giving her more power isn’t because she’s a woman (for once), it's because she uses that power, when she has it, entirely as a weapon for selfish means and as a slave to her very volatile emotional state, b) Alex’s ‘feminism’ is very self-serving so I don’t care and c) it was so cheesy. I liked Bradley’s one in the department store to Cory about women and media though, that was good. 

“Maybe you just have to lose it sometimes for people to take you seriously.” Debatable but it worked for Alex so...

“You sound like an ice cream flavour” She’s not wrong, Chip.

“I’m one of those strange men who only likes sleeping with women who are actually attracted to me.” askjddhjksndsk i’m still torn as to whether cory wants bradley in that way because no she’s not attracted to him and he seems to find her fascinating instead of alluring and they gel really well friendship-wise but then i feel like that’s exactly the kind of person he would fall for idk i have no idea where anything is going in s2

‘The Morning Show’ rewatch thoughts: Part 2

[momentsatmydesk]

'Mr. Queen’ Taught Me “Be You. The World Will Adjust.”

I have no shame in proclaiming this so early into this year but… 'Mr. Queen' or ‘Queen Cheorin’ is my favorite drama watch of 2021.

Quite honestly, I don't know where to start with this show. There is so much happening in it, right from the very first scene and yet, it doesn't overwhelm or addle you (well done, team TVN).

A time-travel story, prominent Korean chef Jang-Bong Hwan's spirit suddenly transports back to the Joseon Dynasty and settles into Queen Kim So-Yong's body. Strangely, it is exactly at the same time when the Queen decides to jump into a palatial lake.

So what does a man from the 21st century do trapped in a woman's body from a couple of 100 years ago? Of course, he tries every possible trick in the book to swap back to his own physical being.

But the deities have other plans and we then see how Bong Hwan's spirit decides to own his role as a Queen until the heavens deem it right for him to return to present times.

I shall pause here and applaud the absolute brilliancy of actress Shin Hye-Sun who's done such a fantastic job portraying a narcissistic male spirit in a feminine form. She's a complete rock-star, our Queen Cheorin. She has zero hoots to give, she damns patriarchy in the face, she teaches the king a thing or two about how to run a goddamn country, she leads the creation of ramen as we know it today, she's bold, selfish and hellish funny.

King Cheoljung is another interesting entity. Sporting a façade as a 'puppet king', he's actually the mastermind behind the revolt brewing up among the masses. He was never really into Kim So-Yong because his heart is already tied to Jo Hwa-Jin. His marriage to So-Yong is nothing but an extension of court politics and this infuriates our very handsome but clearly-a-bit-twisted second lead, Kim Byeong-in.

In Byeong-in's defense, he's loved So-Yong ever since they were children and he's aware of her being despondent in finding no comfort or companionship in Cheoljong.

We then have two classic bitches-of-the-first-order in Queen Sunwon (great grandmother-in-law) and Queen Dowager Jo (mother-in-law). The former is supported by the slyest villain in the history of Joseon dynasty Kim Jwa-Guen and is evil enough on her own, mind you. Topped up with Queen Dowager's crappy antiques, the trio deserve an ovation for the amount of times they can piss you off.

The story follows the survival of Jang-Bong Hwan as Kim So-Yong amidst political intrigues and secrets that compose the palace and its people.

The show is hilarious. The comic timing, is absolutely woot-worthy and it just keeps wanting you to sit your ass down and move on to the next episode and then the next. Even through the darkest moments of storytelling, the show finds a way to make you laugh. And this, more than anything else (exception: Shin-Hye Sun's stellar performance) is the reason why I simply LOVE and adore the show.

I cannot not talk about Court Lady Choi-Hwa, a sensational, traditional mother-figure who's about to lose her shit thanks to the baffling antiques of our Mr. Queen. From walking with her skirt held up to her knees, from burping in your face, from taking over the Royal Kitchen and to dancing in the rain, So-Yong's sudden change of character causes Lady Choi to almost faint.

So-Yong, Lady Choi and Hong Yeon's femme bonding is one of my favorite parts of this entire tale, hands down.

There are so many sensational and cute side characters in the show but I'm going to list down some key learnings I picked up:

1. Have the courage to love yourself first.

Often, it is easier to love another before loving ourselves first. But to sit down with yourself and give yourself the love you crave for is a no-bargain deal, even if it means not having the space to love others.

2. Celebrate your weird, your crazy and your wild.

Life's really, really rather short to be anything but the whole of you. I love that about So-Yong: her ability to be radically herself and celebrate it.

3. You are only defeated when you think yourself to be.

No matter what life throws at you or if time has your back or not, you cannot be defeated until you allow yourself to be. I think this is one of my favorite qualities of King Cheoljung.

I'd like to rewatch this drama, at a slower pace, with large bowls of chili popcorn, now that the suspense is over and I know how it ends. My last words: So-Yong eating ramen. ❤

.

.

GIF Credits: GIF 1 & 13 - Tumbex | GIF 2: Choi Jin-Hyuk y Dramas, Tumblr | GIF 3: @labelledejour​ | GIF 4: Aghasewatchtv | GIF 5: MyDramaList | GIF 5: Kenh 14 a | GIF 11: Dramabeans | GIF 12: Bitches Over Dramas | GIF 14: Tenor | GIF 15: @thingskateknows​ |