#i know lots of people disliked him because of season 8 but i started liking him from season 7 and his character has only improved

[aliferousdreamer]

got myself some comfort food and now i'm sitting down to watch the next step season 9

[mossheadmandy]

Things to remember and other unpopular opinions about Jonathan Byers:

1. He bites his nails when he's anxious.

2. He decides against wearing neckties because he doesn't know how to tie them. Lonnie was never around to teach him.

3. He was probably an accident.

4. He's too empathetic and patient to make objective decisions.

5. He's thought as a freak not in the same way Eddie is. He's calm, quiet and remains outcasted by choice because, like he told Nancy, he dislikes most people. Eddie, on the other hand, is outcasted against his will, but he likes to be surrounded by friends, he takes care of his sheep because he knows what it's like; he's whimsical and loud, while Jonathan prefers to keep a low profile.

6. Remember when Jonathan beat the shit out of Steve? He knows what people say about him and he doesn't care, but the very moment Steve started to mess with his family, that's when Jonathan reacted and beat his ass. What happened with the Nancy graffiti was probably part of it, but let's remember that he wanted to simply take her out of there peacefully until Steve started to poke at his nerves.

7. During the first season, that one scene where Eleven is in the improvised tank trying to locate Barb and Will, as soon as the lights start to blink, everyone looks up at the lights, but Jonathan keeps an eye on Eleven.

8. He had to become 'the man of the house' at a very young age with Lonnie's absence, and he had to parent both Will and Joyce, in a way.

9. Joyce mentioned that Jonathan was always independent and knew how to take care of himself. Eldest siblings, we know what this means, and please tell me that very statement doesn't break your heart.

10. Jonathan had to deal with a lot at the ripe age of sixteen. Not only did he witness the crumbling of his parents marriage, but also take care of his little brother not as a brother but as a father figure, work to help Joyce make ends meet, deal with the guilt of Will's disappearance because the very night he disappeared, he was out at work, deal with a funeral for his little brother and choose a coffin, and then hunt monsters and witness very gory things, and be constantly on edge due to the government keeping an eye on him and his family plus not knowing when the monsters and any other evils of the Upside-down would be back.

11. I'm sorry but Jonathan Byers is what Steve Harrington fans think Steve is.

12. He's very observant.

13. The OG mixtape maker.

14. He's very family-oriented and his priorities are clear.

15. He's always in disadvantage because of his socio-economic situation, so he has to work extra hard to demonstrate that he's worthy. Probably also, in a way, he felt like he had to clean the last name of the Byers while he was in Hawkins.

16. He's very genuine because he had never felt like he had to impress anybody. Quite the contrary, in fact, given that he dislikes most people, the least thing that he wanted was to have people approaching him.

17. Had not Jonathan seen Steve storming off the bathroom, he would probable have had a new friend. Or potentially a girlfriend. A goth girlfriend.

Remember Samantha, at Tina's party? Jonathan made her laugh. He wasn't used to talk to people, nor did he know how to keep a conversation going, but Samantha looked comfortable, probably found his awkwardness endearing, and they could have kept talking, but then Steve came out of the bathroom, visibly upset and Jonathan knew something was up, and went looking for Nancy.

18. Jonathan took Nancy home because it was the safe thing to do, and also because he likes her. But if you'd really understood the character, you'd know Jonathan would have taken Nancy home even if there was nothing between them because he had always taken care of other people. Jonathan takes care of Nancy because he's an older brother, and Steve never learned about taking other people's feelings into account nor to take care of other people because he's an only child, and didn't learn it from anyone else because in his own words, his father is a major a-hole, so he had no good examples on how to be a decent human being since he was a kid.

20. Jonathan probably lied for Steve's sake. The day after Tina's party, Nancy talked to him and asked him if Steve had asked Jonathan to take her home and he said yes. Then proceeded to reassure her that Steve was only being like that because he cared about her.

Steve didn't ask him to take Nancy home because for starters he was NOT OKAY with him taking her home. He was beyond pissed.

You see, Jonathan knows yet denies himself his own feelings for Nancy because he knows he can't have her, but also because he thinks she's happy with Steve, and her feelings are more important to him than acknowledge his own.

20. Jonathan is just quiet, asocial and introverted, and that's a personality too.

I'm tired of people thinking he's bland just because his personality isn't loud like Eddie's or Steve's, quirky like Robin's, or strong like Nancy's. He isn't that physically strong but he's always willing to fight and aid, and the fact that his support goes unnoticed because it's usually silent upsets me to no end.

21. He could probably see an escape to his old life in Hawkins as soon as he got to Lenora Hills because his last name had no reputation.

22. I coud never say his character got ruined by turning into a stoner because, even if though I'm not celebrating his consumption of weed, I don't condemn it. After everything he's gone through, finding a way to forget about it for a moment is the least thing Jonathan deserves. Which is also the reason I don't understand the Argyle hate. He's the first friend Jonathan has made because he sees him for who he is, and Argyle is wise, gives him good advice and he's always ready to lend a hand.

Jonathan Byers is an extremely underrated character and I'm sick of it.

[justyourcasualidiot]

Just a rant about buddie maybe becoming canon in 911 season 8 and why it should take time for it to happen

Okay so most of us are expecting (more like hoping but wtv) to have buddie becoming canon this season. Season 8 is expected to be around 18 episodes or so, episode 4 comes out tonight (I have yet to watch it), but if it's really to become canon in s8, I do not want it to happen before the second half of the season and that's being generous. Don't get me wrong, I want them to get together as much as anyone, but if I see it happen in 3 episodes imma be real disappointed. As long as it happen, the longer it takes, the better tbh.

Now, why is that? Well, there's still a lot of things that needs to happen first;

Eddie needs to come out as queer (gay, bi, doesn't matter, as long as he comes out as queer and realizes he likes men)

Buck and Tommy need to break up (I refuse to have buddie start on a cheating scandal. God knows we've had more than enough of that storyline not just in media in general but in 911 as well. Not to mention Eddie literally just got out of one)

Both Buck and Eddie need to realize they have feelings for each other

And finally, they get together

Some of these can happen at the same time, like Eddie could realize he likes men by having the realization he likes Buck. Hell, that could happen before Buck and Tommy break up, giving us some good old jealous Eddie with "one-sided" pining and "unrequited" love (for now). Point is, as long as it doesn't start on a cheating arc, we're good.

If all this happen in 3 episodes, I'm genuinely going to be mad. It's just going to feel rushed and I'm pretty sure most of us would hate that. It needs to be a slow burn. The slowest slow burn ever seen. It could be beautiful.

Which is why I think they need to become canon at least during the second half of the season minimum. The latter the better.

That's not to say they can't have feelings for each other before that though. By them becoming canon I mean them actually starting a relationship. They can pine, they can flirt, they can have their own angsty moment thinking it's unrequited. But actually legit dating?? No. That needs time. It's just going to be better in the end.

If you were to ask me what my best case scenario would be, it'd pretty much go something like Eddie realizes he likes Buck (and consequently men, or vice-versa) while Buck is still dating Tommy, causing him to have to deal with his feelings while still trying to be supportive. Then Buck and Tommy break up for an unrelated reason (I'd like to mention that while I know a lot of people dislike Tommy, this is Buck's first queer relationship and I want it to be a good experience over all for him so an amicable break up sounds better to me but that's just my personal opinion on the matter) leaving Eddie kinda relieved but also trying to be good supportive friend. Then it's Buck's turn to realize he has feelings for Eddie. Cue some moments of pining and flirting, that can go on for more than one episode, ideally a few. While this happen, they can both talk about it with other people, like Buck with Maddie for exemple. Then something happen and they realize their feelings are mutual. Now, would they get together then or would they try to take things slow depends on how it plays out.

That's just how I like to imagine it happening. I'd love for it to last a while before they actually start dating, or at least before they make they relationship official enough to tell the others about it. But I might be biased because I've always been a sucker for a well made slow burn.

Anyways, those are just my thoughts on the matter, we'll see how it actually goes (if they become canon at all).

Still manifesting buddie becoming canon, if not dating then let at least one of them canonically have feelings so we can start going somewhere eventually

[hauntedtrait]

🐴Once Upon A Time In Chestnut Ridge: A Bachelor Challenge

Meet Dakota Blue Heron, Chestnut Ridge's most eligible bachelor!

Dakota is 29, stands 6'3 tall, living on Crow's Head ranch, primarily a horse ranch that is open for guests in the spring and summer months. The ranch is owned and operated by the Heron family, being passed down through generations for over a century. Kindly, Dakota's parents have allowed the ranch to be used this season, in hopes that the show's popularity will help bring in more guests and customers.

Dakota accepted the network's offer to be Bachelor in hopes of finding a life partner, having little time to meet new people in his regular life. Also because, in his words, "this seems fun!"

Here's a few things he wants potential contestants to know about him: he spends his days working in various different parts of the ranch (in the horse stalls and gardens especially), he grows most of his food and whatever he doesn't grow he sources from local and ethical producers, he loves being surrounded by people (especially those he holds dearly), occasionally hunts (deer and invasive species mostly). He speaks navajo, navajo sign language, english and spanish, and is a tribal member of the navajo nation. Dakota wants kids and is looking for a partner with similar desires to start a family.

Keep reading below for more info!

Likes: fellow animal enthusiasts, physical contact (his love language), his grandmother's cooking, gardening, spending his days outside, being with family, cinnamon, old hollywood films, people who are connected to their families or communities, fry bread

Dislikes: being cooped up inside, snow days, musical theater, cilantro (he's got the soap taste gene), sudden loud sounds, stand up comedy, cold showers, people who don't like getting dirty, cops, cigarette smoke

GUIDELINES:

8 contestants will be accepted

contestants should have at least 5 likes and/or dislikes

contestants have 15 skill points to distribute as they wish

contestants can have 3-5 traits, except for unflirty or romantic, do give them at least one negative trait, it's more fun that way

unfortunately, only human contestants for this one. YA and adult only, any amount of story/backstory, any aspiration except for romance related aspirations, any gender (pleaseeee give them pronouns). include all this information in your entry please.

any cc and outfits, though try to keep to 1 outfit per category. maxis match or maxis mix is fine EXCEPT for alpha hairs, no alpha hairs please.

Download can be private or public, up to you, BUT please include ALL cc in the download!

i own most of the packs except for some of the kits, but i do have the ‘kits made bgc’ so i can replace stuff if needed

i will be changing skin details and giving them more outfits, if you submit a sim you are consenting to have them be changed to fit my sim style. honestly i highly encourage everyone to use sliders and custom presets, i think sims look a lot better with those and i dont love how vanilla presets look tbh

if you do not have the horse ranch pack but would like for certain skills, traits or aspirations from the pack to be used on your sim, let me know and i will add it in game!

tag me in your posts and use the hashtag #chestnutbc

UPDATE:

NEW DEADLINE: AUGUST 14

PLEASE READ:

As stated previously, Dakota likesmasculine-leaning sims. No strict gender preference, but I am looking for masculine contestants. Be it women who are more butch, masc leaning non binary, cis or trans men on the masculine side of the spectrum. Dakota's type tends to be people with muscles, masculine-leaning, who look like they could pick him up and throw him around. Dad types are a plus too. He prefers people who aren't very skinny, who have some meat on their bones. Strong types, protective vibes, and obviously people who can and are willing to work on a farm and live and deal with animals every day, it's not easy work!

[bluelocksource]

Yukimiya Kenyū’s trivia (source: twt & Egoist Bible 1 & 2).

"Move aside, I don't have time!"

☆ Character's colour: Red orange.

☆ Weapons:

Dribbling and gyro shoot. (EB1) Dribbling, gyro shot, instant vertical strike. (EB2)

☆ Nickname: ‘1on1 Strongest Prince’.

☆ Birthday: 28th April.

☆ Current age: 18 (3rd year of high school)

☆ Zodiac: Taurus.

☆ Birthplace: Miyazaki Prefecture.

☆ Family: Mother. Father. Himself.

☆ Current height: 184 cm.

☆ Dominant foot: Right foot.

☆ Visual acuity: Not good, need glasses.

☆ Blood type: O.

☆ Starts playing football: At age 7 (suggested by his mother).

☆ Personal 50M run record: 5.91 seconds.

☆ Team before joining BLUE LOCK: Soranin / Kūnin High School Soccer Club.

☆ Motto: "Give your all in a single moment."

☆ Favorite food: Blueberries. “They’re good for your eyes.”

☆ Disliked food: Garlic. “I feel like my vision is turning yellow.”

☆ Favorite animal: Penguins. "I think it’s fascinating how they waddle cutely on land but extremely fast when they swim."

☆ Favorite season: Spring. ”Because I like cherry blossoms.”

☆ Favorite football player: Edgar Davids.

☆ Favorite music: ‘Phoenix’ by SEKAI NO OWARI.

☆ Favorite manga: Oyasumi Punpun.

☆ Favorite movie: Evangelion “The older version. Asuka’s sky burial was excellent, wasn’t it?”

☆ Favorite TV show: FOOTxBRAIN (TV Tokyo).

☆ Favorite celebrity: Yo Yoshida. “There’s something pleasant about a cool woman.”

☆ Favorite brand: Oakley (goggle brand).

☆ Ideal type: Someone who smiles a lot and watches over him.

☆ Hobby: Modelling.

☆ Mushroom shoots vs Bamboo shoots: Mushroom. “Because of its cute shape.”

☆ What goes best with rice : Shirasu. "Pickled egg and green onion shirasu rice are delicious. Why don’t you try it?"

☆ What makes him happy: Warm support.

☆ What makes him upset: “Someone beat me in 1on1.”

☆ What he thinks his strength is: The most competitive person in the world, and strict with himself.

☆ What he thinks his weakness is: “I am too strict with myself and not interested in other people’s business.”

☆ Favorite/Best subject: Science, Japanese, P.E.

☆ Dislike/weak subject: Art. “Drawing makes my eyes tired.”

☆ What made him cry recently: “I won’t tell you. It’s embarrassing.”

☆ Usual sleeping time: 8 hours.

☆ What he usually ends up buying from convenience store: Hot eye mask. “To warm my eyes.”

☆ Place he washes first when taking a bath: His forehead hairlines.

☆ Fixation: With ephemeral things like cherry blossoms, sparklers, etc.

☆ Number of chocolates received from previous Valentine: “I didn’t count. I only ate the ones that arrived at my agency, there’s lots of them.”

☆ At what age he experiences first love: At age 10. “With my friend’s 16-year-old sister.”

☆ The first time he got confessed to: “My friend’s older sister kissed me on the forehead. Got embarrassed and ran away.”

☆ What will he do if received 100 million yen: “I don't know. I’m not interested in money.”

☆ At what age he stops receiving presents from Santa: At age 12. “Santa seems to be excluding the middle school students.”

☆ What was his last wish from Santa: Running glasses.

☆ How he spent his holiday: Reading. “I like learning about the lives of famous people.”

☆ What will he do during his last day on Earth: “Thanking my parents for bringing me into this world.”

☆ Favorite historical figure: "Minamoto no Yoshitsune. He lived with glory and tragedy, a fighter."

☆ If he hadn't encountered soccer, what will he be doing:  "That’s impossible. God will definitely make me meet soccer."

☆ If he could only take one thing to a deserted island, what would it be: Glasses. "I can't see anything without them!"

☆ If he had a time machine, would he go to the past or the future: The future. "I want to know if medicine will be able to cure any disease."

Last updated: 1/11/2024

note: i want to apologize in advance for any mistake made in the translation!

[egtotaldramatakes]

Long ass text about Geoff’s character, and what I wish could have been done . Also, skip to the bottom, which is the pink text if you don’t feel like reading the yap I gave

I wish geoff could have a bigger role throughout seasons 2-3 then 8 , the writers couldve done something more with him i guess

I know its just a cartoon/kids show, therefore not needing so much lore any kid can’t understand

. . but i like to imagine that TDA geoff didn’t actually revert back to being a wild party guy - rather continued his behaviour onto later seasons and sort of went crazy to the point he realises hes not himself anymore too

Geoffs the kinda guy to enjoy fame . Im projecting myself onto him now and its possible for him to become so obsessed with his attention and pride to the point he entirely changes

I’m an artist, I guess so. I’m not saying i’m famous, but for a while i feel like i did feel famous - and during my lovely era, i guess i did change how i acted towards others. i was getting more into drawing, less of playing and hanging out for the sake of seeing more likes and views

Crazy how fame changes you, its common . anyway, my point is, if the writers did correctly use the time he had for aftermath - they couldve made aftermath a little more interesting by making him tweak out more often and a much more relatable person for anyone whos been affected by. fame changing issues and stuff (Perhaps addiction too. I kind of see geoff having an addiction to pleasing others and fame)

I hope you get what i mean . Just, imagine TDA Geoff that’s a little more crazy and terrible but you can understand why he does it. He just wants fame. That’s what the little guy just wants, just the world to look at him, thats part of his talents which is to become popular and known, and he wants to make the best of it

Anyway back onto why i wish he didn’t revert to a wild party guy..

He could keep his party traits but just .. Damn!! write him a little more mature ! ! He’s at 19, he should be somewhat smarter.. But right now, his RR self to me is just a dumb guy. I like dumb guys, but RR geoff is a LOT dumber than TDI geoff. To me, he should be a little more grown up i suppose . He’s awesome, chill and still my favourite, but he feels like he’s another one of those characters that turned 1-dimensional..,,

What if RR geoff was more mature, and slightly anxious about how people viewed him? Like what i mentioned, i stopped hanging out often to focus on my art and to grow views on my account.

That didn’t end well, some of my friends ghosted me in return. Some of my friends felt like i treated them like shit because of the dry replies i gave. Yes, I’m sadly admitting that while I didn’t hang out as much, I also gave shitty messages and texts just to easily brush them off and to go back to my drawings

So, considering that, geoff must have also had friends that started seeing him a lot more different . and began to sort of dislike him - i think bridgette, at some point didn’t recognise who he was as well. i know a lot of people notice this too . It’s a common effect of being driven by fame and changing yourself

And, i feel like in the process of growing up from when he was 17 and to 19, he must have thought at some point, had he not been obsessed with fame - people wouldnt dislike him.

geoff obviously doesn’t want anyone to dislike him, he wants to be chill with everyone . possibly, zero tension. But, then, he knows that he can’t undo things, therefore that impression of himself by his friends that used to like him will always remain

Following up on that, it greatly affects him in the future with how people think of him .. he becomes extremely guilty of his actions, and naturally stressed with first-time impressions than he was with people before. He supposedly should feel more laid-back when talking to others for the first time, but now he feels that he should tone down on his excitement and appears a little more awkward .

This seems like a lame boring text, but in summary,

I wish the time Geoff was knocked with some sense impacted the audience more. Dragging out the climax of him changing differently due to fame and then shattering him completely by making him realise himself that he’s began to lose complete control over himself .

Not by an electric chair, literally, just himself alone after possibly losing everything and then finally . . realising he was the one that was being shitty to others. Then, when he grows up, the incident he had brought upon himself actually affects him and he no longer ends up being all that fun and out going, maybe more mature and careful about others around him.

His guilt haunts him in RR, and I wish the writers wrote things that made him remember how he acted in TDA, and that just deeply hurts him during the races which also in a way, distracts him from competing properly . His bud Brody has a better role, to try and help Geoff realise he’s changed for the better

Last thing. I doubt anyone would read into Geoff’s character, most of the people I see in this fandom barely cares about him.. But for those who atleast want to look into him more..!!!

.

[quietbooklion]

Shunichiro's stories have left me frustrated.

In the last few years, my opinion on Shunichiro's story has changed the more I looked back on them and while I do think that he's a sexy guy, and his stories can sometimes be good and can be a genuine guy sometimes, I've noticed how repetitive they are. And they're leaving me more frustrated. Again, he's not a bad character and if you do love him, then that's great. But his writing leaves a lot to be desired in the later seasons.

For me, the main issue with Shunichiro, and sometimes the MC, is the overuse of the miscommunication trope. For me personally, I tend to find this trope annoying but every now and then I do like it occasionally. But when it comes to Shunichiro's stories, that's all they are: miscommunication after miscommunication. It was fine the first few seasons but after a while it just started to get annoying to the point where I wasn't enjoying his later seasons. This isn't an exaggeration when I say the last few seasons were just the same kind of story with miscommunication from both Shunichiro and the MC. You would think that after all these years and several seasons of them going through miscommunication, they would be more open with their feelings. And sometimes they do talk about it, but 90% of the time it's just miscommunication. It's gotten to point where after reading a story I'm left frustrated instead of being happy. I want more from them. More interesting dynamics between them. They are quite literally the perfect duo to make all kinds of stories with them not only being in a workplace relationship, but also the power dynamics betweem them as he is in a higher position than her. The ideas are right there but it's been nothing but repeating the same miscommunication trope.

I think to me, the worst part would be how sometimes Shunichiro handles any kind of situation he and the MC are in. He isn't perfect and I can appreciate that he's a nuanced character given his backstory and how he wants what's best for the MC. But sometimes he does a bad job at communicating how he feels. In certain scenarios where the MC is genuinely struggling with her feelings or has to make a really difficult decision, Shunichiro doesn't help. If anything, he makes the situation worse by not properly speaking to her. He KNOWS the MC is struggling, but he continues to be somewhat ambiguous with his words and actions to the point where it almost feels like he's saying, "Figure it out yourself," and I really, REALLY hate that. Literally all he has to do is sit down with the MC, have a genuine conversation, tell her how he feels all while giving the MC reassurance that none of this is her fault. But nope, he leaves her to her own devices to think and it doesn't make him look good.

This has been going on for over 8 seasons (9 seasons in the JP app) and while I normally like this kind of melodrama, Shunichiro's stories are just getting boring. It's like how people say if you have too much of something you'll start to dislike it. That's how I feel about Shunichiro's stories. I want something different, not the same trope that's been milked dry.

I genuinely think that Shunichiro's story should've ended a long time ago. As mentioned earlier, his last season stories were just repeats and felt redundant in the grand scheme of things (except the wedding story though that was rushed). I'm glad his S9 story will be the last (hopefully) but it feels bittersweet because there are some good parts about his story and him as a character, but it's all been tampered down by repetitive writing, and an overreliance on the miscommunication trope.

I used to love Shunichiro's stories, but not any more, unfortunately.

[spookybluebirdcupcake]

So I'm just getting through more 9-1-1 Lone Star and I wanted to share some of my 9-1-1 related thoughts

(I've watched to the end of season 7 on the main show though I do know some spoilers for season 8) and just at the end of season 2 of Lone Star)

1 (a). I am not a Buddie fan. If it happens like sure I wouldn't HATE it, but I don't want it to happen and my headcanon is that Eddie could actually be ace (I'm ace and I love platonic relationships in media so I'd love to see that!) I also don't hate Buck/Tommy but I am very confused by that episode where Buck spends all his time trying to get Eddie's attention and ends up saying he wants Tommy's and idk their relationship is just weird... my fav Buck relationship was actually with Taylor and I'm kinda mad they didn't last tbh.

1 (b). The writers of this show have no idea how to make characters start relationships. I love Bobby and Athena but the way they got together was so random. Buck and Abbie was a weird storyline/couple. Eddie doesn't know how to talk to women so I'll give them points for being able to use that as to why him getting into a relationship with someone is weird. TK and Carlos also kinda weird how it just sorta happens out of nowhere??? This show just doesn't know how to organically start a couple 😂 I do love the couples once they are established though because they are all just amazing!

2 (a). Judd and Grace are my fav 9-1-1 couple followed closely by Chim and Maddie. The difference is Chim carries Maddie but Judd and Grace carry each other... but it is also kinda fair given Maddie's trauma that she would need a bit more help. Chim is still a saint though. He was my first favourite character when watching season 1.

2 (b). The Boston episode and the Saving Grace episodes are 2 of my favs that focus on those couples and I feel like i haven't seen either of them get as much love as they should.

3. Eddie is my fav character and I am not even slightly sorry about the amount of posts I have in my queue of him 😂

4. Characters I thought I would hate but ended up loving: Eddie, Judd, and Mateo. I did start the main show being very frustrated by Hen - they did her dirty to begin with - but I never actually disliked her. I never liked Abbie and I was glad she didn't stick around - replacing her role in the show with Maddie was the best decision they could have made!

5. I miss so many characters that are no longer in there. I want May to come back so badly! And I did hear the actor wasn't a great dude but Michael was such a fun character!

6. The tsunami storyline was the best 3 episodes of 9-1-1 and you will never convince me otherwise. The power outage is in 2nd place though because those episodes were also insane!

7. Seasons 3-5 were the best, 6 and 7 had me losing interest and I'm honestly scared to start season 8 because I don't want it to be as bad as season 7

8. The crossover episode in Lone Star should have been a 3 episode arc and/or I would have loved them to have done more crossovers. I understand why they couldn't/why it wouldn't make sense but I still wish it could have happened.

9. I don't like Lone Star as much as the main show yet, but the end of season 2 has picked up a lot so I really hope it stays at this level! I love the diverse cast and feel like there are so many stories that could be told with these people.

10. Marjan and Eddie would be such a power duo if they worked at the same fire house and I would absolutely have loved to have seen that... I'm not super into fan fiction but I would read the shit outta that! I was so excited for them in the crossover ep but I feel like they weren't given enough time/story to really do anything fun. But I feel like that about all the characters being paired up in that episode which brings me back to number 8 😂

I probably have more I can add to this but that's all I can think of right now..

[mysteriouslybluepirate]

hi bestie saw ur post and im kinda curious about this since it's something not a lot of ppl are talking about next to ed's arc and izzy's death and all— what do you think about how they handled stede in the finale? I felt like a lot of the "incompetent wannabe pirate" jokes undermined his progress this season and also him deciding to stay at the inn with ed felt odd as he expressed he wanted to be a pirate and sail the sea. just wondering what other people think about that

[Oct 31, 2023]

Before we get into it, you are allowed to enjoy this show! My past (and next few) responses WILL be negative, but you aren't wrong for agreeing or disagreeing with most posts. Thanks to all the people who have already sent in messages! I can't wait to respond!!

I am an Izzy fan first and foremost, but how a show handles it's protagonist says a LOT about how it handles it' characters overall!

TLDR for this post: In any character-centric media, explore your characters as characters first. Develop your plot around them and their arcs. Don't treat an ensemble cast as faceless props for the story you're trying to tell. Stede's arc is weird because Stede is shoved in places where it feels like he doesn't fit anymore.

Creating a narrative focused on central character conflicts can work. This is how S1 was written. Stede and his actions directly lead to revealing truths of the world that push the plot forward. This worked because I'd argue the strongest part of OFMD overall is its characters. S2 misses out on this strongest aspect by only referencing its characters when it needs something from them.

S1 We went from Stede killing a guy-> The Act of Grace. S2 Stede tells a guy he shouldn't be an idiot and leave behind a calling card -> burning down the Republic of Pirates and killing Izzy. S2 doesn't feel as tied to Stede's arc of growing into a pirate. But Stede isn't the only person this has fucked over.

Each crew member has their role established from S1, we fans know how they work as a family. But in S2 most of the cast can be swapped out interchangeably unless its something that features this side character NICHE (Wee John in drag being good with fabrics, Roach being a cook).

Sadly, by focusing on the larger Zheng vs. Military arc, a story our characters BARELY caused, the audience misses out on potential character development. Instead of our characters facing the consequences of their actions, our favorite side characters are used as faceless narrative tools. This is largely why the crew was abandoned this season unless they had a romantic side plot. Seeing The Revenge sail off in episode 8, it feels like we barely care about them at all anymore.

As seen from @the-buttspie 's comment, even Stede's arc isn't left out of the firing range. His characterization in episode 8 is constantly thrown back and forth between 'Captain doing his best' and 'Village idiot' if the scene needs it.

Analyzing WHY I started to dislike Stede post episode 4 is FASCINATING, and I feel that digging all the way back to the beginning is a smart way to look at his character growth this season.

FRAMING: Stede's early story get's fucked over pacing-wise because his storyline happens side by side to that of Ed/Izzy.

Any dramatic moment is cut short to show just how much the other crew is NOT about to die. Every time I watch S2 with a new person, for episodes 1-3, they'll comment on how much they don't care about Stede's plot. Which is not a thing you'd want for your protagonist in a season of TV that's only 8 episodes long.

Stede goes through a really strong arc from S1 to the start of S2. For the first three episodes of S2, he puts the needs of his crew before the needs of himself. Literally making sure his crew is safe before going down to see Ed's corpse. I genuinely enjoyed how Stede stepped up for his family. How he doesn't blame the Revenge crew for killing Ed, realizing that yes. Ed is the love of his life and also a man who has seriously hurt so many people.

Eps 4-5: From that we see him trying to talk it through with Ed. While both of them aren't telling the whole truth, it's a good start! We're midway through the season, so we should expect things to get fleshed out more soon.

Until Stede decides 'I'm going to bring a man that tortured my family for 80+ days onboard less than 24 hours after my crew voted him off' Yes. Stede loves Ed to a stupid extent, but this starts the trend for Stede to be dangerously selfish this season using his power as captain to overwrite the want of his crew, a habit of his that partially gets Izzy killed.

I really enjoyed Stede in episode 5, and for me, this felt most like the Stede we recognize growing into a real Captain with hints of who he was. I think it says a lot that Stede still misses his layers and silks. That he craves the softness he used to have in the form of that cursed jacket. But as soon as Izzy is like 'you idiot, please listen to them, they will mutiny' Stede gives it up!!!! He's grown. He's listening to Izzy, he's talking with his crew! This episode did the one thing I wish the season did more of, show the reunited crew just living their lives.

This is where Stede stands out, it lets him be a bit more of a leader to the crew. Let him find his groove again. I loved it!!

Now: Killing Ned Low.

Stede choosing to kill Ned Low is the first time Stede killing someone counts. Yes, he burned down the ship French ship. But this is the first time the audience is supposed to care. I think this moment WAS in character and a really important moment for Stede. He chose this. This wasn't up to crew vote, Ned insulted Ed so fuck him, he deserves to die. Ned walks the plank, also referencing historical Bonnet's tendency to do the same thing.

This is where both Ed and Stede make an in-character mistake, having their first time after the rush of 'oh shit, I'm still alive, and I'm hurting and you're here too'. They don't regret their first time, clearly, they both enjoyed it, but both of them can't ignore what fueled it. Stede has had 3 episodes to re-establish himself with his crew, and now has very little time for the rest of the season with them to show off his growth. That's why, after the party, we don't feel like this show is showing off a family anymore. Even when reunited, they barely feel like a united front.

But from this point on, I personally feel that Stede should have toned down the humor a bit and act like he did in episode 3. Well, I'm getting a bit ahead of myself so-

Episode 7: Stede enjoys being popular, following in Ed's footsteps. He holds his ground against Ed, and overall this feels like a natural progression of his arc from episode 5. He knows what he wants in life and Ed not communicating is genuinely frustrating for him. Him being heartbroken and trying to fight Zheng like she's Izzy is one of the few callbacks I feel that works. As it compares a Stede who was supported by his crew, to this Stede who feels totally alone. I loved Stede this episode, only to be disappointed by-

Episode 8:

Where Ed is allowed to have his silly moments in private, I feel that Stede fluctuates between silly and serious WAY too much for us to take him seriously. Stede's response to Ed telling him he loved him being 'I know' also felt off to me.

"You're not a dick, life's a dick" This line is frustrating to me as it's Stede's response to Ed apologizing. Genuinely apologizing for his actions in the previous episode. This could have been a moment for us to feel like Stede and Ed were a united front but Stede's constant joking and not taking shit semi-seriously. Yes. He feels more comfortable around his family which is amazing.

But I can't help but point out how Stede chooses to go along with a plan the rest of the crew doesn't like. What NARRATIVE purpose was there for Stede trying to sell the captain? He has money, clearly. With the loot they still have, and a future alliance with Zheng.

Stede fucks up. His choice a plan that gets Izzy killed. The writers sacrificed Stede being a competent Captain who cares about his crew into what is described as a 'suicide mission' to push Izzy into his rushed death. A disservice to both characters.

ONTO:

Stede abandons piracy

I'm not shocked they did this, not after the other flubs of the episode, but I hate that it wasn't a conversation held between Ed and Stede.

They could cut the stupid joke about Ed being bad at fishing at the beginning and have these two idiots talking about their issues. Maybe establish that, yeah, piracy is a lot, and they deserve to settle down and get to know each other. Even if they return to the sea, this frames it as Ed finally finding peace and Stede getting pulled along, going against his character growth this season.

I'm surprised that they're setting this up now and not at the end of Season 3. Hell, I used to think S3 would be focused on Ed and Stede avoiding/faking their historical deaths. Given all the bullshit they'll have to clean up to wrap up all the loose ends established this season- S3 will be VERY Ed/Stede focused, I think the crew will still be inserted in without care or arc. Characters like Jim and Oluwande will be prioritized as they are in a relationship before our nonromantic characters like Wee John and Frenchie.

Stede and Ed's relationship, the driving force of the plot, still falls flat because after everything it still feels like puppy love. They've spent at most two months in person together, and two weeks in a serious relationship. I don't really feel convinced that they actually love each other. Ed still doesn't know that Stede was kidnapped at the end of S1, or why he struggles to talk about his feelings. Ed still hasn't talked about why he feels he needs to leave piracy, or his issues feeling like he doesn't belong anywhere in life. Their habit of running away the MOMENT things get hard just makes me not care about them.

I blame the size of the Izzy fandom on the fact that if you don't buy into the leads, there's almost nothing left here to sink your teeth into. The moment the show seems like they'll talk about it they hard pivot.

I hope S3ep1 happens after a LONG time jump. I want these fuckers to be snippy like two people snowed into a cabin for months. Sick of each other and bitching back and forth like no tomorrow. S3 is about genuinely breaking down their walls. Until then, I'll stick with Izzy, the Canyon, and his depressing version of this reality.

[franciskirkland-deleted]

Rating Hetalia Ships - Alfred F. Jones Edition 🇺🇸🦅🗽

just my thoughts on popular america pairings!

RusAme - 10/10 perfection. the classic america ship to me. no real notes or critique. love it healthy or toxic. love when ivan is possessive and obsessed with al. love when they're fluffy. love when they're mutually kicking the shit out of each other. they're bitter exes. they're best mates. they're rivals. they're married til death do they part amen

(RusAme vs AmeRus (i.e. who's taking it in the butt) is so heavily debated and like. i would say i don't have a dog in this fight, i can respect both sides of the coin but i do prefer a very masculine, dominant characterization of ivan, sorry just being real. alfred is more of a bottom to me. except with france. himbo service top superman.)

USFr - another 10/10, tied with RusAme for my fave except the two ships could not be more different. holding myself back from rambling because y'all know i could go on about them for hours. cougar fran. milf-hunter alfred. mommy and her big strong babyboy husband. dumb blonde power couple. they're so pretty and shiny together and so sweet. need i say more??

(next one is controversial and often considered incestuous. my official stance on this is that i have mixed feelings. i understand why some people dislike it + can empathize. in canon they clearly have a familial relationship. but we're allowed to diverge from canon. i'm also not gonna lie and pretend i don't enjoy the ship in AUs where they're not related)

USUK - ehhhh. 2 or soft 3/10 i really do not like bottom england. BUT (haha butt) if anyone can top him it might be alfred (on occasion). they probably switch but to me arthur could never be 'the wife', to use a heteronormative term. they're homosexual your honor.

UKUS - ohhhh yeah baby. 9/10 when done well. don't get me started. the daddy issues. the banter. the sub/dom aspect. the domestic fluffy bits. the big gay. two differing brands of masculinity. i just love both of these characters so the potential is unlimited. they're so malleable and fun to write. OH and i love UK/Nyo!US <333

Ameripan - solid 8/10. humanverse only. nationverse relations are very complicated to say the least and i'd rather not touch on that. anyway. human AU ameripan is cute as fuck. i can see them working great either platonically or romantically. they bring out the best in each other. alfred helps kiku lighten up and have fun, kiku helps alfred get his shit together. they're a very 'opposites attract' kind of couple. (is it crazy that i want to see kiku take alfred to pound town. am i alone in that.)

Prumerica - platonically 10/10. maybe fwb, but in my opinion they're too similar to work out long term romantically. 6/10. like, the idea is cute, i don't dislike it, but nah. plot twist they're both fran's service top puppy boy guard dog cringefail loser gamer BFs. that could work.

AmeChu - hmm. 4/10. not a lot of strong feelings either way. very much an older/younger ship. i can't imagine yao would have the patience to deal with alfred for very long, plus the age gap is a bit much. i like age gaps but yao is so ancient. i can see al having a crush on him tho. again not a fave but certainly not bad.

Romerica - with nyo!america yes! 8/10. but alfred and lovi i can't really see together bc of their personalities (lovino's temper. he's like arthur but worse) sexy in theory but disastrous in practice. 3/10.

AmeCan - to me they're brothers 99% of the time and i'm not a fan of overt/sibling incest. i'm not gonna hate on it, i just can't really objectively rate something that doesn't have romantic potential. even if they're not biologically related they're platonic to me. 0 ??/10.

AmeLiet - ?? no hate i just don't really know why this is a ship. like i know they interact in the later seasons but i don't get it?? umm 2/10. it would be interesting to see him have a threeway with lietpol.

GerAme - no opinion. not here to hate i just don't see it whatsoever.

did i forget anything?

[skullsgrowontrees]

ARCANE SEASON 2 SPOILERS!!

.

I have a lot to say.

1) Oh my gosh, I did NOT expect Sky to hahnt the narrative like this. I'm so happy they're using her for this, I was getting bored of people saying she was a wasted character when it was obvious they were setting up something. I also wanna add (which is a little bit of a tangent but wtv) that this, to me does not confirm that Viktor had a romantic interest for Sky necessarily, but to me it shows that he did CARE about her a lot. I was getting a little upset at discussions saying that Viktor simply never cared for Sky and she only mattered when she died, since it made Viktor realize his effects on other people. She had way more of an impact on him than this (obviously, they've known each other since childhood). I don't believe he ever saw her romantically tho. Probably just go a lot more attached upon reading the confession she had written for him. Nevertheless, I am sooooo enjoying this sort of messiah persona their giving him (it lines up well with what we know of him in the games).

2) A part of me is a little sad that a Mel wasn't the one who died. Not because I hate her character, in fact, I find her to be very interesting (The stuff with her mom is ALWAYS so visceral to me???). I just think that it would have had a lot more of an impact on Jayce and probably given her mom more of a reason to be here. It also would have given the start of the season more emotional weight. Sure, I'm sad that Caitlin's mom died and I'm happy this is being used as a drive for her, but it just didn't hit me as hard as it could have. I have some thoughts on it is all.

3) Does anybody else find it kind of jarring how many musical moments there are? It's not that I dislike them or anything, but I liked that there were less of them in the first season so it felt fresh and unique to the scenes when there were. In the first episodes, I can already count like a good 3-4 of them. Just thought it was a strange decision.

4) Gosh, I am loving some of the new character's and their designs. I hope we see more of them. They look really good. In general, the show is just as, if not MORE aesthetically pleasing than in season 1. Everybody and everything just looks really nice and I'm happy that's something that wasn't slept on.

5) I really like the Sevika/Jinx alliance! OH, THAT AND THE LITTLE KID! I love the idea of putting Jinx in a sort of protector role after having every older figure in her life promise to keep her safe just to fail at it. At first, I thought it might not fit her, but I think it's a good decision.

6) Jayce and Viktor breakup part 2... Omfg, these two. THE HUG SCENE. IT'S SO... INTIMATE. The way Viktor was caressing Jayce's back, it's like the other was precious. I felt like I was interrupting something like HELLO??? "It was affection that held us together."

...IT WAS AFFECTION THAT HELD US TOGETHER. SAY FUCKING SIKE RN. I DID NOT WAIT THIS LONG FOR YOU TOO TO TENDERLY EMBRACE AGAIN JUST FOR YOU TO THROW THIS SHIT AT ME. OML. They make me sick. They make me ILL.

7) Vi is having the police effect rn (The oppressed becomes the oppressor). It was to be expected since yk, the games, but like I hate seeing it in real time. I hate seeing how little fights for it not to happen.

8) The Vi x Caitlyn stuff is real cute, but I'd be lying if I said I found the Caitlyn stuff to be very interesting at the start... I'm sorry, but we have so many things to deal with rn, how are we spending this much time over the poor girl's dead mother. It was just uninteresting to me, but it was a vehicle for the fun stuff to start, so I can't really be mad.

9) Seeing how the underground functions now that Silko is dead has been a lingering question of mine for a while and I'm happy that it was answered!

10) I was so worried the second intro wouldn't be as good and was even kinda wondering if they would just go for the same one, but I LOVE the vibes and tones set for the second! It doesn't beat the first, since that's almost an impossible task, but it's a fun treat and I am also not skipping that one when I watch an episode from now on.

11) And of course, the most important thing; EKKO LOOKS SO FUCKING FINE UGHHHHH HE FINALLY GETS MORE SCREEN TIMEEEEE!!!

LORD, HAVE MERCY.

Oh, and the Heimerdinger stuff with him is also cool ig.

[jynxheartlake]

My [NEW AND UPDATED] Ninjago Serpentine Headcanons!! [PART 1]

This time im starting off with my fav, SKALES <333

1. Slithraa was his father / somewhat of a father figure to him. However not exactly a healthy one

2. Skales is not only the newest general but also the youngest in my eyes, being born (hatching technically) in the tomb, I headcanon him to be around his mid-twenties

3. Bisexual. No elaboration. I'm right

4. After Pythor "disappeared", Skales continued to be haunted by him mentally, because Pythor achieved what he wanted so much easier and better than he had (even if it didn't last)

5. Due to being raised in the Glacier Barrens he took some time getting used to the warm weather of Ouroboros.

6. In his youth he was exposed to alot of physical violence, either from fights in the slither pit, teasing from fellow serpentine or from Slithraa which resulted in his habit of flinching

7. He wasn't too fond of children until he had a son of his own

8. Despite his confident appearing personality, he definitely is a bit insecure underneath. Often feeling the need to brag about his achievements and disliking when people belittle or underestimate his abilities.

9. He does NOT know how to drive and he's lucky he's only crashed once (as far as we know)

10. He had a stutter when he was small

11. He has a tendency of getting jealous easily

12. Somewhat of a control freak (litteraly)

13. squeamish, does not like getting ANY even slightly filthy substance on him

14. When it comes to how well he gets along with every general (best to worst), Fangtom, Pythor, Acidicus, Skalidor, (+plus honourable mention Slithraa in last)

15. Would curse a lot if the writers had allowed him to

16. Has a tendency of pinching himself when he's upset with himself

17. hates crying in front of others and in general as well as he feels it is embarassing. (also has a tendency to supress a lot of his emotions)

18. Was raised under a lot of toxic masculine standards

19. during s1-2 era, coffee person, s3 and beyond, tea person

20. Had a horrid sleep schedule up to season 3. Very often sleep deprived

21. Leaves out a lot of details regarding his past when telling stories of it to Junior

22. Feared parenthood for a long while due to his own childhood

23. He barely knew his mother as she starved in the tomb when he was really young

24. Despite always claiming to view survival as the only essential goal, he does care a lot about his vanity and appearance

25. Is really close with Fangtom because he was one of the few serpents Skales could confide in

[lurkingshan]

SHIPPER TAG GAME

Tagged by @negrowhat to give away all my fandom secrets. I came up in the US, so most of these will be Western shows. Also be aware that I'm old and been around in fandoms for decades, some of you youths might not even recognize these ships.

1. What ship were you completely obsessed with when you were a teenager, but now you don't care anymore?

Felicity and Noel. I was very into them (and very anti-Ben) when I was first watching this show at the tender age of 14, but then I rewatched it as an adult, realized Noel was a classic Nice Guy with some clear warning flags, and settled into Team Ben.

2. Which ship would you consider your first one?

Hmm maybe Elizabeth Wakefield and Todd Wilkins? I think I started reading Sweet Valley High at, like, age 8. For TV, I was a sitcom kid and I was obsessed with Dwayne Wayne and his flip-up glasses as a child. I loved him and Whitley. Damn now I want to rewatch.

3. Your first fanfic belonged to which couple?

The first I read? I am pretty sure the honor goes to Buffy and Spike.

They were the first ship I remember having that classic fanfic brainrot combo of 1) captivating me entirely with their dynamic and 2) canon leaving me unsatisfied. I lost months of my life over at Elysian Fields.

In terms of the first fanfic I wrote, the honor goes to Ian and Mickey.

I was big into Shameless for its first four seasons. But then the show went way off the rails, the fandom went with it, and I quit watching and scrubbed all my fandom activity off the internet.

4. Do you remember the first couple you saw a fanart over?

I honestly have no idea. Probably something Buffy, I was doing a lot of internet dwelling for that show.

5. Did you ever get into ship discourse?

Getting into discourse is my whole entire thing LOL. I have survived many, many ship wars and let me tell ya you haven't seen unhinged until you've been knee deep in the tags in a long-term fandom with multiple ships for the protagonist. One of the things I love about BL and nearly all Asian dramas is that we go into every show knowing who the main pairing is, so we don't have to fight about ships.

6. Did you used to have any no-otp or have it currently?

Hmm I was a big Buffy/Angel anti and that was before Spuffy was even a twinkle in my eye. I never liked that man in a romance until he got hooked up with Cordelia in his own show (but then they ruined it ugh). I was also very anti-Harry/Hermione back in the OG HP days (let characters have meaningful platonic relationships!).

7. Who were the couple in the last fanfic you read?

I've been on a Lan Wangji/Wei Wuxian kick of late.

8. Currently, do you have any OTPs?

OTPs are eternal! Like I said above, since I mostly watch Asian drama now, they're baked in. My fav of my current watches is Ten and Prem.

9. Is there any couple that, to this day, you are extremely mad about not getting together?

YES I AM STILL MAD ABOUT ROBIN AND BARNEY.

You show me two characters who are clearly uniquely compatible, you give me a brief taste of their extremely fun and non-traditional relationship, and then you break them up and stick her with the milquetoast Nice Guy protagonist in a total betrayal of your entire narrative premise? Fuck off forever, HIMYM, I will see you in hell.

10. Is there any ship you used to dislike but now you think they are kind of interesting?

Hmm nothing comes to mind. If I decided to hate a pair in the past I am pretty likely to still be hating.

11. Do you have any ship that, in the past, was considered normal but now you would be cancelled over?

I would like to see you try to cancel me!! I'll echo Eboni here and say Brian and Justin, though of course there were people who hated them because of the age gap back in ye olden times, too. Fandom spaces are mostly women and women in queer fandom spaces often struggle to account for the totally different culture and power dynamics between m/m pairings.

12. What was your favorite crack ship?

I don't really do crack ships, I am a canon pairing girlie.

13. Who is the couple you read more fanfics of?

I don't know who the ultimate winner is, but I think it's probably a neck and neck competition between Spuffy and Wangxian as my most read pairing.

14. What most of your ships usually have in common?

There's actually a lot of variety in them in terms of personalities, appearance, and tropes. I think what makes me really click into a ship is the feeling that the two people are uniquely suited to each other and well matched to go through life together.

15. What do you absolutely hate in a ship?

When I don't believe they can actually make it.

Tagging @my-rose-tinted-glasses @twig-tea @imminentinertia @shortpplfedup @stuffnonsenseandotherthings @littleragondin.

[gramarye]

really really long post where i just talk about johan from yugioh gx thank you

im thinking about johan tonight bc i was drawing him and i wanna talk abt him. bear with me. I REALLY LIKE JOHAN . TO START THIS OFF WITH i have an official licensed johan "WHERE AM I" shirt and i adore it its really funny also i used to have like a johan pin i bought from a german anime store and it was like 8 euros but i shipped it off to my friend who is really really crazy about johan

^johan where am i shirt

anyway johan. jessejohan. i like johan so much believe me he is my nordic scandinavian brethen i just think his writing has issues mainly that he has like no real relationships outside judai and like. i know as a gay person -- i am literally a lesbian In A Lesbian Relationship In Real Life -- that characters will become more likeable when they're queer coded bcuz its Different and its relatable. however i think his writing is kind of really weak and i quote this thing my friend said in 2022 like a lot

HARD TRUTHS TO SWALLOW jesse is a beautiful damsel in distress and his personality outside jaden and crystal beasts is kind of nothing. i love him tho

but the most offensive thing abt it writing wise is like in season 4 when they duel against trueman sorry it was fujiwara. okay i was rewatching gx ages ago and my ex was watching it with me and it was her first time seeing it and shes a literature major and when the whole. "what is the darkness in johan's heart" scene, AFTER IT WAS ESTABLISHED EVERYONE, EVERY STUDENT INCLUDING MANJOUME SHO ASUKA O'BRIEN ETCETC has darkness in their hearts,

my ex goes "if they reveal that he has no darkness in his heart because hes such a special boy im going to be so fucking mad because hes already a mary sue" (HER WORDS NOT MINE she was so mad about johan its funny.) AND THEN THAT IS EXACTLY WHAT THEY DO

like he is literally too perfect. his only flaw is his one (1) time thing about getting lost which is never really brought up again (also its more of an endearing haha funny thing and yes i like it i have a shirt referencing that scene.) and the fact that.. he gets taken over i guess.

i do think the switch around where they bamboozle fujiwara is really funny. it is a funny scene i just wish they literally didn't do it at the cost of "johan is a perfect person without any mental weaknesses when literally every single other character has some flaws" I DONT GET IT!!!

maybe he can just photosynthesize his worries into strength i dont know. does anyone remember that meme

but really like WHAT IS JOHAN WITHOUT JUDAI!!!! why is he literally perfect and above other characters also. why could they not give him any darkness like What possible reason does that serve except me think he is BORING!!!! i do like johan btw as i said i really do. i just think his writing kinda sucks and people are way too nice on johan because he is queer coded but the fact is his writing is really weak. this isnt exclusive to johan ok i also dislike some aspects of jadens writing and asukas and so forth (naming characters i really like to prove my point) I AM CRITICAL this is just. about johan. ok.

and this brings me to the weirdo youtube essayists who only care about s3 and think its the peak of gx and yugioh in general and also. ONE SUCH YOUTUBER. WHO SAID IT IS "HOMOPHOBIC" THAT JESSE IS SOUTHERN IN THE DUB WHICH. WHAT?

you think all southern people all homophobic??? im sorry but i know so many goddamn queer people in thhe south. are you out of your mind. please blow up. LET HIM BE A GAY TEXAN you are just showing your own prejudice literally why did so many gx fans eat up "umm it was homophobic of 4kids to make him southern" they give like everyone accents. he has cowboy boots in his design. its not homophobia hes just southern and southern gay people exist. watch brokeback mountain or something

anway

i think johan is a much more interesting character if you incorporate his manga counterpart into it. like combine him with his anime self and it'd be really fun. his bug enthusiasm in the manga is fun like he has an actual hobby and personality. ADHD bug king

also i think personally they should lean into him being scandinavian more. ITS FUNNY. i think he should try to feed manjoume blodplättar because he looks anemic. he should open a can of surströmming around asuka (canonically very much hates food with strong smells) and she gets so upset she has to like leave the building entirely. she should get into a cultural dispute with o'brien because he thinks carola's swedish cover of mickey is better than toni basil's original

i think this and like. septembers mikrofonkåt is what he should listen to. swedish pop baby

anyway. i like johan i just think Some of his fans are insane and thats why i need to take him down a peg every now and then . in a loving bully way. also hes very gender to me dont worry about it. also TWO different people have said some variation of the "fuck danganronpa and its fans i hope komaeda marries a woman" post about him to me in different years which is so funny.

anyway yes i love jessejohan. send post

[wenellyb]

Tommy was definitely racist to Hen and Chim. It seems like in season 2 they all moved past it though. Fans don't have to forgive Tommy. He's not owed forgiveness but so far it doesn't seem like Hen and Chim are bothered anymore by his past racism and horrible behavior. In season 2 we saw a change in Tommy and the dynamic at the 118. In season 2 we saw Hen, Chim, and Tommy being friendly together. That doesn't mean he wasn't racist but it seems to imply that they all moved on or at least were able to be okay with each other. This show is known for bad behavior happening onscreen and then we don't see apologies, people just seem to move on so I don't know if we'll ever see Tommy apologize to Hen and Chim for being racist to them.

We haven't seen Tommy being racist or sexist towards Hen and Chim or anyone since season 2. I guess we'll see what happens in season 8. Personally, as long as Hen and Chim are okay with Tommy then I can be okay with Tommy but if they bring up his old behavior and feel like they need him to address it then I am right there with them. When it comes to shows sometimes I feel like if the victims are okay and have moved on then so can I and that's how I view Tommy. If we see Tommy being racist, sexist, or horrible again in anyway then I'll have problems with him again but so far we haven't seen that. He's come back and been nothing but helpful to everyone at the 118. Nothing excuses his past behavior though, not even him being better now.

I think you should definitely block shippers and stans if they impact your enjoyment of a show or character. Please don't let stans ruin things for you.

Hi Anon!!! Thank you for sending this! And honestly I have no problem with people liking Tommy, far from it, I hope I didn't imply that in my previous posts.

My problems are:

1) people who say that Tommy wasn't racist because Hen and Chimney were civil with him when they were working together. As if it's some kind of evidence...a lot of people have been civil and polite to racist coworkers, for various reasons (for exemple: they weren't in a position where they would afford to jeopaedize their job).

2) people who act like the fandom should forgive Tommy because Hen and Chimney forgave him. Racism is a complexe issue that can't be summarized in a Tumblr post. But it's not as simple as Hen and Chimney were the "victims", in the case of racism, the victim isn't only the person it's direct towards, but a whole group of people.

Let me give a stupid example, but just to explain what I mean. Let's say A says the n-word to B. Later, A apologizes and B forgives A because he was drunk or didn't realize what he was saying or for whatever reason, it doesn't mean that other Black people should forgive A. That slur wasn't only directed at B, even though B was the victim in that scenario, that slur targets every Black person who witnessed or heard about that conversation.

(I apologize I'm bad at giving example I hope you understand what I mean😭)

If Hen and Chimney, have fogiven Tommy it doesn't mean that other fans should "get over it", unless they want to.

If Hen and Chimney forgiving Tommy is enough for you then that's ok, more than ok, but it might not be the case for everyone, especially non-White fans.

Side note, I also don't like when people assume the only reason other people dislike Tommy as a character is because they ship Buddie. Some of them do, but not all of them.

Thank you for the ask, I really appreciate your input.

And you're right, I'll start blocking some people, at first, I thought I shouldn't be blocking some people because we're part of the same fandom but that's obviously the wrong strategy.

[let-us-cultivate-our-garden]

Tbh I still like the Collector in TOH as he is but mostly cause it opens up possibilities of frightening cosmic entities and, though kinda sloppy as is, the possibility of retconning his character to something in between the 2 "versions" of him we see (pre and post freedom Collector I mean) if the show is ever allowed more episodes or seasons.

Like, Collector having experienced death before or that some things hurt others being something he dislikes can explain why he scribbles out the genocide part of his book.

Or like, since they took the child route, he's seen death, knows what it is, but when he's faced with it on a personal level it's not something he can process.

But on the other hand, I wanted more of the mean-spirited troublemaker we saw at first. So once things calm down, we could get a glimpse of him being more like that again. I feel like being around Belos would have a more... Lasting impact on his personality. Once he calms down, he starts to show these pretty concerning lacks of morality and even somewhat sadistic sides that he learned from Belos.

I'm just so upset cause I like the concept of Collector and his siblings a lot, but since the show was getting cancelled we lost our on a lot of possibilities.

Like many things the show has, the Collector is good in concept but the execution was lacking; we essentially have two different characters in Season 2 and 3 and people have been bending over backwards to justify or explain it.

The simplest answer I think is that the creators liked this character but did not want him to be a major antagonist so they stripped him of any cruelty or malice, shifted any wrongdoing onto other unseen characters, and butchered his characterization to the point that he doesn't even make any sense anymore.

I've seen a lot of people point to Belos as the main reason the Collector is so malicious in the previous season but for me this raises two problems: one, it relies on Belos once again being the cause of all things evil in the isles when that concept is already stale and boring and actually kneecaps your world building and characters because you have to rely on ONE character to actually drive the plot and everyone in it. Two, the Collector is implied to be thousands of years old (or at least older than 400), and yet I'm expected to believe that Belos was the one who had the greatest influence on him in all that time? If so, then the Collector should be trying to appease Belos all the time for the fear that he may go back on his word (because you know Belos would use that to keep him in line). Instead, the Collector openly mocks him and acts like the two are equals.

As you said, a better characterization for him would be a proper blend between the two versions we see; instead of scribbling over the Archivists' genocidal plans, have him be casual about it.

"Yeah, my siblings like to play this game where they set the world on fire but it's been done so many times before!"

Have him get a genuine kick out of people being hurt because his concept of morality is so different from our own and it is the kind that Belos reinforced instead of planted. And if you've had that mindset for eons, completely blind to the fact that you've been hurting innocent people, then that would be a difficult mindset to break out of.

Obviously, the show has zero time to get into all this so they decided to retcon his character and make him an 8 year old with god powers.

It's just another waste of what could have been a great antagonist.