#i love the game for going in hard on trauma in a franchise that has a terrible track record with being consistent about that

[aghostwithnoname]

Okay it's been about two weeks to cook on my initial reaction to finishing DATV, and I feel like, for the most part, it still stands?

Like smooches to all the companions - you're not really the problem in this. I also love my Rook. Adore you, Taash and Davrin extra special. Assan, my son, my beloved, you are perfect.

But aside from diehard DA fans either defending or detracting Veilguard within an inch of their lives, imo the defining problem of the game is sets up these interesting, compelling, and tasty conflicts we've come to expect with the franchise but instead of like, you know, delivering on that, playing out that tension, eking it out for angst, lols, rage, and tears, asking serious moral quandaries of the player... they just… resolve them? create false equivalencies? say "here is your choice - it will have consequences!" but really the outcome is mostly the same?

So yeah, it's really just a lack of stakes on anything and everything important. And I think that's a missed opportunity as a writer myself - bc while some people may see the removal of real world social ills in a fantasy setting as being more "inclusive" (a take I as a person with multiple marginalized identities don't really understand and frankly sounds to me like some corporate BS), what BioWare really is doing is attempting to rebrand its signature series into something it isn't : a world without complication or friction or messy realities.

The Bad Guys are literally straight up Evil - the Good Guys are So Good. Whether you choose to doom Treviso or Minrathous, the idea that the Crows are no longer being child-enslaving assassin mafia houses (Rip Zevran and your revenge), the fact BioWare completely avoided any depictions or barely mentioned the horrible mistreatment and enslavement of the elves in Tevinter, even going so far as to paint the elves as partially at fault for that bc of their shitty gods??? (good lord, there's too much to unpack there), nothing truly matters.

DA was never just simplistic, good vs evil fantasy, so why start now?

Like any good storyteller knows that stories are fundamentally about change whether that's changing a society or your own personal mindset. And more often than not, conflict is a result of that! Change is hard! Some people don't like change! That's not to say conflict must be physical or violent - sometimes the most interesting stories are ones where the hero is a different person that the one they started out as.

DATV literally changed so much about the lore and mechanics of the world (which okay fine), but everybody just rolled with the punches like it was nothing. Like, for ex, "The Maker doesn't exist and Andraste is Mythal"??? Damn son, you just got proof that literally thousands of years of abusive religious dogma that has been used to terrifying discriminatory ends in both the North and South of Thedas is a lie. And everyone just accepts that????

And for some of us who experience and live with discrimination every day, who come from abusive families, and are religious trauma survivors, part of the appeal of previous Dragon Age games, for me, is that it didn't run away from those issues. It made characters like me human and fallible where at the end of the day, yeah you can end the Fifth Blight but there is no right answer to who should rule Ferelden bc monarchy is a fucked up system that ruins everyone's lives - here is the quintessential "Chosen One" archetype who doesn't fucking want to be chosen (DAO); no you can't always save the world (re: Kirkwall) and those you love, and violent change of an abusive system can also blow up in your face (DA2), and no you're not in control of how other people perceive you, especially in how celebrity and status can dehumanize you to a point where you don't even recognize yourself (DAI). Like you could still be a hero in these games without being perfect. Whereas with DATV, I just felt... nothing. Like, it was a fun way (sometimes, not Weisshaupt jfc) to spend 80 hours. I learned that Solas and Mythal are even more horrible that I could possibly imagine.

but I didn't feel like Veilguard left me with anything like catharsis so I could go back and face the Merediths and Venatori and Loghains of the real world. it was just that - you defeated the Bad Guys! Game Over. Here's Varric Mufasa'ed in the sky (so very sad). Talk about a totally ridiculous misuse of the One Guy whose whole shtick is how you can use narrative as a weapon.

These are just my thoughts, and ofc everyone's allowed to like or dislike the game as they please, but I don't feel like it's appropriate to give Bioware (and their shitty treatment of their creative team) a free pass on a frankly subpar narrative ten years in the making that did not deliver the emotional beats it was meant to.

[musicfranchisetournament]

propaganda under the cut !!

paradox live :

ive seen my friends talk about it and also theres this really pretty girl i thibk her name is anne? i wanna kiss her mwah

The world is set in the future where the hip hop artists have these cool Phantom Metals that produce cool illusions as they perform with the downside of the performers reliving their worst trauma after using it. Every group has their own theme, aesthetic, and music style Every character has canon trauma which perfect for angst Found family It's still going on They do April Fools on the fandom every year (2024 being an ad for a cat game)

charisma house :

genuinely what the fuck. i don't think i've seen a song franchise as bonkers as charisma house and i doubt i ever will. it's so entertaining and the characters are all unhinged in the best way possible. none of them are 100% good people at the end of the day and i think this just makes the whole ordeal even funnier. are you kidding me you have some random 19 yo who invites people to go live in a random house one day and they just go. the songs are so so good (most of the time. stares at my two exceptions) and whenever it's a full group song? they're always parodies of another common popular song which is so funny to me every time i hear them. i love charisma house and will defend it to the days end

It's so silly and entertaining:) the songs are sick and super catchy . The visuals are super unique .. and the concept of these eccentric crazy guys all living in a house together with the power of charisma has some super hilarious interactions.  Also charisma is the power that can save the world.. and if these guys get too overpowered with their charisma they go through yugioh style transformations and break out into song... so there is that little detail<3

they're just ordinary guys. music part aside the story is funny until it gets serious and then it's funny AND heartwrenching. music part?? group songs are based on nursery rhymes and they fucking suck but also go so hard. their solo songs all have their own genres and they're so. Aodhajhfhdhfbd Stream viva la liberation. 

Funny gay people living in a house together and all their songs parody children's songs, and all their music videos are like Cocomelon on crack. They're funny and they have a lovely found family dynamic. Very silly guys, I'm so normal about them.

Never in my life have i seen a piece of media change me this much as a person while doing the bare minimum. Perhaps the fact that it is the bare minimum and i still fell for it regardless says more about its power than any words could ever begin to describe. So utterly ridiculous in the most perfect way possible and so weirdly deep in also the best way possible but without forgetting its still fucking ridiculous. The appeal of Charisma House is that its Charisma House, and that same thing manages to be both its strength and its weakness, but its weakness is so grand it ends up becoming a strength, and perhaps its biggest strength by far. Talking about Charisma House makes me feel insane emotions because you cant describe it as good but you still know fully well its not bad either despite that being the easiest way to describe it. Sooner than later after so many episodes you'll end up realizing you have fell in its trap. Once you start caring. Once you start analyzing the miniscule tid bits of plot. Once all of that starts occurring you will soon come to realize you have been another victim of the mystical power Charisma House has on every single person that watches it. Or perhaps you just dont fucking care after 5 episodes and you leave it at that. This is perhaps the best option for everyone in the world. I wouldn't recommend this to anyone but the fact that i still do from time to time is because i want everyone else in the world to experience the unknown horrors of this media project until each and every one of them realize they have fallen down a hole they will never be able to escape. also Awwwww ohsebso cute i like ohse aaawwwww so cute 😍

[gay-disabled-characters-showdown]

LGBTQ+ Disabled Characters Showdown Round 5, Poll 4

Please be civil in the notes. We will block people if we feel it is necessary. A character being canon LGBTQ+ and disabled was not required to be in this competition. Please check qualifications and propaganda before asking why a character is included. This is not a competition of who is better representation.

Check out the other polls in this round here.

Korra-Avatar: The Legend of Korra

Qualifications:

Korra is not only bisexual, having dated both Asami Sato and Mako, but was and still is disabled by the end of the series. She doesn't magically get better from being poisoned, she's forced to relearn a lot of things: how to walk, how to do things for herself, and even how to fight properly. Her physical disabilities are mixed with extensive trauma and PTSD that prevents her from doing her job as the Avatar throughout Book 4: Balance.

Canonically bisexual, has PTSD, and spent a while partially paralyzed and using a wheelchair.

Bisexual badass who ended up going through about 5038309340 traumatizing events, one of which involved mercury poisoning that had her unable to walk for about a year and left her with lasting PTSD and depression (though again the depression is a little less clear wheras the PTSD was obviously intended to be read as such). There was also her shadow self, but it's unclear whether that was a form of psychosis or a literal spirit. In short, she's bi and has PTSD if you want to stick with the more long term, obviously canon bits.

Propaganda:

She's the Avatar, you gotta deal with it! But, seriously, Avatar Korra was the first onscreen LBGT+ character in the Avatar franchise alongside her girlfriend Asami Sato. While limited in what could be shown onscreen, the two were explictly portrayed as a couple in the 2016 Dark Horse comic "Legend of Korra: Turf Wars". Likewise, her disability never quite went away. She still struggled with trauma, PTSD, and learning how to do things for herself again for two to three years in the time between books 3 and 4 that were shown off in flashbacks during her solo episodes.

She's canonically bi and has PTSD, and disability was an incredibly important theme for her in her show's final season.

i dunno I think i covered all my bases in the qualifying bit but also its 3am and i dont feel like typing more

Anything Else?:

The creators of Korra, Michael Dante DiMartino and Bryan Konietzko, fought long and hard for their show, including taking a massive budget slash circa book 4 to avoid firing half their staff. Likewise, they took to Tumblr and other social media in 2014 to state firmly that Korra and Asami were both bisexual and in love. Here's a link: https://bryankonietzko.tumblr.com/post/105916338157/korrasami-is-canon-you-can-celebrate-it-embrace

The qualifications and propaganda paragraphs correspond, @foulfirerebel is the first submitter and also did the ‘anything else?’ section.

Neil Josten-All For The Game

Qualifications:

I mean he def has PTSD even though it's never like fully fleshed out in the series and also he is demisexual

Propaganda:

Neil goes through so much it's amazing he is still functioning as a person. He bottles up all of his trauma but he still has nightmares and triggers that bring back the trauma he felt from his abusive mafia father and his abusive mother. However, once he lands at PSU to play D1 Exy, he finds a home with all of his other broken teammates and coach. This includes Andrew Minyard, another possible contender for this bracket. While he still has trauma to deal with, he becomes a much more well adjusted and happy person with his teammates. :)

Andrew Minyard-All For The Game

Qualifications:

He’s gay and has some sort of trauma disorder probably.

Propaganda:

Very gay, pretty commonly thought of to have some sort of trauma disorder, he’s neat. I have many thoughts about him as a character but I don’t really feel like writing them.

[identityflawed]

feels to me like the primary division between pro and anti jedi sentiments is narrative perception. pro jedi individuals tend to adhere to the ideas that are explicitly stated by lucas himself or very clearly put out and acknowledged within the fictional universe, whereas anti jedi individuals tend to lean more into analysis of the in-betweens. they both apply real-world morals and experiences to a fictional plane (and despite its various nonfiction influences, star wars IS fictional), and they do it in such excess that it makes the majority of more level-headed fans less eager to interact in such a heated fandom.

are the jedi bad? no. the majority of them were good people doing good things, even while the sith corrupted the galaxy around them. did the jedi deserve order 66? no. anyone who says that is insane. are the jedi completely blameless in the events of the clone wars? no. they became complacent in the idea that the sith were warriors and were incapable of changing their ways in order to win, despite victory being a key part of their code. the jedi are not paragons of perfection — they are human, and humans can be ignorant. did the jedi cause anakin to fall? yes, in part. while palpatine was the primary driving force towards anakin’s destruction, the jedi’s ignorance towards both anakin’s trauma AND his burgeoning relationship with palpatine did contribute to the rise of darth vader. (i know they let palpatine and anakin interact because they were concerned that denying palpatine would cause problems in the future, though this is sourced from legends. i take that and raise you one: what kind of grandmaster uses a 10 year old as a political game piece? and even in lucas’ canon, you can’t ignore that yoda, who is said by palpatine to be about equal in his strength, failed to sense that there were sinister things afoot, and failed to discern that having anakin spy on his pseudo father figure — and yes, his manipulator — would only cause problems)

as a fan of palpatine i can say wholeheartedly that the majority of the events leading to anakin’s fall are his doing, and that palpatine is not much of a tragic character at all. if you want someone to talk about where the dark side is your CHOICE, look no further than palpatine. thats called being self aware. any pro or anti jedi who believes you can’t blame someone for something they cant control — such as anakin's past or palpatine deceiving the jedi — becomes inherently hypocritical because CONTROL is a key theme in star wars. control of your emotions, control of yourself, control of others, on political, emotional, psychological scales. anakin’s lack of control in his life was not aided by the jedi, and when he finally got the chance to choose for himself, he fucked up. bad. and it WAS his choice, at the end of the day, though the odds were stacked against him, at least in his mind. (which is another issue — anakin is a traumatized individual. trauma victims are going to act differently than what adheres to common sense and logic. an ex-slave with attachment issues and a savior complex is going to freak out if he thinks the woman he loves is going to die if he can’t save her)

people tend to forget that lucas actually SOLD his rights to the franchise away, and nowhere in the contract did disney promise to adhere to the nuances (and there are very few nuances with lucas, unfortunately) of lucasfilm's initial six movies. george lucas was not even a good writer by most standards. he inserted a lot of racist stereotypes into his films, and drew from history in both thoughtful and moronic ways. he was a product of his time, sure, and he created an incredible idea that has gone strong for 40 years, with a solid idea woven within it of compassion and hope. but it isn’t his story anymore, and he cared more about the money than the message, at the end of the day. i have a hard time agreeing with anyone — on any topic, within star wars or otherwise — if they only listen to one person as their end-all.

yes, lucas created star wars. but its not a perfect creation — it is flawed. the jedi are flawed; anakin is flawed. the progression of star wars will continue to take new views on the events of the initial six films, and guess what? that happens with EVERYTHING in the world. perspectives differ by the hour, everyone has different experiences and ideas. if you want to watch something where the morals and central ideas never change, where everything is black and white, go watch the USA's two-party debates. or maybe coco melon.

star wars is complex and nuanced at its core, nowadays, but you are none the lesser if you have differing opinions. you can believe what you want to believe, when you want to believe it. that’s freedom. you are not required to accept everything that disney puts out as canon or even remotely accurate, but the MOMENT you start to put down people (and im talking full on insulting, targeting writers, specific blog posts, bullying, etc) for thinking differently than you is the moment you have gone too far. after all, what did the sith do, and why did they do it?

[thebruno65]

I never realized i posted a tier list here until now, but just posting a normal, boring tier list of the game and maybe anime characters is soooo bland! So why not,

(almost) EVERY SINGLE CHARACTER IN THE DR FRANCHISE RANKED (spoilers for every entry obviously)

You’ll need a microscope to go through all of them lol, also, since its an obligatory thing, here’s some opinions on my top 10 characters!

TOP 10:

Sato: I don’t even need to explain it, because I quite literally have 30 times already, if you want to know how much I really love her, then check out my defence post pinned in my profile.

Karen Kisaragi: She is a character that strangely resembles sato in a way, IE; both are somewhat disliked by the fandom because they killed someone for “No reason” despite the fact they did have reasons and were in a state where they cannot think right. Which means, Kisato is peak!!!! (I seriously need to finish my fanfic abt them)

Yasuke Matsuda: Best novel character by FAR, he has a fun character, cool background, nice design, and just overall a nice anti-hero that has motives that you can actually understand. (which resemble sato too LMAO)

Yuto Kamishiro: Another dr0 character in a row! While yes, he is a creepy bastard when we first meet him, throughout the novel, we get to see more and more of him and his motives/personality shine and its just fantastic, while he would originally have been A+ though, what really sold me was when I started my “Full Class-Batch” series with Class 77-A, which made me love him even more.

Shoji Yoko & Daiki Kubo: Yup, the two character we never got to see their deaths in screen form (they’re shown in the dr0 novel), heck, even Shoji doesn’t have a canon voice. But what can I say? These two scream bros vibes HARD, like they’re the typical “bros before hoes” type.

Kyoko Kirigiri: FINALLY, a character that is from the games! She is amazing and the best one, from her mysterious aura in dr1, from her sacrifice in dr3, to her backstory in drk, she deserves the top spot for the best game character.

Hajime Hinata: Best protag is here! Yeah, I said it, he is the best protag. He shines in chapters like 6 and also in the anime where we see his struggles and doubts (dr3 is overhated, fight me). Not to mention his interactions with characters like Chiaki and Nagito, people say he is bland, but I dig otherwise.

Yui Samidare: 2nd best protag! Honestly, her and hajime could be interchangeable in spots, she is just that good! Her development and sister-like friendship with Kyoko is so cute!!!!, and so sad when you realize she protects Kyoko at all costs bc of her dead sister :( and makes it even more sad in the end of the novel. YUIIII WHYYYY.

Mikan Tsumiki: final character in my top 10, I feel so bad for her and what she went through both inside and outside of the tragedy, it goes to show how mental trauma like that can truly change a person, hope she is doing okay now.

Also, for those wondering who is missing here:

Almost Danganronpa Togami character.

Makoto Secret File Characters.

UDG Book Authors.

Kazuichi Novel characters (If any).

Drama CDS characters (if any).

Stage play Actors.

(maybe) some Danganronpa Gaiden/Manga characters

Oh yeah, heres my tierlist template for anyone to use: https://tiermaker.com/create/every-single-danganronpa-character-1204761-2

[1863-project]

For the anon Pokémon asks: which battle subway conductor is the cutest?

Okay, this may get long, so bear with me.

First, a little disclaimer: Ingo and Emmet both make me feel incredibly seen. I was born in 1989 and wasn't diagnosed with autism until 2009, and I never got to see characters like me. I'd see some who were similar to me, or some with things in common with me, but Ingo and Emmet feel like looking in a mirror to me, to the point that I don't go in the Submas tag because I've seen too many people perpetuating the ableism that got me bullied as an undiagnosed autistic kid. Every time an autistic or autistic-coded character is portrayed as "weird" or "off-putting" or "too intense" or "scary," it's repeating things that my bullies used to excuse their behavior towards me and essentially treat me and my autism as entertainment. Most people aren't doing this, of course, but since I'm in the process of working through a lot of that trauma, I choose not to take the chance of exposing myself to it because I'd rather heal instead of open old wounds again and again.

Anyway, with that said, I adore them both, but only one of them makes me act like a giddy teenager.

I have the most ridiculous fictional character crush on Emmet. It's unreal. Part of that is likely the fact that if he was real we'd actually be extremely compatible, but unfortunately for me, he is not, and so I can't take him on locomotive photo charter dates and kiss him on the City Hall looparound on the 6 Train. That aside, here's what I genuinely like about the goober.

He's deeply passionate about what he loves.

It's that passion that often gets people like him and me labeled as "too intense," but when he likes something, he really likes something. Battling is like air to him. When you befriend him in Masters EX, you find he'll actually talk your ear off about battling if you give him the opportunity. He vibrates with excitement when he sees strong trainers.

[Image description: Emmet and Ingo, two adult identical twin men with knife-shaped sideburns wearing exaggerated versions of railroad conductor uniforms, stare off to the left at people who are off-screen. Emmet, in a white uniform, is holding his hands at his sides but his hands are in an excited, almost 'grabby' position; Ingo, in a black uniform, also has his hands at his sides but his hands are balled into fists. Ingo's Excadrill, a Pokemon that looks like a mole combined with a tunneling machine, stands in front of him. End description.]

In this screenshot from Masters EX, Emmet and Ingo have just run into Steven Stone and Roark. Emmet is barely holding back, and you can tell by looking at his hands. He wants to battle now. It's delightful that he's in a franchise of video games where that passion is normalized and encouraged. (As long as he never visits Paldea, anyway. Nemona is proof of how well that would go.)

Battling makes Emmet genuinely so happy and excited and I love when people get that way about their hobbies. It's so nice to see passionate people. Emmet even says he's excited about it when you battle him in Black and White and beat him at the highest level possible:

"I am Emmet. I am a Subway Boss, but I lost against you again. But I feel good. Because it was very fun! You want to win, and I don't want to lose. That's real. When we clash in battles, I feel very excited!"

[Source]

He lives for this, so much that even losing a really intense, serious battle feels good. And it's a delight. But, of course...

[Image description: Emmet, described above, claps his hands together excitedly and says "Winning a serious, hard-fought battle is the best feeling in the world!" with a huge smile on his face. End description.]

...he, in his own words, likes winning "more than anything else."

He's verrrry direct in his communication...but also verrrry supportive.

Autistic folks are often told we're too blunt, and to neurotypicals, who are used to saying things more indirectly, we can come off as a bit...too direct to them, to say the least. Arguably the best example of Emmet doing this is in the PokeSpe manga, where he just says things without a filter.

[Image description: a manga panel in which Emmet bluntly tells trainer White, "Yes, we're studying you as an example of a trainer who gets overwhelmed and loses every single match." The next panel leads off with Ingo saying "That's not nice, Emmet..." End description.]

But that bluntness isn't intended maliciously, he just has no filter and says what's on his mind. In reality, he's delightfully supportive and friendly, and that honesty leads to the most wonderful exchanges with him:

[Image description: two screenshots of Emmet from Pokemon Masters EX, smiling softly. His dialogue reads, "Hi, Steph! Your smile is always the best. Perfect! Whenever I see you, I can't help but smile, too! I'll have to make sure my smile is just as good as yours!" End description.]

As a side note, this dialogue has been destroying me for over two years now, and every time I boot up the game and he says this I feel my face get warm. He's actually helped me stop being self-conscious about my smile.

He has a habit of listening in on things, even if he has no intention of gossiping or anything. He just likes knowing stuff.

It's a habit he seems to share with his brother, but Ingo is significantly less obvious and more apologetic about it. Emmet's just really funny about it.

[Image description: two manga panels and one screenshot from Masters EX. The first manga panel shows Emmet marching over to White and Bianca as they have a discussion, saying, "I'm overhearing an interesting discussion over here. It seems profound, so I'm going to stand nearby and listen in. Oh, don't let me distract you. Go on. Keep talking." The second panel shows Emmet cupping his ear with his hand and still attempting to listen in on the discussion from one subway car away, with Ingo standing behind him. The screenshot from Masters EX shows Ingo hiding his eyes with his hat and saying, "I apologize for eavesdropping, but we happened to overhear your conversation at the Pokemon Center" as Emmet stands beside him, hands on his hips and smiling with no shame. End description.]

He doesn't use the information maliciously, and a lot of the time he doesn't even use it at all. He just enjoys hearing these things and knowing all sorts of weird drama is going on elsewhere. It's like when you find out about drama in a fandom you're not in and you read the posts and eat popcorn. It's great.

He likes his work uniform because it helps his posture.

As a fellow "leans forward too much" autistic, this one really resonates with me and I love it.

[Image description: A screenshot of Emmet in Pokemon Masters EX. He's standing straight up and holding the brim of his hat with his hand. His dialogue reads, "Wearing it gets me motivated, of course! It also helps me stand up straight and tall!" End description.]

He stops scripting when he gets to know people better because he's able to trust them.

Notice how his dialogue in BW and BW2 is on the Battle Subway - "I'm Emmet. This is my job. I like doubles. This is why I like doubles. Here are the safety checks." He's scripting around people he's not familiar with, and it's the sort of thing that gets autistic people labeled as "robotic" by people who don't know it's a way to help us maintain some semblance of control over an unfamiliar situation. The preprepared dialogue is a coping method in an ableist world. But when you get to know him in Masters, the scripted dialogue shows up a lot less. He's able to talk genuinely and excitedly to you, because he knows you're safe to be around and you're not going to judge him for who he is. That hits me hard.

He has the most adorable goddamned laugh in the world and it kills me on the daily.

This is a lot more in line with my personal tastes, as everyone who knows me well knows, but that damn laugh makes me all fluttery inside and weak in the knees. And he does it a LOT.

This update to Masters EX, where the characters laugh if you tap on them on the upgrade screen, destroyed me, and multiple people were apparently waiting for me to find it and die because I'm really predictable. I may or may not regularly pull the screen up just to poke at him and hear this. It's...not fair.

This one is...also unfair. I won't elaborate in public on what I think when I hear it because it's embarrassing.

So, uh...yeah. I really, really like Emmet a lot. I'm really normal about Emmet. I promise.

[sarrinight]

UH are we allowed to ask you questions? Cause I have questions on. The Sillies. (Kinjo and Yuki) Like what are your thoughts on their ship? I see you draw Kinjo with DRA Yuki and the real Yuki and I want to know what you actually think about them.. feel free to go off about it but if not you can just delete this hdshhsd

oh yes of course!!! and i do wanna talk about it, gosh i really haven't elaborated my piece about them yet since this is an art blog n i felt a little annoying when i blow up a tag, THANK YOU!! !!!

I also don't see many people talk about post-sdra2 either. this take, im gonna be minty fresh

kinjomae analysis

DRA Yuki

Canon-speaking, Kinjomae was deliberately called back to in both games. Tsurugi fills the role of the queer survivor in dra the way that Yoruko blatantly does in sdra2 (and the protagonist dies) except, it's less obvious as a main couple because of the way linuj writes, and it also doesn't fit the way some people see stereotyped mlm characters.

Kinjo's entire life is a trauma that is so oriented on staying alone, being alone in his suffering and his profession. He particularly killed the men closest to him, (Teruya, Kouhei, threatening Utsuro, and even his father) and seeing those people die around him leaves him numb. I feel like the Yuki of the first game is another unhealthy contributor to the sad cycle of his life, but ALSO remains to be his biggest savior. Kinjo and Akane are the only characters of DRA to have both 5 free-times, their bond has always been THAT highlight level of important.

DRA Yuki tears into this unhealthy string of Tsurugi's life by literally preventing the one time he felt alone the most. In Yuki's perspective, Tsurugi is such a strong figure but still trusting himself to lean on him, it solidifies both of them and forces them to develop their situations even when Utsuro rips through the Yuki facade. They were partners in crime unknowing that one of them was a criminal, omg, they were the dear rabbit, the along came a spider, the jane and john doe,,,

Tsurugi mentions he can't trust anybody but Yuki, Tsurugi gives Yuki a pass at trying to murder him despite his rigid moral. (not without a punch or two, but impressive.) and when Yuki is on the outsides he is the connected peacekeeper to Kinjo VS. Everyone Else. They are there to hold eachother's hands so they can still reconnect onto the border of the group. Like, the way Yuki shouts main character philosophy in chapter 4 at him while he's fighting everyone else brutally at the dinner table, and once again in chapter 6.

(Teruya, then fulfils this goal of reparation with Rei after they leave the killing game, but not on the mental stability side.) Tsurugi is seemingly independant and incredibly uncontrollable due to his detachment, and yet Yuki is able to have a significant part of influence over his life; as well as the deceased Kisaragi pre-killing game.

Yuki IS and will always be the exception to him and no matter how hard he tries to escape it, it follows him till the remainder of his character arc. In the same way, Tsurugi was the kickstarter to Utsuro's new mindset too. It's the "You can't pull the trigger cause you love me", cause that's what Utsuro-Yuki is to Tsurugi. Utsuro may be the most vile villain in the world to somebody who even considered assisted self defense to be a crime on first thought, and then he STILL proceeded to not take that final shot. He didn't hesitate blowing Mikado up, who arguably wasn't the first source of despair.

anyways i think dra yuki-utsuro/tsurugi are integral, important, and good to know your hizstory

he wants me i want him, we went out, then we (YukiUtsuro) DIED!! /ref

Yuki

Tsurugi would move on to be the worst man to cope in the existence of the franchise, and probably hardly ever move on after the death of DRA Yuki. If Yuki was truly dead he'd have two funerals for his two guypals, and spit on Utsuro's grave pretending not to like him. Plus that bad ending where Tsurugi just wakes up in the middle of the night in cold sweat shows what would sort of happen, he thinks about them too much. However,

Yuki was still a concept of a person who existed in the world. He's not gone, he's just someone in a different form, and still is inside the memory of Kinjo's mind that remains deteriorating. He's like, the same dude but he's in the clutches of EVIL!! and he hates evil. (Kinjo seems to catch onto Mikado's plans early on and then it only amplifies in his duty to stop Utsuro and find Yuki.)

Tsurugi's defeatist attitude to fail saving Teruya and Yuki was very much a falsetto because of the Omake 2 and I truly believe Rei was right that this was their agreed purpose.

The real Yuki has none of these shared moments that Tsurugi can look back on together, but if it was just the memories he wouldn't have acted so patronizing to Utsuro. He's affectionately looking back on the person that Utsuro was, which was just Yuki Maeda. Did Homura Akemi decide to go back in time for 10 years just so Madoka could share moments with her?? Absolutely not, and the same goes for Tsurugi Kinjo, who ran an entire organization which later adopted the name of the goal. As Mikado joked, it's "the love of your life" but it's in the most unconventional messy, dictatorial, and murderous way.

Kinjomae absolutely drives the narrative forward on Yuki's side of the story even if it's significantly relegated mostly to the end. Imagine your entire existence leaning on a few people you can't even remember, but they remember you? One dude sacrifices a guy, one girl sacrifices her body. With Tsurugi's final decrees of (semi) unconditional care for you, you finish the trial with this one-sided trauma bond and a promise to keep the survivors safe. Sora takes on all the karmic debt of Divine Luck, and peace returns in an ending that isn't really elaborated on.

ur now a fugitive awesome trans guyboss with superpowers, and you're just absolutely bawling out of your mind at this point. some blue haired dude in a wheelchair is going to die if you don't help him out with your sora-luck.

nobody talks about this enough but this is THE PERFECT set-up for a postgame friendship to develop, not only are they both survivors, this is the genuine Yuki who isn't hiding apart of an Utsuro disguise. He's alive but now in the body of someone Kinjo despised,,, he hates Akane, he refuses to acknowledge her. he loves yuki. But Yuki remembers her fondly and has to take care of the body, but he probably hates himself. not to mention the INTENSE guilt you would get from feeling anything in it or the dysphoria of even wearing/not wearing the clothes she is??? sdra2 so evil?? soruko died so kinjomae could slowburn.

There's nothing Yuki can do now but go on his quest to potentially get along with this man who is homo-erotically trauma bonded to him and got a whole-ass person killed in the process of ending Utsuro and finding the true Maeda., He also has to go atone to Yoruko and the rest of the gang. as you can see i like kinjomae i think they are a foundational element in the story of dra.

unrelated thinking

their suits are completely black and white i find that silly they match

my partner and i did a voiceover of their final freetime one time cause we were feeling quirky.

[eyeris-moni]

Would Ben ever be able to move on fully? does he long to be human again? How does he cope?? Your headcannons provide such good angst opportunities

Thank you so much!!

I'm really happy you see my angst potential vision too 😎

__________________

In my AU, I personally imagine that he:

Ben could theoretically move on and let go. I think the fact that he has grown up is a sign to Slender, Grin Snatcher and others that maybe it's just a matter of time. It's *good* that he's growing and healing and yet I can't help but imagine it's an unspoken tension sometimes - the realization that Ben will one day disappear and that it's likely a part of healing. Of letting go.

In many ways, I think Ben still acts somewhat human. Like, I think he probably continues to sleep, eat and drink, despite not needing to. Maybe he does it because he as a ghost, wants to live *so badly* and these are hardcore burned into his mind as a way of living. To be alive. Getting to live life beyond trauma and malice is also what I reckon allowed him to grow. Reclaiming the life and joy that was taken cruelly from him - which he wasn't allowed in the cult.

I think he tries to make the most out of his life as a ghost and use his powers, because it feels better that way. But I do think there's nothing he wants more than to be human. If I recall correctly (i famously know -500% OG canon lore about the "canon CRP characters), then Ben was an idol in his group? That's at least something i adopted into this AU. And a part of him longs not just to be physically human, but maybe more important, seen as mere human. To be treated normally, loved normally. To have a childhood and life and have friends and family. I at one point wrote a story about how Ben and Raz clashed, because Raz idolized them all and in a way, Ben appreciated that. He wanted to be taken seriously and it felt familiar, being loved like that. But then it starts really getting on his nerves because he longs for genuine, balanced friendship. And Raz is just so used to agreeing and following others at that point, because of his own issues. They figure it out, ofc! But it's probably one of the reasons they were first allowed to hang once Ben was more confident and able to figure himself out. Else their dynamic might've been really unhealthy...

For coping methods, I actually haven't thought too much about it, but that's a super fun thought - as you might've guessed, I love thinking about how character's think and act NCJDJS

Let's see... I think Ben might cope by:

- Leaning on Grin Snatcher a lot, when he struggles with trauma, memories and his relationship to his original father. Slender isn't really emotionally engaged a lot of the time, but Grin can be pretty affectionate and comforting.

- Gaming. Both as a way of escapism, but as well as a way to harness and figure out his powers.

I don't draw him gaming a lot, but the shirt he wears as an adult, is from a game franchise in their world (it's called HORIZON and appears in the bg of another piece too, because I cannot stop having fun with easter eggs like that haha)! I think he nerded that, and other games a whole bunch.

- watching/reading/engaging in any games he cares about. He 100% knows the top ten glitches of five obscure games for the blah blah blah. I think he's quite nerdy in that regard and can infodump a LOT. HE tries not to, because no one else seems into games as much as he, but I bet to cope he'll read obscure articles or magazines and wiki's at 3 am. It's comforting!

- Pulling pranks. Over the years those have gone from intensely malicious and mean-spirited, to poking fun and being a jerk sometimes. (Mostly with Jeff and Mold, my oc, I imagine LOL Jeff gets the meanest of it because it's funnier when he blows up.) He can be a bit intense still, but it's kind of hard regulating properly in a house full of killers though--

___________________

You can def go angstier or fluffier with the outline :3 I tend to tell very feel good stories where angst is slowly healed, but that's because seeing character's happy is my personal cope LOL

If any of the interpretations or ideas says something to you, have fun with it ofc!! If you love angst, then feel free to have fun with the darker, sadder aspects of it!

When it comes to my interpretations and OC's, it's all just funny thoughts - dolls we can okay with as we see fit to enjoy life (: !

It's why I'm very pro "feel free to have your own personal HC about my AU, as long as you respect my choices in my own AU telling" - it's such a joy to hear about my thoughts resonating with others and inspiring them in turn!

Thanks for the ask, it was super fun to answer - hope the google doc worths of text wasn't too much haha - I really tried to stay on topic

[chadfallout76podcast]

😭😭😭 This message hitting hard.

There are so, so many people out there working in factories, construction sites, 3rd shifts, or gas stations in the wee hours of the morning who listen. I wrote something to all of you specifically in our next episode.

"Found your podcast a couple of days ago and have been listening as much as I can when I'm working nights at my factory. I'm so happy for you both that you were able to get the support you needed. Your podcast makes my 12 hour days go so much faster, I thought I've exhausted most of the fallout content I could find, but I was oh so happy to find another outlet to keep listening to the franchise that I hold so dearly in my heart. I'm a father who feels like he has the entire weight on my shoulders with having a one income household with my wife being a stay at home mom. Some days are very darker than others, and I understand you completely, and you're right in that you're not alone. I've never really gone to the doctor to get properly diagnosed, but I feel I probably have some sort of PSTD from past trauma as well as ADHD. It also doesn't help being a recovering addict and working in an environment where substance abuse is literally everywhere, but I fight for the two lights in my world that I thought I would never have. And you're not only helping you're husband by staying by him but you're helping me and any other person listening just by making you're content and knowing that we're not alone in what we go through. I honestly don't like the direction Fallout has gone from previous games but if there is one thing I can say it is they have one of the most amazing communities I ever saw and that's enough to keep me hooked. I'm glad you're doing better and remember you truly are not alone. Much love from a Wanderer truly roughing it in Virginia. ❤ "

[mikufigure]

i intended to write this as a comment on this https://archiveofourown.org/works/42448821/chapters/110444814?view_adult=true fan fiction (nsfw), but comments are disabled. i’m a fairly private person in regards to erotic content, i don’t like sharing what i enjoy outside of very limited circumstances, but i feel i need to set that aside for a moment in order to praise this. this is one of my favorite fanworks of all time.

let’s set some background so i can formulate my thoughts and also give a proper info. i rarely read fan fiction, only occasionally indulging whenever visual art can’t scratch the itch of enjoying media. guilty gear is a franchise that i, excuse my wording, feel guilty for enjoying due to my lack of participation in the actual fighting game side of it. i’ve been about actively into it for ten months, but i first started looking into it because of bridget’s depiction in strive, as she was transgender, and openly accepted as such by her franchise.

putting the rest under the readmore since this got long

after listening to her theme song a few times i ended up hearing other songs as they came on autoplay, and loved them. passively listened to just the music for a few months before plunging into what the series actually was. i am not good at fighting games. i’ve tried a few, played a few rounds against friends, but ultimately did not stick with them for very long. the way i enjoyed guilty gear was by listening to music, learning about the story, and enjoying fanworks.

as much as i like to pretend that i don’t, i do have an anxiety disorder, and the general culture of media led me to developing the mindset of becoming a ‘poser’ for not actually playing the games. there was a reputation of fans that got into the series because of bridget never playing the game and being looked down on because of that, and i did not want to fall in that crowd. with this factors, i was reserved in my emotional investment for quite some time.

what ended up drawing me out of this shell was meeting people who enjoyed the series, and seeing them enjoying it without hesitation. there was no breakthrough moment of “oh wow! i can just enjoy things without worrying about opinions!”, but rather a gradual build up of confidence in seeing the happiness of others.

do you wanna know the fun part of this? the people i’ve met got into it for various reason, still play the game, and enjoy the franchise as much as me. the only other uniting feature between us is that we’ve all been transgender. guilty gear has cultivated a safe community for transgender people solely through their addition of characters like bridget and testament. don’t think i’ve forgotten about testament, i’ve just only been addressing bridget due to her widespread impact.

i think i’m ready to actually talk about that fanfiction i linked forever ago. go read it if you haven’t, or at least read between the first and second line break. the part that got me wanting to write all of this was two specific paragraphs:

She doesn’t know what to tell this gothic nonbinary transfemme to keep them safe. Maybe spit out some stupid platitudes. Shit advice like, don’t ever write poetry. Don’t ever write song lyrics. Don’t ever write your heart and your trauma and your hope into trans erotic fanfiction; don't do it, it's not worth it.

this first one made my heart ache. it made me realize why comments were disabled, why the work was posted anonymously. i had already decided i needed to write something in response to it by then, as a sort of “tribute” to whoever might have written this.

And in response, I-No brushes her guitar’s strings, enough to summon her magic. Transformative magic, the kind that you’d archive online in the hopes that another trans reader would find resonance between the lines.

i’ve found such an intense resonance with this. it’s hard to convey with words the emotion that this makes me feel. i’m grateful to have found this fan fiction, to have found this community, for a game like guilty gear to exist which could foster a community for transgender people. i’m grateful for transgender erotica and expression as a love letter to the source material and for personal indulgence. i don’t think i can make a much more compelling closer than that, just simple adoration for transgenderism and love.

[jangmo-othewarrior]

DMC Questions Anon here!

Before you read this next question:

I was informed that it would be a good idea for my questions to be answered with a specific tag so if people wish to block it they could. Please tag your answers to any question I send you with "dmc questions anon" and I think that should work.

If you wish to be taken off the list, ask. If somebody wishes to be placed on the list, ask. If your anon asks are off and you wish to participate, just make a post answering the question you see going around.

Remember you do not have to answer every question, so please don't feel pressured to do so.

Please also remember to take as long as you need! Do not rush yourself, this is supposed to be a fun activity and I don't want anyone to feel stressed out by trying to rush to answer questions.

Now onto the actual question:

How would you rank the 5 games in the Devil May Cry series? (By story)

Separately, if you want, how would you rank extended material? (The DMC1 Novel, The DMC3 Mangas, The Anime, The DMC2 Novel, Deadly Fortune, Before the Nightmare, and Visions of V, all of which can be found (along with other stuff) here: https://originaldmc.github.io/DivinityStatue/Downloads.html)

If you wish, how would you rank all of it together in one big list?

DMC QUESTIONS ANON!! :D

Okay, I'm gonna do everything together, but i will preface this by saying i have a lot more exposure to some things than others, thus I will have varying degrees of 'much to say'.

DMC 5

I'm definitely biased for this (it's the one that got me into the franchise) but I digress.

FAMILY THEMES BABI MY FAVORITE THING

I just adore the main cast so much u do not understand. So much hype shit happens with em too, it's great. The characters are simultaneously over the top but also very real? Like Dante is the wacky woo-hoo pizza man but also horribly in control of his emotions and how to express them.

The Vergil reveal was so obvious but I dont care. It's good. The depths given to his character through V and Urizen are VERY good.

And NERO- lord everyone in this family has trauma

Also SDT was introduced in this game I'm sorry but no piece of DMC media will be able to top this because of it.

2. DMC 3

is anyone surprised

I love the bois so much, with their stupid catchphrases and horrible family dynamics. it's so weird looking at them like

I was nighteen once. I wasn't like them but I was nighteen.

Also the THEMES once again center around family, especially with the addition of Lady and Arkum. I also love this cast SO MUCH

except arkum fuck arkum all the homies hate arkum

Literally the only reason this is lower than DMC 5 is because no Nero, Trish or Nico. That's it.

3. Visions of V

i haven't talked about him much but I would also gently hold V (and by extension Vergil)

Really I just love this manga because of how much is shown and revealed through it. Everything is really visceral and hits so hard.

Literally everything in this manga stabs u in the feels especially the final shit GOOD LORD

but it really is tied with #4 because it can't really stand by itself? It needs DMC 5 to be whole, in a way.

4. DMC 4

I really wanted to put this above VoV but my DMC 5 bias shown through in the end IM SORRY

also yeah Sanctus as a villian is dogshit, i agree

and some characters REALLY needed more screen time (see: Credo, Angus, KYRIE) but also this game has the Shakespeare scene so....

also I just love Nero and his teen angst can u blame me

But GOD did Kyrie need more screentime

5. Before the Nightmare

Wow the DMC 5 bias strikes again, huh.

IDK man I just love the prequel shit. Like, Nico and Nero meeting is so fucking funny

Also Lucia makes an appearance for the first time since DMC 2 so thats cool

It also expanded the lore on how devil arms work through Balrog which I am SO thankful for.

Also Roc Goldstein exists now and everyone should know about one of the ONLY GOOD DADS in DMC history

Really the only other one I give my full respect to is Sparda, and he died when his kids were like, six. (Dante and Vergil r getting there tho, give em time.)

6. The Anime

Look Patty is the only reason this is so high I love her and if u look at my previous posts u can tell I love her and Dante's father daughter relationship u can pry it out of my cold dead hands

Also the lore with Sparda's apprentices, demon smoners being a thing, and the introduction to Morrison is very nice.

But also Lady was WAY off the mark almost the entire time, and the plot with Patty only really took center stage towards the end so :(

ALSO THEY DIDNT EVEN SHOW DEVIL TRIGGER IN FULL I WILL NEVER FORGIVE CAPCOM FOR THIS INJUSTICE

capcom if u put Patty in more shit I will forgive you (maybe)

7. DMC 1 novel

This novel is weird because it was written before almost all of the other shit so Canon often either ignored it or bent over backwards to avoid it until the DMC 5 era

But I like it. All of the new characters r very good and I love them all.

Grues death STILL hits me in the feels so hard.

Dante has lost so many parental figures ya'll

One of the only reasons it's so low is because of Gilver, the fuck

He made NO fucking sense for the longest time until the timeline rewrite and the retcon that he's a Vergil clone.

That fits his character so much more bur looking at him as Vergil makes no fucking sense. Everything about his character contradicts what we know about Vergil, even back with only DMC 3 as a reference.

Despite those issues, i am very happy we are seeing some rep for this book in the games and other media. U do not understand the screech I let out when Grue's daughters were shown years later.

8. DMC 1

is this sacrilegious?

Yeah the gameplay is good and it was a hallmark of its time but also Dante is as stale as cardboard here I'm sorry

Like his plot is the most uniform and overdone revenge plot I have ever seen and his relationship with Trish....

it's funky in this game, let me tell u. Thank whatever higher power exists that they leaned more towards siblings in later installments because I would be pulling my hair out otherwise.

But the quips r also really good and all of the Nelo Angelo stuff is my favorite part of the plot, so I guess that evens out?

This game was a very good launching point for the rest of the series except u know what

Also fuck mundus all the homies hate mundus he sucks

9. Deadly Fortune

Uhhh yeah it's just.... DMC 4 again with some things changed?

Honestly the reason this is so low is because of my preferred way of absorbing story is through video games than manga.

It's okay. Not trash or anything. It's just alright

10. DMC 3 Mangas

They're ... fine? I guess.

Like the first meeting between the twins in YEARS is very good, but also the manga is unfinished and all...

So I'll just leave it at that.

11. DMC 2 Novel

Gonna be honest I've never read this one.

So I'm giving it the benefit of the doubt

12. DMC 2

Yeah remember when I said Dante was cardboard in DMC 1? Yeah now he's silent, emotionless cardboard.

the villian is bad, the location is okay i guess, really the only saving grace for this games story is the concepts it introduces

Demon civil wars? Artificial demons created by people? Those are cool concepts! So cool that one was reused in a much better game, but I digress.

Honestly the story is probably one of the least sacrilege parts of DMC 2, and it still isn't the worst piece of DMC media based on story. That goes to our surprise contender....

13. DMC: Devil May Cry

DMC questions anon did NOT ask for this, but I'm putting it here so that everyone understands that this games story and characters are SO BAD that I'm putting UNDERNEATH DMC 2

But what can I say that hasn't been already stated?

Vergil is so far out of character he's basically an OC and his turn around at the end makes no fucking sense

Donte is an asshole who has functionally abandoned what made Dante likeable in ANY GAME

The plot itself is the most rehashed 'the government is evil and we must resist it' plot EVER

Even the new shit they added for this game doesn't even fucking work well.

Having demons that look like angels be the antagonists is much more interesting that just having angels and having them do NOTHING

Kat is literally the only thing that I don't have a super negative opinion on because she was NEW and I hadn't watched them fuck up a character I love. They just made a mediocre one at best

Needless to say, I utterly despise the plot of this game with my entire being.

Thank you for the question, DMC Questions Anon! I'm sorry I went a bit off script, but I hope it was at least entertaining.

[petorahs]

☀️ its fascinating that you say P3 has shaped your worldview because... Well not to trauma dump here but back then when I discovered the game (it was back then when p4 was already out) i was... In a REALLY bad place and wondering about unaliving myself. I wont go into much detail but kids are trash man and teens are even worse. and then this game came around. With an aesthetic I really liked. i am not a native english speaker so it was hard for me at first but somehow this game just... /spoke to me/. A game about life and death and what it means to be alive and what it means to have a REASON to live, somehow... Convinced me to go a bit longer. I mean it when I say this: Persona 3 saved my life. And no other game can ever come close to such an experience. (Even tho from a quality standpoint P5 certainly is up there)

oh dude that is so valid thank you for sharing this. seriously though, im happy that youre here! and im sure many others are too! the ☀️ brightening lives and all that :]

yea i can see why p3 just clicked with so many people since it first came out. i was always curious on why it's so beloved by fans, when p5 and even p4 are literally right there with their overall better gameplay experiences. p5 literally got the franchise mainstream to insane heights lol. im... so glad i got into persona the way i did. of course, everyone's experiences w these games are different and special to them in their own way.

i got into persona 3 as an adult and as a result the lens in which i viewed the story's themes were heightened, in a way. as a teen i just know i would have reacted more volatilely i struggle to think about it LOL but both experiences would still be pretty intense. it's just that, as an adult there's more room to digest it when im not troubled by algebra hw. i was just more equipped for it (also i played omori two summers ago LMAOO). ofc i only turned 20 a few weeks ago LOL but i get why p3 means so much to people.

because it's like... 2000s nostalgia coupled with a game that figuratively holds your hand through the uncertainty of death yknow? p3 is a friend, basically. its entire thesis is based upon companionship (exactly what i highlight in an analysis i have drafted somewhere but HHH i dont want this to get too long lmao)

in the shaping my worldviews thing... its really more like it cemented my 'philosophies' :] like i said, equipped with the stuff i learned before, p3 having the message that it did just... hit super close to home! like yeah! that's what i've been saying dude!! kindness really is enough!!

"You don't have to save the world to find meaning in life... Sometimes all you need is something simple, like someone to take care of."

LIKE YEA GIRL THATS EXACTLY IT!! its so cool! i actually admire people who grew up with p3 because man if i heard this line ages ago... well, again, idk if i would be able to grasp it fully at the time... but still! this is so good, poetry in motion. and like u said its aesthetics are gorgeous and aim to capture the essence of its themes - and it did.

im a p5 baby like bro i love p5. soft spot for it. thats the closest persona game i "grew up" with and it came at such an opportune time for me, being a teen stuck between a rock and a hard place. typical. and p5 validated my teenage angst bs so much. its so refreshing to see a game's theme being rebellion. that was me i thought. those characters are going through something that similarly happened to me. teenage rebellion is such a fun thing to explore!

so p5 validated my struggles while p3 did something deeper than that, somehow. i think it just made me .. stronger? like it made me move on from struggles. "by remembering death you learn how to live" so... i guess p3 taught me how to live as crazy as that sounds. but you get me

persona 5 overall is great -- everyone agrees, like its objectively just a better game. but persona 3 ends up more beloved because of its subjective value as a piece of art. there's a lot of heart and soul to put into it.

it's more simple when compared to p5 at first glance, but simple doesn't mean less. which is why more people experiencing it will be nice to see

[precambrian-sea-pancake]

Happy Birthday RE7! 🎉

I’m not lying when I say this game and this franchise really do mean a lot to me.

I think it was around early or mid 2019 when I discovered the franchise (I live under a rock, okay?)

I was going through probably the worst time of my life. I had a lot of issues going on with me, but irl and online. That is stuff I won’t get into because trauma is a bitch. But it is one of the reasons why it took me so long to come back to tumblr.

I remember one day I was feeling terrible and I wanted to distract myself with some youtube. Eventually I stumbled upon an RE7 Let’s Play, and it caught my interest. I liked horror stuff, and I thought the aesthetic was cool. So I watched it.

I loved everything about it. The story, the characters, the environment, the gameplay looked fun. Pretty much what I’ve been wanting in a game for awhile.

The two leads especially, they really resonated with me. With everything I was going through I felt less alone, I guess? Both of them were going through hell but didn’t give up, they made it out and managed to get a new start. Obviously not exactly the same situation, but in a metaphorical sense it really spoke to me. One of them was going through something he didn’t understand and was completely out of their element. The other one did bad things and suffered greatly for it, and was full of guilt. They did everything they could to help fix it, and redeem themselves. That one especially…I’ve done things and I have a lot of guilt problems. I was in both of these situations, and seeing these two overcome it and make it out of there, will still loyal to each other, made me feel just a little bit better. They really did help me get through that part of my life and still do now.

Cause when RE8 came out I wasn’t doing too well either. I was dealing with moving away from all my friends (I practically require human connection to function. So it was awful) and this was right after graduation so my college plans changed completely and I’m still struggling to get my academic life together. Since I was little I had nightmares about the idea of moving, so finding out one of my worst fears was coming true…not fun :(

And well, that was sort of happening in the new game. With Ethan and Mia moving and facing issues with life after what happened. Change was hard for them just like it was for me. Then Seeing all of Ethan’s fears and paranoia come true? In the DLC, seeing Rose get support after all the bullying she faced? Yeah…I felt that. I also liked how despite everything, they all still care about each other. Even with whatever issues and trauma they have, love is still there. The idea that after everything I’ve been through and the bad choices I’ve made, I can still be loved. Because I’m not my experiences.

Who knew that this of all things, would be my ultimate comfort game. Sometimes the most random things become sentimental to you.

So happy birthday to re7, the game that’s helped me through a lot, and has stuck with me since! ❤️

[tapyoka-dump]

(The following post is really fucking long™ and in no way, shape or form I'm saying you should give Atlus another chance, quite the opposite, you just gave me the perfect opportunity to vent and talk about all the shit that this company I love and hate so much does and did in the past. Hope that's understandable and I apologize! Don't read it if you want to keep some respect for them or avoid Atlus content in general!) As someone who actually does follow Atlus a lot, not only the Persona franchise, but also being a MegaTen fan and being very interested in other Atlus games (Trauma Center, Metaphor, and having played Catherine), I get so fucking mad at this company sometimes. (Spoilers, maybe) Persona 2 had a gay character, a gay romance option, actually, I can't say how good or how bad it was since I'm playing through it right now, but Jun existed, he was there, he wasn't treated as a joke for being gay (I hope) Then Persona 3 came out.

Persona 3 FES is one of my favorite games of all time and this scene is close to being the moment I felt the most disgust I had ever felt at a scene in a video game. "Hey guys! Here's a joke! The joke is transphobia". It's not funny, it's harmful and just pushes people away from the game. They did remove it in reload (And portable I think, but the joke in portable is not great either), including in the Japanese version, so that's less horrible. And then Persona 4 came out! With two characters that challenge gender norms and struggle with identity, that's great! Here's a bunch of homophobic comments to make up for it. But wait! The character who made those comments has an implied romance route that makes it so his homophobia could be seen as repressed feelings! Just kidding, we removed it from the game last minute. But I think the saddest offender for me is Catherine.

I love Erica so much and I get really mad when I remember how she's represented. She is so cool, so cute, so fun, and is an older trans woman which is fantastic, but then:

(This is not an attack at the writers of the wiki, they are just doing their job listing everything in the game) The only good thing in this entire list of "References to Erica being trans" is "Everyone calls her a she! Good job everyone!". Sure, Vincent is supposed to be an asshole in the game which explains him being an asshole, but even excluding "Vincent being a fucking dipshit" points in this list, it's still not great. Also, she is DEADNAMED in the FUCKING CREDITS. SHE IS DEADNAMED IN THE. FUCKING. CREDITS. It's hard to look at Atlus doing better in recent years and not having a bad feeling that they are going to fuck it up again. "The transphobia was removed in reload!" "You can marry male party members in Tactica and Q for that one scene!" "There is a pride flag pin in a reload scene", the past is still there, and who knows what they'll do in the future. How the fuck can I put faith that this company, with a history of fucking up, won't fuck up again in the future. And yet this fucking company has still made 3 of my top 10 favorite games of all time. God. Fucking. Dammit. At least I don't think there's any significant homophobia in SMT, not that I remember at least, which implies P Studio is the biggest offender within Atlus. Not saying you should do an "SMT Demon Design Analysis" because of it, though, since it would still support Atlus as a whole. Thank you for the opportunity to talk shit about Atlus.

Would you ever consider making videos about the Persona series? I saw your game fest reaction vod, and I don’t know if the SMT/Persona series particularly interests you, but I think your perspective on the vast catalog of Persona in the series would be interesting.

Have a great day!!

I don't want to, no. I have a lot of love in my heart for the Persona series, but also I hate it a lot. There's an endemic homophobia and transphobia that runs through the roots of that series, and a conformist conservatism that keeps rearing its head in its storytelling, and I just can't suffer it anymore.

It breaks my heart because there is so much good in those games, there's so much great art and wonderful characters in there. There's a deep well of empathy for the crises of youth and the struggle to find an identity...

and then also it uncritically, unironically, with its whole full fucking chest plays the "gay men are simpering, pedophilic predators" stereotype for comedy

And I just fucking can't. I cannot stand it.

All media is problematic, nothing is pure, and I don't demand purity of the art I enjoy because down that road lies madness, but I do have a fucking line for what I can stomach and Persona 5 crossed it so far that I have soured on the series entirely. I just can't play these games anymore without remembering that this is what it thinks of queer men.

Again, I'm not here to grandstand, or shame anyone for loving the good things about Persona, it just crossed my line and I don't want to engage with it anymore. I don't want to play it, and I don't want to do videos about it.

[motherpheasantplucker42]

1, 7, 13, 16, 20, 31, 34 Kotoko, 45

1. I believe it was therpgminx's playthrough of DR1 in 2016 and now I'm mentally unwell about it

7. This is a difficult one because the talent is such a large part of so many characters identity BUT. I would give Imposter something in the vein of ultimate Leader based on how they act in DR2, and I think they deserve an existence that isn't defined by pretending to be someone else. Daisaku Bandai should be literally anything else. Maybe voice actor because his only defining trait (apart from the sterotypes) is his voice being unexpected. I would give Leon drummer because that matches his aesthetic, meets his interest in music, and frees him from baseball. I think Gonta has earned ultimate Gentleman. Finally, Makoto should officially be the (un)lucky student. It's a small detail, but it reflects the way his luck works, and I love how his fortunate and misfortune are mixed.

13. I'm pretty basic with ships. Fuyuhiko x Peko, Toko x Komaru, and Taka x Mondo x Chihiro. Number 1 is Ryoko x Yasuke. Big fan of that whole thing

16. I have had an idea for a tripwire based murder for a while. You align a pressure-held mounted contraption with the temple of the tallest student alive, and eventually, they walk into the wire, launching some object into their head. The delay between set-up and result would make alibis meaningless, would make it easier for the faint of heart to kill, and could lead to some drama if it fails. I think it would be neat for a chapter two.

20. The brain worms that it deploys. It's hard to pin down a single favourite thing, as it is really the combination of vibes, characters, story, and such that combine to make it such a fun thing. If I had to pick, though, it would probably be how it's mostly Junko's story. It is an exploration of her philosophy and its effects on people. I could go on a whole tirade about that but this is already going to be my longest post I've made, so next time.

31. Daisaku, for obvious reasons. One of the only explicit people of colour in the franchise (i.e. can't be written off as tan) and we get Daisaku.

34. She's my second favourite warrior of hope. Her minigame shows a tragic relationship with her trauma. I would imagine a full character arc would be one of the most interesting in the series, but alas. I do think her character would hit harder if the minigame had a less silly paint job, the narrator didn't imply you were enjoying it, and haiji didn't say that one line. She got done dirty.

45. It is probably the game I think about the least. I don't dislike it, but I tend to find the gameplay of Danganronpa as a whole an impediment to the story and character development. UDG has the most true gameplay of any of the main games. I would have liked more time spent on the dynamics of the adults and kids, both within and between groups, more exploration of motivation, and a stronger tie into the rest of the story. Instead we get a few arena fights, some basic puzzles, and slightly more panty shots than usual. Somewhere between not my cup of tea and missed potential, I guess

[bells-of-black-sunday]

🎮 — favorite video game(s)?

Munday | Still Accepting

🎮 — favorite video game(s)?

You may expect it to be the games I write aka D.bd and L.eague, but: A. I have trauma over l.eague due to a very toxic person in my life, that I unfortunately still live with, who would yell and scream at me over every mistake I made in that game and take it offline too making it so can only really play it with close friends anymore and B. I really want to get back into d.bd eventually, but I just don't care for the matchmaking I still miss the old ranking system. I still play it with irl friends occausionally.

BUT My favorite videogames are Red Dead 2, B.ugsnax, H.ades, S.am and M.ax seasons 1 and 2, and R.emnant From The Ashes 1 and 2. (ig for m.obas u can put S.mite there too)

Red Dead and Bugsnax are for the story and gameplay, they're both absolutely incredible games and I honestly like Bugsnax more than Red Dead at times? I've 100% Bugsnax and I haven't done that with Red Dead so. B.ugsnax I sitll feel like is really slept on, since I haven't seen anyone who played it on release play the free update that added so many more snax and a lot of fun story especially with S.norpu and C.handlo.

S.am and M.ax is just fun and like peak early 2000s point and click, I love all the stupid characters and I almost at one point added Jurgen to my muse list as a joke. It's such a fun franchise (until u get to the third season than it's really bad and they somehow fucked up the controls for a point and click game). I'd highly recommend checking them out.

Remnant is jut really fun to play with friends? It's a souls-like fps I guess kind of looter shooter, but it feels more set up like an rpg with it's trait points, armor, and a lot of different weapons. I love the world and the character designs, they're all really fcking good. Still haven't beaten 2 with my friends (we're still working on killing the final boss then doing the dlc), but we're slowly working on it.

Now- if we're counting S.mite as my go to m.oba being a favorite, I genuinely prefer it over l.eague tbh? And not just because trauma, I held that opinions before all that shit happened. I really like its 3rd person perspective and I just feel like the kits are a lot more fun and interactive? I play a lot more gods than I ever did in l.eague and that's not because I was only allowed to play support while playing l.eague, l.eague has a lot of supports, but I just like the S.mite support skits better.

That and S.mite has actual game modes you're not forced into a.ram or 5v5s, those modes exist of course (and their 5v5s have way more objectives than l.eague), you have 3v3s that me and my friends play ranked or you can play team death match or even something as fun as s.lash where its two giant creatures beating the shit out of each other and you have to escort them.

And while we didn't have as many rotating game modes this year and that's always a bummer, there was a lot last year like S.mite had 2v2v2v2v2s way before L.eague ever announced them and it was a more fun concept of trying to be the first team to hit 30k gold. You had m.ario k.art but it was s.mite gods, boss rushes for the holidays that was genuinely hard, normal 2v2s, their version of u.rf ofc w/o it being random because honestly fuck a.ru.rf its so annoying when you get stuck with chars that are boring af in a setting like that.

And then while the S.mite seasons didn't do shit for me or my friends, because we don't play c.onquest we had 5 this year and each changed up the map in pretty big ways and I've heard that people really found it fun and it changed up the pace of games quite a bit. That and S.mite just has a lot more body diversity, skin tones, voices, etc. than L.eague does and while some gods are very old, there's no god where I'm like "yeah that looks fucking awful" like I am with some l.eague champs.

And for all those monster fuckers, they do not shy away from monster designs unlike L.eague. There's a lot of really cool monster chars, like when C.haron came out I remember lamenting to Egg about how L.eague had released a rlly fcking boring and safe design while Smite dropped fucking C.haron. I also just think S.mite has a better way of showing mastery too with the border stars, (you get one per 1000 mastery) you can really tell who doesn't touch grass when you can't even count the stars anymore. (affectionate) I really enjoy S.mite even if it gives me depression by shoving the #1 N.emesis player on NA into my games every week.