#i still think they should’ve given her backstory more value in the first episode like they did to grover

[serafilms]

i wanna elaborate further on my take on sally

i just feel like they’re missing a key aspect of her character, which is how gentle she is and how much of herself she is willing to give up for her son’s wellbeing.

with gabe being kind of a pussy and her arguing with him so easily, i feel like it really undermines how much book sally struggled behind the scenes to make things work (even though percy cares about her and does so much for her, the demigod side of him is something he hasn’t discovered yet and the burden falls on her to handle things — a form of mother’s invisible labour).

book sally married this absolutely horrible guy and went through years of abuse and didn’t fight back directly because the pain was nothing to her if her son was safe. the blue candy was their quiet rebellion against him, and as badass as she was, she wouldn’t have put gabe in his place the way tv sally did, because that wasn’t her priority and it just wouldn’t be worth the effort.

it just feels a little like when they make disney princesses more badass and less feminine?? or like when kpop men do “manlier” versions of girl group/artist’s dances? like it’s undermining her value as a softer female figure, because book sally isn’t a big, strong, badass woman that percy looks up to because she protects him, she’s quietly mischievous and caring and he knows she can protect herself but also protects her as best he can and their dynamic is lost a little bit when she stands up so easily to gabe in a fight that isn’t really worth picking.

and it also irked me a little when she explained why they go to montauk every year, because in the books percy already knows more about his father. she tells him stories growing up because she wants him to see the best in the world and not grow up bitter like luke, because even though she may resent poseidon (since he knocked her up at like 19 after her parents died, and left her broke and with a kid without finishing college), she understands to some extent why he left her and can’t be with percy, and she cares too much about percy and how he feels and what kind of person he is to let him feel her anger towards his father. so she suffers through that quietly too, so that percy can feel like there’s still someone out there who cares about him, like his father is someone to be proud of even though he doesn’t know him.

sally is meant to look for the best in the people that matter, but still be able to see their objective value. it’s a symbolic aspect of her character that she’s a clearsighted mortal, which means she can see these things herself and understand them, but does not have any role in taking action against these things until she has to for her son.

anyways that’s my take. regardless i still am enjoying the show and their relationship very much, but i just don’t think it holds a candle to sally jackson in the books!!!

[jerepars]

Back again lol. Even though the writing just hasn’t been the best this season, I’m not really that mad about the way they’ve portrayed Jeresa. Just looking at this logically, I feel that they gave us 5x02 as our Jeresa episode early on and there really was a lot of sweet moments. Now, inevitably we had to have angst in between. But it’s been constantly cemented that James is in love with Teresa, and strongly implied that she loves him too. They can’t just build that up and leave it unresolved. Plus, with TV shows in general, a couple being together early on in the series just leaves it open for unnecessary conflict and the ship just loses its intrigue. If they give us the Jeresa ending we’re hoping for then it makes sense to have not got them together any episode earlier than the final 2. And despite everything, I think the writers have been a hell of a lot better than others in keeping their ship alive and not causing a irredeemable issue between them. I probably shouldn’t defend them before seeing the next two episodes, but I am hopeful. All that being said, there most definitely should have been more scenes and dialogue between them. We should’ve had a Tony moment between them (I’m so mad about this, especially since the writers acted like it was such a pivotal part of the season and then only showed Pote’s ‘grief’). I’m very sorry for rambling, just wanted to hear your take.

Oh, yes hello, back again, I see. Your ask made me sigh because I think it opens me up to be honest and critical of this season’s writing, and that kind of opinion may not always be favored around here, and also because it requires a response of essay length. But I’ll do it for you, anon, I will. Okay. So you want my take on the portrayal of Jeresa in season 5. Here we go. After the jump:

Let me preempt this by saying the show isn’t too serious (try and tell me this is still a serious show after the kerfuffle that season 5 has been), so you shouldn’t take this too seriously either. I have an opinion but I’m just…me. I encourage everyone to stick to their guns about what they feel about QOTS; what you like about it, what you love about it, what gets you excited, what you think has been done well, what is worthy of praise, etc. etc. etc. I go in pretty hard on the show in the next several (LOL, yes, really) paragraphs. But I am in no way the ultimate authority on all things QOTS.

I don’t think Jeresa would have unnecessary conflict and I don’t think the good ship Jeresa would lose its intrigue. In lieu of conflict, we’ve gotten…*crickets* nothing. No conversations of real value, no meaningful exchange of ideas, no arguments, nothing. If anything, the conflict between Teresa and James that is necessary had been absent. In seasons 1-3, there were always disagreements between Teresa and James. There was never a point reached where it created too much conflict, or unnecessary conflict. It created tension, which is like the very essence of Jeresa, and it showed the dynamic they have that made so many of us fall hard for Jeresa as our ship, as our OTP. I don’t think making them a couple or having them together early on in the season would create unnecessary conflict. I think it could’ve created different conflict than what we’ve seen before, and wouldn’t that be a beautiful thing, to have seen them evolve and deal with each other in ways we haven’t seen before?

So, related to what I said about different conflict, as far as intrigue goes…I don’t think presenting Jeresa as a couple or in a relationship would ever make them flat or boring. When I think back to season 3, when we got Jeresa in 3x05 and 3x09, I wish we’d been offered the chance to see them succeed and see what happened with them if they tried. Like I said, it’d be a different kind of conflict, a different kind of challenge for them to face and have to face together. That sounds so opposite of lacking intrigue to me, anon. That’s a side of Jeresa I would have loved to see.

You’ve pointed out that, in general, on TV shows, getting a couple together too early usually means doom and gloom and failure for them. One of my favorite shows ever was Veronica Mars, the first two seasons especially. When the showrunner, Rob Thomas, has talked about the first kiss Logan and Veronica have, he refers to it as being earned. For QOTS, and for Jeresa, I really felt that when they shared their first kiss in 3x05. It took so much and they went through so much to get to that moment. It was earned. So, with that idea—of the earned kiss, of the earned get together, of the earned relationship—in mind, to me, there is no point in season 5 that would have been too early for Jeresa.

Talking about TV shows and how they usually go in general leads me to my next point: as a viewer, is that what I want and is that what I should expect, to be given more of what’s typical? Maybe the writers and critics and people much smarter than me will tell me it’s my fault, I’m the fool, for wanting to critically engage in media that’s not meant to be consumed that way. Maybe I’m just supposed to accept and enjoy and be happy with what I’m given. No one claimed this wasn’t going to be typical. So okay. It’s on me. It’s my bad. But here’s the thing. If I’m supposed to accept and enjoy and love this as it is…well, give me something to love. I’m not asking for a revolution or anything life-changing here, just something I can appreciate (and this season, in my opinion, has really lacked things that I can hold on to and appreciate). So as for typical TV…I’m not down with merely accepting that because things usually go a certain way, that’s how they always have to go.

Why do Jeresa have to fail if they got together earlier in the season? Why is it so out of the realm of possibility that they might succeed together? Are they so emotionally stunted, do they lack so much compassion and understanding of each other that it would be impossible for them to listen and move forward together? What if they could discuss their issues, tell each other how they feel, stop hiding, and try? Who says there wouldn’t be angst and tension between them as they try to work through their issues? What if they’re actually supposed to be together and it would make them stronger—individually and as a couple?

Now, forget everything I just said. LOL. Let’s say we have to go by TV in general and typical TV rules. Let’s assume if Jeresa got together early on, then we’d see them struggle and fall apart and break up. Fine. Okay.

Here’s how Jeresa could have played out after the first two episodes:

5x03 banging honeymoon phase, probably

5x04 arguments and frustration with each other as T embraces being the white queen

5x05 J finds out about T’s coke usage and has to walk away from the relationship because he can’t stand to be complicit and stand idly by while she destroys herself

5x06 classic Jeresa angst and tension

5x07 KG’s death leads to T’s breaking point and J is there to support her

5x08 honesty hour, where it’s made clear that these two mean so much to one another and they’re running out of time to let each other know that, so they tell each other

5x09 one last united mission + they hatch the plan to get out and be free + a farewell with the promise and intent to see each other in another life

5x10 reunion in another life

Are these all headcanons? Of course they’re headcanons. Of course I would never expect the show to go exactly how I thought it would or with my own ideas. My point is that if they would’ve gotten together early on and we’d been given a glimpse of what that would be like, even if they failed, it doesn’t mean it would’ve been impossible for them to ever find themselves together again before season’s end.

“There’s not enough time,” the writers said. “It’s an action packed season,” the writers said. Okay. Why? There was enough time to spend on backstory of minor insignificant characters. There was enough time to introduce characters, tell us a bit about them, only to see them dead by the end of the episode. There was enough time to focus on Kote’s story, over multiple episodes, with not just a baby plot but a kidnapping one as well. So why? Why was there no time for Jeresa? Forget about them getting together and kissing and sex. If that was what it was (and it was) they wanted us to not have, then fine. Some of my favorite Jeresa moments were in the first two seasons, when Jeresa getting together was very much not a thing, when tension was high. So if it was just the portrayal of them not being together, if we still got the scenes of tension and them having no choice but to communicate, that would be completely fine. Like I said, I know I’m never going to get exactly what I want, my headcanons are mine, so that’s okay. Oh. But…no. Oh no. There was not even enough time for Jeresa to have more than short, throwaway, blink-and-you’ll-miss it conversations? Well. It’s the writers’ decision. They wanted it that way.

“It’s a Teresa-centric season,” Dailyn claimed. Like I’ve said before, James is a big part of Teresa’s journey and story. If you’re going to have a Teresa-centric season, it’s hard to accomplish that without shedding more light on James and Jeresa. This isn’t a Teresa-centric season. This has become the Kote show. Teresa is the main character but her journey has been pushed aside, diminished, and downplayed in order to make way for Kote ultrasounds and Pote grunting and Kelly Anne thinking “positive” and hopeful that Marcel will come to a party at the safe house. Instead of getting conversations that would offer insight into Teresa’s relationships with those in her family, we got an extended deep dive into the most chemistry-lacking relationship we’ve ever seen on the show. Well. It’s the writers’ decision. They wanted it that way.

“It’s Queen of the South, not Jeresa of the South,” the writers will insist. If by that they mean it’s Kote of the South. Imagine for a second that it actually was a Teresa-centric season but they were adamant about keeping James in this minor capacity. Okay. It would still be different than it is now because we’d be in tune with Teresa. We would’ve gotten a glimpse into her thought process. Was this not, at some point, meant to be a story about a strong woman? I can even extend that question to Kelly Anne. Was this not, at some point, meant to be a story about strong women? Then why do we keep seeing them make asinine decisions? Why are their most extreme actions in reaction to what the men have done?

Moreover, if this show is about the people in the cartel, in Teresa’s inner circle, rather than just the Kote side plot becoming the main plot, there’s no way this is the James we would be getting. James, our beloved reluctant assassin…who we know nothing about. He can’t even get a backstory on a show on which he is supposedly one of the main characters. Five minutes—five seconds—couldn’t even be spared on James and how he came to be who he is, how he got where he is. But Isidro Navarro? By all means, I need to hear his life story. Who’s Isidro Navarro, you ask? Right. Exactly. Apparently we don’t deserve backstory and explanation and conversation and introspection from our protagonists. But a character who is there for ten minutes or less on a single episode and will never be heard from again in any significant manner? Of course he needs his screen time. Well. It’s the writers’ decision. They wanted it that way.

“This is not a romance show,” the makers of season 5 said. Honestly? Fuck that noise. Fuck that sentiment. Fuck that ignorance. When has Jeresa ever been about romance? Where do the people who make this show get off saying something like that as if we are so stupid we don’t know that? A romance story and a love story are not the same thing. Jeresa is love. God forbid Jeresa ever experience love within a successful relationship. God forbid Teresa and James ever become mature enough to use love as strength rather than weakness. But pile on all the Kote. Focus on them and emphasize how Teresa and James can barely even look at each other. Well. It’s the writers’ decision. They wanted it that way.

So now here we are, on the cusp of 5x09. We got a spoiler in the last promo trailer. We know, after 7 episodes since their last conversation that actually meant something, after the writers missed the mark and didn’t have Jeresa interact in a way that was significant and necessary over the course of the season, that there is at least one kiss. They might even have a conversation. They might even share more than one kiss that leads to more (but also, don’t be surprised if we get a mere few seconds of a kiss and nothing more before fade to black). This is going to make us so happy because finally, finally, they’re giving us what we wanted. And then what? What does it mean if those things are true? Is everything forgiven? Is the instant gratification of seeing our ship sail for a scene or two enough? Does it make up for the character assassination of the characters we love? If we somehow get the ending we want, or at least one close to it, is it even believable anymore? Is what has been broken all season so easily fixed?

Listen, I already know the counter argument. I’m going to be told I’m crazy, that Teresa has to be on her own, that it wouldn’t be interesting, that it would diminish the payoff for Teresa and Jeresa in the end. I get it. Typical TV rules, right? We have to go with what people know, what they’re used to. But what have we gotten, really, to preserve these ‘rules’ for TV in general? Teresa has been dumbed down and is now lacking a lot of the intuition and street smarts she had before. She makes bad decision after bad decision and she doesn’t see what’s coming. The actions she takes are in reaction to those bad decisions. James hates so much of what he’s been made to do but for some reason he keeps going along and carrying out Teresa’s orders; he’ll just stew over it quietly in a corner without saying anything. Teresa and James don’t talk to each other, at least not about anything important, and when they do talk, they give each other heart eyes but never scratch the surface—how could they when they talk for like 10 seconds at a time? So. Has this been a good portrayal of Jeresa? You tell me. If it’s fine with everyone else, then I guess it’s fine. I’m probably the wrong person to ask.

[flightfoot]

Hi! I was wondering, what are your favorite ML episodes? Like which do you think are best in plot/character development/fun stuff in general?

I’m gonna just cut out the season finales and the special from this, since it feels like cheating to include them.

This isn’t an objective list, but it’s not fully subjective either. It’s very much a list where the lower sections at least would change based on my mood at the time, though the top two are set in stone.

10. Feast 

I appreciated finding out Fu’s backstory (even if it didn’t quite jive with some of the earlier implications of him having chosen the wrong people before, back in Origins.) It fleshed Fu out as a character, and revealed that while he’s trying as best he can, he wasn’t chosen because he was some all-knowing, all-wise person who’s always right that the main characters need to listen to; even HE admits that he messed up in this episode. He’s considered a person, not some fount of incontrovertible wisdom.

I’ll still take him to task for some of his poorer decisions, but I appreciate that he WASN’T treated as infallible, and that we really get to see that play out here.

Plus Biker Bug and Banana Noir, Banana Noir automatically recognizing his buginette immediately even though she looks different, Chat’s face when he figures out Ladybug’s plan... it’s just fun.

Also I’m a sucker for lore, and we found out a decent amount of it here.

9. Zombizou

This was a really fun episode, with the party slowly dwindling down as zombies picked everyone off, one-by-one. 

It showcased some of the characters really well. Like with Chloe, it showed how she’ll lash out, be a brat and try to hurt people when she feels like she hasn’t done enough, or whenever something pokes at her own feelings of inferiority, of uselessness. But that she also DOES care for other people and is willing to sacrifice herself, even if only temporarily, to protect others.

It also showed the first time that someone puts up a good fight against akumatization, what sort of mindset is needed for that.

The class as a whole really shown this episode. Even though they were all pissed off at Chloe (for VERY good reason) and she was being a pain throughout it, they still refused to leave her at Zombizou’s mercy, protecting her even though it was hard, even though they didn’t want to, even though it put them at risk. Protecting her not because she “deserved” it, but because it was the right thing to do - not that they weren’t TEMPTED to leave her, they’re only human. 

Some great couple moments as well, with Rose and Juleka turning together, and who can forget Nino refusing to leave Alya, even though he’s dooming himself to becoming a zombie as well?

Just all and all, a great episode.

8. Miraculer

Another great character development episode, again, mostly for Chloe. She even successfully fights off an akuma, the only character to do so to date. We also get to see what an effective fighter she is, how much she looks up to and respects Ladybug, wants her to see her as being necessary - probably because of how she’s felt so useless and unwanted before, like she said in Malediktator.

But it also shows how self-centered she is. How little she cares for those who get hurt along the way, like Sabrina. How little she considers more overarching reasons for why she can’t be allowed what she wants, even when demonstrated right in front of her, with being denied the Bee because Mayura and Hawkmoth could easily steal it from her. Even when it’s nothing to do with her personally (beyond her decision to reveal her identity that is) she just can’t let it go.

We also get to Alya and Nino being AWESOME (seriously what WAS that parkour?) and just how stubbornly Adrien will keep trekking on, keep fighting, even when he can barely move because of the pain.

7. Syren

Yes, seriously.

This one.

The one that’s had to be defended to death.

It was actually the second episode of Miraculous Ladybug I watched, and the one that convinced me that the first one’s greatness wasn’t a fluke.

And the reason why I love it is also the reason a lot of people hate it.

We get to see Adrien be angry, frustrated, feel useless. See how the secrets are impacting him, how being left out of the loop and not even getting to know why HURTS. And how if he feels unnecessary, unwanted, that his presence, his fighting doesn’t help protect Ladybug or the city more generally, and also like he’s not being respected, that he’d be willing to give it up. That there’s only so much he can take. 

(And no I don’t feel like debating this, I’ve already done that MANY MANY TIMES. Give it a rest.)

6. Sapotis

Alya and Marinette hanging out and having fun? Marinette getting to choose Alya as the first temporary wielder? Her infectious joy as she runs around Paris and banters with Ladybug and Chat Noir?

And her hesitation, her reluctance to hand it back over, wanting desperately to continue, but ultimately doing the right thing, even though it was hard? 

It was a nice introduction for Rena Rouge.

(Also I’m a big Alya stan and I love her as a superhero so. You know.)

5. Startrain

When it came out, and even now, it was hailed as one of the best just regular episodes of Miraculous Ladybug, and for good reason. There’s some QUALITY Adrienette, Alya helping to set it up, and the whole class shipping the two of them together, wanting them to be happy.

The action was great and the whole class just got to have fun. What more is there to say?

4. Anansi

Carapace’s introduction knocked it out of the park!

 The way he tried to fight Anansi, even without any powers? He raced back to Alya even after being thrown, because he wanted to save her so badly? How he actually SUCCEEDED in fending off Anansi for several minutes without powers and with little experience, and just... never gave up fighting?

PEAK Nino Lahiffe.

Like, to the point that Alya even managed to figure out his identity. Hard to hide that Nino is Nino.

(Also Ladybug giving that little extra reassurance to Chat Noir, that he’s irreplaceable, fills my heart every time.)

3. Glaciator.

The episode that made Marichat fans swoon. The one where Marinette finally found out that Chat Noir is truly, sincerely in love with her, that it’s not just part of his persona. 

Adrien’s frustration and sadness with his father’s standing him up, even while preventing him from seeing his friends helped flesh out his circumstances, his feelings, the way Gabriel’s neglect hurts him, and how it affects him more broadly, with feeling frustrated and upset when Ladybug didn’t show up to dinner either - though in her case with good reason. 

We got to see Chat Noir calmer, not trying to put on a show, not his usual jaunty self, but acting more akin to how he does when he’s Adrien - a shift that’s abrupt enough to take Tikki and Marinette by surprise, despite knowing him so well.

Plus Ladybug and Chat Noir got to have a much needed heartfelt talk, with her letting him know how much she cares for him, values him, but that her heart belongs to another, and Chat Noir affirming how valuable her friendship is to him.

----

Now, most of these first eight could be swapped out with other episodes, and there are others I’m beginning to think should’ve been on the list, but the top 2 EARNED their place, and it’ll take a lot to dislodge them.

---

2. Chat Blanc

This episode was a treasure trove of character development, showing a “What if?” scenario. It affirmed just how quickly Adrien would leap to Ladybug being Marinette (which we caught a glimpse of in Kwamibuster) if given half the chance, and how much he absolutely adores the idea, melting into a love puddle at the thought and being certain that it’s true.

We see that they CAN be happy together, that they would be ecstatic and brimming with love.

How broken up both Adrien and Marinette would be at the unbearable thought of being separated.

And what Adrien’s reaction would be to finding out his mother’s status and that his father’s the supervillain they’ve been fighting this whole time.

Also what an absolute BASTARD of a shitstain of a human being Gabriel is.

Gave Ladybug an added incentive not to fall for Chat Noir, left a lasting impact in that way, as well as adding to the pressure to not make even the slightest mistake, that ended up descending on her in the season finale.

And we got to see Ladybug hugging Chat Noir after purifying him, her determination to ALWAYS consider him Chat Noir, that he IS Chat Noir, that he couldn’t be poisoned so much that he wasn’t still her kitty. She even called her timeline’s version over afterwards, just because she wanted that added reassurance that he was fine. She cares for him so much!

1. Oblivio

This is it. The holy grail. The episode that got me into the show. The one that showed that these two would fall for each other quickly, if certain pesky barriers weren’t in the way. That the “True Selves” narrative is false, that these two are themselves regardless of the costume they wear, just having certain sides of themselves accentuated.

He falls for her because of her wits, her bravery, her cuteness. 

She falls for him because of his kindness, his sincerity, the way he stares at her with those lovesick kitty eyes-

I’m love square trash, so sue me. 

Plus it shakes up their roles a little, evens them out. Both of them are involved with planning, with figuring things out. Both of them get to have fun, and Ladybug in particular seems like she has less pressure on her shoulders.

Also they kiss.

That is important.

[mimiteyy]

1. who's violet evergarden? 2. can you tell me how to fix her?

3. can you tell me your thoughts on violet evergarden?

Ok! Violet Evergarden is a light novel series by Kana Akatsuki, and had an anime released earlier this year that you can watch on netflix.

I couldn’t find the pdf where I read the novel but here’s a dif link with the english translation

The anime was way more enjoyable to watch than reading the novel, mostly bc of the gorgeous visuals lol

BUT there’s a lot of flaws and generally shitty stuff in the story, the anime tried to cover some of it only to just create more problems

I’m gonna get into the smaller/chapter specific issues first THEN dive into the over-arcing bullshit.

Warning for mentions of racism and csa, and a TON of spoilers

First off: Racism

The chapter with Leon, the scribe dude in the mountains, was the only chapter that really had this issue. Leon’s main character trait is that he hates women(?????), and his mom was a travelling performer. He CONSTANTLY used the g slur to refer to his mom. I think this is supposed to imply he’s Romani but it’s, like, a shitty way to do that. 

Leon is described as having dark tan skin and pale green hair, but in the anime he’s white with black hair. They took out any use of the slur but whitewashed him instead?? He already had a design, they didn’t have any good reason to do that.

His arc is him changing his views on women and travelling to find his parents, is the anime kept his normal design then he’d be fine, honestly.

Second: Misogyny

Leo showed a lot of it, but there’s traces of it throughout the series. This ties in with other issues I’ll discuss in a sec but every chance the author gets, they describe violets appearance/body. 

Like, really nailing it in the head how Pretty and Perfect she is; and how every dude in a mile radius wants to bone down.

In the anime they made the character Benedict say sexist remarks for comedic relief I guess? idk man

Third: CSA/Pedophilia

HOO BOY THIS IS THE BIG ONE

Here’s where I give the premise/beginning of the story lolol:

There’s a war going on in this country called Liedenschaftlich, against the north over trade or some shit. Navy Officer Dietfried Bougainvillea found Violet abandoned on some island when she was ~10 yrs old. (No one knew her confirmed age so it was an estimation)

He boarded her on the ship to take her to the mainland, but his crew was apparently made up of creepy ass motherfuckers. Every other dude tried to hurt/sexually abuse her. 

When they tried, though, little Violet went apeshit and stabbed them to death. It’s implied that she killed everyone on the ship except for Dietfried, and she decided to follow his orders. Probably because he didn’t attempt to harm her? No real reason is given.

AND DIETFRIED’S REACTION: “Wow I should give this to my brother for the military to exploit as a weapon” At no point in the book did he see Violet as a human being, let alone as a child.

His brother Major Gilbert was given Violet by Dietfried, was understandably horrified/confused. But after he witnessed her kill a couple of Dietfried’s men on command, he decided she was “too dangerous” to send to an orphanage. Because she now obeys whatever Gilbert says, he decides to use her as a special ops weapon in the military anyways.

She’s hidden away in her own room in the barracks because she keeps being hounded by creeps, cuz #drama. She eventually learns to talk, but Gilbert only taught her the bare minimum speech needed for military use/communication. The anime had him homeschool her tho.

Violet, because Gilbert is the only person who treats her like some equivalent to a Human Being, develops feelings/an obsession for him because she’s now a teen now and knows nothing else but him.

After a battle where she loses her arms and Gil is MIA, his pal Hodgins takes violet under his wing and teaches her how to read/write while she recovers n gets used to her fancy ass prosthetics. She also needs to learn how to express herself, since she still behaves like a mindless drone who only listens to Gilbert.

The last thing Gilbert said to her was “I love you”. Again it’s implied that he also had feelings for her, despite her being 14 at the time and he being 29. His decision to have her leave the military to live a normal life without him was GOOD! But later in the novel they find each other.

Violet’s job as an “Auto-Memories Doll” at a post office leads her all over the place and some of the clients she has are creeps/come off as creepy at times.

Example of creepy shit on the job: That princess episode!!! (Was also a bonus story apparently)

The episode is about Violet and her coworker helping a prince and princess write public letters to get people hyped about their marriage, uniting their countries. 

But the princess is 14, the prince is 24. Everyone brushes this off as if its ok!!!!!! The princess even asks Violet if she thinks this is alright n Violets like “This is fine! :)”, (though she doesn’t know any better herself so idk if she’s the best person to ask.) Just. the entire episode/chapter here sucked because of it’s terrible message. If this episode wasn’t there, the anime would’ve been amazing

Another creepy thing: When Lux later becomes a secretary for Hodgins in the novel, he makes some creepy jokes about it. Hodgins is Best Dad but that just made him like every other male character in the story tbh.

Ok now for how we can handle the whole Gilbert situation better: make it less about her pining for him, rather her going through the stages of grief

The anime actually did a pretty good job with this. They didn’t have him come back, or make any appearance beyond flashbacks. It’s assumed he faked his death, but Violet is told he’s dead. She’s in denial throughout the whole series though.

It’d be great if she could view her situation in the military without the rose tinted glasses. Just to see how everyone around her treated her as subhuman. And the one person who cared about her still exploited her on the battlefield, doing nothing to get her out. 

If she saw the hypocrisy in his words and actions, she can better accept being parted with him. But the only one who knows about her situation albeit vaguely, is Hodgins. And he’s trying his best to give her shelter and care and generally treat her like a daughter.

Bonus: Lux Sibyl

Lux is introduced in a chapter of the novel where Violet goes to the island Chevalier. On the island there’s a religious cult called Utopia, who takes in people believed to be demigods, cares for/worships them for a time, then sacrifices them by sending them down a waterfall. 

Lux is allegedly a descendant of the Goddess of Knowledge, Roses. In Violets attempt to break Lux out of there, it’s hinted at that Violet is also a demigod - specifically descended from the Goddess of War, Garnet Spear.

Aside from them both Possibly Allegedly Being Demigods, Lux and Violet have been through similar situations. Both were found when they were young, and raised till about 14, secluded from society to fulfill a specific purpose. By people with ulterior motives. Neither really had a childhood.

They become really close friends as Lux leaves with her to work at Hodgin’s business as a secretary.

Ok the point of this part was that this should’ve been an episode and also Lux would’ve made a WAY better love interest LMAO

Despite all the bullshit, there’s still a touching story in there about a girl trying to find her place in the world, to express herself, and trust others. On top of dealing with grief and living with her disability.

TL;DR: Lots of pedo shit in the backstory for shock value, and horrible message on the matter in general (*cough* princess ep). Racism in Leon’s chapter. Objectifying Violet for no goddamn reason. 

Watch the anime, skip the episode with the princess, and you’ll have all the story you’ll need tbh.

[monkey-network]

Good Stuff - THE TROOF ABOUT STEVEN UNIVERSE - Part 4

WARNING: When you cartwheel, the weight is mostly from your legs. And if you want to know more, here’s part 3 for a better understanding. Thank you, take care out there, and enjoy.

Steven Universe is a charming, popular show with a quad-polar fandom, and I’m only here to point out what I say is legitimately wrong with this cartoon. Simple enough? Fair enough. Point number 4:

THE REPRESENTATION:

Representation in media can be easy when the right writers are at the helm to present (not push) a message of acceptance and acknowledgement towards an audience that may or may not feel the same way. It takes different strokes to rule the world, after all. However, when it comes to character in general, there are two factors in characterization that when used correctly can appeal their message of acceptance for their audience. One, visual acknowledgement of the representing characters (POC, LGBT, belief, etc.) in question and two, giving the subjects good quality participation to show that they are just as adept to the world as any other without phoning in the fact that they are this or that. Long story short, make ‘em good characters and the representation can earn the audience’s respect for itself. Steven U lacks this too, and this comes from them often showing us stuff and expecting us to just go with it, with themes that are enough just to get by fans. Hell, they show us as much as a drive by...

Not even a cool one at that, fresh

I’ll say this to start off: Lars Barriga (my neega) was a stagnant and frustrating character to deal with, nobody in Beach City moved him in any way (not even his own supporting parents), and the writers just shotgunned him growth (more than once) after he basically had to cheat death (more than once) to gain a better conscience. It’s like they wanted to call him a lost cause but had to hook him back in some way for the audience to not deem him a lost cause. So with all due respect, does it matter that he’s Filipino or a trans boy when nothing valuable or thoughtful has come from him especially? Those trivial tidbits can mostly come off as add ons or secondary nods, when they should’ve been welcomed knowledge about his character. Want an good example? Look to the comic series Lumberjanes, especially issues 14-17 and 28. SPOILERS, though...

They did this right for characters Jo and Barney (Jo’s the one in the 2nd panel, Barney’s in the first). They already established these two as well defined characters that make mistakes but are willing to get shit done for their friends by any means. The dialogue above is when Barney is thinking about joining the girl oriented scouts even when he’s considered a boy scout, wondering where does he want to belong. Jo gives him reassurance that she herself felt the same and just wants Barney to assert himself with what he wants to be like she did. And when he does later on, he’s accepted without any forced gratification and the writers gracefully accommodate this to not only make him (now “them”) a good addition to the story’s world, but a welcoming new perspective. 

The representation is therefore earned, not just shown off

Now I’d talk further on other characters like Lars, but that would be singing the same beats as my previous piece on world building and would spoil notes on the final 2 parts I’m working on now. Instead, the gems are another reason why the rep-pres-sen-tation in SU is nothing but small fractured penny in the gold mine that is anything else going on, with fusion diminishing the relationship representation of Steven U; however you may see it. Now excuse me... this is the hardest part of my job.

Criticizing love

Garnet is not a good embodiment of Ruby and Sapphire’s love; Ruby and Sapphire is. I would love to see Ruby and Sapphire being together and showing me why they decided to elope, but I can’t because Garnet is a curtain that metaphorically and literally covers said love from having anything more to say than “HELL YEAH WE LOVE EACH OTHER!”. You could say ‘Keystone Motel’ offered some adversity for the two, but knowing Steven U, it didn’t feel like much beyond me knowing they’re getting back together in the end because they love each other and they just go back to being Garnet because she’s the personification of their love and such. 

Status Quo Ante. Ante up, you see?

Fusion is something I have a disdain for now because they’re exchanging two characters’ development of united growth for basically an entirely new/different character, that don’t have much screen time or development anyways (vice versa in Flourite’s case). You could say ‘Know your Fusion’ presented an evolution for Smokey Quartz, among the other known fusions, to being more than a versatile fighter, but not really no. We were already aware that Steven and Amethyst were acknowledged sad sacks before they fused, so what else does this fusion offer differently than in their ability? As for Sardonyx, she hasn’t changed from her first cameo awhile back and her vanity was the only thing that made her stand out in said episode. All in all, fusion doesn’t reflect a relationship, no matter how hard Rebecca Suge Knight is saying otherwise, it reflects an aftermath; one that’s in and out as a firework. This and up ‘til now, the real couples we see are pretty general or under the rug. To show how the most mentioned and presented couple in the series, RubyXSapphire, has continuously got the shaft, I present the one dynamic you’d least expect: A boy and his stuffed toy.

My personally favorite example so far.

Calvin and Hobbes is a series about boy Calvin and his stuffed tiger Hobbes that comes to life through Calvin’s imagination. Reality is like Garnet in this case, where it’s just Calvin having his stuffed animal around to get into zany hijinks like any other kid his age. Then again, the imagination or the living Hobbes is whom is given more of a focus, allowing their dynamic to bloom in a way that wouldn’t be understood if we just saw Calvin just talking to his toy the whole time. It makes their bond feel real and that’s what RubyxSapphire should be, giving them the floor in a way that adds up to Garnet’s eventual debut. “But Monkey Network, what about ‘The Answer'?” The Answer is an episode that, while sweet and good looking, literally danced over much necessary development in favor of only showing us how they eventually stuck to being Garnet forever. Not saying Garnet doesn’t have any character herself, but her integral backstory was/is one of the most beloved and talked about in terms of relationships, yet little has actually been given to us beyond face value and basic understanding and the writers have generally avoid pressing this any further. In a way, that episode diminishes the representation of real queer relationships, bogging it down to early Disney romances like Snow White’s, and practically blindfolds us about what we want to see vs what we should be seeing.

And I already got cute girls not kissing last year. It’s the current flippin’ year

I would talk about all the other canonning “ships” but nothing comes to mind other than the gems are getting along better than before, Mystery Girl is still fine as fuck, Steven and Connie are bound to elope since it’s been presented since the beginning, Lapis and Peridot get along as college roommates, Lapis might still have issues after Malachite happened, Jasper regrets nothing, Topaz sounds cool from the little we got of them, and everything has amounts to having a sob story and/or a recollection of thoughts just to say “Hey, we’re good together”. They implicitly share infatuation and good vibes to each other, but nothing to say their themes of LGBT, relationships, and characterization are groundbreaking. The latter I’ll get to next time. I mean anybody can put effort into writing a genuine romance novel, though it takes more effort to push the romance to challenging means without leaving skeptics at the door, something Sugar has been very casual about and is starting to openly show in the show. That and tears. Because you know what they say, open emotions are better than emotional maturity. Isn’t that right, TV?

Though, a good cry like that never hurts once in a while

Don’t get me wrong. Rebecca Sugarbark is out here doing her darndest as...

CARTOON. NETWORK’S. FIRST. FEMALE. ANIMATED. SERIES. CREATOR!

and when she does themes right, the show provides some good things to think about. But when she muddles them up or casually throws them in, especially when these themes come from the different aspects of what makes a person different yet real, it is unforgivable. And when people of all ages are watching this, thinking with their living ideologies about what could be used to think differently? This makes for a very risky tightrope that can lead to either people taking it appropriately or blindly, good and bad alike. I can only hope that as the show goes on, there are less assumptions and implications from both the show and the audience alike and more assertions and certainty that elements like representation of any kind are brought to a more applied approach than a glanced approach. Something that earns that appeal to a world so open and free.

Yet. As nothing but a simple critic... I can only be so hopeful