#i think i'm gonna make this into a whole series

[not-so-plus-ultra]

Okay, maybe unpopular opinion time, but I started watching DanDaDan (ADORE it so far) and some of you are starting to become the meme of "that one friend who is too woke" about what happens in the first episode

TW for sexual assault + CW light DanDaDan spoilers if you haven't watched it yet. Its gonna be a bit ranty

First of all I wanna preface this with saying that, if Momo's scene with the aliens impacted you and / or you found it triggering, that's extremely valid. I am not claiming it isn't, specially for people who have any kind of sexual trauma. What I'm gonna say is not about that

What I mean is; I think we have gotten so used to a very big number of anime using sexual assault as a "funny" gag, having characters violate other characters' physical boundaries, or having a token perverted / incestuous / p*do character, all in the name of terrible "comedy" or fanservice, that we have started bracing up for any mention or showcase of sexual assault to be treated as a gag or as a "sexy" thing; specially when it comes to female characters, because sadly they're the victims of this 99% of the time. This, without going over the sexualization of characters in general, even when mundane things are happening

It's a sentiment I understand and share. I hate all of these tropes and "jokes" and it makes me really sad when a series I otherwise like has to include something like that. I actively criticize these kinds of things no matter how big a fan I am of a work in question

However, I think because of all this, we have forgotten that media can choose to use scenarios like that as an actual Bad thing to show. A bad and unfortunate thing that happens to a character that isn't used as comedy or as fanservice

I had heard about the sexual assault scene in DanDaDan prior to watching it, and I had decided I was gonna skip that scene, as I am someone who is both disgusted by these things and has trauma related to them. However while skipping quickly through the scene I thought it didn't look as bad as I was bracing for, so I decided it was something I could stomach. I was really surprised when I saw that the scene was strictly being handled as a bad thing happening to Momo, and that it also ultimately ended up with her escaping her assaulters before anything truly scarring happens

No jokes about the situation per se, no compromising shots other than the fact that she was in her underwear - and regarding that, the fact that she was built like a normal girl, her proportions and physical features weren't presented in any objectifying or exaggerated way, and through the whole scene she was fighting against it and being uncomfortable instead of submitting to the situation or being made to blush and get flustered about it like you can Disgracefully see in many other instances of other shows

DanDaDan is ultimately a horror / paranormal series. It's not as dark as others and it seems it doesn't pretend to be, but bad things are bound to happen. I think that, as long as you do it tastefully, almost any subject can be used for those bad things. Sexual stuff is sadly EXTREMELY misused in anime, and tbh in media in general, but I don't think it has to be a taboo thing to have your characters go through as long as youre not being weird about it

Furthermore, I think it's pretty clear that, at least the parts that have been adapted of this manga so far (I am not a manga reader btw, I have only seen the 5 anime episodes that are currently out, so if the manga later proves me defending it wrong, I'm sorry, and I'd like to hear it), are in part talking about bodily autonomy

Our mcs BOTH get assaulted, but nobody online ever pays attention to Okarun losing his genitals as him also having been assaulted simply because it's presented in a more unrealistic way. His initial motivation in the series is to retrieve his genitals, and even when he seems to have gotten them back the first time, something is still wrong (another part missing) and he can't just go about his life normally again as if nothing had happened, which I think is a clear metaphor of a victim's feelings after having been assaulted; and what is more, our first arc ends with the revelation that the ghost who did that to him seems to have done it to protect the place she's bound to, a tunnel, from men, for we get told that many girls have gotten sexually assaulted, killed and dismembered in it

About Okarun, I DO get that his situation is shown in a bit of a silly light because haha penis, but I am also afraid that people would have reacted a lot more if he was a girl losing his genitals instead even if it was painted in the same light. Both Momo and Okarun got out of the situation fighting, both of them were brave and as nonchalant as they could to their assaulters, but it's only Momo's situation which gets treated as the bad one. Both get terrible things done to them ! And both of them are being shown as bad things !

None of this means you personally can't be uncomfortable with any of the mentioned scene; after all, they're portraying something horrible that happens in real life. And again, I get that in Momo's case, although unrealistic elements are involved, the situation she's put in can look closer to a real life assault, and thus, it can be more triggering. But the fact is that the sexual assault of both characters is being used to showcase a terrible thing, it's not there just for a gag or for people to put their eyes on the characters' bodies, and I personally just think it's silly when I see people lump in the situations in DanDaDan with series like Undead Unluck, when the former is portraying assault as not only a genuinely bad situation but also as part of the many points I think the first act of the series makes about bodily autonomy, and the later uses it as a reocurring "funny" gag (I have seen people say it gets better later, but still, it's still used as a gag at some point)

This is brought to you by me seeing people on Twitter compare DanDaDan's assault scene to incestuous characters from other animes like Yuri from Spy x Family, Makoto from Saiki K., and Lance from Mashle. I am a big fan of two of those three series and let me tell you: those characters can fuck themselves, I don't find haha incest jokes funny or necessary in any piece of media

[evenmorefatallyobsessed]

Okay so since this I've been getting spammed with several different AU versions of the RWBY Girls.

The Tarnished Spartan, Withered Rose and Aged Dragon... Okay, so I'm probably gonna get some hate for this... But Hot Take, these make no damn sense...

The idea that ANY Member could survive in the EverAfter Like Jaune did is laughable... Ruby Literally Killed Herself like what...Three Days in?

Blake Runs... Repeatably from shit, and is ironically the quickest to emotional outlashing...

The one who'd last the longest are Weiss and Yang... And to be frank, we've seen Yang Break, and succumb to Depression, and that was before her whole character became all about Blake. I'm only half joking about that, Seriously though the fact that her biggest mental issue was over her and Blake's relationship Reveals exactly why she'd fail to last there... She'd break, in a year alone, and give into depression.

Yang just isn't as emotionally and mentally strong as Jaune, it's why after The Fall she gave up while Jaune didn't.

Weiss, I could see Weiss going insane since the EverAfter was REALLY fucking with her logical sensibilities. Ultimately I think she'd last the longest but also would go way crazier then Jaune...

But what would do her in is Alyx poisoning her...

And then we have Pyrrha... HAHAHAHA!!! No, No wait, I need to laugh more! SERIOUUSLY!!! PYRRHA!!! PYRRHA!

Dude, I don't know why People fail to grasp that Pyrrha for all her strengths, and amazing points, is emotionally and mentally one of the weakest characters in the entire show.

The girl is a literal champion, invincible, had Weiss arrogant freaking Schnee trying to Brown Nose her way into being her partner. And somehow she lacked the confidence to even try and flirt with a boy she likes.

She will literally tell Jaune to go ask out Weiss to the Dance Knowing it'll fail because let's face it, up until then it always has... Instead of asking him herself... Outside of combat Pyrrha incredibly weak-willed. It's actually something I really appreciated about her character, that she was only a Mary Sue when in battle.

Outside of it, she's not the walking talking solve everyone's problem girl... And we see this with more then just Jaune, we saw it when she was tearing herself apart over choosing whether to become the Fall Maiden or not.

To the point where she used her powers and lashed out at Jaune... Of Course, that is Valid. She was going through a lot, through a really horrible, cruel decision...

But that's exactly why I know she'd fail in the EverAfter, because the EverAfter is so much more mentally taxing. Physical strength only means so much when that place fucks with your mind more then anything.

And let's not sugar coat it, Pyrrha would be in a rough spot emotionally compared to Jaune. The fight at Haven... Would be the same I'd say. Pyrrha would Rush Cinder outta rage. And even if Cinder hadn't attacked her, Vernal was winning, and I can't see her sparring Weiss. So Yeah, Weiss would've died and it'd snowball into worse.

Hell, regular Pyrrha would break in the EverAfter, let alone a guilt-ridden one. All it takes is some fucked up mind game involving Jaune in that crazy world and I'd see Pyrrha rushing to Ascend herself.

Okay, well... I'm done with my little rant, sorry all y'all for dropping that on you. And hey, if you like the idea of these Aged warriors from the EverAfter then power to you. Just cuz I don't like them doesn't mean you shouldn't.

I'm just getting sick of ask pertaining to this is all, especially the more toxic ones saying 'If Jaune could do it, then it'd be easy for (Insert RWBY Girl's Name)' as those are utter bullshit as the only person who might be sane enough to last there alone might... Might be Ren.

The series has shown that while their strong physically Team RWBYs members are mentally way more fallible then Jaune.

Okay so diving a bit into the Fate series I'm realizing something Jaune qualifies to be a Heroic spirit. The Rusted Knight is literally his legend... And now I'm trying to think on how much his legend (The Story) Effects him.

Would he be a Rider (Juniper Mount) Or a Saber... I would suggest Ruler but from my understanding it requires one to not covenant to Grail which due to his regrets (Pyrrha, Penny & Alyx) I can't see Applying to him.

And finally what would be his Noble Phantasm? Thoughts anyone?

[wings-of-fire-confessions]

Okay, imma be real? I think this fandom gets way too upset over characterization differences between books (this'll be a long one just let me explain).

I see a lot of posts in the WOF fandom about how certain characters got ruined in the next books or how their characterizations were completely screwed over. A lot of posts also are like, "Oh, Tui messed up X character in this book so badly!" Or "All their personality has changed in this book, what happened to my favorite character?" and so on like that.

This kind of thing, ESPECIALLY after rereading the series recently, then coming back to the fandom, pisses me off to NO END for a couple of reasons.

1. Tui wasn't "ruining" your favorite characters personality in the next book, because the focus of the next book wasn't the character in question. The spotlight is on another character entirely, and trying to micromanage THAT many personalities to their truest form is INCREDIBLY difficult.

2. Plotting out character personalities is a GRUELING process, coming from someone who does a lot of writing. ESPECIALLY if it's original characters, because then you can't just pull from fandom or canon, you gotta do that shit yourself. And over the course of the canon, their personality is gonna change!

This brings me to my last point and probably the biggest reason:

3. EVERY BOOK IS FROM A DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVE.

This has been a STAPLE of the Wings of Fire books from the VERY BEGINNING. With every new book, we as readers are jumping from one dragon's mental space to the next, learning about their traits and quirks and how they perceive the world around them, every single time we pick up the next book in the series. It's what helps give us those deeper insights into the characters that yall get so angry about when they aren't immediately represented in the next book, when that dragon is no longer our spotlight.

Also, when we are learning about the other dragons before we jump to their perspectives, the character that we are reading about is already making assumptions and assigning traits that they think correlate with the character in question! We are seeing the world through their eyes and thoughts, so when we move to another perspective, that dragon is doing the exact same thing, even though now we know more about one of the other characters!

And then the fandom gets hissy when the first character gets relegated into the background and assigned some base personality traits, even though that's exactly what happened before.

Personally, I think the ones who suffer from this the MOST are Clay in Arc 1 and Moon in Arc 2. Clay, according to fans, gets boiled down to nothing but his love for food, even though we see in his, Sunny's, and Peril's perspectives that he's more than that. His behaviors also directly correlate to why he gets that kind of background trait (although that's a whole other rant), and every time I see someone saying that Clay got screwed over by characterization, I take psychic damage.

And Moon. God, yall, Moon gets it THE WORST FROM YOU. I've seen SO MANY POSTS about how she got boiled down to nothing but a love triangle piece in the later arcs, which is only partly true, but we also see from ALL OF THOSE PERSPECTIVES (Qibli and Winter specifically) that the traits they're assigning her are both different aspects of how her character worked in the first book and what two lovestruck, moons-blinded dumbasses are seeing and choosing to view her as.

Her book even SHOWS how much of a NIGHTMARE it would be to have every character be deep and know their inner thoughts at all times. Moon herself gets mentally and physically overwhelmed near CONSTANTLY during the majority of her book, and I'm not even technically factoring in Darkstalkers' influence.

All of that to say, Wings of Fire fandom, is to stop losing your SHIT over how your characters might seem flat or not like they were in their books. All of these perspectives are different, and if you motherfuckers actually took some time to reread the books while actively LOOKING for those hints of your silly guys being the same silly guys, just from another dragon's POV, then maybe yall wouldn't be so pissed off about characterization in the books nearly HALF as often.

I don't even care how much discourse this is gonna spark I just felt the incredible urge to tell yall to use those skills you learned in English class and chill the FUCK OUT on this topic.

Thank you for coming to my Ted Talk. Now go use your eyes :>

.

[punkpandapatrixk]

Slow Mornings~♪

Hello lovely peeps. I'm popping in to say that I'm so sorry I haven't been as productive as I’d hoped. I had all of these plans, and literally 3 years’ worth of content ideas, but my body has not been able to catch up! I’m now behind on all of the readings I’d scheduled for the entirety of October XD

The truth of the matter is a little bit convoluted but I’ve been both experiencing a series of burnout—autistic burnout, which I didn’t even know was a speciality thing—as well as being in this healing phase where my body simply wants to catch up on sleep, after years and years and very long years of being on edge. There was a meme I forgot to save that says something to this effect:

'Your body is healing from years of trauma; you’re not lazy. You deserve this peace.’

Actually, the above could as well be a mash of two—or three—separate memes LOL Here’s another good one from a sub maker that I feel captures just thee vibe I’m feeling right now:

‘Maybe you're simply perceiving how a lovely sensation of closure & calm gently fills the air around you, feeling a little sleepier than usual. Or maybe you can sense how a massively positive change is coming, seemingly eager to go with it and that's great as well.’ – The Witch of Drown Shadows

I believe many of you reading this could relate as well. A new beginning is on the horizon for sooo many of us who’ve been on a soul-search to liberate ourselves from the chains of the toxic Matrix. I hope you're doing well, and excited for what's to come before the year even ends ^o^v

Forget the grind, leave behind soul-sucking deadlines, and enjoy the slow mornings~♪

Naturally, I’m going to be more productive again once I’m done stabilising myself—all mind body and spirit aligned. I’m not saying this out of a sense of ‘obligation’; that all people ideally must be a productive member of society. No, not that. I really want to get productive on this blog because I’ve a shit ton of good content in the works XD

I’ve so much new content on career, luck, character glow-up, soulmate friendships!!!, celebrity life, life purpose and other esoteric shit I’m eager to put out \^-^/ Not to mention the fiction that’ll go on Wattpad. I’m making progress on Punk Panda Stories but slow…very slow XD

For now, I’m aiming to post one PAC every week without fail. I’m just going to expect this much from me in the meantime, so as not to burn myself out on the psychology level just yet. When you expect too much from yourself, the stress could deter any progress instead, right?

This is especially true for those who don’t necessarily have a deadline. But that’s the thing, I don’t wanna strangle myself with deadlines anymore. So I’m not gonna work like that anymore. This ain’t 9-5 corporate, girl. Stop thinking like that! Is what I’ve been telling myself. Gotta change the whole way I approach my soul-work~♪

Until the end of the year, I’m teaching myself to enjoy slow mornings™️ I’ve been starting my day with just cleaning myself and my room; having a breakfast of lemon tea w/ a dollop of strawberry jam + a CVS croissant; playing a game on my dusty-but-trusty old PSP when I’ve got the time; and reading a few chapters of an actual book.

In the afternoon, I’ve been back on teaching myself ballet and strengthening my vocals. It’s nice. I feel very healthy and like myself again, but better <3 We were born into this world to enjoy our hobbies and hopefully, ideally make money alongside those hobbies <3

Never forget that, girlies. Hard work doesn’t suit us <3

How the Boredom Epidemic Ruined Hobbies by Nicole Rudolph

[absolutebl]

it's more ql than bl, but have you watched/do you think you'll watch the 'love in the big city' series? it's incredibly angst and heavy and you definitely have to be in the right headspace to sit through it, but it's one of my favourite series that's come out this year. i always enjoy reading your blog posts and i'd love to know what you think about this series in particular :)

Since Vicki dropped them all at once, I did what I do under such circumstances and skipped to watch the final episode. (I'm well aware this makes me a monster. )

Anygay, that told me that I’m not gonna watch the whole series. It’s ITSAY 2.0 + HIV. And I’m not willing to play that old school literatti game.

I'm aware of how amazing it most likely is and what I’ve missed, but I’m comfortable with my choice. It's to protect my own psyche. I don't like unhappy narratives, and I try to avoid HIV as a plot. I lost too many beloved uncles to those three little letters IRL as a child, it scarred me.

At some point I might watch it on fast-forward for the sex scenes, but I’m not at that point yet. 

[willoillo]

I spent like all of today reading through book 6 cuz I needed a mental break today, which means I have completely finished this first arc!!

Thoughts on book 6 first:

As... Should be obvious from how quickly I finished it, I really liked this one. This book wasn't plagued with any of the pacing problems that the other ones had, and both the heartbreak and the victories felt well-placed and hard-earned.

The twist with Tigerstar in the third act was spoiled for me, unfortunately, but I think it still had the intended effect. It is kind of an anticlimax for his character? But I feel like it was a fitting end.

The ending itself was very satisfying. It feels like it ties together the story so far, which is... Incredibly tricky given how all over the place the series has felt. But it manages to pull it off, and it does so in a way that makes it feel purposeful. It's a very strong ending.

Now, onto the series as a whole...

I'm gonna start with what I liked, because there is a lot to like!!

I think the idea of the clans is relatively well thought out; how the different environments shape the kind of cats there, what kind of food they're likely to hunt and the difficulties they'll face, the various characters we meet... It does really feel like a setting one could sink their claws into and never really let go, and given how frequently the clans change loyalties and how quickly the cats grow up it seems really easy to fit your own characters into.

I also think the naming conventions are interesting!! How clan names are chosen, the way they change as a warrior develops, the unique terms for illnesses and the seasons and other common things. Fresh kill in particular has entered my vocabulary and stuck there cuz it's just such a good descriptor in my head.

I do love the focus on, like, legacy that the series has? With this focus on growth from kit to apprentice to warrior, and how important teaching the next generation is. It also ties in really well with the passing of the seasons; no matter what else is going on, the seasons march on, bringing their own challenges and forcing the cats to adapt to them.

I definitely fell in love with a lot of the characters, as well? The interpersonal relationships and how they grow and change, as well as how they don't, really breathe life into the world. From what I've seen, I'd say that Cinderpelt and Sandstorm are my favorites, but I also ended up falling in love with Greystripe and Silverstream's doomed romance, as well as Bluestar's quiet compassion.

I like the way Starclan is handled; they feel present the entire time without disrupting the tension or providing an answer. The messages from Starclan always feel like a mystery to be solved, which makes them engaging and kept me guessing.

The kitties are a lot of fun to draw, unsurprisingly; I still might make more art, if only for fun, and I'm really happy with how Bayflower turned out. I have a Warriors OC now and I wouldn't give her up for the world x3

That said, no series is perfect, and this one was... Kind of a bumpy ride. Lots of ups and downs. The clans beyond Thunderclan aren't very fleshed out beyond their like, broad characteristics and the few characters from them we meet directly, quite often the story feels aimless and things come together either too late or not at all. There's a fair bit of fatphobia and ableism in it. The villains in particular aren't very fleshed out; they only get to be a complex character until they've chosen their side.

The biggest thing that frustrated me though, is how inconsistent the series is. Some of these books were excellent, others were frustrating, and most fell somewhere in the middle, with moments that I absolutely loved compared with moments where I got so bored or frustrated I had to put down the book for a bit.

I'm not surprised by this? It's very common with long running book series, especially ones with multiple writers. But it still made me really unsure of what to think and made the experience less enjoyable overall.

Given how many books this series has, and how bumpy the ride has been so far, I think that this is where I get off. It's been an enjoyable time, and I'm very glad to have read the series, but there's A LOT of books and I don't feel comfortable committing to them after my experience with this first arc. I'm sure there are gems in there, but I don't feel like digging for them.

That said, if you have a particular book you think I should read, or an arc I should skip to so I don't miss out on a character you love, now's your chance to tell me!! I'm not averse to reading more in this setting, I just don't want to commit to the whole series.

Overall, this was a great time, and I'm glad that I read this first arc. There's a lot to love here, and I no longer feel lost or confused by the kitty references, which is great!! I can like. Get some of the jokes, and watch animatics without being completely lost, which is ESPECIALLY a boon. I adore fan animations they are the COOLEST thing.

Library found their copy

So it's time to do this!! If I enjoy my time I'll keep reading, but I make no promises.

[sga-owns-my-soul]

"So," John starts in a casual drawl, trying to hide the way blood is rushing in his ears, his heart pounding on his chest. Rodney looked up from the chess board in between them, raising an eyebrow at him. "I talked to Ronon."

[galactaknightyaoi]

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, GALACTA KNIGHT!!!! And congratulations to Meta Knight for experiencing the Cain Instinct for the first time.

Galacta Knight, as you might've been able to tell already, is one of my favorite characters, and KSSU is one of my favorite games (the original SS was my introduction to Kirby!) so I wanted to go all out. Happy day, old man. I pray for at least 20 more years.

Oh, and don't worry! He's not upset about the cake smash, he thinks it's funny. And he got back at him.

As for the in-universe explanation for there being 16 candles in his cake?

... 500+ didn't fit in safely.

The birthday boy and his family were just a bit too flammable.

[hotasfahrenheit]

i just-

then he-

oh yeah okay then

[devilsskettle]

The X trilogy + "psycho-biddy" influences

[kaidanalenkosprmanager]

THE BEST OF SHENKO 1/?

The end of the world has a way of reminding you of all the things you forgot to say do. Mass Effect: Legendary Edition (2021)

[secondjulia]

Happy Ferdie Friday. Did you need a gif of a video of Ferdinand Kingsley saying "I love you?

[hadesknockedupintheunderworld]

"But why would Sonic still be friends with them why wouldn’t he denounce them or treat them like the villains they are? Why won't he realize they're just evil?"

First of all, has it perhaps occured to you that Sonic loves/cares for them no matter what they do and doesn't want to hurt them if he doesn't have to? Has it perhaps occurred to you that he doesn't see them like irredeemable villains and it's not because he's a dumb dumb idiot?

Second of all, haha keep talking and I'm gonna unroll my character analysis essay. "They're just evil" yeah that's rich. Bet you thought the ending of the series was about "redeeming" them too, huh?

[pa-pa-plasma]

i think i'm gonna learn how to draw (<- is an artist)

[disposal-blueeee]

got some of my jake art reblogged recently and i find it funny because right now i draw this man like this

( by right now i mean like 2 months ago this drawing is old

i'm sure i can draw him better like , actually right now . it's been so long since i drew him which is funny because he's my favorite character and i would die for him

[leafy-m]

So I hit my 700th edit for the WHA wiki today, because I am a totally normal person