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smolstarthief · 3 years

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Persona 5/Persona 5 Strikers: Pro-Police or Anti-Police?

Hoo boy... So this honestly has been a LONG time coming on my end because I have seen so much of that debate on social media (Twitter namely) and I can see the points of BOTH sides but there have been moments where it just got out of hand... Especially whenever people tried to put in a more grey/nuanced take only to be slammed and taken out of context. Even repeatedly mentioning the interrogation at the beginning of P5 which, I will admit has gotten tiresome. At least for me, I do still feel for Joker and I wished the game acknowledged his trauma more but there's a thing called, "beating a dead horse" and this is one along with "Haru says ACAB" in Strikers (which was done THREE TIMES in the same arc and it got annoying fast, like shut up already! We get it!). So, let's dive in a little bit:

MAJOR SPOILERS UNDER THE CUT!!!

Persona 5/Persona 5 Royal

Now let me just say I know! Police in Japan are just as bad if not worse than the West and I STILL hate the idea of Makoto wanting to become a cop for such naive reasons (especially with what happened to Sae, her own sister!)... But there are at least some of form of nuances sometimes and by that I mean, I can see what they were trying to do? I do agree that P5/P5S backpedaled SEVERELY by deciding to sweep issues under the rug after addressing them and not continuing from such. In fact I feel like it could have been a hell of a lot better. But P5 did something different compared to previous games and addresses the issues DIRECTLY right at the beginning of said game! It was tense and horrifying, but needed. Of course... They then sweep it under the rug and act like nothing traumatic happened to our protag which is NOT a good look at all and I'm still pissed off about it. In the main game's case, it's portrayed as more black and white with only a SMALL amount of nuance like that cop that was trying to help Futaba when she went out by herself and got lost (which people ignore entirely by the way). So I CAN see where people got the "anti-police" message from... But that's only the tip of the iceberg as it's ACTUALLY more about Systematic Corruption, not exactly or JUST police corruption. Namely in politics with Shido and the Conspiracy (which is apparently still somewhat around in Strikers until Owada's downfall) controlling everything all the way to law enforcement. The force had been basically under his payroll (including the corrupt SIU Director before his death) whether by force or not (mostly not in this case though). Now honestly, the police depicted there are undoubtedly rotten to the core save for a VERY SMALL handful (the cop that was trying to help Futaba which, again, gets ignored by several). Look at the interrogators who ruthlessly beat and drug a minor without any second thought or remorse for example. But again, the black and white narrative the game kept unwittingly doing ended up being to its detriment in a way. I'm not defending those assholes AT ALL! They deserved every punishment given to them! But for a game that goes on about grey morality... It doesn't quite deliver on that. Still though, it does emphasize that it's more of the fault of the whole corrupt system, not just one part of it. There needs to be change and reform which is what our MCs were trying to do in a way (more like inspiring change but still). In the end, it's all about the following:

Corruption and abuse of power.

Again the police depicted in this game were incompetent at best, corrupt at worse with very few silver linings. But it's not just them but rather the one person responsible for the whole mess. Who had them under his payroll? Who controlled them and by extension all of Tokyo? Who was willing to dispose of anyone who "outlives their usefulness" or is perceived as a threat to what he wants (including his own family)?

SHIDO AND BY EXTENSION THE CONSPIRACY

Bottom line: They are definitely a problem but it's not just them.

"But, Joker and his trauma?"

I definitely understand that and still do. I fully believe he has and still has trauma with the police. Easy! But... I do feel like people go too far with it sometimes. It's hard to explain but there have been moments where people either use it as a justification/argument against someone trying to provide a more nuanced view of things or... Dare I say, depict him like a "uwu soft traumatized boi." Like I said, it's hard to explain on my end so feel free to ignore it. Everyone deals with trauma differently so there is STRONG chance that I'm overanalyzing it. I just remember moments where I just feel a little, I guess annoyed? I'm not sure exactly but final thing: I understand what he went through and I can't imagine how long it would take to recover but I hope he DOES overcome it.

"Sae? Akechi?"

Yep, even though their jobs are different, they are by and large members of law enforcement no matter how you spin it. Both were broken in a way. Akechi is pretty easy to explain with how Shido negatively impacted his life but not much about Sae, who dealt with sexism/misogyny at her workplace along with the trauma of her father's (also a cop) death. She no doubt had some idealism only to be hit with the fact that she's gonna have to use underhanded/downright illegal tactics to get by and even rise up the ranks. She, therefore ended up (well, nearly) corrupted herself before coming to her senses. That's honestly one of the BIGGEST REASONS why I felt like Makoto joining the force to become a police commissioner isn't a good, even a downright naïve, idea. I honestly would have been somewhat fine with it if it weren't for that fact among other things. Regardless of her willpower, it will go south fast.

Now... Onto Strikers!

Persona 5 Strikers

Since the game came out and I started playing it, I still feel like the system is still beyond saving, especially when attempting to do it from the inside. But I don't mind the added nuances that P5 didn't do much of. It's still continuing the critiques, just shows more of what does happen within said system and even has an ACTUAL officer (Zenkichi) say, "Yeah, my job sucks, everyone's corrupt, there are much better ways to do things and make a change but not this. I'm only staying because I have a daughter to take care of and it's all I know. I'm no different from them." Was it all handled well? I wouldn't say "yes" (Joker's trauma is BARELY addressed at all of course) but a little better than what P5's narrative did which only addressed the issues but not exactly follow up on them. Now to be fair... In the system, regardless of where you live, any one within it who remotely tries to do something or speak against it either lose their jobs or even go "missing" irl. Those have happened and it's more proof that yeah, it's rotten to the core. There's no denying it but regardless, that's NOT what the game is about at all. At least that's what I feel about it as it's only PART of the narrative. I think Zenkichi puts it best here:

Speaking of Zenkichi... Oh boy... Now I definitely understand some of the criticisms with him but honestly, he was the best written (PT) character I've ever encountered! He was honestly the perfect representation of those that genuinely want to help and do good, only to be held back by an extremely harsh reality. It was already hinted at with Sae but here? It 100 percent confirms just how harsh and even cutthroat it can be if it could break someone's idealism so badly. Even Kaburagi of all people thinks the same thing Zenkichi said:

Then there's his past and it's a tragic one! But let's look more at the decisions he ended up making:

While it was no doubt done to protect his daughter, he ended making a selfish decision along with a selfless one (which was brilliant!) with not only allowing the cover up of his wife's death and denying justice for her, but also ruining an innocent person and their family's lives.

It's horrible, but also... There's a grey area/nuance as with the rest of his character. It was both understandable, but also wrong as he, as Akane's Shadow puts it:

He sacrificed his values, his morals, all for the sake of having a peace of mind. Speaking of Akane, she's also an interesting case in a way that she more or less perfectly represents the more "black and white" views on justice in general. Namely the more toxic/biased kind. Her reasons are also understandable but she was also acting selfishly by only focusing on how SHE was effected by Aoi's death and not even considering those that were also grieving her death and/or that people grieve/handle grief differently than her. But back on topic.

Her own views and beliefs that law enforcement basically SHOULD be dismantled (mostly out of said childish bias and black & white views) and it's framed as WRONG and it's very much correct on that. Chaos and order are two sides of the same coin, one can't exist without the other. When I say ACAB, I'm calling for reform, defund, have the corrupt held accountable for EVERYTHING and even face jail time for their crimes! Defund the police, have the ones that arrest, harm, and even murder out of bias (race, gender, etc.), lose their badges/jobs and locked up, make improvements! It's saying that there IS still corruption out there and there's no denying it. But fully eliminating the law in general will just lead to more problems. Now granted, she's young and clearly doesn't fully understand why those views are ultimately wrong but still... It was a very interesting subject to tackle and I feel like they handled it well.

Now back to Zenkichi, he was at first in denial about his decisions ultimately being the wrong ones too and even tries to justify it. Of course, his Shadow said otherwise and that was when he finally admitted that he really did act no different from the criminals he despised. But it also doesn't mean he can't redeem himself and that's what ultimately leads to his new resolve:

That right there along with everything else! There's the nuance! And ultimately despite some hiccups, Strikers handled the grey morality and nuance beautifully! Especially regarding law enforcement! Dare I say, even better than the base game! It continues the critiques with no problem but also showing different sides and areas of it! There is good and evil, but what about in-between? What about the more greyer area? It still says that there IS corruption, sometimes even beyond saving but... Sometimes a small silver lining is hidden somewhere.

Now, the ultimate question:

Is P5 & P5S (namely the latter) Pro-Police or Anti-Police?

Personally, my answer is this: Neither.

Why? What theme do they both have in common?

JUSTICE

Someone puts it best on Twitter that the games are more pro-justice and I fully agree!

P5/P5S gives the idea about following your OWN justice, your OWN moral code and rules, paving your OWN path and not let others dictate it! That's what the MCs ultimately start to learn in both games. Therefore it's pro-justice. Again, do I agree that the system is beyond saving? Yeah. Do I at least acknowledge and understand what the narratives are trying to say and nuances regardless even if I don't agree with some writing decisions (ex: Makoto wanting to become a commissioner despite everything)? Also yes. But at the same time, don't judge a book by its cover for other people (not just law enforcement and politics mind you). Especially some that genuinely DO want to help at best. That there is nuance and greyness, just have to look closely. Some of the MCs are still TERRIBLY written and executed (even annoying) but the message was still somewhat there.

Final Thoughts

Now I fully understand how you all feel of course! I still believe in ACAB and even I agree that maybe I'm one to talk and have a lot more to learn about the world... This is just my own attempt at putting my own two cents in. If you disagree, that's fine! This is just what I've felt should be at least talked about more often. And I tried to phrase it as best as I can without coming off as insensitive or ignorant and if I did, I sincerely apologize for that! I'm not trying to say, come off as a "bootlicker" or any of the sort. I'm just trying show discuss more of the grey areas and nuances that are, more often than not, constantly overlooked. How one interprets both games is ultimately up to them. You, the player. And this is my own interpretation. Simple as that. I hope you all have a good day/afternoon/evening!

#starchild rambles #analysis #persona 5 #persona 5 royal #persona 5 strikers #p5 #p5r #p5s #p5s spoilers #p5r spoilers #p5 spoilers #long post

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elriellover · 3 years

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Hello! I have had this fic idea for a long time now and just finished it today. This is my first time writing anything and I hope you enjoy it!

Constructive criticism is appreciated

I still don't have a name for it lol if you have any ideas feel free to message me

☆☆☆Azriel They'd been walking for an hour to the continent, they'd winnow across the borders and started walking so azriel would not be worn out by the time they got to there destination. It had been azriel, elain, vassa and lucien the quest to find koschie and the dread trove They'd decided to go to koschie together because elain begged to go and help, he hadn't known why..... ~~~ before "Are we clear" cassien said after He'd explained the plan and what lucien and vassa where to do when they got to koschie. The plan had been easy enough, before they'd crossed to the human lands they'd use a powder azriel had found while he was on a mission that would hide there scent long enough for any of koschies cronies to catch on to there scent and report back to him, then they'd use the map that elain had traced when she was seering for them to find where koschie was located. she couldn't find the exact place but she'd lessened the space they had to search. They'd all agreed it would be risky but if they worked fast enough the plan would work. It was silent for a couple minutes everyone trying to think if there's anything they forgot to add. Until elain cut through the silence. " I want to go" elain said meeting everyones stare. Head up spine straight, eyes filled with thorns that warned do not fight with me nos. They all looked at her like she said something crazy. "No." Nesta and feyre said in unison, " it's too dangerous." Feyre said worrie glazing her eyes " I am not a child feyre." She stated. " you will just slow them down you cannot protect yourself you don't know how to fight." Nesta said her words cutting through elain but only for a second did he see her hurt by her sisters words then her face went back to cold stone and determination. " i am not a child Nesta." She repeated her words thundering around the silent room. Azriel had never thought elain would be so brave, so strong, he didn't think it was bad, he loved that she was showing her strong side. He'd always known she had a backbone she just never showed it. " I will go. I've had training, with nuala and ceridwin. I know enough that I wouldn't hold anyone back I know how to defend my self do not think just because you do not see me training doesn't mean I don't." Elain scolded her sisters both for not actually trying to know her. For a second there all silent waiting... waiting, but nothing happens. "Elain" Nesta says they all go still not even breathing except for elain who was calm waiting but all Nesta said was " if you are to go, can someone come with you. Just so I am not worried; please." Nesta says with a gentleness he'd never heard. " yes." Elain said trying not to show her relief but he saw that little glitter in her eyes. "Who will go?" Rhysand said, they all looked at him ( azriel)... ofcourse he was the only one that had "free time" he didn't really mind having to spend time with elain but lucien, her mate joining them would be very, very awkward. " if that is alright with You?" He said talking to elain " yes." She whispered That one word almost sent him on his knees, the same word she said on solstice, the same day he'd been forbidden to speak to her. He saw it flash in her eyes the sadness he'd caused her. He new he didn't deserve her he wasn't enough, she was too good for him he was a bastard, he was ugly. Why would someone like her love him; he was nothing. That word kept replaying on and on nothing, nothing you are nothing...... He new rhysand was going to have a " chat" with him before they left on behaving himself and all that crap he talks about. He didn't care. He was getting tired of this life he hated himself hated everyone in it... except for one person; one person he could never have. He would do anything to be able to be with her, keep harm away from her, he would do anything to see her smile. Oh that smile, so beautiful he wished he could see it everyday of every hour and second. But he couldn't she wasn't his mate, was not ment for him, but for someone else..... " azriel!" Rhysand brought him out of his miserable

thoughts "yes" his voice hoarse "where did you go we've finalized the plan, you and elain will go with lucien and vassa to koachie then you will come back and we'll start looking for the 3 trove." Rhys said his voice firm. " okay" his voice sounded tired but he pulled himself together he couldn't be weak now not now later. " when are we to head out rhysand?" " tomorrow morning, sun rise." After that they all went to there rooms, they had already eaten... well not azriel he'd just Come from a mission when they finished eating feyre asked if he wanted food, had lied and said he'd already eaten before he got here. he was fine; he didn't need any food he wasn't even hungry. Elain He hadn't eaten she new from the moment he'd arrived and said he " already ate" she new him, new that he would never eat on a mission if not necessary. And he would never eat before handing back information to rhysand. When the meeting finished She'd ask him if he could help he with something and ofcourse he agreed. He always did.... when he came to the kitchen there was his favorite soup his favorite cookie he liked oatmeal.gross. He'd once made her eat a oatmeal cookie. "Oh azriel there yours I made them for you. You need to eat them." She tried to make an excuse for her to not eat them but that didn't work."Please elain for me I know you'd love it."that little panther he was trying hard not too laugh and she was trying hard not to punch him in that beautiful but annoying face of his. " alright alright I will try a little bit." She couldn't get away from this. she took a bite. Tried not to make a face but obviously failed. he couldn't hold in his laughter anymore and started laughing at her she would have punched him but she wouldn't want to stop his beautiful laughter she'd wanted to hear it as the music she listened to before going to sleep. So beautiful. She always smiled at that memory an amazing one really. She made him sit and eat his food until the last bit, he was blushing the cutie. She couldn't stop herself from smiling. When he'd finished they parted ways but not before hed thanked her and said the food was great. She was happy with herself that he'd liked her food. He needed energy for tomorrow and she didn't want him getting hurt because he hadn't eaten in probably days. She went to sleep as peacefully as she could. It still haunted her..... ◇◇◇morning Azriel He walked In to see elain sitting on her favorite arm chair, near the window showing casing her garden. "Good morning" azriel spoke, " good morning how was you sleep" " alright yours?" "Okay" he new she new that he didn't get sleep and he new that she didn't either she'd told him once but never spoke of it again he didn't push she would speak when she liked same as him she didn't push, he'd tell her when he was ready. " are you ready to go on you first mission?" He asked. " I don't really know how to feel In a way I'm excited and also nervous I think nervous maybe" she said never lying she'd always told him how she was feeling in these moments. " but I do know I'm excited to be going on a mission with the famous night court spymaster I wonder if he's as legendary as people say"she said she with teasing smile. Now he was smiling aswell. " you'll just have to find out" he said with a smirk. Before they could continue there talk lucian, vassa and the inner circle walked in with Nesta. " are you guys ready?" Feyre asked nervously " yes." Elain said calm, eyes steelly again. It wasn't that's she was mad at feyre.she didn't want her to see her nervousness and say she shouldn't go. He new all that because he new her, listened to her, saw her. " should we head out?" Lucien said looking at elain and him questioningly " wait." Nesta said walking towards elain, feyre following and hugged there sister. "Goodbye, come back or I will drag you back." Nesta said tears in her eyes. " be careful be strong hold you ground and I love you be safe please" feyre said worrie in her eyes. " I'm not running away don't be worried i will come back and I will be careful, I

love you both also someone take care of f my garden" before cassin could speak or Rais his hand elain interrupted "no snowball not you anyone but you" elain said grinning up at a pouty faced cassien. She started calling him that when azriel and rhsyand made cassien into a snowball and he looked like a snowball. Elain saw him and started laughing so hard that she started crying she kept saying cassien your face. He was pouting but he was In a snowball. " wow elain what if I wasn't going to say that hhmmmm???" " your the only one who does this cassien" rhysand said " RHYS YOU REALLY ARE A PRICK , FEYRE YOU WERE RIGHT THOWING THAT SHOE AT HIM HE DESERVED IT!" No one could help it they started laughing. That was cassien making every serious thing and less serious. " goodbye everyone!" Elain shouted before they winnow out of the house and they were now on there way to the most dangerous sorcer ever....

If you've made it this far thank you soo much! Please feel free to point out my mistakes😁

#elriel fanfic #azriel x elain #elain archeron #Azriel #Sjm #Pro elain

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utilitycaster · 3 years

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[image description: a screenshot of a reply from @tanely which reads "I also think because of the video nature of this, the intent or lack there of, can be read as something different. it builds this weird disconnect because like. yes that facial expression COULD mean something or that tone COULD mean something. but....is it in character? is it not? it's such a fine line that can be used to account for anyone's headcanons/opinions if you try hard enough."]

(this was in reply to this post about how I like not just disproving theories that I think are wrong but also trying to figure out similarities and motivations)

(also everyone be warned this is a sideblog and xkit's one-click reply has been broken for a long time due to the major update last year so if you don't want me mentioning you when I respond to replies just let me know and I'll take it out)

This is a really good point and one I've been thinking about a lot lately. I think the fandoms for podcast actual play are, if not smaller, at least quieter, and the fandoms for scripted podcasts are a lot more justified in making wild theories because the works are scripted and deliberate. The fact that Critical Role is usually livestreamed or live-to-tape vs. edited, and that it all takes place in the same material plane (vs. TAZ or NADDPod which have not reused the same main setting), probably also contributes in that we see basically everything and there is a chance, however faint/unlikely/bad storytelling it may be, that everything really is connected.

Anyway, you're right. For every Taliesin or Liam quietly reacting when their PC's mortal enemy shows up, there's a hundred glances that literally just are just like...people making eye contact because they are speaking to each other, that someone has interpreted to be evidence for their pet theories. I've mentioned this before in passing but there are ships I stopped being able to enjoy and this was a major factor; it made me genuinely uncomfortable that someone's friendly facial expressions were being so widely interpreted as explicitly romantic (and, referencing the post this came from, the implications were that theory to be true were also not great). And it just so happens that obviously while I don't have a huge sample size, when I started avoiding people who were into the more nonsensical/baseless other theories suddenly I was getting far fewer of those "but the microexpressions" arguments/gifsets as well. In a way that was what really got me into starting to (very informally and entirely in my head) track poorly thought-out theories.

Which is to say that reading into things a little too much can be fun! When the implications aren't as troubling and hypocritical as "someone making a vaguely positive expression towards someone else must always be explicitly romantic unless I don't ship it in which case it's not" I don't mind it! But it needs to be weighted accordingly when we're talking about actual evidence for the theories vs just like, correlations that might not be causative.

This makes me want to look at current NADDPod and TAZ theories though if I can find them and see how people back up their wishful thinking there, because I think the desire to have evidence for the things you want, even if it doesn't really exist in canon, would still be a thing for fans of an audio-only medium - they just wouldn't have that particular source to work with.

#on fandom #i need a tag for me discussing why people are into theories because I love it #it's like...meta but not meta in the sense of analysis of canon #meta in the analysis of fandom #i mean tone does still exist it's just a lot more subtle

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bi-rising · 3 years

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so the thing is. i've always been pro non-binary and i want to continue to be but i have been reading some stuff and i'm worried bc it kinda makes sense and ik it's a bad thing but god idk i need to hear your opinion. so there's this post of someone saying trans ppl wouldn't exist in an utopia where genders aren't a thing and someone else explained how that was wrong because of disphoria and then said "while yes, there would be a lot less nb ppl bc gender stereotypes are more their thing..." and it got me thinking bc i never really understood what nb is. i also saw other people say that nb and genderfluid don't make sense because they're not about gender, but stereotypes about masculinity and femeninity. and i think i agree? (what i hear most from nb ppl is that they don't feel like they fit in with society's ideas of man or woman, but as a somewhat masculine cis woman neither do i? or many others at least) because those things are societal, you can be a binary gender while not agreeing with societal gender norms, or gnc. and what confuses me further is that most nb ppl are gender aligned. i reason they're aligned to the gender that corresponds their sex? (i'm asking from the deepest pit of ignorance😅) but if they feel like they don't fit in the binary genders, how can they be aligned with masc of fem? i mean for example a nb person who's female by sex and is very femenine, wears makeup, long hair, basically doesn't look androgynous at all, are they really not a woman who doesn't agree with gender stereotypes? bc i also feel like a lot of people are treating nb as a quirky thing to use to get in the lgbt community (like they wanna be oppressed, for whatever reason). idk. i'm a bit lost (and drunk), gender discourse is quite complex...

you're right, gender discourse is incredibly complex, especially when so many people are ready to jump down your throat and cancel you and destroy your friendships regardless of your intentions and/or level of knowledge. therefore, i'm also going to speak carefully on this subject, bc i feel that nb discourse is rife with people foaming at the mouth to ask any questions at all so :^)

anyway, i've seen that post before, and i think i agree with you as well. binary trans people have a disorder. it's been proven that trans people's brains have the neural pathways and neural structural patterns of the gender opposite of their sex. therefore, even in a utopia without gender roles and stereotypes, they would still be trans. that's also why it's incredibly important to keep transgender as a medical acknowledgement, not just to force insurance to help pay for gender reaffirming surgeries and therapies, but also to acknowledge that it's a real, neurological occurrence--and hopefully gain more research and acceptance of it.

and because of that, i also am in the same boat as you, where it's likely that nb people would not exist in such a utopia, or if they did, it would be an extremely small amount, even smaller than it is currently. from what i've seen in the nb movement is a lot of push against gender roles and gender stereotypes; i would cautiously hazard a guess that there are two main reasons for people identifying as nb

1) they are gnc

2) they don't "feel" their gender, as they believe cis people do, and conflate lack of femininity/masculinity or a neutrality towards one's own body with having a different gender

i personally can't see anyone having nb dysphoria, simply because the science isn't there for it. the body has two setting--male or female (please note that intersex people are not being considered here, as their condition is a birth defect and not the creation of a third gender or a lack of gender). therefore, there are female and male hormones; female and male neural structures; female and male neural pathways. i don't believe that there is dysphoria associated with not having a gender or having a third gender outside the binary--HOWEVER. however, i believe that many things can be mistaken for nb dysphoria

for example, many binary trans people have had a stage wherein they identify as nb for awhile. it's like a stepping stone, from what i understand, between believing they're cis to understanding they're trans. there is also trauma, especially sexual trauma, that can cause a disconnect between one's own gender and themselves. internalized misogyny/misandry can also be a culprit, or simply not wishing to exist within the boxes that female and male stereotypes push people into. and lastly, there's also body dysmorphia, which can be difficult to recognize for what it is. of course, it may be a desire to simply "be different" than other people, especially for those that are online a lot and have been bombarded with "cis is bad" for years and years, but i would like to give people the benefit of the doubt first instead of jumping to conclusions like that

despite all of this, i do think it is important to respect nb people and be courteous and kind to them. this is just my own opinion, and i personally will never attack or dismiss a nb person. the only problem i will ever have is if a nb person uses neopronouns, and that's bc i am neurodivergent and believe that pronouns equal gender. then, though, i believe that's a separate problem entirely from being nb critical

#jupe's inbox #also pls drink some water!!#don't get too bad of a hangover adkfjasdf

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fritae · 3 years

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The Missing Piece (Chapter 8)

Anxiety.

gang! au / ceo! au

characters: dabi x female oc, lov, other original characters

status: ongoing

read on ao3 here.

I'm sure Mr. Lane has seen me.

With a groan, I take Dabi aside.

"You can go ahead, sir." I tell him quickly, glancing behind me to see if they're watching me.

Dabi looks over my shoulder.

"Is that what's-his-face?"

I shoot Dabi a look and gesture toward Aliyah. We may be friends but I didn't tell her the real reason I left NNTV. She thinks work became too stressful and I needed a break.

She doesn't know about the argument me and Mr. Lane had after I discovered his support of the Todorokis. Or about his cutting my salary and threatening to fire me.

Besides, bad mouthing a former employer is horrible professionalism.

"It's Mr. Lane. Go, go," I try shoo-ing him away. "I'll see you tomorrow sir."

But Dabi doesn't budge.

His eyes are trained on mine.

"I don't like that look on your face."

I groan. "What look? Sir it's just-"

"Like you're uncomfortable."

The comment catches me off guard and I quickly avert my gaze.

"I-I don't know what you're talking about," I say quietly. "These are my friends."

But that only seems to make him more determined. Dabi turns to face me completely, his feet firmly planted in the ground and his hands tucked coolly in the pockets of his pants. He doesn't look interested in listening right now.

"What are you worried about?" He asks. "Is it him?"

I run an anguished hand through my hair. "Sir please. Please. What happened to not asking about our private matters?"

I don't want Dabi and Mr. Lane meeting. Especially considering how our last conversation went. I didn't tell Mr. Lane I was working for the Blaze, and considering how salty he was that I left after all these years, facing him once again fills me with anxiety.

"Alright I won't ask you," Dabi ignores me. "I'll find out from him."

My eyes widen and I pull him back before he could make his way toward Mr. Lane. Aliyah went to bring Mr. Lane to say hi. I feel my chest get tighter when I see him getting closer.

"See? I don't like that." Dabi eyes me with concern. He tsks and pulls a box from his back pocket. He tries to hand me a cigarette but I shake my head quickly.

Mr. Lane doesn't know I smoke.

And with the amount of anxiety pooling in my gut, it wouldn't even help.

Dabi shrugs, no longer facing me.

"I'm here," He says. The ice in his voice from earlier is gone. I look at him once more before Mr. Lane gets within earshot.

He gives me a small nod and reaches for me, his hand brushing against the small of my back in a way that sends electricity up my spine. "He's not your boss anymore. He has no power over you."

I nod and plaster a fake smile on my face as the short man approaches us.

I hope it's enough to hide my thundering heart.

"Ms. Aoki," His voice sounds as insufferable as ever. "Fancy meeting you here."

I nod my head in respect. "Mr. Lane. It's nice to see you so soon."

As if!

But already, his attention is off of me. Instead, he eyes Dabi up and down.

"Is this your partner?" He asks.

My face heats up immediately. "Oh - no sir. This is my, um - my new boss. Mr. Dabi?"

Just as I expected, Mr. Lane's expression darkens immediately.

I expect Dabi to extend a hand out for formalities. But his hands remains in his pockets. He merely gives him a nod in acknowledgement.

"So you've found a new company after all." Mr. Lane comments coldly.

"Yes. Yes sir."

"What's the name of your company, Mr. Dabi?"

"The Blaze." Dabi says. "I do luxury trading. Rina told me she previously worked for a broadcasting company - what was it called again?"

Mr. Lane's face hardens. "NNTV. We're a leading force in the industry-"

"Right, right. That company that always underperforms?" He asks apologetically.

Me and Aliyah gasp, glancing cautiously at Mr. Lane.

"I have a friend that works at CBS, you see."

There's a smile on Dabi's face.

"I haven't even heard of your company," Mr. Lane quickly counters, evil in his eyes. "When Ms. Aoki abandoned us in such a manner, I assumed she'd join a better known business."

"I'm not surprised you haven't heard of us," Dabi sighs, that same mocking tone in his voice. "You see, we cater to a highly exclusive audience."

Aliyah mouth drops behind Mr. Lane, looking extremely amused. I wouldn't be surprised if this becomes the subject of tomorrow's lunchtime gossip.

"I see," Mr. Lane smiles at Dabi but it is anything but friendly. "Anyway. Careful with this one." He tells Dabi. "She's loyal to the - " He rubs his fingers to his thumb to indicate money. "It doesn't matter how well you treat her, if she finds a better offer she'll run off on you. Looking at you now," Mr. Lane sizes him up. "it probably won't take long."

I didn't leave because of money you piece of shit! If you actually saw me as a person, you'd know that!

I feel Aliyah's eyes on me in surprise.

Great.

Now she thinks I'm making more money and keeping things from her.

I don't face her.

"Hm," Dabi says. "What do you define as a better offer? Because we certainly don't pay-"

Don't say that! I think frantically.

I clear my throat.

Dabi looks at me quizzically. But he understands soon enough.

"...her what she's worth. With how well she's driven up sales this past month, she certainly deserves every penny."

"With all due respect," Mr. Lane smiles apologetically, venom lacing his words. "A secretary who intervenes in your business, gives unsolicited advice, and tries to control decision making is not worth her price. There are many other qualified secretaries who will drive up sales, and do it better than she can."

I feel my heart fall.

Of course he would say that.

Mr. Lane thinks of me as disloyal now. Leaving NNTV so suddenly after all these years, I knew it would matter more to him than he let on during our last meeting.

He doesn't exactly tolerate betrayal. And being his secretary for so long, I've seen how he treats former employees enough to know how vicious he can be.

That's why I didn't want him and Dabi to meet.

My face reddens immensely at the mention of my frequent "interventions" and "unsolicited advice". Because Mr. Lane doesn't believe in teams, he believes in workers who do as they're told. That's it.

But considering how much Dabi cares about his space, the comment fills me with anxiety.

Especially given the conversation we had today.

Will he think this is a pattern now? Will it drive him further away from me - cause his lack of trust in me to balloon even more?

There's an uncomfortable feeling in my gut as my mind questions all these possibilities. I wish Aliyah hadn't seen me.

No.

I wish I just told Dabi I was busy when he asked me for dinner. I hesitantly glance at him, searching for any indication of how he's receiving this.

There's embarrassment written all over my face.

However, Dabi's expression doesn't change. He remains aloof.

Although on closer inspection, I think I see his jaw clench.

I feel my eyes water. Is he angry with me?

He should be.

Perhaps I am too talkative and opinionated for a secretary.

But Dabi's response makes me furrow my brows in confusion.

"She was a member of your team. Of course she would advise you. And intervene as necessary."

My eyes widen.

"It's as much her company as it is mine, so I do hope she does more of that for us in the future."

I look at Dabi in surprise, trying to figure him out. Doesn't he hate it when people intervene in his business though? Is he just saying this in front of Mr. Lane?

That's gotta be it.

Regardless, I'm grateful that he hasn't thrown me under the bus, using me as conversation material. Anyone else would happily listen and even share their own criticism of me to keep the conversation going. Especially considering Mr. Lane is realistically the more powerful CEO of the two. Anyone would say anything to get on his good side.

And part of me feels like Mr. Lane used me in order to shift to Dabi's good side too. After all, what manager doesn't love critiquing his employees?

Only Dabi didn't take the bait.

"I suppose I should thank you actually," Dabi continues, the height difference only further emphasizing the power imbalance in the conversation. Mr. Lane looks small for the first time ever, as he stands there looking up at Dabi. "If you hadn't let her go, our company wouldn't be in the place it is today. She's extremely capable, as you know. And such an agreeable team player, as well."

But instead of responding, Mr. Lane focuses on me with those murderous eyes.

As if it's my fault he was humiliated tonight.

How dare I go on to build up someone else's company. How dare I not cry and beg him to take me back, that I was sorry and have learned from my mistake. That I would never challenge his decisions again and be the loyal, silent employee he expects me to be.

I shrink under his stare, and before I know it, Dabi's hand is once again on my back.

He has no power over you.

I take a deep breath. "Unfortunately, Mr. Dabi has a prior engagement and we don't want to be late." I tell Mr. Lane. "But thank you for coming over personally to say hello. Hopefully, an opportunity for us to meet again arises in the future."

Mr. Lane nods coldly and walks away. He didn't even shake our hands before he left. Aliyah smiles at us apologetically and comes to hug me once again.

"He's a good man," She whispers in my ear. When she pulls away, she gives me a sly wink and my face reddens. She shakes Dabi's hand before she hurries behind Mr. Lane to the outdoor seating area where the rest of NNTV's administration and senior employees lounge.

And Dabi and I are alone once again.

#dabi angst #dabi fanfic #dabi fic #dabi fluff #dabi x oc #touya todoroki #dabi #dabi x female reader #touya fluff #bnha fic #bnha

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hughiecampbelle · 4 years

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Achilles Heel (Thomas Shelby Oneshot)

Character/s: Thomas

Word Count: 1,068

Inspired By: Liability by Lorde

Tag List: @dontdowhatisayandnobodygetshurt @myriadimagines @lilyswritings @encounterthepast @writerdream22 @death-of-a-mermaid @lotsoffandomrecs @woahitslucyylu @obsessedunicorn24 @thedarkqueenofavalon @fangirlsarah16 @theshelbyclan @captivatedbycillianmurphy @creativemayhems @soleil-dor @thegirlwithoutaname87 @fifty-shadesof-tommyshelby @riana-jannat

A/N: I'm tired of being called "too sensitive" so I wrote about it. I'll get back to the fic requests this weekend, I just needed this to get it all out before I can focus on anything. This sort of got away from me, being a lot longer than I anticipated, and though I know it could be better, I quite like it :) Anyways hope you like it my loves!!! Feedback is always appreciated 💜💖💜

Summary: Where Thomas sees weakness, you see strength 💕

Gif Credit: @nofckingfighting :)

FIC MASTERLIST PART ONE. / PART TWO. / PART THREE.

WANNA BE ADDED TO THE TAG LIST?

From the moment he saw you, he knew. The ways in which God herself sewed you, and him, and the rest of the world, were different. She made you in her image, her divine, and yet the things in the world, her child, the people on it, turned you into who you are. What you are. Mass casualties. Not in the same sense, though. You were enemies at war, not allies. Where he was jaded, jagged, sharp, his body a myriad of tense angles and tight muscles, you were nothing of the sort. Your skin made thin, wanting, begging to be torn apart by the slights look, the harshest word. The sorrows of the world turned your insides black, toxic, poisoned, leaving you a crumbled, coughing up your own tainted heart in your hands. Your eyes an inky pool, tears streaming down your face. The criticisms of others were arrows, puncturing deep within your spinal chord. Every where you went you bruised easily, effortlessly, without a second thought. Pieces of you catching on corners, punctured by nails in the floorboards, shredded by the weight of what was to come.

Behind that desk, Thomas Shelby expected nothing of you: his first mistake.

This life of yours could be a painful one, the difference was he was ready and you were not. Encased, a bullet in his own right, flinching softly, instead of the violent ways you reached for yourself. A show, a ballet, of movements, eyes shut, cries loud, your prayers spoken softly. She would not help though, she couldn't. There was nothing of you to fix. Only the first day. A glass shattering, slipping from its silver platter. The rest only stared. Sometimes it seemed you were the only one to ever understand what had happened, to hear it for what it is and not what they assume. Smashing glass, a glittering, shimmering puddle at your feet, sticky with whiskey. Your face on fire. Determined, nonetheless. Picking yourself up, cleaning it off, steadying the shaking in your hands. A job offer. Word spread quick in a place like this. You, with those scared eyes, those nervous, writhing hands, all the ways in which you held yourself with care, tenderness, too aware of the way they could see right through you, stood in that line among many. Stepping through those doors, heavy against your paper skeleton. It wouldn't take more than a rainy day to ruin you. Something he couldn't help but noting.

It wasn't the gun, or the man behind the gun that got you killed in this business, but feeling too much. Letting your emotions get the best of you. Wearing your heart on your fucking sleeve.

The rest questioned why you were accepted on the spot, the rest turned away before they had the chance to prove themselves. Some thought he was sweet on you, others joked you reminded him of his mother. Fragile. But the war had done something to him, and in return, he would do it to you. A man as arrogant as himself believing there is one way to be. That the spikes under his skin and the bite of his teeth were superior to your kind smiles and soft touches. If you were going to be part of this job, no matter how small a role you played, you had to be resilient. He had no time for tears, especially bit by his assistant. The glass left the pads of your fingers shredded, but the shame you carried from then on out would only grow. He was not an easy man to please, but he picked your every breath apart. It became a living nightmare. The others, in response, were far kinder, standing up for you behind closed doors, their tones pounding on his closed office door. The words were muffled, suffocated, but you understood nothing about you was said with bad intentions.

At least, not by them.

The words he plucked were made of razors, intending to slice you right down the middle. You weren't sure what he liked more. Seeing the pain in your eyes as if you'd been slapped across the face, holding your stinging skin, or the way, after, you straightened your back and held your head high in response, turning the other cheek, daring him to do it again. Those malleable pieces of yourself weren't hardening. The care you felt towards everyone regardless of who they were or what they did couldn't change because of a bully. He wasn't changing anything about you the way he anticipated, you were simply putting on a better act. The way you slumped in your chair didn't go unnoticed. The thought of quitting dug itself into your mind daily. Waking up, getting ready, you fought the impulse to lash out, tell that man to fuck off, and never see him again. But that meant waving your white flag, and one thing you were not was a quitter. Nothing would you make you kneel and kiss his feet.

It was in your nature, to bleed when others did, to mourn the dead of which you did not know, to feel the pain others neglected. He was no different. So no, he did not respect this. He looked down on you, and anyone else alike, because of this. There was no changing his stubborn, small mind. But he turned a blind eye to all the times he take solace in this. A late night, a regular occurrence, Thomas bent over his desk, eyes heavy, head pounding. There was no end in sight. You knocked on the door with hesitation, not wanting to startle him, intending to wish him a goodnight. What you found should not be left alone. Instead, with grace, and care, you slipped his coat over his shoulders, placing the papers just out of reach. Without effort his head fell in his arms, sound asleep in seconds. You locked every door and window, turning the lights low, making your chair a bed for the night. No one should sleep alone. He never mentioned that night, nor was he any less harsh because of it, but you knew it was something he thought about often, appreciating in his own way. . . .

Think what he might, say what he might, assume the worst based on nothing but a characteristic, but there was absolutely fault or flaw in being too sensitive.

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princessjungeun · 4 years

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Photographs: Ryujin x Reader

You and Ryujin have known each other for only three years but it definitely feels like longer. You both entered JYP on the same day and later you both discovered you were both cast at the same Got7 concert.

Right away Ryujin gained popularity within the company for her looks and incredible talent. She was without a doubt one of the prettiest trainees in the company if not the prettiest. Her dancing was just as incredible too, dance was something she was naturally gifted with but she did have her struggles too.

You on the other hand...unfortunately you didn't have a "glow up" until months before your debut so when you first arrived to the company you didn't stick out to many people. You're also a foreigner so many people couldn't understand you when you tried talking to them so they didn't bother. However, Ryujin stayed by your side and protected you from everyone and everything.

You remember the first day you two met like it was yesterday.

You held a suitcase that was half the size of you in one hand and wore a huge backpack on your back as well. You struggled to keep your eyes open due to the ten hour time zone difference. But knowing you'd be able to take it easy the first 3 days was the only thing that kept you from passing out right there in the airport.

A staff member that picked you up from the airport gave you instructions for how to get into your dorm, giving you a temporary key card until you received a real one on Day 4. When you got up to your dorm room you first knocked on the door but nobody opened it. You struggled to grab the key card from your back pocket due to the gigantic backpack that went past your butt.

“It's ok I got it." You heard a voice next to you but your bags blocked your view. She wiggled past and took your suitcase for you. Before you could choose a room the girl was already putting your bag in a bedroom that had other belongings in it.

"You're gonna be my roommate. You can sleep on the top, more headspace." She was a good four inches shorter than you but her personality said otherwise. You admired her boldness and how she didn't bother asking you what you wanted for yourself.

Right as you were going decline her plans so you could take the single across the hall you looked up and saw her face. She was the most beautiful girl you had ever seen. "Uh yeah that's cool... i-uh I'm L/N F/N" you introduced yourself to her. She responded "Shin Ryujin."

Since then you two have been inseparable, she was always around you no matter what. Everyone knew you and Ryujin were best friends, a few suspected you two were something more which technically wasn't wrong but it also wasn't right.

The relationship you had with her was so strange but you never bothered to ask about it. You've both had your fair share of sleeping in each other's beds, in addition to the few times she kissed you. You have both even admitted you'd date each other. The nickname you gave her, Jinnie, she deeply hated if anyone else called her by it. However when it fell effortlessly from your lips she couldn’t help but smile. You had fallen for her long before then but you knew it'd probably never work out. But everyone knew you were off limits to everyone but Ryujin.

"Jinnie come on please!" You begged the blue haired girl for the nth time to just look at you so you could get a picture of her. She rolled her eyes and looked at you just long enough for you to get a picture of her. "Yah! Y/N!" She shouted at you. You looked down at the disposable camera in your hands "you look beautiful today, I had to!"

She looked at you and asked "why do you always take pictures of us?" You simply responded "Because one day when all this is over we can look back and remember all the things we did that we wouldn't have remembered if it wasn't for the pictures."

The real reason was for when you finally came clean about your feelings and she rejected you and disappeared from your life, you'd have a few things to remember. Or if she shared the same feelings which you doubted, you'd both have pictures to remember from the years before. Either way it was a win win.

Ryujin went over to the bookshelf in your shared bedroom, she grabbed a familiar box and went through it. You watched her face change as she was clearly remembering when each photo was taken. "Why didn't I know you took half of these?" You smiled and said " I'm sneaky I guess."

You looked over at the pictures that you had taken over the years, smiling at the memories that played in your head like small movies.

You and Ryujin had been practicing from sun up until sun down getting ready for your performance. You both knew the only reason she was here was because she didn't want you to practice alone. She had perfected her routine hours ago, but you were still struggling. You had just gotten one of the worst criticisms in your entire trainee period the night before. You honestly don't know how you haven't been eliminated from MIXNINE yet.

You and Ryujin both sat on the floor taking a small water break. "Jinnie look at me! Do a cool pose." You pointed your camera at her. She looked up and made a peace sign with a small smirk. "Ooooh you look so cool and you're not even trying!" You whined. She laughed and helped you stand up so you two could get back to your dance practice.

You shuffled through the box again and found another picture

A picture that was taken on an airplane before you all headed to Japan for the first time.

"Jinnie come on stop playing around I'm scared!" You whined to her. You've only ever been on 3 flights total. From New York to Seoul to visit your cousin and aunt for the summer. That's also the time when you two went to see GOT7 which resulted in you getting scouted. Then flight back from Seoul to New York. And of course the most recent, from New York back to Seoul.

Ever since your last flight which was from New York to Seoul, you've been terrified of flights. The turbulence was so bad you literally fainted due to fear onto the passenger next to you. The anxiety you faced was so bad your manager oppa had to carry you out to the van from your dorm so you all could leave.

"Ok ok sorry Y/N" Ryujin spoke to you softly. "It'll be fine, just think of something else. Like that time Lia fell asleep in the shower, or when Yuna asked every TSA agent we passed if they thought she was pretty." You laughed softly at the small things your other members did. You felt Ryujin reach for your hand, grazing her thumb over the back of your hand. You grabbed your camera and quickly took a picture of her smiling back at you.

You blinked yourself out of your trance and saw her staring right at you which made your stomach do flips. You lean forward and hug her, she envelopes you in her arms and she falls back onto the floor holding you. You both laugh and she looks down at you in her arms. Both or your eyes find each other and her eyes flicker down to your lips quickly. You notice and hide your face in her neck hoping she doesn't make fun of you for blushing. You pull away and she uses her thumb to move your head so you're looking back at her.

"Y/N-ah... be mine?" She whispers her next words which catch you off guard. You sit up and say "Jinnie...I don't know... do you only have eyes for me?" It's no secret that Ryujin is a flirt, she kisses all of your members on the cheek and back hugs almost everyone she meets. Ultimately making it feel less special when she does the same to you.

She turns around and you lay back so your back is on her front. You look up at her so she's looking into eyes, she wraps both her arms around your torso and leans down to your ear and says "i only want you. You're the only one I look at." She presses a soft kiss to your ear then temple which makes you blush. You play with her fingers and say "then why do you always do things with other people?" She responds "so I know it's only you I get butterflies with and nobody else." You try to hide your smile but it didn't work. She asked again "so...be mine?" You nodded with a smile and she held you tighter.

A bright flash came from the other side of your room, Yuna sitting on her bed holding your disposable camera. She sprinted out of the room before you two could catch her before yelling "ITS FOR MEMORIES!" You looked up at the girl who still held you close. "We're kicking her out. She can room with Yeji unnie." She nodded in agreement before kissing you again.

After all these years, the girl you wished you could call your own was finally yours.

#kpop imagines #kpop scenarios #kpop fluff #itzy imagines #itzy scenarios #itzy ryujin #shin ryujin

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fujosh1dreamer · 4 years

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Alright it's time for more of my controversial opinions on the she Ra finally, as some might know I didn't like it too much. To clarify I thought it started out really well at first and I was really excited to see where it would go, but by like episode 5 or whatever I just knew. It was sort of anticlimatic if I'm honest, and I have a few honest criticisms. Now I'm not gonna go through all these now, I'm actually just gonna focus on what I considered to be the biggest problem of season 5 and honestly the whole show.

Before I get into it this is just my honest opinions and if I hated the show I wouldn't have kept up with all the season and been a fan. I love she Ra and I really wanted to love season 5 I just couldn't. That's not to say it was bad, there was a lot of good stuff.

Also, also I am going to be talking about Catra and adora and their relationship. I'm not an anti or anything it's just a few comments about the execution. This is about Catra as a whole not just this one ship.

Let's begin: Catra has always been a well liked but controversial character back in seasons 1 and 2 her actions were fine, while harsh she was at least understandable to an extent. Most people who liked her wanted to she her growth and redemption. Me on the other hand I've never been a fan personally but I didn't mind her too much early on. Later, however is where the problems come into play.

In order for season 5 to have worked Catra needed to be properly redeemed because she's done some awful crap. And to make my case I'll list off a few things she's done: actively attacked adora and her friends on multiple occasions, took enjoyment out of hurting others and seeing the horde take over, stabbed entrapta in the back literally, threatened scorpia, and opened the portal.

Now I know what you're thinking, yes we know this, so what she's better now in season 5 she's redeemed herself. Yes at the end of season 5 Catra is redeemed but the question is how? And why?

Catra and her redemption story has been compared to zuko and his story. Which I think is a little unfair because it's just not on the same level. Don't get me wrong compared to other redemption attempts it's definitely a win. I don't wanna compare these two it's not necessary people learn and grow in different ways.

I didn't like Catra's redemption because it felt too easy. It didn't hurt and because it wasn't painful it didn't feel earned. However people who talked about Catra and season 5 talked about it making them cry and honesty it only made me tear up one and it wasn't ever in a scene about Catra or adora, or even glimmer. It was when entrapta was talking to mermista and she realized that everyone was mad at her. So maybe my emotions are just shot, or something.

Despite not like season 5 all that much I did however like Catra this season. I've never liked Catra, I liked her momentarily in season 3 before she started making horrible decision, but other than that I didn't like her. So in season 5 Catra was well written. And it's because of character interaction.

Something spop has always done well is showing us how characters interact and what their dynamic is which makes scenes more interesting and how Catra talked with everyone was great it felt natural, almost too natural. I get that our heroes are supposed to be forgiving they're heroes but it's one thing to forgive and another thing to forget completely. There are only two times Catra really gets called out for her previous actions. The first is when frosta bless her heart, punches Catra right on the face and this scene is played off for laughs because Catra brushes off the punch and also frosta apologizes because she didn't realize Catra is on their side now. They all just too adora's word about Catra being good now. Then she's confronted again by perfuma who's just upset about how she treated scorpia. Which was bad we'll talk about that later but she's done so many other things to get mad over. Like anyone remember when mermista's home got taken over Catra pratically led that siege, mermista was heartbroken she lost her home.

So that's issue one how she integrates easily into being friends with everyone else.

Next is...

Oof, let's talk about Glimmer and Catra. Them being stuck together was interesting because their situation helped them both grow and tested their resolve which is great. Their relationship is really well written. We just have one small, tiny problem... Catra killed glimmers mom!!!

Are we just never gonna talk about that I mean the opening of the portal in season 3 and the death of Angella are two really big issue because they're the point of no return for Catra and Glimmer.

Catra actively opening the portal to spite adora and potentially destroy the planet turned Catra from a simple kid making mistakes because of her circumstances to someone who genuinely doesn't care about the suffering and potential death of others as long as she can prove a point. It made her a real threat and a potential villain.

Angellas death made glimmer queen and it also made her cold and willing to seek vengeance despite them being the good guys. She was willing to take matters into her own hands even if it meant going a little too far. Both of these characters changed in season 3 and those continued into season 4.

So if these events had such a great impact why aren't they brought up??? Simple because we need a happy ending and that can't happen if we're talking about dead parents.

Out of all the people that Catra apologised to shouldn't glimmer be first on that list. Doesn't she deserve at least that much.

My next point and the one I'm probably most bitter about is Catra and scorpia.

It's safe to say their relationship has always been a little weird. In the very beginning of seems very one sided with Scorpia hanging onto catra's every word. Then with time we see that Catra does actually care about scorpia she just doesn't like to show it. Which is fine until you guessed it season 3 where Catra's character really falls down to the point of no return.

So let's recap throughout season 3 while Catra and scorpia were together you could see the beginning of something and honesty it was pretty cute. Then the ending happened and Catra attacks entrapta and threatened to do the same to scorpia and suddenly everything was broken. All throughout season 4 we see nothing but hurtful words from Catra towards everyone but especially scorpia who's just being loyal. Finally scorpia gets tired and she basically puts Catra through one more test involving Emily before deciding to leave.

This relationship was the one I was really looking forward to seeing in season 5, but all we get is one small apology in the last episode and that's it.

Throughout this season they pratically had scorpia and Catra forget about each other completely.

When scorpia left the horde she did it because she felt she had to in order to both save entrapta and Emily. She wasn't fully okay with her decision until she met the other princesses and realized they're nothing like the horde. Still she never forgot about Catra because scorpia's whole thing is loyalty so how did she just get over her feelings for Catra especially when doesn't know where she is and hasn't heard anything about her. I know the situation was dangerous but still.

It was all pretty upsetting. Moving on...

In my final moments I wanna talk about catradora and also a little about shadoweaver.

Shadoweaver died and well... I expected that you really can't redeem her. It's not impossible but no one would ever accept it because people can't really change and nothing can ever make up for the mistakes she made in the past and the way she manipulated people. It's weird how I can't tell of I'm talking about shadoweaver or Catra anymore. They did a lot of the same things and yet... Catra is never really blamed for anything. Same with Hordak the fandom blames him for crap all the time but when Catra hurts people it's okay. Shadoweaver and Hordak are different cases they're older than her, well let's compare glimmer in season 4 grieving over her mother and making mistakes and everyone getting mad and expecting her to be held accountable, why is there such a double standard for Catra???

Anywho Catra and Adora's relationship is apparently the only thing everyone cared about will they be together??? After season 3 the chances were very small, but guess what they ended up together. Honestly when I say I get a little annoyed around episode 5 it's because they made it really obvious they're gonna end up together happily ever after style. Honestly I don't have the energy after this long post to criticize it. I just wish it was a little more tactful in the beginning and less blatantly obvious. But whatever!!!

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mochuelovelli · 4 years

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GAAAAHHH OKAY

Let's talk about the Timephoon Episodes

This is such an old topic of discourse but after reading many fanfics, videos, and some posts on the subject I have found little divergent takes on the whole subject.

While commentators are of the mind that, for the most part, the punishment and execution of said punishment for Louie's actions were partially if not fully justified but how she went about it was wrong.

Some fanfic writers and some subsects of the fandom but they are much more critical and often in a more black and white interpretation. Which is valid for vent art. However, I find both these portrayals to be lacking in some nuance.

Specifically when it it comes to who's to blame for the next 3 episodes, and to me, its more than just Della (and Louie but there really isn't much discourse here).

Let's start with Timephoon:

This pretty much solidifies their relationship throughout the episode[Also sorry for no captions]. Multiple times Della is shown to have a very laissez faire style of parenting as she primarily wants her kids to enjoy being kids and having fun. This is probably in part to her personality in general - which is probably what Beakley assumes here - however it is also her want to be loved by her children and even more critically, she doesn't ever want them to suffer like she did. Above all else, she wants them to be happy and feel confident in themselves. We see this in all the previous episode with her and her kids - From Dewey and reassuring him that he doesn't need to prove himself to her [notably in this episode she only shows concern when Dewey himself is in danger, she doesn't give a shit when he almost kills her] to Huey and helping him to have the most fun he possibly can, to even Webby and making sure that she also feels confident in herself regardless in how she goes about things.

Bringing up all these adventures does raise some pretty damning hypocrisy. Della encourage Dewey's reckless behavior in his episode. The lesson at the end wasn't, okay maybe we shouldn't be going on dangerous adventures, it was its okay to be afraid and you don't need to prove to me that you're great I already know you are. Huey's message was similar, albeit more low stakes. Webby's lesson wasn't even that she shouldn't be trying to take such risks to find adventure in the future, it was just a lesson in not being disappointed when things don't work the way you want.

So why wasn't Louie's adventure treated the same? Well... let's look at some more examples of Beakley V Della this episode before we answer that -

This is right before the kids find Bubba, Beakley's reaction is what most people would consider to be parental as she is concerned for the safety of the kids running out in a hurricane. Again we see Della acting casual.

Once Bubba is inside and Huey geeks out about him, Beakley actually smiles bc she knows that something like this means a lot to Huey [keep this in mind for l8r]. She only gets serious after Della says it's neat without much after thought so she gives the lesson of the episode - "Small problems become big problems later if not prevented early."

Next we have Della's faux attempt at being strict with her kids. Letting the irresponsible thing happen as long as they are "safe". While also harkening back to her previous episodes where she also is shown to have this attitude that "the kids can do anything as long as they are safe with ME or Scrooge or another SAFE adult", it is also good to note SCROOGE'S expression here to her patting herself on the back for her parenting. Now he could just be confused as to why Della is taking this "lesson" as a win, but he could be noticing that she really doesn't know what she is doing but unlike Beakley doesn't make any attempts to correct this.

Another scene that people often forget when reviewing this episode, just like with all her other kids she at first takes LOUIE'S side and decides they should just roll with the punches like always. Which honestly is sort if valid because that's kinda Scrooge's whole MO; though he also had others to there to keep him afloat but we all know someone like Scrooge, Della, and the kids hardly see that. I also want to hammer home that, just like with the other boys, she doesn't shy away from displaying that she loves them ALL. A few seconds later, it's subtle but she is shown smiling and patting Louie on the head because like the other kids she just wants him to feel supported. If I was to be critical, I would say this is possibly because she likes the IDEA of her boys more than them but I mean - this is pretty much everyone's attitude towards kids. It might be amplified bc of her trauma but it's not unusual. But even still I would argue that she mainly does love the boys for who they are as she is excited to get to know them.

After Della figures that they are looking for a "master thief", Scrooge and Beakley immediately know it's one of the kids. Shocking her since she later states she is of the belief that her kids are too "good" to do something like this. I also want to bring attention, again, to Beakley smiling (ik im putting a lot of stock into expressions but animation tends to do stuff like this for a reason). She is smiling at whom she expects is Dewey for messing with time and space. Bc even if she planned to scold him, she knows it's just their normal. Scrooge seems to also be of the same mind. Later Beakley gives a really good line about "Even good kids can do dumb things. We got to make sure those dumb things don't turn into bad things like destroying all of existence!".

Mrs. B exists stage right

All jokes aside, this must have been a nightmare for all of them but especially Della. She had just finally admitted that she was out of her depth and made another mistake in parenting. But now it seems like she lost her chance to rectify that. Because for all she knows, Mrs. B will never come back. This is import-ALLRIGHTWEGETIT

Della is then shown explicitly worried about her family. Emotions, insecurities and fear obviously getting the best of her. We don't know exactly what she is thinking but we know she is terrified of the possibility of losing one of her kids. When she asks about Louie, she probably thinks he must have disappeared without her knowing. That she might have already failed more than she could know, because she wasn't there to protect him. She doesn't know - she is "Della Duck" and she doesn't know how to fix this. She didn't expect everything to go so horribly wrong, but that's her theme isn't it?

She is both relieved and understandably PISSED when finding that Louie was responsible for almost destroying the fabric of reality (let me say this again, nearly destroying the fabric of reality). She goes scold both herself and her son about the danger he put them in. Later we see Della, the last one leave and seeing almost everyone she loves vanish. We don't know how long each of the characters who left were in the past but we can assume it was long enough to have to change clothes. Yeah this was probably more of a visual gag but like, the other past characters didn't change their outfits when they came to the present so - (also Launchpad was specific about knowing how the world ends so he had to be there enough for him to understand it). Side note someones gotta write fanfic of these characters time misadventures. I wonder if Dewey and Webby ran into Agent 22.

[Last picture of the infamous scene, side note did anyone notice Launchpad NODDING his head when Della mentioned his time schemes could've cost them their future? He's the only one who knows what happened so maybe Louie's misadventure has more impact than we think-]

Anyways, yeah we know what was said here. But I think it's important to see the reaction the other adults (sorry LP, and Gryo i GUESS) have here BC this is basically why I made this post. What Della decided to do was unquestionably the wrong decision, at least her way of going about it and I will not absolve her of her many MANY mistakes. However, let's remember she wasn't alone in any of this. She was with other parental figures who KNOW more about her kids than she does.

After Louie leaves, why did they think it was good to encourage this course of action? Why did they think giving full parental control to a PTSD, trauma survivor who barely got back less than a month ago was a good idea? Sure it's one thing to not want to overstep your boundaries but are you telling me they wouldn't want to guide her in the right direction at least? We KNOW both Beakley AND Scrooge have their grievences towards Della's parenting strategy or lack there of. Beakley so far doing the most to try and put her in the right direction (which speaks volumes to the problems Scrooge has).

So why wouldn't they explain that, hey, maybe taking away the one thing your kid thinks he is good at ISNT a great idea? Why didn't either say anything about their two day vacation? Something that came up presumingly on a whim and might of prevented (although i doubt it) Louie from trying to steal w/ time? He might have considered pushing back time schemes at least 3 days later. While Mrs. Beakley might be less aware of Louie's insecurities and ambitions, Scrooge definitely isn't. He should have talked to her, and hey we don't see what happens before they leave so maybe MAYBE they did. But again, I doubt it. Seeing as how they all agreed with her at the end, I don't see them trying to meddle with her.

But they should've. They are both experienced guardians and they have nothing to say to her? Plus Donald (goddamn it i almost finished a post w/o him) have THEM responsibility to take care of the kids NOT Della. So they are obligated to help her. Really, the other option other than just well negligence would be not thinking this punishment was a big deal. I wish this aspect was also scrutinized just as much as Della and Louies role in this arc.

Beakley and Scrooge (more so Scrooge) are just as much to blame in what happens as Della if not MORE since they know of her situation in only a way that an experience adult can. There is no excuse for their negligence.

#god this was so long #i just need to rant #i hope im not alone on this feel free to comment or ask me about this crap i dont mind #ducktales #ducktales 2017 #della duck #mrs beakley #scrooge mcduck #dt17 #ducktales timephoon #discourse #i guess #this is misleading this was basically just Timephoon bc u ran out of space so part 2 maybe?

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rainhadaenerys · 5 years

Note

Hi there, I just started following you so sorry if you've already answered my questions (haven't had time to mass stalk your blog yet). Firstly, I've been reading other ASOIAF blogs and a few of them seem to predict that Dany will accidentally activate the wildfire and burn down Kings Landing but I think if it were to happen wouldn't Cersei make more sense since she was so fascinated by it. What do you think? Also everyone seems to think Dany will die at the end by sacrificing herself (1/2)

since she's a messiah figure along with Jon but won't that just mean that the two prominent leadership arcs we've been following will go drown the drain? Thoughts? And if they do die what would have been the point of their marriage? I mean I know they'll get married because they genuinely love each other but it's not like either of them have a problem having a relationship outside of marriage if you know understand what I'm getting at. (2/2)

About the wildfire: yes, it makes much more sense if it was Cersei. GRRM has actually given us foreshadowing that Cersei will do something with wildfire. See this meta. With Dany, there’s actually no foreshadowing for this at all. The most anyone could claim as foreshadowing is this quote:

The thought of home disquieted her. If her sun-and-stars had lived, he would have led his khalasar across the poison water and swept away her enemies, but his strength had left the world. Her bloodriders remained, sworn to her for life and skilled in slaughter, but only in the ways of the horselords. The Dothraki sacked cities and plundered kingdoms, they did not rule them. Dany had no wish to reduce King's Landing to a blackened ruin full of unquiet ghosts. She had supped enough on tears. I want to make my kingdom beautiful, to fill it with fat men and pretty maids and laughing children. I want my people to smile when they see me ride by, the way Viserys said they smiled for my father.

But before she could do that she must conquer. - Daenerys II ACOK

So maybe, while conquering Westeros, Dany accidentally sets off the wildfire, turning King’s Landing into exactly what she didn’t want. Some people actually think this would be important for Dany to face the truth about her father, but honestly… what’s really the point here? To condemn Dany for using violence? But why only Dany? Why is it that the narrative doesn’t condemn everyone else’s violence? Why is it that the only character the narrative condemns for their violence is the character who has the most revolutionary beliefs in the story? Why is it that Dany ends up accidentally doing the worst thing that anyone else has done in the series, even though Dany is probably the only character that constantly questions the use of violence (like, seriously, other characters don’t even think about the consequences of war, they just go to war and that’s it. Dany is the only one that is constantly questioning it)? Why is it that Dany’s biggest parallel, Jon Snow, doesn’t end up doing something as bad as this? Why is it that both main female rulers in the story are bad in some way (Cersei because she’s evil, Dany because she will do something terrible by accident), while the two main male rulers (Jon and Tyrion) look better by comparison? Does GRRM really not see how he’s writing a sexist narrative if that’s how things are going? Even if Dany is not a villain, even if she burns King’s Landing by accident, it’s still very sexist to portray both his main female rulers as worse than your main male rulers.

So like… I don’t know. I think it’s a terrible decision for the story, and I don’t see nearly as much foreshadowing for Dany blowing up King’s Landing as there is for Cersei. I guess it’s possible that the foreshadowing for Cersei could still come true if she tries to burn King’s Landing with wildfire but doesn’t succeed, and then Dany comes and sets off the wildfire later. But I still think this would be really bad for the story, and it would have terrible implications. And there are still many things that will happen before Dany even comes to Westeros: Cersei vs Aegon, Euron coming to Westeros with Dany’s stolen dragons… with all these things that need to happen, why is the fandom so certain it will be Dany? Why is it that everyone thinks it has to be Dany? It doesn’t have to be her. Dany doesn’t need to destroy King’s Landing to realize that the use of violence has limits, she has already been questioning her methods every step of the way. She’s self-critical, she doesn’t need to destroy King’s Landing to “wake up” from her “dark path”. And she doesn’t need to destroy King’s Landing to decide to fight against the Others. She doesn’t need to destroy King’s Landing to realize that saving the realm from ice zombies is important. Honestly… I see really no reason for Dany to be the one that burns King’s Landing.

As for Dany dying, I wrote many rants about this (and I’m also writing another one that I hope to publish soon). I do think it’s a waste of Dany’s political storyline. And it would make Jon and Dany’s marriage pointless (I’m very sure they’ll marry, the House of the Undying spells it out for us), and it would make their baby pointless too (it will happen: x, x). I don’t believe in this notion that Dany’s arc is leading her to “decide to be selfless and sacrifice herself”, because Dany was already selfless from the very beginning. Ending her story with a selfless sacrifice is not an arc, it’s making her character stagnant. And I’m sorry, I really don’t agree with this idea that just because Dany is a “messiah” figure, she has to die. Just because Dany is a messiah type of character, it doesn’t mean that’s what her arc is about (and it isn’t, Dany’s arc is political). Is there a rule or something that says that messiah characters have to die or else it’s not a good story? For a fandom that loves subversions, this fandom is really insistent that GRRM must play all tropes straight when it comes to Dany. Anyway, I will stop for now, because as I said, I have a long rant in my drafts that is exactly about all the reasons why I think Dany dying is a bad idea, so wait for that post. For now, you can take a look at the metas I linked, as well as my #let dany live tag (you can take a look at my other tags as well, the link for them is in the blog description).

#ask #daenerys targaryen #let dany live

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parachutingkitten · 6 years

Text

Season 4 Analysis

STANDARD DISCLAIMER: I am going to be applying the concept of criticism to a TV show you presumably love and adore as much as I do. If you do not want your idea that the show is immaculate to be challenged, I would not advise reading past this point.

Mood for the season: It's a SuPeR fUn HaPpY pLaCe!!!!!

You don’t need to, but if you are interested, and haven’t seen my analysis of past seasons, you can find those here:

Pilot

Season 1

Season 2

Season 3

Hey guys! It’s been a while, hasn’t it? Season 4! We are here! I am SO biased with this season. It has problems man. It has ALL the problems! ALL the plot holes! ALL the stupid, stupid stuff, but I LOVE ALL OF IT! okay, let's back up. I'm about to drop some context on you.

So, when you're a military brat you tend to make friends with whoever you can, and when I lived in Germany I had a friend who was fandom OBSESSED. She, at the time, was super into Homestuck, something I managed to avoid being sucked into, though I do know more about it than I would like. Anyway, this was the point at which I started getting sucked into Ninjago. So, I figured that if I could trust anyone with a strange obsession, it was her. I showed her the last episode of season 3, and she decided she was just going to dive head first into it with me. We watched season 4 together as it came out, we talked about it, had a bunch of inside jokes about it, I wrote some very short fanfiction about it, she made some OCs, one in particular that I remember was Stormy, a ditzy cloud master who wore pink, we shipped him with... one of my OCs, I don't remember. She hadn't watched the first two seasons, so I had to fill her in on a lot, but she was the first person I ever fandomed with, and it was over season 4. So I guess you could say season 3 was the grand beginning of my love for this show, and season 4 was the peak of my fangirl experience (at least for that phase of my life).

Plot

This season is a real mixed bag. Coming off the heels of the first season, nothing makes sense. Suddenly there are more elements, completely discrediting Lloyd's supposed power of four powers. And now it's genetic, which brings up the problem of Jay, who... if either Ed or Edna were masters, they would have slipped by now (but also like, how cool would it be if Edna just busted out with lightning powers) and then Zane who... doesn't have genes. It makes the world bigger, yes, but it also discredits the lore of the last two seasons, and brings up the question "Where the hell were the rest of the EMs when the Great Devour attacked? Or the stone warriors? Or the final battle?!" Anyway, it's a bit jarring and sudden to say the least. It definitely was not planned beforehand. There aren't even any hints in season 3. Like wouldn't it be cool if in season 3 we saw them go to the noodle shop, or Wu was really vague about elemental questions. It would make a lot more sense then. Idk. It opens the universe up to the plotlines of most of the future seasons, but it does sort of discredit the first two. This season is also kinda choppy feeling wise. You go from the mood the past season have had in the first episode to this sort of native tribal feel on the island, and then the factory and then back to Ninjago. It's kinda a mess. Overall it was just an excuse to put these characters in cool situations (which I have done before, I understand). Which I get, and it makes for some cool stuff, but I don't think any of it ends up meshing together super well in the end. When I think of this season I think of the tournament. I forget about the whole snake stuff at the end most of the time. I forget about the while Garmadon conflict. The fact that I forget that's there has to be a bad sign, right?

Characters

Character work this season is really pretty good for the most part! There are a lot of new characters. And they all are very distinct and fun, and even when two people you don't know especially well battle, you're still really invested. All of the Cole and Jay stuff is pretty good this season! Major upgrade from season 3. The whole fight scene is absolutely fantastic. Garmadon is freaking awesome this season. He keeps on trying to kill himself, and it's stupid, and the show sort of acknowledges that it's stupid, cuz Lloyd is just like 'dude, what the heck'. Kai's arch this season is pretty good, exploring his darker side and putting that intense conflict in front of him was good. I can tell you one thing, I like it a heck of a lot better than season 7, but we'll get to that when we get to that. So, yeah. Overall improvement in character! It doesn't dive super deep or anything, but it all works and is all interesting.

Skylor

So... she is one of the reasons I call this season the fanfiction season. We have a whole bunch of other elemental masters we've never heard of, and one of them their power is... all the powers. I can not tell you how much this ticked me off! And she hardly ever uses them! She has pretty much infinite power, and she doesn't think to use it, pretty much ever! There are no restrictions on her! This is what I hate Skylor for. And I do mean hate. BUT aside from that, strictly character wise she is done pretty well. She feels pretty fake and overly sassy at the beginning of the season, but there's a reason for that. It's an act. But it's not like she changed her personality to fool him, she intensified her personality to cover her intentions. Her arch feels pretty natural. That one scene where she does the evil laugh... that was weird. But aside from that, it feels okay. She was raised to think that lying and cheating is the norm, so when someone presents her with another option she begins to change. It makes sense. I love the scene where Kai and her look at each other through the prison bars and (even though their freaking legos) you can feel her realization that she's ashamed of what she's doing now. And after she makes the transition, she's just really chill. Like, I would like to hang out with her. I guess it is kinda sweet that even though she had all of the powers of... ever, at the end she's happy to just run her noodle shop. It's kinda poetic. Anyway, she may be a bit overpowered, and she feels like a bit of a Mary Sue, but overall her personality and interactions are enjoyable enough for me to mostly ignore that. I do agree that she is best used in moderation. She doesn't need to be part of the team. I wish we had a quick cameo each season, but whatever. What we have now in season 9 is nice, but she definitely needs to step back out of the spotlight in future seasons (knock on wood) in order to remain as likable as she's been.

Karlof

Love him. Freaking love him. Honestly, I probably relate to him the most. He's the first loser of the tournament, he avoids trouble, he sticks to what he knows, and he says it like it is. I love his interactions with everyone down in the noodle factory. He's like this perfect blend of optimism and pessimism. His interactions with Cole are beautiful. Their chemistry is really great. One of, I think everyone's favorite masters, and there's a reason why.

Shade

So... typical darkness character. Obviously selfish. But once the climax hits, I actually like him a lot. He kinda serves as an antagonist at first and then flips. It's kinda cool seeing a character with moral boundaries that far out. He's purposely suspicious to take attention away from Skylor, which I get. I think he has a lot of missed potential, but nonetheless, a decent character.

Neuro

I absolutely love his power! I love his manor, I love his voice. He may well be my favorite EM. I don't even know what else to say about this guy. If Karlof is who I am, Neuro is who I'd like to think I am. Calculated, calm, reasonable, and much like Karlof again, not too risky. I like him a lot. Cool guy. I like seeing how far he's willing to go for the ninja, and where certain lines are for him. It's kinda cool to watch. He could use a friend though. I HC he and Paleman hang out. Both quiet. Both reserved. Neuro could probably locate him in a room even if he's not visible. Idk. Anyway, I like him a lot! Great character.

Griffin Turner

Classic speedster. Good enough. Not much to say. He's fun. He's cool. He's what you'd expect. Decent screen time. None of it particularly character developing. For what he is, he's good at it.

Jacob

So, let's ignore the part where they made us think he was dead. He's a lot of fun. Good for them getting a blind character in there. Still confused on what his powers can... do? But I like his spunk. I think we all have a little soft spot for him.

Chamille

One of the only girls and she's pretty much evil. Why do girls have to be evil at one point to be interesting? Idk. Don't really care for her, don't really think much about her. Whatever. She's there. She serves her purpose. Fine. Okay. Moving on.

Paleman

Friggin love him. For the master of light to be invisible is a great move, and pretty creative. His voice is kinda obvious, but very distinct. It's a creative background character to have. I like him a lot. Again, I feel he could use some more love. See above Neuro HC. Like him a lot and... yay.

Bolobo

Kinda missed the "mother nature" pun... could have had at least one more female master... that's okay. He's cool enough. Kinda disappointing though. I mean, vines? Is that it?

Gravis

Gravity is a dang cool power. Idk what else to say. He doesn't get a ton of screen time, so it's hard to praise him too much, but yeah. I really like that. Actually had an FC (she was a villain but you know whateves) with the power, so seeing that be a real element they used is really cool.

Ash

I don't like him. He's very strange. He's just got that one laugh. He seems comically over the top a jerk. I like the way his mouth looks though. Unique and kinda cool. I was looking on his Wiki page, and it said he and Chamille kissed in the background at one point? Is that true? I am way curious now

Tox

Okay. She's nonexistent here, no personality. I guess she's kinda tough. Yeah, this gets confirmed later in season 9, when she speaks. But even there she's pretty nonexistent. Here's my idea. Instead of having all your females being 'tough' why not flip expectation on its head? I think it would be way funny and clever if the master of poison was super friendly, and bubbly, and genuinely a nice person. I'm thinking almost like Jay's (lightning... or I guess adopted) mom, levels of talkative and nice. Wouldn't that be kinda fun? Idk. Whatever. It is what it is.

Kapau and Chope

Best villains ever 10/10. 'Nuff said.

Romance

KAILOR

Okay, I freaking love them! They're not my favorite couple or anything, but they work really, really well… under certain conditions. There are a few bumps I can't ignore. Can we have a protagonist in the show who doesn't send googly eyes at their future love interest the first moment they see her? And remember when they made us think Kai and Skylor were related... yeah... why did we need to do that? That was... kinda uncomfortable. BUT other than that, Skylor is exactly what Kai needed. First, he needed a redhead. Duh. Second, he needed someone who would see right through his Kai shmoltz and be real with him. Third, she had to be fun. And finally, she needed to wear the pants in the relationship. And Skylor fills ALL of those requirements! I like that Kai falls for her right away, and I love that she doesn't think she likes him until... she totally does and it's like 'Oh SNAP!'. I love that weird scene where Chen walks around with Kai like he's already his son in law, that cracks me up! I guess I like them more in theory than in practice. It feels a touch forced, and it needed a bit more time. Point being, the beginnings of the relationship are extremely awkward and strange, but towards the end of the season, it gets good! I just wish we could see more :)

The... love... triangle

Alright, by now, you guys should know how I feel about these things. They suck. They're stupid. I hate them. They're pointless. And this season is... quite possibly the stupidest. So... the whole Garma-Wu-Sako... thing this season is that Wu wrote a letter to Misako a long time ago, and Garmadon stole it, and then... Misako *groan* used it to determine which of them she was going to marry... okay. Yeah, Garmadon, that was a crap thing to do. But you know what, he was evil. Wu should have just signed the thing when he wrote it. But also, Misako... WHAT ARE YOU DOIN' GIRL?! Why... would you let a letter... be the final deciding point? I don't get that. And my main problem is that she basically chose her husband based on his writing ability. The thoughts Wu had in the letter obviously directly express what Garmadon wanted to say. In the end, his feelings for her were still the same. The only thing different is that he didn't write it. He's not good with words the way Wu is. But the show treats it like he lied about his feelings, and didn't even like her. Like he was using her for personal gain or manipulation or something. Idk. The whole thing makes no sense. Now, maybe if he did something to make Wu directly look bad or disingenuous THAT would be understandable. But... idk. I don't get it. Misako sucks. Let's move on.

Villians

Chen

Chen is my favorite villain. Hands down. No competition. Any way you slice it. I friggin love the heck out of this dude. And here's why. First off, he's a very comedic villain that still remains extremely threatening, which is an extremely thin line to walk. I mean, think about it. With all the other villains, they were intimidating, and the henchmen provided the humor. Here, I guess you could say they flipped it cuz Clouse is pretty intimidating, but Chen is still crazy scary on his own. And here's how they do it: He's insane. Straight up, he has lost his mind. Nothing he does makes sense, but that's fine, cuz it probably makes total sense to him. You can laugh at the quirky things he does, but also live in fear knowing that he has trap doors installed EVERYWHERE. Why? Cuz he likes them! Is there a better reason than that when you're crazy! That was my problem with people with Pythor. He is so smart, why didn't he ever think that the devourer might eat him too?! There is no explanation. But with Chen, that doesn't matter! He wants to be a snake! Why? Why not?! No flaws in that thinking, right? This is also why I like Ultra Violet so much. She's the only one to rival his position, but because she's more of a side villain, I don't feel that's enough to dethrone him. With insane villains, you never have any idea what they're playing at, if it's smart, or how to counteract, cuz they're just insane. I mean, seriously,

"Chen, the ninja have figured out our plan, what should we do?"

"COOL! Let's tell EVERYONE our plan!"

And it works! I love his voice. Just the way he says things makes me so happy! He's having so much fun, and I have fun with him! 10/10 villain. Great work.

Clouse

I can't get past the voice. It sounds so over the top evil and... it's kinda annoying for me? He has a decent backstory and such, but whenever he's on screen I always find myself wishing it was Chen. He just sucks the fun out of everything and leaves nothing there, so most of his interactions aren't particularly interesting. I don't know. Never really thought much of him.

Humor

Needless to say everything with Chen works! Everything with the EMs works. Jay's whole Positive Thinking streak is amazing! There's not a lot that falls flat on its face. It's really pretty fantastic.

Favorite joke: too many to count. If I had to pick one...

Chen's: the reds, the purples, the super dark purples!

Drama

This season has some damn good drama. It has my personal most sad moment in all of Ninjago. I'm of course talking about Garmadon's death... JK! XD I WAS LAUGHING ALL THE WAY THROUGH THAT SEQUENCE! But we’ll get to that later. Okay. But for real, my personal most heartbreaking moment is when we find out Pixal is scrapped (of course it's Pixal related) but seriously, watching this for the first time, it broke my heart hardcore. I audibly gasped. They have these conversations, and she realizes he doesn't remember her, and it hurts her because they were comPATABLE GOSH DANG IT! And then he starts remembering, and she knows she can't go with him, so she lies to him to give him the motivation to make it out, and then the reveal, and Zane's heart breaks, and your heart breaks. This whole scenario reminds me of my own writing, it has all these things I enjoy using. Distinctions between fantasy and reality, characters lying to each other to protect them, and an ending realization of total and complete emptiness. Of course, Pixal is added into his head, and all is fine and dandy. It works for this season but serves her worse in future seasons. Regardless, that moment when Pixal says 'scrapped' is the most depressing thing I've ever seen. All of the Zane drama this season works really well. Zane having an identity crisis is something I didn't think the show would handle. When Zane says he's just a clone if himself I was like 'oh, dang! They went there!'. It's almost like he's comparing himself to Cryptor, and it's some heavy stuff. Everything this season is shrouded in mystery. I love that. For the first half of the season or so, I really like the tournament stuff. But as we get Cole, and especially Jay in the noodle factory, that plotline gets much more interesting. I don't get into the Nya and Lloyd and Garmadon stuff that much. The stuff with Kai is okay. But overall, there's some good stuff.

Climax

Okay, so... I... I mean I like the build up. The thing with all the trucks is really good. Most of it was really pretty good with all the EMs doing stuff the ninja would usually do. But the whole ending thing, with getting mini Pythor involved, and you know. The whole Garmadon death thing. He died an honorable death and all that, but... idk, I can't get past Lloyd's voice. As he reads him off I just couldn't stop giggling! It's so overdramatic, they feel like they need to make Lloyd mad at his dad for whatever reason so he can come back at the last second, and it all feels so forced. And then the ending is super overly cheesy for how serious the show wants to take itself at that moment. Idk. I don't like it. One of my least favorite finales.

Spotlight episode

There are some good ones to choose from this season. Some real good ones. But the one I find myself watching the most is Ninja Roll. This episode doesn't have too high stakes, it doesn't make much sense, it's kind of pointless, but it perfectly encapsulates the reason I watch Ninjago. I don't know exactly why I watch Ninjago. I'm not into the action most of the time. The romance is cute, but not potent enough to warrant watching the show. The humor isn't revolutionary, the characters aren't especially deep. No, the reason I watch Ninjago is cuz it's fun. Ninjago is just a good time. It has just enough of all of those aspects to make for something I love. It makes me smile. With seasons 8, and especially 9, Ninjago has shifted into this darker action based, lore-driven thing, which I thought I would like, and I do, but I think it's lost a bit of that fun factor. In my opinion, Ninjago is it's best when it's self-aware, and doesn't take itself overly seriously. When you don't have to end the season on an ominous dark cliffhanger. I mean really. What is this? Chima? No. I just want to go hang out with the ninja and the gang, whatever it is their doing. This episode takes advantage of every situation a roller derby with the ninja provides. Of course Jay roller skates with his mom. Of course, Kai is incompetent at it. Of course, Chen cheats, of course, it all comes down to Lloyd. Of course, there's freaking buggies that Chen releases! This whole episode makes me smile and laugh and it has a good message. This is what I miss about Ninjago, and that's why it's my spotlight.

Misc

I know everyone always teases Jay about his TV show, but what about Kai and his wrestling career? I just feel like that would come up more often

I completely subscribe to the theory that Pixal was scrapped to fix Zane cuz they beat him up so badly when capturing. I'd kinda like to think Pixal even volunteered herself for it... ONE SHOT IDEA

I have to scratch... my face.

I need a number on the trap door to button ratio on the island

This season has my favorite intro of any season. Mainly cuz the remix is FIRE and I hate the fact that they don't have an extended version that sounds more like the opening itself.

So all together, the word to sum up season 4 is fun. Definitely not technically the best, or the smartest, or the most well done, but it's my favorite because of nostalgia, my inner child, and because it makes me smile. I love this season.

- Maya (Parachutingkitten)

#ninjago #analysis #ninjago season 4 #ninjago ToE #tournament of elements #parachuterants

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