#it's also a pretty fun contrast with Ash

[silverselfshippingchaos]

the funniest thing about j.oongi is how he's saying shit like "perchance" and "uncouth" like he isn't in a literal fucking y.akuza game

[luckyashes-art]

man, you ever realize you needed to correct a small character detail to make it more accurate and then it peeves you off a lil 💀💀💀

[yamujiburo]

if you don't mind, would you rank ash's outfits from worst to best? (also on the same topic, would you have wanted to see him in ethan, brendan, victor, and any other missed protag's outfits?)

Oooh this is a great question I've never really thought about

Shoutout to @/leafbladex_yt for this cool edit of all Ash's fits! (it's helping me judge the clothes alone rather than the art style). Ranking under the cut!

Going from least favorite to most favorite! AG, DP, SM, JN, XY, BW, OS

AG- I'm not a huge fan of this one. I feel like there's not a lot helping break the colors up in this design. The block of blue and the white "U" shape are competing to draw your eye and it feels unbalanced. I feel like if the "U" shape was on his chest or took up more space it'd help

DP- This outfit is pretty similar to AG's except Ash has a popped collar rather than a hood. However this one has two things going for it that I like. The "V" shape placement is nice and is what I wished the AG design had and also the black shirt is very unique compared to all of Ash's other designs that tend to be blue-leaning! Also like the extra pockets that make the pants feel less empty than the AG one

SM- Another unique look for Ash that I do like but isn't my favorite. It's simple and I do like the pants a lot actually but idk I just want a little more. The shoes make me laugh a bit. I like that they're going for a more slick look for the shoes but the little circles on em feel vaguely clown-like haha

JN- From here on I really like these designs! I like the JN shoes a lot and they honestly be my favorite shoes of the bunch. Not the hugest fan of the hat but I really like the vest and the white undershirt with red stripe. The balance and colors are really nice! My only gripe is the color of his shorts. It's not egregious but the purple that's only slightly different in value compared to the vest is weird to me. It works but idk I think a higher contrast might've been nice or just going for simple black shorts would've felt better to me (?)

XY- Don't have much to say about this one! It's just a solid, clean design. The hat is fun, the simple shirt with white trim and just enough lines to make the design look cool but not crowded is great! I also like the black undershirt. It's subtle but this design would look weird without it

BW- UGH this design scratches my brain just right. I looove the tall collar/hood, the 1/3 blue 2/3 white combo is soooo clean especially with the blue accents for the pockets. It's also nicely broken up by they yellow zipper and bold black "U" lines to separate the blue and white. So beautifully balanced

OS- This is a hard design to beat. It's just so iconic. Love the league symbol on the hat and the white panel in the front of that hat (forgot to mention I like that about the BW design too). The green gloves are great, I'm kinda sad they just defaulted to black in his other designs. The blue overshirt is great with the white collar/white sleeves. The yellow trim on the bottom, for the buttons and pockets give it just enough visual interest while keeping the design interesting. Keeping the overshirt open for the black tshirt is sooooo nice. It draws the eyes to the center and balances well with the light jeans. Love that it's tucked in also so the overshirt is noticeably longer creating even more variation. The belt is also a great touch! Love a belt. Belts are such a nice way to break up a design. The cuffed jeans are a look and I love that the shoes are designed but not over designed. The black and white combo with red accents is balanced super nicely. 10/10 no notes.

As for an outfit I'd wish we'd seen Ash in........ honestly Victor's. It would have been a huge deviation from what Ash usually wears, similarly to SM. Idk if it would have been my favorite look but it would be so wildly different to see Ash in long sleeves, actual skinny jeans and a beanie haha. Might have to draw this at some point

[margoshvets]

Redesign / Alliance fit for Theron!

I was kinda sad that our husband didn't get a new design like our wife Lana did, so I decided to try to make something nice for him✨

Not that I don't like his original design. I just wanted to try something different.

(I got too tired drawing, so that's why he doesn't have a face XD)

I'll be describing some details of this design below if anyone is interested to read about them!

A little bit of warning. There is some headcanon / fanon stuff here, and, also, the opinion on some stuff is just my opinion, and you don't have to agree with me. Please don't be too harsh to me. I just wanted to have fun UwU

For the lower part of his body, I mostly got rid of a bunch of details, like the blue stripes on his pants, to make it simpler (in contrast with the upper part, which has some interesting stuff going on).

Got rid of those hanging things on his belt cuz they seemed pretty redundant, and I couldn't think of what they could be used for. Belt, in general, is more simplified. As a cherry on top, he now has the alliance symbol on it ✨

I added the metal thing, which I like to call "magnetic plate", on his right leg, and it's basically for carrying stuff like his datapad, keys, Eternal Fleet ashes, etc.

(I do remember seeing a similar thing in imperial designs, but I'm not sure what it's called)

Since he relies on tech a lot, he now has a fancy new toy - the glove on his left hand! Very useful thing for operating stuff and also hacking!

Remember that scene when we get our ship back, and Theron just presses something on his very regular glove? I always found it amusing. Not it will make more sense since he now actually has a suitable glove for this kind of action XD

[the scene in question]

He now hides his blasters inside his jacket (hence the belts on his upper part).

The jacket is a pretty memorable part of his design. It looked really good with a yellow color, but it's hard to imagine him wearing a jacket that isn't red.

I have to admit that a lot of new stuff in that thing was added based only on my headcanons. Mostly because I wanted to add an interesting story to it.

(A little bit of explaining is in order) Theron is a chilly person; he often feels like it's cold even if the room temperature is normal. Tauntauns are also his favourite animals.

This jacked is a gift from a very dear person to him. They knew all that and that's why they gifted Theron a warm jacket made with Tauntaun's fur (no tauntaun was harmed in making this jacket).

That person is no longer alive, but he still holds on to this jacket like it's his second skin; it's very important to him.

Anyway, the white parts of the jacket are now fur. And the fur inside only extends to shoulders (having natural fur already sounds too expensive for a republic soldier salary it was bought with). It's still warm tho. Sleeves have fur only at the ends and have zippers so that they can be easily folded back.

This jacket also can be closed (sounds kinda pointless stating the obvious, but in comparison with his original jacket, to me at least, makes sense cuz I can hardly imagine the original one closing).

Almost forgot.

A turtleneck for Theron. It just makes sense.

[ashstfu]

Daffodil and camelia!

hii sorry for taking years to respond!!

daffodil ⇢ do you have siblings? if yes, in what ways do you think you’re similar to or different from them?

i do have one brother. we share the same height genes lol we’re both pretty tall, he’s around 6’2 and i’m 5’11. though i have to admit he’s quite the ladies man which is v different from my more selective dating approach. he’s into maths and literature and politics, and we have some fascinating debates about everything from classic novels to current affairs to algebra. he’s also much more friendly, easy going & social compared to me. we both value loyalty and have a strong sense of independence, but he’s more emotionally driven and perceptive, while i lean towards practicality and organization. these differences sometimes create misunderstandings but overall, our contrasting personalities and shared interests keep things lively and entertaining in the family ;-)

camellia ⇢ what were you like when you were younger? do you think you’ve changed a lot?

oof younger ash was so less confident & more hesitant about expressing her opinions. i was also more impulsive and less structured in how i approached my interests and goals. over time, i’ve developed a stronger sense of self and become more deliberate and refined in my choices. i used to be much more bubbly and outgoing, but now i’m more serious, only letting my fun side shine through with close friends. my curiosity and passion for learning have remained but i have learned to channel them in more focused and thoughtful ways. and while i’ve changed a lot in terms of confidence, direction & personality, those core traits of curiosity and enthusiasm for new experiences are still very much a part of who i am ⭐

[sora-fish]

Hey guys, Autism Bob here, more Tangled!PD au!!

This one specifically is going more into Dakota and Vyncents backstory’s cause THEY INTERTWINE!!!! This is Knifekicks btw, so enjoy!!

There are small spoilers for season 2 of PD in here, they are labeled and really aren’t that big at all, but wanted to be more safe then sorry!!

STARTING OFF WITH DAKOTA!!!! In the post before this I kinda went off about his backstory, but here are some details I didn’t mention!!

This is a spoiler!!! -> Dakota Cole isn’t Kota’s OG name in this world either!! Instead, “Cole” was from a comic book Dakota read as a child, just like “Flynn Rider”. The comic books were really the only thing Dakota didn’t have trouble reading, so he found an inspiration in Master Cole- or the hero in the stories. From then on, he used Dakota Cole as a stage name of shorts- or in this case a thief name.

I wanna expand on a point I made in the last post, and kinda more explain why Dakota is ok with stealing in this AU. Well for one, he doesn’t enjoy it. Kota sees it as a need, and frankly it is. Basically living on his own as a kid and teenager, he couldn’t get a stable job to actually get the money to buy food and necessities- so he turned to the one thing he could do to live. That doesn’t mean he likes it- not at all actually. That is why he agrees to steal the crown in the first place. Mark is a bitch of a ruler, letting the crown collect dust for 18 years- and doesn’t even bother to help the people in his kingdom because he’s poured all his resources into finding one person. Dakota hopes the princess comes home safe, but he can’t help but look at every other person Mark has basically left to rot in HIS kingdom.

This is a very vague spoiler (I can’t remember if any of this was mentioned season 1 😭😭) -> That brings me to talk about Vyncent. Without everything happening with the greats, Vyncent actually did follow in his father’s footsteps pretty well. Because of that though, he’s always looking for a challenge. He’s basically the most competent person in the guard, earning him the head of the guard title, but he finds most things boring. Guarding the crown. Walking around town- it’s all busy work when he grew up listening to epic tales of what the greats did- and now he’s stuck guarding a crown all day. Later on in the story, if it goes past the end of the movie (which it probably will, already got thoughts about William after the Tangled plot ends) then I’ll probably experiment with some news coming back about what happened with the greats- but with no Vyncent there- their kinda just fucked? Cue rescue mission probably, PD having to watch Vyncent go through his trauma first hand maybe? Who knows!!!

But with the combined fact that Vyncent is bored by ‘busy’ work at the castle, and Dakota never really being caught- they kinda have a rivals relationship at the moment. Dakota is the one thief Vyncent can’t catch, and it’s finally a challlenge that Vynce needs to keep himself busy. On Dakotas side, it’s a fun chase every single time- something out of the comic books he used to read. With all of the greats gone, the guard isn’t what it used to be, but Dakota also appreciates the challenge. It’s serious business for Vyncent, and just a game to Dakota- but they both have fun in their respective ways.

When Vyncent finds Dakota traveling with Ashe and William, Ashe tries to get them to get along just like in the movie- and it works. Though it mostly is just the promise that as soon as Ashe sees the lanterns, all bets are off and they are back to the chase. That changed by the end obviously- and in contrast to the chase scene in the beginning, Vyncent helps Dakota escape jail and get to the tower.

In short - competitive Knifekicks save me, save me competitive Knifekicks

[abirddogmoment]

It's been a month without Mav, here is a jumble of thoughts about it, in no particular order:

Mav was the coolest dog in the world

He was also pretty high-maintenance (in terms of exercise specifically); my exercise has plummeted without him. I have a lot more free time and I'm not really sure what to do with myself.

It was really, really fun to dabble in sports with Mav, but the titles don't really mean anything to me now. I love thinking back at the trial experiences (specifically the mishaps - alerting on cheese, visiting the judges, stealing toys) but I don't really care about the letters or certificates anymore.

In contrast, the Top CKC Rally Brittany brings me a lot of comfort. I like that Mav will be recorded in the brittany spaniel archives. I'll be really sad when we get usurped.

I'm glad I found a good group of people for dog sports. I could have gone so many different directions, and I'm so glad I went with the "be kind to your dog above all else" and I think a huge part of that was the community I found irl.

Mav's breeder is a gem, she has checked in with me so many times and I appreciate that so much.

I wish I had known more about training and handling before I got Mav. I'm sad for the gaps in his foundations and I wish I had known more to set him up better from the beginning.

I'm so happy he got to have so many adventures - big ones and little ones. I could have done more, but I think he got a lot.

I'm pretty sure his last thought was about a cookie, which doesn't really matter, but feels very on brand for him.

I can't remember the last time I smooched his head and that makes me kind of sad. Doubtless it was at the vet's but I can't remember for sure.

I spread his ashes in the area where he most liked hiking, and every time I've gone hiking there since then, I've thought of it as visiting Mav.

I still haven't thrown out his gross kitty cat stuffy, it's still sitting on top of his crate.

I'm really grateful for the people I got to meet through Mav.

I'm really happy I was so consistent about posting on Tumblr, I have such a good archive of his whole life and I love that.

Mav was a special kind of dog.

[bahbahhh]

PLS TALK TO ME ABOUT "BEGIN AGAIN" I WOULD DO SOOOO MANY ILLEGAL THINGS TO READ IT FOR THE FIRST TIME AGAIN </3333333

Oh man, begin again. Where do I, well, begin?

It started with the end — that is, the first I knew was I wanted to write a story that ended with Link giving Zelda Hateno house.

I became obsessed pretty early on in my play-through of totk with the changes between it and botw. And when I say obsessed, I mean annoyed. I love botw. I love the world and the landscape and the characters and the story. It just felt like too much was wiped away without explanation and I decided, damnit, I was going to fix that.

Here are so fun facts/ hidden gems/Easter eggs:

Chapter 1

She is not aware of a word that accurately describes the feeling of being forgotten by the person you tethered your heart to; to have it remain connected to that person and witness it drift behind them, becoming more of a dark cloud than guiding light.

This is a little nod to like someone would. I totally Link runs from his destiny a little bit before he faces CG. And writing from Zelda’s POV, I felt like I had to recognize the pain of witnessing that.

He jokingly calls it an ‘adventure pouch’.

Call back to SS!

Chapter 2

“Even the Divine Beasts?”

“Especially those,” he asserts.  

Another nod to like someone would Link. I always feel like, similar to how SS Link would have hesitation being a child of the sky entering temples, especially underground, this Link would hate entering the divine beasts. It feels like a living tomb. I wanted this contrast between he and Zelda’s perspective where, earlier, she thinking about all the ways they could be repurposed to help Hyrule, Link only sees how it can fall again. And the pain they have already caused.

“It trapped his soul inside his body,” King Dorephan says.

I hc Link was very much dead in botw. The shrine of resurrection essentially tethered his soul to his body long enough for it to be prepared so his soul could be convinced to remain inside. I have a wip sitting around about Link’s time in this stasis and how all three of this trio (Zelda, Ganondorf, and Link have all spent some time in it) but who knows if I’ll write it.

To this group, so revitalized by new hope, united and rising from a hundred years of ruin, her proposal of clinging to their ashes might feel like poison. 

Like malice.

I’m a little obsessed with thinking about and justifying how at any given point, Zelda and Link could become a calamity as well.

“You said you think the Shrines work like the Divine Beasts? So in theory, those stopped working because our friends—” Grief, unexpected and sudden, crackles in her voice. She clears her throat. Pivots. “You can’t use their gifts any longer, right?”

Link flexes his fingers slowly. Like he’s just missing something that keeps passing through his fingers. “I let them go.”

This was a very important change I wanted to spend time on: The champion’s gifts. It broke my heart to think when mummy ganon attacked Link, he stole their gifts (essentially their souls) away from Link. And I decided it lined up with Link’s characterization in this story, that he would let them go versus hold onto them longer than needed. He especially, down to his very core, knows what that is like.

> Rest? <

I wanted a plausible explanation for how the shrines disappeared from the map and I just thought this was so clever when I came up with it, hah. That souls fixed for so long, so dedicated and driven by purpose might need permission to let go (HINT HINT ZELDA) And also, Link had the answer all along because, essentially, it’s what he did for the Champions when they let the gifts go.

Chapter 3

A bit of a logistics chapter but I wanted to wrap it around moments of feeling. Grief and living with grief is a huge theme through the entire story. I just love the “I’m 18” scene and how she’s physically moving forward before she’s emotionally there.

With her soul is exposed and pulsing like a nerve, she can sense the entirety of the Sheikah Technology network - all the shrines, every guardian, the towers stretching up into the sky, the furnaces burning outside the Labs - all these things without a mouth suddenly have one, and they open wide and desperate, and begin to siphon energy from her.

In theory, since the Sheikah tech runs on soul energy, I felt like it would make sense it has a hard time recognizing what is fuel and what I not. So every time Link fast travels, it’s like he’s bargaining with the horned statue. I always felt like you should lose a half heart when you fast travel in botw.

I was a little nervous it would fit with the story, but I really love the letters. It was the perfect opportunity to show Link has a lot going on in his head behind his few spoken words.

It does feel fast, but at the end of it all, it's just another year. Important things take time. 

This comes back in chapter 6 when Link tells Zelda how he feels about her.

You want to know where my favorite place in Hyrule is? There is a spring on top of a waterfall north of Lake Floria. It's where I first saw Farosh. Came right out of the water and climbed up into the sky above my head. Nearly scared me to death. I can’t really explain it well, but it's where I realized I wanted to actually be here. Ruins and wild and all. It's where I realized I wanted to be the one to save Hyrule. To save you.

Another like someone would reference. Also laying foundation of Link connecting with dragons…light dragon feels.

It’s just, sometimes it feels like this destiny asks too much, you know? 

This is a big theme in the depths au. A lot of my stories are connected/have passages that inspired others.

Chapter 4

The shrine Link got sick from was Noya Neha shrine. It’s next to Hyrule castle and it’s a cave shrine. I wanted to subtly introduce gloom sickness in a way it would take several years to become a problem consistent enough for Hyrule to pay attention to. In the beginning, I see it as something just chalked up to a random virus/illness. While Link and Zelda have more of a resistance to it, I argue because of all the fast travel and not taking the best care of himself for weeks, he was in a weakened state and more susceptible to the gloom in the cave.

“What are you talking about? Who will–” Paya freezes as Impa pulls off her hat, revealing a thin coil of silver braid on the top of her head that partially uncoils and drops down by her ear. 

It only felt right that Impa would drop a bomb on Paya and announce her retirement so casually.

The thin coil braid is a nod to SS Impa.

Calamity Ganon could easily be mistaken for a dragon. Can you imagine? Facing off against a wicked version of Dinraal or Farosh?

Foreshadowing the demon dragon.

You can clearly see she was Hylian by the ears, but the hero has none of Link’s features. He barely looks human. They chose the Champion blue from the color found in the threads that make up the ancient hero’s armor, but up close, she can see it’s a blending. They could have just as easily gone with green.

Nod the ancient hero’s aspect design. I’m so desperate to make this feel connected to botw because it doesn’t, haha.

‘It needed to heal,’ he signs. ‘I decided to let it.’

Again, an easy way to let Link’s characterization explain the detail of them having to retrieve the Master Sword before they descend under castle to investigate in the opening to totk and the Master Sword needing/being able to heal (Zelda’s decision to swallow the stone in totk).

Chapter 5

“Strong name.” The old man tugs off his hat and bows his head. “My name’s Toffa, by the way. My grandfather was head groom for the Royal family a century ago, Princess. His name was Talon.”

Nod to OoT.

Link drops down beside Zelda with two plates of food. He sets one in her lap, ignoring Tauro completely until Zelda picks it up. He’s unusually close. There is a strange edge to him; she feels it along the long line of his thigh against hers. Like she's thumbing the edge of a blade.

It was really fun to make Link a little jealous of Tauro and Zelda be completely oblivious to it.

I just love the entire Riju and Zelda scene. It felt really important for me to spend some time on Zelda facing her grief with Urbosa. I wrote a scene in the Killing Moon where Zelda uses Urbosa’s sword to cut her hair and I loved it so much I wanted to keep that theme with explaining her haircut. And of course, the most simple change between games (Zelda’s appearance) became a moment of a deeper significance.

Chapter 6

“It’s just, I remember reading that the Rito were once thought to be water dwelling.”

Nod to fandom lore Rito evolved from Zora.

“Our ears. They used to be longer.”

Another nod to fandom lore. Hylian ears once being longer to hear messages from goddesses. Sonia longer ears.

Purah’s change in appearance felt like an important change to spend some time on, not just because she’s suddenly older but also why Robbie and Impa didn’t de-age, too. It stands to reason, the same tech that ages her up could be used to alter Robbie and Impa’s age.

The air is damp and heavy. It smells – she thinks about Link and the cave shrine – funnier than it should. Musty and mineral and sickly sweet, like something is rotting behind the bedrock.

Another tiny foreshadowing of gloom.

“Just burn it.” She hears her father in the harshness of her tone. There is ink on her fingers. 

Fun fact- this is happening in the exact spot you get the memory in botw where her father scolds her.

“The song you are humming,” She fails to keep the edge out of her tone. “What is it called?”

He’s humming the song of storms in this scene. It’s why storm clouds are approaching and Farosh flies overhead.

“Kondo. The court poet’s name was Kondo. He was a Sheikah.”

Nod to the music composer for many of the iconic LoZ themes- Koji Kondo!

‘I choose you. Do you choose me?’

I wanted to say I love you without saying I love you. And for these two, bonded by destiny, choosing each other feels so much stronger, more significant and romantic to me than a declaration of love alone.

Chapter 7

The entire scene of her walking through the village and being stopped multiple times is my explanation why she eventually wants/needs the secret well.

I wrote the first passage of the story- Zelda wanting a bed- and the last passage - Zelda getting a bed/house- at the same. I broke it up when I gave it to my beta reader and only edited it a little when it was time to put it into the final chapter.

[vendetta-if]

Dear Author, I want to send some love and praises your way, for this fun update!

Jackal is so cute! And NOT from the MC's perspective, Uncle Luka is just so hot? (please don't murder me Jackal) Their interactions together are so adorable.

Also, did we just saw a bit of Grandpa's power? I'm not sure if it was mentioned in the story before but what he said to Jackal almost feel like it was enforced?

I'm imagining Jackal be like "Man, what's with your family and the shovel talks." after everything he went through today. Maybe Ash can also give one solely with GLARES.

Don’t worry, anon, you’re not the only one who thinks Luka is hot 🥵😂 Really, it makes me wonder… When I finally decide to do the Favourite DILF poll, who would win the number one spot: Luka or Viktor? I’m pretty sure the Morozov brothers would occupy the two top spots 😆 I wanna include Jackal in the poll too but he’s not a DILF (at least not yet 😏).

And yeah, I love their interactions as well 🤣 They’re both mischievous in their own ways but whereas Luka’s mischievousness is under a layer of seriousness and stoicism, Jackal’s is more outward in a troublemaker and bad boy way and I just love the contrasts with the more formal and classy Luka 🥰

Also, Jackal just getting multiple shovel-talks in a row in one day 😆 Well, he should know what he’s getting into when he agreed to date the head of a powerful mafia family. I just like to think that Ash had also given him some sort of short shovel-talk when they helped Jackal kidnap the guy we interrogated back in Chapter 4 😂

Indeed, Grandpa used his compulsion power to make sure Jackal is telling the truth about what he thinks about his only son left. No matter what, Jackal is still a deadly assassin/hitman who has been living for himself for years. Grandpa just wanna make sure Luka would be safe from both physical and emotional harm (heartbroken like Viktor 🥲😭).

This is actually not the first instance Grandpa uses his power in the story so far. The first one was when he told the remaining guests in the party to keep their knowledge of MC’s real identity a secret and told them to fuck off after that. Whenever Grandpa uses his compulsion power, I bold the letters to make it clearer 😉

[yourknifemyside]

"On the outside, the battles might be hard… but the friends are real!"

#1. Pokémon 3: The Movie (2000) 🔁

I wasn't intending to start the year off with a rewatch of something, but sometimes the opportunity just sneaks up on you! A friend of mine happened to ask if I wanted to watch it, and I was like "hell yeah." I haven’t seen too many of the Pokemon movies, but for my money, this one clears the rest on that short list. I've long said this one is the best because it "has themes", but there's definitely more to it than that!

Easiest place to start: this movie looks fantastic. Though I didn't really grow up with it, I'm super nostalgic for the visuals of the early gen Pokemon anime. This is pretty much just that visual style slapped on the big screen, with even nicer animation, and you'll never catch me complaining about that. More specifically, the locale is checking all the boxes for me. In those wideshots of Greenfield you get the most beautiful contrast between its tall mountains, lush rolling hills, and the elephant-in-the-room giant flowery castle of ice that appears to have uprooted things. The spaces inside of Molly's castle are the other clear highlight, from her crystal-y princess bedroom, to the battlefield where she fights Brock. I can't get enough of that pink sky, that's gotta be my favorite little area in the whole film.

Something that really caught me on rewatch is just how well paced this movie is? This thing doesn't even clock in over 75 minutes long, and the pace is pretty brisk, but at no point does it ever really feel like it's rushing to get from Point A to Point B. At least for like, the first two thirds of it, there's a nice balance between letting its plot develop and not wasting time hanging around, things just keep moving at a natural pace. It's especially noticeable here because we really don't spend that much of the movie on Pokemon battles, it's a lot of travelling places and talking, but it never really gets boring or starts to drag. Again, the first two thirds of it, at least. When we do get battles, they're really fun! Honestly, they aren't as bombastic as maybe you'd expect them to be for the movies, and they're all pretty short. But, they break up the pace at the exact right times, and what they lack in spectacle, they more than make up for in character.

I think the movie starts to get a little wonky in the back third. There really isn't much actually wrong with it, it just starts losing my attention around here. Which is insane, because you'd think an eight minute long fight between Entei and Charizard would be the hypest shit on the planet, but its honestly the slowest part of the movie for me, which is a damn shame. I also feel like the movie just kinda... ends? Things are resolved sure, but this is the one part of the movie that really feels like they're rushing you out the door. I think this thing could've taken like five minutes off of the Charizard fight and put them into a more fleshed out, fuller-feeling ending, and it may have been better off for it. This is definitely the weakest stretch of the movie to me, which is a shame, because it also contains probably my favorite part of the whole thing, wedged right between the fight and the rushed ending (we'll get to it in a sec.)

Something unique about this movie compared to a lot of its peers is that it really isn't all that much about Pokemon. Of course, they’re all over the place, and they're doing stuff, and they inject a lot of charm into every scene, but they really aren’t what the movie is about. For example, Entei has a sweet role as an imaginary surrogate dad, but between him and Molly, he only becomes the focus when it’s time for action. The Unown are a hugely important piece to the plot too, but again, they’re much more a collective force of nature than they are important characters. It’s just surprising how human this “Pokemon Movie” is, but I think that's why it works so well!

Ash, Misty, and Brock are here! There's really not too much to say about them, since they're pretty much exactly how you'd expect them to be, which is fine by me. I think the standout character of the returning cast from the show is easily Ash's Mom, Delia. For someone who is otherwise a pretty nonexistent character, I really really love her role in this movie as... an actual character! There's a shocking amount of tension when she appears on screen after getting captured, like she knows giving up her facade could be a dangerous mistake. Her interactions with a certain five year old girl are also a great middle ground between sweet and tragic. I would not have expected her to be the most exciting one to watch out of all the preexisting characters, but I'm pleasantly surprised to see it. As for the characters original to the movie, Lisa, the trainer Ash fights during the opening credits, is pretty cool, but let's not beat around the bush—the standout is very clear here.

Why is this five year old the most compelling character to come out of this entire franchise... Molly Hale and her story are the highlight of this whole thing, and is where the "themes" come in. This kid's story is of the dangers in retreating too deep into escapism to deal with immense grief. I really like this exploration of how a scared, lonely, traumatized kid would use these sudden magic powers to further shut herself out from a difficult and painful reality. I like, in the face of all the fantastical elements at play in the Pokemon world, how realistic it ultimately is for her to act as she does throughout the whole movie.

I also appreciate how the movie makes a very large point of how unsustainable and dangerous it can be to continue handling her grief in the way that she does. It keeps her safe and comfortable for a while, but eventually becomes too much to uphold and begins to collapse in on itself. Molly's initial refusal to leave her castle and faux family behind, puts her at risk as the Unown's powers start going out of control. It wasn't until she finally chose to let go and persist in the face of her trauma, to continue to live and to desire reality, that her and everybody else could be saved. Her realization that there's so much more out there for her, and her decision to chase after it despite how much the world has taken from her, is my favorite part of the movie, and it really resonates for me.

I’ve seen some people take issue with the ending—as in, the very, very end during the credits, saying Molly’s reconnection with her father and especially her mother kinda tanks the impact of her story’s resolution. In a way I get where they’re coming from, but I think that line of thought kinda misses the forest for the trees. Her resolution is much more about the choice to move forward and continue living, which she makes fully uncertain either of her parents will ever return. Molly realized that what she really wanted was still out there all along, outside of the monument she built to her sorrow. And it's real. She just had to choose to keep living in order to have it. Sure, precious few of us will ever have the same fairy-tale ending to our story that she got, but what we do get is the choice to persevere, the choice to let our dreams push us forward towards a better reality, rather than cage us in place.

That's what I always take away from this movie, and that theme resonates a lot more than I would've expected it to. At the end of the day, sure, it's still a Pokemon movie, it's not the deepest thing in the world, written by the quill of a true auteur... but was it really trying to be? It's just a sweet, charming, heartfelt little movie, with a real sweet emotional core and impactful message tying it all together.

"I want things real again."

7 / 10 MVP: Molly Hale

Watched on Jan 6th, 2025

[bueckersfudd]

my opinion on the game, i think it was a good game after the loss to ND but then again almost any big east game is a sure win. paige was good but wasn't taking the shots she couldve but still played well... sarah was also good played well rebounded well.. kaitlyn even though the stats don't show it that much i thought she played really well, she found the passes and rebounded pretty well considering her height... ash was also good esp after that last game she picked it up... ice was kinda a mess she really picked it up in the end of the game but tbh the beginning ik she only played like a few min but those were bad. subs wise: jana did ok idk not much to say she only had 2 points which a post player with 2 points is almost unheard of. speaking of which how does Q have the more points than jana and the same as ice while only playing like 5 min, that should not happen esp from a starter and a first sub... morgan was soooo good she really impressed me today esp her defensive work... kk and allie were both ok, kk was better than last game but still not doing great not much improvement over the past year and a half.. allie was good not too much from her but with more min i think she'll start playing good... what did u think about the game?

sorry anon i forgot to answer, i got caught up on other things!

pretty good assessment on your part. expected the result we got which means i kinda checked out a little when the fourth quarter started winding down but lets get into it!

i was a little bit frustrated with some of the shots paige gave up without even looking at the basket, but she still had 24 so i'm giving her some grace there bc other than that she played a very good, paige-like game that we know and love. great defensive effort from her, she was a menace in those passing lanes.

no complaints on sarah thats my freshmen of the year. ice keeps giving me these moments where i'm like "okay may she earned that starting spot" but they did not happen today, she looked like last season ice. in contrast, kaitlyn did a lot of good things. i still wish we could see some more offensive urgency from her but hopefully as she adjusts to her role and as geno figures out his lineups that will come.

ashlynn was really aggressive, i wanna see more of that from her in the future even if the shots aren't falling. morgan was fantastic, even geno loved the effort from her and will be increasing her minutes in upcoming games, good for her! her efforts on the boards were so necessary and will continue to be bc we should not be struggling this much to rebound the basketball

i don't have much to say on kk besides thank god she finally hit a three. jana needs to learn how to adjust to what the refs are calling bc she's too foul prone right now regardless of whether or not she deserves them, that'll come with time and experience. i think a lot of what she's struggling with just comes down to adjustment and experience, i'm confident she'll get there.

q... yeah whatever she only played bc it was a blow out and even then im like, "why is there a flailing twig disrespecting nika muhl and sue bird's number on my screen?"

it was kinda fun to watch the freshmen figure things out a little bit of that last quarter but i dont have many notes on those minutes in general except that the refs made some interesting calls and i hope that girl from georgetown who went down is okay. there u have it, thank u for asking!!

[nomsfaultau]

(Potentially (does it even have the right to be called that anymore?)) Daily ask №10

Relationships edition!

Which two characters have the closest relationship between the crew?

What relationship dynamic do you wish you got the chance to use in fault or the chance to use more it often?

What duo/trio do you think didn't get much screentime but you personally really like the idea or vibe of?

What relationship between side characters is your favourite?

What relationship dynamic would make absolutely no sense in the context of the fic but would be absolutely amazing nonetheless? (Ex. A duo that would be great and heartbreaking as enemies but would never become enemies due to the plot)

Also, not a question and not even related to the theme, but I would really like to hug everyone in the main crew + Ranboo (assuming they're not a pile of ashes and a skull) please

Spoilers and mistakes, as always!

1.Tommy and Tubbo not even close. Which is funny since they've known each other the least amount of time, but they sorta latched onto each other to survive trauma and are insuperable now. After so, so long of total isolation, Tommy having a friend who can literally always be with him is like a dream. It's almost impossible to ever feel abandoned. And for Tubbo, they can see a lot of the awful things that are happening in the Foundation, and Tommy was like the one source of comfort they could see. He taught them how to survive and fight and live. At this point, the only way each knows how to care about themselves is through caring for the other. It's not perhaps ideal but it does work better than any other of their disastrous coping mechanisms.

2. I adore me a dark Phil. Not that scp Philza isn't a rough character, but he isn't a full on antagonist like he is in Mandatory Family Reunion or Lord!. One of my favorite dynamics of all time is insanely overpowered villain father and his kidnapped, seething, and suicidal hero kid, but while echoed in Fault it doesn't really get there.

3. The relationships between all of the main five get pretty heavily explored for the most part. I guess The Blade and Wilbur's dynamic gets the least focus out of all 10 possible duos? But eh. I do really like Philza and Kristin but I knew absolutely nothing about her when I first started Fault. I don't really see a way she'd fit in unfortunately. Which is a shame because Phil being a wifeguy is a lot of fun, and Kristin is so sassy and sweet.

4. My favorite side character relationship is unpublished and deep in spoilers alas. Most other side characters are pretty tied up how they relate to the protags, so we're digging deep for this one. Slimecicle/Charlie and Maureen (a guard he posesses) is actually a fascinating dynamic to me for all they have like maybe two scenes. It reveals interesting new shades to how the Foundation functions, since even teritiary characters bring new perspectives to the situation. I love the contrast between their POVs, with Maureen struggling to protect her coworkers versus Charlie's surprisingly sharp rebuttal about the Foundation destroying innocence and lives, or the contrast between Charlie's jocularity versus Maureen's mortal terror.

And mixing body horror with stupid puns is just fun!

"I’ve just dapped [Maureen] up!” At [Lawrence's] utter bewilderment, Charlie kindly explained, covering his faux mouth with his hands and stage whispering. “It means I’ve slipped between her muscles and am piloting her like a skin mecha. Like Pacific Rim! But it’s Pacific Skin!” Charlie paused. “Skin like in coagulation, not meat. Actually it works on both levels..."

5. I got this...one au. That I've stopped poking because frankly it goes to places darker than I prefer, and as a rule I don't actually ship minecraft guys save for like if they married, so it's just NEVER going in Fault. Not that this is a real ship, more like a toxic nucular bomb, but I find it interesting soooo... Philza/Webb. Who is the Foundation worker who shows Phil fun videos of his kids being tortured, who destroys him in the amnestic arc, who Philza fantasizes about torturing often, so like, yikes am I right.

The dynamic itself would be Philza selling his self respect and getting in a relationship with Webb in order to manipulate him into getting better treatment for his kids. He starts like coughing up blood about it but hey anything for his Collected right? And on Webb's end he doesn't even think Philza is a person, knows the Foundation will probably kill him if it's suspected (or if it doesn't make it easier to control Philza), literally already has a husband and daughter, and has lost so many friends and almost his own life to Philza.

They both hate each other so much but hate themselves even more.

It's horrific from pretty much every angle which is why I like it, since I don't write ships i write tragedies. I have a post about it, because there's a lot of humor in the crack pair too. But it's also so cursed I am not touching it.

ANd yes!! all the hugs!*

*assuming no power problems

[yamujiburo]

POKEMON SERIES RANKED (IMO)

I get this question a lot and haven't made an updated list with Journeys

Original Series (S1-S5)

Sun & Moon (S20-S22)

Chronicles (S0)

Diamond and Pearl (S10-S13)

Advanced (S6-S9)

Journeys (S23-S25)

Black & White (S14-S16)

XY (S17-S19)

Original Series (S1-S5)

OS had that first season charm. Very unpolished, still finding its footing but super enjoyable for those reasons

Probably the strongest series comedy-wise

That GORGEOUS 90s anime style

Main character dynamics were REALLY strong

Ash's personality felt much more like a shitty little 10 year old which was entertaining

Dub writing was also the best hands down

Sun & Moon (S20-S22)

Honestly tied for first with OS for me

REALLY fun ensemble cast! They do a fantastic job giving each character enough time for you to get to know and care about

Excellent modern anime style that perfectly fit the vibe of the season and allowed for some of the best character animation of the show's run

Finally figured out how to write Ash like a 10 year old again (but in a kind/sweet 10 year old way as opposed to OS)

Very different from previous series in terms of the formula they'd follow. Doing a school series instead of another "8 badges to championship" plot felt new and fresh!

This series genuinely made me cry the most (MEMORIES IN THE MIST!!!!! LIKE ARE YOU KIDDING ME)

Chronicles (S0)

Fun concept! It was really nice to see more of the side characters without Ash there. We get to see more of Misty, Tracey, Daisy, Brock, Ritchie, Oak, Delia, Butch, Cassidy, Jessie, James and Meowth!

Stylistically really nice. Just solid drawings all around and it retained the 90s anime style in digital form more successfully than other digitally done series imo

BUTCH AND CASSIDY!!! Team Rocket centric episodes!!! Training Daze!!!!!!!

Idk how possible it would have been (seems like a TON of work) but it made me want one of these in between each season, where we'd follow the characters that Ash had just said goodbye to for the next region.

Diamond and Pearl (S10-S13)

Series I grew up with! Honestly I was kinda a hater as a kid but having watched it back, I love the series

Love that Ash and Dawn were bros. They had a really fun dynamic.

Debatably peak Team Rocket. They had some of the best Team Rocket centric episodes this series.

Contests were really fun and a bit more figured out compared to the Advanced series

Fun, memorable rivals for Ash (Paul and Barry) as well as Dawn (Zoey, Kenny and Jessilina sometimes)

This is unfortunately where I stopped caring about Ash as much. He feels kinda watered down for the next couple series.

Advanced (S6-S9)

Pretty tied up with DP for me

Really fun series! Still had some of that early Pokémon charm

I appreciated that they put Ash in more of a mentor role for May (but he still had a lot to learn himself).

Ash and May constantly butting heads was really fun

May was a very compelling character to me, being very clumsy, kinda lazy, directionless, not really into Pokémon, etc. But then over time, she comes around and finds something she's interested in!

Journeys (S23-S25)

I love the episodic take as well as the way they let the characters jump around from region to region at random

Goh was a GREAT travel companion to Ash. They contrast each other nicely, have moments where they get on each others' nerves but still get along and have a mutual admiration for one another.

It was fun that they made Goh's thing catching every Pokémon (the motto of the entire series) so they could focus on Ash just training and prepping for Worlds.

Amaaaazing style. Took the great parts of classic Pokémon, roundness of SM and blended em together for a really fun look.

Black & White (S14-S16)

I don't think it's that controversial to have BW this low haha

I did enjoy Iris and Cilan but it felt like the writers didn't reaaally know what to do with them? Also this was their first time in a while not having Brock and it shows. I feel like Brock was successful because he was grounded and lower energy compared to the rest of the kids. Having 3 pretty eccentric characters is kind of a lot. No hate to the characters in the slightest, there was just not as much balance.

I think maybe they leaned on Cilan and Iris for more comedic relief because they killed the comedic relief that was Team Rocket this series. I appreciate them trying something new with Jessie, James and Meowth but I don't think it worked very well lol

XY (S17-S19)

I've ranted about this series a lot LOL. I get the appeal of it, but it just wasn't for me. I felt like it was the weakest comedy-wise and took itself a bit too seriously for my taste

My main gripe is that Serena, Clemont and Bonnie all like,,, worship Ash. By doing so, Ash begins to feel like a side character because we're constantly looking at Ash through their eyes. There's so little conflict within the group so their dynamics feel really flat. I think this dynamic could have worked if they leaned waaay more into Ash being a mentor and maybe feeling the pressure of having to be a role model for the people around him.

Team Rocket very much feels like an afterthought in this series. They did in Journeys as well, but at least in Journeys they were doing something silly and also had a handful of episodes dedicated to em.

Outside of that, the episodes weren't super memorable for me

I think it's just frustrating because there was sooooo much potential character-wise

[fraeuleintaka]

Character Introduction (Investigations 1): Ema Skye

This is the 49th post in the Ace Attorney Investigations Collection Countdown: 32 days left until release!

Today's topic: Ema Skye Character Introduction!

The 1st Investigations gets another additional character introduction, namely for Ema Skye. Interesting since she's anything but a main character in the game. She's only relevant in one case and even there not central to the narrative. But she is a known character from other games in the series so it does make sense to highlight her presence a little.

Ema's introduction spends some time talking about her current status in life, how she studies abroad in Europe to become a forensic investigator, her dream, and how she's back home only temporarily because she's on holiday. Since we see her at various different stages in life it's very useful to recap a little. Next we get an impression of one of Ema's core personality traits, her love for science and forensics, with the statement that she still has test kits with her just in case even though she's on vacation. She's the kind of person who sprays stuff with Luminol just for fun and I love her for it. That's also important because her forensic utensils are the reason Ema brings so much to investigations she's a part of and isn't just there for the sake of it. Her appearance almost always means some kind of forensics mini game and gathering evidence the scientific way and I always have fun doing that, in Investigations just the same. Lastly, Ema's introduction mentions her past connection to Miles in a different case (referencing 1-5, Rise from the Ashes) and how much she admires him, which shapes their relationship and is also the given reason for Ema's appearance as she heard Miles was investigating a case and wanted to help him, like the adorable fangirl she is. I really like their relationship, Miles appreciates her input so much and gets so wonderfully awkward when Ema's admiration for him comes through.

Sadly, Ema's full character artwork is pretty lackluster. It's just her neutral pose from the game in large and with all the details. I love the way they styled her, a nice mixture of her younger and older selves and very fitting to her current age, but I wish they'd done a little more with the artwork. Her chosen chibi sprite animation, in contrast, is wonderful! It's a comparatively long animation of her putting on her pink forensic glasses and looking for footprints by spraying some stuff and shining a hand-held light on the area. It looks beautiful in the new HD graphics! I especially love the reflections in the glasses, the detail in how the aerosols of the spray move and the subtle change in her facial expression where you see that she's excited and having fun. Even with her hat and glasses on you can see it clearly. Amazing!

[childofaura]

What are your thoughts on Faye Mata? She did Lene and Petra.

Outside of it, she plays three sisters from Pokèmon Masters (I forgot their names 😬), Malty from Rising of the Shield Hero (don’t know if she got hate for that the same way Laura did for Mami in Rent a Girlfriend but I won’t be surprised), Amame Doi from AI The Somnium Filesand most recently a new character from Pokèmon Horizons (a new Pokèmon anime that stars different protags after Ash’s retirement)

As someone who has a 6+ Lene (totally by accident, I've accidentally summoned Lene more times than I thought I really would), I like her! I think she also plays Cherry Bomb in Hazbin Hotel who, even though I'm not really fond of it, has a really neat punk energy and I like her one line "Why don't you get that tinker-toy bullshit out of here before I smash it... more!" But damn, she plays Malty? I despise Malty with a passion too but I hope people remembered to be nice to Faye...

Diving into the review though, Lene and Petra.

I like her performance as Lene! I DO like her performance as Petra too, but the attempt to write Petra as a secondary English speaker without noting any kind of accent kind of hurt her performance a bit. That's not her fault though; It just doesn't make sense that someone with pretty clear diction and fluency has issues with wording, it's a little immersion-breaking. I mean... Hynden Walch did it with Starfire, but I think the voice director for Petra in FEH and 3H didn't really work with her much or think ahead. It would have been nicer if she had an accent like Gregor or Athena did. But back to Lene, I like how Lene's got that insecure side to her when she talks about her mother or dancing for weirdos. And I like her younger inexperienced tone in contrast to Dorothea in her Duo outfit, she gives off younger sister vibes in that pairing. I'm actually surprised that Lene hasn't had another alt yet since then, it'd be fun to have another talent festival (The Azura/Shigure/Olivia/Inigo banner) with her on it.

I think she fits both Lene and Petra, just that I wish Petra had more of an accent. But again that's not on her; she still was a good cast for the two.

I caaaaaan't really say much about range, even though Lene and Petra are two different characters, you can still kind of tell that it's her. It's mainly the energy in the lines that differentiates the two.

With all this, I think I could safely put Faye at an 8/10. She may not have a lot to work with in FEH but I'm not disappointed by her performances at all.

[wild-battlebond]

kalos crisis arc notes! the kalos crisis… is always cooler than expected.

131

given that the mega evolution energy (i think that's what they shoot at it) overclocks Z2's dislike for humans, did lysandre ever really have control over it at all? or does that just reflect and therefore resonate with lysandre's distain for humanity (latter probably makes more sense because mega evolution?)

hooray overgrowth representing destruction 👏👏👏

it is pretty unique (for the anime at least) to have the evil team's plan overlap the league

132

like in other similar crises throughout the series, it's trainers who have the capability to keep the vines at bay and protect other people (this, too, is "balance"… it's people and pokémon working together that can protect others)

james points out that it doesn't look like a natural disaster. which, again, is fun contrast given that it's vines

i do think that alain going dead silent while ash gets kidnapped is kind of compelling. also don't they try to crucify ash

WHERE'D TEAM ROCKET GET A HELICOPTER FROM

basically he took control of a god & took away its free will and now says that it just so happens to be doing exactly what he'd like it to be doing. like basically he's displaying himself to the world as a messenger of a god when he's the one controlling it. he refers to zygarde as a being of creation 🤔 (which is kinda more xerneas's thing? are life and creation the same thing… could be an instance of a team leader getting the function of a legendary pokémon mixed up? although zygarde does destroy then create, a form of balance. and then you could also say one core is creation & the other is destruction etc etc…)

"we have forgotten how to share" maybe you should have just funded a new care bears show or something then. instead of all this

i think alain could have been more effective if he was written as more of an older brother-type character instead of a brooding mean guy. oh well.

lysandre calls the people he's keeping the "chosen ones" - implying an ancient legend, except it's something he made up

i also think squishy's cries out to Z2 are compelling. trying to contact one's other half that won't respond (and is destroying a city)

it's also sweet how bonnie can sense what squishy's doing

yknow this is kind of like a worse gates to infinity

THEY DO CRUCIFY HIM HAHAHAHA. GABUMON MOMENTS

133

how does alain's mega ring even store the mega evolution energy. it's so small. anyways this is on him for being kind of a tool

it is pretty messed up that he shoots ash (and greninja) with a beam that has an effect. and tries to make them the chosen ones of a new world. and the fact that he breaks out just through the emotion of loving the world… another rare xy cinema moment. it's like hugtto precure.

SO TRUE!!

this really seems like a him issue. like yeah I'm pretty sure that people do have a right to welfare. i think you're just bad at running a charity

134

thus far it doesn't seem like they're doing anything with it but i do find it interesting that ash's team (and alain's charizard i guess) are battling again only a few hours after the league match… it must be rough well i guess they do start dropping like flies as an indication of this, but i mean like if they had visible signs of exhaustion or hindrance by untreated injuries.. so forth. but maybe that would have made this too complicated

it's nice that clemont gets a Moment. the youthful ideal of a world where people only build things that benefit others…

BOO I FORGOT STEVEN SHOWED UP. GO BACK TO ROCK CAVERN

ALSO SO TRUE.

it really is so awesome that bonnie is so closely tied to a legendary pokémon like zygarde

(GUY WHO'S ONLY SEEN APPMON VOICE) WOW THIS IS JUST LIKE APPMON. because this is similar to appmon it stings a lot more than the first time i watched this episode

135

it's kinda weird chespie becomes the center of the Giant Rock

the sundial came from space… so mega evolution is tied to space?!

frogs who can sense things

'serena! stay here and watch over the kids' shut up for real

136

getting the gym leaders involved is cool. also a first for the anime & i do like 'sacrifice relay' kinds of things where everyone gets picked off to let the protagonist through

oh was everyone saying "let's go" originally ikuze. like in the song

oh i forgot lysandre survived jumping off the building

100% forme… is actually cooler looking than i remembered. (is this, too, due to the impact of digimon…? did xros wars make me too used to incredibly ugly giant mech-things)

100% forme being a fusion of the two cores is an extention of XY's theme of two binaries fusing to become one (e.g. mega evolution and bond phenomenon)

it's kind of awesome that the cores say they want to rest IN the sun