#jin fan i'm not betraying you my love it's just that were cute too and i miss their friendship

[xiaolanhua]

My Journey to You 云之羽 (2023) Dir. by Edward Guo – Episode 12

[nero-draco]

Part 2

Part 1 here

Arctic Summer World

+ I only read the summary of the story. Can't say it left a strong impression on me. I guess the serious part didn't left a mark on me since it just thrown at the last bits. While the fun stuff are there but its mostly just the usual FGO humor. At least nothing as memorable as "Raikou, Kiyo, and Serenity lava swimming" in Halloween for example.

+ The 5* Servant are all top tier and worth to get at least one of them. Proto Merlin is Merlin but arts, which seems simple but since art team is the most stable way at handling CQ her presence can't be understated. Summer Ibuki is probably the best AoE art looper. And Summer Skadi is now the top Quick meta support. The 4* ones are pretty great too such as Summer Erice and the welfare Summwr Valkyrie.

+ The gimmick of the event is fun. Like, the servants chibi sprites that appears as you expand an area is cute, and the news headline detaling what others servants were doing are fun to read.

Guda Guda Shin Yamatai Koku

+ Story wise its probably one of my top favorite ones in FGO events. The brutality and tragedy of warring states is shown here. All the characters also pretty solid. For example, Nobu isn't the main star on this event but her character here is the best for me compared to her previous appearances. But I think what I love most the main theme the story has. Its that Man's nature is still a Beast, they betray each other and the weak ones are up to the mercy of the strong. The way Kukochihiko says "Its up to you to closes the age of beast and open the age of man" really speaks to me about what this event is all about. And I love it.

+ Rikyu is also amazing villain. The way she bertray everyone, torment Ishida, and in fact checkmated everyone at the end and only concede due to Komahime and Guda talking her out. Her motive is also reasonable although her endgame plan didn't make much sense (maybe it just the translation idk).

+ I think Iyo is pretty cute. Also loves her backstory with Kukochihiko and Himiko.

+ Gimmick wise the event is nothing special. It does have good farming value though.

+ The Rengoku alt skin is neat. Wish it change the outfit a bit though.

+ The new servants are good I think. Both are great AoE looper especially Iyo. She can loop in lv90++ node in Morgan event dor example.

Halloween 2022

- The stort feels a bit underwhelming. The climax fight is anti-climatic (I guess that's the joke) and the villain is just plain unlikeable. Are Lasagna seriously trying to hint it being future servant?

+ I love the forming your army as the event gimmick. As Suikoden fan I'm really enjoying it.

+ Huyan is a pretty fun character. Huang Feihu is cool dad. Not much to say about Shi Jin Liz.

+ Nothing special about the new servants gameplay wise. Pretender Liz is AoE Pretender in case you missed Oberon (though Oberon's value lies as busted farming support). Huyan and Feihu are pretty solid.

Chaldea Fairy Knight Cup

+ It doesn't have much story. But I enjoy some servants interaction. And I think the climax scene with Britomart is pretty cool, more than what I would expect at least.

+ While Britomart real appearance is a bit... let down, and I'm not fan of her dress, I think character wise she's not too bad. She feels to me like better version of Saber Lily. Basically her but has more gutso. And I love her being excited instead at facing adversity. Her attitude is admirable.

+ The Exhibition Quests are fun. Although its a bit letdown since I don't feel as much frustration as with EQ quests from previous events (lv90+ Nero, MHXA, etc). Europa's one the closest thing to make me feel frustrated.

[mostly-mundane-atla]

Well I got at least two people interested (@esmeralda-anistasia and @deathsmallcaps) so why not.

Quick disclaimer: I understand that some fans can be very sensitive to this topic and take general criticisms as personal attacks and jump to the defensive. Please don't justify your ships to me if you have that reaction to anything said in this post. It's not my business and if I'm honest I really don't care. Your experiences are not mine and will not change mine and nothing I'm about to say is meant to be read as an insult.

Okay onto the rarepairs in question!

I was ten years old when the episode Zuko Alone first aired and Ursa fascinated me. She was so elegant and sweet, and yet the implication was that she was also capable of assassination. Her disappearence and the fact everyone involved kept pretty hush-hush about her gave her character an air of mystery and Zuko's memories involving her made him a great deal more interesting and sympathetic (i still rolled my eyes every time he showed up and thought he didn't deserve all the cute moments with Mai until The Day of Black Sun, and even then still thought Jet was cooler in every way, but you can't please them all). She had quickly become a favorite character and I've held onto that adoration for about 15 years now.

I also really wanted her to kiss Hakoda.

They had compatible personalities and deserved some luck in love after all the heartbreak and trials, and they both loved their children despite having to leave. Ursa was never treated as dead, just gone. She could have been anywhere and there was nothing to say she couldn't have crossed paths with Hakoda and his men.

There was also something about it I didn't quite have the words or media exposure to explain. Often, in fandom or canon, if a relationship is biracial, the partner who is fairer-skinned and/or of the dominant or invading culture, who the audience sees themselves in, is the man and the one who is darker-skinned and/or marginalized or colonized is the woman (heteronormativity got a head start on this one). There's a lot of ugly "taming the savage" rhetoric in this, usually paired with blatant misogyny that's supposed to be in the woman's favor (like suggesting that a woman could only be complicit in this culture because it was what she was told and didn't know any better). The woman's family and friends who oppose this are depicted as unfairly prejudiced against this strange man as if their distaste for people who can be or have been responsible for things like genocide or subjugation is the same as the other side seeing these people as deserving of genocide or subjugation for the crime of not being like them. Sometimes it's the other way around, where the partner seen as "more civilized" is the woman and the one seen as "less civilized" is the man, in which case the woman is often abducted or otherwise the man's defining feature is his brutishness. This supposed brutishness is both intimidating and attractive to the oh so delicate if a bit repressed captive/wife (as well as the audience) and can manifest as being fiercely protective of her, which is how he shows his affection if there is a language barrier between them. And if you grow up Native, this is easy to pick up on and often in the back of your mind, because at least 90% of your media representation likely has some aspect mentioned above.

(Man that was a lot of academic style analysis)

But the dynamic between Hakoda and Ursa wouldn't leave room for any of that. Hakoda, as an absent parent backstory, is defined by having to leave despite how much he loved and would miss his children. Ursa, as an absent parent backstory, is defined by the crime she was willing to commit for her children (for Zuko specifically, but how long would it actually take for Azula to shoot her mouth off at the wrong place and time and also be targeted by Azulon?). Ursa was the one whose willingness to kill sent her fleeing into the night. The culture of her nation betrayed her and made her choose between her own safety and that of at least one of her children. Hakoda is charismatic and a good leader, but he is also soft spoken and understanding, and above all else, gentle. He isn't here to hurt innocents. He's here to see to it that the next generation of his people will not fear invaders or raids or even know that snow can be black from soot. And he's someone Ursa can finally feel safe around and confide in, and she could be the same for him. Someone he doesn't have to be the leader for, to whom he can admit that he just wants to be home and let the tears fall.

I'm honest enough to admit that one of the reasons I liked The Search was that Ikem wore his hair a lot like Hakoda did and that was close enough to it being canon for me.

Another one is Jin/Smellerbee. Something about their personalities strikes me as being so wonderfully harmonious and I like to imagine Jin, smooth-talking and streetwise but still the most genuine person, being the one to sit Smellerbee, who never really got a chance to think about these things, down and explain that anything she might be is okay. That it's okay to not be in love with a guy friend who gave her a purpose and loyal companionship. That it's okay to like girls. That she can have more than one partner. That it's okay to be different from what's considered normal and proper and not have an easy word to describe it. And eventually she'd realize it's true. And eventually she'd realize that she wasn't teasing when she called her beautiful in a wild sort of way.

I also like to think that Smellerbee clearly has more specialized fighting skills and is very good at what she does but Jin is strong enough to bench press her no problem. And Smellerbee acts all tough (because she is) but blushes whenever Jin calls her cute or pretty because she's not used to it.

Sometimes Longshot is involved too. Not as a third wheel or the exact same kind of partner, more like a ghibli style relationship with Smellerbee. Like is it a gentle romance? Is it an intimate friendship? It's love and they know that and don't have to define it by others' perception. And Jin gives Longshot kisses so he doesn't feel left out, which gets him a bit bashful because she really could have anyone, she already has Smellerbee of all people, and she still finds him deserving of a peck on the cheek. They probably all bunk together.

This actually started from a fic I wrote but don't intend on posting more than snippets of. Basically, i was tired of a lot of fanfic tropes, especially those having to do with friends to lovers and soulmates (this world is not kind to aromantics and the last thing I wanted in my escapism was romance being established as a level up for relationships), so I wrote something to actively subvert all of them. Jet and Smellerbee were each convinced they owed the other a romantic relationship after all they'd been through together, even though neither actually wanted it, because that's how all the stories go. So after he dies, she remembers all those times that would have been romantic if either was actually interested, but were instead just uncomfortable because it was entirely social convention and no feeling. But then she comes across Jin, who she's never met before, but who takes her in her arms and reassures her and sympathizes with her, and in this tiny apartment in this seedy side of town, she feels safe. She seeks permission for every touch and kiss and tells her this encounter doesn't have to be anything she isn't comfortable with. And when Smellerbee has to leave, Jin insists she take a candle to light her way, and winks when she says she can return it the day after. She gives her an excuse to visit again. And Smellerbee blushes and accepts it.

And then there's Teo/Haru and Teo/Ty Lee. No special reason I just think both would make a cute couple and want Teo to be happy. He's a good boy, more people should love him. Let him impress people with wheelchair tricks and get smooched.