#like dang! those are well-written character flaws!! i'm into this!!!!

[jzargo]

I know we love to clown on Cassandra for shoving responsibility onto other people - making Cullen of all people the military advisor for some reason, forcing some rando to be Inquisitor - but I think this is very much a deliberate character choice for her. I don't think she makes a good leader, and I think she's at least semi-aware of this.

Cassandra is someone who needs authority; she needs someone - or something - to follow. She is the most broken by Divine Justinia's death, not just because she lost a close friend, but because she lost the strongest authority figure and source of stability in her life. She's desperate to find the real Lord Seeker, in spite of all evidence earlier pointing to him probably being dead or a traitor, because she needs an authority figure. When she finds out the truth about the Seekers, she asks the Inquisitor whether she should reform them or not, and if the Inquisitor tells her no, she doesn't disapprove, she thanks them. She needed someone to tell her to let them go.

And what happens when Cassandra is put in a position of leadership? What happens when Cassandra is made Divine? Does she take risks, or use the information she's learned about the Seekers, the Chantry, and the Inquisition to make serious reforms in the Chantry? No. She reverts immediately to how things used to be; she falls back on the structure that she's used to, on what's familiar and comfortable. Because she needs that structure as a sense of security, for better or worse.

[huevokinder24]

Late to the party but just finished Alchemy of Souls and I have the goofiest smile on my face.

Firstly, it was such a nice experience waiting for every weekend just to come here and see everyone sharing their thoughts and theories here after every episode. Gotta love how welcoming and cozy this fandom is. It was a pleasure to rant about the characters and reading others rant as well.

Also, those of you who spend so much of your time creattthe gifs: YOU ARE THE BEST AND I HOPE YOU ACHIEVE EVERYTHING YOU WANT IN LIFE I LOVE YOU.

This show was an emotional ride, especially season 2. I would have liked to have a few more episodes, not because they didn't wrap up things nicely, but because I'm not ready to say goodbye lmaoo.

My general thoughts on this episode hmmm. Well, despite knowing it would be a HE I still spent half of the episode blinking through tears and blowing my nose.

The wedding was absolutely perfect. Jang Uk was perfect. Cho Yeong was perfect. Everyone had a great development and a perfect ending. IT REALLY DID END WAAAY BETTER THAN I EXPECTED.

This story made me laugh, it made me cry, it made me clap like an excited seal, broke my heart in a million pieces and then glued them back together and kissed it tenderly. After all the pain of the last few episodes, now I fell warm all over.

I'm glad Uk and Yeong got their happily ever after, I'm glad Master Lee was on their side, I'm glad Lady Jin chilled, I'm glad Go Won is sitting on the throne, I'm glad Dang-gu and Cho-yeon and Kim Doju and Park Jin got to be together.

But above all, I'm glad for the ride.

I began this show with incredibly low expectations because I usually don't like kdramas. I was constantly waiting for the disappointment and boredom that always comes, and instead I ended up finding a wonderful story and even more wonderful characters.

I braced myself waiting for Uk to become yet another insufferable ML, who's unnecessary mean to the FL and driven by his emotions, as the story tries to tell us that that's what romance is. What I found was one of the best written characters I've ever seen, so gentle and full of love and despite the tragedies of his life.

The same goes for Yeong. She was an awesome FL from beginning to end, flawed and perfect at the same time. I could write a whole thesis on her tbh but I don't want this to be long.

Their romance will go down in history. It was beautifully tragic, but it was all worth it in the end, they got their hard-earned happiness at last.

[billconrad]

Overrated

     “Overrated” is a technical term applied to mechanical or electrical devices. For example, when a shelf rated for ten pounds breaks when one pound is applied, we would declare this shelf overrated. That usage makes perfect sense, but I dislike it when the word describes something non-technical. For example, I found an article defending Rick and Morty from people calling it overrated.

    I agree with the article, but let’s take a step back. The animation is subpar, and the main character is ultra-arrogant. Perhaps the most arrogant character in television history. Those are two big blows, and it should be permissible for a person to say, “I know you like the show, but you are ignoring these major flaws.” We live in an open society and should be encouraged to point out flaws. Sometimes, we must be vocal to get our point across. That is how we learn, evolve, and change.

    What is the psychology behind this word? It is a word that helps people convince others to agree with them. Another way of stating this is that we wish to soften a disapproval slam. “In the upcoming election, don’t vote for X. They are overrated.” Meaning: I do not like X, and neither should you.

    Am I guilty of using this term? One famous movie that comes to mind is Twilight. I watched it in the theater and was disappointed. What about all the fans who cherish their beloved movie? It is tempting to say, “For each, his own.” Yet, that would be me falsely claiming to be the better person. If I honestly listed the flaws, would my summary not include the word overrated? After all, my tear-down would directly contradict the millions of fans who cherished the movie.

    After thinking about my question and re-writing this article several times, I realized that this word applies to my thoughts. Dang, my admission is upsetting. This article aimed to explain why this word should only be used for technical applications. Reading it is a red flag identifying someone not open to new ideas, fresh perspectives, other people’s feelings, or how difficult it is to create something. I want to say that these people have a pre-determined opinion that overrides their common sense and courtesy.

    Yet… Here I am. The word applies to the movie Twilight. Reading that sentence boils my blood, and I want to delete it. It is like I am going up to every movie fan and insulting them. That is not me! But somehow, it is. Well? What does this all mean? This article was supposed to be a simple lighthearted discussion but it has turned into one of the most difficult ones I have ever written. I cannot convince myself that my altruistic argument is correct, and there can only be one conclusion. I am overrated. In my wildest dreams, I would never have anticipated applying that word to myself.

    You’re the best -Bill

    April 10, 2024

    Hey, book lovers, I published four. Please check them out:

    Interviewing Immortality. A dramatic first-person psychological thriller that weaves a tale of intrigue, suspense, and self-confrontation.

    Pushed to the Edge of Survival. A drama, romance, and science fiction story about two unlikely people surviving a shipwreck and living with the consequences.

    Cable Ties. A slow-burn political thriller that reflects the realities of modern intelligence, law enforcement, department cooperation, and international politics.

    Saving Immortality. Continuing in the first-person psychological thriller genre, James Kimble searches for his former captor to answer his life’s questions.

    These books are available in softcover on Amazon and in eBook format everywhere.

[luanna801]

Your favorite story with a full-blown Downer Ending?

This is actually pretty easy for me, because a lot of stories I love are full-blown tragedies. The most obvious place to start is probably Shakespeare's tragedies, of which my absolute favorite is probably Hamlet. And that's such a cliche answer, I'm tempted to say something else, but I think it's also the honest one. I love the writing, the drama and the themes about family and revenge and loyalty, but most of all I think it just really resonates with me as someone who's struggled with depression.

I'm also a big fan of King Lear (the play that made me originally fall in love with Shakespeare!), Othello, and Romeo & Juliet. And I have to give a particular shout-out to the 1968 movie of R&J, which is one of my favorite movies of all time. Everything about it is stunningly perfect to me, from the actors (both leads are perfectly cast for their roles and the supporting cast is great too), the incredible score, the gorgeous (and, overall, quite historically accurate!) costumes. Literally my only complaint is that they had to cut a bunch of stuff from the play to fit the movie runtime, and I'd have happily sat through another hour.

On a related note, I don't think it's a surprise to anyone that I also love Marlowe's tragedies, particularly Doctor Faustus and Edward II. Marlowe's writing has a sharpness and power (and at times, a poetic beauty) that's unique from Shakespeare's, and I love his use of language and the pathos of his lead characters. Faustus has an incredibly complex and compelling dynamic between Faustus and Mephistopheles, and the themes about what it means to be damned and how you can be the agent of your own damnation are really interesting. Edward II is much more political, and I think Marlowe does a great job of balancing Edward's failings as a king (and a person) with his sympathetic qualities and his love for Gaveston.

I haven't read a lot of Greek tragedy, though I def. want to read more someday, but my favorite is probably Antigone. I remember reading it as a teenager and being blown away by what a strong and unique character Antigone is, especially for a female character written in that era. It's rare to see a woman portrayed as so devout and virtuous and yet also so strong and stubborn (to a flaw, really - the woman cannot back down or give a single inch, come hell or high water), and not see her be demonized or condemned for any of it.

Going a little more modern, two of my all-time favorite books are Frankenstein and The Picture of Dorian Gray, both of which end pretty dang horribly for almost everyone involved, but good lord is it a deep and satisfying and gorgeously written road to get there, in both cases. I genuinely think Frankenstein's Creature is one of the most interesting and compellingly written characters of all time, and it's a dang shame that adaptations so often take away his intelligence and complexity. And I think in both of these books, the supernatural/sci-fi elements and the Gothic drama are used in a great way to explore these questions about humanity and morality.

Depending on how you read it, I think The Godfather also qualifies here. Unlike the main characters of literally every other work I just mentioned (spoilers?), Michael Corleone is still very much alive at the end of the first movie, and for that matter the second we don't talk about the third. But I think seeing him go from a sweet and idealistic young man, to sinking deeper and deeper into the world of the mob and becoming the worst version of himself, reads to me like the arc of a modern-day tragic hero. He might be left standing at the end, but at what cost?

Then there's also the fact that I love historical fiction, and many times those are based on the stories of real people whose lives ended tragically. You could definitely mention Marlowe's Edward II in that category too, as well as a number of Shakespeare's history plays (though neither Marlowe nor Shakespeare was ever that concerned with historical accuracy). But again, going for something more recent, two of my favorite movies are Anne of the Thousand Days (1969), which tells the story of Anne Boleyn's rise to power, downfall, and eventual beheading, and Wilde (1997), which ends with Oscar Wilde's imprisonment and his life basically being destroyed by his conviction for "gross indecency".

I think there's definitely a certain fascination with tragic historical figures, and what their stories tell us about the ways society failed them, and thinking about the missed potential if they'd lived longer. But I think in the best tellings of those stories, the ones that really honor those people, it's about more than defining them by the way their lives ended. You have to remember their strengths and their joys and their triumphs and loves and everything that made them human, and not just portray them as walking tragedies or cautionary tales.

I think in all of these stories, they might end badly, but that doesn't make them joyless to read or watch. Because there's so much beauty and complexity along the way, and in some cases incredible joy before the tragedy, too. One of the things I love about the '68 Romeo & Juliet is that despite it being a tragedy, the early scenes are so dang JOYFUL. There's this scene I wish I could link, but I don't think anyone's posted it online yet, where after the balcony scene Romeo just runs off whooping and giggling in pure joy, like the smitten teenager he is, while there's this gorgeous swelling music and the Italian sunrise in the background, and it's honestly one of the most pure, exuberant, uplifting scenes you'll ever watch.

I've said this before, but it's also VITAL in a tragedy that the ending makes sense for the story and the themes, and isn't just being a downer for its own sake. I think in all of the examples I mentioned, the ending feels like the inevitable conclusion of everything that came before it, and that makes it satisfying to watch even though you might feel for the characters and wish things could have gone better for them. There really is a unique catharsis to watching an ending like that.

[retphienix]

Holy hell, this, look Yakuza is a fucking phenomenal series, this one scene might just be the best in the whole damn thing thus far and I don't know where to begin.

I'm legitimately gonna have to rewatch it and pause to type to avoid ramblin'.

There's a lot, so I'm gonna bullet point key things and just ramble after.

18:00 - Katsuya isn't our big bad, though it's curious that his prints appeared for both Morinaga AND Fujita's death, still mocking that up as a setup though since he wanted to attract Saejima maybe he orchestrated that I don't know or frankly care at the moment.

26:00 - This is what happens when four fucking meatheads come together. Katsuya says the real big bad wants them to fight to the death so they can pick off the scraps and these four FUCKING GENIUSES are like "Well. Sounds like that's a good way to meet the big bad. Let's do it!" This is peak Yakuza meathead logic and it's so fun and charming and stupid that this moment is just good stuff.

27:00 - Considering I was spamming and haven't practiced it at all in regular fights, my god the komaki tiger drop is overpowered as sin.

28:00 - Conversely, the other Kiryu exclusive move (heat mode) is fuckin' garbo in this. Becoming invulnerable for a short while is nice, but the strength of the mode is big damage on his normals and every challenging fight blocks like hell so the most you can do is throw which is such a waste of heat. I suspect this mode is VERY GOOD in random fights (but who uses it?) so it's probably good on like hard mode challenge runs for random encounters (that's who probably).

29:00 - Compare heat mode's use with Saejima's ENTIRE KIT giving him super armor when he has heat- that one passive (despite just being super armor and not invuln) makes heat mode feel obsolete lol.

30:00 - I wasn't conflicted at all in my choice but man I want to do both fights but I'm not willing to reload the save lol. Saejima vs Kiryu was a highlight of Y3! And I wanted to beat Kiryu again! BUT my gut screamed to play as Kiryu because he's the best and we all love em.

30:00b - Take this with a grain of salt, but because fighting both of them would be cool I think the fight should have been from both perspectives. Like you start as Saejima and end as Kiryu after a mid round "Oh did Saejima win?" moment because you know they want Kiryu standing pretty. Not that it matters for this scene, just saying. I think it'd be more fun if you did the fight, they slam into the wall or something, then you shift perspectives and 'do the fight again' against the other protag to end this. That'd be cool.

34:00 - THE REVEAL THAT THE DETECTIVE GUY WAS THE OMI BOSS IS A GOOD DAMN ONE. It's believable because both Kiryu and Saejima have plausible ignorance on what he looks like (Kiryu moreso), it adds a layer of "The team almost figured it out!" since Katsuya saw him (possibly) while coming in to Kamurocho. It explains plenty and implies a lot of close calls along the way without being ridiculous.

36:00 - The omi chairman treating those under him is a MUCH better twist than Daigo doing the same at the end of 4- they mostly justified it in 4 as Daigo growing cold and calculating and distancing himself from things or some nonsense- but considering Daigo pre-4 it still felt weird to have him suddenly treat those under him as disposable. But we don't know much about the omi dude, so it's a much more surprising and immediately believable twist instead of a head scratcher.

39:20 - THIS IS A HIGHLIGHT OF THE SCENE FOR SURE. Kurosawa reveals himself as a dirty as fuck unfixable shitstain of a yakuza for one, which is just kind of enjoyable you know? Having a villain that's just dogshit evil? We have a plethora of deep characters going on here so having a villain that's puppy-kicking evil is fun, you know, as a treat. BUT ALSO he lists what drives each of these four and says they are flaws and it's such a fucking sick wrap up of each of them. It's simplified and lacks some nuance, but it's a fantastic read on em.

Watase: Fighting strong opponents, drives him.

Saejima - Protecting your allies, drives him.

Katsuya - Passing on your dreams, drives him.

Kiryu - Laying your life on the line (you know, for things that matter), drives him.

Perhaps "drives them" is a poor choice, these are strengths and inspirations each find and work into their understanding of being a yakuza, and Alllll that, and all the nuance and deeper understanding each of these include? TRASH GARBAGE! according to Kurosawa :P

40:30 - Katsuya sacrificing himself to protect Watase? Beautifully done.

45:00 - I like the bonus explanation to things where Daigo used Kurosawa's plan to remove traitors from the Tojo- it's dark, but it's a sort of evolution towards being a better leader from what he attempted in 4- making a hard decision for the better result or some nonsense like that.

48:00 - I love Daigo showing some more growth, I mean I don't recall lack of mercy being EXACTLY his problem the few times the series explores Daigo (it was more a disassociation with respecting his peers and treating things as some form of power broker business I think?) but it's still an insanely good show from Daigo- especially in showing his reverence for Kiryu and trying to make good on the clan Kiryu wanted the Tojo to be. It's fucking sick.

49:00 - SETUP AND PAYOFF MY BUDS. NO RUBBER BULLET ASSPULLS THAT ALLOW ANYTHING TO HAPPEN AND BE WRITTEN AWAY AT A MOMENTS NOTICE! JUST GOOD OLD FASHIONED SETUP AND PAY OFF!

Namely, this slimeball from Katsuya's company was shown to be one of the lowest of the low for a clan and Kurosawa just went on and on about respecting those that play dirty so his showing up here makes perfect sense and is a GOOD DANG PAY OFF to quietly sweeping him away earlier in the story.

49:50 - Kiryu freaking the fuck out to go save Daigo despite that being a deathly drop is so good. It's such a show of emotion. But it's nothing compared to-

50:30 - I fell speechless at this. Kiryu has had the spark of hope in his life threatened, he can't help Daigo, he's watching what happens all the time happen again as those around him suffer all while he attempts to prevent it- his act of prevention seemingly being the CAUSE of the suffering. This is 4 fucking games of build up for a damn near breakdown and it's unbelievable. It's beautiful. Heart wrenching shit.

So I think that does it. This isn't even the end, they gave us an emotional scene like THAT and there's still more to do.

[goron-king-darunia]

Annon-Guy: I saw your post with Kage and I didn't expect to see you hate Marta so much. Don't get me wrong, I'm not mad or upset. Just that I didn't see you get like.

I don’t necessarily hate her on principle. Her design is cute and she has her nice moments, but Marta is the one character that the game, mostly through other characters, tries to endear us to in spite of her terrible behavior. The hot spring scene comes to mind immediately. Ignoring Emil’s boundaries and orchestrating the entire thing just has very troubling implications and I’m sure it would have been slammed by western audiences if Marta and Emil’s roles were switched because what Marta did was PRETTY DANG CREEPY. She shows clear favoritism for Emil over Ratatosk, despite claiming that she loves them both. She’s petulant and dramatic and emotionally manipulative. But at least she’s ALLOWED to be. Lloyd was stubborn and stupid and these were treated as boons even when, by all standards, they should have been flaws. Marta would have been a much better character to me if she was actually allowed to have a full arc. We’re TOLD she changes. But even at the last minute when she has to say goodbye to Emil, she remains selfish, naive, and still clearly idealizes Emil. I think she would have been more balanced if she’d been able to complete her arc and it wasn’t just shunted off to the side to force the romance angle that the game ALSO rushed.  But Marta also shines the same way Emil does because neither of them is written with the intention to be beloved by everyone. Lloyd is supposed to be super relatable and yet also capable of doing basically no wrong. Any time he does mess up (Staring hard at the arc in Iselia where he basically threatens his entire town’s safety for one old lady instead of, oh, IDK, SAVING A BUNCH OF PEOPLE FROM SLAVERY INSTEAD OF JUST THE ONE GENIS BONDED WITH. GO BIG OR GO HOME, LOSER LLOYD!) the game eventually gets around to showing why Lloyd was ultimately right. Trust Kratos, surprise! He’s your dad and he loves you! Trust Zelos? Surprise, he’s been on your side for a while now! Insist everyone should be able to live even though this is a very clear trolley problem of “We can save everyone if we sacrifice just one person but no matter what someone WILL DIE.” Surprise! The game just builds a third empty track for the trolley because Lloyd just WANTS it HARD ENOUGH. DotNW does treat Marta with kid gloves. She gets away with a lot. But she’s still not written being always right, and she’s not excused for everything she does, and though the narrative bends a lot to make her look good, it never BENDS OVER BACKWARDS like it did for Lloyd. The game leaves room for you to hate Marta. The game leaves room for you to hate Emil.  So I almost consider that a strength. Marta’s not made to resonate with everyone. Marta’s meant to resonate with certain people. Same with Emil. Which I guess is what made the game so divisive. The game doesn’t turn itself inside out to endear you to the cast. The game just holds them up like “Here are these flawed little people. Enjoy.” Instead of just... shoving Lloyd at us and going “LOOK! RELATABLE! RELATE TO HIM, DAMN IT!” So, like, yeah, I think they were close to making Marta likeable. I can see what a lot of people enjoy about her. But she’s just not for me, because the narrative didn’t give me a story that made her gel well with me. I dunno, it’s hard to explain. It’s just... kind of refreshing to be handed a protagonist and not have the narrative BEG me to adore them and agree with them. So I don’t HATE Marta necessarily. I ENJOY hating her. And I think that’s a marked difference. I want her to be better, I want her to be different, I want her to cater more toward what I expected out of her. But what I got instead was, at the very least, a character I enjoy picking apart and ranting about, and absolutely being vile toward. Because Marta has flaws, and they’re not disguised. The narrative doesn’t try to backpedal like “Ah, no, but you see, Marta’s selfishness is justified because of XYZ.” No. The game just goes “Yeah. She’s selfish. But she’s also a bunch of other things. And for some people, those other things are enough, and it’s fun for them to explore how those other things balance her flaws. For me, it’s more fun to go “Yeah, she means well, but HOLY SHIT SHE’S AWFUL.”  Marta is allowed to be nuanced and complicated and divisive and I’m just over here holding a magnifying glass up to all the chips and cracks and just “Look at this perfect disaster human being. How wretched.”

[yenrz1314]

LET’S (attempt to) FIX/REWRITE KH 358/2 DAYS

Let me preface this: I love Roxas, Xion, and Axel A LOT. I have been thoroughly blinded by nostalgia as much as you have and I don’t really care. I’ll continue to love them even after I’m finished destroying their game here. Keep in mind I’m not hatin’. And, fun fact, I think that Days is perhaps the best written game in the series regarding character writing. Still doesn’t mean I think it’s actually good though.

I’m going to start off saying something kind of controversial. Axel, Roxas, and Xion weren't that great of friends. 

Yes they were the best friends that they ever had, but when you're constantly surrounded by the melancholic mundane, any sort of friendship is the great friendship. They weren't that great at being friends to each other because they dealt with conflict in the most incompetent way possible. As far as I know, there was barely any communication whatsoever between them, which is really disappointing because Roxas is like the most understanding person ever. Most of their conversations concerned small talk. Not necessarily boring small talk, but small talk.

I really wish we could at least have gotten a talk between Xion and Roxas when he was on that mission to chase her down before Axel came in and knocked her out. The only real communication about Xion’s situation is between her and Axel, and we rarely get to see any camaraderie between her and Roxas. We do see a decent amount between Roxas and Axel but I’ll just attribute to the fact that they’ve existed as characters longer than Xion has.

Xion’s inherently pretty bad at communicating. To Roxas especially. Even though Axel tried to talk her down, she didn't really explain herself much. Axel honestly had to figure it out himself.

If Days gets remade I hope to death that we have at least one scene of Roxas and Xion having more meaningful talks. Alone. They were close. Its just that Xion kept stonewalling, and Axel would always be dodgy with his answers, which makes you question if they’re truly all that close. I mean, you wouldn’t just not tell one of your best friends anything about something you’re really struggling about.

Though I guess you can’t blame them since they had no memories of their past and were learning based off of watching those around them, and they did live with the organization

And to be fair, you’re a part of an organization with a leader the answers basic questions like “Who is Sora?” with vague af answers like "the connection".

Also they’re stupid teenagers. I’m already giving them the benefit of the doubt.

Honestly I would normally be fine with her lack of communication and accept it as an character flaw.  In fact, under normal circumstances, it would be a reason for me to be invested in her character. But the truth is that we don't see enough scenes of him and Xion having meaningful bonding time for me to be accepting of that lack of communication. There was that one absolutely adorable scene of Roxas and Xion on the clocktower discussing about how much they worry about each other...but the rest of the time they spent together is superficial, mostly consisting of just kind of empty small talk. It’s kind of rare that we see them actually talk about their relationship and/or any chemistry. A lot was just them sitting next to each other eating ice cream or on missions and we did have a lot of skips of one of them being asleep or missing.

The main problem KH has in its writing is that it really likes to display the cute little quirks or tressings of a relationship but absolutely fails to write any core to that relationship. Like, for example, the seashells they leave for each other when they’re sleeping is absolutely precious, but there’s not that much of a core dynamic between these characters that this really cute character interaction can be built upon. And in the end, but just because something is tragic doesn't mean it has substance

Because Days doesn't give me enough meat of writing to bite into, it just ends up as a frustrating tale of Roxas just being confused the whole time. Sure, Roxas is the main character, but he literally has almost no agency throughout the entire game. And I find that pretty insulting to his character. This guy is literally one of the most well written in the series. And no, I’m not pulling the ‘xion’s a mary sue stealing the spotlight’ card. I’m totally fine with her existing, but dang if I had the opportunity to change ONE THING about Days I would totally rewrite the cutscene Fracture on day 298, the day when Xion was captured.

So the original scene goes like this: Roxas tracks her down, asks her to come back, he tries to comfort her, asking why she won’t come back to him. She just says "I can't" and GETS SCARED WHEN THE MOST TRUSTED PERSON IN HER LIFE REACHES OUT TO HER. Okay. breathe. I understand if she’s scared. It’s a bit of a stretch, yes, if we take into account that she’s in the depths of emotional turmoil trying decide between her friends or Sora. I understand if she really doesn’t want to go back to the organization. My problem is that Roxas really doesn’t pose a threat to her at all here.

But then again, it could be that Xion’s a very delicate person, emotionally. And that she’s easily disturbed and is flighty. BUT THE THING IS: We don’t see this anywhere else. Days, as is, doesn’t really do a good job of establishing Xion’s personality at all anyways. So we can throw that excuse out the window.

BUT. BUT BUT BUT. THE ABSOLUTE WORST WAS WHEN SHE TURNED HER KEYBLADE ON ROXAS.

SERIOUSLY I would have totally been fine with everything up to this point except her turning on him like that

Again, he is literally no threat to her at all! I can understand her being scared, but he didn’t threaten to take her back or yell at her or anything

Like why. Why isn’t she willing to tell him anything about the truth about her existence. It's not like she's trying to keep it a secret. I understand how jarring it must have been for her to have that sort of existential crisis knowing that she’s just a puppet created to copy...But telling Roxas absolutely nothing is ridiculous. ESPECIALLY because Roxas was the one who always was breaking his back for her. He was the one who first approached her to join him at the clock tower, he was always trying to reach out to her, understand her. Heck, even when Xion was the aggressor, both times in Fracture and in the final battle, Roxas still sees her as the victim, the one who was in the right, and it's both very sweet and a bit unhealthy that he views her in such a positive light. He always does his best to give her the benefit of the doubt. And this is clearly shown in his actions.

I would rewrite it like this:

Keep everything the same up to the point right before she turns on him. She walks away and he stops her and everything, but after that she stops and thinks for a moment. And she asks quietly for him to let her go. Roxas, of course, let's her go because he's freaking Roxas

And she tries explaining to him what's going on in a very roundabout way, for the sake of being consistent with her established character. I'm not asking for her to explain it word for word. She's as flighty as a deer. I understand her not being direct. And then Roxas tries talking to her how they could work this out. Hell, this would be the PERFECT TIME to incorporate that scene from the manga when Roxas proposes they run away together. Xion is shocked and ask if he is serious, and he says yes. And THAT'S when Axel comes in and stops the party, and everything plays out the same till the end of the cutscene.

Also if this writing was implemented, then that would be a payoff point. The pacing in Days’ story is kind of whack, and adding a breakthrough moment like this would be super satisfying to the viewer.

Also it makes sense that Axel would come in then because he can't just accept both of his friends leaving like that. In the og game, Axel pretty much just let his two best friends walk away from him.  The only time he shows any protest is when he is ordered by his superiors to go after them. Xion in particular. Sure this works, as it’s implied that Axel is respecting his friends’ autonomy by letting them go.

But maybe we could make it better by having Axel go through a mini arc where he accepts his friends' departure with a bit of a struggle. You’ll see more below.

The only change that would have to be made is that the organization would have to actively keep Roxas and Xion apart to keep them from conspiring together. Or when they're together, always have a third party member to keep a watchful eye. I’m guessing this would mean no more ice cream time either. For now.

Xion’s communication is just a trickle the first few days, but over time it slowly opens up, gradually telling more as they interact when they have the occasional mission together. She would mutter things like 

“The organization is keeping so much from us, Roxas…” 

or telling snippits like that when the third party member/chaperone isn’t watching.

Eventually, the organization takes note of this and orders for the two to be kept completely separate at all times, and Axel knows that this will absolutely kill their friendship so he does a solid by confronting Saix about it to propose a compromise. He’s like: 

"I'm a trusted member of this organization. Hell, I brought them back for you.  So how about this: I'll watch them for you instead" 

And Saix accepts that compromise. And the result of that compromise is that we get more trio missions, something we ALL LOVED. And also those would be opportunities for them to talk. ALL THREE OF THEM

Okay so the three talk on missions and at the clocktower again, Xion knows her purpose and desperately wants to leave. She won’t disclose Riku or Namine's location. Axel protests fiercely to the thought of her leaving. Meanwhile Roxas is trying to mediate as always, but he leans more towards helping Xion leave at least. However, he would still show how he emotionally would rather have her stay. He has an internal struggle when Xion tries to explain their connection with Sora and how they need to go back during a few talks with them alone that Axel allows. She needs to be the one who tells him he needs to come back to Sora.  Someone who he trusts and can help him through this process. Not a stranger like Riku or Namine.

And then this time of communication all abruptly comes to a halt when the Org. starts pitting Roxas and Xion against each other in missions. Also, let's have Xion be less heartless to Roxas here and not be so eager to leave. Of course, she desperately still wants to, but Roxas is her anchor keeping her there. She knows that it'll all be for naught if Roxas doesn't go with her anyways. Also she doesn't want to hurt him by just leaving like that. She cares.

So, back to the rewrite, the talks stop when the organization starts pitting roxas and Xion against each other in those missions. Axel stops them like he did originally, and they have a talk about how crazy ridiculous this all is. Roxas agrees with Xion and Axel agrees too but hides it because he's a coward and is the org's lapdog, and just tries as hard as he can to keep them together. Roxas is dismayed that his existence is possibly ending, but at the same time agrees with Xion that this is all crazy. Axel shuts them down for the day. 

And the next day is the day Xigbar, Axel and Xion go on that mission.

But instead of Xion jumping ship, Riku comes in to take Xion, kidnapping her without a fight because he knows he can't take survive one against two other org. members. Axel doesn't do anything to stop her because he's accepted it at this point. Also seeing Xion as Ven really made him realize the gravity of the situation.

This really upsets Roxas because he thinks Xion was taken against her will. Axel doesn’t have the heart to tell him about Xion’s current extremely unstable state. And this sets him off since he's been putting up with so much BS at this point and he runs away as originally written as well as to search for Xion, because he knows the org. will never let him look for her himself. Everything plays out the same after that.

 On the clocktower where Roxas and Xion meet, there's one change. When she shows him that she's almost Sora, she *explains* as best as she can what’s happened to her, since she’s under the control of the org. now. She makes him realize that it's inevitable that she must die or she'll cease to be herself. And then they fight as originally scripted, Roxas’ motive for fighting being that there still might be a chance for them to go on if he finishes things himself.

When the fight is over and she begins to die, Xion's final request is that he join back with Sora. That is were it this all leads and she knows it. We're changing that because in the original she, when Roxas and Riku are fighting, for some dumb reason, retracts her final wish???? Like… that's got to be one of the most contrived things in this story.

Also I'd like to cut that dumb pointless plot device that Roxas forgets who Xion is right after finishing his final battle with her, Because by golly did the writing team really want Roxas to be as clueless as possible even as his best friend is dying. Geez wtf.

Honestly, you can keep the memory loss, just please make it so that he remembers her SOONER, so they can actually COMMUNICATE AND SO THAT HE CAN ACTUALLY SAY GOODBYE.

FUACK.

“Promise me...you’ll come back...to Sora. That way...we can be together again...”

Or something like that, make me cry more. 。ﾟ(ﾟﾉД｀ﾟ)ﾟ｡

But then what would Roxas’s motive be for going back to The World That Never Was and fighting Riku then? Just wait a moment and hold on to your seat because I’m going to take the original situation and make it even more badass AND make it work with my rewrite.

Also this blog is finally almost done good job for making it this far.

Let's have Roxas know about the heartless nobody cycle. He can have learned this after maybe sifting through the organization’s research files or something. It wouldn’t be hard to stick it in the story somewhere. 

What was the most heartwrenching thing about Roxas’s final day in the real world? I would say his rage, grief, and desperation over his entire life. So let’s take that, and multiply it by a couple dozen times. After Xion's death, his motive to destroy the organization will be more about his rage at the unjust way he was treated. Him and Xion. They messed up his and his friends’ lives.

“Well if I die, then whatever I'll just go back to Sora. Kill two birds with one stone.”

Regardless of however you write Days, angsty, bloodthirsty Roxas is a requirement. It’s what makes Roxas Roxas. And as a result his grief is amplified tenfold. He doesn't even care about preserving his own life anymore.

And Riku confronts him. Asks him what the hell he's doing. He tells him he's going to fuck up the organization. And Riku's like ‘don't be stupid they'll just capture you and hold you hostage to keep Sora from waking’

Roxas looks at him, points one of his keyblades towards him.

"You don't know that." 

"I'll end every single one of them before they get the chance. You want me to prove it..? WELL HERE'S MY PROOF!” 

AND THEN HE FREAKING STRIKES,

AND THAT’S THE FIGHT

And let's hammer in the fact that Roxas is his own freaking person. Instead of the line "C'mon Sora! I thought you were stronger than that!" from Riku, instead he says to Roxas something akin to this:

"C'mon Sora...I know you're stupid, but not to this extent!"

And then Roxas doesn't give him a Sora-ish line.

“You’re the one calling me by the wrong name.”

Riku sits defeated and despondent on the ground.

"...Why...? It's not supposed to be this way...Sora..."

This breaks a nerve in Roxas.

"This again?! I'm me. NOBODY ELSE. Get that through YOUR thick head!"

And the rest is history...

..................

THAT’S THE REWRITE KIDS.  YOU’RE FINALLY FINISHED READING THIS RIDICULOUSLY LONG BLOG. THANK YOU FOR READING \o/

Fun fact, this was all borne out of a late night discord chat with a friend of mine.

Edit: this is the headcanon for what happened in Days now. Goodnight.