#like. at times this feels less like a gen 8 series and more like a pokemon go anime series

[perenlop]

ok i switched to netflix so image is from google but the worst thing jn did actually was redesigning the eggs to look like the games. that was literally like one of the things the anime did that everyone agreed was really cute and cool and accepted as the usual canon, why on EARTH would you ruin that

[echidnapower]

Now that Ash's series is over, how do you feel about the decision to write Misty out of the main cast at the end of Johto in 2002? As we know besides brief cameos and the last few eps of MPM, she really did stay off the show for 20 years, 6 series, and somewhere over 850+ or something episodes. Once Hoenn started and May was introduced, the writers likely decided sometime in 2003 they weren't going to bring misty back to the cast (her cameos with Togetic aired this year), and then that was basically it.

I always assumed the writers would have brought Misty back like how the Brock/Tracey switch was reversed after Orange, but I guess May became too popular it convinced the writers they had no reason to bring Misty back to the cast. So they slowly started phasing her out over AG as her cameos/specials started to dwindle, then by the time we got into 2005/2006 she got her final episode for over a decade. Then by the time DP started and they decided to bring Dawn in, that was basically it. They brought in a second new female companion for a second full gen, and Misty didn't get to appear in DP at all.

People tend to forget that long before the modern pokemon era (XY, SM, Journey's, etc), the writers seem to already decide back in the early 2000's from 2002-2010 during the Hoenn/DP era that they weren't going to bring Misty back full time. And as we know, they didn't. It's just kind of ironic to me when you stop to realize how long ago that was, 2002 was the beginning of the millenium, it over 22 years ago now, and Misty left at Gen 2 of the franchise whereas Ash's series went through Gen 8. She basically was only there for like 20% of Ash's series, and missed 80% of the anime.

Do you believe the writers were in the right to remove her? Since you write fanfics with Misty staying, did her departure shock you or did you think the anime couldn't go on without her? In the end I guess it doesn't matter now, but it says a lot so many original fans decided to continue to watch without her year after year.

Well as someone who considers Misty "best girl" I would never condone the decision to have Misty leave the group. What I will say though is that it was clear to me that the writers for the anime back in those early days had no idea what to do with Misty since her "goal" as it were was to become a water-Pokemon Master, but they never took any steps to have Misty actually try to BECOME that. She was playing a support role for Ash and that I feel like was an extreme disservice to her character.

What we did get though was an evolution of her personality over time, as she became less violent with her actions and started seeing Ash more as an equal rather than someone who needed her coaching to become a good trainer, and in that change, the ship started to solidify for me. There were plenty of "shippy moments" during Indigo, but the more Ash grew as a trainer the more it felt like there was room for their relationship to grow.

By the end of her tenure, it was clear to everyone (or me at least) that the very thought of leaving Ash to go take over the gym because of her irresponsible sisters was a source of emotional pain for her. In her mind, Ash wasn't just some brat that stole her bike, he had become her very best friend and (depending on how you choose to interpret it) she'd fallen in love with his passion and devotion to Pokémon, because that's what made him stand out from all the other trainers out there. The lengths he was willing to go to in order to make sure that his Pokémon became the best they could possibly be and the love that he showed them, it even trickled over to his human friends as well, which of course included her.

And even with all the other girls that came along after Misty's departure, you could tell that there was a special bond between her and Ash that was never replicated with anyone else. In my mind, Serena kissing Ash before she left isn't the most impactful scene in the anime, it's the fact that Ash shed tears over Misty leaving because he knew how much he was going to miss her. To my knowledge, aside from her and Brock, Ash didn't cry over anyone else's departure. It was always "until we meet again" and then off he went on his new journey. Even Serena didn't get a tear from Ash over saying goodbye. That honor falls only to Misty (and Brock).

All this being a long-winded explanation for what makes their relationship so special, I'll address the other part of the question. Do I think the writers were right to remove her? Of course not. I think they should have given Misty something to do rather than just stand there with Togepi and cheer Ash on, and in an anime where character growth coincided with aging (yes, aging as in getting older and more mature, something Pokémon is notoriously allergic to), eventually Misty would've had to be given something to do. Their solution I suppose was to give Misty a new goal, one that was separate from her travels with Ash. I don't like it, but I get it.

May and Dawn were the main characters for the next two generations of games and they were made into coordinators so that they wouldn't overlap with Ash's goals. Contests weren't available in B/W I don't think so having Ash travel with Hilda would've been redundant, so they gave Iris to Ash since she was the most...rambunctious character in those games, and Cilan took on the Brock role now that he was finally off pursuing his new path. Back to the old dynamic but it wasn't the same. Iris wasn't Misty, and neither was any of the other girls he went with, Serena included. That BOND just wasn't there. The closest one who got there IMO was Dawn, and ironically aside from Misty herself, I think Dawn got the most returns to the anime out of all the Pokegirls.

I started writing my story over a decade ago with the mindset of "fixing" the anime, by putting Misty back where she wanted to be all along, but now by aging them up a few years (which is what they should have been in the first place) I opened the door for Ash to actually see Misty as more than a friend, paying off all those little moments they'd previously shared where Misty caught his attention when they were traveling together and he saw her as more than just "Misty," she was also "girl" which bizarrely Ash understood better early on in the show and forgot later on somehow with any other male/female interactions. I made Ash and Misty finally get together, strengthening their bond even more as now the titles boyfriend and girlfriend make it so that Ash AND Misty get something out of the relationship. She hasn't done much in the way of training for herself, I'll admit, but the way I write her, Misty doesn't just stand there and support Ash, she's his go-to for companionship, a partner he can count on when the going gets tough, more than the others. She's put on a pedestal as someone special to him, which she already was but now the role is more defined. And Misty now gets to be a big sister to Dawn as their relationship has grown throughout my story. Dawn looks up to Misty now, seeing her as someone she also can turn to when she's struggling with something. Ash is her mentor with training, but in a world where human interactions are more than just "Let's battle," Dawn needs someone to help her navigate those turbulent waters, and that's big sister Misty.

I rambled for a long time and for that I apologize. The anime could and did go on without Misty, and other characters who took her place have their own roles and their own merits. I won't take that away from them. But Misty is special I believe because there's just that bond that is difficult to define in words between her and Ash. They can push each other to their limits unlike any other characters in the show can, and undoubtedly Ash sees her as his very best human friend aside from Brock. If the anime had allowed him to age and grow, there's no doubt in my mind that they would have gotten together anyway, because a bond like that can't be broken by distance. If anything, it would just inevitably bring them together again.

[romancomicsblog]

My Top 10 Anticipated Superhero Projects for 2025

After a year with very few projects from both Marvel & DC Comics, 2025 is set to be an action packed year full of some of the weirdest and most fun Superhero projects we've seen in awhile.

Don't get me wrong, I loved The Penguin & Agatha All Along, but both felt like nice surprises as opposed to projects I was looking forward to.

With DC in a rebuilding phase, and Marvel in a retooling phase, I'm eager to see who will come out on top at the end of the year. While Marvel has way more projects, DC has a few that can easily be among the best, if not THEE best of 2025.

Here are my Top 10 projects to look forward to in 2025.

10. Wonder Man

Yayha Abdul Mateen II returns for his third major comic book role in the upcoming Disney+ series, Wonder Man.

Simon Williams is entering the MCU in a big way, that seems to be leaning into the more acting part of his character. Very little is known about this project besides Ben Kingsley will be returning as Trevor Slattery and "Wonder Man" is a role within the universe.

Wonder Man is a superman like character, who is typically an Avenger and more often than not is a B-list actor in universe. This gives Marvel a lot of room for some Hollywood fun and to take some liberties with the character.

I'm a big fan of Wonder Man, Yayha, and it seems like a big swing for Marvel. If it's anything like WandaVision or Agatha All Along, I will be watching.

9. Marvel Zombies

A spin-off of Marvel's What If, Marvel Zombies is set to bring back some of my favorite MCU characters, including Yelena Belova, Kate Bishop, Ms. Marvel, Shang-Chi, and even our first look at Blade.

First look images even include a look at Zombie Ikaris, Abomination, and Dora Milage.

What If episodes have been a little hit or miss for me, but even so I'm still excited for this miniseries.

I'm not sure what to expect from this show yet, but if it is anything like the comics from Robert Kirkman, I am pumped and ready.

8. Gen V - Season 2

While it is yet to compare to it's original, The Boys spin-off Gen-V has set up quite a few storylines and proved it's a show worth watching and standing on it's own.

Set in a college for Supes, several students have to uncover a mystery at the heart of Godolkin University and discover what it means to be a hero.

With interesting characters, powers and just enough connections to The Boys, it's a show worth watching that many more people need to checkout. With that cliff hanger, the ending of Season 4 of The Boys, and unfortunate passing of Chance Perdomo, I'm interested in seeing how they move the story forward.

7. Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man

It's about time we got another Spider-Man animated show huh?

In a universe where Peter is mentored by Norman Osborn, Peter Parker must become Spider-Man in this homage to 60s comics, and take on a myriad of his classic villains, with heroes like Nico Minoru, Daredevil & Doctor Strange.

I'm a huge fan of Spider-Man and all the animated Marvel projects on Disney+ so far. While I am patiently waiting for a trailer, I am very optimistic for this.

In a less stacked year this would be higher on the list, but until we get a look it can't break the top 5.

6. Thunderbolts*

The first major film on my list, Thunderbolts feels like Captain America: Winter Soldier meets The Avengers, both films I love.

After several of the antiheroes of the MCU get framed by an unknown entity, they must team up to find what they are missing and become the Thunderbolts.

This is one of the few MCU teams up that have been built up over different projects, so I'm hoping this is a satisfying conclusion and good set up for Avengers: Doomsday.

While I wish the team was different, the cast looks great and the direction looks very fun. And with The Void as most likely the main bad guy, we are likely gonna get a very emotional ending.

Here's hoping it is a winner.

5. Peacemaker Season 2

Even though the DCU starts this year with Creature Commandos, the live action starts with a certain film and Peacemaker.

Peacemaker season 1 revolves around a team of agents looking to stop a mysterious alien invasion and save the world.

With the show now taking place in a connected universe, and Rick Flag Sr out for revenge, we're up for some excellent television.

The first season was some of the best of James Gunn's genius, and with the budget and the stakes rising, I'm excited to see the performance John Cena brings to this one.

4. Fantastic Four: First Steps

I didn't put it fourth on purpose, I swear.

After decades of waiting, we are finally getting a proper Fantastic Four film.

Little is known about this film, but with Galactus as the main villain, and retro futuristic 60s vibe, this film feels like a huge distinct swing, and nothing get's me more excited than that.

The cast looks phenomenal, the costumes look perfect, and I am just giddy thinking of them joining the Avengers in the next Avengers film.

3. Superman

My most anticipated film of next year, James Gunn will be taking on the Man of Steel himself Superman in 2026.

With an incredible cast, director, and several ties to the Justice League, Authority, and hopefully more, this film is crucial in setting the tone for the DCU moving forward, and maybe superhero films in general.

Whether this is a success or failure, this will be a turning point.

2. Daredevil Born Again

My boy has returned.

A sequel to Daredevil, Daredevil Born Again finds Matt Murdock back in NY city, with new enemies and old looking to take over Hell's Kitchen.

Daredevil is one of my favorite television series, and with so many characters returning from the original, including Kingpin, Punisher, Bullseye, Karen Page and Foggy Nelson, this season is going to be explosive.

I'm hoping it has direct connections to Echo, Moon Knight, and other street level heroes, perhaps leading up to another crack at Defenders. Whatever the case, this could be the best show of the year. And it would be my number 1, if it wasn't for...

1. Invincible Season 3

He's in for the fight of his life.

With the stakes higher than ever, an incredible voice cast, animation to beat and a performance unlike any other from Steven Yeun, Invincible has continued to surprise and top itself.

After Mark Grayson gains his Viltrumite powers, he must become Invincible, and find out the ups and the massive downs of being the worlds most powerful hero.

With _______ coming for a huge one on one, a massive war on the rise, and massive repercussions from the finale, this season is all I can think of for next year.

And thank god there will be no massive breaks in-between the season.

Thank you for reading! If you like this, be sure to follow me on all my socials here! And let me know what you think: What is your most anticipated superhero project of 2025?

[rriavian]

7 and 8 for Love Your Fandom asks :)

Bobbole! <3 thank you so much for these questions! I really enjoyed having a little think about them :)

7 your favorite tropes to read/write/draw

What a great question! There are so many but I've narrowed it down to a few :) I am very much a fan of ‘there was only one bed’ trope, or any other iteration of ‘forced to interact by Circumstances’ — just pure gold every single time!! It’s a tragedy that I haven’t written anything like that for Corintheus.

Truly I am suffering, but one day I’ll do it! The closest I think I’ve gotten is there’s a lot of uneasy allies/enemy tension in a lot of my fics.

Tbh if there was only one bed I really think both Dream and the Corinthian would be like ‘well you can sleep on the floor’ and probably only end up sharing because the other one refused to give it up. Dream could make another one with his fancy Endless powers, but I do feel like he’d stubbornly dig his heels in, or make a really comfy bed and the Corinthian would be outraged that it’s better and so try and kick him out of it (ok that’s enough of me work shopping scenarios!)

A well done fix it fic is definitely my kryptonite, as I’m sure it is for a lot of people!, because they can be very comforting as well as ways to resolve frustrations with canon material. Deliverance is probably my version of a comforting fix it :) 

Another trope that makes me go insane is the whole ‘I see you as you are and I want all of it’ — which again you’ve probably seen a lot of in my writing. I love when a character looks at another one and accepts and loves all that they are, good and bad, without reservation. Not necessarily in a toxic way, more in a ‘I fell in love with the real you not a you I want you to be’ way. They see what the other hides/is ashamed of/has been rejected for and are like…no, other people are fools actually.

That probably says a lot about me as a person—so let’s not look too closely haha—but I just love relationships that affirm identity.

8 you hope more people will come to appreciate ___ (a ship, a trope, an episode, etc)

I can't help but say Corinthiel! There is so much to love about it as a ship, and I hope it will become less of a rare pair in future.

Definitely platonic/gen relationships too! They’ve always been a favourite of mine (your Dream & Orpheus prompts were so amazing to write for!) and I love explorations of character/themes outside of romantic relationships. I was actually far more used to writing gen before I started Baiting the Trap.

Those types of relationships/themes are still present in that series, and in all my other work, because even when I’m writing something shippy it’s never in isolation. The ship will always slot into a network of other relationships/themes outside of a ‘main’ pairing, and I love seeing that explored and appreciated in fics. I really hope it has been able to shine through in my own writing because it’s very important to me :)

[ao3-tag-statistics]

25% of fanfictions tagged with Data from Star Trek are Data/Geordi fics. 8% are Data & Geordi (yay for friendship!), and 5% are Data/Reader.

I can definitely tell who the favorite ship is LMAO. I kind of thought I'd see the level of xReader fics that I saw with Spencer Criminalminds because I feel like I see them get blorbofied the same way on my dash and my Pinterest homepage, but I guess people are less horny for Data than Spencer Reid statistically! The more you know.

Only 4 fics have the tag "Data is Fully Functional" (e.g. can have the sex) and I'm sad about that. I think that line is hilarious. All four of those fics have appropriately hilarious tag lists and summaries IMO.

The longest fanfiction about Data currently posted to AO3 is The Complication by CharlieFenwick at 1,701,705 words. That is on the level of THE ENTIRE STORMLIGHT ARCHIVE SERIES at 1,690,000ish. It's also got companion fics and if you count those it's over 2 million words??!?! (sounds like there are multiple authors if you count the companion works but that's still SO MUCH) It's mostly Data/Tasha Yar. I had to look her up - damn she's had a rough life. She deserves some fun android romance. As a treat. Also what the FUCK is anti-time and why does it keep coming up when I look her up.

I'm just gonna keep looking for weird shit related to robot sex until I run out of interesting research questions.

2,946 Works in Data (Star Trek)

Explicit (394)

M/M (1131)

Gen (979)

F/M (859)

Data/Geordi La Forge (734)

Data & Geordi La Forge (234)

Data (Star Trek)/Original Female Character(s) (184)

Data/Tasha Yar (167)

Data/William Riker (74) - i only know this guy from memes where he looks like he has no thoughts and throws rocks at spaceships (large rocks, i think it worked?). no notes.

Data/Lore (59) - had to look this up, Lore is Data's evil "brother" but they're both androids so i don't really consider this incest. it's weird that they're nearly identical though.

Data (Star Trek)/Reader (149)

[mangatxt]

20 questions for fic writers

tagged by @creativenicocorner; thanks nico!!

tagging @kreauxlighe @tomezeme @mosshook @carriecmoney and anyone else who wants to do this. no pressure!

answers under the cut

1. How many works do you have on AO3?

23

2. What's your total AO3 word count?

489k. i want that half-million by year's end.

3. What fandoms do you write for?

currently, i only write mp100 fics. my ao3 has some older fics from hq!! and a couple other fandoms I used to write for.

4. What are your top 5 fics by kudos?

i'm not gonna list them out because they're all older stuff i'm less enthusiastic about recommending now. the top four are daisuga (hq!!) fics I wrote in college, and the fifth is an inukoko fic I wrote before tokrev ended.

5. Do you respond to comments? Why or why not?

I try to keep up with them. It means a lot to me when people take time out of their day to send me their thoughts, and I've made a lot of friends from it! But I get overwhelmed and behind on it sometimes, and then I'm like... I probably shouldn't respond to this until I post a new chapter. oops.

6. What's the fic you wrote with the angstiest ending?

hands down, weekly consultation (mp100, gen, mcd).

second place goes to the one for the road (tr, kokoinu), which ends in a breakup.

7. What's the fic you wrote with the happiest ending?

most of my fics have happy endings.

the parachute candidate (mp100, serirei) has a pretty happy ending. so do halo effect (mp100, serirei) and phototropic (mp100, gen).

but i think the happiest ending is probably the twelfth annual rising sun spiritual union holiday decoration contest (mp100, serirei), because reigen wins money instead of more time with roshuuto.

8. Do you get hate on fics?

i've been super lucky to have overwhelmingly positive reception to my fics. i didn't love all the foot commentary on that one tokrev fic, but it is what it is.

9. Do you write smut? If so, what kind?

i do. very serious smut only, like dick hanahaki and schrödinger's office smut and slow-motion trainwreck sex column

10. Do you write crossovers? What's the craziest one you've written?

i wrote a short haikyuu!! x fullmetal alchemist fic for daisuga week a long time ago. that's probably the craziest one.

in medias res (mp100, gen) is the little match girl isekai, so that probably counts too. reigen literally crosses over.

11. Have you ever had a fic stolen?

not to my knowledge

12. Have you ever had a fic translated?

a few offers, but i'm not sure if they were completed

13. Have you ever co-written a fic before?

i have been responsible for the prose output of all of my fics, but i've had a lot of help for various plots. for example, i feel that half the blame credit for bringing flora obscura into being should go to @crownorclover

14. What's your all-time favourite ship?

serirei (mp100). it has two characters i adore individually, a setting with so much canonical room for shenanigans, and a lot of open-endedness to the development of the relationship that makes it fun to speculate over.

i'm still partial to kokoinu (tokrev) too. both kokoinu and serirei have that bodyguard/loyalty trope to them and are often written within a greater found family. it's good stuff.

i also like the inherent appalling messiness of reishuuto but it's not that serious

15. What's a WIP you want to finish, but doubt you ever will?

that novelist!hawks fic i started once. rip.

16. What are your writing strengths?

i like an off-the-wall premise, and i am incredibly committed to the bit.

17. What are your writing weaknesses?

i tend to overwrite things. need to work on brevity.

18. Thoughts on writing dialogue in another language for a fic?

for the manga series i write for, i try to write in scanlation/fansub language for the most part. that's how i interacted with them originally, so that's how the character voices sound in my head. not everything in one language has a 1:1 translation into another.

mp100 has a lot of cultural/wordplay jokes that don't translate well into english. i have a lot of wordplay in my fics to match the tone, but i've only managed to make a wordplay joke that translates both ways once. so much respect for translators who figure out how to make that work on a regular basis.

i try to do as much research as possible to get things right, but i know i'll make mistakes. for that reason, i really appreciate people who beta read for me, who put together writing resources and other research materials, or who are kind enough to leave constructive feedback.

19. First fandom you wrote for?

pokémon.

i can't find it anymore but at one point, my 12-year-old ass wrote a fic where gym leader chuck's wife is like "chuck you spend all your time with the waterfall. i want a divorce." laksjdlkasj

i'd totally write it again.

20. Favourite fic you've ever written?

the parachute candidate.

(i think i'll like sage advice a lot more when i finish it)

[nell0-0]

Accidentally turned on anonymous; I’m the one who posted that champion talk.I’m glad you love that route too! I can actually see them doing that(and not just because every like four months Gamefreak Twitter decides to remind people of Ingo’s current fate.

For one, Unova’s legend is built on two twin brothers, older one truth and younger ideals. We got the differences with Alder and Iris for that(and the rivals having Cherrim as Ideals, Bianca as truth, and Hugh as balance) but the twins are literally black and white twin brothers. A third champion can round out the truth, ideals, and balance and Emmet feels perfect for it storywise with Unova starting with twins and ending with twins(bonus if Emmet incorporates grey in his outfit since it’s the mix of his and Ingo’s color scheme).

Secondly, it feels that the regions go in real time. Red and Blue aging matching up with how old Gen 1 was to both Johto and the Unova sequel having that timeskip matching up with their releases. Ingo’s concept art of him being found in Hisui also is listed as “XX years ago” which implies he been there for at least a decade which lines up with Black and White 2 age(excuse me as I crumple to dust-) and also is plenty of time for Emmet to take everything in for better coping skills. ALSO, the constant mentions to Unova and seeing the changes outside of the region. Unova was mentioned multiple times in Kalos, specifically the Subway and Coleress research. In the Ultra Games Grimsley is revealed to have retired from being the dark type elite four member while Coleress is revealed to have been traveling regions to pursue his totally not illegal research. Several Unovan Pokémon received love in Gen 8 with evolutions and the nobles. And of course Ingo was sent hundreds of years into the past(side note: almost every Gen has a ghost. Marowak, the little girl in Pheobe gym, Old Chateau and the abandoned house, the strange house girl, the elevator girl, the trainer school girl, the love letter girl, and vessa. But we never got to fight one besides Marowak. If ghost Ingo comes true, please have a fight and some true closure with Emmet) and wasn’t sent back afterwards. This means so much has changed since the sequel and since many things weren’t answered already like what the original dragon looked like, they could totally do a third and final game as a send off. Having a fan favorite like Emmet be the champion(since the twins are adored in Japan) be a fitting way to conclude their story.

As for Emmet himself, he is possibly the strongest double fighter in the series. The twins are basically champion level fighters and there are even headcanons they wanted to be champions until realizing only one of them could be. Emmet runs a competitive team and in all the media, he’s implied to have only lost to the protagonist and Ingo(in the Manga Hilda merely tied with Ingo. In Masters Emmet reveals he and Ingo practice fights with each other where Ingo hardly loses matches. And in the anime no one could beat them to the point of someone lying that he did to seem impressive) so he’s definitely strong enough to be one. Being champion and thus in the spotlight could also give us more info on the Unova myths, Emmet’s backstory(I have sad headcanons with that), or his relationships with the other people in Unova. But also…Emmet is a double battler, and including Gurdurr and Boldore, the two have twelve Pokémon. We could possibly have our first ever double battle champion, and given Pokémon been adding harder challenges(Ultra Necrozma, BDSP Cynthia, Volo, and final boss of Scarlet and Violet) this could be something they could do at a stand out final fight. In conclusion, less evil Emmet, more champion Emmet(and please Gamefreak! You’ve been building up something for Unova for years, please be good-)

I would love for Emmet to be the first ever double battler champion! He's a beloved character with a lot of potential. I wouldn't get my hopes up since the pokemon franchise has a lot of ongoing stories in world that never seem to progress, or at least we have to wait a long time to get a glimpse of it (pointedly looking at Looker and Anabel, for example). And even when we do get progress, closing the story line seems like wishful thinking. Not that I complain much since it allows for a lot of content creators to go wild, although it would be nice to get some closure in some of them. Gamefreak better let the twins reunite at some point. Acknowledge what you did to those two poor twins, cowards.

On the other hand, I love all your thoughts about this. But but BUT-

Did you really have to go there. Omg. My heart.

[acetonitril]

@topguncommentbingo

I made it! Excuse me for not posting a bingo before my blackout, I have literally no idea when my first bingo happened. The last two days have been a little crazy. But so much fun!

I also for the life of me can't figure out how to add the fics to the picture when I've only got my phone with me. So here's a casual list under the cut (I might actually link the fics at a later time but that too was too stressful with only my phone and half an hour to spare (in my timezone)). Go read them yourself!

1. fic tagged Porn Without Plot

pulling down back streets, deep in your head - thegeckbros

2. WIP

he loves me, i love him not - hey_its_me88

3. fic that's the first part of a series

I Couldn’t Help It, It Had to Be You - mackwinnon

4. art rated gen / teen

western sunset - enthyrea

5. crossover / fusion

Cyrano - arami_d004

6. fic completed between March - May 2023

The Penguin Agenda - greenstuff

7. fic where the last comment was 5+ months ago

Kiss me, baby - julie_sailorway

8. fic completed in July or Aug 2022

Feel the Heat, See the Light - ForASecondThereWedWon

9. fic tagged first time / getting together

You got me stuck on the thought of you - Popstar

10. fic set post TGM canon

that summer (when your shadow merged with the shadows of the leaves) - deuceofgears

11. fic with fewer than 5 comments

take you like a drug - callsignvalley

12. fic with a ship you haven't read

Sleeper Hit - goldcranes

13. FREE CHOICE

Homesick - theinsouciantknitter

14. fic completed in June 2023 or later

bare - Saturn

15. fic less than 3k words

I’ll Kneel for You - ReformedTsundere

16. fic from a fandom event

hot as a fever, rattling bones - Notchka88

17. canon divergent fic

Song #86 - LadyLanera

18. fic rated mature

bad idea, right? - ok_thanks

19. fic with more than 15k words

the whole time, under the lights - teacupivy

20. fic focused on a POC

no need to take it slow - boasamishipper

21. fic you already commented on

Rack ‘Em Up, Big Blonde - Earthangel_44

22. fic from an author you haven't read

Spare - wordsonamission

23. fic rated teen

get your head in the game - abliafina

24. fic tagged fluff

Cravin’ You - Jeston17

25. fic with a trope you love

can you see me glowing - dracculaura

[blackdigitalrose]

Digimon Series Rankings!

Because I can and because I've really done nothing but comment about Ghost Game, it does give a slight misleading impression on where it stands. So in brief, I may go into more detail down the line, we'll see how I feel out the blue one day. Worst to Best of all 10 Digimon series.

(got to keep up that suspense XD)

And yes, Dubs are going to be a factor, I haven't watched both Sub/Dub of all shows.

10 - Xros Wars This is solely by default because it is the only series I haven't watched, I don't have much inclination to either. Digivolution method really can make or break a show and Digimon lego sets with no actual way to gauge power besides from more sets you stick together the stronger you apparently seem to be, does not hold much appeal. Plus what I've seen of X7/X8, it just looks so messy. Although, I'd like to be able to weigh in on the Taiki debate, some say he's one of the franchises best Goggle boys, others say he's too perfect he's not interesting.

9 -Digimon 2020 For a modern day reboot it had all the action, zero the charm or personality. Those snazzy, action filled fight scenes mean nothing, when there's no story, no characters and just flat out laziness all-round. The Diaboramon movie got rehashed 3 times. The significance of the crests forgotten until a rag tag added on arc at the end and even then they weren't really earned. Izzy just ruined everything, unless you were Matt and Tai, you were basically useless and Tai… I could rant about this series all day, it ticks me off so much!

8 - Frontier This is one of many examples of Digimon not being to do the long run story, a tolerable first half, an unbearable second half full of holes and flaws, it makes you wonder if multiple teams were writing eps apart from each other. This series wrote itself into a corner it could have wrote itself easily out of but chose not to and suffers greatly for it. There is so little to actually talk about in Frontier, none of the cast are actually likeable, not to the extent that you can really get behind them. The only one you feel for slightly is twin 2 but they don't do alot with him after. The only thing it has going for it is the Intro's both sub and dub are amazing!

7 -Tri Such a strong first half, first 3 vols, amazing! Stakes, emotion, understandable dilemma's occurring from being so much older and once more they fail the landing. Tai never got is pay off over his fears. Matt's future plans literally come out of nowhere. Mei and Meicoomon out stayed their welcome so quickly they got in the way in the second half. However, the biggest crim is Daigo and Maki and what we could have had as the first Digidestined team… their partners being the four sovereigns actually makes so much sense! They won but failed, there was an amazing story set up to be told there and they just went, nah, bin it -.-'' Abridged Daigo though is the most relatable character ever and hilarious to boot

6 -02 Let's be honest, this series, I couldn't care less for and some one punch Davis! (He's not so special anymore mind you.) However, despite the not so exciting team, it had it's moments, the Wizardmon ep was very touching, the idea of passing to the next gen, with the originals to help guide them, nicely done with the right mix of original and new but what really gives it, it's place and you all saw it coming. The Digimon Emperor arc! Such a good villain, the contrast against the team, against Wormon, the ongoing subplot over Chimeramon and then our Digimon Emperor gets turned back to normal and show becomes so boring and with more holes in it than swiss cheese.

5 - Appli Monsters I did put this off, I was one of those people… however, I was pleasantly surprised. This show is quite solid, all the characters get their own arcs, the story actually has progress from start to finish, the end boss narratively is good as an actual end boss, it couldn't have made a stupider play if it tried. With social commentary right on the nose, it was a show definitely released before it's time, if they tried it now, I think it would have done a lot better as it would be so much more relatable to people. Why only 5… well, there's nothing that overly stood out; like a moment or ep that is a must re-watch. I watched it the once and haven't gone back to it.

4 - Savers Savers has so many of my faves, my fave digivice in the IC, digivolve style with Digisoul, fave rivals with Masaru/Tohma (love me some two halves of the same coin), some of the best looking Megas you'll ever see, even my fave mon is from this series! Looking at you, you double agent, traitorous, snarky scarf! This series even has the best villain, well human anyway out of all series and the best part, he remains a prick and gets no cheap redemption! Just a guy you love to hate. The downside, like so many others, the doesn't stick the second half. I mean it's alright, no where near as good as the first half and becomes too much of the Masaru show for my liking. (And no, I don't dislike the Digimon punching gimmick per se but it is overused and gets ott in parts that kind of takes you away from it.)

3 - Ghost Game This actually took some serious debating and the bottom line, what do I just openly go and re-watch and despite it's many, many flaws; Ghost Game was just so much fun! It lived up to it's reputation, it gave you horror, surprise, creepiness, you did run through the emotions with it. The major selling point though, it has to be the cast. Tamer and Digimon alike, all 6 are just so likeable with great dynamics and you don't get to say that about many. I also like how Hiro, Ruli and Kiyo represent the three common reactions to the paranormal, the sceptic, the enthusiast and the fearful.

2 - 01 Surprise! Or not potentially and yes, this is heavily the dub, fight me, it's amazing! No bad will be said about dub Apocylamon. Nostalgia likely plays a part in it to but all our digidestined team a great, they all get little arcs and for the most part, all get to play a part, even at the end where only two get megas, however, narratively this works. The story has good progression, in character and difficulty, there's obstacles which don't seem to impossible for kids to tackle, stuff actually feels earned and the villains are just as memorable as the heroes. To top it all, it's such an easy series to just re-watch from any point.

1 - Tamers Ha, yes, I am one of those to. I stand by it, this is peak storytelling for Digimon. What starts off quite light, becomes mature, gritty and a real good coming of age story despite still being kids. Our main trio all get good character arcs, they bounce of each other well and a bonus point for at least trying with the card game. why yes, I do consider Rika as the rival in Tamers, it just makes more sense due to conflicting beliefs about digimon with Takato On the other hand, it's End boss is by far the worse on so many levels but also contains one of Digimon's best character arcs with Impmon. With Tamers, I could only plan to watch one or two eps but before I know it, I'm half way into the series again and still not bored of it.

And this really didn't stay as short as I initially intended ^^;

[kanto-jhoto]

So out of curiosity I played a little bit of "Pokemon Crystal Clear" today... I don't normally emulate pokemon games since it makes it feel less personal and you can't use your pokemon in things like pokemon stadium and such. But when I was looking for info on game boy romhacks, this kept getting mentioned as one of the best.

I am very intrigued. Very customizable, it has a lot of features I really want in the main series as well... namely the ability to choose from more than just three starters, follower pokemon, the ability to customize your battle music to be music from other regions, and the pokedex is insanely detailed compared to the games. I'm pretty blown away and haven't even strayed far from my starting town yet.

I'd be half tempted to buy a repro cart of this, especially since this is said to be compatible with Pokemon Stadium 2, and therefore you actually CAN transfer your pokemon out of the game... but the problem is that this appears to be a project that is constantly being updated, so you'd have to buy a new repro every time you wanted to play with new features unless you have the means to reflash a gameboy cartridge, and I don't have the money or equipment for that.

But yeah, you should look into this one guys. Could be the best 8-bit pokemon game ever... That being said, I am not going to play this one for a long time... I paid a lot of money for my copies of G/S/C, I feel guilty for spending so much, so if I don't even finish a run of those games, then i'll feel like it really was a waste. So if I play gen 2 again, it's gonna be the real thing. And I might even get to it soon, trying out Crystal Clear has me itching or some pokemon. And I still gotta get that Eevee to complete my living dex for gen 1. I'd like to do a gen 2 living dex as well... BUT, when I get finished with those then i'll definitely add Crystal Clear to my queue. And I'm gonna follow the project a little closely so I can keep tabs on a possible "final version" so I can consider getting a repro some day.

[dotthings]

The idea that a 23 episode season is necessary to flesh out characters and show different, fun situations, to pause and let the story and characters breathe and develop has no connection to my direct experience watching tv shows.

Speaking from the pov of intaking the story, “reader” pov.

The quality of the writing, choices on pacing, the size of the cast, the budget are all factors that can impact story, but I’ve seen large ensembles do deeper character more satisfying character interactions in 8-13 eps a season than some smaller ensembles do in 22.

Shows with 8-13 eps a season can make their worlds feel real and deep and rich in ways some 22-23 ep shows of the traditional era couldn’t. Maybe that richness in part is a by-product of seasons where the budgets aren’t stretched thin—if 22 ep season and a 13 ep season cost the same overall, the 13 ep season will have more money to deploy per episode, so there’s a richer, deeper feel to it.

Some shows are shorter because in fact their budgets are so high, and the results are beautiful but it’s expensive to make. A 22 ep season would be prohibitive costs and each episode would suffer for it.

Most of this pertains to the streaming model. Linear broadcast is a different model, an linear broadcast is gasping to keep its life.

It’s not great news when linear broadcast series get episode orders cut. It means budgets have been cut. It means danger of cancellation. It’s rarer on linear broadcast still. But since linear broadcast stories are practically an endangered species now anyway (and genre is almost completely extinct on linear broadcast) it’s almost moot. More change is going to come. Full length seasons are turning into unicorns even on linear.

But in the overall, TV shows as a storytelling format have evolved over time. “Filler” eps are over-rated. Or my definition of “filler” is very different than other people’s. Short seasons do eps that break their format. Long seasons do eps that break their format. That’s not “filler” that’s called doing something innovative.

“Filler” to me is oh not this again and low stakes episode I feel like I’ve seen before, it’s just a different dead body/monster/planet/threat. Something has to fill those 22 hours for ad time slots.

Length isn’t the determiner of brilliance and when I think about the incredible 8-13 ep season shows I’ve enjoyed, some of which have been wildly innovative, outside the box, or doing outside the box things playing with a box formula, this popularized nostalgia for the supposedly inherently creatively superior in all ways 22-26 season era starts to rankle. Saying this as a fan of many shows of that era.

Maybe it’s because I’m gen X and so I watched a lot of 22-26 ep season glory days series as they aired instead of inhaling a whole series in 2 weeks on streaming and experienced the frustrations of the longer season format live.

Fun fact, the reason traditional linear broadcast (which is different than cable network or streaming business models) had such long seasons was ad revenue. Networks wanted to fill up the broadcast hours slots during a traditional tv season time period. (A scheduling model that’s fading before our eyes).

Now, with streaming having to cry uncle and moving back to an ad revenue model, maybe longer seasons will return someday. I don’t know. But they can probably make more money capping seasons at 13 and it’s a completely different world and business model than it was in the 90’s and 00’s. (And the 80’s was an extra bloated era full of filler eps. I love many of those shows too but the formula wore out and styles moved on).

Seeing some really beautiful work on shows get trashed solely because people claim short seasons made them trash, it’s gotten old.

It’s dumping on the work of creatives who are having to work harder and be more innovative to tell their stories effectively in a shorter format for less salary (because fewer eps to write and they’re paid per ep). And it’s dumping all over TV as a format, period. If you no longer enjoy TV that’s valid. It doesn’t mean it’s a universal truth that longer seasons = better storytelling.

How is it people can understand that a film with bloated runtime is not necessarily creatively superior to a brilliant tightly plotted 90 minute masterpiece but not get this about TV seasons?

[govindhtech]

Samsung Galaxy S24 vs Galaxy S23 – Upgrade Insights!

Techies are raving over Samsung’s Galaxy S24 top smartphone. This happened during Samsung Galaxy Unpacked on January 19, 2024.

We like telephones and are constantly inquisitive about new features. This article will compare the Galaxy S24’s specifications against the Galaxy S23 to determine whether the upgrade is worthwhile. Please begin!

Samsung Galaxy S24 vs Galaxy S23 : Technical Details The Samsung Galaxy S24 vs Galaxy S23 vary in numerous ways that decide whether an upgrade is worthwhile.

Galaxy S24 and S23 have fantastic screens, however S24 has higher brightness and clarity. Both variants include Corning’s Gorilla Glass Victus for scratch resistance and durability. Titanium on the Galaxy S24 feels tougher and more luxurious than aluminum on the S23.

Life of the batteries One important factor to consider is battery life, where the Galaxy S24 exhibits a little improvement. While the S24’s enhanced hardware and software integration lead to somewhat improved energy management, both versions provide all-day battery life.

The Galaxy S24 includes a titanium frame, better optical zoom, the latest Qualcomm Snapdragon CPU, and longer battery life than the Galaxy S23. The Galaxy S23 is still a reliable smartphone, but these changes appeal to techies.

Galaxy S24 vs Galaxy S23: Specifications Design, display, camera, and software enhancements distinguish the Samsung Galaxy S24 from its predecessor, the S23.

Dimensions and style The new design of the Galaxy S24, which has flat edges, gives it a sleek and modern appearance. The actual size is still pleasantly small in spite of this change. Both versions include an aluminum frame, however the matte-finished Armor Aluminum of the Galaxy S24 is more durable and fashionable. Though slight, the S24’s design modifications signal a move toward a more stylish and long-lasting look.

Show variations Samsung is committed to producing high-quality displays, as the Galaxy S24 demonstrates. The screen size has been slightly increased to 6.17 inches, and there has been a notable boost in peak brightness to 2,600 nits. When compared to the Galaxy S23, this improvement greatly enhances visibility outside. A 1Hz–120Hz variable refresh rate, another first for the Galaxy S series, allows the Galaxy S24 to combine energy efficiency with fluid images.

Camera Although the Galaxy S24 and S23 have identical camera setups, the S24 has access to “Galaxy AI,” which offers more sophisticated picture processing. The quality of the photos is noticeably improved as a consequence, with more accurate color reproduction and less oversharpening. Thanks to these software improvements, the camera on the Galaxy S24 is able to capture photographs that are more visually appealing and realistic.

Both software and performance With 8GB of RAM, the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 CPU powers the Galaxy S24. The S23’s RAM doesn’t change, but the new CPU promises increased speed and economy. But software integration is where the Galaxy S24 really excels. Real-time phone call translation in the Phone app and Chat Assist, a tool that offers message translations and tone recommendations in the Samsung keyboard, are among the new capabilities introduced by the One UI 6.1 enhanced by Galaxy AI. The user experience is improved by these AI-driven features, which also make the Galaxy S24 a more intelligent and approachable gadget.

Furthermore, the Galaxy S24 is capable of wireless charging, making cordless power-ups easier. With generative AI elements integrated into a number of applications, it has AI capabilities beyond productivity and provides a window into the future of smartphone interaction.

Samsung Galaxy S24 vs Galaxy S23 : Cost Difference The cost is a significant consideration when Galaxy S24 vs Galaxy S23. Commencing at $800, the Galaxy S24 asserts its status as a high-end gadget within Samsung’s portfolio. The Galaxy S23, on the other hand, is a little more reasonably priced at $717 and is renowned for its strong performance and features.

Although at first look this price difference may not appear significant, it matters for consumers who are debating whether the upgrade is worth the additional expense. For Android users, durability is of utmost importance, and both phones provide years of security updates.

The Galaxy S24 is directly competitive with other high-end Android smartphones, such the Google Pixel series, due to its lower price point. The remaining Galaxy S23’s cost savings must be balanced against the Galaxy S24’s additional features and enhancements.

Should I upgrade to Galaxy S24 or S23? Several major enhancements and your love of cutting-edge technology will determine whether you go from the Galaxy S24 vs Galaxy S23. The Galaxy S24 stands out for its strength and beauty because to its sleek, contemporary design that has flat sides and a sturdy Armor Aluminum frame. With more realistic and well-resolved photos, Samsung’s integration of “Galaxy AI” into the camera system takes photography to new levels.

The Samsung One UI 6.1’s Galaxy AI capabilities, which are new for the Galaxy S24, represent a major software innovation step forward. These features like intelligent message support and real-time translation showcase Samsung’s commitment to improving user engagement with AI.

The Galaxy S24’s improvements make it an alluring option, even if the Galaxy S23 already has a strong feature set that includes Corning’s Gorilla Glass Victus for screen protection and a sturdy metal frame. A new and futuristic smartphone experience is provided by the S24’s emphasis on AI integration and small but significant design changes.

Galaxy S24 release is likely to be well-publicized, appealing to general customers and tech enthusiasts. Its performance, design, and AI-powered features make it a strong smartphone rival.

Choosing between the Galaxy S24 vs Galaxy S23 depends on your needs and desire for new technology. If you value AI-driven features, enhanced camera and display performance, and a sleek appearance, the Galaxy S24 upgrade is worth it.

Read more on Govindhtech.com

[crystalelemental]

"megazardx2: USUM…That was where all the trouble with mainline Pokémon really started, looking back on it. I’d probably be mentally better off if I’d jumped ship back then and invested all my time in the anime. (Oh wait, Journeys happened…)"

I think USUM was the biggest notably failure of a story mode, but it's debatable when the backslide really started. I personally still argue XY. Even though I've come to like those games well enough, I feel like it was the first time you could really feel how much less was in a game, and that things weren't going in a great direction. They still had some really good ideas, and I think were trying to make the series more accessible, which...worked to some degree, I suppose. Gen 7 was an attempt at improving story (cited as a problem in Gen 6), and to increase difficulty (also cited as a problem in Gen 6 by the specific fans we know), but the changes in gameplay were the worst they ever had and no one liked it. So with Gen 8 I think they kinda tried to synthesize the two, aiming for a simpler story (that wouldn't anger parents), with the simplified gameplay of Gen 6.

It's kinda like...look, it's kinda like Zelda I feel? You know how everyone got really pissy Wind Waker wasn't just like OoT, but then it really grew on people because it's legitimately great, but they tried to listen to fan feedback and made Twilight Princess, which got people mad for being too much like OoT and not doing its own thing, so they gave up on that and made Skyward Sword trying to bridge the gap between the two but then no one liked it because it's actually terrible, so they fucked off and did whatever they wanted and now you have the BotW/TotK thing going on? I feel like Pokemon did the same. Even down to the ability to argue that Gen 8 was an attempt at synthesizing the two styles that didn't click but eventually gained some following, and the argument that Gen 9 is giving up on listening to fan feedback and doing what they wanted to much greater success, even if it wasn't to everyone's tastes. The difference, I think, is Zelda still has to care. Yeah it's one of the big Nintendo IPs, but it's not at the same level of effectively unkillable as a franchise as Pokemon seems to be. Or at the very least, Nintendo cares more about Zelda, because while Zelda still gets a ton of budget and all the time they need, Pokemon Company is insistent on pumping out whatever's done after three years despite diminishing quality, because this is literally for baby children and their marketing strategy is pretty flawless so it keeps selling like hotcakes.

...I kinda forget where I was going with this. I swear my intention was to be depressing.

[heloflor]

Ah screw it, thoughts on the finale + something about one aspect of the show I really like (3.5k words below):

- Overall I’m pretty mixed on whether I liked it or not, and I think the main reason is because it left me wanting more but in a bad way. I think the main issue is that, since we don’t know whether the show will be renewed or not, this could very well be the series’ finale, and I can’t help but treat it as such.

But the thing is, while this episode works very well as a season finale, it doesn’t hold up as a series finale. It’s not “grandiose” enough, with a lot of characters not having much to do because they didn’t have enough time for everyone.

Now that’s more of a me problem but I think another issue about the pacing is that I’ve gotten used to seasons or series finale being two-parters or longer when it comes to serialized/semi-serialized shows (My Little Pony gen 4, ATLA, Owl House, Ducktales, Gravity Falls etc). So having only 20 minutes to solve everything doesn’t feel like it’s enough, especially when you consider the scope this battle could have had.

Like I really wish (no pun intended) that Cosmo, Wanda, Peri, Anti-Cosmo and Anti-Wanda did more than just stand there (low-key feel sad for all you Anti-Cosmo fans out there, you guys got scammed); or that Hazel and Dev talked more since the core of the story is centered around their relationship; or Dev and Peri talking more; or that we saw more of the anti-fairies takeover or end the episode with a fight between fairies and anti-fairies, like I know the fight at the end of “Best Of Luck” was low-budget but it was still fun (also Cosmo spending the entire show hiding behind Wanda when things get tense only to throw hands with Irep without a second thought just to defend his son’s honor was amazing)!

So yeah, when taking it as a potential series finale, it doesn’t hold up well and feels too rushed. That being said I do think that it’s good as a season finale, which hopefully it will end up being.

- Something funny about this episode is that before watching it I was thinking about how A New Wish is basically two different shows glued as one.

On one hand you have the fun episodic show about Hazel having fairy godparents granting her wishes, making her learn life lessons while hanging out with her friends Jasmine and Winn. On the other hand you have 8-9 episodes basically giving us a 2-hours serialized show about Hazel’s relationship with Dev and their mutual connection with fairies. And in a way, you could watch those 8-9 episodes as standalone and still get a full interesting show the same way you could watch all the other episodes in any order and have a fun show.

(for those asking the episodes I see as creating a serialized show are “Fly”, “A New Development”, “Lost and Founder’s Day”, “Battle of the Dimmsonian”, arguably “Lost in Fairy World” (Dev discovering Fairy World + setting up the Fairywinkle-Cosma family dynamic), "Operation: Birthday Takeback”, “Best of Luck”, arguably "Fairy for a Day” (more focus on anti-fairies + introduction of magical backup), “The Battle of Big Wand”)

But then the finale kinda breaks this view by referencing many of the episodic ones, which tbh I really like! It just gave me a bit of a laugh that I was all like “damn it’s like two shows in one, that’s cool” only for the finale to make me go “nevermind you gotta watch every episode to understand it”.

- Going into the meat of the episode, first of all I can’t help but wonder if the “rule-free wish” thing is how one of Cosmo and Wanda’s previous godchild caused WWI.

- Also I have to agree with Hazel already making one million wishes being ridiculous. Like one million is a lot, and from the looks of it she only got her fairies for a year max, likely way less. That being said, both Cookie episodes show that Hazel makes a lot of wishes outside of what we see, which I’m assuming was the writers’ way of setting up that she could reach a high number in a fairly short time.

- I kinda love Irep in this episode, he’s mainly just vibing and having fun, good for him. Also love how we see more of an “immature young adult” side to him.

- Speaking of childish I really like how much you can tell Dev is a kid here. Most of his wishes are pretty juvenile (being king of the world, changing stuff to his name), he’s doing all this to get his father’s attention, he laughs at the thought of fairies turning into confetti (appropriate reaction for a kid who doesn’t know it’s lethal tbh), gets worried for Peri, doesn’t want to capture any fairies beside the ones he knows. He’s really just a hurt kid in the end, and I like that they fully acknowledge it.

On that note, while I do like that he suffers consequences for his actions, I really hope he’ll get the help he needs in a possible season 2 with a potential redemption, even if it doesn’t come from a fairy (though I’m already seeing theories that his glasses might have saved him from mind erasure).

- Not sure how to feel about Hazel having her friends + others help take back Fairy World. On one hand I really like the idea and it’s cool to see so many references, on the other hand Jasmine, Winn and Anthony are severely underdeveloped characters so I can’t bring myself to care that much about them (and I care even less about the extras they brought with them). That’s kind of what I meant too earlier when saying I wanted more of Hazel and Dev interacting, I find the two of them much more interesting than the peanut gallery.

That being said I really like that they were smart enough to deduce something was up with Hazel, same with them keeping their memories at the end. It’s a very cute wish and it opens the door for a lot more ideas if season 2 happens.

(And for those complaining about Hazel not using her wish for Dev because “he’s a 10 years old kid trying his best!”, reminder that Hazel is also a 10 years old kid trying her best; give her a break!)

- I know I said it before but I really like Dale as an antagonist! I think it’s because, unlike a villain like Mark Beaks from Ducktales, there’s a level of malice/deviousness and manipulation to Dale that make him come off as much more of a threat. Like it feels like if he were to lose his fortune, he’d still find a way to cause problems and worm his way into a position of power.

Also he’s low-key the main reason why I want a season 2 (outside of wanting to see more of those characters having fun and interacting with each other). I’d love an arc focused on him trying to figure out Hazel, with Dev being stuck in the middle between wanting to help his dad and protecting his friend.

(on that note I had an idea for a few days about Dev selling out Peri to Dale in hopes to help with Project H, like telling him godparents exist and showing off his own as proof + using Peri as bait to capture Cosmo and Wanda, but it’s one of those ideas with a beginning and somewhat middle but no end, so I might write it down as some “A New Wish but the anti-fairies never showed up” kind of fic but I’m not sure since I don’t know how to finish it 🤔)

- For Peri, I was on team “there’s no way they’ll do magical backup...right?” so I’d say I was both surprised and not surprised by it. That being said they did a wonderful job foreshadowing it, hence why so many people expected it! Between Dev being seen without Peri in his last few appearances, Peri chilling at what is now fully confirmed to be Cosmo and Wanda’s house, and their last episode together (Best of Luck) having no wishes due to the rules, the way they went with it was very clever!

- On a more negative note I’m not a fan of how gross magical backup is. Like I have no issues with the bloating since it’s kind of the point of it since the og show (the fairies inflate until their bodies can’t handle it anymore and explode), but the vomiting and eyes going on a side were a nope for me. Also not the biggest fan of them making a joke out of it.

- While like I said I wished Cosmo and Wanda did more in this episode, I do find it really cute that they spend the whole time taking care of their son and worrying for him.

Speaking of which, while I know it’s human nature to care about your loved ones like that, there’s something incredibly sweet about how Fairy World is a mess and all fairies are going to die eventually due to it (and from the looks of it removing their magic completely is speeding up the magical backup process) yet all Cosmo and Wanda care about is their son being safe and sound. Hell even when talking to Dev, they’re not doing it to free themselves or save Fairy World, they’re only trying to save Peri. Again, I know that’s just how people are but I still find it adorable.

- And on that note, the fact that the show never made a parallel between Dev and Peri’s family situations is probably the biggest missed opportunity of this season! I mean even just in this episode! Dale’s son is at the top of the world yet this guy barely cares and just uses the situation for himself. Meanwhile Cosmo and Wanda are fully focused on their son being safe and recovering, even with their world ending around them.

Like there is literally a scene of Hazel coming to the rescue which worries Dale and Irep, making them ditch Dev who’s like “yeah don’t worry I’ll be fine”, showing his father doesn’t show concern for him, while concern is the one thing Cosmo and Wanda are currently showing for their son!

My guess as to why they passed up this very obvious parallel is because they wanted something that anti-fairies have that fairies don’t (so Dev would be interested in siding with them) and the lack of rules was the most obvious thing, thus making Dev’s problem with Peri be that Peri follows the rules to a T.

But even then it’s sad they passed up this opportunity. It could’ve made Dev even more heartbreaking (have him frown sometimes when Peri is with his parents, or be confused when seeing Peri ask for space, stuff like that) + is a really good reason for Dev to dislike his fairy + it would be an interesting way to show Peri’s inexperience, with him being oblivious to the situation until Dev blows up on him about it near the end of the season + there could have been ways to connect it with Irep, if only for the fact Irep grew up in Peri’s shadow (dude straight up cries when Dev tells him he’s much better than Peri in “Best of Luck”).

So yeah, this side of their relationship was such an obvious thing and it’s a bit sad they never used it.

- And since I’m at it, that scene with Wanda trying to convince Dev to help them is just more proof to me that Cosmo and Wanda would be much better godparents to Dev than Peri. Like Wanda manages pretty well when explaining what magical backup is and talking the kid into considering helping them, with Cosmo even pointing out that him having fairies won’t give him the one thing he wants.

(Also love how Cosmo immediately tries to shut Wanda up when she does the “deep deep deep inside” thing because “hey honey how about we DON’T anger the one kid that can save our son’s life?!” Between this and him attacking Irep in “Best of Luck”, I’m low-key fascinated by how Cosmo seems to take things more seriously than even Wanda when it comes to his son’s well-being. And I swear as someone who didn’t care much about Cosmo in the og show, I can’t get over how much I adore the way he’s written in New Wish!)

And yes I know Peri is the one to change Dev’s mind by telling him he cares, but idk this moment didn’t hit as it should for me. I don’t know if this is due to the lack of interactions between those two in those last few episodes (including this one), the fact Peri’s condition is played as a joke or the quick pacing but yeah, this line didn’t hit.

On the other hand Cosmo’s line about how a fairy can’t fix Dev’s situation works incredibly well, thus making me think more about how Cosmo and Wanda should be the ones in charge of this kid (Cosmo especially, like on top of this line I’m also thinking back on this scene at the beginning of the birthday episode with Cosmo being able to comfort Dev a little about Dale missing his birthday. Have I mentioned how much I love Cosmo’s writing in this show?).

Although it’s worth noting that while I believe Dev and Hazel switching fairies would be better for everyone involved (Hazel having a big bro, Dev having parental figures, Peri learning that taking care of a kid also means connecting with them and having fun, Cosmo and Wanda having complicated relationship with their own parents that makes it easier for them to understand Dev, the fairy trio would still hang out but by having this switch up Cosmo and Wanda could explain to Dev why they’re like this with Peri thus helping him understand that his dad’s a pos), ultimately I’m glad the show went the direction it did as there would be a lot less conflict otherwise.

- Still on Peri, I’m a bit curious as to what they’re going to do with him now. Is he going to get assigned to another random kid or change jobs thus only showing up occasionally? Is he going to be a third fairy to Hazel like he was back with Timmy (tbh given how he wants to be seen as an adult, I don’t really see him do that, but then again he might feel incompetent after failing with his first godkid and might want to get some more “training” in a way by working with his parents?)? Is he going to try and help Dev without revealing his identity as a fairy, or on the opposite side fight to get back with this kid?

Especially considering how popular his character got, I could see the team having plans for him to show up from time to time only for the network to be like “no no no we need more of him he’s bringing up the ratings!” Granted part of the team doing this show worked on Infinity Train so I trust their writing when dealing with potential executive meddling (can’t talk for Craig of the Creek since I haven’t watched it, it’s on my list tho).

- Last on Peri, I’m very amused that the season ends with him breaking the fourth wall, because given how he’s a big reason why the show eventually got a lot of attention, it’s incredibly fitting for the show to end on him. But at the same time, I’m assuming the whole season was fully finished before it started airing, meaning the crew had no idea how people would react to an aged-up Poof, especially with him being considered “the beginning of the end” of the og show. So the crew basically did a gamble here and it worked in their favor!

Finally, something that has nothing to do with the episode itself but I still wanted to talk about it: I find it very interesting how the way Cosmo and Wanda act with Hazel seems to be the norm for how they usually act with godkids compared to Timmy.

To explain better, from what we know fairy godparents are only supposed to be with a child for a few months, until the child feels good enough to continue without them (or they break the rules, mostly by revealing their fairies).

Timmy was a huge exception to that, mostly because his situation couldn’t be fixed by fairies (something I’m very happy they acknowledge with Dev in this finale). Timmy has incredibly absent parents, an abusive babysitter, is bullied at school, his teacher hates him, he’s failing academically possibly due to his babysitter’s abuse and his parents never being there… None of that can be fixed by having fairies for a short while, what Timmy needs is to be taken away and put in a healthier environment (granted the foster system is utter shit so it’s doubtful how much they would help).

And yeah because of his situation, not only did Timmy need his fairies for longer, but Cosmo and Wanda basically became his parents. Now I haven’t watched the show in a long time so I could be wrong, but from what I remember Cosmo and Wanda basically saw Timmy as their own child. Hell even once Poof was around Timmy wasn’t treated all that differently, the main difference was that Poof is a baby so needs more attention. Other than that, Timmy was like a son to them, reinforced by them spending 7 years with him. This also explains why their retired after him, it was literally like losing their own child!

(And unpopular opinion but considering his situation I can understand why Timmy would make his secret wish. He was a child terrified of losing the only people who love and take care of him on top of forgetting them. Of course he’d go to such an extreme!)

In comparison, Hazel already has involved if not busy parents who love her and are doing their best. As a result, Cosmo and Wanda feel less like parents to her and more like adults she can trust and confide in. In other words, what godparents are supposed to be. And yeah I really like that! Timmy was the exception, so it’s interesting to see how Cosmo and Wanda usually operate!

Btw I give Hazel 2 maybe 3 years top before she doesn’t need them anymore. She’s already in a pretty good situation by the end of season 1, she clearly won’t need them as long as Timmy. On that note, while I could see A New Wish get a third season, if they get a fourth one and still make it about Hazel having Cosmo and Wanda, it might start stretching the limits of suspension of disbelief.

And since I talked about Poof and Timmy, like I said in a previous post it’s interesting how you can clearly see a huge difference in how Cosmo and Wanda are with Hazel and how they are with Peri, which reinforces this aspect of Hazel being how they usually operate. On that note, I’m very impressed with how Cosmo and Wanda talk to Hazel like one would with a child without making you think that they’re her parents, while at the same time having them talk to Peri like an adult (for the most part) yet you can clearly tell he’s their son. I swear the character writing in this show is so ridiculously good (outside of Hazel’s classmates)!

But yeah all this to say after coming from a kid that Cosmo and Wanda basically saw as their own child and pretty much raised themselves and were likely devastated to lose, it’s very interesting to see them get back to how they’d usually interact with their godkids. Also what I love about this is that it allows Cosmo and Wanda to have a life outside of Hazel. They have an apartment/house, focus on their marriage, interact with other humans, get invested in Peri’s life. Again it’s very interesting to see them have this kind of “work-life balance” for a lack of a better term.

And like I said in the previous post mentioning them acting differently with Hazel and Peri, in no way am I saying that Cosmo and Wanda don’t care about Hazel. They very obviously love her, they just don’t see her as their daughter the way they did with Timmy.

Oh and since I’m talking things about the overall show, I think my favorite episode overall is “Lost and Founder’s Day”, least favorite is “Dig a Little Deeper”.

For favorite character I’m really hesitating between what I consider the major 5 characters (Hazel, Dev, Cosmo, Wanda, Peri) as I absolutely love all five of them. But if I had to rank them as of right now it’d be 5. Wanda; 4. Peri; 3. Dev; 2. Hazel; 1. Cosmo. The order might change tho, again I love all five of them. Least favorite character would probably be one of Hazel’s classmates due to how underdeveloped and uninteresting most of them are (I do like Whisper Fred though, and the teacher Mr. Guzman).

So this was supposed to be part of my other fop post but it got way too long (both posts did tbh) and is a different topic than the other one. So yeah here’s a bunch of random thoughts about the show in general from what I’ve seen of it. For context I’ve only seen the first 4-5 episodes + “Battle of the Dimmsonian” + the Cosmo-Wanda-Peri scenes in “Lost in Fairy World” and “Operation: Birthday Takeback”.

SPOILERS for “Operation: Birthday Takeback” for the last three dashes (2.4k words below):

- Putting it in first since it’s still related to Peri but I’m pretty amused by the whole “Tumblr sexyman” situation. I mean, less than two weeks ago all canon pics we had of him were baby pics. It’s the same deal when I see people call him a father figure to Dev, I can’t help but be like “wdym father figure? He’s barely an adult! He’s too young!”

It’s like imagine you have a neighbor who have a baby when you’re 9-10, then they move out and 20 years later you meet their kid as an adult. You can clearly tell they’re an adult and treat them as such but also it’s a bit weird bc your last and only memories of them were of a baby. Idk, I see Peri’s character as an adult but also he’s still a bit of a kid, you know? I feel like I explain this better in the other post tbh.

- In retrospect it’s also very funny to see how, when people talk about the decline of fop, they point at the inclusion of the new characters, including Poof. Yet look where we are now! If you thought the baby was the problem, apologize to him, now! /j

But yeah more seriously, personally I never minded Poof. He was definitely a useless addition, like outside of the handful of episodes focused on him he mostly just stands there looking at the other characters, but he was also a cute baby, so I’ve always been fine with him being around. He’s a useless but inoffensive addition, and I think the decline of the show around that time had less to do with him and more to do with the writing as a whole.

- Last thing about Peri before moving on to the show in general, which tbh I could've put in the other post: I've seen people talk about the idea of Hazel and Dev switching fairies and I kind of agree with it.

Not only because Cosmo and Wanda have the experience needed to help a kid like Dev (though it wouldn't be all sunshine and rainbows) while Hazel's situation is easier for Peri, but also it's worth noting that Dev needs a parental figure, which Cosmo and Wanda can be, while Hazel misses her older brother, who Peri is around the same age of. Idk, I feel like this could work, or at least make things easier for everyone involved (but also especially for Dev).

- Something I originally wanted to put in the tags of the other post but fuck it: I’m really not a fan of them releasing the episodes so soon one after the other. With serialized shows, I’m always been more of a fan of having an episode a week you can chew on and theorize about, rather than being given everything at once. Also it takes a while for the cargo to get on the ships if you catch my drift.

I’d also complain about seeing all those plot-related episodes one after the other with none of the more casual stories in-between that give us more character moments, but honestly that’s on me for looking up spoilers.

- Going to the early show, I think the first episode is such a good introduction! I especially like the amount of focus on Cosmo and Wanda, it’s good to have them reintroduced given how flanderized they became in the og show. I’m especially happy with Cosmo! He arguably had it worse than Wanda in the og and it’s so good to see him shine this much in this first episode (also I love his human form having a bit of a gut)! On that note, they did a fantastic job having them around a lot while still giving Hazel enough time to be introduced properly and get us to care about her as the MC!

But yeah I really like this first episode, fantastic beginning to the show! The only issue I “really” have with it is the way Cosmo and Wanda go back to being godparents just because Hazel made a strong enough wish or something, it felt a bit arbitrary rather than them just telling her who they are.

And on that note, big fan of that one scene where they immediately notice her trying to run away and try to talk her out of it. I love the contrast between them starting off as disasters being barely capable of passing off as humans at the beginning of the episode, and them being perfectly in their element the second they start talking to Hazel about her running away in this scene. It’s such a good way to see how much experience they have with taking care of kids!

- I’m not going to go episode by episode but one thing that bothers me a lot in the second one is that rule of “kids should get whatever they wish for”. Doesn’t that...go against the whole concept of having rules in the first place???

They should’ve replaced it with something along the lines of “a kid should always get the fairy that fits them the best”, not only bc it would work perfectly well for the episode, but also from what I’ve heard Foop (now Irep) is coming back and I could 100% see him use that rule to his advantage given Peri and Dev were such a bad match (I’m guessing anti-fairies don’t actually follow Da Rules but maybe they could still use it as an excuse regardless since fairies do have to follow them or something?)

- Call we talk about the fact Hazel is clearly autistic? Like is this a canon thing in the show? Are there people out there talking about it? No because seriously:

The fidget toys (Cosmo and Wanda’s disguises), her special interest for rocks, her anxiety over making new friends which is reinforced as uncommon when that one girl she befriends comments on how easy and not scary it is to approach other people (also Hazel’s “what am I supposed to talk about with them? School lunches?” comment in the teachers friend episode), her liking for fries which could be seen as her being potentially picky (bit of a stretch tho), her comment about liking the DMV if only for the reaction she gets that makes her seem “different”, her struggles to come up with a wish on the fly with minimal/vague instructions (episode 2), her character arc throughout the show apparently having to do with her not wanting things to change (me too girl), her being considered mature for her age, the angry outbursts when things don’t go how she hoped, pretty sure there’s also a lot of stimming that I have yet to pick up on (see if any of them repeat often). Like, there’s no way ALL of that was a coincidence!

I’d also like to mention at the beginning of the Dino episode, when her dad is explaining things to her, he starts talking louder and louder in excitement until his wife tells him to quiet down. Makes me think her dad’s likely neurodivergent as well. Also this moment hurts my soul a bit, as someone who’s both been on the receiving end of it and done it to someone else, in both cases it sucks.: /

- Took me until like episode 4 to realize the town she lives in is named after the Dimmadomes, with the hat in it (the very first shot of the intro). Also you can see their infinite house in the background, both in that shot and the show in general, and I absolutely adore that they committed so hard to this joke! That giant ambiguously-shaped-like-a-hat skyscraper that we never see the top of is just *chief kiss*.

- On that note Dev’s introduction in the first episode made me laugh, if only for the references. I also find it kinda funny he has such a big speaking role considering he doesn’t do anything for the rest of the pilot and the next few episodes. Then again I guess it’s in character for him to make such a show of introducing himself.

- Still on general stuff, I’m a bit curious about how the timeline went in regards to Cosmo and Wanda retiring and going on vacation “right after” Timmy (iirc they don’t voice it like that in the show). Like I’m having a hard time believing they would just ditch their then-child son to go on vacation, and then come back when he’s an adult. So I ended up having a bunch of headcanons.

Basically, after leaving Timmy they do take what was supposed to be a short leave to think of their future since it feels strange to get a new kid after so long with the same one + I like the idea that Cosmo and Wanda’s marriage did suffer while living with Timmy and they want to work on it before getting a new kid (the whole thing about them feeling confined, made worse if the “stopping time for 50 years” wish is canon) + Poof/Peri is struggling with the reality of having to leave Timmy behind and is nervous about his parents having a new godkid because of it.

Eventually they decide to retire, got to marriage counseling, possibly get Poof/Peri into therapy, and raise their son until he’s an older teen/young adult, at which point they leave for their vacation. And while the vacation is 10 thousand years for them, it’s like, 5 years at max in their present. And in that meantime, Peri starts his godparents studies (or however it works), leaves the house and changes his name.

Btw Cosmo and Wanda would 100% invite him to the vacation, he’d just refuse in a mix between wanting to be away from his parents for once, wanting to maybe surprise them a bit with his work and/or just get started with work, and not knowing how long the vacation would be. He’d also probably tell them to just use this time as some new honeymoon to finish rebuilding their marriage (though by that point it must’ve gone back to being strong). Oh and Cosmo and Wanda would send Peri postcards every so often, which would also let him know how long they’ve been gone.

Once they come back from vacation, I’d imagine there’s like less than a month between them “moving to the human world” and meeting Hazel, hence why they didn’t reconnect with Peri. They didn’t really know how to contact him and were busy with the move, and afterwards they had a godkid to take care of so they couldn’t exactly go back to Fairyworld.

As for Peri, he hears through the gravepine that his parents are back, and would be happy until he realizes they’ve been gone for 10 thousand years, hence him freaking out about meeting them again (he doesn’t know how much they might’ve changed with how long it’s been). Also he can’t contact them bc he’d hear about them coming back due to them taking in Hazel, meaning they’re in the human world and he doesn’t know where. Also he might be intimidated to contact them, which doesn’t help his decision-making.

So yeah, that’s all for how I could imagine this whole vacation thing going and how it fits with them having a child.

- Since I’m talking about Cosmo and Wanda’s marriage, I’ve heard about the whole “they fixed their marriage” before watching the show and oh my god I can’t get over how fucking adorable those two are in this show!!! I fucking love them.

- And on that note I’m incredibly amused that this show had the balls to reference the mpreg. Twice. Especially since it doesn’t even specify the whole “that’s just how fairies work”! In the eyes of people who never watched the og show, “A New Wish” just casually dropped the fact that Cosmo’s a trans man (bc let’s be real, how else are you supposed to interpret those lines if you haven’t watched the og show?) or you get the vibe that the writers wanted to make him trans (+ Wanda by proxy since she’s Peri’s bio mom) but weren’t allowed so that’s how they got past the censors.

And I love this because you just know Hartman would be furious about it! With our current society more aware of trans people and how men can in fact get pregnant, I could definitely see him sweep the whole mpreg thing under the rug, hoping people would forget about his “”accidentally-progressive”” (and also very sexist 😒) episode, but nope! New show said Cosmo was pregnant and gave birth! And better yet it didn’t even elaborate further! It just goes “btw this guy has an uterus and was once pregnant, here’s his bio child if you need more proof” and then walks on like nothing happened, I love it!

- Going back to the episodes talk for the last three dashes, there’s that shot at the very end of “Operation: Birthday Takeback” that I really dislike. It’s the one when Dev lashes out on Peri, with him hovering over Peri who’s laying on the ground in fear.

Really not a big fan of this shot bc 1. It makes Dev look way too much like a villain, especially with the way Peri’s laying like a servant that gets beaten up, and 2. Peri, honey, you’re a grown ass man; why are you so scared of that 10 years old scarred kid that’s lashing out while in a very vulnerable mental state? What are you doing on the ground buddy? I’m not asking for him to fight back but at least stand up! Don’t act like that kid can actually hurt you! Btw I’m completely fine with Peri afterwards looking like a dejected puppy (after Dev makes his wish), it’s just that one shot with him on the ground that I dislike.

- Obviously I’m genuinely curious to see how things are going to go in the next episodes (which apparently air tonight?). Like obviously Dev is going to spiral but if you have a scene at school how will it go? How will Hazel feel about the whole thing? What about Peri? Is he going to be gone for a few episodes? Be a temporary third fairy to Hazel? Crash at Cosmo and Wanda’s for a while?

(Personally I’m hoping for the third option, it would be a good way to still give him appearances to show the main plot’s still going without giving him to much screentime, which could take away from Hazel. Also given how much he wants to appear independent, I don’t see him being a third fairy to her, though I think he’d be ok with staying at his parents for a bit, if only for emotional support (though tbh I doubt they’ll do that, most likely he’ll be doing his own thing off-screen for an episode or two). Also I want to see a “human” design for him)

OK so I wrote this yesterday before the Irep episode came out, so on one hand nevermind all that but on the other hand I’m letting it in bc I AM curious as to how things are going to evolve with our main cast, especially with Dev spiraling and pushing both his bestie and fairy away.

- Btw is nobody going to talk about how Vicky’s dress might be a reference to one of the “Oh Yeah” shorts?

- VERY LAST SECOND ADDITION, SPOILERS FOR IREP: So yesterday before I finished both this and the other post the new episodes dropped, with a few clips shared on Tumblr. And OH MY GOD IREP’S DESIGN!!! The fact that they kept him as a cube makes me so happy!!! I was HOPING at least ONE part of him would be a cube and they delivered!!! He looks like absolulte dogshit I love it!!! Bc yeah for some reason I remember Foop as a character you’re not supposed to take seriously at all? And as a result I really like how stupid Irep looks. A+ design right there! /gen

[mob-choir]

hi! just wondering if u have any mp100 fic recs particularly nonromantic ones? i read “A Breach of Trust” already and that one went straight to the Fics of All Time for me!!

hello! here's some stuff from my bookmarks that is non-romantic, or where if there is any romance, it's not the main focus:

Issho by @toastytoaster22: a canon divergence AU where teru meets shigeo and ritsu when he's 8 years old, and things go from there. this is THE go-to fic if you liked A Breach of Trust imo - not for the genre and tone, those are different (though admittedly it's been years since I reread Abot so my memory of it is a bit fuzzy - will need to reread it soon!), but the key aspects are the same: it's a very well-written, long fic, with a gripping plot, excellent characterisation and introspection (the pov is absolutely fantastic), and heart-warming familial bonds that will make you cry. this fic will break your heart and then lovingly put it back together.

Butterfly Effect by Frecklefrog: similar concept to the above, also a fantastic execution. reigen and mob meet teru while out on a job, when the kids are around 11, and the plot evolves from there. again this has great characterisation and the relationships are very well-written, especially teru and reigen's.

Hiding His Horns (an orphaned work): this one is listed in ao3 as terumob but in my opinion this fic is plot-heavy more than anything else, and gives equal weight to reigen and mob's and mob and ritsu's relationship (in addition to teru and mob's), so i wouldn't say it's about romance. but it IS written in teru's pov, and his feelings for mob are not exactly subtle, so if that's not your cup of tea, i'd skip this one. but if that doesn't bother you, then i really recommend it. it's a witches and demons AU where teru, a promising young witch/exorcist, really really wants reigen, an incredibly famous exorcist, to take him on as an apprentice. he's less than pleased when he discovers reigen in fact already has a student, and that student is a demon of all things.

The Joy of Cooking (for a Family You Didn't Know You Had) by pepperfield: a 5 + 1 collection about reigen treating the people in his life to meals. this one is just great if you're looking for something about reigen and the gaggle of kids he ended up pretty much adopting. very very heartwarming, and the crazy conversations the kids have always make me laugh. each of their voices is spot-on. this fic does have some serirei, especially one of the later chapters, but it's not the overall focus of the fic at all.

The Destiny of Those Around You by @fightmemogami: this one is a series containing two fics, both equally great. both are missing moments from s1, after the seventh division arc. one is about shigeo visiting kamuro, the student council president (as he mentions to ritsu in the last ep of s1), and the other is about a conversation that may have happened between mob and onigawara (based on that comment he gave ritsu about how "your brother was worried about you"). both these fics are very good, i especially enjoy the way shigeo is written.

Color in a Monochrome World by Sifl: i have to be honest, i haven't reread this collection yet since i first did back in 2016, but it's in my bookmarks and i remember really enjoying it. it's a collection of gen fics, about different characters and different relationships, and while they can be read as stand-alones, they are subtly interconnected. the details are a bit fuzzy in my memory but it's very well-written, so i do recommend it. i will be rereading it soon myself.

Port in a Storm by W3LTERW8: this is a short character study set right after the separation arc. contains some good angst, as well as a great conversation between reigen and mob in the aftermath of what was a turning point for both of them.

Signed Up For It by @turning-the-kaleidoscope: heart-warming fic that takes place both before and after canon, focused on reigen's pov of the sort of world shigeo, as a born esper, lives in, and how different that world is from reigen's own. and how despite all that, reigen still wants to stay. has some great dialogue that really stuck with me, and the hurt/comfort is fantastic.

tomorrow isn't always another day by suitablyskippy (tumblr won't let me @ them, but they're also on here with the same username, I believe): hilarious fic, made me laugh out loud multiple times with how clever and quick-witted the writing is. reigen is caught in a time loop, is apparently the only person to be aware of it, and can't seem to find the cause, no matter how many times he asks mob to check if he's got a curse on him. excellent writing that casually drops some of the best-written, funniest lines like it's nothing.

Pull Up The Weeds to Grow Back Stronger by @spiritusrex: we are now entering what I'm calling the Mogami section of this post. this one is a great fic about minori in mogamiland, and how she slowly but surely manages to rebel against the role she is being made to play. great depiction of the start of a redemption arc.

I know who I am when I'm alone by RedWritingHood: mogami arc fic where reigen is also stuck in mogamiland as another random inhabitant of this world. really really great fic about how your thoughts and feelings don't determine the sort of person you are, your actions do. you can still do good by someone no matter how many intrusive thoughts try to get you to be a horrible person.

Come Morning Light by NotHereForIt: this one deals with the fallout of the mogami arc. reigen finds himself in a dream that isn't his, where mob is being haunted by the six months that never happened. some darker themes, as expected from anything dealing with the mogami arc, but great hurt/comfort.

since you asked for non-romantic stuff particularly, I will put the following two recs on their own. they're both terumob, and the romance is pretty central in both (especially in the second one), so they may not be your cup of tea, but they both have some of the best redemption arcs i've ever read, both in this fandom and outside of it. if you don't mind the romance, i wholeheartedly recommend them, i've read both multiple times:

Tunnel Vision (orphaned): a canon divergence AU (set before the two of them meet) where mob's school is undergoing some renovations and he and his friends are temporarily relocated to teru's school. teru senses there's another esper at his school and does NOT take it well. he makes a lot of mistakes. roughly follows the events of season 1. written in teru's pov so his feelings for mob are always prominent as they slowly shift from animosity to something else, but i don't know if i would even call this a love story. it's about teru's redemption first and foremost. excellent writing and characterisation, and i have to give a special shoutout to tsubomi, i really loved the way she was written in this fic.

Sword of Damocles (also orphaned): cannot describe in words the impact this fic has had on me. it's a no powers AU set when the kids are 16. teru is, to put it bluntly, a complete asshole, and so are his friends. when he brags to them that he'd be able to charm anyone and get them to kiss him (without being the one to make the first move), they dare him to prove it, and point to a random guy walking by (shigeo) as his target. now teru just needs to charm him and get his kiss so he can go back to his life, but it may not be as easy as it seems. obviously this fic has a lot of romance in it since teru is trying to charm mob into going out with him since the start, but the slow burn is one of the best i've ever read. teru starts off as highly unlikable, and he's not very charitable (in his head) towards mob at all, but slowly, very slowly, he starts to change. it's incredibly well-written, and as the title implies, you spend the whole time reading it with a sense of anticipation and dread, wondering when things are gonna come crashing down and how bad the fallout will be. a really, really great fic, i wish i could reread it as if it was the first time.

that's all i've got for you! i hope at least some of these can pique your interest, and that you enjoy them. would love to hear your thoughts on the ones you do read, if you like! i'm always open to talk about great fics.

[ninja-guy-yo]

Mixed feelings on the idea of the ninja being replaced, or a next-gen series. There's still stories that could be told with them as main characters, but how much is there that can really be done at this point?

Zane meeting Echo Zane or learning more about Dr. Julien, Jay finding out why his bio parents left him, Kai getting a season where he does.. something, etc. But the writers drag their feet getting around to answering stuff like that. It took 13 seasons to find out who Cole's mom was, 8 seasons to find out where the First Spinjitzu Master came from, Zane has had a whole brother for 7 seasons and they still haven't met in the actual timeline. Is another 10+ seasons for the chance, the possibility, we'll learn more about the main characters' backstories or that they'll develop in some way really worth it? Ninjago refreshes every few years in order to be more accessible for new fans, which is what they're doing by ending the current show. It'd make more sense to go forward than answer old questions that newer kids wouldn't have.

The ninja have all peaked development-wise at this point. Where else can they go? It's not impossible but I don't think it's something the writers are interested in doing. They mostly replay the beats over and over again. Zane being the Ice Emperor was an opportunity to give him something new to struggle with and overcome, but they never did anything serious with it, and the Ice Chapter wasn't even really about him. It'd be a shame if he just never had a real arc again, but there's no guarantee that he ever would have gotten one anyway!

There's not really anything a time-skip would change about them. The ninja have always been vague late-teens that function more or less the same as if they were in the 20s, and LEGO's probably going to want to keep them young as long as they're protagonists.

If the next Ninjago show is going to be different enough to justify it being a separate show and not a continuation like WildBrain's Ninjago was to WilFilm's Masters of Spinjitzu, then a new cast would be the best way to do it. New characters, new personalities, with new arcs, and the old ninja could be there in mentor roles (or gone, however Crystalized will end). On the other hand, maybe I'm totally wrong and the United Islands of Ninjago or something will shake things up in some way that can't be predicted. The "Ninjago is ending" stuff is gonna look silly if it turns out the new show is more of the same