#like. sometimes characters are shitty. and that's the point.

[nqueso-emergency]

The holier-than-thou Buddie fans expounding the superiority of their words and ways to anyone and everyone is so frustrating in how condescending and immature it is. But is not only grossly false and disingenuous because of their actions against BT fans, but because they erase the complexity of the human experience, their own human experience.

Because people are not perfect, we are all false narrators and we fumble through life like toddlers, sometimes destroying things in our wake. And I mean EVERYONE, including you Bestie Boos. How many of you have hurt a friend because of thoughtless words without knowing it? Been rude to someone in the service industry? Yelled hurtful words at a parent or sibling? Been involved in bullying? Ignored someone who needed help? Gossiped about another person without knowing them? Hidden something about yourself because you didn’t want it seen? Have done unintentional harm because of lack of knowledge. Needed forgiveness. You can’t tell me that you have walked every single moment through your life with complete perfection and without regret because that would be a false narrative or you’re extremely delusional to your own actions because NOBODY IS PERFECT, including you.

The older you get, the more you realize how very little you know about life. And for how silly 911 can be, they GET IT. The show gets how complex and ugly life and people can get, including their heroes. Bobby is an alcoholic, Athena is too career focused and can’t face the darker side of being a cop, May tried to commit suicide, Maddie runs away from life responsibilities, Hen cheated on her wife, Eddie was a terrible husband & father early on, Buck was a sex addict, even lovely Chimney can be careless with his words. If you don’t realize ALL of the characters are imperfect and are learning & growing constantly through their lives YOU ARE NOT WATCHING THE SHOW. You have put on rose-colored fanfiction glasses and only take those glasses off when it’s convenient to your own sense of indignation.

So yes, Tommy is imperfect, yes he’s done some shitty things and you don’t have to like it BUT the show has never been about perfect people and that is the point. And you Bestie Boo are not a perfect person either no matter how much you may think you are. [End of rant]

[qoldenskies]

Thinking about Rise Splinter hate… it always makes me kinda sad. Like YEAH, it wasn’t right the way he treated the boys. But like, Rise is really good at expressing subtle familial dynamics, and one of the big ones for me is the fact that like… there’s always an undercurrent of “It’s complicated” to their interaction with Splinter. IRL, it always pisses me off to see people casting judgments on people’s relationships with their family, because you don’t know!! Yeah, they hurt you, but not everything’s black and white. It’s complicated. Because you love them, and sometimes you get to understand a little bit better why things happened as you get older.

In a matter of smaller importance, hate for him loses so many opportunities in his character… even things that might just be kinda off-handedly mentioned.

He fought for SEVEN years—give me Splinter with chronic pain. Splinter relating to his boys with their neurodivergence—it’s HIS fault they have it!!!

That was seven years of imprisonment, or even simpler, an abusive relationship. What did he learn from that? How did he change? What things are skewed in his worldview?

His childhood! We saw his relationship with his grandfather a bit, but how did Splinter grow into his dream of being a movies star? HIM BEING A MOVIE STAR. He was both a rebellious team and a literal celebrity, this guy probably took empyrean at some point without knowing it, just like. Recreationally or something LMAO.

I maybe just need more of his old man knowledge. Him being so loser-core was a great move by the Rise team, and I could SEE where his story was going—ROBBED. We were ROBBED.

splinter hate is CRAAAAZY when he's such an INTERESTING character who does actually have a lot of obvious depth. like he's goofy and he's objectively flawed as a parent but he does go out of his way to improve himself and LEARN throughout the show, and he does listen and apologize when he knows he's messed up. his issues are so similar to leo's actually, leo's a kid so he's got more leeway to be shitty but idk when people act like its endearing on him and not on splinter. splinter's hilarious free my man

on the other side of the coin i dont really like when people make him a perfect loving parent either,,, i think people going for all kinds of interpretations in order to serve whatever story they need is fine but i do prefer kind of messy parent splinter, i think its kind of sad to see him reduced down to bad or good. he LOVES his boys so dearly and he would NEVER intentionally want to hurt them, but he's quick to cast judgement when he's angered/feels disrespected (evil league of mutants comes to mind, but also in turtle dega nights when donnie first stops the tank) and he's really a lot more inattentive than he should be. but there are REASONS behind this, coming out of an abusive relationship, fighting in bloodsports against his consent for years, you could probably count the whole draxum thing as traumatic (its presented as kind of silly in the show, but considering what it lead to,, its a pivotal moment in the backstory. its one of those things that i reasonably feel can be recontextualized because its so essential) and then dealing with crippling body dysmorphia and being forced into the sewers with no company other than his children,, it really adds up

idk like ,,,, you can still be extremely traumatized and be a horrible parent. in fact trauma can be a direct CAUSE of being a bad parent because that kind of thing influences every facet of your life and if youre unprepared emotionally, yeah. but splinter isn't the kind of person to double down and become more overtly nasty when he feels cornered. if he gets the feeling that his kids are actually upset with him, he backtracks. this is actually kind of a key trait of his, that he does try very hard to correct himself when he messes up. he's communicative and apologetic, and he tries very hard to be that way.

and also this is maybe something that i just have a wider problem with when it comes to the way people interpret things in cartoons at times but splinter's actions in eps like lair games (especially in lair games) and flushed but never forgotten are meant to be like. jokes. its absurdist comedy that's meant to catch you off guard. there are more serious emotional beats in rise you can use but i think when youre adapting this world and characters into a more serious tone you have to keep that kind of thing in mind because some things are meant to be surprising and absurd for the sake of making you laugh. i think the best comparison i can think of is how in musical movies they're not actually singing (in most cases, sometimes the fact that they actually are is played for laughs it depends. but yk what i mean). the joke is that this is kind of a shitty thing he's doing but taking the actions themselves seriously in a vacuum in order to cast shame on a character has always been odd to me. that'd be like calling raph abusive for rolling up the window on mikey's neck in late fee. or calling the teetz murderers because they caused a robot mass suicide that one time. it just doesnt make any sense

[lloydfrontera]

i just saw someone saying very confidently they read enough of a manhwa to give it an in-depth review,,, because they're already at chapter 42. like. girl. these things are adapted from novels with up to 400-600 chapters. you barely even started it at all.

[sagegreenyaps]

Hey, I get that you don't like that person's stance, but they don't deserve to die or to relive their own trauma because of it. Don't dehumanize your enemies.

If you're at the point where the most substantial thing you could say to somebody is a threat, just silently wish the best for them.

Wish that someday they'll stop being an enemy. Wish for character growth.

(Note: This is not asking you to "fix them." That's not your job, and helping people with the mindset of "fixing them" is not actually that helpful. If they ask for civil discussion-- and are genuine-- then it's your choice whether you permit it or not, but don't try to force your point without listening to them. Don't "fix them." It very likely is not going to work, and will very likely instead give them a bad/worse taste in their mouth about you and what you represent. Sometimes it is best to leave people be, in all honesty. You don't have to save the world, doing what you can is perfectly acceptable. Promoting good-will and stability in your own space is just as-- if not more-- important as stepping outside of said space.)

[good--merits-accumulated]

going through some old left-for-dead projects and just found this one where I was like. INTENT on dissecting jeff's brain on the operating table (i.e. google docs) but only from todd's weird skewed pov

[professor voice] it's about brothers as eternal combatants and it's about being so convinced of your own goodness you excuse your shitty actions. it's also about comparing yourself to a dog because you feel less fully formed than your brother. lol.

[my-thoughts-and-junk]

hate when i see a youtube video that's like 'analyzing why [thing] is bad!' and you watch the video and they just say nothing for twenty minutes

[whamss]

anyways top two tips for finding media with well written female characters! 1) consume media written by women and 2) stop consuming things written for adolescent boys!!!!

[ridl]

Something i rlly dislike abt Ganyu's characterization in fandom is how ppl see her being read as a stupid weak stereotype, and they just retaliate with another stereotype but from the other end of a spectrum.

She can be strong, competent, knowledgable and have very important role in the Liyue Qixing for years, but also be kind, humble, avoiding conflicts and NOT always knowing everything. those are not mutually exclusive!!! Yes she's old, no that doesn't mean she's now perfectly confident, knows everything and is good at everything. She's not some untouchable divine being, better than everyone else. Stop removing humanity from her when that's the whole point of her identity!!!

When i see overly confident, dominant, bitchy, smug, flirty Ganyu i start throwing rocks bc that's not Ganyu, begone impostor.

I just want Ganyu to be actually herself. Not a submissive secretary caricature. Not a dommy mommy caricature. JUST Ganyu, with all her complexity, strengths and weaknesses.

It's like treating Ganyu's personality as inherently weak and boring, so in the act of "justice for women" ppl just remove it and replace with a caricature of a strong woman. It's driving me insane when those "women defenders" are just slandering them, without even thinking abt it. If someone thinks a woman being quiet, kind, humble, avoiding conflict etc. is inherently "misogynistic" and needs those traits to be completely removed and replaced, then they just hate women

[theonlyadawong]

went through the mia tag yesterday and my God you people have got to stop reducing her to "loving wife and mother," i mean come on this is a woman who lied to her husband for years about her work with the connections and who oversaw eveline for a time. give the lady some grit.

[buddiekinard]

.

[celibibratty]

Amy is a misunderstood character, I remembered her in the old games being a bit annoying, but in reality she is super nice, kind and a cutie🌸, Amy was a character above her time, she is a tougher girl, she is basically what she is (she is a female version of sonic), just like him, she is heroic, has good intentions, wants to help, and just like him, she has her "flaws", sonic's is being slightly cocky and hers is be exaggerated/hot-head, she has the fru-fru cliches of a girl character, yes!, but it's not in a boring way (and it's not that much really, I didn't take It Amy in Sonic unleashed saying that she's enjoying/getting used to Sonic werehog form look because it's kinda cool and "wild"!😂and I didn't felt it was in a way like"oh I like the bad boy look" it sounded more like "oh, I kinda would like to dress up like a punk too😂", cute, then she shades him saying that she prefers he's day/blue form😂)

Amy for me, is that character who wants to be seen and treated like a lady, but acts like a brute, because in reality she is a little warrior, not a lady, she is little warrior princess😅🌸, and I like that, it's cute, she's a bit of a tsundere, maybeeee, but she is nice and sweet(not much of a pain in the ass like most tsunderes characters, tbh most anime cliche characters are a pain in the ass, not only tsunderes, y'know because it's anime and animes are overexagerated)

Her love/"obsession" with Sonic, people used to say that her character only revolves around Sonic and her personality is just being the girl who likes Sonic and that her love for him is toxic, no, Amy is more than that, like, in Sonic Heroes her intention was to go after Sonic, but it was also to find her friends' pets, and she takes that very seriously in the game, she doesn't even talk so much about Sonic, her love for Sonic, i don't see it that way, for me it's very genuine, for me she just wants to take care and protect him🌸, just like he does with the world and everybody, she just likes him a lot and makes that very clear, and it's meant to be comical, it's not meant to be serious, the chase it's suppose to be funny, and I like that even though Amy loves Sonic a lot, she doesn't take shit from him, she's not afraid to confront him, she's not afraid to confront anyone really😅 (see!, just like him) , Amy is a strong female character, yes!, and I say more☝️✨Amy is an example of a badass female character much more than the little blonde princess(and i don't say that because peach is delicate and amy's "not much", but because peach sometimes is a B*tch), Amy is the true pink/girls rules icon!, people say they like the modern Amy more because she is cooler and more independent, she always has been

[sheryl-lee]

yellowjackets rant time :)

people whining that natalie’s death was “shitty writing” makes me want to bang my head against the wall. like are you seriously shocked that the show about tragedy and murder has tragedy and murder in it. are you seriously shocked that the show about fucked up people has fucked up people in it.

[musical-chick-13]

"but there just AREN'T any well-written women in aNyTHiNg I interact with"

DO TEN MINUTES OF RESEARCH.

WATCH BETTER SHOWS. READ BETTER BOOKS.

THERE IS A VERY SIMPLE SOLUTION HERE.

[lord-squiggletits]

Like I'm not one of those story "critics" who will nitpick the smallest inconsistency and call it a plot hole that ruins the whole story. I'm okay with inconsistencies and even the occasional plot hole if it ends up producing a story that's interesting, gripping, and brings up interesting things.

The problem is that suspension of disbelief only stretches so far. And secondly, stuff like character drama and themes are only as strong as the plot that supports them. If the plot is full of contrivances, plot holes, and really stupid things that make it feel like the author is just forcing something to happen to move the story along, then the themes and character drama become much less convincing.

[twistwhisker]

i think y'all's main problem is that you expect good, consistent writing from fucking warrior cats. like why are you doing that you're making things worse for yourselves.

[not-poignant]

Gary got me. Pia, he got me, I cried like a baby over that scene. This was the moment so much of his shitty behavior in the past made sense to me. Now I just want him to get cuddles and a happy ending. How do you do this???

Idk anon it's just one of my favourite things to do!!!

I love that turnaround moment so much. I love reframing a character's actions without forgiving them, so that people can go back and reread (if they want) and feel the weight of those actions with the added knowledge of what was behind them and feel out for themselves what it all means to them. I love the moment someone is like 'oh no he needs a hug' after like 'can we smack him tho' dslakfjsa

There's something about adding layers to a character, where it's like...the first layers are mostly just one flavour with hints of something else. That flavour might make you think the character is 'good' or 'bad.' In the case of Gavril in The Golden Age that Never Was, a lot of people initially liked the 'sweet' flavour he came across with, and over time I 'spoiled' it, adding more layers. (I like also making a character that previously seemed amazing, really awful sdalfkjas).

But I love just...adding the layers, and one day you get a layer and you're like 'holy shit I thought this was X but it's actually Y, and X is just on the surface, or only a small part of it.' I feel like sometimes that's how we get to know people. We see the layers they want us to see, but there's other layers there.

Ngl I live for these moments. I never know exactly when they're going to happen, either. Like a lot of people have already had their 'moment' where they've come around to Gary, and for others it might wait until nearly the end of the story. Some people are ready to embrace and love an asshat, and others hold back, with much more grudging approval, and others never come around (some folks will just always hate the Raven Prince no matter what, for example, and I'm sure the same will happen for Gary).

It makes writing serials so exciting and dynamic to me. And it makes it so much fun, in the sense that like, I feel like I get to share something about a character like a secret, and people see that secret and it's like 'OH I get why that thing was hidden but ALSO it changes a lot and recontextualises this person.' You get to know them not as they wish to be perceived - which is how they come across initially - but as *who they actually are* - which is different for everyone.

Idk I just love ittttt