#like. the best thing I can say about it is that the main character is quite literally the guy from the painting “son of man”

[deception-united]

First, I love your blog!

Second, How do you go about writing about characters' sexualities and gender orientations without making it their defining and only characteristic?

Thank you!

Hi, and thank you so much! ❤

When writing about characters’ sexualities and gender orientations, the main thing to keep in mind is to make their character just as complex and well-rounded as any other. Here's how I'd approach it:

1. Start with an overall profile.

One method that could work for you is to flesh out things like personality, motivations, backstory, hobbies, goals, fears, weaknesses, flaws, strengths, and their role in the story before deciding on this element of your character. Create a well-rounded profile before deciding on sexuality or gender orientation—and this is not to say that these traits are not just as important to a character's identity, but this approach could help avoid stereotyping or making their entire character built around that.

I've found this works well in other cases, as well; for instance, a comment on a previous post explained how they decided to make their character POC after they had finished developing their personality and backstory in order to avoid stereotyping. If you fully develop who they are as a person, their identity will naturally fit into their story rather than overshadow it. (See my post on character profiles for more tips and elements to include!)

2. Reveal it naturally.

Instead of flatly stating a character’s identity, try revealing it naturally through dialogue, behavior, or relationships. For instance, a character casually referencing a past girlfriend or sharing their pronouns during introductions feels more organic than an expository declaration.

3. Make it part of their experience.

While a character’s sexuality or gender may influence how they navigate the world, it doesn’t need to drive the entire plot unless the story is explicitly about those themes. The character might face societal or internal struggles, but they could also just be solving a mystery, pursuing a dream, going on a quest—give them a good, solid arc, like you would for any other character.

It's important to focus on relationships, too. Show how their orientation or gender plays into their relationships, whether romantic, platonic, or familial. Do they have a supportive best friend? A strained relationship with a family member? A mentor who’s helped them with self-acceptance? These sorts of dynamics will help add depth and make their identity feel woven into the overall fabric of their life.

4. Avoid the "token" trap.

If a character is the only one in the story with a specific identity, their representation can feel forced or spotlighted. Building a diverse cast with layered characters is important so you don't have a single character who's carrying the weight of representation on their shoulders.

5. Do your research.

If you’re writing about an identity outside your own experience, make sure you understand it deeply. Research lived experiences, read books or watch media by creators with that identity, and consult sensitivity readers to ensure your portrayal is respectful and accurate.

Overall, it's about portraying characters as whole, multifaceted people—to make their identities a significant part of them without being everything. Hope this helped!

[ndrv3expert1]

The ending of Danganronpa V3: Not the cliché twist people think it is.

Probably the most controversial part about V3 is the ending. I love it. I love it so much I have a shirt of it. I can see why others don’t somewhat but at the same time I’m like why?

Many people say the fact the game is fiction makes it meaningless, but I strongly disagree. I understand that an 'it was all fake' or 'and then they woke up' ending is annoying and overused and, depending on what happens in the piece of media, just bad writing, but DRV3 isn't one of those endings.

And if you do believe the game was meaningless, then congrats you fell for Tsumugi's lies, hook line and sinker.

In the sixth trial, Shuichi talks about how even though the game was fiction, it still hurt him to see the people he cared about die.

Even though they are being told that everything they went through is meaningless, it is real to them; if they feel sadness and anger and love, it’s just as real; it’s just as meaningful as in the real world.

Another thing is the theme of the whole game is truth vs. lies, so wouldn’t it make sense for the final twist to be that what they thought was the truth is a lie?

In the first two games, the final trial ends with a battle of hope vs despair where hope always triumphs and despair is crushed, but in V3 it’s different.

Tsumugi wants them to continue the game. The fans want them to continue the game.

Choosing hope—sacrificing someone to go on to the next killing game—will just cause the cycle to repeat, but choosing despair is also bad; it causes people to give up and lose everything.

Shuichi doesn’t want Maki (and Kiibo) to have to go into another killing game, but they also don’t want to fall into despair. So he refuses to vote, and as much as Tsumugi begs and pleads, he stands his ground.

The viewers also refuse to vote, proving that fiction does have the power to change reality, a powerful message that is one of the main reasons this ending is so great.

Even though Shuichi Maki, and Himiko were fictional characters, they changed the outside world and stopped a whole franchise, a whole movement, and in real life, fiction can spread ideologies, beliefs, and concepts, and these things can spread to people like wildfire and bring people together in ways that normal methods, (like by mouth,) cannot.

That's why artists try to put messages in their art, musicians in their music, and directors in their movies and TV shows. They know that's the type of media that will have the most reach and spread the fastest.

Or even social media spreading information; it might not be the best source, but it still spreads rapidly.

Media has influenced our way of life for years, influencing our speech, thoughts, and cultures because of what it says; this is what V3 is trying to show.

Shuichi also talks about using his friends deaths and the lie of the killing game to change the world.

This is why it matters; this is the power of fiction.

Shuichi using his friends' deaths, which may have been seemingly useless anyway, to take down the show that has trapped them in a cycle of deceit and forced them to play their game.

It’s also great when you remember that Shuichi was afraid of finding the truth, and Kaede and Kaito helped him gain more confidence.

He vowed to Kaede he would end the killing game, and this man not only found the biggest truth ever, he not only ended the game, but ended the whole franchise.

If that's not character development, I don’t know what it is.

Another reason people hate the ending is the portrayal of the fans, the fans are portrayed as Danganronpa obsessed, and they are shunned by watching the senseless killing of people for entertainment.

It’s a world where everyone has become so desensitized to kids getting killed on TV that they gather around screens all over the world eager to watch the next installment; that’s why there are 53 seasons.

The fans in the ending are an exaggerated view of what Kodaka feared would happen.

It's not trying to bash the fans of today but the fans of the future if this continues and we don’t care about the deaths anymore, and we just want more because you can have too much of a good thing.

It also has good messaging about fans (and corporations) tearing a TV show or game series apart in compensation for more, deriving it from the original message.

For example, Squid Game a show about the flaws of capitalism and exploitation for entertainment, was remade into a reality show by Netflix, Mr. Beast, and Amazon Prime to capitalize on the success of Squid Game when it first came out, actively hurting real people in the process, just for the sake of making money.

The ending of V3 reminds us that the connections we make and the experiences we have give our lives meaning. And even if we only affect one person with our actions, it will be all worth it, and that's the greatest truth of them all.

It’s about freedom, the problems of beating a piece of media to death just to have more, using deceased loved ones' wishes to help move forward, and finding meaning in the things that seem meaningless.

The V3 ending is a roller coaster of emotions and a masterful experience. It serves as a great ending to a great series that keeps you on the edge of your seat, makes you feel sympathy for some fictional characters, and still holds up even eight years later.

I don't think this rant/analysis will fix the wedge in the fandom this ending has caused (we've argued about much more ignorant things in the past.) But I hope it at least resonated with you and re-kindled elements you remember loving about the ending for people who did enjoy it; and for those who didn't I hope this gives you some insight into why I and many others appreciate the ending.

So before your start to conclude that V3's ending was meaningless think to yourself-is that the truth or just the lie you were meant to believe.

[blondphobic]

I keep seeing people saying they don't like rafayel because he’s unreliable, “he’s a merman, he’s putting a façade to deceive mc and is rude to anybody else, he condemned his people yada yada�� and others surface level half assed reading of his character and man I’m tired.

to the moment we first met him (first first met him, in the forgotten sea myth) rafayel is portrait as not sharing the same disdain for humans as the majority of the lemurians, he calms the storm so the ship mc was in doesn’t sink and saves her from drowning (yes, he fucks with her a little but the intention was to save her), they only met because he snuck out and went where he isn’t suppose to be.

forgotten sea rafayel is playful, carefree and a little naive, he not really fathom the extent of his powers as the sea god until the moment of the coming-of-age ceremony and even then he challenged the deep sea. he didn’t choose mc over lemuria, he lied to save both of them.

the rafayel we meet at the sea of golden sand, the one who seems to have assumed his position as a lemurian leader (kinda) and is in fact trying to retrieve the heart by deceive mc is the most “sober” version of his character, he acts like people expect him to act like a sea god but can’t help but falling in love with mc again and again tries to save both her and his people by erasing her memories and trying to rewrite the tome of the sea god.

rafayel cares deeply about the lemurians, he has a fucking bounty on his head for going after people who are involved with ever and their experiments on merfolks, before we met him on the main story he already gave up on us (think of that one scene where talia ask him if he thinks about his marriage and he just answers ‘no’), he’s focused on protecting the remain lemurians, it’s only when mc goes after him at his studio that he decides to come with the bodyguard thing so he can be closer to her.

he’s stuck in this eternal conflict between his obligations with his people and his love for mc, the man (merman?) he believes lemurians want him to be, who’s a leader and makes sacrifices vs. the man who comes to the surface when he’s with mc, who can be carefree and even vulnerable, who plays in the rain and dances around in puddles with her, who gets excited about things that look insignificant to most of people and is passionate about everything he does.

I keep seeing fans saying that “rafayel is for the girlies who need to heal their inner child” and I think it goes both ways, rafayel is his most sincere version when he’s with mc and that’s scary for him, in his cards he seems to be always fighting for control but never with mc, he’s fighting himself.

rafayel loves us but he’ll give up on his happiness over and over again if he thinks that is the best for mc, he’s very skeptical for someone who is a literal god and deep down I think the only thing he truly believes is that mc will always find her way back to him.

[banditomojado]

ATTENTION I HAVE FOUND A NEW SHOW TO OBSESS OVER. THE FOLLOWING IS A BRIEF BREAKDOWN OF ALL THE MAIN CHARACTERS AND WHY I LOVE THEM/WOULD DIE FOR THEM ALREADY.

Mild spoilers for the first 5 episodes of The Legend of Vox Machina!

Oh boy, where do I begin!!! I have always been a lover of fantasy ever since I saw LOTR as a young child! Unfortunately, I didn't grow up around friends who were into the genre so I was never exposed to things like D&D. But fear not, folks like me! You need not be a D&D veteran to enjoy this show! Okay, so let's start talking about the characters featured in this party!

First up, the twins! Specifically here, Vex'ahlia "Vex" Vessar! So I love that the series features a sibling pair. Vex, at least in the first few episodes, seems to be the de facto leader of the group. She's a half-elf, half-human, a ranger-type, a badass archer and skilled warrior. The group, especially her brother, seems to look to her for guidance and commands in a lot of situations. She's so cool and has a strong presence in every scene. She has a dry wit, always on point with her verbal jabs. I've only known her for a day, and already I would trust her with my life. I do feel like she is a little too controlling of her twin brother, but so far she hasn't done anything too awful besides passive-aggressively disapproving of her brother's budding attraction to another member of the party, but more on that later!

And now for her brother, Vax'ildan "Vax" Vessar! He is a rogue-like character, specializing in daggers and throwing knives, and stealthy combat. He is also a wizard at picking locks. Much like his sister, he maintains a cool, mysterious aura about him, and he seems to come in handy whenever the situation calls to be sneaky. LOVE that the series has heavily implied he's a bi-king, featuring several scenes in the first five episodes where he flirts with both male and female characters. I love his relationship with his sister, you can already tell they have been through a lot and have helped each other survive it all, although it could prove troublesome if he does in fact decide to pursue a certain other half-elf, half-human member of the party...

Speaking of which, up next is Keyleth of the Air Ashari! She is a druid, capable of a wide array of magical abilities like controlling plant-life and shape-shifting into different kinds of animals! She's so cool, but she also has a sort of "fresh-out-of-college-stumbling-through-life" kind of vibe that I find utterly adorable. She's awkward, messes up a lot, struggles with self-esteem issues, but always tries her absolute best and has already saved the party from certain death a few times. I'm a sucker for flawed, awkward characters who carry the weight of the world on their shoulders and are just trying to do their best. Apparently she is currently on a ritualistic quest (Aramenté) to prove herself to her people so she can one day lead them and is not allowed to return until she has done so. So much pressure on my girl! She is obviously attracted to Vax, and I think they would make a cute couple, but something tells me that things won't quite work out for them...

Up next is Percival "Percy" Fredrickstein von Musel Klossowski de Rolo III! He is by far the "edgiest" member of the group. He is a human gunslinger, a somewhat surprising set of skills for a fantasy setting, but it fits into this world perfectly! He's incredibly skilled with his gun, very smart, and by far the most sophisticated of the party. He comes from royalty, after all, and the first five episodes reveal how that life was ripped from him following a violent coup d'état which resulted in the slaughter of his entire family. So needless to say, my man has some baggage. He seems to possess a darker side to him that only appears when he is in a state of rage. He is very scary when in that state, and even carries around a plague doctors mask for such occasions. Revenge stories are a favorite of mine, as they always manage to provide the character seeking revenge with immensely satisfying/cathartic arcs, so I'm very much excited to see where the story takes him! I also think it's very telling that he is the sole human character of the party, it explains his inclination towards the dark side!

Next up we have Pike Trickfoot! She is a gnome cleric, capable of magical abilities like healing and conjuring up light-based energy shields. She is a fascinating character, given that her magic stems from heavily religious beliefs, though she seems to revel in violent situations and vices like binge drinking. She is a sweetheart, always looking out for the other members of the party, but also not afraid to go toe-to-toe with an enemy! The first five episodes see her lose connection to the Everlight, a kind of goddess that is the source of her magical abilities, thus she is forced to separate from the group. This was a huge bummer, because I really enjoyed her interactions with the other members of the party, especially her close friendship with the next member of the group I'll be talking about!

Next up is Grog Strongjaw! He is a Goliath barbarian, specializing in brute strength and combat with his mighty ax. Normally I'm not that interested in big, buff, warrior-like characters, but he's an absolute delight! He provides a lot of the show's comedic relief, due in large part to his limited wit and insatiable desire for bloodshed. He is big and dumb, but full of heart and determination to keep his friends safe, especially Pike, who he seems to share an especially close bond with. LOVE that he calls her "Pikey"! Having to see them go their separate ways so early into the series was definitely upsetting (seeing him cry over not being able to feel her presence while they were apart was precious), but I'm glad the group still has his brute strength to rely on if things get hairy.

And finally, we have Scanlan Shorthalt! He is a gnome bard, who also seems to possess a few magical abilities via his lute, such as being able to conjure up a large, floating purple hand. He is by far the main source of comedic relief of the group, crass and hedonistic, with an admirable ability for quick wit. He is also the group's resident slut, never wasting an opportunity to possibly get laid. He also appears to be bi, which is lovely. Comic relief characters often hide the saddest backstories, so I'm excited to delve more into his past and learn more about him. He also seems to have a crush on Pike, which is just absolutely adorable, although based on how he acts around the group, it's no wonder nothing has happened between them yet. Better wait until he grows up a bit, Pikey.

So far, the series has given me plenty of reasons to love each member of the party, and the writing for them has so far been excellent! Love their various little interactions, I think you could pair off or group any member together and you would still get a satisfying story/adventure. Five episodes in and I'm completely hooked! If anyone who is a fan of the show wants to watch along with me, let me know! I know I'm super late to the party, but I would LOVE to discuss the story with someone! I'm aware that these characters existed long before the Amazon show and that the show itself was a result of a large fan-funded campaign, so I'm especially eager to get to talk to fans who have been there from the very beginning!

[bibibbon]

I talked about this with my mutual a lot, but I really realy hope Present Mic and Midnight are treated better when Vigilantes comes out.

They lost Oboro, and they have shit they deal with. Most angst for Prsent Mic is tied to Aizawa, granted in some cases it makes sense. But I am tired of both of them being treated so poorly in the Fandom.

I want to read fics about Prsent Mic, but most of them write him as a dumb blonde, and a househusband to Aizawa.

It's so annoying

I hope we get more anime only content of mic and midnight when it comes to the vigilantes show because a lot of their manga vigilante content is still heavily linked to and connected to aizawa.

That being said, even with that heavy connection being there, they still do get some characterisation outside of their relationship with aizawa, and I honestly hope that the anime will expand on that.

For example, midnight and present mic actually get to interact. Even with this small interaction, I find it really interesting how yamada states that midnight should only call him by his hero name "present mic" here and my interpretation of this is that yamada heavily separates himself and his hero image and that he ultimately uses his hero image as a sheild to hide and protect himself. This all contrasts to midnight, whose hero image and true self are very similar to one another with her just over exaggerating a lot of her actions in her hero costume.

Bonus

Present mic hanging from the drone type thing so reminds me of him pulling up in a Spiderman pose. My question here is, does his neck not hurt? Like, bro has a whole speaker thing around his neck, and he is hanging upside down that for sure can't be good for you.

Also, even with his interactions with aizawa present mic has agency. I love how we see him question aizawa and his own logic of whatever is rational and how aizawa here seems to be quite the irrational guy even as he tries and somewhat fails to justify his actions.

Midnight's characterisation is an interesting one here, to say the least. From the mangaka's little notes, they deem midnight to be incredibly maternal and motherly, and its why they see her fit to be a teacher. I love this view of her, and I wish we got to see more of that in the main and vigilante manga. Although I will be honest with the views that midnight has, I don't think she should be anywhere near children.

I admit I absolutely adore the outfits she is wearing (outside of Hero Costume, though)

It is true that midnight and present mic aren't focused on, and their connection to oboro isn't as focused on as aizawa's. This also makes me pissed because it seems like even in fans' own interpretation, they seem to downplay present mic and midnight's own experiences while only acknowledging aizawa's. Heck even the Canon manga doesn't focus on present mic and midnight as much as it should.

Present mics character interpretation and character conversations usually surround his relationship with aizawa, which rightfully pisses a lot of people off. The most common interpretations of the present mic I have seen is that he is a caring partner to aizawa or that he is an ignorant blonde who tries his best but is absolutely clueless. These interpretations miss the point of present mic's character and the complex conflict he has with his own self,'yamada' and his hero self 'present mic'. This also downplays his own trauma and how much of an angry person yamada really is or how he uses his quirk in quite an offensive way to rather hide and his quirk can be used in incredibly violent ways.

[sfznyxio]

-ˋˏ THROUGH THICK AND THIN ˎˊ

SYNOPSIS. with your kin swept away by the cataclysm, you have no one to rely on other than your wits. the curse of being immortal has you start fresh in the modern world as a citizen of inazuma, living alongside humans and yokai. throughout your life in the moral realm, you’ve met many interesting people. out of all of them, one becomes your rock and a shoulder to cry on. out of the blue, you say whatever is in your heart. they’ll reach out for your hand to let you know they're listening.

CHARACTERS. arataki itto, gorou, yoimiya

CONTENT. gn!reader. canon-compliant. immortal au. hurt/comfort. 0.5k wc. rewrite of phase six at my old main blog @/verxsyon. itto is half- immortal due to his oni blood. gorou is fully immortal due to him being some sort of yokai. yoimiya stays mortal. references to voicelines when you ascend characters to phase six, or in other words, from level 80 to 90. they’re part of the dialogue, which will be italicized.

VERA. you can tell from the old title that i’m terrible with titles. what even is phase six? good thing rewrites exist, amirite?

𝄞༉‧₊˚. ARATAKI ITTO

once an oni, always an oni. that’s a farewell from the villagers when they drove him out of his home for an incident he wasn’t involved in, just because of his half-immortal heritage. the streets ridiculed him; he spent so long fending off for himself until he met granny oni. you remind him of his younger self, even the strongest people need support the most.

“this is the cliff that me and the boys go to sing our hearts out to, you know, loosen up,” he says. “if you want, make sure you’re loud and clear so the ocean can hear you. i gotta warn you though, my voice is so amazing that it’ll blow you away.”

“but in all seriousness…” he helps you up on your feet, and you’re able to see the beauty of the world down below — the ocean that is waiting to hear you sing and the unknown ahead. “just because i made it to the top doesn't mean i’m gonna forget all the things you've done for me, okay? i’ve still got your back, anytime, anywhere.”

𝄞༉‧₊˚. GOROU

top dog. the ever-victorious pointy-eared general. those nicknames are what he believed he didn’t deserve. an immortal like yourself, he has lived through and fought in countless wars for centuries to be acquainted with loneliness. most of his best soldiers are gone. that kid teppei, one of his brightest, is gone. he’s never been so afraid.

“out of all the wars i fought in, this war against the shogun scared me the most,” he confesses, squeezing your hand tightly. “i wasn’t ready to face any more casualties after teppei. i wasn’t ready to lose both kazuha and the traveler after almost getting executed by her judgment. and when i thought all hope was lost…”

“… you were there beside me to assure me that it’s not. i should be the one thanking you. to return the favor, i’m always here to listen if you need me.” his face lights up and his tail starts to wag. “with momentum on our side and close camaraderie, we are unstoppable. thank you for your guidance. this is a victory that belongs to the both of us.”

𝄞༉‧₊˚. YOIMIYA

despite being a mortal, she understands the perspective of an immortal through fireworks. mortal lives are fleeting, she had said to the traveler. once launched into the sky, they disappear. whereas for immortal lives, they can keep watching them disappear forever and ever. she knows that she’ll be gone while you continue to live on, but it doesn’t explain her rather cheerful demeanor.

“oh, why am i happy?” she tilts her head to the side. “well, it’s not because i’m about to leave eventually. it’s because you’re here with me. i’m glad to be able to spend this moment with you. whenever i look at my creations, i don’t think of them being a representation of every mortal living here.”

“i think about the enjoyment i had watching them with my pops, my friends, and my special someone. even when i’m gone, you still believe i’m here.” she stands firm and proud, flashing a peace at you. “never fear, yoimiya is here! evil begone! justice prevails! think this is a good way to introduce the powers you've taught me to the children? isn’t it cool? hehe! hey, tell me if anyone picks on you, too. i’ll stick up for you!”

[vi-is-badass]

Haha. Love that we've abandoned the idea that we're not writing essays.

I want to start off by agreeing with a few of your points. I can definitely see the threads you pointed out about Viktor always having a negative view of his disabilities. I hadn't really thought of Viktor's flashback that way, but I think I like the way you framed it more because it feels more cohesive. I appreciate the new perspective!

I also completely agree with your points about Silco in the alternate reality. Silco's personal beliefs and philosophy were so incompatible with Vander's by the start of the series that I simply cannot believe that the letter would mend things between them. I think you put it better than I could.

Caitlyn's arc in act 1 was also another point I completely agree on. Her descent into authoritarianism is fascinating and the way the show frames Caitlyn's "justice" as hypocritical is brilliant. I also completely agree that it fizzles out. (I have a lot of thoughts on that. Question: What do you think is the biggest reason for that? I have my own thoughts, but I'm curious to hear yours)

This response is going to have a lot to do with Vi because I have a lot to say about her and the way she was written in the last act. (unlike a lot of people I love the writing for her in acts 1 and 2, but feel like the last act is where her arc didn't work)

I agree with most of what you wrote. I only really have 2 points of conflict.

The first is that I don't think I agree with the idea that Vi shouldn't necessarily play a vital role in the final battle. There are 3 main reasons for that. (wow brevity is not my strong suit)

1. I think the idea you presented that "even the best efforts of a strong, kindhearted person can't overcome the cold reality of oppression and war" my issues come from the story and framing around it.

In season 1 Vi's inability to stop things or prevent the outcomes that occur aren't framed around that idea. Or more accurately I don't feel like they were intentionally framed around this idea. Instead, they are framed around her inability to accept change and move forward.

The most blatant example of this is in the bridge scenes in episodes 1 and 7. In those scenes every character's role is reversed except for Vi's. The enforcers are the ones on the ground with Jinx being the one shooting them. It's a direct mirror of what happened in the first episode, but Vi is still the "helpless child" who can only observe the destruction and try to protect the person she's with (though she doesn't fully succeed).

Because she was in prison she's essentially been stuck in stasis for 7 years while the world moved on without her. She hasn't had the chance to grow like everyone else.

The tragedy is that her understandable struggle to accept change in season 1 inevitably, unintentionally pushes Jinx further away.

Season 2 act 1 continues that thread and has her reject the reality in front of her. "My sister is dead." She can't accept that her sister has changed and become Jinx, so she rejects that reality and insists that the "monster" that is Jinx killed Powder. It's only when she's about to kill Jinx and Isha jumps between them that Vi recognizes her sister again. Her denial is shattered. Jinx is her sister. She can't deny change in the world or in her sister anymore.

Act 2 continues this thread and shows that she has grown to the point where she can accept change. The end of episode 5 is only possible because Vi trusts Jinx, sees her as an equal/adult rather than someone to protect, and embraces this changed version of Vander. She is no longer desperately clinging to the version of her family from her memories.

I personally feel like Vi's inability to bring about the outcome she wants is framed more around this flaw than the thematic idea you presented because of how much of a core pillar this flaw is to her arc.

If the end of episode 6 was framed around the idea you put forth and her ending in episode 9 wasn't framed like a "happy ending" for her (I don't personally think it's happy, but the show seems to want to frame it that way) I would be able to accept from a thematic level that Vi's lack of substantial impact on the final battle makes sense.

But I'm not sure it truly fits even if I agree that Vi's kindhearted nature is what the show framed as what was preventing her from making a substantial impact. Ekko, Jayce, and Mel are all framed as morally good, kindhearted characters who are trying to do the right thing and yet they are all integral to the final battle.

Maybe I misunderstood what you meant by your statement. You can disagree with me and counter my point if you want. I think your points are very interesting and I'm willing to listen.

I want to make it clear that I do think the idea you presented is very interesting and tragic. Vi is a genuinely kindhearted person and presenting a counter to the typical belief that the protagonist with a good heart can save the day is such a fascinating idea. Outside of rare examples in fiction like The Hobbit, which is written by a man highly critical of war, you rarely get a story where the protagonist doesn't do something to shift the outcome of a climactic battle/war. I just don't feel like that was what the show was intentionally implying.

2. Vi is the only main character that has no substantial impact on the final battle.

This is a big one for me because every other character does something that makes it so they can't be removed from the final episode. Caitlyn and Mel take on Ambessa and are the ones that take her down. Jayce and Ekko are the main reasons Viktor is defeated. I already wrote what Jinx does to impact the final battle. They are all essential for the story to play out the way that it does.

Personally, I feel like that's what should happen in the climactic battle of your story unless you're making a bigger statement through the decision to have the character be unimportant.

3. A lot felt like it was dropped with Vi in the final act. There were so many threads and arcs that the show set up for her that were left feeling incomplete.

Vi's lack of impact on the final battle could have been easier for me to swallow if her arc felt complete.

In season one and the first two acts of season 2 Vi is struggling to find her place between the cities of Piltover and Zaun. She doesn't quite fit into either one. In the first season she's alienated from Zaun because she's just gotten out of prison after 7 years and Zaun has changed without her so she doesn't recognize the city or its people. She struggles to find the community she once held dear in a Zaun morphed by the man that killed her family. In the second it's due to her choice to join the strike team. Even if it was with good intentions she still joined their oppressor and became a "traitor". And she doesn't fit into Piltover because of the prejudice held towards Zaunites even though her only real tether after getting out of prison is Caitlyn-- a pitovan.

Unless you want to believe that the answer is simply "by Cailtyn's side" that thread isn't resolved. At least not in a direct way.

She also doesn't know her place in the world. She was never allowed to be an adult and discover what she wants to do or what she wants to be. League lore dictates that it's eventually to be an enforcer, which I guess we can infer she became off screen either between the meeting and the final battle or between the final battle and the epilogue, but the fact that it's not really addressed and doesn't happen onscreen I don't really count that.

They don't really allow Vi to move past her guilt and responsibility. She feels responsible for what she did to Powder as a child, she feels responsible for what happened to Mylo and Claggor and Vander at that warehouse, she feels responsible for what happened to Caitlyn and her mother. She feels immense guilt and responsibility due to her parentification as a child and what she perceives to be her failures as a big sister to Jinx. I am a little confused at to how the last act allowed Vi to move past any of this. Maybe I missed something the writer’s implied or something, but I didn’t see what moment or beat was meant to be Vi moving out from under the weight. I get that Jinx tells her that she isn’t Vi’s responsibility (absolving Vi in a sense of the responsibility she feels for her and what Jinx went on to do) but if that’s the conclusion (plus her getting together with Caitlyn) it felt half baked to me.

Why would Vi move past her guilt after all that? Wouldn't the way that Jinx "died" (Jinx isn't dead but Vi believes that Jinx is) just add more guilt onto her shoulders? Wouldn't she view this as another failure on her part? She "made the wrong choice" and Jinx had to sacrifice herself for her as a result. (I don't view it this way but Vi likely does unless she worked through it off-screen)

I think a lot of my issues could be solved through a few of the fixes you already presented yourself. Vi interacts more with the firelights or an expansion on Vi's thoughts about Caitlyn's descent into authoritarianism outside of guilt, etc.

Now onto my second point of contention: Jinx's ending. I agree and disagree with you.

I firmly believe she didn't die, so that colors my perception of this ending, and because of that I feel like the ending on its face is good for Jinx. She finally succeeds in protecting her family, her sister who she loves more than anything, and gets to willingly leave Piltover and the violence it wrought in her life behind to start a new chapter.

Jinx feels like she is a literal curse in the lives of the people she loves. She accidentally killed Mylo, Claggor, and Silco and believes she's the reason Vander and Isha are dead. Yet all she's ever wanted to do was protect them. There's a reason she looks so glad when she's falling. She's happy that she protected her sister and can give her a chance at a future.

JInx leaving Piltover is also something I feel like does make sense. Even if she stayed after saving Piltover she would likely still be charged for her crimes or hunted down. At least now she gets to leave the violence and oppression of her life behind and build something new.

My issues with the finale come from two things: the way the show (and writers) framed it and the fact that Vi believes Jinx is dead.

This is a literal excerpt from an interview "There is a definitive tragedy in Arcane where healing is only possible by letting something go, even if it’s a person you've spent your entire life trying to save. Vi not being able to accept parts of who she is or be with the woman she loves without such a sacrifice is heartbreaking in itself, but the circumstances behind the ending we received make sense, whether Jinx survived in that explosion and escaped on an airship or not".

The way it's worded makes it seem like Jinx had to "die" for Caitlyn and Vi to get together and I despise that framing.

This excerpt (and all the post season 2 interviews) frame it as if Vi would always choose Jinx to her own detriment, but that's simply not the case in season 2. Every time Vi chooses Jinx in season 2 it's framed as the right thing to do: Vi stops Caitlyn from taking the shot, everything in episode 5, Vi freeing Jinx from prison. They all lead to better outcomes.

They even have a whole scene in episode 5 that builds to Vi admitting that Jinx hasn't needed her in a long time. Vi understands by this point that Jinx is her own person.

I 100% believe that Vi should have seen Jinx after her "death" to confirm to her and the audience that Jinx is in fact alive and been told by Jinx that she's going to leave Piltover. Vi is left with a choice to stay in Piltover and be with Caitlyn or leave with Jinx. In this moment she chooses to let Jinx go.

They both get the ending the ending they need, Jinx is confirmed alive (something I think needed to happen considering her suicidal ideation), and Vi gets an actual moment of growth and completes her arc with her sister.

Vi's arc is about accepting and moving on from the past this would have provided a satisfying conclusion to that arc. Jinx completed her arc, but deserves a chance to live her life and I think having Jinx choose to live after trying to die all season would be more powerful than the tragedy the ambiguity brings to the story.

The explanation given in the interview just flies in the face of the character development that we got and ignores the arcs they set up. The choice to leave it ambiguous was clearly meant to create more emotional damage but it was at the expense or Vi, Jinx, and their arc as sisters.

So I guess I do have the same complaints as you, but it's tied less to my own personal interpretation and more to the intent of the framing of the scene.

Wow... that was a lot. I've been really fascinated with the points you bring up. It's changed the way I view certain things like your points about Viktor. I also think your points about the way Arcane approached its systemic issues are incredibly nuanced and well articulated. It's always fun to read!

I actually think this video is really interesting. Not because I fully agree with it (there are a lot of points in the video I don't agree with and a lot that I do), but because I appreciate its intent.

I also fall in the same boat where I really liked the second season, but I didn't love it like I did the first and I appreciate that this is a video that wants to start a conversation. He wants to talk about why things didn't necessarily work for him, why it didn't seem to have the same impact as the first, and about how he wants to hear why those things might have worked for others.

So much discourse about this season has framed it as either the best thing ever, above any criticism, or the worst thing ever with no redeeming qualities and it's made it very frustrating and demoralizing to try and talk about it online.

I want to talk about how I loved aspects of this show and that I was also let down by certain aspects of the show as well, but anytime I try and talk about criticism it's rarely met with a genuine conversation.

I would love to hear how people interpreted things differently from me, why they felt that way, how it connected with them, because I feel like that's the purpose of stories. It's never going to resonate with anyone the same way and there may have been things I missed.

I also know I haven't always worded what I've wanted to say and my criticisms the way I want to get across what I mean. It has never been my intent to sound like I wasn't open to discussion, different interpretations, or counterpoints. I would like to actually talk more about this season and hear other people's thoughts as well.

[puhpandas]

Hii Percy!! I'm curious- what would be your ideal fnaf game after SOTM releases?

HI CHIP!! of course theres so many things I want to see after waiting so long but honestly I think a ggy game is what I'm expecting next. honest to god anything ranging from vanny!cassie to ggy and all the (human and not Cassies dad) characters in between I would be very happy with. it's why I'm so excited for sotm to finally release and end the mimic incorporation era. literally everything else it has left to cover are things that I would love

but yeah I think a ggy game would be absolutely hype and is actually very likely because of the THREE references/easter eggs weve gotten for him in a row!! I'm very excited to see what they're doing for him because damn ggy for Gregory's backstory has gone untouched for so long

I would love to see it explored in a campaign scenario of Gregory himself finding out about it but tbh I'm honestly expecting some prequel game about it that mostly just confirms it exists and expands upon content we dont know about from ggy like Rabs design and how he interacts with vanny. campaign would obviously be so much better for everyone involved but any ggy content is a win in my book

[averlym]

"one day, i cut him an apple. when he saw it, he laughed" (click for better resolution!) ,,, tag from @elliotly

[theokusgallery]

I hate that I have reoccurring themes in everything I make. YES this guy has a complex over the fact that everyone prefers his sibling AGAIN. YES he was ostracized by his peers since he was in primary school and never knew why until years later. URGH

[arcadiaamber]

i giggled reading this btw... today i learned how pissed off i can get pricefielders

anyways... im not even gonna geti nto the first point because i cannot comprehend whatever the fuck ur saying so... 😭😭😭‼️‼️‼️

2. calling me a dumbass is so funny but anyways.. i get that they have their chemistry or whtv but its literally not like they NEED to get back together 😭😭😭😭😭 if anything id like it if they just stayed best friends.. b. reconnecting with chloe most likely would NOT help her move on from the past because chloe IS the past. (i mean seriously shes her ex have u ever felt a sapphic breakup that shit HURTS..) me wanting max to be able to move on from her past without chloe is not bias and actually comes from what i want to see in her character aka GROWTH.. i get she can grow with chloe but she can as easily grow by herself its not like being by yourself is inherently a bad thing LMFAO.. perchance her growing without chloe might be better.. the fact u went thru my posts like a fan flatters me but i promise you im not a d9 bootlicker i just enjoy double exposure like a regular person would.. also im a pricefielder, except i dont kiss dontnod's ass sooo.... there was zero "character assassination" for either of them in my opinion anyways. i think theyre both in character, max is still the socially awkward nerd but shes more confident and i think thats a great thing. chloe breaking up with max because of the fact she couldnt move on from arcadia bay is realistic of her and definitely shows her growth from her 19 year old self to her mid 20s self. i dont get why you want these characters to be one dimensional and stay stuck as the same person forever.. they were teenagers in lis1. they are going to grow and change thats life. also you pointing out that max broke space and time for chloe enforces my opinion that max is codependent on chloe. she doesnt care what it takes or even what happens to her she just wants chloe to be safe, and i dont really think thats HEALTHY.. but what do i know about healthy relationships...

3. i hope u realize i was half joking when i said it wasn't bias for safield.. like yeah i obviously have some bias but also its nkt completely unrealistic to hope that the next game focuses on the two main character's' relationship 😭😭😭😭 idk man i feel like ur going a little loopy..

4. again with the insults ijbol... i never said that actually i said that i would be happy IF that was the endings given.. i never said i wanted her to be attached to ANYONES hip 😭😭😭😭 and i quite literally said after that id rather her be by herself for a while WHICH AGAIN ISNT A BAD THING.

5. i dont know how u sat there, played all five episodes of lis1 and came out of there with the conclusion its about pricefield. if there wasnt any violence against young women committee by jefferson the game wouldnt have a plot. it wouldnt have a story.

mannn idk after reading allat im inclined to believe you wrote that seething, steam coming out of ur ears, whistling like a teapot because i didnt kiss dontnod's ass and actually have a mind of my own. the amount of delusion in that essay as well good lordddd 😭😭😭😭😭 this is my first and LAST time i respond to one of these bullshit responses cause ya'll spew so much shit out ur ass it baffles me how u guys actually think that...

this is probably going to be EXTREMELY controversial so i dont expect ANYONE to agree (please dont hate me 🙏🙏🙏‼️‼️‼️) but i REALLY DONT WNAT CHLOE BACK IN DE2. I HAVE REASONS!!!!!!!!

1. i think that it'll be viewed as a cash grab and like pricefield / chloe fans r never happy sooooo

2. if chloe and max were to get back together for some unforeseen reason i think that woukd ruin max's potential growth in de2 in my opinion. like i PERSONALLY think that her 'losing' chloe should help her move on from the past and should be portrayed as something that can help her move forward instead of dwelling on what could have been (as taylor swift once said, everything you lose is a step you take 🙂‍↕️🙂‍↕️🙂‍↕️🙂‍↕️)

3. i think she'd be so out of place and id rather have de2 focus on max and safi's relationship and this highkey sounds lkke bias because of my fixation but i PROMISE YOU its not.. mostly...

4. i think that max should grow by herself i really dont think she needs to be attached to chloe by the fucking hip.. like i would be so fucking ecstatic if you got to be with amanda/vinh/safi at the end of de2 but i think the most realistic ending would be for her to be by herself, not FOREVER, but for a good amount of time for her to be secure with being by herself because i personally think max is extremely codependent with chloe.. if .. that makes sense

[sidesteppostinghours]

pulps law is that whenever i get insane enough about something, i will inevitably attempt to make a persona 5 au, regardless of whether or not i am successful at it.

[etchif]

Don't know how controversial of a take this is (not very I assume) but I don't really like I Am Me it's painfully generic lyric and sound-wise and it also doesn't really fit into the show that well

[sskk-manifesto]

!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[gigantomachylesbian]

Guys. I did not know before now that writing could be painfully millennial in a full prose book but the pho*nix ke*per has proven me wrong and I have to complain about it in the tags

[lambjock]

i think that viewing the little hope relationships as just ‘family’ ( specifically : blood family, ones with traditional roles and relationships, one bred from a nuclear familial structure ) has a habit of dismissing them entirely. it is not blood that binds them together, nor is it family structures, and throughout every iteration of their lives things change. sometimes they’re merely neighbors with a slim portion of blood relation, sometimes they’re bound by flimsy paper or war, and sometimes they’re students at a college following their professor around. the nature of their relationships change, as do their circumstances and surroundings, but they ( as a mismatched unit ) are eternally bound and divided by a child and an inherent, unescapable tragedy. the important aspect of their relationships is that they are agonized individuals who are stuck together and wouldn’t like to be. the important theme between them is that despite their determined suffering, all the bad ways they clash, and in spite of a bubbling self loathing so awful that it literally kills them, they have found love and comfort in each other anyway, or perhaps have realized a love that has always been there. there’s no ‘i love you as a daughter’ between angela and taylor, just as much as there isn’t any ‘i love you as a sibling’ between dennis and tanya. they just love each other. even the clarke family, arguably the most familial bond they have, still isn’t traditional. none of them are blood and all of them are strangers inside their own home. they don’t look alike and they don’t share dna and they typically don’t care for the facade of a family either, more content to treat each other like roommates at best, and that’s fascinating because why would they care? why would standard labels matter to souls as ancient as theirs? it’s just another flesh they adorn, it’s just another pain they’ll carry and shape and hate. idk! i just think forcing titles on it all is rather boring in nature, and actively hinders the genuine relationships there, in an attempt to have a rulebook of sorts to follow. i also just loathe how the found family trope is constantly turned into a literal family, when it was made to spit in the face of a nuclear family structure. but that’s just me <3