#literally stop this is the only Cinderella version we need

[mothas-mylke]

WTF DO Y’ALL KNOW ABOUT THIS

[calebs-hangout-corner]

What eah books do you recommend? I've seen there's a lot of them but I'm unsure where to start reading! I've only seen the show

Can do! There are, as far as I'm aware, three lines of eah books you can read from! And I am going to give a short introduction to each one.

We have the main line books by Shannon Hale, the School Stories by Suzanne Selfor and the Once Upon A Twist series by Lisa Shae and Perdita Finn

The main line starts with "Once Upon a Time", a collection of stories of different people from Ever After on what they did the day before Legacy Year began (if I remember that right). You don't HAVE to read this one beforehand to understand the rest of the books, but it's still fun. It's not the real first book of the series, it's more of a sort of bonus book, but good if you want to break into the books and start getting a feel for them before diving into the actual story!

Then comes "The Storybook of Legends", the official first book in the series. It establishes a lot about how the book versions of the characters tick and sets up a lot of important stuff you need to know going forward. And it is GREAT. Shannon Hale absolutely knows how to write these characters, especially Apple and Maddie. They are so fantastic here. The next is "The Unfairest Of Them All" and after that "A Wonderlandiful World", both of which up the stakes from the last book by a lot and are just a delight to read! They're both more focused on our resident Hatter, Maddie, and I don't even want to spoil too much because it's just so good. I'd say A Wonderlandiful World and The Unfairest Of Them All are by far the best books, from the story to the writing they're just great.

But just because they're the best doesn't mean they're my favorite, that honor goes to the sort of fourth book, "Ever After High meets Monster High: The Legend of Shadow High", in which Raven, Apple and Maddie team up with Frankie and Draculaura to stop the Evil Queen from literally destroying the world. Brooke narrates this one, and she's great at it! This book is one of the main reasons I fell in love with her character!

The School Stories are more compact, but definitely worth a read if you want to know more about the characters that may have appeared just briefly in the mainline books, if at all. There's no real order you have to read them in so you can start whereever! They're more slice of life type stories, with much lower stakes than the main line, but still cozy and fun. My favorite here is "A Fairy Tail Ending" and "Kiss and Spell", but I heard "Next Top Villain" is among most people's favorites!

Then last but not least we have Once Upon A Twist, in which the students of Ever After High have to take their midterm hexams. Which means they have to go into their stories and live it by the book. Only, Faybelle allowed herself a prank and switched all the hexams! Now everyone is in the wrong story and the wrong role. Cupid, Maddie and Hopper are in Cinderella, Cerise and Dex are in Beauty and the Beast, and so on. Unfortunately, two of these books were never released due to the lawsuit I'm guessing, so sadly "The Kitty Mermaid" and "Duchess Lets Down Her Hair" will never see the light of day. My favorite here is "When The Clock Strikes Cupid" by a long shot. It's also the first in this series! Cupid is stuck in Cinderella's shoes, but instead of moping about her situation she sees it as a fun vacation from making people fall in love! She is also trying to reform her evil stepfamily with love and pancakes! And with her Fairy Godmaddie what can go wrong?

[antiloreolympus]

8 Anti LO Asks

1. Rachel Smythe is struggling to write Persephone as the Dread Queen now because she sent the last 100 to 200 something episodes depowering and devaluing her. This is why she has to tear down the other women in the comic. Because of her previous, terrible written attempts at making Persephone a "soft uwu baby" who needs protection she has written herself into a corner where Persephone is basically stuck as powerless as the nymphs Rachel claims she's better than, and the only way out is to fight tooth and nail to make every other terribly written goddess or nymph who stands in her way look bad. This is only amplified by Rachel's seeming inability to write a proper character arc.

2. the idea isnt bad to make backgrounds look more abstract, its actually p common place and is good so panels dont get overcomplicated ... the issue is when other comics do it, its because they have detailed characters and movements so the backgrounds SHOULD be less focused on so the focus is on the characters instead, but LO doesnt have that?? so instead you have flat, static characters in voids instead of any place of substance. the actual world of LO is as flat as everything else.

3. I wonder if LO would be way better if WT put a cap on how long it could go. Like say it was only allowed 125 episodes, which is generous bc there are other successful comics on there that wrapped up well below that number. So say LO was given that cap and that's it. Just off that unneeded plots would be cut, filler would be removed, and serious focus would have to be put on developing HxP with a satisfying ending, instead of letting RS go in the 200+ range with no plan or end in sight.

4. I would suggest watching Just Stop's video on the 2021 version of Cinderella ("Cinderella (2021) is a Failure of Magical Proportions"), because their comments on "modern" and "girl power" adaptations (starts at 18:35) hits so perfectly on the head, to me at least, why LO fails too in trying to "modernize' and "empower" Persephone. The video isn't about LO obvs but their critiques fit almost perfectly onto why things like LO fail to be progressive and empowering like they market themselves to be.

5. i agree, the idea psyche is black is not bad in itself (and tbh it is nice if the most beautiful woman is a WoC) but the issue is she .. isnt black? she's a rusty orange with straight hair with no hint shes anything but a tanned woman at most? like semele has nearly the same skin tone as her, is she a WoC too? and as you pointed out, it took literal /years/ before RS bothered to put give her braids, so?? it seems more like a retcon instead of actually making a diverse cast IMHO.

6. Wait so … the colors have meaning? But also don’t at the same time? Does Rachel actually have a reason for anything or does she just make up a reason on the fly? Because saying the colors have symbolism behind them but then basically saying the readers are stupid for asking what that symbolism is when pressed on it because they don’t make much sense is just??? Like girl just say you liked the colors instead of having contradictory explanations, you just look like you’re unprofessional for it. 

7. I’m sorry, is Rachel saying Demeter will be revealed to be pink or something or Persephone will end up Green? Because if you have to complete retcon your own designs for your own oversights then that’s not good? Or is it they’ll all end up being muddy looking humans? Or we get some twist that Persephone is Rhea reborn or something to explain her coloring? IDK it’s just laughable at this point Rachel is hyping herself up as this mastermind with such deep, years-in-the-making plans and build up when she can’t even keep the colors consistent from panel to panel and openly says she writes the week of. Like girl, who are you fooling? Yourself? I’m p sure even the stans don’t buy that. 

8. the color ask was fine until rachel just HAD to be weird and be like HEHE PURPLE MEANS THEYRE SOOO HORNY like ... why??? im no prude but shes so weirdly sexual over literally everything and its so juvenile.

[highermagic]

thoughts from Neverafter as they're happening (light spoilers honestly mostly just reaction)

fuckkkk me Brennan don't do this to me in the intro!!! Lou I fucking love you coming in swinging you're best boy <3 Brennan as the evil stepmother is so fucking hot I can't stand it oh my god. Evil stepmommy I adore you. Lou does such an endearing child, his character is so good and Lou and Brennan's chemistry is so electric all the time I love how they play off each other. I literally can't concentrate on the story because I'm so enamored with their performances jeebus xmas. SENATOR!!!! SHOUTOUT TO SENATOR!!! Lou is always so sassy I love him. Brennan you need to CALM your VOICE and EYES okay I can only be so Normal about this. fdadlsf the nat20 oh my god what timing. that was fucking wild WHAT DOES IT MEAN BRENNAN WHAT THE FUCK DOES IT ALL MEANNN.

oh my god. it's infinite stories. infinite chances, as long as you're willing to sacrifice all the potential happiness of other versions of yourself oh my god. how many versions of yourself must you kill to get your happy ending. THAT'S POETIC AS FUCK BRENNAN OH MY GOD.

why do they have to do all these things individually my poor babies /sob curiosity killed the cat Pib pls my boy do not I believe in catboy Zach supremacy o7 Zach is so funny I can't stand it. I love this sort of surrealist comradery shit so much ahhh Fox & Rabbit & Cat adventures when. PIB GETS REINCARNATIONS BC CATS HAVE NINE LIVES I'M!!!! This is so pure I love them so muuuuuuuuuch /sob ZACH BRO YO??? THREATENING KITTY CAT??!!! YOOOO??? I love themmmm I'm going to lay down on the floor and cry, Zach is the best <3

breaks my heart they're doing all this separately though I know why, I feel like Emily is probs the only one watching everyone's to keep things separated.

NO NOT THE GLASS GET THE FUCK AWAY FROM MY GIRL YOU GLASS BITCH. tho I will admit that glass armor idea is metal as fuck so I love that. ooooooof the lore of princesses who get a perfect happy ever after and cinderella's bitterness and OOOOOOOOOOOOF subversion is so delicious omnomnomnom Rosamund is so precious I love her <3 Brennan choosing to expose the entire multiverse to the character least equipped to understand it is such a Brennan thing to do I cannot with this man. I retract my complaint about Cinderella I love her now lmao

I fucking love existential dread fuck me up with that good shit!!! Scream at destiny question everything rewrite the stories and examine everything!!! Fuck me up!!

"Just because you were lied to doesn't mean everything is a lie. Do not take the crimes of those who manipulated you and lay them at the feet of the world. We write the story." ONCE AGAIN THANK YOU FOR THE FREE THERAPY D20!!! <3

FUCK 'EM UP ROSAMUND!!! FUCK 'EM UP!!!!

big bad wolf Brennan is also very very hot I can't help myself and I won't apologize, it's the Calroy voice too it's just, oof, monsterfucker card presented and ready. fdsjdlsfs Emily you're so cute stop it right now 'I'm sorry I said freak at you' stop <3 BRO??? 'the only time you'll accept to make your life worthwhile is forever' ????? WHAT THE FUCK BRENNAN JESUS. you can't just 1 hit K.O. philosophy like that without warning jesus FUCK that is so attractive I'm going to die. morally neutral predatory monster is my fucking WEAKNESS GAWWD. Emily is so chaotic oh my god I love this so much. her commitment to a bit is god-like <3 "You're my princess" PLEASE I love them ahhhhhh

This is so fucking cool as a premise honestly like. Every time I get so blown away by Brennan's lore and storybuilding he one-ups it again I can't fucking deal with it.

MURPH C'MON BABY BOY LET'S GO. I love when they come in and sass Brennan, bestie behavior <3 oh feck off you fairie bish fdsjkdls cutting from Murph's hysterics to Brennan's hands to face thing was so goddamn... the drama, the vibes of this interaction is so fucking good omfg it's giving 'diva and overworked PA' energy Gerard 'keep my wife's name out your fucking mouth' Greenleigh my beloved <3 hhhhhhhh Brennan does such good subtle shit and inflection I can't, it's got big priest character vibes right now oof also pretty gold sparkles in the background love that for Murph, v flattering. ummm that origin story??? o.o

Brennan is going to get his PVP before he dies calling it now.

HYONK HYONK MOTHERFUCKER LET'S GOOO I hope Nat King Cole is the running joke of the seasons pls. such geese slander lmao but consider: they are delicious pls confirm my book theoryyyyyyyyyyyyy probably not but like. god. imagine if that's how it has to end. the perfect ending is the one immortalized in the books. I M A G I N E. OH MY GOD IS IT?? AM I??? WAS I RIGHT omg oh that's so cool, the multiverse trippiness is the best thing ever golden goose really said no notes lmao fdhasadsfs that beanstalk retelling I love it so soft omg goose hugs <333

OH MY GOD THEY DON'T GET TO KNOW EVERYONE ELSE'S STORIES I KNEW IT THEY'RE GONNA BE SO CONFUSED FUCK!!!

I'm so fascinated by this world building and I love it so much, 1000/10 Brennan no notes.

[kdramafeminist]

Performative Badassery & Women in Kdramas

When I said I wrote an essay, I meant essay. This is a long one! Grab a snack and venture below the read more. I’ll see you at the end!

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You know the feeling. The drama begins. Our female main lead walks onto screen. She’s a successful businesswoman, a hotshot detective, clever lawyer, smartass retail worker, etc, etc. She stares down a random man to prove she’s the powerful one here. Or kicks some ass. Or rattles off a bunch of demands to her workers. Or talks fast to show off her intelligence.

Then she meets the male lead. There’re fireworks. Slowly we find our female lead has a softer side. Good to know. 3-dimensional and complex characters are important. It’s nice to see women on-screen who are both capable and emotional. Kick ass and feminine. 

But slowly... something starts to go wrong. She seems to be crying more than showing literally any other kind of emotion. And is it just me or is she getting saved and manhandled and flustered quite a lot for a woman who we were told was so well put together? Sure, the circumstances are extreme. But they’re extreme for the male lead too and he seems to be managing just fine for some reason. Also, if both of them are ordinary people with no on-screen fighting experience, how come he’s so great at throwing fists out of nowhere and she’s busy keeping hidden or needing rescuing? Exactly how many times can one person just faint like that without anyone checking to see if she has a medical condition?

By the drama’s end our lead has gone through trials and tribulations. She’s fallen in love too, I’m happy for her. But... now that the story’s ending and she’s getting in one last chance to show us she’s a “badass”, why am I left feeling hollow? She’s showing us how tough she is but... we ALL spent this whole drama watching her have absolutely no agency or such a little amount that she might as well have been trying to put out a fire with a water-pistol. It’s almost like her previous badassery (in whatever form it may have been - I don’t mean badass only in terms of being able to throw a good punch) was just a façade. A way to hook in female viewers like me who want to see something more than a wilting wallflower or one-trick Cinderella. But the tiniest knock and the cardboard house collapses.

And no matter how many times we get throwaway lines about her being “the smartest/toughest/scariest/most capable one here” it doesn’t ring true compared to the actual character we’re watching.

Rom-coms, melos and sagueks especially (but many more genres besides), have a real problem when it comes to performative badassery in their female characters. The writers give us a female lead they claim is hyper competent, but the reality is totally different. Any plot that features romance, almost always features this. Honestly the way the start of the relationship in dramas actively MURDERS the female character’s agency could be its own essay so I won’t go deep, just know the two are 100% linked.

The “Faux Action Girl” Problem 

A Faux Action Girl happens when a writer wants the popularity that comes with having a cool action girl character, or they want the praise that comes with writing a lead that breaks gender norms, or they want to be lauded for writing a FL whose more capable & progressive than the female kdrama lead we’d imagine, but they don’t end up actually giving us her. Instead we get the fake or faux version. The reasons are usually a combination of:

Relying on outdated tropes. Wrist grabs, damsels in distress, a girl fainting so she misses some vital plot related moment to increase runtime etc...

Sexist worldviews. As a by-product of being Korean which is still a heavily sexist country because of the holdover of Confucianism mixed in with the Christianity westerners brought over that leads many writers to (often without even realising) inserting moments that inadvertently reduce their female leads because they think that’s what correct or natural for the female character based on their opinion of women in general. Even if it doesn’t actually fit the type of character they’ve set out to create.

Executive meddling. Producers who think their demographic wouldn’t be able to handle a real badass but also know their female viewers want more complexity and agency in their FLs these days and so give us the paper-version instead of the 3D model.

This character’s more “badass” traits are nearly always just an Informed Ability (the writers tell us via other characters what she can do but never actually show us on-screen these same things) or we only ever see her utilise them once/twice at the beginning and maybe if we’re lucky once at the end, but never again. 

It really hurts.

The “Badass Decay/Chickification” Problem

Sometimes she really is a legitimate action girl though. She’ll be a cop whose good at her job or an ordinary citizen whose well-versed in taekwondo. She has actual moments on-screen to prove herself. 

Well. She has moments in episodes 1 and 2. Then she almost always goes through Badass Decay/Chickification. Which means that writers (& producers) believe that if we don’t see her having a softer side, she’ll become unrealistic or unlikeable. 

They fix her. So she becomes more vulnerable. As the only girl on the team (usually), she becomes the one who ends up injured more often or needs rescuing most. Her life begins to revolve entirely around her romance and nothing else. (Meanwhile the male leads gets to have the romance and keep his side-quest - have you noticed that? If the FL is really lucky she gets to keep one side-quest too, maybe a dream job or solving some family mystery. Never more though.. only men get to be complicated here). Once she was competent... now it feels like she legitimately had a personality transplant. 

Is this even the same person we began with?

The “Worf Effect” Problem 

Worf Effect is when the danger/power level of a villain is shown to the audience by making him successfully attack/hurt/ruin the plans of someone that the audience knows is skilled. This isn’t a bad thing alone and writers use it all the time. We need to acknowledge the villain as a proper threat and this is a useful way to do it!

But in kdramas it’s something used almost always against the lead female character. The one we’ve seen is intelligent, or strong-willed or quick-witted. 

And because it’s always her, this character begins to look weak. If this writing trope is abused, her reputation as the "biggest, toughest" etc. begins to look like it never existed and we’re back to her having an informed ability. 

That this is something that happens to the female characters not only more often but almost exclusively is a sign of sexism. Plain and simple.

Competent, Real Badass Female Characters Aren’t Scary

 If you’re going to sell me a capable woman, give me her. 

Not someone who has one very unique, specialised skill but otherwise can do nothing else except for that one time when her one skill is useful. 

Or has built up her own empire, implying a certain level of smarts, business ability or networking skills, but then once she’s removed from it she becomes so utterly useless it begs the question how she built that empire in the first place. 

Or has a rep as the detective whose taken down the toughest guys off-screen, but whatever skills she used to do that seem to disappear the moment anything really challenging happens on-screen. 

I’m not saying she needs to win all the time. Of course she doesn’t, how boring is that? All I’m asking is that when she loses, it’s in keeping with the character I’m supposedly watching. A woman that can kick ass can still be outwitted. A clever woman can be physically beaten. A street-smart girl can be foiled by rules and regulations. A leader-type can be beat by someone whose more unconventional.

It’s not difficult to write someone like this. I know the writers can do it because every male lead is written this way. I’ve never once, whilst watching a badass male lead lose, get beaten and cry, thought “oh no, his badassery was fake all along!”

Because when he loses it makes sense. It’s in character. There’s a solid plot reason behind why it happens.

Meanwhile my ladies who are meant to be able to kick ass and take names somehow just got kidnapped out of nowhere?

Make it make sense!

Consistent Characterisation is Good Writing

I get wanting moments where one is injured and the other fusses over them. I love those moments! All I ask is more imagination taken to get us to that point. Make it in-character. If my taekwondo black belt is kidnapped, I want to see her really fight. I want the kidnapping to be shown as genuinely tough on the people trying to nab her. Imagine how much more satisfying it would be to see her fight off all these bad guys, yet still end up losing? How much more heart-breaking?

We’d be so much more invested in the mind games or politics the villain is playing if the female lead we’ve been told is good at that stuff is playing the game just as hard. When she loses it’ll hurt more.

Writers need to stop being afraid that her remaining capable in some way diminishes the masculinity, attractiveness, prowess or “hero” status of the male lead. Trust me. It doesn’t. Ever. 

It’s not a case of either/or. We don’t think less of the male lead because his partner is as capable as him in whatever way that may be. Instead, we think more of them both. Once a romance begins, the heightened worry both characters have for each other should only make both of them stronger in whatever area they’re skill lies in. Not just make the man a sudden defence wall and the woman a worrying mess. 

I’m sure everyone who reads this can immediately think of at least one drama with a FL who is a Performative Badass. I know I had about ten in mind as I wrote this. 

There are exceptions. Cases where the badass gets to stay a badass. Usually these cases happen in genres without romance because like I said above, those problems are linked. But I can think of a few romcoms/sageuks/melos where it happens too. 

But those are the minority.

Women in kdramas. Give them agency. Make their characterisation genuine, not just a bit-part for the sake of a cool trailer. Not just one moment someone can edit into a “badass multifemale” video edit - only for us to watch the drama from the clip and discover we’ve been sold a lie. 

How satisfied would we be?

Writers! Give us a story we enjoyed because of the excellent characterisation. A new female character we can add to our lists of faves. Women who proved themselves as consistently badass as their first scenes claimed. Women in kdramas who, no matter what problem they faced, don’t become echoes or paper-thin versions of who we were promised.

Actual, complex, layered, enjoyable, KICK-ASS AND BADASS female leads.

Wouldn’t that be a miracle.

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PS. This is an open notice that it’s OKAY to reblog with added commentary/thoughts/rambles of your own. I would *love* to see it if you have anything to add.

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(Disclaimer: This essay was written with a specific female character type in mind. I am not saying every FL needs to be a badass or hyper competent. Soft, shy, physically weak female characters exist and can be just as realistic and complex. There’s a few I can think of who I adore. Instead my essay is very specifically about characters who are *meant* to be badass from the start but then... don’t end up being. So, yeah, before anyone claims I’m some angry feminist who needs every FL to be some tough martial artist or something. Absolutely not! Diversity is amazing and interesting. All I ask is that when I am told I’ll be getting a badass in a drama I get her. Not have my heart broken by the fake wilting flower I find in her place. Ok. End disclaimer. ^^)

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Also I’m tagging a bunch of you because you reblogged my post saying you wanted this so here! TY for making it to the end ^^

@kdramaxoxo​ @islandsofchaos @storytellergirl @vernalagnia-blog @lostindramas @salaamdreamer​ @planb-is-in-effect​ 

[honorable-wanderings]

Word of Honor - Episode 2 Part 2 - Mirror Lake has more Fire than expected

In an interesting twist of fate Zhou Zishu decides to take the nice munchkin up on his offer to crash at his place for a while.

Thumbs up my dood

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Now the fuck are these guys?

Oh cool. Thanks.

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See? Children chants are creepy! Always!

But especially when driven by plort! (plort was a typo but I’m Keeping it.)

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Finally people treating our man with common decency and respect! Who knew he just needed a fancy bookmark?

Oop. Nevermind

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I have discovered the joys of fucking with people and I’m never going back again

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A fuck this guy again. I’m assuming we’re not supposed to like him? But I don’t like him either way. He has no...  je ne sais quoi

He boring. Basic. Bland.

It ain’t good.

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Oh and also you know how you wanted us to keep tabs on Zhou ZiShu? Oh well um.. it’s going great! Great! Yeah... except for... we can’t find him.

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Well if this ain’t a whole ass mood?

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Midnight already? Time for the pain pins to poke me painfully!

This sure is a weird version of Cinderella

gross

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Okay okay so normally the 7 torture nails block your chi? I’m understanding? So you can no longer do martial arts. And he would rather die than lose all his martial arts so he put the nails in slowly so that he could still have SOME of his martial arts. But the point of the nails is still that he wants to die and feels he deserves to be punished as well? Right? So having his martial arts helps mediate the pain which lessons the punishment

and if it weren’t for the punishment aspect couldn’t he have just like... faked the nails? Or would they have been able to tell? I mean this is all dramatic and all but where are your motivations Zhou ZiShu?

work with me here

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Hey?! That’s not sunlight?!?

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Love me a good silhouette shot

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And suddenly everything is on fire???

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Rude

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After watching like 4 people get killed in front of him and a lot of fire and ransacking our protragonists finally thinks perhaps he should get himself involved.

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How is everything a fucking boomerang???

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Pffffff I love it

Tunk thunk

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In another interesting development, the boat man from before is important?????

Also our boy is doing his best with that hat

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Okay I know he’s like a master of disguise and all but like he doesn’t seem to be doing much to actually... hide? Still love his wiggly sword style

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Um take the kid and fucking run maybe????

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*stalks you from a not very inconspicuous distance*

Didja miss me?

No

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Hate to see you leave but love to watch you go

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Fuck I hate being disarmed.

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This place looks strangely similar to the woodshed...

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The fuck are you?

Wouldn’t you like to know?

Yes I would. That’s why I asked

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There’s just nothing quite like a near death experience to bring people together.

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Take this kid and run!

But sir, you don’t seem to understand! I am the Best Boy! I simply cannot just leave you to die.

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Don’t worry kid! You can’t get in trouble anymore! Your dad is fuckin dead! Surely that’ll bring you some comfort!

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Random Local Boatman is surprisingly honorable and happens to be in debt to the father of the kid who was nice to you that morning.

Life sure is weird.

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He doing him best

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Though it is absolutely understandable, he reacts to being touched by that paper the way I react to walking into a spider web.

-------

Gramps is a badass

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I do have to say these guys do seem to be much better trained than the usual evil henchmen. And you have to appreciate their aesthetic.

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Seriously!! The best boy!!!!!

This man has helped in a little bit exactly once to repay him for his own kindness an this little teenager is willing to just die for him without hesitation.

Like no, son, the two old men are doing this so that YOU live. You have it backwards.

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Surpriiiiise I’m stalking you too!

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Oh no the henchmen are falling into the drawing things out to emotionally torture their prey thing. Don’t y’all know that giving the protagonist time to recover and/or study your moves is how you die? Did you even GO to henchman school?

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ahahahahahhahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha

Just.. omg. The noise he made. “Dwaaah!!!”

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Okay kid I know you’re young and under a lot of stress and never really got into the whole martial arts training thing but grandpa is doing better than you literally laying down and covered in cuts. Just sayin

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Aw nuts

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*ding*

Please take your protagonist out of the oven as cooktime has been completed.

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The fighting editing style seems to be a weird splice of nice crisp slowmotion view of the action and spliced together jump cuts and zooms that make for an odd kinda hard to follow combination. But at least I guess they tend to end on ‘cool pose x”

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“Hey, Beggar! You’re good at martial arts. Somehow this surprises me even though I already knew that???”

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Unexpected trust fall ends better than anticipated

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Das gaee

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He’s bendin’ over backwards for you!!

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Unexpected but definitely varied emotional investments on the fact that Gramps is dying.

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Look at him being all humble.

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Ooh he could be in a medical drama. That is the perfect like sad close your eyes and head shake no I’m sorry he’s not gonna make it. Bravo.

Very delicate.

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“Don’t fuckin’ touch me”

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I’m guilt tripping you into a found family and you’re gonna like it punk

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Sick dude, whats your name? Shit no one’s asked me that before somehow I’m not ready..

Uh.uh... Zhou Xu.

Nailed it.

“Zhou Xu? Naw that doesn’t sound right.”

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May you learn from this never to underestimate, rob, and otherwise harass your local old boat man for you never know when he may force you through guilt and honor into taking on a ward and a quest under penalty of being haunted by his old ass ghost forever

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Uncle Li has died and most of the group is much more upset about it than they would have anticipated that morning.

Poor ChenLing is having a rough day.

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RIP Uncle Li. So much for living a carefree couple of years lying drunk in the sun.

It looks like even now you can’t escape your responsibilities Zhou Xu.

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Group of hereto-unknown men arrive in poor time to stop the bonfire

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“What’s wrong?” Um... maybe... fire??

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I say again, thank you for labeling the people I’m supposed to remember.

Also, why did y’all have to wait for orders before checking out the fuckin boats?

Y’all dumb.

---------------------

Hey, Wen KeXing, Not trying to throw off your groove or anything but maybe a funeral isn’t the best time for flirting? Perhaps? Maybe?

I know you don’t have an ‘off’ switch but maybe a pause button?

-----------------

“are you done?”

“Never.”

----------

It deadass took y’all this long to introduce yourself? You’ve been stalking him all this time and you never thought to go “btw my name Wen KeXing? Comment t’appelles tu?” Come on man

---------------

Our best boy is having his not best day. D:

Don’t worry. Your new family will stalk/care for you.

-----------------

“A-Xiang! Make some food!” “No shit Sherlock I already did.” “My ideas are the best. :D”

--------------

Eat your food!

Eat your food!

Eat your food!!

Eat your FOOD!!!

EAT YOUR FOOD!!!!

WILL SOMEONE PLEASE EAT YOUR GODDAMN FOOD?

-------------

“Oh my GOD we get it you can fucking read! Oh my god.”

---------

If I prove I can read too will you pass me a damn pancake?

Fuck yeah.

----------------

GOD DAMN IT SOMEONE EAT FOR THE LOVE OF FUCK

------------

Um excuse you this group only has room for one little bitch and it ain’t fuckin you, you hear me little girl?

------------

I am very sorry. Thank you for saving my life. I would like to re-assert my status as “best boy”.

HEY WHAT THE FUCK????

-------------------

Wen KeXing: 👀

----------------------------

Please increase your friendship level before asking personal questions.

---------

Nya Nya you were useless when your home was burned to the ground and your family was killed waaaaah how pathetic are you!!

Can you fucking not?

My B.

--------------------

BEST BOY INJURED THIS IS NOT A DRILL

----------

Our Man Zhou ZiShu respects bodily autonomy!

Do not touch my fuckin’ boy or I will fight you!

-----------------

And we end the episode with Wen KeXing being horny on main!

Sir, keep it together. There are children present.

[bloodraven55]

Cinder Fall and the Cycle of Abuse

I’ve not written a meta or long analysis post in a good while so I wanted to dip my toe back into that pond again, and with Volume 8 just around the corner this seemed like an appropriate topic to choose. I’ve wanted to take a closer look at Cinder as a character ever since the end of Volume 7, and the Volume 8 trailer finally gave me the push of inspiration I needed.

Anyway, the two main things I want to focus on here are the cycle of abuse we see between Salem and Cinder, and exactly how the story of Cinderella can also give us some solid insight into Cinder herself. With that said, let’s start at the very beginning.

One of the very first shots of Cinder we ever see in the show is a close up of Cinder’s feet as she steps out to face Ruby and Glynda, and that’s no coincidence. Cinder is wearing glass shoes and an alternative name for the story of Cinderella is literally “The Little Glass Slipper.”

But skipping ahead a little, Beginning of the End is one of the first episodes which gives us a real look at Cinder beyond the femme fatale persona she projects. Specifically, I’m interested in these lines:

I want to be strong. I want to be feared. I want to be powerful.

Strong, feared, and powerful. Those are Cinder’s primary objectives. Unlike Salem, her goal isn’t on a global scale. Cinder’s motivations are personal, and they tell us a lot about her. They tell us that she has been weak, afraid, and powerless in the past, which is why she is so desperate to become the opposite of that now. And this is far from the only moment which backs this idea up.

This is what happens when you hand over your trust, your safety, your children, to men who claim to be our guardians, but are, in reality, nothing more than men. Our Academies' Headmasters wield more power than most armies, and one was audacious enough to control both. They cling to this power in the name of peace, and yet, what do we have here?

She shows clear disdain for those who hoard power or overreach themselves, suggesting that she’s had bad experiences with similar people before, and she’s confirmed to be “jealous of those with natural talents.” (x)

You Atlas elites are all the same! You think hoarding power means you’ll have it forever, but it just makes the rest of us hungrier. And I refuse to starve.

All of this paints a very clear picture of Cinder as someone who came from nothing and has had to struggle and suffer to get to where she is now. And nowhere is this more exemplified than in the Grimm arm which is flat out consuming her humanity piece by piece. It’s a physical manifestation of how she’s sacrificed so many parts of herself in a bid to become so powerful that she never has to fear anyone else again.

And speaking of the Grimm arm, that brings me to the next thing I want to talk about. Who gave Cinder the Grimm arm? Salem. This is where the Cinderella allusion starts to tie in even more obviously again. I’m sure we’re all familiar with the characters of the wicked stepmother and the fairy godmother which are common to almost all tellings of the story.

Once you stop and think about it for a while, it becomes pretty apparent that Salem is meant to fill both roles in Cinder’s arc. Unlike the original tale where Cinderella was abused by her stepmother and saved by the fairy godmother, in this version Salem offered Cinder a way out of her bad situation and used that promise to keep Cinder in her service. She put on the mask of the fairy godmother before revealing herself as the wicked stepmother.

It’s anyone’s guess at the moment precisely what Cinder’s life was like before Salem found her, but my guess would be nothing too interesting. She was most likely simply an orphan or a poor child from a bad home. But Salem took advantage of that to manipulate her by showing her a way to turn her luck around if she worked for her.

Except, Cinder just ended up becoming the monster she used to be afraid of. We see several times that Cinder often emulates the way Salem treats her in the way she treats others, especially Emerald and Mercury. Yes, I know that Roman’s face in the first screenshot is hilarious lol.

Cinder places so little value on the people around her because Salem places so little value on her, and she learned that type of leadership by example.

In Volume 4 Salem defends Cinder from Watts in the first episode by telling him that she “see[s] no reason for [his] cruelty towards young Cinder,” but then by the end of the same season she’s intimidating Cinder into accepting pain as a way to become stronger: “I thought you were the girl who wanted power. Did you lie to me?”

This is a textbook cycle of abuse situation where someone who’s a victim of abuse from someone else then internalises that behaviour and turns it onto other people around them. It’s a fascinating twist on the source material of the Cinderella story, and something that humanises Cinder without providing a justification for any of the horrific things she's done.

Anyway, that’s pretty much it. I know a lot of people consider Cinder a fairly flat or boring character, or at least did in the past, but I think she’s more compelling as a villain than people give her credit for, and I’m very curious to see where her story goes next since they seem to be giving her a lot of focus right now in the show.

[aria-chicken-flugget]

Disney World with The Brothers (+ Undateables)

HCs that no one asked for, i’m just self indulgent ✨

Link To The Brothers post

*Based on Disney World Orlando Resort*

The Undateables

Luke 👼

“Don’t hold my hand i’m not a child!”

Would grab your hand in excitement

“I don’t want to go on that boat ride it’s for babies!”

When no one else could hear, holding his arms behind his back whilst running his foot along the ground, blushing furiously -

“MC... will you take me on the ride, please?”

Cotton candy. Loves it. Would get it all over his fingers and all around his mouth.

Would be unable to hide The Brightest Smile TM when that Disney music plays and he sees the castle in Magic Kingdom

“Want to go on Whinnie the Poo?” “That’s a Baby Ride! >:(“

Goes on and LOVES IT

Has sooo much fun just getting to be a kid, holds nothing back after a little encouragement from you

You and Simeon look like his parents when you sit either side of him on a ride lol

Would be desperate to stay even when the park closes

“:’(“ “Hey, it’s ok! We’ll get to see another park tomorrow!” “:D”

Would hold onto yours and Simeon’s hand, humming the theme to Pirate’s of the Caribbean as you leave

“Did you have fun? I thought you didn’t like boat rides.” “That was a scary boat ride - the pirates were horrible.” Blush - deniaalll lol

Would berate you heavily if you tried to get him any kind of toy

Would take the toy home and never let go

Simeon 😇

“What’s a Mickey Mouse? I’m still new to this”

Always smiling and loves that he’s experiencing this with you and Luke

He LOVES Soarin’ as it feels like home but better, as he’s ‘flying’ with you

Trolls Diavolo into going on It’s a Small World After All and acts Innocent TM

Seems pleased enough, enjoys the experience but it’s made better by the company

Makes sure everyone has their belongings and is drinking plenty of water

“Do you need me to grab that for you, MC? I can hold it whilst you go on the ride with Luke?”

Asks Directions TM. Maps don’t work for this boi lol and he gets easily lost lmao

Wouldn’t purposefully ignore The Mom’s Itinerary but inexplicably keeps wandering off, eventually being found with an apologetic smile on his face

Doesnt understand you have to queue to get on until he gets told for the billionth time

Holds your hand as you both marvel at the fireworks, Luke on his shoulders with icecream

Gets Luke an autograph book and gets it signed by all the characters when Luke’s too proud or nervous to himself

“Yes there he is, Luke. He’d love a photograph. Luke? Luke!” *Luke blushing furiously from behind your arm* “SHUT UP SIMEON”

Looks the cutest when in character photos

Realises just how much fun he had when your on the way back from the park

Solomon 🧙‍♂️

Vlogs with Levi sometimes together sometimes separate, but his is more of a troll vlog

To Lucifer on camera - “WHAT ARE THOSE” “They are my crocs! >:(“

Goes FULL HAM TM with you by his side, it’s absolute chaos this boi does NOT run out of energy or things he wants to do

“I wanna go on Jurrassic Park” “... Solomon that’s at Universal.”

Would sneak you away from the brothers, would be very crafty about it to, no one would suspect a thing until it’s been hours since.

Would take the consequences with a nonchalant smile. Does. Not. Regret. A. Thing.

“Itinerary? What’s that?”

“The only good thing about Animal Kingdom is the Mount Everest ride.”

Claims he’s easy breezy about going/where to go in the parks

Actually has very specific favourites and dislikes

“But you said -“ “Yea but who the hell means it when you decide ‘It’s a Small World’” *eyeroll*

Still goes on the ride, and vlogs a meme out if it

Him and Levi SQUEAL at anything Star Wars

When no one is watching, he intesifies the fireworks with magic, watching you beam with amazement is what makes his day

Will try to sneak in a kiss during the fireworks

Barbatos 🕰

It’s the first time you see him smile, like a genuine smile

Is very quiet and is mostly there because of Diavolo, but rather enjoys the atmosphere

Surprisingly loves water rides

Despite being there because of Diavolo, Diavolo urges Butler Barb to let loose and have fun

He does to a degree but never falters his sense of decorum

Similarly to The Mom TM, would be very prepared. Need a napkin? Check. Anti bac? Check. Map? You got it.

When you decide to ride with him, his facade would falter, glancing around BAFFED

“Are - are you sure you want to ride with me, MC? Or did you mistake me for -“ “... Oh, ok.”

Suppresses the intense blush he feels at the revelation that you did, in fact, intend to ride with him

When he relaxes, may occasionally casually hold your hand, making you double take at his nonchalance

Would indulge himself with viewing the experiences you share in the different timelines in which you still go together

“MC, i’m taking you to dinner. If you’d like of course.”

Would be such a gentlemen and so relaxed at night, out of habit when he’s not with Diavolo, he can just simply be himself.

Will hold your hand as you watch the fireworks at dinner. A smirk on his lips before planting a lingering kiss on your cheek to both startle and excite you

Diavolo 👑

“Disney world?! DISNEY WORLD?! That is the no.1 place for your dreams to come true!”

Sincerely believes that is literal

That Laugh TM with his arms spread wide as he sees the Park entrance

Takes photos everywhere, even infront of a trash can - initially thinking “it’s a part of the experience!”

Gets too excited to follow Lucifer’s Itinerary

“Diavolo! You’re not supposed to climb onto the parade floats!”

Would scoop you up onto his back without warning, a ball of energy as he bounces around the park with you this way

“Wow! What is this delicacy?! It’s delicious!” “That’s just a Mickey shaped napkin, Diavolo...”

Would buy all of the balloons from the vendor, looking like a lunatic

“Where’s he gonna keep all those -“ “Don’t even ask.”

That one person who actually enjoys It’s A Small World After All. Sings along and doesnt stop for the rest of the day

Would wear several sets of Mickey ears at once, not realising or caring that it’s not how they’re meant to be worn

“Oh? Of course we can ride together, MC!”

Would smile that much more brightly as you suck up the enjoyment alongside him like a couple of sponges!

“That - that’s not a ride Diavolo -“ “But we must ride this monorail. It is a part of the experience!”

If he’s feeling comfortable, will wrap a strong arm around your waist, pointing out Tinkerbell to you when he spots her before the start of the fireworks

The link to the first post with The Brothers is above! Will edit both but have them for now and again, I hope these make you smile! ☺️✨

[smallblueandloud]

Just wanted to say that your post about Cinderella opened my eyes. I am, as of today, a new woman. YOU ARE SO RIGHT THANK YOU SO MUCH

AAAH THANK YOU. i’m gonna take this as an opportunity to talk a bit about cinderella as a revolutionary figure because it’s been a shitty few months and i DESERVE this.

the whole idea of “class mobility” in fairy tales comes from stories like hers where if someone is good and kind and strong enough, they can marry royalty and end up with their happily ever after. it’s to the point where this entire genre of stories - both in fairy tales and in more modern stuff - is called cinderella stories.

in into the woods, cinderella is the one who’s allowed class mobility. jack and his mother are rich in act 2 but that doesn’t change their station - they’re still in the same house and their clothes haven’t changed much from act 1. in fact, cinderella’s unique mobility is repeatedly emphasized through the contrasts between cinderella and the baker’s wife, who wants the prince more than anything but suffers negative consequences both times she indulges herself in that dream. cinderella, on the other hand, is literally chased through the woods by her destiny. the play is literally putting up glowing neon signs that read THIS GUY IS A GOOD OPTION! GO GET HIM!

like, class mobility is the endgame for women of her station in this play, which is emphasized by her stepmother and stepsisters. and cinderella is the only one who gets the option! of COURSE being royalty is gonna be better than her current situation! what, is she supposed to say no?

and the genius part is that cinderella has this choice that no one else really has. or, maybe not choice, but OPTIONS. all of the others kind of pursue their wishes blindly without thinking about the consequences or alternatives but cinderella spends the ENTIRETY of act 1 angsting over whether this is the best option for her. she sees that she’s not going to be happy in the palace, that it’s just another way of being trapped, and she’s TERRIFIED of making that choice because she’s going to be stuck in the same situation except it would be her fault.

which! leads! to! on the steps of the palace!! where we see her come to a decision by REMOVING HERSELF FROM THE EQUATION. she gives up her agency (literally: "you know what your decision is / which is not to decide / you'll just give him a clue / for example, a shoe / and then see what he'll do / now it's he and not you / who's stuck with a shoe / in a stew / in the goo") and puts it entirely into the prince’s hands because then if he catches her, at least it isn’t her decision? AND it means he wants her! that’s good, right? she’s honestly not sure but it sure seems like it would be?

(i would just like to remind everyone that cinderella’s initial wish is to go to the festival. she says nothing about the prince. she’s never wanted anything that flashy. she just wants to have the freedom to go out for a night and not have to deal with her stepfamily or her responsibilities. the prince only starts factoring in when he falls in love with her.)

and idk, y’all, i’m just REALLY EMOTIONAL about how it’s cinderella’s class mobility and her ascension to royalty that... it doesn’t change anyone else’s situation, but it DOES give her the agency in act 2 that she desires, and eventually gives her the ability to go live with the other characters at the end of the musical. she’s the first one to recognize that she’s unhappy in this dream life she’s living, and the one who comforts the others when they have the same revelation. she’s even the one who gets to have CLOSURE, more than anyone else, when she confronts the prince! she’s the one who’s still wishing at the end, because it’s HER wish that it’s the most iconic and it’s HER who recognizes the lesson that Nothing Is Perfect Forever After before anyone else!!

she’s not perfect! she has to stop herself from strangling her stepsisters in the prologue and she lies, excessively, and she ignores the baker’s wife because she thinks she’s rude and YET she is the kind person in the story she is the compassionate person in the story she’s the one who wants to hold a festival for the kingdom at the beginning of act 1 because they’re FUN.

and i’m just?? in other pieces of media, she’s EVEN MORE of a revolutionary figure? in the lunar chronicles she’s a greasy cyborg mechanic from new beijing who, through her initial connection with the prince, is elevated to this position of Leader Of The Rebellion Against The Evil Magic Empress Of The Moon largely against her will?? i’m obsessed with leaders who never wanted to lead and this is SUCH a good way of adapting the idea that cinderella might not have wanted to be queen.

and then you get to the killers’ dustland fairytale and i start CRYING. the chorus came for me personally:

"Saw Cinderella in a party dress but She was looking for a night gown I saw the devil wrapping up his hands He's getting ready for the show down I saw the minute that I turn away I got my money on a pond tonight"

she’s looking for normal clothes?? she’s looking for a normal life??? she SEES that something’s about to go down and she’s TRYING TO GET OUT OF THE WAY but she’s stuck in this endless cycle of being swept up in the ~romance~ of this guy she’s never met following her, and being stuck in a royal marriage she never asked for, and it’s her success that opens the door for all the OTHER cinderellas out there, be they hillary duff’s version or the real life grace kelly.

"Now Cinderella don't you go to sleep It's such a bitter form of refuge Now don't you know the kingdoms under siege And everybody needs you Is there still magic in the midnight sun Or did you leave it back in sixty-one In the of the cadence in the young mans eyes And were the dreams roll high"

F U C K

anyway i’m obsessed with cinderella and how she knows she SHOULD want this world-ending romance and yet she isn’t sure she DOES and her happy ending is, ultimately, living with her friends and her birds and baking bread in the mornings. i love seeing her as a real person and into the woods really scratches that itch for me.

and also she’s aroace.

[manuscripts-dontburn]

Journal of a Russian Grand Duchess: Complete Annotated 1913 Diary of Olga Romanov, Eldest Daughter of the Last Tsar

Edited by Helen Azar

First published: 2015

Pages: 302

Rating: ★★★★★

Another excellent addition to the first-hand sources about the Romanovs. Just be aware that this really is a journal of daily events, not a novel, and may not be easy or super engaging to read unless you really are into the subject. Perfect if you want to do some serious research into the daily lives of the Imperial family

Only Plane in the Sky: The Oral History of 9/11

Author: Garrett M. Graff

First published: 2019

Pages: 512

Rating: ★★★★★

I read this book in record time partly because my human nature was fascinated with a new, intimate look into one of the greatest tragedies of my own lifetime, but partly also because I knew I did not want to spend any more time in the chaos and terror it represents so well than necessary. I was 14 when 9/11 happened and even though on the other side of the world, I watched live as that second plane hit and other hijacked planes were announced missing. I remember being numb all over and crying through the night, fearing that the Third World War was upon us and it was the end of everything I knew. The author himself makes you aware early on this is not a strictly structured narrative supported by the meticulous research of archives. This is a cry of those who lived it all.

The Phantom Atlas: The Greatest Myths, Lies and Blunders on Maps

Author: Edward Brooke-Hitching

First published: 2016

Pages: 256

Rating: ★★★★★

Gorgeously illustrated and engagingly written as a sort of encyclopedia - yet without being exhausting or dry - this is an utterly fascinating book. Read it if you are at all interested in old maps, discovery of the world, human obstinacy, shameless liars and pranksters.

If We Were Villains

Author: L.M. Rio

First published: 2017

Pages: 432

Rating: ★★★★☆

This is one of those books everybody knows about so I feel no review is needed from me. You either enjoy it or you find it pretentious. I personally enjoyed it. Certain parallels with The Secret History are inevitable, but even then the book stands the comparison more than well.

Dead Mountain: The Untold True Story of the Dyatlov Pass Incident

Author: Donnie Eichar

First published: 2013

Pages: 288

Rating: ★★★★☆

Even though my curiosity was immense, I have abstained from reading anything about the recent discoveries and explanation of the Dyatlov Pass Incident precisely because I wanted to read this book first and judge it on its own merit. I am glad I did. (And I would advise anyone to do the same). Although some of the parts in which the author narrates his own personal journey and research may seem slow and even unnecessary, the rest of it is a terrifying, haunting and genuinely disturbing wild ride. I found myself almost reluctant to turn the next page in fear of what it would bring to the picture. I also have to acknowledge that the author really tries to introduce all of the possible theories that were available and suggest his own, trying to be as impartial as possible. In other words, he is not courting scandal, he just really wants to know the truth. Yet again this book proves that real life can top any fictional horror book. And now I´m off to read on what actually did happen.

The Haunting of Hill House

Edited by: Shirley Jackson

First published: 1959

Pages: 246

Rating: ★★★★☆

Fantastic. Creepy. Heart-breaking. Weird. And so, so beautifully written.

The Forest of Enchantments

Author: Chitra Bannerjee Divakaruni

First published: 2019

Pages: 372

Rating: ★★☆☆☆

This is not a powerful feminist retelling of Ramayana. It is a simplified version of the great Hindu epic told from Sita´s point of view. Here and there an outcry over the injustices Sita suffers appears, but for the most part, the language the author uses feels impersonal and reduces what could have been a truly magnificent story full of contradicting emotions and passions into a bland fairytale. Even Sita´s arguably strongest, the most defining moment in the story - the trial by fire - is rushed, unexplained and simply "undercooked" if you pardon the expression. I am deeply disappointed. (Sidenote: I always found it curious how Ram - a literal God - is in a way the worst and most unlikeable character in the whole of Ramayana.)

The Fall of Gondolin

Author: J.R.R. Tolkien

First published: 2018

Pages: 304

Rating: ★★★★★

Every single sentence Tolkien has ever written sings. The dedication of Christopher Tolkien to his father´s legacy is nothing but awespiring. The illustrations by Alan Lee stunning and outworldly. These are the reasons why I am rating this much-welcomed addition to the Middle-Earth mythology so high.

Cinderella is Dead

Author:  Kalynn Bayron

First published: 2020

Pages: 389

Rating: ★★★☆☆

This was actually a lot of fun, once I stopped expecting something grand and subtle. A wonderfully original idea that is the basis for the story is worth notice and some of the action scenes are truly engaging. If you don´t mind being hit over the head with the injustices (though I wonder if the lack of subtlety was brilliant or the opposite of that still) heaped upon women in this world, and if you are not bothered by insta-love, this is a good book to spend an afternoon or two with.

Floriography: An Illustrated Guide to the Victorian Language of Flowers

Author: Jessica Roux

First published: 2020

Pages: 224

Rating: ★★★★★

Perfect coffee table book!

The Henna Artist

Author: Alka Joshi

First published: 2020

Pages: 366

Rating: ★★★☆☆

I enjoyed this book but... I have almost nothing to say? Somehow this is exactly the kind of book that is good.... but it is that "standard" kind of good. Like... sure. It was good. I have not had any super-strong feelings towards it.

Catherine House

Author: Elisabeth Thomas

First published: 2020

Pages: 320

Rating: ★★☆☆☆

It started with a promise, turned into a boring slog and fizzled out without anything resembling a satisfying climax. I may have enjoyed it more had it not been for other books centred around weird and creepy campuses (namely Vita Nostra and If We Were Villains) I have read this year, which were simply better in every way. I believe the author might win me over in the future, her writing was good and the premise itself interesting. Unfortunately what this whole thing misses are an actual plot and a finale. I did not feel scared or creeped out... I was just bored.

[countessofravenclaw]

Gastón Perida for the character challenge??

favorite thing about them:

The puns (the obvious one), he has such a beautiful transformation from a generic popular kid to the one we love, he was clearly playing a bit of a role in S1 and definitely had his wall up. He needed the perfect person to bring them down. He clearly is vulnerable and has insecurities. My friend @booknerdeepika54 has come up with a wonderful theory about him having abandonment issues. Gastón is my original insecure cool, guy who is just afraid to be rejected.

least favorite thing about them

Oxford. Need I say any more? Here is a full essay about why it makes no sense. Or more like it is not Oxford in itself, but how the whole situation with break up made no sense. He only went there because he had Nina's support and could still be with her. He literally says in S2E62 I believe that he won't go if she asks, so if being at Oxford would have meant losing Nina, he would have given it up in heartbeat. He didn't chase her around for a year for nothing. Also, the whole break-up scene did him so dirty, with the nonsensical reasoning and his stoic expression. Why couldn't he cry? Agus can cry on queue, go watch Manuel's suicide scene from Aliados. If he had to leave they should have at least let him go out with a bang and have him burst out in tears when he is walking away. Okay, enough about Oxford. gastón also acted like a doofus in early S1 and when tried to be a player, he also just sucks at asking Nina to things if she is not her girlfriend

favorite line

The whole confession he sends Nina in the S1E79. Also, the line in S1E74 when he tells Matteo about he is going mad about two girls. Pretty much all the ones where he is confused with Nina and felicity and vents to Matteo in S1. Also, I love one he says Nina when he is trying to cover up the Oxford thing. It was just an excuse but definitely meant it

I feel in love with your word without seeing you and feel for you without even thinking. I have never been happier when I found out you were one in the same. Nina and Felicity, the girl of my dreams.

I don't know what I feel for Nina. My heart races she is close and I feel so many things, but I know I love Felicity

The truth is you are the best thing that has ever happened to me. I don't want to lose you

brOTP

This is not even a question. Gastteo is the Brotp of the world. they are literal brothers. They are my favorite friendship in media and are how healthy male friendships should be. They talk about feelings, confide in one another, are not afraid of being vulnerable with each other and have no reservations about saying I love you platonically or hugging each other when the other is feeling down. Their friendship was so strong that they fell in love with two small brunettes who were also best friends so they would never be separated. Just read the lyrics of Aqui Estoy, that pretty much sums it up. Matteo could never replace Gastón with Simon & co in S3. I am still salty that no one told Gastó about the fence. Matteo could have died, but no one thought of informing his best friend. Gastón would have sprinted back, at least for a visit, since well, his best friend was in the hospital, but also because he probably was unconsciously looking for a reason for return to see Nina.

OTP

Nina, there is no question about that either. You all know how I feel about Gastina. The original healthy, unproblematic Disney couple who actually knows how to communicate. Their story is both nerd x jock and best friends of the protagonists done right. One of my favorite things about them is that they were never exactly shy on PDA, something that you would think Nina would not like. You'd think they'd moved slowly, but in second episode of S2 we get the locker scene, where Nina was pinned against the wall, and it didn't seem like it was the first time. They didn't kiss in from of people but I think they really should have on at least a couple occasions, but making out in public definitely was not off-limits. They both complete each other perfectly since they are both different but also similar at the same time and they are soul mates. Gastón is exactly what Nina need and vice versa

nOTP

Uhmmm. This is hard. You'd think should be obvious: Delfi, since Gastón doesn't really have other love interest unless you count Flor, which I don't. Some of you might know about my dark past about being a Gasfina shipper, but I don't hate them. I just find them both hilarious how wrong they are (Gastón never touched her once and we know that Gastón is big on physical affection) and second-hand embarrassment for Gastón not figuring it out. But I think they are kind of necessary for his and Gastteo character development from the popular people to their true selves. Actually, I am glad that Gastón doesn't have any other options for his Notp. One thing I thank Disney for is that during that phone call of doom in S3 when Nina tells Gastón about Eric, they didn't make it so Gastón had a girlfriend at Oxford since I firmly believe that he won't have one.

random headcanon

How much time do we have? Okay, I'll just do this one that I firmly believe in. After the break up he went back to Oxford, but still kept in contact with Matteo and occasionally talked to the whole Roller band. He of course was totally heartbroken but tried to pretend that he was fine and doing well, even to Matteo. He did this mostly in an attempt to convince himself that he was fine, when he wasn't. The Roller band bought it but Matteo never did. It took Matteo a month to crack Gastón and have him finally admit what big mistake he made

unpopular opinion

I don't know how unpopular this is, but people have disagreed with me before. Gastón should have never gone to Oxford. Basically, I do understand the view, that it was his dream and he should have not let his high-school relationship stop him. But I am also of the opinion of that if he had stayed, he would have not been unhappy. Like I have said many times: If he had been there for s3 and fighting the red sharks with his friends, best friend, and love of his life, we would definitely not be thinking: "I really wish I'd be alone at Oxford at this very moment". Gastón has never struck me as someone who mopes in the past or what-ifs. I also would have liked to see some more reasoning for why he wanted to go to Oxford so badly. It comes out of a bit of nowhere when it is supposed to be something he has thought about for a long time. The tidbit we get has all to do with Matteo, and Matteo does not end up going in the end. Also it sometimes to me seemed, because of the lack of explanation, that his situation was a little bit similar to Matteo. Basically that the Oxford was like a family expectation, but Gastón did not have anything concrete against it nor he was forced to go like Matteo. the word that it is his dream never comes out of his mouth.

song i associate with them

Outside of Mitad y mitad and Aqui Estoy? Every MYA song for... reasons. But outside of those? Jordan Fishers version of True Love and Far too late and Only you, Lonely you from ALW Cinderella

favorite picture of them

These will mostly be Gastina pics, but my post, my rules'

This was super fun! Please send me more!

[aqvarius]

I been wondering how many untranslated sub stories hlitf left? And which one, that u want to be translate asap

at first i was just going to answer this as “a lot”, but i was curious and really decided to count the actual number. and the answer is A LOT. 129 untranslated substories to be exact!! (128 when ayumu’s episode 0 comes out). i also didn’t count “discontinued stories” or reward stories (the ones you can only get if you met campaign requirements) or repackaged stories (there’s a substory which is just the text version of goto/kaga/shinonome’s voiced stories, and another 5 which are just goto/kaga/shinonome’s voiced stories split by chapter rather than character. i also didn’t check koi cafe. 

there are so many that i want to be translated!! but let me list a few of the ones i want the most:

all of the 勘違い ♡ BABY stories, also bc the SP (bodyguards) appear in these stories~

in kaga’s one, you go on a diet cause he squished your stomach and said it was soft while he was sleeping lol and also bc ayumu is compiling photos for something like a yearbook (graduation album) and saw you about to eat a doughnut and told you that the camera adds 10lbs. because you go on a soy-heavy diet, your period isn’t arriving and you go see an obgyn as recommended by riko. in the hospital, you bump into katsuragi!! anyway you left your phone in the obgyn department and get called to retrieve it on the loudspeaker so katsuragi and shinonome hear it and assume you’re pregnant. you tell shinonome to keep it a secret and then he blackmails you into helping him with the grad album and kaga gets annoyed since you’re listening to someone other than your master. when he finds out that you went to the hospital to see an obgyn he’s just... SO SOFT AND CARING???????? he makes you lie down and sleep and he makes you so much food and is relieved that your complexion is back to normal and when you tell him the reason you started dieting he APOLOGISES ALSKDJFLAS. one of the options to respond to his apology is asking him if he has a fever lol. another option is telling him to stop (apologising) and be mean like he usually is and then he’s like are you a masochist lmao. 

anyway he tells you that if you really are pregnant, don’t hide it next time since “it’s OUR problem” and not just yours. he also says that not speaking up might harm you and that he doesn’t intend for your relationship to be loose/casual (meaning he’s serious about being with you). HELP I LOVE KAGA.

afterwards, katsuragi is in the instructor’s room to do something and then he thinks you’re pregnant so he gives you a congratulatory bouquet from your team and ayumu literally loses it. 

I LOVE THIS STORY SO MUCH i can’t WAIT until it’s translated!! you all know i love soft/caring kaga the most and getting that + pregnancy misunderstanding + katsuragi + ayumu being a brat all in one story? *chefs kiss* incredible. i read this story on sato’s room, my favourite jp blog for hlitf content.

in goto’s one, where you go to a drinking party with naruko but it turns out to be a group date (goukon). sora and kurosawa make an appearance (naturally!!)

kaiji makes an appearance in ishigami’s route in which you go to his place to retrieve some documents for him and find lipstick and a lingering scent at his place after he cancels a date because he’s busy with work...

shinonome’s one is the one i’ve briefly mentioned before where his mc ends up with a porn dvd by accident. ayumu also gets jealous of mizuki in it (since his mc in particular just loves mizuki and is starstruck every time she sees him lol, the same thing happens in one of his vip room chapters too )

soma’s route is the one i also posted about recently where you have a matchmaking meeting with subaru. i’ve mentioned this like 5 times before but i literally am dying to see subaru/soma dynamics since subaru is usually so alpha male but soma was his mentor and senpai and trained him in criminal affairs and he really respects him, so i’m desperate to see them interact particularly in a competitive(?) setting. 

there’s another substory i want which is just for kaga and soma called ふれない夜を過ごすとき (when you spend a night without touching). the common factor in both stories is that mc turns down kaga and soma’s advances in bed (because of different story-related reasons) and it results in a ‘cold’ night where they just go to sleep. it’s so appropriate for these two considering they’re the most sexual/physical in the whole title. 

in this substory, voltage alternates between your pov and his pov for each chapter which i think is so interesting. i also love seeing both instructors being so ANXIOUS? about being turned down, since it never happens. and they’re so accepting of your rejection but so worried and hurt asdlkfs i love it. seeing soma being rattled for once is an incredible feeling lmao. and also seeing the third chapter from his perspective is so cool because you really get to see him put his detective skills to use when it comes to gathering information.

a fun detail in kaga’s route is that at the beginning you watch a film together called “ 私の名は” (obviously meant to be playing on “your name” kimi no na wa) haha. by the way, this is also the substory where we meet akane (who you may have seen in kaga vip room stories and ss3). i’m not going to spoil who akane actually is but let’s just say it was totally unexpected... 

aside from these two i want:

入捜査は蜜の味 which is a substory about going on undercover mission with your man. by the way, in this substory, kosugi from my sweet bodyguard is already a famous actress whose shows sell out in under a minute. 

離れるの禁止！－手錠で１日独り占め♡ー a substory just for kaga, goto and shinonome where you end up handcuffed to your instructor for a day

私を見つけて☆王子様 an AU substory with kaga, shinonome and namba routes since they won places in the 2015 election. the concept is like a cinderella x tanabata situation and it’s honestly HYSTERICAL. 

in the kaga ver, shinonome and soma are your evil stepbrother and stepfather respectively and you can only see kaga once a year. you met him in town last year and you spent a day (and night ;)) together and now you want to go to the ball this year. goto and kurosawa are your wizards (fairy godmothers) and their sprites wear giant witch hats with their regular suits. it’s literally so funny. ishigami is kaga’s butler and honestly, he is such a claude lmao. kurosawa reappears disguised as a prince and tries to get you to dance with him and prince hyogo literally tosses him out of the way and calls him nouveau riche ;alskfdjls. anyway he does the whole “i don’t care about your status” thing and wants to be with you. turns out it was a dream the whole time and you tell kaga about it and he’s like i don’t want that fucking megane to be my butler lmaooo (amongst other cute things that he says)

in the namba ver., kaga and shinonome are your stepbrothers A and B. they’re bullying you as usual and then prince namba shows up. i love how kaga is prince hyogo but namba is just prince namba. he whisks you away to a bar somewhere after joking that you don’t have sex appeal because you’re <30 year old and then butler ishigami comes to get him lol. prince namba tells you to grow a little next time you meet and then ishigami is like stop it with the harrassment, you are already being complained about by princesses from neighbouring countries lmaoooo. anyway you get grounded by stepbrothers kaga and shinonome and your evil stepfather soma and made to stay indoors and do chores for the rest of your life while they go to the tanabata ball. wizard goto appears and he’s SHY LOL and he uses his magic to dress you up and whisk you to the ball, where you see prince namba again. you’re about to kiss and then the bell rings and you flee before the date changes (since wizard goto’s magic only works on july 7 lol). literally an entire year passes and you wish to see prince namba at the ball again and wizard goto shows up to grant your wish. however, your evil stepfamily burst in and tie you and wizard goto up because they knew you used magic to go to the ball last year hahahahahhaa. you somehow escape and ride goto’s horse to the ball and namba sees you cause your horse is like screaming/making some really weird noise. he brings you inside and has a whole bunch of gowns and accessories laid out and is like “this old man doesn’t know what kids like so just pick whatever”. you get all dolled up and he tells you he’s impressed by how mature you look and that he was waiting for you and long story short he takes you on a garden stroll and gets on his knees and asks you to be with him forever. naturally, it’s a dream and you wake up in the reference room where you chat a bit with namba and then you end up going for ramen but this is before namba ms2 probably so you aren’t together yet and you lament that he just sees you as a trainee. 

i can’t find a copy of shinonome’s ver online and i spent all my money on intl voltage so sadly i can’t summarise it but i bet it’s equally ridiculous and funny. 

カクテルグラスに愛をのせて a really cute set of substories featuring ishigami, namba and soma which are all about “cocktail language” (as in cocktails having different meanings). i want soma’s one to be translated so badly so i can see dumbass mc being fooled over and over and over again by everyone’s lies and then soma ultimately being SO cute~ 

彼が野生動物だった件 this one is basically about you and your man not being able to touch each other because you need to hide your relationship from tsugaru’s surveillance - but when it’s over, you get devoured by your frustrated boyfriend... 

カレが妬くと大変なことになりまs aka all of those rival jealousy stories. naturally i’m most desperate for soma v shinonome. also, the first of these stories to come out (a while before any of the other ones) was kaga vs tsugaru, so i thought haha they replaced the “す” with “s” for sadist. they kept the titling like this for every single rival pair (namba v kurosawa, ishigami v goto, soma v shinonome) and i was like oh that does undermine it... but then i realised that as tsugaru once said, their entire department is full of sadists and public safety division should be renamed to SM division so~

aside from all of those, i want all the anniversary stories as well with their accompanying CGs and/or manga!! 

ahh... there’s also the 2/365 birthday story (which is where ishigami gifts you the matching watch btw) which is literally just everyone spoiling you and it’s so cute. anyway if i don’t stop this now i will keep going on and on and on but basically every single hlitf substory is AMAZING? i hope they release the untranslated summer ones soon too as summer is coming up!

ETA: I FORGOT TO MENTION I ALSO WANT THIS WHOLE SET: 逆転バレンタイン- 恋人は専属補佐官 which is a valentine special where basically the roles are reversed and you are the instructor and he is your exclusive aide~ 

and i want the entire kare kiss set as well because you know how much i love a jealousy plot ;) 

EDIT 2: I ALSO FORGOT TO MENTION 加賀兵吾の再調教 if only just for this one image 

and this formalwear sprite

and also just the drama of you being locked in a cage barely conscious for days while kaga has to pretend to sell you to a perverted millionaire 

by the way, the heart necklace you’re wearing in the cg is something that kaga gave in one of his main routes iirc and he literally tramples on it in this special... the DRAMA

[disneyat34]

The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad at 34

A review by Adam D. Jaspering

The 1940s were a troubled time for Disney Studios, financially. Through deal-making, patience, and budgeting, Disney Studios endured a dark age and righted themselves. By 1949, they were free to return to the path established at the decade’s beginning. 

Abandoned interpretations of Cinderella, Peter Pan, and Alice in Wonderland started up again. Production began on Disney’s first completely live-action film, Treasure Island. True-Life Adventures, a series of documentary shorts, were a surprise hit. The 1950s were going to be very kind to Walt Disney and his company. But they weren't there yet. There was one final task before Disney could shut the door on the 1940s.

The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad was to be the final package film from Disney, closing out this era. The movie is comprised of two shorts: The Wind In the Willows, and The Legend of Sleepy Hollow. The two shorts have no thematic link besides being literary adaptations. For much of its development, it had the working title Two Fabulous Characters. 

The Wind In the Willows is an adaptation of the 1908 children’s book by Kenneth Grahame. The story centers around a quartet of animals living in Edwardian England. The sensible MacBadger, Ratty, and Moley try their best to help their outlandish and boisterous friend, Mr. Toad. Basil Rathbone narrates the short.

At various points of its production, Disney Studios intended to adapt the book into a full-length movie. The troubles at Disney Studios and a string of creative blocks impeded its completion. At the insistence of Walt Disney himself, it was finally scaled back to a half hour short.

The Wind In the Willows has a level of appreciation in its native Britain, but in the United States, it’s a somewhat obscure novel. Much of its substance relies on a knowledge of British customs and sensibilities. This cultural disconnect makes it relatively inaccessible to American children. For a book featuring talking animals, a runaway locomotive, and a prison break, there is a large focus on manners and dignity.

Being an American production company, Disney Studios had an uphill battle. They not only had to produce the ostensibly British work, they needed to deconstruct it. They couldn't just deliver the story, they needed to present it in a way that could be understood by children internationally. A comedy of manners doesn't work if one doesn't understand the setting and society. Disney does not deliver in this regard. Everything comes across as British for British sake.

The character MacBadger is voiced by animator Campbell Grant. Grant had been working with Disney since the Hyperion Studio days. He was born in Berkley, California, and never lived in Scotland. His talents as a voice actor reflect the fact. He provides an incredibly forced and painful Scottish brogue.

On the other hand, Ratty has such a perfect English accent, it’s almost a parody. Ratty is voiced by Claud Allister, an actual British actor. Allister seems determined to perform the most stereotypical British character ever witnessed by an American audience. Ratty has a stuffy London accent, smokes a pipe, wears a deerstalker cap and wool suit, has a bushy mustache, aristocratic mannerisms, and regularly hosts tea. Is English his nationality, or his personality? 

The other characters (minus the Scottish MacBadger) are English as well, but allowed other traits. Is Ratty a joke? Is he meant as an object of ridicule? Is this Disney's attempt at societal farce? His characterization is confusing and doesn't help the story.

The main character, touted as ‘fabulous’ by the film’s working title, is Mr. Toad. Mr. Toad is an individual of great wealth. Old family money, to be specific. He has no work ethic, no discipline, and is intent on spending his fortune and his days as recklessly as possible. MacBadger, Ratty, and Moley spend their days cleaning up Mr. Toad’s messes and curtailing future mistakes.

The relationship between these four is something of a mystery. Ratty and Moley appear to be roommates. MacBadger operates as  accountant of Mr. Toad’s estate, apparently a long-time employee. But how all four came to meet is never fully explained or implied. For the purposes of the film, they are burdened with Mr. Toad and his antics. This is their lot in life.

Mr. Toad is a vivacious individual who’s quick to jump on frivolous trends, indulging his whims at a moment’s notice. He spends way too much money on ostentatious displays of conspicuous consumption. We’re introduced to him, rampaging down the road on a horse-drawn carriage. Ratty and Moley beg and plead for him to stop, as he is causing an alarming amount of property damage. Mr. Toad scoffs at their request.

But Mr. Toad's interest in his wagon is halted by another method. Seeing an automobile, his appreciation for wagons disappears. He becomes maniacally obsessing over owning a car. Ratty and Moley intervene again, locking Mr. Toad in his bedroom as though he were an addict detoxing. Mr. Toad's fits are a nice piece of visual humor, but don't endear the viewer to his selfish behavior.

Mr. Toad escapes out his window, finding a tavern full of literal weasels ready to sell him the stolen car. The weasels are stock criminals. Their purpose is to distract the viewer. To trick them into not suspecting the true villain of the feature. The deceit is ineffective, not from a narrative standpoint, but an animation standpoint.

The bartender is one of the most on-the-nose designed characters in the history of animation. His treachery is supposed to be a surprising plot twist, as though we could not see it coming from miles away. The man practically has "villain" tattooed on his forehead. With his squinty eyes, malicious grin, hunched posture and arched eyebrows, the animators did not give their audience any credit. Anyone who could not come to the independent conclusion that he is a con man deserves to be ripped off. 

Mr. Toad's friends are forced to intervene again, testifying on his behalf. To no avail. Mr. Toad is arrested, but escapes from prison in an effort to prove his wrongful conviction. MacBadger, Ratty and Moley are tasked one final time to reverse Mr. Toad's fortune and prove his innocence. It is a very one-sided friendship.

Mr. Toad eventually clears his name. He doesn’t learn any lesson, immediately returning to his old imprudent lifestyle. Mr. Toad experiences no consequences, and suffers no losses. His friends don’t think any less of him. They receive no reward for their faithfulness. Our heroes end up exactly where they had started.

The Wind In the Willows is an adventure where somehow nothing happens. There’s no moral, no journey, no change, no growth. It’s a chapter from the characters’ lives. It feels immaterial. 

Perhaps Disney Studios expected to reuse the characters in the future. Only a portion of Grahame's book is represented in the cartoon. The Wind In the Willows could conceivably be a franchise. Story elements cut from the original feature-length script could be repurposed into one or two additional shorts.

If this was the plan, of course the writers needed to hit the reset button. Viewers wouldn't understand a follow-up cartoon if they hadn't seen the predecessor. The shorts would need to operate independently as well as part of a series. The characters end here unaffected, consequence free, but primed for another outing later.

If this was the plan, nothing came to fruition. As Disney presents it, The Wind In the Willows is an abandoned pilot. It's the pointless story of an unlikable amphibian and his overburdened friends. A good story makes you glad you went on the journey. The Wind in the Willows is the equivalent of walking into a room and forgetting why.

The production of The Wind In the Willows continued off and on beginning in 1938. Walt Disney himself was rather indifferent to the source material. He only optioned the film rights for financial opportunity. Ironic, as the production was a complicated, eight-year boondoggle.

At various times, it was intended to be paired with Mickey and the Beanstalk or Pecos Bill, and released as early as 1946. For varying reasons, it wasn’t released until 1949, when it was paired with another short entirely.

The Legend of Sleepy Hollow had a much simpler production history. There was no logical way to adapt the 24-page short story to a full-length feature. From the beginning, it was intended to be a short. Production began in 1946. In 1947, Disney decided it would accompany The Wind In the Willows to the big screen. 

Why pair these two unrelated shorts together? There’s no official justification, but one can deduce their intention. Disney Studios was sick and tired of package films. They wanted to move on. They didn't want to spend a single extra minute supporting them. They had two shorts completed, ready for distribution. It didn't matter how disconnected they were in subject. Sometimes art is a labor of love. Sometimes you want to end the creative process as fast as possible. 

Referred to as Ichabod Crane by the film, The Legend of Sleepy Hollow is based on the 1820 short story by Washington Irving. The story centers around a superstitious schoolteacher, Ichabod Crane. New in town, he vies for the romantic attention of a wealthy heiress, Katrina van Tassel. Crane is impeded by local townsman Brom Bones, also courting Katrina. As the contest grows to a head, a mix of animosity and local legend decides the fate of Crane.

The Legend of Sleepy Hollow is one of the earliest pieces of American literature to be regarded as a classic. It remains a staple of the gothic horror genre. The featured monster, The Headless Horseman, remains a chilling figure in the horror pantheon. What's more, the Disney version is considered the definitive adaptation and a Halloween staple.

With such an established holiday association, it’s easy to forget that all mentions of Halloween don’t occur until halfway through. More than that, the iconic ride of the Headless Horseman lasts seven minutes. The first half of the story is nothing more than a typical love-triangle. Just set during the Washington administration.

It’s a testament to great storytelling and memorable characters. Half the picture is establishment and foreshadowing, but never feels plodding or pointless. It all builds, shapes the world, and pays off spectacularly at the end.

The physical appearance of Ichabod Crane is a master stroke of design. Crane is tall, rail thin, with long legs, and a large nose. He looks every bit like the bird he shares a name with. He looks odd, comical even, but not out of place among the other citizens of Sleepy Hollow. 

It’s part of his charm that such a gangly, awkward fellow is depicted as a classy, desirable man. Him being voiced by Bing Crosby is a large element of this attraction.  It’s not stunt-casting. The disconnect between a major celebrity’s charisma coming from the mouth of a laughably ungainly character is fantastic. It’s just one great element of an intricate character. 

Every time we think we understand who Crane is, we learn something new to smash those conceptions. He’s a man of letters, but also superstitious. He’s a romantic, but also deviously wants to marry Katrina for her money. He’s a disciplinarian, but easily swayed by his own interests. A running gag demonstrates he values food over everything. Crane is an enigma.

In contrast, Brom Bones is an archetype. There’s not much to comment on. He’s a burly man, popular with the townsfolk, prone to violence when challenged. He's singularly focused on a specific woman who barely gives him attention. We’ve seen this archetype already with Lumpjaw in Fun and Fancy Free, and we’ll see it again in Beauty and the Beast.

And yet, Brom Bones surprises us by transcending his himbo personality. He displays a precisely-executed bit of cunning. Brom takes advantage of Crane’s superstitions, reciting the story of the Headless Horseman at a Halloween party. With perfect delivery and cadence. He captivates the townsfolk with his tale, but leaves Crane paralyzed by fear. 

The final climax features a sense of ambiguity outshining Irving's original story. It’s strongly implied that the Headless Horseman is truly a myth. That Crane experiences no supernatural entities. Instead, it's Brom Bones in disguise who terrorizes Crane on his way home. It's the second half of his scheme, causing Crane to flee town, leaving Brom alone to marry Katrina. 

It's strongly implied, but not definite. One may also choose to believe the Headless Horseman is real. That Crane did indeed meet his doom on Halloween night. It’s open for interpretation, and both are viable. Even if one is slightly more credible than the other.

The Legend of Sleepy Hollow is a fantastic short. Ichabod Crane is interesting and complex. The environments are lush and evocative of a New England autumn. The story is fun and engaging. Its final act is atmospheric and chilling. It's the perfect introduction for children to the horror genre, and holds up to adult sensibilities. It deserves to be watched once a year. But just like with Disney’s other package films, a great short is better enjoyed separated from a crudely assembled movie. And The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad is as crude as they come.

The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad was the last in a long march of frugal package films. Mandated by financial constraints, everyone knew they were low-effort affairs. Thankfully, Disney Studios could pursue ambitious productions once again. Disney would not produce another package film until 1977, when the studio encountered similar financial problems. But in 1949, the era was finally behind them. The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad wasn’t meticulous, wasn’t neat, and wasn’t even coherent as a feature. But it was a film. Disney shut the door on the era with a resounding slam.

Fantasia Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs Pinocchio Bambi The Three Caballeros Dumbo Melody Time Saludos Amigos The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad Fun and Fancy Free Make Mine Music

[eatsleepbreathefutbol]

Wedding

This was inspired by Disney Fairytale weddings, I have been obsessed with that show recently. In this imagine I’m using names of his family. Like DeeDee is his older sister, Kelley is his mom, and Will his cousin. I’m thinking of making a three part wedding series for him, this one will be the first part of it which will be the getting ready for the ceremony.

So today was the day, the day where you and Christian were getting married. You were at the Grand Floridian getting ready with your mom, DeeDee, Kelley, Y/BF/N who was your maid of honor, and the rest of your bridal party.

Chris had sent Will over to your room to give you a little gift before the wedding to ease your nerves. When Will walked in the stylist was doing your makeup, and he walks in with a little wooden box he hands it to you and gives you the instructions “So cousin in law, I was given strict instructions to give you, Christian told me to give you the box and your only allowed to open one of the parts of the gifts today while you finish getting ready” before Will leaves he gives Y/BF/N a kiss since he was her boyfriend, that was the one thing you loved about the relationship that you had a couple to go on double dates with.

You open the envelope that was on top of the lid of the wooden box, that read open on our wedding day, when you opened the envelop you find a folded piece of paper and open it to find it was a letter:

Dear Y/N,

I don’t know how to start this off mamas, but I can tell you that I am very excited to get married to you. I’m probably trying to fight the urge to run to you and kiss you now, I probably put Will and Weston on Christian Watch as corny as it sounds but it’s probably necessary. I’m excited to be that hubby that will be at the end of the aisle crying while you walk down the aisle because I can’t believe that I’m marrying such a beautiful, caring and wonderful woman like you but most of all because Mrs. Christian Mate Pulisic is walking towards me to proof to the audience our profound love for each other. I can’t wait til the day where we have a mini version of you or me running around the house while you’re on the couch holding our other child watching Frozen II for like the millionth time.

I knew you were my other half on our first year anniversary, when you moved in with me. I knew that I wanted to keep waking up next to you, with you in my arms. By the time we were together for a year and half I was already imagining what it’d be like if we were to have kids and how they would look like, if mini you would get her good looks from me and mini me would have the tennis skills his mama has or his dad’s soccer skills. I can assure you the time we took time apart was the worst part of my life, because I can’t see my life without you. I just know that I’m ready to conquer whatever obstacle comes towards us, because it’ll be you and me for the rest of our lives ‘until death of us part’.

I’m so happy that we’re getting married at the most magical place in the world, a place that has a special place in our hearts, a place that brought us even closer for our 2nd year anniversary trip. I know you’ve always wanted to get married in front of Cinderella’s castle in Magic kingdom, because it’s one of your favorite places and because of your obsession with Disney Fairytale Wedding. Well babe you’ve got your fairytale ending, with e as your Prince Charming, and fairytale wedding. I hope I didn’t make you cry, because if I did your makeup is probably ruined by now but to me it wouldn’t matter because I love you and all of your phases.

Well I should stop rambling on so you can finish getting ready, can’t wait to see you at the end of the altar Mrs. Y/N Y/MN Pulisic.

Your loving soon to be husband,

Christian Pulisic

After you had finish reading the letter to the people in the room, you hadn’t noticed the happy tears streaming down your face, Kelley was excited that you were going to be her daughter-in-law. Your mom was in tears, happy at the thought that her daughter had found her soulmate. You were excited to open the wooden box that was still on your lap, when you open the box you see different envelopes. You start flipping through them reading each envelope:

Open when we enter our house as a married couple

Open when you’re getting ready for the first home game as my wife

Open when I’m at the first away game as your husband

Open when you miss me

Open when you feel insecure

Open when you need a good laugh

Open when we’ve had our first fight as a married couple

Open when you’re on a flight back home

Open when it’s a rainy day in London

Open when you find out your pregnant

Open when we’re at the hospital holding our first child

The envelopes seemed to have been written by someone else other than Christian, because the handwriting was neat and not sloppy. You had not expected a gift like this, but you had sent Y/BF/N to give him a gift you had gotten him. For the bride to groom gift exchange you had done a little DIY flip book with 45 reasons why you want to marry him, cuffs initialed with C+Y/I and a scrapbook filled with polaroids you had taken while you guys were dating. The hair stylist decided to give you a little break so you can look at your gifts, she decided to do one of your bridesmaids hair while waiting for you to finish, when you were finishing looking at the envelope Y/BF/N comes back in with another gift Christian had sent you. Chris had sent you a shot glass along with a bottle of tequila, so you would take a shot before leaving for Magic Kingdom, and a necklace locket that had both of your initials in it.

You had taken the shot Christian had sent along with two flukes of champagne, right now the hairstylist was finishing your hair while everyone was in awe with how cute you guys were for giving each other little gifts. The stylist had finished and now you were off to make up, your look was more of a natural/nudish color scheme. When the makeup stylist was done, you were off to the bathroom getting ready to slip on your wedding dress.

Your mom and Y/BF/N were helping you put on the dress, putting on the dress just reminded you of how many dresses you had to try on before finding the perfect one. Pnina Tornai in your opinion was the best wedding dress designer, and you loved all her dresses so you had to get one of her gowns. When you walked out to show DeeDee, Kelley, and your bridal party everyone was literally in awe and tears at how gorgeous you looked with the final product. You were ready to be married to the love of your life!

[kob131]

https://rwdestuffs.tumblr.com/post/616806790896680960

Ironwood: Yells, screams, rants extensively, shoots things, breaks things

He never screamed, he never ranted, he broke like one thing (a chess piece) and shoot one guy (who in his mind was trying to stop him from saving people).

Yeah, Ironwood is emotional. He’s a fucking veteran Huntsman fighting a war that he was lied about by the man he trusted and the allies he thought he had. He also kind of just had HIS ONE GOOD ARM FUCKING SCORTCHED AND HIS PARANOIA CONFIRMED. Pretty fucking understandable, you shouldn’t be misrepresenting him.

Fandom: Clearly this man is a rational, logical person who is making his decisions based solely on cold reason. RWBY is being too emotional.

Who the FUCK has argued that James is operating under cold logic? He’s not, of course he’s acting under emotion.

What are you even saying?

RWBYJNR: Lies, cheats, steals, rants about a politician trying to do his best to protect a kingdom from going to shit, and also harassed a kid when they’re lied to

You know, Psyga, it doesn’t help that not only are you ALSO misrepresenting shit (They never cheated, the stealing of one airship pales to the numerous DEATHS that would have been caused, they didn’t rant and ONE PERSON  messed with Oscar while the LEADER RUBY comforted him) but you yourself are guilty of this shit (Lying, cheating and stealing? Gee I wonder who else does that? *cough* RWDE *cough*)

Fandom: Clearly these group of well thinking, mentally scarred teenagers are rational, logical people who are making their decisions solely on reason. Ironwood is being too emotional.

Again, WHO IS SAYING THAT? Also, implying that Ironwood isn’t basically a walking mass of mental scars.

Has it ever occurred to you that maybe grown men in charge of armies should be held to a slightly higher standard than teenagers, rather than the other way around?

Has it occurred to you that they’re both adults, they’re both fucking up and everyone screwed Salem’s pooch here? Honestly the only guy doing good is Ozpin. Yeah, he started this mess but he did some damn good work before Cinderella.

Also no Psyga, I am not supporting your hypocritical ass. “they’re taught to be pinnacles of man kind’’ By the headmasters....which includes IRONWOOD.

I laugh at the idea of James “A few city blocks”   Ironwood trying to do the best to protect his kingdom. Especially when he peaced out and decided to scarper not cos of Salem but due to a chess piece, all while ignoring the fact he had Salem agents on his stupid little rock already to instead focus on shrieking at RWBY a bout loyalty. 

The same James “I’ll promote you all to Huntsmen, I’m the one to tell my subordinates the truth first and I SUFFER FROM PARANOIA AND PROBABLY A HOST OF OTHER MENTAL SCARS” Ironwood right?

I mean you support Yang Tumblingxelian because ‘uwu vagin- I mean PTSD’ so SURELY you support Ironwood RIGHT?

Also, he freaked out about a chess piece because it’s SALEM’S SYMBOL. Its like saying “Oh its not Hitler it’s just his CALLING CARD”. And no shit James is calling out Team RWBY, he trusted them and they lied to his face. You know, the same position Team RWBY was in with Ozpin.

Plus Ironwood himself lies and steal in regards to supplies from Mantle and rants too, except unlike RWBY he doesn’t have nearly as good of an excuse save for the fact he’s surrounded himself with enablers and refuses to accept or seek out help. 

Amity? Yes.

Supplies? Where? Robyn says they should be going to Mantle, that doesn’t mean they’re Mantle supplies. Show me where it was shown, said or explained he TOOK the supplies.

Also, what enablers? People who put their trust in him? That’s like saying Team RWBY were enablers for Ozpin: it’s the Ace Ops and Winter’s fault for not looking out for their leader, just as it was James’ issue for not looking out for Ozpin.

Like seriously, nothing is ever done to show RWBY as unstable or irrational, at best they are uncertain which is frank;y better than Ironwood or Opzin’s “I know best” attitude because it means they are open to changing rather than breaking the moment they run into a problem their methods can’t solve. 

Changing, like going from opposing lying to lying themselves right AFTER knowing how bad of an idea that is.

This is the fucking Yang/Adam situation all over again, removing fault and agency just because you don’t like the other side.

We also literally see their rationales, they need to get he lamp to Atlas before either Salem’s agents find them or it potentially lures Grimm in. They make a good plan that only doesn’t work out cos the local general decided t bust out a super mech and prance around screaming and they still hung around long enough to help solve the problem that idiot created. 

Strange that you don’t their talk of telling the truth....

When it comes to Mantle their rationales for why its awful and Ironwood’s decisions are wrong are explained both morally and in terms of practicality, Ironwood sometimes listened but usually ignored them cos he’s an arrogant ass. 

Or, you know, he’s been lied to numerous times, he’s in immense physical pain right now, his mental issues are being played on and he’s in a rushed, fucked if you do fucked if you don’t situation.

You know, WHAT THE SHOW FUCKING SHOWS.

On one side is a pack of teenagers dragged into a lot of nightmarish shit they were in no way ready to deal with, who are trying to work together and find a way to save the world. They do this despite being horribly traumatized, physically dismembered in two cases, having to fight off their abusers (to the death in one case), all the while admitting they’re in over their head, they’ve made mistakes, and trying to fix them and generally improve things.

The other side is a military general blatantly abusing his political power to deprive a city of critical resources, leaving them exposed to man eating monsters, declaring martial law to stop the rest of the government from stopping him from outright abandoning the people of that city (and the rest of the planet) to those monsters, ordering the cold-blooded murderer of an elderly woman to steal her magical powers, ordering the arrest of a group of teenagers and one older man because SOME OF THEM vocally disagreed with these actions, then shot a teenage boy for politely disagreeing with him, with the intent being that the boy would die from either the bullet of the long fall that followed. He does all this while insisting he’s being logical, that he’s making the hard choices on everyone elses behalf, and that he is always right. While hallucinating, ranting and screaming about disloyalty, all of which because he failed once (And that’s ignoring how he backstabbed several supposed friends before that traumatizing incident.)

A. Ironwood is also dragged into this by the same metric.

B. James is ALSO in over his head. Everyone not named ‘Ozpin’ is and Ozpin BARELY qualifies.

C. And James is being abused and used too!

D. ‘physically dismembered in two cases’ One and *taps Ironwood’s metal arm*

E. To try and help EVERYONE he’s ‘depriving resources’ because shit ain;t infinite.

F. Aas opposed to the genocidal, ancient witch CONTROLLING the man eating monsters?

G. And the other option? Have everyone DIE in his eyes.

H. Cold blooded murder...that she agreed to of her own volition....

I. You misspelled ALL as SOME. As in, ALL of the protags disagreed with him.

J. ANd you know, trying to stop him.

K. You know, like literally everyone else

M. He never hallucinated, ranted or screamed

James Ironwood is a coward and a traitor to the Kingdom of Atlas. On top of that, he is an entitled little shit that neglected his responsibilities to the civilians of the Kingdom, and then was so fucking arrogant that he was actually OFFENDED that people were angry with him for not doing his job. Quite a lot of that can be blamed on the culture of the Atlas military, of the demands of blind loyalty and yes-men creating an echo chamber without him even noticing. But in the end, he made the decisions. He decided the people of Mantle are an expendable resource, months or even years before Cinder broke into his office. He decided to order the murder of an elderly woman, to overthrow his government, to arrest anyone that dared to disagree with him, and to personally shoot a boy in cold blood. 

You want to know the twisted part? I think those of us that admit Ironwood is in the wrong actually respect him more. We can see how he came to this point, the cultural indoctrination, the dangers of military culture, the PTSD he’s clearly suffered since Beacon... We can feel sympathy for a fallen hero. Those who support him continue to insist that he’s in his right mind, that all his decisions, from volume two onwards, have all been completely logical... And what kind of person would that make him?

Oh fuck you with that “Because I disagree that makes me better bullshit.”

You didn’t portray a fallen hero, you portrayed a flatter version of Adam, denying Ironwood’s reasons, glorifying Team RWBY and painted it black and white.

And before anyone claims I am supporting Team RWBY:

Actually look up my opinions of them on my blog. Or hell, this single post. I think both parties are at fault for the situation here for their own flaws. ANd I feel sad for both them.

The conflict in the fandom, however?

[ask-ivory]

RWBY Random Rant #2!

What villain is the best? (Cinder vs Roman)

Second rant everyone! This one may be a bit longer than the first, so if you don't have time but find this interesting, then I suggest reading this later. If you have infinite time on your hands and your board, then this might help depending on your interests. So let's jump into today's rant!

So, the world of Remnant is a big place. There, you'll find friendly people, weird people, mean people, and people who are just flat out crazy. But today, we're looking at a certain group of people: Villains. Now before we jump in to the blender of craziness, this post is an analysis that can be used for predictions and plot lines. I may be wrong, but I'm writing this off of what I know.

Anyways... Let's start with the basic question, What IS a villain? A villain (or for the more technical term: antagonist) is a character who is trying to stop the hero (or protagonist) from accomplishing his or her goal. Either this, or they're trying to get something and the hero is trying to stop them because what the villain wants is wrong. This is the loosest definition, so you can imagine that this goes way deeper than you think.

There are some things that you need to ask and have answered before you confirm who is the villain in a story. Some of which includes the following:

Who is this guy? (Basic background)

Why is he or she interested in this scenario? (Could this benefit to their cause?)

Why are they doing this? (If so, then why?)

So if we take this and try and apply it to the "villain" we can tell if this is a VILLAIN. Another important thing to note is the quality of the character. What sort of events cause the villain to act like this, and why?

Well, when we're talking RWBY, then villains come in different shapes and sizes. Some villains are immature, and others have experienced enough pain and defeat to know exactly what will work to achieve their goal and/or stop the hero. Then you have the peeps in the middle who aren't as overwhelming as the big baddie, but have enough common sense to know what's going on, what needs to be done, and why they're doing it.

So I'mma gonna start at the bottom of the rainbow and work my way up to the best colors. I'll also be rating these characters on a scale of one to ten. I won't do everyone. Let's start with the entire fandom's LEAST favorite character.

Cinder Fall

Stars: 0/10

Now if I was a writer for the show, I think the most interesting thing that could happen to Cinder is if she just dropped dead. That's how bad she. Literally. Now, what makes her so disgusting? There are two answers.

She did horrible things. Like hacking the communication towers (With help from Watts, of course), making the people at the Vytal Festival Tournament doubt the leaders of Vale, and, to top it off, KILLED Pyrrah and Ozpin.

But these are the actions a normal villain would do, so what really makes her Terrible? The second answer has the reason.

2. She's a poorly written character with a lack of depth are perception.

I have no idea what made the writers want to make Cinder a hated character, but whatever did worked really well. Honestly, it's like Roosterteeth did the opposite of what Disney did to Cinderella. But when I say she lacks depth, I mean there is nothing that makes her character any good. She's also one of the biggest mysteries in the show, and I don't mean that in a good way. Here are some of the questions that I often ask about her:

Why does she want power?

Does she want to rule the world?

Why does she wear an outfit that's guaranteed to help her freeze to death?

Does she want to kill Salem?

Why doesn't she learn from her mistakes?

WHY THE HECK DOES SHE EVEN EXIST?!?!?!

Well, after some examination, I found out something shocking. She is just a plot device. She may talk and act evil, but in reality, she's just there so that the characters have something to worry about. She has nothing that makes her good, or relatable. To add to that, she's like the Grimm, all she does is attack and kill and if she loses, she DOESN'T reflect on her actions, and she DOESN'T try to fix her mistakes. She just goes back into the fight with the same strategy as before. If the main protagonists studied Cinder's basic movement, then they would be able to take her down, no doubt.

Can Cinder be saved? The answer is no. I bet that, judging from the road she's going down, her strategy will be her ultimate end.

Hazel Rainheart

(I may have spelled his name wrong. Sorry.😁)

Stars: 2/10 ☆☆

Now Hazel is a bit more interesting. Unlike Cinder, he has a reason he's on the side he is now, but like everyone, he has his flaws. He lets his anger get the better of him, and he's quick to judge. But the real reason why he's not so good is because of his reasoning. His sister died on a training mission because SHE chose to become a huntress. But Hazel takes all of his anger out on Oscar and Ozpin just because he (Ozpin) was the headmaster of Beacon, and let her into the school in the first place.

And I gotta say, this reasoning is understandable, but it's still dumb.

But there is something that makes Hazel a huge threat to the heros: his semblance of pain nullification. This gives him the ability to block out pain. And I kinda get where it comes from.

When his sister died, he was broken. She was probably the only family Hazel had, and when she was killed, he wanted to block out the emptiness, the grief, the pain. Thus his semblance was unlocked and he could no longer feel pain. This ability is probably how his aura charges up so quickly. If pain can block aura from charging, then he has the tools to be a force to be reckoned with. The only downside is that just because he can't feel pain doesn't mean that he's not hurt.

Can Hazel be saved? Maybe. But if he goes on a redemption arch, then he will probably die. But that doesn't mean that he's a lost cause. There's still plenty of things that can be added to Hazel's character to make it better. But at the present, he could be better.

Adam Taurus

Stars 2/10 ☆☆

This character is relatively horrible. In fact, he's worse than Hazel!

But the thing is, he's like Hazel in a special way: he has a tragic past. Certain events that wreck a kid's childhood can scar them for life. Adam was discriminated for his faunus traits, and this set him on a path of revenge that would be his bitter end.

He was a threat, but small compared to the real one. His semblance made him very dangerous, but it also makes sense. To be more specific, his semblance is, what I like to call, absorption of impact (or for the EruptionFang version, moon slice). This gives him the ability to absorb any damage done by the enemy into his blade, then release it back at a more powerful rate. This can cause devastating damage to both the enemy and the environment. As for why he had this semblance is pretty basic once you think about it.

Adam desired to get back at those who mistreated him. He wanted them to feel his pain, but a lot more extreme. He wanted them to feel what he felt, but worse.

Adam had a lot of potential, but, well when you get stabbed in the back, it's not easy to get back at your enemies. Over all in terms of writing, the thing that would've made him better was a better understanding of what he went through.

Tyrian Callows

Stars 4/10 ☆☆☆☆

If Adam wasn't crazy enough for you, then Tyrian's your go to guy.

I think that Tyrian is insane enough to join Salem, but has enough sense to know how to kill. He's kinda tough to figure out, but thanks to some much needed information in Volume 7, we now know a bit about Tyrian's past.

Tyrian was a mad man killer on the continent of Anima but was captured. He was then rescued by Salem and her Grimm. Since he's mad he owed his life to her ever since.

He's mad, so there's no bad excuse. And to add to that, he is flat down dangerous. His semblance is the ability to cut through aura, making him a hard to beat.

Can Tyrian be saved? Not really. The only way to kill him is for someone to fall victim to him while another strikes the killing blow.

Doctor Aurthor Watts

Stars: 5/10 ☆☆☆☆☆

Alright. Here we go!

Watts is very interesting. That's saying alot. Now that we have more information on him, it's easier to see why he wants to screwer Ironwood.

He was an Atlasian scientist who went against Pietro in the effort to make something great for Atlas. While Watts helped write the Atlas security code, Pietro found that the best inspiration is found inside. That was were Penny was created. Watts was disgraced and faked his death. Then Salem found him and he joined her group to get both revenge on Ironwood and respect from Atlas. Though he is clearly unaware of what Salem's true plans are.

He is a wiz when it comes to technology. Besides that, I believe he has some experience with combat. His semblance could have something to do with technology, but we're still figuring that out.

Can Watts be saved? Writing wise, maybe we can get more details about Watts in the final episodes. He's not a lost cause when it comes being a more interesting villain.

Story wise though? He's a dead man.

Salem

Stars: 6/10 ☆☆☆☆☆☆

Yes, I didn't save her for until the end.😼

Now from the writer's point of view, Salem's backstory has been completely fleshed out. It's pretty complicated so I won't go into details. But from that alone, Salem's actons make sense. As a prisoner of life, she yearns to be free. She wants to die. And she believes that the only way to do this is to divide humanity and summon the gods in there darkest hour. Then the gods destroy the world and Salem is free. She doesn't care about the people she is hurting. She hates humanity and wants to destroy everything. But above all, she wants to get permanent revenge on her ex Ozma (or Ozpin or Oscar). She wants him to die and stay dead when millennia ago she made great sacrifices to try bringing him back from the dead.

Now she has nothing to show for it except endless years of war, hatred, and suffering. There is some relation that one can have with Salem. If anyone who is reading this tried to do something for someone you cared about, but got nothing to show for it in return, then that's what Salem would be feeling. And this has caused her to spiral into madness. She is the purest definition of crazy.

Can Salem be saved? It depends at this point. Story wise, most likely not.

Emerald and Mercury!

Stars for them both 7/10 ☆☆☆☆☆☆☆

These two are going to be paired in honor of their beloved ship: Emercury.

Both characters have tragic pasts, so that gives them some common ground, but both are looking for something different. Emerald is looking for love, the one thing that she never had in her entire life. Mercury is looking for a purpose in life, a way to make himself Worthy of greatness. He claims that Cinder recruiting him was just destiny.

Both of these peeps are incredibly good at what they do. Both can fight better than the members of team CFVY.

Emerald's semblance is Perception manipulation, which makes perfect sense in her case. In a very special case, her semblance is similar to Adam's. She wants others to see what she sees, Emerald wants people to see how alone she is, and just how much she needs family. Her semblance is an incarnation of her desire. And she uses it to make people see what she wants them to see.

Mercury's semblance is currently unknown at this time. But we do know that his semblance was stolen by his father. After killing him, Mercury probably got his semblance back, but lives under the illusion that it's still gone.

Mercury grew up in an abusive household, under the guard of a murderer. He was tortured everyday by his father.

Emerald grew up on the streets.

Basically, these characters are well written, and both have great potential as well. There's even some hope of a redemption Arch for these two, and possibly some romance.

Can Emerald and Mercury be saved? Writing wise, yes. More trauma and info can definitely help. Story wise? Hopefully, yes.

Roman Torchwick

Stars: 9/10 ☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆

Time for the classics!

This charming young schemer has been the first character in the actual show. Fans everywhere love him, and will often mark him as the best villain. Honestly, I have nothing against it. But for the sake of this post, let's break down this lovely character and examine his awesomeness.

Roman's origin is currently unknown, but maybe we'll get some light cast on it with Neo's backstory as well. Many believe that he is somehow connected to Brunswick Farms, and it's still a possibility that has yet to be ruled out.

Roman is a good fighter and a master mind behind the underground crime rings of Vale. By himself, he is a relatively good fighter. Though his semblance has yet to be determined, he has his own Roman candle.

Another aspect of this character that won the hearts of fans is his charming personality. I mean, who can blame him? Though his death was sudden, and unfair, his handsome face will live on in the hearts of many.

Neo Politan

Stars: 10/10⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

The star of the show, folks!

Neo made her big enterence in Volume 2 episode 4 Painting the Town, and ever since has been one of the most popular characters in the entire show. If you break down Neo's character based on what we know, then it's actually really interesting. Let's scoop ice cream!

Neo's backstory is unknown, but we're hoping to have some light shed on the subject. Based off of the song "One Thing", we can tell that Neo's backstory is tragic in some way. She lost everything except for Roman. And she is willing to fight to protect Roman from the death. How do I know?

Her semblance is called illusions by many, but Unicorn of War calls it Mirrors, which I think is the most accurate. Her semblance gives her the ability to reflect her opponent's attacks upon themselves, and she can change her appearance right down to her hair and eye color.

What does any of this have to do with protecting Roman? She will use Any means necessary to protect what little she has left, and to her, that one thing is enough. She Will change her identity as many times as possible, and she often gets away with it. But she is so fierce in protecting that during a fight, any pain that the enemy can dish out to her dumdum would make her determined to kick her opponent's butt. She would give them a taste of their own medicine and literally reflect their attacks upon themselves.

She is a reflection of protection. And like that reflection she represents, she says not a word, but shows people how exactly they can hurt the one she loves.

After Roman's death, Neo Politan is determined to reflect her loves justice upon the true enemies. If you can't face yourself, then you can't face Neo.

So, there you have it, villains everywhere.

Be sure to reblog if you found this interesting!

If you have questions, then ask away!😁