#loki does look goofy but i think it's neat

[cunty-akechi]

#“a persona users outfit reflects their desires and the manifestation of their persona” IS LOKI SUPPOSED TO BE A FUCKING ZEBRA???????????????

it's dazzle camoflauge!

Dazzle camouflage, also known as razzle dazzle (in the U.S.) or dazzle painting, is a family of ship camouflage that was used extensively in World War I, and to a lesser extent in World War II and afterwards. Credited to the British marine artist Norman Wilkinson, though with a rejected prior claim by the zoologist John Graham Kerr, it consisted of complex patterns of geometric shapes in contrasting colours interrupting and intersecting each other. Unlike other forms of camouflage, the intention of dazzle is not to conceal but to make it difficult to estimate a target's range, speed, and heading. Norman Wilkinson explained in 1919 that he had intended dazzle primarily to mislead the enemy about a ship's course and so cause them to take up a poor firing position.

he's so crazy we can't take him anywhere 😭🤣

[cateringisalie]

My list of bearable Binal Bantasy VII tags is thinning...

But seriously. Being skeptical of Tifa’s narration of past events is not without merit. By the time the Lifestream scene rolls around she has been through three comas and some grevious injuries. The Lifestream scene is as revelatory for her as it is for Cloud.

The new assertion she was in any way actually friends with Cloud is not only in conflict with the OG’s portrayal but counter to Cloud’s development, her development, the growth of their relationship as adults and why (in general) people have them stay together post game.

Its unnecessary, frustrating and further damaging Tifa’s character who is spinning off further from who she was.

That Tifa and Cloud were not actually childhood friends does not mean they do not have a relationship in FFVII. It does not mean they cannot be together. Tifa “falling in love” with Cloud at the water-tower does not for a second make their later relationship any more meaningful.

All this new ship information does is make the relationship have longer longevity than previously assumed. As if whichever relationship has lasted longer is betterer and stronger. As if this should automatically undercut any other relationship Cloud or Tifa can possibly experience.

(in fact - and darkly cynically - this feels a lot more like enforcing that Cloud/Tifa and Zack/Aerith operate in near exactly the same way. The pairs fall in love in record time (two years prior to the Nibelheim incident both times as far as I’m ware), the boys go missing and the girls never move on with their lives. I get the boys have gone missing without a shred of explanation or closure, but now for both of them people are willing to wipe out a quarter of their lives waiting. Teenagers are resilient you know? They will be inconsolable if this happened but they would bounce back a lot faster and cleaner than they would expect. The approval of the never moving on this is purely to keep the shipping uncomplicated. There can only be one pairing for Tifa, there can only be one pairing for Aerith. And if you think otherwise you’re wrong in canon. And who wants to write or read about a non-canon ship? Unless its yaoi/yuri in any case. I am so tired)

Childhood friends incidentally is not, however much some insist, a common trope of the series - unless you stretch it a fair amount and it encompasses a trivial number of the pairings. And none of the big ones (you know; Squall/Rinoa or Tidus/Yuna).

Could Tifa do with more backstory? Of course. Did Tifa’s mother deserve a name? Absolutely! But not like this. Not when Cloud helping round up cats in Remake is now tied to finding Tifa’s cat in a new authored backstory. This speaks again to the constant magpie-ing of existing imagery and moments from older parts of FFVII to feed the present. The retconning in of importance by changing the meaning of otherwise unimportant moments.

Tifa is not and never was under any obligation to like Cloud as a child. She did not bully him, but neither should she expected to involve him in anything she did. I understand the book has muddied this gloriously, but for what effect?

I mean, I know where the desperation to make Cloud and Tifa childhood friends stems from. I know why you want Cloud to have fallen in love with Tifa at like age 5 or something and for Tifa to fall in love with him at 13. And I rail against it all the time that its not necessary. Being first does not mean better.

Maybe I am old, cynical and exhausted, but I kind of like watching Cloud and Tifa grow closer in FFVII. I like watching Cloud and Aeris grow closer in FFVII. I like to experience these things where I can... experience them? I don’t like reading books which assert things in blunt statements that clarify exactly what the writer intended. I certainly don’t have the patience to wait for a later book to clarify what happened on-screen when I have drawn my own conclusions based on my preferences. Especially as this is all contributing to that continued sense that the OG is a smelly, badly designed embarrassment we would rather tiday away for the crime of being graphically inferior (never mind it was championed on its looks on release) and “goofy” (and apparently unable to run the gamut of emotions I remember from serious to comedy, to silly, to tragic, to pessimistic and quietly optimistic and moving).

I’m coming back to this point to stress it - I want to see the relationship growth. Remake gave me that for Aerith and Cloud even if the details aren’t to my taste. First meeting is awkward because hey, random stranger/Cloud is tired. Cloud gets involved and spends more time with Aerith. And the high-five thing is used as a clumsy/awkward/eh but clear metaphor for how their relationship develops over the course of their time together.

To the point that yes, it makes sense for Cloud to want to rescue her. Less sense for Elmyra and Tifa to be “Well they might not vivisect her” and then delay for two full chapters, but the whole thing flows.

And here’s where I get accused of being a fake fan: I don’t like how Cloud and Tifa’s relationship develops in Remake. Flirting. Tifa being mildly fazed by Cloud claiming its been five years. Scared when he almost kills Johnny. Maybe hurt depending on your resolution scene (hey podcast people! No Gold Saucer multiple dates because too expensive? How are there branched resolution scenes in Remake then?). But there isn’t growth. They seem to fit into each other’s lives without worry, bit of flirting, strange super-intense moments jammed into inappropriate sequences (the train roll, climbing the plate, Cloud remembering the promise unprompted, Tifa not actually engaged with Avalanche’s plans). There’s no sense anything has changed between them, the missed five years has done anything to them.

And I’m sure some would take this as proof of correctness. But... somehow Remake is better for realism despite a lot of new clumsy, but this relationship is not dinged for being implausible? No way does that five year gap not seriously impact any prior relationship to say nothing of developing from scratch.

See this was a neat thing about the OG; while Tifa seemed to have an edge over Aerith by knowing Cloud longer, he was in effect meeting them at the same point in his life and more or less starting from scratch with both. Both ships are valid, and even if Cloud is with Tifa come the end, it doesn’t mean he can’t have romantic feelings about both women.

Oh, but Nojima has changed his mind/always intended it this way. And? I can change my mind about liking what he’s written - and my patience and tolerance of Nojima has waned massively since 1997. To the point where his involvement invokes a pained groan from me.

Plus the hilarious attitude that this is from the same people who insisted “the OG will always be there, stop moaning about Remake”. Well guess what? I don’t like Remake and I don’t really want it around. The OG is better.

Yes, Tifa is under-served and sure, it could be clearer about shipping (but the apparent hostility to ambiguity and personal interpretation is deeply distressing. These things can mean something to you and don’t have to mean the same thing to everyone. Interpreting the romancs - again - not a competition).

BUT

I will take the OG version of Tifa where she believed in the cause, where she had friends (again, yes, the relationship between Tifa and the rest of Avalanche is not well depicted, but it was better than actively curtailing it), where she ran a bar THAT ACTUALLY OPENED AND SERVED CUSTOMERS, where she hated Shinra, where she didn’t know how to treat Cloud because she had only really talked to him once in her life and DESPITE THAT that they great closer and spent their last night before THE END OF THE WORLD together over the Remake.

Where Tifa is wary of Cloud for about 5 seconds, twice and then defaults to constant flirting. Where Cloud is near smothering Tifa every second they’re together and she doesn’t tell him to fuck off once. Where she’s allied with Avalanche but hates their methods (and the pacifists are in a shop around the corner and she is not with them because...?). Where she has some absurd contrived plot about medical bills and buying Seventh Heaven for Barret and Marlene.

Which would lead to a whole other rant titled “Marle is the Worst” but this has dragged on quite long enough.

But seriously; if you argue that we can’t hate Remake because OG is always there, then you have to stop applying Remake back to OG and using it as proof. Which is exactly why many people bemoaned the Remake at all. OG is one thing, Remake is another. I don’t care for the latter.

And I know if anyone does read all this it will be about the meanie Cleriths who diminish Tifa for no good reason. And yes, they are indeed acting in bad faith. But what makes you think for a second evidence will convince these people?

In particular, the argument has raged so long and always will because if people do not like a ship they will not accept it as canon (if they care about this as a factor) NO MATTER WHAT HAPPENS. Literally. Look at Loki if you want the most recent example of this.

Canon is to many “what I want” and often does not tally with the general interpretation. And you know, if being “canon” or guessing right early wasn’t triumphed as such a vital thing, we might not get these really terrible and pointless arguments.

Canon is a prize but here’s the big secret: fandom - in general - does not care. FFVII is an excellent case example given Sefikura overwhelms the other ships (and I think AZGSC is close?). And that’s not canon. That’s not even in the ballpark of the Cloud/Tifa vs Cloud/Aerith arena (even give that the former is roughly twice the size of the latter, you already won, so please stop?). Canon is only important if you think its important - and you get some more official art of sequences you can gif. And maybe you get kissing/implied sex/marriage/kids, but most of all you get a smug sense of superiority. And the last is why I have no patience with this.

[zephyr-together]

I saw Endgame tonight.......here’s some spoilery reactions

I feel like I kinda both love and hate it at the same time alkdfjalkdf

it was a lot better than I thought...not that I thought it would be bad! but there’s so many Marvel movies at this point and my focus is all over the place with everything in general so it can be hard to stay engaged. also I really thought the entire movie would be a huge Thanos Battle to get the stones back, which does happen near the end, but I thought it’d be that way from the start. I LOVED so much the time travel stuff!! it felt like a cartoon...not that it was just goofy and silly because there was a lot on the line and all but it felt like a fun parody of BttF or just any time traveling cartoon episode...I feel like the movies have gotten more rough lately to be all exciting and I forgot how much I love the humor in these when it’s there because it just feels very natural, like just the characters reacting to what’s happening or adding a thought to something without actually trying to be funny. it also helps the relationships/dynamics with the characters to be more interesting and sweet if there’s some fun stuff in instead of only suffering

but speaking of suffering......I wasn’t that shocked at everyone fading away at the end of Infinity War because I just thought “well obviously they’ll save them so why are fans getting worked up” and they did (except for the ones that didn’t die that way...) but we also lost more...and I feel so stupid for going into this feeling kinda bored like you got what you wanted! real death! happy now!! nope. feels bad...I don’t even feel bad in the sense of morning characters I just kinda feel a bit bitter and betrayed? mainly because the MCU, while it can be all dramatic and tense at times and all, has always also been pretty lighthearted, fun, entertaining etc too? and when Tony’s message at the end plays and he says that life doesn’t work out how you want it to or whatever I’m thinking...yeah...life doesn’t, but this is a film? that I’m supposed to be enjoying...to get away from what IS bad in real life

you know...Tony used to be my fav of the most main characters (it’s Thor now though) but I started to feel a bit “eh” with him after people pointing out what a jerk he can be, and it made me think “yeah I kinda can’t stand sarcasm so I can see that” but then I feel like he was actually really redeeming himself and becoming a way better person, and FATHER? and now they just do this. this always happens where I’m iffy about a character, grow to really like them a lot because they take actions to make up for their past behavior, and then they get killed off because of it...(whispers) she loved him times 3000

I was embarrassed to admit this too but Loki is my fav character, I wanted to replace him with Rocket because RACCOONS (Rocket is still right behind though) but also because I just feel kinda icky when I admit that because of how the fanbase rubs me the wrong way? I feel uncomfortable looking him up because of how there’s: people shipping him romantically/sexually with his own heckin brother, people shipping themselves with the actor/other actors with his actor, or people just defending absolutely every horrible thing he’s done and talking about him like he’s their baby lakjdlfkj but screw it he’s still my fav because I just almost always will love a villain who’s had some messed up stuff happen to them while bottling everything up and acting all silly and mischievous and fun...anyway that being said I wasn’t expecting him back but there was a tiny sliver of hope and it’s basically gone now...I did like his moments though but it feels like it doesn’t count since that’s just past him and he’s dead

sorry if I made this sound super negative!! I did again REALLY REALLY love all the time travel stuff not just for the trope but just how neat it was to see all these scenes from previous movies and how they reshot them and interacted with them and how they happened in the same times as they come out...I think that’s neat and cute...ALSO I REALLY love Nebula she’s my fourth overall fav MCU character now...and I’m SO happy she’s alive I was so sure she wouldn’t be!! she deserve so much!! that post I just reblogged about letting trauma victims be happy...I actually thought of her instantly...I thought she was sure to die because she’s suffered so much and it doesn’t seem like things are ever happy for her but I hope they will be!! because she deserves to be happy!! 

also I’m happy Steve got to be with Peggy...that’s incredible he’d get a chance like that and I’m happy for him but I feel like he did Bucky pretty dirty there I dunno...and it felt so weird and tacked on at the end him getting so old like that 

gotta add though that everything salty or negative about any of this is NOT me trying to say that it was badly written, more just like...I’m just disappointed because I wanted to have a fun time at a movie and I just feel kinda hurt and confused and weird in the end, that’s all!! I feel like though if things DO end up working out for everyone (mainly Loki and Tony) this would probably be my fav MCU movie or at least second fav because Ragnarock, but if not it’d be like one of my least...I just don’t like character death at all unless they come back. but even if they do...it hurts not knowing. and not in an exciting way just a bummed out disappointing way

[rionsuke]

okay, who wants some Ragna-thoughts:

starting with the very end, THEY’RE DOING ASGARD TO EARTH, I DID NOT EVEN CONSIDER THAT POSSIBILITY!!! That was my second favorite Thor run of all time and to see it play out on the big screen was so neat, I just wish we could see Thor summoning the entire kingdom to Oklahoma!

Okay now back to the beginning, I literally wept during that first fight scene bc a) I missed my baby boy so much!!! and b) that shot that followed the hammer in a circle was the sickest shit I’ve ever seen

Thor in his midgard outfit was so fucking precious. He looks so comfy in his jeans and like 4 layers of shirts and jackets

I did not see Doctor Strange, but like... where does his bitch ass get off being the #1 earth defender now, when I’m pretty sure he got his magician gig like... 6 months ago? Wadn’t he a selfish prick up until then? and implying that he could school Loki in magic? I don’t fucking think so. A+ for Thor destroying his house, 10/10, would watch again.

the beginning really did a good job of just how important the hammer is to Thor and all the cool ways he can use it, like in a way better way than all the other movies did. Him just casually throwing it around was really neat, and totally what I would do if I had such a thing.

and another thing this one did better (aside from, like, EVERYTHING, but I digress) is emphasizing Thor and Loki’s brotherhood. Loki wasn’t there to be a villain, he was just a terrible little shit brother, and Thor actually knew all of his tricks, which makes waaay more sense than “Are you ever not going to fall for that one?” bc they are brothers! Thor would know him better than that, and in this one he fucking did.

On that note, I could tell going in that Thor would be goofy and a little immature, but still observant, and they delivered on that. He was so sincere, and sharp, and emotionally mature when they moment required him to be. He just felt like such a well-rounded character and I am eternally grateful for that!

anyway I LOVE MY BEAUTIFUL DRUNK GF

Valkyrie was so cool and relatable! The whole “drinking to forget” angle totally worked, and I’m glad they took the time in the beginning to show she wasn’t such a serious character, which is a trap that so many of these action movies get into with their female leads. She fell off that ship and into my heart!

And her chugging that drink in Hulk’s room was the biggest mood

AND HER BEING BESTIES WITH HULK MADE MY ENTIRE GODDAMN LIFE

like the two of them play fighting and being all chummy?! A fucking delight! A++++!!! And the fact that she and Bruce couldn’t figure out how they knew each other? So cute! That relationship was the big winner in my book

That part with Thor admitting he wanted to be a Valkyrie as a kid? It got so awkward, but I was still totally like “LET HIM BE A VALKYRIE THO”

Speaking of Hulk, when they showed his ass, all I could remember is that post that said “I’m afraid this movie is gunna make me want to fuck the Hulk” and how that is about to be true for.... a handful of you fine folks

humanizing the Hulk is another thing that this movie actually went out of it’s way to do, best hulk appearance by far, AoU and Avengers can suck it

That being said, but did anyone find Bruce kind of... Annoying in this one? I get that he was freaked out for a grip but like, 0/10 for charm, snark, and cuteness, wasn’t generally very useful to the plot either

I was like 10000% sure they were mocking the whole AoU de-Hulking process when Thor gave it a try during their fight, but then the video of Nat was the catylist for his return to Bruce, so like... that ball was dropped after all. I cannot for a second pretend that my heart didn’t skip a beat when Thor tried that tho, like “YES ITS THUNDERHULK TIME!!!”

On that note, I’ve called you all here today to make a very important announcement. I’ve done some soul searching and have come to the conclusion that BruceNat was never good and I am ready to denounce my time stanning for it. I will not be taking questions on the matter.

like seriously, to borrow a phrase from the McElroys, every time they brought it up, my skeleton completely left my body and ran off. This movie in general gets a 5/10 for skeleton evacuations, 6/10 for watching it through your fingers, and a 3/10 for taking your glasses off so you don’t have to see the humiliating jokes

 the joke I laughed the hardest at was Korg mentioning his mother’s boyfriend, who he hates. Describing Korg as “scene stealing” is an understatement, he was the fucking treasure of the movie.

The Grandmaster was flawless as well tho, just fucking delightful.

I’m seeing it again on Saturday with a date and I can’t wait to catch all the jokes I missed, bc the crowd tonight was cracking up so dang much that I missed a few punchlines.

Second funniest moment tho was Thor describing how Loki would turn into a snake when they were kids, and then stab him. Just some boyish fun :)

I didn’t miss the Ares and Beta Rey Bill easter eggs on the grandmaster’s tower

Thor loosing an eye? Heart wrenching, and totally surprising too! If he doesn’t still have the eye patch in Infinity War I will be very upset. I also wept during the second fight scene with Immigrant Song bc it was just so rad and my lighting prince is just so strong and stalwart! 

Just in general, Thor’s lightning powers were so much cooler here than any other appearance bc it actually seemed like something he had to work to access, not just blast out at will. I guess that was because he didn’t have the hammer to channel it? but at any rate his powers felt both more personal and more fierce, not just like something he has. This one just added so much more depth to Thor in general 

Hemsworth was just fucking hilarious and cheeky and really kept the balance in the movie. All of the slapstick (and there was A LOT) didn’t cheapen any of the character’s roles, maybe save for Bruce’s, who was generally the weakest character there by far.

I can’t wrap up without mentioning how they really made an effort to make the people of asgard seem more racially diverse, and while not perfect, it was a noticeable effort that needed to happen

anyway 10/10, exactly what I was hoping for, I owe Taika my life.

Its still second to Winter Soldier in my book, but a fucking close second for sure

feel free to talk to me about the whole thing I am so ready ^^