#look at my meta boy

[itsoverfeeling]

crystal palace is literally the reason anything happens in the show, she's the catalyst for everything. ghosts are stagnant, they're unchanging. edwin literally says that the living are messy and it's true.. crystal is such a messy, complicated human. but conflict and messes are what instigate change and conversation. without crystal, they wouldn't have saved that little girl. they wouldn't have gotten stuck in port townsend. edwin might've never found out about the extent of charles' trauma without crystal spelling it out for him. edwin might not have reexamined his and charles' relationship. they wouldn't have resolved their afterlife problem!! crystal dragged edwin scowling and bitching into the messy affairs of the living and it was honestly for the better. say thank you crystal palace

[alltimefail]

I posted this on my Twitter, but I thought I'd share it here, too! I isolated the audio from Charles' death scene to answer a commonly debated headcanon in fandom: did Charles go by something else when he was alive?

Well, at least in this video, I can confirm that all the "Friends" who killed him call him Charlie. 😭

I reckon that is what his peers, teachers, and, even his abusive father likely referred to him as... Charlie Rowland. Makes sense for a teenage boy in the 80s; particularly a sporty, alternative, charismatic boy like Charles who hung around "lad-types."

It's no wonder he flinched when Brad/Hunter called him Charlie Boy. This show really doesn't miss a single detail. It's brilliant and intentional in every single thing it does.

FUCK it deserves a season 2! It's so well-written and in its first season. *Chef's kiss* from beginning to end.

[purplink8]

My Lawlight headcanon is that-

L fell first:

But Light fell harder:

__________________________________________

Yeah yeah, I'm well aware that the first friend scene was a lie from L's side and a mind game from both sides- BUT look at Light's FACE (and no Light's a good actor but this split second of '...' + transparent eyes is not a performance imho)

He's genuinely stunned (translation: L broke him for a moment there lmao it's like, during that single moment, they're the only ones in the room!) BEFORE he realizes that they are playing a role here in front of the task force. As Ryuga and Light; which is what he tells Ryuk later:

(His eyes are hidden *clenches fists* Light is emotionally affected and does not want anybody to know that L got him. Again.

Except this time, he feels humiliated in a strange sort of way.

Despite everything, including the whole 'enemies till death do we part' thing they have going on? Light enjoyed his time with L (albeit not without the collateral damage of other people dying but I digress). He DID like playing tennis with Ryuga as he tells him. That part's not a lie! L being a good friend is not true though.

L does not want Light as his friend for real. He's bullshitting as always to catch Light off guard. This isn't new. But it. is. Personal (to Light, at least).

Only it shouldn't be! This is all part of their game, isn't it? Then why does Light feel a bit...disappointed due to it not being real? In an alternate universe, would he have liked truly being L's friend?

No! Of course not, that is a ridiculous line of thought! Additionally, just 2 chapters ago, Light was like:

Can you see the lawlight and yagamane parallels here? L intends to catch Kira!Light and poses an execution threat to Light while Misa means to date Light and poses some threats of her own:

Both L and Misa come on too strongly toward Light (one as an enemy and the other as a potential ally). Light merely wants to get rid of them both so as to achieve his keikaku with ease. While dealing with Misa, Light thinks, 'I'll be killing her eventually...I can't develop feelings. That's how most idiots screw up.'

Notice how similar this is when it comes to his dynamic with L as well? He has to kill the latter eventually too and his reaction (to when he's confronted with the fact that Rem *can* kill L at his immediate request before the fiasco of Misa getting arrested happens at least) is this below btw:

The guy is truly shocked at how easy it seems to kill someone as intelligent as L. Light does not smile or seem amused. He takes this (L's future death) very seriously (I think it's the first time he does this since his first two kills). I believe it's partly due to the begrudging respect he has toward the genius detective and partly because of the 'what-if's in his mind.

His eyes, blown wide, are unreadable except for the astonished look they show. It is a rare display of emotion we see from Light (I can't seem to pinpoint just what the emotion is tho) which is quite noteworthy imho.

________________________________________

...Wow I got carried away.

The point is! Light feels a little humiliated for letting his emotions get the better of him even if it was for just an instant during which he was gobsmacked by L's lie which he wished for it to be true.

Light can rationalize it all he wants but deep down, in his heart, he'd always know that there was a period of time (however small) that he not only fell for L's lie, but also secretly under LAYERS of repression actually just wanted to live in that world- the world where there was neither L nor Kira, just Ryuga and his friend Light.

That's wishful thinking and boy would Light hate this if he acknowledged for even a second that yes, he does want that.)

Again. Light 'Developing Feelings = Idiotic Screw ups' Yagami cannot afford to deceive himself that L, on some level, wants to befriend him as that may as well cost his life if he did. He cannot get distracted as that was most definitely one of L's intentions of calling him his 'first friend'.

He'll dutifully play along as he had anticipated it a while ago:

"I like this, Ryuga. If you want to be friends with me. I'll gladly hang out with you."

Light sure looks thrilled as hell to be role-playing as L's friend lmao- like he loves mind games, he revels in duplicity, he enjoys challenges that L adds to his life so is it any wonder that the combination of all is *chef's kiss* for Light? He is so so EXCITED to be hanging out with L face-to-face + looks forward to stabbing him in the back!!

Gotta love lawlight! </3 <3

[starstrike]

Mithrun's desire as an SA analogue

TW discussion of SA and detailed breakdown of aesthetics evoking SA. The way I discuss this is vivid in a way that may be triggering, though there is no discussion of actual sexual assault. Just survivor's responses to it.

People relate to Mithrun and see his condition as an analogue for a few different things, like brain injury or depression. And I think all of them are there. But I also see Mithrun's story as an SA analogue, and Ryoko Kui intentionally evokes those aesthetics. I think it's a part of Mithrun's character that a lot of people miss, but I very much consider it text. This is partially inspired by @heird99's post on what makes this scene so disturbing; so check out their post, too :)

So to start off with, the demon invades Mithrun's bed, specifically. There's even a canopy around it, which specifically evokes this idea of personal intrusion; the barrier is being pulled apart without consent or warning. The way the hand reaches towards Mithrun's body from outside of the panel division makes it almost look like the goat stroking over his body. It's an especially creepy visual detail; similarly, the goat's right hand parts into the side of the panel as well. It's literally like it's tearing the page apart; but gently. So gently.

Mithrun is in bed. It is his bed that the demon is intruding on. He's in a position of intimacy. The woman behind him is a facsimile of his "beloved" that he left behind; the woman who, in reality, chose Mithrun's brother. He is in bed with his fantasy lover, who is leaning over him. While this scene isn't explicitly sexual, it is intimate. And it is being invaded. The goat lifts Mithrun gently, who is confused, but not yet struggling.

The erotics of consumption and violence in Ryoko Kui's work(remember that the word 'erotic' can have many different meanings, please) are a... notable part of some of her illustrations. I would say she blurs the lines between all forms of desire: personal, sexual, gustatory and carnal, in her illustrations in order to emphasize the pure desire she wants to work with and evoke to serve her themes. Kui deploys sexual imagery in a lot of places in Dungeon Meshi, and this is one of them.

In this case, horrifically. The goat's assault begins with drooling, licking, and nuzzling. The goat could be enjoying and "playing with" its food. But it can also be interpreted as it "preparing" Mithrun with its tongue as it begins to literally breach Mithrun's body. The goat also invades directly through his clothing; that adds another level of disturbing to me. There's nothing Mithrun can do in this moment of violation. Mithrun is fighting, but he is fighting weakly, trying to grip on and push away when he has no ability or option to. All he can do is beg the goat to stop. And it doesn't care. This all evokes sexual assault.

The sixth panel demonstrates a somewhat sexual position, with Mithrun's thighs spread around the goat's hunched over body. In the next, the goat pulls and holds apart Mithrun's thighs as he nuzzles into him. The way the clothing bunches up looks a bit as if it has been pushed up. It has pinned Mithrun down onto the bed, into Mithrun's soft furs and pillows. It takes a place made to be supernaturally warm and comfortable, and violates it. It's utterly and intimately horrifying. To me, this sequence of positions directly evokes a rape scene. I think Kui did this very explicitly. These references to sexual invasion are part of what makes this scene so disturbing; albeit, to many viewers, subconsciously.

This is also the moment the goat takes Mithrun's eye. Other than this, the goat seems exceptionally strong, but also... gentle. It holds Mithrun's body tightly, but moves it around slowly. It doesn't need to hurt Mithrun physically. But in that moment, it takes Mithrun's eye. Blood seeps from a wound while an orifice that should not be pierced is penetrated. This moment, the ooze of blood in one place specifically, also evokes rape. That single bit of physical gore is a very powerful bit of imagery to me.

Finally; it is Mithrun's desire that is eaten. After his assault, Mithrun can find no pleasure in things that he once did. He is fully disassociated from his emotions. This is a common response to trauma, especially in the case of SA. It's not uncommon for people to never, or take a long time to, enjoy sex in the same way again; or at all. They might feel like their rapist has robbed them of a desire and pleasure they once had. I think this makes Mithrun's lack of desire a partial analogue for the trauma of sexual assault.

Mithrun's desire for revenge was, supposedly, all that remained. Anger at his assaulter, anger at every being that was like it; though, perhaps not anger. Devotion, in a way. To his cause. I don't know. But the immediate desire to seek revenge is another response to SA. But on to Mithrun's true feelings on the matter.

This is... So incredibly tragic. Mithrun feels used up. Like his best parts have been taken away. Like he's being... tossed aside. This certainly parallels the way assault victims can feel after being left by an abuser. Or the way assault victims feel they might be "ruined" forever for other partners. These are common sentiments for survivors to carry, and need to overcome. In the text, it's almost like Mithrun feels the only being who can desire him is a demon who might "finish devouring" him. That that's his only use. It's worth noting that Mithrun trusted the demon. Mithrun's world was built by the demon, and Mithrun, in that way, was cared for by the demon. I think this reinforces Mithrun's place as a victim.

There's also something to be said about Mithrun as a victim of his own possessive romantic and sexual desire. The mirror shows him his beloved just dining with his brother, and it infuriates him. He doesn't know if the vision is real, nor if she has really chosen his brother as a romantic partner. The goat then creates a whole fantasy world where she loves him. As Mithrun's dungeon deteriorates, she is the only person that continues to exist. Mithrun continues to have control over her. And that is the strongest desire the demon is eating, isn't it? There's something interesting there, but I don't know what to say about it.

In conclusion, I think Mithrun's story is an explicit analogue for sexual assault-- though, certainly, among other things! The way the scene plays out and is composed explicitly references sexual violation and invasion of the body. His condition mirrors common trauma responses to sexual violence. And, at the end, he finally realizes he can recover.

Let's end on a happy Mithrun, after taking the first step on his journey to recovery :) You aren't vegetable scraps Mithrun. But even if you were-- every single thing in this world has value. Even vegetable scraps.

[leahaart]

Let👏🏻them👏🏻do👏🏻drag👏🏻

[scribz-ag24]

I've recently seen again a post talking about the Sableye and Dusknoir's relationship so i'd like to put my two cents in the discussion, for I love screaming into the void about PMD. (this isnt meant to discourage any other interpretations btw this is just my take on theirs and Dusknoir's relationship, bc I think they're very fun characters and I am very glad the game actually gives these minions a bit of relevance in se5).

Tbh I don't buy that Dusknoir treats the Sableye nicely, at least not out of kindness. I don't think he's a tyrant or inexplicably mean, of course, and I think his minions ADORE him, but i also believe that doesn't mean he's nice to them, sth that i consider meaningful for their character arcs.

Throughout the entire game he's exclusively giving them orders, in se5 he concocts a plan that involves thrashing them MULTIPLE times (he's lucky Grovyle isn't one to try and kill enemies in battle ig), and the cherry on top is that the first time we see him being fully genuine he does this:

(yes, he is in turmoil in here, but there's not a single thing implying that 1. this is an unusual response towards the sablye, 2. dusknoir feels bad for it at some point or is surprised at himself, 3. this has any impact in the sableye at all. You can argue these reactions happen off screen and we don't see them, they don't happen bc they have pressing matters to attend to or they happen after they return to life, and that's perfectly valid, but i'm sticking with what the game shows us, here.)

I must say, though, the fact that the Sableye, despite having been almost mindless pokémon up to now, STAND UP TO AND ATTACK Primal Dialga for their boss and even try to look after him despite him ordering them to check on Grovyle and Celebi first is SO important to me. they are goons to the bone and they love that scheming ghost so much.

My own view is that Dusknoir is generally polite to them (you wouldn't randomly break your own revolver or weapon without any reason, would you?), but is quicker to get mean with them than with people he doesn't know or he is seeking to manipulate. He doesn't care about their behaviour as long as they get the job done, which is why I think the anime thing of the Sableye climbing onto his shoulder isn't that remarkable, rather it's a very cute moment, one that is showing how they've been working together for long and how their size difference affects their interactions, but it is not necessarily conveying an affectionate bond (this is a bit random, but it reminds me of Disney's Jafar with Iago lmao. throw your pet sableye at your enemies so they mock them and then return to your shoulder). Additionally, Dusknoir letting the Sableye onto his shoulder is probably as close as we are gonna get to a villain turning around in his chair while petting a cat in PMD lol.

[this isn't meant to be a one-to-one comparison, it's just a detail i find cute and shows that this gesture can have multiple interpretations, with none being the only right one]

Leaving that aside, I hesitate to claim Dusknoir trusts his Sableye as allies, as Grovyle makes a point in the main story of how the Sableye (your Sableye, he says, as if objectifying them; not friends, but tools, weapons at Dusknoir's disposal) are lacking compared to the way hero/partner/grovyle support one another (power of friendship and hidden information babyyyy). The Sableye are used to Dusknoir's way of doing things, though, I'm sure. They know what happens when he's displeased, after all.

I think, most of all, the Sableye are meant to look disposable: they are 6 identical pokémon that almost act like a hivemind, and we are not supposed to think at all about how we may hurt them in battle any more than we do with the angry Manectric pack or random dungeon pokémon. This, I believe, is why the game has them stand up against Dialga and gives them unique dialogue at the end of se5. They're meant to show their inner shine, just as Dusknoir managed to do. They suddenly gain an individuality they had never shown while they were working to maintain the dark future.

Where they abandoned Dusknoir in the Old Ruins, now Grovyle has motivated them to look for their dignity and fight for a better world, and that starts with protecting their leader from Primal Dialga's rampage, and supporting his new objective and allies in their quest to save the future. In their own small way, they've also grown as characters throughout SE5.

I believe that, overall, Dusknoir saw the Sableye as tools, but thanks to their growth and clear care for him, there's a possibility he might start to see them (and by extension other pokémon) in a more genuine, less pragmatic / objectifying way in the future. Now that Dusknoir has the chance to live a fulfilling life, he may learn to care for others without surrounding himself by so many walls. If anything, I think their future is quite bright. Not that the Sableye would mind if he still thrashed them around, though lol, they're clearly not bothered much by it (special episode 0 had a great depiction of the sableye imo, you can check that romhack if you haven't yet).

In conclusion, look at these little guys who adore their can-get-mean-but-is-mostly-polite boss and probably have a body count but now are good, they're so cute:

[scintillatingshortgirl19]

i'm struggling to even put into words how i feel about these two scenes.

i honestly wonder how much of house's facial expressions in these moments were hugh laurie's choice and maybe weren't necessarily scripted, because the episode doesn't really offer any kind of conclusion on how jealous and, more importantly, how deeply fucking sad house looks after realizing wilson has been talking to amber.

first off - this happens a lot in this show, but this is one of those huge instances of "oh, how differently this situation would look if one of these characters was a woman." if that were the case, this whole thing would really be quite simple. if house was a proper Opposite Sex Love Interest, him standing at the door hearing the proof that his unrequited crush isn't over his last girlfriend...well, that would make perfect sense. The level of hurt and jealousy house seems to feel about wilson still being in love with amber is. well. it's Something.

so anyway - house gets that genuinely hurt look at three separate points: #1 is when he realizes wilson is talking to amber (and this moment is especially fascinating bc house's main emotion should arguably be relief at the knowledge he hasn't been hallucinating...but that appears to be taking a backseat to his jealousy for a woman who isn't even alive anymore)

#2 is when wilson tells amber that he wasn't able to go for a run tonight because house is having issues. now, this speaks to the broader problem that - even though house knows wilson feeds off neediness - house is still worried about being a burden to wilson and that eventually wilson will not want him anymore.

Then #3 - when wilson says to house's face that talking to amber makes him feel better when he misses her, and house doesn't. This moment is so painful and interesting to me because house inviting wilson to confide in him feels like a pretty big step in terms of growth! So for wilson to say he'd rather talk to his dead girlfriend than house...well, judging by house's face, the remark cuts pretty deep. (disclaimer: ofc wilson is completely valid for talking to amber; it just also makes sense that house would be hurt by this, especially in the context of him already feeling like a burden and trying so hard to be a better person)

anyway idk where else to go with this . . . i just feel like the episode sort of started to delve into this issue and then never really went deep enough or concluded this aspect - hence my theory that house's level of hurt may not have been scripted and it was just hugh laurie choosing to Do That with his face.

[yamikakyuu]

Ok Jayvik Nation am I crazy? (I mean yeah but hear me out). Something I noticed while obsessing over Arcane (also if this has already been pointed out sorry I haven't done a deep tag dive but I haven't seen it mentioned) Also warning, image heavy post

OK SO

Something I noticed is when Jayce and Viktor (aside from the very first time they meet after the explosion) are together, most of the time Jayce is on the right side of the screen (not necessarily always on Viktors right side). As the viewer you are always seeing him on the right and Viktor on the left like so

See what I mean? This is especially prevalent in s1. (This is also done in Good Omens which is why I started noticing)

Now it doesn't always happen...I started seeing when it didn't because I noticed it happening so much. Now not including sometimes where the camera POV quickly moves to another scene, these were the scenes I noticed Jayce being positioned on the left and Viktor on the right.

Now what do all these scenes have in common?

Viktor's mortality. The first Viktor being told by Jayce he's dying. The 2nd being him considering suicide (which obv parallels Jayce's), the 3rd is the Council meeting before Jinx blows them all up, and the 4th is where Jayce kills him.

What's interesting about the positioning of the 2nd image is yes I 100% get this is how it went in Jayce's case, he was on the right and Vik came in on his left. What's interesting is after their conversation and Jayce saves Viktor from that fate and promises him to destroy the Hexcore, look...

Back to their respective POV sides.

The only other two times they're reversed for a long period of time happens oddly enough when Heimerdinger is present. Them floating in the lab and when they present their inventions

I find that odd but I haven't made any connections yet (if anyone has any please add them!)

Now s2 is harder given it's their divorce era and they don't spend a ton of time together unless they're fighting. BUT

Starting with Viktor waking up, the first shot is Jayce on the right, Vik on the left (sorry I couldn't find a screen) but then it flips to this

Which is the start of the divorce era. Viktor walks away from Jayce and the next time Jayce sees Viktor, he shoots him his giant hammer gun (again framed Jayce on the left, Vik on right as I posted above).

There's a bit of ambiguity when Jayce and Machine Herald V meet because Vik walks past him, it very much parallels the above.

Now the last time they're on opposing POV sides is when Jayce meets Mage Viktor.

Promises are made love is confessed and Jayce is sent back. (I know the above isn't the correct scene since we the audience don't see the reveal until Viktor does when Jayce hugs him but you all get what I mean). Fights ensue.

Hell even in this screen they're on the proper sides. It makes me feel that even tho they're still at odds, they're close to being one again.

TO THE ASTRAL PLANE WE GO. From the moment Jayce arrives he's on the right side. Aside from when Jayce gives Viktor back the rune and they spin, they're always on the correct sides

And look how they end up in the end

Given how detailed Arcane is I can't think this is all coincidence, it happens too much. But I had a lot of fun compiling this post and I'm not crazy right????

[mikami1992]

Finally, after some missions through time, Dan has managed to be approved as "Officially Reformed", and only with some supervision from Clockwork and Danny, will he be free to return to live in the human world.

So with the help of Clockwor, Tecnus and Tuker, an identity was created for him as a Young Adult, who after a few years of traveling around the world, returns to the United States to begin his University studies.

Dante Jackson Nightingale is a Young Adult recently enrolled in Gotham University to study Business and Finance with some elective classes in Engineering, being the place chosen for the high educational level as well as the level of ecto of the city… but the Phantom of the future has other hidden intentions.

During his 10 years of rampant destruction, Dan had a period of "calm", the reason, the strange relationship he developed with Batman, a relationship that was about to bring the angry spirit back to sanity by focusing his obsession on something else…

But it all ended when a surviving and better-funded group of GIW caught Red Hood to experiment on him, so the Batfam immediately went looking for him, and at first the rescue everything went according to plan, but it was until the end where everything went off the rails with the appearance of the Joker… it was never known how it all ended with the explosion of the bat, but it ended up costing the lives of the Bat and the Clown, and some permanent damage to some of the Batkids.

The death of the Knight of Gotham City ended up reviving and fanning the flames of anger and destruction within Dan, which would cause a destruction greater than anything known before.

So, in this new reality, Dan plans to continue with his original intentions with the bat, this time proving that he was a worthy partner for the Dark Knight.

[sunlight-shunlight]

pondering that falon'din is associated with an owl, and those are also messengers of andruil. and he's referred to as "winged death" which is also mentioned to be something that elgar'nan deploys against enemies. and both falon'din and andruil are referred to as venturing into dark places, where no one else can survive/wanted to go.

and ghilan'nain was not initially an evanuris, but was antagonistic towards them and making a bunch of weird creatures. she was given the offer to join them in return for getting rid of the creatures, and accepted. but with "pride stopping her hand" from destroying a few. and when asked about trusting people to share power, solas says "I know that mistake well enough to carve the angles of her face from memory."

solas also has nothing good at all to say about falon'din, mostly calling him a bloodthirsty tyrant who went so far in encroaching onto other evanuris territory that mythal had to besiege his temple and beat him up to stop him.

but he says nothing about dirthamen at all.

dirthamen is described as having gone missing unexpectedly, scaring all his followers, because they were now unprotected. and caught between their own high priest wanting to lock them into the temple forever like a cask of amontillado, and other forces outside that wanted to take their secrets by force. there is one note that a dirthamen follower defied the evanuris and took on a forbidden (probably a dragon) type of form, and was judged by elgar'nan harshly. he apparently also invented the varterral to protect his town from a high dragon? wack, but also could indicate that he had worked with ghilan'nain on making it, since she's the only one who's otherwise mentioned to be bioengineering stuff.

dirthamen has very very few surviving statues or depictions, and is more associated with falon'din than as his own independent figure in the dalish myths. even his own temple includes mosaics of falon'din. there's a few statues that are probably dirthamen, but the most striking is in mythal's section of the fade behind the eluvian, which is a statue of a hooded figure, doubled over with a giant sword sticking out of his back.

[twentyfivemiceinatrenchcoat]

it’s always so fun to see suguru interact with literally anyone because it’s so clear how intentionally he presents himself depending on who he’s speaking to. and his values always bleed out through his interactions in one way or another … he’s polite towards authority figures / adults and finds it important to address them with respect but only if they’re actually deserving of said respect (child killers = generally No. LMAOO …) like he lectured satoru about using watashi or boku when speaking to tengen but was also on board with fighting them if it turned out riko wanted to live. he isn’t a kiss ass, his own morals ultimately override the importance he places on age hierarchies, he just recognizes the importance of politeness (or presenting yourself as such) = taking care not to step on anyone’s toes, especially as a young person, especially in a society where age matters a Lot,,, anyway suguru has a distrust of adults and it shows through his masking. because yes he’s respectful towards them but he’s also rocking his customer service smile the Whole time. his own values have a lot to do with Respect and Order and etc; like he cares about that kind of tradition but do i think he trusts the judgment of the adults around him ??? well . No. yaga is the only adult in the series that suguru feels safe enough around to act childish with (to . someee degree) (see also: him joking about yaga going senile and following it up with ’well jokes aside ^_^’ LMAO….) and even that bond ends up broken, presumably during his deterioration. he calls him a muscle-brained moron in jjk 0 and i don’t think he was putting up a front in that scene LOL ,,, he ultimately dislikes yaga’s social ineptitude (even though they both act more through subtlety than directness yaga is like ,,,, incapable of having tact. lol. i hate him sorry anywayyyy). all this to say suguru is a respectful boy towards adults but i do think he distrusts them more than anyone.

with his seniors in jujutsu high i think his respect is more sincere but it’s hard to tell since we only see him speaking to yuki when he’s … too depressed and suicidal to joke around, even if he wanted to. but i don’t think he would have even if he could. yuki is not only his senior but also strong(er than him… lol) other than that we only see him interacting with utahime, and this interaction is really interesting and telling because he acts really condescending towards her without realizing it. i also think you can read his initial words (”it’s not nice to pick on the weak, satoru.”) <- as playful in itself if not a little mean. which is weird because she is very much his senior, and it does make me wonder if suguru ultimately considers strength to be more important than age ,,,, in the sense that like . well. He’s the senior as far as ability goes. utahime is also their friend ,,, kind of . at least shoko’s friend so that could play a part !! but yeah i do think suguru would treat a senior with genuine respect, at least provided that they’re strong — he is a respectful boy and i believe it’s more than just for appearance sake, albeit still calculated (i said that people need to Earn his respect and i stand by that but i also think he’s more than capable of sucking up if that’s what the situation demands …. we never see him in that scenario, though, so i can’t say for sure but i would assume so. there’s a line, though.)

then we have his interactions with his juniors (<- or ppl who are younger than him in general) which are like . soooooo charming so very charming. haibara is the most obvious example and most clear-cut evidence that sugu has a senpai complex LOL (only half-kidding i do think he’s a little sick about it) because he pampers him … he’s not overly coddling but he’s so obviously fond, he buys him drinks, he puts effort into being a good senpai. he takes age hierarchies seriously in Many ways — there’s a responsibility that comes with being older that he doesn’t neglect. that being saiddd the riko scenes are super funny because unlike haibara she is Rude and mouthy even though suguru is older AND was kind towards her from the jump and his response to that is to punish her with satoru LMAO ….. and he’s playful with her in this scene !!!! even a little mean lol. and part of that is satoru’s influence but not by a large margin i do think he was genuinely irked by her lack of respect LOL ….. but then, when she finally opens up to him towards the end and confesses that she wants to live he softens !!! considerably!!!!!! and he’s back in senpai mode. ”let’s go home, riko-chan.” <- he sounds so brotherly here ……. that’s only me reading into the english phrasing tho…… anyway

kuroi is another good example i shouldn’t forget her … it’s kind of a similar situation as utahime actually because when he walks up to her and says ”well, aren’t you strong?” i do perceive it as slightly condescending. probably not on purpose? but again, kuroi is a case where she may be older but not Stronger — ANDDD kuroi is a non-sorcerer. he looks down on them by nature even if he doesn’t really get that himself lol. but he’s still kind and respectful to kuroi, considerate too (like telling her that she’s riko’s family ….) <- this has nothing to do with her age though it’s him being kind. because he is kind. i genuinely don’t think he realizes he’s looking down on someone until others point it out to him. AH BUT DO NOTEEE he is a lot less silly with kuroi than riko and i do think that part is an age thing. like he speaks to kuroi fairlyyyy casually ? but he’s soft-spoken and well-mannered and more mature-seeming. <- which. as has been established. is something suguru just does when it comes to adults. he doesn’t want to be seen as disrespectful or socially unaware (i should’ve mentioned this when i was talking about yaga before since i called him socially inept lolol. but i think it’s very safe to say that social awareness is really, really important to suguru, i’d personally call it a core aspect of his character … socially speaking he’s very intelligent and i think that’s something he takes pride in — he knows how he is perceived by the world, he knows how to give off a certain impression, he knows how to please people and keep the waters calm. he knows how to act according to what the situation demands from him; he’s prepared.) with adults he respects / admires i would guess that he doesn’t want to be seen as childish, either…. which he has no problem being when it comes to satoru LMAO.

and well that brings me…,, to satoru who i was going to focus on from the start but this post went out of my hands cough cough . i just wanted to talk about how his interactions are so interesting because it’s sooo obvious when he is and isn’t putting on a front, since we see how suguru is with satoru. shoko too but still mainly satoru. like he’s SILLY …. he’s petty and he gets irritated and pulls out his curse to teach him a lesson and grumbles about being put on the same mission as him …. (also the cute voice he makes in ep1 when he’s walking up the stairs and satoru teases him i do NOT remember what that was about but you get what i’m trying to say ……) he can be silly. he can act like a Boy and it’s almost exclusively with satoru — someone who is his age, his equal in strength and age <- Most of all. someone who does Not at all have the social awareness suguru does. someone who has opened his heart to him. i don’t think suguru would’ve acted as silly as he does in hidden inventory if satoru wasn’t a part of his class. he would still feel comfortable being annoying LMAO and a little silly too ,,, but not childish to the extent that he is with satoru. he laughs and grumbles and gets frustrated and flips off the screen when satoshoko take that picture after he loses at the arcade game …… suguru is unmasked here. there’s nothing to worry about, and no reason to view himself through the hyper-vigilant lens he’s grown accustomed to bearing in mind. he’s the moral compass of the trio, and the most responsible and ”proper” one, but with satosho he gets to enjoy being a troublemaker too. (i feel bad for singling shoko out because she’s sooo important to him and he feels very at ease around her too evidently ,, but there’s no denying satoru brings out a specific range of emotions from suguru that no one else is privy to).

anyway it MOVES me . so bad . his range of emotions is so delicious and i love that he acts so differently depending on who he’s speaking to. this is honestly even More obvious in jjk 0 because he is full on Faking his emotions and pretending to be good-willed rather than like … putting on a front, or sort of ”half-lying” or framing himself in a certain light …,, you get what i’m saying. cult!geto isn’t just masking, he’s putting on a performance. and he drops it as SOON as the non-sorcerers turn their backs on him. then he’s acting silly with manami (and i really don’t think he’s putting on a front in any scene where he’s alone with his family !!!!! he’s a silly man !!!!!!!! he loves them a lot and is obviously sincere with them, esp nanamimi — the flashback scene on the rooftop is honestly the most unguarded we ever see suguru other than some shots of akari.) ….. he puts on a performance with yuuta but i do think he seriously wanted to recruit him. and he was honest about his world-view; transparent, if nothing else ,, then satoru shows up and he’s full on forcing himself to be silly. because as soon as he’s back home he watches the sunset with the saddest pair of eyes and when satoru finds him nearly dead he immediately decides that he wants to ”die clean” (<- this is how the light novel puts it), only because it’s him and satoru at the end. and in this scene, especially the very last line where he’s like .., about to cry he is unguarded. i think cult!geto is really scared to be seen as vulnerable by gojo. but he just sort of crumbles; both before he dies, and in the afterlife of chapter 236. he’s snarky and sort of trying to come off as nonchalant in either one but in both cases satoru’s sincerity kills his attempt. sorry this somehow devolved into a stsg discussion ,,,, though it was kind of that from the beginning too.

[aficionadoenthusiast]

i sincerely hope that will's casting looks as much like walker as possible so that the 'not his type' jokes finally die and everybody realizes percy isn't his type not because of hair color or any other physical attribute but simply because nico has outgrown that part of his life and has to let go of it in order to move on. like. please recognize it for the literary symbolism it is. it is important to me that y'all realize this.

[angelmachines]

dont get me wrong, i like tsubomi as much as the next mob psycho guy and i understand the desire to see more of her but i do think theres something to be said for the exact amount we Do know about her

shes the device through which the story is framed-- we begin on mob deciding he wants to impress her and end on finally asking her out. theres a lot that could be attributed to mob/shigeos inner state and how he sees her, and you can definitely say that the narrative is contained in the time it takes mob to accept himself, but since that sense of self is so deeply linked to his view of tsubomi its sort of difficult to separate the two, especially when that shadows onto her so heavily.

its important that their relationship is only referenced or implied, because this show is as shaped around her as mob is, and as such its important that We, The Audience dont know a lot about her, on a meta level. we get gleams of her personality from other characters but its never allowed to be substantial, because if mob Knew tsubomi through his main arc things would have to be significantly different, there would be a genuine chance at not being rejected in the end which would (arguably) unravel Other threads. the idea that you must be kind for the sake of it, for the sake of self improvement, would then conflict with the incredibly solid ending of Doing the right thing, being the kind person, but ultimately having to do it for yourself instead of to impress/win over someone else

this is also why tsubomis writing has never come across as shallow or like, misogynistic to me, bc in a lesser show she would be perfect and unattainable and mob would get with her at the end as a reward for being a good person, but mobpsy ISNT that show. it treats tsubomi with the same amount of care that it treats any other character. even more minor characters like mezato and the claw members, who dont have a lot of depth as a whole, have Something to say for themselves. there is something you could find there. so the amount of details put into tsubomis character (as the Leading Force of the show) is then made so much more deliberate. the one thing emphasized by this show (especially over time) is that shes a person. a regular person. and thats the best way she could have been treated

[revenantghost]

Holy fucking shit @settamaroon4, you were right [x]

[realchemistry]

Eddie telling Buck, "You act like you're expendable. But you're wrong."

was Eddie telling Buck that he is needed.

It was Eddie telling Buck, "I need you."

[raayllum]

spark notes edition but:

For Rayla, Runaan, and Soren, a job is a sacred calling. It is something (or was something, in Runaan's case) something you strive towards upholding even when it goes against your sense of self or personal desires ("part of me wishes I hadn't seen you," "all of us pledged a part of ourselves," "to carry out my dark work") , and it ripples down and effects all that you are. For Soren and Runaan, there seems to be less separation between job as a part of who they are vs all that they are; Soren in particular scaffolds his identity almost entirely, therefore, on who he is/has become in relation to Ezran as an internalized feedback loop ("I can't do that, I'm sworn to King Ezran" / "I am a crownguard, and he is the true king!"). Rayla, meanwhile, has a hard cognitive dissonance of your job (i.e. the actions you take while operating under parameters) being entirely separate from who you are ("assassins aren't evil, they're doing a job" which also loops around to not holding Runaan's against her against him when he was operating as an assassin) when they align with that specific calling, except when it comes to her being bad at it, which does get internalized as something that is fundamental to her as a person ("I'm not good enough and I never will be") rather than a bad fit for that particular occupation. All of their jobs, notably, also centre around fitting into a collective whole (assassins, crownguards) that serve — conceptually in their own minds — as protectors of Something Bigger Than Themselves (their monarchs/kingdom, their people, etc): "[Soren] told [Corvus] that the young king was not only Katolis’ hope, but all of Xadia’s" / "for all of Xadia" / "I had convinced myself I was a peacemaker".

For Viren, his job is intrinsically tied to his search for self-esteem and self-importance. Given that Viren wants to find external sources to prop up his internal sense of self ("I thought you were going to be something special, something important"), he pursues jobs/actions that will make him important, largely in proximity to power ("the Dragon King and Queen kept this closest to where they slept; it must be important"). It is unsurprising therefore that being High Mage was always going to make him at least a little deranged, being that close to power ("it is an honour to serve him") while still be constantly reminded that you matter less than the person at the very top, hence his desire to eventually be king when his loop of validation with Harrow is irreparably broken. Viren sees his job as high mage (and as king) as being a protector, but in a less genuine way than the prior 3 discussed above do: this may be what he tells himself, but there's still prickles of self-awareness, especially when he coins Kpp'Ar: "Without dark magic, you're just a frail old man. You're no one. I am the High Mage of Katolis. I have power, purpose—" (dying for Harrow would've given him purpose, proved that he'd mattered). His job doesn't justify his actions so much as give him wider reach in which to make 'uniquely good decisions for the greater good of everybody himself', and therefore makes himself somebody.

For Callum, your job is a restriction and/or entirely separate from who you are and what you/he wants. He finds his title as high mage stuffy, he's decently inconsistent in the post, it's something he does find some pride (5x07) in, but that's still mostly tied to being a primal mage at all ("I'm the first human to do primal magic") which is tied to his desire for agency and to have his agency recognized (power, external) > internalized pursuit of self worth the way it might've been in earlier seasons (s1, maybe s2). We see him emotionally toss the job away with very little fanfare (consistently leaving the castle without hesitation; trying to leave the meeting; being distracted at the meeting to the point of barely paying attention) even before he does so directly. While this could be a fit of "right guy wrong occupation," Callum is someone pretty defined by 1) not letting anyone put him in a box (so much of s2) and 2) not listening, by proxy, to anyone else around him. He consistently goes against people's expressed wishes — right or wrong — and only takes up Viren's staff (something passed down between high mages) after he's abandoned the job. Callum is a wild card who will not let anything restrain him, taking only mage as an identifier and leaving most other things (except "Ezran's brother" and "Rayla's partner") entirely out to dry if it gets in his way.