#not a twist so much as a recontextualization and i think i prefer that

[callixton]

can i say as a self confessed enjoyer of ‘dark academia’ books i think it is fucking stupid to refer to it as a genre rather than like. a trait

[moghedien]

honestly I'm just constantly obsessing over the Lae'zel romance scenes, but like I think I've finally decided which version of the duel (you winning or her) I prefer from just like a character standpoint.

because in the moment I went back and forth with both versions because I wasn't sure, but then ended up staying with the version where I win, and I think that's my preference now because it just feels like a subtler but more intense mind fuck to Lae'zel if you take everything that happened up into this point into account.

and do not get my wrong, i think the version where she wins is absolutely a mind fuck to her for many reasons, and I do love it. like her realizing that you aren't weak and she's like horrified at having hurt you and that very concept confusing her? amazing. we love her for it.

but if you win the duel, I feel like that forces her to recontextualize soo much more if you played the romance how I did at least. because basically any time she told me to submit, i did. I never tried to be the dominant one. I never even really teased her for being soft in certain circumstances or got snarky with her or got upset when she'd be like possessive and demeaning.

and I imagine that the githyanki sex rituals dictate that like the weaker one is submissive one and so obviously Lae'zel was the stronger one your relationship and if you did nothing to dissuade her of that fact then you obviously agree. there's no love or preference in it. There's just like desire and physical need and ability that decides who's doing what.

and I feel like this is backed up by the conversation when you can turn the one night stand into a two night stand, where she's like "you look weak and pathetic when you look at me. you look terrified." And also the fact that you can request that she stay and cuddle you afterward in that scene and she's like, baffled and upset by that suggestion. She calls it pointless grappling and a waste of muscles. like sex is combative to her. If you're not fighting for dominance or directly getting off in that moment, then what's the point? and if you embarrass her by suggesting she's never cuddled before, then she tries to get back at you by pointing out that she killed some kind of creature and you haven't. like do not get it twisted. dominance in sex is like expressly tied to actual strength and weakness outside of sex to her.

So if you win the duel? If you've been unquestioningly letting her dominant you in every sexual encounter and then only to turn around and fucking annihilate her in battle the first time you're actually going head to head, 1v1?

Imagine how much that must fuck with her perceptions what your relationship has been up until this point.

Because now its not even just her realizing that she has feelings for you that she doesn't know how to deal with. Oh no. She's realizing that every single time she's told you to submit and you did, its not because you couldn't dominate her. Its not because you were afraid of her or thought you were weaker than her. Its not because you couldn't flip things around on her. its not just that you were so lustful toward her that you submitted just to be able to have sex. It's because you specifically wanted to be the submissive one and you wanted her to do what she wanted with you.

You coulda kicked her ass at any time. And you never even tried. You never even hinted at it.

and god, the cuddling? You didn't want that just to distract or as some trick to exhaust her? You just wanted to cuddle? you wanted to be soft and hold each other just for the sake of it?

and the fact that its only after the duel that she asks you to be gentler with each other now and she says its the most terrifying thing she's ever done just kinda hammers that home for me. Because she realized it isn’t weakness that makes her (and you) want those things. It’s still scary to ask for though…

Like I'm just saying, if you've just unquestionably submitted to her and then you kick her ass, then she's not just grappling with the fact that she's having feelings. She's grappling with the fact that you've been having feelings this entire time and were much more aware of it than her, and that didn’t make you weak, so maybe it doesn’t make her weak either?

[p3ta]

gotta send Ryoji Mochizuki

Thanks for the ask! Hope your day's going well, fellow Ryoji enjoyer.

Spoilers below for P2, P3, P4, and P5R.

Send me one of these here!

First, I want to give some thoughts on his character as a whole. For the certain type of character he is (doomed, remorseful harbinger), Ryoji Mochizuki is perfect. I don't think there's a better Persona twist than his reveal as the the Appriser/Death, the thirteenth Arcana Shadow. Just because a twist is easy to see coming doesn't make it less impactful, and I particularly enjoy the way Persona 3 distills information to the player in allotments. Even knowing that, Ryoji managed to surprise me with how much more he was. And fittingly, a lot of Ryoji's characterization bounces back to the P3 Hero, and vice versa.

On top of that, Nyx Avatar is my favorite final boss in the entire Persona series and unsettled me out the first time. I'd still say that Nyx Avatar causes me more fear than the Reaper, who I'd comparatively describe as inciting panic rather than fear.

Ryoji is frequently compared to Kaworu from Neon Genesis Evangelion (NGE), and, well. Yeah. I believe I read that in a developer interview that the P3 dev team deliberately took inspiration from NGE but I'm unable to find a source at hand, so don't quote me on that. Between the two, I prefer Ryoji. He is the strongest out of the character type for me.

favorite thing about them

His layers! Ryoji is one of those late game characters who comes in and recontextualizes all the information you've learned thus far. It's why I love watching the Dictionary update throughout a playthrough. I understand why people are put off by the way he's introduced as a serial flirt, but Reload made it much more textually clear that this isn't his true personality, nor his intentions. Ryoji is proto-Teddie (Japanese Teddie, anyway); a fully formed individual who sprang into existence seeking connection. However, where Teddie's isolation and lack of identity are his defining characteristics, Ryoji's are moored in how connected he is with P3 Hero.

Ryoji ultimately only exists because of that connection, that little bit of humanity he's been given, but that's also what prevents him from being fully human. He's had a role to play since his inception, and he can't avoid that even with his newfound connections.

Ryoji's present throughout the entire story. You've got Pharos at the very beginning with the contract running errands for the Velvet Room (I like it more and more that I think about it. Picture Elizabeth or Igor having to explain to this terrifying child what he has to say. Or maybe he knew what to say all along! He has been waiting ten years), Thanatos tearing himself out of Orpheus (by far the best Persona awakening in the series and a textual highlight for what an alien force he is), and a crucial lynchpin event for Yukari's backstory, Mitsuru's backstory, as well as the crucial event for Aigis and P3 Hero.

There is no version of Persona 3 without Ryoji and I'm all the happier for it. Genuinely, if something's confusing with P3's story, there's 90% chance the answer is Ryoji or one of his many numerous forms. The remaining 10% is the Kirijo Group. That said, we don't get a lot of time with Ryoji. Ultimately, he's a part of P3 Hero and you're left to extrapolate exactly how much of each other you believe they've influenced.

Sogabe, the P3 & P4 mangaka, chose to highlight how similar Ryoji and P3 Hero look. I consider it an essential element of their relationship together.

least favorite thing about them

It'd be cheating to say nothing, wouldn't it? I'd say that his design is easy to mock and hard to get right in fanart. Between Ryoji's forehead and very Axel Kingdom Hearts approach towards long limbs – and legs in specific – the movies did not help with this. I've read reviews saying how the higher budget allowed for the characters to be more consistently on model, and thus look better, but I fervently disagree. That boy is mostly leg. Late 00s and early 10s anime art Looked Like That, though. I'd be lying if I said I didn't have a soft spot for some of it.

But I love how Ryoji looks and wouldn't change it for the world. Silly slick-backed hair boy. It is funny how whenever Persona wants a villain with sympathetic qualities, they slick back the protagonist's hair (Philemon and Maruki come to mind).

Reload fixed ("fixed") this anyway but making him much fluffier in his portraits and giving his skin some color! He's achingly soft in that game.

favorite line

There's many iconic ones I could pick but I'm going to go with a new one from Reload:

It's so small, it's so playful! I like that if you choose to start an exchange he finishes the bit. It says a lot about him in such a succinct way.

Even more so when you consider the reason he came here was for Junpei's sake. Being able to balance joking around while keeping a touch of concern endears me beyond belief. Thank you, Reload.

brOTP

Junpei & Ryoji. It's not even close. This was the one element I was hoping Reload would show more and I was not disappointed! The dynamic is good for a variety of reasons, but chief among them is that despite Junpei's Persona being Magician Arcana, he is not the P3 Hero's Magician Social Link. Junpei is not the male protagonist's best friend. He clearly wants to be, but his frustration is palpable. The P3 Hero is cool, charming, and everything that Junpei plays second fiddle to, but he won't even acknowledge him. But what if there were a more likeable version of the Hero?

Instant friendship. Those two are besties from day one, where Ryoji has all the qualities but none of the knowledge, and so their dynamic is a much more even one. To me, it indicates how well Junpei and the P3 Hero might have gotten along had he not carried Death inside him for ten years. It's a brief window into another world.

There's also the fact that Ryoji, Death, befriends Junpei so close to when Takaya shoots him and he perishes. His character arc is defined by change, this act being what radically transforms his soul, and what's one of the meanings of the Death Tarot? It's like universal foreshadowing. It's funny to me too that the Magician Arcana Shadow is the one Thanatos tore to pieces. Growth for Ryoji too.

As an aside, I miss the dynamic movements from the PS2 cutscenes. Junpei being so quick to drown Ryoji is nowhere comparable to him covering Ryoji's mouth.

OTP

Hmm. This might take a second. I wonder what pairing I might like with Ryoji. Here's an unrelated picture of Messiah:

You know, Messiah is one of those Personas that has only grown on me more as time passes. My favorite of the final protagonist ones, due in part to how you have to fuse him yourself. Orpheus, the starting Persona, combined with the power of Thanatos, the penultimate manifestation of the Death Arcana. They compliment each other beautifully, and regardless of if you the player create him, he is always the true final Persona, the final result of the Judgement Arcana.

They are inevitable.

Of course it's Ryoji and P3 Hero. How could it be anything else? These two make me sick with joy. Death has a clear favorite and in the end, gets to keep him forever.

nOTP

It's funny, because I can't think of any serious pairing with Ryoji that I wouldn't view as a crack ship? I can't see any version of Ryoji with anyone but the P3 Hero nor can I take that relationship seriously. The only other being Ryoji has an established relationship with is Aigis, and that ship comes across as black comedy. I mean, there's also Ryoji and the P3 Heroine, who he is undoubtedly head over heels for, but I see her as heavily preferring Aigis. Oops.

Wait, I did remember one! Ryoji and Junpei! I'll admit, maybe it's the sheer "dudebro" vibe of their relationship, but people pairing these two was not an outcome I expected from Reload. I've seen it enough to know those who like it aren't joking, either.

It's funny, because they're both soul-taken at the tail end of their friendship (Ryoji with P3 Hero and Junpei with Chidori) so I guess I wasn't looking for it? Then again I can't see Junpei Iori kissing a man in general. If there's a Ryoji pairing that isn't my thing, these two are the Most not my thing.

random headcanon

Ryoji memory backfill!

I've seen multiple interpretations for how Ryoji's sudden transfer, housing, and parental situations were never questioned. I like exploring this for myself, especially from Ryoji's perspective. Ryoji fully believes himself to be human until 12/2's Dark Hour. So, how does he reconcile his own situation?

This headcanon states that whenever Ryoji is prompted to answer on where he lives, what he likes, or where he went to school before, he'll often "backfill" what memories he think should be there. If it's something he should reasonably know, it'll be there.

In-game you can see a couple instances of Ryoji being stumped at simple questions, like where his class trip was going to be, but excelling at others, such as when he asks Mitsuru out to a restaurant date. According to the headcanon, he failed the class trip question because it wasn't something he anticipated, but he knew a date location because it was essential to his personality. Ryoji Mochizuki is a hearthrob, it wouldn't make sense if he didn't. So he does.

I like to think Reload Ryoji's phone is another example of this backfill, though this one spills over into material items. Ryoji thinks he should have a phone and knows he should ask for others' numbers, but when he reaches for it on his first day it isn't there.

His inconsistencies are fun.

Rapid fire small ones: his favorite color is blue, he likes sunrises but not sunsets, and he's good with children.

unpopular opinion

This may be the most unpopular opinion I have in general, but I don't believe Ryoji is bisexual. Or rather, I don't necessarily believe he must be bisexual. It's not like I'm trying to shirk representation, but I think there are so many fascinating ways that you can analyze orientation for a character. Same with gender.

Ryoji, through my interpretation, is someone who could only love the protagonist. And it doesn't have to be a sexual kind of love. There's an entire spectrum of identities in our culture that we've labeled for what Ryoji's experiences could be. It brings me joy to be able to think about how – even if Ryoji knew about these identities – he'd define himself. On top of that, would how he define himself be accurate? Would he have misunderstandings about his own identity?

There tends to be a large backlash when someone even suggests a different label for a character with one widely agreed upon, which means my gender and sexuality thoughts stay hidden away. I'm more than aware of those that insist any hint of same-sex attraction is obviously platonic and fans are reading too much into things. I'd never want to take away from an individual identifying with a character for what a fandom settles on calling them.

Though one note: it's interesting to me that from the collective opinion I've seen, people have latched onto bisexual as a label rather than pansexual despite them ostensibly meaning the same thing. Something something changing social climate. Anyway. Play around with character gender and sexuality. It's good for you.

song i associate with them

Auld Lang Syne.

For old acquaintance be forgot

And ne'er brought to mind

Should old acquaintance be forgot

In the days of auld lang syne?

For auld lang syne, my dear

For auld lang syne

We'll drink a cup of kindness yet

For the sake of auld lang syne

-

It's a traditional New Year's celebration song. Auld Lang Syne essentially means "for old time's sake". It originates from a precursor to Scottish, and exists as a fossil word inside this otherwise Standard English prose. I find it sweet how this little, historic piece gets to survive through something that redefines it.

favorite picture of them

Well, that was a lot. If you have a keen eye, you might've already noticed I've been dropping in pictures so I'll keep this part concise.

My favorite pictures of Ryoji are his portraits:

Sweet. Fluffy. Endlessly endeared by the way his hair flairs out. A much clearer heart shape for his face. Perfection. Special mention to his startled expression. His eyes get small and I get happy, simple as that.

Although, I'll never forgive Reload for dropping his Messiah pose:

There's an element to this portrait that's a little more unearthly, but earnest. Visually, his eyes are also a clearer parallel to Aigis's in this version.

Thank you for reading all the way through! And thank you again for the ask. I'm not sure if you were expecting an essay, but I think that about sums it up.

Have a picture of Ryoji nui + charm!

[firefaerie81]

(liveblog tag in chronological order)

*deep breath*

Soooo, yeah. The other shoe has dropped.

The moment I've been simultaneously dreading because it's such a gut punch and looking forward to because I have a LOT to say. Buckle up, this is gonna be a long one.

I played dumb on this instead of analyzing in context and hinting at what was to come because I have biases, and I wanted y'all to understand those biases so you might understand where I'm coming from in how I read this.

That's not to say I lied. I believe the things I've said about her over the course of my liveblog, but there's more to it that we have to get into now.

Now, I won't say there's NO merit to this twist. I see the intended setup and payoff, it raises the stakes for what was supposed to be the next season, and the drama can go places.

But I think it's a misstep because I don't think it's worth as much as what we lost in the process.

I REALLY liked this character and her relationship with Lion-O, and that colors how I respond to this twist and how I want it to go forward. Like I said, I'm biased. So, let's talk about those biases, and how I read Pumyra.

But first, one brief aside:

Mumm-Ra being able to track them was supposed to have been a clue about Pumyra, but like. He was doing that long before they even FOUND Pumyra, so what the hell?

Anyway, I've explained why I like Pumyra. Ever since I got to her introduction in this liveblog I have not shut up about how much I like her. Her spitfire attitude, her strong will, and her unique perspective made her a phenomenal addition to the cast that spiced things up without being a rehash of Lion-O and Tygra's clashes.

She filled a niche that improved the team composition, and she had a really solid arc that showed her as a complex person with multiple sides, able to grow and change. If this twist hadn’t happened, Pumyra would be one of the most well developed characters in the show.

Because this twist completely recontextualizes her and basically undoes all of her development. She's reset right back to where she started, but even more angry and vengeful. But I would prefer to think that her real personality is still more or less what we saw. Like her backstory, we got the gist with the darkest parts hidden.

Her anger at the mistreatment of the cats, helping a baby bird back into its nest, etc. There were these bits of heart to her that don’t scan as just an act to me. And honestly, I don't want to think that this character I liked has suddenly become a blank slate, because she was an AMAZING character.

I think this twist is a misstep because it’s so much LESS interesting than the character development we’ve been watching her go through, which is now being tossed out the window. We already saw her overcome this same general idea, and now you’re saying all that was fake and doesn't count? Thanks, I hate it!

I also haven’t been subtle about how much I like Lion-O and Pumyra’s relationship before this point. I think they had an amazing dynamic of rounding each other out, and they had some great moments together. But, well, this throws all of that out of whack.

We’re meant to assume that she coldly seduced Lion-O, but I don’t find that interesting. And to be frank, that plus the way he accused Cheetara of toying with him and never retracted it onscreen is not a great look for the show.

With Cheetara, it was more interesting for her to not end up with Lion-O because the potential relationship there was superficial and one-sided. But with Pumyra, that potential relationship really felt like a two way street that improved them both, and it felt like they had a real connection.

I don't think it's worth it to just throw all of that away. Again, we’re taking all of this lovingly built character and relationship development and throwing it out the window. And that’s frustrating, so I don’t want that to be how this goes.

Instead, I posit to you the classic mole dilemma: “I was sent to betray these people, but oops, getting to know them made me actually care, and now I have to carry out my mission even though I maybe have doubts.”

Mumm-Ra says he owns her soul now. Depending on how seriously we take that verbage, it implies a level of control that if Pumyra maybe isn't fully on board with something he wants her to do, it doesn’t really matter. And, y'know, it's Mumm-Ra; he doesn't give his underlings a choice. So that gives me some wiggle room to interpret. Please indulge me while I interpret.

She is obviously angry. That anger is real and her reasons are understandable even if it's treading ground we already covered. She's been waiting for this particular catharsis and she's happy to go for it now that she has the chance. But if she DID grow to care for Lion-O, at least on SOME level, that's more interesting to me than it all being a lie

Like I said way back in her first episodes, she met the man she'd assigned all her rage to, and he listened to her, he took responsibility for his negligence, and he was endlessly kind even when she was hostile. You can easily have that genuinely affect her.

Not necessarily “In Love With The Mark”, but not as cut and dried as it looks in this moment, either. Maybe she doesn't even realize it until after this is all said and done. Just a seed of doubt and dissatisfaction. She's angry, but she's also being used.

I also think it’d be really interesting to view it as like a devil’s bargain kind of thing. Yeah, she gets to live and have some revenge on the people she died angry at, but at the cost of helping the monster actually responsible for her death ruin more innocent lives. Is that worth it?

If we assume that the side we saw of her that cares about injustice and the plight of the helpless was real, which I think still fits, then that’s another reason for her to maybe not be okay with where she’s ended up now that she’s here. Careful what you wish for, and all.

If it were up to me, going forward Pumyra would grow torn between anger and conscience, struggling internally, and Lion-O would catch on and save her against all reason yet again. We'd essentially follow through on the arc they already had, but for real and on a grander scale.

Like, remember, what we're finding out now is basically the same as what Pumyra was initially presented with, just moreso. So I think that same trajectory they seemed to be on can still work, as long as you scale it up to match.

And Lion-O CAN help her. He himself went through an all-consuming rage and desire for revenge in Ramlak Rising, which is the exact time Pumyra died. You could tie back to that, how his rage begot her rage, and how he can actually understand her better than she thinks. They both fell into the same trap, but now he can offer her a hand out of it.

I’d also give Pumyra her own character arc reevaluating herself and eventually choosing to join the Thundercats for real. She'd struggle with a complicated tangle of love and hate, and through a personal journey eventually choose love. I think that fits the themes of the show.

Lion-O showed kindness to a lizard, and was repaid with an escape that enabled him to go on this entire journey. He helps those in need wherever he goes, and they in turn help him. Tygra broke the curse on the tiger clan by accepting his bio dad. This is a show about love and compassion and kindness being powerful.

Mumm-Ra's idea in planting Pumyra as a mole was “your emotions will be your undoing” or some such, so I’d find it thematically right to turn that back on him with the power of love winning after all. Like, it would take WORK, but I think it’d be worth it.

And I know none of that was the intent, but this liveblog is about my personal feelings and that’s how I feel. I’m not usually one to advocate for Enemies to Lovers when it’s not actually in the text, but godDAMN, they put in the work.

I don't want to give up on Lion-O/Pumyra or on Pumyra as the character I grew to love, so that’s the biased lens I view this twist through. But hey, one benefit of the show never being finished is that I'm free to write my own storyline and no one can stop me. Which is why that's exactly what I do in my art and my writing.

Thank you for coming to my TED Talk.

[nyxokal]

So I finished Diamond is Unbreakable

I typed one of these for Stardust Crusaders ages ago when I finished it and I wanted to do the same for DiU since like, my reactions to this one were so Big and visceral. Long post ahead!!

Again a disclaimer that I have been livetweeting JJBA in this thread, and specifically from here onwards was my DiU livetweet if you wanna experience it. It might provide some context but I'll be sure to add most of what you "need" to know here as screenshots anyway

What I liked

First things first the back and forth mood between tension and funny moments dot com was actually kind of nice, in retrospect? It really did do for a nice change of pace from the absurdity of SC and brought me back a lil to how BT handled its mood. Granted this is also a bit of a negative for me as well but I felt this flowed better than it did in Stardust Crusaders, so much so that the dychotomy really did feel earned

I genuinely did love the characters also!! I have Four (4) that were my favourites, but a lot of them brought at least SOMETHING to the table. There's a big problem again of Araki having way too many characters at once and introducing too many and making them less developed as a result, and a lot of them are one-off, but at the very LEAST he manages to pull what I called a Ducktales 2017 and mix and match different characters together

I think a good part of why this worked at all is how things were contained to just Morioh, which means everyone has to interact one way or another. It's a small town, everyone is neighbours, which means there WILL be overlap. I think that was a brilliant idea for Araki since he likes making way too many OCs so, this worked, in a way

Also, Josuke and Okuyasu's friendship… I was legitimately sold on it. I like how it felt like it developed over time and they found a common ground, because that is exactly how it was depicted and how it felt. But I really liked it, it made the last few episodes hit HARD for me. I deadass felt Josuke's rage. He was devastated and covering it up with anger

That brings me to Josuke. I was also on the fence about Josuke for a long time, but he won me over in the end. He's a lot like Joseph (I'll fucking get to that) which was a welcome change from Jotaro, and I do think I prefer characters with his energy. But he's a lot less like... mature, I'd say? Than Joseph was (and that's saying something), and that helps them both be distinct from one another. I think Josuke utilizes his anger to cover up for a lot of emotions he doesn't like or doesn't want to feel, and to push himself through situations that need it, but he's really a chill guy, if stupid. I like that about him

Oh wait, back up, speaking of Jotaro. I like how DiU utilized him a LOT in the sense that it recontextualized what he went through in SC, what he is like now, and the way he copes, which is in no way. I really liked his relationship with Koichi, actually. And I wish he'd been actually Josuke's like dad or something bc not only do I think that would've been a much much more interesting story, I also think the dynamic between him and Josuke was rather underutilized and adding this change of them being estranged father and son would've been a good way to toy with it, considering weird Joestar bonds have been a thing before

This man is so traumatized it's not even funny

I liked the presentation of it all, the creative use of Stands, the silliness, the mystery at the end, a LOT of it. I think DiU is a good part. I just have to tell you what I hated next

What I didn't like

Joseph.

If you go through the thread you see that the IMMEDIATE reaction I had to the bastard child twist was to get pissed and stop watching. I don't know why this had to be a thing, it's just so stupid. Can we seriously have no Joestar relationships that aren't a direct descendant kinda thing here? It's part of why I wish Josuke had been Jotaro's son instead, or at the very fucking least, a cousin. It's more interesting, but Araki barely even used Joseph anyway. He's senile for crying out loud. There's not a lot he CAN do, and everyone knows it--he's only there to further convince me that Araki hates him

Oh, also? Fuck Yukako and the way the show pushed her and Koichi together. Like, WHY? Why did that make sense in your head, Araki? Because it doesn't. I'm fully convinced Koichi is under Cinderella's influence even though Aya's dead. Shoo. Fuck Yukako.

I also felt like a lot of episodes were just there to drag the plot out and the quality of the Part was like... a rollercoaster. I could be watching a great episode one moment, then a shitty one next. Also, the story really only picked up with the introduction of Reimi and the Kira mystery, and I resent it for that because it really did feel like we were just fucking around wasting time before that, but I also recognize that Araki DID use the start of the Part to lay down a lot of groundwork and worldbuilding--it's just that he did a piss poor job at making it interesting

Also while I'm ambivalent on it, the fact that so many characters were introduced as total freaks and then they mellowed out and became like, relatively normal... why? All it did was make me hesitant to like some characters, like Yukako, Hayato, and Rohan. Rohan became one of my favourites and I still could not stop thinking about how he almost killed Koichi (although I did think him thinking that Koichi was his best friend after a long time passed was honestly kind of adorable?)

Another thing I am disappointed about was that flashback that Josuke had where a really injured man with a pompadour pushed the car out of the snow. EVERYTHING was pointing to that being Josuke. That was Josuke and you CANNOT convince me otherwise--he was way too stylized as him to not have been. And then nothing came of it!! I'm disappointed!!! Like, mnior I guess but that had me on the edge of my seat the ENTIRE show!! I was so ready!!!!! That was so!!! It would have said a lot about Josuke's self love!!!! I am mad that we fucking lost it!!!!!!

LIKE THIS IS JOSUKE. THIS WOULD'VE BEEN SO FUCKING COOL. WE'VE ALREADY FUCKED WITH TIME ONCE WE CAN DO IT AGAIN

Ugh anyway

I liked Kira as a villain but I feel like he was kind of underutilized. When the show introduced his dad, I started to feel the exhaustion of yet another bumbling moron except this time, it wasn't even a bumbling moron I liked. The guy was just... an annoyance both mechanically and as a character. Kira playing house was interesting and his weird relationship w his fake wife and kid was something I Wished got explored more, because when he had to go into hiding... god that was tense. The problem is we didn't get to see him hide much

Final Thoughts

I think Araki improved a lot on what made Part 3 so flawed and decided to take a page out of his Part 2 book for what worked there, and made something pretty solid. Part 4 is still really flawed, but I must admit it is a general improvement on what he's laid down on the table. This energy is fantastic, I just wish he'd reign it in a little and not get so carried away

Anyway, I don't have a LOT of thoughts on Part 4 actually, so I'll end this post by showing you the blorbos I made in this Part

I'm looking forward to Golden Wind, actually. I want to meet everyone. Everyone says I'll like everyone, but mostly Bruno and Narancia, so here's to me meeting them!!

[why485]

It’s kind of amazing that having read only a couple chapters ahead from when I wrote my previous post that was just the teaser for the big reveal(s). It’s always been a bit weird to me that this series has as high a score as it does, but I think I get it now after this because it’s a hell of a twist.

I’ll probably do one more Fuutaroubowl update, though I’m not sure how soon I should do it yet. Looking ahead at the chapter names, it seems like there’s a very lengthy school festival arc is coming up and then the last volume which presumably just wraps everything up, so maybe it’s better to do it sooner than later.

Yotsuba’s past finally gets fully revealed in chapter 90 and it recontextualizes literally everything that’s happened up until now. Yotsuba was the secret main character this entire time. A tragic character and, while not what you’d call a mastermind, behind any of the weird and/or ambiguous events that didn’t quite add up. After a couple more chapters (Last read 95, ~30 away from the end) this is such an insane loose thread, with so much room for growth, that when combined with Itsuki’s apparent status reversal, a Yotsuba win seems very likely.

The craziest thing is that it even fixes some plot holes that were bugging me. Up until this point, I’ve been assuming the mangaka has been making it all up as he went. That the reason for so many of the quint shenanigans was to keep it as ambiguous as possible so the story (and winner) could be tweaked over time based on either his own preferences or some other outside forces. Now though, I’m not so sure.

I went back and read through some of the early chapters and everything is consistent. This actually cleans up a lot of the problems I thought existed around the Rena character and Itsuki’s part in it all. All my insane theories during the Nino arc only made sense at the time, and now after everything’s played out it’s hard to imagine it going any other way. I don’t know that I want to re-read the entire thing yet, but I will say that it’s renewed my interest in the anime, because I’m really curious what an edited version of this story looks like. Maybe nothing actually needs to change to keep it internally consistent. Maybe all of this actually was planned out in advance.

[soul-dwelling]

While you probably would say that full metal alchemist is "objectivly" better than soul eater, what are some things it did better besides ypur personal nostalgic atachment to it?

Barring Soul Eater NOT, all animated iterations of Fullmetal Alchemist and Soul Eater are about even when it comes to animation, acting (minus some people, in retrospect, in the English dub), and music.

Maybe Soul Eater appeals a bit more to my sense of humor, but the comedy is so different between the two: Soul Eater is more cartoony, FMA is more situational and character-motivated, it’s apples and oranges.

I think the difference that makes me appreciate FMA, any version, more than Soul Eater is commitment to the plot.

I think Fullmetal Alchemist, in all forms, knew how it wanted to wrap up its story, and it set up what was needed to get to that ending.

Soul Eater felt like it was meandering without really knowing how it wanted to wrap up, in either version: so much stuff is introduced late into the anime to justify its ending (a problem that FMA 2003 had, too, and I’ll get to that below). And so much stuff is introduced late in the manga and leads to an overly long battle that doesn’t do much to advance plot or characterization.

Even when both had similar twists (FMA 2003 Envy’s real identity, manga Asura’s real identity), it felt like the Envy stuff was set up and meant something, recontextualizing their actions and helping make more sense how Envy relates to Dante, Hohenheim, and Ed, while learning who Asura really is doesn’t do much to change his regard for Kid, someone he barely interacted with, and while it makes Lord Death look even worse, it doesn’t make me re-read Asura’s interactions with Lord Death in any new way: we already know Asura hates Lord Death, I think we got that after he was skinned alive, how does this revelation do anything more but just show how ruthless Lord Death was?

But just because FMA does better at committing to its plot, I’m not sure that translates into the plotting actually being better in any version of Fullmetal Alchemist or Soul Eater. The plots to all the animated versions of both franchises have their flaws. (And, God, I really do not look forward to the next mini-adaptation of Soul Eater we get when Fire Force adapts its final chapter: that plot swerve is going to piss me off…)

That’s not to ignore what any version of FMA does well, because any flaws I see in any version, I have to acknowledge those same strengths and weaknesses are in any version of Soul Eater.

Even when there was stuff in FMA that felt like a swerve that impeded how I engaged with the plot (the 2003 anime introduces alternate universe stuff, suddenly we’re dealing with Nazis in the film; the manga suddenly is focusing on Ling and his crew, and I just don’t care–although at least in my opinion Brotherhood did better setting up earlier Ling and the Xingese influences on alchemy), at least the story stuck to that stuff and didn’t do anything that felt like it was suddenly changing its message, tone, or logic. Sure, Ed ending up in another dimension is weird, but not too much of a violation of what came before. Sure, the new identities for the Homunculi in the 2003 anime don’t match with the manga and Brotherhood, but damn if the anime didn’t commit to the back stories for Lust, Wrath, and so on.

And if I’m going to forgive FMA for these supposed problems, I can’t then attack Soul Eater the same way. If I’m going to let the 2003 anime and Brotherhood do its weird plot swerves, I can’t get as upset with the Punch of Courage.

But I can be upset with the Madness of Boobs. That shit was just unfunny, unappealing fanservice that reduced girls and women to sex objects. Say what you will about FMA, but it was pretty much equal opportunity, didn’t reduce any character to _just_ a sex object, and regardless the creators preferences for what makes a character attractive still had a variety of character types and bodies.

But I do think I need to bring up nostalgia. FMA and Soul Eater got me back into anime in two completely different time periods. FMA got me back into anime at the same time as the Iraq invasion, and that kind of story having a healthy suspicion of the motivations behind governmental and military overreach did speak to me. It also was the first dub I really listened to and familiarized myself with which other roles the actors were in. And Brotherhood was the last time I actually watched much anime before academic studies took more of my attention–and when I hit a wall with those studies, Soul Eater was sitting right there on Toonami, and that got me back to animation. (And threw me for a loop: learning Monica Rial was Lyra in FMA 2003 and Tsubaki in Soul Eater was surprising.)

And nostalgia is definitely making me give more favoritism to FMA. I have more positive associations with it for getting me back into anime, even as there are some negative connotations I have with the time when I was watching, beyond how fucked up invading Iraq was and remains. I used to think Soul Eater was almost entirely positive–but I also was super depressed when I started watching (as opposed to being super depressed now…yay TwT ), and a lot of the post-2015 atmosphere does taint some of the enjoyment I get out of it. (At least scrolling through my Tumblr dashboard helps: the Tumblr fandom remains an almost completely positive experience, like the antithesis to doom-scrolling through news on Twitter.)

[umbramatic]

So I saw Dune 2021 recently and I enjoyed it a fair bit and actually have a lot of thoughts! Keep in mind that I've never read the book, though now I plan to.

Let's get the negative stuff out of the way, because plenty of it alas does exist:

The Bad:

The most glaring and obvious thing is the white savior thing, which people other than me have probably dissected more thoroughly and accurately than my white ass ever could, but feels wrong not to mention at all. It doesn't totally tank the whole thing but seeing these very muslim-coded if sympathetic natives treat this white guy who's from their oppressors as a potential savior is always at least a little weird.

There's also like. I'm trying to be more aware of fatphobia and shit and the main villain being a fat dude that is too fat to walk and also being the only fat dude in the whole thing is. Awkward.

Also this is only kinda sociopolitical but. There are points, not every time but some, where the baddies are trying too hard to be both Star Wars baddies and LOTR baddies? Like. You theoretically COULD do a hybrid of both but this is really inconsistent about it.

OKAY THAT'S THE MAIN COMPLAINTS OUT OF MY SYSTEM NOW TIME FOR-

The Good:

First off, I need to mention I love almost everything about this film's aesthetic? Like, technically it's all a little more colorless than I usually prefer but the muted colors work well for the setting, and the designs of the tech and clothing and everything are extremely me-core,.

Also a lot of the characters are fun? I do love Paul. I love him, he's an edgy sadboy twink with special powers and at one point wears a black trenchcoat he is ABSOLUTELY up my alley. AND DUNCAN IDAHO WAS WONDERFUL AND I WAS SO SAD HE DIED. I like the signs of that one girl Paul kept seeing and only actually met up with at the end, and also I like Jessica. The movie does a good job of keeping you on your toes about what happens next... Especially since everyone Paul sees in his visions seems to die. Uh-oh. '

Also the worldbuilding and lore of it all is really cool too? I don't have anything in particular to say about it, I just think it's neat.

And also. SANDWORMS. I love them so much. Every time one showed up I smiled and clapped. My favorite scene was near the end where one just kind of. Stares at Paul. And I swear to god it does a fucking doggy head tilt. I'm probably imagining that but.

But yeah that bad vs. good list looks about equal but honestly I enjoyed the movie far more than that would let on. Do go see it. Now I gotta read the book and be spoiled on all the upcoming plot twists.

EDIT: I have been informed a lot of my criticisms are recontextualized in the book or even the movie itself (and I just missed it or downplayed it more than I should), especially the white savior thing. I am both exited and terrified to see how things play out.

[animebw]

Revolutionary Girl Utena: Series Reflection

The one downside of watching as much anime as I do is that eventually, not much is able to surprise you. You’ve seen all the common tropes, you’ve seen all the usual plotlines, you’ve seen all the different permutations of how all different kinds of stories are told through this medium. I can still find plenty of joy in shows and movies that feel familiar, and indeed, plenty of my favorite anime of the past several months play things pretty conventional. But I definitely miss when every new show was a completely unexpected adventure, when I never had any idea what I was in for and everything felt utterly fresh and new. Every once in a while, though, I come across a show that truly catches me off guard, a show so mesmerizing in its vision and unique in its execution that it keeps me on the seat of my pants at every turn. Some works of fiction are just too singular to look away from. Some stories are just too breathtaking to ignore. Some anime stand so triumphantly on their own two feet that you know you’re experiencing something truly special with them. And few anime in recent memory have been able to so thoroughly fill me with that kind of amazement as Revolutionary Girl Utena.

There are so many things going on in this show it’s hard to know where to start. On one level, it’s a batshit insane roller coaster ride that punches you in the face with bizarre, surreal imagery and ideas on a near-constant basis, mostly leaving you to piece together what it all means along the way. On another level, it’s a pitch-dark deconstruction of fairy tale idealism that tears into the seedy, abusive, manipulative underbelly that lies beneath the seemingly rosy portrait of princes, princesses, castles, and happily ever after. On yet another level, it’s a rhythmic, cyclical narrative that uses this repetition to peel back the layers of its characters and world one piece at a time, weaponizing pattern recognition to make the breaks in those patterns carry all the more weight. And on still another level, it’s an utterly gobsmacking evisceration of abuse, coercion, oppressive power systems, and the lies told by those in power- especially men- to keep those under their heel- especially women- subservient and willing to bend to their every desire. And all these different strands of thought all interweave and loop back on each other like a metatextual maze, enhancing the meaning they convey alone by exponential degrees. This. Show. Is. DENSE. No matter what angle you try to approach it from, it’s bound to give you nigh-infinite considerations to chew over. Even just watching it the first time through, I feel like I have spilled more words on this show than I have for most other shows I’ve watched for this blog. Imagine how many details I would pick up if/when I ever come back for a re-watch. My poor wrists are already sobbing at the thought.

On the subject of re-watching, this is definitely a show that gets better the more you know about it. I think it’s fair to say that Ikuhara will never be my favorite anime director: his preference for repetition and dramatic irony just is not my favorite way to tell stories. There were definitely times watching Utena where I grew tired of seeing the same images and ideas repeated so many times, where I felt the show was belaboring the point to an unnecessary degree, where I could feel my attention slipping as I waited for the obvious chain of events to play itself out. Ikuhara is at his best, I feel, when he’s genuinely able to surprise me, to take my expectations of what’s going on and turn everything on its head in a way that completely blows my mind but makes perfect sense in retrospect. And the more twists Utena piles up as it goes on, the more it was able to truly knock me senseless. There are countless reveals and gut-punches throughout this show that stand among the best twists I’ve ever seen in anime, moments that so perfectly recontextualize the events building up to them, they make me appreciate those events even more. For as wild and chaotic as this show can be, its pieces all fit together shockingly well, and the clearer my picture of what was actually going on became, the more I was able to see just what a brilliant tapestry Ikuhara was weaving here.

Because make no mistake, whatever criticisms I’ve had through these thirty-nine episodes, Revolutionary Girl Utena is fucking brilliant. Taken as a whole now that I can finally see it all laid out before me, it is staggering what this show was able to accomplish. The way it layers symbolism and metaphor while guiding the audience toward understanding it on a visceral level, the way it uses its cyclical structure to constantly add dimension to its cast of memorable characters, the way it explores the ugly ways that stories and storytelling tropes can be used as tools of oppression and subjugation, the way it shows how systems of power weaponize the vulnerability of the people suffering under them to perpetuate themselves, the mind-searing imagery, the willingness to go nightmarishly dark to make a point, the stunning portrayal of all kinds of flawed, toxic relationships and all the ways we can end up hurting the people we’re closest to... every single part of this insanely complicated production is working in perfect lockstep, and the end result is a show that burrows into your heart and mind and refuses to leave. There are so many moments from this show that truly and utterly amazed me, moments that made me step back with my mouth agape and whisper “holy shit” to the empty room around me. And I’m sure if I ever re-watch it, I would only notice even more astounding details that I missed the first time.

But beyond all the stunning narrative swerves, beyond the dense thematic layering and insane use of symbolism, Revolutionary Girl Utena’s true brilliance is that, at heart, it’s simply a story about love. It’s about the love shared by Utena Tenjou, a genuinely good person who’s misconceptions about the world leave her ill-equipped to truly face its evil, and Anthy Himemiya, a girl imprisoned by a million different chains slowly waking up to the realization that she wishes to be free. It’s about the companionship these two form and they ways they inadvertently hurt each other. It’s about how fear and blindness keep from from bearing their hearts to each other, and the long, painful, tender path they take to finally see each other face to face. It’s about the difficulty of trying to help someone through an emotional crisis you don’t fully understand yourself, and the courage it takes to try anyway. It’s about how the lies we tell ourselves can hurt the people we care about, how the secrets we keep hidden fester and rot if not brought to light, how there is nothing more revolutionary than the choice to love yourself and choose to live life on your own terms. And it’s this brilliant, breathtaking heart that refused to let me look away. It’s this honest, earnest portrayal of what it truly means to care for someone that made me not just like Utena, but love Utena. The way their relationship develops over the course of the show surprised me, delighted me, amazed me, broke my heart, sewed it back together, and made every last second of this crazy roller coaster ride worth something. Without Utena and Anthy, this show would be nothing. Without the courage of their convictions and the power of their love, this show would be nothing. They are, without question, the single greatest achievement Ikuhara’s ever made. And I will remember their final, climactic conversation for the rest of my life.

Revolutionary Girl Utena is stupendous. It’s colossal. It’s a singular, one-of-a-kind achievement that will never be repeated. I still have my complaints about the way Ikuhara tells his stories, but the way everything comes together in the final nine or so episodes is so fucking incredible that it’s hard to care too much about the occasionally bumpy ride to get there. This show has truly earned its place as anime’s art-house masterpiece, and I know I’m gonna be rolling it over in my head for quite some time to come. So with all that said and done, I give Revolutionary Girl Utena a score of:

9/10

What a fucking show, lads. I’m so glad this one lived up to its reputation. Thank you all for joining me on one of the ost extensive analyses of my entire bigne-watching “career!” If you’ve enjoyed my work and want more of me, be sure to ask for an invite to my Discord where you can hang out and chat about the shows I’m watching with me and fellow anime fans! I’ve still got Adolescence of Utena to watch, so I’ll see you next time for that! And once that’s over, I hope you’ll stick around for the show that will take its place:

Sakamoto

Thank god, something a little simpler that probably won’t make me write for almost six hours straight. See you all next time for the start of a new adventure!

[simpskywalker]

For the ask meme: 5, 8, and/or 15

5. Share one of your strengths.

i think i’m really good at descriptions; i put a lot of thought into each word. i absolutely love taking the most ridiculous, cracky concepts and giving them beautiful prose. i think i’m also pretty good at writing very sappy fluff!

8. Share a snippet from one of your favorite dialogue scenes you’ve written and explain why you’re proud of it.

it’s better with the context of the prose around it, but i didn’t want to make this excerpt too long, lol:

Obi-Wan: Hondo, I—Why would you—How did you—What?! Hadn’t you left?! Hondo: Well, I started to leave, but I got the strangest feeling that I had to stick around. Mama Ohnaka always taught me to trust my instincts, so I waited and listened through your unnecessarily long speeches at each other. Then, when Maul said the word ‘someone’, I just knew I had to turn on your fancy laser sword. So, I did it! Anyway, shouldn’t you be thanking me for taking care of it? Obi-Wan: Why were you planning on leaving me here with Maul without my lightsaber? Hondo: Well, you know, it’s a lightsaber! They sell for quite a few credits nowadays! Surely you can’t blame an old friend for simply making the most economically logical decision. Maul: Kenobi... Maul: Is he the Chosen One? Hondo: I’ve never been called the Chosen One before, but I’m quite flattered that you think of me so highly! I always knew that Hondo Ohnaka was destined for great things, but to hear it from somebody else, especially somebody who I just killed, is such an honor— Maul: Oh Force, just let me die!

i’m really proud of this dialogue from An Unexpected Presence, because it’s taking canon dialogue but then adding my own crack twist by inserting hondo. to be honest, i much prefer writing prose and being very flowery and descriptive with that, and it’s a lot harder to get into characters’ heads and make it sound natural.

,,,,,,,i only now realized that i really love recontextualizing canon dialogue, as it shows up in legit half of my fics :’) from s7e6 of tcw, to sy snootles’ iconic scenes in hunt for ziro, to the ending of esb, i just love taking already-written dialogue and adding my own twist with the prose! :D

15. If you could choose one of your fics to be filmed, which would you choose?

answered here!

send me questions for fic writers!

[thegamecollection]

THE LAST OF US: PART II - REVIEW ROUNDUP

Consider this your one week warning! We’re now officially 7 short (painfully bloody long) days away from reuniting with Ellie and Joel in The Last Of Us: Part II. What should we wear? Is it B.Y.O.B (Bring Your Own Bullets?) So much to consider, so little time. 

Of course there’ll be some of you out there that prefer to wait for the big names to drop their thoughts & scores online before committing to another devastating journey across post-pandemic America. Well you’re in luck! It seems they’ve been playing for a while because the scores have today appeared in style! We’ve lined up the best below so you can put your feet up before the inevitable trip...

IGN - 10/10

“The Last of Us Part 2 is a masterpiece worthy of its predecessor. Taking strides forward in nearly every way, Ellie steps into the spotlight and carries the sequel in a manner that feels like the culmination of everything that’s made Naughty Dog’s blockbuster storytelling so memorable since the original Uncharted on the PlayStation 3. It delivers a layered, emotionally shattering story on top of stealth and action gameplay that improves the first game’s mechanics while integrating a bit more of Uncharted’s greater mobility and action. But while Part 2 is a thrilling adventure, it still makes time for a stunning, nuanced exploration of the strength and fragility of the human spirit. The PlayStation 4 has one of its best exclusives in one of the generation’s best games.”

Read the full review here.

GameInformer - 10/10

“I can rave about the attention to detail, the world, and the combat, but the story is where The Last of Us Part II sets a new bar. It is more about challenging your heart than your reflexes, and I simply cannot recommend it enough. There is much to be said about this game that can’t be said here due to spoilers, but you should play it as soon as you can with as little info as possible. But you don’t need to know specifics to appreciate how the gameplay and environmental cues all play into a single purpose: They make you feel the choices, helplessness, and the violence at the heart of this world and its characters. I can safely say this is the best narrative game I have played. I felt the loss. I felt the confusion. It is a game that turned me inside out with each twist of the screw.”

Read the full review here.

PlaystationLifestyle - 10/10

“It’s an empathetic emotional journey that recontextualizes the idea of the hero at the centre of the story through new perspectives and unique methods of storytelling that only video games are capable of. It’s a multi-faceted experience with symmetry, details, and layers that players will be discussing for years. Polish and production values not only meet but exceed the level of Naughty Dog quality that players have come to expect. The Last of Us Part II is an era-defining game, a perfect companion to the first that harmonises with, rather than smothers, that original pivotal ending, crafting an unforgettable and emotionally challenging narrative with these beloved characters.”

Read the full review here.

Eurogamer - Essential

“The thing that really struck me - and pleasantly surprised me, coming as it does from a developer so transparently in love with the language of cinema - is that The Last of Us Part 2's power is wholly unique to it being a video game. There is a special kind of empathy that develops between a player and a game protagonist that no other medium can reproduce. It's this bond that Druckmann and his team have exploited to such devastating effect. It is a sad and timely reminder of the simultaneous importance and impossibility of living someone else's experience. Play it, and listen.”

Read the full review here.

GamesRadar - 5/5 - Editor’s Choice

“The Last of Us Part 2 not only justifies its existence as a sequel most didn't think was necessary, supplementing and elevating the timeless qualities of its predecessor, but stands confidently apart as an entirely different beast, one bearing its own fangs that bite with just as much force. The lasting achievement is nothing short of extraordinary, and a game we'll be looking back on for decades to come.”

Read the full review here.

PushSquare - 10/10

“The Last of Us: Part II adds a couple more inches to the already outrageously high bar that Naughty Dog has set for itself. This is the developer’s crowning achievement to date, expanding and improving upon the concepts that it’s been iterating on for over a decade now. Unparalleled presentation combines with an engaging gameplay loop that puts you in the shoes of its characters – and forces you to feel all of the tension and misgivings of its cast. It’s uncomfortable and not everyone will necessarily enjoy its direction, but that’s ultimately what makes it so essential.”

Read the full review here.

So... We’d say it’s a pretty strong showing! Ha. This game is going to be ridiculously good and if you haven’t secured your copy yet, then there’s no time like the present.

Available here with us on PS4 at The Game Collection!

We’re ready...

-Jack

[yenrz1314]

Is Xion Necessary In Kingdom Hearts?(Roxas character analysis)

Yeah weird title, I know. A title focused on Xion about a blog that's pretty much 95% about Roxas :v

So let's dive right into the question.

Some claim that if she wasn’t created (in the story, not as a character in the narrative) Sora would have never woken up. Others say that her presence is entirely superficial and twisted something that already worked. Regardless, the answer to this question is tied to the answering of another question:

Would Roxas have left the organization on his own?

The answer is surprisingly ambiguous in nature. Also keep in mind that this is just my interpretation of Roxas’s character. You can go believe he’s a gay, pretty boy that’s into dabbing and ping pong for all I care.

Not to mention this has been really bugging me slightly for years to get this out about Roxas and how he isn’t just some edgelord that went through an existential crisis.

The only way to answer the former question is to analyze Roxas’s character as well as his motivations. So let’s break down the character into two pieces:

Pre-Days Roxas

and Post-Days Roxas

Also this gif is so wholesome I cri 。ﾟ(ﾟﾉД｀ﾟ)ﾟ｡

To clarify, please don’t get this mixed up. Mind you, we’re talking about Roxas before and after the release of the game 358/2 Days respectively. Not Roxas before and after the events of 358/2 days. I guess one could also call it KH2 Roxas and 358/2 days Roxas but not quite and nnnnngggaahhh this is getting confusing let's move on.

So let's start with Pre-Days Roxas. His past was definitely mysterious, and his personality was semi-hidden behind a curtain since we didn't have all that much access to said mysteeeerious past. All we know is that he had Axel as a pal and that he betrayed the organization.

That asides, we also know he's a big fan of friendship since we also see him tearing up in front of his pals inside Sora. And seeing him go through the tragic struggle of trying to exist, but knowing how futile that fight is, is definitely a relatable one and its presentation is executed rather well. He's different from Sora in that when he hits his low points, he can really lash out. He's less reverent for sure.

You would be definitely correct to say that Pre-Days Roxas already had an explanation for abandoning the Organization, that being that he was fed up with the mystery and was questioning his own existence. So in this case, Xion has no necessity in this paradigm.

However, let's look at Post-Days Roxas. Under the magnifying glass, you'll find that Pre-Days and Post-Days Roxas are subtly different in character. Post-Days Roxas really came across as more docile and less rowdy, which makes sense since most of the game he isn't going through a tumultuous existential crisis like we see in in KH2.

He’s definitely also shown to have the patience of a gosh darned saint, with his friends exclusively of course. Also, to the very end, he always seemed to be more of the type of guy that just wanted to be with his friends and didn’t care much about anything else. He can be smart and hotheaded like Pre-Days Roxas with the same amount of agency, but when given the choice he would rather keep the peace as long as he had his friends. His personal matters come second to his friends. Well, that’s at least how I interpreted that.

Post-Days Roxas’s differences in character subtly, but wholly change the paradigm. There are scenes in Days when he watched the Twilight town trio, where he voiced his opinion saying that he would much rather live a mundane, peaceful life with friends. That alone really makes me believe that if Xion wasn’t in the equation, Roxas would have dealt with whatever shade that the Org. threw his way for the sake of keeping the peace and keeping the only happiness he would had ever known: his friendship with Axel. Riku would probably eventually intervene if that were to happen, but that’s another story.

At this point, the only explanation for Post-Days Roxas’s desertion of and eventual attempt to eliminate the organization could only be, in fact, Xion. His friendgroup was already falling apart, but her death was the last straw. He had no more stability or source of happiness to cling to, and the mystery behind his existence was just more fuel to the fire.

Either way, he says it himself when battling Riku.

“I'll set Kingdom Hearts free, then everything will be back the way it was! She'll come back... and the three of us can be together again!"

"I want Xion back! I want my life back!"

No mention about his identity or existence. The closest one we get is:

“Why did the Keyblade choose me? I have to know”

Which doesn’t undermine my point here, as this can definitely still be one of his motives for leaving alongside the ones I've just stated/established. Just not the main one.

He was just a guy that wanted to be with his friends and didn’t care much about anything else, but due to circumstance he was torn from his happiness and forced to play a role he didn’t want.

All the more tragic, don’t you think?

Something about this kind of Roxas, compared to Pre-Days Roxas, a simple story of a deserter with a devil may care attitude becoming self aware of the futility of his existence, is more appealing and complex to me. It might be the nostalgia goggles talking, but I definitely prefer Post-Days over Pre-Days Roxas. He seems more personable, more human. And this ties into the fact that he was a nobody that was able to grow a heart.

You can like what you like, however, because my preferences don't invalidate yours. This is especially apparent because of the following:

He is definitely congruous with Pre-Days Roxas, so there are no retcons here. All of these ‘changes’ do not contradict what was established with Pre-Days Roxas, as his character was written with open ends for future games to work with. These are more like additions to his character, rather than changes. The presentation of Days, although neglecting to put him in the spotlight narratively, develops his character quite well from the fragments of what we got in KH2 if you take into account my interpretation. It’s nothing major, but it’s something that has substance. Basically Roxas’ character was developed in Days. Like adding some needed salt to an already pretty tasty dish.

I’m sorry

Not to mention Xion's death and the following wipe of everyone's memory helps these additions fit in nicely. I have to also say, however, that this memory wipe could never excuse retcons. And I'm grateful that the writers didn’t do this, which is a pleasant surprise considering that most of the time they don’t pull off this smooth of a job.

Now let's go back to answering the question: Is Xion necessary?

We can now say that she definitely is, when taking into account Post-Days Roxas’s character. Meanwhile, she isn't when only considering Pre-Days Roxas. However, these two points are not contradictory to one another because of the nature of Xion's death.

With all that in mind, Days was written pretty well in this aspect, as this new recontextualization of Roxas's character is actually really satisfying to see pulled off. And because of that, I have to give props to the writing team.

Also another reason to check off my list as to why Roxas is the best character in Kingdom Hearts ever.

But everything changed when DDD attacked, recontextualizing everything in the worst way possible, turning things into a “Xehanort planned ALL of this ALL ALONG” sort of thing.

Narratively, I can’t help but find that sort of boring, and I think most of the KH fandom didn’t really like how time travel went and pseudo-retconned everything.

But once again, that’s another story.

[wonderfulworldofmichaelford]

Michael After Midnight: Unbreakable

It is so strange to think of Unbreakable as anything but an anomaly; for the longest time, it seemed a Shyamalan film that was overshadowed by his colossal success The Sixth Sense and his equally gargantuan failures such as the executive-meddled The Last Airbender and the hilariously awful The Happening. Then along came Split and then the announcement of Glass and suddenly the film began to get serious critical reevaluation, with audiences showing more interest in it than ever before and discovering this ahead-of-its-time gem.

Unbreakable, to me, is proof that there was always artistic genius in Shymalan and that The Sixth Sense was not just a fluke. While I think that The Sixth Sense is a great movie deserving of its praise, I find Unbreakable to be Shyamalan’s magnum opus, a fantastic work that managed to deconstruct the superhero film and showcase a realistic take on superheroes years ahead of the trend. It’s just so brilliant and unique and appeals to my sensibilities… I suppose that might be why I prefer this film. I’m a huge fan of superhero movies, and I love a good deconstruction. Rarely, though, do we get one; Watchmen and The Dark Knight Returns were long finished when this came out, and are perhaps the only works this is really comparable to.

To really understand what I mean, let’s look at the plot: the story centers around one David Dunn, a seemingly normal man who inexplicably survives a deadly train crash without a single scratch on him. This attracts the attention of one Elijah Price, a comic book art gallery owner, who suffers from osteogenesis imperfecta and has since childhood, his bones so weak they can break if he’s not too careful; Elijah believes that David has extraordinary powers, and with great power comes great responsibility, or so the trope-loving Elijah espouses to David. David doesn’t believe in Elijah at first, but as he starts to think back on his life, he starts to wonder if maybe he really is meant to be a hero.

Perhaps the greatest asset to this film is the absolutely masterful cinematography and the excellent usage of color motifs. There are so many great shots, great angles, well done scenes… the movie is never dull to look at, even if it is slow-paced. Color motifs, on the other hand, play an important role in the story, with David being associated with green, Elijah being associated with purple, and red, orange, and yellow being associated with negatively impactful characters, such as the janitor towards the end. Of course, this choice is entirely deliberate as part of utilizing comic book tropes, where heroes and villains tend to be color-coded for the convenience of readers. It’s such a neat stylistic choice, and one that makes rewatching the film with it in mind far more rewarding.

The film is very much a slow burn origin story, with little action but plenty of dialogue and melodrama. Thankfully, all of what you see is absolutely fascinating character drama, with Bruce Willis and Samuel L. Jackson truly giving it their all as David and Elijah, respectively. This might not be appealing to those more accustomed to quicker paced origin stories in superhero cinema, but you have to understand this came out ages before the superhero boom, where there was no one way to do things.

The way this movie operates actually brilliantly unbuilds the superhero story we know and love, rather than deconstructing it; as there were very few superhero films at the time, with the X-Men series just kicking off and Spider-Man on the horizon, realism in superhero films was not going to be the norm for quite a long while, and yet this movie showcases exactly what a realistic superhero story would be like. Dunn is simply a normal man with some above-average abilities. He doesn’t have fancy gadgets, he’s not rich, and he doesn’t take well to the realizations he may be beyond what a normal human is, instead reacting with at first revulsion and rejection to the idea he may be destined to be a superhero. Continuing to describe the unbuilding of the ‘realistic hero’ tropes would do this film and its twist injustice, however, so I recommend sitting down and watching it.

It’s hard to really go into great detail without spoiling the twist of the movie, that patented Shyamalan curveball he seems to throw into every film. Unlike most of his twists, however, this is one that wasn’t widely assimilated into pop culture, mainly due to this film’s relative obscurity until the release of Split. While the twist has sadly been a bit more telegraphed due to the upcoming release of Glass, I still am not going to ruin it for anyone who wishes to watch this film unsullied. Needless to say, it’s a great twist that recontextualizes the movie and a lot of what was said and seen on a level not seen since The Usual Suspects.

Unbreakable is an absolutely brilliant film, and a great superhero drama. Out of all the realistic superhero films to come, this one still stands out as a unique, original, and refreshing take that was unfortunate to come out a few years too early. I highly recommend it, especially if you like Split or are interested in the movie Glass. If you’re even just interested in seeing what Shyamalan looks like when his full potential is being realized, this is definitely a film you’ll enjoy. It’s an excellent deconstructive work that, rather than feeling stale or invoking “Seinfeld is unfunny,” holds up remarkably well as a dramatic work even all these years later, and in fact resonates even more in this current landscape of superhero cinema.

I suppose it’s only fitting to say that, even after over a decade and so many advances in superhero movies, this movie’s resonance and appeal is… unbreakable.