#objectively yes this is me looking way too far into it and my opinion doesnt matter at all anyways

[bardengarde]

I won't vote in the mash swamp fmk polls bc I'm not strong enough to sentence anyone to death, but I will marry Hawkeye bc even tho I can't fix him I Can and Will take care of him and make sure he has good food until his dying day, and in return all I'll ask for is the occasional hug and compliment

And in the other one voting against marrying Charles is actively voting against my own interests, I could be so rich can u believe it, and it would also be so funny bc he would Hate marrying someone from lower Appalachia >:)

[dreamerwitches]

RIGHT! I'm going to judge everyone with their doppel choices!!! Get ready for long post

In all seriousness, you're entitled to your own opinions and this is just a bit of fun. I'm genuinely interested to see the most popular doppels and I KNOW there are no set rules for the votes as the account has stated so peoples choices may be for gameplay etc etc. So, no meanness, right? It's all in jest (m-mostly...)

Giovanna time! I agree very muchee, I'm not a big fan of swimsuit Giovanna. Yeah she's cute but I dunno I just don't like the sail and that's such a big part of it. I understand why og and anime are equal cause anime Giovanna was FIRE and the new take on it in-game works well. Og deserves well because duh, its the og and anime deserves well too cause it's on par. But Infinite Giovanna ough, left the girls in the dust. Beautiful colours, beautiful combination of Giovanna and Shitori Egumo. She's beautiful and she knows it!

The first disagreement. Tanabata Campanella falls into the 'its too busy i dont have a clue whats going on and thats not a good thing' camp for me. Yes the colours are pretty but damn there's too much going on. And the colours on her spine bit are way too much overall. I get it but it's not for me. I'm glad my choice is second though. Historia Campanella is.... is not Campanella that's the eiffel tower and anime Campanella is just ugly. They removed the lantern which is such a good part of the og. the hint of red works so well and the ugly four shoes are a) large and ugly and b) dont fucking fit! The only thing i like is the hat but do i like it more than og? Not really, its on par

Alright THIS is my first 'um hello, what are you guys doing?' Tiracchana is awful, what are you on? I definitely feel the magis are affecting choice here cause I know Yuna is popular. I'm sorry but her doppel is shit. So ugly and such a mishmash of bad aspects. I'm sad Merkava is so low in comparison cause her theming is cool and she actually looks good. Done dirty... But like, how the fuck is halifax winning? She's just a fucking guillotine for petes sake... Im not a fan because it irks me but come on this is not the best design. Lakehurst done dirty waaa... she's such a cool mix of animal and machine and she works so well. Not too busy and has a clear theme. I suppose the only thing that isnt so great is the tongue since its colour sticks out so much. Very disappointed in everyone...

W-Why none of y'all like Marguerite?? What's she done wrong?! She'd be my second choice. I think Cuauhtitlan is fine but I struggle judging her since Im not knowledgable on the culture. But she does look very nice and the colours are good. I like Marguerite for her kinda castle/tank-y feel. The colours are nice and the structure is interesting! She kinda falls into 'this doesnt look like a witch and moreso an object' bracket but its not that bad... im so sad she's unpopular... Now im surprised at Halomonas. Its just boring man... and she's definitely 'this doesnt look like a witch and moreso an object'. Just nothing in it is particularly fun or cool, I just find her so boring. I suppose Alexandra's integration is good though, but otherwise... Unbased. But I'm very happy with Vlastenske! I looooove clowns!!! And she's super creepy and fun! You should be winning, sweetie

Sigh. Hepialidae is shit, what are you on? Moths are so important to the theme and story magireco and yet this rando has a moth witch? It's so out of left field and doesnt suit her theme as far as I know. I wanted her to be a vampire witch so bad back in the day... The colours are ruined by the leg parts too. Like hello? Where do those ugly purples and greens come from?! I suppose Kushu's integration is nice though. I understand Henrietta's low score. She falls into the object category but at least she's pretty. Sad about Don Rocinante though... I get she is a little boring but I do have metal bias... (looking at my fave Gisela... ) But compared to the others I still think she should be higher And man, I know Konomi is popular but... it... it's just flowers... c'mon...

Yeah, shitty magirepo deserves to be last... I think all (not you rena-chan) are very good here and deserve to be equal. A little surprised Elfriede is lower... I suppose her theme is a little all over the place... the fingers at the bottom kinda come out of nowhere and the head is a little out of place. Cendrillon is very good but feels a tad like a number of things patched together. I think the neck and headpiece could be improved. I must admit I have a bias for Zola as Ive rather fallen in love with her (heehee oops!) I think she's so spooky and cool and the colours are great! It was kinda hard to choose out of three great doppels Oh uh, Cendrillon-chan... I forgot you were there... yeah Magirepo doppels are just lazy and awful, NEXT!

Kogetsu winning as she should be... im furious the shitty Blot is not losing though... Komatsu falls into the mishmash category and there's a little too much going on. I wish she was more insect-like. I love Kogetsu though, the dragon is super cool as well as Chizuru's integration. It's just so satisfying to have such a circular silhouette too, she pulls it off well. Drekka Minni... sigh... does not deserve to be second. ITS A FUCKING BOAT. The only part I like is the dragon head but even then it doesnt fit in with ANYTHING else on the witch. I can barely even call her a witch... ugh... Oh and dear sweet Blot. Her witch is pretty good! But the doppel... The doppel is like 1/6th of the witch and they didnt even choose a good bit. Ugly, boring, lazy, and Gunhild has a shit utilisation. If you voted for her we are not friends.

Cassandra deserves to be first for sure and I totally see why Vimala is low. Im not a big fan of Apebis but the design is still pretty good, deserves to be high. I see why Vimala is unpopular as she really just looks like an object. A very pretty object but just an object. Everyone is pretty good here so Im glad most are pretty equal. Magatsu is spooky and cool and so is Cassandra. Maybe they can be spooky gfs from across time

What do you fucking mean no one likes Gosirsa??!! I'm mad Oaji is high hissssss Tara is very pretty and I love a Yokai cameo but she's a little too busy for my liking. Oaji.... Oaji is an object c'moooonnn... she's way too simple why is she top??? There are aspects I like like the reflection and stark red but not enough there. Marita is beautiful so im glad she's at least second. The theme is creepy and the colours are so pretty. But why no love for Gosirsa?! She's teetering on mishmash but I dont think she's that bad! The colours are nice and I love the mechanical bull theme! I get the wheels look a bit weird and not great but that's only one part... Poor girl...

No Aztekium love... yeah, she's not great... the cactus rail gun is not made very well. It's just two objects splortched together... Glad Abigail is high cause she's super fun. Nice colours and fun theme. I'm surprised 9daime is so high since she kinda falls into mishmash... at least the colour scheme is pretty good. I dont like how most of the pieces just don't really go together. Makes sense that Oxford is second cause this isnt a very strong bunch. I hate Miyuri's shitty feet theme but at least Oxford has nice colours and although the legs are busy, I think its pretty okay and the mass of patterns are fun.

WHAT ARE YOU ON JING IS BEAUTIFUL!!! Very unbased. I think the magi chose this one... >:( But... most of these are pretty good... but that doesnt mean Jing can be so low! Catacombe is very cool and has a good overarching theme and colour scheme. Im not so fond cause her colours are a little drab. I think Totentaz is a little boring, not enough going on I suppose and I dont think the wispy arms work. Otherwise she's fine, pretty but a little boring. But mannnnn Jing is so beautiful! I dont understand... the Chinese opera theme is BEAUTIFUL! I love her flowers and the trailing parts and how creepy she is when you look close... sigh... Casuarius is my least favourite here. Dunno, just don't get with her. The colours are very good and I love the symmetry and how Mikage is framed but I don't know if I like how the head part is put together, feels a little like separate things smooshed together without much thought.

When I first voted Frederica was so high and I was SO mad. She's awful, one of the most boring witches. It's just eyes and a jpeg of flowers man... I'm so glad she's at the bottom now. I like the patterns of Hevelius but she is just a lump so I get why she's low. Etteilla is super pretty but I definitely prefer her witch. She's on equal par to Gibdaughter to me. I only chose her cause of my silly metal bias :)c heehee I love Gibdaughter, the metal punk bird is great and I love Kanae's unique hood. These two deserve to be equal

This was a hard pick between ED Catacombe and Totentaz. The first two definitely fall into 'too detailed' for me. Like, man, look at Catacombe she has a whole party going on on her. Dunno if Elfriede deserves to be so low but they're all good. I like her pumpkin theme. I only chose Catacombe because Im not so fond of Totentaz. Does she deserve to be so high..? Eh, no... I think she's only so popular because she's the one that hurts your eyes the least. I think she's good, I LOVE the head cage thing but her bone scythe is too ugly and lumpy looking. I know ED Catacombe does look a little silly with her Papyrus Undertale skulls but I just love the colours and theme. She just works better for me.

These are all pretty equal to me, no idea why Nenemu is so low. Do people just not like Nemu lol? Nolde is pretty, love her colours and matchstick theme. So is Nenemu though I get that she feels a little more busy. I love the eye hands and head, she's more spooky. I dont think Shitori Egumo deserves to be so high. She's nowhere near as cool as her witch but she's still good. Maybe my least favourite? But otherwise they're still pretty on par. I chose Sukhavati because I love her patterns, especially when she opens up. It's a bit of a disservice not showing that aspect. Plus I love a rafflesia lol

Hmmmmmm. You want some controversy? Charlotte's doppel isnt that good guys. You know what the best part of Charlotte is? Her face. Her eyes and her huge mouth. And here..? Um... tiny mouth and no eyes. They took away her best parts! So sorry not sorry she isn't that good. Doppel Oktavia is way too stout for me. Why did they make her so fat? (not fatshaming at all, a plus sized oktavia would be beautiful but she usually isnt) Her head is so iconic why did they remove it and totally change her visor? I just think they ruined such a good witch. And Candeloro absolutely does not use enough of the witch. Its so painful cause I love Candeloro and Mami... She does not need to be that small and insignificant. I chose Ophelia cause um, the witch is actually there!! And I think the horse utilisation is actually smart! This definitely looks more like a witch popularity contest and no one actually looked at the doppels...

Ehh... swimsuit doppels are hard... They're just always so... busy... Meh... Why does no one like Ophelia though??? You're lame... Oktavia is fine. I like the surfboard and colours. I think the different kind of fish is cool but she barely looks like Oktavia anymore... Swimsuit Candeloro is pretty and has nice colours but MAN its way too busy. Swimsuit Ophelia is a bit all over the place. Some colours dont fit in and the turtle looks kinda bad. Swimsuit Charlotte is probably my second fave cause the colours are nice and the mishmash theme kinda suits her but man, some of the pieces look so out of place. Stick with a consistent art style...

Why is Luca so high? Egh... I think Luca's shape is overall so ugly and not good looking. The decorations a kinda okay but way too messy to see what you're looking at. I find her so hard to judge cause I know there's a deeper meaning I dont quite get so she's always on the fence for me. Im a Breadman hater. Why is she so unique? Why is she separate to Sudachi? What makes you so special??!! Too weird, feels like they're trying too hard to be cute. Gothel is pretty. Love the colours and the rapunzel spin. And I love me a set of ribs!! Valentines Breadman is a little better to me, I think a mishmash really suits the chocolate theme. Should be higher than regular Breadman.

Naomi is one of the first doppels I saw so maybe im biased lol. Broiderie is too grey and complex for me. But otherwise she's very beautiful and suits the mushroom theme very well. Not a fan of her weird foot though. Sigh... Heide Jekyll (shit name). I get it, I really do. But you could have made the design better!!! I know its a sensitive topic but you've still gotta make something that looks good! Naomi is beautiful, beautiful colours, I love the dual heads and stark red between the bodies. I kinda wish the arms matched the rest more but otherwise a clear winner. Yeah, Ganni deserves to be last. It's just a helmet man... A very beautiful helmet but just a helmet.

Theresia at the top like she deserves! I LOVE how awful and grotesque she is! You go girl! Go torture someone! Yu Hong is good but a little boring to me. Wish there was more than just the balloon. Beatrice is very good but I kinda hate the bright purple and fleshy pink. Ouch that hurts the eyes. She's a little tooo weird for me (not a good overarching theme) but I like how grotesque she is (wow second time saying that, gross girls forever!) Also how was I today days old when I realised Beatrice-chan is differently coloured... fake fan... but still not great... Theresia sweep is deserved.

Hrrnngghhhh Old Dorothy isn't that good guys.... It's just a bunch of circles c'mon... and the Nightmare-esque creature is so out of place. Why does she have it? You know, the things Homura made in her isolation field? Eh... Sad McDougal is so low, she was my second choice. How dare you put her next to the shite that is Hund Balou. But... she isn't great... very object-y and what is going on with that pink thing? I think Im biased cause i love her magical witch. Winchester is a great translation of the witch. Love her, no notes (well...) Only critique is that the colours are boring but that's obviously her shtick. Hund Balou... is like one of the only doppels that just look so badly drawn. The hands are awful, the hair is awful and the headpiece looks stuck on. BUT... the colours are very pretty and I love her dress. Oh and Hanna's utilisation is so unbearably lazy.

This was kinda a battle of the worst for me... Only chose Winchester cause I like main Winchester. Old Dorothy is too busy, Yu Hong is just green with barely any additions, Cuauhitlan is WAY WAY too busy (but aside from the centre she is very pretty). Man, no one served at this party...

Huh, another battle of the worst... Can we please not have a variant doppel that is unbearably busy? I chose Oktavia cause her colours are really pretty as well as the additions. But... w-why is she fat again??!! (see before, nothing wrong with large Oktavia but she... she isnt in the anime so where has this come from?!) Totentaz is finneeee... but its just a little boring... The green is ugly and the arm bits detract too much from the rest of it. (though i like the repeated red stripes). Tara is just WAY too busy and so is Henrietta. It's so hard to see what's going on... They are pretty but man... tone it down a bit!

I hate Carola so so much its unbelievable. Its such a bad doppel... I need the full description to tell you how awful she is. I am so passionate about how much I hate this doppel (this is from a wip doppel ranking)

Final Carola is... better... I wish this was her usual but im so weighed down by its previous shitness that I didnt vote for her... The colours are pretty and so are the patterns. Caterina isnt a win for me. I have no idea why she has a butterfly theme and I wish it was more like a book. Its beautiful... but not Umika. Im biased for Antonio cause I just think he's so cool???? It's... it's not Kaoru (like hello?? Where is the football theme?) but I just like him aaaa... this was kinda another battle of the worst. I think Final Carola is the best here. (Kazumi Magica you deserve so much betterrrr)

I LOVE SYLVIIIEEEEE! :) ah, where were we... Im very on the fence with Vayu. My opinion changes every time I look at her... I like the shape and the utilisation of Shizuku makes sense but Im not so sure about the colours and the uhhh bag head..? Doesnt make sense to me. Her main witch works so much better. Gela is high for me cause I love cloowwnnnsss! Just kinda wish she wasn't 60% huge beige bag. Love a dual jester hat and two faces but the colours juusstt dont match so well. Tongue and wings dont work so great with everything as a whole. Mmmm heehee Sylvie!!!! I love wind up monkeys, I love maids, I love body horror, I love purple... hello? This diva has no flaawwssss! Why is Paparazzo so high.... its pretty lame... The colours are alright and I love the repeated circles theme but eh the camera body isnt doing it for me. And the eyes feel a little lazy. She's just a little lazy overall...

Forget battle of the worst this is battle of the best! A-and Kriemhild-senpai... Doppel Kriemhild is sooo good... it is a total shame she kinda isnt Kriemhild but a Portable reference wins brownie points in Kit's book! Original is great! No notes. Swimsuit is also very good but it wasnt the winner for me cause she is just a liiiiittle too busy... otherwise the colours are GORGEOUS and she is very good. Haregi Kriemhild is also so beautiful. I think the green is integrated well (they could have fluked that so easily) and the circular background works so well with her overall. Deserves to be on par with the other two, not that low :( And uh Kriemhild-senpai..? Oh look, we've run out of time!

Hrrnnnnnn...... okay Homulilly is great, very good interpretation of Portable Homulilly. Only gripe is that she's kinda one-note on colours. She could've used the red of Portable homu. Now... guys... cool Homulilly isnt that good... Rebellion Homulilly is such a good design and what did they use here?.... oh... oh uh... n-nothing... Where's the spider lily? Where's the gramophone? WHERES THE SKELETON?! It just doesnt do it for me, champ (and i know, this isnt specifically Rebellion Homulilly but c'mon! They were going there with everything else, why not go the whole way!) I think the Lotte are way too busy, if you were gonna do the Clara Dolls, do the fucking Clara Dolls, you have ALL the assets for them! No, she does not deserve to be top y'all are liars and skanks Swimsuit Homulilly... COME ON THE COLOURS ARE LOVELY! This was before variant doppels were stuffed to their britches with too much shit. She's so cute, I love the contrast of the blue and the cute spotty arms aarrghhh y'all are missing out... Haregi Homulilly is too busy and the colours are kinda wack. The 7 Gods of Fortune Lotte just don't work for me... it's too messy and ugly... very unbased here...

Wow that's all up to date! So? Did this make you hate me? I dont really mind lol Im half looking-forward-to, half nervous about what the rest of the results will be...

[genericpuff]

To me the problem with lore olympus and rachel is that she keeps the fan feedback too close to her chest, yes it does "affect her because she's very sensitive" which is smth rachel has said before in interviews and stuff, but the problem is that if u let fan opinions get in the way of ur work maybe u should set boundaries with the way u interact with fan content OF UR OWN WORK.

Im not sure if im explaining myself correctly, but the way rachel somehow always tries to prove criticism wrong and has slowly started ignoring the foundations she previously set is making everything just so flat and boring. She doesnt work with what we've already read but trying to somehow "fix" things that are sometimes not clear on the get go.

For example, u (and a lot of people) complained about how demeter explicitly said she always put persephone in white (when persephone has willingly been wearing that color through the entire series). Meanwhile, i remember having read a post from loreolympians on instagram (iirc) analyzing perse's change of color scheme during s2.

The problem with these things is that rachel has most likely been engaging with these fans who take for granted that she plans everything out or that everything has a deep meaning (which to a sense you should do, because having faith in the author is usually how to go about analyzing storytelling), and somehow it's become a strange echochamber and it results in these weird, very blatantly written to be noticed, details or moments htat try to be smart but are just flat bc rachel doesnt give any effort to anything else aand prefers telling rather than showing so she can feel like a good author when fans obviously point these out

Jdhdjd these are just my two cents and sorry for the long rant but yeah basically rachel should separate herself from the fandom and try to write more objectively and focusing on the narrative instead of taking every little criticism of her comic so personally

Honestly, I can get being a little squeamish around criticism, shit I've had analysis stuff on my work that's consisted of praise and it's still sometimes a little overwhelming to read (I've got a big one in my asks right now that took me like 10 minutes to get thru because I had to keep taking breathers and I still need to actually share it LMAO it's not even criticism! it's just got so much in it, ahfdsaklg)

When it comes to criticism, I still get a little "aw man" sometimes. I recently got feedback from Pyrrhic & Victoria on my Reaper redraws and even though I'm pals with them and know they aren't gonna be harsh, it's still an incredibly vulnerable position to put oneself in. Especially when it's projects that you hold very close to your sense of self.

RS has definitely taken it a little too far in tying LO to herself as a person. Criticism of the comic = criticism of her , and her fanbase seems to view this the same way, that if someone doesn't like the comic, that has to automatically say something about them as consumers when... it really doesn't. If anything their reactions to criticism say way more about them as people than the criticism existing lmao

What's more upsetting and simultaneously eye-rolling is the fact that Rachel goes out of her way to look for things to be upset about. On multiple occasions now over the past 4-5 years, she's snuck into groups containing criticism, attempted to strongarm power away from moderators so she could have criticism removed, and basically just ruined her own day over other people's opinions whether or not they were meant to be read by her.

It's why I stand by the fact that people shouldn't be directly messaging RS with criticism or hate because that would just be unsolicited cruelty. While she should be more open to criticism, that doesn't mean she needs to open the floodgates on her DM's because there are plenty of places for criticism to exist outside of her peripheral. But she keeps turning her head to look at it. Like, she'll throw a hissy fit over criticism that wasn't even really directly aimed at her, just meant for the sake of discussion. And that's where I'd really honestly wish she could just get a grip.

Like, I'm sure there's criticism of Rekindled out there already. Shit, I've had other projects from yeeears ago that ended up being made fun of outside of where I posted it. It sucked, but going out and actively looking for it for the purpose of erasing it from existence wasn't going to make me a better creator nor was it going to benefit me as a person.

It's a shitty reality, but the bigger you grow as a creator, the more you will have to separate yourself from your audience. You don't have to stonewall them completely, many people follow these works for the creators themselves, but you're not entitled to everyone's friendship and praise, and if the criticism really bugs you that much, then fucking work on the thing they're criticizing, don't double down on it or try to control how your audience consumes your content.

It's why it drives me so nuts when RS does infiltrate these groups because it's an incredible invasion of privacy as well as the creator-reader relationship. Q&A's, panels, and personal socials are where you go to interact with the creator. A creator sneaking into a Discord group or subreddit or FB group with the intent of "listening in" would be equivalent to J.K. Rowling showing up in person to a book club meeting. It's just disrespectful to your audience and makes you look like a huge asshole. Have some grace and for once, I'll tell Rachel and her fanbase to take their own advice - if you don't like it, don't read it.

[putaindeplagieur]

Danganronpa: Killing Games, a Chain of Reactions.

Heyo. Its time for me to strike again with a reaction. This time, from good old @pyropsychiccollector who answered an ask:

https://at.tumblr.com/pyropsychiccollector/what-is-by-far-the-dumbest-plot-point-in-hopes/o2dnjussy0xn

So, as you can see in the article, pyro has three culprits to point his fingers at. Three points which makes me have three different reactions. And I thought 'why not pester everyone with my thoughts again ?'

Only my opinions, lets be civil, prepare the popcorn for some long ass rant... I think you know the jazz.

1: The Future Arc

Lets cut to the chase here. I ENTIRELY agree on this point. Why ?

Simply put, because this 'game' has no proper structure to maintain it. The only reason this exist is to push Ryouta to use his brainwashing video. Thats it.

Of course there is bound to have dead bodies dropping, but not only Kazuo sent all of the Heads of his organisation to the guillotine, but they werent even developped as opposed to the two others. Everything moved so fast we barely got to know them let alone feel attached to, when its even possible.

'It would be too painful to put Makoto in another killing game', the devs said... well whatever this was, it was painful for him AND us.

Honestly, it would have been much better to have the killing game either be scrapped entirely, or have it happen after we see them bound. Make us see how the outside world is recovering by this point. We already saw a glimpse of that happen in Killer Killer, now we wanted to see how things changed by then ! What about the population that struggles and needs help, what about the Despairs themselves ?

We could have had Makotos visions truly evolve, as we see him trying to adapt himself in the dangerous world outside as he get out of the school, trying to give back some humanity in this broken world as he tries to compromise with Kyousuke so they can finally work together in the Killing Game ! Not to mention, the Forbidden Actions were interesting as it put another limitation to avoid !

...

I feel like I could go on and on about what DR3 should have been... but it deserves its own post. I have two other points to go over.

2: Celestia Ludenberg

Aaaaand thats pretty much where I feel like I must say my piece, even if the reasonning

Yes, Celestia, as the Ultimate Gambler, should have known better than involving two victims was too big of a risk. Double murders are pretty notorious to be.... not great in general. And yes, her plan ended up having too much holes to be credible. Honestly, I get people when they say her talent was shamed because of her rash decisions which doesnt fit her persona.

To which I answer... is it really that surprising ?

In a classic gambling match, surely the outcome would have been her victory. Because in my mind, in any official tournament which opposes expert in the field of analysis, strategy and treachery, the result of winning might be worth the risks.

But this isnt a tournament. This is a torture porn game made a psychopath who uses a human emotion as an excuse to make people suffer. Because it made her feel alive.

And we all know the lenghts she took. Aside from brainwashing people, she took years of people who were close to her, making them strangers... and the motives. Their families, their secrets, their greed, their sense of security... she played with everything she had.

Because she knew how they worked. And she knew how to counter their quirks. And that included our best gothica manipulative girl.

Because lets face it guys, even with the most objective look on things, that doesnt excuse her actions. I do think that had she survived the game, some accountability would have been much needed, especially in an organisation as skin tighted as the Future Fundation. Not to mention the Captives.

BUT ! Notice that I wrote SOME accountability. Not ALL of it. Why ?

Simple : who is the one who was manipulating things to turn out this way ? Celestia played her cards, that is undeniable... but who gave her those cards ? Who awoke her greed with the motive ?

Because yes. Junko knew Celestia's dream. She knew how she got there and how far she would go, and she pushed her victim over the edge. I say victim because even though Celes was a bitch compared to the other culprits, and even though she killed for selfish reasons, at the end of the day, she was as manipulated as the rest of her class, a class full of people with weaknesses and insecurities that she took advantage of.

In Celestia's case ? It was her pride.

Celestia Ludenberg was born because Taeko Yasuhiro was, according to her, a boring girl with nothing special... when she thought she deserved better. All the while denying her past that she wants nothing to do with.

The moment Junko put a possibility for her to make her dream, her LIE, a REALITY ? The outcome was inevitable.

Personally, I do think its a shame Celes didnt survive. The death of the mask to let reality sink in. But realistically speaking ? Celestia would have NEVER allowed that to happen. The Queen of Lies can lie to all, even herself. But not to one who knows the truth. That was a match she could never win no matter what.

Because lets say that she got away with her plan... then what ? She can construct her castle in a destroyed France ? And for all we know, what tells me the cash Monokuma showed wasnt fake, rendering all of her machinations for NOTHING ? Uh ? Ever though of that ? She has hidden the Class Trial aspect and the Tragedy until the good time, this is something she would do !

This is something any good mastermind would do : tell their captives enough information to advance... but let the context out of their grasps. The reason is simple : to make them panic and let their emotions do the rest. And as Junko is not directly involved like the participants... she can deflect all the blame on those who cracks under the pressure.

Thats the strategy the bad guys in Squid Games used, thats the strategy Junko uses on those she wants to suffer for her enjoyment.

PLAYING DIRTY.

Thats the base of anyvkilling game. Using the quirks of the participants to make them go unrational. So Celes acting the way she did is upsetting... but surprisingly, I think not only it was intended, but in character. And to those who thinks it doesnt fit her talent...

Damon Maitsu from Eden's Garden.

Spoilers, the talent of debating about multiple subjects doesn’t mean you can communicate with others well. And your ego who belittles the talents of others, as well as using an (although optional) road involving feelings rather than logic ... doesn't help.

Emotions... can get the best of you in stressful situations.

Someone would attest to that.

3: Sayaka Maizono

Everything I said about Celes... also applies to Sayaka. Even more so, in fact, considering her status.

I’m not going to write much more, I’ll just say this.

Sayaka using Makoto in Chapter 1? Unfortunately, that’s... not as stupid as you guys would think.

Again, Junko hiding the Class Trial section of killing someone is on purpose, and the instructions were too vague for everyone to have a good grasp of the implications.

And Junko knows about what Sayaka had to do to get the title. That doesn’t excuse what Sayaka did and tried to pull, but that video? The way she panicked? It was intended to be as such.

Compare her video to Makoto’s. His home was destroyed, his family nowhere to be seen, and he freaks out for a moment, wanting to get out. Pretty intense all things considered.

Sayaka’s though? Seeing your friends on the ground, unconscious? Or are they even alive at all? There’s no way to tell at all, for all she knew... No wonder why she snapped, seeing her closest friend, and NOT KNOWING IF THEY’RE ALIVE... not knowing for sure is a torture.

So when she hears her friend telling her he would get her out of here no matter what... is it really surprising to have her think in dark places?

Bringing the worst in ourselves, all away from logic and rationality...

That is the power of the Killing Game.

Conclusion

Contrary to what Kyosuke says, having rules doesn’t make things safer. Not when they’re stacked against you. Hell in a broken world with attacks which can comes at every directions, and hell in a secluded place without any idea of what those around you might be thinking, with a mastermind that can pull any stunts it can to make people break. Stupid decisions are bound to happen in those settings.

...then again, when the game isn’t structured properly, and when the anime is rushed...

Anyways, thank you for bearing with me.

Now I gotta prepare my shield. See ya!

[lulu-zodiac]

do you think misha was ever bothered by jared's behavior? i waffle back and forth because misha is such a troll and has such a good sense of humor that i wonder if he always took it as "lol that jared" and rolled with it because he told the stories enough in a good light and he certainly doesnt seem like a pushover to put up with it for 11 years if he was bothered. i dont want to biasly judge things from then how i view jared now and the pranks were like THE staple every guest star went through.

i think this is a really good question, and it's something i've wondered about a lot actually.

the short answer?

yes. i do think jared's behaviour has bothered misha. it's hard to imagine how it wouldn't; objectively speaking, jared has on multiple occasions bullied and sexually harassed misha.

the longer answer:

you said that misha talks about jared's behaviour towards him in a good light, and you're totally right. misha actually tends to laugh about it alongside jared, as if it's nothing. but misha's outward reaction to jared's behaviour towards him isn't necessarily indicative of how he actually feels about it (we all know how expert misha is at hiding the truth in a joke).

misha is very diplomatic and non-confrontational, so i find it hard to imagine him (publically, anyway) calling jared out on any of that stuff. it's super interesting to me that misha is so skilled at challenging/diverting shitty behaviour other people are experiencing, but has a totally different response when he's the one being subjected to it.

misha has talked about being bullied growing up, and i think you can really see the lasting impact of that when he's around jared. he makes himself small and mocks himself so that jared doesn't get there first, absolutely plays up to the idiotic, bumbling persona that jared often makes him out to be.

playing into the way someone is treating you is one of THE most common defence mechanisms used by victims of bullying. there are panels where you can almost see misha reverting to that kid he once was when he felt useless and insecure and as though he needed to downplay his qualities in order to feel accepted by people. as someone who's very much experienced the same thing, it's genuinely painful to watch him re-enact that trauma.

what's telling for me is that jensen is often noticeably bothered by the way jared treats misha.

while misha just laughs along with it and downplays it and acts like it's fine because it's behaviour he grew up learning to expect, jensen sits there fuming. there are multiple instances of him doing this, and jensen is a pretty chill guy who (in the past, at least, i'm not touching whatever is happening between them now with a bargepole) was close friends with jared. i don't think he'd have reacted so strongly if he didn't know that jared's behaviour, despite appearances, actually bothered misha quite a lot, or felt that it was crossing some kind of line that would negatively impact misha.

it's worth noting that i don't think every instance of jared and misha relating is negative. i just think their dynamic is built on interactions where misha is made fun of just a little too much, where things get pushed too far and his boundaries aren't always noticed or respected.

it's also worth noting that i don't think jared has overtly malicious intentions towards misha either; i think he often simply isn't able to recognise where the line is, and when he's crossed it, and this has become imbedded into the whole way they relate (which is a difficult thing to change, once you're set in a pattern).

so, before i turn this into an actual essay: my opinion is that misha has definitely been bothered by some of jared's behaviour.

i don't think he's been bothered by all of it, i think there were probably elements of their friendship that misha enjoyed and valued a lot. but relationships aren't straightforward, and for all the good stuff i'm sure there was in their friendship, for me, there are definite indications that there were elements that negatively affected misha too.

from my perspective, the way misha responds to jared's behaviour is often a red flag. it's just too much like the way people who are used to being bullied are conditioned to behave for self-preservation. even if jared wasn't the root cause, it's never a sign of a healthy friendship if someone makes you revert to that defence mechanism.

and please remember: bullying exists in many different forms, often not immediately visible if you don't know what to look for.

[flakopancho]

on that russell brand wap video

video starts he is bored, by his tone,  with the song, cant be bothered to pronounce wap correctly, dismissive but has some insight..ok

he is more interested in what the media is saying about the song so he is being a gossip instead of an art critic off the bat but maybe he’d say social critic weak cop out with him reading the guardians definition of the video instead of what cardi and meg say or even give his own summary of the song also side note i heard the song and thought it was average and video was boring it also is weird to me we are stuck on the hamster wheel of female sexuality in rap at least like didnt lil kim foxy brown trina nicki minaj my neck my back my pussy and my crack already put a period on these convos when he says that cardi and meg are aspiring to the patriarchies values which completely duhumanizes them and takes their agency away, like they just actually enjoy their wet ass pussies and its a human value not a systematic inoculated value. so stfu there is no replicating values from males its just females getting to be female and it has nothing to do with hierarchy or patriarchy...which is revolutionary then she starts going on about TRADITIONAL VALUES so dumb , defining what men and women are generally but ignoring you cant apply averages to individuals and thats even ignoring the fact that bravery is considered male in his diatribe... then calling margaret thatcher a woman man and saying she expels male values like wtf do you hate yourself that much and see women and people who arent white as innocent pure sinless waifs....part of humanity is our potential for evil and dismissing that to sexism or racism is an insult on top of the pity conventional female values--- gagging maybe he didnt mean these things but talked about them from societies perspective but he still seems to be talking from that side---- there is nothing wrong with objectification he is a complete lunatic - you can objectify all day and still see humanity beyond the objectification - its fun to be objectified its fun to objectify its fun to make an object (art piece) of your self if that is your job as a visual artist like cardi and meg, and even if not everyone agrees objectification is good is my opinion void because it doesnt agree with yours what kind of revolution are we having here...and russell take your tattoos off then those are objects those are false idolss if meg and cardi lived in the perfect utopia that russel envisions, and wanted to express their sexuality - how would they do it without being objectified... focusing on the body or sadnesss or happiness apart from the complete humanity of someone is objectifying that one part and if we were in utopia it would still be consumed as a commodity...whats wrong with a commodity...exploitation of commodities through not paying workers or raising prices unfairly is wrong but just now the idea of commodity is wrong...isnt that video he is making to be a gossip also a commodity wap isnt doing enough cause it isnt calling out who has power in the systems that so dumb - go live in an artless world til everyone is fed then why is he wasting his time on philosophy of the mainstream people are starving out there. cardis bernie campaigning wasnt enough now her work and personal self expression needs to be exploited by your cause for revolution isnt a youtube video about as far away from a product as you can get - how is it different than making a vlog like he is doing - they both selling the product of themselves in both cases they are objectifying their authenticity its still the same aesthetic its the same values and ideals...uhhh no its not women in rap changed the definition of what men in america find attractive and in different time periods different body types were attractive cause it changes with cultures there was a womens body revolution and it has 99% percent to do with thicc women in hip hop not conforming to the "male" but i would say human standards of the 50s-80s at least 

before capitilism were their women owning their sexuality...yes so its not a product of capitalism we should be aspiring to an entirely different set of values not who has the power in these values...so he is saying cause women are taking power in the same system its not a good thing and shouldnt be celebrated..i do agree with that to a degree but i also could see the power shift as a step on the way to a different value system, but also im not going to be zealot and hate on cardi and meg for not having my same level of desire for a utopia revolution or a rapture i also dont see wap as a commentary on social structures just maybe dating when you are younger power which russell was a part of, like he says as ive gotten older my values have changed, welll then maybe the same will happen for the young women doing the same shit you were doing, old and wise is only old and wise when you dont see it as a personal revelation you had instead of seeing all older people change their values to more conservative back in my day bull shit so he is scared of power and attractive to him cause, o my god these women are so beautiful, the whole video is about his own sex addiction and blaming the pretty girls for getting grabbed on what are we looking for, something fun to dance to, something to give me confidence, something to make silly videos undermining the sexuality entirely, its not just porn porn porn like he is trying to claim so fucking stupid this russell brand video is the same as the ben shapiro i aint squeamish about sex but this is not making people equal....wtf are you talking about he also wont go as far to say what the ideologies cardi and meg are fighting which im curious about ooo so now he says meg and cardi dont need to be doing anything other than commodity, admits hes puritanical, sees it through a warped lense what was the point of this video. spend 15 minutes seemingly arguing that they are being too sexual, just capitalist pawns, not radicals and will make poor russell want to packer his peepee

then say in one minute well that was all bullshit and should cardi and meg be doing something different...no so dumb

[starrspice]

Rose Quartz isn't a villain

Unpopular opinion. But here we go

This is My personal two cents. This isn't ordered well its kind of all over the place.

WARNING. ITS REALLY LONG

A lot of people (especially since the movie) have been acting and bashing Rose Quartz/Pink Diamond and acting as though she's the cruelest villain in the universe.

And here's why I don't think she is the ANTAGONIST (a person who actively opposes someone or something)

And furthermore why she falls in line as a VILLAIN ( a character whose evil actions or motives are important to the plot.)

As well as a HERO (a person who is admired or idealized for courage, outstanding achievements, or noble qualities)

Let's start with her thought process and behavior.

A big thing I see is people saying "HER ABUSE DOESNT JUSTIFY WHAT SHE DID SHES STILL A MONSTER" and it's true. Abuse doesn't justify terrible behavior but it does to some degree explain it. Pink diamond was abused by the other diamonds.

She was constantly punished for acting out, which she did not only for attention from the other diamonds (as she seemed to be left alone quite often ) but also to make them happy (which indicates that they usually are not) and bring the family together. Not only did she act out, but when punished, she was forced to say she's sorry and that she was wrong, for simply trying to make her family happy and feel less miserable herself.

Pink was basically trained to follow homeworlds rules and not to question anything. And was forced to live a life she hated.

Yes. A lot of what Pink did and HOW she acted is due to how she was raised by the diamonds.

Diamonds are taught that THEY are the leaders. All gems and other life forms are lower than they are. And while Pink did, in fact, realize that killing the planets was wrong that may very well be all she realized. Gems weren't made to fuse with other gems, or to rebel, or to find their own path in life. All of those were things introduced by the rebels. The only reason the diamonds are getting closer to behaving and thinking better than they used to is that they had GUIDANCE. Steven helped show them a better right and wrong. He's helped them work to become better people for 2 years. And one may argue that pink/rose had thousands of years AWAY from. her abusers to become better. But the big thing she didn't have was guidance. She didn't have anyone tell her that those things weren't ok. The gems couldn't tell her that because everything they were doing is new to them. They grew and developed as people but couldn't possibly understand a stronger sense of right and wrong since it had never been questioned before and they'd never been told anything except for "Diamonds know best so we never question them" if you listen to Rose's song love like you she REALIZES SHE WAS TERRIBLE but only because she finally had someone to show her how her way thinking was resulting in terrible behavior and causing problems. "I always thought I might be bad now I'm sure that it's true, 'cus I think you're so good and I'm nothing like you. " GREG WAS HER GUIDANCE but she realized that even if she tried to be a better person. Shell always has a bit of her old self. And she may very well think That's holding her back. But she knew that steven, someone surrounded by people better than she ever could be. And by a strong loving father to guide him and make him kind and considerate and the amazing steven we know and love.

I know a lot of friends who have dealt with abuse. And they go on to behave all kinds if different ways. But this show depicts 2 very different ways people can behave after a childhood of abuse. Pink ran off and made her own life, but didn't necessarily become better. She continued living as she had, not knowing her behavior was wrong because she had never seen anything else or been told that it was wrong. She acted how she was taught to act by homeworld, and as for the rebels, no one recognized how bad it was because they lived the exact same way. They were stuck and had trouble growing as people because they didn't know how to grow. Steven taught them. That's why pearl lives for herself now instead of rose. How Amethyst takes pride and lives with the support of her friends and family boosting her up. He taught garnet that it's ok to not know everything, and sometimes you just have to focus on what you can change rather than what you cant. He taught them that fighting doesn't always fix the problem. Pink didn't have a steven until she realized how much she truly loved Greg. How he was different from other humans because he taught her and was willing to overlook the mistakes of her past so he could help her future. Only at the end of her life did she learn that she was wrong, and selfish, and not a good person. The diamonds acted JUST like this. They all dealt with Whites abuse. And realized. They behaved wrongly. Steven showed them that. They had guidance. Yes. Some people can realize the fault in their behavior on their own. But some cant. The diamonds needed guidance to take steps towards being better. And they're still struggling to learn. But they have someone to help them. So they're trying to fix their mistakes. So yes. Pink diamond was a bad person. And she did a lot of what she did not only because of the abuse. But because of how she was taught to think. This is not to void her of fault or to excuse the things she did. But I feel like it's unfair to call her evil and cruel and heartless. EVERY SINGLE VILLAIN in steven universe has had some layer of depth of deeper reasoning for what they did. And even if you consider pink to be the real villain. The same goes for her. Evil is not inherent, just like all terrible thoughts and behavior patterns. Like racism isn't inherent, or bias or prejudice. These are behavioral traits that are TAUGHT. If a killer raises a child. That child may not think killing is wrong. Pink was raised where she was an important person who had a right to everything she wanted and her desires took priority. Once something didn't serve a purpose she was expected to get rid of it. And gems were treated like objects. They were used for walls, decorative statues. Even aquamarine said topaz was of no use to her. And was prepared to get rid of her. we know this is wrong but they don't. Not all of them anyway. Even the off colors thought they were in the wrong for being themselves. It's not as if she did all of this because she wanted to hurt those around her. She did everything how she did because she was taught to think that way or behave that way. We become the people we are through nature AND nurture. But one can have more sway on someone depending on their upbringing. Abd abusive upbringing like pink endured is bound to drill homeworlds ideals into her head that much more. Especially since she tried to go against the grain and was punished constantly for trying to save things and be better.

And a lot of complaints I see is that "if she tried to explain her feelings to the diamonds none of this would happen" but everyone seems to forget. SHE DID TRY. In the episode where ruby and sapphire split and pearl explains everything she shows that pink diamond DID try. But was scolded for it. And was ignored. Just like how white ignored blue and yellow. She used all her authority but it meant nothing. She felt trapped and took an out. She tried to make a change. It started a spark that leads to a rebellion. Gems thinking for themselves. Being themselves. She did do good things. She tried to leave as much good as she had. But she didn't really know good and bad. She is still responsible for her failures and actions. But it's so so SO wrong to just slap a label on her calling her pure evil like she WANTED to do all that damage. Its the same as calling someone a hero despite any terrible things in their past that may have lead up to that. It's fine to classify her as an antagonist because yes. She caused problems for the main character and everyone around them. But it's not ok to ignore the meanings and cause behind it. We all knew pink/rose wasn’t A good person. But it's not ok to belittle her and act like her suffering and upbringing played no part.

It just upsets me when people ignore the history of someone. And I repeat THAT DOESN’T EXCUSE HER ACTIONS but that doesn't mean its ok to label someone based on their mistakes. No. Rose isn't a good person. She didn't know how to be. But that doesn't mean shes a cruel villainess. It means she was hurt early on and never fully recovered.

People who come from abuse can rise higher than their oast and tey to be better. And sometimes they can get stuck in their past and never learn from it. But that doesn't mean it's from a lack of wanting to be better. They may just not know-how.

This explains pinks behavior. And why she isn't an ANTAGONIST. She wasn't ACTIVELY trying to harm anyone or ruin anything. She even REFUSED TO SHATTER GEMS. She had a semblance of right and wrong and what was too far, but that's as far as it went. Additionally, by the time the show takes place, Pink is gone and can no longer actively do anything against steven or the crystal gems.

So. My thoughts on Pink/Rose

Not a good person and not justified in her actions, but came off the bedside of an abusive childhood and was never taught better. Just because she's done a lot of bad things doesn't mean bashing her is ok. Try and think of it like real life. Not everyone becomes better after abuse. And not everyone has the influences and tools needed to become better after abuse. We learn right and wrong from the people around us, so what if no one around us knows proper right and wrong?

Not looking to argue and you can reply with your thoughts if you want. But that doesn't really mean ill respond (im sure ill be flooded with people telling me why I'm wrong lol)

I would go on but I feel like this is too long already

[misterbitches]

i’m high so idk if it’ll make sense but.....i’m guessing there’s like restrictions/amount of kissing or like they are asked to put restraint on it and don’t want to push it (they should) but it doesn’t feel as stilted and gross and obvious as it can be oftentimes.

i hope that as people and actors who, hopefully, actually care about acting and honing their craft that that can sink into their understanding as friends. like i hate how much money a company is making off of stuff like this, and fansigns, and just exploiting a very strange female identifying facet (why women like to see two men in relationships and part of what that means for us in the society we’re growing up in etc)

the point is to get $, as this company, so they can bring in more fans and get more $. knowing this, esp on that particular channel, actors who are getting into this specific genre have to also accept that kind of social transaction. while fandom culture is suffocating (and often seriously so fucking fickle because we’re human and learning) as actors you also know what comes along with that, what social currency is, and what financial literacy is  if there was no previous marginalization (IE if you are a rich good looking dude getting into this biz.)

i accept my conflicting feelings on the genre but knowing that people are just trying to constantly produce doesn’t mean acknowledging things that are produced with care in mind. i feel as if that there’s a big part of why certain actors drift away with a certain fan reception. they want the perceived ideal of them together, but not really, and also a girlfriend is bad and they own these people?

but taking into consideration what you are doing and signed up for, how can the blame become totally reliant on an audience specifically tailored to keep you afloat? this outcome is usually always known—something harsh will hit you as you get exposure and certain points (speculation, relationships) will be exploited for monetary value. on top of that, we see their work as objects and they themselves can be objects never to stray.

on the other hand, ships with way less of a sterile approach in the on screen relationships seem to have actors that can remain friends or have no qualms about it. there’s absoutely no way those dude in together with me didnt face torrents like this but the fact that they’re stll friends through that is a big deal. it’s also like, they knew their job was to make this so a lot of the negative is embroiled in that and you have much less worry about what it look slike if you are too overtsexual since we see that in the series

the downside to this is that many of these types of relationships/shows cna be super fucking clunky or i put up with things i dislike because, even with chemistry, i’m still like “damn theyre cute together and i wanna see em be cute” but not super into the story. because there is sometimes so much fucking intimacy and sex in the physical/close that thats all we are waiting for. which is oftentimes why secondary couples work by the time theres already been an adjusted dynamic

so kissing so little becomes suspicious and kissing so much becomes, “if i wanted to watch gay porn i fuckin would have damn wtf? how long can i watch bitches kiss?” and either way it’s voyeuristic but one is willing to go farther...however that adds the fetish to it and how weird girls and women are watching this shit enraptured mostly because of that???

2gether and WHY R U display that in my opinion. i’m not comparing cos it’s whatever but. tine and sarawat look like theyre actually about to kiss when they almost kiss instead of foreseeing the pause. it doesnt always work (acting wise) but theyre physical and actually cheek kiss. i can try and rationalize in my head: it’s ok if they dont kiss for now and wondering why i need the physicality and kissing more. 

outside of needing it (the kiss) to be there to represent something big because putting that out there, like any other romcom (that operates under capitalism too so...i coudl go on) and wanting that for them and everyone behidn the project.  and not getting a GOOD kiss scene can be frustrating (and their kisses so far have been what i dont like but also theyre both not expecting it idk i hope)

theyre like actually putting their bodies on each other and inhabiting the same space instead of around each other through a contrived intimate space that will always be interrupted and feel static. 2gether like each other and theyre funny with personalities and we can weather through the faults of the show or lack of kissing as a marker of love that should be demonstrated. so time was put in this show and figuring out how to go around a parameter (that they should break btw cos fuck a boss) was rly planned out (or seems to be.) hopefully  bright and win both are like “hey, this is my job and it’s cool and people are gonna be terrible but like this is something i love to do and i dont have to dissociate myself with him and sacrifice a friendship because of participating in the very thing i was hired to do and being exploited off of that idea in lieu think of advancing my career” 

yes i am always thinking.

[draw-you-coward]

Hi! How is everyone? I wanted to talk about the Scions. Specifically, the Archons. Major spoilers for Shadowbringers!

I think what really helped me come to these conclusions was seeing all of them actively work together. specifically, seeing urianger in a context where he’s an actual character and not a deus ex machina! (side note: he’s honestly amazing in this expansion and i. love him??) I hope they keep this dynamic whenever it’s realistically possible!

So mostly, I want to talk about how the scions individually react to possibly groundbreaking events that have the possibility of changing their worldview. im speaking mostly about emet-selch’s “hydaelyn and zodiark were the first beings akin to primals” revelation. or more specifically, their separate reactions to that revelation. i think it’s very telling on how they each individually digest information. we, the players, may arrive to our own conclusions at our own pace, but we have to remember that for these characters, this is their world. their world view, being shattered. they all, to some degree, react negatively. they just show it differently, even if it’s not all that obvious.

i think that shadowbringers overall did a very good job of establishing their individual character dynamics, or more importantly, the idea that their major strength is also their major weakness.

let’s start with thancred. right away, his major flaw is apparent. in fact, a lot of people have gotten (rightfully) mad at him for it, although i think when he gets over himself and turns it around, it’s a lot more subtle. but i digress. with thancred, what he does with information he doesnt like is look at it, says “okay, i dont like that,” shoves it to the back of his mind to not think about, and tries to focus on whatever he wants to focus on in the immediate present. of course, it manages to bleed through regardless, and that’s where his doubts come from. and because he refuses to confront them head-on to deal with them, he has a very difficult time letting them go.

the actual first time when this comes to mind for me isn’t with ryne, it’s with the word of the mother in 3.X. (yes, it’s there with lahabrea too, but executed in a less clean manner, and people have already talked about that to death.) what he first sees is minfilia, the girl he’s attempted to look after primarily because of a sense of guilt, the girl who means the world to him, and whom he feels like, we know now, that he has never been sufficient enough for. (that theme of him feeling like he isn’t good enough is repeated multiple times with him, and it makes me wonder if it’s because of his manner of thinking.) but minfilia’s different now, in a strange and new and maybe not altogether comfortable way, and she’s drifting away from him now, and he can’t catch up to her to make up for all his regrets. he realizes this, realizes what’s going on, very, very quickly. in fact, i’d say that out of all of them, thancred is the one who is the quickest on the uptake. but he shoves his logical side away, and reacts emotionally, because he doesn’t want to acknowledge what he knows is true. in shadowbringers he does the same thing; he acknowledges minfilia’s words, and it is clear that he dwells on them despite himself, but he wants to react emotionally, in the moment. he is a very, despite his apparent distance, emotional person.

when he finally begins to get over himself accept the situation, it is in the tone of someone who is moving on from the loss of a loved one. he talks about how they met, how she grew up, what she liked. this is because he’s finally coming to terms with what he knew this entire time: that the real minfilia, his minfilia, died in that tunnel. the version of her that he is clinging onto in heavensward, in shadowbringers, is not her and all she used to be. it is not the “word of the mother” or the “oracle of light” or whatever she has turned into. it is but “minfilia,” but a memory, and he’s finally let it go enough to see it as such.

woo! okay. so moving on to how this works out for him in the best. honestly i dont think people acknowledge this enough, but he displays it time and time again? thancred is the one that is best equipped to deal with the present. to confront problems head-on without worrying about what may or may not happen, and without getting lost in the possibility of failure. he is by far the scion with the best ability to keep a level head. this is most apparent, to me, in aumarot. everyone one else is confused and lowkey freaking out or what have you, and thancred is the only one who has decided that no, what they really need at the moment is not to panic. what they need is calm, and confidence. and he is that. and you know what? he was right. and i think for me at least, he’s the biggest reason why I calmed down some at that point in the story.

next: y’shtola! I have less to say about the other scions, mostly because i wasn’t following their character arcs as closely or at all, but I do love them still!

y’shtola is the one who most visibly is struggling to handle emet-selch’s revelation. (you can talk to her now, at the time of the quest, or check your quest journal for confirmation of this). where thancred realizes things in a far more round-about manner--that is to say, figures them out, shoves them to the back of his mind, and tries not to think about them--she takes them by the horns and tries to confront them head-on. this gives her, in a way, tunnel vision. she is the loudest about her opinion, and the most direct. when emet-selch makes them by association question hydaelyn, she is the one who speaks up to defend her and their belief system. she is stubborn. it takes her a while to eat through something enough to 100% accept it.

but because of this, her conviction and belief in anything is strong. when she truly believes in something, she believes in it the most. she is the strength when the storm is finally over and she’s had time to build herself up. she isn’t afraid to force other characters to see the flaws in the way they are viewing things, or confront them when she knows she is in the right. yes, she can be harsh sometimes, but she is sorely needed. someone has to be sure of something here! in this way, she too is comforting. when thancred is calm, you know something is bad. when yshtola is calm, you know that whatever you have to worry about is surmountable.

urianger! my poor often-shafted elf giraffe man. he’s the one i had the most trouble puzzling out, so i may be completely wrong! but i’ll try my best :>

urianger is the one who has had this constant theme of showing up at the last moment to present something that he has thoroughly and completely thought about so he can be entirely certain of it. urianger’s way of dealing with things is to listen, listen some more, maybe go digging, and finally, only come to a conclusion when he knows every bit of information he can. he’s willing to work with ascians, he’s willing to go double-dipping in terms of sides, he’s willing to risk his friends’ trust. he is willing to take a long, long time to achieve a goal and know things only in full, and he has the patience to do so. he has the patience to deal with thancred in shadowbringers, to listen to what the exarch tells him to do, to bear with the whole plan, even as he sees things objectively keep getting worse. he’s not easy to rile up, he sees things as a whole instead of in parts... all of this really makes him a good teacher! it makes him a kind man. but.

he waits a little too long. what happens when you finally kill vauthry and emet-selch ruins everything? urianger’s carefully-laid plans go awry. suddenly, everything has gone wrong and he has no backup, because he never thought to make one. he has such conviction that his passivity is for the best that he stands by, barely intervenes, and decides to let things run their course even when warning signs are flashing in front of him. when things go wrong he fumbles, and doesn’t know what to do, because he isn’t used to that happening. up until shb, he’s taught himself that the path of inaction and support is the best one to take, and i am glad that he is finally being confronted with the realities of that. even with thancred and ryne; he can clearly see that their initial dynamic isn’t healthy, but he does absolutely nothing active about it. in the end, it is his very opposite force--entropy, chance--that fixes things with them. it’s interesting he became an astrologian, i think, because divination is something so abstract and vague that it allows him to stay in his comfort zone of not doing much to change things. fate is a fickle mistress, yes, but he leans a little too heavily on how things should be that he fails to see that everything in the present is in flux; that it is, in fact, dependent on the uncertain.

okay, that’s it! i think the three of them complement each other nicely with their respective strengths and weaknesses, and that’s why i hope they’ll keep that dynamic in the future! of course, if you disagree or want to correct me, please feel free; this is purely my own opinion, and i am very much putting myself in a position to be (respectfully) disagreed with by posting this. on the other hand, if you want to elaborate on something or add something, please also feel free! i’d love to hear your thoughts.

<3

nae

[nightfayre]

hi im the anon ! i dont remember what i said >

and I’m alarmed by the fandom mentality. Maybe HT means good - but how would we know? we don’t have access to his thoughts - but we must judge his actions, and his actions are for the least very troubling. It’s always abt coercing Mo and not respecting his boundaries. I see the trope “when she says no, she means yes” here and once again, the fact the fandom swallows it uncritically (bc HT is a poor, hot tortured boy) is alarming. Forcing Mo to wear his gift stinks of “this is my possession, don’t mess wt him” 2/5

Maybe im pessimistic n its actually to protect him by distance, but once again he totally disregards Mo’s will. What if he doesnt want to be protected ? what if he doesnt want to be an object to be pass around between self-entitled psychos ? The first step to protect and help someone is by listening to them. I hope Mo will react strongly and will tell HT that by saying this, he’s no different from She Li. And i hope that would provoke HT to self-reflect a lot - smth he lacks tremendously. 3/5

That being said i love HT and tianshan! And what i love is how realistic and flawed they are. Theyre both hyper violent, distrustful, and severly lacking in communication skills. Im thrilled to see how theyre going to evolve -for the better or the worse, both is good for me. But i’m very disappointed by the fandom reaction like “ooh how cute hes possessive it means love!” or “actually its not bad doing HT doing that bc his intentions are good”. 4/5

And I will be vry, vry disappointed if OX decides to follow this trend and to not show how this kind of actions is detrimental to their reliationship and use the tired and dangerous trope of “being violent means that you care”. I trust them to be more nuanced than that bc until now they are great at drawing grey relationship. So yea i hope next chapter, tianshan plunges (before being better). Anw sry for the rant, and plz continue the good work !! 5/5

phew. there’s a lot to unpack here – but I agree wholeheartedly with you. since this post is already kinda long, I will put my answer/explanation under the cut!

the parts that I bolded in your asks are what I intend to focus on in this answer. strap in, because this is going to be a long one. 

before anything, let me put a disclaimer: I love He Tian. I love Guan Shan. I love Old Xian. I love tianshan, and I love where they are headed in the manhua. does that mean I also love where tianshan are right now? no, it doesn’t. and I’m here to explain why I look forward to their potential rather than their current relationship’s dynamics.  

one of the hardest parts about being in a fandom is being able to separate fiction, reality, and morality. this is especially hard when a fandom is as old and endearing as 19 Days, and when you fall in love with & are rooting for all the characters. furthermore, 19 Days is not a tragedy. of course, when Jian Yi disappears, it will be tragic. but otherwise the majority of the manhua is a comical, romantic slice-of-life plot. as such, it’s easier for what would usually be seen as blaring issues/problems in tragedies to be disregarded for comedy or, in some cases, romance in a comedic, romantic slice-of-life. 

this is exactly the case with tianshan. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: He Tian’s current relationship with Guan Shan is not healthy. he doesn’t listen to Guan Shan. he doesn’t respect his personal space. he doesn’t know where to draw the line. he doesn’t know how to properly communicate with him, and thus resorts to violence or threats. tianshan just have a problem with communication. and, sure, maybe it can be chalked up to the fact that they’re young and stressed and don’t know any better. but that excuse is almost as bad as the “boys will be boys” excuse, and that doesn’t make it any better nor does it justify their actions. 

He Tian’s idea of relationships is so twisted, and as I talked about in a previous answer, it can probably be stemmed back to his trauma with the puppy Cheng took away from him. I won’t get too deep into that since I explained it in detail in that answer, but keep this in mind nonetheless: He Tian grew up in a family of violence, distance, miscommunication, and lies. it’s all he’s ever known, and that’s what he’s applying to his relationship with Guan Shan. does that make it right? no, absolutely not. but he’s learning. 

when Guan Shan had a panic attack at the restaurant, He Tian learned that people aren’t robots/pawns to use at his disposal and rather have their own strong emotions/backgrounds that shape them. thus, he brought Guan Shan home without a word. when he had his night terror and woke up to Guan Shan holding his hands, He Tian realized that there are parts of Guan Shan he still doesn’t know and, potentially, an aspect of their relationship that they’ve only started to uncover. thus, he thanked him without preamble and with a bowed head. 

what I’m trying to say is that He Tian does have good intentions at times, but not always. he’s learning as he goes, because god knows he didn’t have a family to teach him how healthy relationships should be. there probably is a part of He Tian that only wants to protect Guan Shan against She Li, but he certainly doesn’t show it in the right way. he acts possessive because he knows that if he doesn’t, he’ll lose what he loves (*insert flashback to the puppy*). again, does that make it right? hell no. jealousy and possessiveness are not cute and are entirely unhealthy in a relationship. the fandom should view them as such, but should also keep an open mind when considering He Tian’s background. 

and honestly, the reason why I’m focusing so much on He Tian right now rather than Guan Shan is because if it were up to Guan Shan, he would’ve dropped He Tian within the first few days (maybe even hours) of meeting him. but because of He Tian’s persistence, Guan Shan has no choice but to be involved with him and retaliate when He Tian verbally/physically/emotionally attacks him. nonetheless, Guan Shan has tried to walk away from He Tian on multiple occasions when He Tian’s teasing became too much, and on those occasions, He Tian has given in. (ex. I can’t find the exact chapter, but there is a chapter in which Guan Shan refuses to use He Tian’s fork to eat He Tian’s leftovers, and he gets up and says, “I’m going home,” to which He Tian replies, “Fine, fine, I’ll buy you new food.”)

so yes – tianshan certainly have flaws. He Tian holds too much power, and Guan Shan can’t catch a break. the fandom romanticizes their interactions, but if you take a moment to think realistically and recognize that character flaws are essentially bad but also critical for character development, then there is an even balance in the readers’ relationship with the manhua. don’t support He Tian’s violent interactions with Guan Shan and claim “omg He Tian loves Guan Shan sooooo much when he forces Guan Shan to do XYZ,” but rather support the fact that he hasn’t physically manhandled/harmed Guan Shan in many chapters. support and celebrate He Tian’s development, not his flaws. 

and as for what you said about Guan Shan telling He Tian that he’s “no better than She Li”? while I don’t think He Tian is truly as bad as She Li, I actually think that would be a painful, great, and pivotal moment in their relationship. after all, the most consequential scene in tianshan’s relationship thus far has been the kiss. at that moment, Guan Shan had told He Tian outright that he disgusted him and to leave him alone. since then, I don’t think He Tian has ever looked so… taken aback. unsettled. 

and guess what? their relationship has only gotten better since then, and He Tian hasn’t touched him like that again. 

I don’t know, anon. it’s a tough call. I think tianshan have a lot more chapters ahead of them, and I don’t think Old Xian will allow them to end on bad terms. actually, I don’t think Old Xian will allow them to end on the terms that they’re on right now. they can only improve from here on out, but how Old Xian will go about showing that improvement is unknown to us. there are many paths this story can take, but rather than worrying about what might happen, let’s focus on the here and now. let’s focus on the problems at hand, and let’s focus on the development the characters are undergoing. 

don’t ignore the wrongness/cruelty of characters’ actions, but don’t romanticize them either. if you do, you’re only doing a disservice to the character’s personality, existence, and the author’s intentions.

(and as for this newest chapter specifically: I see why people can get excited about He Tian telling Guan Shan to wear the earrings. He Tian wants to verify to both himself and She Li that Guan Shan is with him now. that Guan Shan is no longer under She Li’s control. who doesn’t love a little verification of their OTP’s relationship, especially when it involves an enemy?

but at the same time, it’s unhealthy. Guan Shan doesn’t have a say. he’s being handed around like an object. I don’t think this is pessimistic thinking; I think it’s the truth that no one wants to acknowledge/hear. but I’m not saying that tianshan is wrong in this chapter; I’m saying that He Tian has good intentions, but he’s not showing them correctly. and there will be a chapter in which he does show them correctly, but we must travel this rocky road before we get to that point. patience is key, and I cannot wait until He Tian and Guan Shan reach that moment of clarity. you can’t have light without the dark.)

[curly-q-reviews]

ROAD TO THE OSCAR MAYER WIENER AWARDS 2K19

The Ballad of Buster Scruggs, 2018 (dir. Joel Coen, Ethan Coen)

Nominated for: Best Original Song, Best Costume Design, Best Adapted Screenplay

SPOILER ALERT THAR BE SPOILERS AHEAD ME HEARTIES BE YE WARNED

wowee what a cool film!!  i went into this not knowing much about it except it was directed by the Coen brothers (directors of Fargo and The Big Lebowski) which set real high expectations for me.  these guys are real masters of storytelling and what immediately come to mind when i think of movies that know how to effectively use dark humor.  i also love the kinds of stories they tell in general, how they take subjects and settings that seem kinda mundane and just give them this little extra spark. 

so is this newest film just as good as their other work???  well id say yeah for sure!!!  it reminds me a lot of a film they did shortly after The Big Lebowski called O Brother, Where Art Thou?, because theyre both period pieces AND because they both feature a myriad of eclectic and interesting characters.  the one thing that makes The Ballad of Buster Scruggs really stand out from their other films however is the fact that this is actually an anthology made up of six different stories, all set during the same time period in The Wild West.  its also worth mentioning that this movie was made to premiere on Netflix, which is something ive started to see more and more as the streaming platform becomes the new go-to source of media content.  its very exciting to see such prolific directors go the Netflix route and have great success with it, because it means that the platform really is capable of creating high-quality movies and TV shows and working with big-name talent.  im sure the big hollywood production companies are all quaking in their lil booties cause this means big BIG changes are on the horizon

ok so ive reviewed anthology series before, notably Black Mirror, and with those reviews i ranked the short stories in order of least to most favorite.  so i guess in this case ill do the same, although its hard to really rank these cause i truly enjoyed all of them in different ways.  there was one however that didnt really tickle my fancy much, which was “Near Algodones”.  this one stars james franco as a bank robber who seems to have met his match in a fiery (probably crazy) bank teller.  he gets caught and hung from a tree by the town’s sheriff, but nearly manages to escape death when a Native American tribe swoops in and kills the sheriff and his crew.  james franco is saved by a cattle driver, only to be caught again by the next town’s sheriff for allegedly trying to hawk the cattle (which was not the case at all).  right before they kick the chair out from under him at the hanging, he sees a beautiful woman in blue, who at first smiles at him but then looks unnerved as he stares back at her. 

i think with this one the ending really didnt do much for me, i kinda didnt get it.  i did understand the whole irony behind surviving punishment for a crime he DID commit but getting hanged for a crime he never committed, and the bank teller was pretty hilarious, but everything else about the segment was just ok.  james franco didnt really blow me away (he never really does but thats besides the point), the rest of the performances were fine, and the story just kinda zipped on through.  maybe ill give this one another watch to see if the ending makes any more sense to me, or if theres any sense to be made from it at all

next up for me would be “The Gal Who Got Rattled”, and this segment i have mixed feelings over.  its about this brother and sister who set out on the Oregon trail so that the brother can get his sister to marry his business partner in Oregon.  the sister seems like a kind of wishy-washy, subdued character who just kinda goes along with whatever her brother says without giving much of her own opinion.  i gotta give credit to zoe kazan (who starred in The Big Sick) cause she does a great job with this character, totally spot-on performance.  ok so turns out the brother is a fucken HORRIBLE businessman who screws up all his business deals all the time, and he tragically dies like two days into being on the oregon trail.  he has this annoying-ass dog that barks all the time and everyone else on the caravan is sick of it, so when the brother dies the sister just lets one of the trail leaders put it down.  turns out the sister like did not like her brother at all but was always too afraid to say anything.  now getting back to the bad businessman thing, apparently he had promised the helper boy that is helping move their covered wagon a large sum of money, half of it halfway through the journey and the rest when they get to oregon.  problem is, the sister doesnt have the money, so it was either left in the brothers pocket when he was buried or there wasnt actually any money at all and he lied, y’know, like a bad businessman does.  the trail leader who put the annoying dog down offers to help her, and the two start to get close.  so now its like a pseudo love story thing.  except it ends pretty tragically (the sister dies its a long story and pretty ironic just watch it if u wanna know)

so uuuhhhhh this one was long as shit, like a lot longer than the other segments when it didnt really need to be???  like it just kept  going and going, and again the ending didnt really make up for how long it was.  i really liked zoe kazan in this, but otherwise nothing to write home about. 

number four on my list would have to go to “All Gold Canyon”, which basically just follows the story of a gold miner in the mountains trying to get that money honey.  this segment is the simplest one out of the bunch, but i gotta say its absolutely gorgeous.  what beautiful scenery and cinematography.  it provides a nice contrast to our disheveled, run-down gold miner who is just tearing up the beautiful grassy fields trying to get to this gold.  there seems to be a theme in this one of man’s relationship to nature, and how the gold miner does put in effort to respect it but still takes advantage of it for his own benefit.  and i guess theres a broader theme of greed, or the ruthless and endless pursuit of wealth which can drive people to do crazy and desperate things.  i definitely really enjoyed this one, especially the gold miner character played by tom waits.  but otherwise it didnt stand out as much to me as the other segments im gonna talk about

SPEAKING OF WHICH heres number three!!  “The Mortal Remains” is right up my alley, and has some more mythical elements to it than the other segments ive talked about so far.  so we have a wagon full of passengers all going to this hotel for various reasons, and its a really diverse cast of characters: we have the older wife of a prolific religious lecturer, a rich Frenchman, a trapper, a foppish Englishman, and a cheery laid-back Irishman, the last two seeming to be companions of some sort.  they all get on the topic of the true nature of mankind, and the three characters opposite of the strange pair all have something different to say.  the trapper believes that all people are inherently the same, with the same basic needs.  the older woman disagrees and insists that there are two kinds of people, upright and sinning.  and then the Frenchman says that both of them are wrong, that human existence is much more complicated and nuanced than that; no one persons life is exactly the same as another’s.  and then we have the Englishman and the Irishman, who turn out to be bounty hunters of some sort (is heavily alluded that they are grim reaper-type figures).  they explain their method of completing their kills, and talk about how they enjoy watching their victims “try to make sense of it all” in their death throes.  these two clearly have a much more cold and sinister idea of the nature of mankind, and the rest become very unsettled all the way to the hotel.  no one else even dares to step out of the carriage while the bounty hunters drag their latest victim through the front entrance and up the stairs.

oh man this segment was great!  i think the reason its third on my list is cause i really wish there was more to it, like if the Coen brothers spent more time on this one instead of “The Gal Who Got Rattled” it would be perfect.  Jonjo O’Neill and Brendan Gleeson as the bounty hunters were so enthralling, and i loved watching them play off of each other.  hell, i couldve had a whole movie featuring those two.  and the screenwriting really shines in this segment too.  this segment almost feels like a fable or something, which is really fitting for the time period.  makes me wonder if they had based it off of an actual fable.  but anyway yeah this ones awesome!

i had a hard time choosing between “The Mortal Remains” and this next segment for second place cause i liked them both equally, but in the end “Meal Ticket” gets #2 purely because of the utterly fantastic performance by Harry Melling, who plays a quadriplegic actor in a traveling show run by liam neesons character, an irish traveling entertainer.   the story itself is really simple, we just see this disabled actor be carted from one town to the next, doing the same stage show which is basically just him reciting famous prose throughout the ages.  meanwhile liam neeson is trying to get as much money as he can out of the audience members.  he doesnt interact much with harry melling outside of feeding him and helping him piss and get dressed.  u get the sense that he doesnt really see his disabled actor as an actual person, but more of an entertaining object or a pet.  and this becomes even more apparent when the irishman gets some competition from another traveling entertainer who has a chicken that can do math.  he sees this chicken getting more money than him, so he buys it off of the other guy and takes it with him.  and finally, the poor limbless actor is literally and figuratively tossed aside for the next best thing.

man oh man what a great segment!  harry melling blew me away with his performance, the fact that he was able to get such a nuanced range of emotion out of the few lines he was given (basically he had to recite the same shit over and over again) was so impressive to me.  and his non-verbal communication was really solid too.  liam neeson did really well in his role too.  and again the story itself is really great, simple but effective and really gets the point across without having to beat the audience over the head with its message. OH YEAH ITS REAL GOOD LOVE IT

and finally we have my #1 pick, which i think the directors knew this was the best one out of the bunch too cause its the first segment as well as the title of the whole movie.  “The Ballad of Buster Scruggs” has that signature Coen brothers wit and dark humor that i love, it plays off of typical Western movie tropes and is very tongue-in-cheek and i ate that shit up.  tim blake nelson as the titular buster is just so fucken perfect for this role, he really shines in this and its kind of a shame that its one of the shorter segments cause it really is the best one and he knocks it out of the park.  we got some great music in this segment too, which is where that Best Original Song nom comes in.   this one also has some strong fable-y vibes to it, like this story could be amongst the likes of American folklore like Paul Bunyan and Johnny Appleseed.  i wont get much into the plot of this one but i highly recommend watching it, even if you dont wanna see the rest of the segments. 

the segments fit together pretty well overall, although the tone of each of them differs slightly the fact that the setting and time period are the same is enough to firmly knit all these stories together.  its a really unique idea for a movie, and is so far the best attempt at an anthology movie that ive ever seen purely because the stories really all make sense together and play off of each other well.  in other anthology movies ive seen like The ABC’s of Death the segments usually dont have much at all to do with each other, except that they all fall in the same genre.  so overall id say give this a watch, especially if ur a Coen brothers fan, cause theres some real good stuff in here.

well thats all i got for now cowboys!!  i watched Roma the other day and CRIED REAL HARD so get ready for me to kiss that movies ass in a review that should be done in the next few days.  until then go uuhhhhhh lasso a cow or something.  chew some tobaccy.  fondle a barmaids titties.  die of dysentery.  y’know just old west things~

[peachymess]

I look at my boi Armin and crying because he doesnt seem happy about what he do and what he must do :( Im happy about finally see him, but its not like i want to be

Hello,anon! I see this consensus all across the fandom, so I’m going to say my peace rightnow (I drew something yesterday that I meant to speak for me, but I don’t wantyou guys to be sad, so I’ll try a less vague approach this once). I understandthe worry that our boy isn’t faring well, but I think it’s actually too earlyto settle on a concrete analysis of the two (2!!) panels we’ve seen of Armin sofar. It’s been four years, so we have little to no context here, compared towhat we need to consider.

Ianswered a friend on this topic two (or three?) days ago, and I want you toread that ask, because what I’m about to say builds on that (consider it a part2). Here’s the: link! Readit? Thank you ^^Now,you could all be completely right – I’m aware of that – but I’m not letting goof the opinion that it feels entirely too early to put a canon stamp on“haunted” Armin all the same. This might sound like denial – I do love him, andI can’t stand to see him suffer – but quite objectively, I’d hate to feed intothe “Armin is a broken man” theory only to find that he’s “only” bothered inthe way that any soldier would be, when he’s doing something bad that’s stillthe lesser of two evils in his eyes. You see, going with “alarm, alarm” rightout of the gate, might skew the way we analyze him going forward. If we’re soset on the idea that he’s sad, we might read every expression, dialogue oraction going forward, with the context of “he was sad earlier” – and that mightveer us way off center.

Asyou read in part 1, I think we’re confusing Armin’s focused-on-a-task face forsadness. Not only is he prone to a downturned mouth and a frown when he’sanything from thinking/reflecting to executing hard tasks, but the rest of thecrew also is! I’d say it’s Isayama’s style, but more so: even in real life,most people don’t look uplifted/happy when they focus/are taking heavy refugein their thoughts (as I believe Armin is right now – as anyone would be whenthey are about to calmly set a very important, well-rehearsed plan into action– after having to wait a while for the right time, no less).

Thefirst spoilers were of rather low quality; the crunchyroll publication gives amore correct image of what Isayama wanted us to see. And when I show you thedifferences in just a moment, I want you to look at the differences around theeyes especially. In the first image that got spread around, he lookedcompletely black around the eye, like he was worn and tired – while in the CRversion, we see that a lot of that had to do with the scanning, plus the factthat Isayama drew his face in very contrasted lighting. Now, granted, the CRscans do still look sad. But if this had been the first and only version wesaw, I doubt we’d be as alarmed as we are now (read: seeing the “sad” versionfirst, influences us to see sadness in the more neutral version as well). Observe:

Weall know Armin lives in his head a lot. He thinks, he tinkers, he analyzes andponders. While he waited in his boat for the right time to explode, he musthave had a lot of time to think about what they were doing, go over the planstep by step many times over, etc. Maybe his thoughts even drifted on tocompletely different things at times. Now, I’m not saying I don’t believe he’saware that he’s about to murder human beings. I’m not arguing that he doesn’tcare; of course he does! And it can’t feel great. But I’m saying that it isn’tnecessarily so that he’s mentally imbalanced by it. Why? Because this is toosimilar to the resolve he and the rest of his squad had to make all the wayback in Uprising (more on that later). So I ask you to look at the CR imageagain. Can you agree with me that it’s possible to see that face as a face ofsomeone who’s in deep thoughts and focus? He’s not pumped. He’s not eager to dothis. There’s no reason for his face to move way from its resting expression toshow elation. But he’s made the resolve to do the job, he’s not lingering. He’sready (like I said in part 1, he goes through the emotions beforehand, and hasby this point arrived at the conclusion that this has to be done – that the endjustifies the means) and so, he’s not poking at his emotions, even if they areunderlying. That’s my premature take on it.

There’sa panel of him when he’s writing down Eren’s recount of Grisha’s memories,where he looks pretty much the same as here, with one exception. Please have alook:

Herewe see the same downturned mouth and – because he’s focused on the task and nothis face – he doesn’t look all that pleased. Now, one can argue that heprobably wasn’t very pleased at that time, but the expression is reoccurring throughoutthe chapters.

However,yes, there’s still the difference of the eyes. They seem arguably sadder in 103still – but I think it’s possibly due to the differences in context: while in88, his eyes were “awake” and looking at a page, in 103 he’s not focusing onanything. When one is looking inward, one’s eyes tend to droop like that (well,the alternative is the sheep’s eyes, but I see the droop more often).

Itall depends what you want to see. Right now, I think many are expecting Arminto have a lot of inner turmoil, and after the worry kicks in, you may not“want” to see it, but you will be subconsciously looking for it. If you canagree with me that the image in the middle is possibly neutral enough to beread as either sad or focused, I’d like to bring up my next point (if not, thenI think we’ll just have to agree to disagree, because this whole discourse isbased on how we see that one panel): when we’ve read the panel on way or theother, we use the next panel to see how well it complies with our thesis. So,let’s have a look (and I’ll add in the CR version on the right, although thereisn’t as much of a difference here):

Tome, this panel is what sells it for me; while in the first panel Armin is stillin his head, the second panel is where his expression “activates” as he shiftshis focus from inward to outward. Again, this is based on one single panel –thus the chance of inaccuracy is high – but to me it doesn’t look like hecarries the “sadness” of the first panel into his activated expression. Inother words, what read as “sadness”, was either just his resting face, or justmild sadness that he resolutely casts away (as only a non-broken man can).

Thatbeing said, this expression is a new one from him and I can’t wait for morecontext so I can analyze this further. But for now, all I need is “that isn’tsimply sadness”.  Honestly, it looks morelike fear than anything, but ah, I’m holding my horses till there’s more.

Now,as promised: I need to bring up Uprising. The arc where 104 takes the step fromkilling titans, to killing humans. The arc where Armin shoots a woman andlearns to process it before the remaining “innocent” 104s follow suit when theytake on the special ops inside the crystal cave.

Verysimply put: this arc taught Armin that 1) throwing away your humanity is hard.He’s taken the first blow of that already (and continued to be willing togive), so doing it a x’d time won’t be as hard. 2) he can’t get out of thisuntainted (“we’re not good people anymore”), and 3) the end justifies themeans. The last point is something he already swore by theoretically, butUprising taught him to utilize this POV to go through with morally grey plans –for the greater good.

Nohuman has the right to use human lives as currency (a thousand soldiers to payfor an island of civilians) – yet, somebody has to, for the transaction to bemade. Someone has to basically “take on for the team” and do somethingmonstrous, to spare the rest the burden. This is what Erwin did, and he wasdeemed a monster by many for it. This is what Armin meant when he talked aboutthrowing away your humanity. The strength to do this, is the strength headmires more than anything, because it’s the hardest thing he can think ofdoing. It’s so hard to do – but it’s possible when you agree that “the endjustifies the means”. Uprising coaxed Armin to take this idea from the drawingboard and implement it into actual action. He did the math, and came away withthe answer that end>means. Several arcs later, the scale is way, way bigger,but the equation is still the same.

WhatI’m saying is that while he no doubt think it’s awful to kill people, he’salready decided that this is the lesser of two evils, and thus blowing up theships won’t break him. People get riddled with guilt for less even so – butthis is fiction! Isayama has already shown us a plethora of times that“war is bad” and “guilt destroys” so not only doesn’t heneed to show it again, but it also would seem like a waste of time to incorporatethat extra angst element towards the end when he already has so much else toresolve. What would be impossible to bypass in real life, Isayama can ignorefor the sake of not wasting chapters having to delve into “yet anothercharacter is now swallowed up by guilt and I need chapters to resolve it sincehe’s a main character”.

Thisis fiction. Isayama can bypass it. And I think he will.

Now,this is a whole lot of guesswork from my side – just like saying that Armin isgravely depressed is! All my rambling is meant only to show you that we knowtoo little to say anything for certain yet. I sincerely doubt that Isayama’splan is to throw Armin into some tragic hero’s spiral now, because there is somuch already on the plate that needs Armin mentally present. I’m not willing tohand Armin over to mental anguish just yet.

Oh,and I’d like to end this with a final digression: I grabbed some frowny facesfrom chapter 64 for you, anon. This is from the crystal cave fight. I wanted toshow you how “sad” Isayama’s characters all looked during it. Because I thinkhe has a tendency to make characters look like this in action, while it doesn’thave to mean they are feeling feel so bad they won’t be able to get over it.PS: note how the special ops look even more distressed than the SC, even thoughthese guys are basically secret spies who assassinate people for a living (aka,looking “sad” can have a lot of reasons past “broken”).

Ultimately, I think Armin is definitely not comfortable with war and what it he has to do to win it - but I have an abundance of faith that he’ll have a happy ending. And a happy ending doesn’t include an un-amendable conscience. I hope this could provide some relief, because our boy is back and he is strong. Stronger than every single one of us. 

[flakandforay]

Singularity Theory

overall: thanks bighit for dropping this out of nowhere despite the fact that i have work the next day, totally fine. honestly i just love this whole vibe of it help. but moving on, i cant just enjoy the song without looking at the whole MV. 

everyone knew that the intro is titled singularity and due to my previous hunch in the LY Intro Theory, it would be done by Taehyung which we all found out to be true. but moving on, regardless, everything in this video is important regardless to help us understand the HYYH series.

warnings: death, mentions of blood etc, please do read with care

theory: well, when everyone thought that we are done with the HYYH series, bighit proves that we aren’t even done with it, not even one bit. in a way, this video could be seen as a standalone since there aren't much relations, but do stay tuned as i uncover the relations. 

not especially when they released the album covers of the Love Yourself Tear Album, and we see this continuation of the flowers with Love Yourself Her Album as well, notice how they actually fit. 

also, take a look at the Y version of LY Tear, there is a line that would most likely connect to the last instalment of the LY Series to spell S, E, L, F. 

also, notice that in LY Tear, the flowers have untangled themselves, as if to say that this is the end, this is how they are ruined by love; how they are now facing singularity which later could be seen as loneliness. 

i found this on twitter (ctto), that, if you like at the flowers again, it spells out  ‘Tear’; yes to the graphic designs ???

but moving on, this intro, Singularity is done by Taehyung that has a nice jazz, slow burn vibe to it. full analysis of it right here.

but let’s start off with the meaning of Singularity. 

Singularity = the state, fact, quality, or condition of being singular. 

Reference 

hence it could be interpreted as loneliness, especially loneliness after a relationship has ended and has been well conveyed throughout the whole mv of Singularity; right from the props itself and his acting. 

notice how the props that Taehyung uses are clothestand, though i know it’s a choreography done by Keone Madrid but the fact that he portrayed the ex-lover as a clothestand, and that he portrays the same intimate, sensual feelings with an inanimate object eg. the clothestand.

according to this tweet, Namjoon was the one behind these lyrics for Singularity, writing them after he was discharged from the hospital since he had a recent surgery.  hence the depth of the lyrics brings one to places for sure.

anyway, notice how everyone was shocked to see that this intro had a choreography just like boy meets evil. based on this tweet, it has been revealed that bighit actually teased us during the 2017 MMA, in which it featured Taehyung dancing to the same intro routine with the back up dancers.

thanks bighit for the unnoticeable hint. everyone thought it was just part of the dance and performance. 

moving on, remember i said that they are several parallels to DNA, I Need U Jp, BST, BST JP. , Wings Concert Trailer etc, here’s how.

with DNA, the same kind of wide set

with I Need U JP, and the use of flowers, specifically flora.

BST, and the same kind of neon pink filter, during the 2nd chorus of BST to match Singularity. 

BST JP, with those filters seen again here. 

not to mention the Wings Concert Trailer together with BST, them with the dripping ink from their eyes.

yet, apart from this, it’s interesting how ink comes out of one eye, as if they're crying. i would like to assume that this idea or concept is somewhat similar to the Weeping Statue ( i mean this could be far-fetched, but consider it as my personal opinion )

a weeping statue = statue which has been claimed to be shedding tears or weeping by supernatural means. Statues weeping tears of a substance which appears to be blood, oil, and scented liquids have all been reported. Other claimed phenomena are sometimes associated with weeping statues such as miraculous healing, the formation of figures in the tear lines, and the scent of roses.

Reference

keywords from here, are statues weeping tears of oil etc and scented liquids ( possibly paint, ink ? ) just like these scenes above but also the fact that it has to do with the scent of roses etc ( just like the one in Singularity )

however, for eg. the meaning of the Virgin Mary weeping is as such.

Some believe that because of the state of the world has caused the Virgin Mary to weep tears of blood because of all the losses of life.

Reference 

yet, i find it interesting that out of everyone, only Taehyung had the mask on with the ink dripping from the eye as compared to Jungkook and Jimin. as if to say that Jungkook and Jimin are weeping because of the losses of life of the other boys but for Taehyung’s case, it is from the mask, to say that another identity of him is weeping but not really him. 

remember how in Euphoria, the storyline of HYYH changed, and so he isnt exactly weeping, he is just putting a facade. 

i mean, then again, at 0:36, there is this scene of Taehyung extending his hand to get attention and it just reminds me of their Wings VCR Concert Trailer as if Taehyung is trying to get out and escape; that same vibe.

then, notice how he is wearing the Gucci earring called Loved. the fact that the earring is ‘Loved’ since to say that he is no longer in a relationship, he used to love someone, he is lonely now; in the singularity phase. 

notice how there is this quick scene of the roses. 

as such, the flowers here are mostly to blue and lavender, faint pink possibly.

naturally, there are meanings to the colours of the roses. so, i did some research and here is what i got.

Lavender = Love at first sight or just an enchanting way to say, "I love you!" Lavender roses can offer a daily reminder of your love and eagerness to grow your relationship.

Pink = Words like admiration, gentleness, grace, gladness, joy and sweetness are just a few ways to describe the meaning behind the pink rose. A pink rose can also convey happiness, gracefulness and admiration.

Blue = symbols of love, prosperity, or immortality.

Based on another website, Blue = the impossible, or the unattainable. Since the blue rose itself is a rarity in nature, it stands for something that is hardly within one's grasp, an object that seems too difficult to be achieved. Thus the blue rose is admired and revered as an unrealizable dream.

Reference: here, here and here. 

so based on this, it is safe to say that these flowers represent unattainable love, love that was impossible especially if it was fake love as what has been hinted during the 2017 year-end shows. 

notice how this is specifically for the scenes of Taehyung and Seokjin just like how the whole HYYH series revolves around yet again. 

not to mention how the lavender represents ‘love at first sight’ as what bangtan have been promoting in their Love Yourself Her Album, especially in DNA, in which it is in their DNA upon seeing their loved one during the first time, it is fate, it is destiny, and it is not a coincidence. 

첫눈에 널 알아보게 됐어 서롤 불러왔던 것처럼 내 혈관 속 DNA가 말해줘 내가 찾아 헤매던 너라는 걸

=

I recognized you as soon as I saw you As if we’ve called each other The DNA in my blood is telling me That it’s you who I’ve been looking for

Reference: Colour Coded ©

but also, i found another meaning of the blue rose and i think it is really befitting. 

The meaning of the blue rose could also be in sync with the quote which goes, "some doors should never be opened."

Reference

so in a way, as if to say, one shouldnt fall in love in the first place, to protect yourself from all the negative feelings and singularity that would come when the relationship crumbles down. 

but anyway, moving on, within these scenes, it seems as though Taehyung seems to be carrying a Smeraldo flower. 

remember prior to the LY Her album, there was the Smeraldo blog that was active but is now closed. ( translations of some of the Smeraldo blog posts here ) 

also, the Smeraldo flower is actually a flower created by a man, it wasn't originally grown by mother nature or anything. it’s meaning is ‘The truth I couldn’t tell.’ 

remember how at the end of the Euphoria video, Jungkook asked Seokjin, “Brother, is that everything? Aren’t you hiding something more from us?”

and then, these few scenes where Taehyung looks up at Seokjin as if to say he knows the whole truth, so maybe he didnt even forget in the first place, but he doesn't seem to confront Seokjin about it; most likely the other boys dont know what’s going on, or even if they do, i guess they haven't had it all figured out yet; maybe just some hints that things aren't the same since in the Euphoria world, the timeline changed (Euphoria theory here).

sidetracking back to Taehyung wearing the mask in Singualrity, one could also consider this as he is actually weeping since he knew what Seokjin is doing but given that the rest doesnt know, so he tries to hide his true feelings. 

but moving on, i like to bring up the point of the whole ‘frozen lake’ metaphor in the lyrics of Singularity. 

이얼어 붙은 호수에 또 금이 가 그 호수에 내가 날 버렸 잖아 내 목소릴 널 위해 묻었 잖아

=

A crack again on this frozen lake I dumped myself into the lake I buried my voice for you Over the winter lake I was thrown

보지만 결국 엔 언젠가 봄이와 얼음들은 녹아 내려 흘러 가

=

But in the end, spring will come someday The ice will melt and flow away

Reference: Genius 

it’s not a common metaphor, but i did some research, and this is what i found. 

“Your frozen lake is the name for what you want most in the world. And you want it. You want it so bad that you’ll do anything to get it and your heart takes over. But because of that it destroys you in the end. It’s right there sitting in the middle of the frozen lake. And you think you’re fast enough to go out there and grab it before the ice cracks

And what you don’t realize is you’re already standing on the ice and it’s falling apart around you.”

-K. Blye & M. Deeks

Reference

notice how the fact that the frozen lake metaphor is used to say that in between, everything else around you is crumbling, falling apart much like the relationship that has just ended. 

hence these scenes.

then it also shows how Taehyung is now touching the so called melted frozen lake, to which he sees his own reflection, as if to say that everything has already fallen apart, and now he realises that he is in singularity. 

notice how familiar this is with Hoseok in BST ( read my Taehyung and Hoseok’s pairing theory here )

but what’s interesting is that remember in BST, it ended with Seokjin’s face being cracked, and everyone got a shock because why would they do that to his face.

but now it kinda makes sense, because think of it as now Seokjin has realised that everything surrounding him would crumble and fall apart, hence maybe why he now tries to go back and correct the mistakes, creating parallel worlds, despite knowing he would sacrifice himself eg. Euphoria 

moving on, im going to go back to the lyrics, and notice how it brings the idea of the phantom. 

잠시 들어간 꿈 속에도 나를 괴롭히는 환상 통은 여전해

=

In the dream I shortly went into My agonizing phantom pain is still the same

Reference: Genius

when they brought up the phantom in verse 2, one would see the whole mask aesthetic.

honestly, i thought they were doing some kind of Jabawockeez thing but of course with this style of music, it’s not likely. so my next guess, would be the Phantom of the Opera by Andrew Lloyd Webber. ( a classic )

The Phantom of the Opera talks about a lady named Christine who then grew up in the theatre scene, though she wasn't outright a singer, since she was young, she has been receiving lessons of music by the ‘Angel of Music’ who was none other than the Phantom himself. 

see, he was a man who had a disfigured face, hence the mask to cover his flaws. but as time passes, he grew infatuated and loved Christine though of course Christine didnt really feel the same way since she had someone else named Raoul. 

but apart from this plot, the Phantom was known to be the one lurking in the Opera house etc but more importantly, he was a musical genius, composing great operas. the Phantom was known to have experienced unrequited love but more importantly, loneliness, otherwise could be interpreted as Singularity. he has lived a life where many fear him, many have not seen him either, hence many would not love him at all.

with his disfigured face, when he was young, he was most likely not treated well, hence no compassion or a sense of empathy or love shown to him which was why towards the end of the Phantom of the Opera,

Raoul finds the lair and attempts to persuade the Phantom to spare Christine, begging him to show compassion. The Phantom refuses, and captures Raoul with the Punjab lasso. The Phantom tells Christine that he will free Raoul if she agrees to stay with him forever, but if she refuses, Raoul will die. Christine, heartbroken, tells the Phantom that it is his soul that is deformed, not his face. As the Phantom and Raoul both plead to her, Christine mournfully wonders what kind of life the Phantom has known. She tells the Phantom that he is not alone and kisses him, showing him compassion for the first time in his life. The Phantom, having experienced kindness at last, understands that he cannot compel Christine to love him, and sets them both free. Raoul hurries Christine out of the lair, but she returns alone to give the Phantom back his ring. The Phantom tells Christine he loves her, before she tearfully exits with Raoul. The weeping Phantom huddles on his throne and covers himself with his cloak. The mob, led by Meg, enters the lair. Meg pulls the Phantom's cloak from the throne, finding only his mask on the seat. She lifts the mask up into the light and gazes at it in wonder as the curtain falls.

Reference: Wikipedia; Synopsis

so here in a way, it is as if the Phantom has finally accepted his fate of not being loved by Christine but sets her free. perhaps this could be the next hint for Love Yourself Answer which would be the final instalment of this whole series. 

i did some research on the significance of the mask in the Phantom of the Opera

The short answer is this: the motivation for every event set in motion is the severe, present-from-birth facial deformity of the Phantom; the deformity that he wears the mask to conceal. He was actually forced to wear it as a child, since in the mid-1800s(and quite a bit later), an accident of birth like that was often seen as a devil's curse, a sign of uncleanliness, or similarly dark circumstances. Over his lifetime, the mask became the symbol of all the hatred and condemnation he'd gotten from everyone around him, as well as the place to hide that disfigurement. Crutch and shield and prison and symbol.

Reference 

notice how the phrase devil’s curse is used, hence relating back to my Jungkook HYYH: the Notes theory  especially since in the HYYH notes: L Version, it seems as though Taehyung had a hard time starting with his own family. 

Taehyung 29 December YEAR 10

I took my shoes and threw my bag and went into the main room. My father was really there. I didn’t think of how long he was going to return or where he had been. I only raced recklessly into his embrace. I don’t remember clearly afterwards. Whether it was the smell of alcohol, the cursing or the slap to my cheek. I didn’t know what was going on. He reeked of alcohol and his pants were foul. His eyes were bloodshot and his beard was growing wildly. He hit my face with his large hand. He asked what I was looking at. He then lifted me in the air. His crimson eyes were frightening but I was so terrified that I couldn’t even cry. This wasn’t my father. No, this is my father. But then again, he wasn’t. My two feet shoot in the air. In the next moment, my head crashed hard into the wall and I slumped to the floor. It was as if my head exploded. My vision flickered and I blinked a few times. My head was filled with the sound of my father’s harsh breathing.

i love how vast and ambiguous all these scenes were, even more so when there were these few scenes that only showed certain angles of Taehyung’s face as if the rest of his face was covered by a flaw.

but lastly, this scene has got me thinking why it was there in the first place. 

this scene only came for 1 second before the video transited to something else. im not exactly sure what this is, but i would safely assume it would be a reference to the whole frozen lake thing, the one where Taehyung finds himself in the dream.

but anyway, i do think that Singularity has some hints to offer, but of course, aesthetics, music, lyrics and choreography, thank you Taehyung for pulling this off so well, i can’t wait for what bangtan has in store for us. 

so what’s next?  

[Photo Source] Bighit Entertainment  Credits: maxine ☕️ DO NOT REPOST ©

[gghero]

🔥 pokemon and SU

OKAY THIS IS LONG. WAY LONGER THAN I EXPECTED. MORE THAN AN UNPOPULAR OPINION POST, IT TURNED INTO AN ALL-OUT OPINION POST

putting it under a cut; the pkm one is way longer and more detailed, SU is a plain ol unpopular opinion post and shorter so im putting it first.

SU:

honestly, i’ll be the first to say that the show is not perfect, that the characters cant stay on model (its still not enough to bother me or ruin everything because, cmon, im getting to watch the show for free) that the crew have made mistakes, that certain characters deserve better/worse, that certain lessons felt out of place, and all that jazz.

but hey, its not the worst thing to ever happen. i found SU while it was at its peak (late season 1 - early season 2, the best SU has ever been IMO) and even though im trying to not interact with the fandom anymore because of some toxic stuff that happened, i find myself enjoying the storyline, the worldbuilding is great and everything about the art style that is not proportions (backgrounds, palettes, character design) is arguably some of the best in current animation.

my beef with the fandom and most critical blogs is that the discourse sounds like the same stuff over and over and the general attitude is very snarky and condescending. my rule of thumb is that if youre going to critique something, you have to also give your ideas on what you would do in their place. i also felt talked down to everytime i interacted with them, and most people dont even know how to discuss things so any valid points they might bring up didnt phase me after rolling my eyes at their behavior. they also tend to treat their opinions as the objective truth - or only reblog from their fellow critic blog friends.

pokémon:

oh, pokémon. one of my most beloved video game franchises of all times. yet theyre not exempt from criticism. of course, none of what im about to say ruins the experience for me (otherwise, i wouldnt still play the games and making fanarts, DUH) 

the games. first of all i have to say that theyre incredibly engaging. i find myself caught up in the hype before a big reveal, preordering and picking up the new game as soon as it comes out, and then playing non-stop until im satisfied with it... and usually thats it. yeah. one of my biggest complaints about pokemon is how replayable the games COULD be, if only gamefreak did the simplest thing of just adding more save slots. of course, ive ended up deleting old save files in order to replay a game, and thanks to pokebank i can keep my babies, but cmon. all the items you collected, the complete pokedex, how far you went in the battle chateau/battle tree/etc... its all lost forever. the game would also be infinitely more replayable if the post game were more extensive (rather than being like “here, go to the battle building of this generation and battle”). i think implementing side quests or achievement unlocking that gives you in-game perks would add so much.

ALSO GAMEFREAK please stop adding and changing and removing features that we like every single generation!!!! i was not bothered by character customization being removed in ORAS because i understand its a remake and they wanted to keep something similar to the original designs of may/brendan but!!!!! The PSS was GREAT, but you replace it with festival plaza that was... not great!!! you take away pokemon amie, which allowed more experienced players to farm hearts very fast via the minigames!!! you took away the super training!!!!! it makes it look like they dont know what theyre doing, and i understand that they want to shake things up, but i stg if we dont get ride pokemon in gen 8 and instead we are back to HMs, im gonna scream.

my next complaint is how... small the games feel. im not asking for an open world yet (short answer; yes i believe its doable) but the amount of hand holding and tutorials in the last games bothers me, not to mention how limited the exploring feels when compared with older games? dont get me wrong, the gym/trials system is not bad per se - its mostly the map, its soo so so tiny and easy to navigate. i feel like they could look at earlier zelda and mario games and do something similar; an exploration mechanic like twilight princess’s would work so well. you have huge areas to explore while keeping it closed-world, and i never found myself getting tired of roaming around hyrule. in comparison, routes in pokemon feel very small, towns especially are SO tiny, and pokemon is a franchise that would REALLY benefit from the sense of adventure that non-linear larger maps offer.

next is the art direction. im definitely not a genwunner; i think some pokémon designs are good, others are not as good, but i dont have a huge bias towards, say, kanto (kanto’s good designs are good, but kanto’s bad designs are the worst, if it makes sense?) if i had to choose, i’d say gen 2, 3 and 4 are the ones that better represent what i want pokemon to look like in general, but that might be because i love monster-like pokemon like ampharos, swampert, garchomp - huge and bulky-looking pokemon - rather than pokemon that look too much like regular animals or inanimate objects. 

human character design is also good. they have been doing great in terms of racial diversity lately, but i do wish there were more “not-paper-thin skinny” characters (especially women) (and the ones that are fat/obese dont look suspiciously more cartoony/comic relief-y than the main characters); and older characters as well, specially women. 

i think my fave art direction is from black/white (1 and 2), the stylisation, clothes design and especially color palettes were gorgeous. i like a lot how the eyes and highlights/shading looked in black/white (1 and 2) - i think it was Take who did most of the art, instead of Sugimori and Ohmura.

(im sorry but im feeling the top image squad look much more)

my biggest complaint about pokemon’s art direction is that the 3D simply doesnt look its best as of now. im not a fan of the pixel-y black outline all models have, the colors of most pokemon in their 3D models look so washed down in general, and the backgrounds really suffer from this. i must say that changing the angle from a zenit POV to a third person camera in sun/moon was a step in the good direction, you get to see further in the distance and feel like the world is immersive. 

the color palettes for backgrounds could be better too, they have definitely taken a step in the wrong direction and went from this:

(pretty, muted but not extremely pastel or washed down; nice colors, those greens and browns are gorgeous - and yeah sorry about the bottom pic having a slight filter on, but cmon, its not like base game looks much different, remember?)

to this:

(aggressive colors, dont give me a sense of harmony, that extremely orange dirt and sky and almost neon green grass make my head hurt)

i have to say i preferred how the pixel-y, half 2d half 3d style of gen 4 and 5 looked, imo its the best pokemon has ever looked, but they clearly dont have the technology to make breathtaking, fully 3D games yet. i’d say its a necessary evil though so im hopeful for the future. and no, i dont want hyperrealistic textures or pokemon designs either (pokken style is so detailed it feels a little uncanny valley at times, specially with less realistic pokemon like gengar or gardevoir). ideally, pokemon will look like breath of the wild’s 3D character models, with that watercolor-ish style, the cell shading and the vibrant vivid colors. AND NO OUTLINES PLEASE.

finally the last point about the games is the storylines. I generally like pokémon storylines. they’re very good when you are caught up in the action, specially as of late, theyre adding cutscenes and dialogue-heavy scenes that dont feel out of place. but i cant bring myself to LOVE THEM as much as i love other videogame storylines. they still feel a little basic (this is not a problem because of the game’s formulaic nature, mind you) and while they havent shied away from more mature elements in the past, the overall tone is a little immature at times with a big huge plot heavy climax thrown in, and thats it. (and before you tell me pokemon is for kids: i know, but other shows and games for kids dont fall in the same plain secondary characters rut as pokemon does.) i would love for the Main character to have some sort of agency too because i feel like im following what other characters decide for me (at least give me dialogue options that, you know, DONT YIELD THE SAME DIALOGUE NO MATTER WHICH YOU CHOOSE).

thats about all i have to say about the games themselves. not gonna talk about anime or manga bc im not really into those

as for the fandom... its generally chill. its huge, but its divided in so many sub-groups that you never feel overwhelmed. the competitive community might be more toxic ive heard, but im more into the plot and characters anyways.

i do have to call out the huge p///edophilia problem there is. being a franchise most people grew up with, characters like idk, misty, may, dawn (its girls more often than not) were older or the same age as most of the older fans were back in the day. as a result, they have obsessed with their image since they were kids, and this obsession has continued now that theyre grown ass people, and they have no problem consuming and producing huuuge amounts of porn for these characters. as for the latest games, these disgusting people have even less excuse (not that they ever had) there’s tons of CP and adult x minor ships out there, and its allowed to thrive more often than not because of the sheer size of the fandom, too.

PHEW.

[ahmuteun]

All :)

welp, my computer decided to crap out on me while i was working on this last night so i get to restart it o yay :-)

1: 6 of the songs you listen to most?

according to my itunes library, four of the songs are songs my friend wrote and the other two are hyorin and kisum’s fruity and john mayer’s new light and i fucking love that song

2: If you could meet anyone on this earth, who would it be?

idk someone who can pay off my debt and tuition lmao

3: Grab the book nearest to you, turn to page 23, give me line 17.

i’m too lazy to get up im sorry lol

4: What do you think about most?

it depends, currently its probably me ripping off the band aid and what the fall out for that is gonna be like 

also boys are stupid

5: What does your latest text message from someone else say?

“oh right LOL ya i got it hehe”

6: Do you sleep with or without clothes on?

with, but i never sleep with pants on

7: What’s your strangest talent?

uummmm i can stand on my toes, does that count?

8: Girls… (finish the sentence); Boys… (finish the sentence)

girls, yes lol

boys, are fucking dumb 

9: Ever had a poem or song written about you?

not to my knowledge 

10: When is the last time you played the air guitar?

idk i dont do it a lot if ever

11: Do you have any strange phobias?

no not really i think

12: Ever stuck a foreign object up your nose?

when i was a kid i did lmao

13: What’s your religion?

christianity 

14: If you are outside, what are you most likely doing?

walking to/ from campus or downtown

15: Do you prefer to be behind the camera or in front of it?

it depends on the situation and how i look lol

16: Simple but extremely complex. Favorite band?

idk probably shinee cause theyve been my favorite for a while but im not sure anymore

17: What was the last lie you told?

“my bus was late” lol

18: Do you believe in karma?

to some extent i do 

19: What does your URL mean?

it’s dumb and i need to change it but idk what i would change it to

20: What is your greatest weakness; your greatest strength?

im trying to think of these through jen’s perspective because she’s one of the people who knows me best 

weakness: caring/ doing things for others even if it’s at my own expense. but i have so many weaknesses it’s so hard to just choose one

strength: probably that i care about people lmao it’s a double edged sword

21: Who is your celebrity crush?

idk i dont really have one

22: Have you ever gone skinny dipping?

yeah, regrettably 

23: How do you vent your anger?

by ranting with my mates and possibly getting drunk LOL

24: Do you have a collection of anything?

nah

25: Do you prefer talking on the phone or video chatting online?

it depends on who i’m talking to but if it’s someone im comfortable with/ i look decent i’ll video chat but i dont really mind either 

26: Are you happy with the person you’ve become?

umm i mean for the most part i guess im okay

27: What’s a sound you hate; sound you love?

hate: metal scraping against metal

love: the sound of my mates’ laughter

28: What’s your biggest “what if”?

currently it’s “what if ripping off the band aid goes horribly wrong??” aaaaahhhhhhh fuck

29: Do you believe in ghosts? How about aliens?

yes and yes

30: Stick your right arm out; what do you touch first? Do the same with your left arm.

nothing for both

31: Smell the air. What do you smell?

nothing 

32: What’s the worst place you have ever been to?

the under 21 club we went to during senior week comes to mind

33: Choose: East Coast or West Coast?

i love both but i’ll say east because i’ve been more shaped by the east

34: Most attractive singer of your opposite gender?

idk man, gd?? 

35: To you, what is the meaning of life?

i dont fuckin know man 

36: Define Art.

idk look it up on google

37: Do you believe in luck?

eeehhhh to some extent i guess so 

38: What’s the weather like right now?

hot, humid, and rainy

39: What time is it?

3:11pm

40: Do you drive? If so, have you ever crashed?

yes and i’ve only ever been in fender benders so nah

41: What was the last book you read?

the simpsons and their mathematical secrets lol

42: Do you like the smell of gasoline?

no gross

43: Do you have any nicknames?

way too many lmao

44: What was the last film you saw?

that isnt a tv show? the scooby doo movie lmao 

45: What’s the worst injury you’ve ever had?

spraining my foot or cracking my head open lol

46: Have you ever caught a butterfly?

maybe when i was younger

47: Do you have any obsessions right now?

BROOKLYN 99 I FUCKING LOVE THIS SHOW

48: What’s your sexual orientation?

bi wooo

49: Ever had a rumour spread about you?

probably

50: Do you believe in magic?

no

51: Do you tend to hold grudges against people who have done you wrong?

uuhhh no not really 

52: What is your astrological sign?

gemini

53: Do you save money or spend it?

i want to save it but ive been spending way too much lately, help

54: What’s the last thing you purchased?

ummmm pho i think? wait no it was boba

55: Love or lust?

lust lol 

56: In a relationship?

naahhh

57: How many relationships have you had?

eehhh none

58: Can you touch your nose with your tongue?

nope

59: Where were you yesterday?

work and my apartment lol

60: Is there anything pink within 10 feet of you?

yep 

61: Are you wearing socks right now?

yep

62: What’s your favourite animal?

my doggie

63: What is your secret weapon to get someone to like you?

i dont have one lmao

64: Where is your best friend?

one is back home in maryland and the other is visiting family in california

65: Give me your top 5 favourite blogs on Tumblr.

idk i dont have any

66: What is your heritage?

korean

67: What were you doing last night at 12AM?

trying to fall asleep and failing

68: What do you think is Satan’s last name?

i dont think he has one

69: Be honest. Ever gotten yourself off?

everyone has

70: Are you the kind of friend you would want to have as a friend?

idk i hate myself too much to not say no lmao

71: You are walking down the street on your way to work. There is a dog drowning in the canal on the side of the street. Your boss has told you if you are late one more time you get fired. What do you do?

if my boss doesnt understand that i was saving a dogs life then i dont want to work for them

72: You are at the doctor’s office and she has just informed you that you have approximately one month to live. a) Do you tell anyone/everyone you are going to die? b) What do you do with your remaining days? c) Would you be afraid?

a) i tell the people i love and care about and let everyone else find out by word of mouth 

b) i dunno, spend time with the people i love and care about and give them lots of good memories to remember me by

c) yes but who wouldnt be?

73: You can only have one of these things; trust or love.

trust because i dont believe that you can have love, platonic or not, without trust 

or maybe thats just my trust issues talking idk lmao

74: What’s a song that always makes you happy when you hear it?

idk but if im in a shit mood no song can change that 

75: What are the last four digits in your cell phone number?

no thanks

76: In your opinion, what makes a great relationship?

idk im the worst person to ask 

77: How can I win your heart?

my heart is unattainable because it doesnt exist lol

78: Can insanity bring on more creativity?

i mean sure i guess?? 

79: What is the single best decision you have made in your life so far?

probably choosing my uni because i’ve made such amazing friends and met people who have impacted who i am as a person way more than i could ever imagine and im just so happy right now 

80: What size shoes do you wear?

6.5 heels but 7 for everything else

81: What would you want to be written on your tombstone?

idk man 

82: What is your favourite word?

i dont have one 

83: Give me the first thing that comes to mind when you hear the word; heart.

my friend’s tattoos of hearts on her arm, they look so cool and i love them

84: What is a saying you say a lot?

“let me live” “i hate you” “mate” idk theres a lot

85: What’s the last song you listened to?

truth is by jay park

86: Basic question; what’s your favourite colour/colours?

blue, yellow, and green

87: What is your current desktop picture?

it’s so cute i love it 

88: If you could press a button and make anyone in the world instantaneously explode, who would it be?

no one cause im not that mean 

89: What would be a question you’d be afraid to tell the truth on?

who i’ve been with and crap like that 

90: One night you wake up because you heard a noise. You turn on the light to find that you are surrounded by MUMMIES. The mummies aren’t really doing anything, they’re just standing around your bed. What do you do?

it would probably scare me and i would leave 

91: You accidentally eat some radioactive vegetables. They were good, and what’s even cooler is that they endow you with the super-power of your choice! What is that power?

super speed probably, you could do so much plus i would never be late to anything again AND i would be doing cardio, win win

92: You can re-live any point of time in your life. The time-span can only be a half-hour, though. What half-hour of your past would you like to experience again?

i dont think i would ever want to do that so i’ll pass

93: You can erase any horrible experience from your past. What will it be?

i wouldnt because every experience has helped shaped me into who i am today 

94: You have the opportunity to sleep with the music-celebrity of your choice. Who would it be?

oh man i would have to think about this cause i dont have a person off the top of my head that comes to mind 

bm from kard maybe?? idfk 

95: You just got a free plane ticket to anywhere. You have to depart right now. Where are you gonna go?

korea or japan 

or maybe australia

96: Do you have any relatives in jail?

not to my knowledge 

97: Have you ever thrown up in the car?

yep :-) whoops

i mean it was in a trashcan and i was trashed so

98: Ever been on a plane?

yep

99: If the whole world were listening to you right now, what would you say?

pls venmo me cause im broke :D

thanks for asking!

[tinygaysheep-blog]

A lil Keith theory+ character analysis (kinda) ALSO LANCE IS KEITH’S STABILITY EXPLAINED

Ya girl is back with a theory that quite honestly breaks my heart. But it has nesttled itself into my head and oh boy, oh boy does this make me sad. 

BPD, or borderline personality disorder is a mental illness a lot of people don’t really understand. Its also pretty hard to diagnose for some reason and often confused with bipolar depression and autism. 

Lets take a look at the symptoms; 

Having an unstable or dysfunctional self-image or a distorted sense of self (how one feels about one’s self). Keith definitely has a problem with feeling worthless. We all know that Lance has problems with insecurity, but what goes over a lot of people’s heads is that Keith does too. He assumes people dont like him, the only thing he’s actually sort of proud off are his flying skills. He doesn’t want to lead Voltron cause he doesn’t think he’s any good as a leader, and while he’s not as good at it as Shiro, he defnitely has some leader qualities but he doesn’t see them himself. He came a long way in season 3 in a very short time but he didn’t see it.  And his self-sacrifice at through-out of season 4? It could just be the blade of marmora influencing him with their “the mission is more important than the individual” crap, but I don’t think it is. He goes back for other memembers and even tries to fight Kolivan to save the guy when he would maybe be able to throw the guy to safety but never run back himself. And the final eppisode? Keith cares more about anyone and anything than himself. He’s literally willing to die to save anyone else. 

Feelings of isolation, boredom and emptiness. We all know Keith suffers from not really feeling a connection with others. He’s literally been on a ship in space with six other people for God knows how long and they still describe him as the lone wolf, he still trains on his own all the time. And the common misconception is that he wants to be alone. He really, really, really doesn’t. I cannot stress enough how much this boy would love to join in on the fun all the time, to not be so far away from the rest of them, but he just can’t.  He’s too scarred he’ll be rejected or something along those lines so instead he just... Lone wolfs it. 

Difficulty feeling empathy for others.  I decided against highlighting this one because we haven’t really seen a lot of it. Although, there have been a few cases of this, like when Pidge tried to leave. In my personal opinion, I don’t think he can summon the empathy very well unless he’s going through or has been through the same thing.  When he and Allura went out to space because they both though Zarkon was tracking them he showed quite a bit of empathy towards her but that was also because they were in the same boat (no pun intended) he was sort of going through the same thing. So he understood. When Lance came to him with his issues of insecurrity he got it because he’s scarred of being kicked out too. Of not being a valueable member to the team.  But when Pidge wanted to go find her family he couldn’t relate. Cause he’s never really had a family to look for. We don’t know what happened with his dad, whether he died or just up and left like his mum did. But seeming it’s more logical, lets assume his dad did die, he doesn’t know his mother, so... He doesn’t understand Pidge wanting to look for her brother.  You may argue that he had Shiro to look for, but if you watch the first episode of season one its pretty clear he wasn’t looking for Shiro. He’s surprised to see him there and he was tracking Voltron before that. Finding Shiro was merely conicidental.

A history of unstable relationships that can change drastically from intense love and idealization to intense hate.  Again, I didn’t want to highlight this one because, well, we don’t know enough about his backstory to be able to judge if he’s had unstable relationships in the past.  However, you cant tell me he doesn’t have and intense idealization of Shiro that kinda turned into a sort of hate (but not really) when he was left in charge of Voltron. But that’s all I got on that one. He doesn’t really seem to hate people or idealise them (apart from Shiro) Some may argue that he hated Lance in season one, but honestly, I call bullshit on that. Annoyance, yes. Hate, no.  Annoyed neutrality. 

A persistent fear of abandonment and rejection, including extreme emotional reactions to real and even perceived abandonment I feel like I dont have to go into this.... So I wont... AT LEAST NOT THE OVERLY OBVIOUS STUFF.  Okay so, our boy has abandonment issues. We all knew that. But I honestly don’t think y’all are seeing just how far this stuff actually goes.  When he though Lance hated him (EXACTLY HOW CANNON THE HATE IS IS UP FOR DISSCUSSION, FIGHT ME ANNONS) he really didn’t want much to do with him. Even made a few jabs at him so that he could reject Lance first.  With the B.O.M however, we see him literally almost work himself to death during the trails in fear of being rejected to the group. The boy has major issues with self esteem, which is probably why he did so well at the garrison, cause he needs those results to feel okay about himself. He doesn’t think he’s good enough so he works towards being better, yes its pragmatic, but ultimately he’ll end up.... oh I don’t know... sacrificing himself. 

Intense, highly changeable moods that can last for several days or for just a few hours.  Again, I didn’t highlight this one because, well I don’t have too much to back it up other than that he seems very easy to upset. A little comment like that he’s the lone wolf, even though he’s trying to fit in can really get to him. And just... can people stop hurting my baby please? 

Strong feelings of anxiety, worry and depression Honestly, this is another one I don’t feel like I have to explain. It just, Keith is a guy that worries a lot, and he definitely has anxiety when it comes to interacting with others. From the way he talks about his mother to the way he looked at his blade when he was figuring out his Galra identity, and the look on his face when the others were pissed off at him in season 4, I think depression is definitely a concept he touches on. Maybe not fullblown, actual depression, but I think he has... issues with feeling like a depressed person feels sometimes.  But he’s never actually vocalized this, so this may be me projecting. Though he does show some general symptoms fo depression. 

Impulsive, risky, self-destructive and dangerous behaviors, including reckless driving, drug or alcohol abuse and having unsafe sex I just, r e c k l e s s  d r i v i n g  Yes, he’s a skilled pilot but you cannot tell me he doesn’t throw caution to the wind a lot.  Also remember that king he held hostage?  Also remember how he worked himself to death during the B.O.M trials? Also remember the self sacrifice?  Also remember the putting himself in danger to safe his teammates?  Also remember how he ran away with Allura in the middle of the night because he THOUGHT he MIGHT be getting tracked and left the team unable to form Voltron without telling anyone?

Hostility “What? Keith is a total hothead”- Lance, 2016.  No but, Keith has said himself that he can be this way.  Even Shiro has pointed it out to him. This one is kinda also just very self explanitory. 

Unstable career plans, goals and aspirations Well I mean, his plans do kinda seem to be all over the place. He got kicked out of the Garrison... and tracked alien life for a year???  And other than finding Shiro in season 2-3 and joining the blade he never really has a long term plan. His only goal is defeating the Galra, it doesnt go deeper than that. He doesnt necessarily want to go home or settle down. He has no plan. He just kinda floats through life.

With BPD you have these things called modi. Modi are... in simple terms, fragments of your personality. There are five modi, the protector, the strict/punishing parent, the abandoned/abused child, the angry/impulsive child and the healthy grown up. Everybody sort of has these a little bit, but when you have BPD your healthy adult mode is a little... under developed/overwhelmed by the other modi. 

I personally also suffer from BPD and I honestly see a lot of these modi in Keith. The protector is the main one that seems to be present with him. (I also have this one, I call mine richard/dick for short). The protector’s main job is keeping people at arm’s lenght, its hard to get past this guy, esspecially if he’s the main dude running the show. Keith’s protector seems to work a lot with the impulsive child which is why he has such dificulty being a leader. 

I want to give an example here of how Keith’s modi seem to coexist; 

So lets take the scene where he just started leading Voltron and he chased Lotor into the gassplanet. So, he has an objective; get Lotor. His strict parrent modi will lock onto this WITH A FUCKING DEATH GRIP. It doesn’t matter what he has to do, he needs to get his objective. The impulsive child then takes over with the the stirct parent fueling him by telling him he needs to do this, when the team tells him to stop the protector shrugs them off. 

Later, once he failed, and lost everyone, the child and the protector regress, leaving the abandoned child and the strict parrent to yell at it and make the child feel like shit about itself. This is when Keith is vulnerable. That’s why Lance could approach him, and he knows it. And while acknowledging that Keith fucked up, he appeals to the healthy adult in his system to try and get him to move on. 

THAT is why Lance is so good for him and why he stablizes Keith mentally. He is able to tell him that he made a mistake while still accesing the healthy grown-up. Shiro, on the other hand, doesn’t do that. He is constantly trying to shape Keith to be better and sometimes, yes he gets through to Keith’s healthy adult and stuff (patience yeilds focus), but mostly he appeals to the strict parent telling him to be better. 

It doesn’t surprise me that that’s why he saw Shiro during the Galra trials. He really, really, really wants his approval. He might even see Shiro as the strict modi if he were to personify it. 

I hope you’re as sad about this as I am, because it’s two a.m and this suddenly hit me like 20 minutes ago and I’ve been keeping my emotions in check ever since.