#or if you wanna take him seriously why not do some actual character analysis!!! bc holy shit he’s horrifying!!!

[orchidsangel]

ok i wanna start this by saying this is pure rant. totally unimportant feelings about the show. i’d do a whole analysis or essay type thing but i’ve done enough of that against my will </3

i started titans for nightwing and starfire bc they were my favorite actors. seriously anna diop is so gorgeous i couldn’t get over it and still won’t. in a way, i also started watching for jason because it seemed like a whole new take on his character (bc it was) and i was excited on how they’d do the whole robin/red hood story with the titans. jason’s introduced as the immature and loud teenager which didn’t seem like a good idea for the red hood part of his story but he’s also still robin at this point. at the time i think he was moreso there to introduce nightwing’s development and departure from being robin because batman in this show is just yucky. i don’t remember enough to talk about that tho lawl

then it gets suckier than it started because out of nowhere the whole team starts treating jason like shit. he goes from the goofy one to the young and always angry character and that’s when i just KNEW they were finna fuck him over. first off the team (nightwing, star, raven, yada yada) takes in this girl rose wilson bc slade’s trying to kill her. if you guessed that she’s actually there to help slade kill the titans or whatever then you’d be right, she’s basically like tera from the judas contract if you watched that. and they made her jason’s LOVE INTEREST and at first they were cute but UHJHJGJFJFJ i cant start on that rn

so like i said earlier right now jason’s the immature angry teenager of the group. at some point someone (im pretty sure it was rose) pranks everyone by putting some fucked up shit in their rooms, like drawing crosses all over raven’s room. tell me why EVERYONE AUTOMATICALLY BLAMES JASON??? they just assumed he did it for whatever fucking reason. so that’s one way the team treated him like shit 😭 another ginormous part to this: yk how jason goes after the joker even tho batman told him not to?? it’s basically that but instead of the joker it was slade that he went after. got kidnapped and tortured cuz what’s a jason todd character w/o that right. then he ALMOST died but didn’t bc superboy saved his life, blah blah blah all this other stuff and then he almost commits suicide! wowww so fun!

so at this point i’m thinking “ok thst was weird but trust the process right???” long story short nightwing fucks up, team disbands, jason and rose disappear for the whole next season or wtvr, then in a random episode jason and rose are basically confirmed to be dating and i think they live in part of bruce’s mansion or smth??? idk anyway over the course of a few episodes we see their relationship develop and they’re actually kinda cute. like jason fake proposed to her with six bigass sandwiches that he made and it was so adorable and BOOM rose tells him she was originally supposed to sabotage the titans and that’s why the team disbanded so he’s like “ykw fuck you” and then he disappears AGAIN. this was very random so i just assumed it was supposed to add on to why he did what he did later on…

ok now when he comes back we get into red hood. i guess they kinda mashed jason’s original story with the arkham knight story??? i forgot exactly what happened but i think what happened was he got buddy buddy with scarecrow and reverse engineered his fear gas so that it gives you a munch of adrenaline and makes you fearless or wtvr. this was one of my least favorite things about this interpretation of jason because making him rely on drugs to do the things he wants to without fear just. does not make sense to me??? if anything i feel like jason would despise drug addiction and things of the like but that’s neither here nor there! so now he’s pumped full of drugs and he goes to find the joker. then he dies and gets dumped in the lazarus pit in the same episode so him dying has literally no significance. THEN BRUCE KILLS THE JOKER. so now i’m stuck like wtf are they finna do with this narrative??? literally eliminated one of the biggest parts of red hood. atp i’m wondering where tf they’re going with this and the answer is they went NO WHERE WITH IT. jason becomes red hood (and no hate to curran walters but it was lame as fuck) and does a lot of fucked up shit because scarecrow promised him power or whatever so now there’s no depth to what he’s doing and it takes him getting kidnapped and almost killed for the THIRD TIME before he decides he’s not doing the right thing. so he says fuck scarecrow and tries to help the titans stop whatever he was doing and ugh it’s just such sucky writing.

tl;dr only thing that kept me watching was a thirst for jason todd content, brenton thwaites and anna diop. like there are probably hours worth of stuff in that show i skipped bc it had nothing to do with the only three things i cared about. only thing that i was satisfied with was nightwing and starfire being together. there’s more stuff i could add but this was specifically for jason and how let down i was 💔

-🦦

that genuinely seems like a shit show. like idk if i could handle that. the way they mashed up like ALL of his "death and resurrection" plots?? no ma'am. you're better than be for even watching all of that because i simply couldn't. i've seen tiktok edits of rose and jason from titans and, not to sound like a broken record but, her wig??? kill me now.

i also just don't like curran walters as jason. he's too pocket-sized idk.

ALSO. i looooooooooove judas contract so bad. one of my fave dcau movies, just so fucking good!!

[mars-ipan]

it’s funny. bman is one of those things that takes up a lot of brain space but i don’t have enough connected thoughts to make any new points or say anything abt it

[deathon1leg]

“m*leven is the main couple of the show” ok but that’s not true. byler has always been the main couple.

i know they’re not together yet but we know they’re going to be, and they’ve been setting it up since the beginning. two characters can be the main couple without being together yet as long as the media they’re from demonstrates that to us through romantic tropes, parallels, set/costume design, camerawork, music, etc. plus, will is already canonically in love with mike.

i know this is an.. unusual show to use as an example, but it’s popular so—take the office. ask anyone who the main couple is and they’ll 100% say jim and pam. ask someone who’s only on, say, season 1, and they’ll probably still say jim and pam. but they didn’t officially get together until season 4. pam actually had a fiancé who wasn’t him for the first two seasons, yet still, they were the main couple. everyone knew it was going to happen eventually.

mike and will’s relationship has always been coded as romantic (not really getting into any specific romantic moments bc that’s not the point of this post, but most of u prob know what i mean. there’s so many and you can find them easily) and more people would see that if they took off the heteronormativity goggles. and again, will is in love with mike, which they have to resolve somehow.

and i DO SEE why people think m*leven is the main couple. on a surface level, it seems obvious. they’re two of the main characters, their dynamic is given a lot of screen time and they’re canon. but when you look harder, m*leven comes secondary to byler. m*leven’s relationship can’t separate itself from will/byler, and a lot of major events between mike and el are intertwined with will/byler, sometimes to such an extent that these things wouldn’t happen/function otherwise. for example:

in s1, they only find el because they were looking for will. mike only keeps her at his house for as long as he does bc he thought she could help find will. he doesn’t value her nearly as much once he thinks she can’t help. for most of s1 he saw her more as a tool to find will than a person.

in s2, mike is very upset about el’s disappearance and tries to walkie talkie her everyday, but (correct me if i’m misremembering) once the mind flayer starts possessing will, mike seems to push that all aside to prioritize taking care of him.

in s3, m*leven’s comedic breakup is overshadowed by byler’s rain fight. there’s no question which one we’re meant to take seriously. mike doesn’t care that he upset el and is in no hurry to make it up to her, but when he upsets will he regrets it right away, and immediately bikes to his house in the rain to apologize.

in s4, el getting bullied turns into a byler fight about them growing apart. mike opens up to will several times (which he can’t do with el) about his and el’s issues, and will offers advice. will gives mike the painting and gives his coded confession, which mike, thinking those were el’s feelings, uses as fuel for his ily monologue. mike’s whole monologue was literally about will.

will is more intwined with m*leven than ever in s4 because it’s the second to last, which means a breakup is coming soon. byler will get together sometime after that—i think it probably won’t be until after the time skip, though.

like i said, this post isn’t about any specific romantic moments between mike and will (but if you wanna see some just search “byler proof”, “byler endgame”, “byler analysis”, “byler evidence” or smth similar on here. there’s tons), but whether or not you take account of their romantic-coding, the show has purposefully shown us many times that byler’s relationship is stronger, healthier, and more loving than m*leven’s. obviously a relationship doesn’t have to be romantic to be those things, but the thing is, they’ve already shown us byler is romantic.

and, as the whole reason for this post suggests, byler is (or—if you’d rather look at it this way—will become) the main couple in stranger things. they’re two of the main characters, and i’d argue that their relationship is given more emphasis and importance placed on it than any other duo in the show, even established couples. the show is constantly saying to us: hey! look at them! look at the way they interact with each! look at them in comparison with other duos/couples! look at the specific type of bond they have with each other! like, the first two seasons’ storylines wouldn’t even work without their bond, which is also true to a slightly lesser extent in s3 and s4.

also, i’m just spitballing here, but isn’t it kinda unusual for a show with multiple established couples to place the most emphasis on a platonic pair? usually if a show has a two characters whose bond they place more importance on than any other pairs in the show, they’re a couple—or will end up becoming one.

so. when you combine the numerous flaws and weaknesses in m*leven’s relationship (which you can also find examples of easily—try searching “anti m*leven” or “anti milkvan”) + the strength and love in byler’s relationship + byler being coded as romantic since the start + s4 making it clear that m*leven’s breakup is imminent + will canonically being in love with mike + the painting that prompted mike’s monologue, which he’s yet to find out was entirely from will...

it’s safe to say byler will be endgame, which is fitting, because they’re already the main couple. i will shout this from the rooftops—they’re already the main couple!!

just in case, let me say it again, but bigger and more colorful:

byler is already the main couple!

thank u if you read this whole long thing!! i should honestly stop expecting that i’m gonna write short posts when i have something to say about byler. it never ends up short. <3 <3 hope you enjoyed

[fonulyn]

So I'm reading this sad Chreon story - as one does (it's me, I'm one) - and I just had the weirdest epiphany? Like, I dunno, it's probably dumb and far from a hot take or some eye opening character analysis no one has done before but I noticed that people (including myself, so like not saying this in any kind of bad way) tend to write Leon as stand offish, apathetic, and cold. Like this story stated it specifically, said something along the lines of "this is what Leon gets for cultivating a reputation for being unapproachable, apathetic, and indifferent" and the insinuation there is that he's done this on purpose, put on this front to seem unaffected by things when in the presence of others, and I think it's pretty true for his character. Like anything post RE2, Leon is kind of. I dunno, I wanna say deadpan? He seems to express v little emotion, and when he does it's usually in the form of a quip, one-liner, or snarky come back. Sometimes awkward small talk lol. But it feels like he's built this wall, this persona around himself, not just to protect himself from losing more people (bc he probably sees it as some kind of inevitability, and with his track record I certainly wouldn't blame him), but to protect people from him. This poor man has spent so long fighting, trying to save people, and even tho he saves the day in the end, so many people get lost in the process, and Leon feels every single loss personally. Right off the bat we see it every time someone dies in RE2, then again in RE4 with Luis, who he knew for a short period of time and yet mourned so heavily for, and even Krauser to an extent. Leon is someone who is quick to trust, even as he gets older, and we see that in RE Vendetta, too. Like that's probably one of the big reasons he's so devastated after losing his team. Not only was he entrusted with a group (which doesn't happen often, as far as we have seen), but he probably put his trust in them as well, including Petrucio, the man who betrayed them. I just think Leon is such a complex character who hides so much of himself (which is convenient for bad writers at Capcom who can't write good dialogue to save their lives lmao, but I also think it's a decent part of his character now), probably so what happened in RE2 doesn't happen again. Bc that shit was probably so traumatizing, and Leon was still a baby! I'm only a year older then he was at the time of RE2 but like, as humans our brains don't finish growing until age 25, so that kind of trauma at that age is for sure gonna stick with you, and it seems he picked up some unhealthy coping mechanisms from it that's more than just his drinking problem. Anyways I guess I just wanted to rant about how Leon is the most "emotionless" character in RE but in reality he feels and cares so much, so much so that if he doesn't put up that mask of indifference then he'll destroy himself. This man would die so that others could live, he's saved the world multiple times without a care for himself past the need to finish his mission and keep as many people as possible safe. He's such a tragic character and I love him so goddamn much, like he's one of those characters who you aspire to be like, in a way. Selfless, capable, dependable, reliable, smart, passionate, caring. And some of this might be my own character building I've done based off of other headcanons and character analysis posts and stories I've seen, but I do think we see a lot of this in the canon content, too. I just really love Leon S Kennedy, okay? He makes me sad but also so so happy and I love him v much, he is a big time comfort character for me. Sorry for the rant, just needed to scream about this with someone who would understand lol 😅

oh anon, I get you, I dooo. I think that you're right in that Leon has kind of this shell around himself because it's the only way he can cope. but there are so many cracks in his shell, and he lets people in so readily even when it would stand to reason that he shouldn't trust anyone anymore. he gets attached to people lightning fast, and he'd die for them even when he's barely met them.

this borders on headcanon territory, definitely, but I tend to often write him as someone who gets attached easily and falls for people easily (be it friendship or romantic or anything), but then he doesn't know how to properly let people in because he's got his defense mechanisms, he's trying to keep himself from breaking, and what if he truly lets someone past those walls and then another disaster strikes and he never recovers from it?

and I think it shows a lot in how he's so awkward with small talk, he can throw in one-liners and dad jokes and try to keep his own (and anyone else's) spirits up with that. but oh man. beyond that? the boy doesn't know how to naturally talk to people. (even like in Infinite Darkness, with Claire, I think his "don't do anything stupid" was 100% meant to be a joke, both times, but it just didn't exactly land perfectly. poor awkward bby)

but like even though he might put up this unaffected front, he's still so very expressive? like... if you really pay attention to him? he's far from actually an expressionless and cold person. he just isn't very loud about it. (i was just going through ID screencaps yesterday and while Shen May is talking and Leon is on the background, he goes through such a journey in expressions alone :'D)

AND HE CARES. like, for example in Infinite Darkness, he sees Patrick is shaken and the first possible moment he has, he immediately asks him if he's okay and takes a moment to reassure him. they're in a hurry, he's supposed to get going and not check up on a guy he's never even met before, but he does it anyway. and I think it speaks a lot of his character. he's quick to offer support and comfort, and he genuinely tries to be there for others the best he can. he desperately needs someone to listen to him in turn, seriously. give him emotional support, damnit.

and I wanna highlight what you said:

in reality he feels and cares so much, so much so that if he doesn't put up that mask of indifference then he'll destroy himself. This man would die so that others could live, he's saved the world multiple times without a care for himself past the need to finish his mission and keep as many people as possible safe.

because yes. 100%. also this:

he's one of those characters who you aspire to be like, in a way.

like. yes. there was this one meme thing going around which was basically like asking if you feel like you're like your favorite character and I'm just. I fucking wish I was one tenth of what he is :'D

I know not even he is perfect, c'mon, no such thing as perfect people exist (not even in fiction, or if they do then they'd be really damn boring :'D). i'm not trying to claim he has no flaws, or that he never does anything wrong. he has and he does. but the amount of genuine caring he shows and how hard he tries to do the right thing? truly awe inspiring.

i just. I'm right there with you. I love him so damn much. and that's why I spend most of my time writing fic where he gets at least some of that happiness he deserves :'D i need him taken care of, damnit, and if canon doesn't give him good things then i damn sure will.

[crimeronan]

Can you explain the appeal of Julian Blackthorn? This is a genuine question because I read the books and came away utterly bored by him and unconvinced of his moral greyness as opposed to like, Adam Parrish’s. He seemed so one dimensional to me but I want to know if I’m Wrong TM considering I tend to be very very biased toward my favourite characters and bored by the rest, and my favourites were Mark and Kieran. So maybe I just didn’t pay him enough attention??

it’s been a while since i wrote any earnest tsc meta but cringe culture is dead and the chance to infodump about my julian thoughts has me vibrating where i’m sitting so.  yes okay.

technical stuff

(aka: things pertaining to How The Story Is Constructed)

cassandra clare’s characterization has become much stronger just in general since she first began writing the series like twenty years ago

perhaps most importantly: the more recent stuff i’ve read from her has involved characters who actually grow, change, and learn from their past mistakes 

rather than repeating the same stupid decisions over and over again

and over and over and over some more

seriously take a shot every time someone in tmi miscommunicates or self-destructs in ways They Have Learned Not To Do for no real reason. u will die of alcohol poisoning

in tda this shines ESPECIALLY with the evolution of mark, kieran, and cristina’s relationship, but that’s a separate post

clare’s trademark is also the angsty traumatized jerkass love interest with a secret heart of gold

the woman is almost singlehandedly responsible for draco in leather pants and the proliferation of this kind of character type in fandom and teen lit. this isn’t a criticism it’s me marveling at how if you commit hard enough to a single trope you truly can change the world.  follow your dreams

sad jackass with a heart of gold isn’t an Inherently Problematic Character Type

but poorly done it can lead to relationship dynamics in which one partner is constantly being hurt by and then forgiving the other despite them making no real effort to change, because they are narratively absolved due to being sad

(there’s a lot of this with earlier jace content.  in some ways i think will was later created specifically to be a same-archetype protagonist who actually does get called on his shit and grow. that’s also another post)

also if all of your sexy male love interests are tortured jackasses with a heart of gold then people start calling you a one-trick pony

enter julian blackthorn!

from the very start everything about him is designed to be the INVERSE of the heart of gold jackass.  which immediately makes him interesting just from a meta perspective

(mark and kieran are also both alternate angles on this time-honored archetype.  mark gets the heart of gold and kieran gets the jackass and then they’re both much more deeply messy than that.  yet another post)

julian is kind, self-sacrificing, empathetic, artistic, emotionally supportive, responsible, and favored by old grannies everywhere

so a completely nonthreatening milquetoast guy, right

immediately forgettable if you’re only here for the dramatic conflicts and shithead antics of clare’s other protags

except that he is A Mess

and that he has structured his priorities very carefully, and they are as selfless as you expect from The Hero (TM) but they are also Not Heroic (TM) and they do not align with the moral framework The Hero (TM) is supposed to use

moral ambiguity in characters always exists in relation to their narratives imo. you mention adam parrish - trc’s narrative already mucks around in different ethical shades of gray, and adam falls on the canon scale about where julian does on his canon scale.  both more willing than the average pov character to do the ruthless thing or make the fucked-up choice if the ends justify the means; both with an intensely strong sense of internal priorities that they adhere to at all costs, both so unbelievably fucking down for murder; etc

i do think there are ways julian’s choices could have been pushed even further, but considering the number of readers who hate his guts already, i can see why clare opted not to go for the most controversial possible conflicts

so we’re flipping the narrative

instead of seeing this angsty bad boy and peeling back the layers of his trauma to find his heart of gold, we’re seeing the put-together selfless family man and peeling back the layers of his Responsibility Mask to expose the rotting husk underneath

MMMMMMMMMMMMMMM

THAT IS FUN AS FUCK

then when julian DOES lash out in hurtful, uncontrolled ways, he has significantly more narrative justification for it than most of clare’s protagonists (will elaborate in characterization thoughts)

julian is also interesting as fuck because of how his struggles allow for a more in-depth look at the failings of shadowhunter society, something that’s also sorely lacking in clare’s earlier work

his apparent amorality is simply the result of him making pragmatic and impossible choices because he has been faced with fucked-up ethical dilemmas since age 12 Because Society Has Failed Him

which opens the door for narrative exploration of how and why he’s been failed so badly & what needs to change

i also love that he has such a coldly calculated way of analyzing situations and allowing harm to occur when need be, bc a lot of clare’s early protagonists have such a bad case of Rush In And Get Myself Killed Because I’ve Got Feelings About Impulsive Heroism syndrome that i wanna push them in front of a truck

probably there’s other meta narrative stuff i could say but i’m stopping myself and moving on to character analysis

characterization stuff

(aka: reasons why i’m also attached to him in a vacuum)

i don’t read him as one-dimensional at all tbh

u may feel the narrative pushes “ruthless julian blackthorn” too much without delivering enough actual ruthless julian But i don’t think that’s the same as having only one dimension

from the get-go, the big question centered on julian is always “how far are you willing to go?” and the narrative pushes the stakes slowly higher and higher to continuously test julian’s “the price is always justified” mindset

he has a far more layered and realistic response to trauma than clare’s early protagonists - trauma affects every single aspect of his personality and how he conducts himself, and the effects vary depending on the circumstances

his conviction that he has to be the perfect parent to his siblings because they will fall apart if they see him show weakness??  rooted in how he feels like he’s fallen apart since losing the stable adult support he once relied upon

his willingness to hurt semi-innocent people, commit coldblooded murder, manipulate people using political leverage, allow harm to befall any stranger if it protects his family??  rooted in how he has already had to ask himself how much he’s willing to sacrifice, and how his family is his only source of stability when the world has never done Shit for him

his conviction that he has a darker heart than anyone else because he killed his possessed father, even though intellectually he knows he was saving his brother’s life??  rooted in having no means of processing this trauma and being unable to voice his feelings for fear of backlash from a deeply non-understanding society

the way he represses every single negative emotion he ever has, to the point where emma - his actual literal magic soulmate who can feel his emotions - is startled to find him hurting or angry??  once again all about how he has to be the perfect father or he’s failed completely

the way his anger is so totally disproportionate to different situations and the way his negative emotions can only come out in completely uncontrolled breaks??  all that repression baybey.  this kid has not processed a single bad feeling in five years.  every single real grievance and petty annoyance has been festering indefinitely inside him like a slowly spreading infection

julian’s arc involves him needing to get thru being his worst self to actually start to heal

as in, he has to actually learn to acknowledge his feelings, take care of himself, lean on his family, and let other people take some responsibility

he also has to learn that in his quest to be the perfect emotionally controlled authority figure, he has not actually learned how to control or deal with his emotions. like. At Fucking All. good god

the narrative setup is also about asking “how far are you willing to go?” until the answer is finally “not this far.  not this far”

and once he reaches that point, he has to reevaluate everything about how he weighs his priorities and morals and plans, etc

(i also like that emma has a perpendicular arc in which she’s always the one tempering julian and telling him “no we can’t go that far” until she’s willing to do something horrific that he absolutely won’t and HE has to stop HER. very sexy)

it’s also just really nice to have a character who’s learned to relate so well to literally every single member of his family while still having a very detached ruthless interior consciousness. i have similar feelings about how adam teaches himself to love people, but with julian it’s spelled out more explicitly in canon & it’s a more central character theme

i’m sure i’m also forgetting stuff here but this post is long enough so i’m gonna say good enough

and like i said in the tags on my other post, there are things i’d personally write differently if it were my story - plot points i’d shift, character contrasts i’d up, themes i’d explore differently, pacing i’d adjust, etc.  i have plenty of ways i could be nitpicky and editorial about the effectiveness of julian’s arc.  but i also don’t feel like writing them out at the moment & none of my critiques on effectiveness have an impact on the core appeal of his character 2 me.  he’s so fucking good

[enzo-zzz]

A vent on the fandom + cg

If you dont wanna hear any negativity, please just ignore this post. It includes dissatisfication on the yttd fandom and ongoing belief in it. I'm not going to use very kind words here, so just ignore this post. 3b spoilers included.

I like yttd so much, but the english fandom, i cannot interact because how toxic it is. Even the smallest different of which route you choose, will attract anyone to abuse, harrass, ridicule or humiliate you. And to be truth, there are many of them who are so judgemental, to the point that there is only one thing that are right and the other are wrong. Black and white mindset. The term "canon route" is what fans created itself. I guess there are many of them who are teens or kids, since most of kids who havent grown up yet tend to lean towards black and white mindset, even if they believe they are not. If you find people who keep arguing especially on social media, you can bet that its teens. Adult are too tired to involve in things like fighting with strangers. There is one time when the poll asked your age and the age range quite small to teens age. I guess thats why i think so.

OTHER THAN THAT, THERE'S ONE THING I'M ANNOYED WITH. ABOUT THE CG AND HOW THE FANDOM DECIDES THAT THE MORE CGS, THE MORE CANON IT IS. To be perfectly honest, i'm the one who came up with the analysis that on certain route 2-2 ending the cg is more. But people really use it the wrong way and now thought that anything that has more cg is the canon route. The word canon route is wrong in itself, who tf come up with the term canon route in yttd? Is the reason for creating two route is for one to be canon only, or for sparing different characters, or for having different storyline? (I personally think that on different route, the story will change and the ones who got to live at last is probably different ). Now i see those who misuse that information everywhere. "In sou route 2-2 ending evil joe AI dont even have new cg but in kanna route he has. See how biased the devs are? he should have drawn more if he really meant the route to be the canon one. Kanna route will get happy ending, sou route is bad ending." I think thats stupid. B*tch, he keep reusing his old art here and there. You can check for yourself. Joe and midori has same hand based on the cg? He's just reusing the hand art. The arm in 3b and 1-1 is the same arm he reuse. Sou and kanna 2-2 ending basically use the same sou drawing, he just changed it a bit. Sara in 2-2 kanna ending use the same cg as when keiji try to calm her in front of computer, he just changed the face. Midori and sara on the 3b game screen cg basically use the same cg in the 3b content, but changed a bit. So i can think why need to create new cg when joe is still malicious as the hallucination in 2-2 sou ending? If i want to create something i will also reuse this to save my time.

So if you wanna really use this cg argument, then maybe you can consider why alice memory game got so many more cg than reko's? and how ranmaru gone insane has so many new sprite and pose with the hair like that. And why when dummy is dead they got cg's. Especially the ranmaru dying one, he got moving cg's and how it was put more effort into that. Then that means dummy dying is actually the canon route since when they alive they got no addtional cg? This is my assumption, but i think the devs just do as many cg as it takes depends on how impactful the scene he's working on, not because its canon, thats really a lazy take if he is actually unwilling to do extra route but still forcing himself to do it anyway. Imagine if dummy is dying but no cg, instead a message " ranmaru/mai/anzu died ". Do you think that will really give impact to you? This game clearly hinting that joe is going to be the spotlight of the game, even in 3b. So when sou set the real joe ai in kanna route for sara, the script is written for the real joe to genuinely react to sara. of course thats going to be heartwrenching since joe himself is the very important part of sara's life. When the script is made that way, lacking of cgs will hamper down the storytelling nankidai genuinely want to deliver. All i can say is it come from the heart of the author himself. If it is just only text for something as tearful as that moment and no cgs, it wont really touch the feeling isnt it? It is the same with alice memory game that tells about how alice "kill" midori. I'm not sure how many it is but atleast there is 3 cgs with one of them has variant. The story of how alice kill midori is also important and should have impact, thus the extra CG's. I can say its about being passionate and indulged in the storytelling.

I dont even know if joe will ever heal sara in sou route, but based on how the story still keep joe relevant til the end, then there must be something that need to happen between them in the end right? Nankidai even made sure that sara see the dog keychain in 3a if player probably choose to not ask gin about the dog keychain he's hiding in ch 2. Its also for relating ranmaru and joe. Having closure or conclusion with joe in the middle of game is still valid, and having a closure with joe at the end of the game is still valid. Imo, having closure with joe at the end of the game after all of those suffering involving him makes the better climax or impact for sara chara development since the game build up to highlight joe and mr. Policeman, it can be even better if all of it are to be pull together in the ending.

Even if the devs has route he prefer, he's not abandoning any route he less prefer, only if its true that he ever have a route he prefer. Plus you dont know which route he's prefer if any. He's taking his work seriously, it just some "fans" looking down on him, even to the point calling him biased, he's punishing the one who take another route, treating like he only use his career for egostatiscal reason (it somehow clearly mirrors that you are the one who egostatiscal to the point of wanting to find any excuse to punish other, you just using the devs name to validate your mindset). If he's dislike people who chose that route that much, then why create that route? If he know its tiring to make alternate route, then why still make the choice to let 3 dummy alive route at the end? It will make more work. I can only assume its out of passion, or just that he deep down wants the character to be alive atleast in a route ( idk if this is correct, i just read google translated version of his public fanbox that he's actually very reluctant at first when the time comes and "crying" so hard when he had to kill joe in chapter 1. So the part where he wants to spare some character is only my assumption ). By this punishing logic, shouldnt he not make alice die when you push reko ai to spare gin, and only do it to those who dont push the ai to save gin by killing real reko? I am more sure that the variants is to tell a different story or who to spare, and specifically for who sara actually was.

Happy endings? I'm not sure. I've expected that once from story with a lot of deaths, wishing for atleast the protagonists alive. Anime or story with a lot of death is definitely my jam, but from what i see, most of them has bittersweet ending, it depends on how the author wants it to be. Some author dont mind killing them all till the end, and some author just easily kill them all because they plan to revive them later. And everyone sense is different. Some japanese people sense in storytelling is a bit different imo. As the one being the audience, happy endings is the most common wish the audience wants. But its all up to the sense of the author. This is why i'm annoyed with some kids from overseas who rarely watch or play many things that involves a lot of death from japan suddenly says that this "one happy ending, this one bad ending! Everyone will survive in this route, everyone dead in this route"

Just play any route you like, nothing wrong with that. Whats wrong is to start this war of ridiculing others or have that irritating attitude towards those who play their own first route and start bad mouthing or desperately throwing bad assumption that one route will end very bad just for the sake of feeling better for your choice and to scare others.You do know that when you read a book, you'll only know if the overall story is good or bad until you know the ending right? The ending will conclude everything that happened. What happening in the fandom is now like, you only read 3/4 of the book and already expecting that this one will have good ending and bad ending. What if its not about the binary, but for the difference in direction? Its not that bad if the story of the book is kinda predictable, but with how plot twists become the main part of yttd's charm, its getting more difficult to predict how it will end. There's a lot of story which was masterpiece in every part as seen by fans, until the ending hits. Its what the author wants, but its not what the fans wants.

If you pick fights with others, even passively, the consequence is all on you. Good luck taking care of your mess.

Thats why i'm reluctant to publish any theory because the fandom will always use it as an excuse to pick fights with other and say " i'm more right bcs i got this proof" . U see in my caption i dont want any of those harasser to even digest my theory. If you are one of them get out of my blog.

[k-i-ssmyash]

Pls I would love to hear your analysis on why those mitski songs fit each iz boy (feel free to ignore this but if you'd like do tell bcs I think it is interesting B) )

Oh buddy you've made a mistake. You'd love to hear the analysis? Well I love to talk; I hope your ready for the absolute word vomit and rambling that's under the cut. But yeah, no, i'll never turn down asks like this! Interact with me! I'm but a simple, lonely tumblr hermit.

Let's start off with the first post containing Zim and referencing A Pearl. I tie this song in with his (fandom assumed) character development and how it effects both his mental state, Dib, and his ideology of the Irken Empire as a whole. In a way, I think a lot of us over-sympathize or find common ground with our alien and it prompts us to victimize him and excuse a lot of his actions. And for good reasons honestly? It's easy to do so consider that he was born under the rule of a tyrannical society where flaws are looked down upon. He does wrong but to him it's not exactly wrong, is it? It's unfair to judge him and scrutinize him the same way we do humans. The show is slap-stick at it's core and despite the grim and black-humor based undertones, not much is taken seriously. Although it often ends up in failure, everything he attempts to do is to better the empire, to receive recognition from the beings they hail to about the same degree as a deity. The long and short of it is that he wants to make the Tallest happy. To prove that he's worth their time and that he can live up to everything he dreamed he could be, but the truth is that he can't. He loves the people that hate him the most. It's an abusive relationship at it's finest, really. So he picks up the most unhealthy coping mechanism: Denial. He can't accept the fact that he's a fake invader, or that his Tallest weren't coming to Earth, because it would genuinely destroy him. And why wouldn't it? Pleasing his superiors and contributing to the hive-collective is encoded in him. It's all he's ever known. I specifically chose the given lines "(It's just that) I fell in love with a war and nobody told me it ended-" because that's the back-bone of Zim's character. You can take it both literally and metaphorically if you'd like. He's invader Zim. He likes being an invader because it gives him a purpose. The Tallest give him a fake mission and play into his delusion of doing good and being someone important (of being loved, even) and never truly hammer in the fact that he's exiled--not counting the unaired episode or the bit of commentary mumbled under the Tallests breath-- because they find the situation funny to an extent. (also, what gets me just in general with it is that Zim thinks that people like him but he's actually just one big joke and ow goddamn it my feelings) Main lyric(s) out of the way there I similarly associate the song to Zim's uh 'character redemption' so to say. I think he'd struggle to become accustomed to Earth and the fact that he doesn't have to rely on commands to live his life. I relate the line(s): "You're getting tired of me (and all of the things I don't talk about) / You love me so hard and I still can't sleep / It's not that I don't want you / It's not that I don't want your touch / There's a hole that you fill" With his relationship with Dib-- platonic, romantic, whatever-- and the general give and take of it all. He'd like to assimilate and believe in the freedom given by living on Earth. He wants it and in a way Dib provides the stability he needs there and it would be so, so, easy to give in to it. But he can't because the Empire continues to loom over him and his day-to-day life. As it's been proven, without Dib there to provoke Zim, the little alien falls into a depression, not unlike the one he fell into in Enter The Florpus when he saw the truth in his mission. Dib is his substitute, essentially. (there's something to be said with that relationship and how I view it but this is already dragging on and this is only the first analysis, so maybe another time.) And lastly, I'd like to think that the Pearl the song is eluding to can be compared to Zim's PAK. The whole 'Pearls are parasites that live inside of mollusks' bit can relate to the PAK and it's purpose. But I see it more in the sense that the PAK is the second brain, a computer memory drive that grants Zim access to the memories he can't bring himself to forget or delete. I.e., "And it left a pearl in my hand / And i roll it around every night just to watch it glow /

Every night, baby, that's where I go" Every time he takes a step forward, he takes two back because he just can't let go of what he knows (the Empire).

--- As for Dib and I Bet On Losing Dogs, well, it's a little more complicated and I'm still not entirely sure of my break-down here because there's so many layers to apply. Originally when I started messing around with this idea, it was going to be centered on Membrane "My baby, you're my baby, say it to me" and him loving Dib despite his flaws. And I still think it could apply. While Dadbrane doesn't support Dib's paranormal bull-shit, and he shouldn't considering the lengths Dib goes through to prove it (bus hoping, obsessive behavior, the fucking trench-coat) he does support and love his son despite the absentness. Hence the "I bet on losing dogs" and you know, Dadbrane just being there to pick him up and have his back when he really needs to. But then we get to the last line of the first verse. "Tell your baby that I'm your baby" To which Dib, in all of his edgy glory, decided to stick his big-head in to my thought process. I saw it as Dib wishing that Membrane would pick him over Science. Kind of a plea for attention? Like: Put your work away, I know you love it but you need to love me more. Dib has got to have the biggest hero-complex out of everyone in the show. He also has an inferiority-complex that compels him to try and prove himself. Quite frankly, and pun fully intended, he is the underdog. The odds are always against him and he almost never comes out victorious in the end, in that way, I feel like Dib himself is the loosing dog. His belief in the supernatural is the loosing dog. No one will ever believe him, "I bet on losing dogs / I know they're losing and I'll pay for my place" but he's too stubborn to give up. Even if he's mocked and ridiculed he would never stop trying to prove himself correct and would continue to stick to his guns. "I'll be there on their side / I'm losing by their side" He ostracizes himself from his peers by not letting belief go. He is purposely sabotaging his chance of being seen as someone other than the crazy kid.

That being said, the next line is where his Hero-complex comes back into play. "Where I'll be looking in their eyes when they're down" in Enter the Florpus, his sworn enemy was in a funk that he knew all too well. Sure, in the end he wanted to use Zim for his own gain, but before that he sympathized with him. And in a way, he possibly wouldn't know how to act if he ever did actually succeed? I couldn't help but think that Dib, who has always lost wouldn't feel like exposing Zim would be a win? He'd miss the fight. Dib would miss the struggle of being beaten down only to rise up when he finally gets some sort of substantial evidence: "I wanna feel it / I bet on losing dogs" he hopes that Zim will come up with something big and bad not because he wants him to win either, but because then Dib has something to fight against. Along with that, the one time Dib actually broke away from paranormal to go along with his father's wishes he was absolutely miserable. He was successful. He made his father happy, he could have made something out of his life but he couldn't; the appeal of Zim and their on-going stalemate was too much to resist-- "I always want you when I'm finally fine / Someone to watch me die" -- Dib is ruining himself by obsessing over the truth and Zim would be going down, right there with him. ahaha, that was a lot wasn't it? It probably didn't make sense either as it's just my personal rambling here, but I'd be interested to hear your thoughts and opinions on it all.

[van-dyne]

I find that playboy line funny bc like... aren't tony and pepper the only mcu couple that has been in a long term committed relationship? and beyond the thing with maya (which happened in a flashback), tony hasn't had any other love interests? that line would have been relevant, what, in the first 20 minutes of iron man 1? (not trying to bring up discourse or hate or anything, I just find it interesting lol)

That playboy line follows him like a shadow when it’s not even an accurate reflection of who he is, it’s one of those things when it gets stuck in the default setting of people’s mind that Tony Stark is a ‘playboy’, and it takes them effort to remember that he is not. The fact is that he’s been everything BUT a playboy in the last ten years, and seriously you can’t name one more committed, loyal and romantic man in mcu than Tony Stark, but some people would simply let that vague idea of who he is stay, based on a quippy one liner from a movie that was seven years ago (also ignoring the context of that one liner), than to let themselves see and realise that a character has changed and developed …. It’s sadly poetic he had said it himself in a deleted scene of Iron Man, when he was confessing to the two girls he was with in Dubai that he was actually not entirely comfortable with it, and proceed to say “You know how easy to get a reputation and how hard to lose it, and I’m not playing victim, I’m not complaining, it’s just something that occurred over time..”

He was the one who played up that ‘Genius, billionaire, playboy, philanthropist’ persona after all, so of course he knew the price, that it was inevitable some people wouldn’t see through it and took everything he presented at face value. And part of him found ease in slipping behind that mask, because then people wouldn’t know he’s scared, vulnerable and insecure, and they couldn’t be disappointed with him when he offered nothing more for them to expect. In IM 2 he embraced the persona fully and acted his most obnoxious self to annoy everyone around him and push them away, because he didn’t want to admit to his friends that he was scared, that he didn’t want to die; because (an irrational) part of him was scared that even if he opened up to them they wouldn’t care, so he opted to toughen up and push them away first and avoid getting hurt later. The similar train of thoughts was happening In Avengers when he used the mask as his defensive mechanism, and it was what gave birth to that infamous one liner. He needed to act cool and nonchalant in front of all these new super people, because how could he possibly measure up to Captain America himself with his ‘laundry list of character defects.’ He was afraid of how they wouldn’t accept him as part of the team as previously Nat’s assessment of him had suggested, and judged him by his past as Steve had put it later ‘I’ve seen the footage, the only thing you really fight for is yourself.’ So at least acting like he was so self-absorbed and savvy that he didn’t care one bit of what others thought of him could protect him from letting the others know about his vulnerability and insecurity. 

The lovely thing is though, as movies progress, you see how this mask is slowly slipping away, when he said in IM3 ‘Now I’m a changed man’, he wasn’t just saying it, he really had changed. Being in a committed relationship with Pepper had helped him to realise that he could voice his fear and be vulnerable, as he found acceptance in her; being forced out of his comfort zone of three (3) friends and an AI, he developed an unlikely friendship with a kid, it opened up his guarded heart, he learned his capability to trust other people, reply on them, and that reaching out, asking for help, whether or not it was a sign of weakness, he had allowed himself it. Thus you start to see a more genuine and vulnerable Tony Stark in the presence of others way more often after IM3. In AoU he admit to the team of what he was scared of, he opened up to Fury about the vision he saw, the nightmare he dreaded. In Civil War, he opened up to Steve of his weaknesses, his flaws, and was practically begging him to stay, ‘I don’t wanna see you gone, we need you Cap’; to give him time (which tragically was what Steve didn’t have), so they can deal with the Accords together. He had allowed himself to be rejected, and still trying to reach out, ‘because it’s us.’ He cared a lot about the Avengers and he no longer tried to hide it behind the ‘Genius playboy devil may care’ facade, he may not be verbally spelling it out, but he let his fear, worries, guilt, sadness, be written all over his face. It’s peak Tony Stark being vulnerable and emotional and not bothered to hide, this side of him with all the emotional complexity is available for anyone who’s looking to see, and it’s amazing.

The relationship he developed with Peter took him to an unexplored area of emotions, it was the first time he felt strongly and personally responsible for someone else’s wellbeing. He may have learned to take better care of himself over the years, but having a kid who was already hundred times better than him and still looked up to him? It created a lot of internal conflicts in his mind. On one hand he wanted to provide the best he can for Peter (while not overstepping), the extremely thoughtful suit he built for him with an insane amount of web shooters combinations and a friendly sassy AI is one perfect example; on the other hand he was afraid that his involvement would ruin Peter’s life. His self doubt and guilt were stalling him from being open and emotional available for Peter, which, compare to the super suit, it was what Peter needed from him more. His relationship with his own father had not given him the confidence he needed when it came to something close to parenting, so he did what he always tended to do when he was feeling insecure, he put on the cool Tony StarkTM mask and tried to keep Peter at arm’s length by putting up a barrier (Happy) between them. He wasn’t mentally ready to take on the mentor/father figure role, but sentimentally, looking at all those things he did for Peter in silence, he was already caring and worrying about Peter like a parent would to their child. He just needed to learn to show it to Peter, drop the mask, be present, be vocal, because if Peter couldn’t feel it, love failed in communication and it wouldn’t be complete. And over the course of the Homecoming and IW, you really see how he had come to it, seeing how they squabbled and Peter was no longer looking up to him like he was an idol, but simply looking up to him for reassurance and comfort, it is so (tragically) beautiful and had everyone crying. 

Don’t ask me why I turn a simple line ‘Genius, billionaire, playboy, philanthropist’ into a character analysis, it just happened, but he’s come so far and I’m so proud of him and it just goes without saying how beautiful how complex his character is and people who still misunderstand him by default, they’re missing out. 

[toddsfall]

Let’s talk about Star Wars

SPOILERS SPOILERS SPOILERS (don’t say I didn’t warn you)

first off, the entire cast looked like a DELICIOUS SNACC PACK if you were attracted to any of them before and are wondering if they have somehow become more attractive the answer is yes. Yes they have. 

Rose is awesome, I love her (even though I have Thoughts about her storyline, more on that later) and if I see one more racist motherfucker on Twitter try to bend themselves over backwards trying to justify calling her ‘the worst character ever in SW’, ‘unattractive and fat’, ‘the worst part of the movie’ I am personally pulling the plug on the internet. Same goes for anyone trying to hate on Finn, y’all are really transparent and IT’S FUCKING GROSS. YOU RACIST ASSHOLES.

Hmm so anyway, I have a lot of thoughts and most of them will be rambly so come along this ride with me friends (I swear I’ll try to make clear & concise points)

Okay so I want to go right off the bat say that I have loved Star Wars since I was a wee babbie so I’m? going to? love it? always? so yeah, I know I’m biased (but honestly who isn’t? everyone reviewing the movie has their own biases attached to it sooo deal with it) 

The movie starts off with several action sequences which immediately pull us into the story, they got my heart racing from minute one and I was here for it. Also, I got goosebumps the minute I saw Leia/Carrie’s face and I stayed pretty emotional throughout the entirety of the movie. I think they gave her the respect she deserved, her legacy really shined through in every single one of her scenes (and her scenes were among the most memorable in the movie imo)

I loved how much the movie focused on characters. This was a story about people; 

how they can fuck up and fall off their pedestal (Luke); 

try their hardest and still fail someone (Leia and Han failed Ben, it’s sad but it’s true); 

how they can overcome their past and choose the light over and over (Rey was the main focus but Finn and Rose were definitely part of this theme as well); 

how they can feel completely abandoned and isolated and  become completely unhinged, unable to overcome their past and become completely bitter (Kylo Ren/Ben, listen I am not trying to sound like I approve of his actions but I really like how the movie delved into HOW people can become ‘the villain’ in a story, it was an unflinching take on how someone can have very legitimate reasons for becoming the way they am and it still in the end not justifying their actions at all. Idk, other people probably have a take different take on this but I for one found it kind of refreshing). 

This movie really delved into how heroes are people too, everyone fucks up. Everyone. Even the best among us. And we don’t all handle it so well (aka Luke completely abandoning everyone he’s ever loved to die, you could argue that was a pretty egocentric move and maybe that seems out of character - ask yourself if you’ll be the same person you’re now in 30 years now, especially if the current political climate keeps matching the pretty horrifying ones in sw- but it shows how disillusioned he’d become). 

However, in the end it felt to me like hope was still there. All these people, who have lost so much and who have fucked up in various ways (Finn wanting to abandon the rebellion, Poe leading them into a defeat, Leia failing her son, Rey possibly considering joining Kylo?/the darkness, Luke see above) still choose to stand up for what’s right. I know people thought the ending was a bit too cheesy (and I will come back to how choosing this ending will probably end up costing them later) but I loved it. I don’t know about you guys, but movies don’t always have to choose the dark route to end up good for me? Like, sometimes I just want to be entertained and escape into another world where it’s possible for heroes to be flawed but ultimately still good? maybe just me though.

So that’s what I loved most about the movie. Some of my fave scenes: (and I’m sure I’m forgetting some?)

I loved Kylo and Rey’s scenes (because heyyy they have similar experiences and yet are polar opposites, their dynamic has really grown on me! I don’t want them to end up together romantically but their climax will probably be the most interesting villain/hero confrontation in a while - that’s just my opinion thooo-) the scene in the rain, the hand touching and the fight in Snoke’s room were so emotionally charged I liveee

As I said, I loved Leia’s scenes (especially with Poe, god I wish we’d get more of that dynamic but :((( ) the scene with Luke at the end, not gonna lie that one got to me (I mean, it was going to be emotional bc of Carrie anyway but the weight of those last scenes, honest to god chills)

the scene where Admiral Holdo flies into the command ship was fucking MAGNIFICENT seriously, the silence? the visuals? fuck.

I want to go into a really detailed analysis of how the use of old motifs and themes from previous movies in the score carried a lot of the emotional weight forward, but I’d have to watch/listen to the movie again to fully carry that out with the respect it deserves so maybe another time. Just mentioning it because it’s still one of my favorite star wars things (and I know it’s said so many times before but you know what? the music is so good, it should still be mentioned in every single review. don’t do john williams dirty like this) it’s very subtle at times, but I swear I heard some of Darth Vader’s iconic march come through in Luke’s score in this movie? very interesting!! pls let me geek out over music internet I’m begging you

I already mentioned Snoke’s throne room but the moment you see Kylo deciding to kill him is glorious too (props to Adam Driver, seriously you can hate Kylo and I totally understand but attacking the actor - especially when it’s based on his looks, which most of you are wrong about jsyk I don’t make the rules, it’s just science his eyes look like a baby deer?? - is so unnecessary please don’t stoop to the level of those dudebros on twitter attacking rose? like, Kylo has enough bad deeds on his resumé it’s okay you can attack him for that, you don’t need to drag his looks into it so annyyywaay sorry for that tangent it just irks me)

BB8 being the reason while basically any of the resistance is still alive is so fucking funny I’m sorry if you hate it I love my dumb orange cat robot (the reunion with Poe? cleansed my entire soul)

Finn towering over Phasma and spitting out ‘rebel scum’ is Good and should not be forgotten also, speaking of good acting? the way John conveys the inner conflict Finn is going through so subtly is probably going to go unnoticed BUT IT IS GOOD AND I’M GOING TO SHOUT AT Y’ALL ABOUT HOW MUCH HE 5AND DAISY° HAVE GROWN TILL YOU GET IT THROUGH YOUR SKULLS

if we’re talking about Iconique scenes, the man licking the ground and saying ‘Salt’ was fucakfmlkdj so funny I can’t explain how fucking funny that was 

I’m not going to dwell too much on what I didn’t like because I believe there is such a thing as analyzing something to death and I don’t want to do that (besides, it’s really not hard to find criticism for this movie. People really out there comparing it to the Phantom Menace? Lies. Y’all really hate this movie huh? Too bad, I was thoroughly entertained and I loved it  ¯\_(ツ)_/¯)

I feel like most of my problems with the movie could have been solved with some changes to the plot. The critiques I agree with are

 the pacing was weird (how long was Rey on that island? it didn’t seem to be that much longer than the entire plot and subplots of the rebels trying to escape the ship, but that was at most like 20 hours sooo) 

the plot was pretty straightforward: conflict-resolution, conflict-resolution, conflict-resolution. I would have liked to have seen this shaken up a bit. The movie could still have focused on characters with higher stakes, more unresolved issues, messier plots. It was a bit too neat. I saw most of the ‘twists’ coming (e.g. kylo killing snoke, boy they really layed it on thick there) except for: leia charging in and shooting poe (heyoo that’s cinema baby), luke actually still being on the island (and something else but I’m completely blanking rn!)

 I think that’s why people don’t like the ending, it’s too neatly wrapped up in a bow (ignoring the fact that there are like 10 rebels left now? that’s seems like uuuh a problem) And while I like it from an emotional resolution point of view, I think the the movie could have done with more tension at the end. More tension, to keep you on the edge of your seat, wanting to immediately see the next movie. that was its biggest flaw imo

and finally - fair warning: I’m conflicted about this- Rose and Finn’s plot. Hooo boy, okay. So, I wanna say that I love them as characters but.. I don’t really want them to get together? idk remove all forced romance from your plot, writers. It will really help unclutter your stories I swear. (that said, I wouldn’t mind them in a relationship as long as it’s not to create tension with rey? or like any love triangle at all. Please leave that garbage at the door). Aside from that, I know people think their plot was the worst of the movie and I don’t think that. However, I think they could have done more with it. Shown more conflict! let Finn be the spark (and he is!! fight me!!) but also conflicted about joining the rebellion. Let Rose be completely torn up about her sister and let her be bitter dammit! They could have used more obstacles, their plot seemed mostly resolved by a deus ex machina (aside from Finn fighting Phasma - who I’m kind of wishing he didn’t kill cause I can sense she has sooo much more in her, honestly Hux is 100 times more boring, you have gwendoline RIGHT THERE FUCKERS USE HER) I didn’t mind the exposition of the filthy rich people planet (YESSS EAT THE RICH STAR WARS PLS SHIT ON THEM AS MUCH AS YOU CAN) but it just lacked.. spark. I hope their plot turns out to be important for the next movie, otherwise it was sadly something that could have been much greater (and it’s really uncomfortable to introduce two main poc characters and then basically have them contribute nothing to the main plot, hmm okay star wars I’m watching you)

I can’t/don’t have the energy to address everyone’s issues, but mostly I don’t agree with people being mad about characters (I think it’s clear I like the direction they’ve taken with most of them), the humour is a bit disneyfied but I really didn’t mind (it’s clear as day some of those cutesy aliens were in there for the money, money, money but like.. it be like that sometimes), I honestly don’t care about Snoke so I wasn’t disappointed his backstory was not a part of this, Rey NOT being a part of the great history before her is important to me (can’t believe I didn’t mention it with my favorite scenes, really regretting that salt guy now) even if they try to backpedal on it later that moment was beautiful in the movie (my space daughter isn’t important in the grand scheme of things but she so iiiiiis!!). All in all, I really liked it. It’s not my favorite movie (not even my favorite star wars movie) but it was damn entertaining! Here’s to hoping that the next movie will be the opposite of this very tight, contained movie. Give me the intergalactic class revolution I deserve (seriously, I hope that’s what Rose and Finn’s adventure was planting? might be idle hope, and I’m trying to keep my expectations low but it would be pretty cool right?)

[mullingarssweetheart]

Steve Harrington Analysis

Or, in other words, all the little under-appreciated and overlooked things that Steve did that prove he’s already a better person than the “rich, popular, playboy” stereotype makes him out to be even before his redemption arc (plus those aspects, too).

Note: This in no way is meant to drag down any other characters (except for Tommy and Carol they can choke but I’m pretty sure we’re all in agreement on that). I love Jonathan so so much and if anything said about him in here sounds offensive, it was not my intention. He, like Steve, is still growing and maturing so they’re both bound to make mistakes along the way (which they both have). This analysis is just to simply highlight some of Steve’s moments that show he isn’t just a one-dimensional character since some people in this fandom dislike him and only focus on his negatives. Ok, anyway, here we go... 

1x01 - In the bathroom after Nancy says no to Steve’s idea of coming over to her house to make out study later, he stops her and frantically, and almost nervously, suggests doing something else instead, such as just simply hanging out in his car. This moment stood out to me when I first watched this scene because it’s the first time we kind of notice that he is genuinely interested in her, more so than just sex or to “get another notch on his belt” as Nancy put it. The tone in his voice to me sounds like he’s apprehensive because he wants her to say yes, not primarily for sex, but just so he can see her again. His crush on her is growing which is why he offers to help her study, regardless if his intentions were just sexual at first. Also, when Nancy shoots his suggestion down again and starts to leave the bathroom, he doesn’t stop her or say something mean just because she said no to him like some guys would. He’s obviously disappointed but he just kinda accepts it and doesn’t push her again.

- In Nancy’s bedroom when Steve first tapped on her window. Let’s take a minute to talk about Steve’s fucking adorable ass face when she opens the window and he’s smiling up at her. Oh God that boy looks so happy and proud of himself for climbing up to her window he’s so cute. Anyway, when Nancy reminds him that she said no on the phone, he says he figured they’d just study at her place and amidst tripping climbing through the window says, “I can’t have you failing this test”. Again, he could’ve just been wanting to fool around, but I think there’s still that hint of sincerity in his voice about caring enough to actually help her.

- Steve actually following through and helping her study like a good boyfriend.

- When Nancy pushes him off when they’re laying down on the bed making out and asks if he was just using her to get another notch on his belt, he says “No, Nancy, no.” He sounds incredibly insistent that that’s not the case at all and determined to make her understand because he knows she’s different than Laurie or Amy or Becky and I think that’s one of the reasons why he likes her in the first place.

- “You’re an idiot, Steve Harrington”. “You are beautiful, Nancy Wheeler.” First of all, ICONIC. Second, he says it so seriously I love it so much. He’s not saying it in hopes of changing her mind, he’s just saying it because it’s true. It almost seems like he blurts it out because he didn’t know what else to say but also just felt like he had to tell her or he would explode. Third, the way Nancy looks at him sent me to my grave kiddos. She looked so happy and bashful like she can’t believe this gorgeous, popular boy likes her of all people, but guess what Nance, HE DOES! SO! MUCH!

-Nancy continues to make heart eyes at him and he sits back up and resumes quizzing her. He didn’t continue trying to press her or didn’t leave when he didn’t get what he wanted. Nancy continues to smile at him and I’m pretty sure she wasn’t actually paying attention to what his questions were, she was reminiscing on those moments and probably had major butterflies. (((Fun fact: this was when I started shipping them bc I was so happy that he just kept on quizzing her and didn’t get mad or keep pressuring her or anything like we all expected him to. I literally went, “Aw, that was cute. I ship it”)

1x02 - In the hallway at school when Steve is talking about having a party at his house that night, Tommy and Carol are teasing and mocking Nancy for not understanding and being confused at first. When Tommy mocks her by repeating “It’s Tuesday” in an irritating voice, Steve hits him on the chest and looks annoyed as if he wants to say “knock it off” before trying to reassure Nancy that it’ll be lowkey and not overwhelming and ease her into the idea.

- When Steve invites Nancy to the party at his place, he looks to Barb as well when asking if they’re in. It’s small but it’s nice that he doesn’t completely ignore her since she’s not a popular girl and knows she’s Nancy’s friend.

- When the gang are watching Jonathan put up posters for Will, Tommy comments “How much you wanna bet he killed him?” Steve again hits him and says “Shut up,” and looks disgusted that he’d even say that since it was extremely inappropriate to say in the situation. Steve calls him out on it instead of agreeing with him or just letting him say it and looks like he’s thinking “You’re stupid. Don’t be an asshole, man”.

- When Barb cuts her hand at the party and asks Steve where the bathroom is, he immediately jumps up and gives her directions. He watches after her into the house to make sure she’s alright and finds it ok which shows he actually does care about other people, just like Nancy (and unlike Carol and Tommy who just think Barb’s injury is cool rather than actually being concerned for her), he just doesn’t show it and covers it up all the time to maintain his reputation.

- After the pool, Steve rubs Nancy’s arm and asks if she’s alright and saying he’ll get her some dry clothes. Again, CARING!!!

- When Steve hands her the pair of clothes he just stands there smiling and looking at her like he’s not sure what to do. When Nancy asks him for some privacy he shakes out of his moment and is like “Oh, yeah, right, sorry.” It’s awkward yet adorable and he doesn’t pressure her into letting him stay or saying anything fuckboy-ish like “you’re not gonna let me watch? ;)”

- When Nancy takes off her shirt, Steve genuinely looks surprised and shocked. I don’t think he had a plan to get laid that night or expected them to do anything more than makeout if she wasn’t ready, so he’s sincerely surprised when it happens, and clearly in awe when he just stares at her and says “damn”.

1x03 - During their first time, Steve asks “Hey, what’s the matter?” when Nancy pauses and looks distracted like she has this weird feeling that something isn’t right (BARB!!!) He senses her distress and stops to make sure she’s ok instead of just ignoring it and continuing only for HIS pleasure like some guys unfortunately would.

- “You’re so beautiful.”

- HAND!!! HOLDING!!!

- Steve doesn’t ditch her right after like we all assumed he would. At her locker, he notices her uneasy manner and asks if she’s ok. He assures her he didn’t tell anyone when she says she’s worried about it and he puts her at ease by telling her she isn’t being annoying or unreasonable with her paranoia and he instead finds it cute. He further reassures her he had a good time and the rest of that scene is just unbelievably adorable like Nancy’s face watching Steve leave after he chuckles and points to the butterflies on her locker PLS KILL ME

- During lunch when Nancy asks Tommy if he saw Barb leave the house and he says he has no idea who she’s talking about, Steve steps up and says “Come on, don’t be an ass, man. Did you see her leave last night or not?” When Carol and Tommy start mocking them with sex moans, Steve and Nancy both look so done I laugh every time lmao but Steve ultimately tries to comfort her and says that he’s sure she’s fine and is probably just skipping (not knowing that Barb isn’t the type of person to skip class).

- When Nancy, Steve, Tommy, and Carol are in the hallway waiting for the game to start, Steve is sitting against the lockers while Nancy stands and leans against them. Steve puts his hand on Nancy’s thigh in a kind of loving, leisurely touch like DID YALL FUCKIN SEE THAT BC I DIDNT THE FIRST TIME AND IT IS CUTE! AS! HECK!

- Also I feel like that gesture was a way to kind of silently say “sorry about my shitty, annoying friends, they’re all I’ve got” but idk I just love it so much

- When Nancy begins to walk away to try and look for Barb bc she’s too distracted by her disappearance and makes an excuse about how her mom needs her, Steve practically trips over himself to get up and ask what she means. Idk it was cute like he clearly didn’t want her to leave. And when he watches her walking away I can just picture himself wracking his brain trying to think of everything he’s done that could possibly lead to her up and leaving like that when really it barely had anything to do with him at all.

1x05 - Steve goes over to Nancy’s house and apologizes for acting like a dick and worrying about what his parents would think more than Barb’s disappearance. He knows how he behaved was wrong and apologizes for it. That’s one of the things I love about Steve’s character. I believe people do bad things but it’s how they handle the aftermath of it that determines whether they’re good or not. If you can’t realize that you made a mistake then you’re an asshole and don’t have your morals sorted. But admitting you chose wrong and even apologizing for it and making things right, which Steve did, shows more about your character and how good and in the right place your heart is. With all the bad things Steve did, he realized they were wrong and apologized and made up for all of them. That’s what truly matters to me.

-Steve says it doesn’t matter that he got in trouble with his parents and gets down to the important business: Barb. He asks if there’s any news on her which shows he realizes he was wrong to not be as initially concerned about her whereabouts. Despite the uncomfortable fact that there’s a missing person in general, it happens to be his girlfriend’s best friend. He knows Nancy cares deeply about Barb and if Nancy cares, Steve cares.

- Along with his apology, Steve suggests going to see a movie with Nancy to take her mind off Barb and everything for a while. He knows how worried and stressed she’s been lately and wants to try and cheer her up a bit and distract her for a while so she can have a break. It’s a sweet and thoughtful gesture and he understands and doesn’t get mad when she says no. He leaves on a light note to show it’s not too big a deal and he’s not too upset knowing she needs to focus on her family and Barb right now.

1x06 - Steve is in the car with Tommy and Carol on the way to Nancy’s house. Steve insists there’s something wrong and that her acting weird isn’t because she doesn’t want to talk to him. He can’t let it go to the point where he drags his shitty ass friends all the way out to her house just to check on her. Don’t tell me this boy doesn’t care about her.

- When Carol says, “So what? You’re worried about her?” Steve hesitantly says “what?” acting like he didn’t hear her but she isn’t fooled. Steve doesn’t want them to know he actually does care I think bc he’s scared of being vulnerable and putting yourself out there and admitting your feelings for someone can be scary, even if it’s to your friends. Carol and Tommy then begin to mock Steve and being like “Stevie’s in looOoOove” to which Steve shouts back “Shut up!” Remember in middle school when your friends would be like “ooOOoOoo you like them, don’t you? ;)))” and you’d get all defensive and be like “omg stop I do nooot” even though you did? This is the high school version. With this whole scene though, it also makes me think that Steve has never been in love before and maybe never even had a serious girlfriend and just kinda hooked up with the other girls based on the way Tommy and Carol are giving him such a hard time about it and saying things like “Steve has a heart, who knew?” Steve’s outburst also could be foreshadowing into Steve realizing how annoying and horrible his friends are and he’s beginning to realize it during the car ride like fucking finally boy what took you so long ugh ok anyway NEXT.

-  This isn’t really a point but Steve’s face at the window watching Nancy and Jonathan :((( he looks so sad I just wanna tell him “baby it’s not what it looks like I swear”.

- Also, I’m about 99% if Tommy and Carol hadn’t come with, the movie theatre incident wouldn’t have happened because they were the ones who did it. I’m not excusing Steve’s actions in any way because he certainly didn’t stop them and watched it happen, but I think it’s worth noting that he didn’t do it himself and he probably didn’t come up with the idea given Tommy and Carol’s personalities. Even though he didn’t do it directly, he was still overcome with anger, hurt, and betrayal to really care and those emotions were blocking his morality. He soon realized his mistake and began to make up for it, but more on that later.

1x07 - When Steve dumps his asshole friends, AKA the beginning of his development. I love everything about this scene. “Carol, for once in your life shut your damn mouth”. Honestly, ICONIC. “You’re both assholes, that’s my problem.” ANOTHER ONE. BOOM. Steve tells Tommy he shouldn’t have done that which is another indication that it wasn’t his idea to do the spray paint. “I should’ve put that spray paint right down your throat”. YES STEVE! TAKIN OUT THE TRASH! He’s on a roll honestly. “Neither of you ever cared about her. You never even liked her. Because she’s not miserable like you two. She actually cares about other people.” YOU TELL EM BABE! Claps for my boy for choosing to walk away instead of getting into another fight and causing more trouble though. That, plus choosing to stand up for what’s right and letting go of friends you’ve had for years is really tough to do and takes lots of courage. It adds to Steve’s strength and development as a person and shows his ability to change and be better and the writers decision to have him go in that direction.

- Steve goes back to the movie theatre and helps clean up the graffiti. It’s his next step in making amends and erasing any physical evidence of any wrongdoings is a good place to start.

1x08 - The most iconic episode, let’s be real. Steve goes to Jonathan’s house to apologize for the things he said and for getting into a fight with him. Keep in mind, Steve doesn’t know for sure whether or not Nancy was truly cheating on him with Jonathan when he decides to do this. Yes, she told him it wasn’t what it looked like, but for all Steve knows she could’ve just been lying to save/defend herself like most people do when caught in a bad situation. Her not being able to explain what really happened didn’t help at all either and only further confirmed Steve’s suspicions. Anyway, Steve goes to Jonathan’s house first BEFORE going to Nancy’s. I think this is partly because apologizing to Nancy and earning back her trust is going to take much more work and time than Jonathan, but the fact that he’s apologizing to him at all says a lot. It’s obvious why Steve would want to apologize to Nancy because he cares about her and has become emotionally attached to her, but the only connection he really has with Jonathan are pretty much all negative. A big part of redeeming yourself is apologizing to everyone, not just the people you care about. He’s taking responsibility for his actions and asking for forgiveness, something that old Steve wouldn’t really care about or try to do.

- When Nancy answers the door, he’s shocked but he doesn’t make things worse by being all “what the hell are you doing here??” because right now his main focus is just apologizing to Jonathan.

-When Nancy tells him to leave he ignores it bc he just needs to get this out and frantically says he isn’t trying to start anything and says he messed up. You can tell this is a new thing for him by the way he stutters and rushes through his sentences and stumbles over his words in order to get his point across that he just wants to make things right. It puts him in a vulnerable position which can feel scary and uncomfortable and it’s hard for most people to admit they were wrong, so it’s no surprise he struggles a bit, but it also shows a more human and multi-dimensional side to him.

-Amidst his rambling, Steve notices Nancy’s bandaged hand and stops MID SENTENCE to say in the softest voice ever “Hey, what happened to your hand?” Oh God I love the way he says it so much. He’s so concerned and just stops everything when he notices she’s bleeding. In a millisecond, his apology is shoved to the back of his mind and Nancy’s wellbeing is front and center. Idk I just love how quickly he changes his priorities in the context that they’re in. When Nancy snatches her hand back and says it’s nothing (because she can’t explain why she has it or why she’s the one who did it) he says “Wait a sec, did he do this to you?!?” His first instinct is that Jonathan hurt her. It’s a logical explanation since we have to remember Steve has been kept in the dark through all of this monster stuff and he has no idea what’s going on so it makes sense he would assume Jonathan did it since she is at his house after all. Steve barges into the house and won’t rest until he finds out how and why Nancy got hurt AND BOY IS HE IN FOR THE SHOCK OF HIS LIFE LMAO

Side note: Can we just talk about how fucking hilarious Steve is throughout this whole scene from here on out? I was literally laughing so hard the entire time this boy cracks me up. Honestly I relate like I’d probably be reacting the same way tbh (if I had the guts to actually stay, that is bc god knows I wouldn’t lmao). His “OHMYGODOHMYGODOHMYOGHJHGDJ” when jumping over the trap in the hallway gives me life I swear and his “JESUS JESUS WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT” IM CRYING. I just love how Nancy and Jonathan are all serious and focused and then there’s Steve freaking the fuck out, beyond confused, and shouting like a maniac God bless this boy and his comic relief.

- After round 1 with the monster, Nancy tells Steve he needs to leave because it’s going to come back. She’s doing it for his safety (like before when she says ”I’m doing this for you”). Steve all but trips out the door and fumbles for his keys and gets all the way to his car before he stops and notices that the lights are flickering symboling that the monster is back. 

Now. Kids. Just let this sink in. THIS BOY. STEVEN HARRINGTON. This boy right here just witnessed a fucking alien monster COME OUT OF THE DAMN WALL??? AND GOT CHASED AROUND THE HOUSE WITH IT??? AND HE GOES BACK IN THERE! TO FIGHT IT! FOR NANCY!!! WHAT THE HECK!!! Do you know how much you have to like someone in order to do that?!? That’s beyond like. THAT’S LOVE, BITCH! Y’all I have really good friends whom I love dearly and I still don’t think they’d be enough for me to do that for them (my best friend who I love with all my heart is still a maybe). It’s more than just Steve being brave and courageous here, it’s about how much the person(s) inside mean to him. And clearly, Nancy means a whoooole lot. You’re supposed to run away from dangerous situations like that when you’re going up against things that have a 99% chance of killing you, BUT NOT STEVE. NUH UH. HIS GIRL’S IN THERE, HE AIN’T LEAVIN. Steve had an easy way out, he was TOLD to leave, no one would’ve been mad that he actually left because he was threatened twice about it (once with a gun!), obviously not wanted there for fear of messing things up due to his lack of understanding, and was scared out of his mind... fleeing is a totally acceptable response. BUT HE DIDN’T! He risked his life to fight that thing without knowing a single thing about it or what it was or why it was there or what was actually happening. If that doesn’t scream caring and loving, I don’t know what does.

-Steve’s bat twirl needs it’s own bullet point bc FUCKING ICONIC! DAMN THAT WAS SO HOT AND SMOOTH I SCREAMED WHEN IT HAPPENED I WAS LIKE “OOO YES BOY GET IT” LMAO ok anyway

- In the end, Nancy chose to forgive Steve and they get back together. I think this is a smart choice, not just because I ship them but because most character tropes like Steve’s don’t get redemption arcs and the fact that Nancy is giving him a second chance shows how much she really does like him and isn’t just “faking” or pretending to be someone she’s not like Jonathan suggested. I wish we would’ve got to see them from the time between the fight and Christmas where s1 leaves off just to show how they truly are without Steve being influenced by his asshole friends and Nancy constantly worrying and being distracted by Barb and Will and everything going on. And also Steve’s hopeful friendship with Jonathan which leads me to my last point...

- Nancy and Steve buy Jonathan a new camera for Christmas. I know some people say Nancy bought it herself and Steve just knew about it when he asks her “Did you give it to him?” but I’m pretty sure Steve and her both bought it together and Nancy just happened to be the one to give it to him. Why would she buy him a new camera all by herself? She’s not the one who broke it. And Nancy herself says “it’s not really a present” meaning it’s more of a replacement for his old one which would most likely come from Steve since, again, he’s the one who broke it and owes it to him. It also further adds to his choice to make things right and make up for the mistake he made when breaking the camera. Better late than never!

- Also, NICE SWEATER, BABE. Lmao of course they’d have Steve wear an ugly Christmas sweater he’s so extra I love it. Really embracing the dad vibes that radiate from Joe lemme tell ya. But he looks so cute in it anyway so it doesn’t matter. And the final scene of them cuddled on the couch watching TV makes my heart all warm and fuzzy! It’s a simple and sweet moment but I love it so much!

In conclusion: Steve Harrington is just a dumb teenage boy who got in with the wrong crowd, has a shitty and unsupportive home life, and hasn’t matured yet. However, he isn’t a total lost cause as we can clearly see and has proven himself immensely. He’s taken brave steps into being a better person and has worked hard to break out of his negative, stereotypical reputation and I hope they continue Steve’s path to redemption in season 2 :)

This has been a PSA on the love of my life. FIN.