#romantic foil theory

[chompmon]

I need kana and aqua to talk or some shit broo it s a huge misunderstanding and its just hurting both of them for Nothingg 😭😭 im not blaming kana for how she s acting she s literally just a dumb teenager and she feels hurt and betrayed its FINE it just hurts my soul pls make up you two

[0rczy]

I really like analyzing Varigo, one thing I've noticed recently is how different their approach to romance (and human connections in general) really is, but also how they're pretty much the perfect foils in this regard.

Varian grew up sheltered away in their mansion. He didn't have much clue about socializing, so when Rapunzel came to him, he gives all of them proper respect (calling Rapunzel "Princess", Eugene "Flynn Rider", as in the full name). You could assume it's because of his dad; later when the two confronted each other, Varian called him "Sir". Probably because Quiring taught him to be respectful of others, and they both clearly take this social rule rather seriously.

So then Cassandra comes in and saves Varian, for apparently no selfish reasons. She likely just didn't want to have a child get crushed when she could've prevented it, but to Varian, this changes his view on people. Cassandra isn't just a distant figure to respect; instead, someone he could have a connection with. And this is where one of Varian's most essential traits come to light: when comfortable, he treats situations like an experiment. He immediately starts calling her by a nickname, "Cassie", to see how she would react. At the day of the expo, he keeps trying out different tactics, trying to essentially just get close to Cassandra. One could Interpret this romantically, but I personally like to think he just really wanted a friend. A lonely kid, seeing someone cool show any kind of affection for him immediately made him go "there could be something here! I need to find out!", and so he does. In his own, nerdy way.

Hugo, on the other hand. He, unlike Varian, grew up having to socialize all the time. Having to talk his way out of situations constantly, he learned to put up walls so that the most desirable results come out, benefiting him and his missions. When he weasels his way into the Team, he also calls them nicknames. In his case, it stems from a need to distance himself from people, so that he doesn't get attached. One slight exception though is Varian, as Hugo seemingly not only uses nicknames on him to keep up built-up walls, but to get a reaction out of him. This is very similar to how Varian approached Cassandra when he was younger. He's interested in Varian from early on, and he handles this in his good old Hugo fashion, because he finds Varian entertaining. Varian at first doesn't trust Hugo, but when he proves himself trustworthy, he gives in. He's willing to reach out, making Hugo more than a means to an end. Eventually, the two become friends! Then more than friends!

And then, their approaches change.

I'd like to think that it was Hugo, who fell first. Or at the very least, he's the first to realize it, and he HATES THIS. His flight or flight is activated, and he really wants to flee. He's the type to ignore his feelings, try to bury them. That's all he knows how to do, really. Especially because for what could be the first time in his life, he's actually falling for someone who is his friend. Someone who means a lot to him! He wouldn't want to ruin things, especially because he knows that betraying Variant will break the guy's heart, once he finds out. Therefore, the less pain, the better.

Varian is the exact opposite of this. It takes him a long time to figure out what he feels, and that it could be romantic (he didn't exactly have the history with romance before. The "puppy crush" on Cassandra could have easily been more of an obsession with the possibility of someone showing affection towards him). But once he realizes that there's a chance that the two could be a thing? He doesn't have to think hard about what his next step should be: he likes Hugo, and he's a scientist. Trial and error is practically in his blood at this point, so if there's even a small possibility of them getting together? That Hugo likes him back? Varian will do anything to find out how probable his theory is. And so, once again, he treats the situation like an experiment. Wasting no time, he tries to confess or bring up the idea as quickly as possible. And Hugo FREAKS OUT. He's not ready!

Varian's other big trait is his stubbornness. He's not satisfied with an uncertain answer. He wants to know Hugo's view on them, as clearly as possible. So he keeps poking around, trying to find an approach that brings out different reactions, different answers as to why Hugo would be scared of them being together. Again. Really similar to how he treated Cassandra at the expo back then. This is the only way he knows how, though. And he needs clear answers.

He gets one at the last trial. Boom. Heartbreak. This isn't about angst though, so I'll end it here.

I find them so interesting. How their upbringing influenced their view and approach to people, to friendship, to romance. To each other. They are both scientists, but one is more afraid of the results than the other.

So it all boils down to the importance of clear communication: another big theme in Vat7k, what with Ulla and Donella setting an example as what not to do.

I could ramble about these characters for ages, but yeah. This is my view on them, I loooove reading different Interpretations in fan fiction though!

[obsidianpen]

NG Hypothesis: I am strongly suspicious that Bellatrix is going to end up serving Harry, in some shape or form.

The justification behind this is fairly thin and circumstantial, as with all good conspiracy theories, but fundamentally hinges on the fact that 1) Bellatrix is Hermione's narrative parallel in NG, and 2) Voldemort has recently forced her to vow to treat Harry with respect and deference. In combination, I feel like the two are leading up to a shift in Bellatrix's existing relationship with Harry.

Bellatrix and Hermione being narrative parallels is easy enough to justify -- thanks to Harry's aura-sight, we can already confirm that the two witches share literally identical auras, something that no other pair of characters thus far share (not even the Weasley twins). They both serve as the right hands and functional generals to our main protagonists, are both highly respected women in male-dominated wartime spaces, and both are flawlessly loyal in defending their respective protagonist while still being willing to openly disagree about things they consider to be wrong decisions (Bellatrix's frequent and open critiques of Snape's loyalty are a good example of this). While in the original books Bellatrix's narrative foil is clearly intended to be Ginny, it is useful to understand that in reference to No Glory that role has been very clearly supplanted by Hermione (as the original romantic pairings of Harry/Ginny and Voldemort/Bellatrix do not apply, weakening the foil of Ginny to Bellatrix overall).

Voldemort's marking and then subsequent promotion of Hermione to his personal assistant is a continuation of one of the core themes of No Glory: "Keep your friends close, but your enemies closer." Voldemort clearly respects Hermione in ways that he certainly doesn't respect most others and treats her like a legitimate threat to his rule if left unsupervised (which, frankly, is valid). He holds an outsized quantity of animosity towards her, as shown by how badly he wanted her executed before Harry was able to bargain for the lives of her and Ron, but the secret of Harry's horcrux status has paradoxically promoted her to an almost confidant-tier by being one of only two people who know that Harry is Voldemort's last Horcrux and don't want him dead because of it (that club consisting exclusively of Hermione and Voldemort -- Harry, by contrast, is absolutely willing to commit suicide if it means taking Voldemort down with him).

This is a state-level secret, i.e. something that could absolutely topple the government if it even became widely speculated, let alone confirmed. The day that the Wizarding World learns that Harry is the last tether to life for the much-loathed domestic terrorist and now dictator Voldemort is probably one of the last days that Harry (and by consequence, Voldemort) have to live. No matter how much they hate each other, that secret is so powerful that Voldemort and Hermione become bound together by default simply because of their shared desire to not see the truth get out; it becomes a fundamental part of how Voldemort can trust having her in his service at all.

There is only one other secret that Voldemort is similarly desperate to supress, even if it might not lead to his explicit demise in exactly the same way: the secret of Ruination, and his rape (and near-murder) of Harry on the Malfoy Manor grounds during Ron and Hermione's wedding.

This is critical, specifically because his reign is extremely unstable currently, and also because Harry is an extremely beloved, teenage, public figure. In a country where Voldemort is desperate to keep up the charade of his own sanity (something which tends to wax and wane fairly regularly), there is no version of this that comes out even remotely well for him. The man who spends hours in the Wizengamot lecturing about the importance of improved rule of law cannot simultaneously be admitted to raping defenseless teenagers whenever he feels like it, much less teenagers that he himself had described as "merely [...] a victim" not even a month before. It destroys faith in both rule of law and Voldemort's stability, i.e. his ability to at least be a consistent leader even if he'll never be a moral one. Instability, by contrast, frequently discourages businesses, drives population exoduses, and generates political unrest, literally none of which Voldemort can afford right now. It wouldn't be as immediate a death as the reveal of the horcrux information, but that doesn't mean it wouldn't have the power to be deadly all the same.

Returning to the subject of Bellatrix, then, it is useful to remember that only three people currently have first-hand knowledge of what happened that night: Voldemort, Harry, and Bellatrix, who modified Ginny's memory. (Luna, naturally, knows everything due to Harry's confession to her, but did not experience it first-hand). If this pattern of secret-keeping feels familiar, it should: it's an exact parallel of the dynamic currently keeping Harry's status as a horcrux a secret. Going a level deeper, we may also recall what Voldemort said when he confirmed that Hermione knew about Harry's horcrux:

"She has known for some time, truthfully, though she did not accept it as a reality until very recently." - Voldemort to Harry, ch. 30: Violent Violet

It is never addressed what, if anything, Bellatrix believes the necessity of her altering Ginny Weasley's memory to be about. It would not be unreasonable for a suspicious Bellatrix (especially in the wake of her newest vows) to comb over her memories of prior orders Voldemort had given her regarding Harry and begin to put the pieces together. Much like Hermione, she is written as a very intelligent (if considerably less sane) woman. Once she begins asking more questions, it would not at all be shocking for her to end up in a similar position to the one Hermione did: knowing that something you consider to be horrible is true, but refusing to accept it as reality.

There are a number of different ways such a revelation could go, but the final piece of evidence supporting her eventually serving Harry comes from her most recent vows to him: that she will treat him henceforth with "respect and deference." This is, from a story perspective, basically the closest that Harry could ever get to putting his own version of a Dark Mark on someone. Powerful, binding magics driving someone to (at least nominal) servitude, with no way of removing or undoing them for the rest of the recipient's natural life. Much like Hermione, she may hate her new "master", but the eventual revelation of Ruination will likely drive them closer together just by being people who share the same damning secret.

Similarly to Voldemort's original outsized hatred (and murderous intent) for Hermione, I expect Harry's hatred of Bellatrix to also eventually cool one he stops allocating much of the rage that he truly feels towards Voldemort onto her. It's unlikely that she'd ever actively prefer him to Voldemort, but she may get upgraded from "an enemy Harry would murder in broad daylight with his bare hands" to "an enemy Harry can afford to keep close." When exactly such a shift would occur is obviously still unclear, but it's evident that deference and secret-sharing make for a promising start.

I so almost didn’t post this but it’s just too nicely written and thought out. Fucking detectives man

[bookhousestark]

"You are Arya of Winterfell, daughter of the north. You told me you could be strong. You have the wolf blood in you." — A Clash of Kings, Arya X

We’re incredibly happy to announce that from July 22nd to July 28th, we will be hosting ARYA STARK APPRECIATION WEEK! We’ll accept edits, metas, art, any other fan work or simply your favorite moments about Arya Stark in her book version to celebrate her character together 💚

Please, remember to use the tag #aryaweek2024 so we can find and reblog your posts. If you missed a day we’ll still accept your submission afterwards!

Here are the prompts:

Day 1: Favourite chapter | Book | Quote Day 2: Family | Her pack | Nymeria Day 3: Skills | Magic | Overlooked traits Day 4: House Stark | The North Day 5: Romantic Interests | Favourite outfits Day 6: Parallels and Foils with other characters | Historical/Mythological/Literary Parallels Day 7: Endgame theories | Foreshadowing

As you can see there are multiple prompts for each day. Please feel free to choose one to do, or a combination for each day! We look forward your creations!

[sherbertilluminated]

Last night I was talking with my friends @teefigotem and @calypsopond about the pacing of the musical Les Miserables. I think Les Mis' libretto is one of the best foundations for a musical out there, but the first act has so much more plot and more iconic songs than the second, and I worry that top-heavy structure diminishes the ultimate impact of the uprising in the second act.

Caly and Maddy agreed that the 2012 film adaption had the right idea when it swapped the positions of "Do you Hear the People Sing" and "One day More." Transplanting the former to the beginning of Act 2 maintains the balance of revolutionary fervor (and iconic songs) between the two acts, and a serves as a payoff to the tension at the end of Act 1. While "Upon these Stones/Building the Barricade" begins Act 2 in the current libretto, it's high on exposition and low on enthusiasm. Since "Do You Hear the People Sing" has become an international revolutionary anthem, making it the opening of the uprising, rather than the prelude to it, builds on *ahem* that connection.

Just picture it: the audience returns to their seats, the orchestra hums with tension, and the lights go up on a somber street with a single voice—Enjolras, probably—singing. Students emerge from the set, workers join in, the turntable starts turning and it becomes clear that soon a barricade will be built in the street. The subsequent Marius/Eponine conversation that transitions into "On my Own" would still probably work here. In the span of fifteen minutes, the thesis statement of the revolting students turns into the reveal of the final barricade. It'd be pretty damn rousing, right?

The potential problem with this change is the lacuna it would leave behind. In the current structure of Les Miserables, "Do you Hear the People Sing" is an elaboration on Enjolras' claim that "they will come when we call!" and going directly from that rallying cry to a quiet romantic interlude flattens the rhetorical tension between romantic love and revolution "Red and Black" and makes Mairus seem a little silly (which, to be fair, he is. But Enjolras is not.) Although "Do You Hear the People Sing" is a little too bombastic for Act 1, before the uprising actually begins, there's still got to be some kind of transition. Something needs to foreshadow the violence to come. But what?

I proposed that the best transition would be a reprise of Stars. And that Eponine should get to sing it.

Since the Broadway premiere of the musical Les Miserables in 1987 and especially following the 2012 film adaptation, Eponine's character has been a locus for fandom attention and discourse. Because she's really compelling: despite being the daughter of the selfish, abusive Thenardier, she devotes her life to protecting Marius and ultimately sacrifices it for him. But the closest she ever gets to being understood is by the audience; even Marius, one of two people in the show to be kind to her (the other being Valjean), doesn't really understand the full extent of her devotion to him. And that devotion is powerful, whether as a proxy for audience members' own experiences with unrequited love or a representation of the bourgeousie's reliance on unacknowleged suffering. There's a lot going on with her in the musical. But there's even more to her in the Brick.

Unlike my esteemed Les Mis mutuals I'm definitely not informed enough to do original analysis, but I'm a big fan of the Javert/Eponine wolfdog theory. My introduction to it was with this post by @pilferingapples, although I don't know whether it originated somewhere else. The theory posits that Javert and Eponine, who are both compared to wolfish dogs for their ferocity and devotion to their idiosyncratic systems of morality, are character foils who represent the limited choices offered to people excluded from. I definitely don't know the op who suggested they trade methods of death (if anyone does, please let me know!) but that's also in the Brick. And while the musical adaptation doesn't preserve Hugo's canine/lupine symbolism, it keeps Eponine's one-sided committment to guarding Marius. And it keeps Javert's devotion to the institution of Law.

"Stars" is the hymn of that devotion. It's more sinister than Eponine's love for Marius, but in the grand scheme of things it's just as pathetic. Giving a short reprise of that song to Eponine not only explicates that parallel and gives new life to relatively-unused musical motif, it has the potential to tie together the action of the first act and add a new dimension to subsequent scenes.

Imagine if, instead of beginning "Do You Hear the People Sing" immediately after "Red and Black" or transitioning directly to the Rue Plumet, the scene changes to the outside of the ABC cafe. On the other side of the turntable/wall, Eponine is waiting. And worrying. She knows her father's going to rob a house tonight and that the girl Marius asked her to find lives there*. She can't let her father hurt him. She's smarter than him. She'll do whatever it takes to keep him safe, she swears—not to God or the stars, as Javert does, but to herself. The promise is shocking, because the audience heard that melody two songs ago and are just now discovering there is another way to be. There is another vow that can be made.

While she's singing, the ABC society files out the door. Maybe some hand out pamphlets or chat with people on the street. If the production wants to emphasize Eponine and Gavroche secret sibling bond, maybe they interact a little. But no one pays her too much mind. No one ever does.

The last person to emerge is Marius, looking a bit shaken. The timeline of the students' plans has been unexpectedly accelerated, he says. In case it's his last chance—nevermind why, 'Ponine, don't worry about me—he needs to see her once. You've found her, haven't you? Could you show me? Please? For my sake?

Consumed by shame and dread and the sense that he'll probably do something really stupid if she doesn't tag along, she agrees. And the stage begins to turn into the Rue Plumet, where "In my Life" begins. The whole interaction would take maybe two minutes.

There are of course thematic objections to this plan. There's the argument that "Stars" ought to be a unique, distinct song like "Bring Him Home." But those motifs are reused in instrumental form after Javert's and the students' respective deaths, so I don't necessarily think they're scene- or character-specific. There's also the argument that the melody of "Stars" is altogether too rigid for Eponine's character. I think there are a couple moments that would work quite well with the emotion("and if they fall as Lucifer fell," for example) but if you really don't want Javert's and Eponine's motif to cross, the melody of "A Little Fall of Rain" ("and you/I will keep me/you safe") could work for this moment too.

There's also the argument that Eponine already gets "too much" attention in the musical adaptation and doesn't need. But I don't know if that's true either. She interacts with Marius in several short scenes, she's present for "A Heart Full of Love" and "One Day More," she goes on her errand to Valjean, sings "On my Own," goes back to the barricade and dies shortly after. She gets about as much stagetime as Cosette does, and a little less than Marius.

It's true that she stands out as a character, but that's because she's got such interesting writing and is so isolated in the narrative. And while it's important to keep her "on [her] own," for the plot, using shared motifs to emphasize her symbolic similarities with other characters might make her character fit more cohesively into Les Miserables' grander thematic narrative. It could even make "On my Own" that much more powerful if she has a little hope that saving Marius from her father might get him to like her, and subsequently understands that this is not happening. But there's a lot more to her than being Marius' rejected best friend** and this choice has the potential to make that clear onstage.

In conclusion: moving "Do You Hear the People Sing" to the start of Act 2 letting Eponine do a wolfdog reprise of "Stars" between "Red and Black" and "In my Life" would be sick as fuck and maybe resolve some pacing issues in the libretto.

*There is a moment in the show where she realizes that she and Cosette grew up together. I like it in concept but it's a little awkwardly-placed and integrating it into the unnamed Red and Black/In my Life transition song would be great. Overall, her interactions with Marius seem like afterthoughts in between the larger numbers, which isn't fair to either of them.

**And for the record: this not a post pitting her against Cosette! They are both good characters and I wish the best for both of them!

[acourtofthought]

Elriel’s that pray that Lucien dies or make jokes that red heads should be extinct because of Gwyn and Lucien are the funniest people ever😭😭 

I don’t even care. Ship your ship, but praying that Lucien or Gwyn dies is so funny to me.

Because we all know that it would killl both Elain and Azriel emotionally if Lucien or Gwyn die (assuming Gwyn is Azriel’s mate).

Soooo I don’t know how they expect both of them to be happy together after that.

That would be such a miserable relationship. Wouldn’t even want my worst enemy to read that.

You know why I love Eluciens and Gwynriels? Because they want happiness for all the characters and that means each character ending up with the best of the best. Lucien and Elain? Two of the main side characters of the series who have been around since book 1. Two main side characters who have been set up for big big things. Gwyn and Az? Two fan favorites! Two pairs and two possible mating bonds (with one confirmed) equals happiness for EVERYONE, not just Elain and Az. E/riels either want Lucien to die or end up with Vassa, a HUMAN queen who he doesn't share a bond with and someone who has never even expressed romantic interest in guys let alone a guy of an entirely different species. E/riels also don't care whether one of Nesta's best friend, a female who was responsible for helping her heal, ends up evil or dead. E/riels honestly do not care about anyone outside of Elain and Az and their theories make that obvious. Rhys is the bad guy, Gwyn is evil, Lucien is horrible. Every single character is a foil to Elain and Az's love story!!! I think they're going to be in for a shock when the next books are out though because Sarah loves all her characters. She's not going to ruin Nesta's friendship with Gwyn for E/riel. She's not going to destroy her own personal Jamie Frasier for E/riel. She's not going to make Rhys the bad guy for E/riel (especially when after SF she is on record as saying "Nesta thinks he's the worst but we know he's not, Rhys is the best."

[orbital-obvious]

The Batman (2022) thoughts [pt 2/?] FRIENDS AND FAMILY (w Spoilers)

Kinda squeezing opinion about Batman Allies (mainly Selina) and Bruce's family (which includes his parents and Alfred) into one post but we'll live.

Martha Wayne being a woman with mental health issues that had to have gone to several mental facilities felt like a revelation. I am kinda sad I didn't see more discussions about it in the tags. ESPECIALLY since a lot of her anguish stemmed from Trauma and being so close to the public eye. This is intensifies tenfold if if you relate it to theories like "Bruce is Autistic". Because, HELLO, Martha's family probably viewed her as "wrong" if she exhibited neurodivergent behavior and I keep thinking about possible parllels between her and her son and Thomas accepting her as she is and ahhhhhhh. MUCH TO THINK ABOUT.

Selina Kyle felt much more down to earth in this, which I was thankful for. She felt very... not REALISTIC, rather un-fantastical. She is not Catwoman YET, and is weirded out by costumed weirdo Batman and that made their interactions a lot more potent. The movie also did away with some Catwoman-isms I don't like, what my friend reffered to as "too sexy to be alive".

Actually, I felt as if the movie used wigs to have a visual representation of Selina going into a "role" - being sexy, looking innocent, etc etc, while her no-wig look came into play when she was more her real self - which is part of the movie theme of identity.

That is not to say that Selina wasn't MESMERIZING, btw. They gave her this sparkly/flakey eyeshadow that reflected the light so prettily and made her shine.

Selina red wig look was the best Selina wig look. Gosh, Kravitz made that plastic wig WORK. ALSO NARRATIVE IMPORTANCE. The movie heavily associates black-red with the Batman, so Selina wearing a red wig and black outfit is singling that she is working with the Batman.

no "Hello boys!" from Selina. Thank fuck. Also I kind of enjoyed a version of this character that is not overtly flirtatious. Her romantic moments felt kind of sweet, actually. (I'm going to think about Bruce going "Selina?" when the eyecam gets turned on forever)

So..... Selina and Anika (her "friend" that also worked in the club) were dating, right?

I greatly enjoyed this version of Alfred. It was a diversion from the usual interpretation but I think still managed to capture the character's essence. Alfred is Bruce's father (Bruce, keep your teenage-angst-at-30 for yourself, please) - and I enjoyed his prodding trying to get Bruce Wayne to function like a person in society (level: impossible)

There is more staff than just Alfred - Dory the housekeeper, who also seems like a person who was with the family before the Waynes murder. I don't know why, but I really liked this addition. Maybe becasue it allowed my next point, which is-

It's never was outright said, but I got the feeling like Alfred was the Waynes bodyguard, not butler. Which makes a lot more sense in this more "grounded" universe. It also explains why Alfred was so torn about their death and gives better reasoning as to why he felt it was his duty to protect young Bruce. It's not only Bruce the death is eating up, but also Alfred, and perhaps even more so (as Alfred said, Bruce was just a kid). HOWEVER, I think Alfred dealing with those intense emotions and still not spiraling to WHATEVER Bruce had going on makes him a good foil to Bruce and a better mentor/father figure.

I was legit scared they were gonna kill Alfred. Not only cause I LIKE Alfred, but because I could not even begin to fathom the abyss Bruce would have spiraled into.

Martha was an Arkham? Bruce have a connection to ARKHAM? that's a FAMILY? are they in charge of Arkham Asylum? Are any of them alive? I get that the point here was to be like "Bruce Wayne is the prince of Gotham" (as per Falcone- using Prince cause he's the king) but. Like. HUH?

Thomas Wayne was an idiot for consulting Falcone, and that is the best case senario of that predicament. Especially in a city like Gotham. But that's just the thing - Thomas panicked in how this could have affected Martha / Bruce (I fully believe Alfred when he said it wasn't about the campaign) and that made him act out stupid. It's humanizing.

While I think the death of the reporter was way beyond a reasonable reaction, what business does ANYONE have with Martha's mental health? Rhetorical question, of course. Falcone hinted it was a hit piece but tbh I think it was more like a scandalous "tea" and "drama" about a public figure. There is so much to say about the personal life of public personas, prejudice regarding mental health and especially mental health WITHIN the Batman stories. The movie really wasn't about that, but, you know, many thoughts.

[yanderes-galore]

Hi again! For pokemon, could you do a rivalry-ish situation, with an overprotective platonic Genesect with it's trainer, versus a romantic yandere Ghetsis, please? And reader is very wary of him, and doesn't trust him at all. Thank you!

I'll try my best, sure!

Overprotective! Genesect vs Yandere! Ghetsis

Pairing: Platonic (Genesect)/Romantic (Ghetsis)

Possible Trigger Warnings: Gender-Neutral Darling, Obsession, Overprotective behavior, Manipulation, Possessive behavior, Violence, Kidnapping, Threats of injury, Attempted murder, Isolation, Forced relationship/Dubious companionship.

Genesect was a Pokemon altered and created by Team Plasma.

As a result, it most likely hates humans/Team Plasma.

An idea of how this dynamic can go is this...

Genesect escapes the labs of Team Plasma and finds you.

You are a Pokemon Trainer who is collecting Gym Badges with your friends, so essentially a role similar to the Black & White protagonists.

You fight against Team Plasma whenever you can, which catches the eye of Ghetsis.

When Genesect meets you, it watches from the bushes for awhile.

It doesn't trust humans after what it went through... so it observes how you interact with your own Pokemon companions.

Eventually Genesect may jump out of hiding and attack you.

Despite your fear you prove yourself in battle, tossing a ball at the strange Pokemon by the end of it.

This is how Genesect becomes your Pokemon.

It takes time to get used to you, but upon seeing how your other Pokemon act around you... it feels comforted.

You aren't a bad human.

In fact, soon Genesect begins to rely on you and listens to you in battle.

You find the Pokemon interesting and may even assume its origin is Team Plasma related.

It's a Bug Type... but also oddly cybernetic.

It's unique... but you care for it all the same.

Now, Ghetsis originally saw you as a nuisance.

You keep foiling his plans like some sort of vigilante.

Although... his interest increases when he sees you with the escaped Genesect.

You've managed to tame the living weapon to work for you.

He grows intrigued by your bond yet also hates it... and now finds himself with a new obsession over you.

Ghetsis finds you... attractive and powerful due to your team.

With Genesect under your control he finds some admiration for you within him.

Yet you are very wary of the Team Plasma leader...

Genesect even shows aggression towards Team Plasma members, another factor adding to your theory on its origin.

You don't trust Ghetsis, he's too charismatic for his own good.

When he talks to you he's very manipulative, always tempting you to join him.

Why fight him? He can give you power if you join.

When you disagree or Genesect defends you... Ghetsis feels fury burning within him.

You always manage to slip through his grasp.

He has a feeling Genesect is helping you, too.

He can't get anywhere near you without the threat of being shot by Genesect's cannon.

Genesect has a feeling Ghetsis is trying to do something with you.

It fears that he may be trying to experiment on or hurt you... so it defends you with its life.

Ghetsis doesn't intend on harming you... when he has you, at least.

Until he gets you in his arms he doesn't care how much harm comes to you.

Due to how deranged Ghetsis can be... he could break a limb on you or knock you out cold until he gets what he wants.

But when he has you he'll isolate you away... treat your wounds... and keep you to himself.

When he has you in his grasp he'll even take control of Genesect.

After all, that Pokemon has caused enough damage anyways.

But if Genesect oversteps... well... Ghetsis could always just have it killed.

After all... such a Pokemon has kept him away from his beloved.

Genesect can try its best to defend you... but Ghetsis will find away around the issue.

Ghetsis will have you in the end... he promises that...

Even if he has to squash a bug and you come to him broken.

[tessarionbestgirl]

What will happen to Daemon’s story since Nettles is gone?

Well, different than everyone else, I think will happen but will happen in different way, Nettles is cut out, but similar to Young Griffin, they are giving parts of her arc to different characters.

First they making Mysaria and Rhaenyra a romantic relationship,therefore, it gives Mysaria motivation for feeding Rhaenyra's paranoia regarding Daemon, making more about jealousy and attempts to end this relationship than her grasping for power. So this part is happening.

So I think they can go with two options, first she could feed Rhaenyra's paranoia by implying that Daemon is having something with Baela or Rhaena. And again I think is possible and I do believe Daemon will come back showing more support for his daughters. But there is problems with that because Rhaena and Baela, don't have Nettles anti-war message, they are to much of supports of Rhaenyra to make that plot work.

It need to be someone that is a outsider to Rheanyra become really paranoid about it and even send people to kill her. It needs be someone that that make Daemon question his own acts about war and that is not Rhaena and Baela because they are so pro-war characters and supporters of Rhaenyra for that.

And the only character that fits this is Alys, until now. And I just connected this possibility last episode. But the changes they made with her character kind makes her fits in this place and how their dinamic plays out also fits too, because they do look closer and closer, and that as well was a big change if they did that change is for some reason.

We saw how they set up Rhaena claiming a dragon last season. And I don't think they would spend so much time with Alys and Daemon if they aren't cooking something more.

And if the leaks are real about Heleana and Aemond this just add even more but making they constantly parallels between Daemon and Aemond. And narrative foils.

So it adds to much up for me this last option. But I don't know. Is just my theory, I could be wrong.

[cuckaracha]

Ohhh please give Ace opinions. I love seeing people yap about Ace

With pleasure ^_^!

V spoilers talk! V

Most of my opinions were revealed to be sort of true on the last episode so it wouldn't surprise me if this is one-to-one what everyone believes now: Ace to me seems like an extremely love starved person, like, its so painfully obvious that he's faced some sort of neglect in his life. So much so to the point that he keeps himself guarded all the time to avoid falling for the trap of liking someone and then they immediately turn on him. Hence what he said to Levi during the trial. Ace is feels too much. He's well aware of his surroundings and how shitty he acts, but if he doesn't feel anger or fear, the loneliness kicks in. It's a toxic cycle of self-hatred, low self-esteem and cynicism. Though I do believe that it's mostly the situation making his bad habits shine more brightly, because during the prologue/chapter1, Ace is kind of just a bratty jock. He cracks jokes, he hangs out with everyone and he seems to not be plagued as much by his fear unless you breach the topic.

Hence why I personally think that there's no other person like Levi to be used as foil for him. Regardless of how you think on their relationship, be it romantic or platonic or whatever, it's nothing new that their attitudes clash so much, it comes back around to them covering each other's weakness very well. A little guy that feels to much and is scared of giving out of fear of being hurt, and a big guy that feels too little that gives to others out of necessity. So when taken to their natural extreme, they would very obviously have problems, specially under the circumstances that they're both in. Ace, tragically believing the one thing he knew he shouldn't have, and Levi hopelessly attempting to fix what he inadvertently broke. It's peak toxic yaoi imo.

(which also, at least in my opinion, makes Levi the one true Ace lover. None of the other boys have as much of their nuance intrinsically mangle with Ace's as him. But again, that's just me. Ship this little freak with however boy you want. Fuck it. Make him a slut even.)

The other thing that has popped in my mind a lot is his family situation. I know with my take of his family, he's like a middle child or whatever, but that was just me wanting to be contrarian to the obvious, more solid interpretation of Ace being the eldest of the 9 brothers. Because when you think about, him being forced into jockeying by his family to maintain them economically makes sense. He hates it, but if he doesn't do it, he'll be the loser everyone knows him to be. He'd be disposed of by his family, believing that they only care about him for his talent and the money that comes from it. And if he doesn't do it, the job might fall to one of his younger siblings. Something he can't morally do. Because as much of a stupid little shithead as he is, he's not an idiot. Ace knows what's right and what's wrong. He understands the cruelty of the world to an extent. And as such. He's forced into being the breadmaker for his big ass family until the day he either retires or dies.

All this to say. I love Ace Markey. He's such a silly little goofball full of depression and anxiety that is one fart away from going insane. Like I haven't even touched on my thoughts on Taylor (which I also got right on my earlier theory) and how that affects the Ace economy. I relate so much to this guy it's fucking unreal. I don't think I've ever hyperfixated on a character this much. Like. So much so that I even got a fucking custom plushie made out of him and am constantly drawing him.

Anyways thanks for listening to my old man ramble, have an Ace my friend Fennex made.

[izzysbeans]

A theory I am way too deep into is that buck is going to move into Eddie's in like, 7x07, whether it's just for the rest of the season or something longer. I think all the nods towards buck paying his bills, Tommy's comment about how nice the loft is, and the news in the background about house prices surging are a lot of little details that point towards something bigger. Also, I think it would fit in nicely with Ryan's comment that they 'get closer than ever this season'.

It just fits the narrative foil so well of Eddie not being ready/able to commit to Marisol yet, and realizing how his relationship with Buck compares to his romantic relationships, in a sense of just general ease and comfort and what he looks for in a life partner.

In conclusion, I'm losing my mind.

You are so not alone in loosing your mind here my friend because oh my god i have seen this theory going around a bit and i actually think this might be happening. Like we KNOW nothing is ever random in this fucking show and they are definitly going somewhere with this. And it fits with the couch theory which has been a staple in the fandom for a long time. I feel like that could bring so much to the table there in terms of how they see each other and i agree that i can be part of what Ryan meant when he said they get closer then ever. I think there might be more to it tho

It's just the frasing of that "i love you to the core" that just feels like there might be more to it then just that, but i'm totally going to scream if this happens

And alsooo i feel like it will be a perfect way to show that like Bobby said Eddie has no problem commiting to "other things"

[tokyosmega]

finished the rise of kyoshi, here's my word vomit about it:

SPOILERS AHEAD !

• i LOVE how they treated lightning !!! that's probably my favorite part. looking at how lighting is revered in kyoshi vs how its so mundane in korra is just . so cool ???

• the sapphic representation made me eternally happy <3 even though i could have done with more (i'm a romantic at heart) seeing kyoshi and rangi being soft and close was sooo sweet. the lgbt rep in avatar really makes me feel represented and i hope we can see it more on screen

• the worldbuilding around the pre-existing worldbuilding is so cool !!! the si wong tribal traditions, the deep politics of the earth kingdom, the reverence of yangchen and kuruk, i loved it all ! also, loved the little references to the show, like the cabbage jokes + the gan jin vs the zhangs

• the fights were amazing. there were a couple times when i couldn't really comprehend what was going on, but i think that might be because kyoshi's bending is just like that. they went in a direction that was far more graphic and brutal than the show, but i feel like that was completely vindicated because kyoshi lived a graphic and brutal life

• jianzhu was a REALLY interesting villain! the overarching theme of good vs evil within the avatar universe played well with him. he is a man that thinks only of the good that will come while doing evil deeds, and kelsang mirroring him as a man who thinks of the evil he is doing despite knowing it will be good in the end is really great. nice foiling avatar

• kyoshi's element training seemed to go a little fast for me, but that might be because aang took three seasons to master the elements. but i don't know, kyoshi going from being an inept bender to suddenly being proficient in everything with minimal training was a big jump, even though it took like 300 pages

• i LOVED kyoshi's origins !! her parents being daofeis + her mom being an air nomad was super unexpected but a great way for the story to go. it really helped set her avatar journey apart from korra and aang

• i fully subscribe to the theory that lao ge is guru pathik btw . also the fact that they couldn't find the avatar for multiple years and then just pointed at some guy and was like "yeah that's him" is HILARIOUS to me

ok that's all guys thanks for coming to my ted talk

[youmakethelight]

What do you think is the purpose behind putting Daryl in romantic relationships whenever he is away from the group? Away from Carol? Or could it just be a coincidence?

Hi, thank you for your question! Sorry I've taken some time to get back to you. ❤️‍🩹

This depends a bit on if you want my delulu answer or what I think the writers were thinking. For example, I have my own way of coping with the Isabelle romance for now, but I am absolutely certain that isn't what the showrunner had in mind. And I'm not confident those ideas will survive whatever happens in season 3. But I have thoughts about the Leah romance that I have much more faith do align, at least to some degree, with that showrunner's vision. Ultimately, I think the showrunners probably had different things in mind when they decided to do this.

Generally, I think the Leah romance while Daryl was away from the group and from Carol does have a storytelling purpose, which I'll explain below. However, I think the purpose of the Isabelle romance is likely just an ill-judged and poorly executed way to market spinoff Daryl as an appealing, new reinvention of the character.

In this case, Daryl is away from the group in a new show, so he becomes the default lead. From my perspective, for whatever reason, the showrunner didn't have confidence in his ability to tell a compelling story for his lead without pushing a romance with a new, conventionally attractive younger woman. To me, this is largely down to the showrunner not understanding Daryl and what his audience loved about him. Initiating the Isabelle romance away from Carol specifically also allows the show to keep dangling the caryl carrot. It makes it more believable that Daryl and Carol might still be endgame, so in theory, fans who hope for that might stay on the hook.

For me, any storytelling purpose that might be gleaned from the Isabelle romance is weak and misplaced. Although I can come up with my own (very weak) ideas about it to try to make it make some sense, I don't feel like it tells the audience anything new, or even cohesive, about Daryl and his character development.

As for the Leah romance, I think the primary purpose of this storyline was to explore Daryl's difficulties with feeling a sense of belonging, so I definitely think it's relevant and intentional that he was away from the group and away from Carol for this. And I think that this was for a storytelling purpose, rather than simply to manipulate the audience, which is what I think of the Isabelle romance.

I'm putting my thoughts on the Leah romance storytelling purpose below the break because I got carried away and took my answer way too far 🙃 (and honestly, I could have taken it further, I reigned myself in 🫠🫠).

But the tldr is: Daryl struggles with feeling like he belongs, being away from the group explores this, Rick and Carol were both his main anchor points for feeling 'belonging', there was a Merle and Rick parallel when Daryl left the group in season 3, now there's a Leah and Carol parallel when Daryl is away from the group in season 10, the revelation is that Daryl sees romantic love as a possible source of 'belonging' for him, and Carol is that endgame.

We saw Daryl wrestle with his sense of belonging throughout the flagship show almost until the very end. When he left the prison with Merle in season 3, Rick and Merle acted as foils for each other. And despite Daryl's loyalty to Merle, he learned that he had developed a sense of belonging with Rick, his 'found' brother. When Daryl decided to go back to the prison, Merle asked him where he was going, and he replied "back where I belong." This is in sharp contrast to his answer when Leah asks him where he belongs, which was, "I don't know."

At this point, Daryl is evidently missing the anchors that gave him a sense of belonging. So, what are those anchors for Daryl?

I think it's important that when Daryl met and developed a romantic relationship with Leah, he was self-exiled and looking for Rick - his brother, which he told Leah. I think the fact that Daryl described Rick as his brother and didn't mention his name emphasises that the importance of Rick's loss for Daryl was the brotherly bond he was missing and couldn't find. This demonstrates that that brotherly bond had been one of Daryl's anchors; a place he had felt he belonged.

Finding people is "his thing" (I think that was an Aaron quote?), but while trying to find Rick, what Daryl was really trying to find was his own sense of belonging. This is reflected in the episode title 'Find Me', which has broader symbolism connected to Carol throughout seasons 9-10 (a tangent I won't go into now). I think the relationship that he developed with Leah during this time represents an attempt by Daryl to feel like he belongs somewhere. And that indicates that romantic love is something Daryl sees as a possible source of 'belonging'.

If we look back at the time that Daryl left the prison with Merle, the other person who definitely helped Daryl to feel a sense of belonging was Carol. We could go even further back, to season 2, when she pulled him back from a mini-self-exile on the farm. Arguably, Carol gave him a sense of belonging first, before Rick.

And although Rick is an extremely important part of Daryl's sense of belonging by the time they reach the prison, Daryl's departure and subsequent return with Merle is also framed by his relationship with Carol. Glenn used "What do you want us to tell Carol?" to try to dissuade Daryl from leaving. And when Daryl came back, we were explicitly shown Carol visiting his cell to tell him that she's glad he came back. Somewhat importantly, she said "This is our home." This, among other instances, positions both Carol and Rick as the two most important anchors giving Daryl a sense of belonging.

Rick is, of course, missing, presumed dead, at the time that Daryl meets Leah, and Daryl is desperately searching for him. Meanwhile, Carol is still visiting Daryl, but he still feels lost and unable to return home. Every time she visits, Carol reminds him of her new life with her husband and child. She still wants him to return home, but her priority is evidently her husband and child, and there is a tension Daryl seems to feel towards her.

Nonetheless, he still doesn't feel able to entertain Leah as the person he 'belongs' with until Carol advises him to move on with his life; 'to find some peace'. She seems to be talking about his search for Rick, but in the same conversation, Carol seems more and more to be letting Daryl and their old life go in favour of her new husband and child (there are potentially interesting parallels here with Daryl and Sophia, but I won't go off on that tangent). Daryl identifies this as Carol having found 'her peace'. And in season 11, Daryl reveals to Leah that the reason he didn't commit to her before this conversation with Carol was because he was 'scared of letting go'. I think this interaction reinforces that Daryl's relationships with both Rick and Carol were what had been keeping him tethered to that sense of belonging.

So, I think that this specific case of Daryl entering a romantic relationship while away from the group provides the opportunity to show that, like Merle and Rick were foils for each other as Daryl's brother, Carol and Leah were foils for each other as Daryl's romantic love. The parallels were fairly explicit with scenes like the spear fishing scene and mirrored lines of dialogue. But notably, the contrast between Carol telling Daryl that she would be searching for Rick with him if not for Ezekiel and Henry, vs Leah berating Daryl for searching for Rick, positioned the two of them as foils for each other. So, ultimately, I think the purpose here was to show that being with Carol romantically would be somewhere Daryl feels belonging. I do personally think the intention was to build on this in season 11 before the ball was dropped for behind-the-scenes reasons.

There could, of course, be other explanations, but these ones make sense to me for now. I hope that answered your question in the way you wanted, but please do let me know if not!! And if anyone else has thoughts, I'd love to hear them. ♥️

[catofoldstones]

j0ns@ isnt 100% to me but stans disbelieving in the ashford tourney interpretations now because it didnt fit what they wanted makes me lol now its invalid by having robert arryn when its not supposed to be a 100% recreation, harrold harryn is too much coincidence that it signals sans@'s suitors ,saying the final targaryen suitor died is coping because like Valarr Targaryen, jon also just died the difference is he'll get resurrected

my favourite excuse is "well nobody married lady ashford" well duh its a tourney,it might not even happen in a romantic light more for desperate political reasons the denial is hysterical

Hi anon,

I understand their need to constantly be “debunking” the theory because how dare Sansa have a parallel in another book and thereby be an important character in the series as a whole😤

I don’t think Robert Arryn is the chink in the armour they think he is. With all of Sansa’s previous suitors & Harry, there have been concrete plots to get her married to them. She was officially betrothed to Joffrey (the Baratheon suitor) before the Tyrells brought in Willas (the Tyrell suitor) and were actively planning to spirit her away to Highgarden right under the Lannisters’ noses, only for them to catch wind of the plan (if it can even be put that way) and forcefully get Sansa married to Tyrion (the Lannister suitor). As for Harry, Baelish’s northern plan comes into play which rests on the heels of Sansa getting married to Harry. Not to mention Hardyng is a pretty unknown House to just throw in, dontcha think?

Lysa brings up Sweetrobin in passing, with no plan or even an actual intention to marry them. This is literally never brought up again when Lysa is alive, or even after. The only one repeating any similar sentiment is Sweetrobin himself, who has a crush on Sansa but clearly doesn’t know what it means. So should we take Sweetrobin as a valid suitor? I mean, do crushes count? Because then why not include a whole legion of other Westerosi men who are interested in Sansa and make it a watertight argument. Baelish absolutely wants to marry Sansa, he even asked Cersei for Sansa’s hand in marriage, why isn’t he included? “Because…” yeah you’re there. My point is, the arguments against Baelish & SR are both strong but take a step back to what they have in common, Sansa’s story is leading somewhere else and thematically neither of them fit. One is less serious than the other & thats SR. Be fr with your SR arguments jesus.

Moreover, the Ashford theory and Sansa’s suitors don’t have to be perfect analogues of each other. Hell, we know nothing about Lady Ashford except that she’s 13 and involved in a tourney that was disrupted, and that Sansa is 13 and involved in a tourney that will be disrupted. Man, does this girl have to be named Pansa Ptark now for it to be a valid parallel? Why does George even bother naming his books, he should start calling them the war of the roses and be done with it. Why are we even reading political fiction, let’s just open today’s newspaper. Tf.

And I don’t think I can add anything to the Jon - Targaryen suitor theories that hasn’t been proposed + your points too. We consider R + L = J to be true, first and foremost. The “white guardian”, “dark hair” “the Targaryen suitor being dead” etc etc. In the same vein as the argument above, does he need to be named Jonnel/Jonos now to be taken seriously? Well, he is in another parallel but even that is “reaching” so what can I say? 🤷‍♀️ They’re not going to see what they don’t want to see, but, like you said, watching them jump through hoops and perform mental gymnastics and open a whole circus in the process is truly hilarious lol.

You do bring up an excellent argument, anon, that all of Sansa’s previous suitors have been for her claim to the North, so her marriage with Jon might also be for political reasons. However, the slight exception of Joffrey who was a King in his own right (lmao) exists; which again sort of foils Jon and his actual claim to the iron throne. So I feel that while a political marriage is totally on the cards (solves one too many problems for my liking 😤), Sansa might marry him out of love considering her theme of independence and not-marrying-for-claim. But who am I to say 🤷‍♂️

Lastly, nobody crowned Lady Ashford the queen of love and beauty so Sansa isn’t marrying anyone is sort of funny. Well, Loras gave Sansa a red rose amongst all the young maidens present there, are they a foreshadowed endgame pairing now? Also, how does one come up with Sansa is gonna end up as Lady of the Vale by marrying HH and Sansa is going to end up alone in the same breath?

[neonscandal]

Manga With Me: MHA Crackpot Analysis

I know we’re collectively running off the high of chapter 406 (just me??) but anyone else curious about the parallels we saw in chapter 407 to themes from way back in the training camp arc? I have a feeling they'll bear on what kind of ending our boys will have when all is said and done and I got time today to explore that.

⚠️ Spoiler warning: through chapter MHA 411.

Before you waste your time diving in, let's start with what makes this a crack analysis - I'm still making heads or tails on what this means for BakuDeku because... while I think the series will end with a reckoning between them, it doesn't mean it'll be to confirm the romantic underpinnings or that both of them will live.

Let's start with what informs this hunch:

Note: There's a serious bit of nuance we're missing from the English translation though I'm having a hard time finding the original post I liked many moons ago that essentially goes into the fact that, when Midoriya told Compress to "Give him back," referring to the Bakugo marble... he used language that had a possessive connotation. 👀 In fact, even with the English translation, we can see that Compress specifically calls out the phrasing to be odd, we just miss the subtlety of why that is (they really don't want us to be great). Compress nobly shoots back that Bakugo doesn't belong to anyone but this violent idea of possessing someone... DOES THIS SOUND FAMILIAR TO ANYONE??

We have seen, scattered throughout this entire story, that All For One has always been obsessed with recapturing the One For All quirk. It's why he targets the successors so compulsively. I assumed it was because, as the dynamic had been cast, that One For All has always had the power to best All For One. It wasn't until we saw the vestiges locked within OFA, Yoichi in particular, that we realize there's a bit more to the story. AFO's origin story in chapter 407 casts a really interesting foreshadow.

This alone isn't particularly damning or why I think it has impact on the story's end, or at least not comprehensively. Now that we see All For One up close... we've gotten some insight into his disposition as well. Specifically, here:

This mentality sounds exactly like...

At the heart of the story, everything has centered around Midoriya and Bakugo and their quest for number one, as inspired by All Might.

Canonically, we know that, in universe, their adoration of All Might has led to an embodiment of a facet of what they believe makes him a good hero. The Win to Save vs. Save to Win camps that are defined most readily at Ground Beta by All Might himself.

Midoriya and Bakugo are frequently cast as two halves of the same whole and as an impetus, not only for their mutually linked improvement, but also inspiring others around them to level up, as well. While it can be inferred that All Might as a mentor is largely the catalyst for this, it would be remiss to say that he doesn't have his own host of parallels but, at the center of this crack pot theory is his obvious relation to All For One.

To simplify where I'm going with this and explain the upcoming mental gymnastics: All For One is a foil for All Might.

We've seen Midoriya and Bakugo, in their quest to be heroes, embody two halves of who All Might is as a hero. In fact, Bakugo's reconciliation of his previous inability to "Save to Win" marked a major development in his character evolution and perception by people who aren't in Class 1A (Monoma. I'm talking about Monoma). On an unrelated note, members of Class 1A get to a point of not treating Bakugo like a ticking time bomb as they drag him around and infantilize him (Tsuyu) and this marked difference provided further exposition that the class has come to realize that he's mostly bravado and bluster and maybe not as awful as depicted at the onset of the story.

All that to say... given the parallels we see in the latest chapters. Are they meant to be two sides of All For One, too?

A continuing theme of the story (I'm sure I blab about it in other Manga With Me threads) is the fact that anyone can be a hero. However, there's also a critical examination of one's ability to be villainous regardless of intention or perception. We see it in the case of Endeavor, in particular, but also with characters like Hawks and Lady Nagant... and the Hero Commission, in general. Alternatively, even villains are redeemable or may have good intentions and we're seeing a lot of their redemptions play out through the duration of this war.

If we've seen the resolution of their embodiment of All Might, does it make sense to cast Midoriya and Bakugo in the shadow of who All For One is, as well? Arrogant, possessive, merciless and with an ego that looks only to subjugate others.

I think what causes unease about these panels and their comparison to AFO is because I'm expecting a huge cop out. We've been getting a lot of damning BKDK moments with an extra serving of Togachako. Would this new parallel cast them more in a brotherly light? With these parallel's and All For One's defeat... what does this mean for BakuDeku?

I think we've seen Bakugo overcome his likeness to AFO, as it were. Despite their competition, he recognized why he couldn't face Midoriya's spirit so, instead he rejected him. He reveals as much to All Might directly. Midoriya is no longer just a pebble and, based on vestigal Bakugo, I think we can all agree they are linked by something akin to fate. In fact, Bakugo was only able to save All Might (and balance out his guilt for "ruining" All Might while pulling off an All Might signature fist of triumph) with Midoriya's help and their wordless collaboration. He even grabbed his hand!

But the object of AFO's obsession is his brother and I can't help but also draw the connection between Bakugo's previous inability to reach out and accept Midoriya's hand back at the pond where Yoichi willingly grasped Kudou's (... pre-Bakugo, Bakugo) and escaped his brother. The coincidence is too much and I can't help but look for meaning in how this story seems to be coming full circle. Because, on the one hand I want to compare them to AFO but on the other hand, is the better comparison between AFO and OFA themselves?

In the latest chapter, we've seen that Shigaraki has robbed Midoriya of at least one OFA vestige and subsequently their inherent quirk. Will it all end by him losing each of them until he's back to being quirkless? A destruction of AFO seeing a destruction of OFA and ending this dispute of ideologies that's gone back several generations? Successful in besting Shigaraki but... losing someone who means so much to him in the process?

7/19 Edit to clarify, what I’m trying to say is: if the resolution to Bakugo’s hubris was reaching out a hand to a “pebble” to ultimately defeat AFO… would the resolution to Midoriya’s possessiveness be to lose everything?

It's too much to think about but I don't call it crack pot for nothing. I'm still formulating my hypothesis but think this next chapter should have something huge to explain how Deku is still able to avoid Shigaraki despite no longer being able to use Gearshift and losing Danger Sense. Maybe it'll be the linch pin in figuring out if there's a hypothesis to be had or whether this was all a big reach. I still can't decide.

[jerreeeeeee]

war of the rohirrim was really good. there was just one thing that bothered me. in a narrative cohesion way. spoilers under the cut

WHY DID HERA NOT PUNCH WULF. TO KILL HIM. she got the shield. okay the shield is a symbol of the shieldmaidens and the strong warrior women of rohan and hera’s own personal freedom. awesome, meaningful. its a fucking buckler. punch him with the shield!! have the full circle moment; her father killed his father with a punch and started the entire war, he swore vengeance for his father, and now SHE avenges HER father by punching wulf and killing him. why choke him??

there are 2 reasons i can think of. the first is that the writers wanted it to be ambiguous whether she meant to kill him to end it or just got carried away in the heat of the moment full of adrenaline etc. which i think is sort of lame, she had the moment of asking frealaf to have mercy on the other dunlendings to show she’s Kind and Merciful and Wise. i don’t think it’s bad writing that she doesn’t kill him before he tries to stab her when he’s on his knees in front of her, that’s less “women need to be kind and merciful” and more showing the audience that she has a sense of honor. but when it became clear the only way to stop him was to kill him and she was going to kill him in the end she should have Meant to kill him. she doesn’t have to be merciful to the guy who murdered her family just because she’s a kindhearted woman. but all that aside; it would STILL be ambiguous whether she meant it to be a killing blow if she punched him! helm never meant to kill wulf’s father by punching him either!

the other reason is that the writers foresaw people whining that it wasn’t realistic. a Woman cannot kill a man with one punch! how ridiculous! as if this isn’t a magical world. as if helm didn’t have fucking superhuman powers in his whole last stand situation. a drive and well of power fueled by grief for his sons, who were, y’know, hera’s brothers. if it wasn’t realistic, harp on how she’s powered by grief the same way her father was, but that she survives and wins where he didn’t because she also had hope and determination to save her people. choking wulf to death just reads as a more “realistic” way to kill him that’s unfortunately less narratively satisfying.

i’m not saying either of these are the actual reason idk maybe it just didn’t occur to them or something this isn’t a conspiracy theory or anything i’m just bitching about a moment i thought would happen and was sorta disappointed didn’t. the movie was still really really good.

it interacted with themes of female empowerment in a world where women are afforded less options and expected to marry in a very refreshing way that highlights hera’s agency and independence without being trite. it’s significant that she’s a woman but she’s not treated reductively. it doesn’t fix everything for her to show her strength, everyone doesnt go wow we were wrong women can be strong! she doesn’t get to take her father’s place and lead her people even though the new king says she should have. but she does still prove herself and is supported by the narrative and gets a happy ending personally where she’s never forced to compromise her freedom.

also, i really appreciate that the main driving force of the plot is wulf’s relationship with her, in a way that is complex and interesting but doesn’t force romantic tension or chemistry even in the beginning. hera has genuine affection for wulf (in the beginning) from their friendship, but the movie never even plays with “they could have been lovers if fate hadn’t forced them apart” or whatever. she rejects wulf and romance even before the vengeance storyline takes off. and hera’s happy ending isn’t, like, another guy who can allow her freedom but still love her romantically. being unbound by the expectation of romance is part of her freedom. its really uncommon to have a man and woman as narrative foils without making them like. romantically implied soulmates for better or worse or whatever. especially childhood friends. but wulf is just a childhood friend turned bitter enemy and it’s written in much the same way as i think a story about a male protagonist would have been. also appreciate that the conflict and antagonist is very human.

hera’s relationships with various people feel very real, i guess because there’s a good amount of time put in toward the beginning, so the emotional beats with her brothers and olwyn are earned. and especially the ending with frealaf becoming king and hera promising her sword, that could have very easily felt cheap, but because he and his story and relationship to hera are established early it made sense and was satisfying instead. by saying she never wanted the crown and then still pledging her sword she remains loyal to her people and family, and yet free. you’re a little disappointed for hera that she doesn’t have the chance to choose be a leader of her people, even if she’d turn it down, but it feels realistic and it feels like frealaf earned it, and hera gets everything she wants from her life. it’s not a surprising or rushed ending, everything ties together there.

WAIT ALSO remembered another thing that bothered me. there wasn’t ever any closure on hama’s harp, hera had it at the end but did he ever get his song written about him??

also the saruman and gandalf namedrops seemed sort of weird and unnecessary. like yes i did watch lord of the rings. i know who those guys are. stop winking at me

last thing is that all the character design and costumes were good and the backgrounds were gorgeous. the people i watched with said the difference between the watercolor bgs and the animation was jarring but i didn’t have an issue with it i thought it was fine and i always love pretty backgrounds

all in all really good movie i enjoyed it a lot 👍