#season 2 was great don't get me wrong but it was stuff like this that really made my first watch through like

[icycoldninja]

what’s your opinion on the new dmc anime??

A pretty negative one. I liked the character drawings and the soundtrack, but the story was inconsistent with the source material, the character's personalities were nothing like how they were supposed to be, and the lore was absolutely destroyed.

Spoiler alert just in case.

For example: Dante, who has proven in DMC5 along with Vergil that he has known his father for at least a few years of his life. In the anime, he has no such knowledge. It also seems that instead of just taking Nero's voice, he's also taken his personality, because he just keeps getting beat up, insulted, and proven useless, just like what often happens to Nero. He also displays a serious lack of braincells, which, as we all know from playing the games, is not true. He might not be an academic genius, but he's smart. He figures things out on the fly and comes up with strategies faster than he shoots. In this show, even with such obvious hint-dropping, he can't figure anything out on his own.

Lady is a toilet mouthed jerk whose entire character centers around being a girlboss. Don't get me wrong, I have no problem with strong female characters, but her whole existence has just been butchered and honestly, the way she was represented in the show makes me feel like the writers were playing favorites.

She, a human, somehow manages to fight and win against a half-demon, when others of her species cannot even hold their own for more than a few seconds. She alone is the only survivor of her team; she alone figures out the White Rabbit's plan, and is the only one who was clever enough to trick the Rabbit. She got the most screentime when this is supposed to be Dante's show, and she landed most of the final blows against major enemies. Not to mention, she also stole Dante's catchphrase. It's as if the writers were trying way too hard to make her seem cool and intimidating, when she was already cool and intimidating, so all that unnecessary stuff they added just backfired and made her character incredibly irritating.

Vergil, even though he was only on screen for about 2 minutes, managed to fumble himself in ways I simply cannot believe. To be perfectly frank, I sat through all 8 episodes just because I was hoping he would show up and make the show better, but he didn't. He is apparently able to switch back and forth from Nelo Angelo at will, and chooses to work with Mundus of his own supposed free will. Mundus killed his mother. Why would he work with him willingly? That's like Harry Potter deciding to help Voldemort.

And even if he is being mind controlled, didn't the games show that he fought hard to break free of Mundus's influence, but just couldn't because Mundus was too powerful?

There also seems to be a great lack of supernaturality in this show, which limits explanations for bizarre phenomena. Gone are the mystical, mysterious things that enable those characters to do what they did, replaced by terribly boring "scientific" explanations and quantum physics nonsense, like Avengers Endgame all over again. It made everything feel like a dull sci fi drama with none of the magical elements the games had.

All in all, I'd say the anime was pretty bad, but if they made a few changes in the next season to make it more like what it's supposed to be based off of, it could be redeemed.

[glowingghosty]

the capabilities and powers that angels/demons have really confused me, especially with what we're shown in season 2. i feel like in season one it was always pretty clear what the limitations were for their powers, Crowley can do a bit more than Aziraphale can (and we now know why), but there were plenty of things in season 2 that felt like could've possibly been solved through devine or demonic intervention and it felt contrived that they weren't?

more under the cut cuz i went on a bit

i think a lot of these concerns come from the final fight, which honestly feels way too long. why couldn't Aziraphale miracle away the stairs? why couldn't he teleport away? they can teleport people as we saw with Adam (that was Crowley so maybe it's a stronger power). and with that, why did the angels believe the 25 lazarai miracle was to make the humans fall in love? and not even right away?? why could Crowley not miracle the wine bottles back together? seems like reconstruction is an iffy area but all the glass (and wine) were still there. he could've materialized more bottles as well, even if they'd be "fake." the idea of miracle blocking, let alone demons being able to do it, blocking BOTH kinds of miracles, INCLUDING a high rank like Crowley, seems CRAZY op to me.

why didn't they use miracles against the demons? Crowley can make absolutely giant holes in the ground that suck up grave workers, he can BRING A GUY BACK TO LIFE??, but he has to lie about rules of engagement to buy them time to get the humans away? he can stop time/space/individuals/whatever he's doing, why can't he do that to buy them time? you might think oh they're preventing themselves from drawing attention, but he doesn't work for hell anymore so why would he care, and they already have all the attention on them and are being actively attacked by dozens of demons right in front of a group of humans

aziraphale ended up using his halo which is taboo enough to start a holy war and yet he didn't try to do anything magical before that. they can change paintball guns into real guns AND make sure none of the bullets kill anyone purely by "chance" AND not have anyone involved notice they're no longer shooting paint, they can turn children into lizards and back, but they can't protect a bookshop more than just having vampire rules??

[bombshellsandbluebells]

now that I’m dragging my mental health back to a semi-decent place and feel like I might have the energy to like....write literally anything again, at some point I’m going to write about the importance of critiquing within the context of a written story

as in, critiquing narrative points completely without any consideration of how they are contextualized in the story is a bit unfair.

as in, I continue to see things about the Ted Lasso finale that annoy me. not because people had a different read of the finale or disliked different things than I did - or that they’re critiquing it at all; there’s plenty I will critique or would have done differently - but like, saying things like “Ted going back home to Kansas is bad because he’s clearly miserable about it” is an unfair reading when, within the CONTEXT of the story, it’s not framed that way. regardless of whether it was a choice you liked or how you would have wanted things to end, it’s not framed in the story as a) a bad thing, b) a miserable sacrifice, or c) a thing that Ted is upset about. so there’s a difference between saying “I don’t like Ted going back home to Kansas at the end because to me that doesn’t read as a happy ending’ and “the finale objectively frames Ted going back as a bad thing because it makes him unhappy” 

and this isn’t JUST a critique on criticism in regards to Ted Lasso. it’s the nature of fandom criticism in general. “I didn’t like this thing” becoming “this thing is objectively bad in the story” or even “this thing is portrayed as objectively bad bc of this, this, and this” despite that contradicting how the story actually frames it.

[shysuccubusstuff]

twitter links x Genshin men! pt. 2

Note: You know how this works, let me know if there is any type of issue with the links! Btw, sorry if I repeat some links or similar stuff, not like I keep track of my links :P

Alhaitham:

After pestering him for the whole day, it was only fair for him to fuck some sense into you, right?

He looked so lonely and stressed sitting there alone :(( Of course he needed someone supporting him under his desk!!

Just Alhaitham showering you with his deep love ♡♡ He just couldn't wait to get to the bed after seeing you so focused on your own work, not his fault that you are so pretty :((

Quick round in the middle of the library! I mean, they say it's good to take a break while working, what's wrong with this?

Itto:

How could you forget about Itto's breeding season?! By the time you are finally able to make him fall asleep your insides are completely filled to the brim

Maybe eating your pussy is all he needs after acting all mighty with the gang?

Itto kept on hearing about the great properties of following the No Nut November, so of course he jumped the second he felt even slightly challenged! Sadly he lost it the same day he decided to start it...

Sometimes he just forgets how heavy he is compared to you... Not like you really mind it, though

Capitano:

Mean! Dom Capitano showing you what happens when you don't behave

Pussy so good he is able to pick you up and rise you just to fuck that hole, plus it works as extra exercise!!

He wanted to punish you so bad but you look so pretty begging :( Of course he just had to give in

He tries so hard to keep his strength concealed as he lets his pretty wife ride him :(( Loving sex with him is so so good that your brain almost melts ♡♡

[totallybakedcake]

Us

Umemiya Hajime

A total softie

He absolutely loves giving physical affection as his love language, his hugs, kisses, and cuddles are equal to heaven.

Umemiya has this weird habit, he pulls you to his lap and then wraps you in his jacket, protecting you like a baby. He does it when you get too whiny, annoyed, or sad.

Is a great cook, he can make a delicious meal with random ingredients you hand him for fun.

"Ume, I want to eat this food item, it's going viral." The following meal, that same item is presented to you.

For dates, he prefers going to a deserted garden for a picnic.

He introduces you to furin, they even treat you like a younger sister that needs to be protected at all costs.

Umemiya honestly does not share a lot of fighting details with you, he does not want his partner to know about violence and gives many excuses or distracts you when asking about his injuries or fights.

Kiryu Mitsuki

Mitsuki always has the most fun ideas for some reason.

"Oh so my *girlfriend* is bored? Wanna do something from this list I made?"

He likes arcade dates or exploring new stores or places, it helps both of you understand each other's style and choices well.

His love language is gift giving, he gives you a rose, clothing piece, bracelet or just something each day.

Mitsuki and you would be the type to act as if you are cheating on each other by talking to someone else on the phone, saying stuff like, Don't tell this boyfriend or girlfriend, but in reality, you both are pranking the others.

Mitsuki really likes head pats/massages! He adores it so much when you lace your fingers in his hair.

Protects you at all costs!

Saved your name on his phone as "My pookie <3."

Haruka Sakura

Tsundere boy

He actually notices the little things, the way your hands start getting tense or you get sweaty when nervous, or how you are chatting to him on the phone and end every sentence with a heart.

He gives you stuff you wanted and forgot about, like the notebook you wanted for journaling or a mug and keychain with your pictures.

Goodness, his problem is that he gets so freaking shy while saying I love you.

"I love you." You say, giving him a kiss on the cheek before he leaves to go to Furin. "Me too," Sakura mumbles before leaving. Why was it so difficult to say a simple 'I love you' to his own girlfriend?

Don't worry, he says that to you when you are asleep.

Sakura's way of showing love is quality time, he does not sleep unless you both have had a late-night walk and talked for a bit, and he lets you vent about your day or feelings whenever you want to. Before leaving, he even spends a good hour just rambling about what his day might be like and asking you what you have planned.

well so, I did not expect windbreaker to win in the polls but yall proved me wrong. I haven't written for windbreaker since like 6 MONTHS which is so so crazy but now season 2 is coming back in July, I believe, so im tryna get in the groove once again!

I also want to say THANK YOU ALL!!

I found tumblr out of nowhere and had no idea that I would start writing my goofy thoughts and uploading them. Did not even imagine so many people would like them and even decide to follow me. I am so very grateful for everything, all the feelings of nervousness and anxiousness about uploading fanfics have gone so far away.

Have a very wonderful day:D

HOLD ON

Nobody told me that season 2 IS airing right now.

[starlight-45]

Dating BLLK boys in school! (Part 2)

Featuring:- Hyoma Chigiri, Reo Mikage, Seishiro Nagi (Part 1 here with Yoichi Isagi, Meguru Bachira and Rin Itoshi and here's the masterlist )

A/n: again, don't know where this shit is set. It has their current personalities and they're still in blue lock. Maybe taking a break in off-season and go to school for a change. Idk.

~Hyoma Chigiri~

•Is pretty nonchalant about the whole thing actually he is about most things but gives in easily much to your suprise. he's unpredictable like that.

• To him school was just a place to showcase his talent on a low level before moving on to the bigger stage.

• Kinda really didn't have that many friends, despite being popular as hell because of his looks and talent.

• 'Cause no one really couldn't kept up with his actual sass and sharp personality. Well expect for you now, darling! Don't expect him to admit it though, you'll get only an eye roll out of him.

• But geuninely like there are situations where he has to reject like 5 people at once. 😭 You don't whether to be impressed or annoyed by it.

• Anyway.

• If Chirgiri isn't in class, you can find him in the library. Before you try to fight me, lemme remind it's in the egoist Bible so it's canon.

• He will binge read history novels honestly, and thinks in his free time how it could have been different and stuff. He thinks about the fall of the Roman Empire at least once a day.

• Won't ramble or blabble about it too much to you, but will share random titbits to you about, at the most random times.

• No seriously. At the most random times.

"Ugh trigonometry is the worst-"

"Christianity promotion must have resulted in loss of traditional values of Romans..."

"Huh?"

"You asked to study right?"

"YES. To study maths. Tommorow is the test!"

"...Oh."

• Also he's got a fair amount of complaints from teachers and other coordinators about his long hair. When they speak to him about it, he's judging then SO hard. He does it to almost everyone.

• If you blabble about your classmates stories, he will listen to it, asking questions actively. He actually is pretty interested in the gossipy stuff.

• Can I just rant about how much of a tease he is in denying you affection? Like don't get me wrong, of course Chigiri's gonna have some sort of physical contact like holding hands and stuff in front of other students.

• To show you guys are together and no he's not entertaining any confessions, that's what he tells you to just not get annoying interactions but you both know it's just not that lol

• But when you two do mange to get alone on campus, this guy is a cheeky little bastard. He intentionally leans a bit far than you, just to rile you up and make the first move.

"What? Why are you glaring at me, huh? I didn't do anything you know."

• By the way, this kind of situation doesn't really happen often. Only in school when alone. Still to this day you don't know why he gets like that during that specific time.

• You guessed it's maybe because he rarely can keep his hands off you in private, so this environment keeps him a but grounded and can act all cool. You saw right through it, but that's different story.

• Doesn't care what people think of him, rude, moody, arrogent hell even princess...because like whatever. But won't torelate any negetive comments about you.

• His demeanor doesn't change much, but his glare speaks for itself that the person currently should shut up if they know what's good for them.

• Because, despite all the ups and downs our princess truly loves you and will want the best for you. Amen.

~Mikage Reo~

• I'm guessing you already has a pretty good grasp at what to expect from him, huh?

• We all know, that while on the surface his school life is perfect with good grades, popularity, football...he gets really really bored there.

• But I think as his girlfriend, it's your job to not get him excited. And guess what? You're doing a great job at it!

• This guy is the type, that when in a relationship, you can talk on and on about golf most boring sport ever! and he will listen like it's the most interesting thing ever.

• So yeah... it's not really all that hard for ya to keep him busy lol. Others have a hard time to do so though.

• Though he gave up on studies since blue lock, he figured that it won't hurt to study a bit for a few months to keep up his reputation.

• And to impress you, but shh don't let him know I told ya. But yeah, when talking about studies he's more of a hard work type rather than being a natural. I'm looking at you, Nagi!

• Which is a blessing for you because you can literally just call him over whenever you wanna study. And like ACTUALLY study, he's the best at tutoring, teaching you everything patiently.

• I mean he was the best friend was Nagi. OF COURSE Reo gained a lot of patience from being around that baby.

• Still entertains the fan following he quickly gained at school I mean what did you expect? but not really too much like before.

• Kinda because of still having PTSD from blue lock. You know the the haunting feeling no matter what he does there are things he won't get. Yeah that's what he's afraid of deep down.

• And not just that, also because of you. He knows people can get a too overboard with the fangirling which might make you uncomfortable. So sweet! 😭

• Proudly shows you off as his, and damn he does get a bit of a smug look which is priceless to see. It's a good reminder for him that no matter what happens, you're always his side.

• Which suprisingly makes everyone immediately back off, because like it's just so evident that this guy is just too hooked up on you to even glance at their direction.

• Will actually bribe the school authorities to get you in his class, and will deny any accusations made against him by you about that matter you JUST asked him casually but y'know this guy is dramatic as hell.

• "Why would I do that? You think that I'm the kind of rich person to throw money away just to get my way?"

"I love you Reo but that's exactly what you are."

• Always has an arm around you, suprising you during lunch break, pulling your cheeks even in front of everyone...you're just that cute!

• Is the type to distract you during class, then giggle when you get called out by the teacher for not paying attention. :P

• Don't worry much though, Reo doesn't do it that often, he knows his limits, despite being tempted to do more just to have your attention and your adorable mad face.

• Damnit, you're still just too cute for him to resist having you with him. He truly is blessed.

~Nagi Seishiro~

• Okay so, I think this scenario can go two ways, depending on what time you ask him and what mood he is in.

• 1. Nagi would just say "It's such a hassle" and drop his head on your lap, not wanting to think much but will relent with a bit of convincing because again, he doesn't wanna use his brain much.

• 2. Would just say okay on your first attempt, not seeing any reason to refuse. As you can see, both of these scenarios end up getting him back in school for a few months.

• We all know he's the type to just sleep and play games in class and get scolded by the teacher because of it.

• Lord knows how this guy manages to top every single time because I don't.

• "Hey Seishiro what did you get?"

"..98.."

"I just can't believe it, how do you do it every single time?!"

"I don't believe it either." said the teacher unamused, arranging the papers.

• You also feel lowkey jealous because of it, like can study for hours and hours and still get less than him I don't know about you ma'am but I would have given up a long time ago on academics.

• However, it has it's merits as well. He doesn't study but hangs around you when you do in the library or his apartment and sometimes kind of helps you understand stuff.

• "God this question is so stupid."

"...Hm? It's so easy..."

"Oh really? Why don't you tell me how to do it?"

"... don't convert the tan A into sin A/cosA, because it won't get divided on the final step..."

"Wow it worked, thank you!"

"... don't mention it."

• If you can't find him during lunch, you can find him in teacher's cabin getting scolded or sleeping/playing games on the stairs.

• And in extreme cases, on the water tank of the rooftop how the hell did does he get there?? basically everywhere expect the classroom, eating his lunch, y'know like a normal person in lunch break.

• So it's your duty to drag him to have lunch so to make sure he doesn't die. No I'm not exaggerating, this guy can be starving to death but still be playing call of duty.

• This guy is shameless around you, and the worst part that you can't even say anything about it because it's not his intention to annoy you. He is just is build different.

• Like, he'd just lean over your shoulder as you drag him to class you still won't give him the piggyback ride. Poor boy not really regardless of people giving him and you judgemental stares.

• On the rare days when he's not sleeping in class, he's still not paying any attention to the teacher. Yeah all the teachers hate him.

• Instead his focus is all on you, observing how you are trying your best to pay attention to whatever the hell the teacher's trying to explain, suprisingly intrigued.

• He doesn't know why but, he's not bored while doing even though he's just looking at you . This guy is just attracted to you so damn much.

• And his smol energy level won't allow him to fight that attraction either. However Nagi doesn't dislike that fact. He loves the attraction and you, even if he didn't realise it yet.

A/n: I think the quality is dipped in this one, I kind of rushed it. I apologise for it. (⁠╥⁠﹏⁠╥⁠)

[blossomthepinkbunny]

I've talked before about queer representation in Helluva Boss and Hazbin Hotel, but there are some points I wanted to add, that I haven't really mentioned previously. These are just some things I noticed, that make the LGBTQIA+ representation more shallow than before. Especially after the pride artwork came out for Helluva Boss. (Just my opinion, if you feel represented by these shows, great, all the more power to you)

1. As far as the audience is aware, there are almost no characters that have secondary identities. The only exceptions are Sally Mae (who is Trans and Lesbian) and Alastor (who is Aromantic and Asexual). Everyone else either has one sexuality (Gay, Pansexual, Bisexual etc.) or very rarely is simply Asexual. This kinda fits to more heteronormative thinking, that a person is either one thing or the other. There are no other characters that are genderqueer and have a sexual identity, no characters that are Ace/Aro and have another identity. This also leads into my second point.

(Quick correction, someone pointed out to me, that Alastor is canonically actually only Asexual, not Aro. I lost the question however, so I'll just add that here. That means that Sally Mae is actually the only character with a secondary identity and that there is not a single Aro character in either show. So not an improvement at all really.)

2. There are almost no characters who are genderqueer. Sally Mae as the exception again and some background imps I guess. Sally Mae is the only real character however, in both shows at that (and she just barely passes as a character). No Genderfluid, Genderqueer, Non-binary, Intersex, Bigender, Agender, Pangender, Demigirl/boy character or anything like that. I'm not saying all of these should be represented in the main cast or something, but there is no effort at all to include them in any way. Not even in the pride artwork that has a bunch of background imps present. I'm actually kinda confused by one thing. I remember that when the Hazbin pilot first came out, Angel Dust was mostly considered to be pangender or at least also use female pronouns too. I'm not sure if that's something that was changed over time or if I'm just remembering stuff wrong, however it would be kinda disappointing if they erased that part of his character to make him more appealing to general viewers. The trans umbrella is such an important part of the queer community, it's really bothering me that there is not a single (atleast slightly) relevant character in either HB or HH (that isn't Sally Mae).

3. The lack of Sapphic representation is so annoying. Before any of you start to point at Chaggie immediately, I recognise them as a sapphic couple and actually started to quite enjoy them in the past time. That's mostly just my headcannon version of them though. In the actual show they are really undermined and don't have nearly enough content to be considered a stand out pair or the main relationship. I'm actually really excited for the next season, since it has been revealed that they will have a smexy song and some more romantic content. But now onto the rest of queer women in these shows. Martha and Mayberry don't really count to me. They were pretty much just fanservice and only appeared as a couple in one quick scene. Apart from those two examples (one example if you don't consider the minimal presence of Martha and Mayberry). Most of the queer women in the show aren't allowed to be in relationships with other women. Either they are with a man (which of course isn't wrong in theory) or just single. Barbie Wire, Verosika, Sally Mae, Beelzebub and Loona are all confirmed to be queer, but none of them have a girlfriend/partner. When comparing this to the queer male characters that are present in these shows, these almost always have a relationship or end up in one. Also Vaggie and Sally Mae are the only Lesbians and that's just kinda embarrassing. None of these women even get to show affection towards other women. The closest we get (if I remember correctly) is Millie calling Verosika hot or something and Millie is literally the only main cast character that was confirmed to be straight by the pride artwork. As a queer woman I just wish there was more representation for us. This topic is also heavily tied into some of the underlying sexism present in the shows, but that's a topic for another day.

4. A lot of the queer/kink/fetish scene is used as shock humor rather than genuine representation. It's often something to laugh at or be shocked by, because hell is just so raunchy and crazy and wild or something. The episode Ozzie's is a good example for that. Millie and Moxxie go to a sex club in the lust ring that is owned by the one and only ruling sex demon in all of hell. Yet they are put off by the people there wanting them to be lustful and Ozzie and his staff are presented as deviants, who also bully the main couples in the show. It's good that in the end these sex crazed deviants are defeated through a song of real love. In Hazbin Hotel this is a lot more prevalent too, with Charlie almost always being uncomfortable around anything sexual. Her and Vaggie have a really chaste relationship too. They don't make out or even really cuddle (I'm aware that this will change in season two if the leaked information holds up). If I recall correctly, any sexual scene in the first season is either to make the audience see how perverted and unconventional the inhabitants of hell are (like the club scene where Sir Pentious is literally assaulted) or to show Angel Dust being abused. It is rarely ever a positive thing.

5. Maybe I should change that statement though, because it can be a positive thing, but only for couples that are monogamous and fit more heteronormative ideals. I know this point will maybe be a little complicated to make because there is no problem of course with queer relationships that fit a more traditional view of a relationship. There are a bunch of couples in real life where one person is more effeminate and another more masculine, that also have clearer roles (like with HuskerDust, Stolitz, Moxxie/Chaz, Fizz/Asmodeus). But I feel like what I mean can be best illustrated by the fact that firstly, pretty much every couple that is happy is either married/working towards getting married and also strictly monogamous. I'm thinking of Asmodeus and Fizzarolli, who just make no sense to be a monogamous couple. Asmodeus is the literal sin of lust and you expect me to believe he isn't polyamorous or that they have an open relationship at least. But that is never mentioned and in the pride artwork there is no polyamorous flag to be seen, even though it would only make sense with them. And secondly, just have a look at two background characters. Josh and Ace, who started off as a part of Verosika's Gang of succubi and later on would be confirmed to have gotten married. If you don't get what I'm saying with the show catering to more heteronormative ideals, just look at how these two were drawn before they became a married couple:

and then after:

The change in height, frame and facial features for one of them (don't know who's who tbh) is astounding.

That's all I had to say for now. There's a lot I could add to these points, but I wanted to keep it shorter for now, especially with Tumblr's word limit. I will probably also upload an edit of the pride artwork with my personal headcannons sometime, I just haven't gotten around to finishing it.

I need to see more sapphic couples in these shows, I beg of you Viv. My life will be yours if Leviathan has a girlfriend or Loona gets one in season three. (⁠╯⁠°⁠□⁠°⁠）⁠╯⁠︵⁠ ⁠┻⁠━⁠┻

[asterthought]

I just finished yfnsm and I'm still processing it.

Do I think it's (objectively) better written and developed than MSM? Heck yes.

Does it beat MSM as my favorite Spider-Man show? HELL NO.

I loved and enjoyed with all my being every single episode of YFNSM, don't get me wrong.

BUT one thing that made MSM so special to me was the development of Peter and Harry's relationship. Doesn't matter if you ship them or not, it is a reality that the first season of MSM was heavily based on the fact that Harry was Peter's best friend since they were very very young and despite that, Peter couldn't tell him his biggest secret. ALL BECAUSE OF NORMAN. In the Spider-Man vs Norman Osborn situation, Peter didn't want Harry to be collateral damage. However HARRY STILL WAS COLLATERAL DAMAGE. His project at the Horizon High expo, his inventions, his FRIENDSHIP with Peter AND his freedom all got caught in this situation and suffered indirectly because of Peter being Spider-Man. It also got reversed in season 2 with Harry faking an Europe trip to keep Peter safe and out of the Norman Osborn stuff. And in the end, in season 3 (if you can call that a season ig) Harry ended up taking Peter's side and choosing the opportunity to be FREE.

Yes, I loved the "Go get 'em tiger!" But nothing NOTHING can compare to Peter saying "My loyalty is to you, not to Spider-Man." Peter basically saying I'm more loyal to you than I am to myself.

THIS IS NOT ME THROWING SHADE AT YFNSM! It's just me being in love and absolutely obsessed with MSM. In case you internet people want to twist my words, I can like both iterations of the Spider-Man story and still have a personal preference and I have all the right to explain it here. It's my blog after all.

I could also make a post about everything I thought was great about YFNSM, but to do that properly I'd need a rewatch because I don't like to speak opinions out of pure memory of a show I only have watched once so far. I wouldn't be able to do justice to everything I liked. I just wanna point out that I lost my voice from all the screaming and screeching that happened while watching it.

[freevoidman]

Binged the entire DMC Netflix show (wow holy shit I RARELY do that) and my super quick, spoiler free review is that the show is overall really, REALLY great. Action is spot-on, designs are great, story is pretty strong (episode 6 is easily the strongest of the bunch on a visual and story-telling level holy shit) with some fumbling of new characters. If you've felt the drought of DMC stuff since 5 and VoV ended, the new series will absolutely whet your appetite and leave you satisfied.

Obviously if you're going into this with the expectation of a 1:1 adaptation, you're not going to get it. The show is, effectively, doing its own thing. If that sounds good to you, great! If you wanted a pure adaptation of one of the prior games, you're not getting that here.

If you want some stronger and longer points to go off of, spoilers BELOW the cut, you have all been warned:

Anyone worried about Dante being written "wrong," let me assure you the show does him great. He's fun, he's sarcastic and cocky, you can feel he's in most of his fights for the thrill when there's not greater stakes at play. Out of EVERYONE in this show, Dante has the best characterization outside of the demons, both old and new. Again, however, you might find some of his moments to be written 'against' the Dante from the games. I'm brushing this off as 1) Dante is young in this series (supposedly takes place either in a time around or BEFORE DMC3, meaning he's probably 19-early 20s at the most?) and 2) again, this show is doing its own thing. Not enough that Dante feels completely different--we don't have another Donte from DmC on our hands here--but different enough that people might not like it depending on what KIND of Dante you like, if that makes sense.

Second runner-up here is the White Rabbit. Holy fuck, even for a spoiler section I don't want to give much away, but he steals the show. EASILY the best character in the show--especially amongst the newcomers (we'll get to them in a moment), I'm so glad he was done well, though his character flags the tiniest bit at the end. Overall though, incredible new character and antagonist.

Lady is the most different from her appearances in the games but, honestly? Not by much. Remember, this is 3!Lady we're talking about here, a Lady who hasn't made peace with her father, who still holds the trauma of her mother's death and a deep grudge against demon-kind, and who REALLY doesn't vibe with anyone that isn't a demon and isn't on the "good side" in her mind. I think her character is nailed really well in that regard, though I obviously miss the more 'laid back' Lady from 4 and 5, who we likely won't see for a long while in this show.

I think the most egregious part of Lady's character in this show is that she swears. Like, a lot of swears, combined with some really gross, vivid imagery. Getting close to rivaling Hazbin Hotel, but it's not done for pure comedic edginess like that show. Even I was getting tired of it by the end and I have a HIGH tolerance for it. Really hope in season 2 she doesn't swear as much. I think swearing is fine and definitely warranted at points (Dante swears in this show, but rarely, and only done in a few, key moments and I don't think that 'ruins' his character) but Lady gets really close to an unnecessary excess at times, you could easily cut out a few 'fucks' and the dialogue would be virtually identical with no major character changes.

Worst part of the show, unfortunately, is the new character Vice President Baines (voiced by the late Kevin Conroy, whose performance made me hate Baines less) and the rest of the ideology behind him. Baines feels like a character you're meant to hate, which (if intentional) is done well don't get me wrong, but he's very one note throughout the show and it gets exhausting. He is the Christian religious zealot who believes God has a plan for everything, and he's in an insane position of power to be able to act out "God's" will.

An underlying theme of the show, hastened by its setting in NYC and the greater 'real world' of America, is Christianity and basically what I would call "DMC manifest destiny" which gets very, VERY exhausting to hear repeatedly, always through Baines, and it's never given the full breadth of air to grow past simple dogmatic ideology. The second-to-last scene really made me uncomfortable as I don't think this show has given me enough confidence in its ability to pull of and/or criticize a viewpoint in a way that doesn't feel repetitive and won't feel lackluster.

To be fair: I am not saying this is necessarily bad. In the context of the show (1990s/early 2000s America facing a literal invasion from hell) this works! It would make sense that these characters would exist and have these viewpoints. Episode 1 establishes this and it feels much better executed... right up until we get to the government and VP Baines, where it becomes a very one-dimensional thing that never grows past its grassroots. My main worry is my confidence in the show's ability to tackle the topic and tackle it well, especially when the greater series doesn't touch on these topics (unfortunately, the DmC comparison here does land) and has stayed largely neutral, focusing instead on fictional organizations and plot lines that don't feel too frictional to me.

Season 2 DOES have a promising set-up in this regard. Darkcom (the organization Lady works for) seems to be massively crippled, if not out-right decimated, though this is somewhat unclear. Lady's fate is ultimately unknown, she could still be working for Baines or could be out there on her own. We see the freaking Ouroboros company from DMC2 and I can absolutely see the second season tackling exploitation and the evils of capitalism and giving the villains of DMC2 a proper go. Though, that implements a new worry that we won't see Lady at ALL and instead completely shift to Lucia who, as much as I love her, it would kinda suck to introduce when Lady is right there and still suspended mid-arc.

If a second season is anywhere close in quality to the first, I'll absolutely watch it. I'm hoping that the new characters will be satisfactorily fleshed out and, if nothing else, that the show is fun to watch and not stagnated to a complete halt after that ball tease of a cliffhanger lmao. Ultimately, the show's greater positives--its action, overall writing, overall character execution, and world building--outweigh the negatives and my gripes. I truly hope season 2 expands on the positives and makes the weak points as painless as possible when we brush up against them.

***

EDIT 4/11/2025: I wanted to add to this review that, in addition to the show not giving me the confidence necessary to believe it can pull off its criticisms well, Adi Shankar is not doing that confidence any favors either. I didn't want to touch on him as I felt my opinions on the show could stay separate from him, but unfortunately he's being an absolute weirdo on twitter and I felt I should touch on it here to keep my thoughts in one spot and not have to link two separate posts.

Adi Shankar is, at his best, a complete and utter weirdo to me. His shows have more left-leaning political ideologies--criticisms of the Catholic church in Castlevania, the various themes that even appear in Devil May Cry in regards to the government and dogmatic ideology, the EXCEEDINGLY direct parallels and criticisms towards Bush and Cheney seen with DMC's barely-present POTUS (who we only know as a wimp who cares about his image) and VP Baines (the main government leader who is respected and has all the power to declare war)--but his actual ideologies in real life are far more right wing, as are the people he's willingly associated with and continues to reach out towards. To me, Adi Shankar feels like a grifter. A grifter that rides whatever wave is most popular to gain the best financial and social status. Unfortunately, in 2025, that popular wave is the Trump wave, even if that means he's saddling up to bigots and assholes alike.

All of this to say, Adi's behavior mooching up to Trump and other known right wing assholes (like Asmongold most recently, to the point where a conspiracy nutjob podcaster seen in episode one that I thought was a caricature seems to be inspired by the cockroach fucker and is probably supposed to be seen positively???) makes the show's criticisms of America fall EXCEEDINGLY flat on its face. It is to the point where I can see the whole thing falling apart depending on where we're headed for the (confirmed) second season.

I wanted to come back here to say, regardless of this, I still enjoyed the show. I understand people's legitimate criticisms against it and respect them (and by legitimate here I mean the people who are willing to string together a thought and explain their reasoning outside of simply saying 'it's bad' or 'I don't like it.' Those aren't criticisms those are just opinions to me lol). I also feel like the show is so on-the-nose critical with its themes against christofascism, imperialism, and the greater American philosophy that it's really hard to reconcile those themes with its producer, who is saddling up with the very same people he's criticizing.

Obviously there are more writers on this show than just Adi Shankar and I really hope that Season 2 continues its criticisms and doesn't trip and fall flat on its face. Despite the show's success I do believe that this series was commissioned for two seasons and that's why we got a confirmation so quickly, and I can only hope that it doesn't fumble from its current centrist criticisms and fall down the right-wing spiral of death.

[centrally-unplanned]

Okay, finished Andor - not gonna lie, it wasn't great? Season 2 was weaker than Season 1 I'd say. It was not bad at all to be clear, it is solidly "good" - I am very hype-biased here, responding to the very high praise I saw from most circles. On to the deets:

--- The strategy gaps in the world-building became much more apparent this season as more of the plot rested on larger scale shifts in the dynamic of the rebellion that were increasingly unexplained. At one point mid-season the crew is now living on Yavin after a time skip, and they are mentioning that they are "finally building a real army". Since when? Why? How? How did the preceding efforts of the rebellion lead to that? Why was building a real army ~3 years ago impossible? This is ostensibly the story of the early rebellion, but after Aldhani the rebellion is a bunch of one-off missions, often meeting failure, that simply seems to "work" anyway.

Note that this is thematically relevant because our characters are making huge life decisions based on the value of their sacrifice to said rebellion. The show keeps telling me Cassian is special, sometimes quite literally with some force destiny stuff. But I can't say that what I see on screen makes that true - he doesn't accomplish very much in Season 2 that seems important because (in part) nothing has context for importance.

--- Along the same vein, the ending arc has a big fight from the senior rebel leadership about how everyone hates Luthen and doesn't trust him, how he was ruinous, paranoid, etc. And while I can't say that is false from a personal lens, I have no clue why the people individually saying that would believe it. We never ever see Luthen steer the Rebellion wrong, let his paranoia ruin a good opportunity, etc. He is callous and ruthless, sure, but absolutely not a purveyor of bad intelligence. Did I miss an episode? Authentically, it felt like I did. The last time Bail Organa & Luthen "interacted" it was Luthen correctly calling out that one of Bail's squad was a traitor who was gonna murder Mon Mothma! What are you talking about, man? This whole fight was drama-for-the-sake-of-drama, very stupid.

--- Another related point, I think a lot of main characters just have a lack of agency because the Rebellion is accomplishing so little. Particularly the aforementioned "Cassian Destiny" thing - that is 100% banking on events in Rouge One, he just doesn't accomplish that much here and it comes off as cheesy. Mon Mothma has this too - does her big speech do anything? Not that we see on screen, and at Yavin she does no real leading.

--- The "Rogue One" issue is I do suppose inevitable in a prequel - all of this film is building not to a finale, but a "rising arc" that culminates in Rogue One. That is an issue because A: Rogue One is very, very mid as a film, and B: the main character of Rogue One is Jyn Erso who does not appear in this show! It is an awkward bridge.

--- Was Ghorman destroyed? It seemed like it was gonna be destroyed. They never told me!

--- I don't wanna be a full hater though - the Ghorman Massacre episode was excellent, for example. They definitely know how to set up scenes that balance resistance with futility. And I really liked the set-up concept of their naïveté being exploited by the Empire for false flag operations. Ironically, the Empire has a lot more agency and so they are somewhat more engaging to watch - they want to build a Death Star, their members want to climb the hierarchy or in Dedra's case have a vendetta against Luthen, etc. So we get to see the mechanics of how the empire functions repeatedly - how it controls information, how it overrides local authorities, how its elite jockey for influence, etc.

--- I like Nemik's manifesto and using it as the backdrop for Partagaz's suicide. It is ofc "standard" rhetoric, but authoritarian power is weak because it is unnatural, that is true! Partagaz's knows it, he always has, it is his entire character! Sometimes you line shit up right, 10/10 moment.

--- Kleya best girl, I very much enjoyed the "pivot" at the end from Luthen to her as an arc choice - a simple trick but making the stoics break under the weight of things works really well to emphasize the stakes.

I do appreciate that the primary focus of the show is the characters, it isn't about them "being heroes" per se, I wouldn't change that. They don't have to be in the driver's seat. But someone I think had to be to make the events cohere into a true story. Still a solid show, would recommend; I do wish this was more of a comeback for the beleaguered Star Wars franchise though. I can't be too mad for people finally getting a B-tier show after years of lesser output and hyping it to A-tier out of relief.

[highladyluck]

Wheel of Time, Season 3, Episode 2 (second watch) Liveblog

Elayne like "This is the largest gay bar in the world, please don't take me away"

Emotionally Intelligent Lan never fails to jumpscare me lmao

I already said this but I do need to reiterate: Galad would not fuck

I like that we see Morgase's accepted ring like, first thing. Also those maid headdresses that look like approximately one-fourth of a swan has been applied directly to the entire head? They're very good. Very intimidating. Very high fashion.

I'm now watching to see if Elaida has the bracelet this early- hard to tell tho.

So. I was not a huge fan of the Lannister lean-in thing they did with Morgause on first watch. But I've seen some commentary that has reconciled me a bit more to it- one is that people were going to make the comparison between Andor's whole vibe and Game of Thrones anyway, so they called it to mind deliberately but contrasted it with Morgase's slightly more strategic/principled(?) motivation. This is the kind of thing that RJ did with the first 200 pages of EotW and The Fellowship of the Ring- deliberately echoing the more familiar property before going in a different direction with it- so it's not like that's a new-to-WoT tactic. The other bit of commentary that has influenced me is the argument that it sets up some really juicy stuff for Elayne to work with later in her succession plot.

Elayne is so cute when she lies through her teeth

Siuan waiting a very precisely calculated amount of time to let them in lmao

Siuan is WEIRDLY smiley re: Lord Gaebril considering her mood moments before…

This is obviously because of the letter Elayne sent, but I honestly don't know why Elayne told Morgase she was kidnapped if she didn't want to get hauled home. Maybe to drive home the Seanchan threat?

I forgot who I first thought the people in the ways were, but I was totally wrong. As we find out later, it's Alanna and Maksim, but yeah, wtf are they doing in the Two Rivers in this turning? Still hunting for novices?

Yeah that was a significantly long pause for Elayne before she acknowledged Gabril

Mat looks good in green :)

If only we had someone who could fix mind diseases! [thinks about Mat in Graendal's clutches] NEVERMIND NO ONE NEEDS THERAPY

The implication of 'honorary great serpent ring' is that Morgase didn't have to go through the Arch(es) but honestly since they don't require channeling and are a character/commitment test similar to [SPOILERS FOR LATER IN THE SEASON] I've always headcanoned that Daughter-Heirs of Andor who went to the Tower actually took the test. But maybe it's seen as too risky for them to actually take it? I'd certainly buy that in this universe.

Elayne like "This is the largest gay bar in the world, please don't take me away"

Emotionally Intelligent Lan never fails to jumpscare me lmao

I love the contrast between the Aiel 'save and destroy' and the WT 'save or destroy' here; it's less of a stark contrast in the books but I think it's a really interesting nuance to dwell on and fits with the overall themes of encoutering different perspectives and the subjectivity of history/prophecy. Also I love Avi talking duty with Egwene and Moiraine, just like, on principle.

These landscapes holy shit

At least we know that Marin is the kind of person who would hide people in her attic

Alanna, Perrin used to live here. What the fuck are YOU doing in the Two Rivers?

lmao once you get an Elaida infestation it's hard to get her out

ooof. I bet Siuan is thinking in terms of another Darkfriend attack on the Tower re: Min's visions.

Mat, you absolute dumbass [derogatory]. That said, Clara is super hot. "I think everyone is into this kind of thing, Mat" - excellent line delivery Nyneave

Awwwww is Nyneave wearing Lan's ring around her neck? Or her great serpent ring?

"And is the Lion Throne under threat?" damn Nyneave is killing it this episode

Rand you cheating ho

I already said this but I do need to reiterate: Galad would not fuck

I knew immediately that someone was gonna catch Elayne vamping with the crown and I was preemptively embarrassed for her I hate that Gaebril is charming I hate it I hate it (it's very good) Galad is always serious oooof not Gareth Bryne :( High-Functioning Alcoholic Elayne T_T I buy it but it hurts me

THE MAT AND SIUAN SCENE IS PERFECT. Also it sounds at the beginning like she's got him as a guest on her early morning tv show/interview podcast and that always makes me laugh. I really hope that she and Mat get to meet again because they were so fun to watch together.

And now for another scene of masterful manipulation! GO GO ELAYNE

Elayne: "My path will always lead back to Andor." Me: '-through the circus.'

Lan listens but you aren't fucking talking, Rand

Lmao I'm enjoying the barely veiled threats in this Morgase & Siuan confrontation

[arcane-ish]

The s2 Silco/Vander/Felicia flashback

@lady-griffin stealing the conversation from over there, because we are already yapping so long on somebody else's topic.

If I was doing that scene, without completely rewriting or removing it – I would have made it less of a flashback and more of memory. Have things be disjointed or non-real elements included; Vander’s memories have been torn up again and again and again but Vi calling his name was enough for him to put them together and be cognizant enough to be himself again... but those memories are still broken up. It’s not 100%. Some possible thoughts - having flickers of other people being in the bar too (making it feel more like a community and not just three best friends) and then it just becomes Vander, Silco, and Felicia because those two are who he tried so hard to remember. Maybe we see the mom dancing with the dad, but he keeps flickering in and out and disappears altogether because Vander wasn’t desperate to remember him as much when he was being experimented on by Singed; but Felicia and Silco, his girls, his kids – he clung to those memories so they're more solid for him, but even they’re not perfectly remembered, because he literally can't. Maybe young Silco keeps appearing with his eye after the river or the barnacle version of him creeps through for a second or two.

You know, that's a really interesting point. I have issues with that scene and not all of them are really the writing. My thoughts here are bit disjointed, so I'll try to collect em.

I don't like the fated/connected from the start stuff

ie I don't care for the "Vander named Vi/Felicia told him first" stuff, just like I don't care about the "Jayce encounted Viktor as a child". It's just genuinely a trope I don't care for much.

I don't mind CaitVi just nearly missing each other at the heist of Jayce's lab. And I don't mind Timebomb being playmates as kids and that being the origin of their story.

But if like the show had instead given us a scene for Vander and Silco where let's say Vander flashes back to his parent and the parent suddenly drops a scrawny kid into his room and says "you gonna take care of him now". That would have been just about my least favorite turn of events. Even though they are my biggest ship.

It's not great as a "fated" type story

I don't like fated type stories in general but I can see when they work like JayVik obviously did for a lot of people. And you can tell those stories about platonic love.

But to me that isn't really there.

Because the flashback emphasizes Vander's connection with Vi (he named her) but most of the season emphasizes his relationship with Jinx more. Which I don't think is that unnatural, as season 1 is more from Vi's POV and season 2 is more Jinx's POV, it makes sense that those seasons would emphasize each main characters connection with him.

But that means it doesn't work as a tragic fated story.

He named her, but he dies with Jinx. And his last scene that we know of (putting both girls to bed, blowing out the candle) emphasizes both of girls fairly equally.

If his death had been more about him dying for Vi maybe it would have rung better, more poetic more fated. Or if him and Vi had gotten one proper scene chilling together, just about the two of them.

Like let's say the scene Jinx and Vi share at the place with their height measurements, if that had been Warwick and Vi instead, maybe their story would have felt more whole.

Don't get me wrong, I wouldn't want to change it, that scene was important for Jinx and Vi. But Warwick and Vi not getting a scene like that contributes to Vi and Vander's story feeling like it's been left dangling. (ie that Vi hallucinates Loris as Vander)

So getting a big "fated" type scene but then having the storyline feel like it's kind of dangling, doesn't really pull together. Which to me enhances the feeling that the scene feels cheesy.

Felicia's role is both too big and too small

I generally have a bit of an issue with how a lot of the minor s2 characters are written. That a lot of them feel less plausible/in the world. I have this with Isha, with Maddie and also with Felicia.

The art of season 1 was that everybody and their wants and needs felt very plausible within the world. A lot of the s2 characters (Felicia, Isha and Maddie spring to mind) feel more "plopped into the world to do their purpose and then fuck off".

Felicia before season 1 was just glimpses, dead body on the bridge, flashes in Vi's memory. And suddenly she gets this big fat scene that focuses on her and her needs and her ideas.

... and then she's pretty much gone from the story. Yes, she's not completely gone, you can argue Vi and Jinx have their bonding scene and that is the end of her "arc"/her fullfilling your purpose.

I just feel like a little bit more might have tied it together more.

ie Jinx hallucinates her and she tells her not to give up

or she shows up in Warwick's healing dream as a guide kind of like Skye

or she shows up in Vi's hallucinations as a comforting presence

or she shows up in Vander's final "putting the kids to bed" dream

or have her statement be more in line with the "message of the series" that is later voiced by Jinx's hallucination of Silco

Don't get me wrong, as I like Silco and Vander, I'm glad that that scene wasn't an intro to "oh great, now everything is going to be about her now".

But the imo relative lack of follow through makes it weird to me that the scene is like that (long, very focused on her)

The visuals are boring

I think you actually hit the nail on the head.

When wrote my review/reaction to that scene, I think I settled on this very early that my biggest pet peeve isn't what happens in that scene or is said, but that it feels off. They look too clean, too well fed. Why no dirt, no scars, no tattoos, no ripped clothes, hard muscles from work? Why not try to communicate more about the setting?

Arcane so far has been really good of really characterizing the different eras of the Last Drop. And it feels that just off that it's that empty and has that little personality. (ie if they wanted to emphasize that it's been freshly built and it's before the grand opening they could have had like tools lying around, brooms and buckets)

Or give me Felicia having the same dialogue, but have her actually be ragged, with bags under her eyes, ripped cloths, dirt on her cheek. Make them feel like proper young revolutionaries rather than like well fed students chilling.

That's why I personally prefer the little flashes of Silco in Warwicks memories as he runs through the mines. They communicate so much more personality.

Arcane has done flashbacks that felt very realistic, very plausible, like the Caitlyn or Viktor child flashbacks. And they have done flashbacks that clearly mix stuff that happened with like impressions (uninjured Silco floating in really deep water versus Silco being drowned by Vander in clearly less deep water). And then we have things like are like clearly warped, to the extent of having an off the wall style like the Remember Me video or the Isha montage.

The fact that the Drop is that empty makes it feel like a capsule in time. It doesn't feel like a realistic place that tells us a lot about the circumstances that they live in (even though it would have been super interesting to get a glimpse into the Zaun of the past).

Okay, so let's embrace it's not a realistic, scene, it's just Vander's memory. So what does it tell us abour Vander? Is it his happy place? Then why does the style look so different from other memories? Does it communicate that he cared a lot about Felicia? Then why not build on that again.

I guess the idea of the scene is to emphasize that Vander was connected and bound to the girls from the very start. And his love for the girls is like the only thing that keeps Warwick slightly tethered to thir world in s2. But I dunno, it still feels kind of off to me.

I naturally rag a lot about the writing (just because a lot of the time it's just so clear that they infused scenes with so much more personality and meaning with the animation alone, without any dialogue being needed). But that's really a scene where the writing is "okay", but the animation is kind of uninspired/they could have done more to give it personality. IMO it stands out as one of the more boring scenes of the show.

As for improvements in animation alone:

like you say, flashes of other things, to continue with the theme of Vander's memories being very fractured

make the characters more ragged, make them feel more like a realistic part of the world, imply something about how much work it was for them to get the drop

But that's kind of the thing too. I think the Remember Me montage suggests that Vi had a relatively happy childhood. Which in turn implies that period of peace between them getting the Last Drop and the Bridge.

So maybe they didn't want the implication that life in the past was a constant struggle, to make it work better as a baseline of peace that Jinx and Vi can bond over.

I dunno, to me the scene just feels "off". It feels very "blunt" and kind of not very economic in both the writing and the animation.

Like, when I think of a scene like Caitlyn telling Jayce that she's upset about Jinx. The writing is very blunt and on the nose there as well, but the animation and the scenery with the wind, it tries to communicate something to us about what Caitlyn is feeling, how "stormy" it is inside of her. It's still a building scene "because Caitlyn feels this way, she will later do X".

Compared to that the flashback scene just feels kind of ... flat to me. Very uneconomic about what it communicates compared to the length. (and I don't mean that every scene has to be economic, like clearly Arcane will hold on a scene in order to wallow deeply in that emotion, where the emotion or a badass fight scene is the kill shot of a scene, but it's not that type of scene. Or if it was meant as a "wallow in nostalgia" scene it is outdone by the much more excessive Remember Me)

It's not the worst scene, I don't hate it. There are aspects about it that I like (I like Silco's diary, I like Bozo 1 and Bozo 2, I like the ankle biters). It maybe communicates a bit about what world/backstory the writers imagined (carved from bedrock) even though it does pretty much only in dialogue rather than also in animation.

But I think of scenes like Vi and Jinx walking into Silco and Vander's old hideout and Jinx touching the jackets and imo that does just such a better, more subtle job of communicating things on so many layers (communicate something about Vi and Jinx and their relationship to each other, their relationship with Silco and Vander, Vander and Silco's relationship with each other, something about the time).

I do wonder why it was that way. Like, they clearly wanted to show as a little about Vander and Silco's past. But why do it that way?

Did they throw in the "Vander named Vi" part because they think it's important or because they were worried some people might not get that it's the same woman from Vi's flashbacks? Did they want to set up "Felicia asked both Vander and Silco to take care of the girls" to create a bedrock to explain why Vander and Silco are together in the AU?

[eversayswhat]

end of wild life thoughts!

Contains Wild Life Spoilers!

i really enjoyed this season, even though it did have to grow on me, it was very entertaining to watch! we got some absolutely amazing teams this season (bamboozlers my beloved, also TREEBARK TEAMUP #2!)it wasn't my favorite, but that doesn't mean it wasn't good! the creators seemed to have fun overall, and that helps me have fun watching!

though i did really enjoy secret and wild life, i do hope next season is less outward gimmick based, yk? like the first four seasons the main gimmick had to do with their lives directly(excluding the boogeyman), rather than the secret tasks and wildcards. just something i'm missing from these last seasons.

(don't get me wrong about secret life, genuinely top three seasons for me)

BUT

i've seen a bit of negativity (not a whole lot thankfully) towards wildlife post season, and towards grian, which is really weird to me personally. when i sit down and think about ideas for a new season, genuinely nothing comes to mind, so the fact that grian is coming up with new stuff is awesome! it's okay if you didn't totally enjoy a gimmick, that's fine! just don't be weird about it.

overall, super awesome season, glad we got a full cast this time!

(and i'm loving joel's symbolism being that fuckass car, great work guys)

[spop-romanticizes-abuse]

arcane s2 - review

okay so now that i have given my two cents on caitvi and i've had enough time to digest s2 of arcane, what do i think about the rest of it?

overall, i have mixed feelings about it. i didn't hate it but i feel like a lot of the themes and ideas were poorly executed, especially compared to s1.

(huge spoilers to arcane below!)

but let me start with the positives:

the animation OBVIOUSLY. huge props to the animators, s1 was already phenomenonal and s2 lived up to the hype, animation-wise. the fight scenes especially were just *mwah* chef's kiss.

the character designs were great. caitlyn looks a lot prettier with the middle parting. vi's emo phase is really hot. jinx's designs in the alternate universe and the finale were iconic. jayce's beard and disheveled look was just chef's kiss. jesus viktor was hot as fuck.

the voice actors did an amazing job obviously, and i didn't expect anything less from them.

jayce's and viktor's relationship was so good despite not having all that much screentime when you think about it. they interact in the beginning when viktor wakes up from his hex-coma and then reunite and fight and make up in the final few episodes. but because of their relationship that was built up in the first season, it all worked out smoothly and made for a very natural progression in their relationship.

jinx's redemption was pretty good. not the BEST but it was carried out well enough, especially in just 9 episodes. i didn't feel like it was rushed or undeserved. her sacrifice in the end was heartbreaking but it felt natural and not shoehorned in for some added angst.

and now for the negatives:

1. the pacing was really bad, in my opinion. they had only 9 episodes but they stuffed in so many subplots into this season that it felt overwhelming.

maybe i'm just stupid but i couldn't keep up with half of the stuff that was going on and some parts of the finale didn't make a whole lot of sense to me.

like the whole storyline with mel and ambessa and the black rose was a blur to me. i honestly don't know what happened in the end after ambessa dies.

the whole deal with singed and vander and whatnot was also really murky. like i get the overall premise but it was really hard for me to grasp every single detail.

maybe this is just a me problem and i'm too dumb to follow more than two storylines at the same time. but s1 already had a lot going on and it was still a tad bit easier to follow.

s2 was just crammed with a whole bunch of different characters pursuing different goals and facing different obstacles, 9 episodes weren't enough to give all of it a satisfying conclusion. and as a result, some of the arcs felt rushed and unfinished.

like what happened to the whole found family thing with sevika, jinx and isha? they were beginning to get closer and form a good relationship but then suddenly, sevika is pushed out of the image and we never see how she reacts to jinx and isha's death.

2. while i don't think that caitvi is abusive, i still don't think the ship was great. it was just super rushed and there is a grain of truth to what caitvi antis are saying.

like yeah, caitlyn being an enforcer and seeing nothing wrong with it was.. questionable. wasn't the whole point of s1 that enforcers were ruining the lives of the people in zaun? wasn't police brutality and classism the main theme of this series? how come vi's parents were killed by enforcers and she was unfairly imprisoned for years by enforcers, but somehow she ends up dating an enforcer?

before s2 came out, i expected caitlyn to give up her job after realizing how corrupt it was. i thought that would be the natural progression of her arc, especially since she's seen how much the people of the undercity has suffered at the hands of enforcers. but nope, she keeps her job and it's never addressed in the end.

i don't think that caitlyn hitting vi once out of frustration and once out of necessity makes her a domestic abuser. but i do think it's kind of icky for vi to end up in a relationship with an enforcer, and for the show to frame it in a semi-positive manner. it's not entirely romanticized but the problems with it aren't really addressed either.

3. i feel like the themes of classism wasn't as well addressed in this season as it was in the first one. the first season had a strong message and it stuck to it. the second season was all over the place and then suddenly, there's viktor and the whole glorious evolution or whatever, and the conflict between piltover and zaun is pushed aside.

i like that sevika becomes part of the council in the end but is she the only one representing the undercity? is one person enough to speak for all these people in zaun? at least it's true to real life, i guess.

overall, i felt like the message was a lot more murky in this season. this ties to my first complaint because while s1 had a lot of storylines too, they followed a common theme. war, classism, and how privilege and the lack thereof affects people. s2's storylines are just all over the place and none of them seem to follow a theme. at least some of them could have been discarded.

4. i briefly mentioned this before but the fact that jinx stops experiencing her hallucinations never made sense to me. especially after she accidentally killed silco, shouldn't they get worse? it is implied that she has schizophrenia and c-ptsd so i really don't understand how silco's death suddenly got rid of most of her symptoms.

she still sees and hears the hallucinations from time to time and her mental state is definitely far from stable, but it was still such a huge jump from her psychotic breakdown in the s1 finale.

so yeah, these are my thoughts about arcane s2. there were more pros than cons but the cons still outweigh the pros, simply because of how much impact they had on the plot.

i'm generally not one to demand more seasons or episodes out of a series where the writers have already told the story they wanted to tell, but arcane s2 was so rushed and so filled to the brim with different characters and storylines, i couldn't help but feel like it would have benefited from having more episodes to play everything out more slowly.

i still liked this series a lot and i enjoyed watching it, but i'm not blind to its flaws and i try not to be biased.

[sunflowerandstrawberryspice]

CARMEN SANDIEGO? In 2024? It's more likely thank you think! Please excuse the shit quality for some reason I wasn't allowed to upload the normal pdf and I had to upload a fucking screenshot???

So my friend convinced me to watch Carmen Sandiego and since he's watching ALL of Ninjago for me I thought it was the least I could do to watch four season of a show with a pretty decent concept but uh... yeesh, don't get me wrong the show is really fun but lord have mercy does it have problems especially the last two seasons which were just so wildly disappointing to me. It went from a show with an interesting look on morals to pure pro-cop and mostly black and white thinking so quick (that not mentioning the breaking up a found family full of people with abandonment issues) it was honestly just so disappointing so me and the friend who introduced it to me decided to rewrite it! (I will not be animating nor do I plan on doing more than MAYBE a comic or art piece here and there because my chronic pain ridden ass can not handle that much lol)

The main goals are to:

1) Flesh out characters that aren't Carmen and actually give them reactions based on their lived experiences and how they might realistically react instead of what the show needed to move the plot along

2) Having characters other than Carmen be actually relevant to the plot the main one being Chase Devineaux who we're gonna kind of have as a parallel to Carmen (trust me yall) as kind of a "What if Carmen didn't have her friends/family to ground her and fall back on" but for all the Chase fans out there (gods I hope there's some other than me) he will be getting a happy ending but bro is getting put through the RINGER first

3) Have both A.C.M.E (now standing for Administration for Containing and Monitoring Evil) and V.I.L.E be the bad guys. Also just as an extra bit of fun we're making VILE a full blown cult, they were very cult like in the show so we're just gonna make it one. Both are going to be very morally questionable and while it'll take a bit longer for ACME to show it's true colors don't you worry they definitely will ;)

4) We're doing canonical lgbtq+ rep, I know the show teased a lot of relationships and really only gave yall background gays not to say thats bad but we can do better than just a brief shot of a damn taco truck. I mean like come on in a story about a young woman going against the government for the greater good why not put some rep into it ya know!

5) We're making it light sci-fi, not like SUPER high tech but definitely beyond what we've got currently, as shown with Carmen's prosthetic, and don't worry I'm doing my research as a disabled person I know how it feels to be misrepresented or ignored so I want to make sure I'm being realistic

6) PLAYER ISN'T GOING TO BE A CHILD! I don't know if this bothered anybody else but to me it was really weird that this 16 year old's only friends were in their 20s!

Alright I think that's what I'm gonna say for now, I'd love it if yall tuned in for updates if your curious since this is a passion project for me and my friend and we're having a blast writing it!

As always I am still working on stuff for Ninjago cause I could never abandon my one true love, currently there's a Pixal drawing in progress (it's giving me hell T-T) something for Cole and Geo, and something of Sora MAYBE even Euphrasia if I'm feeling up to it.

Having said that I hope yall have a great day/night and PEACE OUT!

[mrinafria]

Seen some viewers not liking The Judge from Hell for different reasons, and I think I kind of get why (just my guess). Also, disclaimer (in case it's not obvious enough): I respect and am fine with anyone disagreeing with me and not liking the show for whatever reason.

If you've watched The Devil Judge, then The Judge from Hell is not that. Unlike The Devil Judge, it doesn't have a dark, grim, ominous setup that stays true to that heavy vibe till the end. If you've watched Lucifer, it's not that either. Close but also not really. Unlike Lucifer, The Judge from Hell hasn't shown us an anti-hero/anti-heroine who, underneath the charisma and confidence and tricks and looks, is full of self-loathing, unprocessed angst and human-like emotions. I'm just going off of the 8 episodes of TJFH aired so far. Unlike Lucifer, Justitia doesn't seem to display a subconscious desire not to be misunderstood and abandoned, nor does she feel complex emotions about humans and humanity (it's just starting with Daon she still has a long way to go). We don't see a Fallen/Demon with a semblance of a moral compass here.

Even her "I trust what children say" doesn't mean much because she doesn't do that out of some morality; to her, it's just facts that children are the least crafty and least vile amongst humans. Justitia is very mechanical (and petty even) in what she does- she's not on some great self-discovery or redemption journey in here to even entertain the notion of humanity or morality. If we expect such nuance from her so early on in the story, we maybe setting ourselves up for disappointment. Y'all she's been doing this for Lord knows HOW many hundred years. It's not her first gig. If you have been having coffee at night despite being an insomniac for like three decades, it's highly likely you'd stop thinking or caring about the morality, the 'rightness' of drinking coffee even when it destroys your health.

It's like that for her, to the point where she can, in fact, treat every murder, every crime, every criminal lightly. She's been the judge, jury and executioner all along, and that's the job she needs to do well on earth too. As audience, we may be living on earth longer than she's been but the moment Justitia stepped in, it became 'her world' that we're now getting a peek at.

She's not some vigilante or messiah; just an eccentric, murdering demon from hell who likes Z cola and a pretty wardrobe and Han Daon too- what's wrong with that lol. I remember seeing similar sentiments when Vincenzo was on, because some felt the comedy and humor didn't go well with the overall theme, with a psycho CEO committing all kinds of crimes+ ML's childhood grief and mafia ptsd+ revenge etc. I feel like it was a conscious choice not to make the show so heavy or serious, despite the subject matter. TJFH feels like it treats heavy stuff casually because it is mostly shown through Justitia's lens, and so far, SHE has been treating heavy stuff casually. She really doesn't feel anything emotionally for the girl being in an abusive relationship, or the child being with that horrible excuse of a stepmom. All she sees are the sinners and their sins, and whether they can help her fulfill her mission.

But even that is changing now, gradually, with Justitia/Kang Bitna starting to feel more and more human emotions (props to Daon).

Now, could we have gotten a more nuanced character arc with a serious undertone? Maybe yes, maybe no. The story is yet to unfold fully so I say it's too early to decide that? However, three things that come to mind are: 1. kdramas generally don't get seasons unlike TV series in the US or UK, to explore things gradually with each season geared towards a certain theme or development. Lucifer did what it did in six seasons. 2. I've noticed that unless it's a super horror, super apocalyptic or dystopian show, kdramas like to incorporate humor in their story no matter what genre it is (even shows like The Light in Your Eyes or Moon Lovers or Hi Bye, Mama have their lighthearted moments). Kdramas aren't perfect. Different shows become perfect to different audiences because of their personal preferences. I watch the show because the trailers promised us a fantasy drama with angst between the leads, because it gives me a good laugh, and also maybe because a small part in me kinda sorta lives vicariously through Justitia's ultimate reckoning lol.

I'm actually glad it's not a heavy show because the stuff they've shown so far can be quite disturbing and triggering and I'd be very hesitant to proceed with it if that were the case. 3. I think it's also okay to acknowledge that not all writers/creatives would prefer to do the research needed to pull off certain themes, nuanced character arcs and dynamic, which can leave some viewers wanting more out of a character/show too.

It's fine not to like a hyped drama or a character (happens to me too). But in my opinion, the show is delivering what it promised to deliver initially, and I'm glad it is.