#severe griping

[sablegear0]

Oh god what the fuck

New dash finally hit and wow that's... that's bad. Even XKit doesn't really fix the "we want so bad to be twitter" bar on the left. Which is surprisingly unintuitive. I considered using the Tampermonkey unfucker script but... no.

No, this is untenable.

So I ponder the validity of a piece of advice I saw in a recommended post to stop using desktop tumblr if you get the update - under the assumption staff are checking for traffic on the new layout to "prove" it's just as effective as the old one. Presumably extensions and custom scripts don't change the data they see on their end, and this post was encouraging people to crash their engagement numbers on the new dash layout tests by just using mobile tumblr instead. I can't say for sure how true this may be, it sounds plausible though.

But y'see the problem is that mobile sucks. I have to turn my volume all the way down to browse in piece bc the awful auto-play ads are

SO LOUD

it makes browsing a minefield.

Guess I just have to choose the lesser of two braindead evils, which might be mobile because at least it makes sense still.

[okitanoniisan]

ADKSBFKDKSLVJGH IT WORKS

[hplonesomeart]

AUUUU STOP THIS MOMENT WAS ADORABLE AND SWEET AND PRECIOUS AND MY HEART MELTED FOR THEMMMMM 😭💕

(lots of writing under the ‘read more’ btw incase you want my personal thoughts on things!)

Before the episode started I has been bracing myself for the genocide route, but it seem like what we ended up getting was the pacifist route because NEVER would I have anticipated such an empathetic twist??? I was dead convinced that my hopes/dreams of Puzzle redemption were squandered and left to rot (they probably still are to some degree actually lol but oh well I can accept that he’s a lovable psycho). And yet this episode does the impossible….giving us an unfathomably wholesome scene that helps heal his dejected inner child, even just a little. PLEASE this wasn’t something I was prepared for and it’s gotten such a strong grip on my heartstrings right now. I love themmmmm holy shittttt <33

I didn’t think Meggy would step up and try to connect with him like that especially since she was so aggressively defensive when he initially reached out. And I like that even when she gets to speak to Little/Kid Puzzles her behavior is very stern at first lol. Kinda like a disappointed older sister who can’t be bothered to put up with him for too long. But using Leggy as a way to build that bridge again was so clever of her—and hey it helped lure him into false sense of security so he’d get jailed up jskjsksp. Everyone wins I guess!! ALSO can I just say whoever composed the soundtrack (Zach Preciado for the rap segment specifically) deserves just as much praise as the voice actors because DAYM the layering of all those instruments and the seamless transitions into different emotional tones was superb :))

[numbuh]

every problem and nitpick i have with the jartoon video:

the gknd art in the thumbnail is uncredited fanart

sector v is referred to as "sector five" throughout the video, despite the i.n.t.e.r.v.i.e.w.s. clip shown where "sector v" is said. sector w is properly referred to by letter in that segment but sector v isn't

instead of an official png of numbuh 3, they use another piece of uncredited fanart

"grandma stuffums" grandma stuffum

"sector three" is said in the l.i.z.z.i.e. segment

"nigel has been bafflingly decommissioned" is incorrect usage of "decommissioned" and implies his memories have already been wiped. the word is used correctly in the f.u.g.i.t.i.v.e. segment later in the video, but not here

mushi is misspelled 'mushy'

numbuh 206 is referred to by "he" and then "her" before the video's reveal that 86 actually caught 362

362 was not the supreme leader of the knd during f.u.g.i.t.i.v.e.. it was her first appearance and the episode ended with 86 giving her to 274 because he was the leader.

"the kids next door galactic" improper grammar, the gknd is never referred to like this

the gknd art at the end is fanart. they do show the tweet from the cn account where credit is given but it would've been significantly less misleading to show a picture from the stop the g:knd animatic or any other concept art. gknd as a spin-off is not even touched upon in the video aside from addressing the fanart tweet. this channel has several shameless clickbait thumbnails, this is no exception. at least it's not wildly inappropriate like the others are

what do a few of these episodes have to do with knd's overarching story at all? there's other little arcs missing but not even covering the splinter cell stuff? how do you skip over the 274 tnd reveal? not enough research was done at all (which seems like a common trend with these)

the recommission module is referred to as a reinstating device then "recommission" is said a sentence or two later. inconsistency

sentences that don't have to be long/structured a bit weird

[asclexe]

the house md fandom would be fixed by more femlash

[lugarn]

if you are one of the very loud ppl who think that mame must be demonized in the tags for every show she makes, and this is just a 100% normal thing mame fans should put up with, please block me.

i don't wanna hear your takes and i certainly don't wanna see y'all being increasingly hostile in the tags every week about completely innocuous aspects of Love Sea.

block me now and we'll both be happier, please and thanks.

[lisa-cuddys]

As much as I liked the ending and Fifteen and Ruby's goodbye scene, the episode on the whole was underwhelming. It was set up as so much and so big but it didn't live up to the expectations. Idk maybe it is just me, but I am feeling underwhelmed. Also the goodbye scene between Ruby and Fifteen was totally ruined by the advance knowledge that they will travel together again.

[vorgoth]

not emmrich unexpectedly becoming one of my fav dragon age romances of all time 😭 he's soooooooo.......

[dammitradar]

The sequel to "is that outfit stylish or is the model just skinny"

Is that outfit "modest" or does the model just have small breasts?

[elendsessor]

SPOILERS FOR BOTH PERSONA 3 FES AND RELOAD’S EPISODE AIGIS AHEAD!

(don’t expect much persona stuff on this blog either i just found this interesting)

disclaimer: if you like episode aigis, more power to you. this isn’t meant to be an attack, rather a critique!!!

because a lot of discussion regarding episode aigis kept creeping into my recommended, i was genuinely curious about some cutscene changes and yeah reload absolutely fumbled the shadow mc’s death… but not in the way i think some discussions see it.

the common consensus with how it was handled is both tried to go for two different tones, which is true. however, the original scene is seen as strictly the horror of death, which is where i don’t think people understand what made it work.

that scene wasn’t only that. it was meant to represent the beauty in the macabre.

the original persona 3 played with visuals more than reload and that’s just a fact. compare the color choices, the openings, all of that. in terms of modernsona, it’s the most visually distinct game as a result, which serves as a much more interesting way to explore emotions. that scene serves as a testament to such.

disregarding the gorier elements of the original scene, how the visuals of letters peeling off the shadow mc’s skin just matched how uncanny it all is, the sudden use of 3d animation, and finally the burst of blue butterflies adds impact as it sort of shifts emotions.

notice how that’s the last thing that happens as the shadow mc fades away. there’s no struggle, blood, immediate reactions, any of that. it’s a quiet death.

and that’s why the answer’s worked. the skin peeling represents the mortality, fragility, and in some ways decay, yet the butterflies bursting gives life and peacefulness. you can find the chaoticness horrific, edgy, grim, saddening, any number of feelings.

there’s no right way to interpret the scene—it’s meant to be an emotional rollercoaster—but to say that there can’t be more than one takeaway aside from horror is objectively wrong.

however, with episode aigis, there is only one real way to interpret it. this isn’t just because all the shadow protag does is fade away, but the inclusion of character reactions actively hurts it because it tells you how to feel. you’re meant to be as distraught and sad as sees. aigis may be the most expressive, but you’re meant to be aigis, not the player, so the ultimate interpretation is it’s sad (and beautiful if you find it beautiful). there is no room for debate because there’s the fucking answer right there. death is sad and nothing more when in reality it isn’t.

it’s okay to add the reactions but not in the moment. afterwards leaves a better impact because by letting the death play for itself, the player’s feelings come first, not aigis’s.

in that sense i suppose, yes, both games were trying to achieve different results. however, those results are either up to the player’s interpretation or what the writers wanted, which the latter is terrible storytelling.

something a few writing teachers have said, at least in my experience, is once your story gets out there, it’s up to the reader to decide how they see it, not just the characters. if the author is telling the reader how they’re supposed to feel, in some ways it’s talking down to them. disregarding their feelings. leaving no room for experiences.

that’s the danger of the tell don’t show rule, which is why it has to be used sparingly or avoided if at all possible. if it’s used incorrectly, then it can result in media illiteracy and be an overall insult to the reader.

episode aigis is anti-reader as a result, making it genuinely awfully written. plus, that scene is honestly the best thing in the answer, so they fucked up the best part, making it actually worse in comparison.

i’m not here to call the answer a masterpiece or anything because it isn’t good. not horrendous, but it’s definitely the weakest storyline tied to p3, which is a shame because, despite all the issues 3 has, the story was the best thing about it.

reload did sanitize a bunch of aspects for a more wide appeal but it ultimately harmed the original message and interpretations. it genuinely hurts to see.

[yuesya]

I'm eager to hear your complaints about Fontaine's last story segment.

Haha Fontaine complaints! (Cracks knuckles)

Also: Spoilers ahoy! If you’re someone who plays Genshin Impact and has not finished the Fontaine archon quests, then I do not recommend reading any of this.

I’d also like to add: Fontaine’s main story definitely had some bright spots for me, and there were various scenes and tidbits that I enjoyed. That said, I also had several complaints by the end of it all. This entire thing also... got pretty lengthy, whoops.

… Anways! Without further ado:

1) Furina’s Trial

Personally, I am not a fan of the way that Furina’s trial was handled.

Firstly, the setup involved in luring Furina into their initial trap: The boat/house that was transported to the opera house courtroom. This was accomplished through psychological torment and manipulation, in which people were purposefully incited into targeting her.

When the walls eventually fall down around Furina and reveal her standing inside the stage of the courtroom, the Traveler has a line somewhere around there when she tells Furina that she had her last chance to come clean with her secrets to them, right before these walls came down. Here, I just wanted to ask –clearly there was already a full house in the audience seating, and they literally brought Furina onstage. Even if Furina did decide to come clean in those last few moments, what were they expecting to do? “… Hey everyone, sorry there’s no trial happening after all! You can all go home now, the show’s over!”

Moreover, the trial itself. Furina was driven into a corner and put on the spot, and she was publicly grilled and humiliated in front of an audience. The Primordial Seawater test was also… just, why would you do that? Bringing in a harmful substance and forcing someone to test it on themselves in front of an audience? Sure, it might’ve been diluted to a ‘safe’ level. But instead of just saying that and informing Furina that a Fontaine person would show corresponding symptoms anyways, Traveler & Navia chose to present it to Furina as a lethal substance. Aside from causing mental anguish, I fail to see the point of it.

“But this trial is necessary! Furina won’t tell us what’s going on otherwise.”

Alright, then let’s just commit to that. It’s necessary for everyone to take on an antagonistic role in order to drag Furina to court and make the truth come to light.

But can’t we still… address things, in the aftermath? You can argue that Traveler & co. were trying to act for the ‘greater good.’ The fate of Fontaine was at stake. Still, even if the tactics used in bringing Furina to court and trialing her were necessary, lying and manipulating and gaslighting someone is not the right thing to do.

Except does anyone properly acknowledge that in the aftermath? Is there anyone who admits that this is a terrible thing they’ve done, and makes that clear? Did anyone apologize to Furina for forcing her through such a traumatizing experience? (Side-eyes Paimon in Furina’s character quest.)

Nah, instead we just save a country and give ourselves a pat on the back for doing a great job.

Happy Ending!

2) Focalors’ Death

I want to preface this by saying that I understand Focalors is the Hydro Archon, so in order to get rid of the Hydro Throne her death was probably inevitable, from a godly perspective.

From a human perspective, however, Focalors is innocent. She was not the one who committed the original ‘sin’ of using the power of the Primordial Sea to turn Oceanids into pseudo-humans. And yet she is the one who must pay for it. The only resolution we have to this is that Furina now gets to live her life freely as a human. Now, it might just be me, but for all that Furina was split off and created from Focalors’ humanity, the two of them are essentially seem to be two separate, different beings.

3) Humans vs. Gods

Thematically, Fontaine’s story seems a little mismatched when compared with the other regions.

In Mondstadt, its people play an active role, as seen in how the Knights of Favonius (and Diluc) join Venti in helping Dvalin and restoring peace.

In Liyue, we see the people stepping out from the gods’ purview. With the ‘death’ of Rex Lapis, the Qixing declare that the age of humanity has come, and it’s the people of Liyue working together towards a new future.

Inazuma has people literally fighting a war and rebelling against their archon; in the end, Raiden hears the cries of her people and she is the one who changes, in response to her people’s hopes.

In Sumeru, Nahida is locked up by her people (the Sages) but also saved by her people (Alhaitham, Cyno, Nilou, etc.) And in the fight against false god!Scaramouche, Nahida connects the Traveler to her Akasha terminal (?) and literally uses the collective wisdom of all of Sumeru’s people to assist in the fight.

For all four of these regions, it’s the people who step up and play important roles in resolving their respective nations’ crises.

In Fontaine, we do see its people also tackling various problems –Navia with her Spina di Rosula, Wriothesley and his flying ship– but in regards to the most important issue that’s the ominous prophecy hanging over their heads?

Neuvillette, a Dragon Sovereign, is the one who saves Fontaine’s people from Primordial Seawater by turning them fully into regular humans. Focalors, the Hydro Archon, executes herself in order to give Neuvillette the power to do so –and that’s not even mentioning her meticulous plan to fool Celestia, and the 500 years of silent suffering that Furina endured.

Focalors’ sacrifice is essentially what saves Fontaine, in the end. Divine intervention.

4) Meropide Detective Arc

This is a lot more minor, but it feels like we spend a lot of time running in Meropide looking for clues and learning about useless things that didn’t play any significant role towards the main plot of the archon quest.

You spend days and days running around the prison, and in the end you find out it’s only important because Wriothesley wants to test your observational skills. My dude, that is really not the most important thing here!

Personally, I think Sigewinne’s thing with cooking suspicious-looking food would’ve made a better character quest than a side tangent in the main story. I don’t even remember what the betting ring was about anymore.

I think I would’ve liked a stronger focus on what we originally came there to look for –investigating Childe’s disappearance– which might’ve wrapped up the jail arc a lot quicker, true. But maybe we could’ve gone back and spent more time with Furina instead? Maybe discover for ourselves that Furina is hiding things, and talk to her more, get to know her better? … It would provide more context and an extra ‘oomph’ for the upcoming Furina Trial, at the very least.

5) Powerscaling?

Okay this is definitely a LOT more minor, but. Powerscaling. It feels like things just escalated very, very quickly in Fontaine.

Childe. We know he’s strong, we fought him back in Liyue. Except Neuvillette crushes him in his Abyss form in, what. Less than a second?

Eventually, we encounter Skirk at the end. We find out that the space whale responsibly for nearly destroying Fontaine is just her master’s “pet,” which implies a whole other level of terrifying power that exists out there, along with whatever faction Skirk happens to be a part of.

It would be cool if we get to learn about Skirk more in the future, but overall there seems to be a lot of higher power appearing after higher power in Fontaine. Maybe that's just me, though.

[sablegear0]

I hate hate hate hate hate writing LETTERS OF THING to people I won’t talk to in person. Hate cover letters. Hate this letter of intent I’m supposed to be working on and instead I am bitching about it.

It’s all so canned and soulless it’s no wonder AI generates these fucking things automatically. They’re all the same and I hate them. I hate that I have to fill in this stupid template it feels so disingenuous. I DO want to apply for this program and I genuinely AM excited but I don’t want to do it like THIS.

Torn between the desire to do something just barely DIFFERENT and the knowledge that whoever reads this probably IS looking for a soulless cookie-cutter letter bc it proves I can follow the model.

Ugh

Academia and employment are so paint-by-numbers. No wonder robots are replacing the need to write applications and shit. It’s almost like the system is broken or something because these official-sounding word-salads are all the same

[vynnyal]

On a whim I decided to read back thru my blog for once, and I'm... I'm sincerely baffled by how many things are privated 😭 there's literally so much stuff I never shared. Just from this and the drafts there's like 6 videos, a dozen comics, and so much lore. I'm gonna organize this stuff sometime and properly share it, they're anywhere between 3-6 years old but they're cool LOL

[galpalkirk]

the reason it’s taken me half a year to finish the secret history:

[little-shiny-sharpies]

Firmly believe that dracthyr should’ve been like the raptors from Jurassic park trilogy. These chimeras of mortal races and dragons have just discovered free will and were trained to kill anything that wasn’t a dragon, and they have wings. And a mostly unarmed expedition shows up on their island for research

[daxite]

are people really mad that of all things shadow is actually kicking ass in the movie trailer, come the fuck on lol