#should I do an analysis on the endings? hmm...

[ideas-on-paper]

Huh, interesting musings... I certainly haven't thought about it that way before. If there was a synthetic empire out there, the interpretation of the Reapers from the Leviathan DLC might at least make some sense. (I still think they should've mentioned it somewhere along the lines just so it doesn't come off as a gigantic plot hole, but oh well...)

I could make a really bold comment here about how the Codex entries probably just represent what the actual writers believe (since there were considerable shifts among the writing team between ME2 and ME3), but I'm gonna keep that to myself for now.

This reminds me that it was stated that the Geth in general are pretty resistant to reprogramming, due to corrupted files always being restored from backup. However, as we previously discussed, the Geth seem to have lost access to their backups, for whatever reason (if we want to give BioWare the benefit of the doubt that they didn't just forget about it).

From a lore standpoint, it probably would've made more sense if the regular Geth couldn't get rid of the code by themselves (since the structure of single units is less complex and their processing capabilities lower), but Legion might be able to resist it since they're made up of a usually high number of programs. I guess this would mean that the reprogrammed units no longer under Reaper control would be really disoriented and disorganized. Actually, maybe this way, you could change the context of Legion's sacrifice from "uploading Reaper code because it's op" to restoring the Geth to their true nature? Like disseminating their code so all Geth can return to normal? (Not sure if this is the most ideal solution either, but it at least removes the subtext of the Geth needing Reaper code to be sentient.)

I guess it really depends on whether you believe that the endings actually happen or not. Some people say that none of it is real and everything just took place in Shepard's head, while others think that the action actually did take place.

I guess you could say I'm somewhere in the middle - like pointed out by some people, the architecture of the Citadel doesn't make sense (Anderson describes walls turning into doors, and despite the place where Anderson and Shepard meet having only one entrance, they didn't meet on the way there), and overall, it definitely seems surreal enough to be a simulation. Now, this is just my very own, personal take on this, but I'd like to think what the beam actually does is sending the consciousness of those who enter it to the Citadel. So, Shepard, Anderson, and the Illusive Man might not be there physically, but they are there.

Of course, the Citadel is originally a Reaper structure, which is... bad news. That the Star Child is lying was exactly what I thought during the conversation, and if I remember correctly, Shepard even says something like "I do not believe you" if you pick enough Renegade answers, but Star Child just responds "lol, you have no choice". It's kind of like with the Crucible, where it's repeatedly questioned whether it's even safe to use, but these implications don't really go anywhere. (Again, classic Mass Effect 3 here: "Are we going to make some interesting allusions? Yes. Are we going to actually do something with it? No." :) )

I could go into more detail about my own interpretation here, but this would require me to do a longer analysis on the ME3 endings. (Are people even still reading stuff like that nowadays?)

Still, I'll admit that an indoctrinated Shepard as the villain of ME5 is something that I imagine could work. (Though I have to say I drew a mental line after ME3; following the release of ME3, BioWare even said that if they ever make another Mass Effect, it won't be a sequel. Considering that ME5 is currently in development, this is... funny, to say the least.)

I'd have to check all of Xen's dialogue again to be absolutely sure, but aside from the video you linked, one thing that I found is this line if Tali is absent during the Geth Dreadnought mission (taken from this video at 6:02):

"The Geth sent reinforcements to the bridge, but they were quite amenable to one of my hacking routines. They're doing a lovely dance right now. In a moment, they're going to serve refreshments."

So, yeah - seems like the only thing we get about the hacking is a really uncomfortable, super cliché slavery reference. (Way to go, BioWare…)

ME1 replay thoughts, wrapping up the Citadel quests:

-The Quarians have uncovered the most mass relays. Logical enough, since they spend all their time in space

-Fist is long gone, but everyone is still talking about him like he's alive. Not sure if that's a bug or an oversight on Bioware's part

-There are a lot of humans in the Wards. I'm going to assume Shepard's in the Citadel equivalent of Chinatown for humans

-There aren't any Turians in the Wards until the Markets. Was that intentional on Bioware's part because of humanity's poor relations with them?

-Conrad's "wife" will love him hanging a picture of femshep in their living room. Uh uh. Sure.

-Starting the Keeper quest by speaking to Jahleed sure leads to different results! Had to fight Chorban. And volunteering to scan the Keepers means I missed out on the paragon points when I returned to Jahleed. :/ Worth seeing once, but not repeating in the future.

-The Keepers and the Citadel are a total blackbox. How did anyone get the idea that inhabiting this place was a good idea, much less making it the center of government? And why don't they at least research it?

-Yep, running all over the Citadel again to scan the Keepers is very aggravating.

-Just how did Septimus learn Xeltan's secrets?

-Turians only wear those hoods in the Wards, not on the Presidium. There are Turians in casual clothes on the Presidium, so I suppose the hoods are just super casual? Like hoodies?

-The Banes person who blackmails Dr. Michel is built up, and then goes absolutely nowhere. Others have said it more eloquently than me, but it is a letdown.

-Shai'ra's words are a bit disappointing to me. Insightful, I suppose, but not so poetic to be beautiful or helpful to be meaningful. I don't mind helping her, but I'm not counting the words as a reward.

-And again once she's done with me and asks me to leave, because she's everything she can for me... I'm just saying, Shepard could probably use a massage. Or someone that isn't a crewmate to talk to. This is what makes me feel used. At least invite me back for tea next time I'm on the Citadel or something.

It's like the consort wants to know everyone except Shepard.

-The Signal Source sidequest is probably the closest Mass Effect comes to foreshadowing the end of ME3, sadly enough. And a large chunk of players probably never started it, and even fewer probably finished it.

-I should have realized Tali would object to possibly resolving matters with the Signal Source peacefully. Of course she would assume it would turn on us. And it insisting that organics must destroy or control synthetics doesn't help.

Still nothing that even hints at Synthesis.

-Interesting. It's possible that Schells was involved in its creation.

The creator originally created a machine to help funnel money from gambling terminals. That machine became an AI, which created the Signal Source, and the original machine was destroyed when the creator realized it was sentient. And who did I just run into that created a device for winning at Quasar in Flux?

However, the Signal Source says the creator is currently serving time in a Turian prison, so Schells probably isn't the creator. They may or may not know each other. Or the Signal Source could have been lying about the creator, the Turian Prison, or both.

-Running all over the Citadel to check each shop is so tedious. Money will become meaningless soon enough, but right now I have very little. At least I picked up a half decent armor for Tali.

[gibbearish]

anyways. have yall seen the deliverance. and if yes have you read the wikipedia article. because like. that woman 100% was literally just straight up abusing her kids and used the church to get out of it. the movie doesnt even try to hide it that hard. "based on a true story" except of course for all of the important bits of context like how the cps agent was not in fact a nonbeliever in the supernatural before switching to her side and never did so and that the kid could only walk up the wall with his grandma's help and that none of the prior tenants had similar experiences (@ trey whered you go) and the POLICE CHIEF BELIEVED IN DEMONS BEFORE MEETING HER !! and that every SINGLE thing that happened in real life can be (and fucking IS) explained by child abuse. half the time the movie is just like "ok yeah sure maybe she was abusing her kids, but only because demons made her do it". and then drop little hints that she was in jail before for Something (doesn't say what but i can guess) and that her drinking problems are well established and that her oldest son was stockpiling money to get away from her long before they moved to that house. also i could be misreading the timeline but seems like her supernatural experiences only started after her own abusive mother moved back in with her which can SO easily trigger old wounds to come back to the surface so like OF COURSE youre gonna start seeing shit, disturbances can be a ptsd symptom !!!!

tldr; fuck latoya ammons so hard, if this is the made-presentable-for-tv version then like. i want to say i cant imagine what the real life version was like, but i very much can. and for that, fuck her. immensely. i hope her children are actively writing a rebuttal and/or reaching out to lawyers to sue her ass as we speak.

[nonbinarypirat]

What do you think about all this mess in chapter 365? The existence of hierarchy in the society of demons was not something new, but for me it was somewhere in the background, that is, we know that demons have a ranks system but there were social elevators in it. I am asking you because I am a fan of your analysis of the mairuma universe and I am sincerely interested in hearing your opinion.

Good question!! I actually LOVE the direction the story took for the Scala test because it felt like it was going a little too well ya know? I was excited when they turned to farming because as soon as we learned about the carrots I was like, oh they should start a farm that’s the next idea. But I was like, hmm it feels too easy now doesn’t it. And then BAM fascist. But anyway, this is a great question to talk about since I previously made a post about how one of the overarching theme in the story is fascism and fighting against it through education.

The reason why I love this direction for the story is that up until now, all of the subtle hints towards more seediness and corruption has been in the background. It makes sense narratively speaking that we wouldn’t get hit with it too strongly because we like the main character are slowly learning about the world. Iruma is growing up in a relatively safe environment with him mostly being at his house, school, or a safe area like the shopping district (with some obvious exceptions to this). Iruma, having grown up in the human world, has no reason to assume or believe that there is serious systematic problems going on. Instead, he is slowly becoming exposed to this as he gets older and out into more situations where he can no longer not see it.

The signs have all been there from the start with the ranking system being the first exposure. Especially with the introduction of Kirio. The simple fact that you can get better meals if you are a higher rank in a school lunch speaks volumes to how low ranked demons are treated. Especially since we later see this stays true outside of school with Ameri and Iruma going to a segregated high rank only restaurant. And we see instances of bullying/intolerance when it comes to how students treat each other. The notable moments I remember is how the Azz fan girls treated Iruma at first when they thought he was a low rank compared to when they learned he had a higher one than they originally thought. Or the student’s comments to Kirio since he was a low rank. Or how the girls at the party treated the low rank demon girl.

We also have had the vile police system introduced to us during the Walter Park incident and when we first learned about Narnia. Prisons and the whole system is already fucked up and corrupt in the human world but it’s definitely worse in the demon world. The fact that the prisoners have to constantly give their mana up to the park not to mention the fact that it’s located underneath the park to begin with always felt gross to me. And when we first learn about Narnia, the cards start to come together. Narnia is said to treat any injustice, anything at all, on the same level. And he is shown to be cruel and ruthless in the face of what he considers crime. So if you committed tax fraud, you would probably be considered on the same level of a murderer and treated just the same. How are those even on the same level? But Narnia doesn’t care, he sees it as an opportunity to “maintain order” within the netherworld and uses that as justification for his actions. In the end, he doesn’t care about the demons he’s supposed to protect, rather he cares more about maintaining the strict hierarchy.

Add to that the fascist organization we have in the story that wants to control the netherworld to reshape it into their image. The introduction of Baal and learning about the organization kind of kicked started where the story will lead into. This has always been a story of fighting off bigotry and oppression, but it’s very subtly disguised behind what seems like a typical villain takeover plot. Because it’s subtle, we as the audience only start noticing when the themes become prevalent with the evidence stacking up higher and higher. And with the introduction of Azami, we can no longer not see what the story is trying to convey to the audience.

It’s crafted in a way to keep you unaware until we see Narnia being a full on fascist with his fascist cop buddy Azami. And the reason why it’s so effective is because the themes have always been there, just in the background. If we had all of a sudden had Azami or Narnia doing his little “maintaining order” speech without the small build up, it wouldn’t have fully hit as hard. But now that we have the Many-Ears race, a race literally known for being suppressed and subservient to higher ranks, we now see the cards fall into place. Some people wondered if the Many-Ears have done this to themselves, suppressing themselves when there was no need. But now it’s become clear that no matter how the Many-Ears came to live in this way, it’s clear that it’s not an issue of them doing this to themselves. Not fully at least. They are being used by those in power to keep them submissive to those they benefit the most. And the Many-Ears, believing they have no way of changing the system of powers, internalized and conformed to this idea as well. Being trapped in this mindset benefits the majority rule and keeps the “balance” in order. However, now they can see a better way for themselves. Now, they truly believe they have value and worth outside of being a worker for a strong ranked demon. Thus toppling over the hierarchy established.

Fascism feeds on a strict hierarchy where everyone knows their place. One cannot have fascism without it being built off the backs of those oppressed. And Narnia, being a fascist prick, has one dangerous weapon: power. He is a high rank, works within the demon border patrol, and now has become a 13 crown, one of the most powerful positions in all of the netherworld. He is almost untouchable at this current moment unless you are a fellow 13 crown (and we still don’t know how possible infighting works). The Many-Ears have no way of stopping someone like this and are basically forced to either fall into line or become seriously hurt. And even if they do fall into line, there’s no saying Azami won’t hurt them anyway. That’s the thing with cops, they can decide what goes with very little consequences (can you tell my feelings on cops?). Narnia knows, he uses this as a tool for oppression. If he has leverage, he will use it without a second thought to further his mission of control.

But here’s where education falls into the equation. The Many-Ears are no longer among the uneducated. Before, the oppressive power used their lack of knowledge to support the hierarchy. How will it work out for them if they no longer as unaware as they previously were? Once knowledge is spread, it’s hard to put a lid on it. You can’t go into their brains and erase what they know to be true. And now they are no longer fighting alone. This isn’t an us verse them battle. Fascism wants you to believe you are alone. It wants you to believe you are powerless. It wants you to believe that you are the only one that wants change. Why? Because there’s power in people, in community. No matter what happens in the next few chapters, they have people that care and want to see change too. And luckily for the Many-Ears, they have powerful allies too. One person alone can make change but a community of people can make an even greater change. And that is the reason why I love this story so much 🫶🏽

Sorry for how long this post was, I just saw this question and I’ve been dying to talk about this since the chapter dropped because I LOVE the themes of this story so much. And I love the anti cop mentality of both the main line story and the mafia story 🤭

[yingfelis]

Experiment on me Ms. Scientist!

Kiana Kaslana x Scientist Reader

Possibly ooc(?)

“Ms. Kaslana why are you here?” You asked with a blank face. The newly Herrscher of Flamesion just looked at you with an innocent smile.

“I’m here for a check up of course!” Kiana smiled as she sat on one of the tables in the room. You sighed at the girl’s cheery demeanor.

Listen, she was cute, but you chose this specific job for a reason. One of it being so you could do your research alone, without the unnecessary hassle of dealing with people.

“Ms. Kaslana, no matter how stupid you act, we both know that’s not my area of expertise. Also you just had one with Dr. Tesla a few days ago.” You countered tiredly as you sat in your chair and slightly spun it around to face the white haired girl.

Kiana averted her gaze from you, clearly guilty, but still tried to play it off. “Hmm did I now? Suddenly I can’t seem to remember exactly, maybe you should preform an examination—��

“Cut the crap Kiana”

“Gasp so you can say my name!”

Kiana faked an exaggerated shocked face as you grew increasingly done with her.

“Either get to the point or get out”

The girl gave you a pouted/sad look and you suddenly feel as though you’ve kicked a kitten. Nevertheless you shook it off and let out another sigh. (You could feel a headache coming in)

“I have several experiments and analysis’s to get to.”

“You can experiment on me, Ms. Scientist~” Kiana winked at you as you stared unimpressed.

“No.”

“Worth a shot”

Kiana visibly deflated and again you felt that stupid pang of guilt. God get it together, tripping up just cause of a cute girl.

“Alright so what will it take you to leave.” This was taking up too much of your time. Also you don’t know how much longer you can will your way out of this.

Kiana pondered for a moment, letting out a soft hum. “Well….. a kiss would be nice,” She said teasingly innocent.

You paused. Your face started to heat up

“Hehe look! I knew that would make you make such a cute face,” Kiana cheered happily before getting up.

“Don’t worry, I just wanted to see that reaction from you. I don’t actually exp—”

Suddenly Kiana cut herself off as she felt your hand on her face, stopping her from leaving. Then your lips brush up against her cheek. Her face lit up a bright read from being caught off guard.

“There. Happy?” You asked, slightly blushing too. In the end you gave into the cute girl. I mean who wouldn’t? (Probably not you since you’re reading this)

Kiana was stunned, she didn’t actually expect you to kiss her. Even on just the cheek, it was already enough to made her heart rate increase. She could only mutter out a small—

“Could you do my lips next please…?”

That was not what she wanted to say. Kiana internally face palmed, screaming at her stupid mouth for always moving before her brain could think. At this point fighting the Herrscher of Dominance was less painful than this moment.

“Really?” Your deadpan face certainly did not help with her current thoughts

“Erm- well you don’t— I mean I didn’t mean it yk… you… you just caught me off guard…”

Once again Kiana was left speechless as your lips met hers. Her eyes widened before she relaxed and leaned into the kiss. Kiana’s eyes shut fully as she let out a soft hum and her hand found yours, holding it gently.

You two stayed like that for a moment before you pulled away, face slightly red but eyes softened so enchantingly Kiana wanted to kiss you all over again.

Which she did

“Wha—“

You tried to protest but it all fell on deaf ears and you weren’t even trying to push the girl away at this point.

[ovaryacted]

do you think re4make leon knows how to fuck? 👀

The little eye emoji at the end is making me laugh. But hmm, I've actually thought of this before in-depth, and if I'm gonna be completely honest...probably not. HOLD ON HOLD ON! HEAR ME OUT FIRST DON'T BOO ME OFF THE STAGE!

So in my mind (keyword: my), I don't think Leon would know how to "fuck". He's just not a #realfucker. HOWEVER, that does not mean he is an idiot when it comes to sex and what to do. He just doesn't have enough "experience" that would put him in a category of people who are masters in the bedroom, and that is okay! Frankly, I think it's more realistic and sticks to his loser persona.

I mean, we are dealing with a 27/28-year-old man with immense trauma and survivor's guilt who's been blackmailed into military service and literally thinks about dying frequently. He's in Spain fighting demons both literally and figuratively and has one foot in the grave at all times. No, I don't think he knows how to fuck, he probably hasn't even really done anything that would qualify as "fucking" in a healthy way.

He'd probably have limited chances to actually get involved with anyone, especially if he was being trained to the degree he was. Also, if he was under Krauser's supervision and being trained by him as a means of survival, he doesn't know anything about another human's touch outside of obligation. Not to mention the context of the period he was in the military (close to the early 2000s I think), he probably experienced a fuck ton of homophobia for being a "pretty boy" anyway and that would be a direct jab to his wavering self-confidence.

If anything, he's probably had some quick blowjobs or given them, but actual sex? Nah, his brain can't comprehend doing something like that when he's too busy wondering if he'll live to see another day.

Let us say he was allowed to fuck somebody, I think he would be clueless on where to start or what to do. Sure, Leon is smart and perceptive, he'll be able to adapt eventually, but it won't be a natural process. I made an analysis post about this topic a while ago, about viewing Leon as a sex god when he's the complete opposite in my mind, and I always come back to that because that's how I interpret him.

Does he know where the clit is? Does he know what to do with a dick? Sure, he knows enough about the female and male body to understand what to touch and what goes where. The thing he doesn't know is how to do it in a way that makes both parties feel good, and how it varies from person to person. Has he watched porn or looked through magazines? Probably back when he was a hormonal teenager with nothing better to do, or before he found himself in his current situation, but he doesn't like it. He doesn't see women in particular in the same light as every other form of media views them, so his perception of sex and how it should be done contradicts the norm. Or, he just assumes that he should know what to do, and since he doesn't or can't seem to figure it out, he doesn't bother trying to find out.

He doesn't give me those vibes that he's someone who would know what to do in the bedroom off that bat, and I'm not saying that to be a bummer but that's how I see him at least during this part of his life. But, if you trust him and make him feel comfortable enough by reassuring him as you guide him in the process, he will know how to fuck but primarily know how to fuck you.

Even if I say he doesn't know how to fuck (outside of the regular missionary but he finishes too early so it's embarrassing), he will always be a munch to me. That is his skill in the bedroom, his thing. I always say this but to me, the reason why he doesn't know how to fuck is because he's too damn busy diving headfirst into some pussy so he doesn't care about the whole "fucking" aspect of things. He gets off on getting his partners off, that's just the truth, my truth and I'm sticking to it.

[pinazee]

Weekend warriors is one of my fave episodes for a multitude of reasons

The way Shawn flirts with Sally Reynolds at the briefing was fantastic. Shes such a memorable one off character and she doesn’t really do much. I credit that to Clair Coffee and her dazzling smile.

One of the best moments of Shawn showing just how amazing his memory is, and the little montage was wonderfully set up. But Gus really shouldn’t be surprised by now. Out of everyone (except maybe his dad) he should be the least amazed by his gifts.

It has my favorite most stupidest joke i still laugh at to this day actually ive been promoted. Its Captain Crunch now.

I have a deep appreciation of this show for never shying away from the fact that Gus is black. It seems like a lot of 00’s shows simply avoided the topic altogether (if they even had a black main). Starting from the pilot when gus placed his hands on the dash when the cop pulled them over. It goes to show how important it is to collaborate with your actors, particularly if your writing room demographics don’t correlate with your acting talent.

The fuck are you talking about henry. It took him 4 months after he was born to smile at you and thats when you acknowledge him??? I mean, i think they both know thats crap, but still lol

Solid Juliet moment. I love that they showed she was scared, but was brave enough to continue. Too many shows try to do feminism by making their female characters not feel fear for some reason? Or like, they’re kind of crazy and seek it out. Idk. Its nice that shes allowed to be afraid and vulnerable. It makes her feel like a real person.

THIS!

That end scene is the saddest fucking thing ive ever seen, and might be the most heartbreaking little shawn moment in the series. Im going to word for word this because i need ppl to share in my awwws

Shawn: Gus, when we grow up, think ill ever be as cool as you?

Gus: You’re better at kickball

Shawn: Not what I asked

Gus: We talking about your dad again?

Shawn: mm-hmm

Gus: Come on dude, the guy respects you

Shawn: Not like he does you

Gus: I’m not his son. I mean, he might like me okay, but he loves you

Shawn: Did he say that?

Gus: No.

Shawn: Well then how can you be sure?

Gus: You mean he’s never said it?

Shawn: Come on Gus, we’re guys.

SO MUCH TO UNPACK HERE but i’m going to do that in my henry analysis ep. Theres just too much to say.

[sweetwolfcupcake]

Imagine being kidnapped by Tom Ludlow.

Hmm, I'm guessing that you are referring to a yandere Tom? Or is it Canon Tom?

Canon Tom doesn't seem to be the type, but maybe to protect the reader from any other criminal or group she got involved with? Maybe a witness, maybe a target. The department isn't doing a great job. He knows it's corrupt, so he might take things into his hands. He would be sweet and respectful, I think. There will, of course, be boundaries for the reader until he solves the issue, but I don't see Canon Tom having any malicious intent, his ways are very grey and often wrong but his intentions aren't. but I think it would take a lot to get to that state for Canon Tom. Maybe a threat to his and the reader's lives.

Now, I'm not sure if I can do justice to this but here is my take on Yandere Tom.

He is a cop already, he knows the ways of criminals, from the bottom to the top. He is experienced, he has tasted the dirt and even gotten his hands dirty. I think Yandere Tom kidnapping the reader would take some time. Perhaps that would be him snapping, or last resort?

Either way, it's not a favourable situation for the reader because Tom knows how to cover up his tracks. maybe he is the one even leading the investigation of a 'missing' reader, who most probably will end up 'dead' to the world. So if the reader wants to escape, she needs to be smart about it. he knows everything related and relevant to her and his plans better than anyone else. So if anything even goes haywire, he is prepared, which is scary in this situation.

Tom is not dumb, he is brains and brawl so she should take a slow game. I think Yandere Tom would be overprotective and very possessive? he is not delusional, he knows that what he is doing is wrong, but I think he is the type to acknowledge that he is selfish wrong and messed up, but it's still better than letting the reader slips away.

Maybe this is what made him take the extreme step of kidnapping her but yes, he knows his charms, and he isn't reserved about using his charms and trying to win the reader but when the situation calls for it, he can be frightening as well. I think his anger would be the stuff of nightmares, but I do not think he would ever lay a finger on her. But he is not afraid to use force-- tying the reader for 'her own good',, locking her in a room and maybe even drugging her if things go to extremes. So, an upfront war with someone who can easily cover his tracks and has planned through it is not going to work, the reader should get to know his mind first.

I do not know if the analysis is accurate, I haven't watched the movie and most of my analysis is based on the brilliant fic written by @johnwickb1tsch and @treedaddymcpuffpuff 'Excessive Force'. Amazing fic, has me hooked. I think they can answer this better. What do you think @treedaddymcpuffpuff and @johnwickb1tsch?

[zvtara-was-never-canon]

This person don't harass anyone in this post, so you are free to skip this ask if you find it against the rules of your blog. It's just that I find the arguments... bad, to say the least.

https://ok-boomerang.tumblr.com/post/702213312593772544/fanfiction-as-textual-analysis

If zutara fanfiction is a form of critique, then the alternatives they suggest should be better than the critisized ones? And yet:

Ambassador Katara - I don't know why but I suspect that the ambassador should not have any romantic affairs with the ruler of the country in which she represents the interests of her people. Because, you know, if these ineterests are opposite to the interests of the country, but the ambassador and the ruler are intimate... yeah, this will not end good. Such relationships are concidered unprofessional for a reason. It "gives Katara an important political role" - which she already has, being Avatar's waterbending master and one of the world heroes herself, as one of the previous asks already mentioned. So, what to fix here? Couldn't they just write fanfiction about Katara (without Aang in the plot, since they are too obsessed with their pathetic miserable Fantara whose will is paralyzed by Aang's sole presense) doing important political stuff? Or the real point is to wrap Katara in red silk, adorn her with gold and make her spread legs for Zuko in some fancy royal bedroom?

Bloodbending as healing - while the idea itself mmay have potential, Katara is not a suitable character for it (also was discussed here). Yes, her trauma probably limits her, closing some opportunities; hey, that is also an interesting idea, by the way! "That’s a critique of Katara seen as the paragon of goodness, especially by Aang." Hmm, as far as I know, Katara fans who don't ship zutara often admit that Katara can sometimes be wrong, mean, petty and enjoy how many-dimensional she is because of that. And where had Aang ever seen her as paragon of goodness? When he approved her stealing from pirates, while agreeing that it's dangerous for the group? I don't see what to critisize here in the first place. But I see some ignoring of Katara's canonical trauma.

Painted Lady/Blue Spirit. "it’s fun and symbolic that Zuko and Katara both had alter egos" - as well as Aang, Sokka, Toph... Also, the Blue Spirit never was a vigilante, which is obvious if you understand the complexity of Zuko's arc. Again, what is critique about? Katara and Zuko had worked as a team just enough, they had an episode with badass teamwork that zutarians love so much, they had a teamwork sequence in the training battle and a whole real final battle against one of the main villains. The show really doesn't need more (ahem, because it's not about zutara, ahem). Katara's empathy for people was shown multiple times (and she managed just great without any Zuko, btw), Zuko was not that empathetic most of the time to begin with. "their perseverance to do pretty much anything once they set their minds to it" was also developed really good - the only thing to "correct" is the fact that in the canon most of the time these things are different for Katara and Zuko and have nothing to do with the other character, but again, the show is not solely about them.

In conclusion, if fanfiction is a form of critique, it seems that from zutarians' perspective the major problem of AtLA is that it's not a love story about Katara and Zuko being always together, being similar in every little thing, being in love. Well, yes, it isn't? Because it shouldn't be?

Anyway, I myself am not a good critic, so I'd like to know your opinion.

"I myself am not a good critic" *proceeds to give excellent criticism* Anon, I think you should work on that self-esteem.

You really cut straight to the central issue with zutarians main "criticisms" of the show - they're all rooted on their bias that the story can ONLY be good if Zuko and Katara are in love and endgame. And somehow, that's objective to them, instead of a subjective preference. They can never admit "This isn't what I wanted, but it works" or even "This isn't perfect, but it doesn't ruin the story"

I very much wish we had seen Toph have a field-trip with Zuko, and that the writers had not given up on making an episode on Aang's parents. I still acknowledge that the show works fine without these, despite thinking it was a wasted oportunity.

I love Maiko. I think it perfects sense for them to be endgame, and I don't have much to criticize on how their relationship was handled in the show. Mai is still not my first choice of romantic pair for Zuko, Azula is. Yet I was not surprised or angry that my OTP didn't happen, because despite some bait moments (bedroom scene) it was very clear that the show was never going there - not just because it is a kids show, but also because they clearly didn't WANT to go there.

I love Azula and want her to have a redemption arc - I still think that the ending of the show, with her simply being defeated but not redeemed, makes sense, as it would feel cheap and be a deep betrayal of her character to just make her have a change of heart at the last second (though I'll still die on the hill that Yang's comics were ableist as fuck and a disrespect to the original story).

It's REALLY easy to have your preferences and stick by your opinion that they are good while still acknowledging they are SUBJECTIVE.

Zutarians refuse to do that. They don't accept any position of power for Katara that doesn't involve her sleeping with Zuko." They don't accept any romantic endgame for her other than Zuko. They don't accept that bloodbending doesn't represent her power, or her as a character, because she did it in Zuko's presence. Don't accept any team work between her and anyone but Zuko.

This is clear ship bias and lack of interest in Katara herself, and instead of embracing it (after all, there's no rule that say you HAVE to like every character equally, or uncondionally), they make it into a "the narrative disrespected this female character" or "certain things are inherently sexist" debate - a debate they're doomed to lose and come accross as the ones that are truly sexist since they clearly don't care about Katara outside the context of a potential romance with Zuko because they think that's the ONLY way to enjoy a female character: as the object of affection of their prefered male character. Anything else is imposssible in their minds.

They're saying the quiet part out loud without even realizing it.

[rikeijo]

Hi! I've heard somewhere that some lines of Yuuri's speech at the press con in episode 5 were mistranslated and that because of this, the speech comes across as if Yuuri doesn't know what exactly he is feeling for Viktor. I can't tell if it's really mistranslated, but I always found the subs in this scene a bit confusing. So, I'd love to know: how would you translate his speech?

Hi! Thank you for the ask!

I must admit that I've never properly watched Eng sub or dub version, and even though I bought the US edition to someday discuss some translation choices (that's imo super fun thing to do ✨) my only laptop that had a built-in DVD player broke down >.<

Sooo, I searched online for his speech in subtitles, but I'm not sure if the subtitles I've found are official...

"My theme in this year's Grand Prix series is "love". I've been helped by many people in my competitive skating career thus far, but I've never thought about "love" until now. Though I was blessed with support, I couldn't take full advantage of it. I always felt like I was fighting alone. But since Victor has showed up to be my coach, I've seen something totally different. My "love" isn't something clear-cut like romantic love, but the more abstract feeling of my relationships with Victor, family and hometown... I was finally able to realize that something like love exists all around me. Victor is the first person I've ever wanted to hold on to. I don't really have a name for that emotion, but I've decided to call it love. Now that I know what love is and am stronger for it, I'll prove it myself with a Grand Prix Final gold medal!"

If this is the official translation, then well, the overall message is close, I'd say, but at the same time, hmm... If you wanted to base a ""deep"" character analysis on it, it could probably lead you in a wrong direction... Especially the end is just mistranslated.

今年のグランプリシリーズで僕がテーマにするのは〝愛〞です。My theme for this year's Grand Prix series is "love".

今までのスケート人生いろんな人に助けられながらやってきましたが、愛について考えたことは一度もありませんでした。In my life as a figure skater until now, I've come to the place, where I'm now, while being helped by a lot of different people, but I haven't even once thought/pondered about "love".

恵まれた環境にいながらそれを生かしきれず、１人で戦っているような気持ちでずっといました。けど、ヴィクトルコーチが現れて、僕の見ていた景色は一変しました。I've always been in a very favorable ["for me to be a figure skater" in this context] environment, but I wasn't able to make a full use of it and I always felt as if I had been fighting alone. But, Coach Victor appeared and the scenery I see [that is: the way I see the world around me] changed completely.

僕の愛。それは分かりやすい愛や恋ではなくて、ヴィクトルとの絆や家族や地元に対する微妙な気持ち。My love. It's not [general] love or romantic love that is easy to understand, but my bond with Victor, and the lukewarm way I feel about my family and my local community. [This sentence, imo, is often mistranslated, but you can also argue about how it should be interpreted in Jp. However, to do that you have to be able to notice nuance just from the intonation of the sentence... For example, imo, because of where the VA makes a pause in the sentence, it should be "general love or romantic love that is easy to understand" and not "general love that is easy to understand or romantic love", but grammatically both option are possible. "微妙", when you look for the definition in a dictionary, is often translated as "subtle" or something similar ("abstract" is just a mistranslation, tho), but, imo, from the context, it should be the more modern meaning of the world, which basically means nowadays "not bad, I guess, but I don't really know". That's why Yuuko was offended by Yuuri's word choice. Also, based on the intonation and grammar (no need to have two "や"s in one sentence when giving examples) "bond with Victor" and "feelings towards family and local community" are two separate issues.]

ようやく自分の周りにある愛のようなものに気づくことができました。At last I was able to notice the love-like thing that is around me.

初めて自分からつなぎ止めたいと思った人、それがヴィクトルです。The first person that I myself [the vector of the action starts from Yuuri, it's an allusion to what the Nishigoris talk about with Victor in ep. 2] wanted to tie to me [and don't let them go] is Victor.

その感情に名前はないけど、あえて愛と呼ぶことにしました。This feeling doesn't have a name, but I decided to dare to call it "love".

愛を知って強くなった僕をグランプリファイナルの金メダルで証明しますっ！ I'll prove myself, who got to know what love is and because of that became stronger by [winning] a gold medal in the Grand Prix Final. [The way it's worded suggests that Yuuri wants to prove his own "worth", not necessarily that what he says is true - it's not "I want to prove that...", but "I want to prove myself, who...".]

Oh, and by the way, if you read the speech carefully, Yuuri talks about "two loves" here - first, he explains that his theme is "love" and what that word "love" means to him - so "something like love, that is around him", and only then he starts talking about one more feeling - the feeling that doesn't have a name, but he decided to "dare to call love" - and that is what he feels for Victor. Because the word "あえて" is there, and it means "dare to", do something "daringly", to me it always felt as a variation/reference to the famous quote from Oscar Wilde's lover, Lord Alfred Douglas' poem "The love that dare not speak its name", but maybe that's just me ✨

[p1nkshield]

Hello Party People and welcome to chapter 5 of a fanfic based on a prompt! We have a title!

At the Core

Jason realized what he just did. Why did he just chug some toxic green substance? Why did he listen to a child about what is good to consume? He’s also a ghost kid! Who knows how poisonous that was! Why did it taste like fancy soda?

Jason managed to sift through his confusion and ask his father.

“What was that I just drank?”

Bruce took a moment to gather himself, there were so many things that confused him today and he really did not enjoy this feeling of perpetual bewilderment.

“That, was an unidentified liquid we confiscated from the obviously incompetent guys in white.”

Danny bristled at the mention of the organization. Jason placed a hand on Danny’s tiny head in a show of comfort.

Bruce continued.

“In my attempts at analysis I’ve found that the substance is extremely corrosive. The steel drums they were keeping it in were almost as thin as paper and just as weak. The end of my micropipette melted as soon as I inserted it into the liquid, the acrylic slides I managed to get it on melted in seconds and the only effective containment has been these custom made ampules.”

“Hmm.” Jason grew more and more pale as Bruce explained the volatility of what he just imbibed. Bruce does not exaggerate. Danny seemed to be the only calm one, continuing to sip on his replacement juice box getting the verdant equivalent of a milk mustache.

“You should currently be suffering severe internal chemical burns.”

“Hmm.”

From what Jason could tell…He was not suffering severe internal chemical burns.

“Hmm.” Dang it, now he was starting to sound like Bruce. Before he could truly spiral into the what ifs of this situation he was interrupted by several small yawns.

“Poor Danny, look at him! I should get him to bed right now! I guess we have to figure this out later!”

Jason’s escape plan was met with protests from both Bruce and Danny. It was too little too late though, Jason was already football carrying Danny to the exit of the bat cave.

Jason’s escape wasn’t much of one. He’d have to take the time to apologize to Alfred for all the grief he’d given him at bed time.

Danny woke up with a start in an unfamiliar place and on an unfamiliar bed. It was far too soft and far too big. He instinctively reached for his hair. It was white and wispy. Now this is bad. He didn’t know where he was or why he was in ghost form. Something else wasn’t right. His hand was too small.

“What?” Danny’s voice was too high pitched for his liking. He stumbled into the en-suite attached to the room and the reflection that met him was a ten year old Danny. That is, if the accident happened four years earlier than normal. Before he could stop himself he let out a surprised yelp and crashed to the ground.

“Danny? Danny! What’s going on? Kid?” A voice called from the hall and quickly made its way towards him. A large man entered the room with a surprisingly frantic look on his face.

Oh it’s just Jason.

Jason? This man’s presence signaled safety in Danny’s mind. Like he had spent a considerable amount of time with him.

Something’s happened.

“You’re Jason right? I don’t really remember everything that happened in the last few days. The only thing I do know right now is that you feel trustworthy.”

Jason blinked as all of this information hit him like a brick wall. The kid he was entrusted to watch had visibly aged over night. Kids don’t normally do that.

“Yeah… I’m Jason.”

“Great! Could you tell m-”

Danny paused his attempt to float only resulted in a hop. He was still on the ground. This is bad. Danny attempted to float again to some success, only to stumble back onto his feet.

“You can fly?” Jason asked with genuine surprise.

“You can’t?” Danny returned his inquiry with genuine confusion.

“No, I can’t.” Jason said matter-of-factly

“I feel like you should be able to fly. That’s like the base stats dude.” Danny looked appraisingly at Jason, who looked just as quizzically at him.

“I’m not a meta or a ghost like you so no, I cannot fly.”

Jason could feel himself getting slightly annoyed at this line of questioning.

“Two corrections. I am actually half ghost.” Danny proved his point by letting a ring of light split and wash over him leaving a raven haired, blue eyed kid in the ghost’s place. “And so are you.”

Jason took a moment to school his surprised expression. “Sure thing sailor moon.”

“I’m taking that as a compliment! Also, it’s true?! I can tell you have a heart beat but too much ectoplasm for a normal human to survive.” Danny continued to look at him for a moment. “Welcome to the club. Also, this may be a personal question but, where’s your core?”

Jason was getting tired of being confused. “What do you mean where’s my core?”

@addie-lover-of-stories @impulsiveasshole @soren1830 @psycoaces21 @tired-yet-awaken @avelnfear @cat-in-a-fedora @overtherose @mewzaque @icecweme @jaytriesstuff @naluforever3 @nappinginhell @terzatheunderscorerima @currant-owo @dontfightmecauseillcry @nixthenerd @pheonixqueen @sarina-elais @wanderer-of-worlds @regressor-marina @sunflowershine03 @sailor-goddess @yjfk @coruscateselene @stargazer-luna @phandomhyperfixationblog

[yuseirra]

A full commentary on what Oshi no Ko intends to show/the direction where it's heading/Major character motives.

This was an analysis I wrote on August 13th, back when chapter 157 was released (and the most recent chapter will be 159; wow the work has been on such a long hiatus:

I read it over again today, and I think I did a pretty good job piecing things together. Some of the things I predicted immediately came to light in the chapter that followed. I'd like to share it, before the new chapter gets released today :)

There is a lot of analysis? Commentary of how I feel about Ai. She's definitely become my fav and I hope everything she wished for will come true in the end, she IS indeed the brightest star in the sky after all!

The following has been translated in bulk with the help of chatgpt.. It's my savior these days.. It's SO convenient wow, I've been putting it to good use!!

The title and subtitle are quite grand, but I feel that if I start writing, a lot will come out, so I wrote down the title and wanted to give it a go. Everything from here on is a very personal impression.

The manga is almost coming to an end, right? Since it’s being called the final chapter. The latest chapter is either 157 or 158, right? It's 157... I’ve checked up to the point where Aqua and Ruby are spending peaceful days together. Isn’t this episode like the calm before the storm? As I watched it, I thought, "Ah, this peace is bound to be broken." Even though nothing happened, the atmosphere is so quiet that it feels more ominous than peaceful.

At this point, I thought it might be good to think about what exactly this manga wants to convey and what the central narrative is. It seemed like a fitting time.

I first learned about this manga last year when the first season of the anime aired. The impression I got was that the creators had planned the ending from the start, as it seemed to have a clear trajectory. This manga might be more suitable for readers who prefer to follow it in volumes rather than chapter by chapter. When viewed individually, some parts might make you wonder, "What is this?" but when you see them in volumes, there seems to be a flow. So, when I was reading the manga in volumes, I thought, "Oh, the structure of this manga is well-organized and solid." That was around the time when about 10 volumes had been released, and I confidently bought all the volumes to keep as a collection.

Then, when I looked at the portions being serialized afterward, I started to get a little confused and thought, "Hmm, what are they planning to do with this?" But after watching the movie arc, I thought, "Oh, this is pretty good," and I realized that I wasn’t wrong in my initial judgment, so I returned to the manga, lol.

This manga’s structure seems quite complex. Each character has their own goals, and while Aqua seems to be the main hero who strongly drives the narrative, the focus isn’t solely on Aqua; it feels somewhat dispersed. In the end, if we consider what this story wants to convey, it feels like a composition that might be somewhat confusing.

In my opinion, the overarching framework is about various stories that unfold within the entertainment industry. It’s about the impact this industry can have on various people, both the light and the darkness (not delving too deeply, just enough to get a taste and see it from an entertainment perspective, plus throwing out questions about very serious topics). But then, is it saying that the entertainment industry is full of darkness and that we should escape from it? Not really.

As I described in the first post I wrote about this manga, it seems like the main theme is the depiction of various character types trying to survive in the entertainment industry.

Being a celebrity is a job that requires one to present oneself to far more people than an average person would, and even if we assume an entirely ideal situation where only goodwill comes your way, you can’t help but constantly be conscious of the image you need to show to those watching you. It seems like a very strong persona is necessary to endure that.

The loneliness that comes from being in the crowd, the internal dilemma of wanting to be understood and truthful as a complete individual, even though you can't fully expose yourself to the public, and yet, because of the appeal of the spotlight and wanting to show something, you step forward, deciding to live there and survive there.

Whether the work perfectly expresses those aspects might differ depending on the person, but at least it seems to have made us think about those points.

So, what are the motives driving each character?

Aqua wants to avenge the person that's hurt Ai, the one precious to him, in some way.

Ruby wants to surpass Ai as an idol, following in her footsteps.

Kana wants to be Aqua’s favorite.

Akane seems to assist Aqua, and in her case, she felt like she provided many shortcuts throughout the entire story. She played a role in significantly shortening the story’s length... Honestly, it might have been better if Aqua had done the things Akane achieved himself, lol. But from the author's perspective, she’s a reliable helper who aids in condensing the narrative. She also served as a good helper to Ruby as well. What I personally feel.a bit disappointed about the character Akane is that while she supports others a lot, that seems to be her entire narrative. She succeeded as an actress, and her personal goal or story seems to have ended around the dating program arc or the tokyo blade Arc, so apart from helping the twins, it's disappointing that her individual direction and desires are less visible. However, as long as she’s not entangled with the main characters, Akane is thriving and living a smooth life. She only becomes endangered when she gets involved with them; so, to give her more story, she may need to get more entangled.

Among the other main characters, Ai is a fresh character in that she wants to properly give love to others (although she also had the desire to be loved, it was more about “giving” than “receiving,” which I found refreshing).

As for Ai's boyfriend, it seems like he has something he wants to do, but it hasn’t been clearly revealed yet, so it’s in the realm of speculation. Setting that aside, what he wants to do now is something for Ai(in his point of view).

Nino has been highlighted a bit more, and while this character seems important, it’s still not clear what their exact goal is. The clear desire that has emerged is that they can't forgive even their daughter if she surpasses Ai.

Aqua, the character who drove the plot the most (with many things revolving around him), had the motive of “avenging Ai's death,” so that was a significant focal point. Much of the story’s development seemed to revolve around that.

However, I didn’t think Aqua would go for revenge in a violent form, because it would be something that would make the character unhappy and wouldn’t fit his personality. I didn’t think this “revenge” would be the typical, satisfying sort of retribution where justice is served.

Moreover, the “revenge” Aqua seeks ultimately requires Ai’s boyfriend (the twins’ biological father) to genuinely love Ai for it to work. If he didn’t love her, it wouldn’t be effective.

When looking at the hints about the relationship between Ai and her boyfriend, I often thought they must have had a good relationship at one point. I kept wondering if this person really bears full responsibility for Ai’s death. The idea of someone they once had a good relationship with turning into a stalker who kills them... even in a manga, it’s something I really don’t want to think about. I really hate it. But if the manga were to handle such a storyline, then it is what it is, regardless of my preferences. What the boyfriend character went through in his past is quite horrible and complicated, and my intuition, based on the bits and pieces I’ve seen, is that at least when they were together, Ai and he were two young people who relied on and supported each other. And that turned out to be correct. I liked how the character was portrayed in the movie arc, and there wasn’t any chance of it being depicted very differently. The idea of pushing this character, a psychopathic serial killer, off a cliff or punishing him harshly just didn’t seem to align with the established setup. Even though you might think he twisted into that kind of person because of some bad experiences, it didn’t seem like that was the direction this manga was taking. I wouldn’t have liked it if the character had been designed to be twisted that way because of bad experiences. It feels more consistent to see the character behave as they did in the past, which makes me believe it’s a well-written character. I had the sense that the story wouldn’t take the approach of having one character be absolutely evil and then punishing that character to neatly resolve everything. That doesn’t seem like a good story to me either. I don’t think the issues tied to the themes this manga deals with can be resolved in that way. The more I think about it, the more I feel like the content related to Kamiki is actually quite solid. I don’t want that character to be a bad guy. And it seems like he’s not?

The psychological depictions of the characters in this manga are very complex and well done. Because of this, I’m still not sure what to make of Nino. I think it’s fine to consider Ryosuke as an absolute evil since there’s nothing redeeming about him. Kamiki is out if he intended to scare Ai. But I feel like it was Nino who tried to scare her... When I consider the circumstances, it’s not impossible for Kamiki to have done it, but it feels too out of sync with his behavior. It’s very confusing.

I’m not sure how they’ll wrap up this “revenge,” but I think they might bring it to a social level regarding the responsibility for what happened to Ai? That’s why Aqua chose the medium of a “movie,” something that is “shown to the public”? Ai gave love to everyone, but it wasn’t properly received, right? So, there’s a desire to convey that correctly. And seeking understanding and respect for Ai as a personal individual? In that sense, I feel like Aqua’s revenge isn’t over yet. It feels incomplete as it stands. I think it’s not finished yet. Ah, regarding Kamiki, I think he’s been properly “avenged,” as he would be truly tormented by watching the video Ai left behind. However, I'm still unsure if this character truly deserves to be on the receiving end of such revenge... I plan to criticize properly once more of his actions are revealed. Every time I think about it, based on the reactions, it seems like he genuinely loved Ai, which is really evident. It makes me wonder if the author wrote it this way for a reason. Examining these details is truly fascinating about this manga.

So, I started thinking about what the core theme that ties this entire story together might be, and what the author really wants to convey through this story. I think we need to start with Ai's story. I believe Ai is extremely important to this narrative.

When I look at how this work portrays Ai, my impression is that she was written as a character with incredibly realistic psychological depth. She wasn't just a sensational character who was simply a very pretty girl who suddenly gets murdered to create shock value. In my view, Ai is one of the top three most well-written characters in this manga. She's a key person in this story, and I believe this character is the central figure that completely penetrates the entire narrative, even though she exits the story quite early, her influence is very strong.

I wish I could express my feelings properly... Ai feels like someone who could really exist... I talk about this a lot, right? To write a character like this, I think the author must have a lot of affection for her. Although I wouldn't dare say that I fully understand other people's feelings or possess a lot of information, I do think that Ai is a character who very well expresses the psychology of a young child with a difficult family background—a runaway teenager. But even with that experience, she didn't get trapped in it, and instead, as an individual, she made various choices and lived earnestly... and that's why I like her. Because that's how real people live. Strong, extraordinary, and yet ordinary—ordinary in a way that makes you realize how truly precious and extraordinary the ordinary can be.

But the story starts with Ai dying in such a horrific way, right? This makes me think about what the story is ultimately trying to say. However, this doesn't mean that Ai's life was a failure. Ai really lived her life to the fullest. In the end, she was probably happy, which makes her story even more heartbreaking... She was such a good person. If we're talking about her nature, Ai was definitely a "good person."

What I took away from this... is that it gave me an opportunity to once again reflect on the fact that even those who are considered shining stars are still just people. Personally, it also made me more interested in the subject of child abuse. I find myself drawn to related news articles... The early Akane episode, for instance, made me reflect once again on the issue of online harassment. No matter how this manga ends, I feel like it has had quite a positive impact on me, so I'm grateful for that. Perhaps what one takes away from this work depends entirely on how they interpret it... There are certainly some valuable psychological insights in this work. I'm definitely envious of the talent of the creators.

If you look at it broadly, I think the core message of this manga is something along these lines. Aqua's revenge and Ruby's dream will somehow be realized in their own ways, and I also think Kana's goal will be achieved in some manner (but then wouldn't that mean Kana can't end up with Aqua?;; It feels like this manga is trying to say that the feelings one has for a favorite person and the love one has for a romantic partner are different things. Judging by Hikaru's words, it seems like the story is saying that love without illusions about the other person is actually the more genuine kind of love... But more than that, I think the point to focus on when watching this work is something along these lines, based on how the story is unfolding. Even celebrities are just people... Ultimately, that's it.

I understand that some people might find this annoying at certain points. You might think, "I've never done anything like that. I've never contributed to those problems, and I've never treated celebrities poorly. Doesn't the saying 'those who wear the crown must bear its weight' apply here? If they wanted to be a celebrity, shouldn't they be prepared to handle some negative reactions?"—these are thoughts that might cross your mind.

I've also never been a fan of any celebrity myself... lol. I don't think I've ever done anything particularly wrong regarding the scandals or various issues that happen to celebrities.

But still, no one deserves to go through something like that... no matter who they are. Celebrities, because of the nature of their profession, often enter the industry at a very young age.

If I had to step in front of the public at that age, would I be able to handle it so well...? Just as everyone in their own life has their own burdens to bear, celebrities too have their own challenges, and it made me realize how difficult it must be to deal with public scrutiny...

In Ai's case, she had children at a young age, and there must be a lot of things people could say about that. When I first discovered this manga, I encountered that scene in a clip, where she says she will give birth without making it public, and it made me think a lot. But even in that scene, I didn't feel like Ai was a thoughtless character. If someone is going through such an experience, they must be the one who thinks the most about it. When I heard her say that the twins would make for a jolly and happy family because she didn't have one, I immediately thought that this character must have gone through something and found it difficult to judge her actions right away. Am I overthinking? lol. It felt like there was a lot going on in her mind beyond what she was saying. It’s easy to say, "I wouldn’t do that," but everyone has different experiences, different lives, and different personalities. Of course, there are things that are undeniably wrong, things that shouldn’t happen.

From what I felt, Ai has a layer of underlying psychology beneath the surface. She always has a smiling face, and I often draw her that way in fan art, but there’s likely a lot hidden beneath. I feel a bit sorry when drawing or creating fan works about her because I can’t touch on that depth—I can't depict it well because there's not much revealed. She might have been smiling and acting beautifully even in front of her own children. This nature might be a good expression of the traits of the entertainment industry. That’s probably why they call her a true idol. But there must be times when she wants to be honest, too, right? She might feel lonely and isolated. These are the kinds of thoughts I have when thinking about her character.

I’m writing all of this without much organization... Another thing, I sometimes feel that the story has metafictional or divine elements that could potentially tie the work together.

For instance, the introduction of the Tsukuyomi character, the starry eyes, the statement at the beginning that this story is fiction, the crow leading Ruby, the starry visuals scattered throughout.

I think using the "star" motif was a smart choice, because stars are literally "stars" in the sense of celebrities, and they might actually be stars or influenced by stars in some way. We also make wishes on stars, right? I can imagine that these elements might have been integrated into the story to bring a fantasy-like aspect to it. The lyrics of the songs strongly convey this atmosphere as well. So, I think these elements might be what ties the whole work together. The lyrics constantly talk about the stage, and the overarching stage for the story might be related to stars or gods. The more I examine it, the more things seem to appear.

But this isn’t something that’s very obvious. The foreshadowing is mostly in the dialogue, and there hasn’t been much that’s directly visible... If this is something important, I wish they would make it a bit more obvious. There’s a comment about how Ruby’s success feels as if she’s being helped by the gods, and there's also talk about Aqua’s soul being fractured and breaking. I think it’s worth paying attention to these elements, but I haven’t seen many people discussing this aspect. Of course, I don’t really read other people’s interpretations! When I get into a work, I dive deep and try not to let anything come between me and the story, so I tend not to read other people’s opinions while I’m fully immersed. And it’s a field that’s really hard to predict. It’s so far-fetched. But if they've been dropping hints like this, I feel like something should come out of it by now. It’s built up too much to just be a MacGuffin.

I like stories that feel like fairy tales, so I wouldn’t mind if the story takes that turn, depending on how it’s done... I don’t know if it will happen, but if it doesn’t, why are the lyrics like that? I’d like to see something that explains this before the story ends.

The starry eyes are important. There’s a kind of will in those "stars." There’s a "god" in this manga too. But will it be explained before the story ends...?

If they want to address it, I’m sure they’ll do it well! And if they don’t... Well, it’s all up to the creators.

Am I understanding this story correctly? Suddenly, I started to wonder, so I wrote down whatever came to mind.

If you can accurately grasp the individual characters' goals and the core theme that the work aims to convey, then following the story shouldn't be too difficult. It's always helpful to have a good understanding of those aspects, no matter what story you're watching. As for the motivations and objectives of the characters mentioned above, I believe they will all be achieved in one way or another (except for Nino's, since Ruby will surpass Ai... Now that I think about it, since their goals are opposites, there will likely be a clash between them).

LOL, but when it comes to plot development... Even though I've managed to predict the characters' psychology, I haven't been very successful in predicting the events themselves.

So, we'll just have to wait and see!

[shunin-gumis]

Mistery on the Moonlit Passage - Track 07

Seasonal Event Story

The next 3 chapters are handled by Jelly!

Location: Cruise Liner - Party Venue

Nanaki: Here’s what happened before Kamina-san and I met up with Ryui-san and arrived at the party venue―

~~~(flashback)

Nanaki: …That’s strange.

Ryui: The fuck you mean by that?

Nanaki: Oh, sorry, I wasn’t talking about you, Ryui-san.

Nanaki: I was thinking that it’s too quiet in here. There was music playing until just a while ago… Did they forget to set it on loop?

~~~(end flashback)

Location: Cruise Liner - Party Venue

Yukikaze: Now that I think of it, that did happen.

Nanaki: The music playing onboard should be determined by the hospitality robots. The fact that it stopped means that whatever put everyone to sleep affected the robots, too…

Kinari: …...

Muneuji: (Indeed… The fact that even Azekawa-san, who is an android, is asleep is quite mysterious.)

Nanaki: It might seem kinda trivial, but I wanted to focus our investigations on that.

Muneuji: I see. In that case, is it correct to assume that our next course of action is to investigate said robots within the vicinity?

Yukikaze: Sounds like a plan. I’ll help as well.

Nanaki: Yowa-san, what do you think?

Netaro: I think this paella looks scrumptilicious!

Nanaki: I-I see. Then, let us know if you figure anything out.

Netaro: Aye-aye, Captain.

Muneuji: Now, the robots in question…

Yukikaze: …Are over there! 

*Yukikaze dashes away*

Muneuji: What a magnificent crouch start…!

*Yukikaze makes his way through the bodies*

Nanaki: …Into some intense, high-precision zigzagging through the bodies…!

Yukikaze: *lands*

Muneuji: He made it all the way to the corner of the venue, picked up the four robots that were lying there, and carried them back like it was nothing. An active athlete is truly remarkable.

Yukikaze: Would this be enough?

Nanaki: Yeah, thank you. If we just connect it to Andy in offline mode, like so…

Muneuji: Oh my… It’s displaying a screen similar to the one you have whenever you compose.

Nanaki: Yeah. With this, we can see exactly when the BGM was cut and the robot went into sleep mode―

Nanaki: …Hm?

Yukikaze: What’s wrong?

Nanaki: Well, it looks like it was streaming a famous Lo-Fi radio…

Nanaki: But the audio waveform it’s displaying at 5 minutes before entering sleep mode is kinda sus…?

Netaro: Hmm? Euh auyoia mmnghh oah.

Muneuji: Yowa-san, it is a bit hard to understand you while you have food in your mouth. Please speak after you finish chewing.

Netaro: *chews*...

Muneuji: It is recommended to chew your food 30 times before digestion.

Netaro: *CHEWING INTENSIFIES* …*swallows*.

Netaro: The audio waveforms suspicious? You can tell just from a glance, Nana!?

Nanaki: Well, I don’t know, it just feels a bit weird for a relaxing song to look like this.

Netaro: What’s weird?

Nanaki: For example, the “V”-like shape over here—

Yukikaze: I don’t get it.

Muneuji: Why don’t we enjoy some paella while we wait for the two of them to finish their analysis?

~~~

Netaro: You’re able to figure out this much in such a short time~! Amazing! Amazing!

Nanaki: But I don’t know if this is even related to the mass-sleeping incident or not…

Netaro: This has no relation to relations. My comment was about how amazing your talent is!

Netaro: But why didn’t you mention anything before? I fail to comprehend.

Nanaki: Umm… well…

Ryui: YOWAAAA!!!!!

Netaro: *jumps in shock* Uoh?

Ryui: You bitch, you’re hiding somethin’, aren’t you.

Muneuji: Ryui-san, did you happen to catch a lead?

Ryui: (Not like I can just go around blurting out stuff like “The spirits said this fucker was suspicious!” ‘That case, I’ll just have to do things the hard way…! If it’s this shitprick, I can go all out!)

Ryui: I know it was you, bastard. The quicker you give, the easier it’ll be for you!

Netaro: Okay, got it!

Ryui: Don’t think you can fuck around with me by makin’ a bunch of excus—... What?

Netaro: Just as Ryui said, ‘twas I that transformed this venue into a sleeping forest!

Nanaki: Huh…!?

Netaro: Speaking of which, it’s almost time.

Muneuji: Time for?

Toi: Mmg… *yawns*...

Ryui: Toi!?

[sunnysideaeggs]

hi it’s sunny, back with episode 7 analysis 🥰✨ read if you like, long post and all that. have a great day loves!

i really like the embroidery of sunfyre and meleys side by side, who’s the man with the sword, criston?

take a shot every time rhaenyra reminds the characters that ‘she’s queen’ 🤡🤡🤡 anyone that says they’re king is no true king or whatever tywin said

orwyle and alicent gossiping, alexa play girl so confusing by charli xcx

she gave everything and it wasn’t enough, because viserys never intended for her blood to matter and not aemond doesn’t care about her words

when will otto bring his cats? :( the rats are out of control

aemond continues to undo everything aegon did, including the naming of his kingsguard. can’t be plotting against the king when his friends are around.

jasper and larys, two bad bitches plotting together. battle of brains and curls.

funny that the woman with three bastards forgot that people have bastards lol. idk if they did that to make her naive or what

somehow rhae twists her life-long privilege to have bastards and not end up dead as a affront on poor her, so disenfranchised and helpless :( lmao

it irks me that daemon is called ‘king consort’ instead of ‘prince consort’. how am i supposed to trust this show as politically accurate if they don’t even use the proper title

where is oscar’s regent? do they think that kids and teens were really commanding armies? robb is an exception not the rule

finally some politicking in the black side. that kid is so cat and i love him already lol.

the king is in pain :( orwyle ily but chiropractic treatment needs to wait for a bit.

larys just barging in, i have two thoughts: 1) nobody respects the king’s orders and does whatever they want, 2) larys thought aegon was being killed and interrupted it.

also who tf is that kingsguard that just stands by instead of helping the king? smh must be an aemond plant

didn’t the grand maester had nurses or something that could be helping? also the kingsguard could but aemond just replaced egg’s friends with his own loyalists

there is no way in hell that they’re letting alicent just go on a camping trip in the woods alone, just after the riot of the sept. wtf?

not jace being butchered so his mother can look good 💀 he was the one with the idea, now he’s classist? be fr

he raises good points though

ooooh finally some exploration on jace! rhaenyra didn’t think shit about politics when she got involved with harwin, they both thought with the pants not about what issues would it cause to jace

bruh hugh son of saera? are we supposed to believe that she ended up in a flea bottom brothel instead of a luxurious pleasure house in lys?

lmao the dragon keepers unionizing against andals. no songs for vermithor? do the dragons just accept commands from any targaryen or is rhae rhae special?

rhaenyra in front of the mouth of a bronze dragon is peak foreshadowing lol (if they butcher it i will riot)

that poor first guy, he had obvious burn scars and was scared yet tried to claim a dragon and got killed. he might’ve done better with another dragon but he didn’t get to pick hmm?

leaving smallfolk to die, so fun!

i like to think that this scene is what makes hugh betray the blacks later. he learned that the queen he supported didn’t care about his kind so why should he care about hers

aemond is hot. i hate him but he’s hot.

bruh the three dragons together look kinda silly but go off ig

i don’t think they will be able to convey the dance with only one season more

they’re probably doing it because after the reviews of s2 hbo doesn’t want more money wasted in a fanfic

HELAENA RIDING INTO BATTLE LETS GOOO!

i am so impressionable lol

[laithraihan]

how do you perceive your own art? does it evoke a specific emotion in you? how do you come up with your ideas?

how do you perceive your own art?

I dont really know, I think my art is average. Or not, I dont think average is the right word because I draw strange things sometimes. I'd say my art isnt very appealing to a large audience, that's how I see it. I dont think it looks bad or anything but I feel like it doesnt stand out enough for other people to talk about it a lot. Kinda like seeing something nice and thinking "oh that looks nice" and then moving on with your day. I dont know if it's my art style, my ideas, or something else unknown to me. But yeah Id rather not think about it too hard, I just draw things I want to see that I cant find because nobody draws them. I dont really cater to people or focus on what's popular so it's understandable why my art is not very memorable. Maybe I should rebrand and only draw Reigen with his anime color palette or something lol

does it evoke a specific emotion in you?

Not really, I always turn my brain off whenever I draw. If I ever feel something it's mostly related to the technique, like sometimes I'll say "damn I drew that hand really well here" or something like that

how do you come up with your ideas?

Hmm they kinda just spawn out of nowhere whenever Im bored. I'll daydream about certain headcanons or other ideas for a while and as soon as I vaguely figure out a way to depict them then I start drawing. If it's a more serious drawing with more depth to it then I never really start out with this idea in the first place if I'll be honest, I just improvise and adapt as I draw something random until I end up with something that looks cool enough. Whenever I post an analysis of my art it's always after I completely finish the drawing that I start assigning meaning to it. Basically bullshitting everything except the bullshit makes sense to people because Im the artist so it's okay. I just dont like to plan big projects in general, if I spend too much time planning the idea the composition and all the other little details in depth then I'll get impatient. I get things done much faster when I dont think too hard about it and simply follow whatever appears on my canvas.

[lu-is-not-ok]

hmm if we’re still discussing E.G.O can i ask for your thoughts on Ardor Blossom Star? I know you already talked about Ishmael’s Roseate Desire so I won’t ask for that but I’m interested in the way that it’s a wrath E.G.O despite her non-corroded line being rather passive.

by the way, how do your interpretations of gluttony and lust differ? Is it the way that the motivator of greed (or desire) is expressed?

I'm gonna answer the second question before the cut, so that people don't have to scroll past another whole analysis if they're curious.

To me, the main difference between Lust and Gluttony is whether one's actions are towards an Actual End Goal.

Lust represents actions done to indulge one's desires or for the sake of personal fulfillment. By such definition, the End Goal is already stated, that being either reaching that fulfillment, or satisfying one's desires.

Gluttony represents actions done out of hunger, which Limbus gives us two interpretations of. The starving hunger of Survival, and the endless hunger for More. Notably, neither of those types of hunger have an End Goal, they are all a kind of process that would go on and on without stopping.

In the case of Hunger of Survival, there is no clear Stopping Point to trying to survive. You either struggle to survive endlessly, or you eventually fail and die. Likewise, there is no clear End to the Hunger for More. It is, by its nature, endless, constantly reaching higher and higher, towards a better and bigger More than one already has, with no set Goal beyond constant progress.

Hope that helps make my interpretations a bit clearer!

Now then, onto the analysis you asked for.

As always, we're starting with the abnormality. Ardor Blossom Moth only exists as a Mirror Dungeon Event, and it's not as explicit in its themes as some of the other event-only abnos, but I think there is something to be read into here.

The main idea Ardor Blossom Moth carries with it is that of warmth that is as beautiful and enticing as it is dangerous. The balls of light the moth is found among are described as dancing, enchanting, tempting.

At the same time, the Moth is described as burning to death. It scorches whoever it touches, and its warmth is described as dubious if one decides to resist the urge to reach out.

I think there's an easy way to interpret how that translates to Ishmael. On the surface, she's calm, collected, and reasonable. She's the type of person one would be tempted to listen to and follow after in lieu of a leader figure.

However, that's all just a facade. Internally, Ishmael is a mess who's controlled by her emotions and obsession. Trying to reach out and learn about that part of her is bound to burn someone, regardless of whether she means to or not.

There's something else about the Ardor Blossom Moth I want to point out that seems to parallel Ishmael quite closely if you think about it.

When reached out to, the Moth quite literally attaches itself to the person who did so, the burning lights clinging to their body and engulfing it in light and flames. On the other hand, if the Moth is rejected, the person feels coldness crawling up their spine in an instant. The inviting yet dangerous warmth is immediately snuffed out.

I think this serves as a good parallel to how Ishmael acts in general. She clings to reason and to people that seem to follow reason like she does. However, it is extremely easy to lose her trust and for her to start holding a grudge, just like how the Moth withdraws its warmth the moment it's slighted.

Now onto the fun part, the Sin analysis!

Ardor Blossom Star's Sin damage is Wrath. In my interpretation, Wrath as a sin represents actions done out of self-rightousness or defiance, the belief that something should be different just because you wish it so. While it does often correlate with the feelings of anger, it's not a requirement.

In Ardor Blossom Star's case, I think this is very much the kind of Wrath that does not necessitate anger. Specifically, I think the usage of Wrath here is meant to symbolize Ishmael acting in defiance of herself.

Just like the Moth tries to defy its own nature of hurting people by seeking to be touched, Ishmael is defying her own nature with the way she acts. Though she can't guide with pure logic, as emotions and obsession paint her thoughts, she's still trying to embrace reason and offer it to others.

To quickly touch upon her Corroded dialogue line, this interpretation gives it an interesting hidden meaning. Her trying to act with reason and logic is a struggle, and she hopes that the world around her is as reasonable and logical as she is trying to be.

Onto the Sin requirements. Ardor Blossom Star requires Wrath, Lust, and Envy.

Wrath, as mentioned above, represents Ishmael's defiance of her own nature. It's a reality she doesn't accept, and so she does what she can to act in a way that doesn't align with it.

Lust as a Sin represents actions done for the sake of indulgence or personal fulfillment. There's a few ways one could interpret this E.G.O requiring Lust, in my opinion.

One way to interpret it is that Ishmael refusing her emotional nature and acting calm and reasonable is fulfilling to her. It makes her feel better about herself than if she were to let her emotions take charge.

However, there is another way to interpret Lust here, one that is unique to Ishmael. In the case of Ishmael's E.G.Os, Lust can also represent her indulging in her compulsions. Perhaps, despite wishing to act in spite of her obsessions, those very same obsessions are a part of what drives her to act that way.

This, in my opinion, would be very fitting with Ardor Blossom Moth's themes. Though the Moth is trying to act in spite of its flames, their warmth is the main way it tempts people to touch it. Likewise, though Ishmael wants to act in spite of her emotions and obessions, those compulsions are in fact partially driving her to act with only reason and logic.

Last requirement here is Envy, which represents actions done as a reaction to other people's actions. I think this means that a small but significant part of why Ishmael acts the way she does is due to how other people acted on her voyage. After all, some of her dialogue lines imply that she has more than enough knowledge of what happens if someone makes a mistake on board.

Having been around people who make bad decisions due to emotions (Ahab likely included), she decided that it's better to follow logic and reason at all cost.

...I guess we'll find out how much of that I got correctly in like, what, a few months? Kinda wild to think that Ishmael's Canto isn't that far into the future.

[alvie-pines]

1 and 13 for Black Sails!^.^

hell yeah black sails ask!!

1 - What OTPs in your fandom(s) do you just not get?

Eleanor and Charles. Logically, I see why people like them, but for me, I just cannot get into it or be rooting for anything but their permanent separation. At the start, I thought Charles was bad for Eleanor, and later, I thought Eleanor was bad for Charles. Normally I love a good toxic ship, but theirs never intrigued me. I think it might be because I, as an aromantic person, can't possibly understand what would drive two people to break up and then keep getting back together again. Like I can see staying in a relationship you aren't happy in (change is hard, staying the same is easy) but I don't understand the drive to come back to someone, especially someone who hurt you??? It just doesn't compel me.

13 - Unpopular opinion about XXX character?

Hmm. I don't think I have any! Black Sails does such a wonderful job of fleshing out its characters and making us feel how it wants us to feel about them. The fandom is also more analysis-based than most fandoms, which leads to a lot of well-thought out and canon-substantiated opinions as well as less weird OOC fanon. It's hard to think of an opinion that would be unpopular because the fandom rlly picks apart every episode for possible interpretations.

Oh, wait, here's one: I think Madi should have cut off/stopped her relationship with Silver after the finale. We know they stay together because of the book (wherein Madi isn't named, but iirc its said that Silver's finances are managed by his wife, who is a black woman). Honestly I think that with how badly Silver hurt her, destroyed everything she worked for, she deserves to be able to push him away, at least for a while! With her personality, I can't see her just accepting that and staying with him. Also... here's the thing... Silver once asked if, in the absence of the war, he would be enough for her. Just him, living quietly. But here's the thing: I don't think he would be enough for her. I think Madi fell in love with Long John Silver. She met him just as he was transitioning into that role, and seems to have fallen for him as he was in the resistance. And I also think that, like Flint, this war was incredibly important to her. Nearly impossible to put down. I think when Silver separated himself from the resistance by destroying it, he also destroyed the version of himself that Madi was in love with. They're a wonderful couple with a great story, but I think, like most couples in Black Sails, they would realistically not end well.