#so they don't actually matter in the grand scheme of things imo

[hirazuki]

Deep in the throes of updated covid booster-induced fever, so it won't be happening tonight, but I finished Nocturne and I have Thoughts™ about it, which I will probably share eventually, once I have the energy. I also have Many Thoughts about some things I've seen slinking around the tags, which I will not be sharing, as I definitely do not possess the requisite energy for that XD

[rharyx]

Now that I've beaten Dawntrail, I can safely say it's one of my favorite expansions. Like, none of the expansions have actually been bad imo, but Dawntrail is just super comfy and enjoyable.

Wuk Lamat is a lovable character, and I'm proud to call her my sister Lamaty'i. I honestly don't get the hate for her role in the plot, nor her voice acting. She's adorable, and I loved seeing her grow, and experiencing Tural through both her initially naive eyes and her more trained eyes.

Everything about the journey through Tural was really fun, and I think it's some of the best zones we've gotten in a while. I loved arriving in a new place and learning about a new culture and their people, and seeing how it all tied into the Rite of Succession and what Lamaty'i was going to take away from it. How it all added to the stories of her, Koana, and even Zoraal Ja was really well done.

Like, Endwalker was good, don't get me wrong, but all the "end of the saga" doom and gloom really wore me down sometimes, so having a more lighthearted vacation where it's just you and your friends in a new land taking in the sights and helping out where you can was really relieving. I loved the entire time I spent traveling across Tural.

It all felt like a proper adventure, one that the Warrior of Light has been yearning for. They're an adventurer at heart, and sure they'll protect the world when they're called upon, but they at their core just like to travel and meet new people. They love the Star with all their heart, whether due to being a shard of Azem or not. And so this adventure through Tural was exactly what they needed. And you can see it in their eyes.

There are some nit picky stuff I could say that I didn't care for overall, but in the grand scheme of things they don't matter at all, because the expansion as a whole was just really enjoyable. I just can't understand the negative reception it's getting from some people.

Maybe I'm just pulling this out of nowhere, but I feel like we're finally seeing the consequences of so many people being told to "skip ARR" and the earlier stuff so they can get to ShB -- "the good stuff." We're getting people who are calling DT boring or slow, because all they really focused on was the high points of ShB and EW, not realizing DT is what most of the game is actually like. Idk, but DT just felt like all the parts of FF14 that I've enjoyed from the start rolled into one. And if you're only here for ShB-type stuff, you're just not engaging with the game properly.

Anyway, I love Dawntrail, and I love all the new characters and bits of lore it introduces, and I'm sad I already finished it because I don't want to wait for more story content. I really want to see where this story goes, and I want to see more of my Turali family.

[raedshadowlegends]

Why Lore Olympus and Miraculous Ladybug are the Same Thing but in Different Fonts

Good evening, good day, hello and howdy. I am INCREDIBLY bored and I'm here to go on a nonsensical tangent about two pieces of media that I hate and have dedicated a vast amount of my free time to. This is all in good fun and all of my rudeness is intended to be satirical and/or comical unless indicated otherwise.

Now just to preface, if you know me then you know how much I dislike Miraculous Ladybug. Folks in my circle got to watch as I descended into madness writing a 64k word review on season 5. So I've spent an uncomfortable amount of time dissecting this show.

I have also spent an uncomfortable amount of time engaging with the shitshow that is Lore Olympus. And now my ass is gonna try and compare the two because there's a lot of shit going on here.

None of this is going to matter and it's all in good fun. Like I said, I am bored. And sometimes it's fun to compare stuff you hate.

Now let the insanity ensue. FP spoilers and MLB s5 spoilers below the cut btw.

To get a major difference out of the way, Miraculous Ladybug is a tv show. Lore Olympus is a webcomic.

But mediums aside, these two things still have a lot in common. So for the first comparison, I'd like to talk about the insecurity in both properties.

Insecurity

What I define as insecurity in this context is a piece of media that is too afraid to commit or adhere to a certain tone, story, style, etc. In short-- they don't know what they want to be.

Insecurity in Lore Olympus is a bit more obvious than with Miraculous so I'm gonna rant about that first.

Lore Olympus just straight up does not have a story to tell.

There are too many random ass plots being added and discarded on a whim for it to be a coherent story. A good way to explain it is kinda like this-- In this episode of LO, something cool new and interesting is set up and you have to keep reading to see what happens! And then nothing ever happens. Or it happens because the audience won't let the author forget so there's a half-assed attempt to wrap up that plot point.

LO is so insecure about what it is, it feels the need to add more and more to make it actually something. But what it is is a hollow story that lacks substance. So all of these new random plot points are kinda like bandaid solutions if that makes sense.

There are so many unfinished/under-utilized plot points that if you were to count out each and every one, you'd probably keel over dead before you finished. There's that many.

It's too insecure to commit to any one of them in the grand scheme of things.

I don't know how coherent all of that was so here's a shitty tl;dr

LO doesn't know what it wants to say anymore so it's just adding more shit to keep the reader "invested."

Yeah ok I think that makes more sense. As for Miraculous...

God. I fucking hate Miraculous.

It's insecure as hell and you can smell that shit from ten miles away. It's insecure with it's premise, I think.

If it just kept to the simple "monster-of-the-week" formula, I do not think I would have written so many words on it's fifth season.

Miraculous (apparently) had a grander story to tell beyond the "monster-of-the-week revert back to the status quo each episode."

But we don't see any of that in full swing till season 3, really. Which is a long ass time to get the ball rolling imo.

It's a little jarring to see the show go from the stupid kid status quo adventures to a heavy and emotional story??? And I say heavy and emotional with the most sarcastic tone possible because the only emotion I feel watching this shit is rage.

Despite wanting to make that shift to a serialized type of show, Miraculous was too scared to stray from the successful status quo format.

To explain a bit more I wanna talk about my review of the season.

While it is mostly filled with rude jokes and incomprehensible jargon, I bring up a lot of points in it regarding the state of things.

One of those things being the show's hesitancy to move the story along.

The fifth season was supposed to be a grand final battle and a conclusion to this story arc. But it was too scared to commit to that so there's way more episodes that are nothing but shipping fodder.

There are many episodes that season that just... feel the same. Just with different coats of paint. "Marinette is trying to date Adrien but she's awkward and clumsy and oh no! shenanigans ensue!" We've been doing this for 8 years.

If they want to tell a serialized story then they need to grow some balls and cut the shit we've seen a million times before.

Their insistence to stick to the status quo makes the writing exceptionally weak downright painful to sift through. It was too scared, too insecure, to stray from its formula.

That's a part of the reason why I think the season is paced so bad. There's so little time spent on the interesting parts of the story because they had to cram in as much shipping shit as possible. So by proxy, there was less time to tell a good story.

Both of these stupid ass properties don't know what they want to be. There are too many things being added and not enough balls to commit to any of them.

Now with both LO and MLB, we can all agree that the writing is pretty shit. Nothing new there. But shitty writing often bleeds into the characters and making them shitty by exposure. Almost like a spill of toxic waste, infecting anything near it and turning into a rotten pile of sludge and chemicals.

So yeah, the characters are ass as well. But I only wanna complain about the female leads for both of these things.

But just to mention Adrien and Hades, they are pretty similar. I won't go into detail but the short of it is, "Character with deep seated issues that could have been interesting, has a lot of potential, but is just kinda garbage in the end."

At least Adrien Agreste isn't monetizing death and has a bunch of shades in his basement doing his work.

Persephone and Marinette

So I always say that I don't like using the term 'Mary Sue' to describe a character. But as it turns out, I use that term a lot. So I'm not gonna lie about that anymore.

These two characters are Mary Sues.

Persephone first

Oh my god I hate Persephone a lot. She just ticks every box on my list of 'THINGS I HATE IN A CHARACTER.'

Which is funny because her character had a lot of promise and heart in the beginning.

I related to her a LOT when I picked up this comic before my frontal cortex developed. I related with her character and her struggles. Especially after the Apollo incident. That really stuck out to me. It was so powerful.

But all of those tiny things I liked about her character were stripped away. Her ambition to study in school? Poof, gone. Her charm? Not charming anymore. That kindness everyone in the story gushes about? I don't even think it was there in the first place.

Truth be told, I do need to reread this comic because the beginning is fuzzy as fuck in my walnut-sized brain. But I can tell you for certain that the way she was in the beginning is not who she is now.

And this isn't the case of a character going through an arc and developing and changing. She's just getting worse and the narrative treats it as a GOOD THING.

"Oh yeah, Persephone trashed Leuce's apartment instead of talking to her husband like an adult. She threatened to kill this nymph but you're supposed to find that endearing." Like, what??? I will not have a story try and get me to believe this is a good thing.

If this were a good story, Persephone's actions in that episode WOULDN'T BE REWARDED. But she's rewarded with sex for being a fucking psychopath towards a random nymph. Wow.

And that leads into my next point-- she can never be in the wrong ever.

AOW? Retconned, not her fault. It wasn't her fault she killed all those people. It's actually Eris' fault because she gave her wrath.

Trashing Leuce's apartment? She was in the right for that, apparently.

Killing people in a famine during the 10 year banishment? That's never explored, we just know she killed people, burned a library or something, and probably shot the president too. But it's fine, she's the good guy.

And most recently (and potentially the most frustrating);

Persephone causes winter.

Not her mother, Demeter, no fuck the myths. Persephone is the one who caused winter actually. AND SHE DID IT ON ACCIDENT SO TECHNICALLY IT IS NOT HER FAULT CAUSE SHE DIDNT MEAN TOOOO UWU She also probably killed a million flower nymphs in that snap freeze but its ok it doesn't matter.

WHAT?

WHAT THE FUCK? CMON NOW.

She's not going to receive any consequences for anything because she is just too perfect.

She's smarter than Athena, prettier than Aphrodite, better than her mother in every way, all the boys want her, she has a perfect body, she's pink, her eyes go red when she's angy, she has the most power of everyone in the world, she's a super rare fertility goddess, she has all the gifts, all the blessings, and none of the development.

It almost feels like a wattpad fanfic.

"My mom doesn't like me so she sold me to one direction and then I became queen of the underworld."

Yeah, I don't like her.

And the same can be applied to Marinette!

A character who is so blatantly perfect, the narrative fucking BENDS TO HER WILL.

She's a creepy ass stalker and has done some weird ass things to get close to this random famous white boy and it's all excused.

It's literally excused.

There is a rule about character backstories. They are supposed to provide an explanation for a character's behavior, not an excuse for it.

In season 5, episode 14 - Derision, we see a bit of Marinette backstory. Some stupid bullshit happens and Marinette essentially says she isn't going to say 'I love you' to anyone unless she knows literally everything about them.

She says a lot in that stupid ass scene but it's basically just saying that all of her stalking and creepy behavior is justified. Which it is not.

Marinette can do no wrong. The narrative won't allow it.

She's perfect in every way. And even when SHE is in the wrong, characters somehow find a way to apologize to her. Either that or she turns a situation about someone else into one about her self.

She's just the perfect character who ends up saving the world.

Fuck having Chat Noir face against his dad in the finale, Marinette has to girlboss all over the place and save the day but then actually lose because the "plot" demands it.

Oh yeah and she's probably never going to tell Adrien that his abusive dad was the villain they had been fighting for months. Do you think that's a good choice? I'll give you a hint; it is not.

It makes Marinette look like a HORRIBLE character but it's painted in a way that makes the viewer believe this is the right decision.

I don't think I need to get into specifics as to why that is wrong and disgusting.

If I had to make a prediction for this show going forward, she isn't going to tell him. It's going to be forgotten and she's going to be painted as the hero.

No flaws, no accountability, nothing.

Garbage character. Fucking hate it.

Both of these characters will never see consequences for their actions. Their bad actions are either excused or retconned out of existence. And that's not how you write a character btw. If you want them to be real, give them consequences. The world should not revolve around them. They should have flaws and issues that should be explored. But apparently that's too much work.

It's funny how both of these properties claim to be about feminism and somehow completely miss what feminism is

Miraculous thinks that feminism means "Girl power! Girls are better than guys in every way!" And Lore Olympus makes no attempt to be feminist at all. Women hate other women, and they don't get a lot of opportunities to explore and express themselves.

I could get into the whole purity culture shtick but that's a shitty rant for another day.

I've been ranting about this for a while and I got the big ones out of the way, methinks. I do want to get into the creators of both of these things but that is also a rant for another day.

Cause if I got into that now, we'd be here a while.

So let me just make a final comparison and wrap things up here. I don't think any of this makes a lot of sense but I hate both things and I'm passionate about it so I'm gonna keep rambling.

Miraculous Ladybug and Lore Olympus never attempt to grow as stories. They are both scared to try new things and to stick with it. Most of the time this results in rushed writing and horribly done characters.

It's so clear that both of these things are desperate to be something great but they just can't put in the work to get there.

Honestly, they both feel like the product of a team of yes-men. Bad decisions and errors slip by WAY too often and it's kind of embarrassing.

These are popular pieces of media and they have the resources to be great but they just aren't.

They're both too insecure to make something of themselves.

It's honestly really sad and I don't want this for either of these things. I want LO to be stunning and retell the myth of Persephone with the respect it deserves. I want MLB to be a serialized show with focus on the lore. Sure it can start as episodic but it can ease us into a deeper story and intrigue the viewer. But I want it to flesh out the world and be an entertaining experience.

It's sad but it's the way it is.

Who knows, maybe MLB season 6 will be good. And maybe LO will have a 4th season and it'll fix all the problems it has.

I dunno.

Thanks for reading this incoherent nonsense.

[y-rhywbeth2]

While it might be an interesting enough topic to explore, personally I don't think attachment issues are going to be much of a problem for Astarion, ultimately. This particular angst is sort of a non-issue to me. He's most likely going to have them, yes, but he will work through it.

Player: "I care for you a great deal. That's never changing." Astarion: "After all this, I've realised it's all right if it does change. If anything changes."

If you break up with him obviously he's upset, but as he tells you, he is living again and will continue to do so. He can and will dump you, and has multiple opportunities to do so and be perfectly fine on his own afterwards (assuming Cazador isn't still alive, which has nothing to do with his potential romantic attachments).

Nor does he appreciate the notion of relying on somebody for anything, including his lover. He appreciates the sentiment of wanting to keep him safe, but he's clearly irritated by the notion: "It would be nice not to have to rely on you as my great protector". He wants his freedom and his self-determination and he's going to have it.

Note that if you fail to convince him not to ascend and then try to stop him, which he perceives as robbing him of self-determination/freedom, he either tells you to "die screaming" and walks out or tries to kill you himself. No amount of approval will stop him: Your love is not more important to him than his freedom and ability to determine his own destiny. The only reason you can talk him out of it is by pointing out that he's being ruled by fear, that ascension will rob him of that and turn him into someone he hates. The fact that ascension is not on the table anymore might knock that drive back a bit while he takes the time to recalibrate and find his feet again, but I highly doubt it will stick: He didn't suffer 200 years of misery, come out the other end ready to fight, and then claw back his freedom, then decide it's time for him to reclaim his life only to sell it to somebody else, no matter the pedestal they might stand on.

If he does ascend and you leave him he gets over it in a few days. He might think of you from time to time between schemes and blood orgies, but he considers it beneath him to seek out your attention. If you turned illithid then the dev notes will happily point out that he didn't think of you or miss you at all. Possessive as he might be of his property, you're not actually that important to him compared to himself.

He tells you he will be fine without you, and if he loses you he demonstrates that he will be fine without you. He's a very self-interested person, and imo, at his core remains so when romanced (people can talk about how sweet he is with Durge all they like, but as a durgestarion enjoyer I find he's actually incredibly insensitive a lot of the time. It's a bonus. Get the feral ending and he flat out tells you your relationship is doomed because you'll remind him too much of the aspects of vampirism he hates the most and he's going to prioritise his wellbeing. Sure, he'll carry you in his heart forever and grieve your horrific ending, but he's clearly ok enough in life to go to the party, dressed up nicely, and share a toast with other people he cares about: He'll live). Selfishness is a flaw and a strength of his.

Astarion wants his partner: he doesn't need them. If he identitifes co-dependent behaviours in himself he will want to unlearn it. He sets boundaries and he expects them respected, and he will enforce them - as he does in-game. The lover is not that important in the grand scheme of things.

[kojoty]

It's obviously a complex question and discussion and I'm certainly admitting to a level of blue-state privilege wherein my vote really only matters in so far as working towards getting funding for a third party, like green; not to mention the privilege of, being in such a blue swaddled state, my rights are not immediately at stake-- so I am including myself in this but.

I really, really, really, really wish people in blue states like Cali, new York, Illinois, etc-- heart of dem territory and the places where your rights are NOT at contest-- would sometimes shut the fuck up and listen to the extremely valid worries and fears and pleas of people in deep red states. I think saying 'it doesn't matter who is in office, they're basically two sides of the same coin', while true ideologically in the grand leftist scheme, it also does betray a certain level of handwaving to millions of Americans where who is in office DOES matter.

And I know this is the anti colonialism website, and so we don't really want to talk about domestic issues as much as foreign policies-- completely understandable given the current global conflict-- but consider America is a vile colonial project, that which we do to our domestic underclasses IS a colonial issue as well.

I am not going to say 'go vote!' because who am I, Hillary Clinton? But I guess I am trying to say... It is really frustrating as someone who does a lot of on-the-ground community resource work in his fairly privileged area and see how the difference in economic status between a democratic and a republican president really matters, and then come on here and see the ever present leftist issue of taking ideology over material. I cannot imagine the landscape of on the ground resource work in more impoverished areas.

(most Marxists in this website really obfuscate how much material work they actually do, and are, in fact, often pontificating on ideological castles in the sky, but that's another post)

The tldr here really is: the amount of deep red state southerners who are telling you with crystal clarity that someone like Harris in office is magnitudes safer than someone like Trump in office, and urging people in states where it matters to vote....... I mean. You don't have to listen to them (even though I think you should hear their perspective), but the least you could do is not completely ignore and shun the very real realities of millions of Americans who are with good reason scared shitless that one nominee will keep the liberal hegemony (also vile-- don't take this as me condoning it), and the other will systematically make their very existence illegal. That isn't to say it can't still happen-- roe v wade-- under a dem, but. You... You do realize that it does actually matter to some people in certain states whether the pres is red or blue, right? And that yes it sucks that we have to play by American rules to keep some folks safe but.

Idk. The amount of 'leftists' on this site who paradoxically care far more about their ideological purity than the actual people who need actual material work done is... Well, that's not my leftism tbh. The amount of condescension I see levied at people daily on here. It's not just a bad look. It's Imo betraying to me that your politics are more about signpostibg and being right than actual community and human care and connection . And it happens! Ideology is a tantalizing thing. I have to constantly divorce myself from it and reintegrate into the ground. But you can't make policy out of air. You can make policy out of soil. You have to remind yourself of the faces and the beating hearts your ideology is addressing. Even if you're RIGHT are you giving the infoemation in a way that actually cares?

Idk. I don't wanna tone police. But there's a very deep seated and real classism and privilege issue within the online left that is...... Distasteful to say the least. Idc if you go vote. But the least you could do is not bully people who are more scared for policy changes that will actively affect them. It is not betraying fear and outrage at what is happening outside of these borders-- the atrocity in Gaza-- to also be scared of your own living conditions. One can balance both.

[lazyyogi]

I thought the last ask that you answered was interesting, and I wanted to comment on it in a broader sense than just on the post comments. Speaking directly to you, I'm not sure how long you have been on your journey (I just started recently at 27), and to be quite honest I don't actually think that it matters. But of course I acknowledge that my relative view on the universe is merely that, relative. But it also feels real... to me haha. If I haven't lost you yet, what I'm trying to say is that in my opinion, the thought patterns behind consistently practicing meditation is merely another trap imo. We all have various methods in our lives that bring us to the awareness, the oneness, or reconnection with divine energy or God. Meditation is perhaps a purer method to this return, but it is still a method. Some people cook, they surf and transcend the dualism between man and nature, they have sex, drink, eat fatty foods, etc. And each of these methods typically has the "ahh yes I'm home" feeling attached to them, but they never last after the initial high. Once the method is performed, then it's back to relative reality. Jobs, bills, suffering, neurotic TV shows or games, etc. This is why I think that in my opinion, there shouldn't be a thought to "consistently" perform the meditation. You should be doing it already. I don't like the idea of sounding combative since there's plenty negativity, but this is just how I feel. Quite often when we want a return to meditative practices, it's because we acknowledge to an extent there might be imbalance or turmoil in our lives, and we look to pure methods to re-center ourselves. That's truly a blessing by the way; but at the same time, if we "know" what to do, why do we still ask the questions? I think what actually puts up that barrier within ourselves, is what the Hindu faith considers "Dharma". The Chinese call it "Tao" or lawful way of things. We have to honor our predicaments in my opinion. If you have a job, or have to take care of the kids, or you live in a rural state in which connecting with like-minded individuals becomes difficult, that in my opinion, is the work that YOU need to do on yourself. That is your meditation. My guru once said that God is no more in New York than he is in Boston. You work within your unique predicament, and truthfully you become the meditation. You become the rising and falling of the breath. Because the whole grand scheme of the game is the illusion of separateness (in my opinion). The illusion that you or I are completely "separate" beings or atoms or energy, is a part of the game. And absolutely meditation is a pure method to consciousness with the one, but please also remember that there are Eastern cultures that have been ingrained with spirituality since their birth into this world, and in my opinion they are easily just as neurotic as any Westerner, albeit in a different fashion. Oh boy I did not mean to bust out the advanced course like this, but I just felt this pull to share my thoughts haha. Blessings if you read this, and I hope at the very least that my relative thoughts on this topic were able to inspire some reflection and tasteful discussion. Namaste friend🖖

Practice a single meditation technique for at least 30 minutes every day for six months and then let me know your thoughts 😉

If you are not able to do this, you may not be as free and awakened as you may think.

Finding reasons not to meditate can be a subtle trick of the ego.

Namaste 🙏🏻

PS please don’t take this as dismissive. The vibe I get through your writing is that you recently experienced a spiritual awakening and the blissful charge of it is very strong right now but has yet to stabilize and integrate. Which it will in time, but don’t be so convinced by these romantic views of the spiritual path.

It’s not that they’re wrong, they’re quite beautiful. They are stepping stones that will take you further but don’t go all the way by themselves.

There is a difference between transient communion with divinity through various activities and the irreversible liberation from the illusion of separateness.

Feel free to hit me up on messenger, I’m always down to chat about this stuff 😁

LY

[jlf23tumble]

First off YES the full clips of the early years are even more “proofy” which is actually fucking crazy - no romantic music needed!

But larries continue to cut off their nose to spite their face with the MaRRiED shit - why can no one be cool not all uncool. Not only do they sound detached from reality and how people/relationships work they also trivialize imo very real issues like forced closeting which did seem to happen in early 1D.

Ofc Harry is not out here (lol) simulating gay sex on stage like Troye but is he chained up by Sony or just living his life and not sharing every sexual encounter he has with People? He could easily have 15 boy toys in Italy (along with his deuxmoi approved gf) but because he HAS to be with Louis he is a poor man with evil harpies around him using him for their personal gain (hard eye roll because if you think those gfs were some version of not 100% real HE was using them). Larries would be happier if they accept HL are no longer together (or are occasional fuck buddies with a past) and/or they don’t want to tell you anything about their sex life because it’s none of your business. There is no coding or secret messages that only other queer people can see. Harry wearing that pink Top shirt is just Harry wearing a shirt he likes (he’s such a troll).

Obvs this came in before #recentevents, and I haven't had energy to process jack shit, but I feel you! And I have so many thoughts about it because on one hand, I get the comfort of it--a cozy ao3 hallmark movie of a story "come to life"/"trapped in amber," our friends are all vibing, we're just out here living/laffing/loving/hating on women/supporting--but on the other, yeah, that's not totally realistic, and that's literally fine, they don't know you! It's wilde to me how many people take the 24/7 for 5 years more than 10 years ago as a) categoric proof then but also b) categoric proof NOW, because even though there was a constant barrage of "content" back in the day, it wasn't 100% the truthTM, shit was messy then (see 2015, eleanor b/u #1), and it's messy now! Even today, pinterest loves to show me unedited/uncropped pictures that take my breath away, fandom whomst! Anyway, I'm yelling into various voids that really don't matter in the grand scheme of things, enjoy what you wanna enjoy, revel in it being fictional even though these are real people, but also, let me just take this moment to say I'm pouring one out for the real ones, the ones feeling isolated in groupchats, the ones who fear they can't post even the tiniest bit of doubt because they'll lose people they've come to rely on for their own personal comfort online via these two (or eep, followers, come on, liveeeee in the cringe), the ones who follow goldstars because they're the loudest and most terminally online, so there's a constant stream of "content," yet they have to face the ever-present barrage that comes with it, cropped pictures, shitting on women, the lack of any kind of nuance all. I see you!

[rsa-everything]

FRIEREN - a mockery of an anime review

(Anime only perspective) *Although, I am aware of many things in the manga*

----

Can an anime be 10/10 perfect score? Possibility, says yes! But time, says no! With time there will always be something better.

9.99.../10

Should you give it a try: 99 % Yes - ( 1% no if you can't control your attention)

Done.

----

I finished the first season and I'm amazed at how well this story follows its main theme so well. Starting at the end of what would be the common resolution of most fantasy animes, the victory over the demon lord, Frieren delivers a storyline of how life really works, despite reaching the end of one story, another continues. And in the grand scheme of all life, the story really never ends.

You really need to watch this anime past it's opening prologue (roughly eps 1- 2)

The audience is thrown into abrupt point in the story, you don't see the party of heroes take down the demon lord or any action really. You find your hero party in it's victory parade and you are left with piecing together of what happened and how will this story continue.

Initially, what you get is an at leisure fantasy, slice of life, and a mundane world exploration But it's really an overwhelmingly spacious world building experience. Frieren, the last great mage, is roughly over a 1000 years old in the story we begin and that really correlates with her pace of life and her emotionless outlook. The story starts after 10 years of journeying with the hero's party. Frieren leaves to explore the world, but for every moment or event we watch-time easily passes by. So quickly that we reach the death of main hero of her party, Himmel. This is point where Frieren's sense of time really slows down for the audience and constant event flags stick to the story. She suddenly self realizes what she missed in a blink of an eye, because sudden rush of feelings that are resonating within her for once (IMO regret, sadness and determination *in that order*)

She decides to leave the remaining members to change herself mentally and actually live in the world before her. Of course, her habits of constant leisure are still a foundation of her deminer, but changes are subtle. Eventually the changes pick up when she reunites 20 years later with Heiter, one of her party members, again.

As I would enjoy to retell the story, I shouldn't. it's for ppl to enjoy.

Just stop reading and enjoy watching the anime. It's a masterclass of new perspective in an anime genre riddled with Isekai plot armor. (I personally enjoy that still) But if you already did watch Freiren, watch it in another language. You might find it refreshing for slight changes of context.

For the people that would like to continue:

Feieren explores the idea of what shapes your decisions currently are the actions and events from the past. Simply put, everything is a reflection of the past. I believe this is the main plot driving force of our main cast of characters. Whatever happens, no matter how small it's eventually reflected on future events. If you stop and rewatch episode(s) before the main event(s) you'll realize there's more meaning in what they do. Sure, this anime uses flash backs to explain how this came to be, but the actions are explained often with actions and dialogue from previous episodes. Frieren, the mage, is an odd ball and is questioned often as to why she does things and audience often will understand before the people she speaks with. The amount of layers of this is ridiculous and are splendid tidbits along the way for the audience. (like specific spells for really specific things that wouldn't be really that special or "useful")

Besides the superb story, the animation really doesn't get enough credit. For some reason ppl often bring up the dance scene being amazing with all it's movement in fabric, hair etc. But, looking back at previous episodes, watching the characters hair, earrings, fabric etc..., everything is so subtle that it mirrors reality. The director really knows how to make the audience focus, from cinematic angles to the unusual poses. People will joke feet *cough cough* and armpits *cough cough* but they just make a common conversion or fight more interesting. Speaking of fight scenes, the animation is also highly praised for good reason. They are just pure enjoyment and a nice refreshing change of pace when it arrives. The scenes are not only a spectacle in their own rights, but emphasize the importance of experience and skill development for both the characters and the audience. Even the dialogue during the fights really means something and everything seems to have purpose. It's wonderful that the the dialogue is calm and subdued as if the opponents are using the weight of their experience to dominate the fight.

to be continued...

maybe

[compassionatereminders]

honestly, in the end, endogenic systems...really don't matter in the grand scheme of things when it comes to DID imo. not in a bad way, in a neutral sense. i find myself being endo-neutral because honestly i just want to focus on myself and my own recovery. why focus on what's going on in other people's heads when i can't know anyway and i have enough BS going on in my own, y'know? if you tell me you experience plurality and it's not caused by chronic childhood trauma, who am i to tell you "actually, no, you're less 'valid' than me and those like me"? that just feels. weird to me. especially because i so often feel like i'm alienated from the community despite being a pwDID who doesn't feel plural or multiple.

pwOSDDID do need their own spaces but people are really vile about it.

Yeah that's valid honestly like why not just focus on the people who do have DID and let everyone else be? Because I fully support DID specific communities and resources. I don't think it's all "basically the same thing". But the discourse is honestly ridiculous

[qqueenofhades]

I'm not looking for a fight, I'm frustrated because you're actually misreading my message. Must be because I'm not an academic myself.

You're setting aside YouTube as a terrible medium in general and one you are above, as an academic. Meanwhile, entire conferences are streamed or uploaded to YouTube. Academics run YouTube channels (and tiktok accounts for that matter).

The reason this is getting to me is because you respond with general statements to a question about a specific youtuber, and Karolina actually does her research much the same an academic would. It upsets me, because you seem to not take her research seriously because she takes a different approach. On top of that, I am of the opinion that academia would in fact become a lot more inclusive if it was more... Tolerant. Of people who do their due diligence but outside of the traditional academic system.

I KNOW that academia is focused on keeping itself intact and has very set ideas on which methodologies to use and which to dismiss. I have degrees. I also know that these can be extremely limiting to how we view history because in the end, it's just words on paper and beyond some engagement with manuscripts, very few tactile or embodied forms of research are allowed within the grand scheme of things.

For someone who applied to (the journal with 85 rejections which starts with p, and I know this because I know academia and academics), I'm surprised you're so immediately and wholly negative towards new mediums.

I'm not saying watch YouTube. I'm saying, maybe dont put these explicit value judgements about all of YouTube in a response that required only a "that's not my thing" when you don't consume any of its media in general. When I said "less is more" I meant that you don't need to explain that YouTube is Frequently Bad, the same way you told me I didn't need to lecture you on academia not being perfect. People know not all media on YouTube is trustworthy, and yet, there is content which IS. And a lady making actual period accurate clothes on videos offers a new insight into history which academia cannot and frequently will not offer and this is the type of additional information that should not be automatically shunned by academics imo because it might very well contribute to the way you think about historical life (since I think we can all agree that no one knows everything and the entire point is to continue learning).

For someone who isn't looking for a fight, you are spending a lot of time sending me very long and angry messages, after I have explained as many times as possible that just because I don't personally engage with that medium, it doesn't mean it's bad, it's just different from what I do and want.

For the last time, I am not automatically and totally shunning anything. I am saying for me as one person, it is not something I use. I think there is absolutely value in doing digital humanities and I do it along with a lot of other people. You felt angry that I said that I don't personally do one thing and extrapolated it into this giant screed about elitism and me hating all nontraditional academics or methods and things that I quite simply did not say. I can't help you if you're angry about what you think I said. I didn't say it and I don't feel that way, so kindly stop putting words in my mouth.

Since we clearly don't understand each other, or you feel that I am determined to misunderstand you while I am pointing out how you're doing that to me, this is the last of your asks that I will respond to. I hope you log off for a bit and enjoy your Sunday. Cheers.

[malaierba]

I mean as much as I'm a Krmts Babe I don't think he'd be beating Osomatsu in the Favourite BigBro rankings tbvh like

Totty's fave? Definitely Oso or maybe Jyushi (like, admitted outloud, even if he does most of the looking after Jyushi in practice); He used to have something special with Choromatsu (he probably had the #1 spot until I wanna a bit after high school?) but he keeps rising and he can't stand it.

Jyushimatsu's is probably Ichimatsu, though those two act the most like twins as in "being born 10 minutes appart literally doesn't matter in the grand scheme of things" soo?? I'm not sure 🤔

Regarding Karamatsu, I'm not sure he kept his spot after season 3, mainly because of how he didn't help him with keeping Choromatsu* tethered to reality (HILARIOUS) They do have a lot of bonding moments in Season 3, although he did snap at Jyushi during the night snacks skit + the pizza skit (noting that he dissed everyone then, not just Jyushi). I don't get the feeling that Jyushimatsu thought much of either event though, other than transient surprise.

You COULD make an argument (more like HC? that i indulge in bcs I love kaijuumatsu) for iromatsu sharing Jyushi's Fave BigBros spot. It'd be more apparent in S1 and S2 imo.

*Btw the older brother that Jyushi's the most done with is Choromatsu which is SO iconic of him

Ichimatsu's outspoken fave is 100% Osomatsu. He may be a Karamatsu Boy but even if he weren't so stupidly tsun about it, I think Osomatsu just matches his energy and, ah, general life outlook better.

I guess things could change in the future so that he'd honestly vote for them both but that's not funny and Ososan is all about the funnies so, ykno (edit: okay ig I can see some scenarios where forcing Ichimatsu to rank Karamatsu as one of his faves COULD be funny, mainly because he implodes afterwards and Osomatsu takes full offense probably? Maybe)

Choromatsu is DONE with both his older brothers. Favourite older brother? He should be the oldest brother damnit.

Historically it's Osomatsu, but I'm so serious when I say that as of S3 he wouldn't pick either, even if he may spare a "he's k" for Karamatsu out of the vast generosity of his heart. He's convinced he's outgrown them.

Karamatsu would laugh in your face if you asked him to pick. "Wouldn't it be Osomatsu by default?", you may comment, to which he'd point a thumb at Oso's face and laugh harder.

Imo Karamatsu generally treats both Osomatsu and Choromatsu quite horizontally, and while he has this fun little dynamic with Osomatsu where they are partners in crime sometimes, someone to dunk on/call out at others, I don't get the feeling that he relies on him as an older brother figure unless it's literally THE LAST OPTION AVAILABLE. Literally a last resort. So funny but also so real.

So final tally (single votes + double votes tallies bcs why not)

Osomatsu: Totty & Ichi / still Totty & Ichi

Karamatsu: 0 / if double votes allowed, Jyushi & Ichi (secret vote that kills the man)

Ichimatsu: Jyushi / Still just Jyushi

Jyushimatsu: 0 / if double votes allowed, Totty

(Choromatsu tbvh should be able to get a rules-bending vote from Karamatsu but even if he could I'm not actually sure Kara would offer it like honest to god idk, maybe he would? Maybe his pride wouldn't let him? Maybe it'd be funnier according to the universe rules to have him act unaware, just to piss off Choromatsu? Yeah idk)

(then again if we're discussing Rules Of Comedy in Ososan then no one would vote for Oso regardless of reality and trust/comfort in the dynamics because that's THE joke of the show, that Oso is a shitty older brother and tragically that's his main identity trait 💀 Hmm maybe ESP kitten-like shenanigans would be necessary as a plot device.

Honestly the more I think about this the more of a pointless thought exercise I find it, was kind of fun though)

[destinyc1020]

This is not a confession, I just wanted to say that I am always shocked that there really are lots of people out there that are genuinely devastated when their fave celebrity gets in a relationship or gets married etc. Like I thought we were all doing a little jokey joke what is up guys? Between club chalamet and the chris evans wedding rumours swirling around this weekend this just brought back my stance on this stuff. guys where do you think you are going to have a chance with a multimillionaire 💀even being angry that they're dating a person you don't want them to, why???? So we all don't know that you do not have control what another person does with their life, let alone a rich and famous one? Since when is ignoring or going with the flow no longer a thing? Social media has truly given normies the illusion of power I tell ya.

Lol I know you said you this wasn't really a "confession" Anon, but I'm going to treat it as one anyway lol 😆

But yea, fans have really gotten into some weird parasocial rlshps with their faves these days. Fandom/Stan Culture has just become so weird these days 🥴

I can understand fans not really liking who their fave is dating atm. As fans, we don't HAVE to care for who you're dating. Respect it, YES. But fall all over ourselves in love with your gf? Oh heck no. We don't have to do that. 🙄 You can still be a "good fan" and not care for who your fave (male OR female) is dating.

For example, I think Timmy stans have real VALID reasons for not liking the Kylothee union and seeing him dating her. 🤷🏾‍♀️

With that said, I agree with you. Once I've done the whole "ugh.... he's dating HER??" thing.... I'm usually done with it. I may crack jokes here and there for laughs lol 😅, but as far as who he's dating making me lose SLEEP, crying, throwing up, or having a meltdown? Naaahhh sis lol.... It is NOT that serious. 🤨

I keep saying, most of these rlshps don't even last or stand the test of time anyway. 🤷🏾‍♀️ It is not worth it (imo) to be getting all worked up over this, when there are far greater more important things going on in the world to really actually be upset and concerned about. 🙄

In the grand scheme of things, who Timmy Chalamet, Chris Evans, or whoever others choose to date (or marry) is not gonna matter at all in your overall life.

You would think that a global pandemic would have taught ppl by now that there are other more important issues to be worried about than who your fave is choosing to spend time with. Jmho 🤷🏾‍♀️

[thatscarletflycatcher]

I really, really, really dislike the Fanny as the schemer theory here, because S&S more like any other Austen novel, is focused so heavily in the objectification of women by men, specially in economic terms.

You don't need a Fanny to persuade Mr Dashwood Sr to give it all to his great grand nephew; he's doing it all on his own because he's charmed by a little boy, and because he thinks his nephew will live long enough to provide himself for the women dependent on him; he only sees the other men, and the women exist as their extensions, unseen and undervalued in their labor. Edit: is a bit like when Aragorn tells Eowyn in The Lord of the Rings that there may come a time where women will have to fight after the men are killed, and Eowyn retorts that that is rather saying that women have leave to be burned with bed and home because the men no longer need them. The "what if he dies" is no concern for Mr Dashwood Sr.

Even when Fanny does scheme with John, it's because John wants to be persuaded and knows Fanny will manage to soothe his conscience. We are told he spend several days thinking he'd give them a thousand pounds each. What was stopping him from just doing it? That he really didn't want to and was putting it off.

Both Fanny and Lucy succeed in this game because they do manipulate men by catering to their ego and fancies. The only actually "powerful" women in this novel are widows without single daughters (Mrs Jennings, Mrs. Smith, and Mrs Ferrars).

Further into the novel, we see Willoughby treat women as sources of income (Mrs Smith and Miss Grey) or entertainment (Eliza Williams and Marianne). Eliza Sr. is used for her fortune by her warden and his older son, and in her unhappiness she's used and discarded for sex, first by a lover, and later (implied) by clients as a prostitute. To a lesser degree, even Sir John and Mr Palmer married women for their beauty/elegance, without apparently one care for an intellectual or emotional connection, even at the level of ideals (Sir John is sociable and boisterous, lady Middleton is insipid and socially conscious; Mr Palmer and Mrs Palmer, the reverse).

It is in this context why Edward Ferrars' refusal to break his engagement to Lucy is so important and heroic (and why I get so mad about people arguing "but his happiness is important! Elinor's happiness is important! It was idiotic to stay in a situation that was only going to bring unhappiness for everyone!); as far as he is concerned, Lucy depended on him and had invested her best marriageable years on him. When a woman's comfort depends so heavily and exclusively on men choosing to do right by them, Edward sticking to his word is huge, and not a silly concession to convention; it means he will do what is right, even when it does not benefit him. Elinor, being much younger and in a socially higher position than Lucy, even in her "genteel" poverty, has better chances of marrying decently well.

Of all the Austen heroes, Brandon and Edward are the only ones that are specifically considered to be plain, in both physical beauty and personal charm; Edward is poor by himself, and for a non-clergyman, Brandon isn't super rich (he's less wealthy than Darcy, or Bingley, or Knightley... I'm not sure if we are ever told how rich Wentworth is); he's inherited a estate of about the worth of Longbourn, but that his brother had mismanaged and was probably tied in debt. I think this is specially so to highlight that the one thing they have going for themselves, that is, their respect, care and concern for the welfare of women they have nothing to gain from -and other vulnerable people- is hugely important, the main thing that matters. And it is a thing that isn't tied to temperament or ideals (Edward being reserved and unsentimental, Brandon being romantic and emotional).

Sure, Lucy and Fanny are (IMO) the most hateable female "villains" of the Austen canon after Mrs Norris, but I think shifting all or most of the evils of the story into their shoulders obscures this aspect of the novel, that I don't think can be read as accidental. Austen can give you a story where she is pointing out the power evil and just selfish men can have over women AND at the same time have bad women in it too.

In S&S I’ve always been puzzled why Elinor’s and Marianne’s great uncle tied up his estate in such a way as to leave them in such a desperate financial state. Then it finally occurred to me that Fanny probably had been dropping hints in his ear about Henry Dashwood making plans to break up the estate or sell the hardwoods. Whether he actually intended any of this, I could definitely see Fanny scheming to tie it all up on her son’s behalf. If this were so, she must have been pretty mad that John Dashwood had promised Henry that he would be generous to the girls - thereby undermining her years of plotting. Thank goodness she could talk him out of his better impulses!

The start of Sense & Sensibility always bugs me because it's just too realistic for my taste. I've heard this story even today, the child who spends years caring for their ailing parent unrecognized in a will. Mr. and Mrs. Henry Dashwood devote 10 years to Uncle Dashwood's care. During that time, John leaves home and only occasionally visits along with his wife and child.

The whole was tied up for the benefit of this child, who, in occasional visits with his father and mother at Norland, had so far gained on the affections of his uncle, by such attractions as are by no means unusual in children of two or three years old; an imperfect articulation, an earnest desire of having his own way, many cunning tricks, and a great deal of noise, as to outweigh all the value of all the attention which, for years, he had received from his niece and her daughters.

Little Harry Dashwood is the logical heir to Norland eventually, he is after all from a direct male line, but in favour of this male inheritance, Uncle Dashwood passes over the women who "gave him every degree of solid comfort which his age could receive; and the cheerfulness of the children added a relish to his existence."

I think the point Jane Austen was trying to make is that women's work is being discounted in favour of continuing the male inheritance system. Mrs. Dashwood was running the household for Uncle Dashwood, but he does not seem to actual value (in monetary terms) what she has done. Instead, he passes it all on to a boy who doesn't really need it.

As for Fanny, I have no doubt that she would be dropping hints, but it does seem like she just pointed her baby at Uncle Dashwood and won. Low effort victory.

[merrysithmas]

If you don’t mind be asking I have a bit of a steamy question.

Why do you think people see Anakin as a submissive? Like a guy who is characterized by his desire to possess the people he loves? A lust for power? An almost consent need for control? Slaughtered the sand people for killing his mom? Just is rather irreverent? A rebel who does things his way fuck the rules/orders? Dude who becomes DARTH VADER? I mean I know there’s that whole moment when he kneels to Palpatine but I don’t think that’s at all reflective of him in the grand scheme of things you know? My guy was at the end of his rope. 

Also, Obi-Wan couldn’t dom his way out of a paper bag and I say this as somebody whose best friend is a domme. I think people see him as the older and perhaps more masculine looking (the beard) but that doesn’t actually mean anything. Like my man has an inadequacy complex 10 miles wide and is in a consent state of self criticism. Sticks to the code and Jedi teachings to the point of orthodoxy like it’s canon that he takes pleasure in not only following the rules but following them well and to a T. And I say this lovingly but Obi couldn’t control Anakin to save his life. I see fans say that Obi-Wan needed to force Ani into submission and like tame him but our dude told Anakin no like everyday of his life but Ani just wasn’t having any of it. Anakin isn’t a brat that needs to be tamed he’s a super powerful demi-god with mental health issues.

I’m sorry if this is like super random and it’s way longer than I intended but it’s just wild out here in these fanfiction streets. It blows me away how popular this specific characterization is. 

i think that characterization is popular bc a lot of ppl have never watched TCW, haha. IMO you can't watch TCW and be convinced of the above dynamic. as Anakin grows he changes from a terrified brat pseudo-orphan into a wild, charismatic, headstrong young man, & Obi-wan's inexperienced bossy controlling unease in AOTC mellows to a soft, loveable refinement.

basically i have NOTHING ELSE TO ADD to what you said because I agree completely. I do not see the "daddy wan" pov personally haha. and frankly i don't like that dynamic between them. in my point of view, i don't like it at all and i don't think it does anything to express the immense and equal partnership between them. that's just my take and everyone has their own preferences.

i think a lot of people see it this way because Anakin, as a demi-god, is riddled with confusion about his place in the universe. it's why it's so obvious to people that he "badly needs a hug" that Obi-wan is too debilitatingly perfectionist to give him (or Padme for that matter - she just stares at him blankly whenever he confesses something painful or terrible LOL, thanks George).

via the nature of being borne of the Force itself (and born into slavery), he is always looking for a "master" - which is another thing that I think gets people on that track of thinking. he goes from slave, to unusual Padawan (he never had to learn with other Padawans in the temple) who understandably sometimes sees the Jedi order as a type of servitude, to dark side slave. a hallmark of anakin's character is that he NEVER has complete control over his destiny, which i'd argue is one of the main elements that drives him mad - and a fascinating and delicious literary foray into the subject of "destiny" and Star Wars at large,

he is tortured, actually tormented, by this lack of mastery over himself. he can NEVER HAVE mastery over himself as an agent of Fate/the Force which makes him so tragic. and that line of thinking seems to drive some ppl down a certain kink road LOL which is fine, but just not how i see it personally. he is always looking for direction in a mortal world that quite literally CANNOT understand him at all.

in a way he reminds of an animal starving for affection, a man dying for water, a forest fire burning its own body to ash. but in my opinion this DOES NOT lend itself into a traditionally submissive dynamic with Obi-wan "man of the cloth" Kenobi of all people. he loves pulling on Obi-wan's pigtails, causing him trouble, destroying everything he holds dear... Anakin is the classic "mean kid on the playground" to Obi-wan and adores him, loves him, and constantly bothers him.

as for Obi-wan he has a refined, gentle, self-assured, particular masculinity to him just like Anakin has an obvious "angelic" beauty. they both have masculine and feminine traits, which is awesome. but Obi-wan is harsh towards himself, judgmental towards others, insecure, perfectionist, and chained by his orthodoxy. Anakin, for all his beauty, is angry, rough, feral, unintentionally mean, brash, brave, and selfish.

Anakin is controlling, expressive, emotionally wild, untamed, and possessive. On the other hand, Obi-wan is paralyzed by his need to control himself, frequently behaviorally corsetted, unlearned in emotionality, and interpersonally anorexic.

basically, Anakin rails Obi-wan into oblivion and they both release their worst behavior on each other. they switch when they want to. they are often soft and sweet to each other because they're both saps (and in a war, and miserable, and alone, and in love). but also, consensually, Anakin chokes Obi-wan and spits in his mouth and Obi-wan slaps Anakin across the face making his ears ring lmao. Then Anakin leaves him a note the next day on his dresser when they're on leave from the warfront at the Temple:

Sorry I choked you and spit on you and called you a bitch. Liked the hair pulling thing. You look nice when you're asleep and not thinking so much. You are a bitch, though. Yours, A.

Same time tomorrow, right??

And Obi-wan does the same from Anakin.

Apologies for slapping you in the face and then calling you a psychopath in the middle of it. Seemed like you liked it. I saw the gleam in your eye. I have no further comment on that particular matter. -Obi

P.S. Yes. I'll be there early.

[astroninaaa]

Hot take: Tommy played a huge part in why Tubbo is suicidal like that. Here, I said it.

Imo Tubbo defo internalized the "discs are worth more then you ever were!" and "if discs don't matter, then why any of this matters?" lines.

Tubbo also possibly (aka most likely) blames himself for the Exile, especially after saw the pillar, while (bonus hot take) Tommy really fucked up those negotiations himself.

Tommy is not the only one to blame, Wilbur, Dream, Quackity, Technoblade are there too.

/rp /dsmp

i personally think this is one of the most interesting hot takes i've ever received.

for one, i'd like to say i agree with it, but i don't think that'd be true. while i do believe tommy's fussing over the discs + the way he seems to not see or recognize how tubbo's trauma affects his day to day life hurt tubbo, i don't think tommy does it on purpose and therefore i think it's unfair to blame him for it. also, tubbo definitely blames himself for exile and for most of tommy's pain, partially because of how tommy ("i'd never do this to you", "you're a monster", "tubbo, you can't do this”) and his cabinet ("you're literally acting like schlatt right now", "tubbo, you can't do this", "tubbo, this is your fault") reacted to it on the first place.

other characters have a tendency to demonize tubbo, and that's because, differently from most other characters in the smp, tubbo makes most of his decisions from a rational viewpoint, not from an emotional one. by nature, he's someone who relies on critical thinking and logicality - of course everyone was mad at him for exile, how could he do that to his best friend? however, tubbo didn't exile his best friend: he weighted two different decisions and chose the one that would protect his country while exiling a l'manburg citizen. tubbo didn't exile his best friend, he protected his country. that's how he makes decisions. sadly (and understandably) most characters don't get that, and so they get mad at him for it. he then proceeds to internalize that and hates himself even more.

i don't think tommy played a huge part on it because i believe tubbo's suicidal tendencies come from a feeling of disposibility, not of tommy's treatment of him. it doesn't come from his cabinet's treatment of him, it doesn't come from new l'manburg, it doesn't come from the disc war. all those things contributed, yes, but i think the matter runs deeper.

i think tubbo first started to believe he was disposable during the final control room. eret was someone he trusted deeply, someone he'd die for, someone who killed him in the pursuit of power. back then, tubbo was nothing but a mere sacrifice for something more important. god, no one even cared about it, because fundy was a child and wilbur was a leader terribly betrayed by his own and tommy died a second time in less than an hour and tubbo needed to be level, and rational, and calm. there were more important things at hand. he was disposable, everyone else wasn't, he needed to think.

(or at least that's what he believed in)

it carried on to l'manburg. wilbur himself admitted to not being the best leader to tubbo he could've been, and, while wilbur cared about him, tommy was the one he called brother. i believe tubbo internalized that quite a bit - he was not the first choice, not to anyone.

(he was to tommy, of course, but tubbo never realized that. he never saw it, and he kept not seeing it until he was almost murdered and tommy begged for his best friend's life in dream's vault. i think he still doesn't see it.)

tubbo was a trophy to schlatt. he was a symbol of schlatt's victory, of his power, something to hold close and shove into pogtopia's faces. not important, not a person, but a pawn, a piece easy to move and to kill in the grand scheme of things. tubbo was a spy but he still cared for schlatt, and he was still proud of being called a right-hand man. he was made as a clown, decorating his own execution and going down with a bang. wilbur didn't come for him. tommy didn't come for him (he wanted to, but tubbo didn't know that). quackity stood by and watched. everyone stood by and watched. technoblade betrayed him because there were more important things in sight, and his death was a good way of swaying the manburg citizens against schlatt.

i think tubbo thought he deserved it, in a way. for not being good enough. wilbur didn't trust him, schlatt made him believe he was cared for and then made him die beautifully, colorfully, publicly. he immediately forgave techno because there was no point in being mad over it- he wasn't the important one in the story. he wasn't the main character. in the big picture, tubbo saw himself as disposable.

and tubbo could see the big picture from the start. he's one of the most rational characters in this entire story for a reason.

it didn't stop, not for a second. he was elected president of a crater and he wasn't enough to fix it. everyone ordered him around because he was sure he wasn't good enough to make decisions himself. he exiled his best friend and tried to tell himself it was the right choice no matter how much it hurt and no matter how much he was yelled at. he tried to execute technoblade and it tasted bitter and wrong on his tongue but, in the grand scheme of things, he kept doing everything wrong and if quackity told him technoblade was still a threat then he was probably right. ranboo betrayed him and he instantly forgave him because he knew it was for good reason, because he wasn't good enough. his best friend called him a monster and he agreed. dream humiliated him and he agreed. no one came for him. everyone stood by and watched, just like they did in his execution.

they stood by and watched because they knew he deserved it, he thinks. they must know he deserves it, because he knows, as well.

tubbo's suicidal tendencies stem from a feeling of unimportance, of the certainty that if he died it'd be okay and make no difference at all. it might advance plot, even, and, while tommy and quackity and dream and wilbur and everyone contributed to his train of thought, at the end of the day it just circles back to the fact tubbo is too self-aware, too rational - the war, the hunger, the pain, they all made him like that and now he understands. he understands schlatt never cared. he understands eret was willing to sacrifice him. he understands dream manipulated him. he understands that, to a lot of people, he's just a pawn.

and he accepts it. he accepts it, and he's willing to die for it. he'd like to die for it, actually, because then maybe it won't hurt anymore. maybe he won't have to understand it anymore.

tubbo has a skewed view of himself and the world around him caused by trauma. he presents that trauma in a way no other character does, and so everyone thinks that trauma doesn't exist and unknowingly contribute to it. it's unfair to say tommy played a huge part on how suicidal tubbo is because it runs deeper, it holds stronger. it comes from the inside out, from tubbo analysing the world around him and understanding how everything works because he's a rational character by nature. he's the one who does math, who builds nukes, who manages to rebuild entire countries in a matter of days. he knows what games they're playing and in the big picture (the one he sees so clearly, even tho tainted by his messed up perception of himself) he's just a pawn, and, if he dies, it doesn't matter. it just doesn't matter.

tommy contributes to it. as did quackity, and wilbur, and schlatt, and eret, and fundy, and dream, and even sapnap. however, tubbo's suicidal tendencies are a lot more complex than just that.

send me a hot take!!!

[briankang]

tay I would love to hear ur thoughts on skz twice and JYPE ur thoughts r always fascinating 🫶

LMAO ok i have. many actually so here we go

mostly all of my thoughts boil down to not being surprised that twice renewed (early! at that. they had months to do so) and how i wouldn't be surprised if skz did the same thing

i think we're all still really burned by how jyp treated got7 (which was not good!) and day6 (i know jae is on like. thin fucking ice w/ everyone but he was done insanely bad) but i think overall everyone needs to realize something and that it's skz are not got7 or day6. if anything, skz are probably the most favored bg of jyp lmao. they're treated pretty well and it's based solely in my opinion in the fact that chan is sort of the golden jyp child (he gets called jyp's son for a reason!!). jyp (the man and company) clearly has 100% trust in what chan can do and what skz can do. it's why he put together 3racha, it's why he lets them have full creative control, it's why he let chan put together skz himself and not the company to begin with. got7 did not have any of those privileges (even if they worked on songs, it most certainly was not like skz has from the beginning). this isn't to say the company hasn't made mistakes (putting minho on that goddamn roof for that thunderous performance recently comes to mind......lmao) but as a whole it's been a pretty decent going considering imo. even with hyunjin's temporary hiatus, i consider that lucky in the grand scheme. we could've seen him evaporate into the air like some other companies have done and never gotten an answer or seen him again. they had him take a break, and he came back better than ever.

i know everyone's really stressed that the boys are so busy right now (i do imagine they'll get a break soon btw), but i think we need to keep two things in mind in that a) they're in the middle of their contract, and are RAPIDLY gaining an audience. this will arguably be their busiest time no matter what. but b) the "world" at large has basically said we're "coming out" of a pandemic, so every event that was put off for two years is suddenly being squished together. tours, isac, appearances. again, it's not an excuse and in a more perfect world is more spaced out, but everyone's racing to get back to "normalcy" in some form, so it all feels very pushed together. imo there will probably be a real decent break in october or so, but that's just based on assumption, i think they'll probably get a few small ones in between too, especially with holidays coming up and whatnot.

i can't remember what the post said exactly or where i saw it but i did want to clarify that 3racha don't own their songs, not fully. they have the production and writing credits, sure, but they don't own them, and certainly not their masters. they're still being published under jyp with the jyp entertainment name, attached to the name stray kids, which as of now they don't own. actually owning your songs and masters is a HELL of a legal thing, speaking from experience of going through this as a swiftie. unless the boys have a specific contract saying they own all the rights, those still belong to jyp, unless they can one day buy them or sign some sort of agreement. song copyright and ownership and masters are an insane legal thing that personally i don't see them persuing, at least not right now. i know got7 made it seem p easy but jayb had to do so much work to get that business and legal wise lmao.

as for their future at jyp, i would 100% not be surprised if they renewed at the end of contract (we still have like. years to go but personally it would surprise me). skz basically have every resource at their disposal while still getting to make THEIR music, there's really no reason to. chan especially i think has a lot of loyalty to jyp (he talks so highly of jyp himself and of the company and their staff and has always admired everyone there, i'd be kinda shocked if he ever leaves tbh LMAO), and i honestly cannot see the boys splitting up. i think they'll be very much in a twice situation (which a lot of people were surprised about?? it wasn't a shock to me tbh lmao. twice are the jyp golden girls and mostly have no reason to leave, and now that their initial contract is up they're getting to relax a little, while still doing what they love with each other) and if they did leave it'd be after a 3 year renewal to finish out 10 years. honestly i could see them just being like 2pm and just sort of always there tbh LMAO. that's just me though!

anyways those are my. thoughts. i don't think think they're v popular though but this is just what i've Gleaned. i think it's better to stay optimistic and look at things a bit more big picture so that there's not so much stress about everything. i realize this post comes probably across as a company apologist (don't worry if jyp burned to the ground today i would celebrate LOUDLY) but i morseo think after seeing other companies skz have a p decent hand dealt to them rn, all things considered. a lot of what everyone's upset about isn't even specific to jyp, it's an idol culture/celebrity/industry standards thing, but i think it's easier to try and pinpoint it there, when really they're things that are just sort of rampant (and should be addressed and fixed but that takes time and a change in...everything so! who knows! i think things are better now than they have been though, if only a little).