#sorry I rewatched the end of gravity falls and am going through it. | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

jamiejohnsontalk · 4 years ago

Text

LGBT Representation in Jamie Johnson as Compared to Other Kids’ Media

Pinned to the top of my blog because I’m quite proud of this post, and I still want newer followers to be able to see it.

From what I know, LGBT representation is relatively new in media. Not just kids’ media, but media in general. I don’t even think I knew what gay meant until I was like 11. And I didn’t know that religions didn’t exactly have the greatest opinion of gay people till my GCSEs. In that sense, I was lucky. I knew I was gay before I knew what homophobia was, so I have always been comfortable with who I am. But others didn’t have life that... Well, simple I suppose. I’ve always known who I am, but other people, well, in the worst case scenario, gay people can become homophobic themselves and grow to hate themselves. This might seem like a sidetracky introduction, but I think it shows the importance of LGBT in media. For someone like me, it can help to start to normalise gay people to my family. Even though they’re still homophobic, at least they’re able to watch programmes with LGBT characters in. I met someone who’s dad wouldn’t watch any shows with LGBT characters in it. And for how rare gay people used to be in media in general, they’re even rarer in kids’ media. Why is it that Disney Channel only had their first gay main character in 2017 when homosexuality was legalised in... 2003 in the US. Wow, I can’t lie, I looked up that statistic expecting it to be way earlier. OK, but it was legalised in 1967 in the UK. So why did I never see any gay characters in my childhood? I’ve known I was gay since I was 9, but I must have first seen a gay character in, OK, it was Doctor Who. Captain Jack was pansexual. So I did have some LGBT representation. But there wasn’t much. And again, not in kids’ media. So, let’s look at some of the kids’ media that changed the landscape for LGBT rep in kids’ media. Sarah Jane Adventures and Wizards vs Aliens We’ll start with what I think is probably the worst types of LGBT representation. First of all: Wizards vs Aliens. Benny came out. But I can’t remember the show ever talking about it again after he came out. Sarah Jane Adventures. Yes, it’s not Russell T Davies’ fault that he never got the chance to let Luke come out in the show, and yes, he got to have Luke come out in the memorial episode for Sarah Jane on YouTube, but even before Liz had... Luke had left the main cast, so his coming out would have still meant less to audience members. Gravity Falls had a coming out at the very end of the show, and I believe so did Adventure Time, so they fit in this category too. Compare that to Dillon from Jamie Johnson. Yes, there’s a reasonable chance we won’t see him again after this season, but if it is, he gets to leave on a high. We get to explore his coming out journey. Steven Universe Steven Universe is great for LGBT representation, and it’s great for normalising LGBT representation. You’ve got a huge variety of LGBT characters, because the Gems are all gay (Except Rose). So you can understand that there are different types of gay people (Love Victor did that too, but I’m not sure how many people would watch it). Steven universe is definitely the gayest kids’ show. High School Musical the Musical the Series fits in this category too. Carlos is out and proud. And we don’t see his coming out, more his love life. Again, great rep. Normalises gay people. Jamie Johnson is nowhere near the level of gay that Steven Universe or High School Musical the Musical the Series is, but I think that it’s less meaningful than other shows I’ll mention and Jamie Johnson. It’s the same reason Victor said “Screw you” to Simon at the beginning of Love Victor. We don’t want to see gay people who have it easy. We want to see gay people who are like us. Who have been through stuff and have come out the other side alive. We want hope, but that doesn’t come from seeing gay people who have it easy. I see people playing football and risking corona and I’m jealous. I want to play football again. I see gay people have it easy: Same. I wish I could have it that easy, and it makes me sad. Steven Universe is a great show, and has great rep, but I think even kids’ media should have something closer to home. Andi Mack and Diary of a Future President I love how they portrayed Cyrus and Bobby. We got to see Cyrus’ story from realising he liked guys to being able to say “I’m gay” to showing his crush he likes him (though homophobes can pretend the bench scene was just a friendship scene). Cyrus’ arc was great, and the bench scene was perfect and the only problem with it was that it deserved a fourth season so we could see Cyrus and TJ in a relationship. Diary of a Future President though. I was heartbroken when Bobby didn’t come out to Liam. But then I found out there was a season 2 and I was OK, because it’s hard to come out. It’s as if all the shows make it so easy to come out to the first person, but it’s not. The first real life person I came out to, I came out at 22. And they had come out to me first. And I had to write it down on my phone. I couldn’t say it out loud. So yeah, seeing Diary of a Future President take it slow is amazing, and I love it, and it’s also what they did with Dillon. Some people think that they only really intended for Dillon to be gay from season 4. But, I think that they’ve known since the beginning. I plan to do a character analysis on Dillon after my rewatch, but I think I found something that shows they must have known since at least season 2. (I expect the analysis will be a lot shorter than this. Sorry for the crazy length. And if it’s a crap read. I don’t essay well). But if they knew from the beginning, that was a brilliant move on their part. The only thing that makes me unsure is how Dillon took 3 years to realise he might be gay, but it’s possible that he denied it to himself until he realised Elliot was gay. Because there’s no way he wasn’t thinking he was gay in season 4 episode 5. He didn’t think he was asexual, his reaction to Ruby’s foster mums suggested that he was interested because they were gay. But regardless, I love that they took it slow. Not everyone can come out as easily as others, and having someone like Bobby, or like Dillon, is so much more meaningful than Cyrus, even though Cyrus is an amazing character. Bobby and Dillon are more relatable because they’re finding it tough to come out. The Dumping Ground I kept trying to decide whether I thought the dumping ground or Andi Mack/Diary of a Future President had better LGBT representation. In the end, I decided that I preferred the Dumping Ground’s representation. Yes, in Andi Mack and Diary of a Future President, we get to see the coming out journey of Bobby and Cyrus, but even though Andi Mack touched on homophobia, a lot of people didn’t even realise Kira was blackmailing TJ, making him afraid of how people would react if they found out he was gay. A number of people just thought TJ was being an idiot. But the Dumping Ground had a gay couple wanting to foster Gus. And IIRC, Johnny thought it was wrong because they were gay. Something like that would foster (see what I did there?) potential discussion between parents and children about gay adoption. Some kids watching the show might have been gay and if they watched it with their parents, they could talk about it with them. Gage their reaction. Maybe even come out to them. The Dumping Ground’s episode was great. And then May-Li came out. And we never got to see her full journey, But we did get to see her journey to being accepted by her grandmother I think. And that’s something. And Now On To Jamie Johnson Just like the Dumping Ground, Jamie Johnson has been able to tackle serious issues. I mean, season 1 dealt with Jamie’s cheating father. You’ve got Zoe being a carer, Dillon getting diabetes. But in terms of LGBT representation, it’s season 4 and season 5. Season 4 episode 5 was incredible. I remember telling all my friends about it, and how amazing it was that CBBC were doing this. To recap: Ruby said her heroes were her foster parents, causing Dillon to ask Ruby about it. She thought he was being an idiot, even though in actual fact, he was excited that someone else was gay and trying not to show it. Dillon told his dad that Ruby had foster mums while he was telling him how Ruby’s biological parents weren’t in her life anymore. Liam, Dillon’s brother, used it to rile up Ruby’s sister Alba until she attacked him. She probably would have gotten expelled from the club, but Sienna filmed the incident so everyone found out what really happened, and it was Liam who got expelled. I think Alba only got excluded. What I find really awesome about the storyline though is not just that they had it. It was that the consequences of Liam’s actions set the course for the rest of the season, aka Dodgy Duncan. Liam’s actions caused the club’s image to go down the drain, and sponsors to leave, and that’s what made Duncan turn to the dark side. And it’s a subtle way to just say “Homophobia is bad”. Because Liam’s homophobia caused all the problems in the rest of the season. The First Time Dillon Let Himself “be Gay” Dillon took a long time to come out. And, like me, I think for a long time, nobody really suspected he was gay, in real life or in the audience. He never really showed it. I’m pretty sure when I was a kid, I would act super offended and upset if someone jokingly called me gay. So, yeah, it’s a slow burn. And we didn’t get any hints that he was gay, but that happens. Gay people are good at hiding, I think that’s why gay kids are often portrayed as loving theater. They already have to act their whole lives. It’s not easy to be in the closet. But I think that once Dillon was able to leave his father’s shadow, he was able to be more comfortable with himself, leading to him coming out to Elliot in episode 7. I think he had crushes before, specifically Michelle from season 2, but Elliot was the first time he felt like he could be himself. So here we have two massive points from other shows, but they haven’t been done together. The discussion of homophobia in the Dumping Ground, and the Slow Burn from Diary of a Future President. Social Media Presence Andi Mack made a huge deal about Cyrus being gay, like a week before the episode where he came out aired. HSMTMTS had Carlos be a gay stereotype from the trailer, and OK, Steven Universe was always gay. But Jamie Johnson, and the Dumping Ground didn’t make a big deal about it beforehand. They didn’t scream to the world “Look at us! We’re woke!” They showed it. They let people see for themselves, they let people debate for two weeks on Dillon’s sexuality, and they didn’t tell everyone that this was the episode Dillon would come out (though they made sure that everyone knew they should watch this episode). They just let people see for themselves. And after the episode aired, they made their move. They had the Jamie Johnson logo in rainbow colours to celebrate pride, they had a guide on how to react if someone comes out to you, and they had a history of pride, and I expect they’ll do even more on their social media after this week’s episode. @tkstrand reckons the Delliot post is Jamie Johnson’s most liked instagram post. I don’t know whether the other shows did this, but it’s a great gesture regardless. Oh, and there’s the fact that they’re doing a Bafta zoom conference on how they tackle issues. Choosing the Right Character and Breaking Ground for CBBC A lot of people on Instagram said that they thought it was Boggy who should be gay, and while I think either storyline would be great, I think that the writers made the right decision. 1) Boggy is an amazing person. He’s not afraid to be himself. I think, if Boggy was gay, then he wouldn’t have as much trouble coming out as Dillon is having. Of course, Boggy is going through stuff right now, but I still think he would have been a lot braver than Dillon and so we wouldn’t get the storyline we’re getting now delving into homophobia 2) If Dillon does have a minor or major role in season 6, we might get to explore homophobia in professional football, which would be super exciting 3) While Boggy is an amazing character, I’d reckon kids tend to gravitate to the coolest character as their favourite. And while Boggy radiates cool. (Seriously, check out the two posts I made on how sarcastic he is. And just look at his hat at the beginning of episode 1!

But Dillon is the more traditionally cool character, so he’s more likely to be a fan favourite (that and the fact that he’s the best developed character in Jamie Johnson). So for those who aren’t necessarily homophobic, but don’t really understand homosexuality, Dillon is the perfect choice to have written as gay. Because after next week, the people who don’t believe Dillon is gay might leave the episode with a new understanding of LGBT people. It’s been done with TJ, who’s also a cool character, but people who want to ignore the gay subtext can because it was never said out loud in the show. And I reckon Dillon is a groundbreaking character for CBBC. Benny left soon after he came out, Luke left before he came out, May-Li is part of an ensemble cast, so in terms of a small number of main characters (the core 4 in JJ being Dillon, Jamie, Zoe and Boggy), so I think Dillon is the first gay main character (not ensemble character) on CBBC who has gotten a major gay storyline. Could be wrong, let me know if I am! Groundbreaking in General From what it looks like, the next episode is gonna focus completely on Dillon’s coming out storyline. Forget kids’ media, I don’t think I’ve seen an adults’ show that has an entire episode solely dedicated to an LGBT storyline. (Even Reunited from Steven Universe wasn’t completely focused on Garnet). Love Victor was jam packed with side stories and I think even Real O’Neals always had side stories to it. If another show has done this, I’d love to hear, but if Jamie Johnson really has the whole episode dedicated solely to Dillon, I think it’s huge. I only hope it doesn’t mean that the storyline will be forgotten about in the last 4 episodes, but since the head writer of Jamie Johnson is LGBT, I have no doubt they’ll do it justice. Does Jamie Johnson Have the Best LGBT Representation in Kids’ Media? No, I don’t think it does. Andi Mack has 2 seasons where we follow Cyrus on his coming out journey and Steven Universe has a lot more LGBT people, including a non-binary character. But in the aspects Jamie Johnson does well, it excels at. The homophobia storyline(s), and Jamie Johnson’s instagram presence. And having the best developed and best defined character be the one to show kids how to treat gay people. Thursday could be a historic moment for Kids’ television if they do this right, and I think they will. So I hope that everyone enjoys the episode! No, I swear this wasn’t a long promo for the next episode. No, I am not sponsored. Yes, this post was extremely long, I’m really sorry about that. I hope it’s worth the read. If not, don’t worry, this will almost definitely be my longest post. No, I don’t know how to have a ��continue reading” button. Does anyone happen to know how? Thanks! Edit: Apparently 4 O Clock club had a gay main character first, so I got that wrong, but I still hold that Jamie Johnson is groundbreaking.

#jamie johnson #delliot #lgbt representation #analysis #long post #Seriously this is a super long post

44 notes · View notes

zero2heroyesindeed · 5 years ago

Text

So Tangled the series ends in just a few hours.

What can I say about this show, this wonderful wonderful show. I still remember my reaction to that first promo image in 2015 and being excited since this was the first Disney movie to series spin off in years and with how much the landscape of tv animation had changed in that time (much more focus on overarching stories and continuous, in-depth character arcs) it would no doubt be interesting to see. I remember everyone HATING that the hair was back but I didn’t mind as long as it made sense and was part of a good story and OH MY WAS IT PART OF A GOOD STORY.

Tangled the series is a show that somehow feels like it’s been around forever yet also feels like it’s not been around long at all. I watched Before Ever After the day it came out and same with What the Hair. A few months later I binged from Rapunzel’s enemy to Max’s enemy and fell in love with this show. The stunning art style and flowing animation, the respect and attention put into making the returning characters feel exactly as we remember them while also perfectly integrating every new character flawlessly into the world. The show completely eclipsed the original movie in every possible way in my opinion. And it only got better the further we got into this story and lore.

Instead of continuing on about how amazing this show is and how grateful I am for it’s existence as both a Disney obsessed teen and animation fan and I just wanna sing the praises of the crew, there are countless posts more we’ll put together than mine that accomplish that. So what i’m gonna do is instead throw it all the way back to the first season and go in chronological order and pin point the 10 most important moments in the series as a fandom. These are not the most emotional or impactful moments, just things that were a huge deal in the fandom.

1: Life After Happily Ever After

youtube

The first ever real impression of the series we got and an indication of what a ride we would be in for. Bringing in Alan Menkin to continue writing the music showed just how far this show was going to go to create the most faithful continuation as possible. It was also the introduction to our precious Cass and showed Eugene getting ready for the first of many proposals we would see throughout the series.

2: Eugene and Rapunzel talk after the coronation disaster

youtube

Who could ever forget when Rapunzel and Eugene officially became the most developed and healthy Disney couple. This was basically the moment most people fell in love with the series and it’s not hard to see why. Tangled the Series wasn’t just cute Princess hijinks with some action thrown in, it took it’s characters and their relationships seriously in a way now Disney show had ever done up to that point and could be mature. Rapunzel asking Eugene to be patient with her to this day still gives me chills and showed the direction this show was taking Rapunzel’s character and we were all along for the ride.

3: Rapunzel dreams of Gothel

youtube

OOH BOY this moment. While the fandom was still relatively small by this point this moment sent everyone into an absolute frenzy. While Before Ever After featured mentions of the Sun Flower and the King’s ptsd of losing Rapunzel, this was when the flood gates opened for all the angst and tears. Rapunzel’s trauma of the tower and Gothel’s treatment of her were not gonna be glossed over, they would be explored in excruciating detail which to this day is still one of the greatest elements of the series. Just because Gothel is gone doesn’t mean the 18 years of abuse she put Rapunzel through magically heals (pun intended).

4: Varian’s introduction

youtube

I don’t even need to say anything for this one. It’s Varian. (gonna be honest. It is 3am in my corner of the globe and I am struggling to find the energy to keep writing this much, so we’re just gonna rush through the rest of these).

5: Big Brothers of Corona/ aka Eugene is a perfect human being

youtube

This was the episode that cemented Eugene as one of my favourite Disney characters of all time. I can not count how many times I have rewatched the ending to this one alone. But it was also a fantastic episode for developing Lance’s character and integrating him as part of the shows main cast moving forward despite this only being his second appearance. Also I forgot how small Red and Angry (or the girls formally known as Red and Angry) were.

6: You promised!

youtube

This is still my favourite callback to the movie the show ever did. To me Rapunzel saying she never breaks a promise in the original movie feels out of place. Like Rapunzel keeping her promises was going to be a huge part of the story early in development and that line is just a reminant of that draft that should’ve really been taken out. But I don’t care because it gave us this beautiful moment. Also this moment cemented Nigel as my most hated character on the show.

7: “Difficult decisions are what make us who we are”

youtube

I can’t with this scene and just how brilliant this episode was at dealing with the fall out of Queen For a Day and how crucial it was to Rapunzel’s character development in retrospective. Everything she has done in season 3 and every action she has taken can be tied back directly to what she learned in this moment. If that ain’t good story telling then I don’t know what is.

8: The Tower Falls

youtube

I’m just gonna say it. This is my favourite scene from the series. Everything in this moment is perfection. The music, the staging, the visuals, the emotion. It all builds to an absolutely devastating climax as Rapunzel watches her childhood home crumble to the ground leaving behind one pieces of the walls she used to paint on. If wanna frame the moment Rapunzel starts tearing up as the tower collapses and display it on my mantle because I love it so much.

9: Rapunzel reaches her limit

youtube

I couldn’t finish this episode for hours after seeing this first scene. Rapunzel finally took a stand against her father and I was just making inaudible gasps throughout my first time watching it. Then there’s that bombshell at the end where Raps compares her father’s actions to that of Gothel’s that never fails to shake me to my very core no matter how many times I rewatch it.

10: Ready As I’ll Ever Be

youtube

What? We’re you expecting the biggest song this show was turned out to not make the list? I mean it was the first time Tangled the series was able to get the attention of those outside the fan base and hooked so many people into checking the show out. This was the moment Tangled the series just left the movie in the dust and from there it just kept pushing further and further with each season.

Not really sure how I should end this. I am very emotional and very tired but I refuse to go to sleep. I am staying up until this finale drops because I am not going to go to sleep knowing i’ll wake up in a world where Tangled the Series is over. This show is a once in a lifetime experience that is in my top 5 television shows of all time. It might not have had the legacy of Phineas and Ferb or the popularity of Gravity Falls but it had so much love, energy and passion behind it and you can tell everyone making this show loved it just as much as we did. I’ll probably end up doing lists like this for season 2 and 3 when I get around to binging the entire Tangled franchise (which will probably be around Summer).

Thank you to the indescribably talented crew of writers, animators, designers, and directors (and I am so sorry if I missed any other positions out but you are all so amazing). Thank you Mandy and Zach for giving your voices to Rapunzel and Eugene and letting us explore their life after Happily Ever After and letting their journey continue. Thank you Eden, Jeremy and James for bringing life to Cass, Varian and Lance who expanded the world of Tangled and felt like perfect additions to the main cast. Thank you Alan Menkin and Glen Slater for continuing to write phenomenal music and putting in your all for something you clearly didn’t even need to do in the first place. Every piece of music for this show has left me breathless (and not just from belting Waiting in the Wings to myself). This 3 year Journey has been simply sensational and I can’t wait to see how it all ends.

Next stop anywhere!

#rapunzels tangled adventure #tangled the series #tangled before ever after #rta #tts #tts fandom #rapunzel #eugene fitzherbert #rta cassandra #tts cassandra #lance strongbow #tangled pascal #tangled maximus #tangled varian #disney channel #disney television animation #appreciation

90 notes · View notes

darkpoisonouslove · 5 years ago

Text

TV Show Tag Game

I was tagged by @theonceoverthinker. Thanks, this looks fun (from what I saw in the rules XD).

rules: pick 5 shows, then answer the following questions. don’t cheat. tag 10 (or however many) people.

1. Winx Club

2. Lucifer

3. Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.

4. Gravity Falls

5. Once Upon a Time

what’s your favourite character from 1?

Griffin. I love all the little details that the show tells us about her in the 20 minutes of screen time she gets for 8 seasons. And her backstory is really interesting (at least the way I have imagined it to fill the gigantic hole that is only barely outlined by canon to separate it from the vast void of space.)

who’s your least favourite character in 2?

Eh... Cain? I did feel for him at some points but then he had to go and be like that! Sorry, but that’s just not something that can keep me rooting for ya.

what’s your favourite episode of 4?

Northwest Manor Mystery. Fun fact, along with the shapeshifter episode, this is the scariest episode in the series for me at least... Me, the person who doesn’t watch horror. Me, the person who doesn’t watch horror yet always ends up with the scariest episodes as her favorites. But yes, I love this episode. The Dipcifica storyline is incredibly strong and I love it. And the supernatural stuff is A++. Just a super neat episode.

what is your favorite season of 5?

I am struggling here between season 3 and season 7. But I was so obsessed with season 7 ever since it came out so I guess it did manage to root season 3 out of the favorite spot.

what’s your favorite couple of 3?

Philinda, no question about it. I was shipping this since way back in the beginning of season 1. And then it was finally canon... for 5 seconds. But still.

what’s your favorite couple in 2?

So this is kinda weird because it is totally Deckerstar but I somehow don’t exactly like putting it in here because for a long time I wasn’t certain if I even wanted them to go romantic. Like, they just needed to be together in whatever way and I guess that is exactly what the best couples have but idk... I just feel like focusing exclusively on the romance takes away from the couple because there is so much more there than just romantic love. It’s like, they have literally every kind of love and shoving them just in the romantic context feels like it doesn’t do their relationship justice if you get what I mean.

what’s your favorite episode in 1?

Okay, so hard tie between 2x18 (“The Heart of Cloud Tower”) and 3x10 whatever the hell that was called (I think I’ve seen at least three different names for this one in the different dubs so I didn’t bother remembering them).

what’s your favorite episode in 5?

Back to my roots on tumblr... That would be 4x20 “Mother”. Nothing has managed to surpass this episode for me even if the season isn’t the best by a far cry.

what’s your favorite season in 2?

Ah, damn. I really don’t know. All of the show is a big blur to me and I barely remember what happened at all not to mention in which season. I will be rewatching this but I want the last season to come out before I get to that so that I don’t run around the timeline in a disorderly fashion. But I think season 3... or season 2. i can’t really decide. I can think of things that majorly pissed me off in both... But, hmm, season 3 had one of the best deaths I’ve ever seen so I’ll go with that.

how long have you been watching 1?

Since my childhood. I can’t remember how old exactly I was when I first started watching it but probably around 7-8.

how did you get into 3?

Let’s just say it was random because the details are a bit problematic.

favorite actor in 4?

I have zero idea who the voice actors are tbh so I don’t really have one. I think they’re all good, though.

which do you prefer? 1, 2 or 5?

Currently 2. And 1. But 2 is definitely much better. I’m into 1 mostly for a few characters in particular and whatever cool thing I catch in between.

which show have you seen more of, 1 or 3?

Eh, I am not sure, actually. I haven’t watched 1.5/8 seasons from Winx and 1/6 seasons from Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. Idk which would constitute as more when they have a different length of the episodes.

if you could be anyone from 4, who would you be?

I guess being Bill Cipher could be kinda cool. I don’t want to be anyone else but myself tbh.

would a crossover of 3 and 4 work?

Yes. They had their fears seeping into our dimension through a rift in space in 3 (and also kinda the same in 4, actually) so I guess they could get sucked into an animated show as well. That wouldn’t be too weird considering everything else that has happened. And then they could investigate Gravity Falls. That would totes work out.

pair two characters in 1 who would make an unlikely but strangely okay couple?

I’m gonna say Stella and Layla. Don’t @ me because I am already developing an AU set of headcanons that I simply haven’t found the time and desire to write out yet. But just you wait!

overall, which show has the better storyline, 3 or 5?

Yeah, like you can pick between those two kinds of craziness. Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D feels better written tbh, especially when you compare the quality of the later seasons, but my god, the angst levels. That is too much, stop it!

which has better theme music, 2 or 4?

Lol, I’m not even sorry for this but... Lucifer. The music in this show just rocks so hard, damn!

Tagging: @her-majesty-wears-jeans, @trashcankitty12, @darcyinstilettoes, @intothewickedwood if you want to kill some time and have fun with this! XD Also, if anyone else wants to do it, do it! It’s a lot of fun!

#tag game #tv shows #about me #kinda

4 notes · View notes

strawbewwysamurai · 5 years ago

Note

Is one piece a good show? I haven't had anything catch my eye recently so I've got no manga or anime to watch :(( On that note, any recommendations?

HIYA!!!

Well for one, I'm biased to say it absolutely is! But if you want details then lemme give you some along with some warnings ! I’ll put them under the cut though to avoid a super long ask on people’s dash oh goodness,,,

I’ll make this ask mostly about One Piece, but some quick reccs for you to look into will be:

- Mairimashita! Iruma-Kun!

- Natsume Yuujinchou

- Ao No Exorcist

- Gekkan Shoujo Nozaki-kun [I DIDN’T FINISH IT YET CAUSE ONE PIECE GRABBED ME SO IF THERE’S ANYTHING WEIRD OUT OF THE BLUE IN THE LAST EPS I’M SORRY BUT IT WAS VERY CUTE FROM EVERYTHING I SAW??]

- The Disastrous Life of Saiki K

- Gakuen Babysitters [Again, haven’t finished, but super cute from what I have seen!]

And now it’s time for: Ashley Rants About One Piece ! There’s vaguing/minor spoilers since I’m warning about some stuff, but I’m gonna be as vague as I possibly can !

Good stuff [There’s a LOT so this is just notable things]:

- Found family is STRONG, main focus is more of finding a family you can love and protect and does the same back rather than romance for literally majority of the series. Adults taking in kids is also a huge theme and they canonly call them their kid/they're the parent. And once families are found and bonds are made, it is extremely impossible to break them again. From many events with the Straw Hats, to minor stories out of the main manga/anime with people like Law/The Heart Pirates, you’ll see the absolute most worst things trying to break their bonds apart, but it does not happen. Because the people who made them love and care for each other too much for anything short of a mutual decision to break it will break it.

[I could go on about other ways found family is prominent in one piece, cause it's THAT huge but i'll stop here. But it’s literally one of the main major themes!]

- The lore and story and world is one of the deepest and most engrossing I have ever seen. I used to watch and love Gravity Falls with my sister, and short of having actual ciphers in the show, One Piece is definitely similar in how much it makes you think. There are cameos and characters that pop up at the very start who are extremely important, and you don’t even know it until much further in episodes, by like, a lot. It’s extremely captivating, theories are everywhere for everything, not just what this grand treasure known as the ‘One Piece’ is, but also on so many other little things. And if you think something doesn’t tie together into the story, or a character isn’t going to be very relevant, give it some time, you will be surprised.

- Heroics. The Straw hats are very adamant in the fact they aren’t heroes, despite the thousands of people they have saved and helped in their adventures. I personally love heroes and stories about helping people, so it’s a real attention grabber for me- They are literally just a rough and tumble group of kind people who will help anyone. And when I say anyone, I mean it. They have witnessed pirates they are trying to fight get mistreated by their captain, and their first thought is not to continue fighting said pirates- it’s to attack the captain for treating those who should be family to them so badly. But literally, every where you turn there is a kind act, whether large or small, by one of the characters. Even side characters do it, it’s just all very heartwarming.

- Empowerment. The whole series is about following your dreams, no matter what it may be, and fighting for it. It can be something like finding a legendary ocean that everyone says doesn't exist, to even something minor. It’s about fighting for yourself and what you believe in and having the people who love you there to back you up, or finding people who will do so for you as you move to achieve your dreams.

Bad stuff:

- There are a lot of heavy themes. We're dealing with pirates after all! Extremely sad backstories, especially Trafalgar Law's and Sanji's, kidnapping and destroying human trafficking rings/slavery, government corruption and grey areas- it could be a bit much if you're looking for something solely good times and goofy! I will say though, OP is very good at gags and goofs to balance out, and also inspirational moments that come from the bad- The Straw Hats may be pirates, but they're good people and will help anyone they can in danger even at their own risk.

- A few bad tropes. My fave, Sanji, is main victim to the 'pervert' trope, though at the starting half it's more hes a gentleman who likes ladies too much rather than actually weird for the most part. After a timeskip and dealing with a different bad trope, he's cranked up though so I mostly ignore it cause it REALLY doesn’t fit his character but I'm here to tell you the bad so!

The bad trope he had to deal with is what i can basically describe as trans gags. He ends up on an island full of drag queens/trans people who do nothing but make his life hell/assault him because 'hes not embracing his true self.'

Its a much later arc, and only around for a few episodes really scattered here and there, but if that’s something you wouldn't like you could always skip the episodes and get a run down from me. Drag queens/Trans people are there again part of a different arc around the same time, but they're portrayed much kinder/chiller so it's less of a Deal than the Sanji one.

I will add though that in a recent arc, there is a main lady who we find out is trans, and from my perspective as someone who is trans, it was dealt with respectfully and nicely, much more so compared to the above, but no duh.

- Racism: one of the main characters is victim to 'old media racist designs' and several background characters. The main problem besides that is their designs never got changed after the nineties, so Usopp- one of the Straw Hat’s and an excellent main character- and recurring background characters can be very- yeah, design wise, and even new characters pop up with racist gags inserted. Also after the time skip a lot of characters get lightened to fit their manga colors, which is kinda concerning to say the least.

Now again, this is all off the top of my head, so there could be more good/bad stuff I’m not listing simply because I just woke up and yelled here, so forgive me! But another thing I wish to say is despite the bad, it’s a really good show. Nothing has ever made me cry so hard as One Piece has [especially the Sanji arc I’m currently rewatching as it hits hard and close to home in a lot of ways], or feel so connected to or feel so Seen as One Piece. I relate extremely heavily to Luffy and Sanji especially, including some of the hardships and things they have gone through, so it’s an extremely comforting and inspiring piece of work for me to watch, to the point words can’t really describe how attached I am to it unless I go off on a tangent.

I hope this post was helpful to you though!

#the bad stuff never stopped me from watching but i know it could for some people so i included it to be safe!#ask #anonymous #one piece #but when i say there is a LOT of good like #i mean it its frickin covered in so much good and so many emotional moments #i cant even begin to name them all

1 note · View note

anistarrose · 5 years ago

Note

001 Gravity Falls :)

Sorry this took a while to answer, I had to take a break in the middle to reboot my wifi for the third time this week and second time today ugh. (I’m going to leave out some questions about ships just because I don’t have strong opinions on most popular GF ships. Soos and Melody are adorable, and that’s really all I have to say on the matter.)

Favorite character: Ford is an extremely close second, but I’ve got to go with Stan! I get emotional over fictional characters easily but don’t cry over them often, yet Weirdmageddon 3 made me tear up the first two or three times I watched it. (I feel like I’m almost required to make Stan my answer, given how he’s apparently in all 26 GF fics I’ve uploaded to AO3, while Ford, as the runner-up, is in 23 and the younger twins are each in a mere 14.)

Least Favorite character: I don’t think I hate anyone as a character, but just as a person Toby is nasty and I wouldn’t want to touch him with a ten-foot pole.

Character I find most attractive: I’m pretty sure I’m somewhere on the ace spectrum so I’m unsure how qualified I am to answer this, but just platonically/aesthetically? Stan in Scary-Oke is really something, while on the total opposite end of the scale Ford’s hair is very fluffy and wonderful.

Character I would be best friends with: I’d love to hang out with Ford and/or Dipper, we’re all huge nerds.

a random thought: I’m not sure if Stan specifically influenced me, or if I’m just naturally drawn to the trope, but I’ve been realizing lately that I really love plots where a character with heroic motives appears to be the bad guy from the pov of other characters (especially their own family, for maximum angst!)

An unpopular opinion: Not really unpopular in the part of the fandom I associate with, but there’s nothing wrong with how Mabel acted throughout the series. She made some mistakes and learned some lessons, just like everyone else in the show!

Most Badass Character: I’ve got to give it to Ford, specifically post-portal! That scene where he chases the Cycloptopus across the Shack is especially great (even though I’m convinced he staged it to impress his family).

Most Epic Villain: Bill, no contest! I was genuinely at the edge of my seat at all times when he showed up (heck, I still am when I rewatch the finale, even knowing what will happen).

Character I feel the writers screwed up (in one way or another): Not necessarily screwed up, but I would have liked a bit more Wendy screentime! I would say the same for Ford too, but Journal 3 (and Lost Legends) amended that pretty well.

Favourite Friendship: Both of the pairs of twins have great relationships, but I’ve got to say I’m partial to writing Stan and Ford post reconciliation, both bantering with each other and comforting each other.

Character I most identify with: When I write fics and have free opportunity to project? Definitely Stan, with Ford as runner-up. In general? Probably both Mabel and Dipper - adult responsibilities make me anxious and that “I’m supposed to be the smart guy” line hit me directly in the soul.

Character I wish I could be: I took a while to think about this one because I sure don’t want to be anyone who lived through the literal apocalypse, thus ruling out basically the whole cast, but then I realized - the Axolotl has a pretty chill existence! I want to be the omniscient deity who lazily swims around outside of time itself and also knows what happened to Bill Cipher

#thanks for the ask!#gravity falls #rosalia answers #civil-warriors

9 notes · View notes

keyofjetwolf · 6 years ago

Text

As requested, here’s my quick notes on each of THE GIFTENING finalists. Mostly (theoretically, but it IS me) just “haven’t seen this”, “saw this and loved/didn’t like this”, stuff like that. I’ll try not to get into too much while still being honest, as I don’t want to impact the voting more than necessary.

Under the cut for those who’d rather not!

ANIME

A Place Further Than The Universe: Never heard of it, I know literally nothing beyond it’s an anime, and has a lot of words in the title.

Aggretsuko: Never seen it, though I know the main character is a VERY angry red panda.

Azumanga Daioh: I have absolutely no idea what this is about, though I’m pretty sure it’s just part of this general anime milieu that is a fact of life on my Tumblr dash. Maybe it involves a two-toned fanged bear? I DUNNO

Card Captor Sakura: I did this for THE GIFTENING 2016, and really didn’t care for it much.

Full Metal Alchemist: Brotherhood: I did this for THE GIFTENING last year and really enjoyed it.

Gekkan Shoujo Nozaki-kun: All I know of this is that it’s been a strong contender in THE GIFTENING every single year.

Magic Knight Rayearth: I watched all of this waaaaay way back in the day. I remember Umi. I think the other two were Fuu and Hikaru? I wanted to punch the marshmallow bunny thing in the face.

Ouran High School Host Club: Hubby watched this and liked it. I think it’s the Kiss Kiss Fall In Love thing from the memes and there’s something about vase smashing, leading me to assume the main character is Link from the Zelda games.

Princess Tutu: I first did this for THE GIFTENING 2016 and have since had it voted in occasionally on my Patreon. I really like it.

Revolutionary Girl Utena: Has appeared in the past two GIFTENINGS, and has also been voted in on my Patreon from time to time. It’s crackerballs and delightful.

Sweetness and Lightning: A wildcard in last year’s GIFTENING and a surprise joy. I’ve seen no more since.

NON-ANIME

Batman: The Animated Series: I’ve seen the odd one or two episodes and thought they were pretty good.

Gargoyles: I watched the first four or five when Doc streamed them. I wasn’t super impressed.

Gravity Falls: Consistently voted as my Patreon liveblog and I’m super into it.

Over the Garden Wall: I liveblogged the first few eps for my Patreon, then watched the rest on my own and enjoyed it.

She-Ra and the Princesses of Power: I’ve seen the whole series and love it.

Teen Titans (2003): The Titans is one of my favourite DC books and while I haven’t watched the whole series, I did enjoy it when it was airing (and I could catch it).

X-Men Evolution: The X-Men is my all-time favourite superhero team, and Evolution is one of my favourite incarnations of them.

LIVE ACTION

A Series of Unfortunate Events: I’ve read (or, rather, Holligay’s read to me on road trips) the first four or five books. I’ve seen a song from one of the episodes. I know Mr. Trick plays Mr. Poe and that’s cool.

Brooklyn Nine-Nine: I watched the first couple episodes for last year’s GIFTENING, and while I enjoyed it, I found liveblogging it difficult.

Buffy the Vampire Slayer: One of my life’s major fandoms. Things got difficult for me (THANKS JOSS), but if it’s voted through, it won’t be a problem.

Galavant: #jet wolf watches galavant

Golden Girls: Loved it when I was little, did a complete rewatch a couple years ago and found it mostly holds up.

Great British Bake-Off: Fun show, love to watch it, dead to me without Mary, Mel, and Sue.

Leverage: I watched the first few episodes a bunch of years ago and liked it but probably got distracted by something shiny and never went back. I know Tumblr fucking loves it.

Orphan Black: Only just started watching courtesy of @skylineofspace but really like what I’ve seen so far.

Pushing Daisies: Heard of it, never watched, don’t think I even know the premise. Something about undoing death?

The Good Place: Part of last year’s THE GIFTENING and a rare sitcom that works for liveblogging. I’ve since seen all of S2. I absolutely cannot with the romantic turn for Eleanor and Chidi and it’s about sucked all interest out of me for S3, about which I am deeply bitter.

Twilight Zone: Often brilliant, many episodes I’ve not seen/don’t remember.

Xena: DOES ANYONE LOVE XENA AS MUCH AS ME I DUNNO I DOUBT IT (sorry that was lacking in every drop of chill but come on)

MOVIES

Black Panther: Saw it, thought it was great.

Clue: One of my favourite movies when I was little and I still kind of love it.

Coraline: Never saw it, never read the book.

Kiki’s Delivery Service: Haven’t seen it, and should note I’ve not really enjoyed the previous Miyazaki movies I’ve streamed.

Legally Blonde: Haven’t seen it

Madoka Rebellion: Haven’t seen it, have not heard kind things said of it on the Tumbles.

Moana: Didn’t see it, and something being Disney doesn’t automatically carry any particular emotions for me.

Ocean’s Eight: Haven’t seen it but wanted to.

Spider-Man: Into the Spiderverse: I haven’t seen it, though Mike and Jill did and loved it. If this wins, please note that I will not pirate the movie for streaming, so it’ll be, like, me going to the movie theater and then chatting about it afterward or something.

The Last Unicorn: I did this last year for THE GIFTENING. I didn’t like the movie much, but the stream was a ton of fun.

The Mummy: Saw this for the first time last week, I think it was, and enjoyed it.

The Princess Bride: Don’t like it. Really really don’t like it. I’ve watched this multiple times to try and figure out what I’m missing. I still have no answers.

Thor: Ragnarok: Saw it, thought it was marvelous.

Wonder Woman: Did this for last year’s GIFTENING and thought it was okay. I’ve since seen it again and enjoyed it more the second time.

I’m not sure games or miscellaneous needs any thoughts from me, but if you think they’d be helpful, just say and I’ll do my best. Speaking of helpful, I hope you found this worthwhile too! Next year, I’ll see about doing something similar to this maybe around the second heat, when we��ve managed to cut down the nomination lists significantly, but before getting right near the end.

Also, next year for movies, I think I’ll automatically trim out anything that hasn’t yet been released on DVD or streaming, just eliminate that potential conflict before it even starts.

You guys still have over two whole days to cast your votes SO GET TO IT

Anime

Non-Anime

Live Action

Movies

Games

Miscellaneous

#THE GIFTENING #THE GIFTENING 2018 #THE GIFTENING 2018 voting

19 notes · View notes

dontdowhatisayandnobodygetshurt · 6 years ago

Photo

@steverogershield x Ben Hargreeves

downside to rewatching UA: extreme EnnaxBen feels

upside to rewatching UA: extreme EnnaxBen feels

honestly this ship is the best ship bc I can so see you and Ben balancing each other nicely n teaching each other n caring for each other above all else and I’m noT CRYING OKAY IT’S JUST SO SWEET HALP

It was a love wrapped up in inevitability, like the sellotape you had frantically wrapped around a vase of Grace’s you’d broken as children. You thought, hoped, it was the inevitability of future together. It was a lightness, an ache, the kind of steadiness that kept you treading water when you wanted to sink. You grew up together, grew into yourselves together. You shared little mannerisms, seemed to gravitate toward each other out of habit and the feeling of safety you brought each other, like you were caught in one another’s gravity. You would rest your head on his stomach, fearless of the violence the creatures lurking under his skin could bring. He would stroke your red cheek lightly with his thumb, meeting your eyes and telling you that you were beautiful. There wasn’t one part of him you didn’t know and love, and he felt the same... especially your love for dogs. It wasn’t uncommon for him to send you photos of dogs - twice even in the middle of a mission, which made you laugh to picture him thinking of you and disobeying his father to take a photo of a little-too-well-mannered guard dog.

There was one part of yourselves that you didn’t know about, however.

The way he watched you when you weren’t looking, wistfulness and hope and uncertainty. The way you glanced at him while you read every so often as he napped in the sun, the way your eyes always found him whenever your attention wandered, your anchor when you felt unsure. Anyone else who looked at you two knew it. You caught Allison staring at you once, but she quickly averted her eyes with a smile. You rarely spent any time at the house anymore; you could tell Ben was getting restless confined in those dark walls.

The city was your new world. You had never seen Ben so excited or free than the first day you officially went out together: running through the rain, splashing in puddles like a child, returning to you dripping wet and offering a hug with a wide, cheeky grin. You both realized then you could go wherever you wanted. And so, you did.

Bookstores where you curled up on the window seat against Ben’s chest, contact a familiar, comforting thing. His fingers playing with you hair when he wanted, reading over your shoulder, occasionally whispering opinions about the writing in your ear (”yours is definitely better”) and even dozing sometimes with his cheek against your hair.

Coffee shops where Ben spent too much of his father’s money and shrugged off the impending lecture. He bought you lunch and made sure you ate it, giving you his ‘please eat that, do not make me give you The Look’ eyes if he ever saw your slight hesitation. Ben knew you, knew every word of your unspoken language. He knew when you were struggling. Even after all your years together, he still made mistakes, but you knew they were always through good intentions. He wanted to fix things, wanted to make you feel better, and it frustrated him when he just had to let you work through it by yourself - by yourself, but always with him by your side. A compromise compiled of small things: drink this, and I promise I won’t bother you again. Just eat this and I’ll leave you alone. Here’s your clothes, they just came out of the dryer, please put them on, they’re warm, I promise. It kept you healthy and it kept him sane... mostly.

A museum, quiet and calm, a place of retreat and thoughtfulness. You would go there when writer’s block struck you, to concentrate solely on writing. You would look at the exhibits and wait for the words to come, sitting down and typing quickly if they did. Headphones on, soft music and soft environment, and a soft touch to your elbow when Ben returned carrying coffee and sandwiches. He wouldn’t interrupt you, just sit next to you or wander around, and when you were done and asked if it sounded okay, he’d listen patiently and then tell you with all his enthusiasm how more-than-okay amazing it was.

You knew from a logical standpoint that most people wouldn’t have to get used to seeing their best friend soaked head to toe in blood, but you never batted an eyelid. You had been desensitized from years and years of being on the outside return of his missions. You would be waiting on your laptop, or phone, or reading a book, trying to keep down the nasty little voice that grew louder and louder the longer he was away - maybe he won’t come back this time, maybe you’ll lose him - but he always did. You would glimpse him stumbling into the bathroom, a blur of red and black. You’d hear the sound of running water, and the thump as he dropped the soap out of tiredness. He would eventually make it to the bedroom and collapse next to you.

“I didn’t sign up for that,” he sighed into your shirt.

You smiled and ran your fingers through his hair, now soft and damp and not reeking of metallic blood. “Are you okay, Ben?”

“Yeah. I’m fine.” He’d put his hand over yours for a second and smile at you, so genuine and sweet, like his smile was for you and only you... and then he would fall asleep on you, and you would have to obey the law of ‘I Have A Cute Thing Sleeping On Me And Am Not Allowed To Move No Matter What.’ To be fair, he always did the same for you, and didn’t seem to mind even if both his legs felt like they would never regain feeling. He was too busy beaming to himself about how peaceful you looked fast asleep on him.

Once, when you were sick with pneumonia and not allowed out of bed, Ben took it upon himself to visit the local library and browse through everything to find something he thought you’d like. This led to him carrying a stack of books higher than his head into the room and placing it down beside your bed with a very proud smile, and triggered a laugh/coughing fit in you, very quickly turning his pride into concern.

“Hey, are you okay?”

“I am now, I promise.”

You kept the last of those library books. You couldn’t bring yourself to return it, not after that day. Walking home in the snow, blind and deaf to your surroundings. You found it on your bed, where you left it. The note he had stuck to the top of the pile of books was tucked in as a bookmark. I hope you feel better soon. Love, Ben. He’d even scribbled a little star at the end. You stared at it blankly for a terribly long time. The next morning you woke up still fully clothed, clutching the book and its note to your chest so hard it left red imprints in your hands.

Eventually Klaus asked why a good girl like you had kept a library book a year past its due date, and that’s how the story came out. Klaus managed to keep his face straight enough to say “well, you shouldn’t have, Ben’s very disappointed in you for being so lawless” before he jerked to the side like somebody had just shouted in his ear - which somebody had. “And... he says I shouldn’t lie to you about him. I know that, I’m sorry.”

It took you a long time to adjust to the idea of talking to Ben when he was(n’t) there. Klaus told you he was with you most of the times (”thank God, he leaves me alone for a while”) and so you tried to start a habit of talking to him. It made it better... and worse. You caught yourself pausing at the end of your sentence, waiting for his reply. You didn’t want to think what you would give up to hear his voice, see his face, cuddle up to him on cold nights like you did so often when he slept over. It was a physical ache, like the phantom pain of a lost limb.

On a cold, stormy night, you pulled the blankets up around you and imagined him next to you. You almost wanted to call Klaus to ask if he really was here, just to make sure, but you really didn’t think Klaus would reply at this time of night, God knows what he was doing. You spoke quietly, talking about your day, the rain. You watched a show for a while, tilting the screen so that somebody sitting beside you could see, too - even a year later, it was still a habit. And then, lights out and lying awake, you smudged something into the fog on the window with your finger, already half asleep; a little man holding an umbrella. You smiled to yourself, but you couldn’t help the tears brimming in your eyes, either.

Klaus looked decidedly frazzled but also sad the next time he showed up unannounced at your door. “Ben keeps pestering me to thank you for the little umbrella boy,” he told you. “And he’s sorry he can’t say it himself. I don’t know what he’s talking about.”

“I do.” You smiled, and you had to struggle again to keep your eyes from burning. “It’s okay. Thank you, Klaus.”

He looked at you for a moment, then his expression softened and he sighed. “Here, come here.” He pulled you gently into a hug and patted your back - awkwardly, but you knew he really was trying. “I’m sorry, too,” he murmured in your ear

You hugged him back and blinked the tears from your eyes. “I’m okay, really.”

“Yeah, well.” He stepped back and cleared his throat - and he looked a bit unraveled himself. “I always told him you were too good for him. For any of us, really... and he agrees.”

You laughed and wiped your eyes. “You’re not.”

“I know that,” Klaus said with a pat to your hand. “You take care of yourself... oh, and he’s staying with you.” He listened for a moment, and smiled. “There’s no place he’d rather be,” he added, making quotation marks in the air.

You just nodded, not wanting to tear up again, and he smiled and waved to you before leaving. You straightened up and looked around. “It’s you and me again, Ben.”

You could almost feel his fingers close over yours. Just you and me.

#my writing #UA #AHHHHH I HOPE IT'S GOOD #I hope you enjoy li'l bean!!!#have I mentioned I ship this bc uh #yeah #I do #I really do #anyway what's the ship name I need one #XD #<3 #also?? you and Klaus??? having an amazing friendship??? HELL YES???#as always sorry for typos haaaaaaahahaha #I tried #anyways wow I had way more inspiration for this than I thought huH

9 notes · View notes

northlandian · 6 years ago

Text

How I Fell in Love with Marvel

As a die-hard MCU fan today, it's hard to imagine where I would be and what I would be interested in today if it wasn't for my discovery of these fantastic movies. This is the story of how I accidentally saw my favourite movie to date, resulting in me finding one of my greatest passions today.

For context, before that day occurred, the closest I had been to anything Marvel related was having seen the original Spider-Man movies, 1 through 3, and I actually liked them (well, except for the obvious). A few years after that, I also saw Guardians of the Galaxy in theatres, which also happened to be on accident, as I was cottaging in a small county during the summer, and my sister and I were bored one night. However, Guardians wasn't enough to reel me in. If I'm being completely honest, it was never one of my favourite MCU movies (I even prefer the sequel over it). Not that it's not good, it was, but at the time, there was a lot of information thrown at me all at once that I didn't quite get because I didn't see any movies previous to it. Obviously, being young, stupid, and not that into that kind of stuff at the time, I didn't know I was supposed to.

It's also worth noting though, that before this accident I'm about to delve into occurred, I knew I wanted to be a Marvel fan. I had seen the Spider-Man movies and enjoyed them (although I didn't know that the MCU would differ from those, but anyways), so I knew there was a fairly good chance I would enjoy the others. Just the idea of these incredible fighters had always intrigued me, and it's probably why I enjoy video games as well. But I also wanted to feel like I was part of something, something bigger than myself. I was over my book phase, Gravity Falls had just ended, and I had finished all the Harry Potter movies... I wanted to find something else to love. But at the same time, I could never really find the time or effort to catch up on however-many countless movies were out at the time.

SO, without further ado, this is how I happened upon the MCU.

First of all, it was near the end of December 2017...yes, this took place just last year, I'm aware of how new I am and I only wish it could have happened sooner.

Anyways, my sister and I were staying at my cousin's for a few days during the winter break. We decided to go downtown for the day, which included seeing a movie. We hadn't bought the tickets ahead of time, but we were planning on seeing Coco - I had only heard good things, so we were all really excited. We get to the theatre, and one of my cousins goes to buy the tickets, while I wait with her three little brothers and my sister. Eventually, she comes back, only to tell us that Coco was sold out...big bummer for me. There was nothing else to see. My sister began complaining. My cousin then informs us that she had instead, purchased us all tickets for the new Thor movie...what? Her brothers seemed happy about it, and I decided to grin and bear it, but I gave my sister one look and knew I'd be sitting through one boring boy's movie. Whatever. I'd get it over with.

So we sit down in the theatre, we sit through the previews (I saw the preview for Black Panther for the first time, and ironically thought, "huh, that looks pretty good"), and the Marvel logo comes on. First impressions? Well, it was pretty cool. It was my first time seeing the newest Marvel logo, considering Guardians never had it.

Then it pans down to Thor, and he starts monologuing in his deep Asgardian accent, and I'm expecting it to be expositional and boring but...wait, it's not? It was actually pretty funny. The Surtur scene continues, and now first impressions are really kicking in... they were able to make it expositional and funny at the same time, and it worked well. Then the fight began, and suddenly, I was like...woah. These fight scenes are really good. Like. Really good. I found the camera angles made to follow the hammer very cool. Enemies were being taken out like dominos. Even Thor using his hammer as a shield against Surtur's fiery breath was literally a battle move I had doodled all the time! And now I was seeing it in front of me! Then, of course, his escape. I fell in love with the score instantly. The Bifrost aesthetic had me captivated. And from the moment the camera panned up into birds-eye view to read "Thor: Ragnarok", I knew this movie was going to be a bit more than interesting.

Suffice it to say, first impressions were good.

I won't go into detail about every scene like I just did, but I'll highlight the important ones that really made the movie for me.

Loki's introduction. Little did I know I'd be meeting one of my favourite characters of all time. His magical capabilities were revealed instantly for a first-timer like me, something I appreciated at the time I was watching. So was his relationship with Thor; not all of it, obviously, because there are many, many layers, but it was enough for me to determine that he was someone who had the kind of relationship that allowed him to act very jokingly, as seen while also being very jealous deep down, and expressing resentment (his desires of wanting to be King, making a stage production out of his own death, exiling his own father, etc). I could also pick up his immediate character traits fairly quickly - he’s funny, he's someone who practically embodies trouble, and he will always put himself first. It was unclear how much he truly did care for others, specifically his brother, but then again, it's been like that throughout most of the MCU anyways. I, of course, did not know why he was the way he was, but his personality had me intrigued from the very beginning.

The references made to past MCU movies. Believe it or not, I wasn't completely lost, unlike with Guardians. The reason for this was because it was presented in a way that made it so simple. For example, Loki faked his death. How do I know? Because Thor comes back to a stage production about it, but surprise! He's not dead. Another example is, Hulk and Thor always fight alongside each other. How do I know? "He's a friend from work". "Work" obviously being the Avengers (I didn't live completely under a rock, at least), and "friend" being enough to tell me that they were on pretty good terms the last they saw each other. Even the line "adopted" being enough to tell me that there was some deeper story behind why Loki is the way he is. It was small things like that that really set this particular movie apart, and sure, there were some references I didn't catch until seeing the previous movies ("Yes! That's how it feels!"), but it was nice to not always be in the dark about everything.

Valkyrie. Literally, everything about this character. I hadn't exactly been acquainted to Natasha Romanoff yet, so she was the first female badass I had ever had the pleasure of watching. From the moment she's introduced, you can tell she has a deep backstory. Her confrontation with Loki had me rolling when she beat the crap out of him, and then proceeded to throw a bottle at him shortly after. And of course, there's her entrance onto Asgard... enough said.

The last thing I'm going to mention goes out to the film's director, Taika Waititi, as well as the perfect portrayal performed by the actors, and that is the constant humour in the movie. Perfect example: “Get help”. It had me rolling. This is why I always consider it the most wonderful, yet coincidental incident because the truth is, if it was any other MCU movie, I wouldn't have been enticed enough. The movie was so damn funny, I must've laughed through half of it. Before I had seen it, I didn't know Marvel didn't take themselves so seriously. Or at least, I didn't know they didn't have to. I know now of course that that movie specifically was purposed to completely rebrand Thor in order to make him more interesting, and damn, did they do a good job.

So, that last point especially lingered as I left the theatre that day. I cannot express how much I thought about that movie for the rest of the night, which rarely happened to me, as it only happens when I watch something really good. The best thing I can think to compare it to was when the author of the journals was revealed in Gravity Falls (for those who have seen it). I even remember asking my cousin, "Wow, I had no idea Marvel movies were that good. Are they that funny in all the movies?". She responded, "Yeah, we should definitely watch the Avengers tonight", to which I agreed.

We watched Wonder Woman. I was highly unimpressed. Sorry, not a DC stan, never will be.

But when I got home from my cousin's, I did end up watching it. And then I watched Ultron. Then the Thor's. Then the Iron Man's. Then the Captain America's. I loved them all. I even enjoyed Guardian's 2 and Spider-Man: Homecoming, as I was hesitant about both. A few months later, I went back to the theatres to see Black Panther, just like I wanted to. With each time I watched and rewatched the movies, I fell more in love with the characters, I picked apart more from the storyline, made sure I knew every after-credits scene...started crafting my own theories for Infinity War.

And of course, little did I know, it would smash my heart to pieces not five months after I first discovered it.

And now, here I am, still obsessing over these movies, still undecided on who I could possibly like more, Thor or Loki, just as I felt from the moment I left the theatre for the first time. It's cool to think I found my passion on a happy accident, and it's weird to think that considering how happy it's kept me, what I'd be doing without it today.

#marvel #MCU #storytime #thor ragnarok #thor #loki #avengers #iron man #captain america #spider-man #guardians of the galaxy #origin #story #love

4 notes · View notes

ponyasks-blog · 8 years ago

Note

Reverse AMA? That's an interesting idea! I guess I'll put out some general information and a few random stuff. If you'd like to know more or about something else specifically feel free to ask. I don't know anything about formatting on tumblr so I'm sorry if this ends up as a big wall of text. Also I already started typing a bunch of stuff up but quickly hit the character limit so I'm not sure what to do. I don't know if you want me to send a bunch of messages on here or do something different.

Oh, I’ve never been panning before! Or mining! Ever come across anything good or interesting?

Picking a degree and sticking with it is tough. Not many people know what they want to do at that age, and even still, it’s hard to know if you’ll enjoy something until you actually get the chance to do it properly. I’m still trying to figure out what to complete my 4-year degree in now.

Drawing is something I wish I would have worked on when I was younger, because I feel like it’s too late me for to get decent at it. I’ve always been very interested in artistic things - drawing, music, writing, etc - but I can’t draw or paint or anything for shit, my writing is mediocre, and I’m not good enough at music to create anything decent. I do want to start streaming/editing in the future soon - I’m working on building a decent PC with that in mind - and I’m going to start learning to program as soon as get my PC, too! Maybe I’ll start bugging you for pointers, ha.

Anyway, anytime you want to drop some art or videos or what have you on me, I’d be happy to see it! I love seeing what others can create.

Aye your playlist doesn’t sound that much different than mine in theory. I’ve got stuff from all over, and it’s pretty cliche to say, but I’ll listen to just about anything other than country and most rap. I also played the sax for about 8/9 years! I was in jazz band as well as wind ensemble and marching band. I haven’t touched my sax in several, several years now though, so I’m probably awful now.

That film appreciation class sounds pretty sweet; I love when people have have something they’re passionate about and get to share that passion with others. I’m not much of a film person myself - I find it difficult to sit through movies most of the time. But what are a few of your favourites? Maybe I’ve seen them haha.

I’ve heard about CN’s poor promotion management, and actually I think I remember seeing promo material for it, a short commercial I think, before the show ever aired, and I thought it looked really, well, dumb. Childish and almost TTG-like. That’s probably a major reason it took me so long to start the show, too, until I kept hearing how good it was.

And I need a link to this game when you’re done! What is it? RPG, platformer, puzzle game?

Laser Light Cannon is one of my favs, too. I just rewatched it the other night and ended up watching it 2 or 3 more times for good measure. I guess it’s mostly the ending that hooks me, but I love it. I love the music in the show, too! It’s a major selling point for me. Aivi and Surasshu are gods.

Yeah, send them on reddit if you like, or however is best for you! I have seen Gravity Falls, actually - I caught during one of its many, many hiatuses and caught up and watched it as it aired for the most part. I liked it, but the ended felt a bit rushed to me, almost. It was good though! And they left enough room to continue the story if they ever decided to, which is nice. But hey - any time you want to talk anything, I am all ears! :)

#q&a #aurumkhk

1 note · View note

theyapper0 · 3 years ago

Text

Amphibia season 2 rewatch + notes :)

So here is my season 2 Amphibia analysis stew as promised! I hope you enjoy! I had more than a fee break through regarding theories and what not!!!

S2: E1 Handy Anne

Anne is having some pretty bad memories about all the shit that went down at Toad Tower with Sasha, I feel bad for her :( they're all only 13,,,

Anne: The house… Everything I worked so hard to protect

The second time (I think) we officially see Anne's eyes glowing blue! The first time was in season 1 but it was only for half a second and frankly, when I first saw it, I thought my eyes were playing tricks on me or it was some animation eerie BUUUUT!!

This time we KNOW it was on purpose, it wasn't quick and it even gave a little 'shing!' sound effect!

I love seeing how the blue heart stone is evoking itself in Anne through passionate, emotionally driven situations like right now!!

I think Anne worked so hard to protect the house and the Planters this episode is not only because this is just how Anne Is but also because she probably felt a little more than helpless during Toad Tower, she couldn't help or protect Sasha and was helpless to just watch her best friend just fall to her death (before getting saved by Grime of course but still).

Also Hop Pop says it takes 2 weeks to get to Newtopia, obviously they had a lot of stops and interruptions on the way but if they DIDN'T, it would've been 2 weeks. But that got me thinking…

If Sasha and Grime are going to Wartwood in season 3, do you think we'll get some episodes with just them and their travels there? I think it would be cool to have more Sasha and Grime episodes!!!

S2: E1 Fort in the Road

Hop Pop is so cute, I can't even get mad at him and all his rules,,,

Okay so that ancient technology with all the old frog structures are apparently called "The Ruins of Despair" and they've been around longer than any written history

I wonder if they had another name before that or of they were renamed by King Andrias (who we know is like over 1,000 years old) as a way to scare people into not looking or checking out the ruins since they are super important ancient tech

Sprig: Forget the rules! This place has everything! Cool atmosphere, implied historical significance!

Oh if only you knew my sweet baby boy,,,

ALSO THE TECH GLOWS BLUE... JUST SAYING

I wonder if there are more buildings that make robots around Amphibia as well.

Anne: You know, there was a time I would pick out the bug bits [of the crickets and cream ice cream] THAT TIME HAS PASSED!!

I can't believe Anne just,,, eats bugs now. That habit is gonna be hard to break.

We know Sasha wasn't eating bugs if the food they had at Toad Tower was anything to go off of, so I wonder if Marcy was eating bugs. If she was, it was probably super fancy ones like beetles (are beetles considered a delicacy in Amphibia? I dunno) since she was living with King Andrias

Whatever, her and Anne could potentially bond over eating bugs then. Sasha thinks it's DISGUSTING

Also,

FROBO!!!! MY SOOOOON!!!

S1: E4 Toadcatcher

I mean, I know we talk about Marcy's self destructive tendencies but I think we gloss over Sasha's. She does NOT want to think about what happened in Toad Tower, she literally throws herself into her training to the point of obsession to AVOID thinking about it.

Also, omg Sasha has Suspicion Island downloaded on her phone too, I wonder if she and Anne would talk about the show a lot with each other.

And Grime letting himself go and basically leaving everything to Sasha was a pretty dick move. I mean, I know he basically lost everything and has the emotional competence of a meatball but COME ON. Sasha has to fend for herself and Grime WHILE repressing the SHIT out of her trauma, but I get it honestly. They aren't close yet, I know.

But I think it's amazing how much their relationship has grown. Like, the end of season 2 Grime would NEVER do that to Sasha.

Grime 'You hate the sword don't you, I knew I should've gotten a gift receipt!' Would rather die than see his daughter repress her emotions like that and not be there for her.

Their relationship has just come so far y'all,,,

GENERAL YUNAN!!!!!!!

SCOURGE OF THE SAND WARS, DEFEATOR OF RAGNAR THE WRETCHED, AND THE YOUNGEST NEWT TO EVER ACHIEVE THE RANK OF GENERAL IN THE GREAT NEWTOPIAN ARMY!!

SHE'S HERE!!

(Also doesn't the Newtonian flag kinda look like The Night? Or is it just me,,,?)

Yunan just cartwheeled out of the bar, she just,,, does that

God I'm in love.

Yunan taught Marcy how to make GREAT entrances and exits, you CAN'T convince me otherwise

(Yes I am a supporter of General Yunan and Lady Olivia being together AND adopting Marcy FIGHT ME-)

And all those dramatic poses Yunan does when she introduces herself, she definitely learned those from Marcy, there's not a doubt in my mind.

Aw Grime still has something left to fight for, it's his and Sasha's friendship I'M-

Did Sasha and Grime really come up with the idea of leading a rebellion to take over the capital from a fucking adrenaline rish after fighting Yunan? That's HILARIOUS

S2: E5 Wax Museum

I honestly didn't think I'd make an analysis of the Gravity Falls parody (even though it is SUPER FUNNY) but I nearly forgot this is where we see the Skip Man!!!!

So Mr. Ponds (again, fucking HILARIOUS) told Anne while she was in that wax tube thing that he found it in Newtopia!

Now this could mean 2 things depending on WHEN he actually found it.

1- It's Marcy's and she dropped it somewhere and he found it which I doubt considering I don't think Marcy would have a Skip Man if Anne's PARENTS had one

2- This is what a I believe more. This was from King Andrias somehow. That maybe from all his weird, crazy, colonizer multiple universes thing he has going on, must have dropped or left or something with that Skip Man for Mr. Ponds to just find it lying around in Newtopia

I dunno how important the Skip Man is to the overall plot line but I DO know that this means there are OTHER ways of getting to other worlds besides the Calamity Box then, or at least showing us that we could transport things to other worlds.

S2: E6 Marcy at the Gates

MARCY MARCY MARCY MARCY MARCY MARCY!!!!!

Oh wow, I didn't even know Marcy was warped right inside the Newtopian city walls when she got transported here, I figured she teleported right outside or at least a couple miles away. Buuuut thinking about it now it makes sense, there's no way Newtopia would just let in any ol' rando, especially not some creature they've never seen before.

Hop Pop: Marcy, how would you like to be adopted?

SHE WOULD LIKE THAT A LOT ACTUALLY

Okay okay GREEN EYES GREEN EYES!!! Marcy's eyes (as we all know) turned green in this episode!

Since the gem of wit (what Marcy has) is green, it makes sense that her eyes would turn green in this scene! Her last line just before they turned green was:

Hop Pop: Who knew those ants were so bouncy!

Marcy: I did! Because I studied them!!

Marcy studies, she learns, and applies her knowledge like, all the time. And she did so here as well, she was not only proving her agency to Anne, she was protecting her skill of knowledge to ALL of them! To show them ALL how much she's learned here in Amphibia!

I believe the next time we see her eyes glow in season 3, it will be in a situation with a similar case. To show everyone her knowledge or her applying said knowledge in things (and those things are most likely life or death situations)

LADY OLIVIA!!!! HEY GIRL!!!

I LOVE how they introduced King Andrias at the very end with him looking down and watching over the group from his castle and then saying how all the pieces are coming together along with the flipwort board!!! Such a great way of showing how he was the big baddie this entire time!!

S2: E7 Scavenger Hunt

Okay I was right, Marcy DOES eat bugs like Anne does, if her saying that Burg makes the 'best beetle burgers in all of Newtopia' was anything to go off of

Sorry Sasha, I guess you're alone in the whole not eating bugs thing.

But I'm still wondering what types of bugs qualify as a sort of delicacy in Amphibia because now we know it's not beetles if they're in plain ol' burgers (or maybe they COULD be if you prepare them right?)

Listen LISTEN, I HATE King Andrias for all his killing a 13 year old (especially MARCY!!) And not to mention all his COLONIZING but,,,

I think it's the cutest thing EVER that instead of just giving Marcy a message, he makes it into a puzzle for her to solve because! Marcy! Loves! Puzzles!

(But I do know he only does this not because he cares but because he wants to make her think that he does. That he does care for her and cares enough to set things up in ways that she likes. That he is only using her for her skills and brain. And because he is GROSS AND MEAN AND-)

Anne's ability to form such close knit bonds so easily and not to mention quickly (And half the time by accident) is something that I touched upon in the Season 1 analysis stew with Sasha!

I said that Sasha felt lesser in terms of relationships when compared to Anne. Because Anne can make these amazing relationships where people are willing to risk their lives for her, because Anne has this wonderful support system and Sasha doesn't (or, at least not at the time).

Sasha didn't have anyone to help hold her at Toad Tower but Anne did. Sasha didn't want to drag down one of the only people she actually cared about. She wants to PROTECT Anne, not see her hurt, suffering and struggling to hold her up.

And that is exactly how Marcy feels, or at least in a way. Marcy can't make relationships in the way Anne can. That's why she even tried her luck at the Calamity Box in the first place. Because moving is scary, because she will be away from her only friends, the only people who cared for HER, because she has trouble making friends and would NEVER be able to make any in a new school with new people and NO support system.

Marcy isn't like Anne. Sasha isn't like Anne. That's why Anne is the heart, that's why she's the emotional connection they need in their logical worlds.

I think Marcy, like she said in this episode, is jealous of Anne's friend-making ability. And Sasha, I think she just feels… inferior (but I guess that's jealousy as well) something she HATES feeling.

Matt Bradly himself even said that Marcy and Sasha have SEVERELY doubted Anne's abilities when they were still back on Earth.

But Amphibia changed that.

S2: E7 The Planters Check In

Kinda fucked up that Anne didn't help Marcy (And Andrias too I guess) with trying to find information on the Calamity Box.

Like, I know she can't translate ancient texts like Andrias and Marcy could but staying for some moral support could've been nice and also considering she just LEFT Marcy, who she hasn't seen for MONTHS, for days at a time to go hang out with the Planters.

But I know this is a regular thing for their friendship (plus Sasha) to leave Marcy to do the work for school like with group projects.

Anne: Just like group projects back home!

And damn, that royal Newtopia credit card can single handedly destroy Amphibia's entire economy.

So frogs can stick to things, newts can swim up and down streams like, super fast (just like amphibians in the real world) so what can toads do that are unique to them? Should I Google real life toads or did toads do something in Amphibia that I missed??

S2: E10 The Sleepover to End All Sleepovers

Aw wait, Marcy has plants?? That's?? So?? CUTE!!!!

Hop Pop is gonna have some me-time while Lady Olivia is gonna be in the kitchen drinking wine,,, these parents omg,,,

Hop Pop is a tired dad/grandpa and Olivia is a wine mom confirmed

I think it's so cute how Anne and Marcy are like the older kids while Sprig and Polly are just like Anne's younger siblings, just AGDKDKAJA

HHHHH DID LADY OLIVIA FALL ASLEEP READING

In the Heat of the Swamp

IS THAT A STEAMY, EROTIC ROMANCE NOVEL FOR MOMS???? WHAT!!!!

I LOVE HER SO MUCH

And not to mention she was knocked out in a rocking chair holding a margarita WITH SLIPPERS ON

SHE'S SUCH A MOM GUYS

Marcy: You know, some cultures believe that mirrors can ward off malevolent spirits Marcy: OR SUMMON THEM! (Maniacal laughter*

Marcy, you're too gosh darn cute to be scary even if you tried

Some of those spirit things came out of the coffins in the crypt, maybe they're the souls/spirits/ghosts of whoever died in those coffins?

Well if they are my next question is why are those bodies even down there in the first place and were those spirit things SUPPOSED to exist/be there?

Also, why are there moss men in the garden? And why are they chained up?

I think the moss men were created there, probably made by King Andrias or whoever to replace the robot army (that they didn't have for a while since their ancient technology was all gunked up at the time).

It also REALLY worries me that one of the tunnels in the basement (or let's be honest, the dungeon) leads to MARCY'S ROOM!! LIKE??? WHY????

Why do the reflection of the mirrors cause those spirit things to turn physical? Will this be important in the future? I think we all should remember this.

S2: E10 Day at the Aquarium

Ooooo!!! Let's take a look at this book, shall we??

Okay so on the left page, we see the 3 gems with their corresponding main attribute. The green is brains/wits, the blue is heart/passion, the pink is a fist/strength, yadda yadda yadda all stuff we know already

BUT what I found the most interesting is on the right page! There it shows small, simple pictures of the 3 temples which I found super cool!

But even cooler was the thing on the bottom left!! It looks kinda like a capsule, but it plays music apparently? My mind automatically jumped to the Skip Man but I doubt that it's supposed to be that.

Maybe it's something that has to do with the actual Calamity Box instead? Like, we know it technically is a music box too, maybe it's a device INSIDE of it that plays music and does something else as well?

Well, it has to be important if this is the page we're shown, right? I'm sure we'll see more of it in season 3!

Anne: Anytime I was feeling gloomy back home, the Aquarium would always make me feel better!

Aw, now I'm thinking about when Anne was back home and going to the Aquarium and just being so amazed by all the fish and stuff there. That's so cute,,,

I've watched before but it STILL pains me, the whole Marcy being SUPER hurt that Anne had just chosen the Planters instead of her but still let her go and even played it off like it was still the "most logical thing to do" as if like, 5 seconds ago she was saying the OPPOSITE

(I'm just a Marcy kin y'all)

The scene also reminds me sort of the whole thing with Sasha back at Toad Tower, how she let go of Anne.

Both Marcy and Sasha let Anne go. They both chose Anne over honestly, themselves.

Sasha was ready to straight up DIE to keep Anne from straining or hurting herself. And Marcy was willing to let Anne go, something she was so unwilling to do with both her friends which is the reason they're in Amphibia in the FIRST PLACE, just for Anne.

They both see how close Anne is with the Planters. They both know that she loves them and sees them as family and they… I think they honestly want what's best for Anne even if that thing isn't them.

I think those 2 scenes mirror and play off each other very well.

But honestly, the whole re-reunion with Anne and the Planters always makes me tear up,,, they care for each other so much,,,,

Andrias: Always sad to see someone go, isn't it? I have a proposition for you, Marcy. And I think you'll find it VERY interesting

Okay, wow manipulative jerk much? Andrias KNEW how much Marcy cared for her friends and KNEW that she was probably so SAD after watching Anne WILLINGLY choose the Planters over her.

He knew she was in a vulnerable state, he knew that she would agree to ANY plan if it meant not having to leave her friends again. He knew she trusted him and he knew he could get her to be his little pawn.

Just…

FUCK KING ANDRIAS

Me and my homies all hate him

S2: E13 Ivy on the Run

Okay really quick, ANNE WAS ALSO IN MUAY THAI???

So far, Anne plays varsity tennis, rock climbs, AND also did Muay Thai. Fucking JOCK

S2: E13 After the Rain

Okay so at the end, Hop Pop finally shows the others the book with the giant 'P' on the cover that had information about the Calamity Box

He said that it's been in his family for as long as he could remember (And he is around 68 years old so that's like 68+ years)

But why would the Planters have information of the Calamity Box?

Hmmmmmmm….

S2: E14 The First Temple

So right off the bat, when handed the Calamity Box, Marcy had pressed a couple things on it and music started playing which then caused the gems to be able to pop out of the top.

So there are OTHER things you can do with the box it seems and doing certain actions (besides opening it of course) can lead to different things happening and Marcy knows this!

This also means that Marcy knows OTHER things that the box can do, whatever she was doing in True Colours with opening the portal and saying something along the lines of "Okay, I just need to-!"

Marcy knows this box. She knows how to work it at least somewhat but that knowledge is still more than many characters combined.

Also, remember what I was talking about in A Day at the Aquarium? With that capsule looking thing that plays music? Well I speculated that it was probably something INSIDE the music box and guess what the music box just did before popping out those sweet gems?

Play music.

Now, I wanna say that maybe every time you do a different action on the Calamity Box, the box plays music but I can't be certain. Because during True Colours when Marcy had reopened the portal, no music was playing.

Granted that could have been because she was further away or maybe even because they were playing some super cool, dramatic and suspenseful music. But I dunno. Maybe?

Marcy: But don't worry because none of them were Marcy Wu!

Marcy: Head of the chess club, master RTS player, straight A student (except for gym because I was reading in class which only proves my point!)

HHHHH Am I looking too deeply into this or did she get the introduction/monologue from Yunan? (Please let me be right. Please let me be right. Please let me be right. Please let me-)

"Only the worthy will have the wisdom to choose. Whether it's more important to win or have the humility to lose"

"A choice was made to save thy friends and, honestly, doesn't that make you a winner in the end?"

Only so I REALLY liked how they handled the first temple. How they were testing not just intelligence but EMOTIONAL intelligence as well (because intelligence comes in different forms!!!) The humility and the wisdom to step down, to willingly lose in order to make the right choice, to realize that the lives of your friends are more important than any temple or puzzle.

They also showed this in the actual temple trials. How in the second and third trial you NEED more than one person in order to solve it. Hell, even in the first trial, those floating ball things happen to whoever was holding the cube, ANYONE could've done it, people could've taken turns trying to solve it!

This temple tests intelligence, and it also tests humility and priorities and co-dependence.

OH OH OH!!! ONE MORE THING!!!

Okay so I, like a ton of other people, have been thinking that the weird secret basement where The Night is was in that OTHER secret room that King Andrias and Marcy found during their research in Lost in Newtopia.

BUT I WAS WRONG!

The basement with The Night was in the Throne Room (And Andrias seems to be well aware of its existence) while the room that Andrias and Marcy found was in the Royal Library (And it looked like he didn't know about it, though it could've been a cover up but I don't think that, I think that's where they found info on the Calamity Box)

They're different rooms!! So I doubt Marcy knows ANYTHING about The Night OR about the secret room in the Throne Room.

And speaking of The Night… Rewatching this made me realize that The Night has… gears and screws and bolts. And like,,, wires. (BUT there are less wires here than there were in the Season 3 intro). So…

What the FUCK??

IS The Night a robot or at least was made with that ancient technology? Or maybe their life force is being kept alive by those metal parts and stuff?

King Andrias: The prophecy is being undone as we speak, my Lord. Soon, we will have our revenge

Okay so obviously we know the prophecy is where the holders of the 3 gems come together in an epic showdown and beat the shit out of the big baddies

But draining the stones force from the girls would mean they are unable to go all super saiyan which is what I'm assuming that was what Andrias meant when he talked about "undoing the prophecy"

Because making the girls unable to go super saiyan means they can't have the gems' powers and that means they can't try to stop the big baddies.

But we know that draining the stones' powers from the girls isn't needed to make the box take them home, if we look at Marcy during True Colours. She was able to open the portal without the blue gem's charge.

Charging the stones was never important to get Anne, Sasha, and Marcy home, it was important because it was going to prevent a prophecy.

S2: E17 The Second Temple

"But empathy alone isn't enough. For what is heart without responsibility?"

I really like this!!! I LOVE how for every temple, it focuses on the main attribute but then there is a secondary thing that makes you TRULY worthy!

Like with the first temple, Marcy was smart yes, she could get through all those puzzles easy. But what made her worthy wasn't her brain, it was her ability to make the right call and step back, losing to save those she cares about.

It's just like that with the second temple! Anne has the heart obviously, she's got grit and is passionate and not afraid to help and do what is right. But that alone isn't what made her so special. Her ability to own up to her actions, to take responsibility for them is what makes her so amazing!

And not to mention this is something she learned to do while IN Amphibia! Anne wasn't really one to admit she did something wrong and was always quick to pass the blame, but she's grown and matured here. Same with Marcy! I doubt back home Marcy would have EVER willingly lost or willingly get a bad grade on ANYTHING for ANYONE! They've both grown in little ways and I love it!

I also think it's super cool how the 3 trials for the heart stone were kinda like,,, low key. Like, you obviously couldn't KNOW it was the trials or you would obviously sacrifice your life for a stranger or to your warmth for your friends. They had to make sure that all your actions you were doing out of your own free will and your own morality.

S2: E17 Barrel's Warhammer

The whole thing with Sasha reassuring Percy and Braddock that if things get too wild, she'll stop the whole thing… But ended up NOT doing that…

I think that Sasha meant what she said, I think she really does care for the two of them and really did wanna make sure they were okay and not you know, scared or eaten.

But when push came to shove and Sasha was too focused on her goals and her own stuff, she didn't take into consideration their feelings. She was just too driven, too passionate, too CLOSE.

I think this was the kinda thing that probably happened a lot back home. Sasha obviously cares for Anne and Marcy and always wants to make sure they're okay but sometimes her care and protection can get too much, that sometimes she just does in the wrong way and ends up hurting them.

And not to mention that she has probably done the same thing with them as she did with Percy and Braddock. I wonder how many times Sasha had reassured Anne and Marcy that if things, no matter the situation, were too much or scary or risky or anything, she would stop and they could go do something else.

But it didn't happen. Sasha would get so caught up in it and just… not do it, she would go against her word because whatever they're doing was almost done it not that much or whatever ither reason she would say. And Anne and Marcy would just keep going even though they didn't want to because Sasha is the leader, because Sasha is their friend.

I don't think Sasha is a bad person, I don't think any of the girls are bad people. I just think they all are just flawed.

And also like, 13. What 13 year old is morally the best honestly?? Middle schoolers are the WORST and middle school judt fucking sucks for EVERYONE

S2: E18 The Third Temple

"You've definatly got skill no doubt, but it's time you learned what strength is all about"

*one epic fight scene later*

"Congrats, bruh! You finally what it takes to go the distance. For what is true strength without persistence?"

The third temple is about strength, no doubt about that obviously. But the most important attribute that accompanies true strength besides how much you could dead lift is, you guessed it, persistence!

Sasha has shown time and time again how much determination and grit she has. Hell, even in Barrel's Warhammer I even said how she can get so driven by her goals that it kinda becomes her downfall.

Because like intelligence comes humitly and empathy comes responsibility, strength needs persistence. The need to keep going, to keep pursuing even when all else is against you.

That's how we knew by the end of THIS episode that there is NO WAY Sasha was gonna go through with the rebellion. Because Grime said himself that there was "nothing stopping this rebellion now"

But there was, it's Sasha.

Because strength comes persistence. And if Sasha believes is happening shouldn't be happening, there is no WAY IN HELL THAT IT'S GONNA HAPPEN! NOT ON HER WATCH!

S2: 19 The Dinner

Nothing to really say about this episode besides that it's ONE OF MY FAVORITES (besides any Marcy centric episodes and True Colours)

Also I think it's ADORABLE how the girls are all wearing clothes that kinda show where they were transported to.

Sasha has army from Toad Tower. Marcy has teal/aquamarine robes with even a pink sea shell on the collar, which is literally what everyone wears in Newtopia. And Anne has a cute, simple outfit with flowers to show Wortwood.

It's just cute :)

S2: 20 True Colours

I honestly didn't think I'd have anything to talk about for this episode that hasn't been said 1000000x better by other people on this site but I think I got something!

The Calamity Box doesn't send people home by just opening it again like how the girls did when they firdt got transported to Amphibia.

Granted, I'm sure someone has said that already and I already did touch upon it but I'm saying it again.

The Calamity Box doesn't need to be completly or even partly charged to transport people.

The gems use is to take away the power from the holders, to prevent them from going all super saiyan not to charge the box for it to work.

We know this because even with all the gemstones charged when Sasha opened the box, nothing happened. And at the end, Marcy was able to open a portal with the blue stone not fully charged.

Marcy KNOWS how to open the portals and I bet she learned how to when her and Andrias found that secert library wing and info on the box.

AND AGAIN!!!

When Andrias takes the box, he presses a couple things on the top which is the thing that sets forth that giant laser on top of the palace that blows up Toad Tower.

This box can do a LOT more than we ever thought…

Overall Notes and Season 3 predictions

Okay so first of all, I hate Andrias but DAMNIT HIS VILLAN BUILD UP WAS SOOOOO GOOD!!!

I mean starting with his very first sort of appearance, where we see him watching over the others from his castle window. And it's all dark and he moves his flipwort pieces and stuff!! AAAA!!

And then in episode 7 where they get the message/puzzle from him via arrow and Hop Pop screams, "AH! SOMEONE'S TRYING TO KILL US!" Like YES HE IS GUYS!!!

And Marcy is autistic, OBVIOUSLY! As someone who is autistic as well, I see a LOT of my own habits and tendencies in her! Her avoidance of eye contact, hyperfocusing or The Zone, her hyperfixations, her need of constant stimuli, RAPTOR ARMS!!!!

And who could forget...

Anne: Who says there has to be one [sleepover] queen?

Marcy: everyone. That's kinda how the whole system works, Anne

SHE TAKES THINGS SO LITERALLY!!!

I just love her guys,,,, can you tell she's my favorite?

Alright before I get too sidetracked with talling about Marcy, let me get into what I think may be in store for season 3!

LET'S BEGIN!!!

Okay so first of all, the Season will start sorta slow, not TOO much plot driven things will happen in probably the first couple episodes.

And I doubt we'll be seeing anything of Marcy until maybe episode 4 or 5 honestly.

I think the first episode will start with Anne and the Planters trying to hide from the world, maybe they're getting waaaay too much attention and need to lay low.

Then it'll end with them making it to Anne's house and the second episode will start from there.

The next 2 or 3 episodes from there will be with the Boonchuy's and the Planter's getting used to each other, maybe with a TINY TINY cut to what Sasha and Grime are doing.

Speaking of Sasha and Grime, I think that they escape the King and get the FUCK out of Newtopia, leaving Lady Olivia and General Yunan behind with the agreement they will be more like leaks or the inside you know?

Sasha and Grime will definatly then start to head back to Wortwood, but this traveling could take place over the course of a couple episodes but I predict they may get there in around episode 5 or 6, maybe 7.

But anyway, I think Anne may think about everything that went down in True Colours, maybe while explaining to her parents what happened and they'll all start to think about what the FUCK did she do back there with the whole turning blue thing.

Which would then lead to Anne trying to learn how to control it.

Anne will probably be taking the Planters out to show them her world, with disguises of course. But it won't last long as it seems that the news or the government are gonna be after them.

And those 2 mechanic girls, I think they'll be helping Polly rebuild Frobo.

And the girl with the blue hair looks kinda young, I think she's a practicing doctor or something. I bet she'll be like a doctor who's gonna check Anne out to figure out how she turned blue (with very little answers of course)

And back on Amphibia, Marcy's probablt gonna be in that tube for a while and the next time we see her will probably be her waking up from it. (Which could be anywhere from episodes 5 to maybe even 8)

I DO think that she's the one controlling that robot thing that was chasing them in the Season 3 intro, there was a camera. But I have no idea why she would be so there's some holes in the theory…

Also, I really don't think The Night is gonna be controlling Marcy. I think her brain is way too valuable to just,,, control. It'll be taking away her only "use" so to speak (I don't think Marcy is only food for how smart she is, just to be clear). Plus, if The Night was gonna control someone, you would think it was be the big beef cake Andrias.

So I think she doesn't really remember what happened during True Colours (with Andrias' betrayal) and is just getting manipulated again by Andrias

So when Sasha and Grime get back to Wortwood, they're gonna lead a rebellion with the frogs, toads and the newts, officially uniting them all against their king.

Anne is gonna be on Earth, dealing with the things that are getting sent there by King Andrias (And potentially Marcy?) While learning to control her blue power thing.

And Marcy is gonna be helped by Anne and Sasha I think. Like reminded of all the shit that went down and then the 3 of them are gonna take down Andrias TOGETHER!!! :D

And I'm HOPING to get a super saiyan for Sasha and Marcy!!!

I dunno how Sasha will unlock her's but I think Marcy May be able to unlock her power when she finally realizes how fucked up Andrias is. Like taking back control of her feelings and refusing to be manipulated any longer by finally remembering what happened during True Colours.

Anyway, this is just my take and may not even happen but I'm still excited for season 3 nonetheless!

I hope you enjoyed my Amphibia Season 2 stew!!!

#amphibia #anne boonchuy #hopadiah plantar #hop pop #sprig planter #polly planter #sasha waybright #Marcy wu #king andrias #season 2 #analysis #my ramblings

18 notes · View notes

anistarrose · 6 years ago

Text

More Alike Than They Realize (Gravity Falls One-Shot)

Word Count: ~1700

Summary: Stan finds a jittery, apologetic Ford up late one night, and the following conversation doesn’t go anywhere near where he thought it was going. Post-Weirdmageddon.

Warnings: None

Contains a lot more fluff and meta jokes than the summary suggests.

For the first time since Weirdmageddon, Stan woke up knowing exactly who, where, and when he was. The bulk of his memories, especially the enjoyable ones from the past summer and his childhood, had returned within about forty-eight hours, but six days later he was still having occasional lapses, the worst of which occurred upon waking up – until now, apparently. He hoped it would last.

He rolled over and looked at his clock. 12:15 A.M. Well, that was less cause for celebration. His head hurt – not unusual lately – and his mouth was dry – not anything to worry about, but still unpleasant.

Careful not to make any sound that could wake Ford or the kids, he made his way down to the kitchen. Warm milk usually helped him get to sleep.

I hope there’s still some left, he thought. The kids and I have been going through a lot since –

“Stanley, is everything alright?” Ford had been sitting at the kitchen table in complete darkness aside from the multi-colored glow of his laptop screen. “Do you know who I am?”

Stan hurriedly rushed to the fridge. “Don’t worry, Sixer, I remember fine. Just wanted get somethin’ to drink before I go to back to bed.” Ford’s concern was pretty reasonable given the state Stan was usually in when he wandered the Shack at night, and had Stan actually been in the middle of a lapse his brother’s presence would have been appreciated, but at the moment he didn’t want Ford worrying about him. He wanted to sleep.

“That’s great to hear,” Ford told him. “But Stanley, we need to talk.” He put himself between Stan and the door. “I was a fool, I realize that now. I hope you’ll forgive me.”

“Ford, you already apologized,” Stan replied. “About a hundred times. I promise, I’ve forgiven you –”

Stan suddenly noticed Ford’s eyes were bloodshot and his hair was even more of an unkempt mess than usual. “Stanford, are you feelin’ okay? You look… paranoid. Do you need to run more tests to make sure Bill is –”

Realization dawned on Ford’s face – and then he chuckled sadly, like he was laughing at himself rather than Stan. “Oh, no, Stan. This isn’t about Weirdmageddon. I didn’t worry you too much, did I?”

“Wait, then what is it –” Stan noticed the bowl on the kitchen table next to Ford’s laptop. “Is that popcorn? How the hell did you make popcorn at midnight without waking up the whole house?”

“It’s just simple sound-wave cancelling technology I picked up in Dimension B-56,” Ford replied automatically. “But the point is, I need to completely and sincerely take back what I said to you and about your… taste in entertainment on my second full day back in this dimension. I made a hasty judgement based on the show’s… target demographics, and I see now that I was wrong. So very, very wrong.”

“Sixer, you’re not making any… wait.” Stan suddenly remembered what had aired on Ford’s second day back in Gravity Falls. “You started watching Ducktective, didn’t you?”

“I did, Stanley! And it’s so much better than I was emotionally prepared for! After you saved me from Probabilitor that one day, I asked Dipper if I could join you watching the new episode, but he said it would be full of spoilers and showed me how I could stream it from the beginning when I had the time – and now I’m addicted! I can’t believe I called it a kids’ show; the mysteries of the overarching story transcend age demographics like nothing I’ve ever seen before! I’m nowhere near caught up and I already have so many theories! I’m not even sure if the younger Ducktective we saw in the time travel episode was actually him!”

“Whoa whoa whoa, Poindexter, slow down.” A grin was spreading across Stan’s face. “How far in have you gotten? Ten episodes?”

“Twelve,” Ford corrected. “I just finished the one where his rival Pete the pelican was wrongly accused and came to Ducktective for help –”

“Hey, that’s a really underrated one!”

“Wait, who didn’t like it? That was some of the finest comedy I’ve seen in the entire multiverse!”

“Dipper said Pete’s change of heart was unrealistic! Can you believe it?”

“If I wasn’t indebted to him for introducing me to the show in the first place, he would be dead to me,” Ford agreed in an overly dramatic tone.

“You gotta watch the next couple episodes right now, Sixer. Episode 13 is a goddamn emotional journey, and Episode 14 – well, I don’t want to spoil it. It needs to be seen to be believed, anyways. And then rewatched multiple times after learning what happens in the season finale.”

“Are you going to stay to watch alongside me?” Ford asked as he sat back down in front of his laptop.

“And miss you tearing up?” Stan pulled up a chair. “Pass the popcorn, would ya?”

“We’ll see about that,” Ford replied, but when Ducktective was finally reunited with his long-lost partner Steve, he couldn’t help but shed a single tear. Stan shed quite a few more, despite having seen the episode at least twice before, but Ford didn’t rub it in his face.

Ford was a bit confused, however, when the town erected a hyper-realistic statue of Ducktective to honor him for his continued work, and Stan bawled his eyes out seeing how Ducktective refused to look at the monument for longer than a few seconds.

“He’s just not used to the attention! What’s so sad about that?” Ford asked.

“You don’t understand,” Stan sobbed. It took all of his willpower not to explain that the statue reminded Ducktective of his long-lost twin gone evil. Ford had more or less guessed the twist already thanks to the time travel episode and the extra room in Ducktective’s childhood home, but Stan was drawing on all his con man power to act like Ford’s theory was crazy.

During a lull in the action in Episode 17, Ford paused the video and said: “I’m getting a little tired, but I can’t stop watching yet. Do you mind if we go sit somewhere where I won’t wake up with back pains in case I do fall asleep?”

Stan was also very tired, but there was no way he was going to miss Ford’s reaction to the next episode’s reveal. “While we’re at it, let’s go someplace where you won’t wake up the kids when you scream. There’s a big plot twist comin’ up.”

Ford closed the laptop. “I’d suggest the basement, but it’s probably pretty cold down there. We can go to my private study.”

Stan frowned. “Not exactly a lot of comfortable furniture in there, is there?”

“No, especially not after I cleaned it out. I was thinking we could bring blankets – wait, you’ve been in there? It’s supposed to be a secret!”

Stan snorted. “Sixer, I lived in this house for thirty years. Now go get those blankets.”

“Great Uncle Ford? Grunkle Stan? Are you guys okay? What are you doing down here?”

Stan tried to sit up, but something above him slipped, and several surprisingly heavy blankets fell on his face. Besides, he didn’t really want to get up. He was reminded of the good old days when he and Ford would hang some blankets from the top bunk, then sit on Stan’s bed together reading comic books, telling ghost stories, and generally making a mess with snacks.

“Morning, Dipper,” he heard Ford mumble. “I’m sorry we didn’t make breakfast…”

“Grunkle Ford, we were so worried about you!” Mabel yelled. “We thought you got kidnapped by gnomes or one of the last few eye-bats or something! But this whole time, you were just down here in your secret room?! You even built a whole blanket fort without us!”

“Oh, I’m so sorry.” Ford pulled his laptop out from under his blankets. “I didn’t even consider the possibility that you wouldn’t realize where we were. We just didn’t want to wake you with our reactions to Ducktective.” He glared at Stan. “I can’t believe I predicted Ducktective’s twin brother almost a whole season in advance and Stan just pretended that my theory was ridiculous.”

“Hey, what was I supposed to do, spoil the ending of the best episode in the whole show?”

“How about simply not making fun of me for ‘looking too deep’ into everything?”

Mabel shook her head. “I can’t believe you nerds.”

“Hey, you can say that about Ford, but not me,” Stan complained. “I’m not like him and Dipper, not at –”

“You kind of are, though,” Ford told him, trying and failing not to laugh. “Obviously not to the same extent as myself, but we did just stay up until three in the morning watching a children’s show and discussing elaborate conspiracy theories about it. We’re more alike than you realize, Stanley.”

“So? It was one time!”

“I seem to recall we did this kind of thing pretty often when we were kids. Obviously not on a laptop, but with equally nerdy works of fiction nonetheless.”

“You’re an honorary nerd now whether you like it or not, Grunkle Stan,” Dipper added.

Stan shook his head. “Ya know, I was gonna apologize for making you worry, but now I’m not so sure.”

“You should apologize for ruining our blanket fort, Stanley,” Ford chided jokingly. “It was an absolute marvel of engineering before you decided to drag down the roof.”

“A real marvel of engineering wouldn’t let its roof get dragged down that easily!”

Ford frowned. “Uh, let’s go get breakfast. Kids, do you know if there’s any pancake mix left?”

“Ha, so you admit I have a point!”

“Honestly,” Mabel interrupted, “I’m not mad anymore that you guys disappeared into the basement to build a blanket fort and eat popcorn and watch your show. I’m just mad that you didn’t invite us.”

“Yeah!” Dipper added. “I wanted to see Ford’s reaction to the season finale.”

Ford smiled. “Well, we still have about… ten episodes before I’m caught up?”

“Eight,” Stan corrected. “Plus the shorts. But yeah, you kids could join us.”

“Will there be popcorn?” Mabel asked.

“Of course!”

Mabel and Dipper exchanged a look.

“Are we forgiven?” Stan asked.

The kids nodded in unison. “You’re forgiven.”

Thanks for reading! Ford’s reaction to Ducktective is loosely based on my own reaction to Gravity Falls: skeptical when first learning of it, then genuinely interested after hearing good things, then way too emotionally invested in it.

#gravity falls #stanley pines #stanford pines #mabel pines #dipper pines #rosalia writes fic #fluff #i was reading and writing some pretty angsty fic when i took a break to write this #which explains why it's so much more self-indulgent and happy than it seems at first #anyways if i could sum up my initial reaction to gf when i first watched in 2017 #with one line from this fic #it would be 'so much better than i was emotionally prepared for'#might be projecting onto ford just a bit #but it's undeniably in character for him

193 notes · View notes