#still kind of an ass for not believing fantine but after what he said to Valjean is out of space

[asirxrowena]

Started reading Les miserables some time ago (a year lol) and reached a part that explains Javert's character and man I am unwell

[squidproquoclarice]

Would you be able to explain your thoughts on not liking characters dying for redemption more? Like other people have said, you make things easy to understand.

All right, gather round the campfire, kids, and we’ll sing a round of Jack O’ Diamonds or Ring Dang Doo and let’s talk about the trope of “This character has done bad things, and deliberately choosing to sacrifice themselves for the survival of other people, in dying, finds their ‘redemption’.”Which can be powerful and eloquent.  The issue is when it becomes the only acceptable ending for a character with problematic actions, where it becomes an equation of “redemption=death”.  Establishing the notion that there is no redemption possible in life, that this character has done things that render them unworthy of surviving, of living, of happiness.  And that’s…kind of an issue.There’s a conflict between the viewpoints of retributive and restorative justice.  Retribution, which is more the Western legal system, and has become largely our cultural view, tends to take the notion that you can’t escape your past.  You can’t erase it.  Your sins will catch up to you, and you will pay the price for them in some kind of suffering.  Eye for an eye.  Action, consequence.  Crime, punishment.Restorative justice looks more at the balance of things.  You’ve done wrong.  What can you do to fix that specific sin to your victim, or if not, how can you make the world around you better and pay for your wrong in that way?Look, this is a moral conflict that Victor Hugo explored in detail in “Les Miserables” (and you can bet your ass that’s a very pertinent novel Arthur will be reading during his TB convalescence).  Jean Valjean is an escaped convict.  Javert is very much the retributive justice POV: you still need to pay your punishment to society.  Others, like the Bishop of Digne, tell Jean that the best way to pay for his sins is to look at the world around him, to do good, and to make it better.  Can Jean make up for being a dick to Fantine in her hour of need and helping cause her suffering and death by becoming an amazing adoptive father to her daughter?  Can he make up for his criminal past by it?�� Debate at 11!This is why I love RDR, to be honest.  You have two very different men and situations, and the notion of “redemption” is handled in interesting ways for both of them.I love John Marston.  We see him now in 3 different eras, and the evolution between 1899, 1907, and 1911.  And he’s a fascinating character presenting that dilemma of an ex-criminal living a quiet life. He’s made up for his mistakes as a husband and father, but has he truly earned a peaceful life?  As of 1907, he’s still fucking up, getting into fights, taking Abigail and Jack for granted, pursuing revenge for Arthur which is the last thing the man would want.  As of 1911, I’d say “no”, he hasn’t quite earned absolution.  He’s not hurting anyone any more, and he’s a fantastic husband and dad, but he’s running from his past.  He’s not adding to the red in the ledger, but he’s not really putting any black to offset it either.  He still seems to have left the gang mostly because of it breaking apart and Dutch’s betraying him, rather than genuine soul-searching and contrition.  He goes after Bill and Javier and Dutch because he’s forced to, not because they’re hurting people.  Though I’d say by the end of RDR1, he is becoming more the man who deserves the peace he seeks.  He’s making more honorable choices to make the world around him better, helping strangers rather than looking out for only his own family.  Unfortunately, it’s too little, too late, as he’s caught in Ross’ snare and is killed to tie up loose ends.  John is a great character who can’t quite leave his past behind, or come to terms with it, and it catches up with him before he can complete that evolution.  (And man, that really sucks for Arthur, because John’s becoming a good man living a good life is what he hoped for so much.)Arthur?  Gaaaah, much as I loved John, R* found a new level of storytelling with this boah.  By the end of RDR2, yes, from a restorative justice POV, I think he’s earned that chance at a happy life.  He’s squarely faced who he is and what he’s done in the past, sincerely regrets it, recognizes he can’t directly fix many of his past actions (though damn, does he try where he can, in cases like the Downes family) but he’s actively chosen to do good.  To spread kindness and mercy, to make the world better where he can.  And I have to believe given another 30 years of life, he’d continue taking on that role of fighting for the downtrodden where he can, because this is a man who now genuinely believes.  But from a retributive justice standpoint, he still deserves to die for the things he’s done.  So therein lies the dilemma: which justice system wins?  Restorative, and the good he can do for so many, or retributive, and “making him pay”?  While I respect the tragic poetry of his sacrifice for John, I choose to believe that Arthur surviving the TB, finding a way to challenge himself to continue to be better, and doing so, and finding peace with himself, is a really profoundly meaningful ending.  Like Sister Calderon says, we’ve all lived bad lives, but to choose to love others, and to selflessly help them, makes a big difference.  So yeah, flipping over to Timeless, the notion as per the writer of the Christmas special that Garcia Flynn has “done too many bad things” and doesn’t “deserve” a happy ending so he should randomly go sacrifice himself for the happiness of Lucy and Wyatt is kinda BS-y.  He acknowledges his sins.  He fights for others, fights to try to become a good man again, without hope of personal gain for himself at this point.  He’s saved a hell of a lot of lives.  Compared to Wyatt, who’s been equally violent, hurt many people, and genuinely seems to believe his needs always take precedence, and yet “deserves” happiness including Babies Ever After, that’s really kind of a shitty reductive claim compared against the thoughtful complexity R* put into the “death via redemption” trope.In conclusion, use retributive justice where appropriate, but c’mon, let’s stop hitting the lazy button and see more restorative justice storylines for characters with “bad” pasts who are desperately trying to be better.Thank you for coming to my RED Talk.

[beauzos]

punch out and pokemon :B

damn you know me

Pokemon

least favorite: uhh honestly? I don’t dislike any characters really but Fantine kind of annoys me. I think it’s maybe because her fight is some bullshit (FUCK that Mismagius) but something about her rubs me the wrong way. Also when I used to rp in indie I kept calling her Fantina (wait fuck is her name Fantina?) and the Fantine rpers would call me out and I’m like bitch damn her name is hard to remember and looking back I think her name is actually Fantina I’m fucking dead

two characters I love: uhhh Archer and to be a bit less predictable, Faba (though it’s not like that’s unknown thing). Honestly I could have put any of the Rocket Execs in slot one (except for Petrel, he’s cool but not a favorite) but Archer just kinda barely pulls ahead. I just love. how little he is in the game where he’s the main antagonist. This poor man was done wrong.

But his personality is kinda fun, I like how intensely loyal he seems and how like, he’s so formal compared to like everyone else in Team Rocket except for maybe Ariana (and Giovanni but that’s irrelevant since he’s not really in the game lmao). He’s just so charming. Also loving that confidence in battle, showing up to the biggest battle of his life with three Pokemon and only one of them is a threat.

 Also his design is really pleasant to look at. The HGSS art director’s style is so soft and nice looking. Every piece he drew is so nice to look at and their designs are just. Real Good. I love Archer he’s so cute and smart and I believe in him

Also I love Faba just because he’s so goddamn dramatic. He kind of reminds me of a more incompetent Scar from the Lion King (take that with a grain of salt, I haven’t seen that film in a long time). Flair for the dramatic, ambitious, you know. Also the way he whines about kids is so fuckin funny to me. What a bitter man. He can’t take that kids are smarter than him.

He’s also so shitty and egotistical to people in such a blatant, blunt way and that’s kind of fun. I wish we could have seen him interact with Lusamine more. If at all I can’t remember if they ever interact, actually. Actually his personality would be so much fun with lots of characters he never ever interacted with, what a shame. Also loving the big ass bean glasses look. He’s the only one who can pull it off

Punch Out

least favorite: Bear Hugger. His voice acting is irritating to me, personally. The guy does a great job but he’s just an annoying character to me. The only exception is in the Contender intermission where he just deadpan goes “I like raw fish” because I’d be a liar if I said I didn’t fucking lose it when I heard that line.

two characters I love: It’s hard because there’s a lot I love for different reasons :U Glass Joe has to be one of course, it’s just not fair not to include him, and I guess because I don’t talk about him much/post much content of him (there’s none really lol) I’ll talk about Gabby Jay too.

I mean like how the fuck can I not love Joe. He’s so good and his voice is. So cute. Also in older games it’s obvious he straight up doesn’t want to box or anything and hates being there but in Wii Punch Out he just. He really wants to win, he’s just Fucking Awful and I love that???

Also I love that he actually got tough in Title Defense like he really tried to improve and He Did It because he kicked my ass like 10 times and no matter how many times I fight him I usually still lose. That fucking delayed right hook murders me every time, I still can’t get the timing down. Good Job Joe. Though To Be Fair in the (S)NES Punch Out universe it’s alleged that his one win was against the heavyweight champ of the Super WVBA, Nick Bruiser so wow he Is Talented Though It’s Totally Implied It Was An Accident which how????? Also if the 1 in his 1-99 was Bruiser, then why does Bruiser have a 42-0 record that doesn’t make sense but conspiracies aside

It’s cute how he became a boxing instructor after NES Punch Out like I guess he thought he’d have better luck in teaching? I mean he must have been doing something right since Gabby Jay beat him and made it big time. Reach for the stars Joe you’re doing a great job

ANYWAYS Mr. Gabriel Jay, underrated boxer of the year am I right friends? Seriously this poor guy. Totally overshadowed. He only appeared in SNES Super pretty much as Glass Joe 2: Electric Boogaloo (except old) being a straight up successor to the dude as a student of him, and he just didn’t have the same charisma that Joe had. Joe has like, this kind of charm about him. His brand of suck is special. I think it’s also because NES Punch Out is so classic, SO classic, that there’s no way Jay could measure up. But at least I love him right???

I don’t know how that paragraph amounted to mostly shittalking poor Gabby but w/e. I think Gabby Jay has a cute personality. I like how he’s so determined to win?? Like opposed to NES!Joe who fucking hates being there, Gabby wants to win so goddamn bad. He’s so ambitious, and like he doesn’t seem deterred by being the absolute fucking worst at boxing, he’s just there to have a good time. Like also I love his backstory, it’s just like “he was a waiter, then he randomly decided he was gonna be a boxer in his late 50s” like damn Gabby, what an ambitious old dude.

Also I love that he says “yay” all the fucking time it’s adorable. If he ever appears in another Punch Out game (unlikely, to both Jay appearing and there being another game) he better fucking say yay a bunch or I’m going to be really mad. Keep going Mr. Jay you’ll win one day