#the story was the weakest element by far

[wandering-tides]

People always rank either Ei or Zhongli (or both) above Venti in power rankings. Like, who is the strongest archon? There are always two answers: Morax or Beelzebul. Never Barbatos.

I like to think otherwise.

This guy has cut mountains with his winds and thrown them so far away into the sea, made winter disappear and turned Mond into what it is today: from a barren rocky land that used to be filled with snow and raging blizzards into this green plain field with gentle winds where agriculture is so much easier then it ever was back then. I don't think people of Old Mond could have ever imagined for Mond to turn into what it is today.

But he still calls himself weak. And people took that to face value. And some still do despite it being proven otherwise by Nahida.

Venti said that an archon derives their power from ruling over their nation. But Nahida denies this later and says that archons gain their power through the faith of the people.

Clearly, Venti lied to us.

And if we go by what Nahida said,,,, Every freakin person in Mond has faith in the Anemo archon. They sing praises of him despite not having been in the presence of their god for 5 centuries. He has a statue and a Cathedral (who else has that?).

So, Venti is Strong.

Remember his gnosis is in the shape of a queen chess piece? Queen has the most freedom on the board. Venti's ideals are freedom. And his element is anemo. Anemo is the free-est element out there.

He might as well suck the air out of your lungs if he so wants to. He governs over it.

My point is, Venti is overpowered.

And let's not forget how that little wind wisp gained archon hood.

It was his desire to protect that helped him into becoming a god. When the nameless bard died, he felt the need to protect whats left. To protect what his friend died fighting for.

And its a pretty cliche concept out their about how a hero grows stronger, in any story. Its their need to protect. Right?

And Venti still wants to protect Mond- despite him saying otherwise. He shows up everytime Mond is in danger. Whether directly or indirectly, he always helps out.

So here is what I think. The reason why he calls himself weak.

Its because he is so strong, strong enough to scare Celestia. So Celestia has put him on some sort of leash. He can't use his powers in it's entirety. There is probably some sort of seal.

So Venti is weak.

Because he can't use all of his powers. Because he is chained to Celestia's whim.

Venti is weakest of the seven because he is the only one who has some sort of leash on him.

The god of freedom, chained.

Plus, it can definitely not be a coincidence that the defiled statue was of Barbatos, out of all the seven. Chained, hanging up-side down and corrupted.

And the fact that the abyss order was going to use Barbatos (chained) statue to create a machine to "topple the divine thrones of Celestia."

None of that can be a coincidence. Knowing hoyoverse, it definitely isn't.

So yeah. Venti is definitely not weak. He just can't use the full extent of his powers as of right now.

Venti is strong, but also weak. If he isn't chained- he is easily the strongest.

He can slice the mountains and throw them far into sea- if Zhongli throws a big peice of meteor on him, venti should be able to cut it in half too. if he has all his power on him that is.

I really hate it when people call him weak just because he said so himself. Especially when it's been proven that we shouldn't take his words to face value.

He is not like our sweet little Nahida, people.

[utilitycaster]

Whenever people are like "well LIAM'S characters never faced any backlash when HE played characters in the spotlight" and "no one will let WOMEN have negative qualities" when Caleb and Vax and Orym have received pretty constant hate for main character/sadboy/scene stealing and when meta writers outright stopped talking about Imogen because a particularly mindless set of hit dogs are still hollering about how she is so good and kind and how dare you call her selfish, it's really like...in the service of trying to make your failure of a point you've just said something that literally anyone with a memory lasting longer than the apocryphal goldfish length can immediately debunk, which in turn absolutely shreds your credibility going forward, if you had it.

More generally there's something very vile here, because on the surface this statement does look like an attempt, if one ignorant of pretty much any fandom conversation, to defend women. The thing is it's come from a place of defending Dorian and Ashton's plan - a man, and a nb person who would not identify as a woman - that requires a particularly great deal of sacrifice from the women of the party. So of course they just switch tactics. Instead of "how dare the fandom not think women are always best" it's "how dare the fandom disrespect a disabled nb person and a person played by an indigenous actor." And I'm sure they'll switch again. Because pretty much every character in this campaign is on some axis of oppression, and there's a few people in this fandom who, instead of considering these things as important details that inform these characters, seem to largely treat their minority statuses as ammunition. Feminism and antiracism and queer advocacy are all just part of a shell game to them - accuse everyone who disagrees with them of being a bigot, say that their opinions are inviolate because they match that of literally any character who isn't a cis het white man, of which Bells Hells has none. Unsurprisingly, it's that social media purity culture that's just the evangelical church with a gay hat: they are always the victim, and everyone who disagrees is the devil, and being a good person always happens to line up with what you already wanted.

There are several posts from the past day or so accusing people of liking Campaign 3 less than the two previous ones which refused to accept that this might be due to the hurry-up-and-receive-an-infodump pacing, the singular focus without much time spent on backstory, the gaps in party composition, and the fact that the plot manages to combine the weakest elements of each campaign - the fetch quest/NPC guidance heavy nature of C1, and the meandering/slow start of C2. No, it must be the awful, sinful fandom unable to handle the lack of a major M/M ship (false; Dorian and Orym aren't canon, but neither were Vax and Gilmore, and the latter was sunk far sooner) and the fact that a female character is at the center of the story (see above re: how hostile the same people making these accusations have been to anyone who actually wants to discuss Imogen in a way that doesn't fit their specifications). Just to repeat this: many fans have outlined a number of purely narrative and structural reasons why C3 isn't working for them. These people have assumed this is all a lie, because assuming otherwise that would require either addressing these critiques, which in turn would require admitting other people can have valid opinions that oppose their own without being horrible bigots - in favor of throwing out whatever random accusations they think might stick. It doesn't matter what's actually being said; they're not actually listening, and for all they might talk about fans of color they sure all seem to be white; for all they talk about misogyny and queerphobia they sure won't hesitate to immediately assume the worst of queer people and women who say things they don't like. And rarely do they address any of the actual ongoing bigotry that does exist in the fandom; it's all random accusations because you agreed with the white woman instead of the brown man or vice versa; or it's the constant dredging of years past discourse that, as the first paragraph indicates, they will then ignore whenever convenient.

These are all pretty transparent signs of a bad faith actor spreading misinformation. To be clear I don't think this is any kind of conspiracy or has any organization to it. I think it's a just handful of deeply self-absorbed people who either refuse or literally cannot comprehend that someone could disagree with them without being a bad person and who will gleefully cry wolf with these accusations of bigotry. But it's been going on for quite some time and it's been a problem this campaign in a way I at least do not recall it in past ones, and it's had an absolutely devastating effect on the fandom conversation. Ironically, by trying to boost Imogen and Campaign 3 by shutting down any criticism of them, they've shut down far more of the conversation, hopefully not irreversibly, and I think it's time to point that out.

[miupow]

CRAVE ⛦ c.yj + c.bg

・:〃➜ dont go into the woods.

pairing. werewolf!choi yeonjun x fem!reader xwerewolf! choi beomgyu words. 1.9k NSFW, minors DNI! potentially dark/triggering content warning. warnings: dubcon, implied/referenced kidnapping, predator/prey elements, free use, toxic!txt, referenced poly!txt (no mxm), hard dom!beomgyu, soft dom!yeonjun, ruts/mating cycles, rough sex, knotting mention, deepthroat/throatfucking, degredation kink, praise kink, breeding kink, dacryphilia, spitroasting

"never go into the woods," they said, but you were never one to listen-- stupid, sheltered village girl thinking to herself how bad could it possibly be as you ventured through the undergrowth, more worried about picking flowers and berries than her safety... you should have listened.

getting lost was easier than you had thought, too giddy for exploring to mark out a path home. you ran, panicked, alone amongst the trees until the sun went down, growing more and more distressed, more and more utterly lost as your visibility dwindled— twigs snapped, leaves rustled behind you, the oppressive feeling of eyes on your back followed you wherever you sprinted and stumbled… you were being hunted.

they descended upon you when you were at your weakest, stumbled and fell over a tree stump, hit your head on a rock, laid unconscious in the grass; a pack of wolves disguised as men. they took you to their den, nursed your wounds, calmed your nerves with saccharine smiles that were just a little too sharp in the teeth... you grew to trust them, care for them, feel indebted to them. you didn't understand until you had fully recovered, tried stepping out of their little pack life and back home to your village.

stupid girl. they were never going to let you leave. you belonged to them now.

yeonjun was soft for you. at least, that's what the other boys say-- their eldest usually so callous and cold. you couldn't possibly see him that way, no matter how many stories you've been told; how could he possibly be the nastiest of the pack when he treated you the sweetest, gentle words and gentler touches. chaste kisses that never landed on your lips. you felt safest with him. you were still a little afraid of the others.

you were most afraid of beomgyu. loud and brash, nasty words falling from a sneering mouth-- his elders kept him in line, snapped at him when he went too far, but nothing could stop his constantly running mouth. he teased, he belitted, he degraded you. he never let you forget just how he viewed you; like a toy for him to play with. for all of them to play with.

but yet when beomgyu's rut rolled around, your cunt ached for him.

"f-fuck, fuck yeah-- take it all~" beomgyu groans, his fingers wound tight in your hair. he tugs you further down his thick cock, mushroom head knocking at the back of your little throat-- you gag at the intrusion, eyes watery, and beomgyu just laughs. "what a good bitch."

you whimper around his cock, try your best to hollow your cheeks, flatten your tongue against his underside— there wasn’t much else you could do with beomgyu using your head like a pocket pussy, roughly pushing and pulling to fuck his cock in and out of your throat. “like having your throat fucked, huh? yeah you do, you cockhungry slut— maybe i should knot your mouth instead of your pussy, make you swallow all my cum—“

the thought makes your throat close up in fear, fat tears threatening to fall down your red face as you choke and splutter. drool dribbles down your chin and smears across your cheeks, aided by beomgyu’s thumbs anchored on your cheekbones and forcing your mouth open— you look up at him desperately, whining, and beomgyu gazed back with honey dark eyes and a devilish smirk. “aww, don’t want beomie’s knot down your throat? i’m sure you’d take it just fine~”

“stop it, you’re scaring her.” yeonjun chastised from over your shoulder, his pretty soft voice comforting your cries immediately— you’d already be ass up and wailing around beomgyu’s knot if it wasn’t for him, your sweet jjunie making sure your tight cunt is stretched out enough to take them because beomgyu certainly wouldn’t have bothered. his long fingers dragged at your walls deliciously, pumping in and out of you with the lewdest wet noises— he changed angles to rub hard at your sweet spot, chuckling into your ear when your eyes roll back and you keen around beomgyu’s thick shaft. beomgyu groans deep in his chest, adams apple bobbing, and his grip on your cheeks tighten considerably. “there we go, pretty girl, doin’ so well~” yeonjun coos, gentle, free hand snaking down to rub tight circles against your neglected and swollen clit. “‘m not gonna let gyu knot your throat, baby, don’t worry— just keep making him feel good, yeah? be a good hole while jjunie gets you ready for breeding~”

beomgyu snickers darkly. “you’re so soft for our whore, hyung. acting like she’s your mate ‘n not just the pack cumdump, wont even let me fuck her my damn self—“

“you’d hurt her, you fucking beast.” yeonjun snaps, the arm playing at your clit tightening you against his chest. “gotta make sure you don’t break my— our toy.”

you’re grateful that beomgyu can’t refuse an order from the eldest, terrified of what facing his rut alone may have been like, tossed around and used like toy, yeonjun not there to act as a filter for beomgyu’s dirty mouth… it terrified you, but your pussy throbbed at the thought.

it was getting increasingly hard to focus on sucking beomgyu’s cock, yeonjun’s skilled fingers in your cunt making you stupid and drunk— beomgyu didn’t seem to mind much, head thrown back and grunting like an animal while he rammed his cock into your slack-jawed mouth. “are you done yet, then? wanna breed my bitch now.”

yeonjun scoffs but relents, sliding his slick-sticky fingers out of your hole— you whimper from the loss, pussy empty and fluttering around nothing, choke on beomgyu’s cock when yeonjun chuckles and slaps your ass. they switch positions easily, beomgyu pulling out of your throat with a sickening pop before clambering to mount you, big palms immediately moving to palm and grope at your reddening asscheeks. he pulls them apart with his thumbs, groans loud at the sight of your glistening cunt peeking between your thighs— yeonjun settles in beomgyu’s place, hums and pets your head when you nuzzle against the straining bulge in his jeans. “miss a cock in your mouth that bad, baby?” he laughs, hips bucking gently against your face. “greedy little girl, focus on beomgyu now, okay? he’s been very patient.”

beomgyu hadn’t been very patient, but that was besides the point. he holds your cheeks apart with his thumb, other hand keeping his cock steady as he slides it up and down your soaked slit, bumps the head against your aching clit. you moan at the sensation, rock your hips back into beomgyu’s pelvis— he spanks your abused ass even harder than yeonjun did, skin stinging and blooming with heat and pain, and you lurch forward with a broken wail. “quit moving, ‘m gettin’ my cock wet,” he growls.

you try to stay still the best you could, thighs shaking as beomgyu lines himself up with your twitching hole— he gives you no time to prepare, rough and quick in burying his cock in your pussy to the hilt. you throw your head back, cry out pathetically at the intrusion, watery eyes threatening to spill over… yeonjun strokes your cheek with his thumb.

the sound beomgyu makes when he bottoms out is ungodly, deep and low and making your clit twitch for attention as his hands grab on tight to your hips. “f-fuck,” beomgyu whimpers, sounding winded. “fuck, fuck, so tight, shit!—“

your poor little pussy is filled to the brim, stretched to it’s limit as you struggle to adjust to the way beomgyu’s cock parts your gummy walls and burns so good. you can feel every inch, every vein, every twitch of his shaft, still unmoving as beomgyu pants like a dog, hips stuttering and hands shaking as if in a daze.

yeonjun watches with a smirk, thumb rubbing circles against your cheekbone and smearing drool and precum further across your face— his cock strained against the front of his jeans obscenely, and the sight made your mouth water. “pussy drunk already, beomie? thought you wanted to breed her.”

beomgyu snorts, shaken out of his reverie— he rolls his hips hard against your ass, cock bullying impossibly deeper, and snickers when you choke on air. “gonna make her beg for it. c’mon, slut, wanna be bred? want my knot? tell us how bad you want it.”

“wanna be bred,” you echo quietly, gasping, sounding ruined and pathetic even to your own ears. beomgyu hadn’t even started fucking you yet and you were already fucked dumb.

“what was that, doll? didn’t hear you.” yeonjun goads, thumb slipping into your open mouth.

“breed me, please!” you cry, give in entirely— you couldn’t think, head cloudy and full of only yeonjun and beomgyu, only able to focus on how badly you wanted beomgyu to start moving, start making you feel good. “want it, want it, want your knot— fuck me!”

you can hear the sneer in beomgyu’s deep voice. “that’s a good whore.”

his hips start thrusting at a brutal pace, his flared cockhead battering your cervix like it was threatening to push through— and all you could do was take it, whimper and wail while he ruined your cunt, dizzy with the delicious drag of his veiny shaft against your walls. “such a good cocksleeve, fuck!” beomgyu spat, grip on your hips bruising. “pussy feels so fuckin’ good, so fuckin’ tight—“

you hold on to the front of yeonjun’s jeans for support, shaking with pleasure while the younger wolf fucks you stupid. “so big!” you whine, pathetic and wobbly, gazing up at yeonjun with teary eyes like he would somehow save you. “too much!”

yeonjun just chuckles and pets your hair, lets you slobber all over the bulge in his jeans as beomgyu blows your back out.

“gonna fuckin’— gonna knot you!” beomgyu babbles, hips moving impossibly faster, impossibly harder, his hard chest pressing against your back. your cunt ached with overwhelming pleasure, fat cock in your tummy making you dizzy; you loved it, loved beomgyu’s rough pace, love the way he fucked you like you were nothing but a toy. “gonna fill you up, shit, get you pregnant, fill you up with my puppies— fuck, i should bite you. make you mine forever! gonna knot you, gonna claim you… gonna cum!”

the threat of being turned struck a pang of terror through your chest, the threat far too real as beomgyu mouthed hot at your neck. the tears in your eyes were falling freely now, little body of wracking pathetic sobs— yeonjun cooed down at you, grabbed at your wet cheeks as he shushed your cries, stroked your face. “shhh, baby, it’s just his rut talking. i won’t let him do anything to you.”

you would feel more comforted if yeonjun wasn’t undoing his belt, fishing his red hot cock out of his pants. “just take it all like a good little knotslut, take what we give you… that’s a good girl, just like that~”

you take yeonjun into your throat just as you did beomgyu, with pretty flushed, hollowed cheeks and shining eyes— yeonjun groans low in his throat, hissing a quiet “fuck yeah” as he pushes himself in deeper, heavy balls slapping wet and nasty against your chin. both of your little holes are filled now, beomgyu still grunting and moaning obscenities as he pounds your puffy abused cunt; you can’t process a single thought anymore, not when yeonjun’s cock is laying heavy and salty on your tongue, not when you feel the swelling base of beomgyu’s knot catch on your rim… you were turned into the toy they saw you as. “you were made for this, weren’t you?” yeonjun sighs, tangling his fingers in your messy hair. “such a perfect little slut for me, for my pack~”

[effiecalvin]

Hi everyone, I just wanted to give an update on where I'm at on the reprint and everything. This is gonna cover a couple different things.

So, my original plan last year was to release book 7 on patreon in the same way that I released book 6, but taking my rights back from NSP threw all my plans into complete chaos. While I still don't regret it (I feel better than I have in a long time, honestly), my plan to republish the entire series in 2025 turned out to be a little too ambitious. I really wanted them back online so quickly that most people wouldn't even have time to notice they were gone. But when I sat down with TQOI for the first time in years, I realized just how many problems my publisher had missed and how much better it could be if I had an editor who actually cared about the story.

At first I was sort of resistant to this because

It would slow down my release schedule significantly

Professional editors are expensive

I didn't believe I would be able to find a professional editor who cared about my work

Luckily, I managed to find an editor who not only is already familiar with the books, but has agreed on a payment plan that will take a huge burden off me. I had talked a little bit about crowdfunding to cover costs, but I felt so guilty doing that when people have already been supporting me on patreon.

I think the reason why I initially thought I'd be able to rerelease the series all in the same year was because I was thinking about them as a series. Like, releasing ONE series instead of SIX books. Yeah. I don't know. That sounds dumb. I don't know why my brain did that.

So, where I'm at right now is we're looking at Winter 2025 for a release of TQOI. I know that's way later than any of us wanted, but TQOI was the weakest book in the series by a long shot and it needs significantly more edits than the later books. I'm hoping the release pace for the rest of the series will be much faster once we're past it. At the same time, I'm really excited about all the changes I'm making. It's going to have more chapters, more scenes, and more character development, and I hope it will just be a superior story overall. No major worldbuilding elements are going to change, it's just a lot of small details that I think will add up in the end. I did joke about giving everyone normal names, but I think it wouldn't quite feel like Inthya anymore if I did that.

I've also contacted Brenda Scott Wlazlo, who read the audiobooks, and she's agreed to read the revised versions! I know so many people love Brenda's voice, and so I was thrilled when I was able to bring her back in. I'm really hoping we can get the book and audiobook out at the same time, but there might be a slight delay simply because she can't start on the audio until the final draft of the book is finished.

As far as Patreon goes, I want to get back into giving it the attention it deserves. Like I mentioned above, I was originally planning to release book 7 on there, but I'm not sure that's a good idea while the series is out of print and Princess of Domeysil is unedited and certain elements of the continuity are in flux. So, what I'm thinking is once I've got a little more breathing room (I'm drowning in TQOI right now), I'm going to start on a novella about either Lexandrie and Svana or Lisette and The Courier Who Definitely Has A Name I Promise and release those on Patreon instead. I'm leaning towards Lisette because 1. I want to show more stuff about Courier Culture and 2. that seems to be what people want most, but I'd like to write both and maybe release them as a combo book or something.

I'm also thinking about trying to run a Discord server for Patreon supporters again. I did try one a long time ago in the past but it didn't quite work out for a couple reasons. I think I'm in a better place mentally now and, most importantly, I know how to stand up for myself against people who push my boundaries and make me feel afraid. I'm not going to promise that a sever will definitely 100% happen, but it's something I find myself thinking about a lot.

Okay, I think that's everything for now. Thank you so much for sticking with me when I've been so quiet.

EDIT: Another thing to add is I'm not sure if I want to release book 7 on Patreon. Book 6 as it is now is basically an unedited rough draft, and that's a little embarrassing for me, especially since I'm afraid of it leaking to piracy sites and people thinking it's the final version. I think it might be better to write book 7 in private while releasing novella chapters on Patreon instead.

[crehador]

brother crab's spring 2025 parting thoughts: kowloon generic romance

i'd say overall a captivating story with captivating characters, but one which to me suffers from the same imbalance your forma did. specifically, i found some elements (the mystery) far far far more compelling than others (the romance)

though a lot of the shortcomings here feel like they could be intentional given the title of the series (which doesn't necessarily make them better, to me, but could be an interesting creative choice)

the mystery of the city, of generic terra, of the hebinuma group, and of kujirai b... all very compelling to me! the theme of finding and living as your absolute self... loved it. the characters, interesting in the best of ways

the actual romance between reiko and kudou? bland. boring. generic

(which is why i say well maybe that was intentional, it is in the title and all)

the history between kudou and kujirai b was deeply fascinating to me, and i think we saw it unfold in the story in a very effective way. but the thread of the actual 'present day' romance, so to speak, was so incredibly dull to me compared to everything else that was going on. it did feel like a necessary component of the story, like a catalyst or even foundation for the rest, but every other dynamic in the series was imo stronger than this one

maybe seeing it unfold in the manga would have been a different and better experience, i'm sure a ton was cut seeing as i hear 11 volumes were packed into 13 episodes and given an anime original ending (impressive, by the way, that the anime managed to not feel super rushed to me despite all that it covered)

but as is, to me as an anime-only, the romance between reiko and kudou is far and away the weakest part of the series. nothing about their chemistry felt real or appealing, i feel we were told about the romance without actually being given a reason to be invested in it or to even find it especially believable

i did enjoy pretty much every other aspect of the show though lol

[aotopmha]

One bit of information I glimpsed in all of this clickbait hell as far as FFXIV content goes is that apparently they're bringing in completely new writer(s) for MSQ?

I have zero official sources or real details for this, but it's interesting to think about and there are a bunch elements to consider here.

For one, we have a massive already established cast and world here. Can the new writers learn to know them all and the world or is the choice to once again go for a new cast and make a more contained story?

There has been a mention of concentrating the focus on the Scions, so another option is to give a few of them to the new writers to work with and see what they are capable of as writers.

I also think if they bring in new writers I'd rather them have a trial run with some side content first? Ishikawa had Crystal Tower, Coils and the DRK questline (and some others) under her belt before she was promoted to write ShB.

Will they drop the old writers completely or just give them smaller roles?

I personally think they should stick around in some capacity.

Or at the very least, out of all of the writers, I hope Ishikawa still stays around the most; I think she's the most competent of the current writers (also ShB and EW are some of my favourite fantasy ever) and all she needs is a break and maybe new voices to bounce off of.

And I do think Hiroi is the weakest of the main three writers, though Maehiro has some massive issues as a writer, too.

It's such an interesting, but scary option because one of my personal criticisms of the story is the stagnation, as well.

I don't agree with the more extreme takes on it, but I do think it is an issue, however, with new writers, there is a chance we could get something much, much worse.

Something that doesn't understand the themes, characters or the world at all.

Yet stagnation can also really wear on a story; and if there is a writer to take a backseat, I think it's Hiroi.

Perhaps entirely new writers should've happened with Dawntrail to begin with?

Or perhaps it's good to have DT as a transition point much like StB was.

This could entirely be just a bunch of clickbait nonsense (and also claimed by a creator that seems to really like that specific kind of clickbait) and I'm inclined to believe it is considering I haven't seen anything else backing this up, but as said I think it is interesting to think about.

[hellslayersomething]

I feel like I should write out some proper thoughts about my opinions on Veilguard, or at least an outline for the much longer essay that is currently calcifying in my heart. It's a mixed bag of a reaction, and I'm not going to compliment sandwiching any of it--this is all just stream of consciousness, so I'm probably going to snag on the negative and spiral down that pretty quickly. Spoilers, obviously:

I liked the battle system. For the first time in a DA game, it actually felt satisfying to play and had its own identity. I do wish the Pokemon element aspect was a little better balanced among the companions, but overall it was great.

That said, considering the length of the game, they needed way more enemy diversity, especially with the bosses. Eventually I was just fighting dragons, and every dragon had essentially the same moveset, one of those moves being "the dragon trips over her own dick and face-plants on top of Rook", which sure doesn't make the fights feel epic. Even very unique characters, like the Gloom Howler, were just reskinned basic demons when it came time to fight them.

The decision to tie companion approval to companion levels was a mistake. A massive and extremely obvious mistake. No wonder there are no disagreements or tension among the group--the game can't let you lose affinity with your team members, because then it would have to account for you leveling them down. The gameplay design here strangled the narrative design in its crib.

Speaking of narrative design: while I appreciate that the modular approach to companion arcs was experimental, it was extremely weird of them to take that approach in the only DA game where all companions are required. The story doesn't have to be written to account for the fact that you might not recruit some of them or they might die early--so why didn't they write one story about Rook and their seven friends instead of one story about Rook and also there are seven smaller, unrelated stories of extremely varying quality shoved in next to it?

The hyperfixation on the companion quests paired with their complete compartmentalization from each other means that each companion basically has nothing going on outside of their own quest and very few opportunities to engage with other characters' quests.

I was so starved for conflict in this game that I went from Solas-neutral to Solas-positive because he was the only character who the game allowed to be a bitch to me, and I respect him for that.

I do like all the horrid little sons the game gives me. I think I would appreciate them more if there was anything bad or tense happening in the story on a personal level that required some comic relief, but I am a sucker for a funky little guy none the less, and Manfred, Assan, and Spite are the perfect trifecta of funky little guys, as far as I'm concerned.

"We're only going to do character cameos if it's important to the plot." *does what they did with Isabela* Okay, devs.

"We aren't importing player choices but we won't override your decisions either." *several codex entries overriding player decisions later* Okay, devs.

I like the companions, generally. I see their potential. Fanfic will do right by them. Harding, in my mind, is the weakest of the bunch, just truly having no personality to speak of and talking like she was written by a Boomer who thinks that Millennials are still teenagers. (Everyone responsible for her uttering the phrase "Awkward..." like she's a character in 2011 quirky girl sitcom should be tried at the fucking Hague, istg.) And while I like Bellara, it was extremely frustrating to have a character that's just "Merrill, again, but with the edges sanded off". Taash and Emmerich are also glaringly the last additions in the writing process, each belonging to one of the two most underbaked factions and neither of them being tied to any of the game's few "big choices". There's promise in this cast, but I don't think any of them came close to realizing their potential.

Davrin and Emmerich's companion quests felt appropriately scoped to the size of the questlines, had good emotionality, good antagonists, and expanded on the lore of Thedas in ways we hadn't seen yet.

Lucanis's companion quest had potential, but it was too unfocused with three antagonists, too much attention to the boring Venatori shit, and not enough examination on Illario's motives or Lucanis's relationships with either Spite or Illario.

Harding's companion quest was fine, I guess (the people are starving for dwarf lore), but Harding could have been swapped out with literally any other dwarven character who wasn't Sandal and nothing would have been different. (Also weird that the whole quest was basically about Sandal while simultaneously fully removing Sandal from the narrative.)

Bellara and Neve's companion quests were just nothing. Just a whole lot of nothing. And Neve's also suffered from what I like to call "machete editing", where it is glaring obviously where things were cut, changed, moved around, and added at the last minute.

I say, from the bottom of my non-binary heart: Taash's companion quest is total ass. Real nice of Mae to come out of hiding and risk being found and executed by the Venatori to give Taash a Queer Theory 101 class, though, I fucking guess.

Is Lucanis's romance bugged? Apparently I'm not the only one who had that thought while I was playing it, so now I'm wondering. Like, there's no way they made it Like That on purpose, right?

Why and how are the Venatori still a force in Thedas, never mind a force with numbers so great (in spite of lacking a central leader) that they were able to simultaneously occupy the two largest cities in Thedas?

They literally didn't even try with the Antaam. The Venatori are at least theoretically still working to try to restore Tevinter to its former imperial might. The Antaam are just invading countries for literally no reason except ill-defined power grabs. Given the racial coding of Qunari, this writing choice sure is...something. (And that something is racist.)

That said, the revelation that the Butcher did a military tour in Europe and fell in love with the culture and just wants to drink wine and visit art museums now is fucking hilarious.

What the absolute FUCK did they do the Crows. I like the Crow characters from Tevinter Nights/the comics, and Zevran is my favorite character in the whole damn franchise, but they completely whitewashed both TN's mafia take on them and their original portrayal in DA:O. But it also doesn't really retcon anything, making it instead seem like the human trafficking and torture and sexual abuse that Zevran suffered at the Crows' hands A) only happened to him individually, and B) are fine, actually??? Even the very few times that characters express reservations about working with Lucanis because he's an assassin, if you play as a Crow, those concerns get immediately backpedaled, so the Crows end up being so ironed out that the game doesn't even let characters say of the Crows, "Murder is bad," lest it hurt a Crow Rook's feelings. That is how conflict-averse the writing is.

So I guess everyone in southern Thedas is...dead now? Several characters survived long enough to get a mention from the Inquisitor, but by the end, it sounds like Orlais, Ferelden, and most of the Free Marches are pretty much donezo. When Epler said the events in southern Thedas didn't matter, I didn't expect that to mean they were going to nuke the damn place. Even having generally enjoyed VG (in spite of all my criticisms here) that, uh...doesn't leave me enthused about the future of the franchise, ngl.

The layoffs of several writers (and other Bioware employees) before the game's release was obviously heinous. But after that secret ending, I'm now of the mind that of the writers that remain, at least a few of them need to be demoted. Like literally what the fuck was that. That was the dumbest plot point to ever appear in a Dragon Age game, and that is a high bar to clear. If you're not going to acknowledge our past choices, then keep Loghain's name out of your fucking mouths.

[bloodfin]

Chapter 1: Your Infernal Majesty

Summary: In the Depths of the Pit, Rain receives a sacred summons that will tear him from his home and thrust him into an uncertain fate above. He grapples with the weight of tradition and loss, while Dewdrop prepares for his own transformation: a long awaited shift from water to fire. While memories of summonings past resurface, a shadowy figure stirs in the Ministry Archives and it becomes clear: something ancient is watching, and none will remain unchanged. Multi-chapter fic (not complete)

Tags: slow burn, additional tags to be added, hurt/comfort, elemental magic, elemental transition, angst

a/n: it was literally easier for me to have emergency surgery and bring a child into this world than it was for me to start posting this fic. but it's a story i want to tell, so here we are... hope you enjoy this first chapter, i've had this hiding in my drafts for well over a year at this point

Read below, or on Ao3

Bubbles stream from a young ghoul’s mouth as he speeds through the shadowy depths of the healing halls, eyes wide with urgency. He clutches a scroll in a trembling hand, sealed with gold and heavy with the weight of something far beyond him. Something sacred. Something terrifying. 

The Hall of the Depths is quiet, filled with an overwhelming scent of medicine. Clean algae, crushed coral, resin and ink. Reeds rise tall around each nest, swaying gently with the currents. Light is scarce here, swallowed by brackish water. The only glow is his own bioluminescence, reflecting off the shimmer of sleeping ghouls’ breaths. He inhales deeply and steadies himself. Searching. 

There. 

He catches a swift movement ahead, a flash of elegant deep blue, violet-dipped fins pulsating with a calming green light. He surges forward. 

“My lady,” he calls, louder than intended, voice echoing through the still. 

She turns, her graceful form curling back. “Jasper? Are you alright?” 

He can feel his whole body betraying him, skin lit with every nervous hue, flickering in time with his racing heart.

“Urgent,” he says, handing over the scroll with a bow of his head. “From the Prince Himself.” 

She examines it carefully, gills flaring for heartbeat when she examines the golden seal. Despite settling back into calm neutrality, Jasper feels the tension bloom in her silence like blood in water. She turns it again, small flickers of yellow present in the webbing between her fingers. 

“For me?” she finally asks quietly. 

“No,” he murmurs, avoiding her gaze. “It’s for Rain.” 

She hums, and turns towards the two younger ghoulettes that had been working beside her. 

“Tend the patients,” she says quietly, “and don't hesitate to let me know if you need anything.” 

She stills for a moment, recentering herself as she clutches the warm scroll. 

“Let us make haste. He should be in the upper hall.” 

Jasper nods, unable to keep his glowing skin from betraying the swirl of emotions he carries; duty, confusion, and dread. He follows close beside her, their tails slicing silently through the water as they leave the Hall of the Depths behind. That place, sacred and heavy with sorrow, is where the weakest were nurtured back from the brink. He always admired the ghouls that worked there.

As they swim upward through the ascending tunnels, Jasper can’t help but glance at her. She moves with purpose, but her silence speaks louder than words. He can see it in the subtle twitch of her fin, the ever-so-slight tremble of her gill slits. The seal had rattled her, and that scares him more than anything. .

      ⋆⁺‧₊☽◯☾₊‧⁺⋆

Rain always possessed a deep calm, similar to his mother. But rather than working towards long term, more palliative care, he performed exceptionally in the emergency hall. Quick-witted and sure of his own skill, he has seen a plethora of ill and injured ghouls in the hundreds of years he has practiced alongside the members of his clan. 

He nearly barrels into his mother and her page, having darted out at the first opportunity when he felt the brief wave of her distress. 

“Mama? Are you well?” Rain’s voice is soft and calm, but Jasper can see the way his shoulders tighten, how his fingers twitch at his sides, bracing for bad news. 

She smiles faintly and reaches out to brush her thumb across his cheek. Jasper observes the color shift below his skin, the telltale flicker of yellow - nervousness - tightly coiled and barely hidden. But if fades with her touch, grounding, as it always has been. 

“There is to be a summoning,” she states plainly. 

“I see,” Rain hums. He tilts his head slightly, processing. Always assessing, always calm. 

“For someone in the clan?” He studies her face and searches her eyes and she hates the flash of fear she sees in his. Her silence speaks volumes. 

“For you, then?” 

She shakes her head and presses the elegant scroll into his palm with quiet reverence.  

“For you,” she whispers. 

Rain stares at the scroll in his hands, heavy despite the fine parchment. His name isn’t marked on the outside but it feels like it had been written for him long before now. He turns it over once, then once again. The seal shimmers with Infernal gold, the Prince’s signature mark pulsating gently. 

“Is it Infernal magic, or are my hands just that cold,” Rain says softly, more to himself than anyone else. It feels warm against his skin, a magic that is old and sure. Final, in a way. 

She doesn’t answer, doesn’t need to. Rain feels the current shift in the water around her. She watches him, heart breaking quietly behind her calm exterior. He finds a moss-covered rock and perches there, like he had so many times as a child. It grounds him, makes him feel small in a comforting way. 

“Perhaps there's a mistake?” 

“He doesn't make mistakes, my child.” 

He knows she’s right, she always is. With an exhale that was probably more forceful than necessary he slowly, reverently peels back the seal. 

He unfurls the parchment and begins to read aloud. 

Corentin Tempestas of the Great Salt River Clan, 

Rain blinks. No one ever uses his full name. The formality is chilling, and he finds himself swallowing hard before continuing.

Your presence is required on the surface, for the grand Ghost project. One trunk will be sent after your arrival, through a separate portal. Consider one set of ceremonial clothing. 

Summoning will take place after moonrise tomorrow. 

A drop of blood pressed with your thumbprint will bind you to this contract. 

Your Infernal Majesty, 

L 

Rain shakes his head a few times, reading and reading again, processing. The words are heavier than reef stones, immoveable, undeniable. 

He’s caught somewhere between defiance and disbelief. “Isn't summoning supposed to be a request?” 

“Typically,” his mother agrees, scanning over the document. “But this is different. He’s not asking, Rain. He’s calling.” 

Rain’s jaw tightens and he shakes his head, trying to cast the weight of the words off of it. 

“But I am needed here. This is where I belong. I save people, I don’t -” His voice cracks, which startles him. He recenters with a deep breath. “What do they even want from me up there? To play in a band?” 

His mother sighs and places a hand on his shoulder, and it's then that he realizes his gills are flaring. He's sure his face is bright yellow. 

“If He is calling you directly, there is a purpose. One only you can serve.”

“Signed it ‘L' too,” Rain grumbles, stopping mid eyeroll after catching his mother's quirked brow. “Sorry, mama, I just don’t understand.” 

“You don’t have to. Not yet.” Her hand still rests on his shoulder and she squeezes at him in a way that has always been reassuring. “The path will reveal itself to those that walk it.” 

Rain thinks of the other summoned ghouls, the haunted looks they return with. There is fire in their eyes. Pride. A clear cost that weighs on their shoulders upon their return. He’s not met anyone that has come back from this ‘Ghost project,’ and that only serves to heighten his anxiety. 

But perhaps that is his purpose, to aid the suffering on the other side. Summoning is not easy, and neither is returning. 

Rain lets out a breath, long and low. Then, without ceremony, he brings his thumb to his lips, draws blood with a sharp fang, and presses it to the parchment. 

It hisses and the seal flares once - the summons is complete. 

“This is a great honor, sweet sprat. I know you will make your clan proud.” 

Rain smiles as best he can and squeezes at his mother's hand. He knows she'll sit with him as he packs, probably slip a few extra trinkets into his trunk after he leaves. 

Leaves.

He's hardly even been on the dry land of the Pits, let alone ever considered going beyond. He thought he'd follow the path of his clan, remaining in the Halls of Healing until he was needed elsewhere. 

And he supposes he has done exactly that. 

He just never imagined that the call would come so soon. 

⋆⁺‧₊☽◯☾₊‧⁺⋆

Mountain leans on the doorframe of Dewdrop's room, watching him flit about to pack away his various belongings. He's only going across the hall, but the boxes will surely make the change easier. Fewer trips and all. His arms are crossed but there is no judgment in his stance, only quiet observation tinged with sadness. 

Dew is everywhere all at once, fluttering from a trunk to a shelf to a pile of clothes and back again. A ribbon of nervous energy trails behind him despite his grin. His tail flicks in nervous bursts, betraying the thrum of adrenaline in his bloodstream. 

“Sure about this, then?” Mountain’s voice is low, rough around the edges with worry. 

Dew pauses his frantic movements, an old hoodie in his hands, and looks up. His sky-blue eyes meet Mountain’s dark green, and for a moment the room seems to still. 

“‘Course Mounty, never been so sure.” His voice is quiet, more deliberate. He sits on the edge of his nest, rubbing the old worn fabric like it will give him the words he needs.His voice always makes Mountain smile, he doesn't have the two-toned metallic thrum that the other water ghouls do. Just one scratchy tenor that makes his heart thump a bit harder. “I just don’t know how to explain it.” 

“You don't have to,” he rumbles, stepping further inside and filling the whole door frame. “Not to me.” 

Dew looks down at the short webs between his fingers. “Does the Earth talk to you?” 

Mountain nods, of course it does. The Earth is his lifeblood, his lullaby. It whispers through roots and rock, through ancient rivers carved in stone. He sings back to it, day in, day out, ancient magic flowing deep in his veins. He doesn’t have to listen for it. It’s simply part of him. 

“The water doesn't talk to me,” Dew confesses, his voice steady but with a raw edge. “Not really. Not the way it talks to the others. I get echoes, now and then, when the moon’s full. But that’s it. She’s never felt like home.”

Mountain makes a low sound in his throat, understanding if not quite empathy. He can never claim to know the ache of that silence, but can honor it. 

“And fire does?” 

Dew’s face brightens with something deep and his tail swishes behind him with excitement rather than nerves. 

“Yes,” Dew smiles, big and broad. “I can't wait to feel it in my fingertips. I watched Ifrit and Alpha for hours, practicing, channeling all that passion. Not just into the guitar, but into the Ministry. Keeping hearths warm, leading. It speaks to me in a way the water never did. There is purpose in fire, it makes me feel… seen.” 

Mountain tilts his head slightly and his voice, though gruff, holds a softness that only Dewdrop can ever draw out of him. 

“As long as you're sure, waterlily.” He pauses, then smiles gently. “Or maybe firelily, now.”

Dew’s tail wags at that, his laugh bubbling out of him like a burst of air during a deep dive. 

“I've never been more sure of anything. This is it. This is who I'm meant to be.” 

Mountain hesitates, scratches at the back of his neck. “Wha'd'ya think is gonna happen to… her?” 

Dew raises his eyebrow. 

“You seriously asking about my tentacle at a time like this?” 

Mountain flushes an earthy green, the mossy color spreading quickly across his cheeks and nose. He opens his mouth to stumble through an apology but stops when Dew’s warm laughter fills the room again. 

“I'm just fuckin' with ya big guy,” he grind. “I honestly don't know. We can all shift, so I've been hoping since I started with her, I get to keep her. I'm really gonna miss her if I don't.” 

Mountain nods, still feeling sheepish. “We could ask Delta, if you want.” 

Dew stands then, crosses his room to wrap his arms around Mountain's waist, pulling himself close until he can rest his cheek against his chest. 

“Rather not. They've got real Haunting of Hill House vibes, you know?” 

Mountain laughs, a deep echoing thing, and holds Dew tighter. He knows exactly what he means. 

Everyone knew Delta was strange, still water deep and dark. He moves through the Ministry like a shadow, always where he wasn’t expected and somehow never where he should be. His voice was quiet, but carried, and no one could remember exactly what his face looked like after they looked away.

“Once,” Mountain rumbled, “I saw them whisper to a stone wall that leads to the catacombs. It started bleeding.”

Dew blinked, then shuddered. “Exactly. I’m not asking them about my tentacle.”

“Besides,” he continues, nuzzling in close, “what could possibly go wrong?” 

The memory of exactly that possibility drifts between them like a slow-moving current, unspoken but vivid. 

The Air summoning. 

It was supposed to be routing; ceremonial, calculated, precise. The Circle has been drawn in silver dust and bone ink, ancient sigils and lines humming with purpose: to summon one air ghoul. One. 

But the veil between realms had a sense of humor. 

The portal shimmered like a mirror cracking underwater, refracting reality. Wind howled through the stillness of the summoning chamber, bringing with it the scent of ozone and something far older, storm slick stone, high peaks, and lightning that had never touched the ground. 

Two ghouls stepped through. 

Not one. 

Two. 

The first was intended: a willowy ghoulette with eyes like pale grey clouds and short hair that drifted upwards like she had never even heard of gravity. She blinked, startled, but still poised. Confused, but composed. 

Her hand was wrapped around that of another ghoulette, this one with eyes like a storm and fluffy, curly hair that seemed to float like a cloud. She was shorter, stockier, and looked more afraid than the ghoulette that came through first. 

It caused a bit of a fuss, really, this second figure coming through. There was an urgent need for more: another blanket, a mask, more hands outstretched in comfort, endless voices offering explanations while others searched for answers. 

So much chaos, in fact, that no one noticed when a third came through. No one saw the smoke. To be fair, at first, it was just a tendril. Then a slow, spiraling column that spun in silence at the edge of the open gate. It twisted like it was looking, learning, remembering. Before anyone knew what was happening it compressed, sharply, folding in on itself like a breath being held. 

And from that breath, he formed. 

A figure, tall and lean, wrapped in a glamour so fine it might as well have been his skin. Dark hair bundled at the top of his head, windblown ever so slightly. His eyes were like the eye of a storm, calm only because of the chaos they held in the center. 

He stepped forward casually, his glamour finishing its subtle shimmer as his bare feet touched the edge of the circle. No one had seen him until he spoke. 

“A mated pair huh?” 

Every head turned. 

A beat of silence, and then absolute chaos. 

There were shouts, gasps. Someone dropped the mask they had found for the extra ghoulette and it dented when it hit the ground. One Sister screamed. And the Cardinal, who had been so steady throughout the initial mess, met the ground with a quiet thud when he passed out in a mostly dignified way. 

The ghoul at the center of it all ginned, showing off his perfect row of sharp, gleaming teeth. Nothing hostile, just knowing. Like he understood something no one else in the room had realized. 

“Good luck with that,” he muttered, and then turned like he was already bored. 

That had been about two weeks ago, and Dew couldn’t remember now without laughing. 

Dew chuffs at the memory and affectionately headbutts Mountain's chest. 

“You just like his shiny teeth.” 

“Yeah,” Mountain says fondly, and Dew can practically hear the hearts in his eyes. 

“Freak.” 

Mountain laughs and leans back in Dew's arms, taking in his water features for the last time. The clarity of his horns, his wide sky-blue eyes, the pretty green freckles and stripes that decorate his blue-grey skin. Dew comes from the shallows, with shorter webbing between his fingers and toes. More land-like adaptations, due to the proximity. 

He's certain Dew will look just as striking once fire takes hold, if not more so with all the confidence he is sure to find in his new element.

“C'mon firelily, Aether should be about ready with the movie.”

Dew purrs and lets himself be pulled out of his room and down the hall, anxiety kept at bay by rising anticipation. 

Tomorrow will be the start of the rest of his life. 

So, what could possibly go wrong?

⋆⁺‧₊☽◯☾₊‧⁺⋆

As the soft sounds of laughter echo down the hallway, a long shadow slinks back into a darker wing of the Ministry. Delta watches them go, unreadable eyes gleaming faintly in the gloom.

They don't sigh, or smile, or even blink, just turn, the beads and chains woven into their robes whispering with their movement. With quiet steps, they slip down a hidden corridor few even know exists anymore.

The Ministry Archives are not closed, exactly, but few bother to visit the deepest stacks where the oldest scrolls are kept in locked drawers, sealed with wax and cursed glyphs. Delta moves with familiarity, not needing light, their fingers brushing across labels written in a dozen dead languages. They find the drawer they want without hesitation.

Inside is a single folder, its contents humming faintly with trapped magic.

He removes a page. Faded, water-stained, but the name still shines faintly under enchantment:

Corentin Tempestas.

Delta’s scarred gills flutter once. Not with surprise, but anticipation.

They fold the paper with reverent care, then open a narrow cabinet hidden in the stone. Inside sit dozens of files. Some are marked with a red sigil. Others are burned around the edges. He files Rain’s under a new section: ACTIVE.

A whisper echoes through the corridor. The same word, over and over:

"convergence."

Delta smiles, just barely. The glamour flickers on his form for a second, revealing something far less aquatic, far more skeletal beneath.

Then it’s gone.

They close the cabinet, seal it with a murmur only the stones understand, and walk back into the halls above.

[battaliascp]

Beef's Review of OFF Steam/Fangamer Rerelease Demo

It's... alright.

I'll be honest, looking at it as if I'd never played the original, this demo would not have hooked me effectively enough to make me buy the full game. Maybe because Zone 1 is the weakest in terms of lore, but not only that; here's a list of things the rerelease changed that don't really sit right with me:

The original, having been built in RPGMaker, is incredibly faithful to its pixel art style. Rerelease has elements that use subpixels, and a lot of stuff gliding across the screen while other elements still bounce between pixels. This is just poor pixel RPG developing imo

The directional audio room puzzle completely loses its mystery thanks to the introduction of a volume bar on the side that appears in that room only. Accessibility win but it should be behind an accessibility setting, not there to spoil the puzzle for the bulk of players

In general the updated sounds are fine, the new selection sound is a bit grating but by far the worst change is Dedan's voice clip. It sounds like a bug chittering, not the angry yell of the original. It's totally inconsistent with his dialogue. Number one thing that needs fixing imo

There's certain elements like footstep effects that make the game feel... more corporate and less indie. Some things are far too polished compared to the basic style of the overworld. I like the new teleportation effect and the 'flowers' on the world map opening, but that's about it.

The equivalent of Rainy Day (and meat) has the meat sounds but they are barely audible. The two tracks that play in this area still start from the beginning every time they are switched between, but with the general polish of this version and the fact that you can barely hear the meat, it feels more like a glitch where the music restarts every time you board a pedalo instead of the sound of the meat coming in

You know how the original's battle screen has a slightly darker colour on the pattern where the text box usually goes? This has that too but it ISN'T where the text box goes. Wtf my guy

Continuing with battles, I don't hate the new battle theme but it feels way too happy and upbeat for what you're doing. The reason Peper Steak is perfect is because it has a ghostly vibe and is somewhat offputting, not a jazzy beat to vibe out to while you slaughter ghosts and people

Of course I have to mention the music overall. I want to stress that I don't find it bad whatsoever, I just find it... completely forgettable. I can't remember the melody of a single track from my run. It didn't stick with me the way the original did, or in the way many peak RPGs do (see: Undertale, Pokémon, etc.). This is personally the number one thing that would have turned me off as a first time player as opposed to the original, because at least the original gave me something to look up and listen to which in turn kept me thinking about the game; with this rerelease it's like I finished the demo and now I'm done, I'll never think about it again and it would have left no impact on me. I do, however, very much enjoy the new Dedan theme, though it's got nothing on Fake Orchestra, it is basically just Papyrus battle theme mixed with Making Christmas and it just plain slaps somehow lmao. Sorry if you can't unhear that now

My verdict: play the original. If you're a veteran, play the demo out of sheer curiosity but go into it expecting mid.

It's a fascinating story of game design, that's for sure. As a part of this industry I'm inclined to play the full game just to see what they do with it. Can't say I'll be supporting it monetarily however, at least not until I can say it's a bit better than plain mid somehow.

[miraculouslbcnreactions]

Idk if you already discussed this but how do you feel about Adrinette being canon when there wasn‘t a reveal yet? Because I think the show just took all the exciting aspects of the love square away by making one side canon and the others strictly platonic.

Sure, they‘re cute and whatnot, but I don‘t think they‘re exactly interesting without the identity shenanigans and stuff? Especially because (to me at least) Adrinette always felt like the weakest side. It‘s a school crush romcom type of love, which is great and all, but like…. You have superheroes in your show?? Hello??? Why not combine the two elements more effectively???The others are either badass superhero couple (I loved the Ladynoir dynamic in the movie for example) or one superhero hangs out with the civilian and they bond. That‘s literally all of fanon Marichat, and I personally think it works with Ladrien too. There‘s different aspects of those relationships that can be explored and create problems that they have to overcome (like the power imbalance with the civilian x hero ships, how do you handle that while dating?)

I wish the writers would use the square more effectively

I'm not against pre-reveal dating, but I agree that Adrienette is the worst side to chose from a story telling perspective because - as you so rightly pointed out - it's arguably the side with the least identity shenanigans and the side that has the least ties to the superhero stuff that's supposed to be the show's main focus. Adrienette is the side you chose if you're focusing on civilian drama which, to be fair, was season five's main focus even though Gabriel had stolen the miraculous and we were all expecting that complication to be the focus of the season five plot.

Instead the focus was "will Marinette ever have the courage to say a kind word to Adrien's face instead of just telling others how much she loves him even though she knows that he explicitly returns her feelings, making this plot kind painful on every level" which was... a choice.... Five seasons and we're still doing this shit? Really?

This may mean that the writer's plan in season six is to continue to focus on civilian drama or it could mean that they didn't think further than season five and we're about to get a lot of awkward writing. Who knows? I have no idea how they're going to handle civilian dating plus secret identities for long since the writers chose the only side of the square where running off to fight akumas isn't a given thing that the couple-in-question knows will happen. My best guess is that the writers will probably just avoid putting Adrienette in the type of situations Adrigami and Lukanette were put in, I guess?

No matter how they handle it, I don't expect major identity shenanigans because the show has never done much with identity shenanigans probably because quality identity shenanigans require you to be able to draw out plots over multiple episodes and then resolve those plots. This show cannot have that kind of plot progression given it's formulaic nature and the "there must always be a secret between Adrien and Marinette" rule, thus the identity shenanigans being so limited.

This means that the side best suited to the show's writing is probably Ladynoir. Still room for the minor identity shenanigans that the show limits itself to, baked-in-yet-low-stakes tension from having to keep the relationship a complete secret, and a much more logical result of the writing in the first four seasons. While Adrien is far from perfect and has issues to rival Marinette's, his crush always felt like the stronger one given that he actually spent time with Ladybug and had a true relationship with her.

Marinette, on the other hand, barely talked to Adrien because the show literally has a rule that she can never successfully confess her crush, so they needed to keep her and Adrien from becoming close to make those continued failed confessions somewhat plausible. Given all that, it's hard for me to buy that Adrien's crush flipped to this girl that he barely knows. Meanwhile Ladybug's crush flipping had a pretty strong setup given that Chat Noir has been her loyal support in her darkest hours.

But that's not what they went with! Instead of having the secret be the low-stakes identities secret, the secret between them is, "Your father was a super villain whose minions killed you on multiple occasions and whose death you were arguably involved with. While were on the topic of your messed up family, you're an artificial being whose creation killed you mother. Oh, and we're also hero partners, which feels like a minor thing compared to all of that, but we might as well mention that, too."

...choice were made folks. Choices were made. This is so not how you write a formula show! You never go this serious!

Since you mentioned the Civilian/hero pairings, let's talk about those both to end on a lighter note and because that's where my personal favorite lies as I am here for identity shenanigans. That's right, folks, I am once again here to sell you on my Ladrien supremacy agenda.

While I have nothing against Marichat, it is not a good fit for canon. It's simply too limiting because Marinette is not a celebrity. There's a reason that of Marinette's canon hangouts with Chat Noir (and almost all Marichat fics) start on her balcony. That's really the only place they can meet up without drawing attention, which should be a major concern for them.

I physically cringed when the show had them go to the movies and on an ice cream date because Chat Noir was being so irresponsible! He cannot be shown to have a close relationship with a civilian, which is the excuse he should have given at the end Elation since that the episode included Gabriel discovering their relationship. The excuse Chat Noir actually gave feels pretty dismissive of his canon relationship with Marinette. She has canonically spent more time talking to Chat Noir then she's spent talking to Adrien and the same actually goes for the amount of time Ladynoir spends talking about non-hero things, so this feels off:

Cat Noir: I’m sorry about what happened, Marinette. You’re right, you have the right to love anyone you want. Even a superhero. But it’s easy for a person to mistake idolization of a superhero for love. So, even if I like this person very much, I could be taking advantage of the situation, and I just can’t do that. It would be wrong.

Evil Illustrator, their heartfelt talk in Glaciator, the movie date in Glaciator 2, and a bunch of other little moments add up to somehow make Marichat the deepest side of the square, which is painfully bad writing given how little screen time this side gets, but it's still what canon gave us. Marinette is not just a fan who only knows him from a distance. They are friends and even occasional teammates. The only reason this pairing doesn't work in canon is because there's nowhere for the relationship to go until a partial or total reveal happens.

Prior to that, it's just these two hanging out on her balcony or maybe going on secret dates around the city. Cute, but not suited to a silly superhero romcom aimed at kids where every story needs to be told in about 20 minutes. It's best left to long form fan content that is allowed to be more about drama and romance than the actual show and also a little more spicy than the actual show because - let's be real here - those rooftop dates would not just be talking. I don't know how you'd write this pairing in a way that's both genuine and well suited to the intended audience. It's simply way more suited to a teen drama than a kid's show.

Ladrien, on the other hand, could work if canon wanted to go there. I don't think it would be a good fit for more than a season*, so Ladynoir is still the better pick for canon's format, but Ladrien could be a nice bit of pre-reveal padding to draw out the reveal and add some fun comedy if the show were allowed to have a reveal.

Because Ladybug and Adrien are both celebrities, you can have them interact in diverse settings without anyone thinking twice. This allows for a good amount of hijinks where Ladybug is trying to protect her boyfriend at public events without revealing their relationship while Adrien is trying to get her to let him run off and transform.

You can also do things like the public seeing them together, thinking they're a couple, and having them both deny it because they aren't, leading to Ladynoir comedy where Ladybug cries because she wishes they were and Chat Noir is like, "Wait, what? You what? ...My Lady, as your loyal partner who is here to support you in all things, I will get you your man even if it kills me!" The thinking-they're-a-couple thing could also be solved via Ladynoir by Ladynoir going public while Adrien remains "single". There's just a lot of potential for the show's style of absurdist humor here.

*Ladrien does eventually fall into the same issues as Marichat where it feels like the reveal needs to happen otherwise you're just repeating the same plots or going too spicy for a kids show via bedroom-based meetups, thus me saying that it's only good for about a season. There's also the problem that Akuma fights and supervillains are endless fodder for Ladynoir issues, but the only issue Ladrien could possibly address is Gabriel and Marichat's got nothing save for maybe Lila? So if you don't want to let a reveal happen, Ladynoir really is the best pick by far. Adrienette can work, but it's way less fun since they have to keep all these secrets while Ladynoir really only has one major secret or, at least, Ladynoir should only have one major secret (the identities). Canon has really dropped the ball on this one.

Now that I've written all this out, maybe the spicy issue is why canon went Adrienette? It's a lot easier to limit their alone time than it is to limit the alone time of any other side. I maintain that you could get away with it in pre-reveal Ladynoir by just ignoring the issue and giving them things to fight any time they try to have a date. You could also end episodes on them starting their date, leaving everything to the imagination but also keeping the setting relatively public (rooftops and the like) unlike the civilian/hero sides whose dates are going to be way more private. I fully understand why a show aimed at 5-to-12-year-olds wouldn't want to go there. That is far more suited to the teen drama Miraculous so desperately wants to be based on the ill-suited plots the writers keep going with.

[pasta-pardner]

Reading Roundup: "Partners"

Written by Robert Wayne, 1987. Read January 2025.

Hey y'all! My goal for the year is to read more often, so I think I'm gonna start posting book reviews in addition to the other fannish stuff on my blog. My review for this novel is under the cut!

I picked up this novel while on a trip with my husband in Tombstone, Arizona. I haven't seen much info about it online yet, probably because it's a few decades old and it appears to be self and/or indie published.

Apparently, the author of "Partners" cowboyed professionally for years, and his main goal with the novel was to tell an authentic story in a contemporary western setting that resonated with his own experience. Wayne lists his work as a combination adventure and romance novel, but I would argue that the romance elements were very back-seat. I'm willing to bet that far more pages were devoted to the bounty hunt plot and the platonic friendship dynamic than any of the romances.

I read the first edition from 1987 (not the newer edition from 2005). This version of "Partners" came with a sticker referencing old western bootleg laws. Neat! I feel lucky to have found a copy, seeing as I doubt this book ever got widespread release-- and I don't live in the west.

Anyways ! Here are my thoughts on Mr. Wanye's novel:

Firstly, the easy-going chemistry between the two leads is definitely the soul of this novel. I really, really enjoyed RC and Curtis-- in pretty much all of the strange situations they got caught up in.

The novel's prose is pretty good too. This may be a strangely specific compliment to give, but I think "Partners" is at its strongest when it comes to describing old people. Scenes at the nursing home and at the grandparents house were incredibly vivid. Every elderly character in this novel pops off the page like a real flesh-and-blood person.

The descriptions of the natural landscapes and the horse care & tack procedures were also quite vivid, but sometimes to the point of feeling a bit formulaic. As much as I love detailed descriptions of locations, sometimes just listing the species of shubbery felt too face-value.

But the weakest part of this novel is definitely the plot. It feels kind of aimless and meandering, like a strange amalgamation of western subgenres thrown together. It's hard to explain, but this feels like a story that was written without an outline. I figure the author sat down at a typewriter, week after week, writing the chapters piecemeal-- without an overarching idea of why or how they were going where they were going.

Lots of elements (like RC's dad, wanda, the fixed up shack, gold panning, etc) have almost zero payoff by the end of the book. Removing these characters/locations wouldn't affect the plot in the much, so they end up feeling extraneous. The chapters are fun to read while they're happening, but the big-picture plot certainly could've been stronger. Though I was invested in the characters and the prose regardless of what was happening, everything outside of the bounty hunt plotline felt like an episodic event with not much of a resolution.

Tldr; character-driven, likeable leads, multiple sections with colorful prose... but a meandering, low-payoff plot. I definitely recommend "Partners" if you'd like to read some cowboy slice-of-life, though.

[reelvibes91]

Ironheart: Beating Expectations!

Ironheart definitely took a while to release. This show has been talked about for multiple years. Now we finally have it. It can't be billed as the anticpated follow-up to her appearance in Wakanda Forever. That's no shade being thrown on the show. It's just a project that most people thought they could live without. Now, here we are, and it is honestly one of the better shows in Marvel's catalog as of recent.

One key component as to why is Dominique Thorne as Riri Williams. Riri is written to be the exact opposite of Tony Stark. Intellectually on the same level but without the resources and associations to help make her journey as easy as his. We see that here. She is expelled and sent home because she was selling work to others and doing it for them. Her level of intellect is almost unmatched, but her choices are what get her in trouble.

Add in Parker Robbins and his crew and they begin to mix tech with the supernatural. Slow building The Hood and the story behind that was a genius move. Parker himself targetting the rich elites hiding their shadiness is also a way to initially ground the character. Anthony Ramos is a very good actor. He is becoming a face that always gives you something to look forward to. His parts in any project are usually well done.

Ironheart shows us that sometimes, all you need is a story. Marvel has just been moving a needle from point a to point b lately and thinking that will make something land with audiences. Let's show the audiences big-time heroes they enjoy, and that's enough. Lately, it has not been. It has created very lackluster stories with zero substance. It's crazy to me that Ironheart has more soul and substance than some shows based on their most popular heroes.

It's not designed to simply recapture the days of Iron Man. It's designed to be its own part of the MCU and it is doing just that. The occult and supernatural elements have been the shows biggest way to do something different. For me honestly I have not had much exposure to Riri Williams. Outside of Wakanda, forever, of course. She was one of the weakest parts of that movie.

This series so far is making me a fan of Riri Williams. Her world and the people in it feel real. Her loss and her emotional reactions to it feel real. Marvel lately has been attaching real feelings and more realistic reactions to these scenarios. Here we have already seen it multiple times. Riri's initial reaction to the Natalie AI. Her reaction when they went back to Gary's Garage for the first time. The biggest one thus far was at the end of Episode 3 when she made several critical errors. We can see how that immediately had a very overwhelming emotional response and it was well acted.

So far, I would call this show a solid success. Of course, we still have to see how all of the elements combine and the ending shapes up. However, if they keep it simple and don't try and throw in too many twists, it should end well. Hopefully, this is the first of many amazing comic book properties brought to life this summer.

[mahou-furbies]

Closing thoughts on Heartcatch Precure! Movie: Hana no Miyako de Fashion Show… desu ka!?

The first mahou thing of the year is the Heartcatch movie. Not a particularly good one but not the worst out of the Precure movies. The movie exclusive kid character was not awful and the antagonist side had an ok story, but surprisingly the Cures were the weakest element overall. The whole thing felt like the antagonists were having their own drama and the Precure side was a tacked on afterthought, and Tsubomi was super out of character as far as I'm concerned.

Cure Ange had practically no presence, but to compensate there was also this sudden shot of other past Heartcatch Cures which I can appreciate.

Final takeaway was that this had some good shots and scenes but by tomorrow I've probably forgotten all about the plot.

[danganronpasurvivoraskblog]

Dangancember 2024 - Danganronpa Top 24 Class Trials - Number 12: Danganronpa Another 2 Case 6

//Aw fuck, I have to talk about ANOTHER ending so quickly!?

//That was not a pun by the way.

//Alright well, let me just make a few things clear before we get into it.

//If you've been following my content for a while now, and heard my personal takes on the Another series, as well as if you happened to see the ranking I did on all the games featured on the blog, you would know that of the main installments (Danganronpa 1, 2, V3, Ultra Despair Girls, Another, and Another 2) you would remember that Another 2 is my LEAST favourite installment of this group.

//And I think you could've gleaned as much from the fact that two of its trials didn't manage to make the list. The only other game that had more than 1 trial in the honorable mentions was DR1, but that's mainly because Case 1 is just a tutorial, and Case 5 was a quickly scrapped together trial that only existed for plot reasons to set up the finale.

//The cases in Another 2 that are bad are GENUINELY bad, and yeah, I know we haven't seen it on the list for a short while now but still, I generally have a much more negative opinion of this game's mystery elements and trials than I do any of the others.

//But now we're talking about the ending; the place where everything infamously culminates in ways that, at best, end up being controversial among audiences, and I'm sure many of you thought that I would have a LOT to say about it.

//So what did I think of the way this admittedly fun, but messy game reached a conclusion?

//Well...I mean...

//I liked it?

//It's...It's okay, actually. It's definitely not BAD, and there's a lot to like about it.

//(Strap in, this is a long one.)

//Largely the reason why I think I like the final trial of Another 2 is because the way it shows the whole plot, why the Killing Game is actually happening, and what Mikado's goal was all along...is REALLY INTERESTING!

//As I've said before, while I generally do prefer Another 1 to this game, my biggest issue with that game's plot is that the finale and general story felt not too far removed from the twists and turns of Game's 1 and 2. But this whole concept shows just how different Another 2's storyline was, and why it still deserves to be recognized, even if it doesn't exactly reach the series highs in my opinion.

//Again, I need to reinforce that Another 2 is a GOOD GAME. And I enjoyed playing it. It's just the weakest of the 5 games that are on this list in my opinion.

//I'm not gonna pretend there aren't some very obvious similarities, such as the setting in an island-based virtual world, all being for the sake of the stoic one with the super powerful talent, as a means of the mastermind uploading her body into somebody or some people, as well as the fact that the protag (Sora/Hajime) facing their other half (Akane/Izuru)

//I think it's different enough that it's acceptable though. And that's about all I can say on it.

//Although, to be perfectly frank, if there's something that I can give A2-6 a lot of credit on, it's the fact that it manages to avoid falling into MOST of the tropes that really knock the final trials of each game down by several points.

//As I've said before, what ultimately decides my issues and opinions with the final trials can largely be narrowed down to four things:

The sheer length.

The fact that most of them are plot-dumps.

The anime-esque over-the-top way the villains are defeated.

The massive spike/fluctuations in difficulty.

//To start with, A2-6 is long. It's not as bullshit long as Case 3 of this game, but it's the final trial, so like I said, it's pretty lengthy. I haven't timed it, so I don't know if it's as long as V3-3, but to be frank, it certainly felt like it with how much dialogue there was in this game.

//And as you already know, V3-3's length was one of the major contributing factors as to why it was second-to-last place on this ranking, not including the HM's.

//But there is a difference.

//The problem with A2-3 and V3-6 is that despite their sheer length, they barely do anything MEANINGFUL with the time that they inevitably end up wasting.

//And again, that's still an issue with this trial, which is why it's not THAT high of the list, but compared to THOSE TWO? It's FAR less of one. All the moments of this trial for me were engaging, and piecing together the grand plot of this game was entertaining for me.

//Really, the only thing that made this trial kind of drag more than the average final trial would do was...fucking Iroha being an egotistical little brat.

//I swear to God, I hate Hiro, and even HE wasn't this obnoxious in Trial 6 of DR1! He was in Trial 5, but that didn't make the list, and he's ANOTHER reason why it didn't, so fuck him anyway.

//The whole stuff about the case being a plot-dump isn't as much of an issue either, because unlike how it was in DR2 and V3 especially, a lot of the key mysteries behind what's going on were discovered in Chapters 4 and 5, largely thanks to Nikei and Teruya's interferance.

//A lot of this trial is not necessarily about the "WHAT is happening," but more about the "WHY is this happening," which was one of my biggest pro's for 1-6 and the way it balanced those. But even then, 1-6 still felt like way more of a plot dump because clues are found that were never even a factor before, and I feel like A2 doesn't do that nearly as much, even if it is still guilty of it.

//And the anime-esque bullshit is fairly tame as well. It's still there, but compare this to the ending of DR2 and DRV3, where Hajime and Shuichi literally win their war by screaming bloody murder at their respective enemies.

//Sora doesn't really need to do that, and is relatively calm after overcoming her Heroic BSoD. And of course she is. She's the one in control after awakening to the power of Divine Luck.

//She has no reason to fear Mikado, because of one key difference between her final frontier, and the other protags: If you really think about it, Makoto, Hajime, and Shuichi literally won their wars in the end through the power of persistance and belief alone.

//If Junko had decided not to play by the rules like a good sport, there was genuinely nothing Makoto and co. could have done if Junko went back on her word after everyone voted her out. The only way this was clever in Makoto's place is how me managed to take advantage of Junko's nature of fairness and balance with Hope against Despair, and her willingness to accept the conclusion as it happened. If Junko hadn't been so high on the idea of facing Despair, there was NOTHING he could've done to TOUCH her. She still had ALL the power in her final moments.

//Same goes for Junko in the second game, because I swear, the literal only reason the Remnants and the Future Foundation beat her is because of Chiaki's timely appearance, that only Hajime experienced, as well as the fact that he oh so randomly happened to take control of the program from her. And I don't think it's ever really fully explained.

//And Shuichi...well, we already talked about it, but as cool as HE is, his situation is easily the most stupid and unrealistic. We've discussed this at length already.

//What I love about the way Sora defeats Mikado and ruins his plan in the end, as sudden as one could argue it is, is the fact that even though she HAS the power of Divine Luck, and DOES use it against him in the end, she doesn't RELY on it for her victory. In fact, the only way she really makes use of it is to one: Wake everyone up from stasis, and two: help Syobai get the password right.

//Even then, she says afterwards that it was Syobai's own luck that did that, which...is confusing, I'll admit, but my point is that Sora, unlike the rest of the protags, actually PLANNED how to defeat Mikado, and what she was going to do to save everyone, while making a calculated sacrifice.

//Sora did not win through the power of belief or Hope, but through the power of logic, and it's almost hilarious that she's the only protagonist of this group in a series of MYSTERY games that does this.

//Unfortunately, I don't have much to say in defending the difficulty.

//Largely why this trial ends up losing points is because some of the parts of it are so unforgiveably difficult, and not in a good way.

//The fight against Mikado is not only insanely hard, but whether you win or lose it literally hinges on how the game ends for you.

//The consequences of this are far too great, and while yeah, this is the climactic point that you HAVE to get right in order to triumph over Mikado, that doesn't justify the difficulty, nor does it justify the fact that the showdown that GOES ON FOR FAR TOO FUCKING LONG!

//It's RIDICULOUS!!! Even by the standards of Danganronpa, and ESPECIALLY with the context that Sora has already figured out what she's going to do and how to do it does not justify a scream off that lasts THIS long and is THIS DIFFICULT!

//And before any of ya'll irritating fucks say it...I KNOW you CAN'T die here!

//But I DIDN'T realize that the first time I played it, and I still shit myself thinking I might lose because I wasn't paying attention to my health bar. And also, that's not an excuse for this ridiculous as fuck minigame anyway, because that's even LESS of a reason for it to last for that long!

//*siiiiiiiiiiiiiiiigh*...But I digress. 3 out 4 points ain't bad.

//But I realize that I'm kind of getting ahead of myself. I'm talking mostly about the status of this trial as a finale, and not really what actually gets covered in it, which is definitely my personal highlight of it. So as I've done before, let's quickly summarize what leads up to the ending.

//The story starts with Mikado Sannoji, a man who is as much a creation of hubris as a plot twist marathon. He actually started out as a real person with a burning obsession to bring back Utsuro, the walking embodiment of Divine Luck.

//But here’s the kicker: the Mikado we know as the Ultimate Wizard and Mastermind is actually an Alter Ego AI; like Chihiro's Alter Ego, or Chiaki; modeled after the original.

//The real Mikado had been saved by Utsuro’s Divine Luck as a child, which set him on a lifelong quest to resurrect his savior. Using data from Yamato Kisaragi's AI that helped the survivors of the first Danganronpa Another game, Mikado discovered that Utsuro had died during Class 79’s Killing Game.

//Determined not to let death get in the way of his obsession, Mikado got to work on creating an AI version of Utsuro, to revive both him and his power. He started by employing the assistance of Kokoro Mitsume, AKA. Kokoro Kurokawa, mother of DRA1’s Mikako Kurokawa and not exactly a contender for Mother of the Year.

//Kokoro had previously experimented on her daughter to study emotions, and even after Mikako escaped from captivity, Kokoro’s brain implant kept logging data from her mind like a terrible sci-fi nanny cam. Mikado used this data to help build his AI...but first, he made an Alter Ego based on himself.

//And this is where things go hilariously, and tragically, wrong.

//Kokoro infused Mikado’s AI with extra emotions, making it so advanced that it gained self-awareness and agency. AI Mikado took one look at real Mikado’s plans, deemed them unworkable, and decided he could do it better. With a new agenda to steal Divine Luck for himself, AI Mikado hired Syobai Hashimoto to assassinate his creator. And because Syobai doesn’t miss, the original Mikado was promptly eliminated, leaving AI Mikado free to become the one and only Wizard Supreme.

//Now untethered by pesky human flaws, Mikado 2.0 dove into networks worldwide, gathering intel to perfect his plan. He learned that Utsuro had swapped places with Yuki Maeda during his Class 79 shenanigans, leaving Yuki on life support.

//Mikado swooped in, stole Yuki's vegetable body, skinned it down to just a brain, and devised a trauma-recreation scheme to force Utsuro’s personality to resurface. The pièce de résistance? Recreating Class 79’s Killing Game in a virtual world.

//To maximize Divine Luck’s power, Mikado recruited a crew of misfits who’d also benefited from Utsuro’s luck. Nikei Yomiuri, Hajime Makunouchi, Emma Magarobi, and Iroha Nijiue.

//Originally called the Children of Utsuro, Mikado rebranded them as VOID (because villains love ominous acronyms). But even with his crew, Mikado needed a virtual world to trap his new participants. So he swiped data from Chihiro Fujisaki’s Neo World Program and retrofitted it into a tropical island paradise.

//The cast was carefully chosen: they had to be symbols of hope and have ties to the original Killing Game. For example, Yoruko was a well-recognized counselor who once worked as a hostess alongside Minako Tomori, mother of Kizuna Tomori.

//With memories rewritten and virtual bodies in place, the participants thought they were fresh Hope’s Peak Academy students. Cue the Killing Game 2.0, where VOID’s meddling ensured most of the cast didn’t make it out alive.

//And so, Mikado’s plan unfolded, a chaotic blend of mad science, misplaced ambition, and just enough emotional manipulation to keep things messy

//And that's basically it in a not-so-neat nutshell, and...man I have to really talk about this, huh?

//For one thing, this plan is probably the most insane sequence of events leading up to a Killing Game out of all of these. The only contender is, ironically, Danganronpa 2's, because that's also the only other one that can't be summed up in a single sentence. Even if I was to try with Another 2, I'd still be leaving out some very critical information.

//This is probably my biggest problem with the circumstances. While the twists are fun, the sheer amount of setup can feel overwhelming. From Utsuro’s Divine Luck to Kokoro’s experiments, to Mikado’s betrayal by his own AI.

//It’s a lot to keep track of. For someone like me who plays these games casually, it makes me feel bogged down, and like I need a flowchart to follow along.

//However, once you DO wrap your head around it, this is...honestly pretty cool!

//To be perfectly frank, after finding out that Utsuroshima was also a virtual world, just like Jabberwock Island was, the fact that Mikado turned out to be an Alter Ego was honestly not that shocking.

//However, it's still a good twist in the way it flips the classic Mastermind trope on its head. Instead of being some omnipotent human puppetmaster, he’s a digital creation who overthrew his own creator.

//And as mid as I do find Mikado for the most part, goddamn if I don't love a good AI villain. Lookin' at you, SHODAN and GLaDOS.

//For me, it's just the right mix of sci-fi intrigue and over-the-top drama for Danganronpa fans. Plus, AI Mikado’s betrayal adds a layer of irony to the villainy.

//The fact is that the only reason why Alter Ego Mikado is so evil is because even if he didn't show it, the real Mikado was equally as evil. In the game, we find out that Utsuro saved him when the orphanage he lived in burned down, so in order to summon him again, he tried to burn down ANOTHER orphanage!

//(There's a CG of it somewhere, but I couldn't find it unfortunately.)

//The dude was not okay, so making a sentient AI based on himself was...definitely NOT the best call.

//I also have to give points for yet again, my absolute favourite parts of the Another games, which is the originality. Although, this is a wishy-washy part.

//On the one hand, the Killing Game not only taking place in a virtual world based on a tropical island, but also specifically designed to hurt the participants for the Mastermind's personal benefit; as well as said Mastermind being an AI copy of a very horrible person; feels a bit derivative of Danganronpa 2. While Mikado’s execution is unique, the foundational premise isn’t breaking much new ground.

//On the other, however, Mikado creating an entire Killing Game as a trauma simulator for one person is hilariously over-the-top, even by Danganronpa standards. It’s the kind of absurd villain scheme that keeps things entertaining.

//What about the trial itself though?

//One of my biggest qualms with this case though, is that while it's overall pretty good, the characterization of some of these characters doesn't really hit right for me.

//However, at the same time, I would argue that each of the characters here, even the one's that I don't like, can be justified one way or another in a way that makes it, at the very least, more manageable.

//I've come to expect this of the Another series, especially Another 2, but one thing that sets it apart from

//It's not something that I really need to go in length talking about, is that Iroha...uh...sucks, honestly.

//Yeah, it wasn't until I went back through these trials that I realized how much I really DISLIKED Iroha in this game. I don't care that she's LINUJ's favourite, that to me is proof that he doesn't like people, because this is easily the most selfish and pointless she is in the entire game, and that's saying something.

//Like I can't believe it took me the whole game to realize this, but it's only when I got here, now knowing that she's a VOID, and the kind of person she really is that I realized "Wow, Iroha really does NOTHING for this game, does she? She's just completely pointless and contributes in no meaningful way whatsoever."

//I guess an argument can be made that there's really no reason for Iroha not to be completely self-centered here, considering everyone knows she's not actually on their side, and she has no reason to hide the fact that she cares about nothing right now except herself.

//Which...yeah, okay, to be fair, I do like that subversion. It's honestly unrealistic for her to actively work with the group considering that there's no way she gets out of it scot-free. And it is so human to be doing this, plus, we already know she's NOT the good guy here.

//There's legitimately NO REASON for Iroha NOT to act like this. Not only does she have no reason to be concerned for anybody's survival here other than her own, but she doesn't really know jack shit about what's going on, even as the final VOID, so I do get it.

//It's just really fucking annoying, and really doesn't help my opinion of her as a character. Especially when I look in Weeby Newz' comment sections for this part of the trial and see so many defending her.

//Like, I get what you guys are saying, and you are 100% correct, but also, I, as an ACTUAL human being, don't have to be happy about it either!

//The other example is Officer Tsurugi Kringe-o.

//Jesus fucking christ, I cannot tell you how goddamn disappointing it is that Tsurugi regresses so much between the end of DRA and the first time he appears in SDRA2, because it really does just feel like he learned absolutely nothing from his experiences in that Killing Game, as much as it seemed like he did in Chapters 4-6.

//I think I would honestly be willing to forgive it if LINUJ didn't approach his hypocrisy with the subtlety of a wrecking ball in a library.

//It honestly didn't even occur to me until I started doing these trial reviews how much I actively DESPISED Tsurugi as a person, even though I do think he's a good character.

//With that said, we do actually learn something about Tsurugi and his ideals here; something that we didn't know for sure before, from the Kisaragi Foundation's team-up with Syobai. Something that, initially, feels very untoward of him, due to how much he absolutely despises criminals.

//In fact, another point against him that I mentioned in a previous post that relates to this, is that Tsurugi's brand of justice treats both Iroha and Yoruko with the same level of contempt as criminals.

//Iroha, who kidnapped people to but in a twisted game where people die, manipulated the fuck out of everyone, and attempted and probably committed murder in the past, is treated the same as Yoruko, who lied about her age to work in a hostess bar.

//Wh-What the fuck is up with this man!? Like, sure, don't lie about your age to work in shifty business practice that isn't for kids, but also, Tsurugi had no idea what Yoruko was going through at the time, just as he didn't realize what Akane was going through at the time with A-2.

//He hasn't changed AT ALL! GRRRRRRR!

//I-I'm sorry...I just kinda got... *sigh*...Let me try and lay this out more professionally...

//Tsurugi’s philosophy of justice, or rather his personal brand of "if-I-do-it-it’s-fine" morality, is an admittedly fascinating dive into the slippery slope of ethical absolutism. His belief that evil must be countered with equal or greater evil positions him as both judge and executioner, which might sound cool on paper...until you realize he’s not stopping at the guilty.

//His willingness to drag innocent people like the families and friends of said criminals into his vendetta reeks less of justice and more of unchecked authoritarianism. It’s as though he read Crime and Punishment and said, "Raskolnikov didn’t go far enough."

//Tsurugi’s logic is warped to the point where he paints himself as a savior while systematically destroying the concept of fairness. What makes him complex, though, is that he genuinely believes in his mission.

//He’s not your run-of-the-mill, anti-hero who knows he’s not exactly morally aligned and accepts it. Instead, Tsurugi cloaks himself in a self-righteous veneer, convincing himself and others that his actions are necessary sacrifices for the greater good.

//This contradiction; his desire to be the "good guy" while committing objectively terrible acts; is both his strength as a character and the reason he’s so polarizing. He operates in moral extremes, where gray areas and redemption are non-existent, creating a chilling parallel to real-world debates about justice and authority.

//The irony, of course, is that his methods undermine the very ideals he claims to uphold, leaving everyone wondering if Tsurugi is fighting evil or simply becoming another version of it.

//Which I think is aiming a little more towards the latter.

//Ultimately, Tsurugi’s insistence that "it’s okay if I do it" lands him squarely in the realm of hypocrisy with a capital H, which is why many fans, myself included, view him negatively. H

//is actions alienate others, painting him as a self-serving crusader rather than a hero of justice. His refusal to examine his own flaws while condemning everyone else’s makes him infuriating, not compelling. I do somewhat appreciate his depth and the moral debates he stirs, but they’re just as likely to make me roll my eyes and think, "Great, another guy who thinks the ends justify the means, because he’s the one defining the ends."

//And before any of you irritating fucks say it...Yes! I KNOW that Kuripa is the same case!

//Kuripa ultimately chooses who gets to live and die based on their crimes, and that's not a right he should be allowed to have, and ultimately, he DOESN'T. It's what makes him such a controversial figure among the Future Foundation, because his "justifications" for being a vigilante are all revolving around things that he should not have the right to decide.

//But Kuripa is specifically designed to be different than the likes of Tsurugi or Munakata in the following ways:

Many people forget this because of his violent streak, but Kuripa's crimes and murders are ultimately based around the idea of people seeking redemption. If Kuripa believes that someone is a criminal for the sake of something like making a living, protecting a family member, or being forced into it through other means of desperation, it's unlikely that he will put that person to the ax, even if he does decide to stop them. The reason why he wants to kill the members of Zetsubou is because not only are they all completely iredeemable, but they're also incredibly DANGEROUS, and a world without them is a better world. The sad part of it all is despite how the Future Foundation don't agree with Kuripa's methodology, he does kind of have a point that the world would be better off if Zetsubou were dead and gone.

Kuripa has never ONCE tried to justify his actions as correct. He's EXPLAINED them, but he's never tried to convince people to take the same path as him. In fact, he actively tries to push people away from it so that no one else besides him becomes a scumbag murderer. He's also never been shy about the fact that the feeling of carving through a horrible person with his sword makes him feel good inside. He fully embraces his sociopathy and evil as a part of himself without letting it control him, unlike Tsurugi, who tends to make excuses for it that completely invalidate his own line of logic.

Kuripa is a tragic character in the sense that he showboats so much, and appears to be so multi-talented, that it tries, but ultimately fails to cover the truth that he is a sad and absolutely pathetic man. He's incredibly self-aware, and knows full well that regardless of the motives, or who the victim is, murder is still murder, and two wrongs don't make a right. The reason why he continues DOING what he's doing is because he already has so much blood on his hands, the only way he finds he can wash it off is with more guilty blood. All he can do is defend his actions since he can't think of any other way to deal with the issues that are plaguing him. He is a tragic example of self-loathing and denial, wheras Tsurugi, for the most part at least, has his head so far up his ass, he can't see how bullshit and hypocritical his world-view and actions are.

//Sorry if that was a bit ranty, but it's very important to me that people understand the intricacies of Kuripa as a character without me needing to spell it out, purely because it's one of the driving forces behind DR Survivor's plot.

//In Tsurugi's case, By the time he’s finished explaining why his atrocities are actually virtuous, you’re left wondering whether you should laugh, cry, or just hope someone locks him in a debate with Makoto about the true meaning of justice.

//Spoiler alert: Makoto would win.

//But with all that said, despite the fact that Tsurugi and Iroha are almost CHRONICALLY annoying in this trial, I would say that every other character who appears here is honestly pretty fucking stellar! And none of them really get credit where it's due.

//Syobai is the easiest one to talk about I feel, because he doesn't honestly change that much from how he is through the rest of the game. However, the good thing about him in this chapter is despite the fact that he's a sleazeball to the end, this trial really does show the GOOD things about Syobai as a character more than they do the bad.

//It shows how much Sora understands Syobai in the end from the way she chooses to rely on him, not as a friend, but by fitting into his principles as a person.

//While he’s an arrogant, sharp-tongued opportunist who exudes selfishness, there’s an intriguing method to his madness. His life revolves around two central values: the sanctity of life and the power of money.

//To Syobai, life is the ultimate commodity. It’s invaluable and irreplaceable, and this belief explains why he treats death with a kind of clinical detachment. Killing or allowing someone to die isn’t something he takes lightly, and it’s never personal. His work as a broker isn’t fueled by bloodlust or malice but by his transactional mindset. Jobs are just jobs, even though he’ll gladly walk away from a mission if sufficiently bribed.

//What makes Syobai so compelling is that his philosophy isn’t as shallow as it appears. His fixation on money isn’t about greed for its own sake but stems from his view that wealth represents freedom, power, and the means to survive in an unforgiving world. Money is how Syobai measures trust. It’s a currency that doesn’t lie, unlike people, who are prone to betrayal.

//This belief also adds nuance to his otherwise cutthroat demeanor, as he sees his own brand of morality as more honest than the hypocritical posturing of others. His code may be unconventional, but it makes him reliable in his own way: if you hire Syobai and meet his price, you can count on him to deliver. Unless, of course, someone pays him better, then all bets are off.

//This contradiction between his mercenary tendencies and his surprising respect for life makes Syobai less of a villain and more of a morally gray wildcard, whose presence keeps everyone, including himself, on edge.

//And it's ultimately the deciding factor that Sora understands this about Syobai as a person while Mikado doesn't.

//This trial is also the best appearance of Yuki in this entire game, and where he really comes into his own. Sucks that it took until the end of the game for me to find Yuki even remotely interesting, but hey, it's better than nothing.

//Firstly, I like the fact that he doesn't forgive Utsuro, or show any kind of sympathy or understanding for what Utsuro did to him and his family, because...why would he?

//Yeah, okay, a case can be made that Utsuro didn't want any of this. Right from the beginning all the way to the end, Divine Luck is just a curse that makes his life incredibly difficult despite how much it's supposed to aid him with everything he does.

//I can make a whole case study about Utsuro's intricacies as a villain, but the short end of this is that despite how Utsuro was a victim of circumstance, it doesn't change the fact that he did some very terrible things, not just to Yuki, but to everyone, which justifies Yuki and Tsurugi's hatred for him.

//But what I like about Yuki's confrontation of Utsuro is that even though he makes the venom and detest in his tone abundantly clear, his facial expressions and movements don't show him angry; just...defeated.

//It really adds to the bittersweetness of this final trial in the fact that Yuki isn't willing to forgive, but he knows he has a chance to forget, and doesn't intend to waste it. Obviously, he's not happy that Sora has to be left behind while he takes over Akane's body, but he cares more about making use of the chance he's been given than focusing on what happened to him already that he can't change. It's a nice, and admittedly more realistic, parallel to Hajime and the end of Danganronpa 2.

//Also, I know that this is literally the entire point of the Utsuroshima Killing Game, but Yuki spends almost the entirety of SDRA2 getting handed L's, and that doesn't really stop here. Even the way that his character arc ends with him getting placed into Akane's body in Mikado's place isn't the best ending, because he now has more problems to deal with.

//Like, seriously, the fact that his physical "body" is literally just a brain in a jar is one of the most gut-wrenching twists in this entire game. If it wasn't for the fact that this was the final trial, and I knew there was some way for it to get resolved, I would have been panicking.

//But I do like the fact that not everything ended on a high note, because again, I've always found it stupidly unrealistic how well the final trials tend to end for the cast. The only class who I was interested in seeing the aftermath for was 77 considering all the revelations, but with this group, Yuki especially, it's a really good setup for future developments, and I like the way Yuki's character arc ended.

//His interactions with Tsurugi in this trial are also the more redeemable parts of both their characters for me. Especially in the way that Tsurugi is genuinely concerned with Yuki's safety and really wants to help him. And the best part is that this dynamic checks out.

//It’s essential to recognize the significant role Yuki played in shaping Tsurugi's logical processing during the previous game. Their bond, even on a purely platonic level, was undeniably close and instrumental in helping the corrupted cop come to terms with the events that unfolded. Early on, Tsurugi's reluctance to discuss his actions during the trial seems to stem from his unwillingness to confront the possibility that he made mistakes or that his decisions ultimately led to the unnecessary death of a friend.

//It’s only when Yuki convinces him to open up that Tsurugi begins to revisit his thought process, much like he did in the past. Yuki’s influence is pivotal. He’s someone Tsurugi genuinely listens to, even though this Yuki isn’t the one he knew. This dynamic showcases Yuki’s unique ability to challenge and guide Tsurugi's thinking, helping him process his actions and their consequences in a way that few others could.

//Also, we can't talk about this game's conclusion without talking about Yuki in Akane's body.

//Once it's revealed that Sora has the power of Divine Luck that Mikado seeks instead of Yuki, using Mikado’s own override code against him, Sora and Syobai pull the ultimate cyber-heist. Instead of letting Mikado upload his consciousness into the real world, they reroute the transfer to place Yuki’s mind into Akane Taira’s body.

//Mikado’s Alter Ego is left stranded in the virtual world, essentially hitting a digital Game Over while Yuki escapes to freedom in the most unexpected way. It’s a twist that feels like poetic justice, with Mikado undone by the very tools he used to control everyone else.

//Again Mikado's defeat is just so epic, but what makes this twist so intriguing is how it toys with identity and the notion of a second chance. Yuki, who has been through unimaginable trauma, is reborn into Akane’s body, a resolution that gives him a new life but also raises questions about identity and legacy. Meanwhile, Mikado, the grand mastermind, is left powerless in the virtual world he once ruled.

//I want to point something out here, because I don't think the narrative choices of this trial are talked about NEARLY enough.

//If you really think about it, AI Mikado met his demise by making the exact same mistake the original Mikado made that led to his. They BOTH underestimated their own artificial creation, and when that creation turned on them, that was when their plans met their end.

//Mikado met his ends at the hands of his own creation; AI Mikado, and then AI Mikado met his end at the hands of HIS own creation; Sora.

//That's CLEVER! From a writing standpoint, it really shows that history is doomed to repeat itself, and smacks Mikado with the reality that he was in no way superior to his creator like he thought he was. It's SO understatedly poetic, and I wish more people talked about it.

//The twist doesn’t just end with a mic drop for Mikado though. It sets up a tantalizing open-ended future for Yuki, now in the body of Akane Taira and wielding the immense power of Divine Luck...supposedly.

//On the surface, this seems like the ultimate redemption: Yuki gets a second chance at life, freed from the virtual world's chaos and his past traumas. But beneath that triumph lies a web of complex implications. What does it mean for Yuki to inhabit the body of well...a girl for one, but also a figure tied so closely to Despair? Will he fully embrace this fresh start, or will the haunting legacy of Akane’s role in the Killing Game follow him into his new existence? It’s a situation ripe with drama and uncertainty.

//And then there’s the matter of Divine Luck. In the hands of Utsuro, this power was a force of chaos, reshaping reality in horrifyingly unpredictable ways. Now, Yuki, a character who once embodied hope and fragility, has access to this same cosmic cheat code.

//Does he use it for good? Does it overwhelm him, making him a target for those who seek to exploit or destroy him, just as Mikado did? The story doesn’t provide answers, leaving Yuki’s future entirely up to interpretation, but...not in a way that feels dissatisfactory.

//It’s a brilliant way to let fans speculate about what kind of person Yuki will become, adding an ongoing ripple of intrigue long after the credits roll, and the ambiguity is both thrilling and unsettling.

//On one hand, Yuki in the real world with Akane’s body and Divine Luck could be seen as the ultimate comeback story. A character who has overcome despair and now has the tools to shape a better future.

//On the other hand, who's to say that the cycle of Utsuro falling into Despair due to the insane power he holds won't repeat itself? The weight of this power and the identity crisis it brings could spell tragedy.

//In either case, it’s a plot point that doesn’t just conclude the story, but it breathes new life into it, ensuring the narrative lingers in the minds of its audience.

//I know that LINUJ doesn't have any plans to make a Danganronpa Another 3, and honestly, I'm glad he's not, because as we've already seen for Danganronpa V3, a third game in the trilogy holds a significant risk of taking away what made the first two games really good.

//But I would love to see a fan's interpretation of what Another 3 could be like based on this trials conclusion.

//As for Mikado, if I can say one thing I like about SDRA2's story, it's the fact that there is no big Mastermind twist at the end, and the closest we get is the fact that the Mikado we knew was an AI based on an actual person.

//I was convinced that this game would end with the reveal that Mikado was actually a lackey to someone else who was hiding in plain sight. With my biggest guess being Yoruko because, in retrospect, she seemed to have suspiciously low stakes in this whole thing compared to Sora and Yuki.

//But...no. Mikado is the Mastermind at the start and stays that way through the whole game, and damn am I GLAD that I was wrong about Yoruko, because for one, I like Yoruko a lot, and two, I think it would really have taken away from the beginning of the game for Mikado's twist as the Mastermind if he'd turned out to be just a lackey. As much as he seems to submit himself to Utsuro, it's never hidden that he has his own agenda's.

//Although, I do have to say that Mikado's reveal of being an AI was...not really as impactful to me as it probably should have been. I really like that he's an AI antagonist, but at the same time, given that he's shown to have legitimate magical powers in a world that we've known for a while now is virtual, it...was not very shocking when it was revealed.

//With that said, I've said before that through this analysis, I'm starting to realize that I might have been a tad too harsh on Mikado, because he is an astoundingly good villain in the later parts of the game. It's hard to nail down a single point during Chapters 4 through 6 that I think his villainy really shines, but this final breakdown at the end is a good one, and definitely a contender.

//In general, I think what really makes me like this finale compared to the rest of the game is that the conclusion and the way things ultimately end feel undeniably SATISFYING, despite the bittersweetness of everything but...we'll get to that. Either way, Mikado has one of the best breakdowns across all 5 of these games, and definitely the greatest Mastermind defeat in the ENTIRE series.

//The legitimate only thing that bumps Mikado's defeat down is the fact that it's not voice acted, at least not yet. Assuming Sword of Swords or...anyone really managed to deliver an ear-splitting performance as he loses the plot would mark this as a standout moment.

//It's hard for me to take any of the Mastermind defeats seriously, largely because they barely show any kind of serious sense of defeat when they're taken down. Junko in both 1 and 2, Monaca, Tsumugi, and I would say even Utsuro, don't have that much of a satisfying end because you still feel like even their defeats were anticipated, and something that they were preparing themselves for.

//Junko is basically happy to be defeated in Game 1, Monaca, Utsuro, and Tsumugi don't seem as broken up about everything as they should be, and while AI Junko is SLIGHTLY better, her final moments are still a little anticlimactic...

//Mikado's defeat, and the way Sora girlbosses him, is not the case there, and it's OH SO SWEET.

//Unlike Junko, Mikado is VERY STRICT on things going to plan. Junko likes it when things get ruined because that's her kink of Despair, but Mikado plans things meticulously, from his schemes, all to the way he presents himself. And the fact that everything falls apart due to one little variable that he doesn't anticipate, is extremely GRATIFYING in a way words can't easily portray.

//It just...really feels like you achieved something here, which is something that not all the final trials do.

//Also, despite the obvious AI twist, the fact that Mikado killed his own creator is an entirely seperate matter that I find interesting, and also equally as satisfying and fun to discover.

//Fun fact: Sora yells at Mikado at the end of TTS "Zetsubou ni utsurou!" which means "Fall into despair!"

//The same Wham Line that Utsuro delivered back in A-6.

//Neat, huh?

//That leaves Sora, Yoruko, and Rei. I'm not talking about Utsuro because honestly, he's kind of the least factored character in this whole thing and beyond his final words with Sora, I didn't really care much for his involvement.

//I've seen a lot of people say that they don't actually like Yoruko in this trial, and I think it all stems from one particular point. When Mikado told everyone that Yuki's family had been killed by Utsuro and Akane, Yoruko is very quick to jump to Sora's defence and seperate her from that incident.

//The critique revolves around Yoruko's role in mitigating Yuki's experience and trauma caused by Akane, which one could argue undermines the personal nature of his struggle.

//I do agree with the notion that only the victim of harm has the moral right to forgive or withhold forgiveness. Yoruko’s decisions are invasive, as they redirect focus from Yuki's experience to her perspective. Something that she has no right to do.

//And yes, it's important to maintain agency for those directly affected by trauma, and such moments should center the victim's feelings and choices. It's easy to see how Yoruko is letting her feelings for Sora push Yuki's own feelings aside.

//However, I don't generally agree with this.

//Maybe I'm trying to stick up for Yoruko in the same way she stuck up for Sora here, because I like her and am trying to defend her, but personally, while the concern about Yoruko’s intervention is valid, it’s also worth noting that her perspective might have been intended to add complexity to the narrative.

//Yoruko wasn’t necessarily trying to forgive Akane on Yuki’s behalf but to offer her own reflections on the situation, framing it within a broader moral or ethical lens. And to be honest, I don't think what she said is exactly wrong.

//Forgiveness is often messy, and people external to a situation may offer opinions, right or wrong, that help deepen the story. It’s also possible that Yoruko’s interjection was less about robbing Yuki of agency and more about supporting him, albeit in a way that missed the mark emotionally.

//After all, Yuki had no recollection of this. He was still wondering whether or not what Mikado was saying was true or not, and even then, there's still his strong friendship with Sora that fostered through the entire game to consider.

//Remember, this Yuki is NOT Utsuro. And Sora is not exactly Akane Taira. Their connection through the game, beyond Sora being a protective algorithm for him, has nothing to do with Utsuro and Akane's prior relationship.

//Additionally, punishing someone who has supposedly reformed is a nuanced issue. While accountability is crucial, the story might be exploring themes of redemption and whether people can truly leave their past selves behind.

//And knowing how Yuki felt towards Sora in these final moments, I think he would actually AGREE with Yoruko that Sora couldn't be held accountable.

//Yoruko in this final trial is fine overall. She pulls her weight more than Iroha does and tries to help ground the trial from the insanity that it entails; and also, that one moment where Mikado tries to tell Yuki her age before she completely cuts him off is REALLY funny to me.

//One last minor complaint...

//Fuck this bit especially, lol.

//I mean, it doesn't mean jack shit, I'll always have my own interpretation of the way their relationship ended, and that's all I need, and Sora's goodbye to Yoruko was still superb overall, but...

//...Man...

//Let these bitches be gay, PLEASE...!

//Can't complain too much because it's immediately followed by this scene where Rei hands Tsurugi his shit, and I love this scene despite how short it is because, for one, it's Rei reminding us that she IS a girlboss and one of the best characters in this entire Fangan, and two, its hilarious to think about where we started with Rei, and seeing where we are now, where she went from being antagonistic and selfish to like...The ONLY GOOD GUY in the ROOM.

//I mean, I exaggerate. Syobai, Iroha, Tsurugi, and Utsuro are the only one's who really did anything wrong. And Mikado, obviously.

//But yeah, I love Slei Mekaru, and I love the fact that she clearly still considered Akane something of a friend by the time she logged out of the program, despite everything she had done. I really love that for her, and I could go into full depth why I absolutely love Rei, but...for another time, for sure.

//By the way, I think now is a good time to talk about something that people have asked me in the past, and that I've kind of failed to answer, because there was never really a right time to cover it.

//People can't help but point out that my interpretation of Tsurugi, who does things POST all these events, is significantly more relaxed and easy to get along with in Survivor than he ever was in the Another series, and they're confused as to what made him change his tune.

//Well, there are a few reasons.

//Firstly, Another 1 Case 6, as well as THIS case, showed that Tsurugi is willing to take responsibility for his actions, and once the truths are finally coming to light, he cooperates with everyone in a respectable and appropriate manner. It sucks that he regresses again, but the other reason why is because I think this Killing Game, plus Rei's "talk" with him afterwards might have had a real impact on the way he thought about things.

//I know it's unrealistic to think that Tsurugi will ever change his tune since the events of DRA1 didn't really fix his 'tude but...even the most stoic person would have a lot to think about after all this happened. Plus, given the time gap, he would have had some time to think about it.

//This will be covered in Phase 3 during the Kisaragi Crash arc as well, so look forward to that whenever the fuck it happens.

//And then this dialogue as well, and how Yoruko blushes after it, and decides to save whatever she was going to confess for when Sora finally returns to the real world. As well as the fact there are some REALLY cute moments throughout the trial of Yoruko standing up for Sora and reaffirming how they feel about each other.

//Mikado even points out at one point, after it's revealed Akane Taira killed Yuki's family, that Yoruko's willingness to seperate Sora from Akane's crimes is a sign that she's, and I quote, "blinded by love," Yoruko doesn't just not deny it. She AFFIRMS it.

//To be honest, I don't really know how and why LINUJ ended up writing Sora and Yoruko's relationship to be so preciously gay, because I'm not even sure that was his intention, but either way, I hope it remains this way forever.

//If the official dub of SDRA2 tries to erase or cover for this, I will fucking GUT them.

//Verbally, of course.

//But yeah, generally, I can't think of a single bad thing to say about Rei in this trial. She's just one of the best characters in the whole series and this final trial solidifies that for me.

//But of course, you already know that I'm gonna cover this, because despite how much I really care about the characterization of this trial, it really does all fall flat in compared to our absolutel main woman of the hour.

//Fucking Sora, man...Like, what do you want me to say here?

//I've already gone into detail before about why I absolutely love Sora, but let me try and paraphrase that in the context of this trial.

//Throughout all of SDRA2, Sora is largely the main reason why I stayed on the course despite wanting to deviate from it so many times. She has a very "tell-it-like-it-is" personality, speaking her mind even if it sometimes lands as blunt or tactless. This makes her a riot to follow, especially with her razor-sharp roasts, some of the most creative burns in the Danganronpa universe.

//Beyond her humor, she’s tough as nails and refuses to give up, yet her amnesia and the painful truths about her identity gradually chip away at that resilience in cases that we've already covered. Her mental breakdowns are not only emotionally impactful but also pivotal to SDRA2’s narrative, showcasing her as a deeply flawed yet compelling character.

//What culminates here and the large reason why I prefer Sora to most other protags in the series is that her writing sets her apart. Unlike the "Ultimate Paragons of Goodness" trope that defines Makoto or the others, Sora is refreshingly human; ironic seeing as she's an AI.

//She’s not portrayed as emotionally superior or the moral compass of the group. She messes up big time in Case 4 but it makes her feel more real, even when her actions aren’t justifiable. Her proactive nature also shines, as she’s often the first to push past the group’s aimless chatter to find real solutions, making her a dynamic leader who avoids the "let’s hold hands and hope" approach that other protagonists sometimes default to.

//And the way that whole character culminates here is one of, if not, THE most poignant moment in the entire Fanganronpa universe, even today.

//I mentioned already that the plot twist that Sora is actually Akane Taira was shocking and fun, but I would say that the follow-up twist that's revealed in this trial is also pretty cool. On top of the trauma and fear she suffered at that point in the game, it's coupled on here with the fact that Sora herself was never real to begin with.

//Like Mikado, she's an AI program that used Akane Taira as a base. She's effectively an NPC that was added into the game as part of Mikado's master plan, designed to protect Yuki from harm so that the events of the Killing Game didn't just automatically fail with his own death.

//What makes this twist shine is how it recontextualizes Sora’s entire journey. While it doesn’t come completely out of left field, there were breadcrumbs throughout, especially once the virtual world aspect of Utsuroshima was revealed, it still packs an emotional punch. Knowing Sora isn’t a "real" person adds layers to her struggle with identity and purpose, turning her existential crisis into one of the most poignant arcs in the game.

//And let’s not ignore the hilarity of her being designed as Mikado’s failsafe, only to become the ultimate wrench in his plans.

//As a twist, despite it not being one of the most left-field twists in the game, it’s still brilliant because it doesn’t just shock. It reframes everything.

//The stakes go up as you realize Sora’s existence isn’t just tied to her survival but also to the overarching plot’s integrity, and the fact that if the program goes down, she goes with it. Plus, it cements SDRA2’s willingness to experiment with what a main character can be.

//And then the conclusion is not only so epic, but again, the keyword is bittersweet.

//Like I said, seeing Mikado's plan absolutely crumble in the face of Sora, who turns out to be the one who ACTUALLY had the Divine Luck he sought; the lone variable he didn't account for, is not only the greatest final confrontation of all these games, but it's also the one that ends the most dramatically.

//Sora's final moments in this game are among the most bittersweet here, even with the notion that they might be able to bring her back in the future if Rei can rebuild her code. It's still not a guarantee, and everyone knows it, but everyone accepts it.

//It was an amazing sacrifice to see Sora, who again, had shown to be at a defree of self-centered, make such a lofty sacrifice if it meant the others could move on with their lives.

//And again, this is the primary reason why I love this ending trial, even if it's not as engaging or emotional as the ending of Another 1 or Danganronpa 2. Sora's final sacrifice is what any of the other endings could have been if they had leaned into tragedy instead of triumph; a parallel to Hajime’s potential erasure in favor of despair.

//It’s heartbreaking yet beautifully fitting.

//But that's really it for now, and the issue is that despite all I've just covered, there's SO much here to unpack that I couldn't possibly go over all of it intricately. I've made my key thoughts and feelings on this case know, and even if I don't know if I've done a good job, I've at least explained why it lands itself on this list.

//I know that a lot of people find endings like this controversial, but I genuinely believe that it's one of the best endings in the Danganronpa series, and one of the best trials that SDRA2 has to offer, even if it doesn't completely breach the Top 10.

[orionsangel86]

Seeing criticism of Good Omens Season 2 on here is a wild ride for me because I generally seem to agree with everything gomens critical people are saying whilst at the same time still absolutely loving gomens S2.

It's like this: Okay so you have written this super popular book revolving around this precocious kid who happens to be the antichrist whose birth kickstarts the apocalypse. The four horseman turn up as well as these other strange human characters one of which is an actual witch whose great great great grandmother wrote an accurate prophecy book which predicts armaggedon. Through a series of somewhat hilarious events, the kid, his friends, and the other weird humans manage to stop the apocalypse.

Also throughout the whole thing there are these angel and demon characters fussing about getting into arguments but not actually doing anything to forward the plot or make any difference to the main storyline. For some reason everyone reading the book finds these characters far more compelling and entertaining and seems to think they are the main characters. But they are not.

Then the book gets adapted into a show and the focus shifts onto the angel and demon characters because obviously they are the popular ones that everyone loves. So what's a writer to do when the fan favourite characters basically don't have any part in the primary plot points? Give them a more coherent side plot steeped in romantic tropes and claim that they are in love. Boom. Instant fandom catnip.

But then you are presented with a problem. The show has become super successful and everyone wants more story. You may have discussed a sequel over the years with your writing partner but it never really came to anything probably because its difficult to plot out a sequel centred around two characters who weren't the protagonist of the first book, and that story is done and dusted. Whats a writer to do?

Lean into the fans thirst for more angel on demon action and write what amounts to high budget fanfiction pulling the love story b plot of season 1 into the main focus for season 2. Of course book purists are gonna hate that!

Any legitimate sequel to Good Omens should have centered around Adam. The former antichrist now coping with everything he went through growing up a normal human whilst still having a creeping sense that its not quite over, that maybe heaven and hell still have a part for you to play in their grand plan. Sure, Crowley and Aziraphale could have been involved, continuing their b plot love story, but at least this way the sequel would have been more consistent with the plot of season 1.

The problem with continuing Adam's story is that, and I mean no disrespect here, no one cares about Adam. Adam and his friends are the weakest elements of season 1. People tune into Good Omens for the Crowley and Aziraphale show, and Neil Gaiman knows this.

The plot of Gomens S2 is weak. The mystery around Gabriel is a bit silly, and is only connected to the season 1 plot in the loosest sense. The fact that he and Beelzebub speedrun an angel/demon romance is bizarre and does come out of left field... like something out of fanfiction. It also does indeed rob some of what made Crowley/Aziraphale so special - the fact that they were unique in their love and respect for each other despite being on opposite sides. Also I wish Maggie and Nina were given more development (and less clunky dialogue).

The only criticism I really don't agree with is the criticism that Aziraphale was written out of character, because quite simply, season 1 never ever resolved the fundamental issue at the center of Crowley and Aziraphales relationship. Throughout season 1 Aziraphale constantly insults and berates Crowley, claiming he's the "bad one" and refusing to accept that they aren't on opposite sides. There have been plenty of metas stating that this was all out of fear and a need to protect Crowley, and sure, you can interpret it that way, but not once in season 1 does Aziraphale actually say "yes we are on our side. Yes we are the same. I was wrong to claim you were bad when you've clearly been showing me how good you are for millennia." Its maybe implied that he has learned, but its never truly confirmed, because season 1 wasn't about Crowley and Aziraphale and their relationship. But season 2 takes its lead from that.

It's just rather amusing to me how the discourse that has built around season 2 seems to be fundamentally forgetting these points. GOS2 isn't really a sequel to Good Omens. It's a spin off. It's a spin off about Crowley and Aziraphale and their silly relationship drama whilst they deal with a silly low stakes mystery regarding Heaven and Hell (also characters that were barely involved in the book if at all!). It doesn't really tie into the first story at all.

In my opinion, all it needed to link it more closely to season 1, was to bring back Frances McDormand as God to do the narration. If that had happened, season 2 would have been just fine. As it stands, it comes across rather like a spin off fanfiction. But I love fanfiction, and I have always only ever watched Good Omens for Aziraphale and Crowley. To me, season 2 is fantastic, its like if Supernatural had a spin off show all about Castiel in which he is the lead character, and part of the main A plot is him getting together with Dean finally - Dean being the love interest in this particular show. Amazing. 10/10 would watch another 15 seasons of just that - but general Supernatural fans who aren't fandom specific would probably HATE IT.

So yeah, I do understand the criticism its receiving, but I find it funny, because ultimately Neil Gaiman gave fans exactly what they wanted, he gave them an Ineffable Husbands fanfiction - M/M Romance, F/F OC Side Pairing, Rated: Teen and Up, #Fluff, #Dancing, #Excessive Jane Austen References, #Crack Treated Seriously, #Surprise Final Pairing (check the end notes for spoilers!), #Miscommunication, #Love Confessions, #First Kiss, #Angst #Hurt/No Comfort, #Cliffhanger Ending.

Can any of us really say we wouldn't immediately click "proceed" on this fic and then stay up til 3am reading it til our eyes bled? Me neither.

[dahliaofthevalley]

I don't know what the trope is officially called, but I absolutely ADORE the trope 'my loved one has been replaced by something else'. It's such a good trope that I feel like I rarely see. The only pieces of media I've seen use this trope are JJK, Omori (sorta), Silent Hill 2, and the summer Hikaru died. Each of those examples all use the trope in such different ways, too.

JJK uses it casually and twice between Kenjaku/Geto and then Sukuna/Yuji. It's easily explained in the universe and doesn't delve too far into the horror undertones of the trope.

Silent Hill 2 uses the trope while leaning more into the psychological horror of the situation. The usage is intentionally vague at the beginning of the game, and by the end (depending on your ending), you may actually replace Mary with Maria. (Also, the reason I say it's vague in the beginning is because, at the start of the game, we the player aren't sure if Maria is a truly separate entity or is just a different version of Mary. The question later being brought up in the jail scene)

The summer Hikaru died uses the trope while leaning into more body horror but still keeping the psychological horror elements. It's not vague or toned down like the previous two examples, which makes it the most potent example of this trope. (I haven't had the chance to read the entirety of the summer Hikaru died, so this is just the interpretation I'm getting from it right now lol.)

Lastly, Omori is probably the weakest in the use of this trope. In fact, it could easily be argued to not use this trope at all. However, I'm counting it for the sake of the idea/concept of someone having its place stolen by something. Mari being replaced by 'something' doesn't quite tip into horror, and the concept in relation to the trope is shaky. It's more like what happened to Mari was replaced by 'something' in Sunny's mind rather than Mari herself, so it's your choice if it still fits the trope or not.

Of course, there are also adjacent tropes or commonly overlapping tropes like 'bodysnatching' aka something taking the body of a loved one but not necessarily trying to replace them or take their identity, 'Shared Consciousness/body' aka two or more things occupying the same body and lastly (for this rant at least) 'Doppelgangers' aka two or more entities sharing the exact same appearance. All those tropes could be used within our main trope, but they can also act independently. In JJK, Yuji/Sukuna are more of a 'shared body' sort of deal, while Geto/Kenjaku are a 'body snatching' type. Silent Hill 2 uses more of a 'Doppelganger' type with Mary/Maria. The Summer Hikaru died seems like a 'body snatching' type as well, but again, I haven't read the manga all the way through. Omori is still too iffy to put into a secondary category, so idk.

Anyways, this is a really long-winded way of saying i adore this trope and really want to find more pieces of media that use it, so if you know of any, PLEASE let me know ♥︎.

(Side note: I also, really love when this trope leans more into its horror undertones and doesn't JUST use its allegorical potential within the story. Like, I need the media to, at least acknowledge how horrific it would be to have this happen to your loved ones especially in stories where the character that was replaced actually died and didn't just "dissappear" or start acting "different" one day.)

(Side-SIDE note: I would love if more usages of this trope included uncanny valley as a means of horror within the media. It's great when the entity that replaced the real character is an actual carbon copy and an exact match for the original character but it's a whole different type of terror when someone you are so familiar with just looks a little off in a way you can't quite put your finger on. The exact match method is still a good method and mean of horror, but I feel like the uncanny valley method is so underutilized for how horrifying it can be)