#the 'designated as a potential love interest' feel is even stronger than the one Ren and Virginia got

[randomnameless]

Artbook stuff!

More devnotes (and my own rants lol) about some characters from Elheim : Rosalinde, Linharagos, Lydielle and the Celeste gang! (+ Amalia but I forgot her in the Drankengard/Drakenhold posts...)

Amalia first...

Sense of dominance or not, Amalia is towering the rest of the cast (at 2m30!) wielding a giant sword that is totes not inspired by a certain dark fantasy manga, and uses what is basically a door as a shield. Her strikes are wide (and wild) and she is basically introduced as what we would call a Gotoh unit in the FE fanbase in the chapter she's introduced in (basically coming handy in one of the few defence map of the game) however, unless you recruit her early by using cheese strats, by the time you can finally use her after defeating her in the arena (around early albion or late Bastorias?) she's not that impressive anymore : still a damn good unit, but not breaking the game in half

(especially since she can't access her beserk state)

Plot wise : she's a random who's looking to fight strong fighters, to actually manage to beat her and beat her berserk form (that is basically, her ancestor taking over her body to fight), she only accepts to help Gilbert'n'Alain during the Drakengard campaign for one map because Gilbert promised her that if they survive, he'll reopen the coliseum.

Alain's group can then recruit her by defeating her, and her berserk form, in the coliseum!

Design wise, the armored briefs is, imo, completely ridiculous especially given the otherwise okay-ish designs from Drakengard, but fwiw, I like her knees armor, even if I don't know what they're supposed to represent lol

On to Elheim!

I know, I added the image where she's damaged because we can't talk about Elheim and Rosalinde without sighing about, well, the sexualised designs and the overabundance of camel toes.

I know VW is known for its fanservice designs, but damn if Elheim was hit/designed with a "gotta make them sexy" hammer.

Rosalinde then - "deep brown skin" is used for dark elves in this game, it's nice to have some variation, especially when the "really tanned" persons living in the desert from the earlier setting were only... male.

Gameplay wise, Rosalinde might be one of the best units, an offensive nuke who can cheese the penultimate boss' gimmick even if she has paper thin defenses, imo she's basically a glass canon. I also really like her attacking animations with the lance (her weapon, even if she's a mage!), they're really fluid so while I know it's not really about "gameplay" it totes counts as to why I like to field her lol

Plot wise... Well, it's Elheim, and on paper, Rosalinde isn't that egregious, she's basically asking Alain (or more precisely Yahna) for help to save her country and her sister, who were both taken over by Zenoira - Rosalinde's seiyuu has a certain voice range (?) which really plays well in depicting her being worried and super pissed at Zenoira invading Elheim and brining harm to her people and beloved younger sister, but also manages to play her character being relieved when she realises her friend/retained who sacrificed herself to buy her time didn't die (and is ultimately saved by the party) while maintaining some sort of coldness/aloofness with the party, at least until her sister is safe because she doesn't trust humans (after all, they are the ones who invaded!) - after her sister is rescued though and her rapport convos are unlocked, we learn that she is a pretty playful person, who loves to tease people around, takes her duty seriously and wishes the best for her sister/wants to protect her, feeling like she let her down when she faced the Zenoiran forces alone.

That being said... Rosalinde is shoved in the "potential love interest who has a hands on approach" box and while it's only at the end of Elheim arc, the "love interest" angle really soured me a bit on the character, especially since, unlike Berengaria, Rosalinde can ditch her sister to marry Alain and become queen of Cornia, even when part of her arc has been trying to find allies to rescue her dearest younger twin and save her country :/

So plot wise I'm a bit meh about her, but gameplay wise? She's a beast!

Linaragos is our male elven archer!

"Sexy feel" of the design or not, at least on Pixiv, some artists are having a lot of fun about his lack of, uh, pants (and undies?).

While he looks serious, Linaragos can be playful and even entertains goofballs like Mordon, even if he plays the "only sane man" in their rapport convo when Eltrinde - basically the leader of the elves and a traditional "priestress" - ends up drunk by smelling his glass of wine.

Intimacy dialogue wise, in the loc version, Linaragos basically agrees to become Alain's object of desire so, uh, sure it's not as explicit as Alain and Berengaria kissing on screen, but there's that.

Gameplay wise, Elven Archers are basically support units - their conferal (adding magic damage to an ally's attack!) can be pretty busted, later on they can freeze foes with their arrows, and when they're healed, they heal the entire unit - but they need a bit of work to really shine, granted, given all the possibilities they open, I'm not surprised the game gives us three named characters in this class!

Plot wise, Linaragos leads a small army of elves trying to resist/fight back against Zenoira, but they're severely outnumbered - which echoes one of Alain's rapport conversations with, iirc, Hodrick, where they basically point out that Elheim's demography is quite poor compared to Cornia, which might be explained by the elves having a longer lifespan! - our army helps him, he recognises Rosalinde and agrees to help us free Elheim and save Eltrinde!

Lydielle (Ridiel?) is a half-elf who has the same "elven archer" class as Linaragos and Galadmir, but I liked how the devs apparently picked her haircut and hair color to give a contrast with the "pure-blooded" elves, and also her "cheeky and rebellious" phase, fitting since she's apparently 16 lol

Maybe her wearing red and orange also serves as a contrast with the other elven archers wearing primary green clothes?

I wonder what was the plot mentionned where she would have been one of Morard's agents - we know elves think bestrals (beastmean) are "unclean" which might echo the discrimination she faces by being a half elf?

Speaking of which, I really liked how her subplot - being discriminated against for being a half elf - while apparently being baseless since the playable elves never give her flack for not being a fully blooded elf, is actually illustrated by the NPCs! They are the ones who, for some, look down or straight up resent humans, consider bestrals "unclean" and, in her paralogue, rant about her not being an elf.

It's not given more attention because that's not what the Elheim arc is about, and Lydielle doesn't even have a convo with either Rosalinde or Eltrinde, but it plays with the general theme of "get rid of the common enemy and then rebuild the world to make it better than it used to be". I also love her recruitment conversations with Chloe - they become friends sure, but Chloe manages to convincer her that even if she might die and think her fight would have ultimately have been pointless against the Zenoiran invasion, her actions could still inspire people to take up weapons and even if she cannot be a knight of Elheim due to her half-elf status, she can still help people around.

Too bad she doesnt' have a lot of rapport convos, but fwiw, I like Lydielle.

Celeste is, much like Lydielle, someone who cannot become a knight of Elheim because she's not an elf.

Nonetheless, having been saved/raised by elves, she wants to help them and forms a militia, even as a mere human. Bar being the pure, innocent, naive etc etc human raised/saved/who lived with elves, what's most interesting about Celeste is that 1/she's another griffon knight and those units are busted 2/she actually manages to hire/join forces with former bandits we met, and who have a change of heart and accept to work under her orders.

Bar that, I don't have a lot to say about Celeste :(

Gammel!

Bandit 1, who was introduced in early Cornia, terrorising a village and slaughtering people - Alain'n'co defeated him and he begged for his life, saying that he had to resort to a life of banditry to pay for his sister's medical expenses, or some shady shit like that.

Alain can chose to put him in jail, or to let him go (and return to his sister) - the decision to let him go can be very controversial in fandom spaces, but plot-wise, it could be justified by Josef basically telling Alain that after Zenoira's invasion and ten years of them being in charge in Cornia, people are surviving and some might have turned to banditry because it was the only way to survive in this new world...

Alain's basically encouraged not to execute people, and it works with Gammel because, somehow, meeting a moron lord who doesn't execute him for doing bandit/thief things made him reconsider his life - Celeste apparently saved him and his sister and now he is part of her militia to protect, at least in the map when we recruit them all, elves from former members of his gang who want to sell some to make money. Emulating the moron lord who gave him a chance to start a new life, he doesn't kill his former allies, and instead hopes that they will turn over a new leaf, like he did.

So even if he looks like a traditionnal FE Bandit, Gammel really has a sister - and her existence is referenced in several of his supports, and even here, in the dev notes lol, good for him!

And I like how he continues, in the epilogue, to work with Celeste and Mandrin - judging by the notes, the trio "Celeste Mandrin and Gammel" was designed as some "do not separate" lol, if that "fantasy" (a headcanon?) of them hanging out with Gammel's sister is any indication!

Unit wise, he's a thief/rogue like Travis, aka supposed to be dodge tanks and quite fast, but... yeah :/

and Mandrin!

Gammel's childhood friend, who's also a bandit who attacked Sharon's church (earning Ochlys' eternal ire) and who also can turn over a new leaf if Alain spares him.

He joins in the same map as Gammel and Celeste and also became part of Celeste's group, and the epilogue reveals that he and Gammel's sister are getting along together, much to his chagrin.

Also I like his design even if I can't see the "scorpion" thing the devs mentionned :(

FWIW, I liked how he accepts that Ochlys hates him for trying to sack and pillage the church of Rondmort, even if personality wise, we're still on the "bandit with a heart of gold" thing.

I don't have a lot to say about those two, but Mandrin's class - Hunter - is cool and surpisingly useful - one of the few AOE attacks!

[sclitude-1]

now accessing://…welcome to coruscant, kuruk ren. the twenty-nine year old looks strikingly similar to avan jogia and is rumored to be working with the first order. he reminds those around them of peaceful solitude in a distant sniper’s nest and hiding out in the silence of the cockpit which makes sense given their personality. the human from serenno is usually seen with their multi-barreled custom designed rifle when walking around coruscant, and is a knight of ren. …//: ooc star + 27 + she/her + aest

history ;;

you don’t remember your family.

you don’t remember the warm embrace of your mother’s arms, the reassuring strength of your father. you don’t even remember what they look like, you were snatched away from them at such a young age.

force sensitive children were few and far between. you’d hardly even learned to walk before you were taken. and ever since, ren is all you’ve told to know. no parents. no family. no home. only the life you were stolen to serve.

as soon as you’re old enough, as soon as you can talk and walk and run without aid, the lessons begin. you’re taught the ways of the galaxy. the history that’s brought your captors to where they are now. the reason you were taken to begin with.

as soon as you’re physically ready, they put a a weapon in your hand, and it’s made clear you will learn how to use it.

you are forged with steel and blood and pain, too young to even remember the concept of warmth and love and home.

you are not alone in your lessons, but they can hardly be called family. others snatched away from their lives, some much older, some closer in age to yourself. but there is no semblance of family, not really. not for you. for you, all you can think about is surviving. getting through the next day with enough breath and blood in your body to keep going.

as you grow older, you sense.. something. something around you. something inside you. a sensation, a connection to something beyond yourself. not just the connection to ren, not the cause you were taken to serve until you live out your final days. something more.

the force, they tell you. but how to truly use it is a mystery. you’re given enough information to focus on it, to find your aptitude, to use it. you find it allows you to see in ways you never could have imagined. to see great distances with nothing but a glance.

but beyond that, much of this connection is shrouded in mystery. another unknown in your life you are forced to forget. threatened to forget, if you would like to survive to serve ren.

and so you do not consider what more the force could give you. you move on, let it go. not to serve ren. not because you’re told to. but to survive. oh, if there’s one thing they teach you well, one instinct they instil in you stronger than any other, it’s the will and the way to survive.

your skill is found to be useful. the worn blade you’ve trained with since you were a child is replaced. a simple rifle at first, standard issue, easy enough to use. and you do use it.

you’re only twelve when you begin to do so. but by then, you’ve endured so much pain, your life has been a swirl of violence and lessons that you hardly notice the life you take.

you often make a home for yourself in the distant nests, watching, waiting. it’s easy from up there. it’s almost like a game, picking them off from a distance, one by one.

you grow. you shoot. you change.

for the most part the other knights find themselves in the battlefield. connections forged in the violence of the assignments. it’s different, from a distance. you never grow close to them, but you find you don’t need to. you’ve never needed connections. there’s no reason for that to change.

your force-enhanced eyesight is found useful for piloting, it seems. something you take to easily enough. a cockpit is calm, quiet. gives you a solitude you find yourself comfortable in. simply you and the ship and the wide expanse of the galaxy before you.

just like a sniper’s nest, you find yourself some semblance of a home there. away from the others.

and just as they wanted, when they took you all those years ago; your life is driven by the peace of solitude. by the darkness. by steel and blaster bolts, alone. as it should be.

if you were meant to have a family, they are long gone.

personality & fun facts ;;

when left to his own devices, kuruk is withdrawn, introverted, much more interested in his solitude in the cockpit of their ship, or his snipers nests. he’s drawn to high places where he will be left in peace

with his team he’s fine, it’s not that he won’t engage and talk. he’ll take part in plans and strategy and whatever else is going on, he just.. often chooses not to engage

in saying that he has grown with a lot of the knights so while he doesn’t quite feel a familial connection there is a sense of duty and honour to protect them as his team and fellow knights

when the mood strikes, or when need be, he can actually be quite charming and knows how to draw people in, generally when it’s as a means to an end of some kind either personal or professional

he doesn’t form attachments to people but he does spend time with people - he’s prone to sleeping around, one night stands, may even have a fwb or two going on here and there but attachment isn’t usually involved in that

do not touch his gun. seriously. the only people allowed to touch his gun are the knights responsible for weapons and armoury. he’ll end you otherwise.

fun tidbit - he's from the same planet as count dooku! i’d love to flesh out some possibilities of what that could mean for him and his force sensitivity/potential for the future

another fun tidbit - he absolutely has a family. I envision his parents are still alive and he has at least one sibling, probably older if anyone wants to do somethin fun with that

uhhh i think that’s it for now i’ll think up some wcs soon

[themattress]

Rewatch: My Bride is a Mermaid - Conclusion

The manga Seto No Hanayome was one that relied heavily on visual comedy and Japanese wordplay, as is common with most gag mangas, and it ended up being nigh untranslatable as a result. It’s anime adaptation, however, played to its unique strengths of movement and voice-acting, and the English dub version My Bride is a Mermaid is an excellent translation; I don’t think there was a single bad performance out of the main cast and I honestly prefer most of the dub voice actors’ portrayals to the original Japanese ones. And since it’s a Seiji Kishi anime which means a lot of screaming at top volume, these voice actors are to be praised even more for risking throwing out their vocal cords out of commitment to their work. 

Furthermore, I honestly believe that this 26-episode anime is superior to the manga, and to the four Japanese-exclusive OVA episodes it later got that adapted other manga stories. The anime stopped at the exact equivalent to the end of the manga’s first half, volume 8. The manga would go on until volume 16, and while there were good moments and even a few outright good stories in this second half, it suffered from an influx of new characters that lacked the charm of the ones we already had and were more often than not redundant. 

Satori Sarutobi, Chimp’s little sister, was at first a one-shot character in the manga’s first half, in a chapter that was adapted as one of the OVA episodes. It would have been fine if that was all of her, but in the second half of the manga she suddenly was brought back as a recurring character and part of Nagasumi’s “harem”, which really did not need a little sister type in it (does any anime harem?) The second half of the manga began with the debut of Saturn, which was the basis for another OVA episode. In said OVA, Saturn was toned down into an innocent one-shot character who didn’t mean to scare and attack anyone and only wanted to see her childhood friend Sun again, returning to the sea without incident after she does. But in the actual manga, Saturn was a horrible bitch and a lesbian yandere who was in love with Sun and wanted to sabotage anyone who she saw as in her way, male and female alike. Not only is she a rehash of the “Sun’s childhood friend who is a screwed up person and gay for her” concept we already had with Lunar except done in a far less appealing way, but she then rehashes Gozaburo’s role by becoming a teacher at the school and the most frequent antagonist for a good many chapters following her introduction.

Sugio is literally Kamata’s twin brother and it makes no sense to include him when Kamata could have just been used for whatever roles he plays. Tenchou is the owner of a maid cafe that Akeno is forced to work at to pay off a debt, which draws in most of the other girls to work there too for chapters upon chapters, the first of which was the basis for an OVA episode. He could have been interesting as the straight man to the merpeople antics around him, but he’s kept too much at a distance from them, to the point where his design is altered in the OVA and his role is a mute, stationary one. The last new character who got adapted into an OVA episode is a recurring school delinquent named Emperor, who eventually got an incredibly disturbing chapter where it’s revealed he’s a fully-grown man who got perpetually held back in middle school, and who lusts after Lunar up until the chapter’s end where he gives up and goes home...with his wife and daughter. Yeah, that’s not funny, that’s just uncomfortable. 

We later got Jupiter, a kind of counterpart to Saturn except that she’s in love with Akeno, has an absurdly androgynous design, and is characterized by how utterly useless she is. Her desperate, stalker-y antics to get Akeno to return her affections are more annoying than humorous, and she’s so pathetic as an antagonist that the Last Amazoness is made to be more dangerous! Fuki is later introduced as Maki’s lookalike sister (her redundancy is such that it’s said that she was literally called “Maki #2″ in her childhood), and she serves Maruko Okhotsk, a teenage yakuza boss and creepy religious zealot who is yet another childhood friend of Sun’s who is obsessed with her to an insane degree and who ends up becoming yet another member of Nagasumi’s “harem”. You see what I mean about the redundancy issue?

The only new character I really appreciate is Amano Edomae, Lunar’s mother who sheds new light on Lunar’s childhood and motivations for becoming an idol, and is an interesting character in her own right who compliments her daughter and ex-husband well. Shortly after her introduction we go into the final story arc, which gives us 1/8th Figurine, a pixie-esque mer-noble later revealed to be a goddess who has no personality beyond providing long, drawn-out exposition, and Maki Yuri, a pupil of Akeno’s who recycles the name of a pre-existing character, rehashes Jupiter’s concept as a potential lesbian love interest for Akeno, and basically plays the same role that Akeno did in the anime’s finale since Akeno had developed to the point where she couldn’t play it here meaning a replacement was needed.

The manga’s finale, btw, is nowhere near as impactful as the anime’s, since Yoshio is a very different character here (an out-and-out catfish who was previously just a one-shot from the manga’s first half, who wants Sun so that he can make her the new sea goddess and rule through her), his forces fight the heroes by invading the school rather than the heroes taking the fight to him in his stronghold, the charmless new characters are involved and there are weaker roles for many of the older ones (Kai and Gozaburo especially are worse off), the resolution is anti-climactic (Nagasumi and Sun impale Yoshio with that magic spear that was used on Nagasumi when he was turned into a giant, which purifies the evil in Yoshio’s heart and makes him reform), and all of the humans involved in the battle, Nagasumi included, get their memories of it wiped Mewtwo-style by 1/8th Figurine which means they don’t get to savor the victory. The last chapter is just a random beach day for everyone, and while all the characters are left on the most appropriate note for them, it still feels underwhelming and even kind of forced (Nagasumi asks Sun to marry him here after she saves him from drowning again just like in the first chapter, and it’s revealed that she’d given him CPR back then so Masa wasn’t his first kiss after all...because that really needed to be clarified, right?)

Aside from the events and characterizations of episode 13 and episode 18 being far better portrayed, the only thing that I think the manga truly has over the anime is how Akeno’s story and character develop. I think I came to love Akeno even more on this rewatch than I did the first time around, and it was kind of disappointing that the anime ends before anything more can come out of the reveals in episode 23. The manga actually continues that plotline and by the end Akeno finds out that Masa is her brother and they get to have a formal reconciliation, and Akeno in general feels like an even stronger character who’s grown so much more by the end of the manga when compared to the end of the anime. Which isn’t to say that she and her development in the anime is bad, because it isn’t at all - it just feels notably incomplete. I’d gladly trade all four OVA episodes we got for one long OVA about Akeno; she deserves it.

And now, to wrap things up, my top 10 favorite characters and episodes:

1. Sun Seto 2. Lunar Edomae 3. Mawari Zenigata 4. Akeno Shiranui 5. Gozaburo Seto 6. Nagasumi Michishio 7. Kai Mikawa 8. Masa 9. Ren Seto 10. Papa Edomae

1. Episode 8: Duel* 2. Episode 26: The Place You Go Home To* 3. Episode 19: There's No Business Like Show Business 4. Episode 24: Farewell, My Friend 5. Episode 11: Armageddon 6. Episode 2: The Lord of the Ring 7. Episode 23: The Man Without a Past 8. Episode 17: Cops vs. Thugs 9. Episode 22: Privilege 10. Episode 6: Faibles Femmes   * Honorable mention to episodes 7 and 25, which are the set-up for these ones.

What else is left to say but: Honor Among Thieves is Honor Under the Seas!

[littlemisssquiggles]

If you watched fairy tail and/or my hero academia, do you have headcanons about Oscar acting like tamaki or hibiki towards his teammates/friends and Ruby?

‘Sup Mojo. I know about Fairy Tail but I’ve never watched it or followed the manga. I am a fan of My Hero Academia; the anime though. I don’t follow the manga unfortunately. In terms ofthe MHA anime, I’ve only seen 2/3 seasons that are out. Haven’t settled down towatch S3 as yet. I do recognize and know a wee bit about Tamaki though. I knowhe’s part of the Big 3, right? Again, haven’t watched S3 as yet so all I knowabout Tamaki is that he’s super shy and awkward with meeting new people.

Going off of that, I can see why you wouldthink Tamaki for Oscar. However I feel like Oscar was only super shy back in V5when he first met everyone for the first time. Back in V5, Oscar was shy andjumpy at times with everyone. However he’s become more comfortable aroundeveryone a lot better now and any shred of shyness he had before has softlydiminished. He can still be awkward at times especially when put on the spot.But beyond that, I think Oscar has slowly come out of his shell in terms of hisinteractions with his teammates/friends.

He isn’t completely out of his shell as yet but he’sgetting there. This is why I’m interested to see how Oscar will fit working on a huntsmen team. It’s why I’m such an advocate for a TeamJNPR Revival with Oscar taking Pyrhha’s originalspot.

Watching Oscar learn to fight as part of a huntsmen team would be a wonderful learning experience for him and Ihonestly believe that Oscar’splace is destined to be with JNR. I understand thatJNR are only the secondary support team for Team RWBY however I’ve always favoured their team rapport over RWBY’s since I feel likeJaune, Nora and Ren have a stronger, tighter, family dynamic when compared to RWBY.

I felt a much stronger bond between JNR thanRWBY mainly because, unlike RWBY, JNR know what it’s like to lose one of theirown. Team RWBY have only been separated from each other; divided by islands andoceans but I never had any doubt that RWBY wouldn’t be united.

JNPR however have lost one of their own. They’vehad to deal with the pain and grief of losing someone who was once an intricatemember of their little family. They’ve all had to come to terms with theacknowledgement that their lost comrade was never coming back. JNR has sufferedthat blow which is why I want to see them finally rise from it. As hinted inV6, I think it can be safe to say that JNR have all unanimously accepted Pyrhha’sdeath; especially Jaune as the leader, closest person to Pyrhha and the one whowas devastated by her loss the most. As of now, JNR is in a place to move onand start to rebuild their team from the ground up, starting with find themselves a fourthmember---someone who can make them feel whole again. A worthy successor toPyrrha.

This is why I’m liking the idea of part of V7’s storyfocusing on JNPR’sRevival. I have this small headcanon where as soon asthe group arrive in Atlas and reunite with General Ironwood, RWBY, JNR and Oscar are all enrolled temporarily atAtlas Academy to continue pursuing theirhuntsmen training while they are staying within the kingdom.

Atlas is a chance to see our young heroesbecome students again---exchangestudents for that matter technically since they’restudents from one academy training at another and experiencing the culture shock that comes with it.

What if…while training at Atlas, JNR israndomly assignment a fourth team member while Oscar is placed on another huntsmen team as theirfourth member. Let’s say, JNR’s assigned fourth member was someone who graduated at the top of theirclass at combat school and was considered the best student at AtlasAcademy---similar credentials as Pyrhha. However unlike Pyrhha, this fourthmember lacked the humility and compassion that made Pyrhha a great person outsideof just being a great huntress. This huntsman was arrogant and constantly triedto upstage and undermine, not just Jaune as the team leader but Ren and Nora as well. Basicallyimagine a pompous, self-proclaimed one man huntsmen team being pushed to workwith JNR. So naturally this person isn’t a good fit for JNR but they are forcedto work with them while they’re at Atlas.

One the other side of the spectrum, poorOscar is going through his own fair share of issues because his teammates arethree of the laziest people Oscar has ever had the misfortune of working with.And unfortunately for Oscar, he’s designated the leader of this team purely because none of his teammates wanted the positionand responsibility. So Oscar struggles to lead a huntsman team that refuse tolisten and work with him while dealing with his own shortcomings of not being astrong enough fighter. The good news is Oscar is technically the strongestfighter on his team. However the bad news is that that is purely due in part tohis teammates being too idle to fight. Picture Oscar being stuck with a bunch of snooty grunts who only became huntsmenfor the potential money rather than actually wanting to help people and onlygot into Atlas because of their family name or something to that extent.

So neither JNR nor Oscar are happy being with theirrespective teams assigned to them. But it is this experience that additionallymakes Oscar’s bond with JNR grow; particular with Jaune. One thing I’ve wantedto done for the Shovel knight FRIEND-ship is Jaunementoring Oscar or at least aiding to shapehim into a better huntsman like what Pyrhha did for him.

Picture…Jaune offering to coach Oscar on his potentialleadership skills. Picture…Oscar having private sessions with bothRuby and Jaune. While Ruby assisted Oscar in strengthening his combatskills, Jaune helped Oscar with her strategicalleadership skills.

We did get to see Jaune acknowledge Oscar’skeen eyes and tactical talent back with Cordovin. Perhaps this was a sign that Jaunemay help nurture that side of Oscar in the future. Jaune has always been asolid strategist. As a matter of fact, I’d like to think that it was histactical skills and ability to command others to execute those strategiesflawlessly was what impressed Ozpin enough to appoint Jaune as leader of JNPR.

Jaune is a strong tactician so I’d love to see Jaunementor Oscar on that, bringing out that side of him as well as the two bond andrealize they share good chemistry in that regard.

Imagine Jaune and Oscar growing so close astacticians that they’re able to read off of each other on thebattlefield---tell what move the other is going to make before they can evenvoice it. This is great because it can make Oscar a good second in command forJaune (when he joins JNR)---a role which Pyrhha used to fill.

Pyrhha was Jaune’sright hand---the person who helped him out the most. His secondin command who Jaune trusted and depended on. Noraand Ren are Jaune’slegs---the two people who are his pillars of support andkeep him grounded all the time. Till this day, Renora are still Jaune’s strong supportivepair but Jaune is still missing his arm.

All the more reason why I think Oscar would be a good fit to become Jaune’s righthand man. Yes he may be younger and inexperienced.But so was Jaune when he first became leader. Pyrhha was there to help bringout Jaune’s greatness and I’d imagine that if Oscar joins JNR, Jaune will bethere to bring out Oscar’s greatness.

Words cannot fathom how much I want to see V7 focusing on building upon JNR’s interactionswith Oscar. Even if we don’t get my hunch about JNR andOscar being slapped with different people before realizing they are a perfectfit together coming to fruition, at least have V7 give us more moments of Oscarjust bonding with JNR more---especially Jaune all culminating with him working togetherwith them on the battlefield and finally solidifying that he was their missingpiece all along.

I want V7to be about Oscar proving to JNR that he is the one destined to resurrect theirteam--ironic since he’s the incarnation of an immortal soul. I don’t want anothercharacter to tell JNR that they should take Oscar in. I don’t want another cheap shot like Rubybeing the arrow that had to spell out for JNR why they should let Oscar jointhem.

No! I want JNR to each and all acknowledge Oscar oftheir own accord and make that realization for themselves. No outsideinfluence. Just these three coming to see that this young farm boy is the onethey need to make them complete again.

That’s what I want for JNPR’s side of the storyfor V7. As usual, this is just myperspective. Nonetheless I hope it comes true to someextent.

Oh! As for RoseGarden in terms of Oscar’s interactions with Ruby, similar to JNR, I expect V7 to focus on building the friendship side of Oscar’s ties to Ruby. We know Oscar cares a lot for Ruby but I don’t think he realizes his crush on Ruby yet. I feel like Oscar’s crush will be a factor that won’t come into play until like a another volume or so. Like maybe V8. If the Schnee Family Affairs and the Crimes of the SDC subplot is stretched for 2 volumes then I can see Oscar’s feelings for Ruby not coming into play until like V8 or so. Especially not until he joins JNR so that he can someone like Nora spell it out for him and help him to realize it for himself. Buuuuut....again, this is just me XD

~LittleMissSquiggles(2019)

[blacklakeinavalley]

Have you noticed ...

... the similarity between this structure that Rey scavenges for reusable parts in her first scene in TFA and Kylo Ren’s lightsaber?

Said similarity inspired me to write a little meta piece on Rey’s introduction in TFA. Due to my over-excitement there’s probably some garbage (I know ...) in it, but also some interesting stuff, I promise!

Scavenging for Kylo’s good parts (a TFA/TLJ meta)

The Force Awakens introduces Rey by showing her plundering an Imperial-class Star Destroyer. Watching the movie for the umpteenth time before Amazon’s release of The Last Jedi, the structure we see Rey standing on suddenly reminded me of - a lightsaber hilt. This might seem a bit farfetched at first. But have a look at the next shot:

With the maintenance flap left wide open the construction evokes not just a lightsaber, it’s reminiscent of a very particular one: Kylo Ren’s. For comparison:

[Image: “IMG_4127 - Kylo Ren’s Hilt 3D Print” by Anime Nut (licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 2.0).]

Kylo’s lightsaber hilt has that very characteristic opening that makes the inside easily accessible. Also, its grooves and ridges bear resemblance to the tubular metal cover Rey opened.

Now it would be interesting to know what Rey took out of that “lightsaber”. We first get a look at the thing immediately after she detaches it from the structure. It’s definitely the same piece she’s cleaning at Niima Outpost later:

We probably get to see one half (!) of it even for a third time, namely in the hands of Unkar Plutt, before he rewards Rey with the infamous “quarter portion” for her day’s work:

Seeing Unkar Plutt with one half of the object, I first thought of the blue legacy saber’s broken kyber crystal from the end of The Last Jedi. Moreover, the shape of the thing Rey scrubs is in fact a bit crystal-like (like a cut diamond, maybe?). And whatever you see lying on the table in the background looks pretty much like a blaster, so there’s definitely an association with arms.

We have to keep in mind though that Kylo’s/Ben Solo’s red crystal is indeed cracked (credit for that piece of information belongs to this great post about lightsabers, bonding with a crystal and how all of that relates to Kylo’s/Ben’s weapon!), but, unlike Rey’s at the moment, not broken, and still part of a functional lightsaber. The thing Rey took with her from the Star Destroyer surely needs some polishing, but she would have saved herself the entire trouble in the first place had it seemed useless or beyond hope when she found it. Obviously, she considered it worth the effort. The payment turned out to be a huge disappointment nonetheless, but that probably tells us more about Unkar Plutt (and Rey!) than the actual value of the object. All of that reminds me heavily of Rey‘s bitter disappointment in Kylo/Ben at the end of TLJ.

A connection between Kylo Ren and the starship Rey plunders is also implied by quasi canonical sources other than the movies. Not only was Kylo/Ben born during or very soon after the Battle of Jakku took place (source), where the Star Destroyer in question crashed (source). This very Star Destroyer, like all capital ships, has a name - it’s the Interrogator (same source). Yup. Additional fun fact: The AT-AT Rey used to live in on Jakku “was designated ‘Hellhound Two’, and formed part of the Hellhound attack force of the Imperial-class Star Destroyer, Interrogator” (source). (In case the Hellhound Two makes you wonder: There’s in fact a whole lot of visual duality in Rey’s first scene. Have you for example noticed the second “lightsaber”-structure inside of the Star Destroyer? I have a strong feeling that some things could also be said about the Hellhound; maybe another time.)

So we basically have lonely Rey climbing around inside of the fallen Interrogator, looking into its darkest corners, always in desperate need to obtain some good/useful/valuable parts. But she actually manages, however poorly, to live on the fallen battleship, and has found at least some kind of home in an associated AT-AT. Kylo, on the other hand, feels “torn apart” and like thrown away under the façade he built, so he definitely has some things in common with that Star Destroyer.

It’s highly likely that Rey’s first scene in TFA is also meant to foreshadow the eventual interrogation scene. As we know, Rey fights back and indeed manages to wrest an important piece of information from Kylo Ren: “You ... you‘re afraid ... that you will never be as strong as Darth Vader!” This has lots of implications. Sure, to emulate a Sith Lord seems indeed pretty dark. But that Kylo is afraid to fail also shows how full of self-doubt and even self-hatred he is. He hates himself for what he thinks is his greatest weakness and therefore the biggest obstacle to surpassing Vader - the “pull to the light” he admitted feeling earlier in the film, to his grandfather’s helmet. By looking into Kylo’s mind, Rey hit right upon the conflict in him. She came across his good parts without properly noticing - then.

Maybe that’s also the reason why the scavenged part can be split in two (if that’s really what’s going on in the scene with Unkar Plutt, of course). There is light and darkness in Kylo/Ben and in Rey as well. In order to reach their full potential in the Force, they must embrace either aspect and find a balance of the two (I would love to mention chandrilasky’s metas as a source here, they are, however, no longer accessible). In the throne room scene in TLJ we saw them finding that balance and thus a new level of strength through each other. Rey and Kylo/Ben are not only stronger together because that makes them two instead of one. One and one make not two in this case, but three. Let me try to explain. The two parts of the scavenged piece are presumably pretty useless on their own. But if properly put together (again), they are not just two useless parts screwed together – no, purpose and functionality is suddenly gained. Maybe that piece also implies that Rey and Kylo/Ben specifically belong together, at the very least if they both want to draw on their full potential in the Force. You cannot stick one half of the scavenged part on a random other piece and expect that combination to be useful or even functional. On the contrary, lasting damage might be inflicted on the involved parts. So the scavenged, made-up-of-two-parts piece embodies the nature of the Force, and speculatively (we will ultimately learn about that in episode IX) symbolizes the Force-willed connection between Rey and Kylo/Ben, too.

And there is yet another layer of meaning: “The heart of the lightsaber, the crystal is”, says Yoda (source). If Rey stealing a certain something from the Interrogator is not cinematic storytelling at its finest (and most touching), then I don’t know what is.

THANKS FOR READING AND PUTTING UP WITH MY ENGLISH AND WRITING STYLE!!

[Copyright disclaimer: Since 1. the used screenshots are part of the argumentation 2. there is no commercial purpose behind their use 3. these shots are only a comparatively small portion of the copyrighted work The Force Awakens 4. the argumentation appreciates said work, I consider the use of these pictures to be fair use according to § 107 of the Copyright Act of 1976.]

[iabsolutelyresentthiswebsite]

Why Reylo Should DEFINITELY NOT Happen

Is this an unpopular opinion now?

Disclaimer: I am not anti-Kylo. I love Kylo Ren for the potential his character does have (view profile picture!). I do not excuse any of his actions, but I do understand that had he not been mentally fucked by Snoke as an impressionable adolescent and had he not pushed away everyone who cared about him and tried to help, he would not be in this mess. Very much Snoke’s fault, very much his own. I love Rey for the beautiful being and character she is. How strong she is, her emotionality, and her fierce and beautiful desires. I am a fan of both Rey and Kylo Ren, so please do not take this as me saying one is too good for the other. 

Well, everyone knows how very, very sure I am of myself when I say Rey is Rey Skywalker. This would make her Kylo’s first cousin, their parents being twins, so that is very, very fucked up to begin with. This is the MAJOR, and first, reason I was ever anti-Reylo. 

But let’s PRETEND she isn’t Rey Skywalker. Maybe she’s Rey Kenobi or Rey whatever. It doesn’t matter. Let’s PRETEND she’s not a Skywalker, even though that is so wildly unlikely. View the attached videos to the last few words to see why I say it is that.

Have you viewed the videos? No? Well, I suggest you do. But whatever…I don’t know your schedule nor your interest level in this. Anyway, moving on…

So I’m sure you’re wondering, “Why, if you love both of the characters and they weren’t related, would you not ship them together?”

Simple: Because it is insulting to their characters, detrimental to the character development they could potentially have, and ends Star Wars for good.

I can hear the jeering now, “Those are some WILD assertions. How can you prove this, OP?”

Dissertation:

We have only been just introduced to them as characters, so how would I truly understand their motivations and who they really are? Well, to tell you the truth, I am one of those people who knows who people are based on how they act and respond to situations. It’s easy for me to predict what you will want and how you will act later. If I am so confident after TFA that I am willing to put myself on the line for jeering and my opinion up to all criticism on this website littered with differing opinions, I must be pretty confident that I know what I’m talking about. Especially true because I avoid conflict at pretty much all cost. So here goes…

Kylo Ren is a child trapped in a man of 30′s body. He pushed everyone who loved him away and was brainwashed by someone who cared only about what he could do for them. Kylo Ren’s main desire is that he wants to be wanted, he wants someone to be proud of him. He is unstable, unpolished, and very, very frightened…of Snoke, of himself, and of what he feels inside him. He is not emotionally mature enough, at least at this point, to handle a romantic relationship…at least a healthy one, one that which Rey would hypothetically deserve. And even though Kylo is allegedly more “polished” in TLJ, deep-seated fears like those just don’t go away. 

Rey is a grown adult. She grew up alone by nothing more than circumstances brought on by her parents, of whom we don’t (but probably do) know. Rey is 19…probably 21 by this movie…and has dealt with way too much in her life. She is emotional, but strong. She is fiercely loyal and desires nothing greater than to belong somewhere and feel that she belongs. She has every capability to have a healthy romantic relationship, but she doesn’t seem to really push for that. She desires friends and companionship and belonging, but not…a romantic relationship. At some point may she? Probably, but she doesn’t seem like the type of person, in my opinion, to prioritize a romantic entanglement. She is just getting her footing in the new world outside of Jakku. 

Now, keep all that in mind while I explain why it’s insulting to their characters and the franchise itself!

I am writer myself. I am, admittedly, predominantly a songwriter. I have written screenplays and short stories and whatnot…you may have seen one of my screenplay ideas for Kylo Ren’s redemption because I did, at one point, post a few of them on Tumblr. However, not the point. 

I took a screenwriting class about 2 years ago in college. Stay with me here! There was one time, I remember, we had an assignment for a short screenplay. I was writing a story…I don’t remember about what exactly, but I remember how much trouble I was having in keeping it within the time limit and due date I had. Finally, I had 3 days left to hand it in and still was trying to think of a decent way to end it. I had ideas and ideas that I loved, but the only thing that fit within the page limit and that would allow me to hand it in on time was the ending I hated…but it was the only choice I had at this point. I did it. I had the main antagonist fall in love with the main protagonist. I hated myself for it and it dissected their characters and destroyed the story, but I did it. I handed that paper in on time and in the page limit I had. 

You see what I’m getting at, don’t you?

I used…a cop-out. 

And that’s what endgame Reylo is. 

A cop-out. 

A cop-out is, as I’m sure you all know, something you do when you have no other choice or can’t think of a way to bring about your next goal. You do it because you gotta do it to make what you want happen happen. In this case, making Reylo canon would bring about a natural close to the saga. 

But at what cost?!

Star Wars, as I’m sure we’re all aware, is littered with themes that extend back to the beginning time of storytelling. Good versus evil being the most notable theme, familial love, love in general. A lot of basic AF themes, but all good stories tend to have similar themes. We all know that because there are truly only 6-8 real stories in life and cinema. You can only have so many good things. 

Now, TROPES are a different monster all together. Redemption is a trope that Star Wars utilizes a lot and that’s okay because it makes sense and grounds their good versus evil theme. Also, the Star Wars universe is so expansive and well-designed that it’s even kind of difficult to identify the trope until you really step back and say…”…huh.” It’s fine to utilize some tropes in wonderful movies. Don’t get me wrong…

But not when it sacrifices your characters. 

The trope I will be talking about now is the one in which “the bad guy falls in love with the good girl and shirks his bad ways to make her happy and be with her”. We all know what I’m talking about. And we all know how played out it is. We’re all tired of it.

How many movies have we seen this year with the very same endgame trope? 12? more? I don’t know, I barely go to the movies anymore. 

Do you want Kylo Ren and Rey’s character identity as it stands and their potential character development to devolve, which that’s what it is, into a romantic endgame? 

That is my question for you. 

Kylo Ren has the potential to pull a Vader and decide for himself, with the help of the people whom he pushed away earlier and those new friends, that what he’s doing is wrong. Darth Vader decided that when his son’s life, whom believed steadfastly in his goodness, was threatened that what he was doing was wrong and changed because he wanted to. Luke did not coerce, did not guilt, did not even truly fully persuade Darth Vader to turn back. But having Rey profess her love or even Kylo admit he is in love as a method of change is such a disservice to both of their characters. You are eliminating the fact that Kylo Ren must take responsibility for what he’s done and make amends as necessary. 

To degrade Rey’s very presence in the series to a method to bring about change in her male counterpart is disgusting to me. Her potential to grow as a Force-user, her potential to be stronger than Luke, her potential to be her own person is GONE. We all know this to be true. Once she becomes the object of the male villain’s affections, she becomes a sex symbol, she becomes nothing more than an object, and she is now forever thought of as “Kylo Ren’s Girlfriend” and not “Rey”. She becomes his property in the thoughts and minds of fans and those not fans because she loses her own name when that happens because now all that matters is the relationship. 

To use a female of Rey’s caliber to FORCE CHANGE in a male such as Kylo is reprehensible because it negates his need for true redemption, for taking responsibility, for fighting back from the Darkness. We all know Kylo needs to show effort because of who he is. He is denying and fighting the light, so therefore, he needs to fight the Darkness even harder. But…

If they fall in love…we all know, that’s all that will be remembered. 

Not who Rey really is. Not what she could have been. Not Kylo’s struggle to turn back. Not his betrayal of Supreme Leader Snoke. 

It’s all just them falling in love now…

Do you want that for Star Wars?

Because you know that’s what would happen. “Search your feelings, you know it to be true.” 

I, personally, would not want that for this amazing franchise that has literally brought people joy for 40 years. 

Aside from that, if they did fall in love and potentially go on to have children, that would be the end of Star Wars. 

I know Return of the Jedi was kind of that way too. ROTJ was really a nicely tied bow on top of a Christmas present, sealing the whole Saga of 6 (yeah, I know ROTJ came out before the Prequels!)

TFA is really a second Christmas present for someone. 

Since X, XI, and XII are all confirmed, if Kylo and Rey get together in IX, I do not see where they could go from there, especially considering they’re probably intending to follow the formula from before where the first saga was Anakin and Luke’s story, this saga really couldn’t be Kylo and Rey’s. IX would feel too final for people to want to rehash and reopen the gift. They’d lose viewers. They’d lose revenue. They’d lose our trust. If something feels too final, people won’t want to come back to it. That’s the problem with older people not liking TFA and the new trilogies. ROTJ was too final. But now that we have this and I’m open-minded to the new story, I’m all in…but 

THEY HAVE TO DO IT RIGHT.

And Reylo is not the right way. 

It would bring everything to a natural close before its time. I don’t know if I’d want to come back to SW after that because I don’t see the potential for a future in the series with that as a trilogy-closer. 

Now, I’m done. I’m just trying to let you all see what I’m seeing here. The quote that Rian Johnson made in the NYT that “Rey and Kylo are really two sides of the same protagonist” is the truth, but it, in no way, alludes to Reylo becoming canon. If anything, it alludes to: 1) Kylo’s Redemption or 2) Rey’s Turn to the Dark Side. 

Now please understand…I’m not trying to make y’all feel anything if you ship Reylo. This is just how I feel and how a lot of others feel. I’m very Pro-Kylo and very Anti-Reylo and I admit that. But I have legitimate reasons and legitimate concerns for the future of the franchise if Reylo sets sail. 

[officialdeathbycinema]

Star Wars Official Trailer Analysis

OK! So i've watched...and re-watched...and rewatched...and analyzed this two and a half minute piece of cinema hypeness, and i've a few things to say if you don't mind...well, I really don't care if you do mind or not because it's 2:10 in the morning and i've been trying to bring my thoughts together on not only a trailer, but two movies as well, so fight me.

So we open to see an Imperial Officer looking silhouette staring at an assembly line. This could be Ben Solo, but for all intents and purposes, i'm going to assume this is the previously unseen "Rose" character, only officially depicted in Funko Pop! form. I'm honestly kinda interested to see what we see in this character, considering she's been so prominently featured in toy sales but no real promotional material for the movie itself (As i'm typing this however, I looked back and it really is just Ben).

Six seconds in and we transition, the change in scenery accompanied by Ces- I mean Snoke's voice over towards Ben, giving the audience a taste of what we have in store when it comes to the new Emperor-type Big Bad. We see a bunch of AT-M6 Walkers in a line for a span of three seconds, which then transitions into an overhead location shot of what i'm going to assume is Snoke's actual lair, which we see Ben and a good number of troopers walking in formation, presumably on the way to see the Supreme Leader (HA, Rocky and Bullwinkle reference!) at thirteen seconds in. Then a profile shot of Ben with his helmet on at fourteen seconds, which leads into him reaching down and picking up a new saber. This being essentially the same saber design, only sleeker, blacker, and more refined.

After that, a few seconds of black, followed by the blasting sound of a saber igniting and we see Rey on Ahch-To. We're gonna skip ahead to thirty-five seconds in, and watch Luke Skywalker take back his saber from Rey. But at thirty-eight seconds, we hear Rey say the line "Something inside me has always been there." Ok, that's a pretty cut and paste line, so i'll move on because that's probably one of the least interesting things to talk about in this trailer. Forty-one seconds into the trailer and Rey is entering the temple tree, where the books are held. Now in the first trailer we saw the insignia of the "Grey Jedi". Think of them as the agnostics of the Star Wars universe. That's obviously an oversimplification, but we can get to that topic later. Maybe when the films come out, but later. Forty-seven seconds in and she's training with a saber, and I'm really wanting to assume she's been here for a few months, and not just a week or two after the first film when this scene plays out (*cough cough, make Rey not a Mary-Sue anymore cough cough*). The force is apparently so strong with Rey that she can make the ground crack beneath her, which prompts Luke to say, in my opinion, a very interesting line.

At fifty-two seconds we hear Luke say the line: "I've seen this raw strength only once before. It didn't scare me enough then, it does now." Couple that with imagery of a building burning, more burning, and Luke's robot hand emerging from debris like he's in The Evil Dead, and people are going to assume one thing. They're going to assume that he's talking about Ben Solo. I however, do not think this is the case. Sure he underestimated Ben, but he wasn't scared of him because he was family, not because he had darkness in him. No, he's not talking about Ben, or Vader, or even Starkiller. No, I think he's talking about Sideous. Because if you remember the original trilogy, Luke was very, VERY headstrong when it came to defeating the dark side, and in turn didn't take the Emperor as a serious threat until it almost cost him his life...but now that he sees that same pure, raw power, it TERRIFIES him. But then it plays into the whole "Old man doesn't want to train young pupil for something that happened to them personally until they reluctantly give up" cliche that this series seems to want to jerk off like Ron fuckin Jeremy...but I digress. From one minute and three seconds in to one minute and eight seconds in, we hear Ben say the words "let the past die" while he subsequently DESTROYS his Darth Fanboy helmet (Which is what i'm going to be calling it from this day on forth). He could be talking about his time as an agent for the light side, or this could be a potential scene beginning a redemption arc for Ben where he tears away from his Kylo Ren persona. But then again, a redemption arc wouldn't be that fun when you can just kill the character before that happens in the slightest....or just have him evil, you know, because evil apparently isn't cool anymore, everything has to be "tragic and misunderstood"...AGAIN, I digress. Then comes a starship battle, and boy HOWDY is Ben one hell of a pilot. He says the line "Kill it, if you have to", which is in relation to the previous line of "Let the past die"...and then at one minute and fifteen seconds, we see General Leia....which basically is an "oh fuck" moment because I'm basically just calling it that she's gonna kick the bucket HARD in this movie, and the news of her playing a "pivotal role" is highly exaggerated.

One minute, seventeen seconds: Mommy senses baby through force, and vice versa...or IS IT? My whole thing about how the trailer is edited is weird, because there are some obvious weaving techniques being put in here to deceive the audience. So how I think this scene is going to play out is that Ben is ordered to destroy the Resistance base on that particular ship, which he does. But you know, since Snoke's whole thing is manipulation of Ben, and losing his mother (since it was explained in the last movie that his bond with Leia was far stronger than his bond with Han) would essentially put him in a state of darkness, making Snokes job WAY EASIER. So Snoke tells Ben "Hey, I don't like this Resistance ship. Blow it up." to which Ben replies "Alright, you've not really sent me astray before, why would you do it now? It's not like you're a manipulative dickbag that looks like a scrotum wrapped in one of Hugh Hefner's robes.". But then Snoke "fails" to mention that Leia is on that ship. She senses him, but since he's STILL not mature enough in the ways of the force (and sometimes this series throws continuity into the wind like Nana's ashes on a late summer evening), He doesn't sense her until it's too late. He doesn't sense her persay...but he senses a lack of her. He feels that classic disturbance in the force. He doesn't know why until later...and he doesn't know that he had just killed his own mother, a woman he loved so dearly, and the reason he was so conflicted about going fully dark side. But now that she's gone...Snoke can take him, and Ben is so distraught...that he listens, and fully accepts his role as not Ben Solo, but Kylo Ren.

BUT THAT'S JUST HOW I WANT THE SCENE TO GO DOWN, I DON'T THINK THE WRITERS ARE GONNA BE CLEVER ENOUGH TO DO IT THAT WAY.

One minute and thirty three seconds...Porg.

One minute, thirty seven seconds, Poe Dameron vs Ben Solo dogfight which is no doubt gonna be really cool. One minute, forty seconds, Finn vs. Brienne of Tarth in a giant Aluminum onsie...I mean Captain Phasma. Probably gonna be really cool, I just want more character growth in Finn since he had a pretty weak arc in Episode Seven (well, at least it was stronger than Rey's).

There's some more lines said by Luke which are pretty uninteresting, but at one minute and fifty-seven seconds, we see our first look at Snoke, and boy was I accurate in my description. You guys remember that scene in Deadpool where they basically just let TJ Miller riff at Ryan Reynolds for three uninterrupted minutes? Yeah, that. But my sister did raise a pretty good theory for this scene earlier, and she said that Rey might be experiencing one of Ben's memories...even though she's probably not.

Two minutes and three seconds, black screen with Rey's dialogue leading us into the most misleading part of the trailer which has the #Reylo shippers up in arms. We hear Rey say the words "I need someone to show me my place in all of this." and then we see Ben raise a hand towards the camera. Now upon first glance, we assume he's offering to take Rey under his wing...but these two shots aren't even in the same scene. The lighting is all wrong for this to be possible for one thing, two the tones of each shot are different as well. The light that is facing Rey camera left is pure, and unobstructed. She's in the temple tree on Ahch-To, presumably talking to Luke and convincing him to train her. But when the camera is on Ben, he's obviously in the tail end of a battle sequence. He COULD still be talking to Rey, but no, the line given is in a completely different scene. So no #Reylo shippers, your beloved character parallel fetish fodder is not canon yet, keep writing your fanfiction. Now that last paragraph could potentially label me as Anti-Reylo, but then again not only do I not care if I am labelled as such, I just don't care about the delicious death threats i'm BOUND to get from subsequently posting this analysis on Tumblr once i'm done posting it to Facebook.

Anyways, the credits roll three seconds after that, we're promised a film on December 15th, and the first week of tickets are probably already sold out as i'm writing this. But overall it was a decent trailer as far as analytical material goes, and I don't really think we need another since the movie is two months off.

So yeah, weeee Star Wars...I think the internet is just RUINING this new trilogy for me.