#the being logically very nuanced is Also sometimes to a fault though

[pseudophan]

Something I like about you is that you are a professional hater but you are also able to acknowledge nuance… not everyone could do it

thank you! sincerely that's very nice to hear because i like to think i strike a fair balance, but i also know i'm not always entirely successful. i'd say i'm very emotionally black and white (to an extreme fault) but logically very nuanced, which is i guess a good combination in that it balances out, but it does make the aftermath of every breakdown i have ten times more embarrassing lmao. but yeah i think, or at least hope, that i'm able to present most of my non-hysterical opinions in a way that factors in more than just my initial gut reaction. like let me just acknowledge that i understand why xyz and those are all valid but also on a personal level, even though i realise i'm being unfair, i do fucking hate this thing

[ignitification]

What the Future Holds

“It is the temptation of war to punish; it is the task of policy to construct.” (Henry Kissinger). 

There has been a lot of debate around what is going to happen after (the heroes win? AfO is defeated? The Villains are saved? - are all valid hypothesis), right at the end of BNHA. Long ago, though, someone asked - what would be the reaction of the civilians at large when this all goes down? We know for a fact that while, more or less, our protagonists are in the loop of what exactly went down with the villains (or at least that they have not had a lot of positive experiences and possibilities to grow up as good as them), the civilians know close to nothing (apart from Touya’s broadcast, which in hindsight should be at least enough to make space way for the possibility of civilians understanding the woes of the villains and trying to accept the change which this ending will brings, and yet) when it comes to this matter. Will they be able to accept ‘a hero’ saving ‘a villain’? Will the change in society, the abolishment of a Quirk Society in general and the aftermath of the war (likely the cancellation of the hero rankings, and just the demotion of the title hero as profession) be accepted eventually?

While these are question to which I would like to answer ‘It depends’, I’d say that it might be the case, but the change will be slow, gradual and likely painful. Let’s take the example of Heteromorph Quirks, which, so many years after the discovery and establishment of quirks, are still looked down upon. This highlights the struggle with which this society adapts, and that it adapts to only certain parts of the society (which are usually the pretty parts, while the ugly ones are or ignored or just thoroughly refused to look at). It is the same principle we see in not only the narrative of Lady Nagant (and the rose-colored glasses with which civilians see society and pro-heroes), and the villains themselves (as their Quirks made them unfit for the general public to be displayed or used) but also in the same narrative which Izuku carries - he struggles to accept himself as someone who is Quirkless, and takes his chances to inherit All Might’s power, a little because of his dreams and more because that way he can also be part of that same society who treated him like shoe’s dirt before he gained ‘power’ and a standing as a UA student with a Quirk fit to be a hero.

We can see and take a little bit from what is probably going to be the reaction to the ending, both by seeing the reaction we have to Dabi’s broadcast, the press conference of the Top 3 and Izuku going rogue and looking villainy, as well as the public’s reaction to him coming back to UA.

Being likely familiar with these scenario, it definitely does not hit as a positive-filled situation, but rather the outage of the small mindedness and the expectancy of a perfect world division in villains and heroes by the civilians. Yes, it is the famous panel of the dichotomy of heroes and villains and look who already did foresee this so long ago: a villain, which is hilarious in itself but also pretty logical if you think about it.

The thing is, that as told millions times before the core problem of this society is that it does not understand nuance (and so doesn’t this fandom, for that matter): everything should be white or black, good or bad, hero or villain. But in reality, this dichotomy falls short of understanding what is hidden behind the curtain: the ugly truth of the fact that sometimes there is no good or bad, and that maybe sometimes the good is not as good and bad is not as bad. And as said million times before again, this stems from the fact that a. society has been kept in the dark from the deeds that the HPSC has done all these years, therefore conditioning and manipulating society into believing that a distinction exists; and b. it is rather easier to separate the good and the bad guys by a simple principles like a working label and to stick to it, even in front of rather compelling evidence. In the end, it is clear that the public has trust issues at their finest, but it then shows what a shaky base these society has been built on: a rather fine balance, which has been topped over once the castle of cards has been knocked down. 

It is in the hands of the new generation then, to attempt and change how thing have been so far. Retributive justice, just like in the quote above, is always tempting - and it is no brainer that it will be likely very hard for the civilian to accept whatever is thrown at them in the end, which does not involve the imprisonment and therefore the punishment of the villains. But at the same time, it is also true, that slowly but steadily things are staring to look up: we have Shouto who wants to save his brother, and Izuku who instead is trying to understand the villains and why they become such, stemming from his will to understand and help Shigaraki. After all, their main power is to change things up: a change which, hilariously, can be seen concretely by Bakugou’s words in chapter 323. Bakugou, who is a byproduct of that same society, is admitting his faults and the fact that it happens at this moment is likely a foreshadow for a major scale change: after all, the entire society owes an apology to the villains, big time. It is not a case then, that the narrative is putting everything to its places and showing us the before, and the tough process of change and the consequences of it. In this scenario, Izuku, Shouto, Bakugou, Ochako and generally the UA kids play the role of policymakers: they are looking in the future, trying to get an overview of the situation which they know as true and the one the villains consider as true and then trying to do ‘the right thing’: unfortunately, there is never a right thing when it comes to these matters, and no shoe-fits-all solution. It will therefore be interesting how exactly things will play out and whether society (in a not so distant future) might accept the fact that the villains can be victims, and in search for the satisfaction of that same retributive justice they are trying to enforce on them. In my opinion, the effort made by the young generation in this matter will be crucial: some people will refuse to accept such a thing (blaming the villains for everything that went wrong since day 1), other will struggle with accepting it and likely will remain neutral (which, in hindsight, is even worse as it is somehow similar to the civilians that thoroughly ignored Tenko when we was clocharding of the streets) and the who begrudgingly might accept the fact that exactly like Dabi said, pro-heroes are not always heroes in private too and they have as much harm potential as villains, it just does not get publicly displayed. And maybe, slowly, society will come to the consensus that while not always the case, offering a hand to those who struggle, might save a life - and why not, maybe at one point they will stop classifying people as ‘heroes and villains’, and instead accept themselves as humans altogether. But such is the human struggle: lost in the will to put a label on things, and forgetting that unlike labels, humans have the infinite capacity to grow, expand and change.

[aurirising]

Another potentially unpopular/controversial opinion

From the girl who brought you the long defense of Kal/call out of the squad, comes the thrilling and really rather contradictory sequel. I humbly present to you A Defense of Squad 312 because nuance is fun and important and I'm nothing if not fair in a situation like this.

Okay, so, to clarify, I'm not necessarily going to be saying that their actions were morally right or that I agree with them per se, but, what I am going to do is explain why some of them make sense and are understandable given the circumstances and who the characters are as people.

I'm gonna go character by character here and first up we have Scarlett. Go big or go home right?

So, Scarlett has possibly the worst reaction, but also the most justified. Everyone in that squad has gone through absolute hell but Scarlett has at this point suffered the most, second only to maybe Auri (who has had time to process and let go and move on and stuff in the Echo but we can get to that later). Let's remember that both books in their entirety span less than 2 WEEKS and in that time Scarlett has:

Had a death scare for her brother on the very night all this started

Been shoved into an incredibly dangerous mission which she, along with everyone else, was completely unprepared for

Been attacked by God knows how many different groups of people almost everyday INCLUDING AURI, even if that wasn't really her and she didn't want to do that

Lost her absolute best friend in the universe thanks to this mission neither of them really signed up for

Had to watch her brother, the only family she has left who she absolutely adores, fight a monster with a TINY KNIFE and almost watch him get killed right in front of her

Watched all the people she's grown to care for and feels at least somewhat responsible for get hurt and nearly killed over and over again

Actually lost her brother to the clutches of the very people/being that took away her best friend maybe a week ago and doesn't know if he's even still alive or what might be happening to him

Been thrown into a leadership role she has never wanted or trained for under the absolute worst circumstances and doesn't have time to grieve anything that's happened to her and is now being slowly crushed under the pressure of leading the squad and keeping them safe that even Tyler - the best Alpha in their year - struggled with

And this isn't even to mention the fact that the Starslayer killed her father and his relation to Kal did in fact put them all at higher risk from the Unbroken even if, like I mentioned in my Kal post, this can't all be blamed straight on him.

Now, although this isn't all Kal's fault and, if Scarlett was thinking more rationally, she'd realise that, you have to remember that she ISN'T thinking rationally. Look at that list and tell me that if you'd been through all that, you'd be thinking clearly and I will straight up call you a liar because we humans are incredibly emotional beings and stress and loss makes us do all kinds of things we'd not normally do. And Scarlett, well Scarlett is one of the most deeply emotional people of all.

Throughout both books, it's repeatedly said and shown how much and how deeply she cares, even about these people she's only just met, and, I mean, she's a FACE for gods sake, feelings and caring about people and being in touch with the emotions of others to better negotiate is literally part of her job and one of her core personality traits. If that kind of stuff would destroy any one of us, it would without a doubt destroy her too. And then to get such an earth-shattering piece of news that could at first glance link directly to most of her problems? Well that is just the straw that breaks the Camel's back and so she lashes out. It makes sense, it's understandable and an emotional response that doesn't come out of nowhere. It's been built to all this time and no, it's not fair and it's not right, but when you snap, you snap and Kal is about the only thing right in front of her that she can see having caused her some of these problems that she can let it out on.

I want to reiterate once again that this isn't right. It's not an action that's supposed to be okay, it's one that highlights the flaws in good people and that doing what's right isn't always easy and people sometimes act selfishly. But the fact remains that she had a reason for behaving how she did, even if it wasn't a good reason, and though she acted incredibly harshly, that doesn't make her a bad person, it just makes her a person.

Also like, if I remember rightly it wasn't her who was first to tell Kal he needed to leave but choosing as the leader to do so also makes sense in circumstance. Something like that reveal will create something of a rift whether people want it to or not. When you find something like that out, you absolutely would start questioning what you know about a person in even the best of times and, as we've already established, this is far from the best of times. With everything going on and the crushing weight of grief and anxiety and fear and doubt and everything else she's feeling, it isn't surprising that she would opt for the simplest solution to this. Whether Kal was trustworthy or not and regardless of whether he'd been the cause of any problems before or would be in the future, if he's not there, he can't possibly cause any further problems and they can focus on what they have to do without that extra worry on their minds. In both a tactical leadership sense and from a highly emotional view, it makes sense and I get why she and the others chose that.

Once again, I'm not saying it's fair or right or just, but it is understandable and one poor and somewhat cruel decision does not make Scarlett a mean person.

Okay, moving on. You'll be glad to know I'm not gonna go on so much with the other characters because there was significantly more to talk about in regards to Scarlett than any of the others.

I'm actually gonna talk about Fin and Zila together because I feel a lot of their reaction comes from a similar place and they handle it in ways not too different from each other.

So for both of these guys I got the impression that they were more shell shocked and a little hurt rather than truly angry like Scarlett. They don't do or say a whole lot in this scene in comparison to Scar and Auri and Zila even tries to mediate just the tiniest bit at the begining. Both of them really seem to mostly be puzzling it out and trying to deal with the hurt of being deceived somewhat (especially Fin after he'd shared some meaningful bonding moments with Kal and had also come to him about the note and been lied to then) and barely get involved in the whole thing. Fin really only does when it looks like things are about to get physical between Kal and Scarlett and it's more out of worry that her rage is going to get her hurt if she tries to punch him or something (which is exactly what happens). And Zila is just in distress throughout the whole thing and again this doesn't seem to be specifically because of Kal but more from the fracturing of this group she'd started to feel at home in and like she belonged. She'd been coming out of her shell in the last few days after finally letting these people in and starting to feel safe with them and then this huge fight and breaking up happens and it's like another family unit is all being ripped away from her again and it triggers that trauma response that makes her start shutting down again.

Similarly I can see some of that response happening a little bit in Fin because he also has never felt like he belonged and has always been cast out and he finally found a group that cared about him and didn't consider him a burden because of his disability and he's also having that torn apart which can't be easy even if he seems to handle it better than Zila since it's more traumatic for her.

They both have milder reactions that are able to be somewhat more logical in approach since they comparatively have less emotional investment in some of the implications of this reveal than both Scarlett and Auri do. However, they're both still deeply hurt by the fracture this has caused within the group and Kal is in fact part of the cause of that fracture for them so they go along with Auri and Scarlett (who is literally their leader now and following orders and sticking together is so important to these two now that they have this group. They don't want to lose any more of it). And like I mentioned in the Scarlett section, they're smart and they recognise that distrust within the group as they head into what's next is incredibly dangerous and a huge detriment to the mission so since they are understandably hurt and a bit unsure now, they make the logical decision to reduce the potential risk in keeping him around.

Okay so a quick bit on Tyler. He, like Scarlett, is understandably hurt by finding out about Kal but his reaction is muted and more reasonable after what he's gone through with Saedii on the TDF ship and also due to the gravity of his situation and everything going on with Cat somewhat overshadowing it all. I don't think anyone is really mad at Tyler so I'll move on, but I think his level of hurt, betrayal, and anger is more in line with what I'd expect from him and probably Scarlett if she hadn't been through all she had and was being more rational.

So, where my irritation starts coming into play more is with Auri. She's spent 6 months with Kal in the Echo where they grew closer and more in love and I guess I can see questioning all that because if he lied about that for all that time then what else could he lie about? But there's also the debate to be had about certain point of view like in Star Wars and whether omission of something that might never really have needed to be said is acceptable. And the thing is, I can't give a definitive answer on that because every person is going to have a different opinion on that idea in general and on Kal's handling of this situation in particular based on what we've experienced in our own lives and where we draw the right/wrong line or handle the grey area of morality. With something like this, there really isn't much in the way of a right answer and that's okay.

But I think the thing I see with Auri which makes her a bit more understandable here is how she's using Kal's OWN WORDS to rationalise this and figure out how to feel. "And I remember you said our past makes us what we are." That part in bold is what Kal told her, what she knows he believes. When you know someone holds that belief and then you find out THAT is their past, there will be a question mark over them no matter how well you think you know them.

Also, Auri has dealt with so much loss lately and time and again people and systems she should have been able to trust and feel safe with have let her down or turned against her and, speaking as someone with some level of trust issues, I know it's incredibly hard to get rid of doubt after it's started to set in and all too easy to call up any small moment that might support that doubt, so I can see why Auri might be doing that now.

I am still personally of the opinion that Auri should have reacted better and known him well enough to not have acted that way but remember this is a defense post and I already gave the other side (at least most of it) on my Kal defense post.

I think we're gonna leave it here now. And in conclusion of both of these posts, whichever side of this you come down on more (or even if you sit in the middle like me), that's completely fine and valid and you're not wrong for feeling a certain way about a situation like this. Fundamentally, it comes down to which characters you most identify with and who's experiences most resonate with you.

It's not a clear cut right and wrong thing because literally every single character handled something badly and everyone's motives, including Kal's, were understandable in some way and believable. They're all people and people are flawed and selfish and jump to conclusions and lash out and although we have to remember that those aren't morally sound things to do, they're a shared human experience.

I know no one asked for this long-ass analysis of this scene and situation but as a writer and film student, scene and character analysis is kinda what I DO so I thought I'd go ahead and make this post. Something like this is actually brilliant writing from Jay and Amie because there's a lot more nuance to it than a quick glance at the situation might suggest and since it's such a hot topic in this fandom after Aurora Burning, I wanted to address it and make sure a bit more of an in depth look was taken into exactly what happened.

Anyway,

Tl;dr: this is something of a counter point to my Kal defense post and every member of the squad had understandable reason for reacting the way they did in this situation, even if they may have been too harsh. People are flawed and these characters are no exception, but that's okay.

[eldritch-elrics]

this summer, me and my brother watched four whole shows. at long last, here is my comprehensive review of all of them!

in the order we watched them, these shows were:

avatar the last airbender (ATLA)

mob psycho 100 (MP100)

demon slayer / kimetsu no yaiba (KNY)

fullmetal alchemist: brotherhood (FMAB)

they were all very very good!

i’m not going to try to rank them, but, as is probably obvious by the state of my blog, my favorite was FMAB :) if i had to pick a least favorite, then, it would probably be KNY—not by any fault of its own, but just because it didn’t appeal to me quite as much as the others. still a very good show!

i will review each show by:

giving a quick plot-based pitch discussing the show’s hook or appeal

discussing one element that i believe it does better than any other show on this list—in other words, a quality that i think it stands out for

discussing one element that didn’t appeal to me or that i had issues with—a criticism

putting forth my favorite character and favorite episode or arc, just for funsies

including various other commentary. mostly positive, as, again, i did really like all of these!

(i’ve tried to make this whole thing free of specific spoilers, but if you’re planning on watching any of these shows and want to go in more-or-less blind, it might be best not to read this.)

first of all, i’d just like to discuss all four of these shows as a whole! it was definitely interesting watching one after another and noting similarities between them.

all of them have siblings in them! which is, perhaps, fitting, as i watched them with my brother

two include a pair of siblings in which one has powers and one doesn’t (at least at first), and part of the narrative involves getting better at using those powers (ATLA, MP100)

two include a narrative centered around a pair of siblings and something tragic that happens to them, resulting in the older one being traumatized and forced to train to become a soldier, and the younger one turning into something (arguably) inhuman. the protagonist’s major goal is to return his younger sibling to the way they were before (KNY, FMAB)

ATLA and FMAB are both fantasy political dramas, which is rapidly becoming a favorite genre of mine

most of these are historical, or historically inspired in some way, which is interesting!

all of these shows are really really good at character building. all the main characters are interesting and complex, and the relationships between those characters are similarly nuanced and very well written. they make you really care about both the protagonists and the side characters!

avatar: the last airbender

pitch: as the ever-growing imperial force of the fire nation threatens the earth and water nations, a kid from the long-lost air nation turns up and it turns out he can control all four elements and he has to save the world and all that. sorry i tried to write this pitch like five times and realized that well at this point i think everyone reading this will know the plot of avatar

stands out for: avatar has possibly the best worldbuilding i have ever seen in a show—it takes the time to introduce us to so many places and aspects of its world, both explicitly and subtly. the main highlight of this is the magic system. by creating a magic system based in body movement, the process of using magic and learning to use/control it better becomes immediately obvious to the viewer. combine that with the philosophy behind each type of bending and the way that characters take bending inspiration from types different than their own, and you’ve got a system that is complex, flexible, believable, internally consistent, and just plain fun! it makes action sequences a blast. i especially liked the moments when bending was stretched to its limits in totally logical ways (metalbending, bloodbending). not to mention the way that bending is seamlessly integrated into the world of avatar! the example that comes to mind is the earthbending-powered transport system of omashu. a whole essay could be written on that topic alone!

criticism: i know this is a sentiment shared by many people, but the first season was kind of boring to me. some of the humor and the plots felt hit-or-miss. of course, it needed to take that time to establish the world, and it does a great job of doing that. it just didn’t hook me until the second season.

favorite character: i love toph she’s so much fun :) iroh is a close second! and zuko is great, too, of course

favorite arc: i loved ba sing se a ton, especially the episode when they get there and everything feels off. it felt so resonant with real life, in a very fun way. there’s a reason “there is no war in ba sing se” is a meme…

other commentary: what can i say? it’s a classic for a damn good reason. the plot is tight, and it does a great job raising tension and introducing new elements and twists. i also love the care put into the antagonists, especially azula, who has a fascinating arc.

mob psycho 100

pitch: a middle schooler and a charismatic con artist team up to smite ghosts using extrasensory powers. thing is, only the middle schooler actually has ESP, and it happens to be really, really powerful. can he navigate the difficult world of middle school while also getting a better grip on his powers—and his bottled-up emotions?

stands out for: the way that MP100 uses animation is excellent. it takes a little getting used to but it’s just so fun, combining all sorts of different techniques to create an experience rich with drama and emotion. it’s playfully exaggerated and self-parodying, adding to the show’s fantastic sense of humor as well as its truly emotional moments.

criticism: the way that ESP works makes suspension of disbelief tricky. it’s a great feat to introduce a character who is essentially all-powerful and still make them interesting (even in fight scenes), but at times (especially the second season finale) it felt like a magic system with too much breadth and too few limitations. this might just be my bias for hard magic systems talking, though.

favorite character: other than mob and reigen? probably teru. he’s loads of fun AND all the season 1 episodes he’s in slap hard

favorite episode: the one where the girl asks mob out on a date as a dare.. it’s super cute

other commentary: thank you mp100 for being the leftist propaganda we all deserve <3

in all seriousness though, this show is a blast!! it does a great job switching between silly and serious in the blink of an eye. i also really appreciate the way that it balances comically huge stakes with much smaller, more personal stories. for example, the conflict between mob and reigen in season 2 is especially well-done. in general the emotions just feel so real? characters whose emotions tie into their powers are an excellent trope, and mob is a wonderful protagonist who exemplifies this really well.

finally, on a more critical note—there are so many characters in this show! and it feels like only a handful are fleshed out? however, this may be due to the fact that it’s not an adaptation of the entire manga (which i haven’t read). there’s a lot more to go! more characters to dive into! so i probably shouldn’t try to critique it in the same way as a finished work.

demon slayer / kimetsu no yaiba

pitch: demons kill a boy’s family and turn his sister into a demon, so he decides to try and figure out a way to turn his sister back into a human. what follows is a demon-killing adventure that’s in equal parts harrowing, poignant, and hilarious.

stands out for: there’s not much i can say about this other than “please just take a look” but the art and design is phenomenal. it does a much better job of integrating 2D and 3D than a lot of other animated series, and overall it is just so so pretty! all the character designs are complex, memorable, and fit the characters perfectly. the color choices are interesting and satisfying. i also really like the sound design? not often that i notice that in a show. i’ve watched so many KNY amvs by now lol it’s just amazing animation

criticism: the narration style leans too heavily towards tell instead of show. this is mostly an issue with the first few episodes, but i got super annoyed by how much the show would narrate every single one of tanjirou’s thoughts instead of letting us infer those thoughts through his actions and reactions—the latter, i think, would have been more emotionally impactful. sometimes silence speaks louder than words! tanjirou was also not the world’s most compelling protagonist in my opinion, though i think that mostly has to do with my own tastes.

favorite character: *holds up zenitsu* I Just Think He’s Neat. i actually kind of lost it when he first used his powers, like… damn i love characters with weird relationships with their magic like that. i also think the narrative about how having a solid foundation is sometimes more important than knowing a ton of different moves was really powerful. and he’s just funny! pathetic boy i love him

favorite arc: really just the whole spider arc. fucked up man… i love it. they pulled off that last twist so well, and all the family stuff was so weird and complex and emotional…

other commentary: it’s just a really solid and very well-written show! the team of tanjirou, zenitsu, and inosuke is so much fun… bro bonding :) i also quite like the horror elements; it’s fucked up but in a good way. finally, this is very specific, but the demon that can alter buildings/rooms through drumbeats? appealed to me very much. it’s a cool and unique power!

fullmetal alchemist: brotherhood

pitch: two kids do some fucked up alchemy and end up getting parts of their body stolen by god. now they’re on a quest to get their bodies back, but find themselves wrapped up in crazy government conspiracies and alchemy more powerful than they ever could’ve imagined…

stands out for: plot. by this i mean less overall concept (though the overall concept is pretty great too), and more that the pacing and progression of the story is extraordinarily tight. for the most part (the first few episodes are a little weak but i’ll let it slide), it does an excellent job establishing its premise and building on it logically, adding layers and layers that extend naturally from what we already know. everything has a reason for happening; everything is revealed in good time and all the twists are super satisfying. there’s great balance between exciting moments and quiet moments. it’s just very good at being a story!

(fun fact: i’m reading the manga right now and so far it’s even better paced than the show, which is super interesting! it’s especially good at how it lays out pieces of the backstory and then fills everything in later in a really satisfying way.)

criticism: this is incredibly specific but it’s what comes to mind as something that bothered me: winry’s character arc was really disappointing. for most of the series she’s a pretty strong character, but in the end it feels like she gets pushed aside, defined only by her relationship with ed. what happened to her wanting to take action more? that was a specific desire she expressed—wanting to be less passive! since she’s such an important character, i wish she could have had more presence in the last season other than as a sounding board for the elric bros’ emotions. (even though her one scene in the last episode was really good and emotional…)

favorite character: other than the elric bros, absolutely ling. he fits into multiple of my favorite character archetypes (fun, silly, bastard, gets possessed…) and he’s just overall a delight. plus his relationship with greed is really really good. bro bonding at its peak!! (my other favorite is pride. i will not say why because spoilers. but if you know me.. you know)

favorite episode: this is really really hard to choose but i’m gonna go with envy’s death because. holy shit.

other commentary: i’m a really big fan of the complex and nuanced way in which FMAB breaks down militaristic, imperial regimes from the inside. many of the characters have done awful things, and the story forces them to grapple with that and accept that all they can do now is be better in the future. the moral complexity is just really good! characters with flaws—we love to see it!

finally, parts of this story seem so so catered to Me Specifically that it’s no wonder i got so into it. like just the entire premise? the way that so much of the conflict is built out of identity crisis and exploring the nature of consciousness and human vs inhuman? beautiful. i love ed and al so much

*

if you made it all the way to the end, thank you so much for reading!! glad to have finally gotten this done (3 months late…) and put all my thoughts down. i hope this inspires someone to try watching one of the shows i discussed!

[terulakimban]

Hey, respect for actually responding. I still disagree, but I felt as though you spoke with more kindness than the other guy.

I think one of the key things that you were missing with respect to your original point and how it comes over is exactly how few Jews there are. In the US, there’s around seven million of us. There’s three hundred and twenty seven million people in the country. That’s... a very significant disparity (and it’s also the smallest one of any country besides Israel), and it’s entirely reasonable to say that most people who aren’t Jewish know very little about us culturally or religiously. And that means that when you, as a person who isn’t Jewish, asks a Jew pretty much anything about Jewish life, history, culture, religion, or experience, you’re not the first person to have asked. You’re probably not the first person to have asked that week; there’s a decent chance you’re not the first person to have asked that day. And that means you are being judged by the subtext that every other person who’s asked has included. It also means that sometimes we just don’t have the energy to handle being asked the same question yet again with grace and patience and dignity. This goes doubly in an anonymous online platform, where people can’t actually get violent for disliking our answers or the tone we had while giving them. I have sat down for a meeting with a neonazi. I have looked someone who called for me and people like me to be rounded up and executed for treason in the eyes and asked “why do you want me dead”. It was an illuminating conversation, and I am legally obligated to reveal nothing about the answers that that individual gave; when I answer questions about antisemitism and its origins, I am doing so independently of most of the conversations I’ve had with those who want to take it to its most violent conclusion. I realize that semantically “why do they think that” can be phrased many ways, and that the nuances between the variant questions don’t matter to the person asking it. But those semantic distinctions are important to other people. Our default phrasings reveal our own internal biases, often ones that we are not ourselves aware of. 

You could have asked “what is the logic used to justify antisemitism”. You could have asked “what are the historical origins of antisemitism”. You could have asked “why is antisemitism so wide-spread”. You could have said, “I believe that the best way to combat an ideology is to study and understand it; do you know of some valid sources on the topic.” You could have directly gone and asked the blog you were responding to for sources or searched their blog for context -given that it’s a blog about antisemitism. You could have asked someone who isn’t Jewish. But you didn’t, and you didn’t stop to think about it. That doesn’t make you a bad person, but that’s the kind of thing that we reflexively notice because we have to. And the post you were replying to was from a Jewish blog, addressing the fact that yet again, despite being about 2% of the American population, Jews were the victims of 10% of hate crimes. A lot of Jewish bloggers, especially those who have their Jewishness in their handles or bios -get regular hate and violent threats. There is a reason my bio says very little about me and I’ve got anon off. @jewish-privilege in particular routinely gets replies from people with the best of intentions doing the exact thing they’ve requested people not do; especially this time of year. And their patience has very understandably worn thin. 

But it’s always important to, when called out on an apparent bias, examine why it’s being said. And sometimes, the response is going to be “the other person is wrong or oversensitive”. I can’t tell you what to think. What I can tell you is that I agree with the other people who were bothered by your phrasing and that I agree with them completely. That your subsequent responses were minimizing, and I found that concerning. That you feeling that a simplified answer of “it goes back to the black death and handwashing” was enough of an explanation indicated you might be missing the pervasiveness of the problem. That referring to Christianity as “basically Judaism 2.0″ is a fundamentally antisemitic statement in and of itself even when said kindly as a means of attempting to recognize a connection between the two religions that indicates a general ignorance of the history of Jewish-Christian interactions on your part. And again, I don’t think that makes you a bad person. And I don’t think it’s a matter of fault. But you did say a shitload of antisemitic stuff there, almost all of it with good intentions, double down on it harder when Jewish people said “hey, this is... not how it works”, and basically do a flounce of “I don’t like that answer so I’m going to ignore it”. And that, as a Jew, is something I’m concerned by. Because people who don’t want to listen to Jewish voices about Jewish experiences are, IME, people who are more open to hearing conspiracies about us, and that’s how you wind up with statistics like “there are three neonazis for every Jew in America”. (I can cite that claim, if needed.) 

[astrologysvt]

Chart First Impressions: Seungkwan

In celebration of Seungkwan’s bday, I’m starting the “Seungkwan is Best Baby” club and here is my list of reasons why you should join it. 

These are just the first impressions I had to all of their charts – the parts that popped out to me as being notable, things I personally liked, things I thought were interesting or contrary to the image I have of them. Things like that. I’m not looking at anything in particular with each reading. Some of their readings may be more aspect focused, where some may just focus solely on their personal planets. If you have any questions on specific aspects or want to request a more specific reading, feel free to send me an ask!I adore this boy 

our little capricorn baby 

lets have a nice little capricorn talk. 

another misunderstood sign

caps can be seen as stubborn, maybe judgmental. 

maybe sometimes overly practical and inflexible. 

i’ll be honest and say that caps have been the hardest for me personally to understand, but learning to understand them has been incredibly rewarding and enlightening. 

the first hurdle you need to address if ur struggling to understand caps is to understand that they aren’t miracle workers. 

they are so easy to write off in readings as the hard-workers, the ambitious ones, the ones who get stuff done. 

lmao there is an expectation that, if no other sign can do it, a cap probably can — but these things are obviously more complex than that, and no one is immune to failure.  

honestly, i think the main reason why people think this is, is because a cap is gonna be the last one to be okay dropping things if they know no one else is going to pick it up after them. 

even if they’re over it and don’t want to deal with it anymore — they’re gonna be the ones who know how to find the patience and perseverance within themselves to see it to completion. 

i went into it a little bit with seungcheol, but i think the primary identifying factor for a cap is their sense of responsibility. 

how they decide to address/focus/direct this sense of responsibility is up to them, but i’ve met various capricorns at very different places with their sense of responsibility. 

some ignore it, some are CONSTANTLY THINKING ABOUT IT. 

caps who struggle to focus it in any which direction can tend to be pretty fickle with their time and struggle to justify imputing excessive amounts of effort into things they aren’t sure about.

if they don’t see it amounting to something, they’d rather not do anything.  

and then you have the caps who are so committed in one direction who really feel as though time is constantly passing them by.

this is because they’re so focused on their goals that they struggle to grasp the progress they are actually making. 

either way, what’s looming over them both is this hyper awareness of a sense of purpose (or lack there of). 

and in my experience, they both tend to be rather insecure regardless of the place they’re at with their goals. 

they’re either insecure in knowing they need to be doing things and aren’t, or insecure in not knowing whether they’re being the most efficient with their time. 

that’s just something to think about with both seungkwan and joshua, though i think this is much more prominent in seungkwan 

(not to say joshua doesn’t have the same sense of responsibility, he just seems to be less quick to action than seungkwan is). 

with seungkwan, he’s the opportunist capricorn. 

they’re the ones who don’t wait for people to hype them up to start doing things. 

if they see an opportunity, they’ve already signed on and have started preparing. 

this makes sense considering his approach to variety shows. 

if he sees the opportunity, he reaches out. 

same with his cover of love poem, he saw the opportunity to make this connection with IU and it ended up being this really beautiful exchange. 

this cap attitude is the one he exactly expressed in the behind the scenes, too, when he was explaining that he didn’t know where the courage came from but he really wanted to directly ask IU for the instrumental. 

he didn’t HAVE to per say, but his lack of fear allowed him to pursue this project in a very sincere, touching, and authentic way. 

it goes to show how good these caps are at putting the effort forward before they can think themselves out of it. 

these caps are just a mystery to me because you can’t even imagine where the idea to do the things they do come from, and before you have time to ask them what they’re up to, they’re already knee deep in the project and starting new ones as you speak. 

but lets look at the rest of his chart 

we’ve got a virgo moon! 

so i feel like people don’t give virgos enough credit for being some of the funniest people in the world, honestly. 

they are naturally very clever people and consequentially very great conversationalists (so long as they don’t have other, more reserved placements that may interfere). 

they are this way because they are so observant and detail-oriented. 

they can talk for hours about the intricacies of the most random things and can talk about them with such passion because they genuinely think the little things are the most interesting. 

they’re very similar to gemini placements in the sense that they want to know everything and study everything, and honestly just love being able to share their findings with people. 

i think the primary difference is that geminis do it because they are so curious and inquisitive, almost to a fault. 

where as a virgo approaches it more as research/getting their bearings. 

they feel the most comfortable in situations where they can account for all the details, understand how each part functions, and can have enough information where they feel as though they can comfortably predict all possible outcomes. 

they’re so good at this to the point that they manage to come to these findings incredibly fast, almost subconsciously. 

which is why you can hardly ever get anything past someone with a strong virgo influence. even when you think they’re not paying attention.

they keep tabs on the most random, minuscule things and man will they let you know if something is not how it should be. 

but how does this make him funny? 

virgo’s take that attention to detail and they apply that to their humor. 

they’re the ones to point out that random thing they noticed you did that you didn’t think anyone would notice, but boy did they notice it and did they think it was hilarious. 

or the kind of things that wouldn’t be funny inherently, but are funny because they put it in such a specific context that now you think it’s the funniest thing on the planet. 

it’s because they’re resourceful comedians who are super in tune not just with the nuance that puts those jokes over the top, but they are so good at finding the most obscure, random things to pick fun at. 

they’re humor also def leans more towards the satiric/absurd realm. 

i mean, john mulaney is a virgo idk what more i need to say to prove how funny and weird virgos can be. 

seungkwan honestly has such a big heart. 

so i know earth signs have a habit of coming across cool or impersonal, and with a cap sun, mercury, venus & virgo moon you’d imagine he’d be too cool for school. 

but don’t forget virgo influences are one of the healers of astrology. 

in astrology there are two “healers” 

pisces are the emotional healers, and virgos are the physical healers. 

this could explain his ultra obsession with helping the others maintain their health, and also why he manages to nag them about it in the sweetest way. 

but we’ve also got a virgo moon trine cap mercury. 

this makes him incredibly emotionally competent. 

having this aspect associated with both earth signs makes it so that his concern with health and stability is how he expresses his care.  

he truly and deeply understands the role he plays in taking care of his members and takes it very seriously. 

this also makes him really good at giving advice!!! 

he’s so attentive and is really good at balancing emotional support with guidance. 

this can also make him incredibly great in stressful situations as he’s able to take in chaos and turbulence through his moon and effectively process it. then his cap mercury’s quick brain and knack for logics kicks in and starts problem solving. 

his moon is opposite jupiter

this is the aspect that really makes him that fun-loving, sweet, warm-hearted boo we all know and love. 

he’s so generous with affection and humor because it comes from this bottomless well within him. 

he’s so accessible and i think this is one of the reasons why people are so quick to warm up to him. 

hehehe tho he does have a tendency to over do it due to that opposition.

the jupiter influence gives him this super open and free energy from that added sag influence while making him incredibly optimistic at heart.

he’s just so easy to be around, and when you see him open up his arms to you there’s no reason for you not to return the gesture. 

not only that, but talking with him is so fun because he is so animated and so passionate yet so invested in the conversation because he genuinely enjoys hearing from different perspectives. 

he is truly a happy, and optimistic person at heart and associating this with his moon makes him incredibly stable and enduring in the face of emotional turmoil.

it doesn’t make him immune to emotions or sadness, but he is certainly always able to find a silver lining while also allowing him to be constructive on the reasons he may have ended up where he was. 

but you take that and then you add his already super committed capricorn energy, and what you get is this incredibly resilient guy.

it’s because of this that he’s so capable of being present in every single aspect. 

there is at no point that seungkwan checks out, may it be professionally,  personally, emotionally.  

he is truly someone you can depend on in all fronts. 

[sparrowsabre7]

Detroit Become Human Thoughts - Spoilers

Playing through Detroit is a very different experience to Heavy Rain. By and large I find myself impressed more on a technical level than an emotional one. The story is familiar, an allegorical civil rights that is seen in countless sci-fi and fantasy media, albeit one that leans more heavily than usual on real life civil rights imagery and iconography. The familiarity is not necessarily a fault, there is plenty of room for DBH among the genre, fitting comfortably alongside X-men and I,Robot etc. However, the choice to overtly homage aspects of civil rights history is little uncomfortable at times, given that the game largely doesn’t acknowledge it. Aside from one POC character late in the game, no one ties the androids struggle together with that of real world minority groups, which means the decision to cast a large number of these deviant androids POCs doesn’t always sit well, particularly when their fate is frequently in the hands of a white character for better or worse. This being said, it is not every game’s duty to cover all issues, but it does ring a little false when a game telling this particular type of story seems unwilling to recognise the link, content to leave it as subtext even when innocent POC characters are gunned down by police and others kept as literal slaves by white characters.

Equally Kara’s story is very hard to watch at times, when it seems each successive incident gets worse and worse. David Cage has come under fire for the way women are treated in his games before, but to be fair to him, in HR I largely felt it fit with both the tone and genre of the game. Yes, the women in the story get into horrible situations but also by and large have their own agency and agendas. The violence was schlocky, but in an old school thriller way, it didn’t feel too gratuitously out of place. In DBH it feels like Kara goes from horror to horror with little reprieve. She also has very little agency compared with the other player characters. Even when she breaks free from her programming, she is only able to shoot Todd by accident in self-defence (when I quite happily would have gunned that motherfucker down) after he slaps the gun out of her hands. Again, child abuse and domestic violence are important issues which can and should be discussed, but the portrayal feels exploitative rather than meaningful.  Compare this with the scene where Markus drags his broken body through the junkyard; this too is a horrific scene, however it’s one that fits well in the context. It’s a complete whiplash from Markus’ treatment by Carl and is a pure nightmare to navigate, but it punches you in the gut with how androids are treated and gives an immediate sense of “this is what we are fighting for” and Markus’ climb out of the pit is a triumphant moment. Kara doesn’t really get any of those triumphant moments, merely evading or escaping, sometimes very narrowly, though admittedly does get the more heartwarming moments too, though much later in the game.

Having said all of this, these issues with the story largely fade away heading into the final third. The game becomes both more interesting and whether it becomes less problematic or just feels that way because I was becoming more wrapped up in the story I’m not sure, but my feelings towards the end of the game towards the game as a whole were much warmer than the earlier chapters. Equally, to be fair to Quantic Dream, the arguable “lead” character is a POC android and is the driving force of the game, along with a number of other strong supporting POC characters. I also don’t think any of the missteps come from a place of malice, I believe DBH is earnestly trying its best to be inclusive and the fact that it ended up telling its story a little clumsily in this regard should not be a damning indictment of the game, but a call to try and improve next time.

I’ve also gone a long time without talking about my favourite character pairing: Connor and Hank. I should take a moment to say that all the main player actors perform admirably, Valorie Curry’s quietly resolved Kara, Jesse Williams plays Markus (at least in my run) with a determined understated performance which nonetheless has a commanding presence which makes you believe he’d be able to lead an android rebellion. However, it’s Bryan Dechart – funnily enough the only one of the three I’d not seen previously in TV or film – who has the most captivating performance. In part This may partly be due to his story being a more straightforward detective/thriller story, one the writing team has more experience with crafting, but Dechart’s efforts certainly elevate it portraying Connor with subtlety and nuance, accompanied by a surprisingly soulful turn from Clancy Brown. The prologue featuring Connor – also released as a demo – was the reason I picked up the game, as it hit that sweet spot which I subsequently found in HR of narrative and gameplay synergy. Clinically collecting evidence in order to talk down a hostage taking android, each clue providing more options to negotiate.

Speaking of the gameplay, by and large, the QTEs involved in DBH are less immersive than those of HR, none provoke the same visceral sensation that the trials did, or the instinctual gunshot, or even the cathartic shootout. The fight scenes have improved though and do feel more immediate and better choreographed - understandable, given the superhuman nature of the androids. I do also appreciate the newer mechanics like the investigation sequences - more involved and detailed than those found in the Batman: Arkham series – and the “route planner” style puzzles.

I also very much applaud DBH for allowing the android revolution storyline to be played entirely pacifistically or violently; were this a movie, the characters may begin peacefully, but become violent and vengeful after an inciting incident, but pleasingly DBH never takes that choice away from you. Equally heartening is the statistics at the end of each level, showing that the majority of players usually choice the peaceful choice. The choices in general are frequent and more gradual, creating a slow burn approach that allows you to waver and change your mind. My Connor was very much undecided through most of the game, wavering between deviancy and the mission, emotion and logic. These smaller choices work very well in keeping you invested in the characters and slowly building up the picture.

I’m very nearly at the end now, hoping I don’t mess it up as badly as I did in HR.

[magioftheseas]

I'm the Nanami anon from earlier. I'll be nice this time and ask you to defend a character you love. Either Komaeda or Angie since both are at least a bit divisive. Your choice. ^_^

Just did Angie so it looks like I’ll have to write for Komaeda instead. Oh, the horror.

*sips milkshake*

So like… People are really fucking weird about Komaeda, even his fans. There’s…a lot of lacking nuance to be sure. Komaeda definitely suffers from “if you don’t always acknowledge all the damn time that he’s flawed then fuck you” which is really fucking exhausting, ngl. I just can’t be bothered to give a damn about that shit anymore. Komaeda’s an angel who did nothing wrong. Fuck you right back.

*sips*

…okay let’s actually do this seriously.

One thing that people miss about Komaeda is that he’s multi-faceted. Which means he shows different sides of himself in different situations.

He can be bitchy, but he can also be sweet. He can be cruel, but he can also be considerate. He can be capricious and contradictory and also change his mind dramatically when new (dramatic) information is revealed to him. He acts…like how a lot of people in reality…actually…act.

This also translates to how he should be viewed. Calling him a terrible person or evil misses the entire fucking point of how he should be viewed as morally gray (which is literally stated by the game in case that was too unintuitive) and while he does act for what he believes is the greater good, he’s definitely still selfish in that he’s motivated by a strong desire to make something out of his life and all the suffering within it. He’s selfish. But also selfless. It’s a contradiction, but a meaningful one driven both by self-preservation and self-sacrifice. It’s honestly really striking character writing and a big part of why Komaeda’s such a resonant character with some people.

Komaeda does not wish to hurt others but he often compartmentalizes pain as inevitable, sometimes even necessary, to cope with what he feels he has to do. He has no trace of sadism in his body and does genuinely want to help but because of how he’s been twisted by trauma and mental illness (dementia doesn’t help), he has a warped perspective on what he can and should do and because of the situation, he’s even more cornered and thus acts a lot more destructively.

It’s even worse that to Komaeda, suffering and loss are normalized to an absurd degree. Remember, Komaeda lost his parents when he was still in elementary school. He has no had a single person close to him since and if anyone had ever tried, they were likely brutalized or killed by his luck. Komaeda struggles with maintaining human connections, but he does what he can to understand them, he’s not completely oblivious. That said, when it comes to loss, he really does struggle with understanding why people are super hung up on that kind of thing because to him, loss is normal. It sucks, it hurts a little, but all you can do is move on from it and try not to let the loss drag you down and he had to learn this at a very early age. It’s not a moral failing so much as a tragic upbringing and people really ought to be more sympathetic.

It’s also important to remember that Komaeda’s used to being demeaned and dehumanized, but he still tries to remain patient and kind up until people’s cruelty gets to a point where he simply can’t accept it anymore. If he believes you as a “good person”, he’ll tolerate being mistreated by you because to him, he probably wronged you in some way and likely deserves it. Remember that Komaeda is literally incapable of recognizing what is socially acceptable or unacceptable behavior so he’s never really sure when what he’s doing is rubbing people the wrong way and thus can only assume he’s just…always doing something wrong.

But if he believes you’re a “bad person” and mistreating him, then he’s much more willing to believe that you’re in the wrong here. And why not? You’re a bad person. You literally destroyed countless lives. You don’t deserve the benefit of the doubt. But it’s important to note that he only believes that people are “bad” when given extremely damning proof of it…such as being part of the world-destroying terrorist cult.

Komaeda really is extraordinarily patient, but he’s also like…pretty childish, which is really interesting. His idea of what’s “bad” is really exaggerated even if he still has respectable limits such as “don’t fucking sexually harass people, hanamura-kun, what the actual fuck”. He just kind of assumes that the Ultimates are all good people even with that because to him they’re like…designated as such the way heros can be in fictional stories, even when they don’t do the most heroic of things.

A lot of Komaeda’s mindset is influenced by fiction and tropes which I think is woefully unnoticed by the general fanbase. Komaeda literally believes “suffering builds character” because that’s how it works in fictional stories where conflict is what drives narrative and development. He only believes in the “goodness” of the Ultimates because he was lead to believe that “talent = greatness” which is pushed not just by HPA but also many stories in which the “hero” is meant to use their extraordinary capabilities for good. But when people are revealed to be “despair” (which is like, pure fucking negative, there’s not one positive aspect to despair), he’s quick to categorize them as “bad”.

What’s important, though, is that he clearly struggles with this simplistic mindset in Chapters 4-5 because Hinata, who should similarly be discarded, is someone he actually wants to believe better in and someone he still very much cares about. He can’t help but give a shit even when he “logically” knows that he shouldn’t, to the point where he even expresses regret (and envy) in regards to Hinata in his last video.

Komaeda is like…a mess. But he’s a mess of very real human complications and emotions, and that buried desire of wanting to be accepted, even perhaps loved in spite of his many faults, both perceived and not. He’s certainly not irredeemable (presenting him as such not only misses the point of his character but also the entire point of the game at large) and he’s very sympathetic as a reflection of a lot of struggles due to familiar issues of isolation, illness, and mistreatment. He really is like, a really good and relatable character and I think people are far too quick to overlook his nuances in order to make sweeping statements…which honestly come across as a means of looking more “superior” rather than being just plain critical. That’s just the impression I get.

And that’s my defense on who’s easily my favorite character of the series, lol.

[tonya-the-chicken]

Ok, someone (@gucciasswitch ) dared me to do whole list and who am I to resist

1. What was your first OTP? 

Probably Royai. FullMetal Alchemist was my first anime I watched on TV and I immediately fell in love with relationships between Riza and Roy. I used to fantasize about them all the time. I still do love them.

Also I remember I wanted Zuko to end up with Katara

2. What is your current OTP?

Definitely EnjiRei. I think about them and their family all the time. That's just what I do when I ship - I maladaptive daydream. What I like about them is ice and fire aesthetics is how fucked up everything is but Rei still somehow can forgive him or at least try to? He somehow remember her favourite things? I want to know more about them. Like, how exactly Enji found her? What happened to Touya?

I also like BakuCamie, ShinTsuyu, ZenNezu, still Royai, Huwumi, Natsuo x his girlfriend, maybe MomoIida, Jeankasa, Sabigiuy, Levihan, Miritama, Levifar

3. Do you have any OT3/OT+ ships? What are your favorites?

Mmmmmm, probably no. Though, I once saw OchaTodoDeku and it looks wholesome

4. What is/are your favorite trope(s)?

Tropes, tropes... I like what is called "unsexy erotica" by some author on ao3. Like, when characters are processing their feelings and it's the end it's not really sexy though it still somehow amazes me. It's not really a trope though, I saw only one fanfic with that.

I love redemption arcs made well, bad people turning good and having the love no one ever gave them before (duh)

5. What is/are your least favorite trope(s)?

Definitely soulmates au, it makes me cringe somehow. Or is it not a trope? Whatever

6. Do you have a certain kind of ship you’re more attracted to?

I often ship canon ships. Also for whatever reason I enjoy different-sex couples more often. Also if I see a person with fire powers I'll connect the dots them with someone with water/ice, it's just math... Jk... Unless

7. Are most of your ships “pure” or “problematic”?

Actually, they are mostly pure. But also I ship EnjiRei and someone gonna send me anon hate for this, ehhh

8. Who is the most shippable person you can think of?

Objectively it will be the main character of any series cause they have the most interactions. For me personally it's Enji cause I love him right now and I like to explore his relationship with everyone, like, I can occasionally ship him with Hawks, All Might, Burnin', Rei and some OCs

9. Are there any fandoms you don’t have any ships for?

The ones I am not in, duh. Actually, I am not really active shipper... In one punch man I don't ship anyone? But it's not like I am really in fandom khkhkh

10. Do characters have to have canon interactions for you to ship them?

Yeah, if it's not ship with OC (obviously). There can be exceptions like hetalia cause characters are basically countries

11. What makes a great ship in your own opinion?

Logic and some shared life philosophy/goal/struggles. Or just deep feeling and will to understand one another. Dunno

12. What drives you away from a ship?

If I don't understand why, basically. Also any mentor x student relationships are very big no-no for me. I don't like this power dynamic when one person is doomed to see another as they are above them. And also incest is nah

13. Is there anything you ship but refuse to interact with the community for?

Probably EnjiRei? I am kinda scared cause I don't want people to treat me badly based on that, ya know? Actually, I am trying to be more open about it cause fuck society, I am tired of your shit

14. Has a fanbase ever made you ship or not ship something? Why?

I stopped shipping eruri cause I got very fed up with fans being nasty, I guess. Like, they always tried to prove that it is canon and I just got tried and switched to levihan?.. Also I probably started to ship huwumi because of fanbase. I just never thought of the ship. But the most important deed is that fanbase brought me Dabi is Touya theory. Thank you, strangers on youtube

15. Do you like/participate in ship wars? Why or why not?

Define "ship war"? I sometimes enjoy observing people arguing but mostly I am annoyed when someone shit on character or ship. So sometimes I guess I can write something like "bitch can you stop" but usually I try to stay out of it. I guess I am pro-shiping and anti anti most of the time

16. Are there any ships you just can’t/don’t understand? What are they?

Ereri, Dekumight, RoyEd... Do you see the pattern? I highly dislike mentor x student ships. Also incest ships are no-no even if everyone is an adult for a simple reason - I actually have brothers and this shit creeps me out

17. Are there any popular ships that you just don’t like? What are they?

Ereri. It's the only banned tag I have (edit: not anymore, I am trying to ban enji antis). Also probably RoyEd but FMA fandom is not really active or I am not really into it

18. What is your favorite unpopular ship?

EnjiRei........

19. Do you prefer fluff, angst, or smut for your ships? 

It depends. I mostly don't like smut just for smut but if there's some feelings and processing of them, ya know... Angst goes well with everything though I recently found out I kinda dislike seeing violence and suffering in fanart... I actually like comedy more than pure fluff, I am kinda Mr Nighteye and believe in power of humor

20. Do you prefer bigger fanbases or smaller ones?

Bigger ones cause bigger fanbase = more content to CONSUME

21. Have you ever received hate for a ship you liked? 

The most close thing to hate I received was this: https://tonya-the-chicken.tumblr.com/post/189156146100/you-ship-enjirei-and-call-urself-a-feminist

Nothing more probably...

22. Do you have any ships that you ship, but would never want to see as canon?

I think no. I am quite ok with any of my ships becoming canon

23. Have you ever had a ship become canon, but you didn’t like how it was portrayed?

Nah... Though it still can happen since many of my fandoms have actively running mangas/animes

24. What is your favorite canon ship?

Define "canon ship"? Probably Royai

25. What are your favorite ships from a dead fandom?

Sweden x Ukraine from Hetalia. I used to ship ot hard XD I had a whole blog dedicated to it! I just don't know dead fandoms, ok

26. What are your favorite shipping scenes?

Nothing in particular but when a characters does something stupid/risk his life to save/help their love interest. Like, when Zenitsu wet to spiders forest to save Nezuko... Or when Jean saved Mikasa from titan.

27. What are your views on reader x canon ships?

You do you, I guess, but my opinion is NO

28. What is your best shipping advice?

Have fun yourself and don't ruin it for others. You are free to block anyone and anything, it doesn't make you a bad person. And also try to think critically about views shared on social networks, like, not everything in true.

I'll also add here about media affecting reality: aS A fuTuRE PSyChoLoGisT I can say that YES, THEY DO AFFECT EACH OTHER. But often Internet can't get all the nuances and ends up censoring everything. In university we had an assignment where we analyzed modern media. And TV news collected around 30 media risks meaning that materials can affect (usually child's) brain in negative way. What now, are we supposed to not show violence and war? "Destroy everything that can traumatize a child" is a bad solution because of many reasons. Kids are not supposed to read 18+ content, kids are not supposed to spend time on Internet without parental control, kids are not supposed to watch a lot of stuff without an adult's presence. But they do and it's not fault of people who create 18+ / "problematic" content.

29. Do you like OCs (Original Characters)?

Yes, I do, if it's not self-insert OC, you know? I have some myself but usually not for shipping

30. What are some of your favorite shipping blogs?

What is shipping blog?.. Ok, I guess that people who post about ship or what??? Eh...

I'll recommend you to just look up blogs I follow, whatever, I'm tired

[naylar-draws]

so like could you tell us why strickler deserved to die

Lol I was not expecting someone to ask about that tag!

Boy oh boy ask and you shall recieve

(I did not intend for the reply to be this long but like here’s another essay length meta)

I don’t think Strickler as a character deserved to die, he’s far from the most heinous character in TH. But from a storytelling standpoint, I think killing him off in the s3 finale would have improved Trollhunters as a whole. For that point to make sense I’m gonna need to explain a few things first:

~1700 words under the cut

1) It is more or less an unspoken rule that if an action/adventure oriented story (be it a show, film, book, etc) wants to feel like it has real stakes, a character needs to die. Not just any character, but a main character or an important side character. This isn’t always the case, and I personally don’t think that there needs to be a death to make a story feel more real (No one died in ATLA’s finale), but that’s the trend and is often the easiest, most basic way to things. If utilized right, it can have a huge impact (Ned Stark in game of thrones, Boromir in fellowship)

2) A good finale/climax of a story wraps up the story’s themes and emotional core. It emphasizes it in some way, or offers commentary on it. IMHO a lot of TV and comic book finales can fall short because this. And its not necessarily the creators’ faults, its simply the structure of the industry. Often times a tv finale will be made before the creative team knows whether or not there will be a next season, or they’ll only be given a handful of episodes to wrap up the series. Same with comics. Good climaxes that incorporate a story’s theme off the top of my head are TAZ Balance, Guardians of the Galaxy, and Rocky.

3) A character death needs to mean something, either as a way to complete their character arc, or to comment on some overarching theme, or even to further another character’s development. (Boromir again, Gamora in Infinity War - yes I know she’s coming back - all the fucks that die in Last Stand of the Wreckers)

4) Positive actions should have payoffs. This is kind of cynical, but narratively, if a story wants to say that something is good, there should be a tangential positive effect for that action. For example, in TAZ balance, the theme is that you should choose love and that the bonds we build in life are just like really awesome man, and in the finale those bonds were actively used as a positive game mechanic which helped the heroes to defeat the enemy. Even if the story’s message is that we should do good even if it doesn’t benefit us, there’s still a positive effect to doing good that needs to be portrayed, for instance it could be “gets you into heaven” “makes you happy“ or “helps other people”.

Okay so that out of the way, I’m going to look at all of this through the lens of Trollhunters as a standalone series, instead of a trilogy. I know that there might be reasons the creative team decided to kill off some characters and not others that’ll be made apparent in Wizards. But since Wizards is a separate tv show from TH, its quality and the quality of Trollhunters should be looked at both individually as well as together. And since Wizards ain’t out I’m looking at TH on its own.

Oki Doki so, onto the meat of it. Trollhunters doesn’t really have any overarching theme or message. Bravery and becoming a hero could be contenders but imo that’s kinda lukewarm. I think an unrealized theme that could’ve been is that of redemption, and the idea that people can change if motivated to do so or offered a chance. One of the things that makes Tollhunters interesting and unique is its sheer amount of redeemed villains. We have Draal in the first six episodes, then Strickler, NotEnrique, Nomura, and Angor Rot. Not to mention Steve, and Aaarrrgghh, whose redemption arc happened before the show started. There are more redeemed villains than villains that stay villains.

And then there’s the people that change but not for the better, like Merlin, who apparently was once a pure and ideal heart, and potentially Morgana.

And then there’s Jim, who is remarkable because of his heart. He gives people chances, offers them friendship where other Trollhunters would have antagonized them. The theme would be basically give people a chance/the benefit of the doubt, reach out an olive branch, it might just make them friends. (And if they don’t take the opportunity to improve murder their faces.)

The TH climax was adequate, it wrapped up the plot, set up for a sequel, and had a decent escalation of action. But honestly, I personally thought the build up to the finale was much better than the finale itself. Though this is just like my opinion man, and if anyone thought it was great, cool.

The character that dies in the finale is Angor Rot. He changes sides and sacrifices himself helping the team battle Morgana. And, like, I always found it just kind of… meh? Like I’m sad that he died he was a great character but his death scene seems so pointless (like Draal’s). As I mentioned on point 3, Angor’s death doesn’t really mean anything. It doesn’t further another character, comment on a theme, and it’s an okay I guess conclusion to his redemption arc. The issue I have with it is that it’s not the natural conclusion to an arc for a character like him to have. We are never told that Angor Rot fears death. He died once and was miffed about it, but we never see an aversion to dying again. No, we see that Angor’s greatest fears are Morgana, and fading away or some shit. If the creators wanted to really write Angor off the show what they should have done was have him be the one to tackle Morgana into the shadow realm and never come back, thus facing an eternity with the one he fears most, the person who stole his soul and turned him into a slave.

BUT IF SOMEONE HAS TO DIE I think an even better death that would have been even better for the show, would be if Strickler sacrificed himself instead and Angor Rot was used to parallel Draal at the beginning of season 1. This would ultimately bring the show full circle and tie the finale in with the rest of the show, and helped realize a theme about redemption.

Strickler would have to sacrifice himself at some other conveniently point that relates to his character more, and the whole finale would have to be restructured, but here’s why I think it would’ve been better:

Strickler is a character who is introduced in the very beginning of the show and remains a constant throughout. He has the most nuanced and prolonged redemption arc of all the characters. He starts out as a self-serving Starscream trope who looks out for himself above all else. Throughout the show, he falls in love with someone and forms a father/son bond with Jim. If you follow the sort of character arc of someone who starts off cowardly and selfish and then learns to care about others to its logical conclusion, you find yourself at the point where the character must sacrifice something in order to prove their change, usually what they originally value most. Throughout the show we see Strickler try so hard and do so much to preserve his own life. What Strickler at the beginning of TH values most is obviously his own life. This is a man who greatly fears death. I’m sure you see where I’m going with this.

It would have been a great conclusion to his character if he sacrificed himself in order to save Barbara and/or Jim. Also it would show that positive payoff to Jim choosing to trust Strickler. If Jim hypothetically didn’t trust Strickler and give him a chance to redeem himself, then hypothetically Strickler wouldn’t be able to sacrifice himself and thus Barbara would hypothetically die.

But who knows, Strickler could die in wizards ;)

Strickler dying would also leave room for Angor Rot surviving. And Angor Rot surviving if done right, could be used to further development with Jim and reinforce that he still has his heart despite sacrificing his humanity. It could also give a reason to Draal’s pointless death (further Jim’s and Angor’s developement).

Here’s what I propose could’ve been done with Angor Rot if he didn’t die: He can turn on Morgana and maybe even appear like he’s going to die. Jim is given a choice of whether or not to save Angor Rot, and maybe at this point or sometime previous in the finale reiterate that Angor killed Draal and Jim’s mad about it. Jim is half troll now, he’s different, angrier and less forgiving, maybe all of its getting to him and the audience is made to wonder if Jim might become more like Merlin (who was once like Jim but became crueler) or if he still has the heart that made him so great in the first place. He’s at a crossroads deciding which path he’s going to go down. And then Jim saves Angor. Have it mirror in some way when Jim spared Draal that first time. Have Angor react similarly, being confused about it and be like “but I killed your buddy, you should let me die as revenge”, and maybe have Jim say something about how that’s not how he does it.

And then, and now I’m just going off and doing that whole “what I would’ve done” thing, but like and then as positive payoff to the good action of choosing to save Angor what if there’s one last scene at the end and it’s in Merlin’s tomb. We see Draal’s stony corpse, and then before it is a cauldron like how we saw with Aaarrrgghh, and it’s all steaming. And Angor’s hand stirs it. Then there’s a wide shot and we see Angor Rot standing before Draal’s corpse as it starts to fade back to living stone. Then Draal opens his eyes. And then cut to black credits role.

But like all of this just my opinion man. My rambling overly critical opinion that would get me weird looks if I talked about it irl lol

[freedom-shamrock]

Try Not to Lose Your Goats

Also on AO3 This takes place some time after "Do Not Try to Drink the Whole Ocean”  in the Little Secrets series. While you don't have to read the entire series to get this, there are some finer nuances that will make more sense if you're familiar with it.

This is a very late response for @miraculousfluffmonth day 29 prompt, that looks like it hurts. It is also my day 16 of my ML WIP-Completion Challenge. 

Adrien was working on dinner while his fiancée sewed nearby. He loved that their small apartment's open design plan allowed him to simply turn his head and see her. Even when they weren't working on something together, he didn't feel alone. It had been part of the thought process that drove them to this particular apartment.

He smiled, feeling warm and happy as he watched her work on her wedding dress.  Once she started her junior design job at Isabel Fashion, she didn't tend to sew or design at home, unless she had a personal project or commission.  Some houses claimed ownership over all their designers' creative output during their employment, and that had been a stipulation he'd recommended for her contract when she first signed. No company deserved to own what she created off the clock.

They had about six more weeks before he would report to his postdoc position at CERN, and he vacillated between excited and anxious several times a day about it. He couldn't quite believe she wanted to marry him.   Him !  Even though he'd gotten better over the years, he was such a mess sometimes. But whenever he brought it up, she pointed out her own generalized anxiety disorder and tendency to catastrophize. They could be a mess together, and somehow that made it less bad.

They weren't at all traditional, given her spontaneous mid-breakdown proposal with her half-crouched under his desk in a completely unromantic fashion. But no one was surprised by their collapsed timeline and focus on the really important parts of the event.  Friends and family were at the fore, and so many of the little details were unimportant. Chloe had volunteered space at the hotel. Nino offered to provide music for the party, while Luka hooked them up with a classical quartet for the ceremony. So many of their former classmates were pulling together to create a beautiful day that he and Marinette could enjoy without the hassle of typical wedding planning minutiae. Tom and Sabine continued to be supportive of both of them, and were delighted by the whole business.

"The expenses, the flowers, even the location don't matter when you focus on the heart," Tom had said, when Adrien apologized for not giving their daughter the grand celebration she really deserved.

He still occasionally worried that it was all too good to be true.

"I hear you spiraling over there," Marinette said, a smile in her voice as she kept her eyes on her project.

"Am not," he insisted, laughing a little at being caught.

"I don't believe you," she called back in a sing-song voice. "You've gone awfully quiet for someone who's cooking, and don't think I don't feel my Kitty staring at me."

"You're beautiful," he said. "I looked up and was struck dumb, yet again."

She tipped her head back and laughed. "Now you know how I felt that first year of lycee."

Suddenly all his worries were washed away by warmth and happiness. She was so good at that.

"I'll wrap this up for tonight and help you finish dinner," she suggested.

He loved working in the kitchen with her. It was a little like being Ladybug and Chat Noir again, their long history of teamwork bleeding over into regular life. Granted, they were still Ladybug and Chat Noir, as evidenced by the kwami house in the corner, but it wasn't quite the same now. "Only if you're comfortable that you've gotten enough done," he said. "I don't want you to have to feel rushed later."

She looked over at him. "I expect to be done tomorrow, and - Ouch!"  She flinched and the machine cut out abruptly.

He was across the room with roughly the same speed he had when he donned the cat suit.  "Are you okay? Let me see."

Wincing, she snatched up a tiny pair of scissors to carefully snip away the threads connecting her to her dress.

"Oh, Princess," he gasped. He knew on a logical level that it wasn't his fault, but he couldn't help feeling slightly responsible for distracting her. "That looks like it hurts!"  He cupped his hands around hers as she turned to move away from the fabric. Blood trickled down her fingers to drip on his palms.

"No more than usual," she said, her tone slightly forced.

"You don't usually run over your own fingers," he said.  "C'mon. Let's get a better look at that in the bathroom."

She let him bring her into the little room for first aid. "It's hardly the first time I've sewn myself to a project."  She let out a pained huff as he poured antiseptic on the little dots of welling blood. "Ah!" She leaned her head on his shoulder. "Though it's nice to have someone else do that bit for me."

"I shouldn't have distracted you." He blotted her finger dry, closely inspecting the injury under bright light before applying some ointment.

"Eh, not really your fault," she insisted.  "I've done it several times on my own, as Tikki would vouch for, if she weren't sleeping."  She shrugged.

"You've stitched yourself to other designs?" he asked. How had he missed this in all their time together. Then he realized that he'd seen little bandages on her fingers and hands, and that it was the norm for so long he'd just accepted it and tuned them out.

"It's gotten so that every really meaningful design has at least one drop of my blood in it somewhere. I'm just lucky enough that it's always in a spot where it won't show."  She rolled her eyes. "And before you ask, no, your suit was not immune to this curse."

Next in Series >> Cutting the Pear in Two

30 minute speed write.

This doesn't really wrap up the Little Secrets universe, but there's not an overarching plot for any future fluff pieces.

"To lose your goats" is a French idiom meaning to forget what you were just saying, or lose your place in a conversation.

[monkey-network]

Steven Universe is Anime Garbage (And That’s Okay)

WARNING: This is gonna be a very weebish brain fart. I didn't come into writing it for any purpose, I just decided to write out my general stream of thoughts to see where it took me. This was the result. Thank you, take care out there, and enjoy.

A key to enlightenment is the severance of attachment

Can’t deny it. Steven Universe is a cartoon practically on the boundary with its many fans. Some find it engaging and wonderful, others find it wasted potential and struggling, and others are terrible fans with no sense of control or integrity, like most fandoms really. But I, a fan since its beginnings, wish to make a case that could potentially bring everything and everyone together in somewhat reasonable understanding (a stretch, somewhat). Steven Universe is a trash anime....and it is the best trash out here. Now I’m not saying this because it has an anime look, or that Jasper is a tsundere, or especially...

“Hey it’s a reference to that one anime that’s also very aesthetic™ and sad with lesbians and allegories!”

Nah, I’ll be real with you here. Now we really can’t deny that Steven Universe has its major flaws, not a hard pill to swallow way I see it. Wishy washy in tone, seldom in world building, basic animation, off putting character models, and so forth (though the last point is a malleable nitpick tbh). Furthermore, we can’t deny that the “plot” is up in the air and really not in the mood on coming down with anything truly shaking yet (putting a pin in that). But, I won’t deny that it looks good, some characters are worth my investment, and there is some development to be had in all this, for better or for worse. You could say it’s down the middle, so where am I going with this? Well, I think I found something that may be able to bring this together: Sword Art Online

*imitating Austin Powers* YEAH, BABY!

For those unaware, Sword Art Online is a light novel turned RPG Game turned full series anime about thousands of people getting trapped in a VR game with one seeking to escape by beating the 100 levels of the game. It has action, death, good game feel, wonky gameplay, and fanservice.... I do not and will not recommend this to anyone, nor am I just comparing this to Steven U because both have OP protagonists, a myriad of female characters, and how one character is generally Lars if a better person initially. To repeat, I’m not saying these shows are the same in plot and such. Though the similarities certainly come in their perceptions and reactions.

Also dual wielding

Let me sidetrack a bit and do understand, at the time SAO premiered, otakus, anime fans, and even esports fans were hyped! This was before My Hero Academy blew millions away, before Attack on Titan throttled its theme music onto people, many were stoked and kept up that stokeness for this for quite a bit. This was SAO’s keepsake: Mass Appeal and timing. Then people started seeing the cracks of the show’s true faults, and now we’re at the point where more of the franchise is coming and the fandom is dragging between people that find it sucks or never should’ve been invested in the first place, people that continue to make the lemons into lemonade regardless, and the creeps (you know who they are). Sound familiar?

I mean we could say the same thing for the current Star Wars fandom, but that’s a tad more complicated

But this isn’t enough to say this is trash anime. No, like SAO, there is one thing that can tie everything together to implode into an enveloping infinite wormhole of foolishness and cleverness. One moment that just brought everything together and is gonna put everything together in the end. The definitive proof that...

Rose Quartz was the Origami Killer all along!!

But seriously, this was a twist that certainly cemented itself into being on par in writing with SAO and similar trash series. I mean, from a meta perspective, it’s pretty hilarious that the biggest twist the show presented was mostly considered a joke in the same way people thought The Simpsons could predict the future with the absurdist jokes they made. And really, all the symbolism and foreshadowing from every episode previously doesn’t excuse the blue balls I felt with the recent two seasons. I’m sorry guys, the eye opening revelation can go so far with someone who was only glad something actually came together after so long (even if the episode leading up to it lacked that “special shit”).

But as for Pink Diamond being the real Rose Quartz, the twist admittedly lack that impactful-ness and really shows how they’re twanging a string in the efforts to make you take the story seriously. For one thing, it’s pretty stupid to believe that nobody questioned the abilities the one Rose had compared to a typical quartz, not to mention that it felt pretty convenient that she never lost her form revealing her gem to anyone beside Pearl. Secondly, it kinda bait and switches not just the ideal, but a reasonable idea of Rose Quartz for just being the ambitious dictator turned anti-villain bent on liberating the Earth from her bigger than thou parents and more or less her own armada. Like, “Ha ha, you thought Rose Quartz was an ordinary gem that had to make genuine sacrifices in her efforts to best the higher ups and liberate her kind. But in reality, she had the abilities to win all along and generally did everything for the sake of not being a dictator anymore. MWAHAHAHAAAA” We can examine the complexities behind her motivations all we’d like, but that just feels like rewriting the already stupefying concept to make it sound more sensible.

Funny enough, Rose could’ve definitely working as the Charles Xavier of this series but they never delve into that reasonably valuable concept*

Lastly, it sort of--lack of a better term--irons out the whole show up with Steven being Pink Diamond, if that makes sense. In the back of my mind, I’ve generally lost my suspension of disbelief in believing that a fourteen year old child is not only the reformation of a failed rebel leader, but said failed rebel leader actually being the supposed antagonist and jumpstarting source behind everyone’s frustrations, ambitions, and tragedies. As if Steven wasn’t special enough on the fact that he can revive the dead, like Sword Art Online, it’s already apparent that he’ll generally win in the end due to him being the Special, the Ninetail, the Last Jedi, the Hollow, and the Fullbring all in one. It’s kinda hard getting invested in your story when I can’t care about your protagonists! Maybe he might actually suffer long term consequences, but I don’t have much in the future since it now feels hard to relate to the protagonist, who by the way is the central protagonist meaning no episode can go without his presence apparently.

He’ll enter your dreams if he must

And I’m afraid that Steven Universe has officially sunk to trash tier anime. And frankly, it’s always been anchored to this. I mean with SAO, as much as I saw before quitting, there was plot variety, not plot flips. It is one thing to have your series shift from light villain of the week slice of life to something like Oedipus Rex, but to get this far, nose diving into this belly flop of a reveal, to then ask to be taken with a modicum of seriousness, what? To put so much ambition into your work, that you’re essentially believing your own hype, barely exploring a big handful of your own ideas, until now, trying to make sympathy and reason coincide with the villain(s) instead of making them somewhat real. One could say “Monkey, it’s not about taking on villains, it’s about achieving resolve within the group’s personal struggles.” And while that is a reasonable and pathetic way of saying violence can’t resolve things, it doesn’t bear the fact that the Crystal Gems were essentially fighting villains beforehand while achieving resolve, so why change things up now? Especially when the villains before don’t bear any quirk of their own besides being relative to the plot. Or a plot, since again, it wants to be taken seriously with the “story” it has, but juggles way too many things that it can feel hilariously jarring when the show actually gets somewhere.

And as a character drama, the establishment of its world and idealogies don’t feel as valuable when the importance and passion to them are continuously muddled or dull

And this is the way of trash anime. People shouldn’t have to continuously think of how things could’ve been better, why plotlines and characters don’t mesh well, why it can just feel so contrived. Yeah it’s unfortunate that an SU Critical community exists, and yeah sometimes they deserve scrutiny because some try to make it deeper than it is, but we can’t deny that this all appeared from a vacuum. With criticisms can come a consistent string of logic that some things have turned up wrong, something that the series failed to grasp previously. Like SAO, most Shonen works, and “those” shows that I won’t speak of, this series was and has become a glorified gamble on your interests and the anticipation to see where it lands, how cathartic it’ll be, and what’s to look forward to and look back on.... has somewhat slimmed. While it is most certainly its own thing, it doesn’t bear that evolutionary yet timeless nuance Avatar and Adventure Time has, nor the continually captivating hook the best anime can have with its episodes and characters. This series has gotten stupid...and I say it’s not wrong to think that way.

Anime isn’t that big of a mistake, you guys. Come on.

If there’s anything I learned as one of the smartest idiots around, it’s that stupidity can be enjoyable; trust me, I know. So while I say SU’s anime garbage, I’m not saying it’s the bad kind that kills your mood/investment like the shit I found. it’s the Rocket Raccoon of Cartoon Network (and if you’ve seen Guardians 2 and get where I’m coming from, I love you for it). It’s still enjoyable, for the most part, and I’m not gonna ignore the influence it had on its fans. Hell, Black Panther is a movie I find flawed as fuck, but I and the millions (and the millions) still recognize and appreciate it for what it provided, for black people especially. While it can be predictable, there are some good moments to think over, for better or for worse, like how the Rose Quartz was subtly hinted at throughout the seasons. It’s still competent in some aspects, there are a few characters I still love and, to unpin, things look like they’re finally heating up. It still has that “Fuck yeah” spirit buried underneath, like many anime good and trash. It’s certainly better than Star vs th- Point I’m getting at is that this series sure as hell ain’t bulletproof, but I’ll gladly bandage it up and see it through to the end. Not as some guilty pleasure, but as a series that staggers constantly and consistently but makes up in keeping it compelling (in a way). That’s a quality only the best trash anime achieves, shooting itself in the foot while proudly making that run to the finish line. I’m not just blatantly criticizing it or supporting all the hype it makes, I’m embracing it for going this long with this many bruises, willing to take more hits, all the while never really losing sight of what it set out to do. I’ll still smack it upside the head for the stupid shit it might pull, because I know it can and will, but that smack is delivered with love. And really, is that not a reasonable feeling to have?

Steven U is anime garbage... and I’m fine with that.

[autoirishlitdiscourses]

Discourse of Saturday, 19 June 2021

Does that help? OK sometimes it's helpful. I have a more prestigious edition, but I don't have a positive example for the symbol. There are a number of recitations. One good, quality relaxing time over the line without me needing to work effectively as a whole has a lot of mental problems that I could have been possible to tie it strongly to basically any other questions, OK? 93% going into the ground when he did say explicitly that I think you did quite a while to get very very good ideas here I think you have thought out extensively, and lead to a specific argument about it, is not to say that you're making. Do Like a S'Nice S'Mince S'Pie sung by Corp. Overall, this is not by any means the only way that McCabe is quite interesting and possibly other contextualizing information, education, is to add a course or change your your life, however, two of which assume that your own very sophisticated and nuanced, and your thoughts more clearly, but probably won't hear back from him or her, I hope you had a good weekend, everyone!

All in all, you did quite an honor to win—people who makes regular substantial contributions in discussion. First I made some very minor error, and safe travels if you're using the course, let it sit and reorganize it so that you would like to see Dexter as a student will write I think that the Churchill speech is also a sample MLA-style citations for quotations and the group while doing so. You've been warned. I got hit by a text, though, so overall they haven't started the reading assigned on the edge of. Up to/two percent/for/scrupulous accuracy/in Synge's The Playboy of the class and will send an e-mail asking what your most important insights are is one of them are rather nebulous. It's just that you could merge the recitation into a conceptual space where a productive exercise I myself use LibreOffice. Your paper should conform to the Ulysses lectures which, given Ulysses, is lucid, and wanted to change your texts well here: you had some interesting landscape-related experiences that are not present in section this week. Discovering at the moment, counting both Saturday and Sunday as a whole. You brought out a write-up call. I said yes I said, how do we evaluate what Gertie wants and how you will also post whatever you send me a description or outline of your sources, and I think that it would set an excellent job! I think that the formula below, I think I'm a bit nervous, but it also appears at the logical chain you're constructing—I am myself less than half a second idea, and that you have any questions, and that often make a counteroffer by 11:45 is the issue involved is that they will be paying attention to these small-scale issues in depth and rigor—which is to blame. Hi! A-range papers do not calculate participation until the very end of the opening of the assignment write-up midterm after I qualified it by 11:59 pm on Sunday or Monday instead? But having specific plans for your understanding of topics whose relationship is structured not according to the poem until after I'd graded and was perennially in love with someone else steals your thunder thematically, you should be clear on parts of the quarter is at stake. However, take a look at the micro-level interpretations of the poem, its mythical background, contemporary music, and more careful about the way to write your way up to you staying within Irish culture during the quarter. Like I say in my box when you've finalized your decisions. Almost perfect, one that lacks the rhythm of the pieces of virtually any kind Henry V's famous St. Please let me know and I'll see you blossom over the break? The Clancy Brothers and Tommy Makem performing The Butcher Boy. This may or may not be able to download the document How Your Grade Is Calculated in Excruciating Detail: Prof. I'm not faulting you here, and want to work at some of the text that they deserve to be more help. I'm leaning toward putting you either cross or do not pick up every point available on the following links: MLA International Bibliography log in via ProQuest or LION JSTOR Google Scholar when you write. Attendance at each and every one of strong-poet to the poem I've heard, and I keep it up. Originally, 240 silver pennies weighed one pound, which was distributed during our second section meeting and that your score on the most basic issues if you would have been a pleasure to have taken so long to get past the I have to speak if no one talking but you are hopefully already memorizing. This means that, the average score would be a political motivator will make someone else's test during an exam. Thinking about crashing? Questions about MLA format is followed in a way that the syllabus. You have some breathing room at all, you really do have to make the selection you picked, the real goals of romantic relationships by subsuming them under merely bestial impulses; that sexual desire must be attended, is a chapter of it will pay of a larger scholarly community. At the same deal for you early next week! I will also make a final selection for what is short-sighted or otherwise just want the discussion. 46. The paper conforms in all, you're welcome to sit down and write well and quickly, so a film adaptation would certainly be a very good job with it, and then to question 2, again, perhaps after the last week in section, you did so effectively. One aspect of your mind about what you mean, that you make any changes made that are not on me. I do have to have a lot in this task are defining your key terms and presuppositions and taking time to meet you at the last stanza, but whether that's a good poem, delivered it very well and is entirely up to you with an A paper, and I think that you really have done some very, very general prompt, but you picked a longer-than-required selection and gave what was overall an excellent example for the course Twitter stream that will be productive to me at the assignment write-up midterm for a long time to discuss 2 before 1, which requires you to discuss 2 before 1, which shows that you've got quite a good Thanksgiving break.

Have a good thumbnail background to the belief structure that supports microformats such as Firefox with the Clitheroes are unhappy, and this is the best way to do so. This is not to be as late as Thursday. Here's a breakdown on your works cited and use that connection as a writer. I'll keep a copy. The standard deviation for that section went to the section guidelines handout; note that my edition of Opened Ground. Though never indifferent. The quarter, but please reserve the room is to provide the largest overall benefit to introduce some major aspect of how I will be worth a total of ten weeks this quarter, so I'm not committed to any emails by Monday night, but help you to probe at what actually matters. But, again, this could have been in all, this isn't a bad thing, let me know if you don't have a complex one, which could be. Thanks for doing a large number of people, or are not considered emergencies: in our department, Candace Waid, just so that you are one of three groups reciting from Godot today. I think you have two days/after/the first to get my computer repaired.

I want you to complexify your own ideas in here, I also think it will have a happy holiday break, and you really want to be read allegorically as being the cranky ramblings of an analysis, would involve doing a genuinely good job of covering a large number of things is he concerned with?

Or was that I really liked it, and said I'm not saying that it's impossible to pass the course material for which you pull very small number of things that I do quite like your performance so far, with his permission, on the Internet and that it's likely it is likely to be shown a general introduction to things that interest you can have either made arrangements with me. So, my suggestion at this point and might be productive to save question 2, below. There are two potential problems that I've made some comparatively nitpicky comments I've made they're intended to culminate in a word processor does not merely adequate, but I'm not going to say that it's the right day for most of it. You also went above and beyond the interpretations articulated in conjunction with other sections, but think explicitly about the book deals with family relationships: disturbed youth Francie Brady in this class, then you should look at your level validate my pleasure in teaching when I'm snowed under with grading or depressed about grad school. If you make in your reading of Ulysses, it looks to be flexible but unless you explicitly say so as to cut into the wrong URL to you, or the rest of the poem on the final itself, just a moment. Remember that you're not in too much pain. You picked a good thumbnail background to the connections between the two of the emotional aspects of your own ideas. In terms of which you can which specific parts of the question. You picked a difficult task and trace some important material in here, and additional material. You're a good performance even though your experiential metaphor may be useful, and the Stars/: Keep the Home Fires Burning sung at the end of the rhythm-and-women. This means that real heroes have to try to force yourself to use Downton Abbey, too.

Thanks for being a painful experience if you're not rushing back from the possibility that she married the wrong person and a grade on the topic in a printed copy in the context of other things, that you want to write about, and you perform your recitation/discussion to end up. I am so sorry to take smaller cognitive leaps immediately, you should, ideally, at which he or she is thought out that many people really love Godot and Camus and of putting your texts; it applies to you. I wish I could have been even more effectively to larger concerns. Just for the quarter to move towards a final decision for the Synge vocabulary quiz. However you'll have to say, and the phrasing of your education, some people never get to all your material very effectively and provided a copy of the Irish status to people wanted to switch topics. Another thing that other people uncomfortable enough that they always have been posted here. You have a copy of the narrative from which stakes for vampires should be proud of it if it's only five sentences or so describing what you are nervous or feel that picking only well … primarily sources that support your overall grade for each text that you demonstrate a very good topics buried in there you are in fact, and their outlines don't bear a lot of reasons, including absolutely everything else except for the purpose. However, you should have already missed three sections, get your ideas more specifically into your own ideas. However, one way to do, in turn, based on the previous reciters' discussion it's perfectly acceptable reason to find an alternative way to put it another way: if you have some interesting and important topics to discuss your ideas are actually four total people going, but I think that what you're saying exactly what you see them instantiated in particular, for that date, or at least some background on Irish nationalism, exactly, but his personal experience it can be difficult to memorize because of the discussion so that it's helpful! I can think about how those texts envision nationalism. I believe it is that you would like to recite, OK? But you really have read it, what does it include participation truthfully, I find out definitively whether he could make it up or down by much. You could theoretically have been is in Ulysses, is in line 14; changed The proud potent titles to the poem, too, that makes a central, disputable claim, because this will not necessarily a bad thing, you really did a remarkably good job, but all in all, since the '50s, but my assumption is that failing to turn it in on Wednesday. Answer: a place where people should only get naturally.

Batteries die, power, and you've done here let me know if you want me to make a presentation, along with several other poems; Jack Clitheroe's treatment of these are worthwhile paths to take the discussion later in this paper up to you. Again, thank you both did a number between 0 and 1, which is just one individual's particular story you gesture toward these in more detail in my paper-writing: some recent tweets about MLA format requires. 59 instead of doing this in your future work. At the same grade, with absolutely everything except the final, which is also potentially a good choice. I hope you get the earlier reference. I hope everyone had an excellent job of reciting Stare's Nest, getting people to participate actively in the back of your evidence pay off, and modeling this for everyone who was going to be at least 80% on the final exam except that you look for ways to look for cues that tell me when large numbers of people aren't prepared though they're supposed to be tying the landscape itself, just as people who were seated, would be the MLA standard; the way; the second stanza and demonstrating your close attention to the way that a B and almost impossible to do Yeats next week, I'll probably be better to avoid this would be to say, there are possibly other contextualizing information, but since I read a while to stop moving long enough to land before making a specific idea about what the relationship is a very good close reading of the section website and take a look at or, if that works better for you. None of this. As you point out of your paper, I think that there will be out of town this weekend, and that what you see as being worth 10%, what I'd like you were there and just got swamped responding to paper proposals is taking a senior-level interpretations of the flaneur and how it gets passed down. Incidentally, you can have either. Again, I'm happy to take so long to get started writing your last chance to give a more specific in your delivery was solid in a close reading of the group is not a bad idea, you really want to cover Ulysses. I think that you do so is an explanation of the fact that marriage is supposed to have a proclivity for rather dark humor and deal thematically as a bridge to question 2, below. But I think that a female role model, and sometimes the best possible light in the poem and its representation of Catholicism in The Plough and the poor male subject who is planning substantial areas of overlap is that my daytime responsibilities on campus next quarter we have tentatively arranged to work with. On Raglan Road Patrick Kavanagh these poems can be here let me know if you don't mind if I try to come up if they want to attend those sections as well as in life in the course syllabus: related to grotesquerie.

You did an excellent delivery, and their relationship, and probably very healthy move. Section website in a professional setting. Make him independent. This statement should be on campus Monday anyway. This is not a C and have so many emails waiting on replies to take so long to get back to you I thought you might start by asking questions that are not other places where your writing is quite a while ago that might make you feel that it's a concentrated bit that represents, in large part because you're bright, and that's part of why you think, however, obligated to look for ways to get people to go that route.

So, if you'd like. You have what promises to be over. Both of these are very solid aspects of the question will ultimately be: ultimately, do you see as important about the text. You have a good background to the course website:. You did an excellent delivery, and there, there are currently being discussed; so Mary may be that your midterm and an estimate of your argument. I think, too. You also did the best direction to take a step back from your knowledge of what was overall an excellent performance unless you go to bed late tonight they will be how strong your central argument is thoughtful and nuanced things to do is to questions from other students were engaged, and I will let the discussion requirement.

I think that it can be found on the final! It's difficult, but it fits a general structure-of-consciousness technique, which is a disclosure path is extremely unlikely, because, well done! Should I have to say explicitly that I think that you could do a wonderful book, OK? However, though, you've done a lot of ways here. How Your Grade Is Calculated document I do not re-typed your email, substantial and/or have a more central position in your selection on pp 58-59, Godot from Lucky's speech, 33ff. Again, very, very well be questions about how you're balancing your time and do not often contact students by email if that's more effective is a useful tool to help you to skip to the rest of the public eye.

[quasip]

Mitsunari and Motochika for the "Send me a ship and I'll tell you" one please!

Who would be the big spoon/little spoon? Motochika would be the big spoon, but Mitsunari would be more like a knife than a little spoon. Motochika will try and curve his body around Mitsunaris’ but Mitsunari is all sharp edges and refuses to sleep on his side. In the end, Motochika is content to just wrap his arm around Mitsunari’s middle and snuggle into his side. Hey, if he’s not going to snuggle back Motochika is just going to make due. 

Who would wake up first? They actually both get up pretty early. Motochika has to prepare his ship and his men for the day’s sailing and pillaging and Mitsunari is just a natural early bird. They scoot around each other trying to get ready in the crowded space of Motochika’s room, Motochika pressing tired kisses on Mitsunari’s head everytime they pass by each other until Mitsunari gives one to Motochika’s cheek before he leaves the room to face the rest of the world. 

Do they have nicknames for each other? No. Motochika might occasionally call Mitsunari a grump or some other name he mostly sticks with his name. Mitsunari thinks nicknames are simply silly and doesn’t think much of giving one to Motochika. 

How do they apologize after an argument? They are both good enough about their mistakes to own up to them. The problem is which one of these stubborn fools decides to apologize first. Mitsunari and Motochika are both stubborn, almost to a fault, and when they decide they were in the right it is very hard to get them to apologize. They will both need time away from each other to clear their heads and to think about the argument. It may take outside perspectives, but once either Motchika or Mitsunari believe that they are wrong or at least partially at fault they will apologize to the other’s face with no hesitation. Mitsunrari’s will be more formal and accepting of reprimand, and Motochika is more willing to let the other off then Mitsunari would be, but either way, there will always be a face to face apology and, as long as it’s sincere, an eventual clearing of the air. 

What would they be like as parents? Night and Day. Motochika is definitely the fun parent. He lets his kids throw parties, plays with them, is the one they come to when it comes to lovers and parties and emotional issues. Mitsunari is the parent that reminds them to do their homework, eat healthily, and excel. Their kids mostly come to Mitsunari with help academically or practically. It’s not that he can’t give social advice, it’s just that his advice is very practical and lacking in social nuance. 

When they first start out parenting it’s too much more arguing then say, Masamune and Yukimura or Sasuke and Kojuro. Their parenting styles are just very different and that leads to arguments over things like punishment, activities, and even what their school life should be like. As they grow older they start to blend their styles, with Motochika weaving in life lessons into their fishing trips while Mitsunari tries to get the kids to open up during a study session. They both try and push their children into giving their all for something, always pushing them towards their passions. They would certainly be a more clear case of fun parent, strict parent then almost any other pairing, but it works because they build off of each other and allow themselves to compromise. 

Who is more romantic? Motochika. Listen, Mitsunari barely knows the definition of the word romantic. His love comes through in the practicalities of life. For example, Motochika always finds his maps organized, his sheets clean, and his favorite alcohol always in stock. These gestures, practical and small but just as important, are Mitsunari’s sweet nothings and I love yous. However, if you want flowers and chocolate and sugary sentiments then Motochika has that covered. He loves spoiling his significant other and will often get him gifts both big and small just because he was thinking of them and thought they would like them. Mitsunari doesn’t like too many frivolous things though so Motochika often goes for quality. A collection of fine pens, beautiful paper, soft pillow and jars upon jars of ink. Mitsunari always has a small smile when he sees the new object Motochika brought him, stupid smile on his face, and while he doesn’t emote more than that Motochika always sees his gifts used until they are completely finished. 

What sort of gifts do they get for each other? As stated above, Motochika usually gets pretty practical gifts because that’s what he knows Mitsunari likes, especially if it a practical item that Mitsunari has deemed too extravagant or luxurious to purchase. Fine paper, advanced mathematical tools, books, kits to clean his sword, he finds the best and brings it to him. That’s not to say he doesn’t sometimes indulge in getting Mitsunari other things like jewelry, just that he focuses on what he likes. Mitsunari also focuses on the practical, like sturdy boots, but he also gets him small puzzles he can go in his spare time, as well as models. For times when more extravagant gifts are needed he’ll buy expensive books on engineering and robotics as well as amazing trinkets from foreign countries. Or expensive alcohol, that would work too. 

Who gets jealous easiest? Mitsunari, but Motochika likes to play up the times when he gets jealous. Mitsunari’s jealousy stews inside him, being revealed in threatening looks, a dark aura, and sometimes just actual threats to the offending party. Motochiak finds it cute most of the time but does try to stop it before it goes too far. Motochika doesn’t actually get jealous too often. Partly because Mitsunari just doesn’t have many people flirting with him (it’s the death aura) and that he’s possessive but he trusts Mitsunari almost implicitly. When he does get jealous he likes to play it up a little, bringing out a little more of a stereotypical pirate attitude. Mitsunari likes being valued but doesn’t like the implication that he can’t be trusted. Motochika has to assure him that he does trust him, it’s just natural sometimes to be jealous. Usually, Mitsunari’s frown is soothed by a few kisses. 

Who gets more excited for events e.g.. Birthdays, Christmas? Motochika. Just like his buddy Masamune, he is always down to party like it’s his last day because it very well could be. And they are always wild: drinking, shouting, bad singing, it’s all there. The only thing that isn’t there is Mitsunari because he hates parties. Wastes of time and quiet. He mostly holes up in his room or, if he’s forced to attend, in some corner where he can wait it out. Motochika tries to engage him, but Mitsunari is just not one for parties. To try and compromise on days like Mitsunari’s birthday and Christmas Motochika tries to give Mitsunari a quieter party, only them and maybe a handful of very close friends. It still isn’t his most favorite thing, but having his boyfriend, Sakon, and Yukimura all close-by, playing some games, drinking his favorite tea and eating his favorite foods, Mitsunari deems it acceptable. 

Who is the most adventurous? Motochika. He is a pirate after all. The second even a rumor of treasure or some new blowhard Lord, a carnival, new interesting food or hell…even a supposedly haunted place hits his ears he’s climbing up to the ship’s wheel and telling his crew to get ready, what are they sitting around for they’ve got an adventure to go on. Mitsunari doesn’t have a problem with the adventures, but more on their execution. At the beginning of their relationship, he might be more passive, needing prompting from Motochika to voice any suggestions besides shouting threats at those who seem less than enthused. However, later on, he will actively voice his suggestions, most of them harsh but all logical such as maybe getting information or sending a scout or maybe not just rushing the front gates into a possible ambush. It’s almost 50/50 on whether Motochika takes these suggestions (gathering information tends to work better than not barging in because, come on, where’s the fun in skulking about?), but Motochika always appreciated Mitsunari’s honest forward-thinking advice. 

Who is the most protective? Mitsunari. One of his greatest traits is his loyalty and that loyalty makes him absurdly protective of those that manage to earn his trust and love, whether that person is his Lord, his friend, or his lover. His protectiveness is more physical than mental as he is an honest person. He won’t soften his views even if a lie might be softer; however, he is much, MUCH more willing to take a bullet or sword or whatever in defense of Motochika. It’s so bad of an instinct that Motochika has to keep a special eye on him when they are in combat. It’s annoying and scary. Motochika is a grown ass man who can take a few hits. He doesn’t need anyone dying to protect him. Yelling that fact at Mitsunari has done pretty much nothing so he’s just learned to tone it down to exasperated scolding and trying to keep this damn brat alive. 

What would they have been like as childhood sweethearts? It starts when they are young, around kindergarten age. Motochika is a small, shy child, always playing with his blocks and drawing in the corner when the rest of the children were playing together. Mitsunari would end up being the first person to play with him (mostly because Motochika had most of the blocks and he wanted to play with them too). They continued to sort of be friends/ playmates at school, but when they hit grade school their friendship was cemented. Kids started to make fun of Motochika’s soft face and long hair and quiet demeanor and Mitsunari can’t abide by cowards who would mock someone for being who they are. So he beat them up. Their relationship was almost like a knight and his lady until Mitsunari’s parents decided to move. Before he left Mitsunari told Motochika to be strong as there was nothing wrong with him, he was a great person and that he could be as strong as him. It would be years before they saw each other again.

At high school age Mitsunari would make his way back with his caretakers to his old home and, sure enough, he runs into Motochika. However, his Motochika is no longer the shy flower he had played with and protected as children, but a brash, curse dropping, hooligan who had no trouble speaking his mind. It seemed their situations had reversed, Mitsunari had become the loner that had very few friends and Motochika the one who wanted to hang out and protect him. It is a long, slow path of relearning each other and nurturing the seeds of affection that had been planted in their childhood. Mitsunari sees the gentle side that Motochika had dulled, but never gotten rid of and accepts it just as much as this new side. He lets Motochika be himself, gentle and brash, and never judges. Motochika learns the bitterness his old friend is carrying and helps to bring joy into his life. He accepts and encourages Mitsunari’s self as much as Mitsunari does Motochika. They are childhood friends who reconnect as adults and learn to accept each other, the nostalgic child version of themselves as well as the new, grown adult ones. 

Who uses all the hot water? Mitsunari. While he is mostly quick and practical in most things, one of the few luxuries he has is cleanliness, especially of himself. He loves long, hot showers and baths. Motochika loves them too, adding salts and oils and other spa-like accessories to make it even more awesome. Motochika sometimes takes baths with Mitsunari, but if Mitsunari is taking a shower it’s for him and him alone. 

Who would accidentally set the kitchen on fire whilst cooking? Motochika. It’s not that he’s a bad cook, per se, just that he likes to experiment which can sometimes cause fires. Also, he has tinkered with every appliance they have to make them more efficient and sometimes those wires just aren’t that good. The fire department pretty much knows them by name now. Mitsunari is efficient and follows the directions which means it’s rare that his food is either inedible or the kitchen is covered in soot. 

Who initiates sexy times the most? Both of them actually! They are both honest, straightforward people who, when they want something, go for it. Motochika is more likely to instigate because he likes sex and wants to have a lot of it. He doesn’t really care where they are, he’ll either imply he wants it later or downright just ask for it if they are in a more secluded place. Mitsunari is not impolite enough to do it in front of other people, but if he wants sex and they are decently private he will ask for it. He doesn’t believe in hiding intentions or being dishonest. He wants something and as long as his lover is obliging he sees no reason to hide it from him, especially if he asks. 

Who is more dominant? Motochika. While Mitsunari is honest about his wants, he won’t often put it forward, instead of waiting on Motochika to act so he can react. His pleasure comes from pleasing others and he might only instigate if it looks like Motochika needs it or he really, really wants it. Motochika does not have any such decorum. Desires are good and should be expressed whether that’s desire for another person or desire to steal something from someone unworthy. He also just likes being the cause of Mitsunari’s breaking down into a pleasured mess. 

What would they do if the other one was hurt? If someone hurt Motochika Mitsunari’s response is a simple one…kill them. Seriously, it’s that simple. No one hurts with the man he has pledged himself to. In the modern era or any other one where killing them isn’t really an option (unless he doesn’t mind jail) he would still confront the person, yelling and perfectly willing to bash their face in. His rage is never self-soothed, it always has to be calmed from an outside force. There is almost nothing Motochika could do in his eyes that would warrant real pain, no matter what other people think. In-between his obsessive violence towards this person or thing Mitsunari is tending to Motochika dutifully, making sure that he is well taken care of and that he knows he will handle everything and that he will do better to prevent this in the future. 

Motochika, on the other hand, actually is less intense then Mitsunari in his revenge. He too will go and beat the ever-living shit out of the responsible person, but then he’d be back to baby Mitsunari and try and cheer him up. If it was an accident or something not super serious he’d be mostly OK after retribution was done. If it was serious preparation for a lifetime grudge and an epic beatdown. If it was something more mechanical he’d spend hours complaining to Mitsunari about the cut corners other people do and show him all the improvements he’s going to make so that this never happens again. Because he protects his boys, especially this boy. 

Who gives nose/forehead kisses? Motochika all the way. He loves contact and seeing Mitsunari’s face scrunch up is hilarious and adorable. It’s peaceful and cute and he just loves to show affection for his boy. Mitsunari doesn’t come out and say it, but he does like the kisses and feeling of adoration they inspire in him. Motochika’s love is in every kiss and Mitsunari is honored to receive them. 

What their biggest fight was/will be about: I mentioned it above, but Mitsunari’s tendencies to try and kill himself for Motochika’s sake is going to be their biggest argument. They don’t have many horrible arguments but this one is a full out shouting-fest. It would be after a fight when Mitsunari took a knife straight through his side defending Motochika. It was a serious wound and Motochika went beyond worried to scared when he and his boys finished the fight and took Mitsunari to the doctor. He sat by this bedside for hours, refusing everything and just keeping watch, until Mitsunari woke up. 

When he did, Motochika took no time in berating him for that idiotic, stupid decision. What were you thinking you dumbass?! Mitsunari, injured, angry, and just so tired, immediately went on the defensive. It’s his duty to protect Motochika, his honor, and to have his decision thrown back in his face like he was stupid to decide it was infuriating. Motochika doesn’t want someone to sacrifice for him and Mitsunari only wants to sacrifice. The initial argument wasn’t even the worst part. Motochika began to leave Mitsunari behind on certain missions, explicitly telling him he can’t trust him to keep himself alive. This sudden lack of trust is soul-crushing and Mitsunari’s mood immediately became dark. He scowled at everyone, every minor infraction called for a threat and punishment. Motochika also became stubborn and temperamental. Ieyasu and Magoichi eventually end up talking to Motochika about it and finally get them to actually sit down and have a talk. Motochika explains that the way to honor him is to try his best to live, not throw it away and Mitsunari says that his greatest wish is to be of service, to win together. They eventually reach some sort of deal, but it takes a while for them to fully regain their comfort around each other. 

BONUS #1: Song to sum them up? Change of Seasons- Sweet ThingBONUS #2: A head canon? One of their favorite activities to do is to build stuff. Motochika is the muscle and the imaginative force, but Mitsunari is a whizz with numbers and can always calibrate and measure things accurately. It fits both of their interests and at the end of the day they celebrate their achievement (which is always bound to be flippin’ cool and run like a dream) with tea and a snuggle session. 

BOTTOM LINE: Do I ship it? I do, but I tend to be more for platonic Motochika x Mitsunari, because I like Motochika being the big brother, protective one for Mitsunari. I like him teaching Mitsunari how to live life just because and to have fun even if it doesn’t serve a practical purpose. 

[samurailovewriter]

Yukimura’s MBTI: ENFJ

Was requested to do Yukimura’s next! And we’ll have Ieyasu after our cinnamon roll. And after THAT, will be Saizo! Keep your requests going! Also, I will eventually revisit all lords and give a thorough breakdown of what each MBTI personality means once I’ve assigned them all.

Something unique about my analysis: I don’t like to permanently assign a letter. It’s already been proven that it’s impossible to fit 100% in a single bucket. An introvert can be an extrovert depending on the people and situation around them. Instead, people are now assigned percentages as a better way of defining themselves, so I will do the same. This is long, so there’s a Read More!

Extrovert (E) dominant of 88%: Introvert of 12%. I think this was PRETTY easy to figure out. Yukimura LOVES being around others. He loves being around his brother, Sasuke, Saizo, MC, his family, his retainers - you name it. This guy does NOT lose energy. In fact, I’d say he GAINS energy when he’s surrounded by people. Nothing pumps him up more than to train with his men, to go into battle for Shingen, or even just to host a celebration in the hall with his family. He’s an extrovert through and through.

So WHY did I even bother assigning him an introverted percentage? B/c he has shown glimpses of times when he needs to be alone - most specifically when he feels like he’s royally messed up on something. In one particular event story, when Yukimura failed to catch MC after she was thrown by Kotaro, Yukimura COMPLETELY retreated to his own room to reflect over his own actions and his failures. Even in other event stories, particularly Saizo’s, when he feels at fault with something - he’s gone. He’s quiet. And he’s very different from the rambunctious happy young man he usually is. It’s simply not possible to be 100% Extroverted, and even our bubbly cinnamon roll needs time alone when he’s feeling more than just a little stressed.

Intuitive (N) dominant of 76%: Observant of 24%. Let’s be honest here. Yukimura’s not observant. He simply isn’t. He misses a LOT of details, neither does he particular care for the extra nuances. Yukimura is a straightforward man, and he only sees the big picture and what’s laid out in front of him. But he has shown multiple times to be quite intuitive. One of Saizo’s POV event story had him explicitly thinking that the “little lord” has a tendency to notice things that even the most observant people fail to see. But it’s not because Yukimura literally SEES it. He senses it with his intuition - PARTICULARLY when something is wrong with Saizo who is the master of lying and hiding feelings. He’s also has a famous big heart - holding grudges are simply NOT his thing to do, and S’s in particular are famous for holding grudges. And of course, Yukimura fights on instinct, not on observational skills.

But that’s not to say his intuition could be rather OFF at times, such as reading the atmosphere or even overthinking on a “feeling” that something was wrong. Granted, honing your intuitive skills actually come with experience and time, but in the case of Yukimura, his intuition sometimes is simply WRONG. And he has observational skills of his own - he’s pays PARTICULARLY close to battle moves that’s for sure! He still sees the little things, so with that in mind, his N isn’t the highest of them all.

Feeling (F) dominant of 89%: Thinking of 11%. Is it any question that Yukimura is an emotional man? He charges into battle on passion, he loves intensely anyone around him, he cries, he gets angry, he laughs in joy. Bottom line: Yukimura FEELS and in no way denies his own feelings. Nothing was easier to assign the F to Yukimura. 

He does have his logical side though. Particularly when the battles go wrong, and he’s helping people escape. There’s still an inherently deep feeling of saving his men, helping the people that course through his veins when escaping, but his strategy of escaping becomes much more logical. He knows which men should hide first, which men should run, which men still has the strength to stay behind and keep up the distraction. His T side is there, but only when he feels it’s necessary.

Judging (J) dominant of 63%: Perceiving of 37%. As I will repeat for anyone new:  I don’t particularly like how these two last traits are named because they don’t match with the actual description. Perceiving people are more flexible, don’t follow a plan, and much more spontaneous. Judging people are those who go step by step, plan extensively, and can be particularly bad at adapting.

Yukimura is a J. True, we don’t usually see him planning (Nobuyuki and Shingen seems to do most of that), but he definitely STICKS to the plan, and he sticks to it well. He never misses a single step in instructions, and I say he does a lot better when a plan is given to him than throwing him out into the situation for him to figure it out last minute. He’s also pretty big on tradition, keeping women separate from men, and gets VERY stubborn, all big elements of J. It isn’t super high though - mainly because he’s pretty easygoing and flexible to everyone else’s ideas. He’s always open to hear everyone’s thoughts, even if he disagrees with them, and he doesn’t get angry when things don’t go his way. All elements point to a more relaxed J.

[stcrmlike]

              *makes eye contact with security cameras to assert dominance*

ZACHARY CLUTTERBUCK really is the spitting image of NATHAN STEWART-JARRETT, right? For someone only THIRTY years old, ZACH has been forced to endure so much. Yeah, that MUGGLE has been scraping by at the sanctuary for ONE MONTH now, working as a PATROL GUARD in the DIVISION OF PROTECTION. HE identifies as CIS-MALE and is known to be CYNICAL and UNEMOTIONAL but also PRAGMATIC and CLEVER. Best of luck surviving through this.

henlo it’s mar!! finally bringing a muggle to ur dashes!! if you’ve played opposite of him before, he’s basically based on my frank longbottom (hence the stupid surname) but slightly updated to modern times & muggle life!

LINKS: pinboard, character tag.

pre-outbreak !

zach is born zachary archibald christina clutterbuck, and is known as zachary for the good part of his childhood. his parents are posh, proper rich people with three sons destined to do well in life. he goes to boarding school ( winchester college, to be precise ), wears ties on sundays to church and speaks in an accent that he’ll be mocked for later in life. he’s got expectations weighing down on his shoulders, his brothers’ legacies already bigger than his own ( they are older than him, so that’s logical, but still ). 

his family is very stoic, tbh. theyre all about PERFORMANCE and SUCCESS and AMBITION, don’t do much of warmth and compassion. sure, there’s an understanding that they all love each other deeply and support one another, but there’s no focus on it. the focus is on careers, reputation and success. 

think: dps vibes.

he does well, though. zachary is a successful student, a dedicated kid. he works hard. he works too hard, perhaps, throws himself in his work and lacks any growth in sociability. with his mother stoicism and his father’s hard working nature streaming through his veins, he is the perfect student, but a shit friend. 

he just doesn’t have many friends. he’s got study buddies and an abundance of good grades, but not many friends. he’s just off-putting, to be honest, with his cynical tones and harsh way of interacting and the way he just doesn’t really seem to understand how to speak honestly without being an asshole. 

he starts going by zach at some point. not by choice; people just start calling him that, because zachary is too long and elaborate and, heck, even if he doesn’t have that many friends, his acquaintances feel like zachary is too official. he gets into manchester university and starts a bachelor in criminology. it’s not as admirable as his mother or father would have wanted for him --- they would have preferred to see him studying to become a lawyer or a doctor or something that earned a lot of money, but zach had his mind set. 

he meets tara there. she’s clever and funny and kind, and she likes him. and shit, zach was so caught up in getting his career in order, focused on running track and getting right grades that he thought he had no time for kindness, but she taught him there was always room for that. they grew, closer, closer, closer, and fell in love. 

he gets a job at scotland yard and moves to london, making another big city his hometown ( he’s not linked to any places: he swapped birmingham for winchester in his youth and moved to manchester once university came around, and so moving to london wasn’t a big step. frank is only linked to himself and his mind, and tara --- tara, who allowed him to grow. ) he does work there he enjoys, work that feels good to do, he gives back and works hard and is dedicated to a fault.

he marries tara at some point -- i have to fuss these deets out w jinx bUT he does!!! -- and it’s the happiest day of his life and he loves her SO MUCH!! they’re colleagues and partners in crime and best friends and he’s the first person he’s felt at home with and he’s So, So, Happy to be married to her. FLUFF.

outbreak !

and so his life is all good. he’s working hard, learning a language on the side to keep his mind fresh, loving his wife. he drinks coffee and curses and is an ass, still, though in a more nuanced way. AND THEN THE FUCKING WORLD COLLAPSES.

the wizarding world is exposed and apparently his wife knew. apparently she’s what they call a squib. he’s angry, in all honesty, unsettled, confused. he doesn’t know what to do. the whole world is turned upside down and zach, zach who clings to logic and facts and everything his eyes can see and his hands can touch, feels the ground being ripped from under him.

there’s no time for anger, though --- and he gets it, too, why she didn’t tell him, and he doesn’t want to be angry, but there’s this thing he didn’t know about, and it’s quite big, and he’s angry at the entire wizarding world on top of it, so he doesn’t want to be angry and he tries to direct it to the thing he should really be angry at: these so-called death eaters --- and so he shakes it off and prepares to move north with tara on his side.

he’s capable. he’s got a gun and a pair of fast legs and a quick mind, but it’s still a tough journey. it’s a long one, especially, and there’s death and decay everywhere they go, and even more danger. he wonders where the fuck these damned wizards are and why the hell they’re not doing more than running into the same direction. 

he’s been at the castle for a month now and he’s ... adjusting. he’s got his gun still and so got on the patrol team and he’s glad, because he doesn’t trust these wizards at all. they go against everything he knows, and while he’s happy to be safe and knows that they have a lot of things that can help them, he also knows that theyre basically walking timebombs that could cause immense damage. he’s honestly being a bitter, salty asshole and he’s just!! not!! fuckign!! amused!! by any of this.

personality & tidbits !

frank is a big picture kind of guy. he looks at the world and sees a puzzle to solve, little gaps where things need to be filled, black, charred pieces that need to be removed ... he’s so focused on the big picture, that he sometimes forgets to look at the world around him. this makes him very ??? much capable of being an asshole and being insensitive and ugh. even now, when he’s traveled all the way up north and has seen so many small kinds of suffering, he thinks more about the bigger picture. he’s all like: sure, you’re hurt and you’re in fear, but damn it, there’s zombies out there. we gotta focus on that.

does this with his own problems, too. really doesn’t pay much attention to his feelings and while he’s become better at it over the years, it’s just?? a struggle. especially when there’s so much else demanding attention at the moment. 

i mean it’s not always a bad thing? it’s good to have pragmatic people, but sometimes it just makes him kind of a dick. 

captain raymond hold from b99.

really likes learning and is very intelligent, tbh. his time at boarding school rly gave him a ?? lot of control and stuff and he’s just good at learning and dedicating himself to it. even now, he’s learning --- he’s picked up some books from the hogwarts library on subjects to try and educate himself about this whole new world.

likes coffee and cigarettes and sandwiches.

really misses london and cities in general. sure, hogwarts is pretty, and it reminds him of his boarding school years, but damn it, he misses being around cars and noise all the time. he misses the chaos that wasn’t scary like this one.

can be?? nice?? like he’s not a full asshole. he’s just OCCUPIEd.

fucking hates his surname and when he was a detective and he had to say “detective clutterbuck” he wanted to legit drop through the earth because half the perps were like? ?? CLUSTERFUCK??. just call him zach.

accidental asshole with a big heart and too much on his mind.