#the only thing i will say is that there’s a lot of convoluted lore

[conquerthenight]

What's your favourite fic you've written?

It changes a lot, but at the moment it’s I Know Who You Pretend I Am. I just love the whole concept of Lydia dreamscaping and @edgyparrot is the best cowriter 🥰😘❤️

[downtwngrl]

INTRICATE.

hi so it’s been a WHILE. uhhhh rewatched challengers for the thousandth time and it broke me out of my writers block! i don’t know how im going to continue w this, so feel free to drop any ideas and ill add it to the lore 😈 note: series prob isn’t gonna end with any smut scene bc im incapable of writing one without it sounding stupid asf! but who knows, you might be surprised

cw: 1.4k words,,, art and reader are dating but fighting, set in stanford era, tashi is NOT injured, patashi, hints of reader crushing on tashi but repressing it, fighting, tensiontensionTENSION! basically everyone is friends with one another but they all want each other BAD. lmk what else i should add :)

“it’s complicated.” that’s what you say every time someone asks you what your relationship with art donaldson is. and it’s true— you guys are fiery, but not explosive. complex, but not convoluted. it’s just… strange. intricate. hence, complicated.

you think he’d probably say the same thing, but there’s no real way to know, since you can’t exactly ask. the two of you aren’t on speaking terms right now, and for the same reason you two stopped talking last time, and the time before that.

art donaldson can’t split his time between his girlfriend and his fucking best friend’s girlfriend. and you can recite the argument quite well, maybe even word for word; it’s still fresh in your mind, engraved there.

“c’mon, you can’t just keep ditching me for her. it’s annoying, and it hasn’t just happened once or twice, you know.”

“i know.” art sighed, a hand tangled in his hair as if to ground himself. your name fell from his lips, voice cracking midway. “what do you want me to do? she needed help with her physics homework.”

“she can get one of her fucking groupies to help her! she’s a big girl, she doesn’t need to rely on you.” the way you said it, mocking and condescending, was mean, and you know it. you don’t hate tashi— you can’t even bring yourself to dislike her. but it hurts every single time you text art on your motorola and get hit back with some half-assed variation of ‘helping tashi. sry :( i’ll come later.’ he never actually shows up at ‘later’, which only rubs salt in the wound.

art’s jaw ticked. his eyebrows furrowed and eyes darkened in a way you’d only seen once before, when someone was talking shit about tashi in the cafeteria. you had watched as she calmly reassured art that is was fine, that he needed to relax, but he only shook his head and clenched his fists. in that moment, you wondered if he ever got that angry if he overheard someone talking about you. you now doubt it.

“don’t talk about her like that.” he said it calmly, but your skin still prickled. “she’s an accomplished lady. what about you? what have you done?”

if you sounded condescending before, it was nothing compared to how he sounded then. you scoffed away the sinking feeling in your stomach, blinked back the sting in your eyes. there was a lot you could have said to him then: ‘i might not be half as good at tennis as she is, but that’s less embarrassing than being second-best to her boyfriend.’ or ‘i didn’t compete for her number and lose.’ hell, even a good ‘fuck you’ would have sufficed.

instead, you just stood there, frozen, as he grabbed his stanford sweatshirt and left.

when you tell the story to patrick, he laughs, and doesn’t stop laughing until you jab him with your elbow, effectively knocking the oxygen out of him. his hands raise in mock surrender before speaking. “sorry, it’s just funny to see him get like this, i guess.”

you frown. “what’s that supposed to mean?”

“i mean that he likes you, but he likes tashi. i know it, tashi knows it, and from what i heard on the walk here—” he gestures vaguely towards the door to your dorm, “—the school knows it, too. i dunno, i guess it’s amusing ���cause art has never been so disturbed about this kind of shit. usually he just picks the girl he likes best, but he can’t.”

“you mean he can’t because you’re dating her.”

patrick smirks his signature smirk. you have the urge to punch his teeth out; vagueness is beginning to be a pet peeve of yours. “no, i’ve told him that tashi is free reign.”

the way your stomach flutters at that is shameful. you push the feeling away. “like, you guys aren’t..?”

patrick shrugs. “i mean, currently she hates me because i said i’d go to her match yesterday and i missed it.” these guys really need to stop promising us stuff, you think. “but yeah, when she isn’t pissed off, we’re dating, and we talk about it. ‘bout you guys. she doesn’t really care if the two of you make moves on either one of us.”

you don’t say anything, but your ears feel warm, and your heart is about to explode out of your chest. it doesn’t help when patrick takes that as a sign to keep talking and says—

“i don’t care either.” it suddenly hits you, the closeness between you and him. close enough that you can smell his cologne, one typical of a rich frat boy you’d pass by in the halls. but it feels different, with him. patrick’s smirk has shifted into a grin, a big one. you realize he’s been gauging your reaction, and is thoroughly pleased.

“oh,” you breathe. he snickers, repeats it back playfully. you don’t understand how he’s so relaxed, able to make light-hearted jabs in this moment. art likes you and tashi. tashi doesn’t care if he likes her, or if you like her. patrick doesn’t either. but where do you stand in this?

your phone jingles, the sound muffled from the blood roaring in your ears. you don’t know if you should thank or curse out whoever decided to call you at this second, but you excuse yourself to answer. patrick nods begrudgingly, backs up enough for you to have room to finally start to inhale and exhale again. “hello?”

“hey.” it’s art on the phone. impulsively, you look around, as if he’s hiding somewhere in the dorm he marched out of a few days ago.

holy fuck. “hey!” you sound too cheery to your own ears, and hope that over the line it sounds more convincing. you hear a sigh on the other end, and can imagine art physically loosen. “what, uh— i thought you were mad. at me.”

patrick perks up. ‘art?’ he mouths, and you nod. he attempts to come closer, but you swat at him, moving a few steps away. he pulls a face, but doesn’t move closer. still, he’s definitely trying to hear what art is saying.

“i was.” art laughs nervously, the sound tinny over the phone. “but you’re right. i fucked up. tashi… she isn’t my girl. i need to pay more attention to you, and that’s gonna happen starting now.”

she isn’t my girl. “she could be,” you think aloud. you tense. art chokes. patrick stifles a laugh.

“what?” you pray that he didn’t hear it. you had mumbled it, whispered it, there’s a chance it didn’t pick up. art says your name one, two, three times before you respond.

“sorry, i just zoned out a little.”

“no, you said something. baby, what’d you say?”

“i said ‘you should be’. like, you should be paying more attention, dumb joke, i was trying to sound threatening,” you slap your free hand against your lips to stop your word vomit, then your forehead as you reprimand yourself for acting so stupid.

art hums. “oh, okay.” it should relieve some on the tension in your shoulders, but it doesn’t. he usually laughs when you fluster, but he didn’t. is he unconvinced, or are you overthinking? “hey, tomorrow can you come to my practice at noon? we can go to the cafeteria after, i’ve got wayyy too many meal credits.”

you look to patrick for help, but he shrugs, enjoying the moment. “sure.”

art says his goodbyes, goes ‘mwah!’ through the phone (which usually makes you laugh, but now you feel bad), and once you say bye, he hangs up.

“i’ll go to his practice, too.” it’s never a question with patrick (or with tashi); he just lets you know. “tashi’ll be there. she’s always on the court when she’s free.” you find it endearing that he knows her schedule.

“tashi.” you like the way her name rolls off your tongue, but you’d rather die than admit it.

before you can say anything else, patrick walks over, swings an arm around your shoulders and pulls you close. “don’t forget about what i said.” his breath smells like spearmint gum, the type art is always chewing. maybe he gave him a piece. “just think on it, yeah?”

you nod, and he pats your cheek before walking out the door, leaving you feeling dazed. after a few moments of just laying on your bed, soaking in the conversation you just had, your phone dings.

we’ll see u tmrw :-) -pat (&tash)

[letters-to-rosie]

Rosie!!!! Ep 7 had me pointing at the screen like that Leo DiCaprio gif when Jinx lit the match to blow up the bar and during the sweet Timebomb moment on the roof!!! I was like JUST LIKE ROSIE SAID AAAAHHHHHHH even timebomb only being possible in an AU is in line with that i think. AND you are giving us the revolution plot the show didn't!!

lol timebomb and roofs name a more iconic duo

the funny thing about the parallel is that Jinx is doing this tearful goodbye to a place that's been a home to her for so long and was owned by two successive fathers whose deaths she had a hand in and feels responsible for. and revolution!Powder is like "Ekko pissed me off" lmao. not to trivialize her feelings, because it's certainly more than that, but she didn't come there to destroy it initially. it's this explosion of all this pain and anger that then is released when she and Ekko fight in the alley. it's so much less deliberate than Jinx in the show. it was interesting for me to watch too lol I was like heyyyyyy I wrote something vaguely like that

I do wish the show hadn't given us the feeling that timebomb was only possible in an AU, just because it also explicitly shows us that Jinx heals when she has people to care for. I think Isha's death is to suggest that she'll never be anyone's true protector, but it really shouldn't have to be that way. because Jinx keeps saving people all throughout the season. Ekko even says her inventions change the world. and there's so much work to do in rebuilding Zaun and making it its own thing that Jinx could be a big part of. work that Ekko himself is going to be doing. this is all to say that we should've gotten Firelight Jinx lol. we kinda did with the final teamup, but we didn't get to see it, and that's a shame. I think that would have been a very natural ending for her, to hide away and then live amongst the people who have become her people. but noooooo we can't have nice things lol

and that kinda segues into the business of the revolution. I did figure that the two sides of the city would have to team up to fight off Ambessa, though I couldn't have seen her alliance with Viktor coming (though it makes sense given Singed's lore, in a convoluted way). really not a fan of how at the end of the show most of the problems that were present at the beginning as far as class and inequality go are left intact. the only real difference is that Zaun has some leverage, but not much. but this does align with my critiques of the first season having some pretty neoliberal underpinnings. the second season just doubles down on that super hard in a frustrating way

for me, a big part of why I wanted to do the fic is because the show gave me a world in which it was really easy to talk about a lot of issues I'm very serious about, and because I could see Jinx/Powder turning into a leader, even if not in a conventional sense, through traits that were evident even before season 2's direction was revealed to us. it's kinda crazy how it's so easy to forget that Ambessa only had such an easy in because of the oppression Piltover had been perpetuating against its poorer half the whole time. it's a good example of how oppression is dangerous for the oppressor as well (very Pedagogy of the Oppressed-core of me but it's me lol)

this got long anyway hope you're doing well!! we should talk soon!

fic we're discussing is here if anyone wants it

[kerubimcrepin]

Liveblog: Wakfu Season 2 (episodes 13-16)

Episode 13 - The Night of the Thirsters

Proof Amalia and Joris are not close friends number 829342345: if she knew the alcohol he drinks and what he considers "a clean environment to live in" she'd get scared.

WoT twitter would kill Amalia.

I know it's more likely that both alcoholic and non-alcoholic bamboo milk exists, but the thought of everyone being a-ok with Yugo underage drinking makes me giggle for some reason. Ruel would fucking do that.

Are your villains 1. indestructible, 2. want to consume something that could theoretically fix them, 3. in the process, inflict a fate worse than death upon their victim, who 4. becomes one of them?

...Necromes were a missed opportunity. Shoulda called them Wakfu Thirsters instead.

Episode 14 - The Voice Thief

It's always sad to see the way the world has been devastated by Ogrest's Chaos.

FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

...This says:

Her singing is so cute!

She is now fully bamboo milk-pilled. GOOD.

New Krosmoz music lore: We already know that vinyls and their players exist, as well as the fact that rock music exists (due to the fact that The Blues of a Hypermage (parody of the IRL song The Blues of a Buisinessman) exists).

Now we have the confirmation that metal bands are real.

Also, electric guitars are also real.

Mics are also real. (I am totally not noting all of this down because I want to write a "Joris, Kerubim, and Atcham go to karaoke" scene in one of my fics in the future, nuh-uh...)

Hummina hummina hummina bazooooooooing! eyes pop out AROOOOOOOOGA! jaw drops tongue rolls out WOOF WOOF WOOF WOOF WOOF WOOF WOOF WOOF WOOF WOOF WOOF WOOF WOOF WOOF WOOF.

It's very rare to see, within the show, characters who differ from their usual class skin and hair colours, which is a shame. (I am 99% sure this is an iop due to his clothes and his hair pointing upwards)

Text behind Eva: rien ne sert de payer il faut en fuir / there is no point in paying, you have to run away

Text behind Amalia is too shielded to transcribe fully.

This is written in Brakmarian. It says:

This means that, metal music is stereotypically a Brakmarian form of music (big news: spoon found in kitchen)

I usually don't point this sort of stuff out but, man, this tavern is really well off. Not only is there a lot of food, there are also huge hot baths...

Also, once again, canalization and running water are real in this setting.

I choose to believe that this bubble thing is the Krosmoz equivalent of vaping because it's funny.

[blushing] Would!

Jpop is real in this setting, and someday, I will be able to prove to you, that Joris is a fan of it, using some proof besides "well ecaflips are kind of japanese-coded sometimes" and "it just makes sense."

Good rooms in taverns like these not only have hot baths but also fruit, candles, and drinks... [starts writing down "Joris, Kerubim and Atcham go to an expensive tavern and start talking about some convoluted topic, with vivid descriptions of delicious fruit-eating, how good the wine is, and how soft the bubbles in the bath are" in my fic self-indulgent scene ideas document. I can live my vacation fantasies vicariously through those three men]

Of course metal music from Brakmar is about the fact that the apocalypse caused inflation and that it's Good.

This says:

ourse

olle

m al

venu

Episode 15 - Wabbit Island

Hhh she is a very good artist.

[guy who is insane voice] This means that if I ever want to use the expression "canary in a coalmine" in a fic it'll be "tofu in a coalmine" instead.

The word Sayonara exists in Krosmoz which implies that some sort of fantasy Japanese is real. Big win.

Episode 16 - The Cursed Fountain

:(

While I usually talk a lot about character parallels between Yugo and Joris (these men who had to grow up far too fast will someday commit acts which no human being can be forgiven for in the name of goodness—-) there is a lot to be said about parallels betwen Eva and Joris.

They're both artistic, kind people who try to appear logic-driven (and sadly, they are both basically the wranglers/babysitters of their entire adventuring groups).

[rainbow-neko-artblog]

I've seen a couple art pieces and other posts for your polyverse au now and I think it's neat!

I know next to nothing about it but that's OK! I will learn more about it soon

It's okay not to know much about it! The reason you've only seen bits and peices is because polyverse au is actually based on a 3-4 year old roleplay with me and my friends- it started as a regular fnf roleplay but as we added MORE and MOOOORE modded characters it became so convoluted with story that it might as well be an au because it sure ain't like the og game.

The best way to recognize it is by the Bf- obviously! His angel form + jacket and miku inspired look are original to him in this au, as well as a the polyam pin on his hat! I often draw him with his partners- which....are ranging OFBDKDBFND

Fun fact: originally my friends and I called this fnfverse. We still do actually- but I switched to calling it polyverse online because I would primarily post about the fun relationship development between polyverse's Bf and every other character in his polyamory.

Also it was easier to keep apart from other fnf aus when I called it polyverse.

That's not to say that the polyamory is all we talked about- that would be boring. Flat. Nothing like this should focus only on the romance plot-

So there's a lot more going on like Bf being a living weapon made for war by a giant toothpastey biblically accurate angel glob- and how the war is basically a giant CIVIL War because demons and elangels are actually the same race created by the two "gods" who help the computer work.

Or the entire eddsworld/tankman/picoschool/newgrounds subplot with a giant fuck off portal into the internet and everything scary.

Or the ENTIRE lore of garcello we made before it was confirmed how he actually got the cigs- which included whole ass ocs at that point.

It's a time.

At this point explaining a single plot in fnf polyverse au takes me ranting to everyone for 2 hours about the whole thing- taking everyone in the call on an unwilling adventure via my autistic rambles.

[pale-opal]

Hear Me Out:

I know that image and what I'm about to say has a chance of being incredibly niche, because I have no idea how much overlap there is between the Homestuck and Mega Man fandoms. But if there's anything I've learned from the internet, it's that no matter what fandom you're in, it's almost guaranteed that someone in said fandom has read Homestuck before. So I think someone out there will understand the rant I'm about to go on. But for everyone who hasn't read Homestuck before, here's a quick explanation: Homestuck is a webcomic that was written and published by a man named Andrew Hussie. It ran from 2009-2016. It follows the misadventures of four kids as they play a game called Sburb with the help of twelve other kids known as "trolls." Together, they go on a quest to complete the game, as the initiation of it has caused the world to end (so even if they wanted to quit, they couldn't. Whoops). It is currently available to read on mspaintadventures.com, however I do NOT recommend reading it if you are a minor, or if you have sensitivity to content that contains violence, strong language, etc. - There were also two (technically one?) epilogues produced afterward, as well as a sequel called "Homestuck^2". - The disclaimer above applies to those works as well.

Okay. Now that I've explained what Homestuck is, let's get into why I put these four Doctors in the squares that I did.

Dr. Cossack: Has read Homestuck, Knows What Homestuck Is - He just seems like the kind of man who casually knows a lot about a lot of things. - A "nerd," if you will. - I can see him reading this in college and subsequently getting totally invested. - He relates to John Egbert (one of the four kids I mentioned earlier) on a personal level. - He did not like the epilogues. - He likes Homestuck^2, though. Dr. Light: Has Read Homestuck, Doesn't Know What Homestuck Is - I imagine that Light was introduced to Homestuck through Cossack while they were in college. - Like, what if Light got sick at some point, and Cossack came over and showed him this random webcomic he found in an attempt to make him feel better, only for Light to wake up the next day, convinced the whole thing was a fever dream? - Cut to many years later, after the birth of Proto Man. - Light and Cossack are having a conversation on the phone: - Cossack: "Hey, Thomas. Do you remember Homestuck?" - Light: "...Homestuck?" - Cossack: "You know, that webcomic I showed you when you got the flu back in college?" - Light: "I'm not sure I-" - Cossack: "The one with the little gray people?" - Light: "Little gray- wait. Wait, that was real?!" - He has not read the epilogues or Homestuck^2. Dr. LaLinde: Has Not Read Homestuck, Knows What Homestuck Is - I think that Dr. Cossack would go on many coffee-fueled 2 a.m. rants to her during last-minute attempts to finish projects on time when the two of them were in college. - LaLinde would always listen respectfully, and as a result knows the entire lore behind Homestuck despite never reading it. - One day, she decided to give it a go. Here's how that went: - LaLinde: "Okay, let's see here- what? Eight thousand (8000) pages? Where am I going to find the time to read all of that?" - And so, she has to this day never read the darn thing. Dr. Wily: Has Not Read Homestuck, Does Not Know What Homestuck Is - The reasoning behind this is simple: he just couldn't get into it. - Dr. Cossack tried several times while they were in college to convince him to read it, but it sounded really convoluted to him. - Dr. Light tried to get him to read it before the whole "Dr. Wily becomes evil and takes over the world" thing after he remembered what it was. - That didn't work either. - Plus, the whole thing just seemed too long. - He eventually just forgot it existed once Light stopped trying to get him to read it. But here's something else about the Doctors: they all had kids. Kids who all grew up with different levels of parental involvement. Kids who would've probably heard their parents talk about this strange little webcomic at one time or another. Which brings me to my next point:

Blues: Has Read Homestuck, Knows What Homestuck Is - I imagine that he heard the aforementioned phone call between Light and Cossack, and asked Dr. Light about what they were talking about. - Light straight up tells him that he's not allowed to read it. - Blues accepts this. - Cut to Blues' life after he runs away from home. He's at the library. - He's also in the midst of his "I hate my dad" arc, and as a result is more than willing to go and read this comic Dr. Light told him was off-limits. - He spends a whole day reading the webcomic, its epilogues, and its sequel. - He is there from the time the library opens to the time it closes. - And once everything is said and done, he is a changed man. - His favorite character is Dave Strider. - He also used to like Dirk Strider and Jane Crocker, but then he read the epilogues. Bass: Has Read Homestuck, Doesn't Know What Homestuck is - Bass was just minding his business, until he finds Proto Man broke into his house... again. - I like to think Blues breaks into Wily Fortress sometimes, just because he can. As a treat. - And to visit any Wilybots he's friends with. - He goes to confront Blues, only to find him in the midst of his third reread of Homestuck. - He asks what he's doing. - Blues tells him to pull up a chair. - He starts the reread over so that Bass can understand what's going on. - Bass, too, ends up a changed man. Even if he has no idea what he just read. - His favorite character is Karkat Vantas. - He made a trollsona (basically a troll OC), but has never told a living soul about it. - Also, he will never admit it, but "[S] Game Over" messed him up on an emotional level (if you don't know what "[S] Game Over" is, don't worry about it. Don't look it up. It's okay. Just forget I said anything). Tempo: Has Not Read Homestuck, Knows What Homestuck Is - Quake Woman has not read Homestuck for the same reason her mother hasn't read it: She's simply too busy. - Blues tries to convince her to read it, though. - But here's the thing: Vesper Woman HAS read it... but she just thought it was just alright. This leads to conversation like this happening: - Vesper: "Don't listen to him, Tempo. It's okay at best." - Blues: "..." - Blues: "...would you like to elaborate on that?" - They get into arguments about different aspects of the plot a LOT. - Tempo just listens quietly while she works. - Out of curiosity, she ended up looking it up one day when she had free time, and ended up stumbling across Hiveswap instead. - Hiveswap is a spin-off game that takes place in Homestuck's universe. The first Act was released in 2017, and the second was released in 2020. - I will admit that I haven't played Hiveswap, so I'm not sure if the disclaimer I provided for Homestuck applies here. Kalinka Cossack: Has Never Read Homestuck, Does Not Know What Homestuck Is - My reasoning behind this is even more simple than Dr. Wily's: - Dr. Cossack does not let her know that Homestuck exists in an effort to keep her innocence in tact. - That's it. That's the reasoning. You can all go home n-. - ...wait. Is that ANOTHER image down there?

You see, there's one more set of characters that I want to discuss in this long, long post. Characters that wouldn't be influenced by their parents, meaning that whether or not they've read Homestuck would be more up to happenstance:

...I can explain.

Zero: Has Read Homestuck, Knows What Homestuck Is - Part of the reason I put him here is because he ended up being the opposite of what Wily wanted him to be. He wanted a ruthless killing machine, and instead he got someone who helps save the world on multiple occasions. So why not have him be the opposite of his creator in Homestuck knowledge as well? - (Although if you think about it, Zero is technically a ruthless killing machine, but that's not what we're here to talk about). - Another other part of the reasoning is that I thought it was funny. - Zero had trouble getting invested until Act 5. - After he reached that point, he was locked in. - He sees a little bit of himself in Rose Lalonde and Dirk Strider. - He has never read the epilogues, or the sequel. Once he saw the Snapchat bonus content, he thought that was it. - Zero successfully got Iris into the comic as well. - Her favorite character was also Rose. - I like to think he and Layer also became friends after realizing they were both Homestuck fans.

Axl: Has Read Homestuck, Doesn't Know What Homestuck Is - He found a dub of the series on YouTube on day while watching random videos. - He was invested almost immediately. - Axl would talk about it with the other Red Alert members a lot - especially to Red and Tornado. - But there was one problem: He didn't know the name of it. It just completely slipped his mind at one point, and he wasn't able to get it back. This led to stuff like this: - Axl: "And THEN John and his friends are losing to the Condescence, but-" - Red: "That's nice and all, but what's this webcomic you read called?" - Axl: "Uh... I dunno. I can't remember." - Red: "Are you sure you didn't just make it up?" - Axl: "Wha- Yes! Yes, I'm sure!" - Red: "...sure thing, little buddy." - After joining the Maverick Hunters, Axl casually brings up the plot of this comic he can't remember the name of. Zero soon says this: - Zero: "...are you talking about Homestuck?" - Axl: "That's what it's called?!" - He made a trollsona like Bass did, but is a lot less shy about sharing it. - His favorite character is Roxy Lalonde. - Axl got Palette into it as well. X: Has Not Read Homestuck, Knows What Homestuck Is - He heard Zero talk about it with Iris a lot, but it sounded a bit too violent for his tastes. - He did play the Pesterquest visual novel, though. - Yes, the disclaimer does apply for this visual novel. - I like to think that at some point in X7, X complains about Zero and Axl's interest in "overly violent media" and asks if Zero has started "corrupting the youth." - He is promptly told to shut up. - X is more open to the idea of reading Homestuck by the time X8 comes around though. But it isn't until Axl is recovering from the game's ending that he actually starts considering it, since he knows it'll make Axl happy. - Speaking of which: will Capcom ever give us X9? - I just want to know if Axl is really okay, or if Lumine messed him up somehow. - It's been almost 20 years since the game released. 20 years is a long time to leave part of a video game franchise on a cliffhanger (but then again, Mega Man Legends fans have been waiting for 24 years...) Sigma: Has Not Read Homestuck, Does Not Know What Homestuck Is - The reason Sigma is in this category is very easy to explain: - He deserves nothing that could give him any semblance of happiness. - Also, I hate him.

Alright, rant over.

The inspiration for this post, as well as the original template, can be found here.

...now you can all go home.

[sarkyfancypants]

Fascinating observations upon the release of the Borderlands movie

I've been digging a lot through video reviews about the games and the movie and I've caught a few things:

-Non-gaming people were all on the same page about how it's terrible from the outside perspective that the movie is just bad and convoluted and tragically butchered through constant script rewrites to get that PG 13 rating when it originally had the R rating so it is unbiased from the game lore

-However gamers who do know the lore and gameplay were all on the same page about how it is terrible because it does nothing with its source material and only made whatever the hell they wanted and being like a decade late to deliver it

-Borderlands games had a sudden increase of players upon the movie's release very likely because fans wanted to wash out the horrible stench while non-fans probably wanted to actually give it a try, this one is hilariously shocking almost like it was Gearbox/2K's plan all along (it wasn't)

-Everyone who has played the Borderlands game either old fans or new, EVERYONE and their dog are saying Borderlands 2 is the best out of all of the games if we focus on the story, while some comment that Borderlands 3 is pretty fun only gameplay-wise

-There has been a sudden rise in Borderlands gaming/lore video reviews and analysis by people who finally gave the franchise a chance after twelve or so years or people who were already familiar with the game and wanted to revisit the franchise

-The Pre-Sequel is suddenly getting the recognition it deserved u_u

-A lot of people are saying the franchise is dying but idk, it's pretty bad yeah but saying that "it's all over" might be a bit too overdramatic. We'll live (I hope)

And that's it so far I guess. Nothing too special, just something I started noticing and I'm quite amused by it.

[altocat]

Oh lord of FF7 lore I beseech thee once more.

What was it exactly that led to Genesis defecting, and what did he do afterwards? I played Reunion but honestly both of those things eluded me. I know there were Genesis copies and those Raven things (the AVALANCHE knock off SOLDIERs made by a knock off Hojo) but like, what was Genesis doing during that time? And also why did Lazard defect? One second he’s there the next we’re told he’s also deserted the company.

Also, Wutai. What the heck was going on there? Apparently Rebirth says that Rufus was funding them in addition to AVALANCHE, which if I recall was situated in Wutai and might’ve been working with their government, but in terms of the war effort were they just losing the entire time?

Fair warning I might occasionally bombard you with lore questions because I’m writing a fic and want to get the details right but it’s so confusing figuring out the plot and sequence of events sometimes. This game is so convoluted 😭

Genesis left because he was pissed. Simple as that. He finds out that the company he gave everything to is the reason why he's dying. He was angry. This is his revenge. He takes a bunch of loyal soldiers with him as his "followers" and they end up being converted to Genesis clones thereafter. I assume as a test of loyalty or something idk. Or maybe as an initiation. Hollander is producing them so it's possible he mutated them without their consent. Genesis is "working" with Hollander, but only because he's trying to find a cure.

Lazard defects because he's always hated Shinra and was actively working against them this entire time. He was using company funds to help boost Hollander's research and, upon realizing he was close to getting caught, bailed. It's a long story there--Lazard has held a grudge against Shinra for years as a result of drama from his past.

Wutai is an ongoing quandary as lots of its historical conflict is being retconned in the new Remake timeline. Rufus has been acting as a double agent on multiple ends as a means of undermining the current Shinra presidency. It's basically just sneaky power moves on his part. Wutai itself entered a brief ceasefire at the beginning of Crisis Core following Zack's mission to Fort Tamblin, but gets stirred back up again by Sephiroth's meddling years later in Rebirth.

Hope that clears it up! I'd suggest checking out the official timeline on the wiki but atm there's a lot of contradictory information there. So I'm going off of pure memory here as a makeshift FF7/Crisis Core "historian" lmao So if anyone has additional info to add, please by all means expand on this.

[idontwanttospoiltheparty]

hi! I'm new to the beatles lore and I've been trying to catch up on an insane level of information for weeks. it's been fun but also heartbreaking 💔💔 anyways, I wanted to ask a couple of questions if that's ok? for example, I keep seeing this narrative that john was using yoko as some sort of weapon against paul... what was john trying to achieve by that I mean where does this idea even come from? according to this, john was hurting paul on purpose while he was singing him love songs in the studio asking him to be partners again (as in songwriting creative partners) WHAT WOULD JOHN ACHIEVE DOING THAT? also it sounds very one sided like paul is the most innocent in the break up eventho he was the one who came up with a secret album and a lawsuit. I don't know what to think. before knowing them I used to think lennon was in love and on drugs so he got so annoying to the point that he broke up the band but now...

Hi there! Welcome to the fandom! don't worry about feeling overwhelmed at first there is a LOT to take in.

I want to say, I do get the feeling you are somewhat mixing things up here, though I don't particularly blame you for being confused. (if not then sorry! just want to clarify as much as I can)

Tedious as it sounds, I find keeping a timeline in my mind (ideally, accurate to the month) helpful to provide some clarity regarding the breakup era specifically, so the period of 1968-1971. John's studio taunting you're referring to would have happened between mid '68 and mid '69, but Paul worked on his solo album (what I presume you meant by "his secret album", though it wasn't all that secret – John had already released solo music of his own by that point*) in late '69 and early '70. He filed a lawsuit against the others in late '70.

*I think you're conflating the album itself with the fact that, along with the release of McCartney (said album), Paul "surprise revealed" he had quit the band to the public, which the other band members, especially John, were not impressed with.

That being said, the events of the breakup are still convoluted at best, even to "seasoned" fans, I'd say. One of my main pieces of advice I can provide as someone who's been doing this for more than 3 years is get comfortable with not knowing things and with some of the actors involved doing something fundamentally irrational sometimes. They're humans, they don't always make sense and they won't always be forthcoming about why they behaved the way they did.

Which brings me to the narratives you mention: I say this as nicely as possible, but sometimes people want to tell themselves the best story rather than the most truthful one. It's more important to some that John is taunting Paul out of some twisted form of love than why specifically.

To answer your question regarding where this particular idea comes from, I would say: Paul has indicated that he felt John replaced him with Yoko (in whatever way he meant by that – some think it's sexual, some it's about creative partnership, or simply as a best friend); John's behaviour clearly and drastically shifted for the worse in mid '68, which is around the time he got together with Yoko, left his family, and started doing heroin; footage from Get Back shows John both all over Yoko and trying to reach out to Paul periodically.

There's probably more, but I don't know if there's much point in getting into the weeds of it right now. My point is: it's not the only valid theory, IMO, and probably not the whole truth if it is true, but it's not unfounded.

I think it may be a misstep to dismiss a theory because "what would John achieve by that?" Again, people are not always acting in a way that strictly makes sense, especially not people with the issues John struggled with. Some people might say John was testing Paul, trying to make him fight for him. Some might say John had an outright sadistic streak. Others that he was too out of it to notice the pain he was inflicting on others. I think it could very easily be a mix of all three. When dealing with human emotions, I personally think it's a mistake to assume things are simple and straightforward, which is why a lot of tinhattery turns me off. It very often feels like a blanket-statement self-confirming axiom, rather than a truly thoughtful and multifaceted argument.

My most condensed version of events would be: John became incredibly difficult to work with in multiple ways (including but not limited to bringing Yoko to the studio) by mid '68; Paul, for the most part, tried to accomodate him, to diminishing returns, while having his own longterm relationship fall apart and being completely in over his head running a brandnew business; Paul deals with distress by burying himself in work, the other three do not – this leads to further conflict, along with issues over creative control; the band decide they need a new manager type to help them out with their new business and provide the guidance they haven't had since Brian died; cue John wanting Klein and only Klein and massively distrusting Paul's "nepo" choice of Eastman + apparently not trusting Paul's belief that Klein was bad news; extreme resentment over money issues which are incredibly underrated by the fandom because at their core they are boring, emotionally, ensue; John decides he's "over" the band and tells the others he's out; Paul is destroyed over this (and everything that led up to it), spends months spiraling and recording his album; wanting to get this all out of the way, Paul finally breaks down and admits he's leaving the Beatles to the world and to the band itself, even though he had asked John to stay quiet about his own quitting the band months earlier; John (understandably, IMO, though I don't blame Paul exactly – this is what I mean by not everything makes perfect sense) assumes Paul is using the band breakup for PR and gets a hell of a lot angrier than he already is about the money stuff; John undergoes primal therapy which opens up about 43273289635298 wounds; John does an interview in which he spills his guts and tears down almost everyone in his life except Yoko; meanwhile more financial issues. I cannot overstate that those matter too, tumblr is just not a place where finance peeps hang out; Paul is getting more and more fed up with all of this and he, as a last resort, files a lawsuit to no longer be legally tied to the others.

I for the most part left out George and Ringo here* and I'm writing off memory here without re-checking sources, so take what I say with a massive grain of salt. My main point is that this shit is complicated and don't let people tell you it isn't.

*I'm of the opinion that John and Paul are at the center of the breakup, but they also aren't the be-all, end-all of it. But because in the end George and Ringo fell "in line" with John and you didn't ask about them, I decided to mostly leave them out.

[listard]

Hi!

I drew how I tell my friends the lore of my comic, and their reactions to my storytelling!

the text that the friend at the top is saying:

I didn't understand a damn thing you said! How can your lore be so convoluted!?!? You didn't even explain anything in half an hour! And you haven't even finished the comic and you want to draw it!?!? Come up with something more logical and interesting, not about your stupid lizards!

sometimes… (always) I think my comic is too confusing, it's like it has almost no plot, and it's really hard to come up with stuff, I wish I had a clone of me now, so we could use our two heads to come up with stuff, maybe we could come up with something interesting. i have about 4 sequels to the story where i stopped creating, with totally different events and outcomes!!!! it's very complicated, I also need to add some new characters so that my story isn't desolate because, yeah, like 16-18 beans is a lot, but not when there are only 4 of them at each location! because of this, each character is considered to be in some way the main character, and because of this, it's going to be hard for me to figure out whose demise will be the first, or will it be at all…? honestly, my comic book has deviated from the standards of the game, it's literally unlike any comic book, instead of looking for a traitor, these traitors are literally running away from everyone!

I never realized that coming up with comics, even before drawing them, is so time-consuming…

[heretic-altias]

Now that people are starting to post more spoilers, I’m gonna say it. I don’t believe Alexandria came from the 12th reflection. I don’t think we could have tapped into a reflection that’s gone and rejoined. I think whatever shard it was is similar to the first, it ALMOST had a lightning based calamity but for whatever reason it didn’t work out.

When they say time flows differently, that doesn’t matter for a calamity. The setup has to be correct at the same moment across both shards. It already happened. Maybe the 12th had a much longer or shorter history before that than the source, but it happened to both worlds at once in the multiverse regardless because conditions had to match between the two. The 12th couldn’t still be before a point where both had to match at the same time, otherwise the calamity would never happen because conditions aren’t right on the source.

Also, the shard travel used has a very obvious Ascian connection (thanks Azem symbol!). The Ascians could shard hop, but they clearly didn’t move through time. Otherwise what would stop Emet from having just gone back and undoing any mistakes? I know a lot of people justify the time thing with what G’raha did but that was only done once very deliberately and took generations of work. And it wasn’t Ascian based. This key is. The Ascians don’t do time travel, as far as we know.

Yoshi P also did say to pay attention to the lore on what shards are gone and what shards remain in an interview. A lot of people are taking it as proof it could be the 12th, but I’m getting the opposite. The lore book clearly shows which shards remain and I bet the one we were one is one of them and yoshi p was trying to hint they were important for that reason. Besides, why jump to dead shards when we have the 1st and 13th both as examples of rejoinings failing? I doubt the other shards were left alone all that time, they might all have at least been prepped for calamities that didn’t work out. It just seems more likely to me that they’re going that way with it than some convoluted mess saying it’s a world in the past.

Obviously the writers could throw a brick at me later on and decide it is the 12th anyway, but with what we have now I just can’t believe that and was honestly surprised to see people talking about it like it is the 12th as if it definitely was when I first started talking spoilers with others. It never even occurred to me because of how empathized it was that rejoined worlds are GONE, my first thought was a failed attempt at a second lightning calamity.

[starry-blue-echoes]

Okay, I just got here. Sorry for intruding and I'm kind of freaking out about part 4 of Star Swap.

Because there are two Jotaros. Why is nobody talking about the fact that there are two Jotaros? Am I missing something??? 

Unless I am completely failing in Star Swap lore, in order to not become super convoluted and insane, a universe is localized to a Swap… probably? Anyway from what I understand three universes have an event happening in them and Star Swap is a series… except there's also an OLDER Jotaro here in Part 4! which would be the same Jotaro that experienced part 4 as Josuke! Which is causing problems in my brain.

… I was thinking it's either Joseph and Giono is the exception -Thanks to Hermit Purple Rrequiem- and swaps actually jumps across universes making Older Part 4 Jotaro have that Canon backstory.

…Or… hear me out..

 JoJo

 Specifically, Jotaro gets some of that Time Jumpy Amnesia and has not a single fucking clue what happened to himself.

JUST HIM 

No one else

He is the sole one that gets bonk with a forgot stick

For all Jotaro knows: he blacked out, got possessed, and went to Egypt. Everything went well. His mom got cured and people survived, but STILL. said person that possessed him made a bunch of friends and now Jotaro has to deal with them. HE has to rely on other people's information to figure out what the hell HAPPENED.

Jotaro still gets that Battle Experience in and gets those cryptic forgotten fog of memories from the trip But Yeah

Jotaro has no idea what happened to him when that guy was possessing him. Jotaro doesn't know! he doesn't remember shit!!! All people got is theories.

I have a lot of thoughts and this is probably not even an issue.ARGGGG

.. I'm here thinking that for The Star Swap parts 3 and 4 to connect in an interesting way is Memory Blockage or else Part 4 Older Jotaro would have to walk on fucking eggshells if something wasn't blocking his memories because if he talks or says anything that doesn't link up then he breaks time. Jotaro's fault for actively getting involved!

Probably. I don't know!!! I'm just thinking!!! 

you're correct, Parts 3 and 4 have been criminally neglected amongst all this chaos, so this is p e r f e c t

to clarify the universe shenanigans of everything: I've always been thinking that each "set" exists in its own universe. 1 and 6, 2 and 5, and then 3 and 4 all exist in their own sort of "pocket universe" just so we don't need to keep track of of all the inevitable changes and how they influence each other

that being said, funnily enough what you've brought up with Jotaro is REALLY close to what I've been imagining too!

Jotaro is So Fucking Lost when he wakes up back home. He feels like complete and utter shit and is covered in more bandages than he's ever had before. The last thing he remembers is his mom leaving after visiting him in the prison cell after he tried to shoot himself with Star Platinum

only...... when did Star Platinum have a name? When had it stopped being an evil spirit?

when had he stopped being scared of it?

Kakyoin and Joseph are of course INCREDIBLY worried by Jotaro's apparent and very sudden shift in personality. And of course, this panic only multiplies when they find they think Jotaro's stand has been changed as well. They immediately think it's a Stand attack......

but then Holly steps forward and denies this. That this is how Jotaro normally acts and more importantly, that she remembers seeing Star in the jail

now, technically this might be bending the rules a little bit, but I think it would be interesting to give Holly some..... memory weirdness. Maybe we can tie it into her Stand somehow, or maybe it's just For The Plot, but Holly has two distinct sets of memories before she collapsed from her illness

One where Jotaro comes home with her, quiet and awkward and open in a way he hadn't been since he was a child. And another where he refused to leave and shot himself in an attempt to goad a spirit hovering over his shoulder

this then raises the incredibly uncomfortable idea that the Jotaro they'd gone to Egypt with was the imposter. That there had been a fake in their midst the entire time and they never knew. Was he working with Dio? Another group? What was his goal? Why had he done it? And of course, the biggest question of all, where was Jotaro the entire time and why doesn't he remember?

because it's obvious Jotaro was somewhere. He has skills and knowledge he hadn't before. He's different, he's grown in some ways, but has receded in others

Electricity and loud sounds terrify him in a way that can't be described as simple fear

they do what they can to help and figure things out, but they can never find any leads. It actually during these investigations that Jotaro decides to start working with the Speedwagon Foundation on the side and "rekindles" his friendships with the Crusaders

(he finds himself drawn to Kakyoin at times. Or to be more specific, he's drawn to his Stand. The colors and shapes and eyes all feel so tantalizingly familiar, and sometimes he finds himself talking to the being as if expecting a response)

years go by, and the fog around his memories stays. It bothers him less as more time passes and he makes new memories with people who had a headstart on their relationship, but there's always a quiet niggling in the back of his mind about what could've happened

and then a decade later he finds a boy with a different face but identical Stand and temperament to match

[trauma-bot]

ouuuu i need the lore... i love selfships so much.... nuze lore please.... if you want..........

YAY YAY YAY. im gonna try so hard to keep this somewhat brief to leave room for any more questions but we'll see how that goes <3

so to preface this E does have a toyhouse bio that you can look at if you're curious! it has a more in-depth look at his personality and whole deal. you can also look at his gallery if you'd like; thats where his references and other artwork for him are stored!

ALRIGHT. RAMBLING UNDER THE CUT

a lot of it is very much to fulfill my weird convoluted fantasy of "what if i lost all hope for a future that i exist in and was convinced that i was going to succumb to the claws of my trauma and rot there forever (basically dooming myself in my own narrative) thus becoming the absolute worst version of myself in what i believe to be my final moments only for someone (two someones in this case) to love and believe in me so much that, despite it all and despite everything that was done to me and that ive done myself, gives me enough hope to undoom myself". i'm normal i swear.

also just generally im a big big sucker for stories about survivors of trauma being there for each other, and in that way i get a lot of comfort from nuze.

SO. NUZE LORE... (once again shout outs to my bestie night for coining their ship name lol)

i guess ill break it down like this, starting with N/E. (alt. ship name being pupE love (coined by another bestie of mine charlie)) E knew N back at the manor and they were close friends then, N was the first person E came out as trans to (by that i mean. N helped E work through his tumultuous robo gender feelings in real time) and N was the only one E really felt comfortable around. (other than tessa! E was also friendly with V back then as well<3)

however, E was also badly traumatized by his time in the manor, and of course Canon Events happen. E, as a disassembly drone, is now much more muted, detached, numbed, and devoted completely to their directive. he's very very very repressed and his specific brand of memory issues as well as the fucked up memory dreams causes him to dissociate and spiral a lot. he also distanced himself a lot from N for reasons even he isn't entirely privy to. something in his hardwiring just told him that N would be safer the less E stayed with him. and N is!!! really saddened by that!!! its normal! E has to learn to not be an emotionless object and actually let himself feel and need and yearn, and N is a big help with that (uzi is as well ofc!!)

i have to skip past a lot of things for the sake of not making this post so many words long but regardless; N/E is really special to me because they are two people who are in a very similar and scary situation and have had to see each other get hurt or even killed in many clone instances in many reset memory files. and its the just. the willingness to love despite knowing what happened to you and even witnessing it at times, to say "this is not all we are" and break free from those iron chains despite knowing how much it'll hurt and how dire everything is. E is so convinced that its all worthless and he couldn't be anything more than what he's used for, while N desperately wants a better life for himself and those he loves, and he's gonna drag E kicking and screaming to hope and healing. <3

NOW. UZIE :3 (alt. ship name is angelfangz)

E is MIA from the squad until like right after episode 3 canonically happens and is found by uzi and N. uzi does not trust E at first not one bit LMFAO. she doesn't hate him but like. her only frame of reference for murder drones besides N is V and J. and also E is like. he's weird and says weird cryptic things and is not exactly the easiest to talk to due to how off-putting and repressed he is. at first E is like "why is there a worker drone. in the spire. and we're all okay with this" but after actually getting more context behind Everything he's curious about her more than anything. he has to be swayed into betraying his initial directive (kill all worker drones. yknow) only because thats like all he knows how to do and would feel aimless without it, but once he is he's loyal to his new directive (help uzi figure out what the hell is going on with this solver business). yeah he treats himself like an object that can only find worth in being ordered around but we dont have time to unpack all of that right now. he unlearns it later i prommy.

uzi is like. spitefully resistant to getting to know E on a deeper lever, but this is uzi "no bonding thing" doorman and she cannot help but care about E and be concerned about his behavior. she will notttt admit that however and stubbornly holds her ground. it isnt until post-episode 4 when E and uzi are fully vulnerable around each other.

uziE is. so so very important to me. uzi has been outcasted and isolated for so much of her life, she's been treated as a weirdo freak monster by her classmates and becomes outwardly prickly and aggressive to cope with how little affection and reassurance she's been given. i know she's internalized it to mean there is something wrong with her that everyone else can see, and its only a matter of time before those who actually care for her see it too and leave her. and i know that the events of episode 4 confirmed it in her mind, that she is a freak monster and everyone was right to avoid and hate her, even though she never asked for any of this. thats a very familar feeling to me- and by extension E. E recognizes the feeling of being made into a monster against your will, of fearing and being unable to trust yourself, and of feeling like its best for everyone's safety to hide away. E and uzi find solace and comfort in each other for that. they dont see each other as broken irredeemable monsters, so maybe they aren't.

im stopping here because holy shit this got long but THERES A LOT MORE LOLL. tldr nuze altogether is very very important to me and i could talk about them forever and ever. they love each other all so much and they grow and heal and forgive and aaaaughhhgh<3 im normal.

[heart-of-the-morningstar]

In Defense of the FNAF Movie…

I was thinking about the FNAF Movie again today and I wanted to go on a little tangent if that's alright with y'all lol.

I know most fans enjoyed the movie, which is great! But I did see some fans, especially some OG fans, who did not like the movie at all, saying it didn't take itself seriously enough, it was too campy, it wasn't scary enough, and it didn’t follow the lore. I can understand those criticisms to an extent. But as an OG fan myself, I think the movie captured the tone of FNAF perfectly.

FNAF at its core, is silly. The concept of kid-friendly animatronic characters that are mascots for a Chuck E Cheese type restaurant being possessed is a ridiculous concept. Granted, how they became possessed is where the horror of the franchise comes into play. FNAF was never all campy or all horror, it was always a mix of both, even in the first few games, just based on the concept alone.

I think too many people expected it to be really scary, but I believe that was the wrong perspective. There were jumpscares in the games, yeah, but I think the most prominent emotion from the early games would elicit dread, not horror. I went into the movie knowing it would be campy and goofy, but I also knew there would be some horror aspects. BECAUSE THAT’S WHAT FNAF IS!

I think if the movie took itself too seriously, no one else would, because fans know it’s not an overall serious franchise. This is the same franchise that brought in Exotic Butters and MPreg in one of their books! That’s not to say that there aren’t serious subjects in the game; a serial killer, multiple child murders, grusome deaths, loss of family members; the game is not all sunshine and rainbows.

But what I think FNAF does as a whole is mix those horror aspects with its campiness really well. You can’t have one without the other in this series. And that’s what I think the movie did a great job with. I don’t think I would have enjoyed it as much if it was too serious or if it relied on humor alone. Don’t get me wrong, this was not a perfect movie, there were definitely things that needed improvements. But I don’t think the tone was one of them.

At first I was a little disappointed that the movie wouldn’t be rated R, but now I can appreciate why they stuck to PG-13 instead. FNAF has never been bloody or gory, any deaths that would occur in the franchise would be off-screen or portrayed in the 8-bit mini games. I think the only time we see blood is during the springlock failure in FNAF 3, and again, it was 8-bit blood. Most of the horror is left up to the imagination of the viewer, which in my opinion, is a lot scarier than just outright showing you what happened. Fear of the unknown is extremely powerful.

The last point I wanna bring up is the fact some people do not like the deviation from the game’s lore. Need I remind you, this is not the first time the franchise has done this. The books have their own separate lore! Some of it lines up with the games, a lot of it doesn’t. But what all of these continuities have are animatronics who are possessed by children who were murdered by William Afton; that is the core story of FNAF no matter if you’re playing the games, reading the books, or watching the movie. They each take their own liberties in telling different versions of the story, but they all revolve around the same main focus. In my opinion, I think it would have been a little boring to see the movie play out one for one like the games, especially considering how confusing and convoluted the game lore is!I’m curious as to where they will go in future movies!

I can see why general audiences and critics would not like this movie, because they wouldn’t understand the tone that it was going for. They wouldn’t get the references or the story beats that the fans would. But it wasn’t really made for them, which is fine! I think the movie we got was really great, not a masterpiece, but just a really good adaption of what FNAF is: a campy horror game. And I’m looking forward to see where they take it next!

Also, if I hear one more person complain about the “Building a Fort” scene in the movie, I will gnaw your arm off. I’m happy we actually got to see the ghost children ACTING LIKE GOD DAMN CHILDREN!

[danganronpasurvivoraskblog]

Dangancember 2024 - Danganronpa Top 24 Class Trials - Number 4: Danganronpa 2 Case 6

//Oh shit! OH SHIT! INCOMING HATERS! ABORT RANKING! ABORT RANKING-!

//GAH! GET OUT! AAAH! Fuck...! Gah...Okay...Okay fuck...Phew...Woah...Alright...

//Look...I fucking KNOW! Okay!?

//I'm not expecting to get RIDICULOUS levels of hate for this, but I am more aware than anyone that having ANY of the final trials THIS HIGH on the list. Especially since I have already said myself that they all have the same problems. And Danganronpa 2's final trial is FAR from exempt of these..

//This final trial often gets labeled as overrated by some fans, who argue it’s too flashy, too convoluted, or too dependent on high-stakes melodrama. It's still anime as fuck, its super long, it's super difficult so suddenly, and it's a massive plot dump. I will deny none of this.

//HOWEVER, I don't know what it is about this case specifically, but the more I look back on this trial, the more I LIKE it!

//We're in what I think is basically the S-Tier of this list. Even if this trial isn't S, it's still the top of A. And the defining factor that decides which of these cases gets this high up is "Which of these Class Trial do I like revisiting the most?" And this is definitely one of them, and I will gladly die on that hill.

//This case takes everything Danganronpa is known for; over-the-top twists, ridiculous logic battles, and moral dilemmas that make you question your own sanity; and cranks it up to eleven. Yes, you’re solving a murder while simultaneously wrestling with existential dread and facing down a genocidal AI.

//Yes, it’s bonkers, and yet for me, it works. Every wild revelation feels like it’s been carefully building from the beginning, paying off countless threads in ways that are surprising but satisfying.

//And that's it really. This is a SATISFYING CONCLUSION. Case 5 isn’t just a great finale; it perfectly captures what Danganronpa does best: mixing absurdity and sincerity into a neon-soaked cocktail of despair and hope.

//Unlike the first game’s ending, which leans heavily on Makoto Naegi’s generic optimism, or V3’s finale, which breaks the fourth wall so hard it practically demolishes the entire franchise, Danganronpa 2’s ending feels emotionally complete.

//And here's why:

//Let’s break down the key issues that this trial, and, let’s be honest, all Danganronpa final trials, tend to suffer from. First up, the obvious one: length.

//This trial is long, no doubt about it. But compared to some of its peers, it’s downright modest. V3’s final trial feels like a four-hour debate marathon, and Another 2’s third trial drags so much it feels like it got lost in a time loop. By comparison, Danganronpa 2’s finale uses its time well.

//Sure, it’s a commitment, but it’s packed with so many high-stakes moments and engaging revelations that I'm rarely looking at the clock. In fact, there are only four trials in the entire series that kept me glued to my seat from start to finish, and this one’s comfortably in that elite category, with the other three being the three trials above this one. Every topic of discussion felt purposeful, and I was never bored, which is more than I can say for some of its peers.

//Next is the dreaded plot dump problem.

//Let’s face it: of all the final trials, this one might be the guiltiest of shoving exposition down your throat. Junko Enoshima is less of an inquisitor here and more of an overly dramatic history professor, dumping lore at every opportunity like she’s trying to hit a word count on her evil dissertation. Unlike the first game’s finale, where she taunts you into piecing things together yourself, this trial often skips the mystery and goes straight to the lecture hall.

//But...at least that plot is GOOD.

//The revelations about the island, the survivors, and the Future Foundation are some of the most fascinating lore drops in the entire franchise. Sure, it’s a lot to take in, but it’s delivered with enough flair to keep me invested, and that’s a big part of why I’m still hooked on this series today.

//The next issue? The ridiculous difficulty spikes.

//This trial hits you with an "Improved" Hangman’s Gambit right out of the gate, which is ironic because the only thing it improves is your blood pressure.

//Let’s not sugarcoat it, "Improved" Hangman’s Gambit is a nightmare minigame in every trial it infects, and this one is no exception. But once you push through that, the rest of the challenges strike a much better balance.

//Take it away ProZD.

//Sure, it’s tough, but unlike some trials where the difficulty feels like a punishment for daring to play, this one leans into "frustrating yet fair" territory. It’s challenging enough to keep you on your toes without making you want to chuck your controller out the window.

//And finally, the most meme-worthy complaint: the anime-esque absurdity of the villains’ defeat.

//Let’s not kid ourselves, this trial goes full Saturday morning cartoon by the end. Hajime literally turns into a golden-haired Super Saiyan and screams “FUTURE!” at Junko until she dies.

//It’s so over the top that it should derail the entire mood. And yet… it doesn’t. At least not for me.

//Instead, it feels triumphant, cathartic, and downright epic. Because even with it, the survivors still face an incredibly personal and difficult choice, confront their inner demons, and ultimately earn their victory. Sure, it’s a bit campy, but that doesn’t diminish the emotional weight of the ending. It’s goofy, it’s dramatic, it’s everything Danganronpa is, and honestly, I loved every second of it.

//These are still ultimately nitpicks that go against this trial and stop it from being one of my absolute favourites, even though it is a Top Tier spectacle for me. And I have one more big, pretty standout issue with this case, before I get into the stuff that I actually love about it.

//The Investigation segment...SUCKS!

//Unlike most of the final trials of the Danganronpa series, the actual "Daily Life" segment of this chapter is pretty long and full of detail and dialogue before the investigation starts. Which makes sense, considering what this trial comes off the back of.

//This chapter hits hard emotionally, coming fresh off the deaths of Chiaki and Nagito, arguably two of the most important and beloved characters in the game.

//Or at least, it should hit hard...if it weren’t so mind-bogglingly CONFUSING!

//At this point, the game fully commits to the twist that the island is actually a virtual reality simulation, and things spiral into absolute chaos. The world starts glitching like it’s running on a bootleg copy of Windows XP. Dead characters suddenly reappear, casually hanging around like nothing happened, and nobody seems to notice or care.

//I spent the first half of this chapter feeling like I’d walked into the wrong save file. It’s only when you enter the locked building that things start to click...or, rather, don’t click...because the weirdness keeps escalating.

//Monokuma, ever the fan of recycling his own shtick, drops a familiar ultimatum: "Solve all the mysteries and decide whether to leave or not." Then, boom, investigation time.

//Now, don’t get me wrong: unraveling the mysteries of the island and the Future Foundation is undeniably cool. But this investigation? Easily one of my least favorites in the series.

//Why? Because the glitches ramp up to such a dizzying degree that I felt like I was trapped in a bad fever dream.

//One moment I’m in the school, and the next I’m teleporting across random locations like that one scene in Guardians of the Galaxy 2 where they're jumping through several space time holes, and it feels EQUALLY AS PAINFUL as it looks!

//And don’t even get me started on the moment the entire world literally flips upside down. Yes, I get it, game, you’re driving home the point that we’re in a simulation. But do you have to give me vertigo while you’re at it!? It’s like they sat in a meeting and said, "What if we made the player understand the story by making them insanely fucking motion sick!"

//Well, mission accomplished, I guess!

//TLDR; This is NOT an investigation. It's an incredibly nauseatic FETCH QUEST.

//The clues themselves also aren't that interesting until you actually get in the trial, and it does open very well with the obvious twist, but we'll get to that. The only clue that stood out to me immediately, and that kind of interested me from the get go, was the fact that Hiyoko looks very different OUTSIDE the sim than she does INSIDE.

//And that's more of just a cool graphic, not necessarily anything that shocked me.

//But even though the investigation is a pile of dog shite, the character dynamics we see, and the way these dynamics carry on into the trial itself, is amazing. This trial not only has some of the best moments for the characters in this game, but vastly improves upon characters that we've already seen.

//Halfway through this trial, Hajime and his fellow survivors are joined by Makoto, Kyoko, and the real Byakuya. And even though their involvement here isn't THAT consequencial, it's still great to see them all back.

//Speaking of Hajime...

//I fucking LOVE Hajime!

//I mentioned earlier how heavily Shuichi is involved in the final conflict of Danganronpa V3, and I also briefly touched on how important Makoto is to the final showdown of the first game. However, I feel like I really missed the mark by not giving Hajime enough credit for how deeply he’s tied into the greater conflict of Danganronpa 2.

//This is, of course, entirely my personal opinion, but I believe Hajime plays a more central role in the story’s conflict than either Shuichi or Makoto. I just love the way Hajime reacts to the insane revelations during the final trial.

//The moment that stands out the most is when Junko casually drops the bombshell that Hajime is actually a fabricated personality of Izuru Kamukura. While the other characters are going to wake up and, you know, probably turn into supervillains, Hajime’s fate is way worse...he's going to be completely erased and vanish forever. As soon as this information hits him, he doesn’t just panic like you’d expect; he has a full-blown identity crisis.

//Hajime’s been struggling with his sense of self throughout the entire game, but this is the point where his existential meltdown reaches DEFCON 1. His anguished screams and his heartbreaking willingness to just give up and live in a world where everything repeats itself are gut-wrenching. Watching him go through this is honestly painful, and I find myself empathizing with him more than any of the other protagonists.

//This, I think, is the reason Hajime stands out to me. It’s not just about his struggle, it’s how human he is in his struggle. And holy shit if Johnny Yong Bosch's voice acting doesn't sell this:

//These two moments in particular are the best parts of his traumatic breakdown ^^^

//But Hajime isn’t the only character who stands out here.

//Alongside the returning gang from DR1, there’s also Junko, who, surprise, surprise, is once again the villain.

//Now, I get it, some might find it a little tiresome that Junko is back as the mastermind, but I honestly think this is her best appearance in the whole series. I mentioned this when discussing the final case of the first game, but while Junko’s twist as the mastermind is certainly cool, her over-the-top, goofy persona kind of makes it hard to take her seriously as the main villain.

//In Danganronpa 2, however, when we encounter her as an AI counterpart, it’s a whole different story.

//Junko Enoshima’s role in Danganronpa 2 is one of the rare instances where a returning villain improves drastically in their execution, and it all comes down to how her presence is expanded and her actions take on a life of their own, literally and figuratively.

//She’s still got that signature cartoonish vibe, and she does still do the very sudden personality shifting, but now her tone is laced with a level of sadism and menace that feels downright chilling.

//It’s as if she’s crossed a line, and in this game, she’s not just the silly, chaotic villain we’ve seen before. She really feels like a true THREAT!

//Especially since her motivations, and what she actually hopes to achieve THIS TIME, are different from the stakes in DR1. Different in the sense that they feel SO much higher, and as a result, Junko feels like more of a monster.

//Junko is essentially trying to secure her posthumous victory by corrupting the Neo World Program and plunging the remaining members of the Future Foundation into despair, as well as take over the vegetable bodies of the people who died in DR2, and "Junko-fy" all of mankind, just as the tragedy is dying down.

//This makes her appear more threatening and influential compared to her more confined role as the mastermind of the Killing School Life in the first game.

//And there are more reasons than just this. Since Junko is already dead by the time Goodbye Despair begins, she becomes less of a direct antagonist and more of a haunting legacy, a force of despair that refuses to fade away. This shift gives her a mythic quality, as her influence looms over every event in the story, showcasing her obsession with cementing her place in history as an eternal agent of chaos. It’s no longer just about what she’s doing now, it’s about how far-reaching and inescapable her madness truly is.

//One of the reasons Junko shines brighter, or darker, rather, in Danganronpa 2 is the freedom her AI form grants her. Stripped of the limitations of her physical body, Junko fully leans into her larger-than-life persona, appearing in absurd and exaggerated digital forms.

//This form really advocates the idea that Junko is a living virus rather than a person. Her essence infects the virtual world, just as it infected the real world with Despair, in ways that make her feel omnipresent and almost godlike.

//This also allows her to interact with the cast in visually dynamic, surreal ways that simply weren’t possible in the more grounded setting of the first game. And as ridiculous as it is, the imagery of an absolutely HUGE AS FUCK Junko NEVER gets old.

//What really sets her apart in Danganronpa 2, though, is her personal connection to Class 77. These aren’t just random students she’s toying with; they’re the very people she manipulated, broke, and used as weapons during the Tragedy. She’s not merely taunting them, she’s forcing them to confront the darkest parts of themselves, the memories she erased, and the atrocities they committed under her influence.

//This makes her presence not only more menacing but deeply personal. The stakes feel higher because the conflict directly ties into the characters’ own identities and sense of guilt. Compared to the first game, where Junko’s relationship with Class 78 felt more detached and her villainy relied on spectacle rather than emotional stakes, her dynamic with Class 77 is far more engaging.

//What seals the deal is the eventual defiance of Class 77. When they choose to stand against Junko and reclaim their identities, it’s not just a victory over her philosophy, but it’s a victory over the very Despair she’s weaponized against them. This resolution gives her role in Goodbye Despair a sense of narrative closure that the first game didn’t quite achieve.

//She’s still the same chaotic, cartoony Junko, but here, her sadistic edge and personal ties to the cast create a version of her that feels more terrifying, more compelling, and, dare I say it, more entertaining than ever. It’s a much darker take on her character, and in this context, she’s far more convincing as the mastermind pulling the strings behind the scenes. It's a subtle shift that makes her presence feel less like a punchline and more like the horrifying force she was always meant to be.

//But I think that's mostly it for the outside context, and to cap this off, let's talk about the nitty-gritty details of the trial itself. I am sorry, but I will be repeating some of my previous points, just to cover them.

//But before diving into the labyrinthine twists and emotional sucker punches of Danganronpa 2's final trial, let’s start with one of the most hilariously sadistic Monokuma moments in the entire series. It's a subtle moment that doesn't last for very long, but it's a good sign right from the get go with the way that this trial treats it's most obvious plot twist right out of the gate in a way that is very entertaining.

//Right at the beginning of the trial, Monokuma insists that everyone clarify one simple truth: the entire world they’ve been living in is a virtual reality. But instead of letting this revelation sink in gracefully, Monokuma drives it home with comedic precision.

//Every time someone tries to refute or question this revelation, he cuts them off with a deadpan repetition of "Because it’s a game!" over and over, reusing the same voice line for maximum effect. It’s like he’s saying, "This is the truth, and I am not debating this with you. Accept it, move on, or fucking die."

//It’s the kind of humor that is both maddening and brilliant, encapsulating Monokuma’s trademark blend of sadism and absurdity.

//Now let’s get to the meat of this trial: the twists. And oh, are there twists.

//First, as already established several times already, there’s the reveal that the world you’ve been inhabiting for the entire game isn’t even real. It’s a simulation.

//It's a very obvious twist if you'd bothered to pay ANY attention to the chapter, but that fact alone is a mind-blower. But the pièce de résistance is what comes next: the realization that the "World Ender," the ominous, evil-sounding organization you’ve been trained to despise and aim to destroy, are actually the good guys, and Chiaki and Monomi were working for them.

//The Future Foundation, the supposed villains of this story, are the heroes. And the bad guys? That would be…YOU! The very characters you’ve spent hours befriending and rooting for!

//I'm just gonna come straight out and say it: The Remnants of Despair are my ABSOLUTE FAVOURITE PLOT TWIST in this ENTIRE SERIES.

//Only two twists rival it for me: The Tragedy in Game 1, and the Protag switch in Game 3.

//When I first played this, I entered the final chapters with the mindset of a righteous avenger, ready to bring down the dastardly Future Foundation. But as the truth unraveled, I distinctly remember thinking, "Wait, what? We’re the bad guys? The organization trying to save the world isn’t evil, and we were the problem all along? What the actual hell is happening here!?"

//I just love how it flips the narrative on its head and forces you to confront a deeply uncomfortable truth: the characters you’ve grown attached to were once Junko Enoshima’s most loyal disciples, the infamous Remnants of Despair.

//Before, obviously, Danganronpa 3 went and ruined any tension and emotion we could have with that twist.

//But ignoring it, it's still great!

//Danganronpa 2 explains that the cast of characters were brainwashed into becoming Junko’s pawns of destruction. The simulation you’ve been playing through was created by the Future Foundation, including Makoto, Kyoko, and Byakuya from the first game, to rehabilitate them by erasing their memories and allowing them to live in a paradise free of Despair.

//The twist becomes even more gut-wrenching when it’s revealed that the killing game wasn’t part of the plan. It happened because an AI version of Junko was uploaded into the simulation, hijacking the entire system. Because she planned to take over the Remnant's bodies, and turn every person in Japan/the world, like her. Into Despair.

//Classic Junko plot, sure, and I know that a lot of you might disagree with the notion that this is the best twist, because some could argue that it is presented as so violent, it creates plot holes.

//What I mean specifically is the part where the Remnants salvaged Junko's corpse after the end of Game 1, and replaced their body parts with hers...

//...Also Mikan fucked it?

//But the problem there is that it creates a plot hole because Junko's body was crushed at the end of the execution, so there'd be no body to salvage.

//But the reason why I excuse it personally is because this is a plot hole OF A PLOT HOLE. Junko's execution had her going through every death trap she'd created in Danganronpa 1, all of which had killed the characters on their own. I know Junko is OP, but there's no way she's any more durable than Mondo, or any of the other characters who died here. Any one of these could have killed her at any point, and it made no sense that she survived all of them.

//And even putting that aside, assuming this IS a plot hole, it's not enough to ruin my enjoyment of the trial. Let me break it down for everybody:

//At the beginning of Danganronpa 2, the characters are portrayed as hapless victims trapped in a sadistic killing game. This setup fosters sympathy and camaraderie, much like the cast of the first game. However, the final twist subverts this perception entirely, revealing that these characters were not innocent victims but villains responsible for unspeakable atrocities as members of Junko Enoshima's Remnants of Despair.

//The stark contrast between their apparent innocence and their horrific past actions under Junko’s influence is nothing short of awesome, in a terrifying way, leaving an indelible mark. But this reveal isn’t just shocking for its content; it also serves as a brutal demonstration of Junko’s unparalleled ability to manipulate people into despair.

//The twist ties back to the catastrophic events of Danganronpa 1, Junko’s masterstroke of spreading despair globally. Here, the game goes further, showcasing the devastating depth of her evil by illustrating how she corrupted even the brightest students of Hope’s Peak Academy.

//And Danganronpa 3 enforces this idea, with Class 77 being quite possibly the most integral class to the school at the time, especially with the bond they form with Chiaki and Chisa, and how ripping that away from them was enough to completely break them.

//It's still not great, but I understand the basic implications at least.

//It’s a chilling reminder that Despair is insidious, capable of twisting even the most virtuous intentions into darkness. Junko’s role as the ultimate antagonist is cemented, her terrifying legacy casting a long shadow over the entire series.

//The twist also recontextualizes everything we’ve seen about the characters up to that point. Suddenly, Gundham’s theatrical fascination with death, Fuyuhiko’s violent streak and harsh demeanor, Nagito’s unhinged obsession with hope, and, most importantly, Mikan’s terrifying breakdown in Chapter 3 take on new, darker meanings.

//What were once quirky personality traits or personal flaws are revealed as remnants of their time as Junko’s followers. This added layer of depth makes the twist even more effective, turning each character into a tragic figure grappling with the scars of their past.

//Nagito, in particular, stands out as a character whose behavior becomes infinitely more complex in light of the reveal, especially because he learns the truth right before the trial in Chapter 4. His obsessive pursuit of Hope and simultaneous disdain for Despair now reads as deeply self-aware.

//He knows they are the Remnants of Despair, and he hates himself and his peers for it, and the way that this duality kind of mirrors the player's own conflicting feelings about the cast post-reveal, adding emotional weight to an already loaded twist. It adds an element of method to Nagito's madness.

//Moreover, the twist reinforces Danganronpa's overarching themes of Hope and Despair in ways that, I would argue, the first game didn’t quite achieve.

//The fact that the Remnants of Despair were once Hope’s Peak Academy’s shining symbols of hope adds a layer of profound tragedy. And their journey to reclaim their humanity and hope serves as a microcosm of the broader struggle between these two forces that defines the series. This isn’t just about saving the world, it’s about saving themselves.

//This thematic resonance ties directly into what makes the twist so powerful: it doesn’t just set the stakes for the trial, it sets the stakes for the entire Danganronpa series. The twist paves the way for an emotional and poignant redemption arc for the cast. Despite their horrifying past actions, these characters are given the chance to prove they are more than their despair. This struggle resonates deeply, emphasizing themes of growth, forgiveness, and the ability to move past one’s darkest moments.

//It’s why it’s such a shame we never got a spin-off series exploring the Remnants’ lives after the events of Danganronpa 3. I would have much rather watched THAT anime.

//Seriously, Mod Freeze and Mod Poi, thank you for doing the fandom’s work on this front.

//The integration of the Neo World Program into this twist is another stroke of subtle brilliance. What initially seemed like little more than a sci-fi backdrop for the killing game gains profound significance.

//The program isn’t just a high-tech gimmick, it’s a lifeline, a tool designed to erase despair and offer these characters a second chance. The twist aligns seamlessly with the game’s science-fiction elements, grounding the shocking reveal in a way that feels both logical and emotionally resonant.

//But above all else, what truly elevates this twist, though, are two key aspects: The juxtaposition of innocence and guilt, and the reinforcement of hope as a deliberate choice.

//The game plays on the player’s affection for the cast, built over hours of shared experiences, only to reveal their horrifying pasts. It forces one to grapple with complex questions about identity, culpability, and redemption. Can we separate who they are now from who they were under Junko’s influence? Should they be forgiven, and, more importantly, can they forgive themselves?

//By the end of the game, the characters confront these questions head-on. Rather than succumbing to Despair or clinging to a hollow version of Hope imposed by others, they choose to forge their own path forward.

//Hajime’s declaration that only they can decide their futures is a defining moment, encapsulating the game’s core message: Hope isn’t something you’re born with or handed, it’s something you actively choose. And this decision is all the more powerful because of the twist. It reaffirms the series’ ultimate thesis: Hope, like Despair, is a choice, but one that requires courage and conviction.

//It's just...very powerful. In almost every regard.

//However...it does fall a LITTLE flat in one regard for me. Not nearly enough to ruin it, because I do still LOVE this part of the twist, but it's something that we've already talked about, and something that I feel I need to share my concerns over.

//It's how Hajime, who was revealed to be a Reserve Student, slots into this whole thing.

//This is by far the most horrifying aspect of this twist, and one that really works for it, but the reality is that even though Junko ran this whole Killing Game, the fact is due to her AI status, she could not have done it by herself. After all, someone had to actually get her INTO the Neo World for her to host the Killing Game in the first place.

//Naturally, the big question arises: who uploaded this digital Junko? Enter the grand crescendo of this twist—the person responsible for all of this chaos is none other than…Hajime himself.

//But, of course, it’s more complicated than that. Hajime wasn’t acting as himself...It's revealed in this trial that Hajime wasn't just a random Reserve Course student, and there's a reason why he turned out to be the only survivor. He was, in actuality, Izuru Kamukura, an emotionless superhuman created by Hope’s Peak Academy to embody "Ultimate hope."

//As we later see in DR3, Junko and Mukuro manipulated Izuru, flipping him to the side of despair and effectively kickstarting the apocalypse. The revelation that the character you’ve been playing as is not only part of the problem but the problem is one of the darkest and most compelling twists in the series.

//Now, for starters, I want to say that I really like how well this twist slots into the greater lore of Danganronpa, and Izuru is a well-deserved part of the franchise.

//The Hope Cultivation Plan, and what Hope's Peak's Steering Committee actually DID to Hajime, hits like a ton of bricks because it completely flips everything you think you know about this guy, the school that this entire franchise is BASED ON, and even the concept of "Hope" itself, as well as the idea of Hope itself.

//Hajime, the seemingly ordinary and relatable protagonist, turns out to have undergone a horrifying transformation to become Izuru Kamukura, a superhuman "Ultimate Hope" with every talent imaginable. It strips away the idea that Hajime was just a regular guy thrust into extraordinary circumstances, and instead, his backstory reveals that he was a victim of Hope's Peak's ruthless experiments, sacrificing his entire identity for a twisted ideal of perfection. It's tragic, unsettling, and is especially harsh in the way that this was Hajime's "Hope" for the world, and Hope's Peak EXPLOITED him for it, so what does that Hope really mean?

//This twist also pulls back the curtain on Hope's Peak Academy, exposing its darker side. Up until this point, Hope's Peak is painted as a prestigious school that nurtures the best and brightest, but the Izuru Kamukura Project shows that it’s anything but noble.

//The school literally erased Hajime’s personality, emotions, and memories to create a living symbol of hope; and didn't tell him they were going to do that. And it feels like a process that feels more like something out of a dystopian horror story than a prestigious institution.

//It reframes Hope's Peak as a place driven not by ideals of nurturing talent but by exploitation and control, highlighting the hypocrisy of its mission.

//What makes it greater is that Junko even has a sick as fuck line in this trial that perfectly summarizes this, and how Hope can be dangerous in the way that what people actually define AS Hope, can easily turn out to be another person's (in this case, every other person EVER'S) Despair, and it's this line:

"Do you reaaaaaally hafta sacrifice yourselves to protect the world in the first place? What if the world's hope is different from your hope? Even if the world is happy, it's meaningless if you aren't happy."

//And not only does Makoto not have an immediate response to this line, but Hajime's later actions prove her to be RIGHT. And I feel like not a lot of people realize that this is the very basis that the Kamukura Project was founded on.

//The ENTIRE REASON Hope's Peak was founded was to create Izuru. Because they thought that he would be the Hope of the world. But Junko turned him into the world's Despair instead, and it was very easy because of Hope's Peak's moral corruption.

//The thing they saw as "Hope" was not what the rest of the world saw.

//What makes this twist even more impactful is how it recontextualizes the entire "Hope vs Despair" conflict in the series. Izuru, as the "Ultimate Hope," is depicted as so indifferent and detached that he ultimately finds no value in either ideal.

//This shows that striving for absolute hope can be just as damaging and dehumanizing as falling into despair. It adds a layer of nuance to the series’ central theme, suggesting that extreme ideals, no matter how well-intentioned, can lead to monstrous outcomes.

//And this twist, while not the most standard way to end a character arc, is the perfect cherry on top of Hajime's identity crisis arc.

//He starts as someone insecure about his lack of talent, someone who envies the Ultimates around him, and really falls into depression upon learning that he never had one in the first place.

//But then learning that he was surgically altered into a talent-filled, emotionless being makes his journey to reclaim his identity and humanity all the more powerful. Because he GOT the talent that he sought; just at the cost of everything else.

//By choosing to reject Izuru’s detached worldview and embrace the messy, imperfect reality of being Hajime Hinata, he shows that true strength doesn’t come from talent or perfection but from accepting and valuing yourself as you are. It’s an almighty aspect of a twist that deepens the story’s themes and makes Hajime’s eventual triumph over despair even more meaningful.

//And it's also largely thanks to Chiaki that Hajime was able to overcome this. And if there's one thing that I can credit Danganronpa 3 on, it's what they actually did with the dynamic between Izuru and Chiaki, and how it laid the groundwork for this resolution...PERFECTLY.

//Chiaki Nanami wasn’t just the heart of Class 77. She was also the pivotal force that led to the group’s victory in Danganronpa 2. And I cannot understate that the only reason they managed to attain this victory is because she broke the barriers to speak to Hajime one last time.

//I'm one of very few people who think that as a character, Chiaki is...KIND OF overrated. But just because she's overrated, that doesn't mean she's a bad character. And she IS important to the game. It's just not easy to see how until a lot later into it.

//Even after her tragic death in the Neo World Program, Chiaki's impact lingered. As the AI created to guide her classmates toward hope, she became the catalyst for their redemption. Her steady support, unwavering kindness, and ability to see the best in others made her a beacon of hope in a situation engineered to breed Despair.

//It’s no exaggeration to say that without Chiaki’s influence, the Remnants of Despair might never have found the strength to reclaim their humanity.

//And that doubles for real Chiaki in her brief interaction with Izuru in DR3.

//Junko made Izuru see the power of how Despair affected him, despite his boredom, and how it went against his preconcieved notions. But it was Chiaki's determination, willingness to keep going, and the love and Hope she had for people, despite the fact that she was facing a cruel and absolutely miserable death, that made him rethink things. That made him see the benefits in both sides.

//Had this scene not happened, Izuru would not have been such a neutrally aligned character in the end. He would have been just a straight-up monster of a villain.

//Which, if you think about it, is basically what Utsuro is. Utsuro didn't have a Chiaki. He never saw the benefits or the power of Hope. He was in Despair his whole life, and even after it. But this meant something to Izuru. The tears that showed Hajime was still somewhere in there, meant something.

//Izuru in tandem, Chiaki’s relationship with Hajime is particularly critical, both to the story of Danganronpa 2 and the broader series. From the moment they met, Chiaki believed in Hajime, even when he struggled to believe in himself.

//It obviously did not end well, but that was no fault of Chiaki's own.

//This bond between these two wasn’t just one of mutual respect and understanding, it was a reminder of the power of genuine connection, something the Danganronpa series constantly emphasizes. Hajime’s eventual deevolution into Izuru, and then his reclamation of himself as Hajime, is deeply rooted in the strength he drew from his connection with Chiaki.

//Furthermore, Chiaki didn’t just push Hajime to become the leader the group needed. She showed all of Class 77 that they could rise above their Despair by supporting each other. Her presence as an AI was a guiding force during the trials, and her ultimate sacrifice demonstrated what it meant to choose hope, even in the face of overwhelming odds. When Hajime rallied the group in the final moments of the game, it was as much a tribute to Chiaki as it was a declaration of their collective strength.

//Chiaki and Hajime’s story ripples across the series in profound ways. In Danganronpa 3, her role as a real person solidifies her influence. As the one classmate who never gave in to Despair, Chiaki became a symbol of hope not just for Class 77 but for the audience as well.

//Her loss was devastating, yet it was her memory that ultimately pushed Hajime and the others to fight for a better future. Chiaki wasn’t just a character; she was the embodiment of what Danganronpa is all about. The idea that even in the darkest times, Hope can find a way to shine.

//So with all of this to say, why is this still my least favourite part of the twist?

//It's largely because of Izuru himself, not because of what Hajime goes through, or because of Chiaki's connection to both him and Hajime.

//Do you know how long it takes to beat Danganronpa 2 on average?

//It takes, on average, 32.5 hours.

//Do you know how much screentime and attention Izuru is given in this game?

//Not including the repeat of the scene on the boat with Nagito that we see first from Izuru's perspective, and then from Nagito's, he's ON SCREEN for a total of around 2.5 minutes.

//Doing the math, and putting that into perspective for all of you, that means that Izuru is in Danganronpa 2 for roughly 0.13% of its full runtime.

//And by the way. Izuru first becomes a CONCEPT in THIS CHAPTER! He's not brought up, or eluded to, at ANY OTHER POINT in the game, besides one photograph of the original headmaster that he's named after. Something that has NOTHING to do with Izuru himself.

//Which means that in the main series, this is ALL OF HIS SCREENTIME!

//Danganronpa finale's have a tendency to randomly introduce plot points that never happened before. V3-6 is bad with it as well, especially because it shows a cutscene from earlier in the game that straight up DIDN'T HAPPEN.

//However, as mind-bogglingly terrifying as the Hope Cultivation Plan is, it is by far the WORST OFFENDER of this idea.

//And what makes it even worse is that a screentime that is THAT LIMITED means that Izuru does not get a chance to be an actual character.

//Danganronpa 3, Talent Development Plan, and Summer Camp later try to reprimand this by making Izuru an actual central character...Emphasis on TRIED.

//Okay, to be fair, in the bonus games, I do love seeing Izuru try to establish his own identity by interacting with Chiaki and co. However, it feels very ironic to me that the character who's catchphrase is "How Boring..." ends up being...really boring.

//At least as a character. As a concept, he's BRILLIANT. But as a character, he's nothing, and that's the whole point.

//This is what I was saying when I was talking about Utsuro before. Even though they are equally as stoic, Utsuro has a pretty well-structured personality, and backstory that makes him sympathetic. But Izuru is so one-dimensional, being a being comprised entirely of talent and nothing else, that he's just a function in the grand scheme of things.

//Utsuro is also present for only one trial, but he is in it for FAR LONGER than Izuru is, and he was foreshadowed MUCH better. The hints are, granted, very subtle, but they are still THERE. If you play DRA a second time, you will NOTICE them.

//Not with Izuru and the Hope Cultivation Plan. There's absolutely NOTHING for them.

//Izuru is one of those characters who feels like he should be compelling, but in practice, he falls flat because he’s so detached and lifeless that it’s hard to care about him. The idea of a person who’s been stripped of their identity and turned into a superhuman is fascinating on paper, but Izuru’s execution leaves a lot to be desired.

//He spends most of his time standing around, delivering cryptic one-liners, or just looking bored. While his apathy is supposed to be a reflection of the emptiness of ultimate talent, it ends up making him feel more like a plot device than an actual character.

//One of the biggest problems with Izuru is that he lacks agency or personal stakes in the story. He exists primarily as a shadow of Hajime’s past and a foil to Junko's chaos, but he doesn’t have any strong desires or goals of his own.

//His indifference to both Hope and Despair, how he's experienced the power of both sides though Junko and Chiaki respectively, might be thematically relevant, but it robs him of any drive or personality that would make him engaging. Even his interactions with Junko in the anime, which could have been a clash of two intellectual giants, come off as underwhelming because he just doesn’t seem to care about anything.

//Put simply, it’s hard to invest in a character who doesn’t invest in themselves.

//Another issue is that Izuru’s overpowered nature makes him unrelatable. He’s described as having every talent imaginable, to the point that nothing challenges or excites him. Again, to reiterate, this makes him feel less like a person and more like a concept, and concepts don’t make for compelling characters on their own.

//Even when he does take action, like helping to orchestrate the Tragedy, it feels hollow because his motives are so abstract. There’s no emotional weight behind his actions, so it’s hard to feel anything for him as a character.

//Ultimately, Izuru ends up being more of a plot twist delivery system than a fully realized individual.

//Granted, he is a FANTASTIC plot delivery system, but he’s there to show the dark side of Hope’s Peak Academy and to highlight Hajime’s journey of self-acceptance, and doesn’t stand on his own. Without a personal arc, meaningful relationships, or even a shred of humanity to ground him, he feels more like a missed opportunity than a compelling addition to the cast.

//He is INSANELY COOL as a concept.

//But JUST as a concept.

//Still, as I said, this doesn't stop the Remnant twist from being fantastic. If anything, it serves to double down on how fucked the situation is for the characters. It's the perfect way to pull it off a second time, just as impactful, if not moreso, from the way the first game did it.

//I just love that the game pulls NO punches in showing just how far gone the Remnants of Despair were under Junko’s influence. They didn’t just spread chaos and destruction; they mutilated themselves, committed unspeakable atrocities, and yes, there’s even an implication that some of them…had sexual inclinations toward Junko’s corpse.

//I mean, that one was probably Mikan mostly, given what we know about her now, but it could have been more than just her...

//It’s grotesque, horrifying, and deeply unsettling. A STARK contrast to the lovable, quirky personalities you’ve come to know over the course of the game. So while some aspects of this backstory strain believability, the sheer audacity of these revelations makes them unforgettable, and insanely entertaining.

//So after all of this, let's end it by talking about how the trial ends.

//The solution to defeating Junko isn’t choosing hope or despair. It’s rejecting both and forging your own future. It’s a thematic mic drop for the game, aligning perfectly with its sub-theme of learning from past mistakes and embracing personal growth.

//However, the way this idea is portrayed is peak anime absurdity. Hajime, now back in control of his identity, goes full-on Super Saiyan, screaming the word “Future!” at the top of his lungs until everyone agrees with him and Junko is silenced.

//It’s over-the-top, it’s ridiculous, it's...honestly kind of dumb, and it’s hard to take seriously. But somehow, it still sort of works.

//The sheer silliness of the moment doesn’t detract from its emotional impact; if anything, it makes the victory sweeter by providing a cathartic, if laughable, resolution to a deeply harrowing story.

//And Junko's defeat here is a lot more satisfying than it is in Game 1. Unlike with then, you actually feel like you've beaten her once and for all, and this wasn't part of her grand master plan; especially because in order to beat Junko in a conflict that settles on Hope and Despair, finding a way out that doesn't necessarily aquait to either, is the perfect way to end it.

//So...yeah...This is my fourth favourite trial in the series, and absolutely my favourite ending.

//Despite its occasional reliance on exposition dumps and its plot holes , the final trial of Game 2 is a masterclass in storytelling twists and emotional payoff. It takes the series’ penchant for high-stakes drama and amps it up to eleven, delivering a finale that is equal parts disturbing, thought-provoking, and outrageously entertaining.

//The blend of personal stakes, thematic depth, and anime absurdity cements this trial as one of the franchise’s most memorable moments.

//God bless you Danganronpa 2.

[paragonrobits]

so i've been annoyed now and again when i see big name v-tubers or whatever making fun on Transformers for being a toyetic series (which is deeply ironic when they're super into things like My Little Pony which is also a toyetic series) and get weirdly intense about saying its actually a garbage series for boring people that has no dimension outside of being a commercial, and they get super shocked when you tell them its one of the more convoluted series out there, with every single series almost invariably being a completely different setting and universe and timeline with no real connection to others, for the most part with a TON of lore and characterization and like

not a lot of people are into Transformers as intensely as, idk, people like me who get salty about Beast Wars not being respected

but i got to thinking and i realized something about Transformers that makes it stick out is, its basic premise is usually set around the point of no return, the complete cessation of hope for the protagonist's initial dreams:

their homeland is lost.

There's no going back to Cybertron; in most settings, Cybertron is not occupied territory, or a place they were driven away from. Sometimes that's the case, but not always. Its not a matter of beating the Decepticons and then you can finally go home and live in peace.

That's already gone. There is no hope for that, and there never was. Cybertron is dead. The planet is, more often than not, poisoned or drained of resources from the war, and can no longer support life. There's no going home because... that home is gone.

The war continues, but the Autobots generally have the motif of trying to restrain the Decepticon war machine from ravaging more worlds like they did to Cybertron. There's no real win condition besides a slim hope that MAYBE Megatron will see reason and just stop (which is unlikely) or that a marginally less deranged Decepticon will take office and be willing to accept peace talks even for a generation or two to just STOP killing everything for a while.

That's the best hope. Otherwise, it seems that the only peace is the peace of one side being wiped out, in a rather tragic sense rather than a 'we're the good guys so its okay if we wipe them all out' thing. Most series, when they acknowledge this, very strongly go with the Autobots don't want that. But it doesn't seem like there's a choice.

So this wraps around to the initial point here; people often don't respect this series because its goofy, and it is that. It's a series about transforming alien robots that turn into cars, military equipment and more silly, bizarre stuff; into airplane-dragons and scientifiaclly inaccurate robot dinosaurs and unusually large rats and whatever the heck the Transmetal 2 line and the Fuzors were. It's often bombastic, cheesy as hell, with a soundtrack codified by 80s glam rock and its perhaps best personified as 'GOD EXISTS, HE'S A GIANT ROBOT WHO TURNS INTO A ROBOT PLANET AND HE HAS AN EVIL SIBLING WHO IS BASICALLY ROBOT SATAN WHO TURNS INTO BIGGER EVIL PLANET'

But at the same time, even in the cheesiest series, when the war is still a thing, there's still a melancholy aspect to it. Robot God existed, and he was legitimately good and kind (if somewhat hands off), and he's probably dead. He was murdered by the ones he made; maybe bcause of the horrors of war draining resources until there's nothing left to keep anyone alive, or because the self centered despot in charge of the Bad Guy Team poisoned the planet with the hateful blood of the ungod of death and oblivion just for a tactical advantage, and now God's dead. The homeworld is dead with him.

The Autobots left home because there's nothing left to return to. And often, when there IS some hope of bringing life to Cybertron, the price is far too high for a mind to consider and still think you can be a hero of the story; it requires the mass death of an alien species, the subjugation of a planet, to let humanity die so the Transformers can prosper.

Optimus and the Autobots say no; no matter what. That is a price they can't even consider and still call themselves Autobots. If making a decision like that is the only way to save Primus, then Primus would rather them let him stay dead. And it goes on, in other ways; Optimus is often characterized as tremendously burned out of being the ultimate perfect heroic figure he's become to the fandom, carrying out through sheer grit and heroic spirit but keeping no hope for himself, and just coming off as so tired of the endless conflict, of seeing a former friend completely lost to his own ambition and becoming so much worse than everything he fought.

As a plot, it tends to be significantly broader in scope than the sort of stuff I see these v-tubers and reactors that I dislike really get into. I've seen people dismiss Transformers out of hand and just go 'lol how am I supposed to relate to robots even if they're gay' and its like, I see you relating to demons; that's not any more realistic than robots even if you gave them cutesy little horns or something. But that's still making it about YOU, about pretending they're actually you or something.

This isn't a series about projecting really hard onto a character and erasing their personalities so you can imagine you're the main character, this is a series ROOTED in character and bizarre tones and a surprisingly somber aspect at times. Even G1, the least serious of its interpretations, still had surprisingly brutal and gruesome deaths for a good portion of the cast, and did the unexpected; showing its robot characters as having been made by others and rose up to free themselves, and being treated as heroes for it. And then, those same creators show up later, prompting Rodimus to state: "We Transformers have seen the face of our creators... and it is the face of an enemy."

This is a series that REALLY goes all out on investment in characters, specifically. Makes me wonder if the people who dismiss it just aren't that invested in characters, or don't really get the concept of continuity specific stuff. Or that they dismiss it because they don't think sapient robots are relatable, which is a minor thing in the grand scheme of things. (Again, if you're constantly depicting your online persona as some kind of fictious creature, or a demon or something, mocking sapient robots as being worth having interest in is just splitting hairs.)

There's one episode in G1 that ends in a pyrric victory; a lake with a powerful resource is discovered, the Decepticons attack and the Autobots fight them off, but in the destruction, the entire natural area is completely obliterated, leaving a smoking ruin. The episode ends on a somber note, and nature-loving Beachcomber ends the episode looking at the ruin as he bitterly says "We won."

and in a lot of ways, that kind of feels like a summation of the series at its more somber.