#these characters are not real! there are no limits to what you can do with them!

[l0vedrvgg]

let’s play a game!

a game i used to play with my cousins when we were young and its how i shifted when i was 5.

game rules:

-you have no limits you can even shape shift and have super powers!

-let go of the outer world because once the game starts you become who you chose to be.

-choose someone to play the game with for better acting but you can still act alone.

now lets start!

choose your desire.

choose someone to play the game with (optional).

the outer world and any worries or thoughts related to the 3d don’t exist anymore once the game starts.

start the game and have fun! you are now in your desired world!!!.

end game whenever desired but make sure to have fun!.

now why does this work?

because you are now embodying your desired self and forgetting about your old self/world and you’re just letting it be

you wont care anymore about what you see because you have it now!

you accept your imagination as the real and only reality no matter what you see and the game is actually fun because you can have wtv you want with no limits

actually once you accept the game as real you will notice that your imagination will align with your desires by itself which means that the 3d will start reflecting your desires!

im gonna give you 2 examples

example-1

lets say that you want to shift to your favorite movie or series. now start the game and once it starts your house becomes your dr house, your parents? dr parents or characters, your siblings? your dr siblings or friends. remember when you were a kid and you acted like you had super powers and stuff? literally do the same thing you used to do thats how you act as if. it has always been fun and it was never like a chore.

example-2

lets say that you want a different appearance. literally talk to yourself about how you look so gorgeous and how you look exactly like you how want. every time you walk see your desired body walking, every time you look in the mirror you are actually seeing your desired face. literally when you are walking in the streets everyone is seeing you with your desired appearance and imagine all the compliments theyre thinking of if not saying.

the reason i like this is that you dont have to close your eyes and affirm or imagine as if its a chore or smth and then go back to your old story. no you have your desires now and you are actually living it and its fun because its a game! you can even include other people in it which makes it more fun. and this way doesn’t separate the 3d from the 4d which imo is much better

[hellincarnation]

A Possible Theory on Why Some Fandoms Are More Popular And Long Lasting Than Others

So i was thinking the other day, why the hell are some book/movie/game/etc fandoms lasting for 50+ years and others die in a year?

I was comparing some of my favourite fandoms, the Percy Jackson fandom and the Harry Potter fandom and what I noticed and discovered is to make a good fan base, you HAVE to create a good organisation in your story/game/movie/book etc.

What do I mean?

In Percy Jackson for example, we have our main character’s home base. Camp Half Blood. It’s developed in the background throughout the whole series, there is a companion book on the Camp itself, and the whole area is relatively fleshed out and utilised throughout the whole series. It’s described in detail, there are official maps released, people love the camp.

In Harry Potter, we have, of course, Hogwarts. It’s by far more developed than Camp Half Blood, with detailed classes, architecture, art, story, lore, founders. And our main characters spend majority of their time in the building itself. Hell, even the villains of the story used to attend Hogwarts

Why does this matter? Why does world building matter?

Aha. Here’s my hook. Fandoms stay alive as long as fans stay connected to the community. And how else to develop the strongest connection possible than fans being able to build their own original characters or ocs and imagine they’re in the story?

Human imagination is a powerful thing, as soon as they have a world (Hogwarts and Camp Half blood) to build off of, they can create their own characters and imagine more stories building off the Canon to keep their love for the universe alive.

This is why role play communities are so popular, in addition to having your original character and developing a story for them, having a community to showcase and use your character greatly increases your attachment to this community.

Once you make your fans feel like they are part of your world, it’s the strongest connection. Because by default, humans are selfish, they feel more close to something if it’s like they have involvement in it.

Characters VS World Building.

It’s the age old question, what’s more important?

Neither.

No one is more important than the other, it’s just a matter of what you’re trying to accomplish.

With focusing on world building, you almost confirmed yourself a space for your fans to imagine themselves in. And you can have a lot of fun with world building! Creating your own original words, terms and concepts. Your own take on real world events and items and applying it to your story.

However you can’t focus on both so your characters might need to be limit to 2-3 main ones, to balance out your complex and intricate world.

With focusing on characters, you build yourself loyalty based on attachment to characters. This may not yield as much original characters/fan led creation as focusing on world building, but the perks are your characters explode into main stream. Art will be drawn of them, fanfictions will be written about them, headcanons, adaptations etc. By pouring effort into your characters, you create deep and meaningful bonds with specific characters that people will remember.

Maybe 10 years down the line, your fans may not remember everything about the story, or the environment or the world you created, but they will look back one day and go “Good lord, that was an AMAZING character that I still love to this day.” And that’s amazing for you.

This is exactly the case with Harry Potter and Percy Jackson. In my opinion, Hogwarts is wildly more developed than Camp Half Blood for obvious reasons. Hogwarts is a school and CHB is a homebase. Most of the time PJO characters are on quests away form their home base but HP characters are almost always in Hogwarts.

So how do you world build?

1. Of course create your organisation, base it off maybe a real life historical organisation with your own twist.

2. Build a rich and complex backstory, with specific historical figures that contributed to the creation of your organisation.

3. Build ROLES. Build divisions and department in your organisation. Think houses in Hogwarts and cabins in Camp Half Blood. Build specific roles your fans can imagine themselves as. Prefect, Head Girl/Boy, Head Counsellor.

4. Describe describe describe. You have all this amazing lore in your arsenal, now weave and intertwine your characters with them. Make your characters attached to the organisation and want to protect it. Mix your plot and story with it, make it so your organisation MATTERS to the story.

TL;DR

World building is hella important.

Heyyy, this isn’t proofread. Reblog or like if you enjoyed it. Or don’t.

Tags: ask to be added or removed

@lovely-rants-alot @shinchansbitch @jeahreading @totally-not-castor @unhinged-as-hell @sunshinerainbowsandlollipops @zeherili-ankhein @cafffeineconnoisseur @schrodinger-ka-billa @mireyaaaaaaaaa @your-dazzling-sun @daonedaonlyskh @iamgayforyourmom1510 @the-lying-heavens @abyssmita @mentallyunstablequeen101 @debacleofdaemons

[hyperions-light]

Good riddance to that mess: Thank the Dread Wolf we’re done with the Mage-Templar conflict

(because magic in Thedas is more interesting this way)

Okay the people who love conflict have won and I am going to talk about this now lol

I've decided to stick within the framework of the world/story for this particular post, because I think you could talk about the issues with the mages/templars in connection with how they relate to real-life groups for an entire essay AT LEAST, and I want to focus on magic here, so I don't think it's that germane to the discussion. If you all want to talk about that later, I can put it on the pile.

It turns out that Jenny Nicholson was 100% right about the efficacy of numbered lists on the internet, so this essay will be hybridized into a list. Here are the reasons I'm glad the mage-templar conflict is gone and hope it never returns:

It limits storytelling avenues I understand how they arrived at this dichotomy as the logical extrapolation of a minority of people in Thedas being born with magic BUT it's very boring and it doesn't facilitate interesting stories. If you have this strict system and hierarchy that means that every mage has to live in the tower or they're a) a criminal or b) Dalish, that seriously limits the kind of characters you can make who are mages, which is dull as both a player and a writer.

Trying to make it nuanced is difficult Attempting to show that everyone has a point in a situation is difficult when one group has absolute power over the other and can kill them whenever they feel like it. Also, with the abuses the Templars regularly perpetuate against the mages established in DAO and DA2 any attempted justification reads as the story sanctioning an oppressive force. If they try to demonstrate the danger of magic, they end up with the 10,000 blood mage problem from DA2. It's a hard thing to do within the framework they set up, but they also haven't been particularly successful with it, imo, so abandoning it is a better choice.

It's the most reductive version of the conflict Reducing the entire discussion to whether magic is good or evil, whether mages should be free or confined is really boring. It's a false dichotomy that promotes extremism in characters on either side of the conflict who never interact with one another. "Is magic bad?" is a useless and uninteresting question. Who cares? What does it do?; Where did it come from?; What different ways can you use it? are all better questions.

Makes it difficult for the audience to learn more about magic If the only characters the audience ever meets are people who come from the Circle, Dalish mages, and apostates, the amount they're going to learn about different perspectives on magic and its various uses is limited. Part of the reason Jaws of Hakkon was such an interesting DLC for DAI is because the Avvar have a completely different philosophy about magic and spirits. It was refreshing after several games of having the same ideas about magic shoved down our throats to hear someone give a different perspective and ACTUALLY NEW information. Everything I needed to know about the mage-templar conflict, I already knew by the end of DAO, but I had to sit through two more entire games while people discussed it at length.

Magic in the North is fascinating Now that we're finally rid of that conflict, look how many different kinds of magic we get to see in DATV! We get to meet a Rivaini Seer, a Mortalitasi (who can use magic to TALK TO REAL DEAD PEOPLE!!!), a non-Altus mage from the Tevinter Imperium; we get to see magic as it was utilized by the ancient elves and how it interfaces with technology. We got DWARF MAGIC!! Finally, an answer to what Sandal was doing! We found out you can use it to turn yourself into a LICH!!! All of that stuff is so cool, and we had never encountered it before this game! It brings up so many new questions about the nature of the Fade, the source of magic itself, the strength of magic in Thedas relative to other places in the world. And NONE of it could be discussed in the South because they are too busy arguing about fucking towers!!!

tl;dr: The mage-templar conflict was a boring and reductive lens through which to view magic in the DA universe, I'm glad it's gone, I hope they continue what they started in DATV and explore different ways magic can be used in the future.

[meatball-headache]

Do I, though?

Oh. I can't wear it. What a surprise.

Hang on, let me check something real quick...

It's been more than five years and SE still can't figure out how to put hats on Viera. Not only that, but it's been five years and they're still making new hats that Viera can't wear. What is this? Laziness? Incompetence? Or is it just too technically difficult to make a hat that Viera can wea—

Oh, okay. Well, the Light-heavy hood I can at least wear, even though it deletes my ears. I guess there's some deep, inherent conflict that makes it impossible to have ears and a hat at the same ti—

Oh! Well, would you look at that. It's the Bozjan Hood of Fending, a hat that not only can Viera wear, but it has ears! So, clearly there's no technical limitation, it can be done. So why don't they?

Why fucking don't you, Yoshi?

This steams my onion on the daily. Viera have been out for five years and they still can't be bothered to make compatible hats for them. It's just laziness, because it's not like it's impossible, it's not like they can't figure it out, there are hats in-game that support ears! And, even better—there are mods that do it for ALL hats!

Yeah, two seconds on Google and I found like four mods that fixes ALL hats for Viera and Hrothgar. Something so impossible and technically challenging that SE hasn't been able to figure out how to do it in five years. The first versions of the mods were around 2021, two years after the races came out—so fans, who do this stuff in their free time, were able to figure out how to do it in two years, while SE, who's in the Guinness Book of World Records for the longest video game credits, can't hire a full-time staffer to take care of it in five years?

What's really unacceptable, however, is when they add new real-money outfits that come with hats that Viera can't wear. They make a brand new outfit, charge real money for it, and then have the absolute gall to say "Oh yeah, it doesn't display for you. Fantasia is only $10 though!"

(I also think every game should let you remodel your character completely for free whenever you want. But, since people want that, they monetize it, so the shareholders will be pleased. But that's another discussion.)

I'd get the mod, but I don't use any mods, and I kinda like being "pure," judge me however you want—but, no one else would see me the way I see me, so it's half pointless. I'd create a cool character and they'd see something half complete... it bothers me enough wondering what people think about me when I at least know my portrait looks the same. But every day I lean closer to saying, fuck it, I paid for this game, it's mine to do with as I please.

Is there a mod that changes emotes? I always wanted the Shiva one :p

</rant>

[another-day]

the last episode in review for inanimate insanity EVER!!!!

as always, SPOILERS FOR EPISODE 18 OF INANIMATE INSANITY SEASON TWO!!!!!

holy shmowzow

this was a fantastic episode, such a fun and satisfying way to end everything off yknow

let’s get into it!!!!

this first segment was heartbreaking.

seeing mephone reflect on everything he’s done and seeing the consequences of his actions was such an incredibly crafted sequence. his disassociation, his distance from what’s happening, it really shows how traumatic all this is for him. mephone has lost everyone he has ever loved, and he’s stuck with a man who has done nothing but demean and hurt him. he feels hopeless, and the song in this segment also gorgeously captures that.

his slow walk to the cliff edge, looking over everything he’s lost, only for cobs to pull him away? amazing, mephone’s not really there because there’s nothing to be there for, and cobs is trying to pull him back into reality.

this idea of like a cloud in mephone after everyone was deleted was so interesting, like i get it was forshadowed and all but its so cool that its so non-linear too

anyway, BOX?? i’ll be real, i was always a box hater, and i’m glad to know that alive box is too. she’s actually such a cool character though and i totally love her. her and suitcase both having experiences with drowning was so interesting too, like okay i see you brown retangular characters who were somewhat meek but grew from that and also have had bad experienced with water.

also, ahem ahem, new suitcase ship?

also, just because i understand that tumblr has a photo limit, seeing mephone stand up to cobs by warning the prime shimmer was wonderful. he’s finally taking action to amend what he’d done. granted, it didn’t really work out, but what matters is that he tried right?

i am so glad they canonically met

they’re two characters that have grown from their anger filled behaviour and (ultimately) end up making a sacrifice for the people they love. they’re also just violent idiots at some points, and i think that’s really great for them.

also, KNICKLE CRUMBS, 4s comforting knife after he expresses his upsetness about pickle ough my heart.

now all of the hug scenes were very cute but WHAT.

this felt like a 35 minute payjay makeout scene because i was not expecting this. salt’s total freakout was hilarious too, alongside pepper’s awkward congratulations, though i can tell salt will NOT be coping well with the realisation of the guy she’s pining over being gay.

also, i’m not adding the photo for this one, but the starfruit and guava drama went crazy i loved it

WAAAAAH

this was an incredible scene for mepad, because it really emphasises his core values. its clear that he adores the contestants, his actions since he’s arrived have made that very clear. but he’s also incredibly selfless, you have to be to make a sacrifice like that. he’s always seen potential in every character, and i think people forget that sometimes. he dislikes mephone because mephone doesn’t acknowledge the contestants’ efforts, and that he withholds information from them for his own benefit. he’s just such an incredible character

also, i’m honestly not all that surprised that the genocidal business ceo pulled out a branded knife to stab his creation, thats all i wanted to say.

this is such a pivotal moment for knife.

it’s representative of his atonement for what he’s done wrong as a whole. he sacrificed his safety for someone who despised him due to what heMd done in the past. he was the type not to tolerate these kinds of people, and its just wonderful seeing him overcome such things and move forth yknow

this was hilarious actually, also offering it up to mephone was insane

knickle crumbs,,,,,,,,, i love them so much

also knife becoming a ghost was hilarious to me because i’m currently writing a fic about PICKLE being a ghost but oh well new au i guess??

DO YOU SEE THESE LOOKS OK like you’re in love with him little buddy

also taco being petty about pickle’s forgiveness for mephone shows that she still has a really long way to go in terms of genuinely apologising, and i really hope she gets there eventually yknow

this was overall a really sweet ending for a fantastic show, and i am so happy it ended the way it did. sure it was a little silly at points, but inanimate insanity always has been. a bug musical number featuring all the songs from episodes past just felt like the perfect way to finish up a show like this.

as someone who’s been watching this show since 2015, this ending meant a lot to me, because its an ending to a big part of my life as well (to a degree, i will not be ceasing posting). and i feel like this episode beautifully shows that yes the future’s unpredictable and unknown, but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t keep going anyway. build your own future yknow!!

but yeah, this was fantastic, and words cannot express how grateful i am for inanimate insanity as a whole. thank you animation epic, for everything.

[shutyourfacemonsterlover]

Overall thoughts and opinions on the most famous Phantom adaptations / most famous Eriks

Because these things are fun, i thought maybe it could be interesting for me to reunite my overall thoughts on the most popular adaptations, because everybody has opinions on them (and maybe my takes are super cold and vanilla). Still, it's fun!

I'm also gonna go with the most popular because there are like a million Phantom adaptations and I don't have the energy to rank them all. (i'm also mostly doing the ones that are series / shows / musicals- the books i would pretty much mostly mention the Leroux OG and Kay, and i'm already going somewhere with the second one). (Forgive me all Ken Hill / Song at Midnight / MazM fans)

-The 1925 silent film with Lon Chaney: I'm really biased, but I admit this is my favorite Phantom adaptation, even if i know as a film it's rather limited by the constraints of the era (bad acting, slow pacing, the weird whitewashing of the Persian etc etc). It downplays the tragic romantic elements of the story (Christine is very one-dimensional and seems more afraid of Erik than empathetic), and Erik is written a little too "generic evil villain", but there are elements to suggest that there's more to Erik than meets the eye, and why he's an engaging figure in the first place. Yeah, like most, i hate the ending, but it's saved by overall faithfulness to the novel (he's born deformed! he has a death's head! he has a life of tragedy! he loves Christine! you can't imagine the number of adaptations that don't get these simple things RIGHT), and the subtle moments Chaney adds to make his Erik more three dimensional (the moment in the Apollo's Lyre scene where he holds his mouth in pain lives in my head rent free) It has my favorite movie Erik, and that's all that matters to me. <3 8/10

-The 1943 film with Claude Rains: I always call this film "missed potential". It looks beautiful, it sounds beautiful, it has good quotes, I like the film delving more into Christine's character; but the Abbott and Costello comedy of the two Raouls is out of place, and the writing of Erique is kinda of a mess (and considering he's the most important character in POTO...YEAH a good adaptation depends a lot on his writing). You don't really understand what is his connection with Christine, and how his initial sympathetic scenes kinda clash with his more violent streak (he gets thrown acid in the first place because he kills a man pre-Phantom); making the character come off as a little inconsistent and not as sympathetic as he should be. This movie also started the "disfigured in an accident, no Persian" versions of Phantom that I feel kinda cheapen the story later on (a lifetime of tragedy is what shaped Erik, not "one bad day"). A real shame, because Rains carries an elegance to Erik that I think helps with the imagery of the character (a monster trying so much to be "human"). Hmm...6.5/10

-The 1962 with Herbert Lom. This one also changes a bit, and normally i'd be bitching and moaning about it, but i prefer the changes here to the Claude Rains version since they're more consistent in portraying Erik's character. You feel for his music being stolen, and want to see this artist have such a simple dream as seeing his creation come true. People don't like it erases his obsession with Christine, but i think here it works, since you can believe his passion for his art is what drives him. (Also, i think this movie is what started the trend of Phantom adaptations having another villain, which is something explored better in Phantom of the Paradise). It doesn't look as nice as the Claude Rains film, tho, and something in the acting stops it from going the most. 6/10

-Phantom of the Paradise: A BLAST. It changes a lot about the source material, but considering even the setting is different, everything works to its advantage. Winslow is the first Phantom that really delves well into the "tragic monster" element of the character, with even his violent tendencies being a consistent trait from the start of the story (he attacks Philbin for making an inoffensive comment about the Juicy Fruits). The imagery is distinctive, Swan is a very compelling villain, and the songs are fantastic. Winslow's sacrifice, like Lindsay Ellis said, is simply a progression from his acts in the novel (yes, I believe Erik would sacrifice himself to guarantee Christine's safety, post development). What only sucks is that I don't feel you buy Winslow's passion for Christine / Phoenix, and she comes off as inconsistent in her ambition and not as empathetic (still, she sings very nicely and I love that the actress resembles Mary Philbin (1925 Christine) at times). Also while the Faustian elements add to the movie, i'm not sure how they can relate to Erik's' character in general (not to mention the Dorian Gray element). Also the pacing in the last 10 minutes is rushed and kinda sucks. But still...As a movie? It's my favorite. 9/10

-The Maximilliam Schell 1983 made for TV film: My least favorite, and it all has to do with how slow and dull the pacing is, you just don't get the sense of dread or tragedy. The reincarnated wife subplot is really random, and it makes Sandor pathetic and delusional instead of empathetic and tragic. And i'll take bad over boring any day of the week. 2/10

-ALW's musical (add here the 25th version too): Oh ho ho, the one piece of media that got us all into Phantom I think. It's a big, bombastic musical, and you can see the appeal. While i don't like some characters are turned more one-dimensional (Raoul, Christine); I do like how it pushes forward Erik's trauma, and how it has broken him; he's not a good man, no, but not a monster, either. And this idea that abuse victims can turn cruel as well...But, you know, they still deserve love. Perhaps they always did! And the focus on the romance which puritans complain about...Boy you will not be ready to hear me when i tell you the original novel implies Christine is indeed into both Raoul and Erik, for different reasons lol. I dont like the omission of the Persian, but I like that this cements that again, Erik wasn't a rando who one day snapped, it was a life of tragedy that turned him into what he is....We can dislike it, we can like it, but we can admit it has influenced our perception of the story in more ways than one. 8/10.

-The 1988 cartoon: The most faithful adaptation of the novel is also the cheapest movie of the bunch. Whew lads...Tho I do like Erik's character. He's got the redemption, the deformity, the sense of humor (when i read Erik i often headcanon him having this Erik's voice). I also like Christine, she's not written as a bland damsel, she shows a bit of an attitude. And hey, rare Persian appearance! I even like the ending, with the cast showing compassion towards Erik's misfortune. It's just that the technical limitations of the movie avoid the film from reaching high status. 6.5/10

-1989 with Robert Englund: An unpopular opinion, but I love this film. It's strange in that it's both very faithful to the novel, adapting the gothic horror of the elements, but it changes way too much Erik's character (the crux of the story) into somebody who isn't really tragic or sympathetic. A musician who sells his soul to the devil (an element it took from Phantom of the Paradise...I have the theory that Phantom adaptations take elements from each other more than from the novel) and gains immortality...and kills people for no reason??? Normally, in another adaptation, I would dislike a lot this change, but Englund's interpretation turns the character into more layers than simply a psychopathic asshole. He gets the "allure" and horror of Erik, which is a big part of the character. I feel with a more book accurate backstory, and impulse more the angle of "doomed dark lover" with Christine (yes his love is also...downplayed), this would easily be one of the more popular Eriks. Yeah it steals a lot from Nightmare on Elm Street, but there's an interesting movie in here, amidst the music and the beautiful cinematography...8/10.

-The 1990 miniseries with Charles Dance: Cherik! The phandom darling! This one is strange since i feel it diverges from the novel as much as the Robert Englund version, yet it's one of the most beloved adaptations. It offers an interesting interpretation of Erik, he's not as cruel, but the movie delves more into the aspect of him being a doomed romantic lover. He's not as manipulative to his Christine (i'd argue this is one version of the story where they should've gotten together imo), and has a gentler approach to life. The series takes the element of the book of him having arrested development and runs with it. Still tho, the gentler approach kinda cuts the tragedy of the character; what with loving parents and all being something Erik DIDNT have growing up. The appearance of the father is what dulls the film, and makes Erik come off as more dependent and childish. Still, Charles Dance gives his Erik a quiet dignity, that avoids the character falling into a manchild interpretation. 7/10 (not bad, just that i like my Eriks more lonely and threatening)

-The 1998 film of Dario Argento: Y'all owe Gerard Butler an apology, lol. This is the ONE truly shit adaptation of Phantom, lol. It feels like a fever dream. It's more gross than scary, it's not tragic, it's not romantic, Erik is not in any way sympathetic or complex or alluring...Like the fuck lol. 3/10 (and that 3 is because it makes me laugh...)

-Wishbone "Pantin' at the Opera" episode: Eh, "Phantom for kids", not a interpretation of the story I like, but it's accurate to the novel, which makes it stand out. And it gives Erik a rare happy ending! Tho, as expected since it's for kids, it downplays a lot of the more complex themes. Still...gotta praise the accuracy. 5/10

-2004 with Gerard Butler: I don't think it's as bad as the phandom made it out for years. It could be better, but i think the technical details and the bad makeup are what drag the film down, since it doesn't diverge massively from the story or themes (except the weird grooming thing...ew). This Erik is interesting in that much like Cherik, he grew up inside the Opera House, and it's an unique view of the character, that he's got arrested development due to never leaving his own "house" growing up (a bit of a plot hole then how he learned magic, engineering, architecture, etc etc, but eeeeh). He's also more vulnerable and emotional compared to the stage counterpart, who seems more self assured and angry. It's not horrible, just average, and could be better. 6.5/10

-The cartoon episode of the Triplets with Phantom (aired in the 2000s-something): Phantom for kids again. it's not an interpretation of the story in general that i like (too fluffy for my liking), but this episode gets the points of the story; Christine's complex feelings and Erik's redemption, while still keeping his initial wickedness (he even gets a sorta happy ending! my boy!). also it's funny at times, so there's that. 6/10

-Love Never Dies: This is...frustrating. I'm of the unpopular opinion that a sequel focused on Erik can work, but I feel his story with Christine is over, and dragging it back again just places the characters in square one, their development null. As an original story, it can be a potential good drama, but with these established characters, a lot of the emotions feel forced and manufactured. 5/10

So overall...My favorite versions of Erik and the story are...the musical and Chaney? And Paradise and Robert Englund for the wild out there versions. But there's always something missing, i can't always point to one and go "THAT is the definitive Erik". Erik is a very complex character, made of light and shadows, and the movies never reflect that.

I don't think most of these movies are good, we like them because they're Phantom content, but still, it's interesting to observe how this story has changed reflecting the interests of society at the time being. Before, we wanted this cruel monster punished...Then we turned him into an 80s slasher...And now in the monster fucker era we see him as a potential romantic lead...Huh.

[avatarcompanion]

That's how it will end when one side stays entitled about their side in an argument, even decades after the subject of discourse has been definitively concluded.

Overanalyzing the show and convincing themselves their case is more righteous is all they have left at this point.

If you ship a canon ship, you do not need to justify it or overanalyze for justifications, because canon is gonna deliver by itself. If you ship a fanon ship where you don't need to argue it should have been canon, you can just read fanfiction and otherwise not care.

These Zutara shippers aren't just shipping Zutara, they are still wanting to be upset about Zutara not being canon, and overall, convince themselves Zutara in some abstract sense 'is' canon because it belongs to a higher, more accurate version of the show that never materialized, but is still somehow the version that is the true version of the story.

That's why Kataang can be demolished and critically construed with concrete arguments, as it is a lower, flawed version, limited by the characterizations and dynamics of the show's actual writing, whereas Zutara can always be referenced from this higher abstract plane of existence, where the show was flawlessly executed "as it should have been" with only convenient basis in the actual material in the show - those being the carefully selected scenes that somehow do belong in the "real" version they idealize.

This makes it impossible actually critique Zutara on the same material basis that Kataang can be picked apart - if Aang did this or that thing they didn't like, or the writing for Kataang was done with this flaw or that flaw, then it can be use "against" Kataang, basically solidifying for them why it should not have happened, because any critique of Kataang, or maiko, in this case always means it's why it should not have happened - not why it should have been done differently or better.

Any perceived writing flaw is an offense that could never have been improved within the actual story, but a violation on the integrity of the character, that their ideal version liberates the characters from. Whereas that argument can never be turned around on something that only exist as an abstract, as though Zutara would not have any potential flaws if it had actually been written into the show.

That is why Katara choosing to kiss Aang in the end will be perceived as a violation of her character: it's something she inherently could not consent to or desire, whereas they will make memes about Aang's entitled somehow preventing the higher abstract trajectory of Zutara happening, with the implication that Katara in a true sense did inherently consent to that (or should have? Reverse entitlement...). When in the actual show, Katara has objectively shown consensual romantic interest in Aang on multiple instances, whereas she has shown zero interest in "consenting" to romantic interactions with Zuko, ever, yet somehow Kataang is inherently a violation on consent, whereas Zutara is a liberation from that.

What's the "best" case for them? That somehow it could be objectively defined that they are "right" (and that will never be objectively defined). That 'objectively' Aang was written as a nice-guy self insert and maiko is toxic because Mai is still pro-Ozai, and Zutara made more narrative sense and would have 'liberated' Katara's character into having an independent arc (as if she doesn't already) - that's what most arguments these days boil down to.

Well, even then? Even if we accept their premise than their imaginary version of their ship as envisioned it is somehow more woke than a 20 year old cartoon romance, then what?

Literally nothing will ever happen, because not only has the original cartoon been definitely concluded with the 'endgame romance' of the story, but countless comic books, sequel series, upcoming movies, etc have been released, confirming that Aang and Katara got married and had kids together, with Katara still mourning him decades after his death, while Mai and Zuko have a turbulent will-they-won't-they tension arc spanning several comics staying in love with each other even after breaking up, implying they end up together in the end.

The story is done. It has been told. Whether you think it is flawed, or wrong, it is still the story. They are not going to go back and rewrite it no matter how fans would want it.

Zutara will never happen, even if someone online were to agree that it "should" have.

All it would accomplish is a desire to whine over an entitlement complex even harder.

All they have is fanfiction anyway.

The same could be said about some Makorra shippers who still want to whine about Korrasami being "badly" written, while Makorra was a literary gift as an interesting dynamic relationship and therefore "should" have happened instead.

When you argue from this position, probably you are wrong, but even if you are right about it, it will not change a single thing anyway.

Basically, it's the inability to just say "I preferred another outcome, because it's what I personally wanted to happen for x reasons, but that didn't happen so now I can only explore my own version of the story in fanfiction etc" and then just roll with that.

One starkly revealing trait about the few remaining Zutara shippers is their complete inability to recognize how little their obsession translates. More often than not you see them assuming that everyone is as rabidly committed to a fictional relationship as them, especially when talking about “the opposition.”

So you get instances where they’re strawmanning the hell out of an argument with Kataang shippers because they assume that people who enjoy Kataang have spent countless hours trying to dissect every little detail and spin it into a self-affirming narrative. Most Kataang shippers, from my experience, fall into the “I just think they’re neat” or “I enjoy the show and thus enjoy them together” camps. Insinuating that you have some “gotcha” moments by over-analyzing and misinterpreting something speculatively on their behalf, then using your own shaky analysis and misinterpretations to “prove them wrong” doesn’t do anything. It just makes you look creepy, obsessive, and overly concerned with a cartoon that ultimately does not matter.

Sometimes I feel like the dedication is less now to actually enjoying a ship despite its lack of canon content, and more the enjoyment of wallowing in hatred for anyone or anything that promotes canon. The assumption that others are that emotionally attached to defending the honor of what they enjoy, especially in terms of a fictional character relationship, is hilariously off base.

[silusvesuius]

nnnnnnnnnnnnno maa'am

[caligvlasaqvarivm]

wanna ask how you feel about the eridan bpd headcanon/theory(?? not sure what to call it!) you're so good at your character analysis and i'd love to see your outlook on it

Since I don't have a degree or any formal training in psychology, I feel deeply uncomfortable diagnosing characters. I've made an autism joke before but only because I'm on the spectrum. He's definitely traumatized and anxious, but I mean those as descriptors of his behavior rather than capital-D Diagnoses. I try to focus on those when I can - the cause and effect of cognition, self-image, and behavior - and those factors may very well match up with DSM criteria, but I try not to touch an actual diagnosis with a ten foot pole unless the author has explicitly stated that X character has Y condition.

[unsurebazookacore]

hot take, mike and el arent in love, because they are fourteen

well i guess mike is fifteen but still like as someone who has been fourteen/fifteen

GUESS WHO I WAS NOT DATING:

A. THE LOVE OF MY LIFE

B. MY FUTURE SIGNIFICANT OTHER

C. ANYONE WHO I WOULD BE ABLE TO SAY "I LOVE YOU" TO AND ACTUALLY FUCKING MEAN IT

D. ALL OF THE ABOVE (the answer is D by the way)

LIKE Y'ALL THEY ARE FOURTEEN

THEY MET WHEN THEY WERE TWELVE

"I knew right then and there in that moment that I loved you" MY ASS

[kingarmorking]

[mintedwitcher]

Im being so entirely deadset serious when I say this: do yall really think monoshipping is the Only Way? Have you not experienced the sheer joy of taking your blorbo and putting them with literally anyone, like a kid mashing their barbie dolls together? Hello? I'm calling into the void here can anyone hear me?

[thatonefreemanversefic]

I LOVE TYJIS FIC SO MUCH SO MUCH SO MUCH!!! PLEAS TAKE ALL THE TIME YOU NEED!! I WAHT IT!!

aaaaahhh anyway i sadly. sadly do want to ask how much Benrey is planned. Will it just be mentions? will he show up? ILL LOVR OT ANYWSY!!okybye

I'M SORRY I'M SO LATE TO ANSWERING THIS TOO!! BUT ALSO THANK YOU SO MUCH!!!! I LOVE THIS FIC TOO AND I REALLY WANNA FINISH IT!!! I HAVE SO MANY PLANS!! SO MANY IDEAS!!

Speaking off...

So glad you've asked, dear anon!! I too am a Benrey fan, though I can't say I even come close to rivaling Sapph (the beta reader, in case you don't know) and their love for that silly little guy. Sorry why does this sound like a villain monologue?

To actually answer your question, in as vague terms as possible so as to not spoil: There will in fact be more than just mentions >:) The main 4 (OG, Mind, Martini, and Gorgeous) will get AT LEAST ONE silly from their universe each to play a much more major role than just being like, a background easter egg mentioned to get you guys excited. I am a big fan of stories with huge casts and I feel like this will either shine through very well for this fic or just make the plot get progressively more confusing, but I'm having fun and hopefully you're having fun so who cares honestly?

[skeletalheartattack]

Do you have a bluesky?

i do not, no.

[inkykeiji]

(ー_ーゞ