#they have depth and flaws that are relateable and realistic. even if you don't like a character's actions they're internally consistent

[cathodic-clairvoyant]

There's a lot about discussion of hdwr that baffles me (not all discussion to be clear, because i do think there's a lot of good discussion about hdwr. But equally so are there the ones that make you wonder if you're reading the same story) and I think one that is especially annoying is the constant infantilization of miwa as this passive eternal victim. It drives me up a wall because this is quite literally an issue she's struggled with within the text of the story! She had an arc about how she dislikes how people treat her this way like towards the beginning of the story! And like even ignoring that, this story is about like nuanced and realistic portrayals of being in relationships and learning how to navigate them and so it's like what's the point if you're going to immediately reduce the characters to "the victim" and "the victimizers?" Is that even interesting? Is that a useful lens to look at interpersonal relationships?

[randomgirlyoudontknow]

No one will probably read this, but as a long-time fan of ATLA (as in, I literally watched the show as it aired in 2005-2008), I wanted to share my thoughts on the live action. Let it be known that I am far from an ATLA purist––the original certainly had its own flaws and aspects that didn't age well, in retrospect. Despite the generally negative reviews I've seen from the fandom, I was actually very satisfied with this adaptation! But I’ve seen people saying that the characters were butchered, that it’s a soulless and superficial reproduction, and those who liked the live action aren’t capable of thinking/watching critically, which I wanted to push back against (I mean, I’m working on a doctorate in literature…I am quite literally incapable of watching anything uncritically).

The shift in tone to a darker, more mature one was a positive change, imo. It is definitely a much angrier show than the original, even if some of the characters were not as fiery as they should have been (*cough* Katara *cough*). Overall, while there were certainly decisions made that I didn't agree with (mainly related to pacing and narrative), I thought the cast and crew really captured the spirit of the original, and even added depth and nuance to parts I felt were initially lacking.

In general, I really appreciated the added emphasis on the cost and suffering of war and imperialism, as well as the depiction of the physical effects of bending. Now, I realize this is largely a matter of personal preference––for example, I'm very interested in depictions of war in fiction (I mean, my dissertation partially covers the impact of WWI on avant-garde art & literature, so...). But I've seen several claims that the live action glorifies war and violence in a way that is meant to traumatize the viewer, and I simply don't think that's true? While the original handled war, genocide, trauma, etc. in a phenomenal way for a kid's show in the early 2000s, it was also still sanitized when it comes to death and injury, to an extent that I feel like we, the viewers, almost lose sight of the fact that bending KILLS. Sure, we were exposed to its after effects, like the death of Katara and Sokka's mother or Zuko's scar, but there's something to be said actually seeing and acknowledging the very palpable danger that something like firebending presents.

I've even seen someone say that the show's depiction of "gratuitous violence" constitutes a "profound misunderstanding" of the source text, which I think is frankly a bad faith take. The death and violence, though more realistic, is still not a major focus of the show, nor is it glorified in any way. A glorification of violence would look like indiscriminate killing and maiming for the sake of edginess (looking at you GOT). We would see graphic depictions of death and injuries, which simply does not happen in this show (they even joke about the fact that we never see anyone die in Ember Island Players). War and fighting are still treated with the same depth and gravity as the original, only this time, the severity of its consequences isn't obscured from the viewer.

I also thought the show's handling of trauma (especially Katara's) was excellent. The choice to have Katara's mom's death revealed in flashbacks (specifically when around firebending) was something that really stood out to me. And the new characterization of Bumi, which I realize was quite unpopular, was another change I quite appreciated. His bitterness and cynicism seemed more in-line with someone who had endured 100 years of war and the suffering of his people at the hands of a brutal imperial force. Lastly, I was pleased to see the narrative attempt to address the role Iroh played in the Siege of Ba Sing Se (something that was absolutely missing from the original). The Earth Kingdom soldier confronting him and calling him a butcher was a powerful moment, for me. I truly hope the show continues to dive into this aspect of his character in future seasons.

Speaking of characters, I loved that we got extra background and insight into several of the characters. Zhao, for example, was unexpectedly quite funny, and his actor really did a phenomenal job of fleshing him out and making him feel like a real person (as slimy and smarmy as he was) rather than a stock, cartoon villain. And I have to give kudos to the actors who played Sokka and Zuko––they both did an incredible job of embodying their respective characters, in a way that felt highly reminiscent of the original. In particular, I thought the handling of Zuko's backstory was truly outstanding––perhaps even better than the original.

All in all, I felt the live action did a really nice job of balancing the darker sides with the light. While I've seen fans complaining that the show doesn't have the same goofiness and lightheartedness, I actually thought the humor worked really well––it was one of the few times I felt the overly ironic, Joss Whedonesque one-liners actually fit. Sure, the humor was a lot drier and more toned down than the original, but I nonetheless thought it carried the show's spirit well (loved that they let Sokka say “ass” not once, but twice). There were moments when I genuinely laughed out loud! I also appreciated how, despite the more mature tone, hope, friendship, and harmony still remained the most important aspect at the end of each episode.

There's a lot of room for improvement, but I was overall very satisfied with the live action, and I'm very glad that the series has been renewed. I'm very excited to see what the cast and crew does with the rest of the show!

[2soulscollide]

Hi! How can I write about a character who struggles to accept himself? Any tips?

hello hello!

writing about a character who struggles to accept themself is a great way to make a story relatable since lots of people go through it and it can even help the reader not feel alone in their own struggles.

in order to make them relatable and realistic, you should build a strong backstory:

what don't they accept about themselves?

why do they believe it? what are their limiting beliefs?

since when do they struggle with it?

how do they talk to themselves?

how was their childhood?

who raised them?

where do they live?

while building their profile, you should define their characteristics such as flaws, vulnerabilities, fears, weaknesses, etc. this is fundamental to understanding why the character struggles to accept themself.

another important thing is their role in the story. are they the main character and their struggle in the main plot? this will help you as a writer to figure out the amount of importance and depth to give to this struggle.

if it is a major part of the plot, you might want to connect it to their end goal, and create a character arc:

what is their main goal?

do they ever overcome their struggles?

if so, how?

did someone help them?

on an end note, i'd also like to remember to use common language and avoid using technical terms, unless it's really needed. people will feel more "at home" with relatable language!

well, i hope this was helpful!

i think you might also be interested in my free workbook, which has a whole section dedicated to character building. you can download it on my gumroad shop! it has over 400 downloads and I've been receiving good feedback from other writers <3

have a nice day!! :D

[namtanlovesfilm]

Wanted to start this by saying that I usually agree with your opinions (or even when I don't, I can at least see where you're coming from) but that's not the case when it comes to your opinion on Only Friends because I completely disagree and just wanted to add my two cents. You said that it wasn't relatable to the queer community but I'm sorry, the queer community isn't a monolith, there isn't one universal way that every single queer friendship group functions. Just because it wasn't relatable to your experience, it doesn't mean that it wasn't relatable to many other queer people's experiences. For example, one of my friend groups consists of gay men and the stories they've told me (and some of which I witnessed with myself)? Not that far off from OF (aka everyone getting with everyone, behind people's backs as well, and most of them are still on friendly terms now). It's perfectly fine that you didn't personally relate but you can't say no queer person/community did.

I also saw depth to a lot of characters and I could relate to several of them in different ways and everything in the finale made sense to me for those characters. For me it achieved what it set out to do: entertain, while also make me connect/care about some of the characters. It didn't do that for everyone (you included) but please don't claim it's a "bad show" as a general statement just because you didn't get anything out of it because a lot of people did. (My friend who struggles with depression and is currently going through a depressive slump found comfort in seeing Ray progress to a point where he's much happier at the end of the series because it gives her hope that she can get to that point soon too.)

Is Only Friends a brilliant, amazing, showstopping, incredible show? No. But it's not bad, far from it. It certainly has its flaws but the sudden hate it's getting is not warranted imo.

hi, first of all, it's fine to disagree lol, though it's always a bit jarring to me when people feel the need to let me know they disagree with me bc clearly we simply have a different taste & opinion. when I share my opinion about a show, I do it on my blog but never go on others' blogs to either defend a show I liked or trash a show I didn't like, but anyways. I have NEVER, EVER said that the queer community is a monolith & that all queer representation needs to be relatable to ME. in fact, a lot of my favorite queer media are HIGHLY UN-relatable to me lol. I never implied that only friends' flaws comes from it being unrelatable or unrealistic? in fact I believe it to be realistic since it's made by queer men & has recurring topics that p'jojo especially has used in previous shows of his, especially since the story of only friends is inspired by real-life events. in fact I said that I WISH they'd have leaned into the queer community aspect of it even more bc it was the one point in which this show differentiates itself from friend zone, so yeah. don't really know where you got that notion from. secondly, like it or not, I can claim any shows I've watched are bad in my opinion. once again, media is subjective & I did not like only friends so for me it IS a bad show. is it the worst? no. did I HATE it? no. did I have a good time in front of it? also no. also from a writing standpoint I'm sorry it IS objectively bad and FAILED at what it set out to do, especially considering the show itself doesn't seem to know what it set out to do in the first place. moreover, sudden hate? I've been criticizing only friends since it started airing lol, I'm not jumping on any bandwagon, and in fact it's more so the fandom that's catching up to the fact that this show is not very good. now, I'm genuinely glad that this show helped you & your friend and that you liked it! that's great, of COURSE this show is gonna have its fans, and in fact it has a lot of them! however it seems to me as if you've taken my (justified) criticism of the show to heart for a reason that only you fully know, and I hope you can investigate why that is. I truly value you as a long time follower of mine & I hope you can agree to disagree with me on that one even though I must admit this ask seems a bit jarring & personal to me. wish you all the best :)

xxx

[alphinias]

That bridgerton sneak peak had some good chemistry they might make me tune in idk, I usually agree with you on most things ship related but I have a problem with this specific ship, Colin is the least interesting of the siblings so far but that's okay I didn't care for anthony either before his season, my bigger problem is Penelope, I think they tried to go for the drama and the twists too much and made her seem kind of awful? They're trying to pretend racism doesn't exist in that era but the way she outed Marina in s1 ( who was not doing a good thing at all but I don't she had much of a choice given her other option was abject poverty) and the way she talks about her friends in her column and outs everyone's shit, things that have really serious consequences on people's lives. The writers literally called her a villain which???? They're doing something I feel a lot of shows have a problem with lately, trying to girlboss women doing shitty things, same with their brand of white feminism for Eloise who spends all her scenes lamenting her fate and being "quirky" with no actual depth or confronting her privilege or trying to help other women or really anything at all, all she does is talk like a "not like other girls" girlie circa Tumblr 2012 and they're thinking omg we're being such feminists right now 🤣😅🤣

Girllll you better tune in anyway so we can get more seasons and other ships you might like better! PRESERVE OUR LIMITED ROMANCE GENRE.

In all seriousness, I totally get where you’re coming from! I personally love polin and I’m very excited for them, but I don’t think the writing has always been the best. Obviously a lot of polin fans don’t agree with me, but I still think this season not being Benedict’s is so strange and a mistake. The general audience adores him and I think both Colin and Penelope could’ve done with another season of personal growth (and slow burn) to help them win over the rest of the audience more. I like Colin and I think he’s actually really funny when they give him a chance, but he’s done nothing to scream leading man like Benedict has yet. I guess S3 will tell us how much is on the writing so far vs Luke Newton. I want him to be so amazing, but I get the doubts because I still have some nerves about it too. I think the sneak peek looked great and is a great start so I’m gonna go in with optimism and positive thoughts!

Gotta defend Eloise because I think her thinking she’s ranting and valid but actually being more out of touch than she realizes is mostly purposeful! I like that as a character flaw and I think it’s realistic for someone in her position. Or maybe I just love Eloise lol. Penelope is a bit of a more… complex case. I see why people hate her, although I personally mostly like her even though I think she sucks for what she did to the Bridgertons. She’s just treated so polarizing one way or the other by the fandom and the producers are obsessed with her and I think that’s part of the problem.

I have doubts any of the Bridgerton ships will beat kathony for me but overall this fandom is so weird! I don’t get the ship wars amongst the ships because they are all canon and they’re all meant to have their spotlight and be enjoyed. I don’t mean you anon when I say this btw, I mean more the hardcore Bridgerton fandom. It’s why I don’t engage with them a lot lol. I just want to enjoy a cute ship every season.

[antiyourwokehomophobia2]

Jk didnt really write idealized characters. She wanted them to be more real. That's why Ron is racist (against giants, house elves etc) but he's still a main character and we see him coming into conflict over his racism and learning to challenge it himself throughout the books.

Jk putting age gaps in her characters relationships is also realistic. A lot of very smart girls pursue and are pursued by older men. TONS of men go after younger (and yes even underaged) women and girls. With the exception of bill and Fleur, all the relationships either fail (Krum/Hermione) or are at least criticised in the text (Tonks/Lupin). Hermione ends up with someone exactly her age, and Harry and Ginny only have a year difference.

Notably, it is much less common for girls/young women to date younger boys, so your anecdote about the girls finding a 16 year old doesn't really relate to the examples in JKs books. She doesn't have any older women dating younger boys and in fact when a fifth year asks out Harry in book 3, he's mortified. Jk is aware of the pattern of males seeking younger females and she's aware the opposite isn't nearly as common or normalized in western culture.

Tldr; she writes fully fleshed out characters, not perfect, idealized progressive archetypes that lack depth or growth.

I don't really know how to feel about this anon.

Like. I think if JKR really wanted to criticize this age gap thing, she'd have killed the men and kept the women alive. None of these relationships even end because of the gap lmao. Hermione and Krum end because of distance. Remus and Tonks straight up die in a war. I feel like their deaths/endings have literally nothing to do with age at all.

Also, Remus is very much so supposed to be a hero. It's weird that he'd be given attraction to a woman much younger than him, imo. That's not the trait of a hero. You can make someone flawed without making them have weird feelings towards someone much younger than them.

I just feel like it's weird that JKR has so many age gaps in her work lmao. It doesn't feel like it's supposed to be a commentary on anything. It just feels weird. Also, I could be mistaken, but the age gap between Bill and Fleur is literally never brought up! For good reason, too! Fleur is seventeen when she meets 24 year old Bill.

Maybe JKR did mean for it to be a commentary on older men pursuing younger women but she did it rather poorly, imo.

[crabcrabcrabmeat]

I try not to read into the politics of a story too much (<-lying) because doing so relies on some level of auteurism which a) isn't how a lotta major IPs are made anymore and b) assumes the writing is good, lol

But all that said, cartoonish awkwardness in fiction is remaining a personal pet peeve. In and of itself, awkwardness is not a character flaw! Awkwardness has no hubris, no moral upsides nor downsides. So at best, depicting it is emotionally cheap #relatable things wasting word count ("wOw u guys, sometimes my hair is super messy! And I eat chocolate lol I'm such a slob" etc) or it's just moe shit. Which is patronizing when the character isn't a child and a spectrum of un-ideal to exploitative when the character is one lol.

Im not saying the writers at, say, bamco are evil for having suletta stutter or anything, (the company is evil for other things, lol) the intent is clearly just to add flavortext and an endearing child lead (and it works!) But playing that primarily for laughs/cute factor undercuts any relevant story element from being serious.

Like, pretty clearly, a child that awkward and isolated is emotionally underdeveloped, from neglect or isolation or both. And realistically her literacy would be under par, further weakening her communication skills and autonomy. That's bleak! That's cyclical abuse, even without an Evil Mom™! Gwitch is a show for teens, so i wasn't expecting or needing it to go to the depths of despair but depth is good lol, teens aren't idiots.

Most of all, my heart goes out to awkward children who see themselves reflected in awkward characters, only to realize that that commonality exists as a marketable trope, not a meaningful exploration of the topic. It's not depicted to show HOW a character can be/become that way, nor how it affects their place in the world, what they can do abt that etc but just a trait with no cause n effect in this fictional world.

Why? The short answer is 'its just bad writing' but more specifically I think atomizing traits like that can belie writers' disinterest in realism, or even a disinterest in grappling with the status quo. It's very 'apolitical' to just say hey heres a character trait. It's just sort of there, don't think about it too hard if you don't want to.

[4dmc]

I am so late to this and I am sorry but oh my god......

Look YMMV but what is it about this that the game "treated women wrong"? I'm just going to focus on that.

Because the nebulous term of what even a reboot/remake/adaptation etc. really is has always been up to any devs/creators/writers.

Personally a new character is as necessary as what the created story demands it. Also in my opinion, the reboot versions are new characters anyway, since they aren't even the same people.

They thematically have some similarities but so much is so different. To treat reboot Dante as if he SHOULD be as the mainline is baffling since: A. It's a different continuity and, B. It's both a disservice and a very surface level read on BOTH Dantes! Wacky Wahoo Uncle Grandpa Dante is more than that and Hated Edgelord "Emo" Dante has shown time and time again the depth of his character, but for some reason nobody bats an eye on their different journeys and different personalities.

I mean, the 2 Vergils are very different, so at least that one was much easier because The Man With The Nice Guy Hat has a gun, but anyway....

Is it because it's uncomfortable to see? I know that women aren't depicted so well in so many media. And DMC is no exception to that even on DMC 5 (w/c is such a bummer)

I've been seeing this going around about DmC and slowly it quieted but still, it baffles me.

This take undermines so many complex issues and doesn't acknowledge that women can be portrayed as any kind of character.

I'm not telling this solely to you. I am generally seeing this happen for years and took a monstrous turn after 5 came out. I know comparisons can't be helped but unfortunately there were so many very disturbing reaches against DmC, bordering on conspiracy. I don't know if some were trolling or serious😰

Personally i think it made sense that the world they're a part of is a very brutal one. And it's made clear at the start of the 3rd act of DmC's story, when their HQ is being attacked, that this is how bad it is for humans. And Ninja Theory is quite on the nose about its parallels with real world consequences on revolutionaries/underground rebels.

Kat's strength isn't tied to combat and I'm glad that she wasn't treated the same way. To me she's a realistic take on what Kyrie severely lacked (w/c is also a bummer! I actually like Kyrie....but it's lost on Capcom how they're supposed to write a compelling woman who doesn't resort to combat).

What was so great about Kat is her strength lies on her wits and being, both symbolically and plotwise, the one who endures and gives hope, especially towards Dante. Her friendship and aloof personality is rooted in her resilience. Personally she's the most relatable and very close to what a young woman could likely react under these circumstances.

I will not skip on the parts that she's also a very trope-y character (the info dump) and the flaws for her mostly revolved around her being almost a one-note character, with most of the focus on Dante. The plot almost doesn't let her shine except for the very purposes/skills that's established on her character (.. it is Dante's game after all..)

And yes she was almost Fridged. Perhaps people ONLY chose to see the uncomfortable HQ Raid and Trade cutscenes and made their conclusions that that was all Kat was. A damsel in distress and, unfortunately, they think her captivity is suddenly equal to her being a weak (which has a LOT of implications as to where/how people got into this conclusion) or a very underdeveloped character.

And by extension through the Trade cutscenes, Lilith. And she needs an ENTIRE separate post altogether.

There's also the complicated subplot regarding her relationship with Vergil. Whether or not people have read the prequel comic on DmC (it's mehh quality wise. It's obvious that it was made hastily but it still manages to be significant to the canon events in the game), it's undeniable they have a solid relationship/partnership and Kat looked up to him. Even when he's revealed his true colors Kat was the one who persuaded Dante to spare Vergil despite his views against humanity and on her.

That takes a lot of something for Kat to spare someone like Vergil. Maybe out of pity, out of forgiveness or even her own guilt because she had believed in his leadership and had a hand in his doings, honestly, it's personally everything!

Despite some of the flaws on their writing, DmC doesn't hold back in giving these characters their moments to at least consistently show who they really are, until the end! And Kat has consistently been that kind and resilient character, and that's something Dante has needed even if he had never asked for it!

So honestly, I am baffled.

I don’t even hate DMC Reboot like most people do but like if that game treated Kat or the women better, I would have defended it the way I did with DMC2. 

A reboot should have new characters. Using Dante and Vergil wouldn’t work with their existing characterization but I would have rather prefer a game that was about Sparda and Eva.  

[eirikrjs]

Forgive me if this has been asked before but I was hoping to get some elaboration to why you think Desu2 characters are flat. I understand some are, but I feel as though most have quality, or maybe I'm confusing likability with quality. I feel like most of my issues of the game come from lack of intersection with the fate links and main story rather than the characters themselves, but I'd appreciate to hear your thoughts

So, to answer this generally, when I was writing up the character section for the Fan Myths last year, I drew upon what I was taught in school about flat vs. round characters. But one source I found said something that really left me shook, in a way:

It says in its discussion of flat characters (those that are "superficial" and "predictable") versus round characters (those that are "complex" and more like actual people) that Luke Skywalker is a flat character. I weighed it for a bit, contrasting with how Luke makes choices and changes even in the first film, but in the end I couldn't disagree. Luke is styled after mythic heroes who, while they may suffer and grow over the course of their stories, are symbols of human ideals, not realistic human behavior. Luke is likable because we can vicariously live the adventure through him and his relatable and archetypal flaws and quirks, in spite of never being allowed too closely into his headspace and emotional spectrum.

Another Star Wars character that contrasts well with Luke is honestly one of my favorites of the Disney era or anytime before really, because he's so atypical for the franchise. He's not a hero, not worthy of admiration. In fact, he's pathetic and contemptible. And, as we learned last week, he's a creepo stalker guy. Of course, he's Syril Karn from Andor.

His story is far from over, but so far he's all flaws and I've found him fascinating. His might be the narrative developments I look forward to the most every week. And while there are no internal monologues in the show, Andor's effective writing gives Syril more complexity than you would expect for a (seemingly) tertiary Star Wars character. He gets his clothing specially tailored to stand out. He desperately seeks recognition and oversteps boundaries and his own ability to earn it (it so far has always backfired). He's committed to the fascist ideals of the Empire but can only land a faceless and monotonous data processing job and only through his uncle's connections. There are more angles to Syril than these, yet Luke has just one.

I won't say Syril is a round character yet, but he has that potential. Unlike Luke, he's layered and his future is unpredictable. His story may have some logical end points but he's not a hero or protagonist, so there's no guaranteed outcomes. It is odd to think that there may be more depth to Syril than Luke freakin' Skywalker, but Andor also has a far different approach an aims than the main Star Wars movies, so it may be apples and oranges.

But as the above article states, flat characters can still be likeable. I mean, I own maybe three dozen Luke Skywalker action figures so it's fair to say I like that character. The problem with flat characters from pop culture avenues like movies and games is that their superficialities often result in overuse of archetypes. I will say I don't care for a lot of characters in games like Devil Survivor, Persona, or even SMT because I've seen their archetypes before. There often is no attempt at additional complexity because it wouldn't fit the genre and expectations of an established game series or sequel. Hence, these characters become predictable and rote, which affects enjoyment of the work.

And speaking of action figures, pop culture characters reflect them in that they are manufactured to be appealing to their audiences. Even if they are flat and superficial, they still appeal because they are designed to be, from character design to familiar archetype. And that's okay! We might lose our minds if we rejected all but the most complex characters. So if you can buy merch of them, there's a real chance the character isn't all that deep.

[k-s-morgan]

TW: Honest (bit harsh) opinion about Tomarry fanfics!

Do you mind if I rant a little Kat? I'm currently in the hunt of good Tomarry fanfics (all 7k of them on ao3: slash and no fem!Harry for now), and honestly a lot of what I read, even some that are popular (10k+ Kudos...) are just BAD. A lot LOT LOOOOT of writers just don't know how to frame Tom/Voldemort's character with all his flaws, personality disorders, qualities, wits and charisma... Seriously, it's borderline cringy sometimes, especially the kid/teenager Tom in the time-travel tropes or the redeemed Voldemort who is suddenly a do-no-wrong! I cannot stand it as a picky reader. I appreciate their dedication and effort, I also have some fanfic ideas that I would love to write but I still won't allow myself to until I study psychology, personality disorders and even child development in depth so that i put out quality content. Isn't research part of the writing process? Only a handful (for now) have managed to really nail the darkness of Tom/VM and twisted romance (about 7 including you). I know I will be told "don't read them then", but this is just my opinion feel free to disagree.

No problems, rants are always welcome!)) I understand what you mean. I’m a picky reader myself, and in most fandoms, I don’t like the majority of even the most top-rated stories. Just, they don’t work for me at all.

In the end, though, I think it comes down to our subjective preferences as readers vs. writers’ motivation for writing something. Every reader is going to look for something specific. Like you, I favor darker, more canonical versions of Tom, and when I encounter his innocent depictions, in most cases, I reject them. At the same time, despite not liking good!Tom, I love dark!Harry a lot. There is no logic here because dark!Harry goes against canon as much as good!Tom does, yet I love the former and dislike the latter. Many people hate both; others love both. It’s difficult to understand why this happens, it’s just how it is. In my other fandom, Shadowhunters, both protagonists are good. I can read about a dark version of MC1 (Magnus) but not the other (Alec). No idea why. 

Similarly, writers treat writing in very different ways. Some strive to create canon-compliant narratives with perfectly canonical characters; others prefer complete AUs rooted in research; many writers simply want to have fun. They don’t care about realism or canon or historical accuracy, they just share their ideas and enjoy the process. Research can be a part of fanfiction, but it’s not obligatory - fics aim to bring joy and provide entertainment. I’m sure that for absolutely every fic, there is at least one person who is going to love it. 

Love, I think, is the main motivator for writers. They are passionate about characters, they want to share their dramas, joy, porn without plot, humor, etc., and so they do it - just because they want to. If they loved writing their story, whatever it is, it’s already rewarding. 

For instance, maybe someone wanted to redeem Tom or Voldemort as soon as possible - this was their major goal for writing because they liked the idea, related to Tom on a personal level & wanted to explore this hope for a quick redemption, were simply bored or curious about this kind of plot. People also have different perceptions: for example, sometimes I read a story about a serious argument between the characters and I feel like it was resolved too unbelievably quickly. I grow frustrated, go to see what other people said, and discover that mostly everyone loved the resolution and felt it was realistic. 

WHGTB is similar in this regard. Some people side with Tom; some side with Harry. Whatever the resolution is in the last chapter, I have no doubts there will be those who’ll hate it. Some will think it’s unfair to Tom; others will think it’s unfair to Harry or to both or to the story as a whole. I actually saw someone discuss how Tom became too good and they lost interest in reading - but there are other people who think Tom remains a monster. There are no writers or readers with wrong positions in these scenarios, people just perceive things very differently from one another.  

Of course, some stories are written with more skills than others - age and experience can play big roles here. I’m embarrassed of many things I wrote in the past, but at the time, I thought they were pretty great :D As readers, we can’t automatically know who wrote what and why, but all stories have their audience. It’s unfortunate to be unable to find enough fics I specifically would like - I probably like 1 fic in every 10 I read, but I’m grateful for the ones I do enjoy, and there is always writing. It’s so gratifying to write and express my vision. Besides, every writer contributes to the extended life of their fandom, whether they have a wide or small circle of readers. 

I hope you’ll start writing when you feel like it and that the process will bring you a lot of joy, too! Writing can be pure magic.  

[enfysnes]

Why Connor Kenway is my favourite Assassin (and Ezio is my least favourite)

Disclaimer: this is not to bash anyone's opinion on who is their favourite Assassin and what is their favourite game. I know everyone likes different things, including myself, and that's why I'm writing this. I know this opinion is unpopular so I am interested to see if anyone shares the same opinion.

Connor gets a lot of hate for some of the qualities he possesses which, in my opinion, are the qualities that make him an endearing and unique character. I didn't find Ezio an appealing character, partly because I thought he was very unoriginal. He is the typical charming, charismatic womaniser that we see too much of in male characters these days. He was safe, one dimensional and a bit of a Mary Sue. He was too perfect. (In saying this I don't think he's a bad character, I just don't gravitate towards him). Connor, on the other hand, was flawed, and therefore more realistic and relatable to me.

His earnestness, brute honesty and idealism make him endearing as a character. I see the word "naivete" thrown around a lot when people discuss why they dislike him, but this is one of his qualities that actually appeal to me. We all love a good morally grey character. I, personally, can't get enough of them. But every once and a while it's nice to have someone fresh who sees things in black and white, and views the world in a much simpler natural. His incorruptible idealism may make him naive, but who can't manage to admire a character who refuses to give up hope in people and the world? This especially went well with the setting of the game, the American Revolution, as well as the running theme throughout the games e.g the Assassin VS Templar ideology debate.

Connor favours justice over revenge, a much more admirable trait. He's a defender of the people, someone who advocates for freedom (the most important aspect of the Creed, which I feel many assassin's don't embody too well, or at least the writers manage to gloss over). He selflessly gives himself and his time to help others, which we see a lot of in the side missions, as well as the developement of the homestead and it's occupants throughout the game.

Another interesting thing to mention is his constant conflict between his humility and his pride. We see throughout the game that he does not take much credit for his victories, despite virtually handing them to the patriots. But we also see his refusal to compromise in his conviction and his morals. His moral strength is incorruptible, despite being naive at times, and this is a strong character trait always overlooked. His father even mentions this in his last breath, despite their complicated relationship and their conflict of ideologies. He's humble, but what pride he does have is, majority of the time, admirable.

Connor is also of a different nationality and culture. His way of life and the way he and his people behave socially is different to others. They are more stoic, less expressive and what many may say withdrawn. But one thing I noticed and appreciated that many people might not have, is that he becomes more expressive with his facial features throughout the story, showing this unique and interesting character development.

Sometimes you have to dig deeper than the surface to find little gems, and this is especially true when it comes to characters. While Ezio's character is pretty straightforward, Connor requires in-depth analysis. This isn't for everyone, and I get that. But I think that just because you may not be bothered to dig deep into the analysis of a character, doesn't necessarily validate that the character is "boring" or "lacks personality". They simply require more in-depth insight.

Anyways, I would love to hear if anyone else shares the same opinion, and what you like about Connor.

[kyanitedragon]

Genuinely hate? None of them. They're just fictional characters and Ishida writes all of them so well that you gotta appreciate them all in some sense.

Tokage and Torso obviously come closest as the most "hated" characters, as they're pretty realistically-depicted abusers and that's tough to see. And on a similar note would be Tsuneyoshi for running the whole Washuu Clan thing instead of trying to dissolve it — in any form.

Personally, Donato and Tsukiyama make me a little uncomfortable sometimes regarding how dark and fucked up their predation is, but I wouldn't say I hate them.

Jason and Mado are my love-to-hate characters of the series.

Mado is so messed up but he's just so fun. He has so much emotion doing all the bad stuff he does. I love the wording of his cruel taunts. And him excitedly chanting "Jason!" in the anime trying to kill him will never leave my head.

And Jason? Jason's fucked up but he's also got an incredible amount of depth and is the whole reason for not only Kaneki's transformation but also the whole reason he hates Aogiri Tree. Without Jason, the entire rest of the series would not have happened.

And even after these two die, you get so much more depth from them out of their living loved ones: Akira and Naki.

Yoshimura is also a big love-to-hate character for me. First read, you're in Kaneki's POV so chances are you'll love him just like Anteiku does. But once you sit down and really think about it... he kinda really sucks.

I see a lot of people (mostly anime-onlys to be fair) saying that they hate Uta because he "betrayed" Kaneki, but I never saw it that way? To me it's always been clear that he genuinely likes Kaneki and wasn't lying when he called him a "special client". Same goes for Itori and even Nico. I don't think being on Furuta's side and being involved with those plots against him inherently means they dislike Kaneki or want him dead. The Clowns operate in a really grey area; that's their whole point.

Furuta? He's so freaking fun I don't understand how you can't love him. So many of his scenes have me smiling or laughing. I think he's such a brilliantly-written villain. Having a genuinely good goal, but "playing the villain" and doing fucked up things to achieve it because no one else would be willing to? Being willing to be hated, to be the villain, to die, all to try to achieve that goal?

Is Mutsuki awful? Yes. Is he my son? Also yes. His decay arc was so jarring first read, but I've always been so interested in it because of that and wanted him to be redeemed in the end, and I'm so glad Ishida did in fact take that route.

Touka? I am seriously so defensive of her. Even as a joke I won't say "she did nothing wrong" — she did a lot wrong, and I love that, because she's a deep and realistic character with flaws and layers to her — but she did a lot less wrong than her haters tend to think. If you're going to hate her for what she said to Kaneki in the first arc, then you need to be just as hateful at Kaneki for saying just as mean things to her.

Kaneki? He is so flawed and a lot of those flaws I heavily relate to, so he's always been a very special character to me. I don't like how the series doesn't always frame all of his flaws negatively (A big one: his double-standards of willing to kill ghouls but never humans despite how terrible they are, clearly not seeing ghouls and humans Truly Equal) but that's a storytelling issue and not a character issue. Black Reaper Kaneki in particular fills me with so much rage each time I read that arc, but I mean that in a good "I love this series!" way. Kaneki is by far my favorite protagonist of any series.

character you don't like

What are the characters you hate or don't like in Tokyo Ghoul?

ps: and whoever says Furuta, Mutsuki, Touka, Kaneki or Urie, I will give them Mado Punch

[story-circle]

Dororo (2019) Review

Warning: Spoilers!

I recently revisited the entirety of the anime 'Dororo' (2019). I'm honestly surprised that I didn't come back to it sooner (though in hindsight it was probably cause I had a big move) because this anime is absolutely one of my favorites and I personally consider it a hidden gem.

I binged pretty much the entire thing in one night (there is definitely not enough content) and then proceeded to rewatch it a second time the next day with my sister.

oI looked into the original anime/manga, watching quite a few essay videos to get a feel for source material (video here). And let me tell you, the original concept doesn't hold a candle to the reboot. The subtle metaphors, morals, parallels and character foils are on point. They're devastating, realistic and relatable, which made it all the easier to connect to the character's personal growth and plot.

I can clearly see both sides of the conflict and the tension built by the world and the decision the characters make, made the story gripping. It's a neat and new premise that I haven't seen before and I adored the various characters.

I even liked the love plot with Mio and how the writers adapted it into a more impactful moment, and I have never really been fond of love plots because they always seemed like they're rushed and don't feel realistic. Thankfully, 'Dororo' didn't have this issue, which is a first for me.

Now, a few complaints.

This might be a controversial opinion, but I think that the emphasis on a 'mother's love' is overrated. It comes off as a cheap tactic to force conflict between characters and it feels half-assed at best. Like, the writers make the nonexistent relationship between Nui and Hyakkimaru a cure-all when Hyakkimaru doesn't even know this woman beyond the fact that she basically disowned him.

She should -for all intents and purposes- be a stranger to him.

A stranger who just so happens to also hold the title of 'mother'. I believe that the finale would've been more impactful if the people we actively saw Hyakkimaru build a relationship with were the ones to approach him after the emotionally and physically taxing battle. Meanwhile, Nui should've went to finally give the son -who actually needed her love- her full attention.

Tahomaru honestly deserved better.

Also, having the plot device of 'a mother's love fixes everything' takes away from the real relationships that Hyakkimaru built with other -arguably more important- characters such as Dororo and Jukai. By suddenly shoehorning Nui in as a "important character" in the last three episodes of the season seems rushed and the fact that the writers expected me to just except this underdeveloped plot point, is just insulting.

The last point that I wanted to address was the ending.

Hyakkimaru just straight up abandoning Dororo in a random village without even a goodbye for literal years is the worst thing that the writers could have done. Sure, it matched up with the original source material but it always sat wrong with me because the decision didn't feel like one we'd see Hyakkimaru make with what was established of his character thus far.

After showing the gradual progression of his intense (maybe even codependent) bond with Dororo, and all the scenes were it's proven over and over again that Hyakkimaru needed to keep Dororo safe at his side, his decision to leave doesn't fit what we'd seen from him previously.

Obviously, even a piece of media as amazing as 'Dororo' (2019) has it's flaws, but I don't think that it takes away from the stories it's told or the fantastic world building and creative cast of characters. This review is not meant to shun the writers or be blatant hate on the anime, it was just my take on what I had noticed in the show and what I would personally change.

Hope you enjoyed!

Ps: And please give it a watch yourself, it is definitely worth your time!

If you liked this review please consider watching this video by Mother's Basement on YouTube. He goes really in depth with the history of the manga as well as the new anime adaption. He makes a lot of good points and it just helped me appreciate Dororo (2019) even more!

[we-pay-for-everything]

Hi Monica! Making you choose if you want to: Damon or Klaus? Not to sound like a Damon stan because obviously even semi-reformed Damon has major serious flaws, but somehow Damon is still more loving and ultimately redeemable to me than Klaus, who's just so sadistic and vicious even by TVD standards! Not saying Klaus doesn't have any good sides, because he does, but Damon's good sides seem closer to the surface and come out more easily imo. A lot of Damon's worst choices come impulsively while Klaus so carefully, methodically plans to do evil, you know?! So I prefer Damon but I can see people preferring Klaus because he's more interesting in certain ways----he cares about art, travel, culture etc, while Damon doesn't really have any interests or hobbies other than...drinking?! (If he has other interests that I can't recall, please let me know :)) Plus, Klaus has such a sharp intellect and sophistication. There's also a real depth to Klaus. And that accent!!! :) Anyway, I would love to hear your thoughts on both!

Hi! If you'd asked me this when I first watched the show, I would've said Klaus. He's charismatic, handsome, funny (sassy, sarcastic and hilariously petty), smart, eloquent, soft-spoken. He also has duality. He's evil, but not sadistically evil per se. He's insecure, distrustful, paranoid, childish, and that drives his actions. So, while he's evil, you kind of feel for him. Also, he can be vulnerable and soft, and it's very appealing when he is. You see that side the most in his relationships with Caroline, Rebekah, Stefan, and Mikael. Joseph Morgan did a great job playing Klaus. Part of the reason why is because he made Klaus so childish and openly vulnerable. He almost becomes a little boy when he confronts his father, or when Caroline hurts his pride. Instead of it just being pitiful, it's both compelling and pitiful because you know he's really just a child who never grew up - an emotionally stunted, evil child. But he's generally evil with a purpose, or you at least can understand where he's coming from. He's a bit like Damon in that regard, except no one expects Klaus to be nice so he's held to lower standards than Damon.

I used to love Klaroline a lot and that was one reason why I preferred Klaus to Damon. Now that I love Delena more and Klaroline a bit less, some of Klaus's appeal is gone, I guess. But I get the appeal of him being artistic and "sensitive", liking horses, and being knowledgeable and interesting. Klaus is hot and does the bad boy with a sensitive side better than Damon. Tbf, though, Damon doesn't have have a sensitive, artistic, romantic side (that's Stefan) as much as he has a vulnerable side.

In the end, though, I find Damon more relatable and realistic. I get why he self-sabotages (impulsively, like you said), why he's defensive and insecure. I think he's more admirable than Klaus, because he openly cares - he cares about more than his own survival. He's also more honest about himself and doesn't live in denial about who he is. He's loyal and brave, and probably showed more growth than Klaus. Perhaps Damon's more redeemable than Klaus, but it's not because he's more capable of caring for strangers or showing basic human decency - it's because he at least knows, or learns, how to care for a select few - better than Klaus, at any rate, but I know he grows quite a bit in TO, yet I don't remember the show... But, yeah, both of them are theoretically redeemable, but neither wants to put in the effort to truly become a decent person and be redeemed, so it's a moot point.

Anyway, thanks for the ask! I forgot to mention that Klaus's accent is definitely nice, and so is his low, raspy voice, and his luscious lips!

[hellswolfie]

ISAK REMAKE RANKING

This one is going to be interesting ^^

Ok so, first of all, here are my previous (and future that I will add later on) rankings :

Eva remakes

Jonas remakes

Noora remakes

William remakes

Even remakes

Sana remakes

So. About Isak. He is such a good character. Probably one of the best of Skam og. However I can't say that for all of his remakes so brace yourself lol. No but seriously, Isak is a recurring fan favorite in each remake (with reasons!), and I know that it is much more sensible to roast them than the other characters I did. So, once again, this my opinion and my opinion only. Of course I know not everyone will agree with me, and that's completely okay.

Other warning : this is going to be long.

If anyone actually reads this, please don't hesitate to discuss in the comments I am lonely lol.

(Also Martino will not be here since I did not watch Skam Italia)

1-Matteo Florenzi (Druck)

It was a very close call, but he ultimately won! Congrats!

This is a character that really really touched me, I could relate so much to him!

What I love about him is that they made a lot of change from Isak, which made him a real full-fledged character, and it was really refreshing to see, and they still keept the fire and the hiden softeness of the Isak.

This little grumpy grumblin was so endearable and seeing him overcome his depression, tidying his room, letting himself feel emotions and be really excited about things, was so satisfying to see. I love how he could be so aloof and out of depth and constantly tried to give a I-don't-give-a-crap-vibe, and yet also was the most caring and softest Isak version out there. Him being such a disaster was really funny at times, but I also liked how they weren't afraid to show his flaws, while still making us understand where he was coming from. For example, when he broke up with his gf via text because he was so caught up with how happy and in love with David he was, and did not realize how that could hurt her (btw his relationship with her was one of the most well-handled of the remakes I think). Or when he outed David to Hans. It really showed that, while he made mistakes, he never meant any harm and he just....well a very loveable disaster lol.

Talking about the changes they made, I had my doubts at first but I do think it was a good idea to mix him up a bit with the Even. I liked seeing more confident and taking more initiatives while still trying to play it cool (and then wearing the fucking benny for a whole weekend because he was missing the guy he liked cutie you such in deep lol). It was refreshing and very intriguing to see.

I also really appreciated the clip at the begining of the season when he is sleeping with Jonas. His relationship with him is adorable, btw, they have so much chemistry and you can see they really love eachother so much, that they really have deep talks and are not afraid to confide things to eachother. It was great that the writers did not forget about his crush on him, and it was a good way to show how much he was craving a relationship and love (which my baby deserves!) because he has so much love to give him and it already made me feel so much for him! So when we saw him in this same bed with David, it was so satisfying!

The sex scene, too, was really well handled. I loved how they emphacizes on them being fucking teenager and of it being their first time, how they both admitted they were afraid, how soft they were with eachother...It was realistic and really showed once again this soft side of Matteo which I love.

What ultimately elevated him to be my favorite, through, was one clip. The one before the almost kiss (which was also amazing) when he has a panick attack and lock himself in his room to listen to music. I also have social anxiety, so I could relate a lot to it, but it's not the first time I watched a scene depicting that. But THIS scene, i don't exactly know what about it, it hit me so hard. When he started to listen to his music, I felt like, me too, I could breath again. I actually had to stop the scene with how much it made me feel, and I still remember it to this day. It was a big ouch (yes I am very good with words).

Shoutout to the actor who was so fucking talented, I really hope he is going places because damn he has range and he can make you feel so much without saying a word.

So, yeah, those are all the reasons I love him so much. I do think, tho, that some things were not handle perfectly with his character. Like with his mother, for example. In the og, Isak leaves to go find Even because it is a really urgent situation but there, he leaves his mom, who he just made up with, to go...to his redroom to sulk? I don't know it really felt weird. And I think it was very needed to put words on his mental illness, to actually talk about it, instead of simply hinting at it. Like he was the main of the season and this was a big problem, so yeah, it deserved to be dwell upon and more explored.

2- Lucas Lallemant (Skam France)

My baby hedgehog! My angel face! I really really love him.

I almost put him in first, but well I could not place them both here :( . He is the only Isak that inspired me enough to write fanfics (well one fanfic that is actually completed and posted, and another that is taking me way longer that I thought to finish, but you get my point lol). The first character ever actually (with Eliott, obviously). He really deserved to be high up just for that.

In a way, he is a bit like Matteo, in the sense that they made him much bolder than Isak and so so soft.

One thing I loved the most about him is how we saw him overcome his toxic masculanity. I mean this little guy went from saying crude things about girls because he does not want his friends to think less of him and claming that he will never go shout at the rooftops that he is with Eliott, to buy his boyfriend flowers, randomly talking about said boyfriend and how much he loves him every five seconds OR HE WILL DIE, and tell off Emma when she is making fun of him by loudly affirming "we men have emotions too!!!". He has come from so far. I really feel like a proud mama when I think of him.

AND THE PIANO SEQUENCE!!! I'm a bit sad that it was never dwell upon or even just talked about afterwards, like we have no idea when he learned, who has taught him... We don't even really know what it meant for him to play that night. Like had it been a long time, and he felt like the kid who did not have so much worries he was once upon a time when he played, because that was when he still could use the piano? Was Eliott the first person he played to? Did anyone else know ? All those questions who will never be answered (forever grateful for fanfics for providing so much possibilities)... But damn he is a real talented bitch. And I do love talented bitches. No wonder Eliott fell in love with him right at this instance.

The mix of his boldness, fierce protectitveness, and softeness is so incredible and well balanced too, especially when we see his relationships with other people. I loved his sibling bond with Manon (the "on n'en parle pas" clip touched me almost as deeply at the one with Matteo did), how he becomes gradually from being super annoyed and rolling his eyes at Daphné, to being the sweetest towards her (the way he managed to cheer her up after the proviseur yelled at her and closed the foyer, or when he hold her so tightly at her mum's funera I just...). The scene with his mom too was so beautifull! He was so scared and insecure and felt guilty but then she just took him in her arms and he melt into them and damn I think I am going to cry lol. And his relationship with Imane of course! The best of the remakes imo (maybe even better than the og it's really tied). When he was the only one who actually stopped and really listened to what she had to say in season 4 (fuck you girl squal, THAT's what a real friend looks like), being all such a cutie and a bit naive, but I still love him. The moment when he left the school with her because he could see that she was not okay was just so fucking sweet! I even liked his relationship with Lola, tbh. I do think it should have had a resolution (the whole Eliott arc should have had one but that is a discussion for another day), but seeing him being so spiky and protective over Eliott -which I loved-, and then being able to recognize his mistakes and showing her his soft side...I really loved it. Also loved how he appologized to Arthur in season 5. It's sad to say, but there are not a lof people, in fictions or irl, who are able to recognize they were wrong and tell you so .

I am also so admirative for his boldness and courage. All of the times he made a step towards Eliott (my favorite is when he held up his hands before they kiss for the first time like damn he really put himself out there), Axel Auriant was just so good at potraying how vulnerable and intimated he felt, and he still did it anyway each time! How he ran for him in the "T'es pas tout seul' clip. How he punched Arthur for talking like that about his family (which, of course, I know was not good, but I loved seeing how protective and emotional he could be). How he was willing to fight all of those people for Yann in season 2. How he fucking yelled at the provisor because he had became very attached to the fresque and he was damned if he let anyone touch it...He may be small (and I do love having small representation lol) and really cute, but damn he is a real force of nature when he wants to.

He was such an interesting character too. I loved seeing him deal with his insecurites. When he colapsed and cried his heart out (I will always be so thankful for Axel for that, he was just so in the moment and not afraid to ugly cry, loved it!) with "la fête de trops" playing, like damn I wanted to hug him so bad! I am actually very happy he is dating our favorite clingy racoon because this boy is so touch starved...And also how he "deals" with Eliott's mi in such a healthy way...The best boy! Like I really think he is really mature to be so wise already.

Like he had to grow up so fast, and yet he has so much love to give and he still takes delight into caring for other people, while still not hesitating to being a snarky bastard and roasting them, and learning to stand up for himself. I just really love him.

3- Shay Dixon (Skam Austin)

Her season not happening is a real tragedy. I mean, it would have been the first lesbian!Isak season, how could they pass up on this opportunity, I just...

And this is Shay!! How could you not give this queen her chance to shine?

As said before, I love talented bitches, and damn she definitely is one. Her music. Her fucking voice. I love her so much! Like can you imagine her writing and singing a song for her girl!Even in season 3???? I would have died on the spot ^^...

I really liked what they did with her and her relationship with Megan. I think it was a really interesting to do, because it made the betrayal even more fucked up imo, like she kind of used it to get closer to Megan...But you could really see she was trying to make up for it by being there for her, and that she really regreted it. It really gave her character a lot of completexity and nuance. And I loved that, contrary to Marlon (who really can go fuck off), she actually listened to Megan and took her side. With the Smoothies, for example, Magan told her she liked it one time and Shay remembered it and never made her feel bad for liking them like Marlon did. And in season 2, I felt so bad for her. Grace and Megan really really fucked up and I really felt bad for Shay, who tried so hard to prove to them and herself that she was straight.

She was so fucking sweet and funny, so confident and yet so shy sometimes. i loved her cool vibe, like you could really see she was a teenage girl figuring herself out but still was snarky and was not afraid to bite back and I loved it. I would have loved to see her even more flustered with her girl!Even!!! And she was just so adorable and cute, I really loved her and would have loved to see more of her! Her season could have been so fucking great!!!

4- Lucas Van Der Heijiden (Skam nl)

Another missed opportunity :(

I think this boy became the exact image of what we imaged when we think of Snake!Isak lol. He was so fucking snaky XD! Like with the other Isaks, I honestly believe they reacted emtionally without thinking of the consequences in season 1 but him? He defintely knew what he was doing. And for some reason that made me love him more, he was just really fun to watch and I do love a snakey asshole character.

I also loved his relationship with Isa. You could really see their bond outside of Kes, and, despite what he did, how much he actually really loves her. How much they get eachother. God they would have been such an iconic duo in his season :( I would even say they almost seemed closer than Isa was with Kes. Also, the clip where she asked him if he had ever been in love and he doesn't respond (because it would have been like "Yeah, WITH YOUR BOYFRIEND, BITCH" lol or maybe he was not sure yet) was such a beautiful moment for them, while still showing the bridge and the misunderstanding that will occure later one between them.

And then in season 2 WHAAAATTTT??? My baby was really going out there, huh, checking out grindr with a gay dude and saying a guy looked cute (without any prompting whatsoever, when Isak refused to even comment on a guy's appearance in season 3 when Eskild asked him to), already bonding with his Eskild, AND GOING ON GRINDR HIMSELF. My heart actually broke when we found out, btw, when the Eskild (I'm sorry I can't for the life of me remember his name) outed him to the girlsquad. Like it probably was hard for Lucas to go on the site, but he did it anyway. He suscribed, he even let himself flirt with another guy, only for this guy to shout it on the rootops to people Lucas knows. How could he do something like this? Seriously it really makes me wonder how this Eskild could ever be Lucas' guru after that...

But can you actually imagine his season, how much would have changed? With how much more snaky he is and more stable emotionally, how much more confident in his sexuality, and his mother being bipolar... SO MUCH OPPORTUNITIES!!!

5- Robbe Ijzermans (WTFock)

I know. I know I'm not gonna make friends with this one, but first, I would like to instaure one minute of silence. In honor of Robbe's fabulous hair in season 1. You would never imagine my pain when I saw him in season 2 and realized what he did to them! Such a tragedy... They did end up coming back, at least, but it was far too late as we barely even get to see them now. So, once again, RIP to their magnicificience. (I come to realize miss oportunities is a real pattern amongst Isaks lol). And RIP to Sander, who had to wait about a year to finally be witness to them. If Robbe had them in season 3, he would never have waited a week to try to kiss that boy, let me tell you...

Okay, now let's talk about Robbe. I don't dislike him perse. But I do have a lot of issues with his character. And his season in general.

First off, he is too "sweet" for me. It really took away a lot of the fire I always like to see in the Isak. And the fact that his relationship with Sander was so sexualized (definitely the most out of all the remakes), really made me extremely uncomfortable everytime they emphasized with how fucking sweet and babyish he was...

And the thing is I love Isak being grumpy and gradually turning into a happy boy! This is a beautiful progression, and always amazing to watch how much heart he has underneath his fuck boy personna! But they did the opposite here : they kept wanting to show us how good of a person he was, thus making him way less interesting -because flaws ARE important to make a character interesting- and then made him treat Sander like that after their first kiss with next to no follow up on that. Like serioulsy, this part was not well dwell upon at all and I wish we could have more talked about how fucking horrific it was for Robbe to say those things to him, internal homophobia or not, he could have just said "I have a girlfriend and I'm straight" or "it was mistake", they did not have to make him go that far only for DRAMA, especially with how quickly forgotten it was.

So yeah, they really tried to tell us how much of a good person he is, and it did not work for me. It was like they tried to erase every mistakes and flaws the Isak did that they thought the audience did not like, and they did it in such a shallow way without wondering what those flaws and mistakes ' purpose were, so they ended up making him worst somehow? With Noor, for example. Yes he cleanly broke her with her before dating Sander, but he actually owed her that break up as he led her on so much more than Isak ever did Emma. With his mother, too, they tried that. But it made it so weird, like he did not cutt of her completely like the other Isaks, did npt have the same prejudice towards her -except when he did because PLOT CONVENIENCE-, but he also did not tell her everything, and came out randomly to her at the end of the season? I don't know, the Isaks relationship with his mother is a growth I always like to see, and there it was completely erased, and with no good reasons, because it changed nothing for his character or the plot, just erased a part of his character that could have been interesting to develop. It is even more disappointing knowing that his relationship with Yasmina also suffered from it, as it is normally what linked him to religion and his mother but there it was just super rushed. Also what happened with his father? We never had a follow up on that, and it was supposed to be a big moment for him??? Like why the hell did he even leave if it was not to find Sander????

His relationship with his sexuality was completely all over the place too. The writers just randomly decided where he was at depending on what they wanted to happen in the plot, even if it did not make sense. Like he is the only Isak who actually rejected his Even after their first kiss, going as far as calling him slurs and accusing him of assault, he even really tried to have sex with Noor because of how strong his internal homophobia is and WITHIN DAYS he is totally comfortable to profess his love to Sander, make out with him, go on a date with him, and all that in public???? How does it make sense?????

They really fucked up with his mental health too, I think (and with Sander's mi but that's for another post). I mean he was fucking suicidal at one point, how was it never talked about?? How was his assault just glossed over???

All in all, I just did not click with him like I did with the other Isaks, which is a shame because I really thought he had potential in season 1 and 2 (especially with those hair). But the writers really fucked up in season 3. They spent too much time on other characters, like Noor or Zoe, and when they did finally spend time on Robbe, it just did not work. Episode 2, for example, was full of clips telling us things we already knew, without bringing up anything new to Robbe's personality or state of mind or even his plot...And yes I do think he suffered a lot from Sander appearing so late, but the writers still could have use this episode for SOMETHING. They could have dwell upon more on his relationship with his parents, for example, but no. All along the season, they either changed things up to shock the audience, or kept the exact same dialogue even if it did not make sense anymore. And so, in the end, after a whole season, I still have no idea who Robbe actually is and what exactly was his arc...

There are some positive things to say about him, though. He is the only character of the boysquad that I find likeable. I appreciate that the writers made an effort to show us more of his family issues in the first episode of his season, even if it did not lead to anything, and him getting into the flatshare and bonding with his newfound family. I also liked him in season 4 when he went off on Kato, you go my boy. And i also don't hold him accomptable for what he said to Yasmina in season 5, because he was so obviously the writers's mouthpiece (I bet they thought that what he said would lend it better if they made a fan favorite say it lol) and so OOC (in what world would he be so callous and defend BRITT??? His Boyfriend's abusive ex????) that it was almost laughable.

6-Lucas Rubio Fernandez (Skam Espana)

I really don't have much to say about him.

I do think that the writers did some good things with him. Letting him come out by himself, for example, instead of being outed at the end of the season by Nora, was a really good choice (obviously the Isak is normally never ready for that at the end of season 1, and you have to let your audience know that he's gay somehow without breaking POV, but Eva could have found out accidentaly herself instead of Noora telling her and then telling everyone else?). His friendships with Eva and Jorge were really adorable too, and it was so nice to see him getting more and more comfortable with his sexuality. At the end of season 2, I even thought he had found his Even, which would have been so beautiful because every Isak deserves to find their Even (looking at you Skam nl and Skam Austin), and he would have found him because of his post being proudly gay and standing up to homophobes, which would have made a great full cirlce for the usual Evak storyline (once again, he has to reach self acceptance to be with him). But he never felt like an Isak to me, and his plot in season 4 was so all over the place, and it made him look like really selfish and such an assole towards Amira (granted she should never have outed anyone but still). But, all in all, I just don't feel much for him.

7-Cris Soto Pena (Skam Espana)

I know she is not really an Isak, but she does have his season, so I thought she deserved to be included.

When it comes to this character I really, really don't like her. Well, I think her arc had potential, her realizing that she was more than the party girl and that she was capable of being serious and doing good thing if someone belived in her. And honestly, as a bisexual girl myself, and having liked her in season 1, I was so hyped for her season...

But first, I had a real hard time clicking with her, as she felt way too much over-the-top. Her season, too, was not the best. Many of the clips of her season were really repetitive, which meant we always saw her doing the same thing, basically, with next to no progression, and it was tiring.

And then, like I said, she was just extremely unlikeable. First, she was so fucking selfish and childlish. She only thought about how things could affect HER, constantly feeling sorry for herself, without any thought for anyone else, or any sign of growth when it came to that. She was already very annoying to me in season 2, but my breaking my point was at her fight with Joana. When she screamed at her that she was "crazy" after Joana had confided in her about her mental illness, something that was very clearly hard to do for her. I know it was supposed to show how tempeteous she was, that she did not think before talking, but this crosses a line. And she only (and barely) appologize to her AFTER Joana had already apologized. Joana deserves so much better.

In season 4, she was especially insufferable when Amira lashed out to her and told her how Cris kept hurting her and being a very bad friend but no Cris just refused to listen, acted like a child, and tried to guiltrip Amira even after Amira was such a good friend to her. Characters who constantly refuse to own up for their actions or to admit that what they did or say was wrong get on my nerves real fast, so it did not help.

She was a good friend sometimes, though, I'll give her that, she's the kind of person who will kick a guy's ass if he was an asshole to you. And she could be fun.

But all in all, I just find her unbearable.

[bthump]

I know this is very nitpicky, but what do you think is the level of awareness Griffith has during the stairwell scene? For a very calculated and rational guy like him, it's hard to imagine that he hasn't even tried to decipher where these strong reckless reactions come from. I mean... even king of denial Guts has reflected a bit on it. Enough to ask Griffith about it. I know yoy mentioned in a recent answer to an ask, that you don't headcanon Griffith as pining, so would you say that you (cont)

Would you say that you imagine that he compartimentalizes his thougts and represses to the point that he doesn't aknowledge at least to a certain extent, that his feeling for Guts are more passionate, than what he feels for other comerades. The fact that he fully realises the depth of those feelings once Guts leaves is clear. But Idk the stairwell scene makes me think that he is at least aware, that he has a bit of a crush, but choses to not give it much importance. Curious about your thoughts 

hmmm. okay first off I just want to say that I can see multiple possibilities, from full on repression and denial, to recognizing his attraction but not acting on it, to knowing he cares for Guts and wants him as a True Friend(TM) but often downplaying that because he believes Guts sees him mainly as a superior officer. But yeah I do prefer the denial and compartmentalization explanation and I want to go into why, because I think it’s fun to talk about lol.

So the big reason I read Griffith as refusing to acknowledge his feelings to himself is because that’s how he deals with all his other inconvenient feelings, like his guilt and fear and the fact that he cares about the Hawks. Like eg when he tells Gennon that he doesn’t feel a single emotion about him whatsoever, or when he tells Casca that he doesn’t feel guilty over the deaths of the Hawks, I don’t think he’s just lying to them, I think he’s convincing himself too, to the point where he really believes it.

It’s sort of hard to explain how I see this working in Griffith’s head bc it feels v intuitive to me but I know that’s not the case for everyone. So yk it’s not that I think he like, eg makes himself forget that he nearly had a breakdown in a river, but I think he doesn’t ask himself why he nearly had a breakdown beyond maybe a shallow ‘sex with gennon was unpleasant and made me uncomfortable for a couple hours but i’m completely fine now’ and doesn’t think about it afterwards if he can help it.

And when he tells Charlotte he doesn’t have any friends and tells Guts he belongs to him during the second duel, I think he’s telling himself lies/rationalizations he genuinely believes there too. In fact, I think his denial of his own feelings is straight up meant to be his tragic flaw, which is why he’s only able to finally acknowledge them in the torture chamber, after it’s caused his downfall.

In the torture chamber we see him remember the face-off with Zodd and acknowledge that it was an irrational thing to do and wonder why Guts is so important to him, and I think part of the reason the monologue works so well is because it’s the first time we see that kind of self-reflection sans lofty rationalization from him, because before he ended up trapped in his own brain for a year with nothing to distract himself in between bouts of torture he didn’t really ask himself these kinds of questions. If he had, things probably would’ve gone better for everyone.

And like, I don’t think this makes Griffith less intelligent, or negates his rationality in other areas of life. I don’t see a contradiction in someone being able to analyze a battlefield or read other people well but avoiding genuine soul searching whenever possible and lying to himself a lot. I think it’s actually pretty realistic - I don’t think very many people fully understand themselves or their feelings, even really self-reflective people, and it’s very easy to rationalize away inconvenient cognitive dissonance. and I include myself in that lol.

Griffith’s life is kind of a contradiction that would really fuck him up to untangle (he sends people to their deaths to achieve a dream for the sake of assuaging his guilt for sending people to their deaths to achieve a dream), so he doesn’t try to untangle it, he avoids the question and hides behind a philosophical ideal. And his feelings for Guts add to that cognitive dissonance because if he values Guts over the dream, that kind of proves his entire defensive life philosophy is bullshit and his whole life plan is built on a precarious house of cards, so it makes sense to me that he’d avoid examining those feelings closely too.

And you can look at Guts too, who does navelgaze a lot and tries to analyze his own feelings and motivations - when he’s faced with a contradiction (I want to become independent of Griffith and do my own thing solely to gain Griffith’s approval) he actually notices it and briefly questions himself... and then he still puts it out of his mind and continues pursuing his contradictory goal anyway, and manages to stay in denial for 3 days even after learning that Griffith ended up in a torture chamber because he left.

Along those same lines, Guts eg realizes that he kills things because it makes him feel better but he doesn’t make the connection between his irrational urge to fight powerful enemies and his childhood trauma the way the readers can, the King didn’t acknowledge his incesty feelings til Griffith shoved them in his face, Count Slug kept denying having human feelings til Puck went on a tirade against him and he couldn’t sacrifice his daughter, Casca lies to herself about her feelings for Griffith for a long time before finally acknowledging she’s in love and then doubles down on her Griffith feelings when her newer feelings for Guts threaten them until she has a breakdown and admits some things to herself (I mean I find that last one disappointing lol, but it’s also a really straightforward example of someone living in denial of romantic feelings and therefore a good comparison point to show that Miura does this on purpose), etc. So I think this interpretation of Griffith is also consistent with how Miura just like, tends to write people.

Like imo Griffith has moments where he comes close to self awareness and could’ve started potentially reflecting on his feelings and coming to better, more accurate conclusions, and those moments definitely include the Zodd conversation (as well as the river scene with Casca, and “do you think I’m cruel?”) but none of those scenes lead to useful self-reflection because they all go wrong. Casca tries but fails to reassure him bc she’s out of her depth, Guts reminds him of his dream, the King interrupts their conversation and Charlotte reorients Griffith towards his goal so he can move on from that moment of irrationality and refrain from thinking about it further for a while. Even after the duel Griffith tries to avoid self-reflection by fucking Charlotte imo (”take all the sad and frightening things and cast them into the fire” ie hey girl wanna repress some shit w/ me?), and imo his previous ability to do that makes it all the more impactful when it doesn’t work this time and he breaks down.

BUT YEAH all that said I don’t think this is the only reasonable reading of Griffith’s awareness of his feelings lol, it’s just the one I like best and consider the most satisfying and interesting and fun to think about. And honestly that’s partly because I love dramatic irony and have a real thing for characters who lie to themselves, so I’m biased in favour of it too. Nothing about Griffith being good at denial contradicts the idea that he could still be aware of an attraction to Guts (in that case he’d probably just write it off as irrelevant and deny the associated internalized-homophobia-related self-loathing lol until it all pours out while he’s projecting at the King), and he could eg be aware that he irrationally cares about Guts above and beyond anyone else and just doesn’t even try to reconcile that with his dream, ie compartmentalization in another way.

But I think the idea that he only fully admits it to himself in the torture chamber is just very narratively satisfying.