#they're bigger problem with this

[mademoiselle-cookie]

Let's talk about « The Princess's Jewels »

I saw a lot of people (rightfully) criticizing "The Princess's Jewels" but at no point did I see people WHY the young girls who read it love it (far too ready to insult them).

Do people really wonder why some people are able to look past the heroine's flaws?

She is not a shy and fragile little thing who allows herself to be mistreated and erased by the male characters. She knows what she wants and does everything to get it, she assumes her sexual desires without any shame, she is strong enough to beat the shit out of all her opponents while still being feminine...

Conversely, in how many fictions have you seen useless and/or weak female characters, completely overshadowed by the guys? Can we talk about Ochako, who, since realizing her feelings for Deku, sees her character revolve solely around him? About Sakura, the example of useless female characters? About the thousands of works where women are harassed or even sexually assaulted without it being questioned?

For once, it's a fiction where it's the girl who has the power. She is the one who uses, possesses and surpasses the male characters. For once, it's the men who are reduced to the status of objects and used to make women shine.

Even in reverse harems, men are not entitled to the same treatment as women in classic harems. I haven't read many, but I don't remember any panty shots about little boys or arguments about who has the biggest boobs dick. They're generally treated with a lot more respect and not just as boobs with legs (or in this case, abs with legs).

And it’s not just a story of “revenge” (big quotation mark, I don't have a better word). It is also (mostly?) a question of identification. Girls know that they are not potted plants, uninteresting holy of holies destined to have their lives revolved around a man.

In this webtoon, the heroine has desires without being demonized, she is manipulative and intelligent and is celebrated for that, she's physically strong and can talk a good game instead of being a dullard who can't put her feet up...

The representation problem can be very effective in hiding problems in a work. Some even use it intentionally, in order to have a fan base in desperate need of representation, and to be able to call the critics haters *cough* Little Mermaid live-action *cough* (not to say that haters will not indeed come after representation of minority).

A quick thought about this comment from a black reader who was so thrilled to see a black character in an important and positive position. The character in question is owned by a white woman and is the only one of the "Jewel" group to wear a dog collar (he is also a werewolf. The only werewolves depicted are members of his family, also black. No black people exist outside of this family).

So for those complaining that no one criticizes this webtoon, two things:

not true, people criticize it. I discovered its existence because of the numerous videos criticizing it on YouTube. Even in the comments, readers pointed out the flaws in the writing or the horrible behavior of the heroine (even in the advanced chapters where everyone who didn't like it has already left). Here an exemple

If more people criticize Redo of Healer, it may be because a manga popular enough to have an anime adaptation, thus making it even more famous, attracts more people likely to criticize it than a not very known webtoon.

Of course, this does not prevent us from criticizing this work.

This obviously does not prevent the heroine from being a selfish, self-centered, hypocritical, fatphobic daddy's girl Mary-Sue who has no respect for her poor fiancé and who succeeds in everything because she "is so beautiful” and that she “smells good” (no joke).

This does not prevent her half-brother (supposedly a villain), despised for no reason by his father, physically and psychologically abused by his mother, who is absolutely right about the MC and who does not get everything by snapping his fingers unlike her, is a character a thousand times more appreciable (the fiancé too).

But when you're an adult, you don't insult teenage girls for liking poor quality works.

[bizarrelittlemew]

calling it right now that season 3 starts like this

[wasyago]

the kind of chemistry these two have is very entertaining

[whoslaurapalmer]

i had so much fun making the sweet dreams figure from the book of bill, that i decided to make something else from it -- the BILL CIPHER MATRYOSHKA

i only wound up making five of them, because my medium of choice was model magic, and, well i don't necessarily recommend it for making matryoshka, but, it worked out!!

the original art from the book of bill, done by louie zong --

and there it goes in action!!

and a secret surprise 👀

of course the littlest one has something special inside! oh! it's a coin!!

and what's on the other side?

oh hey, there's another one in there! wait, it's the......same coin??

huh. same coin? same coin.

[gideonisms]

What always gets me is that anyone handwringing about tlt usually misses the most fucked up parts and fixates on the stuff that is kind of a side note. like try harder there is way more than that

[bonefall]

I personally like Thunder's prosthetic. Explained it to my friend (who does use a mobility device, a cane and wheelchair, and listens to me rant and infodump about BB) and they agreed, it's important to know that not every person needs what someone wants to give them. It's another example of "bad ableist person does a thing that hurts a disabled person because they are bad and ableist".

Clear Sky got Jagged Peak killed and would have killed Sunlit Frost! He would absolutely force his disabled son to be "normal" and present it like a privilege. "I wouldn't do this for anyone else, it's special, why don't you want to be helped?"

Thunder Storm should toss it in Clear Sky's face. (I would say toss it into the river but we do not pollute waterways in this house)

Thank you for telling me this, and tell your friend I'm thanking them too! If they have anything else to add please forward what they have to say

Since BB!DOTC tackles some of the heaviest topics in the entire series because its canon equivalent is so dark, I think very carefully about what I do here and how I show it. I take feedback on its sensitive aspects very seriously. If I'm understanding the criticism properly, it's that I should avoid stigmatizing prosthetics by making sure Thunder Storm's not the only one with it-- which he's not! And I'll add even more.

I don't want to avoid something only because it's uncomfortable if the topic is important, and my portrayal is respectful. Ableism IS uncomfortable! There are some situations where a prosthetic is not wanted! I think the rejection of this particular one is both a good opportunity to show a type of ableism and ALSO is very fitting for the characters.

In BB!Clear Sky's mind, the villain, he's fixing an old mistake. He can't admit that he got Jagged Peak killed or take REAL accountability for it (though he will, occasionally, apologize insincerely), but deep in his bones, he knows what he did was cruel. He'll never tell anyone this because he doesn't really cognate it himself, but Thunder Storm NEEDS to take his gift.

If Thunder doesn't take it, it blows a hole in his newest story. You see, throwing Jagged Peak out was All That Could Have Been Done back then. It was a Tragedy and he simply Made A Hard Choice. He regrets it very much, But You Have To Understand.

But now? Now? Well, behold. Look at what he's accomplished since the tragic death of his little brother. His cats are well-fed, cared for, and stable enough to make such incredible advancements. If only Jagged Peak had been able to hold on longer, if only he could be here now, I could fix him.

Just like I can (MAKE YOU JUST LIKE ME) fix you.

"Everything I've ever done is for Jagged Peak. For Fluttering Wing. For you." Thunder Sky is SPECIAL, but if he rejects any gift, tries to turn down the "privileges" offered to him, in an instant that becomes ungratefulness and arrogance. He both forces him to be special, and then leverages it against him if it's rejected. "Spoiled brat, doesn't appreciate what I've worked so hard to give him."

It all goes back to him and his own guilt. He can NEVER be wrong. He can't accept his family doesn't have to be "normal" or reflect his own ability. He won't see himself as a bully, let alone a murderer. It was never about his son's comfort or finding out what Thunder Storm wants or needs, it was about his own ego.

...All that said I'm still taking feedback if there's anything else I should keep in mind, or if anyone has a counter point, especially if you also have experience here.

(In the interest of having a link trail for posterity, here's the critique/call for feedback this is in response to)

[bookrat]

Coelophysis bust, available in my etsy

[essektheylyss]

Hope this isn't too forward, but I saw you working on your book! Can you share some details about it?? I recently finished the final draft of my book, and I'm working on its sequel, and I always love seeing fellow writer's ideas. Sounds like you've got a decent chunk of it done and a solid plan!

I will take ANY opportunity to infodump about this book now that I have defeated it in hand to hand combat and it's no longer trying to kill me! It's focused on a magocracy that handles succession via incredibly stringent duels to the death and in particular, three absolute asshole mages who end up stuck in hiding together after a duel goes wrong and their mutual best friend and his opponent both end up dead.

They essentially have to stick out the statute of limitations on the duel magic without killing each other. Miraculously, no one's died yet, but there are a lot of things they don't know about each other, or their dead friend, or his opponent, so it is of course going horribly for them anyway. 😌

I'm so close to being done! I have restructured it four times and this is the only one that worked, so it's got 7 sections of 3 chapters each, and I've only got one section left, and thank GOD cuz it's taken a solid four years to get to this level of completed draft. It needs some tweaking but it largely all coheres, which is very exciting!!!

[taleweaver-ramblings]

I know the world doesn't need another "basics of design for non-designers" post/site/guide, but storm me if I am not sometimes tempted to write one anyway (and then make it required reading for any ministry leader who wants to make their own graphics to be used on Official Church Things).

[luddlestons]

so for veilguard i have created a chaotic hunk elf with blue hair and pronouns

[oh-meow-swirls]

people complaining about yo-kai watch supposedly being a pokemon rip-off is honestly so funny to me. inspiration is literally a good thing. that's like saying platformers are all ripoffs of mario or some shit like that and i'm sure everyone can agree how stupid that'd be-

[toastysol]

I don't get why everyone's surprised that the brotherhood use the correct pronouns with Dane. I think people have forgotten a major aspect of the fallout environment. The bombs falling destroyed conventional societal norms. This includes any political agenda to erase trans people from history and the future. Also this is fiction. The brotherhood of steel are not a conservative christian political party. They care about what they dub "abuse of technology", this includes the biproducts thereof. The only people who fit that category are synths and mutants who they view as abominations that need to be exterminated. If trans people even counted as abuse of technology (which they don't and shouldn't, as the technology used for transition is helpful and not hurtful), they would be so far down the list the brotherhood wouldn't care. Why would they care. It's really not a big deal imo. It's a big deal in OUR world, but not theirs. Not by a long shot.

[pa-pa-plasma]

one of the things that will always destroy me is people believing that good story = darker/more mature/more sexual. this belief has ruined so many stories that could have been amazing & has prevented almost everyone from enjoying other really good stories simply because the age range it's aimed at is one they believe can't have complex themes, characters, plot, etc etc. they don't believe they can be moved by something a publisher or studio decided is for kids & so write it off without even thinking about it. biggest curse of being a writer who actually loves stories & telling them is that literally no one else cares in the most pessimistic, higher-than-thou, capitalism brainrot way you can imagine. & it's all automatic. because that's just what you're taught.

[black-queen-rising]

New competitor for my list of: Top 3 Weirdest Phenomena in My Absolute Weirdest Fandom Experience of All Time.

Reading something that broadly fits under the #anti-HotD umbrella, that acknowledges the story’s underlying message of the destructive power of systemic misogyny, talks about how the show is incredibly reductive in it’s “feminism” benevolent misogyny, and how none of the characters are done well…and then after all of that flips things back around to say “and that’s why Rhaenyra was always wrong, why her reign would’ve ended in horrible destruction no matter what, why the simple energy or will to try to incrementally change this terrible system via the existing laws and precedents (which I have decided to obfuscate) was doomed to fail, and nothing ever will or can change.”

My brother in fandom do you truly not see a single inconsistency talking about ~toxic misogyny~ to justify a system and position that’s more conservative than Queen Mary I and Queen Elizabeth I? More importantly, are you really going to talk about a narrative in which every. single. character. is eventually put through immense psychological torment ending in tragic death because said destructive misogyny. You can recognize what the show has done is reductive and ultimately harmful, congrats. Can you explain to me why Alicent and Aegon and Rhaenys and Helaena and (yes, no matter how much you hate them) Daemon, and Aemond, and once again every. single. character. were ultimately victimized, traumatized, lost everything, and then died in misery without bringing up the “choice” you believe Rhaenyra made to go to war?

No???

The point is that it does not matter if you work for the system or against it, if you are disadvantaged or privileged by it, if it has given you everything or taken it all away; when that system of toxic misogyny is left to flourish and let loose as a weapon against your enemies it will not spare anyone, when there is no counterweight to it the destruction will not die down it will simply grow worse, and choosing sides is pointless not because they’re “both bad” but because they have all been victimized by that system far worse than they ever could’ve been by each other.

You wanted a tragedy so bad? Congratulations, you’ve found one. Now stop wasting your time being pissy that Rhaenyra isn’t MacBeth no matter how bad you want her to be and start reckoning with the fact they were all forced to be Antigone no matter how desperately you want the ones who externally validate your views to be the only ones justified.

[cnl0400]

Something that bothers me Is that everytime one of the "trio" Is given spotlight, the same old discourse happens of "do you want them to be dateable?" And Some people answer that No, because "they will take Time of the other cast" I'm sorry but having more or less characters isn't part of the problem. Look at season 1 of OG, and any event before the side characters became dateable. The problem Is the devs playing favorites, even If w still had 7 characters, the same problem would still be there.

Giving Thirteen a kiss scene will not rob of Beelzebub of an spotlight or giving Mephisto a hug of Asmodeus having screentime. The problem Is Mammon having 3 spotlights this year when we still have characters that haven't had one. The problem Is the devs pushing Lucifer as the center of the universe in the Main Story of NB. Why do you blame the characters that barely appear of robbing you of something that they aren't giving you anyways?

[dawnthefluffyduck]

Sunday doodle (singular)