#this is my second favorite growth arc

[firstdegreefangirl]

Tim, coming around on Tamara (3.02/5.12)

[omarcitoloves]

simon's arc and growth in s3 was one of my favorite storylines and is one of the main reasons i like s3 so much.

in s1 we got to see the foundations of such a beautiful complex character - a boy who loves his family and those who have earned their way into his heart almost more than himself, loyal to a fault, vibrant and not afraid to make himself more of an outsider by standing by his ethos and personality.

and simon being his truest self taught the 2 most important ppl in his life their key lessons. sara now understands the gift of giving ppl second chances and wanting to hope they wont always fuck it all up. and wille learned everything from simon. how to love unashamedly. how to believe in yourself. how to look outside of yourself. how to speak your mind. how to forgive. how to live freely

idk i think there is something so missing in ppl who cant understand his character in s3 and maybe its a lack of life experience but knowing when you need to remove yourself from a situation that is destroying you and the ppl you love is important and real. he made himself so small to try and fit for willes life and that hurt them both, wille needed shining simon as much as simon did.

love is not always enough and simon was brave for recognizing that. for continuing to stand by issues and ideals that were deeply important to him. to recognize when his own actions were causing ppl harm. to continue to forgive and give ppl more chances despite being hurt but also knowing when he needs to put himself first

on my first watch of s3ep6 it something i couldnt stop thinking abt and i stand by it on a few rewatches, for someone so integral to everyone's personal growth bc he was that catalyst or lesson for them, he felt a bit forgotten. and i get there was a lot of loose ends to be tied up but im ngl he felt a little rushed/in limbo bc of it but i still think he had a full beautiful arc in s3. and the way ppl still damn him for every move makes me wish he had even more time to develop throughout esp s2 i wish everyone could see just how beautiful and complex simon is and how he is the base of everyone around him

[sarabethsilver]

One thing that frustrates me about Gilmore Girls is the way Jess is written between S2 and S3. Or more accurately, how other characters' reactions to him are written.

S2 Jess causes trouble, there's no way around that. But the townsfolk are way too hard on him, and the show is VERY clear about that. We're meant to see Taylor as hysterically overreacting about Jess. We're meant to see the Town Meeting about evicting him as a bad thing. We're meant to feel badly that the town blames him for the car accident. We're meant to think that Lorelai was completely unreasonable in that situation. Jess has FLAWS, sure. Even Rory and Luke, arguably the only two people who give Jess a chance, are pretty clear in sharing their thoughts when he's made a mistake. But Rory and Luke are not wrong when they speak about Jess' strengths and potential. And S2 wants me to know that!

But in S3? Suddenly the message seems to be that Jess was bad all along. Which is especially weird because S3 Jess doesn't really cause trouble. Instead, his minor mistakes in his relationship with Rory are blown up into catastrophes. Rory is SAD. She hates who she is with Jess (which is apparently Jess' fault, and has nothing to do with her own lack of communication skills). Rory stops defending Jess. She regrets ending things with Dean, and ultimately describes choosing Jess as a mistake. Jess flunks out of school, and it's presented like it was 100% his dumb fault. Jess then falls apart at Kyle's party, and it's presented like the obvious and unavoidable conclusion to his arc. (Dean? The guy who STARTED the fight? Is portrayed as justified, even honorable.) Luke steals Jess' car and kicks him out, and the show is utterly committed to portraying this as a necessary step in Jess' growth. Luke questions himself about that choice for exactly one second... and he's IMMEDIATELY assured that he did nothing wrong. A message the show sticks with, by the way, for the rest of the series. Luke HAD to kick Jess out. It was NECESSARY. Jess needed to HIT ROCK BOTTOM.

It just feels like a missed opportunity. S2 was such a fun exploration of the faulty judgments and assumptions adults can make about teenagers. The show highlighted the unfair pressure adults put on Jess AND Rory. We were exploring the idea of "good" kids and "bad" kids, and how both types of assumptions are reductive and harmful. Great stuff, and a big reason why S2 is my favorite season.

But then S3 rushes to "correct" that notion by emphatically concluding that Jess is BAD and Rory is GOOD and the adults were right all along. And Jess doesn't become good until much later. After he's "learned his lesson" by getting kicked out, thoroughly chastised, and silenced into the "right" kind of good behavior.

[absolutebl]

What to watch after Pit Babe? Thai BL Actor Guide

So you loved Pit Babe and you wanna see your favorite BL boy in his old series? But should you?

Here's a guide...

Babe AKA Pavel - 2 Moons 2

Pavel is one of my favorite actors in BL (he's this blog's icon for a reason) and actually 2 Moons 2 is pretty good, primarily because of his character, Forth. Who has an actual character evolution and growth arc... in a BL!

Amazing.

Don't be fooled 2 Moons 2 is a reboot and extension of 2 Moons, not a spin off. So you don't have to have watched the first iteration, in fact I recommend against it.

Anygay, the main couple of 2M2 is naff, but Forth is great and Pavel is great as that character. He has good chemistry with his pairing, and as a BL fan it's not a bad idea to know your 2 Moon's roots. 2 Moons is one of the most popular Y-novels ever written, one of the most popular shows of it's time, and the perpetuator of many Thai BL tropes.

Pavel's second BL, Coffee Melody, is not worth watching.

If Babe was your favorite character, and Babe & Charlie a pairing you enjoy, I would suggest Big Dragon as your next BL. Same vibes, high heat, chaotic. Another possibility is the slightly lower heat but stil unhinged Laws of Attraction.

You also might like some stuff out of Taiwan. They tend to have the angst + high heat + sappy softness that characterized Charlie + Babe.

Way AKA Nut - Oxygen

Nut is way different in his previous rolls, as the lead in both Oxygen, and Something in My Room. Same gorgeous voice and soulful eyes and Nut tends to play sensitive torn characters but the similarities end there.

In Oxygen, his acting is stiff. In fact, Oxygen as a whole is pretty stiff. I like it very much and it is a big comfort watch for me because of it's smooth peaceful softness, but it's flawed, slow and awkward. I did an episode by episode thing for that show (my first watch along).

In his second BL, Something in My Room, Nut demonstrates improved acting and chemistry, but I don't recommend it. It's a touch of horror, built on the "my ghost boyfriend" trope, and it's quite sad.

So try Oxygen but if what you're after is more BL with a Way-like main character then I would recommend Moonlight Chicken or The Eclipse chewy BL with sensitive boys and some grey morality.

Jeff AKA Pon - Starhunter Talent

Pon was with Starhunter before this and so has appearances in several of their BLs. He's demonstrated great natural acting talent, charisma, and good chemistry with all his pairs but because he often appeared in chaotic ensemble pieces has been easily forgotten (including by me). Starhunter chronically underused him but also utterly miss-applied him.

Gen Y 2 is actually a master class in flawed casting. They put Pon into a triangle, where he plays a fated mate pining uke against a very stiff lead pair - but they expected us not to want him to be end game. Big mistake. Watch this mess if you just want to see how a good actor can eat up all the air of a bad pair, winning hearts and influencing fans.

Otherwise the Gen Y series is a bloated mess, and I can't recommend them. I trashed watched so you don't have too. While Pon demonstrates skills against a backdrop of ranging tallent, oddball story, and chaotic outcomes I wouldn't have bothered if not for the dumpster fire.

Pon's first BL is The Moment, and he's good in it, but it's a terrible show. Boring and plotless.

He's fantastic in Make A Wish but only a side part (despite what is said in MDL) and his arc is VERY sad. Still it's a GREAT under appreciated BL, I recommend it as the one to watch if you have to see Pon in something else. It's nothing like Pit Babe though.

Yeah our pathway for Pon ends here, so lets look, instead, at

Alan & Jeff - Bed Friend

This was Sailub's first BL role, and I speak for all of us when I say... more please.

So instead of a watching a pathway for him, I'm gonna give you a few BL suggestions based on the assumption that this side couple was your favorite from this series (as it was mine).

What we had with this pairing was

older sensitive sweetheart sunshine seme + tortured dark scared tsundere uke.

FUN dynamic! Here are some options where this style took center stage:

Bed Friend

Between Us

Love By Chance (AePete only)

Triage

Tokyo in April is

I Became the Main Role of a BL

Pete & Kenta - Word of Honor

Ah you like your boys troubled with money, questionable morals, and the slight inclination to pick at their fingernails with a knife?

Neither Garfield nor Ping have done other BLs but here are my picks for BLs that feature this kind of character and dynamic, and we are leaving Thailand for these (since it's darker territory than Thailand usually handles... well).

HIStory 3: Trapped 

Long Time No See 

Irresistible Love

Word of Honor

Where Your Eyes Linger

Other familiar faces

NORTH AKA Michael

North played by Michael was our big comedy insert for this show.

But all his roles prior to this were very serious. Till the World Ends and Call It What You Want are practically depressing, even his role in Oxygen is pretty dark. He actually has been in BL a very long time, he was one of Noh's friends in Love Sick at just 18. Frankly, that'd waht you should watch if you are gonna watch any of his back catelogue, but it's NOTHING like Pit Babe or his role in it, still it's the beginning of Thai BL and Noh is a little sunshine of chaos, and it's great so...

Where was I?

If you really want a comedic himbo lead character there are are quite a few out there, and it's a crazy playing field because Japan is in it to win it.

Leaving aside high school stuff, here are some options:

Cherry Magic (Japan)

Ossan’s Love 

Mr Unlucky Can Only Kiss

Love Tractor

Bad Buddy

Love Stage!!

My Day

History 4: Close to You

KIM AKA Benz

Benz who played Kim has also done BL before, En of Love: This Is Love Story, but it is not good and not worth watching.

While I want the queer Falling Into Your Smile or Love O2O or Appledog more than anything, that doesn't exist. We have yet to have a true gaymer BL. (I mean come on, nerdy queer is practically a stereotype at this point, where is it?)

All of which is to say if Kim was your favorite... I don't know. Our Dating Sim maybe Semantic Error?

WINNER AKA Pop

Pop has lead out a BL, it's a very slow, very queer, very unwatched piece called La Cuisine.

@heretherebedork and I loved it, but it's hard to imagine anyone else enjoying it. You have to be a hard BL stan to tolerate the pace and pulp quality of that one. He's a completely different character but if you really like the actor try him in La Cuisine, I think he was better cast for that than Pit Babe.

I just enjoyed the show in general, what's next?

In general, if you really enjoyed Pit Babe itself as a series (and it's multiple couples and chaotic noise and erratic concept) you're in the KinnPorsche camp of Thai BL. I actually made a "watch next" pathways and rating guide for that show, which might work for you.

Specifically I would say Manner of Death. It's a little more focused in character and plot but still a wild ride. And MaxTul are the Kings for a reason.

You might also try Not Me, Never Let Me Go, and 3 Will Be Free although all of these, coming from GMMTV, are lower heat levels than Pit Babe.

Finally, seriously, try The Sign. I know it was airing "in competition" but there is room in your heart for both shows. I promise. They have the same wild sexy energy, and are loads of fun.

(source)

[lurkingshan]

Cherry Magic Episode 12

MY HEART IS FO FULL. This adaptation has exceeded my wildest expectations to become one of my favorite bls of all time. They really put their backs into it and gave us everything we could want for these characters, and I will always be grateful. This show managed to be a faithful manga adaptation, a loving homage to the jbl, and a fresh take on the story all at once. An amazing feat to pull off and this creative team deserves so much love and kudos.

The way Achi and Karan have grown together over the course of this show has been fantastic to witness. I love how seriously the show took their growth, and that we got to see them put in the work to improve their communication and become a great team. Meeting the parents was a big step for them, especially because they were uncertain how their respective families would react, but I loved that they were so open with each other throughout about how they were feeling. I loved, too, that we got a contrast, with Achi's mom being so warm and loving (but still managing to get a dig in on her son, lmao) and Karan's being more avoidant and passive aggressive and needing a talking to her from her eldest child to get her shit together. I love that the drama created space for things to not go perfectly with the parents, and to show us that people can be moved to acceptance.

We got a bit of a parallel with that message in Jinta and Min's story this week, with Min's fans initially attacking Jinta, but backing off once Min named him as his faen and asked them to respect his relationship. I like the choice to model positive fan behavior, and it felt a bit pointed from this production company. Both with Pai and now with this new group of fans, the show has said consistently that being a fan should be about love and support, not control. That you can admire your idols but you also need to give them privacy. That it's not your place to judge who they love. I just love that message.

Of course, I have to talk about the mutual proposal and the wedding. I am pretty sure Karan has been carrying that ring around in his pocket since the second day of dating, but it was such a welcome surprise to see that Achi had already made his own plans, too. The show really succeeded in taking this relationship from something that felt a little one-sided to a very mutual partnership I can believe in. I teared up when right along with Karan when Achi followed Karan's proposal with his own, and you could see how much it meant to him to know that Achi is really truly on the same page. Getting to see their wedding and the love surrounding them on their special day was the cherry (lol) on top of this fantastic love story. I also absolutely loved the wink to the jbl elevator non-kiss in the way they framed their final married couple kiss and then cut away from the bed.

Continuing the love fest, I also love the changes this version made to the side couple's story. Min getting to fulfill his dream, Jinta being an excellent supportive partner, their agreement that they will marry someday when they're ready--it was all just lovely. The nod to the jbl pen proposal was cute, and I love that they took it a step further by drawing rings on each other. The flip in the sexual relationships was also quite welcome, with that triumphant arc reserved for the main couple in this version. Jinta ended the show with his magical powers still intact, but it didn't seem like that would be the case for long.

As for Rock and Pai, I am happy with how the show handled their story. To the end, Pai stayed true to herself, and Rock came to know her better and understand what kind of romantic relationship he could reasonably expect from her. She will always have her head more on her ships than on her own love life, and he seems okay with it. I think you can still take an aroace read on this Pai if you choose, and I appreciate that the show made space for that. I like, too, that Pai helped Rock reconnect with his own passion for dancing and find a fun outlet for his creativity. They were another reinforcement of this show's overarching themes about the importance of kindness, support, and clear communication in relationships.

This show left me with such a warm feeling. I'm so glad they stuck the landing, that episode 8 never happened, and that we can rewatch and remember this Cherry Magic so fondly. I never expected Thailand to go so above and beyond the original live action drama, but they have undoubtedly delivered my favorite version of this story.

[edibleashell]

TUA S4 feels

Pretty sure that Umbrella Academy S4 finale left a permanent scar on my psyche. Still one of my favorite shows but I might just end after season 3 in future rewatches. So many issues with S4.

In like episode 1 we got Ben and Jennifer touching and that started a countdown to the end of the world and the whole season was just junk to fill that time. So many good ideas that weren't done properly at all. Shuffling their powers? Alternate timelines? Hargreaves owning pretty much everything? Abigail just being alive? Pointless.

Luther was just a repeating loop of stripper and home decorating jokes.

Diego should have been a martial arts instructor or something not a depressed delivery guy. A bunch of jokes about him getting out of shape only to reveal that he's still jacked. He throws a potted plant and misses. His arc is just Big Sad for no reason and the relationships he built in the first three seasons were apparently irrelevant, if anyone would have been taking care of Safety Klaus it would have been him.

Allison's character was just an accessory to Klaus, after three seasons of her trying to reclaim the family she lost she ended up spending more time as a tool to Klaus's arc than she did with Claire. And Ray just being casually written out was so disrespectful.

Klaus, oh poor Klaus, my favorite character, what did they do to you? He should have been a nurse or something but instead he was paranoid, then pissed off because the writers decided that Klaus would equate marigold with drugs and just fall right off the wagon? And then he goes to some sketchy guy he owes money to even though S1 Klaus is shown just buying drugs from random people? All to justify his prisoner plot, none of which had any real impact. And he can fly for a second for some reason. Okay.

Five working for the CIA was bad. He should have been the retired fun uncle to Claire and Grace. After spending fifty years trying to get back to his family why did he keep leaving them? Why did he hook up with his brother's wife after only six years? And am I supposed to believe that in every timeline he has the same haircut? That none of the other Fives lost their arm? How did he never notice his boss's blatant umbrella tattoo? He just casually strolls through "his" apocalypse as though he doesn't have ptsd, and why were he and Lila living off sewer rats when they had infinite timelines to scavenge?

I was so excited to see Ben witg the family but one episode in he becomes a bomb and fucks off with a girl who can hardly be called a character.

Viktor was the only character I thought got some form of authenticity and justified growth, his arc kind of seemed like a ripoff of S3 Klaus though. And we missed out on what could have been a really beautiful scene of him drawing the upside down umbrella on his arm.

Lila went from "I don't want to be like my mom" to a motherhood cliche. And what was the deal with her family? She just found her parents and they immediately accepted her or something? Was there another Lila in this universe? That made no sense. If anyone would have joined the CIA it would have been her. Her and Diego should have been weird parents teaching their kids how to fight and kill but instead they got some domestic life that those characters never belonged in.

And there's so much more! Abigail is alive? Hardly relevant. Why did she body snatched Gene, it didn't really seem to change anything. The Keepers existed only to be a minor obstacle in the last episode. And are her and Reggie aliens? Why? How? What's the point?

AND DURANGO? THAT'S A CAR! Harland named marigold and for a farm kid that makes sense (though the retconned acceptance of that word into Umbrella vocabulary was irksome) But Durango? Abigail is a scientist and she names The Bad Dust after an SUV? Why?

AND WHY WAS THERE ZERO QUEERNESS? Each of the first three seasons had some sort of queer arc but not this one. I still wonder if some higher-up didn't intentionally assassinate the show as backlash for the immense respect S3 gave Elliot Page.

One last thing, music is a big part of the show, they've always put such thought and care into the soundtrack and it makes sense knowing who the creators are, so why, of all songs, was Baby Damn Shark the first song to be featured in like three episodes? It seems intentionally disrespectful.

I'm done, rant over, I'll never recover from this.

[remember-digimon]

Next up is my favorite, Matt!

Wow what a cool guy.

So, Matt is usually described as a loner, Tai's rival, and the Angsty Cool Guy. None of these actually describe who he is, so let's dive into that.

1. Loner. Matt isn't a loner, he's lonely. Big difference. He keeps others at a very long arm's length as a self-preservation mechanism; due to his parents' divorce basically breaking his little heart at a really young age. He learned then that other people could hurt him by leaving, and decided from then on he wouldn't give them the opportunity to hurt him. His loneliness is so deeply rooted that it's interpreted by others as aloofness, while he is only 11 years old. Like damn wtf

2. Tai's rival. Outside of the Cherrymon incident, which was just good ol' manipulation to get the two most powerful Digimon in the group to fight, Matt was really only considered Tai's rival in early promotional stuff that had a little bio for each character. Matt likely gets interpreted as Tai's rival because they fight a lot, but it's not that simple. Matt doesn't want to compete with Tai, he doesn't want to be the leader. He butts heads with Tai because they're basically opposites. Matt is acutely aware of the group's feelings and needs, while Tai remains laser-focused on the goal at hand. This dynamic isn't like Ash vs Gary, where they're actively competing with each other. Matt gets frustrated with Tai very easily, and he feels things so intensely that he can't really help but blow up.

3. Cool Guy. Let's get one thing straight, this kid right here is not cool. This was more of a thing in the dub iirc, but regardless, his attitude is just a cover to keep people from getting too close. Hell, it takes Gabumon a few episodes longer than the other Digimon to really get close to Matt; before that point, Matt certainly isn't a total dick to Gabumon, but he isn't fully trusting yet either.

Matt's relationship with TK is an interesting one. He feels like it's his sole purpose to protect TK, not just from monsters but from anything unpleasant in life. All of the familial love and affection he gets comes from TK so it's understandable why he would feel this way.

One complaint I often hear about Matt is that his breakdown in the Dark Masters arc when TK gets kidnapped by Puppetmon is way overblown, that he wouldn't normally react that way. He left TK at the amusement park during Weregarurumon's Diner, and when he couldn't immediately leave he didn't break down like that.

The difference in these situations is obvious if you pay close attention. First of all, from the time the kids get up on the day Bakemon raid Odaiba to when they're back at the digital world and split up after talking to Homeostasis, is all one day. It feels much longer because of how many episodes that is, but they're all on at least 24 hours without sleep or taking a break. Also, keep in mind that Matt woke up earlier than the others, before sunrise, as his dad got him and Gabumon to the warehouse to keep them from getting abducted by the Bakemon.

Second, in that span of time the kids have all realized what they're up against. They've lost Wizardmon, Chuumon, Piximon, and Whamon in quick succession, the last three to the Dark Masters. Learning that his little brother has now been captured by one of these Dark Masters would lead Matt to fearing the worst.

Then there's the big fight he had with Tai just prior to the breakdown. He accused Tai of being obsessed with fighting and ignoring the others' grief at the loss of their Digimon friends. By the time he and TK are in the tree with their Digimon, he's already showing signs of wanting to break away from the group, saying that they don't need the others.

Matt also feels that his growth is stagnant compared to the others; this is untrue, as Gabumon would not be able to digivolve to higher levels if Matt wasn't growing and changing. But his self-image is so damaged that he always sees the negative aspects of his personality when comparing himself to his peers.

And of course we have to talk about the Dark Cave. Because of how the Digital World operates, Matt's depression materializes and manifests as a cave that he can't escape until he comes to terms with it. Obviously this quick recovery from a depression spiral is not based in reality, but this is an episodic kid's show so I'm surprised we even got this much.

Matt's experience in the cave is one that a lot of people who have dealt with depression and loneliness can relate to. He says he wants to be alone, but Gabumon calls him out on that and makes him realize that isn't what he wants, actually. He wants to be more open with people, he's just under the impression that he's not really important, not wanted, so it's better off to just not even try. His relationship with his mother is highly strained because of the divorce, and because he has an overwhelming sense of loyalty he probably feels he has to be cold to her for his father's sake.

As for his father, Hiroaki is at work more often than not. Every time we see Hiroaki and Matt interact, Hiroaki is either brisk and business-like or even annoyed; when Matt meets up with him at the TV station, Hiroaki is angry that he didn't stay hidden. Obviously this is out of concern for his son, but still. A moment later, when TK shows up, suddenly Hiroaki is much softer in speaking. So I imagine that this dynamic would also have an impact on Matt's mental health; his dad is almost always at work, and when we do see him with his dad, Hiroaki is a bit tough with him.

But it isn't all sad times and angst with Matt. He loves music, later forming a popular band in middle school and high school. Once he realizes that he can open up to people, and they won't intentionally hurt him, he's able to create real, lasting relationships that aren't based on the cold exterior he uses to protect himself. It's clear that he needed to learn to let others in, and once he did learn that, he becomes much happier and more willing to open up and let those walls down. Even if it's just a little bit.

[morurui]

CHAOS THEORY SEASON 2 REVIEW

Non-Spoiler TLDR it’s the best season so far and season one was already amazing. 10/10

Now onto the spoilers

Oh my god that season was such a whirlwind wasn’t it? I’m still processing it as I’m writing, but I found it to be such an improvement from an already amazing first season! Here are some things I would love to point out:

Brooklynn

I felt like she was done so so well this season. Her B plot was honestly the best thing in the season and every time it cut away from her I would get upset due to the fact that I just wanted to know everything she was up to (that doesn’t mean the rest of the seasons content was worse in comparison though). I loved the way the explored her character especially with her adjusting to her disability and I really loved that final scene at the end where instead of the expected with her going with the group she sticks to her plan and leave them. I just loved her character, she was written so well

Zayna and Geba

I LOVE ZAYNA SO MUCH! She was such a breathe of fresh air in the group dynamic and the way she bounced off the others was great. She’s so funny and reminds me so much of CC Yasmina and Darius and her friendship with Geba was just everything (I love Geba I’m so glad nothing bad happened to her). Her sibling ship with Sammy and later Darius was just so well written and I loved the growth it added to all three characters. Also the fact that her dad is so much like Darius as well as Darius’s dad was everything, I loved her family.

Kenji

I’m not going to make a separate thing for every character (I might make a separate post about each of their arcs later on) but I just want to mention Kenji character arc this season. Oh my god was it just so emotional. While at times it felt like he was the comedic relief it wasn’t necessarily supposed to come off that way (from what I gathered). Every time he would try to laugh something it just made me even more sad for him and it’s clear his risk taking behaviors are a way of him hiding his depressive symptoms. That last scene too with Brooklynn…I fear he might not be getting better anytime soon. Love him so much one of my favorites this season

Stakes and Villians

The stakes this season just felt so real. I was holding my breath every two seconds and I genuinely felt like the campers lives were actually at risk especially when Yaz gets left behind and the entirety of episode 8. Soyona was also just such a genuine threat to the campers and was such a step up from the kind of goofy villains of camp cretaceous past (she’s also a baddie but you didn’t hear me say this). This season was also so much darker in tone and it was just muah chefs kiss.

And finally favorite episodes

My favorite episodes this season had to be episode 3, 7, and 8. They made me go crazy and insane, this review will be too long if I elaborate on them so let’s leave it at that.

Thank you for reading if you made it to the end of my word vomit, but I really loved this season and I can’t wait for the next one.

[trans-queen-administrator]

Taylor being paranoid about her passenger is such a fun character trait. Like none of her friends really seemed to give much of a shit when they learned about passengers from Bonesaw, but Taylor consistently notes the times her passenger acted without her consent, she tries to talk with it, communicate with it, just anything to learn what this thing that can control her without her say wants with her. One of my favorite little details is that during the timeskip this was the focus of a lot of her therapy sessions with Yamada, trying methods like hypnosis to communicate. I think part of it is that she's inherently just paranoid about the fact that this thing is helping her sometimes and she doesn't know why and she HAS to figure it out because no one would help out of the kindness of their heart, and another part is just that she can't bear to not be in control and this is something that threatens that in a very ominous way.

Another aspect of her paranoia towards her passenger is that she doesn't want to take blame for her own actions I think. During the Behemoth fight when her ally tried to shoot Phil Sē, she pulled the gun off target with silk and got him killed. She's the one who pulled the string, but because she's genuinely unsure if it was her being wary or her passenger setting up the string she settles on the second option because it absolves her of the possible blame or need to admit she's paranoid and ready to betray people in an instance. When Glenn shows her the video of her being the most terrifying fucker in existence she ignores how horrifying she is and fixated on how her passenger moved her, and then she doesn't have to think about the fact that she'd fit right into the ranks of the Slaughterhouse Nine because well, she can blame her passenger and focus on that instead. This applies to other people too, she sees Lung not using his power and thinks that maybe he's concerned about his passenger like she is. She projects hard onto Sophia in my opinion when she says that she got violent because of her passenger. If this person she doesn't like isn't to blame for everything she inflicted on Taylor, the surely Taylor can't be blamed for the violent steps she took to take over a city. It's another way she rationalizes everything to herself, if something is so bad that she can't justify it immediately there's always the excuse of "my passenger made me do it." But crucially, Taylor ends up being aware of the fact that she's doing this during Gold Morning.

And I think it's really good that this is something she grows and accepts about herself. It's wonderful growth for a character who's so often too stubborn to move herself forward. She's generally more in touch with her passenger during Gold Morning, like the time when she thinks that her and her passenger were in agreement in wanting to hurt Scion on the oil rig. No one else in Worm really seems to accept their passengers, Riley is questioning how much of herself has been subsumed by it, Eidolon is always annoyed it doesn't give what he wants, and most other people don't even know about them. But Taylor forms a bit of a symbiosis with hers after a long time rejecting it at every turn. I think this quote really sums up her feelings towards the end.

And by towards the end I mean like, at the very end, because immediately after this thought she becomes Khepri, and yet another fucking theme and character trait cumulates and reaches its peak with Speck. God damn what a good arc. The blur between Taylor and her passenger that she always feared is finally an actual thing consuming her, and she can finally communicate with her passenger as well. I do wonder what this is like on her passengers end. It's clearly down for the idea of killing its maker, and it's heavily implied that her passenger does care and doesn't want to actually leave Taylor as a husk (too lazy to get the quote because I've been typing for 45 minutes but Contessa remarks upon the administrator claiming everything about her until there's nothing left and she feels fear that she thinks is from both her and her passenger. 30.7 I think, near the end). But there's still so much about Taylor's passenger that's unknown. Was communication something it may have wanted when Taylor kept trying to communicate, but doing so required punching holes in the connection that would lead to more bleed through and functionally destroy its host? Did it slowly grow to care for Taylor more than the cycle, or was it always wanting to fight Scion? Did Taylor's autistic swag convince a multidimensional alien made of crystal to rebel? Is Queen Administrator trans? Idk how to end this post if it's not obvious, sorry.

[the-badger-mole]

Love how you shamelessly hate Aang—I mean this totally as a compliment by the way! I’m so tired of seeing “I ship Zutara but I LOOOOVE Aang he’s a cinnamon roll baby!!!” and “you can like Zutara and also like Aang” and “it’s the WRITING that’s bad not Aang!” takes…ugh. Please. He’s a cartoon character and I don’t like him. That isn’t a crime. He’s boring at best and an entitled borderline abusive little shit at worst. I don’t like him! It’s so refreshing to read your blog, I don’t understand this fandom’s obsession with acting like he’s a real child we have to coddle

I don't understand it either. Then again, I will go to the mat to defend some pretty controversial characters, so who am I to judge (justice for Mr. Collins!) ? I don't mind that other people like him -some of my favorite people in the fandom like him- as long as they don't come after me for not liking him.

But yeah, the defense of him boiling down to "bad writing" always felt off. To me, bad writing is when the character suddenly takes actions that seem to come out of nowhere. Aang's actions in the back half of ATLA and into the comics and LoK track. They track very well with who he was even in the first season. Yes, he got worse as the series progressed, but the seeds were always there. I guess, if you want to make an argument for it being bad writing, you could talk about how his bad traits in the first half seemed to be setting up a growth arc that was abandoned in the second half. There's an argument to be made there, but it's not an argument that Aang's worst traits were OOC for him. I am not shocked at the kind of family Aang ended up having. I'm not shocked at how Kataang the couple turned out. I'm only shocked that Bryke managed to be that honest about Aang without realizing how awful he was.

[itseyaaaa]

Do you mind if I ask your top 10 favorite characters (can be male or female) from all of the media that you loved (can be anime/manga, books, movies or tv series)? And why do you love them? Sorry if you've answered this question before.....Thanks...

tbh it was hard to choose just 10 but i managed to do it so here u are!!

1) ADAM PARRISH from the raven cycle. He is the most relatable character I ever read so he deserves first place. Loved him since the beginning and keep on doing it. I usually never relate to characters but then he came in my life and i found myself staring at the pages while reading his thoughts bc that was how I felt too and it was kinda shocking.

2) JEAN MOREAU from All For The Game series. Since he was just a background character in the first 3 books I didn't mind him much, but then I read the extra content and his story broke me so much and I couldn't stop thinking about him, then the 4th book about him came out and I'm even more in love with him even tho he keeps make me cry. His story keeps tormenting me hoping he will get the happy ending he deserves.

3)HUA CHENG from Tian Guan Ci Fu. The greenest man in the world!!! Waited 800 years for the love of his life and he even died for him. He is just so perfect that I couldn't help but love him.

4) MONKEY D. LUFFY from One Piece. Only God knows how much I would give to have Luffy knocking on my door and ask me to join his crew. The happiness he brings, the serenity I would have if I had him in my life. The way he is a savior without even trying like pls come and save me too from this meaningless life and let's go have adventures in weird islands!!!

5) STILES STILINSKI from TeenWolf. He is my supreme teencrush. Never had a crush like this for an actor/tv character. He's literally the type of guy I would marry without second thoughts.

6)XERXE BREAK from Pandora Hearts. It's my favourite manga ever and his character was so interesting to read about, his powers, his story, the way he was connected with Abyss, his being mysterious and weird sometime, his intelligence, everything about him got my attention since the beginning. And personally his legal Chain had one of the best design and powers in the whole manga.

7) FA MULAN from Mulan . She was my childhood crush and I know the Disney movie by memory. I admired her so much and I wanted to be her since I was a child and my admiration still exist even now. she was an icon and a legend!!

8)SHERLOCK HOLMES from Moriarty the Patriot. Always liked sherlock as character but this version is the ultimate perfection. The animation design is stunning and the character too. I have a thing for intelligent men and he is the first one on the list.

9) MAKI ZENIN from Jujutsu Kaisen. Big ass crush for her since the beginning but then I read the Zenin Clan Arc and I was on my knees for her. A female character that it's not fanservice or a pretty face or two big boobs

10) SUNG JINWOO from Solo Leveling. It's my favourite manhwa and he is amazing. I actually have a bigger crush for Igris but it's one of his shadows but whatever. His story and growth is very interesting and I enjoyed reading it a lot.

[red-jaebyrd]

I just finished binging Fallout (yes, I realize I'm two months late). But this part was my absolute favorite.

He was so mean. Treated her horribly just because she was Hank's daughter. Lucy could have just left him there with nothing and let him go feral, but she didn't. She's so pure, naive, wonderfully weird, and a genuinely good person. She's believes there is good in all people to a fault.

Her conviction to her values is admirable, and there is definitely a significant growth in her character arc.

I never would have put Lucy and Maximus together, but it fits. Overall, I did like Copper Howard (The Ghoul). He had some good one-liners and I liked learning his backstory.

Norm was my second favorite character. For someone who "lacks enthusiasm" - he was extremely enthusiastic when it came to seeking the truth about vaults 31 - 33.

I really hope there is a season 2

[birdsandbeetlesandmoths]

This is entirely out of pocket for me but for context I watched the latest episode of BNHA. I- uhm, well, I initially didn’t care to watch the show anymore because I lost interest due to the fanbase and the pure hate I’d gotten after expressing enjoyment for it in the past.

My brother and my mother convinced me to watch S7 with them, and I did, and it was manageable to watch.

Up until episode 11. Spoilers for MHA/BNHA S7 under cut, this is most ramblings again but it awoke some dormant part of me who loved the show when I was younger and well yeah . .

Sooooo that episode right???

I think it might’ve changed me a bit. I’ve been generally very meh about the show/series for the better part of the last year, due to my dwindling interest in it and the absolute firestorm of fandom hate that drove me away.

But I’d been watching the season with my bro and mother, who I’d accidentally gotten hooked on the show nearly five years ago.

And while I did see it coming a bit with ep10, I don’t think it would’ve ever prepared me for (what I’m only assuming is permanent? I’m not knowledgeable of the manga past vol 30) Bakugo’s death.

The buildup was stunning. In comparison to many other seasons, especially the long haul of the latter half of season 6, the fight sequences in season 7 have been nothing short of spectacular. But the pure buildup to the moment of power, the music as well, the hope that is instilled in us as we watched him practically fly around to land his hits.

For context, I used to think Bakugo’s character was annoying as shit. Then again, as a preteen, it was very easy for me to hate on characters that were simply outwardly annoying. However, somewhere around season 5, I began to harbor a sympathy for him. He was far from my favorite character, but I began to enjoy his progress, his maturity, and seeing him onscreen more often.

I respected Bakugo. I understood his insecurities. My sympathy for him only strengthened.

His critical injury in season 6 (sorry if so much of what I say isn’t specific, I genuinely haven’t watched this show in a long freaking time/interacted with the media since 2022) had me freaked. I was worried for his character and I hadn’t read far enough in the manga to be able to determine whether he would be okay or not.

This time, I’m not sure he’s coming back to us. And I’m almost scared because I wasn’t exactly prepared for the single constant throughout the entirety of the series, Izuku’s rival but closest friend, to be gone within seconds.

And please, I’d like no manga spoilers in any rbs or comments.

Shigaraki saying that Bakugo was the closest person to Izuku was a line that made me pause and think. It made me suddenly flash back through all of the seasons and their relationship and their growth alongside each other. And holy shit it made me genuinely become invested in this guy’s slow but shocking character arc in this story.

It was a beautifully crafted thing and I haven’t felt so attached to a character that I didn’t know was a part of me in the first place, in a surprisingly long time.

So, in conclusion, Bakugo Katsuki is a really fucking interesting character. I was never all that about him, I respect and sympathize with him, and suddenly when he might be gone forever I realize how much I care about him. It’s odd how that happens, how this character can sneak up on me like that.

Anyways, I think this season alone is restoring my love for this story, for this show. The dark tone shift that Horikoshi took was one of the reasons why I loved it, and I think I’ve returned to that appreciation.

[josukegappyhigashikata]

The narrative purpose of a comeback: Finishing a character arc

So, after the release of the eleventh episode of All Stars I've seen a lot of people complaining about Connor coming back but he was easily one of the most sensible choices narratively speaking and I wanna discuss why and how he is one of the most sensible options to have been brought back to furthering the narrative of the characters in the show.

First of, I wanna say that I knew my season two favorites were not coming back. I knew James, Lake or Tess were not coming back as they had zero to none personal growth left for them. Disventure Camp is a show heavily focused on character arcs and those three characters had already finished their character arcs in their season. There was no need for them to come back.

On the other hand my two season one favorites, Ellie and Fiore, did have some chances but those chances were squashed on the episode. Why? Because they served their narrative purpose as characters. Fiore's unfulfillment was with Alec and the eleventh episode dedicated a lot of time to them bonding and mending their relationship showcasing an evolution for both characters. Ellie is on a weird spot since not only I wished she had more time with Gabby but also some more dialogue of how she is outside of the show but then I am not angry since this isn't about her, Ellie has been relegated second for Gabby's arc and so Gabby being alone is a requirement therefore Ellie can't be there.

Now Connor? That's a character that had stuff to do yet. I was a little bit foolish about Riya's character arc on a previous post but upon retrospectively I've realized that it would be quite a sour end to leave Riya as a one note villain just for a persona that gives her fame on a show with multiple characters showcasing how you need to deny online and public personas for your betterment (James, Ally and Grett) so Riya keeping in that area would not be proper.

Not only Riya but also Alec. If Jake is the character we focus the most on a personal narrative then Alec is the character we focus the most for an argumental narrative, most of the happenings in the show are a product or consequence of something related to Alec directly or indirectly almost all of the narrative is tied to Alec in some shape of form, even the Jake and Tom plus Aiden mess since he was the one that blew on the spark of Jake's insecurities... and what character would serve for Alec's narrative? Besides Fiore? Only Connor fits the bill since Connor and Alec relate to each other and formed a bond.

Besides, Connor also has a little bit of weight in another narrative... Trevor's. Now that Emily is gone Trevor would probably need a character to bounce off if his narrative with Derek is gonna be stretched out through the rest of the episodes and since him and Connor already bonded in a precious episode it would make the most sense for him to be the character to replace Emily as Trevor's support.

Connor will also serve other narrative purposes of course, especially with the Hero's Alliance since he will obviously join that side so maybe we'll see him bond over with Jake, Ally, Tom and Aiden or we might even see him bond with some villains like Gabby and Grett... that or it'll be straightforward and he'll just serve his narrative purpose for Alec, Riya and Trevor.

This is me not saying that the writing of Disventure Camp is perfect cuz it truly isn't and it showed a lot of its flaws during this episode and besides other issues that truly aren't my place to speak but I do wanna take Disventure Camp as a quick and easy jump point from talking about how we, as spectators, need to think of what creators are doing for the narrative and not think of what we would like the narrative do be or at least not until the story is finished. We need to think more pragmatic when it comes to analyzing stories, we can't just think of what we like or dislike since like or dislike are not only subjective to people but also they are reactions that the creator might want you to have.

Like, and this is very direct, why would you want your favorite character to come back for? What would Hunter be back for? What was left for James to do in his story? What would it add for Lake's character to come back? What did Fiore need for her character that wasn't given in this episode? What narrative would benefit from your favorite character coming back to the show?

[delawaredetroit]

hii (prev anon here, bkg favorite character). loved your reply! wanted to add that even if we do see bakugou save midoriya (and get stabbed in the process), I think there was SO much missed potential there.

because he does it "without thinking".

imagine if he'd put thought into it! if he'd made a decision (even if it's split second) to save midoriya without regard for his own life, that would have been a moment of character development, reminiscent of bnha's heavy themes of self-sacrifice. (in fact, i'd argue that making it decisive would be better reflective of bakugou's personality since he's shown to be very observant, smart, and thoughtful when he chooses to be --in that one water flooding the building episode?-- but that's just me)

it would've shown growth. it shows how "winning" becomes multi-dimensional. intention matters. and in this case, making such a grand moment unintentional seems like wasted potential.

(thought this was interesting)

I wouldn’t have minded the parallel of “my body moved on its own” if it was paired with later thought about the importance of saving others and valuing others above yourself being an important aspect of being a true hero. It’s a good callback to Izuku saving Bakugou from the sludge villain after all.

But he doesn’t. Bakugou in the following arc just determined that this kind of instinct to save was a mark of insanity and largely doubled down on prioritizing victory over everything else. He did make significant progress on working with others - because he was finally able to recognize that victory required other people’s power. But Bakugou never got to a point where he valued saving for its own sake, leaving the win to save/save to win theme even more hollow.

[velvetvexations]

You’re so cool AND you love yuyu hakusho…do you have a favorite character/arc?

Kurama, Dark Tournament arc.

Kurama is so fucking awesome. I love his characterization as someone who would prefer to live a normal human life and make his human mom happy, so he refuses to fuck around and if you fight him RIP because he's going to kill you as quickly and efficiently as possible. That's groundbreaking for a shonen series where every other protagonist is defined by a love of battle as an activity. Kurama is extremely good at what he does and would rather not have to get his hands dirty, but if you make him, you're going to regret it.

I think this is highlighted more in the English dub of the anime, which is one of many reasons I think it's the best version of YYH. For instance, this is how Roto's death goes in the sub, which is more accurate to the manga:

In the dub, the dialogue goes:

KURAMA: I'm afraid there won't be anything left of your evil life after that. ROTO: I'm just a low-class! I don't know any better! You believe in mercy, don't you? KURAMA: No.

That's way colder, and emphasizes that Kurama isn't just a typical heroic sadist, that his connection to humanity is genuine but he's willing to turn on the demon shit to protect that connection and specifically for that reason.

As for why I love the Dark Tournament arc specifically...man, all of it pops off.

You have a solid cap on Yusuke's growth from a juvenile delinquent to real Spirit Detective. Boy goes through the wringer this arc, physically and mentally, but every time he gets over one trial you can really feel how he's grown from it.

You have a ton of character development and spotlights for the other three, with all of them winning important battles and contributing to each round. My other primary shounen fandom having the entire supporting cast stuck in the Wait For Goku grind, this was mind-blowing in comparison. This is still one of the hardest issues for any media centered around fights like this, how do you get the supporting cast in there earning their keep? The Dark Tournament does it perfectly, and it never feels like Yusuke is above them simply for being the protagonist. Like, yes, he undeniably is the strongest of them, but you really do believe there's at least a small chance Hiei really could have taken on Toguro because the gulf between them is not nearly as massive as it is between the protagonist and his friends in other shows. Even Yusuke, in the end, only just barely defeated him after being pushed to his limits.

But not just the fighters, no, you have Keiko's relationship with Yusuke simmering, you have Koenma displaying real character for the first time as he worries about the stakes and just what Sayako could be up to, even Kuwabara's sister for some reason has a half-romance with the main villain and it's somehow compelling?

And oh my God, the villains! The fighters on every team is delightful, all of them fill their precise roles perfectly and do an amazing job being both memorable and serving a function in the story, especially in prodding the heroes further along their character arcs. Team Toguro is especially great as the climax, a full team of all bangers. Elder Toguro is a fucking freak. Bui is a little flat, but does well as a giant beat-stick to go down to Hiei and prove that he's the second strongest of the heroes in an absolutely amazing fight that takes everything out of him. And oh my fucking God, Karasu. Obviously as a Kurama fan I'm all fucking over that fight. Sayako serves as the perfect antagonist behind the scenes, smug and casual, with a hint of authenticity to his weird aura that makes you want to have drinks with him even as he describes he took to enjoying cruelty for it's own sake out of boredom with his perfect life.

But Younger Toguro takes the cake. So few shounen villains are as complex or interesting while still being so intimidating and monstrous. His relationship with Genkai is something else. His final scene with her is heartbreaking.

GENKAI: Don't ever feel regret for the things between us. TOGURO: No, Genkai. But it would have been a beautiful life.

In comparison, the earlier arcs lack all that bang, and while the following arcs match more in scale, I have a lot more issues with them. Here's some of what I wrote about Chapter Black when I was rewatching the series last, which I do every year or two:

Like, the majority of Chapter Black makes no fucking sense because you can tell how hard it’s trying to be JoJo (which is obviously something I’ve only come to understand in retrospect) with Territories, but like, the mind-reader has zero powers beyond mind-reading! The fact that he can read minds and aspires to be a dirty boxer should mean ABSOLUTELY NOTHING to Yusuke, who punches hard enough to throw people through solid rock and create craters, and fast enough that he can’t be tracked by human eyes. JoJo works because it’s characters are normal humans with highly specific superpowers that have to work within the confines of only having those superpowers. You can’t just move DBZ-tier characters into that sort of context fighting enemies who are specifically noted as being completely normal humans outside of their specialized abilities.

Another thing I’ll criticize Chapter Black for along with it’s weird inconsistency with power levels is that it doesn’t really make any sense to suddenly make a big deal about how it would be so terrible if Yusuke killed a human who was currently trying to like, murder an entire hospital full of people who could only be saved by his dying. It’s a cop out that Yusuke stops his heart only for Genkai to start it again being all like “you don’t need to have murder on your conscious” but also a completely unnecessary cop out because they’ve been merc'ing demons left and right all show up to this point, who by now everyone should be well aware are thinking living sentient beings who often even look identical to humans. It’s also a strange inconsistency to show up here of all arcs considering the whole point of it is that humans and demons are equally bad and good, but all the way to the very end you have Yusuke suddenly fighting to not kill Sensui for no other discernable reason than his humanity.

Aside from poor Gourmet, the other psychics in Chapter Black, even the attempted mass murderer Doctor, get cozy endings where they learn to let go of their maladaptive hatred of other humans, except for Sniper whose last word is that he’s going to hunt a group of animal abusers for sport with the narrator noting he disappeared after high school. There’s something kinna hilarious about that. Everyone else chills out per the overarching message of the arc but it’s fine and cool for Sniper to be Japanese Punisher, I guess. Which I’m not criticizing in and of itself, more power to him, but it’s INCONGRUENT with the MESSAGING.

And then one of the only things I said about Three Kings was:

Absolutely the correct choice to give Koto’s reintroduction so much pizazz. The path Three Kings ultimately takes is “you liked the Dark Tournament, right? the Dark Tournament was great, we’re going to do the Dark Tournament again”, and lemme tell you Velvet Nation, I’m totally fine with that because the Dark Tournament WAS great.

But that doesn't mean there aren't a lot of things to love about those other arcs! As a Kurama fan I especially can't let it go without mention that the conflict with Gamemaster, and the way he takes his anger and sorrow out on Elder Toguro immediately after, not to mention the reveal of Elder Toguro being there in the first place, is a 10/10 no notes series of scenes. I also had this high praise for the penultimate fight in Chapter Black:

The fight against Sensui is, IIRC, the only time YYH has a “wait for Yusuke” fight and it works perfectly. Unlike in Dragon Ball Z where literally anyone else doing anything is just a complete waste of time, the supporting cast of YYH are regularly accomplishing things and winning meaningful fights the whole time, so it earns a sequence where Yusuke seems to have really died for real, even if the audience knows he’ll be back up sooner than later, and the others try to continue on without him only to get bodied even coming at the BBEG three on one. It’s also unlike DBZ in that the others fighting Sensui is a curb stomp from start to finish, instead of it being treated like something that matters only to turn out to have been pointless the whole time by the end. Even the legendary Hellzone Grenade concludes with 17 no selling it with zero problem despite the build up. The fight with Sensui is just short and sweet enough to serve as the Worf Effect but also long enough to give the secondary heroes their due in the effort their putting in to substitute for the temporarily fallen protagonist.

The Dark Tournament is just the GOAT, you know?