#this is not ice age the movie fanart peace and love

[horsesofthecarousel]

Mammofs 🤎

[tymime]

I generally consider Gen IV the last good generation of the Pokémon franchise, but really only up to a certain point. I’ve played a bit of Platinum, and it’s... okay. Doesn’t inspire me with wonder like Gens I and II do. And I pretty much gave up entirely on the anime after the Battle Frontier arc.

And looking at the Pokémon introduced then, I really only like Bidoof/Bibarel, Buizel/Floatzel and Riolu/Lucario. Buneary/Lopunny is pretty good, and Gible etc. is okay, but almost all of the rest of them I can’t stand their designs at all.

Of course, I really like HeartGold and SoulSilver, but I guess I’m biased.

Back when I was growing up, the anime was the most important to me, and it still is. I hardly ever played the TCG, as I was more of a collector, and I didn’t even play the games that much because I was so bad at it (although I did complete Silver). I remember that when it came to Pokémon, the online fandom in the early 2000s was mostly concerned with the anime as well, whereas you mostly heard about the glitches and rumors in the games and schools banning the cards. The main reason I preferred the anime was because of the characters. Ash, Brock, and Misty made a great trio, and Jesse, James, and Meowth are among the greatest sympathetic villain characters of all time, imo. Nowadays you hardly ever hear anybody discuss the anime.

But ultimately the reason anybody becomes a fan of Pokémon is because of the cool monsters. I think sometimes fans forget this, incredibly- too much focus is given to gameplay mechanics and metagaming and competitive gaming, which I really couldn’t care less about. I remember one of my first interactions with a Pokémon fan, way back in 1999 or so, was when somebody asked what my favorite Pokémon was. I told him it was Charmander. And why not? He’s a cute, fire-breathing dragon-lizard thing! His reaction was “But Charmander is weak!”, and all I could do was stare at him incredulously. I didn’t care if he was “weak”, which is an exaggeration anyway. Must I quote Karen?

That’s actually the entire point of Pokémon. Lots of PETA-types didn’t understand this: We’re not forcing them to fight as slaves, we’re making friends with all these creatures. The early episodes of the anime especially emphasized this, culminating in the movie Mewtwo Strikes Back, and it’s message of peace, sacrifice, and love still makes me misty-eyed to this day.

The anime started going downhill as soon as Ash left Kanto for the Orange Islands. We all remember how incredibly dull and pointless Tracy was, and how repetitive and formulaic the Johto episodes were. This was despite how amazingly good the G/S/C games were. It was around this time that the fandom was diminishing, and people who weren’t all that in love with it in the first place started sneering at it and saying it was “for little kids” and “uncool”. I remember Digimon fans were especially obnoxious about it. Here’s the thing: It might sound a bit shallow, but I don’t think I would’ve become interested in Pokémon if the monsters didn’t look cute or cool. I’m very keenly aware of what kind of character designs I like, and if I don’t like the way a cartoon looks, there’s absolutely no way I can get into it. Lots of people are gonna hate me for this, but I find the vast majority of Digimon to be downright butt-ugly. They’re mostly wrinkled and lumpy and look as though they’re made up of leftover puppet parts. There’s a tiny amount of them that I actually think look decent, but not nearly enough to make me want to watch the show.

But that ties into what happened next- when the Gen III games were coming out, I was looking forward to it, but I was disappointed in how unappealing some of the Pokémon designs were, especially the legendaries. I thought they looked more like Digimon. I don’t see anybody else who has this view. Sure, occasionally I see someone complain “They don’t look like Pokémon anymore!” but they’re always shot down with the rationalization “Who says what Pokémon look like is set in stone?” It’s not a good idea to slowly drift the art direction of an ongoing franchise with an established look and continuity. It’s what makes for a TV series suffer from Early Installment Weirdness and Seasonal Rot, among other things. Things like Mickey Mouse and Looney Tunes can get away with this because they don’t have an established canon, but a series like Pokémon shouldn’t start looking weirder and weirder. I remember having high hopes for the Hoenn episodes of the anime, hoping that the fresher, more sophisticated animation would bring the series out of its doldrums and return to the more heartwarming, personality-driven stories of it’s golden age. For a while it seemed like this would be the case- Ash seemed wiser and more experienced at first and the Pokémon were showing more personality. But it slowly but surely entered a long string of indistinguishable contests for May to compete in. Another thing I wish there was more of in the anime is the Pokémon themselves having more personality. Too often they’re just used as battling tools and have few chances to show emotion or interact with the other characters. The Hoenn episodes also made one thing clear: Ash was going to replace his battling team pretty much every region from now on.

This trend flies in the face of the early franchise’s message of friendship. Ash’s Pokémon from yesteryear are hardly ever seen again once they get sent to Prof. Oak or to some other place.

I suspect this new attitude towards the Pokémon is why they’re becoming uglier and uglier. It doesn’t matter what they look like, you just want to train something NEW, right? Something with good stats and EVs?

I've never seen anybody who shares my view about the Pokémon designs from Gen IV and onward. There was a brief period when older fans were saying the new Pokémon were dumb ideas- ice cream cones and garbage bags and key rings aren’t my idea of a cool concept. But then came the whole “Genwunner” backlash. “But Gen I has inanimate objects too! Dont’cha think Voltorb and Grimer are dumb??” people would say. My answer is this: A living Pokéball and a pile of toxic sludge are cooler than keys and garbage. And just because Gen I had a dumb idea like a bunch of eggs doesn’t mean you should repeat it. And of course there’s an excess of foxes, cats, bats, small electric rodents, and cutesy legendaries that look vaguely like Mew. When the Pokémon aren’t stupid or ugly, they’re redundant. And now it seems like older fans are almost entirely silent about their opinions.

I don’t understand why this isn’t a more common opinion. A Pokémon’s visual appeal is absolutely crucial and yet they still continue to look inorganic, cluttered, and awkward looking with every new generation. There’s only a handful of recent Pokémon that ever get fanart, and 100% of the time the fanart is better drawn than the official version.

This seemingly coincided with the American dubbers having the brilliant idea of replacing the entire voice cast of the anime to “celebrate” the tenth anniversary. It was difficult watching the anime after that, and I only stuck around because they were revisiting Kanto. After that, I stopped watching it entirely. It got worse, of course- Ash was redesigned and looked almost entirely different. The eyes are the windows to the soul- if you ask me, by changing Ash’s windows, they changed his soul.

The Pokémon franchise was dead to me by then. As far as I’m concerned the whole series is a shambling zombie, a shell of its former self. And with the anime using retconning flashbacks and remaking the first episode and Mewtwo Strikes Back, the anime has split into two different continuities anyhow. And yet people still try to defend it, even older fans, which boggles my mind.

[fear-is-nameless]

Meet the JSE Community

@no-strings-puppet created this prompt list and convinced me to take part in it! So why the heck not? :) Here we go!

1. Name, Age, Country?

Fin (yes I’m going with that), 22, grand ole USA.

2. Appearance?

Errrm....

Nice try. :P (Maybe a better/ real one someday?)

3. Hobbies?

Fishing (when there’s no ice/ snow), biking, generally being outdoors. Watching movies/ tv shows, and listening to reviews about them and people’s different opinions. Reading from time to time, listening to a variety of music.

4. What is your dream job?

Still trying to figure that out, maybe something in marketing or learning how to put together a massive project like a show/ movie/ game together.

5. What kind of shit would we find in your bag?

Not much really; wallet, keys, phone- standard stuff. My college backpack always has school supplies, snacks if needed, workout bag, etc. I’m boring. :p

6. How would you describe your personality?

Outgoing, always open to new ideas and perspectives about different people and a good listener (at least, I try to be). Usually the first in a group to point out something funny or make a (bad) pun. Generally positive where “the cup is half full” mentality. Still trying to be happier about myself overall.

7. When did you find Jack’s channel?

March of 2014 :) I was watching people react to “Outlast” in a promotional video for the game. I wanted more and I discovered a let’s play (for the 1st time ever) by some guy called “Markiplier”, and watched his entire series. I loved the game itself (and his reactions) so much I needed another view of the same game, and literally watched/ discovered Jack’s series directly after (and enjoyed it just as much). :D

8. Put in order your top 3 favourite Egos!

Anti (of course), Schneeple, and probably Marvin. I like how unique each individual one is though! They all offer something different.

9. Favourite/ most nostalgic video/series of Jack’s to watch? (Multiple answers are fine, I know I’ll find it hard to answer)

Undertale is one that always comes to mind, along with Night in the Woods. Their stories and Jack’s voice acting for all the characters is just too damn good. I’m actually rewatching Undertale right now, and it’s still as great as the 1st time I watched it :)

Reading Your Comments is also another excellent series, I look forward to each new episode! 

10. Would you describe yourself as an active member or a quiet member of the community?

Depends (*cough* on a certain glitch bitch *cough* *hack*), but even in peaceful times... Every now and then I suppose, it’s hard to find a balance between here and schoolwork. 

If you’re an active member, what is your favourite part of what you do? Do you write fanfiction? Fanart? Theories? Or do you just enjoy chatting with others?

Theories theories theories. I love talking with people and creating new ideas from other points of view. I love how much Jack enjoys dicking with us and how into it he also gets with the mayhem with immediate responses or clues/ hints. It’s such a roller coaster of hype, fear, and excitement every time it happens!! :D

Welp, I guess that’s that, but this was fun! :)

[awintersrose]

Kri-Kee: Could I just ask you for every single letter from the Alphabet Ask you reblogged? ;p If not, A, B, C, D, E, G, H, K, L, M, N, Q, R, S, T, U, V, W, X, Y. Or however many you want to answer. I'll even try to answer in reverse too, but I might have to submit a post for it.

Haha, gonna do my best! I did omit B, D, J, and M because I answered them in a previous post here.

A - Ships that you currently like a lot. (They don’t have to be OTPs because not everyone has OTPs.) Friendships, pairings, threesomes, etc. are allowed. Sannin OT3 and every combination to be made between them. Madara/Tobirama, Kakashi/Yamato, Kakashi/Sakura, Itachi/Sakura, Suigetsu/Karin, Naruto/Sakura/Sasuke, Yahiko/Konan/Nagato, Kisame/Mei, Kisame/Itachi, Neji/Tenten, and many others. It changes with the wind or whatever good fanart/fanfic I am exposed to.

C - A ship you have never liked and probably never will. Have to go outside Naruto for this one, because there is very little I don’t like. Buffy/Angel. There, I said it xD Spike was better. (I won’t argue about this with anyone, it just is what it is)

E - Have you added anything cracky/hilarious to your fandom? If so, what? Maybe my depiction of drunk!Orochimaru in Secret Ceremonials, I don’t know lol.

F - What’s the longest you’ve ever been in a fandom? I don’t know about actively contributing to fandom, but I have been following the Naruto series and fanfic/fanart since sometime in college, so…something like 14 years (oh goodness)

G - Have you ever had an OTP? If so, do you remember your first one? Who was in it? My OTP is obviously Sannin OT3. I have been lingering outside established fandom since before the term OTP existed, but my old favorites were from Inuyasha -  Miroku/Sango, Sesshoumaru/Kagome

H - What is your favorite source text for fandom stuff (e.g., TV shows, movies, books, anime, Western animation, etc.)? Anime/manga. 

I - Has Tumblr caused you to stop liking any fandoms, if so, which and why? No, not really, but I am pretty good at filtering out what I don’t like.

K - What character has your favorite development arc/the best development arc? Sakura. Can we just forget the ending happened and fill in some gaps, letting her be the awesome character she is and not reduced to a lonely housewife?

L - Say something genuinely nice about a character who isn’t one of your faves. (Characters you’re neutral about are fair game, as are characters you merely dislike. Characters that you absolutely loathe with the fire of ten thousand suns are exempt, as there is no point in giving yourself an aneurysm over a character that you hate.) Hmm…neutral feelings…what are those? Umm…Iruka perhaps. To me, he is in flat out neutral territory on his own and in canon. I like him in fic if he is characterized the right way. Dominant!Iruka is rare, but pretty great. 

N - Name three things you wish you saw more or in your main fandom (or a fandom of choice). Only three? Female characters being awesome, and given as much development and recognition as male characters. AUs and fix-it fics that focus on righting wrongs in the shinobi world, Team 7 and re-established bonds. Fewer ship wars, and an end to ridiculous assertions that consensual relationships between adults are somehow immoral if there is a gap in age, though both parties are adults.

O - Choose a song at random. Which ship or character does it remind you of? “Never Enough” by Aesthetic Perfection, Orochimaru x Science/Ninjutsu. “I’m not satisfied / It’s all or nothing / there’s no peace of mind for me / And even though I try / My greedy heart is hungry / I’m not satisfied, you see.”

P - Invent a random AU for any fandom (we always need more ideas). Steampunk Circus AU! Could be fun :D

Q - A fandom you’ve abandoned and why. Fruits Basket, many moons ago. I fell out of step with the storyline after the Akito reveal (which really messed with fan response to a lot of fanfic written well beforehand, including an author I used to beta for) and I never caught up.

R - Which friendship/platonic relationship is your favorite in fandom? Kakashi & Gai

S - Show us an example of your personal headcanon (prompts optional but encouraged) Uzushiogakure being completely matriarchal and matrilineal, and key Uzumaki abilities inherited primarily by the women of the clan.

T - Do you have any hard and fast headcanons that you will die defending? I think it’s now technically canon, but genderfluid, no-fucks-given-about-gender-roles! Orochimaru is one that I will hold onto for all time.

U - Three favorite characters from three different fandoms, and why they’re your favorites. I’m gonna branch out here: Hisoka Morow from Hunter x Hunter - so terrible, yet amazing, thus I hate him and love him at the same time. Ririchiyo Shirakiin from Inu Boku SS - I relate to her tsundere personality. Willow Rosenberg from Buffy the Vampire Slayer - What’s not to love in a nerdy girl turned badass witch and general force to be reckoned with?

V - Which character do you relate to most? I really don’t know…too many :P

W - A trope which you are virtually certain to hate in any fandom. Harems

X - A trope which you are almost certain to love in any fandom. Arranged marriages, found family, the ‘only one bed’ trope done right :D

Y - What are your secondhand fandoms (i.e., fandoms you aren’t in personally but are tangentially familiar with because your friends/people on your dash are in them)? Yuri On Ice…I love it but I can’t get too heavily involved in another fandom