#tpn character analysis

[sillyghostnerd]

i love you teenage boys with white hair who get separated from the main character for years and then when they get reunited are leading this whole underground society of children they saved that’s based in a giant tree

[lonely-cereal]

I stayed up all night thinking about how depressing Rays life is.

Since he was just a toddler he had been gearing up for death his whole life, he never really found joy in much things because he knew he'd lose them. when he did find a good interest he never gave up on it.

When he read, he only did it to improve his value so he could save Emma and Norman, the two people he'd always loved with a true passion.

He did everything I could to prepare for the escape.

Became Isabella's spy

Gathered things for 6 years to disable the tracking device.

He also planned to burn himself alive.

Ray believed that he wasn't worthy of love because he stood by all those years watching everyone he loved die and couldn't do anything about it.

And also because his biological mom was the one killing all of them.

He did everything he could to make the escape perfect for Emma and Norman.

After the escape plans seem to be going smoothly, Ray's own mom snaps emmas leg and reveals that Norman will be killed in a day.

Ray watches as the plan he's worked on for 6 YEARS fall to ashes (no pun intended) and has to watch as norman refuses to escape alone, and is shipped out.

(When ray reunites with him years later, Norman has been traumatized by the demons so badly that he turns genocidal)

Then on his 12th birthday ray tries to light himself aflame to distract isabella and let everyone escape. When Emma saves him he's shook. Then she slaps some sense into him and tells him that his family won't let him die, and that they're all going to escape together.

After the escape ray admits that he "lost." to Norman and will continue to life for his family, and protect them no matter what.

HE'S SUCH A TRAGIC CHARACTER I WANT TO HUG HIM SO BAD UGHHHHHDJDJJJJGJDJF

PROTECT THIS BOY AT ALL COSTS

[fullscoreshenanigans]

Your analyses are the best. They are so fun to read and I over think everything afterwarrs

Thank you!

For analyses above my level, I highly recommend checking out these if you haven't already read them:

The two chapters of Kei Toda's Reading The Promised Neverland with a British/American Literature Scholar (2020) that have been translated into English by fans (Chapter 2: Religion by @thathilomgirl & @0hana0fubuki0 | Chapter 3: Gender by @1000sunnygo)

Anime Feminist's "Emma’s Choice: The gender-norm nightmare at the heart of The Promised Neverland" article (2018) (good follow-up to Toda's chapter on gender)

Jackson P. Brown's "Thoughts on… The Promised Neverland, and Black Women in Manga" (2018) blog post and Zeria's video essay/blog post (2019) on Krone's depiction

Jairus Taylor's "The Unfulfilled Potential of The Promised Neverland Anime" (2021) which made me more open to the idea of a remake of S1

For tumblr posts (some of these I'm linking through my blog because I either had a minor link addition or think the OP's/prev's tags deserve to be seen and rebloggable, but you can just click through to the original post):

@puff-poff's exploration of the demon world's culture (Part 1 & Part 2)

@just-like-playing-tag's examination of the farm system, Emma character analysis launched by a minute change in S2e02, and mini-Isabella analysis regarding her treatment of Ray (along with her blog just being a wealth of knowledge in general)

@hylialeia's post on the series' handling of Norman's plan/the oppressed and oppressors

@avadescent's analysis of the S2 ED album art (Norman and Emma are perpendicular; Emma and Ray are parallel.)

@linkspooky has a lot of analyses from when the series was running but special mention to this analysis of Norman's character

@vobomon also has a lot but special mention to her Norman is autistic and Norman has PTSD posts

@goldiipond's "Ray is autistic" essay

@emmaspolaroid with some of the best Emma and Emma & Isabella meta in general

@nullaby's post on Isabella and Ray's relationship

[graphx]

#OOOOOOOOO OMG?????????????????#Im always thinking about how much i want Norman to meet Yuugo but Lucas is so interestingggg#because as funny as freaking tf out of Skunk Dad is i am starving in the desert for more Lucas development#and the parallels are insane i mean. guy who spent years planning to kill a few demons to save a few humans#vs guy who spent years planning to kill ALL demons to save ALL humans#they would have so many Conversations.....................................#do you think Lucas would be on board with Norman's plan idk he could be like Gillian and go 'i can't bring myself to forgive them'#but at the same time he's like 30 and he's pretty level-headed I think he has the emotional maturity to understand genocide isn't the answe#yeah i'm pretty sure he would be on Emma's side here. then Norman would give him a 'we're not so different' speech OOOO CLUTCHING MY HEAD#tpn spoilers#the promised neverland spoilers

amazing points in the tags from @darklight-owl!

I've expanded on it before in this post but I plan to actually explore their dynamic more in a fic they make me so insane

Some people complain about everyone going along with Emma's mindset (but I do think Gillian's "i care about my friends more than I hate demons" makes sense) and it would be cool to see the adult's perspective on Norman's plan since they have been hurt THE LONGEST and arguably THE MOST

THIRTEEN YEARS IS NOTHING TO SNEEZE AT

most of the characters have some sort of self-sacrificial aspect, but Lucas and Norman's fragile idea of minerva since they have to fill the role of leaders and the shoes he left behind to fill is so important to meeee

(Oliver and Emma also taking on that role as well later because norman and lucas inspired them IM SO ILL)

THE SIMILARITIES BETWEEN OLIVER AND NORMAN SHOULD BE ADDRESSED MORE TOO LIKE?! Albino leader character that smiles when people are in trouble and takes every burden upon themselves??? GET THEM TO TALK PLZ-

having all the characters address toxic expectations when they are not in a life or death situation in the human world IS VERY IMPORTANT TO ME PLZ AND THANK U

i would pay so much money for them to meet

LOOK AT THEIR PARALLELS!!!! LOOK AT TTTTHHHHHHEEEEEMMMMMMMM!!!!!!!!

[norman-ratri-truther]

unpopular(???? maybe) opinion i think that tpn as an anime would've worked way better in the art style that the ending credits of season 2 was made in, like visually it just fits the manga better imo idk how to explain it but i feel like the characters (from the little that we saw) just generally looked better) and i feel like the way it was drawn fit the whimsical vibes of the manga.

don't get me wrong though, tpn at least in season 1 was absolutely beautiful too it's just my preference that I think the art direction of that one ending sequence was better

idk is there anyone else who shares this opinion but is actually good at art analysis that could explain my opinion better for me bcz im so bad at articulating my thoughts haha

[milkcartoncatkid]

GUYSGUYSGUYGSGSTSHSGE HERES MY PERSONA FR THIS TIME

and here’s the analysis of his design :3

INTRO

name: aspen

pronouns: he/they

species: chaos demon, half baku

age: ageless

agere: yes

likes: making friends with apparitions, video games, multiverse hopping, tricking people, music, poem writing, those cookie ice cream sandwiches, kisses, hand holding

dislikes: alc0h0l/drvgs, loud noises, bright/flashy lights, crowds, clocks, dresses

universe of origin: anti-void (hi undertale fandom)

multiversal friends(I AM CRINGE BUT I AM FREE): Tsukasa Yugi, Magolor, Marx, Taranza, Susie, Kasane Teto, Rin Kagamine, Kokichi Ouma, Carlos De Vil, Pearl Houzuki, Frye Onaga, Callie Cuttlefish, Una Otomachi, Idia and Ortho Shroud, Killer!Sans, Horror!Sans, Ink!Sans, Mizuki Akiyama, Emu Otori, Saki and Tsukasa Tenma, Flamberge, Francisca

lives: goes back and forth between universes to Planet Popstar, Splatsville, and Empty Sekai

HEADCANONS

spends a lot of time on Planet Popstar, but often retreats to Empty Sekai if things get too overwhelming

they always spend Splatfest weekends in Splatsville, and will occasionally take the train to Inkopolis

he HATES clocks. they remind him of Bad End Night, and Galactic Nova

loves to cause chaos, but usually runs from it pretty quickly as he doesn’t like the aftermath

”DAMN bitch you on dat ZAZA OR SUMTHN??” - Aspen during Magolor’s boss fight

loves plushies and WILL steal them

im gonna make a special age regression post about him someday

they actually were on a lower level of the tower but did witness the events that happened in the Hell Of Mirrors in the tbhk universe

can only universe hop about three or four times a day, or else he gets really sick and nauseous (the exception is the anti-void; they can get here whenever they need to with ease)

he can also jump around timelines.. spooky dude

may or may not have been the reason Lor Starcutter crashed…….. dont ask

has a special music box, it plays Isabella’s Lullaby from TPN, but it was a birthday gift from Susie

CHARACTER DESIGN (rlly bad srry)

his hair is messy becuz i like messy hair, the horn thingys are inspired by both Taranza and also Tamari from Reckless Battery Burns/Qualia Automata, the wings are inspired by Meta Knight and Marx (when retracted they look somewhat like Meta Knight but when extended they look more like Marx), the clothing is inspired by Tamari, the shirt design is supposed to be like the warp star from Kirby, the jeans i mention i just thought of becuz i like the jeans a girl named Kaitlyn usually wears in history, just any random sneakers will work when drawing him, and the sleeves are over his hands becuz one im too lazy to draw hands two it fits that alt art style and three it just looks cute, and i drew a star on his face to represent the Star Allies Sparkler from Kirby Star Allies in tribute to it being the first (and so far only) Kirby game ive finished

i rlly like his design and fun fact the first time i drew his final design today was on the back of a statewide testing material for science :3

[tuiyla]

I’ve been very slowly watching Buffy s4 and Angel s1 while on holiday but I’m also watching a few TPN s3 reviews and ugfhjd unwell about a lot of things, Actually

most notably Faith but in general just Buffy as a show and Buffy as a character and I know I have pending asks but talk Buffy analysis to me maybe

[bloomfish]

The italics make it somewhat hard to read but anyway; honestly I don't think it's unrealistic that Xander would have that position. I understand why he would and as I've said I am a fan of Xander and tbh despite what I said in the first post I love him and always will. I don't totally disagree with what you said in the post that you linked- it makes sense that he would have this hypocrisy.

The problem I have is more with the narrative framing of the episode. The music, the way it's acted, the cinematography, all makes it pretty clear that we're supposed to agree with Xander and think that Buffy running after Riley was the right thing to do, and that it's sad that she didn't make it. Despite the fact that objectively, Buffy was right in leaving Riley and Riley was right in leaving Sunnydale. Buffy later states that she pushed Riley away; the writing never corrects her belief that what happened with Riley was her fault. Unless you argue that cheating with vampire prostitutes is a reasonable response to your partner "being closed off". Or that dumping someone for cheating isn't justified if there were other problems in the relationship previously that were maybe your fault.

If the into the woods speech was MEANT to be hypocritical, it would have clearly read that way. Sure, the audience is not stupid and can form their own conclusions, but the fact that everyone finds it hypocritical and unfair is what makes it so jarring. I don't hate the fact that Xander would think that, it's totally consistent with his character. I hate that the tone of the episode makes it seem like he's right. If Buffy running after Riley was supposed to be a mistake, it would have been set to foreboding music, not a sweeping tragic/hopeful romantic score. We would have had some sort of reflection on it later, not just dialogue that pretty much reinforces Xander's opinion. Etc. I'm clearly supposed to feel sad that Buffy missed Riley by seconds when really I'm just relieved she didn't get there faster lol

I think one of the worst moments in buffy history is them framing xander's speech about riley in into the woods as like... correct in any way. it makes you really dislike Xander (even more). Buffy's boyfriend literally cheats on her with vampire prostitutes lol and then tells her that if she doesn't forgive him on the spot he's leaving forever. and then we're supposed to buy that Xander is correct in saying that it's all Buffy's fault and that she should run after Riley to beg him to stay?

It's sooo infuriating how Riley is framed as 'the one who got away' when really he's 'the one who was so cripplingly insecure that he couldn't handle his girlfriend being stronger than him and having her own problems because he's made his entire identity about his girlfriend instead of getting the fuck over himself'

the real reason why xander doesn't want buffy to dump riley's ass as she should is so clearly because he projects onto riley. subconsciously he thinks that if someone 'normal' like riley can be with buffy then he also has a shot. newsflash it wasn't riley being 'normal' it was riley being an insecure condescending freak just like u

[avadescent]

Norman and Emma are perpendicular; Emma and Ray are parallel.

The way they’ve composed this image is heavily symbolic.

Norman is usually shown to be “opposite” of Emma visually (in the image mentioned above, in their sitting arrangement in the dining room at GF, the way they’re usually never illustrated to be side-by-side during important scenes like the shipment, the reunion, their argument and so on, though there’s probably a lot more imagery than that); while Ray has always been by Emma’s side (GP arc, Seven Walls arc, choosing to support Emma in the end despite agreeing with Norman).

These differences in their dynamics have always been subtly hinted at throughout the manga—though not so subtly later on, in Norman and Emma’s case—and continues to be highlighted in official art like this.

Part I: “In the end...” (Ch. 32)

Ray is Emma’s “counterpart”. They seem different at first: Ray is more logical and meticulous while Emma looks at the big picture and does things based on her feelings, but they’re both really two sides of the same coin. They’re both logical (Emma showed her pragmatic side when she debated with Norman and presented a counter-proposal to his plan) and they both operate on their feelings (Ray cared deeply for Norman and Emma so he wanted them to live, and Emma cared for everyone so she wanted everyone to live).

They both also care for their family in the same way. When Ray was faced with the notion that he can live (or that he should live), he did his best to become the sibling he had never allowed himself to be. There’s a caring, almost motherly nature to him in the way he handles the kids, in the way he frets over Norman and Emma, and in the way he supports everyone silently.

Emma is the same: she’s a lot more loud and open about it, but they’re both very caring towards their siblings. Unlike Ray, however, she’s certainly a great deal more idealistic and ambitious.

Ray and Emma are similar because they are warm and tender, and they’re both very family-oriented. They do things for the sake of their family, putting their loved ones first and themselves last.

Their familial love manifests itself similarly, and while they do have their individual, defining traits, they are the same at their core.

Hence, they are parallel: heading in the same direction in terms of how they think and feel, but going about it in different ways.

An example would be from the final chapters of the Jailbreak Arc, where Ray explicitly points out that: “In the end, [they] were thinking the same thing.” (Ch. 32)

they might be thinking the same way but ray’s the lil shit who goes off and says he’ll burn himself to achieve their goal

Part II: “Fate—has split our paths” (Ch.128)

Norman is essentially Emma’s “foil”. He has contrasting traits that serve to highlight Emma’s own. Take the famous “sun and moon” depiction for example: it is the night that lets you know the day exists, and vice versa. A more nuanced interpretation of this is that Norman, as the “moon”, operates on borrowed light.

Firstly, he is neither idealistic nor ambitious—in contrast with Emma, who most definitely is. He does not wish for extravagant or impossible things; despite, or perhaps because of, his intelligence, he only wants the simple things: to see the world, and to stay with Emma and Ray.

He does not actively set idyllic goals for himself, he only seeks to apply his mind in the present rather than consider abstract/seemingly unreachable concepts (I want to ride a giraffe!). He never even considered having their entire family escape until Emma brought it up. It is here that we see him operating on ‘borrowed light’; his actions in the Jailbreak Arc are made to directly achieve what Emma wants.

He and Emma get along and complement each other very well (more on this later), though they are fundamentally not the same.

Thus, Norman and Emma might share the same ideals (a world where they’re all free), but they aim towards different goals. Emma essentially wanted co-existence (at the same time, not necessarily at the same place), while Norman determined that the best route was to eliminate the demons altogether.

This in contrast with Emma and Ray’s dynamic, where they share similar goals, but different methods.

To further define this difference, it is Emma and Ray who can come to the same conclusion independently, with them working separately and finding out they thought the same way in the end (of course, with the absence of a conflicting variable—‘will we bring everyone or not’, that entire spiel).

Meanwhile, Emma and Norman only reach the same conclusion when they’re working dependently (this more so in Norman’s case, wherein he’s usually striving to achieve what Emma wants).

This illustrates itself clearly when Norman and Emma are working independently throughout the next few arcs of the manga, and eventually find that they both reached different conclusions about the same matter.

Case in point, this difference makes itself one of the center conflicts in 3 arcs (King of Paradise through the Imperial Capital Battle Arc). They even get an inside cover.

Hence, they are perpendicular: heading in different directions, and intersecting once (clashing).

It is through this consolidation of views that TPN manages to bring forth a (hypothetical) moral conflict to the forefront of its story through its characters—quite like a physical, mental, and emotional debate, wherein the protagonists each present one aspect of the moral conflict and work to achieve a balanced and unanimous outcome.

In other words, they complement each other magnificently in their opposition. Emma hopes for the impossible, while Norman works within the realm of possibility. Emma reaches for the sky, while Norman is rooted to the ground.

Norman sees the world for what it is while Emma sees it for what it can be.

[winterune]

On one hand, I think Ray is quite an honest person. I feel like he’s not the type to lie, but the type to omit some truths. Well...this is, again, just my anime-only speculation, but yeah I guess this is my opinion on Ray after watching episode 5. 

I think in the score sheet we’re shown in the first episode, Norman was higher than Ray. But for some reason, I have a feeling that Ray is actually a much more genius than Norman. He somehow found out about the truth of the House when he was 5. He became Mama’s spy in order to stay alive long enough for him to look for a way out. He never told a single soul about the truth of the House. And...I have a feeling that Ray is that type of character who intentionally hides his true abilities. He wants to leave, but he’s not overconfident like Norman. He knows that escaping would require a lot of thinking and the right timing so he needs to lay low in order to prepare everything. And what better way to “hide” from Mama than be her trusted lapdog? Though Mama probably never trusted him in the first place. I still think she’s always a step ahead of everyone, even Ray, with his careful planning and stuffs.  

From what we see of his interaction with Mama, at least what he said about spying in return for “reward” is true. But I know there is more to it than that. Sure he says all those things to Norman about wanting Norman and Emma to survive, and I believe (at least for now) that he genuinely means it, but what he said then was only something Norman wanted to hear. He didn’t explain his entire situation to Norman. And since he already knows Norman doesn’t truly trust him, why should he? In fact, Norman was probably lying when he said he wouldn’t lie. Unlike Norman who seems to be able to manipulate other people to do what he wants them to do, Ray doesn’t seem to be capable of doing that. 

Ray wants to survive and he wants to survive with Norman and Emma. Though I said he’s quite an honest person, I also think that he can lie with a straight face--if that makes sense. The lie he tells are not like Norman’s though. I’m sorry if this feels like I’m putting Norman in a bad light, but I feel like Norman would lie in order to survive, someone who would not have qualms about sacrificing others (except for Emma) so he could live, someone who could exploit others’ weakness for his own gain. As for Ray, it feels like he has his principles and he will never sacrifice his principles even if it meant he’d have to suffer. He could very well escape on his own, but he wants to escape with Norman and Emma because he sees them as his best friends (at least, that’s my interpretation right now). It’s not that he doesn’t care about the others but if they were to bring everyone, their escape mission would fail, and he doesn’t want that. He’d sacrifice some things, but I feel like he’s someone who would never sacrifice what he believes in. 

Then again, what he said to Norman could very well be a lie to gain Norman’s trust--though he probably knows Norman still won’t trust him.

Or maybe I’m just romanticizing things haha. I don’t even know if what I’m saying makes sense. And maybe I’m quite biased since I don’t really like Norman from what I see in these 5 episodes. I really want to know more about Ray. 

[lightningflash55]

I’m reading through this part again cause apparently I hate myself, but I just love, I just looove how Demizu Posuka fleshes out the kids in her illustrations so well

If you haven’t read up to chapter 30 in The Promised Neverland, spoilers under the cut

Ahh, this scene. Everyone’s favorite :/ The first page is mostly just here for context:

I noticed the first time around, and I noticed again, how Emma kept watching Norman speak, but Ray immediately put his head down in his hand. I love this just as much as it kills me, just cause it’s such a quiet but strong reaction? 

I was trying to break down the differences between the two here and then I realized all these wonderful details that all contribute to their personalities SO. PERFECTLY. There’s so much in Ray’s reaction itself alone. My initial feeling is that he’s just.done. He’s so overwhelmed the more Norman speaks, the more he realizes everything’s suddenly spiraling out of control, the more frustrated he gets at realizing everything he planned for ISN’T going as he planned. In that moment, there are so many things he’s feeling that he can’t even process them, so what does he do but make this sort of hopeless gesture? I also sort of think that Ray, being Ray and not one to show his feelings nearly as much as Emma or Norman, probably doesn’t want to. He doesn’t want the other two to see his face in that moment. He definitely bottles up a lot of his feelings and when you’re used to that, I think it’s hard to know how to respond around other people? 

But also, being Ray, you know that’s not it. As much as he’s feeling in that moment, you also know he’s going to immediately wrack his brain for any, any possible solution to turn around the present situation. He’s not only overwhelmed, but needs a moment to work things out. That being said, his posture somehow simultaneously conveys (perhaps it’s the amount that Norman is talking with no response from Ray) that this one is a REALLY impossible scenario and that he knows it. He’s thinking because of course he’s going to try, you know he’s good at connecting the dots fast and it doesn’t take him long to just give up(I think he’s actually logical to a fault, for it leads him to giving up super quickly when the situation is impossible, unlike Emma). 

Emma, on the other hand, is still standing and still listening to Norman speaking. The gravity of the situation hasn’t seemed to hit her yet, but cause she hasn’t let it? It’s not that she’s not hearing what Norman’s saying or doesn’t realize what it implies, I just don’t think she’s accepting it, nor is she analyzing the situation in depth like Ray and coming to an impossible outcome. Cause that’s not how Emma works. Her first instinct is to always find some glimmer of hope in the situation and hold onto it, even if it’s purely generated from her own faith in the world and not grounded in reason or logic. I swear there’s a “But...” coming after the bottom panel with Emma on this page. Further, her posture and expression just don’t have the same weight that Ray’s do, and that supports all of this.

Ugh, how does one little page say so much?

This page GETS me, cause just look at their posture?? Ray’s not even holding onto anything, he looks so lost and he’s only not falling down because Norman’s holding onto him. He was pulled into the hug but he’s completely lost all his strength to return it. I wonder if he feels slightly betrayed too, cause like Norman mentions on a later page I believe, Ray’s always so logical but he seemed to really believe that Norman was going to follow through with the hiding plan. His curled fingers still show weak frustration but also suggest that he’s trying to hold onto something but there’s nothing to hold onto?? Someone please save him, everything about his body language here makes me cry. 

And Emma’s feeling the weight of the situation just a little bit more - Norman just finished and is pulling them into a meaningful hug and Ray hasn’t spoken up yet, what are they going to do? She just looks a bit...sad. Like she doesn’t know how they suddenly got to that point and also why Norman didn’t follow through. It’s clicked a little bit more, and that this hug is real, and she’s probably going “what happened?” She’s still able to stand though, and is returning the hug more than Ray is. Her dropping her crutch seems to indicate a bit of shock though, too?

Most of the commentary I wanted to include was on these first two pages because the next just further support and expand on their reactions? 

The horror is finally striking Emma here, but she STILL, even in her dread is able to think there’s some hope left. I love that she takes so long to accept his words and that she goes right into hoping even if it’s weak, cause that’s what makes her Emma. Please don’t ever stop being your hopeful self (I love her agh).

And Ray’s getting more of a physical grip on the situation again but he’s at a loss cause nothing he’s thought of would possibly fix this scenario.

Oh yeah, this is the page I was referring to:

And in these last couple pages here, Ray has just given up because it’s the logical thing to do. He’s almost going back and forth between trying to think beyond this situation now and wondering how it got this hopeless in the first place. 

It’s interesting how they contrast, actually, because Emma won’t give up even though it’s useless and even dangerous to try and stop Norman from leaving now, and Ray is actually urging her to get over it. I think they’ve now both come to the same hopeless conclusion but even so, their reactions still reflect the biggest parts of their personalities?? Emma is an undying optimist at her core and Ray is ever focused on reason and moving forward.

Thank you for reading! I hope you get something out of this little character analysis aside from being sad :u Ugh, as always, the subtlety and detail in the art get me cause they contribute SO MUCH and it’s part of why this story is so heckin’ good. Every bit is always so, so on point and it takes skill to be able to pull that off when drawing such complicated emotions.  

Please feel free to comment/discuss, it’s always welcome! 

[modern-oedipus]

Finished the anime and cried a lot (RIP my skincare, I didn't just put a lot of skincare on my face to cry it out), might write a detailed analysis later. Surely the anime was bad with the slideshows and skip from manga etc etc but I think it was an okay wrap up for the production community, whatever they could fit in 13 episodes. I am happy that Isabella has an alternative ending, I really wish Peter could too. But they respected his character (SURPRISINGLY??? Like they changed everything but not peter's death), and overall I had flashbacks to manga and how much TPN meant to me, and how I am alive because great stories exist. It was a great recap and I am so grateful that this time, after years of attempts, I managed to go through TPN with joy instead of being triggered. So so so grateful my psychology could actually take it. (For newcomers, I'm not talking about TPN itself, more like how I used to feel mentally around the time I was in TPN fandom), and can we take a moment of silence for Peter & James Ratri they were the best brothers and James tried to save Peter too and I am so sad about their tragic ending and I want to write fluff where they can just be normal siblings

Watched TPN S2 E4. It was very disappointing to see Goldi Pond Arc skipped, of course, but honestly? I am just happy I got TPN content again 🥺 They did second season wrong but I'm glad that after 2-3 years of having finished manga, I can see new content. Animation, music, voice acting etc. are good and I miss watching new content for an old show, if it makes sense. I think I'll cosplay Ray after this. 😭 I think next episode will be Norman reunion, which is nothing compared to manga but I'm still enjoying it.

[kyouka-supremacy]

Hello there 👋

Can you talk about why you feel the way you do about the female bsd characters? (including the female characters you like) and while I don't think the author doesn't know how to write female characters I think the biggest problem with the female characters is that they're underutilized and barely have much screentime ( the most one we saw recently having screentime currently in the manga is teruko)

Hi!! I love you all SO much but seriously I don't have the mental stability to talk about why the bsd female characters are badly written ahah. Here's my best attempt at it:

I hope it's enough for me to say there's a female / male characters proportion of like 1:10, and no female character has any real repercussion on the plot– literally. Besides from Kyouka and Lucy and maybe Yosano? you could hypothetically erease every other female character and... Realistically, nothing would change. That's just how much irrelevant all but three female characters are, and there's already very few compared to the rest of the male cast. The four main / most popular characters are all males. Dazai is openly sexist and it's just kind of there never to be addressed. Akutagawa is repetedly violent with his female coworker and it's treated as a gag (like you DO realize how repulsive it is to write a character who is obsessed with her abuser and never be intentioned to elaborate on that because I guess that's what women are supposed to do according to author? Like. okay). But honestly the main issue for me is how each of them literally gravitates around another male character. God, it's SO annoying. And I mean every single of them!!! Every. single. Every single!!!! I struggle to come up with even one exception to the pattern. Kyouka has Atsushi as her savior, Lucy has Atsushi as her savior, Higuchi is obsessed with Akutagawa, Naomi is obsessed with Jun'ichirou, Gin literally exists because of Akutagawa, Alcott is just there to aid Fitzgerald, Margaret's only role in the story is to save Hawthorne, Elise is just expression of Mori. Teruko is a person in the body of a child who literally drools over her 50-something superior, like we hadn't as a society come to the common agreement that the “not as old as she looks” trope was disgusting pedophilia apologism like ten years ago (but it's okay though, because pedophilia was established to be okay in this manga at like, chapter 15 or something) (is this the good time to bring up that time Aya asked Kunikida out? No? Okay let's just collectively pretend that never happened). Do I need to go on? I haven't read Gaiden, but do I really need to read it to know Tsujimura gravitates around Ayatsuji? Oh wait, I was just remembered about Gaiden's full title: Bungou Stray Dogs Gaiden: Ayatsuji Yukito VS. Kyougoku Natsuhiko, and if that doesn't speak of the consideration author gives their female characters, I don't know what does. It's just– no female character is ever going to have their own novel. No female character is ever going to be protagonist. They'll just keep being treated as they've always been so far, like flat and personality-less disposable plot devices.

Now. I love Yosano's backstory, I really do- I think it was the best executed arc of the manga, reading those two chapter still gives me chills. But you do have to acknowledge, Yosano herself has no agency in the entire arc development. It's okay, she was eleven, it's natural; but she is just tossed one way to the other by other characters. That, and I can't stretch it enough, is not a bad thing on its own; not all stories have to scream #womanpower to be good stories. It's a good story. But you need to acknowledge it does nothing to empower female characters' role in this manga; it just speaks once again of it being a systematic problem, how author can't write female characters like they were masters of their fate if their life depended on it. And it's not that just because there's one (1) mini arc that happens to have a female character as its protagonist, author knows how to write female characters with depth, or agenda, or an objective, or personality, because... They clearly don't.

Like. I probably became annoying by now but like. When was the last time you found any bsd fan whose favorite character was a woman? When was the last time you found people describing themselves as a Lucy kinnie? If you ask me, it's not a matter of fans' fault for overlooking female characters; the female characters in this franchise are meant to be overlooked, because they're abysmally less stretched out and complex compared to their male counterparts– because male characters are distinctive and unique, while author can't go outside the range of one-dimensional femme fatale, letal woman (Yosano, Kouyou, Teruko, Christie, Gin / Lucy / Elise too to an extent) and woman who's just there to obsess over a male character (Alcott, Higuchi). But do not fret, because author will sometimes go outside that scheme by making a letal femme fatale who also obsesses over a male character! (Naomi). Also this

(Have you ever wondered why I never talk about Beast Gin? Yeah.)

Okay but you see the problem here? You see how it's impossible to make the same kind of argument for the male characters, because they're all diverse and various and multilayered as much as their little screentime allows? Higuchi doesn't exist outside Akutagawa, Lucy doesn't exist outside Atsushi; but it's not like you can say the same goes the other way round. That is, crossing out the various parallels drawn between male characters, but that only speaks more of how precisely curated male characters are, while all female characters... I'll be honest, aren't written as people. Author really sounds like your average Washington Post best selling psychological thriller author of the week that writes women like an alien species from another planet. It would have spared me having been writing this whole post for an hour (two hours? Which is definitely not the time I wanted to spend on this, man) if only author would have formed the thought, at the start of the serialization: “perhaps! Perhaps I should write women as people instead of writing them as female characters (whatever that means)”. Alas, we ended up with the infamous Naomi description from Untold Origins (what the fuck. who in their right mind would ever think of writing something like that. what the fuck.)

Now, I know if you're here reading this you most definitely like bsd. It's okay, really. Unpopular opinion, but people are perfectly allowed to like things that are flawed (and this is a big flaw). What's extremely important, seriously, I'm on my knees begging you, is to be critical of the media you consume. All kinds of media. Even if you end up disagreeing with me on this matter, really!! Just be able to tell apart the things that make appealing a series for you from whatever kind of agenda / worldview the author is pushing through, and peacefully acknowledge you can like something despite it having issues (because bsd has issues). I don't know who needs to hear this, but someone definitely does: “I love s/kk!!” “the bsd storytelling has many compelling aspects!!” and “I recognize the bsd writing has flaws some of which actively harm an already disadvantaged part of society” are statements that can and should coexist, and if anything - and I know you hate to hear this, I'm sorry, I'm sorry - it should be kept in mind when deciding to support the franchise by buying its products.

One final note is that like... I'm sorry if this comes off as pretentious but I seriously feel like people have NO idea what media with well written female characters look like, because for people to even question bsd being sexist is just insane to me (in the way: do we really need to to talk about it, isn't it obvious like ten seconds in the show??). And this is probably the least good place to advertise things, but please do yourself a favor and read The Promised Neverland and learn what well written female characters read like.

[just-like-playing-tag]

On Cecile's plan including the destruction of the sisters' embroidery and Cecile embodying the figure of the traitor

I'm really going through it now. Okay you know that unconsolable dread one is afflicted by when history goes lost. Ancient libraries burning, historical art pieces being destroyed; it shakes to the core, because to destroy books and art and historical artefacts means to destroy the last items that carried the memory of people long gone; and doing so means killing them again, once and for all. Because if there's one thing more scary than death, that's the thought of being forgotten forever; then, you won't just be dead, but you'll cease to have ever existed.

I needed to preface that because no sane person would do that of their own will; it's going against the natural emphaty all humans share and that is ineherently human; it's going against one's own humanity.

But that's what Cecile did when she threw the sisters' embroidery to flames. The history of sister after sister who fought against the system, a legacy of trainees hoping in a better world, hoping that even where they failed, someone else could still succeed. Young, abused girls who still believed escape was possible, that a world of freedom could be real. And Cecile threw all of that away. She killed those girls again, and that makes her ruthless. And she did that because she loved another person.

And to do that because you love another person. To do put everything, everything on the line to grant their survival. To go against your own humanity just because your love for them is stronger than anything. To selflshly (can I say that?) condamn every. other. person if it's to save the person you love. To be willing to have them hate you till they're alive, as long as they stay alive.

Like idk I don't think we talk enough about Cecile as the figure of the traitor. Because she intentionally made herself guilty of betrayal thrice at least. She betrayed the system; when she put Krone's survival over hers, going against all the principles the mama system is based on. She betrayed all the sisters that came before her and that had entrusted her with the embroidery as a way to escape; to make Krone appear innocent. She betrayed Krone, by framing her; to grant her survival. And all of that- all of that, she did for Krone.

It's funny- in Dante's depiction of Inferno, the deepest circle of hell is where traitors get punished. The circle is divided in four rounds; on the first round are punished the traitors to family. On the second, traitors of the nation. The third is for hosts who betray their guests. The fourth is for traitors to their lords / benefactors / masters. It's curious, Cecile kinda fits every category: she betrayed her family (Krone), the nation (the system), the guest (the mama structure that gave her a new place opposite to sure death, though this one is a stretch); the benefactors (her seniors, the sisters that came before her and gave her the means to escape). The last round is dedicated to the punishment of what Dante deems the worst sin a man can commit: the betrayal of your own benefactors. The people there - Judas, who betrayed Christ, and Brutus and Cassius, who betrayed Caesar - are forever damned to be incessantly eaten by Lucifer.

Cecile is the epitome of traitor. Not a traitor like Minerva Norman, who tried to kill Emma's friends when she was away in order to pursue the greater good; she's probably a closer traitor to GF Ray, who gave the lives of other children in exchange of the sole survival of the people he loved because he thought there was no other way. Who was willing to be hated by them for that, as long as they would have survived.

If after dying she was sent to Dante's Inferno, she would end up in the last rounds of hell. She tainted herself of sin, and she did all of that for love.

[maldito-arbol]

Let’s talk about zodiacs and TPN Part 1

This is largely inspired by the fact that I talk about the characters’ zodiacs nonstop in the fanfic I’m working on for my tpn witch au, and I’ve been chortling to myself the entire time about how well some of them fit their sign and how some of them just... don’t. I’m going to simply infodump about each character, their sign, element, and some attributes they fit to a t while others don’t make sense. I will also touch on compatibility for all you shippers out there, don’t worryyy. Now this isn’t at all a critique or review of the characters themselves— I know astrology is not the first thing authors consider when choosing character birthdays, if they even do at all, this is simply me rambling about my hyperfixation and projecting onto fictional characters like we all do.

A couple last notes— one character in particular (cough cough Ray) has a different “canon” birthdate from “actual” so I’ll discuss both. Also, while I will be doing surface level research to make sure I’m not talking out of my ass, im not a professional astrologist, I’m simply a witch with an enthusiasm for zodiacs. Well then, without further ado, let’s talk about the kiddos.

Emma

Birthdate: August 22nd

Sign: Leo

Element: Fire

An overview: The funniest thing to me about Emma is that she’s literally the epitome of a Leo. Fire signs are generally very outgoing and energetic—they talk a lot and tend to be the leaders of the packs. Leos in particular are incredibly admirable and truly know their way around a conversation. If I ever wanted to get stuck in an elevator for 48 hours with no wifi or connection to the outside world and only one random stranger to talk to for the entire duration, I would pick a Leo in a heartbeat. Emma is very much the leader-type, she’s someone everyone pauses and listens to when she calls for their attention, and she always prefers to talk her way out of conflict rather than fight—but not in an underhanded manipulative way, no, Leos are very genuine with their feelings and will be upfront about their reasons for their actions.

Take this scene between Emma and Leuvis for example— this to me is about the closest to perfect of a summary of what Leos are like, and how Emma fits her sign beautifully.

She doesn’t want to fight, but she will if she has to—for the good of her friends and the good of humanity. She can stick to her ideals and yet extend a hand to the enemy anyway. This is what makes Leos such a force to be reckoned with in leadership roles.

Compatibility and ships: I know I know, this is the part you’re most excited about. I’m going to attempt to refrain from sharing my opinion on each ship itself, I will simply point out which have the highest compatibility levels. First of all, essentially all signs are most compatible with 1. Other signs of the same element and 2. Their compliment sign, their elemental opposite.

Since Emma is a fire sign, she’s generally compatible with other fire signs (Sagittarius, Aries, and of course Leo) as well as Air signs (Aquarius, Gemini, and Libra). So speaking broadly, she’s compatible of course with Norman as an Aries, as well as Ray IF he truly is an Aquarius. But if we narrow it down a little bit, I should mention that fire signs being fire signs can often clash with each other because both their energies are so high (personal experience lmao), and therefore their elemental opposite, air, are generally the way to go. Usually you’ll find on astrological charts and sites that Leos are most compatible with Geminis and Aquariuses, so Ray again if he is an Aquarius, and then we bring Violet into the picture because she’s a Gemini. (Uh, speaking as a Gemini, Leos are my favorite people to date, and I always seem to crush on them as well. I have a problem. A Leo problem.) I’m so sorry Gilemma shippers but fire and earth signs are like the worst combo, I don’t know how this happened because I love Gilemma with all my heart. The stars simply did not align for us this time

Norman

Birthdate: March 21st

Sign: Aries

Element: Fire

Overview: okay listen. I didn’t believe Norman was an Aries at first because he’s not as high energy as most fire signs, but then the more I thought about it, the more it just makes sense. The most key trait to an Aries is loyalty. They are so incredibly loyal and caring to the people they love that they often neglect themselves in the process. They can be very quick to anger if someone hurts or insults their friend, and are unafraid to start a fight or commit morally gray or even black actions in service of their loved ones. Point is you don’t mess with an Aries’ family or friends. You will get burned.

All the loyalty applies to Norman so incredibly well—the way that his plans and actions revolve entirely around Emma and Ray, and the way that he sacrifices himself for their escape even though he’s terrified of dying. But even more so this loyalty strikes you in the face when he returns as William Minerva, willing and committed to full on genocide all to keep his friends alive and safe. As I’ve said Aries are quick to anger, which seemingly isn’t very present in cool-headed, thoughtful Norman, but then you remember this:

Look at his expression. Even if he doesn’t easily lose his cool, when he does it’s terrifying. So essentially Norman is a much more subtle Aries— he’s not in your face aggressive or full of energy, but he has all the hidden signs. So yeah, I honestly can’t think of any other sign that describes him better. Norman is an Aries.

Compatibility and ships: being a fire sign and all, Norman’s compatibility is actually very similar to Emma’s. He’s compatible with other Fire signs (Sagittarius, Leo, and Aries) as well as Air signs (Libra, Aquarius, and Gemini). Speaking broadly that makes him compatible with Emma and Ray again, but narrowing it down Aries are much better in general with Libras and Leos so congrats Noremma shippers you won.

Ray

“Canon” Birthdate: January 15th

“Actual” Birthdate: February 5th

“Canon” sign: Capricorn

“Actual” sign: Aquarius

“Canon” Element: Earth

“Actual” Element: Air

Overview: alright Ray is a bit of a mixed bag to unpack. Because it’s been stated that Ray’s January 15th birthday is not his actual birthday outside of the source material, then it’s reasonable for me to count both birthdays because people have different ideas of what’s canon and what’s not. Interestingly enough though, Ray does indeed fit well enough into both the Capricorn and Aquarius signs, however I personally believe one shows through him better than the other.

We’ve been talking about fire signs for Emma and Norman so it’s finally time to dive into two other elements! We’ll start with Capricorn then, the Earth sign. The most important thing to remember is that the Earth signs are the most grounded and practical. If you want someone who can give you logical and rational advice, your best bet would be the Earth signs (Air signs are also good at this but this ain’t about them. Although you will notice some overlap in traits between these two, particularly in Capricorns and Aquariuses).

We can already see the ‘practical’ side show through in Ray by the way he hyperfocuses on taking Norman and Emma to escape but insists on leaving the other kids behind. This isn’t to say he doesn’t feel for them, on the contrary, Earth signs are indeed very in tune with their emotions and empathy, but Capricorns really know how to set that part of them aside in favor of the calm and certain route. They like tangible solutions, things they can grasp with the least amount of risk, and they’re very resistant to changes—like giant rocks. This is also noticeable in how Ray gets so very flustered by Norman and Emma’s impulsivity. He clashes with both of them because Earth signs prefer to take things slow while Fire signs just like to make a leap and hope for the best.

Note how Emma says “not that I mind...” meanwhile Ray is out here going “I MIND!!” Which we learn is because of his identity as the spy. He’s got his own plan and a tangible solution to shoot for, and Norman and his impulsivity and Emma going along with it is messing everything up. Thus, he forcibly retakes control of the situation via making a deal with Norman after the traitor is revealed. Very Capricorn stuff.

And if you want an image that just completely sums up the Capricorn in Ray, here you go:

On the OTHER hand, if we’re to go off Ray’s “actual” birthdate, which was so lovingly calculated by Tempo, then we get Aquarius Ray, the Air sign. The most important things to note about the air signs is that they’re the thinkers—the farthest from impulsive, they’re the least in tune with their emotions, and they are oh so horribly indecisive. Where Earth signs will be able to give advice that adheres to both logic and emotion, Air signs stick purely to logic. Where Earth signs are able to make calm and rational decisions, Air signs will agonize over options and often find themselves lost, searching perpetually for a solution with no cracks in it. Hello. I’m an Air sign. :’))

I’m gonna come right out and say it. I hate Aquarius men. Aquarius women and enby folks, they’re great. But Aquarius men? I may, as a Gemini, get along with them in surface level casual conversation, but behind every Aquarius man’s back is a Mal waiting to strangle him the moment I am given the opportunity. I’m so sorry Ray my son but you are not an Aquarius okay. Alright. Well, let’s just talk about the parts of him that do fit Aquarius.

So from the very start Ray is obviously a thinker, someone who considers his options very carefully before he makes a decision, and someone who hates making choices based solely on emotion. In fact, he hates expressing emotions at all. Aquariuses are very good at repressing or hiding their emotions behind other emotions (most air signs are). The most common way to do this is to put up a wall of either numbness or full-on rage. We can see both in Ray.

Instead of showing vulnerability in a healthy way, he would rather do that. Ok cool Ray.

Aquariuses can also be very quiet people, and Ray’s pretty dang quiet for most of the series too. They’re the intellectuals you know are intellectuals even though they aren’t up in your face about it. Their reserved nature makes them 10x scarier when they’re genuinely angry, because boy can an Aquarius rage.

The thing about Aquarius Ray for me here is that while Ray does indeed have Aquarius energy, it’s not the Core of Ray. To me he’s so much more of an Earth sign, so therefore I diagnose Ray with Capricorn.

Compatibility and ships: ok this is a mixed bag again. Now if you got Aquarius Ray then of course he’s compatible with other Air signs (Gemini, Libra, and Aquarius) and Fire signs (Leo, Aries, and Sagittarius), which would make him compatible with Norman and Emma for sure, as well as probably Ayshe for you Rayshe shippers because my personal HC is Aquarius Ayshe.

If you’ve got Capricorn Ray, then Capricorns are compatible with other earth signs (Taurus, Virgo, Capricorn) and their compliment water signs (Cancer, Pisces, and Scorpio), though they’re best with Cancers and Tauruses. So yes, Anna is a Taurus, which makes Rayanna a compatible pair. But guess who’s a Cancer. Don. ALL MY RAYDON SHIPPERS GET OUT HERE YOU COWARDS IM CALLING YOUR NAME. YOU WIN THE SHIP GAME.

Gilda

Birthdate: May 13th

Sign: Taurus

Element: Earth

Overview: So again with the practical and grounded Earth signs. Tauruses now, are the most stubborn of them, which can be a little irritating at times, but it’s also a great asset when you consider how reliable they truly are. They’re bulls, which makes them solid and difficult to move, and you can always fall back on them when you’ve leapt too far ahead. Gilda is of course the epitome of reliable, and her stubbornness does show through at times—like when she’s the one person against Emma going out into danger all the time, constantly trying to talk her down into a more practical and certain solution. She’s also the first to attempt to bring Emma to see Ray’s side of the escape plan, which is very earth sign of both of them good job guys.

Compatibility and ships: I know I know I’m still upset Gilemma isn’t compatible astrologically but we can talk about other Gilda ships! Tauruses are most compatible with other earth signs (Capricorn, Virgo, and Taurus) and water signs (Cancer, Scorpio, and Pisces) which makes her compatible with our other lovely Taurus, Anna! Gilanna shippers unite. But they’re best with Cancers and Scorpios, which means Gildon is is at highest compatibility.

Don

Birthdate: July 4th

Sign: Cancer

Element: Water

Overview: HEY YALL ITS TIME TO TALK ABOUT MY LEAST FAVORITE SIGNS: W A T E R. (I’m sorry my water friends, I’m sure you’re lovely, but as an air sign I am always extremely suspicious of water signs at first meeting because our compatibility is so low it might as well not exist) So the water signs are at the absolute highest emotional level. This can make them extraordinarily kind and nurturing, but it can also make them absolutely unreasonable and destructive. None is this more present than in Cancers, one of the most sensitive signs, but also one of the most empathetic. We can tell very clearly in Don that he wears his emotions on his sleeve—he’s unafraid to cry or show his anger, but he also takes very good care of his younger siblings and shows such an intense concern for them that it can become frightening.

He’s such a good boy 🥺

Compatibility and ships: okay so same drill, Cancers are generally compatible with other Water signs (Scorpio, Pisces, and Cancer) as well as Earth signs (Taurus, Capricorn, and Virgo) though their highest compatibility is with Tauruses and Capricorns. So again. GILDON AND RAYDON SHIPPERS R I S E.

God I’m so sorry if I cause a ship war. I rambled for too long and I’m very tired, so you only get these five characters for now. BUT! That’s why it’s a part 1. If you want more please feel free to harass me in my ask inbox about the characters you want me to overanalyze the signs of. Gemini out!

[the-silliest-idiot]

If you have twenty minutes, you too can have superhealing powers ruined for you for forever! It’s a fun video and so is the rest of the channel

Just be aware that superpowers will be ruined by physics because superpowers make no goddamn sense