#truly only shippers or someone who acknowledge the depth of this ship are able to made that whole thing

[ladsofsorrow24]

why is it that... sns fans talk about naruto shippuden ending 6 as the gayest shit studio pierrot ever pulled on TV, when NARUTO SHIPPUDEN ENDING 20; BY MY SIDE PERFORMED BY HEMENWAY IS RIGHT THERE?

[thoughtsofanexcitedspacechild]

Kataang: An In Depth Analysis

Hello again! I apologise for the inactivity. It’s been a busy month as far as school goes for me, so let’s just say I’m a lot busier solving chem equations and working on stuff for AP art. Don’t get me wrong though! These analysis and essay format posts are my favorite and I wish I could do them more often! Seriously, it’s the only thing that keeps me wanting to write! I’ve also decided that I’m going to make these little intro paragraphs separate to the actual essay, because while I’m at this, why not kill two birds with one stone and practice writing essays for my actual AP Lang. class? I mean I’m obviously not gonna turn them in or show them to my teacher, (unless this gets 1000 notes or more, in which case  I’ll show this to her ;)) but this is a good way for me to work on formatting a thesis and developing arguments, all while doing and talking about something I love! Speaking of which, let’s dive right on into today’s topic; the much debated, and thoroughly analyzed ship: Kataang. (Buckle your seatbelts hotmen, because this is gonna be one hell of a sky bison ride) I got inspired by a creator on Tik Tok that I follow, Amanda Castrillo, to write this. Her username is @theamanda2d and I highly recommend you go check her out and give her a follow. A lot of the arguments in this are my own, but I also sourced a lot of information and arguments for Kataang from her series “a case for Kataang”, which I highly recommend you go watch. I’ll insert her quotes directly so you know exactly where her points are coming from as well as mention where I elaborated on a point she made but didn’t directly quote her. I’ll also be sourcing a lot of information from the show and including exact episodes and scenes that support my case. So without further ado, here is my *unofficial* case for Kataang.

     In our lives, there’s usually one point at which most of us make a choice. That choice is to love someone. Yes, you heard me right. You make the choice to love someone. Of course, the feeling that most people know as love, but is really just sexual or romantic desires, tends to be confused with real love. Authentic love that comes from the choice to love someone. This kind of love persists through even through the darkest times. This kind of love truly does burn brightest in the dark. 

 It stems from a strong base of mutual understanding and friendship first, and doesn’t rely on a spark of passion to keep burning although it can fuel the flame that already burns strongly. There are many great examples of this kind of love, both in our own world and daily lives, but also in literature. One of the greatest examples of this, is the relationship explored between the fictional characters Aang and Katara from Avatar: the Last Airbender. (Oh, what? You don’t think Avatar is a legitimate form of literature? Pity, you must not have read my previous posts or even watched the show at all, because it IS.)

     From the time I first watched the show, I was rooting for them to end up together. Right off the bat, Aang and Katara have this instant connection. Within the first episode, they already become friends, and not only that, they act as if they’ve been friends for years, almost like they were meant to meet each other. Aang finally getting together with Katara just feels right, but there’s more to their relationship than the feelings that Katara and Aang both experience and the feelings that we the audience feel seeing them together. Throughout the series we see them both make the choice to love each other, not only as lovers, but as friends too. Their relationship thrives, and we’re able to see them both grow as people and better themselves because of each other.

Firstly I want to address the counterargument that many people bring up and that is that Kataang, in and of itself, is one sided. Fans (often Zutara shippers. More in depth analysis on why this ship DOESN’T work out realistically to come) will argue that Kataang is forced and one sided, and that Katara doesn’t share Aang’s feelings. Although I can see where this is coming from from a first time viewer’s perspective, this argument can be extinguished by looking deeper at Katara’s actions and intentions towards Aang. We see them bond as friends very early on in the series, but the earliest hint at a romantic relationship actually shows up in season one episode four, when they go to Kiyoshi Island. Katara acts snarky and jealous when Aang gathers quite a fan club of little girls. 

Nevertheless, when this fan club fails to stick around for Aang’s encounter with the unagi, Katara’s the one that’s there making sure he’s okay. (S1, Episode 4, The Warriors of Kiyoshi) This is ultimately foreshadowing for their relationship as a whole. Although his role as Avatar lands him many friends, and in this case fans, the only person that truly stays with him the whole time is Katara. She’s the one who shows up and has his best interests at heart. Most of her intentions are in fact platonic in this episode, but the hint of romance comes out when we see that Katara doesn’t like the idea of Aang with another girl.

     After half way through season one, specifically the Fortune Teller episode, we do see that Katara does in fact have feelings for Aang, albeit complex ones. In this episode we see her pester Aunt Wu for information about her future husband and she’s informed that he’s a very powerful bender. She doesn’t consider Aang until Sokka mentions that it freaks him out how powerful of a bender Aang is while Aang protects and saves the village from it’s demise by an erupting volcano. Her hopes were set high on a muscley, extremely strong looking bender, and I’d like to imagine that before her realization, Katara was probably picturing someone more like Haru or even post redemption Zuko as her future husband. For the first time, that image is replaced by Aang, and she doesn’t mind it. (S1, Episode 14, The Fortune Teller) We see these new found feelings develop further in the Secret Tunnel episode, when Katara is finally forced to confront the romantic feelings that she’s pushed down while trying to sort them out. At this moment, Katara finally acknowledges her romantic feelings and attraction to Aang. (S2, Episode 2, The Cave of Two Lovers) The creators intentionally showed us the story of the two lovers for a reason. “Avatar is a very smart show,” says Amada Castrillo, Avatar fanatic and creator of the Tik Tok and youtube series “A Case for Kataang,” “and we’re never told or shown anything for no reason...A war was keeping them apart maybe not physically, but romantically.”

     Later in the series during the season finale of season two we see her absolutely distraught when Aang nearly dies and she does everything in her power to save him. We see her almost break. Only when he wakes up does she feel better, and start to be happier again. She doesn’t care about anything else but making him feel better, and even when he does wake up, she still focuses mainly on healing him. Here we see Katara make the choice to love Aang both in sickness and in health. (S2, Episode 18, The Guru/The Crossroads of Destiny and S3, Episode 1, The Awakening) She of course would have done this for any member of team avatar, but the way in which she treats Aang when he’s nearly taken away from her points to the extreme love and affection that she carries for him every day. This happens multiple other times throughout the series, with many of the occurrences being in book three. When Zuko joins the Gaang, she flat out tells Zuko that if he were to hurt Aang, (not Sokka, not her, not Toph, but Aang specifically) she would personally see to his demise. (S3, Episode 11, The Western Air Temple, 23:30) (Some Points taken from, but not directly quoted from Amanda Castrillo’s “A case For Kataang Part Nine: Text and Subtext”) This is why the assumption that Kataang is one sided can be proven wrong.

     Two other arguments stem from the previous argument, one being that Aang is a simp, and/or that Katara is a trophy. First of all, the later argument is easily disproved by the fact that Katara is not a prize to be won. “Katara is, and was never a prize for Aang,” says Castrillo, “And to say that she was, grossly mischaracterizes and undermines her as a character.” (Amanda Castrillo, (@theamanda2d) “A Case for Kataang: Chapter 2, Katara the trophy) Katara is shown multiple times throughout the series being able to speak up and defend herself without Aang’s, or anyone else’s help. 

Aang, although viewed as a simp, is not. Yes he respects Katara, and all other women for that matter, but he doesn’t fawn over her. He allows her to defend and take care of herself. The definition of the word “simp” is the abbreviated term “simpleton”, meaning “a silly or foolish person.” Although Aang is silly at some points, he’s also not foolish. He’s a smart and capable individual that many fans fail to recognise as legitimate because of his innocence and softness. So no. Aang isn’t a simp that bases his entire self worth on his status with Katara.

     Another point that must be acknowledged is the fact that Aang and Katara are actually complementary characters. Although many people would bring up the argument that Air and Water aren’t opposite elements, the type of bender they are doesn’t necessarily tend to point to the exact type of person they are. The creators aren’t dumb, and the characters in this franchise are so well developed, that there are many sub personalities in each type of bending, and all of them can be analyzed further than the type of element they bend. Judging a character solely by the element they can bend is like judging a person on the color of their skin or a book by it’s cover, and when diving deep into each of their personalities, we can see that their personalities are actually complementary. Katara is high strung and anxious while Aang is usually calm and collected. Aang is very good at regulating his emotions while Katara is not. This aspect extends further than their personalities as well. Katara grew up in a very family oriented and close family while Aang only had one parental figure in the form of Gyatzo and occasionally a few friends. Katara is also more grounded and a home body while if he could, Aang would probably continue to explore whatever corner of the earth that he could. (Some points taken, but not directly quoted from Amanda Castrillo (@theamanda2d), “A Case for Kataang: Chapter 10, Balance”)

     Another thing that I found is that when looking at color theory, Aang’s signature orange toward the end of the series and Katara’s signature blue are actually complementary colors. I’d like to think that as Katara develops and explores her feelings for Aang, Aang’s color palette changes slightly. It goes from being red and yellow in the beginning when Katara didn’t know she had feelings quite yet, to eventually shifting to orange when we see her feelings start to fully become clear. I thought this was a super interesting detail and despite it being a bit far of a stretch, I think it must have been planned. If you consider the time when we see Katara start to develop feelings, it’s about the same time that Aang’s outfit choice shifts to orange. Of course, this piece of evidence is mostly based on my personal observation and knowledge of color theory, but it’s a detail that I personally found super compelling.

     Kataang also works because of the extremely well executed communication and dialogue that happens between them. There are multiple different examples throughout the series and as their character’s develop, we’re able to see a beautifully efficient and respectful form of communication between them. We see Aang clearly express his feelings of anxiety to Katara, and in return, Katara is able to help him and offer advice on what he’s feeling. Katara also is able to confide in Aang in return and oftentimes he’s the one that she’s most comfortable being vulnerable in front of. We see her almost mother Aang alongside Sokka in the first season, but her relationship with him changes and shifts to one where both her and Aang feel comfortable and contribute and receive equal care from each other.

     One issue in particular also comes to mind when talking about this ship, and that is the issue of boundaries. Counter arguments against Kataang often bring up one scene in particular, specifically in the Ember island players episode about halfway through when Katara confronts Aang on the balcony. (S3, episode 15, the Ember Island Players) Episode Aang is understandably upset with the way that he and specifically he and Katara’s relationship is portrayed in the play. He obviously has feelings for her and at that point we know that Katara also has feelings from a few episodes prior when they kiss before the invasion. That kiss was mutual, and she kissed him back, meaning that from that point on, both of their feelings towards each other are very clear. The night of the play on the balcony, Aang does cross a boundary that had been established. The kiss before the invasion made sense, and Katara didn’t do anything to stop him from doing it, and Aang had her consent in this case. Aang’s kiss on the balcony was a mistake, and in this case it was uncalled for, but many people misread Katara’s feelings of confusion. When Katara mentions being confused, she’s not saying she’s confused about her feelings for Aang. Since season one, we’ve seen her show multiple forms of affection towards Aang, and not only that, she was usually the one initiating the many hugs, cheek kisses, etc. 

She’s not confused about how she feels about Aang. She’s confused about the timing and if it’s a good idea or not. (Some points taken from, but not directly quoted from, Amanda Castrillo (@theamanda2d) “A Case for Kataang Part 7: The Camelephant in the room)

     Regarding the consent for the kiss, yes. That was Aang’s mistake. He’s human, and he did mess up there. But his intentions weren’t meant to harm anyone. He, like so many of us watching at home, read Katara’s confusion to be about him, and wanted to see what she really felt. Afterwards, he knows he messed up, and feels bad about it. “...[Aang’s] very self aware. He knows how he feels about Katara, and he’s said it multiple times...Aang is human. He f***s up. He says the wrong thing. He makes mistakes. And he was just as confused as Katara at this moment.” (Amanda Castrillo, (@theamanda2d) “A Case for Kataang Part Seven: The Camelephant in the room)

     Lasty, I want to acknowledge the visual and audio parallels portrayed in the show and how they can effectively work towards supporting Kataang. If you observe the angles at which characters are shown as well as the framing, it visually sets up and can represent how two characters feel about one another. First let’s consider the framing of a scene from the very first episode after Katara breaks Aang out from the ice. Aang is lying down and katara is directly positioned above him. When he wakes up from being trapped in an iceberg for 100 years, her face is the first that he sees. 

This positioning and framing is shown multiple more times throughout the series, establishing their strong connection. So is this one:

(For a better visual reference please see Amanda Castrillo’s video “A Case for Kataang Part Four: Parallels) “Its built up and set up for us time and time again. Their interactions aren’t framed like that for no reason. Scene framing matters.” (Amanda Castrillo, “A case for Kataang Part Four: Parallels.”

There’s also the fact of the score and what specific music points to what character or what mood the creators were trying to enforce with the music. Avatar’s score is genius and every song and note was hand crafted to set the tone for each scene and help explain what’s happening. (This is one of the many reasons Avatar would translate well to be a musical or even a ballet. Post/informal rant on this later to come.) There are many great examples, like how Azula is represented by a clash of chords, (To quote my previous post: “I love how Azula is just represented by a pair of clashing chords and when you hear it you know that she’s about to f*** s*** up.”) or that Aang has a lively flute melody that plays when he gets really happy/excited, but perhaps the best example of the use of music in the franchise is the use of the “Avatar’s Love Theme.” It’s my personal favorite song from the show, and it’s used extremely effectively and efficiently throughout the show to provide a very specific and recognisable feeling: romantic love. When you hear it play, Aang is ALWAYS with Katara. Go back and listen to the times where it plays, and it’s always when he and Katara share a special moment together. We only hear part of the melody for the majority of the series, but in the final episode, right towards the end when Aang and Katara are left alone on the balcony looking above the city by themselves, we hear it play again, and this time, we hear all of it. The kiss between them also happens right at the crescendo and peak of the music, emphasizing and establishing that Aang and Katara are officially canon. The music plays a huge part in this story, and all musical elements as well as visual point to Aang and Katara being a team, and not just that, but a romantic couple.

In conclusion, Aang and Katara are a couple that was meant to happen. Throughout the series, their love is shown through their undeniable chemistry, complementary characters and personality, and the visual and musical elements set up for us within the show. Aang and Katara love eachother very much, and although their feelings were often being confused by looming threats to their lives or tainted by the war they were both fighting, in the end they’re able to fully and completely allow themselves to love each other. Despite their romantic love, they are ultimately friends before they are lovers, and don’t rely on a spark of passion to be able to keep their love for one another burning. They love each other wholly and in so many different ways, and that my friends, is why Kataang works and will always work.

[dascarecrow]

Hi, all. First post so please have patience and don’t judge too harshly. 

So I absolutely love and adore the hit web animation known as RWBY from Rooster Teeth. The first time I saw anything for it was the teaser at the end of the Season 10 finale of Red vs. Blue and I was instantly drawn in.  

So I’ve followed from the series from the beginning and decided to dedicate my first post ever to a topic regarding RWBY that I find quite fascinating. 

A recurrent idea I’ve seen throughout Tumblr is the idea of Oscar Pine’s Fairy Tale inspiration being that of the Little Prince. I quite like this idea and will go into depth about my thoughts and feelings about it in this post. Fair warning I haven’t read the actual story so if I get anything wrong or inaccurate I apologize. 

Just for those who don’t know, the story of The Little Prince is as follows. A pilot crash lands in the desert and meets a young boy who reveals he’s a prince from a different world entirely. The prince tells the pilot the story of how they reached the moment they’ve met. A major part of the backstory is how a rose grew on the Prince’s planet and the two fell in love. The rose was vain and demanding but truly cared for the Prince. The Prince loved her despite her demands but eventually felt he was being taken advantage of by her and set out to see the universe. During his travels he met many different adults who embodied different criticisms of society. The Prince eventually made his way to Earth and landed in a desert before finding rosebushes, which left the Prince heartbroken because he thought the rose he knew was unique but now he saw that she truly wasn’t. After finding the rosebushes the Prince met a fox who helped him come to a realization about his rose, in that the love and care he had for the rose did make her special after all. After the meeting with the pilot the Prince meets a snake who offers him a way to return to his home by biting him. The ending is essentially the Prince allowing himself to be bitten by the snake but it’s left deliberately ambiguous as to whether or not the Prince did return home or simply died. There’s more to be certain but these are the main points. 

Anyway, on to the main stuff. 

One of the main themes of RWBY is the usage of different Fairy Tale inspirations in their characters. I have seen several posts about how Oscar’s Fairy Tale inspiration is that of The Little Prince, particularly from MiraculousCoraZone and LittleMissSquiggles, who I would recommend looking up on Tumblr.  These posts lay out good talking points for how and why this is the case and I decided to throw my hat in the ring for it. 

I like this idea tremendously for a few reasons. The first is that the fairy tale itself is a more obscure one to the extent that I discovered it through the posts that presented the idea. Second is that it would be thematically resonant with Oscar’s personal journey of wanting to be his own person and helps to set him apart from Ozpin who is meant to be the Wizard of Oz. The final reason is that I am a hopeless shipper and this theory let’s me indulge in my personal favorite ship of the series, Rosegarden. 

One of the things that stands out about RWBY is that it doesn’t play the fairy tale inspirations straight. For example Weiss is based on Snow White but rather than a vain and cruel queen for her stepmother she actually does have a family that loves and cares for her but is too consumed by their own faults and failings to properly tell her this. Similarly Blake is based on Beauty from Beauty and The Beast but shows what happens when the Beast is completely rejected. So if Oscar is inspired by the Little Prince what would be the deviation for him? 

My belief? What if the Little Prince met the pilot before he met his rose? 

Now, let’s go into all of the characters who could tie into this and how. 

The Prince 

The Little Prince of course is seen to be Oscar himself. This is supported by Oscar’s personal journey. The Prince before he met his rose mainly tended to the soil of his little planet which is similar to Oscar being a farmhand. The Prince was prompted to go explore the universe through the actions of the rose he loved and while Oscar is similarly prompted it’s not by a rose but by the old pilot, who in this case would be Ozpin. Oscar is the newest incarnation of Ozpin’s eternal and reincarnating soul throughout the ages and inherits the role of uniting humanity and fighting Salem. Now Oscar isn’t like the Prince at this point, as the Prince was innocent and cheerful but also possessed of wisdom when he met the pilot. Oscar by contrast is more weary and reluctant to follow the role he’s been given, largely unwilling to abandon the life he has now despite dreams of being more than a farmhand. Ozpin is the more optimistic of them at this point and is the one who prompts Oscar to set forth on his journey. It isn’t until he meets his rose that Oscar starts showing true warmth instead of the resignation of following Ozpin. 

Cue Oscar’s first meeting with Ruby where the Young Prince finally meets his Rose. Oscar is taken by her right away, amazed and enamored with her Silver Eyes. The early interactions between the two can easily be read as those of a budding romance, at least on Oscar’s end. One of the biggest moments for the two is the scene in the dojo where Oscar breaks down, overwhelmed by everything, and Ruby reveals the pain she’s been holding inside of herself before noting that Oscar is greater than he thinks. 

Now this is where the pilot’s presence helps the Young Prince and turns the story from it’s path. Oscar gets into thinking of Ruby as a truly special Rose, the greatest Huntress at Beacon, an ephemeral being one might say. Ozpin is quick to curtail these thoughts, acknowledging that she was indeed gifted in some ways but also noting that Ruby is ultimately only human. Not a figure of some glorified ideal that she can never truly live up to. The pilot sells the idea that while Ruby is a special rose she isn’t special for being a rose.  

And this idea actually does resonate with Oscar. He cares for her a great deal and will even fight against Ozpin to help her but he doesn’t hold her to some elevated pedestal. When Ruby chooses to hide the truth from Ironwood he clearly disagrees with the course of action and speaks with her about his doubts. He’s respectful and doesn’t automatically treat her actions as inherently wrong and his own concerns as right by default. Oscar never gives any indication that he’s going to go against Ruby’s decisions despite his concerns because he trusts and respects her, in a sense he knows how to love his rose which was a lesson the Little Prince learned the hard way. 

A key part of the Prince’s journey is that he meets other adults on other planets and discovers them to be absurd, irrational and self absorbed to ridiculous extremes. Oscar, throughout his own journey, finds nearly every adult member involved in the battle against Salem to be highly dysfunctional at best or outright corrupt at worst. Leo, Raven, Ironwood, they all eventually wound up turning against Ozpin for their own selfish reasons. Even Qrow, otherwise the most loyal member of his Inner Circle, coped with his tragedies through alcoholism and violently turned against Ozpin when he discovered the truth. Oscar dismally discovers all of this through his own eyes, especially while Oz is absent.  

We’ll get to the fox and snake in a moment but for now let’s switch tracks to another character. 

The Pilot 

Ozpin takes the role of the pilot and at first seems to be a complete defiance of the pilot’s role in the story. The pilot’s journey in the original story was recognizing the inherent cynicism and pessimism in adults and coming to realize he was no better. Ozpin at first seems to outright reject these notions, seeing the best in humanity and believing they can triumph and overcome anything through working together. But as the story goes on it shows that he’s arguably more broken than any other character the battle against Salem. He knows all too well that full truth of what humanity faces could and more than likely would completely break anyone who discovers it so he hides the truth from his allies and allows them fight an impossible enemy that he knows can not die in war that will never end. 

This ties into how Ozpin subverts the pilots role. The original story had the pilot as a passive figure, someone who is told a story and reacts to that which occurs to what is right in front of him. But Ozpin is different, he tries to be a mentor to the Young Prince that is Oscar. He is the one that pushes Oscar forward and encourages him to go forward. But eventually Oscar starts to push back against him and tries to choose his own path rather than follow and defer to Ozpin. In these times, such as the battle at Haven or when the truth was revealed to the others, Ozpin tries to overpower Oscar and assert his own authority. Contrasting how the pilot in the story came to see his own faults and failings and sought to regain some of the lost cheer and light that goes with childhood innocence by seeking the Little Prince once more, Ozpin is so consumed by the notion that people simply can not rise above the darkest truths of the world that resolves to never share anything that isn’t needed.  

This is where Oscar as the Prince enters his journey. Oscar is able to return to Ozpin some of the faith and hope for humanity that he had long since forgotten, much as the Little Prince did for The Pilot. Ozpin begins to defer to Oscar and help him along, acknowledging the truth that Oscar shows him. 

This is ultimately the purpose of the bond between the two. The God of Light set Ozma’s reincarnations to make it so he was never truly alone but with Oscar there is a wall that stems from Oscar’s worries for his own identity and Ozpin’s cynical outlook on humanity’s virtue. The two souls are meant to merge, with neither claiming dominance as Oscar fears but to work in harmony. Ozpin fails to do this but he does impart an important lesson to Oscar regardless of his other failings. 

The dojo scene. As mentioned above Oscar begins to see Ruby is greater than she truly is, that she is a special and ephemeral Rose. Ozpin, who has the benefit of the ages he’s lived, dissuades Oscar from this belief. Not only because Oscar’s belief is patently untrue but because Ozpin has seen first hand countless others like Ruby. Fairytales of Remnant all but confirms that Ozpin has lived lives where he met other Warriors with Silver Eyes and possibly other Roses. Ozpin knows that while Ruby is a special Rose she is not special for being a Rose or for having Silver Eyes. Ozpin extols that Ruby is indeed a fine Huntress and has traits that raise her high but she also is lacking in other ways and imparts this to Oscar who can see her as the Rose that he will know in this life and no other. 

The Rose 

Ruby is the Rose that the Young Prince falls in love with, as we’ve already covered. The story of Ruby as the Rose the Prince comes to love differs in that The Prince has already met the Pilot by the time he meets her. Ruby is quite joyful to meet Oscar personally, even before she meets Ozpin yet again. This highlights a key difference between Ruby and The Rose. The Rose was vain and demanding, wanting the Prince’s care and attention however she could get it. Ruby freely offers of herself a comfort that Oscar desperately searches for throughout the series, that he is his own person and not simply another life that Ozma has to suffer through. In this way Ruby subverts the Rose’s role. 

Another subversion happens in the dojo scene when Oscar breaks down and questions how Ruby can possibly be okay with what has happened. The Little Prince felt his Rose took him for granted, choosing to look at her harsher words instead of her kinder actions. Ruby goes against and openly reveals another side of herself, showing how overwhelmed and hurt she feels by everything that has happened. Oscar, the Young Prince, sees the side of his Rose that the Little Prince wasn’t able to and he comes to know her far better. The tragedy of the Little Prince and his Rose was that they loved each other but were too young to know how to be in love. That is not the case here as Ozpin’s advice to Oscar leads him to temper his own enamored beliefs. So when they time comes and they do come to love each other, if they ever do, then they will know how to be in love. 

The final aspect of Ruby’s role as the Rose is her hiding the truth from Ironwood. Oscar is not pleased with her doing so and speaks his mind to her about how he sees it as a hypocrisy given Ozpin’s own actions. The Rose chooses to put her own desires ahead of the Prince’s freely given support but instead of wallowing in his own grief about it Oscar actually speaks to her as an equal. He has his concerns but never for a second does he consider going against her for what she’s done. He fervently believes in Ruby and isn’t going to let one moment of self concern change that. Ruby and Oscar excitedly speaking with another about finally revealing the truth shows how much they honestly care for each other. Ruby made the choice to hide the truth but she won’t make the choice to reveal it if Oscar won’t agree with her. The two are utterly joyous at being on the same page with each other. 

The Snake 

This one is about the only character I can’t solidly determine a counterpart for. If you go with the interpretation of the snake as killing the Prince then Salem would take the role. If you go with the idea that the Snake kept its word and returned the Prince to his world then the role would go to either Hazel or Emerald. Hazel would be fitting as it subverts the Snake’s intention of freeing the Prince’s soul from his body because Hazel is well aware of Ozpin’s ability to reincarnate and it would be thematically fitting for him to begin his redemption by freeing his current life from Salem. Emerald would be fitting as the Snake’s actions, if altruistic, would be a Samaritan’s act and Emerald could begin her redemption by helping to free Oscar. 

The Adults 

On his journey the Little Prince met several adults who embody criticisms of society. Oscar actually encounters counterpoints for these adults on his own journey. 

Ironwood embodies both the King With No Subjects and The Narcissist. The King gives orders but they are only orders that can be followed and he adjusts his commands to fit the situation. Ironwood similarly demands everyone follow his orders but doesn’t recognize others refusing to follow them as anything other than them being enemies. He also refuses to adjust his methods even after they have failed him countless times before. This ties into his role as The Narcissist as it’s shown that Ironwood is motivated by the desire for personal validation and a refusal to admit his own flaws. Ironwood countless times has acted with the conceit that he is the one people should follow for no other reason than that he says so. Oscar comments on this, noting he does believe in Ironwood when the General asks him for validation “But not only you”. Oscar refuses to see Ironwood as the only one with answers the need or the only one fighting against Salem.  

The Drunk is embodied by Qrow. Oscar first met him in a bar and their first interaction consisted of Oscar getting Qrow home after he got drunk. The Drunk drinks to forget his shame at being a drunkard. Qrow goes into a destructive spiral after discovering the truth, claiming that meeting Ozpin was the worst luck of his life. Qrow is actually able to break through his own pessimism and give up on drinking. 

The Businessman is embodied by Jacques. The Businessman endlessly counts and catalogues the stars so he can own them all, unable to see their beauty. Jacques made the Schnee Dust Company the most powerful in Remnant but at the cost of the traits that initially made it so great to begin with, such as integrity and honor. Jacques opposition to Ironwood’s increasingly drastic methods isn’t motivated by altruism or how the General is hurting people but because of the profits he losing because of the General’s actions. Jacques can not see value in anything other than the company he stole away from it’s rightful inheritors. 

The Lamplighter is embodied by the Atlesian Military. The Lamplighter blindly follows orders to put out and relight a lamppost for his whole life because a whole day is only a minute on the planet he lives so he has to do one of the other every thirty seconds, rather than just leave the lamppost lit. The Atlesian Military, and especially the Ace-Ops, are blindly obedient to every order Ironwood gives them regardless of their personal feelings or morality on the matter. They actually break away from the mold in that every order they are given, every justification they come up with to try and explain why they are in the right, is just slowly pushing them further and further towards breaking away entirely. 

The Geographer is embodied by the Happy Huntresses. In the story the Geographer is meant to be a diatribe on how pointless it is specialize in something in a contemporary world. The Huntresses are seen to be as going against the grain in Atlas, choosing to help Mantle rather ignore it and left the military to do so. This unquestionably shown as a good thing, as the right thing to do. May especially sees it as more important to protect Mantle as Atlas has always had the means to protect and support itself while Mantle struggles to get by.  

With all of that said there is one final character to cover and they could be the most important one in Oscar’s journey as the Young Prince. 

The Fox 

Yes Ren is the character I feel could be the Fox. In many ways Ren is the most composed character of the main heroes, generally being far calmer and trying to have his head on straighter. I say trying because in many ways he is far more emotional than the rest, trying to bury things down until they boil over. The other members of RWBY and JNPR have had meltdowns and blowups but they are especially notable with Ren because he’s normally more composed. He and Jaune are the only ones who gotten suicidal in their reckless meltdowns but where Jaune cooled down after getting overpowered in his Ren stubbornly insisted on fighting even if he got himself killed. So why does Ren fit the role of the Fox? 

Because my belief is that he’s growing into that role still. 

In “Fault” Ren has a meltdown and posits that RWBY and JNPR are just kids in over their heads and that the adults involved are better suited to handle the problems they are dealing with. This patently shown as false as Ironwood and the Ace-Ops barely know what they are doing any more the heroes do. One of the themes of the Little Prince is how adults try to pass themselves off as mature and reasonable but ultimately are little better than children because of how far they take their flaws.  

Ren witnesses this in “War” where the Ace-Ops argue with JRY about allowing them to try and rescue Oscar from Salem. He comes to realize that the adults who should be able to get a handle on things are better at it than the children that are being condemned. This leads to two moments that are resonant with the Fox’s role in the story. 

When Ren declares that “No One Is Replaceable!” 

In the Little Prince the Fox is able to help the Prince come to terms with his heartbreak over his Rose not being as special as he thought. The Fox claims that you are responsible for what you tame. The Prince tamed his Rose, he cared for her and loved her, and so she was special because she was his. Special not because she was a rose but because she was his Rose. 

Ren’s declaration carries similar sentiments. Oscar is important to them because he’s their friend. They need no other reason to work to save him. The Ace-Ops don’t see this, they refuse to see it, and they condemn JRY for believing it. Which leads to the second moment. 

Ren’s Semblance evolving and letting him see the true emotions of the Ace-Ops.  

One of the most powerful lines in the story, something that sticks with me personally, is the Fox declaring “It it only with the heart that we can see rightly.” The Fox states that it is only by looking with our heart, by choosing to do what is right, that we are able to anything of true importance. 

Ren can see the Ace-Ops deepest, most well hidden feelings. He sees their hearts and he beseeches them to listen to what they are trying to ignore, trying to fight against. Because it is the only way they will be able to grow and evolve to their full potential. 

And when Ren reunites with Oscar he will be able to see the heart of the Young Prince. And the heart of the Rose that The Young Prince loves. And he’ll be there to guide them so they know how to be in love. 

Okay that was a doozy. But hey I hope it’s one heck of an opening act and the beginning of many posts to arrive. 

[welove-thedirection]

Why Reylo Owns My Soul

(this is a response to someone asking why I love Ben and Rey Solo and why they have the best love story from all 9 films)

First things first, I believe that there is a difference between Kylo and Ben. ✨Just like✨ with Anakin and Darth Vader. Yes, technically they are the same person/body, but I feel as if there are two separate identities and during the majority of the films, the darker part has complete control. (Ben is in passenger while Kylo is at the wheel.). With that in mind, this is how I see it: Kylo Ren + Rey Palpatine (her dark side) = ✨a dynamic connection✨; Ben Solo + Rey Solo/Skywalker (her light side) = 💕love 💕

That being said— I strongly believe Rian and JJ barely scratched the surface for what Kylo and Rey could have been, and later, what Ben and Rey could have been.  Because let’s be real here, the sequel's barely had visual/plot based direction.  And because of that, all the back and forth storytelling and lack of continuity is a large reason why I think so many fans didn’t vibe with the idea of “Reylo”.   I genuinely believe Rian and JJ both had different ideas on what to do with the two characters.  If they had begun episode 7 with a clear end for episode 9, Ben and Rey’s love story could’ve held so much more weight and significance seen by the ENTIRE audience.  Not just a select few (Reylo shippers).

The reason why I am apart of the “select few” is because I was able to see through Rian and JJ’s directorial faults and mistakes.  ✨I saw the full depth and potential of Kylo/Ben and Rey✨ (as all Reylo fans have).    But I’ll get to that in a minute...

Because first, I feel it’s important to acknowledge the fact that Kylo Ren was a bad, bad person. I get that. I see that. By shipping him and Rey, I am not dismissing all of the pain and terror he has caused. And I am not at all attracted to the ideology that “Rey needs to be with a bad boy”. Kylo did terrible, unspeakable things and that type of behavior is not and should not be desired by anyone. What I saw in Kylo was someone broken and lonely seeking belonging and purpose (in the wrong way of course). And Rey was in the EXACT situation. She was also broken and lonely despite being surrounded by the light (Finn, Leia, Han, etc.). But no one could help her because no one understood her. *Enter Kylo Ren* He was able to not only understand her, but pull out parts of herself that she was running away from (her inner demons/the darkness). Which was vital for her to acknowledge!

There’s such intimacy when you can find someone who GETS you like that. Because it forces you to enter spaces of transparency. And that’s what a lot of their dyad force conversations were.  Of course it took them a try or two to fully understand what their dyad meant, and Rey wasn’t fully able to trust Kylo yet, but eventually their force connections became safe spaces to be vulnerable. I’m not at all an expert on the force, so don’t quote me on this, but I feel like in order to truly have these force conversations, you have to be willing to let your walls down.  You have to be open to whatever comes and be ready to receive.  And I feel like the only reason why Kylo and Rey got better and better at their force bond (to the point where they could touch each other’s hand or get wet when the other was standing in rain) was because they kept letting each other in.   

And I LOVE that ^ but the biggest (and more important) reason why Ben and Rey are IT for me was the constant theme of light/dark— which is the essence of Star Wars.  Kylo had sought the dark.  He’d found a sense of peace and belonging there.  Or at least he thought he had.  But at the same time, he was running away from who he was: Ben Solo.  A man brought up by the goodness and light of the Resistance.  And then there’s Rey (if we’re choosing to canonize the Palpatine storyline).  She was someone who naturally embraced the light.  She found strength in a beautifully warm community of friends who became a segregate family.  But she denied, ignored, and ran away from the powerful darkness within her.

I.  Love.  That they helped each other confront the parts of themselves that they had been neglecting.  Together, they bridged the gap between the light and the dark.  Together, they created a BALANCE.  Just like Anakin had done decades previous. I believe it was JUST as important for Kylo to confront Han than it was to have Rey confront Palpatine. And here’s where I feel Rian and JJ could have done more: Rey should have been given the necessary screen time to explore her dark side. At the end of The Last Jedi, she should’ve taken Kylo’s hand. Because then, stepping back into the light, would have brought more power and clarity. More of a BALANCE. And to have Kylo make the switch to Ben all while Rey has finally rid herself of the Sith, would. have. been. beauuuutiful. But whatever! I guess I can live with how things turned out in episode 9.

Anyways! My point: What other couple/relationship *within the films* accomplished such balance like Reylo?  Han and Leia were both on the light side.  Padme was from the light, she had no dark impulses within her.  But Ben and Rey had both within themselves. And there is such depth in that.  And the fact that they were able to make peace with their inner demons and join together and fight side by side as Jedi’s is... such perfection.  He should NOT have died, dammit.

To end, here’s a quote from Adam Driver himSELF: “For the first time, someone who has never had the answer now finally knows his purpose or destiny... he has to let her [Rey] know that they’re together.  But I don’t know that he entirely is sure what’s gonna happen from there-- nor do I think he cares.  I think that so long as he’s with her, he’s on the right path.”

THAT is why I love them.  THAT is why I care so much.  THAT is what I took away from watching the train wreck that are the Star Wars sequels lol.  And THAT is why I believe they have the deepest love story out of all 9 films. And if done 100% intentionally, everyone would be on board.  

If you’re still reading at this point, thank you for your time.

[imagitory]

Star Wars Episode VIII: The Last Jedi Review [Spoilers]

Hey all! So I just got back from seeing The Last Jedi, so I can finally put my two-cents in on the newest installment of the trilogy. Before getting into spoilers, I will say this film is a worthy addition to the franchise, building upon concepts from previous movies while also creating new, creative imagery for this film that fits alongside the stuff that came before it. While I successfully guessed a few twists this film took, it also surprised me just as much, and I greatly appreciate that. It kept me on my toes the entire time. Overall, I would say every Star Wars fan will get something great out of this, even if they end up not liking the film as a whole.

Now then...spoilers ahead. Beware, all ye who enter here.

The Good!

+These action scenes...DAMN! I think they were easily some of the most creative and thrilling in the entire film series. Rose and Finn’s chase through intergalactic Las Vegas Canto Bight, the opening battle with the fighter jets, the confrontation at the rebel base, and the battle between Rey, Kylo Ren, and the First Order officers were all fantastic. The effects were spot-on, the music matched the movement perfectly, and the choreography of both the CGI and the actors was really well-done.

+Mark Hamill as Luke. I mean, yeah -- what can you say here except “duh?” Mark really went above and beyond here. Yes, I knew I was going to love seeing him as Luke again for nostalgic reasons, but what I love most is how much more depth Mark brought to the character, after all of the trials and tribulations he’s gone through between the films. He depicted a character who most would think would solely be a mentor figure, given his age and his beloved status, but who it turns out has his own learning curve to take on. He needs to acknowledge that while the Jedi were flawed, their philosophy shouldn’t just be completely thrown out and their old religion shouldn’t just be forgotten -- there are pieces that are still of use and should be passed on. It’s something Rey also realizes, and Kylo does not -- Kylo wants to burn everything down, including the past, regardless of the shreds of good there might be in that past along with the bad. And like Rey, as much as I was sad to see Luke go, I felt peace as it was happening. He is now one with the Force. Now he can guide Rey into the future and haunt Kylo for his mistakes -- both of which I will support him in wholeheartedly.

+Carrie Fisher as Leia. This truly was a shining performance -- I feel so beyond blessed that she was able to finish shooting her scenes before her sudden death, because hail to the motherfucking Queen, baby. When the Rebel bridge got blown up with Leia inside (good touch having it be Kylo’s men and not Kylo who did it, by the by), I literally felt myself stop breathing. But then she FLOATED HERSELF BACK TO THE SHIP TO SAVE HERSELF AND HOLY SHIT. It was actually eerie seeing Leia unconscious on the ship, as I couldn’t help but think of how Carrie had also been in a coma just before she passed...it was beyond merciful that Leia survived in this installment, and that she got to kick so much ass here. I do wonder how the filmmakers are going to handle her loss in the next movie...but wow, am I glad we got to see Carrie one last time on film, especially when she gave such a good performance.

+The focus on Poe. Honestly, Poe Dameron didn’t get that much attention in The Force Awakens, and I’m glad he got his proper share of spotlight here. I love the arc he went through and how he came to appreciate Vice Admiral Holdo’s leadership, even despite their differing approaches and distrust of each other. I think he’ll truly be able to step into Leia’s shoes as leader of the Rebellion in the future, now that he’s learned the value of human life over glory.

+The theme of rebellion being a symbol of hope to the oppressed, best exemplified by Rose and the other marginalized citizens of intergalactic Las Vegas Canto Bight. Yeah, I keep referencing Las Vegas when I talk about that planet, and yeah, they clearly modeled the look of the wealthy casinos and buildings off of it...but after having visited Vegas recently, and since I’m living in another wealthy tourist town myself (Anaheim), I must applaud the fact that they modeled the planet’s ugly underbelly to the same one that you can find in Vegas and cities like it, and actually took the time to discuss it. Where there is obscene wealth, there is also sickening, crippling poverty; where there is privilege, there will always be abuse. It ties back into the lesson Luke taught Rey about light and darkness -- how they constantly balance each other. But just like how Rey and Kylo mirror each other, being strong in the light and the darkness respectively, so too can rebellion become an equal to tyranny...and the end of the movie with the children likewise invigorated to take on the fight about to come left me feeling empowered.

+Finn’s arc from solely focusing on his friends and himself to seeing the Rebellion as something just as important to fight for. I’ve always seen Finn as a Hufflepuff or a Slytherin, morality-wise, in that he values his inner-circle over the whole world, but it was really neat to have him learn about how the world must be safe in order for the things he loves to be safe too.

+Kylo Ren killing Snoke. It felt in character and I think it will allow Kylo to go darker and become the real Big-Bad of the trilogy, since he won’t have to skirt around Snoke’s coattails anymore. Plus, admittedly, I always found Snoke sort of disappointing as Star Wars villains go, and I think it establishes how very treacherous the First Order is -- Kylo turned on Snoke, so who is to say Hux or any of his other subordinates won’t turn on Kylo? Unlike the Rebellion, whose bonds are strengthening, we’re already getting the hint of just how fragile the bonds binding the First Order together are...and that means Kylo has no one who he can truly rely on, unlike Rey, who of course has friends she can trust.

+I like that for all of the “mirroring” this film tried to do with Rey and Kylo, Rey still refused to follow him. She’s strong enough in herself and her moral compass to use her head and not trust him, even if he tries to lure her with knowledge of her parents and a promise of companionship. (I mean, seriously, Rey -- who gives a damn about your deadbeat parents, Finn and Poe and Chewie and BB-8 and Leia love you like few other things in this world! They’re your real family!)

+All of the actors gave very strong performances. I can honestly not pick out any weak links here -- they all gave it their all.

+The hacker character DJ I hope pops up again in the next movie. He seems like an interesting chaotic neutral character and since he didn’t get much of a resolution in this film, I look forward to what he’ll get in the next one.

+FINN KICKED CAPTAIN PHASMA’S ASS, HELLZ YEAH, THAT’S MY BOY. (Also, good to see Phasma having more screen time than in the last movie, even if it still wasn’t that much.)

The Not-So-Good...

+All the Reylo shipper fuel. *dodges knives* OKAY -- LISTEN. I do not support Rey/Kylo, and I probably never will, but shipping aside, here’s my problem with it -- the film did not properly convey why Rey has forgiven Kylo enough to let him into her mind. I’m sorry, it just didn’t. Kylo killed his father -- Rey’s mentor -- one of the first three protagonists that we all fell in love with in the original trilogy -- who went to bring his son back to the Light, only to get stabbed through the chest for his trouble. I just didn’t feel anything close to what Rey did when she started going, “Why? Why did you do it?” and questioning why Kylo destroyed the Jedi Temple -- I’m sorry, all I saw from Kylo in this film is that he was conflicted, not that he was sorry or had any interest in fixing his mistakes. It doesn’t matter if killing his father was painful for him -- it should be. He committed first-degree patricide. Feeling bad for your actions alone is not enough -- you then have to do something about it -- and Kylo did not do that. It felt like in some ways they were trying to parallel Padme and Anakin, where Padme likewise fruitlessly implores Anakin to come back to the Light Side even though it’s too late -- but there are a million and one differences between Anakin and Kylo, most relevant in this case being that Anakin’s reason to not turn back was out of misguided love for Padme (and later because he had no choice, since he’d alienated all of his allies and his suit basically left him tethered to Darth Sidious and the Empire), and that Kylo’s was to assert his loyalty to Snoke (and later to take vengeance against those who wronged him and assert his power). Anakin was trying to protect one of the people that meant the world to him after having known so little love in his life, while Kylo had a family who supported him, taught him, and trained him and he decided that Snoke’s approval and his own pride were more important than that. Anakin was raised to think that he was nothing -- a worthless slave -- while Kylo knew likely from the time he was very little that he was special and decided to act out because of it. Anakin’s initial fall was out of ignorance and a selfish kind of love, but Kylo’s was out of active vengeance, teenage angst, privileged frustration, and a toxic need to dominate and control. Snoke was right when he said that Kylo was no Vader, and that he instead was just a child -- he’s too immature to even acknowledge that his rationale for falling to the Dark Side and doing what he did was WRONG AND EVIL AND STUPID. That’s why I still don’t forgive Kylo Ren, that’s why I don’t think Rey should’ve been as open to him as she was, and that’s why I was satisfied by the ending where Kylo proved himself to be just as vile as I always thought he was, by blaming Snoke’s death on Rey so he can take over the First Order himself and go about terrorizing the galaxy. Someone who was truly sorry for what he’d done and had the capacity to change would’ve at the very least taken the “Zuko Alone” route and tried to recollect himself and redefine a new moral code that he can follow. As of now, the way things are now, I hope that in the final movie Kylo Ren burns, leaving nothing behind but a pile of ash, same as the Jedi Temple he burned to the ground.

+Rose/Finn. I know a few other people have said this, but...yeah. It was WAY too rushed. Honestly, the only thing I can hope for is that in the next film, Finn has to politely turn Rose’s feelings down, because honestly there was just not enough romantic chemistry built up between the two characters. I’m not a rabid Poe/Finn or Finn/Rey shipper, but I still think either of those couples had much more behind them than what this film gave Finn/Rose. Maybe this couple could’ve been written better, maybe it couldn’t have been, but regardless, it was a misstep for this film, the way it was handled.

+C3PO and R2D2 were pretty much dead weight in this movie. BB-8 remained relevant and necessary throughout the runtime, but our old veterans were basically props. They didn’t even really get that many laughs.

+Porgs may be cute, but...wow, were they oddly forgettable. I liked the crystal foxes (Vulptex?) much better.

I definitely look forward to seeing how this new trilogy ends. The messages and action of this movie definitely make me eager to see how the filmmakers will follow it up, and I hope that the few problems I did have are properly addressed. The new Star Wars trilogy is truly exciting...the possibility and potential for the next one truly are limitless, as far as I can see.

Overall Grade: B