#unpopular opinion but i was enjoying the ending

[aqours]

man even the aquaruby shippers who were like the last guard of the people were really enjoying the last few chapters fucking hate the ending maaaaan😭

[tatck]

i love sonic boom (games)

[fangsandfeels]

Oct 15 - Favorite DA2 companion

Are there any other options?

There is a reason why Bioware can't let Varric go since Dragon Age 2 (can't wait for DA:V writers to destroy his personality completely) - he is one of the most fleshed out characters and one of the greatest friends your Hawke could ever have. I keep forgetting there is option to be in Rivalry with him because - and I don't even want to try it.

I love everything about him: his design that show him completely rejecting all connections with Orzammar and embracing surface lifestyle fully, his personality, the way the charming storyteller and a spy network leader blend together seamlessly, the way he and Hawke are partners in business and their endeavors; the way Varric is always here to take care of every party member, building his own dynamic with each of them, giving them nicknames and knowing what's going on in their lives...

To me, his writing in DA2 will always be the peak companion writing.

[pearlcaddy]

As someone with a very long queue, it's always awkward when a show takes a turn that makes me go completely off a character/plot/ship/the show as a whole. My innocent and dutiful queue will spend the next six-ish weeks posting about it like some sort of Weekend at Bernie's where the corpse is my love for the show.

[if-one-of-us-falls]

.

[dimiclaudeblaigan]

ngl it's getting rly annoying seeing people say "remake of x game!" constantly. people are so obsessed with the idea of remakes lately. they don't wonder what the next new game will be like. they just want remakes (including in franchises that don't do those often. not every franchise is Tales, where they've been doing remakes actively throughout its lifespan and not just during this Uwu Remake Era).

with FE, remakes make me a bit eh bc they've all sold poorly or just barely made a profit. Marth's games' remakes on top of the failed Tellius sales almost sent FE into its grave. SoV is just... there. it happened and the fandom moved on, save for the Alm and Celica alts in Heroes.

but like, it was so annoying watching VA interviews and just seeing the word "remake" thrown around so much from the chat. people want "remakes" of games that just don't need them. updated ports is one thing, but entire remakes?

there's more to FE than remakes, but it's all people seem to talk about. I'd like Tellius ports as much as the next girl for people's accessibility (and specifically bc IS' lack of marketing destroyed those games' sales and now they're so rare they're super expensive), but a remake? it's not necessary. even with quality of life features added, those games only need ports. I play them very regularly and frankly have way more fun with them than I do with modern day Menu Emblem.

also, I don't want the fandom wank carrying over into remakes of games that never even had wank. the biggest wank Tellius ever had was the Ike vs Micaiah wars in the fandom, which were not only a fraction of what happens now post Fodlan games but also weren't anywhere near as aggressive.

idk I'm just tired of remake this, remake that. it's also because of the rampant remakes in the industry that I'm tired of it, but it's also tiring to see it constantly in this fandom. I'm glad that FE7 is coming back, but as a port on the Switch and still as a GBA game. FE4? super glad it came back as a port (JP eShop only). remakes though? too tired of the concept (especially when FE remakes have not only almost killed the franchise from lack of sales but were otherwise just mediocre and moved on from pretty quickly). I also don't trust the FE fandom with remakes at this point. character hate is so rampant in this fandom that for the life of me I don't even want Tellius ports if it's going to save me the headache and aggravation from people's lack of character comprehension. :') that shit will turn me into a hard stan and my blog will have to be painted in my blorbo just to keep haters away. :'''')

[whysamwhy123]

Any unpopular opinions?

(Sleepover Sunday, I guess, because I'm only getting to this now, whoops!) ALL I HAVE ARE UNPOPULAR OPINIONS, LOL. Seriously, I'm lucky I only have, like, seven followers because otherwise I'd be chased off this website with torches and pitchforks. I'll try to give a mildly spicy one and not to be too much of a bitch...we'll see...

Toni Storm's current character/gimmick is A THOUSAND times more creative and original than anything any man on that roster has done in YEARS. And the fact that she's not on this PPV card is a fucking travesty. But I'm not surprised because TK hates women, and wrestling fans simply do not show up for women's wrestling the same way they do for boring white guys doing the most generic, tired, old Heel 101 bullshit 🙂🙂🙂

Ah, fuck it, one more because I bitch about this every week anyways - that Nigel wanker on Collision is one of the worst commentators I've ever heard. He's so annoying! He spends more time putting himself over than the talent in the ring (literally the opposite of a commentator's job) and he clearly has no respect for the women because as soon as a women's match starts, he immediately starts talking about unrelated male wrestlers. Or just himself! And that's when he's not making pervy comments about them - dude makes JR sound like a feminist icon by comparison. I am uncooly judging everyone on here who thirsts over him. Come on, people, standards! Y'all gonna start thirsting over the Qanon moron next?

[reluctantjoe]

Ariel Conroy

favorite thing about them

how hot he his. nah just kidding (sort of), i'd probably go with how determined (???) he is about killing. utterly ruthless that will do anything to get what & who he wants. also the gloves...

least favorite thing about them

murdering jamie and then convincing everyone in the bunker that he's him!! although i do believe hawkwind manage to sus him out at the end. (if you want anymore details on this let me know)

favorite line

"jamie, what the fuck?! you do not put people's feet in food processors! there's a line even in these kind of situations and you've--"

brOTP

i mean i'd have to say max?? he was his only "friend" in the show. despite him killing him off

OTP

i don't have one with him seeing as he's absolutely awful. but i guess him x hawkwind??? it feels weird to pair them up though

nOTP

again him x hawkwind. they're the worse couple in my books. plus that's the only canon relationship ariel's had

random headcanon

mommy issues so bad he'd do anything for a woman in the bedroom. man just wants love and he'd show that by being gentle to you too. also he is not a dom

unpopular opinion

this being aggressive shit i see in smut fanfiction is just a no. have you watched the show? his lack of love his mother gave him as a child did not make him into this nasty fuck-me-until-you-love-me animal that people portray him as now. the whole point of him stalking, kidnapping, & murdering was to get back to his love that ran away. (amongst other things.) why would he then act like that towards them in the bedroom? that would literally scare anyone off if that was the case and then he'd be back to square one

song i associate with them

fairly local - twenty one pilots was my first thought. only because of an edit i've watched

favorite picture of them

send me a character and i’ll list:

[malusokay]

end of summer journaling prompts 𝜗𝜚˚⋆

Which month of summer was most memorable to you and why?

At what point do you feel like summer is over?

Top 3 summer memories?

How do you plan to spend the last summer days?

Have you made vacation friends, and if so, have you stayed in touch with them?

Top 3 summer fruits?

What is your favourite summer beauty ritual?

Does time feel like it's moving faster or slower in summer?

What is something that you wanted to do all summer but haven't done yet?

Top 3 summer songs this year? make a playlist!!

How did your routine change over the summer?

What habits did you pick up this summer, and what do you want to continue in the upcoming school year?

Summarise the entire summer in just 1 word!!

3 unpopular summer opinions?

How would you rank all four seasons now that summer is coming to an end?

Do you feel the "summertime sadness"?

hey dolls I hope August is treating you all with plenty of kindness!! for me, this has probably been the busiest month so far, trying to manage moving, work, school, and relationships while also enjoying summer to the fullest!!

As always, please feel free to share your own prompts or even your summer highlights in the comments! <3

✩‧₊*:・love ya ･:*₊‧✩

[illdothehotvoice]

I think ignoring the uh. problems with Spirit of Justice, I've come to the conclusion that I think my biggest issue with it is it really just kind of went "Oh! You want more focus on Apollo Justice: Ace Attorney and it's characters? Sure, here you go! *retcons like. The entire game*"

Anyways I am about to complain a LOT about Spirit of Justice in the tags.

[deepwaterwritingprompts]

By Request: Some of my own Recs

I gave these out earlier this year but here they are again plus some edits!

(a general please remember to look up trigger warnings for new shows if this is a concern for you)

my go to recommendations are:

Noragami, which is mostly about shinto gods in the modern era, created by two women, almost finished, super super pretty art style in my opinion. the anime has two seasons and some great ops, but overall i prefer the manga.

Gekkan Shoujo Nozaki-kun, another classic, slice of life, deeply cute and funny, twists every shoujo trope on its head. one season of the anime, which is wonderful, but the series continues to be funny for all 13 (14?) manga volumes currently out and if you like the anime i really recommend tracking them down/reading online.

Also:

Revolutionary Girl Utena / do yourself a favor and check out all of ikuhara's other shows too. Love them or hate them, i think we can all agree that absolutely nobody is doing it like him.

YuYu Hakusho, a classic.

Since the Trigun revival had its moment this year im also going to throw in Trimax/the manga

Most recently I watched Heavenly Delusion (Tengoku Daimakyō), caught up with the manga once it finished airing, and I LOVED all of it. If someone told me they were thinking about giving Attack on Titan a shot I would beg them to consume this instead.

I really enjoy genre bending anime/manga, Hinamatsuri is very cute, Assassination Classroom is a classic, and someone following me here actually recommended Sarazanmai (an Ikuhara) to ME last summer, i ended up loving it but like, don’t say i didn’t warn you.

Casual enjoyer of Jujutsu Kaisen so even though its v popular id give it a general recommendation. The second years are my favorite, so the movie especially:)

If you want something very calm i’d recommend Kimi ni Todoke, Hyouka, Run with the Wind, or Free! (do not @ me, this is a low stakes calming drama with hours and hours of content give it a shot)

Misc: Mob Psycho 100, Asobi Asobase, Given, Tsuredure Children, Daily Lives of High School Boys, Parasyte, Zombieland Saga, and probably lots more ill think of later!

its that time of year: hand over your anime recs

about a year ago i asked for recs and you all had some great responses. i watched quite a few and even if some of them weren't my style i loved your enthusiasm. loved it.

this year once again i ask for your recs, underrated, super popular, super weird, doesn't matter. Drop them in the notes/tags. i love twists done well and plots that defy genre, but ill take anything.

(Edit: I’ll take manga recs too:)

please and thank you, peace

- L

[sleepyparalysisdmon]

Seventeen with a crush

Genre: fluff

A/N: just a cute little thing I was thinking about.

Seungcheol

His air of confidence is so strong that it might be kind of unnerving at first. He knows what he likes and what he wants. If that’s you, you’ll know it. It’s all flirting and little excuses to be close to you. If you’re shy about it, watch him get kind of smug. But my personal favorite is that if you flirt back for even a moment, you’ll get to see the mask of confidence slip. Shy Seungcheol would be so cute and you’d live for turning the tables once he lets go of the confident facade. He’ll be surprisingly shy about confessing to you and it might be your turn to be a little smug.

Jeonghan

Swings wildly between being a total menace and super sweet. He’ll do something nice for you because he cares and is absolutely delighted if it flusters you. He might not try to resist the urge to pinch your cheeks and coo when blushing and can’t meet his eyes. Another one that will let you know he’s into you. Like I said, he enjoys your shyness, but if you work up the courage to be even half as bold as he is, he’ll be panicked and excited simultaneously. This stage will drag out for a long time only because he enjoys the anticipation of every interaction with you. When one of you finally confesses, I think there’s like a 75% chance he’ll be sweet and genuine about though.

Joshua

Total boyfriend material and he’ll let you know it. If you’re hanging out, he’s doing the little things like holding doors open for you, sliding out your chair, or placing his jacket over your lap if your wearing a skirt. It’s all genuine and sweet and thoughtful, but don’t let it fool you. He’s a menace as well with his little compliments and touches, loving your little reactions. I don’t think he’d let this phase go for so long so prepare for a super romantic first date.

Jun

You’ll know he’s into you simply because he makes it a point to be around you. All. The. Time. Once he gets over an initial bout of shyness, he’s a yapper. He wants to make you laugh. He wants your attention. He wants you to think about him as much as he thinks about you. There’s a quiet intensity about it that makes you swoon a bit if you think about it too hard. He might not initiate a lot of physical contact right away, but if you do he’ll totally melt. Be prepared to have him wrapped around your finger.

Hoshi

Initially super nervous. He knows he can be a bit much for some people and comes on really strong, so he holds back to test the waters. He’s really terrified of scaring you off. The more you react positively to his little jokes and touches, the more he’ll warm up. Good luck getting him off of you once he’s comfortable because he’ll be glued to your side, literally. His enthusiasm for anything to do with you is SO endearing. His members will be absolutely sick of you before they even meet you.

Wonwoo

The biggest flirt in the most understated way, if that makes sense? You leave some interactions with him and way later realize, wait, was he flirting with me??? He’s so chill about it that it takes you by surprise. Besides the flirting, you know he’s into you because he goes out of his way to talk to you. His interest in your thoughts, feelings, and interests warms you up so much, but the kicker for him is when you’re interested in what he has to say too. Phew, is he already half in love before he even asks you out.

Woozi

This might be an unpopular opinion, but I don’t think he’d be all that shy. Man loves romance judging by the songs he writes and has two fire signs confirmed in his big three. The thing is, he’s a little reserved about chasing you. Take it from a fellow fire sign, we have some rejection sensitivity. You’ll have to come to him, but you have his full attention once you do. He’s secretly going to be sickeningly sweet with you and I kind of see this crush ending without a formal moment of asking the other out. You guys just hang out one day and decide you’re together.

DK

Another one that swings wildly between two modes, but with Seokmin it’s being a full time comedian and the shyest baby you’ve ever seen. I think he loves love and I fear he might sometimes build it up in his head before he ever makes a single move. Be gentle at first, but once you reciprocate anything expect to never stop smiling. Let him be vulnerable and serious around you though and he’s yours.

Mingyu

How does it feel to have someone obsessed with you? When he’s hooked, he’s HOOKED. There will be no question that he’s into you because he checks all the boxes. Flirting, physical affection, active listening, doing little thoughtful favors for you. He’s trying to skip straight from boyfriend material to husband material. Please match his energy. The members might be sick of being around you two, but will probably urge you two to just get together already.

The8

You may never know unless he’s ready for you to know. You might even think he doesn’t like you at all, dare I say hates you, because he’s a bit stoic. But relax because this is him feeling out the situation. A vibe check is a must for him. If you pass that vibe check, he’ll be so subtle about hinting about it. It’s about the little things with him, but you still might be surprised when he admits that he likes you. Expect him to laugh at your wide eyed expression because he already knows you’re into him too. Otherwise, he would have never said anything.

Seungkwan

Talk about someone whose invested in your wellbeing from day one. One might think he’s nagging, but you know it’s because he cares and it warms you that he wants to know what you had for dinner or that you’ve had enough water today. Please, please, please thank him for his attention to detail because it will mean the world to him that you understand his intentions. A certified yapper. You’ll know all of the group gossip. I’m sorry, this has friends to lovers written all over it. It won’t be a surprise to anyone when you two end up together.

Vernon

Most people say he’s pretty aloof, but I think it’s an act. He’ll let you know he’s into you. He might have some weird approaches, like sending dozens of memes or TikToks a day, but it shows he’s thinking about you and trying to find reasons to reach out to you. Expect some deep, existential 3am conversations. I think he’s actually pretty soft and physically affectionate when it comes to you, though he’s careful not to cross any lines and might prefer that you initiate it just to be safe. Put him out of his misery. He wants you all over him so just make a move already.

Dino

Perhaps surprisingly bold about it. You’re kind of surprised by his attention being on you because, well… he’s him. He could have anyone he wants. But he’ll be laser focused, so sweet and attentive that it turns you to putty. You’re the one wrapped around his finger, but don’t worry, I don’t think he’d abuse that power. He prides himself on making you feel safe and comfortable. I know I’ve already said this, but please, match his energy. He’ll be asking you out in a heartbeat.

[imnotevenusin]

Favorite Placements, pt. 2

Mercury in Aquarius: Mercury is our problem-solver and communicator, while Aquarius deals with larger-scale issues that impact humanity as a whole. Mercury in Aquarius gives the ability to think ahead and outside-of-the-box. Along with that, I like Mercury trine/sextile Uranus.

Sun in Aquarius: The Sun is a personal planet that rules self-esteem, pride, enjoyment, and image. Being placed in Aquarius, the Sun will express itself in a “new” or “quirky” way. Along with this, I envy Sun sextile/conjunct/trine Uranus - they are very versatile and can fit in to any group or “clique”.

Mercury trine/sextile Pluto: Pluto pulls you in, whether you want to it or not; it is an addictive, controlling, and powerful planet. This aspect can make someone very attentive, smart, and clever. Pluto brings serious, heavy subjects, that makes Mercury more transformative and stronger; you are always questioning and thinking on a deeper level.

Jupiter sextile/conjunct/trine Pluto: Jupiter expands anything that it touches, while Pluto pulls you in and controls you. This placement gives access to power, powerful individuals, and can even make you influential yourself.

Mars conjunct/trine/sextile Venus: Mars is our primal planet—other than the Moon; it represents our drive, anger, and sexual impulses. Venus is our social graces, aesthetics, and what we like. This placement gives an out-going personality, that (REALLY) enjoys sex. It also gives you a passion for art.

Scorpio Moon: I know, this is an unpopular opinion. Scorpio is such a huge and heavy energy, and the Moon is supposed to be emotionally comfortable. Scorpio brings intensity and uncomfortable feelings to the Moon. Thats a gift in my eyes. After going through a Scorpio Moon Progression, I feel more self-aware and I know myself way better than before.

Moon in the 9th House: The Moon is how we get emotionally comfortable, while the 9th House rules philosophies, answers, and beliefs. After a tumultuous period, these people can always look at the bigger picture in the end.

[astrosky33]

𝐀𝐒𝐓𝐑𝐎𝐋𝐎𝐆𝐘 𝐎𝐁𝐒𝐄𝐑𝐕𝐀𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍𝐒 𝐁𝐘 𝐀𝐒𝐓𝐑𝐎𝐒𝐊𝐘 𝐏𝐀𝐑𝐓 𝟏𝟒

🛸 People with Mars in the 3rd/11th house often get most inspired by tiktok, youtube, or other social media videos. When they see others being productive online it makes them want to be productive

🛸 Having your Moon in the 1st house can mean your face says things before you do

🛸 Libra placements have sensitive skin typically since Libra rules over the skin

🛸 Your 8th house can be indicative of how you die but not how horrible it will be necessarily like a lot of astro posts say. Ex: Mars in 8H can actually indicate dying a quick death since Mars rules over speed

🛸 A lot of celebrities are witches but just stay private about it which is why so many of them have 22 degrees in their chart because it’s the degree of witchcraft

🛸 Unpopular opinion: I don’t think Jupiter in the 7th house is a great placement for love most of the time. Many of the people I’ve seen with this placement have multiple marriages. This is because Jupiter rules over abundance and the 7H rules over marriages/relationships. Yes it rules over luck too but I rarely see that specific trait taken on for people with this placement - ex: marilyn monroe

🛸 Everyone always says if you lack water in your chart you’re tough but I personally don’t agree with that because I am 13% water and am very sensitive emotionally

🛸 Having your 4th house ruler in the 8th house can indicate your childhood may’ve been filled with trauma

🛸 Jupiter in the 3rd house in Composite Charts of siblings indicates you’re each other’s favorite siblings

🛸 People always think Mars in the 1st house in Composite Chart is a bad thing but in my readings I’ve found it indicates very passionate romance when in a couples chart

🛸 Chiron in the 1st house in Composite Charts can indicate one of you constantly making the other feel poorly about their appearance; ex: emma chamberlain & ethan dolan- emma said on a podcast that he constantly tore her down for not presenting herself in a more feminine way

🛸 Chiron in the 7th house in Composite Charts usually ends in heartbreak when it comes to romantic relationships

🛸 Juno conjunct/trine/sextile Jupiter indicates marriage occurring in Composite Charts. This is because in Greek Mythology Juno married Jupiter

🛸 Asteroid Charis in the 10th house can indicate having a magnetic and charismatic public image that attracts many people to you - asteroid code: 627

🛸 Asteroid Neverland can shows areas where we’re out of touch with reality. It can also show things we may have enjoyed doing as a child - asteroid code: 5405

🛸 Marilyn Monroe has Asteroid Fama in Libra and she was famous for her beauty. Libra is ruled by Venus the planet of beauty. Fama shows what we can gain fame for - code: 408

𝗠𝗢𝗥𝗘 𝗔𝗦𝗧𝗥𝗢 𝗢𝗕𝗦𝗘𝗥𝗩𝗔𝗧𝗜𝗢𝗡𝗦

𝗠𝗔𝗦𝗧𝗘𝗥𝗟𝗜𝗦𝗧

𝗦𝗨𝗕 𝗧𝗢 𝗠𝗬 𝗣𝗔𝗧𝗥𝗘𝗢𝗡

𝗔𝗟𝗟 𝗧𝗨𝗧𝗢𝗥𝗜𝗔𝗟𝗦

© 𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐨𝐬𝐤𝐲 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟑 𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐫𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐬 𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐞𝐫𝐯𝐞𝐝

[hannieehaee]

not sure if you’ve done this before, i’m sorry if you have but svt and their s/o fighting bc of a misunderstanding?

fighting because of a misunderstanding

content: established relationship, mentions of arguments, pettiness, angst but nothing too serious, etc.

wc: 790

a/n: since this was such a general idea i went in a different direction with all of them and how they'd react if you or he had a misunderstanding and then it led to a fight. hope u enjoy <3

masterlist

seungcheol -

he seems super stubborn so i think that if he misunderstanding was on his side, he'd try to brush it off and pretend he didn't realize what the issue was. would try and drag it as long as possible due to embarrassment at his mistake, but it'd just create a bigger fight. eventually, though, he'd swallow his pride and admit fault.

jeonghan -

he'd gaslight you the entire argument and end up winning ... just kidding he'd actually be really open to admitting his faults and excusing you in your own T-T even if it had all been caused bc of a misunderstanding he'd still be willing to talk it through and resolve it. would NEVER go to bed if u guys hadnt resolved things.

joshua -

he's so annoyinjwhdjsks i think he'd be super annoying in fights so he'd take any bit of ammunition he could get. whether the misunderstanding was on his part or not, he'd still somehow argue it to his advantage. if things got out of hand, he'd wave the white flag and call a truce.

jun -

just confused the whole time. had he missed something or done something without realizing? his first instinct would be to be apologetic (even if he didnt fully understand how this argument had come to be). if he at some point realized either you or him had simply misunderstood the other, he'd just let it go, being content that you had already resolved it.

soonyoung -

lol i think he'd immediately act like wounded puppy the moment he realized that a fight had formed between the two of you. would do gymnastics in his head trying to figure out how you got here, only to realize that it had all been due to some misunderstanding between the two of you. he wouldnt care who was to blame, he'd just take responsibility if it meant the two of you could cuddle again.

wonwoo -

he's so in touch with his emotions and such an empathetic soul that i cant even imagine a fight breaking out with him, even if it was caused by a misunderstanding. like jeonghan, he'd be super open to talking it out and would never try to antagonize you during fights. had it all been caused by a misunderstanding, he'd still be very calm and understanding about it all, even taking blame if necessary.

jihoon -

gives me the vibe that he'd rather ice you out than actually get into a fight. this would, of course, only make things worse. he'd stand his ground, though, convincing himself that it'd be better to wait for you to go to him. after a few days of silence for both sides, he'd realize his mistake and have to crawl back to you with an apology.

seokmin -

would be so disheartened at the concept of fighting in the first place lol. he'd be willing to get on his knees to stop whatever argument was going on. he'd take on the blame of any misunderstanding if it made you happy.

mingyu -

another wounded puppy. would pout and whine and not really take the fight seriously, just wanting things to go back to normal so that he could hold you. would apologize for any fault of his and entice you into forgetting about whatever misunderstanding had come up.

minghao -

not sure if this is an unpopular opinion but i feel like he might be a lil bit stubborn when it comes to arguments. he might let his emotions get the best of him (he's a scorpio ..) and need some time to cool off before having a productive conversation. he'd have to hold himself back a bit in the case of a misunderstanding but would still never be mean nor disrespectful during fights.

seungkwan -

if for some reason you had picked a fight with him due to a misunderstanding on your part, he'd never let you live it down. would bring this up in future arguments (lightheartedly obviously!!) to give himself an advantage in any fight. would claim you had a previous record of being wrong.

vernon -

he's too chill to ever get into a serious fight. he'd be willing to admit fault pretty easily, but he'd also stand his ground when necessary. whenever a misunderstanding came up, he'd try to be the voice of reason and be open to criticism.

chan -

lol have you seen him when he banters with his members? he never backs down and he'd give you the same treatment. would argue til the end, even if things ended up getting a bit heated. in the end, though, he would calm down and understand that misunderstandings such as these needed to be taken care of with more tact and would apologize if he got too intense.

[sword-bunny]

Unpopular opinion: I don't think Luka is actually that bad

(Casual reminder first that all of the unwilling participants of this death match are slaves who were essentially raised from childhood to compete in Alien Stage. None of them are competing by choice, and this is Luka's second time being forced through this nightmare, and he will probably be made to do it a third time.)

"But he's enjoying this!"

Is he, though?

I don't feel like this moment gets talked about enough. Obviously we don't get to see the actual match so we can't say anything about it, but Luka kissing the dead girl's hand afterwards was important enough that some of the very limited time this series has was used to show it.

Here, he's not smiling, he's not making a show out of it. The show is already over. His back is to the audience, and he isn't even on stage. He lived, she died, and to me this read as a gesture of respect.

"What about him purposefully invoking the images of Sua and Ivan to make Mizi and Till lose their shit?"

Yeah, he definitely did do that, and I'll get back to that. But take a look at his face during his duet with Mizi:

It's shockingly different from the smug, smiling face he has for the rest of the song. From the background behind him, we can tell that Mizi is blocking the view of his face from the audience.

In comparison, the bit where he rolls his eyes, he isn't even looking at her. He's looking at the audience, making a show of his lofty condescension.

Look at the way he's portrayed in the "promotional footage" we see in Top 3. He's the "Ruler of the Stage", the elegant personification of victory. In other words, it's a stage persona.

We got this new expression in Blink Gone, and I did think he was laughing at first! But why would he be hiding that? He certainly never has before. There would be no point, he'd be playing it up, even. But the more I look at it, the more I think he's covering up something else.

Luka has outlived a lot of his opponents, some of whom very likely were people he grew up with, and I think he's starting to crack.

This leads us back to the tactics he uses to win.

Luka is undeniably ruthless! You could definitely make an argument that he goes beyond what's necessary to win.

But remember, he's trying to survive. I don't think he can reasonably be called a sadist for trying his best not to die, even if his methods are underhanded. Is he a good person? I wouldn't even try to argue that. Is he a bad person? I genuinely don't think so.

The situation he's been forced into is unimaginably cruel, and I genuinely believe it doesn't make someone a bad person to try to survive, even if it means someone else doesn't.

Imagine a modified version of the trolley problem: you and a person you do not know are each tied to separate tracks. You get to choose whether the train kills you or the other person. In this situation where you are not there because you want to be or because you're experiencing any kind of consequences for your actions, is it morally acceptable to choose not to die?

Anyways, that's my rant about why it's been getting on my nerves to see Luka constantly getting called a sadistic psychopath. Feel free to make counterarguments, just please try to be chill about it if you do✌️

Edit: I totally forgot about the Alien Stage promo video, which pretty clearly shows that Luka is having a Less Than Stellar time (pun intended)

This is the first shot we ever get to see of Luka, and I've left the lyrics on because I think they're pretty important since Luka is the contestant that's been in this situation the longest. He won and it's still not over. I'm not surprised he feels like it won't ever end!

Then there's this shot. Hooooooo boy this shot makes me feel a lot of things. It's so clear that Luka is even less than a pet, barely more than a toy to his "fans".

Finally, there's this bit where he hides his face behind his arms like he can't bear to be looked at any longer.

Your honor I'm so normal about him I swear