#vi also had a really weak arc in s2

[auroszn]

arcane s2 was entertaining and beautifully animated, but...did not hit nearly as hard as s1.

felt like some of the themes fell off

[housewarningparty]

Arcane this season is struggling with some pretty common second season issues. I can't help but think of Hacks, actually, and the creative team talking about the lack of writing time for S2 compared to all the polish and care they got to put into every bit of the first season. The problem is Hacks got to have a third season that was largely praised as a very strong return to form, where Arcane will be ending in just three more episodes. And Hacks also wasn't trying to do so many other plots with such a huge cast

All the Isha stuff felt cheap and clumsy, despite the beautiful animation and swelling music in her final scene I was really just glad we would stop watering down Jinx's screentime when she beefed it. I was frustrated both by Jinx suddenly being really mellow this season kind of inexplicably and also the fact that we were being SO on the nose about Jinx healing her own trauma by both taking on a role similar to Silco and also supporting and raising a younger version of herself. Since there were no season 1 ties to Isha it just felt really manufactured and impossible to take seriously.

I think introducing Vander earlier and having that be where her caretaking arc focused could have worked. Or else (even better) digging deep on Vi's downward spiral and having Jinx focus on supporting and reconnecting with HER might also have felt more satisfying - and it could have provided an interesting bridge for Caitlyn and Jinx to bury the hatchet in a more dramatic and satisfying way too

Struggling to really give a shit about any of the Jayce/Viktor stuff this season. Frustrated with Ekko's lack of presence this season as well. Wish Mel had more screentime also, but I at least find her storyline interesting so there's that

Honestly the thing I'm enjoying the most this season IS Caitlyn and Vi's arc. Lots more screentime biased to Cait this season which I'm sure would be frustrating to other viewers but I've been a real #CaitlynHead since day 1 so that ain't me, babey!!! I do kind of wish we'd seen her hit a harsher rock bottom. Was kind of looking forward to her doing something completely unforgivable before the turn, but I have to admit seeing Vi one (1) time post-breakup being enough to make her blow up her life again was funny.

Also wish we'd had more of pit fighter Vi - or just her being on-screen in general. I think in a world where there was a third season on the horizon to wrap things up we might have gotten an entire episode out of Vi's fighter career and I'm bummed that it didn't happen

Anyway - complaining a lot but rest assured I'm having a great time watching. Tbh I mostly wish there was like a CaitVi supercut so I could go back for the highlights, since I find most of the rest of the show weak rn

[mmikmmik2]

If you were to sort the Infinity Train cast(s) into the Major Arcana a la the Persona games, which Arcana would you give everyone?

anon I had SOOOOO much fun thinking about this, thank you so much for sending me this. I sorted all the major characters, plus a few other entries, based on a mix of Arcana symbolism, Persona series character archetypes, and general vibes. I came up with answers I feel pretty good about for all but four of the Arcana. (Was really tempted to say Strength is every human character who doesn't board the train because they can handle their problems on their own lol.) This is going to be a long-winded post, so I thought I’d post just the list as an image (which hopefully won’t be too blurry!) rather than wrestle with Tumblr formatting trying to make a short list, and put a big text wall under the readmore talking more about my picks.

If this list does end up illegible, the same info is under the readmore as text! Plus some characters for Magician, Strength, Justice, and Death that I didn’t want to add to the “official” list because they’re more based on headcanon. (Although my reasoning for some of the “official” picks is pretty weak lol.)

One-One as 0. The Fool

Oh my gosh, what am I?

IT is great at fleshing out character backstories and families, so One-One at the beginning of S1 is one of the few characters who really feels like a blank slate. He's got a lot of his baggage back by the end of the season, and I think One and One-One are more similar than they seem at first glance, but S1 does seem to have been very formative for One-One and how he thinks about what he's supposed to be doing and how he relates to other people. So it does kind of feel like his fool's journey.

Alrick Timmens as I. The Magician

The magician begins the journey... by beefing it on a dirt bike, dying, and sending his wife flying off the deep end. Rip.

Alrick was an engineer like Amelia, so I could see him suiting some of the themes of the Magician, like conscious thought and manifesting ideas. His apparent playfulness and insecurity are similar to the Magician characters in Persona.

Kez as II. The High Priestess

“We can’t make this decision for you, Kez.” “You know what to do.”

I thought really hard about making Kez the Magician because just like every Magician since Persona 3, she's dumb, horny, and insecure dlkjasfdkl

(and also her showing up at the start of the story arc and being helpful but also super needy is very Magician)

But the idea of "intuition" really does suit Kez. Sometimes her intuition is as bad as her conscious reasoning, but I think that's a lot because she's so confused about what happened with Jeremy, and Morgan making Kez feel like she did a bad thing by helping him.

Tuba as III. The Empress

She made me feel like I was warm all the time.

Tuba's a mom. Sorry, this one's not that deep, haha.

Simon Laurent as IV. The Emperor

Highest number! I'm the leader now.

Simon has a lot of issues, but the one that felt the most prominent to me was his unhealthy relationship with power, authority, dominance, and rules. Another quote I considered using here was what he said in Grace's memory of meeting Amelia: "I never thought I'd get to see the Conductor with my own eyes. He's perfect! Everything finally makes sense again." In his emotional crisis, he thought everything could be fixed just by the existence of a huge, scary, powerful, male authority figure, even if they weren't doing anything helpful or informative.

Atticus as V. The Hierophant

I like to think that our stones are sturdy and handsome, like the Corgis that crafted them.

Atticus is a figure of traditional authority who deeply loves the history, society, and culture of his people. He often provides spiritual wisdom and encourages Tulip to get out of her own head and engage with the world around her. Also in Persona, Hiero is the Dad Arcana so it's very funny to me (a) to make the little dog be Hiero and (b) that the little dog really does have the strongest Wholesome Dad Energy of the whole cast.

Jesse Cosay as VI. The Lovers

Don't tell me what to do. I'm not going to be a part of anything like this, on or off the train.

This was my first and easiest pick lol, Jesse is sooooo Lovers. Like, the focus on choice and personal values and relationships? Yep, that's Jesse. It works on an "actual meaning of the Arcana" level and a "vibes with the Persona characters" level lol... popular, upbeat, and having such an identity crisis.

Lake as VII. The Chariot

I'm my own person, who is getting off this train!

I don't know if Chariot captures all the ways Lake grew over the course of S2, but I feel like they had the most externally focused conflict of all the IT characters, which suits Chariot. They've been fighting to stake out their personhood from start to finish, and they took action and used their willpower to achieve that goal. Also they have at least a little jock energy which is a prereq for Chariot tbh.

Frank as VIII. Strength

I dunno, I kinda imagine him as a simple man and easily underestimated, but with a lot of heart. The Cat may say they're keeping things casual but I don't think she'd take him with her on her private vacation unless he had some kind of inner toughness that would let him stand toe-to-toe with her.

Morgan as IX. The Hermit

I need to be alone right now. Kez... maybe... we can talk later.

I like that Morgan embodies toxic self-isolation and stonewalling and rejection, but that she seems to be moving towards the positive aspects of Hermit and taking some time to calm down and process and think. I like it when characters can embody the best and worst of their Arcana.

Tulip Olsen as X. The Wheel of Fortune

We have to adapt to the changes in our lives. It's the only way things can get better.

Tulip has a lot of themes and conflicts, but this one is a clear standout as the most important. I also like it for Tulip because, while she has to handle a lot of difficult and even traumatic situations, some of the change that challenges her isn't as unambiguously bad as e.g. the death of a loved one. It really is just change itself she's struggling with, and that's Fortune babey. Also, from the perspective of the train itself and lots of other characters, by reversing Amelia and One-One's positions again and changing how One-One administrates the train, Tulip is the one giving the wheel a spin. That's fun.

Lucy as XI. Justice

One of my friends once described the Justice characters in Persona as "the ones the player character is ultimately accountable towards", and I like to think of Lucy as kind of being that for Grace (...since Hazel has excused herself). Lucy is the Apex kid we see Grace interact with the most, the first Apex kid Grace admitted to herself that she had harmed (see Grace very briefly showing distress and then regret when Jesse points the harpoons at his face and she stops him), and the first person to confront Grace when she came home in The New Apex.

Min-Gi Park as XII. The Hanged Man

I don't know if we'll sell a single album, but we'll figure that out as we go.

Min-Gi sacrifices his "realistic", "sensible" goals for a more personally (spiritually, even?) enriching life that's beyond his control and outside of the expected norm. Like the Hanged Man, who dangles foolishly upside-down, but as a deliberate choice and in a state of serenity and enlightenment. I also think this arcana suits a reading of Min-Gi's character development as starting off going slower as a way to stall and live in denial, but then going slower with deliberation. Compare his arrogant insistence on refusing to act in The Astro Queue Car to his patience and care in The Castle Car and The Train to Nowhere.

Jeremy as XIII. Death

This isn't about the death of his family - I'm thinking of his reluctance to admit his number was going down. He cared about Morgan and Kez, and it's possible both that he may have really wanted to stay with them despite his exit and that that might even have been a healthy choice - they're real ass people with feelings and everything, not holodeck characters. But I also think Jeremy was using his life with them to avoid moving on out of that fog (because it was hard and it hurt and he didn't want to think about what that would mean for him and Morgan) and Morgan was enabling him.

Ryan Akagi as XIV. Temperance

Maybe the experience is the point. I wasn't just rushing you. I was rushing myself.

I think this one speaks for itself. Also, the other quote I considered putting here, from The Art Gallery Car: "You told me I can't appreciate the song without taking in the rest of the album. I need the whole package."

The Cat as XV. The Devil

I always do the right thing.

Honestly, this is one I really wasn't sure about. The Cat isn't a great pick for a lot of the meanings of Devil. She is definitely consumed by material comforts, and the short-term rewards of ignoring her issues at a long-term cost, though. This is more of a "vibes with Persona characters with this arcana" pick... Devil characters tend to start off being somewhat exploitative or even antagonistic towards the player character, and gradually showing a more conflicted and genuine side.

Amelia Hughes as XVI. The Tower

There's a hole in the universe where Alrick used to be.

Amelia's life is defined by catastrophe and upheaval - both those she's suffered and those she's inflicted on others.

Hazel as XVII. The Star

I'm going to keep loving you like you're still here.

When I think of "The Star" as a small but inextinguishable light in the darkness, Hazel seems like the obvious choice. Although we left her deeply wounded, I think she still has a flicker of her hope, faith, and purpose.

Grace Monroe as XVIII. The Moon

But it's unfair for me to tell you how to understand yourself. I mean, I don't even fully understand me.

Grace is probably the most complex and dynamic character on the show and hence one of the most difficult to place. I considered Empress, Strength, Devil, and Judgement for her... I think ultimately, lies and illusions are the most unifying theme of her character arc. Also, from a Persona angle, her pursuit of status out of a lack of true self-worth reminds me of Ai and Mishima.

Alan Dracula as XIX. The Sun

Brought together by the majesty of a superpowered deer!

I'm sorry dkjasfklads this is largely because I thought it was funny to have this completely inexpressive dead-eyed deer as Sun akfk but also... like... it kind of works okay!!! Think about the genuine joy and comfort and positivity he brings to Lake and Jesse (and me)!

The New Apex as XX. Judgement

"Then what are we gonna be?" "Guess we'll have to figure it out?"

This is kind of a Persona mythology gag again because of Judgement being a group social link near the end of the narratives of P3 and P4, when the protagonists have pierced through the lies and actually figured out who the villain of their game is and are ready to really start making progress.

0 as XI. The World

Ah, train does it again!

It's an ending and the completion of a journey, but also the beginning of a new one. And the world is literally what the passengers receive at the end of their train journey. Welcome home.

[papistark]

hi hello haven’t shared anything over here in a while let alone opinions but here are some Thoughts about the Loki series and why I’m disappointed (for now)

Main Issue: this show compared to the other Marvel shows so far felt like it had SUCH a wide disconnect between character and plot. The premise of Wandavision was a tool in telling Wanda’s story, and giving us new insight to her (and Vis) as characters. Both Sam and Bucky had very clear character journeys that were the focal point of the show, while the plot helped foil it but didn't feel like it overshadowed their personal development. 

Meanwhile the Loki show... didn’t employ either of those things. It felt more like the writers had a big meta story they wanted to tell, and decided throwing in enough scenes of Tom Hiddleston's lovely cry acting would distract from the fact that they didn't give him any real arc. I had high hopes after ep 1, both for plot and Loki’s development! I thought we were getting on a classic buddy cop, Bad Guy Has to Work For the "Good Guys", time traveling ride. and I still feel like there were Moments of what could've been (things like the pompeii scene)

Anyways that’s my main crux. A lesser complaint is just the failure to adapt a lot of fun comic material in any meaningful way (the other Lokis in ep 5 felt throwaway and like they were just there for trailer hype) also not even a flash of Jötunn Loki?? weak sauce

Sylvie complaint: didn't hate her as a chara, I actually enjoyed her quite a bit, especially in the acting and the costuming! But I do think the Lady Loki idea could've been handled better, even if Disney/Marvel still refuse to give any actual representation and found a female version from another universe more palatable than just making Loki genderfluid like the source material... My main problem w/ Sylvie is that I don't get why she wasn't just... Amora?? Other than maybe the writers having a GOTCHA moment on the comic readers, which I also don't support because they’ve done it before, and they've done it much better!!! IRON MAN 3?? The way they subverted The Mandarin reveal was still so good and I stand by that!! They could've easily done something similar w/ the enchantress character and just didn’t. 

I was excited for these marvel shows because Limited Series are one of my fave types of media. While Loki having another season will hopefully improve my feelings on the show as a whole, I don't know why some fat couldn't have been trimmed to make maybe a longer show BUT  my theory is that they need to space it out because other moving pieces in the MCU need to be introduced before they can finish the story. Which I’m still not really a fan of.

EDIT: a friend told me that apparently Loki is being split into 2 seasons bc of covid, which totally makes sense and I’m fine with. It actually makes the pacing of the show so far make a lot more sense as well, namely because I was expecting episode 5 to be a classic “penultimate” episode and it didn’t feel like that at all.

Anyhoo I’m interested to see if they can bring me back around in s2 bc I’m a Loki simp at the end of the day. There were still plenty of things I enjoyed about Loki s1, but I feel like the negatives are kind of on par with the positives, and it just didn’t rise up to WandaVision and TFATWS (Loki was originally the show I was MOST excited for when they announced the D+ stuff)

I’ll be happy if s2 (I guess technically what was supposed to be the last half of s1?) includes more focus on Loki as a character, showing jotunn Loki or some hint of it, and ALSO I wanna get hype for a Final Episode Look of a new, Asgardian Loki fit that’s inspired by comic stuff as well as his previous costuming. As good as he looks in the TVA uniform, Loki’s costuming has always been some of my favorites, and if there’s one thing I can count on not being disappointed w/, it’s Marvel’s costuming department.

[mai-fanblog]

About the episode and Gladstone

Watching the new episode and people's comments

I have seen some people who are angry about the Gladstone theme and that it has no development and I must say as I consider he as my favorite character in the reboot, it is an exaggeration. And before throwing me a comment to insult me or whatever, I will perfectly share my opinion and if you don't agree, that's fine, but don't go defending a fictitious character in an irrational way, we like the show here like all the fandom.  

First of all, we have to clarify that the episode was focused more on Lena and her character's arc, in first the synopsis didn’t lie as many say, we can say that it is finished, since she can have her own magic and she could face Magica with more confidence than the previous time; Besides, her arc that was developed, that has managed to remain stable in the series and progressing in her episodes because she is part of the main story since her debut, that is the purpose of Lena (something similar with Gene, in the original movie of 90's, that is why they changed it in the reboot, because that role is played by Lena). Not to mention that the character who helped her the most was Webby, the first one to give her real affection, she was her motivation to change for the honest way little Vanderquack offered her friendship. Yes...Violet also contributed to Lena's life, like having a real family and making her return to the material world, however, it won't have the same weight that it had with Webby, that's why in Ep14 S2, she was jealous of Vi from the beginning and realizing what she was doing.

For that reason, it’s focused more on Lena and Magica, since they were the focus at the beginning of the series and with this it can sense that Lena's arc is closed. Yes, Lena is a secondary character who has a purpose arc, like Fenton, who also has his own arc.

I have studied audiovisual communication and an interesting fact is that a secondary character can have an arc without capturing the attention of the main character and must be short and precise, this doesn’t apply to everyone, to maintain harmony in the cast of characters.

To Clarify, the secondary characters can have a development as long as they are pre-established, according to author. We know that there are characters that had potencial and were wasted. In this case it is between each yes and not; Gladstone since it’s creation originally in the 30′s, serves for one thing only, to be the counterpart of Donald, even his own creations did not take so seriously this character in comics, will be the comic relief or to annoy Donald and European comics focused on him also do the same. Of course, there are exceptions where if explore a little about his weaknesses and everyone comes to same conclusion, Gladstone is nothing without luck and becomes pathetic; the episode took the same concept making it more comical than in comics, because yes, most comics where he doesn’t have his luck, have comedy Slapstic, things as they are.

Personally, I was sorry for him, because he’s my favorite character and at the same time I laughed, because he acted like he is, a guy who depended so much on something he doesn’t know what to do, that’s Gladstone, even he verbally admits it, he won’t change and wants his luck and tha’t what I love about his character, despite having comedy, admits his flaws and lives with that.

The episode overall is well structured and meets Lena’s arc from the start, not the best, but it would enter my top 10. I know that from some more personal points of view they have mixed feeling, however it is an episode of Lena and Gladstone was the context to introduce at Phantom Blot. There were also some who wanted to see him suffer, come on. 

With this I just want to express my thought on this, because they really often overstep the mark on expectations

Thank you-