#which has always been a prop imo

[kamisadopteddaughter]

In my opinion, Rhea v Liv no longer needs the title and neither of them should be carrying it into or winning it at WrestleMania.

[katnissmellarkkk]

one teeny, tiny quote from the hunger games that has always stuck out to me is the last sentence in this paragraph,

“The district had given us a small amount of money as compensation for his death, enough to cover one month of grieving at which time my mother would be expected to get a job. Only she didn’t. She didn’t do anything but sit propped up in a chair or, more often, huddled under the blankets on her bed, eyes fixed on some point in the distance. Once in a while, she’d stir, get up as if moved by some urgent purpose, only to then collapse back into stillness. No amount of pleading from Prim seemed to affect her.”

this always stuck out to me because in my opinion it speaks to katniss’ extremely low self-esteem. throughout the series she never views herself as good or kind or worthy, and i’ve always felt it began with her mother’s mental illness.

now let’s be clear: did mother everdeen choose to be depressed/despondent? no, of course not. but things can happen outside your control and it can still hurt people you love. your children especially.

at the point this quote is taken from, katniss isn’t referring to a time when she was already parentified and hardened against her mother. she’s explaining to the audience how she became parentified and resentful. so i find it interesting that when describing her mother’s behaviors that first month after her father passed, katniss specifically says “no amount of pleading from prim seemed to affect her”. not “no amount of pleading from us” or “no amount of pleading from me and prim”, it’s only prim’s pain and begging that means anything in katniss’ mind.

and yes, it could be argued that maybe katniss refused to beg her mother to take care of them but it’s never read that way to me. katniss is referring to right directly after her father died, before peeta had tossed her that bread and she’d realized she could hunt. she’s referring to a time when mrs. everdeen probably could have still won her eldest daughter back. imo there’s no reason katniss wouldn’t have been begging and pleading with her mom as well.

and yet, katniss seems to imply that her mother ignoring prim’s pleads is the only travesty here. the only thing worth noting. not her own neglect, not her own heartbreak and desperation, but instead prim’s. because to katniss, prim is the one who’s worthy of everything good. prim is the one who’s deserving of love.

same way she says,

“Because if it had become known that my mother could no longer care for us, the district would have taken us away from her and placed us in the community home. I’d grown up seeing those home kids at school. The sadness, the marks “of angry hands on their faces, the hopelessness that curled their shoulders forward. I could never let that happen to Prim.”

because she views her sister differently than she views herself. it makes sense in her mind that her mother may not be swayed by her pleads because she isn’t as good or kind or wonderful as her little sister. to ignore her is one thing but to ignore prim… that’s where katniss draws the line.

i just rarely have seen katniss’ lack of self-worth tied back to her mother’s abandonment. i know mrs. everdeen couldn’t help what happened and she probably hated herself for it but to me, it seems to be where katniss’ inability to see herself as good and kind and lovable began. because if you feel like your mother abandoned you in your time of need, as a child, how can it not affect the way you view yourself? how would that not affect your sense of self/self-worth?

it didn’t affect prim’s (that we know of) because katniss was there to protect her. katniss was there to make sure she never felt the same abandonment she felt. but there was no one protecting katniss and that’s where her issues with self-loathing all seemed to begin.

[hanaybuns]

Some official arts that I like

(Aka I’m tired of studying and need a good yap)

First off, they’re so so cute in this pic. Really does give “family photo” vibes and it’s very sweet. Love that they’re all hugging each other, except Jyushi who just has to be different. Very small detail but I like that Kara is hugging oso over the shoulder, which just feels more characteristic to him. This is a "wow 6 is a lot of people" kind of official art for me.

The props? The poses? The colors? The vibes? Obsessed. This art takes place in the incredibly unlikely scenario in which the neets are invited to a hot person pool party. I love their swimsuits, especially karamatsu’s. Like truly this is the quintessential karamatsu fit, they try to convince us that he doesn’t know how to dress but imo he looks the best here. I also feel like we don’t see Kara in sparkles much after season 1, so I’m happy. Love tottys phone protector too, it’s the little details that make these official arts great. This art is also very fan servicy, which is also a plus.

I know that the stands of these are meant to be sold separately, but I really like it when their poses are dynamic enough that they can overlay them and make it feel cohesive. Their onesies are very cute, also I love love love when the artists add blushies to their cheeks. But my fav part of this official art is how fed up karamatsu looks. Like I know intellectually that he’s supposed to be smirking (bc all of the merch has him smirking) but it does NOT look like that here. Especially because his eyes don’t have highlights. It looks like him and Jyushi are not quite convinced. Exclusivematsu at his finest.

YES YES YEEEESSSSS I LOVE THE GIRLYMATSUS. I never talk about it but I love them and their catty trashy friend group. They look soooo good here. I really like when they make choromatsu (choroko here) have a downturned smile, it’s so cute and froggy. Also it’s really funny to me that the Matsuno family emblem is absolutely plastered everywhere, even though it has no significance to them whatsoever. Just love their fits in general. I feel like they could’ve just given them sexy and/or moe dresses but we got shorts, pantaloons, skirts, dresses, the whole 9 yards. The ososan art team has always been great with outfit diversity.

I like one or two things about each of these. For the first I like the fact that we’re actually seeing Kara create his clothing in real time by massacring a jean jacket. For the second I NEED to know what choro is reading. Like jyushi has clearly caught him reading something embarrassing and is teasing (bullying) him about it, which is very funny to me. but it's too blurry so i can't tell what he's reading. For the third, very rare and sweet moment where ichimatsu seems pleased to receive something from kara. Also why is the cake like that? it looks like they took bites out of it directly. Why.

Couple things. Love that they only gave choro the blushies, they love moefying him. I have a whole theory about this, but notice how choro has very natural moe qualities in this art but totty is intentionally making a cute pose? It’s bc they don’t know what to do with totty. his brand is cute… but he’s not moe. I plan to expand on this in the future. Also, sometimes I feel like they don’t know what to do with jyushi. Because they want him to be weird and zany, but in stuff like this he can’t deviate too far from the other bros poses. So he ends up looks kinda awkward. Like this is a very dad/uncle pose. also kara's pose... no comment

but yeah i actually had a bunch more i wanted to talk about but this post is so long already so i'll stop here

[valtsv]

This is related to nothing but ur like the TSV confessional/Themes Discusser imo. Thinking abt Shrue always makes me think abt the wacky government in TSV and how it's so wildly unclear what these positions are or what anyone is really doing specifically. Why is the Press Secretary seemingly the boss of these 'senators'? Why is their title 'adjudicator'? Why does it feel like this is some kind of mesopotamian priesthood that got retrofitted to look like a parliament? WHY IS A 'PRESS SECRETARY' IN CHARGE OF THEM? (well you know why thematically but what the hell is the justification in their constitution??) but more importantly HOW do these weird systems relate to the constant existential threat of godhood and are they influenced by some need to curb idolatry and politician-worship? It's great

okay so the carson thing i can explain; the press secretary is NOT in charge of the adjudicators or the country, he's just running a shadow dictator scheme by acting as the mouthpiece of the high adjudicator, who is in a coma and thus can't contradict him (also being in possession of a reality-rewriting saint, even though she's in reality actually actively ignoring him, is demonstrably a pretty effective threat against any meaningful resistance, as proven when he gaslights shrue in front of the entire house of representatives. like if a guy walks onto the floor and literally shows you evidence of his power to erase anyone he likes from reality, and then tells you he wants you to kiss his boots, you're probably gonna kiss those boots unless you KNOW you have a clear and definite shot and/or nothing to lose). he's scamming. he's fucking with everyone including the audience.

but yeah the tsv political/judicial system is WACKY. this can partly be justified by the fact that the world of tsv is established to be very factional and split into a multitude of minor territories united under a single banner pretty much in name only, so the entire system is very much a symbolic concept that most people outside of the central sphere of influence can and do get away with only paying lip service to. given the context that there have been previous religious wars in which certain faiths were legalised or outlawed, it seems to be a rather ineffective effort to unite the nation in order to prevent society from splintering into a multitude of idolatrous sects that are more difficult to control, and having official political representatives would theoretically curb the influence of wannabe cult leaders forming their own communities outside of the influence of the state, as you suggested. that the government isn't meaningfully different from the gods that eat people, and as much of an existential threat as they are, is very much intentional - much like our own world, this is a society that's eating itself alive to stay warm!

it's all but explicitly stated to be very much reliant on people being familiar with and accepting the status quo, though (as we see particularly with hayward in s1, when he faces significant resistance to his supposed authority outside of glottage - where his position as a police officer is a real and tangible one to the average citizen - and cannot meaningfully enforce it without resorting to unethical and violent methods that contradict his entire concept of what an officer of the law is supposed to be and the values they're meant to uphold), and on them failing or being unwilling to recognise this symbolic order as a false reality enforced by a combination of censorship, lies, corporate hegemony branded as religious devotion, and carceral/capital punishment, which is why it has to be propped up by (and ultimately falls to) saints like VAL in the first place, and why the actual effectiveness of individual public figures isn't especially significant - its primary purpose is maintaining an illusion of authority and control, and for the most part being able to rely on people policing themselves unquestioningly.

[night-market-if]

I’m neurodivergent, so please do accept my apologies in advance if I don’t get the tone of my message right:

I’ve been a long time follower, and I’m always interested in reading your perspective on everyone’s comments.

I do agree that as protagonists go, the NM is (so far) one of the more passive I’ve encountered. I think that, in part, this can be chalked up to their initial circumstances, and the focus on establishing other characters, but there is definitely some fatigue on the side of IF/ VN players when it comes to blank slate MCs, which I do sympathise with. So often their sole purpose seems to serve as a passive, forgiving, and empathetic lens through which we explore other characters, and I myself am very wary of MCs that are “soft-feminine” coded, especially when there is no recourse to express your anger or be cold, tactical, assertive etc. As a female player, having your options stripped down like this can get tiresome very quickly, and at its worst, those types of characters can have an unpleasant, conservative/ misogynistic flavour to them. I’d sooner rip my own skin off than read one more game in which I’m forced into the role of another emotionally unguarded, awestruck MC who forgives all transgressions with a smile.

Although understandable, it’s also unfortunate that many authors tend to shy away from assigning traits that they fear will make MCs “unlikeable”, unknowingly stripping them of what, in my mind, often makes a living, breathing, loveable individual.

I’m not a fan of destined heroes or easy wins, the most memorable protagonists imo tend to be those that struggle, those who are in possession of a “spark” that they use to their advantage - an unhealthy obsession, cutting intelligence, dogged determination, an odd perspective - something that makes their personality compelling and uniquely suited to being the protagonist in a specific setting, whether they’re aware of it or not.

The NM in human form is such a unique concept, and I am very curious about what their character development will look like, and what their “spark” will turn out to be. That’s partly why I’m compelled to stick it out until the end, because this is their beginning, because they have so much potential, and because I have faith in the author.

Finally, I think the nature of game development is to constantly be in the unenviable position of seeking out feedback as you go, but I just wanted to give you props for engaging with people so readily, I know it can’t be easy - I myself would be a trembling ball of a raw nerve if I had to trawl through comments about my own writing. I want you to know that it is truly appreciated, and I hope you’ve drawn some value out of the miasma of voices on the internet.

So I think it is really interesting what you bring up which kind of goes back to what I've been saying before, that a lot of this is based on experience. You don't want to read more wide-eyed, passive and empathetic characters because of what you feel has dominated that market. I, on the other hand, would love to have more than that as opposed to the characters that are the over the top "I don't need anyone" kind of characters because I feel like the market has been oversaturated with that. And the idea that the ones that are empathetic and soft are 'feminine coded' is kind of something I would like to step away from because I think it does do a disservice to men who would like to see the world through those eyes. I love my big burly, romances with men but I also think that there is a lot of value to softer men. MC is a choosable gender and to say that things are feminine coded feels more like a social construct of our society than anything else.

In the end, I think we are both actually right on the oversaturation of different tropes so I can see where your frustration comes from. I think it all depends on what you've read and what your available books or media are.

Now, personally, I don't think I'm going in either direction with the MC. And I would love to assign more traits to the MC. I really really would. But, that's also something that is hard to code. What people do seem to forget when it comes to IF's is that we are solo developers having to write and code everything on our own. And for me, I do not work for Hosted or Choice of Games where they have an entire program set up to help with this. I actually have to teach myself coding through twine which if you are going in with no previous experience, is a difficult process. Each new path that is formed. Each new option that needs to come back later. Each personality trait. All of that is a different code to keep track of. A different box that has to be written in. And sometimes, a completely different chapter to write. So what might have been a 20k chapter suddenly turns into a 60k one because of all the choices and coding options. If I had a team working with me, I would LOVE to do this. It frustrates me that I can't. But, I am just one woman, working in between raising children, keeping a house, and having my own social life. It's not in the cards. But maybe one day. Fingers crossed that eventually, money and time will no longer be an issue.

[genericpuff]

Oh nooo the mention of the XIV figures is a grim reminder that the sample LO piece in photos is most likely the best looking on ;-;

HAHAHAHAHAHAH

okay but have you seen the new alisaie and alphinaud dolfie dream figures

now THAT'S expensive, holy fuck 😭 but to their credit, they're also like, fully poseable dolls with props, the LO figures just stand there and they don't look great for the cost they're demanding (it's the fact that they're limited edition and are only making like 800 of them that they're likely charging so high to ensure they make back the production costs)

a better comparison IMO would be to SE's static figures which are still often either poseable (usually just the heads / arms ) or come with additional accessories that can be swapped out like the faces / weapons / etc.-

unfortunately due to manufacturing costs (and shipping when they offer free shipping deals) figures are always pretty expensive, but they could at least, idk... look a little better for that price? I'm gonna assume the solo figures will at least be cheaper (but boy do they look cheaper to boot) and honestly the H x P figure isn't awful, I'm just not a huge fan of the faces (again Persephone has that Tim Burton face going on and I've just never really been into that a whole lot tbh). A pal actually pointed out that you can see a little crater where Hades' nose is displacing Persephone's skin and that's just so fucking funny LOL (and when you see it up close, again the characters look like they would be gross to touch, they look sweaty) 🤮

It seems to at least be a decent size as well but it's hard to tell from the photo comparisons. I said it in my previous post and I'll say it again, even the figures aren't consistent in their designs and that's all owed to Rachel's lack of character design consistency throughout the series LMAO

Again, I'm not planning on spending my money on this, but I would be lying if I said I wasn't a little tempted. But that's the ADHD "must hoard all the things" brainworm taking shape as the Vow of Resolve at play, definitely not the Vow of Reason if you catch my drift LMAO

[needlefail]

🍂🍁🍂🍁

COTC FINALE ☹️☹️ 9 AM EST ☹️☹️

—————————————————————————

With the show ending, think its time to bring out the sappy paragraphs

Ive started watching the show ever since it began airing which Im pretty sure was 2018?? 6 years ago?? Which would have made me 12 so it’s basically shaped my teen years which arguably are the most impactful years of your life imo

But yea ever since I was younger, this shows always brought me so much happiness and comfort. It never failed to make me smile or laugh especially when I was under the weather

Every episode sparked so much creativity in me to the point where Ive ended up creating my own characters who I adore and have so much fun developing, and in turn, its helped my art improve so much too.

On top of that, I met some of the most amazing people because of this show and Im so grateful to have talked with and befriended so many people. Even if we don’t speak much now, I think I’ll always remember the friendships Ive made thanks to this show (shoutout of the elders from Scruffy’s server 🫶🫶🫶In my heart FOREVER <33) The community on Tumblr has been such an amazing place too, most fandoms Ive been in usually have discourse and everyone mostly sticks to their circles but for the COTC community it genuinely felt like we were all just here to have fun and share our creativity and love for this show

Genuinely I dont think my life would be where it is today without Craig of the Creek

Props and a huge thank you to the crew for pouring so much dedication, love and passion into this show. From the art, writing, music, voice acting and just every little piece that goes into creating this show, its clear how much effort was put into every moment and the crew did such an amazing job. Every character was so charming and lovable, every location was stunning and beautiful, the lore was interesting. OURGH IT WAS JUST ALL PERFECT IT WAS SUCH A PERFECT EVERYTHING IT WAS ALL SO GOODDDDD

BUT AGAIN THANK YOU TO THE CREW FOR CREATING THIS SHOW 🫶🫶🫶 IT WAS SPECTACULAR

The show deserved to go on for so much longer and while it sucks that it was cut short I truly believe that doesnt mean we should let that hinder any love we have for it. Keep creating art and stories, keep making your own lore and characters, the creek’s still a huge place and just because the show’s over this just means its time for the fans to take their own steps out and create new adventures of their own

(that being said Im always open to hear about anyones cotc ocs, LETS SHARE AND HAVE FUN YALL <33)

ANYWAYS JUST CAUSE THE SHOWS OVER DOES NOT MEAN ILL EVER STOP WATCHING AND MAKING CONTENT FOR IT IM GONNA BE TRAPPED IN THE BUILDING FOREVERRRRRERRRRR

[brilliantfantasticgeronimo]

LUX!!!!

(ncuti voice)lets go lets go lets go lets go let's go

first some hot takes from trailers:

hot take 1: im a bit side eyeing this ep in advance bc much like the eurovision special coming up it feels 5 years behind from the zeitgeist. in these days when fanservice and high-concept tv is so common this kinda gimmick, by itself, is just Not That Bold

hot take 2: im not a fan of how bad wolf does coloring tbh. so much teal and copper. egh. i had this problem with HDM too actually. some very beautiful production design but imo marred many times by a muddied, artificial color palette... (last ep was terrible with this imo. the props were so gorgeous but those colors… oof)

ok onto the episode proper

this kind "ironic" 50s aesthetic does nothing for me. sorry fallout fans.

got fooled a lot by the last eps so im trying to freeze frame more this time kdlfjs

TV SHOW GANG LOOK WE'RE OPENING WITH A LITERAL PROJECTION AGAIN. why are we winning literally all the time

"and the world must ask, is this the pinnacle of man's creative genius?" master energy

francis ringer?

shouldn't this kind of style 20s be in black and white? color cartoons are more 40s-50s

IT'S ALL FIFTEEEN

"you came back, i had faith, and you came back"

"according to the laws of the light, sunlight doesnt suit us" oof

i know it's not

"LIMITED RUN ONLY" triggered TOT

"and technically it's puppets that want to be boys, not cartoons" screaming

they did a good job with the "coming out of the screen" effect

"and whatever you do dont make me laugh" stop trying to make blink happen its not gonna happen

love a "under the hood repair" scene <3

MUSIC!!!!!

"planet timelordia" "i wish it was called that :/" im in love

he asks if she's got a girlfriend first sdklfjd doctor who has a Type

"maybe not today"

the orange / yellow / cream of their outfits contrasts rlly well with the grey and blue

london regency orchestra!!!

"he loves grabbind the microphane" sdklfjsd "i would really, really like to see them again" us too!!

TAKE ME BACK TO HEATTHROW AIRPORT!!!!! im so living ya'll -" vindicator" i love.also she's so unfazed lskdfjd (which i love too)

(i can sense this is gonna be an episode with a lot of Food bc it's been 5 minutes and i've already paused so many times kldfj)

15 so happy to be seducing her dslfkjsdlkfj

OUTFITS!!!!!! ROLL OVER BETHOVEN MY BELOVED!!! LIGHTS!!!! /my toxic trait is i love doccy ho 2 much

"at 4am. we got dressed up for no one to see"

"this time travel thing is so strange because… we know what happens to him. poor soul" belinda idk your last name but im in love with u

also this Feels like it's gonna be a theme… good ol' pompoeii stories coming up

this is such a tenth move lmao ";;;) heyyy i can take u home but looook…. first i need to take off my tie…… and also let's visit shakespeare ;;;) but i promise it's all Necessary"

"like they are locking up a wild beast" i wonder if this is the kind of ep that would be stronger without a cold open that tells us already the awnser to the mystery sdlkfj

"we can go now :)))))))))) pls"

batista namedrop

oh yeah… racism :/

"i have toppled worlds, sometimes i wait for people to topple their world. until then, i live in it i and i shine ;)" this is the kinda energy i wanna bring to my family dinners

(ok BUT this is such a Meaningful line that says sm about the doctor and fifteen's arc and the lore and even torchwood CoE but i kinda want to focus on the ep sdklfsadjs le'ts just put it in a lil' box to unpack later)

"he liked those tales of outer space" "did he?"

"i will sit and wait for that boy forever"

"it says "police box"" "does that give you hope?"

hope can change the world / and then the hand holding In the context of the segregation … hits different

"C'MON VELMA" "OK FRED" iconic

"i know this is a segregated space…but we just… we wanted to say…. (beat)… hello"

"and this is……. the doctor?????(right, just the doctor???? …um always?? :///" "yeah" "ridiculous…." wtf i love her so much

"is someone tap dancing at us?"

"you're not celluloid, you're made of light, light come to life"

"i wish i knew. i'm all alone. ain't nobody else in this whole wide world like me. does nobody care about mr. ring a ding?" "you've got your own soundtrack" "15 people went missing" "" I LOVE A MIRROR!!!! I LOVE A FOIL!!! (eats my entire hat)

ALSO THEY CAN HEAR THE SOUNDTRACK!!!!!!!

"because it sounds like this…" YEAH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! LET'S GO LET'S GO LET'S GO LET'S GO

asdkjasd lk we saw that harbinger cinema image set pic literally LAST series and i still got totally SHOCKED i tell you SHOCKED when this happened…. i love doccy ho

this whole pantheon insanity is so underrated tbh. fandom is gonna take A While to see the Brilliance just like with the timeless children.

this era has so much wordplay… so Intentionally… (cause IT'S A TV SHOW) when we get to the god of narrative things are gonna get So Insane…

"dangabbit, i've got no choice!" i love a mirror

"because if that thing is real, then so is she" oh i love this theme!! dreams are real 2 us.. fav trope.

"i should have never

"it's all a game to them. but the games are deadly" mirror mirror mirror mirror

"there are forces beyond this universe. and we think we're so clever. but we're like children. and when these forces deign to look down on us, our entire reality is in danger" this dialogues So well with Time vs 13 in flux

15 people …………

"he's trapped them in film" idiot's lantern coded!!!

'CAUSE YOU KNOW HOW FLAMMABLE OLD FILM IS. doctor who fans everywhere TRIGGERED

(the flashbacks to the previous episodes is a bit hoockey sdkflj)

belinda's expressions are Doing A Lot in this part

"those 15 people, you can let them go" "i've immortalized them on film!" ohh so meta

(this ep is Exciting in energy but i worry it's been half the runtime and Not A Lot has happened skldfj. like last ep altho things moved fast, and i can tell rtd is taking A Lot of exposition shortcuts, it still feels like most of the story has been setup rather than proper story, you know?)

"i've got a two dimensional brain" ok this is a good gag but: probably unpopular opinion: i hate how this whole episode is undermining old school classic cartoons tho :/// bro maybe the 60s hannah barbera schlop was bland like this, but there's actually a lot of character and gravitas to the warner brothers 40s-50s stuff (and even some of the disney stuff, esp the classics like bambi). and i rlly disagree with the implication of this medium-narrative that "current" cartoons are automatically better artistically because they've follownig some rules and formulas of """"sophisticated""" tv… it's just very myopic of the genre and how in taters it actually is today. esp bc execs have prioritized $$$ over craftsmanship and all you get in theatres is 3d sclhop (that is no, not actually more "depth" just bc it follows the """Pixar Principles""", it's as cooperative and sanitized in ways classic cartoons never were)

anyway DKFLJSDKLJF sorry for the rant. putting THAT aside. …. how telling that even this "more" depth moment the doctor isnt telling the whole truth (that he's trying 2 seduce belinda so she stays with him bc he can't be with himself).

huggg

"we've been framed" eyyy

lol they really couldn't afford more of the animated sequences could they

"i dont know how things are done in the caribbean" sdfkj

"he offered to help you!" oof. oof. dot and bubble motif.

"scrolling up and down does not work"

(i waved at them like a dork sdklfjds embarrassing)

this has SUCH send in the clones energy lol they even have 3 fans!!!

hashtag glee hates women

the hugggggggg TOT the dream!!!!!!!!!!!!!! THATS THE LITERAL DREAM

(bro that's a sick poster of the slugs from dot and bubble)

"blink" rolls eyes. judging these 3 guys' taste so much lol

(imagine saying that when 73 yards exists!!)

"yeah. but what does he not do?" "we don't know, tell us" "we can't!" "GOD YOU'RE SO ANNOYING" im loving this lol WE ARE ACTUALLY - lots of people say that" god bless

"we're the sort of characters who don't have surnames"

TIME FOR THE THIRD ACT

this is going down so hard wtf?? also the "illusions are real to us" my BELOVED trope <3 "you mean… you'll die?" "it's not death. we just end." "but… that is death" "yeah. but we're not important. it doesnt matter what happen to us" wtf im crying "it's been so worth it just to meet you" "and thanks to you i met my two best friends" ahh classic fandom beat

ok but: this scene gets me so much because i've always connected a lot with the "dreams / stories are Real to Us" theme, as i've said before in this post… first because they validate us daydreamers and ppl who need to escape the harshness of reality… and second bc that kind of theme rlly brings forth how deeply some of us can connect to fictional characters. and how real that can feel at times. it honors those (parasocial lol) relationships. BUT this episode i think brought it to a new level because it connected it to the "we're all stories in the end" theme. once we die, we're all eventually forgotten. and it's like a kind of second death. but it brings some comfort to us to think that we'll be remembered in our legacies and in the memories of people. (like how ppl connect with historical characters). it's kind of a way to "beat death" that's just, so human. y'know?

"then we might live on just a little bit" don't worry we'll write fanfic for ya'll!!!

(cheers to rtd bc he managed to do something new with a thing that's Been Done Before in xen,a supernatural, buffy, etc slkdfj)

(also these 3 guys had the sickest merch damnn)

hug!!!!!!

"or burns us to death :D"

the directing going off in this bit

"doctors always make the worst of patients, but trust me, i know what im doing"

"my hospital could do with you"

"you have light within you that builds a body" eyes emoji. children of time arc keeps going girlllls

i love how into the nuclear explosions the gods are lol

3d "liveaction" remake of my 2d cartoons be-loathed.

HE'S BURNING THE FILM. classic fans TRIGGERED

(this mechanic feels off tho sdklfj it feels like the doctor should have More energy than the sun… and going by rings of akhaten, more Potential Energy as well…. but ok whatever sdkfjsd )

"i am everything and i am nothing" oh this is such a good beat to literally '34934 times we've seen characters Ascend Cosmologically on this show sldkfj enlightenment means death in dw

"infinite. invisible. intangible.""amen"

this was exciting but what i feel is lacking in this season+special is for the characters of the day to be more interesting...… like yay for tommy lee's mom and the projector guy but i dont really Care that much sdklfjds. they feel too much like beats we've seen a thousand times, and work more on that level, rather than as specific new stories being told.

i disagree with lizzie im gonna give it a 10/10 just for sheer energy alone. and altho a bit short on time and with underdeveloped characters,... itdid get me to think about my own mortality. what more can u ask for our own fav scifi family show ?

that said after a lot of meta and self-referencing im glad we're going back to a straight forward base under siege dsfsdklfj pls pls next week have a good interesting crew that i can actually mourn once they bite the dust...

also i want more development and focus on belinda pls.

[hoboblaidd]

just to highlight this from that very long post, I saw lou's post a few days back about how it shouldn't have been Mythal that was necessary to free Solas and I so agree. I think this makes more sense than what the game gave us:

Mythal’s release of Solas is necessary for his emotional catharsis because he’s so stuck in his complicated feelings for her and misguided sense of duty. She releases him from his service, but that's not what saves him.

It’s the Inquisitor who really does. A friend Inquisitor has the better line than a romanced Lavellan imo: "You are free to find a better way." He's no longer "bound" to Mythal. He can accomplish his goal - his REAL goal (yes, his real goal, Veilguard) - which has always been to save his people, both elf and spirit. That he doesn’t need his warped idea of what Mythal “wanted” to save his people. That he can do it himself, in his own way. Or as Rook puts it, in the right way.

And he does almost immediately decide what that right way is - protect the innocents from his past failures, try to soothe the blight that has caused so much destruction, and prop up the Veil so that elves and spirits aren't caught in the crossfire of it just coming down.

[lost-inanotherlife]

I have to ask, what are your thoughts on Jate + Aaron as a family unit? This is personally something that keeps me up at night, and I always hate how little attention the writers pay to the fact that these two nut-jobs were essentially raising a CHILD together for three whole years. Like, they kidnapped a baby and parent it. They were there for his first words, and his first steps. For his birthdays, for Mother’s Day, etc. Aaron asked about Jack months after the break up. Jate were gonna get MARRIED and maybe have at least one more baby (a daughter would’ve saved Jack for sure). What the actual fuck.

I feel the same. You see, the thing about canon S4 Jate + Aaron is that... they made sense. Like, usually in TV series the introduction of a child into a (potential or established) couple is a source of disruption of the status quo. With Jate it's the other way around because it's not Aaron who's introduced into the couple, it's actually Jack who must "adjust" to Kate and Aaron's lives. Also from a character pov, both off-island Kate and Jack were written in a way that made sense within the framework of their already established characters and the way they interacted with each other. They're awkward around each other, they lust after each other, they crave the other's approval, attention and company. Basically, off-island Jate are the same as on-island Jate and that was cool. S4 Jate + Aaron had so much potential, it would've been so COOL to explore their inner dynamics because, let's never forget it, these characters have IssuesTM. You throw a BABY into the mix and everything is bound to explode.

And, in a way, this is exactly what happened. But, like, it's not satisfying to me, personally. It's not just that I wanted "more", it's that there are three major things that I find "annoying":

1. Aaron isn't treated as a character but more like a prop, let's be real. I always say this but TV writers can rarely write children, and I mean this in the sense that they don't care about the child being, you know a whole character, because the child always has to mean something else. So I have to imagine, because you don't show it to me, that Jack, Kate and Aaron are a family for almost three years (they both see this baby grow up and talk and play and generally starting to live life), but I also have to believe that this doesn't actually mean anything much, that Jack can literally up and leave and be okay with Kate asking him not to ask about Aaron (his son/nephew) again. Like, WTF? And this brings me to number 2...

2. the way addiction/suicide is portrayed in the show. I've written something about it which I'll try to find and link later but like, I'm not a fan of that. Like, again, on one hand it's good because I understand semiotics so I know a little about interpreting stuff. On the other hand, showing a character isolating himself and getting in and out severe episodes of major depressive disorder like it's no big deal feels very reductive. And it's also surprising because I know that Lindelof, for instance, has struggled with depression so I'm sure the writers knew they were ruling out the possibility to write a deeper story for the "greater good" of the show. And this leads me to number 3...

3. LOST is a sci-fi adventure drama for network TV. I can't ever forget its genre and its format or I'll just be disappointed. LOST is a fantastic TV show, one of the greatest imo, and I think it was genre and TV redefining material but they objectively had, like, a dozen of characters and a very complex plot to carry on (not to mention the network and the people breathing down the writers' neck to deliver something truly spectacular). The thing I love about this show is that it gives me so MANY dots to connect and so MANY blanks to fill in, so to speak, but that's also very annoying because it means EYE know how even BETTER the show could've been.

So canon Jate + Aaron are what they are and there isn't much I can do about it. What EYE can do is imagining what they would've beeen like. I don't believe Kate one second when she says that Jack is "a natural" with kids (GIIIIIIIIRL). I also think that she herself is not one (provided that such a thing even exists) but she's definitely more willing to give it a try because she has a bond with the baby and because Kate likes to take care of people. I'm not saying she's always GOOD at taking care of people, but she does like it and therefore she tries, okay? Give that girl a break.

I am, however, convinced that Jack is One of Those Parents who rushes to th hospital if the baby has a fever or something and I'm sure that one time Aaron fell from his high chair and Jack took it his hospital so fast they almost had a car accident and Kate was LIVID about the whole thing. It was, of course, all for nothing but this is how Jack shows he cares about people. By checking their vitals, lol.

I think Kate and Jack have a very normal-looking domestic life mainly because I don't think they spend much time at home at all. I don't really know why but I picture them spending a lot of time in Kate's car. Kate drives, obviously. They definitely had sex in Jack's car and it was mid-to-bad sex but at least they had something to laugh about after. I think they both celebrate Aaron's birthday religiously and they really try to make sure it's a good day for the kid but, every year on that day, they're very tense around each other and inevitably end up arguing in their bedroom at night and then proceed to have an awful rest of the week because of it.

Then there's the whole "Kate sort of married her own father while becoming both her mother and her other father (Sam)" angle to explore, which is so insanely good I can't go there now or this psot will never end, lol. Eventually, if they hadn't left for the island, Kate and Jack would have divorced and Aaron would've become antagonistic towards Jack, FOR SURE. What's more, Kate and Jack would have been One of Those Couples that keep seeing each other after the divorce and that can't find another partner since but can't move on from each other either. Aaron, obvi, wouldn't have the tools to understand their level of toxicity and I can see Jack saying "you'll understand when you're older" which would piss off Aaron even more.

[googledetective]

my thoughts on the new episode as always, as I am currently losing my shit lol. I know a lot of people dislike me after last ep when I spoke up about my thoughts, but this time I'm ready to be more mature about it.

1. I love the Hu argue uhhh thingy! I forgot what it's called ngl! I love her and Nico's new sprites too, they were really all amazing and conveyed so much emotion!

And then Hu said this 💀

genuinely insane analogy to make here. I'm sorry, but that was actually insanely uncalled for imo.

2. I think everyone forgot Hu's custom weapon is wire, (if you realized and predicted this, huge props to you), and I did not expect Nico to try and frame Hu for murder like that. NicoHu divorce arc when??? Just kidding, but they're much more cruel then I originally thought. I completely understand trauma from not being accepted as the person you are which was likely in the form of bullying/abuse, but I was genuinely surprised that they really try and murdered Ace just because they didn't like him and they didn't want to go through that again. Very interesting. I also feel very bad for Hu, because she's poured her heart into trying to protect Nico, and even though her methods are EXTREMELY flawed, it must hurt to know someone you really tried to help would try to frame you for murder. This makes me wonder if Nico felt Hu was a threat to their sense of self like Ace was, if they were going to try and pin a murder on her. I'm glad Charles and J told Hu to shut up though, because she was becoming unreasonable. I really hope things turn out the best for her though, because it's clear she's coming from a place of kindness, even if her kindness is mostly self-serving.

3. As much as I don't really like the guy, I'm very glad to have seen Ace pop off. Everyone has treated him like shit, and even if he's treated everyone like shit back, he did not deserve to be almost murdered and then for people to just not care. I really hope Ace ends up making a friend if he isn't the killer, because he really deserves someone to care about him the way mostly everyone in the cast already has someone.

4. They both make very good points here. I think Ace deserves an apology, but a real one.

5. "of course I regret doing it, I'm not Levi" - Nico

THATS ACTUALLY INSANE- but that may be my favorite line of the ep. I'm glad Nico regrets the crime though, because I was scared for awhile they didn't and there might be another incident of the same thing again. This makes me think they won't try and kill again, but it's drdt so you never know, and I think they're a definite threat if they get provoked to that point so easily.

6. I feel so bad for Rose, but let me say, dare I say, I think Whit asking if Rose is okay might've been the sweetest thing Ive ever seen. A lot of people tend to forget that Whit is actually very compassionate, so I'm glad to see that part of him shine through again. Rose is so human, and I think she may be the most realistic character I've ever seen portrayed in a fangan. A lot of characters are able to just get back up after a murder, but she's stuck, and I think I would be the same way. Unfortunately there's zero mental health professionals (obviously, cause they all need to be in a ward) in drdt, but I hope that she maybe can come to cope in a healthier way with what's going on around her, because she doesn't deserve this mess. I didn't actually realize before that the cast had put her on a bit of a pedestal due to her amazing memory, but it makes sense. I'm not sure where I'm going with this, but I hope that Rose comes to peace with the turpentine and the tape thing because it really isn't her fault and that she can get help for her trauma due to Min and Xander, and Teruko's almost death. No matter how much people expect her to memorize a crime scene, she's human, and we all take things at much different paces.

7.

Hey David, didn't Whit teach us that trauma is a serious thing? You know I've been defending this guy a bit because of how he helped Eden and how I think he's trying to do what's right, but NEVERMIND. Because what the actual fuck is wrong with him to say something as messed up as these two statements. Rose and Arturo do not owe you anything, and they deserve to heal healthy, and at their own pace.

8. Teruko defending Rose was not in my ch2 trial bingo card, but oh my god, that really is sweet. I think Teruko really has started to change from talking with Rose.

I'm running out of images so I can't include her monologue, but it genuinely makes me happy she's starting to get some sort of character development. She really deserves it, and Charles really deserved being so fucking right about being social, lol. Also Teruko thanking Rose with that genuine smile on her face- brought me to tears. I hope they become friends :)

9. Ace and Eden, huh? To be honest, I'm completely torn and I can't see it being either one of them, but then again, I can't see it being anyone. I know so many people are complaining about not having a culprit reveal this ep, but I'm fine. I could wait another year and a half for the reveal. Actually, I don't think we need one at all. Maybe the true drdt is the friends we made along the way. Maybe it's better to choose delusion that nobody could've done it than it to have been Ace or Eden. Maybe, I killed Arei.

(I'm not that smart so I don't think I should be making killer theories, lol. I think it's safe to say I should stick to memes.)

10.

LMAOOOO. She right though.

11. "It pains me to come to Ace's defense" - David

another laughable moment, but a win for the Acevid shippers, I guess. I don't think David was lying though, and it was my suspicion all along that he had seen the body before anyone. I'm not very smart so I'm a bit confused as to whether later they're saying David actually did see her body (which is weird bc he'd have an alibi), or if he thinks someone else might've seen it and wanted to include that as a possibility.

12.

Teruko handled this whole situation super well, I was very impressed with her. Obviously you can't rule Eden out as the killer and Teruko explained that, but she was so compassionate and understanding about it that it made me cry. I never thought I'd say this, but here's a Teruko W. As for Eden pleading... I wish I could say more and I'm sure I'll be able to later, but it's just so likely she could be the culprit that I can't take anything she says at face value rn, and I was having trouble empathizing with her. Of course that's just my take, and I have already chatted with others who felt the whole scene was just a heartwarming experience, and that makes me really happy. This being said, the fact Teruko immediately turned to Ace as her main suspect TOOK ME OUT. I feel so bad for him he has literally done nothing but be suspicious to warrant this, while Eden is at the same level of suspicion. I really like that Teruko is playing favorites now, because Eden's been so good to her all this time.

13. I forgot to include David trying to get Teruko to not trust others!!! Shit!!!

Is that seriously how he plans to end the kg.. I can kinda see what he's going for bc so far the trope is in most danganronpa that you need to trust others to live and be fulfilled (not saying drdt is gonna follow that trope though). Hm.

Bro is actually down horrendous for Teruko though 😭

tierlist after watching this ep (kill me now)

[perenial]

gene im so glad you said this cause I haven't seen anyone else comparing it to the book as source material for like character and tone but i am So sure that if terry was alive the season would not be like this but i fear good omens fans dont realise how big a factor the lack of terry's influence is?? or like they forget that good omens was never just neilman???

ok before i go any further: i rly don't want to detract from anyone's enjoyment of the season and everything im going to say comes from a place of love for a) the original novel (& season 1 to a certain extent bc it got me back into it lol) and b) tv as a medium so like peace and love on planet let people enjoy things etc etc

but

like u said, terry's influence on the book was enormous – what makes gomens gomens is the balance of his genuine warmth and precise understanding of humanity tempered with neilman's sardonic voice and general like.....savvy approach to storytelling? i guess u could call it? anyway what rly helps the book is that it took them years to write it, passing ideas back and forth and rewriting each other's work until their voices blended seamlessly and a well structured capital-s Story was created. when i praise the book for being self-contained i think a huge part of that comes from the circumstances in which it emerged: two authors with complementary styles writing in a v particular time period where they had both the space to play with their ideas and the constraints of the novel as a storytelling format from which to craft something extremely specific.

adaptations are a tricky business and a tv version of gomens produced literal decades after the book was always going to have some unique challenges, but i don't think that's a bad thing bc the challenges could prove to be creative opportunities to take both the established audience and those new to the story by surprise. my biggest hot take here is that i don't think translating a story into a different medium means it has to follow the original narrative exactly, bc each medium has its own ways of communicating information and these structures, rules and traditions in turn inform what that story is. what matters more than following a story beat-by-beat is capturing what that story is about at its core, what themes and messages and ideas it works through and how.

all this is to say i never expected tv gomens to be a perfect reproduction of the book and if it had it been, it probably would have been worse off for it. that being said, there are parts of the book – like u said, its tone and character – that needed to have some fidelity in order to pull it off, and for the most part s1 did that bc it was still working predominantly within the bounds of the novel & its core ideas. while i did have some issues w how neilman & amazon adapted some details and characterisations, i generally rly liked s1 – it reminded me of why i loved the book and it was just generally fun to watch.

s2 was. not that fun to watch

a few positives before i go ham w the critiques:

the hair & makeup + costumes were fantastic (although i feel like s1 was slightly better re: makeup?)

the sound design & score made some of the more awkward scenes bearable and thats no mean feat imo

david & michael gave incredible performances w what they were given – michael especially managed to salvage aziraphale enough that his complete 180 didnt feel completely tonally dissonant (more on this later)

the detail of the sets is NUTS and i genuinely want to see more of hell bc of how intricate and fun the props look

i actually like gabriel/beelzebub!! their getting together montage worked for me, although they could have spent sliiiightly more time establishing what it is they like abt each other so much + why gabriel wanted to stop armageddon 2.0 so suddenly

the opening scene, although not on par w the novel's & s1's, was visually gorgeous and thematically resonant (although neilman owes me royalties for ripping it off from this shitty fic i wrote back when raphael!crowley was all the rage lol)

now w THAT being said:

like i said yesterday, the pacing was fucking awful. flashbacks are hard to work w at the best of times and the way they were used in this season felt so needless, especially the 40s one in ep 4 that takes up like 90% of the episode. in both flashbacks + present day there were scenes that dragged for no real reason, dialogue that looped back around on itself to stretch out the runtime, and weirdly enough places where there should have been character & plot work where there just,, wasn't any?? for example, maggie & nina's night locked in the café – some parts of the dialogue in later episodes made out that they'd had some rly deep conversation abt how they feel about each other or even that they'd had an affair, but that isn't clear from those scenes in the café. i'm not saying we had to see that conversation in its entirety but that there needed to be more connective details – either in dialogue or direction – that gave that part of the story coherence.

(there were pacing issues w the editing too but i don't want to jump down the editor's throats on this one bc im more focused on writing & direction issues)

the second major problem that i mentioned in my tags yesterday is the protagonist shift, which is an issue that started in s1. aziraphale & crowley are side characters in book gomens – significant ones, yeah, but still somewhat peripheral to adam (& anathema who counts as a deuteragonist imo). this works incredibly well w who they are as characters: they're Just Some Guys who happen to be involved in this epic biblical-level bureaucratic nightmare and importantly, they don't want to be in the spotlight. the arrangement was created so that they could explore what it meant to be themselves away from the Big Narrative; literally any time they get involved in larger affairs is bc the plot is alive and caught them unionising on company time. the last fucking chapter is adam (& god) being like haha u guys are alright keep it sleezy and letting them go. like. hello. neil u let them go.

but then!! tv gomens s1 does something interesting at the end w the body swapping addition that i dont totally hate – it gives aziraphale & crowley the extra bit of character work that brings them slightly more adjacent to their book selves. see i kinda view tv a/c as the younger, less settled versions of book a/c; they're still caught up in the immediacy of being key players and haven't fully realised that earth is their home. i haven't watched s1 in a while but one scene i remember rly clearly is crowley throwing all those astronomy texts in the air and angsting abt when he was an angel; i remember it bc his anguish in that scene feels a lot newer and rawer than book crowley's feelings about falling. when tv a/c do their bodyswap, it gives them the chance to land a blow against heaven/hell in a way that solidifies their allegiance to earth in a way that more closely resembles what book a/c have been abt the entire time (still adjacent, though. not parallel).

the reason why this works is that it does one final pivot to orient aziraphale and crowley as almost-main characters in a manner that makes sense in relation to a) their book selves and b) the position the tv show has placed them in. a combination of factors made tv a/c feel a lot less mature than their book counterparts but at the end of s1 they're sort of facing the same direction the book ended in, albeit through their own flashy late 2010s means.

when s2 was announced i was.......apprehensive bc to me, that felt like a satisfactory ending. i get the impression that amazon saw how wildly successful the adaptation was and was like oh shit we could make way more money out of this and neilman, having all those undead darlings that he and terry killed in the process of whittling the book into a workable novel, jumped at the chance to resurrect all those half-realised ideas. but not only were those ideas probably discarded for a reason, they've either been laying in wait for years unworked or they're new inventions, which means they weren't molded in the way that the book had been. like i said before, book gomens underwent years of rewrites and creative collaboration, and i think that process was what made it so good; s2 didn't have that. even if some of terry's ideas made it into s2, his influence is still missing bc he and neilman weren't in dialogue the same way they were in the book (and in some ways s1 bc i know terry was involved in the process of adapting gomens to screen before his death).

i don't think it's a case of newer fans forgetting terry so much as it is the context of terry's involvement being so removed from the current circumstances that certain aspects & discourses (i.e. is the s2 finale queerbaiting (no), does binge watching change the viewership experience (yes), etc etc) about the show overshadow other discussions that would usually be taking place. and before anyone says it's a case of neilman forgetting terry, i definitely don't think it's that either bc thats. yknow. wildly disrespectful. but also there are larger systems and structures at play than one writer no matter how much beef i have w him and his decisions, bc ultimately he's just one guy (a powerful and wealthy guy, but just a guy) and there's a wider cultural shift happening rn towards rehashing old stories without understanding what made them successful in the first place, and that same culture just doesn't allow for much, if any, constructive discourse analysis

so yeah

[valkirswrath]

For better or worse YouTube has realised I'm a sucker for clips of dramatic scenes from animes, fight scenes in particular. So it was that last night I spent a few hours watching clips of solo leveling. I have some thoughts.

Disclaimer; these are my thoughts based on clips of the anime and some wiki reading to fill in the blanks, if I'm completely off the mark I'm sure you'll tell me so.

For one, this is one insane case of same face syndrome. Ignoring that most female characters have the same thin body shape with minor deviation only being found in height and hair, there's at least three characters close to the protagonist with such similar faces I couldn't tell them apart at a glance. Jin-woo's sister, Jin-ah, Cha Hae-in and Lee Joohee. It was honestly absurd, there were scenes with Joohee that I thought were scenes with Jin-ah. At least Hae-in has short hair. But it lended itself to a feeling that these characters were interchangeable from a visual language standpoint, held together by their proximity to Jin-woo.

The bigger thing that really struck me again and again was how the story was just pure male power fantasy. I've been watching a lot of Jessie Gender recently so the hero's journey and it's issues are bouncing around my mind, which is why it stuck out to me. Ultimately this kind of power fantasy show is common, it's what a lot of shonen is. But I'll be honest this feels closer to harem isekai like in another world with my smartphone than it does I dunno, mha?

Gonna start approaching spoiler territory here folks, heads up.

Like okay, we've got the wimpy weak kid getting a second chance with an op system letting him grow in unprecedented ways. When he gets suddenly buff in the hospital he immediately has the nurses fawning over him. He's often portrayed as the silent protector type not wanting to tread on other group's turfs but still stealthily helping them out to not you know, die. But most often he's shown doing one of four things.

1) strategising (very video game nerd style a bit like Ainz in overlord? My pool of references is limited).

2) fighting through impossible odds with sheer determination and anger

3) badass ruthless killer mode fighting (I put the sparring match with Goto under this too)

4) protecting someone (usually women but not always).

It's a story explicitly about individualistic self growth, gotta get stronger, survival of the fittest kill or be killed. He literally raises his dead foes as shadows to fight with. Most female characters are sidelined in fights, or need to be protected, or are fawning over him, or fall in love with him over him not smelling bad (okay that's just Hae-in).

I do like that he genuinely does break down in tears when he manages to cure his mother's illness. Parental bonds in media are always fraught for me due to my own issues on the topic, but the way he let's the dam break and the pain and emotions and tears flow free at seeing his mother smile is good. Props for that. He's allowed to let the stoic facade drop and be vulnerable in that moment at the very least.

Overall though I am left thinking about how toxic the mentality and fantasy displayed here is. Toxic, and one dimensional. This is a pure power fantasy character, a male ideal for the presumably male reader to project onto. Strong, ruthless to protect his family, self sacrificing to support them, not overly attention seeking, always looking kind of fashionable in his modern clothing and beyond conventionally attractive without seeming to acknowledge it. I want to intuitively compare him to other op as fuck protagonists because the comparison writes itself. But how does he compare to contemporary super op protagonists like Saitama, Mob, Ainz?

Well, not particularly favorably imo. All these characters have flaws, some more than others. Mob psycho and one punch man are shows deconstructing ultimate power and the interesting parts of the characters are how they deal with that and what it does to their personalities. Mob is incredibly kind and empathic, he's anxious to the point of stunting himself emotionally cause he fears the damage his powers can do. Saitama is bored out of his mind and takes nothing seriously cause why would he, he's practically invincible. Even Ainz in overlord, a show that is a power fantasy isekai where the fantasy is being an evil overlord, is regularly shown to be insecure and posturing his way to success, thanks to his incredible power and the forces he commands. He's Mr impostor syndrome who, despite his now undead nature, still host an urge to play the hero and help people as seen in his alter ego Momonga, and he is prone to fickle fits of cruelty when what he cares about is threatened.

What is Jin-woo's flaw? Cocky overconfidence? Callousness? Those are shown to be positives in the context of the story. He ruthlessly cuts down and then raises into his service another human that's mad at him just to get a strong soldier in the fight. He has flaws sure, but they're never highlighted or confronted in the story at least not from what I've seen. And his callous disregard for other people is not even consistent! When he raises Byung-gyu as a shadow to heal Hae-in of her wounds, he has a powerful healing shadow in his repertoire. But at the request of another of the S-rank hunters he releases the shadow of Byung-gyu. It would have been so much more interesting if he refused. If they'd allowed him to ignore the request cause the shadow was too strong of an addition to his forces.

TL;DR Jin-woo is a boring character with no real flaws, the way the story treats women is reprehensible, it's pure male power fantasy glorifying the strength of the individual and a might makes right ideology. But fuck me if the fight scenes ain't cool as hell. Jin-woo vs Beru compares favorably to Saitama vs Boros to me.

[elainsgirl]

everyday the other side gets more and more unbearable, filthy & disgusting. they say all these nasty and mean spirited things about elain, in favour of propping up their favourite redhead who’s been here for no less than five seconds. really? really. just. what the hell. it blows my mind how immature they are. the argument that elain can’t have azriel’s children because of her anatomy? is that stupid take making a comeback? get out😐 i swear they piss me off so much and it takes every ounce of energy i have to not to interact with them cause they’ll just spout bullshit and irrelevant things all the time. they want gwyn to be a spy? why, cause she hid in a tree and waited for the right time to come down? or how about that time when she couldn’t keep a secret? GIRL. COME ON. they want her to be nyx’s favourite aunt (still the funniest take to me imo), rhysand’s bestie, wanting her to fight elain for azriel (pls as if canon gwyn will ever do that) the most she’ll do if she does get a book is sing, fight and train, heal. sing again. maybe go visit her supposed grandpa eris vanserra. i-

i think i’ve said enough. i also think you’re my favourite elriel blog and the GAs in your inbox— girl. i can’t. they test my patience all the time. 😊

The anatomy arguement has got to be one of the most desperate attempts at trying to “prove” gwynriel when in reality it just shows how misogynistic and small minded they are.

It must be so easy to be an anti, basically just taking Elriel theories and arguements/parallels and replacing Elain with Gwyn. Do they really think Sjm is going to make Gwyn a spy…when a book ago she wrote 800pages about Gwyn becoming a warrior? Do they think Mass will break away from her archeron x batboy bestie pattern to write Gwyn and Rhys? They’re not even in each other’s orbits.

A gwynriel book will be nothing but bland. Perfect for those who enjoy generic, basic trope-filled books. Don’t forget she’s going to banter w Azriel, revive the prison, wield made weapons and basically save the entire massiverse all whilst finding out she was the long lost archeron sister.

And thats why anon I stick to my elriel tag. Antis are always SS elriel posts or writing up passive/agressive responses to our posts trying their best to debunk our takes when in truth…it just makes them look silly and you basically understand how it’s possible they’re a gwynriel/elucien. The elriel tag is perfect as Im completely oblivious to what antis are doing and what they’re saying - im pretty sure 98% of them want to start fights with elriel or strive to have our attention (looking at you stalkers) and im just there in my little elriel bubble unknowing to it all which brings me great peace, especially knowing theres an anti out there getting themselves worked up over my and other elriels’ posts.

Thank you so much for the kind words 🫶 I love just being able to yap about elriel and how existential I am for their story. I think most of the antis are just attention starved trolls, I’ve learnt not to give them any time and just enjoy the anticipation for the announcement which is hopefully coming soon 🌸🦇

[codenamesazanka]

I'm trying to stay optimistic but the recent chapter was such a letdown after all of this speculation, and I'm really not ready for afo gave tenko decay to become canon :(

So, same as you, I've always hated the 'AFO gave Tenko Decay' theory, but I think it’s important to examine why. 

What I hate is less of the actual act - it is incredibly possible, after all, that AFO just gave this kid descendant of a hated enemy such a deadly quirk for his own twisted ends; and more in fear of what the confirmation of it might signifies - cheap 'easy-way-out' writing that would pretend to solve the problem of Shimura Tenko/Shigaraki Tomura while not actually doing so:

If Tenko was given Decay, then it means the Shimura massacre and then The Walk could've been avoided! 🎉 Because Tenko's hurt and anger at being repeatedly rejected by his father and family would not have manifested in such a lethal way, and so... what? Could've been ignored for a little longer? Wouldn't have sent him to the streets, where people should've helped him but didn't, and now Shigaraki's making them paying for that? (Somewhat related, I’ve seen people suggest that Decay makes Tenko itch because his body isn’t compatible with it, a la Aoyama - the itch is caused by the quirk. However, the day AFO brought Tenko home and Tenko was locked outside, Tenko already had scars around his eyes, and his mom was worried about “his allergies getting worse”. This suggests Tenko was already itchy and scratching at himself before he ever met AFO (and received the quirk that day). And given how the itch represents Tenko/Shigaraki’s frustration and anxiety, that Tenko says he’s only itchy in the house, demonstrates the Shimura household problem was a thing that hurt him long before AFO ever showed up that day.)

If Tenko was given Decay, then it means Shigaraki/Tenko is not innately a destructive and twisted child! Such a sweet kid would not have such a evil quirk! And he has no good reason to want to destroy stuff! 🎉 Because we're going to believe in the idea that ''Bad' Quirks Makes You A Bad Person’. And throw kids who do have unpleasant traits for whatever reason under the bus. And act as if Shigaraki wants to destroy because he's beholden to a gene inside of him, instead of having perfectly valid reasons to be angry and want to lash out.

If Tenko was given Decay, it means we don't have to worry about the 'what ifs' of having a deadly quirk like this even if the massacre never happen! 🎉 Because what if Decay was a naturally-occuring quirk? How would Heroes that aren't Eraserhead have dealt with an accident from such a quirk? Would Tenko have been forced to enroll in Quirk Counseling, which we know from Toga is such a great program? Would Tenko have grown up discriminated against, much like Shinsou, or worse? And these things are absolutely factors that would make someone feel ostracized in society and lash out, even without the backing of a crime lord?

If Tenko was given Decay, we have thee easiest way to deal with Shigaraki Tomura: the story can blame AFO for being the instigator of all tragedy and suffering - without Heroes needing to own up to the fact the society they've have been propping up for a century might play some role in creating Villains through countless, unintentional ways. The focus - the supposed real tragedy - becomes the fact that AFO gave Tenko a scary quirk, and Deku can focus his energies on that… instead of where, imo, the actual tragedies lie - an unhappy and dysfunctional home of generational trauma that was never dealt with, a city full of people who ignored an injured five-year-old because they put off all communal responsibility on Heroes*, and how this can all happen in a 'Hero-saturated society' without Tenko being helped in any of the multiple steps it took to get him to where he ended up under the bridge, being hugged by AFO.

* bonus: none of the people on the street knew what quirk Tenko had, so… what are we to make of this fact? Tenko could've easily been injured in a car accident, walked away, and still be ignored if AFO isn't revealed to made everyone ignore Tenko as well? But that would've been okay, Shigaraki would've been less pissed off, because it wasn't part of a villainous mastermind plot? 

Meanwhile, Shigaraki would be only a sad little pawn, an empty victim crammed with a deadly quirk and engineered trauma and fake wrath, and once Deku saves him by telling him his entire life was a lie, that he actually has no reason to feel so betrayed and angry (can't even direct that at AFO anymore, because the man’s gone), Shigaraki can (selfishly!) forget his friends and his experiences and take pleasure in knowing he wasn't supposed to be a Villain. He was supposed to be a Good Person, without an Evil Quirk, and now he can assimilate back into his rightful, conforming proper place in society!

However–I don’t think that sounds like Shigaraki at all. It could happen! God forbid it, but that is how Horikoshi can end up writing the character and the conclusion. I don’t know how likely that is. 

What I do know, though, is that Shigaraki is someone who already knows AFO is a manipulative asshole:

In Chapter 237, while reflecting on his newly regained memories, Shigaraki considers, “If only, back then, someone, anyone, had reached out to help… then maybe the itch would’ve gone away for good.” That he specifically says this last part after remembering specifically how AFO had found him, Shigaraki knew AFO didn’t actually help him, else the itch would’ve faded. 

In Chapter 277, Shigaraki is not particularly surprised that the AFO quirk comes with AFO’s ‘too-strong’ will. (Then tells AFO is shut up.) 

In Chapter 298, after AFO gives a whole spiel about how Shigaraki asked for this power, Shigaraki declares that he’s not going to be AFO’s “stinkin’ pawn”. (And started looking for a way to undermine AFO’s control)

In Chapter 379, Shigaraki outright states that he knew AFO was manipulating him, especially trying to make use of the Shimura and All Might connection. (And defeats the AFO vestige from inside out, taking his body back.) 

Unfortunately, Shigaraki is also someone who knows all this, but will still continue to rely on AFO’s double-edged gifts - keeping The Hands with him all this time; partnering with the Doctor; utilizing Gigantomachia into his Deika plan despite not having gained Gigantomachia’s respect yet; undergoing the surgery to receive the AFO quirk.

And finally, Shigaraki is someone who has already regained all his memories, back in MVA. He remembers being five-years-old and still not having manifested his quirk. He remembers AFO telling him that his quirk is a rare variant mutation, just so happened to be one that no one has ever seen before. In the latest chapter, the vision of Tenko holding hands with a man in a suit - that is Shigaraki’s memory. Shigaraki remembers this moment, of being Tenko and walking home, escorted by a stranger in a suit. And it appears, right after Deku declares that he’s going to keep striking at Shigaraki until he reaches the pain Shigaraki has buried and covered up with a lid.

What I’m getting at is this: I think - I hope! - there is a possibility that, if AFO did indeed give Tenko Decay, Shigaraki already knows AFO gave him the quirk - figured it out when he got his memories back, most likely - but is beyond caring. He knows Decay was given to him, that AFO had that hand in causing the massacre; but still Shigaraki uses it, still decides to embody the quirk as his.

Because however Shigaraki got Decay, it really doesn’t change anything about how the world works. It doesn’t change how his dad was locking him out of the house before he ever got any quirk, simply because he couldn’t/didn't want to follow a rule; and it doesn’t change how he was ignored by everyone that day on the street, and no one knew at all what quirk he had or what he did. Manifesting Decay only punted him down into a miserable social position that already existed - not for him at that moment in time, but for someone else; only gave him the ability to witness something that had always been there all the more clearly.

Now, this is very much a cope. But I can cope with the 'AFO gave Tenko Decay’, if it actually ends up giving Deku a harder time saving Shigaraki, if it forces Deku to become unable to blame AFO, because that was never the real injustice Shigaraki has been lashing out against. That’s really the main thing.

Thanks for the ask, anon! Sorry it’s long and rambling. 

[toychest321]

L.U.V. Dolls - Initial thoughts

(Special thanks to @dollsinvogue for notifying me about these and clarifying their names! And credit to youloveit.com for most of the info I'll be going over)

For anyone not in the know, the creators of Glo Up Girls are releasing a new doll line named L.U.V. (Limitless, Unique, Vibrant) Dolls, coming May 1, 2024

The most notable aspect of this release is the fact that the dolls' outfits were displayed at New York Fashion Week!

To add onto the line's central high fashion aesthetic, the dolls' boxes (from what we've seen) are made to resemble magazine covers

Already I'm giving them major props for such a bold choice in marketing!

I also admire how while the brand has a clear theme (with bold prints and ruffles in particular being a running motif throughout designs), most of the characters have styles that speak well to their individual personalities! It makes me want the line to succeed so we can see the second outfits in doll form as well, and speaking of which...

The first design we have is for the character Harper. I absolutely ADORE both of her looks here, I'm guessing she'll have a very soft and sweet personality between the use of light colors, lace, and puffed sleeves! I'm also detecting some slight 1950s inspo with the a-line silhouettes, sinched waists, polka dots, and large collar! I also really hope the dolls come with the purses shown! Easily an 8/10 design here.

This character Londynn's designs are probably my second favorite, and another good example of consistent characterization! The hot pink pops without distracting from the bold prints on display, and the use of colors like black, brown, white, and beige tie them all together! I'm also wondering if this character might be an adventuring type between the animal motifs (fur on the first coat and a pale pink zebra print on the second jacket) and knee-high tan boots. While the doll's style doesn't look to be exactly for me, I appreciate the thought put behind it! Also I'm giving a bonus point for giving the doll textured hair as well, 7.5/10.

In third we have Brooke, and I find I'm somewhat conflicted with these designs? Both of these respective designs are fairly well-executed imo, but I'm not sure they give off the same character. The left honestly kinda reminds me of Karma Nichols but slightly edgier with the sleek material and black accents. The right, meanwhile, gives me girlboss vibes. I will give it that they were able to make a professional look without being too boring (side-eyeing Barbie Style rn), by adding the ruffles at the jacket and pants for a unique silhouette. Maybe the inconsistency in style is for a day-to-night look? Honestly the only thing I'd change are the puffed sleeves on the first designs. Overall I'd say this is a solid 7/10.

And lastly we have Autumn's looks, and honestly? I kinda hate it. The first look is decent, but sorta comes across as too similar to the first two's outfits between the pale tones and the pink? That second look though is atrocious. The skirt looks like a puffer jacket and doesn't match at all with the pattern, and asymmetrical sleeves have always been a pet peeve of mine. It's a Barbie Extra look, in a bad way. 5.5/10

Despite my negative thoughts towards the end, I have high hopes for this line! With Rainbow High abandoning its High Fashion aesthetic for an uglier child-friendly sparkle rainbow slime vibe, I feel like these dolls could take up the hole it's leaving behind if they play their cards right!

I look forward to what this line has to bring!