#you might notice a recurring element in there

[deception-united]

Let's talk about foreshadowing.

Foreshadowing can add a lot of depth to your writing and make it more exciting for the readers. They create a sense of coherence and satisfaction when future events unfold as hinted—or shock if they don't.

Here are some tips for effectively using foreshadowing in your novels and books:

Plan Ahead: Foreshadowing works best when it's woven into the fabric of your story from the beginning. As you outline your plot, think about key events and revelations you want to foreshadow, and strategically place hints and clues accordingly.

Use Subtlety: Foreshadowing doesn't have to be obvious or heavy-handed. The best foreshadowing is often subtle and understated, leaving readers with a sense of intrigue and curiosity rather than outright prediction.

Establish Patterns and Motifs: Look for opportunities to establish recurring patterns, motifs, or symbols that can subtly hint at future events. These can be visual, thematic, or even linguistic cues that tie into the larger narrative arc of your story.

Create Tension: Foreshadowing is most effective when it creates tension and anticipation for the reader. Use foreshadowing to hint at potential conflicts, obstacles, or twists.

Reveal Gradually: Foreshadowing doesn't have to be limited to one-off hints or clues. Instead, consider how you can layer foreshadowing throughout your story, gradually revealing more information as the plot unfolds.

Pay Attention to Timing: The timing of your foreshadowing is crucial. Introduce hints and clues at strategic points in your story, building anticipation and suspense without giving too much away too soon.

Revisit Foreshadowing: Ensure that foreshadowed events are eventually fulfilled or addressed in the story. Revisiting earlier hints or clues can provide a satisfying payoff for readers and reinforce the narrative coherence.

Balance Subtlety and Clarity: Foreshadowing should be subtle enough to intrigue readers without giving away major plot twists too early. Aim for a balance where foreshadowing is noticeable upon reflection but doesn't detract from the immediacy of the story.

Let's look at some ways to incorporate foreshadowing:

Symbolism: Symbolic imagery or motifs can serve as subtle foreshadowing devices. Think about objects, settings, or descriptive details that can serve as symbolic foreshadowing. A recurring image or object, for example, might subtly hint at future events or themes in the story.

Dialogue Clues: Characters can drop hints or make cryptic remarks that foreshadow upcoming events. Dialogue is a natural way to introduce foreshadowing without being too obvious.

Character Reactions: Pay attention to how characters react to certain situations or events. Their emotions or responses can foreshadow future conflicts or revelations.

Subtle Descriptions: Incorporate subtle descriptions or details that hint at future events. These can be easily overlooked on a first read but become significant upon reflection or when the foreshadowed event occurs.

Dreams and Visions: Dreams, visions, and other forms of altered consciousness can be effective vehicles for foreshadowing—they can hint at an upcoming event, or explore characters' subconscious desires and fears. This method can sometimes be either blatant or subtle depending on how it is incorporated.

Foreshadowing Through Setting: Use the setting to foreshadow events or developments in the story. For example, a stormy night might foreshadow conflict or turmoil ahead, while a serene setting might signal upcoming peace or resolution. (On the flip side, this can be used to catch readers off guard, like a "calm before the storm" type of situation.)

Parallel Storylines: Foreshadowing can occur through parallel storylines or subplots. Events in one storyline can subtly hint at future developments in another, creating anticipation and intrigue.

Recurring Themes: Identify recurring themes or motifs in your story and use them to foreshadow future events. These thematic elements can serve as subtle hints or clues for attentive readers.

Misdirection: Foreshadowing can be used to misdirect readers and create suspense by hinting at one outcome while actually leading to another. (See my post on misdirection for more!)

Happy writing! ❤

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[twinklestarss]

“[…]A lot of it speaks of patterns of arcana across cultures, across time, across dates and you can see Exandrian calendar fragments. You can see notes on repetition and the shiftings of magic. You can see fonts of arcana and power that overlap with celestial events. There's a lot of noting where things continue to recur over long and short periods of time. […] With that, as you're doing this, you glance around and you can see there are other parts of this chamber where more of these notes are still somewhat present, haven't been taken entirely. So you begin to cut some of this away. You notice that in elements of these notes, it calls out historical specialists, people to reach out to in the world that might know this.”-Matt

Campaign 3 Episode 57: The Sorrow of Molaesmyr

[fortunafavours]

Welcome to Fortuna, Kingdom of Splendor!

demo • FAQs • bsky

You are the bastard child of the king’s cousin, you’ve never been anyone special. The Crown made sure of that. Taken in by your father after the death of your mother, you were never allowed to speak of your parentage under threat of being sent to an orphanage, so you took on the role of servant to your father's house. Now, just before your thirtieth birthday, you’ve begun having a strange, recurring dream: something beneath the mountains knows your name—something ancient—and it wants you to find it. But the stone isn’t the only thing after you. According to your oldest friend, an elite team of sorcerers from a group known as SCEPTRE are interested in speaking with you—by order of the king. And that's nothing to say of the rumblings of discontent in the streets, led by someone known only as the Crow. Apparently, they've got eyes on you, too. Why have you suddenly become the centre of attention? You’re nobody special. …Aren’t you?

Fortuna Favours the Bold is a low fantasy, high stakes, romance forward tale about self-discovery and buried secrets. Unearth the truth of what waits under the mountain, find out who you really are, and try not to get yourself blown up along the way!

It draws inspiration from media like Dragon Age: Origins, House of the Dragon, the Elder Scrolls series, as well as a myriad of Dungeons & Dragons campaigns I've been a part of, and other similar stories. If you like any of those, you might like Fortuna!

Fortuna is currently a WIP and, as always, is subject to change!

Play as male, female, or non-binary; gay, straight, lesbian, or bisexual!

Get caught up in a government conspiracy, or expose the corruption within!

Choose from six characters to romance: a chivalrous blacksmith, a charming physician, a socialite lawyer, the captain of the guard, the soft-spoken acolyte, or your mage friend from childhood!

Determine the ultimate fate of the kingdom! Will you lead it to ruin, or improve the state of affairs? Will you be a hero of the people, or a pawn in someone else's game?

Protect yourself, protect your loved ones, protect the city - or don't!

But above all, remember to keep the peace. The Crown thanks you for your cooperation.

Fortuna is rated 18+ for explicit language, sexual content, alcohol and drug use, violence, morally questionable behaviour, and more.

For a full list of content warnings, please see below the cut.

CONTENT WARNINGS: sexual situations (optionally explicit), abuse of power, sexism, misogyny, (occasionally graphic) depictions of violence, elements of horror, unreality, mentions of suicide, classism, alcohol and drug use, mentions of upsetting situations regarding pregnancy (abortions, miscarriages, stillborns, infertility, and birthing complications), confined and dark spaces, and death.

There may be some I've missed, but I've listed all the ones that I know for certain off the top of my head. Please reach out if there's something you've noticed that isn't listed here!

Please note that the MC is 29, almost 30; the most significant age gap is 9 years. Please do not message me about this. Everyone involved in the story is a consenting adult and is treated as such. If the gap in age bothers you, don't feel compelled to read it. I won't be upset.

I, myself, am 30 years old, and am fine with all listed age differences (obviously. I created these characters lol).

Now that that's out of the way, meet the ROs!:

Malcolm Ashford, 36 [M]

The primary blacksmith for the Crown ever since they took over his forge, though he's not exactly happy about it. Malcolm is a good, honourable sort; kindhearted and genuine, he's easy to approach and talk to. He is also the biggest hopeless romantic - a fact that Cyril never lets him forget. He can primarily be found at the forge in the centre of the courtyard marketplace.

Malcolm is 6'4" (193 cm), broad shouldered, muscular, and usually covered in some sort of soot. He has fair skin (but is usually sporting an intense farmer's tan), shoulder length light brown hair, a light beard, dark grey eyes, and a beauty mark just above his upper left lip.

His face claim is Eoin Macken.

Cyril Trevelyan, 34 [M]

An old friend of Malcolm's. If anyone asks, Cyril is a "non-practicing" physician. Previously a member of the Royal Physician's Guild, he has since left and now operates an illegal clinic in the lower quarters of the capital, where he can primarily be found, though he has been known to frequent a local tavern and can occasionally be spotted harassing Malcolm at the forge. Cyril is charming, outgoing, and would love to get to know you. Just don't expect him to be very forthcoming about himself.

Cyril is 6'2" (187 cm), with an athletic build. He has tan skin, short, cropped black hair, stubble, and hazel eyes. He has a small scar across his left eyebrow and another small scar through his upper lip.

His face claim is Miguel Ángel Silvestre.

Dominic / Dominica Trevelyan, 38 [M/F]

Cyril's older sibling and the current Commandant of the King's Army. They care about the citizens of Requiem, but are less idealistic than Cyril about how to go about bringing change. They generally mean well and try to make things as easy as possible for the masses, but it isn't always seen as enough. Their relationship with Cyril is... tense. To say the least. They are taciturn and serious, and could probably do with some lightening up.

D is 6'4" (193 cm) (M) / 6'1" (185 cm) (F). They are broad shouldered and a little paunchy, but muscular, strong, and a force to be reckoned with in battle. They have tan skin like their brother, short, black hair that they keep slicked back from their face, and light brown eyes.

Their face claims are Keon Alexander and Rosa Gilmore.

James Johnathan / Jane Josephine 'J.J.' St. James, 28 [M/F]

JJ is a notable lawyer from the noble St. James household, though they aren't typically the first one that comes to mind when the St. James name is brought up. No, that luxury would go to just about anyone else in their family, given JJ is the only one without magic. They're a hard worker, extremely diligent, but have just a teensy tiny chip on their shoulder. They're a bit smarmy, but there is a good heart in there. Somewhere.

JJ is 5'10" (177 cm) (M) / 5'8" (173 cm) (F). They have a lean, athletic build, pale skin, light blue eyes, and copper-brown hair.

Their face claims are Richard Madden and Philipine Urvois.

Amaryllis / Amaranthus Calyx, 30 [F/M]*

One of the royal twins, but also an acolyte to the Divine Valentine, goddess of mercy. They have chosen to dedicate their time to the Temple of the Divines, honing their healing magic and providing succor to those in need, emulating all the virtues Valentine embodies. They are soft spoken and kind, but sheltered and naive. They want to help, but have an impressive lack of self-awareness and preservation, and are more likely to get themselves into trouble unintentionally. Hopefully, you won't have to babysit them too much.

A is 5'10" (177 cm) (F) / 6'0" (183 cm) (M). Amaryllis has a slight, willowy build, shoulder length, dark brown hair that she wears in a bob, a small dusting of freckles across the nose, and dark brown eyes that (like most members of the royal family) are ringed with gold. Amaranthus has a lean, athletic build, short, dark brown hair kept neat and styled back from his face, and the same dark brown gold-ringed eyes as his sister. He also wears glasses, though he's constantly forgetting where he put them.

Their face claims are Adeline Rudolph and Kenta Sakurai.

*Unlike the other gender selectable ROs, A's gender setting determines which of the two twins you end up encountering as opposed to deciding the gender for one character. The other will appear in the story regardless, but will not be romanceable if you select the opposite gender. The other twin has a separate job, position, and demeanour and an entirely different personality from the chosen romanceable one, which will be determined by who you select as RO.

Elliott 'Eli' / Eleanor 'Ellie' Rosefinch, 30 [M/F]

Your oldest friend and most trusted confidant, they've known you since you were twelve and you've been thick as thieves since. They're one of the very few magic users in the capital, and have been recruited into SCEPTRE, the kingdom's elite training program for budding sorcerers. They're down to earth and easygoing, grounded, and calm under fire. They tend towards being the far more rational of the two of you.

E is 5'11" (180 cm), with a dancer's build. They have brown skin, short, curly black hair, brown eyes, and sparse freckling.

Their face claims are Dev Patel and Nikita Chadha.

[luckhound]

leander, pagan symbolism, and other notes.

ok so people have already brought up that leander is covered in or surrounded by a lot of symbolism. but there’s way more where that came from. idk if someone has compiled all of them in one place but i’m doing it here bc i’m feeling crazy at the moment

first, let’s get the obvious ones out of the way

there’s the ouroboros on his earring and in his charm

it’s a pagan symbol and also symbolizes alchemy. the ouroboros features a serpent eating its own tail and “symbolizes the eternal nature of the universe and the cycle of life, death, and rebirth. The symbol is closely associated with that of infinity, and the two are typically combined” (source)

we can see that it’s combined with the infinity symbol on the charm, which of course has to do with eternity

then there’s the triple moon/triple goddess on his belt buckle, yet another pagan symbol (credit to this post for this insight!)

here’s some info on the triple moon: “The first crescent, the waxing moon, symbolizes new life, rejuvenation, and new beginnings. The middle circle represents the full moon when magic is at its most powerful. Finally, the second crescent moon represents the moon during its waning period. This time of the moon phase is a time that is regarded as the best to send things away, remove them from your life, or finish things.” (source)

there are also white lilies featured in leander’s CG, on his charm and pin, and in the game trailer

surprise! it’s also a pagan symbol!

supposedly, “pagans used white lilies as decorations on May Day. Part of the festivities include young women dancing around the May Pole with ribbons with lilies in their hair. In this setting lilies represent renewed life, health and fertility.” (source)

but wait, there’s more!

like the earth symbol on the chain attached to his lapel pin

another pagan symbol that “is also sometimes used to symbolize Mother Earth. The element of earth is associated with the colors of brown and green, abundance, prosperity, and fertility.” (source) apparently it’s the ultimate symbol of the divine feminine

finally, green is practically leander’s official colour. it’s the colour of his eyes, his magic, and is featured heavily all over his sprite and official art. interestingly, it’s also the colour of the cloaks that his bloodhounds wear

you guessed it - the colour green is tied to paganism

it symbolizes “youth and fertility, evil and envy” and is connected to the season of spring as well as to nature (source). in the bible, green “means immortality, resurrection, growth, prosperity, and restoration” as well as fertility (source)

now onto some things that i might just be reading into lmao

like the gold points on leander’s trench coat, as well as the tiny inverted triangle between his clavicles, which is also featured in one of initial sketches for his earring. this could be the water symbol

again, it’s pagan. and is “believed to have a strong feminine connection, and so it is associated with all aspects of the goddess. The inverted triangle used to symbolize water is felt by some to symbolize the womb and is befitting with this element's feminine association.” (source)

the same source mentions that water is a “healing and purifying element that is connected to the West. Water can be used in rituals involving love and other emotions, and flowing water in nature, such as a river, or the sea, can be incorporated into magical workings that focus on carrying away negativity or other unwanted aspects of your life.”

i included it because it mentions the goddess, the womb (so possibly fertility), and femininity, which you’ve probably noticed by now is a recurring meaning for the other symbols on him

flowing water also brings lowtown to mind, since it’s described as being eroded by some sort of flood

next i’ll bring up leander’s dagger earring again, focusing not on the ouroboros but the dagger itself

in the demo, the mc notes that the earring is “dagger shaped.” but what if it’s not a dagger at all? what if it’s the ankh?

this could be a stretch, but note the hoop at the top of the dagger

the ankh is an “ancient Egyptian hieroglyph means life or living. Over time the ankh has come to symbolize eternal life and immortality to people from many walks of life. In ancient Egyptian hieroglyphs, the gods were always seen carrying an ankh, making it a symbol of divinity.” (source)

another reach, but i was looking at pagan symbols that might be a match for the diamond that shows up on leander’s lapel pin and his belt buckle, and came across the unicursal hexagram

this is the weakest link imo, especially because this isn’t a pagan symbol, but i thought i’d add it anyway since it seemed neat

the unicursal hexagram is a “six-pointed star is drawn unicursally, meaning that it is drawn in one continuous line. The hexagram represents the divine and heavenly forces of the universe. In Aleister Crowley's occult order Thelema, a five-petaled flower is placed in the middle to represent the pentacle and the five classical elements.” (source)

some other insights that i wanted to bring up here, though they have less to do with symbolism and are more concrete/tied to the game specifically

first up, as mentioned earlier, green might as well be leander’s official colour... so what about the red items on him? what significance do they have?

there’s this glowing red object attached to his belt, which i can’t help but think looks like an inverted version of the largest spire in eridia. you know, the spire that’s confirmed to be the senobium

also note how the windows in eridia all seem to glow with a similar red light in this CG...

there’s also a (faintly glowing?) red gem on his dagger earring, which looks to be diamond-shaped

what does it mean? what does it all mean?

your guess is as good as mine! but given all the allusions to the divine feminine, the (triple) goddess, fertility, etc. i can’t help think that leander might be in league with some kind of goddess or female deity. we already know that gods exist in some form or another, since ais is connected to a god and kuras is an angel, so the idea isn’t completely off base

did this goddess save leander’s life in the past, hence the constant motifs of renewed life, rebirth/resurrection, immortality, and so forth? maybe the scar that covers a good portion of his body had been enough to kill leander, or just nearly, until she intervened somehow

is he working with her to potentially overthrow the senobium, which we know he dislikes? are leander’s bloodhounds in on this? is the fact that leander’s magic is so powerful due to some kind of pact he has with the goddess?

obviously, i have no clue. i’m just throwing things at the wall and seeing what sticks msfjskfjhfd

[literaryvein-reblogs]

Writing Notes: Literary & Character Tropes

The word trope comes from the Greek word tropos, meaning a turn or change of direction.

Tropes

Figures involving substitutions of predictable words with terms that deliver nuanced meanings serving an argument.

Now used in cultural studies in a much broader sense as a recurring cultural signifier.

Traditionally the four ‘master tropes’ are regarded as being: metaphor, metonymy, synecdoche, and irony.

Modern Definition: Themes, motifs, plot devices, plot points, and storylines that have become familiar genre conventions.

PURPOSE: All writers manipulate language to create certain effects. At the level of individual phrases and sentences, the skillful use of tropes is key to creating writing that’s fresh, memorable, and persuasive. Poets might spend hours trying to find just the right metaphor (i.e., a figure of speech in which a word or phrase literally denoting one kind of object or idea is used in place of another to suggest a likeness or analogy between them, as in "drowning in money") to capture a mood or sensation, while marketers might use antanaclasis (i.e., the repetition of a word within a phrase or sentence in which the second occurrence utilizes a different and sometimes contrary meaning from the first; often found in slogans) to create a punchy catchphrase for a new product.

5 Examples of Literary/Character Tropes

1. all lowercase letters - a stylistic choice in which all text is in lowercase letters. it can be thought of as the opposite of writing in all caps when emphasizing a point, in which case it can be used to give a melancholic feel to whatever you're writing. it is not generally thought of as orthographically correct, giving it (if only in the eyes of advertisers) a casual, hip feel, as if to say you can't be bothered to use the shift key. also used in a visual narrative sense to indicate childishness or, in some cases, idiocy. on a darker note, however, this trope also has a tendency to show up in many an apocalyptic log where it usually is used to denote the point where the unfortunate author has gone insane or otherwise given up all hope.

2. Anti-hero - A character who lacks a handful of the traditional attributes of a hero but is ultimately heroic. They may be bewildered, ineffectual, deluded, or merely apathetic. More often an anti-hero is just an amoral misfit. While heroes are typically conventional, anti-heroes, depending on the circumstances, may be preconventional (in a "good" society), postconventional (if the government is "evil") or even unconventional. Tony Soprano, Walter White, Don Draper, and the grittier versions of Batman are all prime examples of modern antiheroes.

3. Byronic Hero - A character notable for being sullen, withdrawn, hard to like and hard to know, but usually possessing a rich inner life and a softer side accessible only to a special few.

4. Chekhov's Gun - Anton Chekhov, master of the short story, gave this advice: If it's not essential, don't include it in the story. The term has come to mean an insignificant object that later turns out to be important.

5. Unreliable Narrator - In most narratives, there's an element of trust that the person telling you the story is telling the truth, at least as far as they know it. This trope occurs when that convention is discarded. The narrator's facts contradict each other. If you ask them to go back a bit and retell it, the events come out a little differently. Example: Franz Kafka. Due to his famous style, he's able to directly contradict himself within the same sentence, AND make it so subtle that a casual or superficial reader will scarcely notice. The Metamorphosis and The Judgment stand out in this respect.

Sources: 1 2 3 4

If these writing notes helped with your poem/story, please tag me. Or leave a link in the replies. I'd love to read them!

More: Literary & Character Tropes

[tobiasdrake]

Digimon Adventure 01x44 - Jureimon of the Lost Woods / Trash Day

Previously on Digimon Adventure: Pinocchimon kidnapped Takeru wanting to play a twisted game, but then the grown-ups at FOX took his guns away and gave him a firm scolding. While Pinocchimon was busy, Takeru broke all of his other toys and fled the coop.

Before we begin, an interesting note on this episode's title. Today's episode is 迷いの森のジュレイモン Mayoi no Mori no Jureimon.

Mayoi no Mori is a popular recurring element of Japanese media. It translates to the Forest of Uncertainty or Forest of Indecision or some such. It's the idea of this labyrinthine and possibly even supernatural forest that, once you enter, you may never find your way out of. A place where people go missing and are never heard from again.

It shows up in a lot of places in Japanese media, though it often gets translated a bunch of different ways. Legend of Zelda calls it the Lost Woods. The Mario franchise has used names like "Forest of Illusion", "Forever Forest", or "Maze Woods". Final Fantasy has used terms like "Mazewood" or "Phantom Forest". Naruto called it "The Bewildering Forest". The subtitler for this episode called it "Forest of Doubt".

But they're all different attempts at localizing the same persistent concept: Mayoi no Mori. Throughout Japanese media, this idea persists of a thick, unnavigable forest where the souls of those who made the mistake of entering are doomed to forever wander, searching in futility for a way out that will never come.

I suspect it may be related to Aokigahara, Japan's famous Suicide Forest. But I don't know.

...

...so, let's have fun exploring that!

We join the Chosen Children searching for Yamato, who wandered off into the woods at the end of last episode.

Taichi: HEY!!! YAMATO!!! Sora: YAMATO-KUN!!! Gomamon: GABUMON, WHERE ARE YOU!?!? Hikari: Onii-chan, what do you think happened to Yamato-san? Taichi: How should I know!? What's his deal, anyway? Agumon: He might have been kidnapped by Pinocchimon! Koushiro: Judging by his abrupt disappearance, that's a likely conclusion. Jou: ...no. I don't think that's what happened.

The kids briefly bring up the cliffhanger from the dub and then Jou dismisses it. We're not going to spend too much time pursuing that as a possibility because the audience already knows Pinocchimon was moping in his playroom at the time.

The dub's had a week to stew on that as a cliffhanger, however.

Tai: MATT!!! HEY MATT!!! T.K.: MAAAAAATT!!! Sora: MATT, WHERE ARE YOU!?!? Kari: I'm worried. What do you think could have happened to him, Tai? Tai: Matt's a big boy; He can take care of himself! Agumon: Now, wait a minute; What if he was kidnapped by Puppetmon? Izzy: Yeah, he might have been. Or something worse! Jou: No, it wasn't anything like that.

Taichi responds sharply to Hikari's question in both versions, but there's a bit of a disconnect in Tai's response. Taichi is pissy and dismissive about why Yamato disappeared, but makes no indication that we shouldn't be looking for the guy. Tai sounds like he doesn't think we should be searching for Matt at all.

An odd choice given that his is one of the three voices calling for Matt a moment ago.

Jou recaps the kids on what he saw last episode. We see a silent flashback of Yamato's departure, with Jou noticing him.

Taichi: You saw Yamato leave!? Why didn't you stop him!? Jou: Because I thought he was just excusing himself for a moment. I'm sorry. Taichi: Well, forget it. At least now we know he wasn't taken by Pinocchimon. Agumon: But then where did he disappear to? Sora: Now that I think back, didn't Yamato-kun seem to be acting a little strange to you?

Sora conjures up a flashback to Yamato's Digivice and Crest refusing to function.

Piyomon: Gabumon wasn't able to evolve back then. Palmon: Yeah, but even so....

In the dub:

Tai: What, he just walked away!? And you didn't even try to stop him!? Joe: Well, no! Was I supposed to? I mean, I thought he was just going to go use the bushes! Or something. Tai: Huh. This is weird. I mean, it's one thing if he was kidnapped but why would he just disappear on us like this? Agumon: I'll say! He's been gone way too long for just a potty break. Sora: Wait a minute! Is it just me or has Matt been kinda strange lately?

They have Izzy talk over the second flashback to silence-break it.

Izzy: Come to think of it, he has been acting a little high-strung. Biyomon: Remember when Gabumon had that Digivolving problem? Palmon: (gasp) Yeah! I bet there's a connection!

This dialogue deviates a bit from the original, but not in a negative way. It flows really well. I especially like Palmon's organic response to Biyomon here.

Suddenly, Hikari hears something again. As with last episode, we don't hear whatever's caught her attention; Just a shimmering effect in the audio. Whatever it is, Hikari whips around too late. It's gone, if it was ever here to begin with.

Tailmon: What's wrong, Hikari? Hikari: I heard a voice again. Taichi: (runs up) A voice!? Was it Yamato!?

Taichi's quiet for a moment, listening for Yamato but hearing nothing.

Taichi: Were you hearing things?

This is another visual pun, like the one from inside Whamon. Taichi asks "Soramimi ka?" Soramimi is a Japanese expression that means "air in the ears" and is used to describe mishearing something. Upon asking the question, we cut briefly to Sora and Mimi exchanging awkward glances.

Koushiro: He couldn't have gone far. Taichi: You're right. Let's go!

Taichi rallies the group together and they head out to resume their search. Except Hikari, who stays behind briefly, answering the question now that the others aren't around to hear her.

Hikari: ...no, it wasn't Yamato's voice. Tailmon: (concerned) Hikari?

OMINOUS.

In the dub:

Gatomon: Kari, what is it? Kari: I thought I heard a voice out there. Tai: A voice!? Was it Matt!? (beat) Tai: I don't hear anything.... Come on, Kari! Don't you start losing it too! (Sora and Mimi exchange glances) Izzy: He couldn't be very far away, you know. Maybe we should look for him. Tai: Yeah, I suppose. Okay, guys; Let's go. (The group starts walking, except Kari) Kari: Gatomon, it wasn't Matt's voice I heard! Gatomon: Who's was it?

A small tonal difference here at the end; Hikari's basically talking to herself, with Tailmon beside her worrying. Kari addresses Gatomon to explain herself. But the important point still gets across in both versions. Hikari keeps overhearing somebody who is not yet accounted for in the story.

We leave the group here to join Yamato, storming off with Gabumon hot on his trail.

Gabumon: Yamato! What's wrong!? Yamato, listen to me! Yamato: (glower) ... Gabumon: Yamato....

While they're walking, we pan out to see Pinocchimon and Jureimon watching them from across the pond.

Pinocchimon: Hehehe! That guy is so stupid for breaking off from the rest! It's like he wants me to kill him! Jureimon: Of course, sir. Pinocchimon: Since I know he won't play with me anyway, I guess I'll give him what he wants and murder him. Jureimon: Please wait a moment, Pinocchimon-sama. I have an idea, sir. While you're dealing with the rest of the Chosen Children, your loyal servant Jureimon will handle this one! Ho ho ho ho!

Vulgar mouth on Pinocchimon. The show has used a lot of euphemisms to dance around the word korosu, which means to kill or murder or slaughter, since that word's considered vulgar in children's entertainment. Its favorite euphemism is taosu, which means to defeat or demolish.

We heard a lot of taosu last episode, such as discussing whether or not to "destroy" Kiwimon.

But Pinocchimon here drops two separate instances of its compound form koroshitai, combining korosu with shitai meaning "I want to verb". He's pulling no verbal punches; He intends to murder this child.

In the original, Yamato gives Gabumon a total cold shoulder, refusing to answer him entirely. The dub uses the last shot of Gabumon to let Matt talk to him.

Gabumon: Matt, come on! I'm all for exercise but I'm really not built for long distances! Matt! Where are we going? Matt: Just... away. I need some space! (Pan out to Puppetmon and Cherrymon) Puppetmon: Hehehe. Aww, the poor little kid needs a little space. Someplace far away from his nice little friends and closer to ME!!! Cherrymon: I agree completely. Puppetmon: I'm not waiting! I'll put him out of his misery! Those DigiDestined kids really bug me! Cherrymon: Wait a minute, Puppetmon! I have a better idea. You can take care of those other DigiDestined children if you want to but, as for this one, leave him to me! I'll have him climbing up a tree before I'm through with him! Hahaha hahaha HAHAHA!!!

I like Puppetmon's twisted retort to Matt "needing space".

But I'm sad to lose "Since I know he won't play with me...." That line was a nice callback to the previous episode, conveying that Pinocchimon is still salty about what happened with Takeru.

"I'll put him out of his misery" is a solid translation for Puppetmon's second line, since obviously Fox isn't going to let Puppetmon's language be as unapologetically violent as Pinocchimon's. The last bit is just Evil Space Filler, though.

As an aside, Jureimon's vocal performance is a deep and bellowing old man who speaks in a respectful and wizened tone. Cherrymon's going for Marlon Brando's Don Vito Corleone from The Godfather for some reason.

Yamato finds a place to finally rest and talk through why seeing Takeru be self-sufficient bothered him so much.

Yamato: I... I've always thought about Takeru. Takeru is... He can't take care of himself without me. Or, I thought so....

Yamato flashes quickly through various clips of Takeru over the course of the series, since they first noticed the snow falling at camp.

Yamato: Before I knew it, he'd grown up. And me? He doesn't need me anymore. (Flashbacks end) Yamato: It's not just Takeru, either. Taichi, Sora, Mimi, Jou, Koushiro... Everyone's changed so much since we came to the Digimon World. They've gotten stronger. Gabumon: (affirming) Mm. Yamato: But, next to them, look at me. I'm the same person I always was! I haven't changed at all! Gabumon: That's not true! You also-- Yamato: What's wrong with me!? This isn't who I want to be! Gabumon: Yamato.... Yamato: I can't stay like this! I have to change! I HAVE TO GET STRONGER!!! And for that to happen... I can't stay with the others.

This would, of course, probably be why his Crest wouldn't shine earlier. Sympathetic though Yamato's reasons are, he's not exactly expressing the virtue of Friendship here. He's wallowing in self-doubt.

The dub slips its first commercial break between scenes, which is a good place for it. Then we come back to Matt's doubts.

Matt: You ever feel like a third wheel, Gabumon? That's what I feel like. All this time, I thought I had, like, a purpose, y'know? To look after my little brother. (Flashbacks) Matt: I thought T.K. wouldn't be able to survive without me watching over him. Suddenly, it's like he's growing up. He doesn't need me anymore. Oh, and it's not just him. (Flashbacks end) Matt: It's everybody, man. I mean, when I think of Tai and Mimi and Sora and the others, this place has changed them for the better. They're stronger now. It's almost like they Digivolved or something. Gabumon: Hm? Matt: But you see, the problem is, I haven't. I'm still stuck in the same place. I haven't changed a bit. Gabumon: You may not see it, Matt, but you've changed a lot! Matt: Oh please, Gabumon. Give me a break. I'm the same jerk I always was! Gabumon: Hey, come on.... Matt: It'll never happen! Not this way. I've finally got it figured out! If I'm ever going to change, I've got to do it on my own! On my own... The others can't help me.

This is pretty much perfect. It his every last beat of the scene while being flavorful and interesting to listen to. 10/10 no notes.

Jureimon suddenly reveals himself with a hearty laugh.

Jureimon: AH HA HA!!! Yamato: WHO'S THERE!?!?

Jureimon calmly walks out to meet Yamato and properly introduces himself.

Jureimon is a Perfect-stage Virus-type Plant Digimon. He's one of the two Virus Perfects for the Wind Guardians, both of whom are pre-evolved forms for Pinocchimon himself.

His name comes from the Japanese word 樹齢 jurei, which means "the age of a tree". He's the Ancient Tree 'mon. The word jurei, sounded out loud, sounds super close to cherry - Something I don't think was lost on his creators, given that they filled his branches with cherry fruit. He's an ancient tree, but specifically a cherry tree.

Which means the dub's choice of "Cherrymon" fits well into the characters' lip flaps while still being evocative of his design.

Jureimon: My name is Jureimon. Yamato: Jureimon? Narrator: Jureimon. Called the Lord of the Deep Woods, this Perfect-stage Digimon lives deep within the forests. His special attack is Cherry Bomb.

A note about Jureimon's title. He's called 樹海の主 Jukai no Omo. The word of interest here is Jukai, which doesn't mean "forest". Rather, it more directly translates to "Sea of Trees" and refers to an especially dense part of a forest.

It. Um. It's also a term for Aokigahara. Jureimon is the Lord of places like Aokigahara.

...

And now he's talking to Yamato, in the midst of an emotional crisis.

Gabumon: You work for Pinocchimon, don't you!? Jureimon: Now, now, calm down. I didn't come here to fight. I am just looking for someone to talk to. Ah ha ha!

This is going to be bad, isn't it?

In the dub:

Cherrymon: Well, well. Look what we've got here. Greetings, nature lovers. (Cherrymon reveals himself) Cherrymon: What? You mean you've never seen a talking tree? Matt: ...not many. Gabumon: (rundown) Be careful. That's Cherrymon, Lord of the Forest and the best reason for the existence of termites. Gabumon: Stop right there or I'll turn you into toothpicks! Cherrymon: You really shouldn't be that rude. Calm down, my fighting days are over; I only want to talk with you. In fact, you might even say I've turned over a new leaf. Ehehe Haha!

"The best reason for the existence of termites" got me. XD It's the casual, matter-of-fact way he slides that into the rundown. Fantastic delivery.

Gabumon has all of his hackles up right now and he is absolutely right to. We are at war and he does not trust the enemy combatant emerging from the deep woods for a friendly chat.

Meanwhile, the other children continue their search for Yamato. Koushiro's using his Digivice to try and track Yamato's, but getting no results.

Koushiro: The Digivice isn't reacting. It doesn't seem to be functioning properly in these woods. Tailmon: I think we should take a break somewhere and wait for him. Everyone needs some time alone once in a while. Taichi: No, we have to find Yamato quickly. We can't do this unless all eight of us are together! Jou: But we're all tired. We should find a place to sit down and rest our legs. Mimi: (quietly, distressed) So the eight of us could stay together and fight... They all.... Palmon: Mimi.... Sora: Mimi-chan....

Quite a bit going on in this scene. We start with the discovery that the deep woods seem to be blocking the signals from their Digivices so they can't find each other.

Senpai and Team Leader have very different ideas of what we should do from here, with Taichi wanting to push the group to exhaustion out of a sense of urgency for fighting the war.

Taichi invokes what Gennai told them before they returned to Tokyo: They can only fix the distortions if all eight of them are together. That's why we had to get retrieve Hikari, and it's why we can't be splitting the party like this.

But Taichi is still trying to be Drill Sergeant and not considering the valid points that Tailmon and Jou are both making.

(That said, given what Yamato's talking to right now, they probably should hurry up and find him. Taichi's right but not because of the words coming out of his mouth.)

Meanwhile, Mimi remains traumatized from their various friends and Chuumon that gave their lives for the children's sake. The road they've walked to reach this point is paved in pixel dust.

In the dub:

Izzy: Mm, it's no use. I'm getting nothing. For some reason, the Digivices aren't working in this forest. Gatomon: You know, I'm not so sure we should be trying to find him. Everyone needs to be alone sometimes. I should know! Tai: I'm not gonna let him break up this team! We're gonna find him whether he wants us to or not! Joe: We're always walking around searching for someone; I've never done so much walking in my life! Mimi: Yeah, it's disgusting. My calves are starting to look like a bodybuilder's! Palmon: Like a what!? Sora: (dismissive) Oh, Mimi....

...okay, so all of this sucks. Well, Izzy and Gatomon are fine. Good job, you two.

Tai's being even more unreasonable than his Japanese counterpart. He offers no reason for why it's so urgent that we find Matt right now. Just that we're gonna drag his ass back here and that's fucking final!

Then Jou and Mimi both have their lines swapped out for whining about their poor constitutions. This is especially egregious for Mimi because the fact that she's practically catatonic right now from trauma is an important part of her character arc, but the dub has her quipping about her "gross" leg muscles like it's just another day.

Suddenly, a loud voice echoes through the forest.

Pinocchimon: YOO-HOO!!!

Perched at the very top of a nearby tree, Pinocchimon calls down to them, startling the group.

Taichi: (gasp) Pinocchimon! Pinocchimon: Hi, Takeru! It's good to see you again! Takeru: Not for me, it isn't! I'm not playing with you anymore! Patamon: That's right! Pinocchimon: Idiot! Playtime is long over! GET THEM, GARBAMON!!!

Three such creatures slide out of the woods in their trash cans.

Garbamon is a Perfect-stage Virus-type Mutant Digimon. Next to Jureimon, they're the other Virus Perfect from the Wind Guardians, and the other pre-evolution for Pinocchimon. Their name, of course, comes from the word "garbage".

They're based, specifically, on a desktop Recycle Bin for deleting files.

All Garbamon: YES, SIR!!! Narrator: Garbamon. A Digimon based on garbage. Their special attack is Unchi Bazooka, but they're still Perfect all the same.

Another rare attack name to feature a Japanese word in it. Unchi means poop. Yep, we're doing that again.

Which is what that last comment is about; Garbamon is along the same vein as the various junk 'mons we've seen like Scumon or Numemon or Nanimon. But these guys are not the pathetic little bottomfeeder Adults of the original V-Pet lineups. These guys are Perfect-stage Wind Guardians and they will fuck your shit up.

In the dub:

Puppetmon: Yoohoo! Tai: Puppetmon!? Puppetmon: Hi, everybody! Hey T.K., did you miss me? T.K.: No, not at all! And I'm not going to play with you anymore, either! Puppetmon: No!? Well, fine! You're not a lot of fun anyway! Front and center, everybody! Garbagemon 1: (slides out) Yes, sir! Garbagemon 2: (slides out) Yes, sir! Garbagemon 3: (slides out) Yes, sir! Palmon: (rundown) Uh-oh, Garbagemon! They're as tough as they are mean! And they don't smell very good, either....

Palmon's diegetic rundown here is completely different. But it still gets across the idea that despite being gross, they shouldn't be underestimated.

Puppetmon here is more outwardly upset about T.K.'s rejection. I do like that the dub has him clearly still nursing that wound, only launching the ambush after he's freshly rejected again.

Once the rundown's over, the Garbamon take aim.

Garbamon: FIRE THE UNCHI BAZOOKA!!!

The Garbamon unload their first volley of their disgusting projectiles. The kids turn and run into the woods as the Garbamon let off a second volley. But then Palmon notices one person who isn't running.

Palmon: Mimi!

Mimi snaps suddenly, furiously snatching one of the poops out of the air as it sails towards her.

Mimi: WHAT THE HELL EVEN IS THIS!?!? ENOUGH ALREADY!!!

She is so done with being the target of long-range poop assaults. She throws it straight back at the Garbamon.

Mimi is not very athletic, so her toss doesn't hit anything. It lands on the ground about halfway between her and the enemy, then flops to a stop in front of the center Garbamon. Still, her outburst takes everyone by surprise. The Garbamon stare slack-jawed at her, ceasing their assault.

A brief shot of Pinocchimon going O_O shows that he, too, is stunned speechless.

Sora swings back, grabbing Mimi by the arm and snapping her out of her temporary insanity. The second Sora grabs her, Mimi's ferocity collapses and she just looks freaked out and terrified again.

Sora: Mimi-chan, hurry! Mimi: Uh-huh!

A powerful moment for Mimi but not one that accomplished much.

In the dub:

Garbagemon: Junk Chuckers ready, aim, FIRE!!! Joe: RUN!!! (The kids flee from the non-specific junk) Palmon: Mimi! Mimi: (catch) I WON'T BUDGE!!! Let's let them do the running for a change! (throw) Garbagemon: :O ... Pinocchimon: O_O ... Sora: Mimi, come on! (grab) Mimi: Yeah, good idea! I must be nuts; I touched that stuff!

Mimi's ferocity comes on the heels of being repeatedly targeted by poop-throwing Digimon. It's the culmination of her individual experiences with Scumon and various Numemon.

Dub Mimi's snapping fury is recontextualized to be general outrage over all the running from enemies they've had to do. This probably goes hand-in-hand with the dub's persistent efforts to not directly admit that the projectile in question is, and has always been, poop.

Though calling it "junk" is getting pretty close to coming clean.

I do, however, love the addition of "I must be nuts; I touched that stuff!" at the end. That's a great line for her to deliver after snapping out of it.

From here, we return to Yamato to hear his answer to Jureimon.

Yamato: Sorry, but I don't feel like chatting with you. Let's go.

Yamato and Gabumon start walking towards the tree line. Jureimon extends his hand, growing it to a large size to cut off Yamato's departure.

Yamato: Get out of the way! Jureimon: Now now, I told you to wait. You don't need to be so hostile. Oh ho ho ho! "What's wrong with me!?" "This isn't who I want to be!" Yamato: (gasp) Jureimon: It's important to step back from time to time and think about who we've become, to better understand ourselves. Yamato: You were listening in? Jureimon: Ho ho ho ho! I didn't need to listen in. Nothing happens in this forest that I don't know about. Yamato: Then tell me! What should I do now? Jureimon: You're asking me what to do? Children these days, always wanting their answers handed to them. They never try to think for themselves. That's the problem right there, if you ask me.

Okay, boomer.

In the dub:

Matt: No offense, but even if I felt like talking, it wouldn't be to a tree. See you around. (Cherrymon blocks Matt's departure) Matt: Hey, what's the idea!? Cherrymon: Young man, didn't anyone ever tell you you should listen to your elders? Or was it redwoods you should listen to? I can never quite get those two straight. But anyway, I digress. So, you're still stuck in the same place. Still the same old jerk you always were. Matt: (gasp) Cherrymon: Surprised, huh? Ah, I know all about it! Must be tough being in such a rut! Matt: You've been spying on me, huh!? Cherrymon: Hahahahaha! Listen to me, kid. I don't need to spy because there's nothing that happens in this forest that I don't know about. Matt: (skeptical) Huh. Alright then, if you're so smart, what am I supposed to do!? Tell me that! Cherrymon: Ah, simple as that, eh? Kids. You want all the answers just handed to you on a mahogany platter but you never want to do the hard work of looking deep within yourself, where all the answers truly lie!

Pretty solid, with some tree jokes thrown in for shits and giggles.

Seeing that this isn't going anywhere good, Gabumon tries to intervene.

Gabumon: Yamato! You don't have to listen to this guy! Let's go! Jureimon: Are you sure about that? If you want to get stronger, you'll have to improve yourself. Yamato: Improve myself? Jureimon: That's right. But it's easier said than done. You will need to have the determination to carry it out. Yamato: Determination? I have that. Tell me, how am I supposed to do it? Jureimon: (thinking) Ha! He's taken the bait....

Jureimon playing Yamato for an absolute sucker.

In the dub:

Gabumon: Let's go. Don't you listen to that talking firewood, Matt! Come on! Cherrymon: That's right, go on! But you'll never learn how to change. You'll always be what you are right now. Matt: (weakly) I want to change! Cherrymon: Yes, of course, but are you really ready? After all, change isn't always a pleasant thing. You might find out a few things that you wish you hadn't. Matt: I'm ready. More than ready. Enough talking, big guy! If you've got some answers, let's see 'em! Cherrymon: (thinking) Haha! He fell for it like an overripe fig.

A small change: Jureimon baits his hook by questioning Yamato's resolve while Cherrymon questions Matt's commitment to change.

Finally, Jureimon reveals exactly what Yamato must do to better himself.

Jureimon: YOU MUST DEFEAT YOUR RIVAL!!! Yamato: Rival? Jureimon: (points) Go take a look at yourself in that lake. There, you will see the rival you must defeat. Yamato: I must defeat... my rival.... Gabumon: Yamato....

Yamato approaches the lake, peering into its waters.

Gabumon: Ah! Yamato: Th... That's...!

Slowly but surely the image of Taichi emerges.

(Honestly, who else was it gonna be? Mimi? Hell no. Yamato'd best not come slinging this shit at her 'cause she's got a mean answer to that now.)

The dub's delivery of Cherrymon's pronouncement is incredibly undercooked. Jureimon screams it as a dramatic, climactic revelation. The apex of what this conversation has been building to. Cherrymon lays it out all casual.

Cherrymon: Alright, kid, I'll help you out. First off, you're gonna have to defeat your rival. Matt: My rival? Cherrymon: (points) There. In that lake, you will see the face of the one who is preventing you from becoming as strong as you could be. Gabumon: Where are you going? Matt: I know it sounds pretty bogus but... Might as well look. Gabumon: Listen, Matt. You don't really believe him, do you? (Tai's image begins to emerge) Gabumon: Ahhh! Matt: TAI!?!? COME ON!!! WHAT KIND OF TRICK IS THIS!?!?

Matt absolutely refuses to sell the idea that he's buying what Cherrymon's selling at all. He's basically rolling his eyes while being dragged around by Yamato's decision-making. The original keeps what's going through Yamato's head here ambiguous. He's considering Jureimon's words but doesn't appear to have committed one way or the other.

From here, we go to commercial and come back to the Garbamon chase.

Garbamon: Don't think you can escape! Take this!

The Garbamon form up, back-to-back, and rotate in circles firing their Unshi Bazookas into the woods. in all directions. This achieves nothing, and instead Adult evolutions of all the Partner 'mons emerge. Everyone but Angemon, Tailmon, and Garurumon, that is.

The Partner Digimon converge their attacks on the Garbamon, creating a huge explosion. This seems effective until the smoke clears and reveals no trace of their targets.

Taichi: Great work! (Smoke clears; Nothing there) Pinocchimon: Hahahahaha! Did you think those puny attacks would be enough to defeat them!?

(This is a Dragon Ball moment; Their absence proves they got away before the blasts hit. But Digimon disintegrate upon death so there'd be no trace of them either way; This doesn't really work.)

In the dub, the lead Garbagemon gets philosophical.

Garbagemon: Ha! Don't you know that wherever you go, there will always be garbage? Okay, ready guys? MAKE A MESS!!! (The Garbagemon spin and fire into the trees. The Partners emerge and blast them.) Tai: WAY TO GO!!! Joe: That trash is thrashed! Puppetmon: Hehehehehe.... (Smoke clears; Nothing there) Puppetmon: Great, you've totally ruined my garbage fun! I'm beaten! I'm going home! PSYCHE!!!

Oh my god. Remember "PSYCHE!!!"? The 90's/early 00's!

"That trash is thrashed". Nice wordplay, extra Joe line.

With the team's failure revealed, the assault begins anew.

Pinocchimon: Look behind you!

A Garbamon rushes towards the Children from... Wherever they got off to, taking aim with his poopzuka.

Mimi: No.... Garbamon: GOT YOU NOW!!! Mimi: NOOOOOOOO!!!

Mimi lets out a bloodcurdling scream, activating her Crest and Super-Evolving Togemon into Lilimon. Bursting into existence, Lilimon tackles Mimi and pushes them both out of the way of Garbamon's shot.

In the dub:

Puppetmon: Look behind you! Garbagemon: WRAHHH!!! Mimi: It's trash! Look out! Garbagemon: (takes aim) Here's mud in your eye!

The dub takes its second commercial break here instead of where the original put it. Fair; The original's commercial did come surprisingly early.

Then we return, replaying the shots from Mimi and Garbagemon's previous two lines.

Mimi: Oh no! Help! Garbagemon: JUNK CHUCKER!!! Mimi: NIGHTMAAAAAAAAAARE!!!

On the hand, screaming NOOOOOOOO is incredibly overwrought and cliche. On the other hand, screaming NIGHTMAAAAAAAAARE is just silly.

I think they were stuck on that one because of the lip flaps. The word for no is ie, pronounced "eee-yay". It's two syllables, with Mimi's lips moving between them. It's hard to get two syllables out of NOOOOOOOO.

Once Mimi's safe, Lilimon soars into the fight.

Lilimon flies straight for Garbamon, but a second Garbamon suddenly emerges from behind them.

Garbamon 2: You fell for it! Lilimon: Wait, what!?

The pair of Garbamon open fire at once. Lilimon deftly maneuvers between their shots, but then the third Garbamon pops up behind them.

Garbamon 3: NOT DONE YET!!!

Lilimon's line here made me a little sad, because she says "Uso!" which means "Lie". It's an expression of disbelief; In this case, she fell for their trick completely and is conveying her surprise and confusion.

But for a moment, I thought she said "Kuso!" which is a Japanese curse word and literally means "SHIT!!!" Which would have been very apt in this situation. Alas.

In the dub, the Garbagemon remain poetic.

Garbagemon 2: TWICE IS NICE!!! Lillymon: Ah!? (The Garbagemon shoot; Lillymon dodges) Garbagemon 3: TRASH THAT PETUNIA!!!

Well punned.

Unfortunately for the Garbamon, Lilimon finds her footing and goes back on the offensive.

Stepping on the face of the Garbamon in front of her, Lilimon bounds up into the air to meet the third.

Garbamon 1: Do I look like a stepstool!? Lilimon: FLOWER CANNON!!!

Lilimon shoots Garbamon 3 point-blank, vaporizing them into pixel dust.

In the dub:

Garbagemon 1: That chick is heavier than she looks.... Lillymon: FLOWER CANNON!!!

Something about the replacement gag is getting my hackles up but I can't quite put my finger on it.

Inspired by Lilimon's counterattack, Taichi steps up.

Taichi: Yes! Now!

In the dub:

Tai: Alright! Finish them off!

Greymon Super-Evolves into MetalGreymon and fires off his Giga Destroyer. One of the two remaining Garbamon is still stunned from getting stepped on, but the other counterattacks with Unchi Bazooka.

The poop ricochet's harmlessly off the Giga Destroyer missile, doing nothing to impede its path.

Both Garbamon go up in a massive explosion that blows Pinocchimon off his treetop perch. While Pinocchimon hangs on for dear life, the errant final poop lands squarely on his forehead, provoking a furious and agonized shriek.

From here, we return to Yamato and Jureimon.

Yamato: Taichi is... my rival...?

Suddenly, Yamato stands up and starts laughing.

Yamato: Sorry to disappoint, but I've never felt that way about him. Not even once! Jureimon: Ha ha ha! That lake reflects whatever lies in the heart of the person who looks into it. Yamato: What!?

Of course, we know Yamato's not being honest with himself here. We've seen the friction between the two boys throughout the series, especially where Takeru was concerned. He may never have contextualized Taichi as a "rival" but he and Taichi have been locking horns since File Island.

You can tell how little Yamato believes in his own claim by how quickly he abandons it. Yamato says "LOL nice trap", Jureimon says "It's not a trap", and Yamato replies "WAIT WHAT!?!?" and resumes falling for it.

Yamato looks into the lake again. Then, after a moment, he pulls his gaze away once more.

Yamato: (struggling) I refuse to fall for this.... Jureimon: Do not avert your eyes! Properly face yourself!

At Jureimon's urging, Yamato gives in and looks down into the lake again.

In the dub, Cherrymon calls in from offscreen like a game show host while Matt's confronting the ugly revelation of the lake, which sounds absolutely hilarious in his Godfather Voice.

Cherrymon: Behold! The face of your rival! Matt: (hesitantly) ...so you're saying I have to fight Tai, is that it? (Matt stands up and starts laughing) Matt: Ahahahaha! Nice try, foliage-face, you had me going there. But you'll have to do better than that. Cherrymon: Hahahaha! I had nothing to do with it! The Lake of Truth reflects only what is in a person's heart; Hence the name. Matt: (shocked) You've gotta be kidding! Cherrymon: Sorry, kid; It's never wrong. (Matt looks again, then averts his eyes) Matt: That right? Well, I've got news for you. It's off this time! Way off! Cherrymon: Well, you can argue with me all you want but you're really only arguing with yourself.

Remarkably different approaches from Jureimon and Cherrymon. You can really feel Yamato's youth in the original; The way he responds to the booming voice of an elder authoritatively telling him what to do on a complicated issue he lacks confidence in himself to know how to resolve.

Jureimon has managed to manufacture an atmosphere where he can speak to Yamato as if he were a domineering parent commanding his child. Yamato's insecurity and uncertainty has created a vulnerability for an older predator to exploit, by speaking in a confident and certain tone.

Cherrymon takes the opposite approach, appealing to Matt as more of an equal. He pushes the issue but he's gentle and even sympathetic, going so far as to apologize to Matt for what he saw in the lake.

Cherrymon weasels himself into Matt's grievances with Tai as if he were just a passing bystander and not, you know, the guy who told Matt to look in the lake to begin with. He's metaphorically kneeling down on Matt's level. Hey man, it really sucks about that thing that's definitely just a fact of life and has nothing to do with what I said or did.

Yamato bends. He returns his attention to the lake, while Jureimon keeps pressing him.

Jureimon: I understand. Though you are both Chosen Children, everything you and that boy Taichi stand for are complete opposites of each other.

As a subtle psychological cue, Jureimon says Taichi's name with a scoff, as if the word itself tastes rotten and hollow in the mouth. He's monotonous and matter-of-fact except when he spits out Taichi's name as a curse.

Flashback montage of Yamato and Taichi's clashes through the series. We start with their fistfight on File Island, when Taichi wanted to abandon the rest of the group to go see what's beyond the ocean. Then Yamato snapping at Taichi at Digitamamon's diner. Then wrap up with their bitter argument over the graves Mimi built.

(Yamato was in the right in 2/3 of those.)

Jureimon: Whenever Taichi says or does anything, you can't help but react to it. That's how strong Taichi's presence in your heart has become. Until you overcome those feelings, you will never grow beyond where you are now. You must fight Taichi. Only when you free yourself from the hesitation in your heart will you be reborn!

What makes this interesting is that Jureimon isn't necessarily saying that Taichi is holding Yamato back. But rather that Yamato's feelings for Taichi are holding him back, and that those feelings can only truly be settled when he finally lets them out and has it out with Taichi. He must face the truth within himself before he can evolve.

Yamato feels like he's trapped in his cocoon and unable to hatch. Jureimon tells him that he's unwilling to hatch because the direction he must hatch in goes through Taichi.

Jureimon is telling Yamato that he needs to destroy the shadow of Taichi's influence over his mind before he'll be able to grow as an individual.

In the dub, Cherrymon... (sigh) ...makes this about who gets to be the show's main character.

Cherrymon: It's about time you face the truth. The one you call Tai is your leader; Everything he says, you do. Everywhere he goes, you follow. And yet, in your heart, you resent him because you know you're just as qualified to be the boss as he is!

The dub cuts the File Island flashback before Tai and Matt can start throwing punches, like they did in that episode itself.

(Digitamamon flashback) Tai: STOP IT!!! Matt: WHO DO YOU THINK YOU ARE, HUH!? (Mimi's graves flashback) Matt: WHO DIED AND LEFT YOU IN CHARGE OF THE WORLD!?!? Tai: Huh? What do you mean? Matt: I'VE JUST ABOUT HAD IT!!! (Flashbacks end) Cherrymon: Do not be ashamed of your resentment. Do not hide it. Embrace it, for in your anger lies your strength! Only when you recognize that will you at last be free to grow. To change. So face your rival! And prove you are his equal! Or better! By defeating him!

Cherrymon gives Matt a full-blown Emperor Palpatine Dark Side speech. You hate Tai because you deserve to be the team leader, not him, so let your anger grow and strike him down. Thanks, I hate it.

Fortunately, Gabumon is still not buying into any of this, and is ready to be the voice of reason.

Gabumon: That's a lie! It makes no sense at all! Taichi is your nakama. Don't be fooled, Yamato! This is a trap!

As a reminder, nakama is a group of people brought together for a particular activity or goal who form tight-knit social bonds with each other through their mutual pursuit of it. Like a military squad or a sports team.

Taichi himself started using the term to refer to the Chosen Children when he was getting the band back together in the PicoDevimon sub-arc. The term nakama was a big deal for Yamato and was part of what they fought about in the Digitamamon episode; Yamato internalizing and accepting Taichi and Jou as his nakama was what made his Crest of Friendship shine.

So Gabumon's tactical use of the word here is significant. The concept of nakama means a lot to Taichi and Yamato's relationship.

Yamato snaps suddenly as if breaking out of a daze.

Yamato: T-That's right! We're nakama....

Yamato turns on Jureimon furiously.

Yamato: A NAKAMA DOESN'T FIGHT EACH OTHER!!! Jureimon: Heh! Nakama, you say? You don't even believe that a thing like that exists. You can lie to the others, but you can't lie to yourself! Yamato: (suddenly quiet) ... Jureimon: Ha ha ha ha! A perfect picture of yourself, isn't it? Gabumon: YAMATO!!! Jureimon: Nakama. Tomodachi. Yuujou. Pleasant words, but they're all illusions. Nothing but a fleeting emotion. You can't let yourself be exploited by ephemeral things like that! Am I wrong, Yamato-kun?

Jureimon's list here is basically untranslatable because he says the same word twice. Nakama is commonly translated as "friendship" even though it has a much more precise meaning, as mentioned above. Tomodachi actually does mean friendship. And then Yuujou is also friendship, but more formally.

Yuujou, incidentally, is the specific word for Yamato's Crest. Yuujou no Monshou, Crest of Friendship. Jureimon picks that one for last because it has the most meaningful punch.

So trying to translate this list literally would be "Activity group with tight-knit bonds. Friendship. Friendship in a suit and tie. Convenient words, but they're all illusions."

A pragmatic translation would probably be something like, "Colleagues. Buddies. Friends." Switching the focus from the feeling to the objects of said feelings, while still ending on friendship for that punch.

The dub, again, is going to have to make this work without being able to lean on nakama. Though in this context, it'd be easy to just use the conventional "friends" translation. A bit of meaning would be lost, but that's pretty much doomed to happen since we couldn't use nakama in the Digitamamon episode either.

Gabumon: Don't listen! He's just trying to cause trouble! He's playing games with your mind. It's all part of some kind of trap! Tai is your friend, Matt. (Matt snaps out of it) Matt: He's my friend, yeah. He may not always act like it, but.... (Matt whirls furiously on Cherrymon) Matt: He's right! Tai is my friend. You don't fight your friends. Cherrymon: Friends? Ha! Now that's a good one. You don't even believe that such a thing really exists. Matt: Huh!? Cherrymon: Not in your heart of hearts, anyway. Ha ha ha ha ha ha! Hit the nail on the head, didn't I? Gabumon: What's he mean? Cherrymon: Friendship. Loyalty. Comrades. Fine-sounding words, but that's all they are. Words. Delusions. And you're wise enough to see that now. You know that, ultimately, the only person you can depend on is yourself. Isn't that right, Matt?

Cherrymon starts with the meaningful punch and then lists out the other words from there, rather than building up to it. Odd choice.

He handles the friendship redundancy by translating the other friendship and nakama as "loyalty" and "comrades".

Yamato hesitates to answer Jureimon's accusations.

Gabumon: Is that true, Yamato? Yamato: I... I don't know. Gabumon: Yamato.... Jureimon: Listen, I will say this once more. If you want to improve yourself, you must fight Taichi. Unless you have the determination to do that, you'll never be able to change. Unless you face this trial, you will never become the person you want to be!

Now that Jureimon has vanquished Yamato's objection to his words, he doubles down and reiterates his line of attack. Pressing the issue again onto the now more vulnerable Yamato.

As Jureimon makes his pronouncement, the wind kicks up, picking off leaves from his branches that blow over Yamato. Symbolizing him becoming lost in the mayoi no mori that Jureimon embodies.

Yamato: I don't know what to....

Yamato falls to his knees, helpless.

Yamato: (voice breaking) Damn it.... What am I supposed to do!?

In the dub:

Gabumon: He's wrong, isn't he? Matt: (voice breaking) I don't know.... I... I don't know.... Gabumon: You don't!? Cherrymon: Alright, then! That's enough moping around for now. Look, kid, stop staring at your shoes; The choice in front of you is simple! If you truly want to change, to reach your full potential, you must defeat Tai. It's either that or be content to live your life following in the shadow of him forever. (Leaves blow from Cherrymon over Matt) Matt: What a choice.... (Matt falls to his knees) Matt: What do I do? Oh, what do I do!?

Cherrymon comes closer to the original topic this time around. But he still ropes in the dub's idea that Matt's just pissy he doesn't get to be team leader.

Also, Matt doesn't curse when he falls to his knees in the dub because of course he doesn't.

Yamato, here at the height of despair, pulls out his Crest.

Yamato: The Crest of Friendship. Why does someone like me have the Crest of Friendship!? Gabumon: Yamato! I understand, Yamato.... You should do what you think is right.

Yamato jerks up suddenly, having caught the tone of this conversation.

Yamato: (vulnerable) Gabumon...? Gabumon: Charging boldly ahead like Taichi does can't always be the right answer. There are some things that only you can do, Yamato. Yamato: Things that only I can do? Gabumon: Let's look for those things together. And if you do need it so badly... Then I will fight for you, Yamato! Yamato: (shocked) Gabumon...? Gabumon: Even if it means making an enemy out of the others, I will always be with you, Yamato! Yamato: (crying) Gabumon....

Gabumon's proclamation is so affecting, Yamato's Crest reactivates once more.

Gabumon doesn't agree with Jureimon. He hasn't agreed with anything Jureimon's said. He's still convinced that this is the wrong answer, and tells Yamato as much.

(And he's right. Gabumon is right. Yamato was right in two out of three of those clashes with Taichi! And others, like the time Taichi got weirdly misogynistic about Sora's parental issues.

Taichi struggles to empathize with other people. This is a consistent flaw of his, and frequently the spark that sets Yamato off because that is something Yamato does far better than Taichi. Jureimon has poisoned his mind into individualist ways of thinking when Yamato's greatest strengths come from what he brings to the collective good. That's why he has the Crest of Friendship.)

But out of love for his Partner, Gabumon is willing to walk down the wrong path hand in hand with Yamato.

In the dub, the Crest continues beeping and making malfunctioning noises when Matt takes it out even though it... It has no mechanical parts. It's a lanyard with a magic rock inside of it.

Matt: Oh, that's a laugh. Wouldn't you know it that my Crest had to be the Crest of Friendship! Gabumon: Matt... There's one thing he's right about. Whatever you're going to do, do it! Matt: But do what? Gabumon: You've got to hear what your own conscience is telling you and not listen to anyone else! Not Tai or Cherrymon or me! You've got to have faith in yourself, Matt! Matt: What if I make the wrong decision? Gabumon: I know that whatever it is, it will be the right one. Because I have faith in you. And whichever path you take, I'll be there with you. Matt: You mean that? Gabumon: You do have a friend. Never forget that. I'll always be there, Matt, no matter what. Matt: (crying) Gabumon....

This. Is entirely wrong. Dub Gabumon washes his hands of the entire (much shittier) moral conundrum on Matt's hands, telling him "I'll back whatever you decide and that's that." He makes no attempt to engage with the conflict resting on Matt's heart in a scene where he's supposed to be the voice of reason.

This is a bittersweet scene where Gabumon's devotion to Yamato is contrasted by him literally saying, "Yes, I will go fight our friends for you if that's what it takes." But he still makes clear that he disagrees with this course of action, and offers Yamato guidance about a better solution to Taichi's influence over his heart.

In the dub, Gabumon ironically agrees with Cherrymon. Original Gabumon says, "Bold and decisive action isn't always the right answer," and dub Gabumon is like, "You must make a decisive choice right now!"

Original Gabumon offers guidance, and Dub Gabumon says "You must figure your shit out yourself and accept no guidance from anyone, not even me."

Americans suck at recognizing when individualism is bad.

Then the dub kicks up the opening credits Digimon theme song as he evolves, like this is a triumphant moment... Before we head off to go betray our nakama and beat the shit out of Tai.

Speaking of which, Gabumon Warp-Evolves into MetalGarurumon.

MetalGarurumon: Let's go, Yamato! Yamato: Yeah.

MetalGarurumon and heads off with Yamato. As he does, both Jureimon and MetalGarurumon reflect on what went down here.

Jureimon: Ha ha ha! That went perfectly. Jureimon: (thinking) Still, I'm surprised by the strength of their bond. Pinocchimon doesn't have a heart like theirs, so he may still be defeated if he isn't careful. MetalGarurumon: (thinking) Yamato... I know how you really feel. You truly want to believe.... In nakama. In tomodachi. In yuujou.

MetalGarurumon quotes Jureimon's list from earlier, noting that even though Yamato doesn't think he cares so much, he does.

MetalGarurumon lost the battle because he misunderstood the turmoil that was raging in Yamato's heart. But he intends to win the war, because he understands Yamato's truth better than anyone.

In the dub:

MetalGarurumon: Ready. Lead the way. Matt: Right. (The pair head off) Cherrymon: Hahahaha! Yeah, I think that went rather well. Cherrymon: (thinking) Still, I'm surprised by the strength of the bond between them. It took every trick I had to undermine it. If Puppetmon isn't careful, this game could still be lost. MetalGarurumon: I meant what I said, Matt. Cherrymon was wrong! Friendship. Loyalty. They're more than just words, they're real! And they matter. I'm going to prove it to you!

It's... honestly not clear if MetalGarurumon is thinking or saying those words out loud. His lip flaps aren't moving because the original MetalGarurumon is thinking, not speaking. But his tone is conversational, rather than introspective.

In any case, MetalGarurumon makes his intent more clear here.

Both of these carry on from where the previous scenes left them. Original MetalGarurumon is determined to work through this together with Yamato and believes Yamato already has the right ideas in his heart.

Dub MetalGarurumon thinks Yamato well and truly does not believe in friendship, but wants to show him a positive example of friendship in order to sway the decision he makes for himself.

Both of which they intend to do by fighting Taichi/Tai because that's what Yamato/Matt mistakenly thinks he needs right now.

His work complete, Jureimon reports to Pinocchimon, finding him washing his face at a nearby creek.

Pinocchimon: Shit! How dare they throw poop at me!? They'll all pay! Jureimon: Pinocchimon-sama, my plan has worked out perfectly. Pinocchimon: What was your plan? Jureimon: The two Ultimate stages, WarGreymon and MetalGarurumon, are going to fight each other. Pinocchimon: Eh!? That sounds fun! Jureimon: If those two fight seriously, neither of them will come out unharmed. No, at best, they might even kill each other. Once the strongest are out of the way, you'll only have to pick off the weaklings. Pinocchimon: Great! I should hurry up and check that out! I don't want to miss such a Super Battle!

"Super Battle" is said in English, for a similar effect as snarking (TM) onto the end of a phrase.

In the dub, Puppetmon seems to be threatening the Garbagemon.

Puppetmon: Yech! Splattering me with their gunk. Those bucket-brains will pay for this! Cherrymon: There you are. The plan went perfectly, just as I thought. Puppetmon: Plan? What plan? Cherrymon: You should have seen it! I played that trusting sap like a violin. He's gonna do our dirty work for us, Puppetmon. Puppetmon: Well, sounds like a plan. Cherrymon: Any second now, we'll hear the sounds of WarGreymon and MetalGarurumon locked in mortal combat. Puppetmon: You're serious!? Cherrymon: Oh, yeah. With any luck they'll destroy each other. With the two strongest Digimon out of the way, the rest will fall like rotten fruit. Puppetmon: Mortal combat!? This I gotta see! Let's go! What are we waiting for!?

That threatening remark might be meant for the kids but "bucket brains" sounds like a jab at the trash cans that the Garbagemon were in.

Were they shouting out the Mortal Kombat series?

I love Cherrymon's enthusiasm here. He runs up like a happy kid shouting "Look what I did! Look what I did!" The dub handles this scene pretty much perfectly.

Pinocchimon turns to go see the fireworks, but Jureimon has a warning for him.

Jureimon: Please be careful around the Chosen Children! If you don't take this seriously, even you could be defeated by them. Pinocchimon: (stops, suddenly serious) I... might be defeated...? Jureimon: They have something that you lack, Pinocchimon-sama. Pinocchimon: (quietly) I lack something? You're saying that I lack something? Jureimon: Yes, it's-- Pinocchimon: THERE IS NOTHING THAT I LACK!!! BULLET HAMMER!!! Jureimon: WAAAAAAUGH!!!

Furious at Jureimon's insinuation, Pinocchimon erases him with his Bullet Hammer. Jureimon lets out an agonized scream and disintegrates into pixel dust - taking his critical insight to the digital grave with him.

(Which Mimi will not be making.)

Pinocchimon: Hmph. I don't care who it is; no one gets away with making fun of me.

Pinocchimon's childishness has become his undoing. He misunderstood what Jureimon was trying to say, interpreted it as mean-spirited mockery, and retaliated with ultimate force before Jureimon could even get a word out to explain. Pinocchimon killed Jureimon in the midst of a temper tantrum.

In the dub:

Cherrymon: Wait a minute! We gotta be careful! The DigiDestined are strong! Stronger than I expected, and to underestimate them could be disastrous! Puppetmon: What!? Are you saying... I might lose? Cherrymon: I'm only saying that I think you should take them seriously. There's something about them. Puppetmon: Something? Hmm... You mean like something I might be missing!? Cherrymon: (backpedaling) Well, not totally.... Puppetmon: I have everything I need to take care of you! PUPPET PUMMEL!!! Cherrymon: OH THE HORROR!!! (Cherrymon disintegrates into pixel dust) Puppetmon: Huh. Man, that kind of negative attitude really brings me down!

You know, from my perspective going over both languages, there's something hilarious about the way Puppetmon keeps trying to rerail the conversation back to the original script but Cherrymon refuses to actually say the things he's supposed to be saying here. XD

Jureimon was trying to warn Pinocchimon not to underestimate their feelings for each other. Pinocchimon doesn't have a heart and can't truly comprehend the strength of the bonds they share - bonds which may be a threat to the entire "Pit them against each other" plan. If he doesn't play this carefully, Yamato may yet turn back against him.

That context didn't make it into the dub, so Cherrymon's forced to say the kids themselves are super strong; Maybe stronger than Puppetmon.

Similarly, Puppetmon's final line doesn't quite convey the childishness of the original. This is overall a weaker scene.

Meanwhile, against all reason, one of the Garbamon actually survived that Giga Destroyer.

It's the one that Lilimon stepped on. Bootprint still on their face, they pop out of their trash can.

Garbamon: Alright, fine. I give up. JUST KIDDING!!!

Garbamon picks up their trash can; A powerful vacuum begins pulling everything into it.

Garbamon: YEAH HAHAHA!!! There's a Black Hole in here! I'll suck all of you into it!

Most of the kids cling to tree to avoid being dragged in. Hikari and Taichi hide behind MetalGreymon's leg; He's dug his claws into the earth to stabilize himself.

Taichi: Damn it. They still had a trick like this up their sleeve.... Hikari: (loses her grip) ONII-CHAN!!! Tailmon: HIKARI!!! Taichi: HIKARI!!!

Hikari and Tailmon both go flying, though Tailmon appears to have jumped and can be briefly seen swimming through the suction to reach Hikari. I don't know what she's planning but she intends to try something.

We'll never find out how Tailmon intended to rescue Hikari, because Garbamon is suddenly killed by a surprise Cocytus Breath from behind. The black hole trash can freezes and shatters right alongside them.

In the dub:

Garbagemon: Okay, okay! I know when I'm beat! You win! I surrender! ...JUST KIDDING!!! HYA HAHAHAHAHAHA!!! (Garbagemon starts sucking everything into the trash can) Garbagemon: Trash Day; Everybody in the can! If you're lucky, you'll get recycled! Taichi: This nasty little creep's really starting to get on my nerves! Kari: (loses her grip) TAI, HELP ME!!! Gatomon: KARI!!! Tai: KARI NO!!!

Garbagemon doesn't mention the black hole inside the trash can, so it's not super clear what happens to things dragged into it. But it's still clear that getting dragged in would be bad, which is the important thing.

With the last Garbamon dead and MetalGarurumon revealed, things begin to escalate right away.

Tailmon: MetalGarurumon!

Yamato steps out from the woods; Everyone's ecstatic to see him. Taichi has the biggest smile on his face to be reunited with their lost nakama member.

Sora: Yamato! Taichi: (running over, ecstatic) YAMATO!!! Where have you been this whole time!?

MetalGreymon degrades back down to Agumon and sprints across the field, smiling as well.

Agumon: Thank you! That was really close, so thanks!

MetalGarurumon says nothing, but fires a warning shot. Blue lasers shoot from his eyes, exploding next to Agumon and startling him. The children all gasp in shock at the unprovoked attack.

In the dub:

Gatomon: It's MetalGarurumon! (Matt emerges) Joe: Matt!

The dub puts a commercial break here. We return right where we left off, with Joe's extra line basically filling in as the respective ends of the commercial. Joe popped in to shill products before we resume the scene. :P

"Matt, you're back! Have you heard about ice-cold Pepsi Zero?"

Joe: Matt! Sora: Matt, you're back! Tai: (running over, ecstatic) BETTER LATE THAN NEVER!!! Where you been, buddy!? (MetalGreymon powers down to Agumon) Agumon: Thanks for saving our necks but did you have to cut it that close?

Agumon is ungrateful and deserves to be shot with lasers.

Now that the stage has been set, MetalGarurumon faces off with Agumon.

Agumon: W-Why!? MetalGarurumon: Agumon, I challenge you! Evolve to Ultimate! Agumon: The hell!? Why do I have to fight you!?

MetalGarurumon answers his question with another warning shot, firing off two missiles that detonate to either side of Agumon.

Following the reaction shot when MetalGarurumon first shoots at Agumon, Taichi whips back around to face Yamato but says nothing. It honestly feels like he should say something here if we're going to the trouble of animating him turning back around and facing Yamato, so the dub puts one in.

Tai: What's he doing!? Agumon: Hey, what is this!? MetalGarurumon: What do you think!? It's a challenge! You might want to Digivolve, and fast! Agumon: What have you been eating out there in the forest!? You want to fight me!?

MetalGarurumon's more aggressive here than his Japanese counterpart. Original MG is laying this down as a formal challenge, using the stock shonen phrase shoubu da, which basically means "Compete with me!" Often times in shonen that competition is fighting, including this one, though it doesn't necessarily have to be. The point is simply to face one another in a contest that will decide a victor.

Dub MG is saying the same thing, but pushes it harder with more threatening language.

I love Dub Agumon's translation of Nandayo!? as a censor-friendly "ARE YOU ON DRUGS!?" Beautiful reaction line.

Sora the peacemaker tries to confront Yamato over this.

Sora: Yamato! W-What... What are you doing!? Taichi: Hey, Yamato! Hurry up and stop him! Yamato: (coldly) No. This will happen. Taichi: (shocked) This will happen...? You....

In the dub:

Sora: This is insane! Matt, what's going on!? Is this some kind of joke!? Tai: Matt! I don't know what he's doing but call him off now! Yamato: (coldly) No, Tai. I won't. Tai: What did you say!? You won't!?

Sora and Taichi are both too shocked and confused to form words properly. Sora stumbles over her "Nani" as she tries to create her sentence.

Taichi initially doesn't realize that Yamato's in on this too and thinks MetalGarurumon went crazy for no reason; When he realizes the truth, he repeats Yamato's raw line straight back to him as if he can't process that those words came out of Yamato's mouth.

As usual, the dub kids are quicker on the uptake. Sora and Tai don't understand why he's doing this but they have an easier time delivering their flabbergasted lines.

With Yamato unwilling to call off MetalGarurumon, all eyes return to Agumon.

MetalGarurumon: I won't miss the next one. Now, evolve to WarGreymon quickly! Agumon: (steeling himself) You're serious about this.

We cut to Jou, Koushiro, and Hikari watching with apprehension. Takeru calls out:

Takeru: Onii-chan!

But Yamato's gaze remains cold and he doesn't acknowledge his brother. Finally, we close on Pinocchimon watching from the treetop perch that got him shitfaced earlier.

Pinocchimon: Hehe! I made it just in time. This is sure to be loads of fun!

Will it be loads of fun? Find out next time, when things will definitely go well for Pinocchimon, who is lacking nothing.

In the dub:

MetalGarurumon: I'm warning you! Hurry up and Digivolve into WarGreymon because I won't miss next time! Agumon: (surprised) ...I think he really means it!

They use the various reaction shots to have offscreen characters continue talking.

MetalGarurumon: Well!? Time's running out, Agumon! T.K.: Tai, stop him! Tai: I wish I could, but there's only one person who can stop him!

Yeah, instead of calling out to Yamato in startled confusion, T.K. yells for Tai to make this stop. I have no idea why.

The episode then closes on Matt's silent stern face; Itself now a response to Tai instead of to Takeru. Pinocchimon's final bit is cut.

Narrator: Will Matt succeed in destroying the DigiDestined from within? Find out next time on Digimon: Digital Monsters.

This is how far off-track we've drifted. We've gone from "In order to break free from Taichi's influence over his heart, Yamato mistakenly thinks he must fight and defeat Taichi in a formal contest of arms," to "Will Matt SUCCEED IN DESTROYING THE DIGIDESTINED!?!?"

Assessment: This one's a lot of sitting and talking. The Garbamon fight breaks up the discussion a bit, but the focus of this episode is Jureimon and Yamato's conversation.

It is a long talk because, while it's true that Yamato and Taichi are diametrically opposed to one another, it takes a lot of convincing to turn Yamato temporarily into an honest-to-DigiGod shonen rival. They don't really have that kind of relationship. In fact, the scene where they unlocked these Ultimate forms for their Digimon was all about the ways their Crest attributes complement and strengthen one another.

Yamato does need to figure out the emotional blocks holding him back from the true expression of himself that slips out when he's not thinking about it. But this ain't it, champ. This is Jureimon's nonsense.

Jureimon is, honestly, a pretty cool villain. I took him for granted as a kid because he's a big tree that just talks for like ten minutes. But as the physical representation of mayoi no mori, he's fascinating. The episode namedrops those words in the title, but the inescapable forest of lost souls never really appears.

Because, of course, it's not a place. It's him. The deep unnavigable wood is the semantic web Jureimon weaves around Yamato over the course of their talk. He fucks up Yamato for basically the rest of the show. This sets Yamato on his final character arc: The path to his true self-actualization down the road.

A conversation which the dub handles decently well in places but makes critical missteps about important points, particularly pertaining to Jureimon and Gabumon's respective interpretations of Yamato's feelings.

[sweetmariihs2]

Lana Del Rey's songs are perfect for the Onceler: an essay

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I've known about Illumination's adaptation of The Lorax since I was a little girl, but I only joined the Onceler fandom in 2024. Since joining I've seen many versions and adaptations of the Onceler story, many fan works and askblogs, but something I'd like to emphasize here are the playlists. Not that they're not good, they're great, but I miss a big element in them, something that has a lot of potential for the Onceler fandom, which are Lana Del Rey's songs.

Non-recurring fan: "But Mari, what are you talking about? Lana Del Rey's songs have nothing to do with Onceler." And that's where you're wrong! I've been listening to Lana's songs for a long time now (years), and I can assure you that it has more to do with the Onceler story than you might think. I want to have a chance to explain why, and I know that people's attention spans are short, so I'll give a brief summary that might catch your attention and convince you to read the rest of the post: Lana's nostalgic songs about the American dream, glamour, money, living in ignorance of consumerism, and relationships with powerful and perhaps emotionally abusive men who caused their own downfall - She has a section of songs dedicated to this, and several versions of a single song that tell a story extremely similar to the Onceler's, which is the "National Anthem" collection of songs.

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Who is Lana Del Rey and why do her songs match the Onceler?

First of all, I'm writing this post assuming that you know the Onceler very well, but are not very familiar with Lana's music. You've probably heard some of her songs online, but something that's important to mention and that's more familiar to those within her fanbase is her massive collection of unreleased music.

I'm good with words, a bit bad at explaining concepts, but I'll try to briefly talk about the general topics of Lana's songs to you. To start, Lana's songs are always storytelling songs, she's always telling a story instead of just explaining a concept in her lyrics (and I find it funny that this is a slight similarity to the Onceler, because he is a storyteller himself, but it's just a funny fact). Her stories are varied, and they repeat many elements, such as the lives of people from different decades of the 1900s (by the way there's the movie "The Great Gatsby" that happens in the 20s, which she was invited to write the main song for and the story itself is very Lana-coded (and Onceler-coded too)), the American dream, elements of the 60s, old Hollywood, nostalgia, political issues in the US especially those present in the 1900s, etc, etc, etc. She writes a lot of songs about bad men too, but also about American girls from different social classes, sometimes describing luxurious lives with rich men, sometimes describing lives as a call girl living in a trailer park and working at a gas station.

Her stories are varied, and usually (important information) about women in the background, living in someone's shadow, like the various versions of National Anthem, very similar to the story of Priscilla Presley, Elvis' wife, who has also influenced Lana in her career in looks and music. She also sings about depression, and she is well known for having "depressing" songs, however most of her unreleased songs have an upbeat tone, which doesn't make much sense.

All of this that I'm telling you is about the concept of Lana's songs, but if you're reading and already looking for similarities between her songs and Onceler, you'll have noticed that there are already some similarities just in the general theme of her songs. The search for the American dream, the references to the 1900s, consumerism, money, old Hollywood aspects, political issues and nostalgia, are all elements that we find in Onceler and also in the various works about him that are in the fandom. Lana also makes many references to famous names from the 1900s, social movements and fashion of the time, for example, she always mentions the Beatles, Elvis, and even former president John Kennedy in some references.

And if you've been around here for a while, you probably know that 2012 Onceler was heavily inspired by many of these names and elements from that era, as described in this post that you should really check out to understand the extent of what I'm saying. (The working link to the file can be found in the last reblog, ok?)

Lana is constantly singing about men like this. Usually bad men, but sometimes she sings about genuine romance, and generally romantic situations seen through fem gaze, often admiring the boys she sings about. Mentions of Jim Morrison (gods and monsters), Beatles (let the light in), James Dean (blue jeans), Elvis (body electric), John Kennedy (national anthem and jfk) and more. She made a song called "Axl Rose husband" once. She makes constant mentions of being by the side of powerful men (rich characters, rockstar characters, star characters, characters who are just starting their career and are not famous yet, etc) or just admiring these male characters as if they were her favorite people, each song is a different scenario... It's not like she only talks about that, it's because her romantic songs are relevant to the post. Of course she also sings about different scenarios without boys involved, but I'm focusing on the songs about them right now.

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"National Anthem" collection of songs and how it's story matches the Onceler so well

I hope that by this point in the post you are more invested in what I am saying, because from here on out you are in for a rollercoaster of information. This is the most fun part for me (it is now 3:26 in the morning)

Released National Anthem - Born To Die album

I don't even know how to start this because I'm so excited, but let's start by taking it one step at a time. When Lana turned famous, on her debut album "Born To Die" she included a song called "National Anthem". Lana doesn't make the meanings of her songs very explicit, and the stories she tells usually have missing pieces that we have to piece together based on the references and elements she adds to the songs, and this case was no different. The song National Anthem is told from the point of view of a female character who is married to a very rich and politically/economically important man. They live a life of luxury, and she describes him in a way that implies the fact that he is very important to the country, using terms like "king of Chevron" (Chevron is the name of a company that extracts raw materials (aka oil)). The instrumental is also fundamental to the song, as we can hear the sound of fireworks in the background, and the opening of the song is inspired by a very well-known song in the USA called Bittersweet Symphony.

The most striking line in this song, and the line that fits the Onceler very well, is the catchphrase that she uses several times: "Money is the anthem of success", making variations throughout the song, such as "Money is the reason we exist, everybody knows it, it's a fact (kiss, kiss)" or "Money is the anthem of success so put on mascara and your party dress". Of course, this line is said with irony by the singer, and she actually wants to describe the lifestyle and behavior of the characters in the story she is telling.

After 1/3 of the entire song talking about romance, and money, and the man she loves and their lifestyle together, the bridge is where everything falls apart. In her own voice and in the sonority of the song, as well as in the lyrics, we can hear how the singer/character she portrays shows herself to be overwhelmed and worried about the lifestyle she lives, showing that all that glamour is not as wonderful as she made it out to be in the song. Of course, consumerism and alienation are clearly easy to notice up to this point in the song, but we didn't know that this female character was aware of it and worried about this aspect of her life. She and the male character live a dream, and she is madly in love with him as we can see, but it doesn't make her concern any less evident:

I would advise listening to this part of the song, because just reading the lyrics isn't enough to understand her tone of voice and how worried she sounds, and how the song changes to a hopeful tone when she mentions the fact that he'll hold her, he'll be there, pulling her back together. But the lyrics don't sound like a genuine relationship, they don't sound like a mutual romance, but more like an emotional attachment, especially in this part. When the female character is overwhelmed, worried about the life they're leading, the male character makes her stop thinking about it and makes her feel good again, and she shows total dependence on him to help her when she's down (and that's not healthy). Soon after, the song goes back to the previous rhythm, when she was talking about glamour and romance, and she says: "Money is the anthem of success, so put on mascara and your party dress", implying that it's HIM who says this line, and she's repeating HIS line throughout the whole song. To lean on something, on him? Maybe, who knows.

National Anthem tells the story of a wife of an important man, who is in love with him and the life they lead, but when she realizes that what is happening around them is not healthy, and he manipulates her back into believing that it is okay to continue like this, and she believes it, because she is emotionally dependent on him. The title and the line "Tell me I'm your national anthem" imply that the country's national anthem is as important to him as she is. Mentions of consumerism, blurring the lines between real and fake (Thneedville), big dreams ("It's gonna be huge!" as the Onceler says), it all reminds me of Onceler's story. But you think it ends there? No no no.

National Anthem - "I Still Love Him" monologue

Remember when I said that Lana tells us several pieces of story and expects us to put them together? National Anthem had more pieces of story that were cut, and this monologue was one of them. (Just because it was cut doesn't make it "non-canon", there isn't much of that here in the Lana fandom, we work with crumbs). This monologue tells about many, many things pending in the story. You see, this monologue is done by the female character, and she is telling in a nostalgic tone (similar to the old Onceler telling about his past in the cabin lol I'll stop) about that man she loved, and the life they led, but mainly about him.

She talks about how he was unique, and had a way of being that captivated everyone around him, but he was torn between being a good person and missing out on the opportunities that an incredible man like him could have (literally, that was said in her words). It's not clear what those opportunities are, but it is said that the female character tried to convince him to stop, to go back to how they were before; She says that as the years went by things got harder and they faced more challenges, although these things and challenges are not specified. And when she says that he was torn between being a good person and missing out on opportunities, we hear a gunshot, implying that his downfall was death. Something that wasn't made clear in the song. And at the end she says "But I... understood him. And I loved him, I loved him, I loved him... I still love him.", showing that she never forgot him and the time they had together.

But something interesting to say is that the National Anthem video is a huge reference to the life of John Kennedy, former president of the USA, and his wife Jacqueline Kennedy. This monologue makes it clear that the male character suffered the same fate as the president, who (tw: graphic) was shot dead next to his wife in a car in broad daylight, and that it had a strong impact on US politics at the time. I'm not North-American so I won't go on too much, but it's clear that Lana is telling a story inspired by theirs. There's no guarantee that it's not a story specifically about them, but I prefer to consider it Lana's fanfiction since it's a more romanticized version and told through her nostalgic lens, it doesn't portray the life of this real-life couple.

There are some edits and music videos of this monologue on YouTube, using scenes from movies that told abour John Kennedy and his wife or real life videos of the couple. I was kinda torn between adding one of them here or adding the lyric video, but I ended up keeping the lyric video because of the lyrics, of course, and because some of the MV's show JK's death, and some have strong images. From the real recording of the event or just a film that replicates what happened.

Lana making us chase after crumbs from this story like the Onceler makes Ted come back every day to tell the rest of his story? You should be ashamed, how embarassing Lana

"National Anthem Demo" and "I Want It All" version

In terms of storytelling, these songs don't add much, but for us Oncelings, they do. The original version of National Anthem wasn't actually that nostalgic, glamorous and melancholic version that we heard - It was a trash pop with guitar and a catchy rhythm, which doesn't make it any less fun to dance to, but it reminds me a lot of How Bad Can I Be. Making a little niche joke here, How Bad Can I Be would be National Anthem Demo and the released version of National Anthem + monologue would be Biggering, lmao. The lyrics don't change much, except for the fact that Lana sounds much more confident and fun in this one, almost completely ignorant of the problems mentioned in the released song, but which still has a worried and overwhelmed bridge, showing that her concern still exists. And in this version, some extra parts are added with a male voice saying yes to everything she asks for. "Do you think you'll buy me lots of diamonds?" "Yes, of course I will, my darling"

Honestly, this song has such a catchy rhythm and such a striking guitar riff, mixed with the "ignorant" lyrics, that it reminds me so, so much of How Bad Can I Be, it's crazy. I can't believe how aren't there thousands and thousands of Onceler edits with it, that song is his, it's such a missed opportunity.

But anyway, getting back to the subject, besides the demo version of the song, we have a version called "I Want It All". It's very good, but the chorus is completely replaced by the female character saying that she wants everything from him, she wants money and "things that love can't buy". I think Lana removed it because it gives the wrong idea of ​​the story she wanted to tell, although I personally also consider it an element of the story, it doesn't add anything new if you put it on the scale and add it to what we already have, she really lives alienated by her own wealth. It would be bad if Lana had cut the chorus and just put this one in its place, though. I'm glad she made the right decision.

JFK - Unreleased song

‼️This is the only video with this song on YouTube so I couldn't choose any other, be aware that there are strong/violent images in it‼️

Now this one isn't really part of the National Anthem song collection, but it's a song that's also part of the story because it's also about her character inspired by John Kennedy. In this song we can, once again, hear more deeply the extent of the love that the female character felt for him. I feel like this is an expansion of the monologue, because she's telling a listener about the character, and she always says "he was, I was, we were". The story is over, and she'll carry his memories forever. But there are some very interesting lyrics here for us Oncelings, just looking at them makes me want to squirm with joy.

It's like a love letter from that female character to him. She tells us about his scent, his voice, the person he was, their relationship.

She describes him as "King of the town, with a crown that would never fall", like, come on, don't you remember the Onceler painting that says "Too big to fail" and in the end he failed? Lana's character is also described with a crown that would never fall, but in the end it did fall, and we are told about it after it has already fallen. She also references rock n' roll, since it is not new for Lana to describe her male characters with rock elements and singers that she herself has had crushes on, and I must remind you of the countless rock references that the Onceler has in his design and personality, besides the fact that he is a guitarist, another thing that is mentioned a lot in Lana's songs.

In JFK, once again she describes how unique he was, that there was only one soul like his between one and a million, and there is a specific part that really gets me, which is when she says "You've got a soul like no one I know, you're so new at it; the way you see through that shit, breaks my heart and it drives me crazy". She's already described his unique and magnetic personality, but do you remember when she said that he's a good person but couldn't pass up opportunities, even though she's already advised him to stop? Here she says "You're so new at it, the way you see through that shit, breaks my heart and it drives me crazy", is he new to the business? Does she mean he's just a boy in the middle of all the currents that are dragging him along? What does she mean by "you see through that shit", she said he was torn in the monologue, he seems to be getting into trouble and seeing more than he should, is that what she's singing about? Is she referring to the character's optimism, even though the circumstances they live in are overwhelming? At least that's what I understood based on everything she said. Do you notice how there are no plot holes in each version? This is a complete story, guys.

And one more thing I would like to say, do you remember how this character was manipulative towards her? Maybe it was for her own good, who knows, but even so, there is a toxic relationship of attachment between them, and Lana always sings about unhealthy relationships. Maybe this character is perceiving him in a way that he is not. She says that he is unique, there is no one like him, and it breaks her heart to see him in this situation, but is he worth all this compassion or is she blinded by her emotions and his manipulation? He may be a bad man, or at least not as innocent as he seems, Lana gave hints of this in the bridges of the songs. She says that he is getting himself into trouble, and advises him not to do it, but he goes ahead and does it. It is just questionable, maybe it is innocence, but he may also be less oblivious than she thinks, after all he manipulates her a little, right? And since the character is inspired by John Kennedy, I have to reinforce that the relationship between him and Jacqueline was not one of the healthiest, this is also relevant.

But anyway, that's the story told by the various versions of National Anthem. It's the growth of an empire, which lasted for a certain period of time, with wealth and power, and love, which in some ways was almost like a fever dream for her character, but eventually ended when the "king of the town" fell and everyone mourned this loss. In the audio for the song JFK there are also audios of old speeches by John Kennedy himself, and the aesthetic reminds me a little bit of the fact that the Onceler appeared on TV, did commercials for his own company, probably gave public speeches and talked about Thneedville, promised great things, and unfortunately it ended up the way it did.

National Anthem, like Biggering and HBCIB, or even The Lorax 1972 and 2012, are different pieces of the same story, which we have to knead, mix, disassemble and reassemble to understand the order of the facts, with the difference that with Lana's songs we can do this with more freedom and consider speculations. But if you're sad because you think we've run out of song suggestions, I'm here to assure you that we haven't.

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List of other Lana's songs that matches the Onceler

Million Dollar Man

She's in love with a rich man and he's also doing bad stuff. Maybe it's also a piece of the story told in National Anthem, who knows, but I don't think of it that much. He convinces and manipulates people... of what? I'm not sure. You probably know this song by the "one for the money, two for the show" part. But yes, the lyrics really match the Onceler, I just decided to highlight it instead of quoting because it's easier for me that way to explain.

Hundred Dollar Bill

This song has two versions too, but the lyrics are the same and the story isn't as complicated to understand as National Anthem, don't worry about that. The version I want to recommend is the trash pop one, with the catchy guitar riff and the sounds of coins in the background. Basically Lana sings about being a call girl and hooking up with rich guys, repeating that nothing is more gourgeous than a hundred dollar bill. It reminds me of this scene, but if you want to insert an oc that's fine too lmao

You Can Be The Boss

She's talking about how she met a rich guy and had a fling with him. Honestly, the song delivers more than it promises, it's really good. I find it funny how she flirts in the lyrics, she always does that. "He had a cigarette with his number on it - He gave it over to me, "Do you want it?" - I knew it was wrong but I palmed it - I saved it, I waited, I called it - The liquor on your lips makes you dangerous - I knew it was wrong, I’m beyond it - I tried to be strong but I lost it - You taste like the fourth of July - Malt liquor on your breath, my, my" and the mention of his white car is also alamsnbsnjskskdbdh

Playground

This is the time Lana tried to rap but scrapped the song. She talks a lot about competition, fame, fighting to get what you want, and has a cocky tone in her voice, kind of similar to HBCIB. "I just wanna party boy, I don't wanna fight - But everybody knows that that's the way it is - Only players can survive - They all know my name now, It's just another lonely day on the playground (Only players can survive)" reminds me of "THERE IS A PRINCIPLE OF NATURE ‼️‼️💋💋 THAT ALMOST EVERY CREATURE KNOWS💥💥"

Is it wrong?

She met her local rockstar and they're also having a fling. "Is it wrong? Is it wrong? I’m makin' out with you while You’re singin' your song, is it wrong? Is it wrong? You’re playing your guitar and It’s turnin' me on" "You got me in the back of Your car like a star, is it wrong?" Ummmm I won't explain myself further

Groupie Love

She's watching her rockstar/guitar player boyfriend perform and considers herself his groupie love. They're in a crowd full of people but she knows that he is thinking of her. This song has me giggling and kicking my feet, specially before the "every time you look up, I know what you're thinking of" and you can hear a guitar playing in the background. I like to see this as a way to show this character "playing" the song, adding elements from the story inside the instrumental. Very sexy 100% recommend ‼️‼️‼️ "it's so hard sometimes with the star, when you have to share him with everybody"

Big Spender

Well, this song is not Lana's but she did a cover of it for a snippet in a rapper's song. I personally don't really like the rapper in the song, I'd rather hear her voice, so I recommend listening to the original vintage version of the song of the same name, it's good and suits Onceler, you'll like it.

White Dress

This is a song about her career. On this album she reflects a lot on fame and the repercussions it can have on someone's life (and her own). In this song, she sings nostalgically about the time when she was 19 and just a waitress, wearing a white dress, not famous, listening to rock, not knowing what her future held. Then she says "Look at how a got this, just singing in the street", contemplating the place she has reached. But she also remembers when she was just a young girl at the "Man In Music Business Conference", and remembers how ridiculous the whole situation was. "I felt free 'cause I was only 19. Such a scene..."/"I only mention it 'cause it was such a scene. And I felt seen..." There's a bit more to talk about this song's meaning, but I won't go into too much detail about that.

"I was a waitress wearing a tight dress

Like, look who would do this, look who would got this

It made me feel, made me feel like a god

It kinda makes me feel, like maybe I was better off..."

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Playlist, my story and final considerations

I made a Lana Onceler playlist for those who like both of them and want to check it out, but specially because of the story I'm working on about an oc of mine called... Lana, and Onceler, of course. She is heavily inspired by Lana Del Rey too, but that's not all, It has a cool plot and good aesthetic too, if you want to take a look at the post I made about it, I'll leave the link here: Lana (oc) x Onceler thing I'm working on, I'm still deciding which name to choose. The playlist is about them but you can just listen as an usual Onceler playlist (Except it's a bit immersive and has old songs that fit with that headcanon of the Onceler being from the 40s-60s, it's a good setting, okay? Vintage music isn't too far off from the Lana Del Rey theme honestly, especially if you daydream like me and act out your own fanfics in your head, it's fun. Imagine Onceler in a business party, or an interview, I don't know. I have a whole story in my head but in your case you can hear it differently.)

This is the link to the playlist in case you wanna hear it.

I made this post because, honestly? The Onceler is perfect for Lana's songs, and everyone here is missing out on that. I think it would be really cool to see edits of him with these songs out there, or drawings, or fanfics and other fanworks, and I decided to come and talk about a subject that's been on my mind for about 2 months. People here would love to know about that, just as much as I do. Lana's fans are also famous for their moodboards so perhaps more Onceler moodboards too? I don't know. But that's basically it, thanks for reading this huge post that I wrote.

Every Lana song can be a Onceler song if you squint enough lmao. There are other songs that reminds me of him but I didn't added because I felt like they were really out of place here. Like the song "Dark But Just A Game" that talks about fame and previous stars, and she said she wouldn't let herself be dragged down the current as they did and had terrible fates. I guess the title speaks for itself.

It's now 06:06 AM, that's what hyperfocus does to people (only finished the graphics and added the links and pics 2 days later)

[paragonrobits]

more weird Calvin and Hobbes details!

One running gag in the comic strip involves Calvin dealing with the monsters under his bed. Much like how the reality of whatever Hobbes is, is a recurring element with all kinds of fun blurrings (such as him taking his baths by getting put into a washing machine and simply complaining about it making his fur frightful), Calvin is regularly menaced by monsters beneath his bed. They're pretty vocal about wanting to kill and eat him, and a lot of the jokes around them are blended with genuine (if incompetent) menace from these monsters.

They seem to be products of Calvin's imagination to at least some degree; in one strip, he actively attempts to avoid thinking about them, only to pop open an eye in terror as one looms over him with only its eyes and massive claws visible, and the monsters complain that he lied to them.

Calvin is legitimately terrified of them; one collection includes a story that is a mix of poetry and artwork, portrayed from Calvin's point of view detailing him being afraid of the monsters under his bed eating him, with some borderline graphic depictions of his bones being left behind as his parents wail about how they should have listened to him; its operatic and dramatic, but it was pretty damn freaky to read as a kid.

These monsters are also never entirely seen clearly. They are ALWAYS depicted completely in shadow, and the most we see of them at one time is their eyes as they bicker with each other under his bed, or glimpses of their claws as they loom over him to scare him. As best as can be seen, they are apparently pretty intimidating and they're extremely big, looming over him.

They're also extremely dim-witted. As much as Calvin is afraid of them, he pretty regularly plays mind games with them or tricks them to exposing themselves in the middle of trying to trick him into lowering his defenses. At one point Calvin remarks, after they ineptly try to convince him that there's nothing under his bed despite TALKING to him from underneath there and awkwardly claiming they're just tiny dust bunnies, that they've got no brains and are just digestive tracts.

So they're genuinely malicious and honestly kind of threatening (fully intending on killing Calvin if they can get away with it), though comically inept and extremely unintelligent, but really scary seen through his eyes. So you might have noticed that the comic strip is called 'Calvin AND HOBBES' and Hobbes wasn't mentioned in this so far. So how does he deal with them, you might ask?

Hobbes rarely interacts with them, though he's always sleeping next to Calvin. He occasionally is shown waking up to offer Calvin advice or make gloomy comments on how annoying they are to deal with, however, whenever he DOES directly say anything, the monsters usually shut up extremely fast. Remember that poem from earlier?

This is how it ends:

apparently Hobbes' presence scares the monsters so much that they never actually physically threaten Calvin deliberately, they just lurk and try to lure him to his doom, but they're so scared of Hobbes they avoid him completely. Hobbes himself, as noted, never interacts with them directly, though he's aware of them and complains about them causing trouble from time to time.

[furinana]

During the scene where Fujiwara and co. confront Nanashi on Anarchy, I noticed Flynn has more to say in Japanese. In English, he basically says Nanashi is his lord and god and he'll kill anyone who stands in his way, but in Japanese (from the machine translation I used), he mocks the crowd for "clinging to a cage." What do you think? (also, super cool how smt4 has optional alignment convos like that. I didn't notice. Thank you for sharing!)

"Come, you weaklings that hang onto the cage that must be destroyed! You are at the presence of a god, clear the path!"

Some Japanese fans bring this scene for the argument that Flynn having unsolved feelings regarding humanity's helplessness could convince him to work under Krishna (or Dagda). So...

Let's remind ourselves of a key element of the duology.

The process of "influencing one's mind" is a recurring theme in SMTIV&A, and comes from both deities and humans. -> The fragile and elusive Goddess of Tokyo that is the result of Tokyo's hopeless state (to which Masakado pushes back through Flynn) -> Flynn impacting the Tokyoites to such a great extent that he becomes their Messiah (and the Divine Powers take advantage of) -> The monastery controlling Mikado, Lilith (and later, Maitreya) controlling the Ring of Gaea, Tayama (and later, Samyaza) controlling the Ashura-kai etc.

Even Nanashi himself is acting differently than how he would prior to his death.

However, contrary to what many fans think, the power of influence addressed in SMTIVA isn't found only in extreme cases (where you may call it brainwashing) but also in situations where one must 'read the air' and think in collectivist terms (which is inherently linked to respecting hierarchy and rules) rather than focus on yourself individually.

When you're in a vulnerable position, you will agree with who has the most power in order to avoid social stigma and, depending on the seriousness of the situation, even out of survival.

In SMTIVA's dialogue options, you either "respect harmony" through Nanashi considering other people's feelings or "disregard everyone but yourself" through Nanashi acting in ruthless manner.

As I also mentioned before, these dialogue options shouldn't necessarily be seen as Nanashi's "personalities". There's a margin of interpretation where the player can infer as those being ways in how he wants to be perceived. Nanashi can still be apathetic in Bonds while also being able to act kind in Massacre.

Nanashi can act in a deceitful manner, in however way you, the player, interpret him to be.

Therefore, if Nanashi can hide his displeasures with harmony and the cycle of suffering in order to have everyone alive OR put on a sociopathic pretense so he won't feel heartbroken anymore...

Why the same couldn't be true for Flynn?

"The real thrill of Megaten is being able to make the main character fall into darkness. [...] Dagda respected the person's wishes, so I think that Flynn's words and actions are all from his true intentions. (Although it cannot be denied that once you die, your personality becomes different.) He was tired of being treated as a savior while being ignored as an individual."

But what is Flynn as an individual? Rather, what is a genuine Flynn?

Reflecting on the parallels between the childhood friends is intrinsic for measuring why Flynn and Nanashi would "fall into darkness".

Just like Nanashi with Asahi, Flynn can't mask his true nature from Issachar. They are the first character introduced to the player in each game, which conveys the fact they are who the protagonist has the most familiarity with.

Of course, there's not a single way of interpreting what Issachar and Asahi mean to the player. Many might see them in a despicable manner.

"I think it's a relief that [in the Massacre Route] Flynn's memory disappears and he's left wondering what a fishing hook is. Fishhook Mount Man was a piece of scum who pretended to be Flynn's best friend, got jealous, turned into a devil [...] and attacked him. And because of this guy, Flynn's parents..."

What's relevant however, specially in Issachar's case, is that he consistently stays as part of how Flynn sees himself as a person at the same time of also reflecting on Flynn's view on humanity.

To which gives the opening for Krishna to act on (and later, Dagda).

Now let's analyze what points Krishna brings that would, in his opinion, "reach and save Flynn":

Krishna talks of Flynn in a familiar tone as if he's in the know of what was happening inside the Samurai's mind. To which is later confirmed by Flynn himself, in Bonds:

Talking about the long-lasting and complex dynamic between Krishna and Flynn's soul is where things start getting.... tangled.

While the direct cause behind the tragedies that befell onto Flynn's Sengoku period's incarnation (which was only addressed in the side-story published in the SMTIVA Artbook), Krishna is also a victim of YHVH's meddling and the humans' observation.

As I mentioned earlier, SMTIVA addresses the power of influence with observation being the one that directly affects myths.

Due to the religious syncretism, Krishna became fused with Buddhist and Shinto deities (Mahakala and Okuninushi respectively) and turned into the deity Kokuten, an unrelenting deadly force whose bloodthirsty nature turned him into the culprit behind the 26 Martyrs of Japan in the fictional world of SMTIV.

What happened with Krishna's past self is the best example of how disastrous "influence" can be.

On another note, Kokuten was also responsible for the death of Gamo Ujisato, an IRL feudal lord that also happened to be the master Sengoku-Flynn served under, to which made Sengoku-Flynn go on a journey of vengeance and self-sacrifice that lasted over two decades.

Ironically, Sengoku-Flynn's obsession in avenging his master and trading his life away to succeed in defeating Kokuten made him die free of regrets and even more, feeling "saved" by Krishna's return to himself.

Thus we must finally connect to how Krishna is in the myth.

1) Are Flynn and Krishna compatible?

"One has the right to perform their expected duty, But not to the right to the fruits of action; One should not consider oneself as the doer of the action, Nor should one attach oneself to inaction." - Bhagavad Gita 2 : 47

In the context of SMTIV, we can see Flynn in a similar place as the morally troubled Arjuna, the warrior to whom Krishna advises in the battlefield.

In Bhagavad Gita, Krishna teaches Arjuna about the eternal nature of the soul and the temporary nature of the body, advising him to perform his warrior duty with detachment and without grief. Krishna emphasizes in the scripture that this is the key to attaining inner peace and spiritual growth.

The entire scope of what we see Flynn's undying soul going through fits into Krishna's ideal concept of a stoic warrior that fulfills his duties selflessly while renouncing the rewards of his achievements by constantly throwing away his body in the process.

2) How did Sengoku!Flynn change Kokuten back to Krishna?

"And whoever, leaving their body, goes forth remembering Me alone at the time of death, they will attain My Being; there is no doubt about this." - Bhagavad Gita 8 : 5

Krishna reveals the importance of the last thought before death. If you remember Krishna at the time of death, you will certainly attain him.

3) What is the great singularity?

3.1) Why would it be the solution for humanity's cycle of suffering?

"Having attained Me, the great souls are no more subject to rebirth in this world, which is transient and full of misery, because they have attained the highest perfection. In all the worlds of this material creation, up to the highest abode of Brahma, you will be subject to rebirth [...] But on attaining My Abode, [...] there is no further rebirth. [...] At the advent of Brahma’s day, all living beings emanate from the unmanifest source. And at the fall of his night, all embodied beings again merge into their unmanifest source. Multitudes of beings repeatedly take birth with the advent of Brahma’s day, and are reabsorbed on the arrival of the cosmic night, to manifest again automatically on the advent of the next cosmic day. Transcendental to this manifest and unmanifest creation, there is yet another unmanifest eternal dimension. That realm does not cease even when all others do. That unmanifest dimension is the supreme goal, and upon reaching it, one never returns to this mortal world. That is My Supreme Abode. The Supreme Divine Personality is greater than all that exists. Although He is all-pervading and all living beings are situated in Him, yet He can be known only through devotion." - Bhagavad Gita 8:15-8:22

Krishna talks about the various abodes in the material realm and the cycle of creation. He further explains how the multitudes of beings manifest on these abodes, and at the time of dissolution, everything absorbs back into Him.

However, the divine Abode of God is untouched by this cycle of creation and dissolution. Those who progress on the path of light finally reach the divine abode and never return to the material world. Whereas those fallen souls who tread the path of darkness endlessly keep transmigrating in the cycle of birth, old age, sickness, and death.

Krishna emphasizes that every being has an impermanent body and an eternal Self, and that "Krishna as Lord" lives within every creature. Everything is in Krishna and Krishna is in everything. However, only through devotion, when our mind is perfectly absorbed in Krishna, we will elevate from the material dimension to the spiritual realm.

3.2) How are worshippers divided through it?

The majority of Hindus believe in one supreme god (The Brahman). Everything is a part of and a manifestation of Brahman, the ultimate reality; however, Brahman’s qualities and powers may be represented by a great diversity of gods/deities all of which emanate from The Brahman.

Rather than being a single doctrinal religion, Hinduism encompasses a broad range of perspectives on the nature of god including polytheism, pantheism, monism and monotheism. Which might be a possible reason for the Polytheistic Alliance being renamed as Divine Powers in the localization.

This one ultimate reality can be perceived in and through an infinite number of names and forms. The Hindu concept of god and deity varies from supreme god to a personal god to even hundreds of deities. For Hindus, god is one, but also many.

In conclusion, Krishna is worshipped as one of the many reincarnated forms of Brahman.

When SMT4 Krishna states that those that side with him will each get their own slice of followers, he means that his allies will all become manifestations of the same supreme god.

4) What does Krishna mean by "love"?

"For those whose minds are attached to the unmanifest, the path of realization is full of tribulations. Worship of the unmanifest is exceedingly difficult for embodied beings. But those who dedicate all their actions to Me, regarding Me as the Supreme goal, worshiping Me and meditating on Me with exclusive devotion, O Parth, I swiftly deliver them from the ocean of birth and death, for their consciousness is united with Me." - Bhagavad Gita 12:5 – 12:7

In the 12th chapter, Arjuna asks Krishna about the two types of yogis (yoga practitioner) and among them whom does he consider perfect, those who worship the formless Brahman or those who are devoted to the personal-form of God.

Krishna declares that devotees can attain Him by both paths. However, he considers those who worship His personal-form as the best yogis with Krishna stating that when God is loved in a personal aspect, the way is vastly easier.

Hindus believe that god permeates all things—animate or inanimate—and, as they enhance our well-being, intellect, and spirituality, one worships them. For example, the sun provides us with warmth and life, so they respect the Sun god; our parents protect us, feed us, guide us, and look after our well-being, so they respect our parents as gods.

Krishna can be projected as "a merciful father, a divine mother, a wise friend, a passionate beloved, or even a mischievous child".

The text states that combining "action with inner renunciation" with the love of Krishna as a personal God leads to peace. In the last eight verses of this chapter, Krishna states that he loves those who have compassion for all living beings, are content with whatever comes their way, and live a detached life that is impartial and selfless, neither craving for praise nor depressed by criticism and unaffected by fleeting pleasure or pain.

Flynn's soul shared most of the qualities Krishna desired in a warrior. Strong devotion towards those he serves and incredible endurance towards his own pain.

However...

Vishnu-Flynn ultimately lost in both routes.

In Bonds, Flynn couldn't detach himself from you and your allies so he struggled the most against Krishna in this route.

In Massacre, with all of your companions dead, there seemed to be no signals of Flynn coming out. Thus Nanashi's own will prevailed over Flynn's broken will.

WHAT I THINK:

-> Yes, the duology had plenty of buildup for a dark Flynn to come out regardless of alignment. Flynn's PTSD regarding Issachar was the leading cause towards him being mentally scarred and constantly unsure of himself. -> No, I don't believe Flynn would worship Krishna by his own will (at least from what we were presented). Being "manipulated" or "coerced into it" are the ways I can see Flynn consciously working under Krishna, similarly to how Dagda put Nanashi in an unfair situation when reviving the young Hunter.

But even for those what-ifs to take place, Krishna would've needed to give a choice to Flynn, which didn't happen due to his Supreme God ego. As friendly and compassionate as he may appear on the surface, at the end of the day Krishna is a deity that demands complete exclusionary devotion from his worshipper.

And as Krishna himself states in the Gita, it won't flow smoothily if the devotee isn't doing it with love. It's a two-way street.

On a personal level, I consider Flynn and Krishna's dynamic interesting regarding their long history of clashing but not in a sense where there would be genuine reciprocity.

AND NOW...

Dissecting the Massacre route

In contrast to Krishna's depiction being an obvious reference to the Gita, Dagda's is more of an implicitly clever "subverted take".

I discussed it in depth in this post and strongly recommend to read it before proceeding in order to understand the full scope of Dagda's character and associated themes I'll be using here.

......

......

Read it? Okay, let's move on to the original point of your ask.

1) Flynn's personality change

"I'lll always be by his side, no matter what. This body* exists only for my master..." *(身 means body in a philosophical sense to which can be translated as one’s self, mind or social position. For this context, "body and soul" could fit as well)

The thing about Massacre Flynn is that, rather than only taking what he says at face value, one should delve into the WHOLE context of the alignment this Flynn is working under.

To try seeing through the lenses of another fan once again, I asked a friend what was their opinion on Flynn's behavior in the Massacre route and they gave me 3 possibilities of what happened.

1) Dagda brainwashed Flynn after pulling his soul out of the underworld

My response: This contradicts SMTIVA Dagda's philosophy of maintaining a human's will thus the least likely on the perspective that Dagda isn't being hypocritical. ❌

2) Dagda only revived Flynn's body, and since his soul is strongly devoted to those he serves, he was born ready and willing to serve.

My response: We can put this one together from what we see. First evidence: yes, Flynn is only stated in-game to "have his wounds healed" by Dagda. Second evidence: S E V E R A L instances of Flynn's soul acting self-sacrificial in 3 different lifetimes. => Previously I've also thought of a similar explanation but with Krishna being the one that broke Flynn's original self instead, thus when Nanashi defeated his previous master Krishna, Nanashi filled the seat for who Flynn "worships" <=

However, in either case, it's not a very... conclusive outcome. The margin of interpretations is too wide and there's still a feeling of contradiction regarding Dagda's philosophy.

While it's the most possible one within the boundaries of evidence, it still would lead to the player interpreting that Dagda might be using Flynn without a sense of respect contrasting his own pact with Nanashi. △

And here's the final possibility:

3) Dagda had a conversation off-screen with Flynn in the underworld, and Flynn is back out of his own free will. Maybe his change in personality reflects his conviction to the new cause.

My response: While we don't have scenes where this specific instance is conveyed verbally to the player, an attentive player will recognize that:

-> Flynn talks to Charon before deciding between being revived or not. Just like, guess. Nanashi with Dagda.

-> It'd explain much deeper why Dagda and Nanashi's agreement works, why Flynn couldn't work with Krishna and THUS why Flynn can work with Dagda.

Dagda would act respecting Flynn's will, therefore staying genuine to his ideals. ⭕

If Flynn is acting on his senses, what does it mean?

Sidetracking for a bit, the Japanese script is more clarifying for why Dagda had to revive Flynn.

After killing Vishnu-Flynn, Nanashi snatches the Cosmic Egg's throne and ascends to a higher level of existence. While not the full-fledged God (as he needs to defeat YHVH for that), by this point Nanashi is no longer considered in the limits of a human.

"To destroy YHVH, the god who rules the current universe, a <<Godslayer>> will be necessary..." "[Player], make use of Flynn as a Godslayer to defeat YHVH"

As powerful as Nanashi became, just like Dagda and any other deity, he can't actually do an one-on-one fight with YHVH. He needs to take advantage of Flynn's status as a human to observe YHVH.

The last screenshot is the most important in this subject:

"This is why the gods goad humans to their side, and make them observe things which are beneficial to them."

Deities can't escape influence from humans. Stephen himself is indirectly pushing Nanashi to "influence" Flynn in order to have a chance at defeating YHVH.

Dagda chooses Nanashi on the perspective that their "new world" together will be from humans to humans while all the other phenomena (including Dagda) goes back to being nature — the "original" or, you could say, scientific versions of themselves.

Since we're at it, let's finally talk about...

2) Death of belief as a philosophy

2.1) When SMTIVA was first revealed in the Famitsu magazine, the main keyword of the game was "Deicide."

2.2) Stephen Hawking

Real-life Stephen Hawking was well-known for rejecting the conventional notion of God and had its fair share of quotes on the matter:

“God is the name people give to the reason we are here” “Spontaneous creation is the reason there is something rather than nothing, why the universe exists, why we exist” “It is not necessary to invoke God to light the blue touch paper and set the universe going.” "In my opinion, there is no aspect of reality beyond the reach of the human mind"

2.3) Parallels to Nietzsche's Übermensch

In Thus Spoke Zarathustra (1883), the character Zarathustra posit the Übermensch as a goal for humanity to set for itself. Über can have connotations of superiority, transcendence, excessiveness, or intensity, depending on the words to which it is attached. Mensch refers to a human being. A way to translate would be "Superhuman".

2.3.1) The Übermensch represents a shift from otherworldly Christian values and manifests the grounded human ideal. The Übermensch is someone who has "crossed over" the bridge, from the comfortable "house on the lake" (the comfortable, easy, mindless acceptance of what a person has been taught, and what everyone else believes) to the mountains of unrest and solitude;

2.3.2) Zarathustra declares that the Christian escape from this world also required the invention of an immortal soul separate from the earthly body. He further links the Übermensch to the body and to interpreting the soul as simply an aspect of the body;

2.3.3) The Übermensch is tied to the death of God. "God is dead" means that the idea of God can no longer provide values. Nietzsche refers to this crucial paradigm shift as a reevaluation of values.

Sidenote: throughout SMTIV&A, one can see other concepts explored by Nietzsche such as the “eternal return”, which frames existence in terms of endlessly repeating cycles and the "will to power", which involves a ceaseless struggle for survival and mastery.

2.4) Parallels to Sartre's Being and Nothingness

The central notion of this book is that "existence precedes essence". It also introduces of the concept of bad faith, a psychological phenomenon whereby individuals act inauthentically, by yielding to the external pressures of society to adopt false values and disown their innate freedom as sentient human beings.

Sartre said that human beings have no essence before their existence because there is no Creator. This forms the basis for his assertion that because one cannot explain one's own actions and behavior by referring to any specific human nature, they are necessarily fully responsible for those actions. "We can act without being determined by our past which is always separated from us."

Sartre maintained that the concepts of authenticity and individuality have to be earned but not learned. We need to experience "death consciousness" so as to wake up ourselves as to what is really important; the authentic in our lives which is life experience, not knowledge. Death draws the final point when we as beings cease to live for ourselves and permanently become objects that exist only for the outside world. In this way death emphasizes the burden of our free, individual existence.

"We can oppose authenticity to an inauthentic way of being. Authenticity consists in experiencing the indeterminate character of existence in anguish. It is also to know how to face it by giving meaning to our actions and by recognizing ourselves as the author of this meaning. On the other hand, an inauthentic way of being consists in running away, in lying to oneself in order to escape this anguish and the responsibility for one's own existence."

Would you look at that! Both 2.3.3 and 2.4 covered my friend's theory that Flynn's change in personality would reflect his conviction to the new cause.

-> Nanashi "becomes a god" -> Stephen states in-game he "transcended humanity as well".

In Christian context, an ordinary human being is still accountable and responsible to (capital 'G') God. In existential atheism, each individual is considered fully responsible for the entire world they live in.

Nanashi isn't "setting himself to be a second YHVH". He becomes "godlike" in his self-determination, thus having command over his own destiny.

->->-> So when Flynn says, in the original script:

"Come, you weaklings that hang onto the cage that must be destroyed! You are at the presence of a god, clear the path!"

He means that Nanashi is "a human that is above faith itself"<-<-<-

Sounds edgy? It might sound edgy. And yet....

3) Rejecting God doesn't make you nihilistic

3.1) Despite his lack of faith, Stephen Hawking believed that the universe and life have meaning:

“Remember to look up at the stars and not down at your feet. Try to make sense of what you see and wonder about what makes the universe exist”

3.2) Nietzsche's Zarathustra proclaims the will of the Übermensch to give purpose to life on earth, and admonishes his audience to ignore those who promise otherworldly fulfillment to draw them away from the earth.

3.3) Karl Marx famously stated:

"The foundation of irreligious criticism is: Man makes religion, religion does not make man. Religion is, indeed, the self-consciousness and self-esteem of man who has either not yet won through to himself, or has already lost himself again. But man is no abstract being squatting outside the world. Man is the world of man – state, society. This state and this society produce religion, which is an inverted consciousness of the world, because they are an inverted world. Religion is the general theory of this world, its encyclopaedic compendium, its logic in popular form, its spiritual point d’honneur, its enthusiasm, its moral sanction, its solemn complement, and its universal basis of consolation and justification. It is the fantastic realization of the human essence since the human essence has not acquired any true reality. The struggle against religion is, therefore, indirectly the struggle against that world whose spiritual aroma is religion. Religious suffering is, at one and the same time, the expression of real suffering and a protest against real suffering. Religion is the sigh of the oppressed creature, the heart of a heartless world, and the soul of soulless conditions. It is the opium of the people. The abolition of religion as the illusory happiness of the people is the demand for their real happiness. To call on them to give up their illusions about their condition is to call on them to give up a condition that requires illusions. The criticism of religion is, therefore, in embryo, the criticism of that vale of tears of which religion is the halo. Criticism has plucked the imaginary flowers on the chain not in order that man shall continue to bear that chain without fantasy or consolation, but so that he shall throw off the chain and pluck the living flower. The criticism of religion disillusions man, so that he will think, act, and fashion his reality like a man who has discarded his illusions and regained his senses, so that he will move around himself as his own true Sun. Religion is only the illusory Sun which revolves around man as long as he does not revolve around himself." Critique of Hegel's Philosophy of Right of 1843

Remember what Flynn blurts out after being saved in Bonds:

And yet, realize how similar the Law ending is to the Bonds ending:

Was any of this really what Flynn truly wanted? For humans to stay dependent on him in this illusionary happiness instead of being able to save themselves?

The concept of Nanashi being a "god that retains his humanity" might not be only based on he being a human originally; as shown above, there's a strong margin of interpretation that Nanashi could have hid behind a cold-blooded front all along in order to release the cycle of pain that has blighted his peers and loved ones among humanity. Once and for all.

WHAT I THINK:

-> Flynn isn't 'worshipping' Nanashi as he being a traditional god.

He either...

a) follows Nanashi paralleled to the way he followed his late master Ujisato (in other words, like a leader he's debted to); or b) is equating worshipping Nanashi as worshipping the concept of 'humanity free of its chains' itself.

Flynn's servant's nature may or may not have been part of Dagda's contract; as I discussed earlier, Flynn's soul acting self-sacrificial and subservient happened even in situations where he supposedly had full autonomy. And again, Dagda would occasionally "coerce" Nanashi into thinking he was his puppet, but Dagda wasn't defacto making Nanashi act involuntarily.

-> Nanashi, his Goddess of choice and Flynn all "change personalities" in their consequent revivals, as a reevaluation of values adapted their cores to a new purpose in life.

Alternatively, if deities can get syncretized by the humans that follow them, humans can become "influenced" by the deities they follow. Remember the power of influence I discussed at the beginning of this post? Flynn used honorifics for Masakado, so it's expected that he would call Dagda and Nanashi by titles as well.

Which is why Nanashi and Flynn can disregard their childhood friends and allies alike for the purpose of "throwing away" what made them their old selves, but still acknowledge Walter and Jonathan that explicitly were chained to the reincarnation cycle alongside the protagonist duo and also "threw away" their past in order to become Law and Chaos pieces (and by twist of fate, the pieces turned back against their creator).

Although, at the end of the day, the degree in which this personality change occurs, be partly or fully, at once or gradual, fluctuating or immutable, is ultimately hard to evaluate due to lack of dialogue in this route; thus stays as an indefinite answer.

And my last observed point:

-> By becoming a god while Flynn stays as the last remaining humanity, Nanashi creates an 'ouroboros'. To which, ironically, makes him endlessly depend on Flynn's power of observation.

In other words, Nanashi's character from then on will logically be a reflection of how his sole follower views him. Whether this was Flynn's intention all along when agreeing with Dagda, it's up to you. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

On a playful ending note:

Stephen Hawking (both irl and in-game) is afraid of no gods. That being said, you know what he said that humans should beware of?

Aliens.

There's a catch: If there are other civilizations out there, we'd better be careful not to run across the bad guys, a la "Prometheus." Hawking has previously warned against calling too much attention to ourselves, for fear of attracting the wrong sort of extraterrestrials. Such a visit might well be similar to Christopher Columbus' visit to the Americas, "which didn't turn out very well for the Native Americans," Hawking said. But how likely is it that intelligent life exists? Surely someone who's skeptical about God's existence would be skeptical about E.T.'s existence as well, right? Not really. NBC News

To complement on his opinion, evolutionary biologist (and outspoken atheist) Richard Dawkins suggested it's "most likely" that the universe has many forms of life — although those life forms may be on "islands separated by vast distances."

"The idea that we are alone in the universe seems to me completely implausible and arrogant [...] Considering the number of planets and stars that we know exist, it's extremely unlikely that we are the only form of evolved life."

What kind of messiahs does this man have in mind? I'm scared to even think about it...

[ravenwraithe]

hoooooooooo boy, tmagp 4 go-

this time its becoming apparent that there are some themes and clues that tmagp wants us to notice, the sections stand out, begging for attention

like the recurring theme of bones, and blood, and gore in general (it might be too soon to tell exactly what themes are leading to, but they are definitely there)

the violin could fit right in grifter's bone with it's affinity to music and violence

(the music feels aligned to circus over spiral or web

tho there are elements of the web what with the mind control, but i fear all fears possess a certain degree of control, as such

the violence feels more of the slaughter variety rather than the hunt, though you could make a valid argument for flesh as the words 'sacrifice', 'payment' and 'creature with needs and purposes of its own' do stick in mind

once again i do not think that tmagp follows the same format as the smirke's fourteen (or 15) , i merely use them as parallels to better explain what aspects of the episode sticks out to me (and for me refer back later on))

as other listeners have noted, another theme that tmagp in general follows, is 'obsession', rather than tma's 'fear'

i feel this is also paralleling (intentionally or not) the audience's own listening habits and motives

we first consumed the magnus archives for its content of horror

and yet we are back for the magnus protocol like we never left, and perhaps

we never did

the statement's first person pov depicts a truly horrific picture of the slaughter, of the violence that the violin demands

and his descriptions of the mania on the audience's faces too

it's eerily reminiscent of the france's dancing plague

enough about the statement, lets talk about my boy sam and his co-workers, and their workplace in general

there's a protocol surrounding the magnus institute? interesting interesting, very similar to the police division daisy and basira were part of, the unofficial supernatural division

is this like the civil servant version of such?

another thing that is interesting; how is freddy getting these statements incidents? like sam asked, how exactly does a letter from the 18th century end up in the system?

i don't think gwen's answer is satisfactory (and we weren't meant to either), sure someone might be updating the archives website for reasons unknown but rarely in magpod is something a dead end, every little thing is a clue, a small part of the larger picture

so how exactly does a letter from the 18th century is in freddy's system?

perhaps an 'avatar' or the equivalent (such people are suggested to exist in tmagp universe, like the tattooist from daria's statement)

or maybe the fears themselves manifest in phenomena that upload relevant content to freddy

colin my guy, still being iconic and not trusting tech, hats off to you, the only real character in the whole show

never trust any piece of technology older than paper

the video of lena that gwen got in the end? weird? yeah, fuck yes, but how did she even get it? is there any sort of personal communication available on the ancient system? why gwen?

i have so many questions and so many more thoughts, but this is already so long, im gonna write a separate post about tmagp so far, in general

[shadelorde]

Waava and Yangvik: an Analysis

So! I have reread the Yangchen novels (and understood far better what was happening the second time) so here is a brief analysis on the parallels between Yangvik (Yangchen and Kavik) and Waava (Raava and Wan).

Right away, I noticed several similarities between Yangchen and Raava in particular. One could even argue that Yangchen is the avatar, apart from Wan, that is closest to Raava spiritually, with the boundary between herself and her past lives shown to be far more blurred than in other avatars. Their struggles I find to be similar too - both Yangchen and Raava struggle between two aspects of their identity, the part that is meant to be peaceful and spiritual, and the part that must make sacrifices in order to maintain balance. I would argue that both of them have the capacity for manipulation and less savory tactics to get what they need, and both have caused great amounts of harm in order to achieve a greater goal.

But their most recurring struggle that they have in common is their attitude towards humanity. Both Raava and Yangchen carry a certain level of disdain towards humans, and a level of anger that they are expected to compensate for the incompetence and irresponsibility of other people.

"I'm so tired of fighting on their behalf. Human beings choose their own misery, over and over again. Tell me why humanity deserves an Avatar, Mesose. I could handle the blame, the finger-pointing, if I just knew why." Yangchen says this to Kavik while experiencing the life of Avatar Gun, and this is a theme that occurs repeatedly throughout her novels. (While this is Avatar Gun's words, it's triggered by Yangchen's experiences.)

Raava says similarly. "Ancient one, why would I do that for a human? Especially one who's caused so much trouble?" and "Most humans think only of themselves, no matter how many others are around."

This parallel between the two becomes almost explicit when Yangchen enters the Avatar State, drawing upon the power of her past lives and Raava herself.

From inside the whirling sphere of air, the elements obeyed her; everything obeyed her. Only the humans remained stubbornly wayward. Why were they so special? She examined the villagers scurrying below her feet, and yes, the Airbenders as well. Look what I can do without them. Look at how weak they are without me.

And both of them, at the end, make the decision to go back, to start or continue the cycle of helping humanity, either hopelessly or in reassurance. Raava said "We will be together for all your lifetimes, and we will never give up." And Yangchen decided, at the end of her first novel, to continue that cycle.

Yangchen could pretend all she wanted but it was no use. She would remain the instrument of her own suffering. She'd keep fighting, keep struggling, just like she'd commanded the unconscious woman to do in the hospital. It was her fate to make the same choice over and over again, as generations of Avatars had done before her. To know the past was to know the future.

Even F.C. Yee comments on how each avatar has proven to love humanity, even if they struggled through it initially, and how it connects to Raava's initial choice. "Avatars have proven throughout the franchise that they possess an unshakeable love for humanity. They might express it in different ways, but once they gather their inner strength and come to understand who they are, they'll do what it takes to help the rest of us recover from our stumbles and find the right path. If you subscribe to the theory that Raava chooses, then I like to believe that she chooses well." (found in the interview in the back of The Legacy of Yangchen). While all avatars, by nature, parallel Raava and deal with struggles that repeat throughout the cycle, Yangchen's own struggle and conclusion with her feelings towards the rest of humanity mimic Raava the most closely out of any avatar we've seen.

And then there's Kavik and Wan. Both of them are essential to their partners' character developments, and they spend a good part of their time being distrusted by their partner. Even though they regret their actions (Wan more openly than Kavik, I would argue), they spend most of their stories having to work to build or regain that bond of trust. And yet, in the end, Raava and Yangchen choose to stay.

"We will be together for all your lifetimes, and we will never give up."

"Stay with me. I need you by my side. There's so much work to do, and I want you with me until it's finished."

Initially, Kavik is far more reluctant to help Yangchen than Wan is to help Raava. Kavik is much more driven, initially, by his family and getting them out of Bin-Er and reuniting with Kalyaan, while Wan has no human family to speak of and was actually orphaned (ironically compared to Kavik, who lied about being orphaned.) However, at the end, both of them are driven by their care towards Yangchen and Raava.

"No," She said, shaking her head. "You still feel indebted, I'm calling it off-"

"Spitting spirits, you are so annoying! I want to help you because you deserve it! Do I have to tattoo the message across your skull?"

The ending to both of their partnerships are generally seem as ambiguous - although romantic interpretations can easily be prescribed to the pairings, the most important parts that we see are their devotion to one another and the obstacles they overcame to become close, regardless of the label you might choose to put on the relationship itself.

Overall, I think it would have been very cool to see Raava and Wan's relationship develop over the course of longer than a single episode (because really, we hardly see Raava in Beginnings: Part 1) and I think that their relationship has very similar roots to Yangvik.

[anxiety-pickle]

Jade and Aventurine analysis pt 2

bc I have chronic can't shut the fuck up disease

I’ve been seeing a lot of rhetoric floating around that we can’t judge (or even get a good idea of) Jade’s character because she hasn’t had her character’s release yet, which I want to address, and I’m going to do so by comparing Aventurine’s 2.0 appearance and Jade’s 2.1 appearance and related context, and why I don’t think it’s going to be a ‘switch up’ situation

This might also count as a Jade + Aventurine design analysis / theory?? I’ll leave that up to the jury

For some context, I started hsr because of Aventurine in 2.0. I started maybe a week or so before 2.1 came out specifically because I was so interested in his character, and by that point I had already made my determination about his character. And let me tell you I clocked him right off the bat. Not a single part of 2.1 was actually surprising to me (as terribly awful as much of his backstory is) and here’s why:

Aventurine’s first official appearance was his debut in “White Night” which turned out to be a direct parallel to his character arc as well as 2.1’s story, with lyrics such as “you’re hosting / a magic show I cannot escape / there’s nothin’ else left for me to do / goin’ to the other side”. This directly references both Sunday’s use of Order on him as well as him traveling through the Nihility to find Dreamflux reef

More importantly for his character however are the following lyrics “There’s no one else left for me to lose / goin’ to the other side, other side / I don’t want to be alone tonight / I’ll bring to you my best disguise / ‘cause you don’t need, don’t need to know the truth”

It tells us BLATANTLY what Aventurine’s character is - we know everything about him right from the beginning, even if it wasn’t clear that the song was about him

Now let’s move onto his design: This is an even more meta discussion of his character, but Aventurine’s design does a great job of telling us everything we need to know about him. 

Let’s start with the general card motif. The first thing I noticed was the recurring Spade design which is all over his outfit (and later turned out to be the suit that he applies to himself with his shield). In the Tarot deck, Spades are associated with intellect, action, air, and death, so already we have some morbid connotations with his imagery

Next is his general outfit: it’s very extravagant and superfluous; there’s obviously an element of seduction to his design (both with the choker and the chest window), which is likely a reflection of Aventurine’s views towards using himself as a chip (which I’ll get to later). This immediately illustrates to me that he has no problem using whatever means he has at his disposal to do what he needs to, even at risk to himself (which was later confirmed by his language towards himself in 2.0)

Finally onto the choker and the bracelets. Both are inherently restrictive pieces of clothing. The choker particularly calls reference to a collar (you might notice that Topaz, an indentured servant, also has a choker in her design, whereas Jade’s neck is bare). In Aventurine’s case, the bracelets and choker were particularly noticeable to me after Ratio and Aventurine’s staged 2.0 conversation wherein he’s called a “doomed Sigonian thrall” or openly called a “slave” in the Chinese dub

All this is to say, every element of these character designs are thought out and we can glean relevant information from them

Now let’s talk about Aventurine in 2.0

Initially, he deliberately antagonizes himself by playing up his frustration at the Astral Express taking up time when correcting a room-booking issue, and establishes a point of negotiation between himself and Himeko, who he perceives to be the leader

He ends up giving the Trailblazer his room (which he went to great lengths to get) at no benefit to himself - in fact, it’s a very large inconvenience

Multiple times he emphasizes that we, the player, should feel free to “use” him, once again showing he has no regard for his own life at all

The most damning piece of evidence, however, is that Acheron straight up clocks him the second she lays eyes upon him, “There are people who possess unwavering resolution and faith, even unto death, and they do not wield such conviction for good. One who wears a blade must use it to cut eventually. And when a gambler has nothing to lose on the table, he will surely go for broke and bet it all on a final hand.” (The Youths Who Chase Dreams)

In the ten minutes we see Aventurine on screen, he’s already 1) given up his room (to his detriment), 2) used dehumanizing language towards himself and 3) someone else who’s seen him for 2 seconds went wow that bitch looks suicidal (and she was right)

My suspicions were then confirmed by the following conversation with Ratio and Aventurine (which we now know to be scripted)

When Ratio says “doomed Sigonian thrall” we see the camera pan down to the brand on his neck while also showing the discomfort on his face → and to be honest, the sheer amount of people who weren’t immediately aware that the brand represented something dehumanizing at the least was a little surprising to me, because there were no positive connotations (or even neutral ones) in that scene. It made it very clear that it was something bad, maybe something done against his will / was outside of his control

The last important scene in establishing Aventurine’s character foundation is with his conversation with Sparkle (again, the reception to that conversation made me… a little uncomfortable. The way her comments were received freaked me out a little I’m ngl)

She first makes comments about his eyes, so we immediately know that they’re uncommon

She then tells him that Sigonians belong in the sewers (which is a crazy thing to say) and essentially says all of them are liars and thieves, so now we have real in-world prejudice against the planet that Aventurine comes from. Now we can identify the even more specific prejudice that Aventurine’s ethnic group, the Avgin, experience. Sparkle makes it clear that his eyes are distinctive and can be used to identify him as Avgin, immediately thereafter telling him that he and his “thieving people” belong in the gutters

Aventurine also says that the Dreamscape is “frivolous, vain, and flashy - and that suits me just fine” (Gentleness, the Name of Nocturne)

The worst part imo was when she mocks him, “Did you strip yourself naked, apologize to him on your knees, and promise that IPC would never harm Penacony?” (Gentleness, the Name of Nocturne). This remark is exponentially worse now considering his full circumstances, but it was already bad just as it was stated. A lot of people just took this as a joke, but I can read so I didn’t. There is a very clear power dynamic being established here - between Sunday and Aventurine (which ends up becoming relevant in 2.1), but it also establishes that there’s a power imbalance between Aventurine and the rest of the world. It doesn’t help that Aventurine doesn’t say anything to that - he doesn’t even appear offended. I assume that’s hardly the worst thing he’s ever heard said about him. The backdrop of “all Sigonians being liars, thieves, and social manipulators” definitely doesn’t help that either - playing on the assumption that because he’s Sigonian he must also be a whore

So this is yet another instance of someone (Aventurine or other) making a remark about Aventurine using himself as a tool to get what he wants → so, both internal and external instances of people using dehumanizing language towards him

This informs us that both Aventurine, and the world around him, do not value him

All this is to say it should have been abundantly clear to anyone who was paying attention what Aventurine’s character would turn out to look like: he is very clearly posturing through the entirety of the quest, he is very clearly self-destructive, and his self-esteem certainly can’t be very high

And I was right! I was exactly on the money. So now, using what we’ve seen of Jade, I’ll analyze why I don’t think Jade is in a similar situation as Aventurine (or even Topaz)

Now we don’t have nearly as much Jade content as we had Aventurine content at the time I made my determination about his character, but I feel I have enough material to make an educated guess as to what Jade and her motivations actually are. Let’s start with character design

First thing’s first: the snake. This is very clearly a Biblical allusion to the snake and the Garden of Eden. Broadly, snakes are already symbols of trickery, deception, lies, and sin (all of these having culturally to do with the christian hegemony). 

So basically, Jade has THE symbol of sin and temptation

Now, this COULD be a red herring, but so far her actions match up to her motifs - if anything, the snake is a reflection of herself rather than some kind of disembodied act / third-party-manipulation

In her splash art, the snake has an apple in its mouth (representing “sin”) that literally bleeds onto a contract she’s signing. So already we’re not painting a pretty picture here

Back to the jewelry around her neck: her necklaces are in no way as restrictive as Aventurine or Topaz’s chokers. I believe this was an intentional design choice, especially when comparing the “openness” of her outfit to Aventurine’s. Despite his attitude and posturing, he spends much of the quest making defensive gestures (such as crossing his arms or holding his arm behind his back, and largely keeps space between himself and others). He is also almost entirely covered up, aside from the chest window. This could just be due to hyv being weird about women, but I do think there’s something to be said about the relative flowy, open gestures of her outfit - Jade doesn’t dress like a woman who’s afraid

In her splash art, we can see her standing at the bough of a tree (perhaps representing the garden of Eden) and a man crawling towards her, offering jewelry and other valuable items. This man does not seem well, and the audience can extrapolate that he is not doing this of his own free will / there is coercion of some sort at play

Another comparison I’ve seen made of her clothing, and one I have to agree with, is that of a Southern Belle, and given the whip, animations, and the context in which we see her for the first time… let’s just say she’s not beating the allegations

This is a more minor character design choice, but note that her nails are sharp and pointed in her splash art. This is usually done to appear “animalistic” in some way; prescribing nonhuman traits to human characters so that they’re associated with a particular trait. In this case, the pointed nails are likely a reference to either the snake or the “demonic” connotations of “sin”

Her stone itself, jade, has different meanings in different cultures. In Chinese culture it is commonly used to symbolize success, good fortune, and prosperities. In ancient culture it was also believed to connect humans to the divine realm. I find this interesting because Jade herself works as a symbolic “connection” between the rest of the world and Diamond, who might be considered “divine” in some senses as he is an emanator. She says that she is the only person working directly with diamond, so I wonder if her stone was chosen accordingly?

‘Jade’, as in the stone itself, is also a ‘catch all’ term for both nephrite AND jadeite… so, Jade isn’t even an actual ‘designation’ of stone, referring rather to a spectrum of stones. Nephrite and Jadeite can be distinguished by their toughness and translucency. 

It’s somewhat ironic that aventurine (stone) is considered a cheap counterfeit (and Aventurine refers to himself similarly throughout 2.1) meanwhile Jade isn’t even its own individual category of stone. 

Next let’s look at her in the 2.1 plot

The first time we see her, she’s acting as a JUDGE. That is important to emphasize because people consistently downplay her role in his sentencing. I’m not sure why she was acting as a judge in this case (it might have something to do with the massive amount of money and infamy the case caused, or maybe there just wasn’t anyone else with high-enough clearance to take the case, or maybe she expressed personal interest in Aventurine and wanted to hear his piece in person), but she was literally the SOLE acting authority

I’ve already discussed Aventurine’s suspicious lack of legal options, so we know that Jade is basically the only thing that stands between him and literally dying

Immediately, she’s the first thing we see on screen, and she takes up the entire screen - domineering, pushing Kakavasha into the corner even in his own memory. This establishes another very clear power dynamic between them. Jade is sitting above him in her perfectly styled clothing while he stands beneath her in chains. The first thing she says to him is to assign material worth to his body, and goes on to admonish him for killing a slave owner - so, we know whose side she’s on, basically

Granted that Kakavasha basically just “exchanged hands” within the IPC, that’s not surprising that she’d have such a blase attitude

Here, we also see the shift in Kakavasha’s voice - I’m not sure when the change happened, but I do think he ends up mimicking her (both with the hat and the manner of speech). We already know Aventurine has the unfortunate habit of picking things up from the people who’ve hurt him (eg “all or nothing”)

I think it’s honestly a shame that people aren’t willing to engage with Jade’s character as it’s presented because that incredibly unhealthy mentor/mentee relationship is much more narratively complex and imo worth exploring than whatever it is they’re doing over there

Jade clearly has all the power over this transaction - Aventurine makes her an offer, and she accepts, but it was her choice to do so. She could have just as easily sentenced him to death, but she figured that she could get something out of him - notice how her tone sharpened after Aventurine made his wager. As soon as money was on the table, her attitude changed.

So, again, my opinion has been thoroughly substantiated by the way she acts: I think she is sinister and cunning, like Aventurine, but in the opposite way - Aventurine makes himself out to be an incompetent fool to trick others into underestimating him, whereas Jade uses a soft, kind voice to lure others into a false sense of security.

We can’t say for sure how Jade perceives herself, but I think that’s irrelevant to the discussion of her character analysis. By this I mean her motives for doing this seem entirely geared by profit, but the reason she seeks that profit is unknown. Regardless, I don’t think there’s a backstory in the world that could make me “switch up” on her. Now I’m gonna move on to 2.3 leaks so if you don’t want to see those be warned

*leaks start here

I’ve already gone through her eidolons (the clearest reflection of her soul) and they all pretty much just reference her position as a loan shark. So, predatory and exploitative in nature

Jade’s kit sucks HP from her teammates

Being a capitalist parasite is literally baked into her kit that is SO funny

Her skill drains 5% of any ally affected by Debt Collector → if Debt Collector is applied to herself, she does not lose HP but she does not receive the associated buff. So, the opposite of the self-destructive behavior we see Aventurine show (who, in his kit, literally applies a higher taunt to himself so that he’ll get hit more often than his teammates)

She may affect enemies with “blind fealty” which prevents them from attacking

She quite literally profits off of her teammate’s suffering. This is so incredibly funny

As for her light cone: THEY DELETED THE LEAKS I FOUND

If anyone knows where to find them. Please lmk. Everything I could find on tumblr, tiktok, twitter, and reddit is literally gone. I had a post saved from 2 days ago that got deleted. Idk where the crackdown is coming from (especially since Firefly’s animations are completely untouched). Maybe they’re fixing her unrendered-ass animations 

Anyways, from what I remember I think the light cone is called “Hope is Priceless” or something along those lines, which SEEMS like it should have a positive implication about her character, but if anything it feels… ironic? Maybe even mocking? When compared to the names of all of her talents and eidolons. I’m going to interpret that as “hope is a good investment because I pay nothing to achieve it”. We’ll see how that interpretation goes in the next couple of weeks I guess

Anyways, comparing that to Aventurine’s kit, which literally focuses around protection (once again showing the division between his carefree mask and his actual character), Jade straight up stealing her allies’ HP is just. So funny. Like yeah that makes sense. She’s a debt collector. Taking people’s shit is her whole job and she takes that gig seriously

From what I remember reading on her light cone, she was fixing an orphanage (or something like that? A place with a bunch of small children), and I was getting a menacing sort of vibe to it. Maybe take that with a grain of salt because I literally cannot find it to quote right now. And if/when I do I will edit this but it’s literally nowhere

**leaks end here

Notably, we have no leaks pertaining to Jade’s past or anything like that, which implies that it has no bearing on the plot of 2.3. Especially compared to Aventurine’s pre-2.1 leaks. I’m going to go out on a limb here and wager that Jade’s backstory isn’t particularly important to her character - at least, not the way Aventurine’s backstory is important to his character. At the moment, I don’t think her character or the overarching narrative would have anything to gain from trying to make her seem sympathetic, as they’ve done a pretty good job of painting the IPC workers as a morally gray entity between the IP3. You have Topaz, who is happily complicit in colonization - but an indentured servant to the IPC all the same, and Aventurine, who is unhappily complicit (note also that Aventurine was specifically assigned to the Penacony case because his methods are significantly more peaceful than whatever Opal had planned) and who is property of the IPC. From that alone we have a pretty broad gray-space of morality to work from, so I’d prefer if they went even darker with Jade (as far as motivations go).

Basically, you can’t build a villainous corporate entity off of sad backstories alone, and since the IPC references so many real irl corporations, I think it would be kind of strange if they decided to sob-story everything they’re doing away. 

If they were to go down the path which attempts to absolve Jade of her guilt by giving her some tragic backstory, or otherwise shifts the blame of her actions up the chain of command (which also doesn’t really make sense, since that would take away a lot of her autonomy and also the only person above her is DIAMOND), I feel that it would… cheapen her character as well as the story. Gray morality =/= sad backstory!!

I was also a bit confused about why Jade is becoming playable now. Like, we’ve seen maybe 30 cumulative seconds of her onscreen, and we don’t really have many story-relevant leaks right now like we did with Boothill. But Jade actually has a lot of Christian symbolism, which is significant to me because Ena has been associated with Christianity throughout the entirety of Penacony. Now, the snake alone might not have been able to convince me that this was intentional, but the tree/apple/garden of Eden imagery makes it almost impossible that it’s a coincidence. Now, does that mean Jade has connections with the Order? I have no idea, but I do think it’s interesting that she has such strong Biblical imagery right as we’re getting to leave Penacony (and with the Order, an allusion to Christianity and the Christian god)... Maybe she’s intended to be another parallel to Sunday, I can’t be sure yet. I’ll revisit that after her release.

In conclusion critical thinking is a skill and too many people haven’t practiced it

(Sorry for typos/errors/whatever I started drinking halfway through writing this)

[mirror-ralsei]

THEORY: The Ink Blot Test & Symmetry in UTDR

This isn't as much of a typical theory as it is pointing out a design element that I think really needs more discussion: the distinctive style used in certain visuals in the game.

It's actually kind of difficult for me to describe. But there seems to be a recurring style used across many enemies and their weapons. This style is typically white in color, and typically very ornate and detailed-looking. It's easy to pick out because most of the shapes in Undertale/Deltarune's sprites are more simple...and because of one fact: all of these designs look symmetrical.

Here are the places I noticed this style appearing. Hopefully as you look at these, you can understand what I mean by a particular “ornate, symmetrical look”:

Reaper Bird's overworld appearance

Reaper Bird's body

Asriel's CHAOS BUSTER

Final Froggit

POSSIBLE: Knight Knight's Good Morningstar (listed here as “hammer”)

POSSIBLE: Memoryheads (they're in 3/4 view and melting-looking so it's harder to tell, but notice the curly parts and comb-teeth-like parts)

Gaster Blasters (using the unused version since it's easier to notice the style without the eyes)

(While most of these designs are technically not symmetrical if you look closely, they all definitely give the impression of being so.)

There's some other possible references to this style, but I'm just going to focus on the more distinct ones for now. And even some of the ones I've listed are debatable. If I had to pick just a few, I'd use Reaper Bird, their overworld sprite, and CHAOS BUSTER as the definitive examples.

So it's taken me a couple years of not quite being able to place why this style felt so familiar. At first I thought they might look like fractals...

...but that wasn't quite it. Finally, all of a sudden, I put my finger on it.

This design style reminds me of Rorschach blots.

For anyone who doesn't know, the Rorschach test is a psychological test involving the subject looking at inkblots and determining what these patterns look like to them. As you can see, the inkblots are very intricate and symmetrical - just like the examples above.

How does this connect to Undertale? Not too much. But Deltarune? Possibly a lot! Maybe that's the reason most of the instances where this style appears seem connected to Deltarune in some way.

For starters, inkblots are black and white. Specifically, they're black patterns on a white background. So far, every instance of these inkblot-like designs in UT/DR have been the inverse of this: they're all white patterns on dark or black backgrounds. We know light and dark have meaning in Deltarune, so this makes sense.

The ink blots' meaning are what you make of it. Your brain determines what real world things this abstract ink on paper looks like to you. This seems like it could tie into the concept behind the Dark Worlds, and how they seem like “interpretations” of items in real life: For example, the Halloween Pencil becomes a SpookySword. (It's possible the ShadowCrystals may play on this “perception” idea a bit too, but we don't know yet.)

Doctor Gaster seems to be conducting tests on us (Sound Test, SURVEY_PROGRAM, etc.) to observe our feedback. This thematically fits with this whole Rorschach blot test reference. I'm not sure if “WHAT DO YOU TWO THINK?” from Entry 17 and the egg man's flavor text 'What do you think?” are necessarily connected to this at all, but it does happen to fit the theme, lol.

All right, so we've established that there seems to be a symmetrical-looking style. We theorized that maybe they were supposed to evoke a similar look to Rorschach blot tests.

Now we're going to speculate even further.

So why exactly was this Rorschach blot looking style chosen? I think this symmetrical look might be based around reflections. After all, Deltarune involves a Light World and Dark World that reflect each other. And there are actually a few important references to reflections across Undertale and Deltarune.

Kris first appeared in Undertale as the PC's reflection in a puddle if Undertale is being run in Debug mode (Video by marxvee)

Reaper Bird is encountered in a mirror

Asriel and Kris' sides of their room are almost perfectly symmetrical in terms of layout and furniture

Kris' room in Ralsei's Castle has mirrored sprites of Asriel's trophies

The File Select text before Chapter 1's completion states “CHOOSE THE TARGET FOR THE REFLECTION” when copying a file, “IT IS IMMUNE TO ITS OWN IMAGE” when trying to copy a fiile onto itself, and “IT CONFORMED TO THE REFLECTION” when overwriting a file with a copied one

Mettaton NEO's attack is incredibly high but defenses are low, Spamton NEO's defense is incredibly high but attack is low

Gaster's motif of “666” is “mirrored” by 999: 999 appears in multiple places, eg. Chara's attack, stats of Grandpa Semi were “atk: 99999, df: 99999, hp: 999” (pointed out by LeedleLel's comment on this video by Lil' Alien).

The background of Jevil's fight is a mirrored image of a carousel.

The mirrored sinks in the right hospital room read “(It's a regular sink.)” and “(It's a clone of the other sink.)” Also: “(Perhaps there was originally one tall sink that was cut in half to create both of them.)”

All leg options in the GONER_MAKER are identical except the final one, which is mirrored. (pointed out by Shayy via Semi Frequent Undertale Facts)

The background of the GONER_MAKER itself is mirrored.

The background of the Asriel Dreemurr fight is mirrored.

The strange fog graphic before Papyrus' battle appears mirrored.

"I can't get any closer to the camera, I can't even see...my...little reflection." from the Spamton Sweepstakes

POSSIBLE: Gaster's belly face (upside down, details are white on black background, where Gaster's main face are black on white background)

POSSIBLE: Hot Fridge (inverse of the function of a normal fridge. look this one's loose lol, only including it because Alphys invented it and fridges are tied to Asgore's egg fridge, Snowdrake's mother, the Sans fridge call, and maybe the unused “rustfridge” in the Trash Zone (a place rife with possible Deltarune references))

POSSIBLE: Unused rooms 123 and 321 (123 is a relatively accessible unused room with interesting dialogue and 321 is...dark, and "empty").

So notably, the places we find this reflection motif in Undertale seem mostly connected to Deltarune: Kris is the PC of Deltarune, Reaper Bird is tied to Deltarune through Everyman, Mettaton NEO is similar to Deltarune's Spamton NEO, and Gaster is...well, probably the one who gave us our SURVEY_PROGRAM in the first place. Even the more tenuous examples of reflections seem plausibly Deltarune-related, such as the fridge Fun call and the Gaster belly face in Spamton's dumpster and a reflected dark room.

I'd like to expound a little bit on the File Select and sink dialogues. Both of these seem to be playing with a concept that could explain this reflection motif.

Copying a file in the File Select seems to mean we are “reflecting” it onto another slot: “CHOOSE THE TARGET FOR THE REFLECTION.” We cannot copy a file onto itself because “IT IS IMMUNE TO ITS OWN IMAGE.” If we overwrite an existing file with a copied one, “IT CONFORMED TO THE REFLECTION.” Interestingly, though, if you copy a file into an empty slot... “THE DIVISION IS COMPLETE.”

Not multiplying the file - dividing it in two. The original file is also implied to be changed in some way by this, because if you cancel the action of copying a file into an empty slot, “IT RETAINED ITS ORIGINAL SHAPE.” Meaning it would not have retained its original shape if it were copied.

The flavor text for the “cloned” sinks reflects this (hah) exactly. “(It's a regular sink.)” and “(It's a clone of the other sink.)” are followed by “(Perhaps there was originally one tall sink that was cut in half to create both of them.)” Aside from being relevant to the only tall sink we know of, Papyrus' in Undertale, this seems to be setting up a concept of “reflections” representing “an original being divided in two.”

That's about as far as I can take this with the context we have now. We don't know what exactly this reflection/division concept will mean in the plot of Deltarune, as it hasn't showed its hand yet. We don't know if the resemblance of that one recurring style to inkblots is intentional or just coincidence. But at least we have some possible explanation for why these motifs of symmetry and reflections keep showing up.

[adarkrainbow]

As you might have noticed with my latest post, I have been looking into Frau Holle recently. And I just read an article by Dominique Peyrache-Leborgne which has some interesting points.

The article starts out by pointing out the difficulty of translating "Frau Holle", the very name of the tale/entity, in French. "Frau" can become easily "Madame" or "Dame", Miss or Lady, no problem... But what about "Holle"? The very name is a part of German folklore - and not just German folklore, a very specific regional folklore in Germany around Hesse - and as such it means nothing to a French audience. Not only that, but since French is a Latin-derived language, unlike German, the very name "Holle" does not bear any connotations, implications or echoes in French the same way it does in German or even English. As such, while there were translations as "Madame Hollé" as early as 1869, the idea of keeping "Frau Holle" as "Frau Holle" or just transliterating as "Lady Holle" is quite recent - and only applies to scholarly translations. Meanwhile, for older or more "common" translations, a specific trend appeared in France, a translation-tradition that still lasts to this day. Translating Frau Holle as "Madame la Neige" (Miss Snow), "Dame Hiver" (Lady Winter) or other cold-related names.

An habit that the author of the article severely criticizes, because while indeed snow plays an important part in the fairytale, Frau Holle is not supposed to be a spirit of winter or an embodiment of the snow - or at least she does not appear exclusively as such. Frau Holle is a very complex cultural figure with various functions and appearances.

To help the audience understand the complexity of Frau Holle, the article presents in a simplified and summarized version the list of supernatural beings that appear in variations of the "Frau Holle" tale around the world - a list extracted from a work by Warren E. Roberts, a "very complete synthesis" called "The Tale of the Kind and Unkind Girls" (1958). To highlight this intertextuality not only helps understand the various roles and elements surrounding the "part" Frau Holle is supposed to play ; while also proving how Frau Holle synthetizes all of those various aspects together.

In most fairytales of the type "The Kind and Unkind Girls", the supernatural being is a female entity of magic. For example, a fairy - fairies are very recurring in this type of fairytale though, unlike in Perrault's famous "Diamonds and Toads", there is never just one fairy, they are always three. It is exemplified by Basile's "The Three Fairies" in his Pentamerone ; they also appear within several Judeo-Spanish fairytales of the Balkans (there was a recent anthology of them translated in French published by the José Corti edition), and it is quite common for these three fairies to be washer-women, or at least tied to water/rivers (several variations in the French region of Gascogne have the fairies as washer-women by the river). There is also an equally important number of fairytales, among these "female tales", where the girls rather deal with witches - characters that very easily replace or are confused with fairies in folktales. The most famous of those witches tale is the one Afanassiev called simply "The Baba Yaga", and where the famous Russian witch plays the part of Frau Holle. A third option also exists for the female magical being: just "an old woman", "little old woman", who is clearly magic but never called by any specific name like "fairy" or "witch" (this type of character, the "magical old woman", not quite a fairy not quite a witch, is very common among the Grimm fairytales). The "simple old woman" appears for example in another one of Basile's tales "The two little pizzas", and in a Bulgarian fairytale "Girl of gold, girl of ashes" (a story which did reach France through the Père Castor collection for children). Sometimes the old woman will ask to have lice removed from her head (for example in Greek fairytales). Finally, in lands with a strong Catholic presence, of course, the female supernatural entity is replaced by the Virgin Mary - something very common among Christianized fairytales, where the Virgin Mary plays the part of every positive female magical character (an example is the Spanish fairytale "Three Balls of Gold").

So we have here a quite coherent group of female entities, though quite ambiguous, the fairy-witch group. There is also a share of those stories that have male characters as the supernatural entity. Usually these are earthly entities tied somehow to nature: in the Ludwig Bechstein's "Golden Mary, Sticky Mary", it is a "wild man" or "savage man", the "Thürschemann" ; in Afanassiev's The Old Grumpy Woman it is a leshy, a male "forest spirit" ; and in Grimm's own "The Three Little Men of the Forest" it is, as the title says, three dwarves living in the woods. When it comes to the male stories, having them be a specific entity related to the weather or the flow of time similar to Frau Holle is quite common: in England you have Jack Frost, in Russia Grandfather Frost ; and in many European fairytales the supernatural group of men embodies either the four seasons or the twelve months (Basile's "The Months" for example ; the article also notes a 1996 French children book "Adeline, Adelune et le feu des saisons", Adeline, Adelune and the fire of the seasons).

Finally, there is also a set of tales with more enigmatic and mysterioues entities, whose roots seem to belong in myths, religious symbolism or magical rituals. For example in the Anglo-Saxon and Celtic traditions, the entity is usually three disembodied heads within a well, that asked for their hair to be brushed, or simply to be treated with respect. Miranda Jane Green evoked this trope within her "Celtic Myths", and James Orchard Halliweel collected a version of it, "The Three Heads in the Well" for his "Popular Rhymes and Nursery Tales of England".

And Frau Holle, as an old and ancient avatar of a lost Germanic goddess, manages to compile and regroup all of those aspects and all those various entities within her. Like the three heads in the well, she is associated with ancient myths and the world of the dead. Like the four seasons, the twelve months, and Jack/Grandfather Frost, she is a spirit of the weather and the cycle of time. Like the wild-men and forest-spirits, she is an entity of wilderness and nature (the Brothers Grimm, in their "German Legends", do note several times that she leads a "Wild Hunt" throughout the forest). And finally she is the ultimately fairy-witch ; she is the kind and benevolent wise woman... and the terrifying ogress-like long-teethed hag.

A complexity of character, a multiplicity of faces, that is retranscribed within the ungoing debate surrounding the etymology of "Holle". For those who want to study the German fairytales under a mythological angle (Jacob Grimm was one of the most famous names to do so, more recently Eugen Rewermann, a religion specialist, took back the Grimm theory), Holle is survivance of the old pagan goddess of Germany Hulda, a mother-earth goddess (hence why Frau Holle lives underground, down a well). This is notably this analysis that led Lucie Crane, the woman that translated the Grimm fairytales for the edition illustrated by Walter Crane, to translate "Frau Holle" as "Mother Hulda": it was an attempt to give back to her a mythological glory. But other scholars have argued that Frau Holle could also be a female version of this Norse winter-god associated with the dead that appears in the Eddas: Uller/Holler. Another analysis, that is tied to the fairytale, is the homonimy between "Frau Holle" and "die Hölle" - which is "Hell" of course, but since here Frau Holle rules over a benevolet underground "land of the dead", we can think of it as a generic term for the "Underworld" (the same way for example in some languages the Greek Underworld are referred to as "Hell" despite having the paradise of the Elysian Fields). And more so: "Holle" coul also be... "die Holde", which means kindness or benevolence.

Many, many possible readings all true in their own way, which not only testifies to the cultural wealth behind the figure of Frau Holle, but also reflects perfectly how the character is one of paradoxes, duality and multiplicites. Frau Holle is so powerful that she mixes the up and the down - her realm is underground and yet in it she makes it snow in the sky, as a goddess both chthonian and celestial... With Frau Holle, life and death becomes a blur ; and more importantly Frau Holle gathers within her all seasons, because she might make it snow like in winter, her domain is stilled filled with the fresh flowers of spring and the hot sun of summer...

[The author of the article did praise greatly John Warren Stewig's decision of translating the character's name as "Mother Holly" in 2001. "Holly" is close enough to "Holle" in sonority, but it also makes the character feel more familiar to an English-speaking audience since it is a quite common name ; and "Holly" also plays cleverly on both "holly", the plant, one of the defining symbols of winter, and "holy", evoking Frau Holle's alternate roles as a saint or a goddess]

[atsadi-shenanigans]

Writer Interview Game!

Thank you so much for the tag, @gilded-glitter!

When did you start writing?

I was actually toodling around with that in elementary school. At some point, I think I tried to write Jurassic Park 3? (This was before that movie was a thing). Got about 15 pages into it.

Are there different themes or genres you enjoy reading than what you write?

I love fantasy and especially dark fantasy (with horror elements). Could do sci-fi, I think. And the romance angle is new, but I think I'm liking it, as long as I can build it slowly and they're both kind of dorks. And I read all of the above, and a BOATLOAD of non-fiction, mostly history, accidents, adventures-going-wrong, etc. I have three bookshelves, and one of them is entirely (and overflowing) with non-fiction.

Is there a writer you want to emulate or get compared to often?

Hmm. I loved Animorphs as a kid, and Jurassic Park. So anything in that vein, I guess? Got compared to Laini Taylor once and I almost choked on my own tongue. If anyone EVER comped my to Tamsyn Muir I would simply expire.

Can you tell me a bit about your writing space?

Literally wherever. First drafts are by hand, because I can take and deploy a notebook anywhere, anytime, with hardly a fuss. The majority of my fic is probably written during my lunch break at my work desk in the old spiral, college-ruled notebook.

At home, when typing, my desk is a catastrophe. Stacks of paper and other notebooks and knocked over figurines. Organization? I don't know her.

What’s your most effective way to muster up a muse?

Writing something fun? Listening to music a lot. I'm kinda a work horse, and I've trained myself to GO in about the time of a lunch break or the 10-15 minutes waiting for the bus. The small time increments really helps (not a big commitment, just whatev).

Are there any recurring themes in your writing? Do they surprise you?

Outsiders, monsters (both of those being the actual hero, I SEE YOU GUILLERMO DEL TORO). Rage against everything that hurt you but like, trying to find a way to channel that. Not super surprised.

What is your reason for writing?

I like it. It's fun! And it's REALLY fun sharing it; lets me connect to other people.

Is there any specific comment or type of comment you find particularly motivating?

Literally anything. I'm just tickled somebody took the time to do it (god knows I don't always have enough spoons).

How do you want to be thought about by your readers?

I've never really thought about that? (see above, re: outsiders). Never got noticed much in my olden fandom days. So uh, the thought of being perceived vaguely makes me want to crawl under the desk???

What do you feel is your greatest strength as a writer?

Dialogue and fights.

How do you feel about your own writing?

I mean, like any writer, I waffle between "Holy crap, this is my best work yet!" and "Throw it in the bin! IN THE BIN!" One thing I've learned is to have fun with it. Because NOT having fun makes it a mind-melting slog and you get burnt out. I try not to take it all very seriously.

When you write, are you influenced by what others might enjoy reading, or do you write purely for yourself, or a mix of both?

Ehhh, more towards what I like and hope it finds an agreeable audience. I know better than to chase trends. I write long fiction, and that is an UNDERTAKING. The only way to consistently see it through is to like what you're working on, so I definitely need to care enough to carry the bitch through.

Tagging: @bardnuts @britonell, @sasseffects @britosia @hiboudeluxe @shewhowas39 @allymcfee and @mutualcombat

[tokiro07]

Toki Reads Shonen Jump 2024, Issue #47

One Piece: The Post-Baroque Works Straw Hats learn that the Luffy has been publicly labeled as Vegapunk's killer, and Robin notices a familiar X edited onto Luffy's arm in the accompanying photo; meanwhile, Luffy meets the disgraced prince of Elbaf, Loki. Vivi snuck a message to the Straw Hats past Morgans, and some readers believe Loki's situation to be a parallel to when Luffy met Zoro and take that as a sign he may be recruited to the Straw Hats

HxH: Balsamilco attempts to assassinate Halkenburg, but is struck by Halkenburg's Nen arrow, resulting in his body being possessed. Provided he can evade Benjamin's suspicions, Halkenburg can use Balsamilco's body to assassinate Benjamin instead

Yozakura Family: As Kyoichiro enter's Asa's ship to rescue his father, Momo, he recalls his conversation with Momo about the plan to use Momo's Dreams to break Asa's Conquest over Taiyo's body, and is surprisingly against a plan that would endanger Taiyo; meanwhile, Alpha cries over seeing his father possessed by Asa. In addition to clarifying how Taiyo can be rescued, one could also draw parallels between Kyoichiro and Alpha's desires to save their respective fathers

Undead Unluck: Soul takes the stage to fight Julia; Change fights Gina, disarming her while entering Phase 3, but ends up getting decked in the face for her troubles. Gina's character arc reaches its climax, mirroring her dialogue from her first appearance with a notable change in her opinion on "change" as a concept

Me & Roboco: Ruri and Roboco take the Hunter Exam Serialization Conference's trials to have a serialization approved for Shonen Jump. With her serialization approved, Ruri's manga will likely be a recurring element going forward, possibly getting full faux chapters like Uron Mirage in Witch Watch

Sakamoto Days: Atari foresees her death, which can only be avoided if she meets up with her soulmate; using her precognition, she survives an attack from and ultimately defeats Higuchi, the karma-obsessed killer from Sakamoto's flashback. The viability of Atari's precognition is shown off, but fans start to question her exact wording; while we all assume her "soulmate" is going to be Shin, she has never once directly alluded to him specifically, and might well mean Heisuke instead

Elusive Samurai: now fully human, Shizuku devises a plan to overcome Takauji's divinity and render him vulnerable to human weaponry; a character I don't recognize and can find no information on secretly offers Tokiyuki refuge in Shinano. This will presumably account for some of the missing time in Tokiyuki's historical records

Witch Watch: Nemu tries to come clean about being the stray cat that routinely visits the Otogi Family, but ends up engaging in accidental bestiality with Keigo (and arguably purposeful bestiality with Wolf). Shipteases my personal favorite part of the entire series, making this one of my favorite chapters of the week

Blue Box: Chinatsu realizes that something is up when Taiki doesn't come to meet her, and manages to find him locked up in a shed by a boy who claims to have liked her for some time. Chinatsu's faith in Taiki and righteous indignation towards the other boy are a refreshingly straightforward take on the usual misunderstandings and subterfuge you find in these types of rom-coms

Akane-Banashi: Akane tries to refuse Issho's forceful recruitment, but Urara appears to save her from throwing her career away in a moment of passion; Akane asks Urara to explain Issho and Shiguma's past. Whatever Akane learns here will influence her decision to study under Issho, and will definitely be of extreme importance to how she refines Shiguma's Art

Kill Blue: Juzo finally wins the cavalry battle, then invites Hijiri out for ramen at Noren's uncle's restaurant; Shin almost manages to get a lap pillow from Noren, but is interrupted by Jinta, who now considers him a blood brother. Juzo's refusal to accept one person's suffering for the Greater Good will likely be a recurring theme for this arc

Nue's Exorcist: Tsujita resolves to confess to Gakuro and picks a fight with Kazusa, resulting in both of them getting accidentally groped; Rido seems to be betraying the Exorcists to heal Mizuki's illness; Gashadokuro is resurrected. If we're not going the poly route, then Tsujita's proactiveness is set to earn her the dishonor of being the first losing heroine; either way, Gashadokuro is definitely going to interupt her date with Gakuro

Kagurabachi: Hiruhiko exposits about the Hishaku's organization and somehow comes to the conclusion that it's not just his similarities with Chihiro that would make them good friends, but their differences; the Hishaku close in Samura. If the Hishaku successfully kill Samura or Uruha, Hiruhiko will be given possession of one or both of their Enchanted Blades

Super Psychic Policeman Chojo: Ippongi brings her grandfather to meet Chojo, who in turn comes to believe that Chojo is a dangerous womanizer who's trying to seduce Ippongi. With the number of girls surrounding Chojo, it's starting to seem like the author is trying to set this series up as a harem

Astro Royale: Realizing that the cops are so dangerous because of their synergy, Hibaru realizes the best strategy is to divide and conquer. A nice bit of strategy on Hibaru's part that justifies the one-on-one matchups quite gracefully; I do hope we'll see combo attacks later, though

Yokai Buster Murakami: Kuin and Murakami meet Shutendoji, who doesn't want to be the leader of a yokai gang and instead wants to relax and drink; Murakami recruits her to the Kuin Corps by letting her do just that. Kuin now effectively has both the exorcist and yokai worlds under his command; could a peaceful and unified world be around the corner?

Ultimate Exorcist Kiyoshi: After beating up an old man, Kiyoshi is granted the title of Grand Cross, giving him the right to go on expeditions to the Demon Realm; a bounty has been put on Kiyoshi's head in the Demon Realm. Presumably, Kiyoshi will begin an expedition to the Demon Realm in the following arc

Hima-Ten: Kanna transfers to Tenichi's school, definitely for work and NOT to get closer to Tenichi; Kanna IMMEDIATELY notices that Tenichi likes Honoka, but doesn't seem discouraged. If this doesn't end up poly, I'm rioting

Ichi the Witch: Kumugi gets to know Ichi, and the two seem to hit it off pretty well, though seeing him in action unsettles her a little bit. Magic-based discrimination seems to go beyond gender and applies to aptitude, setting up the hapless Kumugi as a foil to the one-in-a-million Ichi

Shinobi Undercover: Miyake calls out Hibari for being fake as hell and even taunts her for trying to save a civilian; though Hibari fails to deal damage, she manages to send a message to Yodaka. Hibari's refusal to abandon a classmate and decision to call Yodaka for help reinforces the growing themes of Frienship

Hakutaku: Hikuma's team gives a skewed impression of how quickly game development works, and Kitahara reinvents Among Us. As this is the first major conflict, the main team is likely going to win, but the thematic implications may not be clear for a while

Ruri Dragon: Despite her fear of thunder, Ruri uses the knowledge that her classmates aren't scared of her as motivation to use her powers to stop the storm. Ruri's fears of being an outcast are effectively assuaged, and she's beginning to be able to accept herself

As I wrote this, near the end tumblr informed me that I exceeded some kind of text limit about halfway through Hakutaku, so perhaps I'll need to shave these down going forward?

If anyone has any suggestions for how I can better refine this recap series or make it more engaging, please let me know! As it stands, the only benefit I'm getting is an excuse to try to remember the series I don't care as much about, but I don't think that will carry over to other readers, so I'm open to any feedback y'all are willing to give!