reina-royale

[reina-royale]

Don't you think you are missing the point? Because of how often Ron is overlooked whenever he gets any ounce of attention, it usually goes to his head. I think the chapter focused on this flaw not to make the conflict as one-sided on kim's end. Ron was being a bit patrionizing through the episode. So, Ron acknowladging it was the Kim factor, despite being Ron who defeated the villain showcase his character growth and is a sign of humilty and modesty.

Is one of my favorite moments of his character, I like how supportive and kind he is to Kim. Maybe what was missing was Kim acknowladging Ron more often? how would you've liked to see the episode/ending play out? What would you change?

I wouldn't say I'm missing the point. I'd say I'm saying it's stupid. Huge difference.

Furthermore, as I have rewatched the series recently, I can confidently say that, attention does not, actually, go to Ron's head when he receives it.

(And even if it did, that's not an excuse to constantly beat on the guy's self-esteem when even the anon asking this question admits he's constantly over looked.)

At this point in time, "Ron Millionaire" hasn't happened yet, so Kim's only examples would be "Bueno Nacho", "The New Ron", and "Two to Tutor", and in none of those did Ron get a big head.

(But if you're someone who's threatened by other people being successful and confident, it's the same thing.)

In "Bueno Nacho", Ron invented the Naco and got the job as the boss because of it. Being good at his job and actually enjoying it doesn't mean it went to his head, nor was asking Kim to do the job she originally signed them up for.

In "The New Ron", Ron started caring about fashion and hair-care, but this still doesn't mean he had an ego problem.

In "Two to Tutor", Ron was successful, popular, and confident because of his baking skills, and that still doesn't mean he had an ego problem.

Know why? Because he was enjoying the positive attention without putting down others or making fun of them.

Was Ron a little rude in this episode? Yes. But to say it's a recurring problem when it provably isn't shows more about Kim than Ron.

Namely that, to Kim, it doesn't matter if Ron actually has an ego problem or is just confident, it's unacceptable for Ron to be anything but her insecure, bumbling sidekick.

(Seriously, Kim is allowed to say she can do anything, but Ron isn't allowed to say he's good at one thing? How is that a fair and equal relationship?)

It's also worth mentioning that, yes, Ron is provably important to Kim's success, because she has failed any mission she tries to do alone.

Ron's already humble and modest, to the point of insecurity and self-deprecation. He really didn't need to be told, again, that he's nothing special.

How would I have liked this to go? Easy:

It starts out pretty much the same, but, at some point, Kim is watching feeds of her missions and sees, from an outside perspective, how important Ron actually is to her success.

*cue dawning look of realization*

At the end, after Gemini is defeated, we get an exchange like this:

Kim: "I was so upset about this whole Ron-factor thing at first, but, after watching some surveillance videos, I realized they're right."

Ron and Rufus: "Huh?!"

Kim: "I'm really good at the action stuff, but your quick-thinking and resourcefulness has been more helpful than I realized. I'm sorry I never acknowledged that before."

Ron: "Thanks, KP. That means a lot. Sorry I was kind of rude earlier. Friends?"

Kim: "The best."

*hug*

Ron: "But, for the record, it's not you or me, it's us. We're a team. It's not about a Kim Factor or a Ron Factor, it's us together that makes it work."

Dr. Director: "Hmm...perhaps we should spend time studying both of you."

#meta #anon ask #asks and replies #kim possible #ron stoppable #rufus

[reina-royale]

Thoughts on "The Ron Factor"

So, obviously, this is an episode I have a lot of thoughts on.

I will acknowledge that Kim does have some cool moves in this episode.

But, it also seems fair to acknowledge that, despite those cool moves, Kim didn't defeat the bad guy.

That was done by Ron, with a little help from Rufus.

It's also worth mentioning that, yes, Kim is dependent on Ron to succeed on missions, as shown in "Bueno Nacho".

And it's not fair to anyone, Ron especially, that, after Ron defeats the bad guy, he decides to give Kim all the credit.

Kim has impressive skills and definitely demonstrated them in this episode, but that doesn't mean Ron isn't a factor in her success.

And a role model would recognize that yes, Ron is important to her success, but that doesn't mean she's not amazing too.

She'd be supportive of Ron and happy for him, while still making Global Justice see that she's still amazing.

(And, no one said she wasn't amazing, they just said Ron was probably the key factor to her success.)

Other thoughts, in no particular order:

So, did Betty and Sheldon actually lose their eyes, or are they just being dramatic?

(I wouldn't put it past them.)

Is Sheldon's robotic hand prosthetic or some kind of glove? If prosthetic, how did he lose it?

Realistic sibling relationship: Betty and Sheldon immediately resort to childish squabbling when near each other, despite having spent the entire rest of the episode being ominous and brooding.

(The Cain Instinct is strong with these two.)

Honestly, that Chaos Theory thing might not be far off. And if Wade thinks there's some merit to it, I'm inclined to believe him.

I realize they said Ron was a "non-factor" at the end, but there is canon evidence that contradicts this.

It's probably that Ron is a factor, but not in any way that would actually show up on tests.

Thus, they assumed there was no "Ron Factor".

#ron stoppable #meta #episode review #episode analysis #rufus #kim possible #dr. director #betty director #sheldon director #gemini

[reina-royale]

I loved all three of the shows you mentioned. Though in Winx Club’s case I just love the earlier seasons they went off the rails.

I'm not sure "off the rails" is the term I'd use, but it did seem like some of the plots were pretty crazy towards the end.

Then again, it is a world of magic, so I guess crazy can be expected.

Still feels like a bit much at times though.

And, as I stated, I know Winx Club didn't handle everything perfectly all the time, but it still did "girl power" way better than Kim Possible did.

#winx club #meta #asks and replies #kim possible

[reina-royale]

I have received a lot of backlash for criticizing Kim Possible as it was one of the most popular "girl power" shows of the time.

Not just here but in other internet spaces as well.

And, truly, I admit that, at the time, I admired Kim.

Emphasis: at the time.

But, as people tend to do, I grew up. I got older, learned more about the world, learned more about people, girls especially, and, when I started rewatching Kim Possible, came to a horrifying revelation:

Kim Possible is not a "girl power" show, it's just a show about a powerful girl.

What does a girl power show look like?

Well, it's best to explain with examples.

I'll keep them limited to crime-fighting shows that were on the air at around the same time Kim Possible was.

Shows being used as examples include:

Teen Titans

X-Men: Evolution

Winx Club

So, what is it that makes these shows girl power shows, but not Kim Possible?

Well, there's a lot, so it's best to grab a snack and a drink, this could be a while.

Let's begin:

Multiple Heroines

Teen Titans starts out with two awesome heroines, Raven and Starfire, and adds more to the cast later - Kole, Bumblebee, Terra, Argent, etc.

X-Men: Evolution had multiple heroines from the beginning, with more added later. And one of the original heroines was an older female mentor that everyone, including boys, looked up to.

Winx Club is a female-led show with five, later six, awesome female leads and powerful females in mentor roles that are admired and respected by men and women alike.

But Kim Possible only has one heroine for girls to look up to - Kim herself.

Sure, Yori's impressive, but she's not really her own character as she's meant to aid in Ron's development.

And while Dr. Director could be cool, we don't actually see her do more than delegate, which, while important, is hard for people to look up to.

And the professional heroes, Team Impossible, are an entirely male group.

Kim Possible only has one female for little girls to look up to.

So, if, for some reason, you find yourself not looking up to Kim, then you're out of luck with this show, because there's not any other girl for you to look up to.

It's not a girl power show if there's only one girl to look up to.

Complex Thoughts and Feelings

The girls of Teen Titans are shown with varied and complex thoughts and emotions. Starfire uses her feelings to fuel her powers, and, even though she's apathetic, there are multiple episodes that address that Raven has complex thoughts and feelings but has to keep them under control because of her powers.

In X-Men: Evolution all the characters, especially the girls, are shown with complex thoughts and feelings.

In Winx Club the girls are shown with thoughts and feelings, and it's established that their feelings fuel their magic.

But in Kim Possible, Kim's thoughts and feelings aren't very complex. Kim is shown to dislike something, or have strong opinions about something, but anything deeper is rarely explored.

When Kim didn't want Ron to be the mascot in "Attack of the Killer Bebes", there's no reason given.

When she's jealous of Yori in "Gorilla Fist", it's only hinted that it's because of her romantic feelings for Ron.

And she certainly doesn't actually talk about her feelings afterwards.

Her underlying thoughts, feelings, and motivations are rarely explored.

A girl power show should explore the thoughts and feelings of it's main character.

Competent Heroes

In Teen Titans, the Doom Patrol are in fact skilled and competent, even if they "die" a lot.

In X-Men: Evolution, the older heroes are actually good at what they do.

In Winx Club, the Specialists aren't considered less competent, they're just trained differently. And the older heroes are, in fact, very skilled.

In those shows, the more experienced and professional heroes are actually shown to be competent.

In Kim Possible, Agent Du and Team Impossible are (supposed to be) less skilled than Kim.

(Though, really, the laser web thing isn't a fair assessment of ability if they're not starting from the same place.)

While I get that Kim is supposed to be the hero, it'd be more impressive if the professional heroes were actually portrayed as good at their jobs.

The other shows don't require dumbing down the professionals to make the heroines shine, so Kim Possible shouldn't need that either.

A girl power show shouldn't need the professionals dumbed down for the girl to shine.

Independence

In the other shows, each girl is a formidable force on their own.

Maybe not able to take down every bad guy on their own, but certainly able to hold their own in a fight.

But in Kim Possible, Kim is dependent on Ron and Wade to succeed.

(As shown in "Bueno Nacho" and "A Sitch in Time".)

She is completely incapable of handling missions on her own, making her unable to be a stand-alone hero.

The main character of a girl power show should be capable of doing things without her sidekicks.

Kindness

In the other shows, the main heroines are shown to be kind to others, even those outside their immediate friend group.

A few missteps along the way, but rarely ever having malicious intentions.

Not never, but rarely.

And especially no ill intent towards their friends.

Being kind takes a lot of strength at times, so a heroine who is kind is strong and worth looking up to.

(Seriously, kindness is powerful. The world needs more of it.)

But Kim isn't very kind to her loved ones.

Don't get me wrong, she saves the world and does other things to help people, but the way she treats those closest to her is not kind, and not worth looking up to.

Hyper-competitive, bossy, controlling, condescending, judgmental, etc. These aren't actually behaviors we want little girls emulating.

A kind heroine is more powerful than a bossy, controlling, judgmental, overly-competitive one.

Acknowledgment

In the other shows, the heroines acknowledge their teammates' contributions, and don't feel jealous or threatened when one of them is better than them at something.

In Winx Club, Stella, a character who could have been a stereotypical vain, spoiled princess, is constantly praising her friends on their accomplishments.

In X-Men: Evolution, the girls acknowledge each other's strengths and skills.

And in Teen Titans, Starfire is constantly showing her friends affection and believing in their abilities. Raven too, but not quite as enthusiastically.

But in Kim Possible, Kim refuses to acknowledge Ron as important to her success, and never gives him credit for his contributions.

(Well, not to his face.)

And, while she might praise Wade when he does something cool, she clearly doesn't value him very much, as shown by her comment in "The Truth Hurts" and her disregard for his warnings in "Queen Bebe".

A role model has no problems acknowledging the contributions of others and respects her teammates.

Training

In the other shows, the heroines are shown training in the use of their powers.

But in Kim Possible, Kim is naturally good at everything.

Okay, maybe not driving or cooking, but Kung Fu and cheerleading, to name a few.

The only time we see Kim practice anything is cheerleading, but "A Sitch in Time" revealed that she was an expert from the beginning.

She was good enough at Kung Fu to impress Hirotaka, a life-long student of Kung Fu, despite saying herself that she only dabbles in it, and she's never seen training in it.

It's not even mentioned that she had any actual training in it.

And, honestly, "naturally good at everything" is hard to emulate. It's not easy to look up to "impossibly talented" when you're older.

A heroine who fails and keeps trying is more admirable than one who never fails.

Varied Interests

In the other shows, the female characters don't all have the same interests.

Teen Titans has Raven interested in things like books while Starfire is interested in cute animals.

X-Men: Evolution has Jean do basketball and soccer, Kitty enjoys theater and parties, and Rogue likes literature, to name a few.

Winx Club has Stella into fashion, Musa is interested in music, Tecna likes technology, Aisha likes sports, and Flora likes nature.

But in Kim Possible, the girls are all interested in the same things; boys, boy bands, pop music, fashion, celebrities, etc.

(Aside from Monique's interests in wrestling and extreme sports, which never get brought up more than once each.)

Despite Kim herself doing Kung Fu and other extreme sports on the regular, the other girls are shown to only be interested in stereotypical teenage girl things.

(Again, aside from Monique's interests that are only mentioned once each.)

(And also aside from Zita, who is stated as being interested in video games and on the swim team, but disappears after her second episode until "Graduation".)

A girl power show would have girls with a variety of interests, not just the stereotypical ones.

Romantic Relationships

The other shows have great romantic relationships.

In Teen Titans, Robin/Starfire had build-up, despite their interest in each other being obvious from the beginning.

In X-Men: Evolution, Jean/Scott had build-up despite their feelings being clear from the beginning, and Kurt/Kitty were never more than friends with them both ending up in relationships with other people.

In Winx Club, all the relationships took time to build up, and some don't stay together forever but neither half is entirely demonized for it.

But there wasn't a lot of build-up for Kim/Ron, with Kim insulting Ron for suggesting people might think they date and Ron expressing discomfort at the idea of dating Kim.

A girl power show should have a proper build up to a romantic relationship.

Lack of a Fool

In the other shows, there is no one "fool" character who is a majority of the humor.

There is no one character who is the butt of all the jokes.

Sure, Teen Titans has Beast Boy, who's pretty humorous and funny, but his abilities and skills as a hero are still acknowledged and respected.

And plenty of the humor comes from other characters as well.

X-Men: Evolution has Nightcrawler, who certainly jokes around a lot, but he's still taken seriously in serious moments.

And other characters contribute to the humor of the show to.

But in Kim Possible, Ron isn't taken seriously.

Ron, despite having many moments where he shows impressive skills, isn't taken seriously as a hero.

His feelings are also rarely taken seriously, even about things that are pretty serious.

And Ron is responsible for 90% of the show's humor, often at his expense.

Ron is meant to be a bumbling, clumsy, inept, incompetent character to emphasize how much Kim shines.

But a real girl power show doesn't need that, because the heroine(s) shine anyways.

Summary

Unlike some of the other "girl power" shows of the time, Kim Possible decided the only thing that's important is that Kim is capable of fighting bad guys.

But a strong female character is so much more than fighting bad guys.

Now, I'm not saying the other shows listed handled everything perfectly. I know some things were handled poorly, but in terms of "girl power", they were still handling it better than Kim Possible.

And, shockingly, only one of them was even intended to be a "girl power" show.

I guess a better girl power show would have girls as people first, icons second.

#kim possible #meta #teen titans #x men evolution #winx club

[reina-royale]

A criticism I’ve heard people say towards Ron’s character is that he was too caught up on his own anxieties and feelings through S4 and that he stopped being Kim’s emotional support, with there being no room for Kim’s own problems.

I’ve also seen people say Ron was much more competent on early seasons and that his characterization on later seasons was a downgrade. Do you think any of this is true?

Admittedly, I haven't watched every episode recently, but I think I've watched enough to comment.

Firstly:

Ron's always had massive insecurities to deal with.

Monique's debut episode, "Pain King vs Cleopatra", has him be afraid he's going to be replaced as Kim's best friend/sidekick.

"Exchange" has Ron show insecurity over his lack of ability in martial arts.

"Grudge Match" and "Virtu-Ron" show Ron has insecurities when it comes to dating.

So, it's not as though Ron having anxieties is a new thing.

Also, and this is a genuine question, but what problems does Kim have in S4 that Ron's not helping with?

He tries to help her feel better about her brothers being skipped ahead.

He tries to offer her advice about finding a new mission outfit. It was even his idea to go to The Fashionistas for it.

Remember, despite Monique having constructed the outfit, The Fashionistas had designed it.

So, it wasn't a bad idea.

The only problem he wasn't helping with was in "Fashion Victim", and it's not as though he didn't want to; he was locked in a crate with Barkin at the time and couldn't.

Also, the main personal conflict in that episode was between her and Monique. It's not as though Ron could've helped with that anyways.

Not to mention, after 3 seasons of Ron being Kim's emotional support, it's only fair that she start being his now that they're dating.

Secondly:

I wanted to argue against Ron getting a downgrade in S4, but I do see the point about Ron not having a lot of awesome moments in this season.

I'm just not sure if it was done with the intention of having Kim and Rufus shine more.

It could be because, to show the audience that Hana is a powerful weapon, they had her be the one dealing finishing blows to Monkey Fist, when typically that would've gone to Ron.

It could also be that they realize they made Ron too competent to be a sidekick, so they needed him to be less competent without explanation, and were just hoping that no one noticed.

Honestly, whatever the reason, it is kind of annoying. Ron is extremely competent at times, and he deserves to shine and be recognized for it.

He deserves to be Kim's partner, not her sidekick.

So, I do agree with the second criticism, though I'm not sure about the reason, but I don't really agree with the first.

But I do love when people send me asks! Feel free to send more!

#ron stoppable #meta #asks and replies #anon ask

[reina-royale]

Thoughts About "Clean Slate"

Obviously, I have thoughts.

And they're mostly about Kim/Ron.

More specifically, the fact that Kim doesn't remember the fact that she and Ron are dating.

Even more specifically, he reaction to being told they're dating.

Ron: No, not to worry. I’ll have KP back in time for dinner. After school I’ll give her a refresher around Middleton. It’ll be like a second first date.

Kim: Are you hitting on me?

Ron: Um, Kim, we are dating. I’m your boyfriend.

Kim: Boyfriend? Oh, wait, you’re serious?

So, here we have Kim finding the idea of her dating Ron amusing. She doesn't take it seriously, and doesn't seem interested in the idea.

I realize that Kim can't remember anything at the moment, and thus she's not really acting like herself.

But it's kind of unfair that Ron is the last thing Kim remembers.

Ron, who should be the most important person in Kim's life.

Ron, who is certainly the most integral person in Kim's life.

Ron, who is the biggest constant in Kim's life, the person she's spent the most time around, and she doesn't remember dating him until the end of the episode.

And it's annoying when we get scenes like this:

Ron: Hey, just take it slow, Kim. Nothing to worry about. You’re among friends.

Bonnie: Unh. Just learned to walk, K?

Ron: Except for Bonnie!

Kim: Bonnie? Oh, Bonnie! She and I are on the same cheer squad, right? So we’d be friends.

Monique: Ron, Wade told me. Lost memory. How’s she doing?

Ron: Eh, a little sketchy in some areas, particularly relationships. You know, she needs to remember things on her own, so don’t expect Kim to just--

Kim: Monique? Monique! I remember you! The first time I met you was at Club Banana. We’re, like, best friends.

Ron: Now, you can’t tell me that you don’t remember Bueno Nacho.

Kim: How could I forget? The center of the cheese and chip universe. Home of the naco and managed by Ned.

Ron: How is it you remember everything but the fact that we’re a couple?

Kim: Couple of what?

Ron: People who are dating.

Kim: Are you sure that we were dating? I mean sometimes people read a little more into things than they should, right?

Ron: OK, look, photo evidence, K.P.

Kim: Oh, wait a minute.

Ron: Prom, dancing, the kiss.

Kim: You called me in the middle of the night once to ask about us dating.

Ron: Yes!

Rufus: Yeah!

Kim: Then you said I melted.

Ron: No, ok, no, that was just a dream.

Kim: So we were dating in a dream you had?

Ron: Well, yes, in the dream, but also--

Kim: Why is my watch beeping?

Ron: Wade.

Kim: Hi, uh, Wade?

Ron: How did you remember his name?

Kim: You just said it.

Ron: Oh, right.

Wade: How are you doing, Kim?

Kim: Wade? Oh, Wade! Better. I’m starting to remember stuff.

Ron: Wait, wait, wait, wait! Shego, you tell her. Kim and I are dating, right?

Shego: What? For real? Oh, come on. That never made any sense to me. I mean--

Ron: See? That wasn’t a no. Unh.

Kim: Glowing hand. Glow…Go…Shego!

Wade: Ron? Ron fought Shego? Alone?

Kim: Well, I don’t know if fought is the right word.

Ron: Sure it is. I fought. Fought for my life.

Wade: Well, hopefully this will help Kim remember her fighting skills.

Kim: Cheer practice?

Wade: Well, so far all of your memories have been triggered by some event or meeting. Good luck.

Bonnie: Hello? Late for practice much?

Ron: OK, don’t let Bonnie get to you and whatever you do, don’t listen to anything she says. You’ll be fine.

Bonnie: I don’t know what your problem is, Kim. I knew this would happen when you started dating Naco Boy.

Ron: Aha, Kim, you see? Do you see? I’m Naco Boy.

Kim: Yeah, I shouldn’t listen to what Bonnie says.

It's not fair that Kim can't remember dating Ron, her best friend of 10+ years, someone who is extremely important to her, until he loses his pants again.

She remembers everything about Monique after just running into her in the halls.

She vaguely remembers Bonnie after running into her, and gets her full memory of Bonnie, including a complicated cheer routine, back after one try.

She remembers Bueno Nacho by just showing up.

She remembers Wade after a phone call.

She remembers Shego as soon as her hands start glowing.

And she remembers Drakken and how to fight before she even goes to confront him again.

But she can't remember Ron until the end of the episode?

This is unfair to everyone.

Especially since Kim is, for some reason, so resistant to the idea of them dating.

I mean, I guess I can understand not immediately believing you're dating some random guy, but Ron's not some random guy.

Kim still remembers their friendship, and trusts him on everything else.

But she doesn't accept that they're dating.

She won't even consider the idea.

And, if dating Ron was as important to her as cheerleading, fighting Shego, hanging out with Monique, or going to Bueno Nacho, shouldn't something have triggered her memory earlier?

Especially since Ron is involved in pretty much every aspect of Kim's life?

But, no, she doesn't remember until he loses his pants.

Not riding on the back of his scooter, which she did during the Li'l Diablos incident which, coincidentally, was the same day they started dating.

And did several other times before Kim got her own car.

Not going to Bueno Nacho, which they do all the time.

Not cheerleading, which Ron happens to be kind of involved in as the mascot.

Not even seeing Ron, which was enough for her to completely remember Monique and Wade (over video!) and kind of remember Bonnie.

No, the only thing that triggers Kim's memory of Ron is that he loses his pants.

And the fact that nothing but Ron losing his pants triggers her memory of them dating, implies that, on a subconscious level, that's how she views Ron.

Not as her boyfriend, but as her clumsy, bumbling, inept sidekick who's always losing his pants.

And everyone - Kim, Ron, us viewers - deserved better.

#kim possible #ron stoppable #drakken #shego #monique #bonnie rockwaller #wade #episode review #meta #episode analysis

[reina-royale]

Ron has his moments, but his competence in later seasons was diminished to make Kim and Rufus (Specially Rufus) shine more in comparison. And he had joke made at his expense just after he has done or said something smart or meaningful.

I know the show is for kids and that his character was the only one they had for that sort of humor, but I never liked the way the narrative handled his character.

We see he is an important member of the team, but neither the characters nor the villains, nor the narrative itself treat him as if he was valuable and I think this helped shaped the two way the fandom portrays his character (there are 3 type of stories that I know of: stories that have him “step up”, stories that try to keep him balanced, or stories where he is portrayed as completely useless)

I’m usually not a fan of the “Ron steps up” stories, but now I understand why they are a thing.

Yeah, the narrative and Kim tend to treat Ron as though he's nothing more than an inept and bumbling sidekick.

If you pay attention you know this isn't the case, but it's kind of annoying. Kim only acknowledges Ron's skills on missions once in "Sink or Swim" but then states she's not going to let him lead a mission anyways.

Meanwhile, in "Overdue" Ron goes on four missions alone and is relatively successful, but when Kim goes on a mission alone in "Bueno Nacho" she's captured almost immediately.

After those incidents it should be pretty easy to see why Global Justice though Ron was the secret to Kim's success.

I think one of the problems is that Ron is the only character who gets that treatment. If everyone had their fair share of comedic moments, it'd be one thing. But, no, Ron is the only person treated that way, and it gets kind of old after a time.

And when Ron is the most relatable character in the franchise, making fun of him feels like making fun of us.

I actually like "Ron steps up stories", but not ones that turn into harem smut stories.

Mostly, I like the idea that Ron recognizes his own worth and value and decides to stop being such a doormat/lapdog.

If you're someone who wants Ron to be respected, stories where Ron steps up should be appealing.

Honestly, the way the narrative treats Ron is one of the reasons I don't think Kim Possible is a girl power show.

I mean, it's not really "girl power" if Kim only shines because Ron is incompetent.

(As are the professional heroes, which is another problem with this so-called "girl power" show.)

#kim possible #ron stoppable #meta #asks and replies #anon ask

[reina-royale]

What are your thoughts on Jack Hench?

Well, let's see...

He doesn't appear very often, so there's not much we can say about this. What we can say, however, is...

He's morally gray, leaning towards dark gray.

He has no problems supplying supervillains with dangerous tools needed to make taking over the world easier, though, admittedly, they're not very dangerous compared to other stuff in the Kim Possible universe.

Known products are:

Check Your Badness Level

Henchmen

The Attitudinator

The Molecular Muscle Enhancer

The Titan Project

And in a world with doomsday devices, Shego, Electronique, and Lorwardians, those things aren't even really that threatening or scary.

Interestingly enough, his first appearance has him calling Kim to retrieve something Shego stole from him.

Admittedly, it's because it's his property and he wants it back, but his willingness to call Kim implies he's not worried about being prosecuted for anything Wade found out while hacking his organization.

You can sign up for their mailing list, even if you're a well-known hero named Kim Possible. He is making no effort to hide his illegal activity.

And, yes, knowingly supplying criminals with dangerous tools is illegal, unless...

you're doing it for the government.

Which brings us to my Unstoppables AU.

In my AU, he is "selling" information on villainous activity to the government, GJ included, in exchange for immunity from what he had to do to get that information.

He also has hard limits: no doomsday devices, no animals, and, after the Titan Project incident, no mutating chemicals.

The rings are fine though, as you can just take those off and return to normal.

(I do have more planned for him in my AU, but you'd have to read to find out.)

#kim possible #meta #asks and replies #anon ask #jack hench

[reina-royale]

Thoughts on Dr. Bortel

People need to be watching this guy very closely. Because someone who builds mind-control devices in his free time isn't too far away from deciding to use them.

I mean, most scientists wouldn't even consider building something like that, not even once.

This guy did it twice.

(That we know of.)

And he's not even being paid to do it, or being forced to by a supervillain.

This guy chose to build those devices, for himself.

But I guess we're supposed to believe that he had no intention of using them.

I mean, surely someone would build such dangerous devices purely out of curiosity, right? /s

Honestly, while the guy may not be doing anything technically illegal, he is certainly doing stuff that's highly unethical.

And I don't believe there isn't any ulterior motive for making them.

I mean, would you?

#kim possible #meta #character analysis #dr. bortel #cyrus bortel #dr. cyrus bortel

[reina-royale]

Emotion sickness is a supposed to be a joke about a girl being on her period and the emotional swings that come with it. I’m not sure if that makes the episode better or worse, but that’s how I always interpreted it.

Firstly, I hope you're wrong. Otherwise, I need to add that to my list of reasons why Kim Possible isn't a girl power show.

(And it definitely would make it worse if that was their intention.)

Secondly, our society does not need jokes about periods making girls irrational.

It's never needed those jokes.

Especially since the reason girls are so hormonal is because our estrogen is lower and our testosterone is higher. Much closer to the average male's.

If women are "irrational" or "emotional" during their periods, it's because we're acting like men do.

All.

The.

Time.

But, sure, let's make jokes about female biology. That's a great way of handling that topic in a show for little girls, most of whom will have periods some day. /s

Lastly, perhaps my point wasn't clear:

We've seen Kim on dates. We've seen how Kim acts around guys she's romantically attracted to.

We've even seen how Kim acts around Ron when they do date.

(Though, admittedly, not by the time this episode originally aired.)

"Emotion Sickness" wasn't like that. At all.

There's a scene where Kim is wearing a tight little black dress, a lot of accessories, has her hair styled to cover one eye, and it starts at her feet and slowly pans upwards.

Looking at this as an adult, this is clearly a fanservice/wish fulfillment episode.

(Which, gross. Did I mention Kim's a teenager?)

But, more to the point, whatever emotion was enhanced here, it wasn't romantic attraction.

It seems to be largely physical attraction.

That's not a bad thing to have in relationships. And teenagers do experience it, so I'm not saying Kim wouldn't or shouldn't.

(Though, the aforementioned little black dress scene doesn't belong in a show for little girls.)

I'm saying that the creators didn't put in a lot to indicate that Kim had anything but physical attraction for Ron at this time.

We know this from how Kim's acted around other guys she's had crushes on.

She doesn't initiate physical affection with Josh or Hirotaka, or even Eric later.

And she certainly never picks out the sexy little black dress for dates with any of them.

Again, I'm not saying physical attraction is bad, or that Kim shouldn't or wouldn't experience it.

(Though, again, that little black dress scene doesn't belong in a show for little girls.)

I'm saying, as an adult, I can look at this and tell you it certainly seems like the only attraction Kim has for Ron right at this point is physical.

(Or, at least, that was the only kind of attraction that was enhanced.)

And that's not a good basis for saying she's been in love with him the whole time.

#kim possible #meta #asks and replies #anon ask #periods #ron stoppable #josh mankey #eric kim possible

[reina-royale]

Thoughts on "Emotion Sickness"

This is one of the most frequently-cited episodes for evidence that Kim's always been in love with Ron, even if she just didn't realize it. And, honestly, if that's how you choose to interpret it, fine.

But looking at it through adult eyes, and comparing it to the rest of the series, it doesn't quite fit.

But, before we begin, a thought:

It would have been better if they gave the little black dress scene to the fully grown woman instead of the teenage girl.

(Or not include it at all.)

Seriously. Gross.

Now, on to my analysis.

First, the outfit:

This is not the style of outfit Kim picks for dates. The dress is too short and too tight and there are too many accessories.

This is Kim's style for date outfits. Knee-length dress that doesn't hug her curves and minimal accessories.

Even her Junior Prom dress isn't quite like the one from "Emotion Sickness".

The dress Kim wore in "Emotion Sickness" isn't like one Kim would wear on a date.

At all.

Secondly, Kim's behavior:

Now, we've seen Kim on a few dates. She's usually nervous and afraid of messing up.

I'm not saying these are good traits to have, but they do coincide with another thing:

She's not usually the one initiating physical affection.

But under the effects of the Moodulator, she kisses Ron without even making sure it's something he'd want.

Conclusion:

Kim might have had some underlying feeling enhanced, but it doesn't appear to be romantic attraction, just physical attraction.

(Which, again, gross.)

Kim was attracted to Ron, but not in love with him.

#kim possible #ron stoppable #meta #episode review #cw: suggestive

[reina-royale]

Megamind 2 Concept

So, it's a few years after the end of the first movie. Megamind is starting to feel the same burnout Metroman felt.

Roxanne and Minion are trying to be supportive, but they don't really know how to help.

He's also moving into a more "heroic" lair, and is trying out more heroic suits. (White and blue instead of black and blue.)

Anyways, the container that held the powers given to Titan is being transported, admittedly not very carefully, when it breaks, releasing the powers into the city and granting other people powers.

Now, the powers had been harvested from Metroman's DNA. The thing about DNA is that it degrades over time. So, a few years prior it would have given people exact copies of Metroman's powers, it doesn't do that this time.

There are gaps in the DNA that's granting powers, and the recipient's DNA fills in the gaps, altering the powers they're granted.

This also means it'll be harder to remove them.

There will be a scene where Megamind and Minion need help, and Metroman shows up to save them.

Obviously, people are at first elated that Metroman is alive, but then react angrily at realizing he just left them.

Roxanne will give a great speech about how the public never cared about Megamind or Metroman, and they should be ashamed of themselves for it.

There will also be a few characters who want to be heroes, but are granted powers that are seemingly useless. Eventually, they realize their powers are more than that, they are more than that, and figure out all that their powers are capable of.

Metroman tells Megamind that he doesn't need a "heroic" lair or costume, that he's a better hero as himself than when he's trying to be like Metroman.

They defeat a big bad who'd been rallying up superpowered criminals for a big fight.

The final scene shows that the new lair has design elements from Megamind and Metroman. It would also show that they have more people with powers to track down and potentially fight.

The new team is called Megamind and the Metro Men.

And it could lead into a TV series if necessary.

#megamind #roxanne ritchi #megamind minion #metroman #story ideas #writing ideas #fic ideas

[reina-royale]

Where do you think the belief that Ron isn’t good enough for Kim comes from? Do you agree with that claim?

I definitely disagree with that claim. As for where it came from...

I'm not sure.

I'm sure the fact that the narrative itself treats Ron like a loser has played a huge part in this.

Kim is treated like an all-star crimefighter who can do anything, and Ron is treated like her inept, bumbling sidekick.

So, obviously, Kim deserves a cooler boyfriend, right?

(That's sarcasm, for people who have trouble telling tone over text.)

Except, it's been shown that Ron is actually very capable when necessary, even if the narrative and the characters won't acknowledge it.

Not to mention, healthy relationships are built on more than just similar skill levels.

Healthy relationships are built on things like support, communication, and friendship. Those are all things Ron offers Kim constantly.

(I have made several posts about how Kim doesn't offer those things to Ron, so I'm not going to get into it here.)

Ultimately, Ron is too good for Kim, and he deserves someone who at least appreciates the effort he puts into the relationship, even if they can't quite match it.

So, I definitely disagree with that claim, even if I'm not sure where it came from.

(I have a fanfic series on AO3 that addresses a lot of my issues with Kim, but Kim and Ron break up in the first installment. If that's not your thing, I'm going to advise against it.)

#kim possible #ron stoppable #meta #asks and replies #anon ask

[reina-royale]

Do you think Ron was a good sidekick for Kim?

I think Ron is too good a sidekick.

I think he's so good, in fact, that he deserves to be acknowledged as a partner.

Ron has impressive skills, and was shown to be able to handle missions on his own on several occasions.

He didn't have a problem following Kim's lead, though has expressed a desire to step out on his own as a hero.

My only problem with Ron as a sidekick is that he deserves better. An equal partnership, at least. With his own gadgets and battle suit and the same amount of recognition and gratitude that Kim gets.

Ron, even as "just a sidekick", is essential to Kim's success, even if she won't admit it.

So he is definitely a great sidekick, even though he deserves much better.

#kim possible #ron stoppable #asks and replies #anon ask #meta

[reina-royale]

Thoughts on "Larry's Birthday"

First Thought: Who the fuck let an old lady own a puma?! How did this happen?! Just...what?!

And she owns an alligator too?!

And briefly owned a grizzly?!

Who is this woman?!

Second Thought: Wade should have told them it was a puma before they even went on that mission.

Kim might have had a battle suit to protect her, but Ron didn't, and should have been told ahead of time the kind of danger it really was so he could better prepare himself, even if it meant not going.

Third Thought: Since when does Kim have a Cuddle Buddy collection? I know it's been mentioned before, but her Pandaroo is the only one that's ever seen. I'd hardly call that a collection.

Not trying to be insulting, I'm saying it'd be nice to see Kim with other Cuddle Buddies. One Cuddle Buddy does not a collection make, so show us the other ones she has.

Fourth Thought: Ron needs to work on not telling other people about Kim's secrets. Not just about the battle suit, but her Cuddle Buddy collection was also meant to be a secret and he shouldn't have told Larry about that either.

Fifth Thought: Not really role model behavior from Kim here:

Says she and Larry don't share the same planet.

Runs out of the comic shop exclaiming "real world" as though spending time around geeks is physically harmful.

She apologizes for putting down Larry's interests at the end, but then makes a condescending comment about real life being cooler than science fiction.

(Kim's real life might be cooler than made-up scenarios, but the average person's real life isn't.)

Sixth Thought: Gotta agree with June here: a guy who willingly stands around during a fight, comments on how it's like a video game, ignores the suggestion to get to safety because "it's just getting good", and gets into a helicopter with strange people assuming it's a LARP for his birthday, is not someone who should be left alone.

Seventh Thought: Why is Larry's birthday party being thrown at Kim's house? Shouldn't it be thrown at Larry's house?

Kim's kind of condescending, but I feel bad that she has to either attend a party she, no doubt, doesn't want to go to, or spend the whole day out of her own house to avoid it.

Also, I feel bad for Kim, with her closet getting blown up. I know it probably gets fixed quickly, but I still feel bad for her.

Eighth Thought: Does June not have any pictures of Larry dressed in normal clothing to use for the posters? Is the wizard costume the only outfit he ever took a picture in?

Ninth Thought: Kim doesn't care about Ron or Hana. Okay, that's probably not true, but she should never have suggested that Ron bring his baby sister on a mission when he's supposed to be watching her.

(Would you be okay if your SO told you to bring your baby sister on a potentially life-threatening adventure?)

She called it "recon" and said it wouldn't be dangerous, but she was clearly expecting to run into Dementor and his henchman while doing it, and thus expecting a fight. And Ron would have had to protect himself and Hana while fighting. This is not the behavior of someone who cares about Ron or his loved ones.

(Especially when she will adamantly deny needing Ron on missions, so, if she had truly believed it wouldn't be dangerous, there was no reason to bring him along anyways. And if she had believed it would be dangerous, she should never have suggested bringing the baby.)

Also, it's not really fair of Kim to not believe Ron when he said he didn't blow up the lair. Ron is canonically a terrible liar, and he wouldn't lie in the first place. He'd own up to his mistake, like he's done every other time he accidentally destroyed something.

Final Thought: Regardless of Larry thinking the whole thing was a LARP, he was pretty badass at the end. He needs a reality check and his own battle suit. He would make great backup on a mission.

(Ron also needs his own battle suit, but that's a discussion for another time.)

#kim possible #ron stoppable #meta #larry possible #hana stoppable #episode review #dementor

[reina-royale]

Ah, yes… the old excuse of ‘Félix doesn’t have good chemistry with Marinette’. As someone who has written a 26+ chapters story with the setting in the Ladybug PV Universe, I have to say that I have never encountered any problems where it was “impossible” for me to write Félix and Bridgette’s dynamics without creating bad chemistry between them.

Although, maybe it’s because I’m using a very special and very unique writing technique known as - character development.

Honestly, the more I think about Miraculous Ladybug and its characters, the more I think that the only reason they decided to make Adrien a Nice Guy is because they couldn’t bother writing some actual character development for him and instead decided to just hand him everything he wants on a silver platter. After all, isn’t it easier when your character already is super cool and super special and has just the right amount of trauma to make people sympathize with him in order to let him get away with literal murder (on multiple occasions!)?

To me, Adrien is a very one-dimensional and bland character who has no progress aside from flipping an internal switch and no life aside from obsessing over a girl. Take away his role as Cat Noir and him being Gabriel Agreste’s (the main villain) son, and there is really nothing that makes him appealing nor interesting as a character. Even if he is given an opportunity to develop as a character, he whines until the universe bends backwards to reward him without doing anything to deserve it.

It is also hilarious how they brought back Félix to be the one to actually progress the plot instead of letting either of the main characters figure out that Gabriel is Hawk Moth/Shadow Moth/Monarch, because they need to focus on unnecessary drama instead of actual story progression.

Seriously, this screams “We couldn’t bother to put effort into writing Félix, so we gave up”.

#ml salt #That Guy #that guy salt #adrien salt #pv felix #we were robbed

[reina-royale]

Do you really think all of ML's problems would be fixed if Adrien never existed?

Good heavens, no.

Adrien isn't the problem. He's just a symptom of a much larger issue. That issue being laziness and poor writing that comes in the form of "tell, don't show", plot threads that go nowhere, and lack of character development or plot progression that leads to a setup of "Status Quo Is God". Removing Adrien wouldn't fix all of that. Heck, it wouldn't fix any of that.

I can't fault the writers for replacing Felix with Adrien. Even if I and others could write out a plot with Felix, that's not to say everyone could or that the writers could. It could very well be that Felix as he was in the PV simply didn't work for the setup they had in mind.

...the issue here is that the setup they had in mind seems to require stagnancy. Where Hawk Moth attacks without winning and the heroes fight off the akumas without really trying to track him as the source and the two leads chase each other around in circles without anyone making any headway in either of these battles. Marinette wants to date Adrien. Chat wants to date Ladybug. It's why all her plans to ask him out fail while his attempts to express his feelings aren't taken seriously. And there is no forward movement, whether in their arc or in the fight against Hawk Moth. There wasn't even build or lead up to the two falling in love. They just started out episode one with crushes on each other and remained having crushes on each other until arguably season 5.

But no good story is stagnant. In this setup, characters need to do things and there needs to be a feeling of forward momentum.

Break it down this way: What is Adrien's problem? What is his goal? What is the obstacle to his goal?

Yes, we could say Adrien's dad being a supervillain and a neglectful jerk is Adrien's main problem, but it's not the problem Adrien is actually focused on in the show. Instead, if we could say Adrien has a problem, it would be that he wants to date Ladybug. And his goal is to date Ladybug. And the source of the problem and obstacle to his goal is...Ladybug.

So his problem, his goal, and the obstacle are all the same thing. This ultimately seems to make his problems Ladybug’s fault then because the problem would be solved if she gives in to his wants rather than by any real effort on his part.

Adrien as he is in the show doesn't do anything. And he doesn't need to do anything because he is at his base a character that things are done for. He doesn't have a goal or direction or drive. He just comes out to deal with akumas as needed, flirt with Ladybug when he can, and then be sad because his life is so hard when he doesn't get what he wants. We don't see him doing anything else. We don't see him making friends. We don't see him engaging in school. We don't even really see how he interacts with the classmates he only recently met. Things happen around him, but he is not a driving force in anything in the show.

But Felix in the PV is a very driving character. He had a problem: he's cursed. What does he need to break the curse? A kiss from Ladybug. What are the obstacles to his goal: Ladybug refusing to kiss him and Hawk Moth trying to kill her. How does he get that kiss? By flirting with her and trying to earn her affections while protecting her and making sure she doesn't DIE against an akuma before he gets that special curse-breaking kiss.

It's the start of Felix's journey. His goal and the various obstacles to that goal that make his story interesting and his growth possible. As such, I see him as a character who would progress in his attempts to obtain his goal as well as one who would progress the storyline...which is also accurate of 3D Felix since that's kind of what he's done more in his relatively few appearances than the series has in 5 seasons.

Adrien didn't have to have Felix's personality. He didn't have to have the same goals or level of drive. But he could still have had things where he grows and helps to push the plot forward.

Adrien...

...just started school. He has no friends, knows no one, and is trying to learn the ins and outs of public education. How is he doing in the different setting with teachers instead of tutors? How is he trying to get along with his classmates? Does he experience bullying? Does anyone NOT like him? What is he going through as a new student who had been homeschooled all his life?

...is friends with Chloe. What's it like learning his "only friend" is a bully? How do people respond to this? Does anyone (besides Marinette) fear him or avoid him because if he's friends with Chloe, he must be just like her?

...is a superhero. He could have been spending time learning the history of the ring and trying to develop his powers. Trying to get stronger? Trying to get to know Plagg? What is he experiencing as a highly known model who is also a superhero and having to juggle those dual identities?

...has a dead mom who died of a "mysterious illness". Given that this loss supposedly occurred about a year prior, he could still be mourning her. Maybe trying to learn what happened to her.

...has a neglectful father. How is he trying to interact with his dad? How does he feel about his dad not being around? What is he doing to try to resolve this?

...has a supervillain father. Like, I cannot stress this enough! His dad is a SUPERVILLAIN! His dad is THE SUPERVILLAIN THEY ARE FIGHTING! People were predicting him finding out and joining Gabriel to try and revive his mom! People were living for the eventual heartbreak of when Adrien finds out the truth! Entire AUs, fan arts, and fanfics were born of this very idea! Going into the drama and struggle Adrien would be experiencing being caught between the "right thing" and the girl he loves and his duty vs his father and his mother and his family. HOW CAN THEY JUST IGNORE THIS?!

But we don't get any of that. Instead, we get Adrien...

...just acclimated with no issues in school and automatically friends with everyone. Good for him, I guess. Wish it was that easy for the rest of us.

...doing little besides occasional comments to Chloe as she is completely horrible for five seasons including Chloe stealing from classmates, getting the entire school punished for something she did, stealing a Miraculous, trying to crash a train, and betraying the city to Hawk Moth. But it takes him learning about something she did to Marinette a year ago for him to finally decide enough is enough and drop her as a friend.

...only goes out to deal with akumas as they come but does nothing to try and figure out his powers and history, get stronger, or try to track Hawk Moth.

...just moves on from dead mom. No relevance here aside from wanting to see a movie she was in or making a passing comment about how she got sick. No attempt to find out what happened to her. No questioning what she may have wanted for him.

...is just sad about his neglectful father neglecting him but seems to get over it rather quickly.

...never learns his father is a supervillain. Okay, I take it back. He learns twice and those timelines are erased with no real repercussions other than trauma for Marinette, so it really doesn't feel like they count. The pieces are all there, though! He knows his dad has the grimoire but never questions him about it! Never asks his dad what the deal was with Tibet! No question about how mom died or what is going on with Nathalie or what he's doing with a hidden mechanism in mom's portrait.

Adrien has potential. He has plot threads and aspects that could be used and goals he could have. But the writing does nothing with him, so while he has a number of things he COULD do to move forward and progress as a character or for the plot, nothing comes of it.

And that all boils down to a problem with the writing.

Adrien was chosen over Felix as an "easier" option to keep the story at a standstill so they could drag it out for as long as needed. That doesn't mean it should have been. There were so many paths that could have been taken, but Adrien was given the personality of a wet noodle, so he acts on none of them because that was what the writers wanted out of his character.

#ml salt #adrien salt #ml writers salt #ml spoilers #ml analysis