#But I'll probably post it there as well | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

cerise-on-top · 3 months

Note

hi! how would Valeria and Kate react if their wife’s got hurt because of their work, both of them working highly jobs and it ended up catching up to their s/o. hoe you are doing well and drink plenty of water! thank you!

-🍒

Hello! Both of them would be absolutely distraught, but would go about it in different ways!

Valeria’s and Laswell’s Wife Gets Hurt Because of their Job

Valeria: Whoever hurt you will wind up tortured and eventually, once she thinks they’ve had enough of their miserable life, will wind up dead. Naturally, the first thing she does is check up on you, see if you’re alright and well, that’s her priority. You’re the love of her life, there’s no one else in this world she wants to see do well. You’ll be admitted to the best hospital nearby and will only get the finest treatment. Once you’re stabilized, that’s when the hunt begins. Whoever hurt you won’t get too far since that bastard’s life will be on the line. Regardless of where they might be hiding, Valeria will find them and show them that death is actually a kind of mercy. She has pretty much everything at her disposal, everything money can buy, this sucker won’t know what hit them. If it’s revenge they want, then revenge they’ll get. Valeria promises you that their head will be on a silver plate. She’s not very good with words when it comes to comforting someone, but she will have that person killed in the most cruel ways she can imagine. In fact, she’ll take the pleasure of torturing them upon herself. Once she’s done, she’ll take some days off, which is surprising since she usually can’t afford that at all. You’ll be under her direct care for those days. Anything you want you’ll get. Afterwards there will be a slight shift in her demeanor, Valeria becomes more protective over you. Sometimes she might even assign some trusted people of hers to watch over you since she can’t afford something like that happening again. While she can’t always take some days off, she’ll try to be closer to you anyway. Always texting you, finding excuses to come home for a day maybe. She just really needs to make sure you’re okay, she wouldn’t know what to do with herself if you died.

Laswell: Laswell will try to be a bit more diplomatic about it at first, trying to coax whoever hurt you out of hiding. This person will be held accountable for their crimes against her world. Naturally, she rescues you first, gets you to the nearest hospital and won’t leave your side until you’re stable again. If it takes you a while to wake up again, she’ll leave to find the fucker and make sure they swim with the fishes. She has a pretty large, efficient network and will find out who it was fairly easily. Once she knows who they are, she won’t hesitate to find out all their past crimes as well, if they hurt you then they must have done some other awful things as well. Once that phase is over, she’ll go to their home herself and have them arrested, put in the worst prison imaginable where the inmates are treated especially badly. She won’t kill them, but she wouldn’t be surprised if they wind up dead anyway. Laswell usually isn’t an evil person, but she does hope that person dies during their time. Their sentence will be as long as possible so there’s no chance of them ever seeing the sunlight again either. Once all of this is over, she, too, would take some days off to spend with you. You’re a priority above all else, so Laswell will want to be there for you, no matter the cost. While she usually isn’t, depending on how severely you got hurt she might become a bit overbearing, a bit overprotective. That overprotectiveness will last for a few months, afterwards she’ll try to give you some space again. However, she’ll always be keeping a closer eye on you, always texting or calling you every once in a while to make sure you’re okay. If she needs to, she’ll put you under her protection officially, but the situation needs to be dire for that to happen. Either way, she’ll be keeping you safe.

#cod #cod x reader #valeria garza #valeria garza x reader #kate laswell #kate laswell x reader #fem!reader #I hit over 100k words in my document last night which is so so much #I've written so much for Call of Duty in such a short time it's unbelievable. granted there's one fic I never posted but still #I don't intend to stop now either though it's fun. I'll probably be into cod for a while still anyway so there's that too #besides Valeria and Laswell have me in a chokehold. Farah does too I love them #every time someone requests them I'm very happy. I didn't expect the girls to be this popular though in all honesty #not complaining! it's nice to get to imagine kissing girls. it makes my gay little heart sing #I actually had some art of Valeria and an OC of mine commissioned not too long ago #every time I look at it I giggle and kick my legs a bit #I want her to fluster the everloving hell out of me until I can't speak anymore and am complete mush for her #I know I've mentioned it before but I love women who could absolutely just kill me. and who absolutely would do it as well #cod has some good women. made me realise that older women are also pretty epic #I think I'd melt into a puddle if Laswell ever called me her girl or her wife

177 notes · View notes

keets-writing-corner · 3 months

Text

guess who's still thinking about Lucifer >.<

anyways thought it'd be fun, given my previous post about his dissociation with conversations, to try and guess what his takeaways were from his phone call with Charlie based on his reactions

Maybe I'm wrong about what he's catching and what he's missing but either way I had fun

strike through= what he missed bold=what he caught neither bold nor strikethrough= he might've heard it/made it out through the white noise, but not enough to connect the dots RED= only heaven is in red cuz you cannot convince me otherwise that that's not a trigger word for him

Idk thought it’d be fun to try and guess what Lucifer is ACTUALLY hearing with his dissociation filter on let's GO

Lucifer: [insert absolute fail of hello]

Charlie: Hi Dad! Lucifer: Hey! How are ya? Oh! Wh-wh-where are you these days? Charlie: You know where I am, Dad… I’ve told you before…

Lucifer: You hAve? Oh. yeah Uh, erm well I um uh

Charlie: I told you when you called me five months ago! Or did you not listen?

Lucifer: No no no just forgot! I just forgot. I’ve been really busy with you know… um. iMpOrTanT tHiNgS

Charlie: Well I’m actually running a hotel to rehabilitate sinners, maybe you saw our commercial?

Lucifer: No? Sadly I… missed it! Lucifer: You know I haven’t been watching much TV lately! Scrambles the brain! Lucifer: but hey! A hotel! Fun!

Charlie: Listen, Dad, I’ve got kinda… a big ask?

Lucifer: -spit take- Yeah?! Of course! Anything in my power is yours for the asking you just name it

Charlie: I need to speak to heaven! Well, whoever’s in charge up there above Adam above anybody, I need to go to the top!

Lucifer: NO Lucifer: no no no no Lucifer: That’s uhahah no…

Charlie: Look! Dad! I don’t ask you for much. I never have, but this-this is really important to me. It’s the most important thing I’ve ever done and I… need… you… I need your help

Lucifer: I-... I don’t know Charlie

Charlie: Please just- Come see what I’m trying to do. You’ll see why it’s a really good idea and heaven is bound to agree if I get the chance to talk to them

Charlie: Please dad

Lucifer: wait… you’re… INVITING ME OVER??? Lucifer: ABSOLUTELY Lucifer: I’LL BE THERE IN AN HOUR

___

so yeah, he can semi follow along but like crucial bits and pieces ARE being left out

#lucifer #lucifer morningstar #hazbin hotel #dialogue #dissociation #this has been on my mind since the episode aired tbh #I think in the notes of my last post (I am not finding it for the life of me ;-; If I do I'll do an edit and credit them)#someone was talking about how this could also be nervousness as well #and you know what #yeah absolutely true #nervous about talking to his daughter #and the dissociation absolutely doesn't help #so nervous about navigating a conversation too #I do not think I'll do the whole episode #I really just wanted to explore the phonecall tbh #but legit I'm convinced when Charlie introduced Vaggie #all he heard was “-aggie!” and just defaulted to the only name he could think of that ended like that #tbh he's probably missing chunks of words and has to figure out what the word was based off of prefixes/suffixes #cuz that clearly happened with Vaggie #but it's already a challenge to piece together what he DID hear and what he didn't hear #so imma leave it at this #lowkey this is giving me loads of writing ideas for my own stuff

308 notes · View notes

wildflowercryptid · 3 months

Text

i made an edit for mjv!bb kieran so ya'll know what that means. enjoy the memes, everyone.

kieran's edit underneath the cut!

i only did a half-body like i did with florian bc there was no fucking way i was redrawing their entire official art, i don't have the energy rn. 😭

294 notes · View notes

mattodore · 4 months

Text

he's waiting on a call he's planning to send straight to voicemail

#sorry matthias </3 maybe he'll pick up the next time you try calling............ <- me when i lie #river dipping #ts4 #ts4 edit #gifs #theodore doe #echthroi #hi friends and lovers hope everyone's doing well <3 #i got my old laptop to work so i have a laptop again even if the battery on it is messed up #but still #i haven't been online much bc i've started getting dizzy from staring at computer/phone screens for too long #and in particular the act of scrolling either on mobile or desktop makes my head spin and my eyes hurt :/#but i powered through it yesterday so i could get in game with theo (and matthias) since i missed him really bad... oc plague be upon ye #i took... well. like five hundred screenshots and forty videos... i was in the soup. the mattodore soup. what can i say?#i don't like posting too much on here bc. i'm crazy (<- has avpd) so i probably won't post much from yesterday's fun here #but i'll post whatever i want on pillowfort <3 pic of jerma holding out his hand captioned let's take mattodore together #what else should i say before leaving... right my inbox... well i'll get to it eventually <- have been saying this since october sorry #but okay i've been staring at my screen too long so i need to go lay down for a bit #enjoy theo in motion!! if you’re a theo-head like myself #theodite à la jermamite? hm. its in the works. i’m workshopping.#mentioning jerma twice in these tags… busting a cyanide pill onto my tongue i’ve said too much #i have to go now mwah mwah mwah bye warmth and love to you mwah

249 notes · View notes

osamusriceballs · 9 months

Text

Finding Love

Bokuto x fem reader

Words: ~ 1,8 k

Warnings: NSFW (dry humping, sex against a wall)

About: A one night stand with Bokuto <3

A/n: I'm craving more one night stands with the haikyuu boys. Suna next. PERIOD.

"Y/n-"

The way he holds you sends shivers down your body. You're seated on his lap, his muscular thighs between yours, his lips delivering the messiest, hottest, open-mouthed kisses against your neck. Both of his large hands rest on your back, pulling you close, so close to him.

One of your hands rests on his shoulder, while the other finds its way into his spikey hair—messing it up as you involuntarily grab the strands tighter when he intensifies his actions.

"Koutaro..." His name still feels foreign on your tongue, a hazy memory from the introductions exchanged during passionate kisses in his car. His low groan assures you that you pronounced it correctly, and you're rewarded with a particularly hard suck against your throat.

He's hard. Unmistakably so. You subtly shift your weight, while your hand glides down his chest, tracing the outline of his well-defined muscles. He's not just tall, he exudes strength and fitness, making you feel incredibly safe and cherished in his embrace.

Your heart races in your chest, probably due to your excitement. Every move he makes steals your breath, his groans intensifying the sensation of his lips marking your skin.

"Y/n?" He pulls back slightly to look into your eyes, a questioning furrow in his brow. He looks so good that it momentarily takes your breath away.

"Yes?" Your reply, and your hand releases his hair, allowing him to adjust his posture and sit back.

"Could we move this to the bedroom?" His question is filled with hesitation, his cheeks tinted with a pink flush while his teeth dig into his lower lip as soon as he finishes speaking.

Both of you know what he just proposed. Your mind races, and his expression shifts as he waits for your response—his gaze now dropping, an endearing shyness in his posture.

"We don't have to if you're not comfortable. I just thought..."

"No! I mean, yes, let's go to the bedroom." You quickly interrupt, eager to ensure that you want it too. You want to continue this, to explore more of him.

His expression changes once more, an enthusiastic grin playing across his features. His hands wander to your ass, and before you can react, he stands up with you still in his arms. Your legs instinctively wrap around his waist, his arousal pressing against your barely covered core—restrained only by the thin layers of your panties and his dress pants.

"I want so much more. To see you, to feel you," he murmurs, while he's walking towards what you presume is the bedroom. "Please, I want it- I want you so much," you gasp, trying to grind against him, the friction adding fuel to your arousal.

A hard kick of his leg opens door, and suddenly, you're pressed against the wall. He's towering over you, his lips finding yours in a feverish kiss full of hunger and need. His lips against yours are intoxicating, plump and soft, with a sweetness and passion that convinces you that you're the only focus of his desire right now. Pressed against the wall, you're barely able to think, only able to feel.

"Do you... want to continue like this? Against the wall?" His words reach your ears as barely more than a breath, his kiss taking all your thoughts away. His words and his sheer strength make your body tremble even more with excitement.

"Yes, Koutaro," you breathe out, your voice full with anticipation. Your hands dig under the fabric of his shirt, meeting the warm expanse of his bare back. His muscles are tense and firm, a clear sign of his physical strength- he probably hits the gym regularly.

"Fuck me, Koutaro, please." The plea slips from your lips, the words coming out breathy and needy. His response is immediate, his hips grinding against you, his cock pressing hardly against your cunt.

"Koutaro. Please," you rasp the words against his lips again, feeling him trembling with excitement suddenly. Your hands wander between your bodies, finally, a little clumsily reaching the button of his pants and fumbling for a few seconds before you open it and reach into his boxers. He breaks the kiss when your fingertips brush against his cock, feeling him hard and throbbing against you. He buries his face in the crook of your neck, his breath heavy and ragged, while you keep palming him and exploring his body. His cock is thick, so thick that you're not sure if you could wrap your hand fully around him. But what makes you tremble in anticipation is how long it actually is. His cock definitely matches his physical appearance—broad and tall.

"Your hand feels good, so good, so good," he suddenly thrusts his hips against your hand, and you quickly move your other hand to the hem of his boxers to pull them down. His cock finally springs free, pressing up against your body, and you simply reach down to push your panties to the side and line his cock up at your entrance.

"Fuck," he groans against your skin, his hot breath meeting the shell of your ear, and he finally, finally pushes into you, the head of his cock disappearing between your legs and making your eyes roll back.

"Kou, fuck, Kou," you groan, your head falling back against the wall, not caring about the thump and the loud sound of your head crashing against the wall echoing through the room, along with your lewd moan and his grunts.

His hips slowly push forward, his cock deliciously stretching you out while he sinks deeper into your cunt. He easily slides through your wetness, his hands gripping your ass even tighter, leaving fingerprints on your backside for sure, and you clench around him when he's fully inside of you.

Your lips part as you breathe heavily, your muscles tensing at the sudden feeling of being overwhelmed with emotions. His hips suddenly move back and slam forward, his cock barely leaving your pussy, but the sudden thrust makes you gasp for air. "Oh, please-" you whine, not even sure what you're begging for, but he has you, he thrusts his hips again, and again, harder with every thrust, his movements suddenly even more unrestricted. "Tell me when you want me to stop," he whispers against your ear, and you only moan in response before he starts to thrust faster.

"Oh my god, fuck-" curses and prayers leave your lips endlessly, until you only manage to moan his name when he thrusts his cock into you, again and again. Your mind is hazy, your whole body electrified by his touch, your pussy deliciously clenching around him at every particularly sharp thrust.

"Touch yourself," he groans into your ear, your whole body shuddering at his raspy needy voice. You quickly bring one hand to your chest and start palming yourself, squeezing your tit through your shirt with your hand. A gasp leaves your lips, and suddenly Bokuto's face is right in front of you, his lips connecting with yours hungrily, firmly, with an intensity that makes your whole body burn. Your hand wanders further down while you keep on kissing him, your fingers quickly finding your clit and starting to rub against it feverishly.

"You're so hot, so damn hot," his words make you flush even further, and you reciprocate the kiss with more intensity, your fingers digging into the muscles of his shoulders.

"Please, don't stop, don't stop, don't stop, Kou," you whine, your hips rutting against him and grinding against his broad body. "Can't stop, baby, feels too good, you feel so good," he sounds almost desperate while he's grinding your body against him, the feeling making you see stars, you're so close, so close-

He presses his face against your neck, the sounds of his grunts and moans muffled against your skin, and when his hands grab your thighs almost painfully hard and he thrusts hard again—that's when you finally feel yourself cum, your muscles contracting and your body arching in his hold, your head falling back and your eyes rolling back in your head. "Kou, fuck-" you moan his name, your voice sounding so lewd that you'd be embarrassed, but your name leaves his lips at the same time, his body tensing and you feel a sudden warmth between your legs, his cum filling you up and making your high even more intense.

Your breath comes out erratically from your lips, your chest heaving heavily while your fingers comb through his hair. Most of his hairspray is already on your hands, the strands turning surprisingly soft, and you slightly tug on them after a while, to make him lift his face.

He quickly raises his head at the feeling, and your breath stops for a second when you see his face. He looks so cheerful and happy, his features even softer than you've ever seen before. He presses a quick peck to your lips, the gesture so soft and surprising that you can only stare at him with your jaw slightly dropped.

He finally stumbles back, his arms shaking, but his grip around your thighs still firm, and only two steps later he simply falls back onto the bed, your body resting on top of him. His cock is still half inside of you, slowly turning from hard to soft, but still so warm and welcome.

His hands find your bare back under your shirt, caressing your skin and drawing you closer. Bokuto exudes a soothing warmth, his body like a heater beneath you, and your fingers roam around his chest and play with the hem of his shirt. You did all this, and yet you're both still almost fully clothed- you can't even imagine how much more intense it would be if you're both naked.

"My friend Akaashi—you've seen him before, remember the guy with glasses? That's my best friend," he suddenly breaks the silence, prompting you to lift your gaze to meet his. His sweet smile causes your lips to curl upwards too. "Yes, I remember him. He was very polite." Bokuto's grin widens, and he nods with enthusiasm. "That's him. Akaashi told me that I'm not cut out for one-night stands. That they are all 'devoid of love'. But I believe that love can also start physically like this, don't you think? Because this did feel like the beginning of love." His sincere tone catches you off-guard, your eyebrows arching in surprise.

"I... yes, I think so too." Your response makes him smile even more- and the butterflies won't stop in your stomach.

"So... do you think we could see each other again?"

You feel his cum trickling between your legs, but both of you only focus on each other, not caring about the slowly growing stains on his dark pants. Your eyes are focused on him, his eyes shining with brightness and hope, his focus entirely on you. A comforting warmth washes over you, and you smile widely when you reply and lean closer to press a kiss to his lips.

"Yes. Yes, I think so."

#haikyuu fanfiction #haikyuu x reader #bokuto #bokuto smut #bokuto x reader #I hope you enjoy it! <3 #I'm in such a one night stand fever rn #like with haikyuu characters #BUT!#I've been to a convention last weekend #but I should probably make a separate post about that #I'll make one tomorrow! <3 #sleep well everyone! <3 #veeeeery tired rn T.T #I have to work tomorrow unfortunately T.T #but not too long #I might start writing on Suna's story tomorrow #So that I can post it soon! <3

317 notes · View notes

tooquirkytolose · 17 days

Text

Hello! My new 15 page comic is now up an available for pay what you like on itchio. I will of course still be posting it here on my blog and my comic sideblog tooquirkytolosemakescomics.

And you might ask "ok why give you a dollar when i can get it for free" You don't wanna support me?? :(

Well, if you download it from itchio you will also get extras like a cover page, 2 gag comics and a sketch page! I hope you read it and enjoy

#it is TECHNICALLY still free on itchio as well lol #you can just download as is #i'll probably post the comic here later today #and i will probably do this with lengthier one shot comics from now on

86 notes · View notes

the-real-google · 28 days

Text

I got really curious about something while catching up on notifs and now I have to know:

I don't remember everyone's handles so please reblog this so more people see it! Thanks :)

#I'm all caught up now!#well caught up on tumblr #I have other things I must do but I'll probably do them on Sunday?#I had to skip a whole bunch of picrew chains to be able to get through my notifs in a reasonable amount of time (it took a little over #an hour I think? I don't exactly remember when I started but I was talking to gabe during it and those messages were from an hour ago)#so sorry about that #feel free to tag me in more chains I promise I'll get to them next time #google #google posting #google is the best search engine #LSKJFLKDSJF OH RIGHT THE FICS I STILL NEED TO READ THE FICS AHH #hey google make a list for things I need to do on sunday

129 notes · View notes

justanotherwriter140 · 2 months

Text

Kung Fu Panda 4 - The Movie

The last really, really long discussion post (for now).

Major spoilers ahead!

This review is full of spoilers, so please refrain from reading through it until you've watched KFP4. I would highly suggest doing so, as I want everyone to form their own opinions without my influence. The movie has its flaws (some of which admittedly being a bit distracting), but it's a fun film that has things to offer.

Kung Fu Panda 4 is a fun movie (take that as you will) that takes its audience on an action-packed, surprisingly funny, yet relatively contained adventure on which Po doesn't really do much. It's an inconsequential, safe sequel that doesn't really hurt the franchise but adds close to nothing.

I had a good time watching the movie. It was obviously produced with its theater experience in mind and the action scenes especially reflected that priority. The humor was actually funny sometimes and I enjoyed Po and Zhen's dynamic. During the film, I was able to put most (most!) of my grievances aside and take the movie for what it is. I've discovered that the best way to watch KFP4 is with low expectations and an open mind.

I have a lot of things to say about KFP4, both complaints and compliments (though the former might be taking the forefront in this review), and I hope this review can help those of you who have seen the movie organize your thoughts. I've been having a lot of trouble with that specific aspect of things myself. Those who get it get it.

With that said, let's get into my full review of KFP4! I've been waiting for nearly 2 years to write this and I'm so excited to share every single thought.

I'm going to follow the format of my first discussion post and curate a bulleted list of my thoughts, followed by an analysis of each of these points. Keep in mind that everything I say is IMO and this is more of a rant post than anything else.

Here are my main points:

The Furious Five's role is comically minuscule in the context of the film. Their actions are inconsequential and add nothing to the plot (a confirmed last-minute add), and they have 30~ seconds of screen time. Shifu is also largely irrelevant.

Mr. Ping and Li's presence has little to no effect on the movie (though I won't complain too much because they were pretty fun to watch and this movie has bigger problems). In almost any scenario, I am adamantly against having characters present that don't add anything to the narrative; however, Mr. Ping is an exception. I love Mr. Ping. James Hong is a gem.

Zhen's screen time is not utilized well and her character is underdeveloped. She definitely wasn't annoying, but I didn't find her either compelling or funny enough to warrant the screen time she was given, especially considering it wasn't used to establish a backstory/strong motives. This makes me feel bad for the character because the movie kind of screwed her out of any substantial development.

The Chameleon, while complimented greatly by Viola Davis, is an underwhelming villain. Viola Davis is amazing in this film and I would suggest watching it for her performance if for nothing else, but the Chameleon is underwhelming considering the super cool concept behind the character.

The film feels very rushed. Apologies to those who disagree, but I think the pacing is atrocious and the final fight is anticlimactic. The movie felt like a word-vomit with no discernible intermissions that stops abruptly when the film ends.

I felt as though Po didn't change/grow as a person and the audience never had a chance to either bond with or relate to his character. His internal struggle is kept to a minimum and we don't spend a moment alone with him as an audience, which is disorienting and distracting. Watching the film felt like running into an old friend at the store who's too in a rush to have a real conversation.

The action scenes were strong with few exceptions. Creative art direction was utilized and I thought the martial arts choreography was entertaining and dynamic. I love the color palette of the film and many scenes were very impressive visually.

With my main points established, I do believe it's ranting time. Strap in, folks.

Let's start strong with the Furious Five: I'm gutted. Chagrined, despondent, crestfallen, etc.

The lack of the Furious Five negatively affects KFP4 so much, because not only does their absence hurt the atmospheric integrity of KFP as a franchise, it also forces KFP4 to bring in a slew of different characters—all while still noncommittally including the FF at the very end because I believe the marketing team required it—that clog up the cast a bit. It all goes to show how important strong, established side characters are.

The Furious Five are side characters, but the role of "side character" does not equate to being irrelevant, expendable, or exchangeable. I recognize that the Furious Five aren't super developed as characters beyond a handful of lines that allude to traits sprinkled sparingly among the members; however, I believe that the tiny bits of development we have been given have proved impactful in the past. Tigress's development in KFP2 is a prime example of how much narratively conscious changes (however small they may be) can positively affect these movies.

Because of limited runtimes, the Furious Five often operate as more of a singular unit than five individuals. Even so, I don't think discarding them is valid. They're so important to the KFP universe (to Po's universe!) and not having them with him feels so wrong. The Furious Five are fully integral to the heart of Kung Fu Panda, which is why I believe a lot of those who have seen the new movie have expressed something feeling "off" or something being missing.

I agree with this sentiment. To me, KFP4 didn't feel like a KFP movie. I don't need a Furious Five spin-off movie and I can be fully content with a KFP5 centered around Po's journey as an individual as was intended from the beginning, but he can't carry an entire movie on his back. As strong as he is in every sense of the word, he is only one character. He's the centerpiece of the franchise, but a centerpiece can only go so far without the rest of the design, so to speak.

For me, the Furious Five's absence is one of this film's biggest faults. It's huge and glaring. I know I'm not the only one who feels this way, either, because the friends with whom I saw the film refused to talk about any other aspect of the movie after seeing it. Seeing them at the end was better than nothing, of course, but it was a disappointing culmination after eight years of waiting.

That all is to say I feel robbed. Despite all of this, though, I understand that there were reasons why the Furious Five weren't included in the movie. I don't believe the production team would exclude the Furious Five unless they weren't given a choice.

Shifu and Po's dynamic continues to be thoroughly delightful but their interactions are short and simplified. I would have loved to see more of them in this film, especially considering the extreme relevance of teacher-student relationships in KFP4. I (somewhat) digress, though, because the idea of Shifu having to live at the Jade Palace with only Po for an extended period of time is hilarious enough on its own. Maybe that's what the short film is about!

The comedy is odd but has some jokes that stand out. Po maintains a healthy relationship with his inner sass, which I think makes him more fun to watch and kind of eradicates the man-child verdict. Some jokes don't land, of course, but I genuinely thought KFP4 had some funny moments. Mr. Ping was consistently awesome and Po had some good lines sprinkled throughout the film.

As for Mr. Ping, he and Li Shan are the subjects of the film's B-plot as they follow Po to Juniper City out of shared concern for their son's safety. In my mind, they don't add anything to the story that couldn't have been brought about by other characters, but they had their moments of being entertaining. I enjoyed their silliness and thought they had a cute dynamic if nothing else.

Speaking of other characters, I want to discuss KFP4's deuteragonist and why I genuinely feel bad about the way her character was treated.

I want to let it be known that I'm still not on board with Po passing the Dragon Warrior torch to another character. While I agree that his arc is now calling for him to have a student, I disagree with the notion of him retiring from his DW role.

As I stated in my first discussion post:

Didn’t the initial significance and nuance of the title come from the fact that there is only one person who can be the Dragon Warrior, because the concept of the “Dragon Warrior” isn’t so much a title as it is Po himself? The universe (Oogway) must choose the Dragon Warrior because they are a singular being of legend. It is one person, and that person is Po. Wasn’t the point of the first film that the title ultimately doesn’t really matter because there is no “secret ingredient,” so to speak? The title doesn’t actually give Po anything. “It’s just you,” Po says, and that was the resolution.

When it comes to Zhen as a character, contrary to what I predicted I would think of her, I thought she was okay. While I was still a bit distracted by how out-of-place her design looks, I wasn't truly annoyed by her at any point and she and Po had some cute moments. Even so, I think their relationship could have been a bit more refined and developed.

While it's evident that Po and Zhen are meant to have a teacher-student/mentor-apprentice dynamic, I think their relationship feels half-baked. There were parallels that contradicted one another and ended up being confusing come the film's conclusion, and the nature of their relationship seems to vacillate depending on the scene. Additionally, the strength of their bond goes from zero to one hundred within thirty-ish minutes and left me with a bit of whiplash.

We're shown that Po and Zhen care about one another, but we're never shown why. They have a brief conversation during which they bond over being orphans, and Zhen says at one point, "You're actually a good guy," but that's it. This obvious lack of development is a bit disorienting because we're later led to believe that Zhen and Po care very deeply for one another when there's almost nothing to back it up.

A scene that sticks out to me when discussing this is when Zhen attack-hugs Po in a way that explicitly mirrors Tigress's hug from KFP2. This happens around the beginning of the third act, and while it had the potential to be an endearing moment, I think it fell flat.

The impact of Tigress's hug was brought on by her character's hardcore nature and reputation of being heartless, further strengthened with the knowledge that she was hugging Po (which was obviously way outside her comfort zone) as a show of companionship and fundamental understanding. Tigress hugged Po because he needed someone to recognize his strive for closure.

Zhen's hug had little to no impact because she had no reason to do it and it didn't indicate growth. She hugs Po because she's sorry for betraying him and doesn't want him to be killed by the Chameleon, but neither of these things are newly-established via this hug; we have already gathered by now that Zhen regrets betraying Po and doesn't want him to get hurt.

The hug is far from the movie's weakest point, but I think it's unnecessary given the context. I'm big on hugs in movies (an underutilized form of platonic affection, in my opinion), but it didn't fit here. I don't hate it, and I see it as an honest effort to bring emotionality to Po and Zhen's relationship, but it seems arbitrary.

Zhen and Po's relationship has a lot of potential and I'd be open to seeing more of them in the future, but I think some more thoughtful development needs to occur before I can humor it further. Even so, I can see myself featuring Zhen in some future post-KFP4 one-shots—sparingly, of course, because we have a lot of Furious Five content to compensate for.

Overall, they had a cute dynamic and some sweet moments but I'm not attached. I'm on board with Po having a student but I think their relationship needs a lot more development, something that this film unfortunately didn't give them time to either accomplish or earn.

Now, onto the Chameleon!

The concept of the Chameleon's character is admittedly super interesting. She's the deuteragonist's fastidious mother figure who feels that Zhen owes her a debt and as a result holds her to an impossible standard. That dynamic had the potential to be so interesting but I didn't think it was explored at all. There is no indication of Zhen having any internal conflict about fighting the Chameleon, no emotional complexity between them at all; it's disappointing because I think it would've added a bit of earnestness to the film.

Additionally, the idea of a shape-shifting villain is versatile. A shape-shifting villain gives those telling the story a lot of room to experiment with the protagonist and different ways in which the main character can be challenged and tested. It's yet another good idea utilized poorly. Just one idea: the Chameleon could have disguised herself as one (or several) of Po's family, friends, etc. and brought to fruition a new arc with his character (seeing as he arguably doesn't have one in this film), but she only disguises herself as Zhen very briefly in the movie.

Furthermore, the Chameleon completely relies on the powers of previous villains to pose any sort of threat to the main characters. She summons Po's former nemeses from the Spirit Realm (despite there being little logic in doing so considering Kai's literal evisceration) and takes their kung fu abilities for herself.

An excerpt from my first KFP4 discussion post that I think is relevant to the point I'm trying to make:

I don’t think it would be in the best interest of anyone if the past villains were to come back in any way that’s not a flashback (even then, I’m not sure I’d see the point). In all honesty, I thought that the whole point of the villains was that they died and stayed dead. They were defeated by Po once and for all as a testament to the idea of establishing Po's character growth and journey as a person through the bad things he’s able to overcome. It’d be highly contradictory to the messages of the other films if these villains were to suddenly come back.

While there was an honest effort made to portray the Chameleon as intimidating, I never felt as though any of the characters were endangered by either her or her army of lizard henchman. She's a visually appealing character (aside from her eyes, which I thought more resembled those of a gecko than a chameleon) and I greatly enjoyed Davis's performance, but overall I don't see the Chameleon as a notable villain.

The return of Tai Lung (had he been on his own) had the makings to be an excellent story, especially considering the importance of teacher-student dynamics in KFP4. To see him interacting with Shifu would have been incredible and could have led to further closure on Tai Lung's end (because I think that's kind of what the team was going for anyway), but it didn't happen.

It was nice to see Ian McShane reprise his role, but I wish Tai Lung's characterization had been more reminiscent of the way he was in the first film and more complimentary of his overall character arc. Tai Lung isn't a one-dimensional villain with a singular goal and motivation, and I couldn't help but feel as though the complexity of his character was simplified for the sake of KFP4's narrative.

Tai Lung's presence in KFP4 may be odd, but Shen and Kai's appearances are even more so. Kai, if I remember correctly, was fully obliterated by Po, reduced to literal particles on screen (which is kind of wild now that I think about it). Shen being in the Spirit Realm makes sense all things considered; however, Po and Li had no visible reaction to his presence, which seemed a bit unlikely considering Shen's deeds. This plot hole can likely be attributed to the fact that Shen and Kai's cameos (to my knowledge) were last-minute additions to the movie.

I have to talk about the pacing. I have to. I'm sorry, bear with me.

To me, the film's pacing is erratic and disconcerting. While I can appreciate a quick-moving narrative that doesn't dawdle on storylines that aren't interesting/important, KFP4 kind of flings itself too far in the opposite direction and ends up being frighteningly fast-paced. Once the credits began, I felt like I had been holding my breath for the entire movie.

KFP4 is confusing because while the runtime is standard for a KFP movie, it feels incredibly short. At the same time, the film's story moves at a breakneck speed and leaves little time for heart and development. These things culminate into a barreling boulder of a movie that simply doesn't have time to let its characters, story, or audience take a breath.

A fast pace is not inherently negative, but I don't think it worked in the favor of KFP4. The KFP franchise has always been very emotionally grounded (and just very grounded in general), so to see a film in which emotion/heart takes an aggressive backseat in comparison to action and comedy is jarring. While I think it's unreasonable for fans to expect the same emotional integrity as the original films to be present in the current and upcoming ones, I still think there's room for Po to grow and I felt as though the notion of him developing further was brushed aside in this film.

As for Po's growth, I felt it was nearly nonexistent. The previous trilogy wrapped up his character's journey beautifully and I know that KFP4 was bound to struggle with this particular aspect of making another KFP film; however, just because the strongest pillars of Po's character are established doesn't serve as a valid excuse to reverse his development and repeat what he learned in KFP3.

In KFP3, Po learned firsthand that he is capable of spreading wisdom and teaching kung fu. He also learns that he is constantly growing and that change is inevitable; there is always something more to learn.

"If you only do what you can do, you will never be more than you are now."

"I don't want to be anything more, I like who I am!"

In KFP4, Po pushes against this narrative despite fully accepting it in KFP3, actively reversing crucial parts of his character development achieved in the latter. KFP3 was non-ambiguously about learning to cope with change and responsibility, and I can't help but feel like KFP4 is simply copying this message while not adding anything to it.

Additionally, I felt that KFP4's Po generally felt less personal than he has in the past. In every KFP movie up to the franchise's most recent addition, I felt very connected to Po as an audience member. I felt like I was truly seeing the world of KFP through his eyes. I consider this to be one of the franchise's most impressive feats; it's incredibly difficult to build a universe around a character without making the audience feel limited to one perspective and one part of the world.

With KFP4, I felt both limited and disconnected. The world didn't feel as vast and all-encompassing as it has in the past and Po didn't seem fully like himself. This could be me nitpicking (as I'm prone to do), but I can't recall a single moment in the movie in which Po was alone on screen. Scenes like these are crucial for me because I see them as a meet-cute between the character and the audience, a moment for us to cross the bridge into their world in a way that's silent and intuitive. These little bonding moments are absolutely integral to feeling connected to a character.

Po's dream sequence in the first KFP movie is one of the best examples of this. It presents his aspirations, alludes to his way of life up to the point of the movie, and showcases his personality. During Po's dream sequence, the audience is quite literally inside Po's mind; we're there with him, seeing what he sees, subsequently feeling what he feels. Po is a dreamer at heart and makes the audience feel like dreamers, too.

In KFP4, I felt like I little to no point of reference when it comes to how Po was feeling. I didn't feel immersed in him and his world.

I know I've been very "doom and gloom" throughout this post, which is an exhausting mindset for everyone involved. I want to end my critique with something positive because I think some praise is deserved. Let's just say the movie could have been a lot worse, the details of which I'm sure you're all well aware.

The color palette of the movie is beautiful and somewhat reminiscent of the first film. While the animation style of KFP4 is far more simplistic than its predecessors, I was very impressed with its use of shadow and light. Po's many faces were also hysterical, props to those who helped make him as expressive as he is.

Additionally, the movie's action sequences were clearly thought out and discussed in great detail. The experimentation with camera angles was really fun to watch and I enjoyed the majority of the film's fight scenes. They were fun, bouncy, and entertaining, and quite likely reinstated audiences's love of watching a cuddly panda kick butt.

Congratulations, you've reached the end! Thank you so much to all of you who took the time to read this unnecessarily long and detailed review. As long as I help someone translate their conflicted feelings into coherent thoughts, I'll call it a win.

I want to reiterate that I don't hate Kung Fu Panda 4 and I had fun while watching the film. It has its flaws and there are a lot of aspects that I dislike, but the effort of the crew is obvious and I greatly admire and respect the hard work put into the film by those who worked on it. This does not at all excuse my issues with the movie, but it's worth saying.

As for the future of the series, I only hope that the next installment is more considerate of the franchise's origins and why Po's story is being told in the first place. I fully believe that another sequel could be good given a strong, passionate crew with a great understanding of the characters and world (and I wouldn't be averse to some previous directors returning, just to put it out there).

Thanks again to those who took the time to read this crazy excuse for a movie review. Feel free to either disagree with me or add things in the replies/reblogs, I'm always looking for more thoughts to think.

Until next time!

#kung fu panda 4 #kung fu panda #dreamworks animation #kfp #kfp 4 #movie review #i'll add the actual picture of the furious five's cameo when i can get ahold of one of decent quality #my time has come #it wasn't THAT bad #i didn't love it #but it is what it is #it's a tentative 6/10 all things considered #free the five #perhaps i treated kfp3 too harshly #don't get me wrong the movie had good qualities and i can tell a lot of work went into it #a lot of missed potential imo #a lot of characters done dirty #i didn't even mention the score but i thought it was just okay #i wasn't wowed #i know close to nothing about composing though so i should probably just not even go there #credits were the best part both cinematically and musically #i feel mean but i'm not going to be dishonest #bc obviously you all simply must know how i feel about the silly panda movie #a more detailed version of the grievances i have w the dragon warrior plot can be found in my og discussion post if anyone's interested #as well as my thoughts on bringing back old villains #might make some edits to this in the future but this is all i have to say for now

102 notes · View notes