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shortnotsweet · 3 years

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The Allegory of the Tin Man, the Dictator, and the Knight: a Dissection of Ironqrow and a Character Arc of Failure

“There lived in the Land of Oz two queerly made men who were best of friends. They were so much happier when together that they were seldom apart.”

— L. Frank Baum

A brief Ironqrow meta and character analysis of James Ironwood, the ultimate screw up, in three parts.

I. Qrow and Ironwood’s Homoeroticism in Canon Source Material and its Translation

II. Ironwood’s Repressed Characterization and the Inherent Chivalry of the Dictatorship

III. Ironwood, Alone

Qrow and Ironwood’s Homoeroticism in Canon Source Material and its Translation

Within the Oz series, the Tin Man and the Scarecrow are layered within homoerotic subtext, even if it is included unintentionally. Tison Pugh’s analysis Queer Utopianism and Antisocial Eroticism in L. Frank Baum's Oz Series posits that the land of Oz as portrayed within the series is a largely asexual environment of suspended adolescence that involves the deviation of binary gender norms, and of performative heterosexuality. Pugh refers to it later as a “queer utopia”. Men are portrayed as a lesser military force to women, and heterosexuality is a flimsy presence at best; all signs of procreation within Oz are stifled. While this could be chalked down to Baum not wanting to get into the subject of sex and exploration in a children’s series, it does contribute to a particular tone with real-life critiques of capitalism and a particular deconstruction of gender norms. Ozma, who will become the ruler of Oz after the Wizard and the Scarecrow respectively, for example, is originally a boy named Tip (the name itself holds phallic implications) who is “transformed” into a girl. The strongest military force is one of all-women led by a rebellious female general. Pugh observes, “At the same time that Baum satirizes...women as leaders…he consistently depicts women as more successful soldiers than men, and female troops appear better capable of serving militarily than male troops…[the] male army comprises of twenty-six officers and one private, and they are all cowards…” and cites the Frogman’s declaration that “Girls are the fiercest soldiers of all...they are more brave than men, and they have better nerves”.

RWBY itself isn’t opposed to this kind of subversion, either in its characters or its relationships. There’s an obvious effort to include LGBTQ+ representation (albeit primarily in the background), strong female characters are prevalent and make up most of the main and supporting cast, a character’s gender is not strictly reliant on its source material, and BlackSun, while cute and a valid ship in its own right, is treated as a heterosexual red herring to Bumbleby. Additionally, there have been a lot of hints by the voice actors, writers, and creators on social media that Qrow himself is queer, the infamous Ironqrow embrace included.

Admittedly, if I wanted to write an essay about the likelihood of Qrow being LGBTQ+ or having some kind of queer identity, I would probably focus more on his relationship with Clover, which had a lot more overt and probably canonically intentional Gay Vibes, and despite having known Qrow nowhere near as long as Ironwood has, it has just as much, if not more, to extrapolate. Unfortunately, that’s not the main point of this essay, although it remains relevant. While I personally don’t doubt that Qrow has had sex with women or experiences valid sexual attraction to them, I get the feeling that it is, to a degree, a performative act and a masculine assertation of enjoyment intended as a coping mechanism. It plays into the trope of the handsome, tortured alcoholic (best exemplified, perhaps, in the MCU’s Tony Stark, Dean Winchester in Supernatural, and critiqued in the superhero episode of Rick and Morty) who sleeps around just to recall the feeling of intimacy, or because he associates sexual ‘degradation’ as a reflection of his worth. Real self-deprecating, slightly misogynistic stuff. Qrow’s recall of short skirts, as well as his brief exchange with the waitress in an earlier volume, reminds me of one specific interaction between the Scarecrow and his own love interest. Within the series, the Qrow’s source-material counterpart, the Scarecrow, has one canonical love interest, the Patchwork Girl:

“Forgive me for staring so rudely,” said the Scarecrow, “but you are the most beautiful sight my eyes have ever beheld.”

“That is a high compliment from one who is himself so beautiful,” murmured Scraps, casting down her suspender-button eyes by lowering her head.

Pugh points out that the two of them never develop this relationship further than flirtation, and heterosexuality is reduced to a “spectral presence” lacking the “erotic energy [driving] these queer narratives in their presence”. Specifically, Qrow never reveals a serious or long running heterosexual love interest - he is not the father! [of Ruby] (despite much speculation that he and Summer Rose were involved) and he and Winter never really moved past the stage of ‘hostility with just a hint of sexual tension’ - and there is no debunking of potential queerness. His interactions with Clover (deserving of an entire essay on its own) seem to support this interpretation, and is more or less a confirmation of some kind of queer inclination or identity. Again, the “queer utopia” of Oz comes at the cost of the expulsion of the sexual or the mere mention of reproduction - still, through this device, same-sex relationships gain a new kind of significance with the diminishing nature of heterosexuality. Speaking of queer narratives, the Scarecrow and the Tin Man have the most tender and prolonged relationship of perhaps all the characters in the series, exchanging a lifelong commitment:

“I shall return with my friend the Tin Woodman,” said the stuffed one seriously. “We have decided never to be parted in the future.”

Within the source material, the Tin Man and the Scarecrow voluntarily live together, and are life partners in nearly every sense of the word. The second book in the Oz series is The Tin Woodman of Oz. In summary, the Tin Woodman recalls that he had a fiancée before the events of the first book, forgot all about her, and now must search her out so that they can get married. Who does he ask to accompany him in this pursuit? None other than his no-homo life partner, the Scarecrow. Although this sounds like a stereotypical heteronormative storyline, “this utopian wonderland...rejects heterosexual procreation...First, the Tin Woodman does not desire...Nimmie Amee...” and even acknowledges that due to the ‘nature’ of the heart that the Wizard had given him, he is literally incapable of romantically or passionately loving or desiring Nimmie, and by extent, women in general - to me, that works perfectly as an allegory for a gay man who is literally incapable of experiencing legitimate heterosexual urges, but ‘soldiers on’ out of obligation and societally enforced chivalry. “The Tin Woodman excuses himself from the heteronormative imperative...Only his sense of masculine honor, rather than a heteronomratively masculine sex drive, impels the Tin Woodman on his quest to marry his long-lost fiancée.” Again, Ironwood’s character follows the lines of propriety within the sphere of the wealthy elite, and his persona as a high-ranking military man and politician, as well as the conservative values instilled within Atlas, prioritize duty and obligation. This kind of culture is stifling and in a lot of ways aloof, as the upper class deludes itself into believing that it is objectively better and more advanced than its neighboring territories. *ahem the myth of American exceptionalism ahem*

“There lived in the Land of Oz two queerly made men who were best of friends. They were so much happier when together that they were seldom apart.”

I think it’s funny that the characters that Ironwood and Qrow are based off of are canonically the closest of friends, who coexist almost as a unit. In contrast, the first introduction we get of Ironwood and Qrow is a hostile exchange where they’re at each other’s throats, never on the same page, and never in sync, not when it matters. Indeed, Qrow snaps at Ironwood for his lack of communication, which is a recurring issue between the two of them on notable occasions. If the source material is anything to go by, there should be a significant relationship between the two of them, or at least some kind of connection, even if it goes unspoken or unacknowledged. To be fair, in RWBY’s canon, I think there is.

I’ve seen this joke that while Qrow hates the Atlas military, the only people he really seems to flirt with is Atlas military personnel. “Ice Queen” is something I interpreted to be partially hostile, partially mocking, and partially flirtatious, in equal spades - the voice actors and creators have indicated that it was flirtatious, and there was a whole Chibi episode dedicated to the concept of Qrow and Winter’s extrapolated sexual tension, albeit in jest. I might argue that his use of abbreviates aren’t reserved for people he dislikes, but for people who bring out his playful side. “Brat”, “Pipsqueak”, “Firecracker”, and “Kiddos” are all drawn from a place of affection, however short or mocking it may seem, because that’s what crows do: they mock others.

Qrow has little nicknames for people; while it’s not exclusively a sign of affection, I do get the feeling that ‘Jimmy’ is an informality that irks Ironwood, but can also be interpreted as Qrow giving James what he needs, rather than what he wants.

Glynda is by no means a pushover, but in assuring him that while he does questionable things, he’s still a good person, she’s softening the blow and probably further enabling deeply rooted and pre-existing traits, many of which contribute to his problematic control complex. It is established early on that Qrow resents the military (as he should), and it is implied that he’s spent a fair amount of encounters harassing and provoking military personnel (Winter being the most evident example of this), and has insulted the military numerous times to Ironwood’s face. He lectures Ironwood about the way he conducts his operations, his inability to communicate, and basically what a complete, inconsiderate asshole he really is.

What Ironwood needs is someone who operates outside of the pretense that he works, breathes, and lives under, and just tells it like it is. Jimmy isn’t all that - he’s a person, just like the rest of us, and he can flaunt all the titles that he wants, but James stripped down is still just Jimmy.

Qrow also is the kind of person who pries, who is insistent, and not particularly sensitive. For someone like Ironwood who has a lot of (physical and emotional) barriers, logically, in order for him to receive genuine understanding, Qrow fits the profile of someone who is invasive but not exploitive, who sees past the cracks in his armor and takes him for what he is. What is just important is that whoever Ironwood is with is someone who makes him want to try not only to be better, but to be real; thematically, General Ironwood seems to have a great respect for but a deep struggle with authenticity. He clearly resents the ignorance and frivolity of Atlas’s wealthy elite, as evidenced by his support for Weiss at the dinner party in announcing that “she’s one of the only people making any sense around here”, while struggling to project the facade that he’s carefully created.

See, we don’t have evidence that there is something going on between Ironqood and Qrow so much as we have enough evidence to inconclusively say that there’s not not something going on. I think there’s enough evidence to support the idea that something could be going on, or was going on.

When Qrow saves Ironwood at the Battle of Beacon, who is under the false impression that Qrow believes him to be the culprit of the attacks, his eyes follow Qrow and we get a closer shot of his awed expression; we the viewer can only imagine what he sees as Qrow arcs through the air and slices down a Grimm from behind his back. The focus on Ironwood’s expression portrays something like shock (so Qrow wasn’t trying to attack me after all, but then what the hell is he doing?), maybe wonder (I can’t take my eyes off of him, I can’t look away), maybe respect (I know he’s a good Hunter, but I’ve rarely seen him in action), but it is unfiltered nonetheless. In a show where fight scenes are vital to the progression of the story itself, the dynamics of these fights are at their best when they are character driven, whether it is revealing or reinforcing something about the characters and their relationships, or it is deciding their fates. There’s something to be said about characters being given moments together in battles, and what that says about the significance of their relationship. The best example of this might be the battle between Blake and Yang vs Adam; it served to give Adam what he deserved, help Blake and Yang reach closure in certain aspects of their own trauma, and solidify the bond between the girls. Similarly, Qrow and Ironwood’s moment is meant to reveal a theme that will later be revisited in volume 7; trust. Ironwood is startled but not shocked when he believes that Qrow distrusts him to the degree of attacking him, and is ready to attack or defend as needed.

Qrow tells him what he needs to hear, more or less: YOU’RE A DUMBASS. Ironwood is, indeed, a dumbass. While he does extend the olive branch of trust and good will to CRWBY and co. this trust is highly conditional and proves to be, while from a place of desperation and sincerity, at least partially performative.

When Ironwood snaps, he snaps hard.

Amber’s voice actress tweeted early on, joking that Qrow has two Atlas boyfriends, and Arryn has made comments, too. It’s one of the older ships, and the crew is certainly aware of it (“...extended chest bump...”).

Kerry has stated that he finds the Ironqrow relationship interesting, and wishes it had been explored more (additionally, allegedly lobbying that Ironwood’s arm in the Ironqrow hug scene be slightly lower). I’m not saying that they’re going to both make it out alive, or canon, or even that romantic subtext was intentionally woven into the script. All I’m saying is that I think their relationship is interesting too, especially when the subtext of their source material relationship is taken into context, and the way their characters are positioned is suggestive of some sort of compatibility, even if it is a hit or miss kind of opportunity, and I have the sinking suspicion that it was missed on both accounts.

The Tin Woodman of Oz concludes,

“All this having been happily arranged, the Tin Woodman returned to his tin castle, and his chosen comrade, the Scarecrow, accompanied him on the way. The two friends were sure to pass many pleasant hours together in talking over their recent adventures, for as they neither ate nor slept they found their greatest amusement in conversation.”

Ironwood’s Repressed Characterization and the Inherent Chivalry of the Dictatorship

“I don’t give a damn about Jacque Schnee...what about the other two? Do not return to this office until you have Qrow Branwen in custody.”

“And that’s not all we’ve lost...I had Qrow in my hands, and I didn’t do what needed to be done.”

Observe: Ironwood, at this point, does not care about politics. I doubt he’s ever wanted to, or ever liked it (if his tired outburst at the dinner party is any indication) but his Knightly qualities (we’ll get to that) have, up till this point, prompted him to adhere to them for both power and etiquette. James surrounds himself in a world that he understands and despises; more than anything, he’d like to be a general, a commander, and the Knight in Shining Armor archetype, because warfare is something he understands. It is a testament to his (superhuman) willpower that he forces himself to become fluent in the language of politics, and to live and breathe in it. To clarify, Ironwood sees himself as a man who does what needs to be done; if he wants to change and control Atlas, he will have to involve himself in its politics.

Likely, his resilience has contributed to the way he views himself and what he deserves, as someone long-suffering and almost martyr-like, a silent hero doing what needs to be done. But at the moment, he’s lost his goddamn mind coming undone. He’s murdered and jailed his political dissent (and might have considered executing prisoners), but at this point, that’s all that Jacque and Robyn are to him. First he dismisses Jacque, narrows it down to the two escaped prisoners, and finally reveals what’s really on the forefront of his mind: Qrow, free and out of his hands.

[ When recalling this dialogue, please do so while imagining a bad recorder cover of the Titanic music playing over the background. Here is a sample. ]

In the most recent episode, Ironwood seems to have gone off the rails even further. The fact that Winter, his most faithful lieutenant, is losing her unshakable faith in him, says a lot about how hard he’s fallen off the deep end. In Winter’s mind, I think that she sees him almost as a surrogate father figure, or at least a patriarch who can be positively compared to Jacques in every way. The previous volumes go to lengths to compare the two as adversaries and showing James in a favorable light; Winter is in her own personal horror right now, because she is beginning to understand that Ironwood is a man who may not be her father but is just as susceptible to corruption, and may have been that kind of person all along. Skipping over the...ah, genocidal tendencies, and the fact that he’s proposing to kidnap Penny’s friends to force her to obey him and likely is starting to realize that Winter is the perfect bait (let’s just say that “Ironwood is not good with kids” is the understatement of the year) Ironwood wants Qrow back (in captivity), I think that it’s significant that while Ironwood registers that Robyn is gone as well, his first priority is Qrow, probably for two reasons. On one hand, he still refers to Qrow by his first name, instead of the formal Branwen. Of course, that doesn’t have to mean anything at all. They’re colleagues within the same age range, both members of the same secret brotherhood and similiar skill sets.

On the other hand, it reminds me of the moment when Qrow and the kids first fly into Atlas, and they see the heightened security, and Qrow mutters, “James...what have you been doing,” under his breath, sounding concerned, apprehensive. He’s not addressing the kids, he’s talking to himself; he regards James much more seriously both as a potential threat and a friend than he’d rather the other know, and I think that James’ focus on Qrow at this point is similiar, only not only is this a sign of them knowing each other well, but of Ironwood’s slipping control. He offered Qrow his trust and camaraderie, his last attempt to keep a handle on his humanity (or, his heart). Qrow, in return, withheld vital information, got close with another operative instead, then allegedly killed him and and escaped ‘rightful’ imprisonment.

The Tin Man is offering Qrow his heart, at least proof of it, and the Scarecrow [and co.] steps back to observe the situation, and assesses that no, what you are going to do is wrong, and I cannot agree with it.

Ironwood is not an objective person, as much as he wants to be. He’s angry, desperate, scared, and humiliated. Worst of all, he’s rebuffed, and he’s taking Qrow’s escape personally. First, he understands that Qrow is a threat. He’s Ozpin’s best agent, he has years of field experience, and he knows too much, probably more than James knows. Second, they have history.

My personal interpretation of Ironwood is something this:

He’s a sad, sad, lonely bitch. What Ironwood longs for, just like his source material counterpart, is a heart. He will go to any lengths to achieve this, because he believes that he has self awareness and therefore is able to check and balance himself. He treats his subordinates well, is diplomatic, skilled in a variety of trades, fighting the good fight, and longs for the affirmation that yes, he is a good person, and yes, he’s had a heart all along. He just strays from the path, and loses his way.

This is symbolically represented by his partially mechanic exoskeleton; we have no idea how far the cyborg extremities extend, or how deep, but we do get the visual notion of humanity in conflict, or a man’s soul deconstructed and split between the cold efficiency of machinery and the very real warmth of a human body. Ironwood wants to appear human, and benevolent, and genuine, and in return, loved; he is human, and he could be all of these things. If my reliance on the source material holds any merit (although I highly doubt it), then there is also a potential struggle with sexuality, (Glynda herself even explicitly and exasperatedly references a testosterone battle between Ironwood and Qrow, suggesting a regular overassertation of masculinity) and a further incentive to achieve love and subsequent acceptance.

To clarify, I do believe that there were less-than-subtle allusions to Ironwood and Glynda having a vaguely flirtatious history, taking their shared scenes and background dancing into account, but this, again, does not “debunk” the presence of queerness within a narrative; it could be an assumption of heterosexuality, or performative itself, or just not an exclusive interest. Besides, Ironwitch isn’t what this essay is about. I’m not trying to persuade or dissuade someone of the notion that Jimmy is gay, or straight, or something else, only that the potential ambiguity exists. What I do think is most important is that James doesn’t openly ward people away, not when those people aren’t under his command and are technically outside of his jurisdiction. He’s friendly with Glynda, tries to extend trust to Qrow, is kind to people in the aftermath of battle, and overall clings to diplomacy as his first weapon. He wants to be accepted, to be liked, and to be welcomed. This is not an outrageous want, nor is it uncommon. Unfortunately, Ironwood’s understanding of love and acceptance is entangled within the concept of control, and he associates unquestioned compliance with this Want.

Ironwood’s introduction into the series shows him being openly cordial, and very considerate, especially his interactions with Glynda and Ozpin. He’s a gentleman, he’s apologetic, and, as Glynda assures him, he’s a “good man”. She doesn’t really elaborate on what a “good man” is, exactly, but we might presume that a “good man” is a person with good intentions, who strives to do what’s right, regardless of his options.

Here’s the thing - one similarity between Ironwood and the Tin Man is that they both have the capacity to love, but they fool themselves into thinking that they don’t; before the Wizard gives him a ‘heart’, the Tin Man suggests that he is only kind and considerate to everyone in Oz because he believes he needs to overcompensate for what he lacks, and is therefore doubly aware of how he treats others. However, the Wizard knows no real magic, only tricks and illusions, and what he gives the Tin Man is essentially a placebo that enables the Tin Man to act towards and feel about others the exact same as he always had, only with the validation that what he feels is authentic. Similarly, Ironwood has always had the option to be empathetic and not fucking crazy open to collaboration, which he’s very aware of, until his own paranoia cuts into his rationality and compels him to cut himself off from all allies and alternative perspectives. He then uses his difficult position and responsibilities to justify unjustifiable actions, to rationalize irrational urges, and to gaslight and brainwash his subordinates into compliance.

The Tin Woodman knew very well he had no heart, and therefore he took great care never to be cruel or unkind to anything.

“You people with hearts,” he said, “have something to guide you, and need never do wrong; but I have no heart, and so I must be very careful. When Oz gives me a heart of course I needn’t mind so much.”

Qrow sees through this, however, and not only seems incapable of following orders himself, but disrupts the decorum that Ironwood is used to. In return, I think we see a little more of James that he’d like to reveal.

“If you were one of my men, I’d have you shot!”

“If I was one of your men, I’d shoot myself!”

In case this entire ass essay doesn’t make it obvious, I do really ship Ironqrow. I’m open to other pairings, definitely, but this one in particular is just more interesting to me. It feels more revealing, more subtle. I have more questions.

In hindsight, maybe the dialogue example above ^ didn’t age well, considering where they’re at, but I do like how their professional animosity is flavored with a kind of camaraderie, and understanding. This exchange isn’t exactly playful, but they’re taking each other seriously - and, like repressed schoolboys, taking the piss at each other in a childish way, and isn’t that part of the fun of banter, when they’re so focused on each other that they forget to act their age? In a lot of ways, this is a really fun dynamic to watch. They’re opposite-kind-of-people, which I like, at least on a superficial level, and I can easily imagine them tempering each other in ways that would make them ultimately happier people.

They even look well-coordinated, with similar color schemes that lean on the opposite sides of the shared spectrum (white, grays, reds and black); I think the decorative design on Qrow’s new sleeves are supposed to be more ornate simply to communicate that Qrow is committed, and willing to be sentimental, but some viewers have suggested that it resembles the pattern on James’ weapon, Due Process (the revolver is based off of the Tin Man’s pistol, although, curiously, in The Wizard of Oz, the Scarecrow was the only character to carry a pistol, and the commentaries suggest that the 2007 Tin Man miniseries was the “basis of the allusion”. Does that mean anything? I don’t know. Probably not.). Still, it raises the questions: who was in charge of designing the team’s new clothes and gear? How much input did Atlas get, and was this intentional? Personally, I think that the vine-like pattern on Qrow’s sleeves also bear a resemblance to Ozpin’s staff, a subtle reaffirmation and foreshadowing of his allegiance in contrast to Ironwood, but I digress.

They can also deliver that UST kind of banter that takes up their attention, and get up really close to each other, in each other’s faces, and just be pissed, which I think is very sexy of them, mhm. Enemies to Colleagues to Reluctant Friends to Lovers is a trope that I very much appreciate. Gaining some sort of common ground at the Battle of Beacon only to reunite, tired and battered, after the shit has already hit the fan? Slow burn kinda vibes.

That hug between them was something genuinely vulnerable and a sign of Ironwood letting his guard down because he is tired as fuck. It also was uh...kinda fruity.

Ironwood approaches closer, and Qrow scratches the back of his head, a characteristically nervous gesture that he’s made before; it’s a nervous twitch, manufactured nonchalance. He has no idea what Ironwood wants, but he does know that Ironwood wants something. James is the one to initiate the hug, and Qrow startles and even freezes up before relaxing into it. He seems suprised, but gives the bisexual eye roll of grudging fondness. This is out of character for James - Jimmy - but Qrow doesn’t think that Ironwood is a bad person. He leans into the hug, and the camera cuts out before they separate, suggesting that they probably end up standing there for a long ass time. You can also see from the side shots that it’s a close hug; their torsos are pressed up against each other, front to front, and there’s not a lot of wiggle room. James must be really goddamn depressed. It’s a long, manly, intensley heterosexual hug. Like I said, kinda fruity.

Other people have analyzed the hug shot for shot, so I won’t get too into it, but I think that it was intentionally left as a double red herring; some people thought that maybe he bugged Qrow, and after finding out that he didn’t, we were forced to conclude that this is a genuine olive branch. To find out that Ironwood is sincere but was still susceptible to corruption is that second subversion that I didn’t really expect. I hadn’t prepared myself for it, at least, and neither did Qrow. I wouldn’t go as far to say that Ironwood’s descent into fucking craziness paranoia is triggered by Qrow not ‘reciprocating’ or something, but I do think it’s interesting how the volume opens up with a signifigant interaction between Ironwood and Qrow, only for Qrow to spend the rest of the volume homosexually bonding with Clover, while Ironwood basically has no one as emotional support (again, his subordinates do not have the power or the place to be viewed as equals and the veil of formality is one of isolation). Qrow initiates nothing further, and nothing further happens.

Ironwood’s downfall, in a thematic sense, is that what he Needs is a heart, and when he gets that chance to demonstrate tolerance and empathy, James ultimately rejects his Need (a heart) and his arc reverts into one of villainy. To be specific, Ironwood is essentially a fascist dick, and that is not very sexy. (Speaking of dicks, the thought of Ironwood’s dick makes me laugh. I bet in the RWBY universe, people have made memes about that. I do not accept criticism because I am correct. Anyway,).

Dictators are charming, charismatic, and one of the pillars of their method is absorbing potential political opponents into their own administration to reduce the threat of rebellion, to appear openly tolerant to their supporters, and to further consolidate power. A good example of this would be Mean Girls, which runs on a comedic commentary of dictatorships as a political structure of power. I hate to compare James Ironwood to Regina George, but Regina’s posse includes Karen and Gretchen, two of the only girls who might take away from the authority she holds over the rest of their school, both in their wealth and attractiveness, and Cady’s interesting backstory and conventional attractiveness is the main reason Regina draws her into her own sphere - because she detects a potential threat. Much in the same way, while Ironwood likely has good intentions, his efforts to win over team RWBY and co. - including Qrow himself - is a logical way to consolidate resources. His willingness, at first, to cooperate with political opponents (ie Robyn) is because he’s not inherently evil, and he has nothing to lose. It’s when he is openly opposed and diplomatic gestures no longer hold the necessary weight that he snaps.

In one really interesting meta about Ironqrow’s archetypes (that I reread occasionally just because I really love it), @onewomancitadel posits that Ironwood is framed within the archetype of the Knight in Shining Armor, which should inform us of the moral consistency of his character. The meta was written around the beginning of volume 7, I think, and obviously we have a lot more character development and information to go off of now, but I think she makes a really interesting point about the nature of parallels and how that might help drive Ironwood as a character. I love her analysis of the visual of Ironwood stepping out of an airship wreckage, onto the street, the smoke billowing around him to reveal his cyborg prosthetics, and of the intentional framing. Once his uniform is stripped back, we see a man who is literally half-armor, which could be indicative of a lot of things. He’s emotionally guarded, he’s used as a human weapon, and he wants to be a line of defense. In her words, “The symbolism is really obviously put into perspective of his actions in trying to do the right thing: in the flesh (his true physical self) he is literally a knight in shining armour. From the ground up. Even if it's unseen or distorted by his uniform, his nature is still true.”

While Ironwood clearly has gone down a darker path in the most recent volume, I think this analysis holds true in a crucial way. “Ironwood is working with different information, and he’s doing exactly what he knows: stick to his knightly virtues, even disgraced.” Disgraced, indeed. Ironwood is holding onto his knightly values, and doing what he believes is right. If not right, he believes that it is necessary. The problem is that these values are manifested within Atlas’s sociopolitical-military culture in an inherently toxic way - his response is, at this point, neither rational nor empathetic, but it can be explained partially due to his cultural (flawed) understanding of justice, and because of the extenuating circumstances. The harsher the conditions become, the more difficult it is for anyone to project a facade that is not sincere at its core. If James is to uphold his Knightly virtues, he needs to be a protector, a leader, and a servant all at once while operating under limited intel with dwindling trust. All he has left are the few key players still in his grasp, and the control of the people he is responsible for.

To digress: generally, knights take an oath. It could be to a King, or Lord, or some noble, but Knights are supposed to operate on a code of honor, and chivalry, and to uphold these values throughout the land as an extension of whoever they have pledged themselves to. The story of Sir Gawain and the Green Knight is a really good example of the way that, back in the day, chivalry and honor was supposed to place knights on a moral high ground compared to the common people.

In the middle of a celebration in Camelot, an obligatory tradition that has since lost real value but is rehearsed because Camelot fears that failure to uphold traditions that once had meaning is disrespectful, a Green Knight interrupts the celebrations and offers a strange challenge that boils down to a fight to the death. Gawain volunteers because accepting this challenge is what is expected of him, and Arthur would be humiliated if his knights, supposedly the best in the world, would not rise to the challenge. Gawain - and to a certain extent, the rest of Arthur’s knights - are fickle, in a sense, because their adherence to this code is performative, and it allows them to delude themselves into moral superiority and lie both to the commoners and amongst themselves; their identity as knights is based on a falsehood. Gawain is offered the first blow, and after beheading the Green newcomer, is horrified to see him become reanimated and immune to mortal blows. He invites Gawain to receive his own - likely fatal - blow, and gives him a time in which to meet, before promptly leaving.

Throughout the story, Gawain is tested in a variety of ways - in his final test, he fails, and allows his greed for self preservation and the fear of death to lead him to lie to his hosts and proceed to his meeting with the Green Knight under dishonest pretenses. While he is spared at the last second and becomes a better person (after it is revealed that Morgan le Fay orchestrated the ordeal to spook Queen Guinevere) - and by extent, a truer Knight, by the end of the story, the superficial and hypocritical nature of Arthur’s court is still in question, and still unanswered.

See, the entirety of Gawain’s trials was a test, not necessarily for him, but for Arthur and his court as a whole. Morgan wanted to prove the fickle nature of Arthur’s knights. The Knights of the Round Table were considered the best in the land, and to discredit one was to discredit all. What use is tradition if the meaning is empty, what use is chivalry if it is performed for reward instead of merit, and what use is loyalty if it is blind and unearned? Returning to Oz, the Tin Woodman, or Tin Man, grew to be made of tin because his axe became enchanted by the Wicked Witch of the East to sever his own body parts instead of the lumber he tried to cut down. A nearby tinsmith replaced each amputated limb with one of metal, until his entire body became tin and his meat body had been entirely discarded. Something to note is that Nick Chopper’s, (General Ironwood’s) wounds are technically self-inflicted. Each time he swung his axe, he made the decision to continue, knowing of the end result each time. In losing his bodily functions, the Tin Man believed that he had lost his humanity and ability to love.

The tragedy of his origin story draws a pointed correlation to Ironwood’s current dilemma; his unwillingness to stop, his self-imposed isolation, playing into the hands of the witch, and finally, the decision to let go of his ability to love remain consistent throughout both stories.

Watts even refers to Ironwood as a “Tin Solider”; a reference to the Tin (Woods)Man, no doubt, but could also evoke a soldier clanking around in metal armor. Ironwood is a Knight in Shining Armor, through and through. He wants to save the world, but at the terrible cost of civilian autonomy and possibly life. The problem is that he’s pledged himself to a discriminatory and hypocritical system, and his code is something that can easily be misconstrued by fear ( @disregardcanon ), much as Gawain’s own values. The Tin Man is, after all, still a man, and if we’ve learned anything from real fairytales, it is that men are fallible, whether or not they are made of metal.

Ironwood, Alone

he’s a lonely bitch

I know I f- up, I'm just a loser

Shouldn't be with ya, guess I'm a quitter

While you're out there drinkin', I'm just here thinkin'

'Bout where I should've been

I've been lonely, mm, ah, yeah

— Benee, Supalonely (2019)

You do get the sense that Ironwood is riddled with self-loathing conflicting with pride, with self-doubt clashing with competence, and that he is the kind of person who longs for things without verbalizing. Maybe his dad never paid enough attention to him as a kid. Maybe he suffered some terrible physical and emotional trauma, which might as well be assumed, given the extensive nature of his cybernetic limbs. Maybe (probably) he’d be more well-adjusted and would’ve made better decisions if the people around him trusted him and were a little more open. To be fair, though, he is the one at the wheel, and he is making the calls; no one else is to blame for his mistakes, and to pretend otherwise is to deny him accountability. I think we do enough of that in everyday life, in excusing powerful men of their responsibilities. To his credit, I do think he wants to help people. I think James also wants to project the personality of a leader who is stoic, controlled, and measured. He is charming when he wants to be, sympathetic when it suits him, and influential in just the right areas. He is not a sociopath, but he is a politician, and in a lot of ways, those are the same thing. We see in his brief flashes of temper, often prompted by Qrow, or most notably by Oscar, that this is not a calm, stable person. This is someone is on the verge of exploding, who is so fucking angry that he is not in control that it’s killing him, and so he is going to lash out and kill the things that are not within his grip. If the people beneath him will not reciprocate the heart that he offers, then he has no real use of it. James Ironwood does not begin this story as a bad person. This is a tragedy, in however many parts it takes.

I read, in one very smart and very put-together analysis that I cannot find and properly credit at the moment, that part of Ironwood’s (many) failures can be seen in Winter, and how, like Ozpin, he has appointed a woman as his talented, no-nonsense, second chain in command at his right hand. In this way, Winter is an intentional parallel to Glynda, who is, without question, a bad bitch. In theory, surrounding yourself with strong individuals is a demonstration of self restraint, in implementing your own checks and balances. James wants to project that he is powerful, yes, but he is reasonable.

I take this to mean that, to some degree, even if it’s unintentional or subconscious, Winter serves to boost Ironwood’s ego.

The issue with this is that within the inherently hierarchical structure of the military, Winter cannot question, undermine, or challenge Ironwood in a way that is particularly meaningful and their relationship is one of commander and subordinate before colleagues or equals (link to a fantastic post about Winter’s role as the Good, Conscientious Soldier by @fishyfod). Whereas Glynda is free to argue with, converse, and be as combative as she needs to be with Ozpin (although their power dynamic is arguably one of commander and subordinate albeit informally), Winter cannot temper Ironwood effectively, and through the illusion of equality, Ironwood is further isolated.

His head and arms and legs were jointed upon his body, but he stood perfectly motionless, as if he could not stir at all.

Dorothy looked at him in amazement, and so did the Scarecrow, while Toto barked sharply and made a snap at the tin legs, which hurt his teeth.

“Did you groan?” asked Dorothy.

“Yes,” answered the tin man, “I did. I’ve been groaning for more than a year, and no one has ever heard me before or come to help me.”

The Tin Man needs oil to lubricate his joints; without it, he cannot move, and he is rendered helpless and inanimate. When Dorothy and the group find him, he is entirely isolated with no one in sight, and he has been there for such a long time that he has begun to rust. Similarly, Ironwood needs valued voices of dissent to keep him in check. His colleagues were able to serve that purpose in the beginning, and out of them, Qrow is the best example of someone who doesn't take his shit, openly questions him, and looks down on the performative decorum of the military culture that Ironwood is surrounded by. What Ironwood needs is to be flexible and adaptable; his Semblance, Mettle (heh, metal, very nice pun, RoosterTeeth), is a double edged sword in that it gives him supernatural focus and willpower - enough, perhaps, to flay/chop off your own limbs - but it blindsides him, and is only further prolonging his pain.

There is a lot of sympathy to Ironwood’s character, as much as I’ve ragged on him for being an authoritarian, kind of a dick, and bad with kids. There are moments, such as the previously mentioned dinner party, where he shows his colors a bit, and when he assures the students at the Vytal Festival that there’s no shame in leaving before the battle begins, and in giving Yang a prosthetic arm before her father even has to ask. As far as Generals go, it seems that he’s seen soldiers come and go and understands, at least in his best moments, that not everyone is the same, and not everyone has power of unflinching determination to rely on. Ironwood performs his best when he tempers himself because he understands himself, and others. It’s when he fails to self-reflect that his hypocrisy shows through. Glynda points it out, too, as does Qrow; Ironwood advocates for trust but often fails to give it himself, going behind Ozpin’s back, being absolutely shit at field communication, and now the whole fascist, borderline-genocidal keruffle he’s gotten himself into.

I think that Ironwood reaching out to Qrow was his ethical last stand, his last chance and conscious effort to choose the right path. Qrow is unequivocally an equal, not like how Ozpin is the Big Boss, the authority that James becomes disillusioned with and tries to overthrow. He wants someone to trust, desperately so, and Qrow wants that too, but narrative subversion has hands. The Scarecrow and the Tin Man have no brain and heart respectively, and are in need of them. As it turns out, Qrow is actually a pragmatic guy with solid principles angled against authoritarianism, and Ironwood is a dick who would rather enforce martial law than to empathize and tame his military-shaped boner for one second.

I might conclude that someone like Qrow might be best for Ironwood, but that does not mean that someone like Ironwood would be the best for Qrow. Qrow has a brain after all, but Ironwood does not choose his heart when it matters, case in point. Even the intro of the current season features Salem and Ironwood on a chessboard; his white pieces are disappearing, dissolving into dust, as hers transform into Grimm. Ironwood is isolating himself by depleting himself of allies. As this post by @hadesisqueer points out, Ironwood isn’t even positioned as King, the supposed commander, but the Queen, the most versatile player on the board that is so far underused, since he hasn’t moved from his spot. Ironwood’s refusal to unify against Salem is his failure to strategically utilize the best resources that were available to him; soon, the pieces will be swallowed by the dark.

James is guilty of something that a lot of us are guilty of: doing a Bad Thing for what we have convinced ourselves is a Good Reason, when in reality, it is actually a lot of Very Bad Reasons. James Ironwood is a Knight archetype, through and through, and he is charging forward to do the right thing. He is afraid, he is lying to himself, and he will never surrender.

“All the same,” said the Scarecrow, “I shall ask for brains instead of a heart; for a fool would not know what to do with a heart if he had one.”

“I shall take the heart,” returned the Tin Woodman; “for brains do not make one happy, and happiness is the best thing in the world.”

Dorothy did not say anything, for she was puzzled to know which of her two friends was right, and she decided if she could only get back to Kansas and Aunt Em, it did not matter so much whether the Woodman had no brains and the Scarecrow no heart, or each got what he wanted.

The lesson of James Ironwood is a lesson of failure, and of the way that we succumb to fear, because that is Salem’s agenda, really, in the end: fear. It’s the negative emotions, fear being first and foremost, that draw in and empower the Grimm, and it’s fear and uncertainty that causes chaos. It is when Dorothy’s friends give into their fear that they are truly defeated. FDR’s assertion that “The only thing to fear is fear itself” holds true here; it’s not so much that these characters are afraid of losing their lives, their loved ones, and of the dark, but that they do not have the love or the resources to be brave for themselves or for others.

Qrow as a character is introduced as one who is already defeated, in a sense. Half of his team is gone, dead or estranged, he’s forced into the shadows of espionage to protect a world he knows is darker than it should be, and he’s fighting a losing battle with alcoholism. As charismatic as he’s written, he’s referred to as a “dusty old crow”, a hunter of renowned skill but past the prime of his life.

Dorothy’s three titular companions are defined by what they lack; in the same vein of the Disney I Want song (a main character’s main monologue song in which their wants and desires that motivate them throughout the rest of the film is laid out in song; ie Part of Your World, Reflections, How Far I’ll Go), the Lion, Tin Man, and the Scarecrow want bravery, a heart, and a brain respectively. RWBY relies on flipping the script of its characters based on what the audience might expect from the source material; Ruby is not just a helpless little girl - her introduction is a badass with a scythe. The Scarecrow is a chronic alchoholic. Cinderella is a victim of abuse, and is also a villain who wants to set the world aflame. Subversion, subversion, subversion.

There are obviously parallels between the characters in RWBY and in their own fairytales to keep them in character, and part of the fun is spotting those clues and occasionally connecting the dots to anticipate the direction of the narrative and certain connections between characters and the significance of their arcs. While I’m not aware of Dorothy Gale’s RWBY counterpart, if she has already been established or is yet to be introduced, I don’t think it’s unreasonable to assume that Ruby has adopted a Dorothy-eque persona and can act as a surrogate in a way. She begins as a sweet, naive child eager to join a world of color and excitement, who initially believes that she has “normal knees” and is thrust into a political scheme full of powerful and older players. She even has a small dog as a companion, Toto Zwei, who seems like an odd addition, since he’s usually sidelined and basically forgotten about except in a few spare moments, unless he’s there to draw further comparisons to Dorothy. She may not be from Kansas, but she is first helped by Glynda (the Good Witch), and later expects assistance from Ozpin, Qrow, and the later Ozian counterparts. I find it a peculiar detail that for Ruby to be Little Red Riding Hood alone, she is surrounded specifically by Dorothy’s companions. This, of course, only increases the importance of the relevance of the Oz series in particular and the characters that are borrowed.

In the case of Ozpin’s inner circle, Dorothy’s closest comrades (sans Toto) differ in crucial ways to their source material. (After finishing this essay, I found a much better, condensed explanation by @neopoliitan )

Disillusioned by the Ozpin, the Wizard (who has been projecting an illusion of a failsafe) and overwhelmed by the rise of the Wicked Witch of the West, Lionhart (the Lion), gives into his cowardice and ultimately forgoes the arc and redemption of his character from the source material; as such, he is by all definitions, a failure and a premonition, as Ironwood eventually follows. If RWBY is a dark take on classic fairytales, then it is only fitting that these characters are charred husks of their fairytale selves - these are people, and some people are selfish, scared, and cowardly, and they do not overcome these traits.

This is all opinion based, pure speculation. I have no idea what will happen in the next episode, and whatever goes down will be...shit will hit the fan. I’m under no delusions that Ironqrow is going to be canon in a healthy, tender, endgame sense. They’re both kind of losing their minds, and Ironwood is shitting absolute bricks. No, they’re going to try to kill each other, and I personally cannot wait for Qrow to cleave this man in two. (Not sexually, just, literally. Like, with a scythe.)

On that note, I think that the RWBY writers are good at callbacks, at drawing attention to their own connections, and if Ironwood and Qrow’s inevitable confrontation is scheduled, then it will include visual callbacks to Qrow saving James at Beacon, maybe shot for shot. Their visuals have only gotten better as time goes on, and I imagine Ironwood’s eyes widening as Qrow leaps through the air, scythe drawn, in recal of a moment so long ago when they weren’t on the same page, but they were at least on the same side. When Qrow brings the blade down, there will be no enemy behind him. Only Jimmy James. The difference between the two of them will be that Qrow isn’t fighting out of fear, but out of love, for what happened to Clover, and to what could happen to his girls.

Qrow’s reliance on alcohol, as well as his (mostly) feigned nonchalance is meant to fit with the motif that the Scarecrow has no brain, and, had he a mind to desire anything, would desire it most of all. His role is, also, notably, gathering intelligence for Ozpin (his character is also based on Munnin from Norse mythology). There is so much about Qrow that is an act and so much that is not, and I think that this act is born both from this motif and from his own cynicism, and the alcohol contributes to this act. However, he eventually gets sober after Ruby expresses legitimate frustration, and he understands that he’s putting their lives at risk. While one could say that he gave up drinking for the kids, I would argue that the kids - Ruby in particular - made him want to give up drinking for himself, to better himself.

While Lionhart and Ironwood betray the people depending on them, Qrow’s love for his nieces (and for the kids) allows him to deviate from this pattern. The answer to fear is perhaps not merely bravery - Qrow’s triumph is love.

Ironwood knows triumph in the context of a military state, but he’s backed himself into a corner. Soon he will find himself alone and friendless. Hopefully, his last stand will not be in vain.

#ironqrow #james ironwood #qrow branwen #rwby #rwby8 spoilers #rwby volume 8 #rwby meta #ok this is all just based on my opinion ok #like i ship ironqrow but ironwood is a dicktator if u know what i mean #he is probably gonna die but anyway #ironqrow meta #winter schnee #snowbird #also includes links and credit to other posts and metas #I just had to get this off of my chest ok

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kiribakuhappiness · 3 years

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I wanna know your thoughts on the possible new my hero moivee With all the different theories going around I wanna know you standing point

I’m glad you brung it up ‘cause I’ve been dying to talk about it for a hot minute, first of all -

Okay. I have so. many. thoughts. on this and I’ve been waiting until I felt a bit better after being sick to answer this ask because I tried to write up a response already and my brain was so foggy that it literally made no sense, I was just *rambling* and then I pointed to a picture that was completely unrelated and went - see?!?! Ahaha! Like, oh my god.

But! Now I’m back on my coherent rambling bullshit so - here we go. (Please be aware of any slight spoilers regarding the manga / series in this post and that all of these are my own opinions and my own theories, which you are more than welcome to disagree with or have some kind of rebuttal for. I’m just here to be a part of the discussion and throw in my two cents on a few things since some of my followers are curious!)

These are all of my first immediate thoughts upon seeing the promotional image and the tagline included.

*cracks knuckles*

Their new costumes??

Their new costumes?????

I don’t know how to describe this feeling that I have nor do I have any evidence to back up this first claim that I am about to make but my only thought on the costumes is that they are government-issued or specially-made specifically for a certain mission or training exercise, mostly because of the NHA (National Hero Association???) logo printed on the sides and also because they’re not shown in the manga or anything like that outside of this promotional teaser -

But damn, are they sleek as FUCK.

Like, if Todoroki went the rest of his days using that suit, I would die happy, because wow, immaculate. I am so in love with Bakugou’s new gauntlets. Just fucking send me to heaven (or hell idk the rules) now.

As for the “HE” in the teaser sentence shown on the original image – I think, like most people do, that it is meant to be inferred that they are referring to All for One in some degree (though I don’t think that All for One is going to be the main villain of the movie. I think there will probably be a side villain or something that takes precedence over All for One and that All for One might appear just for a bit at the end or something).

HOWEVER, I have other theories about who “HE” is referring to, which I will get into in a moment.

(Quick side bar here – Do any of my followers also think that All for One is Deku’s father or something? Because let me tell you, ya girl just can’t get this damn fan theory out of her head ‘cause like... Deku was born quirkless, All for One is about borrowing and lending quirks, all the other parallels, and we know how much my man Horikoshi loves parallels… I just... I don’t know what happened along the way and I think someone posted something ages ago that may or may not have debunked that entire theory already but after the Dabi reveal of recent chapters it just feels very in line with the BNHA mindset and previously displayed plot twists, but WHAT DO I KNOW, BACK TO THE SHOW!)

So.

The three musketeers.

There’s a lot to unpack there.

Firstly, I think Todoroki is going to experience One for All at some point in some way, because Bakugou already experienced it and the whole slogan for the three musketeers is “all for one and one for all, united we stand divided we fall” - which is obviously a play on the quirk and All for One, blah, blah, blah. So I think that at some point Todoroki is also going to have One for All for a short period of time just like Bakugou had in Heroes Rising (but boy, if they try to pull the same bullshit they did before where they were like “OOP. He used OfA but he doesn’t remember any of it lul” I’m going to lose my fucking mind, cause that really pissed me off in Heroes Rising LOL).

But. I also wanted to take a closer look at Alexandre Dumas’ novel “The Three Musketeers” - just for funsies (stay with me on this wild ride, I promise I connect all the dots at the end):

Disclaimer: I am a huge literature nerd. I’ve read “The Three Musketeers” so many damn times, it’s insulting, and there’s A LOT that happens in those novels that I won’t ever be able to ramble on about for long enough to do it justice for those who haven’t read it and that’s fine because there’s only a few things that I would like to bring to everyone’s attention in regards to the original stories and how they may or may not connect with this movie.

1. None of the three musketeers are the protagonist of the story.

The protagonist is actually a man called D’Artagnan, or sometimes he is referred to as “the fourth musketeer” by readers, who arrives in Paris because he wants to join the King’s musketeers, but somewhere along the way he ends up offending/pissing off the three musketeers and they all end up challenging him to this duel (because of course they do, violence solves everything, don’t you know?) and the duel ends up getting interrupted by a bunch of guards working for the ‘bad guy’ (who I won’t name just to keep this as simple and straight forward as possible) and D’Artagnan ends up fighting WITH the three musketeers to defeat the guards and they all end up being friends (LMAO I am way oversimplifying this but that’s literally what happens and now you get the point).

2. The ‘bad guy’ has a lot of his work done for him by his right-hand woman; MiLady de Winter.

I believe (and this is just one of my theories) that MiLady from the three musketeers is SUPPOSED to make us believe that it’s the reflection of the UA traitor, but I don’t think she actually IS, and I will also explain what I mean by that in another moment.

SO!

With these two pieces of information in mind, I theorize that the aforementioned “HE” in the tagline actually doesn’t have anything to do with a villain or All for One at all, but it’s actually referring to whoever ends up fighting alongside the three musketeers (Bakugou, Midoriya, and Todoroki) in the movie, and who the entire movie is going to be centered around in some way or another (don’t misread this; I still think that Midoriya will be the main NARRATOR of the movie but I don’t think that means that he will be the main CHARACTER – there’s a very distinct difference between those two roles. One of them is telling the story, the other is who the story is actually about).

Now, IF we’re sticking with the three musketeers theme (which you can tell I’m obviously leaning very heavily on that being the case in all of my theories because that is literally all that we are given to theorize about at this time), then I would like to provide my take on who is who, because I think it’s a very important distinction, which are as followed:

Bakugou is Porthos

Porthos is generally known for being very extroverted, loud, he is known for his physical strength, and he is described as being “gullible” (which, that word by itself with its reflexive connotations doesn’t seem to fit him at all, but when you think about what the word gullible actually means – easily persuaded or manipulated – then yeah, it fucking fits the boot LMAO). Not to mention that he (Porthos) is often used as a sense of comic relief, which I truly believe that Bakugou is ‘used’ sometimes as a comic sense of relief throughout the manga and anime, because it off balances his ferocious nature in a way that further proves to the audience that just because he is feral, that doesn’t inherently mean that he is bad.

Midoriya is Aramis

Aramis is generally known for being vastly ambitious and never satisfied in the sense that he is always working for more, which stumbled me at first because I was originally picturing Bakugou as Aramis, but he (Aramis) craves to live the life of a solider (see the parallel? Midoriya craves to live the life of a hero), and he (Aramis) sees every new victory as a step in the right direction to a ‘greater power’ (which, if my characterizations are correct, parallels Midoriya’s mindset that every new victory or challenge he overcomes is another step towards better handling and controlling One for All and making it his own quirk).

Todoroki is Athos

Athos is generally known for being very noble, handsome, and he is a bit of a sad or melancholy character, as he has a very depressing and mysterious backstory that he actually ends up telling to D’Artagnan, but he doesn’t end up telling D’Artagnan that the sad story is based on him (which, I don’t know about you guys, but that damn near sounds like Todoroki Shouto to me).

Now.

NOW.

Are you guys ready for this? We’re gonna get into the really good theories here.

I would no doubt be flooded with inboxes and messages if I didn’t mention the poses that the boys are portraying in the teaser image and how it all connects to the mysterious UA traitor and how everyone (including me) is losing their damn minds over the fact that Bakugou is using Kirishima’s pose, and so people are theorizing that must mean that Kirishima is the traitor since Midoriya and Todoroki are mimicking both Shigaraki and Dabi, respectively.

Here is my theory on all of that, and here is the detail that I think a lot of people are overlooking that I think might be really important IF (seriously, all of my theories ride on this) IF Horikoshi and the producers are indeed leaning heavily on the comparisons between “The Three Musketeers” and the BNHA characters (which I can only assume that they are, otherwise they would have chosen different wording, etc, for their promotional images).

So, Athos’ big sad backstory is all about how he was married to this woman who then ended up being revealed as this convicted thief and all this angst happened and by the end of it, Athos believes that his thieving wife is dead.

Athos believes that his thieving wife is dead.

Athos (TODOROKI) believes that his thieving wife (MURDEROUS BROTHER - DABI) is dead.

I just. I feel like this is really important BECAUSE in “The Three Musketeers” story, Athos’ thieving wife who he believed to be dead (drink every time I repeat that line ahaha) is actually alive and well and working for the aforementioned ‘bad guy.’

HMMM. DOES THAT SOUND LIKE ANYONE WE KNOW????

It’s my theory (and my own opinion) that this whole movie is going to be heavily driven by the Todoroki family and all of their Keeping up with the Kardashian type drama in some way (maybe not directly because manga and spoilers and blah, blah, blah, but in some sort of significant way), because the first movie was all about Midoriya going to I-Island and learning more about One for All and All Might and everything like that, and then the second movie was all about Bakugou and how he ended up using One for All and how he and Midoriya worked together and they showed snippets of the LoV doing their things back in Musutafu, and now I just assume that Todoroki is probably going to be given One for All at some point in this movie, or he’s going to share it amongst Bakugou and Midoriya, because the three musketeers, and the fact that he’s in the promotional teaser when literally nobody else is, and the fact that his character heavily seems to reflect Athos character in the novel to an almost absurd degree.

So, for me, the whole ‘Kirishima being the UA traitor’ and that being proven by Bakugou using his signature move in the teaser photo is not anything to seriously worry about - and I don’t say this just because I’m a KiriBaku fan or anything at all like that (though seriously, if it’s true, what the fuck am I gonna do with this damn blog, I-?? Ahaha!) but I say this for a few different reasons;

I don’t think the “convicted thief” or whatever that is heavily implied within the three musketeer story is connected to Bakugou in anyway, I think it’s all a contrasting parallel to Todoroki and the Dabi reveal somehow, and that the UA traitor won’t be making any kind of appearance in this film in that way.

I don’t think their relationship (Bakugou and Kirishima) is center stage enough to be used as any kind of plot twist in the story, unfortunately. And what I mean by that is; I think that the entire relationship was built up as a way to influence the audience into rethinking their original thoughts about Bakugou’s character from the beginning of the series (since in the beginning he was literally the most horrible shit kid to Midoriya and everyone hated him and he was treated as a villain – blah blah blah – thus building up the suspense leading up to the rescue arc in which the audience was genuinely divided at the time on whether or not Bakugou was actually going to side with Shigaraki and join the LoV), because then once he (Bakugou) declines the offer to join the LoV and he accepts Kirishima’s helping hand, it was supposed to be a turning point for the audience to realize that they may have been misled by his feral ambition into believing that he could really be a bad guy when in the end, he’s just as much of a hardcore hero fanboy as the rest of his class, and that if such a great guy like Kirishima can befriend him then he must not be all that bad.

We have already seen Kirishima’s backstory. We have already seen the struggles he faced to get accepted into UA, we have already seen how much he looked up to Mina’s bravery, we have already been introduced to his undying love for the most chivalrous hero Crimson Riot, and hey, maybe this whole persona thing he has going on is all an act, sure. Maybe the villains got to him when he was still dark-haired and weak, and maybe they are copy+pasting Crimson Riot into Red Riot as a way to slip under the radars, yeah, maybe. But I really fucking doubt it. Mostly because, unfortunately, I believe his relationship with Bakugou (as mentioned above) was written specifically to reverse the audience’s opinion of Bakugou, but then since he became so popular and was such a loved character, that then his inclusion in the Eri rescue operation sort of solidifies him as the man that Horikoshi says he is. It just wouldn’t make any sense, in my opinion as a writer, to turn Kirishima right around in a 360-twist to be revealed as the traitor, since it would just feel like too much of a stab in the back in regards to the trust that the readers are giving Horikoshi in believing that what he shows us is more or less the truth because we don’t have anything else to go on and he went into such great detail into his backstory that it would be such a waste to then say, ha, SIKE.

I think that Bakugou using Kirishima’s pose is a deliberate red herring – I think it’s specifically meant to throw the audience off in all these different directions and to get the theories growing in the fandom, and I actually think that it’s meant to pull attention AWAY from Todoroki, because in my opinion, the entire movie will most likely focus heavily on Todoroki in some way or another (whether because of Dabi or not), since I believe that he will probably gain the use of One for All at some point during the film, just like Bakugou had, and I believe that the LoV (and more specifically, Dabi) will have some part in this film outside the realm of All for One.

I just think that the narrative is constantly trying to lead us in different directions so that you don’t end up paying much attention to all of the other little details that would then point towards something else, much like how (spoilers for some of the manga chapters here - if you don’t want to read then skip the rest of this paragraph) they keep kind of hinting at Bakugou’s death, over and over again, like dangling it on a string and being like, is he gonna die this time? What about this time? What about now - with his guts all over the place after he fucking saved Deku’s life? Could happen at any moment!

So, I just think that Bakugou using Kirishima’s pose is just because Kirishima has had a huge influence on his character development and it would be the perfect red herring to lead the fans on some wild goose chase in the interest of gaining public awareness for the movie.

(Also - in the discussion of the UA traitor, I really believe that it’s Class 1-B’s sensei, actually - ahaha! Either that or Aoyama, but I’ve started to kind of lean away from that one because Class 1-B’s sensei is fucking sus and I don’t care what anyone says, that’s my own theory until proven wrong! Just let me live in this world a little longer, okay?! :,D)

Soooo... to sum this shit up (TLDR AMIRIGHT LMAO), because holy shit this got way out of hand and I haven’t even really gotten into the meat of all of my theories regarding the fucking PLOT of the new potential movie yet but whatever –

TLDR;

- I think the really cool NHA suits are temporary costumes issued specifically for some type of training exercise or undercover mission or something like that.

- I think Bakugou posing like Kirishima is some kind of red herring meant to make everyone panic, but I don’t think it really holds any weight in the UA traitor discussion/theory, and I don’t think the UA traitor will be revealed in the movie – because it would kind of be dropping a BIG plot point in the series into a separate movie that maybe a good portion of the manga readers / anime watchers might not even see and therefore would not fully understand once the series caught up with the movie (whenever the timeline might be). I just think a lot of the stuff that happens in the movies are not directly related to the series for the very purpose that if somebody watches the anime but then doesn’t watch the movies, they don’t miss anything too important.

- I think the movie might lean heavily on Todoroki and perhaps include some of his family drama, especially in regards to Dabi (since the reveal happened right before the promotional teaser dropped and generally speaking it takes about 8-9 months after initial speculation for the movie to then come out with a trailer of some kind, which would be plenty of time for those who want to read the manga to have done so by then), and that at some point during the film Todoroki is going to use or obtain One for All in a similar manner that Bakugou did in the second movie in order to help fight off a random side villain that doesn’t have much of an impact in regards to the fight between heroes and villains happening in the main storyline.

- I think the “HE” in the teaser image doesn’t have much to do with All for One, but actually it’s referring to some mysterious side character who is going to end up fighting with Bakugou, Todoroki, and Midoriya (playing the parallel, inferred role of D’Artagnan) and that All for One won’t actually be the villain in the film, but he may show up for a bit at the end.

All of these theories revolve HEAVILY around the basis that the producers and Horikoshi are attempting to lean on any of the other parallels regarding “The Three Musketeer” novels – or if they just thought that The Three Musketeers sounded dope as fuck, let’s throw that on there because there’s three of them, right? Get it?

Which, if that’s the case, then literally most of my theories go right out the damn window and I have no idea what this movie could be about, LMAO!

So… yeah. What do you guys think?? I’d love to hear your ideas – rip this post to fucking shreds if you want to, because there’s like an 87% chance or higher that I’m completely off base with everything I’ve just said and that my over-active imagination clung onto The Three Musketeers relevance and just wouldn’t let go of it and it totally sent me off in the wrong direction, I don’t know! It’s possible, ahahaha!

Anyway

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mc-critical · 3 years

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What do you think about the relationship between SS and his father? In all the times it is mentioned, it seems that he still fears him and holds a grudge for trying to kill him, but what happens after Mustafa's execution, it is not clear to me if in his mind he made peace with him

The relationship between Süleiman and Yavuz Selim was clearly very turbulent from the start. When Selim was mentioned and appeared on the horizon, he indeed was always portrayed as this ruthless and even equally paranoid guy who would do anything to keep his power. And this paranoia of his kept on even when SS was the only heir left. We don't know much of his canon characterization outside of what people that knew him have said about him and a few flashbacks, but I do headcanon that he went on campaigns a whole lot and that he cared about the state, his own state much more than any other personal attachments he could've had. That's why he may not have gotten that close to his only son, too (SS spending most of his time in a sanjack could've also contributed to this) and since similarly to SS, his paranoia and self-righteousness hardened him to the point where there was no turning back anymore and that more or less became who you are, you look at yourself as a figure of a ruthless padişah, not so much as a human being, Selim would be capable of the most drastic measures against whoever he felt betray him in some way. It's no wonder Hafsa kept SS as far away from his suspicion as possible, because Selim is characterized by everyone by being ruthless and cruel and that means he can be pretty unpredictable, as well, judging by the situation with the kaftan. He is a guy that his family - his wife (in the show apparently), his daughters and his only son! - is afraid of.

Given the circumstances, it's pretty explainable to me why SS is afraid of him, as well, and is probably the one who is the most afraid of him deep down, but wouldn't admit it so openly, of course, only in self reflection. SS has apparently grown distant to his own father and perhaps they haven't even met so much. The flashback in E55 gave us a glimpse of how their relationship could've been - a pretty familiar sword fight and words about innocence that establish that Selim has also seen the danger in SS from pretty early on. It's as if SS has always been a suspect from day one. However, outside of that flashback, SS defines Selim by two major deeds - the whole ordeal with Selim's own father and the poisoned kaftan. Since again, SS spent most of his time in a sanjack and he didn't have the chance (Hafsa could've talked him out of it) or simply didn't want to let out his anger on his father for this event, deep resentment would overtake SS more and more throughout the years, because it's a vivid, impactful image and a strong, negative emotion one wouldn't forget so easily when your own father is the one who wants your death. This precise event is the one most telling of Selim's cruelty and ruthlessness in the show and that's what SS associates him with - cruelty and ruthlessness. But there the fear comes in, most of all, because of the similar position: one day SS would have to go in his footsteps, one day he would have to take on his role. SS is also a padişah and what if he also becomes like Selim? What if he also sends a poisoned kaftan to his son? (he asked Allah not to let him do that in one episode) What if he becomes as cruel, what if his reign also turns into a bloodshed? This fear of his is so strong and deep-seated that the further SS goes on with his growing Ego and paranoia, the more this fear ends up overtaking him and makes what he has still strived to avoid become part of him he lives by and a mold he would always follow, for he is the padişah and he, just like his father, wouldn't stand betrayal or what he perceives as betrayal, because he has become so used to living with this fear that amplified his Ego and paranoia even more that he writes off his deeds as absolutely necessary when he only screwed up big time.

This fear has turned into SS's ultimate justification, for Yavuz Selim was presented as his Azraeel two episodes before he did one of the wrongest deeds in his life. Here's the place for me to say that SS would have only benefited more as a character and gained much more sympathy from me, if precisely his backstory with his father was more explored beyond what we got. What we got was too scarse to justify his (let's face it) mostly out-of-context event-based paranoia to the point it became like this is used as SS's own justification without him truly realizing it, not a justification the audience got, because the show didn't want to justify neither Ibrahim's (maybe aside from E82 itself), nor Mustafa's execution. We could see the factors, yes, but justify the executions? No, especially when they both were presented as wrong when it came to the state itself through the tragic themes. And that's the thing: SS eventually put his Ego of a padişah and warped beliefs of what has to be done over his own early established principles and the state itself. That's also why SS's motivation rings hollow due to this minimal information and I think that SS not only became like his father, he even exceeded him. The stability of the state still played a part in the only other established event of Yavuz Selim SS eventually leaned on in E97 and shown with an actual flashback in E122 and his intentions didn't seem to have changed, since he was praised for his ruling and conquests. No matter how ruthless he was, we're led to believe he still was a decent ruler. That changes with SS. He begins putting Selim's way of thinking and courses of action in his own ways of thinking and ends up twisting them even further, if only for the deeper exploration and character arc we got with him.

Süleiman gives in to Selim's ways of thinking pretty early actually: he's used to being suspected and he quickly becomes accustomed to his own role to the point his decisions could hurt his family and could be pretty similar to his own father's. The paranoia of betrayal and dethroning appeared much faster than even he could imagine, since once he saw Mustafa grow up more and more, yes, he had very mixed feelings when he saw him again in E46 and he showed pride in him then still, but he also saw the danger more and more and recited the exact same words his father had once said to him himself. It's no wonder that E55's flashback and the aforementioned scene were parallels to each other: it's like Selim had said these words to SS in a fairly early stage of their relationship and here the cycle repeats with Mustafa and the signs of SS becoming like Selim, something he would never principally want to, are already there, not to mention Hafsa's warnings even before that. (because I wouldn't be surprised if she knew Selim better than SS did - she has spent quite some time with him as his wife and she was the one who immediately sensed danger in the kaftan situation, yes, a mother's survival instinct plays here, too, but Hafsa isn't a person who would be suspicious without any reason whatsoever, even at her worst) By then and by E123, SS had already shown the ruthlessness Selim demonstrated and the more we went, the more SS fell into despair for all his actions, the worse he ended up being, ceasing to realize the effects of what he has done. (like his intervention or lack thereof in the culmination of Selim and Bayezid's conflict) For SS it's way beyond a matter of self-righteousness, but a matter of conscience he had stopped listening to, a conscience he previously said that would define his reign. That fear of his father made him go in lengths he wouldn't imagine him going and for all the perceived attempts to avoid it throughout the show (like him not sending a poisoned kaftan to Mustafa and telling him that he wouldn't ever dare such execution), he ended up caving to them more and more and taking his own spin on Selim's mindset. SS took his role as a padişah much more dearly and that allowed him to delve deeper into his paranoia, into what he has to do for the sake of solely continuing to rule. Perhaps that survival instinct present during Selim's reign never left and evolved into something else. (we don't know the full extent of Selim's cruelty, which is honestly merely covered in hints, but we do know the full extent of SS's, which gives us even more of a possibility for SS to have "evolved" past it.)

Did Süleiman make peace with his father? It never became clear in the show, but I doubt that happened, at least not before he died. It's the fear of becoming Selim Yavuz that ruined SS's whole life in one way or another and his conscience always spoke to him left and right, no matter how willing he was to listen or not. I see SS becoming even more resentful of his father's ways when he committed his worst crimes. And even in his last days, he was more adamant to prove to people that he himself was still a capable ruler by going to a campaign, risking his own life and health for the sake of proving a point than thinking about how far has he come when it came to what he did as a padişah and how did that tie into the ways of his father. He certainly became more accepting of his mold over the years, but not in the way that would make peace with him, but rather as something that has to be done for the sake of your role. Until he died, SS probably still heavily disliked his father as a person and the best he could do at that point is not think about him. He would never justify or make peace with Selim Yavuz's deeds, not even in front of himself, despite of him doing the exact same. Süleiman makes a distinction between his thinking and that of his father, despite of even his own self telling him otherwise deep down. He wants to make that distinction, so why would there be a reason for SS to make peace with him back then? There would be no reason in his eyes.

Now, when he died, it's up for interpretation. Maybe he could've made peace with his father or at least convinced himself of that in his afterlife, since in his last monologue he did say that he takes only love and friendship with him and that would mean no negative feeling left, right? But the monologue itself is very up for interpretation, too, because.. what does that mean? How did this sudden turnaround happen? Did SS realize what he had done was wrong? Was he ready to accept that? Was he truly ready to get out of his role he has been used to since forever and live another life that consisted of only love and friendship? Then what about the imagery of this scene that showed him going to another throne instead after all? Yes, maybe the love and friendship were the true throne he went to with the Sultanate coming to an end, but couldn't that be more him only fully coming to terms that he'll come back to where he came from, where every person on the earth came from (that is, the ground)? Because he could start over anyway, but still not forget what happened in his life, paralleled with his first monologue ever in the first episode, where he said that he doesn't forget? There is so much to speculate here.

#magnificent century #muhteşem yüzyıl #muhtesem yuzyil #sultan suleiman #selim yavuz #ask #Isbluesr #i delved deeper into SS's arc overall along with his relationship with his father #but oh well

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nafeary · 4 years

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“Midnight Lovers”

⚬ Pairing: Arthur/Reader

⚬ Characters: Arthur; mentions of Isaac, Sebas, and Comte

⚬ Word count: ca. 1K

⚬ Warnings: very mild mention of a drug ...and goat testicles don’t ask

✧✎ Synopsis: You are plagued by the guilt of being unable to help your friend overcome his fever, thus working yourself through book after book. Arthur would rather want you to rest and appreciate yourself more— and to stop looking at obscure medical books, while you’re at it.

✧✎ A/N: So, a sweet sweet anon requested some Arthur fluff with an overthinking MC/Reader, with a moodboard (but my dumbass deleted the request because I’m utterly inept), so here it is. I took inspiration from this tumblr @foxes-in-love who makes the most adorable little comics I’ve ever laid my eyes upon. Also, thank you @juminly for slapping my doubts away! I love you so so so much!

Also, yes, they did indeed use heroine back in the day to treat coughs... make sure to drink water y’all!!!

“Luv? Are you still in here?”

A suave voice rang throughout the library you had holed yourself up in, its familiar rhythm soothing your nerves like the sweetest of honeys.

It was unreasonably late. The entire mansion had fallen still like an unperturbed pond, completely hushed. Ever so often, the storm outside would make itself noticeable, threatening some lonely souls daring enough to venture outside. Its distress was not unlike your mood, thoughts spurning multiple worst-case scenarios in an effort to keep you awake, to gather solutions.

Overthinking had always been troubling for you, relentlessly trickling poison into your ears, contrary to all dictates of common sense.

“I’m over here, Arthur,” you called out to your lover, grateful, albeit apprehensive, for the distraction.

You tilted your head in the direction of the echoing steps, alabaster rays serving as nothing but an enhancer for his already devilish handsome looks. Cool ocean waves illuminated by the moon’s ivory blush crashed upon you as he fully came into view, carrying the salty breeze alongside him. This magnificent view made you halt for a split second, simply marveling at the sight of the handsome man.

Your handsome man.

“Shouldn’t you be beside me by now? It’s quite lonely in bed, I’ll have you know.” His arms cocooned you gently, contrasting his words of ambiguous comfort.

He yelped slightly as you caught some of his skin between your nails, eliciting a soft giggle from you at his histrionic antics, effectively vanishing any sleepy stupor you were falling prey to. Nonetheless, you fell into his embrace, moulding together like long lost puzzle pieces. This instance of tenderness and care engulfed your heart, the warmth of his dexterous hands imbuing through your own skin and reminding you starkly that you were very much alive.

“What are you reading, anyway?”, he inquired with a pout, kissing your ear gingerly from behind, “You can’t possibly be still strung up on ‘ol Newt.”

At the mention of the physicist, your brows pinched together, and the all so wonted stagnation of fear squeezed uncomfortably around your lungs, forcing a sigh ridden with the distress of helplessness from you.

Earlier this week, Isaac had fallen prey to a bout of fever once again, and both Arthur and Sebastian had been busy running their respective errands. While le Comte had requested for a doctor, the weather made it far to dangerous for any mortal to venture to their mansion. Cold rags were only able to aid inadequately, leaving you with no volition but to watch his battle; volatile series of wretched coughs prompted your tears to flow, unable to lend your dead friend a helping hand.

While Arthur had long since taken care of him, you wanted to be prepared to not be contingent on the modern medicine you grew up with. Should any misfortune befall onto the residents, the people who had welcomed you with open arms, you couldn’t keep clinging to other’s white coats— you had to become one yourself.

“Just some rather... obscure medical books,” you replied to his previous question, “I’m trying to find some different ways to treat a cough that does not involve the use of drugs.”

“Ah, you’ve mentioned your distaste of heroine.”

You snorted, amused by the mind of the 19th century doctor. “Distaste is one word for an addictive poison. You do know th—“

Abruptly, the author launched himself on top the desk you were occupying, covering your sight from the book you had been reading. “Arthur... what in the world...?” He laid vixen-like befor you, despite the apparent discomfort of the hard tabletop. You knew that you should be tucked into bed, listening to the gentle lullaby of drizzling rain; and yet, the necessity to further consume knowledge was weighing your shoulders deeper down the pit. And it was rather out of character for him to react so sudden...

“I’m shielding you with my body,” he said, a nervous simper flitting across his features as he tapped the mahogany surface in a tenebrous tempo, the gauche position working in favour to portray his charming awkwardness.

“And why would you have to do that? I still have to finish the book, you know.”

“It’s not just that... I doubt you’d enjoy learning—and seeing—of contraceptive methods involving the testicles of a goat, luv.” He reached beneath him to snatch the book, nonchalantly throwing it into nirvana, nescient to your drained protests. “Besides, you’re positively knackered, my dear.”

“But—“

“No buts. I do not doubt your abilities, but you won’t become a doctor overnight. Especially if you work yourself close to your grave,” he interrupted you, intertwining your hands, “You already do enough... I rely on you more than you could ever begin to comprehend. So please allow me to relieve you of some troubles, at least.”

That was all it took for him to steal away your oxygen, sending your systems into panic, waking you up like you’ve never been awake, consequently forcing you into unsure stillness. You were overcome with such raw emotion, such pure love, that you just couldn’t reign your body’s response. Your breaths pinioned in an ethereal waltz of two souls, neither of you too concerned of the wood denting your arms, the sore sensation nothing compared to the sensual spark as you lightly tugged his hair.

His quiet moan against your bruised lips made you halt, choosing to rest your head on his chest.

“Are you alright?” you heard him ask, reaching out to trace the smooth curve of your jaw with an almost chimerical gentleness. He asked not because he wanted to push you to continue where you’ve left off, but due to the genuine concern gleaming within his ocean eyes. As much as he fought for the role of their resident Casanova, you knew he’d never do anything without your consent, and that he was a lot more timid than he’d like to admit. Indeed, he deserved the credit he would never even think to give himself.

“It’s nothing much. It’s just this.” You gestured. “Us... I feel so lucky to have you. It’s been awhile since I’ve felt so connected to someone.” And it was the truth. Arthur understood you more than anyone else ever had, making you happy like no one else ever had, and helping you in overcoming your fears like no one else ever had.

Your words seemed to linger tangibly, your lover’s face vulnerable to the blatant exposure of sentiment. He could only hold you closer, carrying you to your room. Humming a soft tune, he accompanied you not only to rest, but to a future brighter than the sun could ever hope to be.

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ihatetaxes99 · 3 years

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Well, hello all once again. Considering that the last time I discussed BNHA, it was in an overwhelmingly negative context, I've decided it would be a good plan to actually talk about an aspect of the series that makes me really happy and one that I constantly eagerly await new content for. And yes, it's none other than the good old League of Villains.

So, since I have nothing better to do, I've decided to discuss each and every Leaguer in order of my favourite to least favourite (although I at the very least appreciate all of them.) Keep in mind that the rejected Vanguard Action Squad members who were either written out of the story during the Training Camp arc or shortly afterwards will not appear on my list (Although Muscular and Moonfish and hopefully Mustard do seem to be making a return), nor will I discuss the additional members that came with the formation for the PLF, because although I really like Re-Destro in particular, none of them really give me enough to work with and I'd be writing like two sentences for someone like Geten, which would just be a slap in the face to people who do care about his character. Also, Doctor Garaki and All for One also won't appear. Basically just the core members who have been present with the League from the Training Camp up until the War will be featured.

Anyway, I've wasted enough time, let us proceed without any further ado.

Tenko Shimura [Tomura Shigaraki] - Yes, it really shouldn't come as a surprise to anyone to see good old Shig ranked at the very top of my list. Yes, as I have said before, Tomura tends to flip between being my favourite and second favourite overall character, but the reason I have listed him as the best League member is simply put, his development. My God, it is absolutely sublime. I legitimately adore it. When we first saw Tomura emerge from the underbelly of society during the USJ arc, he was a pampered, whimpering brat, a manchild who threw tantrums after he lost and essentially threatened to kill everyone, ranging from random children to his butler. I mean, can that even be compared to the same person who took command of an army, broke past his potential and meticulously pulled apart every threat he's stared down? Here's some food for thought, Shigaraki has never lost to another villain. He emerged the clear victor when facing Chisaki and the Meta Liberation Army and in the long term, proved to usurp Stain's legacy and make it his own. The growth is just amazing and Shigaraki is genuinely a more interesting character to follow than our door mat of a protagonist. I have very rarely seen an antagonist start out as exceptionally weak, essentially being a comedy villain of the week, and slowly growing in power, intellect and ferocity. Just a fantastic character overall.

Atsuhiro Sako [Mister Compress] - Alrighty, now we get down to the interesting stuff! Mister Compress is, without a doubt, my favourite Boku No Hero Academia character, he holds the top spot more consistently than Shig does. But why is that? After all, Sako had done essentially nothing from the Training Camp up until his reveal. Well, you see, I am of the belief that a character need not be particularly deep as long as they have an engrossing personality. And Mister has that in spades. I am a huge fan of characters who know how to articulate themselves well, so of course Atsuhiro's constant metaphors and showman persona appealed to me instantly. But not just that, his design (and no, I'm not just talking about how hot we now know him to be) is just brilliant. The top hat, the masks that change to reflect his general emotion at the time, his bolo tie, he has a fucking badass prosthetic for Christ's sake. And remember, as the great Joseph Joestar proved, prosthetic hands in fiction are kickass. I just love him, even as a character who never contributed all that much overall, and I certainly hope for his return in some capacity following the shocking twist of him actually doing something during the war.

Jin Bubaigawara [Twice] - Rest in peace my friend, rest in peace indeed. But really, what can be said about good old Jin? Well, he was fantastic, easily one of the best in the League. A truly sympathetic figure within the group, someone who we the audience could truly feel sad for. Out of everybody, Twice likely went through the worst of the trauma and at the end of the day, he just wanted to fit in somewhere, anywhere. He wanted friendships. And friendships he found in Mister and Toga, and to a lesser extent, Dabi, and a boss he truly respected could be found in Shigaraki. I was, as many others were, completely torn by Jin's death. This was the first major death of the war, and as we soon found out, unfortunately one of the only few overall (sorry, I know I promised to be positive, the war arc just really went to shit after chapter 294, which by the way was so far the last really good chapter to me.) Alas, the death made sense; Twice's arc was complete, he had overcome his fears and finally found a place of belonging. If any villain were to die, it made sense that he was the one. Truly a legendary character, one of the greats.

Himiko Toga - Ah, yes, the blood-soaked minx that has proven herself a constant thorn in the side of UA, whether they know it or not. Her whereabouts are currently unknown (maybe she's doing something involving Mister? Please, Hori?), but from what she has featured in, I have certainly loved her every appearance. Initially a typical psychotic "yandere UwU" girl, she's certainly evolved over time. Her proactive nature was revealed during the License Exam arc, In the Overhaul arc, we saw her care for others, during the MLA skirmish, we saw her backstory and motives made a little clearer and finally, during the war, she was pushed to her breaking point, in a rare example of a character from Oceaniz' War arc video who actually belonged in the tier he assigned them to. Yes, Ms. Toga has been one of those characters who has been given so much screen time due to her popularity that it has definitely benefited her in the long run, at the expense of characters like Mister and Spinner. She's not my favourite Leaguer, but still a brilliant character in her own right.

Shuichi Iguchi [Spinner] - Well, nearing the end of the list, we approach the first character that I am leaning more towards just liking as opposed to really liking. Spinner for the longest time, did fuck all. Actually, he's still basically done fuck all. Mostly a self-admitted aimless Stain fanboy who provides running commentary. But, remember what I said about a good personality making up for a weak presence? Well, Iguchi is not quite as strong as Sako in that regard, but the little lizard boy has certainly grown on me. We've seen him grow into the moral centre of the League, being the only other member aside from Mister Compress to presumably have a body count of zero, and as I mentioned above, has even admitted to himself and Shigaraki that he's a hollow fanatic of Stain, that he leapt on the bandwagon because he thought it would give him purpose in his meandering life. And ultimately, it did, as Shuichi has evolved to becoming one of the most positive members of the team. I mean, for God's sake, he even pleads with All for One to rescue Compress and Toga before they fled the battlefield, that alone skyrocketed my respect for him as a character.

Touya Todoroki [Dabi] - Well… Here we are… The only League of Villains member that I would generally say I dislike. And that's not to say I don't see the merits to him, I'm just not huge on it. Dabi is the League's edgy boi, he dresses up in a way that only a blind person would approve of, is too cool for anybody else and is essentially a big bundle of daddy issues. Now, the recently-released Chapter 301 absolutely tanked my respect for him as a character, with him being portrayed as an awkward, foul-tempered brat, but I never have held him in the highest regard. The whole bad boy shtick just isn't my thing, Dabi is a shining example of the opposite of my belief about a character; I really dislike his personality, but he contributes enough to the overall plot that I wouldn't quite consider him a bad character. I don't know, he's a weird one, and not one I've ever been fond of. Different strokes for different folks, I guess. I mean, when even pre-Overhaul arc Shigaraki calls you out on being a rude piece of shit, you know there's a problem somewhere.

Well, those are my collected thoughts on the members of the League of Villains. Maybe I'll do another one of these sometime, talking about the Vanguard members, maybe combined in a double feature with All for One and Garaki. Another time, perhaps. Another time…

Moral of the story, the villains are the best BNHA characters, fight me on this.

#bnha #bnha manga #boku no hero spoilers #league of villains #tomurashigaraki #atsuhiro sako #jin bubaigawara #twice #mister compress #himiko toga #shuichi iguchi #spinner #dabi #touya #rankings #I mean it I will fight you on the grounds of thr villaina being the best #tenko shimura #For the record Mustard is the best member of the Vanguard Action Squad #and Re-Destro is the best MLA member

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darwinforthewin · 3 years

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MODERN FIXATION

If you’re reading this, it’s too late. Your device has already taken you. It’s going to be up to you now how easy or hard it will be for you to fight the urge to stay on it. One thing is for sure, technology is inevitable. From the very moment you tried reading this, you were already enjoying the benefits of technology. You used technology to do something that you wanted. Besides, you wouldn’t even be reading this without technology. Everywhere you go, whatever you do, there is technology. Technology has already become an essential part of our everyday lives and whether you like it or not, social media is a huge part of it.

Now, social media is vitally useful in various ways. In fact, this is what helps us survive nowadays. Looking for jobs, finding solutions, deciding on what to eat, searching for a place to live, and most especially, getting connected with the people we know. Social media satisfies the needs of humans of having the desire of being part of something big. As a result of this, social media specifically produces identity that is akin to mob mentality allowing humans to be hyper-connected and unable to spend their time with real family and friends. (Koo, 2015).

For students like me, social media is a must. There is no way you can efficiently accomplish a group task without using social media. Students of today were raised in an increasingly media-rich environment. (Perse & Lambe, 2017). It is inevitable for them to use any form of media for communication, connection, research, and many more. However, this could lead students to the overuse of media for it will inevitably be part of their everyday needs. Social media users specifically Facebook users tend to admit their excessive normal, usual, or planned amounts of time online. (Koo, 2015) Certainly, social media users like me are unable to take control of their online activity; hence, leading them to have negative academic, professional, and social consequences.

Since technology plays an important role to me as a student, and to me as an individual, it is without a doubt that I need it every single day. With this, I can pretty much relate myself to the portrayals of young people using social media in the documentary The Social Dilemma. Even if it is not for the purpose of education, I still spend most of my time on my phone, if not, have my phone by my side, at all times of the day. This is because certain gadgets nowadays are most effectively and conveniently used for entertainment, communication, security, and most especially, for an emergency. Despite this, I grew up and was raised with the discipline to put limitations in everything. It has been part of the house rules that when we eat or when we spend time with family, we do not use our phones unless it is of great urgency and importance.

The documentary The Social Dilemma reveals an essential portion of what you need to know inside the digital space. You may not have known yet but technology is getting way bigger and more advanced than you could have ever imagined. Everything you see on social media, what you’re seeing now, what you’re reading, what you’re looking at – all these are just tiny fragments of what the internet actually is. The Social Dilemma presents you with the adverse effects of technology and how it can actually be used as a system of manipulation that leads people into believing something that is not true. Because of the freedom that we can access in social media, businesses and politicians tend to overexploit the platform which, in effect, they use to create false publicities and deceptive propaganda that results in an overall sense of illusion for the vulnerable users of social media. After all, social media itself is a form of business.

With the power of technology, I believe businessmen and politicians will continue to use it in the same way they are using it now. This is because technology has no limitations. As businesses, social media platforms earn through the running of advertisements. The only way they can grow their business further is to improve their method of revenue which is what they are doing now: use of cookies and personalization of advertisements. Anyhow, businesses need people and people need businesses. What makes the market mutually efficient for both parties is through the use of social media. As was mentioned in the documentary, people are the products of social media and that is how it really works. The time you spend on social media. which is the time you spend for your personal benefit, equates to earnings for the platform. Businesses will continue to advertise, whether it is for manipulation or promotion, because from the very nature of it that is how it works; this is explained by a common economic principle that nothing really is for free.

As for politicians, the spread of fake news and cyber propaganda is prevalent. However, I believe that it will not be as prevalent as what it is now in the future. This is because social media nowadays, especially Facebook, have developed a capability to detect news or articles that portray false news, misinformation, and any suspicious posts and activities. Facebook created Temporal Interaction EmbeddingS research (TIES) as an effort to improve its detection of fake accounts and misinformation and the enforcement regulations. This has enabled the company to eliminate more than 135 million fake accounts in April 2020. This may not have completely removed all existing fake news due to diverse engagement, but this serves as a stepping stone for Facebook and other social media platforms to build a system of rectification on the issue of information fallacies across the internet (Hutchinson, 2020). Therefore, yes, the politicians will still try to take advantage of technology in the future because they have the freedom to do so, but the movement has already begun for it to battle upon in this respect.

In the end, it may be beneficial for us to use technologies in our everyday lives but it is still part of our responsibilities to put certain limitations to it. Additionally, it is part of our due diligence to verify the information we encounter in the digital space. When you buy a certain product in the mall, you check whether it is fake or original before purchasing. This goes the same when you encounter articles, news, or any information on social media. You always have to verify the information before buying into it. This action must always be kept in mind when you browse the internet. Failure to do so can lead to detrimental repercussions that influence you and your decisions on life matters. Businesses and politicians will always try to play tricks on us but the only way we can push back against unethical practices of using social media is through our actions ourselves. Engaging our critical thinking skills and educating people about social media literacy are our best tools to defend ourselves from modern harm.

There are certain lines from the film that give a powerful impact. One of these lines is “If you’re not paying for the product, then you’re the product.” This statement is indeed agreeable. Like I said in the previous paragraphs, nothing is for free. Everything has an opportunity cost and trade-off which is an economic principle. Even when you say you have free lunch available at the canteen, falling in line to get it is the cost of it. This is why if you are not paying for a product, then you should already expect that something from you is taken in exchange. Another line from the film states that “There are only two industries that call their customers 'users': illegal drugs and software." To me, this can be associated with the same effect that comes with both industries: addiction. Both drugs and software impart chemicals that trigger the release of dopamine or our happy hormones from our brain. When we use drugs, our neurotransmitters from our brains detect a sense of pleasurable experience in which it changes the behavior of our brain in a way it increases the odds of us repeating the activity again and again; thus, it goes the same with our usage of the software.

There is another line from the film that I find to be agreeing with. It was the line that says “Social media is a marketplace that trades exclusively in human futures." This is evident from the many circumstances the film presented. The one reason why social media knows exactly how to keep you engaged on the platform is that they analyze your behavior pattern. And when they know the kind of behavior you have; they move on to advance their trading scheme. They sell your personal data and give them to large companies which is why there exist personalized advertisements as you scroll through your media feed. The last line from the film that hooked me is the statement: "The very meaning of culture is manipulation." Since our culture is filled with social media and the internet, it can be deduced that everything can now be tracked and monitored. People can now easily manipulate you into liking something or into having different sets of views, may this be in business or politics. As long as social media exist, so does manipulation. Our culture has become associated with the use of technology. It now depends on how we perceive information online that guides our beliefs and that what makes us who we are.

Personal SWOT Analysis Worksheet

Illustrated above is my personal SWOT Analysis. I would say that the political, economic, and social factors are crucial to my growth. Because of these factors, I can determine steps that I can take to maintain my sanity and to improve on what I am lacking. The technological factors play a significant influence on the political, economic, and social factors found in both of my opportunities and strengths. This is because technology boosts everything around you, most especially in a time of a pandemic. Although I cannot go out because of COVID-19, technology allows me to stay connected with my friends and keep myself updated with the nation’s news. Because of technology, distance learning has been integrated into educational institutions to continue the delivery of education to all students like me. However, technology also contributes to factors under threats. Technological factors reduce personal interaction and increase the odds of people getting influenced by fake news considering that people, nowadays, turn to social media to obtain news.

With all the aforementioned circumstances, I would say that there are similarities and differences between my personal assessment and what the documentary, The Social Dilemma, says about the influence of technology on our lives. In a similar aspect, both my assessment and the documentary have presented significant improvements in daily lives with technology such as communication, research, broadcasting, data exploration, labor, and many more especially in a time of difficulty. On the contrary, both my assessment and the documentary presented adverse effects of technology specifically on our mental health and decision-making. This just goes to prove that technology is not always what it seems.

References:

Hutchinson, A. (2020, August 26). Facebook Outlines New System for Detecting Fake Accounts and Misinformation Based on Interactions. https://www.socialmediatoday.com/news/facebook-outlines-new-system-for-detecting-fake-accounts-and-misinformation/584228/.

Perse, E. M., & Lambe, J. (2017). Media effects and society. London: Routledge.

Koo, G. S. (2015). Lights and Shadows of Digital Technologies. Makati City: Church Strengthening Ministry, Inc.

#TheSocialDilemma #DataRights #OwnYourData

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verystrawberrytae · 4 years

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Taekook are distant, a short rant

Sorry, i lied in the title.

Disclaimer. What I am talking about is taekook relationship in a platonic way, as a precious bond between two members. I don’t have a problem if you interpret it in a romantic one, I am a taekooker myself, just please take note that I won’t address those aspects anywhere here.

Before I start my rant I want to tell everyone who is reading it that you don’t really have to read it. If you have your opinion about yesterday’s events set in stone then there is no need for you to go through it all. If you are here just to mock what I will be saying then be my guest, I don’t really care for anyone’s opinion. This post is for me and me only. It’s my way of venting frustrations and if someone stumbles upon it and decides that it was helpful then great.

As I’ve said it will be a rant so please do not expect it to be highly organised because it won’t be.

What I want to start with is - I have two explanations for the infamous scene of the recent episode of In the Soop. This scene has awakened something wild not only amongst taekookers but also amongst those that have never cared for taekook bonds or even those that have openly shaded and hated it. I won’t point fingers, if you are active on twitter, you probably know who I am talking about.

And before I explain those two perspectives I want to take a moment and say that whatever it was that led to this scene coming to life, it is a very beautiful scene. If it was a scene in one of the kdramas that I watch, it would probably become one of the most iconic scenes ever. The emotions seemed so true, the story presented was both heartbreaking and heartwarming. What I try to say here is, the aesthetics of it was very pleasing. But there are many aspects that make me not able to appreciate it to its fullest. What is the biggest one of them? This is not a kdrama, this is the life of two real people, not imaginary characters.

The conversation was very intimate and that leads me to actually disapprove of what I will present as the first perspective. Still I think it’s important to mention it. Just so you know that I have thought deeply about it and I hadn’t dismissed it just like this.

I guess that it’s the simplest explanation. It requires you to believe that what you have seen on camera is one hundred percent true and there is nothing else beyond it. And it is what most people stopped at. And it’s not really a bad thing.

The explanation is: Taekook indeed had some problem with their relationship and they patched it up while In the Soop was being recorded. They had the conversation shown in the episode. They have resolved whatever stood between them and they are now far better then they were before.

And really, there are many arguments that support this. But want to know something? Most of the arguments have to be drawn from official content provided by their company we have got. The content that is heavily edited, cut and just captioned however they want. (I will be talking about captions later on too because it is something that actually created most of this mess.)

And before you roll your eyes and say that Big Hit does not hide Taekook so why would they manipulate content to fit any narrative, I will just say that it does not to the exact many people believe but if you take few minutes and look deeper you will notice that it’s not that Taekook does not interact but they are interrupted, cut and just generally disregarded when it comes to them being viewed as possible unit by the company.

Of course, you don’t have to agree with me. I will be talking more about it in the second to last part of this rant because it is a part of one of the branches of the second perspective I will be presenting.

Apart from official content provided by Big Hit that they feed us there is really not much to agree with the perspective unless we want to breach taboo and analyse songs written or covered by them which I won’t do and strongly discourage you from doing because it’s something that shouldn’t be done. Their works are their own, we are only fans and unless something is explicitly stated, we should refrain from bringing it into the shipping agenda. I am saying it for both taekookers and fans of other ships.

If you stand by this perspective and you are a taekooker then i hope it simply made you realize that they are human too, that the relationships between members are not always what we see. If you are a taekook anti then now you should shut up about them not being close anymore because now according to what we have seen they have sorted things out and by the content released now you can see that they come back to being attached to a hip.

If you weren’t bought by this perspective then I have one more for you. This one branches into two completely different paths but they have a common origin.

The whole scene was scripted and acted out by the boys for us to see.

And it’s what I actually believe because please do not let yourself be fooled, the content we get is not always one that has been born out of a spontaneous action. Remember that it is an entertainment industry, the company’s goal is to please the fans.

I am not trying to debuk boys’ relationship, all of them are precious but it’s a show directed to fans so that they have fun and are happy. There is so much staff, there are so many cuts. We do not see the whole picture but we see what they want us to see.

If you do not think that it was scripted then it’s better you stop reading here. What is going to come is just me going into details why I think we can’t really take whatever was said in the scene for granted and we shouldn’t actually think that it’s a whole truth and there is nothing more for it. Again I respect your opinion if you do not agree with this.

Now let me move onto presenting the two branches of this perspective. The one is harsh, negative one and I will say it at the beginning loud and clear. I don’t believe any words that will be typed here about taekook. It is just a possible reason, that actually I think is the biggest bullshit that has ever come from under my fingers.

They hate each other and can’t stand each other so the staff makes them have this conversation so fans have something to cling onto. They want us to see that there is nothing wrong, while actually they can’t even have a civil convo out of the spotlight.

And you see? It’s complete bullshit. We can all see how much they care for each other and this is something antis try to deny only to be laughed at. Their relationship is precious and there is no doubt about it. That’s why I completely disapprove of it. If you need any evidence for it then I am sorry for you, it just means that you do not pay attention to any of their interactions and you are quick to judge them in accordance to poorly made edit on tiktok brought to life by an insecure child.

The second branch of this perspective is, it was scripted so that it again fits all the narratives they are pushing. The narrative that so many people believe - Taekook aren’t close (which... really? please, find a better excuse, i beg you, if you are an anti, that is not valid reason for hating on their bond). Have you noticed how Taekook is so loud and visible lately? You probably did, but that fits into this perspective perfectly. Taekook talked things out so surely they can be seen together again. So you know, everything that has been in the past portrayed by the official content is still valid but they can again be seen because that is what they need. It’s merely an excuse as to why suddenly we can see and hear taekook without the previous narrative being disapproved.

If they really needed to talk things out they wouldn’t have done it on camera. As I’ve said that was an intimate conversation. They were talking about their feelings. If there really was a problem, I believe that they would have resolved it away from everyone. If it was a moment for them and for their bond, we wouldn’t have seen it unless the moment wasn’t for them but for the audience.

If it doesn’t make sense to you then I really advice you to stop reading. I do not want to torture you any further.

And you know why they need it, the visibility of Taekook? Because Taekook, despite other ships gaining popularity very fast, is still the most popular ship in the industry. You can disagree but for what? It should not be a competition. Taekook is still this one iconic ship that has so many supporters. But with so many supporters comes an insane number of haters. They try to feed both - those who love taekook and those who hate it. Please be reminded that shipping is also a business. With the increase of popularity there comes an increase of interactions and then again increase of popularity. But those ships that are already popular need their fair share of interactions, so that their supporters are also satisfied. Because as I have said they have still many supporters who are not going anywhere anytime soon.

Also, yeah, they can let just one ship grow and the other leave for it to be forgotten but I don’t believe they have no idea about the shipping wars that are happening. I am not saying that it is big and vital thing for them but it certainly makes things more spiced up and it is also some sort of marketing strategy.

It is a pure business. It still does not mean that the bonds members have are just a product to sell and nothing else. I believe that behind the cam they are even more sweet and adorable with each other and it applies to all the bonds not just Taekook.

And why don’t I believe that they aren’t actually close? Look at the content which is not coming from BigHit. The one from KBS or MBC. The one that come from behind the scenes of ads they have been doing. Those most probably weren’t edited by BigHit, there is a great possibility that no editor of the official contents touched it in any way. Look at how they act during lives. You can choose not to notice, that’s fine too.

I said that I will mention the captions. Why do you think they are there? Especially those that say that their conversation is ‘awkward’, ‘embarrassing’ or that they are ‘distant’? Those captions at first look are nothing too serious. Most of them are cute. But some of them make you, or at least try to make you think in a certain way. So that you understand it the way they want you to understand.

At the end of the day, everyone is allowed to have their own opinion. You may think what you want. It probably won’t be my last rant here but please let it be known that I won’t check any comments. I have had my fair share of hate on twitter for expressing my opinion and I just know that it’s better for my mental health to stay away from what other people may think about what I have posted.

To all my fellow taekookers, do not feel discouraged. Remember that we are here for all seven boys and we should love them all equally. Shipping is supposed to be fun so if you think your whole life is ruined because of the scene please reach out to someone. Shipping should never be this deep.

To all the antis. You too please be reminded that those are two real people and if the scene hasn’t been scripted then know that their relationship either way has become even stronger then before. Do not build your life on hating someone.

All the members are precious, love all of them, protect all of them, express your love for all of them. Do not let antis ruin your fun and happiness.

Let’s hope for another number 1 on Billboard Hot 100 next week.

And have a nice day.

#taekook vkook kookv #taekook #vkook #kookv

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nezumiismissing · 4 years

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Missing Character Analysis Pt.3

So we come to part 3 of this series, finally. For the uninitiated, this is where I talk about the characters that were included in the novels/manga but left out of the anime for any multitude of reasons, and how their omission affects the story as a whole (Part 1+Part 2). I won’t say it’s the last one, because there are a few more characters I want to talk about, but this will probably be the last long one, as the characters remaining are fairly minor and there isn’t quite as much to analyze. That being said, this monstrosity is over 3000 words, so if you do decide to read it, make sure you have the time. It’s kind of wild, things get a little conceptual/abstract, but it’s at least marginally coherent, and that’s all that really matters, right?

So this time around we’re actually going to be talking about two characters, Fennec and lab coat man, not because they are too minor to deserve their own posts, but because they are too interconnected to focus on one without talking about the other. As the leaders of No.6 they hold a huge amount of power, and yet their dialogue occurs almost entirely between themselves. And while individually they are completely different people, what makes them strong characters is much more about the role they play as a single force within the city. Each one of them will get a section of their own, and then at the end we’ll move into the discussion of them as a “unit” and how their absence affects certain aspects of the anime. I'm going to start with lab coat man because, for me at least, Fennec is the far more interesting of the two, so I wanted to save him for last, as well as the fact that chronologically, he also makes the last appearance out of the two of them. Also I’m just going to call him Labcoat because he doesn’t have a name and that’s basically his only identifying feature.

Let’s actually start with that. The fact that he doesn’t have a name (even less so than the mayor) but still appears in the story is extremely odd. I’ve mentioned in the past that something I really like about the anime is the lack of any characters guiding No.6’s actions, which make it seem like a full character with a will of its own (I will touch on this later). But there’s something almost as creepy about knowing who the antagonist of the story is, having an in-depth understanding of his ideology (even if it’s bullshit), seeing him have full on one-on-one conversations with other important characters, and yet having no way to really identify who they are or how they ended up in this position. His character is overly vague and simplified, but to an extent that ends up being nearly as terrifying as him not existing at all. He’s the one that’s actually running No.6, making every major decision about what direction the city should move in up until the very end of the story, and yet his death happens without us seeing it, and without the intervention of any of the main characters. This functions not only as a way to show how insane he was or to what extent he isolated himself in order to do his work, but also reveals the fact that he is completely unnecessary. Not to the story of course, he’s very important to our understanding of No.6, but to No.6 itself, his existence was meaningless. No one outside of Fennec and Safu (the two people he is shown interacting with) ever make reference to his existence, and even after he dies, and the main characters find his body in the mayor’s office, he is only mentioned for a moment to explain what had happened to him. He seems perfectly happy with this arrangement, but it leaves a lot of questions unanswered. How did he become the most powerful man in No.6? Why did he do it? Was complete power always his intention, or was he an idealist in the beginning like everyone else? We’ll never know the answer to these questions, but at the same time, it doesn’t really matter why he did it. Labcoat is a character that is so integral to the story and its events that his motives and existence outside of his ideology become completely meaningless. Which almost seems contradictory, but is also maybe the point of his character. Rather than an actual character with a concrete purpose and role in the story, he is a stand-in for the ideology that drives No.6, similar to the way that Rashi acts as a personification of the sociopolitical status of the city (please read my obscenely long post about Rashi).

At the root of this ideology, and Labcoat’s character, is the overwhelming fear of failure and losing control. Scenes including him are centered on his progress updates, which immediately are recognizable as nothing but reassurances, that “it was only a small obstacle”, that “it should be under control now”. At no point are we under the illusion that he actually knows what he is doing, and with no information regarding what is actually going on until near the end of the story, we are left to watch him desperately struggle with something that is either impossible, or doesn’t exist at all, much like the concept of utopia itself. We already know that his ideology and rational thought process will not allow him to accept impossibilities or non-understandings however, and so it is at this moment that we fully become an active part of the story ourselves, not as simple observers or analysts, but instead as a driving force in the plot, here in the form of the source of Labcoat's paranoia. Within the story, there is no doubt in his mind that anything and everything can fall under his control, and to a point, he is right. Elyurias is ultimately able to defeat him and No.6, but only after severe damage has already been done and some control had been taken from her temporarily. By existing outside of the story, we exist fully outside of his realm of control, and in recognizing our existence, he must come face to face with the reality that certain things exist that cannot be rationalized (more thoughts on this concept another time). Again similar to Rashi, this realization causes the collapse of his ideology, and by extension, No.6. Because that ideology is the entirety of his character, there is no reason for him to remain a part of the story, and so he is killed, quite literally, by irrationality.

Fennec is one of those characters that from the outset is obviously more complex than is let on. He's the undisputed mayor of No.6, wielding unprecedented power over every single character we meet in the story. But he doesn't really want any of it. And as I mentioned above, he doesn’t really have it either. Now whether he realizes that he is being used by Labcoat or not is unclear (up to a certain point), but it is obvious that he knows that he is not fully in control of the city. His only real job is to serve as the face of No.6 and its perceived ideals, keeping the general population from ever suspecting that anything may be wrong. However, even in this job he is unable to succeed, and ultimately only exacerbates the process by which citizens become suspicious of the city’s leadership. He is arguably the most ideologically pure character in the entire series, other than perhaps Karan, whose ideology is not fully developed over the course of the story, and Safu, whose purpose in the story does not even necessitate any kind of socio-political stance on her part. Despite what he has ended up doing and taking part in, I don’t think that he ever really moved away from dreaming of an ideal world, and while much of his uncertainty about his position certainly stems from being unsure of whether or not they are moving the city in the right direction, I believe that much of it is also part of working towards one of the questions that frames the entire series: “Is it even possible to create an ideal world?”. Without an answer to this question, he is unable to overcome his uncertainty about his own position in the city or move forward ideologically, and thus is easily used as a tool by others such as Labcoat to further their own agendas and ideological positions, rather than develop his own ideas and work towards his own goals of utopia.

While some of the other characters such as Labcoat, and to a certain extent Rashi, are very much a personified version of the city in its idealized authoritarian form, Fennec exists very much on the opposite side of the spectrum, and instead paints a picture of the political and ideological structure of No.6 as it actually is, and likely always has been. While Fennec, like everyone else in the Rebirth Project, went into the creation of No.6 with utopian ideals, he is also probably the first, if not only, one of them to realize that what they were attempting was likely impossible, at least in the way they were attempting to do it. With the information about him we are given, it seems safe to assume that he may have been suspicious from the start, and perhaps was pushed into the leadership position not only as a way for Labcoat to become the de facto ruler of the city, but also in order to convince him that the city was indeed possible, and that it could only happen with Fennec's help. This of course was never a good idea, and likely led to a good portion of the instability that allowed the story to happen in the first place, but by portraying a leader that is so uncertain not only of the concept of the city itself, but also in his ability to lead such a city, we are able to see just how unstable the situation has been from the very beginning. This makes Karan’s comments about Fennec much more interesting as well, as at face value these are obviously comments about the distrust of leadership in the city, and thus distrust in the city itself, but in seeing Fennec’s own insecurity, we are able to place these comments also within the context of a distrust of the self, and a recognition that the entire situation is really out of everyone’s control, making the stability that marks No.6 as the “Holy City” subject to collapse at any time and for basically any reason, which of course it ultimately does.

Basically every death in this story has immense impact, often resulting in significant character development or otherwise important shifts in the story, and Fennec’s death is no exception to this. Like Labcoat, his death occurs without being seen and without intervention, although this time the main characters are at least aware that it is happening, but nonetheless it shifts the tone of the moment. In my experiences reading this scene, it’s always been there to create a quiet, grounding moment for both us and the characters to come back to reality and start processing everything that has happened over the past 9 books. The entire last half of the series is incredibly dense with action scenes, sensory overload, and things that are so far separated from reality that it’s difficult to figure out exactly what their purpose is, and even before entering the Correctional Facility, peaceful scenes are few and far between. So in this brief moment at the end of the series, when we know for a fact that No.6 has finally fallen and the nightmare is (mostly) over, we are finally able to enjoy a single moment of certainty amidst what is otherwise complete chaos. In these moments we are able to see Fennec realize not that he had necessarily lost against Nezumi, Shion, and the protesters, as his actions were almost entirely a result of Labcoat’s manipulation, but that he had been manipulated in the first place, and that his own life had been taken over by the “idea” of No.6, rather than the reality of it. The death of Labcoat and the realization of what had truly transpired within the city results in a return of control to Fennec over his own life, as well as over the city. With his knowledge of the city’s truth, and newfound power over it, he must now make the choice of whether or not to justify everything that has happened up to this point. Manipulated or not, he recognizes his position as the symbol of the city, and therefore his role in its actions, and so in keeping with his utopian ideology, he does the only thing he feels is appropriate in order to avoid going against his ideals and once again relinquishing his self determination to a yet-undecided power. I can’t say whether or not that choice was the right one, and opinions are probably going to differ a lot between people, but it is at least an action that, unlike so much of the rest of the series, is not unexpected and can be rationalized outside of an authoritative framework.

I’ve already done some of this, but this last section is going to go into how these two function as the single unit running No.6, and thus how their lack of presence affects the structure of the anime. On their own of course neither one of them would be able to take on the position of leading the entire city, and although neither one really seems interested in being deeply involved with the other, they have become dependent on each other in order to remain individually stable, with Labcoat needing reassurance that he is indeed in charge, and Fennec needing reassurance that an ideal society can exist, despite neither of those things being entirely true. As a unit, they represent two sides of No.6 in reverse relation to their own positon within the city. That is, Labcoat represents the idealism and scientific superiority that characterizes the world’s perception of the city while remaining a highly secretive figure, while Fennec represents the frailty of the city that is kept hidden from the citizens, despite acting as the city’s public persona (I will be referring to them as a unit from now own because their function is collective rather than individual here). This unit itself is a highly isolated structure (relationship), interacting with only a few other characters within the story during important moments, but otherwise interacting only within itself. This is what allows this setup to work at all, as their isolation enables them to freely trade information and plans between themselves without involving others or worrying about the information finding its way out of the structure. While it is clearly highly manipulative on the part of Labcoat, this is unclear to Fennec as well as the citizens who watch the mayor speak, and so the unit is able to stay intact as it is without being questioned by those who may seek to oppose it. This does not free them from criticism, obviously, but instead makes it impossible to criticize only one or the other from the perspective of a citizen, because as far as they are concerned, they are the same person. The unit, in having two distinctly different personalities functionally taking the place of one, is able to efficiently complete tasks semi-publically that would otherwise be seen as unacceptable by publicly presenting itself, and in fact believing itself to be, an idealized system of leadership which works in the citizen’s favor. Labcoats’s mistakes are able to be rationalized as small obstacles through the lens of Fennec’s nonunderstanding, and Fennec’s paranoia of this nonunderstanding mitigated through Labcoat’s complete trust in scientific inquiry and methods.

Despite the omission of these characters and the unit entirely from the anime, the story is still able to work because the city itself is able to take the place of the unit as the primary actor in the events of the story. With no leadership being portrayed throughout the anime, we are left with the impression that the events are unfolding independently of any kind of governmental system, or at least the government that does exist is vague and devoid of ideology outside of “militant authoritarianism”. Instead these events are framed almost as a type of natural occurrence that likely could not be avoided without the formation of some kind of mediation system such as a government, and without such a system, the responsibility falls somewhere else: society as a whole (or more specifically No.6). With no visible government in the form of the Fennec/Labcoat unit to control and mediate the situation, the unit expands to include everyone, as they become collectively responsible for governing themselves and thus understanding and accepting to a certain extent what is happening throughout the story. It would be a significant understatement to say that the sociological implications of this are immense, and someday I will write that essay. But today is not that day, so we’re going to stay surface level.

I would like to point out that yes, obviously this is not actually how No.6 functions. It’s not an autonomous collective governed by the people. It’s not even kind of a democracy. My point isn’t so much to say that No.6 is or even approaches being either of those things, but rather that the structure of the story, by excluding certain details and characters, gives us a conceptualization of No.6 that is far different from the one portrayed in the novels, and thus may in certain instances be seen as ideologically distinct. In this instance, the omission of Fennec and Labcoat, both independently of each other and as a unit, serve to create the feeling of the situation in No.6 as being entirely out of control, not as a planned series of events or experiments, but rather as a spontaneous occurrence fed by unexplained impulses felt by certain members of society, here taking the form of those recognizable as government officials or soldiers. While the government is certainly mentioned in the anime, and clearly exists in some form that is able to exert that level of control over the citizens, it exists mainly because the way we live requires a government, and so any story that does not explicitly state otherwise is simply assumed to have one that functions in a way we can recognize and relate to.

In the novels, although they are not the only ones in the government, Fennec and Labcoat occupy the highest position, and are able to confirm the existence of a structured government, and give insight into the background and current issues facing that government. Through them, the events taking place are to a certain extent demystified, and while not explained entirely, we are able to more accurately identify those events as being somewhat purposeful and directly related to the overarching story. Their absence in the anime, while useful in its own way for adapting the themes of the story and creating a sense of mystery in a visual medium, also result in a (perhaps unintended) ideological shift in the overall message of the story, leaving it unclear as to what exactly happened, or could happen in the future. Also, like most things that got left out of the anime, this seems to be at least partially a result of the time crunch of fitting 9 books into only 11 episodes, so while I may have (a lot of) issues with the overall result of this particular change, there also isn’t really much that could have been done about it outside of just making the show longer (which they should have done but I know that wasn’t really an option). Ultimately though, through Fennec and Labcoat, and their existence as a unit in the series, we are able to better contextualize the events of No.6’s story, understand how those events came to take place, and get a better sense of how No.6 as a city and a society really functions. With their omission, we not only lose those understandings, but the ideology portrayed and supported by the story also change, and while that change may not be important to the overall enjoyment of the story, the implications end up being quite significant, and not necessarily in the way you would want.

#no.6 #no. 6 #no.6 analysis #long post #this is disgustingly long i cannot believe #i dont think ive ever had such mixed feelings about something ive written before #its kind of a mess #please feel free to completely rip into it #thats what its for #plus im curious to see what yall think about some of these topics *eyes emoji*#also if you make it all the way to the end of this you are my hero #big shoutout to this being the longest single essay ive written for anything ever #original

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purrplebun · 5 years

Text

forget-me-not ; ch 1

fandom: mr. love: queen’s choice

pairing: gavin/reader

genre: fluff, angst

word count: 2.6k

summary: You, a stubborn and insecure woman who really needs a shoulder to lean on. Him, a strong and dependable man who strives to protect those dear to him. One would think it a match made in heaven - but in reality, things don’t go quite as smoothly.

a/n: reader doesn’t take on the role of mlqc’s original mc; credits to @rynkao for not only inspiring me to do this, but also writing the plot with me, advising me and letting me know whenever something needed fixing; thank you @just-lazy-croc for reading all of my drafts and supporting me; more at the end!

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As per routine, you were following the same path you always took on Fridays. Your life wasn't exactly in order. But if there was something that remained constant, it was this. You had always thought the building huge, almost maze-like, so the fact that you no longer needed help with directions was certainly an achievement. The long, seemingly endless halls were swarmed by people. And noise. So much noise, you were glad your earphones were plugged in. From uncertainty, despair, regret, desperation and all the way to relief, their gazes portrayed the internal struggles they were going through.

You merely minded your own business as you were passing by. It wasn't that you were heartless or wished despair upon anyone, no - after all, you were fully aware of how impactful accidents and illnesses could be. But looks of pity from strangers aren't exactly appreciated by everyone. Some people prefer to suffer in silence or keep to themselves, so they might wind up doing more bad than good.

You could relate to that too.

Nevertheless, there was a second reason why you were rushing. That Friday was different, the colorful bouquet in your hands said as much. It had been exactly eight years since the accident. Eight years since you caused someone's life to take a turn for the worse. And eight years since you started paying weekly visits to the hospital.

Upon finally reaching your destination, you lightly knocked on the door and opened it. The room was no different from before, silent and welcoming. "Hey, Em," you quietly said, after closing the door behind you and heading towards the windowsill. There, a single blue hydrangea stood lonely. You had left it the prior week, so its once outstanding beauty now wilted. "I brought you some really nice flowers this time.

"Lying on the hospital bed was a girl with long, brown hair, early in her twenties, and your best friend during high school. Much like the sleeping beauty, Emily had closed her eyes one day and didn't open them since. It had been nothing but an accident, truly. If only she hadn't run off the way she did, that car wouldn't have crashed into her. If only the two of you hadn't argued back then, she would've been alright now. She would've been living her life the way she wanted, not like a vegetable stuck to a bed. She would've been.. happy. "If only-" you shook your head so as not to further that line of thinking. These doubts were always present in your mind, haunting and tormenting; but now was not the time.

So you resumed arranging the flowers. You took out the hydrangea and carefully placed the fresh lilies. Since they were her favorite flowers, you decided to have a special bouquet arranged for this occasion. They were pretty. Colorful. Alive. You couldn't help but stare at them for a while before finally taking a seat by Emily's bedside and unplugging your earphones.

"I haven't managed to sell any paintings this week either," you spoke up, disappointment clear in your tone, "but college has been otherwise going pretty well." This is how your visits always went: telling your friend about your everyday life, recalling fun memories from your past and asking her questions you knew you wouldn't get an answer to. "My part-time job hasn't been too bad either, apart from your usual snobs here and there," you made sure to add with a sour face.

The only sounds disrupting the silence were the constant beeps of the heart monitor. Visiting Emily had always represented some sort of escape from reality. Of course, you also wanted to see her, but you couldn't deny the existence of other reasons. For one, you were trying to atone. To push away the demons haunting you. On the other hand, it was during your visits that you finally had peace, both in your mind and surroundings. You could finally relax, hear your own voice and that of your subconscious.

It wasn't an exaggeration to say that everything around you was so full of noise, you couldn't even think properly. After all, you were different. You, much unlike normal people, were capable of hearing others' thoughts - or as movies so eloquently put it, mind reading. It seemed like a scenario taken straight out of a really bad fanfiction. Which is why, back when you first discovered your ability, you thought your lack of sleep had finally caught up with you; and you must've been hearing things.

A few similar occurrences later, that assumption proved to be false. But if that was indeed reality and you could actually read minds.. then just what was going on? What caused that sudden change in you? Was there a way to get rid of it? And more importantly, were there any other people like you? Hundreds upon hundreds of questions were swarming in your head. You thought about talking to your parents but reconsidered after imagining their reactions. "They probably wouldn't even give me the time of the day", which was justifiable, considering you had superpowers. So, like any other person in the 21st century who sought answers, you decided to consult the internet.

It took a lot of digging. You had to go past thousands of movie reviews, superhero stories and game synopses before you could finally find something useful. While not about mind reading specifically, you did manage to learn a few new things. One, superpowers were real and referred to as evols. Two, people all over the world had evols, but they were kept secret for the most part. And three, there was no way to get rid of them. Or if there was, no one had ever revealed or mentioned anything about it.

Your research done, you proceeded to bookmark a few websites and go on with your life as usual. Your evol could get quite annoying at times - during exams, for instance, you involuntarily heard some of your classmates' thoughts and therefore had trouble concentrating. But it was bearable. You thought that, with time, you'd get used to it.

Oh, but how wrong you were.

Fate has a way of toying with people, and as you grew up, so did the power within you. It got bigger. Larger. It grew to the point where it was uncontrollable. Albeit without your intent, you were able to hear what anybody near you was thinking. The closer they were to you, the louder the voices in your head. You could no longer differentiate thoughts from sentences, not even when they were yours. You had long lost control. Hell, did you even have it in the first place?

That power took away your peace. It was slowly driving you mad, but you had to stay strong. Because you knew. You knew it must've been a punishment for what you'd done, for ruining your best friend's life. So you learned to live with it, and in the process, music became your best friend. It was the only thing you could think to do, in order to at least drown out the noise.

"If only everyone was as kind as you, I'd be rich right now," you couldn't help but sigh, as you left your chin to rest on your hand. Closing your eyes, you tried to imagine how that scenario would go. "Then I'd be able to buy us tickets to one of Kiro's concerts. You haven't heard any of his songs yet, but I just know you'd be madly in love with them."

It was true. You had a pretty good grasp of Emily's taste in music, and Kiro's definitely fit the bill. Not only that, but he was also the most popular idol in Loveland - for good reason. He was charismatic, really good at what he was doing and his looks were pretty up there as well. Kiro wasn't involved in any scandals either, so you just couldn't dislike him. "Or maybe I could go on a vacation. You know, escape from the city and all the noise that comes with it. Just me, the sun, and-" But before you could continue, the sound of the door creaking pulled you out of your fantasies.

Expecting it to be someone part of the hospital staff, you lazily opened your eyes and directed your gaze towards the entrance. What you were met with, however, wasn't a doctor or a nurse. It was a well-built, tall man with short chestnut brown hair. He was wearing a simple white shirt with a blue denim jacket on top, leaving part of his collarbone exposed. As your (e/c) eyes met a pair of golden ones, widening in realization, you were sent back to that day. "You're.."

Last time you saw him, the two of you were still in high school. He was shorter then and his shoulders weren’t as broad, but he otherwise remained pretty much the same. As for his personality, you knew he used to be a troublemaker - according to the rumors circulating between students, at least.

You didn’t believe a word. Not after what he’d done. Not after how, without caring about the dangers it involved, he tried to save Emily. His presence at the scene had been a mere coincidence; but as soon as he saw the car fast approaching, he started running. “Watch out!” He didn’t stop to consider calling someone for help or think about the situation he was in.

He just saw someone in danger. And decided to act.

Something you didn’t, as you stood there petrified. You watched as your best friend ran towards the street without paying attention to where she was going. You watched as this boy called out to her and attempted to push her out of the way. You watched as the car crashed into her body because the boy was a few seconds too late. All you did was watch as the scene unfolded right before your eyes. You were in so much shock that you couldn’t even cry. Not that you would have allowed yourself to, anyway. After all, you weren’t the one in pain.

You were just a bystander, there to witness faith follow its course. That boy, however... He was a hero. Someone who, without giving it another thought, helped people in need; all out of his own free will. You hadn’t seen anyone display such bravery before. A category you knew full well you were part of. The two of you were so different, you never thought you'd meet him again... Yet there he was now, standing in front of you.

“Gavin,” he suddenly spoke up as if to finish your earlier sentence, “from high school. But judging by the look on your face, you remembered as much.”

It then dawned upon you that you must’ve been staring. Cursing internally for your failed first impression, you quickly got up from your seat and extended your right hand towards him. “S-Sorry for spacing out like that! I’m (y/n), also from high school. But I’m guessing you knew that already.” Gavin lightly shook your hand whilst you scratched your neck in embarrassment, eyes landing on the bouquet you hadn’t noticed he was holding. Lilies.

“Oh, do you want some help with those?” No sooner had the words left your mouth, than you immediately regretted it. He most likely came in expecting to be alone, to see Emily and maybe some of her relatives; having an old acquaintance around wouldn't exactly count as privacy.

"On second thought, I should probably-" but he interrupted you before you could finish your sentence. "Sure, thank you." His lips curled up in a small smile as he handed you the flowers. After replying with an awkward "Make yourself comfortable..?", you took them gingerly and headed towards the windowsill once more.

Flower arrangement wasn't something you were particularly into, but you liked to think that you had an artistic sense for it. You were, after all, a painter and you loved art. Albeit it didn't really seem to love you back.

You removed the ribbons keeping both bouquets' lilies tied together and freed them in the vase. Since you didn't have a specific design in mind, you just let your hands move them around playfully. You heard Gavin’s footsteps as he went to sit where you previously had been. And then there was silence. Not the comforting sort, it was rather the kind of silence that made you want to just run away.

"Oh God, what am I supposed to do now? I can't just leave, but sitting in complete silence like this is unbearable. Then again, what can I even say? «Hey, so how's life been?» That's too awkward!"

Wait, backtrack a bit. Silence? Your movements stopped abruptly. By now you'd normally hear everything he was thinking, every sentence going through his mind. ..So why weren't you? Not that you were complaining, of course - getting into others' brains wasn't something you wished to do, and that wouldn't ever change.

However, that wasn't the first time something like this had happened. There'd been a few people present in your life whose thoughts you couldn't hear. But you never managed to put your finger on why. Did they have something that prevented your ability from working? If they did, would you be able to procure it too? And did that mean you could finally stop it for granted?

You stole a quick glance at Gavin, who was looking at Emily. You couldn’t see his face very well, but you could’ve sworn you heard a really faint, almost unnoticeable “I’m sorry.” Seeing as that was all you heard and he didn’t show any signs of moving, you decided to just brush it off, “Yeah, I must’ve imagined it.”

Going back to your train of thought, maybe today was your lucky day. Maybe this man represented an important clue in finding the answers you sought. Maybe talking to him would help you learn more about your evol. Maybe, just maybe, the Universe finally decided you had enough suffering and gave you a chance. Or maybe not, and you were completely wrong.

Even so, you definitely couldn't let this opportunity slip by.

"Hey, umm.. would you like to head to a café and catch up on things? I know a good place." He turned his head to look at you and you used the chance to add, "Oh, only if you're free! I wouldn't want to inconvenience you." It was a pretty sudden invitation, so you anxiously awaited his response expecting a rejection. If he refused, your only lead at the moment would be gone and you’d continue your life as usual. After seemingly considering it for a few seconds, he finally replied.

"Of course."

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a/n: aaaahh i’m sorry there’s not a lot of gavin in this chapter!! i wanted to properly introduce the main character and her backstory, also no, emily isn’t the original mc i assure you - dating your high school crush is nice, but i just?? want gavin to naturally fall in love with someone else?? i haven’t seen something like this done often, and if i’m motivated enough this should be a preeetty long fic,,. so i guess we’ll see how it goes. anyway!!!! no one cares but this all started because of a really soft dream i happened to have of gavin?? where he was super nice to me and i actually got to touch him???? idk how that happened but it did so now i’m turning it into a fanfic. which reminds me, please keep in mind i’ve never seriously written before, so whilst i may not be the best now i’ll make sure to improve along the way! (つ﹏⊂)

thank you so much for reading if you’ve reached this far!❤️

#mlqc #mlqc gavin #mr love #mr love gavin #mr love queen's choice #mr love: queen's choice #love and producer #gavin #bai qi #otome #otome game #gavin x reader #gavin/reader #mlqc x reader #guys i swear i'm ultimately a victor stan #but i'm so nervous #oops my hands are sHaKiNg

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hamliet · 5 years

Text

GOT 8.03 I Know Death

Well... I can’t lie. If the WW threat is really over, that was a wee bit of a letdown, but seriously WHAT A WAY TO GO. That was honestly one of the most brutal hours of television I’ve ever watched. I’m not surprised the true enemy is Cersei but. Sigh. Supposedly episodes 3-5 are like... one cohesive story according to the director with a beginning middle and end soooo I have questions?

Whatever. Let’s talk characters.

First of all, IS GHOST OKAY????

A moment of silence for Edd, Beric, LYANNA, and the nameless characters we still cared for. Double moments for Jorah and Theon, Amen. Lyanna did not deserve to die, but at least she took out a giant?

JORAH and THEON

The big deaths imo. If it wasn’t clear, they were always parallel characters. Their arcs both follow the same structure:

trust (Theon is like family, Jorah Dany’s most trusted/House Mormont)–>

betrayal (of the Starks for Theon for the sake of his blood family, of Dany for the sake of returning to his blood family for Jorah)–>

suffering (Reek and exile to Essos/for the Dany betrayal, greyscale)–>

redemption (saving Dany from the Dothraki, saving Sansa)–>

near-death experience (greyscale and losing Yara to Euron)–>

forgiveness (Dany welcoming Jorah, Lyanna Mormont wishing him luck; Sansa embracing Theon)–>

death saving someone they once betrayed. Jorah, saving Dany. Theon, saving Bran, the boy he lied about killing.

Not to mention they both have love stories that alas, are not to be, with Sansa for Theon (you can interpret the love however you wish) and with Dany for Jorah, though that one was unrequited romantically, it was still love.

Not to mention both of them completed “redemption(esque)” arcs, along with...

MELISANDRE

I’m not getting into this Azor Ahai stuff because the writing on that looks skeptical at best to me. Still, she was able to fulfill her desires--to save the world basically--and die in relative peace. I liked her moment of doubt in her faith before the trenches lit as well.

ARYA and BRAN

Arya is the person who, after all, has been bragging about knowing death and its many faces, who trained to become an agent of death. Her killing the NK is a way of her asserting herself as a part of the living, as a Stark, not as a faceless (wo)man. The fact that she did it protecting Bran further cements this. She is a Stark of Winterfell. She is not nor has she ever been no one.

TYRION and SANSA and MISSANDEI and GILLY

Missandei and Gilly may not have major roles, but they are parallels and if one is okay the other should be as well. Missandei’s line to Sansa was great, and I say that as a massive Sansa stan (she’s my favorite character). Dany sacrificed so much to save them all, and none of them would be alive without her.

I liked Sansa’s scenes with Tyrion as well. It was a good way to give closure to that relationship.

The scene in the crypts, though, was agonizing, but for me the true horror was long before the dead broke in, the scene when people outside were begging to be let in, and they couldn’t save them. They truly could not, and that was agonizing, but it was the right thing to do, and Sophie Turner did a great job showing the anguish on Sansa’s face. You can’t save everyone.

BRIENNE and JAIME

They saved each other, amen. And Pod is alive.

DANY and JON (and CERSEI )

Well, now the focus will likely shift back to politicking. Again, I’m not here for Mad Queen bullshit--or, er, well, there is indeed a Mad Queen: Cersei. Who didn’t appear for two whole episodes so I’m absolutely terrified.

Dany has lost Jorah, the one who has been with her since season 1, the closest thing she has to family since her husband and her baby died which is pretty traumatizing. Let’s break down how this season is challenging Dany: its methodically picking apart what she thinks she knows about herself and her family and her value. She assumed it was all on her to continue the honor and legacy of her family (the Iron Throne). Now, she has a relative still alive and will probably have another family member soon (more later). The Iron Throne isn’t hers according to the rules of succession. Everything Dany has believed about herself has been flipped now. She also just lost Viserion, who was like her child, her dragons are injured, and the Dothraki, her tie to her first husband and her dead child, the people who follow her like the free folk follow Jon, were massacred. Dany has lost a lot. I am expecting Dany to be in the lowest place we’ve ever seen her next episode. I’ve said before the Iron Throne is a coping mechanism; she’ll probably cling to it even more because she has nothing else... except Jon.

Theory time: I’m honestly guessing that Dany is pregnant, or will be in the next couple episodes to further extend the foiling with Cersei (it’s dumb AF writing if she isn’t, since that was simply foreshadowed too strongly not to happen), and I do think she’ll lose the other two dragons eventually to parallel losing her three “dragon children” with Cersei losing her three children. Does she want the Iron Throne, the childhood coping mechanism, the story Viserys used to feed her as a child to keep her going while assassins were trailing them, or does she want a family? (She wants the latter I think.) The choice will be to become Cersei or become like Sansa, to remain a child clinging to stories or to be an adult and choose her fate.

Which... again there’s inherent misogyny in that because a woman CAN have power and a family and that both Cersei and Dany are portrayed as “oh noes the danger!” is irritating, but w/e. They’re probably going to drag this “will she won’t she” out until the last couple episodes, but there’s no point to her ending up like Cersei. That being said, one thing I will say is that I reallllllly do appreciate that the women are getting the arcs.

One more thing on the deaths: I just knooow there will be people complaining about the lack of major-major deaths, but really, it’s fairly predictable that most of the MCs with arcs still need to finish said arcs. I am still betting that we’re going to have MC character deaths in the next three episodes. I do not, however, expect Bran, Sansa, Arya, Jon, or Dany to be among them. Really, I get annoyed when ppl complain about the lack of major deaths–anyone with a narrative background could have told you Catelyn, Robb, and Ned dying was inevitable because the story is about the children and specifically the cripples, the bastards, the broken things, rising up and creating a better world than the ones their fathers left for them (oh hey, Dany said that to Yara–whom I also think will survive thanks to Theon’s death). I also think Davos, Brienne, Grey Worm and Missandei, and Sam and Gilly (and Little Sam) should survive. All of these characters are characterized by loyalty and justness, just like Ned Stark was. However, unlike Ned? They’ve all been able to grow and learn to be wise with their loyalty. Game of Thrones isn’t as unpredictable as you might think; stories follow narrative structures, GOT just happens to excel at red herrings.

#theonsa #theon greyjoy #jorah mormont #got meta #game of thrones #got season 8 episode 3 #the battle of winterfell #lyanna mormont #melisandre #arya stark #night king #bran stark #sansa stark #tyrion lannister

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tarashima · 5 years

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Hiya :D I was hoping if I could ask you a question, if that's okay? Ever since episode 58 came out, I've seen a lot of debates about whether or not Yusaku has Stockholm syndrome towards Revolver. I've done a lot of research on the subject, and from what the series shows, Yusaku doesn’t seem to have the syndrome at all, towards Revolver, Dr. Kogami, or any of the Knights of Hanoi. But I’m seeing the term being misused a lot. So, I want to ask: What are your thoughts on the matter?

Thank you for asking this, anon, and I‘m sorry for the late reply. I feel like this response/post is a bit overdue since I know there a lot of fans out there concerned about the misuse and application of the term.

Because canonically, Yuusaku doesn’t, and has never, suffered from Stockholm syndrome.

To truly answer your question, anon, we’ll have to first analyze Yuusaku to see if he meets the criterion to develop the syndrome and then continue by figuring out if he displays the symptoms in the series.

Now, this is going to be pretty picture heavy and long, so bear with me. Also, this will contain spoilers.

All through season 1, Yuusaku is hunting for the truth behind the Lost Incident. He did at one point make the connection between it and the Knights of Hanoi, due to its other name, the Hanoi Project, hence why he hunts them as intensively as he does. He wants revenge and he won’t get it until the ones responsible pay for their crime.

Early on in the series, he states that the Knights of Hanoi are the only ones he hates. Does that mean he also hates Revolver?

Yes, he does. Revolver is just another piece to use in the search after the truth. However, Yuusaku never makes the guess that the leader of Hanoi is the same person as the mastermind of the Hanoi Project. Yuusaku is heavily driven by logic and never makes hasty assumptions but rather conclusions and only when he’s absolutely sure.

But we all know Yuusaku’s perspective shifted when he learned Revolver was his special person, as well as the one who made the anonymous report to uncover the incident. Shifted in the sense of learning where Ryouken came from, hence turning part of his mission into no longer being about crushing Revolver as a part of Hanoi but dragging him away from it. That’s important to remember.

Now, let’s move on to Stockholm syndrome.

The most common description of the term that most people uses, and the very basic one, is “a hostage developing sympathy for their captor”. Which isn’t entirely correct; it’s closer to the truth to instead say that the victims start to identify with their captors, especially when they to cope with the fact that they’re captured, feeling like their old life were empty and meaningless, or to sum it all up in one sentence; a psychological alliance as a survival strategy during captivity.

What everyone agrees on, however, is that it’s generally considered as a highly irrational condition, so no further argument is needed on that point. But just like any other psychological term, there is way more to it than just that.

And when it comes to Yuusaku, we don’t have to continue before it already falls apart.

Let’s go back to episode 58 that started this whole debate in the first place:

VRAINS tells us it was eight-year-old Ryouken.

The show has so far not shown us how exactly the kidnapping happened, other than it was child Ryouken luring Yuusaku away, a method not uncommon to use when luring away others into captivity, and it’s clear that Dr. Kougami used it to his advantage.

Here’s the thing, though, and what most people may have missed or forgotten about; Ryouken luring Yuusaku away doesn’t make him the most responsible for Yuusaku’s captivity. The ones to blame entirely are the adults involved, and, most specifically, Dr. Kougami.

“But Ryouken is equally guilty since he was a part of it!”

Yes and no. Ryouken’s guilt complex has its origin from this since he did lure away Yuusaku (if he lured away the others is still unknown, but so far, it doesn’t seem like he lured away Spectre and/or Takeru). But Ryouken also confessed that he didn’t understand what was going on, which shouldn’t be too surprising due to being as young as he was. And putting such heavy blame solely on a child is questionable on too many levels.

Yuusaku himself has stated himself as well that Ryouken was, indeed, too young to be blamed for the Lost Incident.

In this specific case, the roles as kidnapper and captor aren’t shared by the same person, or even on equal grounds since that would mean Ryouken was just as involved in the project as Dr. Kougami himself, or even Vyra, Dr. Genome, and Faust. But he wasn’t due to his age, and it’s even implied that he was left in the dark, which would be more than understandable.

It’s worth mentioning as well that Dr. Kougami did admit guilt over dragging Ryouken into the mix to begin with, implying even further that he wasn’t involved more than the show suggests.

This is what we, the audience, get to know. But Yuusaku is aware of this as well, at least in a matter of it being a different person guilty for locking him away. In other words, Yuusaku never developed sympathy or psychological alliance with his captors; he makes a difference between captor and kidnapper just like the show portrays it. Furthermore, he thought for ten years that Ryouken was imprisoned as well:

Based on all this, it’s not too far-fetched to assume that Dr. Kougami took Yuusaku away when Ryouken wasn’t in the same vicinity. Otherwise, he should’ve known that Ryouken was in cahoots with Dr. Kougami.

All Yuusaku’s hatred towards Hanoi is because of them imprisoning him, something a hostage with Stockholm syndrome doesn’t feel since the lack of hatred and negative feelings is the main factor for the condition developing in the first place. Wikipedia uses a quote from the psychologist Thomas Strentz: “The victim’s need to survive is stronger than their impulse to hate the person who has created the dilemma.” Nothing we see in the show indicates that that was the case with Yuusaku. He was a tortured, starved child who just wanted it all to end so he could go home, never once showing any sympathy as a way of coping or attempts to lessen the experience.

Now that I’ve taken apart the basics of Stockholm syndrome that most people are used to, let’s move on to see if Yuusaku actually shows the symptoms or not:

“One criterion is how the victim refuses to cooperate with authorities and rather let their captor be left unpunished, and Yuusaku hasn’t reported Ryouken for the Lost Incident or any other crimes, despite knowing all the details.”

While that is true, it’s also obvious Yuusaku is in no position to do so. Not only because of reasons stated earlier but also:

Yuusaku has obtained all knowledge through illegal means (he is a hacker, after all), and while Yuusaku isn’t afraid of his identity being revealed, it doesn’t mean he’s willing to give it away. SOL knows that Playmaker has the information, and they’ll do all they can and even more to uncover the identity of the insufferable duelist that causes them so much trouble. And Yuusaku hasn’t shown any signs of allowing that to happen.

SOL Technologies covered up the Lost Incident, so the public, as well as the authorities, wouldn’t know about it. And they will most likely continue to do so in the future.

Yuusaku hasn’t shown any hint of trust towards authorities in the first place; he’s taken matters into his own hands instead, as well as stated that he keeps to his own justice rather than anyone else’s.

One can absolutely argue that the possibility of Yuusaku leaving an anonymous tip exists, but with all of these points stated, can he really? Would he really?

It’s not even about Ryouken specifically, because Ryouken isn’t the only person responsible. This is about the Lost Incident, SOL Technologies, and the Knights of Hanoi combined. A person with Stockholm syndrome refuses any sort of assistance from authorities, but that’s not the case here since no authorities have been actively involved from what we’ve seen in the show, not even after Vyra escaped.

“But he did report Vyra?”

He did, but because of the Another case and her being responsible for the computer virus, not because of her involvement in the Lost Incident, which he had no knowledge about at the time.

Also, it wasn’t as much as reporting the crime as it was calling an ambulance due to her unconsciousness/presumably death, and it’s doubtful he and Kusanagi actually stayed long enough to explain the situation, or even stayed at all until the ambulance arrived since that would’ve raised the question what they were doing there in the first place. The evidence of Vyra’s actions was right there in her apartment.

To be fair, though, the Knights do live on a boat at the moment, and while it hasn’t been outright stated, it’s easy to guess that it is probably to hide from authorities. The police, however, hasn’t shown signs of prioritizing catching them.

The only ones that have indeed shown signs of catching the Knights of Hanoi so far, has been SOL Technologies, which isn’t too surprising with all the havoc they caused back in season 1, havoc that most people in the VRAINS-verse know about as well. So, if SOL is the only ones prioritizing catching Hanoi, and Yuusaku doesn’t have any reason to work with them because of the LI and their plans about the Ignis, is it really only about Ryouken personally then? Looking at the bigger picture, SOL is the bigger enemy here, especially from what we’ve seen so far in season 2.

“But Yuusaku is clearly projecting an image of young Ryouken that doesn’t exist anymore on present Ryouken.”

Actually, he doesn’t. Yuusaku is well aware of who Ryouken is in the present and what ten years did to his special person. If he wasn’t, he would’ve treated Ryouken as a saviour in every regard of the word and brush off his crimes without a second thought, but that’s not what he does. While he is reluctant about fighting Ryouken at the end of season 1, he also knows it has to be done and doesn’t hesitate when it’s clear there’s no other way. Like I mentioned earlier, Yuusaku is a logical thinker and he can put his feelings aside to do what must be done. That determination is obvious all through that final duel, a determination that wouldn’t exist if Yuusaku had been projecting.

Yuusaku wants to save Ryouken, true, but that doesn’t mean he’s siding with him. They clash and argue constantly about the Ignis. Yuusaku wouldn’t be capable of doing that if he truly had Stockholm syndrome. Every time they’ve clashed, Yuusaku has tried to change Ryouken’s point of view, making him fail to fit the criterion of how the victim starts to side with their captor. While their current truce means they work for a shared goal, it doesn’t mean Yuusaku is willing to put their differences aside permanently.

It’s also worth remembering that Yuusaku has stated that he still isn’t saved from the Lost Incident.

Realising that Ryouken was his voice of hope didn’t change that. He wasn’t saved because he was given strength to continue endure those hellish days, all he knows/feels is that he can be saved, and that’s a huge difference.

Yuusaku also clearly doesn’t believe Ryouken is capable of saving him unless he walks away from the path towards self-destruction, but that doesn’t mean he’ll never be able to. Is it blind trust? Definitely not. It’s a belief in a brighter future for them both. Otherwise, Yuusaku wouldn’t spend so much energy on trying to talk sense into Ryouken over and over again.

Yuusaku wants to save his special person, but that doesn’t mean he’ll let Ryouken succeed with his goals. As much as Ryouken wants a rematch for the sake of pride as well as closure, Yuusaku wants to be the one to personally stop Ryouken just to make sure he won’t continue down the path towards self-destruction.

“It’s problematic that Yuusaku doesn’t view Ryouken as the threat he is!”

It would be if Yuusaku was, in fact, doing that, and he’s never really given any sign of seeing Ryouken as a threat towards himself. But just because Yuusaku doesn’t perceive Ryouken as a threat for him, it doesn’t mean he believes Ryouken doesn’t pose a threat overall. Yuusaku won’t accept Ryouken falling back into his old ways and will stop him if it comes to that. But as the show has progressed, it’s getting clearer and clearer that Ryouken’s improving (i.e. being less of a threat overall), an improvement that definitely comes from lack of influence from Dr. Kougami since Ryouken now operates differently from season 1. Again, it’s not blind trust from Yuusaku’s side, it’s a choice of believing in Ryouken’s improvement, which isn’t the same.

The only thing now that I haven’t dealt with that Wikipedia mentions is the criterion “no previous hostage-captor relationship”, but I won’t be doing that since it’s so self-explanatory that there’s no point. Yuusaku didn’t develop sympathy for Dr. Kougami or any member of the Knights of Hanoi, and he had already met Ryouken as a child and a voice before the shift in his perspective happened. It falls flat right away on its own.

So with all this said, it’s clear that Yuusaku fails to meet any of the criterions necessary for developing Stockholm syndrome and he doesn’t display any of the symptoms mentioned, making the label heavily misplaced.

If it hasn’t been clear, this is not meant as a criticism against headcanons; people are free to play around however they see fit. It’s the misuse and misapplication of the term that is problematic, as well as it being treated as canon rather than fanon/headcanon. Carelessly labelling anything as Stockholm syndrome without fully understanding what it is should be avoided, because such labelling could trivialize the experience of those who may have actually developed the syndrome.

Thank you for staying with me to the end, I appreciate it :)

#Anonymous #vrains #ygo vrains #vrains spoiler #playmaker #fujiki yuusaku #revolver #kougami ryouken

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scarlettlawyer · 5 years

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Some Tracking Ghosts Comments!

@renegadewangs LOL YOU THOUGHT THESE POSTS WERE OVER?

(Okay, okay, to be fair, this one is comparatively brief and only discusses like 3 things. It’s no attempt to be comprehensive in any way. XD). So here it is, me touching upon a couple of things related to Tracking Ghosts~

I wanna talk about Sam Specter! I wanna talk about how the information revealed about him in Tracking Ghosts changes things.

Prior to reading Tracking Ghosts, it had crossed my mind that the ending of Lifting Spirits could almost be seen as kind of... disregarding and disrespectful in-universe to the real Sam Specter. Lex is expected to continue to adopt his name, his face, but obviously no kind of consent for this was ever given by the real Sam (and obviously he kinda can’t give consent for it, being dead and all), and I highly doubt the real Sam would have appreciated it. I don’t think he would have appreciated the ending where his murderer got to wear his face again. Sam Specter was murdered and had his identity stolen. None of the characters ever confront or consider the moral implications of the Lifting Spirits ending where that murdered man’s identity continues to be made use of without his consent.

But honestly it’s something that, although it belatedly occurred to me it didn’t actually really bother me in the slightest - I’m still 100% satisfied by the Lifting Spirits ending and I’m more than willing to brush the whole awkward implications of “uh, Sam was still, like, a real person who died” under the rug. That being said, on some level perhaps it really didn’t do the real Sam justice.

See, Sam Specter was always a bit of an “empty character”, too. He’d always kind of existed in the story only as one of the identities the phantom had stolen, and had served no purpose beyond that. We never meet the real Sam and his actual identity and life hold no direct relevance to the plot prior to Tracking Ghosts.

This is perhaps part of why the moral implications of Lex continuing to use the identity never get raised and are not relevant to the story or its readers - because we are never invited to think about or care about the real Sam.

So part of what’s great about what Tracking Ghosts does with his character is that it gives Sam substance; we learn more about the kind of person he was - the REAL Sam. He gets afforded consideration as a character and the real Sam is the reasoning behind the main plot being set into motion.

So this is the first result: it fleshes Sam out as a character. He’s still dead for the entire duration of the series, we still never actually get to meet the real Sam... but we know more about him. There’s something else that hugely fleshes Sam out though, and that brings us to the second effect I want to talk about:

The real Sam Specter as a distinct and independent entity from the Phantom’s portrayal of him.

That’s one of the major kickers here: there were aspects of Sam and his life that the Phantom never had any clue about. He was then, by definition, portraying Sam inaccurately the entire time and in many respects had the wrong conception of Sam as a person. Even the parts that might have been “accurate” could have been accurate for the wrong mistaken/misguided reasons. Even if it’s outwardly identical, it still creates some difference internally.

This therefore distinguishes the real Sam from the fake Sam that the Phantom portrayed.

The impact of this is twofold in how it affects BOTH characters and their positioning in the story. The real Sam gains independence in the story as an individual, now finally divorced from the Phantom’s version. This goes a huge way in helping to flesh him out as a character now that we must apply new ideas and thoughts about him that cannot be applied to the “Sam” we saw in Haunted Specters. The story acknowledges him more directly as someone who lived, and then was killed (even touching upon that murder itself).

This goes both ways.

Prior to Tracking Ghosts, we are led to believe that the Phantom’s impersonation is pretty much spot-on to the Real Deal. Why wouldn't it be?

I’ve spoken in previous Analysis Posts about how in Haunted Specters there really seemed to be this ongoing question regarding “Sam Specter”’s personhood and how much/to what extent he should be treated and considered as an independent individual. Part of the driving factor behind this is that the impersonation is supposedly identical to that of a real man who lived, which is why there’s almost this inclination to treat the fake Sam as real - in some twisted way it’s kinda like you’re meeting the real person who used to have this name and face, etc etc. Note that the alleged ACCURACY of the portrayal is part of the conundrum behind this: “Should we treat “Sam” as, well, Sam? If it’s outwardly identical to the real person, then...?”

I then finally came to my own conclusion in a later analysis post: that “Sam” was a trap of sorts - that anything directed at him, to some extent, really was directed at the Phantom the entire time. “Sam” exists to ease Bobby, Simon and even the reader into letting their guard down, however slightly. It sets them up to be more susceptible when the illusion - the “trap” is pulled back and we - and the characters - really are suddenly expected to start being invested in the Phantom more directly as opposed to the go-between of the persona.

I realised that it was never about Sam - Sam was never relevant back then. The real Sam was totally irrelevant to the story prior to Tracking Ghosts. As I said in that analysis post I’m sure - “it had always been about the Phantom”.

We spend soooo much more time with “Sam Specter” as opposed to Sam Specter. But if the Phantom wasn’t even portraying him correctly in the first place... This further reinforces just how much it was never about Sam, and just how much it was all about the Phantom.

Because “Sam Specter” is a mere product of the Phantom’s misconceptions.

“Sam Specter” is a made-up portrayal by the Phantom of a person who technically never actually existed, since the person it’s based off of is somewhat different from “Sam”.

The Phantom obviously didn’t know this, and THOUGHT he was portraying with complete accuracy, but that doesn’t change any of this. It doesn’t change the fact that the discrepancies between the real one and the fake one mean that the fake Sam then becomes an invention born of how the Phantom chose to portray him. This inevitably makes the entire persona inherently connected back to the Phantom moreso than a persona he actually was portraying with more accuracy.

This is important because of just how invested the Phantom is shown as getting into the role. He’s getting invested into a persona that, to some extent, he made up.

Of course, it’s worth noting that besides the glaring oversight(s) and slight errors, “Sam” was probably otherwise a completely accurate portrayal. What I’ve written does seem to exaggerate any discrepancies, but however slight, I do find them very noteworthy for the reasons I’ve outlined. But the other dimension(s) to the real Sam’s character would have a flow-on effect to other aspects of how the real Sam behaved and his internal thoughts and motivations, which, even if it didn’t lead to outward errors in portrayal meant that the Phantom would have probably had this whole construction of Sam’s internal thoughts and motivations that were sometimes wrong too.

It banishes any remaining illusion we might have that Haunted Specters and “Sam” ever had anything to do with the real Sam, narratively speaking. No, even if we try and treat “Sam” as separate from the Phantom, he’s now way more closely connected to the Phantom than he ever was to the real Sam for the characters and audience.

“Sam” might not be quite Phantom... but he’s not 100% like the real Sam, either. He’s someone new, slightly different. You might ask: Just who did Simon and Bobby agree to share an apartment with? Who was “Sam”, really?

Moving along, a brief note about Calisto! :D

So, ahaha, on my second readthrough of the series this scene stood out to me as slightly... OOF:

She looked up at him with wide brown eyes. Only a teenager. He wasn’t blind, nor stupid. She held genuine affection for him, he could tell. Affection he couldn’t return, because he’d never felt that way about anyone or anything. She’d gotten mad at him for that, once. Then, ultimately, she’d decided to let it be. If she couldn’t have his affection, no one would. Indeed, no one would.

And it’s just. Well. You know, Benny.

So I’m like ahhh... oh man. This is awkward, huh.

(“Entire life” MIGHT be a bit of an exaggeration, but... they meet as teens, Mirage SPECIFICALLY names herself in reference to him in her career, she still cares about him in the series and is not shown as being interested in anyone else prior to the Lang stuff in Tracking Ghosts. So... yeah. :P)

But then Tracking Ghosts comes around, and Calisto is Incredibly Chill. She is an absolute trouper. She KNOWS about Benny, and she does not seem to mind at all. If anything, it greatly amuses her. She is a true friend. As Lex’s friend, she looks after him, and wants to keep him safe. FRIENDSHIP

And that really is a great outcome, because I’ve already made it abundantly clear just how invested I got in Mirage - Calisto - and how I just want her to be happy. She does seem pretty content. If she showed any sign of being like... internally unhappy about the whole Benny thing, it would have been very upsetting for me. But nothing like that happens, and I’m so glad. Let the former spy girl be happy. :’)

Another thing I’d like to mention that I just found... really funny, is the sheer amount of times that Lex was referred to in the Tracking Ghosts narrative as “the former phantom”, “ex-phantom”, etc etc.

You see, he is never, not ONCE referred to as such in the series prior to Tracking Ghosts. In Lifting Spirits he’s pretty consistently just Lex, or Alexander. When I was using the “former phantom” terminology in my analysis post(s)... It was in this sense of “here’s how I’m laying it out, to specifically draw attention to the fact that this man connects directly back to the phantom he used to be, even though the story never actually phrases it this way.” Like, I’ve spoken before about the big distinction laid out by the Lifting Spirits narrative between Lex and the Phantom.

To an extent, the way it’s discussed in Tracking Ghosts ultimately becomes the synthesis of sorts, and resolves some of the tension.

The phantom is the thesis, Lifting Spirits’ Alexander Luster Jr is the antithesis, and then, of course Lex is still Lex, but the Tracking Ghosts narrative, through both its phrasing and content, creates more of an alignment.

The “negation” of “the phantom” in Lifting Spirits is done out of a necessity to help demonstrate that the man that’s present now deserves another chance. But come Tracking Ghosts, that goal has already been achieved, and so the narrative is now completely free to draw parallels, direct comparisons, a line of continuity and the like. Even when a comparison is supposed to demonstrate how DIFFERENT he is now (see: Lex being completely unable to leap across the water, showing just how much he’s no longer the Phantom who made that fearless Dual Destinies leap), it’s still a direct acknowledgement that he was that man through virtue of its existence.

Tracking Ghosts is, well, it has so much in it, so there’s so much more I could say! But I think these were the main things I wanted to chat about. :D

And I’ll just finish the post off with this:

Chapter 41:

“Aside from that, acting pleasant towards you would be a manipulative façade, which would not exactly count in my favor either. If you want me to be true to myself, I cannot give you anything better than a wiseass.”

Chapter 45:

“Not to mention, a father who’s a bit of a wiseass.” “Hey, now. Just because I’m always right doesn’t mean I’m a wiseass.”

Like father, like son.

#long post #(definitely not as long as the Other Posts though LOL)

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