#Not feeling the need to make everyone a tragic character but still having them contribute to the plot >

[amerricanartwork]

9. and 20. please.

Also love the new lil scugsona. Very fitting for you.

@scavworld's Rain World Questionnaire

Thanks for the ask! Just a quick note, that little character was actually meant to be a scug-ified version of my regular avatar, which I should probably make a ref for soon. I've always just liked the idea that it can "transform" into a different creature to match whatever fandom I'm dealing with, so I thought I'd portray it as a slugcat in this case!

Anyway though, onto the actual questions...

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9. What are your opinions on Five Pebbles (character)?

Ohhh, now that's a very interesting matter! I really like characters like him because they're so fascinating to me! For now I will disregard the fantastical element of him being a massive supercomputer, because even though in-and-of-itself I think that's such a unique concept even in fiction, especially after I realized that Five Pebbles and Looks to the Moon really are the core of not just the "story" of Rain World but even the in-game environment itself, I imagine I'll have another chance to touch up on this so I'll save my longer thoughts on that for later.

That being said, I'll start by saying I love thinking about characters from a psychological perspective, trying to figure out why they are the way they are, why they do what they do, what they really want vs. what they think they want, how they really perceive themselves vs. how they present themselves publicly, etc. Characters like Five Pebbles are always an especially interesting choice for this kind of pondering, because, as flawed as they may be, so much of the situation around them also contributed to their downfall that I refuse to let everyone else off the hook too. And since I also don't believe anyone is inherently a "bad" person, it's really fun to ponder just how these characters go from being alright people to doing such terrible things and meeting such tragic ends.

To put it shortly, Five Pebbles (and other characters like him) is in my interpretation a great example of karma in the more real-life meaning, and the "you attract more of what you think about the most" idea. Five Pebbles always seemed to feel trapped by and at arms with his surroundings, from the great opposition to his very existence from the True Anointed Citadel, to him literally being physically stuck to Looks to the Moon, to the fear of opposition he must have had as a Sliverist, to him being stuck dealing with the rot, and finally with his collapse, left as a tiny fraction of himself buried in the cold, lifeless remains of his superstructure, with truly no way out on his own. Because he was so focused on escaping the perceived confines around him, all he did, albeit unknowingly, was end up finding more nets to get trapped in.

And again, while I think everyone around him did contribute to his awful end in some way, stories like these are still pretty sad to me because, in the end, I think these characters themselves need to learn to change their thinking, yet all the harshness they face can so easily lead them to create a vicious cycle. Five Pebbles isn't the first character I've enjoyed strongly whose story seemed to play out this way, and as sad as it is, it's also very intriguing.

And besides, it opens up plenty of potential for redemption arc AU stories—!

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20. What is something you think the game could improve on?

The short answer: incentive.

The long answer: Let me start off by saying Rain World, to me, is fascinating largely as more of an art project than a normal video game. It's amazing how a relatively simple concept of a small animal in an urban environment they can't understand morphed into something so vast and extensive, combining nature with technology, science with religion, sci-fi with fantasy, and dunking it all in a super unique aesthetic that fuses urban street style with fancy ancient artwork, it's amazing!

BUT so much of this is lost to players because the game does, in my opinion, a pretty bad job of conveying it all. It's very confusing , especially to new players, and the only means of discovering the greater context of the story, besides just hearing it from other players/fans, is if not downright frustrating at least very tedious. And that's just getting the story itself. I think most people who have played this game haven't even made it that far, because the gameplay alone is so difficult the first time playing that if you aren't captivated by the mystery factor of the environment (or like me and also stubbornly dedicated to getting the bragging rights of having beat such a difficult game), you're too busy just trying to not die every other cycle to bother really exploring and ferrying the pearls to Moon, much less making sense of what you uncover.

I think the blank stare of the slugcats looking up at Five Pebbles perfectly encapsulates what I'm getting at here. You've got this absolutely fascinating story about a mechanical god who flew too close to the sun in a desperate attempt to escape the confines of his life, meanwhile the little slugcat is just all "...'kay", because what does this little animal care about the crazy religious hubris of some long-gone existence-hating people and their sad crumbling calculator robots when all it wants its is to just find more food and not get eaten again?

For a bit of devil's advocate, I will say that I think the difficulty of just playing the game and then figuring out its story, first of all is pretty "realistic" from the perspective of simulating a real-life ecosystem and having an animal discover complex lore in a way that they'd be physically capable of, but secondly has led the Rain World fandom to be really tight-knit compared to other fandoms I've seen. It seems like everyone I've come across is at least in the process of playing through all the campaigns, if not having already completed them and established some level of their own interpretation of the story, because they are all genuinely interested in the game, its characters, world, story, and themes enough to persevere through all the struggles of gameplay and lore confusion to enjoy it. However, it's also the same thing that makes this fandom rather small, which is also fine by me; I think there's lots of value in quality niche content!

With all that said though, I can't deny that I think this game isn't very good at getting players geuninely interested in all it has to offer. For evidence, consider how few players have even met Five Pebbles, who is perhaps the most important character in the entire game story-wise (Steam achievements has the "The Journey" Achievement at 12.0% of players as of posting this). Even from my experiences, I didn't even know what "Sliverist" actually meant until a couple weeks ago, and I've been playing this game and involved in the fandom for months at this point!

So yeah. To sumarize, in my opinion, Rain World is a fascinating and very inspiring art project, but most of what it has to offer is lost to most players because it's terrible at giving you a reason to care about it all. Thus, the main thing I think it could improve upon is giving players a reason to care about its worldbuilding and story enough to continue playing.

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Well, that was long, but pretty fun! I hope these answers suffice! Keep the questions coming!

#rain world #asks: scavworld's rain world questionnaire #iterator #five pebbles #rw fp #quetzalli's thoughts #quetzalli answers #inbox

[adelrambles]

Ohhh I would love to see IDW Bishop interact with the others.

Like, 2003 Bishop already was a jerk, but that dude just takes it even further.

OH BOY ENABLEMENT WAHOO!!

I definitely agree that IDW Agent Bishop gives the 03 original a run for his money in terms of awfulness. While he does have more of a "tragic backstory" per se, 03 Bishop somehow has more honor and redeeming qualities in comparison. The way both their respective stories end contributes a lot, too.

SO, first: a brief observation on IDW's character. There will be spoilers for those who haven't read the comics yet, just as an fyi. Bear with me, it's been a few months since I read up so I might bungle some of the details.

Jonathon Bishop is certainly less formidable in terms of accolades than his predecessors. He didn't found EPF, he inherited it, and it is not a well-oiled machine, extension of his own will the same way it is for 03-- in fact, a lot of his subordinates are written as individuals and don't seem to like him as a person, much. But what makes this Bishop scary is how he is driven beyond what should be reasonable. Even in situations where it would probably be beneficial for him to back off, he tends to keep pushing, anyway. He'll put himself in a rough spot so long as he can ensure he'll be screwing over his target, too.

This Jonathon guy pretty explicitly has the capacity to care about others, too, he genuinely loves and respects his father. Which is what makes it all the more terrifying that he was willing to kill him at his own convenience-- once again, just to ensure he could rip away his enemies' advantage. He justifies it after the fact, like he gave his father a proper death, better than wasting away in a nursing home, but personally I think that's just a cope. While we know he can care, he very seldom offers that to anyone else. With his own employees he kinda tends to be downright mean, or at the very least blunt and unconcerned.

IDW's Agent Bishop is one that sees the entire world as hostile, so being on his side doesn't really spare you. The only person we know he didn't see as an enemy was his father. He has been faced with so much fear and judgement over his true appearance that he is desperate to prove himself just as human as everyone else; he believes the appearance of being human is what lends one humanity-- when, in fact, it's how one treats those around them. This is why he leans so hard into Othering anything non-human, to justify his own place in the world, and also why the mutants tend to have more humanity than he ever did.

This is also why he appears to have much less of an honor system than his 03 counterpart. IDW Bishop is FAR more emotional and a little less professional than the other. He acts based on what will make him feel the least uncomfortable, working backwards with his logic to justify his actions. Intelligent as he is, he isn't reasonable. His ego is far greater because it's built on a DEEP and intense insecurity with himself. (In comparison, 03 Bishop may have a dubious sense of personhood, but he has never been shown to be unsure of his right to exist or his place in the world.)

Also btw it's cool af that he's a blend between 03 and 2012 Bishop's concepts. Like I can't praise enough how creative that is, especially with how smoothly it fits into the lore of IDW and their Utrom. The fact that he's still human, but his mech also originates from Utrom tech that EPF salvaged is just SO COOL. I think this alone would cause both other Bishops extreme discomfort lmao

As an aside, I've seen some of the fandom attack his true appearance and that's kinda fucked up. He thinks it makes him lesser, but it doesn't. The way he looks is not the root of the problem, it's the way he was treated because of it and the way he internalized that. He needs to make an enemy out of mutants in part because deep down he believes what people like those scientists in the flashback said about him. So like, yeah, it's kinda a bad look when fans acts the same way as those dudes. Literally there are so many better things to insult IDW Bishop on. I mean you've seen his general personality, right? The way he acts is what makes him a monster.

(Hmm. I said this was supposed to be brief, didn't I? Woops.)

NOW! COMPARISONS!

There is a LOT to delve into between IDW and 03. They have very similar plots on the surface, but every fine detail is so very different. IDW is a fanatic, more at the mercy of his emotions and whims than I think he even realizes. 03 is driven to unreasonable lengths, as well, but he is surprisingly cold about it, when you look into his actions deeper. While IDW reacts and then works backwards to justify it, 03 is shown to be able to suppress his impulses and strategize properly, with his more fanatical qualities being a fun little bonus he indulges in sometimes. This manifests in their respective success rates; IDW often ends his confrontations with a loss of something, culminating in his final confrontation and death. 03, on the other hand, tends to walk away successful a good chunk of the time, and even when he doesn't he usually gets something out of it, anyway.

Their ages have a lot to do with these differences and how they can be interpreted, too. 03 Bishop is old, he straight up comes from a bygone era. Of course his thought process would be a little wild and off-the-wall to most people, his circumstances are so unique and he is so removed from what a normal person's experience might look like. IDW has a normal human lifespan, so he has a little less room for understanding (though granted, he did not have a very common upbringing, either.)

Another big one is that 03 does not give a damn about threats originating from Earth. This is why he kinda disregards mutants beyond their usefulness to his science-- and that one time he almost accidentally caused an apocalypse, but I digress. 03 Bishop is still like, a xenophobic motherfucker, but he doesn't have it out for mutants or avians or Y'Lyntians or what have you, because working within his logic, they belong to earth. It's not especially about looks, to him, the same way it is for IDW. IDW, on the other hand, hates anyone that isn't specifically human, and wants them dead.

IDW's motivations are very internal. The fears that fuel him come from an intense sense of not belonging, of being Other'd and feared by the people around him. He projects that onto an external enemy so he can deny it. The fear that motivates 03 is an external one. He is terrified of extraterrestrial forces taking away his sense of security and control, fueled by his extremely traumatic abduction. It created an Us vs Them in his mind where he was on the side far weaker. Earth was safe, on earth he understood how things worked, but in the sky there was confusion and agony. He endeavored to ensure the sky could never bring that down to the earth.

John Bishop is a monster, but he's a monster that can be bargained with. Jonathon Bishop is a monster, and if he decides you're one, too, he'll seek to destroy you no matter the consequences.

Now, 12 Bishop is such a departure that he can only be vaguely compared with IDW (and basically not at all with 03-- though his disposition might be comparable to Fast Forward Bishop's.) Specifically, 12 Bishop might as well be the exact opposite to IDW Bishop in every way. He is extremely measured; even when he's clearly frustrated, we can see him tempering himself to try solve the issue at hand. He has proven to be notably selfless, often prioritizing the safety of others (even when the people of earth should be aliens with a fraction of his lifespan, to him,) over his own. He seems to function under the assumption that every living thing has a right to a life, and will act accordingly to protect that. He's basically the antithesis to everything the IDW version stands for imo.

One thing that fascinates me, as well, is that each incarnation of Bishop has a wildly different age range. 03 is about 230-something, 2012 Bishop is likely older than the planet Earth itself, and IDW is like, 40. He's the only one we know so far that has a normal human lifespan

On the prompt of any of them interacting: the drama potential here is great. Like with their ages, all the Bishops also have WILDLY different goals.

03 Bishop has a passing scientific interest in mutants, but his goal of protecting earth from outside forces does not really concern them that much when you get down to it-- he's more often than not busy doing his own thing, and clashes with the turtles tend to be incidental (after their initial introduction; he got what he wanted, so he didn't seek them out after.) In fact, I strongly suspect after a point he would begin to see the turtles as more useful alive, considering the amount of times they've been integral to protecting earth.

12 Bishop is straight-up an ally and friend to the turtles. Their goals align in a common need to defeat Krang Prime, but he goes beyond that to make sure they and their home are safe, too. It's specifically noted he's not supposed to get involved and help them like this, but he does anyway because he's a genuinely kind person (and a responsible adult, even, who has been shown to not want to put teenagers in the line of fire more than necessary. But hey, we'll save that for a future post of his own.)

IDW Bishop specifically despises anything non-human, and goes out of his way to target mutants. He is fueled by deep-running insecurities about his own appearance, projecting his own fear at being percieved as a monster onto external "threats." He can't feel like a monster if they're the REAL monsters. Compared to them, he's human, he thinks. He'd despise the other two for their percieved complacency and ignorance.

IDW and 03 definitely would not get along, they've got the exact wrong mix of "too similar" and "just different enough." But both would absolutely HATE 12 lmao. Specifically, 12 being an alien bearing the same name as them would hit IDW too close to home with the similarities in their body situation-- which, yknow, tends to manifest as a murderous obsession, with him. 12 generally tries to seek peaceful resoltuion when possible, but I can't imagine he'd have a very high opinion of the other two, either. Considering his strong sense of justice, he'd probably be down for a fight to the death.

And since I'm on the topic of IDW, I want to take this opportunity to enthuse about two other EPF members original to this series that I am very much attached to. The first of which being Wayne Bishop, himself. THIS guy is so interesting to me, for how little we get on him. As this universe's founder of EPF, he's instantly got so much going on, already. He's either former CIA or former FBI, and slowly moved into investiagting UFOs and other paranormal occurrences in an official capacity. He acts like a very respectable professional, but you KNOW there's gotta be a little quirkiness in this old guy to take that route. And he's got FAMILY DRAMA which is always very fun. He struggles to balance his heavy workload with being a family man, to the point where I think it's implied his marriage falls apart? And his solution is to involve his son in his work, quite literally, letting Jonathon stay in one of the facilities and spending a lot of resources in ensuring he will be able to pass as "normal" if he wants to. He had his son's mech designed after himself. He loves his kid and his wife very much and he still fucked it up. He's so interesting for that.

The other is AGENT RAVENWOOD BABY WOOOOO. She is so damn cool, I feel like I might enthuse too much to be able to make any coherent points. Her design, her DESIGN. I feel like she also borrows-- or has in common-- a lot of concepts from 03 Bishop that were not inherited by either Wayne or Jonathon. She's a failed human experiment that now has longevity and a strange body-- one that offers benefits and drawbacks alike. What's fascinating here is that she worked closely with Wayne in EPF's early days, and volunteered to undergo experimentation as part of the organization's research. She and Wayne were friends, and that makes her tense relationship with his now-grown son very interesting, to me. She also proves to be empathetic and willing to try and understand the mutants as people, though her efforts were wasted on Bebop and Rocksteady. I think she's so dang rad and I want to see more of her so bad. Especially now that her friend's son and murderer has died, too.

I also need to shoutout IDW Stockman. I love that guy so much. He might be my favorite incarnation of the character so far ngl (though Mutant Mayhem has Giancarlo Esposito voicing him so. This may change.)

To round us out, here's a fun little headcanon/theory I have in my back pocket: in any universe where specifically John Bishop, double-centenarian doesn't appear, it means he just never got abducted by aliens. He lived out his days in the 1800s with a normal human lifespan. Maybe he's somewhere on the the IDW Bishops' family tree idk

Anyway, thank you so much for the ask and enabling me to just ramble ad nauseum, hope this was what you were looking for lol!

#agent bishop #tmnt #asks #tmnt 2003 #tmnt 2012 #idw teenage mutant ninja turtles #agent ravenwood #the IDW run is really really good gang #I do really like Bishop in IDW but he doesn't set my brain on fire the same way 03 does #but he's still a GREAT villain. somehow infinitely more hateable #did any of this make sense? who knows #my man 2012 Bishop is so due for a post now

[ac-liveblogs]

Penacony part 1 kind of sucked. Despite an attempt at being a thrilling mystery whodunnit, the most surprised I ever got when exploring this place was when I realised a billboard was stalking me.

The second most surprised I got was finding the corpse in my bathtub, but I think that's a normal response. Also, HYV doing anything with playable characters is a novelty, let alone killing* them.

Besides Aventurine, the time you spend with the characters introduced this patch doesn't feel very well spent. You spend most of the first half of the patch chasing Firefly around - a girl that keeps you at arm's reach and is mostly just there to be sad, tragic waifubait - and almost no-one else, and by the time the second half is attempting to serve you mysterious curveballs with the rest of the cast you don't know any of them well enough to give anything resembling a shit.

When Aventurine accused Acheron of lying about being a Galaxy Ranger, murdering Duke Inferno and maybe being involved in Firefly's death, my genuine response was - "I don't know this woman well enough to have any emotions about this, let alone be shocked by the possibility."

Which, in a character-driven Whodunnit of clashing motivations that might make or break a whole planet, is really bad, actually.

My second was - "I can't believe they killed Duke Inferno off-screen he's barely done anything yet", but with a design like that he was never going to be playable. My guy :( Duke Inferno :(

Aventurine has the most personality, by merit of being a smarmy shit begging to get punched, his murder-threat and, again, corpse-bathtub jumpscare. He has unique dynamics with the Trailblazer, Topaz and Ratio, and we understand some of the stakes for why he feels the need to play this game and manipulate us.

Firefly seems to have gotten in over her head with someone (Sam, though I'm assuming her 'mecha' comment was a red herring), but everyone else is a big blank nothing. In terms of motivation that's fine at this stage, but we have two super calm and strong purple ladies that don't reveal much about themselves or emote much, the strangely handled Sparkle who spends most of her time being a) irritating (writing her archetype well is hard) and b) not Sampo, and the.... "I guess they exist" Sunday and Misha.

The Annihilation Gang probably isn't even coming anymore.

I wasn't too annoyed about Robin's death - beyond surprise as, again, playable waifu but given the game was very clearly attempting to endear Firefly to me and their idea of doing that was having her main contributions to most conversations being 'this guy is weird' and 'guess we'd better think hard about this puzzle!' prior to dumping part of her backstory, I came away from that one more annoyed than anything.

Trailblazer apparently agreed with me, given how quickly they recovered from it lmao

*I don't actually believe Firefly or Robin are dead. At the very least, Firefly didn't. Not only did the stakes of dying in the dream world not get established prior to this, it is a dream world. They'll be fine, they probably ended up in the Primal Dreamscape or whatever it is. Firefly's body still being in a doctor's surgery or whatever probably means she's fine.

It's a shame the main plot was boring, because the idea of it seemed pretty fun. As it is, the world we're in has far more personality than the playable characters. I like Penacony itself, I think it's well designed with decent puzzles and some some nice aesthetic choices. But the story has thoroughly failed to grab me, and I have the horrible feeling the quests we'll be picking up afterwards won't have much to do with any playable characters due to the nature of the story.

Due to the nature of this patch basically just being establishing the setting before the actual plot really kicks off, though, the main meat of the actual investigation will be dropping in ... 6 weeks time. Though the problem is that by this point I'm supposed to get you interested in the mystery, and by nature of not knowing many of the players nor caring about Firefly and Robin, I do not.

god this entire patch seriously was just a long-winded prologue huh

Also, did they audition for Clockie by asking people to do their best Mickey Mouse impressions, or what?

#replies #ac plays hsr

[gamer2002]

Thoughts on Project Eden’s Garden

So, I played PEG, the Danganronpa fangame, and I have couple of thoughts.

First of all, it’s really professionally done. If that wasn’t a stated fangame, you wouldn’t be able to tell much of a difference from V3. Voice acting is also good, particularly Tozu’s VA makes fantastic job at making a villain that takes plenty of good things from Monokuma but is still his own unique thing.

The prologue trial over a dummy from a past event is a good introduction. It serves well as a demo case and establishes the main players of the cast. Even though Eva is more active during pre-crime portion, but Grace and Wolfgang do make a strong impression. Ulysses was also good, and everyone else was alright. But the case was too small to have everyone a chance to shine. But they do an interesting collection of DR-like characters.

My mixed feelings are with the protagonist. I do appreciate the idea of having an anti-hero, which is a good change of pace, but Damon… The writers are following the outline that was used for other, more pure, Ronpa’s heroes, and it doesn’t work that well with Damon. Particularly, we didn’t get any early detail about their past, which wasn’t that necessary, because most of them were using an everyman archetype. But Damon is supposed to be successful, which makes him arrogant, but we know nothing about his successes. In the Groundhog Day Murray plays similar archetype of a somewhat successful guy that let too much get into his head, but he does have a clearly established success of working for the local TV. Damon narrates about his past successes, but gives no specifics that establish his reason to think of himself highly. He comes quite ignorant, being unaware of Wenona, the actual elitist top dog of the group.

He does improve during the debate, being able to keep his cool through it. I like also the side he shows if you use Pathos. Damon acknowledges that Wolfgang maybe isn’t making the most convincing argument, but he is the only one experienced with actual crimes, on an Ultimate level, so him stating that 28 stab wounds is obviously too fucking extreme for self-defense means something. This side of Damon shows he respects genuine talent and is capable of recognizing proper authority on a particular subject, even if he could’ve undermined them with arguments. It’s especially good moment, because it depends on the player.

But the dude still knows nothing about tact. I understand that he is shocked like everyone else, when the Killing Game is revealed, and I agree that people shouldn’t forget about being realistic in such scenarios. And I agree with him that he has contributed more to the debate than the commie who thought the gun was the murder weapon. But there were other situations where Ultimate Debater showed no tact whatsoever, while the guy should have some knowledge on swaying people to his side.

It’s fine to have a MC that needs to learn his lesson, but we still need to understand from where MC is coming from. Like, Damon has an experience with some Ultimate Pointless Talent that has was just using his fame to encourage his supporters to attacks those that criticize him. Maybe Damon ended up beaten up, for making a perfectly sound a logical critique of that Ultimate. Which is why he despises violence and undeserved recognition, and sees that Ultimate in every other that is in ‘noncontributing to the society’ category. This is why ‘we are Ultimates, therefore we all are here to improve the world!’ makes him unable to stop from being condescending. It’s just an example, it doesn’t have to be a tragic backstory, but it has to be something. Other example is showing Damon genuinely hard working to be able to contribute to the society, while seeing other Ultimate peers just enjoying fruits of their fame after they got their titles. 

Overall, I appreciate the production values and the writing, but the novel anti-hero protagonist could have a bit better introduction.

#danganronpa #project eden's garden #killing game #fangame #visual novel #free game

[sunny12th]

no you are right! obito should’ve gone a little more unhinged, he’s a devastating character and a naruto foil to sasuke’s kakashi. speak more, who’s your favorite antagonist? both major and minor? favorite team (gai? and why?) also what’s your thoughts on the ame trio, i made a joke once on how they parallel team 7, and what do you think of the teams 7? (obirinkaka and narusakusasu)

I would've LOVED to see Obito decide him and Kakashi needed to kill each other or die together, in the end. Really would've been the cherry on top to the fucked up parallels between their dynamic and Naruto and Sasuke's.

This got kinda long lmao

My favorite minor antagonist is probably Hidan. His power was so cool and devastating when we first see it, different from anything we'd seen before. He's also like a figurehead to a cult and gets his power from some sort of deity, but that is literally never explored lmao. There could've been an entire arc dedicated to him, the cult, Jashin, etc. but we didn't get any of that. Regardless, his fights were always entertaining, and sometimes I love a character that's evil just to be evil. No tragic backstory here, just an insane blonde who has some weird connection to a deity. There's a theory that Jashin is actually one of the ninja aliens that come up in the end and that's why Hidan has such an insane power. I feel like there was a lot of potential in his character that was just brushed over. How did he get that power? Who the fuck is Jashin? It's a cult, so where are the cultists? What are their goals? Was Hidan like a vessel for Jashin? Is the cult performing human sacrifice rituals (seems like something Hidan would do)? Shikamaru should've been determined to kill every last Jashinist there was, and I would've loved to watch that play out.

All the Akatsuki members are pretty cool, I also really like Sasori. First, his fight with Sakura was her one big moment in all of Shippuden which is pretty lame, but it was still really fun. Just the mentality behind turning his dead parents into puppets that he can keep forever, then turning himself into a puppet - a body he has total control over. Turning people into puppets, so he can make them "perfect." Serial Killer Mentality for sure!! It's so fucked up. I wish Naruto was darker sometimes, so we could've gotten the full horror of the Akatuski members being completely wild and unhinged.

Itachi is another antagonist that I, and everyone else, go insane over. I do think Kishimoto went a bit overboard with trying to redeem him and make him sympathetic. Like, yes he was a brainwashed child soldier that was forced into following the order to massacre his entire family. But then, he was also apparently a double agent and was STILL LOYAL TO THE LEAF VILLAGE?? If he was spying on the Akatsuki, then why do we still know literally nothing about them by the time his double agent status is revealed? Was he passing along information or not? Genuinely, I think Kishimoto was not planning a lot of this shit out and was just making stuff up as he went along.

I think it's a necessary part of Itachi's character that he did break under the pressures of being a child soldier and that contributed to why he went through with the massacre. Instead, he turns out to be the Perfect Soldier who would never betray his overlords. OTHER THAN THAT, he's a really cool character and his antagonist status works so well for Sasuke's character. He also works as a great device to show the depths Konoha will go to maintain its power structure. If Konoha would order the massacre of a founding clan, what's to stop them from massacring the other clans or civilians? The entire point of the Village was to stop in-fighting between these clans. That would have been a really fascinating political point to explore if Kishimoto had wanted to. Also, the poison within the Uchiha clan ... when Itachi's dad took him to that battlefield (I think he was 3?) and Itachi killed someone for the first time, the pressures of being the heir and firstborn son, etc. The violence inherent to being born in this society that values violence above all else. I also love sibling relationships and the dynamic between him and Sasuke is so rich. There's no Sasuke without Itachi and vice versa. There's no Naruto without Sasuke. Itachi is one of the tragic characters of all time!

Also, to be clear, I don't hate that he was still loyal to Konoha because it contrasts to where Sasuke went. I hate that he was supposedly still a double agent, working for Konoha, on their orders to join the Akatsuki because it felt like a random choice to further redeem him and just didn't make sense with the story. If he had just stayed in that broken soldier mentality of remaining loyal to Konoha because he doesn't know any other way to live rather than having him literally continue to supposedly work for Konoha than it would've made more sense to me.

My favorite team has to be Team 7, my beloved garbage fire of a team. They all need therapy so badly. Team Gai, however, is what Team 7 could be if they got therapy and had a mentor that was significantly less toxic. Team Gai is just the happiest of vibes (minus Neji being a literal slave to his clan). We really should have seen Team Gai demolish the Hyuuga for Neji. I refuse to believe Gai would not have challenged the Hyuuga Clan Head to a fight to the death, politics be damned. Gai wouldn't give a shit about the politics. Lee and Tenten? Ride or die, they'll tear the Hyuuga compound to the ground with their bare hands. Team Gai chooses violence! Naruto is also there to help, of course. Team 7 was taking too damn long to start a revolution so Team Gai had to step in! I like Team 7 and Team Gai pretty equally, I think. They work well together, ya know? Not just because both team's mentors are literally married and retired now in Boruto.

The Ame trio absolutely parallels Team 7. Just like how Team 7 parallels the Sannin trio and Kakashi/Obito/Rin. The Ame trio is like the most tragic outcome that Team 7 could've been. The parallels are especially blatant since one of them has some funky eye jutsu lmao. They're also another sign that Jiraiya is THE WORST. Godfather that can't raise or even check in on Naruto, mentor that raises three orphans of war (trains them to be soldiers too) and then abandons them when they're still preteens, like!!! Jiraiya can't do anything right! Dude is somehow the worst deadbeat dad around and he's not even a father.

Kishimoto makes narsakusasu and obirinkaka parallel each other for sure. Rin, unfortunately, is barely a character and exists to be a tragic footnote in the backstories of Kakashi and Obito. Sakura, well, she's got more going for her than that, but she still isn't exactly a well-written character. I think Obito is very much what could've gone wrong with Naruto, had he experienced something similar. It does make you wonder how Naruto would react to seeing Sasuke kill Sakura. Because, uh, Naruto claims to have a crush on Sakura but Sasuke means way more to him than Kakashi meant to Obito. That's not to reduce what Kakashi meant to Obito (or what Sakura means to Naruto), but Naruto is straight up obsessed with Sasuke. It's literally revealed later on that they are soulmates. Sasuke did hurt Sakura a few times too and Naruto would get pissed, sure, but it'd just harden his resolve to "bear the burden of Sasuke's hatred and die with him." Which is such an INSANE thing to say, literally can't think about that moment for too long or I'll suffer physic damage.

Something I always hated about both Team 7s is that the female character clearly is there to build the bridge between the male team members. Rin was expected to bring Obito and Kakashi together. Sakura was expected to do the same but, hilariously, she didn't because Naruto and Sasuke were already tied together just in the most antagonistic way possible. This leaves Sakura as the 3rd wheel, in the team and the narrative.

#naruto posting on main?? in 2023??!! #ty you asking!!! #youre gonna make me start reading naruto again #team gai is just the most Fun team. but team 7 makes me feel insane #itachi is an antagonist of all time too #if naruto was darker and we could get the full horror treatment of the akatsuki... #naruto as a concept is so rich and so good but the execution was definitely messy at time #kishi asked a lot of Big questions that he couldnt follow through on #mine #long post #nart

[lazysublimeengineer]

tender reconciliation

Summary: Kakucho stared at those ocean blue eyes that held those familiar determination and fearlessness that pulled him into his orbit when they were kids. It’s like being reunited with his childhood hero once again.

Characters: Hanagaki "Takemitchy" Takemichi & Kakucho Hitto

(A/N: Has anyone seen the chapter 254 leaks of the manga that’s circulating online? The leaks alone watered my crops and extended my lifespan because the childhood friendship reunion that I’ve been waiting for has finally happened. I always have a soft spot for Kakucho’s and Takemichi’s relationship and it makes me happy that Wakui has finally created the awaited concession between these two star crossed childhood friends. I can’t wait for the chapter to come out next week. For now, I’d like to contribute this meager one-shot fic of mine that was inspired by the leaks of the upcoming chapter of the manga next week. I don’t own anything from this franchise. Respective ownership belongs to Ken Wakui for this wonderful franchise).

“What are you looking away for, jackass!” Kakucho clocked him on the jaw that sent Takemichi spiraling a few meters away from him and landed on the rail tracks.

Kakucho was annoyed that Takemichi was being distracted once again in their fight as he kept looking at his fellow comrades who was fighting with the other Kantou members. Despite being on the receiving end of his attacks, Takemichi was still worried about other people rather than himself.

Tch.

That’s a recognizable trait that he had ever since they were kids. Wasn’t he the one who saved him back then from those bullies? It was that time that he vowed to himself to get stronger so he could protect Takemichi in return before the tragic accident happened to him which not only claim his parents’ life but his precious friendship with Takemichi as well since he was brought at the orphanage where he met Izana and diverged his destiny away from him.

It’s like his childhood friendship with Takemichi was a brief respite before the turbulent storm that caused chaos in his life and altered his fate.

Takemichi’s existence into his life was akin to a washed-up memory in a shore… a thing that never revisited… including those ideals and feelings of being a hero to him.

And he resigned himself to just drift away into the sea of turbulence and dark path of life ever since the defeat of Tenjiku and death of Izana and their goals of making a kingdom for orphaned children.

It’s as if this was the only path that he was meant to be: to be under the wings of morally questionable people like South in Rokuhara Tandai and Mikey in Kantou Manji gang.

But seeing Takemichi once again as the President of the 2nd generation of Toman threatened to awaken these forgotten feelings of delight and hopefulness within him once again.

It laid dormant inside of him that he eventually forgot on what it felt like.

What it felt like to have a purpose and meaning into his life once again.

The feeling of his own punch that sent him flying to the other side of the platform reminded him on how Takemichi came to be not only his precious childhood friend but his childhood hero as well.

Hence the reason why it irked him to see those precious, expressive blue eyes held a desperate expression…

…an expression to which he was familiar with.

Of wanting to save everyone from this whatever clusterfuck that they’re actually on.

Because it meant that Takemichi was putting his own life once again for this people rather than his own.

A probability that he could lost him in the void of nothingness once again.

“Kaku-chan! I know that this is not the right time to say this but…! Something is bad going to happen and I need to stop Sanzu from operating the train! You don’t have to believe me now but can we please… stop this for a moment and let me help in saving everyone…?” Takemichi’s eyes clashed against Kakucho’s own and it felt like an eternity for the both of them.

Kakucho tried to absorb his words, perusing the meaning behind the confusing jumble of desperation and genuineness behind them.

But despite his own misgivings about the situation and wanting to stop Takemichi from making a mistake that could cost his own life… he knew that Takemichi was unstoppable… and he was not only his hero that he was waiting on but for everyone.

Kakucho stared at those ocean blue eyes that held those familiar determination and fearlessness that pulled him into his orbit when they were kids. It’s like being reunited with his childhood hero once again.

If Takemichi made his choice then so can he. He will stand by his side from now on.

“Okay.” Kakucho replied simply.

“Huh?” His short response and confirmation seemed to throw Takemichi off as he was expecting some little argument from him.

Kakucho wanted to laugh at the familiar genuine confoundedness of the other which made his heart coo at the adorable sight.

“Until we stop Sanzu, I will be your second in command to stop the worst. So, let me hear your plan then Takemichi.” Kakucho shot him a blinding smile that made Takemichi blinked a few times before returning it with a sincere smile and a determined glint of his eyes.

“Okay! You can count on me Kaku-chan.”

‘I know I will Takemichi. You’re my childhood hero that I can always count on.’ Kakucho thought to himself with a small smile on his face as he followed Takemichi by his side, determined to stop Sanzu and his plans of annihilating everybody.

(A/N: Reviews are amusing so let me hear them from you).

#tokyo revengers #tokyo revengers spoilers #spoilers #spoiler alert #fanfiction #one shot #manga spoilers for chapter 254 leaks #kakutake #reunion #childhood friends #childhood hero #kakucho finally switching sides to Takemichi #this is the childhood friendship reunion I’ve been waiting for in the franchise #they deserve to be happy #light angst #character study #relationship study #hanagaki takemichi #takemitchy #hitto kakucho #kakucho

[coinshotmisting]

GOD DAMN IT I'm so done with Emily Axford I try not to be a hater on main but every decision she makes in D20 seasons pisses me off so fucking much god damn it I want to break something

and I feel like there's something I'm missing cause everyone ACTS like she's a great storyteller but the off theme choices she makes keep building up and building up and I'm fucking sick of it

FUCK IT I'm gonna rant, sorry everyone

Fig: this character is a satire of teen rebellion. Fig is consistently an asshole to everyone around her with no regard to how her actions affect other people's emotional state. which is intentional, and a fine flaw for a character to have. But she never grows to differentiate good rebellion from bad, forcing Brennan to work himself in knots to not make her arc's theme 'teenagers with trauma are cruel assholes who need to learn how to behave' because that theme sucks

Lady Featherfowl: great start to a character. asshole party animal from a middling family. love it. BUT OH NO PLOT TWIST she's actually one of the good nobles who fell in love with a commoner and now demands the ability to simultaneously enjoy her elevated position and continue to love the mortal who's subject to her and her peers' whims

Sundry Sydney: not too many criticisms tbh, I like her. except that her story arc felt entirely disconnected from the other players. her being part of a crew didn't really thematically contribute, Emily just very clearly had a story she wanted to tell, and when that story got wrapped up too she took the first plot point Brennan threw her way and made Sydney all about that

Sophia Lee: it's been a while since I watched UC s2 tbh, don't remember what happened. Sophia is fine for the most part, I just don't really find her relatable or compelling to watch

Little Red: playing a pre-teen in the horror season? really? it doesn't help that the character barely does anything to play to the genre. and there's so many little moments this season that made me fully stop watching. EMILY WANTS little red to go on this weird puberty/accepting death metaphor thing where she becomes death, but is clearly uncomfortable giving that any moral weight. She's yet to struggle against characters who don't want to die, and, ironically, the most morally bad 'deaths' they've contended with are the death of death.

spoilers for newest ep btw

and then AND THEN little red has her Baba Yaga trial. some vauge mention about going to kill some chickens for dinner. perfect. PERFECT. Reds going to have to face the core conflict of her arc. How do people relate to death, when it can be both tragic and good? How do we understand it without minimizing the tragedy, and how do we mourn it without rejecting its necessity.

And my first thought was simple. Make sure the chickens don't want to die. give them voices, make her roll, just give off the vibe, whatever. but make it clear that in order for little red to 'succeed,' in order for her to accept her role as death or whatever the fuck, she also has to accept the cruel, unyielding, and dark part of it.

perfect little scene. she doesn't? great setback on her quest to self realization. she has a new specific topic to grapple with, and immediate, material conflict. She does? her character has become morally ambiguous in a tangible way, and her companions and the narritive need to wrestle with that. sometimes people die too young. sometimes people die tragic, unnecessary deaths.

But then. BUT THEN. Brennan hits her with the path. boom mirror of where you started. great. THERES LITTLE RED, STILL LITTLE. oh my god, amazing. and I instantly had an idea, but wasn't sure if they would go through with it. Have grandma's house look a loooot like a chicken coop. cause Emily has cast red as a fusion of the protagonist and antagonist of her own story. at the end of this scene, the antagonist side will dominate. so the story seems clear. Red has to kill someone else's grandma. she's hungry, or out of obligation, or for her friends, whatever. but if she's the wolf now, if she's DEATH, then the trial should be obvious.

instead, she goes for an nice walk, makes it clear that her conflict is still accepting death of a loved one, then meeting a grandma who died peacefully and happily, and who is happy to see her.

then the icing on the fucking cake? she has zero conflict with the actual chicken slaughtering part. it's a joke where she brutally kills more than necessary.

FUUUUUUUUUUUCK YOU!

you don't get to pull a heartfelt scene where you struggle with the tragedy of death, where you act as gentle ferry for souls that have reached their appointed time, then go *hehe I'm a wolf omnomnom I love to kill*

it's just such a rejection of the actually important part of the scene. no even vauge attempt to tie the two INCREDIBLY THEMATICALLY RELATED actions together at all.

litterally I so often have to pause D20 episodes cause one of the players pulls some shit like this and it rips a part of me out. the part of me that's invested, that wants this story to mean something feels crushed whenever this shit happens.

D20 is great. I love it. dropout is the only subscription service I pay for rn. but in its exceptional quality, it's proven to me that tabletop rpgs just simply don't work as a proper medium for storytelling, at least not the traditional GM / Player structure.

again. sorry for the rant

[felassanis]

I really do feel the Van Der Linde Gang was a cult... (Spoilers)

It goes from the fact that for all of Dutch's rants about the evil of civilisation, he himself dresses in fine suits and waistcoats. Suckles on rich cigar's, and lives comfortably in the most lavish tent in camp. While other members have to sleep on the ground with a piece of cloth above them that doesn't even protect them fully from the elements.

His speeches don't come from the heart, but are regurgetated spiel from other men. Even as to note in his scripts to add in 'brief pauses' because he knows it has effect. And will wrap everyone further around his finger.

It goes from everyone in that gang (save Molly initially, but she becomes a victim of Dutch's abuse later on) being a victim of society. That Dutch 'brings in' but it seems this adoption is less about...actually helping those who need it, and more about collecting these people who will come to revere him and admire him for he did for them. Turning more people over to his side. With how many members are victims of society or other factors, it is almost like Dutch actively looks for the vulnerable.

You have many people of colour in the gang, which in such a time period, was cause enough to warrant many abuses and even death by scumbags. Slavery might've been abolished, but the ramifications of it still linger for people like Lenny and Tilly and Charles. The 'other' complex surrounding Natives would have also affected Charles, and him being on his own for most of his life makes sense when he just can't trust people. You Have Javier, a revolutionary fleeing his home who could not speak a lick of english and as such, was left to starve and die because no one could be bothered with him.

Yet, when racists like Micah (and sometimes Bill) are directly contributing to the hate-mongering towards people of colour. Dutch is silent.

John and Arthur and Mary-Beth being orphans. Without parents, or anyone to look up to. Their loyalty is utterly conditioned into them. Dutch being a father figure to all three most likely, which akes his creepy advances towards Mary-Beth all the stranger.

Bill is heavily implied to be a gay man (bisexual?? Potentially?? But likely gay) which, again in such a time period. Would have left him vulnerable. Having being ejected from the army for said preference.

So, you have a cast of characters from tragic backgrounds and/or are victims of something they shouldn't be of. All herded into a camp that looks up to this one man 'with a plan'. Where they work endlessley to provide for everyone. And he reads books in his tent, sometimes helping on the odd job. For characters like Javier, Dutch gave them purpose. A life. A family. Of course they're gonna revere Dutch. But the second they doubt? The second they question? Dutch shuts them down with emotional blackmail. Or, in the case of John and Arthur towards the end of the game. Fosters a culture where those who are doubting Dutch are nearly ostracised for their feelings. Making them feel

And Molly, the woman who was the 'closest' to Dutch. Experiencing the emotional and mental abuse he laid into her. I do think Molly had a superiority complex (from my playthrough and what I saw of her) considering she was from higher class. So she was not someone. But this does not neccessarily make her a bad person. After all, she left everything she knew for Dutch. And relied on him heavily, because...she had nothing else. And the rest of the gang, however justified they might be in their feelings, had a dislike towards her. So she did not have ANYONE to talk to about what she was experiencing, about the way Dutch would talk to her, about how he would be affectionate then immeditately withdraw from her, teating her like a nuisance, flirting with a much younger woman who he probably knew as a teenager. And it boiled down to her having a crisis and breaking down. And in the end, being a victim of Dutch's cult like culture where Grimshaw shot her down without a second thought after believing she betrayed them.

so is it any wonder Bill and Javier turned out the way they did when the gang fell apart? These two men sided with Dutch in the end because they furiously believed in him. Loyal to a fault. Javier had his doubts, he saw that things were going to the shitter. But he was so goddamned loyal that he ignored what he was seeing to please and stick by Dutch. So it makes sense he becomes the bastard that he is in RDR1.

I do like Dutch's character. He's complex and flawed and villainous in a way that is both infuriating and somewhat tragic. But the Van Der Linde gang is more like the Van Der Linde cult. And I find it a bit hard to believe he TRULY cared about his people as much as they all cared about him. I think he liked the idea of being this sort of shephard to the unwanted of society. That he was this progressive with a following. That he was a surrogate father to people, a brother to others. I think he liked the ideas of people, of what he was.

Edit: sorry for the sentences that don't seem to finish i wrote this surprisingly coherent post when I was pissed up on alcohol

#RDR2 #Dutch Van Der Linde #Arthur Morgan #Javier Escuella #Charles Smith #Molly O'shea #Red dead redemption 2 #Bill Williamson #Susan Grimshaw #Mary-Beth Gaskill

[yui-kuromori]

I watched Squid Game a few days ago and I have a hot take for y’all.

EPISODE 6 WASN’T THAT SAD

And here’s why:

And don’t get me wrong, I was still very upset after it was over. It was wonderfully acted, cinematography was beautiful and the way that the game unfolded was incredibly well written.

The whole issue with this episode is its buildup.

Let’s take for example Alice in Borderland’s dreaded episode 3, a counterpart to Squid Game’s episode 6. The episode that killed many favorite characters in a short span of time that broke the viewers’ hearts.

What makes AiB’s episode 3 work so well is the element of surprise that makes it so much more impactful. Firstly, its placement. By putting the “kill everyone’s” episode so early on in the season, the writers put this expectation that they’ll somehow make it out alive. Arisu has already proven to be able to save everyone from sticky situations and we as the viewers think that surely, they wouldn’t kill half their main cast so early on in the season. Characters like Karube and Shibuki usually make it out to at least half the plot, so it was shocking how they actually did die so early on.

Secondly, we have Chouta playing a red herring for this episode. Chota is the typical first death sacrifice. A kind hearted, innocent character that would probably die early on in the season to put the stakes higher and mature the other main characters. Since we were all somewhat expecting Chouta’s death, Karube and Shibuki’s come as a surprise. The underlying expectance that at least Karube will somehow survive the 7 of hearts makes the episode’s impact so much stronger, to the point that the entire fandom still theorizes on how they could have all survived. The open nature of the game also contributes to make the episode even more heartbreaking. They could *all* have lived, but didn’t.

Now, Squid Game’s “Kill half the cast” episode came a little later on, and anyone that has any experience watching battle royals types of media was already expecting it at this point. There was no way that the entire main cast was making it out alive, and honestly? They made it farther than I personally expected.

The construction of the killed characters also does the episode no favors.

The old man was never going to make it all the way through. He had an overall well rounded character arc with the Main Character, and as sad at it was, his death was fully expected. There was no wonder in there, no question. From the moment the game was announced we all knew which one of them was going to survive. I was also kind of expecting for him to die in his sleep because of his illness, with the buildup of him laying in the bed, sickly and all.

Ali had also no chance of survival. He very much fit into the same category as Chouta did. When he was first introduced, saving the main character, grim faced and strong, I had hope that he would make it, but as soon as he blinked those innocent eyes, smiled and trusted Sang-Woo, I knew he was done for. As soon as the games started, I knew he was going to die. I was expecting his death the entire season. As well written as Sang-Woo’s betrayal was, there was no way his death could pack a huge punch without the element of surprise.

Lastly we have Ji-yeong, the girl who sacrificed herself. She had some wonderful dialogue, and her actress was doing the most, but surprisingly, she was the death that least impacted me. When I first saw pictures of her and Sae-byeok on Tumblr, I was expecting for them to have walked in the games as friends already. There were so many parallels drawn between her and Karube from AiB, which made her feel like even less of a well developed character to me.

With Karube, we have two full episodes with him as a main character to get to know him. As little time as that may look, it was enough for us to know everything we needed about him. We see his love for his friends, his desire to marry the woman he loves. We see the uglier sides of him and the kinder ones as well and by the time he dies, we actually have something to mourn over. His relationship with Arisu is what really sells his death for me, they clearly had so much love for each other.

Ji-yeong however, had roughly two episodes, one where she had very few lines and the one she dies in. All that we know about her has been told us, rather than shown us. She shows up, has a beautiful 20 minutes of wonderful chemistry with Sae-byeok, literally tells us her tragic backstory and dies. There was little to mourn, little connection between the character and audience, and that really weakened her impact as a character for us. She also had no relationship with Sae-byeok other than some sort of friendliness. We saw that they had time and means to build compelling relationships in Squid Game, like the main character and the old man, so it’s kind of a shame that they didn’t develop the girls any further. Sae-byeok also barely mourns her (logically so, they didn’t know each other) whereas Arisu, who screams, goes suicidal and spends up until the very last episode still mourning his friends, keeps digging on the grief that their deaths brought to the audience.

Overall, episode 6 was kind of a disappointment. On its own it’s a pretty solid episode, with nice dialogue and emotional scenes, but the lack of buildup and characterization kind of kills any real punch that it might have had.

#alice in borderland #ima wa no kuni no alice #squid game #round 6 #jdrama #kdrama #netflix

[galadhremmin]

We have derived Caranthir liking the Dwarves (and vice versa) because apparently, Finrod succeeds in every field Caranthir fails, and at this point it's clear this derives from the in-universe writer of the Silm and his own biases. Think about it: "Dark Finwë" , a grumpy, prejudiced lordling, and "Hair Champion", most handsome, noble king, have met with the same people!! Yet the king of the first secret kingdom is everyone's friend, but the prince that trades with them regularly is not... seems sus.

Hence, Caranthir is friends with the Dwarves. (But that is just an interpretation, so you're free to think what you wish, I just have several opinions on in-universe prejudice and the almighty narrative.)

I think that 'we' might actually have been Dawn Felagund years ago. Maybe this reading existed even before that, but I doubt that-- she's been very influential in silm fandom and was long before tumblr was much of a thing. https://dawnfelagund.com/caranthir-the-slandered

I wouldn't say it's 'clear' that what amounts to Caranthir's entire documented personality derives from the bias of the in-universe narrator, though as you can see from Dawn's writing it's a reading you can argue for. There are a number of different approaches you can take to the Silm and its biases anyway. One of the few times when it's absolutely clear the text isn't telling the entire story is when it talks about the Easterlings. I've posted about this before but the recorded names are, uhh.... the ones to betray the elves are unlikely to actually have been named things like 'ugly lord' and 'ugly beard.' 'Dark Finwe' on the other hand is a documented reference to his haircolour being dark like Finwe's own; hardly a negative judgement!

I personally think Caranthir can be exactly as ill-tempered and prejudiced as the Silm paints him without becoming an unsympathetic character. If a writer cannot make a moody, deeply prejudiced man an interesting character that is a failure as a writer; there are after all enough books who manage exactly that. That is not to say choosing not to write him that way is a failure (obviously not), but it's not necessary in order to make a reader feel for him at all.

Just going by the text, I think it actually might make for a more interesting narrative to explore in fic to me. Because he does change his mind about something, and at a very specific moment; when he meets the Haladin. That is much less dramatic if he secretly been as nice and popular as Finrod, and got along with everyone all the time already. He's been raised by Fëanor, who said things like 'No other race shall oust us!' and rallied the Noldor not motivated enough by vengeance for Finwë alone by playing on their deep-seated fear of being replaced by the Secondborn. Very unlikely that had no impact. At best it has made him uninterested in humans in his area (while they're not much of a threat to ruling instead of the elves anyway). The text says they paid them no heed.

And yet! Caranthir sees how brave Haleth and her people are. He 'does her great honour.' He changes his mind and offers them lands. His tragedy to me is not that of a slandered figure, but of this deeply, deeply prejudiced person raised to distrust the motivations of human beings -- who overcomes those beliefs, offers friendship, is rejected! then extends that same trust to the Easterlings anyway... and it's those specific Easterlings, not the ones who ally with his brothers-- who betray them all. And cause the disastrous ending of the Nirnaeth. It's the 'to evil end shall all things turn that they begin well' part of the curse hitting him in the least fair way possible. Someone finally changes for the better, and the outcome is treason and destruction.

That is a very good character arc to me, actually. His aesthetics-based scorn for the Dwarves is reprehensible but strikes me as deeply Elvish, and part of his prejudices. Naugrim is too unflattering a name for them for it not to be common. His temper-- well why can't he have one? Sure there's only one recorded instance -- but that's imo because there are hardly any conversations in the Silm! Anyway I like some people with tempers well enough. Personally I think people are missing out on opiniated grouches.

Obviously the biased anti-Feanorian Pengolodh reading is a nice one, and I have enjoyed a lot of stories written based it. But it's not at all a reading that is necessary for me to read Caranthir as a flawed but sympathetic character. He can have serious faults and still, ultimately, be someone I feel for.

What I was asking though was if I overlooked any canon evidence of Caranthir being particularly, personally fond of the Dwarves; and it seems I did not. Also; there is room for Caranthir growing to like the Dwarves over centuries without an anti-Feanorian bias reading this strong, there is simply no evidence for friendship in the rather barebones narrative (I'm not interested atm because it's wildly overdone to me & I like variety).

That said, in my opinion making Caranthir the hidden, slandered Feanorian Finrod equivalent with a dash of Curufin's Dwarf affection is not as enjoyable as simply working with what little canon character is actually there. Because there is one (and it's not the greedy tax collector of some fanon depictions either imo)

1. To start with, wrt Caranthir as the anti-Finrod, I don't think it works that well. Sure sure dark/light, open/prejudiced, repressed/shouty, but different motivations, different locations, plus they meet very different peoples even if both are Edain-- besides, Caranthir's own older brothers do successfully ally with the Easterlings without betrayal, while Curufin (much more so than Finrod! no Khuzdul for Finrod!) is the Dwarves' Friend(tm). Also, a flawed Finrod already exists. That's just the regular edition. He has his own faults and (very different) tragic arc.

If Finrod never seems to have strong prejudices to overcome, and if he's not confrontational (which... look he's a diplomat. Make of that what you will. Pretty awkward there in Doriath, buddy!) he does have trouble facing his own complicity (he wanted to sail those ships despite the murders) until Sauron beats him to death with it. He leaves Valinor with the idea of ruling but he has to give up the crown. He's ambitious, he seems emotionally repressed, he's.. possibly paying the greater Dwarves to drive the Petty Dwarves out of their ancestral home to build a city? Oops. Depending on the version you go with in that case, of course; there's also ones where he's free of the blame of that one. Not of wanting to sail those ships and being uneasy with the guilt wrt wanting to do so despite their being stolen and murdered for though. No he doesn't kill; but he wants to use the result of it anyway, and to make it worse he is actually half Telerin.

There's also (to be fair, only for sure after the disaster of the Sudden Flame because that's the recorded instance) his guards killing random innocent trespassers to keep his kingdom hidden -- yes, that's right there in Silm, yes he's still King at the time. Beren has to wave that ring. People just seem to miss that he'd be killed without it somehow.

I think it's just too easy to reduce him to the golden perfect opposite of Caranthir. Yes he's described more positively; he's also just mentioned more because unlike Caranthir he rules an actual kingdom, the greatest and richest in Beleriand in fact; and does things that have a lot of very longterm effects, like helping B&L steal a Silmaril. They don't 'meet the same people' anyway -- the Haladin have a different culture from the Beorians which contributes to their reaction to Caranthir (and iirc their later fate).

Sidenote: Dawn's essay attributes the Green Elves helping the Feanorians at Amon Ereb to Caranthir's diplomatic skills; but why not to those of Amras or Amrod? This is the quote; 'Caranthir fled and joined the remnant of his people to the scattered folk of the hunters, Amrod and Amras, and they retreated and passed Ramdal in the south. Upon Amon Ereb they maintained a watch and some strength of war, and they had aid of the Green-elves' -- nothing here indicates it was Caranthir who got them that aid. In fact A&A are the hunters, i.e. more likely to have roamed in various forests where they would have encountered Green Elves, imo.

There's also the very desperate times to consider in which this aid takes place. This is just post Sudden Flame, and even if the Green Elves didn't like Caranthir they probably liked him better than Morgoth. Also, speaking of cosmopolitans, Maedhros allies with, yes, Dwarves (Azaghal), Grey elves, Easterlings (and you might say: Fingolfinians); even part of the remaining people of Dorthonion rally to Himring post sudden flame (that means Edain and Arafinwean followers in Himring, at least for a time), and he manages to be friendly with Felagund despite calling him a badger. ;)

Finrod is not the only other leader to forge diverse alliances, and though B&L ends happily his people mostly do not. Caranthir's not much like Finrod in any way. Not in motivations, temperament, tragic arc. That's fine. No hidden kingdom for a dragon to eat either. Finrod could probably do with being a little less like Finrod sometimes, though he's well-intentioned and likable. Caranthir loves to shout and isn't sneaky. Good for him.

2. Curufin also already exists. His love for Dwarves is one of his defining and redeeming characteristics and boy does he need them. He's daddy's favourite, a sneaky overambitious bitchy bastard who is also a talented smith and linguist, and truly considered a Dwarf friend, which is apparently exceptional. He's quite flawed; tries to help Celegorm force a political marriage, laughs with a bruised mouth, seeming to lose his mind while attempting and failing murder after first losing his own stronghold and then the city he tried to take from his cousin. He's just... a personality. Mostly a bad one! You can feel for him though, because he seems like an utter mess. Many 'i would love to study you' feelings on my part. Would hate for him to be real but also I'd pay to be his therapist.

3. And then finally there's Canon Caranthir. A difficult, prejudiced person who despite that (which doesn't at all have to mean there is no despite, the despite is what makes it juicy)

- seems to be responsible for re-establishing (large scale?) trade with the Dwarves, whatever he might think of them (and they of him) to their mutual benefit. I don't think he's greedy either. It seems like a mutually profitable situation. Access to Dwarvish goods seems pretty vital to Beleriand, and facilitating trade is a real service.

As someone pointed out in the replies, the Silm does mention Dwarvish companies travelling east to Nan Elmoth and menegroth various times, but quote wrt Caranthir says 'Caranthir’s people came upon the Dwarves, who after the onslaught of Morgoth and the coming of the Noldor had ceased their traffic into Beleriand' and 'when the Dwarves began again to journey into Beleriand.'

They stopped at some point and Caranthir's people made it happen again.

- which means he's practical. He seems like he's good at organising, and setting his own feelings aside if necessary despite his prejudice and temper (which is an achievement it wouldn't be without his, hm, everything). Also he and his people as well as the Dwarves work together well because ''either people loved skill and were eager to learn,' despite their (initial?) mutual dislike. Those aren't bad characteristics; seems like it was an exchange of skill as well as goods and possibly providing safe travel opportunities.

I don't like the 'greedy Caranthir' fanon and don't think it is even that easy support entirely with canon. 'They had of it great profit,' the text says-- both Caranthir and the Dwarves. They exchanged skills and knowledge and Caranthir seems to have helped them start trading in Beleriand again. That's hardly Scrooge Mcduck.

- Another thing we can say about canonthir (lol) is that he apparently attaches a lot of value to aesthetics (was he a visual artist? is a he a sculptor like Nerdanel? WORSE: AN ART CRITIC?! Feanorian art critic is truly nightmare fuel) and that's why he dislikes Dwarves (of all things...). Either way points to 'aesthetics' as something apparently important to Caranthir. Which makes sense given who his parents are. What is interesting to me is that this apparently DOESN'T matter to Curufin, who is a lot like Feanor in most things. That's interesting!

I've never, never seen this but I think it would be very funny to attribute his aesthetic prejudices to Nerdanel. I love her; but why should her opinions be perfect? I know she wasn't considered beautiful herself, but she's an artist. She's got to have had some strong opinions on aesthetics anyway. I doubt it's the beards; Mahtan had one as well. And 'stunted'...at least some of this comes down to the Elvish obsession with height yet again. Hm.

- eventually Caranthir overcomes what have to be some very deeply held beliefs about human beings and their place in the world, and offers what for all intents and purposes looks like real friendship, not the ruling over Men Feanor seems to have had in mind at best. He's capable of real change!

Anyway his character works just fine to me from canon, and what he achieves and the ways in which he fails are more interesting that way rather-- neither slandered Feanorian Finrod 2.0 nor Curufin 'Dwarf Fan' Feanorion without the sneakiness and murder attempts pack the same punch as a stupidly prejudiced grouchy man doing his best anyway for centuries in this stupid ugly cursed land, eventually changing for the better, opening up-- and being brutally punished for it by the Doom.

Dammit. I hope there's therapy in the Everlasting Darkness.

hm a bit long but that's what I get for trying to gather my thoughts wrt why after considering it a bit transferring Curufin's love for Dwarves to Caranthir is a bit boring to me personally. Though there are still stories that still do it very well.

#no one asked including me but there you go anyway #that's what you get when i wake up at nearly 3 in the morning and thnk. FUCK i can't sleep #caranthir

[crystal-moon-101]

Charmcaster and Mike!💚

I present to you the chaotic magical duo! They were pretty fun to draw with their colours and different body shapes, and these two I've been really wanting to talk about since I've made a lot of rewrite changes for them. Before I get into that, I recommend you read my Dagon Arc Rewrite, to get a better idea of where I've taken these characters, as I involved them quite a bit in that story line. Albedo will be the next redesign eventually, and I'm glad people are liking what I'm doing with these characters so far.

-Mike Morningstar-

Soooo, Mike. He's always been an interesting concept to me, because there are two ways you could make his character go. One way is to just go full out with the creep and power hungry factor, making him a villain through and through, which can provide a very eerie character, which is the route canon mostly too. The other way, which I've taken, is you could make him a very complicated character, tragic even, with the idea of "If someone was born with dark magic, how would the world treat them", and since canon (Both the original series and reboot timeline) as taken the more evil villain approached, I'm taking a much different approach because I think his story can add a lot of interesting dynamics. In terms of his design, I went for the "rich winter" outfit aesthetic, since this lad does know his fashion and tastes.

Mike is an Apotrodite from his mother's side, the dark magic equivalent of Anodites. This means Mike primarily uses dark magic, but unlike other people, his Apotrodite sides means he is in full control of himself, and can't be tainted by dark magic. But that doesn't mean everything goes well...

His parents are Lilith Morningstar and Samael Morningstar, both Plumbers who work in the magical department of things, and since Lilith can use dark magic without it corrupting her, the two get a hefty amount of money working in a field only they can really handle. So they're a very rich family, owning two mansions on earth, and some holiday homes.

Mike was an...accident, not something planned, but his parents wanted to see what it was like, not realizing how raising a child takes a lot of work, especially one that was born half Apotrodite. You see, since Mike was only half, his dark magic didn't come naturally to him for a while, needing to adjust and train himself. There were worries Mike would end up hurting someone, which both Lilith and Samael were nervous about, since Apotrodites didn't have a good reputation anywhere for their use of dark magic. They feared that if Lilith or Mike made a mistake, they'll both be shipped back to their homeworld, which none of them wanted...

Sadly, a mistake did happen one day. Mike didn't mean too, it just happened suddenly, but he ended up hurting two other kids in Plumber Kindergarden, giving one magical burns, and nearly draining the life out of another. He felt horrible over what happened, and couldn't stop sobbing for the rest of the day as everyone debated what to do, and had a long discussion with Mike's parents. Lilith and Samael ended up pulling Mike out from school to homeschool him from now on...and didn't trust Mike to leave the house on his own ever, the fears getting the better of them. So...you could say Mike's childhood was rather lonely and depressing. Eventually as he grew older, he got into lots of arguments with his parents, until finally snapping and running away sometime after his encounter with Ben and his friends. If everyone was going to treat him like a monster, then he might as well be what they say he was and do it being free...

Mike does have an Apotrodite form, much like how Gwen has an Anodite form, but he hardly ever turns into it, even if it would save him energy and make his human form 'rot' less. He doesn't like being reminded of what he is, the reason behind all his problems...

He loves cats, and has always wanted one since he learnt about them.

Mike did end up helping Charmcaster when she was losing herself in omniverse, during the final fight with her. He was one of the few who managed to snap her out of her insanity, and later when she was recovering, she tracked him down with the help of Ben, and managed to convince him to come to Ledgerdomain with her, wanting to repay him for his help. Along with knowing that Mike was really just lonely and tired with the world...something she could relate too...

His hasn't been in contact with his parents since running away from home, and they haven't made an effort to reach out to him, not sure how to approach their son after what he became...

Mike and Hex have a very...awkward dynamic, since neither know how to talk to the other, especially regarding Charmcaster.

Loves scarfs, he just likes the way they look and feel.

-Hope Charmcaster-

Miss Charmcaster, a character who keeps spinning on that plot merry go round. She was defiantly someone who went insane due to how often the writing changed her up, which is a shame since she is a very interesting character, so that's what I'm here for. For her redesign, I've always loved the idea of her being short, plump and very curvy, and entirely confident with her body and looks. She knows she's hot, and owns it. I kept her outfit similar to her original and omniverse style, but played around with the look of it.

Her mother died at childbirth, so her father had to raise her own his own, with the help of Uncle Hex from time to time. Eventually after what happened in Ledgerdomain with Addwaitya, Hex has been looking after her since she was 8, but it wasn't easy, especially when he started tapping into dark magic to find ways to fight Addwaitya, and eventually going power hungry. Charmcaster knows Hex was trying his best, but there are things she can't forgive him for, even if they're getting better during her recovery.

She has black markings on her hands due to her use of the Alpha Rune and dark magic. The Alpha Rune also left a mark on her chest right above her heart. She is subconscious about these things, and tends to hide them from everyone and herself.

Ben 100% had a crush on her as a kid, and she knows it.

Charmcaster has a sweet tooth, and loves desserts. Her favorite is cake, strawberry cake to be precise.

She's still trying to be the Queen of Ledgerdomain, which isn't easy with what's left of it, but she's slowly getting them and creating a new age for the Kingdom, having opened it out to any magic user in the galaxy that needs a place to go.

Gwen and Charmcaster have been building up a nice friendship finally now that Charmcaster is getting help. It's been sweet, with Gwen doing normal teen and girl stuff that Charmcaster hasn't been able to do in years. The little things always remind her that she is human after all.

She is still on the hunt for Addwaitya with the help of Gwen, Hex, Mike and the Plumbers, after the turtle managed to run away during the fight against her.

Later on Mike and Charmcaster do meet other Apotrodites, and visit their homeworld, and does feel bad for their situation. They pair end up letting a good chunk of them move to Ledgerdomain, where it will be safe for them from the outside galaxy, and their contribution of dark magic knowledge really helps Ledgerdomain in the long run.

#Ben 10 #B10 #ben 10 omniverse #ben 10 ultimate alien #ben 10 alien force #ben 10 original series #Ben 10 Mike Morningstar #Mike Morningstar #Ben 10 Charmcaster #Charmcaster #Morningcaster #Ben 10 Redesign #Ben 10 Rewrite #My Art

[newdougsblog]

The Tragic Hero Full of Fear

Hello everyone! Before I get into this, I’d like to thank @jasontoddiefor​ for both the name and being the main enabler of this fun piece of writing. I also want to thank all my wonderful friends over on Discord for letting me bounce ideas off of them and helping me. You are all amazing!!

Ok, so let’s get into it!

The first six Star Wars movies (the Original and Prequel trilogies) are commonly referred to as “the Tragedy of Darth Vader.”  But what makes these movies a tragedy? How is Anakin Skywalker himself, the main character of said tragedy, a tragic hero? In this meta/essay, I will discuss how Anakin himself is definitionally a tragic hero and outline his story as it relates to the structure of a classic Greek tragedy.  

This essay will focus solely on Anakin’s character as he is canonically portrayed.

The Hero

Let’s go through the main traits of a tragic hero (as per early literature) and discuss them in the context of Anakin Skywalker.

Possesses immense courage and strength and is usually favored by the gods

Anakin’s courage is evident throughout his entire life, such as when he participates in the pod race in TPM or on the front lines during the Clone Wars. 

While we cannot definitively ascribe Anakin’s abilities to any deity, we can associate them with the Force. The Force is able to somewhat influence the happenings of the universe in certain ways and takes the place of any sort of deity.

Whether Anakin is the “Chosen One” or not, his connection to the Force is stronger than that of any other Force-sensitive being, so he is consequently closer to it than most, if not all, other Force-sensitive beings. 

Extreme loyalty to family and country 

Anakin is consistent in his demonstrations of loyalty to those he has strong feelings for (whether those feelings be romantic or platonic).

His devotion to Padmé surpasses his loyalty to the Jedi, and he is always willing to go to great lengths to ensure their safety and well-being.

Anakin also exhibits a strong sense of devotion to his mother, Shmi. His devotion to her, and by extension her wellbeing, surpasses his duties as Jedi. 

In ROTS, Anakin says, “I will not betray the Republic… my loyalties lie with the Chancellor and with the Senate… and with you” (you, in this case, referring to Padmé). In this quotation, Anakin’s loyalties are made quite clear. At this point, he is not faithful to the Jedi, but to his government, its leaders, and, of course, his wife.

Representative of society’s current values

During the Clone Wars, Anakin is known by the moniker, “the Hero with No Fear,” and is one of the Republic’s “poster boys.” He is charismatic, kind, seemingly fearless (obviously) and a strong fighter, thus representing the values that were important to the Republic at the time. The last characteristic is especially important because of the assurance it instills in times of war. As a representation of the Republic, Anakin’s prowess on the battlefield creates hope for its citizens that victory is possible. 

Anakin also empathizes with the opinion that the seemingly outdated Jedi Code holds them back. In the Citadel Arc, Tarkin remarks that “the Jedi Code prevents [the Jedi] from going far enough to achieve victory.” Anakin actually agrees with this statement, replying that “[he’s] also found that [the Jedi] sometimes fall short of victory because of [their] methods” (Season 3, Episode 19). He shows a sense of allegiance not to the ancient ways of the Jedi, but to the newer, more modern ideals regarding military action. 

Anakin claims to have brought “peace, justice, freedom, and security” to his “new Empire.” While the Empire's interpretations of the aforementioned values are skewed, Anakin continues to represent them as Darth Vader. 

Anakin’s statement to Obi-Wan also mirrors Palpatine’s declaration to the Senate: “In order to ensure our security and continuing stability, the Republic will be reorganized into the first Galactic Empire, for a safe and secure society which I assure you will last for ten thousand years.” The people applaud this statement, demonstrating a general sense of exhaustion in regards to the war and a yearning for what this new Empire is promising them.

Lead astray/challenged by strong feelings

Though there are many, many examples of Anakin’s emotions getting the better of him, we’re simply going to list two:

Anakin’s fury and anguish after the death of his mom leads to his slaughter of the Tuskens

Anakin’s overwhelming fear of losing Padmé is ultimately what leads to his Fall.

Every tragic hero possesses what is called a hamartia, or a fatal flaw. This trait largely contributes to the hero’s catastrophic downfall. Anakin’s hamartia is his need for control, which partially manifests through his fear of loss. 

Let’s explore this idea in more detail. 

Though Anakin grows up as a slave, the movies neglect to explicitly cover the trauma left from his time in slavery. However, it is worth noting that slaves did not have the ability to make many choices for themselves; they didn’t even own their bodies. After being freed, Anakin is whisked away to become a Jedi. He does not possess much control over his life as Jedi, for he is simply told what path he is going to take. While Anakin does make this decision on his own, becoming a Jedi is a disciplined and somewhat-strict way of life and not one that allows for an abundance of reckless autonomy as he is wont to engage in. 

(Side note: I’m not here to argue about Qui-Gon’s decision-making abilities, nor do I wish to engage in discourse regarding the Jedi’s way of life. I am simply presenting and objectively stating these facts in relation to Anakin because they are pertinent to my point.) 

During AOTC, Anakin is unable to save his mother from death. As Shmi dies in his arms, Anakin is absolutely helpless. The situation is completely out of his control, and he is forced to contend with the reality that despite all of his power, he cannot control everything that happens. 

He also feels that he has a larger potential for power and is being held back by Obi-Wan: “although I'm a Padawan learner, in some ways... a lot of ways... I'm ahead of him. I'm ready for the trials. I know I am! He knows it too. He believes I'm too unpredictable… I know I started my training late... but he won't let me move on.” Anakin believes Obi-Wan, his teacher and mentor, is holding him back. He expresses a self-held conviction of his status and skills and does not trust the word of his superior. 

In ROTS, Anakin starts dreaming of Padmé’s death. Considering what occurred the last time he dreamt of a loved one’s demise, Anakin is justifiably (or at least justifiably from his point of view) worried. He consequently wants to stop these dreams from coming true in any way possible. His fear of death, especially that of his loved ones, represents his need for control over everything, even things that are uncontrollable. This overwhelming desire leads to Anakin’s drastic actions.

As Darth Vader, he no longer possesses such fears, for everyone that he loved is either dead or has betrayed him. He is the epitome of order and control, eliminating any who disturb this perceived equilibrium. 

However, this changes because of one person: Luke Skywalker. 

Luke reintroduces something that was (arguably) long-absent in Vader’s life, which is interpersonal attachment. Vader yearns for his son to join him by his side. When Luke refuses, Vader continues to attempt to seek him out. In ROTJ, Vader is forced to choose between the Emperor, a man he has long trusted and followed, and Luke, the son he never knew he had. Out of a desire to protect and keep what little family he has left (and likely a sense of “I couldn’t save Padmé but at least I can save her legacy by keeping her child(ren) alive and safe”), Vader defeats the Emperor and saves his son. Though his actions are definitionally heroic, Anakin never truly overcomes his hamartia. 

The Structure of a Tragedy

Classic Greek tragedies follow a specific story structure, which, according to the German playwright Gustav Freytag, is as follows:

We’re going to focus on the three aspects that best represent Anakin’s story as a tragedy: The peripeteia, the anagnorisis, and the catastrophe/denouement. These occur during and/or after the climax. 

The peripeteia is the climax/the turning point in the plot. Said change usually involves the protagonist's good luck and prosperity taking a turn for the worse. 

Within the tragedy we are discussing, the peripeteia occurs when Anakin chooses Sidious over Mace Windu and solidifies his allegiance to the Dark side, becoming the very thing he swore to destroy. It is at this point that things really start to go downhill. He kills children, chokes his wife, fights his best friend, gets his remaining limbs cut off, etc. 

The anagnorisis is the point in the tragedy when the protagonist recognizes their error, seeing the true nature of that which they were previously ignorant of, usually regarding their circumstances or a specific relationship (such as Oedipus’ realization that his wife was actually his mother). In most tragedies, the anagnorisis is in close proximity to the peripeteia. In Anakin’s story, the anagnorisis occurs during ROTJ. After being wounded in his fight against Luke, Vader watches as his son is brutally electrocuted by Sidious. It is at this moment that Darth Vader realizes that Luke was right—there is good in him, and he still has the chance to redeem himself. 

The catastrophe/denouement (since this is a tragedy, we’re going to go with “catastrophe”) is the end of the tragedy. Events and conflicts are resolved and brought to a close, and a new sort of “normality” is established. The catastrophe often provides a sense of catharsis (release of tension) for the viewer. The protagonist is worse off than they were at the beginning of the tragedy. 

The catastrophe within “The Tragedy of Darth Vader” transpires soon after the anagnorisis at the end of ROTJ. Though the realization of his capacity for good is the anagnorisis, the follow-through (via his actions), as well as what consequently occurs, is the catastrophe. As previously discussed, Vader saves Luke by killing the Emperor but does so at the cost of his own life. This serves as the resolution of the tragedy, for the hero’s fate has been confirmed—Darth Vader fulfills his destined role as the Chosen One and, in doing so, brings about his own redemption and dies as Anakin Skywalker.

In conclusion, the categorization of Star Wars as a tragedy is a choice that heavily influences Anakin, the protagonist and hero, of the story. He is without a doubt a tragic hero whose fatal flaw leads to his downfall. In accordance with Aristotle’s theory of tragedy, Anakin’s tragedy is constructed not by personal agency, but by the narrative itself.

Works Cited

“Darth Vader.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 15 Mar. 2021, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Darth_Vader.

“Dramatic Structure.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 20 Feb. 2021, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dramatic_structure.

“Hero.” Encyclopaedia Britannica, Encyclopaedia Britannica, Inc., 19 Oct. 2016, www.britannica.com/art/hero-literary-and-cultural-figure.

Lucas, George, director. Star Wars: Episode III— Revenge of the Sith. Lucasfilm Ltd., 2005.

Lucas, George, director. Star Wars: Episode II— Attack of the Clones. Lucasfilm Ltd. , 2002.

Michnovetz, Matt. “Star Wars: The Clone Wars, ‘Counterattack.’” Season 3, episode 19, 4 Mar. 2011.

“Sophocles: the Purest Artist.” Encyclopædia Britannica, Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc., www.britannica.com/art/tragedy-literature/Sophocles-the-purest-artist.

“Theory of Tragedy.” Encyclopædia Britannica, Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc., www.britannica.com/art/tragedy-literature/Theory-of-tragedy.

“Tragic Hero.” Dictionary.com, Dictionary.com, www.dictionary.com/browse/tragic-hero. 

#star wars #Anakin Skywalker #greek tragedy #anakin the tragic hero #meta #so many meta ideas not enough time #wow thanks tumblr formatting for being terrible

[shroomcult]

@soulxmakaweek

Day 4: Apologize

I fell way behind with Soma week because I got slammed with work and this monster of a fic took me too long to write.

Summary: 

Maka comes to realize that Soul had never felt fully comfortable around Crona, and in ignoring this entirely - she unknowingly hurt her closest friend.

Special thanks to Tori @chichirichick (she betas all of my dumpster fires, bless her) for proofreading this mess of emotions and also to Zi @azroazizah for coming up with the concept for this fic. 

**Disclaimer** This story is not about putting blame on Crona, but instead about acknowledging the fact that Soul went through trauma due to their actions and it was never taken into consideration by Maka before inviting them into their friend group. I'm not saying Crona didn't deserve support, but it's also completely valid for Soul - a victim of Crona - to not feel entirely safe around them regardless of their tragic background and circumstances. If Crona is a big comfort character for you and you feel you would likely be upset by this concept, then I recommend not reading it altogether. We all interpret things different and we're all entitled to our own opinions, and I'm not going to get in arguments with people over this.

It’d been a while since the Spartoi team was all together again.

After the fall of Asura, they really had no purpose to join forces as a team. No big baddie to unite them in ass-kickery. 

The skies were blue again. There were still Kishin eggs to take down, and a shaky new diplomatic relationship with the witches to maintain as well. 

Things were more or less … normal. Boring, even.

The only big difference Blackstar could discern was that nobody seemed to have time to just hang out and be friends anymore.

Kid was over his head with his new responsibilities, and while he was doing an admirable job filling his father’s shoes; there was a steep learning curve and his perfectionist tendencies only made it more challenging to overcome. He upheld a calm and collected demeanor in the public’s eyes, but Liz and Patty spent most of their time holding him together behind the scenes. 

Soul and Maka were a different situation entirely.

It was odd enough to adjust to the recent change in the nature of their relationship. They claimed to be the same as they’ve always been - just Soul & Maka. Only, they grew much closer after the hardships they had endured both in the book of Eibon and on the moon.

They had been close to begin with, but this was a different kind of close. Stolen glances, hands reaching for each other when they thought nobody was looking. Blushing for almost no damn reason. 

Something was going on between them - he could be sure of that.

More recently, however, Maka had been particularly obsessive about solving the dilemma of Crona’s entrapment on the moon. She was driving herself to a slow-burning insanity, considering every moment that she hadn’t rescued them yet to be a personal failure.

She’d been spending much of her time in the restricted section of the library, consuming every piece of relevant research for hours on end. Soul often stayed up there with her doing the same, or at the very least keeping her silent company when he was too burnt out to read anymore.

He’d also spent much of his extra time with Stein, training to perfect his sound-wave abilities into his own form of wavelength attack.

He’d been giving his all ever since making deathscythe status to hone his strength and better serve Maka. He’d even been able to hold his own for a surprising amount of time in the sparring ring against Blackstar, and that was a feat in and of itself.

All of the focus on Crona’s rescue had appeared to be wearing on him, though. 

Soul may have accepted Crona into his friend group for Maka’s sake, even empathized with them - but he had never fully trusted the demon sword meister. Although Soul was outwardly friendly towards them, Blackstar noticed the way his friend had watched them like a hawk before they turned back to Medusa. He was always ready for a scenario like that because he had never felt entirely safe around them to begin with.

Not that Maka had bothered to even take Soul’s feelings into consideration before forgiving Crona on his behalf.

She couldn’t have possibly been that dense. She had to have been actively ignoring the signs of Soul’s discomfort because she couldn’t handle acknowledging them.

And now she was doing the same thing all over again even with Crona as far away as the moon. It was obvious that Soul was doing what he always did - shoving his own feelings aside in favor of Maka’s. The loyal mutt of a boy valued her wellbeing far above his own, that was for certain.

He just seemed so exhausted of it all now. Searching tirelessly with Maka for a solution that may not even exist took up much of his time and energy.  

He never had the time to shoot hoops or play video games like he used to, and Blackstar was far above begging for his attention. He stopped even bothering to ask him.

Just for one night though, by some divine luck - everybody was willing to clear their schedule to have a late night dinner at the most beloved and heart-attack inducing burger joint in town. 

Every member of Spartoi was crammed into the largest booth in the restaurant and their chatter was loud enough to fill the whole section. 

There were multiple conversations happening at a time, but Blackstar was zeroing in on Soul who had his chin resting on his palm and that stupid, dopey look he got on his face when he was proud of Maka. Yuck. Keep it in your pants, loverboy.

Maka was next to Soul, his arm stretched out behind her on the booth, while Ox engaged her in a fiery debate over god knows what across the table from her. Judging by the redness in baldy’s face - Maka was on the winning side. He really couldn’t understand Soul’s hard-on for a bossy know-it-all personality, but whatever floats his boat he supposed.  

He decided he’d seen enough of that look on his best friend’s face and crumpled up a straw wrapper, dipping it in his soda and sticking it at the end of his straw.

He blew on the other end, sending the sticky wad of paper flying across the table. The projectile hit its target directly on the cheek.

“Fuck’s sake dude, how old are you?” he grumbled, reaching over the table to grab a handful of napkins to clean his face off with.

Maka snatched some of his napkins for herself, rubbing it vigorously into the flecks of cola that stained her uniform. “You got my shirt all wet, idiot.”

Blackstar simply threw his head back to cackle obnoxiously. “I just thought I should break up your lame little debate team fight before Ox over here pops a blood vessel. You know he can’t handle losing well.”

“I wasn’t losing!” Ox hissed under his breath.

Maka only met her opponent’s glare with a shit-eating grin.

“Hey, Maka! What had you stopped to talk with Professor Stein about earlier today?” Tsubaki cut in, obviously attempting to diffuse another argument between the two competitive brainiacs.

Maka’s expression relaxed into something a little more neutral, seemingly caught off guard by the question. Debate-mode successfully disarmed.

“Oh. Well… I just had some questions about my black blood research for him.” 

Blackstar didn’t miss the way Soul tensed up beside her at the mention of black blood. His face was void of any distinct emotion, but something was off in his body language. The way his shoulders squared as if he were instinctively bristling.

Anyone with a shred of social awareness could have deduced that black blood, Medusa, and Crona were not Soul’s favorite topics. It wasn’t unusual for him to shut down and discontinue any contributions to a conversation when any of these things were brought up. 

Unfortunately for Soul, all of those subjects were constantly on Maka’s mind since she began her obsessive pursuit for a solution to Crona’s ordeal.

“Oh? And what did he have to say?” Tsubaki pressed, completely oblivious to the tense situation she was potentially triggering.

“As you’re already aware, there’s not really any official research on the black blood that exists. We’ve been digging through countless books - gathering as much information about madness and Kishins as we can, but it can only get us so far. It would be so much more useful if we could get our hands on a physical sample of the substance itself.”

Soul’s eyes widened in concern, but only for a second before he slipped his usual poker face back on. His Adam’s apple bobbed nervously despite the veneer of calm he displayed.

“Anyways,” she continued, turning to look at Soul, “I was going to talk to you about this later, but maybe some of the black blood still remains in your system? I know we believed it was all gone, but surely there’s some residual amount of it lingering behind? Something we could maybe isolate, extract and create a concentrate of? Stein said it was unlikely, but technically possible. We have to try for Crona, right, Soul?”

He was no longer wearing his mask of apathy. Unmistakeable, visible discomfort was etched into his facial features and he was clenching his hands, knuckles whitening from the pressure. Everyone at the table was hushed and the tension was palpable.

“He doesn’t have to try anything,” Kid’s voice cut sharply through the silence, golden eyes flashing sternly at her.

A soft gasp escaped her and her eyebrows shot up, clearly taken-aback by the sudden burst of hostility from her boss and close friend. Her eyes darkened seconds later, determination setting in.

 “I think that’s his decision to make, and I’d like to hear what he has to say,” she turned her attention back to Soul, hope still shining in her eyes.

He fidgeted with his necktie, loosening it and clearing his throat. “Yeah, s’fine. Whatever you need, I guess.”

Maka’s face lit up into a bright smile that turned Blackstar’s stomach and she pulled Soul into a brief hug. “I knew we could count on you, Soul! You’re the best partner ever.”

“Whatever, it’s no problem. Just try not to drain me of all my blood, alright?” he chuckled weakly, avoiding her eyes in favor of staring a hole in the middle of the table.

She gave an easygoing laugh in response, and went back to conversing with Tsubaki as if she hadn’t just pressured her partner into volunteering himself as a guinea pig for the sake of someone who had literally sliced him open from shoulder to hip and infected him with black blood to begin with.

Is she fucking serious?

Blackstar was practically vibrating with fury from the interaction he’d just watched, and Tsubaki’s normally soothing hand on his shoulder did little to calm him down. When he glanced at Kid, he instantly knew the death god had shared his frustration with Maka’s obliviousness. 

It wasn’t long before Soul abruptly stood from his place at the end of the booth, pulling a twenty out of his wallet and placing it on the table in front of him.

“Soul? What are you doing? The food hasn’t even gotten here yet,” Maka blinked at him in confusion.

“I’m not feelin’ too great - gonna head out, sorry guys. Could you just bring my food back in a to-go box?” he said with an apologetic quirk of his lips. He squeezed her shoulder gently before turning on his heels and making his way out of the diner in long strides.

Why does she look so shocked? Does she really not understand that she’s been hurting him?

After that, the night passed by in a haze for Blackstar. He hardly spoke for the rest of the meal due to the fact that he was using all of his mental capacity to keep his impulse to stand up and loudly call his friend out in front of everybody in check. 

The only thing truly stopping him was the knowledge that Soul would likely be embarrassed and more than a little pissed off if he’d made a big scene over something that he wasn’t even willing to talk about.  

So he waited - held his tongue until he could lash out in private.

As everyone was saying their goodbyes, Blackstar watched her rise from her seat gathering her to-go boxes carefully and giving him a nod of acknowledgement before she headed out.

His eyes bore into the back of her head as she left, and Tsubaki’s hand clamped gently on him for the second time that night. Her eyes were crinkled with a gentle concern.

“I think you should leave this between them. If Soul wanted all of this out in the open, he would have had that conversation with her himself.”

A heavy sigh settled in his chest, “You know how he is. He’s the suffer in silence type and he always does her bidding. If nobody says anything, then nothing’ll change. I just want to talk to her - not like I’m gonna beat her ass or anything … unless she gives me a reason to.” 

“Blackstar,” she chided, fully aware that he would make good on that threat.

“I know, I know. I won’t be long, see ya at home,” he said, throwing up placating hands before stuffing them in his pockets and striding in the direction Maka had gone. 

            _______________________________________________

Maka set her walk home at a leisurely pace, dragging her feet slightly as she watched the sunset bleed into the sky above.

It wasn’t that she was trying to prolong seeing Soul, or that she wasn’t worried about the way he’d acted back in the diner - like something was eating at him. 

She was pretty positive that he wasn’t physically ill, which only left the option of it being an emotional issue. 

And getting Soul to talk about emotional issues was like trying to pull teeth from a temperamental bear. 

She had to figure out a way to go about this delicately, and she had to figure it out soon because their apartment block was fast approaching.

She stopped in her tracks when she felt the presence of a familiar soul behind her. His steps had been so quiet, she wouldn’t have even been aware he was stalking her from behind if it weren’t for her exceptional soul perception abilities.

“I know you’re following me, Blackstar.”

In moments, he was stepping out in front of her. “Wasn’t trying to hide. I need to talk to you,” his voice was uncharacteristically stern.

She wasn’t stupid. She knew Blackstar had some kind of problem with her since dinner. He was deathly quiet and glowering at her for most of the night; very unusual behavior from someone who never shuts up or hesitates to start a fight. 

“Okay, I’m listening,” she said, already preparing to defend herself against whatever absurd argument he wanted to pull her into.

“The whole situation with Crona - have you ever once thought about how Soul feels about it?”

Whatever she had been expecting to come out of his mouth - that wasn’t it.

“What? I mean, I know how Soul feels. He wants Crona to be safe, just like I do. What are you trying to get at?”

“I’m not talking about what he thinks about Crona being stuck in the deathdamned moon, Maka! I mean have you ever thought about how he felt when you forced Crona into his life to begin with? After being sliced open?” 

Maka’s eyebrows shot up to her hairline and her mouth opened and closed a few times, baffled by the question. 

“Soul understands why I welcomed Crona as a friend. He trusts me,” she answered, hoping her voice conveyed the confidence that she couldn’t find in this moment.

This entire conversation was throwing her off.

“Yeah, okay. He accepted your decision because he trusts you, or loves you or whatever the fuck. We all know that - but that doesn’t mean he was comfortable with it. It doesn’t mean he felt safe. He just stuffed his own feelings down, because he knew it made it easier for you.”

Her throat tightened as her own conflicting emotions overcame her. He had no idea what he was talking about. Soul was fine. He’s always been fine. 

“Did he say that to you? That he didn’t feel safe?” she choked out. 

“Soul? You think he tells people things? About his feelings?” he snorted. “No, he doesn’t have to tell me shit. It’s clear on his face every time you mention Crona, or Medusa, or that fucking blood.”

“Maybe you’re just making assumptions about how he feels!” she shouted back, gripping handfuls of the front of his shirt.

He leaned in, completely unfazed by the rage burning in her eyes. “You ever noticed how when Crona was around, he was always watching them out of the corner of his eye - twitching every time they made some sudden move. You ever noticed how quiet and withdrawn he’d get around them? Or any time they were brought up? You didn’t - because you didn’t want to.” 

“Shut up! Y-you’re making something out of nothing. Are you trying to tell me that I should just give up and forget about Crona? That they don’t deserve to have a friend?” 

Some of his aggression was fizzling out as he released a heavy sigh, placing his hands calmly over hers, still clenching in his shirt. “I’m not trying to say that you shouldn’t have helped Crona, or that you shouldn’t keep trying to help them now. I’m only telling you that even if Soul has forgiven and moved on - he’s still a victim of Crona’s actions. He suffered trauma from that, even if he’s too fucking stubborn to admit it. Just acknowledge that maybe he needs a break from thinking about them - all of that shit that happened - every now and then. Get your head out of Crona’s ass long enough to check if he’s okay too.”

She stumbled over wordless sounds as her hands went limp and released their vice-grip on his clothing. She was trying desperately to think of a way to refute the awful things he was saying, but Blackstar wouldn’t give her the chance. 

“If you gave him even half the thought you gave to Crona - maybe you would have noticed it like everybody else has. I just want you to think about it for a bit, that’s all,” his voice softened towards the end, shoulders sagging slightly as he turned away, leaving her to deal with the aftermath of his confrontation.

The heat of tears prickled behind her eyelids and she clenched her fists tightly to her sides. 

She wanted so badly to swing around and scream at Blackstar’s retreating figure that he was wrong, that he had no idea what he was talking about and of course she thinks about her weapon.

But the longer she allowed his harsh words to sink in; the more she could feel the sting of truth settling into her heart.

Had she really been so blind? 

             _______________________________________________

Soul had been laying on his back in bed, hands resting on his stomach and eyes pointed at the ceiling, unmoving for some time. He wasn’t entirely sure how many hours, but he knew his playlist had ended long ago - no music played from the earbuds that were still jammed in his ears.

He couldn’t explain the heaviness in his heart. The anxiety that often set in whenever Maka mentioned Crona or the black blood. It was all water under the bridge, wasn’t it? There was no point in allowing himself to wallow in all the negative emotions that punched him in the gut at the mention of their name. It was selfish to feel those things - it was his job to give Maka his full support. His own feelings were irrelevant.

It was just harder on this particular night. Sure, she droned on about those sore subjects often. Their research revolved around it anyways. He’d just hoped that it could have been different just for one night.

He’d secretly been ecstatic when Maka begrudgingly agreed to shelve her research just long enough to get a late dinner with all of their friends. A break had been long overdue. 

Things had been different between them, after all. They’d been sharing a bed, and they’d even shared a few kisses in the small, rare moments that they’d spent alone together - focused only on each other. They were chaste kisses, but he’d greedily take whatever he could get. 

As she became more frantic about her lack of results in helping Crona, he may as well have not even existed to her. 

He’d just needed that one dinner to pretend things were normal, to pretend as though he was on a date with her and she was willing to spend time with him and think about literally anything aside from her latest fixations. Instead, she’d asked him to play part in some unsound experiment - to prod for things that he hadn’t wanted to find again. It had only been made more uncomfortable by the scrutinizing presence of all of their friends. 

He’d felt used.

Soul perked up at the familiar sound of the front door creaking open and slamming shut. He was immediately ashamed of the pavlovian response he had to the sound of his meister returning - the little flip in his heart that made him feel like a stupid dog wagging its tail at the sound of its master.

Just keep to yourself. She doesn’t need to interact with you in this useless state of self pity. You don’t deserve her comfort.

Self-loathing curled in his gut and he kept his eyes stubbornly trained on a water stain in the ceiling.

Suddenly, light flooded into his dark room as his door was hesitantly opened. He reflexively brought himself to sit up on his elbows only to meet a teary-eyed Maka.

All self-indulgent angsty thoughts instantly evaporated from his head, and he was ripping his earbuds out and swinging his legs over the side of the bed to get up.

She made purposeful steps across his room, throwing her arms around his neck and forcing him back onto the bed with the motion.

“I’m so sorry, Soul,” she warbled mournfully into his sweater. 

“Huh? Sorry ‘bout what? What’s going on, Maka?” he tried to nudge her into looking up at him, but she adamantly refused.

She took a few shallow breaths before rubbing her wet cheek against the quickly-dampening fabric and looking up at him with dewy eyes.

“I haven’t been a good friend to you - have I? 

Was that a trick question?

“I-I don’t get what we’re talkin’ about here,” he stuttered uselessly, attempting to compensate for his lack of eloquence by brushing his fingers comfortingly through her soft hair.

“I never asked if you felt okay with Crona being around you. I never asked you if you forgave them at all - I just brought them into your space, your home. I just wanted them to have a chance at a normal life so badly - I ignored your pain, and I’m so sorry,” she rushed her confession out like it had been a breath she was holding in.

He had to fight the urge to bark out a laugh. It wasn’t that he found anything that she said humorous - it was just so strange that she was addressing this out of the blue. She’d seemed completely unaware as usual back at the diner, where had this even come from?

He was so lost in thought, he’d almost forgotten to respond and instantly regretted the prolonged silence he’d left her in. “Maka, it’s fine,” he insisted, “I get why you forgave Crona. I admire you for it.”

“But that doesn’t mean you were okay. I should have at least checked on you, or asked you about how you felt - or literally anything,’ she mumbled numbly from his chest.

“Hey. Look at me,” he said, lifting her cheek from its resting place against his sweater, “Sure, I didn’t feel the most comfortable around Crona. I think it was pretty awkward for both of us to be near each other. That doesn’t mean I dislike them, or didn’t want you to be their friend. You can’t beat yourself up over something I hadn’t bothered to tell you.”

His words hadn’t brought the comfort that he’d hoped they would, and her brows remained stubbornly crinkled. “If it had been me - if I was the one who’d been cut by that sword, would you still say that you don’t dislike them? That you’re okay with us being friends?”

It was a question that he instantly knew the answer to, but he was reluctant to say it out loud. He finally caved, bringing his eyes back to hers, “No. I wouldn’t have been able to forgive them if it was you.”

She closed her eyes tightly, nodding her head in grim acceptance of that truth. She had likely known that would be his answer already, but hearing it must have been difficult.

“But I love that about you. You have so much compassion. I only care for the few people that I’ve decided I love - I don’t have room in my heart for others like you do. I’d like to be more like you,” he whispered reverently, taking her cheeks in both of his hands and briskly wiping away all of the moisture he could reach with his thumbs.

“I should’ve had more compassion for you,” she lamented softly under her breath, eyes downcast.

“You’re not a fuckin’ mind reader, Maks. It was my choice not to bring anything up.”

She nodded slowly, but the way her grip tightened on him only confirmed his suspicion that she wasn’t going to forgive herself for it.

Minutes passed before a word was spoken, but Soul eventually cleared his throat. “You know, I don’t expect you to ever stop being friends with Crona, or to give up on rescuing them. I don’t want that. I don’t mind helping you like you’d asked earlier tonight, too. If that’s what you need from me, then I’m here.”

She brought herself to her elbows on top of him to get a better view of his face.

“I know. I’m not going to give up on them. But It matters to me that you’re happy too, and if that means you need a break from all that, then I want you to know that it’s okay to ask for that.”

“Right, I’ll keep that in mind,” he said in a hushed tone, distracting himself with a piece of her hair twirled between his fingers.

“And I don’t want to use your blood for research. It was wrong of me to even think of asking you that. We’ll find another way,” she assured him, voice tightening with emotion, “I definitely got carried away with all of this. It wasn’t healthy, and I really am sorry I’ve pushed you away in the process. We can’t solve this thing if we don’t have time to properly take care of ourselves. You’ve been working so hard with me, and I think we need more actual quality time together.”

“Yeah, I could get on board with that. I kinda walked out on dinner tonight, so how about we do something - just you and me tomorrow? Movies sound good?”

“Movies sounds great,” she hummed in agreement, hands idly playing with his hair.

As much as he would have preferred for her to continue her ministrations, he stopped her movements to grasp her hand, bringing it to his chest to rest above where she knew his scar was. He pressed down on her hand lightly.

“I’m glad it happened. I’m glad they gutted me, ‘cause I hadn’t understood what you meant to me till that moment,” he muttered, pressing a quick kiss to the top of her head.

She only exhaled shakily, hand tightening against the evidence of his devotion.

“I just hate that it took a lecture from Blackstar of all people for me to realize that I’d been hurting you.”

His eyes widened a little at that new piece of information. Blackstar was the one that brought all of this on her mind? He could’ve sworn it would have been Kid if anyone. He couldn’t help but feel a little touched that Blackstar had been so concerned about him, but he was also somewhat irritated that his friend had distressed Maka as much as he had.

“Blackstar, huh? Remind me to have a conversation with him about mindin’ his own business,” he laughed half-heartedly.

“No, don’t. I’m glad that he said what he did - I needed to hear it,” she urged him.

“Doesn’t matter. He didn’t have to make my girlfriend cry from guilt over bein’ friends with someone,” he muttered, but his face immediately burned a bright red as soon as he’d caught what he’d called her.

She was a similar shade, holding her breath as well as his gaze with a tortuously difficult to decipher expression on her face.

“That is, uh- I mean… fuck.”  

Very articulate. Great job, Soul.

He hadn’t needed to agonize over whether or not he’d just fucked everything between them for long because her face soon melted into a warm, genuine smile.

“Girlfriend, huh?” she said with a glimmer of mischief in her eye.

“I’d like that. If that’s w-what you want,” he wanted to kick himself for the voice crack he just experienced. Not cool in the slightest. 

At least she got a good giggle out of it. The melodic sound squeezed something in his chest and he swallowed nervously as a response.

She brushed back his bangs, leaning in to place a soft kiss to his forehead. She peppered a trail of kisses down his cheek until she reached his lips. 

This kiss was far from chaste. She cradled his cheek and jaw as she slanted her mouth sweetly over his, pressing fervently, constantly moving against him and eliciting a breathy moan from him that he would never admit to making. 

When she tried to separate, he followed her, bumping noses for a moment and giving the corner of her mouth a few more enthusiastic pecks before backing up and allowing her room to look at his face. 

“Girlfriend sounds nice, actually,” she smiled broadly, letting her fingers brush against the back of his neck.

“Glad that’s settled, then,” he laughed easily, not even bothering to feel any embarrassment over the flush of his skin or the lightness of his breath.

He crushed her to his chest, and they stayed like that for a while, just listening to the other’s loudly beating hearts until they were lulled to sleep. 

He’d have to thank Blackstar with a game of basketball later.

#SoMaWeek2021 #SoulxMakaweek #soul eater #soul evans #soul eater evans #maka albarn #soul x maka

[liminalspacecast]

I feel like a lot of people will take issue with what I'm going to say but I feel it needs to be said. As much as I love Pose and love Pray Tell--that finale didn't feel right. A lot of this past season hasn't felt right. I realize that Pray Tell is an important character but I have always sort of taken issue with the fact that it feels like the show should have focused so much more on trans characters than anyone else. It bothered me when Billy Porter was nominated for an Emmy and said "At least we got our foot in the door." This is simply not true. Gay men have had their foot in the door of Hollywood for a long time. I do think they have been absolutely and heavily oppressed in the industry, especially black gay men, but they have had their foot in the door none the less. I would even go so far as to say they may even be in the room now. But trans women? Nonbinary people? Especially black and brown? Have yet to get the space they truly deserve. And I don't forgive Billy Porter for not seeing that. I do think he is an important member of the community and I recognize that as a 51 year old HIV positive gay man, he is old enough to have been possibly witness to a good portion of the AIDs crisis. He probably was a prominent member of the ballroom community and I respect him as a prominent member of the lgbtq+ community now. But the fact is that at the end of the day, Billy Porter is not trans and does not face the same struggles as a trans person. It feels as though the writers of Pose (with the exception of Janet who wrote some AMAZING episodes this season and did contribute to the finale) wrote to the gay cisgender audience as opposed to the trans audience and to a degree that bothers me. I was extremely upset by Pray Tell's death because it was tragic and the fact is that getting access to meds like that during the epidemic were almost IMPOSSIBLE and he was selfless. But I do wish there had been more space for more of the trans characters to have their moments as opposed to them just kind of wrapping up their storylines (though don't get me wrong I adored seeing everyone thriving, I will never get tired of that). To be honest, I wish we had gotten more episodes. Or even more seasons. It feels like it was always the plan to space the show out like this with the way they used time jumps in the first two seasons, but I digress. It also always bothered me that out of all of Ryan Murphy's shows (some of which have been EXTREMELY problematic), Pose got what felt like the least amount of press and the least amount of hype. Its very hard to find Pose inspired fan merch outside of the main fx website and even those are very plain. You can't even buy the first two seasons of Pose on physical media. They could have done so much more for this show. I really don't care about award shows honestly. There are lots of movies and shows that make millions of dollars without any critical praise. The fact is, you can tell that Ryan Murphy did not put as much effort into this show as he could have. I feel like I saw more ads for Ratchet than I ever did for Pose. And I'm honestly, genuinely concerned. Because Pose was a one of a kind show for an lgbtq+ audience that had almost never existed before now and I am very scared that there won't be another diverse and well-cast show for the community like it again for a long time.

Anyway. Those are my thoughts. I understand if you don't agree with them. Please know that I love this show so much and I loved Pray Tell and I love Billy Porter, despite everything. I wish for his success and happiness just as much as all the other cast members. And I still loved the finale, and ultimately where everyone ended up.

#pose fx

[ouyangzizhensdad]

The Mo Village arc and establishing the MC

MDZS is a sprawling book with many characters, but it seems that it was clearly important to MXTX to establish her MC’s characterisation very strongly from the start. Although the novel in its entirety leans toward providing a strong characterisation for WWX, I thought it’d be fun to look back at how it is conveyed to the readers in the first few chapters before the inciting incident at Dafan Mountain

(N.B. I’m using a composite translation made of different translations so the wording/format might be slightly different than the version you are using)

Framing

The prologue starts with a conversation between unnamed characters in an inn, discussing the news of WWX’s death. While it was a clever way to already introduce an important theme of the novel (the effects of public opinion and how easy it is to make someone into a irredeemable villain) and get the exposition out of the way, it also frames WWX as a character: as readers, we are introduced first to perceptions of him, a characterisation-from-hearsay we’ll be able to compare to his characterisation in the novel. WWX is a “scourge” whose death is celebrated, who “defected” and bit the hand that fed him, a “deranged” killer who took thousands of lives. But before he went on the crooked path, he was a promising youth--although others seem to think he was corrupted from the start.

“But it can’t all be blamed on the path he cultivated. Ultimately, it was still because this Wei Wuxian’s moral character was too flawed, angering the Heavens and man alike! By the heavenly law, everyone answers for their deeds in the end, good and evil……”

The rumours also suggest that if WWX comes back to the world of the living he will enact his revenge upon them all, and his unimaginable powers would allow him to rain fury upon both Heaven and Earth. We get told: this guys is an incredibly powerful villain, reviled and feared by many. 

But the Yiling Laozu had enough power to overturn the Heavens and smother the Earth, move mountains and drain seas—at least, that was the way the rumors went. If he wanted to resist the summoning of his soul, it wouldn’t exactly be outside of his abilities. If in coming days his spirit were restored, if he forcibly possessed a body and were thus reborn, then not only the cultivation world, but all of humanity would inevitably meet with an even greater frenzy of vengeance and curses, sinking into a chaotic age of foul winds and bloody rains.

Establishing WWX and how he reacts when he’s thrown into an unpleasant situation

When WWX is brought back by MXY, we already have something to contrast him against thanks to the hearsay and rumours, and from the get-go we get a sense that WWX is not this fearsome figure that people made him out to be.

I’ll never get over the fact that our first introduction to WWX’s is the equivalent of the “the audacity of this bitch”.

Hazily, he thought: that’s quite a lot of courage you must have to kick this Laozu. 

Our MC and POV character is thrown into a situation, and from his reactions we can rapidly tell that he is someone who is observant, resourceful, good at deductive reasoning and thereby apt at solving mysteries. This is something that is reinforced at many, many points in the first few chapters and helps us buy in into what happens later in the novel when they uncover many other mysteries. WWX is a guy who figures shit out.

When WWX figures out he was summoned as a “an unforgivably evil malicious spirit“, we  get his take on his public perception.  

Wei Wuxian reeled at the implications. How had he been classified as “an irredeemly evil, malicious spirit”?

Yes, his reputation was rather poor and his final moments, horrifying tragic—but he had neither haunted nor had he seeked revenge on the living since becoming a spirit. He would dare to swear upon the Heavens and the Earth that you would never find a more peaceful and well-behaved lonely soul of a wild ghost!

At the same time, readers get a sense that even when he’s dealt a bad hand, WWX does not wait in despair for his luck to turn. Even though WWX describes his situation as “hopeless” and keeps “repeating over and over How could this be! in his heart “, he immediately goes into problem-solving mode, trying to figure out the situation and the wishes MXY forgot to share. This also happens  later. 

There was not a single thing to help him find some joy in being reborn! He might as well sit and meditate for a time, and adjust to the new body.

That same passage gives us a sense that WWX is not rushing into situations without taking the time to take it in, make up his mind and prepare as much as he can: the fact that we see him do meditation twice during that day (before he goes to the East Hall and after he checks on the Lan juniors) also contributes to that idea.

The chapters convey as well that WWX is sympathetic to MXY’s situation and does not resent him even though he forced WWX to enact revenge in his stead. As readers, we thus receive the following message: WWX is not prone to being resentful, to hold grudges.

He had originally wanted to wash his face and pay a few respects to the owner of this body, but there was no water in the shack—neither for drinking nor for washing. 

WWX is also, for a lack of a better word, sassy. It’s clear that he has a flair for the dramatics and lots of attitude. Look at that dramatic entrance.... he just.... yeets the bowl he was holding....

He pondered for a moment. Then, rising to his feet, he kicked the door open.

The two servants, in the midst of making eyes at each other, screamed in horror as the double doors of the shack suddenly burst open. Wei Wuxian threw aside his bowl and chopsticks and walked outside without anyone’s leave [...]

We are also introduced to the fact that WWX does not seem to take himself seriously and loves to shock people. 

When it came to wild displays of misbehavior, Wei Wuxian was a master. In the past when he ran wild, he still had to mind appearances lest others accuse him of having not been raised right. But now that he was a lunatic anyways, what face did he need! He could go straight to making a scene, acting however it pleased him.

While WWX is clearly not the one-dimensional evil monster depicted in rumours, we do see that he can be cunning: he lies easily if he feels it motivated, he is very good at talking people into a corner, apt at making them do incriminating things by leading them on, which he does by humiliating the Mo family for their mistreatment of MXY in front of a crowd. But in a way, that is also a quality of his: he is not just silver-tongued; he’s good at assessing a situation and people’s characters, able to figure out what will set them off.

We further get proof that he is not a blood-thirsty monster who disregards others when he tries to figure out if he can satisfy MXY’s spirit without having to wipe out the Mo family (although it is clearly the obvious solution) and when he is shown to care for the well-being of others. This is illustrated by the way he double-checks (through ruse) that the zhaoyin flags are properly set up and will be used safely by the Lan juniors. 

During the conversation, Wei Wuxian had already finished making a rapid examination of the Yin Summoning Flag in his hand. It had been painted in the correct manner, and there were no missing sigils either. There was not a single error or omission, so they should worked as intended. That being said, the person who had painted the flag lacked experience, and the painted sigils could only attract the evil spirits and walking corpses within at most five li. That should however prove to be enough. (chapter 2)

[...]

Wei Wuxian’s first thought was that something had gone wrong with the flag arraw the youth had set up. His inventions needed to be used with extreme caution, or else risk disaster. This was also why he had gone to check earlier if there were anything wrong with the array. (Chapter 3)

As our POV character, WWX comes across as endearing through little details: it’s in the way he calls LSZ a “good little seedling (好苗子)” and calls the Lan juniors a group of “小朋友“ in his inner monologue, or when he defends the Lan juniors from Mo-furen’s accusations. Or the way he likes Xiao Pingguo because it looks at him with contempt:

A donkey was tied to the handle, chewing on it. When it saw Wei Wuxian run over rashly, it seemed like it was surprised, and eyed him sideways as if it were a real person. Wei Wuxian made eye contact with him for one second and was immediately touched by the minuscule amount of contempt in its eyes.

Establishing how WWX acts in high-pressure situations

Things escalate quite quickly into accusations of murder and death and resentful corpses. This first sequence is thus our introduction to how WWX acts under pressure and in high-risk situations (which will continue to happen to our MC until the end of the novel). 

WWX is shown to be cool under pressure and quick to think on his feet, constantly re-assessing the situation and the risks. He is also seen as expecting people to arrive to conclusions without him needing to explain them out loud, like when he takes out the zhaoyin flag that MZY stole from his corpse, letting the Lan juniors understand on their own what happened. When he needs to explain, he will not do it in a straight-forward manner, giving small hints first (this preludes many of WWX and LWJ interaction when they understand each other’s thought process with only one sentence being said, and preludes how WWX will continue to act with the Juniors later on, making them think through the situations instead of feeding them the answers).

We also get the proof that WWX does not privilege self-preservation over the fate of others.

If he wanted to avoid having the situation get out of hand, Wei Wuxian should retreat. If they people who came did not know him, then all would be well—but if they happened to be someone who had dealt with him or fought against him in the past, it would be hard to guess what would happen next.

But the curse meant he could not leave Mo Village yet. As well, the spirit that had been summoned had taken two lives in quick succession, meaning it was extremely vicious. If Wei Wuxian left now, once the reinforcement arrived, the streets of Mo Village might already be packed with corpses missing their left arm, of which some would be blood relations of the GusuLanShi. 

After a short deliberation, Wei Wuxian thought, fight a quick battle to force a swift resolution (速战速决). (Chapter 3)

[...]

Wei Wuxian was watching the battle attentively. His tongue was slightly curled, suppressing a sharp whistle inside of his lips, preparing it to be let out. The whistle would be able to evoke even more hostility in the cruel corpses, which might turn the tables. Then, however, it would be difficult to ensure that nobody knew that it was his doing. 

In the blink of an eye, the hand moved like lightning, ruthlessly and precisely breaking Madame Mo’s neck. Watching as the Mo family grew closer to defeat, Wei Wuxian prepared to blow the whistle that he suppressed under his tongue. At the same time, the echoes of two strums on a stringed instrument came from far away. (chapter 4)

As well, we are told something about WWX when he only leaves once LWJ arrives: certainly because he’s afraid that LWJ might recognize him but mostly because (as it will become clear later on) he trusts that LWJ will be able to handle the situation in his stead. In order words, although WWX is willing to risk himself to help others, he is not careless with his life and safety (for instance he makes sure to destroy the proof of the Offering ritual before fleeing to make sure no one can figure out the fact that he is back from the dead).

WWX will not hesitate to fool people or pretend in order to help his goals. In this case, he is trying to help and fight without appearing like a powerful cultivator who can do modao, balancing self-preservation with the incentive to protect the people present. This is why he pushes LJY in front of LSZ at one point in the battle, instead of blocking it himself, while pretending to just be a lunatic doing lunatic things.

Inside of the Lan clan’s uniform jacket, there were compact stitchings of incantations using thin threads of the same color, included for protection. However, against strong ones like this, it could only be used once before it became invalid. During the emergency, he could only kick Lan Jingyi and use his body to protect Lan Sizhui’s neck.

This sequence also allows the reader to know more about modao and WWX’s skills, and how he can control corpses, as well as how WWX perceives his own abilities. 

TLDR:

The Mo Village arc, in conjunction with the prologue, competently sets up a lot of the moving pieces for the novel. It also leans heavily toward establishing a strong sense of characterisation for our MC and POV character, which is neat! 

NB: I think it’s also very telling that the next chapter after the Mo Mansion arc begins with us learning that WWX has been, in the past few days since his retreat, lorded over by a capricious donkey. WWX is clearly not someone who takes himself very seriously (often mocking himself):

The donkey ran over there and nothing could make it leave. Wei Wuxian hopped down and slapped its honoured buttocks. “You’re definitely destined for wealth, even harder to please than I am.” The donkey spat at him.

#mdzs meta #i kind of hate to call this meta because it's not uh very deep lmao #wwx #wei wuxian

[silentfcknhill]

FAVORITE SHOWS IN POSTERS

Well, we’re back for another installment of this tagged meme, this time for TV shows! I also stole this from/was indirectly tagged by @jcmorrigan. My taste in shows also differs a bit from my taste in movies, as I tend to like a lot of comedy shows with not as many horror ones. I’m not into shows as much as movies overall, but there are some that I am very passionate about so I picked twenty again. So, here we go for part 2, in order:

1. Avatar: The Last Airbender/The Legend Of Korra (2005-2014)

I'm including these as one show since they take place in the same universe and tell a continuation of the same overall plot. Altogether this is probably the best piece of media to ever exist, including movies. It has so many great characters and villains especially and some of the most epic sequences, charming humor and heartwarming moments ever. I've never met a person who didn't like these shows, even people who normally don't like cartoons. My dad, who is biased against animation? He loved it. My mother? She loved it, watched it with her multiple times. My grandmother? Loved it. My ex-boyfriend? Loved it. My best friend? Loved it. I dare anyone not to, and I'm so glad it's making a resurgence since it's on Netflix for a new generation to enjoy.

2. Black Butler (2008-2014)

I never was big into anime growing up and only really started watching anime when I was like 16 and above, but this is one of the exceptions because holy shit is it ever dark and epic. I'm not sure I'd really recommend it for kids, it's more of a teens and young adults kind of anime and that's probably why it's so good, because it isn't afraid to explore dark and mature topics and do it with all of the intensity and gravitas required to do said topics justice. It has lots of great characters, and the story of demons who make deals with children who have a dark side is fun to watch play out.

3. Seinfeld (1989-1998)

My dad was a huge fan of this show so I watched it growing up since I was a toddler and it became a classic for me. I've watched thw hole show through at least 8 times, and I'll never stop because it never gets old or boring. It's also my only comfort show when I'm having a panic attack because of one time a few years ago when I was having a drug-induced psychosis episode and watching it calmed me down, so now it's like the opposite of a trigger and whenever I'm having an episode or something I watch it to bring me back to reality. For that reason it's more than a show to me, it's a medical treatment and I'm forever grateful to it.

4. The Good Place (2016-2020)

The big four shows made my Michael Schur all made it on this post (The Good Place, Brooklyn Nine-Nine, The Office and Parks And Recreation), either in the main list of the honorable mentions, but this is my personal favorite of the four. It's so funny, quirky, relatable and basically tailor-made to suit my interests. Not only is it an entertaining and wholesome show, but I think watching it helped me come to terms with a lot of things like mortality, ethics, philosophy, religion and my relationships with other people. It gets  alot of different viewpoints across and if you're a very analytical and philosophical person like me you'll probably enjoy seeing it all play out. Not to mention, every single character is 'favorite character' material. It's rare you find a show with no filler characters in the main cast, but I genuinely can't choose who is best.

5. Brooklyn Nine-Nine (2013-?)

Another of Michael Schur's shows, this one is just barely under The Good Place and to be honest it was tough to pick my favorite between the two because they're both equally funny. I know it's kind of controversial right now because of the whole law enforcement thing, but I actually think they do a good job of handling social issues in the show and remaining respectful of real-life systemic problems. As for the characters, this is another one of those shows where every single character is gold and I think that tends to be a trend among Schur's shows in general. He produces damn good comedy, and damn good characters. I can't wait to see what they bring next.

6. Rick And Morty (2013-?)

This is unfortunately one of those cases of 'great show, horrible fandom' and for that reason I don't get involved in the fandom even though I love the show. It's a shame because it really is a great show, so funny and, again, such good characters. I think it's a lot more accessible than the fandom likes to claim, so I'm hoping more people will give it a chance and not get put off by the intellectual elitism of the fandom because it does have some of the most entertaining and batshit crazy episodes ever, poking fun of some of the staples of science fiction in media while also poking fun of itself the whole time. Unlike the fandom, the show doesn't take itself seriously and that's enjoyable nowadays.

7. Orange Is The New Black (2013-2019)

While this show is a comedy, it is also a lot of other things and it's probably made me ugly-cry just as many times as it's made me laugh. Well, maybe not as often, but those few scenes (if you've watched the show then you know the ones I'm talking about) made me hysterically sob hard enough to be worth like fifty minor sads. But I didn't even mind because the show is just that good, and it makes you /feel/ something in a real way. Probably because of just how real it gets in terms of telling stories that happen all the time in the real world, sometimes with inevitably tragic endings. But these things do happen every day, and it's important to shine a light on that. It's not just representation for LGBTQ+ but also for POC, the neurodiverse, the poor, and many more. Give it a watch to broaden your perspective!

8. Big Mouth (2017-?)

This is probably the grossest show I've ever seen but by god is it ever funny. Maybe it's because I have an immature sense of humor or something, but I love this show. It definitely won't be everyone's cup of tea and I don't recommend you watch this show with anyone else around because it will get awkward. I think part of its appeal to me is that everyone I talk to who likes it considers it so relatable to their lives growing up but for someone like me who grew up on the autism and asexual spectrum and who was physically an early-bloomer by years, nothing about this show is relatable to me in any way so it makes it all the more crazy and bizarre watching how the people around me must have experienced things. Did y'all really have these experiences with puberty in middle school???

9. Dexter (2006-2013)

I recently heard that this show is coming back for a reboot soon and I'm so excited because this is my absolute favorite drama/thriller show, as evidenced by the fact that it's the highest one on the list so far that isn't a comedy. I love the idea of having a protagonist who is sort of a villain (or at least morally dubious), and the idea of a serial killer who only kills bad people is particularly satisfying for some reason. Maybe because he's the vigilante we all deserve and want in this unjust and evil world of modern times? Idk but the very premise of this show set it up for big things and aside from the ending I think it delivered consistently.

10. Once Upon A Time (2011-2018)

This show took us on some journeys, and you can't deny that. Sure, maybe it didn't always finish what it started and didn't always end in the most satisfying way, but part of its charm is that you didn't care because the experience was just so much fun. They took characters and stories that have been told to death and somehow managed to put a unique and unexpected twist on them, and that alone is admirable. Good twists, good villains, and pretty much every cliffhanger known to man will keep you hooked on binge-watching every episode.

11. RuPaul's Drag Race (2009-?)

A bit different than the other entries on my list in that it's not fiction but a reality competition show, but I couldn't leave Drag Race out because it's just so fucking iconic and perfect. Even when you disagree with the judges or can't stand a certain contestant you'll still be having a good time. It's got the personalities you love to love, the ones you love to hate, and the comedy that's completely meme-able. I mean just how much has this show contributed to pop culture and the internet? More than most of us, henny. I've watched every single season, even the international ones and all of the spinoffs. This show will probably be on for another thirty years when Ru is throwing shade from a hospital bed and I'll still be watching.

12. House (2004-2012)

Some people hate on this show, and I don't get it. I love House. Yes, he's an ass. That's the point. He's supposed to be unlikeable, and that's why I like him. Maybe because I always love the rude, sarcastic, misanthropic jerkass-genius characters for some reason. And I also love procedural shows, so it's a win-win. I also work in the healthcare field so it appeals to me for that reason too, because obviously the whole premise is outlandish which is what makes it funny. Of course it's not realistic for a hospital, so just enjoy the absurdity and don't get too hung up on the details of medical accuracy and professional ethics and you'll be fine.

13. The Office (2005-2013)

The third of Michael Schur's show and the last one that made the main list (sorry Parks And Rec, I love you too but there was just so many good shows to choose from and I saw you last so the nostalgia isn't as strong!) I don't think I need to hype this show up any, it's already a classic and you can't even turn around online without getting hit in the face by a dozen Office memes. You'll have to pry this show and it's relatable characters (especially Michael Scott) from my cold, dead hands.

14. All Hail King Julien/The Penguins Of Madagascar (2008-2017)

Like Avatar/Korra, I also consider this as one show for the sake of this list because it also takes place in the same universe (Madagascar, specifically) and I just couldn't choose one over the other because they're both so perfect. They're funny and I love all the characters (it cut out the weaker links of the Madagascar film series and just focuses on expanding the standout side-characters like King Julien and the penguins). It also delved into some lore, particularly the first show, and even though I didn't also agree with the directions it took (you may have seen me get salty about the ending because I cared too much), I can't deny how much I love it.

15. Bones (2005-2017)

One of the other scarce non-comedy shows on this list, it still has it's funny moments. It's also, like House, another procedural show that involves some medical stuff, but this time on a more scientific and forensic level which is even more interesting. It's nice to see a lead female with Asperger's, too. There's a lot of cop/law enforcement shows where they try to solve crimes, but this one is the best, and I'm saying that as a fan of CSI as well. Don't fight me on this, I'm right. Oh yes, it's corny, it's campy, it's cheesy, but I love every minute of it. Don't watch if you have a weak stomach though.

16. The Simpsons (1989-?)

We all grew up with this show, don't lie. It's been around longer than most people on tumblr have even been alive. Should it have ended seasons ago? Hell yes. But that doesn't take away what the first like 20 or so seasons gave us (there's a lot of argument about when the show jumped the shark, for me it wasn't until much later than the popular consensus). The characters are amazing, but the secret to the show's longevity is that they always return to status quo and there's comfort and nostalgia in that. Bart will still be in 4th grade when you're out there pushing 90. This show is persistent. This show is eternal. This show will outlive us all.

17. Ash Vs. Evil Dead (2015-2018)

Sorely underrated. This show is hilarious, gruesome and campy as hell and I love it. I don't think you necessarily have to watch the Evil Dead movies beforehand in order to get the plot of the show, although it would probably help. In my opinion this show ended way too soon and I'm hoping someday we'll get a comeback because Ash is the reluctant, self-absorbed hero we all need and it's 2020 so at this point there really might actually be a demon-zombie apocalypse and who's gonna save us then if not for the impulsive womanizer with a chainsaw for a hand?

18. Malcolm In The Middle (2000-2006)

Another show I grew up with, I don't think it gets as much credit as it deserves. It has some damn funny episodes and great characters, and it did a lot of the popular sitcom tropes before they were 'cool'. Some other great sitcoms, The Middle in particular, took a lot of influence from this show and it helped pave the way for the future of sitcoms at a time when they were about to make a comeback. If you want a good show about the real experiences of growing up, this is a much more accurate representation of the highs and lows of being an awkward tween from a dysfunctional home.

19. A Series Of Unfortunate Events (2017-2019)

Unlike most people I actually liked the movie version from the early 2000's, and I read the books growing up so I was excited when I saw there was a live action television adaptation of it on Netflix because I felt like they cancelled the movie franchise too soon. I was interested to see how new actors would handle the roles, and I was not disappointed. I wouldn't say I liked either portrayal of the characters better or worse, they both added their own twist to it and this show is a great and loyal adaptation to the books, probably because the author was so heavily involved. He knew just when to stick to the books and when to improve upon what he had done with the benefit of hindsight. This show is basically the books, but remastered.

20. Winx Club (2004-?)

Sort of an odd one out on this list, but I really love this show even as an adult and it may surprise you to learn it is still going on and the most recent season came out last year. They take big breaks sometimes in between seasons, but it's still going strong and in multiple countries. The only thing I don't like about watching this show is all the different and inconsistent dubs since the original show is Italian and each dub only goes for a couple seasons so by the time you get used to one set of voices/names for the characters oyu have to abruptly switch to another, but it's still worth it for the beautiful animation and cool characters (especially the villains!)

Honorable Mentions: 

13 Reasons Why, America's Next Top Model, American Horror Story, Arrested Development, Bates Motel, Battlestar Galactica, Black Mirror, Care Bears, Chernobyl, Courage The Cowardly Dog, Criminal, CSI, Duck Dodgers, Goosebumps, Kenny Vs. Spenny, Kim Possible, Kingdom Hospital, Lazytown, Lost, Making A Murderer, Mayday, Mindhunter, Modern Family, Monster High, Obsession: Dark Desires, Parks And Recreation, Prison Break, Project Runway, Queer As Folk, Queer Eye, Salem, Schitt's Creek, SCTV, Spongebob Squarepants, The Emperor's New School, The Good Doctor, The Haunting Of Hill House/Bly Manor, The Middle, The Pretender, The Walking Dead, The X-Files, Through The Wormhole, Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt, Unsolved Mysteries, Yugioh

Tagging: @bullet-farmer​ and anyone else who wants to!

#avatar the last airbender #the last airbender #avatar #legend of korra #the legend of korra #lok #atla #seinfeld #the good place #brooklyn nine nine #brooklyn 99 #rick and morty #orange is the new black #oitnb #big mouth #dexter #once upon a time #ouat #house md #house #rupaul's drag race #the office #all hail king julien #the penguins of madagascar #bones #the simpsons #ash vs evil dead #malcolm in the middle #a series of unfortunate events #asoue