#also unlike some other shows the show shows the consequences of the main characters' actions sometimes

[gwenllian-in-the-abbey]

What do you think of book&show!Rhaenyra as characters? And who do you like more?

Hi anon! I've been turning this one over in my mind since you sent it, because I wanted to give it some thought (and anyone who is sick of reading show critical stuff, just skip this one. I don't hate the show, I just think it's interesting and fun to dig a bit deeper). What it comes down to for me is that while book!Rhaenyra is fun, I wish the show had been braver with their depiction of Rhaenyra.

While book!Rhaenyra's motivations are not particularly complex, I feel like I understand her better than show!Rhaenyra. She hasn't heard a prophesy, nor does she feel any real responsibility toward the kingdom to make her second guess the war; her father had made her heir and that was that. Anyone who disagrees can go ahead and die. Her motivations are not particularly noble or self-sacrificing. If anything, it's the opposite. Book!Rhaenyra loves the finer things in life, she's headstrong, and a bit of a mean girl. She goes after what she wants unapologetically, lies through her teeth and never backs down. Book!Rhaenyra never weighs the consequences of her actions, she is vengeful and reactive. She is given terms which would allow her to keep Dragonstone in perpetuity, and unlike her show counterpart, she doesn't even consider them. She says no outright, even before Luke is killed, and replies to tell Aegon that, "I shall have my crown or I shall have his head." And while surely she values the lives of her sons, you get the sense that she never even considers the danger this war puts them in because losing isn't even an option for her. She's going to win because of course she is. And as a reader, you never question her motivations really because, whether you agree with her or not, it is easy to understand that she is fueled by a self-righteous conviction that she will be taking what she feels belongs to her, and woe be to anyone who gets in her way.

Show!Rhaenyra, on the other hand, is more thoughtful. We see this when she's crying at half-dead Viserys' bedside telling him that being heir is a burden, and we see it when she truly considers Otto's peace offer, when she tears up to see the page that Alicent saved from their girlhood. We see it in how she talks to her sons and in the way she apologizes to Alicent at the dinner table. She seems to have some concept of what is at stake, and understands that the throne is a tremendous burden and responsibility, and that the lives of her people are in her hands, and moreover that she does have the option of backing down. When she considers the peace offer, she very clearly states that the prophesy means that she has a responsibility to keep the realm stable, and maybe it is not the best thing for the realm is to throw it into civil war in order to sit the throne at all costs. But all of this, the added sense of awareness of the enormity of the the responsibility and the desire to do right by the realm, while they make her an easier person to support, also makes a lot of her actions that much harder to understand.

One of my main nitpicks with the show as a whole is that the actions of the book characters do not always fit the personalities of the show characters, and so the characterization seems inconsistent. Rhaenyra is aware of the gravity of her position, she learns about the prophesy and the threat to the realm, and then proceeds to have three bastard children (and this is a problem, because it jeopardizes her position. If she gets caught or Corlys/Laenor change their minds and disavow those kids, it's over for her). We have things like Rhaenyra asking for Aemond to be "sharply questioned," which comes from the book, when the episode before she was offering up a dragon and a Jace/Helaena engagement (a show invention, and even though it's not a great deal for the greens if you give it some thought, it reads to the audience as a peace offering). Or you have her telling Daemon she needs his help to fight the greens, and there's this whole conversation about making their enemies believe they're the kind of people who will kill to protect Rhaenyra's claim, but then in episode 8 they have this attempt at reconciliation between Alicent and Rhaenyra and in episode 10 Rhaenyra is going on about how Daemon has "gone to madness, gone to his war." She's seriously entertaining Otto's peace offer (which never happened in the book) while sending her sons off to muster support.

F&B has pretty thin characterization, but what is there comes mostly from the characters' actions and their dialogue. To create a consistent character, the writers needed to start there and ask, what kind of person would say these things and do these things, rather than taking the character they conceived, and trying to shoehorn canon events into that characterization. And the thing is, the show could have created a more fleshed out version of book!Rhaenyra and still made her sympathetic. Take Shiv Roy from Succession, for instance. Shiv is someone who is a victim of misogyny, but also undeniably not the best choice for CEO (neither, of course, are any of her brothers). She's overprivileged and not nearly as experienced or as smart as she thinks she is, she gets in her own way, and in trying to be "one of the boys," she consistently overshoots and alienates actual allies. But she's also a victim of misogyny-- she is expected to provide a woman's touch to delicate matters, but is expected to be as ruthless and cutthroat as the men. Her fuckup brothers are given endless second chances, but Shiv has no such leeway. The specter of motherhood hangs over her constantly-- once she becomes a mother, she will be cast out from the world of men, an asterisk beside her name. And show!Rhaenyra does lean into this a bit (think of Rhaenyra's boobs leaking in the small council, her being stuck giving birth at the moment when leadership is needed in episode 10), but it doesn't commit to the darker side of this. It is not brave enough to make Rhaenyra a bad person as well as a victim.

The thing about Succession is that the show never asked us to view Shiv as good, or as a better choice than her brothers. It didn't even ask us to find her particularly sympathetic, although I certainly do find Shiv sympathetic in some ways. She has a genuine love for her family that makes the moments when she betrays them even more bittersweet, and we can understand her as a pretty bad person while still understanding the ways in which patriarchy screwed her over. In fact, in some ways it was refreshing to see that a woman could be privileged, ruthless and occasionally cruel and still get fucked over (this article is a good breakdown of Shiv-- now imagine a Rhaenyra in this mold!). But central to the difference between HotD and Succession is that Succession doesn't ask us to view the "throne" as a force of good, nor the position as a force of change. The CEO position in Succession is pretty explicitly toxic. Roman refers to the company itself explicitly as a cage. The audience is meant to understand that the person who "wins" is going to be more miserable and more morally compromised as a result. And the Iron Throne is similar. It's a throne made of literal swords! The closer you get to it, the more cursed and compromised you become. But so far, HotD not only insists on casting Rhaenyra as a protagonist, with the addition of the prophesy and the vision of the white hart, winning the throne becomes something she must do for the greater good, her claim something she has been righteously chosen to uphold. And if winning the throne is righteous, then the throne itself must be righteous too. And that's a framing that I don't think can hold up through the Dance, but I fear that the show may have backed itself into a corner by casting Rhaenyra as the correct choice, which inherently frames the throne as something she is right to fight for, no matter the cost to the people, her family, or herself.

#asks #hotd critical #hotd vs succession #rhaenyra targaryen #shiv roy

[anti-katsuki-lounge]

Writing Redemption in Your Fanfics

If you’ve followed either of my blogs, you’d know that I despise Katsuki’s “redemption story”. It’s poorly written and poorly paced.

Sadly, canon isn’t the only place where an attempt at a redemption story is botched. Fanfiction sometimes has equally worse takes on how his redemption story should go.

I wanna talk about one fic in particular. I’m not going to name it, but y’all can probably guess what fanfic I’m talking about because it’s a very famous one.

The fic has one of the most promising starts to a “Katsuki faces consequences” fic: Izuku decides to abandon Katsuki during the Final Exam, and after his teachers show disappointment in him, he snaps, tells them how they’ve failed him, and calls Katsuki a villain. Izuku mentions how he wants to leave U.A, Nezu asks for a second chance, and Izuku accepts.

Sadly, the ball’s immediately dropped upon reaching the second chapter. Katsuki received no consequences other than counseling (which again isn’t a consequence) and without any buildup they have him apologize to Izuku. Furthermore, they start shifting the blame away from Katsuki to his mother for “abusing him”. This I’m shaky about. On one hand, exploring why someone is the way they are can make for some great character writing. On the other hand, the way it’s done here is that it completely changes one character to make the other look better. I’m all for changing a character’s backstory but these fics try to be character studies and when you’re doing a character study you can’t suddenly change one character to make another look sympathetic. Finally, the fic villainizes any character who doesn’t immediately forgive Katsuki. The main example here is Ochako who refuses to let Katsuki anywhere near Izuku. This right here bothers me. Just because Katsuki’s reforming doesn’t mean anyone’s obligated to give him a chance, especially when they’re an abuser of Katsuki’s caliber. You can recognize someone is changing/has changed while also not forgiving them. Demonizing Ochako for not forgiving Katsuki and for protecting her friend sends a terrible message to readers. No one is obligated to forgive Katsuki.

Now I wanna turn my attention to a fic called Confession by Scandinavian Sensation over on Fanfiction.net. If there’s any fic that shows a good Katsuki redemption it’s this one. It starts off with some of 1-A witnessing Izuku having nightmares during a sleepover. Soon after, due to Izuku mumbling in his sleep, they learn Katsuki bullied Izuku. The consequences are swift with the entire class shunning him. Katsuki’s forced to go to counseling, but it’s not treated as a punishment. It is a requirement for him to stay in the Hero Course, but a requirement is different than a punishment. Izuku’s confused as to why no one’s hanging out with Katsuki and feels bad about it. He tries getting Ejiro to go back to being Katsuki’s friend, but Ejiro hits him with a fantastic question: “why did he do it?” As this is going on, Katsuki’s being forced to confront his ego, temper, and past actions while also asking himself the question “why did he do it?” The fic ends with a beautiful rewrite of Kacchan vs Deku 2, where Katsuki desperately tries grappling with the question, is consumed by guilt, and tries to apologize to Izuku. Unlike the first fic, this one doesn’t involve demonizing other characters to make Katsuki look sympathetic, especially since it treats 1-A shunning Katsuki as something they’re allowed to do. This fic dishes out great consequences for his behavior and treats therapy as a means of him coming to terms with his own actions. Finally, it deconstructs Katsuki’s and Izuku’s characters while offering comfort to Izuku and opening the way to a possible redemption arc for Katsuki that feels organic and earned. It’s a fic I can honestly say that both Katsuki fans and haters can enjoy and it’s imo the best case study of Katsuki out that that maintains a neutral tone. If you wanna read the fic, here it is:

In conclusion, if you’re going to write a Katsuki redemption arc, you have to have consequences, you can’t demonize other characters to make him look better (especially when they don’t wanna give him a second chance), and you can’t make excuses for Katsuki’s behavior.

#anti katsuki bakugou #anti bakugo katsuki #anti bakugo #anti bakugou #anti bakugou katsuki

[wildwren]

the artful dodger meta dump

So I’ve been making a lot of Artful Dodger gifs and recommending it to people, etc, so I feel like now’s a good time to get down some thoughts about what I liked about the writing and what I wish they’d done better. I’m not intimately familiar with Oliver Twist the novel, so this won’t be an analysis of how the show succeeds as an adaptation or sequel. Rather, I’m assessing the show on its own terms and examining specific characterizations as they relate to gender and race.

warning: spoilers for the entire series

lady belle fox

The most divisive character in The Artful Dodger is without a doubt the female main character, Lady Belle Fox. Belle is a deeply intelligent and ambitious young white woman. She’s also the daughter of the colonial governor, existing in the highest strata of privilege her society can offer — excepting being a man. She’s very forward, bossy, egotistical, often self-serving and occasionally mean. She is, as the kids say, “unlikeable.”

So, is this the dreaded girlbossification in action? I don’t personally find the term “girlboss” to be a useful descriptor for analyzing female characterization, but if you find it useful, go right ahead. However, I do take issue with the accusations of “lazy girlboss writing” because I think the extremes of Belle’s characterization are pretty clearly a feature and not a bug.

The writing gives extensive in-story explanations for why Belle is Like This. She was raised by a wickedly smart mother, Lady Jane, whose marriage to Belle's fuddy-duddy father is a transparent front for her own personal ambitions. She essentially administers the colony herself while her husband works in the garden. Lady Jane recognizes these same qualities in her daughter and actively encourages them, steering Belle in the direction of similarly weak-willed young men who Belle might be able to manipulate into letting her lead the life she wants: one of medical study and practice. This is essentially how she approaches her relationship with Jack from the get-go. She sees him as a man she can manipulate and domineer for her own ends. The problem is, Jack isn’t actually a patsy. He’s a true match, and one of unfortunately unmarriageable quality.

The focus of Belle’s ambition is also not random. She’s has a chronic degenerative heart condition, one which she’s had to research and diagnose for herself, because the doctors around her have failed to give her useful information. It makes sense that her formidable intelligence would end up hyperfixating on medicine and surgery as a means of addressing her own illness.

Due to these factors — the matriarchal power structure of her family in combination with the patriarchal privilege of her culture — Belle can get away with almost anything. She throws her weight around the colony without consequence, invoking her father’s name at will without any of her father’s retribution. The writing certainly takes some liberties with anachronism, but this isn’t just a case of placing a modern woman in a period setting. They've made intentional characterization choices to back it up.

The writing is also very aware of Belle’s flaws and the tension they create with other characters. Belle’s privileged position makes it difficult for her to see the world from the same perspective as Jack. This is most notable in episode 6, when Belle tries to defend her father’s “law and order” crackdown as a necessary measure to control crime, and Jack has to explain to her the concept of structural violence. She’s also called out by Red, the outlaw who’s life Belle saves by means of an emergency surgery. Although Belle lies to protect her, Red doesn’t excuse Belle for her role in colonial project: “Your family are the biggest thieves in Port Victory.”

I was impressed with how this particular subplot was executed with regards to Belle’s arc. It doesn't feel like a “turn to the camera" teaching moment. It feels instead like the inevitable consequence of the tension that arises when people develop relationships across class and life experience. (“If you can’t see what’s happening here, Belle, then you and I have big problems. This puts a wall between us.”) It also doesn't feel like a misogynistic hit designed to take Belle down a peg. Her ego is healthy enough to get through unscathed.

However, there are some aspects of Belle’s specific brand of white feminism that aren’t as well executed. Most notable is her relationship with Hetty. Hetty is a hard-working nurse and Catholic woman of color who works in the hospital. She is increasingly sidelined both in her professional role and her role in Jack’s life by Belle’s self-empowering self-insertion into the surgical room. There’s clear tension between them, and understandable disapproval from Hetty towards Belle and Jack’s indulgence of Belle’s ego. However, this tension is never fully explored. By the end of the series, Hetty and Belle appear to be friends, or at least allies, with no discernible explanation. Is Hetty just that much bigger of a person? Does she think a rising tide will lift all ships? We don’t know, because her motivations are never examined. The closest we get is an introspective moment that implies Hetty’s unrequited feelings for Jack, which does little to explain her acceptance of Belle’s role in the hospital. It’s end up being unsatisfying, a disservice to Hetty’s quite interesting potential as a character.

jack’s gang

However, I think where the writing suffers most is in its failure to examine Jack’s whiteness and privilege. Jack identifies strongly as a have-not, despite having gained some power and privilege as a doctor, and over the course of the story, he ends up surrounded by a crew of other have-nots, most of whom are men of color. His closest friend before Fagin returns is an aboriginal man named Tim, an engineer (and partner to the outlaw Red) who makes prosthetic arms and legs for amputees. There’s potential here, but this relationship is never really examined. We don’t learn how they met or what drew them together, besides apparently working in the same building.

The only tension between them comes when Jack tries to guilt Tim into doing him a favor based on Jack’s previous generosity, and Tim hits back from an equal position: “Pricey, isn’t it? Your loyalty?” But just as with Hetty, this tension is dropped, and Tim’s and Jack’s goals are essentially aligned for the rest of the story. The other members of Jack and Fagin’s gang get even less exploration. On the one hand, it’s a gang of thieves getting up to silly hijinks — they’re not each going to have a fleshed out character arc. On the other hand, the characterization choices uphold some harmful colonial optics, where a diverse crew of characters answer to two white men as the explicit brains of the operation.

red

The best treatment for a character of color is almost certainly Frances ‘Red’ Scrubbs, a sharp-shooting aboriginal woman and a crafty outlaw (partner to Tim). This is definitely because Miranda Tapsell, the actress who portrays Red, was tapped as a consulting writer. (!!!!!). Red’s not a member of Fagin’s gang but a leader of her own crew, and she serves as a sort of playful nemesis to Fagin for the first few episodes, often outfoxing him or beating him to a steal. She also gets a subplot arc of her own, and is the source of the show’s most effective anti-colonial messaging. She embodies an ethos of unapologetic indigenous resistance. Her occasional solidarity with Fagin and Jack is always conditional on her own right to survive and thrive. Her distrust of the colonial medical system she must rely on to escape the noose is the closest the show gets to exploring medical trauma as structural violence (it’s still a very light dive.) The story ends with her taking revenge on the hateful lawman who targeted her and returning to the bush to live with her daughter.

If anything, the show could have benefited from more Red, a deeper exploration of her world and her gang outside of her interactions with Fagin and Jack. But one can understand how that might have been outside the scope of the showrunners' intentions.

At the end of the day, The Artful Dodger is a white-centric narrative. The focus of the story is the relationship between Jack and Fagin and the relationship between Jack and Belle, and both of these dynamics are excellently written. If it’s renewed for a Season Two, I hope they can extend the scope to give space for more complex narratives like Red's.

#the artful dodger #my meta

[doodlegirl1998]

So we all know BNHA is terrible at Actions and Consequences on characters that deserve it.

But have you ever wondered that when consequences ARE dished out it's on people that don't deserve it?

Case in point, Sero with the Finals, Mina and Denki with the finals because they were CLEARLY at a disadvantage, Izuku with the House Arrest, the list can go on.

Like, why is it with characters that hasn't done anything bad while those who do get to go off Scot free?

Now this could've been used in a good way as to show how kind of flawed their society is if they allow the bad ones go while the good ones suffer in their place.

But that's just me I guess.

Hi @theloganator101 👋,

That is an excellent point and one I hadn't thought of before.

The problem with MHA is not just the assholes of the story getting no consequence, it's the fact that when consequences are dished out it's on those who do not deserve it.

It creates a deeply unsatisfying narrative because MHA never uses this as a tool to show how flawed their universe is. Instead the narrative says it's ok for people like Bakugou (especially Bakugou) to be let off the hook all the time.

Let's go through your examples because you raise some excellent points;

Sero in the finals was used for Mineta's character development and failed when he passed out. This is unfair in several ways 1) he saved Mineta which is what heroes are meant to do. 2) Sero worked with him the whole time till he passed out 3) his tape meant that Mineta could succeed. 4) If Sero fails BAKUGOU should also have failed, for more reason too because unlike Sero Bakugou didn't do points 1,2, or 3 with Izuku and only briefly worked with him after punching his ally in the face. The punching in the face thing should have been an immediate fail because imagine if Bakugou pulled that shit in an actual fight - it could have caused the death of himself and his ally.

Mina and Denki in the finals where not given a fair shot and were set up to fail against Nedzu. I've seen people laugh about this, saying Aizawa must have known they had no chance to succeed to let Nedzu vent his sadistic tendencies on them which...yikes. Aizawa stans are now outing him as an awful teacher but I also do not put this past him. Teachers are meant to set up their pupils for success, not failure. Can you imagine the fear, realistically, that Mina and Denki would have felt upon failing with Expellzawa is their homeroom teacher, ready to drop an expulsion for shits and giggles? They would think he would turn around to them and say - 'You died in this test therefore your prospects as a hero are now dead too,' By contrast IZUKU in his and Bakugou's final exam was used for Bakugou's benefit only. During his final Recover Girl says about Izuku and Bakugou "they are terrible at teamwork those two", like it's some two sided issue and not Izuku trying desperately to work with his abuser because HIS GRADE is at stake!!

Izuku with the house arrest - I have another ask about this so I will go more in-depth there but the punishment Izuku received was unfair because even if you make the argument of *The security cameras didn't have audio, Aizawa didn't know Bakugou dragged Izuku out to fight,* watching the footage should have shown, Bakugou was the main aggressor and dragged Izuku out to fight. To add on to this, Bakugou has been the aggressor of Izuku all academic year. Aizawa is meant to be smart, Mr Logical etc... So how is he such a dumbass about this? Besides the house arrest benefits Bakugou in the end because he doesn't get his butt kicked by Mirio, Bakugou avoids what would have been a humbling moment for him.

All of this is deeply unsatisfying to watch when you realise that the assholes of the story will never get punished while Izuku and the other good characters get dragged, either in the name of comedy or because Hori likes to watch them suffer all the time...

#mha critical #bnha critical #anti bakugou #anti bakugou katsuki

[pinkeoni]

Lonnie Has Powers: Sins of the Father

“The sins of the father are visited upon by the children”

Lonnie isn’t present for a lot of the show. So if there’s going to be stuff foreshadowed about him, it would have to be through other characters.

So let’s look at two other dads in the show— Jim Hopper along with father of the year Martin Brenner.

In season four, we learn that Sara had cancer because of a Hopper’s history in Vietnam. We also learn that Hopper knew that Sara could be born with health risks and yet chose to have a daughter anyway. And because of Hopper’s actions, Sara tragically ends up suffering the consequences for it.

I don’t think that Hopper is evil for this, nor did he obviously want Sara to have cancer and suffer, but it does reinforce this idea that the sins of the father being visited upon by the children. Or basically, thay children suffer from their parents choices.

Now let’s look at Brenner and how this applies with him and El. Yes I’ve been seeing and reading all of the new theories regarding the circumstances around El’s birth, but I can still make my point even without all of the specifics. Regardless of exactly how, El was born with powers because Brenner wanted her to be, and now El has to carry the burden of what Brenner gave to her.

So how does Lonnie fit in with these two men?

Remember how Will, El and Sara all had those similar big cat plushies? Something even noticed by places like Insider? Creating a link between all three of them?

And how even without this detail, the three of them are still linked through thematically anyway? Remember how finding Will was a way for Hopper to redeem his mistakes of the past, and then he accidentally wound up looking for El by accident? Remember when the show cut between Will’s revival in the Upside Down, Sara’s death in the hospital and El’s sacrifice?

So then, does Will create a rule of three and share something similar with the other two?

The way that the connection is made is that if Lonnie, like Hop and Papa, had a child knowing that they could pass something on to them. And like Hopper, maybe he didn’t want to give something to Will, but like Brenner, maybe he ended up giving his son powers.

You can’t make this parallel with Joyce. Unlike Hopper and Brenner, Joyce didn’t have any prior knowledge of the supernatural and what was really going on with Will, despite her determination to try and understand it. If Joyce did have some kind of power/sensitivity, she wouldn’t be aware of it. If anyone did have knowledge of the supernatural and tried to cover it up/get rid of it, it would have been been the guy who we know was lying to Joyce about his intentions and was trying to get rid of Will.

So Lonnie knows that he has powers and he knows that his kids could have them. The first kid turns out fine. But then the second kid is different and he knows this. And it’s not Will’s fault that he was born the way that he was but Lonnie is going to try to fix him as hard as he can. It doesn’t work because this isn’t something that can be cured. When Lonnie recognizes that this is futile, he leaves his family, until an opportunity arises where he get his old family back without Will in the picture.

tagging: @aemiron-main

#yeah im like fully on this lonnie powers train now #when lonnie knows he could have a kid with powers and then when he does is like ????? #bro it is YOUR FAULT #also notice just how smoothly the queer analogy fits in there #lonnie byers #lonnie byers has powers #will byers #will byers has powers #martin brenner #jim hopper #sara hopper #el hopper #tfs #stranger things #stranger things theory #my theory

[theocddiaries]

"Nobody should have to give up their voices to be heard."

I know this is not my typical themed-post, but hear me out, Ariel was so important to me growing up and still is to this day. I was so disappointed for each thing that came out for the new movie, I wasn't sure if I wanted to watch it just to get angry.... but.....

Just saw the little mermaid and, against all odds, I liked it. The trailers didn't sell the movie for me and I admit I only watched out of curiosity bc I needed to get my mind off of some things.

Halle made me fall in love with Ariel's character all over again. The movie has flaws that really bothered me, but I am surprised a live action has made me feelt he same connection to a character that made me feel so understood and seen when I was little. Halle's Ariel reminded me of the Ariel from the animated series, which showed a lot more of character to Ariel and made her my absolute favorite Disney Princess.

Overall, I am glad this version finally made some people see Ariel for who she always was: a fierce, loyal, open-minded, intelligent and capable woman with big dreams, caged in a world that for others and her peers might be enough and so magical (even for Eric!) but for her, it restrained her because she always felt like she didn't belong. The fact that they had to spell out the whole 'Nobody has to give up her voice to feel heard', I hope it resonated with future generations whenever they watch this new version or the animated one.

I think the movie came out when I needed it the most, and I am so glad it shut me up with her good, or even better, portrayal of Ariel. I swear, she and Eric are the main reason why I wanna rewatch it once it comes out in good quality.

*SPOILERS!!!!*

The scene when she swims up and finally, for the very first time, goes out to the surface.... Chills. And the facial expression Ariel made right before, it resonated with me so much. She's like: I am sick of 'you can't', 'you shouldn't', 'that's not for you', 'get over this stupid, senseless phase', and she swims so fast yet so unsure, but still does it.

It also picked my attention that when Ursula is trying to convice her to make a deal with her, Ariel doesn't mention her father or sisters, unlike the animated version. In this, she knows she shouldn't do this. She knows it is fishy (heh) but still does it bc Ursula uses how she was belittled her whole life to help her made a rushed/angered decision with fatal consequences.

I was so saddened by this version of Triton, though, it feltk like he was so plain and not layered enough. Just portrayed as this 'angry, very controlling parental figure that doesn't listen to his daughter', for moments, I doubted he loved Ariel at all... Maybe because she reminds him of his late wife so much and it's painful? Even Ariel seems quite surprised that her own dad gave his life for her. Sure they still are on good terms in the end, but I felt the animated version was a bit deeper and complicated than this. Still, I kinda like it? For personal reasons I won't get into, Triton and Ariel's relationship (animated) always reminded me of my own father and me. And this version.... kind of does, too, sadly. It just made me empathise with Ariel a whole lot more, how she was forced on some mentality she deemed very generalized and unfair.

I'm sorry for the rant, Ariel and her story is so special to me, and this movie... I felt like it came out in the right moment for me.

#the little mermaid #little mermaid #ariel #triton #eric #the little mermaid live action #little mermaid 2023 #rant #kind of vent? #i was so wrong about this movie #and i'm glad i was

[mdhwrites]

Do you find it rather funny that some (not all) of the people who wanted Amphibia's third season to be filled with angst, panic attacks, tears, grief and parental drama, also wanted a perfectly happy ending to the story rather than the bittersweet one we got? Like, ironic much?

There's a reason why I frame fandom desires for angst to be about shipping and prestige. That they want the high emotions and the claims they can make because of those elements but not what actually comes from it. In other words: Fandoms want Yesterday's Lie's ending from The Owl House.

For those unfamiliar, this is EXACTLY at the half series mark for TOH. Luz's, the main character, mom has just found out that her daughter ran away for the Summer to a different world and when she had to choose between going home or staying there, she chose to stay there. She immediately starts blaming herself and pleading with her daughter that she'll do better but next time, she promises to return, please!

And, Luz, to her credit, is a good daughter and says yes. The sequence is powerful, real, human and tragic. A real acknowledgement of how awful Luz's original choice was while keeping Camila in character of being as caring as she is. A moment that will theoretically solidify the two's bond but to undo will take a LOT of work as Camila will now be forced to stew with this pain as in the moment of the promise, her daughter is ripped away from her again.

It was also a moment I knew COULDN'T matter.

The show simply didn't allow for it. This isn't Amphibia where the girls had to adapt to their surroundings and still had elements about the human realm they liked. Luz isn't surrounded by creatures who are entirely unlike her and thus will always have to deal with some slight element of isolation. The Boiling of Isles of TOH is Luz's home. The show CONSTANTLY reinforces that this is where she belongs. That this isn't just where she can be happy but potentially the ONLY place she can be happy. Her social anxiety vanishes. She can find like minded people. She can live out the fantasies that she always chooses over reality. By the time of Yesterday's Lie, she has not just a found family but also the first friends she's implied to have had in a long time and her first girlfriend. Her life is on the Isles.

So you have literally spent HALF of your runtime reinforcing this. That maybe Luz needs to learn some lessons but her life is with the weirdos. On the Isles. You can't just pivot from that thematically. Not without shifting the show HARD. You have to take a show where Luz's every action has either been shown as positive or able to be fixed and now acknowledge this very real act of monstrousness on her part and the lengths one has to go to fix such a break in trust, let alone when the very next episode wants to portray it as something that is actually really messing with Luz's head.

Of course... That episode also includes Luz lying. And not just that episode. In fact, she will CONSTANTLY lie and break the trust of her girlfriend, and her friends, for literally the rest of the series. This cardinal sin of Luz's, lying to her mother, suddenly becomes a defining trait of hers to an extent never present beforehand. And mind you, it's not universal. To Luz and Eda, she is willing to tell them literally ANYTHING. Her girlfriend though? Fuck her.

It does make the show darker to constantly have your main character be a fucking asshole who whines about the consequences of their actions more than they actually learn from them but does it make it better? Does it make it more mature? Does it make enjoyable? No. Because it's a thematic and tonal betrayal of EVERYTHING that came before. Not that Luz ever managed to really learn anything before but they weren't nearly so blatant about her REFUSING to learn. Worse yet, this isn't a character flaw thing. Lying is one of those things we can all agree is bad but there are NEVER consequences for it because, well, the show still commits to Luz not just being the protagonist but also the hero.

And so this big moment, Yesterday's Lie's ending, is eventually just dropped. Something I could have told you was going to happen the day after the episode came out. It couldn't fit what the show had said about its main character so far and NO ONE would be happy with an ending where she actually keeps to the promise. Undoing the promise also would have cheated the moment, which dropping it does too, not without truly proper build up and reasoning, something the show struggled with in general.

So like many a fanfic, it does this big, super angsty moment... And then never continues it. Those most affected never actually show growth or change from it. It's almost episodic levels of bad how much people just keep forgiving Luz's actions and seem to forget about these really important statements, or how Luz blatantly keeps ignoring everyone around her, and eventually her own words in S3, to keep angsting about this but not actually dealing with it.

And Amphibia, to finally loop back around, did this itself. It took Marcy out of the story in order to have its big break in tone but not have to really deal with the fact that that moment should have had a big impact... On Marcy. Yes, it's brutal for Anne and Sasha but for them, it's just a complicated friend getting potentially killed. For Marcy, it is a betrayal, near death AND she has been pushed away by her friends for her actions. She as a character just isn't compatible with the show, not without the tone of a finale or her being effectively high/drunk to keep her from actually properly acknowledging anything.

It is a narrative tightrope, let alone for kid's media, but Marcy IS a much more expendable character than your main character. Even then, S3 of Amphibia is genuinely about many of the things that the fandom wanted. Her parents are TERRIFIED about what might happen to Anne. Anne can barely keep it together for the first few episodes and makes mistakes she might know better about if not for how she is trying to make her life any less complicated and scary than it already is. The Plantars are really the only ones who don't follow this stuff but even then, episodes like Spider-Sprig still let us see that being outsiders here, when Anne is accepted back in their home, digs at their brains. They also help even out things and keep the tone consistent with the rest of the work, even while it does deal with some of the ramifications of its choices.

It's not perfect but it is what AMPHIBIA can do. Without a future series, it was never going to go as far as these fans wanted.

Though... If you are looking for an Amphibia that might even be tiptoeing up to the line of being for Adult Swim rather than a main kid's programming block, definitely more teen rated with the amount of damage it has, while keeping spot on with the tone of the original and genuinely trying to be mature with its storytelling, I recommend checking out Dr. Neque's Amphibia vol. 2. I jumped in once the trio got back to Amphibia and have been loving it so far.

Even that version of Amphibia knows that it can't be doom and gloom all the time though. That the charm of Amphibia is partially from how absurd and fun it is. How over the top it can be with its silliness and fun. We admittedly just had a fight that was... ROUGH but for similar reasons as to why True Colors was so brutal in its ending but in a state that I think is better narratively by not quite going so far. That's all I will spoil though.

All of this to say that fandom likes the emotions of angst but not its consequences or how it can damage a narrative overall. How you do need to actually be ready to tackle that properly if you want to tackle it at all or else a small trickle of angst can quickly spoil the pot, let alone an entire, rancid apple like what would happen if most fandoms even got a single episode of what they wanted.

After all, TOH fans got what they wanted from the end of Yesterday's Lie and that is the episode that turned my heart on the show. I am SO happy that there is no equivalent for Amphibia.

======+++++======

I have a public Discord for any and all who want to join!

I also have an Amazon page for all of my original works in various forms of character focused romances from cute, teenage romance to erotica series of my past. I have an Ao3 for my fanfiction projects as well if that catches your fancy instead. If you want to hang out with me, I stream from time to time and love to chat with chat.

A Twitter you can follow too

And a Kofi if you like what I do and want to help out with the fact that disability doesn’t pay much.

#the owl house criticism #toh critical #amphibia #amphibia critical

[theerurishipper]

Love reading your analysis post. Thought I'd bring one into the table and let you read my thoughts on a certain character.

.................................. Frankly, I never truly regarded Chloe's character, particularly in her capacity as Marinette's "bully" during Season 1, with the seriousness it seemed to attract. While many viewers hold strong negative sentiments toward her character, my exposure to various novels and manga has shown me instances where characters akin/similar to Chloe were portrayed with greater depth and nuance. In these narratives, authors skillfully delved into the character's animosity towards the protagonist, often weaving a compelling backstory that shed light on how resentment stemming from a childhood marked by neglect or abuse could transform an individual into a more morally compromised figure.

Sometimes, these characters underwent substantial development and personal growth, whereas in other cases, they remained stagnant, allowing the main character to recognize and acknowledge this stasis. This literary divergence underscores the difference in storytelling approaches between Thomas Astruc and many of the creators in the manga and novel realms I've encountered. While Chloe's character in "Miraculous Ladybug" might have played a minor antagonistic role the Astruc creator intent appeared to extend no valuable lessons. In doing so, he presented characters like Chloe as just plain evil while the ones I've encountered with authors would rather use their antagonistic and bully characters as cautionary examples, demonstrating the potential consequences of their actions, whether they ultimately experienced redemption or not.

I find it challenging to take the strong animosity towards Chloe seriously, particularly because of Astruc himself and his own hatred for her, as the creator of a children's magical girl cartoon, it's crucial in my opinion to maintain a clear boundary between one's professional role and personal life. The fusion of personal grievances with one's job can only exacerbate anger and resentment, which is counterproductive. I believe that past personal matters, whatever they may be, should not influence the production of a children's show, as these shows have a profound impact on their viewers.

Miraculous Ladybug, being a widely popular series among both children and adults, should have been carefully considered for its messaging. It's perplexing that the show wasn't discontinued earlier, considering the negative messages that the writing team appears to be conveying. The fandom may also share some of the responsibility; perhaps they've had encounters with individuals akin to Chloe in their own lives, which contributes to their strong reactions. Regardless, the show has already garnered a substantial amount of criticism for Chloe's character. Why the fandom continues to perpetuate and even endorse such negativity remains unclear. Furthermore, the fanbase's inclination to label her as psychopathic and devoid of any redemption, in similar way to Marinette's belief that she can never change, is bewildering and raises valid concerns.

When I mentioned that I never perceived Chloe as Marinette's "bully," I understand that this perspective may not be universally shared. To me, Chloe never posed a genuine threat, unlike Lila, whose manipulative nature was far more concerning. Chloe struck me as someone who was all talk and little action, often emphasizing her privileged background by calling out for her father's help.

In an ironic twist, I actually view Chloe as Marinette's rival more than her tormentor. It's intriguing how Marinette and the rest of their class didn't cower in fear of Chloe. Despite her wealth, Chloe seemed to attract little genuine affection from her peers, as most interactions with her revolved around attempts to control or exploit her, or simply to gain something from her. The way even the show's creators seemed to discard her character makes me sympathize with her on a different level.

Perhaps it's a sign of growing older, but I now perceive Chloe as a rather pitiable character. I can't muster any anger towards her, and witnessing the fandom labeling her as "evil" only makes me inclined to challenge such judgments. If this is how they perceive a child, then they might benefit from reconnecting with reality, as this is a rather misguided and stupid perspective on their part.

I suspect what really irks the anti-Chloe faction is that we choose to empathize with her, even though it may not align with their perspective. It's important to clarify that we're not in the business of justifying or excusing her actions or behavior, nor are we hiding behind her parents' shortcomings as a shield for her conduct. Instead, we're highlighting a nuanced aspect that's often overlooked in the fandom.

It's also worth acknowledging that in this fan community, there's a tendency to grant leniency, especially when it comes to Marinette, often attributing her actions to her age of 14. It's somewhat peculiar how this grace isn't uniformly extended to all characters, with Adrien, for instance, being a prime example. That sort of being a hypocrite.

When it comes to Chloe, I can't help but feel a sense of pity—a very human emotion. I believe there might be individuals out there who have experienced something akin to Chloe's situation, or perhaps they've been a little like her in their own past. If the show's creator chose not to redeem her character and allowed her to spiral further, it wouldn't necessarily be a problem, as long as they conveyed her role as a cautionary tale.

Beneath all the layers of her character, Chloe emerges as a profoundly desolate 14-year-old. I may not particularly like her, but recognizing the underlying sadness in her character is something I believe many people can relate to.

What the point of this show exactly? I thought Magical girls shows were to inspire hope. If the protagonist herself deems her to far gone then what the point. I thought a magical girl is one who doesn't lose hope and to inspire characters like Chloe not to damn her.

I'm glad you like my posts!

And as for your analysis, I don't have anything else to add! It's a great analysis of Chloe. I do agree that Chloe's relationship with Marinette is rather vague. If Chloe did bully Marinette, which I'm not denying, then it's played for laughs more than anything, which makes it confusing as to just what their dynamic was like. Chloe is a bully, but her actions are never taken seriously by the narrative, which sends a muddled message when you start to pretend Marinette was deeply mentally scarred by this when you've spent 5 seasons making a joke out of it.

In the series, Marinette has more of a rivalry with Chloe until Seasons 4 and 5 decided to pretend Chloe was some kind of serious threat whose only go to move wasn't yelling for her daddy all the time. In Origins, Marinette seems more disgruntled than actually troubled that Chloe is in her class again, and even snaps back at her when Chloe does that thing with the bubblegum. Chloe is just the mean-girl archetype, someone with whom the main character has a rivalry. And I personally do interpret Marinette and Chloe's dynamic as one where Chloe bullied Marinette and I am really not going to downplay that, but I also see where it can come off differently, considering the show never really portrays Chloe as a significant threat. Clearly there are scenes in certain episodes where Chloe is being a bully which are taken seriously, but a lot of the time they are not. It's just the archetype, it's up to one's own interpretation.

Thank you for your ask!

#MLB #Miraculous Ladybug #Chloe Bourgeois #Marinette Dupain Cheng #Ladybug #Meta #My meta #Asks #ML Salt #Marinette Salt #ML Writing Salt #ML Writers Salt #ML Fandom Salt

[episodeoftv]

Round 1 of 8, Group 2 of 8

propaganda and summaries are under the cut (May include spoilers)

The Last of Us: 1.03 Long, Long Time

TW for suicide + assisted suicide

When an unknown person approaches his compound, survivalist Bill forges an unlikely connection. Later, Joel and Ellie seek Bill's guidance.

A beautifully told queer love story set against this apocalyptic backdrop? Perfect single episode arc, perfect television.

Kamen Rider Fourze: 1.31 Subaruboshi Kingdom / 1.32 Super Space Sword

fake death of the main character. tw for comas, sleep powers, and forced soap opera cliches (Aries has the worst tastes in dramas)

After the 39th and 40th Astroswitches are developed, Amanogawa and Subaruboshi High Schools hold a test transfer of some of AGHS's students to SBHS, which causes problems when the Aries Zodiarts makes itself known to the AGHS students... / After Gentaro's death at Ryusei's hands, Kengo does not know how to resurrect him as the Aries Zodiarts takes the other Kamen Rider Club members captive. Elsewhere, having betrayed Tachibana, Ryusei is able to talk to the revived Jiro.

We get to see Sakuta Ryuusei pull his fake friendship mask off and sacrifice everyone to save his friend and sparring partner Jirou. The whole Kamen Rider Club visits their school's neighboring school, Subaruboshi, where the transfer student from their school, has turned the entire thing into his shitty Jdrama studio. He has the Aries power, which means he can make people go to sleep forever if they do something he dislikes. And that also means he can wake up ppl in comas, like Jirou. So basically, Sakuta (transfer student from Subaruboshi to Ama-no-gawa where the KRC is) made a deal with the Aries Zodiart. He betrays Fourze, kills Fourze, in exchange for his friend's life. It's such an awesome reveal it's delicious we've been building up to it slowly for about 10 episodes now. And what we don't see is Ryuusei having to live with the consequences of his actions in the part 2 of this episode, continued in 32. But believe me, the payoff for this is so fucking worth it.

#kamen rider fourze #kamen rider #the last of us #tlou #poll #polls #round1 #r1g2

[professional-bulshitter]

palm springs starring Andy Samberg and Cristin milioti is such a great movie example of,

she's everything. he's just Ken.

and, and hits just the right spot between barbie (the movie by Greta gerwig) and Good Omens (the queer angel demon book turned show) (if this doesn't makes sense rn gimne a min I'll explain,,,

so this man (Nyles) has been stuck in a time loop for the longest time ever and he just takes it yk? like he's having a shitty ass life rn,, he makes a friend who wants to kill him, his gf is cheating on him, he's stuck on the day of the marriage of two people he doesn't particularly care or like and he's just having a bad time overall yk?? so he's just accepting of his fate and is just accepting of the sheer hopelessness of life and meaninglessness of his every action

and then, and then, comes our main female protagonist (Sarah) who's dealing with the consequences of her shitty choices, she's absolutely miserable at her own sister's wedding because she's slept with her fiance and she's considered a fuck up by everyone and her past is just fucking her up constantly and all that right?? and suddenly she mistakenly becomes a part of the time loop and now he has another person with him, she's not lonely anymore but she wants to escape it and they're having fun, feeling nice together and all that, and then she finds that the other mc lied to her and it's devastating ofc it is

and the way they behave is what I'm talking about concerning barbie and ken,,, because as soon as she leaves, the man Nyles is inconsolable, he tries to find her, goes mad doing everything in his capacity to find her, tries ways to kill himself just to find her again and that's it?? cause he's sorta grieving what they could've been and how he fucked up and all that,,,

but her, she goes and learns physics. like tf? every time the loop resets, she goes and sits at a cafe and learns quantum physics and figures a way out and experiments her way through it (is it a little convenient and far fetched that she could learn it this easily? with no previous background in it or anything else we know of? ofc yes? but is the suspension of disbelief similar to that in a barbie movie?? yk the answer is a yes 🤷‍♀️) and then she comes back with a way to get them both out of the situation that they are technically in because of him while he mopes around in the background waiting for her

the good omens thingy is the one that happens in the ending of season 2 wherein both Aziraphale and Crowley want to be together, but the way and the place they want to do it at is very different (gross simplification but essentially),,, and in palm springs (a movie that I watched for funsies and wasn't supposed to write this about) they both are essentially in a similar situation with Nyles wanting to be together w her but in the loop while she wants them to get out of it together and figure it out yk,,, it's also a nicer version of that conflict as they do end up agreeing on doing one of these things together rather than seperating (temporarily but still,, unlike some celestial beings 👀)

and yeah. that's it ig

PS,,, ik I'm talking about three movies here to get the full context of this but like it fits?! and I can't help it. (emphatic period and not an exclamation mark because I'm not desperate)

PPS,,, side note I feel so sad for tala (Camila mendes's character because she's like the only not shitty(ish) character out of all of them who ends up being married to a mf cheater who cheated on her a day before their wedding with! HER! FUCKING! SISTER! (AGAIN A DAY BEFORE THEIR WEDDING!)

PPPS,,, that's just the way I understand it and all of these movies together but yea,,, also it's fun to see men being 'rescued' and essentially just existing characters in place of women (but that could be just me 🤷‍♀️)

#palm springs #palm springs (2020) #andy samberg #cristin milioti #barbie #Good Omens #but ye #that's it #I'll fuck off now

[constantvariations]

V9C6

Pro tip: never let someone who doesn’t understand the RP in RPG run a DnD campaign

Post Ep: quite possibly the best episode of the season so far. Things actually happened for once, and it was all character focused. By V9 standards this is an absolute masterpiece

Hey the OP changed to show Jaune’s ugly ass breaking the 4th wall. Don’t care about your sad face dude

Oh goddammit not this 1st POV shit again. I get doing it for Ruby bc yknow. Main character. Show’s named after her and everything. Jaune? Not so much

So we don’t even get an indication of when Jaune originally showed up? Where even is he?

Ah yes, let’s just skip right past the trauma of someone waiting literally decades for people he knows are coming but not when to have some silly whoosh sound effects and bullet fast questions

One thing I will say is I much prefer this voice to his usual. It’s far more natural and far less grating on my soul

WHY ARE THEY MAKING WEISS LIKE THIS. WHO IS THIS BITCH AND WHERE IS THE REAL WEISS

Like, if she’d shown any interest in an older man before this then, fine, Weiss would be into older men, but this is coming from literally fucking nowhere and feels like, yet again, the writers are catering to themselves via their pet rather than thinking about what the characters would actually do

“We got everybody out” think you’re missing a few dozen folks. Yknow. The ones who Cinder exploded off the bridge? Even if the explosion killed all of them, which is statistically unlikely, there would still be bodies somewhere. Thanks to the timey whimey fuckery, we could see them falling from the sky at any time, which would be gruesome as fuck but a very poignant moment of failure for them all

Aaaaaand once again the team’s attempts to have a proper fucking discussion about their past actions and the subsequent consequences interrupted. By fucking Jaune. Goddammit

“What cat?” Does Jaune not know the story or is he attempting to clarify it’s Curious instead of some other resident? Also, damn that was actually a good bit of voice acting. Is this Luna or is someone else playing Elder Banana Boy?

The framing of Curious Cat under clear skies to Jaune under dark clouds is really fucking good. Wonder if the protruding jackalope antlers means something or if it’s just too big to leave out of frame

“This place really is the pits” I’m not entirely sure this is something Weiss would say, but punderful crossroads ig

So the tree is the source of the Againing? I feel it’d be more impactful if residents went to the tree willingly, like a sacred pilgrimage, rather than being dropped through a hole

Though this does present an interesting choice for Ruby: go to the tree and become someone new or continue with the choices and responsibilities. It must be incredibly tempting

“[Yang and Blake] must’ve had something bigger to work out.” Shut the fuck up their romance isn’t even tied to any character arcs or thematic problems; they’ve just been circling each other for fucking seasons while ignoring everything and everyone else. This is NOT bigger than what’s already at hand

Ah yes, the perfect solution to force a romantic confession: dangling people on a rickety bridge in high winds. Guess that brings a new meaning to “falling for you”

“So, what, Alyx lied?” Damn sure would be nice to know the actual story so we can feel the same betrayal the characters do

God can I just skip over the high rise bumblebee moments? I’m cringing so hard my intestines are straightening out. Also is it just me or is the animation around these parts really strange? I can’t put my finger on it but it’s wigging me out

Not entirely sure how I’m feeling about this Alyx reveal. Would it really have been so wrong for an innocent, naive girl in strange and overwhelming circumstances to make terrible mistakes? Wouldn’t that be far more relevant to Ruby’s own journey, especially if Alyx never learned to take responsibility? Especially if one of those mistakes cost her a brother she never spoke of again, perhaps eventually even forgot due to the guilt?

Idk this kinda feels like another complicated, morally grey situation being boiled down to “bad person hurt good person so we hate the bad person." Also, not great that she and the dead bro are the only ones darker than milk this season. Gr8 representation rt

“You have cat ears!” ...why are we alive? Just to suffer? I swear this volume has made more of a fuss about Blake’s status as a “non-human” than all other volumes combined. SHE IS JUST A HUMAN WITH CAT EARS I’M GOING TO EAT A FUCKING FRIDGE

“Maybe it’s saying things we’ve never said to each other.” Damn y’all haven’t really done any talking about anything so if that’s the rule y’all could reach the platform by straight up talking about the weather or books and videogames

Also this forced confession feels really icky. They’re basically hostages to the environment. It’s not cute that the confession is coming out of this situation, it’s fucking appalling. Especially when you consider how much better and more natural it would’ve been in V6 or V7. Hell, I’d take a wildly out of place kiss in V8 rather than this

I think Blake should’ve been the one to say it first. She’s the one with the running away problem, so her being the one to step up and face her fears in such a personal manner would be far better for her character arc than urging Yang to take the leap instead

“You never give up on people, even when they hurt you.” Adam Taurus and every White Fang member she’s killed is calling bullshit. Blake never tried reaching out to any of these people and clearly had no problem slicing and dicing them for the sake of humans who give zero shits about faunus rights

“You never give up” I think her retreat in V4 counts as giving up, Yang, but you wouldn’t know that because you’ve NEVER FUCKING TALKED

Huzzah, a kiss! Now, how about a proper, healthy relationship?

So Curious knew the story all along? Which means we didn’t have to suffer that obnoxious, self-righteous snore of a “love letter to the fandom” because it was required for the plot. We suffered it because the writers wanted us to suffer. Thanks I hate it

I really like the checkers going dull when Curious gets sad. They’re genuinely the best part of this volume, followed only by that gorgeous mushroom forest. I just wish their colors were better. There’s a difference between bright and eyestrain, and they very much are the latter

“You used me in the same way I’ve only seen [indecipherable] for knowledge and entertainment.” Firstly, can I get some goddamn captions please my family is starving. Secondly, go get em baby I got yo flower

Damn did they rip that house straight from the ps2? What the fuck

Ah, bathos. Possibly the worst literary crime possible. Why would we ever ruminate on the fact that Ruby and co. have been using people and making lives worse everywhere they go when we can watch Blake and Yang suck face?

Also, I’m fairly certain that, out of the two of them, Yang would be the one to pop a leg

“I think Alyx traded [Louis] to the tree [in order to leave]” Is that what Ruby’s gonna propose? Being traded so everyone else can go home? Doubt the tree will allow such an uneven trade to begin with, but, once again, a tempting idea

Why is Ruby having an episode over Cresent Rose’s return? Is it the reminder of what happened at the V8 crossroads? The responsibility it represents? The identity she no longer has?

This would be easier to understand if we had any build up. If the return of her weapon is going to be this heavy, then the loss of it at the beginning should have made a serious impact. But it didn’t. She didn’t even look for it. Never once talked about it. Outside of fights, Cresent Rose’s absence has been completely ignored

And why is no one seeing her very clear and obvious distress yet AGAIN? WBY cheer when she gets it back, but it makes them seem ignorant to the point of callousness. Par for the course this volume, but the longer it goes on, the less I actually care about any of this

If her supposed friends, including the overprotective sister who apparently raised her, don’t notice Ruby waving more red flags than Sayaka Miki, then why should I be bothered whenever it’s happening? If the story keeps dragging her symptoms out episode after episode, cutting the scene any time it feels like we’re about to get somewhere, then why should I invest any energy into it? If the story doesn’t care, why should I?

Luna is, indeed, still the voice of Jaune. Great improvement, boyo, keep this voice for him forever

#rwde #so when is jaune gonna talk abt penny #whens he gonna admit he stabbed her in the heart #hows he going to say it now that hes had decades to come to terms w it but for them penny was alive like. yesterday #or even this morning #thats what im waiting for. thats the shit i wanna see #bc i think thats gonna be the thing that makes ruby break #i wanna see her shatter then figure out what to do w the pieces #im genuinely sad abt Curious tho #i like the little guy despite him being an eyesore #but now that hes gone were gonna have to deal w fucking little again arent we #eat that fuckign mouse right now #also there were a lot of interesting hooks in this ep #alyx and louis. the tree being the source of agains. Curious leaving them behind #more and more consequences are piling up on the team. v interested to see how they handle it #and now that the bees are canon hopefully theyll remember that other people fuckign exist #yang your sister is potentially going to reset herself. maybe you should take notice instead of sucking face

[killerandhealerqueen]

Question: If you can enter 4 dramas and interact with the characters without consequences, what would you do? Like, you can go in and smack/beat someone up and then return back to our world. Anything goes, legs or illegal, no consequences as long as you return to our world. You can go back to the same one if you want, no one will remember what you did prior. It like resets, and your actions would have been done by some ‘unknown person’ even if there are evidence and witnesses.

Which would be your 2nd to 5th dramas? (I say 2nd to 5th because I know Killer and Healer would be your 1st choice.)

Oh jiejie, you know me so well. Yes, Killer and Healer would absolutely be my first choice because I have many characters that need a good smacking (none of the mains, though, they're fine).

Anyways, 2nd-5th drama...

2nd drama: S.C.I.

I think Feng Jie needs a good ole sucker punch to the face. And also Eugene. Zhao Jue I don't like, but he's not someone I wanna hurt. He's too interesting. But I don't like him

3rd drama: The Sleuth of Ming Dynasty

Oh my god, there are so many people...Li Zilong, Wan Tong, Shang Ming, He Lin...especially He Lin. Tang Fan kind of put him in his place but I would have gone apeshit on his ass. Also Wan Tong. He needs a good ole hit in the face with a frying pan

4th drama: The Devil Judge

Oh....oh, how I wish I could have roundhouse kicked that fucking dude...the one Sunah worked for before she killed him...in the fucking face. And also the Korean Elites, minus Cha Kyunghee. She was a bitch, but she wasn't as annoying as the others. Oh, and Min Jun-ho. I'm sorry, but I'd knife his ass. Just one quick little *stab* and disappear...violent, but necessary. Make sure I do it in a place where no one could see or hear and make sure there would be no cameras.

5th drama: The Hot Blooded Detective

If we're talking like just straight violence, then I think everyone in this drama needs a good slapping, minus our beloved doctor, of course. Kong Xuli needs to be smacked just for being himself (which is just dumb sometimes) and of course the restaurant owner that he falls in love with...lord, you don't know how many times I just wanted to smack her. Like ma'am. Out of all the badly written female characters, you are by far the worst

Bonus: My Roommate is a Detective

Just so that I can smack the shit out of BYN. Like, I want to show her what an actual reporter/investigator should do since you know...I have the degrees that actually qualify me unlike her. Also, she deserves a good smack, if no one else is gonna do it, then I'm gonna do it

#sass answers #jiejie edition

[suuho]

anyways, i can’t sleep so i might as well write my last piece on the topmew show, now that it has ended. craziest thing is that i came into this with no preference for any couple or any pairing, but surprisingly topmew got me hooked and thus, we got to experience all of this together. me and the 3 other topmew stans on this website. amazing.

my main takeaway from this is that forcebook should find projects that are as serious as only friends and skew more towards melodrama or just a more indie offering in general, than romcom. especially book has done so well in this show, and i think his performance has increasingly improved in a more dramatic setting as to compared, for example, a boss and a babe. force is a tremendous actor, tends to act circles around others in less serious shows, so i like that he got to do something that matches his intensity and his talent and tone here. who else has got those eyes, man. truly, a tour de force performance of making eyes for days as the most smitten man on god’s green earth. thank you for that, only friends. every scene a hit.

i’ve written at length about topmew and their relationship but i just wanna say that their ending is not only deserved, it is even overdue for the amount of groveling top had to go through to get mew back, and for how insanely hard earned their reunion was. sorry but i don’t really get anyone who thinks they don’t deserve to be endgame, or aren’t allowed a happy ending; top and mew have shown time and time again that they are in love with each other, that they love each other, and that they, unlike other relationships in the show, are willing to make compromises for each other and are aware of the consequences of their actions as well. they have talked about their mistakes, they have acknowledged how fucked up their behavior has been at times (and still is (for mew); top’s cheating and mew’s tendency to hold it over his head), they don’t have any illusions anymore, which is part of their necessary growth.

topmew’s relationship began as mostly a lie and under false pretenses and terrible motives. mew dreamed of a man that could tick all his boxes of some made-up list, meanwhile top saw mew as a conquest and as something he had to own—someone’s affection he had to win in grandiose ways, like it was a game. throughout the show, they both shed those ideas about their relationship, and while i think that their time apart and all the bullshit obstacles have been unnecessarily drawn out, in the end it served to push them towards a better place.

they are very in love with each other and very committed to each other (even including the funny little cameo at the end). topmew love each other, and i think it at times actually impossible how people can be so mad about that? the entire time, they have made it very clear that they love each other and have voluntarily chosen to be with each other. at some point, a relationship doesn’t have to be cookie-cutter perfect as long as it is what the people involved want. you don’t have to agree with mew forgiving top, or top wanting mew still; it is what these characters want, and it is the right choice for them. just because you don’t agree, doesn’t make it necessarily a wrong choice. that is sometimes just… writing. not bad writing, just writing flawed characters. that’s all there is to it. and i think topmew deserve their endgame just as much as sandray; and their endgame doesn’t negate boston and nick’s relationship or whatever.

all in all, i’m fine with how this show ended and mostly happy with topmew!!! it was a crazy ass show, but like. why not. most of all, i’m glad topmew got their endgame, and that’s all that matters at the end of the day. also, seeing all the behind the scenes footage of the cast was so wonderful.

#this is incoherent because i am experiencing insomnia but i couldn’t let the topmew show go without my own last piece on it <3 #only friends it’s been a real slice… forcebook see you in the next one 🫡 #only friends #kaz talks #long post

[bonesandthebees]

Anyway, Glass chapter 24 thoughts! You know what I like about it? Actions have consequences. Past events have impact on the characters. Both Wilbur and Tommy have extra trauma after getting chased by the police and it shows.

Wilbur’s trauma shows in so many ways. Both the chase he would have been so anxious about the meeting and why he needs to be there. Now though, now that’s overshadowed by just having to go outside again. He hasn’t been outside or even to Quackity’s bar because last time bad things happened. It’s such a real trauma response, especially when you have anxiety. You just don’t want to do anything that let to it again even if it happening again is very unlikely.

The thing is, it has to happen in order for him to heal from it. And having Phil and Techno there and a revel ant reason to go out, is probably the best way to do it. Otherwise he’s going to stay afraid and holed up down in Death’s domain. But at the same time, it continuous to be a risk. That’s been a point the entire time, going out is always going to be dangerous, which is why they need to overthrow the government, to make it less dangerous for the Deathlings to just be alive.

Also, I read Wilbur’s outfit description and I was like “did Tommy put him in full yellow because he knows it’s Wilbur’s favourite colour since the sweater and wants to give him some comfort?” But Wilbur picked the pants himself. Still, Tommy is very much the reason Wilbur has so much yellow clothes to begin with and I’m choosing to believe he did choose that jacket for him because it’s yellow.

[Tommy frowned. “It’s called fucking fashion, Wilbur. Look it up.”] And with what phone would he be doing that? Anyway, I am weak for how fast Wilbur goes from the Pythia to Wilbur after Tommy walks in. The kid just brings out the person in him. He feels comfortable being Wilbur around him.

[The Pythia blinked. “‘It’s called fashion, Wilbur,’”] It’s so interesting seeing the narration switch back to the Pythia as he goes to say his own name. Also, I’m pretty sure this is only the second time in the entire fic where Wilbur says his own name. Because Tommy figure it out by himself and usually Wilbur says ‘that name’. The only other time he said is name was when telling Niki and the contrast between how he threw it out back then and how casually he says it now is genuinely healing my soul.

Also, his ass goes straight from the Pythia when saying his name back to pronouns and then back to Wilbur the next time Tommy uses his name, which just so happens to be the next thing Tommy says.

(1/?)

-🌲

YEAHHH actions have consequences the things tommy and wilbur have done and gone through are coming back to haunt them

wilbur went outside and the worst case scenario almost happened. in a way it DID happen and it was only made better by the fact that he and tommy made it back to the temple alive. but tommy is doomed now and that's almost worse. he's terrified of that happening again because now he knows just how dangerous going outside can be. but like you said, they have to do this if it's ever going to be safe for them to go outside. they have to take this risk to minimize it in the future

oh yeah tommy definitely chose the jacket bc it's yellow but he really didn't think wilbur was gonna choose matching yellow pants lmao

the main reason wilbur didn't think much about saying his own name there was because he was repeating what tommy had said. but even that's notable in itself bc you can tell he's getting more comfortable with it! saying his name on his own accord is still a big deal for him, but he didn't even think to say it to mock tommy. ah the power of brotherly bickering.

#ask #spruce anon #glass ch 24

[ultrahpfan5blog]

Arrowverse Rewatch - Crossovers Part 2

Duet: This is a very polarizing episode and I get why, but for me its a complete delight. Perhaps it should have happened a little earlier in The Flash season, but as an episode of its own, its just so much fun. Unlike the previous Flash/Supergirl solo crossover, this really is a true crossover because Supergirl's ongoing relationship drama is front and center along with Flash's. So this isn't a case where Kara is really anyway secondary to Barry in the episode. With a pretty talented cast of Arrowverse singers, the episode is a blast and the actors are clearly enjoying doing something different. Again, the core success of this episode lies on Grant and Melissa endearing buddy chemistry. To me, this is a 8.5/10.

Crisis on Earth X: Now this was definitely Arrowverse crossovers at its peak. With all 4 shows combined, this is definitely the coolest crossover. This was a crossover which felt like closest to a movie. While previous, crossover episode kept focus on the characters from the show whose crossover episode it was, as in, The Flash crossover episode would focus more on The Flash cast etc..., here there is no such main focus. And this is really the only crossover that really feels like that. Its one of the darker crossovers, with the presence of Nazis and much more consequences that previous crossovers, with the death of Stein occurring in the final episode. But there is also a lot of fun to be had, be it the action, like the wedding fight scene, or just individual character moments, like the girls getting their nails done while Oliver and Barry get their tuxes, Sara and Alex hooking ep etc... We also get some fun doppelgangers, like Leo Snart and General Schott. The villains are also easily the strongest of any crossover. It helps that we have existing Arrowverse actors playing these roles. The action is terrific, particularly the wedding fight and the climactic fight in the last episode where we get Flash vs RF, Supergirl vs Overgirl, and Green Arrow vs Dark Arrow. My only complaint is that it does feel that Flash gets a bit shortchanged character wise, given it was supposed to be centered around WestAllen wedding. However, its easily the best of the major crossovers. A 9/10.

Elseworlds: I read that filming Crisis on Earth X basically killed the cast and crew from exhaustion. So Elseworlds was comparatively a much smaller crossover. In essence, this crossover really returned to the core of the Arrowverse crossovers, which is Barry and Oliver's relationship. The first episode of Elseworlds, when dealing with the body switching, is really a lot of fun. The episode makes great use of Grant and Stephen's chemistry and how they play off each other. Then we also insert the always delightful Melissa into the mix as Kara. The trio dynamic is a lot of fun, although it is fair to say that Kara feels like the third wheel throughout the crossover. It was pretty nice to introduce Clark and Lois to the Arrowverse gang. The problem with this crossover is that it is essentially a prelude to COIE. There is stuff in this crossover that is just setup, like E-90 Barry Allen, who enters and then disappears. The middle episode also spends a fair bit of time on Batwoman and trying to setup some sort of dynamic between Kara and Kate, which never really panned out to much outside of COIE. The first episode of the episode is the highlight, with the body switching comedy, and the second episode carries some of that over while introducing Gotham, but the final episode is a bit of a letdown. For a Supergirl episode, Supergirl herself was trapped in a cage for most of the episode. Tyler Hoechlin ended up being the most prominent Supergirl oriented presence in the episode. Still, it was really enjoyable and we definitely got Grant, Melissa, and even Stephen loosen up and have a lot of fun with the material. A 8/10

Crisis on Infinite Earths: By far the biggest crossover ever attempted, and, as it turned out, unfortunately the last true crossover event. COIE is honestly a bit of a mixed bag. Some of it is because of the unfortunate and uncontrollable aftermath. COIE in essence promised a unified E-1, with characters from Supergirl and Black Lightning now existing on the same Earth as the Flash, Legends, and Batwoman. But due to Covid, and due to shows ending/getting cancelled, that has never been able to be utilized much outside of a little bit on Armageddon in The Flash season 8. Essentially, the promise of the ending of COIE was never fulfilled and will now never be. But even outside of the uncontrollables, the crossover is a mixed bag. There is a lot of fan service in this crossover. While some of it is fun and unexpected, they don't really add much to the overall crossover. Be it the DCEU Flash cameo, Lucifer cameo, Smallville cameo etc... none of them really amount to anything substantial other than it being a celebrity cameo. Also, there are aspects of the storytelling that just feel pointless. In the first episode, there is a subplot about Sara, Lois, and Brainiac 5 meeting an AU Oliver, which just diverts attention from the main Crisis. There is a whole subplot in episode 3 of the crossover with Kara and Kate just walking around the ship, fronting up with one another. There is also the trip to purgatory which leads to nothing. Then in episode 4, there is the Kara, Ryan, and Lex subplot which again is meaningless. In general, I did not understand the point of bringing in Ryan Choi. His presence in the battle at the end of the 4th episode looked kind of silly. Also, this crossover was clearly the case of ambition overreaching ability. There was clearly not enough of a budget to have all the actors available for the episodes. For example, the final battle in Legends episode has so many missing heroes. Despite all the negatives though, there is still a lot of fun to be had. Brandon Routh's Superman was one of the highlights for me. It was great to see him back in the role as well as Ray Palmer. Grant Gustin, Melissa Benoist, and Caity Lotz did a bulk of the heavy lifting in the crossover as they are present across all episodes. Stephen Amell is surprisingly light in the crossover, given it his farewell. He only appears as a body in episode 2 and very briefly in episode 3, and not at all in episode 5. There are some nice Barry and Oliver moments in hour 4, and an unexpectedly nice moment between Barry and Sara, which is not a duo I have seen interact solo elsewhere. I quite liked that the final episode of the crossover embraces a lighter tone compared to the heavier previous hour. The ending, with the tribute to Oliver, as well as the new team formation is well done. I really hope DC in the future is able to to Arroverse team ups in the future since all the characters who created the team are still alive, even if the shows are done. Overall, an uneven crossover that was still an ambitious effort. A 7/10.

#arrowverse #arrow #the flash #supergirl #black lightning #legends of tomorrow #crisis on earth x #crisis on infinite earths #elseworlds #duet

[gameofthronedd]

Alicent raised two rapists, one of whom is a pedo who watches kids fight to the death too including his own children, and she deliberately went AGAINST royal and Targaryen traditions to make sure Aegon and Helaena married so young that poor Helaena gave birth to twins at barely 14 years old.

Alicent gets no feminist sympathy when she chooses again and again to cause women suffering to further her own agenda.

If the idea that Aemond is a r*pist comes from the Alys Rivers situation then it's important to remember a few things. F&B has a wide variety of opinions/biases courtesy of the writers and, since it was designed to be reminiscent of real-world historical sources, it isn't always accurate. I don't believe any of the writers were at Harrenhal (iirc). Alys is also a notoriously mysterious character and a key point of the Aemond & Alys situation is that mystery, and the fact that no one knows for sure what was going on there. Consequently, the assertation that Aemond is a r*pist is an assumption, or interpretation, and not canon thus far. We'll have to see what the show does, anyway.

As for Alicent...

Almost every character, the main ones in particular, has their own agenda - Alicent, Otto, Viserys, Daemon, Rhaenyra, Corlys, Rhaenys. So on, so forth. Some agendas are more ambiguous and more difficult to pinpoint. I'd argue that Alicent's falls into this category but I think that trying to ensure her children's wellbeing is the main motivator for her actions in the series.

As for her causing the suffering of women. I can't recall any instances where Alicent directly causes a large group of women, or women as a collective, to suffer. Correct me if I'm wrong. The marriage of Helaena to Aegon is not something I personally like or agree with, but it is strategic move on the part of the Greens to consolidate power and give legitimacy to Aegon, and is not a decision made with the intention to harm Helaena.

It's important to keep in mind that the characters in this series are not modern day feminists. They are women living in a medieval and patriarchal context. Consequently, their actions align with this. And on that note, no female character in the series (that I'm aware of) is advocating for the emancipation of women, though Dany in ASOIAF is probably the closest. Keep in mind, as well, that a woman in a primary position of power does not immediately mean that women are freed from the patriarchy (see female rulers like Elizabeth I or Victoria I, and prime ministers like Margaret Thatcher).

Back to the point about "feminist sympathy".

What does a lack of feminist sympathy look like? And what is feminism if not solidarity between women despite patriarchy's push to make women constantly at war with each other? I'm not saying that women should be exempt from criticism or that every woman is contributing or contributing positively to the feminist movements (I'd also argue it's unrealistic to expect every woman to engage in collective feminist action!). But I'd like to think that there's some incentive to extend sympathy to even those women we may disagree with.

My general stance on this is that, given the context, it's unlikely that Alicent or any other female character could overwhelming improve the situation for all women (and we obviously know the outcome of F&B and further down the line as well) especially given the added layer of class privilege. I think as well that it's perfectly fine to be critical of women and their actions but I do draw a line when it comes to attacking other women using misogynistic rhetoric (i.e. victim-blaming, slut-shaming etc.) as I spoke about in my previous post.

I personally don't believe that Alicent is contributing to or making the situation worse than it already is for women (she's not making it better, either, but which woman in this series is?). The smallfolk, in particular, have been sidelined throughout Targaryen (and then Baratheon) rule, and the women likely suffer the most throughout the many instances of Targaryen warfare (and, of course, non-Targ warfare).

Back to Alicent, she is a victim of the patriarchy and I reckon she's probably internalised some misogyny too (like most of us probably have). However, she isn't intentionally harming women for the purpose of oppressing women, nor is she solely responsible, and her actions stem moreso from her desire to protect her family than any inclination to gain power for herself or to harm women. It also seems to me that Alicent is a very conscientious and smart character who understands that there is little she can feasibly do (she was, after all, raised by Otto who tends to tell the harsh truth rather than a sweet lie).

To conclude, you can have your opinions of Alicent and interpretations of her actions and motivations. However, I'm personally quite tired of women being pitted against one another, honestly. I personally have sympathy for Alicent as a victim and in general as a woman in a highly patriarchal society. She's not a feminist but I don't need her to be. Same said of Rhaenyra and other female characters.

#deserving #answered asks #gameofthrones #hotd #hotd meta #hotd thoughts #house of the dragon #alicent hightower #tw: sa mention #tw: r*pe #my overall point is that we shouldn't expect or treat these women like modern day feminists who are trying to emancipate women #also that it's not like alicent is purposefully trying to make the lives of women worse #and personally i don't understand this idea that a woman has to be of sympathy but yknow #obvs there are a few exceptions lol but you get what i mean #first it's the ideal victim then it's the ideal feminist then the ideal woman-- 🥴 #this was messy oops oh well