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#and doesn't break character when talking about serious issues
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So basically the entire character list of The ballad of songbirds and snakes is the exes from hell
1. Coriolanus Snow
-Mansplain Manipulate Manwhore
-Great hair and fashion sense
-Love bombs you
-Old money
-His (grand)mom hates you because her son can do no wrong so clearly you're the problem
-His favourite hobby is emotional and mental abuse
-Snitches on you when cheating at family board game night (he's deflecting that he's also cheating)
-Emotionally stagnant (narcissist with mommy and daddy issues)
2. Sejanus Plinth
-Loves you to bits, so does his mom (your waistline will never truly recover)
-Indecisive about where to grab dinner always
-New money and it shows in his insecurity
-Supportive asf
-Breaks up with you because he can't be with a non pacifist/vegan
-Daddy issues
-Condemns Shein hauls
-Identity crisis every other week, you'll have to talk him out of a buzz cut, jumping off the ledge or giving all his money to scammers (if you collect all the stamps you'll get a financial compensation from his dad on the wedding day)
3. Lucy Gray Baird
-Her Ex is a dick, will stalk and harass you
-Her family is a bunch of hippies, will make you eat with your hands, on the floor, while singing Kumbaya
-Sings you to sleep, braids your hair
-Almost poisoned you thrice cause she doesn't understand you shouldn't mix cleaning products together
-Old soul
-Thrifts, recycles
-Puts salt in your coffee after arguments
-Ghosts you after your make or break argument
4. Casca Highbottom
-Never asks about your day, his is always worse
-Drug addict in denial
-Weird beef with his old classmate's son (he never lets anything go)
-Dislikes people, which would be fine if you weren't included
-Always on some sardonic shit, probably a business major with a psych minor
-His pills take all the space in the shared bathroom, your makeup will be shoved in the far lowest drawer next to the TP
-His ancient ass coworkers hit on you at symposiums, he's too high off bathroom cocaine to stop them (or gets off, either way you're tired and want home)
5. Dr Gaul
-Devil Incarnate
-You somehow rizzed her up at a function and she's been showing up at your house ever since (you don't how but she has both the address and a key)
-Petting zoo type of owner
-She always smells like chemicals and latex
-Asks you unhinged "Would you rather" questions and refuses to drop it (makes your Would you love me if i were a worm ex cute by a long shot)
-Will perform experiments on you without your knowledge or consent
-Insists her pet snake shares your bed
-Freak in the streets and the sheets (the restraining order won't even go through cause she's in cahoots with half the Government)
-Definitely wanted for war crimes somewhere, the G in Geneva convention stands for Gaul
6. Lucky Flickerman
-A clown.
-His hair and skincare products take over the entire bathroom/vanity
-He can't dress to save his life, but he sure thinks he can
-Golden retriever boyfriend energy
-Steals your concealer, refuses to admit it
-Would you like to see a magic trick? What do you mean this is a serious fight, there's a quarter up your nose
-Impulsive buyer, has 13 snow globes of panem because they were on sale and looked shiny
-Even his pet thinks he's a dumbass
-Cries during movies
7. Tigris
-Yes she do the cooking, yes she do the cleaning
-Insecure about her appearance (critical, will cost you)
-Her family is a bunch of snobs
-Anything she touches turns into gold
-Her cousin can do no wrong, you have to accommodate everything for him or she'll die (and he never even visits, "just in case")
-Her grandmother is a package deal, I hope you like boomer propaganda and info commercials early on Sunday morning
-Empathetic asf
-Puts everyone's needs above hers (and unfortunately yours)
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hisui-dreamer · 8 months
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rewrite the stars
Characters: Leona, Azul, Jade, Idia
Synopsis: if the stars say we're not meant to be, then why don't we just rewrite the stars?
Tags: horoscopes, reader is insecure, crack(?), fluff, comfort, not proofread
Word count: 1.4k+
Notes: rewrite the stars got stuck in my head then this idea popped up hehe
Disclaimer: i don't really know a lot about astrology, so most of the things i say are from google searches. in general, take astrology with a grain of salt yeah.
but also my sign and jade's sign are compatible hehehe
Masterlist
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it's not easy being confident in love, and sometimes when you get so lost in your fears, you let anyone and anything tell you what you fear to admit, without a care for how truthful those words may be.
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truthfully, if you were dead serious and broke up with him, he'd just grumble out a "whatever" and put up the façade that he doesn't care
but he'd actually be so mad at himself for pushing you away and how nothing in his life could ever go smoothly
but your eyes are swollen and tears are threatening to spill as you whisper those words
he silently approaches you, and instinctively reaches to brush your tears away, but his warm, calloused hand only makes you cry harder at how much you love the man before your eyes
he pulls you into his arms and holds you close as you sob into his chest
he doesn't say anything and waits for you to elaborate, there's a part of him that's afraid if he asked you why you wanted to break up with him, he couldn't bear how his own self-hatred
once you've calmed down, you start explaining how you two are incompatible in astrology, that he's a leo so it's easy for miscommunication to happen and other issues that have plagued you since you read about them
he's heard all this make believe astrology personality stuff before, but never before has he been glad of how ridiculous the idea is
you hear leona let out a big sigh, and the tension in his shoulders immediately lessens
pulls away from you to stare deep into your eyes, his face completely serious and solemn
"Herbivore, are you happy with me?" he asks. At you confused face, he repeats the question, his expression unchanging. When you nod firmly, he smiles slightly and asks again. "Then what else matters? As if I would let the souls of the past kings or some random star talk decide who I'm gonna love," he scowls at the idea. He leans forward and rests his forehead against yours. "You're stuck with me now, I'm not lettin' ya go that easily," he whispers.
He pulls you with him as he falls back onto the mattress, cradling you in his arms. "Sleep. You're not a baby anymore so don't go crying yourself to sleep," he teases, but he gently kisses the remainder of your tears away.
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azul.exe has stopped functioning
blubbering like a fish out of water (wait...) he's lost and hurt and confused and panicking all at the same time
"w-w-what have i done to upset you angelfish????"
the tweels walk into azuls office just to see the two of you crying and confused, azul trying to ask you why and he's sad and crying, you're stumbling over your words and sniffing and crying
ok after a glass of warm water (thank you jade) the two of you calm down to actually have a proper conversation, though azul is still very obviously tense
you explain that he's a Pisces and that means you two not compatible with how sensitive he is and he's a water sign and so on
azul is very confused about how stars can determine people's personalities, but he does fit the description of a Pisces, and if his beloved Angelfish is stressed over astrology, then it must be a reliable tell (azul no)
he asks for you to give him some time, to actually understand your reasonings and of course, to give him a chance and prove to you how willing he is to work out a relationship with you
the next day, azul visits you with very deep dark eye circles, but the glint in his eyes shows full determination and confidence
azul businessman mode on!
sits you down and pulls up a slideshow
azul ashengrotto is now an astrology expert!
he's determined to show you that you two have maximum compatibility and whatever issues you have? he'll always work them out with you
"Darling, you mentioned our Sun signs yesterday, but I think it's crucial to also discuss our rising, moon, and star signs." He declares as he points to a star chart. "Now, following the calculations of our birth dates and locations..."
An hour later, you sit completely convinced that astrology all but supports your relationship with Azul, and you can't help smile and jump into his arms. Azul, sleep deprived and running on anxiety, somehow manages to not fall over, but soon leans his weight on you. "See? We're perfectly compatible with each other," he murmurs against your ear. His arms wrap around you, squeezing you gently, "so please don't leave me, I wouldn't know what to do without you..."
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eyes wide slowly blinking like "... I beg your pardon?"
honestly jade doesn't look that surprised/hurt
but really he's suppressing the turmoil of emotions inside him
ever the logical thinker, he'd ask a calm "May I ask why, my dear?"
and you surprise him again with flowing tears and a trembling voice
though he's listening very patiently as he's diligently wiping away your tears with his handkerchief, soft careful movements to avoid causing discomfort
asks questions when he doesn't understand what in astrology is going on, genuinely making an effort to understand this field of academics
in a sense, he's distracting you from being upset with academic discussion
okay, he's a Scorpio, which makes him good at manipulating people??? and he's very bold??
now while he finds all this very interesting and slightly accurate, it still feels pretty whimsical that the time you're born in determines your personality
particularly as he's so different to Floyd! and they were born at the same time!
whichever the case, the more pressing issue is his dearest lover sniffing and whining that you could never be happy together with how incompatible you are
he pulls you into his chest for a bit, rubbing soothing circles into your back and leaving gentle kisses you until your sniffing quiets down
"Dearest, won't you look at me?" he murmurs against your ear. You look up to see the most tender expression you had ever seen on him, his mismatched eyes filled with warmth and affection.
"While it is indeed extremely unfortunate that our star signs are incompatible, I don't believe there's a single person out there who could love me better than you do," he says as he kisses your hand. "I promise that your happiness will always be my utmost priority, so won't you continue to love this silly eel?"
"Now, while I will always find you enchantingly beautiful, I do believe a smile shines the brightest on my lovely pearl," he smiles while brushing the remaining wetness away from your eyes.
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simply put, idia panics immediately
every day he thinks the fates have been far too kind to him for you to even reciprocate his feelings
he's always mentally preparing himself if you want to break up or you need to leave him
so he puts up a brave face when you say you can't be together
but wait... you actually look really upset and on the verge of tears???
"Hold up, why are you the one crying?"
please don't tell him those are tears of joy i think he'd die on the spot
through sobs and sniffs, you tell him that you were curious about your compatibility based on astrology
and okay...? he's a fire sign??? explains the hair
okay so you're telling him, you're breaking up with him solely because you think this thing might be right and not because you hate him, right?
brb gotta blow up some stars
starts mumbling about some plans to build space missiles and blow up some stars that make up his sign or something
he can't be an asparagus(??? idia no it's sagittarius doesn't matter) if the constellation no longer exists, right?
you stop him (thank god) by cupping both of his cheeks to make him stare straight at you
he's flushing up instantly and every fiber of his being yearned to turn away but your teary gaze makes him stop squirming
"You know," he begins, his voice earnest and steady, "everyday, I can't believe how lucky I am to have you in my life. If you're unworthy of me, then I'm unworthy of you."
He lets out a chuckle, that rumble echoing right into your ear. "I suppose I can put those star destroyer blueprints on hold, at least for the time being. But if the stars ever mess with us again, it's game over for them."
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seelestia · 1 year
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— ❝𝐎𝐇 𝐌𝐘 𝐆𝐎𝐒𝐇, 𝐘𝐎𝐔'𝐑𝐄 𝐋𝐈𝐓𝐄𝐑𝐀𝐋𝐋𝐘 𝐌𝐘 𝐃𝐑𝐄𝐀𝐌 𝐏𝐄𝐑𝐒𝐎𝐍!❞
SUMMARY. "oh my gosh, you're literally my dream person!" here's a list of red flags for you, honey. (inspired by a tiktok trend! the one with the soundboard, iykyk.)
CHARACTERS. wanderer, alhaitham, albedo, childe + GN!reader.
GENRE. full-on crack, some fluff, not-so serious and light-hearted character slander.
CW. has heavy refs to albedo's story / 2.3 event and wanderer's story, brief mentions of blood in childe's part (not detailed/graphic), one brief mention of kissing in wanderer's part, light cussing and terrible humor. + read the alt text on the headers for extra captions, hehe!
THOUGHTS. this is my most unserious work yet and for that, i apologize if this gets too unhinged or inaccurate at some point LMAOOO. red flags are fine, red is my fav color anyway (it's actually light purple) <33 can you guess who's the favorite here 🧍‍♂️
✰ masterlist.
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[ WANDERER ]
❝Dream person, huh? That's oddly fitting because the day you win me over is only gonna happen in your dreams too.❞
Has some abandonment and mother issues. ...Yeah. These issues may result in emotional walls as strong and firm as the Great Wall of China but when you break through them, he's never ever gonna let you go (unfortunately). I'd tell you to start running but this silly guy can float and zoom in the air, so best of luck.
You'll only hear crickets if you fall asleep on his chest. On the very rare occasions where he allows you to, that is. If you're into that romantic "falling asleep on your lover's chest while listening to their heartbeat" stuff, you're not getting it with Wanderer here. But if you listen hard enough, maybe you'll get to hear termites or something because he's canonically made out of white wood. (I'm joking, I love him too.)
Terrible with feelings. He'd rather jump off a cliff than start talking about his feelings. ...Okay, fine. Harboring humane emotions is an annoyingly blurry line that he has vowed to stop caring about after regaining his memories. It doesn't mean he doesn't cringe at himself every now and then, though — knowing that he has talked about his feelings to someone else (only you and Nahida) keeps him up at night, as embarrassing as it is to admit. ("Hey, do you remember that one time when you told me—" "I don't.")
May prioritize his pride over you sometimes. Let's take a rainy day as an example. It's pouring cats and dogs which means that the risk of catching a cold is high as ever... thus, as the rain begins to soak you, you turn to your companion (whose clothes are saved by the hat on his head) with puppy eyes. His reply comes in the same speed as a lightning strike; "No," he says. Beg and cry if you want, he is not letting you under his hat because it's "not a damn parasol". Fine, maybe he just doesn't care about your well-being and that's totally fine (sarcastic) — but the very next second, as he grabs your wrist and starts dashing to a nearby inn with you in tow — you can't help but let a small smile slip. Maybe he does care? Pride just gets in the way sometimes.
Might accidentally suffocate you when you two kiss because how the heck is he supposed to remember that humans need to breathe when your lips are just so soft for no reason? Ugh, humans and their ridiculous needs (derogatory but he still loves you simp).
Has a long list of crimes and felonies that we don't talk about. Ah, yes, the courtesy of being a previous Fatui Harbinger, indeed. Irminsul may have forgotten about this list, but the Wiki sure as heck hasn't.
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[ ALHAITHAM ]
❝So, you consider me someone who fits your type? I see. Unfortunately, knowing whether or not I fit into another person's ideals doesn't have much value to me.❞
Books > people. Is that really a flaw? He doesn't think it is. Books are a source of knowledge and aren't they supplements that enrich the minds of those who read them? Not to mention, there is no need to cater to whatever social standards with inanimate objects unlike when you're around people. ...But apparently, Kaveh told him that this mindset "makes him look like an absolute loner with no social skills and no friends whatsoever" to which he'd usually bite back with an "at least, I have a stable housing." TLDR: books are Alhaitham's closest friends and that's a little sad (he doesn't care about other people's opinions, though).
Unreachable when his soundproof headphones are on. Shush, he is in his official (but not-so-official) 'Do Not Disturb' mode. Sorry in advance, he may or may not accidentally ignore you when his soundproof headphones are on. If you want to have a few words with him, either be patient and wait or make sure they're of absolute importance lest you risk being given the deadliest, emptiest stare ever known to mankind. If looks could kill, you would've keeled on the spot. Instant unintentional (??) homicide, so true of him.
Awkward with small talks. Alhaitham is good at talking about topics that really matter and he very much prefers it that way too. But that's the thing; when the discussion of that particular subject ends, that's it. He often dodges the silence in a 'cool' way, though; either by taking an early leave or bringing out a book if the situation there still needs him present. (In his defense, if no one wants to start and carry the conversation, then isn't it a bit hypocritical to count on him to do that too?)
Physical affection stupefies him (it'll take time). Alhaitham doesn't hate it, no, but something about it just doesn't align much with his sense of familiarity. He usually keeps his distance; even with new acquaintances, shaking hands has never been his thing and it's been a long time since Alhaitham has had someone he feels comfortable enough to receive physical affection from or to give some of it to (his grandmother was the last, maybe). By all means, this isn't meant to be a sob story — it's just brought up to explain that physical affection is a thing he's not familiar with, so it'll take some time to get used to. Good luck to those with physical touch as a preferred love language (me), this feeble scholar who may turn into a stiff log when you hug him is in your capable hands!
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[ ALBEDO ]
❝Is that a compliment of some kind? I must say it's certainly not one I hear very often, thus I feel inclined to appreciate it all the more. Thank you.❞
Has a lab located in Dragonspine. Yes, this is a red flag because look me in the eyes and tell me you would realistically travel up that death trap of a mountain every single time just to spend time with him. He comes down from the mountain at least twice or thrice a month, so you'll still get to see his pretty face regardless, just not as frequently — so, it's either you exchange letters every week or you go trekking up Dragonspine to see him yourself. (There is a better place to die on than that wretched mountain, but I digress.)
His mother caused world destruction and he has a twin brother that is out for blood (Imposterbedo). ...Seriously, what the heck is going on in this family? We need to keep an eye on them like they're fascinating wild animals on National Geographic, for real. If you don't mind crazy in-laws that might commit felonies against you (also looking intently at Alice as I say this, by the way), then you're all good to go! Aha, just watch your back and be safe out there, comrade.
Babysitting Klee comes as a 2-in-1. If you're good with kids, great! If you're not, good luck! You know what they all say; a child's curiosity is only limited by the skies (and a guardian's supervision), so be prepared for when Klee starts tugging you around to go fish blasting or exploring with her. Being with Albedo means you get to see her a lot and she's such an adorable ball of sunshine! But the way she innocently hands you a little bomb like it's a slice of Fisherman's Toast and not a weapon is certainly something to remember, huh? (At this point, this is basically an extra to my previous point about questionable in-laws.)
Eats spiders (not often, but has eaten them and that's concerning). Granted this only applies to a specific type of large spiders that can be found at the roots of Petrified Trees in Domains (in the words of the Chief Alchemist himself), but there will definitely be a time where he goes: "Are you hungry? If I remember correctly, there are still some smoked spiders left from the other day. Fortunately, the temperature here in Dragonspine aids in the preservation method—" Spiders can be cute to some and a nightmare to some, but the fact that he has a whole recipe for it really makes you want to know the how and most importantly, the why. Does he sprinkle parsley on them or some stuff like that, ayo? (at least, if you ever get stuck in a domain one unlucky day, this recipe might help you survive? thanks??)
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[ CHILDE ]
❝Oh? I've never been called a dream person before. ...Heh, that sounds new, I like the sound of that!❞
Thinks combat and battles are a better substitute for oxygen. Okay, that may be somewhat of an exaggeration — but it isn't an understatement to say that the thought of challenge rushes the blood into Tartaglia's veins. Not one for the secretive schemes most Harbingers do, this man would even go charging ahead if that guarantees he'll encounter a good fight. Like seriously, if he and a fellow Harbinger are heading to a place where there is a good opponent, you bet Childe is about to speed there first. You could say he is speeding towards uncertain death, essentially.
Might have come home with blood on his cheek once or twice. And what's worse is that this guy probably doesn't even realize it's there. Sorry, he was just too caught up in the moment to properly notice any leftover 'trophies' from his previous fights... Aha, don't worry about it! ("I'm home!" Tartaglia cheers loudly as he, quite literally, throws open the front door to your shared home — only to be greeted by that dumbfounded look on face. "Please tell me that's just juice on your cheek," you frown. He scratches the side of his neck awkwardly, "Uhh. Things didn't go particularly well when I was collecting debts.")
A warrior in the streets, also a malewife who can make you treats. Why does he have that double side for, huh? For other people to swoon over and fall for? No way someone can be a househusband and a good fighter simultaneously. What do you mean he can cook and clean then beat up anyone who threatened you the next? And you're saying he is genuine about it too? I say deception, deception, deception! Sue this fellow for fraud this instant. (This might actually be a green flag in disguise, but you didn't hear that from me.)
No good with saving money. He's stinky rich and most of it might be from the Fatui. You have to wonder whether each Mora he gives goes on the Fatui's tab or something like that... You don't find the idea of owing something to the Fatui fun, but it's so ironic how you're more worried about this than the Eleventh Harbinger is. Welp, at least, you don't have to worry incessantly about saving money now...? ("There's that thing you said you wanted to buy the other day, right? Here you go, honey!" "Tartaglia, why is this Mora pouch heavier than a toddler—")
Has a long list of crimes and felonies that we don't talk about #2. You could definitely argue that Childe might have the least mind-boggling list of crimes amongst the Harbingers all, though. (And does he slay for that? Who knows.)
─ ⊹ ⊱ ・・・・・・☆・・・・・・・⊰ ⊹ ─
© SEELESTIA, mar 2023. do not repost, plagiarize, translate nor claim as your own.
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cfr749 · 2 months
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So in the interest of engaging in a respectful way, I wanted to put my thoughts into words about why this situation with the picture is far bigger than the picture for me personally. I also don't think the picture is that serious. I do think the pattern I talk about below is problematic.
If you love everything about the show and how Tim and Lucy got together, I think that’s wonderful. 
But before getting annoyed that people are voicing their opinions and concerns, I hope that people at least try and consider these are layered issues. 
Lucy is a woman of color in the LAPD who ended up in a relationship with her former boss, despite knowing it could come at a price for her professionally. 
For me, it is important to see a story where Tim and Lucy choose each other, respect each other, and support each other. Equally. 
And, for me, that is not at all the story we got in seasons 4 and 5 (and the end of season 3). These are my issues, and why I think it’s important the show be more balanced in its storytelling going forward: 
What we got for Lucy: Multiple instances of Lucy being petty, jealous, immature and unprofessional at work (and mind you this is a character that is hyperaware of how hard it is to be a woman in the LAPD, and specifically the optics of romantic relationships between officers, and I think it's shitty that the writers chose to portray her like this not once, but multiple times)
The Katie Barnes storyline
Webb and the cat personality test + vocally reacting in roll call in front of her fellow officers when Tim chose Smitty over her to be his aide
Being clearly invested and heavily focused on bets and competition with Tim
What we got for Tim:
a retcon of his bad behavior in S1 being because he needed to show Lucy the world could be a scary place. Because, as a woman who was literally threatened with sexual assault and a car jacking in the pilot, she was too naive and inexperienced and "empathetic" to know that.
Tim putting Lucy in her place and reminding her about the seriousness of their work by calling off the bet
***
What we got for Lucy:
Obvious jealousy over Ashley (you're in a relationship? you're dating a lifeguard? break up with her! the reaction to the proposal, etc.)
What we got for Tim:
Setting Lucy up with another man without a second of hesitation.
Encouraging her to end things with Chris (a WHOLE other issue I won't get into), after Ashley had dumped him
***
What we got for Lucy:
Being seemingly more invested in and concerned about Tim's relationship than her own (Tim's planning a vacation with Ashley, while Lucy doesn't want to meet Chris' parents and is very concerned about whether Tim is going to propose)
Dumping Chris, not of her own accord, but because Tim was able to “open her eyes”
Specifically dumping that guy FOR Tim, in a way that made her look like an asshole 
What we got for Tim:
being in a relationship with a woman he was absolutely into, despite their clear incompatibility (we heard from Eric himself that Tim was genuinely interested in Ashley, happy and invested in his relationship with her; we heard Tim say he could see himself marrying her)
Choosing not to break up with Ashley despite all of the indications they weren’t right for each other and being willing to cheat on her
Not being willing to retire for her, but still not ending the relationship
Being made into the victim when Ashley dumped him in a way that made her look like an asshole
Only pursuing a relationship with Lucy after he'd been dumped, while she was still in a relationship
If you don’t feel the story was lopsided and unfair to Lucy, or have a completely different perspective (I'd genuinely love to hear it!!), just don’t care, or find it that serious, that’s great for you, but it’s completely valid that people feel this way.
There’s nothing wrong with wanting to see a woman in a relationship be valued and treated well. That has nothing to do with insecurity or jealousy. That has to do with respect and representation. We all come from different perspectives and have different backgrounds that reflect in our perception of how women of color are portrayed on TV.
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ystrike1 · 5 months
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Muse on Fame - By Soojin (9/10)
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I'd say this one is pretty controversial. The yandere is a real snake, who doesn't value himself. He does awful things to give his muse a successful acting career. It all happens behind closed doors, where she can't see what he's doing. If you don't like him after *that* plot twist I don't blame you, but he is devoted. She would never be able to succeed without him. It's the harsh truth.
Myeong is a maid. She was a promising actress at the age of twenty, but now she's almost thirty. Most of her old friends got famous, so it hurts every day. She was basically the only actress in her tight group that failed. Her ex is famous. Her "friend" (rival) is famous. Her boyfriend still works as a director, and it's putting a real strain on their relationship.
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Hyeonjae is not a bad boyfriend. He didn’t break up with Myeong when her acting career fizzled out. He's not perfect though. He still expects her to support his dream....while she works as a maid cleaning toilets. The optics are pretty bad, but their relationship is presented very realistically. Hyeonjae isn't a successful director yet, and Myeong dedicated her youth to acting. So, she can't get an office job. On top of that her family refuses to help her. They never approved of her career choice, and after it failed she became the black sheep of the family. Her father expects her to give up and get married, while she still has her gorgeous looks.
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Myeong kind of lives life in a daze. Her looks don't stand out very much anymore. She walks everywhere. She can't afford salon care to polish her looks for auditions that don't come anyway, and her mental health is going down. Her friend and rival, Yena, is extremely successful.
Trigger warning Yena used her body to get where she is, and she used her investor boyfriends to kick Myeong out of the industry.
This is not revealed until later.
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Yena is also completely obsessed with Myeong. How obsessed? Well, Hyeonjae gets his big film debut. His big break. His only chance. Yena swoops in to take the main character role. Then she starts showing up at Hyeonjae's apartment. Hyeonjae and Myeong live together. It's cruel. She has to watch Hyeonjae and Yena talk about their amazing movie together constantly. Hyeonjae lets Yena do whatever she wants, because he's afraid. He will lose his chance at fame if Yena abandons the project. Yena THINKS she's in love with Hyeonjae, but she just wants what Myeong has. Myeong is the typical talented, rich, gorgeous girl. She ran away from her wealthy family because of her love for acting and Hyeonjae.....but she was born blessed. Yena hates and envies that more than anything, which is why she quietly ruined Myeong's reputation a decade ago.
《Male sexual assault is a serious issue》
Yena absolutely 100% is a predator that uses her power to coerce Hyeonjae into a relationship. If Yena was not a famous actress he wouldn't even associate with her, because he finds her creepy.
But.
She does kiss him.
Myeong sees, and she breaks up with an inconsolable and broken Hyeonjae. Their lifestyles just no longer match. Hyeonjae is surrounded by famous actresses, and Myeong is a depressed housemaid who didn’t make it. Staying with him would destroy her, so she leaves.
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She leaves to get revenge, and the career she has always wanted. Gorgeous women like Myeong have plenty of admirers. A famous photographer named Enmil ended his own life. Photos of her were found in his house. She didn’t know Enmil, but the dead man saw her as his most precious muse. His mansion contained a secret vault room full of pictures of her.
Myeong lies.
It's not creepy.
Enmil wasn't a stalker.
She consented.
They were friends.
She lies to get interviews, and some small TV roles. She claws her way back to fame, far away from her pathetic life as a maid in Hyeonjae's small apartment.
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Her manager, Eun, helps her do this. He has complete faith in her. He knows she's more special than anyone else. He will make her famous. He wants to see her face everywhere. He wants her to use him. He'll be her driver. Her lover. Her bank account. Her slave. He will do absolutely everything in his power to get her into the top of the vicious acting industry.
Enmil was his friend.
No, he isn't secretly Eunmil in disguise.
His yandere reveal is so much messier.
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He has a tattoo of her name on his neck. Eun was depressed, just like Enmil. He tried to end his own life, but a miracle happened. The ceiling cracked. The chandelier that was about to take his life fell. Pictures of a beautiful woman rained down upon him. When he saw her happy face he felt too insignificant to die. He decided to serve the woman who radiated happiness that day.
He doesn't care if she's sad and alone now.
He will make her happy.
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Myeong begins to shine, because she is incredibly talented. She struggles with the past. With the years she lost because of Yena. When she finds out about Yena's obsession it almost breaks her. Yena is too strong. Too famous. She has too many wealthy donors.....but then she channels that agony into an amazing performance.
She gets a role where Hyeonjae is the director. She uses that pain too, and she embraces becoming a broken woman for the camera.
Even Yena can't stop her.
Myeong left her cushy life as a rich girl behind, because of her love for acting. Her resolve is unstoppable now that Hyeonjae isn't holding her back.
Eun loves to watch her.
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He becomes her lover to comfort her. To be her rock. To push her forward. To reassure her. He tells her to use him. He doesn't value himself. He is only alive because of her. He is an empty shell. He barely shows emotion. His looks get him attention too, but he's not like Myeong. He doesn't want fame. He wants to watch his only muse. His family has cash too, but he was even more depressed than Myeong. Depressed enough to end it all.
He will do anything for her.
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He's kinda sorta in a relationship with his boss. The woman who originally hired Myeong when she broke into the acting scene again. I think you can see where this is going. Eun used this poor woman to kickstart Myeong's acting career. She seems emotionally attached to him, and it seems like they've been "together" for a long time.
That's what it takes to get a twenty nine year old washed up actress back into the business.
Myeong is not innocent, but she's not a demon like Yena or Eun. She's afraid of Yena, and after she finds out the whole truth she might lash out at Eun. She's a talented actress, but she's sheltered. That's her biggest character flaw. Talent isn't enough. Yena had to sell her body. Eun had to seduce a talent executive. That's how brutal the industry is.
I don't know if Myeong will survive.
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etoilesbienne · 8 months
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Forever's Entire Proposal to BadBoyHalo q!BBH Analysis + Transcript below the cut.
Before I start, I want to make clear this is from BBH's perspective + mentality, and I do not speak Portuguese, as well as none of this is intended as character writing criticism. I really like the direction both of these characters are going in, I just want to highlight how much of a horror show this scene is! I'm starting much earlier than what's shown in the clip at the top, unfortunately Tumblr's file limits exist :/ Timestamp for the entire clip I'm using is at here in BBH's vod.
Some preface for everything going on in this scene and context:
For one, Forever's current drugged arc has continued references to the Vargas Era in Brazilian history, which, to heavily oversimplify, is a period when culture was suppressed by Getúlio Vargas, a 1930's Brazilian dictator, and made to look very perfected to the outside world to cover up the many issues from the government at the time. (I really recommend looking more into the Vargas Era on your own, I can say I've found every reading on this topic to be both interesting, as well as gives Forever's current arc a really good layer of historical reference with his presidency. It's a good topic to look into!)
Mostly, it's a representation of how fucked Forever's mental state currently is. Not only is he erratic from the drugs he was put under - He's actively been washed over with nationalistic propaganda. That's fucking horrifying for the President of the island to be under! It gains another layer of horror as well, because to all of the islanders, Forever is the only community member with any perceived sort of power. Him becoming erratic - pulling a gun on Phil, forcing other people to sign up for the drugs and medical procedure he went under - it's something that carries weight in terms of the island being united and working together, and is currently reinforcing the concerns the French group had with seeing him as unfit for power, with BBH included in all of these presidential coup meetings as being a sort of "honorary french" deal.
On Bad's side, however, is the known fact he finds marriage overrated, and meta-wise cc!BBH has mentioned he's playing a "more aromantic approach" because he doesn't want to be another character stuck in the shipping boat. (This isn't a knock against shipping, I just think it's good knowledge to have about q!BBH's character/stance on romance going into this.) And then finally, when the link timestamp starts, but before Forever has truly begun his serious conversation, BBH does this:
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He switches out his regular Totem of Undying to specifically a Death totem. It's very quick, but I think it sets up his mentality going into this... I think he expected Forever's final reaction.
Forever: Here, Bad. BadBoyHalo: Hello. F: Hello! F & BBH, simultaneously: So, uh - BBH: Do you know where any of the kids are? F: I know where Richarlyson is, but, oh uh maybe we should go a little bit further there's a translator screen. BBH: Okay. F: Otherwise, I want my chat to know what we're talking about.
[Break for when they move the benches again]
F: Here, nice, nice, nice. F: OH! It's even better! BBH: Yay. F: It's perfect, I would say! BBH: So, you don't - F: Yeah, I don't know where the eggs are, Bad, but I'm really - there's something I know, okay? BBH: Uh-huh. F: I can tell you. BBH: Tell me. F: They are just good and fine, okay? BBH: What do you mean? F: They're fine! They're well! BBH: Look, what do you want, Forever? F: Ah, I want to get married! BBH: No, I mean, like, what do you want? F: Why? BBH: Like, if you know what happened to the - F: Why… don't we just get married! BBH: Do you know what happened to the eggs? Do you know where they are? F: Let's get married. BBH: What's happening, Forever? Etoiles: [mumbling] Fit: Hooray. Tina: Hip Hip Hooray! F: Let's - Let's just get married. Fit: Hooray. Tina: Hip Hip Hooray! Fit: Hooray. Wooooooo. Tina: He saved us. That's crazy! BBH: Okay. Oh, hey Etoiles. You - You're not focused, Forever. Tina: It's probably the most beautiful battle ever! Of all time! In a rose field! F: Yeah, I'm totally focused! I'm happy! Etoiles: Thank you, Tina! Tina: Yes! BBH: No - No, you're focused on the wrong thing - Etoiles: You see, I clicked well! I clicked well! F: Guys, can you give me and Bad a moment, please? - Tina: [Overlapping with Forever] I'm so sorry - F: - We are having a deep conversation, I am asking him to get married! Tina: - I'm so sorry Mr. President, I didn't know. Etoiles: Okay! Okay, Forever, what I, Forever, I - I don't understand, like, there's the code who's attacking us, and you don't give a shit, but you are the president? F: Where - Where is the codes? I want to help you guys! Everything will be perfect! Tell me. Pierre: Congratulations Badboy and Mr. President, congratulations F: If the codes are not here right now, Etoiles, you are just being inconvenient, because I want to get married, and you are just in the way, man - Etoiles: Okay - F: - Go away, please! Etoiles: Okay, okay, I will go away. Okay, okay. F: If the codes show up, you will tell me, okay? BBH: [short confused laugh] F: [cheering as Etoiles walks away] YES! BBH: [looking around at the sky] F: See, Bad? This is how we solve problems. Isn't that perfect? Pierre: Can I be your best man for the wedding? BBH: What? No? There's not gonna be a wedding - F: He asks me for drugs all the time, Bad, he just asks me for drugs. BBH: - okay? F: [laughing] Pierre: Huh? BBH: He's obviously not in his right mind, AyPierre. Pierre: Yes, look at this smile! Must use a lot of uh… BBH: A smile doesn't mean a whole lot. F: Pierre, I will, I will tell Cucurucho, man, I told you already. Pierre: Yes, I want to be happy… F: Cucurucho will come to you and he will put the smile on your face! Pierre: Yes! F: Now go away, I want to get married. Pierre: I want it! F: (Portuguese as Pierre leaves) F: Oh my god, finally some silence. So Bad, BBH: mhm. F: Don't you think this place looks beautiful? BBH: I guess. F: Oh my god, they're still around so the translator is just crazy. Let's change it again please. Sorry, but - F: (Portuguese, I am assuming it is more ooc focused, my apologies. If I'm wrong, feel free to correct me!)
[Break for when they move locations, this is where the clip above begins.]
F: So Bad, BBH: Yes? F: What is it going to be? Are you going to get married, or not? BBH: Why do you want to get married? F: Yeah, because everything's perfect, right? A marriage would be perfect, as well! BBH: Why do you think everything's perfect? F: Why don't you think everything's perfect? BBH: Because we don't have our kids, Forever. They're gone. F: No, no they're just fine, man! You are not seeing the world the way you should, Bad, and I'm going to tell you - BBH: How should I be seeing it? F: I'm here for you, buddy. I'm here for you, buddy, okay? BBH: Is anyone here for you? F: And I'm going to tell Cucurucho that he should help you! Like he did to me. BBH: I don't want his help. F: You need his help, Bad. Just - BBH: I don't need his help, Forever. F: - Bad, you are looking bad, Bad, - BBH: I feel fine. F: - you know? BBH: You know what would help me, Forever? F: So let's get married! BBH: Forever. You know what would help me? F: Hm? What? BBH: Tell that white puffball to give me my son back. To bring back all of our kids. F: White puffball? What does that mean? BBH: Cucurucho. F: Okay. BBH: What does he want? What does he want, Forever? Does he want diamonds? F: Why do you think Cucurucho is the one with the eggs? Why do you think Cucurucho is the one with your child? BBH: I know it was him, Forever. F: What are you guys getting from exploding the whole city? Why did I become the president that's trying to help everyone, and you guys are just exploding everything? This is funny man, this is perfect. [laughs] You know? You guys are just too crazy! [laughs] Man, you guys are exploding stuff, and you all are saying that I need help? [laughs] That's funny, man, that's funny! BBH: We need our kids back, Forever. That's why. We'll stop, all Cucurucho has to do is return the eggs. I want Dapper back, I want Pomme back, all the kids back. F: Why do you think Cucurucho is the one with the eggs? BBH: He obviously is the one with the eggs, okay? F: What proof do you have? BBH: Remember - F: Cucurucho's great, Bad. BBH: - I saw - F: Uh huh. BBH: - It was a strange person in the federation building, Mysterioso or whatever his name was? F: [laughs] Yeah, he doesn't like [I cannot figure out what he says here] BBH: I saw him at the federation building. I bet that's the same person who gave Sofia's plans to Maximus. F: [laughing] BBH: That means the Federation was responsible for Sofia. F: Okay, okay. BBH: That means they're behind everything! There's not anything they don't know about. F: Did Maximus tell you that that man is the same one that gave Sofia to him. BBH: He said it was a mysterious hooded figure, and there's only one - F: There's only - Can only be one - BBH: - mysterious hooded figure. F: - It can only be one. BBH: If the federation does not - did not take the kids, they know who did, and they know where they are - F: Ohh. BBH: - I just want them back, that's it. F: Yeah.
BBH: What do they want - What do they want, Forever? Mr. President? You're in contact with them, what do they want? F: Well, Bad, I can tell you something, you know? This is actually quite funny, this is actually quite funny. BBH: What's funny about it? F: So everyone on the island thinks that I, being the president - me, being the president - means that I'm working for the Federation, but do you know what you guys don't see? BBH: What? F: I am the only one working for you guys! A favor(?), you know, the federation does what they want. I'm the only one that tried to represent the people of the island. BBH: So you're trying to get our kids back? F: Oh, they're just fine right now. BBH: Where are they? F: I don't know, sleeping maybe? BBH: How do you they're fine? F: Cucurucho said it's classified! Isn't that funny? BBH: Do you believe it? F: That it's classified? I don't know, is there anything to believe in that? BBH: [sighs] BBH: What happened to you, Forever? F: What? BBH: What happened to you? What did they do to you? F: Uh, I don't know what you're talking about, Bad. I'm just feeling so good, 'cuz everything's so good man. BBH: This isn't like you. You're not acting like yourself. F: Why? Why, I'm happy? I'm not happy? You say I'm not a happy person? BBH: That's just it Forever, you wouldn't be this happy with Richarlyson missing. F: Richarlyson's okay, he's just - BBH: Is he? Is he? F: - sleeping a lot. BBH: Has he gotten up? Has he danced around? Has he put any signs down? Has he said anything to you? Have you built any projects with him recently? Have you done anything with him at all? F: [Deep sigh that turns into a laugh] No, no. BBH: Then how is he fine? F: [long pause] Bad, I have something I would like to show you. Or maybe test on you. BBH: What? F: You know, you guys are just so funny with that clock joke. BBH: Clock joke? F: Yeah, I want to test something. F: Don't you want to get married? BBH: I want my son back. I want Dapper, Pomme, F: [begins launching mines] BBH: [evades, throws health potions] F: STOP THAT FUCKING CLOCK NOISE. BBH: You like your mines, Forever? BBH: It won't bring Richarlyson back.
To start from the beginning, BBH is under no pretenses that this would be a marriage proposal of all things. All he is aware of is that Forever wants to have a serious discussion with him. He's also gone out of his way to put himself on a Death totem, meaning he has every possibility to be downed if Forever were to successfully attack him.
With Forever's current mental state and reinforcing a societal idealism & a desired performance of aggressive happiness and "normalcy" - his character now desiring something like a marriage can be read multiple ways. For one, an imitation of how one of his closest friends, his ex-husband no less, was recently married and is currently considered one of the best federation workers (albeit begrudging on Cellbit's part). For two, a marriage is a pretty huge symbol of a plastique performance of a perfect life. Especially in this context, it's saccharine, it's a status symbol, everyone wants it. With the medication as well, we don't truly know if Forever genuinely feels strongly about BBH to want to marry him, or if he feels he has to be in a marriage for a "perfect" life with BBH being "the best option" as a spouse. (Again, this is not a criticism of Forever's character, this is a very symbolically rich move for him to do, and I, personally, cannot get enough of it.)
Now back to BBH, this is a guy who is admittedly not looking for romance, not trying to romance anyone, and is currently in the middle of a character arc having to do with how pissed he is at Forever for not running the government in a way he approves, and then getting wrongfully jailed by Forever. I do not think BBH is in any way afraid of Forever as a person, but I do think BBH has concerns about what he may be forced to do in an attempt to get his children back. BBH as a character in general has very, very little regard for his own life, watch a pov of himself in a dungeon and just see how many totems pop, but he does care about his kids more than anything else in the world. The way his character goes about his care for his kids isn't something that often occurs in more masculine-presented characters like him either, frankly I think a lot of more ship oriented readings of him end up hyper-feminizing him* because of this "maternal" archetype.
In a return to Forever's saccharine performance of perfectionism, I find the moments Forever makes the both of them move across the rose field - The rose field, previously quite literally stained by blood as Etoiles had just finished another battle with the code there, tensions are running high and everyone is still distressed from the eggs going missing - I realize it's because cc!Forever ooc wanted to move to not have the chatbox be interrupted by other people speaking, but it's just so good thematically. He keeps moving to have a better view of roses. It's never perfect enough. They have to keep moving. They have to be alone. Nobody else is allowed to be around when he corners BBH with the marriage proposal. Nobody can get in the way.
Speaking of people interrupting, the other members appearing in the middle of the conversation adds to the fridge horror that's been subtly happening all the way through. Nobody pauses and makes sure BBH is okay throughout this scene, everybody is extremely sure that he is fine and can handle himself. The only person to even make a criticism of Forever is Etoiles, over being somewhat irritated that it looks like Forever has been doing little to nothing as President to aid new members or former islanders (despite this technically not being true, Etoiles has seen none of it, and has been giving new players items continuously in an effort to help them, as well as has had little time to do anything except fight code entities).
And then onto the rejection, BBH never agrees to the marriage at all, because why would he? I've seen quite a lot of discussion thus far that he doesn't reject Forever outright, but I disagree, it's a little moment in there, and I couldn't get it in the video posted itself, but he explicitly tells Pierre "there's not gonna be a wedding," and then is cut off by Forever. It's quiet, I don't think many people heard it outright, but BBH is right in his assertion Forever isn't in his right mind to be asking for marriage in the first place.
The other side of that, however, is that BBH is very well aware Forever didn't want to hear an outright rejection either. BBH knows what Forever is capable of, and he knows this version of Forever is not his usual self. It's not an easy situation, especially when he's fully under the impression Forever does have some power with the Federation, and fully believes the Federation has the eggs. Whether or not this is actually true doesn't really matter to Bad's perspective here, he's deadset in this belief. With that belief in mind, how is someone supposed to respond to being cornered about marriage - a concept he has little interest in - but the person cornering him is 1. known to be volatile due to recent events, 2. potentially has some form of contact to the people currently holding the eggs captive, and potentially put his children more at risk than they already are, 3. the literal only person in power on the island.
I don't think BBH ever believed he had the option to outright tell Forever no, he's in a depressed state as is, his kids might be dead for all he knows, and he has the impression Forever could bring harm to them.
Admittedly it is interesting how many outright untrue facts BBH holds onto, but cannot change his belief in them. His opinion and perspective of Forever is one thing, but it's much, much more obvious when he brings up the connection between the new Mysterioso and the previous masked person who gave the plans for Sofia to Maxo, those were two separate unknown figures as we know as the audience, but Bad does not know this, and does make assumptions and connect dots in his own right, tending to his own detriment. This is all intended here, he's wrong about Forever factually, but to his knowledge he's acting in the best way he can. He's under the impression Forever is just not telling the full truth to him about everything with the eggs disappearing, and believes the federation is lying. I think it's made even more obvious he's prioritizing the eggs over everything else here, especially with his final statement about Richarlyson. BBH believes the eggs are the only true way to every player's heart, and blatantly ignores the actual romance aspect of what marriage implies, because romance genuinely does not matter to him at all. He doesn't have time to worry about being in a relationship if his son might be dead.
Mostly, I find this scene to be a great relationship horror set up, because damn if I haven't been on dates like this, where I feel like I can't say no or something might happen. I understand the paranoia and anxiety surrounding q!BBH's mindset in the moment. It isn't a rational response by any means, no, but it is a very aggressively human response to this situation for a demon to have.
Basically, I don't think BBH is a fundamentally romantic character in the first place, nor do I think he'd ever be happy in a cutesy marriage position anyway, he never once responds romantically to any of this, and solely prioritizes the eggs, the final Richarlyson line cements this fact. It's not a dig at how Forever will never have BBH romantically - it's a dig at Forever based on what BBH's priority is, his kids.
*I want to be clear this statement is meant to be a neutral fact, it's just worth mentioning in an analysis like this that BBH as a character is more typically set on the feminine side by the fanbase, and how his character's interpretations are influenced by that reading.
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aesterblaster · 2 months
Text
Bad Dogs Can Learn New Tricks
Which Blue Lock Characters Have Gone To Therapy, In My Humble Opinion. (+ Who Desperately Needs To But Hasn't + Who Might In The Future)
Warnings: Some spoilers for way past the U-20 Arc, also not an extensive list of characters, honestly kind of funny. I wasn't trying to be TOO serious
Songs: Falling Behind / Laufey , The Main Character / Will Wood , Nothing's New / Rio Romeo
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Has Gone To Therapy And Loves Their Therapist Gang
-Anri, There is no way she is able to have that much patience and take that much shit from corporate without having a therapist. I think she uses like 1/5th of her paycheck on books about improving your life and stuff like that LMAO. Her therapist is also a woman so it helps her to have someone who understands her frustrations with not really getting credit despite being one of the founders of Blue Lock. Also sometimes she gets worried she's unethical towards the boys so that weighs on her.
-Kenyu, Look it's still in progress ok? He was just starting before he came to Blue Lock. Once he realized he was going to lose his vision he started working with a professional and found it really helpful. In fact they were the one who encouraged him to go after Blue Lock in the first place. One of the reasons he was so quick to say sorry to Isagi is because he has those #coping skills.
-Gagumaru, After having a run in with a bear in the woods he kept having nightmares and his parents made him go to therapy. Well it was kindddd of therapy..it was a hippie who's a family friend. That doesn't mean he doesn't know grounding techniques. He even taught Naruhaya how to calm down from a panic attack once. But yeah, he doesn't really tell people that he went to therapy
-Snuffy, After his best friend's death he went to therapy ASAP. The type to only call his therapist once every 5 months and still have a rock solid relationship with them. His therapist helped him break his womanizing habit and realize that he's enough all on his own. 100% did some soul searching and stepped away from the scene. He also combined the therapist with a personal trainer to really max out his healing process. 100/10 dude for it.
"I Have Gone To Therapy And It Didn't Work" Crew
-Chigiri, Similar to Kenyu, his parents thought he might need some mental health help after the trauma of thinking he'd never be an athlete again. But he was one of those cold shoulder my mom is forcing me to do this cases. He never actually worked through what he might do if this whole thing falls through. Also snarkiness 100, his therapist almost quit because he was so insulting to them. Chigiri just felt ashamed that his parents even thought he should go in the first place and convinced his sister to also beg them to stop taking him lmao.
-Isagi, Okay at some point his parents realize he takes faliure wayyy too hard and tried to get him in therapy. When he talked to the therapist though the dude was like "Yeah, he's just competitive. Nothing wrong here." Alas, he's been masking for so long that he's incapable of revealing his issues to anyone who hasn't known him for 3 years or plays sports with him. Also, he convinced himself he doesn't need it and then idly imagines just going apeshit and killing his enemies to cope with stress...like bro...
-Noa, Why do you think he gets along with Isagi? All jokes aside, his PR people probably asked him to do it and he went and then secretly never went back. It honestly didn't work because he wasn't willing to give it a chance. And still isn't!!!! Would rather backflip off of a yacht than tell someone in a lounge chair about how growing up in intense poverty still haunts him sometimes, makes him question his worth and avoid conflict in day to day life. Sometimes he wonders if one day he'll wake up and find out it was all a dream....But nah he doesn't need therapy!
-Oliver, He was soooo close to actually getting his mental health in check but then his therapist retired. After that he got another really seasoned one and saw the amount of case files in his desk and just felt like a straight up burden. One of those "other people have it worse" and "it is what it is" guys. He's very open about his emotions and feelings so he just talks to his friends when he's really struggling. (Even though Sendou never says the right things-) Like yeah it's their job but why bug these nice people when sex?? Why talk about issues in sessions when he can get drunk or go train for 4 hours??? Riddle him that?
The "I Need Therapy And I Know It" Team
-Ness, He has so many fucking issues. Honestly, despite his devout worship of Kaiser he does realize that his behavior isn't quite healthy or normal. Dude tries to show you a funny video on his phone and all of his ads are for Betterhelp. Genuinely trying to figure out a diagnosis. Yes he has looked up all sorts of personality disorders and no he doesn't think he has any of them (He has at least two). But again, Ness is self aware enough to know that some help or someone to talk to who sees him as an actual human being would be nice.
-Niko, He cannonicaly describes himself as very very introverted and nerdy, also he hides his face. Tell me you were bullied in school or at least had an extremely traumatizing incident without telling me. Kind of never had anyone, just people who hung around because of his soccer skill or avoided him like the plague. He is that guy who will rant about "society" online for hours and fantasize about moving to a different country thinking he'd get better treatment there. Cripplingly lonely and self conscious at the end of the day, in all honesty. Also he genuinely wants a therapist but just can't afford one.
-Hiori, Obviously his parents are the ones who stop him. He tries to go and his mom realizes where he's making her drive him and swerves off. Even when he gets his license, you just know they're tracking everywhere he goes. He doesn't have enough privacy to really get better like that, Hiori has to wait until he moves out. Still genuinely fucked up by the fact that Gagumaru has gotten therapy and he hasn't. Just listens to emo music and plays video games and pretends that that fixes everything. He's totally releasing a top-selling book about his horrible childhood after Blue Lock.
-Bachira, Is he outgoing and silly? Yes. Does he need better coping skills? Also yes. Men will tell you the most horrible and traumatizing childhood memories about getting jumped and then laugh it off, and it's him, Bachira is men. He ties to brush off his trauma with humor but it never really works. He knows that he genuinely needs to talk to someone other than Isagi or his mom about the Monster and how it was by his side for so long. But also never goes through with getting professional help, just thinks about it sometimes.
The "What's Therapy? Fuck You!" Group
-Kaiser, Oh god, don't even suggest it to him. I headcannon that mental illness kind of runs in his family. He's watched family members be taken away for being too out there and openly mentally ill so he has a reason to not trust doctors. Just associates therapy and things like it with abusive institutions. If he told a therapist all of his issues, he'd probably be sent to a psyche ward. Just the threat of being sent there single handedly kept him from killing himself or talking about his feelings when he was younger. He will continue to just be slightly abusive to the people around him thank you very much.
-Ego, Bro's got the government banning him from soccer and you think he's thinking of therapy? When Anri tells him he needs it offhand, he's like, revenge is my therapy. Insane as fuck but thinks that it's a good thing. He is not willing to talk about his issues to anyone, but especially not someone who will write it all down. Genuinely ruined a few relationships in his past because the main people he attracts are the "I Can Fix Him" people and it just never works. Suprisingly unself aware for how much he analyzes others.
-Barou, His main issue is just shame and failed gifted kid syndrome. But as soon as he's back up he's convinced he doesn't need help. Barou suffers from really high highs and really low lows but he also has the mental fortitude to handle it. He is a well adjusted and kind enough person outside of the soccer field so he never considers that he needs therapy. When he feels bad about himself he hits the gym but he's never really opened up to anyone and he sure isn't going to start once he gets more famous. Especially when he's seen as one of the best right now, can't risk his reputation.
-Rin, He's would rather gut himself with a sword than admit that his mental illness doesn't make him a cool loner wolf and just a lonely person who hasn't healed his inner child. Kind of just wants someone to baby him and tell him everything's going to be alright but in the mean time his barriers are up 24/7. He disdains therapy, thinks that he'd just be seen as a pay check and he kind of isn't wrong. Rin would rather pay money for expensive cleats than spend it for someone to suggest him breathing exercises. He also had a traumacore phase, but he'd rather not talk about it.
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piracytheorist · 3 months
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something i love about spy family is that its a very funny manga, but it isn't afraid to be serious and talk about serious things (and its also really good at transitioning between the two)
Tatsuya Endo has an amazing grasp of balance. There are a lot of posts going around about how Spy x Family goes from something as heavy as "war makes monsters of us all" to something as silly as "Anya finds Loid's tourist fashion choices lame" and it somehow works.
It's one of the things that made me fall in love with the story from the second if not the very first episode of the anime. It dares to be realistic about how war impacts humans and how it takes them into a path they wouldn't normally take, but at its core it's a story filled with humor and love and connection, because this is how humans are supposed to live like. I mean, not to break it down to a "live laugh love" moral, but at the end of the day it does prioritize people living happily together and in peace. Even the "enemy" is shown in a sympathetic light from time to time.
And the humor and silliness attributes to that. It makes the story light-hearted despite the heavy issues it tackles. It would be hard to find hope in a story that focuses only on those heavy issues, if its vibe was constant grittiness and violence and dark themes. Not that there's anything wrong with stories with such themes; but you wouldn't usually watch such a story and expect to feel full of hope afterwards, nor expect it to have the humor that SxF has.
What is amazing is how Endo manages the balance of it all. How he works in the silliness amidst an environment of a cold war, of hardened spies and assassins, because it would be very easy to veer right into tone-deaf cheesy territory that gives you (unintentional) emotional whiplash. I think it's due to how the characters are only slightly exaggerated versions of something you'd see in real life. Anya behaves as any five-year-old would, where her focus is to work in protection of peace, make sure the family won't break apart, and above all, have fun. Yor's view of the world has been impacted by how long she's worked as an assassin, but her "naivete" is mostly her tendency to see good in everyone, even the "bastards" she's sent to kill. Twilight keeps telling himself everything he does is "for the mission" but he's only human and can't help bonding with his family even if he doesn't realize it.
The characters may behave in an exaggerated way from time to time, but they're not caricatures. The humor and ridiculousness (affectionate) in their actions are based on real human traits and behaviours we can see in real life. The want to have fun, the tendency to see the good in people, the desire to love. Endo simply takes those and has three people whose special traits clash with those three mentioned traits. Anya grew up as a science experiment in a lab where she wasn't allowed to have fun, so now that she has people who care for her emotional growth she goes all out with fun activities. Yor was forced into the choice of becoming an assassin, having to be told "This person is BadTM so you play judge jury and executioner", but with Yuri being her motivation (and later on the Forgers too) she managed to keep her kind heart. Occasionally she can't control her monstrous strength and may also consider killing people who inconvenience her and then go like "Yo wtf chill maybe". Twilight became a spy and distanced himself from human connections, but now that his job brought him into the position of staying long term with a kid and a wife and a dog, his desire for such a connection is rearing its persistent head. And so you get a Professional Master SpyTM playing "Rescue Princess Anya from the Evil Clutches of Count Scruffy Head".
It's the contrast that makes the humor of it all, and in such a way that it never takes only one character's side. I think that also adds to the "flexibility" of the story. It's easier to connect to a story when there's multiple sides explained and understood by the audience; and I mean, the only thing the story looks to be trying to "convince" you of is that humans live best when they live in peace and surrounded by people they love, and that's an undeniable fact of human nature. The characters can and do make mistakes but they're shown to be able to grow from them, and even someone radicalized and extremist like Yuri has understandable motives and a very human nature - just one that was taken advantage of by people in power.
Overall yeah, I think it's how focused on the characters' humanity the story is that it makes the balance between humor and heavy issues work. Again, though it can be exaggerated at times, it's not a caricature or slapstick, just for the sake of making the audience laugh. There's a depth and a genuine reaching out for the audience's emotions and understanding.
(Anime only fan here, don't spoil me for the manga 😁)
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twig-tea · 3 months
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Love Senior: Final Thoughts
I've been putting off making a post about this because I don't like trashing things that are small efforts and especially not GL because we don't get enough of it to begin with. But I was enjoying Love Senior through episode 7. The leads were lovely, they had chemistry, their characters were both interesting, and one of them had casual sex with someone else before they got together and it was fine! They even talked about it! And they were thirsty! I love it when women get to have sexual desire in shows.
After episodes 8-9, the narrative took a serious turn and I broke and wrote a content warning post because of how gross the turn in the plot was. With one episode left, I watched to see whether it would undo any of the damage it had done, but instead it doubled down on awfulness.
The last episode is truly a smorgasbord of some of my least favourite tropes all rolled up into one miserable finale, and makes the show truly unwatchable even though it delivers a "happy ending". It didn't make sense, it wasn't good characterization, it served nothing but unnecessary angst, and it meant we didn't even get satisfying reconciliation or dealing with the issues laid out in 8-9. After this ending, I was extremely unconvinced these two would last, or that they should.
I know this isn't the worst there is in the world of QL. I've watched a lot of stuff. I used to just stay quiet if I didn't like something, but honestly, I want folks looking for info about this show to know what to expect, and I also want folks creating content to know that audiences expect better these days. I don't want people to think GL flops because nobody wants to watch it. We're so desperate for good, or even half-decent content (the viewing numbers for GAP should have made that obvious)! But things need to hold together at least somewhat, and this very much did not.
Most of the cast in this show is in a girl group together, so you can support them, continue past the cut if you want details on what makes this finale suck (I've kept it vague but obviously there will be spoilers), and I hope this is taken as it's intended--to help inform the watching decisions of us who love GL and want more of it, and to give information to those making it.
[I'm just going to note also that this show was by StarHunter Entertainment which is not known for its queer rep or good treatment of its people, so I don't feel like I owe this production company any loyalty].
Details about the last episode under the cut.
In episode 10, the following happens:
we get told the SA that I warned about in my 8-9 post was just staged for the purposes of blackmail/breaking up the leads
[the show doesn't acknowledge that the characters were still left in a position that they could have still been sexually assaulted, and that they were put in that position by someone they trusted]
Someone gets hit by a car
One of the leads falls into a coma, and on waking, gets amnesia
Her friends and family conspire to lie to her, not just erasing her girlfriend from their picture of her life, but saying that one of her other friends who has a crush on her is her boyfriend. They all go along with this lie for months
On finding out that her girlfriend had been told that she's actually dating some other guy, her girlfriend decides to noble idiocy and disappear from her life
More time passes, and they see one another at the amnesia girl's graduation, and hug for a happy ending.
THE END.
No conversation. No reconciliation beyond acknowledgment that they still have feelings. No mention of their breakup before the coma. Nothing that convinces me this couple will actually last at all, or reason (in the form of character growth, or narrative purpose) for why they've gone through this. Nothing about the main character being lied to by all of her friends and family for months. This ending says 'everything is fine as long as the two people you want to be in a relationship are in a relationship at the end of the story', and that doesn't fly with me.
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Episode thoughts under the cut
I loved Morty knowing Rick so well that he just straight up lies about the coffee lmao. Also the way he says 'hey buddy' like he's a dad entering his kid's room when they're in a depressive episode is so funny to me
Rick just literally saying 'family' to address the family
I thought the ghost/unfinished business joke was funny
I also love Rick being so petty (and Summer being petty back about the portal). It's so funny that he just calls the family 'stupids' as well. Devastating insult bro
Interesting that Gearhead was the first person he went to? He definitely needed someone to give him the courage to get the rest of his friends for an intervention (especially BP)
'Told you he wasn't dead' killed me
BIRDDAUGHTER. Funny name, love her being an emo teenage edgelord who just goes round killing Gromflomites. 'This is worse than prison'? Love it
Also I really liked that we got to see this side of BP's character this episode? He's so funny and I love getting to see him be a shit. Him trying to parent his daughter and just drinking wine? We love another alcoholic girldad
I really liked getting to see Rick/BP/Squanchy actually hanging out as well? I feel like it's a good insight into how they probably were back in the Flesh Curtains days
I like the 'birthday, birthday, birthday' gag
Also Rick immediately being like 'fuck this we're getting wrecked'
The honey scene was definitely for the Rickfuckers
Can we talk about the fact that Rick was definitely trying to impress BP by bringing up the fact that he hosted the Oscars? Which is definitely why he wanted that gig in the first place
Once again I love getting to see this side of Birdperson. Definitely makes sense why he and Rick get on so well
I liked the visual gag of Rick being high
Also BP and Squanchy playing the knife game lmao
Rick sits so fucking dramatically
Look at BP's face, he definitely wants to fuck that Predator guy
Son heist
I love that Rick can immediately identify Squanchy's shit based on the smell? Like he knows it's his and no one else's
BIRDPERSON PUTTING HIS HAND OVER RICK'S MOUTH
(You know Rick is gonna be thinking about that forever)
I like the recurring Squanchy tooth thing
'Why is this my thing' lmao
Poor poopy child
WAYNE
Them all just chilling together waiting for their drunk food? love it
I love BP leaving to collect his daughter from attacking a Federation outpost with the exact same energy as a parent collecting their child from school after they got suspended. It's so funny to imagine the GF having the same sort of vibe as they do with Rick and just texting BP like 'yo we got your daughter here' (I know that's not what happened but it's a funny mental image)
Lmao Squanchy
I did like the fading pill bit
Poor Gene
Overall I liked getting to explore this aspect of the dynamic between Rick/BP/Squanchy/Gearhead (+ the others of course but they're the OGs yk?) and also the concept of intervention/alcoholism. I think it's interesting to see that Rick does want to help but his support system is so fucked that this ends up happening and it makes a lot of sense when it comes to his own issues. I really like the way they handle Rick trying to get better and do the right thing but struggling so much to break out of unhealthy behaviours/habits. He's painfully aware of how fucked up he is and how much of a bad influence he is but he doesn't know how to fix the issue/be a positive influence and he definitely views abandonment as a good thing because he's removing himself from the situation. Very interesting way to explore this aspect of his issues, especially since all his friends are also alcoholics with that level of denial/refusal to get better
I had this discussion with @hazelnut-u-out before the episode aired but I do like that they're showing Mr PB directly suffering as a result of Rick's actions in canon? Considering that he started as a joke/meta character it's very interesting to show him actually shifting to more of a serious character who appears in the actual show and experiences real issues, especially since the show becomes less and less sitcom-y as Rick becomes more aware of the reality of how fucked up all of these things are.
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mirai-e-jump · 8 months
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UTB (Up to Boy) Magazine, October 2023 Issue (Vol. 330) ft. Yuzuki Hirakawa Interview and Photo Shoot (translation below)
Publication: August 23, 2023 (between episodes 25-26)
"If you could look back on it alittle, please tell us how you felt when you passed the audition."
Hirakawa: I've auditioned for the Sentai series afew times in the past, but I never made it through that many rounds of judging. For the first time, I was nervous and anxious as I realized that as the judging proceeded, I would be a finalist. When I received the results, with a great sense of relief I though, "Ah, thank goodness…."
"Please tell us about Rita Kaniska, the character you play."
Hirakawa: Rita is the international judge, and King of the country Gokkan. They're calm, composed, and rarely talks, and while they seem like a very serious person, I think they're a character with a cute side, like when they're alone and act like they're talking with their "Moffun" plushies.
"Due to your costume, you can only see with one eye, do you ever find any challenges playing such a role?"
Hirakawa: At first, I felt like it was difficult to convey my emotions through just my visible left eye. I would try squinting my eyes alittle, pulling my chin back, it was alot of trial and error, and I gradually felt like I was reaching a breaking point. When I discussed it with the Director, he told me, "You don't have to try to act with just your left eye. If you express your mind and feel the scene, it'll come out naturally." From that point on, I thought I was able to get in front of the cameras without having to do strange poses.
"Rita doesn't talk much, doesn't show much emotion, but, it's a cool role to play, are there any aspects that overlap with your own?"
Hirakawa: I've been told by the staff and cast around me that I resemble them quite abit. At first, I didn't think I was like them at all. Rita doesn't talk at all, while I'm the complete opposite. I talk all the time and am the type to become excited easily. However, I think they're similar in that Rita has an unexpected side to them, like when they're alone in their room talking to plushies.
"What's an unexpected side of Hirakawa-san?"
Hirakawa: In terms of a gap, the first impression of me is often that I look quiet or shy, but that's not true at all. I'm always really excited (laughs).
"At first glance, she looks cool, but her personality is the complete opposite! By the way, how did Hirakawa-san get into the entertainment world?"
Hirakawa: I joined my agency when I was in my second year of high school. Before that, I was attending a business high school in my hometown of Kumamoto, where I studied bookkeeping and various other subjects, all while thinking about becoming a tax accountant in the future…..
"A tax accountant! This is once again another contrasting world."
Hirakawa: When I started my second year, I thought, "I'd like to start doing something." At that time, I happened to learn about LDH (Hirakawa's agency) on TV and decided to do an audition. Before that, I had no desire to be in the entertainment industry, or to even give it a try.
"So now you're on a path that you never would have imagined yourself on previously. Did things go well once you joined the agency?"
Hirakawa: No. First off, I had no idea about the entertainment world, and while I had gone to various auditions, I was never selected. I thought I had understood that, "It's exhausting, this isn't an easy job afterall." But, slowly, I've been able to participate in dramas and stage plays, and now that I'm finally appearing in King-Ohger, I feel that I can now say with pride that I'm an actor.
"In a way, this could now be called the "starting line." The Sentai series is long running performance that lasts a year. How do you hope to grow over the course of the series?"
Hirakawa: In the previous productions I performed in, I did kind of bad with scenes where there were large groups of people, and it was a challenge for me to show my movements in such situations, but, now that I'm mostly in similar kinds of scenes, I'm able to get around naturally, and I hope I've overcome these challenges. If you haven't watched King-Ohger yet, I hope you'll check out Yuzuki Hirakawa's growth and development!
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controversial opinion (I don't think it is tho) : I think people who hate on Shin are kind of unreasonable to be honest? It seems the core hatred for the character was born when the wolfwren ship got celebrated by the stars of the Ahsoka series, by conflicting ships. The idea she is a "bloodthirsty, violent, psychopath" is... not really founded when you look at every minute she is on screen. She is on the opposite side of a war, so yes she kills people who see as "good", but there are no moments in the series where the villainy she is accused of truly comes out.
The truth is that aside from cool fights here and there, Shin doesn't talk that much and doesn't make that many decisions that are not someone else's (her Master's.) So the very few words she does say and the very few decisions she does make on her own matter all that much more. The fact Filoni made sure that the stab wound made to Sabine is visibly at an angle certainly explained her survival, but it seems people who hate Shin reject the nation of asking themselves "why stab someone non fataly?" Because yeah... why do that? Another few moments is her pursuing her fight with Sabine in her rage, stopped by Baylan. And last big action she commits on her own is questioning her master about the promise he made to Sabine. Breaking the promise achieves their goal, there is little since to questioning it if ahe is as evil and bad as she is framed to be. She doesn't have a clean slate, but people can love Anakin for commotting the jedi equivalent of a school shooting and they can love Maul for killing plenty of beloved characters. Shin's crimes pale in comparison for the level of hate she gets.
My opinion is that she is villainized this hard because certain people think that if Shin is bad and evil and crazy, she won't be shipped with Sabine Wren. And when you hate a character for what people think of the character inside their heads... you kind of lost the plot?
I just think so many people are missing so much of the mysteries and intrigues around Shin specifically. Baylan knew the jedi order, he knows the millenias of history between the sith and the jedi, but Shin? She wields a red lightsaber and has a jedi padawan braid. When she talked about a jedi, she said "just like me." She has no conception of this hard solid line between light and dark, she sees opposing goals, she doesn't hate the jedi, Baylan certainly seems to have no hate for them and he is her master. Clearly he never taught her something that goes against what he fundamentally believes. So we are left with a New Empire hired padawan of a former jedi, who cannot draw the line between the light and the dark fully, who relates to a jedi and value to some degree promises made to them, who now has to confront the other side in a serious way to know where she stands in the full big picture of the fate of the galaxy. COME ONE THIS IS SO COOL.
Why so much hate? All for a ship? Shin to me was the highlight of the Ahsoka series. Many speculate she will be a jedi and I think they may be right, I think Baylan and Ahsoka are different shades of grey, and their padawan are destined to choose to be jedi like those who trained their masters. Or maybe their own separate shade. People summarizing Shin as a villain to vanquish really seem just focused on keeping Sabine away from her, but whether they remain nemesis or become allies, it is a bit ridiculous not to think they are doomed to have plenty more of story between them.
I like Shin! I also like Wolfwren, I think it's a cute ship.
However, I'm not really involved in the fandoms (or the anti-fandoms) for either, so I don't know too much about The Discourse. I can't really speak much on this issue.
The only thing I feel confident speaking on is this: the fact that Shin is scrutinized for actions that are far, far less severe than what- for example- Anakin Skywalker has done probably has less to do with Wolfwren discourse and more to do with plain old sexism.
If Anakin Skywalker was a female character, we'd live in a world where the character would not be being brought back for nostalgia, and her actress's career would've be destroyed.
A female Hayden Christensen never would've gone on to do movies like Jumper, and there would be no female equivalent of The Haydenaissance.
Anyway, I'll get off my soapbox.
That was a really interesting ask, Anon. I'd love to know what people more involved with the Shin/Wolfwren fandom think!
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intairnwetrust · 4 months
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Round two in defence of Violet Sorrengail because apperently she is the bad guy in Xaden's and her relationship problems.
I can't believe there are people hating on Violet. Are people serious right now? You all better fucking stop calling my girl Violet whiny.
I would like to see your reaction when you find out that your whole life, everything you believed in, was a lie. Then on top of that, you didn't even have time to process the whole thing properly.
After the revelation, Violet went straight into battle, in which she almost died! Then she finds out that her brother is still alive and then overall her being involved in the whole revolution. Violet didn't even got a break to process the whole thing properly and on top on that, in the first half of the time she didn't even have anyone to turn to. Her two dragons betrayed her and so did the man she loved and who wants to discuss relationship problem with a brother who played dead for 6 years?
Violet only really talked once about her relationship problems and that was with Imogen. She didn't even talk to her friends about it later. There were just a few sentences. She didn't cry about her problems to anyone accessible. Whenever we learned about her relationship problems it was in her inner monologue. It is completly normal, it is realistic, for someone in Violet's situation to thing about her whole relationship. If she wouldn't think about her communication issues with Xaden then it would means she wouldn't care.
Besides, it doesn't hinder the plot at all. We are shown their problems at the beginning and when she is with Xaden. I know shocking that we have come across problems that this couple is having when that couple comes into the picture.
I absolutly don't understand how people can blame Violet more than Xaden for their whole communication issue. I absolutly love Xaden but what he did here was bullshit.
I completly agree that all this running in circles between the two of them was annoying as hell and you really only saw improvements almost at the end but Xaden is much more to blame for the two of them not making progress than Violet. This whole 'ask me a question' thing is so stupid.
Xaden is the one who broke Violet trust but for him waiting for a question from Violet basically means he expects from Violet to make the first step when he actually should do it! He broke her trust not the other way around. He makes it so easy for himself when he himself said he don't mind hard work to get what he wants. Yes, then act like that.
Sorry but no this boy had the audacity to look disappointed when Violet didn't ask her question. Sirrrr you could habe simply start the conversation!
In the end, their whole problem was reflected on again by Violet and yes Violet even blamed herself partially, she was scared to ask because she feared the truth to some of her question but Xaden should have been much more accommodating all the way there. Violet's world was turned upside down, not his. Xaden shouldn't have waited for Violet to ask a question, but simply should have started the conversation.
I mean look at character 58, after the two of them running in circles the whole time, this chapter was a total satisfaction.
"I understand that there will be times you can’t tell me everything—that’s the nature of what we do as riders—but I need you to stop setting me up for failure by insisting I figure out what there is to ask."
And then Xaden's reply "Done." It could have been so simple. Because this is exactly what Xaden did with his whole question game. He, even when it was unknowingly, set Violet up for failure by insisting she figures out what there is to ask.
When you really want to be annoyed with someone because of these constant, repetitive and therefore annoying problems that the two of them had in their communication then please look at Xaden first.
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mikuni14 · 22 days
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Love is better the second time aroud - Ep 5
Miyata made this situation about himself and I hated it. What irritates me a lot about Miyata is that he creates an image of Iwanaga in his head alos that he doesn't listen to him. Miyata has created an image of Iwanaga and sees only things tha fit this image (including his own delusions and simple misunderstandings), and ignores what does not fit. I get it. Iwanaga's personality makes it very easy to attribute certain traits to him and accuse him of being uninvolved in his relationship, but Iwanaga also constantly gives signals that he cares, and most importantly, he TALKS about what he wants and what he feels.
All the scenes about Iwanaga's family issues were very telling, especially when he asks Miyata not to worry about them, when he calls him an outsider - because Miyata is an outsider after all and it's not an insult, it's a fact! And Miyata gets angry, taking it all personally, treating it as a rejection and an attack on himself. Likewise, his sense of guilt is telling: Iwanaga has NEVER acted as if he resented what happened in the past (which was a decions of BOTH OF THEM, and Miyata acts as if he himself brought all the misfortunes upon him), and now Iwanaga shows interest in him at every step, confesses his love, wants to be with him. However, Miyata CHOOSES Sugimoto's words to believe, not his boyfriend. Miyata CHOOSES his own story that he was the one who hurt Iwanaga, completely ignoring his feelings, words and choices. Miyata, as an adult, should know that he is not responsible for the behaviour of Iwanaga's mother, and that he is not responsible for what happened when they were both KIDS. Also he should know, that people don't want to talk about their painful past just like that, that they might need time, like seriously. Miyata made this whole situation about himself.
Which particularly irritates me, because Miyata has been a really nice character so far and for most of episode 5. I even liked him more than the charming Iwanaga 😎 Iwanaga seemed to me as a typical charming and seductive boy who, even if he has sincere feelings, is unable to convey them reliably, because his personality and behaviour make people doubt his determination, sincerity and commitment. But in episode 5, Iwanaga took some important, significant steps, such as declaring his love, proposing to live together, and there were several significant moments where Iwanaga was serious and vulnerable. Miyata was great for most of the episode: strong, not giving in to rumors and insinuations, supporting his beloved, standing on his side. But much of his behavior at the end seems strange, even cruel. I can't imagine the state of my heart if someone I love said nothing when asked by my sister if they loved me, right in front of me. Even if Miyata didn't want to answer, he could have just said it was a personal question or something. But he just went silent, it was terrible and humiliating. First this, and then "hey, let's break up, because you don't want to include me in your abusive family life story and I'm entitled to it". I'm not surprised at all that Iwanga didn't even try to fight for his relationship, hearing something like that and not hearing Miyata's verbal confirmation of his feelings.
The sight of Iwanaga waiting for Miyata's answer and not receiving it, and the fact that Iwanaga still saves him in this situation AND ALSO SAYS THAT IT'S OK BECAUSE HE LOVES HIM, AND MIYATA STILL BEING SILENT... 💀 And also how he feels self-pity, how he sits there so sad and Iwanaga COMFORTS him although he was hurt by Miyata just now, and also how he dramatically suggests breaking up and has the nerve to be surprised when Iwanaga agrees.. 💀 And the most annoying thing: a verbal declaration of love when no one hears it. You have no idea how much I wanted to smack Miyata at the end of this episode.
In general, the whole plot consists of people around Iwanaga who want something from him all the time and impose their will on him, play weird games and tricks around him, create his image in their heads and force him to fit into this image. Additionally, they claim that they know best what he wants and what he feels. I really felt like Miyata was forcing Iwanaga into things that he didn't feel comfortable with, and since Iwanaga isn't fierce (like Miyata), he can't show with his whole being that he's angry or feels bad, but he TALKS about it. Only Miyata DOESN'T LISTEN, he just creates scenarios and thinks about himself.
Also, this episode only highlighted the differences in communication between them, Iwanaga is always very nice, compliments Miyata, is polite, does not raise his voice. Miyata is rude and critical most of the time. It's ironic that Miyata doubts Iwanaga's feelings, because objectively it should be Iwanaga who doubts him seeing as how Miyata is constantly being mean to him and constantly fighting with him and questioning his words.
I liked this couple very much, but I must admit that this irritating lack of communication, making independent decisions in the relationship based on person's own ideas, and deciding to break up without discussing the problems really pissed me off. Breaking up for stupid, noble, whatever reasons, lack of communication, making decisions on your own, creating artificial scenarios about what is happening, attributing your own delusions to the other person, cruelty disguised as care and sacrifice, lack of awareness, that you might be hurting someone with your actions, words or silence - these are all things that ALWAYS ruin for me every couple, even the best.
I'm sorry for this rant 🥺 but somehow it irritated me so much lol Maybe it's because I really like this series and MLs and I'm disappointed because the characters so far have behaved logically - and what's important for me: like adults. That's why the end of the episode was like a grind in a story that had been well conducted so far. Unfortunately, their problems from their youth have been exactly copied now.
Miyata says that yes, Iwanaga claims to love him and wants to live with him, but IT IS NOT ENOUGH because he doesn't tell him about his family - a family that literally abandoned him. And because he calls Miyata like an outsider - except Iwanaga said that an outsider doesn't mean what Miyata thinks, but instead of listening to him, Miyata ignores his words. Iwanaga asks him not to deal with family issues for now, suggesting he will talk about it when he's ready. What is Miyata doing? Ignores the request. This makes me so angry.
Best moment: when Miyata is firmly on Iwanaga's side when he says he won't let ANYONE manipulate him. And Iwanaga's reaction 🥺:
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Unfortunately, everything went wrong after that scene and Miyata seemed to forget how cool and protective he was like a minute ago...
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maximumqueer · 21 days
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I've mentioned this briefly before, but I want to talk more in depth about the weirdness and infantilization surrounding Luffy, specifically when people use the popular headcanons of him being aroace and neurodivergent (which I would argue could also be seen as coding) to further this idea.
To start with, Luffy being aroace. This is headcanon I like and agree with. I'm aroace myself, and seeing representation in Luffy (even if it's only through coding and headcanons) is nice. I think a lot of the canon material backs up this reading of his character. He hasn't shown interest in romance or sex as of the current chapter. Where the fandom loses me however, is when they use this headcanon to insist that Luffy does not know what sex or romance are. It has this implication that adult aroace people are innocent and childlike, and insinuates that the only way a person could not be interested in romance and sex is because they are naive. I shouldn't have to say how deeply insulting it is to see my sexual and romantic identity boiled down to being an "innocent bean". I also have to mention that in order for a person to be aroace, they have to know what romance and sex are in order to know that they are disinterested in them to some capacity. Being disinterested in sex/romance (which is very much how Luffy is portrayed) does NOT equal not knowing what they are.
The infantilization of Luffy as a character is then compounded by his second popular headcanon, being that he is neurodivergent (autistic specifically. Again one I agree with). Autistic people are also infantilized and treated like children, even as adults, despite having complex thoughts and feelings like allistic counterparts. We see this with Luffy when people (whether it be joking or serious) call him stupid and say that he does not have thoughts. I've talked about this before, but Oda doesn't consistently use thought bubbles or internal dialogue, so the majority of the time it is up to use as the audience to interpret what a character is thinking or feeling, including Luffy.
And while I do think Luffy can be an idiot sometimes (most of the strawhats have their moments) I do not think he is stupid. In fact, I would go so far as to call it unintentionally ableist to insist a character that is not traditionally intelligent (book smart) is stupid. And again, this plays into the headcanon and coding of Luffy being autistic/neurodivergent. Because it is common (whether consciously or unconsciously) to view neurodivergent people as less intelligent/ closer mentally to children than adults.
I also think a small part of this mischaracterization comes from Luffy being portrayed as a happy and joyful person in canon. Because he is not horrifically jaded by the world he lives in, he must be innocent and naive. As if happy people cannot be traumatized or aware of the issues of the world they live in. It pushes this weird narrative that in order for a character/person to be seen and treated as an adult, they must be miserable and pessimistic.
All of this combined leads to a decent portion of the One Piece fandom dumbing down Luffy as a character and treating him like a child. Which is a shame, because he has so much nuance and depth when you actually start breaking him down and digging into what makes him work so well as a character.
Overall, I just wish more people would stop treating him as stupid and naive because of headcanons/coding and him being joyful rather than cynical.
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neonscandal · 3 months
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Sorry, but I need to say something I've been thinking about for a while. I found geto's death forcing. 1.he loses to a boy with no experience and the power of ''love''. 2.he was stronger and had more knowledge and experience than the boy yuta. 3. It seems that the author just wanted to get rid of geto so that this annoying villain Kenjaku could come. 4. In my opinion, Geto is the best villain. I don't understand why the author didn't want to continue with him. 5. His death was forced because Saturo already had a change in character and personality. What I'm trying to say is that in the film, Satura is already different, he's no longer that immature young man. 6. the serious work was much more dramatic if geto had survived saturo blow he would have become stronger and returned as a villain again with sukuna. Sorry if it's big, but I have these doubts that such a good and well-constructed character had a horrible ending and very little.
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Oooh lots to address.
Geto vs. Yuta
Things to remember - "Special Grade" is a classification given to a sorcerer beyond a certain threshold currently within the understanding of jujutsu elders. In fact, Gojo calls out that the curses that have been sprouting up re: Jogo, Hanami and Mahito who are capable of human speech would require a reevaluation of that scale. This is also even as it applies to comparing Gojo's strength vs. Geto's. They're both special grades and Gojo recognizes Geto as his equal but that doesn't mean they're evenly matched.
When it comes to Yuta, in particular, he's an outsider but, demonstrably, was able to replicate Inumaki's technique and learn to manipulate reversed curse energy within three months... Gojo, a lifelong member of jujutsu society, learned how to use reversed cursed energy at the edge of his life when he was like... sixteen. So Yuta's not really someone to turn your nose up at, either. He's proximally related to Gojo himself. Even Kenjaku thinks the fact that he can summon limitless cursed energy without condition is simply ridiculous and he's been alive for forever.
I don't know if you've noticed but, with the shortage of sorcerers, there's no such thing about fair fights in Jujutsu Kaisen. You can expect a 2-on-1 minimum, whenever possible. The fight against Geto was no different. Geto lost against special grade sorcerer Yuta Okkotsu and special grade curse Rika Orimoto. Bear in mind, Geto's reserve curses were split between Tokyo and Kyoto to distract the heavy hitters for at least 10 minutes for him to go usurp Rika so he was weakened. Even his Maximum: Uzumaki wouldn't have packed as much a punch because the number of curses he'd have had on him wouldn't have been as voluminous. We can say he lost to the power of "love" but... really it was a battle of resolve and Geto's heart just may not have been in it.
Geto Was Forged to Break
I frequently talk about whether Geto was doomed by the narrative and, if I really think about it, he was. From the story's chronological standpoint, maybe that could be argued. But based on the story as relayed to readers/viewers, Geto had been issued a death sentence well before the events of JJK 0 where Gege Akutami starts the series. That's a fact of his character and it would always be his fate, whether weakened by Yuta or not. Now that I think about it, I don't like what that says about the fate of Yuta and Yuji, either.
Villains, Villains, Villains
Heavy agree, Geto is my favorite. He's written so tragically it's delectable, honestly. But I'm not sure he had the conviction to be indiscriminately evil. He believes he's doing it for the right reasons but I don't even think he, in his mind, can justify the means to the end. I 1000% think he found himself snapping in that village and, after such a transgression, had no choice but continue pressing forward, the burden of the sin being too great to question. Because, if he'd taken all those lives for no reason, he'd never be able to live with himself. Kenjaku has no moral threshold to observe. He is guided by the pleasure of his own curiosity regardless of the abominations it manifests along the way. As a matter of fact, the more chaos the better.
Geto went to Jujutsu High to kill Yuta, as someone who stood in the way of achieving his goal of usurping Rika, but goes to the trouble of leaving Inumaki and Panda alive. He didn't believe in spilling sorcerer blood unnecessarily but... he left Maki alive, too. Geto's need for a moral purpose would never have allowed him to work in tandem with Sukuna who thrives on mayhem and massacres. He's an antagonist but not necessarily the villain of the story.
Geto to Gojo
Geto never stops being a weakness for Gojo. His existence, his death, the importance of him even only in body, was never for no reason. He's the lesson Gojo keeps having to learn. Gojo never really loses his hubris, even after Riko. It may have been tempered but there's still no one above him in strength. He holds Geto above himself, anyway. Through Geto's influence, I think he passively recognized how unfair things were but... it didn't really affect him the same way it might someone like Haibara. But, carrying the burden of the jujutsu world and having the responsibility of killing his one and only friend, I think that actually embittered him to take more decisive action to change things in the ten years that followed.
Even so, he was confident when he told Yuji he could beat Sukuna, the only visible threat. He could never have foreseen that he'd be undone by a moment in the presence of Geto's corpse. He was careless in not destroying the body properly in the first place. Gojo continued to be lauded as a god but damned to love, anyway, and it all started with and was made possible by Suguru Geto.
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