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tofixtheshadows · 9 days

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Sorry but Kabru is so fascinating to me as a character, in a pure mechanical sense, because of what Ryoko Kui does with him. Everything about him is a red herring. He's deliberately introduced as some kind of rival for Laios, a party leader who is hopeless against monsters but absolutely brilliant with people both in and out of combat, and who has good reason to oppose him.

By the end of chapter 31, you might even think Kabru's going to end up as some sort of anti-villain, an antagonist with the best of intentions who nevertheless tries to foil our hero's plans. He wants to defeat the Mad Mage himself, he suspects Laios of being too irresponsible to be trusted with control of the dungeon, and his crew even thinks that Laios's party stole from them (and they're kind of right!). All signs point towards an inevitable showdown.

And then ... none of that happens.

Confrontation over the stolen treasure? Kabru is literally too smart to fall for the classic miscommunication trope and correctly decides it's not worth making a big deal of.

Kabru's deadly PVP skills? Aside from trying to take down Falin, he never fights another human again.

Wanting to be the one who defeats the dungeon? Turns out he was only doing that because he didn't think any other adventurer would have people's best interests at heart, and he's more than willing to play a support role in the whole affair.

Thinking Laios is up to no good? He really did just want to get to know the guy more. He has his misgivings, but ultimately ends up trusting Laios with his life.

Is Kabru going to get some sort of comeuppance for hating monsters and not appreciating their ecosystem? Well no, he has good reasons for hating monsters. He ends up wanting to learn about them through Laios's eyes, but he's never forced into any "Wow, guess I was wrong about them!" revelation.

Hell, even his implied ladykiller ways, which might lead you to think he'll end up being the stock "chivalrous lech" type of character, don't really manifest. He has a lot of opportunities to act flirtatiously around women, but doesn't. He's just a guy whose natural charisma makes him into human catnip.

And that's all hysterical to me, to pull it off. It's a fascinating way to tell a story. To introduce a character explicitly as a rival, potentially even a villain, and instead make them a deuteragonist. It's like a magician making a coin disappear, then slowing down their trick to show you the misdirection. "Did you see what I did there?" they ask with a wink. "The coin was in my other hand the entire time."

#Dungeon Meshi #Kabru #Dungeon Meshi spoilers #I will say that for the people who come out of the manga still thinking that Kabru hates Laios or that he's a bad guy in any way:#you were so busy staring at the hand where the coin disappeared that you ignored the magician explaining the trick #and yes I do think that Kabru and Marcille are the deuteragonists to Laios's protagonist #we see more of Kabru's interiority than anyone else. if you don't think he's a main character? idk. see me after class.#musings with Dea

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aparticularbandit · 2 years

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hey eve has over half of the chapter’s word count, good, good.

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theselfshippingwitch · 27 days

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so i saw frozen empire last night and other than reaffirming my undying and eternal devotion to ray here's my thoughts (including spoilers):

I was not expecting Phoebe and Ray to basically be the deuteragonists of this movie but i have never been so not disappointed about something in my entire life. I loved both their character arcs and i loved the relationship between them. I love that Ray seems to be the adult Phoebe goes to for advice on things that she doesn't want to talk to her family about, and I love that she calls him "Dr. Ray", that's so cute!

The end to the conflict of "Ray still wants to be involved in the Ghostbusting business, but Winston thinks he's too old" is literally just Ray proving Winston wrong and showing he's still a very valuable asset to the team, and... I have no notes 10/10

The scenes with Phoebe and the ghost girl were some of my favorite scenes tbh, really cute first crush vibes coming from Phoebe, they really nailed the John Hughes teen romance feel they said they were going for in interviews

But also, weird amount of parallels between this movie and the Twilight series??? The Robert Frost poem at the beginning, paranormal romance between teenage girl and supernatural creature, the girl becomes the same type of supernatural creature to be with her love interest, obviously not exactly the same but i couldn't help but notice

Wish they would find more for Janine and Winston to do in these movies, Janine in the GB uniform gave me more the vibes of the Q5 episodes of RGB where's she's in the uniform and with the guys and then she just... literally doesn't do anything. Movie!Janine isn't as bad, but I wish they had more for her to do than show up and say something sassy.

Why did Winston get upset with Phoebe for destroying the stone lion that was attacking her? Why didn't she explain that the possessor ghost made the lion come to life and almost kill her? Did he not know the possessor ghost escaped the lab? That whole scene threw me off tbh

Best part overall was the repossessed podcast scene, i want a special feature on the blu-ray that's just this Ray Stantz Giving Vincent Price Vibes Hosting Haunted Antiques Roadshow scene

tl;dr me too peter im proud of ray for giving up smoking in the 90s

#ghostbusters frozen empire spoilers #frozen empire spoilers #ghostbusters #ray stantz #phoebe spengler #ghostbusters frozen empire

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yurious-george · 11 months

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For those of you who don’t know anything about Hollow Knight or its upcoming sequel, Silksong, there is some drama of astronomical potential that is going to be hilarious to see how it shakes out.

Three things. First, as you may already know, Hollow Knight is one of those hardcore games that attracts a certain type of cishet “gamer guy”: I’m sure you know the type. They can be more or less overtly bigoted, but either way, they’re all kind of That Guy. Second, Princess Hornet is one of the major characters in Hollow Knight, and the player character in Silksong. Third, every character in the Hollow Knight world is a bug, and aren’t depicted as having sexually dysmorphic traits that humans have: there are no insects with tits in this game, despite being bipedal and anthropomorphic. (Despite that, Hornet is frequently drawn with tits anyway, because the aforementioned demographic is outrageously horny for her. This is important later.)

In Silksong, Hornet is strongly implied to have a rival/deuteragonist, Lace! Not much is known about Lace, except she’s described as sadistic and set up as Hornet’s rival. And gamer dudebros hate her.

Maybe not full on hate, but they don’t like her. “Too mean and dislikable,” if memory serves. If I had to guess, they’re subconsciously picking up on the subtext and being homophobic about it: Hornet is the waifu of many a gamer bro, and between the subtext and Lace’s implied importance in the narrative/sadism/independence/backhandedness, Lace does not have a lot of love in that half of the community.

(As for the other half of the community, the player character of Hollow Knight is canonically agender. There are two canon gay couples within the game, and while not required, completing their side quests is essential to 100%ing the game. Despite being a couple of Cishet Male Gamers themselves, the Hollow Knight team is gracefully supportive of the LGBT+ community, and much of the fan base is LGBTQ+!)

But back to Lace: Lace and her subtext. Lace has insane amounts of wedding and romantic subtext despite only having 2 trailers and a demo’s worth of content. Off the top of my head:

association with white & gold, particularly white roses

Lots of church imagery, especially an emphasis on ringing bells

Lace’s and Hornet’s VAs are both Japanese, and Lace is straight up wearing a Japanese wedding garment while dressed head to toe in white

Visual design and presentation wise, Lace is framed as an equal and opposite to Hornet. Lace is likely to play the rival-won-over role that Hornet had in Hollow Knight, to the point of leaving the arena the same way as Hornet when her first fight ends

Calls Hornet delicious when first introduced. Then says she likes her when Hornet tells her to fuck off

Strongly implied to have saved Hornet in the opening trailer

And, last but certainly not least: the original Silksong announcement, with Lace’s introduction, came out on February 14th.

And that’s just off the top of my head!

I don’t want to get my hopes up, much less expect anything and get disappointed, but in my heart I am hoping gamer bros take the BIGGEST L when Silksong comes out. I hope Lace is complex and engaging and still sadistic. I hope Lace is the Vriska of Silksong. I hope Lace and Hornet have so much subtext it’s practically text. I hope the good end is locked behind a lesbian wedding.

I don’t hope for that last one specifically, but just imagine. Go on, pair off the one character that cishet male fans go “hhhurngh… female character” and draw with massive balloon tits to the character they hate the most. Do it. I believe in you

But seriously: The main character of the most wishlisted game on Steam confirmed in a wlw relationship, effectively alienating half or more than half of the fan base. Hollow Knight: Silksong has the potential to be the funniest lesbian W in the universe and I cannot wait to see how it all goes down.

#hollow knight #silksong #hollow knight silksong #hk silksong #this is Cassandra #hashtag lacenet sweep #long post #lacenet #like korrasami “’we popping the BIGGEST bottles when makorra happens tomorrow”’ w #the 100 crowd

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down-in-the-rainbow-square · 1 year

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Being Their Friend

Basically, a summary of what it's like to be each Welcome Home character's best friend!

Words: 1311

Type: Headcanons, platonic

Tw: None! Just fluffiness.

Home

Being Home's best friend means you're probably Wally's best friend too! Or at least you get along pretty well. Either way, you spend a lot of time talking to his house, Home. Though Home can't speak, it does listen pretty well!

A lot of your time with Home is spent rambling about yourself and trying to decipher the noises it makes in return. You two have made up a small system where different noises mean different things. In return for listening to your rambles, you paint pretty pictures on Home's walls and patch it up when it needs a repair.

Wally

Being Wally's friend is really relaxing. Wally's not as energetic as some of his other neighbours, so it's a nice change of pace from the constant hijinks. He's always there to lend an ear and give the best advice he can, or to just listen, if that's what you want.

You two do a lot of art together. It doesn't matter how 'good' you are to Wally - art is art! Stick figures count just as much as the Mona Lisa. If you're not into painting you and Wally will try using crayons, or pencils, or pens, or charcoal! Wally likes to paint you sometimes and you paint him. In the end you both swap paintings and hang them in your houses.

Julie

Julie loves to play games. She's always making up some new rules just to reuse the same premise over and over. These rules can be complicated and can change mid-game, but to Julie that's just the fun of it! She's always making up something new for you guys to do together.

You two also style hair a lot. Julie's hair is incredible in all the different ways it can be styled, so you two like to make it into funny shapes! Julie will also style your hair (if you're not bald), or you two will go and style the hairs of the neighbours!

Julie's also very positive. She's always bringing an optimistic outlook to situations, so she's a good person to go to if you're having trouble with something and need some encouragement. She's always there to help a best friend!

Sally

Being Sally's friend is quite the adventure. You're always up to something fun - or dangerous. Visits to Poppy for check-ups and clean-ups are often. Whether you tripped and fell in the forest or rolled your ankle running down a hill, there's always something going on between you two.

Sally loves to drag you into her plays. You always get the best role by her standards, so apologies if you have stage fright. She always makes you the deuteragonist whenever she can. She'll even cast you as the villain if she has to! Anything to get her bestest best friend a chance to shine!

You often have to be the one to slow Sally down when she's going too far. Just taking a moment to grab her shoulder and have a think for a second; weigh up the consequences of her actions a bit. She's thankful for your help, and pays you back by always being the one ready to help in any situation, no matter how difficult.

Frank

Frank's very intelligent. He knows what he means when he calls you a good friend. When he gives anyone such a title, he means it. Frank's a bit of a grump, so getting to be his friend is much more of an accomplishment compared to his neighbours.

You can come to Frank with any question you have and he will answer it. Even if it takes him time, or if he's doing something when you ask, he will find the time to grab out a book and look up the answer for you. He takes a lot of pride in his knowledge and the knowledge of others, so he always relays it to you in a way that you understand (eventually).

In return, you help Frank with his bug watching explorations. The two of you go out into the forest and look at all the critters making their way around. Frank's not the most athletic person, so you help him with things like climbing trees and whatnot.

Eddie

You'll see Eddie pretty much every day, whether you're his friend or not. He's always there every morning to deliver the mail right to your doorstep. If you see him, he always gives you a smile and a wave before heading off to the next house.

Eddie's a forgetful fellow. You act like his personal reminder, always there to tell him when something is due or what he's got to do that day. It's very helpful for him, as without you he might forget entirely! He's also a bit clumsy, so you patch up any scrapes he has when he falls.

In return, he makes you lots of little gifts. Cards, stuffed toys, origami, anything you can think of. He's even tried his hand at cross-stitching just to make something for you! And he sends you cute letters in the mail telling you how glad he is to have you as a friend.

Howdy

Howdy's a busy fellow, being a shopkeeper and all, so it's hard to get any one-on-one time with him outside of his store. But, being friends, you two try to make arrangements in your schedules anyways. Days off together are rare, but they're always fun.

You spend a lot of him in his store, so much so Howdy bought a special chair just for you to sit and chat in. Sometimes Howdy's too busy to talk, so you just sit there and admire the store or look out the window. But when he is ready for you to talk, he'll always listen to you rant about anything.

In return, Howdy's always ready to offer a bit of pay if you want to help him out while talking. Doing simple things like restocking the shelves or sweeping the floors way not seem like much, but Howdy usually just doesn't have the time. He also gives you special discounts that need a super-secret code to unlock (he told you the code).

Barnaby

Barnaby's a humorous fellow; always looking for a laugh or a smile from his friends - and that includes you! He's always telling you jokes to see that silly smile spread across your face. You two have a 'joke a day' system in which you each see who can make the other smile more. There's no reward or anything, it's just nice to make each other laugh.

Barnaby's also a bit lazy. He doesn't like doing basic chores, so you motivate him to get off the couch and get the dishes done. You've managed to convince him to do the laundry by combining entertainment with it. For each task done he gets to tell you his best joke, and you give him one in return (more 'joke a day' segments, basically).

Poppy

Poppy always worries for her friends. She worries about a lot, actually. But that still includes you! She constantly frets over your condition when you show any signs of illness or injury. It's a constant stream of 'are you alright?' and other similar phrases. She just wants to make sure you're okay!

In compensation for her constant questions, she makes you a lot of baked goods. And by that I mean you use the utensils for her. But the intention still counts! Poppy struggles with a lot of anxiety, and sometimes that's just the best she can do.

Poppy's also always there to patch you up when you get hut. She doesn't ask all those questions for nothing, after all! She's always got a band-aid on hand whenever you need it. Or if you're sick, she bring you some cough medicine. She makes sure to keep stock of your favourite flavour!

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most-datable-datable-bracket · 8 months

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ROUND 4 MATCH 3

Qiu propaganda:

"despite him being super popular when you first meet, he still makes time to make sure both of his new neighbours feel welcome and like they can rely on him, his dynamic starts off as doting even when you're literally like 10 this guy just wants to take care of you. in their teens starts questioning their gender (me fr) and then at 18 figures out they are genderfluid and starts using he/they, which they let you know which pronouns their using with painting their nails. literally just wants people to feel welcome and if you're close in your teens ends up still hanging out with you even when they stop wanting to be around a lot of people. also i just love them so much they are so so special to me. also starts a boys only club as a ten year old and by 18 only one member still identifies as a boy, and will get a little bummed if his friends don't want to include tamarack and the mc (if the mc isn't male) and will try and include them in other ways cuz he just wants his friends to like each other"

Cove propaganda:

“This bad boy can fit so much autism in him”

“he is sooo loveable. he's autistic. he's kind. he has a scar on his arm from a waterbike accident. he likes food when they mix them he is VERY awkward with a crush (love it) and he's so interested in the ocean. hates being all formal and stuff. his game is basically about possibly living life with a neighbor like him and it's so cool. please play this game. for him. ocean man take me by the hand”

“Cove is the best boy. He's the deuteragonist (Next to the player) from the game and he's literally the best thing that happened to me. He can be kinda clingy, but who doesn't love a little guy who sneaks into their room to say hi (not as creepy as it sounds, I swear).”

“He is such a sweet person, that deeply cares about the mc, he is such a crybaby in the best way.”

“Look I know he's already your profile picture, but HEAR ME OUT ON THIS!! He's so nice, he's so sweet, it's childhood friends/neighbors to lovers, he likes sea animals and his game is summer themed and I'm a sucker for summer stuff abhdszagvaz!!!!! The VN is so wholesome and fluffy and Cove is just perfect boyfriend material”

#qiu lin #our life #our life now and forever #cove holden #our life beginnings & always #round 4 #most datable datable character

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sugar-grigri · 7 months

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I was wondering what you think the likelihood is of an actual canon Asa/Denji romantic relationship is? I mean obviously they're building that Asa has feelings for csm/Denji (separately) and Denji has shown passing interest as well. I wonder if it's feasible at all or are they going to be pitched against one another now that Asa's getting seen more in the public eye while Denji is forcibly pushed aside.

Love your blog and enjoy reading your analyzes of the chapters/characters/plot!

Denji and Asa will have a romantic relationship

I'm sorry to answer so late (almost 2 months later) and without justifying my delay, I think it's the right time in view of the last chapters to answer !!! I think Asa and Denji will have a romantic relationship. Before explaining my arguments, I would ask that we all put our personal preferences aside. I'm only interested in Denji and Asa's writing and story arcs. Now that that's been cleared up, let's get down to business.

First of all, I'd like to reiterate a few points about Denji's development and objectives.

In part 1, Denji understood what it meant to be loved properly, the different facets of love, how to protect and pamper a family, just as his response to the antagonist was driven by his love for Makima. It's important not to deny that Denji has become attached to Makima, and the paradoxical aspect of this affection is what made the end of Part 1 so brilliant and memorable.

Firstly, it confirmed that CSM's main theme from the outset was love, and secondly, it proved that Denji's response was extremely sensitive and mature. Instead of locking himself into a cycle of revenge and hatred, he forgave.

But above all from a narrative point of view it's interesting because in the first part, Denji grasped his value as a human being, knew what it was like to be considered and loved by Power and Aki. I've always seen Part 2 as a response to Part 1.

After the character has grasped that he can be loved, Part 2 places within it, consecrating it as the pivotal protagonist: Denji's beloved, Asa Mitaka. Instead of simply mystifying the love interest as a deuteragonist, as many works do, and depriving us of her point of view, Fujimoto places her with equal narrative importance. Which makes sense, since love is a central theme, Denji's love couldn't take a back seat.

All this to say that the very fact that Asa is also the protagonist puts us on the right track. But there's nothing to stop it all being a trap? Just as there's nothing to stop the relationship between the two protagonists opening up to a lovely friendship, is there? From a personal point of view, I'd have found it interesting if Denji had struck up another platonic friendship with a girl, with no undertones.

But that's not what Fujimoto has in mind...

Asa and Denji are written to complement each other. And when I say complementarity, I make it clear that the writing doesn't imply that a relationship between the two of them would solve their internal problems. Their flaws are put to the test by the external scenario.

For example, Asa's lack of trust in others is underlined in her development compared to other characters such as Yuko and Yoshida.

Yuko and Asa had a sincere friendship, although this drifted into moral combat as the young girl wanted to be as beneficial and useful as Chainsaw Man. As for Yoshida, he torments Asa, playing the game of promiscuity in order to create distance between the two of them, motivated as he is by Chainsaw Man. But his aim is not to become like him, but to prevent him from acting to the full.

Whether it's to inhibit Chainsaw Man or to become like him, Chainsaw Man has occupied a place in Asa's relationships with the others. But again, this only serves to underline the extent to which the destinies of the two protagonists are intertwined. Instead of hating Chainsaw Man even more for disrupting her relationships, Asa Mitaka unknowingly experienced his profound kindness.

During the aquarium arc, Denji simply occupied a special place regarding this issue. While the young girl mortified herself about being a good-for-nothing, a loser like Denji, it was he who paradoxically helped her. Firstly, because he'd listened to her explanations, boring though they were, about starfish and the fact that they're edible. What's more, Fami can control those she would have starved, so subconsciously the fact that Denji offered her food saved Asa.

But this is implicit writing, as it doesn't make sense until well afterwards, when Fujimoto spells out the conditions of the famine demon's power. When we read the aquarium arc, the one who finds the solution is Asa. Denji was merely a springboard.

This episode is central because Fujimoto, in developing the relationship between Denji and Asa, also clarifies the way in which he will write it: one will not overshadow the other, and he has not placed Asa as the protagonist so that she is not a pivotal point in the scenario.

But before this good experience, Asa only sees Denji's little flaws, the fact that he's a fan of Chainsaw Man, that he rips off homeless people and even goes so far as to dehumanize him, considering him somewhere between a cat and a criminal. Instead of idealizing Asa as Denji's great savior, she is first presented as a threat to the boy. But this chapter only confirms the future romantic (and tragic) aspect of their relationship.

I'm putting my theory back on the cat, because it's this symbol that heralds a perhaps not-so-pretty ending between the two of them. Fujimoto takes on the characteristics of a Greek tragedy, with a game of identities, intertwined secrets and a series of misunderstandings, with two camps, characters also preventing their relationship (Nayuta and Yoshida). But above all, it's tragic: Denji is somewhere between a cat and a criminal, just as Asa lost her mother while trying to save a cat, just as the first being Denji saves in Part 2 is a cat.

The cat is a figure that links Denji and Asa (the fact that they both saved one, that it is linked to their family (Power and Asa's mother), the metaphor of cat and criminal being what characterizes someone as morally gray as the two of them TO SUM UP their relationship will end in sacrifice. The ultimate proof of love. Isn't it wonderful to have a boy as the protagonist who pursues love, only to die for it? The reverse is just as beautiful: a young girl who closes herself off in solitude finds self-fulfillment in dying for the sake of another.

But back to something happier: Asa is the only one who has a healthy love (or rather, attachment) to Denji. Firstly, because she first faced Denji's and Chainsaw Man's flaws before seeing their good sides.

First, she doesn't project anything onto the boy, and sees him exactly as he is. She experienced his obscenities, his interest in sex that repels her. This was something I'd considered a flaw until now, to be honest; I was afraid that if the two protagonists ended up experiencing intimacy together, it would "save" Asa from her rejection of sex. But I was reassured by Fumiko's development, which parallels that. Fumiko has an unhealthy interest in Denji and is constantly contradictory in her dealings with him.

As I said, chapter 142 sets up a fairly simple idea: no one respects Denji's limits, above all, no one sees him as the teenager, the child he is. With Chainsaw Man, the same thing happens: people, faced with their powerlessness against the demons, project their grief and frustrations onto the machine man, to the point of pushing him to live again and again to kill his loved one, his big brother.

No one hears Chainsaw Man's cries for help

Asa stands out from all this: first, she's the one who wants to save Chainsaw Man

Fumiko already had an idealized image of Denji before she met him, has an ascendancy over age, a manipulative strategy, but beyond these problematic issues she respects no limits, thinks Denji's sexual desires, which do exist (let's not deny it), are watchwords.

She, who considers him a child, doesn't act at all in the spirit of protection that she acclaims.

Asa has the opposite reaction, but purely the opposite. When she meets Denji, she's not at all interested, even distressed. She'll have exactly the same reaction to Chainsaw Man. She doesn't like him, so she has nothing to project onto him. And even her first reaction to him was far from idyllic.

Fumiko's presence is also intended to underline the way she and Asa differ in the way they deal with Denji's limitations.

Asa respects Denji's limits, or rather those he has set as rules dictated by his little sister. But Yoru crosses a boundary by kissing him. Without the desire to justify a non-consensual act, what Yoru is doing is crossing a boundary not set by Denji but by Nayuta, who is trapping her older brother in a certain solitude by wanting to protect him. The control devil is obsessed with a happiness that can only be found in the number of two, which is the common trait that links Makima and Nayuta, although they are not exactly the same entity. The first kiss between Yoru and Denji is then an act of rebellion, rather than Fumiko's constant overstepping of boundaries.

(Again, these are two non-consensual acts, and I'm not justifying them, but they don't have the same narrative function).

But above all, the limits set by Nayuta have another meaning - they're there to consolidate the fact that Denji and Asa's relationship is a romantic tragedy inspired by the ancients, as Shakespiere was. The breaking of rules is a major theme in Romeo and Juliet, especially in the case of Juliet, who must choose between morals and her love, her family destining her for another marriage (symbolized by Nayuta).

But we'll come back to the symbolism of Romeo and Juliet in a moment...

Asa has met the purest version of Denji - whether it's Denji revealing his identity, or his profound kindness at the aquarium - and she's also witnessed the flaws of Chainsaw Man, this perverse monster, not good with words, who not only tried to reassure her, but actively protected her.

In other words, when we see her disturbed by her growing feelings for both Denji and Chainsaw Man, they are more than sincere, for she has seen them both as they were. But above all, she is the first character to love both sides of Denji's identity. Whereas Makima was obsessed with Chainsaw Man or Reze focused on Denji's weaknesses, Asa became attached to both the human and the demon.

Denji's dual identity is central, with the public hunters trying to annihilate Denji's demonic identity while the church relies on it, confusing the boy into having to choose one or the other, while the one who intends to help him unknowingly loves both sides. She likes him doubly. Asa is proof that Denji has to claim his two identities.

Not only is the girl also two, harboring a demon within her just as Denji has fused with a demon, but the way their demons are linked to each other and have a history between them only reinforces the destiny that binds them.

Asa is someone who intellectualizes her emotions to the extreme, so her love is more cerebral than Denji's, who thinks primarily through his senses, having a more instinctive love. Yoru occupies half of Asa's brain, while Pochita replaces Denji's heart, totally in line with this symbolism.

Above all, Yoru is disturbed by Asa's budding feelings, which also affect her. We've seen that Yoru hasn't succeeded in transforming Denji. We all stopped to think that she couldn't transform a hybrid, a demon. Yoru is a knight of the apocalypse and has a natural ascendancy over other demons, just as Fami had the falling devil under her control and Makima had controlled many demons. No, the reason why Yoru can't transform Denji is twofold: she's disturbed by Asa's feelings, which are also her own, and doesn't have the will to make him her weapon; but above all, they're not yet together, and the feeling of belonging to each other hasn't yet been established. It's not certain that Denji will ever become Yoru's weapon, since as soon as their relationship is established, he will symbolically offer her his heart.

In the current arc, Fujimoto places Asa in Denji's initial situation, so as to better parallel them: she becomes the church's new flagship image, her popularity competing directly with Chainsaw Man's. But while the current arc shows us the downside of these parasocial relationships, with Denji completely paralyzed by his existential crises, Asa experiences the opposite.

She who has always felt isolated is finally beginning to be appreciated and loved by the majority. In short, one begins to learn something that the other is just experimenting with. Denji and Asa are two very isolated teenagers who project themselves into the recognition their audience has in them.

What's certain is that Denji's existential crisis doesn't just concern him, insofar as his experiences can serve as a lesson to Asa, that to become a hero is above all to be alone. The church intends to sacrifice innocent people to spur Chainsaw Man into action, a church that Asa now represents. Asa hasn't yet seen this side of the church, so Barem mocks her by presenting her as a naive young girl. However, Asa has the intuition that tragedy will strike, since she has a nightmare of it.

Asa's going to have to go beyond her moral limits, to take the brunt of her own popularity, and even if she intends to save Chainsaw Man as he saved her, I think it's he who's going to help her more, not to eclipse her but as a springboard to push the heroine to save herself.

Denji's development isn't slow, flat, in this arc, it just reaches its conclusion. What's left for him to do to end it all is to prove his love.

Even if it means dying for it.

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bonni · 2 months

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one thing I will say about the queerbaiting in psych (which I eat the fuck up btw, if shawn and gus is childhood-friends-to-lovers bait then I'm a hungry hungry fish) is that 1) shawn and juliet actually have a well-written and believable relationship, I'm not watching this show for the het romance but it certainly doesn't bother me like it does with other shows, and 2) (and I think this is the most crucial thing) shawn and juliet's relationship advancing never eclipses gus's role in the story and the importance of his friendship with shawn. gus never stops being the deuteragonist, he doesn't get sidelined in favor of giving juliet and shawn more screentime, the show literally ends with shawn basically running away to be with juliet and gus fucking following him because they're literally inseparable, then shawn tells juliet as he's proposing to her that she's basically committing to spending the rest of her life with gus too because he's not going anywhere (and juliet is totally supportive of this) like I stg where is the heart and soul in modern queerbaiting just give up because your fake gay characters will never have what shawn and gus had

#chatter #psych

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jellybeanium124 · 2 months

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Are we supposed to agree with Jim?

This is a question that has been circling my mind ever since I watched 2x02. Are we supposed to be like "yeah! Izzy was Ed's friend! Izzy did some fucked up shit but Ed shooting him was too far." Because recently I've been seeing posts going around saying "no, he wasn't Ed's friend, Jim. You just don't know all the context."

And I agree! Izzy wasn't Ed's friend. That's made pretty clear in season one. But has the show changed its tune?

Jim is never positioned as in the wrong for their anger towards Ed this season. The show frames them as correct for being angry and wary of Ed, and like, yeah, they have every right to be! But this one damn line...

It gets me thinking about s1, and the times when Izzy said things that weren't true. Maybe they weren't necessarily framed as lies in 1x04 and such, but by the time we get to the end of the season Izzy has graduated from "angry little bastard man" to "full on antagonist," and you don't trust antagonists who do evil shit to the heroes. But Jim's not an antagonist! They're one of the deuteragonists! Not a single thing they've ever done in the show has been "bad."

And I can't ignore doyalist factors too. We know Vico and Con are friends, and Vico has posted/spoken before about an imagined Jim & Izzy friendship arc. This never happened in the show, but it probably affected their choices, right? I can't know for sure, but I feel comfortable guessing that Vico was probably imagining that Jim & Izzy bonding had happened between seasons when they said this. Or anything else about Izzy.

It just feels like such a weird line to put in the show if it's not meant to be taken at face value. Casual viewers probably don't remember that Jim was even gone during 1x08 and 1x09. I'd guess a casual viewer's response to this line would be thinking about how Ed and Izzy started the show in what seemed to be a somewhat functional relationship, and now it's been brought to this.

I don't have a very good conclusion for this post. I have no idea what to make of this line. Agreeing with Jim doesn't make any sense, but Jim thinking they're friends doesn't make any sense either. It doesn't make any damn sense.

#ofmd #our flag means death

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berlingotesque · 3 months

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What are your ships for Batim? :D

VERY GOOD QUESTION- I know my answer should be rather straightforward but I feel I have to put some context to my answers since they may seem contradictory/paradoxical otherwise, so bear with me-

Sammy x Norman : Well. I think that one was pretty obvious, anyone who's seen more than 3 of my posts knows that I'd die for these two. They're just so PERFECT for each other, from their complementary personalities to the fact that their relationship allows us to delve deeper into batim's historical and social context. Sammy and Norman have one of the few relationships that develop the most during the game's lore : Norman originally complains vehemently about Sammy's frenetic behavior, only to end up lamenting to Buddy and Dot how 'Sammy isn't the same anymore'. What's interesting about this statement is that he says it in relation to Sammy's strange behavior : clearly, the two men have grown close enough for Norman to differentiate Sammy's extravagant habits from his ink-influenced behavior.

Furthermore, Sammy is a very gray character morally, a perfectionist who is extremely socially maladjusted (surely due to the fact that he's coded on the spectrum and autism wasn't properly diagnosed at the time), naturally ostracizing him. For his part, Norman comes from a rural background (which surely earns him the animosity of the people at the studio, given the historical context and the fact that he could very well be poc) and also seems ill at ease socially : to me, it's fascinating to see two characters excluded from their peers because of differences they can't change (being autistic or poc and gay) getting closer to each other, to the point where Sammy, who is deeply misanthropic, naturally compliments Norman by describing him as very bright. To me, Norman is the perfect partner for Sammy : ready to apprehend him as he is, since he's completely free of social conventions, without taking any shits from him.

I think Sammy and Norman can really get the best out of each other, during a historical period when being different was strongly proscribed. I think I'd have trouble enjoying Batim as much without their dynamic at its heart (considering how narratively rich it is) : Norman is Henry's confidant, Sammy is Joey's, both remain morally gray deuteragonists fundamentally opposed to the ink machine, while remaining fascinated by its powers. And who wouldn't love a good old enemies to lovers ending tragically with the unwitting murder of one by the other ? After all, Norman's main flaw is that he's too curious for his own good, and it was Sammy who inevitably led him to his doom..

Allison x Tom : what more can I add. She's everything. He's just Tom. I've always been drawn to characters/ships with a vibe completely opposite to the vibe of the work they originally came from, and the 'turning poison into positivity' energy that Tom and Allison bring to Batim has always fascinated me. In a world as tragic as their own, I find it touching to see these two find beauty in all the ugliness and manage to ask themselves 'what if we were happy after all ?' It's really striking and brings a narrative richness to the work, since they directly mirror what failed with Sammy and Susie : Allison is perfect, but that was never what was at stake in Tom's eyes. Tom was looking for humanity, not perfection, and he managed to go beyond the image of the muse to discover a friend, unlike Sammy with Susie. They're literally Romeo and Juliet but, well... Not dead.

Joey x Henry/Henry x Linda : oh boy. These three... Let me get it straight right away : Henry and Linda are perfect for each other. She's exactly what he needs to be happy : she's present, patient. There's no denying that he loves her immensely. But Joey... oh Joey is undoubtedly Henry's soul mate. The subtlety is that Joey can't bring him the stable happiness Linda can : Joey tugs at him, pushes him over the edge. He knows exactly what to do to push him beyond his own limits. The love Joey offers Henry is an uncomfortable but unconditional one, one that would allow Henry to go beyond what he thinks he's capable of achieving because no one knows Henry better than Joey ! And let's be honest, Batim only exists because Joey refuses to move on, to live his dream without Henry in it. He's stuck in unrequited love and refuses to learn to live with it. And that's the tragedy of this trio : Henry sincerely loves Linda but is truly himself with Joey, which prevents him from hating OR loving him (And Joey exploits this information by remaining extremely toxic and convincing himself that he can wear him down lmao). Henry is stuck with this dilemma : Existing peacefully with Linda or living painfully with Joey. And that's why I love the dynamic of this love triangle : because there are no solutions that will satisfy everyone.

Joey x Sammy : okay, don’t get me wrong : these two are HORRIBLE for each other. Does Sammy periodically want to quit just to piss Joey off? Yes. Isn't Joey's fascination with Sammy intimately tied to his refusal to forget Henry, who was a genius like Sammy? Yes. Nevertheless, it's impossible for me to read The Illusion of Living without feeling embarrassed and like I'm reading Joey's diary : whether you ship them or not, Joey is practically canonically smitten with Sammy. I sincerely don't think Joey and Sammy can sustain a healthy relationship with each other, but oh boy, surely that won't stop me from exploiting their bizarre obsessive love-hate relationship, where it's hard to determine whether they're going to throw hands or make out.

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