#even without all this his route is still one of the best imo

[lil-creatorwritings]

So you’ve done Mitsuhide’s route, eh? Do you want to cry even more over his route?

Warning: Major spoilers for Mitsuhide's route, at least until finishing Chapter 10. I have warned you right off the bat, so don't come complaining to me that you didn't know.

Disclaimer! I have no formal education about Japanese culture. I am not Japanese either. I don't know if Cybird did these details on purpose.

So this came around while I was yelling about Mitsuhide's route with @plumpblueberry and she was the one who pushed me to make this post. With the combined history facts taken from ye ole Google search and my brain's overthinking ability as if I had just rolled a natural 20 on a DnD dice, here is potentially more reason to love and appreciate or cry a river over his route! I mean I'd like to think that this is canon but if it's not, then just enjoy this fictional trail of thought with me! Also if you're knowledgeable about Japanese history, culture and the symbolisms in it, please don't murder me if I'm wrong. ;;

So if you've made it this far, I'm assuming that you've done Mitsuhide's route to completion (wherever ending you chose to do first doesn’t matter). I think we can all agree that one of the most loved parts of his route is around Chapter 8, when he climbs up to MC's room to "tease her one more time" and give her a present--the beloved kanzashi (or hairpin in English).

Back then, it was said that it had magical powers to ward off evil spirits and was used as somewhat of a good luck charm. These things have different kinds depending on their shape and about a million designs, from flowers, nature, animals and such. And bellflowers, in the flower language, often mean "affection" and "everlasting love". It can also be given to express gratitude. 

So that's easy to associate--Mitsuhide's telling her how much he loves her and that he'll love her for all eternity with a pretty good luck charm. But another thing about bellflowers is that, as Kyubei says in the next chapter, it is also the Akechi kamon (family crest).

He says that it's an Akechi's way of praying for you. "To wish for your victory, regardless of what trials you face." Mitsuhide has recognized that she's come to rely on him and since he isn't there anymore (at least, for the time being), it's also a reminder from him of how strong she's become as a person. That she'll survive and eventually be able to return back to her time period.

Now at face value, the gesture itself is sweet. Receiving a gift from someone you love is always heartwarming. But that isn't the only thing that I mean.

Remember how in Chapter 5, Mitsuhide surprises us by saying that he wanted to marry her? Of course she doesn't believe him, but I would not be surprised if he was 100% serious. We all know that he's madly in love with her at this point of the story. Plus it's obvious that he enjoyed playing as her husband back in that western village a little too much for it to be fake.

Way back in the Edo period (and I assume even in the Senguko as well), marriages were 99.9% political since they were commonly used to form and solidify alliances. Elders in the family would play matchmaker (omiai) and set a meeting with a potential suitor. Insert classic trope of marrying within your social status and being banned from marrying someone with a lower social status as your family. If the woman is available and the man would like to propose, the next step would be an engagement ceremony (yuino), where the family would exchange symbolic gifts. And these gifts, ranging from dried fish to a special thread to actual money, can also be an accessory.

Like, say, a hairpin. A special hairpin.

It isn't uncommon for a man to gift a woman a kanzashi during the yuino (or outside of it, like just as a legitimate present). It's like an engagement ring, in a modern view. But there's another special detail--its design. As I said, kanzashi can have several designs, which yes, can include a kamon. And back then, when a woman wore a kanzashi with a specific kamon, it's highly likely that it is the kamon of her lover.

And you have to remember that not everything was ready to buy back then! Today, you can buy a ring at any time you want and have it in your hands within minutes or immediately. Things were being crafted from raw materials and were hand made back then, which need time and for someone to put the labor in to making it. Kyubei said that Mitsuhide had already prepared the gift even before they left for the village. He had already decided then, even before he even thought of having the hairpin made for her. This isn't on a whim--this was done with purpose and intent, to follow up on his word to marry her.

So yes, it appears (at least to me) that he had essentially proposed to her with that hairpin. For real.

My mind was blown with that realization too. Because I can't help but wonder--why would Mitsuhide risk jeopardizing his whole scheme and get caught just to deliver it to her personally when he could have tasked Kyubei to deliver it to her? And it is a mere coincidence that he chose a bellflower as a design, which also happens to be his family crest? Mitsuhide isn't the type of person to do something without reason as the route has shown us, so I don't think his choice of design was random by any means. And say, for argument's sake, that Mitsuhide had no deeper intention with the design (maybe he chose bellflowers because it was pretty), why would Kyubei bother to talk to her about the crest, that he had prepared it much earlier and that out of all the things his lord could have asked to be brought to him when he was imprisoned--it was this one specific thing he absolutely had to get?

Again, this is just my personal interpretation and should be taken with a grain of salt. I'm in no way saying that this is canon. I'm not saying that my personal association with the history facts is accurate because a lot of things and meaning change over time. But even if Cybird didn't intend it, I think it gives more weight and meaning to his actions and the scenes that surround it.

#mepp #ikemen sengoku #ikesen mitsuhide #um history people please dont kill me if im wrong ;; #again please take this with a grain of salt #but damn if this was canon then cybird is a fucking genius #even without all this his route is still one of the best imo

[fangtoothboy]

It’s crazy to me how…healthy? Choso and yuuji’s relationship is? Like not that I think choso is a bad person at all but I think that because choso was a villain there was potential for him to have a much less grounded way of viewing the world.

imo there are two main archetypes when it comes to evil older siblings: characters who actively hate and want to harm their siblings, and characters that “love” their siblings but are still extremely toxic. characters like Illumi and itachi come to mind for the second one. Illumi believes he loves killua, but that love results in him controlling and abusing killua because he believes he’s the only one who knows what’s best for him.

I think if gege wanted choso to stay an antagonist this is a route he could take. It wouldn’t be hard to make choso into this deranged controlling character, his main and only motivation is protecting and being with his brothers, and he has no problem killing people. Even if choso wasn’t a full out antagonist, it would make sense for him and yuuji to have a more strained relationship. choso’s never really experienced the outside world before. It would be understandable if he didn’t know what healthy relationships looked like.

But in addition to wanting to keep yuuji physically safe, choso has always been incredibly in-tuned to yuuji’s emotional needs. Choso doesn’t really care about humans one way or another, but he knows yuuji needs to be around his friends.

And he knows that fighting and possibly killing a jujutsu sorcerer would be emotionally distressful for yuuji.

I like that we get to see his entire thought process right here. Controlling characters like Illumi and itachi usually have convoluted plans to manipulate their brothers into doing what they think is best. this scene shows how different choso is from that kind of character. choso has to do some strategic thinking to manipulate the situation because he’s genuinely looking out for yuuji’s best interest. even if choso himself doesn’t have a problem killing humans he understands it would be distressful for yuuji, and he wants to keep yuuji from resorting to that if he can. he can’t tell yuuji his entire thought process because that would just result in yuuji staying there to protect choso, so instead he gives him a sound excuse to get away from the fight. it reminds me of a parent hiding the truth of a scary situation from their child to protect them.

choso has all the makings to be some crazy villain brother figure to yuuji: his incredibly sad backstory, he’s not fully human, he has BLOOD magic powers, he’s extremely fixated on family and what it means to him, so much so that it’s become a gag in the manga (“IM HIS ONII-CHAN!!”). but. he’s just normal? like it’s crazy how normal yuuji and choso are. there’s no resentment, no need to control one another. they both have different views of the world and they respect that about each other without having to change.

It’s crazy to me how for a 180 year old curse human hybrid whose only interaction with the outside world has been with a group of terrorists, choso is a very responsible and caring guardian figure to a teenager.

#I feel like all my posts are just: choso….good… #sorry I won’t stop #jjk spoilers #jujutsu kaisen spoilers #choso #jjk meta #itadori yuuji #kenjaku #jjk #jujutsu kaisen

[miekasa]

I’m in love with the idea of twitch streamer bf eren

OKAY ME TOO!! Easily top 3 best Eren concepts imo it’s just so good and so... him, he falls on the gamer himbo boyfriend side of the scale for sure

Let’s start with his setup: purple and/or green with a dark wood tabletop. He keeps the lights green during the day or when his computer is idle, and mixes in the purple when it’s dark out because he likes the Ambiance. 

Only one monitor and do not let him buy another one no matter how much he claims he needs it. He does not. He has a TV in his room tho, but it’s not mounted above or near his desk; it’s on the opposite wall that faces his bed. Laying down and watching Netflix takes priority.  

He’s a sucker for themed keyboards/keycaps. If he finds a set themed around his favorite show or a character he likes, he’ll buy it. No self control.

The majority of his keyboards have that super clacky almost officey sounding click to them, and he’s obsessed with it. Sometimes he fucks around on Google Docs typing nonsense just to hear the keyboard make noise.

Puts in special keycaps on the ones with your initials on whichever keyboard he’s using at the moment <3 gamer boyfriend things <33

Always swears he wants to do some kind of special event or thank you for subscriber/follower milestones, but he never catches his own milestones 😭😭 by the time he realizes he has 100k subs, he’s already on 103k or something 

Then he calls you, his friends, and his subscribers fake for not pointing it out to him like sir it’s right there on your screen please. All you had to do was LOOK

If he’s in the middle of a game and he really has a to pee, or he’s gotta go do something, he’ll yell for you, and you come in, obviously slightly worried, but then Eren is just hurriedly giving you instructions, “Here, press left or right to move, spacebar to fire, avoid these, kill those. That ugly look thing to the left is Jean, and over there is his character. You’re teammates, I’ll be right back,” before he puts his headphones on your head and runs off. Now you’re left to fend for yourself, good luck.

He can be gone anywhere from 30 seconds to 30 minutes 😭😭 if he’s gone for a short amount of time, he comes back with just as much chaotic energy to take back his headphones and shoo you away as he did to throw it all on you pls.

Other times, he’ll go and make a whole ass meal and come back sauntering in with a half eaten grilled cheese in hand, “Oh shit are you still playing, babe—hey you’re doing really well, look at you go!”

When you’re not there, he mentions you a lot, because he’s always thinking about you no matter how small it is; even just the design of a character would prompt him to a make a comment, “I don’t think my girlfriend has ever played this, but I know she’d main this character.” 

Does he invite you to play a game he knows you’ve never played or are bad at with him on his stream, knowing full well he’s an ace at it and will crush you publicly? Absolutely. Without a doubt. 

There’s always a very shameless, not at all subtle shoutout to his Instagram in the middle of all his streams please, he’ll be playing a game and randomly it’s like, “Fire pic on Instagam by the way, go like that.” 

His comments are pretty respectful whenever you’re there or he mentions you; there’s a few cheeky randoms who like to make donations whenever you’re on the screen or say some inappropriate stuff, but Eren’s learned to just ignore it. It doesn’t make him happy, and he might tell people to chill if it’s excessive, but he won’t call out anything explicitly and make you uncomfortable while you’re there. 

Sometimes Connie will make a comment about how you’re hot, and that’s definitely something Eren will call out and bring attention to, more so to mock Connie than anything. 

At one point, his subscribers keep asking for more content with you (especially if you’re not there often/it’s been a while since people have seen a peek of you), to which Eren will pout because, “Hey, this is my Twitch-- now, look, you’ve gotten your Eren’s hot girlfriend privileges revoked for the week.”

Terrible at doing unboxing videos whenever he gets sent product because he just rips things open 😭😭 he’s too eager to do ASMR or gentle/detailed unboxing, he just wants to test out the new parts as soon as possible. 

Abuses his spinny gamer chair. Spins himself dizzy on it (yes, while he’s streaming and waiting for lobbies/things to load), spins you dizzy on it when you’re just trying to be comfy, spins the both of you dizzy when he’s trapped you on his lap. 

He’d be one of those lucky people who gets a cool single name user/ID. Like he gets just @eren or @jaeger/yeager, because his name is pretty unique, but I can totally see him going the typical fun gamer tag route. 

His content is anything from him streaming Overwatch and COD to terraforming his Animal Crossing island, he does not discriminate. One day you could get Eren calling Jean a fucking dumbass for not healing him, and the next day he’s doing his best impressions of Timmy and Tommy.

Do not put it past him to build you a whole ass PC setup if you express the slightest interest in one, even if it’s not solely for gaming/you wanna use it for work/school. He’ll do it. He’ll make his hyperfixating work for him. 

Plus then he’d get to give you one of his old keyboards and give you special keycaps with his initials and go on about how he’s officially got a gamer gf even if all you can do is press the spacebar <33 

#anonymous #when is it my turn... when do i get one of him.... WHEN!!!! WHEN!!!!!!! #eren x reader #eren jaeger x reader #eren fluff #aot x reader

[gentil-minou]

Regarding sentiadrien as a metaphor for disability. I remember in early concepts they were gonna have Adrien use a cane, but the higher ups weren't sure if they could portray it right so it was cut. If sentiadrien really is supposed to be a metaphor for disability as a replacement for what they considered including in the show for real? That's an unfortunate change imo

I've never personally disliked sentiadrien as a concept, but that angle in particular? I don't know if that's the best.

Respectfully, I would have to disagree. I think these two would be entirely different, and that is based on how they might play out.

The issue with the original concept is that Adrien would need a cane but Chat Noir (presumably) would not. This sends a message that a disability is something to pity, that heroes should not have one. I'm glad they scrapped it as it sends a very ablest message. They may still bring it back though, and do something like @sabertoothwalrus all left au (actually i cant remember if it was them or tizzymcwizzy so apologies if im mistaken) and save it for the end, to show that no matter what he's a hero. I think that would be better because the message changes.

Similarly, I think sentiadrien could be done the same way. People seem to think that in order for Adrien to be okay, he needs to become human and THIS IS NOT WHAT I WANT. I want Adrien to take back his own freedoms, specifically cataclysm the ties that bind him to the ring so he can't be controlled or destroyed. But he would still be a sentibeing. He would still have his "disability" and be seen the same way.

As someone who also has a disability others can't see, it's very isolating. I always worry people might think of differently of me if I mention it, or treat me with pity. For years I never even said anything. But I've lived and thrived despite my disability and it isn't something I think needs to be fixed or pitied. It's just part of me, like everything else. I don't need to change, but the world surely does.

I think this could be a powerful message in the show without targeting any one specific disability but rather all of them (especially ones like mine that you can't see). Because they could follow the route where Adrien reveals himself as a senti and the world changes in that people learn not to let their bias go against him. Instead, he is free to be who he is, and the world becomes a little more accessible.

I think representation of all kinds matters, and this is something I don't think other shows have done. That's why I like it so much, because it clear for me as an adult but also I can show it to a kid and be like wow, you felt the same way once. And I think that could be powerful.

Tldr: definitely think treating sentiadrien as a disability could be handled well with a positive message, and i have faith in the writers.

#i just think it would be really neat and not something ive seen before so yeah #miraculous ladybug #adrien agreste #sentiadrien #ml psychology #asked and answered #bushy overthinks things

[kayla1507]

Completely with you on hating the Cyberlife HQ mission. No idea how they managed to get it so wrong.

Do you have any thoughts on how you’d rewrite it? / What a better deviant Connor end mission would be?

I always thought being able to infiltrate Cyberlife without killing anyone with the option to convert Connor-60 or have Connor fight alongside Markus would be far better than Connor committing mass murder, allowing Hank to kill another Android who never got a chance to become deviant, or Hank and Connor both being dead.

In canon, I usually have Connor die in Crossroads protecting Jericho / Night of the Soul (if I’m playing a less forgiving Markus), leave the roof with Hank alive and then refuse to shoot / spare whoever’s leading the Revolution. It’s a bit of a bittersweet ending, but it’s deviant enough for me since Cyberlife HQ is just so bad, and I do like playing the rest of the game as deviant-leaning.

Thanks, Kayla.

Hi, Anon.

Ooof, how would I rewrite CyberLife HQ into something that‘s still in character for Connor and makes sense… Well then, challenge accepted.

First of all, I wouldn’t rewrite it into a pacifist route or make Connor force-convert Sixty (if that’s even possible without creating another plot hole). It would imo, be out of character. I would actually give Connor a whole separate pacifist route in which he joins Markus‘ peaceful protest to reach the highest public opinion and best possible ending, while CyberLife HQ remains his violent alternative.

…

Why CyberLife HQ isn’t suited as a pacifist route:

A) At this point Connor hates CyberLife, he’s aware they’ve been using him and he’s out on a suicide mission to steal their own property and turn it against them. His hate for CyberLife extends to its personnel by association. Why put in the extra effort to use non-lethal force when he doesn’t care about these people, in fact came to loathe them?

B) Connor freeing Sixty would actively contradict his negative feelings about his own replaceability. Connor snaps at Amanda — despite having never raised his voice against her before —, in „Last Chance, Connor“ when he realized he isn’t a unique model, a thought which is so offensive to him it actually destabilizes his software. He doesn’t want to be one of multiple Connor‘s, he wants to be the Connor, and Sixty is not only a threat to the revolution but also in his way of being truly unique. I wouldn’t call it a plot hole that the player gets no option to force-convert Sixty in canon. Connor doesn’t consider deviating him an option outside of a means to stall for more time because he doesn’t actually want to.

I also want to add that Sixty has no reason to want to deviate when Connor chooses to [convince] him when stalling for time, if he’s even able to after stepping fresh off the assembly line. From his perspective Connor is a „traitor“ and also evidently a serial killer looking at his trail of corpses at the Tower. As a machine Sixty is also ordered to avoid harming humans unless absolutely required and joining Connor‘s army would actively harm humans.

…

Moving on to the plot holes and how I‘d „correct“ them:

Plot hole #1: The warehouse intro. Connor enters the warehouse after Hank and Sixty who hide behind a row of androids, he walks slowly through the hall (if you look between the lines of androids, no one is actually there) and is only interrupted by Sixty once he touched an AP700 to convert him. All while Sixty had the opportunity to shoot Connor in the back as soon as he walked past.

Solution: Have Sixty and Hank enter after Connor through the opposite elevator. When Connor hears the elevator doors slide open, he turns his head and spots Hank being held at gun point by the other RK800 as they step out of the elevator.

Plot hole #2: Connor opts to save Hank, draws his gun and he and Sixty shoot each other in the shoulder for absolutely no reason.

Solution: either remove the choice altogether and default to Connor rushing Sixty. Or: make it a dead-end-choice with Connor and Sixty shooting each other in the head and the chapter ends with Hank alive and the army dormant.

Plot hole #3, 4, 5: Connor can not loose the fight against Sixty, because plot armor. Hank doesn’t recognize his partner despite the RK800‘s different serial numbers being on display, pro-android activist Hank executes Sixty at point blank, smiles and adds „maybe you really are alive.“

Solution: resolving all of this in one go by turning Connor and Sixty‘s fight lethal. If you fuck up too many QTE with Connor, Sixty grabs Connor‘s gun from his holster and shoots him in the head. The scene then defaults to the „do nothing“ ending in which he shoots Connor a few more times, gives his „he really liked you, Lieutenant speech“ and stalks off.

Alternatively: Connor wins the fight, reaches for his gun and shoots Sixty in the head. Therefore avoiding the out of character scenario in which Hank executes an android who he says was a living being. After killing Sixty, Hank has reached for his own gun and must now be convinced that the surviving Connor is his true partner. He asks about Sumo and if you answer wrong, Hank shoots (instead of that missteps being consequence free). If you answered correctly, Hank asks about Cole. The game will not point out the right name, so you have to remember it yourself. If you’ve never found Cole‘s picture then you won’t get any options. Connor says he doesn’t know and Hank shoots. Making [save Hank] the hardest ending at CyberLife Tower and to reach the desired hug you must have put in the effort to learn more about Hank in previous chapters. Because of Cole‘s picture being required, the timer in Russian Roulette would be extended to 10 min, if you haven’t found his picture by then you must be fucking up on purpose to fill out your flowchart.

Plot hole #6: If Connor sacrificed Hank and switched bodies with Sixty, Sixty looks up and congratulates Connor for doing well, because… ?

Solution: Scrap the line and keep only his threat „this is just the beginning.“

Plot hole #7: [Tense] Connor automatically becomes Hank‘s friend after revealing Cole‘s story. After the credits they meet up and hug.

Solution: They only hug/become friends if Connor was [warm] or was already [friend] with Hank before. [Neutral] and [tense] Connor don’t meet up for a hug, because they were jerks and/or bullied Hank.

Plot hole #8: the remaining RK800 never show up to stop Connor and/or Markus.

Solution: instead of that meaningless smalltalk you have to select while Sixty holds Hank at gunpoint, Connor asks if CyberLife sent out the remaining RK800 after the rebels. Sixty responds CyberLife destroyed them as a precaution after Connor‘s betrayal, sending only him as their final and most deviancy-resistant RK800 in line. This wraps up yet another plot hole in which the remaining RK800 never show up to stop Connor.

Plot hole #9: If Sixty defeats Connor at CyberLife Tower, he won’t be in the crowd to assassinate Markus, despite the fact that the arrival of Connor‘s army in the good ending shows us he had more than enough time to get there.

Solution: If Connor died at CyberLife Tower and didn’t kill Sixty, Sixty will be in the crowd and will assassinate Markus by default, following either a successful protest or revolution. The only exception being the ending where Connor awakened the army before death and Sixty freaked out since he’s implied to have suffered an emotional shock.

Plot hole #10: If Hank dies in Connor‘s arms, he‘ll add „I’ll miss you, Connor“ while Connor‘s LED spins blue regardless of their relationship level.

Solution: If Hank and Connor had a bad relationship (tense/hostile) and Connor sacrificed Hank, Hank will not add to his dying breath that he‘ll miss Connor. Connor‘s LED circles between yellow and blue in mild stress. If Connor’s relationship to Hank was neutral/warm/friend his LED will blare red.

Plot hole #11: not sure if this can be labeled a plot hole or simply a missed opportunity, but anyways. The CyberLife Tower army won’t show up in time to aid Markus and North in a failed revolution.

Solution: Once Markus‘ revolution fails and he hides in the abandoned store, the soldiers advance and command him to surrender. But then the sound of many footsteps is heard and the soldiers lower their weapons and retreat. Markus slowly steps out of the store to check what’s going on and is greeted by Connor with his massive army in tow.

The same scenario will happen with North, who will not be shot in battle but hide in the abandoned store by default. If Connor failed in the CyberLife Tower, she will default to commit suicide when the soldiers advance on her outside. Therefore the CyberLife Tower will not only matter if Markus did not take the dirty bomb to ensure his survival, but will also trigger the only possible good ending to North‘s revolution. With the North variation, she is the one who speaks on stage to her people and Connor will have to escape Amanda‘s hacking attempt in order to save her.

Plot hole #12: Public Opinion is unbothered by the CyberLife Tower army.

Solution: scrap it. There‘s no rewriting this into something that can make sense. The CyberLife Tower army equals an invasion and an act of terror, casualties are expected and the whole city is being evacuated. In combination to a peaceful protest, the president will declare war, defaulting to her negative public opinion + deviant army speech: „Although these machines claimed they only wanted freedom, today they‘ve showed their true colors! I know that public opinion is united in its desire to take Detroit back. We will fight them with all our strength and we won’t rest until we have destroyed them all! Humanity is about to face its most important battle, one that will lead to our victory or to our extinction.‘

So then, these were my two cents on a CyberLife HQ rewrite. Feel free to send me another ask and tell me what you would’ve changed if you were in charge, not me or Mr. Cage. :)

#dbh #anon ask #dbh meta #dbh connor #dbh sixty #dbh rk800 #dbh hank anderson #dbh deviant route #cyberlife hq rewrite #because it sucks and desperately needs one #detroit become human

[zuko-always-lies]

Why Azula Staying a Villain Will Only Lead To Bad Stories[anon submission by justanotherthrowaway1950]

People say that Azula should stay a villain usually do to some combo of the following: she was born evil; her mental illnesses are untreatable (especially in her time); it would cheapen the redemption arcs we have already seen; she exists only to be a foil to Zuko; she needs to remain a villain to show what would have happened if Zuko had everything he wanted at the start of the show (and why what Zuko wanted at start was ultimately bad); and that she is better as a villain. But regardless of all that, I think the best reason against keeping Azula a villain is that we have already seen what Bryke will do if they keep Azula a villain.

Illogical power buffs despite spending two years in captivity to the point one could make a credible argument that she is the strongest non-Avatar, non-bloodbender, and non-sprit fused character in the franchise.

Shoddily relying on vaguely alluded to asylum abuse (and a word of god statement) to justify one of the smartest and cunning characters in the franchise engaging in several half-baked plots that don't really seem to further any of her goals or help her satisfy any of her desires.

Giving her Gaang-tier asylum inmates to serve as her new hench-women, either because they are scared of her and/or being manipulated, which doesn't make sense since she no longer has any political power and thus they can ignore her once she breaks them out. Not to mention she doesn't seem to have regained all of her mental faculties (ex. her Mochi rant during Smoke and Shadow and how her eyes bulge out like crazy!Azula in The Search at the end of the rant). 

Or because she became non-ironic friends with them, which doesn't make sense since Azula during her time in the asylum was clearly not in the mental state to take care of herself, let alone make friends not relying on her status or fear-mongering. Especially when The Search has Azula blame "Ursa" for making Zuko, Mai, and Ty Lee stop fearing her, heavily implying Azula still thinks fear is a good way to maintain relationships. Not to mention two of them almost killing Aang after incapacitating him if it wasn't for his plot shield granted by LoK (he needs to die as a 66 year old man so he can reincarnate into Korra).

But most galling, how everyone starts acting stupid and incompetent (and thus denigrating them and their arcs/character growth) whenever Azula is involved so Azula can remain a credible threat despite The Gaang all being masters in their respective fields and having the resources of several nation-states at their beck and call plus a PMC (The White Lotus).

Like when Azula burned all those letters, how come Zuko didn't order his guards to pat her down?

When Azula escaped into The Forgetful Forest and Zuko said he tried, does that mean Azula managed to evaded an Avatar State power seismic sense? Or that she evaded June's shushu? Did Zuko call Toph or The White Lotus to help him capture one of the biggest threats to his throne and world peace? And so, what does it say about them that a mentally broken Azula still managed to evade them?

How was she able to break out six girls from her old asylum without Zuko finding out? Moreover, how come Zuko, or anyone for that matter, never asked any of the asylum workers what Azula was hallucinating about? For if they did, maybe Zuko wouldn't have taken Azula to find her literal trigger warning and put his beloved mother (and her family) in danger. In addition, how come no one asked Azula who "she" was?

But I admit all of the above this assumes Azula was getting relatively modern treatment and that anyone cared about her mental health, which doesn't seem to be the case. I don't blame them (I don't believe abuse victims have to help their abusers and nor do I believe that the oppressed have to help their oppressors) but still, are they world leaders who have been proven to be highly competent in the past when dealing with sensitive issues? So what changed? 

How come Ukano was willing to work with Azula to restore Ozai for the sake of his nation and family when not only is Fire Lord Zuko indebted to him for life due to Mai saving him at The Boiling Rock (not to mention Zuko offering him a job when his governorship disappeared after Bumi retook Omashu), but also when one of the first things Ozai would do after taking back power is killing Mai for her treason (imo, it is clear that after Zuko's defection, the only punishment for treason was death, with no chance for life in prison like Iroh had)?

How come The Gaang plus Zuko don't spend every waking moment after Smoke and Shadow hunting down Azula when she has made it clear with her actions (engaging in mass kidnapping with her own terrorist group and manipulating other terrorists groups to serve her ends) that she would do anything to turn Zuko into a tyrant? Especially considering this the same person who conquered Ba Sing Se as a 14 year old with just two childhood friends and her brother and thus her threat to Zuko at the end of Smoke and Shadow is anything but hollow?

For doesn't The Gaang have a responsibility to ensure that the fragile peace they have built remains? Especially when it is mostly their fault that Azula got free and that it is their general incompetence that allows Azula to remain free and a threat?

But on a more serious note, the biggest issue with Azula's character, or the comics in general, is LoK. For thanks to LoK, we know everything ends up being ok and that Zuko has a long and prosperous reign.

Thus, LoK hamstrings' Bryke's story choices; for example, if I told you that at one point Azula would escape after being cruelly locked in an asylum for two years due to being a madwomen and that she had become the GOAT fire-bender (her lighting manipulation and smoke generation put her in a different tier from everyone else imo) and H2H fighter in ATLA, you would assume that Azula would be leading a plot to overthrow Zuko and eliminate everyone in her way along with everyone who betrayed her en route to restoring the old regime. But instead we get Joker!Azula whose "true destiny" is to make Zuko have one day bad so he'll turn out like her even though the audience knows thanks to LoK she'll never succeed, making the whole thing a waste of time for the reader. And now Bryke wants to write more stories for Aang's time?!

IMO, unless they retcon LoK and/or the comics, it appears the stories they can tell will be lackluster for the reasons I already articulated. But who knows, I might be completely wrong (and boy do I hope so).

-Submitted by justanotherthrowaway1950

I think you raise some excellent points. The comics do no character any favors. Joker villains tend to be incredibly stupid and boring, and turning Azula into one of them while ignoring all of her canon motivations was beyond stupid. And you're right, if Azula is still trying to involve herself in politics in order to further Fire imperialism, she should be remaking the world in the process and continuing to be an active threat. She has the power to single-handily destroy the entire post-war order, and the Gaang should be acting like she does, not fucking off to their own lives and ignoring the problem.

Ironically enough, there's an argument to be made based on LoK that Zuko largely turns into the same sort of tyrant his father was, just acting for a different cause. But apparently Bryke see nothing wrong with extrajudicially locking people up forever in torture prisons designed to just barely keep people alive.

The one point I would like to make is that I haven't heard any evidence that Bryke are actually interested in doing more stories in Aang's time. Avatar Studios has said nothing to that effect. Ironically, their involvement with the comics might prevent them from doing more damage there, because they would almost certainly have to retcon the comics in order to tell a story post-war and they might be reluctant to do so. The other thing is that they had an opportunity to do a story in this time period in the past, and instead chose to do LoK.

#submission #anon #justanotherthrowaway1950 #Azula #Zuko #anti bryke #Aang

[sujiescraps]

Sonic and Amy marrying then having a family would be cute IMO. However, I feel there’s another route that I feel would be more interesting, if not better. In fact, I wouldn’t be surprised if SEGA were to make that decision for them to stay as a lasting couple. If they were to do some future/adult spin-off thing.

For Sonic things mainly stays the same except he has a real place to undoubtedly always call home where Amy waits for him. He comes home after every adventure (I don’t think Tails’s workshop atm is the same thing). For Amy, she is a homemaker and a part-time boxing instructor. Already, she seemed to have a life that has adventure added to it whereas Sonic’s is adventure pretty much all the time. So for her, things mainly stay the same too. This would be during their adulthood. By then there’d be touches of maturity with both of them; Sonic is more ok to compromise and Amy is less forward with her affections. With some thoughtful development, I believe this can work without sacrificing what makes them… them.

Amy is one of the few characters that most people can see having a family, but I strongly doubt SEGA would choose anyone that isn’t Sonic to do it with her.

Though if she’s still a “hopeless romantic” by the time everyone is at that age, it may give an impression to the general audience, especially to the non shippers or those neutral with SonAmy, to be like “Amy, just move on and find someone else to make you happy. Sonic will never be interested!” and understandably so. Even I would think that’s not a decent way to present her. As I said before, SEGA is/will most likely not have Amy ever be with anyone except Sonic, and vice versa.

From my POV when it’s said Sonic and Amy most likely won’t get together or as Naka said that Sonic will never have kids or Oshima said Sonic will always have the heart of a boy, makes sense because they eternally stay ageless, hence the dynamic doesn’t change much either. Yes, there’s been a few tweaks but not to the obvious boyfriend/girlfriend status we’re more familiar with.

I head canon that many of their friends are married and/or have kids while they’re not, but still do the same things if they were. The reason why the two don’t take the next step isn’t because they don’t feel ready, it’s because they see that their current state as a couple is good enough for them and being the best choice in the long run. This version of SonAmy would tell us that a couple that’s not the traditional way is no less inferior than ones that are. Let’s admit it, too often couples are mainly seen as only “canon” if married and/or have kids. Having those things in life can lead to strong lasting happiness but it doesn’t always have to.

Bonus, with them we’d be spared family drama like resentful kids or unhappy parents, and instead probably get to fully focus on their dynamic. I think that’s what most of us would like to see anyway. Not that it would be completely drama-free but you know.

A few more head canons of mine: (This applies when they’re adults, NOT as minors like we always see. A little mild NSFW)

The residence is a quaint cottage perfect for two on the outskirts of town.

Sonic and Amy are the super cool Aunt and Uncle to their friends’ kids.

They do domestic things together while at home. Yep, Sonic does the household chores too.

Ooh yes, they also train together to hone their abilities.

If Amy doesn’t have all the ingredients for a meal or missing something else by the time Sonic returns, Sonic never hesitates to go and come back with whatever is needed.

Sonic excitedly tells about his latest adventure after the day/night he returns. It never gets old to Amy; in fact it’s one of her favorite things.

Sonic never forgets asking Amy about whatever happened for her while he wasn’t home.

Sometimes Amy joins Sonic on adventures.

During moments of peace they’ll travel together.

Neither of them do pet names like honey or darling (especially Sonic) but the love is vibrant as always.

At first, Sonic had to learn to be more gentle during sex; Amy never felt any pain but it could be less rough.

Amy has been on top during sexual activity but for the most part(like 99%) it’s Sonic. Don’t worry, that never bothers Amy.

P.S. In the married AU

Their wedding didn’t last longer than 15 minutes and 12 seconds.

SEGA gives them twins; a boy and a girl.

Their son has dark pink fur with Sonic’s green eyes and their daughter has light blue fur with Amy’s green eyes.

#ramblings #sonamy

[masterhandss]

Who do you think katarina will end up with?

Anonymous asked: Who do you ship katarina the most with ?

I got these two questions consecutively, I'm assuming they are coming from the same person so I'll combine them to a single reply, if that's okay.

People who have been following me since the first season can probably tell that I really like Geordo x Katarina (GeoKata) the most out of all ships. At first it was mostly just because I have an unintentional biases towards characters with blonde hair, which is why favorites were GeoKata and MariaKata, but then when I slowly got into the series more, my biases permanently shifted to the G-boy.

I'm not really a fan of laying out why I like certain ships through test to be honest. I usually get super frustrated when zine mods ask contributors to explain why they like a character or ship for contributor spotlight graphics because I can never really say everything I feel correctly hgdsjsdgfj, which is a good thing someone had already asked me a similar question before so I'll just copy paste my response here if that's okay :DD

TLDR; I ship Katarina with Geordo (Maria, Sora and Cezar behind him), and I think Katarina will end up with Geordo :))

You didn't really ask why but I'll give it anyways :)) -> major light novel spoilers, by the way <-

I'm not really the most deep person, if a ship has the bare minimum of something that I like (a trope or a hair color combination) then I stan it hard. That's why I used to be so equally adoring to both Maria and Geordo, because hurrdurr blonde hair hurrdurr. But the more I read the books and got into the community, I eventually liked him more than Maria. I didn't understand how or why at first, since Geordo and Maria are undergoing a very similar character arc: both characters wants to become better people in order to become worthy of Katarina (Geordo emotionally, and Maria physically? magically? in terms of her position/social status? I can't think of a right word but you get it). Again, Maria and Geordo's struggles are similarly written but one of them is more compelling to me. I feel like Maria's problems are easier to solve (her inability to rely on people, her attention seeking and her desire to be more magically powerful) imo, since she's already a well-liked figure in the Ministry and she's already a high-level magic user. Geordo's though; the series doesn't put too much attention on it, but despite the fact that Katarina gave his life color, he still somewhat sees the world in a desaturated light even post-childhood according to the novels and his lack of empathy still prevents him from completely absorbing all the colors. He's still learning how to see and he is happy that Katarina is always there to help him learn how.

I just love the irony that Katarina sees Geordo as a Perfect Prince and feels that she is inferior and unworthy of him, but then Geordo also seems himself as flawed, inferior and unworthy of Katarina and sees her as someone perfect. Geordo constantly wants to be better for Katarina (and for the people around him), and in time, maybe he could become a motivation for Katarina to be better too (on Katarina's side though, because on Geordo's she doesn't have to because she's already perfect the way she is). Geordo, while being self-centered and aggressive in his pursuits, isn't always selfish and thinks about what Katarina wants too. He'd fight tooth and nail for her and will do whatever he can so that Katarina will love him in the same way, but that doesn't mean he wont respect her decision if she falls in love with someone else, he just wont lose without a fight that's all (and fight, he'll give that's for sure).

Geordo is crazy in love with her; wants to protect her happiness, keep her safe whenever he can, and is even willing to both fight to become king and throw away the life he currently knows if it means he can live a life where he and Katarina can be together wherever she is most content and happy. He wouldn't lock her up in the castle like a caged bird like what Keith and some fans of the series thinks, whenever he does have thoughts like that like in Volume 6, its his internal response to the lack time they can have together alone, rather than being indicative of how he wants to treat her (like in his desire in Book of Desires, he conjured up a literal honeymoon because a honeymoon is the only time where he can spend it with her alone without someone butting in! It's weird and exaggerated, but his desire is simply to just be able to spend a day with her and be able to pursue her romantically without the threat of people like Keith and Mary).

Katarina sees him for himself, and she extends her hand of friendship to him despite all her fears of her bad ends involving him. She knows he's a "sadistic prince" but doesn't always tie him to that title. Out of everyone, Katarina has just as bad, if not worse, initial impression of Geordo compared to almost everyone around him (Others sees him as a Perfect Prince while she sees him as a Sadistic Prince and Future Murderer), and yet she accepts him and wants to learn more about him. She supports him and wants him to find happiness in love with Maria, even if it means she'll get exiled to another country or to a far off farm! (i'll edit this with citations later)

I can't help but want that for him, someone who there for you through thick and thin, who supports him despite everything she knows about her future involving him. Katarina is everything he would ever want in a partner: someone who isn't disturbed by his past, can see through his fake smiles, constantly cares for him, sees him beyond his princely façade, is one of his first friends who has helped him create friendships with other as well that prevented him to wallow in isolation and hate of the version of himself that society created for him, is genuinely interested in him as a person, is endlessly fun to be around and unpredictable, and is overall beautiful inside and out.

Again, a lot of Maria and Geordo's struggles are very similar to each other, but I'm more interested in Geordo's side. I find it more compelling. Geordo's scenes always almost provides something new, we get to see him angry, flustered & embarrassed, scheming/conniving, possessive, grateful, sad & frustrated and so much more. Maria has that too (we get to see her sad and thankful), but this might be my own perspective of reading the novels, but Maria's scenes kinda feel the same to me. It almost always starts with Katarina helping her and her realizing time and time again how much she loves her and become more motivated to be a better version of herself. I mean its unfair to say that they are all the same but that might just be me. (Maria: wow I'm so grateful for everything Katarina has given me, I want to be with her forever (rinse and repeat for the next 5 books))

Yes I know it's beautiful to see Maria falling deeper and deeper in love with Maria, but I'd rather see moments of someone who is trying to advance on those feelings rather than someone who is still trying to understand what they feel. Declarations and descriptions of love are beautiful in literary works and it always gets my heart fluttering, but I can read fanfics if I want to see that be written in 8 or more ways. Give me some action, some internal conflict!

It also doesn't help that it makes me really really happy for Geordo that he's made a dent in Katarina's baka shield? Katarina's heart skipped and fluttered for a second when Geordo was patting her head, and it makes me want to root for him even more! (Yes, go break the bubble! You can do it!!)

It's not even the same doki-doki as when she gets charmed at how pretty Maria is, to me its different in a way that my small vocabulary can't explain.

And besides, it really is just a battle between the protagonist that almost ruined her life (Maria) and the love interest that almost ruined her life (Geordo). Keith is part of that equation too, but he was never a threat after they became close (narratively, its seriously just Maria vs Geordo vs Keith, ignoring the changes to that narrative by FL2). It's always about Geordo (and Maria), everything she's doing in the Fortune Lover 1 Arc is because of Geordo (and arguably, Maria & Keith too) and the consequences of where he decides her future to would lead to.

It has to be Geordo, in my opinion, to show her that things aren't the same as the game (and he already kinda has, just a dent though) (If not Geordo, it should be Maria). He, who she feared and yet cared for so much

(I know Fortune Lover 2 basically removes that importance of Geordo and Maria specifically to Katarina's narrative by making her an active problem in all routes, finally becoming loyal to the title "All Routes Lead to Doom", but its not like the story is digging into Katarina's brain that she's sword training for the purpose of fighting back against all the boys, its still just Geordo, so idk I still count that in my shipper brain)

It also also helps that Geordo is basically the poor bullied animal in the hamefura community's eyes, regardless of how far he is into the battle (like in the reddit discord lmao). Yeah he has the best chances which is why many people both in and out of the series find it so fun to drag him under because of his unfair advantage, which is fair, but just like how you feel when you see a small wounded animal, you can't help but want to help someone who has the whole world against him (there's literally a canon manga page with that joke lmao), which is how I eventually felt over time. He's so misunderstood and bullied by people despite the authors dedication to flesh him out more beyond being a possessive prince fiancé of Katarina because of the anime's adaption, so I'd rather give my biases to someone who needs (and deserves it) rather than other contenders who are already overflowing with love and support. Also who doesn't love a perfect guy who breaks when his beloved is harm/who opens up to the person he cares about most?

I know people will read this and find it unfair that Katarina is giving so much to Geordo, but he isn't really giving anything to her. One thing I'll agree that Maria has over Geordo is that Maria makes Katarina want to try and work hard. Seeing Maria improve her magic wants Katarina to do the same, and whether or not it's from motivation or fear of getting left out depends on the reader. So far we don't really have anything like that for Katarina with Geordo because most things involving Geordo intimidates her, compared to Maria who is surrounded by mysteries and adventure (though arguably it's Katarina and not her lmao, but Kat doesn't know that).

Katarina is already the most well-adjusted character in the story even as a child so the only thing to really explore from her is mostly just her relationships and skewed sense of reality. That's why I hope that Geordo will not only help her realize that she can be loved by her peers romantically despite her self-perceived position/role, but also be one of the persons to make her completely realize that she isn't living inside a game. I mean like I said a few paragraphs ago, he's already kinda doing it by constantly confessing his feelings to her, reminding her that he is a person with his own feelings and not a character programmed to fall for a heroine.

So yeah, I ship Katarina with Geordo for those reasons and believe they should end up together for those reasons.

If you ask me who I think would she end up with objectively, I'd still say Geordo. The author's focus jumps between Geordo and Maria so that really depends on who you're asking. It also doesn't help that Geordo is always in the marketing with Katarina in the books and games, which pretty much cements his Male Lead status to Katarina's Female Lead status lmao

Thank you for the ask lmao, I'll be updating this with more thoughts and possibly citations later :))

#mh ask #hamefura #my next life as a villainess all routes lead to doom #my next life as a villainess #geokata #geordo stuart #katarina claes #i want to add more but i'll do it later :)) #I just copy pasted this so i'm srry for the typos ;;w;; #bakarina #destruction flag otome

[dalekofchaos]

Machine!Connor is more interesting and natural for the story

This might feel very unpopular, but I find it more interesting to have Connor remain a Machine and the antagonist of the story

Connor being a Machine feels natural to me and it feels better for the overall story

The theme of robots rising up against their masters has been done several times before, what if there is a robot that actively works against that while still receiving the discrimination of being a robot?

Machine Connor has much more interesting dynamics with Hank. "It's not a girl, it's a machine that looks like a girl".

Machine Connor is cold, calculating and ruthless and almost Terminator like, especially if he keeps dying and keeps coming back

Machine!Connor who learns everything there is about Hank, but choosing his mission over friendship and just uses Hank to complete his mission is just more fascinating than Hank helping Connor become Deviant

Machine Connor is much more multifaceted and can open up his other personality traits, such as his emotionlessness, anger(ironically a rather deviant trait) and ruthlessness. This is an interesting juxtaposition with his more amicable mild mannered side.

It gives the story a proper concrete antagonist and a foil for Markus.

Even if you choose to make him a deviant it's more interesting because it's Connors anger and determination that is making him a deviant, not his indecisiveness.

Connor spent the majority of the game as an antagonist. He hunts Deviants, And depending if you chose Machine choices, Connor killed Daniel, pursued Kara and Alice, captured Rupert only him to self-destruct, kills the Tracis and kills Chloe. Even if you didn’t make these choices and made Connor Deviant, Connor has a reputation as a Deviant Hunter and is feared among those who are Deviant. I would rather see the internal struggles and focus put onto Markus and Kara rather than Connor imo he had a lot of time to do that and Markus and Kara barely got time to have personality, growth, flaws, and so much more outside of their plots as Connor did.

Connor’s position in the story is a pretty unique one. While Markus is the revolutionary, and Kara’s the everyday woman, Connor is effectively a Narc. It is SO much better to think of him actively struggling to hold onto the ideal of being a machine before succumbing after facing the Jericho leader, because it makes his story so much richer. he has to work through what he has done, who he has harmed, and who he’s been trained to be. A Connor who just deviates at the drop of a hat is kinda just boring

Machine!Connor can be so cold and sassy it's amazing. It's also a nice change from the other two stories where characters go deviant. Also I like the theory that's been around the fandom for some while that all Connor models are build with deviancy in them from the start, it's just the choice of whether or not the specific Connor chooses to follow his emotional side or to obey orders. Though I think that both absolutely ruthless and cold version of him without remorse as well as the one where he's still machine, but way more conflicted are both very interesting. Also his fight with Markus if the latter chooses the revolution part is the best fight scene in the whole game, in my opinion. I tend to pick the machine route + revolution sometimes just for this part.

I like the idea that Connor ultimately failing to stop the revolution or activation of the dirty bomb and we get to see in a potential sequel Connor being replaced by the RK900 model and see the RK900 hunting Markus, North, Simon, Josh, Kara, Luther and Alice and depending if Hank is alive, Hank works with those androids to help them and try to stop Connor

#Detroit Become Human #Machine Connor #Machine!Connor #Connor RK800 #Connor RK900 #Connor DBH #Markus RK200 #Markus DBH #Kara AX400 #Kara DBH #Hank Anderson

[hopeymchope]

How would you rank the 18 Class Trials from THH, DR2, and V3 from worst to best?

This is... virtually impossible for me, lol. Comparing the trials from each game to each other?

How about I just rank them within each game? That'll make it a little easier for me to deal with...

DR1

6) 5th. It's driven by lies and ultimately rushed to its end before the characters can draw any solid (pointless/meaningless) conclusions. So of course it's last for this game, and it’s probably last for the entire series as well. If there are any saving graces to this trial, it’s the surprise when your closest ally is willing to let our protagonist die... and that this trial contains the fake/bad ending route.

5) 3rd. Although the main culprit is pretty obvious from the jump, it requires some surprising twists to explain how everything got to be the way it turned out. But did I always find those twists plausible? Errrrm... not really. 

4) 2nd. Pretty good trial that's hurt for me by the fact that there'd barely be any need for a trial at all if a certain third party didn't dick around with the evidence for no reason. Also, the dual nature of Toko is an incredibly predictable reveal. Without those two aspects dragging it down, though, this could easily go higher.

3) 1st. Sure, the major hint given and, subsequently, the eventual culprit are pretty obvious, but this one establishes so much about how the trials work and how much the details you observe will matter that it’s still pretty fun that first time around. The initial surprise of the first victim makes for a great way to keep you invested in the trial experience. This trial is damn near iconic now, so it feels almost mandatory to respect it.

2) 6th. DR1 still has the best "final trial,” easily. SO MANY great reveals, and they all totally work for me. Nothing rings false or disappointing, and it also features Makoto finally coming into his own and taking the lead. I nearly labeled this my top pick for DR1, but...

1) 4th. It's easily the most emotionally dramatic/satisfying for me, and there’s something weirdly inspirational for me about Hina’s incredibly harsh stance during it. This one GOT ME IN THE FEELS, and in part that was because I saw so little of it coming. After the more predictable elements of the first and third trials, this felt like the writing was firing on all cylinders. 

DR2

6) 2nd. You have to accept a couple leaps of logic to make this trial keep flowing, and the fact that trial is ultimately reliant on someone noticing a candy that’s very small and hard to see while the person is also in a stressful situation and they are groggy from being drugged/asleep and it necessitates the person retaining this seemingly useless detail inside their brain .... that’s always bugged me.  The “escape route” conversation even retroactively raises questions about the first trial. Oof. On the upside, the reveals it brought us about Fuyuhiko and Peko were incredibly important, satisfying, and legit surprising turns. And it’s pretty cool how it’s basically a two-for-one combo trial because you have to solve the Twilight Syndrome case before you solve the current case. 

5) 3rd. Other people have pointed out the leaps of logic and missing pieces of this trial, but at the same time, the candlelight hanging is so intense and the ultimate reveal of the culprit is such a brutal turn that I have to give it some props. The culprit’s primary plan is ultimately one of the most ingenious in the series, IMO, and definitely one of the most twisted/fucked-up, which earns it some points. 

4) 4th. This is probably the single murder case in the franchise that I understood the absolute least about when entering the trial, for better or worse. On the one hand, that made it really fun to see the mystery gradually unfurl, but on the other hand, it made it tough for me to provide the right answers at certain points in the trial, leaving me fumbling. A big part of those issues was how it was initially hard for me to wrap my head around the nature of the funhouse via the provided 2D graphics... but once I eventually got there, I had to respect the creativity that went into devising such a “weapon.” Also, it can be hard to tolerate Komaeda in this trial. He’s even more of a know-it-all-but-reveal-none-of-it jackass than ever before, and his turn towards overt cruelty towards the others (and Hajime in particular) left me raging. The culprit reveal is good, but the motive does beg the question of why he didn’t just come forward from the jump.

3) 6th. There are a lot of great reveals in the final trial that totally reframe how you see the characters, and some of them are deliciously twisted. There’s also a ton of great dialogue provided, and in retrospect, it’s actually sort of neat to have one endgame mastermind reveal in this franchise that doesn’t involve the “They were hiding among us this whole time” trope. All that plus the surprise return of our surviving heroes from the first game! However, this is also where they officially reveal a core element of DR2 and its setting that I've never liked. This knocks the trial down a few pegs for me. Of course, by the time you reach the trial, I'm sure 99% of players have already figured that particular "twist" out. There’s adequate evidence to predict it in the first freaking chapter, and I know this because I DID predict it in the first chapter of my initial playthrough... which further hurts the supposed “reveal” of the island’s true nature when it comes around. 

2) 1st. Probably my favorite of the “first trials,” there are lot of components that go into this one. There’s a combination of two premeditated killers plus one spur-of-the-moment accidental victim, there’s a satisfying (though admittedly maybe too easy) reveal of the killer being one of the most unpleasant people to be around during the first chapter, and I really dig how audio became a very important component of the mystery due to the total blackout. This is also the part of the game where we learn just how twisted Komaeda really is, which is HUGE both in terms of its immediate shock factor for a total newcomer and in terms of its impact on the game as a whole. Of course, since it’s a “first trial,” it can’t be too complicated... but they still manage to confuse so many of us with “MEAT ON THE BONE” :P

1) 5th. Again, I will almost always give the most emotionally intense one the top slot. The “traitor reveal” is obviously THAT MOMENT in DR2. I also love how this one used the strange internal logic established early in the game RE: Komaeda’s luck to develop the eventual solution. And forcing us to make use of evidence gathered in multiple locations outside of the immediate site of the body/murder? That more complexity of that type that I see relevant to a trial, the more I appreciate it, and this one has loads of that stuff. Although I guess the investigation isn’t technically part of the trial itself... but it’s still very relevant to it. 

DRV3

6) 4th. I found this whole trial to be just... extremely predictable. Maybe it’s because I was so far into the series that I’d gotten used to its tricks by this point, but this was the most predictable trial for me since the first one in the first game. The whole looping/rollover map setup of the VR? Obvious. The murder weapon? Obvious. Our culprit’s ongoing confusion at everything discussed? Obvious. There were only a couple of points I didn’t have already figured out when I walked into the trial room, and those turned out to be basically irrelevant (such as the bottle of poison). The eventual motive is at least a surprise, but I also found it hard to accept that this culprit would really kill people over it. Overall: Super lame. 

5) 3rd. Another double murder trial, and once again one murder overshadows the other. The séance murder is definitely clever. Sure, you know the culprit pretty early on, but the methodology is the good part. However, the real fascinating one for me is the art lab “locked room” murder. Going into the trial, I couldn’t fathom how they were going to explain that one, and I found the answer both smart and satisfying. It’s funny to imagine how many times the culprit had to try that stunt with the lock before it actually worked, heh. This is probably the best of the three “double murder” mysteries in the series, but the trial isn’t as emotionally affecting as the 3rd trial in DR2 to me. Moreover, the trial loses points for the most infuriating Hangman’s Gambit of the series and especially for the motive reveal. When the killer’s motive can be boiled down to “they’re basically just a psycho serial killer,” it’s not very interesting.

4) 6th. The first part of the trial, which deals with re-assessing the first case? It’s pretty damn on-point. That leads to the mastermind reveal, which... isn’t great, really. It’s not a terribly interesting character to make the mastermind, they have no interesting motives or characterization to unevil, and they’re ultimately just a pawn behind another, off-screen group of masterminds. But then things get uproariously funny to me. The metatextual stuff is just so goddamn ridiculous. It’s frustrating and annoying how much of our not-mastermind’s explanation is clearly full of lies and half-truths that we’ll never have complete answers on, but that’s also part of what makes it all fascinating. We get to swap protagonists like four times! There’s a fake-out Game Over! These are really cool things. But it all leads down the road of our protagonist arguing that fiction does affect reality (yes, good), that fictional people can still matter (definitely) and that... fictional lives are equal in value to real ones? Uhhhhh slow down there, champ. That only works for YOUR universe, where fictional people can be made out of living, breathing individuals. But in light of the metatextual stuff you’re surrounded by, you kinda sound silly AF right now?

3)  2nd. Look, this is still incredibly irritating to me. Also, if you go down the alternate “lying” route at one point, you are forced to accept that these piranhas were somehow trained to only eat dead things, which is just... so deeply dumb.  But what is good is the entire ropeway conceit (which is a very significant part of the trial!) and the idea of the partition inside the tank. This was a murder with an elaborate, intelligent plan that is very well-executed. And the motive reveal? It’s one of the best in the series! I respect that stuff. (If I had the right to toss the execution in as part of the soup, I’d say that it’s also one of the series’ best. Let’s call it the icing on the cake.)

2) 1st. The writing that made this trial work is undeniably clever. The way the narration told us exactly what was happening without really telling us what was happening? It was a masterstroke of both great writing and perfect localization coming together. When it becomes clear during the trial what is about to happen, it’s a huge shock. The transition to another protagonist with the lights flickering out and back on is beautiful. Even the core concept of a protagonist who was willing to step up and try to kill the mastermind immediately is just deeply interesting. And obviously this one made my emotions run high. HOWEVER! I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: Kaede Akamatsu was a more interesting, unique, and compelling protagonist than Shuichi Saihara ever was. Ultimately, the protagonist-swap, no matter how well-written, was a mistake because they shifted us from a unique character with an interesting new perspective to a character who is, in many ways, “Makoto Naegi with even less self-esteem.” Yes, I know he has aspects that make him distinct as his own person, but there’s still just too much there that feels like we’ve done it before, and he never fully escapes from that. It feels like a massive waste and a huge missed opportunity to ditch Kaede like this. Now, if they had just done the protagonist swap in reverse — making us start out with Shuichi before flipping things over to Kaede — we could’ve had ourselves something amazing here.

1) 5th. I know I decided that I couldn’t rank all among each other, but if I did do that, I feel confident that the 5th trial in DRV3 would rank very high indeed. You go into the trial unable to even determine who the victim was due to the fact that two people are missing and there was nothing left of the body that spoke to an identity. Going into it, you naturally figure that one of the two missing parties has to be the victim and the other one is probably the culprit. But even with just two friggin’ suspects, the amount of turnabouts in the case that made me rethink all my assumptions was insane. Sure, the explanation for how the person inside the Exisal can maintain “character” is pretty damn thin, but once you get past that, I don’t think there’s a single false note in the trial. It even breaks unprecedented ground by continuing into another Non-Stop Debate after everyone has already voted. And of course, it culminates with a lot of intense emotion. Even the execution is emotionally satisfying! ..... although I’m not sure if I should count the execution as part of the trial, but hey, still. As far as Dangan trials go, the fifth one in DRV3 is basically a masterpiece.

#danganronpa #asks #danganronpa trials #drv3 #dr2 #dr1 #drv3 spoilers

[butwhatifidothis]

Imo, CF is the worst route when it comes to character development in Byleth

In AM, they have snarky lines that show a bit of personality and show genuine care for Dimitri and want to help him while also disaproving of some of his decisions.

In VW they're shown smiling in the end cutscene which shows that they're able to express emotions without a problem, show that they genuinely care about their class bc they want to help them fight against the Empire despite refusing at first bc of Rhea being their priority, have a lot of scenes with Claude where it's shown that the he trusts them (also he banters quite a bit with them which I find cute).

Then there's CF, where Byleth just parrots Edelgard's opinions and never questions what they're told (including the fact that the goddess is false DESPITE KNOWING THAT'S A LIE), have their achievements claimed by her and dont get credited for their work, Edelgard shows disapproval when they expresses emotions and prefers it when they're stoic...

And yet, CF is the best ending for Byleth somehow?? With them following a leader who feeds them lies (some of which they know are false) and who also hates a part of them (bc Byleth has the goddess' powers). It's just sad.

Maybe it’s because Byleth is the most like a blank slate in CF?

Cuz like, in AM they disapprove of a good bit of the route lord’s actions; they have an active opinion on something that goes against the route’s main character’s opinions and that disagreement crops up at multiple points. In VW, they have a separate goal from the route lord in wanting to find Rhea out of a personal want to, not strictly for answers. This again goes against the route’s main character, and while that main character accommodates that difference in opinion it’s still there. There’s something, small or not, that puts a clear difference between Byleth and the route’s lord in AM and VW.

The same can’t really be said for CF. Byleth never disagrees with Edelgard, even when they know she’s either wrong or lying about something. They agree with Hubert that they ought to be put down if they start “losing their humanity” (aka, acting too Nabatean) when that aspect of themselves is something they either don’t mind or come to embrace in other routes. They lose what little emotional output they had after being around Edelgard, and instead of worrying about that or questioning why that is they instead paint it in a good light, saying that that means they and Edelgard are “fated to be friends.” They’re okay with working with TWS despite hating them for murdering their father, and they never show inner moral conflicts about doing so, all because Hubert says they need to work with them. 

The little bits of Byleth they have are completely washed away in CF, in order for them to blindly follow Edelgard. Especially once the war phase hits, they never question any of her morally dubious actions, nor do they have any differing goals to her; they’re essentially a bobblehead nodding along to everything she says. Once you hit that “Yes, I want to enter CF” choice, Byleth for all intents and purposes becomes “Edelgard But They Can Use The SotC,” which might be why Edelstans like them in CF more. 

They don’t want to oppose Edelgard, so they like it when Byleth doesn’t. They don’t like that Byleth is part Nabatean, so they like it when CF makes Byleth reject that aspect of themselves. They agree with Edelgard and Hubert when they say that they “have” to work with TWS, so they don’t care that that means having Byleth work with their father’s murderer. They like it when Edelgard and Byleth are connected in some way, so they don’t care that one of those ways is actively backtracking on Byleth’s progress in emoting themselves better if it means they’re closer with Edelgard. 

For CF Byleth is basically a suit for those that already agree with Edelgard to slip on. Blind loyalty is the name of the game here, not questioning your ally’s choices over how right or wrong they are or having your own personal desires that differ from that ally’s.

#ask #anon #anti edelgard #Anti-edelgard #just to be safe #like the Sothis thing is the best example of CF!Byleth blindly following Edelgard #because like you said THEY KNOW that she's real #THEY KNOW that she couldn't have done anything for a long time due to the state she was in #THEY KNOW that she's not this evil monster that ruined or didn't care for people's lives #THEY KNOW THAT about Sothis THEY LIKE Sothis but that does NOTHING to incentivize them to correct Edelgard's words about her #Edelgard can say whatever horrible things she wants about Sothis without ever having to worry about her pretty teacher saying a thing

[gonbeeyamada]

hi! I love hearing your thoughts on your turn to die! i was wondering what your thoughts on ranmaru specifically are after 3-B ! (imo I just feel kinda bad for him... hes a scared teenager after all :( )

I think Ranmaru is.... pretty good. I definitely think my first playthrough of my impacted how I feel about him. I played Reko and Kanna's route first and accidentally killed him so I didn't get to see his big reveal that he tried to download the Joe AI onto himself so Sara would like him more. So safe to say I thought he was way saner than he actually was. 😅

Honestly, when I play through and looked at Ranmaru both of his potential character arcs feel underwhelming. I feel like his arc in Shin's route climaxes so quickly and then there is no resolution. He kills Alice/Reko and then what... gets killed in a coffin? It doesn't have any emotional impact on me whatsoever. It just feels it falls short. Sara and Ranmaru don't even have a moment to discuss what's happened before they are trusted into the main banquet. Maybe his arc would've felt more satisfying with a conversation between the two. I haven't seen all of Ranmaru's arc in the Kanna route (bc again I killed him off on accident lol) but I will add my thoughts about that sometime I play the game again.

The one scene in the classroom where Ranmaru and Sara are alone together and Ranmaru suggests the idea of them winning together.... I am very torn with that scene. I think it's great in the Kanna route and just terrible in the Shin route. I really wish Nankidai would commit to making Sara more cold and callous in the Shin route, instead of her just having these dark thoughts she's pushing away. I feel like Nankidai doesn't ever want to make Sara a bad person and always wants the reader to pity her as a character. I do feel bad for Sara I really do, but personally, I think that scene was bad writing. Commit Nakidai don't be a pussy. Commit. Make Sara the gaslighting girlboss she was destined to be.

But I'll give credit where credit is due and I really liked the scene in Kanna's route. I thought it was emotionally fulfilling and that's what I'm looking for when it comes to Kanna's route. The cg of Sara with watery eyes was nice too.

I liked the scene that played out after you discovered the doll's system. Ranmaru sees that he can upgrade parts of his body and without much thinking, he pops off his hand. He freaks out over this discovery and admits that some small part of himself deep down hoped that he was still human. He's then comforted by one of the Yabusame's when they say the fact that he was hopeful is proof that he was human enough (or smth like that) and Idk i just like that scene a lot :) good portrayal of character right there

Another scene I liked was when you find Ranmaru considering tagging Kurumada because he was afraid for his life. Even with Kurumada saying it was okay and that he wanted Ranmaru to survive, Ranmaru decides that he can't go through with something like that and would rather harbor whatever consequence comes from being it. I thought that was a great scene and again another good portrayal of his character.

I like that Ranmaru has these dark thoughts and moments of self-doubts throughout the chapter, but remains hopeful and chooses to do better (at least........ for the most part............klerjwerwiourqe....) I like that he's a little shy and crushes on Sara pretty quickly. I think he's a little awkward and honestly? Best characterization of a 15-18 year old boy if I've ever seen one . They are all crazy 😐 (/j)

All in all I like Ranmaru in Kanna's route, and I like Ranmaru in Shin's route (IN THEORY.) He's dropped down in the rankings as one of my favs but I still like him enough

#wow.... didn't mean to type an essay. 😳 #yttd spoilers #ch3 spoilers #sorry i took so long to answer this one I've had so many thoughts abt ranmaru i didn't know how to articulate

[generalexcuse]

Alright. I am beating a dead horse here but taking time off of this show and fandom did not work. This will be the last time I ever say something about it but it’s upsetting to me so I need to vent. And to everyone saying “You are an adult man and this is fiction, why are you so obsessed? Weirdo. Learn to differentiate between fiction and reality.” I am going to address these notions as well as other problems I am having here. But really, Inuyasha was one of my first Anime, I have many dear memories and especially Rin was one of my all time favourite characters. Seeing her being mistreated like this upsets me. Ofc it does because if you watch something in formative years it’s not just fiction like a boring sitcom you watch now. Shows and characters are important to people and to simply dismiss it like that even if they would have been equally upset if it wouldnt have become canon, is infuriating. Really this is just therapeutic for me because even after weeks it’s still so baffling to me. Also please excuse the grammar and spelling mistakes. I am not a native speaker.

So the problem is obviously Sessrin and how it’s done because while I absolutely dont agree with this pairing, it would have been fine if it wasnt like it is. 

In the original show, Rin is an 8 yo child and her entire character reflects just that. She behaves like a child and depends on others. She has also been traumatized, doesnt speak at the beginning of the show and dies twice. Both times she is saved by or because of Sesshomaru. In many ways, while she has survival skills on her own, she depends on his presence alone to keep danger away. He also leaves her with trustworthy humans at the end but stays in her life as a protector. Now I like the original dynamic. It’s sweet, innocent and both characters grow because of it. Rin can work through her traumatic experiences, learns to trust others and Sesshomaru becomes a better person.  What happens afterwards only happens offscreen right until Rin gives birth to his children at the crippling old age of 15. 15. My lil sis is 16 now and couldnt consent to something like that. And she is mature af. It’s ridiculous. My blood boils just typing that shit out. And if you give me the ‘it’s legal in Japan’ excuse. In Germany a 14 yo can be with a 20 yo sexually. Still not okay in societies eyes and on tv it’s never shown as something positive. It’s even explicitly forbidden for authority figures like teachers or protectors to be with their protégé before the age of 18 because the chances of even unintentional grooming are too high. 

Now lets take a quick break and discuss how this kind of relationship usually plays out in other fictional pieces. A minor with an adult is something that is being portrayed at times and I dont have a problem with that. The problem is how it’s being done in Yashahime. And I dont mean the nonexisting character development but the fact that even in adult fiction this type of relationship isnt depicted positively. And this show is for young adults and teens that will exist way after all the discourse as the official sequel to Inuyasha. A cult anime. Meaning that in the future young people will watch it. Just like many still watch Inuyasha to this day. It’s on Netflix for fucks sake. Just to preface what comes next.   Some people say, “But cant you differentiate between reality and fiction?!?!?!” Adults can but younger people havent developed this ability to the same extent.   What happened to Rin was statutory r*pe in the USA, illegal even in Germany and should have been depicted as such unless the showrunners and fandom are okay with watching it without criticism or deconstruction. At best it was done with the intention to please the fanbase but really it’s neglectful to anyother part of the present and future audience. Not even most Animes do that. And I get that Sessriners arent into that shit in real life and an adult show could have gone this route because the viewers understand and add the criticism in their heads. Not ideal but whatever to me. But a YA show to go this route is so wrong on so many levels. The younger viewer who will watch this show in the following years might subconsciously internalize that this is acceptable under certain conditions when it’s not criticized properly on the show. That lowers their alertness when an adult actually starts to groom them. How dense do you have to be to assume that the lack of criticism on this YA show is a good thing?? Not everyone who will ever watch this show is an adult or capable of the same reasoning.

But another thing: for the same reason r*pe isnt depicted in a positive light, these types of relationships arent either. Because it’s not a positive thing and most people and showrunners dont want to see or create it as positive. Even in adult fiction, even in other anime, the media critizes and deconstructs what it’s showing because normally the showmakers dont approve but show it for realisitc or dramatic reasons. the same sessrin storyline would fit a fucking horror or thriller series. Just change the music and show it all. No showmakers in their right mind would go “Aye we got a r*pe scene coming up, lets put romantic music and have a pink filter over it.” “But it’s a different time and culture!” People will say and I agree but to have the audacity to assume that back then it was okay or that in todays Japan it’s okay, is fucked up. Think about it for a second. That’s so fucked up to think. Even if the society back then or in Japan thinks it’s okay, does it make it okay? 15 yo girls werent able to consent to adults and bear their children back then. They had to. They were raised with the expectations and they simply grew up thinking that it was the normal thing. But that doesnt make it right. That’s just societal grooming which did not prepare them in any way or allowed them the human dignity that they would have deserved. To now act like it’s all cool to just show the “positive” aspects or to twist it into something positive is so fucked up. Child Brides are a fucked up concept and to portray it as anything else is fucked up and also undermines the experience many girls still have to make. period.

I heard people say that it’s okay to portray it in this way because “Sesshomaru is not human!!!1″ and that’s correct. He is not. BUT, it’s not about being human but about maturity, consens, and independency. Him being a yokai makes it worse imo because there is an obvious power discrepancy. But in this particular fiction a good relationship could have been established (Kagome and Inuyasha for example) on those foundations but they did not because I can only assume they wanted Sesshomaru to smash and the show to pick up at a point where the other characters arent too old to be cool.

“What’s with Sango and Miroku, Kagome and Inuyasha?? It’s the same!” No it’s not. Rin was 8 at the beginning of the show. Kagome was 15 and Sango was 16-17 when they met their significant others. If you now tell me that you think 8 to be comparable to 15-17, I must ask you to get a reality check. Kagome’s and Sango’s relationships were slowburns starting when they already were able to have sexual and romantical feelings. Rin was a child. And Kagome did not kiss Inuyasha until they knew each other for a long ass period of time and bonded as friends and maybe more. Sesshomaru and Rin never were friends in the same way that Kagome and Inuyasha were because the maturity levels are way off. No adult is friends with a little child in the same way they are friends with their adult friends. And normally you dont grow into such a friendship but in the rare case you do, it’s not when she is 15 but maybe 20 or 25. 

Last but not least, Rin is not a character to the audience the same way Kagome or Sango are. Why? Because she was never shown as an adult or 3 Dimensional character to the audience. We know her as a child who wants to be with her trusted group. She is naive, but tough and doesnt have any motivation or drive on her own outside her group. Like every child she clung to the adults around her and her world outside of this group was nonexisting. Kagome wanted to be successful in school, Sango was a demon hunter and wanted to find her brother. Those are motivations and traits that dont circle around the love interest. Rin never had those because she was not developed to that point. Because she was a child and her entire existence was to develop Sesshomaru and to perhaps give the viewer a character to simply adore. What we see is of her: Mistreated child, -> Dead child -> Child being looked after and healing, -> Child not being homeless anymore -> ????? -> Teenager getting knocked up, pumping out main characters and then getting yeeted into a tree. 

This is not the way you treat a beloved character. There is no dignity to her character. “But she is fictional!!1″ Yes she is. But please show me a show that treats its child characters like this without criticizing it. 

I would have loved to see her grow as her own person. Go on her own adventures or learning a craft or developing meaningful bonds with other characters her age. Forming ideas that dont revolve around Sesshomaru alone. You know her being 3 Dimentional and not just there to pump out main characters. And if she then with 20 or 25 met Sesshomaru again and thought he was the hottest shit, I would have been fine with it. Not happy but fine. But in the little time we saw her as ‘not a child’, she still behaved the way she did before. 

#anti sessrin

[akampana]

Continuation of this ask

Bedivere x Arturia - Ship it

What made you ship it?

TBH I was one of those few people who shipped it based on that like 2 second scene at the end of FSN. The Camelot Singularity just reinforced it. A lot came from the original Arthurian legend as well. Bedivere is similarly insanely loyal as he is in the game, and like in Fate lore, he’s been with Arthur longer than most.

What are your favorite things about the ship?

He journeyed so far for so long just to see her smile OH MY GOD BRB IM SOBBING HOLY CRAP CAN YOU JUST IMAGINE—

I’m a sucker for intensely loyal knights and I will always be. ALWAYS.

THE ANGST POTENTIALLLLLL but also THE FLUFF POTENTIALLLL

This man loved his king so bloody intensely. So strongly that his desire to see her survived the test of time. To be loved so much, so unconditionally for a thousand and a half years? Gods, that’s just too much, man. ;-;

And I absolutely adore how much it means to him to remain her knight, even if he tends to be insecure about the limb that he lacks, and how he believes he is nothing special in comparison with everyone else. I love that Arturia recognizes his strength and his worth, even if he himself can’t see it.

THE ENTIRE CONFRONTATION IN THE THRONE ROOM LET ME TELL YOU I WAS CRYING SOOOOO HARD THROUGHOUT THAT IK NIT EVEN KIDDING

THIS, the MINDBREAK Arturia goes through when she tries to remember

Is there an unpopular opinion you have on your ship?

I think that THIS SHIP NEEDS MORE LOVE AND I REALLY OUGHT TO CONTRIBUTE

All the other answers below cut!

Irisviel x Arturia - Ship It

What made you ship it?

I think I was bound to the moment I watched Fate Zero. When I was younger it was overshadowed by the feels Diarturia brought and not to mention Kiritsugu and Iri but this ship is damn good on its own.

What sold it though, is the argument she and Kiritsugu have in Episode 16, right after the last Saber and Lancer fight. Irisviel, who we all know loves her husband so much, forced Kiritsugu to answer Saber. That’s just how important Arturia was to her.

What are your favorite things about the ship?

I think they both found in each other something they themselves lack. It’s actually kind of funny. Arturia is human, and yet she’s so heavily consumed by her ideals that she doesn’t act like one. Irisviel, on the other hand, is not human, and yet everything that she does and wants to do is exactly that.

Throughout the anime, Being with Iri puts Saber into such mundane, ordinary situations that it teaches her to live. The suits, the escorting, being a passenger instead of a driver, appreciating the water by the seashore, etc. It's like the woman wants to leave her with some appreciation for the world, especially when she herself doesn’t have all that much time left.

On Irisviel’s part, I think she found in Saber the companionship she would have wanted from Kiritsugu during the last few days she remained on the Earth. Arturia had been the perfect knight in shining armor, taking Irisviel around to see the world as much as they could amidst a war. If they’d just had more time, I have no doubt Arturia would have taken Irisviel even more places, you know?

It makes me sad :( but in a good way.

Is there an unpopular opinion you have on your ship?

I’m pretty sure Irisviel would wear the pants in this relationship ya know what I mean? Hahaha

Much as I love this ship, I think that it becomes all the more valuable because of how it ended. To each other, they were this brief, fleeting feeling of happiness. A love that was so short and yet so strong.

Shirou x Arturia - Don't Ship it

Hooooooo boi. Hear me out, mkay ? But this is just my personal opinion so pls no hate

Why don't you ship it?

I’m gonna start out by saying I don’t think I need to, tbh. Hahaha there’s enough content for this ship being fed to us, so my liking it or not is immaterial. But the reason is well...I watched FSN and Shirou x Saber was...not the best thing about it (the best thing about it was the soundtrack omg iconic) Shirou comes off as a bit of a misogynist, and kind of immature, and the whole time it’s like he doesn’t really listen to Arturia at all. Plus, it’s kind of like he just likes her looks at times. The final deciding factor was the date scene. That was just unbearable.

But then I go online and I see all this good stuff about them. And my friend ships them cause they’re canon, right? So, I’m like okay, what if I judged too quickly, let’s play the VN...and I did. And I still didn’t like him with Saber at all. So, I played the next route, watched the next anime, trying to redeem 1st route Shirou as much as I could but it just....didn’t happen. I think I can safely say I tried to like them. I really did. But no.

What would have made you like it?

Removing the misogyny and the immaturity and letting him listen to her. Like he should have.

At no point in their interactions did it feel like they were standing on equal ground, ever. Either he was speaking over her or the opposite. So less of that and a lot more respect.

And when you compare this relationship to what he has with like with his other two love interests, it makes this ship fall completely flat. It’s pretty...bland and honestly kind of shallow. It’s like the story just tells you they’re in love but there’s no answer to why they’re in love. Make him fall in love with her for her without necessarily forcing his need to save everyone on her.

Despite not shipping it, do you have anything positive to say about it?

I may not like how they got there, but in the end Arturia was able to pass peacefully.

I acknowledge that Shirou was important and made a change in her life.

That ending scene where they meet after so long, NGL is pretty sweet.

A lot of my headcanons happen post-Shirou, so there’s also that.

Archer x Rin -Ship it

What made you ship it?

Tsundere x Cynic has gotta be one of the best dynamics out there.

What are your favorite things about the ship?

His true identity. The fact that she dragged him all the way across space and time to return as her Servant, that’s just bloody fate at work.

The fact that he keeps acknowledging she’s a strong Master despite his later conduct in UBW.

Archer is ridiculously crass and Rin is easily riled up. In the Fifth Holy Grail War, they had the best Master-Servant relationship period. They have this explosive chemistry that just works so well.

When he smiles at her at the end of the route, and you just know that Tohsaka’s gonna be stubborn enough to make sure Shirou doesn’t end up going down the exact same path.

I think it’s sweet that he ends up going along with her whims because he secretly likes housework.

THE PRINCESS CARRY/ CATCH. MAN OH MAN.

Unlike the previous ship mentioned here, these two actually stand on equal ground with each other.

Is there an unpopular opinion you have on your ship?

I don't think it's exactly an unpopular opinion, but I think they really ought to have more official content y'know? Rin is important in every route, and Archer's the actual climax of UBW and also entirely significant across three routes.

Medusa x Sakura - Don't ship it

Why don't you ship it?

Because while journeying through the routes, I always saw Rider as more of a best friend/sort of motherly figure to Sakura.

Or that Rider fulfilled the kind of relationship that she wanted to have with Rin, while Sakura unknowingly filled the void Medusa's sisters left in her life. I thought she was more of a guardian angel really, not a romantic interest. Kind of like how Heracles was to Illya.

What would have made you like it?

If I could maybe forget about the threesome with Shirou and the implied romantic feelings Rider has for him in Ataraxia that would be great.

Despite not shipping it, do you have anything positive to say about it?

Sakura deserves all the happiness in the world and I really do believe that Rider could fulfill that.

This ship DEFINITELY DEFINITELYYYYYY NEEDS MORE CONTENT

Diarmuid x Cú - Ship it

What made you ship it?

oooh this probably sounds surprising since based on my content you'd think, no i dont ship this BUT I DOOOOOOO (i just happen to hc them as bros more often)

Honestly what did make me ship it is the parallels.

What are your favorite things about the ship?

IMO They have the biggest potential for hurt/comfort amongst all the ships mentioned here.

They can help each other get through their trauma. Their whole relationship would be extremely healing and supportive.

I love that Diarmuid seems to have idolized Cú Chulainn at some point and honestly who wouldn't be honored to stand beside him, no?

They could be up to the funniest shenanigans because Cú is chaos and Diarmuid would absolutely be an enabler because when he isn't angst-ing he's super damn chill.

Bros being bros hahahah...unless?

Is there an unpopular opinion you have on your ship?

Not really. Maybe that I think Lancer Diar and Cascu would get along better and Saber Diar and Lancer Cu would also get along better but honestly any form is good this ship is good

#akampana asks #bedivere #arturia pendragon #artoria pendragon #irisviel von einzbern #emiya Shirou #archer #rin #tohsaka rin #Medusa #sakura #sakura matou #diarmuid ua duibhne #cu chulainn #long post

[pseudofaux]

Hi Pseu! I have a quick question for you if it’s okay? I think we seem to have very similar tastes in love interests and games, saying that - who are your favourite IkeSen suitors? Out of all the games etc that I’ve seen you post about, it’s the only one I’ve never actually played. I’ve downloaded it, but I feel a bit overwhelmed by the choices... too many attractive choices 🥵

Hello! This is absolutely okay! ♥️♥️ I’ll try to give you the best recommendations I can without any spoilers, and I really really hope you’ll enjoy the game. IkeSen is great!

Short answer if you just really want to get into it: I think Masamune is one of the best characters to play first, and I recommend starting with his route.

My other favorites with routes out are:

Hideyoshi

Kenshin

Shingen

[Nobunaga also has an incredible route and is an incredible character. I’ve said a few times that even though Nobunaga isn’t my favorite character (I do love him, just gotta narrow the field) I think he’s one of the BEST otome characters, and that opinion only gets stronger over time. 🦅♥️]

I recommend Masamune because he is S E X Y in a very high intensity, high energy way (big “prime of young adulthood” vibes), and the struggles in his route for both Masamune and the main character are handled well, I think. His voice actor delivers some knockout lines and the script really takes you to some sensitive, sad, sexy, and funny places. Definitely gives you both sides of the tragedy and comedy coin— it made me so, so concerned and made me laugh. It’s a good experience with the other characters but keeps the narrative tight around them. (To be honest, Masamune’s premium scenes 2-5 do not disappoint; I really love 3 even though it’s not the sexiest of the bunch. It’s like him being so sexy makes this more dramatic/less sexy premium scene extra worth it, imo!) 💙🖤🌙

The struggle of Hideyoshi’s route/character (and MC, though ymmv) is a little more pat, I’d say, but if you play SLBP and have been wondering where all the supposed lovers of “Hideyoshi of a thousand lovers” are, this route gets into that in a way I still find refreshing years later! Big T E N D E R N E S S energy (think: lovemaking in every sense of the word, no matter the speed), big C A R E energy. All the joyful scenes in Hideyoshi’s route made my cheeks hurt from smiling. Also a fairly good “deeper intro to the cast” route. Don’t let the common route turn you off of Hideyoshi is one of my biggest IkeSen warnings. (Premium story 4 is the don’t miss 🥵 for me, and 5 is like one of my personal favorites in the game.) 💚🧡😌

I would not recommend Kenshin as your first route because he may warp your expectations of the game. 🤣 But DEFINITELY PLAY HIM. They all have some tortured past (of course), but Kenshin’s the beautiful with a tortured past one and is he ever beautiful. 🥵 Because of his character’s, uh... “directness”, I think it helps to be into him/a little in love with him before you start. Thankfully any other route will probably check that box for you! It’s hard to talk at depth about why Kenshin’s route is so amazing without spoiling it, but if our tastes are similar I’m confident you’ll really love him. (Premium scene 3 is 🥵 for me!) 💚💙🐇

Shingen is hard, hard, hard direct hit OR miss, it seems. The players who love him love him a lot, and for others his route seems to have really missed. I LOOOOOOOVED ITTTT and I LOOOOOVE HIMMMMM and I LOOOOOOVE MC in Shingen’s route (I think she’s 24/7 great but I extra loved her here). He is so damn smooth and Cybird made me buy it the entire time, he offers the strongest wooing of the game by far if you’re feeling that. You need to be willing to believe the lines he gives you, but I guess just know he means them and isn’t saying them to be a cad or anything. He woodworks. He makes carpentry VERY sexy. (Premium story 4 is where it is AT. 5 is very good, too.) ♥️📏🤸🏻‍♀️

Please come back and tell me how you feel about it when you start! Have fun!!! ♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️

[rosemary-is-in-pesterquest]

literally I was watching someone's playthrough of pesterquest as it was being released, and I almost finished it, but then I got spoiled for the fact that Ult Dirk shows up, and it totally knocked me off the wagon. like I've had it in my head that eventually I'll go watch Dirk's content, but it's been so long since I watched everything else... by this point it'd be kinda disjointed to even do that.

also, I was weirdly irritated by MSPAR in pesterquest? I found them so charming in hiveswap, because they were characterized as kind of a bumbling, overeager and well intentioned traveler that just wanted to help. but in pesterquest they get all know-it-all ish... it's reeeeeeally off putting. like I could forgive them being confused or disheartened, but they went a step too far and got all cynical and been-there-done-that, and gave a lot of advice that just wasn't good? as if they were some sort of expert or something. it makes pesterquest kind of irritating because you play as an irritating audience surrogate character who does shit that you don't actually want to do.

like, okay, Eridan's route, right? at the end, the advice MSPAR gave was basically "stop being an asshole" which is like... warranted and fair? but first of all, this Eridan needs different advice than homestuck's Eridan! and second, would a real asshole actually take advice like that? it's so... basic.

Eridan is a character that I'm not super attached to, but I get peeved when people get him wrong. in homestuck, the thing that Eridan needs, is to realize that if he wants something from another person, he has to try not to be a leech about it. everything is all about his perspective all the time. when he wants something, he'll ask, but if he doesn't get it, he'll whine and beg, and if people get mad at him for doing that, he gets all self deprecating and bemoans how hopeless his situation is, and how much everyone hates him. like he'll literally annoy one person into getting fed up with him, just so he can go cry to another person about his problems, and ask them for advice that he probably won't even take, because getting attention was the point, and this is technically what he wanted anyway. and the more people catch on and get frustrated, the more fuel he has for his "everybody hates me" pity party.

and the interesting thing about Eridan is that all of this probably comes from a real worry that nobody could like him, even if he tried. I mean, most of his friends are lower on the hemospectrum, and have a systemic reason to hold some sort of resentment towards him. so like, he probably likes Feferi because the two make an appropriate match class-wise... but he also probably likes her because she's his only friend that is more privileged than he is, so she can't hold his status against him.

also, pesterquest leans into that old fanon thing where Eridan is indiscriminately desperate and will date anyone. like... no! originally, Eridan specifically wanted to fill all of his quadrants! he wanted a matesprit (Feferi), a kismesis (Vriska), an auspistice (Kanaya), and a moirail (possibly Karkat). and not only that, but he wanted these specific people to fill these specific roles for him unconditionally and without conflict, in spite of their actual feelings. Feferi doesn't want to date him... she doesn't even really want to be his moirail because she's doing all the emotional labor and it's exhausting. and Kanaya had a red crush on Vriska at the time... the last thing she wants is to be auspistice-zoned! meanwhile, Vriska is becoming less and less interested in Eridan anyway because she's got her own unhealthy fascinations with certain people. so like, Kanaya wouldn't even be acting as a proper auspistice anyway... she wouldn't be helping to calm a volatile rivalry, she'd be trying to force a lackluster relationship to continue. that's like, the opposite of how it's supposed to be!

literally the only one of these that might've worked is Karkat as his moirail, because Karkat is amazing at giving advice, and dealing with difficult people's bullshit without getting sucked into too much drama. but like... that's probably the one relationship out of all of these that started from genuine charisma between two people, rather than Eridan deciding who he wanted to pursue based on a checklist of socially advantageous qualities. at least with that, it's implied that Karkat also likes talking to Eridan... like, both of them are getting something out of this. in all other cases, Eridan isn't even in it for the romance. he's in it to gain validation by living up to a societal standard.

it's only after our 12 trolls end up on the meteor after their SGRUB session that Eridan starts getting all weird about dating people other than the specific four he was already interested in. and that's specifically because there are now only 12 trolls left that exist. these people are the only ones left, so if he can't get a relationship to work with any of them, that's that. so basically, when pesterquest characterizes him this way, even though he still lives on a fully populated Alternia... why is he acting like that?

Eridan needs to learn how to actually put something into a relationship that he wants to get something out of. and to do that, he needs to believe that he has value beyond his status, and that it's possible for people to be motivated by more than class politics and spite. he treats people exploitatively because he expects them to try and exploit him just as badly... it's not just about fixing bad behavior. it's about him learning to put in work, and give another person reasons to like him, without feeling like a sucker for conceding any ground. the more defensive he gets, the worse he is.

and pesterquest messed up Jake's route too! what is it about hope players that stumps people like this?? I get that Jake is tricky, but jeez... I won't get into it as much, but Jake is always masking what he really feels, and the way his route handles him makes him seem like he's acting equally neutrally friendly to each of the other alpha kids. but then it implies that his true feelings are that he considers all three of his friends' romantic interest in him to be equally serious, and equally unwanted. that is... blatantly untrue. he knows Roxy might find him attractive but won't make a genuine move on account of Jane. she literally drunkenly told him so. and Roxy also drunkenly told Jake that Jane likes him. meanwhile, he also pretty much knows that Dirk had a crush on him when they were kids, but back then he kind of shut it down, or at least sent mixed signals, because he wasn't confident about having a crush on a boy. now Dirk himself is not confident that Jake actually likes him, and is trying to back off because he feels like his younger self was overly aggressive, but the AR is still as brazen as Dirk used to be when pursuing Jake, so it kind of undermines that attempt. still, Jake feels like he might've already come off poorly to Dirk. he does like him though... and he knows that Jane has a crush on him, and doesn't want to be the one who disappoints her, so he weasels his way out of addressing it. that is the deal with the alpha kids. not Jake just kind of bemoaning the fact that all of his friends are in love with him and he's not down for anything. so once again, we see a pesterquest route written on the basis of mistaken assumptions.

sorry for going on and on and on... I just find all of this so frustrating. half the characters are only the fan interpretations of themselves, and MSPAR sucks, and the meta is confusing, and... I wish it was good but it's not.

I love you for this ask anon, I never played friendsim but I did see a lot of people who tuned into all the friendsims express annoyance over the way Reader was portrayed in pesterquest. I can't even remember what happened in the Jake route bc I'm tired but it definitely could've been better.

Imo, best alpha kid routes go from: Roxy, Jane, Jake, and Dirk (half his route wasn't even dedicated to him lol rip)

#long post /