#he also has parental issues that are Incredibly relatable and it is so fucked up

[wilcze-kudly]

The Gaang being 'bad parents' didn't ruin their characters.

I've seen this argument tossed around a couple times and it's honestly one of my least favourite criticisms of lok.

Katara (and Sokka but we have no confirmed kids for him, which seems unrealistic with how much game he had) lost their mother as children and their father was forced to abandon them when they were barely starting their teens. They were raised by their grandmother with little to no peers of their own age.

Aang did not know his parents and a huge chunk of his childhood was him being groomed into taking up the mantle of the avatar and mastering airbending. He also was isolated from other kids his age. His closest parental figure was Gyatso who was more of a teacher than a father. Also the Air Nomads were literally wiped out so that adds to the trauma pile.

I really don't think i have to talk about Zuko's family life here, but at least he had relatively positive parental figures in the form of Ursa (though i do have a burning personal dislike of ursa) and Iroh. Despite this his struggle around the subject of his family and his trauma relating to his upbringing was a focal point of his character arc.

Toph was raised in isolation by her asshole abelist parents who did not listen to her, sent people to capture and bring her back and then disowned her. (If my cursory understanding of 'the rift' is correct, I need to actually read it because i am unreasonably obsessed with the Beifong family.)

Where, pray tell, were they supposed to learn proper parenting skills? On their brief stint as child soldiers? While fighting a war as literal children?

There is the argument that they must've matured later in their lives, of course. But you can only recover so much from copious amounts of childhood trauma.

Being a bad parent doesn't necessarily make you a bad person. Sure it makes you a failure in an incredibly delicate and important aspect of human life but it doesn't make you a bad person. And saying that it does takes a lot of nuance out of the conversation.

Like, do you know how easy it is to fuck up a child?

Especially that the ways the members of the Gaang 'fucked up' as parents feel mostly in character.

Bumi was going to face some struggles with self worth due to being the firstborn child of the Avatar and arguably one of the most powerful waterbenders in history, while being a nonbender himself. That much was unavoidable, no matter how his parents approached the issue.

And Aang was obviously going to be over the moon when Tenzin was born. Think about it. He's literally the last of his people. He has no one else 'like him'. No one else to pass down the traditions, the teachings that Gyatso and everyone else he cared about and who were horrifically murdered to. Aang is getting older and he feels like his culture and history and his entire life before he got trapped in that damned iceberg will die along with him. And then Tenzin is born and Tenzin can take up the mantle that had been thrust upon Aang.

I'm going to withhold my judgement on Izumi and Zuko, since we barely know anything about them. She seems well adjusted but that's all i can say right now. But Zuko has also been shown to be extremely, painfully aware of how fucked up his family is and has clearly been putting in a lot of work to unscrew what his ancestors have screwed up.

Toph situation feels very tragic to me,because it's obvious that she thought she thought she was doing better than her parents. She gave her daughters the freedom to do what they want, to not feel opressed and trapped like she had. How was she supposed to know that she was making her girls feel like she didn't love them? (Here's another post of mine about the Beifong family and how they just feel like they're cursed or something at this point.)

TLDR; I get annoyed by people saying that the Gaang being 'bad parents' ruined their characters, because to me it felt like it actually enhanced them.

Neither Aang nor Toph acted out of malice or a lack of love. On the contrary, Toph was trying not to repeat her parents mistakes, accidentally committing a bunch of her own. While Aang probably didn't even realise that he was neglecting Kya and Bumi.

But just loving your children doesn't always make you a good parent.

I think these flaws only add to them as characters. It makes them feel more real.

It's unrealistic and, frankly, just plain boring to go 'oh the Gaang were all good people so they would be good parents too.'

The Gaang were a gaggle of traumatised children forced into saving the world, because the adults around them failed them, that then grew into traumatised adults who have no idea how to be good parents.

#badly voicing my thoughts #avatar legend of korra #i know i did not write this out correctly but it is like 3 am and i am tired and mad and stressed #avatar #avatar: the last airbender #the last airbender #legend of korra #aang #avatar aang #katara #sokka #toph #toph beifong #zuko #ursa #iroh #bumi ii #kya ii #tenzin #firelord izumi #lin beifong #suyin beifong #the beifong family #the beifongs #wow look at all these traumatised people

[nav-i-nav]

Actually, while we are at it, can we talk about how awful a lot of the fanbase treats Basil? My man can’t catch a break because almost everyone misinterprets him one way or another.

Where do I even start? Literally everything he does is taken the wrong way. There’s the people who characterize him as an obsessive yandere who only cares about Sunny and did everything in his power to isolate him. On the other hand, we have people who just remove one of the basic core aspects of him as a whole and make him an empty husk with no real personality.

Headacanon him however you want, but also try to understand him? I don’t know how people can say he only cares about Sunny when it’s clear he deeply appreciates his friends. He has a stronger bond with Sunny, but that doesn’t mean he’s a possessive and obsessed person who is toxic.

He definitely fucked up along the way, but his actions were never intended to hurt Sunny intentionally. He was in a panic and all he wanted was to keep his best friend safe. People constantly treat him as he’s a disgusting person for simple fact he shows mental illness signs, which is incredibly disheartening because there IS people in real life who act this way and can’t help it! What a relief it is to know people will treat me or my friends like this if we dare show an ounce of distress or panic!

Being mentally ill does not justify your actions, but this also doesn’t mean you are allowed to treat people who suffer from them like scum. People like Basil deserve to get help, to have people who support them so they can start healing. Basil clearly didn’t have that support, the only person that was there for him being his bedridden grandmother who he eventually lost.

And on the other hand, we have people who just choose to get rid of Basil’s personality altogether and characterise him as this character who is all suffering and trauma based off things that are NOT canon. It’s true that Basil’s life doesn’t exactly fit a “normal” childhood (having to live with his grandmother for unknown reasons) but that doesn’t immediately mean he is beyond traumatized? Basil is a little shy, sure, but a lot of people are. Basil used to be a smart and lively kid who loved his friends dearly. It wasn’t until AFTER the incident that he spiralled to the point he is where we see him in game.

People either disregard his trauma and paint him as a villain (let’s make one thing clear, there are NO villains in OMORI), or try to give him even more trauma for no apparent reason. All we know is that his parents aren’t really present in his life, and while that may bring some issues, from what we can see in cutscenes and the photo album, Basil lived a comfortable life surrounded by a loving family member and friends who cared about him.

You are free to explore Basil’s character however you like, but there’s a point where it no longer feels like Basil.

There is nothing wrong with showing his gentle side, just as how there’s nothing wrong to explore his unhealthy behaviour. But focusing on only one of the aspects of his entire self just turns him into a one-dimensional character with no redeemable qualities.

In my opinion, Basil is one of the best examples of a person struggling with mentally illness in media, yet people choose to ignore the complexity of his character to have either a selfish and dangerous yandere or a cute and shy femboy who’s only there to look pretty.

Write him like the mess he is. He is unstable. He is resentful, he is paranoid. That’s what makes Basil’s character so loved. That’s what makes him feel so relatable and human. Ignoring one side of his self takes away all of that. OMORI is a game about acceptance and forgiving. Why shouldn’t we apply those terms to their characters? It’s rather hypocritical for the fanbase to treat Sunny as a poor boy who only did what he did due to stress and trauma and then mark Basil as a psychopath with no redeemable features as if he wasn’t also a scared child who witnessed his very best friend push his sister down the stairs.

#navi.txt #omori analysis #omori rant #basil omori #omori basil #I’m a YAPPER today chat I’m sorry

[brucebocchi]

Ranking every new anime I watched in 2023, Pt. 4: #5-1

hey, i just started a ko-fi for my writing and possible other creative outlets. this post will also be available there, so please check it out and consider tipping/donating as i'm currently between jobs. the tumblr version of part 1 can be found here, part 2 here, and part 3 here.

The list is complete! This took a lot of work but I'm over the moon to get this out there. Please consider leaving a tip if you've enjoyed reading.

Here goes, my top five anime of 2023:

5. Zom 100: Bucket List of the Dead

Zom 100’s debut hit like a freight train, especially coming from a brand new studio. It had everything: Visceral satire of Japanese work culture, incredible animation, vibrant colors in unexpected places, clever cinematography, wish fulfillment for everyone who’s ever wanted to Stone Cold their boss, and most importantly: Zombie titties.

The premise is magnetic: When your job makes you feel like a zombie, an actual zombie apocalypse means certain freedom from the grind. Akira Tendo realizes that he can finally use the vacation time he amassed while being exploited and overworked at a legally dodgy black company, so he writes a bucket list of everything he’s ever wanted to do, with all intention of checking off every single line item before succumbing to a zombie bite. He manages to rescue his hunky fuckboy bestie from college, and they embark on a road trip across Japan to finish out the list, along with a beautiful, risk-averse tsundere and a big-tiddy German weeb. 

It's a perfectly fine elevator pitch, and a welcome break from the guns-and-grit quagmire the zombie genre has been stuck in for the past two decades, but what makes any good zombie-flecked media resonate is the human element, which Zom 100 delivers expertly. You’re quickly given reason to care for all the characters, their motivations are clear and relatable, and you want to see them survive and live out their dreams. But more importantly, you just want to hang out with them through their hijinks. It even delves into more serious matters, like what we owe our parents as adults, the ways isolation and bitterness can drive people to act out in their worst moments, and even the factors that push abuse victims to stay with and even return to their abusers. 

Above all, though, it’s a powerful (if extreme) story of finding joy in the direst circumstances. Akira, Kencho, and Shizuka are all kindhearted, well-meaning people whose situations kept them from what they truly wanted to do with their lives, and there’s something kinda beautiful to be found in them finding a new opportunity during the possible end of the world (Beatrix is a sweetie too, but aside from the whole zombie thing, she’s already exactly where she wants to be). The final arc of the season, in particular, looks you dead in the eye and asks you: If you were suddenly faced with the ultimate freedom, would you use the opportunity to better yourself, improve the lives of others, or do whatever the fuck you want at everyone else’s expense? You may not like the answer at first if you’re honest with yourself, and that’s okay. The world isn’t over, and there’s still time for you to be your best self.

Zom 100, unfortunately, fell prey to a cruel irony in the form of production issues. Bug Films is a new studio made up of a former team from OLM that was responsible for similarly gorgeous projects such as Komi Can’t Communicate and Summer Time Rendering. They clearly saw so much of themselves in Akira's workplace exploitation that they had to swing for the fences here. The firm he works for is named “ZLM” in this adaptation, for fuck’s sake, and he fully destroys his zombie boss in the first episode. But new studio or old, the anime industry is a grind, and Bug had trouble keeping up; animation quality did take a bit of a dip after the stunning first episode, and episodes were frequently delayed as the summer broadcast season wore on and ended without the entire seasonal run making airwaves. Hell, it was impossible to watch the final three episodes until just a few days before I could write this sentence.

For what Bug were able to pull off, though, Zom 100 is outstanding. The paintball-colored blood splatters everywhere are an instantly-iconic look that strike the balance between horror and spectacle. Everything and everyone looks gorgeously faithful to Kotaro Takata’s art, and delivers an appropriately cinematic look that the manga always deserved. I almost don’t know what else to tell you but that this show is a fucking blast.

There’s also a zombie shark. What more could you want?

4. Oshi no Ko

I spent a good chunk of 2023 just assuming Oshi no Ko was going to be a layup for anime of the year. Shortly after moving on from Kaguya-sama, I rushed to binge Aka Akasaka's subsequent manga in time for the anime's feature-length debut. I was taken in by OnK's bonkers premise and sudden dark turn and quickly fell in love with the characters, and my anticipation only grew. I had high expectations for the screen adaptation, but nothing could have prepared me for just how lovingly it all came together. This is as close to a perfect adaptation as you can find, and the same can be said about both the preceding and following entries on this list.

Oshi no Ko is an audiovisual feast. Doga Kobo cleaned up Mengo Yokoyari’s character designs just a smidge, but put just the right flourishes on them to make every single cast member instantly iconic. One look at Kana Arima’s eyes will tell you everything you need to know about the level of care put into the visual design of this anime. The performances are on point as well; though many of the main cast members are relative newcomers to the world of seiyuu, you can tell they truly came to understand the characters before they even recorded one line. I’ve already gushed about Rie Takahashi in earlier entries, but her turn as Ai Hoshino is easily one of the best voice performances all year. Takahashi makes a meal out of every single second Ai spends on screen and gives you every reason to care about her as a character.

Showbiz manga in general is obviously missing an audio element, and when an adaptation can expand on that aspect well, it can help turn even middling source material into something transcendent (see also: Rock!, Bocchi the). Music is central to Oshi no Ko, and the OP/ED combination is already iconic; YOASOBI’s “Idol” has had the best worldwide chart performance of any Japanese song ever, and the prolonged intro to Queen Bee’s “Mephisto” became a meme in Japan in the same vein as JJBA’s iconic use of “Roundabout.” Rather than taking manga characters’ word for it that someone is a terrible actor, we actually get to cringe along to an amateur actor’s hammy emoting. We get to see and hear what turned a fictional idol group into a national phenomenon rather than just see cute girls posing on the page. All of this is to say that while Oshi no Ko is an excellent manga, it needed a screen adaptation, and especially one of this quality.

Oshi no Ko deserves every shred of its success. I've never seen an anime make a splash this enormous with just its debut episode, even if it’s kind of cheating to say so because the first episode is almost literally a movie, and if I were to give an award for the best single episode of anime this year, it would be that one, hands down. Adapting the entire first volume into a feature-length debut was the correct move (mostly because it’s a tonal rollercoaster, and the Big Event that defines the entire story wouldn’t have happened until the fourth episode otherwise), and the investment paid dividends. The hype naturally died down a bit as the season wore on and settled into a more consistent tone and rhythm, but it remains an essential anime to 2023.

You may have noticed that I have said very little of what this show is actually about, and that’s by design: If you still don’t know the plot of Oshi no Ko’s first episode by now, I refuse to tell you: you need to go in blind. All I will say is that it is an idol anime that glorifies nothing. If you've read this far and still trust what I have to say about anime, I beg you to just take my word for it. It's an incredibly rewarding experience.

3. Scott Pilgrim Takes Off

There's just something so wonderful about taking in an adaptation of a work you’re already familiar with and knowing, almost instantaneously, that every single person working on it genuinely loved the source material and relished the opportunity to bring it to life. Nearly every single member of the original cast is in the dub (including the ones who went on to be MCU mainstays), Edgar Wright is back on as executive producer, Anamanaguchi reprise their soundtracking duties from the video game, and even Bryan Lee O’Malley himself helped co-write everything.

That last detail is probably the most important thing about this entire production: It’s not exactly a secret that the original Scott Pilgrim comics are very imperfect portrayals of a very imperfect young man. I knew reading them at the time that the comic did not have a great grasp on relationships and the dynamics between men and women, and that was at a time in my life when I myself was pretty terrible with and to women. O'Malley has said that he would only revisit Scott Pilgrim if it was “the right thing” and that he was leery of a straight retelling of a work he has since outgrown.

So instead, we have the Rebuild of Scott Pilgrim, to put it simply. Takes Off is a completely new story that reexamines the Scott Pilgrim comics, movie, and even game without undermining what came before it. This series is not a repudiation of Scott Pilgrim (the character or the franchise)’s flaws, nor is it purely fanservice; it splits the difference perfectly. It’s both more mature and completely self-indulgent. This show so easily could’ve marched to the familiar discourse drumbeat of “Scott isn’t the hero here” or “he’s actually not a good dude,” but it instead focuses on what should always be the second half of that sentence: “But Ramona still sees something in him.”

Yes, Ramona Flowers is effectively the protagonist of a new work that doesn’t even have her name on it, and it tackles some surprisingly necessary questions: What was her responsibility in creating seven evil exes in the first place? What made them evil? Are they even that evil? This series opens up entire worlds of possibilities within the extended cast and gleefully dives into them. Though Takes Off may not flesh out every single character, it does take its time with several of the ones who really did need a little more meat on their narrative bones, and even gives some characters new roles just because it would be fun to see them in new situations.

I still cannot believe they got Science Saru to make this show. “They made a Scott Pilgrim anime” and “They brought back the movie cast” are already good enough fodder for that Vince McMahon meme, but “It’s produced by the motherfuckers who made Devilman Crybaby” had me falling out of my chair. The animation maintains O'Malley's chunky, cartoony character designs and works wonders with line weights and simulated camera effects to give everything a tactile, weighty feel, like it’s somehow (and very appropriately) splitting the difference between a comic, a film, and even a video game. There’s a wide array of visual effects that helps to place all of Scott Pilgrim’s influences further on its sleeve: Dynamic action scenes, camera depth and chromatic aberration, and our beloved pixel art inserts. It looks like every Scott Pilgrim, everywhere, all at once.

The live action film’s cast did a (mostly) great job reprising their roles for animation, and there are some wildly unexpected cameos in there. Voice acting is not quite the same as stage or film acting, but everyone pulls their weight, and dialogue feels far more naturalistic than your average anime dub. Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Ellen Wong and, surprisingly, Chris Evans are outstanding in their respective roles. I’m gonna have to watch this again in Japanese, though. Fairouz Ai as Ramona, Aoi Koga as Knives, and Yuichi Nakamura as Lucas Lee? Sign me the fuck up.

This is not an apology or revision of Scott Pilgrim the character or work, it is a celebration that still acknowledges and improves on the flaws. If you’re a Scott Pilgrim fan who’d been clamoring for a proper cartoon adaptation, Takes Off may not exactly be what you’ve wanted, but it may be what you needed.  Chances are pretty good that you’ve grown since the first time since you read, watched, or even played something with Scott Pilgrim’s name on it, and it’s a blessing to say that while the character may not have grown, Scott Pilgrim the franchise finally has. 

2. Jujutsu Kaisen, season 2

I’m so glad I picked up JJK this year, if only because I would’ve otherwise been caught in a mudslide of memes I didn’t understand.

Season 2 follows in lockstep with the manga from where season 1 left off, beginning in extended flashback with the Hidden Inventory/Premature Death arc, covering Satoru Gojo and Suguru Geto’s high school life and the events that would eventually create the rift between them that came to shape Jujutsu Kaisen’s story. We see very different versions of Gojo and Geto here, much younger and more naive, but only marginally less powerful as they’re sent on an escort mission with the future of the jujutsu world in the balance. Because this is Jujutsu Kaisen, and because Jujutsu Kaisen is for masochists, nothing happens as planned.

We unfortunately do not get the precious slice-of-life hijinks the OP suggests, but if you watched season 1, you should know better by now than to trust an OP. While the initial arc does have its quieter and goofier moments (and some delicious homoerotic subtext), it wastes little time in declaring that this is a new version of the Jujutsu Kaisen anime: Lines are thinner, character models are looser, and action is buckwild. Two of the best fakeouts in the series happen in the span of five minutes. Those unfamiliar with the source material may have wondered for a bit why there needed to be a five-episode prequel arc to start the season, but the pieces would soon fall into place.

And then came Shibuya.

The Shibuya Incident arc was what made Jujutsu Kaisen a must-read in every new issue of Shonen Jump. It reset the status quo for the story and shaped it into something far beyond another “teenagers with special powers go to a school for teenagers with special powers” battle shonen. Needless to say, the hype for its anime adaptation was astronomical.

The Shibuya arc sets the stakes early: Nobody is safe and there may be no happy ending. Triumph is short-lived, and every threat is existential. Everyone who has been in the series up to this point plays a role, and you’re not going to like a lot of what’s needed of them. This arc punches you in the gut, repeatedly, and in between each blow is some of the most intense and innovative action you’ve ever seen. It will hurt, and you will beg for more.

I liked this arc a good amount in the manga, but by the end I was ready for it to be over. I didn’t get the hype around Toji, thought the deaths were cheap, and was so. FUCKING. sick of Mahito. Seeing it in fluid motion onscreen, though, everything just clicked for me and I couldn’t get enough. I fully get now why the girlies have been wetting themselves over Toji; the character modelers were HORNY horny this season. I see now how even the most unceremonious deaths fit into the narrative, or at least one will make perfect sense to me once Gege Akutami and I have a little chat :). And holy hell do I understand now that Mahito is one of the best shonen villains in the history of the medium, that sick bastard. Season 2 was my Rosetta stone for Jujutsu Kaisen; I see it all now. My sixth eye has been opened. Throughout heaven and earth, I alone am the literate one.

JJK’s second season has a markedly different feel from the first from a presentation standpoint, and I feel it’s for the better. Every aspect of the presentation is on point, and I want to call attention to the audio element: The production music, with a heavy focus on jazz piano, is wonderfully unique for the genre, and the voice acting remains top notch. These are banner performances from the likes of Yuichi Nakamura, Kenjiro Tsuda, Takahiro Sakurai, Asami Seto, and Nobunaga Shimazaki, but the performance that defines the Shibuya arc (and by extension the entire season) is Junya Enoki as Yuji Itadori. 

Enoki’s been great this year in lead roles in goofy works like KamiKatsu and Girlfriend Girlfriend (not to mention minor roles in Skip and Loafer and the vending machine isekai), so it’s no surprise that he continues to crush it as JJK’s protagonist; Yuji Itadori is a goofy dude. But the Shibuya arc, for as much ground and as many characters as it covers, is ultimately Yuji’s story as he is forced, time and again, to endure the cycle of the “suffering builds character” meme. His peers and mentors in the first season told him repeatedly that the life of a jujutsu sorcerer is a short and unhappy one, and he now has to shoulder that burden for everyone. Enoki nails every single part of a wide spectrum of emotions Yuji is forced to endure over the course of the Shibuya arc, be it determination, naive confusion, or just pure unbridled trauma. If this isn’t the best voice performance of the year, it’s top five at worst.

Like every major battle shonen release in the age of social media, this season has had its detractors. Reviewers at Anime News Network kinda hated the story, but that’s something you take up with Gege Akutami (and get in line behind the manga readers). I've seen people complain about the animation. Which, like. If you don’t like the new visual style, sure, fine, that’s up to personal taste. But if you think this season isn’t well-animated, you just plain don’t know ball. It may not have a cohesive look, but that was the draw for me: Season 1 was good, but at times I felt like it looked a little too rigid, a little too shiny, a little too samey. Season 2, especially the Shibuya arc, looks like everything. Sometimes it looks like an action film, sometimes it looks like Mob Psycho 100, and at points it looks, most crucially, like Akutami’s most iconic panels brought to life, stroke for stroke.

The varying styles weren’t an accident: Nearly each episode had its own director, and those resumes cover top-tier animations like Mob Psycho, Devilman Crybaby, Kill la Kill, Heavenly Delusion, Oshi no Ko, FLCL, even Akira and goddamn Golden Boy. While the episodes don’t look entirely consistent from one to the next, the variance is less jarring and more “holy fuck, what am I going to see next?”. The looser style of animation is what Jujutsu Kaisen always needed; Akutami’s art is very loose and dynamic, and his action panels are borderline inscrutable at times. Season 2 nails the feel of JJK to a degree that its adaptation always needed and lets its directors, storyboarders, and animators run wild. At times, characters will look like they leapt right off the page; others, they will look like something you have never seen before in your life.

It is unfortunately impossible to talk about this season without also bringing up MAPPA’s working conditions, and how animators were frequently overworked against nigh-impossible deadlines. It was an open secret last year as Chainsaw Man aired that MAPPA’s animation schedule was a meat grinder, but that came bubbling to the surface quickly as JJK’s second season aired. Word got out midseason that MAPPA had its animators sign NDAs about their work conditions, but complaints still broke containment and several staffers took to social media to apologize for their work looking incomplete, and some even publicly announced that they are leaving the studio. It is stunning that the finished product looks the way it does under such conditions, and I respect the animators for putting in such incredible work, but something has to give. Several major series suffered from major delays this year, some of which I gave significant praise, but MAPPA is lucky that all of JJK came out on time. I wish I knew what could push them to treat their workers with the dignity and respect (and pay) they deserve, but that’s a conversation that covers much wider ground than just anime.

MAPPA has already announced that the series will continue through the next major arc. While there is quite a bit of it that I would love to see on screen, I can only hope that the animators get to rest. For now, though, we can be proud of what they made under duress, even if some will forever wonder what it would look like if the staff were treated like something a notch above cattle.

1. Frieren: Beyond Journey's End

Fucking hell. This is why I watch anime.

I was curious about this one because a couple major anitubers I watch had reviewed the manga and were effusive in their praise. I knew the anime adaptation was on the way, so I decided to hold off on reading and see what the anime would be like, and with Keiichiro Saito (director of Bocchi the Rock! and key animator for Oshi no Ko’s instantly-iconic OP) at the helm, my excitement was piqued. That guy turned a B-minus 4-koma into an innovative hit comedy, so what can he do with a beloved source material and the backing of a legacy studio like Madhouse?

I've had so much to say about Frieren since the premiere, and I still have so much to say now, but to talk about what I love about this show is to talk about everything about this show. When the first four episodes dropped, I described it as “Mushoku Tensei without the baggage,” and I stand by that. There were multiple points throughout Frieren’s first cour where I'd nearly forgotten that I wasn't watching Mushoku Tensei. Every single element is on point: The animation is fluid and expressive, backdrops are consistently gorgeous, voice performances are quickly memorable, and the music is evocative and instantly iconic. This is, plainly, one of the most beautiful pieces of television I have ever seen on nearly every level, be it visually, sonically, or thematically.

The initial four-episode debut was a masterclass in establishing the setting, building emotional investment into the characters, and slowly but deliberately laying out the premise of the season to come. The titular Frieren is an elf mage who, for a very brief decade of her millennium-long life, lent her skills to an adventuring party to slay the Demon King. Though she helped save the world, she was never one for stuff like adulation or socializing, so she breaks away from the group to continue her hobby of collecting various spells and arcana. She regroups with them after 50 years, having kept in contact with none of them, only to find them older and frailer. The party’s leader, the hero Himmel, passes away shortly thereafter, and Frieren breaks down at his funeral, having realized exactly too late how important he was to her and that she’d never really bothered to get to know him as a person.

Some time later, she’s called by the surviving human member of the party, Heiter, under the guise of translating an old text, but soon realizes that he duped her into helping train the young orphan girl he adopted, Fern, as a mage. Upon Heiter’s death, Frieren and Fern head out together, carrying out odd jobs and retracing Frieren’s steps from the journey that changed her more than she realized. They soon learn from the other surviving member of the party, Eisen, that (ooh) heaven is, in fact, a place on earth, and that Frieren may be able to properly pay Himmel his final respects in person. In order to do so, they must make a trip to the north, past the Demon King’s castle. The story of Beyond Journey’s End is, quite literally, a nostalgia trip.

Frieren's story is one of grief and regret, but also how we can use those emotions as a way of moving forward rather than looking backward. Her history is a long one and her memories seemingly everlasting, but she uses them to pave the road ahead of her rather than let them shackle her to the past. This is best exemplified by Fern herself, as well as the other companion they pick up the way in Eisen’s former trainee, Stark. Frieren can carry on the legacies of Heiter and Eisen by helping their young wards grow into the capable young adults they’re meant to be, while Himmel’s legacy lives on in the memories of the towns and villages he helped save along Frieren’s new path, and most importantly, in Frieren herself.

The degree to which Himmel truly mattered to Frieren becomes more apparent to her as the story goes on, and it becomes more evident in her actions. Himmel was a gentle, selfless (if self-aggrandizing) man who was every last bit the hero the modern world believes him to be. With every statue of him she cleans, every flower she plants in his name, every core memory that returns to her, we are watching Frieren become more and more like him in real time. You would expect a thousand-year-old woman to be pretty set in her ways, but we see her holding off on old, bad behaviors because of how Himmel would react to them back then. As Fern and Stark grow into young adults, we see her beginning to treat them the same way Himmel treated her. Frieren doesn’t realize it until later in the season, but it’s apparent to us early on that Himmel well and truly loved her, and I feel that it’s dawning on her that she loved him too and didn’t recognize it. That is tragic in and of itself (this show absolutely is a tearjerker at times and I will cop to getting misty-eyed as I write this), but there is something beautiful, well beyond my grasp, in being able to honor the memory and carry out the legacy of a loved one in how you treat those around you. I don’t think anything could have made Himmel prouder.

Frieren herself is a really goddamn good character too (and expertly voiced by Atsumi Tanezaki, best known for voicing Anya Forger in Spy x Family). Though she is portrayed as quiet and uncaring for the early part of the story, it’s been really delightful to watch her open up, and above all, inadvertently reveal that she’s actually just Really Fucking Weird. For as self-assured and put together as she always seems on the surface, it was great to learn that she’s just an enormous slob (she just like me fr), and any outward expressions of smugness or her offbeat sense of humor are always a joy. “Deeply weird person trying to act normal” is always fun, and there’s just something so consistently delightful about seeing someone so typically calm and intelligent get caught in a mimic chest every single time.

I still can’t get over how fucking good this show looks. Beyond Journey’s End features some of the most intricate, loving animation I’ve seen for stuff as simple as someone putting on a jacket. Action scenes are few and far between, but not a single frame is wasted when shit pops off. Not everyone is as detailed as possible at all times, and they don’t need to be, but everyone looks incredible when they need to be. It’s well above my pay grade to accurately say so, but this show could be a lesson in proper animation budgeting. I could go on and on and on, but I’ve written nearly eighteen thousand words about anime, so I’ll wrap it up. 

The debut season of Frieren will continue into 2024, and if the quality remains a constant, it could very well be one of the best anime of next year too. It has remained as MyAnimeList’s top-rated anime ever for its entire run, warding off the legion of Fullmetal Alchemist Brotherhood fans. Frieren deserves it. I say with no hyperbole that this is one of the most perfectly realized things I’ve ever seen on television. This is an essential watch for anyone who likes fantasy anime, anime in general, or fantasy in general.

#anime reviews

[theprophetsaid]

please spill more of your thoughts about harold may

*cracks knuckles*

Based on everything Brian has said, it seems as if Harold had a certain idea of what he wanted his son to be, namely a traditional patriarch (the husband, the father, the head of the family) with an academic education. This is the role that Harold himself had (For instance, Brian has talked about Harold not allowing his wife to obtain a driver's license), and he wanted Brian to follow in his footsteps. This isn't uncommon, of course, but it evidently was a lot of pressure for Brian to shoulder, especially as an only child.

Brian has talked at length about Harold disapproving of his putting aside his education to focus on Queen - disapproving to the point where he refused to speak to him for a long time! And economic insecurity wasn't the issue here. The problem was, as Brian has said, that Harold himself had been "forced" to give up his musical dreams to settle down with his family. So, basically, he just resented Brian for being able to follow a dream he himself had to lay to rest. I think this is incredibly messed up. As a parent, you should want your child to achieve their dreams instead of actively blaming them for trying. (It's also worth noting that this might be the reason why Brian didn't fully consider his musical career a "worthy job" until he was in his fucking fifties/sixties!)

There's also the issue of marriage. I think there's enough evidence to suggest that Brian wouldn't have married his first wife if he hadn't been eager to please his father. He said in an interview with Howard Stern (while talking about his first marriage) that he felt he'd tried to "live the dreams of his parents" instead of doing "what he actually wanted to do," and that says it all, I think. The values imposed on him by his father kept him from living the life he really wanted for himself.

And then, of course, I have to be controversial and say that Brian has expressed feelings of shame related to "issues with" his "heterosexuality" that I can't help thinking are also connected to the way he was raised and the values he's internalized. I mean, there's a tape of Brian in his late fifties openly stating that he sees beauty "not only in women (...) in things I've been insulated from in the past," heavily implying that he's been prevented from recognizing his own attraction to men, specifically because of or by something. So there's also that.

(tl; dr: Harold May imposed rigid traditions and values based on his own failings onto Brian, which instilled in him feelings of shame and worthlessness, in relation to his marriage, his profession, and his sexuality).

#answered // #like i said... i'm not holding back on this blog anymore #so this is what you get :)

[halevren]

FHJY Spoilers || my live thoughts as I watch episode 3

Had a rough week so far, I am looking forward to this episode ♡

HIIIIII INTREPID HEROES

NAT 20

please bring ayda back this episode (begging) (I know it won't happen. but I'm desperate)

ZELDA AND GORGUG BREAK UP CONFIRMED.....

I am experiencing so much gender envy from literally everyone at the table.

The art team really pulled out all the stops for this season. The dome backdrop is so good

THIRTY INVESTIGATION?!!!??!

"Of course you and Adaine, of course, are... Nerds."

"Not ideal for the bad kids" oh no.

Lone Wolf Bloodrush player. That's oc material fr

"I like getting friends cast on me so I willingly fail" fig becomes more and more relatable every episode

"IT'S 10 AND I GIVE YOU THE HELP ACTION"

LYDIA!!!!!! 🔥🔥🔥🔥

LYDIA MADE THEM LUNCH 😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭

THE EMO SONG 😭😭😭

It just says "Hey Adaine" on the inside 😭😭

Cloaca.....

how many binders do the Thistlesprings have

"Can I Run From You?"

Just Breathe

CHLOE SHORT FOR CLOACA

I love the casual conversation they have

TWO GLASSES OF MILK

"I'll walk you to Bard class" fig probably won't be staying 😭

NEW LUNCH LAD!!!!!

I hope Fig's luck issue gets resolved soon 😭

MAZEY IS SO PRETTY

Grix...??

THE PARROTS.....

omg mazey x fabian?!!?!?!????!?!?!!?!

A SECRET CLOACA WITH A GUN??

Jawbone is so filled with dad lore

Kristen class president is something I need

21 passive investigation is insane

"What are you, like 4 different dogs?"

Passive Aggressive Kristen is so good.

Ghost steaks 🔥

FABIAN FLIRTING

"You're looking at a party boy" oh fabian....

I think Kristen working to be class president will convince her to. Go to school and work on getting better at it

Gilear 😢 I miss my pathetic wet cat of a man

fig writer's block so relatable

Stressed Riz

WANDA CHILDA

HEYYYYYY GIRLIE

I miss Ayda

Porter is kinda.... ♡

Why is everyone so attractive why must I be attracted to all the adults. im supposed to have a type

"I'm going into a worry, yeah"

Fig taking Fabian to the wizard class instead of bard class is so real

TERPSICHORE SKULLCLEAVER!!!!!! she looks like she bakes incredible cookies. I can't dance but I want to be in her class

THIRTY-ONE????????? PERFORMANCE

Dance bard class is so cool

From Jock to Arsty kid, I love Fabian's character development so much

"I'm going to do a lot less partying" a full lie from Fabian

I need more Riz and Jawbone one on ones

KRISTEN CHILLIS APPLEBEES 😭😭😭😭

oh no the Applebees fam are here oh no...

Ripped Kristen approaching her parents.....

oh no. oh no. oh no.

Not good what is going on with Cassandra

MAKE HER OWN PEOPLE TO TALK TO?!!!??!???!??!?? WHAT???????? WHAT WHAT WHAT????

ALLY IS SO CASUAL WITH NAT 20S 😭

HE'S A LITTLE PALADIN....

BYE GIRLIE

RIZ HAS A BACKUP TIE

why is sorcery so expensive

SHE'S NOT GOING TO TELL JAWBONE 😭

oh god Wanda Childa....

"what smell would be enticing to emo kids" 😭😭😭

"Did you just come from a room full of cigarettes and peach schnapps" "you mean breakfast?"

I wanda'd in

NOT ALL WHO WANDA ARE LOST

SITTING OUTSIDE AND LISTENING TO BARD CLASS

watching Kristen deal with school and stuff and deal with Cassandra makes me slightly uncomfortable. not in a bad way but in a way that I relate to it a bit too much and it's a bit too real. i too had extreme trouble with school and I also have issues with pushing important people away when trying to focus on myself and it ruins a lot of my relations. I relate to Kristen too much in the worst ways and that hits closer to home than I like. I love Kristen but man. Too close

"Things can be bad, and things can be good, but they all can be true."

I worry about Kristen going to Cassandra's realm. I am going into a worry. I have bad feeling.

the sound design is so good

GENTLE SOBBING.... OH NO. OH NO.

"I can't rely on you." OUCH.

she already found somebody????

KALINA!?!?!?! !!??!?!?!!!???!??!!??!!???!!???!?? HUHHHHH?!!??!!

IT'S LEAVING IT OFF WITH THAT?????? WHAT THE FUCK???????? WHAT THE FUCK???????????????????????? WHAT?????

#fantasy high junior year spoilers #fhjy spoilers #fantasy high spoilers #d20 #dimension 20 #fantasy high #d20 fantasy high #dimension 20 fantasy high #fantasy high junior year #fig faeth #fabian seacaster #riz gukgak #kristen applebees #adaine o'shaughnessey #adaine abernant

[transingthoseformers]

Whirl not only gets away with everything and anything, he is absolutely encouraged by Skywarp. Who is known for pranking his fellow Decepticons. He attempts to reign him in from bothering Megatron once because he isn't sure how he'll take it, but after Rodimus bursts into giggles, Megatron instantly melts from his annoyance chuckles to himself and simply tells Skywarp to teach Whirl to focus on more appropriate targets. Parenthood has had an incredibly mellowing effect. Thr only ones putting in a concentrated effort to reign him in are Thundercracker and Cyclonus. Tiny Ratchet is firm Megatron deserves suffering.

They do have memories that get clearer with age.

Getaway is seething so much. It's Hot Rod and he hates it but Hot Rod also is also one of those parents fascinated with everything their baby does and smothers him in attention and affection which is doing wonders for helping his issues even if he keeps trying to remember he doesn't like Hot Rod. Hot Rod is a very young parent and fussy and worrying so he compensates by trying to keep a cloae eye on him and give him all the attention and affection that Hot Rod as a war orphan lacked in his earliest years.

G1 Ravage finds the smaller version cute and appropriately fiery. He couldn't be happier, and MTMTE Ravage finds a reflection of his own family that he severely missed.

Brainstorm is such a trouble child. He is a genius who preens and saunters around bragging loudly and reminds Skyfire painfully of Starscream, who is definitely eyeballing the tiny jet from a distance. Though there is one accidental kidnapping that results in bonding time and Starscream is veey firm he is nlt attached to Skyfire's kid he just can't trust anyone else to watch him while ransom is negotiated. Regardless of how adorable and clever he is designing weaponry and how much fun helping him build the miniature gun he designed was.

Rung and Megatron are absolute angels, and after one horribly panicked afternoon of losing Rung, he's so small, he is constantly being held by someone.

There are absolutely a few comments especially about Megatron though Ratchet confirms he was there for it.

A few of them have concerns. Jazz worries about how unsocial Damus is and how he struggles to fit in. Wheeljack has similar concerns about Deathsaurus, which leads to his "siblings" being built earlier. And playdates.

The Coneheads are terrified because they have no idea how to raise a motorcycle, and Chromedome is so depressed until he meets tiny Rewind. Ultra Magnus and Hot Rod bond even more about their shared concerns about parenthood.

Springer and Arcee are concerned about Pharma's newly discovered bulkying tendencies once he meets Damus.

Sunstreaker is overprotective of Drift because he is very, very obviously part Decepticon and he isn't Optimus Prime so he hears comments and there are some fights. As far is he's concerned Drift is perfect and anyone who thinks otherwise answers to him.

Shockwave bemoans Perceptor's strange fussiness concerning ethics but indulges him as it is Perceptor's experiments.

Skywarp being a bad influence makes sense, that's adorable and hilarious. He gets away with so much

OO okay makes sense, wonder what'll happen in regards to the memories as they age and start to communicate and everything (how much do they still relate to their previous lives? Is a question that comes with all reincarnation things)

Omg that's so fucking sweet. Getaway is a problem child and Hot Rod is doing the best thing for it: patiently understanding him and caring for him. Aww yes. Smother that fucker in love and see how it affects him.

Exactly, mtmte Rav is gonna get so much

One accidental kidnapping

I have a feeling I know what happened /hj

Baby!Rung is so fucking little, both physically and in little guy vibes. I wonder how he'll differ from his previous life

It is yet again baby Tarn time and it's always fun to see how he fits into a new life (when his memories begin to bubble up again it's going to be a nightmare)

Also seeing little Des and the dinobots play is an adorable image

Adorable image of the coneheads and just. Itty bitty motorcycle.

It's interesting to see how some mecha are drawing off of their old lives for new patterns, makes sense but still. Fascinating.

Awww YES SUNNY WIN. that there is his child and talk shit get hit

Shockwave: odd request, but I do not why i should not grant it

#maccadam #transformers #lots of characters #it'd be interesting to see how similar/dissimilar they grow to be from their previous life #and whoever realizes their children are from a harsher universe than their iwn #it's interesting

[risetherivermoon]

here have a sparrow related rant :D (dndads ep 48 spoilers!!)

btw, my entire perception (or all together understanding) of sparrow oak has shifted after this episode-

i think unconsciously i saw the twins as completely different people, like wildly different from eachother, after season 1 and in season 2

but honestly- after we find out that sparrow is the one who enacted code purple, the conversation with henry and mercedes? i still see them as different characters, but i feel like they are actually way more similar than i initially thought

they're just both two guilt ridden idiots, and at first i was really confused why it seemed like sparrow would always group himself with lark when talking about who "ended the world" or whatever (i thought it was probably him saying it in solidarity or whatever, which i think is still partially the reason) but now he also basically did what lark did

i think thats whats heartbreaking to me, because henry immediately forgives lark after he releases the doodler, but sparrow is immediately told he will never be forgiven, and where lark has the motive of wanting to defeat the doodler and become stronger, sparrow has the motive of just wanting to protect his family-

im not saying this is out of character of henry, i definitely think this is how he'd react since he has the knowledge of exactly what code purple will do, and we also know that sparrow tried to lie to him to enact it as well, but its just- fuck

personally i think because of how lark and henrys relationship is in late s1 (and afterwards) henry probably was unconsciously more attentive to lark afterwards, trying to repair that broken relationship- and so his perspective of sparrow is different, sparrow usually goes along with lark and backs him up but he never actually argues with henry or whatever,

so when sparrow does something that he does himself, it seems so off and random to henry, personally i think if he had to think about it that lark would be the twin that what would be most likely to be the one to do it, a lot of it is sparrow acting on his own principle and we really don't see that often, (blah blah, its lark and sparrow not sparrow and lark, blah blah)

basically i think that it was so unexpected of sparrow that henry immediately freaks out and is more aware of the betrayal than he was back when the doodler was released,

im relistening to the mummy issues arc in s1, and was listening to scene of henry and darryl arguing about the pyramid, and i think that's really the thing yk? because henry's moral compass is more pointed towards being selfless, where sparrow seems to be on the opposite side of that in this situation

for example, henry wants to go and get arrested by neverwinter because they had let the pyramid fall instead of trying to save lark and sparrow from the omegadads, which makes sense that he doesn't approve of code purple because it would put faerun in danger, even though it would mean his family would be safe,

and then sparrow, who enacts code purple because even though it would destroy faerun, he and his family would be safe,

ive seen people compare code purple to the trolley problem- and honestly, i agree so much, its similar, where if the same amount of people are on both tracks but one has your friends and family/people you love on one side as well,

really sparrow was put into such a huge position of either way he will end up hurting someone, his 6-year-old son is attacked by a flesh hoard that he can get rid off by flicking a single switch, and of course he's going to do it, even if that means his parents never want to speak to him again and that he dooms another plain of existence to destruction

im just in love with how much this podcast spins morality around, it can be so incredibly philosophical for being a dungeons and dragons podcast about a bunch of stupid dads, it really makes you realize how complicated humans are

#honestly so many fucking thoughts this episode #these twins make me SICK #i said the word enact way too much in this #i hope this makes sense #philosophy is my kink sorry guys #dndads #dndads s2 #dndaddies #dungeons and daddies #dungeons & daddies #henry oak garcia #henry oak #sparrow oak swallows garcia #sparrow oak garcia #sparrow oak #lark oak #lark oak garcia #lark and sparrow #the oak family #normally oak swallows garcia #normal oak #mercedes oak garcia #darryl wilson #dndads s1 #dndads spoilers #me rambling like hell #🍁 #me rambling

[polyhexian]

Since Raine was a teacher I think once they have Hunter living in their home they would immediately start to notice the signs of abuse. They would probably have issues with Hunter eating the normal amount of food for a kid his age because Belos starved him and also Hunter probably wouldn’t really be a big fan of something like pasta with sauce but wouldn’t say anything because he’s too nervous to make Raine unhappy with him so he doesn’t really eat much despite being underweight.

Hunter would probably go stiff if they put a hand on his shoulder or flinch if they heard them in anyway upset with him.

Hunter would probably take all of Raine’s suggestions on what to do while in the house at orders and carry them out with military precision even if Raine just suggested they watch a cartoon on the crystal ball.

Hunter probably has a lot of nightmares too so Raine would wake up to him screaming in his sleep.

Like Raine had hunter for a short while and the whole time it’s just one terrible revelation of what a monster Belos truly was after another.

raine definitely starts off worried about what the fuck jasper wants with this minor but i mean really theres better ways to Steal A Child, it being this SPECIFIC child who is VERY difficult to steal ironically makes it less suspicious like. okay. legitimately what is your game. and also like again despite the fact raine has seen him throw this kind on his ass a hundred times, theyve also seen him fucking vaporize one of their allies for trying to kill him so like. truly. what is his game here.

and then like. once they see how truly BAD it is with hunter, the way he flinches, how DEEP the soldier persona goes, the food and the sleep and the isolation- then its like. well, fuck, i would have wanted to help him too. so 1. how did the martlet know about all this before anyone else, because he CLEARLY knew about all this before anyone else did 2. why didnt he just tell me the truth? 3. why DIDNT he just take him and run?

i think theyre putting pieces together and while they probably have multiple theories- they might not know about the grimwalker stuff yet, but they know this kid is an orphan and related to the emperor, they know he was found the day the previous golden guard died, they know the martlet has the same colour hair as hunter, they've seen it, they know hes incredibly protective of him, they know the martlet is scarred as fuck and an incredible combatant AND a high level magic user despite never using magic- once they find out hunter cant use magic without a staff? click, dude. thats probably genetic! this guy has been around about as long as the previous GG has been gone. he looks like hunter, he's protective of hunter, he never uses magic without a staff, and the second raine asks darius about the previous GG, knowing they were close, "hey, did you ever see that guy use magic without a staff?" that seals the deal dude. raine has clocked that motherfucker from a mile away.

only now like. thats a NEW concern. okay, cool! parent. got it. well that explains his intentions. but now like- wow, he HAS hit this kid a lot, even if his motivations were clearly rescuing him. can he even be TRUSTED with him? would hunter be healthy living with this guy? is he even capable of living like a normal person? he still wont take off his stupid fucking mask or tell them his stupid fucking name! and oh, fuck- if he's the previous gg, he's done some VILE shit. should they be doing something about HIM?

darius and raine im sure have a very exciting conversation putting all the jigsaw pieces together before they realize that jasper isn't dead, jasper is the martlet, jasper is a powerless witch, jasper has a son, and holy shit is that son fucked up and in dire need of help.

meanwhile jasper is like ho ho i am sooooo good at lying and secrets absolutely no one suspects anything

[bonefall]

Oh god, I haven't read books since Omen of the Stars. (I love fanclans/fanfics way more then the books anymore. lol) How have they messed up each clan since the first two arcs?! I know ThunderClan has too many cats and ShadowClan went leaderless or had leadership problems for some reason?? Also SkyClan is there now. Maybe. Again, haven't read the books in forever. (Is the current arc any good? Or better then Omen of the Stars at least?)

The current arc is good, I can promise you that Warriors has never been as slow or as boring as it got mid Po3 - early OotS. I have a lot of issues with AVoS but I would say that all of the modern arcs have been worth reading.

BEFORE WE START: Check out this Helpful Info on my process as I redux the family tree, it contains my Three Strict Rules, the Onestar's Exception, the definition of an Orphan Warrior, etc. Very, very important.

Each Clan has a unique family tree problem;

ThunderClan

The Frostfour (Brackenfur, Thornclaw, Brightheart, Cinderpelt) had THREE cats who were extremely prolific. The entire new generation traces back to them, completely and utterly eradicating genetic diversity.

The fresh bloodlines, from Daisy and Ferncloud, were nerfed so hard with pointless killings that there's no ability to fix modern ThunderClan. The ONLY cats who could save it (Finleap x Twigbranch, Stormcloud) have also been prevented from having kits by the narrative, which is incredibly frustrating.

And it doesn't stop there, because the writers for some reason were obsessed with tracking Firestar's lineage through Bramblesquirrel instead of Lionblaze. They wrenched out Squirrelflight's infertility issues so they could shove two kits into her, while also having Lionblaze produce 3 kittens who have kittens of their own.

It's an exponential problem which made Nightheart's ENTIRE ARC in ASC less serious, because half of the Clan is descended from Firestar while he somehow has 'especially high' expectations.

And the bloat. They keep killing off mildly interesting background characters while not building on the ones they have, so now the Clan is just full of nobodies who have done nothing.

ThunderClan is really bad, in canon.

ShadowClan

Link to Diagnosis

The entire family tree from the earlier arcs is dead. Rowanclaw's one of the few carry-overs. Snowbird specifically is the progenitor of half of the entire Clan, to the point where Sunbeam actually can't be shipped with a cat she isn't directly related to (unless you put her with Blazefire, her mentor, or her mentor's brother.)

SnowbirdClan is so profoundly fucked that I can't save it. I can reasonably fix the others, but ShadowClan is so irrevocably destroyed that I can't save it.

WindClan

Link to Diagnosis

In spite of being full of "Orphan Warriors" (cats without a single parent and usually without children) they still managed to inbreed Heathertail and Breezepelt.

Onestar canonically thinking about how cool inbreeding is in his Super Edition made me so uncomfortable that I made the Onestar's Exception rule on the spot-- an exception that makes Rule 1 (no first cousin pairings) even stricter by banning First-Cousin-Once-Removed as well when there are cats alive who are old enough to remember the great-grandparent.

But that aside, most of WindClan is Orphan Warriors.... MALE orphan warriors. They ran out of women, and then Shellfur stole the ONE clean girl out of WindClan for himself.

Which I must admit is VERY funny. But anyway, fixing this tree means blasting the Woman Beam at most of them.

SkyClan

Link to Diagnosis

THREE first cousin pairings :/ And they only had like 3 generations, come on, it should NOT have been this hard to not bungle this.

Most of the problem is Clovertail and her prolific litters... but also, SkyClan is almost as bad as ThunderClan in terms of bloat. Which is weird because it's not even bloated with all the interesting ex-kittypets from the SEs and SkyClan side content, it's just nobodies because SkyClan queens keep pumping out 3 and 4 kit litters for NO reason.

It was an easy fix though. So I guess I can't complain.

RiverClan

Link to Diagnosis

Missing Generation Fog that settled over RiverClan just after TNP LMAO. That's it that's the whole problem.

Really it's a problem for opening up TOO MANY possibilities, like which cats are Reedwhisker's children. Everyone litter works as Reedwhisker's kids. Reedwhisker is everyone's father. Reedwhisker is YOUR father.

#Warrior cats family tree #Bonefall Rewrite

[beevean]

I was about to pass out when I wrote that last ask (cause I was sleepy) so I couldn't even complete what I was writing.

The fact he felts guilt over her death even years later proves to he did feel bad about it on a moral level rather just avoiding consequences for his actions, plus I think the fact that it bothers him that he doesn't feel bad about the bad stuff he does shows he doesn't like being a bad person even if he can't change it.

About the Ashley point, I was gonna add that part of his attitude towards Ashley after the death of Nina is the fact that the reason she did that was because she was jealous and wanted Andree for herself, which from his perspective feels incredible stupid because he's always been there for her and he's always taking care of her, even when he repeats it over and over, it isn't enough for her, it's never enough for her, which is probably when he actually started thinking all those horrible stuff about her and being actually mean to her, if Andy isn't enough for her no matter what, then why bother acting like him?

To add on, I think it's implied that him acting violent started during his breaking point towards the end of Episode 1 when he snaps and starts trying to choke her, it's his first act of actual rebellion and what starts to change their relationship, it's implied that he was docile and doormat before up to that point...so 15 years, that's a lot of restraint.

About him being an uncaring person, I feel that he can care about other people if they're close to him, like he does with Ashley and he still cares about Julia, it should also be noted that the people he ends up killing so far are complete strangers to him or people he dislikes (or tried to kill him) as shown with those wardens, that gamer girl, the hitman and his parents, considering he does felt guilt about Nina and goes to kill himself after he kills Ashley in the Decay route (although that's it's own can of worms) shows that killing people he does care about does mess him somewhat.

I be honest, IDK what was I going with this (drinking medicine after so long really messed me up) but the point is I don't think Andy is as messed up or cruel as some go so far as to saying, obviously he's far, far from a saint as you can get but I don't think he's as evil as Ashley or his mom

I figured it wasn't complete :P

No, Andrew isn't cruel. I don't think anyone can argue in good faith that he's cruel. He draws no enjoyment from the crimes he commits - the only time he expresses something resembling it is when he thinks back to the warden who was "leering on Ashley" and he regrets not killing him slower. But that's just simple brotherly protectiveness or is it

it isn't enough for her, it's never enough for her, which is probably when he actually started thinking all those horrible stuff about her and being actually mean to her, if Andy isn't enough for her no matter what, then why bother acting like him?

Aside from this being painfully relatable lol, I love how this is one of the two ways that lead to the Decay route. I've seen most people talk about entering it through Andrew accepting his mother's olive branch, which symbolizes his desire to be "normal" and blaming Ashley for everything bad he did. But Ashley not trusting Andrew with their parents also has merits - the big argument in Ch1 that ended with Andrew choking her started precisely because Ashley didn't trust Andrew, she seriously believed he wanted to fuck the lady, that he wasn't faithful to her. Ashley has severe abandonment issues and a complete lack of a sense of self-worth, which is what pushes her to force Andrew to be "stuck" with her - because no one would actually love her, if they had the choice!

Obviously Andrew, as anyone would, grows tired of this shit, the lack of trust and respect after everything he has done for her, hence the route where they grow apart :D

Again, I've gone on a tangent. I really want to talk about them <3

he still cares about Julia

That's the other thing people are split about. Did he care? And how much? When Julia says that Ashley should learn some independence (which is code for "dude she's too invested in our relationship and it's creepy), Andrew dodges the issue, justifies Ashley and talks positively about her. He asked her to tie up her hair which is very obvious why. When Julia broke up with him, Andrew could only offer a "I'm sorry, I guess? But why should I be blamed?" (although he does call out Ashley for interfering in his romantic life). Then there is the matter of the voicemails that he hears in his dream: were those made up by his subconscious? (and considering how most of them are Ashley slutshaming Julia and bragging about Andrew needing her, bro) Or did Andrew, somehow, hear them... and did nothing?

I really want to dissect Andrew under a microscope lol. He's not a poor innocent victim nor he is an abuser in the same way as Ashley... but he's such an unreliable narrator that I think most of his psyche is still shrouded in mystery.

#the coffin of andy and leyley #andrew graves #sorry i can't give a concrete answer #it's just. there's a lot to consider

[ocpdzim]

so ok in deep space nine they HEAVILY code the genetically enhanced people as neurodivergent (imo they all read quite clearly as autistic coded like, specifically, but most of them also seem to have other neurodivergency going on on top of that) and on one hand it kind of really sucks and is one of the biggest fuckups in the show in terms of like. representation. bc it’s sometimes played for some sort of shitty comedy and also plays into the autistic savant stereotype which nobody likes.

however also with that big “THIS KINDA SUCKS” disclaimer out of the way , there’s also some other things about how it’s handled that i want to also discuss bc they’re either interesting or actually good or just fucking weird and the combination of “this is good” and “this sucks” and “what the absolute hell were they even trying to do here” has resulted in me not being able to stop thinking about it.

first of all the number one thing that i think is actually really good about it is the very blatant and obvious “we need neurodivergent doctors for neurodivergent people” subtext that i’m not even sure it’s accurate to call subtext, it may just be text. NEVER have i seen that as a message in any show, the closest i have seen are shows where there’s a neurodivergent doctor but the reason the show considers that great is that the doctor in question can come up with novel ideas for helping neurotypical patients with unrelated issues. but it is really important - we do need neurodivergent doctors!!!! it makes a MASSIVE difference in pretty much the exact way depicted in the episode - neurodivergent doctors treat neurodivergent patients like people and engage with them on their own level and can relate to them and understand what they’re going through. star trek really said “maybe some of these patients who are ~difficult cases~ aren’t actually difficult cases and don’t need some kind of novel special procedure or whatever, they just need someone to fucking respect them for once.” and it extended that compassionate and humanizing perspective to neurodivergent people who had extremely visible and debilitating symptoms. brilliant incredible ahead of its time i just wish that it wasn’t weighed down by other Problems In The Episode. and since i figure i ought to throw in my two cents, i think this is a valuable enough message that it makes up for the flaws of the episode overall even though they are so glaring.

second of all the other thing i think is Actually Really Good about it is bashir being neurodivergent already before augmentation (they pretty much explicitly state he had some sort of learning disability) and how his parents’ attempt to “fix” him was NOT a good parenting move but instead, even though it DID make him fit in more with society and “fix” his symptoms, was a massive violation of his personhood that severely damaged his sense of self and pretty much destroyed his relationship with his parents. they weren’t evil or hateful parents - they really did want what was best for their son - but because of their ableism they couldn’t understand that what he really needed was to be accepted and respected for who he was, and to have his needs accommodated, not to be changed. neurodivergent kids get put through traumatizing and harmful “therapies” by parents who really do love them and would never intentionally harm them just like this all the time in real life. i really liked that his parents were dealt with sympathetically and it was made clear that they really did mean well, but despite that, he didn’t have to accept any justifications for what they’d done and his father ended up facing real consequences for it and accepting that it had been wrong.

this is a continuation of the bit about bashir being neurodivergent already, but i felt it needed a paragraph break - the other thing about the way being augmented by his parents in an attempt to stop him from being neurodivergent impacted bashir as a character that worked really well is that it DIDN’T stop him from being neurodivergent, it stopped him from outwardly appearing neurodivergent super obviously. it’s made very clear that even though he doesn’t have the same symptoms he had as a child, he’s still neurodivergent and instead of freeing him from any kind of burden, the treatments he was subjected to have condemned him to a life of masking forever. once again this is something that is the actual goal of many “therapies” for developmentally disabled people (fuck you aba), AND it’s something that a lot of neurodivergent people end up self-enforcing even if they’ve never been through these abusive therapies. bashir has to hide his neurodivergency to avoid making others uncomfortable and to protect his career, and it takes a clear and painful toll on his wellbeing even though it allows him to become a successful doctor. he makes it very clear he’d have rather lived his life without being forced into this box in the first place, even though now that he’s in the box he doesn’t want to get back out of it since being his authentic self now, after all the years of hiding, would put everything he has at risk. a lot of us do grapple with that and i don’t often see it portrayed at all.

now onto stuff i cannot slot neatly into “this is great” or “this sucks.”

on an actual serious level it is not good but i personally find it extremely hilarious, like as a concept, that in the sci-fi future of star trek, they invented a procedure to give your kid autism and then banned it because it makes your kid smarter and stronger than all the other kids and maybe he’ll take over the world. i’m drafting my world domination plan right now as we speak so watch out, i will destroy the government with my autism beam attack.

i have a lot of mixed feelings about lauren. on one hand, the way she’s written is often very flat and sometimes kind of creepy, and i wish she was dealt with with more nuance and depth. on the other hand, having a character who is not only disabled but institutionalized and nevertheless presenting her as beautiful, sexy, and capable of wanting and having romantic and sexual interactions is kind of nice in the face of the rampant desexualization experienced by disabled people.

the federation’s broad anti-augment stance is interesting in a show that generally presents the federation as being over most other types of discrimination. i think it’s intended to be up for audience interpretation whether the federation policies about augments are good or bad. personally, i think that it’s FLAGRANTLY bad - it isn’t the choice of a child whether to be augmented! it certainly makes sense for the procedure to be illegal considering both the risk of it being used for eugenics and the nature of it as a horribly violating procedure, but the consequences should not fall on the genetically enhanced person, but rather on whoever did that to them. i wish we’d seen more pushback against the federation’s policies and more examination of what they meant for augmented people.

the treason plotline being connected to all this was baffling to me. i am not necessarily against it on a principle level - “neurodivergent people will engage in high stakes treason and espionage in order to solve the world’s most fucked trolley problem” is so silly that it isn’t really a message i’m worried about - but i felt like it wasted the potential of the episode to go in plenty of other, more impactful directions. i would’ve much rather seen it end with the augments and the federation coming up with a better arrangement for their treatment and living situation - either to integrate into mainstream society or to find a way to improve the way they’re treated at the institution so that they are respected, listened to, and have their needs met better. ideally i would’ve really liked if we saw them all end up with different solutions, like maybe some of them would want to leave the institution and make a life for themselves outside it but others would want to stay, but with more autonomy and respect within the institution.

#NOTE i havent finished watching the show. i am aware they come back in at least 1 more episode. i didnt see that one yet #so like. no idea what happens in it or how it impacts this analysis #deep space nine #deep space 9 #ds9 #star trek #julian bashir #AUGH THIS IS SO LONG. sorry guys <3 #i have lots to say lol #ableism mention - #you can reblog this if you want to. like it isnt a personal do not reblog post you know? #also yeah i have been watching star trek from the 90s #they took it off netflix and so i pirated it to watch the rest and i guess paramount has a whole team dedicated to tracking down star trek #pirates bc they IMMEDIATELY threatened to cut off my internet. joke's on them though. eat shit paramount i already downloaded it #so i do not need to continue downloading it anyway

[ambyandony]

Cloud Nine Contrails: Main Protagonist; Limbo Adkins

Context for Cloud Nine Contrails

Limbo Adkins

(リンボ・アドキンス Rinbo Adokinsu) ✈ 17 years old ☮ female, she/her ☮ ~ 160.02 cm (5'3") ☮ Metro Popper ✈

Modified transcription of above profile:

Could be a distant relative of the Joestars, but there's really no evidence to suggest it, so who knows? She's never been shown with the star birthmark, but she's never been shown without it, either.

Though her father is Japanese and her mother an Englishwoman, Limbo was technically born American, even if she doesn't consider herself as one. Due to her parentage and upbringing, she speaks Japanese and English as a native bilingual.

Similarly to her brother, Limbo's Stand potential and face birthmark were apparently inherited maternally; their father is the only non-Stand User in the immediate family although he's well aware of what Stands are.

Her parents are separated; she lives in Detroit with her Standless father while her older brother and mother live somewhere in Europe, supposedly Eastern France, near the Italian border.

A rising indie musician, but works under a pseudonym online and only ever performs behind the anonymity of a full-face mask, so nobody really knows it's her.

Diagnosed with and medicated for ADHD-C. Has undiagnosed anxiety. Goes to therapy but what the fuck am I supposed to tell my therapist about stand-related issues??? Fuckin'... guess I'll take it to the grave!

Vastly knowledgeable about aviation and aerodynamics. Has a long-standing hyperfixation on aircraft.

Never wanted to end up in a gang, but it's not like she can just leave…

Still in high school. It's hard juggling crime, classwork and Stand conflict, even harder when you're trying to keep your dad out of it.

Limbo lives with her now-single father Tategoto and their puppy Kumori. Her mother, Aurelie-Adele, and her brother, Josh, live in Europe.

Coloured and uncoloured full body references, back and front; profile and 3/4ths view headshots!

Abbreviated personality description from my wiki page for her:

"Limbo is a typically soft-spoken and well-meaning individual. She has a gentle demeanour but chaotic sense of humour ... typically abstract ... [and] borderline Dadaistic. ... [When] put under large amounts of stress, she tries to twist the situation into some form of comedy.

She's incredibly insecure, but rarely speaks about it ... [A] large part [of her insecurity] can be attributed to ... rejection-sensitive dysphoria. ...

She is incredibly modest and polite, sometimes to a fault. ... She is overly apologetic ... be the wrongdoing minor or major, real or perceived, or not her fault at all ... [as] a result of her anxiety ...

She generally likes her privacy ... [to] the point of [wearing a] mask ... to keep her "work" and "personal life" separate. ... [She] doesn't want to be associated with the Metro Poppers any more than she has to.

Though capable of ... and having enacted it on multiple occasions, she greatly dislikes [violence] ... only [harming] others in retaliation and under extreme distress. She seems ... [like] a pushover and ... [as] she's settled into the position, putting her foot down isn't an easy task ...".

why yes, i did just discover the joy of ... and [ ] in quotations!

Design notes for Limbo to help me stay on model! dont mind the gap at the bottom i overestimated how much blank space i needed and also I ran out of things to write. same applies to all of these pictures

「Cloud Nine」

Cloud Nine - Stand of Limbo Adkins

Modified transcription of above profile:

Cloud Nine's ability is to detect, disrupt and disconnect signals. A signal can be defined as an intangible and invisible connection (generally) between two or more things. Cloud Nine's ability applies to anything that is considered a signal or can be defined as a signal by that criteria, be it mechanical, organic, or anything else. It takes the form of a small plane, reminiscent of a drone in size, resembling a commercial jet liner with a few minor elements of a fighter jet. It's not combat oriented, nor is it really suitable for combat, as it's not armed with much beyond a single rotary turret hidden by the central landing gear, which can only wound superficially. It cannot--or at least generally does not--create new signals other than communication signals by radio wave.

Power - C

Speed - S

Potential - A

Range - A

Durability - D

Precision - C

not that stand stats mean anything-

Modified transcript:

Cloud Nine combines elements of a fighter jet and a commercial jet liner. Specifically, the Airbus A320 and the F-18 Super Hornet.

Cloud Nine is similar in concept to Aerosmith, it is a small, roughly toy-sized plane. Beyond that, there are few similarities.

It's a jet, so it uses turbines to fly, meaning propellers would be obsolete and, given its sleeker design, would only get in the way of any artillery. However, it's very lacking in armaments, possessing only one small rotary turret underneath it by the landing gear. Because of this lack of firepower, it possesses a set of propellers to function specifically as a weapon, doing more significant damage than the turrets can.

It does not appear to have propellers, because the propellers typically retract into the nose, and only emerge when they're needed as a weapon.

...It does disrupt its ability to fly if any "viscera" gets caught in its blades, however, so there's a good chance it needs to be cleaned off sometimes. It's a bit gross.

There's a little shadow visible through either windscreen, and it does seem to move sometimes, but it's not clear if this is just a visual effect or an actual entity.

It has two cockpits, one as intended for commercial aircraft and the other as intended for military aircraft. It also features a false canopy on the bottom, which only mirrors the upper cockpit.

For reference, Cloud Nine is a bit smaller than Aerosmith, up to around half of Aerosmith's size, but it may just look that way largely because it's a lot sleeker.

It has antennae-like protrusions underwing on the ends of both wings. These have an indicator light attached to the tips. The antennae are by default retracted and unlit, but when its ability is in use, the antennae extend and the lights switch on. The lights display green when detecting or restoring signals, and red when disrupting or disconnecting them.

Cloud Nine has a headset. Whenever the Stand is summoned, this headset typically appears already over Limbo's ears, or around her neck. It's a fair-quality over-ear aviation headset with good noise reduction as well as a movable boom mic, facilitating two-way communication. When giving orders to her Stand, Limbo speaks to it through the mic.

Interestingly, Cloud Nine actually shows a degree of sentience and is also capable of actually speaking, which is pretty rare for Stands (presumably all Stands can telepathically communicate (or facilitate their Users to do so) but only a few are able to speak non-telepathically, like Spice Girl, Sex Pistols, and Whitesnake); however, it can only speak through the headset. Anyone who can put the headset on can hear and communicate with the Stand, not just Limbo.

It's very rude, though, especially to Limbo herself, and it always sounds like it's yelling. The starts and ends of transmissions are usually marked by a sound like a walkie-talkie.

It relays signal information to Limbo through the headset as dynamic auditory indicators and coordinate info, which Limbo is able to visualise as a sort of "radar grid" to easily determine where and what signals are. It's an effective system Limbo has acclimated to and mastered over time. So, to anyone else, the report is nigh indecipherable.

Another defence mechanism is the ability to spread thick clouds from its contrails, creating areas of low visibility and dense air that's hard to breathe. How it pulls this off isn't made explicitly clear, but in theory, it manipulates some kind of chemical-environmental signals that are meant to dissipate clouds as would normally happen, causing the vapour to condense. Limbo jokingly refers to it as 'making a cloud nine'.

#JJBA Fanpart #JoJo Fanpart #jjba fan stand #jjba fan character #jjba original character #jjba fanpart #Spotify #oc #oc stuff #original character #digital art #Cloud Nine Contrails #character design #fan character #digital arwork #character profile #amby draws #my art #jjba oc #jojo oc

[jasntodds]

I'm new to your blog hiii 😊 This is cuz of your music fic post, this is not me requesting I just simply must gush about this because I love music and there are some musicians imo that just hit so right with Jason (*cough* Matt Maeson)

Anyways here's some songs that I think have serious tremors of Jason Todd running through them 🎵 ❤

🎵Halestorm: Back from the Dead (this one is self explanatory lol)

🎵The Pretty Reckless: Got so High/ Standing at the Wall (side note~their latest album Death By Rock N Roll is so good and so sad)

🎵Eminem: Drug Ballad/ Never Love Again (don't worry these are milder Em lyrics cuz we all know some of his word choices are vomit inducing but these are basically simultaneously love songs to the drugs but also a cautionary tale against them)

🎵Avril Lavigne: Fall to Pieces/ Nobody's Home (I just think they fit for Jason esp nobody's home)

🎵 Matt Maeson: Dancing After Death/ The Hearse/ Tread on Me/ Go Easy/ Cringe/ Me and My Friends Are Lonely/ Mr. Rattlebone/ Grave Digger

(I motherfucking love this man's music 😢💘 lyrically mostly everything describes Jason. I LOVE the line in Me and My Friends Are Lonely "The city breathes when I do not" > that is so Gotham and Jason and Gotham and Robin and Gotham and Redhood. In Mr. Rattlebone the lyrics "I am the driver. I am the shadow. I am the hearse" welp 😢🙃 The opening of Grave Digger oh my days "I can't run to you Father, I need love". Anyway I'm gonna shush now because I am getting carried away lol but hope you don't me spaming you with all this

Hey!! Uh, I love this???? lmao I love hearing songs that relate to my favorite characters!! I definitely made a playlist here with all of these songs and I'm gonna add to it for songs that just scream Jason dkfhgdf I will be 100% listening to all of these and I actually really enjoy Matt Maeson's voice so that's so perfect??????

I'm so sorry but this is me reading "The city breathes when I do not."

Look, ANYTHING relating to daddy issues screams Jason to me and I nearly lose my fucking mind every single time. It reminds me of that one quote that's like "Growing up and seeing your parents' flaws is like losing your religion. I don't believe in God. I don't believe in my father either." This will be the first song I listen to omg

You can always come and ramble to me about music and/or Jason I love all types of music and I love Jason so I am always here lmao

And since you gave me some awesome recs, I'm gonna give you a few fkghfd:

Left Behind by The Plot In You. Look, it is one of my FAVORITE songs (is it my most played of the year?? Probably lmao it's in my top most played of all time and it came out in Feb lmao and I know I clocked over 60k minutes of music this year). But, when I listen to it, I relate it to Jason and Bruce's dynamic with lines like "Just know, all the sacrifice had robbed me of my time" and "I left behind, everything you killed inside" Landon screaming the lyrics makes me wanna CRY you can hear the pain in his voice and that's just very Jason Todd to me lmao

Deep End by I Prevail. It's such a good song?????? (I used in a fanedit and they liked it on TikTok) but my mom knows every word because she has to deal with me and brother playing it lmao but the WHOLE chorus is super Jason coded "So I made friends with all my demons. Let 'em sink their teeth in. Got used to the feeling of letting it go. So give me something to believe in or throw me in the deep end. It all feels the same with your eyes closed. So you can throw me in the deep end."

And Hollow - Lo's Version by Lo Spirit. I found him on TikTok (I swear I am not on that often??) and he's an INCREDIBLE vocalist. But this song is his best imo (followed by Good Enough and Wild Things (my beloved)) but this song is perfect for Jason. I mean, in Titans, he literally says there's a poison in him. It's perfect!! "Maybe somethings wrong with me. Maybe I was meant to sit and wait." and "Why do I, why do I feel so hollow? Hollow, hollow. Try to hide from my mind, but it follows."

#achromaticerebus #alex answers #sharing music and talking about jason are amongst my favorite things lmao #long post

[evansbby]

This is gonna be so long i am so sorry but i’ve been reading WG3 all throughout the day, at work, on the street and as i ate my lunch so its been all on my mind for HOURS now and i have to SCREAM about it somewhere 🤷‍♀️

First things first… Wanda, bestie, is currently in, what i’ve coincidently learned recently is called, the ✨dick sand✨ its where you lose touch of reality and friends and everything that actually matters and just fall for a guy like a fucking idiot falling into quick sand, so yeah we definitely hate this version of Wanda but i shan’t judge until Curtis like cheats on her or something, which he will, and she’s left a sobbing mess being dragged out of the ✨dick sand✨

Also… we still have yet to see her handle reader in this fragile state and if she keeps ditching her for Curtis while she’s this distraught… you must kill her off please and thank you 😌

I understand that its more convenient for the plot for reader to forget about what happened in the ride back home with Steve but like she remembered being fucked in front of everyone by Ari while being most high and drunk! I’ve never been drunk before so i dont know if the haze intensifies as the liquor runs through ones’ veins but like i just hated that for her because it could have saved her but like i said it is essential for the plot i guess so i’ll just shut up about it 🥲

I LOVE how it all started with Ari forcing himself on reader and ended it with Steve doing the same thing and how the difference in her reactions was stark, depending on the dickhead, her feelings towards each one and just like the actual way they did the forcing! And i cannot believe that i am team Ari now! Like you’re really about to convert so many of us to Ari stans after this because Steve is a fucking monster and also you should definitely kill him off as well please and thank you 😌

Thank you for giving us a fragile and submissive reader who got to actually speak up and say no for once before all hell broke loose.. well.. looser 😅 with poyt, Omega was seriously pushed to her most extreme edge before falling over and just saying enough and even the way she said it was more to herself than to Steve tbh so this was a lovely change and i am grateful for it so thank you bestie 💜

Fucking Sharon! I can’t believe you made her nice and sweet! That is so genius of you but like also diabolical 😈 it’s like you had an angst bingo card and you’re just FEROCIOUSLY going for the win 😂

The ball hitting reader was just *chef’s kiss* and its just perfect for me cause this was such a classic romcom moment and then having Ari scoop her up and take care of her is also another classic romcom move and i love you so much for it! God you’re so talented im gonna cry 😭

Speaking of the scoop, Ari felt fast for reader, huh? Did not think he would fold so damn fast! I mean i understand your assholes tend to have a heart hidden deep deep DEEP within them that ends up beating hard for your readers but i thought this one would take longer so i am definitely pleasantly surprised i must say 🤭

Now for The Beef… i think Kira has to do with it. That kind of hostility between boys almost always circles back to a girl they fought over or like a sister that got burned lol but like also let me congratulate you on your stunning talent to make me hate Steve Rogers’ guts and to make him the WORST human being ever when his image is that of a golden retriever. Kudos bestie you have done what no one has ever been able to do which is break us essentially but we love it 💋

I can’t wait to hear Steve’s backstory about when he was hospitalized for his anger issues btw i’m holding my breath for that one cause neglectful parents 🤝 angry and confused child is very relatable to me and representation matters 👍

“I broke up with her.” is like singlehandedly the most powerful phrase i’ve read in a fanfic in a long time because the timing, Ari saying it and the way he chose to say it are all just so incredibly and perfectly woven together to create the best plot twist EVER! Again with the genius and the talent and the you’re the goat shenanigans 🙂

I love the questions at the end cause its such a clever way to engage with your readers and honestly you are one of the best fanfic writers in this fandom at that! Your blog is honestly just the best place to hang out and just have the best of fun like we’re all just this insane group of besties who keep fighting over Ari’s 13 inch dick (when soft) and spewing hatred in the ugly and icky face of Andy Barfer lol

I’m so sorry this is long but i’ve made a promise to myself that i would read every review for this chapter since i never did it for any of the previous ones or ever for poyt cause i have the attentions span of a snail so i just took liberty and just talked my ass off to kinda compensate for all the reading imma be doing lol

Anyway, in case it aint obvious yet, loved the chapter to death. Love you to death. Forever grateful for all that you give us. You feed us so well, mother, we are so chubby and cute just like little Rosie 😘😘😘😘

Yep, Wanda is definitely in dick sand right now! I love that hahaha, it fits perfectly.

And it’s not uncommon for people to remember only bits and pieces when they were drunk. When the Ari stuff happened, she had just drank. When the Steve stuff happened later, she was fully gone lmao. Like when I’ve gone on nights out, there have been times where I remember the beginning of the night but then have no recollection of anything else until the very end. And other times I remember everything! So it all just depends.

Also I didn’t really think you guys would think Steve was a monster 🤔😂 Like, as you said, they BOTH forced themselves on her. But the one who stopped and apologised is the monster and not the one who clearly didn’t stop? That’s soooo interesting to me mwahahah, but I didn’t see this reaction coming from yall but it seems to be the popular one! Tbh they’re both fucking monsters bahahaha but it’s called wicked games for a reason! 🤭🤭 also I think reader’s reaction to Steve in his bedroom was BECAUSE of her past experiences with Ari!! It made her wiser to the fuckboyness of boys hehehe and wary too!

Also hahaha I am so happy you appreciate the questions at the end tbh i do the questions at the end bc i remember a lot of writers doing it on 1dff (the 1d fanfic site) back in like 2014 lol and even I did it when I wrote a fic there! It’s bc whenever I finish a fic im so frazzled bc I’ve taken in so much info so all I can do as a review is a keyboard smash so the questions are a good way for me to gather my thoughts so I thought it would be the same for you guys!

Thank you so much for reading and leaving such a wonderful review bestie! I love you sm 🩷🥹 Now let’s see if Ari truly lives up things bc he has a lot more people in his corner this time around hehehe

ANDNSJXJSJA CHUBBY AND CUTE ROSIE DIDNSKSK I FORGOT ABOUT HER 🥹🥹🥹🥹🥹🥹🥹🥹🥹🥹

#rosecoloredboygirl #wg 3 spoiler #wg ask

[quickhacked]

hate, pain, and midnight for matvey. i do want to know about the old man

oc asks!

HATE: What does your OC hate? Why? How do they act towards the object of their hatred?

this one is very interesting because matvey hates unfairness first and foremost. from his perspective, arasaka fired him and his wife nadya because of something related to vitali, their son, that they had NOTHING to do with and it angered him immensely which honestly on its own is understandable. problem however is that nadya automatically put the blame on vitali- and with matvey's undying loyalty to his wife he ended up plotting revenge as she asked of him against vitali, despite the fact all of it was entirely out of vitali's control

matvey's hypocrisy is part of why the whole dobrynin family is so fucking dysfunctional. nadya has been causing most of the issues by being insane about everything and everyone but matvey always sided with her, viewing things from her perspective as if to keep up appearances like what they used to have to do to their own parents to be allowed to be together. except those parents are no longer there so he's performing for no one and with that being incredibly unfair toward everyone around him while that's the EXACT thing he himself hates which is what's making him side with nadya (because nadya is always yelling about how life is so unfair to her, and what's matvey to do other than believe her?)

some other more regular human things that he hates would be 1) being filmed in public, 2) ketchup and 3) the smell of gasoline

PAIN: What's the worst pain your OC has ever felt? Do they have a high pain tolerance?

despite being the broker and all that, matvey hasn't actually seen a lot of actual combat like vitali has for example. he is a boxer however and has done plenty of matches in the past, so the worst he's ever had would be a couple of broken bones. he's never been stabbed or shot before (which is quite the accomplishment in night city especially as a banker and later a high-ranked executive in arasaka)

he has a pretty decent pain tolerance because of his boxing history but also it's been a while. he's nearing his 60s. so viktor punching him right on the fucking nose in the broker fic would've definitely caused some tears to well up in the eyes that's for sure LMAO

MIDNIGHT: What keeps your OC up at night? Do they have nightmares? Fears? Anxieties? What do they do in the small hours of the morning when they should be sleeping?

matvey has pretty bad insomnia and could easily stay awake for the whole night if he wants. anything could keep him up and plenty of things have kept him up in his days- whether it's stress at work, at home, worries about meetings or deals he has to make or whatever. after he got fired it was mostly the "what now?" that kept him up at night; not necessarily worrying about money since they still had plenty, but nadya was expecting him to get revenge and how was he gonna do that? he figured it out eventually. bunch of highly unnecessary theatrics. but that took a lot of planning and a lot of sleepless nights

nowadays he would have a lot of nightmares. it takes a while for him to actually understand the gravity of his crimes and how badly he spiraled and all that but the visual of vitali bleeding out in his arms is something he will never get out of his head and it continues to haunt him in his nightmares, even though vitali is still very much alive

#asks #secondsundering #ask:matvey #oc asks #THANK YOU. I AM OBSESSED WITH THIS GUY HE'S SO INSANE #i didn't proofread any of this so i hope it makes sense but basically. if matvey and nadya had just gotten divorced #then none of the broker fic would've happened. amen #they do get a divorce by the way. because of like. the everything. and also because of nadya cheating on him with ravager #so now it's time for old man yaoi with matvey and viktor and you can thank me later for that xx

[evilwickedme]

Literally why would people even be a fan of Jason if the fact that he kills people makes them uncomfortable? There are other characters

Cause he's hot

Okay for real? I don't think it's a conscious thing, but it's cultural Christianity at play. They want to redeem him.

Also, I think he's an easy character to project your own trauma into, since he's so incredibly defined by being a traumatized character. Hell, one of the (albeit many) reasons I like Jason is that I relate to him having a complicated sometimes antagonistic sometimes I can't imagine leaving him behind sometimes I need him but don't want him in my life relationship with his father!

Important to both of these is that while every member of the batfam has a buttload of trauma, Jason is the one who wears it most blatantly on his sleeve. He practically refuses to get better. Personally, I think that makes him a really interesting foil to Bruce, who also refuses to get better.

Dick eventually worked through the issues he had with Bruce; Tim didn't really want to be part of the family in the first place, but has accepted that he's a part of it by now; Cass overcame both her father and her mother (I believe, since unless any of you are going to send her Batgirl run to me I'm working off random panels online); Duke is dealing with his parents pretty healthily as far as I can tell? (again, new to DC comics y'all); and even the actual angry Robin, Damian, has chilled (a little) and learned to become a better person, developing genuine friendships with his peers and the like (he's still an insufferable little brat, but most 13 year olds are).

Bruce and Jason, however, are tidally locked. Neither of them can change or the narrative ends. Bruce can't get better because if he did he would stop being Batman; Jason can't get better because if he did he would stop being Red Hood.

Where was I going with this?

Oh yeah, deeply traumatized Jason.

Because Jason being traumatized is such an essential part of his character, it's easy for writers to project their own trauma onto him - especially if that trauma is related to abusive families, but I've seen a lot of stuff that simply isn't in the source text being explored through Jason, especially SA.

And even if you don't project onto him - uh, well, yeah, he's attractive. Both literally, and in the sense of being an attraction that people want to read and write about. He's interesting! He's an anti hero! Ask anyone, anti heroes are the shit. Just look at the popularity of the fratt tag under daredevil (tv). Or Deadpool and anything related to him.

Which is where the cultural Christianity sets in. Because you've projected onto this character, but you wouldn't do that! Or you like the idea of an anti hero, but actually letting one remain an anti hero... Well, I like him, therefore he must be good!!! Time for a redemption arc 💜

I've seen this for years as a veteran Deadpool and spideypool fan. This is by no means universal. Plenty of people are capable of liking an anti hero for whatever reason (projection, he's narratively interesting, he's so fucking hot) and not forcing them to go through a redemption arc where they realize killing is wrong/stop killing for some other reason. I've certainly reblogged a lot of meta for Jason in recent months showing I'm not alone in enjoying him as a character who does kill.

But yeah. Sometimes the things we like and the things we believe don't match up, and for some people that's not a problem, but for others it is, so they fix it. Too bad they usually miss the whole point of Jason's character in the process.

#this is going to get me burned at the stake if it gets any attention so I'm posting it now and hoping no americans are online #jason todd #dc #gail speaks #ask #anonymous #cultural christianity #jason todd my beloved #jt