#heavily inspired by their use of flashbacks in season 1
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Sent from Below, Fell from Above. [pt.1] [pt.2]
—> if angels can fall, demons can rise.
⤻ reader is a female, reader is a bunny-type angel(?), canon-typical cursing, very bad use of 1920s slang, heavily inspired by @jazjelspen 's angel baby fic, death, betrayal, mentions of racism, abuse of men against women and sexism, angst, spoilers for all of hazbin hotel season one, flashbacks
notes: a rather long one, and wrote another small verse for readers to sing. I wrote it while slowing down the melody in Emily and Charlie's parts.
💌 ⤻ archives.
You walked into the broadcasting room, your heels clacking against the clean floor as you looked about before acknowledging that someone was already there.
"Ah, are you my newest assistant?" The man seated there had the widest grin on his face as he sat there, legs slightly spread apart as you gulped, nodding your head so meekly. Ah, to be human again, when you were too scared to even raise your head. "Haha, that's wonderful, my dear. I was told you had quite the resume. Most impressive for a young lady." You nodded your head. "Very... very impressive indeed." He smiled at you.
"You are impressive too, sir." You quipped.
"Oh?" He tilted his head.
You blushed as he narrowed his eyes at you. "Both of us... we- we're not exactly what society deems as... correct."
"Is that why you're working here? You relate to me?" The creole man asked, leaning against his chair as he tapped a lanky finger on his desk.
"No." You shook your head, your wild hair shaking alongside you. "I admire you. I want to be like you. I imagine it must have been hard for to get to where you are now." You spilled your heart out to this man, because for years, you admired how someone that was meant to be pushed out of what society deemed 'right' managed to rise to the top, to become a striking star in the radio world. "So I'm here because I want to learn how to become a star, just like you."
His eyes widened as you faced him with that determined look on your face.
"What a bright young woman." He rose up from his seat, sauntering his way towards you as you stood there, waiting.
Alastor grabbed your hand, bowing down as he looked up at you, that sweet grin on his face. "Alastor, my dear, pleasure to meet you." He said, before sealing your fate with a kiss on your hand. "I hope that we can get along well." You gazed at him with wide eyes, your eyes raking over his bronzed skin and brown — almost red — hair. Glasses lined his gleaming eyes.
✧ Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ ✧
"Hey, bitch! I'm talking to you over here!" Adam's voice rang throughout your head as your head snapped up to meet the first man on Earth. You frowned.
You never liked Adam. He was stuck-up, and you had heard the stories of how badly he treated Lilith and Eve, it reminded you of your high-school friends who unfortunately fell into the hands of those abusive men they had to marry. Adam had the same air as them, just less... smart.
"You want me to show up to the trial?" You repeated.
"Yes!" Adam yelled.
"I don't mind. That demon princess annoys me a little. I don't understand why she's trying to redeem a murderer like him." You hissed. The fact that girl — who probably knew of his sadistic nature — associated with him, left a bad taste in your mouth. Though wrath was a sin, you felt resentment and wrath for Alastor, and envy for how he did not seem to regret any of his actions that led him to hell in the first place. Meanwhile, you had to deal with the nightmares that came with being killed. For the first years in Heaven, you woke up in cold sweat as you remembered the knife that went through your heart.
"Well then, babe," you disliked Adam, but a temporary truce would be fine. "Let's start heading there, shall we?"
You nodded and unflapped your wings.
✧ Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ ✧
You flew up to the seat beside Adam, eyes narrowed as you watched Alastor promenade in with the Princess of Hell and that girl you still had no idea about. The way he walked was still the same as it had been years ago.
You met eyes with Alastor, mustering all your courage to send a look of malice his way, as Sera announced the beginning of court.
"We are gathered here today to determine whether or not a soul in Hell can be redeemed to the Heavenly Realm by means of this Hazbin Hotel." Oh, you just knew Alastor named that Hotel, he always did have a sick sense of humour. You almost snorted at the name too, but refrained from doing so.
Adam nudged you. "Now." He practically hissed. Out of spite, you almost didn't stand up.
"Objection!" You said as you stared down at the Princess, then at Sera. "I apologise for interrupting you, your royal highness." You looked down at her, then up at Sera, who glared at Adam, instinctively knowing it was his idea to rope in the innocent you into his plans. "I understand that as a Winner, I typically have no say in how Heaven runs things." You summoned up all your might as you met Sera's eyes, utilising all that courage you had back as Alastor's assistant into your heavenly body. "But I must disagree on the type of people the Princess of Hell is trying to redeem." You pointed a finger at Alastor, his eyes widening in amusement as you accused him.
"This man, I knew him from when I was alive, my heavenly council." You looked at all the archangels and others that gathered around. "He was the man who killed me. A notorious serial murderer from when I was alive. More of his victims are no doubt here too, maybe some in hell. But what doesn't change the fact is that someone as dangerous as him," You pointed your finger at Alastor again, your face turning red as he simply tilted his head towards you, like a gentleman greeting a lady. The council gasped as they all whispered about, some glaring down at your murderer. For once, you felt like justice was being served for how abruptly your life had ended in Alastor's hands."Does not belong in Heaven after all the souls he has killed in his time in the living. No matter how much he repents, taking away another human's soul is an unforgivable crime!" You exclaimed.
The rest of the council agreed, as the Princess and the girl beside her looked about, frantic. Alastor simply smiled up at you, his little bunny.
"Order in the court." Sera said, attempting to calm everyone down after you riled them up with your voice.
"You've always been such a good public speaker, my little bunny." You saw red, he dared to call you that intimate nickname in front of the Heavenly Court? After you had revealed his crime to everyone to see?
It seems that Alastor's nerve had not died with him.
"Why is he even here?" You questioned Charlie, your fiery gaze never leaving the trio below you.
"I am the host of the hotel, my dear!" Alastor said, "I should be here to support my fellow colleagues in their endeavours. What kind of co-worker — let alone friend — would I be if I let them defend their case on their own?"
You were about to speak when you were interrupted by that Princess.
"In the Hazbin Hotel, we believe that everyone can be redeemed!" The Princess exclaimed despite the loud voices drowning her out. "Please, you have to listen!"
"You don't even have evidence that this Hotel can work. If you do, we'd be glad to see it!" Adam responded sarcastically, challenging Princess Morningstar.
"We have a patron that is showing incredible progress." She said.
"Who?"
"Don't tell me it's him." You glared at the Princess, daring her to confirm your doubts.
"Angel Dust!" What an odd name.
"Oh yeah! The porn demon, he's totally worth being redeemed." Adam blew a Raspberry at them. That was... immature. Still, your cheeks almost flamed scarlet as Adam gave you context for who and what this sinner the Princess referred to was.
"Well, if you know so much, what do you think it takes to get into heaven?" She pointed at Adam as your eyes widened. You had never thought about this before but... what did a person need to do to get into heaven? Did they need to be perfect? Because if so, you certainly belonged in Hell. Then, you remembered Alastor and your mood soured to think that you might have been in the same spot as him.
What was even more shocking was when Adam began to get flustered, flabbergasted by Charlie's question as Sera inquired as to whether Adam was okay. You watched even more shocked as Adam cursed at Sera and began to scribble nonsense onto a paper and sent it down to the girl. You caught a glimpse of the paper and your eyes widened.
"Are you fucking serious?" The ashen girl by the Princess' side asked, and honestly, that was your reaction too.
Adam snapped his fingers as Charlie challenged him, your eyes narrowing as an orb of light began to reflect, glowing bright before showcasing a bunch of sinners... partying? Was that how partying looked nowadays?
"Heavenly people, what more do you need to see? The pornstar chose a night of debauchery, that's not a soul worthy of being redeemed!" You side-eyed Adam. He had done way more debaucherous stuff than you cared to admit, and plus, if not partying was one of the factors for how you could get into heaven, the parties Alastor dragged you to would have caused you to plummet to Hell already.
"Are you telling me you never had a drink with friends after a hard day?" The Princess was right.
Thankfully, Sera was much more forgiving and less stupid than Adam, considering that she eventually allowed the Princess of Hell to continue. Still, you glared at Alastor, annoyed that you and Adam's ploy to get everyone so worked up over the serial killer in the room had not worked.
If the type of people the Princess of Hell, Charlotte Morningstar, wanted to redeem was a serial murderer, you would never accept the idea of redemption.
Alastor did not deserve such happiness.
You continued to watch, and the more you watched, the more you empathised with this Angel Dust... the more you felt inclined to care for him. You felt your heart — that you had assumed turned to stone for the sinners down in hell — slowly soften into clay for this sad man. Yet, despite how sad he clearly was, he was so strong. Stronger than anyone you had ever seen.
"See! He did everything on your list! He was selfless, he stopped Nifty from stealing and stuck it to that Moth man!" Charlie exclaimed, causing your eyebrows to furrow.
"Well, b- then why isn't he here then!" Adam sputtered out. "Hm?"
"Why isn't he here?" Emily and You said in unison.
"Wait, none of you know what gets someone into Heaven?"
The rest of the conversation was a blur to you as you struggled with the idea that you had no idea why you were in Heaven. If you had done one wrong thing... would that have condemned you to hell with Alastor?
You had not even comprehended the fact that they had started debating their ideas in song till Lute who was seated beside you, began to insult the sinner that all of you had been observing. Your eyes had solely been focused on Alastor the entire time, but theh quickly shot to Lute.
"What are we even talking about? Some crack whore who fucked up already! He blew his shot like the cocks in his mouth, this discussion is senseless and petty!" Lute sang, and you almost reached out for her, to not say such crude things in front of the Heavenly council and certainly to not insult a victim of abuse. Yet Lute and Adam flew away first and you frowned even deeper.
"Gotta say I can't wait to-"
"Adam." You turned to Sera.
"Come down and exterminate you!" Your eyes widened as you realised the severity of this situation. You now understood why this Princess was fighting so hard for this hotel.
Adam was killing the sinners.
He was no better than Alastor. No, even worse. Adam slaughtered an entire group of people without mercy. You felt bile rise up from your throat as they continued to sing, the tunes of their voice banging against your ears.
"Whoops!"
"Guess the cat's out of the bag!"
"What's the big deal?"
They didn't even see what was wrong with what they had said. You almost stumbled back thanks to shock and your absurdly long dress. Your entire world was sent into a frenzy as you felt so disgusted with yourself, for thinking that you could work with Adam, for siding with Sera and Adam — though briefly — for the idea of extermination. You felt yourself fall back, but someone was there to catch you.
Alastor's shadows manifested behind you, holding you close to his chest. "Be careful, Sweetheart." He said, helping you regain your balance as you felt too much anger with yourself to be angry at him.
"If Hell is forever, then Heaven must be a lie!"
"Emily-"
"If Angels can do whatever and remain in the sky! The rules are shades of grey, when you don't do as you say, when you make the wretched suffer just to kill them again!"
Their words resonated with you, and you found your heart thumping to the melody of the song.
"Don't look there." Alastor whispered as a red hand came up to your face, covering your eyes. "I don't like to see you stressed, my darling." The warmth of his hand felt like that time when he had surprised you on your birthday, covering your eyes before revealing the cake he had bought and the decorations he had put up for you.
Despite how he covered your ears, you could hear the court arguing amongst themselves.
That's when you heard it.
Sera's voice boomed throughout the entire court, facing the sinners with a verdict. "I'm sorry, but this court finds that there is no evidence souls in Hell can be redeemed."
"Oh fuck yes! I win, suck it, bitches!"
"You better save the date cunts, because we're coming to your hotel, first." That's when Alastor manifested in front of them, his shadows pushing Adam back, almost causing him to topple over.
"Not a very clever idea, chum, it's rude to curse at ladies." Alastor warned, the shadowy tentacles slithering about, ready to attack Adam.
"Ugh, son of a bitch!" Adam cursed as he grabbed out his guitar. "Or maybe, I can just kill you fuckers now." He took out his guitar-axe and in a flash of light, you flew towards them, shielding the trio from Adam's strikes with your wings. Adam flew back when his guitar-axe made contact with your angelic wings, enchanted by a spell that slammed Adam and Lute back, crashing into the wall.
"Just because you're a winner, does not give you the privilege to harm someone else!" You yelled, never having such a fit of rage in your life as you spread out your wings. You were a bunny; prey, never the predator. But as you spread out your Enchanted wings, you felt yourself grow angrier as you thought of how Adam — that sadistic motherfucker — no doubt killed multiple sinners. Sinners who were just like Angel Dust, misguided, but deserving of redemption.
"Are you seriously defending them right now, you crazy bitch?" Adam grunted as he glared at you.
"I'm defending the principle of it." You hissed.
Sera and Emily looked down at you. Sera, in particular, had a sour look on her face.
"You say that demons cannot be redeemed to Heaven, but why can Angels fall?" You questioned. "Lucifer himself, was once an angel, God's favourite angel!"
"If angels can fall, then why can't demons rise?" You looked towards the Heavenly council as you sang. "After this, will you really believe all their lies?" You questioned through song as Adam got up, knowing you had little time to convince the court. "The rules aren't black and white, who decides what's wrong and right? Can you say that this is justice when you kill them again?" You sang, pleading for the court to just look past their prejudices.
Just then, you heard a snap of Adam's fingers as a portal emerged from behind all of you. "No!" You yelled when you noticed how the portal was leading to a red fiery pit you assumed was hell, but before you could even protest, you had been pushed in by Lute, causing the rest of the four of you to stumble back down into hell.
tags: @duckydinglers @ghostdoodlen @belletifeshyl
#hazbin hotel imagine#hazbin hotel fic#hazbin hotel x reader#hazbin hotel alastor#hazbin hotel#alastor hazbin hotel#alastor x reader#alastor x female reader#alastor the radio demon#the radio demon
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hey can you just generally ramble about your terezi (and (terezi)) choices? I am interested in your process for her characters this chapter.
yeah! naturally i have a lot to say about a lot of things so spoilers for godfeels 3.2 A1 solo below the break!
let me just start this by saying that (Terezi) has been the BIGGEST pain in my ass of the entire core cast since beginning godfeels 3.
getting A1 out the door in general has been something of a nightmare, in part due to inconvenient irl circumstances but also because this track had a LOT of heavy lifting to do. Double Album is an ambitious project --too ambitious, arguably, considering how much time it takes to write (lots) and how little it pays (nothing)-- and this first glimpse into what's to come needed to do a lot of recapping prior events, moving pieces around on the board, clarifying character motivations, giving everyone a reason to be staying/going, and setting up several hefty dozens of plot threads in both major and minor ways, all while simultaneously being entertaining enough to read that old and new readers alike don't just get bored and peace out before we even get to the stuff that this story's actually about.
i think on balance A1 is going to wind up being sort of an odd duck among the tracks for this reason. i've been thinking of it as sort of a pilot episode, very much in the mold of the pilot of LOST whose very minimal flashbacks belied the load-bearing structural centrality that the flashback device would come to occupy in the series. but it's also a pilot episode for a series that's already three seasons in, which just further complicates the logistical job it needed to do. here again i took inspiration from LOST (get used to this comparison, btw-- everything from chapter 8 onwards has been/will be heavily inspired by LOST in theme and structure), where the season openers always had to pull double duty of cleaning up the mess from whatever bomb dropped in the season finale to completely change the status quo AND giving the core cast time to acclimate to the new status quo in a way that sets the audience up for what this season's gonna be about. it's a fun and punishing challenge that takes a lot of trial and error. there have been so many versions of A1 that all conveyed largely the same information in completely different ways to wildly different ends.
i'm glad i put that work in, because i'm really proud of how A1 ultimately turned out. i think it accomplishes the goals i set out for. and in a serial work like this you just don't get a chance to redo your first episode. if this part didn't work, if every character wasn't utilized with absolute precision, everything that followed would be at a disadvantage. i feel more confident in the future of this side of the story than i did when i first started writing it. but it was hard!
and at the center of that challenge was (Terezi), the character whose desire to go with Silverbark is easily the most obvious of the departing cast and yet simultaneously the most mysterious. i have a document for every writing project where i save cut material just in case, and the one for A1 is over 8000 words. of those, just shy of half are scenes involving (Terezi). because ever since the start of gf3, she's been a delightful, infuriating wrench in all my plans. it's easy enough to understand why she would want to go with Silverbark, but what does she feel about it? how does she feel about what she did to June, what June/Risk did to her, or about the state of Earth C today, and especially about the medicated domestic 30-something Vrisrezi who've just shown up out of the blue?
i wrote the dream strangulation scene in 3.1 chapter 1 knowing it would put a dent in her and June's relationship that would be a pain point through the rest of 3.1, but i'd always planned for them to get on better terms before the end (until Vrisrezi showed up, at which point all that progress would be painfully backpedaled). but as soon as she left the house, (Terezi) completely closed herself off and refused to come to the table again. throughout gf3 and especially chapter 8 i tried to find ways to let her talk about what was on her mind, and she just wouldn't. the Host-intruded memory of them getting into an argument watching Consort Jerry Springer and the birthday flashback where (Terezi) eats leafs both wound up defined in their conflict by (Terezi)'s own silence, her refusal to say what's really bothering her. even as she opens up some in the latter scene, she remains infuriatingly closed off to Risk and us. the question she thinks she's answering is why she's uncomfortable on Earth C, but the question June and Risk are really asking is, why am i not good enough to make this place feel like your home?
this is a dominant theme of Divergence Syndrome-- characters ensconced in noise looking for silence, or characters sick of silence hurtling mortally towards cacophony. the strict meaning of silence vs noise change depending on the person. all the circus flashbacks are moments where characters just can't quite bring themselves to say the thing they really want to say. silence and noise, secrets and truth-- you might draw some comparisons here between this theme and the concept of Voidthought as introduced in A1. i try not to push my hand when it feels like characters don't want to be accessible. it's easy to want to give everyone center stage all at once, but it gets to being too much very quickly. you've got to pick your battles, give everyone their moment when the time is right, when you and they both feel ready for it.
but with (Terezi) i genuinely was like. hey. tell me the thing you really want to say. give me something to work with here. i'm trying to understand how you got here from where we left you in gf2. were you just lying when you said you loved how unpredictable June was? were you lying to Kanaya when you said you liked how boring Earth C was compared to Alternia? what changed in those eleven months between gf2 and gf3 and why didn't i see it until it was too late?
and she just WOULDN'T. every time i've tried to get her talking it felt forced and wrong. she only talks in narration when she wants to. she refuses to humor her guilt even to herself. i wrote a complete version of the scene in Dave's room where Silverbark is much, much meaner, just to try and get a rise out of her. but it was so out of character, it was too much, too forceful. you just can't drag secrets out into the open like that. not with a Mind player as stubborn as (Terezi).
that scene was for me, really. i needed to write it because i was mad at her. i won't share it here because i think quite a lot of it will end up recycled in some form down the line. i don't exactly want to give the impression that (Terezi) is a distinct entity, because none of these characters are. it's more that i see the narration itself, and each characters' varying awareness of it, as having strict rules and boundaries. there's that moment at the end of A1 where Vriska pops into the narration just to say, actually no i don't want my feelings on display right now. i'd planned to have a whole lot of prose there! but when i wrote that interjection, it felt right. it showcases a different form of closing one's self off-- where (Terezi) is doing bullheaded self-harm in her silence, Vriska there is being mature and recognizing that sometimes you just have to let things go. good characterization in this story isn't just about dialogue. every word you read is a function of character in some form. 3.1 was narrated largely by VV. 3.2's narration/structure is what i've been calling "paramniscient epistolary" --basically a roving narratorial eye that can take the form of disconnected third person narration but give way to direct influence from characters whenever they desire. the epistolary part will make more sense come future tracks. but all of that is to say that yeah, to let that device be honest in what it is, to really fulfill VV's promise of letting these characters have genuine agency, i need to be willing to step back and let them be obtuse sometimes.
the original version of that scene between (Terezi) and Silverbark broke rules i didn't yet know, and it taught me a lot about what this story wants to be. gf2 was so much about June expositing her every thought, having revelations, working through shit, coming to terms with her Self. gf3, at least so far, is the opposite. (Terezi)'s lack of answers, her refusal to self-examine, is a protest against the kind of sincerity that June often embodies.
the horror of encountering a Terezi who's well-adjusted and happy is that for (Terezi), it feels inevitable. like a death sentence, a sword hanging over her neck. it's proof that if she ever got what she wanted, she would have to lose so many of the things that she still feels are essential to her Self. i think she tried to force herself to get better in gf2, under the assumption that simply being with someone you love who loves you is enough. but getting better requires work. i don't like the pervasive idea in fiction that couples getting together is the Solution to interpersonal problems, because it's not. it can help! but when you're accustomed to being alone, it's easy to stay alone even when you share every waking moment with someone else. i think Terezi is proof to (Terezi) that getting better takes work, and she despises the notion that she needs to do that work, that this version of her "getting better" is obviously preferable to who she is now. it's revealing that she imposes parentheses on herself so immediately upon meeting Terezi. it's worth noting that when Vriska tries to talk to (Terezi) in the A1 solo, she doesn't use those parentheses.
i think (Terezi) knows that if she even started to have a conversation about all this stuff, she'd lose. there are so many little moments where you can see her resolve shake a little. her harshness is a manifestation of instability. to open that door even a crack is to consent to demolishing the whole house. so she closes herself off altogether. she tells Terezi she'll kill her if she speaks to her again, and when Vriska begs her to seek help, (Terezi) spits in her face.
infinite credit to janet girlpillz for all the art in A1 solo but this panel especially. it took a lot of work to get the mood and tone just right. i cannot overstate how lucky i feel to have her in my camp. this moment would be nothing without her.
it was important for me that the impact of this particular patooie be almost entirely on (Terezi). Vriska's shocked, yes, but in the way of being interrupted mid-sentence more than anything. i wanted to see the moment right before Vriska can emotionally process what's just happened. nonverbal, not overly emotive, surprised, taken aback. but not mad. not sad. not angry. it's (Terezi) who's angry. Vriska laughs it off pretty fast once the fluttersled departs, because she sees the gesture for what it is. it's not really about her or for her. it's (Terezi) kicking the dog to chase it away, maybe because she thinks its for the dog's own good, or maybe because she just doesn't want the responsibility of taking care of a dog, except she IS the dog and she might not even know it.
as to (Terezi)'s turn towards "Justice," i'm not even sure she really believes it. does she actually think June is guilty of a crime? or is this just an extremely elaborate means of tethering her fate to the woman she used to love? and in fact, is that love truly in the past tense for her?
right now, (Terezi) and the rest of the crew are in a state of transition, carried forward by the high-stakes manic momentum of chapter 8 into a new life with new rules without really knowing what that actually entails. i think their commitment to any idea of their role in that future is highly precarious, especially as we proceed out of that manic phase into what will, eventually, become the new normal. right now their motivations are all hypothetical, contingent, abstract. that is not enough in the long term. it will take something real, something personal, to get them not just to stay in Silverbark's company, but to live there. Silverbark has sown the seeds of these in each of her conversations with the core cast. but to paraphrase VV, their ultimate reason for choosing to do what they will do is theirs to decide.
it wouldn't take much to shake (Terezi) out of her present self-destructive funk. it's just that there aren't very many things that could, and most of them are on Earth C. the question for me going forward is, what will it take to transform (Terezi)'s present verve for becoming "a detective" from an elaborate larp into a genuine career conviction? she can't maintain her delusion of moral superiority without that. (Terezi)'s a real piece of work but i don't think she enjoys lying, even and perhaps especially to herself. but she is a serial lifelong liar-by-omission. the currency of her deception is silence.
and that's something that (Terezi) and Silverbark have in common.
my final note (dear god does this woman ever shut up) is on the characterization of Terezi. she obviously doesn't get many lines in this chapter, and that's interesting. I have a hard time imagining that even a medicated 30-something Terezi is particularly good at holding her tongue. part of it is just sheer practicality. there are ELEVEN characters with speaking roles in this chapter, and of those Terezi is the least... i don't want to say "important," because she IS important. least relevant, maybe? none of this interpersonal drama has anything to do with her. when you think about it, Terezi is in a similar position now to the one Silverbark was in when she returned to Earth C. older, wiser, fundamentally different, while simultaneously stepping into the role her less mature younger self occupied in all these people's lives. i think she recognizes that the only thing she can do in this situation is cause trouble, so she mostly avoids contributing altogether. her home base in the scene is Vriska, until at last the space opera drama mamas fuck off to their Very Important Story and she can safely make jokes again. wow, what a bitch. let's go get omelettes.
it'll be interesting to see (when we get to it, which will be a long time from now) how Terezi fits in with Jane and Karkat, and on Earth C in general. how will the media respond to her? how will culture at large respond to her? jesus christ man, it's gonna be such a fucking mess.
anyway, those are some rambling thoughts on Terezi and (Terezi)! i hope your thirst is sated, or at least that you didn't drown.
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Anyway it has like a solid 80ish% critic score on Rotten Tomatoes, and normally I disagree with the critic score (Venom is like 30% and I thought that was a fun ride but admittedly I don’t know anything about the Venom comics and I actively hate most Spiderman media) but I’d agree, it’s not the best work of art I’ve seen but so far I’d say a solid 8/10 or 8.5/10 with most of the points lost being in “why are you telling this particular plot point this way” and “why does this character look like that when they are supposed to look not like that”.
Actually now that I’ve typed it out I think I’ve figured it out- I think the reason it doesn’t bug me so much is because, like the MCU, while they are heavily relying on Tolkien’s works to get the ball rolling, ultimately the story is inspired by Tolkien’s writing, not beat-for-beat. This leads to differences, and only time will tell if these differences are wrapped up neatly or if they make the whole thing suck. Since we’re only in the first- now three- episodes we don’t have enough to say if it’s cohesive yet. It’s slated to be a 5 season show and we just got episode 3 of season 1, if you think things are going to be tidily wrapped up at this point when it’s just getting started, well...
And I’m not sure if some of these differences are actually differences. There was a trailer shot of Finrod fighting a wolf or warg creature of some sort- which is how he’s killed in the Silmarillion (and, I cannot stress this enough, they don’t actually have the rights to Silmarillion so whether they can pull this off or not will really depend, perhaps in a flashback?) but I mean... “killed by The Enemy” is super vague and technically yeah Finrod did die after losing an epic rap battle singing contest with Sauron and Sauron chained him up and sent werewolves to eat his company one by one until it came for Beren at which point Finrod broke free and killed the werewolf barehanded. Like that was a pretty Sauron-involved death. Yes technically Sauron didn’t deal the final blow but he did try to feed him to a werewolf. So, since we have knowledge of that scene in a version of the trailer, those complaining “they changed Finrod’s death to be less important to Beren”... did they? Or is Galadriel so blinded by her anger at Sauron for killing one of her few remaining family and clearly her most beloved within the universe of this show- a story telling device- that she is not giving us the full details? Will we discover this later because we have to be patient and allow the story to tell itself? Only the future knows.
#also ngl but if someone killed my nephew#and I have two nephews#and I swear revenge for the nephew that died#it doesn't mean I don't care about the living nephew#I'm just pissed that someone killed a family member so I'm caring more about that until I fix the problem
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Attack on Titan criminally underestimates its female characters...
...a.k.a. Attack on Bad Writing
Y'all know this hit anime, Attack on Titan? The one that's so good it has 2 episodes in iMDB's Top3 rated TV show episodes? Would it surprise you that this Japanese Shonen anime about vaguely German people is extremely sexist? Yeah, me neither. Female characters in AoT have always been criminally underused by the writers OR completely inconsistent OR extremely boring. You want proof? Okay, here's as many significant female characters as I can remember from AoT Season 1-3:
Mikasa
The female lead of AoT is one of the most boring, basic, one-dimensional characters in the show. She ONLY cares about Eren and this would be fine if she had literally any character development whatsoever. But she can't because then she would be more than a plot device that appears when someone has to do something badass while screaming Eren's name. Character so boring that I actually forgot her last name.
Annie Leonhart
Okay, guys, we need to make this one mysterious so that no one suspects she's the BBEG of Season 1, let's just... Not have her in 75% of the season. Annie goes from having 2 lines in a whole arc to having unclear motivations, no personality and no character development in the arc where she's supposed to be a focal point. Also, the show's attempt to make the Female Titan's identity mysterious is just embarrassing. She is *supposed* to be a shut-in, I get it, but it's done to an extreme, and she only gets very vague hints at her past, motivations etc. Season 4 partially solves this with flashbacks, but Season 1 is still completely criminal with it. Oh and then she gets written out for 2 whole seasons while still technically being a very significant character. Extremely good concept of a character, but she just doesn't get the screentime she needs to become interesting
Hitch
Hitch is on screen so rarely, it was hard to find a good gif for her. She's a bit of a cookie-cutter slacker, and falls into that stereotype heavily. Season 3 had a chance to do something interesting with her, but it intentionally refuses to by making 90% of her mini-arc happen off-screen. By the end of it, you don't even know if she is inspired or resentful by her crush's sacrifice. There was potential here, but it was never used (until Season 4 that I didn't watch and know very little about).
Hange Zoe
Brutally tortures prisoners. Invents rocket launchers. Horny for titans. Hange is actually a decent character in that she's completely out of pocket at all times. She is unpredictable, hilarious, and incredibly consistent in how insane she is. Her bits do get a bit tired over time, and she exists only to serve the plot, but she's actually not bad!
Ymir
This. Bitch. Has one arc of excellent development, great lore, consistent characterization and the cutest fucking relationship in the show, buuuuuut then Season 2 Arc 2 has her do completely out of character things, betray her love and promptly die a completely unnecessary death off-screen. Does this end up making Christa slightly better by giving her a solid motivation? Yes, but she already had a solid motivation. On that topic...
Christa/Historia
This is it. This is the one. The well-written female character who has a good arc, remains in character, doesn't only do things that serve the plot, has decent humor writing ("gotta marry her" is the best scene in the show, fight me) and is relevant for an adequate amount of time. She also doesn't fall into stereotypes - basically everything she does in Season 3 is a great combination of kindness, maturity and egoism, which are 3 traits that don't often coexist in AoT. She is the best female character, and arguably the best character, in AoT Seasons 1-3. I sure hope Season 4 doesn't do any weird things to her... Fuck.
Yeah, as you can see, AoT misses the mark nearly every time it tries to have a female character, which sucks because all of the above characters are, in principle, very good. Most of them need just... More meaningful screentime (Sasha is in the show more than most, but most of that is comedic relief and not development). Now of course, I'm sure Season 4 probably fixes everything and I'm committing a crime by not watching it - but that doesn't undo Season 1-3 and their writing mistakes. It's clear that there was capacity for good female characters in AoT, but all of the screentime gets eaten up by Eren's Mandatory MC Monologue that 90% of people will skip through.
Edit: technically, Pieck is in Season 3 in her Titan form, but you don't know it unless you watch Season 4 or read the Manga.
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i'll be yours for the weekend
by kittyq
Set in an alternate timeline where teenage Kaoru and Ainosuke are scouted to become reality TV stars when they are overheard in the park. Kaoru has returned to Okinawa for a holiday weekend after a tumultuous time on “S” the skating-centered reality show. While waiting at the airport for a ride home, he encounters his estranged high school best friend and crush- Kojiro. What starts out as a simple offer of a ride home turns quickly into an impromptu hiking trip to take Kaoru’s mind off of things, something Kojiro is an expert in. Heavily inspired by the album “evermore” by Taylor Swift- particularly the songs “tis’ the damn season” and “dorothea”.
Words: 4568, Chapters: 1/8, Language: English
Fandoms: SK8 the Infinity (Anime)
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Categories: M/M
Characters: Sakurayashiki Kaoru | Cherry Blossom, Nanjo Kojiro | Joe, Shindo Ainosuke | Adam, OC: human Carla who is Kaoru's manager, OC: Nanjo Yui
Relationships: Nanjo Kojiro | Joe/Sakurayashiki Kaoru | Cherry Blossom, Sakurayashiki Kaoru | Cherry Blossom/Shindo Ainosuke | Adam
Additional Tags: Inspired by Taylor Swift, Alternate Universe - Reality Show, Angst with a Happy Ending, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Reunions, Estranged Friends to Lovers, Bisexual Nanjo Kojiro | Joe, dk flashbacks, skating is very secondary to the plot, loveblossom fake dating is mentioned, Hiking, Camping, Surveillance, past relationship trauma (non-violent), public shaming/ridicule, Sakurayashiki Kaoru | Cherry Blossom Has Anxiety, Suicidal Thoughts, Mental Health Issues, queer character is outed, Eventual Smut, Resolved Sexual Tension, Anal Sex, Oral Sex, Rimming, the inherent eroticism of kaoru's hair, Crying During Sex, Fluff and Smut, Porn with Feelings
source https://archiveofourown.org/works/42146682
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To elaborate on my previous idea of all of the Titans having been at least somewhat inspired by Bad, here are some additional ideas related to that. Some of this is partially from a conversation in discord btw. This happened ages ago but I’ve had stuff going on, so it took me a while to write this up.
Bad was Sam’s third favorite hero as a kid, after Eret (who he knew because they were friends with his mom through work) and his mom (I can’t remember if she was actually a superhero or just worked in the government heroes department, but I feel like Sam would’ve considered her his favorite hero regardless).
Bad was Ant’s favorite hero as a kid. Based on what we know of Ant now, I feel like it would make sense if he really struggled to control his powers, especially at first. As we know, Bad has some similar issues with his more demonic form, and though he tries to hide that from the public, people pick up on things they relate to, so I feel like Ant would’ve really looked up to him. Partially inspired by this:
Ponk wanted to be a superhero when he was a kid at least partially because of Bad, but he didn’t have any superpowers (remember, this would’ve been before Sam debuted as a superhero)
After Sam became a superhero he became Ponk’s favorite.
Out of everyone, Puffy probably looked up to Bad the least, but he still ended up inspiring her to be a hero. Basically, after arriving on earth, she saw him doing superhero stuff and was like “that seems like a good way to put my swordfighting skills to use.”
By the time Sam established the Titans, he’d worked with Bad a couple times but still kind of looked up to him. Bad’s been in the hero business a lot longer than he has after all, and usually it wasn’t just the two of them, but a mashup of other independent and govt. heroes.
When he created the Titans, he invited a bunch of independent heroes he’d worked with in the past, plus Ponk, who was just becoming a hero, having gotten his cyborg legs recently. He sent an invitation out to Bad just for the sake of sending out invitations to as many independent heroes as possible, not thinking that such a well-established hero would actually accept.
Needless to say the first year or so everyone was a bit awkward around Bad. This went away eventually as everyone got to know him, and is basically gone by the time season 1 starts, which makes flashbacks to back just after the Titans were formed funnier.
Bad is just completely oblivious to how much everyone looks up to him. Which is probably a good thing, given that, because of his backstory, he’s VERY uncomfortable with the idea of hero worship and people looking up to him or wanting to be like him.
The Titans have probably noticed that about him, but as they don’t know about his backstory, they probably just assume that he has self esteem issues. Which, to be fair, he does, he just also has ✨Trauma✨.
Also, Narwhal brought up a question about where exactly his boundaries would be in this, which gave me some Ideas (which I didn’t fully communicate at the time bc I hadn’t figured out how to articulate them yet.)
Basically, I think there would kind of be three categories.
The first would be things that don’t bother him at all. For example, someone thanking him for something he did, saying something he did was good/nice etc., and most complements. Honestly, one of the ways that the cult leaders would manipulate him is by looking down on him and heavily implying that he wasn’t good enough, so he probably craves it to some extent. (Though more from ppl closer to him than strangers. That starts to fit into the third category). Not that he’d tell anyone that.
The second category would be things that bother him because he thinks that people wouldn’t say/believe them if they knew the truth. This also overlaps with the third category a bit. It includes things like people saying that he’s a good person (as opposed to saying that he did a good thing), looking up to him, trusting him for advice, etc. How much this bothers him probably depends on the situation, the day, the person, and a number of other factors. Some days he hardly notices it. Some days it really bothers him.
The third category is things that are directly related to his trauma. Some of these things could also fit into the second category. Definitely the words “savior” and “saint” being used to describe him fit here, along with a bunch of aspects of being a well-known figure, such as being the center of attention in a large group, particularly one comprised of people he doesn’t know. It’s more of an issue if he’s the sole person people are paying attention to; it wouldn’t bother him as much in situations where the Titans were the center of attention as a group, for example. He probably doesn’t like doing interviews or being on any kind of stage for this reason.
Just generally speaking, people he’s close to looking up to him etc., bothers him a lot less than people that he doesn’t know.
Additionally, the point was brought up that this may or may not have been one of the reasons that Bad didn’t like Skeppy at first.
A lot of Skeppy’s actions towards Bad definitely fit in the second category.
Keep in mind that Bad already know Skeppy by the start of the story.
They met when Techno took Skeppy (who had just arrived on earth and hadn’t figured out how to disguise himself yet) to Bad (civilian form), so Bad could teach him how to speak English.
They kinda became friends but Skeppy doesn’t recognize Bad’s hero form, Bad doesn’t recognize Skeppy’s civilian form, and neither of them want to tell each other.
Basically, that’s why it’s category 2 instead of category 3.
-🤺
These are so well thought out Fencer!!
Imagine having your childhood hero suddenly becoming your coworker and housemate XD and poor Bad and his trauma D:
-🌱
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***SPOILERS FOR RAYA AND THE LAST DRAGON***
So ya girl has finally watched this darn movie and as a SEAsian and a storywriting enthusiast YOU BET MY ASS I'M GOING TO TALK ABOUT IT I WAITED FOR THIS MOVIE SINCE IT WAS ANNOUNCED AND HERE I AM so if you don't want spoilers then don't read this
DID I LIKE IT?
Of course I did, I was already a fan of Raya the moment I saw the first promotional poster. I watched the movie with my mom and we enjoyed it. It's definitely a movie I'll be rewatching a LOT, one because it feels like home and second because...I just loved it!
However, I do have a lot of thoughts on it, particularly on the pacing and emotional beats and characters. I stand by my word that it should've been a SERIES (think the length of The Dragon Prince season 1)
It was rushed. Listen, the movie's great if you want a fast-paced action adventure with two badass princesses, the found family trope and a dragon, but personally I think it would've been better if they spent more time establishing every relationship (however this may be biased as I personally prefer slow-paced character heavy stories)
The worldbuilding suffered from the pacing as well. The difference between RATLD and adventure Disney movies like Moana and Frozen is that THE WORLDBUILDING IS CRUCIAL TO THE STORY. Moana only needs a bit of time to establish the world because the main focus is getting the Heart of Te Fiti back where it belongs (the story fits the movie's runtime). In Frozen, the center of the movie was Arendelle. But in RATLD, every part of Kumandra played a part in the movie's goal and theme: uniting the land through trust. And if you're making a Uniting The World story, you'd better establish why these places even matter.
The emotional beats felt unearned at times. Okay, I did cry, but whatever I cry when there's emotional music and visuals. But that doesn't mean some of them felt unearned due to, again, the rushed pace. I wanted to care for Raya's crew more! There should've been something like a campfire scene kinda thing (or a feast, which did happen but not this way) where the group tell stories about their families as a way to bond. How can I be attached to the rest of them if I only mostly know Raya and Sisu's stories?
Raya and Namaari's relationship. I don't know whether or not you see them as romantic or not (I personally don't, I see Raya as aroace) but what the movie failed to do was establish an emotional connection between them. The "dragon nerd" scene was a great start! They really couldn't have been friends for longer than that? Imagine Raya having her first best friend with whom she spends every feast having fun and sparring, only to have her trust be broken? THAT's how you give someone major trust issues! It hurts more to have your best friend betray you and indirectly 'kill' your father than a friend you've known for a short time, AND it would've made the last fight scene between them all the more meaningful
Speaking of the last fight scene, I LOVED IT. Gosh I just LOVE it when characters get blinded by their rage and overpower their traitorous friend I was cheering the whole time because IT HURTS to see Raya so angry and it's GREAT (and the animation on their facial expressions were absolutely phenomenal and enough for me to make a separate post about it)
I think the scene where Namaari accidentally kills Sisu could've been done differently? Maybe have Raya attack Namaari, who will have already let down her guard, out of fear instead to make the "You're just as to blame as I am" scene hit harder because that felt a bit forced
Namaari's mom just...was okay with things? Fang had no consequences??? It was your chance to show kids that actions have consequences???
Raya should've had flashbacks with her father and the years she spent alone, it would really drill in why she WANTS to find Sisu and bring her people back but yeah this is a Disney movie
I wish we saw Raya alone more because despite having trust issues she sure does only have them when it's convenient (though being alone for 6 years with only Tuk Tuk makes that clear)
I wish we saw more of Namaari's childhood after the Dragon Gem broke, to show her regretting what happened and establishing her own dream of meeting Sisu
And I LOVE that Raya and Namaari are foils by the way, like YES DISNEY that's how you make a great antagonist!!!!!
If I could rewrite it I would've made the deaths irreversible and done the Druun differently but that's because I'm Sad™ that Raya's crew didn't become each other's new family in the end
Also, have Namaari sort of show that she can be trusted not just to Raya and Sisu but also Boun, Noi and Tong (yes, like a Zuko arc but that arc was flawless in redeeming Zuko so of course I'm using it as an example)
I don't care if I have a lot of thoughts on the story and that this is a kid's movie IT'S CAPABLE OF BEING MORE THAN JUST THAT
My mom thought the dragons looked like unicorns
THE PARALLEL WHEN BENJA LOOKS AT HIS SWORD AND SEES HIS DAUGHTER SO HE BACKS DOWN AND DOESN'T FIGHT, AND THEN RAYA LOOKS INTO THE SWORD AND SEES HERSELF AND DOESN'T FIGHT I kinda wish she'd seen Namaari's stone statued mother in the reflection instead to remind her of her father but that's a bit nitpicky
The "trust" message didn't really make sense in some parts considering how Sisu kept trusting people who got her in trouble
Overall, despite its flaws and the points I've made, it really is a damn good movie and a wonderful way to showcase Southeast Asian *inspired* culture.
Was it good representation? Definitely, yes. I loved seeing the arnis sticks in the beginning (I have my own but I only got them for PE class and we never really continued the arnis topic for some reason). If you're talking about accurate rep then of course not. It's not supposed to be accurate. Kumandra is a fantasy land with dragons and magic.
People have noted RATLD's similarities with Avatar: The Last Airbender and one of them is that they are both heavily INSPIRED BY Asian culture, but not actually totally Accurate™ with its representation. And it doesn't have to be! If the Southeast Asian aesthetic really interested you, then do your research into the real culture instead of relying on a single movie. What both RATLD and ATLA does right is represent them in a way that catches people's interest AND not antagonizing Asian culture. On a related note which is totally not self promoting, I'm writing a book which is set in a fantasy world in a place heavily inspired by my own culture, but even if it IS my own culture I still do the fair share of research. And both the writers and team of RATLD and ATLA did that right!
Mark my words, this will not be the last time I'm ranting about this movie
#funnily enough this movie was supposed to make me see myself in Raya#because duh she's SEAsian#but I actually look more like Mulan#I do have Raya's thick bushy hair though#ratld#raya and the last dragon#disney raya#disney raya and the last dragon#raya the last dragon#raya and sisu#raya and namaari
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I Will Now Express Every Thought I Have About Pacific Rim: The Black
⚠️ spoilers for the whole thing baby
I actually forgot Pacific Rim: The Black was premiering today until I saw it in an article this morning! When I first heard about it months ago, I was decidedly not sold on a Pacific Rim anime. Uprising burnt me the fuck out and I don’t have a lot of trust left in me for new entries to the franchise. But I had heard rumblings of Raleigh and Herc being referenced after going into #pacificrim and I decided I may as well check out to see what was up! I binged it in 4 hours and it sure was a whirlwind, I’ll tell ya
The Plot
I really enjoy the setting and initial concept! We’re so use to seeing Kaiju/Jaegar shenanigans play out within these major cities with helpless civilians everywhere that spending so much time in a lonesome desert and these destroyed civilizations was really cool and indicative of the changes Pacific Rim has undergone in the last few years. I also looooved the Desert Settlement from the beginning!! It seemed really homey and picturesque; I wish we’d spent more time with the other survivors and got to see more of their day to day aside from farming and sitting.
I also found the first episode set up to be really tight and well written! I was hooked during the initial flashback, Hayley and Taylor’s fight was really poignant and well acted, and the reveal of Atlas Destroyer felt really huge and epic!!
But once we left the Desert Settlement and the plot started actually moving along, the pacing becomes suuuper rough. We spent way too long in Bogan with Shane and Mei; there’s only 7 episodes and we spent, like, 3? 4? within the confines of that camp and I felt it weighed the plot down. Boy is introduced in the 2nd episode and, because the narrative spends so much time on Shane’s evil machinations and Mei’s back story, we still don’t know anything concrete about his origins or purpose 3 episodes later! That felt frustrating to me
The story beats overall were very predictable. I was able to pick up on Mei’s backstory via her dynamic with Shane in their introductions, so her memories felt too built up and too hollow once they were revealed. The same with the reveal of Boy’s Kaiju form; he was in a big green test tube in a PPDC base - I assumed immediately he was a part-kaiju experiment and again his reveal felt hollow, especially after the glacial pace of it’s development.
Even when events weren’t predictable, they lacked weight. The appearance of several Kaiju Breaches in “Boneyard” felt very cheap for some reason; I wasn’t scared and I didn’t feel tense about these odds mounting against the protagonists. This was just happening and I was just watching.
The Art Direction and Animation
I’m very obsessed with all the new Kaiju we got from this; I love how Copperhead is rendered, they’re a joy to see on screen!! The Rippers are also very cute and deserve little plushies...i love these neat little dogs. Boy’s Kaiju Form is very intimidating with an interesting color palette and I loved seeing him next to Copperhead’s highly saturated design!
That’s unfortunately all that I liked however; All the human character design is unmemorable to me. Every character looks exactly like another easily identifiable anime character from a different property (Hayley looks exactly like Zero Suit Samus to me, for example. And Mei kept reminding me of both Bernadetta Fire Emblem and Motoko Kusanagi from GitS. The list goes on).
I can sort of understand why they’re so bland? A franchise going from Live Action to something as heavily stylized as anime is probably a really difficult transition and these designs are probably meant to be more lowkey than more unique anime designs in order to help that transition. But realistically stylized designs can still be recognizable and unique! These feel uninspired and bare bones.
I have no problem with the switch to CGI animation that modern anime is doing because I know it’s a lot cheaper to produce and it can still be really unique and striking! But The Black’s model animation felt very stilted and inconsistent. I don’t have a lot of knowledge about animating so I don’t think I can accurately describe what I disliked? Wooden is probably the best term. Character movements felt wooden and things like hair and clothes felt plastic.
Impacts also had very little weight. The fight between Tayler/Mei and Copperhead reminded me of when you’re in a dream and trying to punch something, but you can’t punch hard. It was simply too floaty and too soft. The final showdown in “Showdown” was better, but not by much. It was very immersion breaking seeing these Giant Robots and Giant Monsters unable to throw a real solid hit!
Characters
My favorite character was unequivocally Joel Wyrick. We love Joel Wyrick in this house! Joel’s character has real charisma and charm. I love his flirtations with Loa, how his cocky disposition is juxtaposed with his drinking problem and later insecurities over his lost memories, and his genuine kindness shown to Mei, Taylor, and Boy. No one ever plays with Boy, they just run after him and drag him around...but Joel has this moment in “Escape from Bogan” where he kneels down to Boy and helps him collect rocks. It was sweet!
So of course, when Joel dies for absolutely no reason 5 minutes later - pissed! I was pissed! I yelled “COME ON” aloud in my studio apartment! I was genuinely so excited to see him interact more with the rest of cast then, poof. No More Joel.
His death felt like it was for shock value to me rather than actual narrative development. Why kill him when we still don’t fully understand his and Mei’s relationship? Why were they so close? Were they childhood friends, or just coworkers that happen to become friends? Why did he specifically know all the details of Shane’s abuse towards Mei before she did?
What did his death accomplish? It made Mei sad...ok? She was already...very sad. Her running away from Shane already had consequences - the consequences of Shane coming after them for revenge in the future. Why did Joel have to become a causality?
His death is ultimately tied to Mei’s character arc which is, unfortunately, my least favorite :c I find Mei to be a really one dimensional character with a personality, backstory, outlook, and motivation that I’ve seen done a million times before with a million other characters. She feels very out of place in the franchise as a whole - Pacific Rim is, at it’s core, a story about connecting with others. Her self-centric arc and lack of desire to connect outside of drifting really alienates her from the story at large and it frustrates me how long The Black’s narrative spends on her.
Hayley and Taylor were otherwise very interesting in the pilot episode, but become similarly one dimensional at the story chugs on. Taylor’s unflinching (bordering on unhealthy) faith in their parents was really interesting next to Hayley’s complete acceptance of their parents’ death. But once the two of them make up their differences, they lack an interesting dynamic and become very passive protagonists.
Taylor especially has no personality - how would you describe Taylor? He’s...brave. He’s the older brother. He’s a leader? He’s nice? There is nothing noteworthy about him at all, which is sad considering I think he has the potential to be a really interesting way to explore the original movie’s influence on The Black’s story.
Hayley’s grief and self-blame are more interesting than Taylor’s...nothingness, but she still falls into this one-note trope of being the naive, excitable little sister. I guess I feel abnormally frustrated about this flat character writing because Pacific Rim’s incredibly unique cast has always been an inspiration to me! It feels sad that this new iteration into the series is full of what feel like stock characters.
Then we get to Boy. How come Boy can’t have a person name? It’s specifically written in a dialogue between Taylor and Hayley: “I’m not going to call him Chad or Barnaby or one of those names for a baby brother you wanted as a kid,”
Why?
He’s by all accounts a human child when they find him. Yes, he was found in a big green test tube - but he walks and acts just like a human child. The only difference, seemingly, is that he is non-verbal and engages in strange/annoying behavior (running off, eating bugs, etc). So he isn’t deserving of a name?? I don’t know why that makes me so mad, it just does. it’s like they refuse to treat him as a human even before they find out he’s a Kaiju - it’s super weird! How can the story sell me on the three of them becoming found family (like they’re seemingly trying to do) if the protagonists won’t even treat this kid like a kid??
Misc. Thoughts
The callbacks to Stacker, Herc, and Raleigh were cool! I also like that Herc is a major plot point! We love Herc Hanson and it’s what he deserves. I also find Loa’s connection to Horizon Bravo very interesting...and the fact we’re getting Kaiju cultist lore! Love that! Love that!
Fucked up that the only two dark skinned characters were: 1) removed from the story 10 minutes in with no call back yet, 2) Killed after having 1 line of dialogue and fridged for the character development of the blonde white girl. I really need to know what the deal with those 4 characters leaving in the beginning was about - I absolutely thought we’d see them again by now, but no dice
I don’t know how to feel about Ajax and have no clue what their purpose in the story is. They’re cool, but whats the point?
If Mei and Taylor are paired up together romantically, I’m putting Craig Kyle and Greg Johnson in the time out box. Very tired of seeing random hetero romance B plots in stories that can’t even get their A plots together
Overall, it’s kind of subpar! It has the foundations of a really interesting story, but the pacing and characters really took me out of it. I’m interested in Season 2! I know season 2 is already ordered and I’d love to see how things continue to develop, see if the character writing gets any better - but I’m not too hopeful unfortunately. I really really love Pacific Rim after all these years and I’m happy to still be getting content and world building! There’s just sooo much I would change about this however. At least fanfiction’s free!
Thanks for reading all this, I have ADHD and just go on and on if u let me. hmu if You Too have thoughts about Pacific Rim: The Black and have no one to talk abt them with
#pacific rim#pacific rim: the black#pacific rim the black#taylor travis#hayley travis#long post#sorry this is thousands of words. i contain multitudes
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Some thoughts on Winx characters’ ages
From youngest to oldest, more or less
Characters discussed: Miele, Roxy, Daphne, The Earth Fairies, Faragonda, Griffin, Griselda and Valtor.
This is very long and I’m very sorry.
1) Miele (Flora’s sister)
She has been aged down in season 8, so I’m no counting that into her age.
She seems really young in season 3, mostly because she is so much shorter than the Winx in a lot of the shots (though her relative height compared to them seems to change a lot - sometimes she’s up to Flora’s waist and sometimes to her chest. Ugh, inconsistent art is the worst).
In seasons 6 and 7, she looks like she could be in her early teens, like 15 at most (and most of her classmates fit that age range, too).
She doesn’t have an official age, as far as I could find, but I’m headcanoning her as being 10(ish) in season 3 and 14(ish) in season 6.
Final headcanon age: 10 (season 3), 14 (season 6)
2) Roxy
Roxy does actually have a canon age, but I’m chosing to ignore it, because it doesn’t feel accurate.
Roxy is supposedly 15 in season 4, but the thing is, she doesn’t feel that much younger than the Winx, who are at least 19, 20 in Stella’s case, possibly even a bit older (the time skips between seasons aren’t exactly clear). Like, don’t get my wrong, she does feel younger than the Winx, but not by 4-5 years. I’d put her at like, 17(ish) in season 4.
One more reason I headcanon her to be older is simply because the younger she is, the more plotholes there are in the whole “The magic on Earth has been gone for a really long time” thing (especially if you could the later seasons and the Selina plot, but that’s a rant for another day). To sum it up, if Roxy was 15 in season 4, it would mean she was born when Bloom was 4 or 5, already on Earth and that Morgana would have been captured around the same time Eldora took Selina under her wing (aka, Bloom and Selina’s magical power were already noticable) and that’s assuming Roxy was just 1, when Morgana was captured. Which would raise the question why the Fairy Hunters, who have spent the last several centuries hunting down fairies, wouldn’t notice two other fairies living a few blocks away from Morgana.
Aging Roxy up makes the timeline make more sense as most of the plotholes created by season 6 are eliminated if Roxy is closer in age to the Winx.
Final headcanon age: 17 (season 4)
3) Daphne
Daphne, again, doesn’t have a canon age, and, in fact, her seeming age changes a bit here and there. Both her picture in the book of Fate (1st movie) and her voice in the (probably fake) memory in season 2 make her appear to be younger than in any of her other appearances, but since the first is from a movie (which have questionable canonicity, especially, when it comes to details), the other is most likely fake, and both of them are at odds with everything else we know about Daphne’s story, I’ll just ignore them.
The youngest I’d go for her is 18, at the time of her “death”, with the oldest I’d go being like 23.
Honestly, I’m very tempted to headcanon her as being 18 or 19, because, like, do you see the angst potential? I mean the whole Domino resurection is an untapped angst mine, but like, having Bloom be the exact same age as Daphne was, way back when? It just adds a bit of something, you know?
It would also be kind of fun to have Daphne be physically younger than Bloom, once she’s resurected, too. Bloom is 20(ish) when she brings Daphne back, possibly older (again, time skips aren’t really clear between the seasons).
I’d also like to add a friendly reminder that, regardless of her physical age, Daphne is around 40 chronologically, when she’s resurected.
Final headcanon age: 18 (at the time of death)
4) Faragonda, Griffin and the others
The others being mostly Griselda and Kalshara, since all of these characters are meant to be roughly the same age, give or take a year or so. And I guess Saladin and Kalshara’s brother, though those two aren’t really confirmed to be around the age of these four.
Faragonda has a “100 years of being a headmistress of Alfea” party around the start of season 6. Even if we say she had become a headmistress right out of school, she’d be at least 120 at that time, though she’s probably at least a decade older than that.
Since Griffin, Griselda and Kalshara have all been in school at the same time as her, it’s most likely they are about the same age as well.
This does give us a lot of insight on the lifespans of people in the Magical Dimension. Griselda looks middle-aged, despite being at least 120. Griffin barely looks human, so her age is hard to guess, but she doesn’t look terribly old either and neither does Faragonda, if you think about it. Kalshara and her brother have that wild magic thing going on, so I’m not really counting them in.
Also, the flashbacks on the old Company of Light show them looking really young, when they would be a least 100, when Domino fell. So, if we exclude continuity errors as an explanation (even though that is the real exaplanation), we’re left with either:
A) 100-year-olds in the magical dimension just look like they’re still in their twenties
B) They’re all vain bitches that make themselves look younger using magic.
C) The Company of Light goes a lot further back than we thought.
Or any combination of those three, really.
And, again, this calls into question how long do people in the magical dimension live? I’m thinking at least the same as wizards in Harry Potter universe (who live to be like 140 on average, apparently).
FInal headcanon age: 130 at least
5) The Earth fairies and the Wizards of the Black Circle
All of the names Earth fairies from season 4 (with the exception of Roxy) have been around since at least the medieval times, as have been the Wizards of the Black Circle.
So, we can assume all of these character are at least like 600 years old.
But
Morgana is strongly associated with Morgana le Fay (literally: Morgana the Fairy) from Arthurian legends in the show - assuming that this isn’t just a reference, but she actually inspired Morgana le Fay in the Winx universe, she’d have to be over 1100 years old at least (since the first recorded version of the legends comes from the 9th century), most likely closer to 1500 years of age (since the legends are set in the late 6th century). That is on the low end, so she might be even older.
As for the other major fairies
Diana has quite strong paralels with the roman goddess of the same name. She is incredibly powerful, so it is quite possible, that she was seen as a goddess by the ancient humans and became the inspiration for that particular goddess. That would make her go at least as far back ar 6th century BCE, if not further. Her temple isn’t much help, since pyramid-like things have been some fo first permanent things humans built and are being built to this day.
Aurora does have some links with the roman goddess of the same name, but those are pretty weak, so I’ll not dive into them much.
As for Sibylla, well, Sibylla’s cave and the Sibyllini mountains are things IRL, named after the Sibyl prophetesses (who are heavily linked to the oracle of Delphi, which you probably know of). Earliest record of those is in 5th century BCE.
To sum up, the Earth fairies are old as sin, and probably don’t actually age.
Which probably means Roxy is also going to be ageless. Now that would be an interesting thing to look into.
6) Valtor
Valtor has a canon “at least this old” limit, if you count season 8 info.
That is, he is at least 1000 years old. We know he wasn’t born, but made, so he might have theoretically been just a few weeks old, when he tried to catch the wishing star last time.
We know the spark that Valtor came from was “lost” around the same time as creation (I’m just now processing that creationism is canon in the Winx universe. Great). The Ancestral Witches were supposedly first evil creatures to exist in the Magical Universe, so they probably came in shortly after. And then they created Valtor, at some point.
So, Valtor could literally be almost as old as the Magical universe, however long that is.
Final headcanon age: Who knows, certainly not me, and since 1000 years is the lowest possible age, I don’t actually want to know.
#winx#winx miele#winx daphne#winx roxy#winx earth fairies#winx valtor#winx faragonda#winx griffin#winx griselda#winx kalshara#winx morgana#winx diana#winx aurora#winx sibylla#long post#sorry about that
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do you think it’s possible sarah (hoppers daughter) was an early-formed alter that went dormant before the events of season one? it’d make a lot of sense with how much of hoppers arc in season one was him mourning her and channeling that grief into protecting will (which would make sense since he seems like a protecter to both will and el). love your posts!☺️
Yep . :D
I already discussed all of this in the original did post - how sarah was a “little” (kid ) alter. And how hopper was a protector /introject alter. I also discussed her going dormant as a major possibility in my did theory. My assumption is she either (a) “became dormant” like some alters do- aka they are “gone” sometimes for many years but can return . And this can happen in a myriad of ways - sometimes alters go dormant after they had a simulated death in the inner world . theoretically sarah had such a Death. And so did El. Death isn’t really a permanent thing for alters ...they usually will come back or stay dormant - unless the body of the host dies (or they integrate) . They can’t really die . I think it’s very possible she comes back and Hopper while exploring the various innerworlds of Will’s minds (like the Russian one, the memory scapes , etc ) reunites/ finds her . look at the st s4 movie inspirations. In ‘what dreams may come” a guy with the guidance of his dead kid explore a heaven like world influenced by a painter’s emotions.We also have the movie ‘inside out’ -which involves “memory islands” (distinct worlds based on a child’s memories) which are influenced negatively by the kid being depressed she moved to California. The characters traveling to these memory islands are constructs of kid’s mind -and 1 of them also has a guide helping them explore the ‘memory islands’. in Inception a guy says he’s a construct of a guy’s mind and needs to help him escape the many different Ievels of the dream worlds.The in inception who made the worlds- had dad issues. 'the cell’also had alternate dimensions of a man's mind that a cop explored ( the dimensions were created by a man who was ab*sed by his dad). Movies like inception, matrix, Truman show, total recall, the cell, enter the void, wizard of oz, Peter Pan, hellraiser 2, dream warriors, bill & ted’s bogus journey, and welcome to marwen also allude to this: because they involve entering simulated abstract worlds usually created/based on happy& traumatic memories/fears.Cough s4 using the movie wizard of oz quote “we’re not in Hawkins (kansas) anymore.While truman show/matrix are more about realizing your reality isn’t real.in bladerunner 2044/total recall it has the theme of false implanted memories… probably relating to hopper realizing he’s an alter and not in “actual Russia.” Before seeing the other segments of the innerworlds with sarah. Like in total recall- the bad ass spy is told all his memories: his wife/ years of marriage, , his name, are just implanted memories. And she says “you’re life is a dream.”
In s2 Nancy asks Steve how his “grandpa’s time in the war is a metaphor for your life?” And steve compares the mf to the germans in the war. Dr owens mentions Will has ptsd like “ (vietnam) soldiers’, Hopper saying he had buddies like Will . “In the 70s there was a study that compared the post-traumatic stress symptoms in Vietnam veterans and adult survivors of childhood s**ual ab*se. The study revealed that childhood s**ual ab*se is traumatizing and can result in symptoms comparable to symptoms from war-related trauma.” Hopper isn’t actually in Russia -but in one of the innerworlds (after he jumped through the rift of the machine- into Will’s mind). We’ll see flashbacks but also present circumstances of his imprisonment echo Will’s past with Lonnie (if the movies indicate anything)- being starved, guards getting payed in order to let other prisoners r*pe a gay prisoner (than claim incorrectly because of his sexuality he wanted it) , as well as a gang of sadist men who r**e others and a warden using that as a threat to be compliant , being thrown in a dark room of solitary confinement and starved when they didn’t obey the warden, the warden being religious, etc. And the Anerican soldiers (in Vietnam) in the movies aren’t much better and do similarly horrific acts to civilians like r**e and bragging/ happily k*lling women, children, and the elderly. The drill sergant in vietnam calling them homophobic slurs & women, and chocking one of the soldiers with one hand, slapping one for not believing in christianity. Tying up a soldier in a bed , gagging him, beating him and saying “remember it’s just a dream.” Only praising them when good in fire arms.(movies : fullmetal jacket, papillon, shawshank redemption, platoon, welcome to marwen, etc ) . My assumption is flashbacks of his life- will hint he’s an alter of Will’s-the boxes in the basement are “vietnam” ,“dad”, and “ny” (and these are the memories of his we’ll see). And some of the bad characters in said stories will also parallel Lonnie . For instance in s2, Jonathan mentions Indiana writer Vonnegut- In his book ‘slaughterhouse 5′- Vonnegut begins the story of Billy Pilgrim, a man who has “come unstuck in time”. It accounts of Billy Pilgrim's capture and incarceration by the Germans during the last years of World War II, and scattered throughout the narrative are episodes from Billy's life with his dad, and his own wife and kids.Billy is forced to be part of the war and similar things against his free will. The moments start from his childhood when his father throws him in the water to teach him how to swim. He was unwillingly drafted into the war. Later, he is kidnapped by Tralfamadorians (aliens that are implied to be caused by his mental health issues/trauma) against his will. Therefore, he realizes that this concept is just an illusion.
And some of the bad characters in said stories will also parallel Lonnie . Like how in ‘peterpan’- the young girl Wendy imagines netherland and the villain -captain hook- is based off her father ( in the movie they have the same voice actors/while in all stage productions the 2 characters are always played by the same actor). Similar to the other s4 film- ‘wizard of oz’ where the wicked witch of th west from the mythical land of Oz (is played by Dorothy’s real life mean neighbor in the real world/kansas). Or ‘in the cell’- every villain from the alternate-mind- dimensions is played by same actor in diff makeup. Not sure if they’d use Ross Patridge (actor of Lonnie) in this way . But it would be very interesting if (In makeup) Ross played many negative people in Hopper’s life/past -as a way to show Will’s past tr*uma.
Like also-look at Sarah’s tiger plushie! In chinese mythology/culture: “The tiger is personified by the constellation Orion (interesting given Sara’s interest in space/blackholes). The tiger represents protection over human life (hmm?). Tiger charms were used to keep away evil and disease (that’s awful ironic if she died in the manner she did). In Buddhism, wearing tiger skins during meditations was believed to bring protection from spiritual interference and potential harm while exploring astral dimensions.” HMMMMMMMMM XD
Kali in the stranger things novel ‘Suspicious Minds’ says…
“I was named after a goddess. She wore a tiger skin and was fierce in battle.”
Then Kali says to Alice (a women who can see future visions): “I love you, Alice. We can be tigers together.”This parallel (in relation to Alice) is fascinating because Kali actually uses her powers to fake Alice’s death- and to trick Dr. Brenner, and allow Alice to escape. The allusion was so realistic, that Terry could even touch the ‘dead’ Alice.
So the tiger symbolism could be a HUGE hint- that Sarah’s death was simulated and she’ll come back and travel the innerworlds/alternate dimensions of Will’s mind (as Hopper’s guide). Hopper about sarah “galaxies the universe-she always understood that stuff.”
Another possibility (theory b) is she integrated with another alter or with Will (which means she can’t return) .Hopper saying about Sarah “the black hole it got her.” Could imply she integrated with the mf/shadow monster? And ,or maybe she will later ?
But... I lean heavily to theory (a) the most , though.
Obviously sarah has a lot of the connections to Will. will and Sarah both being into science, Sarah winning a spelling bee, Will winning the science fair, both being connected to tigers. Both hallucinating something no one else can see and people trying to snap the 2 out of what they’re viewing. Joyce saying as a witch she’ll eat Will. Parallels Hopper saying as an ogre he’ll eat sarah. Hopper, in s1, when seeing Will (with a vine in his mouth) has a flashback of Sarah on a mouth respirator. And he also has a flashback of Sarah when seeing Will’s lion plushie which resembled Sarah’s tiger plushie. And el also had a lion plushie-like Will’s in s1. Hopper monitored both Will and Sarah at the hospital when they were “dying”. Will has a fear of clowns- and Sarah’s hospital gown had clowns on them. All 3 kids draw.
Plus, we all know the parallels of Will to El (Hopper’s new daughter).
I discussed in my did theory that Hopper (as an adult alter) is a form of protector to all the kid alters - el, Sarah, and Will (host/core). And Hopper as an introject-alter (who are alters based on a person the child knows ) are usually put in the system cause the kid assumes that person could protect them . And since original-Hopper was a police man (a little kid could easily assume that). Although, because he’s a “father figure” for the system he has some of Lonnie’s traits- which are reflected in other perpetrator alters/ bad npcs in the system- Brenner, Neil, Billy, the evil’s Russians,etc . So sometimes he acts similar to a Perpetrator alter too . And I listed those examples/bad parallels extensively in the original did post (linked in the beginning).
And I used these quotes from psych papers in my original did post to pretty much sum up Hopper’s use in Will’s system .
“Introjects can also be based off of figures that the dissociative child found strong, courageous, heroic, or otherwise worthy of being emulated and internalized and could theoretically protect them.”
“Older adult alters are created to serve a nurturing or parenting role, thus serving as a protector. (*protecting Will/el) . However, sometimes their older age is related to taking on the identification of the ab*ser and can therefore take on any of the other more hostile roles too ... Introjects which are mimicking ab*sers are trying to "keep you inline" in order to protect you from external ab*sers. They are copying behaviors shown to them by bad people, not harboring the intent, s*dism or imm*rality of the actual perpetrators.”
I think it pretty much sums up the nuances and motivations of Hopper’s character.
Thanks for the ask, anon :)
#jim hopper#stranger things#sarah hopper#will byers#kali prasad#el hopper#stranger things theory#did theory#s4 theory#st movies
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Static Has Some New Hardware | COMIC BOOK REVIEW
What's up, everyone! Tré from Advent Seven here, and I'm back with another review from DC’s Milestone Returns. This time we’re talking about the first issue of Hardware: Season One and the third issue of Static: Season One.
Hardware: Season One #1 is written by Brandon Thomas with art by Denys Cowan, Bill Sienkiewicz, and Chris Sotomayor. Static: Season One #3 is written by Vita Ayala with art by Chriscross and Nikolas Draper-Ivey. Hardware was released on August 10th, 2021. Static was released on August 31st, 2021. Both are available in both digital and print.
The following section contains spoilers for Static and Hardware
Hardware: Season One #1 is titled “Angry Black Man”. Hardware’s story starts with a short flashback showing a 3-year-old Curtis Metcalf at his first protest. It’s one of his happiest memories because he was with his father, but it's also a memory that he goes back to whenever another injustice happens. In the present, Dr. Metcalf is preparing for the inevitable arrival of the police.
In case you forgot, Dr. Curtis Metcalf is a brilliant scientist. He is being accused of causing "the Big Bang" by former boss and mentor Edwin Alva. Metcalf is not surprised it turned out this way, but he's not going quietly. The proceeding event is a bombastic demonstration of Hardware's power suit. With the aid of Metcalf's AI, P.O.P, Hardware blows up his lab, takes flight, and is chased by two military-grade helicopters. He’s able to take down one helicopter, but another damages his jetpack causing him to crash.
At Alva Industries, Edwin Alva speaks to the police. It's difficult for Alva to believe that Curtis could be responsible for the horrors of "the Big Bang". Alva recounts to himself how he discovered Curtis at a science fair. Alva recognized Curtis’s potential and invested heavily in Curtis’s future. According to Alva, Curtis had become entitled, wanting more. When Alva denied him, Curtis used "the Big Bang" as the perfect opportunity to ruin Alva and his company.
Hardware awakens after his crash. He’s a little sore, but he immediately focuses on taking down the helicopters. He does this by throwing a flaming knife at one, causing it to explode. Hardware then flies to Alva Industries to confront Alva. Alva condescends to Curtis like he's a disobedient child. Alva claims that Curtis would be nothing without him. Curtis responds by shattering the window in front of Alva. Hardware could have easily ended this here and now, but he decides Alva needs to suffer first. Hardware flies away, declaring, "We'll see who made who."
Hardware is not the style of character or story that I enjoy. He’s almost a Punisher archetype. He is someone who is out for justified revenge, and anyone who gets in his way is probably going to die.
The paneling is a little hard to follow during the first helicopter encounter. The coloring uses a lot of grays with bursts of orange explosions. An interesting detail throughout the story is that it is raining at night. It gives everything a somber, yet intense feel, which is a plus in my book.
It’s amazing to have one of the co-founders of Milestone Comics, Denys Cowan, return to do the penciling for this series. We are also treated to the “caged canary” allegory from the original Hardware comic. I rate this issue: 7/10.
Static: Season One #3 is titled “Run It Back”. This issue begins with Virgil about to be arrested. Using his wits and powers, Virgil manages to escape with a bag full of goodies from Mr. Metcalf's lab. We're also treated to a Static staple, him flying on a manhole cover.
When Virgil gets home, he goes through the bag hoping whatever was inside would be useful. To Virgil's excitement, there was enough gear in the bag to put together a complete superhero outfit. We also learn that Virgil was an anime fan when he was younger. He even learned to sew, so he could make costumes for himself and his friends.
After finishing his costume, Virgil decided it was time to clear the air with his dad. They have a real heart-to-heart while fixing the roof. The good feelings keep coming. Ritchie and Daisy show up to help repaint, apologize, and eat some home cooking.
Sadly, the good times can’t last. The next day, government agents arrive at the school. They are here to find potential Bang Babies. Unfortunately, the agents have someone with them that can point out the targets, Hotstreak.
Static: Season One continues to be one of my favorite stories to read. However, this issue takes a small step back. Nikolas Draper-Ivey only illustrated the first half of the comic. Pages 13-20 were drawn by Chriscross and Will Quintana. Their art is not bad by any means, but the art change proves that Nikolas’s skills have given Static new life.
Static’s new costume is solid. It takes elements from previous Static costumes, including the OG Malcolm X hat. I also love that it takes inspiration from Power Rangers/ Super Sentai. I rate this issue: 8.5/10
The next issue of Static is due to be released in October. Icon & Rocket #2 is already available, and #3 will be available on September 28th. Hardware #2 will also be available on September 28th.
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TL/DR: Static: Season One #3, available now, rating 8.5/10
Hardware: Season One #1, available now, rating 7/10
By: Tré Hanzy
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Inanimate Insanity Episode 14 Analysis
SPOILERS GALORE!
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Okay.
This episode was nuts. I mean, need I say that I was expecting it? I knew the egg was going to reveal itself since it was cracking, but I thought there was something in there, not some being that happened to be the egg itself.
The opening. Oh, the opening. I was seriously impressed. It hooked me to watch more of it. I really liked the black-and-white effects as well as the ominous tone put on it.
I was also surprised to see Fan have a role in the episode, and it was refreshing to hear some of the eliminated contestants’ voices again. For a moment, I thought the eliminated contestants were going to exit the hotel and watch the show or something.
Seeing MePhone4 acting outside of his role as the host was thrilling as well, especially that he nearly discontinued the show.
Inanimate Insanity could have ended right there.
Oh, and MePad’s resignment was a shocker too.
I thought that Test Tube was going absolutely crazy here, which probably is true anyway. Her usefulness has reached a peak and she is riding the wave. I was also surprised to see how Fan suddenly appeared to take the egg back, and the contestants shared the same reaction as mine, too. Nice attention to detail! It was cute that the egg stopped “crying” once Fan interacted. I thought Fan was recognized as the father here.
When MePhone4 glitch-generated a Living Room set, I thought that somebody was going to be there, but I was also confused when he generated random things later, too. But as of writing this, I realized the sounds were not only the eggs’ way of calling their mothership, but also likely a defense mechanism against Cobs’ creations, and MePhone4 is one of them. Yet MePad was unaffected. Perhaps Cobs upgraded their hardware?
Suitcase’s depiction of her anxiety was also neat. The minimalist flashing as the crack grew. That was neat. I thought her snapping back at Test Tube was a symptom of it, considering her sudden defensive stance.
The fight with the spaceship was absolutely epic. MePhone4′s quick wit, his command to the contestants to save Fan (Though I think it’s to save himself from lawsuits once again), and Test Tube’s Tazer-powered Telescope Bazooka against the ship was absolutely wicked. Also, I just realized that the reason Cobs asked for a spaceship from MePhone4 is so Cobs could go after them.
The update of the dock from Kick The Bucket was absolutely glorious as well. I really liked the detail, it was almost serene.
Imagine my surprise when I saw Taco already ambush and incapacitate MePad in the background while Microphone was talking. And finding out later that Mic’s speech was in-sync with what Taco is doing.
When I saw the Egg’s transformation, I was anticipating the moment that whatever was inside was going to come out. I even thought the eyes were glowing from the darkness inside until I saw hovering. Then, I was confused. Utterly confused about what the ex-egg was. I thought Fan would possibly be imprinted as the father of what turned out to be an actual being as well. When Fan was bound by chains, I certainly thought the leader was going to send him to his death (even if he did anyway, MePhone4 would recover him.)
Then, Test Tube intervened.
The alien species (which are referred to as The Shimmers), then told their backstory of the “oppressor” (which was what I wasn’t expecting, honestly, but flashbacks from Theft and Battery ensued). At first, I didn’t know that the presentation on The leader Shimmer’s face was a depiction of the MePhones 1 through 3GS (I later realized that Steve Cobs may have discarded 3GS with the intent to destroy which was why it was so scared the previous episode).
Fan interacts with the Baby Shimmer, the group shares a laugh, a wholesome moment there...
Then, Test Tube explodes and Taco’s reflection is shown (I later find out she and Mic teleported to the ship). It was like an epic moment where the spy from an action movie shows off their tricks. Then, I thought the ship flew away with the group inside before I remembered Taco using Mepad for teleportation.
When Microphone came with Fan... It was a sight to see MePhone4 acting all excited for the first time in quite a while. Also, I did NOT expect Microphone to retaliate against Taco by mentioning Taco’s history with Pickle, then ultimately quitting the alliance by shutting her out. What a way to go there, and what an arc. I wonder what’s gonna happen next with Taco. Will she ever be found out?
Then, the elimination. Honestly, at this point, I wasn’t expecting an elimination to happen considering how far off the show’s original format has gone. It was cool to see that it still retains its original flair. Imagine my surprise when I saw Microphone willfully choose herself to be eliminated. Does this even make II the same? Yes. But, actually, no? Honestly, I was somewhat relieved that there ended up being a double elimination. I think it suggests a deeper tension in the show’s coming climax.
Then, Lightbulb’s goodbye. Oh, that scene. That actually made me feel. Over many episodes, Lightbulb was the comic relief that everyone loved. She joked with her friends, especially with Paintbrush. Now, all her friends are eliminated. I wonder if that means her comic relief arc is over. If it isn’t, what else is there? For now, she’s gonna have to cope with her reality of being a finalist.
After the credits scene, in which I thought the music was pretty catchy (especially in contrast to the past episode’s more ominous tone), I was happy to see Toilet appear again. I had been so focused on what was happening that I actually forgot about him. Then, the crashed ship.
Then, MePhoneX.
I felt chills when I saw him. Adam was doing a great job making each design more advanced and intimidating than the previous, but this one is through the roof. I was not expecting another MePhone installment to happen. Should I even call this a running gag, or is this one actually so intimidating that it doesn’t constitute to humor at all? I thought I was going to leave a bit empty, but this one made me think the wait for the next episode is going to be worth it.
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CONCLUSION/THEORIES
The relevation of the egg was certainly a surprise, much less expecting. However, I am a little disappointed that there was nothing inside the egg. I liked the buildup from Fan acquiring up to its hatching, but considering the amount of priority that was put into it and not that the egg was used for comic relief, I really expected the relevation to be overly dramatic and possibly change the course of the show or expand the II universe (which it did in both scenarios, but still.). This doesn’t mean that I dislike the direction the show is taking now. It was just such a dramatic change that it makes me feel such a way that doesn’t make me excited but rather makes me sober? I’m not saying the writers made a mistake, I love Inanimate Insanity’s creativity and I’m looking forward for more. It’s just not exactly my cup of tea.
MePhoneX is a creation you do not want to mess around with. It is obvious by now that this one is created by Steve Cobs. The earlier MePhones, except for the last couple, were bent on destroying MePhone4, and it was heavily implied that Cobs sent them out to destroy MePhone4. This creation should be no different. However, MePhoneX is not only sent out to destroy MePhone4, he is sent to destroy the entire reality show and the contestants with it, along with going after The Shimmers. If MePhoneX doesn’t destroy 4, he might force him to create a spaceship and enslave the contestants, including the former ones from Hotel OJ, to aid in Cobs’ capture of The Shimmers. Also, everyone’s assumed that the MePhones get dumber with each installment, but I believe that this X installment is one above all. It is designed in such a way that exceeds every preceding generation. In other words, this one is not stupid.
Also, I have noticed that this show still has its BFDI inspirations. The shaking, the loopy mannerisms, and the unexpected humor is, to me, a callback to the witty and eccentric humor that is shown consistently throughout the Huang twins’ show.
Overall, this show is taking a turn. I am actually enthralled that it still hasn’t let up. Especially after my departure from the OSC and coming back. I now eagerly wait for the next episode even if it’s going to take months.
UPDATES: I also realized that MePhone4 is beginning to have a personal connection to the contestants. What if his cruel tactics shown in season 1 and 2 are a result of his trauma with Cobs? I don’t know if he ever will, but considering his backstory, I can’t help but imagine that MePhone4 is actually moving forward.
Also, there was almost no frustration evident in Taco’s reaction to her plan failing. It was full of emotional surprise. Did she ever see Microphone as a friend rather than an “ally”?
I can’t get it out of my head that MePhone4 still has 4S’ model after the finale of season 1. I really hope the writers don’t throw him away. It’s confusing to know that MePhone4 has 4S’ model and still have the kind of Gemories that 4 had in his original model.
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So I finally finished watching Bungou Stray Dogs and it was pretty good! The story itself is okay (well except for the Oda flashback at the beginning of season 2 - that was god-tier and in all left me with all sorts of emotions and thoughts about life and death and Dazai) - I find the powers / all the literary references interesting, but the lack of consequences for the multiple murders of the Port Mafia (esp. in situations involving innocents) kind of irks me. (1/4)
Also, I find the pacing a bit weird at times - but that may just be a personal thing. Anyways, where I think the story really shines is in its characters. The character designs are great, but then add the special abilities, personal conflicts, and relationships to one another into the mix and, well. I honestly think it’s hard not to come out of watching BSD absolutely loving a character or two. For me, I came out of it absolutely loving Kunikida. (2/4)
His conflicts between his ideals vs reality and duty vs feelings are really interesting (+ he’s best agency mom). And then his ability Doppo Poet? I want it. Also he’s voiced by Patrick Seitz (Endeavor’s va) and instantly recognizing his voice in the first episode made me kind of proud. And then - of course - Dazai. Honestly, I think it’s a given that any fan of Hawks is going to love Dazai + again, the four best episodes in the series focus on him so??? (3/4)
I wish his suicidal thoughts / tendencies were taken more seriously though. Overall, I really liked the series and I’m glad I gave it another chance (especially since it introduced me to the A+ ship that is Soukoku). I still think that the hinted romantic relationship of the Tanizaki siblings is kind of creepy though… (a big reason I stopped watching in the first place, as I eventually remembered). Anyways, thanks to you + thegaygyrus for inspiring me to watch it again! (4/4)
+ just read through other asks and YES it annoys me how shafted Chuuya was. Especially since he's so closely linked to Dazai - I was so excited when I finally got to see this mysterious short redhead I've seen from your blog + everywhere else only to see that he doesn't get as much focus as, well, all the other heavily marketed characters. And then we finally got his backstory at the beginning of S3 only for him to be put away in the final battle... smh. Anyways #ChuuyaDeservesBetter2020
I’m really happy to hear that me and Lucy geeking out over it convinced you to watched it and you enjoyed what you saw so far :3
I agree that the pacing suffers from time to time (it especially felt rushed at times and I’m not sure if that’s due to the fact that didn’t have many episodes to work with or if it’s just how the light novels/manga is). And I do understand being irked by the lack of consequences because I feel it at times too (...like did they forget that the Tanizaki siblings would have died without Yosano’s ability due to Akutagawa T-T or how Akutagawa blew up a police station and probably killed a lot of innocent people). Like I can understand later on that the reason why is probably due to the fact the tripartite exists but then why present Akutagawa as a fugitive if the Port Mafia’s crimes are usually ignored? So yeah, there are issues with the writing at times, I agree (especially what happened to Chuuya).
I can understand why you love Kunikida so much T-T The conflicts he faces in the story are so appealing and he’s really the one you see put through the ringer the most (...people he keeps trying to protect die in front of him and damn is it tragic to see. The man is going to develope a complex at some point). Also Doppo Poet is just such a useful ability (It reminds me of Momo’s quirk who has my favourite quirk in BNHA. Now we need a crossover with these two bonding :p).
And I feel you about Dazai’s suicidal tendencies. I know it’s played for gags most of the time but we saw when he was in the Mafia he truly didn’t care if he died and put himself into dangerous situations under the possibility that he would :/ Dazai needs a therapist desperately (and for someone to get rid of Mori forever).
(I also feel for you about the Tanizaki siblings. The incest is just... unneeded. But I’ve also become numb to it sadly because it appears all my favourite anime have incest in them *glares at Durarara!!*)
AND YES! JOIN US! Justice for Chuuya!!
I’m so mad! I wanted to see Ranpo and Chuuya fight in the book! I wanted to see Poe have to run with the Port Mafia on his tail while trying to protect it! I wanted Chuuya to be more involved for gods sake T-T Time and time again he’s implied to be the ace in the hole and he’s just not used.
(Have you watched the movie yet? Some of the best Soukoku scenes come from it and it’s incredible. Dazai actually references himself as Snow White and Chuuya to be his Prince Charming... He’s not very subtle XD)
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Episode 141: Your Mother and Mine
”You have it all wrong!”
We already know the story of Rose Quartz. We know she was a rebel who battled for many years against the forces of Pink Diamond. We know that she was “just another quartz soldier, made right here in the dirt” and rose to greatness by rallying fellow Gems to join her cause. We know that she was drawn to Gems that Homeworld shunned, wanting to make sure everyone had a place. We know that she ended the war by shattering Pink Diamond. And we know that after the war, her shield could only save two of her friends. So on paper, an episode that recaps this information is redundant.
But Your Mother and Mind isn’t about Rose Quartz’s history, it’s about her story. And the story is told by a character that can only reach her audience by impersonating the bearer of Pink Diamond’s gem.
Your Mother and Mine is a simple episode made fascinating by its proximity to the truth. It combines all the pieces of Rose’s story that we’ve heard over the course of the series to give us a definitive take on the narrative just in time for it to be undermined. We’re five episodes away from learning that Rose Quartz was Pink Diamond, and the episode after that is about Pearl correcting the version of events we hear right now. Which means that the episode’s major theme of truth versus fiction is something we can’t even comprehend fully without retrospect. Even if you already suspect that Rose is Pink when you watch it for the first time, the fact that it’s not written in stone yet means there’s still a possibility that Garnet’s story is true, and the episode only becomes great when you know for sure that it isn’t.
Garnet is the perfect narrator for the final depiction of Rose as we knew her before A Single Pale Rose. She’s one of the two remaining Crystal Gems that survived the war and isn’t bubbled, and we’ll soon learn that the other is bound to silence, so Garnet is the most capable character to tell this story and believe it. And her introduction in Your Mother and Mine hammers down why she believes it: when she’s excited about a cause that’s close to home, her enthusiasm overwhelms her usual calm. She’s so happy with the idea of misfit Homeworlders escaping oppression that she can’t step back and see that they aren’t handling her praise well until Padparadscha says it outright (for the second time in three episodes, she displays her ability to “predict” the emotions of the recent past on top of the events). And when she really gets going with her story, Garnet shows the exact same level of breathless, blinding glee. It can be hard to look for flaws in something you’re actively rooting for, that you’ve tied your whole identity to, so she doesn’t.
The distortion of truth that defines the episode is established by the Off Colors, who parrot three variants of Homeworld propaganda that mythologize Rose Quartz in the same way Garnet does, albeit for opposite reasons. They can’t even get their own stories straight, adding to the mystery of a figure that Homeworld would do anything to disavow and vilify, but the three main Gems in Steven’s life also have different concepts of Rose. Pearl’s is the most accurate, but she can’t tell anyone. Garnet’s is what she saw with her own three eyes, so she thinks it’s accurate, but she’s missing critical information. And Amethyst only knew Rose from after the war, so like Steven she had to learn about it secondhand.
And so, a question presents itself: what’s the value of a story that isn’t true? In this episode, Garnet’s false narrative galvanizes the Off Colors in the same way it galvanized her for thousands of years. It gives Steven a version of the shattering that paints Rose’s actions as heroic—Lars, whose first huge character moment with Steven involved insulting his “weird mom,” thinks she’s awesome for doing it. Regardless of the facts, it’s a great story, an honest-to-goodness legend presented gorgeously. So how much does it matter that much of it is wrong?
To Steven and Garnet, it matters quite a bit. But to the Off Colors? They need a confidence boost both in their general lives and in a moment of floating in space with a broken engine, and the story of Rose Quartz concretely helps them. That’s the tricky thing about legendary figures: if you model yourself off a literal interpretation of their actions, as Steven and Garnet do, it can only end in disappointment, but if you just view it as a story, it can do a lot of good. Fiction can be a wonderful thing—Steven Universe is itself an untrue story that has made the world a better place—but it gets rougher when the boundaries between fiction and reality are muddled.
While Rebecca Sugar has many times confirmed that the three lead Gems are based off elements of her personality, Steven is based off her brother, and characteristics of other real people are found throughout the show in the way fiction writers often flesh out their casts, Rose Quartz is different. In an early conversation with Hellboy creator Mike Mignola of all people, she was inspired by Babylonian mythology, especially Ishtar, in developing the show’s backstory, and Era 1 Rose Quartz feels more like an ancient goddess of love and war than a grounded human at this point in the show.
So Garnet tells us a creation myth. She introduces the Diamonds as gods, calling them “unique in their flawlessness” without an ounce of sarcasm, but like most ancient mythological gods, they do indeed have flaws: in this case, according to Garnet, Pink’s cruelty and cowardice. From these gods came Gems in their image, and for an untold sweep of time there was stagnation as all went according to plan, until a disrupting hero shifted this status quo to create the world we know today. Rose Quartz went from questioning her god to arguing with her god to warring with her god to destroying and supplanting her god, but because this is a pantheon, her hubris is punished by the other gods. It’s a story that works as well thousands of years ago as it does today.
And befitting that story, we get the most stylized flashback in the series, expanding heavily from the silhouettes of The Answer. Even if nothing else here worked, this would remain a beautiful episode, with simple but effective techniques to marry narration with aesthetic: transitioning from widescreen to fullscreen as Rose’s worldview expands, using stained glass backgrounds to keep the focus on characters instead of environment, and reducing colors in the foreground to make those colors pop. Eyes are out of the picture, a major handicap for showing how characters feel, but seasoned pros Katie Mitroff and Paul Villeco can convey emotion through body language and mouths alone.
Estelle certainly helps. Her commanding voice could make any story enthralling, even as she shifts from the fairy tale of her own origin to the legend of Rose. While she largely uses the same techniques here as in The Answer, the one noticeable change speaks volumes about Pink Diamond. When speaking for Blue, a far more personal foe for Garnet, she continues to narrate in her usual tone, and when speaking for Rose, her voice raises a little but it still sounds like Garnet. But when speaking for Pink, Estelle does something new: for the first and only time in the series, she vocally impersonates another character.
This is the second episode in a row featuring Pink Diamond, and the second in a row where she’s voiced by someone who isn’t Pink Diamond. Stevonnie shows the true version (a child), while Garnet shows the legend (a tyrant). And both halves of the Mindful Education duo are great at it! All Estelle needs is a few lines to shift that British accent into full evil aristocrat mode, and the special attention she gives to this voice highlights just how different this take on Pink is from the tantrum AJ Michalka provided. Even before we know the full truth, something is off about this cruel but newly confident version of Pink.
While the whole story gains new meaning when we hear the truth, the most compelling part in retrospect is Garnet’s stance on Pink Diamond calling for help. On top of providing the stunning header image as we pan from revolutionaries up to their oppressors, it’s this brilliant, awful moment where Garnet gets so close to the truth without grasping it, Blue Zircon style. Yes, Pink summoned other Diamonds to Earth, but it was part of her plan to save the planet: to make a big enough fuss that Homeworld would decide her colony wasn’t worth it. Garnet’s take is in line with the Pink we saw in our last episode, immature and seeking approval from her elders, and focusing on it here highlights how these negative traits could be aimed to help others when we see her real motives in Now We’re Only Falling Apart.
That said, Pink isn’t the only Diamond we see here.
White Diamond is different. She’s the only Diamond who isn’t named until her debut episode, existing only as a suggestion that fills in a massive gap. We’re restricted to her glimpses of her, mere hints of her ominous presence, like a monster in the shadows. The mural on the moon, the distant view of her ship on Homeworld, the actual white diamond that tops the insignia, that’s all we’ve gotten until now.
Here we get three images of her, even if she still goes unmentioned: the first shot of the four Diamonds together, the shot of the remaining three Diamonds after the shattering, and the Corruption. She remains obscured, more an idea than a character, but it’s clearer than ever that she’s the head of the group, and that she’s enormous, even compared to Yellow and Blue. Her absence is as captivating as her presence, as we see more of her than ever but still get the impression that Pink was only able to appeal to the middle sisters. It’s a great hook, a second mystery that overlaps Pink Diamond’s to show the audience that there’s more to this story than we might think, and even when we inevitably unravel Pink’s history, there’s a bigger threat behind the curtain.
The story ends with a brief scene in our regular style, showing that even if everything else was wrong, Rose Quartz did use her shield to save her friends. We return to a downcast ship, but Garnet supplements the power of fiction with the power of truth: that despite all the lies from Homeworld (and the lies from Rose, it turns out), the Crystal Gems and the Off Colors persist. No matter how much authority figures might try to hide it, diversity of lifestyle and identity is everywhere, because queer folks are normal folks. That’s the sort of thing a good story can make clear, especially when society constantly repeats a brutal and bald-faced lie.
And so the Off Colors trilogy of sorts draws to a close, with another call to adventure aboard the Sun Incinerator. But not before Steven and Garnet have a sit-down away from the celebrating crew, and the downside of a good story peeks out. It’s refreshing to see Steven verbalize his theory about Stevonnie’s dream so soon, given the necessary gap between The Trial and Jungle Moon to focus on his immediate concerns, but because Garnet only knows the story instead of the history, she replies with two truths and a lie: that his powers come from empathy, that his differences are something to be celebrated, and that Rose Quartz definitely killed Pink Diamond.
Steven will thus need another push to find the truth, rather than pursuing it on his own. Rose’s story does a lot of good, but it keeps Steven in the dark on his heritage and his inheritance, and makes him doubt the gut that he should be learning to trust by now. Self-doubt is just one of the many issues plaguing him in Steven Universe Future, but it remains a major factor in his identity crisis, and it’s rooted in moments like this: when a loved one who means well repeats a lie that makes him question what he knows in his heart.
The truth can be a dangerous thing, and fiction can comfort and inspire. The truth leads to clarity, and fiction can distort. This isn’t a convenient dichotomy, and Garnet herself will soon be ripped apart by the realization that the story she tells right here was a lie, but she wouldn’t be who she is today without that story, and for better and worse, neither would Steven. I’m not saying it isn’t important to seek the truth, and I’m certainly not saying that this show is telling us that. But I appreciate so much that the value of stories isn’t lost in that message.
We’re the one, we’re the ONE! TWO! THREE! FOUR!
Without the upcoming reveal, this is just an episode that I like. Great visuals and a well-told story, but still feels like a recap. But that reveal amps up Your Mother and Mine by both justifying the recap itself and by making the actual point of the episode clear. So up it goes!
Top Twenty-Five
Steven and the Stevens
Hit the Diamond
Mirror Gem
Lion 3: Straight to Video
Alone Together
Jungle Moon
Last One Out of Beach City
The Return
Jailbreak
The Answer
Mindful Education
Sworn to the Sword
Rose’s Scabbard
Earthlings
Mr. Greg
Coach Steven
Lars of the Stars
Giant Woman
Beach City Drift
Winter Forecast
Bismuth
Back to the Kindergarten
Steven’s Dream
Kevin Party
When It Rains
Love ‘em
Laser Light Cannon
Bubble Buddies
Tiger Millionaire
Lion 2: The Movie
Rose’s Room
An Indirect Kiss
Ocean Gem
Space Race
Garnet’s Universe
Warp Tour
The Test
Future Vision
On the Run
Maximum Capacity
Marble Madness
Political Power
Full Disclosure
Joy Ride
Keeping It Together
We Need to Talk
Chille Tid
Cry for Help
Keystone Motel
Catch and Release
Back to the Barn
Steven’s Birthday
It Could’ve Been Great
Message Received
Log Date 7 15 2
Same Old World
The New Lars
Monster Reunion
Alone at Sea
Crack the Whip
Beta
Back to the Moon
Kindergarten Kid
Buddy’s Book
Gem Harvest
Three Gems and a Baby
That Will Be All
The New Crystal Gems
Storm in the Room
Room for Ruby
Lion 4: Alternate Ending
Doug Out
The Good Lars
Are You My Dad?
I Am My Mom
Stuck Together
The Trial
Off Colors
Lars’s Head
Gemcation
Raising the Barn
Sadie Killer
Your Mother and Mine
Like ‘em
Gem Glow
Frybo
Arcade Mania
So Many Birthdays
Lars and the Cool Kids
Onion Trade
Steven the Sword Fighter
Beach Party
Monster Buddies
Keep Beach City Weird
Watermelon Steven
The Message
Open Book
Story for Steven
Shirt Club
Love Letters
Reformed
Rising Tides, Crashing Tides
Onion Friend
Historical Friction
Friend Ship
Nightmare Hospital
Too Far
Barn Mates
Steven Floats
Drop Beat Dad
Too Short to Ride
Restaurant Wars
Kiki’s Pizza Delivery Service
Greg the Babysitter
Gem Hunt
Steven vs. Amethyst
Bubbled
Adventures in Light Distortion
Gem Heist
The Zoo
Rocknaldo
Dewey Wins
Enh
Cheeseburger Backpack
Together Breakfast
Cat Fingers
Serious Steven
Steven’s Lion
Joking Victim
Secret Team
Say Uncle
Super Watermelon Island
Gem Drill
Know Your Fusion
Future Boy Zoltron
Tiger Philanthropist
No Thanks!
6. Horror Club
5. Fusion Cuisine
4. House Guest
3. Onion Gang
2. Sadie’s Song
1. Island Adventure
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Thoughts on Fruits Basket 2019 2nd Season Ep9: “My Precious . . . “
Maybe it’s because I haven’t been in the most composed emotional state recently for various reasons, or maybe it’s just because I love Kyo way too much, but this episode hurt me just as bad as the big true form arc episode in season 1 did, lmao.
The animation studios were coming for my fucking life with this episode, and they did everything in their power to make me a giant emo weeb.
Anyway, thoughts under the cut.
Just to get the logistical stuff out the way first, this episode adapted chapters 62 and 63 pretty much directly, and going by the next episode title, we’re definitely gonna get chapters 64 and 65 adapted next week to finish off the beach arc.
But anyway I’m not even sure where to begin with this episode, lmao. It was just one giant 25-minute long rollercoaster of pain and trauma, in all the best ways possible.
The events of this episode are pretty much a direct narrative extension of the true form arc, which is pretty much why it hit me equally as much. The true form arc is where Kyo finally begins to confront his trauma and open up to Tohru, and this arc is where he begins to confront his feelings for her while coming to the decision to accept his fate. Thankfully this is pretty much just the halfway point of the story, and things get better for him in the long run, lol.
I think the main thing that ended up really delivering the impact of this episode was how well done the animation and music were. I feel like last week’s episode was a little rough, but they really put special attention into this episode. It’s not like they necessarily added much, but they really highlighted the material they were adapting. I’m a big sucker for moments in anime where the music gets all dramatic to go along with equally dramatic things happening in the story, so I really loved the whole sequence with Kyo running down the hill to the beach while monologuing to himself, and flashing back to his meeting with Kazuma. At first I was a bit surprised at them using such a fast-paced and intense soundtrack for that scene, but it worked really well.
I also really liked the blown-out, hazy vibe that his flashbacks to knowing Kyouko as a childhood had, and the heavy orange lighting with the scene at the beach for him and Tohru. The former was a really fitting way for them to adapt those sorts of vaguely drawn flashback panels from the manga, and the latter was a neat contrast to the cold blue/purple colour palette of the big scene with Tohru and Yuki a few episodes ago.
There was also a whole lot of effort put into the facial expressions and voice acting during the whole confrontation between Kyo and Akito, though I can see why some people might think they went a little too far with some scenes, lol. I’m kinda on the fence about the whole scene with the purple tentacle things, but I think it worked fine as a visual representation of the power imbalance between them. I don’t really think they *needed* to be that blunt about it to get the point across, but it was fine. It at least ended up being another good example of this episode leaning heavily into harsh colour palettes to set the mood for different scenes, along with stuff like the flashback about the bet where everything was all dark and green.
I feel like I’d just end up repeating a lot of what I said about the true form arc previously if I tried to talk much about all the stuff going on with Kyo in this episode, since it builds on the same sort of stuff, so i won’t get too much into that. And tbh pretty much everything about this whole part of Kyo’s arc is a really sensitive subject to me, lol. Not to mention everything about the Kyoko backstory stuff being set up in this episode which is it’s own whole emotional can of worms.
Basically let’s just say that I’m extremely emo about Kyo, lmao.
And even after all this, we still have one more episode of the beach arc to go, which is also going to be dramatic and intense in it’s own unique way. It’s kinda funny seeing anime-only people speculate about the next episode title being about Tohru getting amnesia or something, when that’s not the case at all, lol. I can see why they’d think that, though, considering that memory erasure is an actual plot point in the series [even if it doesn’t really come up after the early arcs with Hatori and Momiji].
I wonder how they’re gonna react to the big reveal that Akito is the god of the zodiac. At this point I think it’s not much of a surprise, considering that they’ve straight up said that Kuerno is a zodiac member, but even in the manga I don’t think it was meant to be a surprise in that sense. It’s always just been more about how Tohru herself didn’t know about it until then, and what it makes her realize about the nature of the zodiac curse as a whole, which inspires her to actively try and break it.
Also the next episode’s gonna involve Momiji getting hurt and him being sad and that’s gonna make me sad :(
Anyway, I think by this point anime-only people should understand why people have been so hyped for the beach arc for so long, lol. It’s pretty much the definitive mid-point of the series, with how much it reveals, and how much it forces everyone to confront different parts of themselves, which pushes them in new trajectories for the second half of the story going forward.
#murasaki rambles#fruits basket#hey guys look how hard I can cry! HUUUUUUUUUUUU-#me throughout this episode: 'kyo is just a little baby :( just a boy :('
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Just a thought..... **There are spoilers in case anyone’s still watchin’ out......
I have seen probably hundreds of theories floating around tumblr about MLB and season 3 and I just thought that I would throw in my own :) So, ok....
- Chloe......not gonna lie, I'm not surprised. I agree with those that say that she did good things for praise, attention and bragging rights. I do think that it was an attempt to continue being Queen Bee even though she was well aware that literally EVERYONE in Paris knew her identity, she obviously didn't care. She just wanted the fame. Could she still be redeemed? Sure, but...she's still got a long way to go and plenty of work to do, with that being said, the question is......is she willing to do the work even with the bee miraculous and the idolization of ladybug taken out of the equation? That idk, we'll see I guess.
- Fu......alright so......he's gone...... :'( Marinette is the guardian now, not that she's ready for it Lord knows lol but it is what it is at this point unfortunately. The thing with Fu is.....he would always preach about how LB and CN's identities need to be a secret when.....his girlfriend or whoever she is (I can't remember her name) knew he was the guardian, even offered for them both to use a miraculous in some flashback in an episode (that I also can't remember the name of, I think it was origins but idk) to escape danger and protect the miracle box. SO IF SHE CAN KNOW OF ALL PEOPLE, seemingly not being a miraculous holder herself, WHY THE HELL can't LB and CN know!? Kinda hypocritical tbh. Anyways, now that LB is the guardian, there is literally no one stopping her from saying I'm the guardian so I make the rules now but her being as honorable as she is, she still refuses. It would just be too easy I guess if LB came to the same conclusion as the fandom and said, "We knew Fu's identity for the sake of protecting him, and he knew ours in case of emergency (as displayed in Feast).....so then it would only make sense if we knew each others identity." And I'm not sure if they knew that Fu's girlfriend knew but....that just adds to my point, which is there really isn't a reason for them not to know, but like I said I guess it would be too easy that way. Maybe now that the temple is back along with the monks.....maybe they will be the ones standing in the way of the reveal, assuming all the other monks didn’t like what Fu did regarding people knowing their identity (his girlfriend) and are far more strict with the rules. Again, we'll see I guess.
- Alllllright.....*sigh*......Lovesquare/ Drama BS. OK so, look. This whole theory on Marinette moving on from Adrien and Chat Noir moving on from Ladybug.....in MY opinion.....it's BS. THREE SEASONS of you're the girl of my dreams and Mari's intense crush on Adrien, which even though she has gotten better when it comes to communicating and being around him, her crush is pretty extreme. HOWEVER, people seem to forget that when you're 14 or 15, a crush can easily get out of control because....well, hormones....like let's be real, yes it's intense AF but is it far fetched for a typical girl her age? NO, like come on ya'll, really? I feel like that's not really taken into consideration she's still young therefore still immature, and understandably so. Same thing goes for Adrien when it comes to Ladybug. He is obsessed too, maybe not to the same degree as Mari but still, pretty damn obsessed. And between Adrien and Marinette, things started out hella awkward in season 1, but compared to season 3, she HAS grown. THEY have grown. Closer and closer over the course of 3 seasons. Them and Ladynoir too so, obviously they're on the right track. Do they need to grow as individuals? HELL YES ok, that I agree with. Mari and Adrien need ME TIME though. I personally do not believe that they need someone else to come into their lives just to be used as means to get over someone else THAT WE ALL KNOW TOO WELL they aren’t gonna do. Like it has been said that in season 4, it will be decided who wins the Lukanette v. Adrinette war......and in order to continue with the whole made for each other/ soulmate plot, and in order to carry over to the movie (that supposed to be about Ladynoir and their love, it seems) I think between season 4 and 5, Lukanette will lose, (Sorry to all the shippers, no salt intended in this post). I also noticed that it was not mentioned that there will be a decided winner for ship war Adrigami v. Adrinette, at least not that I've heard nor seen, like the other rival ships. That leads me to believe that IF Adrigami happens at all dating wise, they're not gonna last very long at all, or at least not compared to Lukanette IF that happens either. Again no salt intended. In the movie previews that have been released, especially the song, it shows that Chat Noir/ Adrien is still pretty heavily in love with Ladybug. And Ladybug seems just as in love with Chat. Note how Chat/ Adrien says his heart is in a duel, meaning his heart is torn between Marinette and Ladybug, but Ladybug on the other hand, only really talks of patience rather than being torn like Chat which makes me think.....in the movie, DOES SHE KNOW? Talking about eternal love.....without taking into consideration season 4 since obviously it won't start until next fall, I can only assume as of right now that those feelings of eternal love or whatever are pretty extreme to be feelings for Chat Noir alone. It would make sense to feel so intensely if she were to know that CN and Adrien (whom she would both equally love at that point) were the same person. That would make sense to me. Now, when it comes to the ice cream situation in miracle queen, I like to think, like a few others I have seen post on here, that it's referring to themselves as individuals....because like Pink and Blue for Mari makes sense......Green and Yellow for Adrien also makes sense.....(side note: how the hell does orange tie to Kagami, like why not strawberry or cherry?? Idk but ok......? Whatever). Anyways, that's how I see it. I may not be a big fan of Kagami (I personally don't get the appeal, but that's JUST ME) but she deserves better than being a plot device. Same thing goes for Luka, which he's ok in my opinion. Like, Kagami and Adrien have a bond that is irreplaceable as in they were both raised in similar circumstances, and when it comes to Adrien overcoming the consequences/ obstacles that come with that? That friendship is necessary. But I think that the both of them, ESPECIALLY Adrien, don't really know the differences between friendly love and romantic love, same for Luka and Mari....ok, well maybe not Luka but Mari? Yeah. Luka and Kagami deserve to have someone who loves them and only them, just like everybody else. It isn't fair to them that they be in relationships with people we all know that they want to be with, and for however long they may last, only be for the other person to come to a conclusion that they love someone else......so really in all honesty, it all seems so needless, unnecessary, and completely f'd up. I have heard people say that Marinette and Adrien need other people to move on, saying it's healthy but I for one have a hard time agreeing with that. How are you supposed to love someone else when you can't even BEGIN to learn to love yourself and put yourself first? I think that if they both came to the healthy and mature conclusion that they need to time to themselves, and put their mental and emotional needs first for a change, that it will open so many new doors for the both of them. Mari will embrace Luka's friendship and he will inspire and encourage the creative side of her and his calm/ chill demeanor will help her with her anxiety and she will gracefully come into her own and FINALLY OWN HER BEAUTIFUL SH**!!! As for Adrien, he will be more decisive and sure of himself. He will have a better understanding of what he wants thanks to Kagami who, I think, will guide him in that department. She'll help him be not so wishy-washy and encourage him to advocate for himself when Gabriel "Trash" Agreste does SOMETHING ELSE unjust or unfair to Adrien as means to micro-manage his life. And with that he will hopefully have less stress due to his hovering father and maybe loosen up and relax, showing his dorky/ funny/ CN side while Mari becomes more confident/ brave like LB. And let me say that maybe Adrien can help Kagami grow in return, I think we can all agree that she could benefit from better, friendlier social skills and also help her learn that you don't always win/ you aren't always #1, that's not how life works. Ok, now as for the lucky charm bracelets, the theories that have been spread around on tumblr speak for themselves, for instance the ice cream matching each others charms and the thing with the red string in which, I agree with all of those.
- To sum up, Adrien and Marinette have some serious sh** to figure out. Especially with themselves. I would love to see them interact more on a real level which will lead to Adrien no longer being able to deny that he see's her as more than a friend. I wan't them to be so close because with shi** getting crazier around them, they need each other, with AND without the mask so that makes me think that the reveal will happen sooner rather than later. I want them to rely on each other more and more, as Adrinette and Ladynoir, and they have INDEED SHOWN that they can be a bada** power couple while knowing each others identities and COMPLETELY loving and trusting each other with NO wall and NO secrets holding them back. And yes, in all fairness, Lukanette, Adrigami & Ladynoir were all suggested in the (not my) finale, however all those ships cannot canonically stand. **deep, creepy narrator voice** Only one will survive (lol sry). I personally feel that season 4 can play out either way, either with them seeing other people or not, but in my opinion, them seeing other people would be sacrificing realism (because no one gets over not only their crush, but likely their first love, in the span of like a day or so...like c’mon) for dramatic purposes which in all fairness, would not be surprising to me at all but still. Either way, it will eventually lead to a reveal which I think is likely to happen in the movie rather than season 4, I think season 4 will be about Adrinette/ Ladynoir like usual but strengthening emotionally and mentally with aid from Luka and Kagami (and if it happens my way, it would put them both in a more favorable position than just mere plot devices but hey, what do I know). This will likely lead to Marichat being primary ship in season 4 due to Adrien having a chance to fall in love with Marinette and not just LB, and Marinette falling in love with Chat and not just Adrien. Keep in mind that during this, Marinette's love for Adrien won't be gone while she falls for Chat, and likewise with Adrien, coming to love both LB and Marinette. Leaving both of them conflicted, blushing messes in every corner in the love square LMAO IMAGINE THE MESS THEY’LL BE!!!! NOW THAT'S THE DRAMA I LIVE FOR LOL and Lord knows Astruc is all about that drama ya'll LOL Maybe that’s the plot of the movie? The lovesquare imploding? LOL Sounds a perfect way to end the 3 season long drama if you ask me......
- Plus, Chloe thinks Luka's cute??? LMFAO OOOOOH SH**, It's going down, I'm yellin' timber ya'll LMAO uh oh
--sorry this was long <3 thanks for listening--
HAVE A MIRACULOUS DAY ;)
#miraculous ladybug#miraculous season 3#ramblings about miraculous ladybug#LadyNoir#adrien x ladybug#ladrien#ladynior#marichat#adrienette#adrinette#adrien x marinette#marinette dupain cheng#marinette x adrien#adrien agreste#miraculous tales of ladybug and chat noir#miraculoustalesofladybugandcatnoir#mlb s4#ml love square#love square#ml analysis#ml theory#miraculous lb#ml ladybug#mlb
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