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monkey-network · 1 year

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Good Stuff: Best of 2022

This current year I say was a better current year than the one before, I mean the Queen died and that was funnier than Elon Musk's whole existence beyond the fact he sucks at Twitter. Never mind the chaotic reality we have, I'm celebrating the 10 best animations to come out this year. The only rule being they had to debut this year so while these two were banger entries, Amphibia and Owl House have to be exempt because I want to be fair. Otherwise, ANYTHING GOES so let's go...

Number 10: Batwheels

This reached the list for the sheer fact that it feels like a joke but has a better punchline than it has any right to. It looks colorful with great animation, and even if it's a preschool series it's thankfully one that's just about the adventures of both the titular bat vehicles and the actual Batman characters. This isn't like Cars where there aren't any humans around and they're cleverly able to make everyone coexist in a way that never feels out of place. It works as a good morning cartoon and a kiddo's introduction to the Batman universe besides the comics or the 90s animated series.

Number 9: We Baby Bears

I feel like we all need that one shows that's just for cute vibes to curb the stress and mental instability that intrudes on you when you get home from work or school. Being the spin-off prequel to We Bare Bears, while it can be pretty plain in terms of premises it's cute and whimsical on its own merits. It reminds me of Klonoa where we're hopping from world to world, sometimes there are familiar faces but otherwise, it's just about having fun with the different environments with characters I bet most gen ziggas will be familiar with. I say it was a good series to start off the year and while Cartoon Network's future feels too uncertain, I don't think a show like this is such a front on their MO. Plus, bears are awesome.

Number 8: Sonic Prime

The fact that Sonic the Hedgehog basically gave us its take on Robot Pirate Island was enough for me to like this, but Sonic Prime works well as a new series. Low on the list because for eight episodes, it wasn't as fulfilling especially when it felt like the SatAM show but not as tight since it's a multiverse story. Not that it isn't fun, this has more jovial energy to this that feels like a mesh between SatAM and The Adventures of Sonic. The animation I say is peak for a Sonic cartoon, imperfect but it looks like they're let loose with movement and expression. Plus again, we got the battle of Robot Pirate Island ending with a funny abrupt bodying from Shadow. Overall, hopeful part 2 ups the momentum because this and the Mario Movie really look like we might be eating well next year.

Number 7: The Cuphead Show!

Cuphead changed the way we game. With the DLC released this year as well, we seriously got a franchise that earned its keep. It felt natural that we'd get a cartoon, running alongside the recent Looney Tunes and Mickey Mouse short series as a great resurgence of the rubber-hose animation style. I'll say though that the episodes are great for this show, gets really going when Ms. Chalice joins for real, but it's scattershot in terms of actual banger episodes especially when the Devil makes for the best episodes with or without the porcelain trio. They at least end the 3rd season on a high note so whether we get more or not, this was overall satisfying and worth the wait.

Number 6: ONI, Thunder God's Tale

Really sucks this was talked about by nobody beyond the Goomba Got Back dude, whose video on it was cool. This was an incredibly made miniseries created by the same studios behind DOMO, Rilakkuma and Kaoru, and the cutscenes of most modern Sonic games. I love the plush and clay look of the characters and the environments are insanely beautiful. Storywise it's one where it starts strong and gets stronger with every part like episode two's ending was a gut punch and the blows kept coming after that. I loved this world of yokai and kami and it was an emotionally warm tale of family and self-actualization. Seriously recommend watching this at least once, subbed or dubbed since both are pretty good. So yeah, everybody that proclaims "animation is cinema", where the fuck were you?

Number 5: Scrat Tales

Would've been wrong to not put this on the list since it was the last thing Blue Sky made before Bob Chapek took the studio out back. Even if Blue Sky never closed, these shorts were great, taking me back to when Scrat was at his best in the earlier Ice Age films. The animation is especially great and it just makes me wish Blue Sky got to do more because this really showed they were good with slapstick comedy and improved after two decades. Needless to say, this miniseries and their final short was them going out on a high note, giving the best middle finger to Disney after they tried to revive the Ice Age franchise with the Buck Wild movie. If there was anything to credit about this year, it was taking the bad with the good.

Number 4: The Bob's Burgers Movie

This was surprisingly the year when I watched a lot of movies. Thankfully I'm not a filmbro (yet...) but I've really appreciated the time I made in actually going to the theaters more than once, so yeah Bobby's Bunger. I say it works on its own but it's definitely more for fans of the TV series and even then you probably have to see the season that came before this to have better context. Besides that, you're just enjoying the good vibes that come from the characters, the humor, the animation, and the pinch of musical numbers we get; Sunny Side Up Summer was legit an earworm banger. It overall works when you know the Belcher family because they carry this film.

Number 4 (2): Marcel the Shell with Shoes On

Mate, when it reached a certain scene involving a poem, I was practically choking back my tears. You'll know there's a later stop-motion higher ranked, but this was the 2022 film that personally cut deep. I didn't think a film about talking shells would resonate with me this well, but this existed as more than just Youtube short films extended into a movie. There is a story here about grief, comfort, being internet famous, and community that I feel wouldn't have worked without it being like this. It had that cold but good reminder of how small you can feel with a world you can only wish to grasp in increments; that change is inescapable but that doesn't mean you should take that negatively. It's hard being fearless, risque as you can be with your opinions and ideas, especially with uncertainty. This I say is a great Autumn movie, wonderful in making the seasonal vibe feel more comforting.

Number 3: Smiling Friends

Yeah, it's high on the list. If it wasn't, that means Egoraptor probably made it. To me, Smiling Friends has the enjoyable chaos of Superjail and Aqua Teen with the thematic sincerity of Venture Bros or King of the Hill. It's the most easy-going adult cartoon that yeah, is funny as shit and is funnier the more you know behind the scenes. I gotta appreciate that this is the one time when people from the internet hit the big time and it doesn't feel like forgettable compromised trash. I'll say the Brazil episode was not good, but this was the consistently best show Adult Swim provided in a long while.

Number 2: Guillermo Del Toro's Pinocchio

Del Toro never gave up on this and what we got was better than expected. There are a couple story problems but it's more than made up by being an amazing retelling of the Pinocchio tale. I never grew up with Pinocchio mind you, I only got familiar with the story this year since it was everywhere, but I wanna say this was as strong an interpretation as one could make. Better than Disney's take I say where it's purposefully not squeaky clean in appearance or atmosphere making its poignant emotional moments hit a little harder. Being Del Toro's first fully animated movie, it's up there with Fantastic Mr. Fox as a film I'd consider a masterpiece on the dedication craft alone.

Honorable Mentions: Entergalactic, Hamster & Gretel, Minions 2, The Amazing Maurice, Chickenhare, League of Super Pets, Super Giant Robot Brothers, Cars on the Road, Little Demon, Pantheon, Baymax!, Turning Red, and Zootopia+

Number 1: The Bad Guys/Puss in Boots, Last Wish

I'll say it, Dreamworks truly owned the W this year. The fact that two-for-two Dreamworks gave us the best vibes in terms of films like it was nothing has to be appreciated. I was already a fan of Puss in Boots, the film and cartoon series worked as the Zorro franchise we could've got. The Last Wish enhances that with not only literal stellar and dynamic action, no bad characters, but an actual reflective story for Puss, like if the 1st film and series were about him being responsible this sequel was about him being humble, especially in regard to his own mortality and pride. This isn't just a regular adventure like before, there is genuine emotional weight behind what happens to the characters. Just saying, we didn't just get a fierce red-eyed wolf for furry-lusting sake, but an actually intimidating force that owns every scene he's in. Feels like this film truly marks the twilight of where the studio wants to go with its projects and I'm worried but faithful. Oh yeah, and The Bad Guys?

I didn't grow up with the OG books like I did with Captain Underpants, but this film both blew my mind and made me go back to see that the books were good too. Objectively, Puss in Boots was the better film but this was my personal year-round favorite. The VIBES this had with basically every other scene had me just as happy as when I saw the Captain Underpants movie. The animation, the banter, Diane who is everything, and the banging tunes like Good Tonight and the opening with Kitchen Clean were the cleanest scenes I loved all year. If Puss in Boots 2 was the modern Zorro movie I always wanted, this was the American Lupin the 3rd movie I never knew I would get.

All in all, Dreamworks put its best foot forward, far more than expected especially compared to last year or Disney this year. If anything, I'm definitely noticing a slow shift where more animated projects are... footloose and yards away from trying to look realistic or copy-pasted. Not saying it'll all work (remember when theOdd1sOut made a cartoon?) but it has me as faithful as before in seeing worthwhile stuff come to fruition. Then again nothing this year truly stacked up to the

ACTUAL NUMBER 1: SLIPPIN' JIMMY

I'm talking about the Breaking Bad masterpiece that earned a Slipjimmillion dollars in ratings and views, baby! The streaming service superstar of 2022 nothing could top it. Not Bluey, not Better Call Saul, not The Simpsons, not your dad, nothing came close! Slippin' Jimmy is the future!

WITH ALL THAT SAID, HAVE A GOOD NEW YEAR!

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grendelsmilf · 1 year

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I think one way to summarize the differences between Amphibia and The Owl House, is that it feels like Amphibia’s central characters were conceived first, and the setting/world building/story was then molded in terms of what best fit them first/ foremost, while TOH’s setting was conceived first, and the characters/their development then molded in the shape of a story deemed to best reflect the setting. Ex. Wartwood designed mainly to annoy/frustrate Anne, while Luz’s charac made to fit in BI.

hmmm.... idk abt the process behind either show, but i think you’re right in identifying something... idk... algorithmic about the construction of the owl show? like it is a show that clearly has a lot of heart and comes from a place of deep passion, but it also does feel like the writing is trying to check boxes and every character is there specifically to communicate themes—themes that i think are good, mind you! but besides being cute, none of the characters are really memorable to me except for eda, who was barely in the final season. meanwhile the frog show is very focused on establishing and developing character, especially anne’s. unlike luz, who has quirky idiosyncrasies at best, anne has real flaws, and they’re put on display basically every episode. seeing anne be mean and manipulative to sprig in the second episode of the show immediately made me love her. anne is literally meaner than s1 amity, the supposed “bully” of the cast, who is actually “revealed” (incredibly predictable reveal, but still) to have been a victim of abuse who was molded into performing a role she didn’t actually like. anne isn’t abused into being a bad person, she’s just a normal teen girl who kind of sucks sometimes. while i think both shows deliver great themes for kids, there’s a nuance and warmth to anne’s character, the way her flaws and virtues and everything in between are so lovingly rendered, that just makes her so so special to me. sorry owl show, but you will never have anne boonchuy.

#ask #anon #frogshowposting #i love my horrible dyke jock frog daughter 💗💗💗💗

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mdhwrites · 8 months

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This is me sending you an ask about Commander Anne! 🦎

...This is literally the first time I've gone "Hey, ask me about X because this has too many topics" and they actually did it. XD Okay, so Commander Anne is FUCKING AMAZING. There's a lot of reasons but a lot of it comes down to part of what I think people need to realize about the show. Above anyone else, there are two main characters of the show and S3 is all about their change and their fates. The first is Anne and S3A was entirely about how she had changed since the start of the series.

The second one isn't Sasha. It's Amphibia itself.

Don't get me wrong, Sasha gets a LOT of good in this episode and I will be talking about it but she still isn't elevated to main character status in this half season. She's still a supporting character just like Marcy is primarily a side character (Loggle gets more screentime than the lovable nerd after all). I also don't say this to diminish either of the other girls as characters, simply to admit that their narrative importance isn't as high as the setting itself.

And why shouldn't the setting be important to an ISEKAI? The term literally means other world and Amphibia is ALL about culture clash from big city girl to rural farmers, to frogs and humans and even the various Amphibians themselves. Thus the world is important and Commander Anne shows that Amphibia is FUUUUUUUUUUUCKED.

But how it does it is INCREDIBLY clever because it also shifts who we should expect to be leading things over to Sasha and why she is the Commander. As such, the big highlight of the episode for me is actually the montage of the trip. See... Anne is treating Amphibia the same way she used to.

Amphibia says that won't work anymore. It dumps sludge on her, attacks her with robots that want her dead, etc. like that until we get to the plant where a goofy, silly plan that might have worked in previous seasons is met with a dose of harsh reality as it puts everyone at risk. The got through with gumption and willpower before after all but that doesn't work anymore.

And this is because of a fundamental shift in HOW Amphibia is dangerous now. Amphibia has always been dangerous but it was an impassioned danger. Frogs were merely food and so the monsters took what they needed and then left. The hibernation episode is a PERFECT example of that and of how the Amphibians dealt with it. It might suck but it wouldn't ever mean the end of the entire town. The end of the world.

Andrias on the other hand wishes to warp and break the world so as to fuel his conquest. His desire requires the elimination of any threat and its led by a man who at this point actively hates any and all who oppose him and meets them with sadistic glee. As such, you can no longer just take a casual stroll through the woods. You can no longer drink from the rivers. You can no longer find peace with a world at war.

And FINALLY this brings me around to both Sasha and the Amphibians themselves. They have lived in this state for MONTHS and you can feel it as they clash with the Plantars, who they themselves also adapted to their new environment. Modern luxuries allowed one to become soft. War made the others have to get stronger and smarter. They are more serious because they have to be and there's a certain expectation they hold of those around them because of it. They still vote Anne as commander because they remember the warm days but they don't need a friend who will share their heart.

They need strength tempered with compassion. They need Sasha Waybright. They don't need Cheer Team Sasha though. They need the Protector of Amphibia and for that, we needed to see the end of Sasha's character arc here and it's a damn good one that I should do a full blog on at some point. My big point here is that our one look at her as a child is her playing protector and trying to help Anne and Marcy. Her at St. James is someone who uses the personal belief that she's protecting her friends and making their lives better to make them utterly server her goals and her interests.

There is no pretense now though... Or not quite but that's a discussion for the ending when I get to it (I'm at All In now). She genuinely looks out for people and wants to make them the absolute best they can be, something we'll be seeing from her for the rest of the season in one way or another. She is a true protector which earns her spot as the strength gem because she understands that Strength without selflessness isn't strength at all. It's just cruelty and manipulation.

All of this also does something really smart from a meta standpoint that you can even feel in Sprivy. Namely: This half season IS different from the rest of Amphibia. There's only one episode, full episode, that feels truly like an old episode from S1 or 2 in the entire half season because there is a tone change. It's necessary for the fact that Amphibia is at war and the show doesn't want to treat that as just a joke. It's honestly really clever and impressive in the breadth of what a change in status quote this is.

And done in ELEVEN MINUTES. I... Just... I don't want to compare S3 of Amphibia and S3 of TOH too much because the shortening did cause a shift in priorities and goals but like... If For the Future spent a quarter of its time being this well crafted and compelling about the change of the Isles, it might not be seen as an almost complete waste of time by most people! And these two DO have the same goal for at least part of it which is to introduce the newly changed world and how it has been warped and ravaged and have to be dealt with in a new way which makes the comparison genuinely warranted. Both needed to show this new world and Amphibia did while also having rich character development and not wasting almost a second, unless it's doing jokes that still play into the changes for the characters, while TOH spends 30 seconds of its re-introduction of the Isles to give us eye candy as the animation goes "Gosh, isn't Amity pretty?"

Hell, all of this gushing actually didn't even cover the main conflict of the episode except tangentially but it's a GREAT capstone to Sasha's arc. She wants to give up power because even if she trusted herself with others, she can't trust having it over Anne. Anne is willing to give enough understanding and care though to put herself in a vulnerable situation with Sasha for the good of everyone else. It's a great concept executed very well.

It also admittedly hits close to home, especially post "The Beginning of the End" due to complicated things between me and my twin brother but that's again: For a blog about Sasha's entire character arc and its added complexities that keep Sasha compelling.

But yeah, Commander Anne absolutely deserves to be beloved by the fandom and should honestly be dissected by more people for how incredibly good it is at introducing the new Amphibia to us properly.

======+++++======

Small bonus: Thank you to Nexstage for also asking. I really do appreciate when people take my baits for extra blogs because it's genuinely easier for me to make a blog as a response to an ask rather than making it myself. It has to do with brain problems wanting some guarantee there might be interest in the topic which is a whole thing. Yaaaaa-

I have a public Discord for any and all who want to join!

I also have an Amazon page for all of my original works in various forms of character focused romances from cute, teenage romance to erotica series of my past. I have an Ao3 for my fanfiction projects as well if that catches your fancy instead. If you want to hang out with me, I stream from time to time and love to chat with chat.

And finally a Twitter you can follow too!

#amphibia #sasha waybright #anne boonchuy #commander anne

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shimshamshimsham · 20 days

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Wanted to classpect the amphibia characters ! I know I'm hardly the first person to do this , but I thought I'd weigh in my two cents :

Anne - Witch (or heir) of Breath . Breath is one of the two leader aspects , and is heavily themed around freedom . Guess what character is a leader and heavily themed around freedom ? This one feels obvious for me . As for the class, it's def either witch or heir , but id overall say witch makes more sense as she doesn't naturally inherit her freedom , and instead has to learn it .

Sasha - Knight of Heart . This one was a bit harder for me . Not in terms of aspect , as self reflection is basically her whole thing , but in terms of class . Sasha is easily the most variable character , changing a lot as the series progresses . This can make it difficult to pin down one specific way she uses her aspect , but I overall decided on knight . It's more all encompassing , letting her use her aspect to defend herself in season 1 , her pride in season 2 , and her friends in season 3 .

Marcy - Rogue of Mind . This one is so incredibly easy . Marcys the smart one , so no shit mind applies . On a deeper level , though , she's also hiding a lot : not being her true self all the time in lieu of doing what she thinks is better . Great planner, horrible improviser (?) Rogue also applies easily because of a couple things . 1 . She literally says she was going for a rogue type character in the show and 2 . If rogue is supposed to take their aspect and distribute it to others , then Marcy absolutely does that : constantly doing research and telling everyone everything they need to know

If this seems rambling and nonsensical that's because it's 12 am for me and this was mostly just copy pasted from a discord dm with my poor friend who had to deal with my insane bullshit . Thanks for sitting through this , here's an Anne :

#amphibia #homestuck #classpect #anne boonchuy #sasha waybright #marcy wu #amphibia classpect #text post #insane rambles #lol

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ordinaryschmuck · 2 years

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Why Luz Noceda is a Fan-Frickin'-Tastic Character

Salutations, random people on the internet who certainly won’t read this! I am an Ordinary Schmuck. I write stories and reviews and draw comics and cartoons.

And today, I’d like to say that I’m about to introduce you to somebody, but, odds are, you already know about her.

Mainly because I’ve talked about this character quite a lot.

This is Luz Noceda, from Disney’s latest hit The Owl House. And she might just be the best character in the show, which is saying something given that The Owl House is filled with incredible characters. Hell, I would probably do an entire essay based around each and every one of them if I had the time and sanity to do so…which I don’t.

So, instead, we’re just focussing on Luz, and for good reason. There are a few great things about her that I really don’t think the fandom takes the time to appreciate. And I’m going to do my best to point out my favorite reasons for why I love Luz.

What are those reasons? Well, let me count the ways.

1. She’s Wonderful Representation

I don’t want to say that Luz is perfect or “the way to do representation right,” mainly because I don’t think it’s possible for any character to be that way. But, I will say that there’s a lot of Luz that makes for great representation. Luz Noceda is Dominican, bisexual, and a girl that doesn’t conform to gender stereotypes. You see these qualities in Luz throughout the show in the ways that she speaks Spanish, gains crushes on both boys and girls, and wears outfits that aren’t exactly feminin. Admittingly, her Dominican roots don’t get as much attention as Anne Boonchuy’s Thai culture in Amphibia, but I’m willing to give some leeway in that respect. Matt Braly, Amphibia’s creator, wanted to shine a light on a culture–his culture–that he felt was underrepresented in most media. Dana Terrace, The Owl House’s creator, wanted to do something similar, only instead of focusing on Luz’s culture, Dana focussed more on Luz’s sexuality, feeling as though it’s a part of Dana that’s also underrepresented.

And yet, despite everything Luz represents, these aspects don’t overshadow her character. The writers didn’t make her whole thing being Dominican, bisexual, or a girl who doesn’t dress “girly.” These are parts of Luz that exist and will always be present, but not in the way that’s similar to writers who make their character’s personality based on the representation. Like how having a gay character in a story, writers would just make that character’s whole personality be defined by gay steorotypes rather than, you know, actual personality traits. As for Luz, she is defined more than that. She’s goofy, nerdy, optimistic, and a whole bunch of stuff that makes Luz her wonderful, unique self. In other words, the writers focussed more on the who and not the what. And as for who Luz is…

2. She’s NOT A Chosen One

I’m well aware that the picture above kind of negates that statement, but stick with me.

In “Witches Before Wizards,” Luz tries desperately to follow the footsteps of her favorite fantasy hero, hoping that she too could be a plucky protagonist predestined for greatness. Only to learn, in the end of that episode, that the whole idea of “a chosen one” is complete bulls**t.

There is no prophecy or predetermined fate that led to Luz coming to the Boiling Isles and dealing with Emperor Belos. The whole reason that she’s there was a complete and total accident.

…Ok, the elephant in my room is giving me a look, so I might as well bring a little certain something up.

Yes, “Elsewhere and Elsewhen” revealed that Luz coming to the Isles shaped the destiny of a certain character (not saying who because I want to keep this spoiler free). But even that doesn’t feel like it takes away from Luz’s journey being an accident. Yes, there’s a predetermined reason for why Luz is on the Isles, but it’s done in a way where it seems like Luz hasn’t influenced things TOO MUCH. What happened was going to happen anyway. Luz just…sped up a certain time table. Besides, even the whole situation of “Elsewhere and Elsewhen” felt like an accident too, meaning that while it’s kind of predestined, but it’s in the same way your car was predestined to hit that street light. No one knew it was going to happen, but it was always going to happen anyway.

Does that clear things up? It did? Good.

Now, I can’t explain enough how much I adore that it was an accident that led to Luz coming to the Isles. It just means that everything she does, every adventure she goes on, is one hundred percent on her. She isn’t destined to be this great hero who will defeat the bad guy. She’s just a kid who wants to do the right thing all because she wants to help people. It’s a refreshing take on a child protagonist, as most tend to be driven because someone told them that they’re destined for greatness. Luz is often told that she’s special, but she’s much more frequently told to stay back and sit in the sidelines so as not to get hurt. Yet, Luz does it anyway because she’d rather eat her hoodie than let someone suffer. Because you don’t need to be someone special to do the right thing. You just need the morality to do good and the will to fight. And Luz both has the morality and the will to fight..even though…

3. She’s Not Much of A Fighter

She really isn’t.

Anytime Luz is in a fight, she more or less scrambles just to survive. Every attempt to attack someone head-on rarely goes well and that’s mainly because Luz isn’t a bruiser. She still has a great number of spells that can work in a fight and do their job in helping her survive, but that’s about it most of the time. Hell, aside from “Reaching Out,” I can’t think of a time when Luz won a fight by overpowering an enemy.

Now, you’re probably thinking, “Well, then why is Luz not being much of a fighter a compliment?” And the answer is simple: She doesn’t win fights by outfighting her foes, but outsmarting them. There are so many instances when Luz came through in a fight just because she planned things out ahead of time or because she thought fast on her feet. Some of Luz’s greatest feats come from the fact that she managed to improvise a solution that worked all because she was clever enough to think of it. This type of character is always my favorite, because it proves that one’s true strength comes from the mind, not their physical strength nor ability. It’s always cool to see a character win a fight in a grand battle that involves trading blows until one is left standing, but I just admire someone that manages to use their wits to win. Afterall, there’s a reason why people say, “fight smarter, not harder.” And a thing about Luz is that–

4. She’s Pretty Smart and Resourceful

Something you see in certain fan comics and fanfiction is people writing Luz off as an idiot, flanderizing her quirkiness as just plain stupidity.

That couldn’t be further from the truth. Can she be a little reckless at times? Yes. Was she oblivious to a certain character’s affection? Absolutely. But is Luz stupid? Not exactly. Because Luz is kind of a genius, primarily when it comes to making glyphs. There were some that she found by lucky chance, but there are scenes that prove that Luz took a lot of time studying her environment for glyphs or making new ones based on trial and error. It almost makes her a mad scientist, experimenting and analyzing ways to add to her arsenal. Granted, this is a part of her that isn’t shown often, and it’s honestly something I wished the series showed us more of, but those little scenes where we do see Luz experimenting does prove that she’s smarter than people give her credit for. Like that one kid in class who’s not too smart socially but still manages to recite the periodic table by memory.

And, as I’ve said, this intelligence feeds into when she’s in a dangerous situation. Like when she slips a glyph onto something or someone to give her an advantage. Or when she uses research to mix glyphs and win the day in an episode like “Hunting Palisman.” She’s got a bit of a big brain in her noggin, and it’s that same intelligence that gives Luz her power.

Which leads me to my next point…

5. She’s Powerful But Not Overpowered

Luz can throw fireballs, entangle people in vines, and even turn invisible. And yet, despite all that she can do, Luz isn’t exactly an all powerful witch.

The strength of the glyph depends on how big it is, meaning that Luz’s usual glyph papers, while still capable of doing powerful stuff, aren’t as strong as they could be if combined or drawn bigger. Plus, some of her glyphs have limitations. The invisibility glyph can turn Luz and anyone/anything she touches invisible, but only for as long as she holds her breath. And while the light glyph can make a good light source, there’s not much it can do in a fight other than temporarily blind a foe.

Now, a character not being all powerful might sound as weird as a compliment as saying that they’re not a fighter, but I actually love that there’s limits to what Luz can do. While a character that’s limitless can be interesting (when done correctly), seeing a character who has limits can be a little more compelling. Not only is there added tension to any situation the character’s in, but you get to see them grow past their limits and become stronger with each episode. The same goes for Luz. Look at what she could do in “A Lying Witch in a Wardrobe” and compare it to the one in “Young Blood, Old Souls.” She went from being a kid who could barely escape from Warden Wrath to a kid who could barely go toe-to-toe with Belos…Ok, total transparency, her feats aren’t too impressive either, but trust me when I say that Luz does grow throughout the series in terms of power. Not as much as others, but still enough where you can tell that she’s not the same kid that she started out as. A journey that wouldn’t have been as nearly as compelling if she was already perfect at everything that she did.

But enough about talking about how cool Luz is and how much she’s developed. Let’s dive deep into her character and personality. Because if you ask me…

6. She is Layered

On the surface, Luz seems like a goofy nerd who likes editing anime clips to music and reading fantasy books with convoluted backstories. But when you peel back to see the layers in this particular onion, you’ll find that there’s a lot more to her.

For instance, Luz is a good person. Nothing will ever change that. Even if she breaks so many laws and constantly gets into heaps of trouble, by the end of the day, Luz is still a kind hearted individual. When holding a Moonlight Conjuring in “Hooty’s Moving Hassle,” she does it against Eda’s orders, but only to make Willow and Gus feel better. Plus, even during the conjuring, it’s Luz who tends to act as the voice of reason, trying to convince Gus and Willow that they should call it quits before things get worse. Even when doing something bad, there is always a part of Luz that acts with a bit of kindness within her. Like how in “O’ Titan, Where Art Thou,” her goal in that episode is to pull off a heist, but only because she wants to steal back something that will make King happy. Stealing from the government (even if it’s a crooked government) isn’t exactly the nicest thing to do, but the good intentions help make things a little better.

But as nice as Luz is, she isn’t this being of endless optimism who thinks that everything will turn out alright in the end if you believe hard enough. There are episodes where that seems to be the case, but for the most part, it seems as though there are episodes where even Luz has her limits and times when she cries after realizing how hopeless a given situation is. Being optimistic in the face of adversity is admirable, but the realism of proving that everyone has a point where they give up, whether it be brief or not, gets so many more points for me.

Speaking of limits, while Luz can be happy go lucky, there are times when she can get angry, downright bloodthirsty. There’s even an entire episode where all Luz can think is “kill, kill, kill, kill…” Yet, despite how angry she gets, Luz is still very much her usual self. When facing the exact person she wants dead, Luz screams, “Talk to the glyphs, witch!” This is a time where all Luz feels is rage, and she still manages to scream this quick quip that fits her well. It shows us that despite her darkest moments a part of her is still going to be a little silly. And that’s true through all the ways that Luz is layered. Whether it’s through her movements or just by saying a random thing, Luz is and always will be a silly person even when she’s down in the dumps. That’s just who she is at her core and that’s amazing. To me, it’s important that a character’s central personality doesn’t change too much, no matter how grim things can get. After all, that personality is what won us over, so completely changing Luz’s character for the story will just feel…wrong. I’d rather have her be a little silly, even if it’s just for a single quip, than to lose something that makes Luz, well, Luz.

But, in fairness, silliness isn’t Luz’s best quality. It would be the fact that–

7. She Improves the Lives of Everyone She Meets

Trust me when I say that the above image is a perfect representation of everything that makes Luz amazing.

And it’s true. Every single person that Luz meets managed to live better lives because she was in it. I’d love to go into detail as to how, but that’d be spoiling a lot, so, instead, I’m going to leave a link to a post I made a while ago. It shows exactly how much certain characters changed because of Luz and it’s for those who don’t care about spoilers or are curious to see what I mean.

For this post, I’ll just say that the way Luz manages to light up the lives of nearly every character in The Owl House is just…incredible. Literally, the lives of almost every character in the show improved just because Luz accidentally stumbled onto the Boiling Isles. It shows just how wonderful an influence she has and proving an act of kindness, or several acts, can go a long way. Even if you think the person doesn’t deserve it, you’d be surprised how important a helping hand could be in making them act better. There are exceptions, of course, and both the writers and Luz herself knows this. Still, having someone so generously kind and making things better because of it is a character that is all too easy to love.

Unfortunately, there’s a price to this. Because…

8. Her Kindness is Her Greatest Flaw

At first, I was going to leave this whole analysis at my previous point. But then the Season Two finale happened, and it made me realize something: Luz can, at times, put other people’s needs before her own. And the series shows how that’s not a good thing. To name a few prominent examples:

In “Young Blood, Old Souls,” Luz makes a sacrifice that puts her in an iffy situation for most of Season Two.

Luz made herself a practice dummy in “Escaping Expulsion” just so Gus and Willow can get back into Hexside.

With “Reaching Out,” Luz helps Amity in an attempt to put Luz’s mind off of something that she shouldn’t ignore.

And, in “King’s Tide,” Luz tries to make another big sacrifice for her fiends and family despite how they all beg her not to.

These were all actions that come from good intentions, but think of the consequences that came from them all. The emotional strains with prominent relationships in Luz’s life or the physical strain some instances do to her body. We often praise characters who put others' needs before themselves, but The Owl House seems to show how such a mindset is unhealthy. No one’s pain is worth more than your own and you shouldn’t have the whole world weighed down on your shoulders. Even if you’re the protagonist of your own story, not everything depends on you. That’s pretty much what Luz goes through in this series, and it’s a problem she needs to get over. Otherwise, Luz will lose the very same people she cares about. It’s an aspect of her character that’s fascinating to me because, again, we don’t often see this with protagonists. The closest I can think of is Adora from She-Ra and the Princesses of Power (2018) and maybe Steven from Steven Universe, but you can clearly see that’s not a lengthy list. So, I appreciate this attempt in showing kids that, while kindness is admirable, it doesn’t mean that you are less important than anyone else.

In short: Luz making lives better makes her a great role model, but the ways she goes too far makes her a cautionary tale. And it’s time the fandom appreciated that.

Luz, to me, is the best character in The Owl House. Everyone else is still really great, but I feel like I could talk for hours on end about Luz. Even with this analysis, I feel like I’ve only barely scratched the surface about this character and why she’s so amazing. We can all love Eda for her slowly becoming a nurturing mother or Amity for becoming a better person, but to me, nothing beats a character that’s both sweet and tortured, slowly becoming a better person and a better witch throughout the series.

And that’s why she’s a fan-fickin’-tastic character.

#the owl house #luz noceda #fan-frickin'-tastic characters #character analysis

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galaxy-girls-universe · 2 years

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Amphibia

When I first saw the commercials for Amphibia, way back before the show had started to air, I thought to myself, “Wow, how Disney has fallen. To have a goofy show about talking frogs, what a ridiculous concept”

That statement was maybe the most incorrect thing I have ever thought.

I remember where I was when I saw my first episode of Amphibia. I was on vacation, and there was nothing else to watch but the frog show. I think it was maybe episode 3 or 4. I quickly took back my earlier thoughts about the show. Soon after, I went back and rewatched the first few episodes that I had missed.

I did not miss a single episode after that week.

The show hooked me with its quick humor and overall nostalgic feel. I fell in love with the characters, the concept, and everything in between. What started as a weekend past time soon became an obsession. And by the time “Reunion” aired, I was completely sold.

I obsessively watched for news of season 2, getting excited over concept art, theories, fan art and more. Week after week as the second season aired, I would wake up early just to watch the new episode. Heck, I’d wake my family up to watch it with me! Anyone who knows me knows that I am not a morning person, but I would purposefully go against that for the sake of Amphibia.

I drew fan art, made theories, and enjoyed the show more than a normal person might. I remember the fandom outrage at the leaks, the sympathy we felt for the crew, and our growing excitement towards the show as it neared its end. I got to be a part of the excitement and joy, and a part of the anger and sadness.

The final episode was a gut punch in more ways that one. But I mean that in the best way possible. Matt Braly said that this show was about change, and I think that message was executed perfectly with the ending.

A friend asked me the other day, if I had to pick between any of my favorite animated shows, which would I pick? I had to pick Amphibia.

Amphibia has become more than just a show to me, as it has for many of the fans. There’s an air of nostalgia that surrounds it, that just makes you feel instantly happy. It’s my comfort show, and I’m so thankful that I got to be a part of this amazing fandom while the show was airing. Interacting with others who love this show as much as I do just goes to show how many people Amphibia has touched.

I want to say thank you to the amazing cast of this show. The voice acting talents are beyond what people may expect from the “goofy” frog show, and the level of emotion packed into every line helped make the show incredible.

Thank you to the crew of Amphibia. Writers, storyboard artists, animators, and every single person who helped make this show what it is today. The hard work and dedication to this show can clearly be seen in every episode.

And finally, I want to thank Matt Braly. I want to thank you, from the bottom of my heart, for creating this beautiful show. When I first started Amphibia, I had no idea the impact that it would have on me, but this show has grown to be my favorite series ever.

Thank you, Amphibia 💗💚💙

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thekingofwinterblog · 2 years

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Man, if i knew people would be this salty on both sides about the fact there would be no endgame calamity ships, I probably would made more posts about it XD

Anyway, I've seen some posts about the interview that sunk any of the calamity ships ships, and them being pretty aggressive with the idea that there was no way that there was planned to be any romance in the story at all, and Disney DEFINITLY didn't slap it down during season 3's production. There was definitely not a romance at the end that was cut. In fact, there was NO suggestion of romance at all in the series.

Which got me thinking, is that really the case? Are fans just looking too hard with the usual shipping stuff? Or are people just mad about shipper having a point?

So let's actually dig into this idea, and analyze whether or not there might have been real plans for an endgame Calamity ship before something(Aka Disney giving marching orders to cut it) made them change it before the end.

Sashannarcy

Now, let's just get the big one out of the way first.

There was no way that Sashannarcy, the Fandoms most popular ship was EVER planned to be canon.

There is the obvious fact that Disney would NEVER have let the ship go through, and the writers would have known that from day one.

There is no way this crew would have been dumb enough to build up a story to a ship they knew from day one would never happen ever.

But there is also another reason why sashannarcy was not planned, and it relates to Marcy, as i'll cover with the next ship.

Marcanne

Marcanne Is the second most popular ship of the series, and i can definitely see why. And frankly speaking, i can definitely see it working as an endgame ship.

However, I do not for one second believe that it was planned from the start, and the reason for that is that unlike the vast, vast majority of Amphibia, Marcy's character was not planned from the start.

Unlike Anne and sasha, who remained pretty much the same characters they were from draft one to the finished product, Marcy's character was still up in the air, until season 2 began it's production.

She was originally envisioned as a sorceress, and vagrant, before her being settled on as a ranger.

More importantly for this discussion however, is that Marcy's personality was originally meant to be WAY different. With her being far more calm, cold and calculated. It wasn't before they had her voice actress actually read lines, that the marcy we know came to be.

So if you've ever thought that, "Man, Marcy looks really shifty and confident when Anne stole the box", that's the reason. While her motivation was already there, her personality and character was not. That's also why there was nothing of her as a character in season 1. Because they still hand't settled on it.

With all this in mind, i find it very, VERY unlikely that they were planning on making Marcanne a thing from the beginning, when they hadn't even fully settled on how her and Anne's relationship would have worked before season 2.

It is of course possible that the way they gelled so incredibly good in season 2 changed their plans and they wanted to make the ship happen at the end, but if so, then that wasn't planned from the start.

It would if so, qualify as a cut romance, but it would not have been the original plan for the series that everything had been leading up to.

For obvious reasons this also means that Marcy x Sasha was not planned either.

Which leaves us with...

Sashanne

Now, i have made it no secret that the way i read Sasha waybright's feelings on Anne, as someone deeply in love.

But let's look at this objectively, and break it down, and look at it both from their relationship, but also from a meta perspective, and some stuff we saw through the series that may or may read as hints.

Let's begin with Sasha picking up Anne.

Before heading to Wartwood, Sasha specifically had a special carriage prepared, and it was most certainly custom made, which means it's design was all chosen by her deliberately.

And for it, Sasha specifically chose to make sure that it had huge, obvious golden hearts. But not only that, but she also made sure to to find a spider that looked much, much cuter than the usual tarantulas toads usually use, give it a suave wig, sunhlasses, and trained it to drop them bad boy style.

I will be blunt. I honestly cannot interpret this thing, as anything but Sasha trying to be romantic and sweep anne off her feet.

And i felt that way ever since i first saw "Reunion", BEFORE i actually started to ship them following Sasha's followup development.

Then we got the cut/toned down scenes from Reunion, where Sasha was way, way more directly physically on with Anne, pushing her cheek directly up against hers, which in turn immediately cheered Anne up on the spot, shoeing that Sasha and Anne was originally planned to have a much more touchy feely relationship than what they ended up with(And it's not like they aren't touchy feely in the show itself).

Then there was the dance scene, which was originally gonna have them hold handa(Setting up their dance fight in "The beginning of the end" two seasons later), and that the game they were playing was about fusion, but originally only about the color of pink and blue, with green nowhere to be seen.

Now I'm not saying that these two are definite proof that the shoe was going to have these hook up, but keep in mind that they WERE told to tone it down from what they had originally planned, and there must have been a reason for that.

The creators had a vision, and as shown here, Disney were very much willing to meddle with it as they saw fit, in order to tone down the imagery.

Moving on to season 2, we have the famous joke from quarreler's pass, where Hop Pop says "Lets talk about Anne's Boyfriend again" and gets kicked off a cliff in response.

However, the show then immediately cuts to the next episode, and the the very first episode showcases Sasha running and is all about her reaction and how she deals with the aftermath of "Reunion", and the episode ends with her declaring that she and Anne aren't through yet. Not even close.

This could be coincidence, but on a meta level, it works really, really well as a hint/foreshadowing, if you assume that the story will end with these two hooking up.

Then, on the opposite end of these girls, when Anne designs the costumes for their band, she gives Marcy a butterfly(the symbol of metamorphosis), herself a Dragonfly(So she can make a pun on it and her name).

And what does she give Sasha?

A moth costume. The moth, who Anne would know very well from "Flight of the moth" is "one of nature's most seductive animals".

Out of countless insects to go with, Anne deliberately chooses an animal that she knows is known for "Being seductive". That... Probably speaks for itself.

As for season 3, it is full of moments that are very, very easy to read as romantic between the two of them, be it their very erotic dance, pretty much all of commander anne has strong romantic overtones(like her overcomponsating too hard against what broke them up in the first place, which is something couples who get back together after a breakup very often do), or Sasha flat out admit that she loves Anne in Turning point, and her big moral heel turn is built on the idea that Sasha wants to be someone worthy of Anne's love.

However, on the meta front there are a couple of things, like how Toady specifically refers to them as Madame Generals. For those who don't know, Madame is a term exclusive to women who are married. So he's basically saying they're a couple.

Then there is this scene where the Plantars are marveling at a love story from a tv series, and exclaiming:

"And it only took 3 seasons"

Which if Sasha and Anne and hooked up would have been a nice meta joke and nod, in that yep, it literally took 3 seasons for the ship to sail.

Now to my verdict.

If there was any ship that i realistically can think was indeed planned to happen from the start, only to be struck down by Diseny during production(Not wanting another confirmed gay romance between leads after they canceled Owl House for it), then it was Sashanne. Realistically speaking, of the calamity girls ships, it was the only one who had enough planning from the start, along with lots and lots of moments that could easily have lead into a romance, to have been the planned endgoal all along.

Mind you, I'm not saying this WAS definitely the case, but the people saying that the writers didn't include anything at all which suggested that romance would happen, are flat out wrong.

I can believe that Matt Braly did indeed plan this story out with no romance at all planned.

On the other hand, i can also fully believe that he wanted Sasha and Anne to hook up at the end of the series, built the idea up all through 3 seasons, only to get a solid NO from Disney, and told to keep his damn mouth shut about it if he ever wanted another chance at another series.

I'm not blaming him if that is the case mind you. He needs to eat like the rest of us. I'm just pointing out that the official reasons the owl house got the boot, which was touted by creators, was that it didn't fit in with what disney wanted out of their shows.

And it's bullshit. Disney knows it's bullshit. The people who said it knows it's bullshit. We know it's bullshit.

Owl house was canceled because it was a kids show that had a gay lead in a relationship with another girl, and disney got cold feet after it became a major part of the show. We know it, Disney knows it, everyone knows it.

And yet they forced the creators to claim otherwise so they wouldn't have to deal with the bad press.

I'm not saying that is DEFINITELY the case here. But it is very much a possibility.

#amphibia #anne boonchuy #sasha waybright #marcy wu #sashanarcy #marcanne #sasharcy #sashanne #shipping #meta #analysis #shipping analysis

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aetherith · 1 year

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Time to talk about something that makes me really, really upset.

I feel like I’m always seeing posts on the internet (everywhere but especially on YouTube) speculating that certain characters will die. I’ve seen this for many characters, but most commonly Hunter and next Luz. And gosh, does this piss me off.

Both Hunter and Luz are representation to a group of people to some degree (Bi, neurodivergent, PTSD, abuse victim) and it would send a really awful message to kill them off, especially in a show like this that acknowledges the importance of representation to groups of people. There is no narrative purpose to kill off either character that wouldn't entirely contradict their character arc/the themes of their story and damage the audience that is being represented. Plus, in a show like the Owl House I highly doubt they would kill off a kid. People always bring up the Amphibia argument but the kids that die are brought back in one way or another and it's an entirely different show with different themes. ALSO Dana won't break up Lumity after fighting so hard for them and it would make no sense to kill off Hunter right after Huntlow became a thing.

Literally what narrative purpose would it serve to kill Hunter or Luz off? This might be a shocker to some of you, but a good author doesn’t kill off a character because they can or because it’s sad, but because it serves a narrative purpose and/or concludes the character’s story. To kill off either of these characters (and many others in TOH) would come straight out of nowhere and be completely catastrophic towards the representation heavy center of TOH. Dana didn’t make these characters so that underrepresented groups (and people in general) could connect to them just to kill them off.

Also I hate the underlying idea in a lot of the messages I see that Hunter can get killed off because he’s a white male who is canonically attracted to a person of the opposite gender and also worked for Belos. Like, while Luz and Amity get a lot of people who think they’ll die, I see a lot of people frequently argue against it because of their LGBTQ+ rep/Dana fought so hard for them. Which is absolutely amazing. But believe it or not, LGBTQ+ rep isn’t the only rep that exists. It’s undeniably important but there is SO MUCH other rep in TOH that goes under the radar by most of the fandom. And oh my gosh does it drive me insane. For example, Huntlow is frequently hated upon because it is a straight ship (to be clear if you don’t ship Huntlow that’s perfectly fine, I’m just talking about this particular reason). Are you aware of how absolutely groundbreaking it is to see a plus sized girl get with the guy she likes without having to become thinner. He just likes her right away? And are you aware of how ostracized people with scarring as heavy as Hunter’s are? People who have so many scars are frequently seen as ugly or scary.

Hunter isn’t going to die. Dana has taken an incredible amount of care is giving good representation to people groups who don’t have it as much. So tell me, do you really think that Hunter, the heavily scarred neurodivergent abuse victim with PTSD, is the most likely to get killed off because he isn’t representation? Do you think that in this show that places it’s values on making the audience feel seen will kill off Hunter because the people who connect to him aren’t important enough to get rep? Am I as a victim of trauma/PTSD not allowed to see the character with PTSD get a happy ending? Do you REALLY think that letting the abuse victim get killed by his abuser is a brilliant idea? Wow, you’re such a genius, I guess I’m never watching the TV shows you make if you think that.

I’m sick of people thinking that LGBTQ+ rep is the only rep that matters in TOH. It reeks of ableism, just saying.

#the owl house luz #the owl house hunter #the owl house #toh luz #toh hunter #toh #representation #small rant #ableism #tw abuse #ptsd #fandom #toh fandom

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isgaydisaster · 2 years

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Some shows, movies, and book recs <3

Got the idea from @ghostgirlinsatin !

Here you have a list of recommendations to watch instead of thinking in st4. Feel free to leave more in the comments!

Shows

Arcane: a great show with 3 main storylines that are intertwined and very complex characters. If you like to discover new societies and their structure, a new world with different but in some way similar rules to us. The rivalry between one and other side. The romance (sapphic romance) that grows between someone from one side and someone from the other. The family love that lives in the hearts of two sisters who will have to go through a lot. The curiosity of two inventors that want to create magic using science. There's a lot : an amazing story, more than well-written characters, beautiful animation... All in 9 episodes, streaming on Netflix. (No, you don't have to know anything about LOL to watch it. It just the background story of some of the characters).

The owl house: it's a Disney kind of show (it's streaming on Disney fr lol) with an amazing plot and characters that grow and learn. It's about a girl named Luz that feels like she doesn't fit in. Her mother wants yo send her to summer camp, but thanks to a fast owl, she ends up in a different dimension. It's very amphibia (there are references of that show in this show)- star vs the forces of evil like. And: there's a lot of representation. Dana Terrace (the creator) has fought a lot to bring this to disney, she's doing an incredible work with this story and she deserves the recognition for it. This story made me feel at home, it really makes my heart warm.

Anne with an e: a classic turned into a show that carried the story so incredibly. Even though netflix f*cking canceled the show (yk, what happens to good shows on netflix), there are 3 marvelous seasons to watch. It's one of the only cases where I find the show better than the book. I love the characters, the representation (and it doesn't feel forced or just for rep), and the focus in feminism. There are a variety of topics that are discussed on the show that are very important and I think it's a good tool to learn very good values.

She-ra and the princesses of power: this one right here is one of my favorites ever. I watch it every time I feel like shit for any reason. My comfort show. It's about a girl named Adora that lives in the Horde, who fights the princesses (again the two sides dynamic yes), and is enjoying her live with her best friend Catra until she gets lost in the woods and discovers something shocking (not a spoiler since is the intro): she's a princess. 5 wonderful seasons of friendship, betrayals, war, pure love, death... I love it more than anything :D (+ a lot of representation although some of it it's not explicit).

The wilds: to be honest I haven't finish it yet but so far (I have 3 episodes left to watch) it's being really good. A group of girls end up in a desert island because of an airplane crash and have to learn how to survive by themselves. In each episode you learn more about one specific but also a bit about the others. The background stories are amazing and the development these characters go through is my favorite thing in the world. We're waiting for the third season now, streaming on Amazon prime video. (+ very good and relatable representation).

Movies

Ladybird: if you have mommy issues, this is your movie. A teenager, wanting to move out of her house and study far away from it. Dreaming with her future, because she doesn't stand her present: she's very much poor. The end is so so so beautiful. I cried like a child, not gonna lie.

The Mitchells vs The machines: another great movie of daddy issues. Well, it's more than that: the story of a girl who wants to go to college so bad (she feels understood there) but when she's traveling with her family to get there, the machine apocalypse begins. A really fun movie to watch in family, with a lesbian main character :)

The fear street trilogy: I'm honestly not a big fan of horror, but these 3 movies got me. What an amazing story, which will keep you up thinking about it and making theories all the time, really good characters, romance (sapphic romance yaaasss), and good horror, not only jumpscares. They're long but not boring, and just talking about them makes me want to watch them again so I will. Link to part one, link to part two and link to part three.

Little women: again with a classic turned into a cinematographic masterpiece. Another movie that made me burst in tears. I love the story a lot, but I'd also like to highlight the incredible job of the cast. I have 2 scenes in mind that left me speechless. The story of an independent woman who returns home and remembers her life there: her adventures with her sisters, the neighbor and her mother. And that makes her wonder about her future too. It gave me the chills like a hundred times.

Turning red: one of my favorite movies of all time. It doesn't matter your age, you're going to love this movie. A teenage girl struggles not with puberty but with BEING A RED PANDA. It's a rollercoaster of emotions, really fun and entertaining. Plus, it teaches good values that stick with you after you watch it. And the characters are really well-written: finally someone portraits female pre-teenagers in a realistic and realatble way (thank you Domee Shi). Give it a try, you won't regret it.

And the whole marvel universe is something I enjoy watching/reading too.

Books

The Percy Jackson series: you have probably heard of it unless you live under a rock. I have read the main series and now I have to read more of this universe because it's huge and amazing. If you like Greek mythology, fantasy and adventure this is your series. Percy Jackson feels dumb in comparison to other children his age, hates her mother's stinky boyfriend and has a best friend with crutches. Would you believe me if I told you all of this is related to the fact that he's a semigod? Well, he is. And now he's accused of stealing Zeus' lightning. That's basically the plot of the first book. Fantastic book and series, honestly. Rick Riordan my king.

Enola Holmes: if you'd like to read a Sherlock Holmes type of story but with the main character being a woman, this is your series. I'm on the third book at the moment and it slaps. I love mystery novels, and if you do too I totally recommend.

Heartstopper-verse: Alice Oseman writes so good her characters. Her comics and books are the best, so if you like queer content in teenager media this is your place.

The girl on the train: really good thriller that keeps you reading all night. With mystery and very complex characters (you will probably hate most or all of them). A girl (can't remember her name right now and I have to go so can't search for it) watches people doing their lives every day when she sits on her couch in the train that takes her to her job. She imagines the names of those people, their jobs, their conversations. And, one day, she sees something weird happen just before everything goes to hell.

The seven husbands of Evelyn Hugo: Some people say it's not that good but this book reached to my core. It's not my favorite or close to it but it's really good. The story and how it's written, the characters and the message you get from the book is exquisite. Chef kiss. It's basically about a famous woman that hires a very confused reporter to write her story. Very moving and real. The supposed "plot-twist" wasn't that shocking for me though.

That's some I think are very good. Let me know what you thing and give me recommendations too if you want please <3

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discet · 2 years

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How did you feel about the ending of Amphibia? Personally I’m still upset they got separated from their amphibian families, but that’s just me

I have complicated feelings. When I first watched it I was very satisfied with it. I thought it was a pretty brave and powerful ending. However under scrutiny I think its a bit of a mixed bag.

Salt and Sweets below

The Good

-To start, animation was really cool. Like I'll get to themes and junk in a second, the moon fight was cool. Anne's fight against Andrias was wild. Sasha's fight with Darcy was just awesome.

-I think the emotional scenes starting with Anne deciding to use the god spell to when they all are saying goodbye hit hard.

-I think sundering Amphibia from Earth really works for the themes they are going for. It forced Sasha and Anne to confront the same fear Marcy started the story with - having to leave their loved ones behind. I definitely think its sad but I did like it

-They actually pulled off Andrias's redemption arc for me. Which is wild cause I really thought there was no way they could get me to sympathize with the child Impaler after watching through true colors. Though this is kind of a mix cause I think without him the show lost its last good antagonist.

-Liked the scene with Anne and Sasha welcoming their girlfriend Marcy back from being possessed. All of them hugging and forgiving each other.

-I think the 8 month time skip or whatever for Amphibia was nice closure for a lot of our amphibian friends. We see Maddie achieve her dream of using the Dark Arts to help people. See Polly grown into a full frog. Ivy and Sprig going off on whole new adventures. Olivia and Yunan happy together. Grime living his best life, ending in a much better place than he started. And of course otp BesJoe got confirmed. It was a nice little send off to this world we came to love.

-I like Anne's little speech at the end along with the three girls reconnecting.

The Bad

-I feel in general Darcy was severely underutilized as a part of the narrative, which did detract from their impact. They loomed in the background for most of the season, had one conversation with our protagonist and is defeated before they can have another.

-On a related note: The core really failed for me as a villain. They're motivation is incredibly flat and 2-dimensional. For being a hivemind of supposedly the smartest newts of an ancient empire, it sure didn't seem to have a plan. I still don't understand why they wanted Marcy as a host beyond like... food? I guess? Eating? Also pathetic that they couldn't come up with a fantasy scenario that Marcy would believe for more than 20 minutes. Like jesus, they have access to her memories and those were the best facsimile's of Anne and Sasha they could muster? Then they're defeated and their only backup plan is 'become moon destroy planet' like really!? You had 1000 years to plan your return, you lose your host and immediately flip the board?! God there has been so much good fanworks exploring what Darcy could mean narratively and while I didn't expect Disney to do most of them between between being too dark/too gay, this was a let down.

-On a less tirade note: The fact that Marcy only got to relearn from her mistake in True Colors as her only development was kinda lame. It was a beautiful scene when she stands up to the core and realizes she can't make Anne and Sash like the same things, but I also feel like she was pretty much there considering her actions leading up to being impaled.

-The guardian was... fine I guess? Kind of left field? Dues Ex Machina rarely works well and I don't think they managed it here. Like don't get me wrong, glad Anne's not dead. But the guardian had some wack motivations that aren't really challenged by the narrative.

-On a related note of that other way, I was kind miffed that Anne insisted on taking the sacrifice on alone? Was there a reason they couldn't do it together. Sasha and Marcy getting to do some cool anime junk only for it not to really matter was kind of... hmmm... don't care for it.

-While I like the moment all three girls reconnect, and I actually do appreciate the futures and jobs and all that, the idea that they drifted apart in the first place didn't ring true. It felt like an ending that was written far ahead of time and didn't adjust for the arcs the characters went through.

-I could see maybe Marcy drifting apart, distance is a hell of a thing and keeping in touch is hard however the dialogue implying they just immediatly stopped touching base felt wrong.

-But Sasha and Anne? After what they went through together in 3b? With no distance between them? That sounded like some first draft nonsense. I've seen some posit that it was cause they had nothing but Amphibia in common afterword's, but that never felt right. Anne and Sasha's problem wasn't that they didn't have common interests, it was that Sasha was a control freak. I could see them building a bigger friend group, but I can't see them just casually drifting apart.

#amphibia

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spookyrus-writes-sometimes · 2 years

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Amphibia was incredible.

I wasn't going to give it a chance at first. The premise was silly to me, and the few season 1 episodes I caught now and then didn't do anything for me. But I heard talk and saw fan art, saw that so many people loved these characters dearly, and that pushed me to see the show through. And I am so glad that I did.

The story of Anne, Sasha, and Marcy's relationship is so real and so near and dear to my heart. The tragedy of their imperfect love for each other is beautiful, and that alone made me fall in love with this show. That all three would do anything for each other, whether it's make terrible mistakes or change for the better, is the true love that I so desperately long to experience. They're cartoon characters, but they're written so real. They're so, so important to me.

Of course there are things that I would have done differently, and things that I wish could have been explored more. I feel that a number of the slice of life episodes drag, especially in season 1, and it hurts the show's pacing. I vehemently loathe season 3's aversion to addressing Sasha and Marcy until it's their time to show up for the plot. I feel that Darcy was severely underutilized. I wish we could have seen more of Sasha and Marcy's calamity powers. I wish we had seen more of Andrias's relationship with Leif and Barrel. I really don't like that the day was saved by a plot device only introduced in the final episode.

And I never, EVER would have written an ending as tragic as the one we got. I'm afraid of unhappy endings, of leaving things unresolved or on an unidealistic note. Of course we all wish that the worlds hadn't been cut off. It hurts to know that Anne will never get to see Sprig and Polly grow up, that Grime will never get to see just how far Sasha has come, that Marcy will never get to have the familial relationship with Olivia and Yunan that they deserved. It's especially hard to know that even after everything they've been through together, Anne, Sasha, and Marcy still drifted apart. It's so, so hard to say goodbye. So hard to accept that not everything gets a perfect, happy ending, wrapped up in a neat little bow. That sometimes things change, not always for the better, and all you can do is remember and move on.

It's not a perfect ending. But in a lot of ways, I feel it's the perfect ending for Amphibia.

Amphibia is not and was never an escapist fantasy. It's clearly a story very personal to its creator, one that aims to share some of the hard truths he's learned in his life. Amphibia is a story about love and loss and how those things change you, how you improve and become stronger for those you love, and what you'll give for them. But it doesn't try to convince us that love can conquer anything, because it can't. Sometimes, no matter how hard it is, you have to say goodbye. I think that's a really important lesson, not just for the audience, but for the characters.

Anne will never forget Sprig, Polly, and Hop Pop, and they'll never forget her. They changed each other for the better, and their lives are better for it, even if they can't be together anymore. Maybe Anne, Sasha, and Marcy didn't get to be together forever, maybe life led them in different directions, but their love for each other still made them better people. And maybe it's enough to know that despite everything, no matter how far apart they are, their love will always find each other.

And if that isn't enough, well, we'll always have fan fiction.

I know that my passion for this show will fade, just like it did for all the shows before it. But I will never forget the feelings Amphibia made me feel, and I truly believe that Reunion, (especially) True Colors, and The Hardest Thing will go down as some of my all-time favorite episodes of television. I know that the story of Amphibia is one that will change my approach to storytelling, and hopefully me as a person, for the better.

Thank you from the bottom of my heart, to both Matt Braly and the crew and all the fan creators who got me invested, for Anne, Sasha, and Marcy. And to Sprig, Polly, Hop Pop, Grime, Olivia, Yunan, and Andrias, goodbye, and thank you for all the awesome adventures.

#amphibia #amphibia spoilers #sashannarcy #calamity trio #anne boonchuy #sasha waybright #marcy wu #spooky text #sorry for getting emotional over frog show #i've been crying for twelve hours

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hughjidiot · 2 years

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How Marcy was Handled in Amphibia Season 3

Yup, doing another one of these again because I’ve been thinking a lot about this subject. I still plan on doing a big essay after Amphibia about how both Sasha and Marcy being sidelined negatively affected the narrative as a whole, but right now I wanna talk specifically about Marcy in season 3. Usual disclaimer: this is just my opinion, fine if you disagree, blah blah blah.

This might be one of the most divisive takes I’ve ever had but screw it, I’m gonna say it: it feels like the crew took the easy way out by having Marcy in coma and then possessed for 90% of season 3.

Think about what Anne and Sasha went through in season 3B. When they reunited there was still some awkwardness and tension between them, which Anne and Sasha both had to work through. Then for the rest of the season they’re doing their best to work together, showing how much both of them have changed for the better and how much better their relationship can be as a result. It was basically a transition period in their friendship.

But to me, it all felt incomplete without Marcy. And because they chose to make Darcy an endgame villain and rescue Marcy with only the finale left to go, there likely won’t be any transition period like Anne and Sasha got with each other. As soon as she’s rescued the girls instantly forgive her, no tension to be seen because of everything Marcy has already been through.

Now I’m not saying that wasn’t an incredibly touching moment, because it was. I’m also not trying to say that Marcy doesn’t deserve forgiveness, because she does; in both Olivia and Yunan and her mindscape sequences in All In that she’s genuinely sorry for trapping them all in Amphibia and then lying about wanting to get them home. And we clearly see that Anne and Sasha do want to forgive her, even if Sasha was still a little hesitant.

All I’m saying is that after what Anne and Sasha had to go through when they reunited, it feels a little cheap to not have them both go through the same awkward transition with Marcy, especially since her actions had the added weight of being the cause of their whole adventure.

The overarching theme of the Calamity Trio friendship subplot is the girls clearly love and care about each other, and are willing to work on overcoming their personal flaws to become better people for themselves, and for each other. To see Anne and Sasha actually have moments in 3B where they acknowledge things are still kind of messed up between them but still push on because their friendship is worth it. To not have the same moments with Marcy, instead just opting to have Anne and Sasha instantly forgive Marcy after she’s rescued just... doesn’t feel right.

If anyone reading this wants to refute any of these points, feel free to send me an ask or reply to this post. I genuinely want to hear the community’s thoughts on if Marcy being pushed aside for 90% of season 3 was the right decision or not.

#hugh jidiot rambles #amphibia #amphibia season 3 #amphibia all in #amphibia spoilers #anne boonchuy #sasha waybright #marcy wu

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mushroom-madness · 1 year

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This may be cheating, but could I ask you ALL of the questions in the "mid-way brackets questions" post you reblogged, all at once?

(Also, on a related side note, thank you for running this - I'm having fun with it!)

Haha sure! Just took me a while to have the stamina to put the post together!

🐬 Which character(s) did you originally have in mind when making this tournament?

The characters I had in the examples during submission were Moonshine Cybin (Not Another DnD Podcast), Toad (Mario), Stanley (Spiritfarer), Todd from Mario (Drawfee), Apothecary Gary (Amphibia), and Danielle Barkstock (Dimension 20). I continued to think of more characters myself as submissions went on and submitted them, but I of course got one submission per character just like anyone else. Rip Morphean Mushroom.

🧢 Were there any characters you predicted would win that actually ended up loosing?

Most of the characters that were defeated by underdogs! I expected there to be a few campaigns to bring underdogs up but there were several who just won without any propaganda! Poison Mushroom Cookie, one of the first characters with multiple submissions, getting beat out by Shumi, a character with one short submission that I added pictures off of google to pad out their description was NOT something I expected!

🧊 Are you running/have you ran any other tournaments? If so, which ones?

@selfindulgentcompetition ! (The Finale is actually up Right Now!)

🛝 Which, if any, was your favorite matchup and why?

I don’t know if I can pick a favorite, but one that stood out to me while making the polls was Jade Leech VS Night Cap (PvZ). Pre-Competition they were the two contestants that I actually did some research on cause they interested me and I was so sad one had to go Round 1. Rest In Peace Jade, your fans still love you. (He got so much propaganda too! I was expecting a more even final count.)

💎 Are there any fandoms you found out existed via this tournament that you'd now be interested in checking out?

No new fandoms that have pulled me in all the way, but it did get me to start replaying some Plants VS Zombies!

💙 What's your favorite part about running this tournament?

Getting interaction from followers! Propaganda, asks, comments in the reblogs, it all makes me feel nice! ❤️🍄❤️

🚿 Which character(s) sweeps took you most by surprise?

We All Know. The incredible Shrub Berry VS Toad tie. The Saga. (They have a tag now. #toad berry saga)

📫 Do you plan on running any other different tournaments after this one?

Not currently! A bit worn out on polls at the moment actually! So going to at the least take a break once I’m done here. See if polls are still a thing by the time the poll running bug bites me again!

🩻 What's the best piece of propaganda you've gotten from this tourney?

Gah it’s so hard to pick! I don’t want to play favorites lmao. I’ve already hyped up Jade Leech enough because he got so much support but still lost. I love the Apothecary Gary propaganda because I love Amphibia. Toad Berry. Honestly it might still be just the submitted descriptions for Muttshroom.. I had never heard of this lad before he was submitted but I’m in love now and was heartbroken when he lost.

🗽 Favorite image(s) you've used in a poll?

Maybe it seems like I’m playing favorites but he’s already lost, but I was truly amazed to find that Jade Leech, the sexy anime boy version of Jetsam from the Little Mermaid (I assume Jetsam anyway, since he starts with J and his brother Floyd is F for Flotsam. One of Ursula’s eels), has not one, but TWO different pieces of official art of him surrounded by and admiring mushrooms. Jade Leech propagandists you had it right he truly HAS the Mushroom Madness.

#mushroom madness #ask #anon #i cannot beleive i forgot to post this #i meant to on Thursday #oops #Round 2 SHOULD #SHOULD #be up starting on Monday #S H O U L D

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kingofthewilderwest · 2 years

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Given what you said don't ignore this from the following sentence as it wont spoil or give any ruin to anything. I finished S3 of Amphibia within the last week and going back over the series and other series I just see a lot of writers not being able to commit to longer or more in depth series. Seems like the best series are the ones that KNOW they wont be longer than 3-4 seasons. I havent been too close to many TV shows but all shows nowadays are either limited or being canceled before they do anything worthwhile

From this.

I think it's fascinating you brought that up. I was talking with a friend this week about the trend of children's animation increasingly making long-term narrative arcs, and how there seems to be less focus on episodic children's animation.

I'm going to get rambly, veer all over the place, but more or less stay prompted by what you brought up.

It makes sense we've seen a renaissance of long-term plot forms. Streaming and binge culture allows people to reliably follow a story and see every episode, right? And so we've gotten Gravity Falls, She-Ra, Amphibia, The Owl House (at least from the few episodes I've seen), you name it. Since it's a recent phenomenon that we can safely tell long-term arcs, creators will dive into the new opportunity. I think that in most animation, we're going to see them veering there because They Can Now.

I celebrate the longer plot arcs. It's made beautiful art. And it's unlike periods that came before! At the same time, I hope the pendulum will eventually swing into the center. Once the newness of long-term structure fades, maybe we'll get more balanced numbers between shows that are one form versus the other, each show picking what is best for it.

And going to what you said about long-arc execution... writers have to know they will be able to finish it, right? And with the way Western media still cancels or renews its shows... Western media can't as safely create long-term media. Which means you're limited to:

Writing plots that have the length of an episode

Writing plots that have the length of a season, max

Writing long-term narratives with a specific several season goal, and hope you'll get renewed

Writing long-term narratives, but do so within a safe contract bet (that "they KNOW / are reasonably confident it won't be longer than 3-4 seasons)

Having an "oh, we'll just write, and figure out making that ending when cancellation starts threatening us" (terrible idea)

I think good writing, structure-wise, usually knows how long it's going, because you can't have good, incremental plot scaffolding without knowing your duration. If you're doing #3, you have your scaffolding prepared, but you could get cancelled before your structuring pays off. I see #5 happen more with live action adult media, and that's often a hit and miss, because you are forced, by the uncertain world of potential cancellation or unrenewed contracts, to adlib.

Getting back to Amphibia, even without me knowing what their contract situation was, I can tell they were operating on #3 or #4. Which means it's going to work better structurally.

I think it's fascinating. While I was writing my thoughts last night about Amphibia's structure, I knew that I could write an incredibly robust post about all the ways their scaffolding works. How they successfully implemented it. Because it's very structurally sound and there's tons there. The fact I was writing, from an emotional perspective, about whether I liked it... was going in the face of everything I logically saw working.

It's hard to pinpoint and/or vocalize, studying the well-implemented structural side, why my emotions weren't 100% sold with what I got S2. I can say things like, "It feels like Hop Pop, Sprig, and Polly aren't as integrally tied to the long-term narrative as they should be, given the centrality of family messages in S1," but I can also point to plot events like Hop Pop burying the box that were intended to be central to the long-term whatnot. I still think I'm right. I still think they're not as central, because long-term it is about King Andreas and Marcy and Sasha and Anne and stuff... and what does a farming frog contribute to toads trying to dominate the land?

But in the end, my post wasn't even intending to be structural. My post wasn't intended to say "this is working well or not." Because it is working well? It's just processing, from a purely emotional perspective, that my emotions were weird. It'll be interesting, as I watch S3, whether or not my emotions will or won't align with the structural implementation.

Obviously, you, as someone who's seen S3, will know how that structure plays out. And you will know whether the structure was good. I appreciate you respecting my request to have no hints, even in the slightest, of how S3 goes down, even in vibe. Maybe I'll poke you again about structure when I have completed S3 (probably pretty soon), and talk about that phenomenon you brought up.

I do want more shows that are episodic again. That's a way to escape non-commitment to longer plot arcs, being limited, or being cancelled before going anywhere.

I don't know if I tackled anything you were thinking about, since I went all over the place. But I enjoyed your thoughts. It's cool to reflect on.

#I feel like my brain isn't working that well so I'm sorry if I am going weird directions #analysis #long post #my analysis #Amphibia #Amphibia spoilers #Amphibia S2 #Amphibia S2 spoilers #non-dragons #ask #ask me #rushthetoastyboy #always enjoy hearing from you

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