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topknotstrunk · 10 months

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Review Everything 32 - Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3

Please note, this review briefly touches on simulated child abuse, and shows images of simulated animal abuse as well as discussing that topic with some depth. Please proceed with caution.

Hoo, boy. What to say about this movie. Let’s start with the neutral to good stuff.

This is a weird send off for this team. It’s the last Guardians of the Galaxy movie, which in and of itself I’m happy with. I think 3 movies plus some bonus screen time in other movies and shows was the perfect amount needed to complete these character’s arks. It was cool seeing Mantis come into her own as a fighter, teen jock Groot was fun, and I am SO EXTREMELY HAPPY that they didn’t have Quill and Gamora get together. The fight scenes were done with better than usual polish, it was nice to see long shots in the action scenes instead of the often defaulted to in Marvel formula of hit, cut, hit, cut, hit cut.

I also really enjoyed Gamora’s characterization here. She went from, “I don’t get why some version of me would love you piss the fuck off.” To, “I get it, but also, again, that wasn’t me so I’m gonna go do my own thing now.” I like that she’s her own person and not a story loophole for Marvel to get out of killing a character in a way that wasn’t supposed to be reversible. Keeping her her own character who’s not romantically interested in Quill makes her feel like her own person, and keeps the weight of the original Gamora being gone in tact.

Now on to the not so good to bad stuff.

Not So Good:

Having Mantis just out of nowhere, with no prior hints, be like, “Yeah I’m leaving.” Drax I get because he’s had this whole “used to be a Dad” thing going from the get go, but Mantis? She was thriving! And having Quill stop running is good-ish but like. He’s my least favorite character on this team, so when, at the end of the movie, they’re like, “Peter Quill will return.” I’m like. On Earth? Just chilling with his Grandpa? Doing normal Human stuff? As is, not a thing I’d bother to spend my time on. Not a thing I watch Marvel movies for.

Outside of the rest of what I’m going to write about the stuff with Rocket and his first set of friends, it was VERY weird to have the final movie in your trilogy have one of the core friends just gone for the majority of it. Not having rocket to interact with the rest of the team for their final movie together. I guess it works, cause like, it sets up that the Guardians team is kinda modular. As long as a few of the core folks are around they can make the team work. Saying that this was “always Rocket’s story” though? I don’t agree. The thing that works about this series is all of them playing off each other. As much as the movies frame Quill as the “main character” it just doesn’t feel like that when you watch these movies, at least to me.

The Bad:

Animal abuse is bad. Child abuse is bad. A movie where you child code anthropomorphic animals and then abuse them? Doesn’t make for a “bad” movie necessarily, but a hard to watch one. Honestly, if I had known how brutal and disturbing some of these scenes with Fllor , Teefs, Lylla , and Rocket were going to be I don’t know that I would have watched this movie. I cried though a lot of the half of the movie that’s Rocket’s backstory, and felt physically ill a few times. I’m greaful that they didn’t show us much of the actual surgeries, but I am sad that I’m gonna have to use Does The Dog Die from how on with Marvel Movies.

Let’s touch on Fllor as an example. She is the most heavily modified of the batch Rocket belongs to.

She has either part of her face missing or modifed, she’s had antentas attached to the top of her head, what looks like a second set of eyes, and robotic spider legs added on.

Now, here’s the thing. I “get” why Rocket was changed the way he was. Teefs and Lylla too. If you want a creature to navigate the world as a person when it’s an animal you need to change its body. It would be unrealistic for Teefs to move easily around a busy city that’s not under water as a walrus. So you give him wheels. The movie is so dark in those scenes that it’s hard to tell if he’s attached permanently to his wheel chair seat or not, but, like it as little as I do, that’s a choice that makes a sick kind of sense. Same thing for Lila, otters have short stubby arms that would make reaching things a struggle and they don’t have hands so adding some on, I get it.

But why the fuck does Fllor look like Fllor look like Jigsaw tried to make a spider cyborg? Is it for climbing, which we don’t really see her do? Rabits are already fast as fuck, so it can’t be for speed. They’re perfectly mobile and agile, so not for the same reasons that Teefs has for having wheels. And the thing over her face?

I think whoever designed her decided that the “upgrades” done to Lylla, Teefs, and Rockets weren’t... Gross? Upsetting? Gothic? Enough, so they took the cutest animal they could think of that we do real world animal testing on and made them look as fucked up as Disney would let them get away with.

Like, AFAIK Fllor isn’t in the comics. The closest thing we’ve got is Blackjack O’hare. And sure, he’s got cybernetic additions but they’re not needlessly gross or upsetting ones like Fllor has.

Floor was made up for the movie. Sot they had total freedom to do with her design whatever they wanted. And what they wanted was upsetting. So, ya know, I got upset.

They upped the gross factor for “Teefs”, Wal in the comics, and Lylla too but. I don’t know it’s just not the same as with Floor.

On top of being horribly modified animals, because this is a flashback and the characters are young, they’re also children. Children we get to see shoved around, screamed at, and shot. Alongside rapid, painful body changes, decapitation, gas lighting, and on screen immolation of other animals in similar situations. And this is all before we watch many animal-people die on screen as their entire planet is rased to the ground and crowds of children being trapped in cages in the cargo hold of a ship like they’re goods, not people. The movie just keeps piling on the longer it goes.We’re even treated to a nice, long, juicy close up of The High Evolutionary face after Rocket has torn it off. Normally body horror in movies really doesn’t bother me, but after all the awful animal stuff I just about barfed when his face popped up on screen. And there’s no real catharsis for any of this shit, which you would expect from the end of a series. You don’t need to go this far to convince us that these characters were honorably abused. Between everyone in America understanding that animals are abused in real life, and Neblula saying that it was worse than what Thanos did to her, that would have been enough. We don’t need to see them get abused on screen multiple times. It feels like torture porn, it feels unnecessary. I also really don’t get why Fllor, Teefs, and Lylla all had to die. Like, was it to help Rocket move on? The could have been dumped somewhere by their careless creator to come back later, and have a moment of reuniting and them owning their lives, instead of all getting murdered and then helping Rocket with a few kind words in the space between life and The Endless Sky.

And listen, I get it. The movie was impactful. So if shock value was the main thing they were going for here they got it. It was just a big let down to me personally, after the masterpiece that was Vol.2, and coming from the Found Family TM part of the MCU. Animal abuse isn’t fun, child abuse is worse, but it feels like the movie fell short by showing us all this graphic content and then not doing anything about it. Rocket looses half his friends at the end of the movie because they go off and do other things, they shot and killed his first set of friends instead of exploring what cool stories they might have to tell in the MCU, and then the movie kind of just peters out with them standing around in a room and talking, then going their separate ways. Will Rocket make a good leader? No idea, his history doesn’t suggest so. Taking care of Groot and being a good team member does not a leader make. Will we see more of Rocket? What will that look like? It feels so incomplete, like a 4th movie was being set up for only for it to not happen.

And the movie was so difficult to watch that I doubt I’ll ever watch it again.

What an unfortunate send off for many of these characters.

Really, why was I made to sit through all of that. What did I get out of it? Or Rocket? Or his friends?

In Summary: What a weird and gross way to end one of my favorite Marvel things. Good for Drax and Gamora, Mantis and Quill who knows, and Rocket I hope we see more of in the future. It’s too bad that Marvel now has gone over my personal threshold for disturbing content and I’ll have to be careful about that after 15 years of it not being an issue. There was some pretty great stuff in the not animal abuse parts of the movie, and I wish Rocket had been there for more if it.

4/10

#review everything - movies #review everything #marvel #guardians of the galaxy vol. 3 #guardians of the galaxy #movies #fandom #disney #review #spoilers #cw animal abuse #cw child abuse #cw #content warning #text #gifs #not queued

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kylo-renakin · 4 years

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Death in Star Wars, and How Ben Solo Was Shafted: A Mini Meta

Something has been bothering me about Ben’s death in The Rise of Skywalker. While I’m upset that he died, I echo the sentiments of other fans that just as offensive was the way that he died and how his death was treated in the context of the film. It bothered me because death has always been a part of Star Wars, but usually handled much better.

And so this meta was born.

I will be doing a brief analysis of significant character deaths from the Star Wars movies. I don’t want to touch on all of them because there are simply too many, so I’ll focus on the ones that were either major characters (i.e. trio billing or main villain) or narratively important (i.e. Shmi Skywalker).

This list will be approached chronologically within the Star Wars universe, beginning with:

Qui-Gon Jinn; portrayed by Liam Neeson

Personal feelings: I cried like a baby. Qui-gon holds a special place in my heart. His death was both epic and sombre. It hurt to watch other main cast celebrating their victory after defeating their respective challenges and then cut to Obi-wan cradling his master’s head in his lap, crying.

Mode of death: Killed by Darth Maul at the end of The Phantom Menace. His actual death takes a few minutes of screen time, an outburst/scream from another main character (Obi-wan). He has last words to say to the person he has the closest on screen relationship with.

Aftermath: Held by a visibly devastated Obi-wan while he died. Sombre funeral pyre. Death discussed on screen by the council and Obi-wan.

Narrative purpose: To enable Anakin’s training under Obi-wan, which is pivotal to the overall arc of this trilogy. To provide a tangible loss and character growth for Obi-wan, who failed to save his master from a Sith--later mirrored by Obi-wan’s inability to save Anakin from becoming a Sith in Episode III, thereby providing a narrative ‘tail-end’ to Obi-wan’s journey in the trilogy. To cement the master/apprentice relationship as loving, emotional, familial, which then adds narrative depth to the bond between Obi-wan and Anakin. To introduce a cohesive theme of death, failure, and loss at the hands of the dark side that would pervade this trilogy.

Overall response: This death is both emotional and narratively important. It’s given the weight and time it deserves to have an impact on the characters.

Shmi Skywalker; portrayed by Pernilla August

Personal feelings: Rough acting aside, watching a person die in their family member’s arms is always sad. It’s an extremely dark moment in a film that otherwise leans heavily into romance, action, and detective-mystery storytelling.

Mode of death: Tortured by Tusken Raiders. Died from her injuries. Again, her actual death takes a couple of minutes of screen time. She is able to say some last words to her son, the most important character relationship for this character.

Aftermath: Dies in the arms of her visibly devastated son. Anakin murders the Tuskens for revenge. On screen funeral where she is mourned and memorialized by her family/loved ones.

Narrative purpose: To drive Anakin further to the dark side by taking advantage of his love and compassion and turning this into anger and hate (revenge against the Tuskens). To plant the seeds of Anakin’s inability to save the ones he love. To emphasize his failure to keep his promise to return to his mother and free her. (Despite being freed off screen, she essentially died in captivity anyway, and Anakin was not the one to free her.) To further the cohesive themes of the trilogy: death, failure, loss, the power of the dark side.

Overall response: While not as moving for me personally as Qui-gon’s death, it has a very relevant thematic purpose and furthers the story. Shmi’s death is given adequate time on screen and we are able to observe the responses and aftermath of that loss.

Padme Amidala; portrayed by Natalie Portman

Personal feelings: We make jokes about how she lost the will to live, but her funeral was beautiful and Natalie’s delivery of the line “you’re going down a path I can’t follow” feels extremely important in this story.

Mode of death: Up for debate. She has lost the will to live after giving birth to Luke and Leia in the wake of Anakin’s fall to the dark side. Some have theorized that her life force was taken (or given?) to keep Anakin alive, but this is not made explicit in the movies. She dies beside Obi-wan Kenobi, and has the time to say last words--words of hope for Anakin’s eventual redemption. Her death itself takes several minutes and is followed up with screen time for a funeral where characters acknowledge her death.

Aftermath: The gorgeous and enormous funeral, mourned as a queen and a senator and a good woman. Anakin (as Darth Vader) mourns with a devastated and poorly acted “nooooo”.

Narrative purpose: To fulfill the themes of death, loss, and failure (Anakin’s failure to keep her alive) at the hands of the dark side. To provide a character loss that mimics the loss of democracy, freedom, and goodness that has fallen to Palpatine’s control. To provide a visual and narrative parallel between the death of Anakin (through the death of his love) and the birth of Darth Vader.

Overall response: While this death was definitely poorly handled it did have narrative significance and it was arguably necessitated by having to have this trilogy line up with the original trilogy. Her short funeral was one of my favorites in the series.

Obi-wan Kenobi; portrayed by Sir Alec Guinness/Ewan McGregor

Personal feelings: I feel weird having an opinion about this one because this movie was made well before I was born, and so I didn’t feel a real connection to/nostalgia from these characters the way I did with the prequels and sequels. Ewan McGregor as Obi-Wan was a huge part of my childhood, so watching A New Hope in retrospect makes this death sad for me.

Mode of death: Killed by Darth Vader/becomes one with the Force. Essentially sacrifices himself so that Luke doesn’t try to come after him.

Aftermath: Luke shouts “no!”. In a later scene, Luke further acknowledges his death--”I only wish Ben were here”. Ben is later seen as a Force ghost in Episodes V and VI, continuing to acknowledge his character’s death and ongoing influence on, importance to, and relationship with Luke.

Narrative purpose: To provide growth for Luke’s character as he grapples with losing a mentor and surrogate father figure who was also the last person (he believed) who was a link to Luke’s (supposedly) dead hero father that Luke looked up to--and setting us up for this narrative complication in VI. To demonstrate that the Jedi/good guys of the film win through self-sacrifice and not through anger, hate, or fear, which is very thematically resonant in this trilogy.

Overall response: Narratively meaningful, and the character’s death is immediately recognized. We get to see the response of the characters who he has the closest relationships with.

Yoda; portrayed by Frank Oz

(I just love The Last Jedi, okay??)

Personal feelings: It was kind of sad, in the way any person dying of old age is. It did feel more overtly spiritual than Obi-wan’s death.

Mode of death: Dies of old age, in his own home, in his own bed, with Luke beside him. His death scene lasts a few minutes and he has some last words.

Aftermath: We see Yoda again as a force ghost, which we are expecting as an audience since his body fades like Obi-wan’s did. There is sufficient closure. Luke is present for Yoda’s death and, at this point in the films, is the only character relationship Yoda has left alive--therefore this is the most significant his death can be to someone. Luke doesn’t look overly upset but this is not painted to be a sad death, as death by old age is usually more a fact of life and a nice reprieve from untimely losses.

Narrative purpose: Honestly, it’s been a long time since I watched the original trilogy so I’m kind of stretching here. I’m going to borrow from The Last Jedi and say that Yoda’s death allows Luke to grow beyond his master and stand on his own two feet as a fully autonomous agent of goodness. He no longer has the crutch of wise older men to lean on and must make his decisions on his own. Yoda’s death frees Luke to be the master of his own destiny, now knowing the truth of his parentage and no longer being guided by others to do what they think is best (kill Vader).

Overall response: One of the less impactful deaths in the series, but I do appreciate how it adds to Luke’s growth as a character and transition into Jedi Master.

Anakin Skywalker/Darth Vader; portrayed by James Earl Jones, Hayden Christensen, and Jake Lloyd

Personal feelings: This is the big one™ of the trilogy, and it shows. Watching Luke trying to literally drag his father to safety is raw and heartbreaking. Seeing him unmasked for his son is chilling. The funeral pyre is beautiful. This definitely made me feel the feelings.

Mode of death: Sacrificed himself to kill Palpatine. Death lasts several minutes. Dies in Luke’s arms and Luke cries as he dies.

Aftermath: Funeral pyre. Force ghost Anakin bringing peace to Luke and cementing his redemption.

Narrative purpose: Too much to list! Reinforcing that good guys sacrifice themselves to protect the people they love. Bringing balance to the Force by killing the Emperor (thanks JJ for messing that up by the way). Finding peace with Obi-wan as a force ghost. Showing that the belief that people can be saved from themselves is validated. I’m sure there’s plenty more besides but this one is so narratively rich that it would take forever to mine.

Overall response: Extreme narrative importance. Basically ties together six movies. Emotional, beautiful, resonant.

Han Solo; portrayed by Harrison Ford

Personal feelings: Ouch, ouch, ouch! This was... this was angsty. I love angsty. I cannot possibly find adequate words to describe how well done this scene and this death was. One of my top three moments of The Force Awakens.

Mode of death: Struck through the chest with a lightsaber by his son, Ben Solo (under the alias of Kylo Ren), after an attempt to save him from the dark side and bring him home. His body falls into the pit on Starkiller Base.

Aftermath: So. Much. Rey screams “no!” Finn is visibly upset, too. Chewie roars in agony and shoots Kylo Ren with his bowcaster. Leia can be seen feeling Han’s death and cannot find the strength to keep standing. Kylo/Ben looks immediately shaken by what he has done. Rey and Leia share a sad hug at the end of the film. In The Last Jedi, reactions continue. Luke is shaken by the revelation of Han’s death and spends a quiet moment in the Falcon mourning him. Kylo/Ben’s reaction continues to spiral. Snoke, in one of my favorite lines in the film, announces that “the deed split [his] spirit to the bone”. Rey grieves Han and accuses Ben of hating him. Luke warns Kylo that he will always be with him, “just like [his] father”. Han’s shadow is felt all over The Last Jedi without him being present. Even without the further reactions in The Rise of Skywalker (Rey saying Ben is haunted by him, the literal memory scene on the Death Star), the impacts of Han Solo’s death are the most significant in the entire franchise.

Narrative purpose: To advance both internal and external character conflicts. Kylo killing Han provides an external conflict between him and the heroes--particularly between him and Rey as Rey yearns for parents who love her and Ben (seemingly) rejects/kills his that do. It also provides a meaty internal conflict for Kylo Ren/Ben Solo, who is the most nuanced villain I have ever seen in film. While Han’s death doesn’t seem to serve a main theme in The Force Awakens (it is my perspective that JJ does not have cohesive overarching themes in his two entries in the saga), it does blend in pretty well with The Last Jedi’s preoccupation with killing the past. The thematic takeaway from The Last Jedi is that you can’t and shouldn’t kill the past, you should learn from it and move on--and Kylo killing Han neatly fits into this theme by showing that Kylo tried to kill his past by killing his father, and yet he was unable to move on because of it.

Overall response: Poignant. Purposeful. Well-crafted. The effects are long lasting and felt throughout the trilogy. This is not a meaningless death. Of the entire saga, this is the death that is given the most acknowledgement.

Supreme Leader Snoke; portrayed by Andy Serkis

Personal feelings: I was on the edge of my fucking seat. This is not emotionally resonant because we don’t care about Snoke but it was huge and shocking and had these enormous narrative implications moving forward.

Mode of death: Cut in half by Kylo Ren while he narrates his own death.

Aftermath: The Praetorian guards spring into action to avenge their master. In a later scene, we see Snoke’s severed legs topple to the floor. Hux is visibly shaken and angry. Kylo Ren acknowledges the death (by blaming it on Rey) and takes Snoke’s position as Supreme Leader (”the Supreme Leader is dead”, “long live the Supreme Leader”). I’m... going to ignore how The Rise of Skywalker handled Snoke. It was unnecessary to have Snoke clones from a storytelling perspective. It added nothing to the narrative, just used as a clumsy way to justify that Palpatine was really pulling the strings all along.

Narrative purpose: To deepen the perceived conflict within Kylo Ren and showing his unwillingness to kill Rey. This further complicates their relationship moving forward as we’ve established that the new head honcho powerful villain has no real desire to hurt the hero. The narrative implications of this moving forward were so rich. Pity JJ ignored them. Additionally: To show Kylo Ren symbolically surpassing Darth Vader. In Episode III Anakin claims he will overthrow the Emperor and rule the galaxy with Padme. He never achieves this. But Kylo Ren does (minus the Empress by his side). To deepen the theme of Kylo Ren trying to kill/bury the past in order to become stronger (and ultimately failing). To add Snoke to the list of characters in the movie who embody the theme of failure. To shake up an expected narrative trajectory and provide new pathways for future storytelling. (Again, JJ, looking at you.)

Overall response: Loved it. Loved it. Not as resonant as some of the other deaths but by far to me the most shocking.

Luke Skywalker; portrayed by Mark Hamill

Personal feelings: Okay, this is a big one. Here’s the thing. I did not grow up with the original trilogy. I never really cared for Luke (didn’t dislike him either, just ‘meh’). But this movie. This movie. I went on a journey with Luke. I saw him as fallible. As human. Making mistakes. Failing. Falling into depression. And overcoming it. I cried when Luke Skywalker died. I did not think that would happen. I did not think I would ever love Luke so much.

Mode of death: Force projects himself across the galaxy to face his nephew and save the Resistance; the effort kills him. Luke’s death takes a couple of minutes of screentime, and it is gorgeous. Hamill acts his ass off. The music, the visuals, everything combines to make this the most emotional death in Star Wars--a fitting end for its first hero.

Aftermath: Leia and Rey feel his death in the Force. They speak to each other quietly about it. They know it was peaceful. Luke, knowing he was going to die, came and saw his sister first and gave them beautiful closure and a message of hope. Just before Luke dies, he warns Kylo/Ben that he’ll always be with him. Just like his father. Luke fades into the Force and we know we will see him again as a force ghost (which we do, but JJ managed to trash even that). The boy on Canto Bight and his friends are inspired by the legend of Jedi Master Luke Skywalker. He ignites hope throughout the galaxy once more.

Narrative purpose: Multiple. As above, inspiring hope throughout the galaxy once more. To serve the theme of self-sacrifice. Achieving victory without violence (pacifistic). Preventing Kylo Ren from killing more people he cares about (Rey, Leia, Luke) and thereby protecting him, at least a little, from himself. Also serves a similar purpose to Yoda’s death--with both Luke and Snoke dying, Rey and Kylo Ren are without masters, the arbiters of their own destiny (thanks again JJ for fucking that up too).

Overall response: I can’t decide if this or Han Solo’s death is more emotionally impactful to me. They are both so, so moving, and so essential to the narrative.

Leia Organa; portrayed by Carrie Fisher

Personal feelings: This is hard. I don’t think her scenes in The Rise of Skywalker worked. They were cut from The Force Awakens for a reason--and then cobbled together like some kind of Frankenstein’s Monster for this movie. As much as I love Leia and Carrie, I couldn’t feel emotion for her death because it was so wooden and artificial.

Mode of death: Uses the last of her energy to reach her son (it is unclear exactly how she is reaching him. Force projection? Did she create the Han memory? Who knows.) Even with so little to work with, they still managed to focus on her death with her lying down, her hand falling to the side--trying to give this some weight.

Aftermath: Chewie mourns. Ben and Rey both feel her death and are clearly devastated. The Resistance gather around her body in mourning. Her body fades at the same time as Ben’s (wtf, JJ) and then we see her as a force ghost with Luke (but not Ben because fuck him apparently).

Narrative purpose: To bring her son back to the light, something that has been a central struggle of this trilogy. Sacrificing yourself to save that which you love.

Overall response: It has a purpose, but I can’t help but think it wouldn’t have gone this way if Carrie hadn’t died. It doesn’t seem as organic as the deaths of Han and Luke.

NB: I’m skipping Palpatine because his death was literally nothing else than “defeat the big bad”. It wasn’t even fulfilling a prophecy, it had no significant narrative weight for Rey, it was a nothing burger.

Ben Solo/Kylo Ren; portrayed by Adam Driver

Personal feelings: Twofold. In the cinema, I felt nothing. Nothing. I actually laughed in surprise. Like, “what was that”? The next day, at home, I cried. I don’t think I cried because he died. I was open to that possibility. I cried because I was so, so angry at how poorly his arc and death was handled. Like he was a footnote in his own fucking story. I think him living was a much more interesting story, narratively and thematically, but I wasn’t necessarily opposed to his death if it was done well. And it wasn’t.

Mode of death: Uses the last of his life energy to resurrect Rey. Falls over. (Plop, there he goes.) Fades into the force.

Aftermath: Like, none? Rey looks kind of surprised and blinks for a couple of seconds. No words are exchanged. He just tips over and dies. Cool.

Narrative purpose (or failure thereof): I am fucking reaching here because all of the previously established trajectories and themes are dashed by this ending. We could argue that this is a self-sacrifice to save what you love theme point. Which is fine, but like, no one mourns. He doesn’t become a Force Ghost. No one acknowledges his death. Ben fading into the Force is a metaphor for him fading from people’s minds. It’s like he doesn’t even exist in the context of the story anymore. Which is insanely baffling because all three of the original trilogy heroes sacrificed their lives, at least in part, to save Ben Solo. So that he could in turn save Rey? So he’s just another cog in the machine? This was always about Rey and never about the love Han and Leia had for their son, or that Luke had for his nephew? If you think about it, the only other ‘main’ characters to die during the course of their trilogy were Qui-gon and Padme. And both of those characters had funerals, and people mourning, and huge narrative implications. The death of Ben Solo reads like the death of a minor character. It serves one very narrow and already over-represented theme. The death of all of the rest of the Skywalkers had huge emotional ramifications for the other characters in the films. With Ben Solo, the Skywalker legacy fades as well, as if JJ is telling us that this saga was not about this family at all, but their whole story existed only for the point of saving Palpatine’s granddaughter. How fucked up is that?

Overall response: Narratively, this just doesn’t make sense. It’s lazy and not impactful. When a character dies in films, you want the audience to feel something, so you show other characters reacting to it. Are they sad? Then we should feel sad too! Are they elated? We should be celebrating! No one reacts to Ben’s death, so we’re not sure how we’re supposed to feel, either. The people who are devastated by this death are the ones who love the character itself and are upset that he got treated this way--the death itself was hollow and emotionless.

So, there you have it. Ben Solo was shafted. Death is extremely prevalent in these movies, and yet, being the only new Skywalker of the sequels and half the protagonist (thank you Rian), Ben Solo has arguably the least emotional or narratively impactful death in the franchise.

Rian Johnson would never do this to Ben Solo.

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inthememetime · 3 years

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I'm thinking about writing a Bagginshield fic where Thorin and Bilbo are actors in a soap opera, and maybe a made for TV Hallmark movie or 5. This is my (very rough) idea, and I'm just using placeholder names. They're in a few long running shows, so they meet the rest of the cast and become family.

Thorin plays Derek, rich guy with a mandatory evil twin, Donovan. He plays both because reasons. In any other show or movie, he's typecast as Standard Evil Villain or Tragic Gruff Man with Heart of Gold.

Bilbo plays Michael, the mandatory tragic (and sometimes evil) love interest who keeps getting killed...and coming back in two episodes. He aims for one-off terrible movies because they're fun, and ended up playing the lead role in a movie series about alligators in hurricanes. He doesn't know why it's successful either.

Kilí starts off playing baby Derek & Donovan in flashbacks, but then they just decide to keep him, and he alternates between the secret love child (from Donovan or Derek- who knows?) and a clone from a secret government agency.

Filí starts off with small roles- he's the kid someone follows, the random child witness, and then becomes The Weapons Guy. If a character is definitely about to die- suddenly Filí is there. He's also a stuntman, so they make wildly innacurate theories of what The Weapons Guy does on screen, when in reality they know he hot clocked in the face because he forgot his cue to duck. He also tends to be typecast as cruel/cold and vicious, which is the opposite of his actual personality.

Balin plays Santa Claus and a variety of wise old men characters. He doesn't know why he's still there; he signed on for one (1) Christmas Special, and his contract wasn't renewed but he's still getting paid. He hasn't been given a script in years, and at this point he's in too deep to ask for one, so he just ad libs.

Dwalin plays both Evan, good guy biker, and Jim, evil biker. His costumes don't change and neither does his acting. He phoned it in on the first season thinking he'd get replaced, but it turns out audiences liked it so now he's stuck. He's also typecast as Reluctant Gruff Action Hero.

Dori has never received a script in his life. He dropped of his real life sons, Nori and Ori, for auditions, and was basically pulled away from everyone else and told he'd gotten the part. What part? The mom, they said, and told him it would be for three episodes tops. It's been 14 seasons. This is the only thing he acts in, but he has published 15 children's books. Fans have called him Mama Dori so often that he signs autographs like that.

Nori wasn't actually there to audition; he'd gotten a lead on one of the producers hiding a ton of irl cash on site. As a thief, he wanted absolutely nothing to do with this. He plays one of the main characters and hates it, but feels it's too late to back out now- everyone knows his face. He's definitely the one who taught Kili and Fili how to pick locks and throw knives.

Ori was the only one to get the role he wanted- a relatively minor character. He accidentally became famous during their third Halloween special, and now he's been lead characters in dozens of major movies. The directors think he's great at acting terrified. There's no acting involved.

Bifur literally just came to auditions to support his boyfriend, Ori. He did not expect that they'd give a deaf, physically disabled gay Marine vet a lead role. He barely auditioned. He's constantly using his relative fame to further rights for disabled people, especially veterans.

Bofur was stoned out his mind and walked in during auditions in a scene where Thorin was supposed to be yelling at his brother. He cried and argued back so convincingly that he got the part. He doesn't even remember auditioning. This used to massively piss off Thorin, who had to pull every string he had to even get into auditions.

Bombur wasn't in the soap opera. He is, however a top of the line chef with 2 cooking shows and guest appearances in other shows. They had 1 cooking competition episode, and fans loved it so much he comes back at least once per season even though it doesn't pay as well as his cooking shows or restaurants.

Gloin is constantly playing a divorced or meaning well but distant dad. They hired him to be the main antagonist, but he ended up talking about his real wife and son so often, sometimes it ends up in final cuts. Instead of firing him, they liked it so much that they made him have a 4- season long redemption arc even though they didn't bring his wife and son on.

Additional headcannons: Dís plays Kilí and Filí's mom. They're actual brothers, but she isn't related to either of them. She met their actual dad, Vilí, started dating him, and married him. This was an actual 15 step plan of Kilí abs Filí's, and they are beyond happy it worked.

Gandalf is one of the producers, and everyone calls him a wizard because he managed to take a shoe string budget, a bunch of acting students, complete novices, and washed-up actors and make it a show that a lot of famous actors and actresses got their starts on.

#fic ideas #the hobbit #bagginshield #what do you think?

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otterskin · 3 years

Text

I didn't like the LOKI show, no matter how hard I try, and it's messing with me.

My mother died at the end of December. A lot of other bad things happened as well, like the severe brain injury of my father.

I didn't cry. There was so much to do. I did it. And even then, when there was nothing left to do, I didn't cry.

I found distractions.

Today I went to see the Green Knight after a tough week at a new job that had me leave my father in another province even though he still needs help. I was trying to get back to the life I'd dropped.

I loved the Green Knight. The Arthurian Legends are as dear to me as Norse Mythology, and my copy of them had the Green Knight on the cover. The film was truly excellent, evoking the feel of the story whole still doing something unique and very A24. I cried at one point, like I did when watching the first THOR, because of how much it meant to see something I'd loved since the very first years of my existence finally make it to the big screen and be...right. It's own thing, it's own artistic product, but right.

Then I opened a tab in a browser and saw I had some messages on a website I comment on. It was just some minor criticism of the LOKI show I'd posted beneath an article and how it handled certain things.

I was downvoted. Berated. Hated. Lumped in the ad hominem twitter users who attacked the director and writer (I'd never, ever!) Told I was biphobic because I wanted to see more of a queer lens (I even addressed how difficult it is for bi people in queer cinema and society in general in my criticisms of the romance, but even that wasn't good enough - just disliking it was 'bad'.) I was told I just wanted my 'fanfic' made (I never made any laundrylist of plot points I demanded). I was accused of being a begrudged shipper (ha! If anything I'm an anti-shipper). I was told that I should love the show, it was awesome, and I was bad for not thinking so.

And I started to cry.

I don't cry. Only at movies. Not at real life. I didn't cry at my grandparents's funerals, I didn't cry when I was left with the body of my mother in the hospital room and my brother cried on my shoulder. I didn't cry when working through my dad's severe new disabilities as I realized how much he had lost. I didn't cry while realizing how messy my parents' finances were. I didn't cry when my mother's friends called me in the middle of the night and cried into the phone. I didn't cry when saying goodbye to my dog and going back to a rundown apartment with a terrible smell so I could go to work in a dark room for hours at a time.

But now I'm crying and writing this.

I've realized why. During everything, I looked forward to the LOKI show. The first THOR is deeply nostalgic to me and I watched it often in my first year of Uni when I was away from home. It tied in thematically to what I was going for. Thor 2 came out before I went on exchange, and while I disliked it overall, talking about it was a welcome distraction from my anxieties. Thor 3 was nerve-wracking, but it also came out during my first major job which I was struggling with, and I saw it so many times in theatres...it was such a huge comfort.

Looking forward to LOKI wasn't just a distraction. It was like a promise. A promise that I'd make it till then and see it and maybe it'd give me some comfort.

That's on me. That's a personal thing. It's an unreasonable expectation.

But I needed it, all the same.

Then it came out.

I tried. I really tried to like it, to forgive it, but the problems are things I've criticized for too long in so many other things. I always try to be respectful about, I never go ad hominem and attack the creators, only critique their work and I always mentioned what I liked but...

I didn't like it.

I have no urge to rewatch it.

And the Green Knight...the Green Knight was everything I wanted and needed it to be. It didn't let me down, though I've been anticipating it about as long as the LOKI show. They're very different, obviously, but in my heart they share the same compartment.

And after a very trying day...I realized how badly I needed to rewatch a Loki show I liked. But I can't even enjoy THOR or Thor:Ragnarok anymore. It's like everything I did like has been poisoned.

This thing that got me through immense pain is causing me pain. I don't want to be toxic. I'm sure it's in me. I try so hard not to wallow in disappointment, but to not even be allowed to talk about my problems without being lumped in with abusive online monsters...

I can't do it. I just can't.

This is supposed to be an escape, not another trial.

I needed the LOKI show to be good, so I could come out of the dark into the light, or at least walk through the night with a lantern ahead of me. And instead it was just more darkness, and it's not even entirely its own fault. It's the online discourse. It's the uncalled for harassment of Herron and Waldron. It's the taunting jabs at people who didn't have a good time as if we're all jerks. It's having people roll their eyes when you point out things that made you uncomfortable in the story, it's feeling slightly gaslit when you find something gross that the story intended to be gross and then being told it's not gross, actually.

I'm sorry. I don't want to cause pain. I just...

I needed it to be good. And unlike Thor 3, which delivered me respite in a dark time...it let me down. Worse, it's hurt me.

I said I don't cry, only at the movies. Something about them lets me cry in a way nothing else does. I can't cry at a funeral, but I can cry in a movie theatre at the drop of a hat. It's a release valve, a way for me to process things.

I think I was waiting for LOKI to give me permission to cry. To give me something that could release this pain in me. And instead, it just gave me more.

I never should have given it that power. I didn't want to. But I had to, to get through this.

I'm putting away the few THOR pieces of tat I have. I feel foolish. I always knew it was a capitalist piece of art, chucked from creator to creator with no creative shepherd, which in itself was stressful.

The fandom is no sanctuary for me either, since I'm primarily interested in the family dynamics and I'm sick of 'Odin is an ABUSIVE MONSTER' stories or even unrelated fics and posts just dropping in hate for him that's not at all canon but seems to be very popular to the point where people think it is. Especially since I often read these stories when I need to think of home and my father. Or, most pleasantly of all, when I get called an abuser or abuser-enabler because I say I like Odin as a character. I also can't really bear to deal with anything to do with Sylvie, whom I had high hopes for as someone who wants more female tricksters, but instead I got this...this Mary Sue that's very hard to criticize without being yelled at. I swear I'm coming at her writing as a feminist and I don't hate anyone, I don't, I just...sigh. She's just personally frustrating to me and not being able to discuss it without being called names sucks.

Not to mention I'm asexual, and I always struggle with romance in media being pushed as the 'ultimate relationship more important than any other'. Part of the reason I liked THOR so much was that romance was not the main feature of THOR and definitely not THOR 3 (while my disliked Dark World was all about it, and so is LOKI). And when I criticize the romance, I get called a prude (guilty, I guess), a troll, or, my favourite, just 'a hater'.

I don't want to hate. Who wants that poison in their veins? I'm here because the Thor series HELPED me because I LOVED it. And now I look at the things I used to love and I...don't, anymore.

So much is asked of me right now. I can't willingly invite this painful thing to sit on my chest as well, especially since the world is already shoving it into my face without my doing anything, in ads, in news, in everything.

I suppose that's why I've leaned even more into Odin lately. He was untouched by the LOKI series (though not the Simpson special, which worries me). He's a trickster, he's queer, he's nuanced, he's 'misunderstood' (that old cliche, but he's misunderstood and misrepresented by the people always yelling about how this or that character is misunderstood, which amuses me, except when it gets to me), and he's in many ways free to make my own.

I still have some stuff I'm going to publish that's practically finished. Finnesang has a lot more written for it but needs some major sit-down time for re-writes and edits. Lokabrenna is practically done, just needs tweaks and Beta. I'll be here a little longer.

But I think I'm going to have to step back for now and put my passions into other things.

I will be back. After all, after Thor 2 came Thor 3. Maybe Love and Thunder will right the ship and Thor can still be awesome, and maybe eventually a creative I love will come to work on the franchise. Really, that's the key for me - I loved Branagh before THOR, and loved Waititi before Thor, and disliked Waldron's work (though I gave him every benefit of the doubt and hoped and prayed to be wrong - sadly, it was what I expected.)

But...if LOKI season 2 is more of this, more romantic tropes I hate and Loki being an afterthought in his own show and his family being devalued for new characters...I can't do it. I can't watch something I used to love just throw that all away for something I dislike.

My tears are finally drying. I wrote a lot of this while the screen was blurry, so I hope there's no grammar or typo too embarrasing. I'm not sure I have the strength to re-read it. Sorry for the rant. It helped me feel better.

Thank you all. I hope I feel differently someday.

#loki show #loki 2021 #meta #loki thoughts #personal #update

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criminalmutantsins · 3 years

Text

My Top 10 Favorite Ducktales Characters

…………………………………………………….

NO. 10 Hewey Duck

At number 10 is Huey!

Hewey has been my least favorite triplet for most of the series; it by no means he’s a bad character or any of the sorts, Huey is more down to earth compared to other characters. It’s hard to say much about Hewey other than how he’s a sweet, fun character I’m glad is around.

His development in season three was good, though the weakest of the three. Kinda half-baked and rushed, as if the creators thought, “we have to add some Huey development since this is his season.” With Dewey and Louie’s, it felt like their respective seasons revolved around them instead of the other way around. The only episode I really think perfectly gave Huey development and at the same time move the main plot forward fluidly was the “Challenge of the Senior Junior Woodchucks!” with the whole Huey vs. Violet rivalry. Y’know what also sucks. Huey wasn’t even that integral to the finale. That annoys me to no end.

Now, I’m going to end this with positive notes.

What got Huey into the list was his sweet nature and how integral he is to the team’s balance. Every team needs someone who represents order and Huey is just that. Plus, his innocent love for romance is so cute. I love the episode where him and Webby were setting a date up for Fenton and Gandra.

NO. 9 Scrooge McDuck

Scrooge is probably the most interesting protagonist I’ve ever watched. Unlike most of them, he’s more of an anti-hero than a pure hero like Steven Universe or Luz from Owl House.

I don’t really have much to say about him because I don’t love him as much as the characters above him. He probably has the best development- Lena’s rivaling his really well. In the beginning, Scrooge was a grumpy miser but now, thanks to the kids, his heart is softer and more open. His cheapness is annoying, but the good qualities overthrow the bad.

Scrooge most likely would’ve been higher in the list if “The Life & Crimes of Scrooge McDuck” didn’t happen- or at least occurred in season two instead since humility and hard work was the main theme. The writers went overboard showing the audience how bad of a person Scrooge was in the past, especially with him taking advantage of the poor villagers and leaving them in their states-without even helping them. This episode downgraded Scrooge pretty badly.

NO. 8 Donald Duck

Although on the lower half of the list, I still hold so much love and respect for this version of Donald. He’s such a massive improvement from his previous iteration. The creators made him kind and strong-willed but kept his anger issues. Though, they turned that flaw into a more comedic and positive aspect of Donald since he uses that intense anger to protect his family. Speaking of that, his relationship with the triplets is absolutely adorable. He loves and protects them like a great father, and I’m still a bit peeved that characters didn’t acknowledge that more. Instead, their relationship was sidelined and pretty much haphazardly... replaced-I don’t know if that’s the right word- with May and June.

Another thing that annoyed me was Donald’s voice treatment. The creators pretty much portrayed his speaking problem as a joke, which is terrible. I hope to goodness that children with speaking troubles don’t take those “jokes” to heart because there is nothing wrong with having a different voice. It’s also surprising how much characters mostly don’t understand him when I can seventy percent of the time. This complaint is more towards season one since that was the season where most of the jokes happened.

Anyways, I hope this Donald will start a new beginning for the next iterations of him. A nice guy who has anger issues but means well. Same with him and Daisy’s relationship-another massive improvement the writers did. They are such a great couple from the episodes we got with them and this dynamic should continue.

NO. 7 Webby Vanderquack

Another character who was massively improved was the great Webby Vanderquack!

In the original series, she was a boring damsel-in-distress with no personality-pretty much like the earliest Disney princesses. The ‘17 creators did such a great job molding reboot Webby into a character who can kill you with kindness or impressive fighting skills. This pink-loving queen is probably the sweetest character I’ve ever met; I just want to hug her.

I love her optimism and caring personality. She was able to change Lena for the better and not give up on her when almost everyone did. Webby is the best friend you can have.

While I’m not fully on board with the Webby finale twist, I really liked how her interest in the McDucks played some big part of the finale. Do I wish it was in different circumstances? Yes, but I’m still glad Webby got an important moment for herself. That interrogation scene was very emotional; seeing Beakley fully breakdown like she did was shocking and really set the mood of how pivotal that moment. I literally almost cried seeing Webby so heartbroken by her grandmother’s lies- this pink baby deserves all the love in the world. At least she found out the truth and gained a parental figure in her life.

NO. 6 Louie Duck

I’ve gotta admit; I did not like Louie that much at the start of the show. Greedy and selfish characters usually don’t get my love, but season two changed. A lot more depth was added to him such as his insecurities and anxieties. I struggle with these issues and it was nice to see a character show that as well. One of my favorite arcs was Louie’s trouble connecting with Della; it was realistic and not rushed. While watching this season, I was often having trouble connecting with people, even old friends. Sort of having someone experiencing them alongside me made me feel less insecure and lonely.

His development was really good too, from beginning to end. At first, Louie was someone who was willing to execute every angle no matter how much it could hurt his loved ones. Yet, he grew to be a humbler person who now knows the consequences of his angles. A favorite episode of mine is “The Richest Duck in the World” because of this development. Seeing Louie clean the Bombei’s shoes with Scrooge made my heart melt.

What lowered him down to number eight was season three. There were a few episodes that backtracked Louie’s development like “The Trickening” and “The Fight for Castle McDuck” episodes. He was a real jerk towards Huey for no reason. It frustrated me enough to affect this list. And I also prefer other characters more.

NO. 5 Fenton Crackshell-Cabrera

You can’t expect me to not put this quirky and adorable dork in the top five! He’s one of the best boys in the show. Him being voiced by the great Lin-Manuel Miranda does add some bonus points- you can tell I’m a big Hamilton fan.

Like Webby, Fenton was drastically improved. He became this sweet, scatterbrained scientist who only wants to help people. I instantly fell in love with him. And it got even better when Fenton became Gizmoduck- my second favorite DT hero. He deserved so much more screen time, especially in season 3; “Beaks in the Shell” was not a good enough episode for Fenton and his relationship with Gandra. There should’ve been more. The finale moments he had was not satisfying enough, particularly him and DW sort of team up. It was rushed.

If a Darkwing Duck reboot takes place in the ’17 universe then Fenton must be a major character- at least show up in ten episodes a season. A Gizmoduck and Darkwing crossover is essential, and I will riot if it that doesn’t happen. And more Fandra, my fifth -maybe fourth- favorite ship.

I also had a big crush on Fenton back in season one. You can’t help but love him this sweety pie. This pretty much influenced thirty percent of his placement.

NO. 4 Launchpad McQuack

This muscular dummy is amazing! He brings a sense of comedy and light to every episode he is in. It’s infectious as h*ll!

I liked Launchpad instantly. He’s kind and wants the best for people. Optimistic characters are almost the best characters. They are great reminders of how there are still many good people in the world. Whenever I’m down and watch Ducktales, LP makes me feel a lot better with his dumb yet endearing moments. My favorite jokes are literally LP sending Beakley an invitation saying not to come and when he tried to make small talk with Gosalyn at the window; I can never stop laughing at those moments.

There are times when Launchpad’s dumbness irks me, but his good qualities overthrow that. Though, I wish he wasn’t used too much as comedy relief; LP had the potential to gain more development than what he got. I’ll give an example. Learning about his family would’ve been great to know- an appearance wouldn’t have hurt either. It could’ve opened a reason to why LP cares about Scrooge’s opinion and cares about him like a dad. Maybe there’s some bitterness in LP’s relationship with his dad and that’s why he doesn’t talk about his parents. Loopey not being introduced was a missed opportunity. Big brother Launchpad is all I need.

I also have a small crush on Launchpad, though mostly for his personality and voice. He’s still cute *wink.*

NO. 3 Drake Mallard

We made it to the top three! With the dashing caped crusader Darkwing Duck starting us off!

It’s funny how much I love a character who’s only appeared in like five-maybe six- episodes enough to put him in the top three. I had some trouble defining many reasons why I love him; it’s this weird connection I have with DW. He’s this dorky dummy who loved a big part of his childhood enough to make it his reality, yet I love him so much.

I think what made me fall in love with him was how similar we are. Like him, I was a meek person who got pushed a few times- either physically or mentally. Those times also inspired me to grow stronger and be an inspiration for the next generation. I can be pretty clumsy too(lol). Characters I see myself in are usually really high in my love list and it shouldn’t be surprising that Drake is one of them.

His kind and genuine nature was also what drew me in. And, I just made this realization, this is the first time I don’t prefer the original iteration over the latest one. I still love ‘91 Drake but he’s too arrogant.

Unlike the original DW, Drake became a hero to help others- though a wish for glory played a bit of a part too. This clumsy, stuttering actor took a step to become his hero and a future one for children like him. That’s admirable. His lovable personality also being so cute enough for me to want to give a big hug is a good addition.

NO. 2 Lena Sabrewing

Hands down Lena had the best development!

She started off as this distant loner who followed the gray area of morality. Now, Lena is a part of this loving family and her own person. A few of her episodes are my favorites, such as “Friendship Hates Magic!” and “A Nightmare on Killmotor Hill.” They are well-written episodes and hit me in the feels.

Like Louie and Drake, I see myself in Lena. There are times I’ve been afraid I’ll take on my family’s bad habits or turn like them. That’s why I love “A Nightmare on Killmotor Hill!” Watching Lena try to be good enough and feeling insecure reminded me of the dark times I usually think about. There are even times I have dreams of these issues. The creators must have been inspired by me (lol). Though, I am kind of jealous of Lena because of how great her friends are. I want friends like Webby and Violet.

Even so, I do have some issues with Lena. Her magic arc was not written as well as her previous arcs. This might be more of a personal opinion than anything, but I’m still going to say it. Lena learned to control her magic too quickly, and it was treated as more like a plot device. And a shaking one at that. For example, in “The Split Sword of Swanstantine” Lena was able to stop time and send her and Huey into his mindscape. But, somehow, she couldn’t conjure a burst of energy to attack Steelbeak; granted, Huey mentioned that, yet Lena’s reasoning was dumb. Attacking someone with magic is way easier than doing what she did. I’m a little lenient on this since that idea lead to more Huey development, though I’m still going to critique it.

A great thing about Lena learning was her temporary outfit change. She looks absolutely amazing in light colors, which I didn’t expect, and her hair design is what I saw she would look good in. The eye shape is kind of weird.

Lena’s magic mode is in my list of cosplays.

NO. 1 Dewey Duck

Finally, number one is Dewey Duck!

Dewey has stolen my heart since the beginning. His positivity and fun nature always make me smile, even during the toughest times.

In my opinion, Dewey has the best arc/development of the triplets. His arc trying to find out what happened to his mother was what kept me watching Ducktales and helped me see why this show is so special. Many of my favorite moments are in season one, specifically ones involving Dewey. For instance, the scene in “The Last Crash of the Sunchaser!” where Dewey was willing to risk his life to get the last piece of paper and possibly solve what happened to Della was emotional. Hearing the desperation in his voice while pleading with Scrooge to tell him what happened hit me hard. I can’t imagine how much pain HDL have gone through not knowing what happened and thinking they aren’t allowed to ask. It would be terrible to experience.

Another moment I loved was in “The Spear of Selene.” It was when Dewey was hesitant to know what happened as the possibility that Della was a bad person grew more prominent. He looked so defeated admitting that realization and it reminded me of myself. There were moments when I realized that my parents were not as good as I thought. It hurt me a lot. At least sweet Dewey didn’t have to go through that. The scene when Dewey started tearing up seeing his mom in the sphere was also heartwarming. I wanted to give him the biggest hug.

Dewey’s insecurities of not being good enough and to be loved is what I struggle with too. Its kind of different because I have trouble believing anyone loves me while he wants everybody to like him. Confidence is not my forte.

……………………………………………………………

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djmarinizelablog · 3 years

Note

Angst no. 41 (the viewers everytime Dalisay fails to die)

#41. Angst: “No, not again. Please!”

I'll make my own spin here---Levi and Hange are watching Cardo Dalisay, the vigilante extraordinaire from the mountains, on TV. Hilarious angst (what the heck is that?) ensues.

Prompt list (pick a prompt with your fave ship and send it to me; I’ll write something about it)

---------------------

It's Friday after a long week of work, thick blankets and a hot choco kind of night, and Hange's propped on the couch while snacking on some popcorn, the TV playing in front of her.

"What the fuck are you watching?"

Levi has entered their room, confused at the fact that Hange's eyes are glued to the screen---probably for the first time since... forever?

"Just some action series I found on this channel." She munches some popcorn. "Got me hooked on the first season, and now I'm already halfway through!"

The opening credits of the next episode start with some poorly-done CGIs of the protagonist jumping off a building before said building gets blown up, flash forward to some highly-exaggerated fighting scenes where one punch from Cardo, the vigilante extraordinaire, knocks out this huge evil henchman in front of him. It's a pathetic stunt; in reality, that blow would have broken his teeny-tiny wrist. But the director didn't want that, Levi supposes; Cardo Dalisay would have been recuperating in the hospital for weeks. There would be no show without him.

Levi shrugs his shoulder and grabs some popcorn. "Looks like shit to me."

Nevertheless, he sits beside Hange, slings one arm around her while Hange lifts up the blanket high enough for both of them to snuggle underneath.

The show doesn't really interest him, really. It's Hange's reaction to it that does. Hange's eyes widen at every kick, every punch that Cardo lands at his enemies, eyebrows furrowed each time he narrowly escapes a blow.

"This guy," Hange explains, pointing her foot towards the face of Coco Martin on TV, "he used to have a twin brother who died so he avenged him and then Cardo, he's the main character, in case you haven't figured it out, gets involved with drugs and the police, but he's innocent and now he's on the run with his wife and a couple of military-people-turned-rebels---oh, shit, no!"

The main nemesis of the season shoots Cardo Dalisay right on the chest. The protagonist drops dead in the water, his body floating in the middle of the lake, and then it's a cliffhanger. Hange's face is in pure horror, like she hasn't expected this plot twist at all.

"Don't die. Survive!" Hange shouts with all the eagerness in her voice.

The popcorn merely falls out of Levi's mouth as he stares at Hange, dumbfounded. It's his motherfucking line.

"Don't tell me this is what you've been binge-watching lately. A dweeb can do better CGIs than this..." he gestures towards the screen, and thinks of the first word that comes to mind. "Shitshow."

Hange doesn't respond, but merely plays the next episode she has recorded.

Apparently, Cardo Dalisay has escaped death that time and is back for some action-packed scenes ("I knew it! Somebody found him and nursed him back to health!" Hange cheers). Little does Levi know, it's the first of many, the almost-but-not-quite "deaths." A hostage is now tied up high in the air, but Levi can still see the stupid green screen behind them like a badly photoshopped meme. Hange, however, is thoroughly engrossed.

All the death-defying scenes happen one after the other, and Levi is forced to watch, cringing. Well, because Hange would end up staying all night and wouldn't probably wake up to run some errands in the morning. He'd rather make sure she gets to bed by 1 am, at the very latest. The two of them are partners-in-crime in this household.

The next episode cuts to Cardo Dalisay hanging for dear life with one gun in hand while he's being rained down by bullets from above. Said enemies, trained assassins are they are, miss all their firing shots at him, and Cardo Dalisay miraculously escapes without a single scrape in his body.

"This doesn't make sense," he complains to Hange who's fanning herself from the adrenaline rush. Levi continues, "Nothing does in this show. Did the producers even study the laws of physics?"

Hange looks at him, curious.

"What?"

"Nothing."

She continues watching. The fact that she majored in Physics and aced all her classes in college baffles him all the more.

Cardo Dalisay dies the nth time by being shot (again). About time, Levi thinks. And then Cardo's wife Alyana wakes up with Cardo right beside her, completely unharmed. It had all been a dream.

"This guy seriously has one hell of a plot armor."

"I know! It's so cool, right?" Hange says, and he doesn't know if she's being ironic or not. "I've been so attached to his character, kinda reminds me of you."

"I can do so much better than him." He crosses his arms and slumps back into the couch. Levi has had enough of plot armors so thick nothing could penetrate the person.

"Maybe you can audition and then ask if you can replace his titular role," Hange teases him before putting all her attention to the ongoing episode. "Apparently, it's been running since 2015."

He counts the years with his fingers. "Shit, for real? It's fucking 2021."

The hours go by so slow, and Levi's back is already hurting from sitting on the couch this whole time. They're coming to the end of the last season, and he's trying his best to blink away the sleep from his eyes. He does wake up, though, when Cardo Dalisay gets repeatedly shot and stabbed by his archenemy in the most gruesome episode to date.

“No, not again. Please!” Hange shouts, fists clenching the blanket too tightly.

Please what? Please come back? Or please die this time?

Cardo Dalisay is vomitting blood on the floor and Hange is crying.

"Alright, that's it.” He stands up. “If this guy comes back alive in the next season, I'm---"

Hange grabs hold of his shirt and cries. Not a crybaby kind of cry. But a serious, I-swear-it-is-real kind of cry. Cardo Dalisay remains dead. Bad guy celebrates, laughing in triumph. The rest of the characters mourn. So does Hange. And Levi, tough guy as he is, doesn't have the heart to make fun of her when she cries.

"I can't, I can't," Hange sobs, as the ending credits roll. "I can't deal with deaths anymore."

"Oi, Hange. It's alright."

He looks at the clock and it's already past 1 am. After turning the TV off, he carries Hange to bed and tucks both of them in, wrapping his arms around her as they settle into sleep together.

Hange curls up closer to him and, being the longer-legged person between the two of them, hooks her leg on his thigh. "Levi..."

"Hm?" He cracks one eye open.

"I'm just glad you're still here."

He pulls her towards him, right where his heart is, and he's sure that Hange is listening to the thumping of his heartbeat. So much for heroes, he thinks. He's thankful enough he doesn't have to act like one to be one in Hange's eyes. He hopes the story doesn't end there.

A few episodes later, the scene zooms in to Cardo Dalisay on a hospital bed, severely injured but nevertheless, alive.

------------

(I hope you like this, Anon, 'cause I definitely enjoyed writing about your prompt)

#levihan #levi ackerman #captain levi #levi and hange #hange zoe #aot #snk #shingeki no kyojin #levi attack on titan #attack on titan #fanfic #fanfiction #mine #ask #writing #cardo dalisay #coco martin #djmarinizela #ang probinsyano

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silverdragonoid · 3 years

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(Hi Jacepens here! I forgot you can only use your main account in asks, oof) Anyway, I’m gonna say for the ask game, an all-around Turn fandom ask:) I’m interested to see your opinions! Ok, thank you <3

(Dw I know it’s you, my Prince<3) I will include your Turn-related prompts from your second ask here so I have the whole package here. I hope you don’t mind

001 | Fandom: Turn: Washington’s Spies

Favorite character: Benjamin Tallmadge (you’ll see him listed here a lot)

Least Favorite character: Arnold

5 Favorite ships (canon or non-canon): BenWash, Washette, Abi x Akinbode, André x Peggy, Halemadge (bonus: Admund x astronomy)

Character I find most attractive: aaaaargh! So many to choose from! but I’d put Bennyboy and Gwash on the same level for me

Character I would marry: (MY GORGEOUS ANGEL-) Ben.

Character I would be best friends with: Sackett & Caleb

a random thought: wAsHeTtE’s DeLeTeD sCeNe + the club of those who didn’t deserve it

An unpopular opinion: (dunno if this counts as one but I really can’t come up with something-) Though the show is brilliant and I love it with my entire heart, a filmed version of the historically more accurate story would be cool too; I mean their youthful, reckless bachelor lives without family drama but just the gang doing their stuff + the missing characters

My Canon OTP: Abigail x Akinbode

My Non-canon OTP: BenWash, Washingharem

Most Badass Character: Mary Woodhull (honorable mention: that one scene... where Ben... slays those red coats... and that aesthetic blood...)

Most Epic Villain: Rogers

Pairing I am not a fan of: Simcoe x anyone (except Lola)

Character I feel the writers screwed up (in one way or another): Laf & Ham had too little screen-time

Favourite Friendship: Ben & Caleb, Abigail & Peggy

Character I most identify with: it’s this weird mix of Ben and George

Character I wish I could be: Major Tight-pants

002 | Ship: BenWash

When I started shipping them: tbh... a Hamilton/Turn (BenWash-including) fanfic was the reason I found out about Turn, so I kinda saw them together before I even watched it. But when I consciously fell for them? Somewhere during season 2 I guess (can’t remember well as I binged everything in 4 days)

My thoughts: (a perfect portrayal of my feelings when I see/think of them)

What makes me happy about them: their synergy, their brains, their tension, their relationship, I JUST LOVE THEM OKAY?????

What makes me sad about them: how bad they handle feelings and stubbornness (period-typical homophobia put aside)

Things done in fanfic that annoys me: ehh... ehh... not particularly with BenWash, but generally OOC

Things I look for in fanfic: character depth, writing style as from @grumblebee-trilogy because omg,

My wishlist: the product isn’t specified so the list: the whole series on blue-ray (I’m saving for it atm), those fan-made Funkopops of Laf, Ham, Ben, George, and considering fanfic -.things I cannot say (or write) out loudly. But, oh right! Fan art. Because there’s basically none of them T-T *cries in her corner*

Who I’d be comfortable them ending up with, if not each other: “ending up” excludes Nathan Hale, right? :’( and for George: Alex, Laf, Martha

My happily ever after for them: there’s no possibility in canonverse so I’d already be happy with ‘keeping their time in fond memory, meeting regularly, and staying comfortable around each other (and MAYBE some stolen touches)’

003 | Character: Mary Woodhull

How I feel about this character: she’s badass and a psycho but loyal and cunning af and I adore her. While she did mistakes, too, they were mostly a result of Abe’s stupidity. She deserves better

Any/all the people I ship romantically with this character: eh...

My favorite non-romantic relationship for this character: uh idk... maybe Simcoe? Because he kinda respected her for her mind?

My unpopular opinion about this character: I don’t know of opinions to know if mine align T-T

One thing I wish would happen / had happened with this character in canon: that Abe would have included and appreciated her much earlier so that she didn’t suffer as much (but then the series would have been much shorter)

Favorite friendship for this character: uhm... did she have actual friends of her own? Okay my second wish for her is that she has people besides Abe

#ask game #turn: washington's spies #George Washington/Ian Kahn is hot af change my mind #and i love pretty boy Seth

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im-the-punk-who · 4 years

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Toby Stephens Thirstography #1 - Black Sails (2014-2017)

Toby Stephens Hotness: The Pre-Chorus Of Uptown Funk Was Written About Toby Stephens In Black Sails

Okay, so I dithered about this rating for SO LONG but honestly? Nothing else in Toby’s filmography will ever be close to Black Sails. As I’m sure everyone is aware, Toby Stephens is perfect but it’s especially true in Black Sails. Long haired McGraw? Perfect. Bald and Beardy? Perfect. Ponytail Season 1 Flint crying about his (as yet unrevealed) gay lover? Absolutely Flawless. THIGHS? Could crush a skull like sparrows egg. Frequently shirtless and covered in freckles? My soul has left my body. Need I go on? Just watch Black Sails.

This really is hands down the best role Toby has ever had, and there’s a little bit of something for everyone. I wouldn’t necessarily say this is “the hottest” Toby Stephens but it is the one that has the most range, and screen time, and like, whatever your thirst, Black Sails has a look for that. And so many emotions. This is one of those times where quantity really does win over quality. If you’re only going to watch one thing with Toby Stephens in it, Black Sails is really the only answer anyone could ever give.

James Flint-McGraw-Hamilton owns my entire heart and I can and will fight about it. But honestly, I’m pretty sure he owns everyone else’s heart too so. Y’know.

Plot: 10/10*

England is terrible and James McGraw is mad about it. Or, this is a prequel to Treasure Island except if literally everyone was queer. Or, Please Do Not Anger The Gay Gingers.

Black Sails, at its heart, is a story about stories: who tells them, how they tell them. It is a story that drives home that everyone has a bias to the parts of the story they tell: that everyone has a different reason for the stories they choose or do not choose to let see the light of day. It is a story that will challenge you to think differently not just about every other piece of media you consume but your own life - and the stories you are telling. (Like, my personal story is that right now I’m crying and whether or not it’s true that’s the story I want you to believe, so I’m telling it to you.)

I have cried, and laughed, and had just about every other emotion about this show. There are actual canon main queer characters who get actual canon main queer character romances, deep nuanced discussions of social progress, how movements fail and why, who is left out of what historians will say prevailed, and all in a way that feels so very real and human it leaves a huge gaping hole in my chest every time.

*I promised I’d only say this once: The plot of Black Sails and I have our differences, and it is not perfect. Most of the show is technically flawless but there are parts - sometimes big parts - that are not. And that’s okay! Enjoying flawed media is okay! But I feel like it has to be said because while it absolutely deserves that ten, I don’t want to mislead you into thinking this is a perfect show.

With that said, I have watched this show....I think about 6 times all the way through at the time of typing this, and I’m on my 7th or 8th rewatch, depending on which friend group you ask. There is an incredible wealth of really rich writing, really clever writing, and yes - really game-changing writing. It’s the kind of show in which you will catch new things every time you watch it.

I don’t know what to tell you except just. Watch Black Sails. Do it with your eyes open because as I’ve said this is not a perfect show and sometimes the writers do tell on themselves, but....it’s just about as close as I’ve ever seen a major series come to it. And I love James McGraw enough to forgive them the rest.

(Did I mention that the backbone of the entire show is the motivation of one of its queer characters? That you literally cannot remove queerness from Black Sails and still have any part of the plot work? Cool, now I have.)

Watchability: 9/10

Watchability game is strong.

Black Sails is chock full of humor, exciting ship battles, historical easter eggs, queers, women, people of color(sometimes all three in one!), and really some of the best writing in terms of plot cohesion I’ve ever seen. The costumes and scenery is breathtaking, every single one of the actors showed the fuck up every day...listen could I write more? Yes. I have. But really - just.

... do I have to say it?

(Watch Black Sails.)

Black Sails is one of those shows that is going to affect everyone differently, and I’m too aware of my own bias to give it a true 10, but there is very little Black Sails gets wrong once it gets going. The first season makes some Choices, and towards the back end of the show it can feel like the writers ran out of metaphorical poster board for their happy birthday sign of a show, but on the whole definitely, 100% worth the go.

Warnings:

Graphic depiction(s) of r*pe in S1 and mentions of it in S2, general gore throughout. Although, I hate blood and guts stuff and it only twice really bothered me. Depictions of period typical racism and slavery throughout. @a-gay-coded-villain has made this super thorough, handy dandy So You Think You Can Dance Watch Black Sails (Laynie I’m so sorry I had to) guide that includes most of the major trigger warnings. Make sure you take a look - especially if violence against women bothers you.

Where to Watch:

Hulu is the main place to find this but it is also on Netflix in some countries and on DailyMotion

#Toby Stephens Thirstography #Black Sails #Toby Stephens #THATS IT #THE BEAST IS DONE #I HAVE SAID MY PIECES AND DECLARED MY HILLS OF BATTLE #anyway watch black sails please like if you're seeing this post you probably already HAVE #BUT YOU SHOULD WATCH IT ANYWAY OKAY

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catflowerqueen · 3 years

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Okay, so I finished the post-game (or at least, the parts of it I actually care about i.e plot and talking to characters to see their reactions), and am ready to give my final thoughts on the experience.

It was very fun, over all, and I liked it a lot. I didn’t feel as much of a personal connection as I did with Explorers, but that didn’t really take anything away from the experience. The overall plot I think was…. simpler, in some ways? Less complex, at least, despite the heavy topics. And I think it was shorter over all? I didn’t do a dungeon count comparison, but it seemed like it was shorter. Well, the “fugitive arc” seemed longer, I suppose, but that’s probably because it was slightly more complex in what was actually happening. Like—there was a bit of lead up to in where you technically weren’t a fugitive, but the circumstances surrounding the whole thing made it seem like you were away from home longer as far as gameplay went.

…I mean, I think that the original fugitive arc from Rescue Team was probably longer in terms of dungeons visited during it and implications given via the narration, but unlike other games in the series I’m pretty sure that was the only period where you didn’t have access to the hub for a major stretch of time, whereas other games had more times where you would have to be solely focused on your deposit box/Kangskhan statues and picking up stuff in the dungeons. …And, okay, you could cheat a little in Gates with Companion Mode, but in a way that just added to the feeling of how long the hero was gone, since it takes pains to make it clear this is a side-story type deal—that this is what everyone was up to back home while the main plot was happening. Which could then either add to or shorten the duration of the gameplay, depending on how much time you spent there.

Overall characterization I think was better here, although I don’t think that the partner, specifically, went through as much character growth as in other games? Like… they very clearly pointed out in Explorers at different points how much the partner had grown and changed, and there were also points like that in PSMD, but in Gates it wasn’t entirely clear? Like, there were some points where the partner talked about what their life used to be like… but it isn’t as though you actually saw that in-game. While it was clear to see friendships growing over time, and the growth in terms of acceptance of the hero eventually having to leave was clear… their attitude as far as the hero was concerned kind of seemed more static from day one? Like—the closeness was evident, it’s just that it basically went from zero to a hundred upon first meeting them and then just stayed there. I think there was more growth from the player’s end of things in regards to the partner.

And the Rescue Team partner was just very, very bland in general. There was a little growth during the fugitive arc—sort of—but… honestly, they didn’t add that much beyond being a way to provide exposition. Especially with how much they didn’t matter come post-game.

And I still feel like there was something weird with how Paradise and Post Town were treated. At some points it felt like your Paradise supporters were the closest to you and should have mattered more… but at other times there was a lot of focus on the Post Town inhabitants, and Paradise didn’t come into the equation. Which was especially jarring in the ending, where I think it was only the Timburrs who came to the party—and aren’t really treated as Paradise inhabitants, for the most part, though they would occasionally show up there—and yet Gurdurr’s response to the hero’s return was to break down in tears and need the screen to fade to black for a bit (which was actually extremely sweet). I think that the “travelers” to Post Town actually had more characterization than the people who were really inhabitants—bar the shopkeepers, who, as always, had reactions and some of them actually had little subplots of their own—which was… strange, considering how important they all supposedly were when it came to fighting the Bittercold. (And, like, I don’t really get why they chose Scraggy to be the move tutor. Considering Azumarill was just pulled randomly out of nowhere, I don’t see why they couldn’t have done the same thing with him. Or, hey—just made Quagsire the move tutor and let Azumarill do both the request board and party editing. Or leave the party editing up to you doing it yourself right before entering a dungeon—as when you were taking the magnagate paths—or having you go around Paradise and talking to individual pokemon, similar to how you did it in Rescue Team. …Though that admittedly probably would have gotten very annoying very quickly).

It was very cool, however, that you actually had to work to get the hero back. That it wasn’t just given to you like in Rescue Team or Explorers, and that everyone made a genuine effort and tried to think about what was best for hero, too. … And also that it was something I actually cared about, whereas in PSMD I felt like it was… half desperation for their own circumstances, rather than necessarily because they genuinely missed the partner? I mean—yeah, that’s kind of harsh, because it was clear that they were genuinely good friends, but… well, as in the tone of my other complaints about how the player got screwed over in that game, the partner was really their only tie to their actual past, and even then it was a tenuous one. So… I just didn’t care as much, I guess. …Also probably the fact that it was a lot simpler/more linear process and took less time to get the hero back in Gates. So… yeah, you had to work for it, and the work was satisfying, but it was also a short enough process that you wouldn’t get bored or frustrated during the duration.

The choice of what to make a cutscene and what to just keep as narration during specific plot points was also a little odd at times—I would have enjoyed to actually get to see a bit of the welcome back party after the initial glacier exploration, for example, and maybe even seeing you help building your house. (On that note—it was a cool little detail to see grass starting to grow around your house as the game went on.)

I think the gameplay mechanics were overall an improvement in Gates—though I do miss the IQ abilities just because of how rare it was to actually find team skills. It seemed more luck-based than anything, which does provide a challenge and leads to replay ability since it would lead to a different experience each time, but…. I don’t know, I just liked the other method better. It was nice to actually be able to utilize my recruits and see their growth, as well as getting to actually play as them and utilize different strategies in Companion Mode… but that also highlighted just how bad the AI and certain choices they made as far as attacking/not getting separated from the group were in comparison to how I remember the other games going.

I think as far as total experience with gameplay, mechanics, and story goes that I still like Explorers more—because it does feel like more of a challenge, after all, and that each new accomplishment, shop, or special episode that gets unlocked was due to your general efforts and hard work. Like it is a genuine reward, rather than something that just got handed to you. And the progression was clearer to see and made more sense than in Rescue Team.

So I guess my new order for favorite games in the series is: Explorers, Gates, Rescue Team, PSMD.

…I think I hit all the highlights, but I’m sure that I’ll probably think of some other stuff later, too.

Oh, also—I still think that the Timburr who speaks more formally has a crush on the hero (I mean—they actually cried, just like their boss, when the hero returned, whereas the other one was just happy. Which—yeah, people react to joy in different ways, and tears—or lack thereof—aren’t necessarily “proof,” but… I still think I’m on to something). Actually, I think a lot of the travelers also have/could easily develop a crush on the hero. Like… some of them, like Trubbish and Mienfoo, I think are just good friends with them. But I really don’t think Dwebble would have gone to all that trouble or felt that bad about things if there wasn’t a little crush or something going on. And, sure, maybe that just goes along with his overall personality—like he gets embarrassed easily or is a little vain or something, but… he addressed those letters to the player, not anyone else. Not even the partner. And, like, no one really noticed they were gone aside from the player/partner until right before Crustle made an appearance? But they expected that the player most definitely would notice. So… yeah. And they also cried when the hero returned.

#pokemon mystery dungeon #gates to infinity #analysis #my opinions

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carols-review-box · 3 years

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My Thoughts on Horimiya (Anime)

Here are my thoughts on the anime.

I’ll admit firsthand; I’m coming into Horimiya with perhaps, a major bias. That is– I’m a manga reader, and I’ve been reading the manga, month by month, for over half a decade now, so I’ve had a massive amount of time to get attached to these characters and their relationships. So, my view and subsequent thoughts on Horimiya might be tinted with rose-colored glasses, but I’ll try my best to make this review based on the anime and not the manga. (Side note: I don’t actually expect people to read this review, so does basing my thoughts on the anime actually matter? Who knows. In any case, I’ll be writing a separate review for the manga once I’ve reread it.)

The Goods

Here’s a basic question to be asked: Would I recommend watching Horimiya? The very simple answer is, yes. I would recommend it, purely for the two main characters and their relationship dynamic. What can I say? Horimiya presents a refreshing take on the romance anime genre. Ironically, the refreshing aspect of the show comes from the fact that it’s… well, just straight up realistic (which is what more anime romances need).

In this anime, there are no grandiose displays of love (maybe, except for when Miyamura jumped the fence to buy eggs for Hori). There are no long, dragged out misunderstandings, or complicated love triangles either. There is never a feeling of “Will they/Will they not get together?” And so on. Instead, the anime prides itself on depicting a fairly genuine love story; the main characters discover a “side” of the other that no one else knows, gradually fall in love with each other for relatable reasons, and get into a relationship well before the show is over.

And it doesn’t stop there– Hori and Miyamura still continuously learn new things about the other person even after they start to date, and they fall deeper into love. I think a good amount of people could relate to this; a lot of people have experienced something similar to this in real life, and it’s nice to see it reflected on the big screen. It’s also a good change of pace from the usual romance anime (which often have at least one, if not a combination of the issues listed above). It made me honestly miss my high school days; miss having young love, where having a crush was an exhilarating prospect, and it meant experiencing completely new things. (Not like I can’t still experience new things with my current boyfriend; but my point gets across, right?)

The Bads

That being said, there are a number of flaws this show has. The second half of the series (up until the last two episodes) goes downhill as it starts to focus a lot more on Hori and Miyamura’s friends, aka the side characters. I think this was done deliberately to appease manga readers, however it isn’t that interesting from an anime-watcher standpoint. For example; while Remi and Sengoku are great characters, there really is no need to dedicate half an episode to their backstory when: 1) The anime is already limited on the amount of episodes it airs, and 2) Their story contributes little to the plot.

Similarly, the anime puts a large amount of time on the love triangle between Tooru, Yuki, and Sakura, but nothing really comes out of fruition from that (though I admit, this is a manga problem as well.) The show even notes at this itself during a scene where Tooru has lunch with his friends, and he says something along the lines of, “So, Yuki and I are definitely more than friends. But I don’t know if I’m going to do anything about it.” ... And well... true to his word, he doesn’t do anything. They don’t start dating, but he doesn’t reject her either-- in fact, there’s not even so much as a conversation between them about their feelings. Their relationship stays stagnant: as friends, and only as friends, with no indication of romantic feeling whatsoever, despite the multiple episodes that supposedly built them up before. This is the one couple in Horimiya which completely let me down.

This is not to say the side characters themselves and their personalities are bad in any way-- on the contrary, they’re all lovely characters with gentle personalities and interesting journeys. While the side characters for many anime shows tend to be either straight up boring or annoyingly frustrating, Horimiya’s side cast are at least relatable and personable in a way which most people can understand. But with a 13-episode time restraint, placing so much importance on them ended up diluting both the main story and the side couples’ relationships.

Horimiya’s second major flaw (which is also a manga problem) is the fact that we don’t really get to see the characters’ journeys past their high school relationships. The anime ends with the main characters graduating from high school, but we have absolutely no idea what they’re going to do afterwards. There’s no mention of college or jobs, or aspirations or even daydreams. Similarly, there are personal issues and storylines within each character that could be explored, but are never given the light of day, such as Hori’s self-esteem issues.

Past the Plot

I’m just going to take a moment and say the animation in this show is absolutely beautiful and is one of the things that makes it much more enjoyable. The art rarely falters, if ever at all, and the soundtrack isn’t half bad either. The opening song, Irokousui, is actually kind of a banger.

Finally,

Now, I know that I just spent several paragraphs ranting about the obvious flaws of the show. But I promise-- swear on oath-- that overall, Horimiya is a very enjoyable anime. I only have one more thing to say about the show before I go and that is...

At the ending, during Miyamura’s internal monologue... I sobbed. I know it is a happy ending, but I cried and cried, and wouldn’t stop crying for another 30 minutes, and then had a feeling of sadness in my chest for the next 3 days. Even though I read the manga beforehand, I was not prepared at all for the impact of Miyamura’s love letter to Hori-- not prepared for his sweet love, not prepared for the innocence and purity, and most of all, not prepared for the true and final ending to a story and characters I’ve spent years following. To a story and characters I bonded with over the entire course of my own high school career and beyond.

Thank you to the creators of the manga and everyone who poured their heart into soul into its creation. As I said before-- I’m perceiving the anime through rose-colored glasses, but I can’t help but love it.

#anime #horimiya #hori to miyamura #8

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fancyemowolfbat · 4 years

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Thoughts on Castlevania S3: Taka and Sumi’s abuse of Adrian

Season three spoilers below: and yes, this is plot heavy. So if you haven’t seen yet, read at your own risk.

But the TL;DR: I love Castlevania and this scene only made me love it more.

To start: This is entirely an opinion post. I don’t have enough energy to make it into a full analysis with resources and other things. So don’t take this as an essay with some deep meaning. This is entirely just an impressions post.

I love this scene. I love the writing and the visuals. And I love that it was handled in a very real manner. And I love that it represented abuse correctly, because make no mistake-- this scene was abuse--at the very least, and rape at worst. But I’m not saying that for the reasons others have given. But I’m going to get back to that in a moment.

I’m going to leave out the controversy that’s been spat about this scene, because honestly, I don’t feel like talking about it. Like I said, I’m tired. And I’m not gonna harass someone else over their opinions just because they’re different than mine. If you didn’t like this, that’s totally fine. Please don’t ask me to debate, I’m not interested in . I’m simply enjoying this show in my own little corner, and am sharing my own opinions and observations for those who might be curious.

1.) Adrian is confirmed canonically (as far as the Netflix series goes) Bisexual.

While the events that follow the scene absolutely make this scene abuse and manipulation, at the start, Adrian does consent to the sex initially (INITIALLY, I’m not forgetting what happens after). He willingly makes out with both Sumi and Taka, and he’s very obviously anally penetrated when Taka puts Adrian’s legs over his shoulders. It’s not subtle. This is probably the smallest thing to mention given what happens, but this did make me happy. Adrian is only the second character in my favorites list to be confirmed LGBTQIA+ (the other being Damien Bloodmarch from Dream Daddy: a Dad Dating Simulator). And I won’t lie, I cried for both instances.

This is a popular show, and Adrian is one of the main characters. This season had so many good examples of LGBT+ relationships-- including a very healthy partnership between two of the female villains which was openly discussed by them on screen. It’s treated as normal but not made the focus of the story, though it’s very obvious and not hidden. This was very impressive and respectful, showing a range of different orientations, and showing both healthy and unhealthy relationships.

I won’t address the games, because I haven’t finished playing them. I’ve heard some saying he’s always been bi, some saying it was never confirmed, and some saying he was confirmed straight. So I don’t know. I am of the opinion that a character’s sexuality does not affect the overall lore any more than their skin color or religion does. BUT, that is all I can say. I don’t know the games. And this scene certainly does include lore, as I will touch on in a bit...

2.) This scene was abuse, and the writing vilifies it as such.

As I said above, Adrian does seem to initially consent to the sex. He returns their kisses, he grips onto Sumi’s ass, and holds Taka’s shoulder as they make out. These are actions that imply he was enjoying this at the beginning. Although, it is possible he may have felt somewhat pressured to go further, as when they initially push him down, he does seem taken back, although that may have been mostly surprise.

However, as the scene goes on, it becomes clear that these two are attempting to make Adrian vulnerable. They continue with him until he is exhausted-- there are two of them and one of him. And given Adrian’s reactions, it’s very possible this may have been his first time. And I’m also not going to gloss over the fact that Adrian himself has said that he aged quickly. It is entirely possible that Adrian may still mentally be a child, in which case, this is also two young adults taking advantage of a younger teenager.

However, when this clearly becomes abuse and possibly rape is why they were having sex with him in the first place-- they wanted to make him vulnerable enough to kill him. They grew impatient with Adrian, wanting him to do things he could not do and teach them things he had not yet had the chance to. He gave them all he could, but their urge to return to Japan and free their people grew into a desire to kick out and replace the authority that abused them, to “make their own empire.” I also like that this makes this very real and tangible-- the abusers are not cartoonishly evil. They are real people with real motives who experienced abuse themselves. This hits a really sensitive topic many people aren’t willing to address-- that anyone is capable of abuse, villains aren’t alien, and people who may be otherwise trustworthy may commit grievous acts which can deeply hurt people.

What solidifies the idea in my mind is Adrian’s reaction after he kills them both and frees himself. We see him, having dragged himself to his childhood bedroom, laying on the floor in the spot where he killed his father, shaking and crying. He was violated. He was betrayed. The first time he’d been living a somewhat normal life in over a year, and the only two friends he had after Sypha and Trevor left stabbed him in the back. These humans, whom he killed his father to protect, took advantage of him and almost killed him, forcing him to kill them first.

I’m going to link to this post by @fandomwanderer and this post by @mega-ringsandthings-world, because the sum up the idea better than I ever could. But this sets up Adrian’s character superbly. I will say, my wish for the next season is a bit different.

I hope that, eventually, Sypha and Trevor do come back, expecting Adrian to be waiting for them with open arms. And instead they find a very cold, very detached Adrian who is not acting like himself. I want tension between these three characters who used to be friends, until it builds up and eventually leads to a clash, possibly in the form of a physical fight. I want it to escalate until something happens and causes pause enough for Sypha and Trevor to talk Adrian down, at which point we finally see him start to crack, and eventually break down in his friends arms. I want them to ask about the scars, and prod and push until he snaps and attacks them, only to lead to him revealing everything that happened and clinging to them for comfort, while they wish they could’ve been the ones to kill the bastards. I truly do hope this happens. It’s been Three Seasons. Two of them have ended with Adrian sobbing. I want him to finally get some relief. But, even with this, I’m sure whatever the writers decide to do, it will be amazing. They’re in a very precarious place right now, but I’m excited to see where they go with it.

3.) Adrian’s reaction is perfectly justified.

This may just be an extension of point two, but Sumi and Taka’s abuse is not excused by the writing. All too often in fiction, rape and abuse are written off as not being that bad or even being desirable. What happens to Adrian is not painted as positive. It affects him extremely negatively, and it is not treated as his fault in any way. Even though he initially consented, these two betrayed his trust and hurt him. That is never treated as something he should be responsible for. Granted, with this being at the end of the series, there wasn’t much time for this to digest. I expect to see some characters see how he reacted by killing and spitting them, and initially assume that he did so because “he’s Dracula's son and of course.” But these characters will likely be doing so without context. The abuse also isn’t blamed on Adrian’s apparent orientation. Hector is abused in the same way by Lenore, in a heterosexual female-on-male abuse scene. And as stated above, there are healthy LGBT+ relationships in the show, as well.

Also, as the above linked post states, this also leads to us seeing Adrian slip slowly into the mindset his father once held-- perhaps not completely, but it is beginning. And all I’m left to think is, how much must this hurt? How much must Adrian hate seeing himself this way after everything he did for humans? But he’s so hurt by this betrayal that he can’t see things any other way right now. He is in pain, and he has had no real rest from that pain since his mother was killed.

“I gave you everything.” Adrian opened his home to Sumi and Taka, and he opened his heart to them, as well. He gave them his home, his weapons, his knowledge, his body. He is very young and very trusting, despite everything he’s been through. And that trust was taken and shoved right back in his face with insult and humiliation. He gave his all, not just for Sumi and Taka, but for humanity as a whole. He killed people, he killed his own kind, and he killed his own father-- his only remaining parent-- after his own mother was killed by the very people he was trying to protect. He gave everything, and humanity took it all and then shat on him in return. Adrian has every. right to feel betrayed. I don’t think he’ll be the new villain solely because I believe they will stick a bit closer to game lore, and may rather have him simply put himself to rest until the next major disaster hits humanity. But I do think this event caused his view of humanity to be less rose-tinted. He was forced to grow up fast, and much more painfully than he should’ve.

I truly hope, more than anything else, in future seasons Adrian does get some form of relief. Though, I doubt the world is done kinking him while he’s down. Hopefully, sooner rather than later, something truly good and unbastardized will come his way. Until then, I’ll be waiting with baited breath. I couldn’t be happier that this series is continuing.

P.S.: Please let me hug Adrian.

#Castlevania #castlevania season 3 #castlevania spoilers #castlevania season 3 spoilers #castlevania s3 #casltevania s3 spoilers #abuse tw #rape tw #analysis #opinion #review #Self 🔅 Adrian

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smallersocksx · 3 years

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Pokemon Journeys Episode 62 + 63 Review (that nobody asked for!)

These reviews I’ve been writing for Journeys have been so well-received I was honestly surprised! I think I’ll only write them for episodes that contribute to the storyline or character development rather than filler-esque episodes.

I know I’m late with episode 62 and a lot of people have already reviewed the episode. I had watched the raw on the Friday and I wanted to watch the sub to have a more informed opinion. However, my Grandmother’s dog was rushed to hospital and I was way too anxious to actually do anything other than worry. Thankfully, he was discharged and is doing a lot better!

Anyways, as usual I will keep my review below the cut, so if you want to read that’s great!

I don’t know how long this post will be given it's about two episodes but I’ll try to break it down into sections.

Build-up and the Beginning:

To be honest this was an episode that I had mixed feelings towards whilst waiting for it to air. As I have mentioned many times, one of the aspects I find frustrating about Journeys is the pacing and development, and once it was confirmed Sobble would be evolving into Drizzile after only one actual episode dedicated towards his development, I was honestly annoyed especially as Sobble was pushed to the side in favour of Grookey being the new “cute” starter.

The beginning of the episode wasn’t particularly great if I was honest, I didn’t understand the point of the television interview and then there was Sobble’s actual evolution scene. When the synopsis described Sobble’s evolution being triggered by him saving another Pokémon, I thought it was going to be something epic rather than him saving an Oddish from a falling berry. I think they could have handled Sobble’s actual evolution a lot better, they could have gone down the route of something similar to Professor Sycamore’s Garchomp when she evolved from Gible to Gabite and then to her current evolution, she was surrounded by the other laboratory Pokémon and Professor Sycamore and it was so wholesome. I think if Goh’s other Pokémon had at least witnessed the evolution it would have made the evolution sequence better, I mean Oddish didn’t even acknowledge that Sobble had saved it.

Drizzile:

For the majority of the episode, I felt so sad for Drizzile, I mean I was a little confused that he forgot about his middle evolution as Renji had it on the screen in Episode 54 (but never mind!). I just felt so sad for him after he saw his reflection and learnt he wasn’t an Inteleon yet. However, Goh’s other Pokémon didn’t help Drizzile feel any better, he was literally being tossed around left and right until he was caught by Big Bro Cinderace (that is my nickname for him) but sadly even Cinderace didn’t understand the extent of Drizzile’s feelings.

Throughout the series, we’ve had a lot of episodes surrounding a trainer and a Pokémon trying to understand one another’s feelings and they have honestly made some of the best episodes such as DP’s Stopped in the Name of Love, where Dawn’s Piplup was physically ready to evolve but emotionally he wasn’t and Dawn didn’t even realise the extent of Piplup’s feelings until Meowth translated for her. There’s even an episode in XY, where Serena didn’t understand Braixen’s attachment to her branch without James’ help. There’s probably even more but these are the two that I can think of at the top of my head. Even in these instances, Dawn and Serena didn’t realise the extent of their Pokémon’s feelings without the help of a third party (which was using Team Rocket a lot better than Journeys)

I went a bit off track, it's a lot easier for a Pokémon to understand their trainer’s feelings than a trainer to understand their Pokémon’s and that's because of a language barrier. Similar to animals in the real world, Pokémon have to use alternative means and signals to express their feelings and I think what made this episode more impactful was Goh not receiving that third party help (although Professor Cerise did give him a hint by notifying him about Pokemon experiencing personality changes when they evolve).

Whilst, I believe part of Drizzile’s depression stemmed from the fact he wasn’t an Inteleon yet, I think he was confused and emotionally drained due to these new innate traits he’s suddenly developed such as laziness. Whilst, the episode does acknowledge and try to address this issue for Drizzile, I don’t think it entirely hit the mark. Compared to the BW episode, A Village Homecoming, where a Zweilous under the care of Iris’ friend evolved into Hydreigon it went on a rampage because it was confused by the sudden change and scared until Iris calmed it down (which was some good development for her). Whilst, I respect the fact Goh gave Drizzile space and time to process his emotions, this ending is a little bit unsatisfactory to me, I’m sad Drizzile is just sat in a cave all alone, I was hoping by the end of the episode he would overcome his depression and accept his new form and traits. Plus, if the writers pull what they did with Farfetch’d and forget Drizzile exists, I’m going over there with a pitchfork!

Goh’s emotional development:

Now I won’t lie, lately, Goh has been getting on my nerves and I hate feeling that way especially given he’s meant to be a main character. However, one of the aspects that was annoying me was his rapid development particularly in the area of battle but this episode did an amazing job of representing Goh’s emotional development.

If this was Goh at the beginning of the series, there would have been no doubt he would have tried to drag Drizzile out of that cave instead he was taking his time and trying to coax Drizzile out until Cinderace decided to drag the poor boy out and it broke my heart seeing the single tear slide down Drizzile’s cheek more than it did every instance he cried as a Sobble.

What I love about this episode is Goh learning from his mistakes and recognising that Drizzile’s personality change was similar to when Scorbunny evolved to Raboot and then Raboot to Cinderace. Although they missed an opportunity with Ash, he could have brought up his experience with evolution and personality change with his Charizard. Anyway! As I mentioned in the Drizzile section it's harder for a Pokémon to articulate their feelings as humans do. However, even humans have difficulty expressing or even understanding their own feelings sometimes and Goh understood that.

That heart-to-heart, Goh had with Drizzile made me cry but it did such a great job reflecting Goh’s emotional development and that moment Drizzile wiped Goh’s tear as Goh had once done for him was so moving. As I previously mentioned, I like the message of giving someone space and time to process their feelings but as I previously mentioned that ending left me with some mixed feelings.

Conclusion:

Whilst, I would have preferred Sobble have more development before evolving and for the actual evolution to have been handled better. All in all, it was a good episode that honestly had me crying. The ending for me was a little unsatisfactory but I definitely think this has been one of the better Journeys episodes to have come out as of late.

Episode 63

It’s a miracle! They didn’t wait for 20 episodes to give Chloe and Eevee development and they went to a different region!

Prologue and Continuity:

At the beginning of the episode, the group are watching the Adult division of the Marine Athletics Race held in Hoenn. Eevee takes a particular interest as a Vaporeon is participating in the race and I really loved this link to her debut episode where she was copying all the Eeveelutions such as walking elegantly like Sylveon and attempting to swim like Vaporeon before nearly drowning (God love her!)

However, I love the fact similar to the Ponyta episode, Chloe takes the initiative and wants to meet Vaporeon and his trainer as it may be good to expose Eevee not only to her evolved forms but also learn from other trainers that have had an Eevee why they evolved them into certain forms (Ash this would have been a great opportunity to call May and Serena! Or even Virgil!)

Kairi and Vaporeon:

I honestly loved the dinner scene after the group tried the racecourse and it's a miracle Ash is actually using Dracovish! I loved the discussion Chloe had with Kairi asking why he chose to evolve his Eevee into a Vaporeon. And I liked the fact his answer was simple, his Eevee loved the sea, was a natural on a surfboard and evolving Eevee into a Vaporeon was a natural fit for the two of them.

I’ve only watched the episode raw, there’s a bit where I assume Goh asked Chloe what she would want her Eevee to evolve into. I think Chloe’s answer focused around the fact she wants Eevee to decide for herself rather than have her or someone else decide her path, a feeling Chloe probably relates to as her classmates all assumed she would want to be a Pokémon Professor like her father. Also, Eevee sleeping on top of Vaporeon was so wholesome, I’m sorry why are not talking about this!

The Ending:

After the incident caused by Goh’s Dewgong (honestly going from the episode preview I thought it was something to do with Team Rocket so Dewgong causing trouble was a nice change of pace and not doing Team Rocket dirty by using them as convenient plot devices!) Anyways, I loved the ending, as Kairi gave Chloe a Water Stone and I love the fact it doesn’t mean Chloe has to use the stone immediately but the stone is around and is there as an option. Chloe and Eevee can keep deepening their relationship which already increases Eevee’s evolution potential as three of her evolutions are triggered by the bond between trainer and Pokémon. Going down the line, I think Chloe meeting other trainers that have an Eevee or one of the Eeveelutions is a great way for her to develop and learn from other trainers.

All in all, this was a great Chloe and Eevee-focused episode (as mentioned in my overall Journeys critique I’m just sad Yamper is being pushed to the side when Chloe’s earlier development is attributed to her bond with him). Hopefully, in future episodes, Yamper can be more involved. Overall, the last two episodes of Journeys have been good. The trailer/preview they showed, Infernape’s BACK!!! Also, seeing more of Ash’s old Pokémon like Hawlucha and Noivern my favourite father-son duo!! Journeys finally delivering on what the fandom wanted! Also, I think I heard Kakihara’s voice in the trailer and if I’m right, I’ll be over the moon, he’s honestly one of my favourite voice actors >o<

All in all, Journeys might have some good content coming up, my only complaint being I don’t like how all the Gen 8 content is being shoe-horned into these mini arcs and we’re hardly seeing any Galar characters.

#pokemon journeys #pokemon #pokeani

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winterbites · 5 years

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(Major JoJo's Bizarre Adventure anime spoiler warning) My review of...

JoJo's Bizarre Adventure: Battle Tendency is my absolute favorite season of JoJo's Bizarre Adventure. 16 episodes long, this is where Akari really began to show his viewers just how crazy his work could get and set the bar for the rest of the series.

Just like with Phantom Blood, Battle Tendency is pretty short so it has a narrator to help time pass while not leaving the viewer in the dark, it also doesn't have much on-screen character growth but it certainly has the same fantastic animation. Personally, I don't think there are any bad qualities in this season but I'll try to list the pros and cons equally and neutrally (I really do love this season).

To start, the soundtrack of this season had me wanking every single episode because it's just that good. I even looked up the soundtrack and saved a few songs (my favorite from it is Awaken). I love the inspired sounds and music from different countries integrated with the flashy pop (your Prince inspiration is showing again, Akari).

In terms of visuals, Phantom Blood's intro will always be my number one with or without sound effects; however, Battle Tendency's intro is definitely my 3rd favorite and jumps to my 2nd favorite when the sound effects are added. I adore the mix of the 3D-looking 2D art style, regular 2D art style, and the sketched elements of the Pillar Men's attacks; not to mention the whole intro is made even spicier with the large array of color palletes used.

As for the outro, I like it just as much as Phantom Blood's. The smooth transition from one season's outro to the next adds flavor and really shows the relationship between the two even though they don't have much to do with each other story-wise.

Next are the characters; I like them much better than many characters from a lot of the other seasons. In Battle Tendency, the characters were each given their own unique personality, morals, goals and very different physical designs. You had a German soldier who literally blew himself up no less than 3 times in the name of his country and risked his life many more times, eventually dying, for the same reason. You had Joseph who wasn't the righteous gentleman the way Jonathan was but instead is comedic and brave with strong familial values. You had strong female characters, each with their own unique designs and characteristics that reflected their age. You had all this and so much more, like an Italian soldier that you fall in love with as soon as he hits the screen only to have him die literally 10 minutes later within the same episode.

Now, remember when I said that this season is really where JoJo's Bizarre Adventure earned the bizarre in its title? I'll tell you why that is, and it's because of its antagonists: the Pillar Men. Starting off, their goddamn clothes. Odd clothing and fashion choices is a staple in JoJo's Bizarre Adventure, but the Pillar Men take it to a new extreme with their loinclothes. That's literally it, that's all they wear. However, it's the way their bodies were designed and the way they constantly flash incredibly flamboyant poses that makes it so fucking weird (and yet nobody wants to mention them when comparing fashion choices across the anime). The Pillar Men had their own personalities, morals and codes of honor just like the rest of the cast as well as an enveloping, yet brief, shared backstory. By the way, did I mention their theme, Awaken, is fucking great? Because it is. Honestly, I think the Pillar Men are the best part of Battle Tendency and I highly enjoyed them and their character designs (great job, Akari!)

However, there were three specific things I didn't like in Battle Tendency. First was that Akari threw Straizo under the bus to further the plot. In my post about Phantom Blood, I said that there wasn't a lot of character development that could be done in 9 episodes and I stand by that. However, I don't believe that Straizo, a former friend in battle and life of Jonathan's, would give in to the corruption of vampirism and eternal life to the point of trying to murder his friend's grandson, especially since Straizo is obviously an important figure and friend within Joseph's life as well.

Second is that the viewers never got to see the extent of Lisa Lisa's powers. There was the big battle between Kars and Lisa Lisa that was being hyped to extraordinary extremes and then it kind of fell flat when Kars decided to be a realistic little bitch about the whole situation. I congratulate and even thank Akari for breaking off from the norm of villains going though unnecessary lengths to get what they want (in Kars' case, a full blown battle with a woman he knows is incredibly powerful and could very possibly kick his ass) and I know that it's the job of the main protagonist to take down the main antagonist, but I can't help but feel cheated because, through the show, we were never really shown just what Lisa Lisa can do.

Lastly is Caesar's death; it was the most unnecessary death in the whole series. I know he was high on emotion when faced with the choice of going after the Pillar Men, but he was always shown to be obedient to Lisa Lisa. So, to have him deliberately disobey Lisa Lisa's, and basically the whole party's, decision to NOT go after the Pillar Men, it didn't make much sense to me. To Akari's credit, the death was agonizingly heartbreaking and I cried a river during the sequence, so good job to him for making such a touching scene and David Production and the voice actors for really bringing it to life.

Finally, adding toward the pros of this season is the comedy: Battle Tendency is hilarious. I won't say much in this category since the creative humor needs to be experienced first-hand, but I will say that it's absolutely wonderful and had me crying tears of laughter the whole way through.

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bookish-bi-mormon · 4 years

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Thoughts on the finale of Shadowhunters

So I know I’m like, 7 months late. But I just watched the series finale of Shadowhunters and I want to express my feelings about things.

Firstly, I want to acknowledge that they were given 2 extra episodes to finish their show and I want to applaud them, because I think it ended up not horrible. But you also just have to be aware that they were probably planning on at least 10 more episodes to tell the story of the 6th book. Also I want to acknowledge that any memory I had of the 5th and 6th books has mostly disappeared so I don’t remember how a lot of things went down in that universe.

Now, I have to say that I appreciated the tone of 3x22. I thought it was a little funny that they defeated Lillith all before the opening sequence, but all the scenes immediately after the opening sequence felt like a soft epilogue. All of the main couples were finally together, finding happiness despite the evil that still lurked outside.

The wedding in particular impressed me. Most show like this I’ve seen with weddings (@the CW) always use the wedding as some kind of plot point. Either they are using it to draw out a villain or there is some other anxiety causing event surrounding the entire thing, to the moment that you can’t enjoy the wedding at all. Shadowhunters allowed Magnus and Alec’s wedding to be just that, a wedding. And also a tool for their epilogue, to let characters say things that needed to be said, to give us glimpses of their endings (Raphael Santiago is going to be a priest? I cried) and it really felt like the closure we needed.

That being said, after a little while of sweet closure, we had to have Clary loose everything she had fought so hard to save. And then a freaking TIME JUMP. I have a few issues with this part of the episode

Why did no one notice that her runes were disappearing? You think you would notice if your friends entire forearm was suddenly void of the dark tattoos that are normally there.

As someone else pointed out, the letter they show on the screen says something completely different from the voice over. Either it’s just a lazy mistake, and they had a different ending planned, then changed their minds and only changed the voice over, or there’s something else going on or... idk. That was confusing.

Where the heck did Clary go? She walks outside of the institute and into a world where her mom is dead, Simon is dead, Luke was sent to prison??(Idk where she would think Luke is). Dot is dead, her home is gone. Was she just homeless for a while? How did she get back into art school? What did she think she had been doing for the past months? (Years?) None of that makes any sense. Again, I understand they had a limited amount of time to tell the story, but they could have at least tried to explain that one.

After that episode where they all thought Clary was dead and Jace and Simon and Luke (and everyone else tbh) were absolute wrecks about it, you’d think they would have tried harder to bring Clary back instead of just accepting that it “was the will of the angels”

What was the point of having Clary ask Isabelle to be her parabatai (and changing from the books, where Simon is cured, becomes a shadowhunter and Clary’s parabatai) if that wasn’t going to happen? I mean, don’t get me wrong, I would have really appreciated that, I do feel a little weird about Simon being cured in the books, but it just feels so odd. Maybe it wasn’t the plan, maybe it was and they just wanted to leave Clary with unfinished business to make it even sadder.

I was sad that Clary’s bonding rune was used on such a small scale. If memory serves in the books it’s a momentous occasion that involved hundreds of Shadowhunters and Downworlders putting aside their differences and working together. I would have liked to see that

This isn’t critique but I’m just sad that we didn’t get to see more of Helen and Aline, it seems like they wanted to do more with them but didn’t get the chance.

That being said, things I loved

Jem officiating the wedding!!

All the cute background stuff that was happening at the wedding

That Magnus got closure with Lorenzo and they were able to put aside their differences

Magnus’s whole outfit at the end, the blue looks very good on him.

The fact that Alicante is becoming a place for Downworlders too, and Alec is there so you know some good political decisions are going to be made.

Isabelle as head of the New York institute

Jace training Simon to fight

*boop boop*

The parallels with when Clary sees Jace at the end and their first meeting. That was some good art right there.

The hints at a future where Clary comes back, and a potential for further episodes (which would be completely removed from the book plot lines since we’ve kind of expended the major ones there)

It also felt like they were trying to keep things open to tell the story of the Dark Artifices (Helen Blackthorn, the destruction of the LA Institute (although if EVERYONE died idk) or even the Infernal Devices (with Jem officiating the wedding) so I appreciated that, even if no one has offered them the chance to do that yet.

Overall, I did appreciate it. I think they did a really good job of retelling 6 books in 3 seasons. It’s a tragedy that they had to end sooner than expected and I will treasure this series along with the books for a long time.

#Shadowhunters #season 3 finale #series finale #The Mortal Instruments #review #rachel's ramblings

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