#it's very fun to think about this dialogue appearing in the Live Action

[andaniellight]

Zoro you literally have the safest, most secure job position slash title in the straw hat crew are irreplaceable to Luffy, no need to be so fucking jealous and dramatic smh

#we get it gay boy your captain doesn't deserve that kind of worry over someone else #ZoLu #LuZo #anyways here's for SANLU #Roronoa Zoro #Monkey D. Luffy #Nami #it's very fun to think about this dialogue appearing in the Live Action #One Piece #alright brING IT ON WHOLE CAKE ISLAND !!!

[currantlee]

A few comments on a recent post about RWBY I made got me thinking about something. Basically, I think that Rooster Teeth – and possibly by extension its parent companies – have artificially inflated RWBY as a media project and franchise rather than letting it grow organically. Therefore, it became a bubble that was bound to burst at some point. RWBY might never have been a profitable IP, which might be very relevant for its future.

This is not a problem that arose after Monty Oum‘s passing, I feel like this was already coming before that. Shane Newville‘s open letter (which absolutely comes from an emotional, mentally unwell state of mind, but has had many of its contents confirmed over the years, even beyond being one of the first descriptions of the toxic work environment at Rooster Teeth) makes a few points that support this impression. Whether you agree with the letter or not, you cannot deny that the first two volumes of RWBY, while they also had merch accompanying them and stuff, were not produced following industry standards – starting with the 3D software used, Poser Pro (Monty Oum‘s preferred tool for animation). This led to some really creative animation work that, while not always high-quality by industry-standards, was certainly pushing boundaries. It was creative and it worked for what RWBY was: a passion project created by someone who saw animation as his strongest suit – as his preferred medium to tell a story. I‘ve seen a lot of people claim that Monty Oum wasn‘t a writer, and while that‘s true, I feel like the implication of that statement is always that he couldn‘t tell stories on his own. I don‘t think that‘s true. I think Monty Oum was a great storyteller when it came to expressing certain things through animated action scenes. It‘s just that he wanted to tell a story that included more than just that and a few lines of dialogue – which is where Miles Luna and Kerry Shawcross come in, two at the time very inexperienced writers (who possibly had a fallout with Monty Oum over creative differences later), as well as some talented folks – people like Shane Newville. They were chosen to work on this because Monty Oum acknowledged their potential and liked to work with them, and I feel like that created an environment where they were really allowed to flourish. Volumes 1 and 2 are certainly not flawless, but I feel like I can tell the people making it had fun.

To Rooster Teeth however? I think RWBY (and by extension, Monty Oum as a creator) might have been little more than assets to them. RWBY was first created around a time when RT first tried to be more like, well, an actual company. At least from 2014 onward, but possibly even earlier than that, this included an effort to conform to industry standards more, mostly in order to be able to hire more people – very visibly so in RWBY in the form of the switch to Maya (my opinion about that is, the way they did it didn’t do RWBY any favors at all). I think they saw RWBY and Monty Oum as an opportunity to appear… More important, bigger, than they ever really were.

So what did they do? Again, I kind of have the feeling that they “upscaled” RWBY to a size where it appears like this big thing, but it became far too much to handle. Essentially, they created a mock giant, or a metaphorical quasi-star: something that can appear big from afar, but is actually very small / unstable (and if we go with the quasi-star metaphor, disturbs all of its surroundings). This is what I mean when I say that RWBY was a bubble bound to burst, because no star lives forever – and quasi-stars can only exist under very specific, very unstable conditions (I linked a Kurzgesagt-video in case you’re interested what exactly a quasi-star / black hole star is / was, cosmology is so fascinating IMO). Once these conditions exist no longer, they both fall apart and collapse into the black hole that is their core at the same time.

My main argument for this is that RWBY was essentially a huge money sink for RT (Source: Barbara Dunkelman’s unprofessionalism). They pumped so much money into this… Perhaps even more than they ever made from it. While this isn’t 100% confirmed, it is very much possible (and IMO not exactly unlikely) that RWBY was never profitable — which it might have been if RT hadn’t been so hellbent on creating the illusion of a multi-million-dollar franchise.

This is purely speculative, but this might also be why Volume 10 was never greenlit. We know that Volume 9 was to a significant part funded by Crunchyroll and in fact would not have been possible without them (probably because RT was already out of money at this point). They might have bought into this mock giant, then realized they had pretty much been scammed once Volume 9 aired. This might have led to Crunchyroll’s unwillingness to fund another season for something they knew now was effectively a money sink. Since RT at this point lacked the funds to produce Volume 10 alone and therefore was dependent on investors like Crunchyroll and Warner Brothers… Volume 10 was never greenlit, no matter how hard they attempted to get their fans’ hopes up and start a hashtag campaign on social media (as far as I remember, that was started by Rooster Teeth, not the fans. I don’t have my Twitter account anymore though, so I can’t check). Again though, this is speculation.

The worst part? This refusal of RT to just… Downscale RWBY again, this determination that it had to be this huge franchise… Was all put on the backs of the creatives working on it. We know at this point, from multiple sources, that RWBY and other RT productions have had an incredible amount of crunchtime, working overtime, employee abuse, … going on behind the scenes, which seems to only have gotten worse after Monty Oum’s passing. At the end of the day, all RT does and has ever done is blame others for their incompetence. Like, no shit, I’ve seen fans claim that it’s the FNDM’s job to “keep the show alive” (particularly in the light of #GreenlightVolume10), which… No, that’s not the fans’ job. It’s the job of the company who has been entrusted with this beloved IP, and said company has proven to be utterly incompetent on multiple occasions, which is unfortunate, but a sad reality for all those who love RWBY. And while Rooster Teeth has never directly said such a thing, they have certainly implied it and taken advantage of the existing sentiment within their fanbase, as well as their parasocial relationship with it (again, see #GreenlightVolume10 for reference).

To clarify, I’m not saying none of this would have happened if RT didn’t insist on making RWBY this big franchise (and biting off far more than they could chew in the process) – again, RT was far too notoriously incompetent at everything a company should manage – but I do think it might have played a role. It also isn’t an excuse for all the employee abuse. Again, what they should have done is downsizing the project, not inflating it further and further.

If I’m not somehow completely in the wrong (because IMO this just makes way too much sense to not be at least partially true – but let’s face it, a lot of this is just me connecting dots, and there is always a chance I’m connecting them wrong, even though I don‘t think so), then it kinda blows my mind that there are still people who believe in this scam. Though I will say, emotional attachment can do that to anyone. If anything, I’m honestly sorry that those folks lose something that means so much to them, and that false promises were made to them.

At the end of the day, the story of RWBY (the “franchise”) is twofold. It’s a story about an incredibly talented creator who passed away far too early, who was given the incredible opportunity to make his dream come true. It’s a story of people he trusted taking up his torch, and maybe getting lost in the dark along the way. It’s an inspiring story regardless, and I hope to see it continued at a downsized scale so it can grow organically, preferably in the hands of an indie animation studio like Dillon Goo (🤞)

But it is also a cautionary tale to both creatives and companies who employ them, a tale about false promises, abuse of both employees and fans, as well as how to not run a project. Don’t blow your thing out of proportion too early, don’t create a mock giant / metaphorical quasi-star. Let your ideas and projects grow and flourish organically and sincerely.

#RWBY #Rooster Teeth #RT Shutdown #Rooster Teeth Shutdown #Corporate Meddling #Theorizing #Speculation #Behind the Scenes #Rooster Teeth‘s corporate incompetence #Rooster Teeth toxicity #Monty Oum #Shane Newville #Shane‘s Letter #Open Letter to All who Treasured Monty Oum #RWBY Volume 10 #RWBY Volume 9 #RWBY V9 #RWBY V10 #Greenlight Volume 10 Meta #RWBY Discourse #RT Discourse #RT Critical #Does this count as RWDE? #Anyway #RWDE #Currantlee here

[ruthlesslistener]

Do you think, that in a world where pk did get rid of the radience in the beginning, he would've had a "normal child with his wife? And would his kingdom have an eventually downfall?

Lmao, no way. Two immortals have no need for an heir, and siring a likewise immortal child would have just been a means of creating his own downfall. We also know from his actions that when choosing between Hallownest and family, the Pale King would always choose Hallownest (and keeping control over it), so the risk just wouldn't be worth it. Even Hornet was sired for the benefit of Hallownest rather than a desire for a child, and the White Lady mentioning her fondness for her does not necessarily mean that she wanted children of her own. Fun as it is to speculate, we know nothing about the Pale King's thoughts on her creation, and him locking the Abyss/killing the weaker and impure vessels seems to imply that they were some sort of liability to him. If I had to guess, him imprinting on the Hollow Knight was something that hit him completely out of left field, and that he had no desire for an actual living child until the results of his experiments involving his genetics was staring him right in the face. And even then, he treats the information as something terrible that must be sealed away with the greatest security and punished for remembering, which gives me very strong vibes of a guy who had very little qualms about starting the vessel project bc the idea of having kids meant nothing to him up until reality came and smacked him right in the face. Like, he probably had some regret for it- WL's whole horny jail thing is also a form of punishment for what she did to her children, and she's just as cold as he was, if not moreso- but I don't think the full extent of the horrors hit him until then. And someone who wanted kids wouldn't have gone through with growing brainless bodies with their genes to begin with.

Or, well, maybe I shouldn't say 'no way'. We know from his dialogue at the Abyss lore marker that he deeply regretted what he did, we know from his workshop notes that he believed void to be a thing utterly and inherently without mind and emotion (thus making the vessel experiments ethical in theory), and that he grew to love the Hollow Knight despite genuinely believing that they were empty. And the White Lady starts off talking to Ghost with a very matter-of-fact tone about how she believes that the Hollow Knight failed because they were 'tarnished by an idea instilled', which means that she herself thought that they, as a void being, were incapable of emotion or thought, and that an outside influence must have tampered with them. It's not until Ghost- a vessel who very clearly does not give a shit about appearing empty- visits her more and does things like creating the Voidheart that she starts to soften up, and to reconsider their nature. So it may be possible that both of the gods had some vague streak of parental instincts and longings within them, but that their logical minds completely overwhelmed those desires. It would make sense, seeing as both of the Pale Gods were written to counter the Radiance, who is mostly ruled by emotion with very little logic. So while they had the ability to love their children, and they canonically have the ability to grieve/feel guilt for what they did, they still wouldn't have actually gone out and had a kid out of their own desires to begin with. That would be too much of a risk to them and Hallownest.

But yeah, Hallownest would have fallen anyways. There probably wouldn't be a dead baby pit driven by the necessity for a void-infused host body that could trap a malevolent dream deity for eternity, but it still would have had some form of a downfall eventually, be it a gory mess like in canon, or a slow fade like Unn's. Nothing ever lasts forever, not even in the realm of gods.

#hollow knight #pale king #white lady #hollow knight speculation #thats mostly why i dont like happy aus tbh #or aus where hollow and the others are not voided #pk and wl were very much unaware that their children were alive and suffering until it was too late #and they probs never desired a kid until they realized what they had forsaken #plus i just dont like happy family stories. it has to be unconventional or a fucking disaster #but thats my personal bias speaking there

[ineffably-human]

Okay. [cracks knuckles] Let's do this.

"never beat him at anything"

Already this isn't secretly describing Guillermo. Guillermo beating him in a fight earned him a marriage proposal. He starts this list after he's bested in a fight specifically, which is meant to invoke that confrontation - and remember the fight was "what [he's] been waiting for." So we are not looking for Guillermo in this list, or if we are, we have to be selective to do it.

"humble"

I mean, Guillermo CAN be humble, or can at least humble himself. He didn't walk around with a secret enormous ego all those years. But he loves being flattered and given positions of power, he knows his worth and likes it being vocally appreciated. (Y'know who isn't humble basically ever? Nandor.)

"an excellent listener" I think he is, actually. You'd have to be, to be any good at his job.He once very clearly complained that Nandor wasn't listening, because Nandor wasn't. Listening was, at one point, not a Nandor strong suit. "not petty"

They both can be this, for sure. Guillermo moreso. Usually when he's jealous. "or slovenly Neither of them. Slovenly dude is being walked towards the djinn execution room over this line, though. "or vain" Another thing that is VERY Nandor and can sometimes be Guillermo, but not appearance-wise. 'Slovenly' and 'vain' are contrasts, too. Because Nandor is trying to describe perfection.

"or manipulative" THIS is Guillermo, but it's a recent trait and it's kind of from necessity. At this point Nandor's leading four different people down the hallway that presumably correspond to these traits, all to the djinn coin room. "never asked [him] to shave off [his] beard" Only a madman would do such a thing. But clearly at this point we're not looking for 'these are all things Guillermo has done,' either. Background dialogue: 'This guy I don't trust.' (In what? But Nandor clearly trusts Guillermo.) 'This one never learned to read.' (A little unfair but sure, wants education, good conversation..) 'I like her but she's so much smarter than me.' (Again two contrasting things, and a hilarious side-eye from Guillermo at this line that also looks a little worried. Because Nandor's clearly all over the place, or because he's gonna have to look hard to not find anyone smarter than him? You decide!)

"warm, and wanted to be with [him]"

This is Nandor's insecurity again, it's about his own desirability to the person. Contrasting images in the montage: a woman literally shivering in the pool next to him, because he has no body heat, and a guy (one of the Dalals) who clearly is not into him and vice versa.

"kind"

I do think this describes Guillermo, for more please see [gestures to wall of Guillermo apologist meta]

"a good haggler"

When the hell would Nandor have seen this in action during his living years, when he led a country/army? Guillermo seems pretty decent at this though. Something to watch out for in the actual Night Market.

"never borrowed [his] boots without asking [him]"

Nandor, honey, do you even want to get married? (No. No he doesn't. Not this way, anyhow.)

"merciful"

Applies to Guillermo. Applies IMO to modern Nandor who seems to value it. Does not apply to Nandor The Relentless Who Is Pillaging Everyone You Included. Also not sure when he would have had an opportunity to see this in action.

"horny"

Give Guillermo a few rounds with a British starter boyfriend, Nandor, I think he'll get there.

"had a sense of spontaneity and fun"

Applies to both of them, I think.

Okay, so this isn't all describing Guillermo or his opposite. Some of it is describing the opposite of Nandor, some of it is countering anything that might challenge or inconvenience him. But this person isn't anybody, like it's not even a made-up version of a person. They almost certainly didn't exist.

The episode hands it to us, actually. The one thing he remembers is that his love had long dark hair. (He could've just ruled out anyone who didn't without summoning them, but nope.) At the end, when fucking with Marwa's hair, he says he always imagined his wife would have blonde hair. Then he immediately changes his mind, ultimately taking it back to how she started while not being fully pleased with it, saying nothing is too good for his 'perfect wife'. Because he's gone from a supposed memory of true love to a fantasy of perfection, and he can't land on what 'perfection' means to start with.

Nandor didn't want to get married until five seconds after he asked Guillermo to be his best man, and he didn't want it to be this mysterious past love until he realized he could resurrect old romances. What he really wants is to cover up loneliness with a new endorphin high as soon as possible, because Guillermo is so close to walking out that door the minute these made-up tasks run out, Nandor can feel it. And this is how Nandor deals with feelings.

#fandom: wwdits #what we do in the shadows #otp: nandermo #i am a meta gremlin

[everybodyknows-everybodydies]

tagged by @wispstalk - thank you! :D

Rules: post examples of your writing for each question.

tagging (no obligation as per usual!) @bwayfan25, @ghoulsbeard, @onaperduamedee, @lemon-embalmer, @morihaus, and anyone else who wants to play!

(under the cut to save your dash aha)

a line from your fic that makes you laugh

“Well, that’s a relief, because you pretending not to know what a conversation was for the next epoch of recorded history was kind of inconvenient,” he says lightly, getting to his feet.

I just think Romano's dialogue is so much fun to write lol. he's my awful special little guy! I love leaning into the who SAYS that you weirdo aspect of his speech patterns.

a line from your fic that makes you sad

There’s a beat where he looks, very briefly, like a man lost at sea.

...I also love hurting him by putting him in emotionally oblique conversations where he's off his balance finally. points at him. experience the consequences of your purposefully unkind actions via the infliction of emotional turmoil, little bald man

a line from your fic you're proud of

“Just Molly. Please. You don’t have to call me ‘miss.’” Agdis laughs and pushes off from the wall. “Well,” she holds her gaze, “maybe once I’m out of uniform.”

really pleased with how this one works on multiple levels; it's one of those rare delights where I thought of it and then was like "oh NO. unfortunately it's perfect." flirtatious in the present moment, but if you have the contextual knowledge of the circumstances under which Molly does "get her out of uniform" it's a little more ouch :'(

a line from your fic you think could have been better

This human heart beat too quickly for her liking. She was wary of the way the prince spoke to her, too earnest and too hopeful; she did not have the appearance of a unicorn any longer, but he addressed the Lady Amalthea the same way little girls addressed the unicorn. “You have my heart,” he told her one day, but she never felt the weight of a new organ in her chest, and though she listened, there was only one steady too-fast beat between her lungs.

gestures to literally anything written past the "this is recent and therefore I have done the best I can" expiration date. no lol but to be specific, this whole (old) character study piece of the blurring lines between Amalthea and the unicorn I think could have been refined better. this line, for example, has some good ideas at play, but is executed more clumsily than I'd like, looking at it now with the distance of time. but you live and learn!

a line from your fic that makes you want to punch a character

He shifts his voice into a mocking, accented falsetto that sounds nothing like her. “—‘Robaht, I fancy jumping your bones’ would’ve been fine. Maybe try the heads-up next time you find yourself—what, insatiably consumed with lust?—at three in the damn morning.”

when you're collateral damage in someone else's self-harm ;-; this whole scene was mean but it was unfortunately NECESSARY. smacking him about it anyway. both of you! do better!!

a line from your fic that makes you go 'aww'

Mark knows he’s not poetic, but he is happy. “I love you,” he says, because he needs to say it, because he wants to keep learning new things like this about her. The expression that blooms over her face is what he imagines he looked like on the way to the ground with a soccer ball imprint on his forehead. She covers it with an odd little smile, nose scrunching up. “How hard exactly would you say you hit your head?”

cries a little bit. Mark's emotional honesty versus Elizabeth's allergic reaction to vulnerability. what if someone told you they loved you and you didn't flinch. the world might end. (or it might not. is that worse?)

a line from your fic that's full of symbolism

“And if it’s alright,” [Mirabelle] pushes at the mountain of blankets, “I think I would rather a fire.”

cough. looks pointedly and lesbianly into the camera. yeah I bet you would. I mean what... who said that...

a line from your fic that contains an Easter egg

Most of the places mentioned in Shalidor’s notes either no longer exist or are long since emptied, by age or by adventurers who don’t know anything about good conservation technique and insist on leaving their own journals all over the place with barely a page or two filled. She imagines whoever is bookbinding for these adventurers must run a surprisingly lucrative business.

this was HARD bc like half of what I write is just inside jokes with myself that would a) take a convoluted explanation and/or b) be embarrassing to explain, but this line (from a wip) I think is a good example of. not that lol. we can all be in on the joke as a treat... Skyrim should have let me read two hundred pages of some random dead guy's mundane life problems/hopes/dreams/grocery lists every time I picked up an abandoned journal

a line from your fic that's shocking

There’s too much to knit together where she can’t see, too much displaced, misaligned; she’d straightened out the spine first to try to help get everything else closer to where it belongs, but Mirabelle had only opened her eyes to spit out a horribly solid chunk of something bloody with an awful gurgling sound and gasp, frighteningly shallow. Lungs. Ribs. The heart at least seems fine for now, and thank Mara for small miracles, but the abdominal cavity, which is disorganized on a good day—she thinks with a sudden fierce passion that she has always hated the abdominal cavity—

shocking mostly bc I can get so squeamish about viscera so I'm delighted to have managed to successfully convey a kind of scary gross moment. I've noticed that people who get easily squicked by injury/illness/etc (such as myself) sometimes tend to overcompensate by overdetailing it when it comes up, but then it loses effect because you're spending so long on it or getting too specific/technical. six paragraphs of someone's intestines falling out, for example, stops being shocking after a certain point. settled on a more concise but I think still effective way of describing it to try avoiding that issue and have been pretty pleased with the results! (side note: this is a great example of "inside jokes with myself" if you know my chronic illness largely affects the contents of the abdominal cavity and doctors are always telling me what horrors go on in there.)

a line from your fic you want to talk about more

It’s always better to be cautious about things that aren’t certain—if she were to allow herself to be a little reductive, she would say that history is nothing but context, and an asyndetic text, even a primary source, requires a degree of speculation that, applied too liberally, can often be worse than useless.

also from above-mentioned wip! I put Kharish through some silly things bc I think she's funny, but I really like writing her in her element where she's more serious too. balancing her academic register and her "normal" register, as it were! autism blast of being smart in a handful of specific areas and then cheerfully and obliviously fumbling interpersonal interactions... :')

#writing tag #Mouse talks! #'Mouse how can your favorite character be a surgeon if you're squeamish abt viscera' well they don't show the inside of the body very often #and when they do I simply do not look! #hilariously this only started in like high school bc in middle school I could quite cheerfully have lunch while watching Bones #as in the gross forensic autopsies show. I just put that on and then ate my lunch while watching. @baby Mouse: how and also why

[ben-talks-art]

Going over tons of Webtoons I like!

I feel like I haven't really talked about webtoons as much as I should even though there are quite a lot of them that I enjoy a lot, so I felt it would be nice to go over some of my favorites, what they're about, why I like them and maybe help others discover something they might like as well.

I won't be talking about Unordinary, Trapped, or Dreaming Freedom since I basically said everything I had to say in their own posts, so if you want to see how I feel about these series just follow the links.

(Also worth noting, when it comes to webtoons I'm usually more of a fan of those that focus on drama, so things like Tower of God or Lookism that focus more on battle, while fun series, aren't really amongst my favorites and are probably not gonna be on my list. I don't really go to webtoons for action, I go for seeing people dealing with personal problems and how they handle them.)

This one is still fairly new but it's already got me very hooked. The premise is about a girl that is going through some money problems that finds out about the world of live-streaming and starts getting too into it.

The main conflict comes from how much of her own life and herself she exposes to the world and how she deals with the public while also trying to think about making enough money to take care of her family.

It can be very depressing but also very informative as it shows how ugly people's online behavior can be and how much they can affect someone's life.

Speaking of depressing, this one is a series of stories about a rotating cast of protagonists who are all dealing with some very heavy personal problems while trying to advance their love lives.

One is trying to deal with the pressure of keeping up appearances at class, another is grieving over the loss of a loved one, another is trying to recover from a past of bullying, and so on... And each one feels real and earned. The way these topics are dealt with feel like how actual people would deal with them.

It doesn't just skip over to a happy ending, it walks you through the entire process of recovery necessary to get to them eventually feeling better, and when they do feel better it's always so very satisfying because you followed through all the hardships they endured.

It's a great series with a very-needed theme of "It gets better, so don't give up!"

I think people are kinda mixed on this one? Some love it, some hate it, mostly it comes down to how they feel about the female lead.

The idea is that this girl is a victim from some sort of bug in the system of the god of love (or something like that, it's really weird...) and now she has a really hard time being romantically loved by others... So in order to fix that, she needs to raise her love score with the male leads or she will die... Also, her boyfriend cheated on her with her sister...

I just realized this sounds like the premise of a generic Otome isekai.

Needlessly convoluted premise aside, this series is actually really fun. The artwork and dialogue makes the female lead come off as really charming, expressive, and likable. Even if you don't care about the major plot with the love god thing (like me!), you still enjoy reading it because you do feel sorry for this girl and want to see her eventually find happiness.

It shows the power of a character's charm. When your character is likable enough, you can forgive how absurd and nonsensical a premise can be.

I thought I was going to hate this series but the more I read it the more I liked it.

The premise is that a broken-up couple goes back in time to when they were young and still together, except one is in the body of the other.

This setup alone is freaking brilliant, so much so I'm shocked I haven't seen it before. You can do so much commentary about perspective, the way women and men are treated differently by society, the things we never think about in a relationship, the way your actions are viewed by others, and so on.

It frustrated me at first because the characters were making some really idiotic choices to the point it made me question what was this author doing, but as I kept reading, all of their choices get addressed. They either explain why they did what they did or recognize that they made a mistake and apologize for it, and I loooooove when series do that! If I see a problem in the story, why can't the characters see it too? Well, here they do, and it feels great every time they do!

This one is the same as Operation True Love. I like how charming and expressive everyone here is, and I also like seeing these interpretations of Greek mythos.

I also really like the female lead, Persephone. I guess many people seem to dislike her but she never bothered me personally. I find her conflicts very interesting and how she deals with them is also interesting, mostly things like dealing with her trauma, the pressure from her mother, and the constant bureaucracy of the gods she needs to endure to get what she wants. She's not perfect, but I don't think she's meant to be.

The one thing I don't like is that since this is based on Greek mythos we have to go over all the stuff about the mythos we don't like but have to live with. For example, Zeus is here, and he is very unlikeable, but because he's Zeus from the mythos you know he's never gonna face any real consequences for being the huge jerk he is and we just gotta deal with it.

There are a couple things like this here and there where because it was in the mythos it has to be here and it gets a little frustrating sometimes, but not enough to ruin the experience.

Lol... "Fantasy..."

This is one I wanted to bang my head against a wall for forgetting to include when talking about Trapped and Dreaming Freedom. It's another story about a thrillingly toxic co-dependent relationship between a group of messed up people.

The basic idea is that three ladies are in love, but not in love with the one that likes them, which makes this the ideal definition of "love triangle"

What's cool about this is that not one of them likes the other for a particularly healthy reason. There is a good girl that likes a bad girl because she's a bad girl, a bad girl that likes a loner girl because she's a loner, and a loner girl that likes the good girl because she's good.

They each have some sort of obsession with their "loved one" that boils down to "she needs me" or "I need her". It's like watching a Spanish telenovela, you know this is going to turn into a mess, but you can't wait to see it unfold.

(also, one of them is a vampire, but who cares about that...)

This is another one that just has a brilliant premise. The idea is that this is a world of superheroes and this one girl has a crush on this one guy, but she's such a mess about telling her feelings that she somehow ends up becoming a supervillain for him to fight.

It's like if someone took that little segment from Rwby Chibi and made an entire series out of it. This series is so freaking funny and stupid, I just love it.

Yoo's life sucks, that's the premise.

She got ditched by her mother, separated from her sister, is forced to take care of her dad alone, struggles with making friends, gets bullied, barely makes any money on her job, people hate her for no reason, and to top it all, she gets stuck in the middle of a rich family's drama that keeps trying to exploit her personal problems to their advantage.

This is one of those "Author, please leave the character alone!!" types of stories where you just keep enduring it because you like these people so much that you just want to reach the end where they'll finally be happy and free from all this misery.

Another case of where a character being charming and likable is enough to make you keep reading because you just want to see something good happening to them because you know they deserve it.

Another case of "Just let them be happy!!"

This is a story about a woman who had to part ways with a family that she was really close with but now suddenly finds herself back into their lives.

I can't say too much about this one because it relies a lot on twists and revelations, but long story short, this is some really good drama.

You ever felt like reading a retelling of The Little Mermaid set during the time when Korea was invaded by Japan? Well, your wish is now fulfilled!

This is a tragic story about a girl that gets tangled with a man she can never have during a period of war and how they struggle to remain close to each other even though everything around them is fighting to keep them apart.

Very sad, but very emotional.

Speaking of sad...

This one is like Sohee0 where its about a girl dealing with the problems of live streaming her entire life for the world to see and slowly becoming too dependent on it.

I'm not a huge fan of thriller, but the themes this one tackles are so interesting that it made me keep reading anyway.

Keep in mind that this one does not have a happy ending.

This is a series I feel is very underrated. It's about a boy that finds out that the girl he is chatting with on his phone is someone from his class, and he decides to use this new knowledge to help out her love life and other personal problems in return for always being nice to him online, even though she doesn't know who he really is.

There is some nice commentary about catfishing, stalking, the power of social media, communication, and entitlement in here.

There is a very powerful scene early on where the main lead confronts a stalker that's trying to claim he's in love with the girl from the chat and thus has the right to interfere in her life, and when the mc calls him out on that, he realizes he's basically doing the same thing. And, again, I love when a story isn't above calling out their lead characters on their mistakes.

Giving a character flaws is okay as long as you address it, and this series addresses tons of interesting flaws on various characters.

Another story about the scary power of social media. This one is about a woman who rejected a guy in a reality show a few days before he died, and a group of people decided to use that to burn her online as if she was the ultimate monster, and the story is all about she bouncing back from that and getting revenge on everyone that did that to her.

I don't even know how to describe this one... It's just good drama.

I was going to say it's about girls facing school problems, but the problems these characters face kinda go over every possible field.

It starts with the main lead feeling like she's the only ugly girl in her group of four friends, but we kinda ditch that premise after a while and just start to focus on any kind of problem a teenager might be going through.

I find the problems they tackle to be interesting and the characters going through them are all likable, and this isn't a case of "let them be happy!" they get to be happy a lot and very frequently. It isn't one problem that goes on through the whole series but a set of rotating small problems that get dealt with one after another in very nice ways.

This one is a similar case of teens dealing with teen drama.

It starts with a boy finding out that the girl he likes is dating his sister (that's one hell of a way to start your series), and eventually becomes about people dealing with their emotions and inner insecurities.

Odd Girl Out was more about people dealing with the problems life throws at us, this is more about problems we throw at ourselves. How sometimes we don't know what we want, why we want it, how to get it, how to deal with it, and what does that say about us.

I'm just gonna repeat what I said before, I like how these problems are explored and I like how charming these characters are.

That's honestly all I ever need, people to care about and cool problems for them to face.

This one is interesting.

It's about a woman who pretends to be married so she can date a guy who is into affairs. It's like a cheater's cheat.

It goes into detail about why someone would want to betray their partner and how society in Japan puts this pressure on people to pursue marriage and building a family as the ultimate source of happiness.

I always love this kind of talk, exploring how much of what you do you do it because people tell you it will be good for you and how much you do it because you really want it.

This is one apparently a lot of people really don't like, and ironically, it's one of my favorites.

"Get Schooled" is a series that seems to start on the premise of "what if the teachers were allowed to beat up the bullies?" but once you keep reading it you see that it goes a little deeper than that.

The message I personally got from this one was "what if we had the means to actually answer back to those who do wrong?"

The thing about people who commit crimes is that we never have either the time, the means, or the exact words to address all that is wrong with their actions, we're just not always prepared for it. So in this story they just make a character that is always prepared.

Every bully in this series usually works with the mentality of "why can't I just do what's best for me?" and when the main lead appears and confronts them, he makes them realize that in a world where people only think about themselves, the moment someone stronger than you shows up, if they don't need you, you're screwed, that's why it's important to learn how to accept everyone, regardless of whether they're weak or strong.

It shows the futility of "might makes right" by showing that might can turn against you at any point, and thus it's better to create a society of "right makes right."

The conversations these characters have about morality are very interesting and give a lot to think about.

There is one arc is where they go to a daycare and find a teacher that's trying to control how kids should think, but the moment they start questioning their logic everything the teacher taught them starts to no longer make any sense and throws the class into chaos.

The kids were being taught what to think, but not the why, and once they realize they skipped this vital step, their lessons no longer held any meaning.

There is a lot of that, a lot of having bullies and oppressors facing the flaws in their own logic and addressing why it doesn't work, and it feels very satisfying each time.

Also has bullies getting beat up a lot, which also feels good.

(Edit, these were all feelings I had before learning about the recent events regarding Get Schooled 😓 I'm deeply sorry for having promoted a series that carried so much ill will inside of it)

==========

That's it for now, hope you can find something new you can enjoy!

And with that, now I wait for webtoon to officially translate the other Naver series that are still only available in Korean that I really want to read more of.

#webtoon #suhee0 #the aftermath #get schooled #rewriting your love story #lore of olympus #odd girl out #the fake affair #random chat #the four of them #killstagram #whale star: the gyeongseong mermaid #i love yoo #time and reason #savior #operation true love #seasons of blossom #villain with a crush

[boyinthevoide]

CW: Rape mention, homophobia mention, references to child abuse.

One of my favorite things about Heathers the Musical (haven't seen the film) is how a lot of the characters actions, while objectively very bad, make sense.

And example: Kurt Kelly and Ram Sweeney seem like just two teenage dickheads, pushing people around because they can. Makes you think "why are they like this?"

And then, in the scene directly before Big Fun (Act One, Scene 5), we as the audience meet Paul Kelly and Bill Sweeney- Kurt and Ram's respective dads.

And immediately from the way they talk and the way they treat their sons, you can instantly tell "oh. That's why."

The full dialogue is this (referencing the West End version due to me being more familiar with that version):

RAM'S DAD. Okay, Ram. Have fun tonight, but I expect you to act your age. The Hendersons have the phone number for the cabin. If they call to complain, I'm gonna drive back here and knock the sand out of your diapers.

RAM. Dude! What am I, five?

RAM'S DAD. I'm your dad, not your dude.

KURT'S DAD. That goes double for you, Kurt. You're a guest in Bill's house and you will treat it with respect.

KURT. Sure thing. Dude.

(RAM cracks up laughing. KURT'S DAD takes the challenge in stride, smiling. Then, to RAM'S DAD:)

KURT'S DAD. Hold his arms.

(RAM'S DAD grabs KURT's arms. KURT'S DAD puts his son in a headlock, laughing.)

KURT'S DAD. Who's a great big sissy? Who's going to prom in a bright pink dress (OP's note: If Kurt had made it to prom he should have worn a dress, he'd rock a dress.)? Who's a sissy?

KURT. Ow! Okay, me! I'm a sissy, I'm a big fat sissy.

(The DADS release KURT.)

KURT'S DAD. Darn right. Enjoy your party, son.

RAM'S DAD. Punch it in.

(The DADS punch it in and exit.)

Just from this one interaction, it becomes immediately obvious why Kurt and Ram act the way they do- because their examples of how they should be are their dads, who they mimic in so many ways, most obvious in the "punch it in!" that both so commonly do. While this doesn't excuse anything Kurt and Ram do- they're still homophobic rapists- it makes it make sense. It lets you look and go "oh. That's why they act like this. Because their examples of 'manly men' act like this."

And, of course, the other, more subtle example of this is J.D. There's little hints about his dad sprinkled throughout just his first proper conversation with Veronica in a 711 (Act One, Scene 4). Lines like "The old man seems to love tearing things down.", "[That's your dad?] In all his toxic glory.", "When mom was alive/We lived halfway normal/Now it's just me and my dad/We're less formal/I learned to cook pasta/I learned to pay rent/learned the world doesn't owe you a cent." paint a not-pretty picture of J.D.'s home life. And then when we meet Big Bud Dean, J.D's father, he seems to live up to J.D's description, telling his son to "get rid of" his girlfriend, describing to said girlfriend (Veronica) how he'd blow up a suburban house before darkly asking where she lives. He immediately has very bad vibes. Then later, right before I Say No, in Act Two, Scene 4, we see Big Bud Dean again. J.D. starts off the scene arguing with Veronica after she shouts about murdering three classmates, how they could have gone to prison if they'd believed her. As soon as Veronica gets him to calm down a little, Big Bud Dean appears, telling J.D. to get in the car and ignoring whatever might have been happening a second ago. When J.D. says he's busy, Big Bud Dean leans in and says, and I quote,

"Lotta pretty women out there, sport. I can make another son any time I want."

Not to mention every implied moment of past abuse throughout the show.

So while having a shitty dad doesn't excuse J.D.'s actions, it does give them an amount of sense. Since his mother died, he's only ever been shown cruelty from a clearly quite violent (and possibly murderous) father. Of course he seems to think people can't change, that he and the only person he trusts, Veronica, are judge, jury and executioner for the less pure people of the world.

However, one of the many messages I think Heathers puts out is "Just because you have been hurt does not give you the right to hurt others."

Just because Kurt and Ram and J.D. have been hurt by people who shouldn't be doing such things to them does not mean they have a pass to hurt others.

This has been a lecture from someone who relates to J.D. but understands he's still wrong.

#heathers the musical #jason dean #kurt kelly #ram sweeney #character analysis #rape mention #homophobia mention #references to child abuse #just adding those in because i dont want to upset people.

[hagofbolding]

hi! i hope this question makes sense. i was just wondering, do you have a specific process for blocking out the character poses? they way they "act" is really natural and lively, and the poses feel so specific to each character and their actions. do you use a lot of photo referencing and acting the pose out yourself to decide on the gestures?

thank you! i love the comic and i get really excited every time it updates. <3

OH I love this question, thanks so much! I definitely put an unreasonable of thought into every little expression and pose so I really appreciate that it's being noticed, haha.

I do many of my poses straight off the dome, but I definitely will use mirrors and photos for reference when I need to (which is often.) I have no issue with people who wanna use models to pose their characters (especially where extreme foreshortening/perspective may be involved!) but boyyy do I gotta say that continuing to practice gesture & figure drawing will do you wonders in saving time and getting more expressive poses - or at least, moving your character's design away from the generic CSP dummy. (I know it when I see it)

I start hammering out acting details pretty early in the thumbnails, and try to exaggerate things, because it's easier to reel it back in if I think it's getting too hammy and I also want to make sure I am set up to remember my exact intent/idea later one when I'm penciling/inking.

(Also, usually these are usually my favorite drawings. I wish this was what the whole dang comic looked like)

Something I like to keep in mind aside from obvious stuff like "watch movies/consume media/life draw to pick up cool acting & body language ideas" is also how to incorporate the characters' design with their little mannerisms. Buckthorn's glasses give him a really fun prop to play with.

Or like - if someone has long hair, would they play with it or mess with it when they're bored or frustrated? If they're shy, would they "hide" themselves with baggy clothes / accessories when they're uncomfortable? My another solution of mine for making what has been a very acting / dialogue driven comic more interesting has been "ALWAYS GIVE PEOPLE SOMETHING TO DO" because talking heads are boring.

Anyway: obviously things get tied down with pencils, goofy cartoony stuff gets grounded in some approximation of reality (unfortunately.)

And then, like, at least a month after I finish penciling I finally make it to inking & coloring this particular page. After having an indeterminate amount of time to obsessively think about the story and characters up to this point, I make several significant acting / drawing changes because I am a ding dong. I just wanted to point out the tweaks I made here - on the left page, I changed Sanctuary to appear more interested in tuning his instrument than looking like he's intently listening to Buckthorn. Because ultimately, the purpose of the scene was to make him look a bit dismissive of Buckthorn's complaint, it felt like a better pose.

I also felt that the forehead kiss felt a little more natural in this sequence & rolling into the panels on the page that follows these.

Anywayyy - I rambled longer than I intended here, but I love this stuff and I got excited. I hope y'all find it interesting and / or useful!

#fairmeadow #behind the scenes!! #sanctuary #buckthorn #asks #anon #character design #process work #comics #comics process #acting

[rowanmgrey-author]

Writer Q&A Tag Game

Thanks to @mthollowell-writes for the tag! Find their original post here.

1)What motivates you to write?

Mostly reading fantastic stories and becoming inspired with ideas about my own work. Also the people in my life like my sister who is also a writer; her vivid words inspire me all the time. I am also heavily motivated by my love of my characters, and a little bit of my guilt that I have not finished one of my novels (the first one) that I have been writing for soooo long.

2) A line/short snippet of your writing that you are most proud/happy of. If not maybe share a line of someone else's work you love (just please credit them)

Shared my own work from Bloodlines.

Every day she fought the wolf for control. Every day to stop herself from hurting anyone. The wolf was the worst, most animal parts of her, and most of those dark parts wanted nothing more than vengeance. To cause the chaos and suffering done to her. Before Eron and her suspension from The Order three years ago, that’s what she did. The wolf that now sulked beneath her flesh missed the blood. Every day it tried to take control, to turn her back into a monster.

3) Which OC makes you smile every time you think/talk about them and what are they like?

Jackal Bellare from my WIP Bloodlines. He is always my answer because he is just so fun to write. He is that character that came fully formed. Nothing to change, nothing to define, he just appeared. He is a smartass, deceptive and manipulative. He at first is very selfish because he was forced to grow up fast and was abused by his father for many years. He pushed him to achieve his own goals and basically taught Jackal that no one would love him, not even his own family. So he grew up thinking he couldn't trust anyone and that everyone he met would be angling for something. He is also ridiculously powerful as a demon and can be impatient and even petulant. And he's classist too, thinking he's better than anyone who's not at his power-level. These are all fairly awful traits, but I love him still because I know the depths of his character and that all he truly wants is friends that he can trust, a surrogate family that actually gives a shit about him.

4) What process of writing do you enjoy the most?

I love the discovery/investigation phase best I think. Imagining the world and then researching and defining what I need to. I love to learn new things, and I always do in that stage.

5) What part of writing do you think you are the best at? (Yes stroke your own ego it's okay)

I would say action scenes and dialogue are my greatest strengths. I can plot as well, but I am more of a character focused writer so most of the plots are pretty simple in concept and execution. I am also not too shabby with the NSFW scenes, but I don't write detailed smut. It's not my thing anymore.

6) What is something in the writeblr community is most enjoyable?

Doing tag games! no really. I love answering questions and seeing other's posts about this stuff. I also just appreciate the vibes, everyone is very friendly and inclusive and it's refreshing.

7) A writing tool/device you use that helps you with writing? (It could be speech to text, a writing program etc)

Microsoft Word has always been my go to. I really appreciate the formatting and how easy everything is. It's also great for editing. I have also used fighter's block to help me reach my goals in a fun way.

8) A piece of worldbuilding that you like in your own story? (It could be the magic system, a particular place in the story, a law etc)

I would say Pandemonium from my novel Bloodlines. This is the planet where demons live. I really just like the lore I have built around demons in general because they are inspired by lots of things but not tied to any real-world religions or mythology. Also in that story one of the types of demons are dragons (Draconem) and they have the power to shapeshift from their real form (dragon) to a human, and change their mass even. There are also these garbage disposal-like demons that have no heads and a mouth on their chest. These are heavily inspired by Blemmyes. I even have a separate dominion for Hell, which in my series is unusually referred to as Gehenna. The realm is a prison obviously, but instead of one place, or several levels like the circles, each Hell is a separate dimension governed by Warden that has a particular specially for punishment. I also have demons that are kind of like Valkyries, they are basically the law enforcement and are super scary even to other types of demons because they can make you tell the truth just by looking into your eyes. There are Demon Kings (which in my novels is a non-gender term, just go with it) and each one has a different rank and they serve as military leaders as well. They also have cool titles, like King of Slaughter (he's the war general and most powerful warrior). I could go on for ages. I spent a lot of time on the lore around demons because originally the novels were going to take place there exclusively and the main character was a Demon King.

9) What piece of advice would you say to encourage others to write if they are having a rough patch?

I usually step away for a bit, and look at it again later. Sometimes it sparks new ideas and even makes me appreciate what I have already. I would really just advise that you don't be too hard on yourself. It's better to go slower and work smarter, so you don't burn out and end up in an uninspired state of procrastination. Goals are important too, but don't compare yourself to other writers. Make goals you know you can achieve and set times and make space to work.

10) Tag some people whose works you love/have been your biggest supporters:

Obviously @dyrewrites needs to be first. She is my sister and was the one that got me on writeblr in the first place. And what an amazing community! I haven't been here long, but I can say that I get a lot of attention and really cool asks from these amazing people:

@stesierra - @aziz-reads - @digital-chance - @mthollowell-writes - @quantumlandbooks - @anonymousfoz - @another-white-hole @inkytealeafwriting - @schepper-wubs-wips - @hottubraccoon

You all are lovely people and if you want to join in on this tag please do.

#writeblr #writing community #writing #writer #author #tag game #Writer Q&A Tag Game #writer q&a #writer tag game

[piracytheorist]

Okay thoughts about the musical! I will go into a bit of a detail so if you prefer being surprised by how things appear in the musical, then skip this post.

It's about 2 hours and 40 minutes long, not counting a 30-minute-long break in the middle and the last ten or so minutes of bows and the cast saying goodbye. It's a big thing, though it doesn't show anything that hasn't been shown in the anime already - although from what I noticed, the lyrics and dialogue are based on the manga dialogues. It even adapts scenes from "Fullmetal Lady", which was adapted by a manga chapter further down the line.

First thing you hear after the orchestra tunes up is sounds of guns firing and bombs falling. The music starts and it's soon joined by a young Twilight crying.

Yeah :)

It's framed as Twilight looking at his past. After this very intense and dark intro, it starts adapting from the very first page of the manga. Some stuff are shown as "action" on a projected screen. The Handler appears from the very beginning, acting like a sorta narrator and also the one who introduces Operation Strix to Twilight.

It skims through details, but main scenes are kept and half the time the dialogue is spoken, the other half sung. I did not particularly like that they took the manga dialogues as they were and simply turned them into lyrics, there are lots of instances where the rhythm and lack of rhyming sounded awkward, but it's not too distracting from the entertainment.

I'm not an expert in musicals, but it looked like a well-standing production. I can't lie that I did notice some weak spots in the main actors' singing, but I give a pass because it was a very long production and they might have been tired from constant rehearsals and performances. Around 2/3 of the first part Twilight's poor actor was sweating buckets and didn't even have the time to wipe it off. But he still acted, sang and danced without showing any signs of tiredness or stress. In fact he was pretty funny in his acting! Yor's actress did some cool moves, too, she looks so badass as the Thorn Princess. The Anya actress from the performance I watched was very good, especially for her age! Good singing and great "placement" on stage.

Franky was fun! He seemed to really enjoy it, or simply really really get into the role. The Handler had some awesome dance moves and a strong voice, they knew what they were doing with her actress - also she has a very swaggy song right after the break, that accompanies the "Fullmetal Lady" part. I hope they release the songs from official recording off live performances, cause some of them are pretty cool!

And I swear, Yuri is far from my favourite character in the show, but just like the English dub, in the musical he just serves. He's so fucking enjoyable, and looked super professional in his dance and sing combo - I might need to rewatch, but he might have been the best at singing and dancing at the same time from all the cast. Paired with his overdramatic acting he was so much fun to watch!

By the way, the choruses were damn near impeccable. While I noticed a few flats and weak high notes from the main cast, I don't think I noticed a single mistake from any of the chorus parts. I was even taken aback by one; when Anya has a flashback of the lab scientists, said scientists sing in a chorus about how she has to study and has no time to cry and play. And it's awesome! Though you also feel sad because halfway through it Anya (the character, not the actress) bursts into tears and you're just like :( stop hurting her :(

The design changes are cool and smooth. Some back dancers/singers help with the changes sometimes but they feel very part of the whole thing. It doesn't take you away from the action. Fight choreographies are pretty good, too. I mean, they are theatrical ones, it's obvious they're fake, but they're faked well and professionally. You don't expect cutting and montage on a theatrical performance, after all!

You might have noticed from the video I posted, but Henderson's actor did a good job being a meme playing.

In general the whole presentation has a feeling of... not taking itself very seriously. Like, they have an entire movement just for Bondman! It's still very professional but they also take it a little lighter - aside from scenes where gravity is needed, like when Anya or Twilight have their flashbacks, when Yor kills her target, when Yuri interrogates that guy they arrested, etc. I think there's a good balance overall.

After Yuri's visit ends, Twilight has his moment of thinking how he felt jealous of Yor and Yuri, and though the acting was a little subtle, I really liked it! I like it as a moment in general so I'm glad it was added there and done justice!

I'm not sure whether Fiona really had time to be a part of the musical. She only appears a little before the end, in an adaptation of the "Nightfall" episode/chapter, and though it's done well (and the singer has a great finish line) it feels a little shoehorned in, lol. She was still enjoyable and I understand why they added her, but still. She was fun to see her fangirl about Twilight and Twilight being none the wiser - I feel that was even more accentuated there since it was live action, lol.

Near the end is also the Loidman part, with a choreographed fight between Loid and Yor! I missed some action though because some cameraman decided to film Anya's reaction from up close instead. Cute, but not the center of attention, dude!

Anyway, it then ends with a bit of a "summary" of how Anya has to become an Imperial Scholar (we get to see her in her school uniform!), and a full-cast and chorus reprise of the beginning song, which is certainly not an earworm for me right now SUBETE WA YORI YOKI SEKAI NO TAME NI I mean what

Overall, it's quite entertaining, and I'm not a big fan of musicals myself! Again, it's a long watch, and you have to be mindful that you're watching a filmed theatrical performance, but I would recommend it for its humor.

#sxf #sxf musical

[embossross]

Initial Thoughts on the OPLA: Episode 1

I’ve just reread the manga through the East Blue + rewatched the anime through Orange Town with my sister (a coincidence on that one), so I’ve got the story really fresh on my mind and want to record my initial impressions on what works and what doesn’t. I’ve been a major live action proponent for years now, so super excited to finally get to watch it.

The Good

The sets are all spectacular. The ships especially at the start are an absolute treat!

The casting across the board is very strong, both in bringing to life the visuals of some characters (Coby and Higuma are gasp-out-loud exact replicas of their characters) and in terms of creating a world that feels real and lived in. Iñaki is shockingly believable as Luffy, every dopey line feels organic; Mackenyu delivers in the fight choreography and physicality of Zoro; and Emily Rudd is exceeding my expectations based on what we saw in the trailer.

In some scenes with Luffy/Coby, they light Coby so he has this almost angelic glow. And I love that. Because it would be too obvious to light Luffy up like the sun, but instead, it’s like Coby is lit from within in the light of Luffy’s will

The way they layer in the flashbacks throughout the episode works much better than one big cutaway, so kudos to that decision. (Also child Luffy is a delight.)

So far really enjoying the fight choreos. They don’t overstay their welcome, each character has their own style – particularly like the way Luffy kind of falls all over himself in the Axe Hand Morgan fight – and everything looks clean and like it connects. Big fan of letting Nami show off her staff skills. So long as they don’t have her beating major antagonists, I think it’s a good addition because it would be visually disappointing if she just skulked around during the fights

Speaking of Nami, the way they’re integrating Nami into the story in ep 1 worked really well. The changes to the plot may cause issues in later episodes, but it was a very solid intro to Nami – preserving her iconic intro scene with the Buggy pilots – while also giving her a different mission and reason to partner up with Luffy. And anyway, I like watching Nami hatch a scheme.

They translated some of the more ridiculous, on-the-nose character traits of the antagonists into believable representations of the same thing. Morgan doesn’t walk around announcing his “greatness” every ten seconds, but he’s swayed by flattery, loves a statue of himself, and can’t accept responsibility. Alvida is vain and narcissistic without being a mean-spirited trope. It’s great.

A lot of funs are going to debate if certain lines or jokes are cringe, but I think the dialogue is charming and very much in line with the humor popularized in major action franchises. It’s not groundbreaking humor but it got a chuckle out of me a few times. And honestly who gives a fuck about cringe? I think a lot of anime fans live with the specter of their high school bully looming over their shoulder, imagining what they’d say to any given thing and they’ve gotta let that shit go

The Meh

In Luffy’s opening scene, it appears he’s talking straight to the audience, introducing himself, only to reveal he’s actually talking to a News-Coo when the camera cuts. And the joke is not nearly funny enough to justify how jarring those first 20 seconds are when you think they’re going to have characters address the camera directly.

The timeline in Shellstown gets flipped around, so that we can see Zoro earn his arrest, which is a great choice – show don’t tell and all that. BUT the change they made to why Zoro fights Helmeppo drains all the nobility out of it. They keep saying “you protected that girl” but Rika wasn’t in danger? Helmeppo was unkind to her but not threatening, not siccing his vicious attack dogs on her like in the anime. If Zoro hadn’t interfered, she would have been fine. I appreciate he doesn’t like bullies, but I think it’s a weaker reason to intervene and should be less impressive to Luffy.

The named characters who attend Roger’s execution stand out so ridiculously. Everyone else is covered in dirt and wearing beige tones, and you’ll cut to the cleanest looking man playing Mihawk or young Shanks with his hair standing out like a beacon. It’s very much that “anime spot the protagonist” meme

The Ugly

That man – while admittedly very sexy –is not Garp. It’s almost shocking compared to how carefully the spirit of every other character has been preserved.

The changes made to Coby’s story in episode 1 are pretty disappointing.  A pretty key part of Luffy’s character is that Luffy helps people who ask for help or fight for themselves; He’s not just a hero who will swoop in when he witnesses injustice. Coby earns Luffy’s respect and protection in the manga. Here, he doesn’t. He just gets dragged along reluctantly with Luffy until the very end of the episode, where he finally makes his stand, and it’s pretty anticlimactic.

Withholding judgment for the Time Being

Live action Zoro is a lot angstier so far. He’s just as confident and competent, but less likely to laugh, has less fun with it. From his intro scene, it appears the death of Kuina may be weighing on him more heavily (wonder if it will be a more recent death in the live action?). He leaves Shellstown not yet bought in on Luffy’s will. I think slowing his arc down makes sense for a tv show, so interested to see how it delivers on that.

We’ll see where they take the Garp arc. If it keeps Coby and Helmeppo on my screen – and more importantly, gives Coby a chance to redeem himself – I may come to love it.

[hyperfixationtimego]

I tried to be open minded about the show but I just can’t. Like I was enjoying the animation, then the girl who got murdered in the first scene was used to fill out a small crowd and I was like… this is kind of lazy. Absolutely none of the jokes have been funny. Some don’t even seem like jokes, just two unrelated thoughts smashed together in a way they’re hoping is funny. the only moment that kind of struck joy was when Fred’s dad spoke and I was like, hey that’s Fred og voice actor isn’t it? Cool.

The whole “Velma has ghastly mystery induced hallucinations” is an interesting angle bc I think it justified her sometimes ridiculous skepticism in other iterations. I do think my main problem is it’s trying to deconstruct popular character tropes by forcing existing characters into tropes they’ve never really fit.

Like it works better for a show like riverdale bc the Archie comics characters are relatively one note and just adapt to whatever situation they’re in. Velma is a high school setting prequel for characters who are already teenagers in the source so of course people are questioning why things are so different, and every scooby adaptation for 50 years has developed them into characters people are attached to. It’s like, two years tops before these kids are living in a van with each other and a fully grown Great Dane.

I kind of think an edgy scooby doo show should go the opposite way. They’re all like 40, scooby isn’t around anymore, they’re washed up and directionless because being a teen detective is cute but not a career choice. The live action scooby doo movie already kind of explored the gang breaking up as grownups though and can’t possibly be beaten, so instead there’s another scooby doo prequel but this time the characters are intentionally grating and the humor simply doesn’t work. And there’s no scooby doo

You raise some very good points! And I concur with a lot of what you’re saying!

I agree, a good deal of the humor and dialogue doesn’t land, or feels overly embellished. At best, it’s pretty meh.

Frankly, I completely understand why diehard fans of previous scooby doo versions wouldn’t enjoy it; there’s a lot of change that’s been done to the characters and world you’ve already come to love, so it makes sense why VELMA’s more sardonic and satirical nature might be off-putting or difficult to stand. (I get it!! I’m a huge TMNT fan, but I personally just can’t enjoy ROTTMNT because of how fundamentally different it is from what I grew up with, and I feel a similar way about the current Monster High generation!)

(also yes!! The og va for Fred playing Fred’s dad was indeed a cool little Easter egg! not sure if you managed to get that far, but Norville’s dad’s appearance was also included as homage to Shaggy’s original character design, which I thought was pretty fun!)

You gave it a shot, and you didn’t like it! That’s completely fair! I admire the fact that you were willing to try it, though!!

But I hear what you’re saying in terms of the show being a prequel, and I think the only answer I really have is that, for as much of it is rooted in the past of Scooby Doo canon, the show itself is its own work, and it’s probably going to make a lot of choices that conflict with past iterations. I feel Scooby’s lack of presence is a pretty fair indicator of that; it’s not the gang we’re used to, and it may well be that the gang we end up with when the season/series wraps won’t be concurrent with the mystery inc we all currently know and love.

But I think that’s mostly because I don’t think VELMA is meant to be a prequel of any iteration in particular, you know? like the show is telling the origin story of ITS Velma Dinkley and ITS mystery incorporated, not the origin story of every version of Velma & Mystery Inc. ever. It draws heavy inspiration from its source material, but a lot of the broad strokes are likely to be pretty unfamiliar!

As for the idea of an older and washed up edgy mystery inc, I think that that could make for a HILARIOUS punchy animated short, but the idea of it as the premise for an on-going comedic series sounds a bit depressing. I don’t know! I feel like there’s at least a little bit of a safety net in knowing that this is an origin story; we know they ultimately end up happier and closer to one another than where they initially began!

Thank you for the ask, anon; I really appreciate it!

(Also, do you happen to know which scene the dead girl’s character model gets used in to fill out a crowd? I’m just curious to see if I can spot it for myself!)

#anonymous #velma spoilers #velma 2023 #velma the series #velma hbo max #velma show #ask box

[itsmemateinnit]

Whitechapel series 4 press pack

Sam Stockman is DC Emerson Kent

How’s filming going?

It’s good to be back, it’s really good fun and a lot of the crew are the same this year so we’ve slotted back in nicely.

What’s different about Whitechapel this time around?

I think Whitechapel is constantly changing and evolving and I think it really hit its stride at the end of the last series. It looked so snappy and cinematic, and was a great homage to horror films. I think this series will feel the same which will be a lot of fun.

Can you tell us more about what happens in the new series?

The new series is a bit spookier, more supernatural. Everyone thinks they’ve been cursed which creates friction within the team. I’m not sure how it ends yet though! We get the scripts about two weeks before we start filming. It’s quite good like that actually – it keeps it more exciting, and we know the writers are going to give us gripping stories.

What makes Whitechapel different from other shows?

What’s cool about Whitechapel is that it doesn’t take itself too seriously and it’s a bit more theatrical – we’ve got a ripperologist living in our basement, which just wouldn’t happen in real life. But it’s great and it gives you license to do things that aren’t real, so we can be a bit more colourful with it. It’s a lot less restrictive which gives it an edge.

What happens to Kent this series?

From Kent’s perspective he’s getting a bit more demonic and angry. He sees reflections of himself that he doesn’t really like so he has the tendency to fly off the handle. At the end of the last series he was indirectly responsible for the death of Morgan. Morgan questioned Kent in the last series and told him that perhaps there was a bit more of a bad cop in him than he thinks. So Kent starts to question himself as to whether he is a bad cop or not. There are moments in the new series where he sees his reflection and it looks demonic and it grows and grows as the series goes on. Kent’s sister also makes an appearance in this series and Mansell falls for her which creates further tensions.

Kent is quite a complex character isn’t he?

He is quite a complex character. There are a lot of unanswered questions with Kent, particularly with his bromance with Chandler, he does love and admire him.

Where would you like Kent’s character to go?

It’s a lot more fun being a bit evil, I’d like him to get really bad! He is very ambitious though, and always tries to do the right thing. Kent always agrees with Chandler, he’s still an eager puppy and wants to get in the thick of the action.

What are the dynamics like between characters this series?

I think this series is becoming more and more of an ensemble piece. Miles and Chandler are still at the forefront with Buchan, but myself, Riley and Mansell are also very much a part of the group. Especially in the block that Steve has written – it’s really brought a freshness to it.

Is there a good sense of camaraderie on set?

Yeah there is actually. On some jobs there are groups and divides that just happen naturally but with Whitechapel everyone gets on. I think it was scrabble that united us. On the first series we all started playing scrabble on our iPhones. We had a lot of scenes in the incident room with a lot of dialogue, so we’d play between takes. Steve is the best scrabble player – he’s a doctor of words!

Do you get nightmares?

The killings in this series are darker, having to top the previous story each time means they get more and more grotesque. I don’t ever get nightmares from working though, I enjoy the gore, and that’s another thing I love about Whitechapel, it’s really dark, it’s blood thirsty.

Do you get recognized on the street now?

No I don’t get recognised in the streets, which is quite cool, I’m a bit of a chameleon. I tend to only get my hair cut and shave when I do this job! I don’t wear suits outside of work, I’m more a ripped jeans and beard guy.

Do you have any similarities with Kent?

I don’t think so he’s a bit too much of a goodie-goodie for me!

What’s it like being the youngest in the cast?

I don’t really notice being the youngest in the team. Ben acts younger then me, he’s the joker! Rupert and Phil get on so well, you can tell they’re very close and I think that show’s on screen as well.

#whitechapel #whitechapel itv #text

[its-elvish-for-two]

it may be a trite question but what would your thoughts on a riyira/greatcoats/bastards/literally any other book tv/film adaptation be? are there any things you'd feel strongly about them changing/including/adapting properly? preference of cast, director, composer, or medium? would you rather they not exist at all? or do you not have strong feelings about it one way or the other?

Oops

In theory, I would love for these series to be turned into TV shows. I think TV would be better than films because there's more time to get everything in, and less worry about making it fast and snappy. Saying that, I think Greacoats might be good as a film, though how much you would lose from Falcio's internal narrative is tricky, but that's the same for film or TV.

But I'd be wary of any adaptations unless they were made in very very close collaboration with the author. There are a lot of bad adaptations out there and I'd hate for these books to be some of them.

I'm a stickler for staying as close to the original as possible. That's why I love Granada Holmes, a lot of it was quoted directly from the books, and not just the dialogue either, the actions in between, the little smiles, it's all to the books.

I'd happily watch all the little scenes that would probably be cut to make a film but add to the world and the characters. If I'm watching it with someone and they have to ask 'but why would they do that' because it's changed from the books and therefore doesn't make sense, it's not a good film (thinking a certain seven book/eight film series where whole characters are replaced and whole chapters deleted). Look, I get you've got to streamline for a film, but from a fan pov, I would sit there for a solid six hours if that's what it takes.

Cast, I don't think I mind too much, it's less the appearance and more the energy. I've got a few fancasts but that's more for myself as a drawing reference than actually who I would want to play them (tho saying that I do think Tom Hopper and Matthew McNulty would be fun as Hadrian and Royce, and I think Katy McGrath has got Valiana's mix of fighter and princess, like she did for Morgana)

Tbf, I think some of them would work well as animated series. I enjoyed how TLOVM did it, and I think it would be fun for Gentlemen Bastards because of the design of the cities and just the general feel of the series. But I think I'd prefer live action with Riyria. Greatcoats, I could be open to either I think, maybe leaning towards live action.

But I'd rather they not exist at all than be cut up and changed and made badly. They're small fandoms but there's still enough of us to get by with fan content rather than bad 'official' adaptations. I think MJS is reluctant to make any thing like that because he's very protective of Hadrian and Royce, which I can definitely understand, and I respect that.

This was, as usual, longer than I intended, but thank you for the ask.

How about you? Any fancasts for these dudes? And animated or live action?

#ask #ask answered #riyria #the greatcoats #gentlemen bastards #the lies of locke lamora #tv shows #film adaptations

[neodarkdark]

SVERN CHARACTER INSPIRATIONS + INFLUENCES

Here's a read more because wow paragraphs.

Team Dim Sun Admin - Pokémon Ranger: Shadows of Almia

Classic. This should be self-explanatory and I'm quite sure you can tell with a glance that this is the origin point for Svern's design. His hair may have been changed up a bit, and the eye colour, but it's still pretty obvious. Svern began his life as a Team Dim Sun admin, those nameless guys who broke the fourth wall to complain about their namelessness... in terms of his main story relevance, that's still what he is. Just another guy in the villain gang.

...Keep thinking that.

Dazai Osamu - Bungou Stray Dogs

BSD has a Thing going with stupid smart characters, eccentric characters, characters with Specific kinds of vibes and behaviours, and mixing action and silly nonsense with philosophical twists. Probably in large part because it's heavily inspired by the works of the authors the cast is named after.

Dazai is no exception. He's full of lies and clown behaviour, under which he hides an absolute crapton of stuff. He's also Extremely stupid smart and is constantly playing godtier 4D chess games (with BSD's other stupid smart characters, there are several so they balance each other out).

I cannot possibly explain all of what's going on with Dazai to those not already familiar with BSD in a way that won't sound absurd so I won't try. Finally, he also struggles to see the value in living (he is heavily soaked in suicide themes). Lots of these relate to Svern in some way. Lying liar? Yep. Silly guy with way too much more going on below the surface? Yep. Issues with feeling detached from the rest of the world? Also yep.

This is no surprise; I got into BSD around a similar time I was working on the current interation of Svern (you may remember I've said I got into BSD because of Svern). So I truthfully don't know how much was already there and how much Svern has taken from Dazai.

Nakahara Chuuya - Bungou Stray Dogs

THIS GUY is the reason I got into BSD. I was looking for a faceclaim for Svern and nailing the right vibes with both appearance and expression was really annoying and then boom there was Chuuya.

Chuuya and Svern are massively different in personality, I can't think of much they have in common. Where influence from Chuuya has crept over is in Svern's physical abilities. Chuuya's very active/combat-oriented; which rubbed off on Svern's physical skills getting a buff that wasn't in his original concept, and being more readily involved in physical situations vs just being a big brain. It's honestly a huge improvement and Svern's a lot more fun this way. Chuuya would still absolutely wreck him in a fight though.

I think some of Chuuya's aggressive/angry vibe rubbed off on Svern as well (the anger is mostly underneath the surface in Svern's case though, and Chuuya isn't the only place that it's come from).

Dimentio - Super Paper Mario

This hecking dude. He's a silly clown minion of the main bad guy for most of the game, but you get hints dropped throughout the story that there's more going on with him. Turns out he was plotting behind the back of his boss all along and was only working under him to take advantage of the Cursed Item that his boss unleashed. You have to fight him as the twist final antagonist. Dimentio is on nobody's side but his own and is playing everyone else. He talks like... heeheehoo silly guy dialogue.

I only realised recently that this possibly carried over into some of Svern's manner. As for the role of minor bad guy who turns out to be major bad guy, yeah that works. This one was accidental and probably because SPM is thoroughly embedded in younger me's subconscious.

Obi - Akagami no Shirayukihime

Another one who has a silly guy thing going on. Admittedly it's been a while since I watched AnS or kept up with the manga (I'll get back to it someday), but still relevant nonetheless. If Svern was in a fantasy type verse he'd probably be even more similar to Obi.

Obi's manner and body language are often pretty similar to what Svern's ended up with and although Obi's again, probably more skilled in combat than Svern is, the physical skills do carry over too.

Obi's also referred to like a cat. So. Make of that whatever I guess.

#this post was inspired by locke #there were more characters on the original meme i did but i realised those might actually just be #characters who happen to have things going on that look similar but aren't necessarily influences or inspirations #i will shoutout to shibusawa bsd for being Bored though #boredom is so terrible like a dread disease (headcanon)

[angelinthefire]

for the deep fic writers ask: 9, 15, 17, 20

deep fic writers ask

9. what's your writing process like?

Start with the premise (Dean kills Sam in 15x19/Cas stays in the bunker in s9/Cas is the new Death/etc.) -> thinking through how the characters would behave within that premise -> figuring out what kind of conflict arises as a result -> figuring out how I want that conflict to be resolved and what I want to accomplish with the story.

Then I map out the beats of the fic, what needs to happen when. Ususally there's a few very emotional scenes that act like tentpoles. I'll write a rough draft of those first, because they're the scenes I'm most interested in and excited about. And then I sketch out the whole story a bit more fully start to finish, with rough dialogue, and notes on what the characters are feeling, and what the mood needs to be like, and if there's any themes or motifs that are starting to appear that need to be developed or repeated, and ideas about setting or action.

Then I start actually writing chronologically. And as I'm writing from the beginning, I'll get ideas about what needs to happen later, and skip ahead and add those in. And then when I finish a chapter I re-read it, and make adjustments. I usually try to be a few chapters into writing before I start posting, so that I'm sure I won't want to go back and change anything at the beginning.

To me it feels like drawing a sketch and then filling it in and then refining the drawing.

15. How do you think your writing as improved over time?

I've always been character-focused, like the most fun thing is writing dialogue, and getting into a character's voice, and just seeing where it takes you. I've made a very, very conscious effort to think about setting and to utilize it for emotional effect. Especially when you're writing fic for a TV show and you know your readers already know what the world looks like, it can be easy to ignore setting.

17. What’s the best engagement/interaction/feedback you’ve received from someone who’s read your work?

I answered this question here

20. What’s the greatest gift you’ve gotten from your writing?

Knowing that I've put something into the world that's touched people's lives in however small a way. If it gave someone entertainment for the afternoon, or made someone cry, or anything. Especially knowing that there's at least a handful of people who've told me that they think about things I've written years later. Like I have a lot of existential dread, so knowing that there's people out there who remember something I've created and therefore my existence isn't easily erasable is incredibly soothing for me.

Thank you for asking!

#ask #destiel-wings #writing