#like shes the embodiment of a villain but then they give us backstory and it falls flat because she has a point

[foursidecity]

Wizards could've been so much better if they had more episodes and focused on douxie and merlin some more.. time travel is fine and all but instead I'm envisioning a two season arc where ones in the past and the seconds in the future so that were not skipping around all tha dang time. Bangs fist on table what was douxie doin on the streets where'd he meet archie GIMME ANSWERSSS

Watching the last season of trollhunters again and merlin talking about the two battles of killahead is cool n all but I feel like we barley had any time with him fighting Morgana compared to how much background they gave us on jim exploring and deyas arc. See my vision...

#dustbunnies.txt #trollhunters #also like douxie spent. alot of time on his own?? while waiting for merlin to wake up?? and then he DIES??? #we shouldve got. more about THAT HOLE SITUATION #was he just. doing CHORES. FOR A MILLENIA?? WAITING FOR HIS DAD TO WAKE UP??? WHAT THE HELL #also im sorry morganas arc is just. bad i guess #bad writng #like shes the embodiment of a villain but then they give us backstory and it falls flat because she has a point #but dosent STICK to it we KNOW she has no real morals #so showing her with genuine love for nature and magic and then just like. backing out of it because they already set her up #as the embodiment of evil #Dont get me started on the arcahne order btw ik we all got opinions on that whole situation #(their so awesome they couldve been such fun NEUTRAL entities that strayed from what they considerd right) belehshshhsjs

[reversemoon255]

5th Review - Ohsama Sentai Kingohger

I have watched 14 seasons of Power Rangers, and 18 seasons of Super Sentai, aaaaand…this is the best. Like, I don’t even know if anyone else even competes. It’s that good. Which is weird, right? This is the CG-heavy bug season, and yet it stands above all the others? It’s truly a marvel of Tokusatsu that they can take these bizarre, wacky concepts and forge something fantastic out of them. But we’re not here for my platitudes, we’re here for me to give my thoughts on a show.

The Good: Something I really like about the characters in general is they all embody a negative characteristic of leadership, but turn it on its head, allowing them to display both the the negatives aspects on occasion, but also how you can spin those impulses for the betterment of yourself and the people around you.

Gira is Power. It’s not uncommon for stories to portray a character as seeking power for the purposes of protecting others. In fact, it’s very common. But Gira portraying himself as the villain, acting as the tyrant, added a nice flavor to it that made it stand on its own. Gira does fill the role of the red chosen one in many ways, but because of the show’s focus on unity and teamwork, he always feels more like a perspective character, which I think is a positive. On top of that, he’s very kind, earnest, and the most down-to-earth of the kings, adding to that perspective character role. His kingdom of Shuggodom also had a lot of side characters, such as the orphans, his brother and attendants, and the angry yelling guy. “He’s louder! He’s the real one!” was such a great payoff to that character’s existence. Also, any Sentai character that can unironically say “I will hear you scream,” is pretty cool.

Yanma is Pride. He rarely backs down or bows to anyone else. And while this can sometimes get him in trouble, the people he stands up to are always more powerful than he is. It’s often more determination than anything, and that determination gets the team through many tough situations. As for characterization, Yamna is a genius, but also very childish and a bit petty. The pranks he pulls are always very silly. His aide, Shiokara, was also a nice foil; childish in nature, but serious in role. And it was nice how he and Gira really did end up being good friends by the end.

Ran is Selfishness. Unsurprisingly; she says it all the time. But while she occasionally displays true selfishness, it is often used as a mask for selflessness. She selfishly wants to help people, but is portrayed as selfishness, which is funny in many situations. She was a majoritively serious character, which made the moments she leaned into humor all the funnier. I also liked that she was part of two goes-nowhere romances with both Yanma and Rita. She’s the beautiful one, so it makes sense romance would be part of her themes, even if underplayed. And Sebastian was one of the sillier aides, with a ridiculous backstory to match that silly nature.

Kaguragi is Deceit. We all expect those in power to lie, and Kaguragi does frequently, constantly switching sides and misinforming his allies to get his way. But at the end of the day, everything he does is for the sake of his people. And because of the scope of his deception, he is privy to more information than the rest of the cast, being aware of both the teams’ and Racles’ plans. Speaking of Racles, his sister was also a surprisingly big player at times, getting more attention than his personal aide, even if not seen as often. And his aide, Kuroda, being a Kuroko, filled his role as more of a background character, though did have a distinct personality that worked with his faceless appearance.

Rita is Authority. Not only is she a king, but also the world’s judge, holding power over even the other kings, making her the absolute authority on Terra. But she never abuses her power; always seeking to be a neutral party in all goings-on. Also, this series got pretty sapphic at times, and Rita was always at the center of it. Good to know the writers are back at it again after all the mandates they suffered through with 40-42. And while there were some off-and-on moments with Ran, most of the time it was with Morphonia, who was, again, a nice foil, being much less motivated and more prone to her own desires. Though, of all the aides, she probably grows the most, eventually accepting her role as the next king of Gokkan, which she was less interested in accepting compared to everyone else.

Even our main villains follow these trends to some degree. Deathnarok shows the negative aspects of all these traits, but is later shown to be doing so begrudgingly, while Dugded also does, but in a very childish way. Which is almost worse than just being a normal bad king, because it’s weirdly more sincere?

And Jeramie is Eccentricity. He is aloof and wordy and doesn’t act like a good king would, playing a role more similar to one of a king content with his power, but his attitude and ability are separate things, as he is shown to have great battle prowess and leadership abilities. Jeramie has his own things going on with being half Bugnarok, so it was really just flair given to his character, and to add a bit of confusion to his introduction. And while Gerojim wasn’t as present a character as the other aides, he did provide a very distinct visual compared to everyone else, especially after all the Bugnarok were relegated to just the foot soldiers. I’ll also add, having Jeramie be the narrator, even before his introduction, really helped everything feel cohesive and intentional.

Speaking of that cohesion, that’s part of what makes the story so great. Every episode contributes to the ongoing story. Even those episodes that seem like filler have at least a small addition to it. Especially after the last few years, where episodic has been the priority, this drastic shift is very welcome. And there are tiny hints at the bigger picture even in the early episodes, like Racles missing all of Gira’s vitals for instance. I may go through the show a second time to see how many instances of foreshadowing I can find at a later date.

And while the finale was good, the penultimate episode was amazing, calling back to almost every character we met over the course of the entire show, including ones only seen in the movies and Racles’ mini-series. It was a great way to cap off this already good show.

And lastly,  I love the presentation of this season. So much of this season is filmed on green screen to both amazing and hilarious effect. It’s honestly very impressive some of the stuff they managed to accomplish. BoonBoomger seems a lot more grounded, so it’s unlikely this trend will be further polished in the next season, but they did very well in the time they had.

The Bad: While the effects and sets are a lot of fun, they aren’t always great. They sometimes have difficulty tracking walking or running while moving the camera. Some other effects, such as wide shots, or fire tend to not look good, but it doesn’t take away from the overall experience.

Also, more than any season in recent memory, the action was occasionally hard to follow. All the effects, plus the CG backgrounds, plus the constantly more ridiculous and interesting camera angles Sentai likes to use add up to some very messy scenes on occasion.

I’m also a little sad we dropped the gear gimmicks. While I’m not upset to see them go, I was kinda hoping we’d continue with it until the 50th anniversary where we’d have a big payoff. It may have originally been in the cards, but I only say that because of the rustic machine nature of the Shugods and the general design work or Shuggodam. Remember, toy development takes a while, and while I don’t know the over-under on BanNam’s cycle, I know Hasbro has gone on record that if they rush a product they can get it done in 9 months. Kingohger was probably in the concepting phase during early Donbrothers at the latest, so it wouldn’t be surprising if a few small references to the idea were still there if it was the original intention. And out next season is a vehicle season, which is perfect for mechanics and gears.

Though I’d say the biggest issue is it’s just Super Sentai. For all my praise and bravado about it at the start, it’s not like Shin Godzilla, where I can show it to someone who normally wouldn’t be into Tokusatsu and have them walk away enjoying it; if you don’t like Sentai, this season isn’t going to convince you otherwise. For example, I tried showing it to @jaybuilds, and he just wasn’t into it. It’s fine, it happens, but don’t expect that one person you’ve always been trying to convince to watch the show to see it and have it convert them, is all.

The BoonBoomening: I actually haven’t seen anything for BoonBoomger yet. Just the costumes and toy listings. And as someone who focuses on the toys, I’ve seen quite a few gripes that BoonBoom Robo isn’t articulated. But, like, it’s a heavily gimmicky toy, so I get it. If you’re not going to do a gimmick, articulation is fine, but I can understand getting rid of some articulation for a fun play pattern. These are for kids, remember?

Overall, this was a great season. While I enjoy most seasons of Super Sentai, this one in particular had everything I tend to love and want out of a season. Makes me slightly less upset at myself for buying every Megazord associated with this season. Slightly.

As for my usual Megazord recommendations, this is a real all of nothing series. Either go for King-Ohger alone, or everyone for God King-Ohger. You only really need one of each, so you can skip all the premium versions, unless the colors do it for you. And the new Kyoryujin and the upcoming remolds are their own beast to consider separately to the rest of the line.

#Ohsama Sentai Kingohger #Kingohger #review #Super Sentai #BoonBoomger #Bakuage Sentai BoonBoomger

[hearts4scottney]

TD GEN1 FAV MOVIE HCS

heather: mean girls (bc she thinks regina is a bad bitch who deserved so much better than what cady had did to her (also she thinks janice was cool as shit))

gwen: it 2017 (bc she had read the novel before the movie and was curious and as soon as she watched it she fell inlove with the cast and sfx)

courtney: unlocked (bc u cant deny girlie would like a good kdrama & her fav movie genre is ALWAAYYS gonna be mystery bc she likes to use the evidence and find out the culprit before the characters do)

duncan: texas chainsaw massacre (bc he loves a good gore fest) [but its actually highschool musical and hes too embarrassed to admit it]

trent: the notebook (bc he loved the romantic side of noah and the movie had inspired many songs of his)

cody: pixels (bc he thought it was pretty damn sweet that video games could basically come to life and he just found the movie absolutely hilarious)

dj: 101 dalmatians (bc dj is a sucker for animated films and the cuteness of the whole movie rlly stuck with him)

leshawna: bring it on (bc leshawna loves to watch ppl be on some stupid shit so long as it doesnt affect her - no matter how many times she watches it it never fails to make her howl out in laugher)

justin: cruella (bc justin loves a good villain story and finds cruellas outfits throughout the whole movie absolutely gorgeous)

harold: godzilla (bc he absolutely loves nerding out over dinosaurs and how incorrect godzilla is on the knowledge of monsters yet he appreciates the movies creativity and detail with a love/hate sort of thought process)

katie: the fault in our stars (bc she was absolutely heartbroken at the movies end and loved it sm.. also its the movie she & sadie had their first kiss to bc i said so!!)

sadie: the princess switch (bc when sadie was younger she always wanted to be a princess and fell in love with the idea of a normal girl being able to become royalty)

izzy: bride of chucky (bc izzy loves a good horror flick and tiffany was just the absolute embodiment of perfect energy to her)

owen: ted (bc the idea of a teddy bear coming to life and being fucking hilarious was just absolutely amazing to owen & it kind of made him want his stuffed animals to come alive </3)

geoff: teen beach (bc he likes musicals and refuses to admit it and rlly likes the movie plot)

bridgette: dolphin tale (bc bridgette absolutely loves dolphins sm and finds the entire plot of the movie so sweet)

lindsay: legally blonde (bc she sees herself in elle a LOT and projects onto her)

eva: real steel (bc boxing was pretty fucking cool to her already but adding in robots?? goddamn incredible in her eyes)

tyler: the adam project (bc he likes the plot, sfx, and the movie matches his sense of humor pretty well that he finds it rlly funny)

noah: escape room (bc he finds the puzzles cool and intricate, loves to guess who’s going to die in which room, and also likes when thriller characters have a good backstory)

alejandro: footloose (bc why wouldnt he like the movie abt dancing being forbidden? give me one good reason as to why not)

sierra: grease (bc she watched it with her mom when she was a kid and she absolutely adored the relationship between danny and sandy as well as the movies humor)

#🩹jasper headcanons #td heather #td gwen #td courtney #td duncan #td trent #td cody #td dj #td leshawna #td justin #td harold #td katie #td sadie #td izzy #td owen #td geoff #td bridgette #td lindsay #td eva #td tyler #td noah #td alejandro #td sierra #total drama #tdi #total drama island #total drama headcanons #td sadie x katie

[the-daily-dreamer]

Alicent's dress in this ep... she really could be Catherine de Medici type of character if only writers let her

See. Personally, I really like that they’ve made Alicent a more sympathetic character as opposed to her cartoonishly evil book counterpart. The issue comes from the framing of everything.

The show can’t seem to figure out if they want her to be an irredeemable villain or a sympathetic figure. Which leads to odd framing and acts that feel OOC.

Alicent could absolutely be a Catherine de Medici type. She could be ruthless, opportunistic, bitchy, the whole nine yards. And the show attempts to paint her that way multiple times (prime example is asking for the baby to be brought to her immediately after Rhaenyra gives birth). But she isn’t. We’ve seen her to be compassionate, supportive, kind, and resilient.

It’s this clear disconnect that causes the problem. The show wants to paint her as sympathetic and a victim of the society she lives in. While also trying (failing) to painting her as a power hungry villain. They’ve put so much effort into giving her a heartbreaking backstory and many scenes of her caring for her children and defending Rhaenyra, only to dash it all by painting her in a negative light, and constantly having characters bash and attack her.

You can’t have your cake and eat it too. You can’t show Alicent to be a sympathetic character doing her best to protect herself and her family and trying desperately to make everyone happy. And then also have characters constantly say she’s pathetic and bad (like Rhaenyra saying “Now they see you as you are” or Rhaenys saying she wants to make a window in her prison).

It’s just exhausting. Alicent can either be a villain that is calculated and power hungry. Or she can be a victim who is being used and abused by the system. She can’t be both in the context they want. I just wish they would pick a vibe and stick with it. Allow Alicent to fully embody one trait and go with it. Stop trying to make Alicent sympathetic but also trying to make black fans happy by framing her negatively so they can call her any misogynistic term they want.

#house of the dragon #game of thrones #alicent hightower #pro alicent hightower #alicent hightower defense squad #anti targaryen #anti targaryen stans #anti targ stans #anti team black #team green

[blueberry-macaron]

The "Gabi Grassette" thing is only happening for Freudian reasons! They want us to parallel him with Marinette and Emilie with Adrien, so they're suddenly giving us all this backstory that mirrors her. He was a Cool Guy who worked at his middle class family's food establishment but dreamed of being a fashion designer and would make outfits and costumes for his friends because he was really helpful and compassionate like that. Emilie fell in love with his Good Heart but her super rich family didn't approve of him so she threw it all away to be with him and they were Poor But Happy together. Also implied they lived with Chloe's parents for a while, so it's not THEIR fault for being bad parents, money and Chloe just turned them into bad people and Gabriel was actually a wonderful person before Emilie died. At the last second they try to sympathetically redeem him because it's True Love and Marinette would do the same for Adrien if their places were switched because her and Gabriel are essentially the same person. That's the narrative here.

.... Okay, hold on a sec

So what I'm getting from this (and I hope I'm completely misunderstanding this rn) is that Gabriel doing all the terrible things he has done such as terrorising a whole city almost daily and abusing his son... are actually okay and can be excused... because he did it in the name of """true love"""? Which apparently, by the show's standards means that you do not cope with your wife's death, which would be the healthy thing to do, but instead stay obsessed forever and try to bring her back with magic, even though everyone else will suffer because of it??

And the implication here is that Marinette would also turn into an despicable villain, doing absolutely horrible things and abusing kids if Adrien were to die??? Because their relationship is the embodiment of true love, just like Gabe x Emilie, and that's just what you do for your significant other????

WHAT????

So I guess when one of my loved one's die I'll just commit a fucking war crime because apparently that's a valid and healthy way to deal with sadness and grief. It's fine, I'm doing this out of love:) Thank you, Astruc, real eye opener, this is my new life philosophy now.

(And the Chloe thing is just laughable because of course she's the reason for them becoming bad people. Children just have that influence on their parents, haven't we all been there lmao)

Also, this still contradicts Gabriel's problem with Adrie//nette. He sees Adrien is happy with her, but doesn't want his son to have that happiness, because apparently Emilie giving up her family for him didn't make him think that maybe being so strict with kids it's not the way to go.

I can't with this show

#ask #anon #ml salt #writing salt #ml leaks #this is so fucking stupid #pls someone tell me I'm an idiot and I got this all wrong this can't be real #probs to anon for taking the time to explain it to me though #I had no idea what's happening with Gabriel's arc #I just saw this one pic with mowhawk gabe which I still think is cursed

[ebonysficcollection]

BNHA Fic Recs: Family/Friendship Feels

make this feel like home by carolinaa

The Todoroki siblings all come together for Christmas for the first time in years when they hear that Endeavor will be out of town during the break. Very painful, but also the most realistic depiction of estranged siblings that clearly love each other, but don't know how to act around each other. Fantastically written, and it's told from Natsuo's perspective, which is a refreshing take on this genre of Todoroki family recovery fics.

Tickets to the Todoroki Trauma Drama Are Buy 1 Get 1 Free by miniongrin

Touya and Fuyumi are twins and get body-swapped and learn about the lives they've developed since being separated and grow closer as a result. Fucking hysterical, great characterization of Fuyumi specifically, and surprisingly sweet and sad when it wants to be.

journey to the past by aloneintherain

When Izuku's classmates are pro heroes, they time travel back to when Izuku was little and save him from villain attacks repeatedly over the course of his life. This is heartbreakingly sweet. It shows all of Izuku's baggage and loneliness while simultaneously giving us the best friend bonding that is Pro Hero Class A playing with baby Deku. It's like getting an ice cream after getting decked in the nose.

Confusion by bortzy

Todoroki and Kirishima bonding over being gay. That's kind of it, but it's cute. I like Kirishima and Todoroki being friends. It's just uncomplicated friend stuff.

Movin' Out by momojirounation

Todoroki and Yaoyorozu not knowing how to function so they ask their partners for help. Very cute and funny, I love platonic Todomomo, and also they're both autistic, which is just--yes.

i. shaky hands by rexcorvidae

Izuku has chronic pain on account of being the human embodiment of poor impulse control, so Dadzawa steps in and helps him deal with it. It's just nice. It's just nice seeing people treating Izuku well. It's vicarious catharsis.

If We're Being Honest by thequeenofwhump

Class 1A is hit with a truth quirk that causes them to spout "fucking word vomit" for almost a month, and because no one can lie, all the couples get together in, like, the first chapter, and it's great. It's hilarious, especially the internal narration of the characters, and there's a lot of really good friendship moments between everyone involved, and I do mean everyone. It's not just the usual angst-ridden characters like Todoroki and Bakugou. I have a whole review typed up for this bad boy, but I'd say it's worth a read.

Imperceptible by lunarecrypt

A Hagakure-centric fic was something I did not know I needed, but now I'm glad I have it. Hagakure needs stealth advice from Todoroki, and she finds out the barest bones of his backstory and why he is the way he is. I always love fics about less popular characters, and I especially love them when they're told from the perspective of an underappreciated character. I really like Hagakure, and I wish there was more available content about her.

Terrible Twos by PotterheadAvengerDemigod

Midoriya is hit with a Quirk that de-ages him back to when he's four years old, and since Bakugou is the only person he knows and remembers, Bakugou has to babysit him. Tooth-rottingly adorable and features Bakugou struggling not to swear in the presence of innocent baby Deku, lest his friends hit him over the head with a rolled up newspaper. It's great, fucking love it.

all according to keikaku................. by carolinaa

Kirishima gets sick of Midoriya and Todoroki's pining, so he decides to flirt with Todoroki in an attempt to not-so-subtly force Midoriya to confess by taking advantage of Midoriya's competitive streak. The characterization is really solid and features teenagers being teenagers, with all the hell that is high school put on full display. I just love it when class 1A is depicted as just the most Gen Z kids to ever exist. This fic is almost literally every conversation I've overheard or been apart of in homework group study sessions. It's great.

(Honestly, just go read everything by this author).

bff (brother friend forever) by carolinaa

A collection of snapshots showing Iida and Uraraka's friendship, where they're really just bratty siblings that love each other just so much. As always with this author, great writing style, fantastic characterization, and hit me in the fucking feels.

(Seriously. Read everything by this author. Especially if you want good Erasermic and Todo-family fics).

#bnha #bnha fanfic recs #bnha fanfiction #boku no hero academia #mha #mha fanfic recs #mha fanfiction #my hero academia #class 1a

[cinematicct]

Batman Returns (1992)

🦇🐈‍⬛🐧

Directed by Tim Burton, this superhero film shows Batman confronting the rise of a deformed crime boss known as the Penguin and his complex love/hate relationship with Catwoman.

The cast includes: Michael Keaton as Bruce Wayne/Batman, Danny DeVito as Oswald Cobblepot/The Penguin, Michelle Pfeiffer as Selina Kyle/Catwoman and Christopher Walken as industrialist Max Shreck.

Michael Keaton has the potential qualities of a conflicted hero whose vigilantism is further explored as he comes across not one, but two enemies. Danny DeVito is dead-on creepy yet fantastic as a foul villain (pun intended). Michelle Pfeiffer raises the bar as the perfect (or purr-fect) embodiment of both a meek secretary and a mysterious cat burglar. Christopher Walken is immensely brilliant as a twisted, powerful businessman responsible for the birth of Catwoman and orchestrating the Penguin’s campaign to run for mayor.

What’s unique about this film is unlike other superhero movies, this one is mostly focused on the lives of the antagonistic characters. Although an official sequel to 1989’s Batman, the movie is not entirely focused on Bruce Wayne. Instead, you see the shocking backstory of Oswald Cobblepot, lowly day-to-day life of Selina Kyle and their dastardly ambitions.

On that note, the story demonstrates the duality of the villains as well as the hero. Bruce Wayne is overwhelmed by the difficulty in reconciling his personal life with his nightly heroic duties. Oswald Cobblepot is a misshapen outcast disposed and raised in the sewers of Gotham City. However, Bruce is accustomed to loneliness, whereas Oswald wants to gain acceptance despite his diabolical plan for citywide domination. Moreover, while Batman wears a mask, the Penguin embraces his freakish nature. Selina Kyle used to be completely insecure as she originally worked as Shreck’s assistant. As Catwoman, she mainly seeks revenge against her former boss. Along the way, she forms an association with Bruce Wayne but a strong resentment of Batman, unaware that Bruce and Batman are one and the same. She even forms an alliance with the Penguin to discredit Batman.

The costumes play an essential part for each character. The Batsuit is mechanically aerodynamic to combine darkness with armed military forces. Selina’s cat suit represents the confident yet devious mindset of her alter ego. The outfit and cat mask are made of glossy black leather with noticeable stitching to reflect her sleek design. On top of that, she’s equipped with a bullwhip (a device that somewhat resembles a cat’s tail) and retractable claws made from sewing needles. The feline getup basically goes to show that while she might seem enticing, Catwoman is extremely skilled in combat and very lethal. Though if you look at her from another perspective, aside from her machinations, Catwoman is also a symbol of ultimate feminism. The Penguin is a rotund figure, wearing Victorian-style clothes to blend in among Gotham’s elite. But it’s the makeup and prosthetic appliances that actually transform Danny DeVito into the nefarious villain. The grotesque oddities include: his long, messy hair, beak-shaped nose, white face with dark circles around the eyes and flipper-like hands that only have a thumb and index finger on each one. This startling work of art gives the Penguin both his bizarre appearance and crazed animal behavior. Plus, he’s armed with a variety of weaponized umbrellas that act as guns, knives, etc.

The visual effects employ many innovative techniques: the Bat-Signal (along with the occasional swarming of bats), technological morphing of the Batmobile, acrobatic tricks/surprise attacks from the Penguin’s troupe of deadly circus performers called the Red Triangle Gang and a massive army of penguins (a combination of live penguins and animatronics).

In terms of a great soundtrack, the film includes an original song by British rock band Siouxsie and the Banshee: “Face to Face”. It not only contains subtle references to the hostility between Batman and Catwoman, but it is heard during the scene where Bruce and Selina share a seductive dance at a costumed ball.

Thanks to the brooding genius of Tim Burton, we see three characters of different identities with one thing in common: they intend to find a way (whether good or bad as the story takes place during the Christmas season) to cope with the inescapable oppression of society. All that said, I recommend this visually stunning masterpiece to every Batman (and Catwoman) fan.

#Batman Returns 1992 #DC Comics #superhero film #tim burton #michael keaton #Bruce Wayne #danny devito #oswald cobblepot #the penguin #Michelle Pfeiffer #catwoman #batman in film

[imethirdperson]

Actually the more I think about it, it seems that one of the main themes vampirism is supposed to represent in this show is whiteness/privilege in a racist system. Makes sense with Louis' and Claudia's fragmented sense of identity re: vampirism not giving them freedom at all, only further alienation and threat of violence, embodied in older vampire Lestat. I completely loathed episode 5 cause it looked like the plan was to call Louis and Claudia unreliable and try to make us root for the obvious abuser. But they didn't do that (yet), so there's still a possibility of the show being good? Maybe they will actually make Lestat the villain. Vampires as the rulers, the big parasitic leeches used to be *so* common in the legends (and in Anne Rice too except she excused them lmao) and then completely overlooked after Dracula et al came in with the racist immigration panic. there's a possibility the show is going in this direction and that could be very interesting actually. And then in season 2 it might not be vile to tell lestat's backstory as long as they commit to exploring racism and classism (this time in Europe) and don't try to pull a meowmeow. I'm not holding out hope though cause at the end of the day I just don't trust rolin jones at all

#even if they try to pull this i don't think they'd deliver #the language they've been using to talk about trauma and abuse seems very shallow to me #but anyway it probably won't be as bad as I thought it would be last week #since they haven't inmediately jumped to lestat's pov like I thought they would do #the bar is on the floor

[cosalphonse]

i don’t know how anyone could watch 03 and brotherhood and prefer brotherhood’s take on the homunculi. i don’t mean the individual characters, i mean the concept itself. because holy shit are the bh homunculi a let-down in comparison.

this is coming from someone who watched 03 first, but i find the concept of the bh homunculi to just be.... so boring. like, they’re meant to be the manifestations of father’s sins. okay. cool i guess. i’ve always found father himself to be a rather bland villain which is fine, not every villain needs to be completely fleshed out or understood. but the fact that these representations of sin are meant to reflect the sins of our antagonist, who’s a rather flat character anyway, feels like such a waste when you look over to 03.

03 having the homunculi be products of failed human transmutations is just.... SO fucking genius. it’s so interesting! now, every single one of the homunculi has a backstory to them! even the ones we know so little about like 03 pride and 03 greed have a level of depth to them. we know they were once human, that they were brought back by someone, and that they surely must have SOME feelings about that.

and for the ones we DO get to know more about? holy SHIT. sloth?!?! SLOTH. what a genius move. having the elrics go against the monster they created, the creation that sparked the whole series, the reanimated face of their MOTHER. it’s just so heartbreaking and something that works so well. and LUST????? HER WHOLE CHARACTER???? IT’S INCREDIBLE! having her break out of the “sexy woman” trope to actually be her own character, have her own feelings about her humanity and her own desires. having her turn against dante, her relationship to scar, all of that. her character became something truly beautiful.

in comparison, bh sloth is.... nothing. like i get it, haha, he’s sloth so he’s slow and doesn’t do much, whatever funny joke i guess. but it feels like a waste of an entire character. and bh lust is yet another waste. her entire existence is merely to set up roy’s character, and as the only female homunculus in bh, it feels so cheap.

i know this will probably not be a popular take, but i also think that envy suffers in bh as well in comparison. 03 envy is just, SO much more interesting. he was transmuted by his parents, then forgotten by his father in favor of a new family. he was then manipulated by his mother for YEARS into doing what she wanted. and then suddenly the name “envy” makes sense! he’s envious of humans, just like bh envy talked about, but in a much more PERSONAL way. he’s envious of what ed has. he HATES ed’s guts, and when his backstory is unraveled, it all makes sense why. bh envy is one of the more interesting homunculi in that series, but even then, his last speech about being jealous of humans and being humiliated feels a bit out-of-nowhere. his hatred for humanity really being a cover-up for jealous DOES make sense, but in comparison to 03 envy’s motivations, it feels so disingenuous to me.

and again, when thinking about the concepts, what do the homunculi in bh tell us about the characters in comparison to 03? we do get characters fighting against their “deadly sins” in each series, but the emotional stakes are much higher in 03. ed fighting pride in bh is intense and makes sense symbolically, but it lacks the emotional gut punch of ed fighting sloth in 03. both of them are the same thing on paper; ed is fighting the sin he struggles with most in each series. but bh ed has no emotional ties to bh pride, and he really can’t have any considering the whole concept of the homunculi just being born from father. in 03 however, when ed is fighting his creation, fighting his own mother, fighting the literal embodiment of his sin, it feels so much stronger.

this isn’t to say all of the homunculi are bad in bh - far from it. i LOVE bh greed. but what makes him a good character has nothing to do with the homunculi’s conception or his ties to father. it’s all about what he does inside the story. which is fine! i’m not complaining about that! i’m just saying that the mere concept of homunculi in 03 is a much better setup for the homunculi themselves and gives them a very personal stake in other characters’ stories. instead of being subsections of the Big Bad, they are born from our heroes, which gives them this much deeper sense of sadness as well as a stronger, personal tie to the protagonists. 03′s take on them is more tragic, more memorable, and just. so. good.

#fma #fma03 #fullmetal alchemist #fma 2003 #homunculi #all this came from me complaining about how much 10 year old me was disappointed by bh sloth LMAOOOO #analysis #finn rambles

[class1akids]

I think your post about the Todoroki abuse recently really highlights just why each kid is exactly how they are in relation to Enji. Touya became Dabi after being loved and praised and then tossed away when he could no longer embody Enji’s ambitions, so he became obsessed with Enji’s attention and with power as a means to achieve it. Fuyumi was the only child born before Touya’s quirk incompatibility was known, so Enji probably treated her okay as a little child, though his focus was on Touya, but she at least got to experience a brief taste of the happy family she’s now so desperate for. Poor Natsuo was inconsequential from the very moment of his birth, Enji dismissing him on sight, which is absolutely cruel, and it makes sense why Natsuo is the one Enji can’t build a bond with much now, because it never existed. And Shouto… well, he’s been burdened as always being someone’s replacement, shouldering others’ ambitions, at the cost of his individuality. But his resentment at that at least now gives him the chance to be the only one who can relate to Touya and show him that it is possible to step out of Enji’s shadow when someone reaches out a hand to you. It really is such a well written examination on the dynamics of abuse. I don’t understand how anyone can dismiss it as anything other than abuse for all four of these kids, and Rei of course.

I think in the end it comes down still to trauma olympics - people endlessly arguing who "had it worse".

I feel like - ironically - people are hardest on Touya, because there was an era when he was the golden child and they buy into Enji's own narrative about why he dropped Touya so cruelly (it was for his own good, father knows best - kind of arguments), not realizing that by Endeavor's own words, twisting the truth was his own shitty coping mechanism to deal with the guilt and the disappointment for his eugenics project not going the way he wanted.

And hiding Touya's identity in the narrative meant that he was the villain with the least display of emotions or inner works, allowing to build up a narrative where he's just a crazy, remorseless psychopath who doesn't care about anyone.

The Touya reveal and backstory chapters came just on the heels of fandom wrapping its collective head around Endeavor's atonement and efforts to be more decent - so I think many people who have come to root for the character felt relief when Touya wasn't tortured like Shouto - completely missing that he was tortured in a very different, but not less impactful way.

And I think Ch 350 shatters all the narrative that Touya was born evil and never cared about his family - and also is an important reminder that while we did spend now about half of the story with Endeavor trying to change - in perspective, that's still only a few months compared to the YEARS his family was abused.

I've even seen takes now blaming Touya for giving up after returning him instead of kidnapping Shouto and saving his family - somehow managing to miss the point that Touya just woke up from 3 years of coma after a horrible injury, having gone through a traumatic procedure. He's a 13-year-old, stuck in the body of a 16-year-old patched together from dead people's skin... Hori does a good job in my view to draw us into Touya's headspace and I feel like him snapping in that moment is a well-earned story-beat. But people often read only what fits their personal narrative.

Also, people forget that the Todoroki narrative is all entangled relationships. I think we are so used to want to see clear winners and losers and comparative strength levels that we forget that the point of a family is that nobody wins if one of them loses.

I root for the family as a whole (I feel attached to all the characters), and Shouto in particular as my favourite character - and rooting for him to me means that I hope he'll get through to Touya, will help him get out of his narrow-minded hate and I also really hope that Endeavor will finally make the decision he should have made all those years ago and will step up as a father in a way that shows that he values his family not for their quirks, or what they can do for him, but as the valuable individuals they are.

#c1a asks #bnha manga spoilers #bnha 350 #keeping up with the todorokis #i can ramble endlessly about this

[nightcolorz]

Poorly describing my versions of the Gotham rogues:

Joker: “yolo” in its most dangerous form, def is writing a slow burn enemies to loves fic about him and Batman. Gay and homophobic 💯 The other rogues don’t invite him to pride celebrations anymore cause he’ll keep calling people slurs “as a joke”. Him and Edward have longterm beef, like schoolgirl levels of petty drama.

Harley Quinn: would describe herself as a “girlboss” unironically while committing heinous crimes. tweeted “clowns aren’t funny” after breaking up with Joker (ended up causing a huge scandal). The OG “I can fix him” girl. Is sort of the rogues free underground therapist (god knows they need it) cause they can’t get professional help without being sent to Arkham.

Poison Ivy: Breaking News: Cottagecore lesbian commits mass murder cause her plant wilted. She’s what republicans think environmentalists are. Would get in a fist fight with that vegan teacher cause “plants have feelings too”. Has beef with most of the male rogues, supports ‘kill all men’ without realizing it’s a joke (she prefers ‘kill all humans’ but figured she had to downgrade because the Gotham city sirens are humans technically).

Cat Woman: “OH NO! It appears I’ve gotten stuck backwards in the bank vault step-Bat 😏😏😏😏😏😏, looks like I’m not stealing any more diamonds today 😰😩”. Mad respect for Selina, she just wants diamonds and bat dick, no tragic backstory or complex motivations needed. I personally like to headcanon her as wearing a straight up cat costume (ears and a tail like a true furry) cause it’s way funnier to imagine a sophisticated rich woman dressing up as a cat to steal shit than whatever bullshit DCs up to these days. Trans catgirl supremacy 💎👍

Scarecrow: That one guy who gets angry at people because “Halloween costumes are meant to be scary 🤬😡😑😒”. Doesn’t even attempt to express emotions, is the human embodiement of this emoji: 😐. His presence is more jarring than threatening, his intimidation levels are somehow underwhelming and overwhelming at the same time. The other rogues have collectively decided that he’s asexual under no assumption other than that they don’t want to imagine Jonathan having sex. Overtime Jonathan has become basically fearless (he smokes his own fear gas like vape just to feel something). Jonathan and Harley became good friends when they both worked in Arkham, their dynamic is surprisingly wholesome.

The Riddler: Didn’t get hugged enough as a child and is now making it everyone’s problem. Would hold a bank hostage to show Batman his third grade spelling bee medal. Is the only autistic rogue that gets accommodations in Arkham because he won’t stop bugging the guards. FTM trans ofc (his names Edward Nygma for Christ's sake). He ran away from home at seventeen and faked his own death (his deadname is legally dead lmao). Uses the terms “alpha, beta, and omega male” unironically.

Two Face: “Yeah, I mean, I didn’t wanna blow up the orphanage either, but Y’know the coin said-” The other rogues talk to Harvey as if he’s constantly at his breaking point, which is half true. Harv is a stone cold mf, he’s the rock that’s holding Two Face together tbh. Edward calls Harvey and Harv Jekyll and Hyde cause he’s that original. All the rogues have at least a sneaking suspicion that Bruce Wayne is batman and use Harvey as their little primary source (being ex besties and everything), until they find out Selina and Bruce are a thing of course. No matter how much evidence he’s faced with Harvey will never accept Bruce Wayne is batmam, he’s not ready to consider that one of the only positive people in his life has been duking it out with him this whole time.

Penguin: He’s the rest of the rogues chill gay gangster uncle I don’t make the rules. The iceberg lounge is like the Batman villain equivalent of The Central Perk from friends (aka: its their default place to hangout). Oswald always makes a fuss about them not making reservations ahead of them but at this point it’s just performative. Everyone’s 99% sure Oswald and Edward fucked at some point (Edward always makes a show of flustering Oswald when he needs a loan). Ossie always takes care of the others belongings when they’re in Arkham (he has a special place in his heart for Jonathan‘s crows).

The Mad Hatter: I love Jervis lmao he just really likes Alice in Wonderland and that’s a valid ass villain motivation 👍. One of the smartest rogues but doesn’t get enough credit because of how childish he is. He dresses in kids clothes, not just because he wants to but because he’s small af and can’t fit in shit. In public while the rogues are undercover Jervis usually wears a beanie or a baseball cap (he’d get spotted instantly if he wore his usual, but on bad days Jervis can’t bear to be without a hat). Jonathan and Jervis play chess a lot together in Arkham, and frequently engage in intellectual discussion, Edward tends to be a piss baby when Jon encourages him to do the same, he’s not ready to accept the reality that Jervis can match his intelligence.

Killer Croc: Waylon has a surprising amount in common with Jonathan, they share southern solidarity. He doesn’t travel out of the sewer often so the rogues will occasionally come to visit Waylon there (Edward always makes sure to complain loudly about the smell). Will show immense affection and loyalty to anyone who treats him as human (poor guy just needs a friend ☹️).

Mr Freeze: Literally just dead inside, someone give this poor bastard a hug. Victor stands as the most awkward rogue, he‘s sorta like the odd one out. The other rogues don’t interact with him that often because he’s sort of a party pooper. He’s the straight friend on thin ice, haha get it. Mr Freeze is my sisters favorite Batman villain because she thought the ice puns were funny in Batman in Robin, little does she know I’m embarrassing myself on tumblr in her glory.

Music Meister: So many of the Gotham rogues have horrible childhood trauma and Music Meister is just like “people bullied me for being a theater kid 😩😭💔😔”. In all honesty he’s iconic, in my au universe thingy I have him join the dork squad latter on and he sticks out like a sore thumb for a bit. I feel like him and Jervis would really hit it off though (mind control buddies, ha), although Jervis would always get him to sing Alice in Wonderland songs. In Arkham they have him wear a dog collar thingy and zap him when he sings, he gets bullied for that lol. anyways I’m sure I could make more of these, but it’s 2:20 am and my mind went blank. If y’all liked this I could always put more au headcanons out (I have A LOT)

#gotham rogues #batman rogues #batman villains #rogues gallery #dc rogues #batman rogues gallery #two face #harvey dent #scarecrow batman #jonathan crane #the riddler #edward nygma #headcannons #mr freeze #victor fries #music meister #killer croc #waylon jones #mad hatter #oswald cobblepot #jervis tetch #selina kyle #cat woman #harley quinn #pamala isley #harleen quinzel #poison ivy #joker

[hamliet]

The Crows Summon the Sun

Or, Hamliet’s review of Shadow & Bone, which gets a 4.5/5 for enjoyment and a 3.5/5 in terms of writing.

The true heroes of this story and the saviors of the show are the Crows. However, the problem is that the show then has an uneven feel, because the strength of the Crows plotline highlights the weaknesses of the trilogy storyline. But imo, overall, the strengths overshadow (#punintended) the weaknesses. 

I’ll divide the review into the narrative and the technical (show stuff, social commentary), starting with narrative.

Narrative: The Good 

It’s What The Crows Deserve

I went into the show watching it for the Crows; however, knowing that their storyline was intended to be a prequel, I wasn’t terribly optimistic. And while it is a prequel, the characters have complete and full arcs that perfectly set them up for the further development they will have in the books (which I think should be the next season?). Instead of retreading the arcs they’d have in the books, which is how prequels usually go, they had perfect set up for these arcs. It’s really excellent. 

Jesper, Inej, and Kaz are all allowed to be flawed, to have serious conflicts with one another, and yet to love each other. They feel like a found family in the best of ways. Kaz is the perfect selfish rogue; he’s a much more successfully executed Byronic hero than the Darkling, actually. Inej is heroic and her faith is not mocked, yet she too is flawed and her choices are not always entirely justified, but instead left to the audience to ponder (like killing the girl), which is a more mature writing choice that I appreciated. 

Jesper is charming, has a heart of gold despite being a murderer and on the surface fairly greedy, and MILO THE EMOTIONAL SUPPORT GOAT WAS THE BEST THING EVER. I also liked Jesper’s fling with Dima but I felt it could be better used rather than merely establishing his sexuality, like if Jesper and Dima had seen each other one more time or something had come of their tryst for the plot/themes/development of Jesper. 

Nina and Matthias’s backstory being in the first season, instead of in flashbacks, really works because it automatically erases any discomfort of the implications of Nina having falsely accused Matthias that the books start with. We know Nina, we know Matthias, we know their motivations, backgrounds, and why they feel the way we do. It’ll be easy for the audience to root for them without a lot of unnecessary hate springing from misunderstanding Nina (since she’s my favorite). Matthias’s arc was also really strongly executed and satisfyingly tragic. Their plotline was a bit unfortunately disconnected from the rest of the story, but Danielle Gallagan and Callahan Skogman have absolutely sizzling chemistry so I found myself looking forward to their scenes instead of feeling distracted. Also? It’s nice seeing a woman with Nina’s body type as a romantic and powerful character. 

Hamliet Likes Malina Now

Insofar as the trilogy storyline goes, the best change the show made was Mal. He still is the same character from the books, but much more likable. The pining was... a lot (too much in episode 4, I felt) but Malina is a ship I actually enjoyed in the show while I NOTP’d it in the books. Mal has complexity and layers to his motivations (somewhat) and a likable if awkward charm. Archie Renaux was fantastic. 

Ben Barnes is the perfect Aleksandr Kirigan, and 15 year old me, who had the biggest of big crushes on Ben Barnes (first celebrity crush over a decade ago lol), was pretty damn happy lol. He’s magnificantly acted--sympathetic and terrifying, sincerely caring and yet villainous in moments. Story-wise, I think it was smart to reveal his name earlier on than in the books, because it helps with the humanization especially in a visual medium like film. Luda was a fitting (if heartbreaking) backstory, but it is also hard for me to stomach knowing what the endgame of his character is. Like... I get the X-men fallacy thing, but I hope the show gives more kindness to his character than the books did, yet I’m afraid to hold my breath. Just saying that if you employ save the cat, if you directly say you added this part (Luda) to make the character more likable (as the director did) please do not punish the audience for feeling what you intended. 

I also liked the change that made Alina half-Shu. It adds well to her arc and fits with her character, actually giving her motivations (she kinda just wants to be ordinary in a lot of ways) a much more interesting foundation than in the books. Also it’s nice not to have another knock-off Daenerys (looking to you Celaena and book!Alina). Jessie Mei Li does a good job playing Alina’s insecurities and emotions, but... 

Narrative: The Ehhhhhhh

Alina the Lamp

Sigh. Here we go. Alina has little consistent characterization. She’s almost always passive when we see her, yet she apparently punches an officer for calling her a name and this seems to be normal for her, but it doesn’t fit at all with what we know about her thus far. Contradictions are a part of humanity, but it’s never given any focus, so it comes across as inconsistent instead of a flaw or repression. 

I have no idea what Alina wants, beside that she wants to be with Mal, which is fine except I have no idea what the basis of their bond is. Even with like, other childhood friends to lovers like Ren/Nora in RWBY or Eren/Mikasa in SnK, there’s an inciting moment, a reason, that we learn very early on in their story to show us what draws them together. Alina and Mal just don’t have that. There’s the meadow/running away thing, but they were already so close, and why?  Why, exactly? What brought them together? The term “bullies” is thrown around but it isn’t ever explored and it needed to be this season. If I have to deal with intense pining for so many episodes at least give me a foundation for their devotion. You need to put this in the beginning, in the first season. You just do.

A “lamp” character is a common metaphor to describe a bad character: essentially, you could replace the character with a lamp and nothing changes. Considering Alina’s gift is light, it’s a funnily apt metaphor, but it really does apply. Her choices just don’t... matter. She could be a special lamp everyone is fighting over and almost nothing would change. The ironic thing is that everyone treating her like a fancy lamp is exactly the conflict, but it’s never delved into. We’re never shown that Alina is more than a lamp. She never has to struggle because her choices are made for her and information is gifted to her when she needs it. Not making choices protects Alina from consequences and the story gives her little incentive to change that; in fact, things tend to turn out better when she doesn’t make choices (magic stags will arrive). 

Like... let’s look at a few occasions when Alina almost or does make choices. For example, she chooses to (it seems) sleep with Kirigan, but then there’s a convenient knock at the door and Bhagra arrives with key information that changes Alina’s mind instantly despite the fact that Bhagra’s been pretty terrible to her. If you want to write a woman realizing she’s been duped by a cruel man, show her discovering it instead of having the man’s abusive mother tell her when she had absolutely no such suspicions beforehand. There’s no emotional weight there because Alina doesn’t struggle. 

When she is actually allowed to carry out a bad choice, the consequences are handwaved away instead of built into a challenge for her. Like... Alina got her friends killed. More than once. I’m not saying she’s entirely to blame for these but could we show her reacting to it? Feeling any sort of grief? She never mentions Raisa or Alexei after they’re gone, just Mal, and I’m... okay. They were there because of you. Aren’t you feeling anything? Aren’t you sad? The only time Alina brings up her friends’ deaths is to tell Kirigan he killed her friends when they were only there because she burned the maps. She yells at Kirigan for “never” giving her a choice, but she almost never makes any, so why would he? Alina has the gall to lecture Genya about choices, but she herself almost never has to make any. 

Which brings me to another complaint in general: Alina’s lack of care for everyone around her when they’re not Mal, even if they care for her. Marie dies because of her (absolutely not her fault of course) but as far as we know she never even learns about Marie. She certainly doesn’t ever ask about her or Nadia. Alina seems apathetic at best to people, certainly not compassionate or kind. 

The frustrating thing is that there is potential here. Like, it actually makes a lot of psychological sense for an orphan who has grown up losing to be reluctant to care for people outside of her orbit and that she would struggle to believe she can have any say in her destiny (ie make choices). It’s also interesting that a girl who feels like an outsider views others outside her. But the show never offers examines Alina’s psychology with any depth; it simply tells us she’s compassionate when she is demonstrably not, it tells us she makes decisions when it takes magical intervention to do so. It’s a missed opportunity. This does not change between episodes 1 and 8, despite the episodes’ parallel structures and scenes, which unintentionally reinforces that Alina had little real development. 

Inej and ironically Jesper and Kaz embody the concept of “mercy” far better and with far more complexity than Alina does. The Crows have reactions to the loss of people who even betray them (Arken, etc), learn, and course-correct (or don’t) when they are even loosely involved in having strangers die. They’re good characters because they change and learn and have their choices matter. When they kill we see them wrestle with it and what this means even if they are accustomed to doing so. Jesper can’t kill in front of a child. Kaz wonders what his killings do to Inej’s idea of him.

Narrative: The Mixed Bag

Tropes, Themes, Telling vs. Showing

So the show’s themes in the Alina storyline are a mess, as they are in the trilogy too. Tropes are a very valuable way to show your audience what you’re trying to say. They’re utilized worldwide because they resonate with people and we know what to expect from them. The Crows' storyline shows us what it wants us to learn.

Preaching tells, and unfortunately, the trilogy relies on telling/preaching against fornicationBad Boys. It’s your right to write any trope or trample any trope you want--your story--but you should at least understand what/why you are doing so. The author clearly knows enough about Jungian shadows and dark/light yin/yang symbolism to use it in the story, but then just handwaves it away as “I don’t like this” but never does so in a narratively effective way: addressing the appeal in the first place. If you really wanna deconstruct a trope, you gotta empathize with the core of the reason these tropes appeal to people (it allays deep fears that we are ourselves unlovable, through loving another person despite how beastly they can be), and address this instead of ignoring it. Show us a better way through the Fold of your story. Don’t just go around it and ignore the issue.

The trilogy offers highly simplistic themes at best--bad boy bad and good boy good, which is fine-ish for kid lit but less fine for adult complexity, which the show (more so than the books) seems to try to push despite not actually having much of it.

Alina and Mal are intended to be good, we’re told they are, but I’m not sure why beyond just that we’re told so. Alina claims the stag chose her, but in the show it’s never explained why at all. Unlike with Kaz, Inej, Jesper, and hell even Matthias and Nina, we don’t see Alina or Mal’s complex choices and internal wrestling. 

Like, Inej’s half-episode where she almost killed the guy they needed was far more character exploration than Alina has the entire show, to say nothing of Inej’s later killing which not only makes her leaps and bounds more interesting, but ironically cements her as a far more compelling and yes, likable, heroine than Alina. We see Inej’s emotional and moral conflict. We can relate to her. We see Kaz struggling with his selfishness and regrets, with his understanding of himself through his interactions with and observations of Inej, Alina, the Darkling, Arken, and Jesper.

We don’t explore what makes Mal or Alina good and what makes them bad. We don’t know what Alina discovers about herself, what her power means for her. We are told they are good, we are told she knows her power is hers, but never shown what this means or what this costs them/her. Their opportunities to be good are handed to them (the stag, Bhagra) instead of given to them as a challenge in which they risk things, in which doing good or making a merciful choice costs them. Alina gets to preach about choices without ever making any; Inej risks going back to the Menagerie to trust Kaz. Her choices risk. They cost. They matter and direct her storyline and her arc, and those of the people around her.

Production Stuff:

The Good: 

The production overall is quite excellent. The costumes, pacing, acting, and cinematography (for example, one of the earliest scenes between the Darkling and Alina has Alina with her back to the light, face covered in his shadow, while the Darkling’s face is light up by her light even if he stands in the shadows) are top-notch. The soundtrack as well is incredible and emphasizes the scenes playing. The actors have great chemistry together, friend chemistry and romantic when necessary (Mal and Alina, the Darkling and Alina, Kaz and Inej, Nina and Matthias, David and Genya, etc.) All are perfectly cast. 

The Uncomfortable Technicalities Hamliet Wants to Bitch About:

The only characters from fantasy!Europe having any trace of an accent reminiscent of said fantasy country's real-world equivalent are antagonists like Druskelle (Scandinavia) and Pekka (Ireland). When the heroes mostly have British accents despite being from fantasy Russia and Holland, it is certainly A Choice to have the Irish accent emphasized. The actor is British by the way, so I presume he purposely put on an Irish accent. I'm sure no one even considered the potential implications of this but it is A Look nonetheless.

The Anachronisms Hamliet Has a Pet Peeve About: 

The worldbuilding is compelling, but the only blight on the worldbuilding within the story itself (ignoring context) was that there are some anachronisms that took me out of the story, particularly in the first episode where “would you like to share with the class” and “saved by the horn” are both used. Both are modern-day idioms in English that just don’t fit, especially the latter. The last episode uses “the friends we made along the way.” There are other modern idioms as well.

IT’S STARKOVA and Other Pet Peeves Around the Russian Portrayal 

Russian names are not hard, and Russian naming systems are very, very easy to learn. I could have waved “Starkov” not being “Starkova,” “Nazyalensky” not being “Nazyalenskaya,”  and “Safin” not being “Safina” as an American interpretation (since in America, the names do not femininize). However, “Mozorova” as a man is unfathomable and suggests to me the author just doesn’t understand how names work, which is a bit... uh okay considering a simple google search gets you to understand Russian names. They aren’t hard. I cannot understand why the show did not fix this. It is so simple to fix and would be a major way to help the story’s overall... caricature of Russia. 

Speaking of that... Ravka is supposedly Russian-based, but it is more accurately based on the stereotypes of what Americans think of Russia. Amerussia? Russica? Not great. 

The royals are exactly what Americans think of the Romanovs, right down to the “greasy” “spiritual advisor” who is clearly Rasputin and which ignores the Romanov history, very real tragedy, and the reason Rasputin was present in the court. The religion with all its saints is a vapid reflection of Russian Orthodoxy. The military portrayal with its lotteries and brutality and war is how the US views the Russian military. The emphasis on orphans, constant starvation, classification, and children being ripped from their homes to serve the government is a classic US understanding of USSR communism right down to the USSR having weapons of destruction the rest of the world fears (Grisha). Not trying to defend the Soviet Union here at all, but it is simplistic and reductive and probably done unconsciously but still ehhhh. 

However, I’m not Russian. I just studied Russian literature. I’ve seen very little by way of discussion of this topic online, but what I do see from Russian people has been mixed--some mind, some don’t. The reality is that I actually don’t really mind this because it’s fantasy, though I see why some do. I'm not like CANCEL THIS. So why am I talking about this beyond just having a pet peeve?

Well, because it is a valid critique, and because it doesn’t occur in a vacuum. The Grishaverse is heralded as an almost paragon for woke Young Adult literature, which underlines itself what so frustrates me about how literary circles discuss issues of diversity and culture. Such praise, while ignoring its quasi-caricature of Russia, reflects a very ethnocentric (specifically American) understanding of culture, appropriation, and representation. All stories are products of their culture to various extents, but it bothers me on principle what the lit community reacts (and overreacts sometimes?) to and what people give a pass to. The answer to what the community reacts to and what it gives a pass always pivots on how palatable the appropriation is to American understandings and sensibilities. There’s nuance here as well, though. 

I'm not cancelling the story or thinking it should be harshly attacked for this, but it is something that can be discussed and imo should be far more often--but with the nuance it begs, instead of black/white. But that’s a tall ask. 

#s&b #hamliet reviews #shadow and bone #six of crows #kanej #jesper fahey #kaz brekker #inej ghafa #alina starkov #malyen oretsev #the darkling #darklina #malina #aleksander kirigan #netflix shadow and bone #s&b review

[mk-wizard]

Big Hero 6 The Series: It could have been better

Hello, friends. Today, I will be analyzing a TV series based on a movie that I fell in love with for its colourful themes, deep plot, compelling characters, great CGI and memorable messages. Before I get into it, I want to take a moment to say that I have quit doing videos. They are too big of a pain in the petunia to make and I write better than I speak, so I will stick to writing essays, reviews and more. Anyway, onto the analysis.

All I can say about Big Hero 6 the series is that it had a great concept, it presented some great ideas and tried hard to be a cartoon of the times, but it could have and should have been a lot better. The show’s downfall all centers around trying too hard to be kid friendly which makes the shame sting all the more because Big Hero 6 was already kid friendly even with its dark themes, sharp edges and intelligent writing. If anything, even the brightest kid friendly cartoons (Steven Universe, She-Ra, etc.) had those things and actually benefitted from them. By needlessly trying too hard, character development got scrapped, the edges were all smoothed out, storytelling was subpar, the humour was too silly and the executive meddling in the end produced a dismal final season. However, I don’t want this analysis to be one lengthy negative rant about how awful the series was because in its defense, awful is an unfair word. It did have potential and ideas which are worth carrying over to a reboot that I hope will be done someday in the future. Also, we should root for a reboot because Big Hero 6 would not be the first story that needs it before striking gold. Just look at how many times Spider-Man was rebooted in film before MCU found the version that worked. Anyway, I will list all the things in Big Hero 6 that could have been better in my opinion;

1- Go easy on the laughs and be more generous with the action. - I love adding comedy to my own writing because I think a good sense of humour makes everything better, but Big Hero 6 is not a stand up comedy routine. It is a superhero story where we expect action, suspense and life or death situations that are to be taken seriously first. The comedy should be for relief and with the right timing. Also, the chibi cutscenes and having characters act like fools aren’t funny. Ren and Stimpy are the exception not the standard and their way of making you laugh doesn’t fit an action series. In a show as big as Big Hero 6, real life physics and danger matters.

2- Make the villains menacing and gritty. - I admit that after having a movie villain like Yokai who was the stuff of nightmares, it is going to be a challenging act to follow, but it was obvious that the writers were trying especially with some villains who could have easily gone into some dark relatable territory. For example, Mr. Sparkles (the gentleman in the photo above) embodies social media and Internet personalities. Right off the bat, you have a long list of things which embody the dark side of that like scams, fraud, using social media to dox or harass, driving people to suicide, online predators, the Internet personalities being very depressed people in real life, and much more horrifying things. When you stop and look at it, Mr. Sparkles even looks like the Joker which hints how dark and scary he could have been if the stops were removed. The same goes for enemies like Hardlight who embodies online gaming, Liv with cloning, Obake an amoral and insane scientist, and Trina and Noodle Burger Boy (more on him later) being evil robots. Globby especially should have been painted and written in much darker colours rather being played off for laughs because he has many parallels with Clay Face. The only two villains who I can say were supposed to be campy, charming and comical were Baron Von Steamer and Supersonic Sue because they were a satire of the Adam West style villains.

The rest of them needed to be dark and threatening including Mr. Sparkles. In fact, I would love a rebooted version of Mr. Sparkles who gives me the heebie-jeebies. Going back to Noodle Burger Boy, I must confess that I was actually excited when I heard that he was going to be the main villain of the final season because I thought he was going to fulfill his master’s final wish and as a reminder, Noodle Burger Boy was based on a super robot for military purposes.

It would have been fantastic if Noodle Burger Boy was upgraded into a full military war machine with a new threatening look. For that, I think all of the villains deserve to be rebooted and have their full potential unlocked for better or for worse.

3- A show about geniuses merits genius level art quality. - I am usually forgiving towards art styles, but in the case of Big Hero 6, the oversimplified style with minimal details and lack of textures did not suit the show. The characters blend in with the background which makes them look flat and the special effects were extremely dulled down. I also know for a fact that Disney can do a lot better than this because I saw how superbly Tangled the Series was drawn.

You can see and almost feel the difference in quality, the number of layers and level of detail between the two styles. I think there was no excuse Big Hero 6 was not done in the same style and at the same level if not better as Tangled.

3- Don’t dumb down or flanderize amazing characters. - I absolutely detest it when characters are flanderized because it makes them one dimensional and grating. For example, Go Go is tough as nails and extremely calm, but she is not cold or hesitant towards helping her friends. She doesn’t require very special episodes for us to know that. If anything, the movie version of Go Go reminded me a lot of Garnet in how she deconstructed the broody character. She isn’t cold or emotionless. Just calm and mature. Another good example was how Honey Lemon was rewritten to be overly positive to the point of toxicity, naïve and oblivious with a juvenile obsession with stickers. Then you have poor Fred who was rewritten to be an incompetent fool. The spark that makes Big Hero 6 shine is that they are a team of geniuses meaning they are all intelligent. Even Fred is genius in his own way just not a scientific one. He has a vivid imagination, he is resourceful and can get himself out of tight spots. Please, don’t turn characters into dummies especially if their intelligence is a part of them. It doesn’t make them better or funnier. It ruins them.

4- Tadashi needs closure and honour. - I am all for Hiro making peace with the loss of his brother, but Tadashi is to the Big Hero 6 team what Uncle Ben was to Spider-Man. His loss was the catalyst if not the reason. He should never be forgotten. Moreover, there was never any true closure to him especially with the possibility that he may still be alive up in the air. After all, like Callaghan, his body was never found and it turned out that Callaghan was still alive.

With that said, who is to say that Tadashi was not secretly still alive and just hiding or being hidden? This is something that Disney really needed to clear up if not for the fans, then at least as a service to such an important character. Never just forget about them.

5- The format can only be episodic with a deep plots, continuity and character development. - Random episodes with a mere monster of the day is an outdated format which doesn’t fit Big Hero 6′s modern and bright setting. In seasons 1 and 2, when the episodes were plot heavy with character development, the series shined brightest. It also helped move the story along, but with the final season, plot was removed, closure was abandoned or poorly written if any was given, and characters were disallowed from growing. A good example at how plot and character development could have made this series and its characters better was the relationship between Hiro and Megan. Would it have truly survived or would they have broken up?

Would Richardson Mole have eventually lost interest in his obsession with besting and bullying Fred or would his obsession consume him compelling him to become a super villain? I do see quite a few similarities between Mole and Reverse Flash.

Then you have Karmi who is in my opinion, the biggest wild card of the bunch. She was intentionally introduced as an arrogant, prickly and unlikable yet complex character who rivaled Hiro bitterly.

Yet had a huge crush on his alter ego and as time went on, started to grow up and even form a friendship with Hiro. What would have happened further down the road with her? Would she have become a super hero herself? Or maybe even another love interest for Hiro kind of like how Black Cat is for Spider-Man?

Is Obake really gone?

What does the future hold Diana (Liv’s clone), Liv herself or the Sycorax the genetics company?

Is Alistair Krei going to become an ally to Big Hero 6 or an antagonist? There is also the issue at how little we know about the other Big Hero 6 characters other than Fred, Hiro and Baymax. What are Honey Lemon, Wasabi and Go Go’s backstories? These questions matter and while not every mystery can be solved, leaving none of them solved is lazy writing.

6- Executives, kindly stay out of the writing and any other part of the creative process. - I’m sorry, execs, but there is no nice way to say it. History itself proves that every time executives got involved in the creative process of any media, it got worse not better. Leave the writing to the creative team and the execs should only handle the legal stuff. Please. We understand that TV is a business, but writing itself is not. It is an art which you just don’t have a talent for. Let the creative people do their thing with the freedom necessary and you do your thing, deal? Deal.

7- Focus on Hiro and Baymax. - The are the main characters so keep them at the heart of the series no matter what happens around them. That is all I can say.

And that sums up all the things that could have made Big Hero 6 the series better, but this is all just my opinion. What is yours?

PS: I am well aware that the Big Hero 6 series is being retconned because a new series called Baymax is in the works as well as the long awaited sequel to the first movie. I am looking forward to both with an open mind. PPS: I also am aware that some people liked this show the way it was including the art style and I am cool with that. An analysis for art that includes cartoons is never right or wrong. It is solely based on opinion. I may have thought this series could have been better, but there are people who make arguments that it could have been worse.

#big hero 6 #big hero 6 hiro #big hero 6 the series #big hero 6 wasabi #big hero 6 fred #big hero 6 gogo #big hero 6 tadashi #big hero 6 baymax #baymax #hiro #tadashi #honey lemon #gogo #krei #obake #noodle burger boy #analysis #character analysis #diane #live #sycorax #karmi #megan #richardson mole #reboot #sequel

[jimlingss]

Moirai [3]

Chapter 2 - Chapter 3 - Chapter 4

➜ Words: 4.8k

➜ Genres: 60% Fluff, 40% Angst, Isekai!AU

➜ Summary: Death is supposed to be the end. Or at least that's what you assumed when you're hit by a TRUCK. But the moment you open your eyes again, instead of being sent to the afterlife, you've become a baby. And not just any baby. You're the female villain of a video game.

You’re ten years old when you finally get to go to the Solar Festival.   “Come right up and challenge this brute to an arm wrestle!”   “Get your candy! Fresh candy from the west right here!”   It’s the first time you’re not deathly ill and practically on your deathbed, a secret which has been kept deep in the Devereux house. God forbid, their only heir is found to be weak. It could be detrimental to the whole aristocratic balance.   But frankly, you’re surprised you’re even alive.   While Anastasia’s death occurs shortly after she turns eighteen, the impending doom never stops weighing on your mind. You just count your blessings as each year passes.   You’re ecstatic to finally be able to go to the Solar Festival too. But you can’t believe it’s with Prince Jungkook and his bratty ass.   A year ago, you were horrified to find out you were engaged to him. It came out of nowhere, an announcement in the morning that nearly had you choking on your breakfast. You don’t know how your father managed to pull such strings, but you’re not entirely surprised. It was part of the original storyline after all.   Luckily, little has changed. It’s an arrangement only in name and was the gossip of tea parties for just a week. Jungkook is still largely uninterested in you. If anything, he still seems scared of you for that stunt you pulled when you first met. But you’re going to keep it that way.    If you can’t win him over with overbearing kindness, then fear works.   “Hey, you.” The Prince taps you on your shoulder and you realize he’s talking to you. He didn’t even refer you to your name. The damn brat. Jungkook points off to a stand and then grins. “Think you can win a prize?”   It’s a booth with three different targets two meters away and slingshots. A simple game with pretty good prizes.   You muse the game developers used a lot of modern inspirations in creating this world. The Solar Festival isn’t far off from markets and carnivals from the twenty-first century.   Jungkook smiles lazily and lolls his head at you. “Here, let me show you how it’s done.”   You scoff as he saunters off. For being only ten years old, he sure is cocky for his age.   The Prince flicks a golden coin at the vendor who bows at him and he grabs the slingshot and ball. His left eye closes and the tip of his tongue sticks out as he aims. Jungkook releases after a moment and the ball hits the second ring of the target.   “Amazing job, Your Highness,” the commoner stutters out while bowing again.   Jungkook pays no mind to him, but he turns his head towards you and smirks. “See?”   Your brow twitches and you step up to the booth. You grab the slingshot out of his hand, take a ball and within two seconds, you fire.    Bullseye.   It’s your turn to shift and smirk at the Prince. Pft. A game like this is easy peasy. C’mon, you used to play at arcades and amusement parks where all their games were professionally rigged.   “C-Congratulations!” The vendor hands you a massive brown bear that nearly overcomes you in size.   Jungkook’s jaw has dropped.   “Would you like the prize, Your Highness?”   He points at you. “You cheated!”   “Excuse me?!”   “Cheater!”   Jungkook stomps away and you’re left following after him while glaring into his backside.    The two of you are accompanied by two knights trailing after you. It’s more intimate than being surrounded in a room full of adults and dressed in extravagant attire. You suppose going to the Solar Festival together with the Prince, aka. your fiancé, is supposed to give off the impression that you’re actually close to him and that this isn’t just a shallow engagement.    The actual truth emerges as you’re busy studying the sign of a food booth. You’re perplexed that they have corn dogs here, or whatever they call it in Ashea, and as you turn around, Jungkook and the guards are gone.   Are you fucking kidding me? Did he actually leave you behind?!   You start wandering, scanning the heads around, looking past hordes of strangers, darting between their legs, dodging bodies. But the crowd is thick and before you’re swept up completely, you flounder out of the mass to the perimeters of the Solar Festival. It’s emptier there, only couples searching for an intimate space and stragglers who want a breath of air.    But by sheer coincidence and coincidence only, a familiar boy comes into your sight.   What the hell is he doing here?   You step back in surprise and cover your face with your massive plush bear. It's only when you peek out that your eyes permanently set onto Taehyung. He’s dressed in a black cloak, but the brown strands of his hair are too distinct. He’s taller than when you last remembered, growing into his skin as well. His cheeks are less rounded than before, eyes becoming sharper.   He doesn’t notice you, at least not yet. He’s too busy taking in the Solar Festival, gawking at the crowds, the twinkling lights and glowing lanterns. He stands at a distance, seemingly overwhelmed.   It feels like you’ve accidentally stumbled into a scene you’re not a part of.   It’s then that you remember there was a flashback in the game. Jungkook invited him to go out, but he couldn’t until he gave into the temptation and snuck outside the castle walls himself. This marks the first time Taehyung left the palace since his mother’s passing three years ago. He’s been trapped inside as the embodiment of the royal family’s shame since.   In the game, you remember he wanted food but didn’t have a single coin to his name.   But that’s not your problem.   You’re not supposed to be here anyway. So, you turn and walk away………………..   “Do you want a corn dog?”    Yet, somehow, you find yourself shown up in front of him regardless, arm extended with the stick of deep fried batter. Taehyung’s caught off guard, eyes wide but you’ve already diverted your vision, staring off at the side with an unknowing pout.    You can’t keep running away. You don’t want to.    The last time you did, Taehyung’s mother suffered the consequences of your inaction.   “I don’t know what they call it here in Ashea, but it’s a corn dog to me.”   The pair of you end up sitting together on a bench on the outskirts of the festival. The enormous teddy bear you won sits upright to your left as Taehyung is on your right. You’d be shrouded in darkness if not for the dim luminescence of the strung lights at the distance.    You bite into the hot corn dog, listening to the crunch and Taehyung’s chewing beside you.   He doesn’t say much, so you focus on gobbling up the oily treat.    Truth be told, you feel pity for Taehyung. Guilty. In a lot of ways, the two of you are similar. Outcasted. Isolated. The game developers are real assholes for creating this kind of backstory for the main antagonists while all the protagonists do is fall in love.    Once you’re done eating, you wipe your hands onto your navy pea coat.    The maids can clean it later.   “This is actually the first time I’ve been to the Solar Festival,” you pipe up, swinging your legs on the edge of the bench.   He looks at you, chewing in his cheek. “It’s mine too.”   You figured.   Suddenly, a surge of motivation washes over you.    Alright! You got some money on you. You can blow your entire allowance today and make it the best day ever for Taehyung!   You twist yourself to him with conviction set in your eyes. He’s startled and leans back. “Is there anything you want to do here then?!”   The corner of his mouth tugs. “Not really.”   You deflate. “Oh.”   It simmers down into quietness again, the bustle filling the spaces in between. Taehyung looks straight ahead yet you still catch his timid voice. “I never thought I’d see you again.”   It sinks in after a delayed second and you turn to him slowly. “You remember me?”   It was less than five minutes. Three years ago. A brief encounter at his mother’s burial.   “Why would I forget?” Taehyung smiles softly to himself. “So I’m just happy sitting here beside you.”   In hindsight, he probably wouldn’t have followed you or eaten beside you compliantly if you were a complete stranger to him. But to hear him say that aloud, you feel even sadder. You’re probably the closest thing he has to a friend right now.   You become silent, the knowledge of his future and yours heavy upon your shoulders.   “Revenge isn’t as great as you think it is,” you mutter.   The ten-year old boy frowns. “Pardon?”   You shake your head. “Never mind.”    What’s the point? It’s not like you could say anything to make it better. You know he’s dead set on it, on avenging his mother’s murder and you can’t even blame him for being so angry. For being so fixated. So lonely.   He’s hidden in the castle’s shadows — the only person who cared for him is gone.   You recall from the wikipage on the characters that it’s around this time Taehyung starts dabbling in magic by himself. He ends up becoming one of the greatest magicians in the empire, but obviously winds up using it for bad.   You eagerly twist yourself towards the boy, nearly nose to nose with him. “Don’t learn magic!”   “What?” Taehyung’s frowning, unable to understand where your random demand came from.   You lean closer to him. “Magicians aren’t that great and magic can blow up in your face. Literally.”   A beat later, your eyes stray off of Taehyung’s eyes to three figures in the distance. Jungkook is spinning in every direction, lugging his legs, expression tired and begrudging. The two knights are also looking around and you realize they’re searching for you.   “I have to go.” You hop onto your feet and grab your brown bear. “Bye!”   “Wait!” Taehyung whips himself around, but by then, you’ve already run off. His hand slips into the cloak’s pocket and he looks down at the pink handkerchief in hand with a small sigh.    You feel bad about leaving him behind, but you hope he enjoys the festival even if it’s just a little.

The room is small, dark and dank. With only a single bed in a wooden frame and a wardrobe, he often sits facing the window, looking up at the azure sky and the cotton clouds that are drifting past.   “Your Highness.”   A maid knocks at the door and he turns, sliding off the bed to follow after her quietly without question.   The only time he’s allowed to leave his bedroom is to the study. ‘Even if he’s a bastard child, no son of the King can be uneducated’ is what they said.   “You got two wrong on your examination.” The tutor flips over the parchments. “I’m surprised you managed to memorize up to the fifth volume of the Kalisis scriptures and the fundamental theory of Mahhild, but we’ll have to review Ashea’s sacred Imperial Language.”   Taehyung nods. “I’m sorry.”   “Do better next time.”   Silence settles as the older man puts aside the parchment and goes to pull books from the nearby shelves. In the meanwhile, Taehyung’s eyes stray outside the window to the wispy clouds, keeping still in his seat. He doesn’t ask many questions. He simply learns what is given to him and apologizes when he fails. But his mind strays to a girl in a navy pea coat, someone with a soft expression, who somehow always appears in front of him when he needs it most. And he can’t help his curiosity—   “Sir.” At the sound of his voice, the tutor turns around. “Do you...happen to know anyone by the name of Anastasia?”   The older man’s brow quirks. “You mean the Crown Prince’s fiancée, Anastasia Loretta Devereux?”   Taehyung’s caught off guard. “Fiancée?”   “Why do you ask?”   “N-No reason. I just heard of the name somewhere.” He looks away and the man finishes grabbing the textbooks, dropping them down on the surface in front of him. Taehyung’s fist is crumpled in his lap, quiet.    He didn’t know you were Jungkook’s fiancée. He didn’t know you were from the Devereux house either. Even he’s heard of that name before — the Duke’s house is an influential one.   Taehyung doesn’t know anything about you. He realizes it now.   But that doesn’t mean his desire has dwindled away. He still wants to see you again.   “Is it...possible to travel to another estate, but not by carriage?”   “Not by carriage?” The tutor pushes up his spectacles, puzzled by the inquiry that has come out of nowhere. “There’s horse, boat, ship, teleportation, but of course, you’re not allowed to use magic. Is there somewhere you would like to go?”   He quickly shakes his head.    They would never let him leave.   But he’s tired of waiting for the next encounter, for the next coincidence.   That night, Taehyung cracks open the door of his room. The hallway is swallowed in darkness with only a tiny sliver of the moon’s luminescence that will wane away tomorrow. So with his breath hitched and no one in sight, he slips into the shadows. He traces his steps down the corridor, turning the corner, up the small staircase and enters the library next door to the study.    Taehyung cringes as the glass doors creak, but once the gap is large enough, he fits himself through. The bookcases tower up three floors, ceiling high and the walkways between shelves narrow.    He doesn’t know where he should go, so he twists through the endless library and glances at the spines of the books before moving on.   It’s half an hour later that he finds what he’s looking for.    Magic: A Basic Guide for Beginners.   Taehyung reaches up on the tips of his toes and smoothly pulls the spine from its slot. He holds the emerald green cover to his chest and beelines straight out of the library.   He arrives back in his room with little to no trouble and sits on the floor far away from the door. Taehyung’s back leans against the wooden bedpost and he faces the window to allow the silver light to catch onto the cover. He cracks it open a second later and flips through the crisp pages until he finds what he’s looking for.   Teleportation.   A type of transport magic that allows one to travel to different locations without having to traverse the spaces in between. It is accomplished by the user visualizing the desired location and channeling their mana. If successful, the user will disappear from their current location and materialize at their desired location.    Transportation is by far the fastest way to travel between large distances. However, the success in which a user is able to teleport is dependent on skill level, inborn magical abilities and how detailed the location can be visualized.   Taehyung reads each word carefully and flips over the page to see if there are more details.   Once he realizes that’s all to be read, he shuts his eyes.    He doesn’t know where you are. He doesn’t know what the Devereux estate looks like.   But he thinks about you. The girl who handed him that pink handkerchief, the one who appeared in front of him with a stick of food, who sat beside him underneath that tree, on that bench.   Please let me see her again. Please.   Please.   Through sheer willpower, Taehyung suddenly feels a rush in his body as if he’s falling inside a dream. His senses tingle. Then, there’s cold wind pulling against his cheeks and through his hair, the moonlight no longer shining on his eyes.   His lashes flutter as his lid pulls open.   He’s standing in an empty, grassy field. But at the horizon is an illuminated manor.   The corner of his mouth tugs and he takes a step towards it.   But—   “No. No!”   He feels himself being pulled back. A force that prevents him from moving any further. Taehyung’s arm stretches out towards the manor the size of his thumb as if he could grab onto it. But no matter how hard he tries to stay, the next moment he blinks, he’s returned to the small, dark, dank room.   Taehyung’s chest rises and falls.   He was so close.   There’s a quiet knock at the door and he jolts out of his trance. Instantly, he pushes the book underneath the bed.   The door cracks open. Luckily, it isn’t a maid, servant or someone who’s come to punish him. It’s a dark haired boy with doe eyes, his younger brother who’s two inches shorter than he is.    “Taehyung?”   Taehyung stands up. “What are you doing here?”   Jungkook pouts, dressed in oversized, silk pajamas. “I thought we could play.”   “You know the Queen won’t be happy if she sees me with you.”   “I know.” Jungkook’s voice is pitched, brown eyes looking into his. Yet, he’s still hesitant at the doorway. “But no one will know!”   His younger brother is clueless. He has no idea what consequences or punishment means. He’s the Crown Prince. Pampered. Beloved. Everything he wants, he gets. He came here to play without knowing that if anyone saw, Taehyung would be the one punished. Starved. Locked into his room. There’s a reason he’s kept in the cold Western towers and Jungkook is free to roam the South, East and Northern wings. The entire castle is at his feet.   It’s unfair.   It’s so unfair that Taehyung wants to scream. But no one will hear.   They’re the same. Two boys with the same father. A few months apart. Yet one is loved and the other loathed.   Taehyung’s afraid one day he will come to hate Jungkook.   “We still shouldn’t. Go back to bed, Jungkook.”   “I can’t even stay for a minute?” He huffs out, shoulders slumping, dejected. Taehyung pulls the covers and climbs into his bed. After another moment, Jungkook gives up. “Fine. Goodnight.”   The door shuts and Taehyung rolls on his side to look out the window.   He was so close. A few more minutes and it would’ve been enough.   //   Taehyung guesses he has a natural gift for magic. The book says transportation is one of the more difficult spells that needs a lot of practice, but he made it on his first try without even knowing where the estate is.   The place only becomes more vivid in his mind the more times he goes. It becomes easier for him to visualize, easier for him to visit. And he tries with every chance he gets, every moment of his day, every minute spent alone.   Taehyung steals these secret seconds that have become what he looks forward to most. It’s the reason why he wakes up. Each time, he gathers his magic and teleports himself, it’s an opportunity to see you.   This time, it’s in the afternoon after lunch is brought to his room. Taehyung shuts his eyes and tries to imagine the manor with its brown walls, rounded windows, green field, a majestic arcway door.   When he opens his eyes and looks down at his hands materializing, he discovers that he’s at the side of the house, standing next to the wall.   “My lady!”   Taehyung jolts and peeks out from the corner. There’s a maid looking around and shouting with her hands cupped around her mouth. “My lady! Your dance lessons are starting! My lady?!”    His eyes stray upwards and the corner of his mouth tugs when he finds you in a tall tree. You’re wearing a brown dress with a flower bonnet, hidden up in the branches with a mischievous smile as you look down at the dismayed maid who’s completely oblivious.    He stifles back a laugh.   But it withers away when his body starts to fade.   No. No!   When Taehyung blinks again, he’s returned to his room. Back to where he belongs.   He slumps down on his bed in disappointment. He wanted it to last longer. But maybe next time. Next time, he’ll try harder and maybe then…..maybe then, he’ll actually get to talk to you.   //   The next evening, when no one’s around, Taehyung tries once more.   He shuts his eyes and thinks of you, thinks about the land, the house.   And it comes faster to him this time.    He doesn’t have to wait as long before he feels the breeze against his cheeks, the air fresh to his nose. He’s placed at the same spot as yesterday, by the wall near the back. Except neither you nor a maid are outside. In your place is the sun setting over the horizon, the rays casting into his eyes through the tree branches. The sky is painted in shades of a blazing bonfire, amber, ruby, citrine.   But Taehyung’s not here to admire the outside world. He looks down at his hands to make sure he’s materialized and he starts pacing around the perimeter of the manor. He ducks beneath windows when workers or kitchen staff walk by and sneaks along the walls to make sure he’s not caught.   It seems like he won’t be able to find you today.   But then he hears a— “ha!” followed by a metal whistle as something cuts through the air.   Taehyung peeks through the window to see you swinging your sword in the middle of your bedroom. You’re twirling it around, but after a moment, the weapon clanks to the ground and you drop down next to it on your butt.    “God, I’m so tired!”   Taehyung smiles to himself. His fist lifts to knock on the glass.   At the same time, the corner of your eye catches movement. So you turn your head.   But there’s nothing there.   Your brows furrow and you blink hard. But there really is nothing outside your windows. You swore you saw someone.    Maybe you’re just going crazy.    You should probably call quits for tonight and stop practicing.    You don’t know that miles away, Taehyung has appeared back in his room, looking down at his hands stitching into its form, materializing in the small, dark, and dank space. More importantly, he doesn’t see the horrified maid standing at the open doorway until it’s too late.   He’s been caught.   “Where did you go?”    Taehyung’s thrown onto the marble flooring, cheek bruised at the Queen’s feet. She looks down at him, dressed in a luxurious black gown with golden flowers, hair pulled in an updo with silver ornaments. The maid who tattled smirks as she stands on the sidelines. A guard passes the Queen the emerald spell book and she glances at it before tossing it on the ground where he’s been flung.   “And don’t you dare try to deny it.”   Taehyung sharply inhales at his stinging cheek and looks to the open book.   He exhales a silent breath of relief.    They don’t have the handkerchief.   If they did, she would’ve ripped it in front of him and thrown down the shreds. He’s glad he hid it well between his pillowcase.   “I...I just wanted to go outside. I’m sorry.”   “You’re lying.”   Taehyung looks up. “I swear—!”   Before he can inhale, Taehyung’s head is suddenly whipped to his side. The sound of the slap echoes through the lavish chamber and his hand lifts to cup at his numb cheek now printed with the Queen’s diamond rings.    “You lie!” she spits at him, eyes narrowed in.    “You think I was born yesterday?! There’s no reason for you to use magic to go outside. I know what you’re doing. You’re conspiring against me! Against the King. You’re trying to get rid of your brother and take the throne for yourself! Who taught you?! Who were you visiting?! Tell me.”   Taehyung grits his teeth. He turns his head to look back at the woman.   His hands crumple into fists.   “No one.”   Tears flood his vision. All he wanted was to see you.   But he’s weak. He can’t do anything. Much less fulfill his only wish.   “You dare lie to me again?” She scoffs. “Whoever it is, I will find them and I will punish them.”   He can’t protect himself. He couldn’t protect his own mom.   But he can still protect you.   “I said, no one taught me and I was seeing no one.”   She scoffs loudly and points to the maid by the door. “You there! Report to the King what you found out. When you’re done, let everyone know that this bastard is to be confined to his room for the next three months on full watch. Make sure he won’t be able to leave no matter what.”   “Yes, Your Majesty.”   The Queen stands, height looming over the ten-year old boy. She looks him dead in the eye, lips curling into a snarl. “Don’t think this is the end of it. I won’t let you run around and do as you wish like your whorish mother did. You can deny it for all you want. You won’t eat until you speak.”   “Take him away!” she shouts at the guards and they grab the back of his collar, dragging him upwards and out. Taehyung doesn’t scream, he doesn’t cry. His eyes dim as he looks at the woman until the gap of the door shuts in his face.    He won’t see you anymore. Not until he becomes strong enough.   Inside the room, the Queen collapses back onto her sofa. She sighs heavily and rubs her throbbing temples between her fingertips. Her personal attendant comes to her side and bows. “Is there anything I can do for you, Your Majesty?”   “It’s suffocating being here,” she mutters and drops her hand. “Hmm, maybe I’ll take the trip down to the Summer Palace in Florendale early this year.”   The maid dips her head. “I will make the preparations then.”

Edith swiftly enters the room one morning, drawing the curtains roughly and shedding the blinding sunlight into your still-sleepy eyes. You wince and pull the covers over your head, but she rips them off of you unceremoniously.   What the hell. Seriously?!   “It’s time to get ready.”   “Why?” you groan, peeling one eye open and pressing your cheek to your pillow.   Edith doesn’t stop moving. She opens the doors to your wardrobe and starts picking through the racks of dresses. “The Queen is on her deathbed with the incurable plague. The Duke and Duchess will be leaving for the castle immediately within ten minutes. You must go with them to fulfill your duties as the heir of the Devereux house.”   It takes a delayed moment for the information to sink into your foggy mind.   But then, you’re bolting upright with wide eyes. “Wait. What?!”    You’re horrified.    This isn’t part of the original game. The Queen is supposed to be alive and well even past your supposed execution date!   But there’s no time to dwell when your face is washed and you’re dressed in a black gown, barely enough time to brush your hair. You’re rushed into the carriage and the coachman rides at a hasty speed. Your mother, in the meanwhile, lectures you to stay quiet and solemn.   Your entire family soon arrives at the familiar castle and you’re guided to the main hall.   Jungkook is sobbing in the corner, being comforted by a swarm of attendants. You’re at a loss, looking around, trying to grasp what’s going on. There’s no sight of Taehyung whatsoever.   Your father, carrying the high status of the Duke, manages to visit the King and the Queen in their personal chambers. You’re brought along behind your mother, staying silent as she had instructed you to do. Your parents offer their condolences, but when you peek out behind her and past the royal healers, blood drains from your face.   The Queen is pale. Barely breathing in her bed. Cysts and welts bubble on her wrinkled skin.   Even you know she’s not going to recover. But how? How did this happen?!   The respects your parents give doesn’t last long. You’re soon being brought into the main hall again in favour of delegates from the smaller Eastern empire giving their condolences. But on your way, you catch the murmurs of the maids.   “—plague in Florendale.”   “How awful! If only Her Majesty went in the Autumn season as she usually does. I don’t know why she chose to go earlier this year.”   “It was truly the wrong place at the wrong time.” — “A tragedy!” — “Why is Her Majesty’s fate so unfortunate?”   You can barely stitch together the pieces of what happened and all the gaps in between are full of more questions. Why these changes are happening. Why the original game is changing so much.   What this means.   A feeling of uncertainty swells inside of you.

#bts fanfic #bts scenario #taehyung fanfic #taehyung scenario #taehyung fluf #taehyung angst #jungkook fanfic #jungkook scenario #jungkook fluff #LETS GOOOO

[ladyloveandjustice]

Fall 2020 Anime Overview

I started out watching the a ton of anime for the Fall 2020 season, but then ended up not being caught up with most of them by the the time the end rolled around. I still pretty much intend to catch up with Yashahime Princess Half Demon someday (I do like the three leads, it just the plot’s been dull as dirt and the fights aren’t very inspired either) and though I dropped Wandering Witch after bad press started rolling in (I CANNOT deal with pointless tragedy in my current state of mind) I might check out a few more episodes someday just to from my own opinion. For now, let’s just quickly review the anime I DID manage to finish on time this season.

Sleepy Princess in the Demon Castle

Sleepy Princess in the Demon Castle is exactly what it says on the tin: Princess Syalis isn’t too bothered about being captured by demons and locked in their castle, but she does value a good night’s sleep, and she is absolutely ruthless when it comes to getting it- so ruthless, in fact, that the demons realized it might not be that she’s trapped in here with them, but that they’re trapped in here with her.

Sleepy Princess is top tier comedy comfort food. It rarely got a huge belly laugh, but it always but a smile on my face and was a great thing to watch before going to bed. Syalis’s single-minded search for some shut eye is a joke that could have gotten old very quickly, but the show consistently found creative ways to expand on the gags and build it’s world and a fun cast of characters along the way. 

Though Syalis is downright brutal to the demons when it comes to getting what she wants (and has a knack for getting herself killed at well), thanks to a demon cleric that offers easy resurrections, you never feel too bad for anyone involved. In fact, the demons and Syalis form a strangely heartwarming bond over the course of the show , and it’s clear by the end that Syalis definitely has the ability to come and go if she damn well pleases and just finds this castle a fun place where she can find respite from her princessly responsibilities. 

A nice bonus for those of us who like a little subversion is that the show has a lot of fun playing with standard adventure tropes- the demons often lament that Syalis is not at all what they expected from a captive princess, for one, but my favorite fun little twist is how Syalis feels about the hero currently on a (seemingly endless) quest to rescue her- she manages to both hold him in contempt AND consistently fail to remember his name. That level of disregard takes some impressive effort.

The show has the same director as the Gekkan Shoujo Nozaki-kun anime and as such has a similarly nice comic and visual flourishes throughout. It definitely gets two sleepy thumbs up for me.

Jujutsu Kaisen

Jujutsu Kaisen follows a young man named Yuuji Itadori who, after tangling with a demon, ends up with one inside him. With a death sentence hanging over his head, he’s inducted into a school for “jujutsu sorcerers”, and begins training to use his newfound powers to defeat demons and curses.

Jujutsu Kaisen quickly tells you on no uncertain terms it is Action Shonen, introducing a huge cast of a characters and powers and super high stakes and hey there’s even gonna be a tournament arc soon. It is really, really pretty to look at, with a killer opening and ending, some seriously great animation and cool visuals for the fights especially. But is it particularly memorable otherwise? Noooooot really, so far. The sea of technobabble it tends to descend into when trying to explain how the various powers work often has me zoning out and wishing they’d just let me watch the pretty punches. The villains and the general plot isn’t particularly compelling. The characters are nice enough, but haven’t given me much to be attached to so far. Though I do appreciate this one dude who is the embodiment of millennial ennui:

I’ll keep watching though, because it is a visually stunning, action-y thing to my turn your brain off to and god knows I want to turn my brain off all the time lately. 

And the characters do have potential- the One Girl of the main group, Nobara, has a really fun personality in that she’s a total shitlord doofus brawler who can thus doof around with our equally dumbass protagonist, which is an pretty fun, unusual personality for the One Girl to have! Her interactions with Maki, the weapons expert senpai girl, are promising too. I’m just waiting for her to actually, you know, DO something that really shows off her skills- I’m told she DOES eventually get to (gasp) win fights on her own and do cool stuff, but so far show has kind at that of failed miserably and underused her like most action shonen underuse their girls. Plus, taking Yuuji out of the group for such a long stretch seems like a weird choice, we’ve been deprived really seeing him for relationships with his peers. The pacing seems off. But maybe the upcoming tournament arc will make up for that and actually be worthwhile!

Talentless Nana

In a world where kids with superpowers are sent to island schools to fight mysterious “enemies of humanity”, one class of such kids is thrown into chaos when they find themselves targeted by a deadly force.

It’s pretty much impossible to talk about Talentless Nana without discussing how it deviates dramatically from what its premise appears to be in episode one, so I’ll just say if you like stories with superpowers and intrigue, you should definitely sit through that first episode and see if the plot that’s eventually revealed is something that you’re here for. But if you want to avoid spoilers, DON’T GO BELOW THE CUT, because I’m about to get very spoilery.

Basically, Talentless Nana pulls a bait and switch, starting it’s first episode posing as generic superhero anime where the protagonist appears to be your standard meek-but-powerful anime boy (Nanao) who just needs some support and encouragement from a pink haired mind reading manic pixie dream girl (Nana) to unlock his self-confidence and ~true power~ (ugh)...only to take SHARP swerve when  Nana ruthlessly murders Nanao and reveals she’s been sent by the government to take out the superpowered kids one by one because THEY are the considered the true enemies of humanity. Oh, and she doesn’t have any superpowers, or “talents”- she was just able to sus out everything Nanao was thinking through basic deductive reasoning because he was so flippin’ obvious and basic.

As my love for a certain character in a certain game may have clued people into, I am ALWAYS delighted when what appears to be a generic, underwritten girlfriend character is then revealed to be an interesting, ruthless mastermind. And having an anime appear to be about a bland boy with a Dream Girlfriend but then actually turn into a show about a deeply cynical, morally dubious girl who’s clearly holding down a lot of messy feelings as she considers everyone her enemy...well, it may be a cheap trick to some, but it also feels a little bit like justice for all the underwritten female characters sacrificed to bland male leads. It’s still rare enough that I dig it when it happens. And the metatext of Nana zeroing in on this kid as the most standard of main character boys, assessing him as the biggest threat because of it and knowing the perfect way to take him out, is pretty inherently funny to me.

But if the show JUST banked on that twist and was about Nana brutally and cynically slaughtering these kids, it would get boring quickly and Nana would be a bland character herself. Fortunately, it doesn’t go that route. Nana struggles and grows a lot over the course of the show. She finds opposition in transfer student Kyoya, a stoic (and socially awkward) young man who pretty quickly becomes suspicious of her. A lot of the tension from the early episodes comes from her sweating as she tries to outmaneuver him and she makes plenty of mistakes along the way. She also slowly but surely starts to question her mission, and we get an idea of her backstory and how the government specifically has groomed her into believing people with powers to be evil. That belief is one that’s challenged by her friendship with another girl, and it’s pretty rewarding to watch Nana’s feelings and world expand little by little.

The show is definitely a little schlocky-some of the plots (as well as the general premise of the government thinking this is the optimal way to get rid of their superpowered kids problem) fall apart if you think too much about them, and some of the kids Nana goes up against are sleazy and unlikeable in over the top ways (which makes it easy for her to stick to her convictions all these kids deserve to die at first). In particular, I have to give a heads up for some sleazy guys doing and saying sleazy things, though the show never gets too overbearing or graphic with it (and the gore is generally PG-13 level as well). 

Basically. There are some truly ridiculous happenings in this show. But how ridiculous and pulpy and over the top it is can be part of the appeal, and it’s fun to just sit back and watch the spectacle of Nana and her peers head-scratching machinations. 

So, while certainly not an anime with airtight construction or flawless quality and depth, I found Nana an overall entertaining watch, especially as a fan of cat-and-mouse murder-y shenanigans, and thought it has a very compelling main character and managed to end on a heartwrenching (but earned) note. I definitely wouldn’t say no to a second season and would be interested to see where things go from here.

#anime overview #sleepy princess in the demon castle #jujutsu kaisen #talentless nana #munou na nana #maoujo de oyasumi #fall 2020 anime #anime #my reviews

[batboyblog]

Are we gonna talk about the sexism in Avatar?

I’m gonna start with a few getting it out of the way statements. 1) this is not “canceling” Avatar the Last Air Bender, Nick did that over 10 years ago (joke). I am for sure not saying “don’t watch it” or “don’t enjoy it” or that you watching/liking a kid cartoon show from the mid-2000s says *anything* about you as a person. and 2) I normally wouldn’t say anything about this, I normally would just leave it alone. However I’ve seen lots of posts giving Avatar glowing reviews in terms of both wonderful/important life lessons it shares and “complex characters/development” and indeed I’ve seen the very issues I’m about to address being called good things, and well I love punishment and am a feminist so here we go. 

There’s Just Something about Azula:

So season 1′s main villain Zuko:

Is pushed onto the path of redemption toward the end of season 1/start of season 2. There’s a tragic backstory, a rough childhood to excuse his hunting our heroes etc. So we have to replace him if he’s not gonna be our bad guy. So we replace him with his sister, Azula 

And here’s where we start to have our problems. Azula is pretty much every sexist stereotype of a woman in/seeking power, she’s cold, mean, manipulative, and takes joy in emasculating any man around her, particularly Zuko

Indeed in season 3 her mockery and emasculation of Zuko is part of what makes us sympathetic to him. This is standard villain stuff, particularly standard for a lady villain but not the heart of the moment. 

We see a lot of Zuko’s relationship with his mother and also her relationship with Azula which sets up the dichotomy of how women are treated in the show. 

So to back up here for a second I need to explain something about sexism. Sigmund Freud came up with the idea of the “Madonna–whore complex” the idea that men see women one of two ways, as the saintly caring loving pure mother, or as a whore. I think one can also put it as the Madonna-Lady MacBeth complex that women are either loving, nurturing and selfless, or cold, harsh, and selfish.

Now using this frame, we see Zuko and Azula’s mother Ursa, she is kind and loving, but also ineffective, not taking part in the politics or struggle 

We see Azula from an early age draw to her father, and “male” power. She repeatedly says herself that for this she was a “monster” and her mother saw her that way 

Which brings us to her gaining power, as is often the case in sexist narratives, Azula was not seeking power for herself but a man. In this case her father, again think Lady MacBeth who wants to rule through her husband. But as her father steps off to become empire of the world he gives her a breadcrumb, the now subordinate title of Firelord

Which is where the sexism goes right off the rails. Having gained power Azula’s womanly emotions are just too much for her and she goes crazy.

There are people who will claim Azula was slightly cracked through out but it’s hard to say this isn’t a jarring shift. Given the long history of declaring women who are or wish to be powerful or take on a masculine role “insane” (ask Juana la Loca) It’s hard not to see this as more of the same. Particularly given her slide into over the top almost comical paranoia, complete with ghosts/delusions is pretty close to what happens Lady MacBeth herself. (The crazy self-hair cut is another classic of sexism woman gone mad narratives btw) 

Which brings us to the final battle. Azula is the embodiment of “unnatural” female power, power and taking on the male role has driven her mad with her out of control woman emotions, who can stop the power mad witch? 

well it won’t be Zuko as he is not her thematic opposite, this is not a battle between honor and dishonor but between two visions of the female role, enter Katara.

So from the jump Katara is water, an element related to life, nurturing and indeed she is given healing abilities. Now I could go through 3 seasons worth of examples of her as the kind, good listener, trying to help, being supportive and sweet character. However Avatar wanted to make sure you didn’t miss it, so in season 3 they do a whole episode about how Katara is everyone’s mom.

Katara’s own brother, Sokka declares he can no longer remember their mother’s face, he only sees Katara when he thinks of “mom”. Rather than being a bad thing that her OLDER brother sees her as his mom it’s held up as a good thing, Katara is mom

Remember what I said about Madonna-Lady MacBeth? well here’s our Madonna everyone’s mom, caring, kind, putting others first, shouldering the emotional labor of the group (and her family) as a good daughter/sister/female friend/girlfriend. She is the mirror to Azula the selfish and power mad who only looks out for herself and doesn’t mother her older brother when their mom goes missing (what a monster!) 

so it is, the motherly Katara over powers and beats the evil Lady MacBeth.

Her unwomanly quest for power has rendered her totally insane, stripped of power and having abandoned her femininity (note she wears pants, Katara always dresses) she is more a raging animal than a person. Indeed we don’t even bother to say what happens to her at the end of the show.

And what of Katara? she’s the one who beat the second biggest bad guy. Oh don’t worry, Zuko, the guy who lost, becomes the next Firelord, restoring male authority.

Indeed the show ends celebrating the victors, but Zuko didn’t beat any one, it was Katara? okay so she can’t be Firelord, sure but what does she get? well she’s reunited with her family and of course she becomes Aang’s girlfriend

These are the “correct” roles for a woman, the great water bender is not made a rule or top advisor, her happily ever after is as a daughter and girlfriend and semi-mom. 

Like I said at the top, if you enjoy Avatar as clearly a lot of you do, great, please enjoy. I wrote this out because it was bugging me personally how many people seemed to think Azula was a good representation of... something. She’s not, thats okay, the point of criticism is to make you think, and hopefully push us all closer to a more perfect world. Enjoy what you enjoy, but never thoughtlessly. 

#avatar the last airbender #Azula #Katara #sexism #feminism #I look forward to hate mail #or people just ignoring this #whatever #made me feel better