#the heavy handed plot

[zoanzon]

Finally watched Multiverse of Madness because I wanted to see horror-MCU movie doing multiverse surrealism.

Instead...wow, there's a lot going on. Lot of worldbuilding stuff and casting choices, lot of plot choices (and making it nearly incomprehensible if you didn't see Wandavision//making it groan over the amount of stuff you're expexted to have watched), and by god is there some special effects happening.

Was so looking forward to it - like one of the last two things I was planning on seeing from MCU going forward, other than S2 of Loki - and instead I just finally gave up on it halfway in.

#the council casting and the two special guest stars #the heavy handed plot #the special effects...by god is there a lot happening here #WHY DID [REDACTED] COME IN FOR THIS? THIS IS...GOD THIS IS A LOT #also john krasinski is perhaps a good actor but GOD is he bad as reed #like goddamn yes reed is supposed to be the type of character you wanna smack but not like THAT #yeah no i just turned it off halfway through: the trap wanda got stuck in and the portrayal of crashing between dimensions were fun #but that was essentially it for me #the monkey speaks #multiverse of madness

[4lph4kidz]

i was thinking about your dirk and hal poll and i want to mention that i think your concept for ink and iron where dirk creates hal from his reflection by enchanting a mirror is so cool 😌

thank you! hal's predicament and purpose within the canon narrative is so fascinating and i felt it was really important to find a way to explore what i find most interesting with him. i can't take full credit for the concept though i took inspiration from a few placees (one of my friends pitched the idea of the mirror accidentally dumping him onto jake's doorstop for example) but overall i think the idea is very fun and i'm really excited to write more hal stuff!!! also i'm going to take the opportunity to share this oldish doodle i found:

the mispelling of angel as angle was NOT intentional (<- dyslexia haver) but it probably explains a lot. he's pointy

#obviously an AU is going to be different from canon #but i like AUs specifically *because* i have a lot of fun trying to translate canon ideas into another setting or genre in general #in this case its a riff on the fairy tale magic mirror #hal is still an experiment gone wrong/artificial being created to serve a purpose trapped in a non-physical form and denied personhood #as well as being an extension of dirk's selfhood and very literal expression of his self image #this time with extra gender problems as per my original intentions for the fic. which now feel more than a bit heavy handed but whatever #point is hal gets to play up the trapped demon/spirit/almost genie-esque angle isntead of the artificial intelligence schtick in canon #which i am having a lot of fun writing! #he is also a very important plot device. multitalented 💕 #for anyone wondering i&i is NOT an abandoned project its just huge and whipping it into shape is slow going #i've taken breaks to work on other stuff too #ink and iron #i guess that's a tag i should start using #even though i'm not too happy with the title still. lmao

[valentronic]

“The real game will begin momentarily… Stay tuned :)”

Costas Mandylor as The Warden in Death Count(2022)

#gifset #robo gifs #< that’s a new one! never thought i’d be posting gifs on here but i couldn’t find any of this character #so i made my own :] #the warden #death count #there’s no way there’s an actual tag for this movie so i’ll tag the actor i guess ?? #costas mandylor #this movie was. strange and not very good but i REALLY enjoyed this character #he’s such a freak i loved how sadistic and yet kind of childish he was like the way he’d smile giddily as he tortured people #as for the movie as a whole it felt very very confused about what point it was even trying to make #liked the concept of a killer game show host having an audience control the fates of the contestants #but the plot itself kind of bogged it down and it was too heavy handed about social media being bad while not making an actual point about i #didn’t mean to turn this into a film review oops

[class1akids]

Aside from the fact that 6 pages on these reporters is not what I want to see in the endgame, I'm getting kind of troubled by the message HK is sending - probably totally unintentionally - about the role of the press.

Let's start with the business student, who a couple of chapters ago basically are saying that their job would have been to "damage control" and "spin the narrative" in the favour of the heroes. And specifically mentioning Endeavor which is a whole can of worms in itself.

Since they are studying to be PR managers for the hero firms, I'll let that slide - it would be their real life job to try to protect the image of their bosses regardless of the truth.

But that's not the case for the journalists. When their country gets destroyed in a few hours, in a para-military action that brewed in the shadows, when an entire population is being told to move into emergency shelters and thus, inevitably giving up part of their freedom, it is not their job to sing accolades to the government and the heroes, but to ask the hard questions.

This journalist lady was already used as a "strawman" in the press conference, to make the journalist seem like a hysterical, unreasonable mob, and to give Endeavor the chance to appear noble and sympathetic.

And now, this chapter again makes it seem like she has to "atone" or "undo the damage" because she asked uncomfortable questions instead to putting faith in the heroes.

Sure, she should tell the story - the full story with the heroes still working and fighting.

But I just find it so jarring that again and again, HK is unable to show any kind of nuance when it comes to the civilians or non-hero institutions like the press.

The civilians are blamed for "complacency", "inaction", "apathy" when they are told all their lives that the heroes will take care of it, and more importantly, they are told that the heroes are "others". They are also blamed if they take up arms and try to defend themselves.

They are painted as an ugly unfeeling mob when they question UA after Bakugou's kidnapping. They are painted as irrational after the PLF war had way more civilian casualties and injuries than heroes dying. It was their cities that Machia trampled on.

Any civilian asking questions is treated as a bully, while the only civilians painted sympathetically are the furry fox lady because she believes in Deku and the lady who risks her life to scrub the All Might's statue's manboobs clean and shiny every day.

These are the hero-hearted among the civilians: the people who keep idolizing the heroes unquestioningly.

Idk, balanced reporting is important and all, but the narrative making it seem like the only valid job for the press is to make propaganda videos of the heroes, making everyone who questions what we as readers see as a failed system full of cracks seem like villain makes me feel very uncomfortable about this part of the narrative.

And especially having Endeavor be held up as the hero somehow personally wronged for people asking questions or losing faith in him, when literally we do not see a single person even call him out for what he did to his family, only for losing... man. Idk. This chapter made me deeply uncomfortable, and the less time HK spends on this topic, the better.

I guess the good news is that the press arrived on time to show the villains turn and help the heroes, which will help with post-war society sentiments.

But it is still totally unnecessary to give a "redemption arc" to the lady who yelled at a press conference.

#because he truly sucks at social commentary #whether the mutant plot #now the journalists #his manga shines in the interpersonal conflicts #at the personal level #but the way he writes society is just incredibly heavy-handed #bnha critical #bnha 383 #bnha manga spoilers #anyways #the press should ask questions #hold power and authority acountable #and be on the side of truth #no matter how messy or complex it is

[parlerenfleurs]

I'm perplexed by people who think Xue Yang could have redeemed himself given the opportunity.... It's a sentiment I see echoed a lot but it has no basis in the text or in simple logic.

The dude had plenty of opportunities to do it on his own before even meeting Xiao XingChen, when he had both a better material situation and protection from powerful sects. But sure, he was protected with the aim of making him do more bad things, and Jin GuangYao is a terrible frequentation to have if you want a chance to turn out better at some point in time, and also yeah, everyone knows emotional connection and genuine love are what truly nourishes the soul, so let's say he's a big brat bastard who needs a little more than that to grow up, and let it slide.

But then he ends up with Xiao XingChen. He ends up with him, the embodiment of pure-heartedness, with a miraculous blank slate because the dude is blind and doesn't have a clue who he is! That's the perfect opportunity to bask in the wonderful feeling of true kindness, and then of true affection, right? And what does he do? Not right away, mind you, no, he had the time to heal from his injury and dilly-dally about what to do next, he had plenty of time to make a different decision, to wait a bit more before making it, to stop being an evil asshole and sit down for five minutes. But no, what he does is, he tricks Xiao XingChen into killing innocent people. And he gets a huge kick out of doing it. AND he does it again, repeatedly, even after years have passed and they have truly bonded.

Like? I don't know what more people think he can get, as second chances go. He's a very fun villain but he is an irredeemable one. Of course, he feels love and care, in his own way, sure, yeah. Cool feelings, still manipulation and murder.

#Xiao Xingchen #Xue Yang #it's very weird to me because ending up with a blind Xiao XingChen WAS his chance #it very unmistakably was #that's like. the whole plot of 2ha in a way?? #and in 2ha it's well done because [huge spoilers] #so it's nothing like the Xue Yang situation #Xue Yang has little reason to do evil and a big fat desire to do ir #and then he breaks the one beautiful thing in his life #the one genuine thing #he does that on his own #no one makes him do it #if Song Lan had arrived and Xue Yang had done nothing in all this time AND had become a better person #then it would have turned out differently #many ways it could have gone without turning into a tragedy he had a heavy hand in creating #he would have had to pay for his crimes #but Xiao XingChen would have been alive #and it's something he would have liked supposedly #as it is he provokes his death and then wants to bring him back as a toy #to never let him rest #come on dude you've done enough!

[chronicowboy]

seven sentence sunday

starting this today because i'm finally making progress with the neighbours au (which will be referred to as "the dilf next door" indefinitely) so accept my humblest of offerings:

"I'm Buck by the way," he offers his hand, and the boy shakes it quickly before grabbing back onto the fencepost for balance.

"That's a weird name," he says simply. Buck snorts.

"Its a nickname."

"Like the deer?" The boy quirks a curious eyebrow, and Buck grins.

"Technically, its because of my last name, but my friends tell me its because I walk like Bambi on ice," he stage-whispers.

"You do have long legs," the boy nods solemnly, and Buck can't help snorting again. He chews on his lip for a moment. "Dad says I'm not supposed to talk to strangers, and I'm definitely not supposed to tell them my name."

"Well, your dad sounds like a very smart man, but we aren't exactly strangers, are we? We're co-creators of Bee-Topia after all. And we're neighbours." The boy squints at him. "Plus, I'm a firefighter!"

"A firefighter?" He lights up. "My dad's training to be a firefighter!"

"No way!" Buck grins. "Small world."

"Christopher!" A distant voice shouts. "Dinner!"

"I'm Christopher," he sighs. "I have to go now."

"Nice to meet you, Christopher," Buck smiles at him. "And feel free to pop your head over the fence whenever you want. Can't guarantee I'll be here, but..."

"Nice to meet you, Buck." Christopher calls out as he climbs down.

When Buck finally makes it inside after finishing planting, its the first time the loneliness doesn't pounce on him.

if you want to be added to the taglist for more snippets and the fic when its finally done please let me know in the replies/tags

gonna tag a few people (but feel free to ignore) @diazass @poughkeepsies @henswilsons @danielsousa @diazly [also if you want to do sss go ahead and say i tagged you !!]

#sami rambles #feel like this is going to end up being equally buckchris and buddie heavy #i have it all plotted out but it'll inevitably change and grow out of hand at some points #911 fic #buddie fic #buckley diaz family fic #911 fanfic #buddie fanfic #buck x eddie fic #seven sentence sunday

[jankwritten]

i think one of my biggest gripes with TSATS is the sentence structure and the way that things are phrased.

Sentence structure: the book is CONSTANTLY using ", and", or "then", or "but" instead of splitting up a phrase into two separate sentences. Once I noticed it, I couldn't stop noticing it. In some places it works fine, but right out the gate, as the first line of chapter one, it 1) caught my attention in a negative way and 2) felt immediately clunky and awkward.

The way that the book demonstrates action also feels unnatural and doesn't flow as well as it could. Things are described as happening "now", such as when Kayla takes her lolipop out of her mouth and holds it at her side, the book narrates it as "now holding the lolipop at her side". We didn't SEE that action occur, we're just being described the RESULT of the action, does that make sense? As a reader, you want to SEE the action, you want to SEE her tug the lolipop out of her mouth, see her hand hang by her side as her expression pinches with anxiety over the discussion. We don't want to just be told that "now" her lolipop is out of her mouth, y'know?

There are also sentences that just feel flat out unedited, phrases that have too many words for what they want to accomplish, or with a structure that doesn't make sense - like on page 56, the sentence "They raced up the steps to the platform, Nico easily outrunning his boyfriend, though that was mostly due to Will having to get his land legs again."

First of all - why are they running up the platform? In the previous line, where we're told their cab driver got them to the station with 6 minutes to spare, the specific choice of saying "to spare" makes it sound like there is plenty of time to make it to their train. In the sentences after, we even learn that Nico and Will wound up waiting for their train anyway, so, the fact that they're running when Will feels sick reads...weird, to me. If I was car sick, and then somebody forced me to run for no reason, I would not be a happy camper.

Second of all - The addition of the final third of the sentence, after the second comma, should be it's own phrase. It should be given it's own space, like "(though that was mostly because Will didn't have his land legs back yet)." because it's not important information, just an offhanded comment Nico is making.

Third of all - "though that was mostly due to" and "having to get his" are clunky and wordy. It could've just been "Nico easily outrunning his boyfriend, who didn't have his land legs back yet." It's a smoother sentence that doesn't get bogged down by the extra words.

And that's just one instance. This book is LOADED with moments like this, where action will get lost in a sentence's wordiness. The book tries to be quick and snappy, in Riordan's style, but it fails because it can't quite nail down the phrasing.

There are also moments where the only thing the characters are interacting with is each other, only grinning, grimacing, sighing, glancing at one another, etc etc, instead of doing actions while they speak. Fidgeting with their hands, shifting from side to side, looking away at their surroundings, that kind of stuff is how you convey a MOOD. Body language is important when writing character conversations!! Is somebody relaxed, or are their shoulders tensed up, arms folded across their chest with their muscles flexed, leaning back on one leg with their body halfway tilted away, as if they were ready to flee at a moment's notice? These are the kind of details that I'm missing in TSATS, the kind of things that feel like they're missing.

I also have a lot of gripes with the dialogue itself.

People don't talk like they do in TSATS. The content of what they're saying is realistic enough, sure, yeah, but the specific way that a lot of the dialogue is phrased? It doesn't feel natural. Try reading some of the sentences out loud without editing any of the words. It doesn't sound the way a human being SPEAKS.

THAT'S what I mean when I say these characters are OOC. The way that they're speaking is uncomfortable and feels as if they're being used as a puppet, or a mouthpiece for what somebody ELSE wants them to say.

#tsats #tsats spoilers #like just from a reader's standpoint this book feels offputting and weird!!! #it makes me genuinely want to do a rewrite where I go through and I don't change any of the plot #I don't change any of how anything goes #I just edit the phrasing and dialogue to make it more natural #the book sets no mood!!!! it doesn't commit to itself!!! it tries to be too many things at once and doesn't fully settle onto any of them #and then comes out SWINGING when it does try to do something which just comes across as heavy handed pandering !!!!! #GAH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! #like I want Nico and Will to be consistent with how they feel throughout the book. I want them to DEMONSTRATE #Consistency and not constantly swinging between their extremes of being scared or angry or sad #I want them to slowly become more and more skeptical of each other until they're forced to come to terms with the fact that #they both have darkness inside of themselves and each other that they have to accept and love!!! #I see so many people who are like 'omg but they talk to each other about their feeligns!!!! it's so sweet!!!!' when the 'talking' they do #isn't anything SUBSTANTIAL. Throughout the whole beginning of the book Nico is writing off Will's fears about tartarus and ignoring #everybody being concerned for him and he doesn't talk about any of it! THAT'S NOT HEALTHY!!!! #ugh. just. ugh. #pjo #nico di angelo #will solace

[storm-driver]

gonna become a square enix executive so i can get exclusive access to kh4 stuff, and when the marketing team starts splicing together the worst trailer in the world to show you guys, ill whisper "psst don't watch that it'll be full of so many spoilers" and ill make my own trailer of all the shit i got to see instead without revealing the most important and plot-heavy stuff

#kingdom hearts #stormy weather #we all know id just include 2 minutes of running around in the maps and fighting and then 14 seconds of a cutscene of sora at starbucks #i unironically recommend going back and watching the kh3 trailers and whenever you notice something #like super plot heavy being mentioned or visually shown #ask yourself how many that one part of the trailer tells you about what happened in the game #for example: the lingering will appearing to fight terranort #well now we know lingering will is back and more than likely an ally #we now also know terra remained a vessel for xehanort #both stuff you REALLY APPRECIATE MORE IF YOU DONT KNOW ITS COMING #another good one here we go #xion was shown pointing her keyblade at a weakened axel #no you cant see her face but her physique is identical #and who else wields a kingdom key in the Organization #it was either gonna be roxas or xion #and given roxas FUCKING UNHOODS HIMSELF #HOLDING THE OBLIVION IN HIS HAND #you can PROBABLY guess who is who. #storm madge in the tags hi everyone

[orcelito]

I'm on ep5 of LOK and remembering why I have never gotten past the first season of this show. The love triangle shit is driving me INSANE in the worst of ways. It feels like fucking high school drama.

I will stick it out... because I have heard the show gets better... and also the promise of endgame Korra and Asami.... I will stick it out this time....!!!!

But God. It's so annoying 😭😭😭😭

#speculation nation #i will stay strong. i WILL... i will.... #the thing is like. atla always had the romance subplots & some jealousy plots. but it was like #they had bigger fish to fry. at the end of the day the romance was never the prime focus #bc they were fighting a War! and they were younger than the LOK team too #it never felt so heavy-handed in atla. in LOK it just feels so Forced.... #doesnt help that im like. man Bolin really would be better for Korra than Mako. #stop paying attention to a wishy washy guy who wont even pay 100% attention to his own girlfriend (who's not you!!!!!) #i rly do like Bolin and Korra's interactions. but also the way the writing is pushing Bolin's crush on her kinda sucks #bc i think theyd be best as bros. genuinely. #and i Know we get the f/f ending but god DAMN im still. ugh ugh ugh. what a time. #also barely relevant but who was the lady Tenzin was seeing before his wife. im so curious #this man is so stiff howd he get TWO women falling for him like that??! #ALSO... the fact that ep 4 is so heavy on the fear and seriousness. then ep 5 is just like. oh no! love triangles! #hfkshfksd ive been enjoying some of the show but rn i am so annoyed by it hfkshfkd #i will stay strong... i will... it will be worth it to stick it out....... I Will...!!!! #fanny watches lok

[thegingergal]

me: i have made my peace with hbo rome’s historical inaccuracies and come to appreciate (some of) them

also me: VORENUS GETS ANTONY’S ICONIC IDES MOMENT?

#like…..i get it!! really i do!!! #the OC has GOT to pay off. #but lmaooooo that the conspirators have a longggg chat about what to do with LUCIUS VORENUS. #plz. these men don’t even know what a “lucius vorenus” is. #and not ONE word (that i caught) about what they’re going to do about antony!!!! #like the show is like. antony is caesar’s right hand man!!! #BUT not in this ep so we’re NOT going to worry about him. #it’s fine. some debt collector will come collect him or something on the ides. the lion tamers need their money. #but that secret that niobe has been keeping?? WOO BOY. #about to pay off narratively baby!!! #i say this entirely with affection. i fucking love this show. #it just REALLY jumped out at me on this watch. how like. obvious vorenus is as antony stand-in and an echo of him at certain points. #sometimes the writing is just….heavy handedly inserting their original characters into the plot #sometimes it pays off and sometimes it’s truly….something else entirely. #so i just throw my hands up and go ok!!!!!

[salty-software-engineer]

I love letting other people watch things first and then give feedback about it so I can gauge whether or not I want to spend time on it. Truly could not give fewer fucks about spoilers. If the story is good I will still have a fantastic time.

#avatar the last airbender #it's really not looking like it's worth it #like it's high production value #but the complaints are about things that are really dealbreakers to me #they broke the plot and character development in bad ways that make them very different characters and events #the clips i've seen are visually stunning but have a marvelesque feeling of lackluster meaningless platitudes #oh yes we should definitely fight the evil and resist it and save the weak by getting stronger! #it's like someone watched/read some shonen or generic YA dystopian action and missed the entire point #maybe altogether it would be better but the way suki and sokka move in their training clips lacks weight #like they do not move like they know how to fight #no offense to the actors but i think this show really needed heavy martial arts training for all involved #and maybe they got it but they needed to really internalize the weight shifts and the way you put force behind strikes #that and seeing all the breakdowns of sokka and aangs modified arca is just disheartening #anyhow #on the other hand #heaven officals blessing #has been very worth #also i wish i could watch the donghua for #grandmaster of demonic cultivation #but i need to download the chinese spyware app or pay extra extra money on youtube to sub to the tencent channel #i think i am nust fond of the stuff mxtx writes #i should learn mandarin to read the og #i wonder if i would talk like a fanfic if i did that #like someone would hear it and be like i Know where you learned that and i sham't say it #mo xiang tong xiu

[floridagirlboy]

writing ship content like Nobody knows i actually do not understand nor interpret romance in a traditional way. My perception of romance is so far from what it is that it conventionally is that, in essence, it is an entirely differently thing wearing the garb of something familiar. by extension all of my ships are queerplatonic even if i describe them romantically. this is my secret

#not even just because im aroace i think #my aspd and npd and 'tism definitely had a heavy hand in it #anyways i was seeing some aro posts from my bud and it got me thinkin #shout out to anyone who can relate to this for any reason at all #to me romance and friendship and qp stuff are like. the same #the same but different #different facts of the same thing #not necessarily a spectrum or anything you couldn't plot it if you tried

[kurokoros]

when you agree with someone’s point only to immediately see them trashing people who write character x oc 😞

#as someone who writes and reads both there's no need to pit two queens against each other #x reader has more flexibility by nature of the 'reader' not having a set appearance backstory or personality #at least for the most part #but x reader also comes with formatting annoyances like flipping between 2nd and 3rd person pov and the dreaded [y/n] #on the other hand x oc can often feel more intimate because there's a character with #a backstory and physical features #like with pov or tense. using reader vs oc is dependent on the story you're trying to tell #personally if i'm writing smut or fic with less/a goofier plot i'll use a reader insert #but if i'm writing something long or plot heavy I'll choose to write with an oc because I want the characters to feel grounded #writers stop trashing one format to prop up another maybe???

[umi-iro]

absolutely sickening the level of pro Israel propaganda in mainstream media

#l&o is playing on this tv and im. literally feel like im gonna throw up #they're so heavy handed with it too but the average person's media literacy still won't pick up on it #god. not even getting into how heinous it is to make the conflict into a tv show plot #anyway i think all cop shows should be obliterated from existence

[2012earthnoises]

Dune rewatch I don't hate it as much this time around but I do just wish it was weirder. Timothee is like a beautiful irregular fruit wasted by his depiction in a souless corporate painting in an office building in everything he's in

#Its been too long since I read the book but I still feel it's too heavy handed with some stuff #The unraveling of the plot etc I just wish it was slower and more confusing

[depthofpixels]

#ts4 #the sims 4 #ts4 story #the sims 4 story #the sims 4 game play #Redamancy #my story #mini late night update #the next one will not be moving the plot forward at all #but is also still somehow still forshadow heavy #*throws hands up*