#this is really just intended as analysis

[freakadr0id]

Oh my GOD, I just realized why Donnie acts so weird in Man vs. Sewer. I always thought his behavior was odd in that episode, particularly in his nonchalance towards finding and saving Raph - but I had the most random thought occur to me during work that TOTALLY explains it. I'm sure some people have probably pointed this stuff out already, but I wanted to put this out there anyway.

The episode 'Man-vs-Sewer' is a personal favorite of mine. I love the episodes where the boys are just goofing off, and this episode is that plus some. We see get to see the boys having fun for a bit at the start of the episode, but it also adds a bit more depth to some of the turtles. We see a really surprising side to Raph's character with his fear of being alone, and Leo gets to shine a bit as a leader and hint at his true potential.

However, I was always a bit puzzled by the way Donnie and Mikey were written in this episode. As a rule, Rise is pretty good about keeping its characters, well, in character, so their behavior struck me as kind of strange, particularly Donnie's.

If there is one thing Rise NAILS about Donnie's character is showing that despite struggling with emotions and empathy, he is still NOT AN ASSHOLE. Donnie genuinely and deeply loves his family - he just has a hard time expressing it externally.

'Man-vs-Sewer' kind of stood out to me as an exception to that, however. At this point, Donnie's care for his brothers is an undisputed fact, so why does he seem so unconcerned about finding Raph after being separated? Even for Donnie, this seems like an ooc level of indifference towards the well-being of his brother (at least that's how I saw it).

Except, it isn't. In fact, this episode only reinforces that Donnie does care for his family, it's just a *bit* harder to see here.

One thing many neurodivergent people struggle with is a sudden change in plans. When they expect to do something that day it can be very difficult for some neurodivergent people to deal with it emotionally and can lead to immense frustration or even shutdowns. Since Donnie is confirmed to be, at the very least, autistic coded, this would absolutely apply to him as well.

The turtles planned to have a nice, relaxing day floating along New York's sewers and enjoying a small break from all the stress of finding the Dark Armor. No fighting, no mystic metal, no foot clan. Just a calm day of fun without a care in the world - only for it to be ruined by a bad pass and a lost brother.

I know if my plans were ruined like that, I would be in an absolutely FOUL mood. It can be hard to transition into a different mindset when the expectations for the day change like that, and it can make anyone frustrated, but Donnie doesn't appear to be that way. In fact, he's acting extremely casual.

Even though everything he was going to do today was upended and his brother is now missing in the New York sewers, why does Donnie seem so unconcerned about the whole situation?

Answer: It's a coping mechanism.

It would be very easy for him to be a bit more annoyed and frustrated at the whole situation (I definitely would be), but he isn't. Instead, he avoids getting overwhelmed and emotional by continuing through the day as if nothing has really changed.

The whole time they are finding Raph, Donnie behaves as if they are still on a peaceful, carefree mini-vacation. He makes snide jokes and jabs toward Leo, enjoys the drinks he brought in his shell, and constantly reminds the others that it is his "day off." If he can act as though he's still relaxing, it becomes easier to adjust to unexpected alterations in his day. This isn't Donnie being willfully inconsiderate towards Raph being lost and alone, this is just him trying to manage with the sudden changes the best he can in that moment.

If Donnie really was an uncaring asshole (as some may be inclined to believe given his apparent lack of empathy), he simply would have resumed their original plans, or been more vocally resistant to going after Raph. Instead, he joins his brothers in their search, and although he may not provide the best input for finding Raph because of his coping method (his brain is in "day off" mode which is why he keeps missing clues about Raph), he is still making an effort.

In a way, the episode which I thought portrayed a slightly out-of-character version of Donnie actually provides yet another example of how Donnie really loves his brothers, despite how it may seem on the surface.

~-~-~

(Actually, depending on the way you interpret his character, the same can be said for Mikey in this episode as well. Mikey is always a bit of a goofball in the show but in this episode, it is dialed up to 11. He also doesn't seem to much care or effort into finding Raph and acts like a child who managed to snag one of their parents' energy drinks. If we consider that maybe he is also struggling to adapt to the changes of the day, this could be him adopting a similar coping method to Donnie, it is just amplified because of his hyperactive behavior and personality.)

#damn I am continually impressed with how well Rise writes Donnie #seriously there are so many ways they could have really butchered his characterization #esp. as an autistic/autistic-coded character #but 9 times out of 10 the writers show that they *get* Donnie #and that they take time to consider how they portray his character in a healthy and positive manner #they have a couple missteps here or there #but overall Donnie is written just brilliantly #I hope I explained this well enough #I'm kind of thought dumping after this came to me in a vision during work #and I HAD to make this after I got home #shit this ended up way longer than I intended #rottmnt #rise of the tmnt #rottmnt donnie #rise donnie #rottmnt donatello #rise donatello #analysis #character analysis #I guess #not my greatest work #but it'll do #let's play the 'will it show up in the tags game?'

[messiahzzz]

while it’s perfectly fine to have your own headcanons that are non-canon compliant — by all means, go wild. recognizing pieces of yourselves in fictional characters can be a very healing and validating experience. this is nonetheless a casual, well-intentioned reminder that gale, in fact, does not have bpd.

bpd is a pervasive pattern of instability affecting interpersonal relationships, self-image, and mood. the disorder is marked by impulsivity beginning in early adulthood and is present in a variety of contexts. a diagnosis requires at least 5 of the following 9 criteria to be met:

Fear of abandonment

Unstable or changing relationships

Unstable self-image; struggles with identity or sense of self

Impulsive or self-damaging behaviors (e.g., excessive spending, unsafe sex, substance abuse, reckless driving, binge eating).

Suicidal behavior or self-injury

Varied or random mood swings

Constant feelings of worthlessness or sadness

Problems with anger, including frequent loss of temper or physical fights

Stress-related paranoia or loss of contact with reality

source: [x]

i highlighted the criteria that do apply to gale in one way or another in a pretty purple.

i personally believe that it’s rather harmful to equate his relationship with mystra with her being “his fp”. she is a deity, his goddess, and the source of his powers, who is in in full control of the magic he wields.

gale: mystra commands all magic. salvation, if such a thing exists, is hers to bestow or withhold.

gale has been effectively groomed and conditioned to serve and revere her at every turn since early childhood. imo this comparison really undermines a lot of crucial points in gale’s story that deal with his overall trauma and abuse. after all, you wouldn’t call shar sh*dowhe*rt’s fp either.

gale doesn’t revile mystra, nor does he commit benevolent deeds solely motivated by the secret hope that she will somehow notice and take him back. when you meet gale in the game he has already fully come to terms with the fact that he has been abandoned by mystra with no hope of reconciliation whatsoever. he also had some very fitting lines in ea regarding this topic that i'm sad haven't been repurposed in the full release in some way.

gale: [the tadpoles] don't know that some things are impossible. they don't know that... they don't know. player: what is impossible about what you're being shown? gale: forgiveness. gale: it is mystra i see. and yet it cannot be her. there was a time when i would have believed - but no longer. gale: suffice it to say she would not bestow upon me the favors promised in these dreams. that is how i know they are delusions.

he has already reached the stage of acceptance. moreover, gale only starts to realize that mystra might have been in the wrong for requesting his death once the tadpole squad & tav speak some sense into him. and even then he doesn’t ever show that his emotions regarding mystra are anywhere along those lines. he is instead rightfully angered that she only saw value in his death, after he had been worshipping her loyally for years.

gale: i worshipped mystra loyally for years, and in that time she granted me the barest sliver of the power i was ready to wield. gale: even with the fate of the world at stake, she had little more to offer me than the means of blowing myself up at a more convenient time. she's done nothing to help us.

gale: you abandoned me in my hour of greatest need. i had no obligation to help you in yours. gale: because you had no right to ask that of me. you cast me out, remember?

gale doesn’t display rapid changes in mood either. he is a character who is generally very composed and has been known to remain nonchalant even in the face of utter horror. tim downie himself even commented on this once. source: [x]

the only instance i can think of is his sudden switch from resigned-to-death to utter-eye-sparkling-enthusiasm once he spots the crown of karsus. apart from crucial story reasons that i won’t touch upon in this post, i’d also like to add that it’s a rather common phenomenon for people who have just barely survived a suicide attempt to suddenly be filled with zeal and unbridled energy. he doesn't display impulsivity without thorough consideration when it comes to its acquisition either. he considers this a golden opportunity and is positively enthusiastic and elated that this might prove an alternative to him ending up in a cloud of netherese smoke. nonetheless, he knows what he is doing. evident in him actually succeeding in ascending in one of his endings.

gale: this is no passing whim, trust me. if i can obtain that crown, it will affect us all. it is not a decision i'll take lightly. gale: it's our future that i'm thinking of - we can't rely on anyone else to do it for us. gale: for now - we've learned all we can.

neither are his relationships that we do know of (namely elminster, tara, and morena) frequently changing. they are marked by years of mutual respect, care, and consistency. there is nothing unstable about them. while it's important to note that his relationship with tav is still in its honeymoon stages during the main game, there is no inclination of any push-and-pull dynamic between them whatsoever.

gale isn’t preoccupied with keeping up some sort of benevolent act in order to win (back) affection — he genuinely IS a good person and he proves this at every turn. moreover, to have a tressym become your familiar you must be of Good alignment.

(taken from tumblr user galedekarios's post.)

there is never a moment where his ideals or alignment suddenly change. in fact, i’d argue that he and wyll are most consistent in this regard when compared to the rest of the companions. gale makes his moral standpoint very clear from the beginning on and also explicitly states that he believes that in order to survive this entire ordeal it would be selfish of him if he wouldn’t be willing to compromise on his morals. this isn’t a sudden bout of ✨muahahaha wizard hubris✨ that he barely contained to hold in before, this is yet another act of selflessness — it is what he’s willing to do for the group and subsequently, the welfare of faerun.

player: i love unsavoury things. don't feel guilty on my account. gale: that's good to know. although i should say i do what i do out of a sense of utility and pragmatism, not a love of the unsavoury. gale: we're up against the greatest threat faerun has ever faced. i don't mind getting my hands dirty if it gives us a better chance of surviving. gale: whatever advantage i can gain for us. i will. and i refuse to feel guilty for it, no matter how much mystra's chidings might echo in my skull.

this is him, once again trying to be useful in whatever way he can. to give them an advantage, a slither of hope against seemingly impossible odds, so they might make it out of this in one piece. gale wouldn’t approve of those actions under normal circumstances, but their predicament is as far from any definition of “normal” as it can get.

gale is no fool, he realizes this is essentially about survival. he knows that he has no option left other than to tolerate, which is why he can be convinced to not immediately depart tav’s company even if they choose to commit atrocities. this is no character flaw of his or him displaying a previously dormant openness for cruelty, this is about recognizing the necessity.

player: you don't stand a chance alone. you're free to go. i dare you. gale: gods damn you - you're right. few things are more powerful than the will to live.

gale: i thought the orb to be the greatest of my sins, but i see now that there are darker depths to which i might yet sink. you may be content to sink into that abyss, but i assure you - i am not.

gale doesn’t lead a split existence. he has a very strong sense of identity. he knows what he wants, what he doesn’t want and he isn’t shy in expressing his boundaries either. which he has especially shown when it comes to his relationship with tav. i originally had intended to touch upon this in another post entirely but: i firmly believe his entire Gale of Waterdeep™ persona is more of a performance than him struggling to find a sense of identity and trying them on for size. it is an intentional decision to separate gale dekarios from the great wizard of waterdeep, to create distance and make sure his family name remains untarnished in case things should ever go sideways.

gale: i agree. and on the plus side, if i get myself into any truly cataclysmic straits during the remainder of our journey, my family name will go untarnished.

there is also a deep-rooted feeling of unworthiness and his firm belief that love and praise are conditional resources that he will only be granted through his talents alone, naturally. presenting himself as gale dekarios, the man, would mean highlighting his shortcomings and very human flaws, while distracting from the aspects of himself that are deemed praiseworthy, the ones that actually matter: his magical prowess.

i personally believe that part of the beauty of gale’s story is him realizing just how “little” it takes for him to be truly content. he gets his happy ending, with someone at his side who truly sees him, understands him and unabashedly commits to him. they worship and adore him in return — and it is well deserved. he isn’t reduced to be constantly and restlessly searching for some unattainable ideal to fill the gaping void within himself. he doesn’t secretly thirst for more power still or believes that in being with tav he is settling for something. instead, he is finally happy to just be. be and be accepted. teaching a class of unruly wizards and coming home to his spouse each day already fulfills him.

gale: that's how i feel with you - content. it's a rather unfamiliar feeling, i must say. not something gale of waterdeep ever craved.

even if he doesn’t pursue a romance with tav, he reaches a realization of “oh, it appears i am not irredeemably flawed and only able to reach true redemption through my own death. what i needed was actually with me all along.” throughout their journey and through his friend's support. i think that’s a very powerful and comforting message. he is very well capable of finding peace within himself.

devnotes: his default state is that he returned to waterdeep and became a professor of illusory magic at his former school, blackstaff academy. general vibe here is that this is a gale who's found peace with himself - he's a great teacher, one his students are mostly in awe of.

to repeat myself: sharing your headcanons is all in good fun, nor should you ever be discouraged from doing so. this is your personal tumblr experience, after all. but i personally think we should be mindful of unintentionally perpetuating negative stereotypes, such as narcissism being a general indicator or being deemed a classic depiction of bpd. i think we can all agree that the continuous longing for acceptance, connection, praise, and approval is something we all have in common deep down, regardless of whatever disorder we may have. [insert victoria justice meme here]

gale may be many things to many people, but he is no entitled narcissist.

#with love. a person diagnosed with bpd <3 #this turned much longer than i originally intended it to be (aka less of a reply and more of a character study) #by now you know that i am incapable of cutting myself short. i’m so sorry #i debated if i should put this in the tag at first #but i personally think that this is a very interesting discussion #also to reiterate: this is by NO MEANS a slight at the original poster #i just thought it more respectful to make my own post instead of invading theirs with my ranting #fandom is all about fun and escapism. #if you interpret characters in a certain way that i personally disagree with that is a-okay #BUT i’m also gonna have my own specific brand of fun by pointing out why you’re wrong (affectionately) #also i quickly want to add that if you're interested in a very accurate and respectful portrayal of bpd: watch crazy ex-girlfriend!! #its on netflix and genuinely such a funny and unapologetically weird show. the writers have really done their homework #bg3 #baldurs gate 3 #gale dekarios #gale of waterdeep #bg3 meta #character analysis #it speaks #long post #suicide mention

[2006aquamarine]

A lot of people critique things not for what they are, but for what they aren’t. For example, a lot of the THG criticisms usually boils down to ‘it’s not radical enough’, ‘it ended with both sides bad’, ‘it sets a bad precedent for how to fight oppression’, ‘it had a lukewarm liberal take on anti-oppression’.

The issue here is that the people with these critiques are approaching the books as if they were meant to give a step by step guide for how to lead a revolution, how to fight against oppression. The books were never meant to be discourse on anti-oppression; they were anti-war.

#the hunger games #thg #suzanne collins #please let’s critique the books for what the author intended to do #collins first and foremost wanted to create a series about the realities and impacts of war #what constitutes a war #what justifies a war #she just used themes of anti oppression and revolution as tools to spur that conversation #am i making sense? #so when people say ‘oh the series wasn’t good at inciting revolutionary ideas #(idk how else to put it im really tired) #and it’s like. of course it isn’t #bc that’s not what collins wanted to do #thg books #thg analysis #thg meta

[biracy]

I know this can be contentious (and even just mentioning this kind of analysis as a serious one makes a lot of people who don't understand what literary analysis is very angry) but I actually think it's pretty cool that people can draw both transfeminine and transmasculine reads of Jesse from hit TV show Jesse out of the text of the show. Something something shared experiences something something solidarity. You get the idea

#i've done the Analysis(tm) i'm smart i know how to read. i think a trans read goes 'in all directions' as they say #idk i Barely participate in any discussion abt the show on here bc i haven't finished it yet #but just like most instances of interpretive lgbt analysis i think neither is the more objectively 'correct read' #bc that's not really how literary analysis works oops #open mick night #breaking bad #jesse pinkman #i could also post at length abt how transgender reads of 'prestige television' or 'classic literature' #are disregarded and treated as like 'stupid online teenager fandom nonsense' #but like it's a genuine analytical lens that can be applied to characters and stories even if 'that's not what the author intended' #but i don't wanna talk abt that rn. i wanna talk abt achy breaky bad and i've expounded most of my funny thoughts #so i'm testing out smart ones #don't worry i think abt other characters TOO. i'll get to it i wanna space em out

[threehuskiesinatrenchcoat]

thinking hard about graves being paralleled with an attack dog. even aside from the fact that shepherd literally calls him a dog. the betrayal scene is all him emphasizing that he's following orders. his scar that extends to his ear and well you know this very common design thing with dog/wolf characters having their ear ripped, it's kinda funny. the goddamn throat mic that is literally a collar. shepherd being the handler ordering him around

the guy had so much untapped potential and pieces were already in place for a good story they just had to play around with the metaphor a bit more but instead he got the most basic bitch villian arc smh

#call me matpat but there's SOMETHING aight? #i mean it's not like i expect a lot of heavy character analysis from a cod game lol #but i like to play around with ideas #don't get me wrong it's all great design choices and they still work as intended! #but i just don't really like one-dimensional villians and think there could be more #but again just my thoughts and hcs #call of duty #phillip graves #cod mw2 #call of duty modern warfare 2

[imswansong]

((Sorry sudden rant/analysis about Evilive episode 8, if you haven’t watched yet pls ignore))

//////

Episode 8 just showed how fucked up Doyoung’s sense of friendship/partnership/love is. Like at this point he obviously wants to work with Dongsoo as partners for a long time — he wouldn’t be spending so much time and money and effort on him if he wasn’t interested — but at the same time, he doesn’t want to be equals with Dongsoo. He wants him to remain submissive to him because he’s done with being the second in command for someone else.

But ironically, Doyoung sees so much potential and a twisted feeling of closeness in Dongsoo that he wants Dongsoo to be just like him. Now normal people would be happy with just working together, but no, Doyoung’s a creep and therefore he NEEDS this attorney to be as cruel and violent as him, because idk he’s weird like that lmao

And again, he’s sick of working FOR other people. So when Dongsoo keeps asking Doyoung to move the body, kill Moon Sangguk (or use a random guy to do it for them), do this do that; it pisses him off because he thinks 1) Dongsoo is trying to win against him, 2) Dongsoo is acting like those old farts who use their power to have other people do their dirty work, and 3) He’s still trying and/or pretending to be guiltless.

That’s why Doyoung got excited when Dongsoo suggested that they kill Moon, because he was hoping Dongsoo would be willing to kill the man himself and get blood on his hands. So when Dongsoo was like “let’s just pay someone else to do it!” Doyoung got ticked off and threw him in a box with Moon.

(Oh and he totally knew Dongsoo would be the one to survive that, that was the whole point of him setting all that up)

What I’m trying to say is Doyoung’s desire to make Dongsoo just like him actually contradicts his desire to keep Dongsoo beneath him, because now that Dongsoo’s the same as him in terms of viciousness, what’s stopping him from going against Doyoung?

#icb my first post about evilive is a long ass analysis on two gay criminals…. anyway #all the shipping aside i think evilive is a really really good drama #and a proper corruption arc??? lord #evilive #biography of a villain #seo do young #han dong soo #their names are too similar #they shouldve made hakyun’s name han heesoo just like they originally intended #also is that how you romanize moon sang guk’s name? i never read the eng subs so idk

[starryoak]

One thing I’ve been musing on for a while is why while I’ve always seen Chell and GlaDOS’s relationship as abusively maternal, I’ve increasingly been made aware that that perception is at least somewhat inaccurate; the creators actually talk about their relationship fairly explicitly as a romance, so I’m fairly clearly in the wrong here.

But I think it’s interesting to dig into why I felt that way and why I can’t help but still somewhat feel that way of their dynamic, even as I grow up (Portal 2 was something I experienced from release as a child!) and recognize that flatly assuming a maternal relationship without much supporting evidence is somewhat sexist.

I think, literally the main reason it comes down to is that the level of power that GlaDOS has over Chell, combined with the very passive aggressive nature of how she insults you, is intensely reminiscent to me of the traditional portrayal of abusive mothers in fiction. Comments about Chell’s weight, her inability to care for herself (“funny story, I forgot how much of a big fat mess you are”), false compliments and niceties, the passive aggressive nature of her commentary to you through most of the game is the type that I’ve really only ever seen used by mothers in fiction, towards their own children or children-in-law.

To be honest, it’s still hard for me not to see it that way when the only other time I see passive aggressive dynamics like that are in Stepford Wives type criticisms of suburbia, combined with the power that GlaDOS has over Chell and their disparate ages, I just wish I could better align my perception of their dynamic with the actually intended one!

#chell #glados #chelldos #analysis #discourse #but not really! #I just want to tag it in case someone doesn’t want to see this #because they see it as disagreement with chelldos when I don’t intend it to be #Clearly I’m the one in the wrong here! #portal #My posts

[fumifooms]

What do you think of Lamari (Laios and Namari)? Both as a ship and the relationship between the two.

I don’t like it sorry broski 😔 Seeing them interacting in ep 9 again made me see the appeal more, it’s cute how they interact, how they trust each other’s abilities and judgement! But ship wise…… I can’t. I’ve been seeing cute fanart of them around though, and I know a few people on discord that like them too. Like hmmm I guess I can see the appeal in the dynamic even if it doesn’t grab me but I can’t form a narrative for them… Usually I need both to truly get into a ship, a dynamic I find fun or interesting + some sort of progression and impact it’d leave on the characters, I don’t really see the character/relationship arc that’d happen, or at least not one eventful enough for me. When it comes to how I think their relationship is during canon, I see it as being professional and hinting at maybe friends, a neutral rather than negative thing mind you.

With Laios, well I’ve spoken about his character and arc before a bunch, but with Namari the part that interests me most is the whole exile thing, how she works hard to fit in both with keeping a good work reputation and shaving, for example, and how she’s not all that good with it because of presumably her bold personality... Because of this and more, and spoilers but I’ve planning on making a rarepair post about it for a while, I like shipping her with Toshiro mainly. I think that she balances out his doormat tendency but his cool attitude would be soothing and grounding and- Well gdbdgdg you see how it is. And to a certain extent I can see why people would want to apply the same logic to lamari, but… I don’t even think Namari and Laios would be able to bond over both being foreigners much tbh, I feel like Laios would sort of remain an odd mystery to her and though they could connect in a weird roundabout way I don’t think they’d exactly understand each other— and see this is the part of lamari appeal I get, the sort of tentative tension of "oh you actually respect me. That feels… Rare. And nice." Thouuugh like I was saying to be fair, it’s true Laios also tries and fails to fit in so that could be an interesting angle to go at it with. I think Namari wants stability and I just don’t really think it complements Laios well. I think trust’s the most important thing with Laios so on his side him liking her enough to be interested or open to a relationship I could see, though in a kinda mild and dry way imo… Like with Laios especially when defining how he and someone fall in love, there are sort of two modes right, and of course these coexist to some degree, but there’s Laios being his partner’s silly goober, and there’s Laios being very mature, more of his subdued stoic but composed self, all king-like, the more like connecting through meaningful conversations side. And idk how to put it into words but with lamari, I feel like Namari being paired with him doesn’t give a fresh spin on the former, and with the latter I feel like they’d always keep missing each other halfway communication wise, I don’t see them ever getting to that level where they deeply intuitively know and understand each other and how they work, maybe Laios -> Namari yes but Namari -> Laios I don’t see it, like I said I think it’d remain like, a mystery that nags at her and she might feel attracted if anything, but I can’t see them as more than casually dating idkk idk.

Namari has that fun ‘gets fired up about what odd things Laios is doing and reigns him back in’ dynamic but it’s something that literally so many other characters have too. I’m not knee deep into Namari yet so who knows maybe I have a wrong angle, but I did start giving her some thoughts bc I have a fic I have in mind for toshimari I wanna do. But yes it’s cute how protective she can get even if it’s shouty or tough love, like how she looks out for Laios’ equipment and for him not to get scammed, or brings in Toshiro here in the convo because she doesn’t want Toshiro to do his conflict avoidance thing and not stand up for himself & stay in the party even if it sucks hah. That bold borderline rude protective personality of hers with that awkwardness with intimacy/non-professional relationships is what’s unique to her I think, but yeah the laios & namari duo strikes me as strangely distant yet strangely interested coworkers who exhange glances over the cashier desk but personally I can’t see myself doing anything with that.

I’m not here to say it’s a bad ship or anything obviously! It just really doesn’t call to me personally and I don’t see stuff with them that I’d find interesting to analyze, if anything it’d involve the wider party a lot. I do want to make a masterpost on Laios’ career history and the old members of his party so I might analyze how Namari and he interact in those pre-canon comics idk. But yeahh like I find nothing to dig deeper at personally, you could make cute fics of them hinting at interest between the two, if Laios went to get drinks with her at a tavern etc etc, but all I see with them is just what canon straightforwardly showed us and I don’t get the urge to explore the possibility of them at all.

Sorry to disappoint, but yeah I won’t be a good source of lamari content or thoughts. I have wayy too many drafts I actually want to get out so I’ll be storing further Laios & Namari analysis for a big maybe, one day. I feel so bad I really hate to be negative at all and as a fellow rareshipper I send u my best wishes truly, good luck y’all deserve fellow stans and content. Feel free to leave pro-lamari arguments in the comments or reblogs if you want idm but preferably not asks (and just don’t be aggressive & don’t expect me to respond/react 🫶) like truly this post isn’t meant as a diss but anon asked me about my personal thoughts so… I love youuu lamaris hope y’all thrive 🙇🙇

Trying to think of crumbs and it’s true she blushed when she saw him in his cape at the end so y’all got that W. Namari having a thing for tallmen is so real

Edit: oh she went with him for equipment shopping… Ok that’s cute

#Ask #Should I tag? I did end up saying some interesting stuff I think but I feel like i shouldn’t since it still isn’t exactly positive #I made a dunmeshi shipping chart… Was hesitating on posting but maybe it’d be kinda useful after all lol #I don’t really want to get asked about any random dunmeshi ship but also if someone gives me an excuse to talk about my rarepairs……. #This isn’t intended as toshimari propaganda btw 😭 I hope it doesn’t come across that way the first mention is bc I think the comparison #gave smth to the convo the second is truly just to describe the moment and how it solidifies her character. #No pitting bad bitches against each other over here #Tried so hard to give you crumbs of analysis and positivity anon I’m sorryyyy i’m sorry OTL I crumble into dust hesitating on posting this #OH ALSO SEAGIRI YOU’RE A LEGEND I LOVE YOU #Lamari fanart and memes are always very cute and fun #No one is allowed to dunk on lamari in the notes of this 🔫 hush haters

[new-lorien-artist]

Drawing Five according to his canonical UaO epilogue description is so messy and saddening because there's so much to account for that got him physically fucked up and you know the writers were hammering in this whole disfigurement as punishment thing with him

Because first you have the eye hole where Marina pierced him, and I'm not sure if he's still wearing that gauze eye patch on the island because eventually it'll get dirty and he'll have to toss it

Then you have the scar marks from when Setrákus Ra clawed right through his metal skin "like butter" and it's not mentioned whether those marks are still there or they disappeared when he returned to his flesh skin (and it's doubtful those were healed at all, we don't even know if Marina had a proper visit and talked to him and possibly healed those away)

Then you have the goop that created some patchy spots all over his skin and show up all web-like on him

And then how it's implied he starved on the island because he lost weight so fast and is described to have flaps of skin on his arms and torso and a body so skinny you could see an outline of his ribs and spine

Bro he has so much physical trauma on him, like they did the most on him and left it like that till the very end

#number five #not sure whether to put the main ll tag on this #don't wanna put it out there to see but a friend hasn't read ll yet and blocked the main tag for now #well i already told em about five so i think this is fine #hmmm rereading the epilogue and i wanna write an analysis on the justifications of harm without closure #on everyone toward five but especially marina #because she had the most personal reason to hate five but she never got any closure or chose to move on #and it left her character arc hanging because she never found a conclusion to her moral dilemma #how to handle five and what do with her grief if it's painful and no one can relate to her on an empathetic level #because she was the 'moral compass' yet flet that title fleeting her sometimes and didn't know how to process these changes #and then john literally whisked her away from that instead of helping or letting her find a conclusion #and we never hear from her again until the very end of the series without any answers #she was literally the only other person to question these moral changes and aspects and the writers took that from us #similarly to five and his questioning of lorien treating the garde and their lack of will or identity beyond child soldiers #both had the questions but no one heard an answer #if that's intended by the writers I don't buy it because those are really cruicial to the themes of the series and it sucks to leave it out #they just punished and humiliated and disfigured five again and again and again to an excessive degree #dude what that's a lot to throw on him

[flightfoot]

ChatGPT produced material embodies the concept of "Death of the Author" in its purest form

I've heard "Death of the Author" invoked many times throughout my years, but I had never actually read the essay that created the term and laid out how the concept worked before. I did so recently, as well as an analysis of that essay, which I will also reference because Roland Barthes original essay (well, translated essay, the original is in French) on "The Death of the Author" is an impenetrable mass of purple prose which can be very hard to follow, despite the essay's short word count of just over 2000 words.

If you wish to read it for yourself, here's a link to a pdf of the Death of the Author essay.

Basically the idea is that authors aren't really creators at all, but instead merely regurgitate and string together already existing writing, that "scriptor" would be a better term in fact.

The Author, when we believe in him, is always conceived as the past of his own book: the book and the author take their places of their own accord on the same line, cast as a before and an after: the Author is supposed to feed the book — that is, he pre-exists it, thinks, suffers, lives for it; he maintains with his work the same relation of antecedence a father maintains with his child. Quite the contrary, the modern writer (scriptor) is born simultaneously with his text; he is in no way supplied with a being which precedes or transcends his writing, he is in no way the subject of which his book is the predicate; there is no other time than that of the utterance, and every text is eternally written here and now.

and as the essay puts it later on:

We know that a text does not consist of a line of words, releasing a single "theological" meaning (the "message" of the AuthorGod), but is a space of many dimensions, in which are wedded and contested various kinds of writing, no one of which is original: the text is a tissue of citations, resulting from the thousand sources of culture. Like Bouvard and Pecuchet, those eternal copyists, both sublime and comical and whose profound absurdity precisely designates the truth of writing, the writer can only imitate a gesture forever anterior, never original

Or if you want to read something a little clearer, I like how this essay on filmslie puts it:

The use of the word “quotations” expresses the idea that a text cannot really be “created” or “original”—it is always made up of an arrangement of preexisting “quotations” or ideas. Therefore, the “author” is not really an author, but rather a “scriptor” who simply puts together preexisting texts.

And as it puts it later on:

The death of the Author is the inability to create, produce, or discover any text or idea. The author is a “scriptor” who simply collects preexisting quotations. He is not able to create or decide the meaning of his work.  The task of meaning falls “in the destination”—the reader.

As such, the author's actual presence as a person is not required, as the speech they utter, or rather the words they write, exist independently of a person to actually write them. From the Death of the Author essay:

Finally, outside of literature itself (actually, these distinctions are being superseded), linguistics has just furnished the destruction of the Author with a precious analytic instrument by showing that utterance in its entirety is a void process, which functions perfectly without requiring to be filled by the person of the interlocutors: linguistically, the author is never anything more than the man who writes, just as I is no more than the man who says I

Meaning is derived not from what the author intended, as their existence is unneeded, but instead from whatever meaning the reader chooses to impose on what they read.

Doesn't this fit well with what ChatGPT and other AI "writers" do? There is no question after all that they merely copy and string together writing that already exists, creating a "tissue of citations", as Barthe puts it. There is no particular "author" of a work in this case, but merely the tool that strung them together, a "void process" that does not need a mind behind it. The meaning of a piece of writing that ChatGPT produces doesn't lie in anything that it intends, as it has no meaningful intentions to begin with, but is instead given to it by what the reader interprets from it.

ChatGPT and other AI like it make a reality what "The Death of the Author" posits that all writers do. When looking to apply the concept of Death of the Author to a piece of literature, simply pretend for a moment that instead of a human mind behind it, an AI created the work instead, and analyze the work's meaning accordingly.

#death of the author #the death of the author #literary criticism #essay #writing #chatgpt #Note: I don't actually like using Death of the Author much in literary analysis #People tend to use it to mean “my misinterpretation of what you meant is the interpretation that matters most” #And then assign blame on the author for causing them to perceive it in a way that wasn't intended #There can be some merit in the idea that even though an author doesn't intend something to be taken a certain way #That it doesn't mean that's not a valid interpretation of the work #It really just depends on the circumstances #Like how reasonable that misinterpretation is and whether the author had a good reason for writing in such a way #that that misinterpretation was a reasonable way to perceive the text #But “Death of the Author” is not the literary criticism tool that should be used for making any sort of judgement on the author #That is antithetical to its very nature

[edwardshundredyearoldspunk]

I hate liking "edgelord guy shows" that have a mostly male fanbase because any possible discussion is available only on reddit and it's always the most braindead media illiterate takes your eyeballs will ever read

#tumblirinas are not out here watching the boys #and what a shame really #because i just know the tumblrinas would have so many thoughtful discussions about this show #y'know if it wasn't a Guy Show #but hey! supernatural was intended to be a Guy Show and the tumblrinas co-opted that bad boy #i believe it's not too late to save the boys from the fight club fate #please i just want to talk to someone about this show #that will not be like ''well x character said y character didn't sexually assault them so obviously they didn't'' #with their full chest and absolutely no degree of nuance #there's just so much interesting stuff going on in this show #but no one is actually doing interesting analysis about this in the only places where there is a fandom for this show #(goddamn i hate reddit)

[bookwyrminspiration]

Had Sophie stayed in the human world until she was older like the Black Swan planned for her to, do you think their experiment would have worked?

They want her to bring change to the human world, but an elf raised as a human being who came to the Lost Cities as an adult would have incredibly hard time adjusting or taking the Black Swan seriously for reasons that I think are fairly obvious. She would have had a life, with friends and family in the human world. Then they would require her to sever all of those relationships because they want her to bring change to a world that she did not even know existed. Once she got to the Lost Cities, she would have incredibly hard time integrating to the different clothes, food and culture. Once she got past those hurdles, she would have to work incredibly hard to be taken seriously. She would be a grown woman that no one in the Lost Cities is connected to, who is advocating for change in a world that she has no connection to. I am thinking of real life equivalents of this, like a child being raised in Russia, who only speaks Russian and thinks of themselves as Russian, is brought to the United States as an adult to tackle American social issues. They do not understand American social issues and it will take a long time before they do. Exchange the word Russia for human, Russian for human world and United States for Elvin world. Her credibility would be very low in this scenario, as she would struggle to get people to hear her thoughts on issues especially because she is not impacted by these problems. Moreso, she would view herself as a human being and would ultimately defend humans and even betray the elves if she felt the elves were going to harm humans.

Ultimately, the Black Swan would not work out. They would bring her to the world of the elves, use her for a different perspective then bring her back to the human world. Then, there is the problem of her abilities and lifespan. Would they leave her with her abilities and do nothing to do with them? Would they leave her, an immortal being, in the human world to spend the rest of her life with people who live quickly and die quickly? That is an interesting way to handle things.

There are so many ways the plans of the Black Swan could have gone wrong.

That depends on what you consider "working" for Project Moonlark. If we're going solely with the goal of bringing a new perspective to the Lost Cities, that still would've been achieved; she still would've been raised with the same human mindset that the Black Swan was looking for. If we're going with the goal for her "to be something new", then she still would've been that.

I personally don't think the problems you're suggesting would be too different from how it is now in the series. Perhaps they waited until Sophie was in her 20s or 30s, before people could notice she wasn't aging, but that's still so small compared to the elven lifespan. That's hardly a difference to their world and those who've lived in it for centuries.

Sophie now still had a hard time adjusting (and is still adjusting, over 2 years later), she had friends and family that she had to sever ties with, she's not used to the clothing and culture--though she has gotten used to the food for the most part. I think almost everything you're proposing isn't unique to an adult Sophie, it's the same as she's going through as a young teen.

I do think you make a good point about having no connections, though. The elven world is incredibly isolated, and she wouldn't have the connections or circle she does without being adopted and going to school, both things that only happened because she's a kid. However, I do think that could be compensated for via connections in the Black Swan. She wouldn't have as much exposure outside of them, but she wouldn't be completely on her own. However, that does also mean there's no easy way for other people to learn about her and hear about her the way there is now, but there could be gossip that makes her more known, people just wouldn't first learn of her at school as her peers.

Based on my understanding, I think the biggest problem they'd encounter is Sophie herself. She goes along with other people's suggestions and submits to certain authority because she's a kid, because she doesn't have the same sway as an adult. Her parents can tell her to do things and discipline her, the Black Swan can partially shut her out and guide her citing her youth. Adult Sophie would be an adult. Redundant statement, I know, but my point is she would be more on their level. She'd have more autonomy, be more individual. Even as unaware as she is, she's more equal. She doesn't have to listen to what people tell her, she doesn't have to do what they say. She's an adult who can do what she wants for her own reasoning. So the Black Swan would have to truly work with her more to cooperate.

However, at a certain point she doesn't have a choice in the matter. She has abilities, she doesn't quite fit in the human world (though in both cases she still sees herself as more human), the Black Swan can hold info over her head (like her parents/origin), etc. She's tied to them and I think would always end up with them and in the elven world.

The way I see it, Project Moonlark still would've worked, it just would've played out differently. Different people in her life, different setting, different dynamics between her and others. But ultimately the core of it the same. Her being a child is crucial to the story as we know it, but not crucial to Project Moonlark. Even if she prefers humans, she's not going to turn a blind eye to elven problems and ignore everything. Her age isn't a huge factor in the project on its own, so a lot of the details (leaving her life behind, struggling to adapt, etc.) are ubiquitous!

#kotlc #kotlc character analysis #sophie foster #quil's queries #thepinkdove #long post #this is of course just my interpretation and opinion. it's not set in stone or anything #I just don't really think at the core of it all it'd be that different #the premise and execution is pretty much the same regardless of age #so I think it would have the same impact. or at least similar enough to not be too noteworthy #but I don't think the black swan and project moonlark wouldn't have worked if she was older #that's how it was intended to work #perhaps sophie would've been more like the black swan if she didn't have that sort of teenage rebellion thing going on #and their progress would've been slower #who knows! i can't say exactly how it would've played out #anyway i should stop before i ramble forever :)

[stararise]

One of my favorite things about the difference in the Lloyd and Garmadon fights in SoG and Hunted, is the music. Yes, they have a marked difference in tone just listening to them, but if you pay attention to the leitmotifs used, they also add to the story. (Leitmotif = a recurring musical phrase that represents a character or idea.)

“Garmadon’s True Potential” (which plays during the fight in True Potential) is primarily focused on Garmadon’s theme (the Sons of Garmadon theme is incorporated into Garmadon’s theme, showing their role in his revival) and the Garmadon family theme, with absolutely no usage of the Green Ninja theme. The one time the Ninjago theme is used is when it cuts to the other Ninja, it’s never used to symbolize a heroic moment by Lloyd. When Lloyd starts fighting in earnest, at the end, there’s no desperate-but-heroic rendition of the Green Ninja theme - it’s the SoG theme followed by the Garmadon family theme.

Being scored like this makes the fight basically entirely about Garmadon; Lloyd doesn’t get any victories, in the animation or musically. Lloyd goes into this fight with the intent to save his father, not fight him, so the music reflects that by emphasizing the Garmadon family theme. Garmadon’s theme is dissonant and evil sounding, while the Garmadon family theme is sad, bringing down the whole mood of the fight. Because there’s only one cutaway to the other Ninja, there’s also no reprieve; while the music does get quieter/less noisy in some moments, it’s six straight minutes of unsettling dissonance and tragic violins/vocals.

To contrast, “I Can Resist You” (which plays during the fight in Green Destiny) has all three themes, and more (for example, some interjections by the Resistance theme when it cuts to the other Ninja). It actually focuses less on Garmadon’s theme. This time, when Lloyd argues with his father, the Ninjago theme is played. When Lloyd grabs the Dragonbone Blade, we hear a modified Green Ninja theme. When he deflects a bolt of Destruction, Green Ninja theme.

Like the fight itself, this time the music feels like an actual fight instead of a one-sided beatdown, because Lloyd is musically represented by the Ninjago theme and Green Ninja theme. Garmadon’s theme and the family theme are still there, but the different instrumentation and harmonization lessen the impact on the mood. (Garmadon’s theme especially is played less and harmonized differently to make the overall music more melodic and thus feel less creepy.) Also, the music has “lighter” instruments like a flute, which the composers tend to associate with the heroes.

The unreleased portion of the soundtrack which plays after this track (starting when Lloyd gets the idea to use the Art of the Silent Fist) follows in a similar vein. During the parts where Lloyd is fighting Garmadon, the Resistance theme plays instead of Garmadon’s theme. When Lloyd gets his power back, the Green Ninja theme plays.

Musically, this shows the tide shifting as Lloyd starts winning. The Resistance theme is hopeful, really bringing up the mood. Garmadon’s theme only plays once more, at the very end when he’s lost his powers completely, and even then instead of being elaborated on in the usual continuation, a less dissonant variation is played which leads directly into the Green Ninja theme. It’s unified - there’s no interjection from Garmadon’s theme except at the end, signifying that the real fight is over.

tl;dr: In True Potential, the leitmotifs used are almost only Garmadon’s theme and the Garmadon family theme, which centers the scene on him and makes the fight one-sided musically. In Green Destiny, the Green Ninja, Ninjago, and Resistance themes give the fight more balance and focus on Lloyd’s victory. Also you should listen to the soundtrack because it’s good.

(Side note: Some people say that what I call the Garmadon family theme is simply Emperor Garmadon’s theme (and that he has two themes, I guess), but the Garmadon family theme only gets played in relation to, well, the Garmadon family. It’s just that a lot of the time, Lloyd ends up nearby when Emperor Garmadon gets screentime. Just listen to the musical cues for when he isn’t, though, and the 3-note theme gets played, not the family theme. [Unless he’s talking about Lloyd, which he does a lot.])

#star says #ninjago #lloyd garmadon #garmadon #star this seems like a lot of analysis on stuff the composers probably didn't intend you might say #my argument is to simply go watch the leitmotif spotlights on ninjago music's youtube #and then argue to me that the composers don't do this on purpose #this is literally what leitmotifs are meant for #i use the words leitmotif and theme interchangeably on this post btw but they aren't actually the same thing #the difference between a normal motif and a leitmotif #is that a leitmotif specifically represents #a person an idea an action #while a motif is just a musical theme #that gets repeated to create unity in the composition #sometimes it really IS that deep #my meta

[keira-draws]

have officially watched 2/3 original evil dead movies 👍

#i wont watch the first one #im a pussy i cant handle gore that intense #ALSO UGH I LOVED BOTH EVIL DEAD II AND ARMY OF DARKNESS #i had seen most of the scenes already on youtube but it was very nice to actually see them in the right order LMAO #my fav silly guy ashley williams didn't fail me #(i knew he wouldn't) #whatever i'm gonna be shaking him around in my head for the next forseeable future #also! watching evil dead ii and then immediately going to aod is really funny cause like #ash's character doesn't necessarily change a ton a ton right #but he's just so pissed off the whole movie of aod it's actually crazy #and i've seen a couple aved clips and knowing that the evil dead trilogies basically change him from soft spoken ash in evil dead i #to his character in aved is like so sad to me!!! #sad in the sense of like all the stuff and trauma from the cabin and aod caused him to create this like ultra-dramatized bravado #like ash's character arc is one of the most realistic one's i've seen and i think that's what sucks for him :( #and we know its at least part a coping mechanism based off his breakdown in season 3 of aved!!! he does NOT want to be the chosen one ughhh #like the whole chosen one who doesn't want to be the chosen one is an arc that always hurts #i was going to say more but this is already longer than i intended!!! #maybe some day i'll write a character analysis on ash because he's so so interesting to meeeee #knawing on him #keir thoughts

[04tenno]

so why can't mine be bi?

I mean... I would rather people think he's bi than outright deny his attraction to Daigo. If I've ever said he "can't be bi" at any point, it's not because I don't think anyone should be allowed to interpret him as bi, or because him being bi is entirely out of the question. It's because the concept of him being bi is diametrically opposed to my personal analysis of Mine and the concepts his character portrays.

He's asked out by twenty different women (notably, he has never asked a woman out himself and explicitly says he has no interest in doing so) and he never once shows any enthusiasm when he agrees. He goes to hostess clubs and completely ignores the actual hostesses in favor of the men who drag him there, spacing out entirely the rest of the time when they're not talking to him.

He's also one of the only characters who explicitly talks about sex, in that in he says in Japanese he could sleep with as many otherwise desirable women as he wanted (again, emphasis on the number)... within the context of a list of things that he feels should have made him happy, but didn't.

The one and only time he doesn't act like he's being subjected to abject misery when interacting with a woman who's clearly attracted to him is at the end of his Okinawa character story, but that's... not really saying anything. People aren't gay because they've exclusively had bad experiences with dating. In fact, many people realize they're gay because they've had the "ideal" experiences, but still don't feel fulfilled. Which is exactly the sentiment Mine expresses in the finale.

Like… it's not for lack of trying, or lack of interactions with women. At some point it's just no use looking for the "right woman," because the "right woman" is never going to come along for someone who's not attracted to women in the first place. For Mine, the "right person" was Daigo Dojima.

#asks #my analysis #anonymous #yakuza 3 #yoshitaka mine #mine yoshitaka #can't really gauge the tone of this ask tbh #like fair enough if genuine; i've tried to explain as patiently as possible #but otherwise...? #like. you can headcanon what you want but i'm not here to validate your headcanons regardless of whether i agree myself #and it doesn't matter if i do. you don't need the blessing of Some Guy with (frankly) next to no following #but personally i just think interpreting him as bi is willfully ignoring the fact that this is. #very clearly the story of a closeted gay man prone to seeking happiness in things he subconsciously recognizes won't make him happy #very clearly portraying the equivalent of compulsory heterosexuality #and sorry to get heavy but it's genuinely a huge part of his character. his “selflessness” that only leads to hurting himself #like if just the dates make him miserable then what about when it escalates. to a relationship. to sex. #and he's continuing to agree to something he doesn't want... for what? the off chance he'll finally be happy? to avoid upsetting partners? #these are experiences SPECIFIC to being gay. #bi people can have bad experiences when dating but the sheer enormity of what's being portrayed with mine is something else entirely #his okinawa card. the one that's intended as fanservice for women and which has him pursued by women. explicitly states he “looks unhappy” #that being the case i just think this interpretation is... not true to his character #you're free to disagree #but i don't see what you expect me to do about that

[arcaneyouth]

i love when my mom will mention the latest pages i've put on patreon to me and she'll basically say exactly what happened in the pages but as a question and with a Look that's like she wants me to explain it. like, she's not like me and hasn't written giant essays of media analysis for various things, but she knows there's Something there and she wants to hear my thoughts and has found her way of letting me know that. it's cute and makes me feel special. and gives me a chance to barely restrain myself from rambling for 30 minutes about The Themes

#mom's doing a good job of noticing dara's character flaws in particular which is great! i want that shit to be obvious <3 #mom asking me things in this way helps communicate to me that i'm doing things the way i intended too #like the things she focuses on shows me the stuff i wanted focus on is being seen #that i framed my panels in the right way to lead the readers mind to certain focal points or questions they should be asking #that the dialogue suggested things they won't say that the reader may be able to piece together themself #it just makes me really happy <3 #it is a struggle every time tho because i will immediately want to launch into a full analysis of the entire scene #and i physically can't do that because i'm refusing to give mom spoilers #(since her reactions are very dear to me)