#such a complex issue that I’m glad the show is exploring

[nataliescatorccioapologist]

"I can't go back. If I go back, nothing will be...well. I won't...I won't be well. I won't be me. The me that was made out here. And that unwellness that I feel, I feel it so deeply in my bones."

This is Lottie’s mental health finally being given the depth and gravity it deserves. Lottie’s mental illness has often been treated as a punchline this season, but this moment finally gives proper weight to how deeply painful, complex, and real it is. This is Lottie’s recognition of what awaits her in the real world: a life of being sedated, controlled, and institutionalized. Lottie knows deep down that she is “unwell.” Lottie is spiraling out there, she’s suffering from intense psychosis and she needs help, but it is also the only time she has ever felt free and authentically herself after years of suppression.

It breaks my heart knowing how right Lottie is here, because the moment she gets back she is locked in a psych ward, heavily medicated, and forced to undergo electroshock therapy instead of getting the help she really needs. And even after she gets out, she will spend the rest of her life being afraid of her own mind, constantly at war with herself.

[tokoyamisstuff]

Hey! I just found your blog and I’m now obsessed with the variant marks! If it’s alright to ask, do you have any HC for them??

Invincible Variants x gn! Reader

Warnings: pretty marysue, toxic relationship, angst, mentions of canon-typical violence and death

A/N: heya, love! so glad I infected you with the hype ehehe. since you didn't specify what kind of hc's you wanted I just threw in whatever came to mind. 💌

Omnivincible idolizes his father to an unhealthy degree, but ultimatively if he ever had to decide beween him and you he'd choose the latter.

It was easy for him to get rid of all his friends and allies, hell, even his own mother...but he spared you, unable to imagine a life without you by his side.

He keeps the true nature of your relationship a secret, having convinced the empire that you're merely a slave for his personal entertainment, but he does consider you his legitimate mate. Be ready to get called his 'pet' a lot, but he'd rather have you like this than not at all.

While mostly in denial about all of the obstacles and dangers to this secret affair, he's relentlessly searching for a way to artificially extend your lifespan.

Movincihawk is one of those people who are somehow stupid and smart at the same time. I bet his father never actually made him see a school from the inside, thinking their inferior human knowledge is beneath them. So while he's a capable fighter and strategist, you somehow have to explain the most trivial concepts to this man - and he's absolutely delighted every time, even though he's too distracted by your beauty to actually listen.

This one is all bark and no bite honestly. He's a bully and loves harmlessly pranking you but if anyone disrespects you in any way they're suffering dire consequences.

Behind closed doors he'd do anything for scraps of your approval really. Out of that very same reason he loves to brag and show off, as well as indulge you in any way he can think of.

Frankly he doesn't give a shit about what anyone thinks about his feelings towards you. Not that anyone would dare speaking up anyways.

I feel like Sinister is a born sociopath, and his universe probably is a tad bit more evil in general. Like there was no major event or anything that led to him being this way, this is just his default.

On the inside he is a deeply insecure person and tries to mask it through his god-complex. Rarely and only subtly he lets his guard down around you, just to become ten times worse afterwards, to compensate having shown weakness.

His fixation on you began when you dared standing up to him, unafraid despite being like a bug he could crush under his boot any given time. This fascination made him keep you alive long enough to develop romantic feelings for you, however he is still in denial about them.

Emotions in general are a foreign concept to him, so he keeps telling himself you're just a fleeting pastime. Even you are not safe from his sadistic tendencies, especially since he revels in trying to scare you away and knowing you'll always come back to him eventually.

The immense arrogance of Target/Striped Mark stems from him being raised 'for greatness' from the very beginning. He spent his entire childhood secluded from any civilization, alienating him from earth's inhabitants.

Back during his teenage years, after his powers awakened, he gave in to his curiosity and explored the planet and their people incognito, meeting you by sheer coincidence. Although his upbringing had indoctrinated him to believe you to be a lowlife, he felt drawn to you again and again.

When you found out about his true nature, he didn't leave you any choice and instead abducted you directly. He is a very strict man and has high expectations not only in himself and his subjects, but especially in you. And even though he has a soft spot for you, you better not disappoint him.

Fun fact: Him shouting so much does in fact not stem from his obvious anger issues, but rather a training injury that left his hearing permanently impaired.

No Goggles Invincible was probably raised the most merciless, being tormented both emotionally and physically from a very early age. This caused his mind to break at some point, which is the reason he's acting even more unhinged than the others.

In his dimension Debbie sided with her husband, and Mark greatly blamed her for not having protected him from Omni-man's abuse, ending up in him ultimatively killing both of his parents. So it's no wonder he has major trust issues, trying to control you through fear. Prepare for mood swings, regular break downs of his and random loyalty tests.

Due to his hardly contained sadistic site, he has a hard time restraining himself from harming you. On the other hand he also greatly enjoys you inflicting pain on him in any way possible. Sadly this is the only form of closeness he's used to, and being treated tenderly is actually frightening to him.

Once he almost killed you in a violent fit of rage and this mistake haunts him to this day. Ever since he's terrified of touching you.

Viltrumite Invincible got abducted by Nolan shortly after birth and was raised among his people, only returning decades later to finish what his father started.

And just like the main timeline Nolan, he folded like a lawnchair after crossing paths with you. It was love at first sight really, and being subjected to true affection that was frowned upon in his culture was just the nail that sealed the coffin of the empire.

Several times he had tried to regain his focus, coming with the intent to kill you for distracting him from his goal, and yet much to his frustration he could never bring himself to do so. The last time he tried he ended up asking for your hand in marriage.

Unlike his father however he confessed the truth to you way earlier, claiming that meeting you made him reevalue everything he was ever taught.

Prisoner Invincible got his scars as a punishment for rebeling against the Viltrum empire and trying to take over their reign. Actually they intended to rehabilitate him out of sheer desperation for their population was dwindling, but he couldn't care less.

Unlike the other variants who joined their father since it's the path of least resistance, he refused to after being told you wouldn't be allowed to be together. He is as much of a dangerous and ruthless individual as his counterparts, but he always remained loyal to you. It was the two of you against the rest of the universe, quite literally.

Even after finally being reunited with you his disfigurement never really bothered him, since the bond you two shared exceeded anything else.

The most similar to the original Mark would be Unmasked Mark, at least in the beginning. Yet he soon realized that any resistance to the power of Viltrum was useless, so he just gave in to his fate and worked for a cause he deeply despised.

Even after his betrayal and you ending up joining the resistance you'll find yourself entangled with each other every time you'd clash. Until the very end you believed that he'd have a change of heart, never stopping to treat him with kindness despite being on different sites of the battle.

Over time he became so immeasurably hopeless and full of self-loathing that he killed you as an act of mercy, in order to spare you a gruesome death during their explotation of the planet.

He still listens to your old voicemails, it's the only way he can find some sleep.

Fully Masked Invincible is the most sensitive of the lot but far from innocent either. He took the risk and tried to stop Viltrum from the inside, but their influence slowly but steadily corrupted him from the inside. And the less human he felt, the more he feared he wasn't worthy of your love anymore.

Viltrum considered his sentiments for you a flaw, and even though he ended the relationship to keep you out of harm's way, they got rid of you so you couldn't intervene with their soldier any further. He blamed himself for not having been there to defend you, haunted by nightmares of how he held your limp body as life left your eyes.

He was never able to fill the void in his heart, and with nothing else to live for he continued to work for the empire, growing callous to all of the carnage around him as everything seemed pointless without you.

Shall he succeed to get another version of you back with him, he's awfully overprotective, the mere thought of losing you again making him paranoid. Expect anything from constant surveilance over being imprisoned and even people close to you getting murdered 'for your own good'.

[gudvina]

Your point about SC and the noble poor trope is so important and needs to be discussed more in fandom actually.

One of the things I struggled with most about the book was that LD was put on such a high pedestal her beliefs were meant to be seen as correct and virtuous but the issue is that Suzanne Collins was locked into having Maysilee and Haymitch team up. So we end up with Maysilee (who is a great character and the only thing I like about the book other than wyatt) who is sort of written with the reformed mean girl trope but then we also have LD who hates her because of her status and we’re not supposed to disagree with LD based on how she’s written the narrative is contradicting itself.

If SC could’ve just let LD be a flawed character it would’ve been a great opportunity to delve further into how division within the districts actually prevents rebellion and benefits the capitol. We could’ve explored more about the themes that were introduced in the first book with gales treatment of Madge.

Idk I’m biased because I love Maysilee as a character and dislike LD (not even speaking about them as love interests just as characters) and people refuse to acknowledge that LD’s hatred of Maysilee is unfair. Also her owning a caged canary is supposed to parallel Haymitch in a cage except Maysilee herself is in a cage too? Like she’s from the districts and is a tribute and is maybe better off than other people in district 12 but like she’s still a victim of the capitol and people refuse to acknowledge that? Idk I can’t stand the Maysilee haters out there LD included lmao

I also believe that showing Lenore Dove as a complex, flawed character would have benefitted way more to the story than the portrayal she had on Sunrise on the Reaping.

The way her character was written didn't leave any room for discussions, she was a sort of messiah who was rebellious in a reckless, inefficient way. A noble pure girl who was beautiful, smelled like honeysuckle, played the piano, was able to read proficiently but was also so poor she couldn't eat. She's written as the missing link between Lucy Gray and Katniss Everdeen. We are supposed to feel for her, admire her intelligence, be intrigued by her mystery, feel the ominous meaning of her words because, and that's important, it's all tied to a higher purpose.

And yet, she falls flat because her writing was inconsistent, underdeveloped and, at some point, incoherent. That pedestal she was put on by the narrative does nothing to help this, instead it just highlights these problems and makes her character feel even emptier than it could have been had she not been mentioned every two lines.

On the contrary Maysilee, the reformed mean girl as you rightly called her, was just a girl who happened to not be from the Seam, but instead from the Merchant Area, and because of that (and the fact that people have been interested in her dynamic with Haymitch, colliding with Lenore Dove's character) her writing considerably undermined the importance of her character in favour of Lenore Dove's. She's the owner of the mockingjay pin but she hates it, apparently, so much that Haymitch feels it appropriate to mention how Lenore Dove would have been glad to have it herself. The mockingjay pin. What would one day become the symbol of the rebellion that frees the District, not anymore associated to Maysilee only, but also to Lenore Dove. She is judged constantly by Haymitch and Lenore Dove and constantly implied to be like Capitols just because she's well off, when she's actually the real rebel of this story. Lenore Dove's rebellion is closer to Gale Hawthorne's than to Katniss Everdeen's, but Maysilee's acts of rebellion feel more real, more powerful and, in a way, they have a higher impact on the story.

These parallels between Gale and Lenore Dove could have been explored and could have given the latter much more complexity, but Suzanne Collins was afraid to go that way because she didn't want the reader to dislike her, she wanted the reader to root for Lenore Dove. And for people to make twitter posts about her haunting the narrative.

Especially considered the fact that Lenore Dove is like that™ because of what she was told about Lucy Gray, someone she idolised herself and wants to imitate.

This book could have gone a different way. Could have been a little more subversive than the others, but for that Suzanne Collins should have put some effort in writing it, and ultimately its main purpose wasn't to send a message but to make a few more pennies to add to her wallet.

[starburstminibot]

Hey, anon who asked bout the "how things were before Breakcheck was born"

First of all: I read the tags, don't ever apologise for info dumping, I love the dump and will eat it all. I am thoroughly enjoying this au and would love to read/see more of it

Secondly: It's quite alright for not doing art, as much as I do enjoy your art very much and love to see how you draw these characters, I also very much enjoy reading about it

Thridly: You are so right, the writers dont know shit and you get it alot mlre, and i LOVE how you are writing the issues between the 'Cons and 'Bots. Like there is sooo much they just, didn't explain. Megs being the one to become good and the other cons are left to be the bad guys??? PUH-LEASE

And even if they were to no longer be the bad guys, there is SO MUCH to their relationship that is skimmed over, like, c'mon

Anyhow, eating up your au OP. Breakcheck is best boy and I love seeing this goober and his story on my feed, writen or drawn out

Do not give me permission to yap bc i will not stop and you will regret it I promise /lh

IM SO FERAL??!>{£|! OUGHH IM SO GLAD YOU LIKE IT SO MUCJ BC IM GOING INSANE THINKING ABOUT IT

Also… I’m going to give possibly a hot take and it’s that Earthspark genuinely pisses me off sometimes. Because how dare they introduce such an interesting concept of a post-war setting with a redeemed Megatron and complex Decepticon/Autobot relationships and expect me to care about the Terrans.

I still like the Terrans, i think they are so silly goofy, and I like the idea of new characters to explore. But THE BACKGROUND PLOT IS SO MUCH MORE INTERESTING TO ME. The human alliance that turned out to be anti-cybertron??? Mandroid literally killing bots and experimenting on them?? grimlock getting mind controlled and having ptsd??? The rest of the Decepticons fighting for power and seething in rage of their leader’s betrayal??? Megatron trying to navigate his new life while being repentful of his past actions while also not crumbling under the guilt of his mistakes??? The fact that they are stranded on an alien planet and can’t go home?????? STARCREAM’S ABUSE GETTING RECOGNIZED????

they keep introducing these really interesting plots and then abandoning them for the sake of the Terrans getting more screentime.

I think these things would be easier to juggle if there weren’t so many of them tbh. I would rather just have Twitch and Thrash be these new Cybertronians that can guide the viewer through these complex plots because like us, they weren’t around for the war. They have a fresh untainted perspective on life.

(Dont get me wrong, I love Hashtag, JB, and Nightshade, but sometimes it feels like there isn’t enough screentime to flesh them all out and they end up getting characterized to one singular trait) (if all of them are around, I would rather them have their own focus show without the background plots of Optimus, Megatron, Bumblebee, ect.)

Also they are REALLY trying to hit the family theme over our heads. They keep saying “family this family that” but deadass they talk about being a healthy family more than they actually act like it. Show me how much they love each other instead of putting it in every other line of dialogue.

Ok that is all, I didn’t mean to go on such a rant LMAO. I still like Earthspark, just sometimes it feels like they are trying to be two different shows and they are stuffing more into the plot than they have time to flesh out. (Breakdown, Starscream, and pretty much all the Decepticons deserved better)

[wishcamper]

No question just reminding you that your writing makes a difference and I love both your analysis series and your fic! If it's something you're interested in exploring, I would love to hear your thoughts on how pop psychology and over reliance on short form content lead to community issues. For years there's been a trend of people with surface level knowledge using out of context buzzwords to police and shame people who dare have symptoms they're not 100% in control of.

Wow, such a kind thing to say! I often feel like I’m bashing my head against my own fist so I’m glad to know something worthwhile is coming out of it lol

An interesting question, and I would first ask: do we know that this is happening? The general mental health-ification of the internet has been happening for a few years now, and it’s sort of hard to know the effects given it’s still an evolving situation. But I’ll speak to some things I’ve seen personally that might be relevant.

The first is that people, and particularly young people, are more mental health literate than they have ever been. This is largely good! AND - TikTok and other social media has become kind of like WebMD for mental health disorders and relational dysfunction. Because of this, a lot of people fall down the self-diagnosis rabbit hole in the same way. And sometimes that’s helpful when it motivates people to seek treatment, but can be harmful because of the vast amount of misinformation on the internet. And treatment is still very inaccessible due to cost and availability, leaving people to go it alone with unvetted resources. So we have a climate where people are aware of mental health issues, there’s lot of misinformation, and credible help is hard to get. This is a breeding ground for pop psychology and therapy influencers to take root.

So to your questions: I do see a lot of folks using (and misusing) clinical terms in irl situations. Its part of the reason I hate that mental healthcare is so embedded in the medical systems because everything gets shoehorned into diagnostic labels when it’s not necessary. Some top culprits include boundaries, gaslighting, triggers, as well as diagnoses like BPD, NPD, DID, etc.

Ex: gaslighting is often thrown around when people disagree. Someone remembering something different than you is not abuse - the more likely reality is that human memory is complex and bad. Gaslighting is a deliberate tactic used to make you question your memory/sanity. It requires intent to deceive.

Ex: Narcissistic Personality Disorder is a medical diagnosis that requires a person to experience distress and loss of functioning from the consequences of their compulsively self centered behavior. Sometimes people are just being assholes. A person treating you badly doesn’t require a diagnosis. But labels can make people feel more oriented and in control, because YOURE the bad/wrong/sick one and therefore I don’t have to look at myself.

I think this has two effects:

1. An overly cognitive view and experience of human behavior that pathologizes normal, messy multi-faceted reactions and interactions in an effort to find a sense of security and predictability via control.

2. A lower tolerance for productive conflict and adverse experiences that robs people of opportunities to build resilience and experience meaning from the suffering that visits us all at some point or other.

In fandom spaces, I think this shows up as an unwillingness to question why we react to things the way we do, why certain things make us uncomfortable instead of immediately rejecting them wholesale. There’s valuable information in the things that chafe us, and so much of the work I do with folks is about being brave and actively seeking that information in a safe, contained space. It’s a vulnerable thing, and it’s natural for our defensive responses to get activated (fight, flight, freeze, and fawn). and my totally unfounded theory is that the folks who are being vicious and keyboard warriory are defaulting to a fight response: be scary to make the thing stop. It’s a self-protection strategy at its core, but it fandom spaces it translates as bullying because well.. it is. They’re trying to defend a space, even an online one, by trying to be scary enough not to fight with.

Art is inherently self-reflective, both in the making of and the interacting with, where consumption is about satisfaction. My hope is that in fandom we can move toward creation as a conversation instead of as a product that does or does not fulfill what someone is looking for. I think there will always be demand for super tropey, digestible, just for fun content and that’s great, but I also would love to see more folks be willing to engage with things that make them uncomfortable in an effort to find out why. That’s the kind of fandom I’m interested in being a part of. For some people it’s never going to be that deep, but I’d like to think in my little corner that’s the kind of stuff we get excited about.

[madamlaydebug]

Whether you’re on the path to finding your soulmate or trying to rekindle the flame in your current relationship, it’s so important that you explore how to manifest the love you truly deserve. Why? Because we are all worthy of finding and experiencing true love with a Beloved.

However, the biggest problem can be that we sometimes lose ourselves and our sacred vision in the process. We make the search ALL about the other person and less on how we can prepare ourselves spiritually for the adventure to ignite the love flame.

You’ve probably encountered (and even maybe dated, possibly even married) the narcissists, the needy, the people with ‘mommy’ issues, the control freaks, the addicted, and the beautiful weirdos that encompass the vast spectrum of traits that are not quite in alignment with your desires and your ideal notion of ‘true love’. Just remember that no one is, or will ever be perfect.

The true beauty is in the imperfection of the human spirit that rises above judgment.

After all, we come to earth to find healing and the Law of Attraction will always bring to you your mirror or your lesson to facilitate that healing. The reason? To help you to rise up to the present moment and live joyfully beyond the pain the of the past and the unfinished business.

Once you heal these themes and elements then lasting true love is bound to show up in your life…

HONOR YOUR FEELINGS AND YOUR INTUITION

You must be prepared to shine a light on the deal-breakers and intuitive nudges that tell you whether or not you’re on the right path. You just know when something feels right or when something feels a little off.

Make sure you honor the tiny nudges of intuition that you are being given and guided to follow. Most of the time these inner knowings are lifesavers, but sometimes you might be questioning yourself for foolish reasons. Also be aware of self-sabotage that can mask itself as discernment. Pay close attention to the difference between the two.

True Love Affirmation: My soul knows when it is in alignment with my heart’s desires.

RISE ABOVE JUDGMENT

How much does your judgment of others prevent you from deeply connecting with people? For instance, the deal-breakers and limiting beliefs that we might have can prevent us from finding happiness with another human being. Your role is to be open to all possibilities and open your heart to love.

For instance, when I was single I said that I would NEVER date a younger man. I held the belief that “they” were too immature and would just be likely to hurt me. Seven years later I’m now happily married to a man that is 5 years younger than I am. I’m so glad I decided to shift my bullshit rules about that one and I’m sure our baby girls are too!

True Love Affirmation: My heart is open to finding true love and rising above all limiting beliefs.

LEARN TO LOVE YOURSELF

You will only ever manifest the love you believe you deserve and have wired yourself to attract. As Whitney Houston reminds us in her 1986 mega-hit:

“Learning to love yourself, is the greatest love of all.”

Self love is a lifelong commitment that is always reflected back to you in a relationship. When you focus on self-acceptance and nurturing your body/mind/spirit complex (the best you can) on a daily basis, then you will be infinitely more attractive, more magnetic for love and Divine guidance will flow into your reality with ease and grace.

True Love Affirmation: I love myself enough to feel worthy.

RELEASE ALL EXPECTATIONS

Is it someone else’s responsibility to be in your life to make you happy? Nope. When you take responsibility for your own wellbeing and happiness then you have something truly magnificent to share with another human being. Focus on appreciation for everything that shows up in your life and make every day an opportunity to not make your happiness reliant on the actions of others. Take your power back!

True Love Affirmation: I am responsible for my own happiness.

[askthebadkidz]

I feel like at a guess, the recent polls are about Riz shipping. Which is an interesting conversation, im ace and on the aro spectrum and I’m So So thankful for this very rare positive rep. What I will also say is that I don’t personally object to riz shipping either, sexuality and romance and forms of relationship are very complex and I think interesting to explore in fiction. Sure some accounts of this are done better and others worse and you should consider ‘am I just ignoring this for easier plot’ but on an individual level I think it’s a matter of quality of writing not morality. Where it for me gets problematic is when Every or most fan content ignores his sexuality, and even then it’s less an indication or an indictment of any one fic and more an issue of culture in the fandom (Id also say the same thing for Kristen too personally)

This is literally the most normal fandom I’ve ever been apart of, every other fandom would have hanged us. I’m so glad we’re all so normal about this. Like genuinely.

I’ve seen a lot of people just straight up ignore Riz’s sexuality or say that a Riz ship is ‘endgame’ in the actual show, which is obviously straight up arophobia if coming from an alloromantic but in all honesty mostly in fan works I’m just mad that none of them know HOW TO WRITE DEMI PROPERLY.

-Mod Riz

[steege-jpt3391]

Blog Post #21: Sweet Bean by Naomi Kawase

Finally, we enter the 2010s era of Japanese film. I was excited to see that we were getting into more modern films later on because while the movies we watched previously are very influential, it’s important to analyze the impact modern films have on the future generation of film directors. While the film originally presented itself as being lighthearted and wholesome, many scenes made me feel quite sad. "Sweet Bean,” directed by Naomi Kawase, delicately intertwines themes of human connection, acceptance, and the appreciation of life's simple joys. Set in contemporary Japan, it follows the story of Sentaro, a dorayaki maker, who forms an unlikely friendship with Tokue, an elderly woman with a disfiguring condition caused by leprosy. This story was one that felt very unique to me as we hadn’t really watched many films with this kind of dynamic. We saw bonds between Samurai, complex family stories, and even strangers coming together to make ramen, but this dynamic between a shop owner and an elderly woman was one that I hadn’t really witnessed before. I loved the creativity of the plot and the execution of the film which was why all in all, I thought it was a great watch. 

One thing I thought made the film stand out was it’s commentary on societal stigma and prejudice as it serves as a very prominent theme in the film. It sheds light on the discrimination faced by individuals with leprosy in Japan, as well as broader societal attitudes towards those who are perceived as different or marginalized. Like I said in the paragraph before, Kawase’s unique plot really found itself sticking out to me making the film a very enjoyable watch. As the issue regarding the large population of elderly people in Japan, appears (at least to me) to be quite controversial, I thought it was interesting that this film critiqued a system that isn’t really discussed that often. Kawase portrays the insidious nature of prejudice through subtle yet powerful moments, such as when customers at the dorayaki stand recoil in horror at the sight of Tokue's hands, or when Sentaro's landlord expresses concern over the potential impact of Tokue's presence on his business. These instances underscore the pervasive fear and misunderstanding that underlie societal attitudes towards difference and disability. I think this specific scene especially showed how this is a powerful exploration of societal stigma and prejudice, highlighting the profound impact of discrimination on both individual lives and broader social dynamics. Through its compelling narrative and nuanced characterizations, the film challenges viewers to confront their own biases and embrace a more inclusive and empathetic understanding of the human experience. I’m really glad I gave it a watch and I’m really looking forward to the last few films to come!

[nasa]

NASA Spotlight: Earth Climate Scientist Dr. Yolanda Shea

Dr. Yolanda Shea is a climate scientist at NASA's Langley Research Center. She’s the project scientist for the CLARREO Pathfinder (CPF) mission, which is an instrument that will launch to the International Space Station to measure sunlight reflected from Earth. It will help us understand how much heat is being trapped by our planet’s atmosphere. Her mission is designed to help us get a clearer picture than we currently have of the Earth’s system and how it is changing

Yolanda took time from studying our home planet to answer questions about her life and career! Get to know this Earth scientist:

What inspired you to study climate science?

Starting in early middle school I became interested in the explanations behind the weather maps and satellite images shown on TV. I liked how the meteorologists talked about the temperature, moisture, and winds at different heights in the atmosphere, and then put that together to form the story of our weather forecasts. This made me want to learn more about Earth science, so I went to college to explore this interest more.

The summer after my junior year of college, I had an internship during which my first assignment was to work with a program that estimated ocean currents from satellite measurements. I was fascinated in the fact that scientists had discovered a way to map ocean currents from space!

Although I had learned about Earth remote sensing in my classes, this was my first taste of working with, and understanding the details of, how we could learn more about different aspects of the physical world from satellite measurements.

This led to my learning about other ways we can learn about Earth from space, and that includes rigorous climate monitoring, which is the area I work in now.

What does a day in your life look like?

Before I start my workday, I like to take a few minutes to eat breakfast, knit (I’m loving sock knitting right now!), and listen to a podcast or audio book. Each workday really looks different for me, but regardless, most days are a combination of quieter moments that I can use for individual work and more interactive times when I’m interfacing with colleagues and talking about project or science issues. Both types of work are fun in different ways, but I’m glad I have a mixture because all researchers need that combination of deep thinking to wrap our minds around complex problems and also time to tackle those problems with others and work on solving them together.

When do you feel most connected to Earth?

I’ve always loved sunsets. I find them peaceful and beautiful, and I love how each one is unique. They are also a beautiful reminder of the versatility of reflected light, which I study. Sitting for a moment to appreciate the beauty and calm I feel during a sunset helps me feel connected to Earth.

What will your mission – CLARREO Pathfinder – tell us about Earth?

CLARREO Pathfinder (CPF) includes an instrument that will take measurements from the International Space Station and will measure reflected sunlight from Earth. One of its goals is to demonstrate that it can take measurements with high enough accuracy so that, if we have such measurements over long periods of time, like several decades, we could detect changes in Earth’s climate system. The CPF instrument will do this with higher accuracy than previous satellite instruments we’ve designed, and these measurements can be used to improve the accuracy of other satellite instruments.

How, if at all, has your worldview changed as a result of your work in climate science?

The longer I work in climate science and learn from the data about how humans have impacted our planet, the more I appreciate the fragility of our one and only home, and the more I want to take care of it.

What advice would you give your younger self?

It’s ok to not have everything figured out at every step of your career journey. Work hard, do your best, and enjoy the journey as it unfolds. You’ll inevitably have some surprises along the way, and regardless of whether they are welcome or not, you’re guaranteed to learn something.

Do you have a favorite metaphor or analogy that you use to describe what you do, and its impact, to those outside of the scientific community?

I see jigsaw puzzles as a good illustration of how different members of a science community play a diverse set of roles to work through different problems. Each member is often working on their own image within the greater puzzle, and although it might take them years of work to see their part of the picture come together, each image in the greater puzzle is essential to completing the whole thing. During my career, I’ll work on a section of the puzzle, and I hope to connect my section to others nearby, but we may not finish the whole puzzle. That’s ok, however, because we’ll hand over the work that we’ve accomplished to the next generation of scientists, and they will keep working to bring the picture to light. This is how I try to think about my role in climate science – I hope to contribute to the field in some way; the best thing about what I have done and what I will do, is that someone else will be able to build on my work and keep helping humanity come to a better understanding of our Earth system.

What is a course that you think should be part of required school curriculum?

Time and project management skills – I think students tend to learn these skills more organically from their parents and teachers, but in my experience I stumbled along and learned these skills through trial and error. To successfully balance all the different projects that I support now, I have to be organized and disciplined, and I need to have clear plans mapped out, so I have some idea of what’s coming and where my attention needs to be focused.

Another course not specifically related to my field is personal financial management. I was interested in personal finance, and that helped me to seek out information (mainly through various blogs) about how to be responsible with my home finances. There is a lot of information out there, but making sure that students have a solid foundation and know what questions to ask early on will set them to for success (and hopefully fewer mistakes) later on.

What’s the most unexpected time or place that your expertise in climate science and/or algorithms came in handy?

I think an interesting part of being an atmospheric scientist and a known sky-watcher is that I get to notice beautiful moments in the sky. I remember being on a trip with friends and I looked up (as I usually do), and I was gifted with a gorgeous sundog and halo arc. It was such a beautiful moment, and because I noticed it, my friends got to enjoy it too.

Can you share a photo or image from a memorable NASA project you’ve worked on, and tell us a little bit about why the project stood out to you?

I absolutely loved being on the PBS Kids TV Show, SciGirls for their episode SkyGirls! This featured a NASA program called Students’ Clouds Observations On-Line (S’COOL). It was a citizen science program where students from around the globe could take observations of clouds from the ground that coincided with satellite overpasses, and the intention was to help scientists validate (or check) the accuracy of the code they use to detect clouds from satellite measurements. I grew up watching educational programming from PBS, so it was an honor to be a science mentor on a TV show that I knew would reach children across the nation who might be interested in different STEM fields. In this photo, the three young women I worked with on the show and I are talking about the different types of clouds.

To stay up to date on Yolanda's mission and everything going on in NASA Earth science, be sure to follow NASA Earth on Twitter and Facebook.

🌎 If you're looking for Earth Day plans, we have live events, Q&As, scavenger hunts and more going on through April 24. Get the details and register for our events HERE.

Make sure to follow us on Tumblr for your regular dose of space: http://nasa.tumblr.com.

[holosuitekai]

hot take

i’m glad garashir wasn’t (overtly) canon because i (retroactively) don’t trust the production team/writers room with the relationship

so i know there were some complex issues that were handled well on the show, obviously, or else we wouldn’t all still be talking about it, but could they have effectively handled a M/M romance (in the 90s)? i think not

exhibit A - they fucked up the dominion narrative so bad that the producers literally did not even understand what they had created. they could have explored a lot of issues that were treated with care when it came to other characters (drug addiction, generational trauma, dynamics in an authoritarian society, etc.) but instead we got “these are the bad guys, boooo! 👿👽”

exhibit B - the production team made plot decisions based on their petty grievance with fans enjoying dukat in a way they didn’t understand. if these dudes can’t handle people finding a fictional villain sexy they definitely wouldn’t have handled the queer community’s reaction to canon garashir, whatever that reaction may have been, because at the end of the day they were out of touch with the fans

i rest my case

[danielsarmand]

i’m so pleasantly surprised by be my favorite. i’ll be honest, i started watching it because of gawin and i would’ve kept watching for him regardless, but i’m so glad that i actually look forward to fridays now. i just feel like this show is... doing something, i guess. a lot of dramas are all well and good but they seldom dive into serious issues and complex psychological insight. i’m shocked at how much of it goes on in be my favorite. we’ve had a number of really important conversations and dialogues and scenes, we’ve explored themes of privilege, sexuality, compassion, friendship, how important it is to be kind and honest to others and how hard it is, sometimes, too. but what really gets me is pisaeng. through him, we’re exploring the journey of a person who’s learning to recognise and even celebrate their queerness. in be my favorite it’s not a question of “i am a man and i like you”, it’s a question of “i am a man and i like other men”, which is so rare for bls. it’s not like these days most of them don’t imply characters are either gay or bi or whatever else, thankfully, but they seldom explore that side of things, the side that comes before, or meanwhile, as you slowly come to terms and understand what your own queerness means to you and how to navigate it comfortably. i guess what i’m trying to say is i’m thankful for the gracefulness with which they’re handling this topic, and my stomach hurts because of how strongly i feel in certain scenes, how much i see myself in pisaeng, how much i wish i could tell him it’ll get better and better and better. he’s so beautiful. i’m glad he’s one of us.

[hidinginthespicecabinet]

Like many, I recently binged The Wilds Season 2 after a year of anticipation. I was obsessed with the first season, and I was excited to see what they would do with the boys. Also, I wanted to see how they would progress the girls storyline to move the plot forward. So, here are my thoughts on season 2: 

THE GIRLS

1. First and foremost, Shoni. They are one of my favorite fictional couples, really. In season 1, they were FOILS of each other, opposite in every single way. But, this season, we see Toni finally getting some emotional peace due to her security with Shelby. This kinds makes Toni blend into the background more while the focus jumps back and forth between the girls and the boys. Shoni was a lot of fanservice, and I think it was executed well because it gave us a healthy, queer relationship that’s not ruined by the typical force of internalized homophobia. They broke up because of Toni’s natural stubbornness and anger towards the Martha dilemma. It wasn’t perfect and I think that’s what makes it so effective, especially because it showcased their love for each other in the small moments. Overall, I’m happy with how they played and explored Shelby’s fears and how they impacted Toni in small ways, eventually leading to their breaking point. I do think they are endgame and will get back together in season 3 but they’ll definitely milk their conflict. 

2. Leah. Leah. Leah. My one and only. I’m glad that they explored Leah’s mind in this season. We were able to see the effects of Nora’s manipulation and everyone’s lack of belief. Yet, although it weakens her in other’s eyes, it brings out her strength and ability to solve complex issues. She is a natural leader but is relegated to the sidelines in the island. I think in season 3, they’ll explore how Leah will handle a leadership role within the new control group. Also, she’s canonically bisexual, which is AWESOME. She is my star this season, along with Rachel. 

3. Fatin + Leah are my OTP. I love the way Fatin’s feelings for Leah are subtly revealed. There is just a softness with them this season that is unmatched. The “Ditto Bitch” moment is one for the books really. I do think they will get together but I think it will take Leah a bit more time to become aware of her feelings for Fatin. This is proved by the scene where she is submerged in her delusion, yet snaps out of it when Fatin screams. Her pull to her is there; it’s just buried deep. Idk, their dynamic just seems more poetic and satisfying than Shoni to me. Don’t come for me. 

4. The scene with Marty and the bunnies was haunting and soo important. It marks a breaking point for the girls. It also shows the impact survival has on Marty because she is breaking her moral code in so many ways and that’s the first time she has to face her actions without the lives of the others in the equation. It also reveals her darkness because her story is not talked about enough and her character serves as an innocent, comfort character in season 1. I’m anticipating the way they’ll explore the effects of her breakdown. Also, it directly contrasts to the boys. When they killed the panther, it was pure jubilance afterwards. It was a show of their strength and in a way, masculinity. While with Marty, the bunnies took her back to her old life and idk it was like she murdered a sacred part of herself in the process. She snapped and fell inward. 

5. Rachel and Shelby. There is something so important in Shelby sharing her faith. Throughout the show, we see Shelby’s complicated relationship with religion because she finds comfort in it but it also hurts and rejects her. I feel like a part of her was trying to leave it behind when she started dating Toni, like she was shedding the mask, and that’s why she was nervous to share it with Rachel. I think she was afraid it would cause more harm than good. Yet, I think she understood that Rachel needed to latch on to something to feel better. Nora used to be her anchor and without her, she needs a tangible thing or idea, to tether herself back to life during her grief. Rachel was just wonderful this season, beautiful in everyway. 

6. Dot is such a comforting character to me. Yet, I’m disappointed that we didn’t see much of her character. I am glad that they showed that she is still grieving her dad and how Martha’s comatose state affected her survival instinct. I just wanted more of Dot and cheesy romanced novels. 

7. Last but not least, Fatin and the mystery of the island. You don’t understand how happy I am that Fatin was shown as a grounding character this season. All of her protective instincts just came out and she became the ultimate mom friend to all. I am especially excited to see her tell Leah that she knows she was right and how that’s going to alter their friendship. The fact that her main motivation was to tell Leah is heartwarming to an extreme. JUST KISS HER ALREADY... okay, that’s out of my system now. 

I was very satisfied with the girls this season... They needed more screen time though. :/ merp

[heroes-fading]

hello good morning you have altered my morning with your fic and here are my point by point thoughts

“Love is being there, it’s being solid, it’s being nothing like the back of a man he hardly remembers the face of now.” this line?????? not to trauma dump but as someone whose dad left her 🤪 I’m in so much pain over this one line because yes!!!!!!! it’s not that at fucking all 

“Joel isn’t his father. He’s worse” notes app apology right now. 

no bc Joel bringing up not leaving Ellie but I know this mf says the “You’re not my daughter” line and I’m balling my fists ready to Fight bc as someone (again not to trauma dump) but who has had something similar said, Ellie is better than me I would not forgive as easily LOL 

all I am is crying over the “You’re not my daughter” scene and Joel convincing himself he has to leave her god it’s too early to be hysterical 

“He hopes it’s not a death sentence” well. it’s not Ellie’s death sentence (TLOU2 stares in the distance) (hey let’s think about when that happens and leaving her and he can’t even do anything about it)

thank u for speeding up the forgiveness timeline bc my GOD nothing hurts me more than knowing it was Years they were distant

once again you have hurt me with taylor swift. joel is my emotion support father figure and this fic is the case and point. but this was SO FREAKING good you amaze me

this is me giving you a hug

joel is truly an emotional support father figure for the Community at large. we saw a mass murderer with attachment issues and went "yeah that man? that's my father now. thanks." a bunch of adults and teens went "yeah this is making me mentally ill again i can't wait to write and read a bunch of Scenarios about Fatherhood".

(fun bluestoplights lore -- my dad's dad actually bounced on him before he was even born, probably borne out of an affair. dude went on to become a heart doctor with a building named after him, had kids, married a few times, died nine days after my dad did when my dad was fifty-three and the guy was in his nineties...never once checking in on my dad after he got sick...my dad never said a word about any of it -- he just so happens to look exactly like the guy and i did internet research on obits with nothing but a last name that isn't ours -- but i think a lot about how he tried to show up for us and hung in through hell for the sake of his kids when his dad never once did it for him. add that in with my own deep seated fear of becoming my mother...YEAH oh i put a little flavor in here of my own trauma that's what makes the broth complex i suppose. i don't believe in 23andme or whatever but if i did i could make those kids' lives exciting. everyone loves family trauma!)

anyway, i think every time we write in this lil pool together we're putting bits of ourselves in there. not in the cannibalism way. just the trauma way. so to feel solidarity with that, to explore those feelings in a safe lil space, is so meaningful so i'm glad it resonates and i'm glad we get to feel these feelings together.

[goldenflowers]

your post about mailee says everything i’ve felt about how this fandom (and many others) treat female characters, especially in the context of sapphic shipping.

i could never personally get into mailee due to the annoyance that is it’s fandom. the constant bashing of certain sapphic ships by proclaiming them as toxic (as if that isn’t the appeal) was so annoying to see in 2020 that it sadly left a sour taste in my mouth.

it also just fits into the most boring stereotypes of cute and fluffy sapphic ship!! something that tends to be the case nowadays.

but even with all that aside it’s obvious why mailee exists. they’re a side pairing for more popular ships and oh what a surprise, it’s a mlm ship leading it. i can’t deny that zukka fans mostly contribute to mailee content because they do but also how deeply annoying it is to see this pattern of wlw side pairing for mlm over and over again.

especially with atla of all shows. a show that actually has a complex female character whose unintentionally lesbian-coded but people will not bother exploring her queerness because shes “mentally ill” or “too much” or “she doesn’t need that rn” or whatever excuses people come up with.

it’s a shame to see all this play out but i’m not surprised. at the end of the day it’s always going to be mlm or f/m at this point.

oh wow i'm glad to hear i'm not the only one feeling this way!! like i mentioned in my previous post, i honestly don't really like mai, but i've tried to get myself to over the years. in 2019 i had rewatched the show and thought "hey, mai and ty lee are kinda cute together, i still don't love mai but maybe i could if i try to think more deeply about her character and see if i can find some meta and fics and such that flesh her out and examine her good points. maybe ty lee could be someone who really understands her and brings out the good in her". but mailee was very much a rarepair back then and i could only really find fluffy drabbles to read. i like fluffy drabbles and all, but they just weren't what i needed in this case. so then in 2020 the show gets put on netflix, i come back from a tumblr hiatus to see there's been a massive fandom renaissance, and now mailee is so popular it's getting to high numbers on weekly fandometrics lists! great!

so then i again look for content about them and see that a ton of it is either zuko-centric or zukka-centric with them as a side pairing at best, and zukka just isn't for me. i have a close friend who ships it so i understand the appeal, but i'm always and forever a zutara stan. i could've multishipped (i do reblog cute fanart of them on occasion) if i didn't keep seeing things from the zukka side of the fandom that really frustrate me, this being one of them. and every time i choose to dive back into the fandom and see if things have improved it's still the same, i should not have to go through 53 of the most kudos'd fics in mailee's tag before i find a fic about them especially since they have less than 1/5th the amount of fics as zukka in the first place, and it just makes me sad that this is an issue in almost every fandom. i may not like mai, but you would really think the people making shippy content involving her would like her and be willing to actually focus on her in said content!

as for the constant bashing of other more "toxic" f/f ships and unwillingness to examine another female character's complexity and potential queerness while using her mental illness as an excuse... i believe i know exactly who and what you're talking about it's an issue with certain mailee content for me as well. see, even though i've loved ATLA since i was a kid and have been on the internet just as long, i used to always dismiss the concept of tyzula because i myself never appreciated azula enough and wasn't interested in ships with her (and because frankly i really hate how azula's voice actress sexualizes the ship). but on my current rewatch of the show i've started loving azula a lot more and now like to imagine her redeemed and happy, repairing her damaged relationships with her family and friends and maybe even falling in love. i've realized that part of the appeal of tyzula for me is that while, yes, azula's entire dynamic with both mai and ty lee is toxic and messy during the show, i don't personally think it always was. i think the three of them were genuine friends until things gradually got fucked up because of how ozai's treatment of azula fucked her up. and i think that if azula were to have a redemption arc, the 3 of them could salvage what once was and have a healthy friendship again.

a lot of mailee fans do not seem to agree with this, though, because i've seen several metas and headcanons that rely on the idea that the two of them were always just afraid of evil, nasty azula and that they can bond over how much they hate her. i am not here for that, and yeah, i'm also not here for the whole "this ship would never work because [insert character] just isn't ready for a relationship, i ship them x therapy!!" thing fandoms love to use as a way to demonize certain ships. mentally ill people can be in happy, loving relationships and they can go to therapy while in said relationships. they can even use therapy to--gasp--figure out how to keep their mental health issues from getting in the way of continuing to have healthy relationships! this happens in real life and i fully believe it can happen in a fantasy cartoon for children. also, i know some people use the comics to justify the idea that mai and ty lee have just always hated and been afraid of azula, because apparently it's implied in those that they were fake friends? but fuck the comics, they're OOC and horribly written lmao.

this ended up being a much longer reply than i initially intended but yeah, all this is to say that i 100% agree with you and thank you for sharing your thoughts, anon. sapphic ships and the female characters within them deserve just as much space in fandom as m/m and m/f ships get, to be fully explored and appreciated in their own right and even to sometimes be complicated and imperfect.

[ablogthatishenceforthmine]

What I liked and Didn’t like about 3x07

Liked

Kory and Kom Dynamic: I am really liking what they are doing with this. It is the most nuanced and emotional affecting stuff of the episode, and of the season. Of all the dynamics in this season, there’s is the one with the best development. I found Kom’s story to be really heartbreaking, and I completely buy that Kory would start to come around on her. I do think Kom is telling the truth. I think in these moments she is being sincere and doesn’t have a larger plan at play. If she does betray Kory, I think it will not be a planned things, but something that may come up in a moment. And I love seeing Kory reckon with her this season, and past mistakes that she is made. I found it incredibly touching that Kory owned up to not being there for Kom in the past, and says that she is going try to do better now, and give Kom a chance now. Her telling Kom to join the team and giving her her suit was just really touching and heartwarming, and most of all, it felt earned. Their relationship has a real arc to it, and i am excited to see where it goes to from here. I know a lot of people are disappointed that Kom isn’t really a villain (although she may yet be, we don’t know), and I get that. But I think I might like what they are doing with them now better. It’s more intimate and character driven. What I will say, what I am upset is Kory not having her own villain to face (if Kom in fact never becomes a villain). And I definitely feel that loss bc it would be great for Kory’s character to have a villain that is so personal to her, where the conflict between them would be the emotional drive of the main plot of the season. I don’t have much hope that they will do that in later seasons with another villain for Kory. But if they would do both, that would have definitely been the ideal for me.

Kory making mistakes: And big ones at that! We know that she made mistakes in the past with her sister, and it’s great to see her recognizing that and growing. It may come back to bite her, but I think giving Kom and a chance and trying now to be the sister that she never was is the right thing for Kory to do. Regardless of outcome, I think this is something Kory needed to do for her own growth and morality. I also like that she makes a huge, terrible, deadly mistake in this episode by bringing the mobster’s son to her. The scene where the mob lady killed her own son was shocking and upsetting. And Kory is partially responsible for his death. Which i’m glad for. She was the one who brought him here, even though he didn’t want to. And though Kory was nothing but honest with him, there was some element of manipulation to her convincing him to go to this mother. It’s important that characters make mistakes that have consequences, and i’m glad they are doing this with Kory. What happened was truly horrifying. I’m also glad we get to see Kory crossing the moral lines, first with working with the mob, and then killing the mob lady out of anger. These moments make her a richer, more well-written character.

Titans have a win!: The show needed the titans to have this victory. For 6 episodes, Red Hood and Crane have been one step ahead of the Titans, always meeting them. Stories need rises and falls, peaks and valleys. It needed the titans to have a victory to give the plot momentum and more dramatic tension. So this was great! Although I have no doubt that there

51% Idea: I also really liked the 51% idea and the show exploring morally complex situations, and having characters struggle to find where the line is. You can see this in Kom’s story, in Kory teaming up with the mob, and in Dick and Barbara using oracle. 

Didn’t Like

Not seeing chaos in Gotham: We get told that Gotham is in chaos, but we don’t actually see it. We are told about the attacks, but don’t see them. This is a major problem in conveying the stakes. We know the titans are trying to stop Gotham from tearing itself apart, but we don’t actually see Gotham tearing itself apart. We are being told the stakes instead of feeling the,

Confusion about drug: Seeing gotham and the attacks would also help the effects of the drug more clear. We are told about the effects, but don’t really see them. I also have some questions about this drug. So it apparently turns normal people violent, where they can’t help but attacking other people. So are they completely out of control? Do they have any control over who they attack, or is it just whoever’s near? Is this the same version of the drug that Jason is on? Because he doesn’t seem out of control. Violent yes, but his violence is targeted. He doesn’t have the urge to just attack whoever is near him. He seems to have some control over his violent impulses. Is it the same for the others? Or is Jason’s drug different. This may get cleared up later, but I think it would have been better explained in this ep.

Exposition/procedural elements: A lot of time is spent this episode, and this season, just figuring things out. Figuring out locations of things, etc. But they are often figured out through such boring methods, such as computers, or going to a warehouse where nothing much happens. It’s very boring! Just too much time spent trying to learn info! Kory’s plot showed how to do this better, going to the mob is a more interesting awya to find out info than just looking it up in computer. It just feels like way to much energy and time is spent trying to figure out pieces of information, and not enough time spent on the titans taking action after learning information.

Dick and Barbara: Look I’m a dickkory shipper, so I was never gonna like Dickbabs. But man, I think there relationship is poorly written. I wasn’t even upset during the final scene where the kissed in the present day because I just found it so boring. The romance stuff between them feels awkward and forced. They have more of a friends chemistry than a romantic chemistry. So yeah, I just think the romance stuff between them is flat and boring. And their scenes are so repetitive! It’s just the same scene over and over and over again. They have a difference of opinion, they argue, Barbara tells Dick no or to go home, Dick doesn’t listen, and does whatever he wants to do anything, often behind Barbara’s back. Rinse and repeat. Over and over again. I thought that after 3x06, this would at least change. That we would see them work together better. But no, it’s still the same thing over and over again. It’ just really repetitive, and is getting tiring and boring. And their romance feels like it’s just going through the motions.

The writing of Barbara’s character: I like Barbara’s personality and she does have an internal life that the show cares about.  The show explores her thoughts, feelings, issues, and point of view. Except the mechanism through which this is being explored is her relationship with Dick. She only just barely exists outside of him. She has her own drives and goals and baggage, but again it is only being conveyed through her relationship with Dick. She doesn’t interact with any of the other characters, except for that one scene with Kory. So much of her character revolves around Dick.  It’s very disappointing. And I want more than anything for her to interact with and form bonds with the other titans. Even in this episode, when the team is celebrating together, she mostly converses with Dick in the few lines she has during that scene. Another problem I have with her character is that she is getting focus over some of the other characters. She is the third most prominent character this season (after Dick and then Kory). And it’s frustrating that this is the case when she is most likely a one-season character and there are long-lasting characters (Gar and Conner) that are getting shafted. Gar doesn’t have an arc (at least so far), and Conner’s arc is being minimized, only playing out in these a few, small moments per episode.

[colorisbyshe]

okay, so i finished the untamed AND found some posts on the differences between the novel, so here’s my thoughts overall in bulletpoints:

wei wuxian: certainly a character of all time

i want to hit the author of the novel with my car. hard. fucking weirdo

while at times some of the development with LWJ/WWX felt a bit told to me, not shown to me, i really like how its expressed (and am glad i didn’t get what was in the novel, tbh) and i actually liked their ending?? tho i see its controversial

that said i wish lan wangji was developed more which relates to--

i think everyone’s characterization/development paths were a looot more interesting in the flashback? outside of jiang cheng who really did develop more into a complex character who i really can’t gather my feelings onto

i actually by what i said before, in many ways, it think i’d be content with viewing this series through the lens of everything ending with WWX’s death and no resurrection--i think the story stands more strongly as a tragedy than the sort of vague mystery it becomes post resurrection

THAT SAID if the story had explored more of the emotions and actual dynamics post resurrection more, i’d probably change my mind? i think the pacing got REALLY fucked by focusing on so many side stories (i really did not think we needed to know about xiao/song/a qing/xue) and in trying to churn all those out, it’s like “oh, yeah, everyone just accepts wei is back because he’s useful in solving what is going on”

yes i also understand that’s the point, that the whims of who is “evil” and who is “right” change easily, but it felt emotionally hollow at times

rly a pacing issue and how everyone seemed less complex in part 2

i did not care about jin guangyao and i think so much of his backstory was just... stupid? i understand he’s meant to be a foil to wwx but the oops incest thing was weird, the whole thing about why they had to kill their son was worse (and ableist and gross, even if that was teh intent), and as fucking OBVIOUS as they made he’s backhandedness early in the series, the heel turn still felt too sudden? lik ehe just gave up, trauma dumped, and died. like bro you’ve been at this like 20 years??

and i know his relationship with lwj’s brother is also meant to be a foil to lwj/wwx but...... it didn’t work

also why does this show hate women? i know its because the author was a fujo but like... i DO love a lot of the female characters but the way they are sidelined is embarrassinggggggggg

OKAY THIS SOUNDS HATERIFIC I GOTTA GET BACK TO THINGS I LIKED

loved that so much of this show focused on music

i love wei’s vindication

i love what it has to say about rules and conformity, that even the most sensible rules must be questioned and challenged in how they are enforced. “do not befriend the devil” makes sense on paper but who is the devil? who decides that? who is society prone to demonizing and how can sensible rules lead to senseless violence?

like... what does justice actually look like? is it vengeance? or is it looking past your own hurt and seeing a bigger picture?

and i love that the story ends with an understanding that the Big Bad being taken out doesn’t mean justice is served

BRO wwx telling lwj that he’d be glad to die by his hand... that’s the content i love. on that end... enemies to enemies (?) to friends to lovers... muah muah

beautiful cinematography ic an see where all the budget went so ic an forgive some of the special effects looking... the way they did (That fuckign demon dog LMAO)

all in all i had a great time even tho i think the last ~10 episodes kind of got a bit muddled, the ending was worth it 4/5

wait also i want to hit lwj’s dad with a car too, i’m glad that the story KIND Of frames his story as complicated rather than fully romanticizing it but no i’m hitting him with my car, stealing someone else’s car, and hitting him again with that car too

i’m probably not consuming any of the other adaptions outside of gifs unless anyone can HEAVILY recommend them and promise me none of the weird shit is included

like beyond the consent issues (putting it lightly) why do they break so many bath tubs at a certain point that’s just weird like what’s going on there what fetish is that catering to. die for that.

okay and i promise outside of maybe anotehr couple musing here or there, my untamed posting is going on the main, so don’t be scared off

i do think i’m gonna be normal about this