#(not truly spoilers and more just my rambly thoughts on a game I enjoyed very much but the tag's there to be safe and courteous)

[frostycatblr-fandom-files]

My favorite Christmas present was Jedi: Survivor

Bought myself Jedi: Survivor for Christmas and played for a while before discovering the in-game camera feature.

And of course, one of the better shots I've taken so far is of a Clone trooper helmet tucked away in the rafters of Pyloon's Saloon within Rambler's Reach on Koboh (which is probably my favorite planet to just wander around for fun).

Can't help but wonder who he was, and how his helmet ended up on Koboh in the Outer Rim.

This sequestered chamber along the Pilgrim's Path on Jedha was a curious find. The head of the statue in the middle is broken off and missing, leaving it faceless. Reminded me of the hooded Jedi statues on Illum from Fallen Order, a little bit, where the space for the head is left vacant. I wonder who, or what, was perhaps at one time depicted here.

These sculptures depicted here, however, are unmistakably Jedi. This is found in the Halls of Ranvell; the databank from BD's scan says it's about an ancient war. Little curious as to whether this pulls from an actual story in the franchise (and if it's Legends or Canon at this point), or if it's just narrative/lore padding for Survivor and nothing more.

Either way, I'm tempted to do some artwork of this and a few other things out of this game, at some point.

Every time I go exploring Jedha, I can't help but be reminded of home, too, living in the Southwestern region of the US. So the between the landscape, and the creepy skritons (which are VERY scorpion-like and Arachnophobia Mode does little to "fix" lmao), Jedha doesn't feel too alien a world to me. (And thinking about it having been to old prospecting towns, neither does Koboh, so much.)

For all Tanalorr's pretty scenery, there's... not much to do beyond the storyline. Surprising, but also not. Lotta art inspiration, at least!

I wish the map to explore was bigger, honestly, because this looks to be some kind of (partial?) oceanic planet? There's a point where you can see a large body of water from some cliffs, way off in the distance.

Cal, BD, and the rest of the Mantis crew could really use a trip to the beach after all this, as well as a Star Destroyer's worth of therapy...

Made this one the wallpaper for my laptop! 🩷

I'll have more screenshots coming in at a later time, but I thought I'd share these for now.

[erenaeoth]

Hiii! I'm here to read your ramble about TK8's story. Personally I've tried to keep my expectations as low as possible. But I still ended up disappointed. So what's your take? Gimme the good, the bad, and the missed opportunities.

Tekken 8 Story Thoughts

hello hello hello. Tekken 8 spoilers ahead, I'll put them under the cut.

First off, I have to say I'm having a really good time. I enjoyed playing through story mode, I enjoyed the character episodes. I'm loving customising characters, I'm looking forward to my fight stick arriving and learning some cool new combos and playing with mates.

Everything feels really nice, looks very cool (aside from some giant shoulders and oddly proportioned necks), and I adore little touches like Jin and Hwoarang getting to wear each other's clothes.

Story mode.

Well, what can I say.

It's as I feared, really. Honestly, all I can say is that there's a deep lack of appreciation for the skill of writing in the video game world. One day, perhaps Tekken will hire people who care about stories, about plot, about character development and character presentation. There is no conflict in the Tekken 8 story. I know this sounds weird given that 90% of it is Jin and Kazuya punching each other, but here's an example of what I mean:

Leo meets their father for the first time in nearly 15 years. It happens off screen.

Lars goes from wanting to kill Jin, to forgiving him. It happens off screen.

Kazuya goes from having life ambition 'kill Heihachi' to developing a philosophy that advocates the enslavement of the world to his will. It happens off screen.

Hwoarang travels back from the Middle East with one eye; Claudio decides to stop being conniving and instead genuinely help Xiao; Lee builds airships and perfects battlesuits; the UN decides to work with Yggdrasil despite Lars gunning down their troops in TK7. All of this happens off screen.

And still Kazuya and Jin do not manage to have a single conversation. The closest we get is in chapter one, where Kazuya accuses Jin of being just like him. Jin fears, rightly, later, that Kazuya is right, but he's essentially told that if he chooses to be nicer, then no they're not the same. There's no consequences for his actions as head of the Zaibatsu, no real conflict between Jin and any of the people he's hurt, not even Alisa, who sits down for a heart to heart with him and never brings up the way he forced her to hurt Lars and spoke of her as merely a tool and not a person. There is conflict in this story but no Conflict. No drama. No points of difficulty that require meaningful resolution.

And instead we have trite versions of a story that boil down Jin's conundrum to one of acceptance of a force that has destroyed his life, literally torn apart his friends, eaten people, and been a source of torture to him. He's told 'just accept it's a part of you!' as if this is about a surface level appearance, rather than a violence that has destroyed everything he loves, and that he can see the consequences of in Kazuya. I think Devil Jin was treated poorly and tritely in this story, and that if one wants a 'redemption' acceptance for this devil power, it has to come with interrogation and recognition of the way it has hurt Jin and those around him. It canonically hospitalised Hwoarang, and there's no awareness of this in the story.

That said, I really, truly loved this line from Jin to his mother's apparition.

It moved me emotionally in a way that no other video game cutscene has, and for all its misdoings, I'm so pleased this was included in Tekken 8. This is a deeply Jin line to me, written by someone who understands him. Jin's suicidal tendencies have been a recurring theme ever since Devil first awoke, and post-TK6 this is exacerbated further. There's no one on earth who hates Jin more than Jin, and him needing the desire to live as an important part of his strength against Kazuya, is really well done. I wish we could have seen more from Jin conencting with his uncles, Xiao, and Hwoarang to achieve this state of mind, but I commend the sentiment anyway.

When he asked his mother and she granted him the ability to help him, I thought for sure this was going to be about purification. In a way I suppose it was, but I was very tired and unimpressed by Angel Jin. From the overdesign to yet another emphasis on pure violence to defeat Kazuya, I was just completely uninterested. This uninterest was momentarily suspended when they lost their Devil powers, something I thought was brave and interesting of them to do. Somehow this changed absolutely nothing though, and Jin and Kaz don't even pause for a conversation really before they go on.

I do think it's in character for Kazuya to consider his Devil a tool to use for an end, but I think that's much more something he'd say than actually feel. He's had Devil's power with him since he was five years old, and he's relied on it time and again to save him, I think internally he'd be terrified of losing it. Devil is all that's stood between Kazuya and Heihachi for all his life. There's some trite remark about Devil Jin trying to 'protect Jin'. This is only true in so far as DJ awoke when Heihachi gunned Jin down. Devil Kazuya, however, has kept Kazuya alive all his life, and given him the strength to survive in a world where he's constantly been at Heihachi's mercy. Kazuya's desire to live is absolutely what fuelled him all his life, and his need for power comes out of that survival. His infatuation with power grows beyond this, and after Heihachi's death, we see how warped and out of control this grows, but I feel there are deep inconsistencies in the Tekken 8 story because no one ever sat down to really think about Kazuya's relationship with his Devil, and what that might mean for what they were spinning for Jin.

That said, someone was drinking the good stuff when they wrote this:

This is Kazuya's only good line in Tekken 8, in my humble opinion. It's the one moment where they let him have a tiny bit of actual characterisation. They hint at tying his motivations back into experiences linked to fear and lack of control. It's such a shame, because they acheived this much better in Tekken 7, where they drew clear parallels between the childhood trauma Kazuya faced and his final fight against Heihachi. And yet they leave his motivations again in obscurity in this game, leaving the majority of people, including Jin, none the wiser for why he is doing this other than to be evil for evil's sake.

Why does Jin never ask him about Jun? Or mention that he's been seeing his mother? Why does he not talk about purification linked to being a Kazama? Why has he got so much time for thinking about his own difficulties, but never seeks to ask about Kazuya's? One of the reasons I love Kazuya as a character is because he revels in his own villainhood, and will never volunteer a justification for his actions in the way Heihachi or Jin would. He would rather be seen as cruel than as weak. And it's weakness to him to admit or even evaluate within himself why it is that he needs to be all powerful. But that means that, narratively, he needs a foil to play across from him, and ask the questions that will otherwise never be raised. He needs someone like Jin, or Jun, or Lee, who knows him or has the interest in understanding him, to force him to speak about his past.

There's so much missing from this game, I don't really know where to start. I was discussing this with friends, and we feel like someone on the team had some vision, and was trying to do something interesting, but they were largely shot down at every turn by whoever watched Blood Rebellion and wanted that but 2 hours longer and no cute refridgerator scene.

I can't believe I played all of Tekken 8 and I still don't know if Jun is alive, or why Jin isn't being held accountable for his actions, or why Jin and Kazuya even have any beef. Tekken 7 left us with so many questions and Tekken 8 answers basically none of them. At least they managed to tie more of the cast into this game? But then why did everyone just forget about Zafina and Claudio when they collapsed? Don't they care? Where did Hwoarang go? He got on a bike in that fight then never had a battlefield fight or appeared in front of the Sanctum at Yakushima. Why don't Victor or Raven care about Lars defying them last game? Is Raven salty that Jin blew up a helicopter with him (maybe) and all his men in it? Does Jin hear Azazel return to life? Is he affected by it? That MF was talking in his head for months. If Kazuya could have defeated Azazel so easily, why did he just waltz off in TK6?

I do like the idea that the 'two evil stars colliding' as the end of Azazel being Jin and Kazuya destroying each others devils, forshadowed in TK6 and brought to conclusion here, but all the meaning and interest in this is destroyed by whatever they're trying to do with Reina. I cannot expressed how frustrated I am with her as a character. I suppose perhaps she's from the Devil-Human Integration period of research Heihachi undertook, though my understanding was that he never retrieved Devil cells that were needed for the research, or he would have injected himself with Devil. Perhaps Reina was part of a programme that continued on where Steve and the supersoldier programme were left off. I don't know. I just know that it takes a way a lot of impact that could have meant exploring a devil-free Tekken game in future.

One thing I do Not want to see, is Tekken 9 waltzing in with Kazuya suddenly being a good guy, teaming up with Jin and fighting Reina. Not without serious weight and reflection on his actions, or discussing the corrupting influence of Devil over him. And I've lost a lot of faith in Tekken really understanding their characters or story-writing enough to do this.

I didn't even get on to character episodes, but I think I've rambled enough for one day! Thank you for the asks.

[thecampjuicebox]

Imagine how frustrated Haarlep would be with themself if they legitimately fell for someone. I think that might be the only way to fluster the dirty fiend. Lust and passion and indulgence, they know how to deal with. But love and tenderness and even the smallest inkling of emotional intimacy? I imagine Haarlep wouldn't hate it, just hate that they don't know what to do with it.

I mean, just imagine Haarlep puzzling over someone complementing their wit and just enjoying their company. Imagine Haarlep reacting to receiving aftercare for probably the first time in a long while. Imagine Haarlep receiving a thoughtful gift (like maybe Haarlep off-handedly mentions wanting to pursue a hobby and they later find supplies needed for said hobby gifted to them) with no string attached or any expectation of paying back the gift-giver. I would eat that kind of stuff up as if I were starving.

Anyway, thank you! Sorry for the paragraphs! Rambling over! Bye!

OKAY WAIT

You are truly on to something here. Haarlep fluff is my weakness and I am so so so so so excited to write about it whenever I get the chance. Baby deserves some lovins too!!!! (Might do a few parts to this, but for now I think Tav giving Haarlep a lil bath after sex just sounds so sweet)

Inferno Pt. 1

Pairing: Haarlep (m) x Tav (gn)

Rating: 18+, Minors DNI

POV: 3rd person

Warnings: Fluff, angst, very light smut, mutual pining, trouble accepting genuine affection, slight game spoilers (this fits in a weird spot canonically)

Chests heave in the throws of passion, sweat and sex mixing into a scent cocktail of epic proportions. Skin to skin, mouth to mouth, Tav and Haarlep ride the waves of their pleasure, completely enraptured by the sounds and heat between them. Frantic thrusts rattle the large bedframe holding the mattress up beneath them, Haarlep's wings creating a protective cocoon around their otherwise vulnerable bodies. It's become a normal occurrence, the two of them. Late nights. Early mornings. Enjoying each others' company and the animalistic fuck sessions they've grown so fond of. With Raphael constantly being busy after the fall of the absolute and Tav finding a new home in the House of Hope, Haarlep searched for newness. For "fresh meat to feast upon in trying times", as he put it originally.

Tongues wrestle for dominance in a display of conflicting power, Haarlep's hips quickening their pace to chase his end. Quiet grunts break through the warm air of the boudoir. Breaking their kiss, Haarlep takes a moment to stare down at Tav, a strange and unfamiliar warmth trickling through his limbs. Strange.. But almost comforting. Tav whispers sweet nothings into the cambion's perked up ears as they both finish and topple over the edge of ecstasy, Haarlep collapsing in his usual way against Tav's tired body. Trembling arms snake around Haarlep's torso as the two attempt to find oxygen once more, gentle fingers dancing along his spine, feeling the rise and fall of each vertebra and ridge on his hot skin. Now they lie there. Quiet. Enveloped in each other like lovers, a concept that is all too foreign to the Incubus. Love. Lust; Haarlep has known for centuries. But love.. Love is so new. So fresh, like a deep bite or the stab of a dagger. Sweet words and caring gestures typically feel like salt in the cuts. Not with Tav, however. Everything feels natural with Tav. Organic and gentle. As he relaxes into the being beneath him, his mind wanders. Their quiet breaths and the thumping of their heart nearly lulls him to sleep. A tired Tav slides their way out of Haarlep's grasp to move toward the bath, the sticky residue of sweat and spend coating their skin in an uncomfortably thick layer.

"Mm, care to join me, Haarlep? I hope it's still warm.. Hells, we're in the Hells.. Of course it's still warm."

Tav chuckles sweetly to themselves, their air of comedic cluelessness forcing Haarlep to crack a smile. The incubus lifts his head, eyes narrowing on the naked elf before him. A bath? How romantic. A shiver rumbles down Haarlep's spine at the thought and he stands, sauntering slowly toward the tub, fingers reaching out to wiggle into the eternally hot water.

"Wouldn't hurt, I suppose.."

The two settle their aching bodies into the water and Tav immediately moves closer to Haarlep, fingers searching the edge of the tub for a bar of soap and a rag. Haarlep's eyes flutter closed and he focuses on the warmth around him. The steam. The scents enveloping his senses. The gentle swish of the hot water as Tav moves about the tub. Why is Tav.. The soft brush of a soapy rag across his chest startles Haarlep from his rest, his hands moving out to quickly guard himself from the assumed intruder of his space. Panic creates a flurry in this chest, pupils blown wide. His wings spread out and fling water out of the sides of the large tub. Tav gasps loudly and takes a step back, teeth clasping down onto their bottom lip, hand barely keeping a firm grasp on the slippery bar of soap they'd used to lather the rag. A mixture of embarrassment and shame paints the saddest expression on their face and Haarlep's fluttering heart falls deep into his stomach.

"What in the Nine Hells were you just doing?"

"I was trying to.. Wash you.. I'm sorry, I-"

Regret settles itself into the crows feet at the corners of Haarlep's eyes. He frowns at the frightened elf, wings settling into the water now after their terrifying display just moments ago. Large hands reach out to Tav's wrists and tug them closer, the bar of soap slipping and falling into the tub, a small splash coating Tav's lashes in water. Haarlep chuckles. A sound Tav hasn't heard in such a genuine manner. Is he upset? Worrisome eyes lower to the rippling water between them. The reflection of Tav's face on the surface forces their eyes closed anxiously. The rag remains clutched tightly between both hands now, suds and bubbles slipping out through the cracks in their fingers and spilling into the water beside them in a mountain of sweet smelling foam.

"Well don't just stand there. Keep going."

Confusion bubbles up in Tav's throat but they oblige, approaching the sleepy cambion with the rag once more. Little swipes clean the mess from Haarlep's chest and he lets out a content sigh. He's never been taken care of this way. He's never been taken care of at all, as a matter of fact. The feeling is both comforting and so disgusting. He lies rigid now, lids blinking as he stares up at the ceiling, his hands carefully resting on Tav's hips to keep them steady in front of him. The rag moves carefully up his neck now. Gentle strokes swipe away the sweat from the night's previous activities. Pausing for a moment, Tav fumbles for the bar of soap. They huff in frustration as it slips comically out of their hands and back into the water multiple times, droplets of water landing all over Haarlep's chest, face, horns, and wings. He grins and swiftly reaches for the bar, sinking his claws into the slippery surface.

"Gotcha!"

Laughter erupts from the two occupants of the tub. Genuine laughter. Tav carefully takes the soap from the incubus's claws, rubbing the rag around its surface to create a soapy lather. Haarlep retrieves the bar once more and sets it on the side of the tub as a precaution, a grin from his previous laughing fit still lingering on his thin red lips. For a moment, all is okay. The normal rumbling in Haarlep's brain is calmed. Soothed, even. The rag moves along his cheeks to clean them off. Tav's free hand moves around the back of Haarlep's head to direct him to look at them.

"Don't want to get soap in your eyes.."

"Yes, that would burn like, well, Hell."

Another sweet giggle leaves Tav's throat and Haarlep could burst into flames right there, leaving nothing but a puddle of floating ash in the tub where he sat. He adores everything about Tav. Their smile, the shape of their body, their sweet voice. Their eyes, Gods, their eyes. Piercing and gentle, staring right through him. Reading him like a rare old Tome. Most importantly, their interest in him. Not his cock. Not what he has to offer in the sheets. Him. Haarlep's claws gently rake down Tav's sides, earning a shaky moan from the elf's parted lips. Their resolve falters for a moment before the rag makes its way toward Haarlep's wings, rubbing gentle circles around the cherry colored leather skin. Haarlep sighs happily, his tail subconsciously wrapping itself around Tav's plush thigh. The tip rubs against their sex, making their knees buckle beneath them. With a swift tug, Tav falls against Haarlep, his hands moving to the globes of their ass now to hold them tightly against his lap, one hand moving to adjust their legs to wrap around him. Their eyes meet, and it's like the room around them catches fire. Sparks, lightning, flames, all igniting at once. Haarlep's stomach turns.

The unfamiliar feeling rises up again. It burns in his belly. Snakes its way through his arms and legs. Tingles like Weave in his spinal cord. He clears his throat, pressing even further into Tav while his tail continues the slow back and forth friction against them. The sounds he earns from the specimen against him just fuels his fire and he sinks his teeth into the top of their shoulder, little rivulets of blood pooling in the indentations he left there. With a grin, he licks the broken flesh. Tav writhes in his arms in excitement, reaching their arms up to give Haarlep's horns a gentle tug backward, forcing his gaze to fall upon their needy expression. With a huff, the incubus licks his lips, eyebrows knitting together apologetically.

"I'm sorry, I can't help myself.."

"You don't have to. Not with me.."

[rindragon-from-twewy]

Uh oh! Someone left me alone with my thoughts again! I don't see many people talking too deeply about pre-game stuff beyond "Number One was a terrible person" so I'm here to throw my own poorly explained hot take in to the ring-

I'm not really built for theory crafting and tend to miss or forget obvious details so consider this... an AU proposal more then anything. (Tbh I mostly just wanted to draw smol Yuma lmao-)

Spoiler warning ofc and enjoy this horrifically long and poorly explained ramble-

So... I don't really know much about the general fandom age headcannons on characters. I won't be going in to specifics right now about what I think all the character ages are cuz this isn't about that but for context, I pin Yuma around 15-16, on the early 18 side if you really wanna push it. Mainly cuz... it'd be kinda weird for Kurumi (a school student) to be one of his main love interests otherwise- For the sake of argument, I'll say 18.

So anyways-

Makoto's like... what? 3 or 4 years old? Forgive me for not re-watching chapter 5 just to get my timeline correct here but that's roughly right. Meaning that Number One would've been about 13 or 14 when he agreed to participate in the experiments at most. And sure, he's the smartest person in the world but anyone can be susceptible to lies or manipulations, especially someone that young.

But then of course we don't know how long Yuma had the Number One title for. Surely it would've had to have been at least a little while- I doubt the unified government would go after the blood of the newly appointed "smartest detective in the world" the second he got in to office. So who's to say exactly how much this literal child had been manipulated beforehand?

I'm imagining a sort of... Nagisa plus Kirigiri scenario (the danganronpa characters lol-) where they'd been set on a very specific academic path nearly their whole lives. Sure, Yuma probably had been born a genius and his strong moral code was most likely all his own but... no matter what way you spin it, there must have been some negligence to allow someone so young to become so cut off from the rest of society. It could've been intentional, it could've been accidental. Either way, why is someone like Yuma, who is obviously younger then most of his peers, who could easily pass as a trainee detective simply because of how smol he is, make it all the way to the top on his sheer intelligence alone?

This rambling's getting incoherent, sorry, it's late and I'm tired-

Makoto's pretty manipulative, sure, but he only got to the CEO position cuz of all the blackmail he had- Man had zero control over the city to the point he had to let outsiders get smuggled in just to help him fix it. Makoto (and by extension Number One) is book smart. Not street smart. They can build the rain machine, they can run multiple government conspiracies, etc etc. But if Number One was a kid at the time, it would've been pretty difficult for them to manipulate, mansplain, malewife his way in to office imo. A kid can't manipulate a dozens of adults in to being the leader of the whole WDO, no matter how naturally gifted they are. I mean it's no secret that the unified government and by extension the WDO are just as shady as Amaterasu so why wouldn't they take advantage of a young and impressionable kid when the opportunity arises?

We don't really know how Number One truly felt about anything. We know how Makoto views it, we know what Yuma thinks about it but we don't know if Number One really understood what the repercussions of the experiments could've been.

So let me just... break down what I'd interpret a vague timeline of events to be (in this hypothetical... Uh... AU I guess?)

- Yuma gets in to the WDO somehow. Very young, very impressionable. He may be really good at solving crimes but like any kid, he doesn't know anything that he isn't taught about. Being surrounded by mysteries and crimes, all while constantly being praised by adults as being "just soooo smart!" Is probably what taught him that he didn't need other people and so never learnt (or potentially was never even allowed to) make friends.

- Growing up surrounded by a combination of Yes-Men and people who let the obvious child labour/ exploitation slide because "This little genius is such a special case, we gotta let it slide this once!" Made it so he reached to the level of Number One far faster then anyone would expect. And that then came along with abandoning his old name and identity, isolating himself completely for his own protection. (I like to think he may not even remember his original name because he was so young at the time (for extra angst ^vO))

- And so a completely isolated pre-teen, who's entire life up until this point has entirely consisted of gory murder scenes and tragic crimes he was personally responsible for solving, was approached by the unified government. Who knows exactly how much detail they went in to with explaining their plan? Maybe they said that it probably wouldn't even work out, given all the past failures. Maybe they came begging for his help, like many people seeking justice would have done before them. Maybe they simply told him it was for the sake of peace? Maybe he was in his angsty emo phase and thought having a clone would be cool, who really knows? A pre-teen is a pree-teen, they all do dumb things- either way, he agreed.

- And so things played out like they said in the game, Makoto was created, escaped, saved the citizens of Kanai Ward via isolating them. He keeps them fed the only way he knows how - through the WDO; the only organisation he's ever been able to rely on (and thanks to his authority level, of course). Yuma starts getting suspicious while also simultaneously maturing enough to realise just how wrong everything about his life is, gets his new identity, makes the contract with Shinigami and heads off to start fixing his problems.

Additional Thoughts:

It's like that thing in the original beauty and the beast movie where everyone suddenly realised that the witch probably cursed a 9 year old for not letting a creepy stranger in to his home-

Maybe that's why he stuck with the name Yuma after everything. Cuz he didn't remember his original name to fall back on. He could've been Number One for as long as he could remember for all we know!

Maybe he was so busy trying to run the whole WDO that he didn't even pay much mind to the experiments? Could've just agreed to shut them up without knowing what he was getting in to. Makoto really drove it in to the mud how horrible of a person Number One was but how can we be sure that's an objective fact and not completely opinion driven?

I'm like actually really curious what other's perspectives on this could be. Again, I don't know much about the rain code fandom's age headcannons but it's pretty obvious to me at least that Yuma's on the younger end of the cast- (And by extension, Makoto too-)

Maybe I'll fact check myself when I have the time- either way, it's an interesting AU idea at the very least. I'll probably delete the writing portion of this post if it turns out I'm horrendously wrong-

Its probably gunna turn out that Yuma's in his mid 30s or 40s and suffers from baby face syndrome or something cringe fail like that lmfao-

So. Yeah. That's all just a theory (minus most of the fact checking) A GAME THEORY- Thanks for reading! :D

[oodlyenough]

now that i've finished dual destinies here is how i'd rank the aa games that i've played.

this started as a bulleted list but then as always i ended up rambling forever, so, some of it is under the cut. spoilers for AA1-5 & AAI1. anything not listed is a game i've not yet played

1. Ace Attorney (1)

can't beat the original. ok so maybe the first time i played turnabout samurai i got so bored i took a 3 year break. that's not the point. i was weak. i think this game is the tightest and as the introduction to the concept and the characters it does a surprisingly good job of balancing and developing all of them. pretty satisfying arcs and relationships for every major character. also 1-4 and 1-5 are two of The best cases ever.

2. Ace Attorney 3/Trials and Tribulations

this one coasts on the strength of the dahlia throughline. all three of her cases are great. the fey lore develops so well and so interestingly, i loved getting a chance to play mia, dahlia is the best AA villain, bridge to turnabout has so many great things going on, edgeworth v franziska rules, phoenix investigating with franziska rules. it had some of my favourite puzzles and puzzle solving. the weak points that lose it top spot for me are that i didn't like how edgeworth and franziska evaporate from 3-5 in the second half, i wish maya had a bigger role in 3-5, and i don't enjoy anything about godot. also the two middle cases bored me to tears

3. Ace Attorney 2/Justice for All

this is a messier game than the above two for sure and i also thought it had the worst puzzle writing of the original trilogy. the magatama's use here is a bit clunky. i also think the way edgeworth's disappearance and return is handled is not quite as satisfying as it could've been for such a big emotional thing. the execution of the start of 2-4 with maya's kidnapping and engarde hiring phoenix could've been done much smoother.

BUT: i love the expansion of the fey lore, introduction of morgan and pearl and kurain, and franziska is my specialest little girl and i love that she's here. and 2-4, especially as it goes on, is such a good interesting case and some of the BEST character stuff for phoenix and edgeworth and truly made me unwell about the ship indefinitely. edgeworth hunched over his desk with bugged out eyes through gritted teeth "the prosecution... rests..." ??? peak romance

4. Ace Attorney 4/Apollo Justice

this is a really fun game that has the difficult task of introducing a lot of new characters and it pulls that off fairly well. apollo, trucy and klavier are all really fun. it's super interesting to see phoenix as an NPC and see what a mysterious galaxybrain he is when you're not given a front-row ticket to his scattered thoughts. i think the mystery writing here was coherent and pretty tight and i had fun solving the puzzles. 4-1 is one of the best tutorial cases for sure.

downside is that it's underbaked and you can tell. the new characters, while likable, barely get a chance to shine or really develop. apollo is not really much more than an avatar, the story is still about phoenix. and even when i'm enjoying the game, it just does honestly feel kind of... mean... the way the game drops every character from the trilogy and does what it does with phoenix.

5. Ace Attorney Investigations 1

fun pixel sprites, some fun new characters, it's cool to be able to walk my lil dude around and click on stuff. some of it is pretty funny. there's a surprisingly large variety of new female characters in different kinds of roles and personalities and designs and i always appreciate that.

the mysteries are not very good and the puzzles are frequently frustrating. the lack of trial day structure means the pacing feels wonky in many places. the returning characters are not written very well, franziska in particular is a flanderized shadow of herself, and most damning of all: edgeworth, the main character, is not written particularly well. the bratworth flashback in particular shows a fundamental misunderstanding of the character established by the trilogy imo.

6. Ace Attorney 5/Dual Destinies

this game had most of the same flaws as AAI and it didn't even have nice art or fun investigation banter to save it. i like athena a lot, i love aura and canon lesbians, it's nice to see phoenix as a lawyer again and get some confirmation edgeworth and the feys didn't fuckin die off screen. aa5 klavier is fucking hilarious. some of the new NPCs are funny s/o to the orca and plonco and robin.

the non-chronological plot was unnecessarily convoluted, the dark age of the law was emphasized so much only to be totally underdeveloped, the phantom plot twist was cool for three seconds and then pretty stupid in retrospect. apollo's storyline is a disaster. trucy has been replaced by an automaton that talks about panties. the lack of being able to investigate scenery makes the investigation days short, hurts character development and contributes the pacing that makes every final trial day feel interminably long and infuriating. too many plot twists rely on the game simply not providing evidence until the last second, at which point the twist becomes obvious. the nicest thing i can say for dual destinies is that it didn't irreparably break anything i loved in the previous games.

[aerithium]

FFVII: Rebirth Review!

This review does contain spoilers!

★ Score: 11/10 ★ Date Finished: March 15th, 2024 ★ Final Thoughts: This game is a beautiful remake and reimagining of my favorite portions of the original FFVII. The purists probably hate it because its not the exact remake they might have wanted but this game might be the best game I have ever played. The story in this game feels brand new, despite being fairly the same as the original. I was constantly filled with wonder and excitement to play even though I technically knew everything that would happen, a feat that is rather impressive when creating a remake. The devs blew it out of the water with the character and party interactions, making them even better than before. Each character not only feels important to Cloud but also other party members such as Red XIII and Aerith having a close friendship, Aerith and Tifa having fun with one another like teenage girls, Tifa and Yuffie acting like siblings to one another, and Barrett and Yuffie having an adorable father/daughter like bond. It makes the course of the story even more impacting and sometimes gut-wrenching as you realize that not only you as the player adore these characters, but they also adore one another. Cloud's characterization in this game is also phenomenal and his personality constantly shifting as he slow loses his identity over the course of the game was chilling to watch. I could ramble forever about the characters in this game, as I find that each one of them holds a deep place in my heart. The gameplay of this game is also phenomenal for many reasons. The open world is extremely expansive and can be rather rewarding, though occasionally overwhelming. It was hard to balance story and exploration but once I figured out the best way to do things, I found both rather enjoyable and they balanced out well. I ended with about 84 hours on the game and still have a lot of content to explore. A new mechanic is also introduced so that the player can track their bond with each party member, something that I enjoyed as I was attempting for a specific character for the dates. The side quests in this game are also really fun for the most part, I didn't love all of them but there were plenty that made me laugh, smile, and sometimes tear up. Finally for gameplay, the combat is much like remake's but it only gets better as each character unlocks new abilities and can be played in many different ways thus having the potential to make characters very strong! The music is also crazy, hearing my favorite tracks from the original game be remade was such an enjoyable experience but the new music in the game is also really nice and I am eagerly waiting for the OST to drop online. Overall this game is a gem among modern day games and the devs did a perfect job both remaking and reimagining all of the segments of the game, if it tells you anything, I cried about 16 times while playing through this game. Many of these being at the endings as the devs created such a beautiful, heart-wrenching, unique yet familiar ending to this installment of the trilogy. I found myself reaching moments that I had looked forward to seeing in the game and whispering to myself "No no no I don't want to do it" I was terrified and I loved it. There are things in this game that I could nitpick if I wanted to but it doesn't feel worth it because the overarching final impression is that it is truly perfection, while I wasn't happy with everything it was all so minute that its not worth trying to remember and mention. I'm probably bias about this game but I think I just witnessed perfection.

[styrmwb]

I beat Final Fantasy VII Rebirth

There's gonna be spoilers in this just in case you care, hopefully I tagged it correctly, and also yeah this is a long one (I don't have it tagged game ramblings for nothing)

Anyways, loved this game. My gripes with it are very few, but unfortunately one of said gripes is very major and hasn't changed from Remake; but in the effort to Pretend like my thoughts are organized, I'm gonna section this cause sectioning is fun :)

Actually, one thing I wanted to note here (writing this after like, 3 paragraphs), is something that influences a lot of my love for this game is the fact that it... Doesn't suffer from translation problems like the OG. It brings factors that i never truly appreciated into the forefront, and clears up a lot of confusion. I wanted to put this here because I realized it would be weird to say all of my nonsense without clarifying this.

Gameplay

Rebirth (and Remake) is what I think is What modern FF should be. I absolutely love this style of combat so much. I do wish there was a very small passive ATB charge cause sometimes I get stuck in a situation where I can't do anything, but other than that the rotation of hack and slash then classic menu, and switch between party members is so fun, in the best of times I can make a really cool action scene, everyone showing off their own moves; it's a blast. I'll go a little deeper into the characters when I go to That section, but overall I found everyone really fun in some way, even though end game I ended up using the same party as I did in Remake (and also the OG VII lmfao).

I know to some/possibly most, the amount of open world (and Chadley) and the side quests might feel like a bunch of fluff and garbage, but I actually kinda really enjoyed it? I loved how the world intel all changed slightly as you progressed. Moogles as an example, annoying as they were, did add an extra level of challenge every time you saw them. When you had to catch a chocobo, it was a different style of stealth minigame. Summon crystals all had increasingly complicated patterns. Hell, even the towers were slightly different every time with how you had to climb or even reach them! I think this being the strength solidifies itself when I think of my least favorite intels being the Fiend Intel, because I think they were the most samey the entire game through. The side quests I compare to XVI. XVI's side quests were... like XIV. A LOT of dialogue, run here, more dialogue, fight one enemy or gather 6 items, then go back. Rebirth's quests felt... a little more alive? A little more varied? Sure, side quests are usually going to be the same in these styles of game, but I think of chasing a dog through the region while the dialogue happens along the way, I think of the options to gather more resources than the bare minimum for different rewards and dialogues, picking different flowers, having to pay attention to notes, having to interact with the minigames: it all felt more interesting and like I actually wanted to do them. The varied nature of everything is what made me enjoy it.

Oh and Queen's Blood? Greatest FF card game don't even @ me I had so much fun with it it better stay

Characters

One of my favorite parts of Rebirth is how much it helped or made me love the cast. Even characters that I did not care about or possibly actively disliked, this game made me enjoy. Main characters were all expanded on, side characters were silly, and brought back into relevance when I would never expect (Like holy shit I swear every named NPC from Remake came back which is so cool), and they all make the journey an absolute joy to take, and the world as colorful as FFVII SHOULD be. But let me talk about a cast that went from "yeah I like them" to possibly one of my favorite parties in the entire franchise.

Cloud

I honestly already considered him my favorite character in VII (which is a very hard thing to admit without the fear of people thinking you like him for the wrong reasons), and Rebirth being essentially half the game lets me get to see why again. A man who presents himself as serious and uncaring, but OOPS he actually does care and is really silly but unfortunately has some major mental problems! (please help him he is NOT ok). Sure, they kinda speed up his realization of certain aspects, and maybe they go a Little too hard on the fact that Something Isn't Right, but I really enjoyed seeing his declining mental state, its effect on the world, and his relationships with the party. The Sephiroth juice is intense at this point in the story, and I am very excited to see him in the next game. His gameplay is classic yet fun, with big swordy slashes and huge hits that don't have to be slow (they're sometimes slow).

Barret

My favorite part of Barret in Rebirth compared to Remake is how he didn't wear his sunglasses for most of the game. He's open, he's feeling, he's emotional; he's the big tough softy I love. This is where him and Cloud's relationship really gets to shine, where you can tell there is respect, trust, and concern between both of them. The Gold Saucer and side quests are where I think this is at its strongest, and I love seeing it. His gameplay makes him a really fun support, and just like Remake I had him as a sort of paladin healy tanky type, staying behind with GUN as he takes care of the party, which is really fun and consistent.

Tifa

This game does wonders for Tifa enjoyers (it's me I'm Tifa enjoyers), giving her a lot of focus and emphasis on that caring, observant nature that is her strongest suit. Her concern for Cloud and friendship with Aerith feel very strong here and it makes me happy to see. Her gameplay had her in my party the entire time no other reason, her fast attacks, dodges, ATB filling, and stagger damage multiplier being extremely huge in every single fight.

Aerith

The big one. Honestly, I'm gonna keep my real big story thoughts for later, but I will say I loved seeing her enjoy life, the open world, and helping others in the side quests. She's a great character to see happy :) Also, her scene in the Gold Saucer is probably now one of my favorite scenes in the entire series. It was so fucking stunning that I cannot get enough of it. Unfortunately, her gameplay is easily my least favorite out of the group, as her slow attacks and dodging (yes I know she has an ability to boost her attacks but that takes a while to get to) makes her kind of a slog in my hands, and better off in the computer's.

Red XIII

One of two characters that I did not expect to grow to love as much as I did. I'll prob mention this again later, but... I didn't REALLY know the extent of his change when I played the original. Yeah, I knew he was young for his race, but he always felt like just that wise grumpy dog man (some of this could be on me not reading well enough but between poor translation and Advent Children and the fact he didn't make it into DFFOO I'm gonna give myself a break). Rebirth showed me how much of a joy Red is. Despite the trauma and pain he went through, he's silly, he's excited for life, he has fun and loves his family. But also, despite this and his youth, he doesn't COMPLETELY lose his knowledge and wise nature after his reveal; he just relaxes more. I care about Red so much more than I originally did now because this change was made clearer. His gameplay is also really fun, fast attacks, strong defenses, and even stronger abilities (stardust ray my beloved).

Yuffie

We already got a good amount of Yuffie in Intergrade, so having her again here felt like anyone else from last game. However, I do absolutely love how she was integrated into the main plot instead of just being Girl in Forest. She served as great comic relief (and literally says this!) for her appearance in the story (although I do think there were a couple occasions where it was a bit much but that's ok her arc is next game), and I really enjoyed that she started to become a cared for member of the group (really shown by Cloud in the Skywheel date and her and Barret's relationship). Gameplay was just as fun as Intergrade, the throwing/ninjutsu swapping being a joy, and I loved using her doppelganger attack in combination with elemental weaknesses and Sonic Boom. Yuffie was key for some of the harder fights, the MVP fr fr.

Cait Sith

The other of two characters I did not expect to enjoy, and Cait Sith here is the absolute king of it, as I DID NOT like him in the OG. But here? He's a larger character, he's more sympathetic, he's a little more understandable, and his gameplay doesn't suck shit lmfao. His betrayal I think was done a lot cleaner this time around, where he really Felt like part of the group, and his return was done pretty smoothly but honestly doing anything other than being like "hi hello I'm back!" while Cloud beats the shit out of Aerith is an improvement I really enjoyed his melee/ranged nature being similar to Cloud, and his heavy hitting attacks. Despite the fact that he still had RNG, it was RNG that felt good no matter what and I appreciated that.

Cid and Vincent

Our poor poor "you're not allowed yet" boys. No gameplay section here cause they ain't got any! But that's ok, because for what little role they had, I really enjoyed their presence. Early Cid was very interesting to me, and while i do feel like he loses a little not being introduced as a complete dickwad, I still love having Cid around and giving him a little more connection to the party. He didn't seem as aggressive and %#*^-y, but I kinda hope we get more of that in part 3 when Rocket Town happens. Vincent, similar to Yuffie, gets tied into the story in such a great way. Getting to fight him was super super cool, and I loved that small amount of comic relief he gives by being Overly edgy yet out of touch with the world. I'm very excited to see where both of them go.

Zack

It took me some time to... Accept what Remake did to the timeline. Once I did, I was all in on the train for more Zack. I love Zack! He's my other favorite VII character other than Cloud! This game gave me more Zack, and I appreciate it for that. Not to mention his whole interactions with Aerith and Cloud made me very happy and filled a void in my heart I needed (that fucking synergy attack between the two of them???? DUUUUUDE) Unfortunately however; he didn't get to... get the story treatment I would have liked. Gameplay wise; I don't care much for his charge mechanic, sadly.

Sephiroth

I don't have much to say here. Sephiroth is Sephiroth. He appears, says "pee your pants cloud", then fucks off, and he's really good at that, and that's what he's supposed to be. My grudges against him aren't against him and more against who's writing him. Playing him was hype though, and I enjoyed his counter mechanic which I feel got later reincarnated into Red.

As for people other than in the playable cast, Dio was incredibly fun, Elena felt like a treat and a more threatening than the original but still showing that silly nature (pink gun???? no tactical advantage whatsoever I love it), Hojo is still the scum of the earth as he should be (he never gets better!), I got to actually understand what Bugenhagen is, and so on and so on. Nobody was worse than their original appearance and I loved that.

ALSO CISSNEI GANG RISE UP WE LOVE OUR GIRL AND I'M SO GLAD SHE GOT TO RETURN

Story

So. This is the big part. If I had to choose where my biggest gripe with the game would be, it would be in the aspect of story. This is the Exact Same Gripe I had with Remake, that being the aspect of whispers, alternate timelines, and whatever Sephiroth is cooking. This being.... I don't really like it? I don't think it adds anything?? It's confusing, intentionally vague, and it really ruins the flow that these games have otherwise. Cause aside from this singular (big) aspect? Dude! This game fucks! It takes every story beat that was in the original, and expands on it in a way that i feel makes me love the story and world way more! I feel like a lot of aspects got tied together a lot more smoothly (although again, I also attribute this to not terrible translation), and every experience that I expected from the original was a joy to watch in this game. The swamp, Junon, the boat, Costa del Sol, the Gold Saucer, Cosmo Canyon, Nibelheim, the Temple of the Ancients. These were all done so well. All of the side content and side stories were really fun, added a lot of character to the world. And with the slight changes they did make, like with Cait Sith's arc being changed to be more sympathetic instead of blackmailing and Cloud being controlled by Sephiroth NOT beating Aerith I think were actually done really tastefully and improved the experience (actually thinking about it Dyne's just felt like they wanted to hurt Barret more why would they do that). I just... I wish if they were going to do this whole alternate timeline dealy, they were a little more clear on it? i wish I could feel like it actually mattered to this series, but what i get is "oh wow the unknown journey" that turns into "yeah here are these extra bits that are confusing and don't change anything and actually instead ruin the impact of one of the most well known scenes in video game history)

With that I will talk about the ending. I was willing to ignore the fact that we didn't get to walk through the City of the Ancients more. I was still shaking and nervous until the very end, thinking "oh man what's going to happen???? oh fuck!!!" and what i was instead rewarded with was a constant whiplash of emotions and confusion that left me numb to what should have torn my heart out. I shouldn't have to be left wondering if a character truly died or not for the sake of "OHHH MAN TIMELINESSSSS WORLDS???" that didn't DO anything when I could have gotten either a successful changing of timeline, or a 4K edition of something to tear my heart out, and hearing the absolute pain in Cloud's voice in his speech afterwards. I am Really Hoping that part 3 will clear this up, and retroactively improve an ending and story beats that I think single-handedly knock this game down from a 10/10. I shouldn't have faith in them, cause they've beefed two endings in a row, but I do, because they've shown that everything else they can create are honestly perfect.

Graphics

shortest section in the world this game is beautiful the landscapes are beautiful the characters are beautiful (or ugly when they needed to be and it still worked) my eyes were given a treat this entire 80 hours

Music

shortest section in the world this soundtrack is amazing hamauzu and suzuki cooked and made so many good songs

it's like they knew tifa's theme was one of my favorites and proceeded to give me 20 versions of it also gold saucer getting individual remixes???? a top 5 battle on the big bridge? NO PROMISES TO KEEP???????? GOD FUCKING DAMN.

Unorganized Ramblings/Finale

I really did have a lot of fun with this game. I didn't feel soured until the end for the most part, even during some frustrating game segments (fuck you Rufus and Odin and then Odin again and also that last Fort Condor). I really appreciate getting to see the wider world of FFVII in a modern sense, and I think overall I appreciate what I didn't previously a lot more. I also loved how with the addition of a card game and Gilgamesh, it got to match up with VIII and IX, the other 2 PS1 FFs to really feel like a unified FF vision. This game kept the silliness that the original had on top of its incredibly dark setting for something that I love to describe as the same vibe as Yakuza. I laughed seeing Red get a whole scene instead of a single bit in his person outfit, and then cried at a newfound caring for Cloud, Tifa, and Barret seeing Jessie's poster in the Gold Saucer. The vibes were immaculate and I'm really really excited to see what they do for the final part (which is going to be called Reunion I'm betting my left materia on it)

9/10. The peak of modern FF gameplay that enhances a classic, but fails its mission of being different.

[kasmis]

Thanks so much for posting your thoughts on Death Mark II, really informative and has made me even more excited for the game! I hope you don’t mind me asking, but what was the one line they changed for Mashita in Death Mark that you mentioned?

Hii of course I'm so glad you read and enjoyed!! I really enjoyed playing it so I'm super excited that more people get to play it soon.. Fall 2023 needs to come faster 😭😭

Oh my god.. I'm going to stick my answer under a read more just in case people are concerned about DM spoilers in 2023 (?) and also because I accidentally went off and wrote a super long response LMFAOOOO. But I realize this is something a lot of overseas fans don't know so I hope you don't mind that I'm tagging my response!!

So.. in Chapter 2 of Death Mark, it's possible to trigger the Live or Die where you close the beehives with any partner character. And every partner character get a unique line of dialogue as soon as it starts right. In the translation, Mashita says "(last name)! Get away from there!" But.. in the original.. he says "(first name)! Run away!"

Here are screenshots comparing the two with the default "Yashiki Kazuo / 八敷一男" name:

Trying to figure out the reason they changed this has like haunted me to this day LOLLLL I just don't understand it!! At first I thought it was because the localizer might be worried overseas audiences would get confused at the sudden name switch, but then in Chapter 6 Hiroo calls Yashiki by his first name when she's possessed. So I don't know why they kept her "Kazuo" while removing Mashita's!? Like it's possible they made the decision to keep Hiroo's after they had already finished translating and localizing the earlier chapters, but I still like. Idk. It makes me mad to be honest LOL I think it's such a good and cute Mashita moment and the change is truly unneeded.. I'm holding back from going off on another tangent but you get the idea 😭😭

In general I have several other issues with the quality of the translation and localization of DM overall but also like. IIRC the AKSYS team was literally just one translator and one localizer so I try to be understanding. I just really hope that for Death Mark II they give them more resources because there's plenty of stuff that I think will be difficult to carry over accurately and if the team is stretched thin it might not live up to its full potential. That's why I said before that I was a little nervous about how they'll approach some things in the new game looll..

Anyway. If it wasn't obvious I'm like very interested in comparing the differences between the JPN and ENG versions of the game and I have plenty to say but I feel like I've already made this way too long.. I'm always happy to discuss the other things they changed and my opinions on the changes tho so like. As an open invitation to anyone else reading ig if there's anything else ur curious about I'm happy to chat!! Thank you for asking this and allowing me to ramble 💖

[pinkprimrose05]

Pink's ARC-V Highlights - Volume 2: Beware The Blue

Warning: Very Long Post, Contains Spoilers

Okay, uh, I lied. I'm not only here to talk about theories and potential foreshadowing. This series also serves as a quick recap of all ARC-V episodes and the cool moments in them -regardless of relevance to the plot- sprinkled with a generous drizzle of ramblings from yours truly.

If all goes well, you can expect fairly consistent updates, where I cover a few episodes every time. This one, for example, will go over Episodes 3 to 7, since those are the ones I managed to watch this week.

(I. hate. midyear finals.)

If that still piques your interest, then I hope you enjoy the read!

(And yes, I know Yuuto is purple, but purple is technically a shade of blue so the rhyme still works-)

__________________________________

1) Episodes 3 & 4, OR: The obligatory "No card is useless!" Duel.

We pick up where we left off with the You Show crew, and the mishaps of Learning How To Pendulum At The Unholy Hour of 3 A.M. I must applaud the sheer lack of braincells between Gongenzaka and Yuuya, because wow, I can't believe they both forgot that Duel Replays are a thing.

(This is why only Yuzu has a 60%+ winrate.)

Fast forward through school-flavored pain, and we now introduce everyone's favorite banana peel...

... whom I highkey want to punt off a cliff.

Look, I love Sawatari. I really do. But good Lord, I forgot just how insufferable he was this far back in the show. I had to refrain from punching my screen several times through the back half of Episode 3, because Shingo, you idiot, who the fuck told you it was fine to put 8-year-old children in mortal danger for a bunch of shiny new cards??

Suffice to say, it took me a good while to actually like him after this atrocious first impression... but hey, at least he gets humbled with style!

As far as early-game Duels go, this one is actually not half bad. The "weak card wins you the game" trope is a bit cliché, but Yuuya gets props for turning it into a pretty light show with Kaleidoscorp and Block Spider, and then using said pretty light show to win the game in one turn.

Another thing is that this Duel introduces Action Traps! Gosh, I would have loved to see more of those later down the line. The concept is pretty neat, and the negative effects create an interesting risk, where a Duelist has to stop and think if they really need to grab an Action card, regardless of the potential ramifications of it being a Trap.

Oh, and did I mention that Sawatari gets roasted to oblivion before the final direct attack? Because he does. Yuuya went above and beyond to make this as entertaining as possible to his friends, and as humiliating as possible for Shingo... for which I ultimately have to thank him, because that's the spark that eventually turned Sawatari into the flashy dork we all know and love.

... And because he deserved an asskicking at the time. Sora did well knocking him out, actually.

..

..

Speaking of which—

__________________________________

2) Episodes 5 & 6, OR: That one time we adopted a war criminal.

I actually kinda like these two episodes. They're nothing particularly special if you look back (well, unless you're subscribed to the theory that the stadium in the first minute or so is the same one from Leo's flashback in Episode 126), but hey, at least we get to "properly" know our beloved sugar gremlin!

God, I love Sora. He's actually pretty terrible at disguising his position as a spy- like wow, he keeps outing himself as suspicious every time he makes a snide comment, even without the context of who he actually is. I think he could only afford to slip up so much because no one could ever guess that he came from a world-invading organization in a reality parallel to their own.

... And also because everyone thought of him as a mere child with a bit of a quirky, mischievous streak. I mean, who can ever think ill of such a sweet little guy?

(Yuuya can, but that's because Sora was annoying him on purpose lmao. It's good that he wasn't fooled by the cutesy act, though; that means he could read Sora better than most, despite his deflection and the constant switching between cutie pie and smug bastard.)

As for the Duel, it isn't much to talk about. The first few Duels are usually for exposition and showing mechanics, and in this case, we just see what happens when a Pendulum monster gets destroyed.

Short answer: It goes to the Extra Deck instead of the GY.

Long asnwer: Yuuya goes through a minor existential crisis, because his mishmash of a strategy comes crashing down the moment Odd-Eyes is out of the equation. How does he deal with that, you ask? Hysterical laughter, that's how.

(Goddammit ARC-V, isn't it far too early to make me question the protagonist's sanity?

... actually, don't answer that.)

Aaaaaaaaanyway, we also get to see the reintroduction of Fusion summoning!

(Look at this cool animation. So clean. So awesome.)

Fluffals are actually a very good Deck to showcase the different levels of complexity of the mechanic, and they get bonus points for the contrast between the cutesy plushies and... whatever animatronic shit the Frightfurs have going on. I am now reminded of how glad I was to see the older summoning methods getting a neat glow-up, especially after ZEXAL booted them out of existence in favor of focusing on Xyz.

(And on that note, I feel the need to stress that it's Xyz, not XYZ. Please. It's been twelve years. Stop confusing the game mechanic with the Union cards, people.)

__________________________________

3) Episode 7, OR: The one I actually wanted to talk about all along.

Oh this. This. This is where the plot finally starts to move forward. Nothing against the previous episodes, but I did say before they're mostly there for exposition, and that, by nature, is bound to be a little boring.

Unlike here.

I'd like to start by talking about Yuzu, because we have to admit: this is the first time she's relevant to the story as herself, not as Yuuya's friend or as a student at You Show. And boy, does she make it count.

She busts Sawatari on her own, and literally calls him a hundredth-rate Duelist. To his face. In front of his lackeys. Yuzu was ready to take him on, even when she was alone and locked in the warehouse (again, Shingo, what the fuck??), and I'm fairly certain she could've backed up her words given the chance...

Except, well, she wasn't given the chance.

I'm actually willing to let this one slide, because Yoot's interference doesn't invalidate Yuzu's ability to handle this by herself. I see it more as a precaution on his part, and also a chance to learn more about LDS and Academia that he simply couldn't pass up.

There's also the likely possibility that he genuinely didn't know how Duels worked here, and couldn't risk Yuzu getting hurt if he could help it. It's clear that Yuuto was aware she wasn't Ruri at this point (wow, good job man, you're not as colorblind as everyone else), but still didn't wish to involve an innocent bystander in conflict... which actually makes sense, considering his moral code.

And besides, the Duel was still pretty cool! There's something inherently awesome about setting a full backrow board on Turn 1, and the first time I saw it, I was absolutely shooketh.

(Also, there was a copy of Mystical Space Typhoon among the set cards. Something tells me that Yuuto knows it doesn't negate, and that is definitely praiseworthy, because it means that he actually reads the damn cards.)

Even Sawatari gets kudos for Monarch representation. And also for showing us that Prismatic foil and different rarities do exist in-universe, just like in GX. It makes me wonder why most Duelists don't use them, buuut I guess that was just a throwaway detail that they used to highlight Shingo's spoiled rich brat disposition.

ANYWAYS, moving on to more important matters!

Like dark matter. Which exists in space. Which is the theme of many Xyz cards. Among which there is one Dark Rebellion Xyz Dragon.

(HAIL THE T-POSE ALTERNATE ARTWORK!!)

Don't let the lesser requirement of 1 Overlay Unit fool you; the anime version is still worse than the one we got in the game... though it does, at least, have better OTK abilities against non-Xyz bosses.

I still laugh at the fact that it left Sawatari with exactly 100 LP. Poor guy probably thought he could pull a protagonist comeback, but alas, he forgot that he is not the protagonist...

Well, at least he gets a shot at the role in Episode 139, but we're a few ways away from that right now.

And speaking of stuff that we're a few ways away from...

*shakes Yuuto* Did you just- DID YOU JUST FUCKING NAMEDROP ACADEMIA???

I don't remember this at all. I thought he just asked about the significance of the LDS pin and left. What the hell? Why does none of the characters talk about it then? Not Sawatari, not his goons, not even Yuzu? What??

This is really, really weird. I may have to look into it a little more later on, but for now, we return to a bewildered Yuzu... and her absolute party pooper of a plot device.

Yes. You know the one.

(FuckyoufuckyoufuckyoufuckyoufUCKYOU)

This stupid bracelet and the subsequent events following its activation bring us to a point of great frustration that I would like to touch upon, that being the cast's crippling inability to tell the counterparts apart from each other. Brace yourselves, Duelists; this might be a bit of a long tangent.

*inhales*

Okay, look, there are two sides to this issue; one that can be excused in more than one instance, and one that makes zero sense, no matter how you spin it.

The excusable side is the visual confusion. I understand Yuzu's shock at the situation as a whole, not helped at all by this odd fellow who strongly resembles her best friend.

(And before you say Yuuto doesn't resemble Yuuya for shit, yes he does, if only because the goggles' band is holding his bangs down.)

One must also remember they were locked in a now-wrecked warehouse, so the lighting conditions are bound to be rather bad, and it might be difficult to see clearly as a result. With all that in mind, I can forgive Yuzu for confusing their looks.

The inexcusable side, however, is the auditory confusion. The counterparts -every single one of them- don't sound the least bit similar to each other, even in the English dub.

They could look straight up identical for all it matters, but their voices are so wildly distinct I cannot begin to fathom how anyone can ever confuse them. You could technically make a case for excluding Yuuri and Yuuya since the sole difference between them is voice tone (at least in the sub), but the former is not a subject of comparison right now, and Yuuto's voice is far cry from the latter.

In conclusion of these two factors, I only have one thing to say:

... This is stupid.

This is so, so stupid.

It's so fucking stupid it's not even funny, but it is what it is, and as with every single time anyone talks about this issue, we'll just have to roll with it and be glad when a character doesn't take the bait.

*sigh*

__________________________________

Well, this should be everything for now, and *checks post length*.... holy shit I didn't think it'd slip from me this much. If you somehow managed to reach the end without dozing off midway through, then you deserve a cookie.

Thanks for reading, and see you soon, Duelists!

[violet-amet]

mtas spoilers abound, with the knives out patch.

—-

—-

Making sure to keep these separated before I actually talk about it.

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Ok, so spoilers time. What the dick Matilda! Also Miguel and pen are also traitors?! I didn’t expect them to actually be the baddies! And in turn that makes me feel so sad for burgess because that innocent and naive fella truly believed them. But he also when to take things in stride, for the time being. I can only imagine how he feels, with everyone that works for a seemingly righteous cause suddenly are revealed for have a more skewed view on it. I get it, change and all that, but boy, it’s been tough on him and everyone else in sand rock. And also I thought burg would had been the bad guy because he seems so innocent but lmao. Lol. He isn’t, atm I think. Lol nah I am willing to trust him.

It does seem that pen is ummarriageable in the game, but can be romance. I’m hoping that Miguel can be married, because I genuinely like him, because I get it, ya know? But this isn’t really for me, because I chose Qi, my smart as hell scientist with very low social skills, and he is perfect. He even acknowledges his flaws and wants to do better for the builder too, when married! So cute!

But I think it’s a shame that pen can’t be married. I’m sure there are many fans who would be bothered by this. At least one person has a chance with a redemption arc tho, which is Miguel, but let’s see how that plays out.

Oh and Elsie has a glow up! She looks like her beta self which is such a cool touch, and I love it! I hope to see more of this side of her now from here on! She is a good gal!

Also I do want to fight Logan again at some point. Maybe when he gets officially added to the roster of romanceable characters that it could happen. He is so much fun to fight against! And I want to fight pen again for no reason. Than shenanigans.

While yes there are a lot of bugs and errors, hell my marriage ceremony didn’t work unfortunately, I do enjoy this game a lot. It has a lot of potential that I hope gets better overtime esp the bugs and glitches.

Gotta wait tho until summer. Hehe. That’s fine by me.

Ya know there is one other thing I want to talk about, and that is Miguel’s appearance. Compared to the rest of the cast, he is the least attractive, with some features that do bother me, like his small hands, but I like how he looks tbh. There is quite a lot, mostly anatomy wise, that bothers me, but I still really like him because he is interesting as a character. I also think his face is fine, but the head body ratio bothers me quite a bit. Idk how to explain it. But it’s fine, I guess. If it wasn’t for the fact that he is a pastor, and I used to have very religious family members that worked as one, there is a lot about him that reminds me of my own family and church experiences, I’d choose him. He seems like he could be an utter sweetheart, with an unfortunately skewed view of the world, which is fair. And I think it’s interesting personally. But I may just be rambling. Hehehe.

[home-halone]

Disclaimer: Assume All BG3 Spoilers. VERY LONG Rambling. I'm just a rando with a blog, these are my personal frustrations and I'm not trashing the characters, writers, or other people's enjoyment of things.

You know, after seeing all the companion word count + runtime statistics of all the BG3 Origin Companions, I really wanna acknowledge the fact that Astarion did get a disproportionate amount of attention and care. It sounded like his arc has been mostly consistent since EA and wasn't subjected to extensive rewrites (iirc? from an interview with Stephen Rooney, his writer) so it wouldn't be out of the question that Astarion's storyline & romance got more time in the oven than the others did, so to speak.

So yeah, even if length/run-time isn't strictly the only metric for a good & satisfying storyline, the amount of content definitely contributed to how well-received Astarion's romance is. He had a lot more screentime than anyone else. In fact, from what I understand, they were short on time during production and one of the reasons for his additional Dark Urge-specific content was because the Companion design lead had been writing the Dark Urge storyline while writing for Astarion, and they managed to squeeze content for both in. That's not a bad thing in itself. A lot of love and care went into Astarion, and it's evident because so many people resonated with him. The bad thing is that the others didn't get the same treatment.

Especially in comparison to the runtime of Wyll's romance. And it's so tragic. His romance is so heartfelt, earnest and sweet, and I wish I had MORE of that? The length of his scenes are a fraction of Astarion's. It's truly unfair, because there's so much of this tender dynamic with Tav left unexplored.

I have to admit I haven't seen all the other romances, but I have seen Astarion's, Shadowheart's, Wyll's, Gale's, and part of Karlach's.

Rant Start

Gale's in particular frustrates me so much. I went into BG3 figuring he was my type of love interest. The sort of masculine guy with facial hair, he's a little bit goofy with a dark secret. Totally my type. I thought it was very compelling and prime for angst. But even though the others' romances left me wanting more and wishing there'd been more content, Gale made me feel like... it was so unsatisfying?

Don't get me wrong, I enjoyed him. I took him with me as a permanent party member to the very end. I romanced him all the way to late Act 3. Tim Downie's performance sold the charming and dweeby wizard-boyfriend so well. Gale’s quips and dialogue could be silly, but very profoundly romantic when a scene called for it.

But even with all the things I enjoyed, I found his content to be lacking in a different way. It felt disjointed. Like there were two sides of him written:

The opportunistic power-hungry wizard struggling with his past with Mystra, his role as the idk 'vessel' I guess, for the Netherese Orb. Him having to decide between detonating himself or not.

The conceited ☝️🤓 (affectionate) wizard in your party who is also quite endearing and romantic.

I can't seem to reconcile these two sides of him as being the same person. Yes, I know people are multifaceted, and that he can be both these things. I just feel like the game failed to present these sides of him in a way that meshed well enough to demonstrate his ability to slide between these two sides of himself.

ok but who is he?

It was really hard for me to believe that he was power-hungry for some reason. He didn't really behave in a way that demonstrated this trait, when the text wasn't spelling it out for me, like whacking me over the head with "he is being obsessed with being more powerful rn". I guess I wanted to see that outside of major story points, that he's prone to this behavior.

Instead, he struck me more as invested in learning more magic in a standard wizard fashion, who... somehow ended up crossing a literal god's boundaries in the past I guess??? I know that's not the full extent of what he is, but that's the vibe he's giving off, because he's fairly benign and seemingly levelheaded outside of world-ending events.

I think part of the reason for my difficulty in believing this part of him is the... I guess lack of a driving force behind this behavior? The text explicitly ties his self-worth into his prowess as a wizard, but... why. I wanna know why and dig right into it. Gale Dekarios I want to put you under a microscope. Why is he hoarding power to the point of self-destruction and sabotaging what good standing he had with a goddess he worshipped and adored? He seems to have a good relationship with his mother and he has Tara at his side, so it’s probably not because of things at home. Is there just a wizardy slippery slope from "I wanna know more than I should" to "I wanna kill god and take her place"???

Like, who are you? Why is this so important to you to the point of obsession?

"Gale's Ex"

I know there are different takes on it, like when Minsc mentions that the Rashemen hide away "weave-touched boys" and he posits that perhaps it was "...done to hide them from Mystra, and the snares she sets for young and prideful boys."

I think, if the text weren't so neutral in its depiction of Gale and Mystra's relationship it would have made for a really compelling facet of his character. Instead, it's repeatedly framed like Gale and Mystra had a pretty pleasant relationship and that there was only a falling out because of the incident with the Orb.

Like, yes, what Minsc says was in the text, but with it being said by Minsc, a character you don’t get until the third act, and with this dialogue being so out of the way, it feels like this info is entirely optional to the narrative. When. It feels like. It shouldn't be.

If this were baked into his storyline better, it would give Gale more depth. Instead, I have to sit here and headcanon it.

I imagined Gale as a fairly unremarkable kid except for his apparent calling for magic that leads to him earning the attention of a goddess. Finally, he has a sense of worth. He's exceptional. He works harder, learns more and more and more. He enjoys the renown and respect it brings. Here's the goddess of magic who mentors him, but then basically grooms him, and betrays his trust (whether by abusing the authority she has over him or some other way).

Headcanon aside, I'm surprised she didn't break his trust in some way. With the way Gale talks about Mystra in the later part of the game, you'd think his desire to USURP GOD AND NEVER BE BEHOLDEN TO THEIR WHIMS AGAIN was a wholly personal endeavor. That feels way too personal to just be a vendetta against your ex. I know Mystra's supposed to be a Lawful Neutral deity, but I'm sure they could have written something that objectively upholds the integrity of magic while being super fucked up of her to compel Gale to do.

I also feel like his constant desire to be more would also be because of the perceived (emotional) security his abilities as a wizard had brought him. Becoming more powerful led to more fulfillment. This one is a little more apparent in the text, but it also feels like, if you want to go against this, you're being punished for trying to tell Gale he's enough.

"ur enough to me gale"

In the romance scene in Act 2 with the stars, you get opportunities to indulge in magic with Gale. It leads to more intimate moments, and there are multiple points where you can flat out tell him that you don't have to be impressed to love him for who he is without all the grandstanding. And if you take that option, you actually miss out on some genuinely beautiful and romantic scenes. INSTEAD, you get a really brief scene where you're plopped on a magic bed and he just agrees to do it your way. No elaboration or validating your choice.

Like yes the 1080° Space Sex scene was a little comical, but it's also a thousand times way more intimate than the other outcome. Narration makes a point to highlight the intensity of the act. I know magic is Gale's thing, but if the whole point of this is trying to convince someone they are appreciated just as they are, why is this the more rewarding option? I don't mean this as a complaint that the magic bed scene should have been a "more explicit, hotter" version. Like, yeah, it could have, but that's not the point. My point is, it doesn't really give a satisfying outcome. Spawn!Astarion's Act 3 sex scene is tame as hell (everyone's clothed) compared to the Ascended!Astarion one, but the emotional payoff was really good. Astarion opens up to Tav and it establishes a feeling of intimacy without being explicit. And that could have been a possibility here!

But it wasn't.

I read accusation on some reddit comment once (I know this isn't representative of people who enjoy his character regardless) that anyone who feels put off by these sides of him are because people can't stand a love interest having an ex. But I don't care that he had a past entanglement with someone who isn't my Tav. I care that so much of the dialogue revolves around it. I know it can't be helped because he's a wizard who was Mystra's lover and Chosen. Plus from the narrative POV, he's also tied to the Crown of Karsus.

Maybe I am not remembering it correctly, but it felt like Gale was still very much in awe of Mystra, while trying to romance you. Like you're on a first date with someone who can't stop sighing about their mindblowing but toxic ex and you're there awkwardly trying to comfort them, knowing you're just the less-bad option.

It starts off quite forlorn (when he's staring at her likeness formed from the Weave) and turns into a petty ploy to get back at Mystra as an ex who happened to be a goddess. I felt like I should step back and give Gale some time to get over it or end up in an unhealthy relationship myself lmao. It's not even framed that way in-game (I would've eaten it up) because it's supposed to be sweet and romantic when he asks you to marry him.

But there's also a disconnect. Because while the scenes focus so much on Gale and his poorly processed feelings on Mystra, he also just goes right into saying he’s feeling seen and loved and found someone worth living for because Tav reassures him. The jump feels so abrupt. It doesn't feel like any of the scenes or interactions really support that? The sudden sweeping ride-or-die declarations that he can't live without me?? It doesn't feel earned. Not in the way I felt like I earned Shadowheart's trust, or even when I glimpsed into Astarion slowlyyyy lowering his guard for example.

Even if his reputation is that he is quick to romance, I actually found his route really difficult. The slow start, getting no affection other than a somewhat flattered reaction to your interest until mid-Act 2 under the stars... That huge gap of nothingness in-between because most of his plot was concentrated in Act 3... It honestly didn't feel like he was interested in my Tav outside of being supportive towards him. I didn't feel like I was a friend or companion to Gale, the way I felt like Shadowheart or Lae'zel were truly endeared to my Tav. Gale's role vs the Netherbrain is so pivotal, that's where his arc truly lies. Until then, his growth feels minimal. So I almost feel like a Tav romancing him is a cardboard cutout character, instead of someone supporting his journey. Maybe because of how little you actually get to be by his side. Even when he finally confronts Mystra, he does that entirely on his own.

And it's sad because!!! He is interesting to me!! He says some really beautiful and touching things as standalone lines. But even then, the game makes me feel like the feeling is not truly mutual LMAO.

Anyway just to recap, the source of my frustrations with Gale's romance:

Perceived disconnect between 2 aspects of himself

Larger focus on his role in the main quest even in romantic scenes

Lack of a deeper motivation for seeking power on the level of godhood, or even just more insight to his behavior

Pacing issues with his romance, mostly slow in actual progress but makes abrupt, unbelievable leaps in affection.

[fuckyeahleonxkrauser]

*POTENTIAL SPOILERS* Have you seen the rumors on RE4 remake that Krauser apparently got cut and some of his actions were put into Luis? What are your thoughts about it? 😖

Thank you for your question and sorry for my late reply.

Now on to my thoughts on the matter, under the cut. (Warning, long and rambling)

I have heard the rumors, and as you can expect I'm not very happy about it. I was immediately worried that they were gonna change a lot since they skipped remaking Code Veronica X and Darkside Chronicles in favor of Resident Evil 4 (I truly don't understand why, considering the two could be combined very effectively and flesh out a lot of characters in the process) and the rumors certainly didn't help.

To me it would be a big mistake to cut Krauser. He might be a small character in the franchise, but I think he has a huge impact all the same. I know a lot of people were annoyed with his sudden appearance in RE4, but I personally liked the mystery. I've always found Resident Evil to be lacking in depth, especially in terms of villains, and (shipping, and their delicious dynamic, aside) Krauser is a breath of fresh air to me.

I've always enjoyed the "Inside of Biohazard Darkside Chronicles" where the director gives his opinions and thoughts on the relationship between Krauser and Leon, particularly how Manuela was meant to die, but Leon refusal not to do his upmost to save her ended up damning Krauser in the end.

Not only does the director say that if Manuela had died, Krauser wouldn't have fallen to the dark side and that he might have had a future where he could have remained "a good buddy" to Leon, but that the whole point of Operation Javier was that Leon's mercy ultimately led to more tragedies.

Not only does this give some depth to Krauser as a character, a fallen hero turned villain who in the end is as much a victim as other tragic characters in the franchise, but it gives Leon a lot of depth as well. He's a hero, yes, but he's flawed and human. This duality makes for interesting character development, and explains the gradual change in Leon from fresh faced rookie to the hardened and almost cynical Leon we see later in the franchise. I would be very sad to see this go.

People may argue that it's Ada's betrayal that made the change in him, but it's clear that Krauser's betrayal hit him just as hard, judging by how he speaks of Krauser to Osmund Saddler in the game.

I suppose time will tell if this is a rumor without merit. I certainly hope it is.

[lemonade-juley]

So like, I had a couple head canons I wanted to list, but also specifically stuff regarding my OC ship with Saphira. So I'm gonna do the pairing stuff separately here, to avoid making a super long as hell post. (Uh warning this'll probably still be decently lengthy because I tend to over explain)

Also, some spoilers for Reborn and perhaps parts of it's post game. (As of writing this I'm still in tier 5 of anomaly quests)

Anyways

-in general, during the post game Allyson and Saphira start actually hanging out now that, at least a decent chunk of the life threatening situations are dealt with besides anomalies. Training together frequently (shared use of and love of Dragon types helps), but Allyson also trying to encourage Saphira to spend time with her in more casual things. Saphira starts to enjoy just listening to Allyson happily ramble about her interests or her Pokemon or other things like that

-Allyson, of course has a really... Not good childhood and horrible teenage years. She has a lot of issues in general, but essentially she's not used to having so many friends and people she actually considers to be family, and is still being acclimated to it. So for a while she doesn't even recognize she even has romantic feelings for Saphira at all.

-Included in Allyson's wealth of issues is self confidence issues in anything that isn't battling. So when she does finally actually put words to her feelings, she feels like she doesn't quite deserve any sort of romance or relationship like that. Good ol' messy situation for her, and that mindset makes her oblivious to Saphira's feelings in the matter, and herself too nervous to do anything other then spend time with her and silently pine.

-For both of them, feelings kind of existed before the post game, but for a multitude of reasons due to plot and ongoing character development nothing more substantial than "oh that girls kinda cute" or "oh shit that girl's fucking badass" and other type of thoughts like that.

-For Saphira, she starts to realize she's starting to have feelings for Allyson and just, doesn't know what to with them??? Really in a "well that's new" type of situation and is unsure how to deal with them. Also oblivious to Allyson's feelings for her, due to not really thinking she has them (ya know, despite the amount of time Allyson wants to and tries to spend with her). May or may not be low key afraid her anger issues might push Allyson away (and feels kind of bad for the outburst she had that caused her to yell at Allyson back after the gym battle during the Labradorra tournament).

-Eventually and very reluctantly goes to Laura for advice because she is wholly unsure of how to deal with it herself, and also because "she seems to be with that odd Bennett guy right". Laura is of course very supportive of her, and does her best to help her. Also Charlotte would absolutely tease her for this which is just an amusing thought to me.

-also have to mention it is wholly unfortunate how much they have in common as far as pre-Reborn's story goes

-But like, regardless of the two's personal issues, they're like, really soft together. They know to give one another space at times and trust each other very much. Protective of one another as well, and Allyson feels truly and perfectly safe in Saphira's presence (something she never really felt to a full degree before). Saphira also feels more comfortable herself.

Anyways I am mentally ill for them :3

[dumbegglife]

princess jellyfish long rambles (and spoilers) <3

ahhhhhh i finally finished the manga. i really enjoyed it. i think i tried to read the manga like 5 years ago, but i couldn't finish it. it didn't go the direction i expected, but i'm okay with that now. now that i've revisted it, i feel like mangaka Akiko Higashimura put a lot of thought into the story, it seems like there was a lot of research put into the material, and it's certainly different from a typical romance. when i was younger, i wanted a more self-contained, simpler romance between Tsukimi and Kuranosuke, which i still do want, but i did enjoy the alternative direction Higashimura took. ALSO, she is clearly a fan of slow burn, which i very very much liked.

princess jellyfish gets even more outlandish, the stakes get even more ridiculous. the manga starts to seriously explore the fashion industry and the pace of the manga increases. there less and less whimsical vignettes into the amars' lives. it made sense for what was happening in the story! but i did miss the slower, less stressful tone at the begining of the story.

the anime ended on a high note, the fashion show, but the manga throws the characters for another loop. the mangaka forces the audience to reckon with the challenges of the fashion industry and actually launching the brand - they go into the logistics and the challenges of market competition lol. it's pretty impressive in manga form!

lol and the CEO Kai Fish. i didn't like him at first, but hahaha he was pretty entertaining this time around. he was a little late in the game for Tsukimi's reverse harem lol, but the mangaka deliberately made him sympathetic and fleshed him out unexpectedly...which worked on me...so i like him. the latter part of the manga takes place in Singapore!! the manga staff actually went to Singapore for research and it shows.

i do wonder if Higashimura had planned to do more with Kai Fish ad Fayong - they had a very dramatic entrance and a whole back story, but they didn't receive much closure.

THE CHARACTERS oh my god the characters. the manga had such an enormous cast, and Higashimura did a fantastic job highlighting each character, and making them distinct. Jiji, Shu, and Chieko had unexpected MVP moments. Mayaya became increasingly more hilarious and chaotic. I loved the side characters, even if they appeared for a few pages - they contributed something valuable to the story. man, when i like the side characters, you know it's a winner...

y'know, i didn't expect to like Shu so much (in the anime, i never disliked or liked him - just neutral)...but he really shines in the manga. he's not just the dense, stuffy brother. Shu is sweet and knowledgable. he has a lot of good qualities too and she makes sure to give him the spotlight when it's warranted. Kuranosuke is the darling of the manga, but he has notable flaws, so the appeal between Shu and Kuranosuke bit more balanced in the manga.

oooh one other thing i love is that Higashimura LOVES putting opposites together... Kuranosuke/Tsukimi, Shoko/Shu, even Shu/Tsukimi LOL i busted my sides when Shoko started falling for Shu.

I should re-read the Singapore arc too (lol if that's what it's called), it was pretty wild.

princess jellyfish has incredible range. it's goofy and unrealistic, but also sweet and dreamy, and some parts are very, very grounded and well-researched. ahh that's what i love about manga....truly, it's a josei epic.

[katrinegrey]

I've had the chance to read through TWOTQ in its entirety and review things a couple times and wanted to do an awkward sort of list of my thoughts on the book. My thoughts are convoluted and full of spoilers, so if neither of those are things you want, please look away now.

I also have a tendency to word vomit, ramble, and make zero sense. You're welcome.

This was all typed on mobile so there could be some serious spelling and formatting errors. You've been warned.

I may also come back in another day and think of something to add, so...may or may not change a bit by tomorrow.

Last warning: there are spoilers below!

My rating : ⭐⭐⭐⭐ - 4 stars

I understand the polarizing feelings and very visceral opinions about this book. I hear you. This book was far from perfect, but I actually quite enjoyed it. It's probably my third favorite behind ASITE (forever my #1) and FBAA (the OG). I truly didn't much care for AKOFAF or ACOGB and was seriously considering dropping the series until it was fully released. Then I read ASITE and those plans shattered.

That said, I didn't have super high expectations going in. I had hopes and dreams and theories, but they weren't crushed or anything since most were either resolved in some way, even if it wasn't what I thought or would have preferred, or didn't involve characters we saw yet.

I will be going through the things I liked first and then the things I didn't so much enjoy.

Things I Liked :

the sass and banter. There was so much from everyone, and while it may have occasionally felt like a bit much, I still really enjoyed it.

Reaver and Millicent. Reaver is a godsdamn treasure, Millicent is precious, and I cannot wait to see more of both of them in the future. The strange, oddball babies.

Certain scenes or lines affected me far harder than I would have expected. After they pull Malec's casket out and are transporting it back and Reaver is sitting beside it with his hand on the lid and his eyes closed killed me. I teared up.

The constant mentions of Nyktos and the Consort. This is more of a specific like, but hearing about my favs made me happy.

I understand why some people are still mad about world building this late in the game, but I really enjoy heavy lore. For the most part, it ties in well. I think it can feel like a bit much because we're learning everything right along with Poppy, but it all seems to serve a greater purpose and I love it.

Poppy and Valyn's conversations. I loved them.

And this is where I'm going to really piss people off. I really liked the dynamic between Poppy x Cas x Kieran throughout the entire book. In MY (only my) opinion, I really liked it and thought it well done. I was worried before reading it from reading everyone's posts about it, but I was relieved while reading it. I understand people have really strong opinions about it. I respect your opinions and would never try to invalidate them. But please take those somewhere other than my replys (there are plenty of angry posts) and don't be mean here.

Things I'm not sure if I like or dislike :

Just the dual POV. Normally I don't mind it, but something about Casteel's POV just wasn't working here. It felt really off. But it didn't prevent me from enjoying the book but I wasn't sure I really enjoyed it. I found myself missing Poppy's POV hard.

Things I disliked :

the pronunciation guide. What the hell is even that?

Poppy's powers. I'm really not a fan of where this is going. Poppy is starting to feel really Mary Sue like in the same way that Aelin and Feyre could feel that way. Maybe even more. And it scares me for a multitude of reasons (we'll get to that later)

I like Malik's storyline and I love his potential going forward, but was I the only one that was put off by his character for unknown reasons? Like, he didn't do anything, and I don't actively dislike him. I really WANT to like him, but I find myself unable to fully commit because there's just something...off. Not off in a way like I think he's evil but just off.

What do I think could be next?

These are all just predictions and my opinions. Disagree as you like.

I think Poppy might grow too powerful for a reason. I don't see Jennifer pulling an Allegiant on Poppy and killing her off but I also don't see her being willing to take over ruling in Iliseeum and/or Atlantia and/or Solis. It's too much. Girl might be stripped of or give up her powers at some point on books 5 or 6. Or if she does indeed end up dead, she'll be brought back.

Which brings me to this point. What if she doesn't? I think in that case, we may as well say goodbye to Sera and Nyktos. I think they'll have to die for Poppy to stay as she is. I put them as both dying because I cannot abide by the thought of one dying and one being left alive. Nope. They go together.

Things (mostly people) I want to see more of :

Sera and Nyktos. Duh.

I'm so intensely interested in Nektas joining Poppy and Co. in their search for Ires and Jadis. Like, yes please!

I really want to see some of Malec and / or Ires reuniting with Daddy Nyktos and Mommy Sera. My obsession knows no bounds and reuniting scenes are my guilty pleasure!

I was a little disappointed that there wasn't more of the side characters we love like Vonetta, Emil, Naill and Delano. Though I did love seeing more of Perry. So, more please?

My ultimate (naïve) wish is for happy endings all around. Except for Kolis and Callum. Fuck them.

I need a scene with Poppy learning from or training with other gods and Primals now that they're awake.

[triggerhappyimagines]

How about the V3 boys, (the ones who died) with a s/o whos the Ultimate Spirit Medium/Necromancer and they call the spirit of the dead character? I just wanna see some scenarios/hc's of that, if u could do it that'd be gr8! If not thats okay, i understand ^^

hey everyone, long time no see! sorry for sort of vanishing for a while, i’ve been super busy with school and my job and kind of lost interest in danganronpa for a little bit,,,, but i’m back and i’m gonna try my best to get through the requests in our inbox and maybe even try and finish a few more of the october prompts (if you guys would still be interested in seeing those!!).

anyways, sorry for the long wait on your request, anon! this was one i had started a few months ago back when i was writing regularly and i finally buckled down and finished it!! i decided to do all the v3 boys (except kiibo because uhhh hes a robot) instead of just the ones who died in canon to avoid spoilers for anyone who hasn’t finished the game yet!! i apologize if some of these seem repetitive i sorta started running out of ideas by the end lmao. i hope you enjoy, anon!

warnings: mentions of death/dying (obviously), general angst

*✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:*✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:*✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:*✧･ﾟ:*✧･ﾟ:

Shuichi Saihara

— to say the least, Shuichi is a little shaken up now that he’s gone and you’re... well, not.

— he always told you he’d stay by your side forever, and he feels guilty. he feels like he broke a promise

— but... you talk to him again that first night. you say his name and look straight at him. can you see him? no, it couldn’t be... right?

— of course, once he puts all the pieces together, it all makes sense

— you’re the ultimate spirit medium, for goodness sakes! of course you can see him and speak to him the same way you would any other living person

— after a while, Shuichi stops feeling so guilty for leaving you. partially because it doesn’t feel quite like he’s abandoned you, and also because you reassure him that he didn’t do anything wrong by dying

— i mean, come on, it’s not his fault he got killed! how could you ever hold that against him?

— still, it takes him some time to come to terms with everything.

— though he loves you, he still finds it sad that he can never speak to anyone else ever again. at least, not without your aid.

— but as long as he has you by his side to help him cope... he knows he’ll be alright

— after all, he loves you, and you love him. and that’s enough to give him the strength he needs to keep from falling apart.

Rantaro Amami

— he's still very protective of you, despite the fact he’s merely a spirit now

— he’s always right by your side, no matter what.

— even when you aren’t able to take a moment to talk to him, or even look in his direction, Rantaro is right there

— if he were still alive, the way he now follows you around all the time may seem obsessive and creepy, but you actually appreciate it

— nobody else can see or speak to him but you, which makes his constant presence comforting, in a way

— Rantaro isn’t able to touch you in the same way he could when he was alive, but nonetheless, he still tries

— he’ll try to place his hand atop yours, or wrap his arms around your figure, but he always just passes straight through you

— you find the chill that blossoms on your skin where he touched you comforting; it’s a reminder that even though he’s gone, he’s still there with you

— it breaks his heart that he can’t truly be with you, but he tries not to focus on his own problems too much

— after all, your happiness is much more important to him than his own; you are his priority

— you’ll have to remind him that it’s okay for him to be sad, and that he shouldn’t bottle up his own emotions to be there for you

— he’ll want to keep being the person to take care of you, and watch out for you, but he needs you to be that person for him

Kokichi Ouma

— you didn’t really think Kokichi would start behaving himself just because he’s dead, did you?

— honestly he uses the fact only you can see and speak to him to his advantage

— good luck trying to keep your cool around other people while he’s off being a clown right in front of you

— but of course, he’s not all fun and games

— i mean... he’s dead. and that sucks

— he probably won’t show it, at least not right away, but he doesn’t like the feeling of separation between you two

— sure, he’s still around, but not like before. before, he could surprise you with a kiss or a suffocating hug, but he just can’t do that anymore

— it hurts. really bad.

— but he knows he’ll be okay. he know’s he’ll get used to it someday, as long as he has you with him to cheer him up when he gets especially sad

— you’re his sunshine, and he may not show it, but he needs you. so don’t leave him all alone, okay?

Gonta Gokuhara

— lets be honest... Gonta has the hardest time of the bunch adjusting to being nothing more than a spirit

— you’ll likely have to give him a lot of comfort. he’s confused, and he misses being able to be with you for real :(

— the hardest part for him is no longer being able to touch you

— he longs to feel your lips press gently against his cheek, to lay in your lap as your hands comb through his hair... he’d give anything to hold you in his arms again...

— unlike Rantaro, he’s not content with merely passing through your body when he makes contact with you

— it just... upsets him. it’s a cruel reminder that his life ended, and that he will never get to hold you, kiss you, and just love you the way he could before his life ended

— be patient with him, please... he’ll adapt eventually... but it could take a while

— just make sure to remind him how much you love him, he’ll need a lot of reassurance and comfort from you

Kaito Momota

— surprisingly, Kaito adapts to the situation pretty well

— if he is struggling with any sort of major emotions, he’s doing a stellar job of hiding it from you. and you hate that

— you don’t totally believe him when he says he’s okay, or when he tells you not to worry about him

— you know him better than that. it doesn’t make sense to you. he just died for crying out loud! he can never follow his dreams, never have the future he always wanted with you

— and you don’t understand how he can just shrug all that off and continue being your boyfriend like normal

— you confront him about it one night. he’s laying on his back, hovering beside you as you read (Kaito loves being able to float around in midair. perks of being a ghost, right?)

— "how can you be okay?" you blurt out suddenly. he looks at you, confused.

— you continue, asking all the questions that had been gnawing at you for days, and when you finally finish, he just laughs

— "of course i’m upset. but it’s a man’s job to protect the ones he loves! and being there for you is much more important than staying upset about this." he explains

— you can’t help but feel a little stupid. he’d always put you first, always prioritized your needs over anyone else’s, even his own. and he wasn’t about to stop just because he died

— fortunately for you, he isn’t upset with you sort of asking him why the hell he wasn’t a huge, depressed mess.

— in fact, he thinks it’s really sweet that, despite the fact you should be worried about yourself so you don’t end up joining him in the afterlife, you spent your energy fussing over him

Korekiyo Shinguji

— with Kiyo, not much changes. at least, not on his end.

— he’s very fascinated by the mere notion of being a spirit and has the time of his life unlife getting used to his new body

— at first you’re happy for him. i mean, it’s good that he’s not struggling, right? shouldn’t you want him to feel okay? you wouldn’t want him to suffer in sadness like you, right?

— but he’s so enthralled with his new state of being he... almost forgets to check up on you

— and even when he does spend time with you, it almost feels like all he does is talk about himself and the new things he’s discovered about being a spirit

— it’s frustrating, to say the least. you know you didn’t truly lose him, but it feels like you did

— when you finally tell him that you feel like he’s changed, he’s confused

— when Kiyo hears you say how much you miss him, how you feel like he’s so different now, he’s kinda just like ???????

— how could he be different? it’s still him, don’t you know that?

— after a long night of reflecting while you sleep (not needing rest is one of the many perks of being a spirit), Kiyo realizes what he’s been doing wrong

— you used to love when he’d talk to you endlessly about his work, his research, etc.

— but now, when he’d ramble on for hours about new things he’d learned thanks to being a mere spirit, it was just another painful reminder to you that he was dead. that he was gone.

— the moment he gets a chance, he apologizes to you. it’s a bit of an emotional moment for both of you, being the first time either of you have confronted the end of Kiyo’s life head on

— he tries to hold you, but all you feel is an icy chill where his flesh would have met yours, but oddly enough... it doesn’t make you feel worse

— you’d anticipated another tsunami of your own tears after Kiyo’s body passed through yours, but it’s comforting, albeit in a morbid way

— he’s gone, but you haven’t lost him. and you’ll never lose him; he’ll remind you of that every day if he has to

Ryoma Hoshi

— man, if you thought ryoma’s attitude and general outlook on life was depressing before, you’ve got a big storm coming

— for a long time after his death, he’s very... cold. to everyone and everything

— he’s upset. but not because he’s dead, but because he can’t protect you anymore

— being there for you, to defend you and keep you safe, had become his raison d’être, so to speak

— he knows you can still see him and talk to him. he’s not stupid. but he pretends he doesn’t hear you at first. part of him thinks that if he shuts you out long enough, you’ll come to your senses and realize you should be upset with him

— but you never do. despite what he thinks he deserves, you never turn on him, never give up on him, never stop loving him

— with time, he’ll come around and start learning to cope with his own death, and the fact you outlived him

— and you’ll be there with him every step of the way (whether he likes it or not)